Dealing with the Double Whammy 7/29/2018

Fresh Faith Review

This is our fourth message now as we read our summer book of “Fresh Faith - What Happens when real faith ignites God’s people” by Pastor Jim Cymbala of the Brooklyn Tabernacle.

exposed us to the enemies plan for our destruction.

Steal - their first love and their joy

Kill - their purpose and significance in life, and their giftings and abilities for the Lord

Then their walk and life with God will be destroyed.

And he’s had a field day with those things in the church, but we are getting wise to him

And we also discovered that God’s restoration power is greater than any damage the enemy can do.

God doesn’t restore, just enough to get us through, but everything that we’ve lost

It doesn’t matter what stage of the destruction we are in, God is still able.

It doesn’t matter how far the enemy tells us we are from him, His restoration can still touch us

If we will return to him with hearts that are changed and wanting what He has to offer.

Not only does God restore, but he also refills and renews us with his spirit.

Then we looked at how faith works in our lives. It cancels out the destruction of the enemy.

Jesus knows how powerful our faith is so he encourages us and finds ways to enlarge our faith in Him

He knows that our faith is what closes the door for the enemy to wreak havoc in our lives.

We may have faith, but Jesus wants us to have greater faith

Jesus raises the bar so that our faith can achieve greater things in him.

through faith, our relationship with Christ is deepened

And through a deep relationship with Christ, our faith is enlarged and strengthened.

And that is going to be my goal this morning. To enlarge and raise your level of faith in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

The Double Whammy

Pastor Jim talks about the double whammy

When something bad happens in our life, but it doesn’t end there. There are repercussions of it that continue on to effect us for years.

There’s pain and scars involved

It’s like the ripples of a pond when a rock is thrown in - that continue to go out from the point where it was disturbed

It’s like the aftershock of an earthquake that I’ve heard said are some of the most dangerous, because even though the earthquake was of a higher magnitude, the aftershocks rock that which has already been weakened and cause even greater destruction.

Can I tell you today that satan loves the Double Whammy.

The Double Whammy keeps us hopeless.

We don’t feel that we can turn things around.

We don’t feel that we can make any traction in life

The enemy lies to us and tells us that this is all that we will ever be and not to expect any more.

And so we give up and just keep doing what we know to do.

The double whammy limits our potential in life.

If we don’t feel good about ourselves and where we are at in life

If we don’t feel like we have a possibility of change

Then we aren’t going to get involved in things that we feel are beyond our capability

We aren’t going to try to better ourselves.

And so we live life, much substandard to what Jesus died to give us.

The double whammy keeps us broken.

If I have a machine that keeps breaking a certain part - then it’s because there is something wrong there.

Maybe not enough oil in the system

Maybe something else is broken or bent and is exerting more stress on that other part

No matter what, If I don’t fix the issue, I’m going to become frustrated with having to keep putting the money and time out to keep fixing this part.

This is where the enemy wants us in life. Broken, stressed out, and run down, not being able to operate at the capacity that God has called us to operate at.

But God promised that He would restore everything. That means that he also promises to fix it

He wants to give us traction in life

He wants to bring us change

He wants us to see the possibility that he has placed in everyone of our lives. And arise to it.

He want us to live in the fullness of what His son Jesus gave his life to give us.

I’m not going to talk about Joseph today, because the book did such a great job with it.

But I do want to remind you of what Joseph named his two sons:

Manasseh - God has made me forget all my trouble

Ephraim - God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering.

Here is my question. Is that the God you have your faith in today?

Let’s look at these today.

Changing the Man

Turn with me over to and let’s look at Jacob.

Genesis 28:10–22 NKJV

Now Jacob went out from Beersheba and went toward Haran. So he came to a certain place and stayed there all night, because the sun had set. And he took one of the stones of that place and put it at his head, and he lay down in that place to sleep. Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. And behold, the Lord stood above it and said: “I am the Lord God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants. Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed. Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you.” Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.” And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!” Then Jacob rose early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put at his head, set it up as a pillar, and poured oil on top of it. And he called the name of that place Bethel; but the name of that city had been Luz previously. Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me, and keep me in this way that I am going, and give me bread to eat and clothing to put on, so that I come back to my father’s house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God. And this stone which I have set as a pillar shall be God’s house, and of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You.”

His name means supplanter - one who deals crooked with others. A conniver or one who overthrows

He has just stolen his brothers birthright. He is running for his life.

In chapter 28 verses 10-22 he flees from his brother who wants to kill him. He is on his way to his uncle’s house, but he stops at a place to rest for the night.

I just went over this two Monday’s ago with the men. But it’s important here for each of us.

Think about where Jacob is at.

He is running for his life

He has a name that means negative things.

He is alone and a fugitive.

He is blessed, but the blessing doesn’t match his name or his destination in life.

I guess the question is much the same as Jesus told Martha and Mary before he raised their brother - Do you believe this?

So what’s the problem? He has a blessing that doesn’t seem possible according to the life that he is living.

Can you see the double whammy?

As Jacob sleeps in this place, he has a dream that there is this ladder from earth to heaven and the angels are coming down and up it at will.

And at the top of the ladder, God looks down on him and says, I am the God of your fathers, and I am going to give you this land just as I promised them. And your descendants will be as many as the sands of the beach and they will be a blessing to the earth.

Do you think Jacob feels it? No way.

Do you think it is possible if Jacob stays the way he is? No way.

But see with God, people can change.

And in verse 16, we see the key

Genesis 28:16 NKJV

Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.”

Say this with me. God was in that situation, and I did not know it.

In his pain, in his exile, in his fear - God was there. and He will be in yours as well.

You might not see him

You might not feel him

But he is there. And if you go by the emotion of the situation, you might miss what God was doing.

Now skip to 20 years later. It’s only 4 chapters.

Genesis 32:22–31 NKJV

And he arose that night and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven sons, and crossed over the ford of Jabbok. He took them, sent them over the brook, and sent over what he had. Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob’s hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him. And He said, “Let Me go, for the day breaks.” But he said, “I will not let You go unless You bless me!” So He said to him, “What is your name?” He said, “Jacob.” And He said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.” Then Jacob asked, saying, “Tell me Your name, I pray.” And He said, “Why is it that you ask about My name?” And He blessed him there. So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: “For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.” Just as he crossed over Penuel the sun rose on him, and he limped on his hip.

Genesis 32:

Jacob has two wives and a dozen children. He is going back to see his brother who 20 years ago had said he would kill him if he ever saw him again.

He sends his crew ahead and stays at a place for the night to get himself ready for what was to come.

But remember, God is in this.

And he wrestles with Jacob til morning. Jacob won’t let go, until he has a blessing.

And God says, what is your name.

He wants him to see something - And Jacob says, my name is supplanter. Now there is a realization of all that he will ever be without the lord on his side.

And God says, no longer is it that. But it is now Israel “One who wrestles with God” - Or one who is in relationship with God. One who over comes through God

One victorious in God.

Do you see where I am going with this today church family?

God is in our messes. I’m not saying that he has caused them. I’m saying that He is there for us. He will never leave us or forsake us.

If we are not careful, we can miss him in those things and then we can become hopeless

But when we see him, our faith arises for him to be able to do something.

First he will want you to admit who you are. I’m sure it hurt for Jacob to give his name.

It’s what got him here

It’s what had caused all of his problems

he was a crooked dealer

He always looked for the easy way out

And he only cared about himself.

But now the God in the midst of the situation gives him a new name

God looks at us and says, yes that’s who you are, but that’s not who I intended you to be.

I have called you to be an overcomer

I have called you to know victory

I have called you to have a future.

That’s for each and everyone of us today.

But do you believe it???

Changing the Destiny

I always think of Peter.

Peter says, to Christ, I will never desert you. I will die for you

Jesus says, Peter, even tonight, you will deny me three times before the rooster crows.

But Peter is resolute. There is no way he could do that.

But then the fear kicks in. Then the loneliness attacks the heart

Where is the savior that he loves? What have they done to him, and what is going to happen to him?

So he hangs out in the enemies courtyard to catch a glimpse

And the enemy beats him up.

Hey you are one of his disciples. Who me? I don’t know the man

Yes you are, I saw you with him. What are you talking about, you saw me with no one.

Even your voice gives you away. You speak like the region he comes from. It is you. And he curses Christ and denies him three times to get out of trouble

Self preservation sneaks in.

And Peter hides out

Peter is ashamed

Peter is going back to fishing. Because he can never fulfill the plans that Jesus said he had for him

He’s a failure.

Any one ever been there before?

John 21:15–19 NKJV

So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Feed My lambs.” He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend My sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep. Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.” This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, “Follow Me.”

Jesus is on the shore of the sea of Tiberias waiting for his disciples to return from a very unproductive fishing trip.

They had fished all night and not caught a thing.

How do you think Peter feels now. He’s even a failure at something that he used to do well.

But you see what he is missing is that Christ called him from that to do another type of fishing.

It’s just the double whammy had hit him and now he is good for nothing. He’s marked. He has denied the son of God.

And you know the verses. I’m not going to preach them today.

Three times Jesus asks Peter if he loves him and three times Peter responds, Lord, you know that I do.

Three times the confirmation of his love for the savior for the the three times that he denied knowing him

Again, God restores everything.

And then each time he tells Peter to feed his sheep.

He gives him purpose

He calls him back to what he first called him to do

He reiterates his trust in Peter to do the job and his ability to do so.

And then he takes Peter all the way back to the beginning with two words that he said to him before all of this happened.

Peter, Follow Me.

And we see a Peter leaving that shore different than how he entered it.

He has purpose

He has a new passion for Christ and compassion for the ministry

He is focused and refueled

I want you to know that if you are feeling like a failure.

Maybe even this week, you have denied Jesus Christ by your actions your words

Maybe you haven’t been living for him for a long time

Maybe you’ve lost your first love

Maybe, you just aren’t feeling the joy of being a Christian anymore

Jesus is calling you again - follow m

You are not disqualified

You are not cast out

You are my child and I have a purpose for your life.

You are loved

You are needed.

But here is the question again. Do you believe that?

In the midst of your failures

In the middle of your pain

In the grip of the double whammy of the enemy

Can you see a God who can bring you out

Can you see a God who can cancel the entire whammy

Can you see a God who can restore what the enemy has stolen from you

Can you see a God who can bring back the joy and the love

Can you see A God who can change your name and your destiny.

That’s why faith is important

And that kind of faith will make a difference.

Let’s Pray.