No to the Naysayers
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2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
12 Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;
13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
No to the Naysayers
No to the Naysayers
13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
No to the Naysayers
No to the Naysayers
11 One day the angel of God came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, whose son Gideon was threshing wheat in the winepress, out of sight of the Midianites.
12 The angel of God appeared to him and said, “God is with you, O mighty warrior!”
13 Gideon replied, “With me, my master? If God is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all the miracle-wonders our parents and grandparents told us about, telling us, ‘Didn’t God deliver us from Egypt?’ The fact is, God has nothing to do with us—he has turned us over to Midian.”
14 But God faced him directly: “Go in this strength that is yours. Save Israel from Midian. Haven’t I just sent you?”
15 Gideon said to him, “Me, my master? How and with what could I ever save Israel? Look at me. My clan’s the weakest in Manasseh and I’m the runt of the litter.”
16 God said to him, “I’ll be with you. Believe me, you’ll defeat Midian as one man.”
Judges 6:11-
Gideon was his own worst enemy.
He was being practical if you take in account the position he found himself in.
They were being controlled by the Midianites.
They were living in fear.
Gideon was in hiding trying to thresh wheat secretly.
This was far from the stories of victories and the conquering battles of Israel of old.
He was too far removed from victory.
Like some of us, he just needed a win!
He didn’t cross the Red Sea on dry land, but he heard the stories.
He wasn’t fed by Manna from Heaven but his parents passed the stories down through out the generations.
No Gideon only knew what defeat was.
Now lets take a look at someone else in the Bible, Peter.
18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Matthew
22 Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.
23 But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.
Jesus knew the kind of Man that Peter was going to be.
He saw the faults in the man but still called him rock.
A foundation He would build his church on.
And to think some of us think because we make a few mistakes and have failures in our lives that we are disqualified from the work of God.
I believe I’m looking at a church full of Sunday School Teachers, Missionaries, Pastors, Singers and Musicians, Bible Study Teachers, Youth Leaders, Assistant Pastors, Ministers in Prison, at Nursing Homes, and Homeless shelters.
The question is not what I see when I look at you, but what do you see when you look at you?
What if Noah looked at himself the way some of us do today? The ark wouldn’t have been built and mankind would’ve completely been wiped off the face of the earth.
There are too many naysayers all around us everyday that say we can’t do something, we shouldn’t be telling ourselves the same thing!
If you want more negativity in your life, turn on the news, look at social media, hang out with the wrong crowds.
13 Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king’s house, more than all the Jews.
14 For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?
15 Then Esther bade them return Mordecai this answer,
16 Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.
11 All the king’s servants, and the people of the king’s provinces, do know, that whosoever, whether man or woman, shall come unto the king into the inner court, who is not called, there is one law of his to put him to death, except such to whom the king shall hold out the golden sceptre, that he may live: but I have not been called to come in unto the king these thirty days.
12 And they told to Mordecai Esther’s words.
13 Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king’s house, more than all the Jews.
14 For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?
15 Then Esther bade them return Mordecai this answer,
16 Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.
Esther
Esther first thought of her life before she thought of the lives of her people.
Esther first thought of her life before she thought of the lives of her people.
Mordecai put things in perspective for her quickly.
Because she put aside how doubts and fears she was able to be a savior for Israel in their time of great need.
THERE ARE SO MANY BIBLICAL STORIES THAT ENCOURAGE US TO NOT GIVE UP AS WELL:
Before David fought Goliath, he had to face another, greater "giant." His older brother Eliab, who told him he couldn't win. Thankfully, David didn't listen, but became a history maker - and emerged a generation of giant slayers in Israel in his day.
24 And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid.
25 And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man that is come up? surely to defy Israel is he come up: and it shall be, that the man who killeth him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father’s house free in Israel.
26 And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?
27 And the people answered him after this manner, saying, So shall it be done to the man that killeth him.
28 And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab’s anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle.
This was a pivotal turning point in the David’s life as well as Israel as a nation.
Because David dared to trust his God, the fate of Israel was changed that day.
David is an easy study when it comes to not giving up and being faithful to God.
When he was anointed King of Israel he was busy being a lowly shepherd.
As a matter of fact he was look down upon so much that his father made his 7 sons pass before Samuel a 2nd time before David was called forth.
10 Again, Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse, The Lord hath not chosen these.
11 And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither.
12 And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the Lord said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he.
:
David started out his life with the cards stacked against him!
Apparently Eliab echoed his father’s low opinion of David’s potential.
Jesse was basically telling the man of God that he needs to try harder a second time because there is no way David could be God’s anointed king.
That had to sting a little bit if you are David!
Still David said No to the Naysayer and continued his faithful accent to the throne.
What about all the times to come when David found himself running from
Saul even though David was anointed to be King of Israel.
The times he was surrounded by a man and his army that David respected so much that he refused to kill God’s Anointed.
Saul could’ve been killed by David on at least two occasions, but David refused to listen to his men who encouraged him to take Saul’s life.
Remember in Ziklag when David’s men wanted to stone him because all they had was thought to be lost.
David encouraged himself in the Lord that day and he and his men recovered all.
If David allowed the naysayer to have the last word in his mind’s battle, he may have succumbed to discouragement and defeat.
His men might’ve stoned him to death had he not fought against the dark clouds that surrounded his camp.
Sometimes we need to say no to the Naysayer whether it’s our own mind or if its coming from the mouths of those around us!
You may feel like giving in tonight.
You may have been wounded and shattered.
But now is not the time to throw in the towel.
Faith is what will separate you from the naysayer.
It’s not by my strength… for the battle is the Lord’s
Sometimes we need to speak to the doubt the way David spoke to the Giant.
45 Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.
46 This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.
47 And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hands.
48 And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.
Notice that David ran toward the battle.
He didn’t hesitate because he knew how big his God was.
Sometimes we just need to give the battle to God and begin running directly into the face of doubt.
Say No to the Naysayer!!!!
How many times have we given up on something that we felt like God had given into our hands?
Do you think we don’t have it because we failed to occupy?
Maybe doubt creeped its ugly head in the doorway of our minds and stole a victory before we ever tasted it?
If this has happened to you, as it as no doubt happened to me, then you are in the company of some of the greatest people in the Bible.
A moment ago I mentioned doubt as something that could steal from us. Doesn’t that sound just like the devil???
So
He came to steal, kill, and destroy...
This happened to the generation of Israel that came out of Egypt.
The victory was promised to them, if they claimed it.
If they possessed it.
If they would just go and occupy!
Doubt slipped in the camp through the mouths of 10 Naysayers and at least 600,000 men not including their wives lost their chance to live in a land flowing with Milk and Honey!
Just a quick note here:
13:27 Milk and honey are paired together because both foods can be harvested without destroying the source of the product. In contrast, the eating of seeds, fruits, vegetables, eggs, or meat will stop future life from developing
Johnston, Robin, and Lee Ann Alexander, eds. Apostolic Study Bible: King James Version: Notes. Standard Edition. Hazelwood, MO: Word Aflame Press, 2014. Print.
When we enter our promise-land it’s not Heaven but a fulfilling of the HolyGhost.
A place that flows with Milk & Honey.
God replenishes as the living waters continue to flow
But just like the children of Israel, we must come and get it.
We must enter that place of promise and claim what God has given to us.
It may not be easy but it is possible, because “with God all things are possible”!
We can’t listen to the naysayers that look with fleshly eyes.
People who judge their situation by what they can experience with their sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell.
I will go ahead and bring up their names since most of you know who I’m alluding to with this story.
Caleb and Joshua stood against the ten.
They said No to the Naysayer and eventually they took a new generation of 600,000 men with their wives and children into the promise land.
.001666% decided the fate of a nation the day they listened to the naysayers!
In the midst of his hardest days, Job's own wife told him to let go of his integrity ... to "curse God and die." What a way to go. Thankfully, Job didn't listen - allowing us to learn an integral truth about who our God is.
When Joseph innocently told his brothers his dream, they ripped him apart verbally and sold him as a slave, calling him a "dreamer," in a negative sense. Thankfully, he kept on, doing his best with whatever situation faced him - and saved his family (70 relatives) from a terrible famine, which lineage eventually led to Jesus Christ, the Savior of humanity.
Most importantly, Jesus, constantly attacked by the religious leaders of his day, fulfilled his work in the world by dying on the cross for the stain of our sin, and won our hearts for eternity.
THE WORLD WILL ALWAYS HAVE NAYSAYERS, AND THEY WILL ALWAYS BE THERE RIGHT BEFORE ANYTHING GOOD IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN.
Let's understand & be ready for this, and stand our ground with what God has put on our hearts to do.
Let's do our best to be encouragers of innovation and dreaming - with a vision bigger than most, seeing what could be and should be, and not fall prey to being naysayers ourselves.
It's everything we're called to be as Christians. The opposite of naysaying? ... Faith.