Victim or Victor? (Week 3)
Notes
Transcript
Welcome
Welcome
Good morning, good morning, good morning! I am so glad to be worshipping with you again today, even if it is over a screen. With that being said, I do want to give everyone an update on my heart as well as my approach on when Emmanuel will resume our Sunday worship services.
This decision comes with prayer and consideration of what the guidelines encourage for us, as a place of worship, to do when resuming our in person services. I aim to not drive this decision based on dates but on data. While our numbers in Knoxville have been great, they will likely increase due to increased testing as well as increased exposure now that things are moving back to a new normal. I am not concerned by this. It is just natural for those positive case numbers to go up because of these two factors alone.
Per the city and county guidelines for Knoxville, I have elected for our church to continue our ONLINE services through the end of May. Could we start sooner? Sure. Their recommendation ask that we create enough distance, meaning 6 feet in all directions, and only allow 50% capacity at one time, which would require 2 or even 3 services for our entire congregation. My plans are to allow the dust to settle with this initial re-opening and prepare for our in person services beginning Sunday, June 7th. The first few services will be family services, where the child care areas will be open for diaper changing, but not providing classes. We will encourage no contact greetings, reduce touch points such as doors, food, and so on. We will ask for families to sit together, and allow space between them and the families next to them. We encourage those in vulnerable populations to continue to use wisdom in their attendance, and for all of us to stay home if someone in our home is sick, wash our hands regularly, and be considerate of others as we move forward.
I don’t think I would have ever considered explaining these things to our church even two months ago, but there we are dealing with different circumstances that any of us would have imagined.
Thank you for your continual prayers and support of me and our leadership team as we prayerful move forward to a new normal.
TRANSITION:
Whew! That was a lot! Let’s take 60 seconds, get some more coffee if you need to, use the restroom, and chat with us on the side. Tell me how your week has been? What you are excited to see opening back up? Then let’s get ready to worship together!
COUNTDOWN
Worship
Worship
Song 1
Song 2
Sermon
Sermon
I am so glad to be back with you this morning, and for those watching or listening later, you will be joining us as the world is starting to re-open during a bizarre time in our lives as COVID-19 has reared it’s ugly head. But how many of you watching know our God is greater, He is mightier, and He has got us through all of this.
Just in case you missed it, I have made the decision to continue our services ONLINE through the month of May, with the hopes that we will all be able to gather for our first service in person on Sunday, June 7th. Feel free to to message me with any questions or concerns you might have through all of this process. I appreciate hearing from you, and it helps me think everything through.
TRANSITION:
Let’s move into our time in God’s Word today together. For the past two weeks, we have be looking at the examples in Scripture that help us move from life as a victim to life as a victor. I wasn’t sure when I started this topic how long we would camp out on this idea, but we might land this plane today. We’ll see.
When we first began this series, I shared how this was a topic I believe the Lord put in my heart nearly a year ago. I tend to be a little hard-headed, so God gave me plenty of time to chew on the thoughts He was dropping within me even then. I began to think back over my life, reflecting on the ways my perspective, my way of thinking correlated to what I was seeing in our society. I was particular focused on how victimization was gaining popularity, and it was becoming more and more appealing to remain a victim in order to be heard, have the louder voice, and considered as having the right perspective. I noticed the danger this was leading to in big ways when celebrities could falsely claim something unjust or racial or profiling occured to them even if it didn’t so that they could rally some publicity and see themselves in headlines. I began to notice this same way of living in small ways such as how we manipulate situations for how we want them to be by making claims of victimization.
What I have to be careful about is not minimizing the reality that some of us have faced, acknowledging that there are hardships, unjust acts and prejudice opinions that have had far too much influence for far too long.
BUT, when we begin to give more credence to the wrong things, the bad things that have happened in our life we give those evils too much power to keep us where we are verses moving towards where God is taking us. And as mentioned before, we see God at work in our life through how we KNOW Him, BECOME like Him, and live like Him. KNOW. BE. DO. I believe it is after we encounter God, when we begin to really know Him for who He is and who He reveals Himself to be through His Word that we begin to walk in right understanding. This is what I call ORTHODOXY. And when we have right understanding or right teaching, then we can begin to see the effects of right understanding on how we live. Our ORTHODOXY has a direct impact on our ORTHOPRAXY. Right understanding leads to right living.
And we no longer have to give the enemy another inch in our lives but instead can live the full life that He created us to live. When we give our voice to being a victim we minimize the effects of what Christ has done for us.
So, in the mode of recapping what we have talked about the past couple of weeks, let’s look at some of the right understanding we get from the Scripture based on the experiences we have in this life.
First, Jesus pretty much guaranteed us that we would go through some difficult things in this life.
33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
This is breaking news for any of us. In this life you will go through some stuff. You will face challenges, and life may even seem uncertain. But the assurance Christ gives us is that He has already overcome. He is leading the way towards victory not only for us but with us. During times like what we have been facing lately, I hold onto the promises of God. One of my life verses is Romans 8:28.
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
For those who love God, whoo have been called by Him to live according to His plan and purpose, we have an assurance. It says we know. We have hope right now that doesn’t disappoint. And when I think things are growing strangely dim with uncertainty and fear tries to fill where faith once resided, I remind myself of who God is and what His Word has promised us as His children.
STORY:
These past few weeks Candi and I have tried to be really careful how we talk in front of the kids. We want them to enjoy being kids, while the grown ups in their life worry about the big things. We take time to talk to them about what is going on, why things have changed with where we can go and what we can do. We ask them if they have any questions about it and reassure them that God is in control. We talk; we pray; we talk and pray some more.
What I have seen is that personality-wise, my daughter is ready to get out and socialize. She is the reason we have orders in place because she would everywhere with everybody. My son is living his best life in quarantine. He is our homebody and is loving that he doesn’t have to run around with us all the time.
What they both get is that they don’t have to worry about a thing. They get to enjoy being kids, working on their school, and enjoying springtime in East Tennessee.
Our Father in Heaven wants us to know that He got this, that He’s got us. We don’t have to worry about a thing. He wants us to enjoy being his kids, while He takes care of the big things. He wants to sit with us, reassure us, bring peace into our hearts and minds, and remind us that He is our Father.
We can count on Him and His promises.
Let’s look together at 2 Kings 4. If you have a paper Bible and want to study along with this morning. We will be looking at this passage for a few minutes today.
1 The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the Lord. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves.”
2 Elisha replied to her, “How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?” “Your servant has nothing there at all,” she said, “except a small jar of olive oil.”
3 Elisha said, “Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don’t ask for just a few.
4 Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side.”
5 She left him and shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring.
6 When all the jars were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another one.” But he replied, “There is not a jar left.” Then the oil stopped flowing.
7 She went and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left.”
vs. 1 I am not sure if Elisha had a direct relationship with this widow or her husband. It appears that he would have had at least a common knowledge of who he was or his reputation, if even just related to those amount the company of the prophets. The widow cries out in her distress to Elisha, “my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the Lord.” She spells out her situation. She has lost her husband, and his debts have caught up to the family. The sons could be enslaved to work off the debt that their father incurred. This was well within their right, but she is begging for mercy. She has just lost her husband, and she doesn’t want to lose anyone else.
vs. 2 Elisha’s reply directed the widow not towards her lack but her supply. He said, “How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?”
If your first response is NOTHING, then I want you to look again. Far too often, I respond like this widow. I see my lack but not my supply. I see where things are wrong and could be better, but I don’t see where God is at work. I see how empty but not how full. I see how much sorrow and despair, but I don’t see with eyes of faith and hope towards what God is going to do.
The widow replied to Elisha, “I don’t have nothing EXCEPT.” She said, “I have nothing at all except a small jar of olive oil.”
vs. 3 Elisha locks in on what this widow DOES have. I can almost see him franticly telling her to go around and get all the jars you can from your neighbors. I love how God uses what this lady has but in-conjunction with those around her. I believe God is going to use what you already have but not in isolation. He is going to connect you with people, with neighbors who will lend you what you need to see your supply flow to overflowing. There are some folks listening to this right now who just need to start with what they have. They need to begin to use what God has put inside them, inside their house. They need to use the gifts and talents that they have for His glory, and watch how the lives of those around them begin to be filled up as well.
Elisha says, “Don’t ask for just a few.” Oh man! I could stop right here and just preach for a while because some of us have stopped with minimal obedience. We have done just enough to follow God to see a few of His blessings, but in order to see the big miracles of His provision, of His healing, of His deliverance He is asking us to go all in, to go in BIG, to hold nothing back. Don’t ask for just a few. Don’t ask for just a little bit of His power in your life.
Paul writes a prayer that he prays for the Ephesians church. He says that when I am praying for you guys, and this is my prayer for us, Paul says...I am praying that you will be strengthened by God’s Spirit in your inner being. I am praying that Christ will dwell in your hearts through faith. I am praying that you will be rooted and established in love, having a revelation of how wide, long, high and deep God’s love for us really is. I am praying that you will begin to grasp an ungraspable love, and that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Paul ends this portion of his prayer and letter to the Ephesians with these two verses:
20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,
21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
The God we serve is the God of more than enough. He isn’t about to meet this widows needs with just enough using just a few borrowed jars. And God isn’t wanting to just barely meet your needs right now. He isn’t just wanting to barely get you through emotionally and mentally right now. He wants you to take what you have, stop focusing on what you don’t, and begin right there. He wants us to begin with what He has given us no matter how much or how little, no matter how big or how small it may all seem to us because with God nothing is impossible. Nothing is too little. Nothing is too small. Amen!
STORY:
I remember as a kid seeing this play out for my parents. When they first sensed the Lord leading them to start an urban youth ministry, they hadn’t taught the first Sunday School class, ever taken any kids to camp, or spoken to the first family in our inner city. They literally borrowed everything they used to start. They borrowed old PA equipment and lessons. They took their boombox and loaded all of this into the back of my Dad’s Mazda MPV van and started with what they had.
Watching them start with what they had has taught me so much about life and ministry. It has taught me not to despise small beginnings or even small endings if you are being faithful with what God has given you. It has taught me that God gives the increase, but He can’t increase what isn’t being used at all. Multiplying zero by any number is still zero.
vs. 4 Elisha goes on telling the widow to take the jars you have collected and go back inside your home with your sons and close the door. Because the need you have that no one else knows about except that debt collector is about to be met in a big way. Your private needs are about to be met in private by a sovereign and loving God.
And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. (Matthew 6:6)
The reward she was met with that day depended on how many jars she would collect.
This reminds me of when Jesus was being followed by two blind men calling our for Him to have mercy on them. They found Jesus indoors and He asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” I am not 100% clear as to why these miracles took place inside, behind closed doors, but it appears to be a meaningful detail that the writers include for us. And right now, we find ourselves behind doors, maybe even forced into this place, not of our choosing, but God is telling us that if you will meet me in secret, where no one else is watching, I will meet you in a BIG way. Because what I want to do in your life isn’t for show or publicity or your own personal marketing. I want to meet the needs that you haven’t let anyone else know about. I want to touch those places of your heart that you have guarded so well that no one knows they exist. I want to meet you, and no other agenda can muddy the waters of what I am about to do in your life.
So, Jesus turns to the blind men with a similar message that Elisha gave to the widow and said, “According to your faith let it be done to you.” He had already asked them if they believed that He could do this, if He could heal them.
What do you have? I don’t have anything EXCEPT this one jar that only has a little oil in it. According to what you have…according to what you have done with what I gave you…according to your faith let it be done to you. And their sight was restored.
vs. 4 So, the widow is instructed to pour oil from the what she had into the jars that she had collected from her neighbors.
vs. 5 She acted in faith, with her sons participating. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring. I love the beginning of this verse, “She left him.” The man of God for the hour wasn’t around to make this miracle happen. The miracle happened because a desperate widow acted in faith and obedience to what God instructed her to do through that man, but the miracle was hinge-pinned upon his presence.
You don’t need me or any other leader in the Church to hold your hand and walk you through your miracle. You have someone far greater than a fellow follower, you have Christ Jesus our Lord holding your hand and guiding your through each difficulty. And according to your faith be done unto you.
vs. 6 I love how she is full operating mode, pouring oil in jar after jar. She is asking for more, and her sons have to tell here that your already filled every single jar we collected. It was then that the oil stopped flowing. The miracle in her life was complete, and it was done according to how many jars she had collected.
vs. 7 The widow went to find Elisha to share with him what had happened, and he instructed her to sell the oil, pay your debts, and then you and your sons can live on what is left. God provided more than enough. Through this miracle, God provided enough for their debts to be paid and for them to be able to live off of the abundance.
Just like this woman, God is going to reward your response of faith. You don’t need the man of God present for it happen. It simply need to act in faith with what God has already given you. Respond to what He has already put in your life with faith, and believe that He will provide for your every need.
TRANSITION:
This woman made a choice to be a victor that day. She chose to believe the Word of the Lord and to act in faith, gathering what she had, having her perspective shifted from her lack to her supply. And she saw God move in a mighty way in her life as a result of her response. I believe God wants to meet you in your deepest, darkest needs today. There are places in your heart that you haven’t let anyone see, but the God who sees in secret will meet you and reward you. What He has done in the past, and what maybe what you have seen Him do for others He can do for you.
Will you step out in faith today? Will you see how the Lord will meet you right where you are, with the level of faith that you have now (but God help me with my unbelief). He will move into those gaps of dependency upon Him and work a miracle in your life.
Let’s PRAY.
PRAY:
Father, I thank you that we can come to you as sons and daughters right now because you have adopted us into your royal family. I thank you for your mercy and grace that are new every morning in our lives. Your faithfulness we can count on each and every day. Lord, help us to move towards you in faith today. And for those of us just trying to get faith in our life at all, help us to see our supply and not our lack. Help us to see where you are already at work in our life and to believe that you will do it again. Your word tells us that the work you have started in our life will be completed. You don’t quit or give up or do things half way, and so we believe you today. That what you started in our hearts you will finish. And you do all things well. So because of this we say it is well with my soul. Have your way in our lives as we respond to you with trust and faith. Thank you for the miracles that will follow and flow in our lives. We love you Lord, and thank you for your love for us. Amen and amen!