God the Strategic Planner
Notes
Transcript
I think in the past number of years I have been a part of and talked a lot about strategic planning. Always thinking ahead and planning ahead to keep challenges before us as a church. God is an amazing strategic planner when you think of it isn’t He.
When we read Scripture we see that God has been meticulous in the way He has laid His plans and mapped His strategy for us. There is nothing haphazard about God’s planning, nothing left to chance. A beautiful demonstration of this is the way in which the Lord set forth His plan for the establishment and growth of His kingdom.
If God has planned so carefully and outlined so explicitly, it is imperative that the church implement its role in this worldwide endeavor as God set it forward in His Word.
Every commission Jesus left for the church has been given to individuals and not to the church as an institution. It is far more comfortable for people to get lost in the crowd, to seek to blend in or be anonymous. But Jesus has singled out individuals in His commission to preach the gospel to every creature!
From this there is a picture created or an army moving forward under the orders of a captain. The writer of Hebrews refers to Jesus as “The captain of (our) salvation”
For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
This morning let’s take a look at Acts 1:8-11
But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”
PRAYER!!
Captain of our salvation has issued orders
Captain of our salvation has issued orders
Just before Jesus ascended from the Mount of Olives, leaving behind a wondering group of disciples he said to them:
“Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.”
Basically, before the disciples were released to go out and preach and witness it was imperative that they were to tarry and wait for a season.
In the New English Translation it uses a militant command “until you are armed with the power from above”.
I have heard people say that they cannot do this or that in the church. Friends I want to remind you all today that we are not supposed to be doing this or that on our own. We have been instructed to wait in His presence and then we will be armed, we will be endued with power, we will be equipped from on high!
Lord I can’t even walk without you holding my hand!
This is the way it is supposed to be. We are supposed to rely on Him and walk in His strength and not our own.
The result of waiting is another thing here that we need to be reminded of - this outlines the coming of the Holy Spirit and the infusion of God’s presence into our total being.
The Holy Spirit’s presence within them brought about a wondrous change. The fearful hesitancy with which they had faced life after Jesus’ crucifixion became a fearless courage to communicate the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ.
I love to look at it like this FEARFUL to FEARLESS
Talk about the desperate intensity I sought for the baptism of the Holy Spirit
What did it mean to receive it? - imperative to lead and serve, not ready without it, not equipped
How did I feel when I did receive it? Bold, empowered, excited, transformed
As Pentecostals this is a power that we have been given that we should not be shy to admit but walk in the boldness we have because of it and share with those who have not been empowered with the Holy Spirit to know that the NEED it! No questions asked.
When believers are possessed by the spirit of God they have available to them the power to perform the tasks God has for them to do the spiritual sensitivity to discern where and what the tasks are!
It is an insult to God and grief to His spirit when we go about His work haphazardly and unprepared. We are to wait in His presence, tarry, until we are armed with His power, then we are “at the ready” to go and do as we are impressed by His spirit.
Don’t be in a rush to move quickly. Then do not take one blessing that you have received and feel that will be enough to do you for the rest of your life.
He has plenty to give each and every day.
Not only has the Lord issued orders but He has also provided the equipment for His marching army
Not only has the Lord issued orders but He has also provided the equipment for His marching army
What is the equipment?
The first and foremost weapon believers wield is the Word!
The Word - the Sword of the spirit!
Paul gives us a picture of the Christian’s armor in Eph. 6, and he is careful to specify that our weapon is the sword of the spirit.
A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.
And pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words so I can boldly explain God’s mysterious plan that the Good News is for Jews and Gentiles alike. I am in chains now, still preaching this message as God’s ambassador. So pray that I will keep on speaking boldly for him, as I should.
The writer of Hebrews tells is that it is a “two edged sword” which “cuts asunder, both the dividing of the bone and marrow, and soul and spirit. When Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness, the one weapon our Lord used with expertise was not his personality as the Son of God, or His perfect, sinless humanity, but the Word of God!
In answering to each of the three temptations from Satan, Jesus said: “It is written”.
With all of the assurance of His soul, Paul could say:
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.
The other major weapon for the Christian is PRAYER!
We sing about prayer, preach about prayer and teach lessons about prayer; but most of the time there is a deafening silence between God’s people and His throne of grace because we have become so prayerless!
We get busy.
We get engaged in religious activity that we do not make time to pray.
The paradox of it all is that it is through prayer that we are able to learn and to use the sword of the spirit!
Why? Because prayer is the key that releases understanding and discernment concerning what God would say to us through His Holy Word.
As we study God’s word we are able to see we are instantly and momentarily available for God’s use.
One of the most amazing experiences a Christian can have is learning to be still before God and listen to Him with the ears of our soul.
Example - talking to fill space because uncomfortable with silence.
Take a one minute pause!
The Lord issues orders that we are to follow and provides the equipment to carry out those orders but He also supplies the motivation for service.
The Lord issues orders that we are to follow and provides the equipment to carry out those orders but He also supplies the motivation for service.
The Greatest motivation of all is God’s love.
We cannot understand the love of God. There is no way we car figure out the reason a perfect and Holy God expresses such compassion to people who are contaminated with sin.
The love of God is our motivation.
For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.
What is Paul saying here?
Simply that it was the amazing love of Christ, which was so beautifully demonstrated in His life and death, that constrained Him, or thrust Him forward in His determination to serve His Lord at any cost.
Humankind’s need, combined with the love of God and Christ ought to motivate us to carry out His mission until He comes.
As it is written:
“There is none righteous, no, not one;
There is none who understands;
There is none who seeks after God.
They have all turned aside;
They have together become unprofitable;
There is none who does good, no, not one.”
Paul continued to the end of the chapter describing the terrible need of sinful humans. Christians do not have to leave the neighborhoods where they live to find people in spiritual need. Time is precious and there are many opportunities.
This week we will begin our month long prayer walk throughout CBS praying for our neighbors, family and friends to come to know Jesus. What an opportunity to share in the motivation and tap into the ability to be equipped with the Holy Spirit to do so and move in His power.
Conclusion:
Some will accept the good news and some will reject it. Some will receive Christ and others will turn their backs on Him. But the strategy of Christian missions is to make available to every living soul the good news that Jesus died to make eternal life possible for all who will receive it. And who’s task is it? Not some elaborate organization or well-equipped institution. It is the task of every individual child of God. Are you in?
Just as I am