Living Your Blessed Life (2)
Notes
Transcript
Last week we started this idea of living your blessed life. We are going to continue that series this morning and attempt to increase our understanding of grace.
We know that grace is God’s salvation. It’s forgiving our sins-or forgiveness for when we go against the word of God. But grace is so much more.
Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.
We have read this verse numerous times, but if you haven’t read it in the greek you probably missed the totality of what it’s saying.
Phrased another way:
God’s ability (power) works best in your inability (weakness)
God’s grace empower us to go beyond our natural ability.
Put another way if your goals are doable it’s not a goal it’s a task. God wants to bring you past your own capabilities. This happens in different ways.
He empowers you to do it-His grace increases your ability.
In a video game it’s kind of like a power up. Mario hits his head on a block a flower comes out and boom his finger shoots fire.
He brings people into your life gifted in the areas you aren’t.
This could be a spouse, a friend, a coworker. It could be someone you don’t like at all, but they are there to assist you in doing what you are called to do.
You destiny should be bigger than you and include more people than just yourself.
Why?
For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it, for how should my name be profaned? My glory I will not give to another.
If your ability could satisfy God’s work than we would take the glory for ourselves. For example: God has called me to lead and grow this church. I have known for some time and continue to be shown that this task cannot be done with just me. I cannot lead worship, do children’s church, run sound, powerpoint, video editing, youth ministry, meet with people, counsel people, and ru the business side of church. As well as do outreaches and run the food pantry all alone. The task is too great all alone. It takes each one of us reaching people in our world and bringing them to church in order for this church to grow.
Because of this I know if it does grow it isn’t me that is growing it-it is God. I am turning my little wheel in the big machine, but I cannot move the machine. It takes God power/abilities.
Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith;
Grace: Greek word Charisma
Defined: A specific endowment (power) of grace that empowers an individual with a special ability.
Some of these abilities we are born with. Some of these we are given when we receive embrace God’s direction.
I always go back to carpentry. All my life I knew nothing when it came to carpentry. No one taught me, no one told me what tools I would need, but when it came time to remodel the church God had called me. As I walked in that calling he gave me the grace (the ability) to build.
When God often calls us to something our response is often: I can’t do that. but God knows the number of hairs on your head. Don’t you think he knew that you didn’t have the ability or knowledge to do what God had asked of you?
If he is asking you to do something you don’t know how to do, he is going to gift you the ability to do it. That may come though people mentoring you, it may come with a supernatural down load, It may come through trial and error, but God is giving you the ability to handle the task he has put before you.
You are responsbile for walking in faith.
When I heard this next statement said it left me speachless. I was at a men’s retreat and John Bevere came to speak. He eventually wrote a book about it, but when he came to speak it was a new concept that I hadn’t heard before.
You will be judged/measured by what you are called to do-not by what you did do.
Last we we talked about how we could lose God’s grace. That If we aren’t faithful in the calling it will be given to someone else. However, when we come before God and our works are laid before him we aren’t being judged on how well we did what we did. We will be judged according to the call on our life and how we stewarded that call.
Reality: You can do all these good things in rebellion and they be worthless in eternity or you can do the smallest thing in obedience and be blessed for all eternity. It isn’t the size of your calling it’s your obedience.