Jesus last night Message 6

Jesus last night

Message 6

The Spiritually Poor

Me:

My spiritual struggle.

a. I asked someone what their greatest spiritual struggle was?

i. They told me it was having a daily quiet time.

ii. I was able to brag and say that I haven't missed a quiet time in a long time.

b. Then the tables turned.

i. They asked me what my spiritual struggle was.

ii. My response was quotation “I'm not sure”

c. The Lord didn't let that be!

i. I thought about it for the next few days.

ii. The Lord wanted me to think about this

iii. And I knew what it was

iv. I struggle with letting go of past hurts

We:

Will power

a. We all have the “will” to do what is right

i. You're in church today because you want to do what is right

ii. You have the “will” to put forth your best effort

iii. You just need to try harder

iv. Yet we fail time and again

b. We are not alone in this

Romans 7:18 NLT

18 And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t.

ii. I may have a solution

God:

Power from above

a. Jesus is arrested and put on trial

i. He's standing before Pilate

ii. By the time we reach verse 10 Jesus would have been flogged, beaten, spit on and a crown of thorns put on his head and don't forget the purple robe

John 19:10 NIV

10 “Do you refuse to speak to me?” Pilate said. “Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?”

b. Then Jesus says this amazing statement

John 19:11 NLT

11 Then Jesus said, “You would have no power over me at all unless it were given to you from above. So the one who handed me over to you has the greater sin.”

ii. Want to know the ironic thing about this statement?

iii. It is Jesus that has given him this power

c. So, what does this mean

You:

Stop playing God

Because you ain't God

i. Principle one in Celebrate Recovery says this

Realize I’m not God; I admit that I am powerless to control my tendency to do the wrong thing and that my life is unmanageable.

b. It's not willpower it's Jesus power that we need

i. This is why trying harder doesn’t works

Matthew 19:26 NIV

26 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

c. A light switch

i. It's never worked

ii. I have no idea what it's connected to

iii. It's powerless

iv. Just like your human effort

v. Pilate the only power you have is the power I give you

We:

The spiritually poor

They get to inherit the Kingdom of heaven

Matthew 5:3 GW

3 “Blessed are those who recognize they are spiritually helpless. The kingdom of heaven belongs to them.

b. What's your spiritual struggle?

i. Ask the Lord to show you he'll reveal it to you

ii. Lean into the Lord's wisdom

iii. Lean into the Lord's power

iv. Become a true disciple