Limitless - All things Works togather
Limitless Part 3 • Sermon • Submitted
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Recap
Recap
Last two weeks or so we have been lookin g at the limitlessness of God.
We talked about th three attributes of God:
God’s Ominipresence
God’s Ominipresence
God is present every where, His presence not only fill the earth but the whole cosmos, there is space where He is not present.
But only He is present in terms of space but also in terms of time. He is as much present today here now, but also present at the same time in the past from the veru begining and present in future, 100 years from now, 1000 year ot million years from now, all at the same time.
He is outside time, had us to make sense of this with out finite mind.
Ominipotent God
Ominipotent God
There is no power, no principality or authority that is not subject to Him.
Somtimes we give to much credit to devil and when we do that our prayer become more fear based not faith based.
God and devil are not equal oppsite.
Devil is a created being, a defeated foe of with no power and authority, other than what we believe or give him.
We need to be aware of his tactics but not to fearful him.
Because one who is in you is much greater than the one who is the world.
God is omnicient
God is omnicient
When Christians say God is omniscient, they mean that God knows all things — the past, present, and future. God is the source of all knowledge. God also knows all the potentialities of any situation. God knows every person’s thoughts — even before they think it.
A.W. Tozer wrote in The Pursuit of God, “He is omniscient, which means that He knows in one free and effortless act all matter, all spirit, all relationships, all events.”
Its comforting to just know that God knows all things.
God knows all things but He doesn’t always share or reveal all things, because He knows that is necessary and good for me to know at any given time.
Parents know lot of things but donot reveal all things. Kids when they are with you for a very long drive, they constantly ask you are we there yet. Every though they donot know how lomng the journey is and how long it will take them to reach the destination but they rest in the fact wheels are in the Father hand and confident they’ll get there.
This can be for healing.
when this suffering will end.
break throught
Growth in Church
But when we got into this body we know He said I have a plan and I’ll get you there.
He never have to think, because thinking is done to figure something out,You won’t hear Him say this just crossed my mind the other day.
He knoweledge is perfect, He knows all things future past present all at the same time.
Last we focused on three things:
Jesus knew Father sent Him - you should know Father sent you.
Jesus knew Father was always with Him - You should know He will never leave you nor forsake you.
Jesus knew Father did the work through Him - You should know father will accomplish all He has purpose through your life.
Today we are going to the explore this famous verse. Most us would have either reminded ourselves, ro shared with others or quoted it.
We feel Spiritual when we share this verse and this verse lives out very well, when things are going well.
When we get the job we wanted or applied for.
When family and children are doing well
when every body is healthy
things are going well.
And you say I love this verse
Do you know the verse I am talking about?
And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
The word know in this vserse is important, the greek word is Oida and it means “seen and preceived “ or experiencial knowledge.
So what Paul is saying this verse is I have seen and preceived therefore I know that all things works together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose.
Paul is trying to say “ I have developed a trust and an understanding because of what I seen and experienced in my life.
Today I want to talk about some of the Paul experiences and explore this idea, do all things really work for good for those who love God and called according to to his purpose.
What about all the contradictions in life. What I mean is what you are going through or experiencing in contrary to what you think the will of God is.
You pray for a jon or a promotion and somebody else gets the role.
Or something that you are experiencing that is happening whihc is opposite to what you read in the scripture.
Or something that you knew that you knew but experiencing completley opposite to that.
You and I may be disappointed to and discouraged But I want to ask you a question. Are these contradictions included in Romans 8:28
Are all these “ part of all things” that work tegether.
Lets look at this from Paul perspective, because he is the guy who wrote this verse.
No one had a level of revelation of Jesus death, resurrection and finished work like Paul.
Look at this verse in Galatians 1:15-16
But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone;
This version says this was , its is so powerful
1:15 God’s eternal 1love dream separated me from my mother’s womb; his grace became my identity.
1:16 This is the heart of the gospel that I proclaim; it began with an unveiling of his Son 1in me, freeing me to announce the same sonship 2in the masses of non-Jewish people. I felt no immediate urgency to compare notes with those who were familiar with Christ from a mere historic point of view.
He knew Father separated and chosen him from is mothers womb, imspite of all his mistakes and doing terrible things he did. Now God the revealed to him Jesus to him or unveiled Jesus to him.
I would like you to turn to 2 Corinthians 11:23-28
Are they servants of Christ?—I speak as if insane—I more so; in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death. Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep. I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren; I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches.
Inspite of all that He was facing scripture Paul says there is a daily pressure on me of concern for all Churches.
Imagine you are lashed, beaton by rods, stoned, shipwrecked, sleepless night, hungry and thristy and thrown in prison for no reason other than preaching the gospel.
You read in another place where one time he was stoned and left to die, but he got up and went back to the town again.
Imagine you are lashed, beaton by rods, stoned, shipwrecked, you think what the heck is going on I am doing God’s work here and I am going through this.
Is this part of Romans 8:28?
Remember Paul who experienced these painful event is the same guys who wrote this verse.
Our new testament is not in a Chronological order, incase you oh, may he didn’t know then He would go through this, since Romans comes before Corinthians. Just to let you know your bible is not in Chronological order, it was after 1&2 Corinthians, Romans was written. Not that it should make any difference but incase it comes ot your mind.
Paul was not Dualistic what I mean but that is he didn’t think either/or, bad/good, negative/positive .
We live the a culture today where we define God’s love based on what is happening to me and not happening to me.
So when I face contradtions we think God is somehow against us or these things that are coming against is trying to defeat us.
So we come against it with binding and loosing, we call the prayer chain and ask them to pray.
We also have this idea that more people pray more power is generated and we can take these things around.
Any adversity come against us we fight it rather thinking, I don’t understand what’s happening but these things will eventually will work out for good, and confirm me to the image of His son.
There are things that you learn in your adversity that you’ll not learn in your comfort.
This teaching is about the intention of the Father and His purpose in our lives.
Paul knew God had a plan and purpose with His life and was confident that Father will accomplish his purpose no matter what he was facing or experiencing in his life.
Paul knew God we serve is an Omnicient God and has a perfect knoweldge of everything and He will accomplish His intended purpose in his life.
Scripture says:
The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way;
Some verse says steps of the rigtheous are ordained by God
So when we face contradictions we should let go and trust the Father who began the good work in us.
W e have to trust His process and through the process you have to know that everything is working together for good,
Remember there is always mistery in the whole thing
Mysteries
Paul talks about misteries in Ephesians 3:8-10
To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.
He is saying that there were mysteries that were hidden and now getting revealed in life that can hel us with everything that does in life.
There are two kinds of mystery
Spiritual mystery : things that are hidden in scripture or hidden in the universe that we not yet discovered, this doesn’t means they don’t exist now or not true but just that we’ll discover soon.
Second mystery is things in this life we diniot understand or have yet not preceived. and this mystery is centred around struggles, contradictions we enounter that seem to have no purpose.
So question is this?
Can we accept the mystery, embrace and fellowship with those mystery the way Paul did, things that seem contrary or unpleasant.
in 2 conrithians 11 when Paul lists all the painful events that he experienced, even though they didn’t make any sense , he fellowhishiped with those mysteries. They didn’t take him out because He knoew all things are eventually accomplish God’s purpose through hsi life.
One time he is thrown in Jail for preaching the gospel, you may think God should have rewarded him my putting him in 5 start hotel.
But in midst of of the contradiction God used paul to bring Jailor and his family to the knowedge of Christ. That was Father’s intention.
No matter how dark things may seem Lord can bring light out of that darkness.
Even the darkness is not dark to You, And the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to You.
Are the darkness and light same to you, or have your drawn the line. are your dualistic or can your see them as same. Because if they are both same to the father then he can use both of them.
Only things father produces us light, life and love.
This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.
There is no darkness in the Father, He is pure light.
When we come accross something that seem like darkness and you don’t understand why something is happening, rememberhe can work in and through those things.
And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
Jesus is saying all dominion, power and authority is given to me.
Sp if Jesus has all authority, complete power to act and dominion than how much does the devil or anyone else have.
So Jesus have equal power and authority to produce life in light and darkness.
Paul understood this what seem as darkness God is able to produce life. So unless you and me see our life situations thorugh the eyes of the Spirit, we’ll miss this.
Remember the incident when Paul prayed three times.
He prayed three times to remove the thorn in the flesh? What did the Father say, no , no, no,
What was Fahter bringing out of that contradiction. He wanted Paul to come to that understanding of His grace and His sufficiency in all things.
So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Messenger of satan were judiaser who constatnly followed Paul everywhere he went and persecuted him.
But through this Paul received the revelation of sufficiency which was God’s grace.
When you embrace Romans 8: 28 and rest in this with complete confidence, knowing that inspite of darkness and contradictions you are facing are momentary, light will come on and once your come to the otherside you’ll see His plan and intentions.
This is the process of maturity, not just head knowledge but exeperiential knowledge.
Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.
Paul lists some of the contradictions in verse 10
weaknesses,
with insults,
with distresses,
with persecutions,
with difficulties,
for Christ’s sake, for when I am weak, then I am strong
Whole intention of the Father was to make Paul Strong.
You don’t know how strong you are unless you face opposition,especially when you experience something that doesn’t seem to come from the Father.
Paul says I’ll boast in my weakness so the power of Christ may rest on me. The word Power here dunamus, its the same word that is used on the day of Pantecost.
When Paul says for when I am weak, then I am strong, the word strong here “Dunatos”, Dunatos means powerful and mighty. Putting you in a place where all things are possible.
So Paul is saying in midst of the all contradictions and oppositions that I faced, it put me in a place where I am strong and can see all things are possible.
Now because of what he endured in his life, he face the contradictions with great patience because He has indeed tasted and seen God’s faithfulness and saw how he accomlishes is purpose through all situations.
So what we are learning is out outlook, our trust, our reliance on the father knowing who as brought us this far is more than able to take through the end.
When I am blind to the reality everything works for my God, or don’t have a revelation of this truth, than my conclusion of what I am going throughwill try to exalt itself against my knoweledge of God and whom Ima as a son or daughter in HIm.
If I don’t see it from my Spirit perspective, I’ll live as a victim and see what I am facing have no benefit.
casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,
All things Paul faced was trying to distroy the revelation he had about God.
Things you and me face are trying to do the samething:
what you beleive is not authentic
this doesn’t work
its not the reality
these things are not going to change
So Paul is all things that come against the knowledge of God we are taking them captive to the obedience of Christ.
You must remind yourself He loves your, He not only has a plan and purpose in your life, He will ensure all things works ultimatley His purpose in your life.
My place had to be a place of rest evern when things don’t make sense but in the knoweldge of God and His intentions for my life.
We can see in the Old testament how inspite of all contradictions God accomplished his purpose in the life of Joseph.
Joseph
Joseph has a dream that one day his parents and brother will bow down to him, not all dreams are meant to be shared because your biggest contradictions will come from people.
You know the story his brothers were very Jealous of him and through him in a pit and he was sold to a slave traders and ultimatley end up at Potiphars house.
then falsely accused ends up in prison.
People from outside may see that 13 or 14 years were compeltley wasted but Joseph didn’t see that. All along Lord was awakeninng him to something He was training Joseph for His destiny. One the phrases u see is and the Lord was with Him.
But Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in God’s place? “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.
No one can come aginst the pruposes of God in your lives.
Jesus face lot of contradictions but He knew Father will ultimatley accomplish His purpose .
Death on the cross meant everything was finished but this very death ended up redeeming restoring whole of humanity to its orginal value.
Jesus lived the live as everything coming from the Father, nowing everything will accomplish is ultimate purpose in His life.
For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
Our lives are hidden in Christ nothing comes to you unless it goes through the father first.
I don’t mean to say everything comes from the Father and but anything that reaches you have to come through the Father.
Paul learned through the contradiction and launched him to a limitless life
Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Nevertheless you have done well that you shared in my distress.
Paul says I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. so no matter what is happening we can trust in Father’s inentions.
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.
