2022 0807 Bullet Proof Vest
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Gary Blackford
Gary Blackford
bullet proof identity
who are you in God
need to know Jesus to know your destiny, your plan, your purposes
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
the promises of the Lord
to prosper you
not to hurt you
give you a hope and future
Apostle Paul
Apostle Paul
But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.
three times grace is mentioned as the central factor of identity and work
I am what I am because of the grace of Jesus
Paul work harder not because he was superior - he considers himself inferior
he worked harder because of applied grace in his life
this grace had an effect , it was the most significant factor in Paul’s ministry
Who We Are - Our Identity
Who We Are - Our Identity
accept what God says to us in his scriptures
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
a special possession and chosen
holy and of royalty
ensure we take this on board - get it into our hearts and minds
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’
last week we heard that there is a connection between your heart and your mind
protecting your heart - who you are - starts in the mind
we must renew our mind daily
this is our bullet proof vest
The Status of Conquerors
The Status of Conquerors
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
our language must be that of victors not victims
what we say reflects what we think
what we think determines what we say
we are more than conquerors
we determine what our identity is and how we respond in all things
all by the grace of God having an effect
Power of God
Power of God
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Paul lived a life full great ministry and full of persecution
read his CV
2 Corinthians 11:23-28 (NIV2011)
23 I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again.
24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one.
25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea,
26 I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers.
27 I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. 28 Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.
he knew what it took to live a victorious life
a life full of the Spirit, fully in Christ
a life that we can all appropriate
if God is for us, who can be against us?
Worldly Circumstances
Worldly Circumstances
I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
Paul learnt to be content
when we set Kingdom outcomes then earthly ones stop being relevant
be content whatever the circumstances
easier to say but this id divine truth
believe the truth and act on it
this is the secret of living over and above every situation
Leave the Past Behind
Leave the Past Behind
Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
forgetting what is behind
we cannot live in the past
we cannot allow the past to dictate our present or our future
God says do not be anxious about tomorrow
just deal with today’s stuff
“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.
I am doing a new thing
He is making a new person, a God loving and restored creation
be obedient to his word - do not dwell on the past
forget the former things
do it with the grace of God and in his great strength
the world and the devil wants you to remember and dwell on the former hurts and trauma
Lord Jesus has something much better - a future and a hope and a prosperity far more than what this world can give
this is your true lot in Christ - embrace it with your heart and your mind