are not well nourished, we cannot carry out the plan of God."
Responding to the word. Matthew 4:1-4 (NLT) Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. 2 For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry. 3 During that time the devil came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread." 4 But Jesus told him, "No! The Scriptures say, 'People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"
The Call John 4:31-34 (NLT) 31 Meanwhile, the disciples were urging Jesus, "Rabbi, eat something." 32 But Jesus replied, "I have a kind of food you know nothing about." 33 "Did someone bring him food while we were gone?" the disciples asked each other. 34 Then Jesus explained: "My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent me, and from finishing his work.
Exodus 3:1-10 (NLT) 1 One day Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian. He led the flock far into the wilderness and came to Sinai, the mountain of God. 2 There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a blazing fire from the middle of a bush. Moses stared in amazement. Though the bush was engulfed in flames, it didn't burn up. 3 "This is amazing," Moses said to himself. "Why isn't that bush burning up? I must go see it." 4 When the LORD saw Moses coming to take a closer look, God called to him from the middle of the bush, "Moses! Moses!" "Here I am!" Moses replied. 5 "Do not come any closer," the LORD warned. "Take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground. 6 I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." When Moses heard this, he covered his face because he was afraid to look at God. 7 Then the LORD told him, "I have certainly seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their cries of distress because of their harsh slave drivers. Yes, I am aware of their suffering. 8 So I have come down to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians and lead them out of Egypt into their own fertile and spacious land. It is a land flowing with milk and honey…9 Look! The cry of the people of Israel has reached me, and I have seen how harshly the Egyptians abuse them. 10 Now go, for I am sending you to Pharaoh. You must lead my people Israel out of Egypt."
GOD'S CALL 1. God calls us in: Relationship John 6:44 (NIV) No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. "The calling of God is a drag if you fight it."
Mark 3:14 (NKJV) Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach. 2. God calls us up. Consecration 3. God calls us to. Assignment.
Three ways to recognize the call We don't find a calling, the calling finds us. 1. What do you think it is? 2. What is in your heart? We don't all get a burning bush; sometimes, we get a burning heart!
3. Is it bigger than you?
Arguing with God: 1. We make it about us. 2. We make it about the opinions of others. 3. We make it about our qualifications.
God's calling is not about our ability but our availability.
God wants our yes. Success is measured by our yes. You can quit a job. You can't quit a calling.
Romans 11:29 (NIV) God's gifts and his call are irrevocable.
2 Corinthians 3:5-6 (NLT) It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God. He has enabled us to be ministers of his new covenant…
The calling is what qualifies. Ephesians 3:7-8 (MSG) This is my life work: helping people understand and respond to this Message. It came as a sheer gift to me, a real surprise, God handling all the details. When it came to presenting the Message to people who had no background in God's way, I was the least qualified of any of the available Christians. God saw to it that I was equipped, but you can be sure that it had nothing to do with my natural abilities. And so here I am, preaching and writing about things that are way over my head, the inexhaustible riches and generosity of Christ.
"God takes great delight in equipping the unqualified."
Psalm 37:23 (NLT) The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.
Hebrews 13:20-21 (NIV) May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, & may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever & ever. Amen.
1 John 2:17 (NIV) The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.
Matthew 6:10 (NIV) Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
James 4:13–16 (NLT) 13 Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” 14 How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. 15 What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” 16 Otherwise you are boasting about your own pretentious plans, and all such boasting is evil.
“To fulfill God’s will, you need to know Gods will.”
We desire to fulfill the will of God in our direction and in every situation. 1. Directional- direction of our life. The big picture. 2. Situational- How to respond in situations, daily details.
3 core beliefs to understanding God’s will: #1. The universal will of God.
We were created for dominion(Genesis 1:28)
We are commanded to Love God (Matthew 22:37)
We are called to believe & follow Christ.(John 6:29)
We are commissioned to advance the gospel.(Matthew 28:19&20)
#2. He designed us for His purposes. “God isn’t going to fit into your plan; He is shaping you into his!” Colossians 1:16 (NIV) For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.
“God’s will for your life is not about you.”
“We are most fulfilled in fulfilling his will!”
Psalm 139:13–18 (NLT) 13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. 15 You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. 16 You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. 17 How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! 18 I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me!
“God’s plan for my life is My life for God’s plan.”
#3. The Great Adventure begins with Trust. Proverbs 3:5–6 (NIV) 5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
God’s plan is not hard to discover; at times it’s hard to follow.
A. Trust Him “His path is the best path!” Romans 10:11 (AMP), No man who believes in Him [who adheres to, relies on, and trusts in Him] will [ever] be put to shame or be disappointed.
B. Don’t get caught up in the why’s of life.
Romans 8:28 (NIV) And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
C. Acknowledge him always.
D. He will make your path straight & right.
Direct: “Make plain and clear the path.”
Ephesians 2:4–10 (NIV) 4 Because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Ephesians 2:10(NIV) For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Jesus promised us a guide! John 16:13–14 (NIV) 13 When he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you.
The Holy Spirit Guides: 1- Activating the Word. John 5:37–40 (NLT) 37 And the Father who sent me has testified about me himself. You have never heard his voice or seen him face to face, 38 and you do not have his message in your hearts, because you do not believe me—the one he sent to you. 39 “You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me! 40 Yet you refuse to come to me to receive this life.
Word - Spirit= Information
Word + Spirit= Transformation
John 6:63(NIV) The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and they are life. "Transformation comes from revelation; Transformation leads to demonstration."
“The Holy Spirit not only enhances our experience, He maximize our effectiveness!”
2- Subtle Leadership. Psalm 32:8–9 (NLT) 8 The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you. 9 Do not be like a senseless horse or mule that needs a bit and bridle to keep it under control.”
A. Quietly guiding Isaiah 30:21 (NLT) Your own ears will hear him. Right behind you a voice will say, “This is the way you should go,” whether to the right or to the left. "The Holy Spirit is the shepherd of our inner man."
B. Reminders & Cues John 14:26 (NIV) But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
3. Comforting us along the way.
"He comforts us in the midst of discomfort.”
John 14:16 I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever.
“We don't always follow peace; peace follows us."
John 14:27 “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.
4- Developing Endurance Zechariah 4:6 (NIV) Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty.
Galatians 5:16 (NLT) Let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.
5. The Holy Spirit gives us a compass
The Compass of Community: We have the word of God, The Spirit of God, and the Family of God for the adventure!
Hebrews 10:22–25 (NIV) 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
The compass of community provides: 1. Steady Direction. Hebrews 10:23(NIV) Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (NLT) 9 Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. 10 If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.
2. Motivation. Hebrews 10:24 (NLT)Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.
Proverbs 27:17 (NLT) As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.
Sharpening is uncomfortable but necessary.
3. Inspiration Hebrews 10:25(NIV) Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Prioritize the family: Acts 2:42-43 (NIV) They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. Galatians 6:10 (NLT) Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith. John 13:35 (NIV) By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
1 Corinthians 2:14-16 NLT 14 But thank God! He has made us his captives and continues to lead us along in Christ’s triumphal procession. Now he uses us to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere, like a sweet perfume. 15 Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing. 16 To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume. And who is adequate for such a task as this?
A Fragrance cannot be covered up A Fragrance lingers A Fragrance triggers A Fragrance spreads
Boldness Acts 4:13 NKJV Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus. Fruit John 15: 4-11 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. 5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
Righteousness Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Matthew 5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Mockery/Ridicule/Persecution 1 Peter 4:14 If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.
“The tangible reward of a devotion to Jesus is getting to be His light wherever we go.”
Ephesians 5 NLT 5 Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. 2 Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.
“The spoken word is a catalyst for bringing death to life!”
Proverbs 18:21 (NIV) The tongue has the power of life and death.
Matthew 8:5–13 (NLT) 5 When Jesus returned to Capernaum, a Roman officer came and pleaded with him, 6 “Lord, my young servant lies in bed, paralyzed and in terrible pain.” 7 Jesus said, “I will come and heal him.” 8 But the officer said, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed. 9 I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, ‘Go,’ and they go, or ‘Come,’ and they come. And if I say to my slaves, ‘Do this,’ they do it.” 10 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to those who were following him, he said, “I tell you the truth, I haven’t seen faith like this in all Israel! 13 Then Jesus said to the Roman officer, “Go back home. Because you believed, it has happened.” And the young servant was healed that same hour.
The weight of words “Our words are a catalyst for bringing death to life!”
1. Words carry authority 2 Corinthians 5:20 (NLT) So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us…
We have to be under his authority to speak his authority. Hebrews 11:3 (NKJV) We understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God….
2. Words work with faith. Mark 11:23 (NIV) "I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.
3. Words are a weighty responsibility. Psalm 141:3 (NIV) Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips.
Matthew 12:36-37 (NLT) 36 And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak. 37 The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you.”
Life-giving Words Proverbs 10:11(NIV) The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life...
1. Prophetic Declarations “If it doesn’t possess the spirit of Jesus, it’s not a prophetic word; it's a pathetic word.”
2. Point to Jesus
Isaiah 61:1-3 (NIV) 1 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, 2 to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, 3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion-- to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.
3. Proclaiming blessing Proverbs 11:11(NIV) Through the blessing of the upright a city is exalted.
What comes out of your mouth identifies you.
Ezekiel 37:1-10 (NIV) 1 The hand of the LORD was upon me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. 2 He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. 3 He asked me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" I said, "O Sovereign LORD, you alone know." 4 Then he said to me, "Prophesy to these bones and say to them, 'Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! 5 This is what the Sovereign LORD says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. 6 I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD.'" 7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. 8 I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them. 9 Then he said to me, "Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe into these slain, that they may live.'" 10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet--a vast army.
“NO DEAD THINGS ALLOWED!
Can these bones live? Ministry
Romans 10:9–10 (NIV) 9 If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.
Proverbs 10:11(NIV) The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life...
Proverbs 10:20(NIV) The tongue of the righteous is choice silver….
Proverbs 10: 21(NIV) The lips of the righteous nourish many….
Proverbs 15:4(NIV) The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life, but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.
Hebrews 11:3 (NKJV) We understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God….
