"Are you a hearer only?"
James 1:22-25
Sunday, February 3, 2013

Introduction: Listening is something we have to work at, it isn’t something that just happens. Even though we have ears that have the capability of hearing, it doesn’t mean that we are really listening. There are times when Tami is talking to me, and I am reading the paper, or watching the TV, and I don’t hear the words she is saying. It is only after she gets my attention and repeats what she said that I listen to her, and can respond to her!

            Jesus often said the words, “For those who have ears to hear…” Meaning, that as Jesus taught the people, He knew that there would be some who would not really hear what He said. To listen then is to be able to understand what is said, and then be willing to put it into practice.

            This morning I want to talk about being more than a hearer, but being a doer as well. The truth is, unless we are doers, then our faith is in vain! If we are only hearers, then we deceive ourselves and we really don’t live a Christian life.

I.                   Listening, but not doing- (1 Corinthians 13:12; James 1:22-24)

a.      Looking in a mirror- The apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 13:12,

“Now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face.” Sometimes when Tami and I are getting ready for the day we are both standing in front of the mirror. When we talk to each other we look at each other in the mirror, instead of face to face. When I realize I’m doing this, I immediately stop and turn to look at her. Why do I do this? Because when I’m looking at her in the mirror, I am not fully seeing her, I’m just seeing her reflection. I also realize that I would rather be talking to her, than to her reflection. How weird it would be if I had to always talk to her through her reflection?!

            The spiritual life can often be like this. God is not physically present here, so we see God as in a reflection. We will not fully know God and see God until we go to be with God in heaven. However, the beauty is that we can see God some: we see God through the love that is shared. We see God through the life of Jesus. We see God through the miracles He does.

            James tells us in verses 23-24, “Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror ²⁴ and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.” If I were to ask you to describe all the details of your physical body, how well could you do it? We look at ourselves all the time in the mirror, but we don’t really take in the details. James tells us that this is what it is like when we read or listen to the word of God, but don’t put it into practice. We might hear for a moment, but then we put it out of our minds and don’t apply it to our lives! This is a common practice for people, not living according to what they say they believe.  

            Why does this happen? Because other things in life become more important than living according to God’s word. The world infiltrates our thinking, and causes us to forget how God wants us to live. We are too busy, and just try to get by the best we can. The teaching of the Bible is too challenging for us, and so we put it out of our minds. We might listen for a time, but then when we are done listening, it makes no long-term impact in the way we live our lives. We become hearers, but not doers.

b.      Forgetting what you see and hear- (After you get done reading this illustration, you need to highlight the blank section with your cursor to read. For some reason blogspot didn't show it correctly).  Ex. A.A.A.D.D.- Have you ever

heard of A.A.A.D.D.? It is known as Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder. This is how it works… I decide to wash the car; I start toward the garage and notice the mail on the table. OK, I'm going to wash the car. But first I'm going to go through the mail. I lay the car keys down on the desk and take the trash can out, but since I'm going to be near the mailbox anyway, I'll pay these few bills first. Now, where is my checkbook? Oops, there's only one check left. My extra checks are in my desk...Oh, there's the coke I was drinking. I'm going to to look for those checks. But first I need to put my coke further away from the computer, or maybe I'll pop it into the fridge to keep it cold for a while...I head towards the kitchen and my flowers catch my eye, they need some water. I set the coke on the counter, and Oh! there are my glasses. I was looking for them all morning! I'd better put them away first...I fill a container with water and head for the flower pots--Aaaaagh! Someone left the TV remote in the kitchen. We'll never think to look in the kitchen tonight when we watch television, so I'd better put it back in the family room where it belongs. I splash some water into the pots and onto the floor, I throw the remote onto a soft cushion on the sofa and I head back down the hall trying to figure out  what it was I was going to do? At the end of the day: The car isn't washed, the bills are unpaid, the coke is sitting on the kitchen counter, the flowers are half watered, the checkbook still only has one check in it, and I can't seem to find my car keys! When I try to figure out how come nothing got done today, I'm baffled because I KNOW I WAS BUSY ALL DAY LONG!! I realize this is a serious condition and I'll get help, BUT FIRST I think I'll check my e-mail. 

Now, this isn’t just an age problem, because no matter what age you are, you can have these kind of scenarios arise. What really is going on here is a distraction problem. This is what happens to people all the time spiritually. They say they are going to be more loving, but then they get distracted by the person who cuts them off while they are driving, and they start to think about rude drivers. Then the kids are fighting in the back seat, and they start to think about quieting down their kids. Then the cell phone rings, and they answer it (using their hands free bluetooth of course!), and they get caught up in the phone call. All the while forgetting about being more loving.

            OR, the sermon you heard last week really spoke to you. What did Pastor Chris say again? You can’t remember so you go to check your outline (which you saved of course), and see that I was talking about praying to God to keep us from evil. You commit yourself to staying the course for God and keeping yourself from Satan’s evil ways. But then the week goes along and work is very challenging. The bills are making the finances tight. Your time gets away from you and you aren’t getting everything done. Your prayer time gets squeezed out, and the memories of the sermon are long gone!!

            James 1:23-24, “Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror ²⁴ and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.”

II.                   Listening, and doing- (Psalm 19:7; Galatians 3:10-11, 19, 23-24;

James 1:25, 2:10)

a.      Looking at the perfect law- The law is not always well liked, because it

can cause us to think that we are being told what to do, and we don’t like to be told what to do. We like to have our freedom and make our own choices! Now of course, there are laws that border on the ridiculous. For ex…In Alabama It is illegal to sell peanuts in Lee County after sundown on Wednesday; It is illegal to wear a fake moustache that causes laughter in church. In California It’s unlawful to let a dog pursue a bear or bobcat at any time; Sunshine is guaranteed to the masses; Women may not drive in a house coat; No vehicle without a driver may exceed 60 miles per hour. And on and on these silly laws go from state to state to state!

            We also need to understand that the law is not what brings salvation. The Apostle Paul was clear about this when he said in Galatians 3:10-11, “For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.’ ¹¹ Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because “the righteous will live by faith.” Meaning, that if you cannot fully live up to the law and perfectly do everything the law tells you to do, then you cannot be saved. Or as James says in James 2:10, “For whoever keeps the whole law, and yet stumbles on one point, he has become guilty of all.” To be a keeper of the law means you must keep it all. To break one rule of the law is to break the whole law!

            And yet, the law is beneficial, as the psalmist says in Psalm 19:7- “The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul…” The law also gives us guidance and direction. The law is what helps us to understand that we cannot be saved by our own doing, but only by the saving grace of Jesus Christ. We are told in Galatians 3:19, 23-24, “Why, then, was the law given at all? It was added because of transgression… Before the coming of this faith, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed. ²⁴ So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith.”

            The Bible tells us that even Abraham, who was given the covenant from God, was saved by a righteousness through faith, not through the law! So it is actually the law that makes us free, because it leads us to Christ who saves us from the law and from sin. The law helps us to understand how we are to live.

b.      Blessed by what you do- As James 1:25 says, “But whoever looks

intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.” We are told to not forget what we have heard. How do we show that we don’t forget what we have heard? By the way we live our lives; by our actions!

            The book of James, in the New Testament, is filled with the idea that it is not enough to just have faith. James tells us that if we have faith, but that faith cannot be seen through our actions, then this faith is not real, but it dead. Jesus Himself lets us know that we can say we have faith, but when we get to heaven He will tell us that He never knew us!

Saying you believe something doesn’t prove that you believe it. What proves your believe is your actions. This is because what we really believe affects our thinking, and our emotions, and ultimately changes how we behave.

EX. A father wanted to read a magazine but was being bothered by his little girl.
She wanted to know what the United States looked like.  Finally, he tore a sheet out of his new magazine on which was printed the map of the country. Tearing it into small pieces, he gave it to her and said, 'Go into the other room and see if you can put this together. He thought that would keep her busy for a long time. However, after a few minutes, she returned and handed him the map, correctly fitted and taped together.
The father was surprised and asked how she had finished so quickly. 'Oh,' she said, 'on the other side of the paper is a picture of Jesus. When I got all of Jesus back where He belonged, Then the map came together.'

            This is a great example of where Jesus fits in. You can follow the law without love. You can follow the law without compassion. You can follow the law without being a giving person. Without Jesus, we lack so much; we just don’t fit together the way we are supposed to. Jesus helps us to fit together with each other. Jesus helps the law and faith fit together. Jesus helps us to understand the importance of really listening. Jesus teaches us what we need to do, and how we need to live. We need to hear Jesus’ teaching, and we need to put it into practice!

Conclusion: When Jesus says, “Those who have ears to hear,” what does this say to you? It should say that Jesus knew we have a problem with hearing something, but not following through on it. Jesus knows that we can think we have learned something, but then our actions show that we didn’t learn it. Jesus knows that we might think we are listening, but then forget it.

            Are you a hearer only? That question is not one that is to be answered with our mouths, but with our lifestyle. In chapter 2 of the book of James, he says in verse 18: “Someone may well say, ‘You have faith and I have works.’ Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” People should be able to know that you are a Christian just by the way you live, and love, and forgive, and care for the needs of others. Whenever you read the Bible, or listen to a sermon, or participate in a Bible study, or memorize a verse of scripture, you should do it with the intent to take it to heart, and allow it to make you more like Jesus.

            Don’t be just a hearer, BE A DOER. Amen.

"Making God's Honor Roll"
(from “The Prayer of Jabez,” by Bruce Wilkerson)
Sunday, January 27, 2013; Hebrews 11:4-12

Introduction: If I were to ask you the question: In what ways do you need God’s blessings, what would your answer be? Increased finances? Healing for a loved one? A better job? Restoration in a relationship? There are many things that we desire in life. But the problem here is that all of those answers focus on us; not on God. Everything should start with our seeking to understand what our ultimate purpose is in life (as the Westminster Catechism reminds us, Book of Confessions, 7.001: “What is the chief end of man? ….to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.”), or as Jesus tells us in Matthew 22:37, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” Understanding our purpose helps to put things into perspective.

            So we should come to Jabez’s prayer with this understanding, and it helps to put this prayer in better context: “Oh, that you would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that your hand would be with me and you would keep me from evil.” (1 Chronicles 4:10)

To be blessed by God then is to accept what God brings into our lives. To be blessed by God is to know that when we make choices that lead us into trouble, God is there to make it work out for the good. To be blessed by God is to know that God’s hand is there with us in the midst of life’s challenges, and obstacles, and trials, and hurts. To be blessed by God is to know that He will use us to change the world, if we let Him. To be blessed by God is to let God guide us so that we might follow His ways.

I.                   Keeping Us Safe- (1 Chronicles 4:10; Matthew 6:13;

2 Corinthians 10:4; Colossians 2:13, 15)

a.      Dealing with success- A few years ago, in a popular magazine,

 there was a full-page ad which showed a picture of a Roman gladiator

 in big trouble. Somehow, this gladiator had dropped his sword as he was

 battling a lion. The enraged lion, seeing its opportunity, began to rush

toward the gladiator. The picture shown was the lion in mid-lunge, jaws open

wide, and the crowd gasping in horror. The caption at the bottom of the

ad said: “Sometimes, you can afford to come in second. Sometimes, you can’t”

As we come to the last line of Jabez’s prayer, we need to be careful in our understanding. Up to this point we have asked for God’s blessings, we have asked for enlarged territory, and we have asked for God’s hand to be upon us. At this point, we might feel like we can be victorious over anything, and want to charge into the ring with a lion. But listen to what Jabez asks for at the end: “…..and that you would keep me from evil.”

            Jabez didn’t ask for God to help him through the evil, but to keep him  from evil. While God can get us out of evil situations, or the impact that evil can have on our lives, it would be better if we would avoid the evil altogether!

You see, as we are moving into these new areas for God, and as we are experiencing increased blessing from God, we need to remember that we will be upsetting Satan. We will be encroaching upon his territory. So as we pray the way that Jabez’ prayer is teaching us, we are praying for God’s supernatural help to protect us from Satan. We are praying for protection from the evil one’s evil attacks.

            Someone once said: “Blessedness is the greatest of perils because it tends to dull our keen sense of dependence on God and make us prone to presumption.” Meaning, the more we experience the supernatural power and blessings of God, the easier it is for us to forget that we need God’s power and presence and protection. It is at this point we can make great mistakes. We make mistakes thinking that we are safe from harm. We forget that we are still susceptible to Satan’s attacks. When we do this, it is like dropping your sword in the middle of the battle. 

            The time when we really need this part of the prayer is when we have been seeking God and following God and then we begin to be fruitful for God. In the midst of this success we will experience an increased attack upon our lives by Satan. Why? Because Satan does not want us to make a difference for God! Satan’s first choice is for us to never be a Christian to begin with, but when we do become a Christian, his next alternative is to attack us and frustrate us and deceive us. If he is successful in this, then he can keep us from being fruitful for God. The more successes we have for God, the more attacks Satan with throw at us. And in the midst of these attacks, we will definitely feel weary and weak. This is exactly when we need to pray: “I can’t cope with this today, O Lord; keep me from evil.”/

What Jabez is doing here is not just asking God to help him through the attacks, but to keep him from the attacks. All too often we forget that we can ask this of God, and God will work in and through our lives to protect us from Satan ever attacking us. Isn’t this what Jesus taught us in the Lord’s prayer? Matthew 6:13- “….and do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one…” This is a prayer asking God to even keep us from confrontation. When was the last time you asked God to keep you from confrontation?  

When we pray this, we need to also help God by moving ourselves further into His territory. Don’t pray this prayer, and then put yourself in difficult circumstances. Pray this prayer and make sure you are reading your Bible, and going to Bible study, and talking to Christian friends, and going to church, and reading healthy books, and watching appropriate movies. Don’t pray this prayer and then put yourself in harms way; you will be defeating the whole purpose, for your will be dropping your weapon!         

b.      Confronting spiritual attack- And yet, don’t think that Satan will give

up. The more God answers this prayer for us, the more you should be prepared to confront spiritual attack. There will be times when God allows us to be attacked. This was true for Job. This was true for Paul. This was true for Jesus. And it will be true for you and me. So what are we to do when we are confronted? Well, the apostle Paul reminds us that we can stand confidently against the enemy with what Paul calls in 2 Corinthians 10:4 “the weapons of our warfare,” and in Ephesians 6:11 the “armor of God.” God doesn’t leave us vulnerable, but gives us much with which to protect ourselves.

            It is easy to lose grasp of the importance of these weapons, and if we do, we will surely falter in this attack. When Jesus was attacked by Satan, He was victorious by quoting the truth of the Bible. When Paul was attacked, He prayed. When Job was attacked, He surrounded Himself with fellow believers. We too have the Bible, prayer, and Christian brothers and sisters to help us in this battle. We must understand that we cannot be victorious unless we learn how to use these weapons. And they are not difficult to use. God has placed them there within our grasp to benefit us in our fight.

            I don’t know if you have ever been reading your Bible, and it just isn’t saying anything to you. You need to persevere and seek out the truth God has for you. I don’t know if you have ever been praying, and it doesn’t feel like your prayer is getting past the ceiling. You need to persevere and keep praying. You need to gather with other Christians and pray as well. I don’t know if you have ever been at church, and it wasn’t really where you wanted to be. You need to be there all the more in these times. You need to persevere past the apathy, and frustration, and lack of feeling to let God touch you deeply and combat against the enemies attacks. All these things I have mentioned are Satan trying to keep you from experiencing the presence and power and protection of God!! Don’t let Satan be victorious.

            Do you believe that a supernatural God is going to show up to keep you from evil and protect your spiritual investment? Jabez did believe, and he acted on his belief. Thereafter his life was spared from the grief and pain that evil brings. Paul told the Colossians that God had made them “alive together with Christ” and that having “disarmed principalities and powers, Christ made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in the cross. (Colossians 2:13, 15)

            What an amazing declaration of victory this is! Through Christ, we can live triumphantly—not in temptation or defeat. With this fourth and final plea of Jabez to God, we are now ready to move up to a higher level of honor. When we seek God in this way, it is actually a safe investment, but it is also the investment that pays off the most. Usually in the stock market, it is the risky investments that have the potential to pay off the most. But not so with God, by staying safe if Christ, we will reap great benefits!

     

II.                Being Honored- (Hebrews 11:4-12; Philippians 3:14; James 2:23)

a.      Directed by God- Do you think that God has favorites? In some ways

it might appear to be so. In the Hebrews scripture that we read this morning we read about some well known people, beloved of God: Abel, whose offering was favored over Cain’s; Enoch, who didn’t even taste death; Noah, who was protected from the flood; Abraham, who received a great inheritance; Jabez, who the scripture says was more honored than his brothers. The argument could be made that God favored them over others.

            But the truth is, these people were favored not because they were more likeable, or because they possessed greater talents. They were favored because they sought out the favor of God and they expressed great faith. These were people who were extremely faithful to God! As Hebrews 11:6 says- “And without faith it is impossible to please God.”

Do you want to be favored by God? Do you want to be on God’s honor roll? Then have faith; believe in God no matter what. Believe that God can do the impossible. It is not arrogant to say that God honors you. “More honorable” describes what God thinks of you, not what you think of yourself. “More honorable” expresses what your desire for life is, as Paul says in Philippians 3:14- “I press on toward the goal for the prize…”

            So living a life that is honorable, that is honored by God, is living a life that is always striving for more and knowing that through God you can achieve more. It is not being satisfied with mediocre expectations, but seeking to do great things for God. It is following the divine leading of God for your life. It is being open and aware and available for God to use you in ways you might not expect.

            The other day I was getting ready to leave for work when a neighbor asked if I could help jumpstart her car. At first this seemed like an interruption, because I was focused on getting to work. When we are in this mindset, we don’t want any interruptions or distractions. But then I realized that this was an opportunity for God to use me to bless someone else! We need to be more aware of the opportunities around us.

b.      A repeating cycle- Ultimately, we need to make this prayer a habit in

our lives. For something to become a habit, it has to be practiced over and over. Which means, we need to pray this prayer daily, and think about the words of this prayer regularly, so that it can become ingrained in our minds and in our behavior. It means that we must daily ask for, and expect God’s blessings. It means that we must ask for “more territory,” and be ready when those opportunities come. It means that we have to let the Holy Spirit guide our thoughts, words, and actions. It means that we have to ask God to keep us from evil, and seek to keep ourselves in God’s territory, not Satan’s.

            As you repeat these steps, you will set in motion a cycle of blessing that will keep multiplying what God is able to do in and through you. Meaning, that as you are blessed, you don’t become satisfied with the blessing, but keep asking for God’s continual blessing (remembering and accepting that God blesses us as He sees fit and in the ways that we are to be blessed). When we have increased territory, we keep seeking more. In doing this, we will see times in our lives when we are so overwhelmed with God’s graciousness that we will not even know what to say; “thank you” will not seem enough.

            The challenge as we consistently pray this prayer, is that our faith will get a good testing. Will you let God work in your life regardless of what He chooses? When Noah was blessed for being faithful, God chose him to build the ark. I’m sure that wouldn’t have been Noah’s first choice. Abraham was asked to leave his country. Paul was directed to preach to those he had persecuted. God has the best for us in mind, it just might not be what we have in mind for ourselves. Along with this, will you surrender to God’s power, and love, and plan for your life? If you express your faith in this way, you will experience the joy of knowing that God experiences deep pleasure and joy in you, and in working through you!  

c.      Redirecting the course- So, we have to re-direct our course. We have

to make this prayer part of the daily fabric of our lives. Not only should we pray this prayer daily, but we should keep record each day of the blessings that have come into our lives, the ministry opportunities that have come about, the ways that God’s hand has been with us and kept us from evil. As we keep record, it will strengthen our faith and increase our desire to follow this path and pray this prayer.

            EX. Every night, before my kids go to bed, I have them list “5 things” that were good in the day. Often times this list is a reminder of God’s blessings in our lives! You too can reflect on God’s blessings in a simple way like this!

            We also must re-direct our course to understand that it is not in the words of this prayer, but in the faith that we place in God that makes the difference. The way we release the power of God is to believe that what this prayer says is really a statement of the promises God makes to us in the Bible. God desires for us to be blessed, God desires for us to expand our territory, God desires for us to be kept under His protection. As we act upon the words of this prayer, we step-up to that place where God’s best can be done in us.

            So there is a “rest of the story.” The rest of the story is what you choose to do with this prayer, and what we have learned about the truth of this prayer. Will you be like Abraham, who we are told about in James 2:23- “… ‘Abraham believed God and it was reckoned to him as righteousness…’”? Will you have a loyal heart that seeks God and seeks to be used by God? Will you let God expand what you are capable of doing with your life?

            Bruce Wilkerson wrote this booklet to let us know that God can and will do wonderful things if we let Him. Bruce Wilkerson has heard story after story of people who started praying this prayer, and opening themselves up to God, and wonderful miracles have happened. I encourage you to take this step of faith, and say, “Yes, God, I want to be part of your honor roll.” And in taking this step, you will see a great transformation occur in your life. You will change your legacy and bring supernatural blessings wherever you go.

Conclusion: EX. A number of years ago our family went to Disney World. One of the days we were there we went to Epcot center. At Epcot, they have a ride called “Mission: Space.” This ride is supposed to give you the feeling of taking off in a rocket, flying through space, going around the moon and landing on Mars. As you enter the ride there is a warning for those who might get motion sickness, have back problems, have heart problems, difficulty with small dark places or who have claustrophobia, that they should not ride this ride. There were many signs with this message. I have to admit it made me a little nervous. It was interesting to watch as you waited in line to see how many people got nervous and left. In fact, some even left while on the ride, but before the doors closed…… In the end, it was not nearly as scary as the signs made it out to be.

            When we pray this prayer, God will take us to some new places, some which might appear to be scary or make us nervous. But God does this so that we might look to Him and so that He can teach us that He is in control and that we can trust Him. May we together embark on this wonderful journey to where Jabez’ prayer takes us. As we do this, God will release His miraculous power in our lives now and for all eternity. Amen.

 "The Touch of Greatness"
(from "The Prayer of Jabez," by Bruce Wilkerson
Sunday, January 20, 2013; 2 Corinthians 3:1-6

Introduction: Last week we started the first of three sermons on the prayer of Jabez. This is just a short prayer found in 1 Chronicles 4:10, but an important and powerful one. The first part of the prayer says: “Oh, that you would bless me indeed…” It is a call to God to bless us as He sees fit to bless us, and in the ways He fills it is best for us to be blessed. It is a reminder of the need for us to ask for and seek out God’s blessings in our lives. But as the prayer goes on, we are reminded that we are to be in partnership with God.

            Illus. There is a true story of the former Governor of Massachusetts, William E. Russell, whose boat overturned one day about a mile from shore. He was not a good swimmer, but was able to reach the shore safely. As he climbed out of the water someone asked him, “Mr. Russell, how on earth did you make it all the way to shore?” To which he replied: “I don’t know. All I know is that I prayed to God, and I kept my arms and legs in stroke.” (Illus. Unlimited, p. 430, #46)

            As we pray, we must be motivated through our prayer to work with God and to work for God. If we are to fulfill the next part of this prayer, we must have this attitude and understanding.

I.                   Enlarge My Territory- (1 Chronicles 4:10; Zechariah 4:6)

a.      Moving the boundary lines- So we continue to the next phrase of the

prayer which says: “Oh, that you would bless me indeed, and enlarge my border…” Here Jabez is asking God for more territory. Now, this is not a request to have a bigger house, or more property. It is Jabez asking God to allow him to make a greater impact in this world.

            You see, we can get caught up in the busyness of our life and focused on only ourselves. Or we can try to be aware of our world and our surroundings and see the potential God has for us. We can be satisfied with just taking care of our own needs, or we can begin to expand and use the power of God to reach out beyond ourselves. God wants you and me to accept life as an opportunity to touch individual lives.

            Bruce Wilkerson, in his book “The Prayer of Jabez” says this: “No matter what your vocation, the highest form of Jabez’s prayer for more territory might sound something like: ‘O God and King, please expand my opportunities and my impact in such a way that I touch more lives for Your glory. Let me do more for You!’

When you pray like this, things get pretty exciting.” (page 32)

            Example- When Bruce Wilkerson was talking about this at a Christian College, he challenged the 2000 member student body to set a ministry goal of great proportion. He said: “Why not look at the globe and pick an island. When you have it picked out, put together a team of students, charter an airline, then take over the island for God. In fact, I have been to Trinidad, and have seen the need. You should ask God for Trinidad and a DC-10.”             This caused quite a stir amongst the students, and some interesting conversations.  Wilkerson consistently challenged them to move their boundary lines out to seek more for God. About a week after this challenge, Bruce Wilkerson got a letter from one of the students named Warren, who told Bruce that he and a friend of his had decided to try to witness to the governor. So they got in Warren’s ’63 Plymouth Valiant and drove to the capital. Then the letter says this: “By Sunday night when we got back from Sacramento, this is what happened: We had expressed our faith to two gas station attendants, four security guards, the head of the U.S. National Guard, the director of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare for the state of California, the head of the California Highway Patrol, the governor’s secretary, and finally the governor himself. As God is making us grow, we are thankful and scared stiff. Thanks again for your challenge!”

            Well, it doesn’t stop there. By the next summer, Warren and some fellow students had formed a mission team, chartered a jet, and guess what, they flew to the island of Trinidad for a summer of ministry. One hundred and twenty-six students and faculty had signed up and flew to Trinidad. They did ministry through drama, construction work, vacation Bible school, music, and home visitation. The college president called this mission the single most significant student ministry venture in the college’s history. (pages 34-36)

            Now when you hear this, how does this make you feel for them? You are probably excited and praising God for what happened. But how does it make you feel for you? You probably either have fear (I would never do something like that), or doubt (I could never do something like that), or lack of faith (God won’t do anything like that through me or this church). You see, we limit God and ourselves so much because we keep our boundaries so small. But God wants to push our boundaries out so that so much more can be accomplished.

b.      Living by God’s math- Just as it is unusual to hear someone pray,

“Oh God bless me,” it is equally unusual to hear someone pray, “Oh God, give me more ministry.” Most of us think our lives are full enough without asking God to fill it with more. But the amazing thing with God is that as our ministry opportunities increase, our ability and energy and resources supernaturally increase as well! It is also true that God will give us new ministry, and we might have to put off some of the old ministry that we once did! God does not want to overburden us. As you pray this prayer, you will see people and situations pop-up. Bruce Wilkerson calls these “Jabez appointments”.

            So we need to understand that God wants us to do His work here on earth./  No matter what your education, vocation, or giftedness, God wants to use you. The sad thing is that there are too many Christians who have a reluctance to be used by God. There are too many Christians who go around being selfish: not serving, not sharing, not being fruitful. It would surprise you if God showed you a little video where you could see event after event where you failed to take advantage of a ministry opportunity! We have to have “eyes to see and ears to hear!”

            Usually what happens, is we think about the abilities, experience, training, and time that we have, and this determines what we think is our assigned territory. But God gives us a reminder and a word of encouragement. This word is found in the Old Testament, the book of Zechariah, chapter 4, verse 6: “Not by might nor by power but by My Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.”/   Meaning, that if we allow God to work in us and through us, then we can and will do far more than we could ever imagine ourselves doing. So God’s equation, God’s math for us is like this: we put in our willingness and weaknesses and availability, and to it we add God’s will and supernatural power, and this gives us our expanded territory.

            So the good news is that when we ask for expanded territory, God will give it to us. But also, he will never put us in a situation, that with His help, we will not be able to fulfill. God will always be there with us to help us accomplish what He calls us to do, and what He sets before us to do. If it is responding to someone with a word of encouragement or teaching, God will give you the words. If it is praying for healing for someone, God will give you the power. If it is caring for a need, God will direct you to the right resources. God always intervenes when you put His agenda before yours!

II.                God’s Greatness- (2 Corinthians 3:5-6; Acts 1:8, 4:13, 5:29, 7:51, 9:27, 11:21; Ephesians 3:16)

a.      Descending to power- Now, here’s where the challenge comes before

us. We have prayed for God to bless us more. We have prayed for God to give us expanded opportunity for ministry. But then we hit this bump in the road. We might get overwhelmed; we might feel like we lack the energy or the resources to continue. We might let our focus become derailed by our kids or by an illness in the family.

            The problem is that we think we are only supposed to work for God when everything in life is calm, and good, and undemanding. But God calls us to work for Him no matter what is going on in our lives. And it is really this persevering spirit which helps to get us through all the junk that life throws our way; all the difficulties that Satan throws in our path. Don’t let life make you feel afraid, misled, uninspired or abandoned. It is at this point that the third part of the prayer really comes into play: “…Oh that your hand would be with me.”

            I know that there are many times each year that I feel this way. I feel overwhelmed by dealing with my own needs, my families needs, the congregations needs. I can allow myself to feel that I am the wrong person for the job. I can feel depressed because I think I’m not doing enough for God. I can feel stressed trying to keep up with all the expectations that I, and others put on me.

            But then, just maybe, we are supposed to feel this way. I know this doesn’t make sense, but hang in with me for a minute and it will. I know that we live in a world with false expectations. We think we have to have it all together. We think we have to solve all of our problems ourselves. We think that we have to be like the heroes in the movies, triumphant in the end. But we must understand that we have been created to be dependent!                  “Oh that your hand would be with me”

            With this prayer, we release God’s power to accomplish His will. With this prayer we allow for God to receive the praise and glory instead of us. With this prayer, we allow God to work in ways that seem impossible to us.

            As Bruce Wilkerson says: “If seeking God’s blessings is our ultimate act

of worship, and asking to do more for Him is our utmost ambition, then asking for God’s hand upon us is our strategic choice to sustain and continue the great things that God has begun in our lives.” (p. 49)

            God’s hand touches us, and the greatness of God is experienced in and through our lives. It isn’t until we come to this point of relinquishing control to God, and understanding the need to let God be in control, that we will see the touch of God’s greatness upon our lives.

            Example: It is like being with my kids at the park back when they were in pre-school. They would go over to the small slide, climb up themselves, and then slide down. But then when they moved over to the big slide, they would call out: “Daddy, will you go down with me?”/   When we seek to live out this prayer, we come to that place where we realize we need God to go with us.

b.      His hand, His Spirit- Just like a child who with their mother or father

has increased confidence and ability, so we too, holding the hand of God have increased confidence and ability. When we live on the edge like this, we need to know that God is with us! It then leads us to tell others: “God is doing this, because I could never do this on my own. God is carrying me, and enabling me to accomplish these great things!” There is nothing like having the power of God surging through you. There is nothing like experiencing this supernatural dimension.

            It is as the apostle Paul says in 2 Corinthians 3:5-6, “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant.”/  How come we, who are creations of God, try to take the credit for what God created us to do, instead of giving credit to God? When we understand that all that we already have is from God, and then realize that all that we need can be received from God, we put ourselves in that place where God can make us sufficient to do the work He brings to our lives and to our church.

            When Jabez asks for the “hand of the Lord” to be upon him, he was referring to the power and presence of God. In the Bible, when you hear the phrase “the hand of the Lord,” it is reference to God’s power and presence. For example, in Acts 11 the church saw great success. In response to this success it is said in Acts 11:21- “The hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord.” It is only with God’s hand upon us that we can even hope to accomplish the business of God.

            Another way that the Bible talks about this is with the “filling of the Holy Spirit.” It is with the presence and power of the Holy Spirit that great things are accomplished. In Acts 1:8 we are told by Jesus: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you…”/ Throughout the book of acts we see God’s people speaking with boldness because of the power of the Holy Spirit coming upon them.

We, like the early church, need to seek the power and presence of God’s Spirit upon us. And this is happening. People tell me all the time how they’ve been blessed by a sermon, or at the Bible Study, or by my Daily e-mail devotion. People say that they were drawn to our church because they felt the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. Paul told the Christians in Ephesus to make it a priority to be “filled with all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:19) We must regularly seek to be filled with the Holy Spirit both as individuals, and corporately as a church. Only then will we see the power of God truly at work!

           

Conclusion: God is watching us, and waiting for us to ask for the supernatural power that He offers. As we are told in 2 Chronicles 16:9- “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.” God is there, ready to give us the help and strength we need to reach out for Him. Commit yourself today to start praying for God’s presence and power so that you can extend your boundaries and reach out into this world to make a difference.             As I look back to how God has answered this for me, I see how God is using my Daily Bible Reading to go out to well over 100 people every day. I see God leading me to conversations where I get to share Jesus. I never expected to be doing anything like this! Let God expand your boundaries, starting today. Amen.

"So Why Not Ask?"
1/13/13: 1 Chronicles 4:9-10; Matthew 7:7-11
Series on Prayer of Jabez (taken from the book by Bruce Wilkinson, chapters 1-2)

Introduction: Have you ever wondered how you can have extraordinary favor with God? Have you ever wondered what is the key to living the life God has for you? Today we are starting a three-part series that I believe can change your life and help our church as we go through this time of transition!! It is a short petition, a short prayer to God, by a man we find in the Old Testament named Jabez. Jabez’s name means “pain,” and was given to him by his mother because as the scripture says, ‘she bore him with sorrow.’ Maybe his name was to remind her of the thankfulness she had to God for bringing her through the sorrow of child birth; maybe it was the sorrow of a world Jabez would have to live in, a world that brings so much trouble; maybe his name was to be a reminder of how he should comfort his mother and help her to rise above her sorrow.

            Jabez was a man of high character who sought to learn about and seek God. Jabez was one who desired to know God and serve God. And because of this, we are told in verse 9, of 1 Chronicles 4, that “Jabez was honored…” And so let us take some time now to look at how this man embarked on an extraordinary journey through a simple prayer, and how we can model this life, and achieve great things!

I.                   Wanting More for God- (1 Chronicles 4:9; Philippians 4:8)

a.      A bigger vision for your life- If you are anything like me, there are

regular times in your life when you stop and wonder if you are really doing what you are supposed to be doing. You wonder if you are living the life God created you to live. And I have to say that right now I feel confident that I am.

Yet, even when I am doing what I know God has called me to do, being a minister, it doesn’t always go smoothly. Many years ago when I was working at Bel Air Presbyterian Church, and also when I was working at the Ecumenical Church of Pueblo West, there were challenges in my job. In both places there didn’t seem to be a fit between the way God called me to do ministry, and the people to which I was ministering.

When things weren’t going right in Colorado, I began to search. Tami and I had decided we wanted to come back to California. It took me about a year to find this church, and for us to agree that God was calling us to be together! That was almost 14 years ago.

            However, it took my going to Bel Air, and then Trinity Presbyterian, and then Ecumenical Church before God led me to Community Presbyterian. God smiles on us when we want to do what is right; when we want to be in the place God has for us. When we get to that place where we feel like we want more, and we are not willing to just settle for what is going on, God acts on our behalf. We have to let the unsettling of our lives lead us to God and pray for God to do more in and through us. We have to pray to God asking for God’s will to be done.

In 1 Chronicles 4:9, we are told… “Now Jabez was more honorable than his brothers…” But the questions we have to ask here are: What exactly did Jabez do to rise above the rest and be more honorable? Why did God answer Jabez’s prayer? The answer lies in the beauty and simplicity and power of Jabez’s little prayer. It is a prayer that helps to unleash this desire to want more; to unleash the power that God wants to work in this world through you and me.

b.      The difference that makes a difference- Someone once said: “There is

little difference between people. But it is this little difference/  that makes a difference.” Meaning that even though Jabez isn’t well known, or doesn’t stand out like Abraham, Moses, and David, the little difference that is in his life makes all the difference. Maybe we could think of him as “the little big man.” Unless you have read the book “The Prayer of Jabez,” by Bruce Wilkerson, you probably have not even heard of Jabez’s name. Which is good news for you and me, because we can be like Jabez, basically unknown, but powerful for God!! Amen? Amen!

            If you were to read the book of 1 Chronicles, you would probably get bored before you got to chapter 4, verse 9, where you would read Jabez’s name. The first nine chapters are filled with genealogy; names of one person after the other; names which have no real meaning to you and me. Names like: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan and Tubal. The names of kings: Bela, Jobab, Husham, and Hadad. For over 3 chapters these names go on and on and on! But then, all of a sudden, in verses 9 and 10 of chapter four, the author stops the listing of names and actually says something about one of the names. The author stops to tell us about this person named Jabez. Not much, mind you, but enough to show how Jabez stands apart. Jabez is not only honored, but he prays a special prayer; he says:

            “Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that

            your hand would be with me, and that you would keep me from evil.”

The amazing thing is that this is the only place in the whole Bible that you will find any information about Jabez! But what important information it is; and what an important prayer it is. All that is good and honorable that is attributed to his name comes because of this simple, but powerful prayer.

            If you look at this prayer closely, which we will do in our three-week series, you will see a nobleness to the prayer. And isn’t nobleness something that God honors. The apostle Paul tells us this in Philippians 4:8- “Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”

       This prayer is a noble prayer; a prayer that God is willing and waiting to honor.

c.      Living beyond limits- When is the last time that you felt God work

through you? I mean, without a doubt you knew it was God because it couldn’t have happened without God doing it? Or when was the last time you saw a miracle happen in your life? The truth is, as followers of Jesus Christ we can and should see miracles happen regularly in our lives! The power of God should be experienced on a daily basis. And this is what this prayer helps us to do, experience the power and miracles of God.

            Example- Bruce Wilkerson, the author of the book “The Prayer of Jabez,” was in Dallas a few years ago teaching on this prayer of Jabez, and after the session he was eating lunch with some people from the conference. One man he was eating with said to him, “Bruce, I heard you preach the message of Jabez fifteen years ago, and I haven’t stopped praying it. The change has been so overwhelming I have just never stopped.” Then across the table another man agreed; he’d been praying it for over 10 years. Then another man said that he’d been praying it for over 5 years. (p. 16)

            Now, I’m not trying to tell you that this is a magical prayer, and that praying it magically alters your life. What we will be learning, is that the principles prayed in this prayer help us to extend our limits for what we will do for God, and extend our limits in how we will open our lives to God, and extend our limits in how we will respond to people and situations that God brings into our lives. And as our limits are extended, then we put ourselves in a place where God can work in and through us more powerfully. We put ourselves in a place where God will do a miracle!

            Bruce Wilkerson says it like this in his book: “Instead of standing near the river’s edge, asking for a cup of water to get you through each day, you’ll do something unthinkable—you will take the little prayer with the giant prize and jump into the river! At that moment, you will begin to let the loving currents of God’s grace and power carry  you along. God’s great plan for you will surround you and sweep you forward into the profoundly important and satisfying life He has waiting.”(p. 17)

II.                Boldly Asking God- (1 Chronicles 4:10; Proverbs 10:22; Matthew 7:7-11;

James 4:2; Exodus 33:18, 34:6)

                

a.      Thinking differently- The prayer of Jabez starts out with these words:

“Oh, that you would bless me indeed.”/  This seems so contrary to what the Bible seems to teach us. We are not taught to focus on ourselves, on our own needs and desires, as much as we are to focus on others. We aren’t called to focus on trying to bless ourselves, but focus on being a blessing to others! Yet here we see Jabez praying for God to bless him. In fact, he starts the prayer with this seemingly selfish request. And yet, just maybe this is right. Doesn’t God want us to ask for more? Doesn’t God want us to ask for blessings? The answer is “yes.” In our asking we need to understand what kind of blessings to ask for. Jabez’ prayer helps us in this.

            As I said before, Jabez’s name literally means “pain.”/  How would you like to go through life with a name like this? Your name would remind you of the pain your mother went through in childbirth. In Bible times, names were given for specific reasons, and the name given to someone was intimately related to their life.

            And yet, we see that Jabez didn’t let his name have negative consequences on his thinking and living, but used his name to challenge him to do great things. Jabez believed in a God that could lift us up from our pain. Jabez believed in a God that could use our pain to bring about good things in and through our lives. So Jabez prayed: “Oh, that you would bless me indeed…”

            It is actually a prayer of vulnerability, not a prayer of selfishness. It is Jabez asking God to do great things in his life, and help him to rise above his name. It is a prayer asking God to give him a future of hope. It is a prayer that believes in the life only God can give; a life of blessing from God, not for selfish purposes, but for bringing honor to God.

            But before we go out and start asking for God’s blessing with confidence, we need to understand what this word “bless” really means. We say this word in regards to our kids (Lord, bless my kids), we say it in regards to food, we say it to people when they sneeze. But to bless in the biblical sense is asking for God to impart His supernatural favor. It is a crying out for the wonderful, unlimited goodness that only God has the power to give.

            As the writer of proverbs 10 says in verse 22: “The Lord’s blessing is

                        our greatest wealth; all our work adds nothing to it.”

You see, Jabez doesn’t try to dictate to God what blessings God will impart to him, but leaves it open for God to decide. This is the kind of trust that Jabez had in God, and the kind of trust we need to have in God. It is the thinking that we want nothing more and nothing less than what God would want for us. And when we do this, we will see one miracle after another occur in and through our lives. This is the blessing that God promises to us, and the kind of blessing I see regularly in my life.

b.      Ask and you will receive- There is a story of a man named Mr. Jones, 

who dies and goes to heaven. Peter is waiting at the gates to give him a tour. Mr. Jones sees the golden streets, the beautiful mansions, and the choir of angels. But then he notices an odd-looking building. He thinks it looks like an enormous warehouse—it has no windows and only one door. He asks to see it, but Peter responds with hesitation, “You really don’t want to see what’s in there.” ‘Why would there be any secrets in heaven,’ Mr. Jones wonders. So he asks Peter again, and this time Peter lets him see. As Mr. Jones looks in, he sees row after row of shelves, floor to ceiling. On these shelves are boxes, tied in red ribbons and with names on them. Mr. Jones goes to the box with his name on it, and when he opens it he sees that it is filled with all the

blessings that God wanted to give to him while he was on earth, but that he never asked. (p. 27)

            In Matthew 7:7, Jesus says to us: “Ask and it will be given to you…” In James 4:2 we are told, “You do not have because you do not ask…”/  Each day we go through our lives failing to ask God for things He desires to give us. And so consequently we miss out on so many of the blessings of life. Maybe we are too concerned with the things we think we are supposed to be doing. Maybe we get caught up in the busyness of life. We probably have our focus wrong too often. But whatever the reason is, we do not ask God for the blessings He desires to give to us.

            OR, maybe you don’t think you are a candidate for God’s blessings; maybe you don’t think that you are worthy. Maybe you think that once you are saved, once you have asked Jesus to be your savior and Lord, God’s blessings just naturally fall down upon you. We need to be bold and ask as Moses did on Mount Sinai, when he said to God in Exodus 33:18, “Show me your glory.” And God answered Moses with a description of Himself in Exodus 34:6 with these words: “…the Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, patient, and abounding in goodness and truth.”

            Isn’t this wonderful, that the nature of God is goodness, and that He wants to share this goodness with us in abundance so that it overflows into and out of our lives? Even though we might feel unworthy, even though we might be unworthy, God wants to pass on His goodness and blessing to us. But we have to ask, and we have to commit ourselves to the blessings God will choose to give us. We cannot think that we can dictate to God what blessings He should give us. We cannot get upset when the blessing that comes isn’t the blessing we expected. Ask without any expectation, and then rejoice when the blessing does come!

I am amazed at what God does in and through my life because I try to be like Jabez, and seek the blessings that God has prepared for me. For example, when Tami and I first moved here almost 14 years ago, we knew we wanted Tami to stay home with the kids, but didn’t know if we could financially make this happen. God has done a miracle and worked this out for us. And this is with us faithfully giving 10% back to God and the church of what we make!! A second example is how God brings people into my life that need a word of encouragement, or a prayer, and by helping them, God’s blessing comes upon me. Another example is the kind of ministry God has allowed us to do, and the difference we make in people’s lives in this church and in this community.

Conclusion: The important point for us to note here this morning, is that through a simple, believing prayer, you can change your future. You can bring more blessings into your life. You can extend your limits of what God can and will do through you. You can make more of a difference with your life.

            It comes through a prayer where you express that you want God’s blessings in your life. It is a prayer that states that you want to honor God with your life. It is a prayer that believes that God wants more for you than you have right now.

I hope today that you will begin to pray this prayer, and maybe even memorize it. And next week, we will discover even more treasure that is captured inside this prayer. Amen.

"Knowing God, Loving God"
John 6:43-47
Sunday, January 6, 2013

Introduction:

Chuck Colson, the former White House assistant to President Richard Nixon, went to prison for his involvement in Watergate. While in prison he had a tremendous transformation, and became a Christian. As a Christian, he began to have a different perspective on things, and discovered a revelation; he discovered that an insidious disease is infecting and crippling our nation. It is called “me-ism.” It is the subtle, yet consuming passion to please one’s self.

            There seems to have been hundreds of self-help books written in the last decade, and it always seems that one of these books is on the top ten list. Have you noticed how people are seeking after ways to feel better about themselves? We live in a society that stresses eating right and looking good. Now this isn’t all bad, but the problem is that the self has been exalted in our society!

             I want you to think for a moment about something that is pleasurable to you….It could be a tropical vacation, or lying in the sun, or taking  a long bath in peace and quiet, or reading a good book, or spending time with a good friend…

             Something else that is pleasurable is hugs. We are told that physical contact is good for our well-being, and hugs can be a pleasurable kind of contact. Someone wrote a book entitled the “Hug Therapy Book,” and in this book there is some theory and rationale behind the concept of hugging. The theory says: “Touch is not only nice, it is needed. Scientific research supports the theory that stimulation by touch is absolutely necessary for our physical as well as our emotional well-being.” The rationale says: “Hugging feels good, dispels loneliness, opens doors to feelings, builds self-esteem, eases tension, affirms our physical being…”

            However, no matter how pleasurable this world is, we have to remember that it is God, and not self, that should be pursued. In fact, we can only find our true self, and only truly feel good about ourselves, when we pursue and find God.

            Self is important. Loving yourself is even more important. But this really only comes together if we KNOW GOD AND LOVE GOD!

I.                   The Importance of Knowing God- (Jeremiah 9:23-24; Psalm 18:1-2; 1 Timothy 6:17-19)

Knowing God helps to shape us in many ways! First,

it shapes us in our moral standards.

a.      Knowing God shapes our moral standards- In Jeremiah 9:23-24,

Jeremiah says: “Thus says the Lord: Do not let the wise boast in their wisdom, do not let the mighty boast in their might, do not let the wealthy boast in their wealth; but let those who boast, boast in this, that they understand and know me, that I am the Lord; I act with steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth, for in these things I delight, says the Lord.”

             Jeremiah tells us that we should boast in the fact that we understand and know God. Why? All you have to do is look around and see that our world sorely lacks good ethical standards. We see people stealing from others, people being dishonest, people abusing others, people living in sin, without any remorse.

            I have been to many pastor’s conferences where you can just leave your things on your chair, even when you leave during a break. It is nice to know that when you come back, your things will still be there. When we know God, our morals and our ethics are stronger, and we treat others with respect and love. We know that we can give our trust to others, and believe what others tell us!

b.      Knowing God affects our response to pain and hardship- Second, it

shapes how we deal with the pain and hardship of life.  Psalm 18:1-2 tells us: “I

love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”

            What great words these are, in referring to God’s place in our lives: he can be our strength, our rock, our fortress, our shield, our salvation, and our stronghold. The difference in our lives when we know God is that we can be in a strong and secure place even when there is pain and hardship and uncertainty. God is there to watch over us.

            In this world we will experience pain and hardship. Because of the sin in people, people behave in hurtful ways. Their hurtful ways at times will impact our lives in negative ways. It is nice to know that God is there to deliver us!

c.       Knowing God determines our response toward fortune, fame, and power-

Third, it shapes our response to the things of the world. I read a quote the other day, which said: “Many people have finally realized that money can’t buy happiness. Now they are trying credit cards.” People are always seeking ways for how they can gain more fortune; how they can have more spending power.

With the existence of the lottery, many people are hoping against hope that they might win. They think that if they win, if they have money, then they will be happy. But the truth is stated by so many who have been rich, that money alone does not bring happiness. If you are not happy before you had money, or fame, or power, you won’t be any happier when you have money.

            But if you know God, you can put these things into perspective. The apostle Paul challenges us in this when he says in 1 Timothy 6:17-19: “As for those who in the present age are rich, command them not to be proud or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but rather on God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share, thus storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the

future, so that they may take hold of the life that really is life.”

d.      Knowing God determines our lifestyle and philosophy- Fourth, it shapes

our philosophy for life. In the comic strip  Calvin and Hobbes, Calvin is sitting by a tree with his stuffed pet tiger Hobbes (who is alive to Calvin when they are alone). Calvin says to Hobbes: “Why do you suppose we are here?” to which Hobbes responds: “Because we walked here” Calvin then says: “No, no….I mean here on earth.” Hobbes answers back: “Because earth can support life.” “No,” Calvin says, “I mean why are we anywhere? Why do we exist?” “Because we were born,” Hobbes says. At this point Calvin is getting very frustrated, and so he concludes: “Forget it.” And Hobbes responds: “I will, thank you.”

             Understanding our existence, our meaning for life can be difficult. But we read in Ephesians some words that shed light on this subject. In Ephesians 1:3-10, the apostle Paul talks about how God chose us, adopted us as His children, redeemed us with the blood of Christ, lavished on us all wisdom and understanding, made known His mysteries to us, and let us know that all things are under the Lordship of Christ.

            It is important that we know that not only does God know us, but God desires for us to know Him. The most important decision that we can make in life is to come to know God intimately. Without this knowledge of God, nothing else will make sense. Without this knowledge of God, we will not make good choices.

II.                How can we know God? (John 6:43-47, 14:26; Matthew 11:27; 1 Corinthians 2:10-12)

We need to seek to understand those things of our faith that are most important. We need to understand the role of God in our lives. The Scriptures tell us how we can come to know God. It is by the way of Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit that we are led to an understanding of God.

a.       Jesus Christ- In John 6:46, Jesus says: “No one has seen the Father

                                                            except the one who is from God…”

Because Jesus is God in the flesh, Jesus has seen the Father and does know who the Father is. Because of this, Jesus can pass this on to us. In Jesus we see the glory of God. In Jesus we see who God is. In Jesus we can know how to live for God.

                                    As Jesus tells us in Matthew 11:27: “All things have been

committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”

            As we come to know Jesus, we come to know the Father as well, because Jesus reveals the nature of God to us/   both by His example, and by His words of truth. So as we get to know Jesus, we come to know the Father.

            Example- It is remarkable to see how so many children of athletes grow up to be great athletes themselves. Peyton Manning and Eli Manning are the sons of Archie Manning. Ken Griffey Jr., is the son of Ken Griffey. I even see how my own son is a better baseball player than I ever was! In seeing these children play, we catch a glimpse of what their fathers were like.

            In an even great way, this is how it is with Jesus. In looking at Jesus, we catch a glimpse of who God the Father is. We can understand the love of God. We can understand the power of God. We can understand the compassion of God!

b.       Holy Spirit- It is difficult to know God because we can’t see God. That is

why Jesus is so important for us. But it is also important, in getting to know someone, to know what they think and feel.

            1 Corinthians 2:10-12 says that no one knows the thoughts of God,    

                                                                             except the Spirit of God.

These verses remind us that it is impossible for us to know the thoughts of God on our own. But the good news is that the Holy Sprit, the Spirit of God, not only knows the thoughts of God, but allows us to have access to these thoughts.

            In John 14:26 Jesus says, “The Counselor, the Holy Spirit….will teach you all things….”

How can we know the thoughts of God? When we accept Jesus Christ as our savior, we are filled with the Spirit of God. As the Holy Spirit resides in us, He begins to teach us of the character of God, and how God wants us to have this same character, and about the mysteries of God, and how God wants us to begin to understand about creation, and relationships, and living.

            Ralph W. Seager wrote a poem entitled “The Extravagance of God,” that goes like this……..

                        “More sky than man can see, more seas than he can sail,

                        More sun than he can bear to watch, more stars than he can scale.

                        More breath than he can breathe, more yield than he can sow,

                        More grace than he can comprehend, more love than he can know.”

(Illus. Unlimited, p. 241, #1)

            The nature of God is more than we can know but God is worth knowing. And we should be thankful that we have God in the flesh, Jesus Christ, and we have the Holy Spirit to lead us to an understanding of who God is. We do have a way to know God and love God!

Conclusion: What are the priorities in your life? As we start each year, this is usually the time we ask ourselves this question. It is the time when we evaluate our lives and seek to find new meaning and direction.

            There is a story of a woman and her son getting off their plane upon arrival. As they are coming out of the tunnel the woman she sees her husband and their dog. She leans down to her son and says: “Now remember, run to daddy first, then the dog!”

            How often in life do we run to so many other things, before we run to God. If we run to God first, we will find that knowing God is truly pleasurable, and that we will have perspective and meaning for all the other things of life.

            I encourage you to reflect on what should be the priorities of your life. Where does God fit, and where should God be. See how you can find ways to grow in your knowledge of God. See how you can find ways to love God through the way you live. 

Seek to make knowing God and loving God a priority in your lifem today and always! Amen.