How To Build Your Family ~ Honor
Feb/10/14 07:22
Endless Posibilities
Jan/04/14 09:50
New Hope Podcast 12-29-2013 from Matt Larson on Vimeo.
ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES
There are amazing possibilities that are ready for you to experience. We have yet to tap into the fullness of what God has in store for us.
9 That is what the Scriptures mean when they say,
“No eye has seen, no ear has heard,
and no mind has imagined
what God has prepared
for those who love him.”*
1 Corinthians 2:9 (NLT)
I believe the Spirit of God is longing for you and I to truly look to see the full potential of God displayed in our lives.
For us to experience these possibilities we have to GO, RISK and BELIEVE.
Go
The Gospel is to be experienced not just studied. A person can never truly understand the Gospel until they live it. The Gospel is lived when we receive the full forgiveness and freedom from sin. The Gospel is lived when we leave past failures and hurts behind. The Gospel is realized when we seek after the one who has wandered away.
The Gospel cannot be realized sitting still. You must GO to know.
Jesus started it when we He obeyed the Father's command to GO. And so prompted by the love of the Father He left his throne in heaven and He came to us.
A few years ago I have the privilege of walking in the hills of Galilee. And I took a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee. And if I pictured Jesus walking with his disciples I recognize that Jesus was an adventurer. He was active. He walked and hiked up mountains. In fact, one time he passed up a boat ride so that he could walk across the sea of Galilee.
That is the challenge today. Get active in your faith. Don't just spectate participate. Don't just listen to worship music, but WORSHIP. Nobody can worship God better than you. God uniquely designed you to vocalize a harmonic tone in worship that is divinely appointed to you. Don't just chase around good teachers, of which there are many, but you dig into the Word of God. Press on to know Christ in a personal revelation. Read the Word. Pray, actively. Don't just recite a memorized verse, but engage actively with. Jesus. Discover the heart of God.
The prophet Elijah came to a crossroads in his life. Almost looks like he was in mid life crisis. After the great victory on Mount Carmel, call down fire from heaven and defeated the Prophets of Baal, Elijah runs from the threats of Jezebel.
he himself went a day’s journey into the desert. He came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. 1 Kings 19:4
Elijah had great victory at Mount Carmel and yet he was disappointed at the lack of results. His disappointment turned to depression and he wanted to just give up. So he fell asleep under the broom tree.
5 Then he lay down under the tree and fell asleep. All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” 6 He looked around, and there by his head was a cake of bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again. 7 The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you
I love the fact that the angel took the time to build a fire and cook a warm meal for Elijah and all the while Elijah was asleep.
For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; Psalm 91:11
Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation? Hebrews 1:14
It is one thing to think of a great prophet like Elijah having an angel. But this verse Hebrews tells us anyone who inherit salvation has an angel that's guarding.
This is great to know that the God that loves us and loves Elijah, brought us salvation has sent his angels to watch over us and even prepare a meal for us at the times that we need It the most. You know you might be depressed or burn out, sleeping under tree. God still knows he still loves and he still working on your behalf.
After sleeping and eating and sleeping and eating... kind of sounds like our holiday doesn't it?
Elijah gets up and takes the journey to Mount Horeb, the mountain of God.
I want The draw your attention to the go of the story. Elijah had to get up and actively pursue what was on God's heart. God could have and did speak to Elijah in many different places, but this time he had to travel to Horeb to hear the voice of God.
I want to encourage you this day to actively pursue the voice of God. And don't be distracted by the fire or the wind, or the earthquake. Listen the whisper of God. For in that whisper there is hope. In that whisper there's direction, and in that whisper there's love.
The major point of the message of God to Elijah that day was to go find the one. There was a Elisha the one God had called to follow after Elijah. The one who would multiply the blessing of God that rested on Elijah.
This is my encouragement to you today to go, be active find the one, and see the great things God has in store.
Risk
To experience the endless possibilities you have to be willing to risk.
(Flying Suit Video)
Risk and adventure are amazing things. But risk should be measured against reward. There are some who risk just for the thrill of the risk.
Would you want to do something extreme like base jumping with a wing suit?
British stuntman Mark Sutton, who parachuted into the arena dressed as 007 during the thrilling opening of the 2012 London Olympics, crashed into a mountain ridge in southwest Switzerland in August while filming for an online adventure channel.
Just risking for the thrill or for an awesome video doesn’t seem worth it to me.
Following the call of God on the other hand is a great adventure with a great reward.
Following the call of God is the greatest adventure you can imagine. It is not without risk, but the reality is the reward is worth it.
When Elijah came down from the Mt. he encountered Elisha
1 Kings 19:19 (NIV84)
The Call of Elisha
19 So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him.
The call was there. A call to follow. And Elisha’s response was to take a big risk.
1 Kings 19:21 (NIV84)
21 So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his attendant.
The Call of God landed upon Elisha and he accepted the risk, burning his ox and yoke and leaving it behind, he followed the call.
What risk are you willing to take to follow the call of God?
Fear, mostly of failure keeps us from taking risk and following God’s call. Let me try to alleviate some of the fear you might have of failure. YOU ARE GOING TO FAIL. It is what happens when you do fail and when you do come to your end that the miracle of God takes place in your life.
13 … But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13–14 (NIV84)
BELIEVE
What are you believing God for? I know this isn’t the best grammar. But how big is your belief?
Sometimes over time and trouble we shrink back from believing God. It is according to our ability to believe that God works.
After years of following and serving Elijah, Elisha realizes that his mentor the one whom he left everything to follow is about to be taken. Elisha isn’t content with just finishing out the following. He isn’t content with just seeing what Elijah saw. He wants a double portion.
2 Kings 2:9–14 (NIV84)
9 When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?”
“Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,” Elisha replied.
10 “You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah said, “yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours—otherwise not.”
11 As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. 12 Elisha saw this and cried out, “My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!” And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them apart.
13 He picked up the cloak that had fallen from Elijah and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. 14 Then he took the cloak that had fallen from him and struck the water with it. “Where now is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” he asked. When he struck the water, it divided to the right and to the left, and he crossed over.
What is the limit of your belief?
Recently as I stood on the precipice of a huge challenge in need of a miracle that has seemed to be delayed and thwarted by people. I was challenged by a verse that came to mind. I remembered the Psalm “Trust in the Lord and do good.” As I was preparing for a meeting I read Psalm 37 over and over again. Trust in the Lord and do Good. Believe that God will come through. Believe that God has the best in store.
As of yet I have not experienced the fulfillment of this promise, but I stand upon this promise. If I trust the Lord and do good, he will settle me in the promise.
3 Trust in the Lord and do good.
Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.
This morning I challenge you to GO
I challenge you to RISK
I challenge you to BELIEVE
Knowing that God’s best is in store.