TRAINED, BUT
TERRIFIED TO TRY
MF Blume
July 5, 1998 pm
Ephe 1:15-21 Wherefore I also,
after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,
Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; That
the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the
spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your
understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his
calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
And what [is] the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe,
according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ,
when he raised him from the dead, and set [him] at his own right hand in
the heavenly [places], Far above all principality, and power, and might,
and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also
in that which is to come:
Ephe 3:14-19 For this cause
I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole
family in heaven and earth is named, That he would grant you, according to
the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the
inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted
and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what [is]
the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ,
which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of
God.
Ephesians is probably the deepest book in the entire Bible. It is
the only book that speaks of the eternal will of God in extensive thought
(3:11)
- Ephesians speaks of blessings
we have in Jesus Christ
- God lavished us with all
spiritual blessings in the heavenly realm
- And we read about how that
al things in the end of time, the maturity of the ages, dispensation of the
fullness of times, God would unify everything that exists and head it up under
Jesus Christ.
- We read about an inheritance
we will receive and how we can be enlightened to understand it all.
- God gave us the Holy Ghost
to guarantee our inheritance to us.
And then we read something very
important.
- Paul speaks of a certain
prayer he made.
- He prayers we receive enlightenment
or revelation about two things.
- Enlightenment to know the
inheritance and how great it really is at the end of the world.
- AND the exceeding great
power He has for us.
Chapter 1 and Chapter 3 speaks
of this.
God's love must be comprehended by the Christian.
The AMPLIFIED version reads like
this:
3:18 That you may have the
power and be strong to apprehend and grasp with all the saints (God's devoted
people, the EXPERIENCE OF THAT LOVE) what is the breadth and length and height
and depth [of it];
3:19 [That
you may really come] to know -- practically, through experience for
yourselves -- the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge (without
experience); that you may be filled (through all your being) unto
all the fulness of God -- [that is] may have the richest measure of the divine
Presence, and become a body wholly filed and flooded with God himself!
Paul is talking about EXPERIENCING
something that many may only know about mentally and theoretically.
- Seeing this happen in your
very life!
- We must receive the ultimate
benefits from Jesus presence in us.
- EVERYDAY EXPERIENCES THAT
WE CAN SEE IT HAPPENING IN OUR DAILY LIVES.
Are we getting the powerful truth
Paul is speaking to us?
Another note in the midst of
this discussion Paul makes is pointed out.
- Jesus was referred to as
the fullness of the godhead bodily.
Colo 2:9 For in him dwelleth all
the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
And Paul makes quite a powerful
statement about our possible relationship with God.
Ephe 3:19 And to know the love
of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all
the fulness of God.
Jesus was God, and we will never
be God, but Jesus also saw DEITY move through Him and work in His everyday
life as a human man.
- There is this experience
Jesus had as a man that Paul is telling us we can have.
Jesus often said, "The Father
in me, he doeth the works."
or, "I can do nothing on my own, the Father does it all."
John 5:19 Then answered Jesus and
said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of
himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth,
these also doeth the Son likewise.
Paul lived that kind of life
that Jesus, as a man, lived. He saw wonders in his life. He experienced
these things, and did not just believe in them. He was a person who
knew and experienced, also. He just did not KNOW about it. He
went beyond mere knowledge without experience. If asked what was the
key to the success of Paul the Apostle's powerful hold on God, he would probably
reply with a verse he wrote:
Gala 2:20 I am crucified with Christ:
nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which
I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved
me, and gave himself for me.
Gala 2:21 I do not frustrate the grace of God:
for if righteousness [come] by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.
Substitute "LAW" with any
human efforts people might implement in order to improve themselves.
- And essentially Paul said
what Jesus as a human said.
- Without Him I can do nothing.
Paul saw miracles happen.
- Paul experienced it.
- He did not just know about
it, but EXPERIENCED IT.
Like the Amplified version brings
out,
Paul really came
to know -- practically, through experience for himself -- the love of Christ,
which far surpasses mere knowledge (without experience)
PAUL KNEW WHAT HE WAS TALKING
ABOUT!
Acts 13:6-11 And when they
had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false
prophet, a Jew, whose name [was] Barjesus: Which was with the deputy of the
country, Sergius Paulus, a prudent man; who called for Barnabas and Saul,
and desired to hear the word of God. But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his
name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from
the faith. Then Saul, (who also [is called] Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost,
set his eyes on him, And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief,
[thou] child of the devil, [thou] enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not
cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? And now, behold, the hand of
the Lord [is] upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for
a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he
went about seeking some to lead him by the hand.
God helped Paul in situations.
- To know the love of God
practically and in experience, beyond mere knowledge without experience,
is to see God move for you.
- We can experience it first
hand.
My wife mentioned this when we
were discussing it.
- A nurse trains for nurse
duty for a few years.
- And after learning the
theory, the nurse enters practical training.
- This is where the theory
is actually put into practice with real people.
- They are trained and then
must DO what the training taught them to do.
- Why go to nursing school
if the nurse is TOO AFRAID TO TRY what the nurse has been TRAINED to do?
I am speaking about being TRAINED
BUT TERRIFIED TO TRY.
Most people look back at their
salvation and the only real change they can say they experienced was being
taken from the world of sin and put into the Body of Christ to live a Christian
life and they spoke in tongues when they received the Holy Ghost.
- That is the extent of most
people's EXPERIENCE.
- Outside of experience,
they KNOW a lot.
- They KNOW God can work
wonders for people.
- They KNOW if they are in
a bind, God can provide the need.
- THEY ARE TRAINED BUT ARE
TERRIFIED TO TRY.
They know the theory, and KNOW
God can do, but when it comes to experiencing what God can do, they are void.
- You face a situation and
there is no way that help can come naturally.
- TRUST IN GOD.
- Most are terrified to try
it.
Picture a God who has a child
in this world, and is ready to provide any need this child would ever have
in life.
- Now look at the average
believer and observe how they struggle and doubt God.
SOMETHING IS WRONG.
JACOB'S SECRET
We have got to learn the secret
of Jacob.
Gene 32:24-26 And Jacob was
left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.
And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of
his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled
with him. And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will
not let thee go, except thou bless me.
Jacob did not stop even though
something broke in him.
- He got his answer AFTER
THE BREAKING.
- Everytime I received a miracle,
and I have received several, it was when I made my mind up to believe God
for an answer to prayer, and to not let Him go until I got it.
- Jacob was facing a fearsome
situation.
- He left home having made
his brother, Esau, murderously angry.
- And he was on his way home
again.
- He needed help!
- (Just like bad situations
we find ourselves in).
- He saw an angel.
- He saw an opportunity to
get something from God.
- WE MUST GRAB HOLD OF THE
OPPORTUNITIES WE HAVE WITH GOD AND BELIEVE AND NOT LET GO UNTIL WE HAVE THE
ANSWER.
- THIS CHURCH SERVICE IS
ONE OPPORTUNITY.
- WILL YOU TAKE IT?
- Jacob grabbed that angel
and would not let go of it until Jacob got a blessing.
- Jacob prayed through something.
- He broke through something.
- A breaking point occurred.
- You could say he wrestled
the doubt completely out of his flesh.
- Jacob's thigh broke.
- The hardest part of the
body is the thigh.
- And the hardest thing to
break in us is our own unbelief.
- Jacob broke through.
- Do not stop praying
until all your doubt is smashed and you know that you broke through and your
answer is on its way.
We have opportunities anytime
we need them.
- We do not have top wait
until we see an angel.
- Jesus is here all the time
and said He would never forsake us (Matt 28:20)
- Have a need?
- Grab hold of Jesus right
now!
We read about a God who performs
wonders and meets the needs of His people.
- We hear preaching about
it.
- We hear testimonies about
it.
- We read books about it.
- We are so trained in it
that we could show people the scriptures that teach it.
- AND YET WE ARE TERRIFIED
TO TRY IT FOR OURSELVES.
- We have to KNOW the love
of Christ with something that is beyond head knowledge.
- This kind of Knowing reminds
me of the KNOWING we read about when Paul said THAT I MAY KNOW HIM IN THE
POWER OF HIS RESURRECTION.
- The kind of knowing that
we read of when we read ADAM KNEW EVE.
- It is so intimate and close
that it is PRACTICAL AND means something to our everyday lives.
- We see a need financially
or physically and we are in trouble.
- But do we step out and
pray the prayer of faith to believe God for a miracle, or are we trained,
but terrified to try?
- We KNOW that God CAN answer
these needs.
- We KNOW that God CAN give
us financial miracles in times of hardship.
- We KNOW that God CAN perform
a miracle for our families.
- But we may be trained,
but terrified to try.
- If we are going to believe
the Bible, and believe in the God of the Bible, so much so that we get Baptized
in Jesus' name because we are serious about this, when many will not believe
it so seriously to obey it, we might as well leap out into the situations
we face in faith that God is going to provide the means.
Elijah worked wonders and saw
God do miracles in his ministry.
- Elijah left and the mantle
fell upon Elisha.
- Elisha never worked one
miracle beforehand.
- He saw the prophet before
him do great works for God.
- What about Elisha now?
- Elisha cried out, "Where
is the God of Elijah?"
- And Elisha, after being
trained, stepped out and tried it for himself.
- God was not on trial, but
Elisha was on trial.
- Elijah had faith for wonders,
but Elisha had to have faith now.
You read about these people and
you believed that God CAN do these things for you.
- But will you remain trained,
but terrified to try?
- We might as well go all
the way with the Bible and believe that Jesus really did mean it when he said,
"These signs shall follow them that believe." Mark 16:17.
- You will hear excuses for
unbelief when people say these things are not for us today, but Jesus put
no time limit on them, and said they follow, not just the apostles, but them
that believe.
- Are you a believer
or aren't you?
- Are you terrified
to try for yourself?
- We will run to the doctor
in a frenzy because of illness, and run to the government for money when in
a financial bind, but why don't we TRY what we've been spiritually
trained to do, instead of being terrified?
ANOTHER ASPECT OF KNOWING
FOR OURSELVES
The parable of the sower and
the seed gives us more insight about this.
- The Lord spoke of the shallow
ground that shows so much rapid growth in so little time.
- But when the sun came out
the heat scorched the plant and it died.
- Jesus said this is like
the people who seem to be so overboard and in love with God.
- But when outward trouble
comes their way, we find their love was outward, and since outward circumstances
do not fit the criteria they demand in order to love God, they leave God.
- But the ones who have a
DEEP love are the ones who do not turn Him away when outward situations are
not good.
- Their love is deep.
- It is inward.
- And their love for Him
is not bothered by outward troubles.
- THEY TRULY KNOW HIM.
Listen to a paraphrase of 1 Cor.
13
It shows DEEP LOVE and what it
means.
If I have the
language perfectly and speak like a native, and have not His love for them,
I am nothing. If I have diplomas and degrees and know all the up-to-date
methods, and have not his touch of understanding love, I am nothing.
If I am able to argue successfully against the religions of the people and
make fools of them and have not his wooing note, I am nothing. If I
have all faith and great ideals and magnificent plans, and not his love that
sweats and bleeds and weeps and prays and pleads, I am nothing. If I
give my clothes and money to them, and have not his love for them, I am nothing.
If I surrender all prospects, leave home and friends, make the sacrifices
of a missionary career, and turn sour and selfish amid the daily annoyances
and slights of a missionary life, and have not the love that yields its rights,
its leisures, its pet plans, I am nothing. Virtue has ceased to go
out of me. If I can heal all manner of sickness and disease, but wound
hearts and hurt feelings for want of his love that is kind, I am nothing.
If I can write articles or publish books that win applause, but fail to transcribe
the Word of the Cross into the language of His love, I am nothing."
James said....
Jame 1:22 But be ye doers of the
word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
This goes along with Paul's words
that speak about knowing God practically.
- I talked about miracles
and needs being met, but what about plain old loving God in a real way?
- Sometimes the Lord will
not answer our prayers.
- Sometimes what we pray
for is not His will.
- In those times of hardship
when the Lord chooses to allow us to hurt, do we experience this instead?...
- When trouble comes our
way, we forget all about Him?
- To act as though we do
not have a heavenly Father above who loved us so much he totally changed
our lives?
- To come to church to hear
someone preach and never get the burden of the Lord to see this city won to
God?
- We may know about God's
love, but do we EXPERIENCE IT PRACTICALLY?
As Paul prayed, May our eyes
of understanding be opened to truly see what God wants us to understand,
and that we be not simply trained and terrified to try, but
we experience what we know and see it happen in our lives.