READY FOR YOUR RECREATION?
Text: Act 7:54 – 60 {Vs58}, 8:1 – 3, 9:1 – 9 {Vs6}, 2 Tim 4:7 – 8
In the past two weeks, the Lord has used our senior pastors to lay out his expectation of us this year and what we need to do. To recreate is an action word – requires your involvement – it means “to give new life or freshness to” someone or something; “to create again” “especially to form anew in the imagination”. Eph 2:10 NIV “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Paul’s story arc shows the possibility.
Obstacles to Our Recreation: (1)Cultural –We try to “dictate” the terms of the relationship with God. Jn 1:46 Jn 6:42. We must set aside any preconceived notion and let God be God. (2)Impatience –We might be convinced that God wants us to go there, or do that, or be this or that – and we want to do it all NOW as it is our year to fly, like Moses Ex 2:11-15 or Saul 1Sam 13 & 15 who time and again would not wait on the timing of the Lord. Do not set a “timetable” for God. (3)Logic – There is a nature in us to try and “make sense” of things before we fully embrace and accept it. Let me make clear that the bible is not opposed to logic Is 1:18, Is 43:26 and Mk 11:29-33. However, if you are only rooted in your adamic logic you are standing in the way of your recreation and by extension your blessing. Rom 8:7, 1Cor1:18-27. (4)Vision – Act 9:6-9 Paul blinded in his encounter with the Lord of history, fell from his horse, deprived of physical sight. The Scripture says that we simply must, become people who learn to “live by faith and not by sight” 2 Cor 5:7. How well do you know your navigational aids?
Provision to Overcome the Obstacles: (1)Put aside all sinful behaviours: Heb 12:1 Sometimes obstacles are in our way because of sinful or carnal choices that we are making. It is our choice to remain in sins because we find short-lived pleasure in them. (2)Trust in God for strength and wisdom to deal with the obstacles – Is 12:2 Many people will spend (waste) a lot of time trying to think and maneuver their way around obstacles in their own strength. (3)Deal with the strongholds in our minds – 2 Cor 10:4-6 Some obstacles that we deal with are not even real because we have let our fears, worries, or lies from others keep us paralyzed from dealing with obstacles. (4)Know that nothing is too hard for God – Jer 32:27 When faced with an enormous obstacle, it’s easy to fall into the error of believing that the obstacle may be bigger than God. (5)Recognize that God uses obstacles for His purposes – Gen 50:20 Obstacles not only remind us of our weakness in and of ourselves, but they also are a reminder that God is in control.
Have great week ahead.