I Am Not A Grasshopper

my preaching notes from sunday 31st july, young adults service

What would you say the most important question of your life is?

Isaac got me on this one: his facebook status on Wednesday was:

If God turned up and said, "Ask me one question “What would you ask?

I think deep down in all of us…as much as we really want to know what the deal is about the platypus… that there is a part of us that asks “am I on the right path for my life… am I doing okay… why am I here? what is the purpose of my life?

Ps I loved Isaacs answer: Can I please have no limit on my life. Walk on water, fly, no fear, no shame, have your limitless power and wonder flowing through me.

But back to the question of the night: am on I the right path? What is the purpose of my life? Does my life count? Really that’s what we’re all asking, right?

The Bible says: For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11

And: For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10

In other words: We’re all called. If we’re breathing we’re called. If we’re saved, we’re called. If we’re redeemed, we’re recruited. We are all unique and created by God to be who we are. We are created for a purpose and a plan. Our lives count. There IS a plan.

The big question is:

Do you have a vision for your life? A purpose for your life?

Do you have a direction you are heading in?

Do you have a purpose and a priority that defines who you are and what you are doing?

Vision means: “a clear sense of purpose regarding what God wants to do through your life”

Vision is like a spark that ignites a fire. Sometimes we freak out about finding what our life vision is. But you know what… It can start with a seed of inspiration that takes root in our imagination.   It starts with us being inspired to DO something and BE someone that is then confirmed and pruned and grown by God. When a defining moment happens – like a prophecy or God speaking to us it is usually a confirmation of what God has already planted in our hearts. And it doesn’t have to be a destination or a vocational thing. it doesn’t have to be a “when I grow up I want to be” type thing to it.

Sometimes you can see the stirring of your vision and the direction your life should take based on the relationships and stuff you’re already involved in. we all lean naturally in certain directions. Take me for an example. It took 1 morning in childrens church 17 years ago to know that i was not called to be a childrens church leader. But the first night I went out after getting saved I had a circle of people around me and I was telling them that God was real and what He had done in my life and how they could experience it too. You see where I lean?

Now the Big Picture of vision (aka the main purpose of any and every vision) is all about knowing God and making Him known.  In whatever way we’re called and passionate about, in whatever we do.  It MIGHT be ministry.  It MIGHT be business.  It MIGHT be as a stay at home mum.  It might be as a engeineer, chef, journalist, artist, portaloo supplier, plumber, banker, microbiologist… the main thing is to live out our lives glowing in the dark for Jesus that that world can see He is real and relevant! Your job might place you amongst lost people who need to SEE that God is real and experience His love and grace and power. Your job might provide for you and your family so that you can volunteer with children’s church or on the worship or give a day a week to just serve down at church. You might say that your job is as your life might be used to pour out to a housegroup or a youth group from which a Joshua called to lead his generation emerges.

Vision grows and gets freed up when we have an accurate perception of who we are and who we are called to be – and in the reverse – vision can be restricted when we have in inaccurate perception of who we are and the potential God has placed with us and the unlimited resources of His power and His outworking in our lives.

You are eternity changers.

You are history makers.

You are lights in the darkness.

You are citizens of the kingdom of God.

You are saved, chosen and called.

Compare that to if you think you are:

I can’t do it

I’m not good enough

I’m not very cool

I’m not a good speaker

Etc etc etc

The Israelites did this when the sent spies into the Promised Land. The land they were promised to win and have victory in and live in. The spies came back and said: We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them. Numbers 13:33

Because the Israelites saw themselves as small, powerless, and insignificant they were then seen as small, powerless, insignificant grasshoppers by the people possessing the Promised Land. It was the people’s perception of themselves that limited their ability to take the land and have faith in God. It was the people’s incorrect perception of themselves that hijacked them fulfilling the call of God.

Compare this to what Caleb and Joshua said: We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.

Why did they have this confidence? Interesting to note that God said “my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly” Numbers 14:24

Sometimes we need to re-record the tape playing in our minds. You know – we all have self talk and self messages that consciously and unconsciously shape who we are. Some if it is fed by the comments of other people or things that happen as we’re kids and some of it originates from our own self doubts and insecurities. After a while it can just become the way we think and we aren’t even aware of the affect is having on how we live our lives. Self talk can either promote us forward or restrict us back.

check this “visual” illustration about the power of words: (yes, its power rangers)

 

Sometimes we need to pull the tape out and rip all that brown shinny stuff out and begin again. Replace the lie with the truth of what God says about you. Get stronger on the inside so the lies of the enemy and the lies we tell our self just breeze off. Because it will set you free to be you and to know His love and make Him known.

It may feel kinda weird at first – when you have a negative thought – to replace it with Gods truth – like you’re brainwashing yourself or just trying to tell yourself something you deep down don’t get – but if we persist we will change our mind and the truth will take over. I like to find a bible verse that is the truth of God so when I have a “I cant” thought – I stop and I tell myself right away “I can.” When I say “I’m not good enough” I tell myself that “I am fully resourced for anything God has called me to do because I can do all things through Christ” GOD’S WORD SAYS I am empowered and filled with the Holy Spirit… its kinda like how peter got steve to beat Clifton up at church a few weeks ago – steve was the Word of God overcoming the emotions and wrong thoughts that Clifton was in peters life.

This establishes a strong sense of who we are in God and what He says about us because we are going to meet people in life who challenge that or try to distract us from that. Insecurity is one of the deadliest weapons of the enemy to take someone out and stop them from becoming effective in the Kingdom of God. He will press our buttons and speak along with our own doubts. But he is a liar. Remember you are NOT a grasshopper. You are an awesome child of God full of potential because we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength!

The reality is that though some of you guys may be super gifted and pretty darn cool… none of us are good enough in the scheme of things. Because GOD IS GOOD ENOUGH IN US AND THROUGH US. You can have confidence in Jesus in you because that is the promise of God. Its not by our might or our strength but by the power of the Spirit.

We’re all different. 

God made some of us to be singers, and some servers.

He made some of us speakers, and some of us to make sneakers.

All of it is important.  None is greater.  Be faithful to the vision God gives you.

You know the real key to fulfilling your vision and getting the most out of life is to get a clear and correct view of God, believing that God is actually who He says he is.  And that He can do what He says He can do.  Steven furtick – sun stand still

He is the God who gives vision.

And fulfils vision.

He is the one who builds us and shapes us through life and through good times and hard times to make us the PERSON we are meant to be.

What steve shared last week was awesome: humility is the key to promotion.

Believe and obey as we take the hard way. Steve Bloxham

One part of his message that really jumped out at me is how humility is letting God outwork His plan without fighting back. Because sometimes the process can be hard. Humility agrees that God is GOOD and that God is in CONTROL all the time.

And like steve said – there is a clear pattern in the bible of people who believed and obeyed and took the hard way of humility, process and then promotion.

Elisha’s process between the call and the living the call was to serve Elijah.

Joseph’s process between the dream and the fulfilment was slavery and prison.

Joshua’s process between the promise of the Promised Land and the crossing over the Jordan River was to spend 40 years in the wilderness with a generation who had to die.

Even Jesus had process. He didn’t begin His public until He was 30.

There are lessons to be learned in the process. Lessons about ourselves, lessons about how to work with others, lessons about how to relate to God. Attitudes to change. Fears to overcome. Skills to learn. Character for form. Process is all part of it. It’s not less important that the destination and the success.

God will open the right doors at the right time. “Its not about knowing who holds the right keys but its about knowing the KEEPER of the keys – peter Robertson.” God can promote us at the right time. But I also believe He will also hold us back if we are not surrendered and transformed. God is full of grace but He is also holy. He uses flawed human beings but that doesn’t excuse compromise and a heart that isn’t fully leaning to God… God wants us to be intentionally following Him not intentionally following our own self and self desires.

The answer to the big question is all wrapped in the reality that God has made you and loves you. He has filled you with the Holy Spirit and believes in you. Like is on your side and believes you can do it because He is at work in you! For such a times as this you are here.

If you get your life sorted out with God and rooted and grounded and totally built on what He says and knowing Him – then you wont go wrong. You won’t miss it or get distracted. You won’t have huge derailing grasshopper moments. Pauls advice in Hebrews 12:1-2 and romans 12: 2 are so spot on:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is— his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Fix your eyes on Jesus.

Throw off the junk that holds you back.

Walk closely and on fire and in love with Him (because when we love Him we don’t want to sin and live for our self ways).

Be transformed.

Build your life according to what God says.

Believe God.

You are created and purposed by God for today. Unique and incredibly gifted.

Today if you need an injection of faith and hope that God has called you and empowered you step forward and meet with Him. He is able to outwork the process and fulfil those hopes and dreams you have.

If you’re in that place of feeling like you’re just putting one foot in front of the other and not sure where you’re going, then we’ll pray that God will illuminate the path before you.