Resistance

Could it be that your resistance to change will leave you outside the design? 

Many when change occurs, refuse to change with the changes therefore leaving themselves, their gifting, their calling, their passion rendered useless. 

• Change is a storm and it will tear you from your current position but as you adjust with it, move with it, I believe it will lead you to a new place, that is deeper in God, through it's design. 

Genesis 31:1-55 NLT 

We see change occurring through frustration, condemnation, mistreatment, greed, and jealousy. 

• Laban is greedy, jealous, condemning, and mistreating his own family, while Jacob is mentally, emotionally, and physically frustrated. 

1. Change through the frustration.

• Jacob was a man of God that had spent years of his life making adjustments for his father-in-law.
• Jacob was patient, he was kind, he was driven by character as he never cheated Laban in anything, but frustration overtook him in this portion of the story and he choose to leave this mess. 
• We see through Jacob's choices that if he would have chosen to run out way early he would not be as blessed as he was. 
• Verse, [3] Then the Lord said to Jacob, "Return to the land of your father and grandfather and to your relatives there, and I will be with you." 
• God had given the timing to Jacob, God will give the timing to you. 
• God had His hand on Jacob and continued to bless him though his Father-in-law was trying to cheat him, through change after change. 
• When God's hand is on you nothing, nor anyone can take away what God has designed and purposed for you. 
• Jacob changed through the constant change and allowed God to change him. 
• As you allow God to make adjustments in your character, He will lead you to your destination. 
• If you refuse and continually bring resistance to the change like Laban, the blessings of God will leave you. 

2. Resistance is good until something breaks. 

• A rubber band is only beneficial if it is surrounding something through resistance but like a rubber band too much resistance can break you.
• Laban was continually changing the rules on Jacob, his son-in-law and his very own daughters. 
• It didn't seem like he ever wanted them to succeed but just that he wanted to break them. 
• Those evoking change, those pushing, those stretching you must be careful to not overextend. 
• Those receiving the change, adapting to the change, and reshaping with the change need to be careful that they continue allowing themselves to be in the right amount of resistance.
• Resistance will grow you, it will deepen you, it will challenge you but it can also destroy you. 
• The perfect balance must be found and achieved for maximum impact to be sustained. 
• Continually adjusting yourself around the situation, problem, frustration, training, will eventually adjust yourself right out of the solution all together. 

3. Keeping the right heart and spirit before God is always the goal. 

• We see in verse [44] So come, let's make a covenant, you and I, and it will be a witness to our commitment." 
• Laban and Jacob make a covenant before God, before their families, and before each other that they will both allow the adjustments of God to take place in their lives. 
• What a powerful testimony to have before God and men, that the covenant you make is life binding. 
• We act as if God hates us when He allows more troubles than we can bear. 
• He promised in scripture that He will allow us to experience times when we are consumed by situations that are bigger than our own strength can handle so that the only place to turn would be to Him. 
• That way we constantly see, feel, and know Christ is our solution to all and every resistance. 

Finally, we see that when everyone honors God in their heart and spirit the world will witness our vows, God will serve as our judge and we will go with the blessings of the Father. 

[51] "See this pile of stones," Laban continued, "and see this monument I have set between us. [52] They stand between us as witnesses of our vows. I will never pass this pile of stones to harm you, and you must never pass these stones or this monument to harm me. [53] I call on the God of our ancestors-the God of your grandfather Abraham and the God of my grandfather Nahor-to serve as a judge between us." So Jacob took an oath before the fearsome God of his father, Isaac, to respect the boundary line. [54] Then Jacob offered a sacrifice to God there on the mountain and invited everyone to a covenant feast. After they had eaten, they spent the night on the mountain. [55] Laban got up early the next morning, and he kissed his grandchildren and his daughters and blessed them. Then he left and returned home."

a guy named Clay

Welcome to the world of a guy named Clay. Clay’s world once was a perfect world full of love, and acceptance from everyone. Clay’s life was as real as life can get until one day his world began to spin. He began to notice a difference in his world at home 1st.

While heading out for school one day Clay realized his parents were not the same and by the end of that same afternoon he was informed that his world would not only continue to spin but would literally spin out of his hands and utterly out of control. Yes his parents would not only split up but they would divorce. This brought Clay’s world to a demolishing halt. Clay was only 11.

That very summer Clay and his new friends began to experiment with cigarettes, and marijuana. Because of Clay’s new found friends neither one of his parents could control him. His schoolwork suffered dramatically. Because of all of Clay’s pain and bitterness he started getting kicked out of school. Skipping, fighting, and stealing, round the clock out of control behavior.  After getting in constant trouble with the law his parents decided that foster care would be their best bet for fixing Clay and his many, many troubles.

Clay quickly began to forget about how things used to be. He began to embrace his newfound freedom in foster care, so he thought. He even said to himself, “I know things have got to get better.” But after a very short stay with the foster parents Clay began to be abused by his new “foster father.” He was 14. Clay tried to tell a few people about his problem with his foster parent but no one paid any attention to him, they swore he was crazy. Clay even told the foster “mother” but she only shrugged and in no way believed him. Clay and his new “family” fought so much that it was destroying Clay inside. So Clay tried to get in contact with his paternal parents but it seemed that even they began to quit listening to him. After all his lying, and his thievery, Clay’s conniving past finally caught up with him. His parents said, “How can we possibly trust you.”  

Clay’s world…shattered.

Clay turns to alcohol, drugs, and gang banging to remain sane. Clay was 19. Clay now resides in a maximum-security correctional facility for men for stabbing and killing a young man for a mere $32.00.

• Clay’s problem, no one told Clay about another way. That happiness could even briefly enter his life let alone last for any length of time.
• See no one told Clay that he didn’t have to hurt everyday.
• That he didn’t have to live in torment and disgust.
• No one told Clay that life always had to be horrific.

Clay’s life, so broken, so empty, so shattered, so meaningless, and so worthless. Why keep on living? Clay says to himself, “Why should I keep on living?”

No acceptance for the work God called you to do.

Luke 4:18-19 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for He has appointed me to preach Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the downtrodden will be freed from their oppressors, and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.”

Did you realize that Jesus Christ gave us the same calling He had upon His life?

• Set captives free

• Let the lame walk

• The blind see

• Break down the anger and bitterness

• Give everyone the Gospel of freedom!

What happens is people have lost the goal of ministry!

We have let the Clay’s slip through our fingers.

We have lost the mission of ministry!

Reach, teach, and baptize all into the kingdom!    

What about Clay? What about Clay?

Absolutely no acceptance for the work God has called us to do!

• No respect for His wishes!

• No regard for evangelism!

Mark 12:30And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.' 31The second is equally important: `Love your neighbor as yourself.' No other commandment is greater than these."

• According to Jesus, these two commandments summarize all of God’s laws.

• Let them rule your thoughts, decisions, and actions.

• Clay needs someone to believe in him! Not someone who will be afraid to look insane, stupid, or out of order.
• Clay needs someone so loving, so compassionate, and so full of freedom, confidence, and security.
• Someone like you?
• Could God be talking about you?
• Or does God just want this to be true of you but has had no luck?

2 Timothy 2:24 “The Lord's servants must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone. They must be able to teach effectively and be patient with difficult people. 25They should gently teach those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people's hearts, and they will believe the truth. 26Then they will come to their senses and escape from the Devil's trap. For they have been held captive by him to do whatever he wants.”

• Who will minister to Clay?
• Who would be so bold, so wise, so brave, and so ready to put Clay’s life back together?
• Who will show him Christ?
• Will you?
• How about you, will you be able to handle it?
• Is it in you?
• Or, will it be you?

Will you have what it takes?

Will you have the gift in you?

Will you model Christ effectively?

Will you be the one to put Clay’s shattered life back together like a puzzle?

Will you teach him of love unconditional?

Will you be the one?

There are thousands, literally millions of Clay’s out there just hoping, just praying, just pleading for help, care and concern.

Will you stand up and put Clay back together?

Who will be strong enough to bring Clay’s puzzled life back together?