Vision15 #reachUkiah with the Holy Spirit

We are going to #reachukiah with Vision.

We are going to #reachUkiah with Love.

·      It's our vision is to see people saved, healed, set free, discipled, equipped, empowered and serving.

o  We are going to #reachUkiah with the Holy Spirit, He is our Helper, our Comforter, our Guide, our Power source, and our Provision. 

·      Sometimes you have to take your eyes of what you see in the natural so that God can speak to you about the supernatural.

·      God doesn’t offer guidance; He wants to be our guide.

o  Often, He only gives us one thing to do and doesn’t tell us the rest of the details.

·      Sort of like “you go and I’ll be with you.”

o  What I love about our story is that it shows us both ends of the vision spectrum.

o  The vision we received from God was big and audacious.

o  The steps of faith we took, as a family to ignite it in our lives was small and ordinary.

o  We were willing to believe that God was big enough to call us to something greater, even when that something hadn’t been anywhere in our expectations, our wish list, or even on our radar.

o  But all that was just blah-blah-blah and rhetoric until we took the first step to make it happen.

·      In other words, a big dream without a small start is nothing but a daydream.

1. Dig a ditch.

a. I’ve met a lot of people who knew what it was to burn plows and set out to live for God but didn’t know what to do next.

b. They prayed, they made a commitment and they got stuck.

                                            i.     As a pastor, I’ve seen it over and over again.

                                          ii.     As a man trying to live for God, I’ve experienced it over and over again.

c.  I’m guessing you’ve made plenty of resolutions about stuff you needed to start doing or stop doing.

                                            i.     Maybe you were going to start praying or reading your Bible more.

                                          ii.     Maybe you were going to stop smoking, boycott carbohydrates, and stop looking at pornography or stop saying mean things about family members or friends behind their backs.

                                       iii.     Maybe you decided to break away from a relationship you knew was unhealthy for you.

                                        iv.     The way I see it, there are two major reasons why well-intentioned people like us get stuck after we burn our plows.

1. One, we don’t think big enough.

2. Two, we don’t start small enough.

d. I’m not trying to talk like Yoda here.

e. I only want to motivate you to dream bigger dreams for your life, I want to challenge you to take realistic steps of obedience that can actually make God’s vision come to pass.

f.   After all, our God “is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine.” Ephesians 3:20

g. Preacher Dwight L. Moody made a statement that I love: “If God is your partner, make your plans big.”

                                            i.     That way of thinking makes my heart race.

                                          ii.     But we’re not going to see God’s bigger vision fulfilled in our lives just because we spend more time thinking transcendent thoughts.

                                       iii.     We don’t attain greater things simply by lying on the couch and concentrating on the possibilities of a better life.

                                        iv.     For instance driving my truck around for thousands of hours listening to Guns N’ Roses, imagining I was Axl Rose didn’t translate into my being the lead singer of the world’s most dangerous rock’n’roll band.

1. You do have to be willing to think big.

2. But the active ingredient of God’s greater work through us is our willingness to start small.

3. As God’s greater plans often do, it had started with a simple assignment a series of small but important steps:

                                          v.     When God sends a vision for your life:

h. TK and I talked about it. A lot.

i.    We prayed about what to do. A lot.

j.   We fasted. A lot.

k.  We talked to our children. A lot.

l.    We spoke with Godly influence and asked for their prayers. A lot.

                                            i.     Then together we felt the same impression from God.

1. And then we knew.

m.                 God was inviting us to step into a much different life than we had ever imagined for ourselves.

n. He didn’t share the details with us about what would happen along the way; much less make any promises that it would be easy.

                                            i.     And then we took the next small step.

o. We now believe that God’s vision plans are unfolding right before our eyes.

                                            i.     We immediately discovered that with greater opportunities comes greater opposition.

                                          ii.     But we had been walking with God long enough to know that whatever He calls you to do is the greatest thing you can be doing at that moment.

p. In Scripture, faith isn’t just about believing and certainly not about mere thinking.

                                            i.     Faith is about action.

                                          ii.     In fact, faith is action.

1. It’s why James so pointedly said, “Faith without works is dead.”  

 2:26, NKJV

                                       iii.     Faith isn’t a state of mind; it’s a course of action.

1. Faith is work.

q. And no one demonstrates this kind of blue-collar, get-your-hands-dirty approach to believing God for greater things more than Elisha.

                                            i.     One thing that set Elisha apart was his ability to trust God for bigger things than anyone around him dared to believe.

                                          ii.     He looked at every obstacle as an opportunity to prove that God is greater than the confines of any situation.

                                       iii.     Elisha didn’t just believe that, he did something about it.

                                        iv.     Miracles aren’t magic tricks; they are the divine results of small steps of faith-filled preparation.

r.   I want to show you an incredible image in one of the first miracles Elisha performs.

s.  It demonstrates the principle that small steps and hard work precipitate a move of God.

t.   It comes from 2 Kings 3, and it goes like this: King Joram is ruling over Israel during the years when the kingdom is divided. When the king of Moab rebels against him, the frightened king enlists King Jehoshaphat of Judah and the king of Edom to help him. Their combined military force should be fearsome against the Moabites—but they almost immediately run out of water for their armies and animals.

                                            i.     Now they are preparing to face a terrifying foe while facing an even more terrifying fate: dying of thirst.

u. The crisis drives King Joram to look for divine help. He isn’t desperate for God, but he is desperate for a solution. King Jehoshaphat asks if there is a prophet who could consult God for them. A servant reminds him of Elisha. “Yes, the Lord speaks through him.” Vs.12 King Joram’s evil parents, Ahab and Jezebel, had ruthlessly persecuted his mentor and spiritual father, Elijah.

v.  What he says next seems eccentric, given the circumstances. Remember, these kings have troops in the desert who are dying of thirst, waiting on whatever drops of hope and instruction fall from the prophet’s mouth. “Now,” Elisha continues, “bring me someone who can play the harp.” verse 15

w.                  Really? The nation is on the verge of collapse. You’re our connection with heaven, and you want some mood music?

                                            i.     Consequently, Elisha gets his background music, and the word of the Lord begins to flow from his mouth. It’s exactly what the kings had hoped to hear.

1. Well, not exactly.

x.  Elisha confirms to the kings that water will flow from Edom by the time the sun comes up the next morning. Their armies and their animals will have plenty to drink. The drought is almost over. God is going to deliver Moab to His people just as they prayed for. Hallelujah, somebody?

                                            i.     But he tells the kings to take a small, ludicrous step first.

                                          ii.     This is what the LORD says: Vs. 16 “Make this valley full of ditches.”

y.  Why would anybody in their right mind dig ditches to hold rain that isn’t even in the forecast?

                                            i.     Because that’s the way faith works.

                                          ii.     When you know God has promised you greater things, you don’t wait for a sign to appear before you respond.

1. The kings wanted a miracle.

2. They would get their miracle.

                                       iii.     But first they got a work order:

1. Tie a bandanna around your head and pick up a shovel, dig a ditch.

2. As a matter of fact, “Dig this valley full of ditches.”

z.  It’s as if God says, “If you really believe I’m going to do what I told you I would do, get busy.”

                                            i.     “Show Me your faith, and then I’ll show you My faithfulness. Do your part.”

                                          ii.     “If you will do what I asked you to do, I will be faithful to My word. If you’ll dig the ditches, I’ll send the rain.”

aa.              The entire nation must have pitched in and dug all night, because they got it done.

                                            i.     The next morning the water arrived.

                                          ii.     As promised.

                                       iii.     As always.

                                        iv.     The newly installed ditches were full of water, the armies and animals were refreshed, and the army easily overtook the Moabites.

bb.              I think Elisha used the process of ditch digging to teach Israel this important paradox of great faith:

                                            i.     Only God can send the rain.

                                          ii.     But He expects you to dig the ditches.

1. We all want something greater until we have to start digging for it.

                                       iii.     Imagine yourself in the biblical script.

1. Hard dirt.

2. Pitch-black night.

3. Enemies about to collide.  

4. Already thirsty.

5. Nothing but a few sentences from an erratic preacher to guarantee that X marks the spot.

a. Still, God expects you to grab a shovel and start digging.

cc.                Does that mean you’ll have to do everything?

                                            i.     That a vision from God is all up to you?

                                          ii.     Of course not. Rain is God’s specialty.

                                       iii.     But God has assigned a part to you.

1. And it involves blisters and bandannas baby.  

a. Grab a shovel.

2. We are commanded to prepare for the move of God before He makes the first move.

                                        iv.     Hebrews 11:1 tells us “faith is the substance of things hoped for.” It’s “the evidence of things not seen.” 

NKJV

dd.              I believe you’ve already been sensing some things you are to do this year.

                                            i.     Things you just know.

                                          ii.     Maybe they seem ridiculous.

                                       iii.     Maybe they seem like too much work.

ee.              It took a sacrifice of hard work for a thirsty army to dig ditches all over the valley.

                                            i.     It took sacrifices of faith and obedience for our family to give up successful ministry and embrace the unknown.

                                          ii.     And it’s going to take sacrifice for you to get ready for God’s call and vision upon your life.

1. But can we really call it a sacrifice?

2. After all, God is only asking you to make room for a larger-than-life blessing He wants to send your way.

ff.Dig a ditch? Are you crazy?

                                            i.     Do you have enough faith in God to dig a ditch even if you can’t see any rain or hear any wind?

1. Did you call 1-800-callbeforeyoudig?

                                          ii.     That can be a lonely challenge to face, with no one to support you, endorse you, or tell you that you’re doing the right thing.

1. Yet God is with you, developing your spiritual muscles with every turn of the shovel.

                                       iii.     Pastor, I’m just waiting on God.

1. You know what you might wait forever.

2. But if you dig a ditch and do all you can do, God will do God’s work as we dig.

a. What ditches is He asking you to dig?

gg.              You can’t expect God to entrust you with a big vision if He can’t trust you to make a small start.

hh.              You can’t have the apostle Paul’s walk with God overnight.

                                            i.     Big vision.

                                          ii.     But you can pray ten minutes a day beginning tomorrow.

                                       iii.     Small start.

ii. You can’t entirely mend a broken relationship overnight.

                                            i.     Big vision.

                                          ii.     But you can have a conversation and open the door, write the letter, make the call, say, “I’m sorry.”

                                       iii.     Small start.

jj.If your kid is far from God, you can’t bring him back overnight.

                                            i.     Big vision.

                                          ii.     But you could start praying for him every day.

                                       iii.     Small start.

kk.               Notice what Elisha doesn’t say; he doesn’t tell the kings to dig one ditch.

                                            i.     No singular ditch digging on this prophet’s watch.

1. Oohh, I like this visionary!

                                          ii.     He says, “make this valley full of ditches.” Plural.

1. Believe that God is going to send a lot of rain.

2. If we really believe God is an abundant God, ready and willing to bless our lives in greater ways than we could ever imagine, we ought to be digging all kinds of ditches.

                                       iii.     In our relationships. In our careers.

                                        iv.     In our ministries.

                                          v.     In every area of our lives, there ought to be heavy equipment on site.

1. Moving dirt.

2. Making preparation.

                                        vi.     And we ought to dig ditches using every means available.

1. We can dig ditches with our words.

2. With our prayers.

3. With our expectations.

4. With our kindness, with our love.

5. Even with our thoughts.

6. How many ditches are you willing to dig?

a. You’re not digging alone and it’s not in vain.

b. Dig a ditch there’s a downpour scheduled in your near future.

c.  The deeper you dig, the greater the rainfall has the potential to be.

2. Plant a seed

a. Matthew 13:19 NLT “[19] The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don't understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts.”

b. The Devil's job is keep them questioning the Gospel, the Bible, and the Christ, our job is to inspire belief, love, and encounter in them.

                                            i.     Dig a ditch, and Plant a seed, then:

3. Expect a harvest.

a. In God’s economy, the rain only comes after we’ve dug the ditch.

b. Too often, we have a vision, we know what God wants us to do, but we wait until everything is in place. “I’ll bring on that staff member once we have the money in the budget.” “We’ll launch that ministry once we have all the volunteers in place.” However, if God says, “Do it.” Then, our job is to do it, not figure out all the details before doing it.

                                            i.     Acts 3. Peter & John and the crippled beggar.

1. We want the miracle, but we don’t want to work with what we have.

2. Far too often, we say things like, “When I have _____, then I’ll do ______.”

3. He takes a few fishes and feeds thousands.

4. He fills empty pots with oil as long as the vessels are available.

5. He performs miracles as one’s faith is ignited.

6. Peter admitted to the beggar, “We don’t have silver and gold but with what we have, get up and walk.”

c.  Dig a ditch even if there isn’t a cloud in the sky!

                                            i.     There is value in letting go of our limitations.

                                          ii.     You have everything you need to do all that God is calling you to do right now.

d. Stop waiting for what you want, and start working what you’ve got.

                                            i.     Your greatest limitation is God’s greatest opportunity.

                                          ii.     If we are a people of faith, we need to live a life that requires faith.

                                       iii.     In God’s economy work looks like work, feels like work, the difference is that it always pays in supernatural dividends.

1. Dig a ditch.

Illustrate here: Shovel and a spoon.

a. Some want to just measure earth moving devices I just want to know if your moving dirt.

b. Dig a ditch, Plant a seed, Expect a harvest.

c.  I will never judge you for digging a ditch that’s God’s job I just want to know that you’re digging.

2. Most believers aren’t in imminent danger of ruining their lives.

a. They’re facing a danger that’s far greater, wasting them.