I love to preach on process but I hate to go through it.
Every Christian needs to understand and connect to the processes of God.
God operates in phases and He develops us through process.
1.
Men of God are forged in the
opportunities of responsibility.
1.
Notice I use the phraseology
opportunity.
1.
Success, strength, encouragement,
confidence all come through hard work.
2.
An opportunity to prove yourself to
your self.
1.
This is such a powerful process
especially in our culture.
3.
Many never choose responsibility.
1.
We witness both sides of this coin:
1.
You see so many that hard work has
excelled them and brought them tremendous success.
2.
But then you witness the extreme flip
side that laziness, irresponsibly and abuse can still be rewarded in it's own
terribly sick way.
1.
The good news is that there's still a
God path and it's supernaturally rewarding.
2.
We live it cause it's right, we walk
this path because it's honorable and Godly.
4.
A passion for Godly things was not
born within as a matter of fact we were born into sin and shapen in iniquity
the scripture teaches.
Psalm 51:5 NLT "For I was born a sinner- yes, from the
moment my mother conceived me."
2.
We as people of God must take the
opportunities to grow, learn, change, and develop into the life altering,
planet shaking people God created and designed us to be.
1.
From rebellion to responsibility.
1.
Rebellion is degrading while
responsibility is rewarding.
2.
We must embrace responsibility.
Proverbs 28:13 "People who conceal their sins will not
prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy."
2.
Men of God are forged into leaders of
legacy.
1.
What if someone is waiting for you to
embrace your destiny, embrace your calling, and embrace your purpose so they
might be introduced to theirs?
Legacy-anything
handed down from the past by a predecessor.
John 14:26 "But when the Father sends (legacy) the
Advocate as my representative—that
is, the Holy Spirit—He will
teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you. 27
"I am leaving you(legacy) with a gift—peace
of mind and heart. And the peace I give(legacy) is a gift the world cannot
give. So don't be troubled or afraid."
1.
Do you have any idea how important
you are to the cause of Christianity?
2.
Or how about the cause of your
family?
1.
You have been designed for a specific
purpose and creation, don't you want to fulfill that design?
Illustrate Here: Video A Mother's
Love
3.
What a legacy!
4.
What a gift given!
5.
What an indescribable, gift of grace,
mercy, and love.
1.
This is how God makes men!
2.
Giving your self away is one of the
greatest gifts you can give any one, laying down your life for another.
6.
By empowering, encouraging the
talents of followers, you create a more effective, motivated workforce and
ultimately a more successful organization.
1.
“Leaders enable
others to act not by hoarding the power they have but by giving it away."
Legacy-anything
handed down from the past by a predecessor.
1.
Our children, our friends, our
enemies, our acquaintances and our families need to say of us:
1.
You have left me with values.
2.
You have left me with wisdom.
3.
You have left me with principle.
4.
You have left me so much better than
you found me.
5.
You have left me a servant of Jesus
Christ.
2.
"Inheritance is something you
leave FOR someone…LEGACY is
something you leave IN someone."
1.
What we leave behind is so much more
valuable than any thing we'll try to achieve, or try to accomplish.
1.
The legacy you leave behind is
eternal.
1.
Heaven or hell.
2.
Eternal life, or eternal death.
3.
Passion, respect, humility,
character, hope, joy, peace and love are all eternal values.
3.
Men of God are forged in the fires of
purity.
1.
Purity is the track every believer
must find themselves on out of choice not command.
1.
Have you ever noticed that many of us
will respond negatively when commanded to do something, that's because of our
inborn rebellious nature, we were born into sin.
2.
Doing something of value for God
ignites purity in His people.
1.
Their desire to honor Him with
greatest honor.
2.
Their desire to serve Him with
impeccable service.
2.
My fear of disobeying or displeasing
the Lord is stronger than my fear of man's response to my God Assignment.
Psalm 111:7-10 NLT [7] "All He does is just
and good, and all His commandments are trustworthy. [8] They are forever true,
to be obeyed faithfully and with integrity. [9] He has paid a full ransom for His
people. He has guaranteed His covenant with them forever. What a holy,
awe-inspiring name He has! [10] Fear of the LORD is the foundation of true
wisdom. All who obey His commandments will grow in wisdom. Praise Him forever!"
1.
God creates loving men.
2.
Joyful men.
3.
God creates peaceful men.
4.
God creates patient men.
5.
God creates kind men, hopeful men.
6.
God creates good men, faithful men,
gentle men, and men of self control.
7.
Creating men of character, and men of
integrity.
8.
God creates sober men, men of clear
thought, not held back and diluted by any narcotic.
9.
Men of dreams, and vision.
1.
Notice I used the term creates.
1.
We are not born this way we are
taught, imparted into, and shaped into men of this caliber.
2.
This is the track of purity.
4.
Iron sharpens iron.
Proverbs 27:17 "As iron sharpens iron, so a friend
sharpens a friend."
1.
This term is used to describe what
men and women of God provide for one another in this life.
1.
There is benefit in rubbing two iron
blades together; one edge becomes sharper, making the knife more efficient in
it's task to cut and slice.
Illustrate here: Use a sword or
pocketknife to show its blade.
2.
When you are working with a dull
knife you must use a whet stone or grinding wheel to sharpen the blade, not
iron.
3.
Iron against iron only sharpens one
of the blades.
1.
This is vital.
2.
In order to sharpen another, one must
have the ability to apply the necessary pressure to shape and hone that entity
into a “better” product.
3.
If the two are exactly the same, they
have nothing to offer one another and as a result they will remain the same,
dull.
4.
Always using light pressure.
1.
Too much will destroy the blade to
little will not have the correct effect on the blade.
2.
God balances His light pressures on
each of us to keep us sharp and ready for battle.
1.
Men and women of God will challenge
one another with light pressures of this life, light pressures of the Word of
God, and light pressures of the Holy Spirit.
2.
Going at the same degree and angle to
make sure not to dull the blade but to sharpen it.
1.
Don't provoke your children to wrath.
Colossians 3:21 "Fathers, do not aggravate your
children, or they will become discouraged."
2.
"Iron rusts from disuse, so does
inaction sap the vigors of the mind." Leonardo da Vinci
1.
vigor
1. exuberant and resilient strength of body or mind; vitality 2. substantial
effective energy or force: the vigor of the tempest. 3. forcefulness; intensity
4. the capacity for survival or strong healthy growth 5. the most active period
or stage of life, manhood, prime 6. validity
3.
Iron sharpens iron so a man sharpens
the countenance of a friend.
1.
countenance:
1. the face, especially when considered as expressing a person's character or
mood: 2. support or encouragement; sanction 3. composure; self-control 4. to
support or encourage; sanction 5. to tolerate; endure
2.
When I need encouragement I have
friends that I call or personally connect to that always put courage back into
me.
1.
Sometimes they speak life, sometimes
they speak strength sometimes they speak truth, sometimes they speak
conviction, correction, or rebuke.
1.
The point is they sharpen me.
1.
Maybe I sharpen them.
2.
Each of us must sharpen one another
without destroying one another.
1.
We can use our words to do both you
know.
1.
Do your words shape and create like
God's or do they destroy and judge like Satan's?
1.
God builds men and women that
tolerate one another, into growth.
2.
God builds men and women that endure
one another even in difficult times.
3.
God builds men and women of composure
and self control.
4.
God builds men that exhort one
another toward His calling, purpose, and design for their lives.
5.
God builds responsible men.
6.
God builds men of character.
7.
God builds men of awareness, aware of
the enemies tricks, devices, and traps for failure.
8.
God build men and women of
conviction.
4.
The most tangible evidence of this
biblical principle is sensed in the relationship of David and Jonathan.
1.
When David was being pursued unto
death by Saul, the King, Jonathan sought David out.
1 Samuel
23:16 NLT "Jonathan went to find David
and encouraged him to stay strong in his faith in God."
2.
So we see one sharpening the other.
1.
One weak, gaining strength from one
that's strong.
3.
We see it again in:
James 2:8-13 NLT [8] "Yes indeed, it is good when you
obey the royal law as found in the Scriptures: "Love your neighbor as
yourself." [9] But if you favor some people over others, you are
committing a sin. You are guilty of breaking the law. [10] For the person who
keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of
God's laws. [11] For the same God who said, "You must not commit
adultery," also said, "You must not murder." So if you murder
someone but do not commit adultery, you have still broken the law. [12] So
whatever you say or whatever you do, remember that you will be judged by the
law that sets you free. [13] There will be no mercy for those who have not
shown mercy to others. But if you have been merciful, God will be merciful when
He judges you."
4.
No mercy for the merciless.
5.
If a knife is blunt, it still
continues to be a knife, although it is less effective, less useful in service.
1.
Let us be encouraged to spend more
time exhorting, encouraging, praying, admonishing, and sharing God’s Word with others.
2.
Utilizing God’s Word, meeting the needs of our
community, we become sharper in the ministry, weapons in the hands of an
Almighty God.
1.
God has assigned to each of us,
purpose.
1.
Sharpening one another with the Word
of God.
2.
Developing one another in character
and destiny.
6.
Finally, a knife that has been
sharpened will also shine because all the dullness has been rubbed off its
surface.
1.
We shine better and brighter for our God if we do these things
consistently.
Hebrews 10:23 "Let us hold tightly without wavering to
the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep His promise. 24 Let us think
of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. 25 And let us
not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another,
especially now that the day of His return is drawing near."
2.
Sharpen your acts!
1.
You are part of God's end time plan
and purpose and God has not planned any defeats for you.
3.
What are you doing to sharpen
yourself?
1.
This Value's God?
4.
What are doing to sharpen those
around you?
1.
This Value's Others.
5.
And both of these Value the Mission
of Jesus Christ.
1.
Each decision that you make or do not
make, each action that you carry out or do not carry out will affect your
blade.
1.
You are to strive to attain an
impeccably sharp edge to your blade therefore experiencing God doing the
miraculous through you.
6.
God will use you to shape the next
generation as He shapes you, as He sharpens you, as He strengthens you.
1.
This is not some crazy, ancient idea.
2.
It’s part of the normal Christian life.
1.
God routinely tests our faith as part
of the process by which He makes men.
7.
The question this test puts to us is
this: Will we believe His promise or cling to what we know?
1.
Will we leave what’s familiar—if
that’s
what He calls us to do—for the promise
of a better future?
1.
Faith is letting the reality of the
unseen rule over the unreality of the seen.
2.
To leave the familiar present for an unknown
future is a supreme test of faith but it is the kind of faith God rewards.
2.
Will you believe God’s great promise for an invisible
future or simply cling to the visible present?
