SO! WHAT'S IN YOUR BIBLE?-101a
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Most of you have heard the commercial regarding Capital One. Their Tagline is “So! What’s in your wallet? Tonight, I want to ask you “So! what’s in your Bible?
· Do you see the Bible as a Devotional Book only?
· Or perhaps a history of mankind and God’
interaction throughout the last 6000 years?
· Do you see the Bible as a book of Promises but only the few who are of the Spiritual elite get the goods; and its way out of your league?
1. THE WHO
Acts 10:34-35 (ESV)
34 So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality,
35 but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.
· Do you think you are not good enough.
· You don’t have what it takes.
· God could never use you
· This is for super saints
· I am here to tell you and shout it from the rooftops-if he can use a wimp like me and change me into a warrior-he can change you.
· I am living proof that being older doesn’t matter
· I am living proof that being a failure (in many areas) doesn’t matter)
· You have heard the expression that you are what you eat (I am here to say Spiritually you are what you think you are)
· Now there is more to it than just that-but if you believe that you are nothing even though God declares you something then you establish a glass ceiling that you will never break through
· We don’t think of it as unbelief but that is really what it is
· Satan or your mind has sold you a bag full of lies.
· It’s who you gonna believe God’s Word or mere human thinking-it’s critical
2. THE WHAT
Psalm 103:2-3 (ESV)
2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits,
3 who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases,
· Do not forget his benefits!
· The Evangelical/Charismatic/Pentecostal/Faith Churches of America has forgotten his benefits. Now a person who practices Divine Healing and walking in Divine Health is seen as an oddity.
· What ever happened to Divine Healing? The Power and the Source have never wavered by we American Christians have moved from it.
· Let me state this also; I do believe that the church mainly functioned in Divine Healing when there was a red-hot revival going; but when the revival died down so did the healings.
· There are a few with the gift of Healing; again this I believe was never intended to be the main way for believers to be healed.
· I am not sure if there ever was teaching on this subject since the first century-the early church. I am sure there were pockets here and there; but widespread-I just don’t see it.
· The good news is it’s available today.
3. THE HOW
2 Peter 1:2-4 (ESV)
2 May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence,
4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature
· How do you receive Divine Healing and then walk in Divine Health? It is through the Promises!
· What do these Promises cover? Not just Divine Healing but ALL LIFE ISSUES (I SAID ALL) AND GODLINESS (I believe the first one applies towards our needs in life and the second one applies to Godly character)
· I have found in my life that when I try to solve issues by myself only in certain situations it just doesn’t work. I used to try at work to stand up and correct some situations. I believe I was right. I tried to correct it and it never worked. Then one day a lightbulb went off and I asked God to take care of it. I can honestly say that it worked not just some of the time or most of the time but every time. I am so grateful that I learned this; it takes the burden off you and gets the job done.
4. THE WHY
Hebrews 5:12-14
12 Although by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the basic principles of God’s revelation again. You need milk, not solid food.
13 Now everyone who lives on milk is inexperienced with the message about righteousness, because he is an infant.
14 But solid food is for the mature—for those whose senses have been trained to distinguish between good and evil.
· What’s in your Bible?
A major choice; do you want to walk on water of not?
· Do you want to be a baby Christian or move mountains.
There isn’t much middle ground in this areas you are one of the other.
· You have to apply yourself to God’s Promises-his word. You must meditate on them.
· They will change your life. You will be amazed. I am amazed everyday
5. The What Not
Psalm 78:40-42 (KJV)
40 How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert!
41 Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.
42 They remembered not his hand, nor the day when he delivered them from the enemy
· You need to go forward and not look backward
· How do you do this?
· Let me share this first; do you realize if you set a goal that is unattainable and don’t reach it then you may be worse off then before you started. You will feel condemned.
· Why not set a goal that you can’t make it but with God’s help you can.
· I call this baby steps.
· For instance in the arena of Divine Healing you try and start out to overcome cancer by yourself when it is full blown; well you just will be overcome with doubt and fear and anxiety and lack of knowledge. In that kind of a situation you need a strong skilled believer to come along side you to carry the heavy load.
· But if you start out with a headache or a cold and conquer those and work your way up; you’ll be ready
· The main thing to be learned here is have a determined heart and will to just go forward only (remember your neutral and reverse gears are permanently disabled-they are not an option)
6. THE WAY TO
Matthew 17:20 (KJV)
20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
· This is so important; you can have faith and unbelief at the same time.
· If you don’t deal (get rid of your unbelief it is like running a race with 100-pound weight around your ankles. You won’t be able to make it to the finish line and be victorious.
· So you spend time in the Word meditating on the Promises and you spend time hanging out with Jesus learning to trust him.
· Remember this: getting victory in your situation never has to be a sin problem. If you do have sin in your life that is causing something then confess it to God and repent and you are clean and ready to receive.
· It is never a faith problem (you have enough faith). Everyone does. You just need the smallest seed (the size of a grain of salt) to get you over the top that is if you have dealt with your unbelief.
· So! Do you really believe that God can heal anything?
· Will you begin to safely step out in faith by trusting him with a headache or a cold?
· Then advance one step at a time when you are ready and eventually you will be able to take down cancer or any other disease. He promises to take care of you.
· He provided the Grace; now he looks for you to take that mustard seed of faith and say, “Lord I believe help my unbelief.
CONCLUSION
· SO! WHAT’S IN YOUR BIBLE?
· I HOPE NOW THAT YOU SEE IT MORE THAN JUST A HISTORY OR A DEVOTIONAL BOOK.
· IT IS BOTH OF THOSE THINGS BUT IT IS A BOOK OF PROMISES THAT ARE FILLED WITH GOD’S POWER THAT WERE GIVEN TO YOU SO YOU COULD OVERCOME ANYTHING AND WALK IN CONSTANT VICTORY.
· They worked for Peter and Paul and now they are working in my life. Please let them work in yours. Don’t sit on the promises STAND on them!!!