Nuts and Bolts of Being Unshakable (10/25/2020)

Nuts and Bolts of Being Unshakable (10/25/2020)

October 31, 2020

God makes a way where seems to be no way.

Jeremiah 29:11             For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

  • My prayer is that you leave here better than when you came in.
  • God’s plan works if we follow the instructions.  We need to learn to follow them even when it doesn’t make sense to our natural thinking.

Matthew 25:1-10         1“Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, 4but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.  6“And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’ 7Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. 8And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ 10And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.

God the Father invites the Believer to understand His Kingdom.

  • Several parables begin with “The Kingdom of Heaven is like…”
  • The Kingdom is in an unseen realm
  • The Kingdom is not bound by time
  • You and I have the capacity to understand God’s Kingdom
  • The Father wants us to be citizens of His Kingdom
  • To develop an understanding of the Kingdom, we need to seek it out.  We need to seek “eyes that see” and “ears that hear” what the Holy Spirit is doing.
  • There is a natural realm and a spiritual realm, a natural man and a spiritual man.  The natural man, left to himself, does not understand the things of the spirit.

2 Corinthians 2:14    But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

  • The Father does not want us to remain ignorant of His Kingdom but rather enter it and enjoy it.

The prophecies in Daniel

  • Foretold major events that were to come after Daniels time but have since come to pass.
  • Speaks of things that have not yet happened in the history of planet earth.  They tell us of a 7 year period called the Tribulation that is yet to come.

Tells us God is not bound by time He is the alpha and omega, the beginning, and the end

We are in challenging times, and they will continue into the future, but we can be encouraged:

Daniel 11:32  “…the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits…”

  • Some of the greatest moves of God happen in our most desperate moments (Moses at the Red Sea) but we NEED TO BE READY for them.
  • Being ready = know God.
  • We see a clear example of this in Genesis where before sin Adam and Eve had casual conversations with God.

The Father was not happy that His beloved creation no longer could fellowship with Him because of THEIR sin.  The Father could not just leave this separation from humankind alone.  He came up with a plan to redeem you and I by sending His only Son Jesus to pay the penalty for your sin and mine so that we could once again have fellowship with Him.

  • You are that important to Him.
  • In the process of our redemption one of the most powerful substances in the universe was released, and that was the shed blood of an innocent man.  The blood of Jesus was released to redeem and set free any soul that would take God up on His offer.
  • And it works.  There is a much more detailed story behind what Grace shared this morning, and the power of the blood of Jesus is at the center of it.
  • But we are in a war in the spiritual realm where darkness pushes back.  The spiritual Kingdom of Darkness has well established strategies to keep you and I from experiencing the freedom and the power of the Cross of Jesus Christ.
  • The answer to Daniels prayer was delayed by the Prince of Persia, a principality that opposed Daniel.  It took Michael’s intervention to get the answer delivered.

This is where I want to pick up our scripture in Matthew 25.

  • First of all we need to understand that when oil is mentioned in scripture there is always an inference to the person of the Holy Spirit.
  • Oil in the lamps is a person who has the capacity to generate light, which is the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit.  Those who had extra oil are those who have tapped in deeply to the wisdom and giftings of the Holy Spirit.  He is the “one called alongside to help”.
  • In verse 5 it talks about the bridegroom (Jesus) being delayed.  5But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.

 

Like in Daniel and in this parable there is a delay, and I find that it is in these delays that the Believer often gets in to trouble.  And we get in to trouble because of our not bringing enough oil to get us through the delay.

  • We doubt, worry, complain, become anxious, and oftentimes start to gossip inside the church.  If we have had physical or emotional trauma in our past it is often that they come to the surface during these delays.
  • This where we engage with our own spiritual battles.
  • Thoughts + Emotions = Decisions
  • Our hearts and minds need to be anchored in God’s Word and Truth, especially during the waiting.  They need to be anchored is such a way that the storms and delays of life do not separate us from God’s presence.

Howe to build up your reserves:

  1. Read and meditate on the Word.
  2. Worship regularly
  3. Pray without ceasing
  4. Fellowship

God’s plan works if you and I follow it!  Let’s follow His plan through these turbulent times!

 

 

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