Preached at a Service for High School Seniors.
Ill--In the summers we always played basketball @ YMCA. One game playing Ebenezer BC. 2 minutes left in last quarter. Score tied. They go down make basket. We come back and make basket. They call a timeout with 30 seconds to go. Out of time out EBC runs play and scores. We came down the court & passed to my buddy on wing. He was a great three point shooter. He had already hit three or four shots that day. So when he caught the ball I just knew we had the game won. The clock began to click. 4 seconds he held ball... 3 seconds he hunkered down on the ball... 2 seconds the Crowd screaming—coach is screaming shoot shoot shoot... 1 second by thise time two EBC players are guarding him now. He just holds it. Buzzer sounds. We lose. Our whole team is disappointed. He runs over to the ref and Tries convince ref he got fouled. He had the potential to win the game to do something great but he did absolutely nothing with what he had.
I was thinking as I prepared this message of all the Books never been written (songs never sung, businesses never started, Presidents never elected, Laws never passed, & Souls never saved) all b/c people did nothing with what they had been given. You are about to step into the real world. Where the rubber meets the road. its game time. However you want to say it, you are going be challenged to use what you have been taught.
So this morning I thought what we would all do here today is Step into classroom. So if you have your text books open them up to 1 Peter 5:6-7.
Read 1 Peter 5:6-7.
How many of you disected a frog when you were in School. It was pretty cool getting to take him apart and see what was inside. Well, we are going to disect these two verses and see some powerful principles that are jammed inside of them.
PLACE YOUR LIFE UNDER GOD’S HAND (vs. 6)
SCR?Humble under mighty hand
Humble
How are you humble?
• It is Not Self Pity "oh my life is terrible, I’m sick, Nothing is good in my life so therefore I’m humble"
• It is Not Downing yourself "I’m not good at anything—I really don’t have any talent therefore I’m humble"
• It is Not being weak "oh what are going to do, we have no power, we are victim, we are humble’
• It is Not being poor "I cant buy anything nice b/c the Bible says I’m supposed to be humble—I’ve got to live in a hut—eat beans"
Being humble really has nothing to do with any of those attitudes. Humility is all about taking the focus off yourself and placing it on God.
Ill<>< Just for a test Today when you leave see how long you can go without focusing on yourself. I Tried yesterday longest I lasted was about 15minutes. It is tough man.
What if everyone came to church focused on God & not focused on themself…WOW...Can you say spirit filled service.
Do you know who the Most Humble whoever lived was. Hint it is found in Numbers 12:3. it was Moses. The funny thing about this is Moses wrote this. How can a humble man write that he is the most humble man on earth. It is because the focus was not on himself but on God.
You see when you focus on self world get smaller & smaller, and humilty goes out the door. When you focus on God your world gets larger & larger & humility becomes a way of life. And the Peter says it this type of humilty that we are to portray as we get under God’s Mighty Hand.
Mighty Hand
I can hold a baseball in my hand pretty comfortable. Some people can palm a Basketball but I never have been able to. But God’s Hand. God’s Hand. It can hold the whole world. He not only has the whole world in his hand, he orchestrates the galaxies and cosmos. And all Peter says we are to get under his hand. Pretty simple
Ill<> There those that choose not to live under God’s hand. They don’t trust God lead & Control their lives so they live above His mighty hand. They make all the calls in their life. They are the boss. They know what is best. Some of them may hope that God we bless what they do but they make the decision on their own. It is like God I’m going to do this please bless it. That is living above Gods hand. There are others that sorta place their lives beside the hand of God. God and them are partners. They work together. They are buddies. They kind of allow God some input on what they need to do but they do not allow God to have total control. That is living beside God’s hand. Peter is telling us allow God total control. Allow God to make the decisions. You see there are times in life when human wisdom & knowledge fail. When our life is placed firmly under Gods hand it is not our wisdom that we are totally dependent on. Read Proverbs 3:5-6. God wants us to lean hard into Him and remain under his hand. So often we Get off path or out from under His hand. • You get out from under God’s hand and Go out & club some things happen—so you run back under and say, "oh God help not get in trouble" • You get out from under God’s hand and Go out & hook up someone, then run back under say, "Please God help them not to be pregnant, I’ll do anything." • You get out from under God’s hand and Step outside your marriage—you run back under God’s hand and say, "God help themn not find out, I’ll do anything." Life Principle number 1 is to remain under God’s mighty hand. Second Life Principle is: PUNCH YOUR LIFE INTO GOD’S CLOCK (vs. 6) SCR?Due time—lift up Due time is God’s time not ours. Are you on God’s time? Ill<> God’s says you are not on your time you are on mine. So when I get ready I’ll life you up. WE ARE ALL ON GOD’S CLOCK…allow Him to lift you up. God says if you just give me you time card I will make your life count for the kingdom. Waiting is often God’s way of giving a test... • Are you going choose A. and Trust Me or B. Bolt out on your own • Remember that Not now doesn’t mean no • Maybe your Ready for them to get well...and God says wait...it could be a test. • Maybe your Tired of being behind financially...and you are ready to just give up...God says its on my time. • Maybe you wonder Will they ever change...it on God’s time not our own. WAITING & TESTING ALWAYS TAKE US TO A NEW LEVEL Ill<> Ill<> Principle 2 PUNCH—your life into God’s Clock. Third Principle... PACK YOUR LIFE UPON GOD SHOULDERS (vs. 7) CAST?This word was used when packing an animal & putting things on their back. Today we would use it to cast things in the back of our truck or car. So... Are you caring all the load yourself?? Are you getting tired? Are a few things falling off here and there? That is b/c you were not designed by your Creator to carry all that stuff that you are carrying. We are to cast our cares? our concerns? Our worries? • Who am I going to marry? • What am I going to do rest of my life? • Will my kids turn out OK? • Will my 401k recover—will I ever be able to retire • Will I ever pay my house off God says give it your best and cast it on Me. Don’t cast it ON? • the Stock Market • the Government • the President • Your Spouse Don’t put God size expectation on things and people that are not devine. Who are you loading down??? Yourself?You can’t handle it all God?He can handle the Load CLOSING Three powerful principles that can help us in life. Let say them together. Place Your Life under God’s Hand Punch Your Life into God’s Clock Pack Your Life upon God’s Shoulders It is your job now to use what has been placed in your hands. Don’t let it go to waste. Make your life count. Ill<>
