God’s All Sufficiency in You
Sunday, October 27, 2013
By Rev. James May
To begin this morning, I want to ask a question to each of you. That question is this: “Is there anything in your life that you lack in order that you may have dominion over sin and the ability to live a victorious life in Christ?” Take a moment to consider what I have asked; and then, in your mind, make a list of those things that you think you need more of.
Most people will list things like faith – we seem to always need more faith; or patience – boy, do I lack patience; or time to pray, or time to study the Bible – we never seem to have enough time for those; or maybe you would list victory over some besetting sin; something that you just can’t seem to overcome.
We hear people saying these things all of the time; it seems that nearly everyone you talk to feels like they lack something in their walk with the Lord that keeps them from having the power to overcome and to walk in victory and power before God.
When I was a young Christian, yesterday or the day before, I attended a church where we had a good pastor. I still enjoy sitting and talking with him from time to time. But my pastor was always preaching on what we should or should not be doing. Somehow I never quite measured up to the place of perfection where I would not feel like I was truly an overcomer.
Perhaps even here, some of you might feel like you are never measuring up to that place of sanctification in living for Jesus that we preach about. Somehow you just can’t be that person of great faith and overcoming power that the Bible declares you are!
Sometimes we hear the preacher say, “You just need to pray more, study more, do more and you’ll be an overcomer.” Yet the ability to do more and be more seems to always be in front of you like a carrot on a stick! It drives you always forward; ever seeking to be better; but somehow you never get to have the thrill of victory or taste that carrot! Just about the time you’re ready to take a bite, something trips you up and it’s back to square one!
Then sometime we might hear the preacher say, “You just need to trust God more. If you had enough faith and trust in God, all would be well.” And so we say ourselves, and the Lord, “Jesus, I’m going to trust you more! I’m going to believe and have absolute faith.” Then along comes a problem, and illness, or something that brings a little fear. It’s only human for fear to come when the doctor says that you have a serious illness that may not be curable. It’s only human to have fear arise when you hear of a loved one in a terrible accident. But when these things come, then the devil jumps on your shoulder and screams in your ear, “I thought you said that you would have faith and trust in God! What happened with that! You’re a miserable failure! You’ll never measure up to what the preacher says!”
The problem with both of those scenarios is that they both begin with YOU! The problem is that we think that since it’s us that is lacking; then it’s up to us to get greater faith, greater trust, greater belief and reliance on Jesus! I have to do something; but what to do, I don’t know!
I can remember hearing the preacher say on Sunday that we should do this or that, and give us a whole list of do’s and don’ts. Every time he preached, I knew that I messed up somewhere, so to the altar I’d go. I repent of whatever it was that I did whether it was to think of something that I shouldn’t have thought of; or maybe it was chewing gum in class at school; or maybe it was getting angry when somebody made fun of me and called me a Holy Roller! Then I would get up and go back to my seat feeling like all was well between me and the Lord.
Then came Sunday evening, and somehow I’d fail again. Oh Lord, I was saved this morning, but I’ve lost it already!
I would always feel guilty of something, every time the preacher would preach. I never quite measured up and only felt saved for that brief moment in time between visits to the altar in church and the next time I would feel guilty again.
Then along comes the next Sunday, and the preacher would give us another list of do’s and don’ts; and I would think, “Lord help me. I haven’t even completed the first thing on last week’s list; and now he’s giving us even more. It seems so impossible! How could I ever go in the Rapture at this rate!”
The only way I would ever go in the Rapture is if it happened during that brief few minutes of time right after I finished repenting and then got up and messed up again. There was no overcoming life in that; no way to walk in victory and power. It was just a constant hoping that Jesus wouldn’t come until I could get back to that altar and repent again.
The problem was that I always felt and believed that the answer to my guilt and my constant failure before God could be found in something I could do within myself. I was at fault; it was me that was failing; and it was me that had to somehow force myself, make myself behave so that I would never sin again. And every time I thought I had finally overcome it; doggone it, I’d do it again! Okay, now I have to repent, pray harder than ever, try harder than ever! Will I ever be sanctified enough?
I was like Paul, I wanted to do right; but I somehow did wrong. I didn’t want to do wrong, but somehow it would happen every time. Oh God; How can I ever measure up?
It was a spiritual roller coaster with a constant up and down going faster all the time. I’d be saved on Sunday morning, lost on Sunday afternoon; saved on Sunday night and lost again on Monday. Saved on Wednesday night; and lost again on Thursday! Oh Lord, please don’t come when I’m lost! Come when I’m saved!
Then I read the account of Jesus’ crucifixion again, and it was as though, finally, I had an epiphany! A light bulb went on in my head and shone right down into my heart and spirit! The Holy Ghost illuminated what Jesus said.
John 19:30, "When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost."
I began to think; what did Jesus mean when he said, ”It is finished”? Was he talking about the amount suffering and how long he had to hand on the cross? Well, maybe so, but that wasn’t really what he meant fully! Was he talking about how long he had been away from his place in Heaven while he walked this earth? Was it because at around 33 years old; he had completed the time required to be in the form of a man? Maybe so, but was that really all?
Then it dawned on me; or should I say, The Holy Spirit revealed to me, that when Jesus said, “It is finished”, that the full price of my redemption; the full cost of my victory in Jesus; the fullness of all that I would ever need to live for Jesus and make Heaven my home was completed within his sacrifice; and that no matter what I would need to live a victorious, overcoming, faith filled, trust filled life in Christ was already there from the moment I accepted Jesus as Lord of my life!
When Jesus came into my heart, cleansed me by the power of his own blood and took up residence in my heart; I have had, from that moment forward and on into eternity; everything I need to be all that I can be in Jesus!
2 Corinthians 3:5, "Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;"
What is that saying? All that need is of God! He’s already placed within me, and within you, everything we need to be what God wants us to be, and what is needed to bring us to the place where God wants us to be! It’s already there! All we have to do is learn to appropriate what God has already provided in us through his power, his presence, his Spirit and his blood! It’s all about Jesus; not about Me! I can’t do it myself; but Jesus within me can! I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!
That doesn’t give me the right to live in sin, or to live like the rest of the world that is lost in darkness; but sin has no dominion over me! All I have to do is trust in the power of Jesus’ blood and the power of sin is destroyed. Take it to God and it’s gone!
I have to live in this world! I can’t always stop myself from the weakness of this flesh that constantly wants to have its way in opposition to what God desires of me; but though I may fail in this flesh; I am not overcome by the power of sin to condemn me; and I am made an overcomer by the blood of the Lamb! I don’t have to dwell in that sin; or live in condemnation for Jesus in me is my hope and my salvation! he will lead me into righteousness and by his blood I am set free; and he whom the Son has set free is free indeed!
The power to overcome; the ability to live in sanctification; the power to be free is already there! Jesus said, “It is finished”! The work of God in you is a finished work at calvary! Jesus paid it all! He did for me what I could not do for myself! By the Grace of God, He set me free!
2 Corinthians 9:8, "And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:"
As an illustration, let me ask you, “How many of you here have an IPhone?” Raise your hands. (Every body else, we will pray for you)
I’ve found my Iphone to be a great tool. Now a tool can be used for good in building and repair things; or it can be used to take things apart and to do bad. A tool is only what you make of it; and it’s only as useful as the understanding of his owner knows how to use it!
When I first got this phone, I had no idea of its full capabilities! I just used it to make calls and receive calls. Then I discovered texting! Man that is great! Now I can communicate with my kids and church members without even talking to them and I can think of what I want to say before I speak; and if I type something that I wished I hadn’t typed, I have time to erase it and start over. That one feature alone makes a lot of difference in avoiding problems!
So Wow! Now I can call, receive calls and text and have them text back. That’s great! Oh I love you little Iphone!
But then one day I discovered that there was more power in this little gadget! I discovered that I can get on the internet, anytime, anywhere! If a question comes up; POW, instant answer! How great is that? If somebody wants to know when the Pyramids were built; or how old Genghis Khan was when he died, or who built the Statue of Liberty – instant answer! How great is that?
I became an instant genius! Oh how I love my little Iphone!
But Wait! There’s more; oh so much more! I discovered the power of Apps! Apps for everything! Whatever you can dream of; there’s an app for it!
I’m still learning what this phone can do! Calculators, calendar, personal appointment scheduling, alarm clocks, stop watches, timers, rulers, levels, GPS mapping, Facetime, where we can talk to someone face to face live from anywhere in the world – all exist in this little piece of glass, plastic and metal. It’s amazing the power within this thing.
I’m still growing and gaining the ability to be better, more productive, more knowledgeable, better able to keep with things every day as I learn to use more and more features. Why the other day I even discovered that I can story everything that’s on this phone in a cloud somewhere! Yep! That’s what its called; The Cloud! Somewhere, on one of those clouds in ethereal virtual reality land, everything in this phone is stored, so I can recall it when I need it!
The point is: When was all of this power in my Iphone? Was it there all along or did it only appear when I discovered it? The power to text was always there. I just had to learn to use it, or appropriate that capability for myself. The power of the internet was there; I just had to search it out and discover how it worked for me. The cloud was there, I just didn’t understand how to make it work for me! All of the things that I could ever desire from this phone are already there. I just have to discover them and put them to use!
That’s the way God has provided everything within you through the power of his salvation that you will ever need to be all you can be in the Lord! It’s already there; you just have to learn to appropriate it and use what God has already given!
If you need more faith! God has already placed within you all the faith you could ever need; just use it, learn that you have it and exercise it! The more you exercise it; the stronger it will be!
If you need patience? You have it; you just haven’t learned to use it! Exercise it and you’ll discover in time that you have all the patience you need lying dormant inside!
If you need victory! Victory is already there; just appropriate it for yourself and quit listening to the lies of the devil saying that you can’t have victory! Jesus has already overcome the devil for you!
If you need more overcoming power over sin; all the power you need is there; just learn to rely on it and draw from that everlasting well of overcoming power in the Holy Ghost!
If you lack wisdom and understanding; all of the wisdom and understanding of the Holy Ghost is within you; just ask him to reveal it and quit listening to the devil say that you aren’t smart enough or wise enough. Of course you aren’t; but HE that lives within you IS!
If you need healing – Jesus paid for that too. By his stripes you are already healed. Just grab hold of; it’s already done. Do you believe it? If not; then learn to appropriate more of what is there; exercise your faith and trust more!
Do you need deliverance? Deliverance was paid for at the cross. Sin has no power over you! Satan cannot control you! You are made an overcomer by the blood of the Lamb and the Word of your testimony! Just use what you already have and deliverance is done!
Whatever you need in Jesus; whatever you think you lack to be what God wants; is already there. You just have to learn to appropriate it.
When a newborn baby comes into this world, built within that child is the ability to grow, to learn, to talk, to walk and to grow up into a man or woman of God who can do mighty things for the Kingdom of God! But they have to learn; to grow and to discover until they come to the fullness of what God will help them become.
It’s no difference in the life of Christ and in your walk with Him! Every day is a growing and learning time. But everything you will ever need is already built in! It’s already a finished work in you! It’s not you that adds anything, other than to learn to use what’s already there!
2 Corinthians 9:11, "Being enriched in everything to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God."
Christ in you is all sufficient! You lack nothing, need nothing more; and you never will! Everything is there already to give you an abundant life, an overcoming life, a victorious life in Christ! He has provided all that we will ever need in a bountiful supply!
For this we thank God forever and praise his wonderful name!
2 Corinthians 9:15, "Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift."
As we close this service, what has touched your heart this morning? Has Satan lied to you to telling you that you can’t? Jesus says You Can! Do you feel as though something is lacking? It’s already there! All it takes is asking God for it and then accepting it by faith!
The Bible says that we often have not because we ask not! What are you going to ask God for this morning! You already have it, but if you don’t know it’s there, how can you use it? Ask God to reveal the answer to all that you need! If you want to come and pray the altars are here. Come and appropriate whatever you need from what Jesus has already put in you! It’s all there!
