All drivers at some time or other experienced the lovely frustration of driving around trying to find a parking spot. Sometimes you need to park in order to transact whatever business or appointment is pending. Sometimes you just park!
Our life as believers and disciples of Christ is viewed as a constant journey with one goal. Paul's life was a constant forward motion for Christ. His whole life's purpose and goal is revealed in the words he wrote:
But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing. Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample. (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.) For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. Philippians 3:7-21 KJV
Paul's life was a constant reaching forth, ever forward to that goal. From the moment of that unforgettable Damascus road encounter when he asked "Lord, What wilt thou have me to do?", Paul never looked back! As mentioned before this Christian life is a constant journey. The way is obstacle ridden and tribulation filled, so that it appears difficult at times, especially when observed through the natural eyes. We will be tempted constantly to slow down, and come to a complete stop. We may end up parking with no desire to move on. Reaching forth (extending oneself) and pressing forward (pursuit), takes effort of will, and determination of faith!
You get nowhere by quickly by continuous parking!
Where have you parked your life? Illegal parking brings with it certain penalties such as tickets, towing, charges and fines. As disciples of Christ we need to be aware of where we have a tendency to park!
You are defined, not by the circumstances in which you find yourself, but by your reaction and response to those circumstances!
1. SOME OF US ARE PARKED BY OUR PAST EXPERIENCES
If we constantly dwell in the past we'll never fit into the future!
Sometimes we can become so attached to our old ways of doing things, and traditions become so dear, that we either fail to see or fear to see what God is doing, or wants to do with His people. We therefore dig our heels in, and bend our heads in stubbornness, resisting the tug of the Holy Ghost, and in process losing all that God has planned for us!
All the time we appear to be active. We are actually busy moving here and there in the physical world getting things done, with every appearance of success, but spiritually we have been parked at the same spot most of our lives. It's like we are on a spiritual treadmill…much activity yet stationary…going nowhere!
Remember the Israelites were busy for forty years but got nowhere? Do you know why? They refused to forget the things left behind. They refused to reach for the things ahead that were promised by a God. They had no desire to press forward to the destination intended for them by God.
And the mixt multitude that was among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat? We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick: But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes. Numbers 11:4-6 KJV
The result? A journey of a few months became a forty year circular trek going nowhere but death. A constant motion in a circle deepens our circular track into a rut, which becomes deeper and deeper with each circuit, making it that much more easier to go on, and that more difficult to get out. We can end walking ourselves into a literal grave, where our heads go below the level of the light filling our world with darkness..
Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways. So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.) Hebrews 3:7-11 KJV
For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; Hebrews 3:14 KJV
The apostle Paul who had an abundance of reasons to dwell on past achievements refused to consider them but reached forth and pressed forward constantly…ever forward!
So I say to you DO NOT PARK BY YOUR PAST EXPERIENCES! KEEP MOVING!
2. SOME OF US ARE PARKED BY OUR FAILURES
If we remain parked by our failures we'll never get to success!
Don't let failure force you to park! Pick yourself up and move on to the next city! Prolonged parking produces rust in the joints and gradual paralysis.
God has not changed! Jesus is the same, yesterday, today and forever! He still says to those at His feet, Go and sin no more! Move away from that sin! Do not park there! Live! Live free! Live unburdened! Live without condemnation!
Judas like the other eleven disciples, was chosen by Jesus. He had obtained part of the ministry. He chose to park in the wrong place! He allowed himself to be distracted by money and power and then he fell because of greed. He never recovered, never repented, never begged for forgiveness but went out and hang himself.
Unconfessed sin keeps us parked in defeat and guilt, which prevents us from fulfilling our highest purpose in Christ!
Peter on the other hand denied Christ not once, not twice but three times! He must have felt such shame, guilt and humiliation enough to destroy him. But instead what do we see? About fifty days later he is standing up before a massive crowd accusing them of killing Messiah and urging them to repent. How? He did not remain parked by his failure but kept moving on in victory!
Remember this…backsliding never suddenly happens! Backsliding results from an ever so gradual covering, and diminishing of the light in us until that light becomes darkness! We have by then become so accustomed to this way of life, that the appearance of light actually dazzles and hurts our vision, pushing us to seek the "comfort" of darkness!
No sensible, sane and self-respecting person enjoys the thought that he has been manipulated into a decision or deed. Indeed he will flare up and explode against the person who dared to try that!
Yet sin has a way of deceptively luring you into believing what you think say and do are right, even though it's condemned by God. In a way we have become so full of our own self, and self esteem, that we even try to rebuke the Holy Spirit when He presents the Light to us. We are not ourselves, yet at the same time believe that we are absolutely so our selves. That's how the enemy is able to blind, bind and get us into a hopeless grind. We think we know the truth...sincerely so, but nothing else is so far from the truth! We are not ourselves.
So I say to you DO NOT PARK BY YOUR FAILURES! KEEP MOVING!
3. SOME OF US ARE PARKED BY ILLNESSES
Resigning ourselves to sickness deprives us of an opportunity for a miracle of healing!
Many park by their illnesses and make excuses...giving all the, (to them), "right reasons" why they are still in that state. The more we rationalize our present condition, the more we give ourselves reasons (excuses) for remaining in that condition. If we remain parked there we are moving nowhere!
And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years. When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole? The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me. Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath. John 5:5-9 KJV
The man parked by that pool had an infirmity for 38 years…a very long time indeed! Jesus had to ask him if he wanted to be made whole!
"You see, some Christians have been sick so long that sick is all they ever expect to be, so they've made a ceremony out of their religion. Religion doesn't mean a thing to them anymore. They've been persuaded into thinking that someday they can be healed. But it's never going to happen until they have a change of heart, until they make up their own beds and stop parking in their sickness and disease, until they strike a blow for their deliverance by turning their faith loose and declaring, "God, I will be delivered! I WILL BE HEALED!"" Oral Roberts
"...there's a terrible price to pay when we park in failure and defeat" Oral Roberts
To surrender to your circumstances is to park by them, and let them control you for the duration of the time you park there! You must decide and determine to switch gears, and move out of that illegal parking zone!
Sickness is NOT your friend...EVER! Do not make it comfortable in your life!!
So I say to you DO NOT PARK BY YOUR SICKNESSES! KEEP MOVING!
4. SOME OF US ARE PARKED BY WORLDLY AMBITION
Worldly ambition can extinguish our spiritual ignition, leaving us with a mere handful of dirt!
Sometimes we can get so caught up with our plans, purposes, careers, businesses and other ventures that we slow down, albeit gradually in our service and involvement with God and His Plans for us. We always consoled ourselves with the escape phrase "God understands". Then our gradual slowing down grinds to a halt as we find ourselves parked by our success.
And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God. Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother. And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth. Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions. Mark 10:17-22 KJV
But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 1 Timothy 6:9-10 KJV
Ambition drives men and women to achieve, acquire and accumulate worldly wealth, wisdom and worth, many times at the expense of a spiritual inheritance. They have eyes only for the physical and natural at the expense of the kingdom of God!
So I say to you DO NOT PARK BY WORLDLY AMBITION! KEEP MOVING!
5. SOME OF US ARE PARKED BY TOO MUCH KNOWLEDGE
Be careful that your excessive knowledge do not prevent you from God's best!
Familiarity breeds contempt. Sometimes we can know too much for our own good. Our excess knowledge usually gets in the way of a miracle from God! This knowledge is totally different from that whose absence cause God's people to be destroyed. The people of Nazareth knew Jesus alright! But they knew Him in the wrong way!
There's saving knowledge and defeating knowledge. Saving knowledge comes from listening to the Word of God by the Spirit. Defeating knowledge comes from the world, self and the devil. Believing the Word brings it alive with its promises in the heart
And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph's son? Luke 4:16-22 KJV
And he went out from thence, and came into his own country; and his disciples follow him. And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands? Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house. And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching. Mark 6:1-6 KJV
The people of Nazareth were parked in their unbelieving knowledge of Jesus! Jesus the miracle working Son of God could do no mighty works there because of their unbelief! Contempt created critical chasms between them and a miracle!
So I say to you DO NOT PARK BY TOO MUCH KNOWLEDGE! KEEP MOVING!
6. SOME OF US ARE PARKED BY MEDIOCRITY AND COMPLACENCY
We're satisfied with the status quo.
Lucifer was a musician with an attitude. he became complacent with his position! He tries to pass that attitude on to all musicians. Beware the luciferian lapse!
Do not rest on your laurels! Don't park in that wonderful job thinking you have finally arrived! See what else God has for you! Some people park during the week and then try to resume driving for a few minutes on Sundays.
Many of us have been consoling ourselves that we have done our part and contributed our share. We tell ourselves that it's time to sit back and give others a chance. I am just a bit puzzled here. Did you hear the voice of God telling you it's time to sit back? or was it another voice? Were you listening or the voice of reason or the voice of the Spirit? There is only one person who has the right to tell you enough and He does that when He is ready to take you higher up. Don't disappoint Him
When you find yourself parking where you should not, you should shift gears and get back on the route God has mapped out for you. Parking takes us out of the regular flow of traffic, away from the movement. Everything passes us by as we remain at a standstill.
Evaluate yourself today! Examine where you find yourself parking on a daily basis. Make up prominent signs that remind you not to park there. Review them over and over until they become a part of your person. Learn a new language and become a spiritual body in motion!
Keep reminding yourself and tell the enemy! NO PARKING!
