Dependence Day
Illus. Jerry Flurry
A visitor to the White House when Lincoln was president was with Lincoln for three weeks as his guest. One night, soon after the Battle of Bull Run, this visitor could not sleep.
Suddenly he heard a low voice proceeding from the room where the president slept. He got up and walked toward the door, which was partly open. Then he saw the president kneeling before an open Bible.
The light was turned low, and the president's back was to the door; he did not know that he was being overheard. In piteous and solemn tones the president was praying: "Thou God that heard Solomon in the night when he prayed and cried for wisdom, hear me!
I cannot lead this people. I cannot guide the affairs of this nation without Thy help. I am poor and weak...O God, Thou didst hear Solomon when he cried for wisdom--hear me and save this nation." - Choice Illustrations, W.W. Clay pg 57-58
The Declaration of Independence states that “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”
The words freedom and liberty do not mean independence from any authority or power. In fact, our founding fathers recognized and acknowledged our dependence on God in almost every document they produced. Yet in the case of Engle v Vitale, the Supreme Court ruled the 22 word prayer, “"Almighty God, we acknowledge our dependence upon Thee and we beg Thy blessings upon us, our parents, our teachers, and our Country" as unconstitutional, which led to the removal of all prayer in public schools.
Our Total Dependence on God from the beginning of the birth of this nation, is what gave us our independence from the world without freedom...to worship God freely!
The very things we refused to put up with and fled from, our government has and continually seems to try become!
It is sad that a portion of our nation no longer feels their dependence, or their need of dependence on God. More tragic, though, is the fact most Christians do not believe that they need to be totally dependent on God.
Total dependence on God is what gives us our independence and freedom, along with the forgiveness from a world of sin. Our dependence on God sets us up, for all of our impossible situations, to become possible!
Mathew 19:26-29 NKJ
26 But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
27 Then Peter answered and said to Him, “See, we have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?”
28 So Jesus said to them, “Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory,you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother [a]or wife or children or[b]lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life
Just as Peter stated, the world doesn’t have a problem with conditional dependence. You know, if I do follow you Lord, what’s in it for me?
Jesus was quick to taut the benefits of having a relationship with Him. It’s an open ended invitation to everyone and whosoever accepts the invitation, shall receive great compensation!
The Word Declares there’s only one way to such a reward and Jesus is the way!
John 15:5-8 NKJ
5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you,you[b] will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
The Word Declares, dependence on God and the things of God make the way for the impossible to become possible!
Illus. Donald Grey Barnhouse cites an amazing example of lasting fruitfulness. In Hampton Court near London, there is a grapevine under glass; it is about 1,000 years old and has but one root which is at least two feet thick.
Some of the branches are 200 feet long. Because of skillful cutting and pruning, the vine produces several tons of grapes each year. Even though some of the smaller branches are 200 feet from the main stem, they bear much fruit because they are joined to the vine and allow the life of the vine to flow through them.
Christ is the vine, and we are the branches. And when we need pruning, the goal is always more fruit
There's two ways to look at the word impossible. The Independence of self, delivers nothing but impossible outcomes! Dependence on God, suddenly changes the impossibilities of the outcome of what your needing, wanting and asking for, to possible!
And God wants you to realize, to know and to have the confidence as a child of God, as you depend on your relationship with Jesus, to not look at your situation as impossible. But with Him leading and directing the way everything is possible.
Not impossible, but I'm possible. Not I can do it myself, but what I'm going to ask Him
I know He can and wants to do for me and make possible! I'm possible, my situation is possible, with God’s Help there is nothing but awesome possibilities awaiting my arrival!
2 Kings 4:1&2 Msg.
1. One day the wife of a man from the guild of prophets called out to Elisha, "Your servant my husband is dead. You well know what a good man he was, devoted to God. And now the man to whom he was in debt is on his way to collect by taking my two children as slaves."
2. Elisha said, "I wonder how I can be of help. Tell me, what do you have in your house?"
"Nothing," she said. "Well, I do have a little oil."
Independence or the self reliance mentality, hangs on even right down to the bitter end, like the little bit she did have left, would make a difference in the natural.
It’s like when Someone ask you how things are going and things couldn’t be worse for you, but somehow you automatically reply things are going fine.
God doesn’t need what we have to produce more for us, but what He is looking for Is for us to trust Him, with what we do have all the time and the faith that He is able to do what He says He is able to do!!
Mark 4:30-32 NKJ
30.. Then He said, “To what shall we liken the kingdom of God? Or with what parable shall we picture it?
31. It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on earth;
32. but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade.”
The mustard seed, Its smaller than all the seeds on earth; that’s the amount of faith we need to start God says, and if we’ll do that, God Says I’ll do the rest!
Our dependence or our faith, plus God’s ability the Word Declares, always equals amazing results!
God wants us to realize, when we put our dependence into the mix with His capabilities, the end result becomes enormous. Praise God!
The lady knew what she didn’t have, the lady also knew what she did have. And all of us know exactly what I'm talking about! Any body who has ever had money in your checking account, knows what you have and what you don't have!
Some of you probably think that you have nothing at all but in actuality, everyone has something of value,
And its that something, when were willing to let go and let God get a hold of it, has the potential for a supernatural growth experience! Amen?
The moment she let go of her independence and put her dependence on God for her deliverance, the Lord began to reveal His plan to her!
It was at that moment, her situation started to go from hopeless, to hopeful! From impossible, to I'm possible!!
3-4. "Here's what you do," said Elisha. "Go up and down the street and borrow jugs and bowls from all your neighbors. And not just a few—all you can get. Then come home and lock the door behind you, you and your sons. Pour oil into each container; when each is full, set it aside."
I believe even not though totally understanding what was about to take place, she had a new sense of boldness, that she had never possessed before! Guess what church, God wants you to have confidence and boldness in the dependence of your relationship you have with Him!
The more containers she borrowed, the more her dependence on God grew. It didn’t take long to realize, she like all of us realize, it’s much easier to carry things if you put them into a bigger container! Like a shopping cart, wheel borrow, wagon, are you getting a visual image? Amen?
Sometimes, the plan that God has to bless us, doesn’t always make perfect sense to us...never at any time are God’s plans required to make sense to us! Guess what? Who cares if they make sense?
TBS His ways are not our ways, and the end result is what matters most doesn't it? He will use the foolish things to confound the wise.
Who would’ve ever thought that in the hands of Moses, A Rod would’ve not only split the Red Sea wide enough for 2 million Israelites to walk across, but made it possible for them to have done such feat on dry ground?
Who would’ve ever thought a group of believers could bring down the walls of Jericho, with the shouts of their voices and the blast of trumpets?
Who would’ve ever thought that a bunch of Patriots, considered to be nothing more than a unorganized bunch of rebels, could have defeated what was the greatest army in the world at the time and won their independence as a free nation and became America?
Let me say once again, Gods ways are not our ways and they don’t have to be! He’s God, He can do what ever He wants to do anytime, anywhere and for anyone willing to believe and declare their dependence in Him, He chooses!
He doesn’t need our help, figuring out the plan, only the willingness to be a part of His plan and believe the results will not only come, but will amaze us and all those who know us, when they do!
That’s what the lady did, She trusted in Gods capabilities instead of her own, she Declared her dependence. She took a huge step, over to the wild side of possibilities of growing her faith in the God of endless abilities,
5-6. She did what he said. She locked the door behind her and her sons; as they brought the containers to her, (with Gods Help, she did what??) she filled them. When all the jugs and bowls were full, she said to one of her sons, "Another jug, please."
He said, "That's it. There are no more jugs."
Then the oil stopped.
The accuser would argue this next statement all day long, but he knows better than anyone, that the truth will set you free!
The truth is....We determine, the amount of our blessing!! We just read it and she said, "give me another jug please, didn't she?"
Is God not a God of Abundance, Praise God! The prophet told her, go and find some vessels and not a few.
Her faith was the thing that determined the outcome that day! There was no time limit applied to the task, the Word says she and her sons, determined the amount of their blessing that day. God filled every vessel both small and large they gathered, until there were no more to fill!
Did you know that we are still encouraged to do the same thing still today? Our faith determines the outcome of our measure of blessing we receive from God!
God hasn’t changed, the accuser has tried to change the way man thinks, but God is the same, TBS. He never changes!
7. She went and told the story to the man of God. He said, "Go sell the oil and make good on your debts. Live, both you and your sons, on what's left."
The Prophet said "Live" not just exist! God still says the same thing today, you can have the abundant life, because Jesus has already purchased it and paid the ransom for you to be able too Live and not just exist!
We don’t have to settle for a sliver of pie, God wants you to know He has plenty, you can have the whole pie.
Illus. By Daniel Owens
When Astronaut, Allen Shepherd was preparing to make his first space flight, He was in a news conference and a reporter asked him
It was a legitimate question – the reporter asked,
“Mr. Shepherd, what are you depending on in this flight?”
Now, I’m sure that the reporter didn’t mean the question the way Allen Shepherd answered it –
but it was asked never-the-less in a way that prompted Allen Shepherd to say, (and it’s a classic) he said,
“I’m depending on the fact that God’s laws will not change.”
When you’re getting ready to go into space…
and when your survival and your return to earth…
depends upon all of these laws that God put into place… and staying in place while you’re up there…
It’s pretty important to trust in the fact,
To depend upon the fact – with your life – that God’s laws will not change
What I’ve shared with you today, is the same infallible word of God Elisha shared with the woman thousands of years ago, and it’s still the same infallible Word from a God who Loves you so much and wants to bless you still today!
What do you need from God today?
Are you ready to make today your Declaration day and Declare your Dependence on the God of Everything Possible?
Then I would tell you the same thing Elisha told the woman, go borrow some containers, borrow not a few and get ready to live!
Let’s pray!
