The Easy Button...
How many of you here this morning remember the easy button commercial Staples launched February 3 2005?
Every time someone got in a situation that seemed impossible to figure out, all they had to do was push the easy button and everything magically worked out perfectly without any effort and for their advantage.
Our local lumber store still has one of those buttons by the front cash register where you check out. And from time to time, even though it’s totally make believe, it’s very refreshing depending on the kind of day ones having, to push that button and here those effortless comforting words, “that was easy”.
It was a great marketing campaign. Although one which seemed original, it was not original. The idea of having an easy button or way to figure all things out for our benefit, had been thought of from the beginning of time, by God the creator of all things.
Jeremiah 33:2,3 NKJ
“Thus says the Lord who made it, the Lord who formed it to establish it (the Lord is His name): ‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’
Thing is though, many people think the things that they need to figure out, God may not be interested in or concerned with such trivial things.
God is concerned with everything we are concerned with,
Our dreams
Our wants
Our desires
And there is nothing to difficult for God to solve or figure out. God not only has all the answers, God is the answer to all things.
Jeremiah 32:17 New King James Version (NKJV)
17 ‘Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too [a]hard for You.
In the past several weeks I have had things that I have been working on and been unable to figure them out, on my own. And as I was working on them, I thought of the knowledge, willingness and the easiness God had made available to me, just for the asking.
And the moment I ask God for His help and humorously laughed out loud, while I reminded God how easy helping me would be so easy for Him, He helped me!
Each solution I had need of simply fell together, or practically put itself together, without any whatsoever effort on my part.
On one occasion I had made a phone call to tell the someone I couldn’t figure things out. And while I was saying I couldn’t, “God said with my help oh yes you can” things miraculously went together and the problem was solved!
Everyone would like to live in an effortless society. Thing is, God has already made our wish, a reality.
Matthew 11:28-30 MSG
28-30 “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
Our relationship with God through His Amazing Son Jesus, provides and affords us abundant life and the effortless rest and lifestyle we desire, if we are only willing to trust and believe.
Our willingness to trust and believe, activates Gods ability to say, “that was easy”
Everything is easy for God, we’re the ones who make things seem hard with the issues of our self effort!
Illus. By sermon central
In Charles Schultz’s cartoon, “Peanuts,” Lucy is seen saying that if she was in charge of the world, she’d change everything. Charlie says, “That wouldn’t be easy. Where would you start?” Lucy looks directly at him, and without hesitation, points her finger at him and says, “I’d start with you!”
Seems as though we think it’s always easier to fix someone else’s issues than our own, doesn’t it? It’s when we acknowledge our inability to fix ourselves and our problems and ask for God’s help, that unties His hands to work freely in our lives to bring about the impossible were all seeking!
Ephesians 3:20 MSG.
20. God can do anything, you know— far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.
“in your wildest dreams,” sounds like a pretty big stretch huh? I believe that’s no exaggeration, and for God to be able to accomplish anything in your life, you must believe it too!
TBS let your faith arise and let your enemies be SCATTERED!
Not OMG there they are again!
Too many people have thought, “if it weren’t for bad luck I’d have no luck at all” so many times, bad luck is all they look for and are able to recognize!
Genesis 18:14, 10, 11, 12, 13 New King James Version (NKJV)
14 Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.”
Abraham and Sarah had went so long wanting a son without getting one, they had accepted they never would. Even when God said look guys, “here is your opportunity to press the easy button”, in 9 months its going to happen and their sediment was, “ya right!”
10 And He said, “I will certainly return to you according to the time of life, and behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son.”
(Sarah was listening in the tent door which was behind him.) 11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age; and [b]Sarah had passed the age of childbearing. 12 Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, “After I have grown old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?”
13 And the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I surely bear a child, since I am old?
Don’t get caught up in only believing the possibilities of what you think is happening in the now or have seen in the past! Because no matter where you are at in life, He wants you to dream bigger than your efforts are capable of delivering.
If you never dream bigger than what your capabilities are, then you will never receive more than what you're able to deliver your self.
And at best, self effort on its best given day, will deliver less then mediocre results every time, always leaving want for something greater!
However if you willing to ASK and BELIEVE in the God of all possibilities and set the bar above what you can do! He will do things in your life you ever could've have imagined, even in your wildest dreams!
The prophet Elijah had an amazing walk with God and an amazing ministry as well, with miracles, signs and wonders. But his protege Elisha, because of his willingness to ask and believe in the God of all possibilities, his walk and ministry was....well let’s read the God’s account of it in the scriptures.
2 Kings 2:5-14 NKJ
5 Now the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho came to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that the Lord will take away your master from over you today?”
So he answered, “Yes, I know; keep silent!”
6 Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here, please, for the Lord has sent me on to the Jordan.”
But he said, “As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you!”
(This was the third time that Elisha had told him that he was not going anywhere, but that he was going to stay right there until and he wasn’t leaving until whatever was happening happened.)
So the two of them went on. 7 And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went and stood facing them at a distance, while the two of them stood by the Jordan. 8 Now Elijah took his mantle, rolled it up, and struck the water; and it was divided this way and that, so that the two of them crossed over on dry ground.
9 And so it was, when they had crossed over, that Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask! What may I do for you, before I am taken away from you?”
Elisha said, “Please let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.”
10 So he said, “You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be so.” 11 Then it happened, as they continued on and talked, that suddenly a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire, and separated the two of them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
12 And Elisha saw it, and he cried out, “My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen!” So he saw him no more. And he took hold of his own clothes and tore them into two pieces.
13 He also took up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and went back and stood by the bank of the Jordan. 14 Then he took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and struck the water, and said, “Where is the Lord God of Elijah?” And when he also had struck the water, it was divided this way and that; and Elisha crossed over.
Elisha knew his request, even though it was monumental had been granted. He could’ve have struck the water first and then ask God to part the water, but he didn’t. He decided to push the easy button God makes available to all of us and he asked for God’s help.
And God showed up and made the first of his double portion 14 miracles request only moments earlier, a reality!
We need to realize its not about our capabilities, it never has been about our capabilities and if we’re going to see our dreams come to fruition, it never will be about what we’re capable of!
We need to set the self capability mindset aside and from here to eternity, just focus on what JESUS wants, and is capable of doing in our lives!
Don't let the devil steal one more second of Gods plans for your life from you!
Realize that if God put a dream in your heart, a dream that He gave you, a dream that is bigger than what your capable of delivering...then you know it was from God!
Because if you were able to make things happen on your own, it wouldn’t be a dream, it would only be a desire!
At that very moment, God put that dream in your heart, He started working tirelessly behind the scenes to make that dream happen and has never quit working either.
You say well a long time ago I wanted to do this,
Or I once had a dream to be a?
God hasn’t forgotten, not one time has he forgotten,
and there have probably been many missed opportunities along the way,
And I’m sure, even though some would never be willing to admit it!
we could all say yes, to that one!
But never once has He given up trying to help you bring about His best plans in your life!
Right now, He is directing and constantly redirecting the right opportunities to open up to you. And will continue until you reach the promised land, He has waiting for you!
Illus. By Ed Mcneely
There was a very cautious man
Who never laughed or played.
He never risked, he never tried
He never sang or prayed.
And when one day, he passed away
His insurance was denied
For since he never really lived
They claimed he never died.
What a sad miserable existence, thing is there are 100’s of millions of people spiritually who are just like him. Having never fully taken advantage of the abundant life God has given them to live, because of the so called risk of not using their own self effort and totally relying on God’s ability, they think is involved to achieve it.
We all know the story of Josephs journey from the prison to the palace, was no overnight success story,
Some would think it was a long hard road, but Joseph would tell you a different story.
He would tell you, as long as he kept pushing the easy button God made available to him, that his journey was one that took him down Gods supernatural highway of Favor!
All the way to his destination, just liked he dreamed would happen.
Where there bumps and detours along the way?
Do you suppose there were times he got tired?
Do you suppose there were times the devil tried to discourage him to accept mediocrity?
I'm sure he was aware of everything the devil threw at him! He was also aware that God was bigger than any obstacle or set back and everyone of them would eventually be a set up, for a comeback!
And every one of them, ending up being a bigger faith building experience, than the one before! God is faithful! Amen??
Right now, know that He is arranging opportunities in your favor for good things to occur. You may not see them in the natural, but look with your eyes of faith today.
Trust and know that He is guiding you, each and every step you take.
And know that its not a matter of if, His blessings will come pouring into your life, but only when they will.
Don’t be like Sarah and laugh while you’re going through the birthing process of your miracle or dream! Just keep pushing the easy button of Gods Amazing Grace until your delivery occurs!
And until then, be like Elisha and say Lord I’m not going anywhere!
Keep standing,
Keep believing,
Keep hoping,
Keep thanking Him and declaring His Word
and meditating on His goodness that He wants to give to you,
knowing that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Amen?
Illus. Ephesians 3:20 from the easy to read bible
What can you imagine? How big can you think? God still thinks bigger. He plans better. He accomplishes more. Already He’s at work inside you and me—all of us. Do you want to ask Him for something? Ask big because you’re dealing with a big God.
How do you want to make your world a better place? What dreams has God put inside your heart? Who do you want to take to heaven with you? Unleash your imagination! Start dreaming! Ask and keep on asking, and see what God will do for you.
