WHEN GOD SENDS YOU OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE
GEN. 12: 1-3
1. INTRODUCTION. IN ORDER TO GET AHEAD IN THIS LIFE, SOMETIMES GOD WILL SEND US FROM THAT WHICH IS FAMILIAR TO THAT WHICH IS UNFAMILIAR. HOWEVER, MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, MANY WOULD RATHER STAY IN A MUNDANE AND COMPLACENT ENVIRONMENT OPPOSED TO TRUSTING GOD. TO ILLUSTRATE THIS IRREFUTABLE IDEA, MANY WOMEN AND MEN WILL STAY IN A VOLATILE RELATIONSHIP BECAUSE IT IS FAMILIAR. MANY INDIVIDUALS WILL STAY IN A HIGH PAYING JOB THAT IS KILLING THEM MENTALLY, EMOTIONALLY, AND PHYSICALLY, RATHER THAN SEEK ANOTHER JOB THAT MIGHT PAY LESS, BUT IS MORE FULFILLING. THEN, THERE ARE THOSE WHO ARE BARELY MAKING ENDS MEET, YET, THEY WILL NOT SEEK ANOTHER JOB THAT PAYS MORE AND IS MORE REWARDING, WHY? BECAUSE THEY ARE COMFORTABLE WHERE THEY ARE. EVEN IN THE CHURCH; THE PEWS ARE POPULATED WITH THOSE WHO ARE COMFORTABLE IN THE PEWS, AND WILL NEVER WORK FOR THE LORD, WHY? BECAUSE THEY ARE COMFORTABLE. BUT MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, IF YOU WANT TO GET AHEAD IN THIS LIFE AND GET AHEAD SPIRITUALLY, GOD WILL SEND YOU OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE. THE QUESTION IS, ARE WE WILLING TO TRUST GOD?
2. THE TEXT. IN THE TEXT, GOD CALLS ABRAM AND COMMANDS HIM TO LEAVE THAT WHICH IS FAMILIAR TO HIM, AND TO JOURNEY INTO A LAND THAT IS UNFAMILIAR, A LAND THAT GOD WOULD REVEAL TO HIM AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE. IT MUST BE NOTED THAT ABRAM WAS OBEDIENT TO GOD.
a) IN ORDER TO GAIN WHAT GOD HAD PROMISED, ABRAM HAD TO GIVE UP SOME THINGS.
b) HE HAD TO LEAVE HIS COUNTRY, THE PLACE OF HIS BIRTH.
c) HE HAD TO LEAVE HIS RELATIVES, THOSE HE WAS ASSOCIATED WITH.
d) HE HAD TO LEAVE HIS FATHER’S HOUSE, A PLACE OF SECURITY.
e) TO GO TO A PLACE THAT WAS UNKNOWN TO HIM.
f) AS A RESULT OF HIS OBEDIENCE TO GOD, HE GAINED AS MUCH AS HE LOST, AND HE BECAME THE FATHER OF THE FAITH.
g) MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, WHENEVER GOD INSTRUCTS US TO GIVE UP SOMETHING, HE WILL ALWAYS BLESS US WITH MORE THAN WE GAVE UP.
h) WHENEVER GOD TAKES SOMETHING FROM US, HE GIVES US MORE THAN HE TOOK.
i) JOB 42:12, “SO THE LORD BLESSED THE LATTER END OF JOB MORE THAN HIS BEGINNING.”
j) IF ABRAM DID NOT TRUST GOD AND OBEY GOD, HE WOULD HAVE NEVER RECEIVED THE BLESSINGS OF GOD.
k) AND SO IT IS WITH US, IF WE DO NOT TRUST GOD AND ARE NOT OBEDIENT TO HIS CALL AND HIS COMMANDS, WE WILL NEVER REAP THE BENEFITS OF GOD.
3. ALL OF US MUST ASK OURSELVES WHAT IS MY COMFORT ZONE?
a) AM I A PRISONER IN A RELATIONSHIP THAT IS GOING NOWHERE?
b) DOES MY LACK OF FAITH IN THE ALMIGHTY GOD, PREVENT ME FROM STEPPING OUT OF THE OLD AND INTO THE NEW, WHERE GOD CAN USE ME?
c) AS I ROLL BACK THE PAGES OF MY MIND AND SHARE WITH YOU THAT IT WAS IN 2007, THAT THE LORD, IN THE PERSON OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, MOVED ME TO LEAVE THE FIRST CHURCH THAT I WAS PASTORING, TO COME TO CANTON, OHIO. IF I HAD NOT BEEN OBEDIENT TO THE HOLY SPIRIT, I WOULD HAVE NEVER GONE TO MT. OLIVE, AND IF I HAD NEVER GONE TO MT. OLIVE, I WOULD HAVE NEVER COME TO ST. MARK!
d) ASK YOURSELF, AM I STUCK LIKE CHUCK IN A RUT THAT PREVENTS ME FROM BEING ALL THAT I CAN BE IN LIFE AND FOR THE LORD.
e) YES, MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, IF WE WANT TO GET AHEAD IN THIS LIFE AND FOR THE LORD, WE MUST BE WILLING TO GET OUT OF OUR COMFORT ZONES.
f) GETTING OUT OF OUR COMFORT ZONES CAN BE FRIGHTENING. PETER SAW JESUS WALKING ON THE WATER AND SAID LORD, IF IT BE YOU, BID ME TO COME UNTO YOU ON THE WATER. JESUS SAID COME. PETER GOT OUT OF THE BOAT, WHICH WAS HIS COMFORT ZONE AND WALKED TOWARD JESUS ON THE WATER. BUT, WHEN HE TOOK HIS EYES OFF JESUS, HE BEGAN TO SINK.
g) MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT WHEN GOD SENDS US OUT OF OUR COMFORT ZONES, THAT WE ALWAYS KEEP OUR EYES ON JESUS.
h) JUST MAYBE SOME OF OUR FRIENDS AND RELATIVES ARE OUR COMFORT ZONES AND GOD WANTS US TO LEAVE THEM IN ORDER TO GET AHEAD.
i) SOMETIMES NEW PEOPLE CANNOT COME INTO OUR LIVES UNTIL WE GET SOME PEOPLE OUT OF OUR LIVES.
4. IF WE DO NOT GET OUT OF OUR COMFORT ZONES….
a) WE WILL NEVER EXPERIENCE THE BLESSINGS OF GOD.
b) WE WILL NEVER REACH OUR FULL POTENTIAL FOR GOD.
c) WE WILL REGRET BEING DISOBEDIENT TO GOD, THEREFORE, WE WILL WONDER WHAT IF?
d) WE WILL NOT BE A BLESSING TO OTHERS.
e) WE ARE THE RECIPIENTS OF GOD’S FAVOR BECAUSE ABRAM WAS OBEDIENT TO GOD.
f) WE DISAPPOINT GOD AND CONSEQUENTLY, WE DISRUPT THE PLAN OF GOD.
g) BLESSINGS WILL BECOME BURDENS.
h) OUR FORMER ACCOMPLISHMENTS WILL BE NOTHING MORE THAN A MEMORY.
i) WE WILL STAGNATE OUR SPIRITUAL GROWTH.
5. WHEN WE DO GET OUT OF OUR COMFORT ZONES…
a) OUR FAITH IS ENHANCED
b) GOD WILL RAIN DOWN A PLETHORA OF BLESSINGS THAT WE CAN’T COMPREHEND.
c) DOORS THAT HAVE BEEN CLOSED WILL BE OPENED.
d) TO DEMONSTRATE THIS CONCEPT, I HAVE A FRIEND, REV. ASHTON ALLEN, WHO WAS LIVING IN HIS MOTHER’S BASEMENT; FRUSTRATED, IRRITATED, AND AGITATED ABOUT EMPLOYMENT, STEPPED OUT ON HIS FAITH, AND GOD HAS BLESSED HIM WITH A SUPERVISORS POSITION, AND TO BE THE PASTOR OF THE HISTORICAL MT. CARMEL BAPTIST CHURCH LOCATED IN CINCINNATI, OHIO.
e) YES, WHEN WE TRUST GOD AND GET OUT OF OUR COMFORT ZONES, ENEMIES BECOME ALLIES.
f) BURDENS ARE REPLACED WITH BLESSINGS.
g) WE WILL BE AMAZED AT THE POWER OF GOD.
h) WE WILL BE A BLESSING TO OTHERS.
6. THREE POINTS/CONCLUSION.
a) ONE, IT REQUIRES A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. WHEN WE HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD, GOD WILL DO FOR US THAT WHICH HE WILL NOT DO FOR SINNERS.
b) TWO, TRUST IN GOD IS MANDATORY. ABRAM TRUSTED GOD EVEN WHEN HE COULD NOT TRACE GOD. ABRAM RESTED IN THE ASSURANCE OF THE POWER OF GOD, THE PURPOSE OF GOD, AND THE PLAN OF GOD.
c) THREE, WE MUST PUT OUR FAITH INTO ACTION. JESUS TOLD THE DISCIPLE TO GO INTO ALL OF THE WORLD. YOU AND I ARE SAVED TODAY BECAUSE THEY PUT THEIR FAITH INTO ACTION.
d) SO NOW, IF…
• THE LOST ARE TO BE SAVED, WE MUST GET OUT OF OUR COMFORT ZONE
• THE SICK ARE TO BE COMFORTED, WE MUST GET OUT OF OUR COMFORT ZONE
• IF THE HOMELESS ARE TO BE HELPED, WE MUST GET OUT OF OUR COMFORT ZONE
• IF WE ARE TO MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE, WE MUST GET OUT OF OUR COMFORT ZONE
• IF WE WANT TO IMPACT THE LIVES OF YOUNG MEN AND YOUNG LADIES, WE MUST GET OUT OF OUR COMFORT ZONE
• IF OUR CHURCH IS GOING TO GET BETTER, WE MUST GET OUT OF OUR COMFORT ZONE
