2020.07.12.Sermon.There is So Much More.
William Akehurst, HSWC
Philippians 4:13
John 16:12-15
Psalm 118:23
Contentment or Complacency. Which are you?
To be content is to be happy with one’s situation or condition.
Being content means being happy. Being complacent means refusing to work to improve. It Being content means that you are not unhappy with your situation, yet you continue to work hard to improve, which is to say not becoming complacent.
Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through CHRIST which strengthens me.”
Paul is content in CHRIST, but he’s not complacent, he understands where his joy comes from, and his contentment, but he also knows he can’t sit still, he must “do all things” with the understanding that “CHRIST gives him the strength and ability”.
Contentment is not complacency. It is not an excuse to be lazy. In fact Paul writes specifically that there are many actions for the Christian to take. Often we read “go“, “be“, “work“, and “do.“ “I can DO all things through Christ who gives me strength.”
The Christian life is an active one, working to be like Christ and to serve God and others. What Paul says is contentment is working really hard and being satisfied in the results of what the outcome is. He says that we can’t be satisfied and still have joy in those things because we know who we are in Christ.
So, Are you content or complacent? Are you working hard in life, in a relationship, financially, spiritually, at your job, or in your community? Are you able to be content regardless of the outcome of those things?
While we can be content in CHRIST, we must not become complacent. Don’t be satisfied with what you know to the extent that you become stagnant, and moreso, don’t be satisfied in what you do not know.
Jesus said, there is so much more, and we as spirit filled believers should seek this out…more.
REOPENING BEACHMONT BGEA PHONE CENTER
Last night we reopened our BGEA Phone Center at Beachmont for the 1st time since March, and ran the center simultaneously with the Forest Hill Upper Room.
As we started the evening, I had determined to share in communion with everyone who came. However, calls began as soon as we started, so we shared in communion throughout the telecast, not by design, but as it so happened (in other words, it took us 75 minutes to finish communion – But that’s the point isn’t it? We were in communion with HIM and one another the entire time!). Here’s the account of last night at Beachmont and what we learned in the experience.
LESSONS LEARNED
Communion. As we started to take the elements of the bread and juice, the LORD placed in my heart the thought that our desire should be to want to know more, receive more, apply more, expect more, pursue more of JESUS. And understand that it all comes through HIS HOLY GHOST SPIRIT Presence in us.
JESUS said in John 16:12-15 KJV (read the rest of the chapter too)
12 I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. (There’s so much more that I have in store for you)
13 However, when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come.
14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it to you.
15 All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore, said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
John 16:12-15 NLT
12 “There is so much more I want to tell you, but you can’t bear it now.
13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future.
14 He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me.
15 All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, ‘The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me.’
CHRIST’s words rang out in my mind, “There’s so much more!” and we can’t receive it all at once, but it is the SPIRIT that shows us bit by bit if we would just continue in our pursuit of CHRIST. HE wants not only our mind, our intellect to know HIM. But also our body to follow after HIM, and furthermore our spirit to align with HOLY SPIRIT to know HIM more!
“Follow me”, HE said. How about ‘Pursue HIM’, run after HIM…don’t you want to know and experience more of HIM? I sure do.
So as we started to take of the bread, remembering that CHRIST came to show us how to live, and that we should be consumed by HIS Presence within us, the phones began to ring. So we put communion aside to take the calls.
Joan took a call from a woman, Ellie, who called to receive CHRIST. When Joan was ready to lead Ellie in prayer, the line cut out. WHAT??? What happened??? “LORD let her call back” we prayed.
The night continued on as we took other calls. When there was a lull in the calls, we picked back up on Communion and continued, examining the bread and cup, with the understanding that there is so much more to this than we can fully understand. We “look in a glass darkly”, we can’t quite see the full picture yet, we are getting a taste, a piece, but the puzzle pieces are building upon each other. JESUS is the bread that came down from Heaven. In Revelation, John ate the book that was sweet in his mouth and bitter in his belly. JESUS IS THE WORD, and HE even went to say, you must eat my flesh. “WHAT?” said the Religious leaders of that day…”Eat your flesh? Preposterous” (<-my translated paraphrase with emphasis!)
But for us to understand, we must consume HIM (take HIM in) and be consumed by HIM (our complete focus). We must not just understand with our minds, but receive CHRIST inside us, in our hearts, in the life blood and very essence of our Be-Ing. HE not only wants our minds to know WHO HE IS, but our bodies to follow after HIM in our life and actions, and our spirit to be one with HIS SPIRIT. Not only does JESUS have so much more instore for you and me, HE desires that we go ‘All In’ for HIM.
So we took the bread and then the cup. The Cup represents the Blood of CHRIST. We understand that to have a sacrifice, blood must be shed. Picture this with me if you will…We know in scripture that in the Tabernacle, the Holy of Holies, where the Ark of the Covenant sat, once a year, Aaron, the high priest took blood of the annual sacrifice for the people and sprinkled it on top of the Ark of the Covenant. When GOD as ‘the cloud’ or ‘smoke’ entered into that space, HE looked down upon that Ark, which contained the tablets of the 10 commandments, the manna, Aaron’s Rod, etc. all representing the sins of the people. But instead of seeing those items that represent the sin of mankind, GOD sees the blood covering. Isaiah tells us that we are healed by HIS STRIPES, HIS BLOOD. The blood occurred before the sacrifice was complete. The blood is the life of the individual (eternal life through CHRIST’s). The blood is what sets us free. And JESUS says, there’s more to this than we can take in! So as we took of the cup, our prayer was, LORD GOD, We Want More of YOU, We Want More JESUS, More HOLY GHOST.
As we continued in our time of communion, the 6:30 hour passed and Jena (BGEA Coordinator) had indicated that the lines were all closed and we could shut down the center. As we took the phones down something miraculous happened at 6:40pm.
Remember, the lines are shut down, all the other centers are closed or closing when suddenly the phone where Joan sat, station 4, began to ring…”Hello, this is Joan, did you call to receive JESUS”. Guess who… ELLIE!!! Ellie called back to receive CHRIST and by the purpose and will of GOD was routed directly to Joan’s space. Ellie said that when she called earlier, as Joan began to lead her in prayer, her (Ellie’s) phone died and she had to wait until a friend visited to use that friend’s phone to call back at 6:40pm, after the lines were closed down, after the centers where closed, after it became impossible for us to take calls…and as Dave from BGEA said when I texted him…”BUT GOD!”.
This is sooooo exciting to me and I trust it knocks your socks off too. THIS IS THE LORD’s DOING and ITS MARVELOUS in our eyes! (Psalm 118:23) And Ellie Received CHRIST! PRAISE and GLORY to the NAME OF THE LORD. LORD, we thank you for Ellie and ask that YOU would overflow her with joy in knowing YOU this morning!
We asked for MORE, and we GOT MORE. JESUS proved HIS WORDS to us last night. There’s so much more that HE has for us and we must pursue HIM to know, receive and experience MORE of HIM.
Jesus said, suffer the little children to come unto me…remember the line in Oliver Twist when they were eating porridge and Oliver went to the master…
OLIVER TWIST: “Please sir, may I have some more”.
When we come to Christ, we should desire more, and want more and ask “Please LORD, may I have some more”.
I think back to what Cliff Barrows said in a video greeting to the TVTM sent out years ago when he said we need to "come with an expectation to receive". We were all amazed by the events that happened last night, and I’m thinking, why should we be amazed, we should expect these things of the LORD. But I also realize HE will increase our JOY in HIM by showing us these amazing and wonderful things. Signs, wonders, healings, visions, Holy Ghost language was not just for ancient days, we too are living in biblical times now, the KINGDOM is NOW, and we should expect to experience MORE as the LORD, by the POWER of HIS PRESENCE IN US reveals these things.
So no matter what you are experiencing today, no matter what troubles may come your way…be encouraged with and turn your focus to remember…”BUT GOD”. Life throws us curves, BUT GOD… Things go awry, BUT GOD… Things may try to knock you off your feet, BUT GOD HAS SO MUCH MORE FOR YOU. Open your mind to seek understanding, your body to ‘do’…to put into action what HE is showing you, and your spirit to receive MORE of HIS SPIRIT, HIS POWER, HIS PRESENCE, HIS WAYS, HIS TRUTHS, HIS THOUGHTS and seek and pursue and allow HIM to apply SO MUCH MORE within you, so that you overflow with MORE than you can contain that you may impact those around you for HIM. To GOD be the GLORY, Amen!
So examine yourself in light of these lessons. Are you content with where you are in CHRIST? or have you become complacent?
Jesus says, "But there is SO MUCH MORE!" Question is, will you receive it, run after and pursue it?
PRAYER:
FATHER, we thank YOU for teaching us to trust in YOU more. We ask for More of YOU in every area of our lives. We want to know YOU more, to experience more of YOUR Presence in our lives. It thrills us with joy when we see YOUR HAND at work in our midst. And we will share YOU-JESUS from the abundance of More than we can contain to those YOU place in our paths. Open our minds, our hearts, our spirit and direct our actions for YOUR plan and purpose, for YOUR KINGDOM Glory, all in the NAME above all Names. YESHUA, JESUS CHRIST our LORD, Amen and Amen, so be it
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Communion
1 Corinthians 11.23-28
23 For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:
24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.
25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, this cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.
26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.
27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.
