I cannot but you can!
Isaiah 43;1-3
Introduction-
Good morning-
We serve a mighty God!
We serve a God that has given us the most precious gift in His Son Jesus Christ.
We have to remember to not let the things of life cloud that truth in our life.
Last week we talked about stuff- Remember?
The stuff we collect, the stuff we save, the stuff we put up on a pedestal like fine gifts so that all can see because we highly value them.
Jesus offers us abundant life not abundant stuff and that we will not be pulling a trailer into heaven with all our junk
Some people pulled me aside and laughed because it hit home.
Some told me that they need to work on prioritizing their stuff.
Some had the deer in the headlights look when they came in and when they left so I don’t know exactly what the Lord said to them.
Right now there are a lot of people telling us different things-
Some good and some bad and you have to be able to figure out what you will listen too
What you will retain.
What you will put into action. What you will let go of.
They say that you only remember 5% of what you hear- so don’t blame me for repeating.
I am hoping that something will stick.
Prayer-
Isaiah 43:1-3 Read from Bible
I have titled this message “I cannot but you can”
I cannot do it, but you can.
I cannot see it, but you can.
I cannot think about that, but you can.
Remember these three things as we go to His Word this morning
A little bit less of me and a whole lot of Jesus!
Not in my strength but in the strength of the Lord!
Not in the wisdom of man but in the Almighty Wisdom of God!
The savior for Israel, Jesus… is also our savior who years before He walks on this earth speaks through the prophet Isaiah and says that the God who created you, the God who formed you. The God that has redeemed us! He calls you and I by name!
50,000 thoughts a day polluting our minds and only 10,000 are positive? - How can we stay positive?
By throwing out the 80% negative and standing on God’s truth-
By knowing who has you and who is calling you to Himself.
Listen to this verse in the Passion version-
“Now this is what Yahweh says; Listen, Jacob, to the one that created you. Israel, to the one that shaped who you are. Do not fear, For I, your Kinsmen redeemer, will rescue you. When you pass through the deep, stormy sea, you can count on me to be there with you. When you pass through raging waters, you will not drown. When you walk through persecution like fiery flames, you will not be burned; the flames will not harm you, for I am your savior, Yahweh, your mighty God, the Holy one of Israel!
Absence of God brings no power- (God I cannot do it, but you can)
God’s method of deliverance is often not out of, but through. Let me say that again.
God often times don’t take us out of the hard things of life- He takes us through the hard things in life. He walks with us!
Psalm 23:4-
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me, your rod and your staff, they comfort me.’
God promised the nation of Israel restoration-
He promised He would be their God and there was not any price too high for him to pay to set them free.
They had their backs against the wall and by the looks of things it was dark. But God was going to be their God.
The God that formed you and created you is the God that does not give up on you- Passion version uses the word Kinsmen redeemer- The God who rescues!
A kinsman-redeemer is someone, usually the nearest relative, who is charged with the duty of restoring or recovering the rights of another and avenging any wrongs in exchange for something.
Jesus is our kinsmen redeemer!
He is the God who rescues because He is the God who cares.
He is the God who is able to do something about it.
Because we are grafted into the family of God as a believer,
He rescues us from our sins and becomes our advocate in the justice process.
He is the Kinsmen redeemer no matter what… but He cannot be yours until you want Him to be your redeemer.
All of us must realize that we need a redeemer and we need to acknowledge Him as your redeemer.
See, once you stop believing the lies of the Devil, you can start believing the truths of God!
What do you mean pastor?
What he cannot stop, he will try to distract.
What he can pollute, he will water down.
What he can keep from your grasp and understanding becomes doubt.
People want God to be with them, but they don’t want to be with God!
It’s the sucker punch from the Devil that you did not see coming that is the tough one!
When you are in a battle, fighting with all your strength and the strength of the Lord, you get hit, it may make you fall back a little, but it is the one that you never saw coming, the one that you are taking all by yourself without the Lord that ends up being the knockout blow-
Some of you know exactly what I am talking about-
Some call him kinsmen redeemer-
Some call him savior-
But you… what do you call Him?
Does He call you by name? Have you made Him yours so that He can say you are His?
Do not fear… is the promise for all that been rescued by Him.
When you pass through the storms of life, you can count on me to walk with you!
When the waters are raging, you will not drown.
Those fires may be stoked, but you will not be burned.
IF I AM YOUR SAVIOR…I AM YOUR MIGHTY GOD
His Presence Matters Most (I cannot see it, but you can)
I THINK MOST Christians live their life backwards- once you die to self which is what we have to do, our lives should change from what about me to what about Him.
We change citizenship
We change focus.
We call on the redeemer to do for us what we cannot do ourselves!
Too many Christians today aren’t changing- the world cannot tell who is a Christian and who is not.
Culture says it is nobodies business, but I am telling you God says it is His business!
We cannot be what God wants us to be by doing things in our own strength and without Him
If God speaks do you have time and place to hear him?
He will never speak outside of his word and he will never speak outside of his character.
Very few people listen close enough to hear God’s voice over their own voice.
Finding the Life You Were Made For
“Anyone who doesn’t pick up their cross and follow after me doesn’t deserve me. If you find your life you’ll lose it, and if you lose your life because of me you’ll find it” (Matt. 10:38–39).
To paraphrase: die to self, follow him, and in this journey of losing your life, you’ll find the life you were made for. At first glance, Jesus words seem harsh and anti life.
Jesus is not being harsh. He’s simply stating a fact. Outside of him there is no life—only existence. Presence matters
We were made for life—the God-infused life. Until we experience this kind of life and make it our pursuit, we will find ourselves hopelessly dissatisfied.
Before we can be filled with the Spirit of God- We need to be emptied of ourselves.
Before we can see the beauty He has created in all situations, we have to trust Him with all of our life.
Most of the time it is difficult to see positive outcome when we are in a mess.
Share a story-
Emperor of China had a problem. Something was eating his mulberry trees. He did what any smart man would do when he has no answers and he was in over his head - he turned it over to his wife. Empress Ce Ling Shee looked at the trees, she noticed that a moth was laying eggs on the leaves. Eggs that hatched into caterpillars. Each caterpillar spun a thread that wrapped itself and formed a cocoon. The empress dropped the cocoon in hot water and slowly saw beautiful thread unwind. It stretched out a half mile and thought maybe it could be woven into cloth. That moment the silk trade was born. An empire of beauty and wealth came about because of someone else’s disaster.
How can we ever imagine? How can we ever see that beauty can come from ashes?
1 Peter 1:6-7
“In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith-of greater worth than gold may result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.”
Let the Lord reveal His Word to you this morning! Let His presence be felt and asked for.
“We know that all things God works for good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.”
“The Spirit of the sovereign Lord is on me, the Lord has anointed me… to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.” Isaiah 61:1,3
“I will repay you for the years the locust have eaten”
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything- James 1:2-4
In a day and age where no one listens and everyone talks- the ones that will accomplish what the Lord wants are the listeners.
What good are vessels with holes in them? What good would a vessel be for water if it is filled with mud?
God can fix the cracks but we also have to allow Him to get rid of the mud.
Closing minutes this morning, quiet yourself and allow the Lord to speak to you-
I don’t know about you but when I am going through hard times and challenges- the times we need to communicate with the Lord are the times we find it the most difficult- we all know the reason for that.
Those distracted prayers go something like this-
Dear Lord, I pray Lord that you heal my friend O gracious Lord, work in the family that is hurting. I really should go see them. Maybe Tomorrow…I forgot to put cereal on the grocery list. When I am ever going to change that oil in the car and the mower. Time is at such a premium. Bob is coming at 10:00 with a hoagie order. The appointment for my check up is at 2:00. I really need a strong sermon illustration to finish the sermon for Sunday.
I am sorry Lord what were we talking about?
There are so many things! I don’t know what your challenge is but I know who’s got you!
Whatever it is…I cannot, but you can!
The goal is to get you home
Empty out more of me so that I can be filled with more of you- anything that would keep me from receiving from you, take that away from me.
He desires to get you home more than He desires to make you comfortable here-
In these last days Lord, we all need crazy faith!
The faith that can’t see, can’t work out, can’t be done without you!
It has nothing to do with our talents- it is all about you!
I am just going to lean you this morning
His presence with us becomes our deliverance!
If you find the life you were created for- you will realize this… (now) is a moment in time to prepare us for eternity.
I cannot, but you can. Say that to the Lord as we close- I cannot, but you can.
I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength
Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will not fear. Because you are with me!
Prayer-
