Simply Ask.
Second Corinthians 1:20-22
Her doctor said her detached retinas couldn’t be repaired. But after living without sight for 15 years – learning braille, and using a cane and a service dog- this Montana woman’s life was changed when her husband asked another eye doctor a simple question: “Could she be helped?” The answer was “yes.”
As the doctors discovered, the woman had a common eye condition, cataracts, which were removed from her right arm. When the eyepatch came off the next day, her vision was 2020. A second surgery for her left eye met with equal success.
“Could she be helped?” Can I be helped??
Could your pain, your worry, your break- through, could it be solved with one simple question?
2 Corinthians 1:20-22NKJV “For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us. 21 Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, 22 who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.”
Paul is answering the charge from some in Corinth that he selfishly changed his travel plans to visit them, saying both "yes" and "no" to his commitments at the same time.
Paul's defense is as serious as the accusation is frivolous.
First, Paul insist he was not saying "yes" and "no" at the same time, but that in Christ, the answer is always “yes."
Here’s a question I give to you, Are you ready for a resounding yes? Do you want to be surrounded by yes’s? -In Jesus you are!
Again, 2 Corinthians 1:20NIV For no matter how many promises God has made, they are 'Yes' in Christ. And so through him the 'Amen' is spoken by us to the glory of God.
Again, Paul adds that all the promises of God find their "yes" in Christ. And the ‘Amen’ is spoken by us to glorify God.
In other words, Your amen is very important. It glorifies God!
In other words, all of God's O.T promises are fulfilled in Jesus.
-And Jesus Christ is the "yes" to every one of them.
The apostle Paul states, that even my travel plans have to come with a yes from Christ!
Once more, 2 Corinthians 1:21NIV Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us,
God is the one who established both Paul and his co-workers along with the believing Corinthians in Christ.
Actually Paul say’s, “We are all co-laborers, co-workers in God’s harvest.
Testimony- Did you know that you can be blessed by association. I joined the Garden Hill Sharks swim team, out of 19 teams representing most of Atlanta we came in 1st! Notice I said I was on the winning team. I’m a winner because of association!
On team Jesus, all of God’s promises are ‘yes’ and ‘amen!’
2 Corinthians 1:22NIV ...set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.
Again, -God has sealed us. Now Paul adds that in giving them the Spirit in their hearts, God has put His seal on them. -He has given the Holy Spirit to each believer as a guarantee or deposit or down payment.
The Holy Spirit is your guarantee until.....! What’s a simple question you need to ask? For many of us, we haven’t ask that simple question yet!
Again, Simply Ask!
On several occasions, Jesus asks the question, * Do you want to be healed?
* What can I do for you?
Isaiah 65:24AMP “It shall also come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear.
A simple question also changed the life of Naaman.
Listen to, II Kings 5:1AMP Now Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram (Syria), was considered a great man by his king, and was highly respected because through Naaman the Lord had given victory to Aram (Syria). He was also a man of courage, but he was a leper.
Do you think Naaman had a question? Maybe not, many lepers never take the time. -They just accept their leprosy.
God anointed Naaman to bring mighty victory for Israel, however, Naaman was still a leper.
Many times our answers are already around us. Listen to, 2 Kings 5:2AMP The Arameans (Syrians) had gone out in bands [as raiders] and had taken captive a little girl from the land of Israel; and she waited on Naaman’s wife [as a servant].
Then the servant girl said to Naaman’s wife:
Verse 3 of 2 Kings 5, “If only my master were with the prophet who is in Samaria! For he would heal him of his leprosy.””
Think about this, Naaman’s question was found in this young Israelite girls answer.
-I know a man who can!
Listen, Crane Eater Community Church, the answer for us, our families, and our society as a whole is Jesus! P.H
2 Kings 5:4AMP Naaman went in and told his master [the king], “The girl who is from the land of Israel said such and such.”
Naaman received permission from his Syrian king, Therefore, Naaman goes on a journey and delivers his letter to the King of Israel. -The King read it, and tore his clothes, knowing he didn’t have the power to heal Naaman.
2 Kings 5:8-10AMP Now when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent word to the king, asking, “Why have you torn your clothes? Just let Naaman come to me, and he shall know that there is a [true] prophet in Israel.” 9 So Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stopped at the entrance of Elisha’s house.10 Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh will be restored to you and you will be clean.”
-Naaman automatically bucks up. “Me in the River Jordan?” And then he say’s, “I know of two mighty Rivers, more mightier and cleaner than the Jordon!” -(Just obey).
In our lives, sometimes we struggle with a problem. All we need to say is, -Will you help? -Should I go? -Will you lead? P.H
Again, Isaiah 65:24MSG Before they call out, I’ll answer. Before they’ve finished speaking, I’ll have heard.
-God doesn’t require complicated questions from us, to help us. He just needs an, ‘Amen.’ P.H
The woman in the red skirt walked up to the counter and laid down two bags of flour. There beside the register were the rest of her groceries. "That everything?" asked the man behind the counter. He owned the general store, waited on her every Thursday as she came to town to do her shopping. He was a tall man, with big arms and a big belly."Yes," the woman in the red skirt replied, "I think that's it.” As the man rang up the order, a little face peered out from behind her red skirt. The man caught the young boy's eyes and smiled. "Why don't you get yourself a handful of suckers?" he said, pointing to the big jar that were just in front of the register. The little boy's face retreated an inch behind the skirt. "Oh, go on," the man said, "get yourself a handful of suckers."
The little boy's face retreated another inch. The man laughed. "Well, here," he said, putting his hand down into the jar, pulling out a handful of suckers. At this the boy came out from behind his mother's red skirt and extended both his hands upward, receiving the suckers from the store's owner. After the groceries were paid for and loaded up in the wagon, the woman in the red skirt was ready to head home, but first she turned to her son. "Why were you so shy in there? Why didn't you reach your hand in and get the suckers when he offered?” Her son pulled the cherry sucker out of his mouth and looked up at his mother. "Because his hands are bigger than mine."
Naaman’s pride was hurt. After all, he is the commander of the Syrian army! -Elisha sends a messenger to him....
2 Kings 5:10NKJV “And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean.”
John 5:6NIV Jesus asks a question to the crippled man. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, (38 Years) Jesus asked him, “Do you want to get well?”
Naaman wanted to be healed his way, instead of God’s way:
2 Kings 5:11-12NKJV But Naaman became furious, and went away and said, “Indeed, I said to myself, ‘He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leprosy.’ Are not the Abanah and the Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” -So he turned and went away in a rage.”
Verse 13, of 2 Kings 5, Naaman’s servant asked the military leader a simple question: “If the prophet Elisha had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it?”
2 Kings 5:14AMP So he (Naaman) did it. He went down and immersed himself in the Jordan seven times, following the orders of the Holy Man. His skin was healed; it was like the skin of a little baby. He was as good as new.
-Today God can make you good as new! P.H
2 Corinthians 1:20-22TPT Now, it is God himself who has anointed us. And he is constantly strengthening both you and us in union with Christ. 21 He knows we are his since he has also stamped his seal of love over our hearts 22 and has given us the Holy Spirit like an engagement ring is given to a bride—a down payment of the blessings to come!
4 powerful truths to take home:
It is God who has anointed us. -Simply ask!
1 John 2:20NKJV But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things.
2. God strengthens us through our union with Him.
Ecclesiastes 4:12NLT A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.
3. God knows we are His because He has stamped us with His seal of love.
1 John 4:7NKJV Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.
1 John 4:19NKJV We love Him because He first loved us.
The Holy Spirit arrives with a bucket of liquid love. The fruit of the Holy Spirit is, Love, Joy and peace, gentleness, self control….. against there is no law.
4. God has given us His Holy Spirit like an engagement ring is given to a bride—a down payment of the blessings to come!
Proverbs 10:22NKJV The blessing of the LORD makes one rich, And He adds no sorrow with it.
MSG. 22. God’s blessing makes life rich; nothing we do can improve on God.
Here’s the truth, The Holy Spirit will be with us until the fullness of time. -Paul speaks about in, Galatians 4.
Psalm 27:8NIV My heart says of you, ‘Seek his face!’ Your face, Lord, I will seek.
The fullness of time makes us cry out Abba Father. In the fullness of time you learn you’re not a slave but a Son; You’re an heir through God.
One Sunday morning a little girl on her way home from Sunday school in the car said to her parents, "I don't understand." Her parents said "What don't you understand, sweetheart?” She said "Well, our Sunday school teacher today told us that God is inside of us!" "That's right honey." her parents assured her. "But didn't you say that God is bigger than us?" she continued to inquire, "That's also true honey." they said. "Well if God lives on the inside of us and he is bigger than us, wouldn't we see Him showing through on the outside of us?”
One last simple question, “Simply Ask.” -Let God be big!
-Benediction.
