Expect Great Things for God and Attempt Great Things for God - Isa 54:1-4
Illustration: Just before his first London crusade, Billy Graham was asked by a newspaper reporter, "Are you an optimist or a pessimist?" Billy said without hesitation, "I’m an optimist! I know God and I have read the end of the Bible and it assures me that we who are in Christ have the victory." Yet, many Chrisians live much of their lives in defeat, discouragement or disappointment.
We live in an age where pessimism seems to reign in our TV news report, magazines and newspapers. This negative influx of information tends to discourage people from investing in the fulfillment of the Christ’s great commission. Our God is an optimist because He knows the end from the beginning and knows that His purposes will be accomplished. He says, "The earth will be covered with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the seas."
Here are ten ways we are to respond to God’s confident, optimistic and buoyant promises about how Christ’s kingdom is coming in greater qualitative and quantitative measure:
1. Sing with gladness at the positive ways that the Lord will make the barren fruitful. The Lord promises the barren that they will burst forth with song fully realizing their expectations of fruitful spiritual multiplication.
Illustration: George Matthewson, who was blind since the age of three wrote the words to the famous song, "Oh joy that seeks me through pain. I cannot close my heart to thee. I trace the rainbow through the rain and feel the promise is not vain. That morn shall tearless be." Fanny Crosby who was blind since the age of 2 wrote, "Redeemed, how I love to proclaim it, redeem by the blood of the lamb. Redeemed by His infinite mercy. His child and forever I am." Both of these song writers brightened the lives of millions by the joy in their heart even though they could not see the smile on peoples’ faces.
2. Enlarge your tent. Expand your plans so as to work according to Christ’s kingdom expansion agenda in all ways of your personal life, ministry and investments.
3. Expand your view of God. We have a great God who is able to do exceedingly abundant beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that mightily at work in us. (Eph. 3:20)
Illustration: J.B. Phillips, the writer of the Phillips translation of the New Testament wrote a book called, "Your God is Too Small". He desribed 15 ways that people underestimate and under utilize God’s greatness in their lives. Let us praise God for His transcendant power (His power that is supreme above all other, existing apart from or not subject to limitations of the material universe)
4. Increase your faith about what God can do through you for the qualitative and quantitative advancement of His kingdom. Jesus said, "Your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." (Matt 6:9-13) We just have to believe that Christ will remove the obstacles to the advancement of His kingdom.
5. Enlarge your influence. Do not get discouraged, but be encouraged that what good seed you sow you will also reap, if you faint not. (Gal. 6:6-10)
Illustration: John Maxwell said, Leadership is influence." Influence is action invisibly exercised on a person, situation or relationship. People who demonstrate the Spirit’s power like Paul influence them through prayer, preaching, and teaching of His word with the authority of God and His promises.
6. Be confident that Christ will build His church in greater quantity and quality. Jesus said, "I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it." (Matt 16:18,19)Be optimistic about the way that the Lord will expand His kingdom and righteousness throughout the world as the waters cover the sea. Paul assured us that everyone would know the gospel as he had been promised. (Rom. 15:19-21)
7. Extend your ministry to the hurting, lonely and overlooked people groups of the world. There are still about 3,000 people groups that are yet to get a clear presentation of the gospel through an indigenous church. Pray, give and work toward the planting and growing of new churches in all communities and people groups of the world.
Illustration:When Julio Buival brought the Pastors of Cali, Columbia together for prayer, a great disarming of the powers of the drug cartels began to crumble. The entire city was transformed by the power of strategic spiritual warfare through prayer. Today, Cali is the center of evangelical influence throughout Columbia even though more than 200 Pastors in Columbia have been attacked by the emissaries of the evil one. Great ministries sometimes have to pay high prices for their willingness to go down to the battlefront.
8. Increase your sphere of influence. Get a copy of Operation World, by Patrick Johnstone and begin to pray for the unreached countries and people groups of the world. (Acts 1:8)
Illustration: Johnstone began his ministry after leaving Rhodesia as struggling missionary. However, when God allows one door to close He always opens up a better one. Johnstone has influenced hundreds of millions with Operation World, the definitive prayer guide for missions used round the world.
9. Stretch your commitments to new areas. Perhaps you have never reached a higher level of commitment with your time, talents or resources as it effects Christ’s great commission. Believe that the Lord will multiply you if you yield to him everything.
Illustration: Robert Morrison went to China believing that the Lord would use him, but even he would be surprised at the way God multiplied his feeble efforts. Through pain-staking efforts, Robert translated the Bible into Chinese. He paved the way for others to study God’s word in their own language as more than 5000 Wycliffe missionaries are doing today around the world having a great influence on millions. Even a rubber band does not heat up unless it is stretched. When a rubber band is stretched only then can it do its job.
10. Plan for multiplication. Wm. Carey said, Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God. Jesus said, "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed. Before you know it the field is full and the birds inhabit its trees." (matt 13:31)
11. Be optimistic and not pessimistic about the great commission. People respond much better to encouragement than to discouraging attitudes. (Phil. 2:1-5)
12. Teach, preach and sing with positive expectations of what God will do despite the bad news in the world. The Lord can work all things together for good as long as we love Him and fit into His plans. (Rom. 8;28,29) If God is for us, who can be against us.
13. Work as an overcomer instead of succumbing to the negative teachings of others. Paul wrote, Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good. (Rom. 12:21) We have that as a promise and a command.
14. Invest in a sure promise from God that He will expand His kingdom through those who trusting and obeying His word. Jesus said, Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven. (matt 6:19-23) Paul said, "I know whom I have believed and persuaded that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day." (2 Tim. 1:12) Why not invest in a sure God with certain promises so you can reap a 30,60, and 100 fold return on your investment instead of 3% in a Certificate of deposit in the bank or lose money in the stock market.
