Stretch

I have a One word Sermon today:

Stretch

Philippians 3:13-14 KJVS

[13] Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, [14] I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Most of you know that this is one of my favorite scriptures, you’ve heard me speak from it at least a few times.

The reason I love it so much is, these 2 verses carry an attitude. There is a spirit, there’s an anointing in them.

This one word sermon is not actually found in these 2 verses, but the spirit of this word is amplified here. Reaching and pressing mean the same thing as stretch. As I have been contemplating and meditating on the first sermon of the new year, I felt stirred in my spirit.

Let me see if I can describe it. I felt like God has let me feel a feeling that is like a consensus of America.

In other words, I feel in my spirit that that God has let me sense what is an overarching feeling and attitude that has settled down over most of the country. In Particular, decent hard working, God fearing, country loving Christians and Patriots.

And it is a spirit and an attitude of... What's the use? In essence it's a feeling and attitude of... What difference does it make, We can’t change anything. Nothing we've tried has worked.

This attitude says…The left has out maneuvered us, and over powered us on every hand. And then here's the big exclamation mark, It's hopeless! We give up, we give in. We surrender. We quit fighting. They're going to do whatever they want to do anyway, so what’s the use.

This is a terrible sentiment and feeling, and attitude-anytime, but it is especially hurtful and injurious at a time when we should be excitedly, passionately, and expectantly, celebrating a new year, filled with potential, and possibilities, and opportunities.

You have to understand that this expectancy that rises in our hearts at the threshold of a new year, is a God thing… it’s called faith.

The devil has robbed faith from the hearts of millions of good hearted, decent Americans, but the sad truth is, he has also drained the faith reservoir of millions of Christians, or we could say… believers.

I not only sense the frustration, and the feelings of hopelessness that have infected our country, I also sense in my spirit the disappointment in the heart of God.

God is disappointed that we who are his children, born of his Spirit, born of faith, washed in the blood of the lamb, bible thumping, pew jumping, isle running, sin hating, devil stomping Christians, have let this spirit of “what’s the use”, get ahold of us.

I hear the Lord saying… You better shake it off.

This spirit is no less deadly than the viper that fastened on to Paul’s hand, and he shook it off into the fire.

Tell your neighbor… You’ve got to shake it off.

The Holy Spirit spoke a word to me, and I kind of tried to shirk it off, but it wouldn’t shirk. So here is the word he gave me….

Hebrews 10:38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man “draw back,” my soul shall have “no pleasure in him.”

So that is what I heard the Holy Spirit saying, then I tried to counter him with, yes Lord but your people have been through some real hard times. We’ve been slapped down over and over. We’ve been disappointed over and over. And Lord, it seems like they can just run right over the top of us, and do anything they want.

So there you go Lord, now you can see why we have hung our harps on the willow trees. And now you can see why we don’t want to sing anymore. Now you can see why we’re so down in the mully grubs.

Then I said, so I guess that scripture isn’t really speaking to us right? And the Holy Spirit said… no that’s not right, you’re exactly who I’m speaking to.

But I continued… Lord, let me remind you, we’ve been beat up, locked down, muzzled, jabbed, lied to, cheated, and stolen from...

And the Holy Spirit says… And So? Well Lord surely we must be justified to slack off and feel sorry for ourselves, and draw back just a little, right?

That’s when the Lord said, I want you to understand this. I didn’t say that if you draw back I wouldn’t love you. I said I wouldn’t have any pleasure in you.

The Lord said, my love for you is as strong as ever, but when you draw back, I am not pleasured in you. Because when you draw back, you are telling me that you believe more in the world, and in the works of darkness, and the power of the devil, than you believe in my word.