Monday, August 24, 2009

Stepping Out, Part III (Five things you need to know....)

I ended my last post with a question to ponder: What would you do for Jesus if you knew you could not fail? We are assured that whatever we do in His will, will not fail! We will fail though if we are constantly looking back. Have you ever watched on television the men that run from the bulls through the streets of Spain for sport. The guys that get trampled or stabbed are the ones that are constantly looking back as they are running. God's Word tells us not to look back (remember Lot's wife looked back and turned into a pillar of salt). Luke 9:62 says, "No man is fit for the plow by looking back." So back to our main subject....

There are five things you need to know before you "step out" for Jesus:

(1) Know where you are going....
I won't elaborate on this point....only you and God know where you are going when you depart from this earth. "Works" alone will not get you into heaven. Are you heaven bound? If you don't know for sure, you don't need to "step out" in service for Jesus until you get that settled. Can I tell you that I taught a church youth group for years as a non-believer myself. I wasn't teaching them anything immoral, but I wasn't teaching them sound doctrine either. If you need to know more about how to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, please email me at suziqcombs@yahoo.com with your phone number and we'll talk.

(2) Know why you are going.....
John 10:27 says, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them and they follow me." Is God willing it, or are you willing it? Are you doing this act of service to glorify self or glorify God? Nothing is more miserable and humbling then stepping out of God's will. We need to step out because we recognize the Shepard's voice! By the way, stepping out is a command and not a choice if you are a believer.

(3) Know the dress code.....
Ephesians 6:13-18a says, "Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication....."

So what exactly is that dress code? According to scripture it is this:
Know truth, live righteously, seek peace, have faith, know that you are a believer, know and study the Word of God, Continuous prayer....If you aren't dressed properly, you'll step out....and then step off into the deep end. Also, if we don't know the proper dress code we'll be drawn to the wrong dress code (i.e., church being a Sunday social, doing our will, the world will inhabit us instead of us inhabiting the world).

(4) Know what is holding you back (from stepping out).....
Ask God to reveal this to you if you don't know already. Here are a list of things (among many) that can hold us back: Lack of knowledge, lack of discipline, lack of compassion or love for others, fear of rejection, laziness, busyness, idol worship (anything more important than God in your life is an idol), insecurity, defeat, fear of change, pride, clinging to the past.

(5) Know your potential thru Jesus Christ!
Phillipians 4:13 says, "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me".
You didn't take a breath this morning and your heart didn't beat without God enabling it to do so. He knew us before we were formed in the womb! What more potential do we need?

So, I challenge you! Dream a little....what would you do for Jesus if you knew you couldn't fail? This challenge is not for the new babes in Christ....you need milk before you can progress to meat....but if you can no longer be considered a babe in Christ, here is another question to ponder....What is beyond your comfort level but occupies your thoughts and passion? And, secondly, what do you need to start doing today to get there? I would encourage you that if you don't know what your spiritual gifts are to take a spiritual gifts analysis. One that comes to mind is the one my church uses at www.churchgrowth.org. Also, prayerfully consider where God wants you at this season in your life. If your a mother with young children and a husband that works 5 days a week, that may be your ministry at this season. Lastly, don't get grandiose with the ministry that God has for you....start small. Don't get caught up in being grand in the eyes of people, you are already grand in the eyes of an Almighty God :)

1 comment:

Aunt Angie said...

Sue---the ministry that God has going on in your life has touched my life in such an incredible way! I was NOT sent to Lake City for y'all...but rather for me. Your words---"what would you do..." have come back to me over and over. My notes, which I didn't go through them all because we had almost the same topic line---were written as if I were talking to myself...because that's how the LORD sometimes speaks to me....through me maybe to someone else, but you know I live everything I write! So it's always "TO me" as well.

It still amazes me how God works. My passion is to share Jesus---in words---written or spoken with others. To live HIM out in view of others, so that they don't have to wonder if I am a follower of Jesus.

He has taken me to the threshing floor of late. Threshing out the chafe that needs to be removed from my life. The minute (or rather milli-second) that I think He's done, it begins again. It's not a pretty sight---nor is it a pleasant experience.

Sue, my prayer lately has been, "remove all the hinderances from my life that will cause me to fall short of doing the faith walk---the passion and calling that He desires to see in my life."

I wish so bad that you were coming to the retreat! WE will have to find a way to get together again before too long! Now that our paths have crossed---I just feel that the LORD wants to cross our paths some more!

I pray blessings on your week!