WEIRD - wk 4 Lift the Lid
GOD’S GREATEST OPPORTUNITIES ARE NOT USUALLY OBVIOUS.
When you only look for the obvious ~ do not expect the miraculous.
2 Timothy. 2:20 - 21
20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonor.
21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.
Vessels of honor are not perfect vessels…
The vessels of honor - ARE THE VESSELS THE MASTER USES!
Mark 2:1 - 12
1 And again he entered into Capernaum after some days; and it was noised that he was in the house..
2 And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no, not so much as about the door: and he preached the word unto them.
3 And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four.
4 And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay.
5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.
6 But there was certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts,
7 Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only?
8 And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts?
9 Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk?
10 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,)
11 I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house.
12 And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion.
:: WEIRD WAYS TO CHANGE FROM OBVIOUS TO MIRACULOUS ::
1. INTERRUPTIONS ARE
We have to see interruptions as HEAVENLY INVITATIONS for the miraculous!
HIS POWER IS CALLED TO INTERRUPT OUR REGULARY SCHEDULED PROGRAM!
Sometimes the DOOR was closed because you were not meant to go through the obvious!
USUALLY in interruptions our MOOD does not match our MISSION.
WHEN WE GET STUCK… WE LOVE TO SAY OUR “STUCK” IS SITUATIONAL.
- IN REALITY OUR “STUCK” IS A STATE OF MIND.
- When we see ourselves stuck… we get stupid.
FAITH PEOPLE SEE INTERRUPTIONS AS INVITATIONS!
WEIRD FAITH is CHOOSING to frame your life by FAITH not FEAR.
GOD’S GREATEST MIRACLES COME IN THE PACKAGE OF INTERRUPTIONS
Luke 1:46 NIV
46 “And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord “
Soul = MIND, WILL AND EMOTIONS…
IF WE WOULD STOP BEING SO “PUT OUT” BY THE PROBLEM and DETERMINE GOD MADE ME A CHOSEN VESSEL WITH A SOLUTION ~ PROBLEMS WOULD NOT SHAKE US SO MUCH.
2. LIFT THE
“Lid” represents a limitation, restriction, or barrier.
L IMITATIONS I‘ve D ecided
THIS MAN’S STORY WAS ALL ABOUT LIDS! (Mark 2:1 - 12)
Identify an area where you’ve said:
“I’m just not very
WHEN YOU CHANGE YOUR INTERUPTIONS INTO INVITATIONS,
GOD WILL MINISTER TO YOU THAT YOU NEED TO LIFT THE LID OFF YOUR EXPECTATIONS ~ AND DREAM WITH HIM ABOUT WHAT IS POSSIBLE!
2 Corinthians 5:7
7 “(For we walk by faith, not by sight:)”
GOD DOES NOT JUST CALL YOU TO LIFT THE LID OFF OF YOUR LIFE…
BUT HE PUTS YOU IN CONTACT WITH OTHERS TO LIFT THEIR LIDS.
~ IF YOU ARE A PERSON THAT IS WILLING TO ALLOW GOD TO USE YOU TO LIFT THE LID OFF
- you have to be willing to get your hands dirty ~
YOU CAN BE SPIRITUAL AND NOT GET YOUR HANDS DIRTY…
PEOPLE ARE EAGER for God to do GREAT THINGS - But often too lazy to be used.
TOO MANY PEOPLE ARE WAITING ON GOD.
- GOD GAVE YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO SOW SEED…
- YOU SAW IT AS AN INTERRUPTION INSTEAD OF AN INVITATION!
You need the right perspective.
Matthew 16:15 - 18
15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Jesus saw PETER before he was a ROCK.
We are called to SEE people by faith before they act in faith!
v.3 And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four.
IT COST THEM
- time
- reputation
- energy
- $$$$$
ALL because they knew… they could not get in the door… but they needed to get him to Jesus!
3. Make PROXIMITY our
WHO’S PUSHING YOU TO GET CLOSER TO JESUS?
Who you allow to hold your sheet can be a matter of LIFE OR DEATH!
“BED” with four corners” This is significant.
Matthew and Luke call it a krabattos … Mark calls it a Kline… It was a sheet with four corners…
ACTS 10 - Holy Spirit gave Peter a vision of a SHEET with 4 corners… simple sail.
ACTS 19 - They used 4 corner pieces of cloth, sweat rags from Paul, to heal people.
THE SWEAT RAGS BECAME SOMETHING HOLY WHEN GOD WAS INVOLVED.
- the sheet // the sweat rags // THE BED all had something in common:
THE PROXIMITY TO SOMEONE WHO KNEW JESUS!
GOD HAD THE JEWISH PEOPLE TAKE FOUR CORNERED NORMAL SHEETS AND PUT TASSELS ON THE END… CALLED TALIT.
Purpose: REMEMBER ME.
- THE MAN WAS SURROUNDED BY A BED THAT REMINDED HIM OF HIS “LIDS”.
- THE FRIENDS HAD WEIRD FAITH TO TEAR A ROOF OFF ~ TO GET THIS MAN TO JESUS.
A REGULAR MAT BECAME A SUPERNATURAL TRANSPORTATION VEHICLE!
WHEN THE DOOR WAS SHUT…THEY BROUGHT THE MAN TO THE DOOR.
John 10:9
9 “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”
Saved = healed, whole, blessed, protected, etc.
BECAUSE JESUS IS THE DOOR…
NOTHING CAN COME INTO YOUR LIFE WITHOUT GOING THROUGH HIM…
REALIZE - THERE IS ALWAYS A DOOR OPEN TO HIS GLORY - IT IS JUST NEVER OBVIOUS.
- THERE IS A dimension where the supernatural becomes natural.
- THERE IS A dimension that seeing angels is NORMAL.
- THERE IS A dimension where MIRACLES happen daily.
THE GLORY!
Glory = kabod - heaviness, heavy presence, heavy glory—the weighty realms of God’s spirit.
Glory is the atmosphere OF being in His presence! The call to glory is the HUNGER for proximity.
DO NOT EXPECT THE GLORY and YOU NEVER OPEN YOUR BIBLE AND LET IT READ YOU.
God’s glory does not just give you a weird experience;
God’s glory brings you WEIRD freedom for your life.
WHEN YOU ENTER the GLORY, YOU EXIT the LIMITATIONS of EARTH!
WHEN WE…
- see interruptions as invitations to bring Kingdom
- lift the lid off of our imposed limitations (and others)
- and we make proximity to Him our priority
WE DO WHAT GOD DID…
- BROKE THROUGH HEAVEN…
- SENT HIS SON DOWN…TO BREAK EVERY LID THE ENEMY PUT ON YOU…
- AND BECOME EMMANUEL… GOD not close to us… but WITH US…