My Service 2: God is going to do something amazing tonight.

My Service 2: God is going to do something amazing tonight.

Key Text: Matthew 13:53-58

Last Sunday night was by far one of the most significant moments in ministry I have seen.

Seeing God’s people passionately and actively talking about how they can get involved and personally commit to growing His Kingdom.

It blew my mind. And the thing that truly struck me is that is was only God who could have done that!

It was only God that could have brought people together and corporately connected them to be excited again to see Him work in their presence.

I hope you are excited to see God work in your midst again.

I hope you are motivated more to make this service a place where the work and power of God are real. This happens when people give themselves over to the guiding of God.

I want to ask you tonight; are you excited to see what God can do?

Do you believe that He has chosen this moment to do something?

Why I ask is because If we are not expectantly waiting on God to work and move and we are not actively seeking His will; He might just pass us by and we will miss out on what He wants to do in and through us.

There is a story in the gospels that speaks directly to this; and that is when Jesus goes back to his home town in Matthew 13:53-58 (you can turn there in your bibles).

It is here we get one of those weird passages of Scripture that shows us the heart of God; and the heart of God is to use people to His glory.

The reality is that God could do whatever He wanted; the advantage of being omnipotent. But in spite of this He choses to work through men and women who are submitted to His will.

Let read

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The end of this passage is very interesting; He didn’t do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.

He didn’t do many miracles because of their lack of faith. The God of heaven and earth; he who gives life to all people and controls the season; starts and universe did not do many miracles because of the lack of faith of a couple of people!

This is an incredible line and forces us to ask the question; was Jesus limited because people didn’t believe?

The simple answer is from the text yes.

The more correct answer, however, is; God is not limited by the choices of men because he is weak; rather it is because is truly powerful. He choses to limit His power at peoples lack of faith because God choses to work through people!

I need to make that clear; God CHOSES to work through people. He by no means needs to; but in His own free will choses to make His power known through people connecting to what He is doing and letting them be a part of His work!

The reality is that for a reason only known to Himself; God honours us when we step out in faith with Him. He allows us to be a part of what He is doing because He loves us.

You see God is looking for men and women who will lay down their own selfishness and pride and fully trust in Him and let go of their self preservation to let Him lead them to places they simply cannot go by themselves.

In short God want you to be His instrument to change the world; the question is do you trust God enough to do it?

The interesting thing is the amount of trust is irrelevant; I am always concerned when people say I simply don’t have enough faith (as if faith was this commodity that we can have more or less of).

Jesus says if you have the faith of a mustard seed (the smallest of tree seed) you can move mountains; because faith is simple; small and the start!

We have to let go; get a big view of God and trust in Him to do what only He can do.

You see when you say I don’t have enough faith you have taken away what was God’s and put it back upon yourself.

God I know you are huge and almighty and nothing is impossible for you; but I just don’t have enough faith – do you see the absurdity of a thought like that!

Its like saying I know the Sun is hot and warm I just don’t think it can warm me.

So stop thinking about yourself; stop making this about you - trust God let go and see where He takes you!

The thing is this will be scary – it will take you to places that are uncomfortable and beyond you – but again this is not about you it's about Him and His glory!

We need to start thinking in terms of the fact that God’s power is never limited; the only thing that is limited is our involvement with what He is doing.

Therefore it is not a question of can God do it; it is a question of what is God doing; lets get involved!

The thing is that this will take massive courage on our behalf.

It takes courage to stand up in school and talk about our love for Jesus and what He is doing in our lives. It takes massive courage to stand up in our work places and say we will not be persuaded to participate in anything unethical or illegal.

It takes courage to say to our friends you should come and see what is happening at our church.

It takes courage to lead your family with God’s power!

It takes courage to serve the church with everything in you!

But again Revelation 21:8 states

"But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death

It adds to the list of those things that are wholly evil is this idea of cowardliness.

Because at the heart of a coward is self-preservation and selfishness.

But those who are brave; who stand firm for the kingdom and the advancement of the Kingdom! They have a great reward from their King and Saviour!

They get to be involved with what God is doing in the world!

I asked at the beginning of this service “are you excited to see what God can do tonight?”

I want to take this a step further; are you excited to see what God is going to do through YOU tonight?

Cause I believe that God is moving; I believe that God is doing something in Wilro Park; and I want this church to be a part of that!

And I know that God wants to use this church to be a part of what He is doing in Wilro Park; because God uses Church to bring about His Will!

The thing is if we are concerned about our own comfort and self God will continue moving and we will be left behind!

And so it will take all of us! It will take us stepping out of our comfort zones; it will take us making this the point where we come together to celebrate and work so that God can be glorified; and we will be doing it only by the power He gives us!

Because all we will be doing is slotting in with what He is already doing!

It will take us each asking; what is my place in what God is doing.

It will require each of us saying I am going to do my part!

It will need each of us to take personal and real account of where we are with God; to fall desperately in need of Him for every part of our life and ministry!

It will require us being life to each other! Building each other up in God and encouraging each other to not get tired or give up!

But if we all commit to this; if we stop for a second and just focus on Him who called us. And really (and I mean REALLY) ask Him to move in our midst! I believe we will see an outpouring in this church that will shake the very foundations of Wilro Park!

To the extent that maybe we will see this valley won for Jesus!

Maybe we will see our friends saved; committed and growing!

The question is do you have faith that God can do this?Do you really believe that God can use you and this church to change your will?

It boils down to us being absolutely surrendered to Him and completely abandoned to self.

And so I want to challenge us tonight; all individually; are you with God?

How do we get with God?

Well we have to have;

A heart that is after Him This evening ask yourself is my heart concerned for the things that God is concerned for is my desires after his desires.

Maybe your life is a little overly concerned for your things and not the things of God; well there is grace!

Jesus said; do not concern yourself for the things of this world; rather seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and everything else will be added to you.

The only thing that matters in this world is doing what God has called you to! and if you don’t know there is a whole church of people here who can help you find out what that is!

We also have to have;

A life surrendered to Him This is a life that says God whatever you want do it! WHATEVER YOU WANT!

God takes those prayers very seriously!

Tonight surrender your dreams and aspirations allowing God's desires for you to be your desires for you!

Finally We must have;

A mind alert to His leading Our whole existence is to discover and follow after God's leading!

To Bring Him glory by following after what He is doing is the sum total of the meaning of your existence!

And so as a church tonight I want us to take a step of faith. to step out and really trust God to move in our midst!

And so again we are going to break up into groups and I want you to commit yourself and each other and this church to doing what God desires of us - no matter the cost!

Now I want to make this clear - God takes the honest prayer of people seriously! and so maybe in your heart you might need to ask for forgiveness then commit yourself to following after Him!

Let us all who are committed to seeing Him move in our midst invite Him to move and each one of us ask for this to be the start of the work He wants to do through this church!