Month: February 2018

Insecurity

Matthew 6:25-34

One of the main thrusts of our society over the past few years, one in which society is willing to give an admonition, is the concept of confidence.

Having a positive self-image.

Through having a positive self-image – confidence – your security is derived through how you view yourself.

Society teaches a concept of thinking positively about your hair color, hair style, style in general, that through having this outlook on yourself this will instill a confident life.

Confidence in living.

Our culture disapproves of our lack of confidence. We call that insecurity. Therefore, everything is set up to create worth, value, and the view of yourself.

Insecurity is offensive to many because it is an offense to the worthiness of the individual. God, likewise, disapproves of insecurity because it is an offense to His worthiness. You see the difference.

Our culture teaches that you must depend on, and view, yourself differently. That brings confidence. Yet, in all of our efforts to create self-confidence, security in who we are, what we are, and what we have, we are producing more and more insecure people.

The Bible teaches that you must depend on God, view God differently, and that your confidence is through your relationship with God.

“Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. For me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe. Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the mutilation! For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh…” Philippians 3:1-4 (NKJV)

The Jews referred to Gentiles as dogs. Yet, here, Paul is telling the Philippians to beware, not of Gentiles, but of those who are of the circumcision, or were about cutting things off or, literally, mutilators. Jews, who would follow behind Paul and say to the Gentiles, “If you’re really serious about knowing God, what Paul said is okay as a beginning point, but you need to be circumcised if you want to be truly spiritual.”

There are still those today who imply that, to be spiritual, one must be miserable; those who say, “If you’re truly spiritual, you’ll do this and not do that; you’ll go here, but not there.” It’s those who want to put their limits on you. They want you to become secure through their concept of security, which really leads to insecurity. Of them, Paul says, beware.

The true circumcision are not those who want to inflict pain. The truly spiritual man is one who worships God in the Spirit, rejoices in Christ Jesus, and has no confidence in the flesh. True circumcision is not a mark on the flesh; it’s a mark in the heart. We teach people through our words, customs, and our confidence in the flesh to become insecure. Confidence in the flesh is the basis of insecurity.

1. Insecurity is being distracted from God by being preoccupied with ourselves.

Insecurity gets in the way of doing what God called us to do: love Him with all of our heart, mind, soul, and to love others.

Let me ask you, how many times have you backed off of what God has asked you to do because your outfit just isn’t right, your pants are a little clingy, or your hair is having a bad day? You don’t do what God wants you to do because you are self-conscious! Not God-Conscious but self-conscious.

“Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.” Philippians 2:3-4 (NKJV)

2. Insecurity is often dissatisfaction with God’s provision.

Insecurity is often nothing more than grumbling for better manna. We are sick of adequate nourishment; we want extraordinary flavor. We don’t like what God has given; money, position, appearance, personality, and we grumble for something better.

The pursuit of confidence in the flesh is ruining our view of God. It causes dissatisfaction with God and His provision in our lives. Such discontentment is a snare of “many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.” 1Timothy 6:6-10 (ESV)

Our dissatisfaction with self is often nothing more than our dissatisfaction with God.

3. Security found in the approval of others

Insecurity often reveals that our confidence is found in the approval of others. We want other people to like us, love us, and judge us worthy, at the expense of what God, and how God, views us.

God doesn’t care what you drive, what you wear, what you have, or what you don’t have. We all know it, we understand it, and will even amen that. However, we still care, but only because they still care. We care more about the things that make us worthy of a like, versus what will make us worthy to stand before Him.

Romans 1:16-17

Insecurity shows that we are still, in some way, believing that our justification is based upon our own attributes and accomplishments. We lack confidence and trust because we are trusting in ourselves versus trusting in God.

“And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.” Psalm 9:10 (NKJV)

One of the greatest weapons in the arsenal of your enemy is doubt. Satan loves to bring doubt into your mind. Doubt causes insecurity.

“And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.” Ephesians 2:1-3 (NKJV)

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:12 (NKJV)

“But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7 (NKJV)

Doubt and worry cause anxiety, and this is displeasing to Jesus.

Our opening Scripture tells us that we shouldn’t be anxious about what we shall eat, what we shall wear, or what we shall drink.

Worry, fear, and doubt about your future are insecurity in the provision of God. This is the breeding ground for depression. Insecurity leads to a lack of peace, and then fear sets in. We become depressed about that which we don’t have, all the while forgetting all we do have.

When we doubt, have fear, worry, or are insecure about God, Satan wins.

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.” 1 Peter 5:8-9 (NKJV)

Insecurity will cause you to distrust others. Remember Saul and David. The closer you get to God, the more secure you are.

The Training of Circus Elephants

I found the following passage in a book written by Gavin De Becker in 1997 entitled: The Gift of Fear, Survival Signals that Protect Us From Violence. It essentially explains the dynamics of learned helplessness:
“The way circus elephants are trained demonstrates this dynamic well: When young, they are attached by heavy chains to large stakes driven deep into the ground. They pull and yank and strain and struggle, but the chain is too strong, the stake too rooted. One day they give up, having learned that they cannot pull free, and from that day forward they can be “chained” with a slender rope. When this enormous animal feels any resistance, though it has the strength to pull the whole circus tent over, it stops trying. Because it believes it cannot, it cannot.
“You’ll never amount to anything. You can’t sing. You’re not smart enough. You’re a loser. You should have more realistic goals. You’re the reason our marriage broke up. Without you kids I’d have had a chance. You’re worthless.
“This concert is being sung in homes all over America right now. The stakes driven into the ground, the heavy chains attached, the children reaching the point they believe they cannot pull free. And at that point, they cannot.
“Unless and until something changes their view, unless they grasp the striking fact that they are tied with a thread, that the chain is an illusion, that they were fooled, and ultimately, that whoever so fooled them was wrong about them and that they were wrong about themselves…”

The spirit of Southern Illinois is tied to our past; how you were raised, how you were brought up to believe. It is learned helplessness, learned poverty, learned depression, learned religion. You can break the chain, you can cut the rope.
The church must introduce them to Jesus, and then we, as the church, cannot tie chains on them.
The view has to change, the faith has to be increased. The chain is an illusion. The concept is a lie.

We must take the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God and cut the rope off of ourselves and others.

Our God shall supply all of our needs – Philippians 4:19

The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want – Psalms 23

We are the sheep of His pasture and we are secure in Him. Our confidence isn’t in anything we have done, or that we will do. Our confidence is in Christ and His finished work.

He’ll Do It Again

 “Do It Again” by Elevation Worship

Your faith for the future is forged by past experience. 

“Moreover David said, “The LORD, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” I Samuel 17:37 (NKJV)

David’s confidence in going out to battle was forged through previous experiences with God. David understood that God had brought him through before, and He would do it again. Our confidence should be forged through our past experiences with God. The faith for your future should be drawn from what God has done for you before.

If you’re not careful, the perceived failures of God in the past will forge your faith for the future, but it won’t be faith for the impossible to become possible, it will be faith in the impossible.

Each time you pray and it doesn’t happen the way that you thought it should happen it can chip away at your confidence. Soon your fear is actually your faith, then you become self-prophetic, “See? I knew it was going to go like that. I knew it wasn’t going to happen.”

As you go into battle, are you reciting failures of the past, or the victories?

There is no doubt that David had some failures. There were some days that weren’t banner days. Yet, when it came time for the battle of his life, David didn’t recount the sheep he lost; instead, he recounted the stories of victory.

As He stands before the Goliath of his life, He says, “The LORD, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” (1 Samuel 17:37)

As you stand before the Goliath of your life, don’t recount the failures, the moments that aren’t share worthy, instead recount the times of victory. Recall to your Goliath the lion and the bear of your life.

We only give God credit for the big victory (the Goliath) if it happens. Then, we take credit for the lion and the bear. Therefore we often say, “I don’t have victories to recount.”

Every morning you have a victory. God’s mercy is new every morning.

If you have had a victory in your life, you ought not to forget it. The faith that is forged through the small victories is what will give you faith for the Goliath in your life.

There is no change in God.

I want to remind you there is no change in God. The same God who you brought you those small victories, is the same God who will handle Goliath for you.

“For I am the LORD, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.”

Malachi 3:6 (NKJV)

“God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” Numbers 23:19 (NKJV)

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” James 1:17 (NKJV)

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” Hebrews 13:8 (NKJV)

I want to give these to you so you would remember there is no change in God.

If God reached out before, He will reach out again.

If God healed before, He will heal again.

If God delivered before, He will deliver again.

If God poured it out before, He will pour it out again.

You must remind yourself:

“God’s arm is not to short that He cannot reach

Nor is His ear to deaf that He cannot hear.

His eye is not to dim that He cannot see

God’s power is not dried up, hasn’t run out, and has no limits.

God’s Word is still true – His promises are “Yea,” and they are “Amen.”

God is an ever present Help in time of trouble.

The Name of the Lord is a strong tower that the righteous can run into and they are safe.

If He healed Bartimaeus, He will heal you.

If He healed the woman with the issue of blood, He will heal you.

If the Father accepted the Prodigal Son back, He will accept you.

If He saved the thief on the cross, He can save, and will save you.

If He provided for Peter to pay his taxes, God will provide for you.

What He has done He will do again.

The Bible proves it out over and over again that God can and will do it again and again. 

Twice providing a supply of oil…

“And Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me; and afterward make some for yourself and your son. For thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the Lord sends rain on the earth.’ So she went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and he and her household ate for many days. The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the Lord which He spoke by Elijah.” 1 Kings 17:13-16 (NKJV)

 

“A certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, saying, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the Lord. And the creditor is coming to take my two sons to be his slaves.” So Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?” And she said, “Your maidservant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil.” Then he said, “Go, borrow vessels from everywhere, from all your neighbors—empty vessels; do not gather just a few. And when you have come in, you shall shut the door behind you and your sons; then pour it into all those vessels, and set aside the full ones.” So she went from him and shut the door behind her and her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured it out. Now it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.” And he said to her, “There is not another vessel.” So the oil ceased. Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debt; and you and your sons live on the rest.” 2 Kings 4:1-7 (NKJV)

God did it once for the widow of Zarephath, and God did it again for the widow of Bethel.

If you need God to supply a need for you, He will do it again. 

He will do it again…

My faith isn’t forged by fear; my faith is forged in victory. I believe that God will do it again. My faith for the future is strong – I can recount the miraculous power of Almighty God to the Goliath of my day.  

The Lord, Who brought me through, will bring me through again.

The Red Sea Parting 

“Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided. So the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea on the dry ground, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.” Exodus 14:21-22 (NKJV)

The Jordan River Parting 

^“and as those who bore the ark came to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests who bore the ark dipped in the edge of the water (for the Jordan overflows all its banks during the whole time of harvest), that the waters which came down from upstream stood still, and rose in a heap very far away at Adam, the city that is beside Zaretan. So the waters that went down into the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, failed, and were cut off; and the people crossed over opposite Jericho. Then the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan; and all Israel crossed over on dry ground, until all the people had crossed completely over the Jordan.” Joshua 3:15-17 (NKJV)

God parted the waters of the Red Sea, for the children of Israel, once and then he parted the waters of the Jordan River for them again.

“Now Elijah took his mantle, rolled it up, and struck the water; and it was divided this way and that, so that the two of them crossed over on dry ground.” 2 Kings 2:8 (NKJV)

“Then he took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and struck the water, and said, “Where is the Lord God of Elijah?” And when he also had struck the water, it was divided this way and that; and Elisha crossed over.” 2 Kings 2:14 (NKJV)

God did it once for Elijah and then he did it again for Elisha.

I want you to know today, if you are facing a Red Sea situation in your life, where you can’t go: that God can make a way where there seems to be no way!

The Baptism of the Holy Spirit…

“When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” Acts 2:1-4 (NKJV)

^“While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God.” Acts 10:44-46 (NKJV)

^“And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. Now the men were about twelve in all.” Acts 19:6-7 (NKJV)

God poured out the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost to the 120.

Then He poured out it again at Cornelius’ house.

Then He did it again for the disciples of John at Ephesus.

 And He will do it again, right here at SIWC, in 2018!

He is coming again…

“And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” John 14:3 (NKJV)

“…who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.” Acts 1:11 (NKJV)

What God has done, He will do it again!

 

“Do It Again” by Elevation Worship