// Intro
- Prep: 2nd Chronicles 7:14
- When I get called to fix a PC
- There is one requirement, that if it's not met, from the very beginning...
- They MUST submit to my expertise
- If they don't, I can do nothing for them
- That means, that they HAVE to put aside what they think the problem/solution is, and
let me work
- I'm fine with questions and I appreciate more information that they might think to
tell me
- But I'm NOT interested in their ability to fix the problem
- Because if they call me, it means they need it done faster and better than they could
do it
- Oftentimes, my clients don't understand what I'm doing
- And sometimes, they even think I'm doing the wrong thing
- But the question they need to ask themselves, before calling me to come down there...
- "Am I going to trust Jesse to fix my computer and let him work?"
- "...or am I going to get in his way, thinking that I know what's best?"
- That is picture of what it's like for us to go to God and ask Him to fix things in
our lives.
- If we want His help, we must submit to Him, completely.
- Question: What does it mean to submit to God?
- Let's read a scripture...
2nd Chronicles 7:14
7:14
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and
turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal
their land.
- What we're seeing here is the blueprint or the standard protocol for how we are
supposed to approach and communicate with God.
- It tells us...
- WHAT'S supposed to be done
- HOW it's supposed to be done
- and even in WHAT ORDER that it's supposed to be done in
- This is THE answer to solving problems in your life
- This is THE answer to how to correctly serve Him
- This is THE answer to living for God
- Prep: Jeremiah 29:11-13
- And we know that God has our best interests at heart, right?
- We know He's not some tyranical being that enjoys watching us suffer
- He ONLY wants GOOD for us!
Jeremiah 29:11-13
29:11
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil,
to give you an expected end.
PAUSE
29:12
Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will
hearken unto you.
Submitted
29:13
And ye shall seek me, and find [me], when ye shall search for me with all your
heart.
Submitted
- You will NOT pray unto God properly, UNLESS you're submitted
- You will NOT seek Him with all of your heart, UNLESS you're submitted
- Which ultimately means, your problems will not get solved correctly
- Submit to Jesus and let Him fix you
- Prep: James 4:7
- So, we've talked about the right way to handle problems in our lives
- But now I want talk about dealing with sin... correctly
James 4:7
4:7
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
- Just like dealing with any other problems or tough times
- Submitting to the Lord is the FIRST and REQUIRED step in dealing with sin
- Do not pass over the fact that it is still the FIRST step!
- Without God, we are 100% vulnerable to the devil
- We must submit before we CAN resist
1st Corinthians 10:13
10:13
There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God
[is] faithful, who will not
suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the
temptation also make a way to
escape, that ye may be able to bear [it].
- God will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you can handle
- But, what's important to note in this verse, is that HE is the one that "makes a
way"
- So, for Him to be ABLE to make a way, we have to be...? submitted
Philippians 2:12-13
2:12
Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my
absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling Submitted.
2:13
For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of [his] good pleasure. for later
- Again, God is the One that does the work
- ... and as long as you stay submitted, He can keep doing it
- But what about when we don't like the way God's doing it?
- What about when the work He's doing is really inconvenient for us?
- Well, we do need His strength, that's for sure...
- But did anyone happen to notice the last three words of the verse we just read?
- "For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of [his] good pleasure."
- HIS good pleasure. Not ours.
- "I know the thoughts that I have toward you...
- NOT our thoughts
Philippians 4:13
4:13
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.