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Christian Growth

Understanding the Ways of God

Why Christians Don't Experience Fruit in Their Lives

By Pastor Craig Ledbetter

Isaiah 55:8,9 DATE: 14 April, 2002 AM PLACE: BBC Blarney

I. Introduction (Isaiah 55:8,9)*

A. God’s ways are different than our ways

B. God so wants us to understand His way of doing things (Ps 103:7; Isa

1:18)

C. Without this understanding, we will die empty-handed, and very miserable,

even though saved, and heaven-bound (Ps 81:13; 95:10)

D. Let me show you why!

II. Message

A. The Three Steps to the Fulfilment of God’s Plan - God’s Way

  1. The Birth of a Vision - Dream - Desire placed in your heart (Mt 7:7,8; Ps 37:4)
  2. The Death of that Vision - this is where most people give up, and won’t go any further to see what God will do - it is the hardest part
  3. The Supernatural Fulfilment of that Vision - this is God’s departmnent

B. Examples of How This Works

SCRIPTUREBIRTHDEATHFULFILMENT John 12:24 Grain Dies Produces harvest Gen 17:4,5 Gen 11:30 Gen 21:3 Abraham knows that God is going to make him the father of many NATIONS Sarah remains barren, and is evidently, just too old God gives them both Isaac Gen 37:7 Joseph knows that he is going to be great someday Ends up being sold into slavery - then falsely accused - on death row Interprets Pharaoh’s dream - gets raised up to 2nd ruler of Egypt Ex 2:11-15 Moses attempts to free his people Israel Ends up a fugitive, fleeing from Pharaoh to the dessert - 40 years! Returns to Egypt, faces Pharaoh, and finally leads Israel out! Lk 22:23,24 Jn 12:32,33 The disciples thought constantly about being great in the coming kingdom Their King, Jesus, dies! Gets buried. Jesus gets back up 3 days later Jn 11:1-3 Jn 11:21,32 Mary and Martha believed Jesus could heal Lazarus Lazarus dies while waiting on Jesus to arrive Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead!

C. Why God Allows the Death of a Vision

  1. Because God has a Goal in mind that is more than just the answer of your desire, or even your need - What is God’s goal?
    • So that spiritual fruit to blossom in our lives (Gal 5:22,23)
    • So that our faith to be tested, and made stronger, or shown to be non-existent (James 1:2-4)
    • So that we get prepared for the supernatural fulfilment - we are not ready until we have allowed God to prepare us
  2. Because Satan has Goals too
    • To get you to seek the fulfilment of your dreams by human effort (Gen 16:1-3)
    • To get you to trust ANYTHING, except God’s ways of doing things (2Cor 11:4)

D. Principles

  1. In each of the above situations, there was the absolute and complete death of the main vision in their lives
  2. But the fulfilment came after a real contact was made with God - this is what disaster does in our lives - it makes it possible for us to be real with God, and accept God for who He is!
    • Abraham met with God personally after the fiasco with Hagar - became known in heaven as the “Friend of God”
    • Joseph walks with God throughout the entire situation - so unusual!
    • Moses meets God as a burning bush after 40 years of anger and frustration
    • The disciples met with the risen Jesus, and got full instructions, and then Holy Spirit empowerment to turn the world upside down
    • Mary and Martha dump all they feel on Jesus, only to watch Jesus reach beyond their faithlessness, and resurrect someone already 4 days dead!
  3. After each fulfilment, each person went on to do something mighty, something that was of eternal value, and substantial in the history of this world
  4. What we need (1Cor 13:13) - more than miracles, prophecies, healings:
    • Faith - to discern what is God’s will for your life
    • Hope - to hold us on course when everything turns absolutely hopeless
    • Charity/Love - totally and absolutely for Jesus only when the impossible is accomplished around us

III. Conclusion

A. Be honest

  1. How many of your dreams in your life have died?
  2. Up until now, you probably thought that, that was that!
  3. You now know that the death of a vision, of a dream is God’s way of fulfilling that dream

B. It’s time we dreamed again folks - not just for dreams sake, but for

faith’s sake - that our faith would grow and become strong

  1. Dream about our lives actually counting for eternity - having dome something of value
  2. Dream about our church turning this nation upside down with the life-changing message of this Bible
  3. Dream about a church building of our own
  4. Dream about specific souls that need to be saved, getting saved
  5. Dream about our kids being preachers, and missionaries, and soul-winners, and better Christians than any of us ever could be!
  6. Dream about being able to have a clean conscience week after week
  7. Dream about revival here in our church - the likes have never been seen in Ireland

C. The cost of each of those dreams - if God is to bring any of them to

fruition, is for them to die - to utterly collapse

D. The result will be those dreams resurrected in a totally different form,

and thereby so much better than we ever imagined!

E. Let me also make something very clear (Pr 11:7) - without you getting

born again, all the dreams in the world will not matter in hell! Today is a good day to get saved!

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