How To Get To Your WHEN... Luke 22:31-32
I pray that everyone who stood today to proclaim what thus saith the Lord was as blessed as we were at Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church where we are "A Connected Church For A Community In Chaos"!
Today our congregation shared in a worship service that will go down in the history book of our church as the launch of what I will call "College Sunday". Under the direction or our Senior Pastor, Reverend Ray E. Owens, every fourth Sunday our church family will share worship with the University of Notre Dame "Voices of Faith". VOP is a gospel choir comprised of N.D. students from across the country.
This day appeared to be a blessing for all involved...
God led me to share from Luke 22:31-32 (the context runs through verse 34...but there was much meat to pick in the first two verses). God showed me that one of the issues with the Body being successful is that many of us don't get to our WHEN...
Yea, I said the adverb when. This little word shows us that there is a place in time that things occur. The Greek definition points to the past, the present and the future.
In other words, we all have a when. To those of us who have been loosing, I just want you to know that you have a WHEN in you. The good news is that if you only remember when you use to be... or if you are focused on when you get the job, when you get the check, when you get a man, when you retire, when you move out of yo' momma's house, when you graduate, when you get it together...then this message was birthed to insure that you get to your God ordained WHEN! When you get to your WHEN not only do you WIN, but the Body of Christ will WIN...
All you have to do to get to your WHEN is just:
Remember your Simonist ...in other words remember to forget your selfishness...
31 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, ...
Simon's name at the root definition means "to hear"...but many of us forget that there is a difference between hearing and listening.
• Hear - : to perceive or apprehend by the ear
• Listen- to pay attention to sound hearing something with thoughtful attention: give consideration
I believe that's why Jesus had to say Simon, Simon, behold....He was saying Hear and Listen...Pay attention to what I'm saying ....
That tends to be the issue with most of us as we sit in church Sunday after Sunday hearing the Word, but not listening. Our selfishness causes us to turn off the preached Word unless it is what we want to hear. It's the Simon in us!
In fact the Simon in us allows us to be Arrogant! Arrogance makes many of us calculate what God can do based upon our experience...not our experience with God - but our expertise....our abilities...our knowledge or our fishy life experiences...
• Our resumes can't take us as far as God can...don't let your Simonist make your Fishing expedition a flop & cause you to starve
• Envy...don't be so busy looking at how God is blessing somebody else that you don't hear when God gives you your assignment...don't ask what about John...don't let your Simonist get in the way. Scripture shares that when Peter was being his Simple Simon Self he asked Jesus "what about John" even when Jesus had already given him instruction to feed His sheep...don't miss your assignment being jealous or too focused on how God is using somebody else...stay in your lane!
• Do you remember the game Simon says? Well that's the problem with many church members - they want to play "Simon Says" in church. Soon as you don't do what Simon says y'all fall out...Simon says sit here, Simon says don't talk to her, Simon says don't wear that...ask your neighbor is you name Simon? Do you think this is Burger King and you can have it your way? If they say yes just get up and move...Tell em' "I know you didn't say Simon says...but let em' know you just got divine revelation that you're sittin' by a selfish, stubborn, stuck-up church goer..."
• Doesn't matter if you have your own business, even if you have the big house and Jesus lives with you...your Simonist can still show up while you're with other saints...
Remember Satan has Served Summons for Surrender of your Soul Luke 22:31 (KJV)
...Satan hath desired to have you,...
Don't let the noise the devil makes fool you into believing you can't win...or that you can't make it to your WHEN...remember he's seeking and just making noise like he's somebody... (1 Peter 5:8 (KJV) Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:) just like the devils on your job, your school, your neighborhood, and some of our homes...haters....don't forget Satan has served summons for your Soul....
Remember Shaking is Satan's Attempt To Separate the Saints (you might get Shook)
...that he may sift you as wheat:
Now sometimes life will shake you! The devil wants to shake up the church. That's why Luke uses the word Sift.
Sift- siniazo, sin-ee-ad'-zo; from sinion (a sieve); to riddle (figurative) :- sift.
Wheat would be sifted to separate the genuine wheat from other items that had gotten mixed in with it.
• The emotion that comes from your Simon and the threat that comes from Satan can have you acting just like Elvis 'all shook up'
• Thing is, if you ain't getting shook from the inside chances are you get it from the outside. So, if you are not careful, the Devil will think that he won...that's when you have to remember that all shaking isn't bad...if you give yourself to God, He and He alone can make your shaking benefit the Kingdom...Good measure pressed down shaken together running over...
Remember your Savior's Supplication
32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not:
• Naw, I'm not talking about the Lord's Prayer or the model prayer...I'm talking bout the fact that God prayed for you...I mean God talked to himself about you...look at the text God talking to himself ...saying I prayed for you...man, Jesus talking to God about you...GOD To God...remember the Savior has, and is praying for you...
Remember to Stop or Start Again
...and when thou art converted,...
Often we can choose the wrong road. We can get caught up in situations that cause us to fail. Well when you fall short (as we daily have and will) we serve a God who wants us to realize that He loves us and gives us opportunity to Stop...Turn around...and Start over...no matter how old or young.
You don't have to be what you have always been and you don't have to continue being what you are being! TURN IT AROUND...Convert!
converted - epistrepho, ep-ee-stref'-o; from Greek 1909 (epi) and Greek 4762 (strepho); to revert (literal, figurative or moral) :- come (go) again, convert, (re-) turn (about, again).
It's Aorist/Active...which means that no matter what your past has been and it matters not what your future is to be...the now says stop and take a picture of what you need to change in your life. It is up to you to respond to the opportunity to change.
Remember to Strengthen your Brother
...strengthen thy brethren.
I'll just leave you with your WHEN responsibility...STRENGTHEN YOUR BROTHER........!
Do you remember the man on the cross next to Jesus? He simply said in Luke 23:42 (KJV)
...Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.
When you come into your kingdom...remember your brother, strengthen your brother...feed your brother...clothe your brother...pick-up your brother...visit your brother...when you get to your win.... Help Your Brother WHEN.............
Today our congregation shared in a worship service that will go down in the history book of our church as the launch of what I will call "College Sunday". Under the direction or our Senior Pastor, Reverend Ray E. Owens, every fourth Sunday our church family will share worship with the University of Notre Dame "Voices of Faith". VOP is a gospel choir comprised of N.D. students from across the country.
This day appeared to be a blessing for all involved...
God led me to share from Luke 22:31-32 (the context runs through verse 34...but there was much meat to pick in the first two verses). God showed me that one of the issues with the Body being successful is that many of us don't get to our WHEN...
Yea, I said the adverb when. This little word shows us that there is a place in time that things occur. The Greek definition points to the past, the present and the future.
In other words, we all have a when. To those of us who have been loosing, I just want you to know that you have a WHEN in you. The good news is that if you only remember when you use to be... or if you are focused on when you get the job, when you get the check, when you get a man, when you retire, when you move out of yo' momma's house, when you graduate, when you get it together...then this message was birthed to insure that you get to your God ordained WHEN! When you get to your WHEN not only do you WIN, but the Body of Christ will WIN...
All you have to do to get to your WHEN is just:
Remember your Simonist ...in other words remember to forget your selfishness...
31 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, ...
Simon's name at the root definition means "to hear"...but many of us forget that there is a difference between hearing and listening.
• Hear - : to perceive or apprehend by the ear
• Listen- to pay attention to sound hearing something with thoughtful attention: give consideration
I believe that's why Jesus had to say Simon, Simon, behold....He was saying Hear and Listen...Pay attention to what I'm saying ....
That tends to be the issue with most of us as we sit in church Sunday after Sunday hearing the Word, but not listening. Our selfishness causes us to turn off the preached Word unless it is what we want to hear. It's the Simon in us!
In fact the Simon in us allows us to be Arrogant! Arrogance makes many of us calculate what God can do based upon our experience...not our experience with God - but our expertise....our abilities...our knowledge or our fishy life experiences...
• Our resumes can't take us as far as God can...don't let your Simonist make your Fishing expedition a flop & cause you to starve
• Envy...don't be so busy looking at how God is blessing somebody else that you don't hear when God gives you your assignment...don't ask what about John...don't let your Simonist get in the way. Scripture shares that when Peter was being his Simple Simon Self he asked Jesus "what about John" even when Jesus had already given him instruction to feed His sheep...don't miss your assignment being jealous or too focused on how God is using somebody else...stay in your lane!
• Do you remember the game Simon says? Well that's the problem with many church members - they want to play "Simon Says" in church. Soon as you don't do what Simon says y'all fall out...Simon says sit here, Simon says don't talk to her, Simon says don't wear that...ask your neighbor is you name Simon? Do you think this is Burger King and you can have it your way? If they say yes just get up and move...Tell em' "I know you didn't say Simon says...but let em' know you just got divine revelation that you're sittin' by a selfish, stubborn, stuck-up church goer..."
• Doesn't matter if you have your own business, even if you have the big house and Jesus lives with you...your Simonist can still show up while you're with other saints...
Remember Satan has Served Summons for Surrender of your Soul Luke 22:31 (KJV)
...Satan hath desired to have you,...
Don't let the noise the devil makes fool you into believing you can't win...or that you can't make it to your WHEN...remember he's seeking and just making noise like he's somebody... (1 Peter 5:8 (KJV) Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:) just like the devils on your job, your school, your neighborhood, and some of our homes...haters....don't forget Satan has served summons for your Soul....
Remember Shaking is Satan's Attempt To Separate the Saints (you might get Shook)
...that he may sift you as wheat:
Now sometimes life will shake you! The devil wants to shake up the church. That's why Luke uses the word Sift.
Sift- siniazo, sin-ee-ad'-zo; from sinion (a sieve); to riddle (figurative) :- sift.
Wheat would be sifted to separate the genuine wheat from other items that had gotten mixed in with it.
• The emotion that comes from your Simon and the threat that comes from Satan can have you acting just like Elvis 'all shook up'
• Thing is, if you ain't getting shook from the inside chances are you get it from the outside. So, if you are not careful, the Devil will think that he won...that's when you have to remember that all shaking isn't bad...if you give yourself to God, He and He alone can make your shaking benefit the Kingdom...Good measure pressed down shaken together running over...
Remember your Savior's Supplication
32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not:
• Naw, I'm not talking about the Lord's Prayer or the model prayer...I'm talking bout the fact that God prayed for you...I mean God talked to himself about you...look at the text God talking to himself ...saying I prayed for you...man, Jesus talking to God about you...GOD To God...remember the Savior has, and is praying for you...
Remember to Stop or Start Again
...and when thou art converted,...
Often we can choose the wrong road. We can get caught up in situations that cause us to fail. Well when you fall short (as we daily have and will) we serve a God who wants us to realize that He loves us and gives us opportunity to Stop...Turn around...and Start over...no matter how old or young.
You don't have to be what you have always been and you don't have to continue being what you are being! TURN IT AROUND...Convert!
converted - epistrepho, ep-ee-stref'-o; from Greek 1909 (epi) and Greek 4762 (strepho); to revert (literal, figurative or moral) :- come (go) again, convert, (re-) turn (about, again).
It's Aorist/Active...which means that no matter what your past has been and it matters not what your future is to be...the now says stop and take a picture of what you need to change in your life. It is up to you to respond to the opportunity to change.
Remember to Strengthen your Brother
...strengthen thy brethren.
I'll just leave you with your WHEN responsibility...STRENGTHEN YOUR BROTHER........!
Do you remember the man on the cross next to Jesus? He simply said in Luke 23:42 (KJV)
...Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.
When you come into your kingdom...remember your brother, strengthen your brother...feed your brother...clothe your brother...pick-up your brother...visit your brother...when you get to your win.... Help Your Brother WHEN.............
Now that I have read your post, I don't have to prepare for Sunday Morning. Great post Doc.
ReplyDeleteWe thank God for you and your wife's dedication to raising Godly children. We thank God for the ENTIRE Staples family leading out in service from Sunday School to the Benediction. Be patient, let God open the door for you. Your day is almost here and WHEN you get there go back and strengthen your brothers who will be going through what you are going through now.
ReplyDeleteKeep running,
Owens
Revun! Don't be so mean.LOL Great post.
ReplyDelete