Why Not Now? NIGHT SIX

Pastor Stan Hood

 

STEPS TO CHRIST

 

Tonight is four sessions away from this series being over. I don’t want to leave

this event just saying I had a good time. I want God to accomplish what He

came to do. I need my guards to come down so that the Spirit can reach me. I

need yokes broken. If no yokes are broken, this time would have been wasted

because I never actually made it to Christ. I know the goal, but I don’t know

the steps.

 

BORN AGAIN (MATTHEW 12:43-44)

The majority of Christians are baptized, settled into a church home,

accustomed to the new routine – but unsatisfied. This is the issue. Turn to

somebody and say, “This is the issue.” Church has not lived up to my

expectations. I was excited to be in His service. I was glad to go into the

water. Now, I’m just trying to hold on to my faith. After all these years, I didn’t

think I’d still be fighting. I know my conversion was real. I received Jesus as

my Savior. I went down in the water and it was real. How in the world did I get

to this place. Why am I frustrated and angry with people? Why am I easily

irritated? Why do I have more peace away from the church than I do in the

church?

 

Why am I still wrestling with temptations, enemies and adversaries. It takes

my mind back to David. He was anointed king and went right back out into the

field to tend the shape. The ceremony was dramatic. It was powerful. It was

vindicating but it didn’t bring immediate changes. It was three of his brothers

who received the privilege to go out to battle with Saul. David was still

ignored. They only called on him when there was an errand that needed to be

run. And here’s our first power point tonight. Your idea of salvation and

reality of salvation are two different things. We want to leap out of sin and into

God’s arms but there are steps to Christ.

1In the beginning the world makes sense and the church is strange. God knows

that. So, He implements a strategy to get you from here to there. That strategy

is at a good pace you can handle unless you resist the process.

When you are baptized, your anointing doesn’t fit your situation. Your gifting is

elevated but your perspective isn’t ready. And so many of us resolve to

holding on to our faith. We changed our people, places and things. Now,

we’re asking, “How do I maintain this good place I’m in?” Your house has

been swept. You’re reading your Bible. You have Pastor Hood on the

television all the time.

 

It has not occurred to you that God is not interested in where you are. He’s

more concerned about where you’re going. He’s speaking to you tonight. “I

am a God who moves. If you want to be with me, you have to move.”

He moved on the waters during creation. He moved and Adam and Eve from

the garden. He moved Noah from dry land to a ship. He moved Abram from

his comfort zone to a place he knew not of. He moved Jacob from his

momma’s skirt to his uncle’s boot camp. He moved Joseph from parent’s

house into slavery. Here, slavery represents “waiting mode.” Joseph’s lack of

maturity had to catch up with his anointing.

 

That’s what God is doing to you. As long as you’re asking “why this and why

that,” you’re not ready to move. God didn’t call you to maintain your faith. He

called you to increase your faith! He didn’t call you to keep the house. He

called you to build the house! It’s your pride that God is after! In order to

grow, we must humble ourselves. It’s partially not our fault. The American

culture is one of dissatisfaction. Even when you get what you want, you’re still

not pleased because you didn’t get it the WAY you wanted it. You got your

promotion but you didn’t get it the way you wanted it. So, what you had to file

a grievance? God delivered. You got your divorce, but you didn’t get the way

you wanted it. So what he threw some dirt on you? You should have expected

that. He’s gone isn’t he?

 

The opposition is not your problem. The opposition is God’s promise. What

promise is that? He’s going to leave you no choice but to move.

 

If you don’t move, He can’t bless you.

YOU HAVE TO TAKE THE STEPS

Can you see it? The house is clean. You’re reading your Bible and listening to

good gospel programming. But negativity keeps calling. The past keeps

calling. Temptation keeps calling. There’s no such place as content. This is

warfare. Some people are scared to be too saved. So they get to a place and

say that’s enough. Revelation 3:15 disputes that sentiment.

GET ON GOD’S PROGRAM

How do I get on God’s program? Believing is great but you can’t stay there. You

must move from believing to belonging. Old things must pass away. All things

must become new. Unholy attachments must go. Old ways must be avoided.

You have to settle into the faith. Once you accept your new life, your behavior

will change. You can’t serve two masters. You’re going to hate one and love

the other. That’s the source of fault finding in the church. Nothing is good

enough because you haven’t moved. Your body’s here but your mind is still

back there. That’s why some of us are trying to live a duel life.

Understand that God has your back. Your struggle is not your destiny. You

have to declare, “Here I am Lord. Send me.” You have to get resolve. While

4I’m waiting for my maturity level to catch up with my anointing, this little light

of mine; I’m going to let it shine.

 

I will no longer embrace my giants. I will slay them in Jesus name!

Matthew 4:19 – Follow Christ and He will make you fishers of men. The

challenge of the tongue can be difficult but not impossible. If it’s truly our

intent, He will help us overcome.

 

In order to take His yoke, the previous one must be broken.