The central message is to "trust the process" of God's plan, recognizing that difficulties and discomfort are temporary but necessary steps towards greater purpose and fulfillment, rather than judging life solely by present circumstances.
Mind Map
クリックして展開
クリックしてインタラクティブなマインドマップを確認
if you won't turn in your Bibles to
second Corinthians second Corinthians
chapter 4 fairly familiar passage of
scripture and we'll find there out the
word of the Lord for today verse 8
through 18 in the New Living Translation
we are pressed on every side by troubles
but we are not crushed we are perplexed
but not driven to despair
we are hunted down but never abandoned
by God we get knocked down but we are
not destroyed through suffering our
bodies continue to share in the death of
Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also
be seen in our bodies yes we live under
constant danger of death because we
serve Jesus so that the life of Jesus
will be evident in our dying bodies so
we live in the face of death but this
has resulted in eternal life for you but
we continue to preach because we have
the same kind of faith the psalmist had
when he said I believed in God so I
spoke we know that God who raised the
Lord Jesus will also raise us with Jesus
and present us to himself together with
you all of this is for your benefit and
as God's grace reaches more and more
people there will be great Thanksgiving
and God will receive more and more glory
that is why we never give up though our
bodies are dying our spirits are being
renewed every day for our present
troubles are small and won't last very
long yet they produce for us a glory
that vastly outweighs them and will last
forever so we don't look at the troubles
we can see now rather we fix our gaze on
things that cannot be seen
for the things we see now will soon be
gone but the things we cannot see will
last forever when I talk today simply
from the subject trust the process trust
the process please remember that there
is no progress without process God has a
process in everything that he does for
us he processes us not because process
feels good most of the time process
doesn't feel good it's an uncomfortable
situation it is difficult but just as he
mentioned that these these light
afflictions they are temporary they are
temporary and the thing that I want you
to know today is that the temporary will
eventually yield to the timeless that
there is a way of what you experiencing
right now don't judge all of your life
by what's happening in the moment
because your life is more than half than
what's happening right now at the moment
shouldn't spoil your whole day I see
people that that bump into a nasty
cantankerous person and if you live long
enough you're gonna find difficult
people folks that's put in the world
just to be a pain in your side a porn in
your neck some of you all would use
other terminology that I don't I don't
use but I could talk to a few people who
are here that could express in your
language you know what really what I'm
talking about but the temporary will
eventually yield to the timeless so you
don't let difficult people
trifling people negative people
criticizing people your experience with
them for five minutes
don't let that ruin your whole day you
have to learn how to book in and say you
know what you have to just stop it from
coming into your spirit to where you
carry the offense
of something stupid and insensitive and
inconsiderate that another person said
or did against you and you allow what
one screwball did in your day to ruin
the whole day you have to be able to say
you know what I'm glad that's over now
and let me move on to some greater
experiences that God has in store for me
don't ever make the temporary the
permanent you have to keep them the
perspective but God has a process you
have to learn to trust the process
you have to learn to trust the process
listen when God is trying to develop
patience in you guess how he does it by
putting you in situations when you're an
impatient he will bring it to where you
of just you know it's like I mean hurry
up I just I mean hurry up this you know
he'll send you down to a government
office and he'll use that as a process
to develop patience in you let patience
have her perfect work it has a work to
do it's a part of the process so you
have to trust the process and let me say
this to you here the Apostle Paul
writing to the church at Corinth the
church at Corinth was a spiritually
gifted church they were abundant in the
gifts of the Spirit but yet they had
terrible carnality as well and now the
Apostle Paul is is is talking to them
and in he's saying we're dealing with
such deep persecution we're troubled on
every side but we're not crushed and
perplexing but we're not driven to
despair and cast down but we're not
destroyed I mean he was going through
this this whole thing about all of the
negativity that they were dealing with
and how God was preserving them in the
midst of it but pouring his heart out
and I just want you to understand that
the presence of God is perhaps the very
best place for you to process your pain
and your disappointment the presence of God
God
is perhaps the best place for you to
process your pain and your disappointment
disappointment
the psalmist Psalm 61 verse 2 notice
what he said from the ends of the earth
I cry to you when my heart is
overwhelmed lead me to the rock that is
higher than I there are some times that
your heart is going to be overwhelmed
and that's when you need to be led to
the rock that is higher than you you got
to go to Jesus Jesus is that rock that
followed them in the wilderness you got
to be able to go to the higher place
whenever you are hurting whenever you're
in pain whenever you are disappointed
and let down and offend it by human beings
beings
you got to go to that rock that is
higher than you are it is the best place
in the world for you to be able to
process your pain and your
disappointment take it to Jesus verse
I'm not saying that you don't need to
talk to people and share it with others
that that love you and are concerned
about you and can help you through the
process but don't take it to others
before you've taken it to the king I'm
no Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall and
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall and they
call all the king's horses and all the
king's men why didn't they call the king [Applause]
[Applause]
to help put him back together again you
got to call the king touch them out I
said call the king you got to be able to
say I need to go to a rock that is
higher than i I've gotta I gotta pull
rank on you right now because you
messing with God's child and and the
Lord said it is better for you to put a
millstone about your neck and throw
yourself over into the midst of the sea
you have to sort of threaten people
every now and then I said don't let me
pull rank on you don't let me bring my
daddy in this don't know
because I'm going to the wrong I'm deaf
you're messing with the wrong one you're
messing with the wrong one there's more
to me than what you see there's an
invisible power that is behind me there
is a a God who is my defender and
because I trust in him I trust in him
anybody know what I'm talking about what
it means to trust in Jesus and you have
a backup that people really cannot see
but God has your back trust the process
trust the process trust the process
because God becomes the defender of
those who refuse to defend themselves
God will be their defender he is their
defender just real realized as a process
and you don't always understand why you
have to go through what you have to go
through but you have to go through in
order to get to it's about a process
it's about a process I love the words of
John Newton who said that everything is
necessary that God sends our way and
nothing can be necessary that he
withhold if God will hold something from
your life you don't need it and if God
sends it it is necessary it is necessary
God guides by what he provides but he
also guides by what he withhold and you
have to realize that when God would hold
something that you're asking for
God knows something about that situation
that you don't know you better thank the
Lord some time that he didn't give you
every childish and immature thing that
you were praying for I meant some people
that you were praying for Lord give me
someone to and you thought so-and-so was
so cute and had it all going on and now
you see them liers down the road and
they broke down and jacked up you better
thank God that he didn't answer every
crazy prayer that you prayed in your
immaturity in your lack of spiritual
discernment you better just thank God
that God didn't give you everything that
you asked for when God would hold some
things it's it's about guiding you into
a place through a process through a
process because God may
sauces and he sins provisions and God
sends experiences in your life based on
your future and not your feelings what
you'd understand that that God will send
things into your life based on your
future and not your feelings and
practically everything in your past was
getting you ready for your future you
have to trust the process trust the
process trust the process realize that
the past does not define you it prepares
you it doesn't define you it prepares
you it's a part of a process that
everything that you went through was to
get you ready for who you are right now
you know more now than you've ever known
all the days of your life you are more
prepared now you have more prepared
mouths and I'm just going to tell you
this your failures teach you much more
than your successes you had to go
through that you have to fall to learn
how to stand you have to follow to learn
how to walk it's a part of the the
process the process Joseph's brothers
prepared him for Egypt it didn't feel
good when you have your own brothers you
know to sell you into slavery and plot
to kill you and do all of that but
notice how Joseph responded to his
brothers in Genesis chapter 50 verse 20
and 21 Joseph said to them you intended
to harm me but God intended it all for
good he brought me to this position so I
could save the lives of many people now
don't be afraid I will continue to take
care of you and your children so he
reassured them by speaking kindly to
them and you see here's what Joseph had
to do Joseph had to remind them that I
didn't let how you treated me define me
and he says I'm not going to treat you
the way that you treated me I'm gonna
treat you as I have grown to become so
he treated them out of the maturity of
who God grew him up to be through all of
the negativity and the evil stuff that
was plotted against him
he was like Maya Angelou who said I
wouldn't give nothing for my troubles
because your troubles help to make you
who you are and I want to say this to
you stop fighting your preparation stop
fighting what God is using in your life
to prepare you for your next level
you've got got to always climb up a hill
every time that you go from one level to
another level you're gonna go through
crisis you're gonna go through a period
of tremendous discomfort you go from
comfort to discomfort to greater comfort
trust the process comfort to discomfort
to greater comfort every time that God
gets ready to take your life to another
level you go through that the the
corridor of transition which is terribly
uncomfortable because it is uncertain
and you're going through this thing but
God has a plan trust the process stop
fighting the preparation stop fighting
what the adversity that God has put on
your journey to build the strength that
you're gonna need to survive on the next
level because God can't bring you up to
the next level if you just let the way
that a person look at you ruin the rest
of your day
if you let what somebody else said about
you god can't even promote you into a
leadership position if you concern about
the opinions of people he's got to get
you into a place where you know I don't
care whether you like me or not as long
as you respect me that God has called me
to do this and I'm following what Jesus
has called me to do even if you attack
me I've got to move on I've got to move
on because I know not everybody is gonna
like every decision that I make not
everybody's gonna like everything that I
do and everything every direction that I
move but you've got to be confident in
God to say god I'm gonna follow you and
no matter what what it costs me I'm
gonna follow you Jesus I'm gonna give
you my heart I'm gonna give you my life
I'm gonna give you all of my creativity
I'm gonna give you everything so don't
fight what God sends in your life to
prepare you she prepared David for the
throne God said if a man would take this
much care with sheep if he would risk
his life and fight a lion if he would
risk his life and fight a bear too
Tech sheep what will he do with my
people God says that's the kind of
person that I want the Sheep became his
proving ground the the Sheep the king
the thing that showed whether he had the
right hard enough and this is why if
you're faithful over that which is least
if you take care of the little money
that you've got if you take care of the
few people who are in your care under
your stewardship God will then trust you
with more he'll trust you with more just
trust the process trust the process
trust the process don't despise what God
will use to prepare you for what is
ahead don't despise it because you will
be tempted to quit when it gets
difficult and when it gets challenging
and when people criticize you and when
the money gets tight you will be tempted
to quit when you have to jump through
various hoops and when it takes a lot of
time and you get frustrated and you're
dealing with tests and temptations and
trials and and all of these things are
happening you'll be tempted to quit but
don't quit just remember the truth of
James chapter one and verse 12 notice
what he says blessed is the one who
persevere 's under trial because having
stood the test that person will receive
the crown of life that the Lord has
promised to those that who love him the
question is this can you stand to be
blessed can you stand to be blessed can
you stand can you persevere to be
blessed can you stand to be blessed see
some people are saying bless me Lord
bless me Lord but you've got to be able
to stand the blessing because here is a
spiritual principle that Jesus taught us
Jesus taught us this principle that
blessings come with persecution because
if you get blessed by God now somebody's
gonna look at you and start saying you
know oh you know what she thinks he all
their blessings come with persecution
people are gonna assign wrong motives to
you blessings come with persecution the
question is can you stand to be blessed
can you stand to be criticized can you
stand to be talked about because
blessings come with
persecution blessings come with
persecution blessings comes with another
level of trial it comes and if you got
to be blessed to be a mother it comes at
the trial of having to get up in the
night and that baby is always on your
lap and when they get to a place where
they are no longer on your lap they're
on your heart
can you stand to be blessed can you
stand to be blessed if you're blessed
with a business it's a blessing to be
able to have our business but now comes
a burden of responsibility in trying to
carry the thing that is the blessing
there's a burden that comes with it
before a blessing is born a burden is
carried and you carry it as a as a
burden and then you bless it you carry
it out and then the question is can you
stand to be blessed can you stand to be
blessed whatever it is can you stand to
be blessed can you stand to be blessed
because if you'll get in a blessed
position and people say you know how she
got the job she didn't slept away there
she sees she and they will accuse you of
things that that are not even true and
the question is can you stand to be
blessed can you stand because there is a
cost of discipleship the question is are
you willing to pay that price
Jesus talked about that when he said to
us in Matthew chapter 16 verse 24
through 26 he said jesus said to his
disciples if any of you wants to be my
follower you must give up your own way
you must give up your own way you must
give up your own way did I mention that
you must give up your own way take up
your cross and follow me and if you try
to hang on to your life you'll lose it
but if you give up your life for my sake
you'll save it and what do you benefit
if you gain the whole world but lose
your own soul is anything worth more
than your soul I meant lying and
cheating and scheming and manipulating
and finagling to be able to get a big
house and cars and jewelry and all of is
that really worth your soul would you
compromise your integrity your character
at the expense of your soul
can you can you afford the cost of it
and let me just remind you there are no
shortcuts to any place worth going there
are no shortcuts to any place worth
going can you afford the cost of what it
means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ
Jesus said to us in so many words you
must give up the lower level of life if
you want the higher level that's all
that he's saying he's not just saying
you know that I want you to literally
die but he's saying I want you to give
up your way give up the lower level of
life in order to gain the higher level
you got to give up how you've been doing
things if you want to be able to have
the best way you've got to give up your
way the lower way if you want the higher
way you can't get the higher way while
you still got the lower way if you want
the new shoes you got to pull off the
old shoes that's all he's saying to us
you got to take off what you've been
walking in if you want to walk in a
better way
that's all he's saying you got to be
willing to give up the low life if you
want to be able to have the high life my
highlight that's all he's saying to us
and I want you to realize that God has
tools to help process you and to fashion
you because he's like the master Potter
he's like an artisan who is creating
fashioning a work of art and God uses
various tools on us he talks about that
in Jeremiah chapter 23 and verse 29 he
says is not my word like a fire declares
the Lord and like a hammer that breaks
the rock in pieces so you don't feel
good when God is taking putting you in a
fire and then taking a hammer and
breaking things off of your life and
then you lose relationships and then you
start losing possessions but isn't it
amazing how God can let you lose some
things and then you find the real thing
see it's God's process trust the process
trust the process it'll look like you
start losing stuff but what it is is God
is chiseling away from you things that
don't fit the image of who he has called
you to be that's why you lose
relationships and you lose some friend
and you lose some contact with some
family members because God is
chiseling you into a new person and this
does not fit the image of who you are
it's nothing personal it's just that
this doesn't fit the image all of it is
a part of the valuable hunk of marble
but the great sculptor is taking the
tool of the hammer and he's breaking the
rock in peace and valuable chunks of
your marble are falling off because they
do not fit the image of who God has
called you to be and you see there are
some things that God will use the fire
to help you process especially when your
life gets out of focus say focus it's
interesting the word focus actual is a
Latin word is the word in in Latin is
actually focus and guess what it
literally means guess what the word
focus literally means it means fireplace fireplace
