Breakthrough - Making Room for Breakthrough, Part 2

God wants to do something great in your life. That's right, he wants to bless you. He wants to prosper you. He wants you to move out of where you are today to experience breakthrough, but that's going to occur. He needs something from you. Something that unleashes a supernatural power in your life would you like to know what that is. Stay with me. Thanks for joining us for this Edition of Living on the Edge with shipping Living on the Edges of international discipleship ministry featuring the Bible teaching Scripture continues his series breakthrough publishing God's power into possible situations he's picking up where he left off in our program specific insight into your personal breakthrough listed. It's available online.org or on the Jupiter map chips notes for the series are full of fillings will help you get the most out of this teaching so jump online or use the app for quick access.

Just before we get started. If you have a Bible chip will be looking at several passages starts in the book of Mark, so let's join them for part two of his message making room for breakthrough research tells us when the city sees about 10% of the population converted to Christ, you begin to see a ripple effect then educational, governmental, corporate and entertainment cultures they get transformed but they don't get transformed by external power in saying this is the way it's going to be because working to say what happens in a country they get transformed historically and because how we live transform thing from the inside out. The values are so attractive. It's not you Christians against us if you Christians meeting the deepest needs and living the life I wish I had a marriage like yours. The way he repaired it was you had a relationship with my kids like yours. I wish my finances were in order at a time like this, like yours. I wish I experience peace the way I see you do Rodney Starks in a very interesting book.

It's probably worth reading. He's a secular author.

I don't know if he still a secular author. Because this book. I think rock his world. He wrote a book called the rise of Christianity is a sociologist and he wanted to figure out because they make any sense to him. What were the cultural or sociological issues that in the first century could begin with a few thousand people and by the fourth century actually 313 A.D. have the majority of the population of the Roman Empire be followers of Jesus was estimated there was about 60 million people Roman Empire at 313 and about 33 million of them were followers of Jesus and the scene of he's not there is no book of acts. There's no miracles.

There's no this is all he does as he's looking at the research and as he looks at he realizes the first century. There's two epic plagues that wipe out at times 1/3 of the whole population can so that you lead run to the hills and run away, but there's one group that feed people nurse people give them food and in many cases lose their lives, at times, whole towns, two thirds of towns would be lost. This happened twice in the first century and out of all his empirical data. What he says is the Christians love people. The Christians cared the Christians didn't change the culture externally. What happened was the people that were left were Christians or the people. Christians loved and when your family members of died and these are the people that loved you and cared for you. There were great conversions later on in the next few centuries. Starks points out that there are three major cultural issues that destroy culture. Number one. He said there was no sanitation and there was ethnic division number two. He said the treatment of women was deplorable and third he said we had a situation where all around the known world.

Infanticide children were routinely drowned and what the church did. As they express the goodness of God, and they begin to clean up and find cultural solutions that were created to sanitation they elevated women as co-heirs of the grace of God and in their relationships, treated them quite differently than a piece of meat to be passed around or to be used, and they began to pick up the children from the dumps and rice in themselves.

And he said it was this internal magnification of the he wouldn't call it the grace of God because he didn't use those terms or the goodness of God, but from a cultural perspective. Do you get that's what God wants to do that.

Here's what I want you to get as I was studying and praying and thinking and I jotted this in mind, in my journal because I wanted to come to get a picture of how this works. When the consequences of unrighteousness. Multiply in God's judgment out of his compassion and sovereign plans align it's time it's time for major breakthrough one. He always calls individuals to they first returned to an act current view. First and foremost of his goodness and mercy that leads them personally to repentance. Three. Dependency and humility follow evidence by cries for help and direction from God for people seek God personally and corporately in prayer and fasting for forgiveness and direction and that becomes the norm in their experience, adoration and praise replace consumer oriented prayers of fix my life and make me happy fifth dimensional concern for God's love for others and the need to demonstrate God's love for one another breakthrough religious activity to service outside the church and the relational support and unity with tangible expressions inside the church.

The cross denominational and gender and ethnic boundaries. God spirit then prompts individuals to take specific steps of repentance and obedience in their families and their churches in their communities to reach into their neighborhoods and to the workplaces with an unusual boldness and sacrifice, often accompanied then by supernatural manifestations of God's presence and power to authenticate his word and his work starts organically in office here a family here in the neighborhood. There like a mustard seed begins to grow God's favor in hand and blessing is poured forth, resulting in renewal revitalization in a massive movement of people outside of Christ finding Christ as Savior and a new level of commitment and love of those inside the church. God's plan. God will do breakthrough. It starts with individuals and groups, churches, cities, nations. I believe God.

If you look at our world is ready for breakthrough idea. I jotted down.

Would you like a quick picture of our world. Could it be right, global instability, religious division, idolatry and corruption within and outside the church. The sacrifice of children and slavery, abortion, famine, infanticide, moral decay, family institutions and family life deteriorating a global one world economy. Debt class divisions.

The rapid acceleration of technology uncertainty and rapid national change in regions with major shifts the power, the rise of radical Islam. The shift of global power to China and India. America's decline in education and economics innovation and leadership you know what that could be a depressive list. I don't think it is. I think you and I are in a window of time where we are right for not just individual and group in church and city breakthroughs were ripe for time of God doing a great work and by the way he's doing it is happening in China satin creates happening in Africa tapping South America. It's not happening in America. Why my premise. We haven't made room okay there's a picture. What would it look like for you, what would it look like for me to make room in your heart, your life and your relationships forgot breakthrough you ready to action steps, your personal pathway to breakthrough action step number one right out of Mark Wright who loves Jesus he said what Mark 115 the kingdom of God is near what was he saying that the kingdom what's the kingdom. The kingdom is whose King Jesus is here with unlimited power and his heart is full of goodness and mercy to do good. So how do you respond to the king who wants to do good to you and to everyone around us repent and believe in the good news the truth. God is good God wants to bless you and all that you do. Do you believe that he's glad the first step to breakthrough his understanding believe in God's goodness, here's the question of put a star by this.

The question is from where or whom do you believe the good in life will come. That's critical. Ask yourself, from where do you believe I mean good learning the good and life satisfaction fulfillment great relationships prosperity however you define that or from whom to tell you is the Bible's really clear there's two options there is Jesus, and there is the world system and I think if you would stop and pull back and say my energy my time.

My thoughts and my money do I believe the good in life is man we go public but I finally have kids. When we remodel the kitchen when I find the right girl when I find the right guy latte. What if I can keep working out and I get really buff and really sexy then then then then then the world offers idols is all they are in the idle say will deliver for you will love you will make you famous for making significant will make you happy and instead they make you a slave and they put you in bondage. And God says believe that I am the source of goodness believe that I will give you the highest in the best, with any good thing from those who walk closely with me at your best, and so when you answer that question now were hitting the painter of where and why and how you need to make room because action step number two is make room in your life for God's breakthrough. Isaiah 5715 might jot in the corner is one of the interesting passages. It says that God can only dwell in freedom and in all that he is in two places in us as he dwells in the highest place in the heavens that is absolutely pure and angels adoring him and also with the humble and contrite heart.

Those that have a broken spirit and a contrite heart. Those that are desperately dependent those in Jesus words that are poor in spirit though since I got.

I'm in desperate need of you those of the people that made room so that the spirit of God and the love of God and the goodness of God can satisfy didn't.

Psalm 23 say you'll refresh will satisfy your soul what money can't do.

What a relationship can't do what a house can't do what a new car can't do what promotion can't do what going public can't do what looking younger can't do what a surgery can do without. How do you make room. The truth is, it's the goodness and kindness. The tolerance and the patience of God that leads to repentance and then in that and put the put parentheses around because it's it's really just the definition of repentance.

It's a change of mind that always leads to change behavior. That's how you make room you realize I'm thinking like this about God.

I'm thinking like the prodigal son I'm in the pigpen and I'm thinking give me my money to do my thing in God. You know my one little fire insurance. I'll do my thing my way with him to do my own stuff. Repentance is the Dr. Phil question houses working for you.

I royally messed up my life of really messed up my relationship of really messed up my health. I really messed up my work career I've really messed up and unfortunately most people think that.

I guess I need to work my way back to getting religious and try really hard to improve my morality and someday someone somehow. And over there there's a father. This this day a father, arms open.

Come daughter come son. And when you see his goodness no one wants to run toward someone who's innocent okay. I'm glad you finally came. You are a jerk. Okay, we got that down and you're an amoral jerk about what you did this to do this to me is like a I don't need that is all true. See we do that to ourselves. God will show us our sin without condemnation is that all that's true.

I place that on my son.

I love you I'm to change you from the inside out for you to make room for me in the way you make room for God's number one you gotta get rid of the competitors and then he gives us a very clear process which open your Bibles to James and wanted to be just the beginning to start your James chapter 4.

The context is this is the very first book of the New Testament written so mostly Jewish Christians are being persecuted there spread abroad to me that lost their jobs and lost their home. Something kicked out of the family life is really hard. Chapter 1 tells them, never forget where the good comes every good and perfect gift comes from above, from the father lights within there's no variation or shifting shadow. Regardless of your circumstances. The real good in life isn't out there it's with God and so obey his word don't live in hypocrisy. Get a hold of your tongue. Then in chapter 4, he begins to speak to them because some of them have made a new friend. Some of them have made a new friend that they think will deliver the good in life and in verse four it says you adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God. Anyone who chooses to be a friend with the world becomes an enemy of God, or do you not know or think that the Scripture says without reason that the spirit is caused to live with jealousy because he intensely cares for you, but he says to us, and he gives more grace and that's why the Scripture says God as opposed to the proud but gives grace to the humble. And so he says you gotta make room for him in your life and part of it is realizing the idols that we Christians worship that are filling our life have to get removed and are you ready he tells us exactly how to do it. I want to give you the verbs. What you see as are some verbs there action words and there some promises notice the first command its overarching submit therefore to God. Write that down here it's it's a military word Google Tesco come under your commander. It's a picture of a captain calling his troops. They say yes sir first step to make room you come over to God side, whatever it is you're dealing with whatever relationship whatever addiction, whatever idle and you say reporting for duty.

You are the good kind God, whatever you say. The righteous path I will do life your way I'm taking on your joke. I don't know what it is I want you and I'm really afraid, but I want you to know that it's not working for me and you.

You want you want to do the impossible.

Step one submit therefore to God. Notice the next command. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

It's a command were talking about your soul were talking about a battle that's huge and you will not be let go of likely and so you don't to say reporting for duty and think oh it's good to be great know it's really hard and so you need to resist those lies.

You know what you be single all your life if you live in together and you move out you know what you'll never rise in the company. If you do that you know what I know everyone's doing this and they don't report the taxes and deliverability business unless you lie lie lie lie.

Resist the devil and then positive command draw near to God, he will draw near to use this awesome, this is the prodigal daughter of the prodigal son taking steps toward God and before they get close.

He runs he will run to meet you.

What you have prayer times were you feel like he's in the room wants to comfort you and love you and care for you and hold you notice the next verb he says wash your hands and purify your hearts, notice you double minded. We get our word schizophrenic, wash your hands. It's the activities, what specific activities are you doing that you know are wrong.

Stop so I can't will of course you can't you choose to stop it and you get some help but to take that step. But he says is not just external activities that you know are wrong. It's your motives in your heart purify your heart, you double minded see their problem is the same as ours want to be a good Christian.

I want to go to heaven. I want to be deeply love God to bless my life and my way, mice of my thought, my goals, my idol, my work, my family, my picture there is no middle ground with God, he will have competitors and idols can be your grandkids. Idols can be success idols can be your body. Idols can be money idols can be the letters behind your name or the letter you want behind your kids names and titles can be the school to get into can be where they were on the traveling team or their SAT scores and when you look at where your time where your energy and where your focus on what really matters that will tell you what you worship and all he saying is you know it is going to be pretty later because they're dead. They don't give life make room for me.

Let me love you and so then he talks about the emotional level uses grieve more and wail. Change your laughter to it's a picture of not like ha ha. Laughter. It's a picture of the sensual foolish laughter. You know who cares whatever faces turned to morning, so this isn't some little formula. This is part of heart. This is on a certain day at a certain time. Preferably today, and you have a room gut check with God and you not only say my ways not working.

You not only own and identify what the idols are. You come to a heavenly father whose extended goodness and kindness and mercy and goodness and kindness and mercy even when we keep neglecting and rejecting him in an and cheers you say I'm sorry I've been dissing you if you ever betrayed someone another human being and really betrayed him and he caught and then just think, why did I do that notice were called and adulterous you adulterous people sin isn't about external behaviors. Sin is about relationship sentence is about the trail it's it's us having other lovers other than Jesus and believing those other lovers will satisfy is coming to God Santa. I broke your heart. I don't hear your voice. People don't see the love and the light in the grace and purity of Jesus and me and what he wouldn't say is I know I love you anyway but start again last command. Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God. I give I can do it and what's the promise he will exalt you literally the word shall lift you up. He'll take you in his arms. Six. Things help turn things around overnight know without effort. Know and require courage and I will tell you what happens when God gets bigger problems that small new work in the back with this application.

Just a quick reminder this message breakthrough is from his series breakthrough unleashing God's power into a possible situations. Maybe your impossible situation is a relationship an addiction or a painful event in your past will.

Here's the truth breakthrough isn't something we sit around and wait for it happens when we trust God for the impossible and start cooperating with them to make it a reality in the series strip helps us take the first steps toward breakthrough in our relationships, our habits and our attitudes. Breakthrough resources are available in both audio and video formats including online streaming with the study guide for previews and ordering details, check out breakthrough@livingontheedge.org special offers on the chipping remap or give us a call at 8883336003 will now here.

Strip I'll be right back in just a minute but I want to know that breakthroughs don't just happen and there's a few tools that have been absolutely critical, at least in my own personal life and the lives of people I know for breakthroughs 01 of those for me is a having a reference point understanding what is God doing in my life being able to look back in and process things. It helps me abide in Christ. It helps me to get thoughts that are confusing out of my head and it gets them very clear and this tool is called a journal and I know for some people it's like oh a journal.

I have got a want to keep a diary or write my whole day. None on the no journal has many purposes, but what I want you to know is that it allows you to jot down just a few thoughts. This is where God spoke to me or this is what I'm going to do application, or writing a very specific prayer request or writing down. This is what God is speaking to me about and you don't want to forget that as I've kept journals. What I want you to know is that when I get deeply discouraged.

I go back and I read them. I see the hand of God in the work of God insert Living on the Edge our creative team has put together a really beautiful journal and have a little portion. There were I talked about how I do it. And then there's lyrics and inspirational words from historic Christian figures and and maybe a lyric from a him and so it's it's done in such a way that keeps you moving along and there's plenty of room for you to write and then at the very end I has a place for very specific prayer request and prayer answers.

What I want you to know is that if you don't have some discipline where you can note this is where I'm at. This is what God is doing in my life and this is where I'm headed. If there's not a place that you can document those things you will lose perspective. We would love to help you and Dave Skinner tell you how you can get this beautiful 200 page journal to help you in your breakthrough. While it's easy to be excited about our new prayer journals because there's so well done, beautifully bound in a couple of different colors with embossed gold or silver trimmings and inside it's even better chips given you a few of his journaling tips.

There's a dedication page. If you want to send it as a gift and there's tons of room for you to do your own personal journaling for a limited time, our brand-new prayer journals are discounted so you hope you'll check about today, you'll find all the details@livingontheedge.org app listeners will find them when you tap special offers and for more information just give us a call. Electrical 83336003 will know your strip with a final thought as we close today's program. The title of this message is called making room for breakthrough. You have to make room God is willing he's good. He loves you.

He wants to pour out grace, goodness, prosperity, and I don't mean a name and claimant I'm talking about prosperity goodness cheers sold all areas of your life but you have to make room, and the way we make room is a one word it's called repentance.

It's a change of mind. It means you look at your life you look at what God has to say about your speech about your relationships, about purity in your heart about how you use your money and you say God I want to do life your way and in any area where it's not being done his way, you say I am sorry. I want to trust you. Your good and so I repent and I turn from my way to your way and that's a big step and it's scary. But God will provide.

But if you don't make room. You will not see a breakthrough decide what that is and then find the person who loves God the most is the most mature and tell them what you're doing and ask him for help because no one does breakthroughs alone, repent, and then find a friend just before we close.

I want to say thanks to those of you who are giving regularly to the ministry of Living on the Edge you're making a huge difference helping other Christians live like Christians. After enjoying the benefits of Living on the Edge, but aren't yet on the team. Would you consider becoming a monthly partner to do that and set up a recurring donation.

Just call us at AAA 333-6003. Tap the donate button on the app or visit us online at http://livingontheedge.org and let me thank you in advance for your generosity will for all of us here, this is Dave really saying thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge