Preparation for the Battle, Part 2

Jeannie Greer what God does is he chooses the weakness in this role he chooses simple to confound the wise see rejoice in your weakness. As Paul says flipside of that is this if you rejoice in your weaknesses where your strengths because those are places which are most likely forget God more than ever before. And when you're applying for a job you do everything you can to put your skills in your natural talents on display. Your strengths are, what will hopefully qualify you for the position. But today on Summit life Western author JD Greer reveals that when God chooses us for a job. He has an entirely different standard for that we can be grateful we are in a study of the life of the lies that titled something better. If you missed yesterday's teaching you can catch up online. Jeannie Greer.com right now let's dive back into our study. After JD called this message. Preparation for battle will historical context in the first Kings Israel. Israel was founded as a monotheistic nation will Israel the northern kingdom has a succession of really bad ungodly things, culminating in the worst thing ever, King Ahab humble, Ahab married a cute little thing from the neighboring pagan nation of Saigon called Jezebel. Most of us think of just Belus of them is not flattering as a reason for that.

Jezebel was just a wicked woman, she brought into Israel. They were sober her to favor God's which were Belo and Astra to set up temples to worship them all over the countryside of Israel. The point is this for the first time in Israel's history were dealing with a pluralistic society which means that everybody has their own different God into the situation.

This pluralistic situation, God sends a man named Elijah and the whole point of Elijah's life is which God is the real God. Is there a way to know which God is a real God or is it whatever bill works for you is fine so you have a Bible I love you take it out now to open it to the book of first Kings chapter 70, the stories of Elijah go from from big picture what God is doing in the world through Elijah soon back down to what God is doing in Elijah's heart to go in that rhythm and so were to look first at what God is doing big and what is doing in Elijah, as you see today that God has one major obstacle to overcome in using Elijah one God conquers this one thing in eyes. This is one area that he conquers becomes the source of most of his power in our lives. The first thing 70 verse one now Elijah, despite the said Ahab is the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years except by my word, and the warlord came doing department here and turn eastward, and hide yourself a chair which is east of the Jordan you shall drink from the brook, and I've commanded the ravens to feed you there. So we went and did according to the word of the Lord went live by the brook Sheriff that is east of the Jordan and the ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening he drank from the brook. What you have here is what I told you about a minute ago that you go for the big picture of what God is doing through Elijah in the world. Verse one and narrowing down really quickly into what God is doing in Elijah's heart and God is going to teach Elijah.

One major lesson one major lesson, he has to teach to anybody that he uses ready here is the lesson of complete dependence, the brook that God placed him by was called the brook Sheriff Sheriff in Hebrew literally means to cut down. In other words, God is saying to Elijah. Elijah I'm gonna cut you down. I'm going to remove from you any strength you have in yourself. I'm even going to remove the ability that you have. Take care of your own most basic needs and I'm going to teach you. I'm going to reduce you to the status of an infant and teacher to depend completely on me practice them before God can use us. We must first break us. Greg Rochelle says that the story reminds him of Mr. little bird who got a late start flying south for the winter because he got a late start. He got caught in a snowstorm social Mr. Babbitt's wings frozen so he had to make a crash landing. Is there crash landed with his wings frozen Fly think she's going to die when a long bike comes a cow who takes a dump on but the manure once his wings and they fall, and he realizes that he's going to be able to fly again so we get so happy about it. He begins to chirp and sing with us attracts a cat who comes along and eats them and there are three things that we can learn from the story number one.

Not everyone who drops manure on you is your enemy. Lesson number two.

Not everyone who did you out as your friend. Lesson number three.

When you're in manure. Sometimes it's helpful for you just to keep your little chirp or shut.

I God is at work in your disappointment and your pain. Removing your idols which is your false sources of trust and joy and hope, making you depend on him like this down down if dependence is the objective, then weakness is an advantage if dependence is the objective, then weakness is an advantage. Elijah's greatest enemy was not his weakness. It was his strength and is about to go into a battle where you have the strength to do it. So God first has to take him back to the brook Sheriff to remove his most basic abilities because there learn to depend on God and sometimes God makes you weak. You can find your strength in him.

Has this happened to you grimace 12 nine Paul says it this way.

Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. How crazy is that statement I will boast about my weaknesses was less than you did great work on a q. week, I thought about my ministry and Veronica and I were talking about this in the other night that there are couple skills that I lack in ministry, but I've noticed that over the last 20 years that these skills that I lack God has always supplied somebody who would come alongside me. That was strong in that area and I can tell you over 20 years of these areas, but on the weakest that have been the strongest areas and organizations that I leave white because God takes up weakness and God makes a point of strength.

I've had temptations over the last years that I've asked God to remove me altogether you ever asked God to take away temptation from you and you I God, why don't you do it well to take that away from him to be easy, but is never had a fall again when, why, because God keeps me in a point of weakness so that I will get Peralta that I will start thinking I'm superhuman and I'm realizing that one of the reasons God lets me continue to struggle with certain sins.

Is he just wants to remind me all the time.

Hey you're not a Superman sinner there told people how to be like you. You stay up there. Somebody was broken so that you can point in the same grace that you found only the pastor who Superman cutting the pastor who's in touch with Jesus to see God. God takes weakness and he turns that into strength because that's where his glory and his power overcome three daughters. Some of you just found out you got diagnosed with some kind of disease sum, debilitation your wondered how my supposed to do in the future with that and I'm telling that that is God allowing something to be broken so that maybe for the first time in your life. He can work his power and do things that you've never been capable of doing. Jesus said it this way.

Matthew 53 Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are the poor choices before I have wanted to be poor in spirit on anything you said. You gotta be poor in spirit is it's only for poor in spirit that you ever open your hand so that you can receive my spirit be rich in mind. The problem with you. JD is not that you are too poor your spirit promise are not poor enough to report your spirit you would look your spirit. You look at my and I got more riches in my spirit in the ever will have in yours so want to cc the cross only feels empty and you gotta come within the hands before you find the riches of God's power or his righteousness that starts by the way of salvation, if you're saved, you realize that the reason I got saved you is not because you climb the moral ladder high enough and finally got your life under control. God said now I approve of you and now I'll take you to heaven if you are say this because you can go point where you said I have no righteousness, have no ability to lay claim of God except there's no way I'm in a make it into heaven and through the poverty of spirit that you showed in that moment God saved you because he said you have no righteousness use of God be merciful to me a sinner I got filled you with gift righteousness in Christ.

Spiritual power works the same way when you are poor in spirit. You can be strong in God's spirit in God strength in rear and also about his pastor and Adrian Rogers talk about his one-time they had been audiences preaching to couple thousand people in it and said I want everybody in this room who was valedictorian of her salutatorian and their graduating class to stand up smattering people stood up over the audience and ISA remain standing said if you were homecoming queen stand up to be. Most of your top of the cheerleading squad Of your athletic stance and set up with the college and scholarship your All-America if you make six figures now in your job by the individual you know that he went through. Probably 20, 30% of the people stand out because he just named things that are impressive but Who's Who. He said I remain standing. He sent for those of you that are standing there but is accountable impressed by stand out like those you are saying I got good news and I got bad news is good news for those of you who are standing is God can use you to. He said the bad news is you're not his first choice. His first choice of his people that are seated beside you because God is never really been interested in displaying your strengths. God is been interested in displaying his answer what God does as he chooses the week to shame the strong.

He chooses the simple to confound the wise.

He takes the things that are not in use them to bring to nothing the things that are so that all flesh glory in God's presence and no flesh would glory in their own so God makes you weak and he says Blessed are the poor in spirit because he simply trying to let you let go so that you can embrace his power to see rejoice in your weakness. As Paul says, the flipside of that some churches this if you can rejoice in your weaknesses beware your strengths beware your strengths because those are places which are most likely to forget God. Beware your shrinks because those are the places you're most likely to forget God for seven and after a while the brook dried up, because there was no rain in the land go from bad to worse before it dries up. The courier ravens with their daily rations of beef jerky in Hebrew spam or whatever they're bringing very quick coming glands that recite then the word of the Lord said to him, arise, go to zero, fast, which belongs to Sidon and well there, behold, I commanded a widow there to feed you zero Pfaff worries that take I-95 North to Israel, exit 2 9705.

The point is, it's an Sidon which is outside of Israel, and he goes to a widow, no widow. In those days was the weakest of the week.

She's a woman so she doesn't have the ability to work like commanded in those days. She's a widow so she's unmarried able. She is poor. Here's the weakest of the week and God says I'm good. Have her provide for you.

She's in Saigon right she's inside on Walkabout that Elijah gets to Sidon, and here he finds his widow and he has what had been an awkward conversation. Hey we never met but God told me your source for something to eat and she's on my love to bytes. The famines hit Sidon to and I have just enough flour and just enough oil to make one cake for me and my son and I just says I got a hunch that if you just do what I'm saying that you're gonna find a God will do something that you're not expecting him to do so. The woman in faith obeys. She takes the bridge decks oil.

She makes the cake she goes back to the place where she keeps the flower in the oil and guess what, it's been replenished and as many cakes as she makes the more flour and oil keeps getting replenished so that the entire every day of the famine she has more than enough because God supernaturally multiplies the flower and the oil now I told you she is from Sidon, your member who else was from Sidon, Sartre J. Rogers as a bell. Jezebel that's right. And guess who the main God was inside bail. So God follow this God first took from Elijah, his ability to provide for himself and provided for him to a special act of Providence. God took away from him.

Even that God made them even weaker and then took care of into a full-blown miracle, the greater Elijah's need the greater God's glory and the provision right now, the greater the need in your life, the greater God's glory and the provision that limits your question.

When Elijah was a young man and he made money and bought food with it and fed himself was God providing for him and that yes he was. But it's easy to forget that is in it in a situation like that and start thinking you're the one that provides for you. So when God removes his ability to provide for himself and starts to provide for him to do special act of Providence will control the ravens in the in the stream.

It's easier to see the work of God, and that is there not only God dries that out and sends him into a widow's house and multiplies flour multiplies oil drain no mistake about that God at work, the greater the need greater chance for God to display his power to point out something you painfully obvious about the miracles of Jesus get this. This is what you come to church for writer's insight like this. Every miracle that Jesus ever did have one thing in common. When order was ready and fixed the problem. Jesus miracles are not magic tricks recite help, Ruby on the son of God, and he makes people levitate or your turns it into a gopher and flies around the Sea of Galilee.

Your tech support to the sea, that would've been impressive.

That's not the nature Jesus miracles miracles were problems that tells me you're here with much problems in a much weaknesses good news your candidate for a miracle I'm looking at a bunch of you know if like you have any problems because your middle-class in spirit. Bad news. You are not a candidate for a miracle if I could be in our service may be succumbed on here. I'll lay my hands on you and pray that God give you some problems because then you could experience the miraculous provision of God.

Every miracle in the Bible starts with a problem, what, what, when God really wants to show off his power, when God really takes you into the heart of Sidon were bail lives and he really wants to put himself on display. He will often make you weaker in that moment of his power can rest upon you to see again.

He don't want to put your talents on display that's I can help anybody that might impress some people. But it's not good to help him. He wants to put his power on display you see is the God and Savior of all who call upon him. That's why he chooses the way to shame the strong. And that's why when I preach to you alluded to this a minute ago.

I don't want to try to impress you of my strengths, she knows about the Bible much like how awesome his Christian life is been a success was because my Goodman is our pastor fantastic right that might impress you. But hey, it's not really honest. Be it's not going to help you. I would much rather show you my weaknesses and display the power of Christ in me because then I can point you the same grace and power that I have found there is a fountain that runs deep and wide and it is every bit as as as full for you as it has been for me and every ounce of strength and grace that I have tapped you into my life is fully available for you.

It's not that I you're really screwed up in your marriage is all thought up your kids are messed up and you made a lot of bad decisions and not guilt you got brokenness and the need is a bunch of us are about the Saints and we just told me that much.

That's not true that's not true.

The point is not what kind of sinner you are the point. What kind of Savior.

He is and quit comparing yourself to how bad you think you are, compared to other people and you compare your brokenness of the size of Jesus healing Jesus went into a grave and came out from it. It was your grade that he was going into because he wanted take the deadness of your marriage and the deadness of your family and the deadness of your brokenness, and he wanted to put his gospel into it.

So he raised you from the dead.

At the cross of Jesus Christ, so that you would know it's not about your power. It's about is the greater your weakness, the more chance for God to display his power. Dependence is the objective and it is weaknesses in advance to rejoice in your weaknesses because most places are made strong so again I ask you where has God made you weak is putting their trust.

Maybe there some on exploitable things are happening you right now made it happen this weekend maybe like a bird that got dumped on by you coming here this week and smell like manure and onions like I just don't understand why things are happening with our realize that God is at work in that training you to trust him and depend on him.

He's taking you back to the brook Sheriff reminds me, I was reminds me of the scene in that great 1980s movie karate kid right now. I know that some of your souls.

I am but we've all seen that movie right the classic met the ripoff that came off two years ago because I was a total total shame that the real and with Laura Russo, Daniel Russo, Mr. Miyagi all the stuff even if you haven't seen the movie you probably are from the scene where Mr. Miyagi is is training Daniel to fight karate.

He does it by having immunoassay on the floor and wash the car and paint the fence and James is fed up with it feels like Mr. Biagi has made him this late, so he's writing about late one night as I got quit and and Mr. Biagi said no euros and 47 forward and there's a kick out of blocks. It is think of this place offensively as a punching blast Danielson Daniel realizes that all this stuff in the Monday things of painting flooring in the fence and sat on the floor and the cars would arrive at your seminar but you you all things it is doing. Mr. Biagi's been training him in the mundane to prepare him for the battle. What happens is you realize, at some point that God took you to the brook Sheriff which is very unglamorous place.

The only audience there. The ravens, but God is producing you the character in the faith, and surrender that he's going to use to bring the profits of bail to shame on Mount caramel. The reason that God could use Elijah the way he did on Mount caramel is because he taking him to the brook Sheriff and that's what he's doing. Some of you yet. How can I know I love to be able to give you your Mr. Biagi moment but I can't. What I will tell you the stories are written so that you want to have one so that you can just realize that God is always at work in all things he says working them for your good and his glory because he's preparing you for eternal things God is producing in you in the mundane in the sand.

The floor and paint the fence moments of your life. He is working in those things to prepare you for eternity is easy to say, look at your Bible one last time. We say something first thing 71 so you want one the most important transitions you can ever make in your life. How is Elijah described in verse one Elijah the tick bite. That's right, he is defined watch this by where he's from now look in verse 24.

The last verse of this chapter. See Elijah mentioned again by the widow. How was he now described Elijah. Elijah has gone from being in verse one to been to find out where he's from being defined by who he belongs.

You may then transition your identity wrapped question from Pastor Jeannie Greer on the first message in her teaching series titled something better if you'd like to listen again or download the complete transcript. Be sure to visit us@jeanniegreer.com as we spent some time this week and next.

Studying Elisha we find that he confronted the religious environment theory much like our own right, Jenny, exactly.

It was an environment characterized by the attitude you got your God. I have mine. You have your preference works for you. My God works for me. Elijah shows is that knowing the one true God is better than any other arrival and that God is not a bill to bear God bring over Burger King. Now we can have it your way itself.

There's one true God. He reveals himself and you want to experience is now in his salvation. You gotta do it in the way that he lays out himself will explore that concept more in a in a brand-new study book that we were giving out tracks with the teaching right here in Summit like this month called something better something greater in a part studying. That's not just about Elijah but also about Elisha. If Elijah was about the truth of God. Elisha was a demonstration of his power. It will be great to get this book and not only listen to it alongside the messages you're hearing right now in Summit life, but you can bring somebody else along the journey on Windows. One thing that one of our favorite things are Summit life stories of how you use one of these messages to reach out somebody maybe studied this together in you saw God's power really impact somebody we just love to give you that when you support the minister Summit life. So if you reach out to us today.

JD Greer.com show you how you get connected and get a copy of this resource and hopefully enrich your own walk with Jesus, but also that of those around you. Learn more about God love to get you a copy of the spec title again is something better something greater study and Elijah and Elisha, written by Pastor JD request a copy when you donate today to support this ministry suggested level of $25 or more are wasting your gift makes it possible for people around the world to hear these daily messages to access the online resources out cost ever getting in the way for your copy of something better something greater today by calling 335-5228 335-5220 online JD Greer.com I'm inviting you to join us again tomorrow you are studying my style godlike 11 looking character from all the files that Thursday night 80