Be Empowered. Empower Others. (Audio with Notes)
INFLUENCE Micah 4:1, Now it shall come to pass in the latter days That the mountain of the Lord’s house Shall be established on the top of the mountains, And shall be exalted above the hills; And peoples shall flow to it. 2 Many nations shall come and say, “Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, To the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, And we shall walk in His paths.”
EMPOWERED Matthew 5:14 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
EMPOWERING Colossians 1:10, So as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.
Definition of empower: Help people gain power or authority to do something great
What can we help people do or become that they could not do without our help?
Who are you becoming because of what Jesus did in you? What does God want you to do that you have not already done?
How much of what we've ruled out in our thinking has been influenced by our background, education, and expectations of others?
Watch this video excerpt by Ken Robinson from a TED Talk on the importance of empowering children.
Ken Robinson on How Schools Kill Creativity from Vision Communications on Vimeo.
THE PROBLEM OF PAIN AND FEAR
I listened to motivational speaker who described human nature. His description was accurate, but he did not describe a believer in Christ whose nature has been changed.
He summed up human nature as follows: There are two controlling forces in your life is PAIN and PLEASURE. People are always trying to avoid pain and experience pleasure. It is called the "pleasure/pain principle."
He said that before every decision one makes, people unconsciously ask themselves: "Will this lead to pain or pleasure? Our body is biologically programmed to avoid pain. So we will do whatever to avoid pain."
This is a reaction of fear rather than a godly response to faith. Seeking pleasure is something called "hedonism." A productive and godly life involves sometimes choosing a path that leads to pain. Jesus understood this: Hebrews 12:2 Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Jesus understood human nature and said "fear not" over and over again.
The fear of pain leads to procrastinate? People think taking action will be more painful then if we do nothing. Even if we think getting the job done will create pleasure, the more immediate feeling is pain. As such, we remain immobilized.Sometimes if you wait too long, then it’s too painful not to take action and you start moving toward the goal.
HOW TO BE EMPOWERED AND EMPOWER OTHERS.
“Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert. ~ Isaiah 43:18-19 NKJV
On one level December 31 and January 1 is only going from one day to the next day. On another level, we mark the New Year as something special because we value time and purpose. Because we reference our past life in terms of years, we think about our future life in the same way. We are creatures of time with eternal purpose. Every year is full of blessings and challenges, joys and sorrows, with people added and people who depart. Sometimes a year includes extraordinary gains and losses.
Through Isaiah, the Lord offers profound counsel for 2017:
1. PEACE “Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old." Let the past stay in the past. Do not live in the past or look back as if you had no bright future.
2. PURPOSE "Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it?" No matter how much you have done or how old you are, God is still doing new things. It will "spring forth" meaning that the "new thing" will come quickly. You need to "know it" in faith, not just wish for it.
3. PROVISION & EMPOWERMENT "I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert." God can do the impossible for you. He will pave a road through your wilderness. He will provide a river through your desert....provision in a dry place.
Expect a prosperous and fruitful new year!
