"God does not comfort us to make us comfortable only,
but to make us comforters."
Dr. John Henry J. H. Jowett
Taken, Blessed, Broken and Given: The Baptism of Fire Part 10
Jesus Himself went through this process:
“As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up our of the water.
At that moment heaven was opened,
and he saw the Spirit of God
descending like a dove and lighting on him.
And a voice from heaven said,
‘This is my beloved Son, whom I love;
with him I am well pleased.’
Then Jesus was lead by the Spirit
into the desert to be tempted by the devil.”
Matthew 3:16 – 4:1 NIV
Tempted = scrutinized, examined
The enemy found nothing in Him
even after forty days and nights.
i.e. no weakness to give the enemy authority to attack him
Out prayer should be
that as we grow closer and closer to the Lord,
each time the enemy comes to test us
he finds less and less of us
and more and more of Christ in us.
“During the days of Jesus’ life on earth,
he offered up prayers and petitions
with loud cries and tears
to the one who could save him from death,
and was heard because of his reverent submission.
Although he was a son,
he learned obedience from what he suffered
and once made perfect,
he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him
and was designated by God
to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.”
Hebrews 5:7-10 NIV
Although Jesus was the son
“He learned obedience through suffering.”
How much more should this be true of us.
Jesus being perfected in the fire (made perfect)
was then given as a ransom
for our redemption!
You and I are significant
We are called to do greater works that what Jesus did.
We have been called to take nations…
Brokenness comes first.
He has placed us in the process
not because of failure or sin…
but because He loves us…
…has purposeful ministry for us
and wants us to be like Jesus
a light in the darkened world.
“Endure hardship as discipline;
God is treating you as sons.
For what son is not disciplined by his father?
If you are not disciplined
(and everyone undergoes discipline),
then you are illegitimate children and not true sons."
Hebrews 12:7-8 NIV
Discipline is not punishment, it is instruction.
What We Need to Finish this Process:
1. Willingness:
We must embrace God’s will
His plan and purposes for our life.
We were bought with a price
Our lives are not our own
It is not about what will make me happy…
but about what will please the Lord
By the way pleasing Him
is what will make you truly happy
When we face trying circumstances in life
We must continue in faith
Strengthen the disciples
and encourage them to remain true to the faith.
Realizing that we must go through trials
to become mature in the faith
and enter into the kingdom of God.
Acts 14:22
The trials of God’s fire are never designed to destroy only transform
To make us more and more like Jesus
1. We must be willing
2. We must Demonstrate Endurance:
Despite the cost…
Who else has the Word of Life?
The Lord is with us through every trial.
As High Priest He understands our frailty and weakness
“He said, ‘Surely they are my people
sons who will not be false to me,’
and so he became their Savior.
In all their distress he too was distressed,
the angel of his presence saved them.
In his love and mercy he redeemed them all the days of old.”
Isaiah 63:8-9 NIV
When we suffer, He suffers
So much of our suffering is due
to the fact that we withdraw from His presence
and from being transformed through testing He has allowed.
He is not ashamed of our weaknesses.
He is not disappointed in our stumbling.
He has not given up on us.
He calls us…
back to his table
back to His presence
back to His light
back to His breath of life.
1. We must be willing
2. We must Demonstrate Endurance
3. We must have Hope:
We must have joyful expectation
that what He is working into us
is always going to be worth the pain or discomfort
of our circumstance.
30
Jesus Himself went through this process:
“As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up our of the water.
At that moment heaven was opened,
and he saw the Spirit of God
descending like a dove and lighting on him.
And a voice from heaven said,
‘This is my beloved Son, whom I love;
with him I am well pleased.’
Then Jesus was lead by the Spirit
into the desert to be tempted by the devil.”
Matthew 3:16 – 4:1 NIV
Tempted = scrutinized, examined
The enemy found nothing in Him
even after forty days and nights.
i.e. no weakness to give the enemy authority to attack him
Out prayer should be
that as we grow closer and closer to the Lord,
each time the enemy comes to test us
he finds less and less of us
and more and more of Christ in us.
“During the days of Jesus’ life on earth,
he offered up prayers and petitions
with loud cries and tears
to the one who could save him from death,
and was heard because of his reverent submission.
Although he was a son,
he learned obedience from what he suffered
and once made perfect,
he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him
and was designated by God
to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.”
Hebrews 5:7-10 NIV
Although Jesus was the son
“He learned obedience through suffering.”
How much more should this be true of us.
Jesus being perfected in the fire (made perfect)
was then given as a ransom
for our redemption!
You and I are significant
We are called to do greater works that what Jesus did.
We have been called to take nations…
Brokenness comes first.
He has placed us in the process
not because of failure or sin…
but because He loves us…
…has purposeful ministry for us
and wants us to be like Jesus
a light in the darkened world.
“Endure hardship as discipline;
God is treating you as sons.
For what son is not disciplined by his father?
If you are not disciplined
(and everyone undergoes discipline),
then you are illegitimate children and not true sons."
Hebrews 12:7-8 NIV
Discipline is not punishment, it is instruction.
What We Need to Finish this Process:
1. Willingness:
We must embrace God’s will
His plan and purposes for our life.
We were bought with a price
Our lives are not our own
It is not about what will make me happy…
but about what will please the Lord
By the way pleasing Him
is what will make you truly happy
When we face trying circumstances in life
We must continue in faith
Strengthen the disciples
and encourage them to remain true to the faith.
Realizing that we must go through trials
to become mature in the faith
and enter into the kingdom of God.
Acts 14:22
The trials of God’s fire are never designed to destroy only transform
To make us more and more like Jesus
1. We must be willing
2. We must Demonstrate Endurance:
Despite the cost…
Who else has the Word of Life?
The Lord is with us through every trial.
As High Priest He understands our frailty and weakness
“He said, ‘Surely they are my people
sons who will not be false to me,’
and so he became their Savior.
In all their distress he too was distressed,
the angel of his presence saved them.
In his love and mercy he redeemed them all the days of old.”
Isaiah 63:8-9 NIV
When we suffer, He suffers
So much of our suffering is due
to the fact that we withdraw from His presence
and from being transformed through testing He has allowed.
He is not ashamed of our weaknesses.
He is not disappointed in our stumbling.
He has not given up on us.
He calls us…
back to his table
back to His presence
back to His light
back to His breath of life.
1. We must be willing
2. We must Demonstrate Endurance
3. We must have Hope:
We must have joyful expectation
that what He is working into us
is always going to be worth the pain or discomfort
of our circumstance.
30
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