Sermon Central
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When Your Cookie Crumbles, Recogize That God Is Totally For You! Series
Contributed by Johnny Creasong on Aug 20, 2004 (message contributor)
Summary: Nothing is more common is life than waiting! How to wait well!
“The LORD works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.
He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel:
The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.
He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever;
(NIV)
When your cookie crumbles,
it is easy to lose
FAITH.
Phase I – The DREAM
Everything God wants to do
in your life begins with a
VISION!
“Where there is no VISION,
the people perish:” (KJV)
Joseph’s last words to His Brothers:
“Then Joseph said to his brothers,
‘I am about to die. But God will surely come to your aid and take you up out of this land to the land he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.”
(NIV)
Phase II – The DECISION
God shows us His desire but leaves the
CHOICE to us!
The Isrealites had a choice to make: either believe that God would surely come to their aid and take them up out of that land to the land He promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, or not!
THE PEOPLE CHOSE TO BELIEVE AND PRAY FOR DELIVERANCE! BUT DELIVERANCE WAS A LONG TIME COMING!
Phase III – The DELAY
It took God 430 years to finally bring the answer to their prayers!
It is in the
WAITING ROOMS
of life where faith is put to the test.
DELAY is not DENIAL!
“Not yet” does not mean NO!
What do we do while waiting? WORRY!
Worry is putting a “?” where God has put a “!”
Nothing is more common in life than waiting!
While we wait, we must:
WITHSTAND – Don’t Quit!
ANTICIPATE – Expect!
INTERCEDE – Pray!
TRUST – Believe!
I can tell you EXACTLY what God is doing in your life right now --- God is doing EXACTLY what you EXPECT!
"Then he touched their eyes and said, "According to your faith will it be done to you"; "(NIV)
It is during Faith’s Phases III & IV that we really experience the flaming arrows of the evil one. That is why we are told to take up the “SHIELD OF FAITH”!
“In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one." (NIV)
SOME OF THE FLAMING ARROWS:
Doubt
Discouragement
Depression
Detour
Then when the deliverance begins to take shape...
Phase IV - The DIFFICULTIES
“As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the LORD.”(NIV)
Two types –
CRITICS & CIRCUMSTANCES
During Difficult times, we must
HOLD
ON,
PRAYING
EXPECTANTLY
When difficulties come we do one of two things – Pray or Give UP!
Phase V – The DEAD END
God has placed His people in a cul-de-sac between two hostile hills at the edge of the sea too deep to be forded and too wide to be crossed. They are surrounded and trapped! And the enemy is fast approaching! THEY ARE RIGHT WHERE GOD WANTS THEM TO BE!!!!
Phase VI – The DELIVERANCE
“Moses answered the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.” (NIV)
“But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril and He will deliver us. On Him we have set our HOPE that He will continue to deliver us!”
The same God who led you in will lead you out!
