(Phil 2:13 NLT) For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.
Monday morning we will fully re-engage in the “Grace that is Simply Amazing” series. This is the last message I will share that is completely focused on helping us prepare for 2013. Last year, around this time, I taught on purpose and vision. Yesterday, I taught on purpose and grace. Today I will bring it all together and teach a quick lesson on purpose, vision, and grace.
Notice what Paul said, “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.” Yesterday we looked at the PURPOSE and the GRACE. In this scripture Paul highlights the DESIRE and the POWER. It’s basically the same thing. God is the one doing the work if you get to the point where you are able to synchronize with what He wants to accomplish IN, WITH, and THROUGH you. God gives you the purpose, He gives you the vision to see how you can accomplish the purpose, and He also gives you the grace to make it happen. In other words, God gives you the desire, the ability to supernaturally see how it will come to pass, and then the empowerment to do it. That’s purpose, vision and grace; and if you can consciously acknowledge all three 2013 will be the best year of your life.
So what does this mean to you today? A few things:
1. God’s purpose for your life is established and unchanging. It was set before you were born.
2. Your goal, after coming to Christ, is to find, follow, and finish your purpose before you die.
3. God gives you incremental vision – which is foresight, birthed from insight, with the benefit of hindsight – so you can have supernatural direction for life that takes you toward your purpose.
4. God’s vision will always extend you beyond your ability and your comfort zone; therefore it will require his grace.
5. God’s vision will also require His provision; it will be too big for you to accomplish without Him. This, once again, forces you to acknowledge His grace.
6. Once you receive what you believe is God’s vision for this season, your job is to: a) Believe it, b) Receive it in your heart, c) Declare it with your mouth (take God public), and d) Step out in faith (pursuing it with your actions), relying on His grace the entire way.
Closing Confession: Father, I thank You for this teaching. I declare, by faith, that I receive the understanding of Your purpose for my life, Your vision for this season, and the grace to maximize both. I am Your sheep and I hear Your voice. You speak to me and I have an ear to hear what You are saying. I write the vision down so that my family and me can run with it. We all receive it by faith and we are committed to doing our part in seeing the vision come to pass. However, we live each day relying on Your grace. We know that without Your grace we can do nothing. We are reliant on You and Your immeasurable grace as we pursue the vision You give us for this season. The vision becomes the ruler by which we judge our decisions and it also provides a basis for unity and harmony within our home. We know where we are going and we will get there by faith and grace. By the end of the year we will be at Your expected end for 2013 and we will also be incrementally closer to Your overall expected end for our lives. We receive it, believe it, declare it, and step out into it in 2013 by faith! In Jesus’ name. Amen!
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!
