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This morning we continue our series “Grace that is Simply Amazing.” We have been in this series for almost a year and a half and along the way the Father has had me to teach several mini-series’ inside of this series. For example, we just finished eight messages on renewing your mind in order to accept and experience the grace of God. This morning we start another mini-series inside of this series: Minimizing Your Humanity and Maximizing Your Divinity. As Born-Again believers we are both human and divine. In and of ourselves we are clearly human and limited, but God has chosen to take up residence inside of us and He is unquestionably divine and limitless.
I will share with you how the Lord led me to teach on this. This past week I had a wonderful time at a church leadership conference in Georgia. The Lord used me to minister, I had many opportunities to pour into others, and I was also thankful to receive on a great level. We made it back home Saturday and I was excited about going to church on Sunday morning. Those of you that have children know that kids will sometimes do things you do not like. Yesterday morning my 7yr. old was not cooperating with me and I lost my temper. I was upset with him, but I then became upset with myself. I allowed myself to get frustrated just before leaving for church. In the car I played worship music to prepare my heart and mind to receive from God, but I was battling thoughts from the enemy.
As we entered the church I apologized to my son for overreacting, but it was clear that he was also upset and as I took him to children’s church I prayed over him, asking the Lord to bless him to be able to receive. As I entered the sanctuary I felt terrible and the enemy was doing all that he could to tell me that I was not worthy to be used of God. Now, you may be thinking, “Come on Rick. No big deal! Get over it.” And looking back now I agree that it was not so big of a deal, but it was what I was dealing with then. At the end of our services we often have people come up for prayer and I sometimes wind up praying for them. As I stood in service the enemy was telling me that I would not be able to pray for anyone that day and that I was in no position to be used of God.
As I worshipped the Father reminded me of Jesus and of the message of grace I have been teaching. Jesus was the only perfect human. If anyone could boast in His humanity, it was Jesus. But Jesus chose not to. Jesus did not rely on His humanity at all. Jesus only said those things He heard the Father say, and He only did those things He saw the Father do. As the Lord ministered to me during the worship service, I minimized my humanity, just like Jesus did, in order to maximize the divinity living in me, in order to be used of God. Sure enough, by the end of the service, people came up for prayer, I was assigned to pray for a couple of them, and God used me for His glory. Not because I am perfect, but only because of His grace. For the next few weeks we will learn how Jesus relied on the Father and we will seek to do the same.
So what does this mean to you today? A few quick things:
1. As a Born-Again believer you have dual citizenship: both in heaven and earth.
2. You are human, but God has chosen to take up residence in you.
3. You are humanity housing divinity.
4. You are imperfection housing perfection.
5. You are the limited housing the limitless.
6. You must decrease in order for God to increase through you.
7. As you minimize yourself (with your failures and flaws), God will be able to maximize His glory through you. Not because you deserve it, but only because of His grace.
Closing Confession: Father, I thank You for Your amazing grace. You love me with an everlasting love. You planned to use me before the foundations of the world. You knew all the mistakes I was going to make, and You planned to use me anyway, by Your undeserved grace. You know I am not perfect, but You still love me. You know I am flawed, but You still want to use me. The more I learn about Your grace, the more I realize how much You want me to focus on You, and Your ability, instead of focusing on me and my mistakes. So Father, while I do not take my mistakes lightly, and I do want to become more and more like Your perfect Son, I know You are more concerned with reaching the world than my mistakes. Therefore, I will decrease and allow You to increase in and through me. I die to self and I allow You to live through me. I am imperfect, but since Perfection is living in me, I will let You flow freely. I am limited, but since Your limitless power is living in me, I will allow You to use me for Your glory. I am both human and divine, but I choose to minimize my humanity, in order to maximize the divinity You have placed in me. I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
