This morning we continue our series entitled, “Refined Focus”, with an emphasis on “Focusing on God’s Finished Work”. We have been looking at something the Lord said through the Apostle Paul in his letter to the believers in Ephesus. Let’s go back to this verse again. The Bible says, “God has made us what we are. In Christ Jesus, God made us new people so that we would spend our lives doing the good things he had already planned for us to do” (Eph 2:10 ERV).
When I am teaching on something I tend to meditate on it day and night. I think about it, ponder it, consider it from different angles, pray about it, and maintain an open heart to receive fresh revelation concerning it. So last night, while I was in Bible Study, and my Pastor (Tony Brazelton) was teaching on “The Faith of Jesus”. I listened, but I did so through the filter of “God’s Finished Work”. I am sure I heard things others did not hear. Why? Because God is speaking to me about His finished work, so I see His finished work in just about everything.
Last night, as Pastor Tony was teaching the Word, I wrote the following statement down and shared it on social media:
“All your prayers and fasting cannot move God. God already moved while you were yet a sinner. The purpose of your prayers and fasting is to discover what God has already done. Once you discover what God has already done, your part is to then MOVE OUT in His finished work! When you base your life on the revelation you received it is called FAITH!”
Pastor Tony was not necessarily teaching on God’s finished work, but God was still speaking to me about it. This is why it is critically important that you have a relationship with the Father. The purpose of reading the Bible (what God said) is so you can hear God’s voice (what God is saying). With that in mind, let’s seek to glean a few more nuggets from Ephesians 2:10, with a special emphasis on the words: “so that we would spend our lives doing the good things he had already planned for us to do”.
So what does this mean to you today? A few things.
1. God is not looking for ritual, routine or religion. God is looking for an intimate relationship with you. He is always speaking. He wants you to get to the point where you can clearly hear His voice and interact with Him directly.
2. Don’t get so enamored by the Word of God that you fail to develop a relationship with the God of the Word. Quoting scripture is not the goal. A relationship is the goal.
3. God already made plans for your life. Therefore, faith cannot be you coming up with whatever you want and then laying it out before God. Faith is about you developing a relationship with God, to the point where He is able to commune with you and you with Him. At that point it will be easy for your to discover what God has already planned. And when you live your life based on what He has revealed to you — even if it flies in the face of everything you are currently facing, even if it is contrary to what people are telling you, and even if it is contrary to your life experiences — when you are able to accept what God said and live your life based on Him and His leading (without any sense-realm evidence to support what He is saying), that is FAITH!
4. God is a spirit. He gave you His spirit so He can communicate with you spirit-to-spirit. The Bible says, “We received God’s Spirit so that we can know all that God has given us” (1 Corinthians 2:12). Did you catch that? In Ephesians 2:10 the Bible says that God wants us to spend our lives doing “the good things he had already planned for us to do”. His plans are already done. His work is already finished. But then people ask me, “So Rick, how do I know what God planned for my life?” The answer was in 1 Corinthians 2:12. Once again, the Bible says, “We received God’s Spirit so that we can know all that God has given us”. God gave us His Spirit so that He can reveal His plans to us. If we believe the plans, if we accept the plans, if we base our life on the plans, it is called FAITH! This is how release faith for God’s finished work.
Closing Confession: Father, this is a season of refined focus for me. I bring my life into focus in 2016. My life is no longer about me. My life is all about You and the plans You made for me before the world began. You gave me Your spirit. You communicate with me, spirit-to-spirit everyday. Like Adam did in the garden and like Jesus did in His life, I walk with You and You walk with me. You speak to me daily, and throughout the day. I read what You said so I can hear what You are saying. You reveal Your plans to me and I believe them. I receive them in my heart. I see myself accomplishing them before I ever take on step. And I then launch out do what You already planned for me to do, even in the absence of sense-realm evidence, and even in the face of opposition. I live by every Word You speak to me. My faith receives what Your grace has already provided. I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
