http://bible.com/events/15837262

Our most powerful stance is not wanting power. 

Mark 10:35-45

35 Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.” 36 “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.

37 They replied, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.”

38 “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said. “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?”

39 “We can,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, 40 but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.” 41 When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. 42 Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 43 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

3 Observations About This Text 

1. We all want power
   1. Give James and John credit. They had the guts to say what some of us only think: “Lord, we want power! Do whatever we say.”
   2. Instead of power, we can insert the words “control” or “independence”
2. There is never enough power 
   1. Just like most everything else in our lives…we want more 
   2. Beneath it all, we are desperate for significance, influence, authority
3. For Jesus, power is inverted  
   1. Our view of power is centered on control, but the kingdom of God is centered around service (Mark 10:43-45)
   2. Greatness (power) was not reducing others to your service, but reducing yourself to their service 
   3. For Jesus, power is found in dependence, humility, and weakness 

Mark 8:34-35

“Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.”

As we come to the end of this series…the question is the same 

-Is He enough for you? 

-Is His power enough for you?

-His way? 

-Can you trust Him enough to believe that you don’t have to scrape and claw for more?

Our most powerful stance is not wanting power. 

Other texts for further study:

2 Peter 1:3-4

3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

Matthew 23:1-11

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: 2 “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. 4 They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. 5 “Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; 6 they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; 7 they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others. 8 “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. 9 And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. 10 Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah. 11 The greatest among you will be your servant. 12 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

http://bible.com/events/15567688

Enough is Enough, Part 3 – Enough Grace

After hearing the message, you will grow in your understanding that,  even when God doesn’t feel like enough, He is. Even when our life circumstances seem to indicate that He is absent or uncaring, He makes the plain and clear declaration: “My grace is sufficient for you.” And you will accept, declare and hold that truth in your heart.

***

Think of a time in your life when God said no.

You asked in His Name, your request was reasonable and desperately needed and he said no.

When you said to Him…”Lord, I won’t make it unless You…”
How did you make it?

The two key questions:

> Is God enough for you?

> Will you trust Him?

2 Corinthians 12:6-10

6 Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, 7 or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

The “thorn” is not an annoyance, but really, relentless pain, physically or emotionally.

What does God do about Paul’s thorn?

When you said, “I won’t make it…” and you did. That was the beauty of GRACE

Joy, power, our defender.

Grace is the restoring power of God in the face of weakness.
The overwhelming beauty of God in the ugliness of life

***

SUPPLEMENTAL TEXTS

2 Peter 1:34

3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

James 4:6

6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”

1 Peter 5:10

10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.

http://bible.com/events/13303839

We began this series “Enough is Enough” with a question: Is God enough?

• • •

Matthew 6:24-34 NIV

24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.  25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?  26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?  27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?  28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.  29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.  30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?  31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.  33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. 

• • •

-For the person who believes God only provides for our spiritual needs, these words are especially critical 

-Multiple times Jesus commanded not to worry, specifically about material needs 

-When Jesus said “pagans run after these things,” the original Greek speaks of craving or demanding

-Jesus is saying that your Father knows what you need for eternal life and what you need for this life 

-When we seek God‘s kingdom first, and seek His righteousness first, we not only will receive the things of God, but also the things we need 

-How can you be sure you will have what you need? Biblically it’s a one-step process

Step 1: Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness. There are no more steps.

• • •

Genesis 22:1-14NIV

1 Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied.  2 Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.”  3 Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about.  4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance.  5 He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.”  6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together,  7 Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?”“Yes, my son?” Abraham replied.“The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”  8 Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.  9 When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood.  10 Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. 11 But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”“Here I am,” he replied. 12 “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.” 13 Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.” 

• • •

-God tests Abraham to see if he was willing to place his son, his most precious blessing, on the altar 

-Abraham discovers that God is Provider (Jehovah Jireh – verse 14)

-To know God’s name is to know Him as Provider…it is who He is 

-Often we may be asking God to meet a need, when God Himself is what we need 

• • •

Bottom Line:

“Our needs aren’t met because God DOES, but because He IS”

• • •

2 Peter 1:3-4NIV

3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.  4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. 

http://bible.com/events/11846796

We can look at our lives, our circumstances in two ways: that we have enough or that we don’t. But Christ has promised that our fulfillment, our hope, is found completely in Him. He is always enough! Thanks for joining us this morning as we begin our new series, “Enough is Enough.”

The question this series asks, “Is God enough?”

-Our nation has gone through a prolonged season of grief, anxiety, and uncertainty

-We struggle to even know what the word “enough” means when our normal reality is nothing but excess

• • •

Two competing worldviews: 

1. Abundance worldview

-There is rest, beauty, creativity- there is enough

-The economic system based on receiving and giving

2. Scarcity worldview

-There is fear, isolation, competition and not enough

-The economic system based on production and acquisition

• • •

2 Peter 1:3-4NIV

3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.  4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. 

• • •

-When you began walking in Christ, God’s power did something…that power ACTED.

-You have what you need to do what God desires, to be who He has called you to be, to fulfill His calling, to live a life that pleases Him

-Peter emphatically states “His power at work in you is ENOUGH”

• • •

Philippians 4:19NIV

19 And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. 

• • •

The question that drives this series:

Do you believe God is enough for you? 100% enough? No matter your doubts and fears?

• • •

We struggle to believe God is enough, because we struggle to truly grasp an infinite God

-His love is unending

-His grace is unending

-His forgiveness is unending

• • •

The bottom line: 

Nothing limits God, except us.

• • •

More verses for reflection/study:

• • •

Matthew 6:5-8NIV

5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.  6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.  7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.  8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 

• • •

2 Peter 1:3-4MSG

3 Everything that goes into a life of pleasing God has been miraculously given to us by getting to know, personally and intimately, the One who invited us to God. The best invitation we ever received! We were also given absolutely terrific promises to pass on to you—your tickets to participation in the life of God after you turned your back on a world corrupted by lust. 4 Everything that goes into a life of pleasing God has been miraculously given to us by getting to know, personally and intimately, the One who invited us to God. The best invitation we ever received! We were also given absolutely terrific promises to pass on to you—your tickets to participation in the life of God after you turned your back on a world corrupted by lust. 

• • •

Matthew 6:33NIV

33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 

http://bible.com/events/9323124

 Free From Yesterday

Conclusion: Hope for Tomorrow

Hebrews 6:18-20 NIV

“God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.”

-The author is referring a promise God made to Abraham that was fulfilled.  

-We can have confidence that God keeps his promises. He does not lie. 

-Because of this confidence, we run towards the hope God has for us. 

-Hope is the anchor that holds us, even when storms are raging. 

-This hope is possible because the presence of the God is with us always. Jesus became the High Priest to give us access to the Holy Spirit. 

The problem is, a past filled with shame, rejection, and wounds seems like the opposite of hope.  We believe “hope is impossible for me, I’m too broken”. 

The truth is our past doesn’t disqualify us from hope.  Our past and the presence of hope are deeply connected.  

Romans 5:2-5

2 And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we[c] also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope.5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

-Our hope is grounded in God’s ability to get glory from our circumstances. 

-Hope is making a God-fueled decision about what has been and what will be. 

-Your suffering in the past produces your perseverance today. 

-Your perseverance today produces in you character right now.  

-And in your character, HOPE springs forth. 

Your past can actually become the fertile soil by which hope springs up! 

Bottom line: 

Being free from yesterday IS hope. 

More verses for reflection:

Hebrews 6:11-17

11 We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope for may be fully realized. 12 We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised. 13 When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself, 14 saying, “I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.” 15 And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised. 16 People swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument. 17 Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. 

Philippians 3:10-14

10 I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. 12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

1 Peter 1:3-5

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.