nothing, nothing, everything

17
God of the suddenlies © Peter Missing @ bethelstone.com

Upload: skillsatwork

Post on 13-Apr-2017

387 views

Category:

Spiritual


0 download

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: Nothing, nothing, everything

God of the suddenlies

© Peter Missing @ bethelstone.com

Page 2: Nothing, nothing, everything

Startup

Growth

Maturity

Decline

This is generally how businesses, teams, nations evolve over time

Page 3: Nothing, nothing, everything

It’s a bit more predictable over the short or medium term

We did this last year

Expect more of the same

Page 4: Nothing, nothing, everything

Its generally similar for life

Child

Youth

Mature adult

Ageing

Birth

Death

Page 5: Nothing, nothing, everything

With similar phase patterns

Last year I did grade 9 or left

school

This year grade 10 or

college

Page 6: Nothing, nothing, everything

It was the inverse for Jacob with a hasty, somewhat sudden recovery

Blessed

On the run

Laban’s abuse

Broken

Speedyreturn

Page 7: Nothing, nothing, everything

It was more accentuated for Joseph – better at graphs & more colorful

Dream

Betrayed

Sold

Dungeon

Open door,Sudden

promotion

Potiphar’s wife

Page 8: Nothing, nothing, everything

Same again for Moses … just a different scale i.e. 40 years

Kills guard

Flees

Midian

BurningBush

Hey boys, I’m back

Career change: shepherd

Page 9: Nothing, nothing, everything

God also drew graphs – we just can’t agree on what they look like

Exit Egypt

Down

Mt Sinai

Canaan

Wanderings

Crossing

The traditional route – a more gradual chart

Page 10: Nothing, nothing, everything

A more deliberate chart

But the contemporary view is more like the charts of other biblical souls

Exit Egypt

Mt Horeb,

Canaan

Wanderings

Crossing

Page 11: Nothing, nothing, everything

But sir, what about Abraham?Because his downhill was an uphill!!

As he went down hill physically, he

climbed mountains spiritually

The lowest point in his life, was the pinnacle moment

in his faith

Page 12: Nothing, nothing, everything

A typical spiritual journey – nothing, nothing, nothing … everything

Crisis

Less than Nothing

Recovery

Nothing+ silence

EverythingSeemingly

Nothing

Page 13: Nothing, nothing, everything

Like Elijah’s coming rain

6 nothings then a small cloud and then the

sound of rain ….

Before God suddenly ended a long, deep

drought

Page 14: Nothing, nothing, everything

But why Lord? Sometimes, like the cat, down seems up, up seems down

Need to change

Prepare

Now it makes sense

Grow

ApplyLearn

Page 15: Nothing, nothing, everything

Because that is the way of the cross

A time to die

Bury, let go

Rise again

A wildernessof the soul

Page 16: Nothing, nothing, everything

Don’t expect steady progress, but don’t underestimate your nothings

• It will go down gradually• It will get dry, lonely, empty and silent• Nothings will compound• It plots a trend to sure failure and death• Then a door, burning bush, parting of waters,

a knock - and suddenly, nothing = everything• See next slide for evidence of the God of the

Suddenlies

Page 17: Nothing, nothing, everything

• In Acts 12:7 “An angel of the Lord suddenly appeared to Peter in prison. “• Acts 16:25 “About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise

to God. . . and suddenly there came a great earthquake.” • John 6:21 “They willingly received Him into the boat, and immediately the boat

was at the land where they were going.”• Suddenly, a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and took Elijah to heaven in a

whirlwind (II Kings 2:11).• Suddenly, the perverse (or our enemies) will fall (Proverbs 28:18).• God suddenly acts and His word to us is fulfilled (Isaiah 29:5-6).• Jesus will suddenly appear and meet us spiritually in our circumstances as we seek

Him (Malachi 3:1, Luke 13,14).• In the midst of our fears, Jesus suddenly meets us there (Mt. 28:8-10).• When alone, suddenly we experience His presence (Mark 9:8).• When you least expect it and there seems to be no hope, suddenly Jesus appears in

power. (Mark 13:35-37)• As we press into God for more; suddenly, He fills us with his Spirit (Acts 2:2).• When we need rescue, suddenly He sends help (Acts 12:6, Acts 16:26, John 6:19).• Suddenly, He will return to take us to our eternal home (I Thess. 5:2-3).

© Peter Missing @ bethelstone.com