V-alidating our Trust in God – Part 2

This newest series of messages on Internet Pastor is called “V-alidating our Trust in God”.

We’re in the series V-alidating our trust in God. Today we are going to talk about the v-ision.

If you don’t have a v-ision, a dream, a purpose for your life you feel like you’re just existing. “Why am I here? What am I here for? Why do I get up in the morning? Why do I go to work? What’s the purpose of life?”

After coming to know Christ, getting God’s v-ision, dream, purpose for your life is one of the most important things you will do.

Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)
11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

God’s v-ision, dream, plan, purpose for my life. What is my part?

V-

I – Invest time in my relationship with God

You have to make time to just hang out with God. To just STOP everything else, the busyness, the distractions, the stresses, the things that are constantly pulling at you and you get quiet in order to hear God speak.

Psalms 46:10 (NIV)
10 “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

Pascal said, “Most of man’s problems come from his inability to sit still.”

Take time to pray, read your Bible, journal, sing, think, all in His presence. God speaks to people who take the time to listen.

S – Statement of Faith

You start sharing your v-ision with others. Just by telling other people, you’re making a statement of faith. You get a v-ision from God and then you verbalize the dream saying “This is what I believe God wants to do in my life.” It establishes a goal and goal is a statement of faith.

Hebrews 11:1 (TLB)
1 What is faith? It is the confident assurance that something we want is going to happen. It is the certainty that what we hope for is waiting for us, even though we cannot see it up ahead.

I – Inventory my abilities

God will give you abilities, talents, gifts, to help you with your v-ision. What are you good at? What do you like to do? What is that people often say to you, “you are a natural at this”. Of course, God will also often use in situations where you feel you don’t have any natural abilities as this helps you to learn to trust in Him, but the abilities and gifts He has given you will be a part of your v-ision.

Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)
10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

I have told you before that the word for workmanship in the Greek is “poema”, where we get our word poem from. You are God’s poem, His work of art. And he has designed and created you for a purpose. A ministry. Using your talents and gifts to help other people.

1 Peter 4:10 (NIV)
10 Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.

O – Offer myself as a living sacrifice

You’ve got to be willing to do whatever God wants you to do. Please don’t send me to Africa. I want to know God’s will for my life, as long as it doesn’t mess up my life or make me step out of my comfort zones.

Romans 12:1-2 (NIV)
1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God–this is your spiritual act of worship. 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.

What is His will like? It’s good, it’s pleasing and it’s perfect. In the Greek, perfect means that it fits me.

Hebrews 12:1 (NIV)
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
God has marked out a race for you, and adventure, a life of fulfillment, and nobody else can run it, but you have to choose to put everything else aside and follow after Him.

N – Need to fellowship

You need to be with people who are also trying to live out God’s purpose for their lives. Without fellowship, it is easy to just give up and slip into complacency. You need to be with people who will encourage you and bless you and give you advice and pray for you.

Proverbs 27:17 (NIV)
17 As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.

As our trust in God is v-alidated He can use us for His purposes. I love the first part of this next verse.

Acts 13:36 (TEV)
36 For David served God’s purposes in his own time, and then he died, ….

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