Living Larger Lives

Introduction

Today I want to speak about... “Living larger lives”

I believe what God has in store for us in our future is Bigger than us

That’s why we have to move

As leaders we are aware that we all have full lives

• Family, work, recreation, study, in-laws, friends, personal, devotional

On top of this as believers we have a responsibility to build Gods Kingdom

• Missional Church – looking for opportunities
• Building programme on top of Tithe & Offering
• More projects to get involved in – trench outside
• Offering for Matt & Gill
• & now blankets

Oliver Twist theology

The Question we often ask ourselves is “what must go?”

• i.e. I’ll quit the prayer meeting to go to the hospital ministry
• i.e. I’ll stop the offering to give to the building

Note: While there are definite times that we need to give certain things up

• This can be made easier through godly counsel

Often it is not about letting go of something but living larger

• It is a matter of increasing your capacity

(Isa 54:2Niv) “Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes.

God didn’t say here’s a bigger tent or go out and buy one, He said enlarge your existing one

• You stretch forth your sides
• You let out the ropes
• You strengthen your stakes
• Don’t hold back

It’s not an appeal to exchange or replace - It’s a call for us to expand

The Good news is...

• What God is asking you to participate in through us as leaders you can do

(1 Cor 10:13Message) No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need remember is that God will never let you down, he’ll never let you be pushed past your limit; he’ll always be there to help you come through it

God won't tempt you beyond what you can bear

He knows you have the capacity to do what he is asking

• He knows you can “live a larger life”

(Ps 139.13Niv) For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

He created you

God knows what you are capable of even if you don’t

He has made us like these – hold up BJ’s clothes

• Adjustable waistlines
• When BJ enlarges I don’t exchange her pants I let out her waistband

We are in a season of God calling us to let out our waistbands

I know many of us are feeling like

• “I can’t cope now & now you are asking more of me”

Maybe it’s because you are failing to loosen the waistband

• It is you’re responsibility to “live a larger life”
• The enlargement you require is in you
  • You just need to let it out
  • i.e. Pregnancy – everything enlarges

To “Live larger lives” there are a few things we must do...

1. Identify the things that keep you small

(2 Cor 6:11-13Message) Dear, dear Corinthians, I can’t tell you how much I long for you to enter this wide-open, spacious life. We didn’t fence you in. The smallness you feel comes from within you. Your lives aren’t small, but you’re living them in a small way. I’m speaking as plainly as I can and with great affection. Open up your lives. Live openly and expansively!

What is it in your life that has put a cap on your potential?

• Is it your job, a relationship, debt, wrong thinking, wrong speaking

To help identify what it is we need to...

a) Stop & look

• Wasn’t till finished putting the tent on top we saw it was too high
• Lift up your eyes, stop & think
• (Matt 7:7Niv) Seek & you will find

b) Make a right judgement

(John 7:24Niv) Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment.”

• i.e. Not your husband but how you wife etc.
• Maybe not the circumstance but what you think, say, do
• i.e. Me & stay at home mum – change the way I think

2. Make sure our Intake exceeds our output

Just like in the natural to expand we need to put more in than comes out

If you are not replenishing what goes out you will be shrinking

Too many Christians look miserable because pants too tight

• They’re giving out more than they’re putting in
• Your waistband tightens & then offense comes (asked to do more)
• You have nowhere to put it
• When you’ve let out the waistband there’s room to put it
  • i.e. Sulking B4 Prayer meeting Wed night
  • asked to step up, felt at capacity, God said input

Intake on many levels

• The word, prayer, worship services, connect groups, friends
• i.e. Draining relationships counter balanced by feeding relationships

“When your output exceeds your input your upkeep will be your downfall”

3. Have Intimacy with God

Expansion comes through conception

Conception comes through intimacy

Can’t do business as normal & expect to live a larger life

• Our prayer life & Devotional life need to go to a HNL
• i.e. Wed night prayer meeting after dummy spit

You need to be filled with the Holy Spirit

(Acts 1:8Niv) But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

• Not to be saved but to have the power needed to live a larger life

Need the regular infilling of the Holy Spirit

4. Put ourselves into pressure situations

We spend a lot of time & energy trying to avoid pressure

Yet pressure is the very thing that causes us to get strength to live larger

• i.e. As discovered in Biosphere experiment

When we put our body under pressure enlargement comes

• i.e. Weight training

We need to put ourselves into positions of pressure (outside of comfort)

(1 Cor 10:13Message) No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need remember is that God will never let you down, he’ll never let you be pushed past your limit; he’ll always be there to help you come through it

• i.e. Say Yes to ministry, responsibility
• i.e. Say Yes to Tithing, offerings & building fund – may have to adjust
  • i.e. Ask Tony how much & adjust everything else
  • Goes without saying use wisdom – God’s & Godly counsel

Living larger lives requires us getting into the game – no more spectator

5. Do something new

Living larger lives requires us to do something new

Change is on the other side of change

• Nothing changes if there is no change

"The definition of insanity is to do the same thing & expect a different result”

• Live on a budget, go without something, go on a date, say no to the boss, ask someone to church, get involved in a ministry

What’s the worst that can happen?

• Your friend says no, your boss sulks, you save money, you crave junk

“Do it afraid but do it anyway”

Conclusion

What God has for you is bigger than you are right now

To receive it we all have to “live larger lives”

God is not an "either or" but a "both and"

He not calling us to exchange he’s calling us to expand

We do that by

• Identifying things that keep us small
• Making sure our input exceeds our output
• Intimacy
• Putting ourselves into pressure situations
• Doing new things