Going Beyond Ministries with Priscilla Shirer – A Perfectly Patient God
Priscilla Shirer (born December 31, 1974) is an American author, motivational speaker, actress, and Christian evangelist. Her father is Dallas mega-church pastor Tony Evans and her brother is Christian entertainer Anthony Evans.
The daughter of Tony Evans, senior pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship Church in Dallas, Texas,[1] Priscilla grew up well acquainted with the Bible. As a freshman at the University of Houston, she interned with a Christian radio station. Soon listeners were calling the station, inviting Priscilla to speak at their Bible study groups and other events. Soon she was invited to lead a weekly Bible study at the Zig Ziglar Corporation and then to join its speaker team. Priscilla has worked as an independent contractor for CBS and hosted a local television show, but recently she has focused solely on Christian ministry opportunities. She calls Anne Graham Lotz, daughter of evangelist Rev. Billy Graham, her mentor in ministry.
Together the Shirers established Going Beyond Ministries, a speaking bureau featuring Priscilla. The parents of three young boys, the Shirers share ministry and family responsibilities. While Priscilla continues to minister full-time, Jerry manages his schedule and other business aspects of Going Beyond Ministries.
Priscilla speaks around the world at churches and other events, including the LifeWay Christian Resources-sponsored Going Beyond conference and Deeper Still: The Event, where she shares the stage with Beth Moore and Kay Arthur. She has also authored several books.
Shirer graduated from Duncanville High School and Dallas Theological Seminary, earning a master’s degree from the latter in Biblical Studies.
In 1993, Shirer was a freshman at the University of Houston. Shirer was married in 1999 to Jerry Shirer, former Hilton Hotels executive. The couple has three sons.
In 2013, Shirer was a speaker at the 2013 Women of Faith conference. In 2015, Shirer made her film debut in the Kendrick Brothers film War Room. In October 2016, Shirer was recognized as one of four prominent women of faith during the 10th anniversary of God’s Leading Ladies Life Enrichment Program at The Potter’s House.[1] Shirer also featured at the 47th GMA Dove Awards.
well hello to all of you I bring you
greetings from Dallas Texas thank you so
much for having us thank you so much for
having us here in Chicago where it is
cold Jerry and I are privileged to be
here and it is an honor for me very very
humbling that the Lord would allow me to
participate in something like this at a
place that I so admire and have for so
many years the legacy of Moody has been
a part of my life in some form or
fashion for a very very long time I’ve
got this daddy named Tony Evans and just
for the record I thought that man
everything he knows
and my father has been in partnership
with moody in some former fashion for
nearly three decades and so I as a
teenager remember sitting by and
listening and overhearing conversations
happening between our friend Greg
Thornton and other members of the
publishing department and broadcasting
arms I remember being in that home that
pastor Colin talked about where we were
a part of what God was doing and because
of that the influence of Moody has been
a part of my life and now the life of my
own children as well
Moody was the first place
Greg Thornton to be specific that put a
pen in my hand and said you could write
you could write something that could be
a blessing to others and he encouraged
and continues to encourage us and so it
is an honor for myself and my husband to
be here and to be able to share
something that I pray will be a blessing
in your life I’m just glad that you all
stayed because after what pastor Colin
just preached I feel like we have had a
word today can anybody say amen to that
and so thank you for being here I’m
excited about what God might share with
us before we break this afternoon and
how hopefully he will put a period put
an exclamation point feel in your heart
this pursuit of holiness Lord Jesus
thank you so much for your word thank
you that it is living and active and
sharper than any two-edged sword thank
you Lord that you have allowed us to
come into your presence today and that
we have the privilege to hear you speak
to us through the scriptures Lord the
best I can do the best of anyone that
stands on this platform can do is speak
a general word to an audience full of
people with so many different
backgrounds from so many different
cultures facing so many different life
circumstances but what the Holy Spirit
can do is take that one message and
divide it up thousands of different ways
so that every person here is a direct
personal word from God we are expecting
that but the words of my mouth and the
meditation of my heart be acceptable in
Jesus name Amen
I have three siblings we are four of us
all together I’ve got an older sister
her name is crystal she is at home right
now helping me with my children she
homeschools her children and we live
next door to each other and so my three
boys are now with her three boys she’s
got six of them right now
Lord bless her an older sister and I
have two younger brothers
Anthony jr. and Jonathan jr. my youngest
brother we call John John because he’s
the baby of the bunch and my baby
brother does what baby brothers
I’m sure anywhere and everywhere always
do when he comes over to my house now as
an adult he goes straight to the
refrigerator or to the pantry and
forages around for anything that he can
find to eat and he was doing this
recently he was at at our house he
walked in he went over immediately to
the refrigerator he opened up the
refrigerator and began looking through
it trying to find something that he
could sink his teeth into and as he
looked into the refrigerator he was
reminded of something that he wanted to
share with me and so right there in the
kitchen he started to tell me a story
about his oldest child who is five years
old now her name is Kelsey she is my
niece he said for some I don’t think I
told you something about Kelsey for when
she was two and I want to tell you this
story he began to tell me that when
Kelsey was two years old when she was a
toddler and she was hungry she would
walk over to the big box in the kitchen
that had the food in it she would point
at the refrigerator and say he he said I
would then go and pick up my sweet
little precious toddler I would take her
over to the booster seat that was
attached to the chair at the kitchen
table I would put her in the booster
seat so that I could get her some food
but in her little two-year-old mind she
now was just far removed from the big
box that had the food in it so she would
throw a temper tantrum and cry a river
of tears and wiggle her way out of the
chair and then March and stamp her
little feet back across the kitchen
floor to the big box that had the food
in it point at it and say eat he said so
then I would pick her up I would take
her back across the kitchen put her in
the booster seat she would
cry a river of tears throw a temper
tantrum wiggle her way out of that chair
March her little sassy self back across
the kitchen point to the big box that
had the food in it and say eat he said
so then I would go pick her up and I
would take her back across the kitchen
floor sit her in the booster seat we
would go through this over and over and
over again and at the time he was
telling me this story he was giggling a
little bit but he said Priscilla let’s
be clear at the time this was actually
happening that one anything funny about
it
I was trying to get her to understand
that where I was putting her was
actually where she needed to be in order
to be positioned for what it was she was
requesting that she was fighting against
me when all I was trying to do was sell
her in the right environment so that she
would be prepared to receive what she
was requesting in the first place and I
giggled and laughed as I thought about
little Kelsey I could just picture her
doing this as he was telling me the
story and as I laughed right there in
the kitchen the Holy Spirit stopped me
in my tracks and said Priscilla don’t
last too long or too hard because that
would be you I’m the one that the Lord
has had to be patient with when he put
me in the right places or with the right
people or has sent me in a specific
direction and I have rebelled against
that direction or gone against the
conviction in the leading of the Holy
Spirit or just tried to ignore them or
circumvent them he has had to be patient
with me just like John John had to be
patient with this little girl who could
not quite understand the very thing that
I often have difficulty understanding
that we have a father who actually knows
best and we should just trust him and so
right there in the kitchen I became
grateful more than ever for the patience
of God the long-suffering nature of our
God toward us that that we can’t wear
god out that he doesn’t need a good nap
before he can handle what’s going on in
our lives
our God is a long-suffering but he is
slow to anger
patience is great that is love endures
forever that is mercy is extravagant
that is Grace is boundless I’m happy
about that today anybody happy about
that today and so I became grateful for
the patience of God more than ever on
that day it freed me up as I suspect it
might you to as I talk to you for just a
few moments about the patience of God
because when you understand that you
actually don’t have the capacity to
where God out it keeps you an eye from
walking on eggshells in our relationship
with God stepping gingerly and carefully
and cautiously because we are concerned
that if we have one more mistake or one
more misstep or we in some way go around
this that the wise counsel of God that
he might be finished with us that this
might be the time that it is a straw
that breaks the camel’s back and he puts
us on the Shelf and he can no longer use
us because we did that or said that or
with there or our past is riddled with
that particular action a revelation of
the patience of God toward us as we this
week concern holiness and pursue
holiness in our life if we will remember
that God’s patience is on our side that
we can’t where god out on the journey
the enemy would have it that you and I
are so shackled by our fear and
insecurity that God might have just had
enough of us he wants to so shackle up
with that fear in that guilt in that
sense of condemnation that we never get
around to what John 10:10 says that he
came to give us and that is abundant
living you can’t live abundantly when
you’re shackled by fear and the patience
of God knowing fully grasping and
understanding and appreciating the
patience of God can set you free so I
want to talk to you for just a few
moments moment about one of the
characteristics of God that I think is
possibly one of the least discussed one
of the least written about his
patience most of the time when we think
about God we think about his his power
as it is demonstrated so we consider how
in the Old Testament he was powerful
enough to cause the Red Sea to divide or
the walls of Jericho to come tumbling
down or how in the New Testament we
consider Holly was powerful enough to
cause Lazarus to be raised from the dead
but I want you to think about with me
for a few moments today the flipside of
God’s power the God’s power is not only
seen in what he releases God’s power is
also seen in how he restrains himself
from giving us what we rightfully
deserves God’s power is not only seen in
what he does sometimes God’s power is
seen in what he chooses not to do
patience when we think about it in a
human sense it is a characteristic and
attribute of humanity that most of us
struggle with I will be honest with you
and tell you that I am naturally an
impatient person I am prone to impatient
when there is a problem that needs to be
solved I have come up with a solution to
that problem in the first 5 minutes that
we ever had a problem and I am ready to
get on with the business of going ahead
and figuring out how we’re going to get
to the end of this thing as quickly as
possible now it might not be a good
solution but I’ve got a solution on the
table I’m ready to get after it
I’m an impatient person that is my
tendency I think there are probably
others of you who will admit to being
impatient people can I get one witness
in here please don’t make me feel like
I’m alone thank you
do you know the way that God cures or
helps us to mature I should say in our
level of patience is that he puts us in
a scenario where we have to wait so he
will allow you for example to marry
somebody who takes 24 48 72 hours to
make a decision
about anything
in my marriage with my husband Jerry
when we have a problem in the first five
minutes I have come up with a solution
Susan not my man he’s going to think
about it pray about it fast on it sleep
on it ask wise counsel regarding it lord
help me help me
most of the time when Jerry comes up
with a solution it is the exact same
solution I had in the first five minutes
that we ever had that’s actually not
true Jerry because he sinks through the
consequences because he takes time to
deliberate and consider what this one
decision will actually mean because he
has patience he makes wise decisions in
that dynamic of marriage the Lord is
teaching me he is growing in me
he is maturing in me patience the reason
why you might work next to that person
on your job that you know if they say
one more thing to you you go nuts them
out the reason why the Lord might allow
you to be in that scenario is because in
that dynamic he is growing and maturing
in you
so because patience is a characteristic
that most of us as human beings have to
mature in then we assume and put that
same dynamic on God we think that
because we’re unsteady in our level of
patience that God must be as well that
since we have to mature in it God must
have to mature in it as well we wouldn’t
say that out of our mouths but we live
like that we treat him and so he has to
develop to grow more in order to be able
to handle where we’ve been and what
we’ve done in the mistakes that might
come even in the future as we pursue
holiness but our God does it has to grow
in his level of patience he is
completely perfect 100% of the time the
essence of all the patience was ever
meant to be our God already is in fact
when you think about it of all of the
links in the chain that make up the
character of our great God his
omniscience and omnipresence and his
sovereignty and holiness all the links
in the chain when you think about it
patience is really the most central and
most critical and most important of all
of the links in the chain because if it
were not for the patience of God we
wouldn’t exist long enough to get to the
grace and the mercy and the omniscience
and the omnipresence it is because our
God is patient that we get to experience
all that he is
one scholar put it like this I love it
so much it is his patience that held our
sinful hands and led us to the doorstep
of his mercy so that we might enter in
his patience rolls out the red carpet
for us to experience God fully I’m
grateful for the patience of God I’m
grateful that that Exodus chapter 34
says he is slow to anger and great in
power of course he has a real sense of
justice and righteousness that he must
serve the wrath of God is a very real
thing but what I want you to just
understand for today is that he does not
have knee-jerk reactions born out of
frustration like we might with a person
or a toddler that is asking the same
question ten times in a row he doesn’t
have that same threshold of impatience
like we do he is God
he’s not applying for the job he just is
the only one suited to fit the role one
of the clearest places in scripture
where God patience is brought up is in
the book of first Timothy so if you have
your your Bible or your iPad your iPhone
any manner of imus just flip on over to
first Timothy because in first Timothy
in the very first chapter the Apostle
Paul is speaking he is writing to a
young preacher named Timothy he’s going
to tell him a lot of stuff about life
and about ministry and how to be
successful in the role to which God has
called him but right in the very first
chapter of the very first letter he
prioritizes a message about the patience
of God I suspect because Paul knows that
that Tim’s going to make some mistakes
that there are going to be some missteps
along the way because there are for all
of us in life and ministry and so he
wants Paul to have just like I believe
the Holy Spirit wants you and I to have
today
a revelation of how patient and
extravagant extravagantly loving kind
our God is to us first Timothy chapter 1
verse 16 says this and yet for this
reason I found mercy in order that in me
as the foremost Jesus Christ might
demonstrate here it is his perfect
patience what kind of patience is it
y’all His perfect patience as an example
for those who would believe in him for
eternal life let’s just start right here
Paul paints a beautiful picture of the
patience of God and he says I want you
to know that the are God’s patience is
not just great and it’s not just good
it’s not just amazing he says his
patience is absolutely perfect which
means when you go to the furthest
extreme the furthest reaches of that
which represents the patience of God you
cannot find one little bit of
imperfection even at its most extreme
his patience is completely perfect and
pulse are just in case you’re unsure
today just in case because of where
you’ve been or what you’ve done or the
thoughts you’ve had or the missteps
you’ve made along the way just in case
you’re unsure whether God has enough
patience to handle you and to handle
your life or to handle me and my life
Paul says would you please just take a
look at me because I am a demonstration
of how patient our God must be now Paul
doesn’t give us any details he just
tells us I am the foremost he means I am
the chief of all sinners he’s basically
saying you ain’t done nothing I have not
already done you haven’t gone anywhere I
haven’t gone your hands haven’t touched
anything in your eyes haven’t seen
anything your ears have now heard
anything but mine have not he basically
is saying listen I have been in a pit
that is deeper than anything you could
ever dig for yourself and if our God had
the mercy and the Grace and the loving
kindness to reach down into my pit and
pull me out of that pit Paul said you
ought to just be expecting the fact that
the same God who did that for me is the
exact same God who can do that for you
his great
is sufficient his patience is capable of
handling any and every situation that
may exist in our lives
Paul says I’m a demonstration of how
perfectly patient God yes I love how
this verse starts in the new American
Standard Bible that I am using new
American Standard Version the first
three words a few words are and yet for
this reason I like one versus start that
way because they give me sort of a
compass they offer me some direction as
to how I’m supposed to the context in
which I’m supposed to set this
particular verse into and yet for this
reason it’s kind of like when you see
the word therefore in Scripture anytime
you see the word therefore you do need
to figure out what it’s there for
because it is there for a reason and
this verse is the same yet for this
reason which means there are some
reasons that Paul has already listed in
this text that drew him to the
conclusion of verse 16 he didn’t just
come up with it out of thin air he wrote
down some specific reasons that led him
to write in verse 16 that our God is
extravagantly perfectly patient I figure
that for just a few moments what you and
I could do would be to backtrack up
through the text just a few verses so
that we can figure out what the reasons
are I want to know what they are and it
occurs to me that as you and I see these
reasons that he points out about himself
being a demonstration of the perfect
patience of God by the time we finish we
will not only see that he Paul is a
demonstration of how perfect God’s
patience is but actually every person
sitting in this room and Beyond is a
demonstration of how perfect God’s
patience is as well so let’s take a
journey together we’re going to start in
verse 15 to find out what the reasons
are so just backtrack up with me just
one verse verse 15 is where we find our
first reason it says there it is a
trustworthy statement deserving full
acceptance that Christ Jesus came into
the world and here’s the reason to save
us sinners
among whom I am the foremost of all
listen to that again Paul says it’s a
trustworthy statement deserving full
acceptance that Christ Jesus came into
the world to save sinners Paul says the
most incredible way that I can seek to
point out to you and demonstrate to you
and try to encapsulate how perfectly
patient our God must be is the fact that
he saved me
Paul can barely believe it he saved me
you know when we are in situations like
the one with you and I get the privilege
of being in today here today at founders
week or if you’re watching online or the
churches you attend on Sundays or the
Bible study group fit you might be a
part of oftentimes we can hear about
this salvation this death on the cross
of Calvary that forged a way for us to
have a relationship with God we hear it
so frequently and in so many different
ways and with so much different verbage
that all comes down to the same
principle but oftentimes those of us who
are this blessed to be in settings like
this so frequently can allow a statement
like that to roll off of our shoulder
casually we hear it and we know that we
are saved but the gravity of the
situation escapes us but never in a
million years should we ever hear the
fact that you and I have been saved and
it not caused us to want to fall to our
knees and lift our hands outstretched to
our God and thank him for forging a way
for us to be in relationship with God
listen the unbelieving often ask why
what a God who is so kind only allow
there to be one way for us to have a
relationship with him if he is so good
at history is so kind why would he
expect it so many different people from
so many different cultures so many
different backgrounds could only have
one way to be in a relationship with him
and while that my
be a pretty good question it’s actually
not the right question the right
question is not whether or not a kind
God would allow one way the question is
why would a God who is so holy allow
there to be any way for people that are
so unholy to have any relationship with
him at all the fact that he has allowed
us the privilege to be in relationship
with him that he sent his own son to
bear the weight of our sin yo there was
a price that had to be paid for my sin
and for your sin and praise the Lord we
don’t have to pay the price he paid the
price for our sin there’s nothing casual
about that and Paul points this out he
brings it up as one of the reasons why
we should know beyond the shadow of a
doubt that God’s patience can sustain us
every day of our life he basically is
saying if he was patient enough to save
you
he’s patient enough to sustain you you
know there are seven billion plus people
on the planet the fact that you and I
happen to live in this blessed day and
age and generation where we get to be at
gatherings like this one where you can
turn on your computer and stream live to
gatherings like this one where there are
churches pretty much on every corner
with someone who is standing a pastor
who is shepherding the flock and
prayerfully leading them through the
Scriptures and the fact that you can
turn on Christian radio and hear up
speakers proclaiming the good news of
Jesus Christ and in Dallas we’ve got a
couple Christian radio stations so you
can listen to one if you like
traditional Christian music or another
if you like a more contemporary style
there is so much available to us the
fact that you and I get the privilege to
live in the year 2014 where there is so
much that has been given to the body of
Christ and people that are in
relationship with him do not for a
moment think that was by chance my
friend you might have surprised your
mama and daddy but you did not surprise
God
he planned for you to be here with the
seven billion plus people that are on
the planet your great great grandfather
happened to find the woman that should
be your great-great grandmother the two
of them came together and had your great
grandfather then your great grandfather
with the seven billion plus people that
are on the planet he just happened to
find the person that should be your
great-grandmother but UNM came together
and created your grandfather and sent
your grandfather with the seven billion
plus people that are on the planet
happen to find the woman to be your
grandmother and then the two of them
came together and created your father
and then your father with the seven
billion plus people that are on the
planet he happened to find a woman that
should be your mother and then the two
of them came together and this is a
little graphic but all the millions of
sperm the exact right one connected with
your mother’s egg to create you would
you not for a moment think that any of
that was blood by chance God has been
orchestrating and strategizing to make
sure that you and listed in this at this
point in history it’s the plan of God
there was nothing chance about it and if
you think that it was a miracle that you
were born would you think of how much
more of a miracle it is then that you
were born again since the beginning of
time God has been strategizing for your
soul since before time began really he
he has been making sure that there would
be a way for you to be in relationship
with him that is how much he loved you
and I have never heard anyone describe
this up better than my own dad who
describes this battle for your soul as a
cosmic chessboard think about it as God
on one side and the enemy on the other
both of them vying for you both of them
wanting to win you over to their side
and God made the very first move on this
cosmic chess
Lord for your soul Genesis 1:1 was that
move and he created the world and then
he created mankind in a perfect setting
a perfect relationship with himself and
then the enemy
he made a move didn’t he he slithered
into the garden and caused sin into the
picture so that now there is lies and
rebellion and murder and men kind of
separated in fellowship from God and it
seems like the enemy is one but our God
never to be outdone he had another move
he caused Adam and Eve to come back
together they had a baby boy named Seth
Seth gave birth to Enoch and the
scriptures say in Genesis 4 that when
Enoch was born everybody began to
worship God again but then the enemy had
another move on the cosmic chess board
for your soul and for mine he caused sin
and rebellion to enter back into the
hearts of mankind so that had
proliferated so far across the entire
earth that the entire Earth needed to be
destroyed by a flood and it seemed like
the enemy had won but our God never to
be outdone he made another move and his
name was Noah and he said Noah build me
an ark Noah said build what build an ark
because it’s going to rain and Noah
didn’t quite get it but he he decided to
obey any win anyway and through one
man’s obedience mankind was preserved
but the enemy not to be outdone he made
another move sin and rebellion entered
back into the picture again and it
proliferated across the earth but our
God never to be outdone he made another
move and he went to this little pagan
town called Earth and he found this guy
named Abram and he raised him up and
said imma change your name and I’m going
to change your destiny I’m going to send
you to a black brand-new place and
create my people the nation of Israel
they will bear my my mark upon them they
will bear my name my banner over them
will be love and my favor and protection
and promises will follow them every day
but the enemy he he made another loop he
caused now God’s people to go down into
Egypt for hundred years as we talked
about earlier they were enslaved and it
seemed like for sure the enemy had won
but our God never to be outdone he made
another move and his name was Moses and
Moses was raised as the Prince of Egypt
and at the right time God
oldest Moses to go tell Pharaoh let my
people go and after 10 miraculous
plagues and forty years in the
wilderness they came into the Promised
Land the place that was marked by God’s
favor and presence and power with them
they were finally where they were
supposed to be but the enemy made
another move he caused now God’s people
to turn their back on y’all way the one
true God and to begin to worship idols
by the time you get to the end of the
book of Judges the last line of the book
of Judges says this everyone was doing
what was right in their own eyes kind of
sounds like America in the year 2014
doesn’t it but our God had another move
up his sleeves her name was Ruth and
Ruth had tragedy and chaos in her life
but at the right time she met her
kinsman redeemer and the two of them
came together and they had a little baby
named Obed and Obed gave birth to Jesse
and Jesse gave birth to a little baby
boy named David and with that one move
the enemy didn’t even know it but the
checkmate was already on the way and at
the end of the Old Testament there are
400 years of complete silence God is on
one side of the cosmic chessboard vying
for your soul in mind and the enemy is
on the other side and for 400 years
nobody makes a move and all of history
is sitting on the edge of their seat
waiting to see who’s going to make the
next move and then the New Testament
opens and Jesus Christ enters the
picture and with that one move God makes
a move that the enemies still to this
day has never ever had a response for
amen
and he did that for you and for me Paul
brings it up here in first Timothy
chapter 1 because he’s basically saying
through its listen if God had enough
patience to orchestrate events through
the last couple millennia don’t you
think he can handle the last six weeks
of your life that if you had enough
mercy and grace and love toward you that
he made sure you and I the veil was
lifted from our eye 2nd Corinthians
chapter 4 verse 4 since the enemy is
blinding the eyes of the unbelieving so
that they might not see clearly the very
fact that you and I are in this room
believers in Jesus Christ that our eyes
are open to see him clearly it didn’t
just happen by chance my friend God has
been orchestrating events to bring us
into relationship with himself it’s a
miracle that we are saved Paul says if
he had enough patience for that he’s got
your life covered but that’s not the
only reason he gives us there’s another
reason and it’s in verse 13 remember
we’re backtracking through 1st Timothy
chapter 1 verse 13 he says even though I
was formerly somebody say formerly
formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor
and a violent aggressor yet I was shown
mercy because I acted ignorantly in
unbelief here’s our second reason that
Paul gives us as to why we should know
beyond a shadow of a doubt that God’s
patience is perfect while we can be free
to not walk on eggshells in our
relationship with God he says it’s not
only that he saved me but he said
there’s something else that’s real
specific that draws me to the patience
of God to want to worship Him for it
remember in verse 16 Paul didn’t give us
details he just said I’m the chief of
all sinners he didn’t give us you know
like his sin resume with all of the
details spelled out as to why he was the
chief of all sinners he just said trust
me I am but here we get to this verse
verse 13 and he gives us three of the
things on his sin
resume he says a blasphemer a persecutor
and a violent aggressor I’m glad that we
weren’t distracted by all that in the
beginning that he didn’t give us all of
the details of his sin resume because
sometimes when we see too much of
someone else is what someone else has
been delivered from we have a tendency
don’t we just so concentrate on their
sin resume that we forget we don’t
actually have time to concentrate on
anybody else’s sin resume because we
have one of our own don’t we if I were
to take this microphone and pass it
around this entire auditorium we’d be
here well through the remainder of 2014
going over all of our own sin resumes so
Paul didn’t give us a detailed as to not
to distract us but finally here in verse
13 he just gives us three things that
described it that was a blasphemer
violent aggressor a persecutor of those
who name the name of Jesus Christ three
six syn resume but at the very top of
this resume he put a title in bold font
all caps lettering so that you know for
sure that that’s the title you need to
read before you read any of the details
on his sin resume he says these things
are who I was formerly they are not who
I am anymore proof of the patience of
God if not only that he saves me but
that he changed me it’s not only in my
justification
it’s in my sanctification as you all
probably know our sanctification is a
progressive progress process this
decision you and I have made by by
planting ourselves in these seeds to be
holy to pursue a lifestyle that is
congruent with the image of Christ Jesus
that’s that progressive sanctification
that path that we are on is the Holy
Spirit of God Himself that sticks with
us while we change this is good news
because some of you have had friends
that have left you your side when you
thought that they were going to be the
ones to hang with you while you dealt
with that area in your life
it really was going to take you some
time to become sanctified in that
particular area of your life but they
betrayed you and they couldn’t hang on
some of you probably have spouses who
left you went because they couldn’t deal
with the change process the
transformation process that you had to
undergo in your life but no matter who
else has left you or forsaken you you
need to know that there is one who will
never leave you nor forsake you and that
is our great God that he sticks with us
while we change that’s how his patients
have seen not only in the fact that
we’re saved justification but in that we
are progressively being sanctified by
the grace of God do you know that is
actually one of the Holy Spirit’s job
description 2nd Thessalonians chapter 1
verse 13 it says that the Holy Spirit
sanctifies us it’s his job description
he got a degree in sanctifying you his
whole job one of the many jobs and that
he does in our life one of them is to
conform us into the image of Christ to
cause us to think differently and walk
differently and talk differently and
desire different things to have
different ambitions and interests than
we ever thought we would have now I
don’t know if you’ve noticed or not I
certainly have but trying to change
ourselves from the outside in is
exhausting not only is it exhausting but
it’s temporary lasting change doesn’t
happen from the outside in it only
happens from the inside out when God’s
own spirit takes up residence in a
person at the moment they accept Christ
as Savior he sees chapter 1 verse 13
says at the moment you believe you
receive the Holy Spirit of God the best
gift you’ll ever get in all of your life
and that gifts the Holy Spirit who is
not a wind or a fire or a ghost or a
dove he’s often symbolized by those
things but that’s not who he is he is
the third person of the Trinity not
third because he is least in value just
third because he’s the last to be
revealed to us in the pages of Scripture
but the Holy Spirit of God is all the
fullness and all the grandeur and all of
the greatness and all of the glory of
God
father it’s in the person of the Holy
Spirit which means if the Holy Spirit
lives in you that all of the greatness
and all the grandeur and all the
authority of God the Father now takes up
residence on the inside of you and on
the inside of me and the Holy Spirit of
God lives in you to help change you from
the inside out to mold you into the
image of Christ so as we listen to this
message this morning about stewarding
our families aligning ourselves
underneath our great God and stirring
extruding our families as such and as
you like me I’m sure felt such
conviction over that alignment and
making sure we are in tune with what God
has for us as we consider throughout
this entire week the journey that is
before us the things that need to be
tweaked and changed and realigned and
reconsidered and refocused as we follow
God with all of our hearts and all of
our souls and all of our strength no
matter how far you have left to go in
your journey how many changes that need
to be made you need to know that you
serve a God who’s gonna stick with you
while you change he’s got enough
patience for that he’s got enough
patience with so Paul says the reasons
that I know that our God is patient is
not only because he saved me but it is
also because he’s changing me have you
ever wondered how popcorn pop somebody
say yes I’m so glad that you want to
know
inside every kernel of corn there is a
microscopic dot of water and so when you
take a microwave bag of popcorn you put
it in the microwave the heat from the
microwave is not actually heating up the
shell of the popcorn that’s not what
you’re after the heat from the microwave
is heating up the little microscopic dot
of water that you can’t see that it’s
inside the shell and so as that water on
the inside is completely heated up it
creates steam and and at that steam
gains more and more heat it creates more
pressure and then that pressure starts
to put push against the shell until
finally that shell pops open and now
that looks completely different on the
outside not because you did anything to
the outside just because you heated up
what was on the inside and when you heat
it up what was on the inside
you got to see on the outside all of the
potential that was in the shell all
along this is what happens with the Holy
Spirit of God on the inside of us the
Holy Spirit he is there you can’t see
him but he’s there my friend and as you
heat up the work of the Holy Spirit of
God on the inside of you by being in the
word and surrounded with believers in
Christ and following and heeding the
conviction of the Holy Spirit on the
inside of you you heat up his work on
the inside of you and he begins to press
against this shell until finally you
just pop open and you are completely
different than you were before this is
the work of God in us molding us into
the image of justification and
sanctification are not the only things I
want to share I think of a couple more
minutes to just share one more reason
with you at least verse 12 is our last
step we’re going to take as we backtrack
he says I thank Christ Jesus our Lord
who has strengthened me because he
considered me faithful putting me into
service putting me into service he put
me into
Paul says proof of God’s patience is not
only that he saves me it’s not only that
he changes me
it’s that after all I’ve done and after
every place I’ve been and after the
thoughts I’ve had and after the missteps
I’ve made that he still could use me for
his glory not only seen in justification
it’s not only seen in sanctification
it’s seen by this location that God has
planted me in that he could somehow
allow me to be used for his goal I want
you to know that I can’t believe that
God would use me for for his glory for
his service and I want you to know that
when I say that I do not only mean on a
platform like this one or behind a
microphone or putting pen to paper to
write a Bible study or a book I am
stunned by that but when I say to you
that I cannot believe God would use me
for his purposes I don’t mostly mean
here what I think about are mostly are
the smaller spheres of influence in
which God has planted me honestly I
think about my husband I think about
that God has entrusted to me
this guy this guy that that when his
life here on earth is over he is
supposed to see Christ Jesus and
prayerfully he will hear the Lord Jesus
say well done young man and my job as
his wife if you encourage and support
him in that endeavor and so he gets to
hear a well done
I can’t believe God would entrust me
with then we’ve got these three little
boys Jackson Gary jr. and Jude we name
the last one Jude because that’s as
close as we could get to Revelation
because it is finished
[Applause]
so we’ve got these three little boys
that we are praying our rears in a way
that they will become men of God mighty
warriors for God and they will be or I
will fence them but I’m look at these
three little boys and I can’t believe
God would entrust me but he would let me
partner with him in the formation of a
little soul can’t believe I wonder how
often it is this has happened so many
times in my own life that God are the
enemy rather excuse me causes us to be
devalue the significance of the location
where God has planted us so we think
that being seated around this dinner
table with this family man this is this
is not as important as if I were doing
something else and we devalue the dinner
table and we devalue the classroom or we
devalue the corporate job that you may
have you think the location where I am
is not significant and as long as the
enemies have got you thinking that where
you are is not the location where God
has specifically strategically planted
you so that you could could magnify his
name it could be the light in the midst
of the darkness right there in that
place as long as you gotta he’s got you
thinking that place is insignificant
he’s got you right where he wants you
but if like Paul will see he saved me
he’s changing me and he’s using me right
here right now right where I am
this place is significant in the King
anga and if he had enough patience to
save you if he had enough patience to
change you to change me to walk with us
every step of the way and if he has
enough patience despite everything we
bring to the table to still use us for
his glory in our families or on our
teaching job or in the courtroom as a
lawyer or as a CPA or in that
organization or as a student on this
campus wherever you may be if he has
enough patience to use us then we should
sit back do what Psalm 46:10 says just
be still don’t strive cease worrying be
anxious for nothing don’t walk on
eggshells don’t be afraid don’t be
riddle
with guilt in combination condemnation
over what has happened in your life just
live free the patience of God rolls out
the red carpet for us to march
confidently into the presence of God and
into the plan of God for our lives
knowing that if he is for us no one
nothing could ever be against let me
pray for you Lord we thank you for your
patience today we are so grateful Lord
that we cannot outs in your level of
grace and mercy and patience toward us
for anyone that may be under the sound
of my voice that have been concerned
that maybe they had reached the limit
even if it’s just one person Lord who
just needed to know today that you’re
still with them you’re still on their
side will I pray right now that you
would come to them like a flood would
you just spread your compassion and your
grace and your mercy upon them so
tangibly so palliative Lee Lord that
they will know beyond a shadow of a
doubt today that you’ve seen them that
you’ve heard their cry that you’ve
answered the deep requests of their
heart and then Lord set us all free set
us all free to live abundantly thank you
for your patience we are so grateful in
Jesus name Amen
[Applause]
Amen