Prepared Hearts: Surrendering to God's Timing and Grace

 

Summary

The sermon begins with the pastor acknowledging the struggle between our willing spirit and our weak flesh, and the importance of being watchful and prayerful to avoid falling into temptation. The pastor introduces the parable of the ten virgins, which teaches us how to live prepared, regardless of when Jesus returns. The pastor emphasizes the importance of living a life surrendered to God and the need to deal with the issues of our hearts. The pastor also discusses the concept of delays in our lives, explaining that these delays serve to bring forth the issues in our hearts and prepare us to deal with them.

The pastor then addresses the idea of living on borrowed oil, cautioning against trying to take what others have and make it our own. Instead, we should go to the source, which is Jesus, to receive the overflow and presence we long for. The pastor shares a personal story of how they met their spouse and how they had to surrender their desires and submit to God's plan, even when it was challenging. The pastor emphasizes the importance of being prepared for anything in the spiritual realm, drawing a parallel to the need for preparation in various aspects of life.

The pastor reflects on the scripture from Proverbs 16:9, which states that while we can make plans, it is ultimately the Lord who determines our steps. The pastor encourages the congregation to make plans and build structure in their lives, but to also understand that God's ways and thoughts are higher than ours. The pastor shares a personal story of seeking God's guidance in a decision about marriage, emphasizing the importance of spending time in the presence of God and seeking His wisdom before making important life choices.

The pastor discusses the difference between our timeline and God's timeline, emphasizing the importance of being prepared for the unexpected return of the Lord. The pastor warns against presumption in Christianity, where one may think that grace covers everything and they can do whatever they want. Instead, the pastor encourages the congregation to be watchful, prepared, and not compromise their salvation by turning their back on Jesus. The pastor concludes by highlighting the kindness of God, who understands the weakness of the flesh and encourages the congregation to have a willing spirit, to desire growth and preparedness in their relationship with Jesus.

Key Takeaways:

- The parable of the ten virgins teaches us the importance of being prepared for the return of Jesus. We should not live on borrowed oil, but instead, seek the source, which is Jesus, to receive the overflow and presence we long for. ([12:45])

- Delays in our lives serve to bring forth the issues in our hearts and prepare us to deal with them. These delays test what is in our hearts and God may delay answering our prayers because He knows what is best for our future. ([22:30])

- While we can make plans, it is ultimately the Lord who determines our steps. We should make plans and build structure in our lives, but also understand that God's ways and thoughts are higher than ours. ([34:15])

- We should not presume that grace covers everything and that we can do whatever we want. Instead, we should be watchful, prepared, and not compromise our salvation by turning our back on Jesus. ([45:50])

- God understands the weakness of the flesh and encourages us to have a willing spirit, to desire growth and preparedness in our relationship with Jesus. We should live each day as if it were our last, taking the opportunity to mend broken relationships, repent, and obey God's commands. ([57:20])

Study Guide

Bible Reading:
1. Romans 12:1: "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship."
2. Matthew 26:41: "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."
3. Matthew 25:1-13: "At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom..."

Observation Questions:
1. In Romans 12:1, what does it mean to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God?
2. What does Matthew 26:41 suggest about the relationship between the spirit and the flesh?
3. In the parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25:1-13, what distinguishes the wise virgins from the foolish ones?

Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the concept of a living sacrifice in Romans 12:1 relate to the idea of surrendering to God's plan?
2. How does the struggle between the willing spirit and the weak flesh, as described in Matthew 26:41, manifest in our daily lives?
3. What does the oil represent in the parable of the ten virgins, and what does it mean to live on borrowed oil?

Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a recent situation where you found it challenging to surrender to God's plan. How can you apply the concept of a living sacrifice in that situation?
2. Can you identify a recent temptation where your spirit was willing, but your flesh was weak? How could you have applied the principle of watchfulness and prayer in that situation?
3. Think of a time when you tried to live on borrowed oil, or relied on someone else's faith or relationship with God. How can you seek the source, Jesus, directly in your spiritual journey?
4. Reflect on a delay in your life that brought forth issues in your heart. How can you see this delay as a preparation to deal with these issues?
5. Can you identify an area in your life where you might be presuming that grace covers everything, and you can do whatever you want? How can you be more watchful and prepared in this area?

Devotional

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Day 1: Living Prepared for Christ's Return
The parable of the ten virgins teaches us the importance of being prepared for the return of Jesus. We should not live on borrowed oil, but instead, seek the source, which is Jesus, to receive the overflow and presence we long for. [12:45]

Matthew 25:13 - "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour."

Reflection: Reflect on your spiritual preparedness. If Jesus were to return today, would you be ready? What steps can you take to ensure you are living prepared for His return?

Day 2: Embracing Delays as Heart Preparation
Delays in our lives serve to bring forth the issues in our hearts and prepare us to deal with them. These delays test what is in our hearts and God may delay answering our prayers because He knows what is best for our future. [22:30]

Habakkuk 2:3 - "For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay."

Reflection: Is there a delay in your life that you are currently struggling with? How can you view this delay as a time of preparation and growth, rather than a setback?

Day 3: Trusting God's Higher Ways
While we can make plans, it is ultimately the Lord who determines our steps. We should make plans and build structure in our lives, but also understand that God's ways and thoughts are higher than ours. [34:15]

Isaiah 55:9 - "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you are struggling to trust God's plan? How can you surrender your own understanding and trust in His higher ways?

Day 4: Guarding Against Presumption in Grace
We should not presume that grace covers everything and that we can do whatever we want. Instead, we should be watchful, prepared, and not compromise our salvation by turning our back on Jesus. [45:50]

1 Corinthians 10:12 - "So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!"

Reflection: Are there areas in your life where you are presuming on God's grace? How can you be more watchful and prepared in these areas?

Day 5: Embracing Growth and Preparedness in Christ
God understands the weakness of the flesh and encourages us to have a willing spirit, to desire growth and preparedness in our relationship with Jesus. We should live each day as if it were our last, taking the opportunity to mend broken relationships, repent, and obey God's commands. [57:20]

Philippians 2:12-13 - "Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose."

Reflection: What is one area of your spiritual life where you need to grow? How can you take steps towards growth and preparedness in this area today?
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Quotes

1. "What does that look like to be prepared for anything in the spiritual with how God wants to move in our lives as we are submitted to him? Well, straight from this Parable it shows us what there was five wise and there was five unwise and you know if there were five foolish and five wise, what was the difference?" #!!01:01:34!!#

2. "here is a parable a story on what your posture should be how to live prepared no matter what whether I come after you breathe your last on this Earth or I come in 5 years time I want you to live prepared as my bride so this Parable talks about 10 virgins The Virgins represent the Disciples of Jesus Christ so that's all of us and the groom or the bridegroom represents Jesus" #!!59:14!!#

3. "Delays test what's in our heart when you cry out to God you have a hope for something and God delays because God Is Bigger and understands and sometimes he's not even give you what you asked for because he knows that that would not be good for your future because he's like he's God and he understands right but those delays it brings things in our heart so live prepared to deal with the issues of your heart but also be prepared with anything." (#!!01:06:28!!#)

4. "Do you know why they said that to the unwise because that's what they had to do do you know how you get overflow is you go to the source you go to the source to receive oil to receive his presence to receive the Overflow that you are longing for now listen we live in a day and age where borrowed oil has become the norm and and this is something that I've now listen I'm an author I write books that help you in your discipleship journey I have a podcast that is to help you in your discipleship Journey But ultimately it's borrowed oil that I am sharing and it's meant to be catalytic for you to desire to go deeper in your faith and run to the secret place for yourself to get deliverance and healing and freedom does that make sense so there's so much that's going on now and why we even get offended in the church is because we are trying to take things from somebody that we can only get from Jesus that they have they cannot give us we need to run to the father." (#!!01:08:14!!#)

5. "We can make our plans but the Lord determines our steps...we live in this posture of surrender...God can do whatever he wants to do whenever he wants to do it because he is the god of the universe and his ways are higher than our ways and his thoughts are higher than our thoughts." #!!39:06!!#

6. "The difference between the five foolish and the five wise...the wise had extra, they had overflow...this represents preparation. What are we prepared for? The unwise walked in presumption, whereas the wise walked in anticipation." #!!01:04:11!!#

7. "Presumption in our Christianity ends up looking like, 'I'm saved, I can do whatever I want. Grace covers everything.' Can I ask you a question? Why would you want to live like that? Don't openly turn your back on Jesus and say, 'I'm not following him.' That compromises your salvation." #!!01:04:52!!#

8. "The truth is when I thought about my big bag and everything that I'm prepared for, it's like I feel like through Earthly things the Lord is continuously convicting me and showing me things... hey Andy you are prepared for a lot of Earthly things but are you prepared in the spiritual?" (#!!54:25!!#)

9. "Watch and Pray... that you may not enter into temptation... the spirit is indeed willing but the flesh is weak." (#!!54:56!!#)

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Transcript
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