“Penless Faith”
Pastor Albert Almore
A couple of weeks ago we ended our time together in Hebrews 12:2 where it reads….
“looking unto Jesus, THE AUTHOR and FINISHER OF OUR FAITH…”
Hebrews 12:2 NKJV
You don’t OWN THE RIGHTS to your story.
DO YOU TRUST WHAT JESUS IS AUTHORING IN YOUR STORY?
I want to pick up from there this morning with a message titled,
This Week’s Sermon: PENLESS FAITH
To often when Jesus isn’t moving fast enough, we want to take the pen. To often when Jesus isn’t doing it how we think He should do it, we want to ever so slightly guide the pen. “Let me see what you have right there Jesus. Oh, this is good except this part. Let me see the pen for the moment and change this small thing right here. Oh, and this. Ah, and now this, this, and this. Actually let me just take the entire thing home tonight, and run through the entire thing and make my edits.”
Penless faith is the type of faith that says I don’t have to hold the pen to my life. Penless faith is the type of faith that says I don’t have to have control of the pen. Penless faith is the type of faith that says I don’t have to oversee the pen. WHY? Because I trust The One who’s holding it. Because I trust The One who’s controlling it. I trust the one who’s overseeing ALL THINGS, Jesus Christ, the Author and finisher of my story. Therefore, I have Penless faith!
Many of you are familiar with the book, that was recently turned a movie called The Purple Crayon. In this book, recently turned movie, this little boy has this powerful crayon where he can draw any scenario that comes to his imagination. He can change what he wants to change. He can add what he wants to add. Many of us watching that movie probably wished to ourselves, man, I wish I had a crayon or a pen like that! The problem with all of this is, life isn’t a movie. Life isn’t a fiction tale. I don’t know what’s best for me. Most days I can’t even decide what to wear or what’s for dinner, yet I want to hold the pen for my life and write in what characters I want to be in my life, timeframes, locations, and so much more. In Exodus 13:17 it’s evident that God sees the bigger picture, and that He needs to be holding the pen to our lives, and not us. It reads,
“When Pharaoh finally let the people go, God did not lead them along the main road that runs through Philistine territory, EVEN THOUGH THAT WAS THE SHORTEST ROUTE to the Promised Land. God said, “If the people are faced with a battle, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.””
Exodus 13:17 NLT
“So GOD LED THEM IN A ROUNDABOUT WAY through the wilderness toward the Red Sea. Thus the Israelites left Egypt like an army ready for battle.”
Exodus 13:18 NLT
If you had control of this story, and this was your life, would you have written your story this way? Would you have taken the longer route, or would you have done like most of us and googled the shortest route possible.
THROUGH THE EYES OF AUTHOR GOD, SOMETIMES THE BEST ROUTE, ISN’T ALWAYS THE SHORTEST ROUTE.
But only a person who has penless faith will grasp that. If anyone had Penless Faith it was Paul. Paul says in Acts 20:22-23…
“And see, now I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me.”
Acts 20:22-23 NKJV
“BUT NONE OF THESE THINGS MOVE ME; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.”
Acts 20:24 NKJV
Why Paul? Because I’m not the author of my life. HE is. I trust Him. I have faith in him, even in the hard times. I don’t have to be in control.
I have Penless Faith. What type of mindset does it take to be able to say in the face of adversity, that none of these things move me? I believe we find the mindset we need in Romans 5:1. It reads,
“Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight BY FAITH, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.”
Romans 5:1 NLT
“BECAUSE OF OUR FAITH, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.”
Romans 5:2 NLT
“We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us DEVELOPendurance. And endurance DEVELOPS strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.”
Romans 5:3-4 NLT
Another translation reads verse 3 like this…
“Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering PRODUCESperseverance;”
Romans 5:3 NIV
We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us…
📝 • By faith LET HIM WRITE.
God doesn’t waste pages. God doesn’t waste ink. Let Him write! Whenever God writes, He’s developing something. Whenever God write’s, He’s producing something. He doesn’t waste space. He doesn’t waste time. He doesn’t waste ink. Let Him write. Here’s why you need to…
📝 Allow God to write, because when all you can see is the current SCENE, God sees the entire SCRIPT.
“I DECLARE THE END FROM THE BEGINNING, and from long ago what is not yet done, saying: my plan will take place, and I will do all my will.”
Isaiah 46:10 CSB
LET HIM WRITE. You can let Him write by saying what Peter said in Luke 5:5…
“But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; NEVERTHELESS at Your word I will let down the net.””
Luke 5:5 NKJV
Master I don’t understand why we’re taking this way instead of that way, but nevertheless I’ll trust you. Nevertheless I’ll obey. Nevertheless I’ll surrender the pen of my life and let you write my story.
“You killed THE AUTHOR OF LIFE, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this.”
Acts 3:15 NIV
For it was fitting to Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, having brought many sons to glory, to make perfect THE AUTHOR OF THEIR SALVATION through sufferings.
Hebrews 2:10 BLB
“looking unto JESUS, THE AUTHOR and finisher OF OUR FAITH, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Hebrews 12:2 NKJV
📝 Jesus the Author of Life, the Author of Salvation, the Author of Faith, doesn’t suffer from WRITER’S BLOCK. He knows how to author your story.
📝 • By faith TRUST HIS WORK.
“We can rejoice, too, WHEN WE RUN INTO PROBLEMS AND TRIALS, for we know that they help us develop endurance.”
Romans 5:3 NLT
Even when you run into problems and trials, by faith you can trust His work, AND THAT HE’S AT WORK.
“But Jesus replied, “My Father is always working, AND SO AM I.””
John 5:17 NLT
How is He working? Romans 8:28 tells us exactly how He’s working. It reads,
“And we know that IN ALL THINGS GOD WORKS FOR THE GOOD of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
Romans 8:28 NIV
When Paul said all things, he meant all things! That means that…
📝 God is taking the problem, God is taking the trial, and even when you don’t see it, HE’S WORKING TO MAKE IT GOOD!
I know how it looks now. I know how it feels now, but I’m going to make it good.
📝 He’s working for HIS GOOD.
📝 He’s working for HIS GLORY.
📝 He’s working for a GREATER STORY.
📝 He’s working for my GROWTH.
“WE CAN REJOICE, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that THEY HELP US DEVELOP ENDURANCE. And ENDURANCE DEVELOPS STRENGTH OF CHARACTER, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.”
Romans 5:3-4 NLT
All this means, this isn’t the end of my story. All of this means I’m going somewhere if I need endurance to get there, and character for it once I arrive.
📝 You can rejoice not over what YOU’RE IN, but you can rejoice over where YOU’RE GOING!
I can rejoice in where God is taking me.
📝 We need ENDURANCE for the journey, but we need CHARACTER for what’s COMING.
Here’s the bottom line to today’s…
📝 • By faith we WIN!
📝 As long as my God is WORKING then that means I’m WINNING!
“What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? IF GOD IS FOR US, WHO CAN EVER BE AGAINST US?”
Romans 8:31 NLT
“But thanks be to God! HE GIVES US THE VICTORY THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST.”
1 Corinthians 15:57 NIV
Let Him write. Let Him work. Through Jesus Christ, you will win.
“And THIS HOPE WILL NOT LEAD TO DISAPPOINTMENT. FOR WE KNOW HOW DEARLY GOD LOVES US…”
Romans 5:5 NLT
📝 Even when you don’t understand His authoring HAND, you can trust His loving HEART.
Relinquish the pen. Relinquish your illusion of control. Surrender it over to God. You’ve tried it your way. Now try it His. PENLESS FAITH.
THIS HOPE WILL NOT LEAD TO DISAPPOINTMENT. THIS HOPE WILL LEAD TO GOD’S GOOD PLANS.
“And we know that in all things God works FOR THE GOOD of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
Romans 8:28 NIV
“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “THEY ARE PLANS FOR GOOD and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”
Jeremiah 29:11 NLT
WILL YOU ALLOW THE AUTHOR OF LIFE, THE AUTHOR OF SALVATION, THE AUTHOR OF FAITH, TO WRITE OUT HIS GOOD PLANS?
Σχόλια