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WHAT HAVE WE LOST? OR HAVE YOU LOST ANYTHING?

INTRODUCTION

Without the power of God in our lives, we have nothing to offer this world that can really make a difference.

Many times folks in the world look at those of us who name the name of Christ and, for the most part, they see very little that is right.

Now granted the world will almost always find fault with our Local Churches no matter what we do. The crying shame though is that often we give them justification to find true fault.

The world needs for us to be different than they are., but as you’ve heard the saying, “The world is getting so churchy and our churches are getting so worldly, it is hard to tell the difference sometimes.” That ought not to be. There ought to be a difference in the lives of every person who names the name of Christ!

Without Christ operationally living through us, the sum total of everything we can do that has any eternal value in it is zero.

It does not really matter how many books we read or write. It doesn’t really matter how many tapes we listen to or distribute. It doesn’t really matter how many great speakers we hear or how many people we are privileged to speak to. It does not mater how many insights, or formulas, or programs that we have been exposed to or have thought up and put into action.

What really matters is if we have the power of God in whatever we are doing. Not a one of us can live a Christian life that is pleasing to God apart from the power of the Holy Spirit! Not a one of us can have a ministry that is pleasing to God apart from the power of the Holy Spirit!

All of the cosmetic improvements in the world will not empower us to live for God. We can build buildings. We can begin programs. We can stir all kinds of activity without God being in any of it at all!

If we are to have God’s blessing in our lives and in our ministries, what we must do is go to Christ and exchange our life for His life.

Jesus told his disciples in Matthew 16:24-25–"If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it."

Paul said in Philippians 1:21, "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain."

Nothing about us impresses God. God is not impressed with you or with me. God is not impressed with our great buildings. God is not impressed with our great programs. God is not impressed with our great plans. God is not impressed with our great abilities.

God is only impressed with the life of His Son.

Isaiah 64:6 says that all of our righteousnesses are as filthy rags. That goes for the saint as well as the sinner. God is not looking for our righteousnesses. He is looking for the righteousness of His Son, The Lord Jesus Christ, to be lived in us!

Galatians 2:20, the Apostle Paul said, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me.”

Unless the life of Christ is released in us, all else is in vain.

We can get so busy in the work of the Lord, that we forget all about the Lord of the work.

Many times to compensate for the barrenness inside, we keep up the facade of religious activity on the outside.

(READ THE SCRIPTURE!! 2 KINGS 6:1-7)

When the disciple of Elisha lost the axe head, he lost the power that went with it. He was now helpless to complete his task.

This story has some striking parallels to the Christian life.

Lets let the axe handle represents all that you and I are apart from Christ--all our natural abilities and efforts.

Let the axe head, on the other hand, represent the supernatural power and presence of the resurrected Christ in our lives.

Too many of God’s servants have lost the axe head and are attempting to accomplish the work of God with a useless ax handle.

One of the greatest tragedies of our time is the powerlessness of many of our Local Churches and of the average Christian in our Local Churches.

We are consumed with activities, but we are not consumed with God.

How is it that God’s people lose their spiritual power and influence?

What goes wrong, what can be done to prevent losing that power and what can be done to get it back?

TITLE!

PRAYER!

I.        WHAT CAUSES US TO LOSE THE POWER OF GOD IN OUR LIVES?

            (The Axe Head)

            A.        Sometimes We Forget The Equipment We Have Is Borrowed!

                        There is stewardship involved in using the things that are borrowed.

                        Without a sense of stewardship there is usually carelessness.

When we forget that it is only by God’s power and grace that we are able to minister by, we become careless about the potential that we have been given from God.

When we get careless about the power of God that we have been given, then we are well on our way to losing the power of God in our lives.

                        All that we have is borrowed!

                        1.         All Of Our Time Is Borrowed Time.

                        2.         All Of Our Treasure Is Borrowed Treasure.

                        3.         All Of Our Talents Are Borrowed Talents.

                        We will give an account one day of our stewardship of all that God has given us!

                        Romans 14:10–“So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.”

            B.        Sometimes We Forget The Equipment We Have Borrowed Needs To Be Maintained!

                        1.         An Axe Handle Needs To Be Abiding In The Axe Head To Work Properly.

If our lives don’t stay connected to the Power of God we become useless to do the work that needs to be done.

                                    (John 15:4-7)

                        2.         An Axe Head Needs To Be Sharpened In Order To Work Properly.

If the axe head is not sharpened, it puts more pressure on the axe handle.

If the axe head is not sharpened, it can loosen the axe head from the handle.

            C.        Sometimes We Forget That It’s the Little Things That Need To Be Taken Care Of To Keep From Losing The Power! (The Wedge)

                        What is it that will keep us connected to the power source?

It’s the little things that we know like Prayer and the Word of God that keep the power of God connected to our lives.

 II.       HOW DO WE GET THE POWER OF GOD BACK IN OUR LIVES?

            A.        THE PROPHET WHO LOST HIS AXE HEAD HAD FIVE OPTIONS.

                        1.         He Could Quit!

                                    The easiest thing to do is to quit.

                                    However, our part of the work doesn’t get accomplished when we quit.

                                    Somebody else has to pick up our slack when we quit.

                        2.         He Could Ignore That He Lost His Power Source And Try To Fake It!

                                    This is possibly the greatest hindrance in our churches today.

                                    We can appear to be Spiritually successful even when we are not.

a..        Some have lost the power but are still going through the motions. (Isaiah 1:11)

                                    b.         Some are talking further down the road than they are walking with God.

                                    c.         Some don’t take the Christian walk as seriously as it should be taken.

                                    d.         Some are playing the Christianity game, only Christianity is not a game.

(We go to church, we sing the songs, we go through all the motions, but the truth is that the power has been lost and it all just winds up being just a show and a waste of effort!)

                        3.         He Could Have Chosen A Substitute.

            No real substitute was available! His axe was borrowed.

                                    A substitute would not have solved his dilemma of the lost axe head.

                        4.         He Could Try To Retrieve The Lost Axe Head Himself. (Pride)

                                    Pride says, “I don’t need any help, I can do it myself!”

                                    Pride is the root problem of many other sins among God’s people.

a.        Pride Causes Us To Want To Deal With The Respectable Rather Than Deal With The Real.

We try to keep up a good front on the outside without admitting our real need so that no one notices our real condition.

b.        Pride Causes Us To Deal In Generalities Rather Than Specifics.

                                                We make general confessions rather than specific confessions.

                                                We view our sins as mistakes, problems, or weaknesses.

c.        Pride Causes Us To Be More Concerned With What People Think About Us Rather Than What God Knows About Us.

                                                It keeps us in our seat when we should be on the altar.

It keeps us standing and singing when we should be bowing and praying.

                                                It freezes our response to Spiritual conviction.

                                                It keeps us from confessing, “I was wrong.”

                                                It causes us to be satisfied with the way things are.