Episode 20- How Not to Respond

We are not manipulators; we are responders. We don't pray, give, fast, read your Bible to get God to do things for us. Everything we do is in direct response to what God has done or is currently doing. We've discussed on what responding looks like; now is the time to explore what it doesn't look like. 

Transcript

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But find out what he wants to do in scripture or also in our relationship with him and say, God, your plan is for my benefit. You always have good intentions for me. So I will be a fool not to partner with you. I believe it, your word says it. I believe it, that settles it for me. What's up, guys? This is Nathan Horton, and this is the breakdown where we are pursuing practical steps for spiritual results. So I want to pick up where we left off on the last episode. We've been talking about responding to Christ. We've been talking about how He is the foundation, He is the blueprint, He is the initiation of everything that we do, and we are just responding to Him, everything that He has done on the cross, or everything that He is currently doing. So this will be the last episode concerning the responding responding to Christ. I'm not sure what I'm going to do next. Uh the Lord's going to be lead leading me into that. But right now, this is probably going to be the last episode for responding to Christ. And so, therefore, it's also probably going to be the last episode based on the establishing of belief systems. Okay. So this episode is kind of also maybe be a summary or a culmination of all this of what we've been talking about over the last 20 episodes. So uh before we get in, the focus of this episode is going to be what is what responding to Christ is not. How do we not respond to Christ? That's gonna be the whole focus of it. Because I've been seeing uh over my time in the church, and I've been in the church my entire life, when I started receiving this revelation, when I started receiving it from ministers, when I started receiving it from my own study, I started when you s you'll learn this as you grow in Christ, that when you start receiving things, when you start learning things, when you start grasping revelation, you'll start to not only reflect on where you've been, but you'll also start to recognize where people are at. And there's a danger to that for because judgment or criticism might be involved. And I want to challenge you, don't fall to that because that's how you disconnect from people, that is how you uh divide yourself, isolate yourself from people. Scripture says that knowledge puffs up, so the more knowledge you obtain, there is a trap to actually develop pride, which will actually separate you or is it even call you cause you to fall. So there's a little that was free. That was that's a little uh snippet. But when you receive knowledge, when you receive revelation, there is this reality that you start to realize where everybody is at, right? And I guess the challenge that I want to um relay to you before we bring this segment of my podcast to a close is what let the Lord, when the Lord gives you information, when the Lord gives you revelation, whether it's through scripture, whether it's through listening to other ministers, or whether it's just through casual conversation with your fellow brothers and sisters, do not allow the good things that the Lord gives you to be an instrument for the devil to actually divide you from your from your from the brethren. Okay? Do m live a life humble, live a life that is receptive to the knowledge and the revelation that the Lord wants to give you, but be able to release it in due time, release it when the Lord wants you to, and also be able to be teachable and also be able to impart whatever the Lord gives you in specific seasons. Okay, but again, do not allow the good things that the Lord gives you to be an instrument that will cause division and separation. If the Lord can't trust you to unite his people, now granted, some revelation will cause division, and it's not by accident, it's not by um it's not by any fault of your own, it's just people disagree, and it's just what happens, right? I mean, even Jesus says that the Son of Man has come to uh basically uh for the son to go against the fathers and the daughters go against the mothers, okay? And so even Jesus showing up, there was division. Even when Jesus showing up and preaching the truth, there was conflict, okay? So I'm not saying that when the Lord receives you revelation, gives you revelation and gives you information and knowledge that everything's gonna be okie-doki, artichokey, everyone's gonna be united. That's not that's not going to be a reality, but it's all about your heart posture. Is your is your desire to cause a division? Is your desire to prove that you're right, whether you for the sake of that other person's feelings, or is your posture is I have received this, I thank you, God, I thank you, Lord, for blessing you with this revelation, blessing me with this information. So I am no longer, I'm no longer weighted with the things of the past, I'm no longer a b um, I'm no longer forced to live according to a certain way. I have now been liberated to live a different way, of a new way, a fresh way that is in alignment and that isn't with partnership with you. But when it's time for me to release this or to impart it to other people, I will be ready, I will be attuned, and I will do it according to your steps and according to your guidelines. Okay? Does that make sense? So again, do not use what the Lord gives you to cause animosity and division. I'm not saying it will, I'm not saying that everyone will be united, but it should not be based by your uh device or by your intentions. Okay, so the focus of today, what I want to do in the very beginning of this, is I want to basically give you a roadmap of how to respond. This is not gonna take very long because I've already talked about this in in depth, but it's gonna be a quick, quick bullet point summary. So if you want in a bullet point roadmap blueprint on how to respond to Christ in any given scenario, this is gonna be it. This is not gonna take long because I do want to get to the final part of this, which is what what is responding to Christ? What does it not look like? Okay, so first thing when we are responding to Christ, here's the first first bullet. When we are responding to Christ, the first thing that we need to understand, guys, is what are we responding to? So if you're in a situation, if you are in a difficult area of your life, maybe it's financially, maybe it's relationally, maybe um it's pursuing something for a job or whatever, directional, whatever is peace of mind. Again, whatever is, there is a solution for everything that we might show up that we might step into, everything that we might come up against. There is a solution for everything in scripture. So what you are what you are going to want to focus to do is to find the solution to any problem in scripture. So if it's financial, find God's heart, find God's methods, his nature, his character concerning finances. Okay? Now it's important because the body of Christ is very divided when it comes to finances. The body of Christ is divided when it comes to divine healing. The body of Christ is divided according to pretty much anything that we could receive from God to live the life that He wants us to live. Okay? So to give it to you straight, you're just gonna have to make up your own mind. Okay? There are many fabulous, awesome ministers out there, but there are also fabulous, awesome ministers that disagree with those other ministers. So you're just gonna have to, scripture says, walk out your own salvation with fear and trembling. You're gonna have to get in the scriptures, you're gonna have to read it from cover to cover, from Genesis to Revelation, you're gonna have to get in the book, get in your prayer closet, and say, Lord, teacher, comforter, I want you to take what you have written down and make it real to me. Okay? Get acquainted with Christ, get acquainted with the Holy Spirit, so that when you hear ministers speak, you can hear the you can sense the Holy Spirit agreeing, your spirit partnered with the Holy Spirit, agreeing with what is being said, or disagreeing with what is being said. Right? Okay, that is literally the heart, that is literally the pathway of a mature Christian. That you are acquainted with the Holy Spirit, you're acquainted with him, so that when you get involved in ministry or when you get involved with someone else that is administering, that is ministering, you can you can immediately connect with what is being said or disconnect with what isn't what is being said based on the unction or based on the leaning the Holy Spirit has on what is being said. Okay, so no matter what it is, you get in the scripture, you find the solution, you find God's heart and nature concerning that matter, and then the next step, you're gonna have to believe it. Now, this goes back to episodes one, two, three, four, five of the podcast, where we talked about establishing those belief systems. Well, how do we establish belief systems? We do it through the confession of God's word. In other words, you immerse yourself in the scriptures, you immerse yourself in the relationship with Jesus Christ, okay, and you become so acquainted, so aware of his nature concerning the your circumstances or certain concerning those situations that you start to see him moving, you start to think about him moving, you start to talk about him moving, it becomes so much a part of you that your belief system will actually move you into an action. You're not forcing the action, but your belief is actually moving you to act. Okay? Some of you might be driving a car right now. Well, why are you driving a car? Because you believe that car was going to run and it's going to be a device that can be used by you to get you to where you're going, right? Some of you are might be sitting in a chair right now. Why are you sitting in that chair? Because you believe that chair will hold you up. Your belief will move you into an action. That action is what we've been talking about over the last couple of episodes when we're talking about responding. Okay? So this response, the responding that we have to Christ is based on our belief system. What we believe about him will determine how we respond to him or what we or how we respond with him. Okay? So, so no matter what it is, guys, I just gave you a three-step tier, a three-step list. No matter what it is, find out what the issue is. So find this discover what the issue is, and therefore find the solutions in the scriptures. Once you found your solution, and it can only be one verse, it doesn't have to be the entire book, just one verse. The one verse that is that concretes it, that that anchors it to you. Hey, God's will is for me to be prosperous, it is God's will for me to be healed, it is God's will for me to be successful in every avenue and every area. It is for it is God's will for me to be for me to have healthy relationships, right? So find the solution in the scriptures and then confess it. Okay? Go into your prayer closet, pray over that scripture, meditate on it, think about it. It says in Joshua, meditate on this on the book of the law. For us, in the New Testament, it's the scriptures. Meditate on the book of the law day and night, and in this way you shall make your way prosperous, right? And so we meditate on it, we speak it, we declare it, we we think about it, okay? We it is at the forefront of our thoughts, right? It is at the forefront of our discussion with ourselves, with our families. It is in the very wording of our language, right? And then the more you speak it, the more you will come to believe it, and when the more you become to believe it, the more you'll start seeing yourself do it. Okay? And the doing piece is the responding piece. Okay? So I literally just gave you a roadmap on how to do the responding. Okay? You find it in the scriptures, you believe the scriptures, and you'll find yourself doing the scriptures. Okay? So, what does responding not look like? Okay, what is responding not look like? The main thing that I want to discuss, that I want to relay to you, that what is um responding not look like? It does not look like manipulation. Okay, you've heard me say this before, and I'm gonna continue saying it again, okay? When you are responding to Christ, you are the one that is doing the responding. Now, this does not mean that Christ will not respond to you. Okay, Christ is not, he he has done a finished work, he has done everything that he is going to do concerning what he has given to you through through grace by faith that has been given to you in salvation. But he is still working today, he is still operating today. The Holy Spirit is still moving, the Holy Spirit is still um um speaking to people, moving among people, moving on people. So God is still at work today. So he, yes, there are things that he has done, but he is also doing things according to what he's already done, right? So, as believers, we have to understand that we are not trying to get God to respond to us. Now he will respond to us, right? But that is not our mindset, that is not our focus, okay? Because when you go into a situation and you're wanting God to respond to you, then you're going into a situation with your agenda, you're going into your situation with your preconceived ideas, preconceived plans about how this is supposed to fan out, how this is supposed to show up, right? And if God is not in favor of you of your preconceived ideas, of if he's not in favor of your plans, he's not going to partner with you. God is literally like this, it's his way or the highway, okay? And you don't want, you want his way because he provides, he makes all things work for your benefit. All of his plans are all his plans are good and awesome and great for you. Okay, that is when we go back to the scriptures because it shows us all throughout the scriptures that his best intentions are for our benefit, and not only for our benefit, but also for our success. But he understands his ways are what causes these benefits, right? And so as a Christian, we're not coming to a situation with our plans, we're coming to a situation trying to determine what was God's plan. What is what has he already done concerning this scenario, or what is his heart that he wants to be? What is what is it he wants to be doing in this scenario? We find out what he has done or what he is wanting to do, we partner with that with the words of our mouth, and we actually partner with him to see that come to fruition. Okay? So again, we're not trying to get him to respond to us. We are responding to him. Well, how what are some examples of us trying to get him to respond to us? Um, you might have heard ministers say, Well, we've we we've got to pray enough so that God will bless us. Okay, again, that is you trying to get God to do something for you, okay, based on what you are doing, right? You might have heard ministers say, Well, you you gotta read the Bible so God will bless you. I've heard even seasoned Christians say that um if you are sinning, if you are doing something consistently, okay, God's not hearing your prayers. And that is not even biblically founded, right? That is not even biblically founded. In fact, God, where it says where sin abounds, grace much more abounds. What does that mean? That means Jesus runs to you, he's not ignoring you, he is running towards you if you are sitting, he runs towards you if you are struggling, right? So, so it is important, guys, that when you do the things that we normally do as Christians, pray, read the Bible, fasting, all that. Fasting is a big one. You might have heard people say, hey, we fast so that God will bless this work. We're fasting so that God will do this. We're fasting so God will do that. No, no, no. You're not fasting so God will do something. You're fasting to get your heart posture corrected. You're fasting not to change God, but to change you, so that you can properly either receive what God has already done, or that you can be postured and positioned properly so that you can hear what God wants to do. So everything that we do as Christians, everything that we do that includes prayer, reading the Bible, fasting, even evangelism work. Everything that we do as Christians, it's not to get God to bless us, but to understand that he's already blessed us and that we are to move accordingly, right? Again, find out what he has already done or find out what he wants to do, partner with his plan, and you will see a beneficial work come to place. Okay? To solidify this even more, because we're not talking about to solidify this even more because we're trying against, I'm speaking against manipulation. We're not doing something to get God to bless us, we're already blessed, so let's move accordingly, right? Go with me to Romans chapter 4. Okay, Romans chapter 4. And I love for those of you who do know me, I love the book of Romans. So I encourage you, for those of you who might be new Christians or you haven't read the Bible in a while, I encourage you read the book of Romans. It is one of the main books that we use as far as doctrine. Okay, so um I don't really know where to start in this, where I want to read, so I'm going to just start in verse 13, okay? And then I'll just highlight the key areas, okay? So this is about the promise that God makes to Abraham that he will become the father of many nations. Now, the main thing I want you to understand about this, guys, is that both Abraham and and Sarah, his wife, are very, very, very, very old. In fact, they're too old to have children. Okay, so keep that in mind. Okay. So verse 13. For the promise that he should be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise is made of none effect. Because the law works wrath, for where no law is, there is no transgression. There it is of faith that it might be by grace. To the end of the promise might be sure to all the seed, not to only not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all. As is written, I have made you a father of many nations, before him whom he believed, even God who quickens the dead, and calls those things which not as though they were. Now, verse 18, who against hope believed in hope. So here's the point, guys. Abraham has been given this promise that when you look at the physical evidence, it's not possible. Right? And even if you look at in verse 17, it says, as it is written, I have made you a father of many nations. God said this before Isaac was born. So God calls things that be not as though they were. In other words, he looks at his situation and he says, This is the reality. This is the reality that I am releasing. So I look at it and I declare that you are a father of many nations, even before you have had you've given birth to children. So notice that he gives you the identity, he gives you the picture, he declares what he wants, and then it's up to you to partner with him to see what he wants, right? So let's continue on. I'll start back at verse 17 again. As is Ren, I have made thee a father of many nations before him whom he believed, even God who quickens the dead, and calls those things which be not as though they were. Who against hope believed in hope that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, so shall thou see be. So in other words, Abraham basically was saying, Okay, I want to become what God is telling me to become, right? So what does he do? And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead. In other words, he did not allow the physical evidence to dictate his course. And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about a hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb. So not only did he not allow his current circumstances to dictate to dictate his course, he also did not allow Sarah's circumstances to dictate his course. So not only did he not allow his personal circumstances, he didn't allow the circumstances, the circumstances of others to dictate his course. So what did he allow to dictate his course? The promise that God gave him. Because he believed that God was not a man that should lie, and that he that started it will bring it to pass, right? So let's keep going. Keep going. Verse 20. He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God. That's the key thing I want to give, I want to emphasize, guys. There is this concept among Christians that you thank God in advance. Okay? And I understand the heart of that because there is a faith element to that approach. That when you are believing God for something, just like Abraham, he was believing for a child because he believed the promise that God had for him, that he was the father of many nations. Well, in order to be the father of many nations, you have to have at least one child, right? And he had not gave given birth to a child yet. But it says that he did not stagger at the promises of God through unbelief. Well, what do you do? He believed it. How did he believe it? He became acquainted with it by spending time with God and becoming more and rehearsing the promise over and over again. And over again, okay? But notice what was his response to the promise? What was his response? Look at verse 21 again. And being fully persuaded, so his belief he became fully believed, he believed fully that this that I'm going to have a child and I am the father of many nations. Being fully persuaded that what he had promised, he was able to also perform. Sorry. Sorry, back up to verse 20. He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God. What was his response? He gave glory to God. Now here's the thing, guys, because you will hear this sometimes in other churches. We give, we thank God before we see it. That's not what Abraham did. It sounds spiritual, it sounds faith-based, but that's not what Abraham did it. He did not give glory to God before he saw it. He believed that Isaac was a done deal, therefore he gave glory to God. In other words, he wasn't giving God glory to get the son, he gave God glory because it was so real to him that he had a son, even though in the natural he didn't. That is the difference. So be careful when you hear people say, Oh, we're thanking God before we see it. That's not scriptural. We don't thank God before we see it, but our belief system causes us to see it. And because we are so convinced that it is a done deal because he who is promised is faithful. When we see it, it actually moves us into a corresponding action. It actually moves us into a response, which in Abraham's case was giving glory to God. He was not giving God glory for something that he was going to get. He was giving God glory for something that he already believed he already possessed. That is the difference, guys. We don't thank God in the hallway believing that he's going to open up doors. No, we thank God in the hallway knowing that he is already opening doors. Right? There was, and I'll I'll tell you this story and then I'll close. When I was looking for a job, when I was looking for a job, um, I would have people pray with me. I would have people pray over me and all that, but I would always dictate their prayers. Because the habit or the temptation is to say, God, open up doors, God give him favor, God um do this for him. And I always told people, do not pray that like that over me. Do not do not ask God to open doors. And they would always look at me. Well, why not? Because I know he's already doing it. Why? Because I am the favored of the Lord, right? His favor is upon me, his favor goes before me to make it to be a shield for me, his favor comes up behind me, cleaning up any mess. I mean, I am I am loved by him, I am adored by him, I am I have been grafted into the vine, so the blessings flow easily through me. I am favored by heaven. So when I'm people so I tell people, do not ask God to open doors for me because I know he's already doing it. I I will tell them, do not pray that that God will be speaking to people. No, no, no. I already know he's doing it. Okay? So what would I ask them to pray to say, pray that I will recognize his activity, that I will be able to recognize what he is doing. Now I'm not gonna stand sit here and say, well, don't pray those things that I tell people not to pray. No, no, no, no. But the wording has to be different. You're not saying, God, please open doors. You say, God, I partner with you in the opening of the doors. I know you this is your heart. I know you want to do this. So I thank you, Father, that I step through every door that you're opening. I thank you, Father, that I speak cordially and with respect and with humility every single person that comes into my way. I thank you, Father, that I see the activity of the Lord. I see what you're doing, I see what I hear what you're speaking, for I for I see what the Lord is doing, and I hear what the Lord is speaking, right? So you notice I just moved into a for a kind of a form of prayer. That is how you navigate the Christian life. You know his heart, you know his character, you know what his heart and his heart and character is towards you, and then you partner with it. Not trying to get him to do it, but you actually take him at his word that this is what he is doing or this is what he wants to do. So you get in line and say, God, what are you doing in this? Okay, when I was looking for a job, I was okay, God, what what's the step? What's the procedure? And there have been there was a time he told me what when I on a Sunday morning when I was looking for an education job, I he said, Wake up. He woke me up actually, and he says, Up go to this specific district's home page and apply. And I was like, and I was thinking, well, that district, um, they don't have a position available, at least they didn't have the other day. But the Lord told me to do it. So what did I do? I believe that he is faithful. So I partner with him. I got up, I looked at the districts, and there was an actual assignment that was not there the day before, right? I applied for. I get a call that day after church, and they said the position you applied for is actually filled, but there's another position that I think you would be interested for. Will you come and interview? And I said immediately, yes, I will. And notice, and I immediately said, I will. But I did not pray, God, give me favor. I believe, God, this is what you want me to do. This is the plan for my life for this season. So I'm not asking for favor, but I thank you, Father. I thanked him for favor because I believed I already had it. I wasn't thanking him for something to get, I was thanking him for something that he's already given to me. That is the difference that we want to move through, guys. Okay? So again, let me quickly summarize this as I conclude. This is a long one, but let me let me summarize this to conclude this segment of my podcast because we've been talking about this for 20 episodes. Okay? So here is how you navigate the Christian life, you establish belief systems. What you believe about God will greatly determine how you partner and cooperate with him. If you believe he's bad, you're gonna freak out. But if you believe he's good and not only good, but good to you, you will love to partner with him to see his goodness manifest in your life. For I have neither seen the righteous forsaken or the children begging for bread, for I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living, right? Okay, so you establish those belief systems that are according to scripture, and once you believe it, you will do it. Right? If you don't like what you're doing, fix what you believe. You fix your believing, you fix your doing. It's really that simple, guys. Okay? And again, we're not trying to get God to do anything for us, he's already done the whole thing. He who spared not his own son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? It says in Romans chapter 8. He who spared not his own son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with Christ also freely give us all things? Right? He's done the whole thing, he's done everything for your healing, he's done everything for your provision, he's done everything for your sound mind, he's done everything for your family, he's done it all, but he's also doing activity according to what he's already done. What we're to do is believe that he is not a man that should lie, that he is faithful to us, even when we're not faithful to him, but find out what he wants to do in scripture or also in our relationship with him and say, God, your plan is for my benefit. You always have good intentions for me. So I will be a fool not to partner with you. I believe it, your word says it, I believe it, that settles it for me. Amen, guys. I literally just gave you the blueprint and the the path of how to navigate the Christian life. But I believe over the next couple episodes, as we move, as we start shifting gears, I'm starting I'm gonna start going into detail about some of it, about some actual things that we do as Christians. I've had some people ask about prayer. I've asked I've had some people ask about um reading scripture. So again, this all goes back down to the foundation. How do we navigate the Christian life? Okay, so I might start going into more detail about some of the ordinances or the the the rituals or the customs that we do as Christians. Okay, but again, I hope that these 20 episodes have been a blessing to you, and I hope that the rest of the podcast will continue to be a blessing to you as well. So you have a good rest of your night or the rest of your day. Thanks.