Entering in part 1.

Entering in.

1. physical
2. mental

1. Physical application of entering in.

Your outside. you want to go inside.  Inside are the things you’re looking for and wanting to do.  There is a reason that you want to go inside.  If the weather is not cooperating, you want to go inside to escape it. 

But needing or wanting to go inside is not the same as actually going inside.

Knowing all about what’s inside is not the same as actually going inside.

Understanding how it all works, isn’t the same a being inside.  You’re still standing outside.

Knowing what’s expected of you once you get there, isn’t the same as being there.

Knowing all about it in every detail isn’t the same as being inside.

Someone inside may be calling you, but that doesn’t mean you’re actually inside.

All of this has a place. And is important. But there is still something you must do.

You have to go inside, or enter in.   all of this is redundant, until you enter into the house.

            This is an illustration of the spiritual life.

  Many are facing battles, questions, needs.

1. And desire to find an answer in Gods word.  But desiring to inter into Gods’ peace and promises, isn’t the same as entering in.
2. There are legitimate reasons to go inside, but that doesn’t put you inside.
3. They know all about the hope, the promises. But without entering in, it doesn’t mean anything.
4. You may know how greatly it will help you.  But that which we seek after isn’t found until we go inside and benefit from it, by entering into it!
5. God may be calling you. But if we don’t obey, we are closing the door of entering in.
6. They may know what is expected of them if they enter in.  I wonder if some people are afraid of entering in because of the price of obedience or surrender?

You have to enter in! Entering in isn’t always easy, neither is it always free. There may be a personal cost. We must count the cost before we are willing to pay the price.  The question isn’t “does the benefits outweigh the price”. The real question is: “where do you want to spend eternity!”

 Is eternity without God, more important to you than the price of surrender?

Many think they can gamble with God. But God doesn’t gamble.  Gambling with God is thinking they can play fast and loose with sin, however they see fit, then turn in their cards, when they think its time. supposing God is somehow obligated to honor the foolishness.  But in vain do they seek, whom they have rejected.  Expecting the seeds of darkness to sprout blossoms of light and peace. They are in for a terrifying reality check. Jude calls them wondering stars, reserved for the blackness. Many will seek to enter in, but shall not be able. Like Esau who Gambled with God and lost his soul. He didn’t lose because he played his cards wrong, he lost because he ever played at all. God doesn’t gamble. In the end, Esau found it wasn’t God he was gambling with! God doesn’t gamble or barter.

2. mental application of entering in.

            Illustration:  a little boy is sitting on the front steps. he’s is bored and he has a problem.  Every time he feeds the chickens, they peck at his feet, and it scares him. Sometimes they fly up in his face, and that really scares him. So, he goes running away afraid. Now he is sitting on the porch steps feeling depressed. Maybe he has a stick in his hand and he is drawing pictures on the ground. he might  be drawing  dead chickens!

 he misses his dad very much. His dad is brave and not afraid of chickens. His dad comes home and finds him there.  The boy is excited to see his dad, as most kids are, and tells him all about it.  The dad cheers him up. But then something happens. The dad gives him his hat!  Instantly the boys head gets almost to big for the hat.  This is DADS hat!  Nobody is bigger, braver than his dad. If you don’t believe that, just ask the boy! His dad can run faster, jump higher than anyone! Right?

  So now, wearing his dads’ hat, he still has to feed the chickens.  So here he goes!  But this time, things turn out different. Those chickens are in for a real surprise!  He is not afraid any more. His dad is with him! he kicks back at those toe pecking critters, and not afraid when they leap up in the air, trying to get to the corn faster!   He has just conquered his fears, he is no longer afraid of those chickens. All because his Dad was with him.

 So what happened? Did the hat have some mystical power to change everything? No.

But something happened. What was it?  Wasn’t the dad just as fast and brave before he gave his hat to the boy?  Yes. Wasn’t the dad just as fast and brave when the boy was sitting on the steps depressed? Yes.

It wasn’t the hat! the hat was just a tool to convey a message.

His dad didn’t change his character any. The chickens didn’t change.

The boy changed on the inside. But what was it?  The presence of his dad gave him the courage he needed.

 By doing this, He accepted his dad’s character. And by doing so, he ENTERD into the Faith of believing!

How did he do that?  He believed in his dad’s character!  The boy had no confidence in his own character. He had been defeated to many times. But his dad was a different story completely! His dad was brave, his dad had confidence, his dad was powerful, His dad was the victor!

So how did all that change the boy?  Because the message his dad gave him was this:  I LOVE YOU! AND I WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU! I AM YOUR DEFENSE AND EXCEEDING GREAT REWARD!

 The promise of the dad worked like this; the dad extended his heart (character) to the boy.

The Boy extended to the dad his heart of fears and discouragements. These two separate sacrificial offerings met and exchanged one for the other. The victorious power of the dads character changed the heart he was offered. (exchanged on the cross)  and their hearts became one!  As each accepted the sacrifice of the other.  The strength and boldness of the dad entered the boy, and the hope and trust of the boy was accepted by the dad.  And worlds were changed! There is a vast difference between knowing about our heavenly father, and the faith of believing in him. We don’t enter in by way of knowledge, but by the faith of believing the words of the father! (Rom 10:17  So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. )

         The boy humbled himself before the father, confessed his need, and the father met him there.  There was an exchange of hearts and spirits.

 Luke 18:10  Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. 

Luk 18:11  The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. 

Luk 18:12  I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. 

Luk 18:13  And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. 

Luk 18:14  I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

   Sometimes we pray out of our heads and expect God to act on our part, to accept our offering of knowledge. 

But our heart is full of self or self-righteousness, even pride or bitterness. There is no brokenness in THAT type of praying!

Psa 34:18  The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. 

Psa 51:17  The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. 

The message is clear, God will not accept our sin, no matter what it is. But humbling ourselves because of our sin, will always get Gods attention.

  the cry from the boys’ heart of humility, made it possible for the dad to accept the words from the boys’ head.   The boys’ words were not ringing with the attitude of self-importance or vengeance or blame. He was looking at himself and his need. He wanted to change and was willing to ask the dad for that change.  His dad responded in love and the boy believed (accepted/trusted in), the words of his dad. THEN, the boy ACTED UPON those words!

Jas 2:20  But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? 

Jas 2:26  For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. 

               If the boy had not responded to his dads encouragement, (just sitting there, or arguing and disagreeing, rationalizing, perhaps even blaming the dad), then the dad would have left him there alone to think about the hope the boy had rejected.

 This is what pride does to people. The alter call is given, they rationalize against the spirit of God, then they reject the offer of hope, and go home without responding. They may even tell themselves, to go home and pray about it there. So, others won’t see their pride or see their brokenness, or see them admit they have a need.  They are trying to Get to heaven without giving up their sin. This is the seed bed of the sinning religion doctrine! Image the lame man by the pool, telling Jesus, “I want to be healed, but I still want to be lame when I need to!” Or” comeback later, there is someone   I want to get involved with first, then I want you to heal me. I can have my piece of cake, and eat it too!”

               The spirit will not follow them in their rejection. They may go home and pray, but the spirit of God is not there. They are trying to hide their sin. (pride). And God will not accept it.

Joh 5:4  For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had. 

If God is “troubling the waters” of your heart, it’s not a time to leave, or go someplace else and talk about it. if the lame man had done this, he would never have found the hope he so greatly sought after.  If God troubles the water, GET IN!

The big difference between knowledge and believing is humility with obedience.

it was the confidence in the dads’ character and his power to bring it to pass. (the boy wasn’t looking at himself)

  The boy felt safe in his dad’s presence!  For he knew what his dad was like! His trust was in his dad!

 His dad said” I will never leave you!”

Is God watching you? Has God left you? Do you believe in the character of your heavenly Father? has he given you any “Hats” to strengthen you?  Any offers of hope? Any tokens of his love? Does your heavenly father love you?       What “challenges” are you facing?

 God extends to you his heart, love, his Son, his spirit, his word, his angles, his power and his character.

Are you offering to God (with brokenness) your confidence and accepting his sacrifice to you?

To enter into the fathers’ heart, you must surrender your own! The Prayerof faith is an exchange!

The strength is more than the message! Its in our confidence in who said it! If we have that confidence, there is no reason to draw back! our surrender and obedience is crowned with the power of Gods character!

 I LOVE YOU!

 I WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU!

 I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS!

 I AM WATCHING YOU!

 EVEN UNTIL THE END OF THE EARTH!

“Faith” is very simple! It’s placing our confidence in who said it!  That’s faith! And it moves Mountains’!