Have you ever been here? Has there ever been a time in your life where you've hidden out, either in fear of failure of succeeding? For instance, you may be a dancer, singer, speaker, or even a helper. Are you afraid of fulfilling these talents that you have because you feel like you won't succeed? Well, hopefully you will walk out of here in a different mindset, and a different mentality, because you can do all things through Christ, who strengthens you; and you can and will succeed through Him, if you ask.
The Lord will give you strength when you feel like you can't make it. Isaiah 41:10 says, "There's no need to fear for I am your God. I'll give you strength. I'll help you. I'll hold you steady, keep a firm grip on you." (The Message)
There should be no fear in doing what God has for you to do. Today, I'm going to speak to you about stepping out of your box and into the will of God for your life; through stories, visual examples, valid statistics, and researched points.
Here we have a box. Have you ever felt like you've been pushed inside of your box, closed in, taped around and around, providing no exit? This is the representation of people judging, or forcing us in. Sometimes the case could even that we are the individuals doing the judging and forcing upon ourselves.
So, most of us know, or have known what it's like to go to school and have different people we hang out with, right? We are also aware that there is a set standard about what is and what is not to be talked about when it comes to religious views. Do you, or have you ever, felt like your opinion doesn't matter in your group? That they may laugh or make fun of you because of your belief system? Trust me, I've been through this and have felt this way; but the problem exceeds this.
We may think that the set atmosphere in our school and in the world will be the same way when we walk into the doors of our church. Now, if you've been to church, you know that church is just the opposite. If you haven't, well, let me just say that like all of us christians, churches may be in the world, but they are not of the world. When you grasp that truth, then you can keep yourself from being pushed inside your box. Be free to praise uncontrollably, worship with your lips, and recognize Him. Realize that there won't be judgment on the level of your worship, but the recognition of your willingness to step out and not be like everyone else. Recognition is not the key, but the sacrifice of your giving, is.
"Pressure", "being forced". I've noticed that we as Christians, like to use these words a lot. We've all experienced times where our parents made us go to church when we didn't want to or feel like it, right? That didn't matter to them. The only thing that mattered is you being a part of something that's the best for you. In reality, church is the best for you, but not when a parent's pressure is the only thing pushing you to go.
Another kind of pressure is friends. An example: A friend invites you to go to church with them Wednesday night and you don't really want to go, but you do anyway just because they asked you to. And let me just take a guess...you just sat there and didn't worship at all. Just let time pass you by because your fear overcame you again. Not wanting to stand up and step out and praise Him because of what others might say. You can't have this mentality because it's just another trick to push you into your box. I'm not just speaking to the lost, but to all of you. Especially those who have been in church their whole life, but still refuse to receive their promise.
There are people in the world who don't know the Lord. There are teenagers sitting behind you in church, looking for the path, the truth, the answer. Don't want to be the one to help them, show them, and guide them through their walk. You have to worship though. You have to be the one to step out and show them God through you. These people are dying and going to hell every single day, and the number just keeps rising. Whether you like it or not, your are responsible for saving them. Don't let your fear of stepping out of your box and comfort zone, stop you from saving a life.
Now our own faults come into play. We start hiding from fear and failure, and if we are continuously doing things wrong, and we find ourselves being pushed into our box, we better keep in mind that we're heading in the wrong direction. If we don't turn away from the things that we know that we know we're capable of breaking free from, they will consume us. The things that will consume us, are serious in most cases. Drugs, alcohol, personal actions and even the words we speak out of our mouths are just some examples of the restrictions of our praise. Maybe if we would stop focusing on doing all the things that the world does and start depending on God, we will break free from our box, our satisfied zones, and the chains of bondage which have us bound. In order to do this, it takes sacrifice. You have to stop running with the people you're running with, and you have to stop acting the way you're acting. Now is not the time to fail, but to succeed. But then you can't fail at something you're not willing to do, right?
You can't expect to have one foot in the world and one foot in the churhc and succeed. You have to let these things go to break out of your box. Did you know that only 1/4 of you are true Christians from a recent study? It's time to change that. It's time to let go of your fear and step out of your box. Isaish 8:11-15 says, "The Lord has given me a strong warning not to think like everyone else does. He said, 'Don't call everything a conspiriacy, like they do, and don't live in dread of what frightens them. Make the Lord of Heaven's Armies holy in your life. He is the one you should fear. He is the one who should make you tremble. He will keep you safe. But to Israel and Judah he will be a stone that makes people stumble, a rock that makes them fall. And for the people of Jerusalem he will be a trap and a snare. Many will stumble and fall, never to rise again. They will be snared and captured."
This tells us not to fear or else we will be tangled up and lost. God's waiting for your sacrifice, and he's ready to use you. You may think I'm asking too much, but am I honestly? Or are you not ready to step out? This is me stepping out of my box and my comfort zone. I'm just pursuing the call on my life that the Lord has blessed me with. It's everything I was made for.
I want to share something that may help you whenever you may be in doubt. Joshua 1:9 says, "Haven't I commanded you? Strength! Courage! Don't be timid; don't get discouraged. God, your God is with you every step you take."
SO TAKE IT!
