Today’s message, delivered by Pastor Mark Ramsey, is a powerful exploration of our potential and purpose as believers. It’s not just about getting to heaven; it’s about bringing heaven to earth. Let’s dive into the key points of this inspiring sermon and discover how we can position ourselves for influence in our world.
Why Are We Here? We must understand our purpose. Many believers think their ultimate goal is to get to heaven. However, once we accept Jesus, our goal shifts from getting to heaven to bringing heaven to earth. Jesus taught us to pray, "My kingdom come, My will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Our mission is to bring more of heaven to earth, so we can see more of earth go to heaven.
We’ve all got something to bring to the table. Position is a significant part of our journey. It sets us up to influence our generation for good and for God. Position is crucial in every aspect of life—whether in battle, business, or sports. Just like a quarterback waiting for a receiver to get open, God is waiting for us to position ourselves to receive His blessings, healing and increase. He does not have favorites! He’s looking for those who are in position to receive what He has for them. Our spiritual positioning determines our outcomes in life and our victories in life.
Keys to Spiritual Positioning
- Flexibility
A spirit of flexibility is essential for spiritual positioning. While consistency in our beliefs and values is important, we must remain flexible to move with God’s new directions. We need to be able to move when God wants to do something new. Don’t stop moving spiritually or you will lose flexibility. When God speaks, we want to be able to do what He says. Peter exemplified this when he obeyed Jesus’ command to cast his nets again, despite having caught nothing all night. His flexibility led to an overwhelming catch of fish. Flexibility in the spirit realm positions us to receive what God has for us.
- Courage
Courage is the baseline of faith. It takes courage to seize our moments and make the most of our opportunities. The opportunity of a lifetime only lasts the lifetime of the opportunity. Life is short, eternity is long and this is your moment to make a difference for Jesus. The book of James tells us that doers are blessed. We must have the courage to step out in faith. Live life boldly like the men who broke through the roof to get to Jesus and make a difference for their friend in Luke 5.
- Expectancy
Expectancy is like a magnet; whatever we expect strongly enough will eventually come to pass, good or bad. We must shift our expectancy from the negative to expecting God to move on our behalf. Expectancy positions us to receive God’s blessings and miracles and to make a difference for others. Expect God to show up. At any moment we can move from a natural situation and see the supernatural hand of God moving in and through our life.
- Generosity
Generosity positions us for increase and for influence. It makes a difference for us and for others as well. Whatever we give never leaves our life; it just leaves our present, ends up in our future multiplied and on the way through, it changes a whole bunch of other peoples’ lives. Giving and planting seeds of generosity impacts those we give to and ensures we have due seasons of blessings coming our way. Our future is determined by our generosity, not by others. Generosity changes lives and positions us under an open heaven.
- Being Led by the Holy Spirit
It’s not enough to have the Holy Spirit; we must be led by Him. Is He your captain or your cabin boy? We need more than our own knowledge and understanding. Fine-tuning our spiritual ears to hear God’s voice when we’re reading the Word of God is crucial. The Holy Spirit will help us to understand and learn. Knowing the Word of God helps us discern His voice amidst the noise of our emotions and thoughts as well as the world. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. The more we know the Word, the clearer His voice becomes. Read the Word to hear what God is saying to you.
Positioning ourselves spiritually is key to fulfilling our purpose and influencing our world for God. Let’s embrace flexibility, courage, expectancy, generosity, and the leading of the Holy Spirit. By doing so, we can bring heaven to earth and make a lasting impact in people’s lives.
