Breakthrough Moments
Imagine hearing the voice of a pastor but not being able to see them... how would you respond?
Right now you have fallen into one of four groups:
Can you receive an opportunity for understanding (breakthrough) even though you are not able to see the person who is speaking?
- Some are not able to because they need to see that it is really me speaking… you need proof… you need a sign. For you, although you may have heard my voice before you still need evidence that it is me talking. “You won’t listen until you see.”
- Others have been distracted and are now trying to figure out where I am… conventional wisdom would say that I must be close because of the wireless microphone… but what if this were a recording? You’re trying to make sense out of what is happening by applying common sense to this situation.
- Some are thinking to themselves – this is just too weird. This is contrary to anything I’ve ever experienced so until this service appears more like something I’m familiar with… I’m going to check out… and for some reason if God wants me to listen – He will change my attitude, then I’ll listen. For you, a stumbling block has been erected.
- Finally, you may fall into the last category. For you; you’d like to see a sign but accept that you may not, while you may have been initially distracted you have stopped trying to figure out what’s going on and are prepared to listen. This is not what you expected when you walked in this morning but you have purposed in your mind that God is constantly doing ‘new things’ and while you’re not familiar with what’s going on… you trust God and are ready.
Let me preface this message with this: this message is intended for everyone within the sound of my voice. It is common to think that there is no “big” thing looming over your life the message applies to “them”. My prayer is that we take the words of Paul and “Examine ourselves” - and when we do, we find each of us need transformation.
This message is about encounters with God (man encountering God and God encountering man) – when there are encounters with God it usually revolves around the theme of ‘advancement’ - out of advancement our thoughts should revolve around a “breakthrough” in life;
The people of Israel advancing into the Promised Land.
Moses advancing up on the mountain to encounter God.
Jonathan advancing against the Philistines.
The apostles advancing the message of the Gospel.
Advancement in the Kingdom of God correlates to ‘understanding’ – without advancement there is no understanding.
Often we lack understanding because we lack the ability to trust. From a worldly perspective how do we gain understanding? To truly have understanding we must experience it for ourselves. Which means that we must ‘advance’ in the direction of the revelation. The kingdom of God is about advancement. Forward movement and momentum. God only intended the church to move forward.
· 2 Corinthians 3:18 – “And we all with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.”
- God positions us for advancement, we are set up for encounters with God. For example, if I bump into something backing up I do not know what it is. God wants you to encounter Him as you move forward so that there is no doubt who it is. Our encounters are supposed to provide the opportunity for “breakthrough" so why then does it seem like breakthrough is a resource that has limited quantity and supply?
Whenever there is a retreat (a ‘falling back’ to familiar) among the people of God the result is undesirable. Why? Think about a war: when do battalions “fall back”? Battalions “fall back” when they are being overrun by the enemy. You were born into war. You were sprinkled into a system in which it appears that the enemy is winning.
So this morning – are you ready to ‘advance’? You have been stolen from and it is time to take back what is rightfully yours… your destiny awaits.
1 Corinthians 1:22-23 – “For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles.”
Demand of signs.
The first thought that conflicts with breakthrough is, “God give me a sign, then I’ll know for sure and will do ‘it’.”
- In the O.T. the asking for a sign was to secure God’s promises to his people.
- God didn’t have a problem with people asking for a sign.
Psalm 86:17 – “Show me a sign of your favor…
In the account of Exodus God was more than willing to show signs of His strength and authority. Judges 6 – Gideon asked for a sign from God; although God had already promised Him victory over the Midianites and Amalekites –
In the NT the asking for a sign was equated with unbelief. Jesus provided signs not to prove His strength or authority. The issue with Jesus was not the sign itself the issue was faith, the manifestation of that faith appeared as a sign. The whole sign thing to prove something was not a favorite of Jesus:
Matthew 12:39 – “But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.”
Pretty harsh. But not really when you think about it. First the people who were asking for a sign were doing it to test Jesus… they had no intention of believing. In general, when people ask for a sign even if they received one it would not make any difference. No, the NT provides the ultimate sign – Christ’s resurrection. And the Holy Spirit that ‘bears witness to the things that we see and hear.” Yet, people default back to a sign. Jesus is saying – if you can’t see it now… you won’t see it even if I answered your request for a sign.
Seeking wisdom (making sense to me).
Another common thought that conflicts with breakthrough is, “I’ll believe when it makes sense to me (when I figure it out).” Really? God is supposed to make sense to me when it took me 5 years just to learn how to spell my name? Honestly – searching for a breakthrough in the parameters of wisdom is impossible, God said so, “For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom… (1 Corinthians 1:21) It is common to wrestle with wisdom of the world and the eternal truths of the bible. It doesn’t make sense to my mind to live in denial of what I see. It’s counterintuitive to believe that in my weakness I have never been more powerful. And the whole idea of dying is my gain… what’s that all about?
If I demand that a ‘breakthrough’ makes sense to me… it will not be secure.
Stumbling blocks.
The final reason breakthrough is inaccessible is our unwillingness, “God will stop me from doing this if He wanted me to stop.”
Could God stop you? Of course, but then your regard for Him would be out of coercion and not love. Could God have stopped any of us from engaging in foolish behavior? Sure, so why didn’t he? Because we demonstrate an unwillingness to stop and kept placing stumbling blocks in front of Him.
- We were not honest.
- We would not follow Godly council.
- We kept back form full disclosure.
- We protected ourselves for ‘events down the road’.
The idea of “stumbling block” is the “setting of the trigger of a trap” – “the means by which one closes something”.
I envision it as a person setting the trigger of a snare then continually walking into the snare. Then wondering why they can’t “get through”. It doesn’t make any sense to do that, but that’s the idea. We say we desire breakthrough in life but continue to engage in behavior that perpetuates bondage. We stumble on the same rock repeatedly despite our wisdom and signs.
If you want to be free it would be prudent to stop engaging in activities that keep you in ensnared. It’s like saying, “I hate playing ice-hockey… then physically going out and playing ice hockey every Thursday.”
It is applicable in our spiritual life as well. We are told to earnestly desire the higher gifts given by God; prophesy, healing, faith, teaching, miracles. If you desire the greater gifts of God, it would be appropriate to act at the prompting of the Holy Spirit. Instead of putting the stumbling block of, “What if I’m wrong” in front of it.
Have you ever known that you should have done something but didn’t; like praying for someone? You then say, “God, if you want me to pray for them then make me run into them again.” Have you left a gathering on a Sunday and while still in the parking lot thought, “I really should have gone forward for prayer… So, next week I will.”
What’s the point?
Breakthrough in life requires that I step into the unfamiliar. To advance even though I do not know my next step. “A light unto my feet – does not shine out a quarter mile.” Breakthrough asks that I trust those that have gone before me.
If I choose to believe that there was a man who died on a cross, then was buried in a tomb, then rose from the dead appeared to around 500 people, then ascended into the clouds… why am I waiting for a sign from God or demanding that something makes sense to me? How many of us witnessed Christ’s crucifixion, resurrection and ascension? So how is it that I can take a seemingly ludicrous leap of faith about that, but will not believe that God is Baal-perazim – “God of the breakthrough”.
I began out of sight but you heard my voice. What is the Holy Spirit saying to you? You can’t see Him but he often speaks louder than any audible voice every heard.
Do you still need a sign? Consider the reason why? Is it based on fear? Consider this message a sign just for you… a sign of His love for you.
Does it still need to make sense? Let me ask you… of all the mornings you have been to church – have you felt God? Did it make sense to you at that moment?
Have you erected a stumbling block?
Breakthrough moments are within your grasp. Get honest, stop asking for a sign, realize that the things of God may not make 'sense' to you and if you're doing things that perpetuate bondage, as a friend of mine once told me, "Quit it."
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