Is Jesus Your Source? Pt 2
Mark 6:30-44
Message #22
This is a Part Two message. Part One was the last message, titled “Is Jesus Your Source,” and it’s best to hear that first message to go along with this one. In that first message, we saw Jesus purposefully take his exhausted, stretched-to-the-breaking-point Disciples into an unexpected pressure-filled situation so that they might learn the critical and life-changing lesson that Jesus would be their source, for all that they need, in every situation, in order to do all that Jesus would call them to do.
And we said that Jesus often teaches us this same lesson, this same way by trying to reveal himself to us right in the middle of a stretched-to-the-breaking-point, pressure-filled situation in our own lives; where we are forced to look to Jesus to be our source for all that we need to get through that crisis situation. This is exactly what we saw the Disciples experience in our last message.
And as we ran out of time in our message last week, I quickly summarized some practical steps in order to answer the question… how can we actually begin experiencing Jesus as the source for all that we need in every situation? How can we NOT just hear it? How can we NOT just intellectualize it? But, instead, how can we begin to see this incredible truth actually transform our lives? That is our goal today.
So, today, we want to look at some practical steps for you and I to actually begin experiencing the truth that Jesus Christ is truly the source for ALL that we need in every situation in order to do all that he has called us to do.
And first, we have to look at a stage setting prerequisite. This is the prerequisite for us to begin moving toward Jesus becoming our source. First of all, we have to be willing to throw out all of our own thinking because our natural thinking – is stinking.
Isaiah 55:8–9 (NLT)
8 “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.
9 For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.
Guys, God is not our equal, and our logic and our thinking are NOT equal to God’s.
And so, if we are going to be transformed by God, then our natural thinking must be put aside. The Bible calls our “natural thinking” the “sin nature” – or simply, “the flesh.” Listen to what Paul says in Romans 8 about us setting our minds according to “the flesh.”
Romans 8:5–6 (ESV)
5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.
6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.
For Jesus to become our source, we’ve got to stop setting our minds on the flesh (our own thinking), and instead, start setting our minds on the Spirit (the things of God).
Romans 12:2 says be transformed by renewing your thoughts, by renewing your mind. We’ve got to crucify our own thinking and take on God’s thinking.
I believe this is actually the hardest part of the entire process because we love our own thinking. It’s hard because we love ourselves dearly. We love what we think. We think that what we think is right because we think it. Right? You think, well, it’s what I think, it must be right. No! But, the process of us making Jesus our source begins with us taking on God’s thinking and crucifying our own thinking.
Here’s crucifying the flesh. "Okay, that’s my thought, so it’s obviously wrong. If I start with that, and I say if that’s my natural way of thinking, all I know is it’s wrong. So, I’m going to see what God says and then replace my natural thinking with God’s thinking."
So, with that critical prerequisite, we are now ready for just two huge truths to set us on our way to Jesus truly being our source for all we need in every situation, to do all that he has called us to do. Just two huge truths. One is practical, and one is relational.
1). Keep following Jesus – no matter what.
2). Draw closer to Jesus – because of your need.
So, first, let’s talk about what it looks like to keep following Jesus, no matter what. The number one thing we’ve got to keep doing in order to keep following Jesus is
#1) Keep obeying Jesus – no matter what you think.
We just addressed the fact that our own thinking must be replaced with God’s thinking. I’ve said this a hundred times to you. The single, craziest thing I hear people in Church say is, “I know what God says, but here’s what I think.” And, you know, that just amazes me every time I hear it.
And so, there’s this battle in our lives – the Spirit versus the flesh. Galatians 5:16 and following just nail it. We actually know what God says to do, but we have the ability to convince ourselves to do otherwise. Listen, this is a practical step to preparing an environment where Jesus can be your source, your true source for all you need in every situation.
Following Jesus – no matter what, that means obeying Jesus – no matter what you think.
Jesus says – Love. You love.
Jesus says – Forgive. You forgive.
Jesus says -Give them the grace I’ve given you. You give the grace.
It’s kind of like “Simon Says” but it’s God Says.
In fact, Jesus says in John 14:15,
John 14:15 (AMP)
15 If you [really] love Me, you will keep (obey) My commands.
My friend, Dave Colyar (who’s going to Israel next month with us), says it this way. If you’re happy and you know it clap your hands. If you’re a Christ-follower and you know it, be obedient.
When you need Jesus to be your source, that is the most critical time to keep obeying him. That is not the time to put your own thinking over God’s commands.
So, to keep following Jesus no matter what
#1) Keep obeying Jesus – no matter what you think.
The second thing we’ve got to do is
#2) Keep serving Jesus – no matter how you feel.
If you are a Christ-follower today, then you are, in some way, serving Jesus. And often, very often, the environment where we finally learn that Jesus is truly our source for all that we need – is in serving him.
Because serving Jesus crushes our self-will. It crushes our pride, and it crushes our determination to do things our way. Remember, this is how Jesus broke these same sins in his first Disciples. It was through the pressure of serving him (we saw that in the last message). But sadly, we see far too often, instead of people being transformed in serving; instead, they quit serving Jesus.
They quit serving in order to avoid the Refiner’s fire that Jesus wants to use to get us to the place of knowing that he – himself – is truly the source for all we need in order to do all that he has called us to do. Don’t quit. If you stay in there, you will learn that Jesus is your source.
Finally, in order to keep obeying Jesus and keep serving Jesus,
#3) We’ve got to keep our eyes firmly fixed on Jesus.
Colossians 3:1–3 (NLT)
1 . . . set your sights on the realities of heaven . . . 2 Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. 3 For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.
Too often, we try to get God to set his sights on our realities here on earth. But God says, no, you set your sights on the realities of heaven and the things of heaven, then I will be your source for all you need.
These are the practical things for us to do in order to keep following Jesus, no matter what. We’ve got to:
Keep obeying
Keep serving
Keep our eyes fixed on Jesus
And these practical truths will enable us to ultimately see that Jesus is our source.
But the conduit, the way in which we receive all that we need from Jesus as our source, is not practical – it’s relational. The conduit through which Jesus pours his provision into us is our daily relationship with him. It is within our daily relationship with Jesus, where the power of his provision really becomes ours.
So, if Jesus is going to be the source for all we need, then we must draw closer to Jesus because of our need. This is our second big truth today.
The first was: keep following Jesus, no matter what.
And now the second is: draw closer to Jesus – because of our need.
The place where the miraculous provision of Jesus occurs is within our continually-growing relationship with him. Our daily relationship with Jesus is the conduit – it is the pipeline through which Jesus pours all that we need into our lives.
That does not mean Jesus is going to magically pour into your life a new car, a better job, and a better husband. Instead, he is going to pour into you all that you need in each of these situations.
And so, to create the conduit to receive the provision Jesus has for us, we must draw closer to Jesus because of our need. Isn’t it strange that when we need Jesus the most, we tend to drift the furthest away from him, relationally?
But haven’t you seen or experienced when a young child has a good relationship with their parents when they get hurt, they run straight to mom or dad, and no one else and nothing else can comfort them. They run crying into their mom or dad’s arms and their mom or dad holds them tight and tells them it’s going to be okay. And it’s going to be okay.
And that is the relationship we need with Jesus. A relationship strong enough and trusting enough that we instinctively run to Jesus and hear him tell us – "it’s going to be okay.”
Hebrews 4:15–16 (paraphrase) says – Jesus, our High Priest, understands our weaknesses. So we can confidently run to him, to receive his mercy and grace to help us when we need it most.
But do we? Do we run confidently to Jesus in our times of crisis, or do we run after our own devices and our own thinking like a chicken with its head cut off?
This is a learned relational response. We have got to learn how to confidently run to Jesus as our source for all we need in every situation.
But here, now, is the massive truth. This “relational conduit” where Jesus provides all that we need for every situation – it is conditional.
James 4:8 (ESV)
8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you . . .
This is actually a conditional statement. The Lord of Creation is waiting to provide all that you need in your crisis situation. But, if you do not draw near to him, he will not have the conduit to pour his provision into you.
Can I tell you something, please, in love? I’ve met a lot of Christians who want what the Bible promises, but aren’t willing to do what the Bible requires.
Listen, guys, salvation is by faith alone. But transformation comes through the conduit of a growing, daily relationship with Jesus. Let’s look again at James 4:8.
James 4:8 (ESV)
8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you . . .
John 15:4 (ESV)
4 Abide in me, and I (will abide) in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.
These are conditional statements. If we want God to draw near to us, then we must draw near to him. If we want to experience the miraculous provision of Jesus, then we must learn to always be abiding in Christ.
Again, in love. Too many Christians want the miraculous provision Jesus offers. But they won’t put in the effort to build the relationship that is the conduit for that miraculous provision.
Picture this. You say to Jesus; I need you to be my source to get through this situation. And Jesus says okay, where’s the conduit for me to pour into you all that you need? Jesus is able to be your source. He wants to be your source. But there is no conduit for him to deliver his miraculous provision to you. And so, Jesus is there waiting, and as so as you provide him the daily relational conduit, Jesus will be like, “Finally! Here you go then. I’ve just been waiting for you to create the conduit that will allow you to receive my provision.”
So, last week, we asked the question, Is Jesus Your Source? Today, we’ve tried to see how to make Jesus your source for all that you need in every situation in order to do all that he has called you to do. And we said the prerequisite is to throw out all of your own thinking.
And then, one practical truth. Keep following Jesus – no matter what.
Keep obeying
Keep serving
Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus
And then one relational truth. Draw closer to Jesus – because of your need
Draw near
and abide in Jesus
Create the relational conduit through which Jesus can pour his miraculous provision.
But listen, please. I’ve had to leave out all the details of how to create the daily relationship that becomes the conduit for Jesus to be your source.
So, let me give you three message series that you really need to study (at least the very first one) to learn the details of building this transforming relationship.
“Alone With God” is my number one choice for you. (6 messages). It’s the details of building this relational conduit.
“Abide” 10 messages on John 15 (the Abide Chapter) (This series is audio only).
“The Fundamentals” (7 messages), which is the pre-courser to the “Alone With God” series.
I promise if you will learn to develop the daily relational conduit that will allow Jesus to pour his miraculous provision into your life. Then – Jesus will be your source for all that you need – in every situation in order to do all that he has called you to do.
And so, please, do not be hearers of the Word, only. Instead, be doers of the Word. Learn how to develop this daily relational conduit, and Jesus will be your source.
And we said that Jesus often teaches us this same lesson, this same way by trying to reveal himself to us right in the middle of a stretched-to-the-breaking-point, pressure-filled situation in our own lives; where we are forced to look to Jesus to be our source for all that we need to get through that crisis situation. This is exactly what we saw the Disciples experience in our last message.
And as we ran out of time in our message last week, I quickly summarized some practical steps in order to answer the question… how can we actually begin experiencing Jesus as the source for all that we need in every situation? How can we NOT just hear it? How can we NOT just intellectualize it? But, instead, how can we begin to see this incredible truth actually transform our lives? That is our goal today.
So, today, we want to look at some practical steps for you and I to actually begin experiencing the truth that Jesus Christ is truly the source for ALL that we need in every situation in order to do all that he has called us to do.
And first, we have to look at a stage setting prerequisite. This is the prerequisite for us to begin moving toward Jesus becoming our source. First of all, we have to be willing to throw out all of our own thinking because our natural thinking – is stinking.
Isaiah 55:8–9 (NLT)
8 “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.
9 For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.
Guys, God is not our equal, and our logic and our thinking are NOT equal to God’s.
And so, if we are going to be transformed by God, then our natural thinking must be put aside. The Bible calls our “natural thinking” the “sin nature” – or simply, “the flesh.” Listen to what Paul says in Romans 8 about us setting our minds according to “the flesh.”
Romans 8:5–6 (ESV)
5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.
6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.
For Jesus to become our source, we’ve got to stop setting our minds on the flesh (our own thinking), and instead, start setting our minds on the Spirit (the things of God).
Romans 12:2 says be transformed by renewing your thoughts, by renewing your mind. We’ve got to crucify our own thinking and take on God’s thinking.
I believe this is actually the hardest part of the entire process because we love our own thinking. It’s hard because we love ourselves dearly. We love what we think. We think that what we think is right because we think it. Right? You think, well, it’s what I think, it must be right. No! But, the process of us making Jesus our source begins with us taking on God’s thinking and crucifying our own thinking.
Here’s crucifying the flesh. "Okay, that’s my thought, so it’s obviously wrong. If I start with that, and I say if that’s my natural way of thinking, all I know is it’s wrong. So, I’m going to see what God says and then replace my natural thinking with God’s thinking."
So, with that critical prerequisite, we are now ready for just two huge truths to set us on our way to Jesus truly being our source for all we need in every situation, to do all that he has called us to do. Just two huge truths. One is practical, and one is relational.
1). Keep following Jesus – no matter what.
2). Draw closer to Jesus – because of your need.
So, first, let’s talk about what it looks like to keep following Jesus, no matter what. The number one thing we’ve got to keep doing in order to keep following Jesus is
#1) Keep obeying Jesus – no matter what you think.
We just addressed the fact that our own thinking must be replaced with God’s thinking. I’ve said this a hundred times to you. The single, craziest thing I hear people in Church say is, “I know what God says, but here’s what I think.” And, you know, that just amazes me every time I hear it.
And so, there’s this battle in our lives – the Spirit versus the flesh. Galatians 5:16 and following just nail it. We actually know what God says to do, but we have the ability to convince ourselves to do otherwise. Listen, this is a practical step to preparing an environment where Jesus can be your source, your true source for all you need in every situation.
Following Jesus – no matter what, that means obeying Jesus – no matter what you think.
Jesus says – Love. You love.
Jesus says – Forgive. You forgive.
Jesus says -Give them the grace I’ve given you. You give the grace.
It’s kind of like “Simon Says” but it’s God Says.
In fact, Jesus says in John 14:15,
John 14:15 (AMP)
15 If you [really] love Me, you will keep (obey) My commands.
My friend, Dave Colyar (who’s going to Israel next month with us), says it this way. If you’re happy and you know it clap your hands. If you’re a Christ-follower and you know it, be obedient.
When you need Jesus to be your source, that is the most critical time to keep obeying him. That is not the time to put your own thinking over God’s commands.
So, to keep following Jesus no matter what
#1) Keep obeying Jesus – no matter what you think.
The second thing we’ve got to do is
#2) Keep serving Jesus – no matter how you feel.
If you are a Christ-follower today, then you are, in some way, serving Jesus. And often, very often, the environment where we finally learn that Jesus is truly our source for all that we need – is in serving him.
Because serving Jesus crushes our self-will. It crushes our pride, and it crushes our determination to do things our way. Remember, this is how Jesus broke these same sins in his first Disciples. It was through the pressure of serving him (we saw that in the last message). But sadly, we see far too often, instead of people being transformed in serving; instead, they quit serving Jesus.
They quit serving in order to avoid the Refiner’s fire that Jesus wants to use to get us to the place of knowing that he – himself – is truly the source for all we need in order to do all that he has called us to do. Don’t quit. If you stay in there, you will learn that Jesus is your source.
Finally, in order to keep obeying Jesus and keep serving Jesus,
#3) We’ve got to keep our eyes firmly fixed on Jesus.
Colossians 3:1–3 (NLT)
1 . . . set your sights on the realities of heaven . . . 2 Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. 3 For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.
Too often, we try to get God to set his sights on our realities here on earth. But God says, no, you set your sights on the realities of heaven and the things of heaven, then I will be your source for all you need.
These are the practical things for us to do in order to keep following Jesus, no matter what. We’ve got to:
Keep obeying
Keep serving
Keep our eyes fixed on Jesus
And these practical truths will enable us to ultimately see that Jesus is our source.
But the conduit, the way in which we receive all that we need from Jesus as our source, is not practical – it’s relational. The conduit through which Jesus pours his provision into us is our daily relationship with him. It is within our daily relationship with Jesus, where the power of his provision really becomes ours.
So, if Jesus is going to be the source for all we need, then we must draw closer to Jesus because of our need. This is our second big truth today.
The first was: keep following Jesus, no matter what.
And now the second is: draw closer to Jesus – because of our need.
The place where the miraculous provision of Jesus occurs is within our continually-growing relationship with him. Our daily relationship with Jesus is the conduit – it is the pipeline through which Jesus pours all that we need into our lives.
That does not mean Jesus is going to magically pour into your life a new car, a better job, and a better husband. Instead, he is going to pour into you all that you need in each of these situations.
And so, to create the conduit to receive the provision Jesus has for us, we must draw closer to Jesus because of our need. Isn’t it strange that when we need Jesus the most, we tend to drift the furthest away from him, relationally?
But haven’t you seen or experienced when a young child has a good relationship with their parents when they get hurt, they run straight to mom or dad, and no one else and nothing else can comfort them. They run crying into their mom or dad’s arms and their mom or dad holds them tight and tells them it’s going to be okay. And it’s going to be okay.
And that is the relationship we need with Jesus. A relationship strong enough and trusting enough that we instinctively run to Jesus and hear him tell us – "it’s going to be okay.”
Hebrews 4:15–16 (paraphrase) says – Jesus, our High Priest, understands our weaknesses. So we can confidently run to him, to receive his mercy and grace to help us when we need it most.
But do we? Do we run confidently to Jesus in our times of crisis, or do we run after our own devices and our own thinking like a chicken with its head cut off?
This is a learned relational response. We have got to learn how to confidently run to Jesus as our source for all we need in every situation.
But here, now, is the massive truth. This “relational conduit” where Jesus provides all that we need for every situation – it is conditional.
James 4:8 (ESV)
8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you . . .
This is actually a conditional statement. The Lord of Creation is waiting to provide all that you need in your crisis situation. But, if you do not draw near to him, he will not have the conduit to pour his provision into you.
Can I tell you something, please, in love? I’ve met a lot of Christians who want what the Bible promises, but aren’t willing to do what the Bible requires.
Listen, guys, salvation is by faith alone. But transformation comes through the conduit of a growing, daily relationship with Jesus. Let’s look again at James 4:8.
James 4:8 (ESV)
8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you . . .
John 15:4 (ESV)
4 Abide in me, and I (will abide) in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.
These are conditional statements. If we want God to draw near to us, then we must draw near to him. If we want to experience the miraculous provision of Jesus, then we must learn to always be abiding in Christ.
Again, in love. Too many Christians want the miraculous provision Jesus offers. But they won’t put in the effort to build the relationship that is the conduit for that miraculous provision.
Picture this. You say to Jesus; I need you to be my source to get through this situation. And Jesus says okay, where’s the conduit for me to pour into you all that you need? Jesus is able to be your source. He wants to be your source. But there is no conduit for him to deliver his miraculous provision to you. And so, Jesus is there waiting, and as so as you provide him the daily relational conduit, Jesus will be like, “Finally! Here you go then. I’ve just been waiting for you to create the conduit that will allow you to receive my provision.”
So, last week, we asked the question, Is Jesus Your Source? Today, we’ve tried to see how to make Jesus your source for all that you need in every situation in order to do all that he has called you to do. And we said the prerequisite is to throw out all of your own thinking.
And then, one practical truth. Keep following Jesus – no matter what.
Keep obeying
Keep serving
Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus
And then one relational truth. Draw closer to Jesus – because of your need
Draw near
and abide in Jesus
Create the relational conduit through which Jesus can pour his miraculous provision.
But listen, please. I’ve had to leave out all the details of how to create the daily relationship that becomes the conduit for Jesus to be your source.
So, let me give you three message series that you really need to study (at least the very first one) to learn the details of building this transforming relationship.
“Alone With God” is my number one choice for you. (6 messages). It’s the details of building this relational conduit.
“Abide” 10 messages on John 15 (the Abide Chapter) (This series is audio only).
“The Fundamentals” (7 messages), which is the pre-courser to the “Alone With God” series.
I promise if you will learn to develop the daily relational conduit that will allow Jesus to pour his miraculous provision into your life. Then – Jesus will be your source for all that you need – in every situation in order to do all that he has called you to do.
And so, please, do not be hearers of the Word, only. Instead, be doers of the Word. Learn how to develop this daily relational conduit, and Jesus will be your source.