— Brother Phil Enlow: I don’t care who you are in the eyes of people, or even in your own eyes! We are His! He has purchased us at the price of the blood of Jesus Christ. Oh, don’t ever let the world or the devil define you.
We need to realize who we are and the fact that if we can do anything, it’s not based upon who we are. He raised us from the dead, for crying out loud! He is the One who knows. He’s the One who’s prepared works for us to do. My job is to seek Him and discover that and do them!
Isn’t that how Jesus lived His life? He spent time with His Father. He said, Father, tell me what to do. And He did it. And His life was not lived out just in being…like I said, in being a good person. It meant taking a detour through Samaria, because there was a woman there who needed Him. It meant getting in a boat, braving a bad storm so He could go across the Sea of Galilee to rescue a demon-possessed man, maniac, and deliver him as a testimony to everybody. God set aside all the other agenda of heaven to send His Son to that man!
You think about the awesome God that we have and the things that He sent His Son to do. It wasn’t just the kind of person He was, it was the deeds that God sent Him to do. And, of course, ultimately, it was the Cross itself! Thank God!
But you know, one of the other hindrances is, when we do rely on our natural abilities. And we think, I know why God called me. I got all this natural ability. Man, I’m gonna really give it all I got. Peter was kind of like that, wasn’t he? He had to learn some things. He was one that…some people are just reticent. They’re gonna hold back and not put themselves out. Peter was halfway down the road before you could finish telling him what to do.
But I’ll tell you, we need to have a lack of pride, a humility. We need to realize that we need the Lord. And we need to realize that natural ability is not what we need. We need supernatural clothing by the Spirit of God to make us a different person. He is able, and He is willing.
That’s what the Gospel…that’s the focus of why we’re living in this world. It’s not just so we can be changed to be somehow whatever this vague thing is where I’m not like I was…but that needs to be translated. God means for that to be translated into things that we actually do. Okay?
I guess I’m saying this over and over again, but isn’t that the message? Isn’t that what He’s talking about? And so, all these hinderances, stubbornness…anybody, nobody here has a problem with that, I understand. But oh, are we resistant! I mean, the Lord, many times, has to talk me into getting up here to say a particular thing. And He had to spend a little while talking Joel into saying what he did, but he did, and I think this was the right occasion. Praise God! Thank the Lord!
But we are resistant. We are full of self-will. We’re full of pride. And one thing you see mentioned in more than one place is this thing called selfish ambition, because if you talk about finding your place in the body, there are certain types of people that imagine themselves to be something that they are not, and they’re gonna go for it. I know what my place is. I’m gonna be a prophet. I’m gonna be…I’m an apostle. I’m this. I’m that.
And we’ve seen some of that in the past in the history of the church. We’ve seen people who had an inflated opinion of who they were supposed to be, instead of just saying, God, I have no idea. Show me what I’m supposed to do. I surrender.
It’s not real complicated, is it? But do you see how human nature jumps in, either to put on the breaks or to send us shooting down the highway in self-will? But God is looking for a people who just say…just like we were like we were called, as young people to come forward and literally, in altar calls, dedicate our lives, saying, Lord, I’m willing to do Your will. I surrender.
That’s the call of every single believer, regardless of what your call is. You have one. It’s to be a member of the body of Christ, literally a channel through which God’s Spirit can flow to everyone else. The form that takes is not the issue. The reality of that happening is the issue.
That’s what God is looking for, and so, what is needed? What do we need? Now, these are things we’ve talked about so many times. I’m just gonna basically kind of enumerate.
Humility, obviously. I can’t think of myself more highly than I ought to think. But I need to think soberly, as we read in Romans 12, according as God has given me the measure of faith. There needs to be a sober, honest assessment of who I am. I’m not who I think I am. I’m who He says I am. That, I need to be willing to spend time with Him and be willing to discover, do it on His timetable, in His way, and He will be faithful.
Trust. I need to believe God. I need to trust Him, because the path down which He’s gonna take me to bring me to that place, it isn’t always gonna be fun. I mean, you look in history, and you look at the characters in the Bible that God used in unusual ways, the training process to get to that point was pretty tough sometimes.
Moses. David, years on the run, having to trust God. The words that he wrote in the Psalms came out of real, heart-rending life experiences when he had to trust God. God was the only hope that he had! And he saw a faithful God who brought him through, brought him to a throne.
Joseph and all that he went through, so many others in scripture. I’ll tell you, the process…this is not just a thing where we get in our closet, and then, okay, you’re supposed to do this. Okay, go do it. There’s a lot of work that needs to be done to bring us to the place where we’re actually capable of surrendering and overcoming this nature. It is a process. It’s not something where we can invite you down to the altar, and okay, let’s just turn a corner here and leave the past in the past! Here is your future! Go for it!
I wish it were that way. I’ll tell you, we can have experiences with God when we enter into something, but that’s not the…nothing bypasses learning and growing, and learning how to submit to Him in every kind of circumstance, whatever it takes, because our nature will fight us, and we don’t understand what God is up against.
He does. He knows everything in me that will resist Him, that will be a hinderance, that I will tend to run with. That’s why Peter went through what he did, and that’s why the Lord said, “…when you are old, you will stretch out your hands…” (NIV). It won’t be like when you were young, and you went where you wanted to go. You’ll stretch forth your hand, someone else will gird you, and you’re gonna be carried where you don’t even want to go.
I’ll tell you, if we’re gonna try to build our relationship with the Lord, and the things that we do on our human preferences and our human desires, it ain’t gonna work. It’s not the Kingdom of God. Jesus Christ is the Head. That would be like part of my body saying I’ve got my own plans. I’m not gonna grab that bowling ball. I’ve got some other place to be. No, we have one Head, and His Name is Jesus.
( congregational amens ).
And His vision for this church and for every Body of believers that really knows Him, is that we come to this reality, that He has designed a plan, a purpose that involves you, that involves not just changing the kind of person you are, but giving you stuff to do that’s gonna make a difference in eternity.
Most of the stuff we do just has to do with here. And I understand we’ve got to carry out responsibilities, but like Sophie, the washer woman, we could even do that in such a way that it has eternal value, if we’ll walk with the Lord and learn from Him.
So, humility, trust, faith, perseverance, not giving up, because you’re gonna have plenty of times when you’ll feel that way. Thankfulness, we mentioned that last week of how all the things the Lord has to take us through, they’re gonna be times you ain’t gonna be thankful. It’s gonna take surrender and faith to say, thank You, Lord, for this.
I’m trying to remember if it was Brother Thomas or somebody else’s testimony I heard. But when Philip suddenly drowned, some of you can remember all of that, when his little boy, Philip, was suddenly drowned, and he had to go to the hospital. Again, I can’t remember…I know his prayer was a good one. I can’t remember, but one of these prayers in a similar situation was, if it wasn’t that one, was, Lord, I thank You even in this. You’re good. You’re a good God.
That takes surrender to be able to say, thank you. Not just, okay, I’m gonna put up with this, but I don’t like it. But to say, Lord, I know You know what You’re doing. My life is not about living here and being comfortable and doing what I want. It’s about what You want and what You have planned for me from the foundation of the world. You have things for me to do that are gonna have eternal value.
And so, there are guiding convictions, this would be a way to put it, that I believe we need in the context of doing exactly what Joel said. An attitude of life needs to be, I need to be changed, because, as we’ve said so many times, this is something that continues as long as we’re in this flesh. There will always be changes that will be needed.
There’s no place where we reach and suddenly, okay, I’ve made it. I’m at the goal. The Lord will bring us to the goal on the day of Jesus Christ. There will be a day when everything will be wound up. All of the work that He has done will be finished.
And, I’ll drop this in. We started with Philippians 1:6, and I remember thinking about…you know, there have been people like the thief on the cross, like other people I’ve heard about that had a literal death bed conversion. I wouldn’t count on that, but it’s happened, where people have had no opportunity to live down here, none of that. How do they fit into this?
I’ll tell you, I believe with all my heart that there’s teaching and work that goes on, on the other side. God knows how to fill in all the gaps. Their purpose was not to live here and serve and do that, but their purpose…but they’ll still have an honored, unique, special place in the Kingdom that God is building, and it will all climax together on that one day when God pulls back the veil, and everything that He’s been doing will be on display for everybody.
The Devil, the wicked of this world, the lost will see what He’s been up to. Lord, I want to be…I don’t want to get there and say, well, I sure messed up. My earthly life was just wasted. I’m here, and I got in the door, but I sure didn’t accomplish much.
You know, even where the Word was sown and did bring forth fruit, some of it was 30-fold. Some was 60. Some was 100. So, there are degrees of people who learn how to yield and learn how to do what we’re talking about this morning.
But I believe with all my heart, especially in this hour, God wants a people who have the whole deal. Jesus is free to be Himself in our midst, because He’s got a people that understand and are asking Him, saying, God, I need to be changed. That’s a fundamental principle of my life. I never get away from that. Lord, I need to be changed, but it has to get beyond that.
We could acknowledge, oh yeah, I need to be changed, but I don’t want to. When it comes right down to it, don’t mess with me too much, Lord. Especially, don’t mess with ‘that.’ But you know, a secondary conviction has to be I want to be changed. Lord, my focus has got to be on what You want and Your purpose for my living in this world, not my purpose.
Boy, I wish the young people were here, because this is…I pray that some of them will hear this, that they’ll hear it, because they’re at an age when they’ve got ideas about what their life is supposed to be like, where they’re going, who they’re gonna marry, what kind of job they’re gonna have.
We need to be willing to lay everything on the altar and say, Lord, when I’m a part of this joint sacrifice, that’s part of it. Who I am in the world is not up to me. Lord, You have a plan…like Jesus didn’t do His own thing, He did the Father’s thing.
Do you think we’re meant to be different, or do you think it’s only for preachers? This is for every member of the body of Christ. I need to be changed. I want to be changed. I want what God wants for my life, His will and plan, not mine. That has to be a bedrock day by day conviction of our hearts.
But not only that, we understand that there’s gonna be opposition to that. I’m willing to fight. I’m willing to fight. Paul referred to it as the fight of faith, didn’t he? I don’t know. Like I said, there’s nothing new I’m saying, and yet I hope the Lord’s emphasis comes across.
I’m gonna just look at a couple of scriptures that we…again, that we’re familiar with. I don’t think this is gonna take a lot longer, but we’ve read a lot from Colossians. I’m gonna go back to the first chapter and just read one thing. Because Paul’s praying, but listen to what he’s praying in the beginning of verse 9.
“For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will….” Now, wouldn’t that be a good thing to pray? God, I don’t know what Your will is, but I want to know it, and I want to know it so I can do it. Okay, so Paul’s praying that they would know what His will is. All right?
“…Through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives…” You’re not gonna get this from the world and your friends. “…So that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work….”
Does that sound familiar? Are we here to just to be and then go to heaven because we’ve got a ticket to heaven in our pocket? Or are we meant to be actually bearing fruit, and not just fruit in…well, he made a lot of money, made a lot of friends, did a lot of good deeds? No, this is eternal fruit. This is something that has eternal value that God is looking for. Only He can do that, but He can.
“…Being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.”
There’s a scripture that I ran into that I hadn’t thought about in a while. It’s at the end of Hebrews. And there’s a prayer by the writer beginning in verse 20. This is the benediction and final greetings is sort of the subhead that’s put in here. “Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will…” Anybody here need to be equipped?
( congregational response ).
Yeah. Anybody here, in the natural, can just, oh yeah, Lord, tell me what to do? I’ll…no, I need Him to equip me. I don’t have the power to do a single thing. But with Him, I can do anything that He sets before me because it’s not me, it’s Him doing it. So, you see the sense of this writer here, the prayer that he prays.
May He, “…equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever.” May He work in us. Does that sound familiar? He’s gonna continue that work until the day of Jesus Christ. See, that’s the work. That’s purpose of the work, is so that we can be in this world what He intends us to be.
Go back to Philippians for one more scripture. And, this is in a very familiar one in chapter 2. And by the way, Paul has really talked to them about unity and not having selfish ambition and vain conceit, and about serving one another in humility, and then using Christ as an example. But now he comes to a ‘therefore.’ In other words, in the light of all this stuff that I’ve been saying to you, I want to base something on that, and here’s what it is.
“Therefore, my dear friends…” verse 12, “…as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling….” So, that’s the part that we play, but that is founded upon something, isn’t it? Because if that’s all I...if I’m gonna have to do that on my own, I’m in trouble. “…For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.”
Does God have a purpose for you? Does He have one for you? He has got one for every single member of the body of Christ—every single one. And just because it isn’t to stand up here or to do something public, doesn’t mean it doesn’t have eternal value in the eyes of our heavenly Father.
You know, there are a lot of parts of the body we don’t see, but they’re vitally important. Every member of the body of Christ matters. Our coming to the fullness of all that God has for us has everything to do with every part, being a part of that and participating.
And I’ll just refer back to something that many of you will remember about Brother Thomas. And I think, if I recall correctly, this was well up into his ministry. This wasn’t just way back in the beginning. This was a prayer that God laid on his heart. And it was, “God, mold me and make me into what You want me to be.”
That’s a dangerous prayer. In fact, that’s what I’m gonna title this. But isn’t that what everyone of us needs to be praying? Lord, in the light of what I understand that You do have a purpose, You have works that You’ve prepared for me to do, Lord, mold me and make me into what You want me to be, and lead me so that…it goes on into leading, enabling me and showing me what to do and giving me the power to do it.
The thing is, God will do His part, won’t He? He wouldn’t tell us to do something and then not do His part. He’s longing to share Himself. What He desires is willing vessels. Are we? Are we willing to set ourselves to pray such a prayer?
See, this is where you jump right back to the things that Brother Joel shared in the beginning. What do we need to be praying? In the process of getting to know Him, which is central to it, that has to lead beyond simply having this wonderful, personal, private relationship. If that is not translated into what we do and how we live in relation to one another in the church and out of the church, what is that?
Did Jesus simply have a private relationship with His Father and then walk around and smile at everybody? No. There were things that God gave Him to do. What’s He giving us to do? I don’t know. That’s not my job to…but I’ll tell you, cannot we seek God in faith with a humble heart, with a willingness to say, Lord, I don’t care what it is? I just want Your will because that’s the whole purpose of life is to do Your will, and I’m willing, Lord, just to lay my life down and say, God, lead me in Your path to do what You have set me to do.
I wonder what works God has prepared for you to do. Do you believe that there’s a part and there’s a part that you play that matters? I won’t ask for raising of hands, but how many of us are willing to pray that prayer, and say, Lord, mold me and make me into what You’d have me to be. Lead me in Your pathway. Show me what Your will is for my life regardless of whether I’m in this full-time service, the ‘ministry’ kind of thing, all these stupid categories that we’ve come up with.
If you’re a member of the Body of Christ, you are in the ministry. Every single member of the Body matters, and you are a minister of Christ. You might minister in other ways than standing up here and talking. Most of you will, but I’ll tell you, everyone of us is a minister.
Let’s pray that. Let’s…in our relationship with the Lord and in listening and having a listening ear…that’s often a prayer that I pray. Lord, give me a listening ear. Help me to hear the things that You want to say to me, because I need them.
And again, I need this, I think, more than anybody…as much as anybody here, the things that I have said this morning. I mean, I can remember standing there with young people in the front of some of these services when there was an altar call. Who’s willing to surrender their life to be…and I was on a track to be a foreign missionary at one time, and the Lord had a different plan.
But…you know, that needs to be renewed. We don’t ever get over that in this life. Lord, you’ve got…there’s a reason I’m here. And while I cannot do anything of eternal value, that’s not the point. Your strength is made perfect in my weakness.
Well, I’ve got beaucoups of that. That’s all I got, Lord, is weakness. But, Lord, I give that weakness to You, and ask You to come and live in me. Do whatever it is You have purposed for my life. Let it count for something so when I get there, I can hand You and say this is what You did through me, Lord.
Thank you for the privilege of sharing in this. Lord, to You be all and glory, and I’ll tell you, if we get crowns there…you see the picture in Revelation. They cast down their crowns. They knew where…they knew where it came from. Praise God, and yet, isn’t the Lord amazing to actually honor people who would just have the faith to surrender and say, Lord, my life is Yours. Show me what Your purpose is, and help me to live it out. To God be the glory. Praise God!
