This is the second topic under our teaching series (Believers' Maturity) for the month of September
Scripture text
“For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown for His name in ministering to [the needs of] the saints (God’s people), as you do.
And we desire for each one of you to show the same diligence [all the way through] so as to realize and enjoy the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you will not be [spiritually] sluggish, but [will instead be] imitators of those who through faith [lean on God with absolute trust and confidence in Him and in His power] and by patient endurance [even when suffering] are [now] inheriting the promises.”
Hebrews 6:10-12 AMP
Illustration of the olive tree
The question remains: How do you get oil out of the olive tree?
The answer today is much the same as during Bible times.
⁃ Every harvest season, the husbandman—the one who takes care of the trees—checks to see if the olives are ripe.
⁃ Then the harvesters take a long pole and begin shaking the tree, even hitting it with force.
⁃ Then, when the ripe olives begin to fall, the workers collect the good ones and discard the bad ones,
⁃ Then they place the olives in large vessels and begin to crush the mounds of fruit with a large, round, smooth rock. Quickly the oil gushes out!
In life,
God must do those same things before the oil of anointing begins to flow out of you and you mature as a believer
First, He will shake you,
then He will crush you.
And if you are not prepared for that to happen, it is evident that you really do not want the oil to flow.
You cannot drop your fruit before your tree is shaken else your fruit is not blessed
Do you remember reading that if a tree drops its fruit before it is shaken, it is cursed? Deuteronomy 28:40 states:
“Thou shalt have olive trees throughout all thy coasts, but thou shalt not anoint thyself with the oil; for thine olive shall cast his fruit.”
Why must your fruit not fall to the ground without the shaken
The oil that falls to the ground without the Lord’s guidance will spoil and be of no value. But when God shakes you, it means He is smiling on you; He is blessing you.
That is the only way He can produce oil.
When He sees that you are ready, the shaking begins.
What instrument does the shaken
Like the olives, we are shaken with a pole, which represents the cross.
We are crushed with a rock, which is the Rock, Jesus Christ. And when the anointing comes, it will affect every part of our being, “like oil into his bones” (Psalm 109:18).
The anointing penetrates!
Almighty God not only desires to fill you with His oil but also to fill you to overflowing!
What tests your maturity
How does trial show your maturity or being you to maturity?
1. Waiting
How do you wait?
a. Patiently and expectantly
“I wait [patiently] for the Lord, my soul [expectantly] waits, And in His word do I hope. My soul waits for the Lord More than the watchmen for the morning; More than the watchmen for the morning.”
Psalms 130:5-6 AMP
b. Where do you wait?
Wait in His word psalm 130:5
c. Your posture in waiting:
Be still, do not agitate
“Be still before the Lord; wait patiently for Him and entrust yourself to Him; Do not fret (whine, agonize) because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.”
Psalms 37:7 AMP
How does waiting mature you
“But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] Will gain new strength and renew their power; They will lift up their wings [and rise up close to God] like eagles [rising toward the sun]; They will run and not become weary, They will walk and not grow tired.”
Isaiah 40:31 AMP
⁃ Your strength is renewed
⁃ You get set to fly
⁃ You get closer to God
⁃ No weariness nor tiredness
Benefits of waiting
“For those who do evil will be cut off, But those who wait for the Lord, they will inherit the land.”
Psalms 37:9 AMP
Your desired change will come in the place of waiting
“If a man dies, shall he live again? All the days of my warfare and service I will wait, till my change and release shall come. [John 5:25; 6:40; I Thess. 4:16.]”
Job 14:14 AMPC
2. Patience and perseverance
“Be assured that the testing of your faith [through experience] produces endurance [leading to spiritual maturity, and inner peace]. And let endurance have its perfect result and do a thorough work, so that you may be perfect and completely developed [in your faith], lacking in nothing.”
James 1:3-4 AMP
Patience is the most assiduous virtue to have in trial and tribulation
Benefits of patience
You obtain the promise
“so that you will not be [spiritually] sluggish, but [will instead be] imitators of those who through faith [lean on God with absolute trust and confidence in Him and in His power] and by patient endurance [even when suffering] are [now] inheriting the promises.”
Hebrews 6:12 AMP
“And so, having patiently waited, he realized the promise [in the miraculous birth of Isaac, as a pledge of what was to come from God].”
Hebrews 6:15 AMP
3. Focus
How do you focus?
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honour beside God’s throne.”
Hebrews 12:1-2 NLT
⁃ Look for those whose lives can inspire you verse 1 these are heroes of faith
⁃ Strip off any weight that drags you down
⁃ Determine to run and run your race not someone else’s
⁃ Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus and do not be distracted like Peter
⁃ Think about the reward like Jesus did
Don’t allow discouragement but follow the examples of your heroes of faith
“So don’t allow your hearts to grow dull or lose your enthusiasm, but follow the example of those who fully received what God has promised because of their strong faith and patient endurance.”
Hebrews 6:12 TPT
Don’t stop hoping and focusing until you receive the change you desired to see
“If a man dies, shall he live again? All the days of my warfare and service I will wait, till my change and release shall come. [John 5:25; 6:40; I Thess. 4:16.]”
Job 14:14 AMPC
4. Take your stand and continue to stand
“Therefore take up the whole armour of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”
Ephesians 6:13 NKJV
So what should be Your reaction to trials and tribulations?
“Consider it nothing but joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you fall into various trials. Be assured that the testing of your faith [through experience] produces endurance [leading to spiritual maturity, and inner peace]. And let endurance have its perfect result and do a thorough work, so that you may be perfect and completely developed [in your faith], lacking in nothing.”
James 1:2-4 AMP
Prayer
Father fortify me to stand my ground in trials
I will not lose my joy
Jesus bring new wine out of me, I will not lose the greatness you have purposed for me through impatience
You cannot stand through trial without Jesus in your life
He has come to give you abundant life and He is the one that can guide you through trials because he has been through the toughest one before
Surrender yourself to Him
Rededicate yourself to Him if you’ve been doing life alone
Confessions of power to mature through trials and tribulations
I receive the spirit of joy in every trial and tribulation
I receive the grace to wait patiently in trial and tribulation till I see my desired change
As I wait for Yahweh’s grace I will experience divine strength. I will rise up on soaring wings and fly like eagles, run my race without growing weary, and walk through life without giving up
I will not allow my heart to grow dull or lose my enthusiasm, but I will follow the example of those who fully received what God has promised because of their strong faith and patient endurance
I receive the grace to follow in the footsteps of my Lord Jesus Christ by looking away from all that will distract me and focusing my eyes on Jesus, who is the Author and Perfecter of faith, the first incentive for my belief and the One who brings my faith to maturity
To listen to the full teaching, please click on the youtube link below
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