First a Willing Mind
First a willing mind 5/25/08 am
Have you ever found yourself saying or thinking along these lines?
I wish I had the nerve to teach a class
I wish I had the nerve to sing a song
I wish I had the nerve to witness to this person or that person
I wish I had the nerve to step up here or there, in this or that
I wish I had the nerve to work here or there in the church
I wish I could forgive them
I wish I could forget
I wish I could get over it
I wish I could better understand
I wish I could stand up for my faith
I wish I could be happy
I wish I could have peace about this or that
I wish I could be stronger in the Lord
I wish I could be wiser
I wish I could do more for the Lord
I wish I could do better
I see the need, I’m just too scared
I have the burden; I just don’t think I can do it
The opportunity is there, I just don’t think I’m good enough
What if I make a mistake? Who doesn’t?
Let Someone else do it. God didn’t call them, He called you.
I can’t do it. He would not ask you to do what you are unable to do.
I don’t know what to do. He will lead, guide, and direct your paths.
I’m not
as good,
as talented,
as gifted,
as bold,
as wealthy,
as educated,
as experienced as others
2 Co 8:12 For if there is first a willing mind, it is accepted according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have.
For if there is first a willing mind
For if there is first a Readiness, willingness, eagerness, inclination of
feelings, perceptions, thinking, will, and reasoning
it is accepted
4288 προθυμία [prothumia /proth·oo·mee·ah/] n f. From 4289; TDNT 6:697; TDNTA 937; GK 4608; Five occurrences; AV translates as “forwardness of mind” once, “readiness” once, “readiness of mind” once, “ready mind” once, and “willing mind” once. 1 zeal, spirit, eagerness. 2 inclination, readiness of mind.
feels, perceives, thinks, wills, and esp. reasons
1mind \ˈmīnd\ n
[ME, fr. OE gemynd; akin to OHG gimunt memory, L ment-, mens mind, monēre to remind, warn, Gk menos spirit, mnasthai, mimnēskesthai to remember] bef. 12c
1 : recollection, memory 〈keep that in mind〉 〈time out of mind〉
2 a : the element or complex of elements in an individual that feels, perceives, thinks, wills, and esp. reasons
Ex 35:4-9 4 And Moses spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, “This is the thing which the Lord commanded, saying: 5 ‘Take from among you an offering to the Lord. Whoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it as an offering to the Lord: gold, silver, and bronze; 6 blue, purple, and scarlet thread, fine linen, and goats’ hair; 7 ram skins dyed red, badger skins, and acacia wood; 8 oil for the light, and spices for the anointing oil and for the sweet incense; 9 onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod and in the breastplate.
Whoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it as an offering to the Lord
Not everyone had; gold, silver, and bronze; 6 blue, purple, and scarlet thread, fine linen, and goats’ hair; 7 ram skins dyed red, badger skins, and acacia wood; 8 oil for the light, and spices for the anointing oil and for the sweet incense; 9 onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod and in the breastplate.
But they brought what they had and presented it to the Lord willingly
Eph 4:11-16 11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the 5edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
Noah Didn’t have; The ability to get 2 of every creature on the ark but they were on it
Ge 6:20 20 Of the birds after their kind, of animals after their kind, and of every creeping thing of the earth after its kind, two of every kind will come to you to keep them alive.
Ge 7:7-9 8 Of clean animals, of animals that are unclean, of birds, and of everything that creeps on the earth, 9 two by two they went into the ark to Noah, male and female, as God had commanded Noah.
Abraham & Sara Didn’t have; The ability to have children but they had Isaac
Ge 18:11-12 11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age; and Sarah had passed the age of childbearing.
Ge 18:13-14 13 And the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I surely bear a child, since I am old?’ 14 Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.”
Jacob Didn’t have; His fathers’ preference but he was chosen by God
Ge 25:27-28 And Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field; but Jacob was a mild man, dwelling in tents. 28 And Isaac loved Esau
Moses Didn’t have; The pharaohs’ approval to live past birth but he lived 120 years
Ex 1:15-16 15 Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of one was Shiphrah and the name of the other Puah; 16 and he said, “When you do the duties of a midwife for the Hebrew women, and see them on the birthstools, if it is a son, then you shall kill him; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live.”
Moses Didn’t have; The lineage to live in the kings’ palace but he did
Ex 2:10 10 And the child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. So she called his name Moses, saying, “Because I drew him out of the water.”
Moses Didn’t have; The ability to speak well but he spoke before Pharaoh
Ex 4:10 10 Then Moses said to the Lord, “O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.”
Ex 4:15 And I will be with your mouth and with his mouth, and I will teach you what you shall do.
Moses Didn’t have; The ability to convince the children of Israel of Gods’ calling but God worked through him to convince the people
Ex 4:1 Then Moses answered and said, “But suppose they will not believe me or listen to my voice; suppose they say, ‘The Lord has not appeared to you.’ ”
Ex 4:5 “that they may believe that the Lord God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.”
Moses Didn’t have; The ability to convince pharaoh to let the Israelites go free but God used him to show His power
Ex 3:20 So I will stretch out My hand and strike Egypt with all My wonders which I will do in its midst; and after that he will let you go.
Ex 12:31-32 31 Then he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, “Rise, go out from among my people, both you and the children of Israel. And go, serve the Lord as you have said. 32 Also take your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and be gone;
Moses Didn’t have; An army capable of defeating the armies of Egypt but God fought for them and delivered them
Ex 14:4 4 Then I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, so that he will pursue them; and I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, that the Egyptians may know that I am the Lord.” And they did so.
Ex 14:27-28 the sea returned to its full depth, while the Egyptians were fleeing into it. So the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. 28 Then the waters returned and covered the chariots, the horsemen, and all the army of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them. Not so much as one of them remained.
Moses Didn’t have; The power to part the red sea but God used him to demonstrate His awesome power and ability
Ex 14:21-22 21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided. 22 So the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea on the dry ground, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.
Moses Didn’t have; The ability to feed over a million people for 40 years but God feed the people Moses was obedient to lead
Ex 16:4 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you.
Moses Didn’t have; The ability to provide water for those people and their livestock but God used him to bring water from the rock
Ex 17:5-6 5 And the Lord said to Moses, “Go on before the people, and take with you some of the elders of Israel. Also take in your hand your rod with which you struck the river, and go. 6 Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink.”
Moses Didn’t have; The ability to make their clothes to last 40 years but God did
Dt 8:2-4 2 And you shall remember that the Lord your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, He fed you with manna . 4 Your garments did not wear out on you, nor did your foot swell these forty years.
Moses Didn’t have; The ability to protect the Israelites from disease but God used Moses to instruct the people how to avoid disease
Ex 15:25-26 There He made a statute and an ordinance for them, and there He tested them, 26 and said, “If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you.”
David Didn’t have; The ability to defeat a giant but God gave him victory
1Sam 17:50
Solomon Didn’t have; The ability to lead a nation but God gave him the ability to when he asked for it
1 Ch 28:9 9 “As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever.
The disciples Didn’t have; The ability to stand before their enemies but God endued them with power from on high, after which it was said that they had turned the world upside down Acts 1
#1 Draw close to God
Jas 4:7-10 7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.
#2 Both the will and desire to do good come from God – ask him for them
Php 2:13 13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
#3 Seek Him when and where you are
Dt 4:29 29 But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul.
2 Ch 15:1-7 Now the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded. 2 And he went out to meet Asa, and said to him: “Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin. The Lord is with you while you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you. 3 For a long time Israel has been without the true God, without a teaching priest, and without law; 4 but when in their trouble they turned to the Lord God of Israel, and sought Him, He was found by them. 5 And in those times there was no peace to the one who went out, nor to the one who came in, but great turmoil was on all the inhabitants of the lands. 6 So nation was destroyed by nation, and city by city, for God troubled them with every adversity. 7 But you, be strong and do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded!”
#4 God is more than able to help you
2 Co 12:9 9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”
1 Pe 5:6-11
6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. 10 But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. 11 To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
#5 God wants to show Himself strong and powerful to you
2 Ch 16:9 9 For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.
#6 It doesn’t matter what you don’t have but what you do with what you have
2 Co 8:12 For if there is first a willing mind, it is accepted according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have.
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5 building up