Bella Vista Church of Christ
LIFELINES
May 15, 2002 Randall Caselman
With His Help, We Can
Perhaps the most exciting, thought provoking passages in all the Bible are: Let us make man in our own image, after our likeness... So God created man in His own image; male and female. There is a companion passage in the New Testament: As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the Sons of God, even to them that believe on His name. Think of it! We are made in God's likeness, His image! We have within us the power, the authority, the ability to become children of God! Consider the power and the possibilities.
God did not create us to live as the animals. Jesus did not come so we could live an ordinary, mundane, boring, useless life. Jesus said,
I came that you might have life and have it to the fullest, above the common, above the ordinary, the abundant living. How is it possible?
Dare To Dream.
Set goals. Use our imagination. We will never be what we have not imagined ourselves to be. As a man thinks in his heart, so he is. Examine the word "IMAGINATION." Do you see it? Image-In. In His image created He them. God is a dreamer, a thinker, a planner, a goal setter. God had a plan -- a goal. It was first spoken of in Genesis 3.15; then the promise to Abraham; a nation created from the twelve sons of Jacob; deliverance to Canaan; the remnant returned from exile; Jesus was born; salvation has been brought down; man has been redeemed, reconciled, sanctified. The predestined has become reality. Jesus said,
I came to work my Father's plan... To do His will... Finish His work.
Do we have a dream, a goal, an imagination? Can we imagine our church having a thousand folk on Sunday evening? Can we see ourselves serving the Lord in some capacity... as a missionary, deacon, elder, teacher, soul winner? Dare to dream!
Have Faith.
Faith is what powers our dreams and goals. We can do it. Within the will of God we have the power to do the impossible. Hebrews chapter eleven is our proof text. The Bible is about ordinary folk who believed that God would empower them to accomplish His will in all things. Noah built a boat the size of one and a half football fields. Abraham followed God to a far country. Moses led 2.5 million people for 40 years in the Sinai desert. David killed a giant. Solomon built a temple. Elijah outran a chariot. Peter walked on water. The early church took the message of Jesus to the world.
Let us return to a belief in the power of God at work in our lives.
Now to him that is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to the power that is at work within us. (Ephesians 3.20)
I can do everything through him who gives me strength. (Philippians 4.13) For instance: Do we believe a drunk can stop drinking, an adulterer can become a proper spouse, a sour old gossip can become a sweet, lovely person? A sinner can become a saint? Power to become Sons of God, even to them that --- WHAT? ---
Have faith in His name. (John 1.12) Power Through Faith. Incredible!!
Be A Changed Person.
To be spiritually successful, we must be willing to discipline ourselves, willing to be converted. This is the reason some of us fall short of being God's individual. We dream, we have faith, but we are unwilling to change the way we live. Jesus was a Son of God by a disciplined lifestyle. He said NO to sin, NO to Satan and YES to The Father. He learned obedience by those things He suffered. I believe genuine New Testament conversion is an ongoing process: Learn. Change. Learn. Change. Learn. Change. Are we learning? Are we changing?
Power To Become The Sons Of God.
That excites me, doesn't it you? We Can Do It!! Dare to dream -- imagine, have faith in the power of God and be willing to change.
RANDALL CASELMAN
