S1: God wants to be first in our lives and help
S1: us with the mission he's given us, but we can
S1: put it off and lose the vision. Encouragement for the
S1: race today on bold steps.
S2: I have to obey God and quit postponing obedience. I
S2: need to make God my priority. I can't live for myself.
S2: I need to put him at the center. He has
S2: to be number one.
S1: Welcome to Bold Steps with Mark Jobe, president of Moody
S1: Bible Institute and senior pastor of New Life Community Church
S1: in Chicago. Many of us at one time have had
S1: a clear picture and God given direction shown to us
S1: in life, but along the way, something happened. Discouragement and
S1: distraction set in and we put off what we were
S1: called to do. Today we continue with the book of
S1: Haggai and how God stirred people's hearts and restored a vision.
S1: We're hoping today's broadcast is sort of a tailwind that
S1: pushes you in the direction God is calling you to go.
S1: Our series is titled Fully Devoted. To hear this or
S1: any message again, visit Bold steps.org. That's bold steps org.
S1: Now with part two of the message, it's not over yet.
S1: Here's Mark Jobe with today's bold steps.
S2: The Living Translation says look at what's happening to you.
S2: In other words, check out your life. Examine your life.
S2: Look at the mess that you've gotten yourself into. Pause
S2: for a moment to examine what's happening in your life
S2: by postponing obedience. By not finishing what I've asked you
S2: to finish. By not moving forward with those things that
S2: have called you to do. Look what's happening to your life.
S2: And he says you have planted much, but you've harvested little.
S2: You eat, but you never have enough. You drink, but
S2: you're never filled. You're never full. You put on clothes,
S2: but you're not warm. You earn wages only to put
S2: them in a purse with holes in them. Come on.
S2: Is someone listening to this here today? You know what
S2: God says. God says because you've postponed. Because you haven't
S2: put me as a priority. Then I have taken my
S2: favor away from you. And I've made your heart your
S2: life harder because I'm not at the center. You're working
S2: and working and working, but it seems like you're spinning
S2: your wheels and not getting ahead. You think that this
S2: is going to fulfill you, and you chase after it,
S2: but you're more empty than you ever were before. You've
S2: thrown yourself into your jobs to try to gain prosperity.
S2: And it seems like, hey, I'm making more money than
S2: I've ever made before. You put it in your pocket,
S2: and it's like you have holes in your pockets. You
S2: ever had a hole in your pocket? Put something in.
S2: It's like, hey, where was it? It's like it's going
S2: in and going out. You're not saving any of it.
S2: You're not keeping anything. Basically, what he tells them is
S2: because you have not put me at the center because
S2: you've postponed obedience. Now you're you're not. It's not working
S2: out the way you thought it would work. You've pursued
S2: after your own things, but as you pursue after your
S2: own things, the more you pursue them, the emptier you are.
S2: The more you chase after them, the less fulfilling they are.
S2: The more you succeed. It feels like the more success
S2: evaporates from you. So you're working, you're stressed, you're pursuing,
S2: but you're less filled than you ever were in life
S2: because you have not put me first. He says to them, listen,
S2: verse nine, you expect much. These are people that are
S2: following God. These are not unbelievers, these are not agnostics.
S2: These are not people that have turned their back on God.
S2: There are people that claim to follow God, people that
S2: are showing up to worship on Sundays. He says, listen,
S2: you expect much. But see, it turned out to be little.
S2: Come on. What you brought home, I blew away. I
S2: got this job. I worked so hard for this. And
S2: you expected that it would get you ahead a lot.
S2: You expected that you would have a lot left over.
S2: Because finally you got that promotion. Finally you got that raise,
S2: finally the salaries up, and you come home and you
S2: try to put it and it seems like it's just
S2: blown away by the wind. You try to stash it together. Aha.
S2: Here it is. And it's gone. And you say why?
S2: And God says, I did that. God says I blew
S2: it away. It didn't say it blew away. God says
S2: I blew it away. Can I tell you something? Sometimes.
S2: Sometimes God frustrates you in your progress toward success. Sometimes
S2: it's God who's blowing it away. Sometimes it's God who's saying, no,
S2: I'm not going to let you advance. Sometimes it's God
S2: who's saying, you're going to spin your wheels and spin
S2: them as hard as you can and not see progress.
S2: Sometimes it's God that's saying, I'm going to let you
S2: work real, real, real hard, and you're going to end
S2: up worse than what you were when you worked real hard.
S2: Sometimes it's God. You say, well, pastor, why would God
S2: do that? Because sometimes God has to let us not succeed.
S2: So when we're tired and worn out, we finally stop
S2: and we look to the heaven and we say, God.
S2: What are you doing? And God says, I'm trying to
S2: get you to put me first. You're out there blaming
S2: it on the devil, or that devil keeps me, keeps
S2: me from succeeding. That devil didn't give me a promotion.
S2: That devil's taking all my money. That devil's not all
S2: that devil. I rebuke you devil. And God said, don't
S2: rebuke the devil, I did it. I did it for you.
S2: I did it so you wouldn't continue to pursue things
S2: and not put me first. I did it so that
S2: you would wake up one day and realize, hey, listen,
S2: I have to obey God and quit postponing obedience. I
S2: need to make God my priority. I can't live for myself.
S2: I need to put him at the center. He has
S2: to be number one. These people were frustrated and God said,
S2: I frustrated you. These people were discouraged and God said,
S2: I did that to you. You know, there's something about
S2: the favor of God on our life. It doesn't mean
S2: that everything goes without a hitch, but there's something about
S2: the favor of God upon our life. Not too long ago,
S2: I was traveling to a conference that I was speaking
S2: to in Europe, and I had to fly from Chicago
S2: to Madrid, and the pilot got on the intercom system
S2: and he said, I have good news for you today. Normally,
S2: the flight across the Atlantic is eight hours from Chicago
S2: O'Hare Airport to Barajas, Madrid. And he said, I have
S2: I have news for you. We're going to get to
S2: Madrid early, probably about 45 minutes early. And I thought, wow,
S2: that's nice, he says, because we have a get it.
S2: We have a tailwind. And the tailwind is going to
S2: push us. When you have a tailwind, it means that
S2: you have a wind that's blowing in the same direction
S2: that you're going. It means that you have to use less.
S2: Less effort. And you get further with less effort. It
S2: means that you don't have to use as much. Fuel.
S2: And you, you push forward. It means that there's. You're
S2: not fighting. You're just flowing. It means that you're going
S2: faster than the. Effort that you're putting in. It means
S2: you're going further than what you're. Working at. Putting in.
S2: That's when you have a tailwind. I look at the
S2: favor of God like that. You still have to put
S2: in your effort. You still have to. But you. But
S2: there's something about the favor of God that pushes us forward.
S3: Yeah. Yeah.
S2: And there's some times where God says, look, I'm going
S2: to give you a tailwind. And there's other times where
S2: God's saying, I'm going to give you a headwind against
S2: where you're going. It's going to take longer. It's going
S2: to be harder, because I want you to realize, I
S2: want you to look to the heavens, and I want
S2: you to say, God, I need you. I can't do
S2: it without you. I need to put you at the
S2: center of my life. And what I do.
S1: You're listening to Bold Steps with Mark Jobe, and today's
S1: message is called It's Not Over Yet. And while our
S1: lesson isn't over yet, we do want to take a
S1: quick pause to make sure you've signed up for Mark's
S1: weekly email devotional, The Bold Stepper Weekly. It's absolutely free.
S1: No obligation. It's delivered right to your inbox each Monday
S1: morning to help you step into the week with a
S1: Bible centered focus. Mark, thanks for putting this together.
S2: Absolutely. And we've had so many people respond in a
S2: positive way to say this encourages them to get their
S2: week started. Well, this week, by the way, we talked
S2: about what it means to let God shape your identity
S2: and not the labels that are placed on you by others.
S2: We actually talked about a new resource that we have
S2: called Discovering Who You Are in Christ more than a label,
S2: and some of you need to pick that up. That's
S2: going to be great. Remember, you are not what people,
S2: the label that people have put on you. You are
S2: what God says about you.
S1: Sounds like a good Monday morning reminder as we begin
S1: our week that we all got here today. Well, it
S1: was in the bold step weekly today. If you didn't
S1: receive it, that's because you haven't signed up and you
S1: can sign up at Bold steps.org. Look for the Tab devotional,
S1: where you can request the English or Spanish version of
S1: Mark's devotional, The Bold Stepper Weekly. Now let's continue with
S1: our message for today. Again, it's titled It's Not Over
S1: Yet on Bold Steps.
S2: Matthew 633 seek ye first the kingdom of God and
S2: His righteousness. Jesus said, and all these things will be
S2: added to you as well. So not only if we're
S2: going to finish well, not only we need do we
S2: need to decide to stop postponing and determine to move
S2: forward in our obedience. We also need to understand the
S2: ripple effects of procrastination. Spiritual procrastination. Assassination. But number three,
S2: if we're to move to the finish, we need to
S2: grasp a vision of a preferred God given future. You see,
S2: I believe that a lot of people bail out and
S2: they quit. When the vision fades. Proverbs says, without a vision,
S2: my people perish. Without a clear, defined, preferred vision of
S2: the future, we lose motivation. Without a sense of our destiny,
S2: we stop working. Most people that I talk to that
S2: are depressed get depressed when they lose hope in the future.
S2: They start to believe nothing's going to change. And am
S2: I willing to live this way for another five years?
S2: And their energy is zapped from them. People become unmotivated
S2: and lethargic when they lose a vision, a personal, God
S2: given vision for their life and for their future. Husbands,
S2: stop struggling for the well-being and improvement of their marriage
S2: when they've lost hope that their marriage will ever change.
S2: Addicts stop going to 12 step programs and talking to
S2: their accountability person when they lose a vision that they
S2: can be whole and well and drug free. People accept
S2: poverty in their lives when they feel like they can
S2: never dig themselves out of it. People drop out of
S2: school when they feel like I'll never graduate. I can't
S2: see myself getting a diploma. Walking down the aisle. Getting
S2: a job. And so they bail out. And give up
S2: on any type of improvement or success in their life.
S2: Because they've lost a vision of the future. For the believer,
S2: it's the same thing. For the church, it's the same thing.
S2: A people without a vision don't strive. A people without
S2: a vision. Everybody does their own thing. A church without
S2: a vision is an unmotivated church. A people without a
S2: clear sense of where God is calling them is a
S2: church that just does the minimal. Doesn't work, doesn't move,
S2: doesn't push forward. And Haggai was speaking to the people
S2: of Israel. They had lost a vision of their future.
S2: They had the vision that they once had had become blurred.
S2: God had called them to the city to say, Rebuild Jerusalem,
S2: start with the temple, rebuild my temple, my house of worship.
S2: Rebuild the walls of this city, rebuild your homes. Rebuild commerce.
S2: Rebuild the families. May there be laughter in the streets
S2: once again. May there be prosperity amongst us. Maybe. May
S2: we worship God once again. May this be a place
S2: where the presence of God dwells in a powerful place.
S2: May there be, um, marriages that happen. Children that are born.
S2: Laughter that that echoes throughout the streets. People that are
S2: worshiping God, harmony that flows in this place. But they
S2: lost the vision of a Jerusalem that could be restored
S2: by God. Let me ask you a question. Have you
S2: lost your vision? Have you lost the picture of a
S2: preferred future that God is calling you to? Have you
S2: stopped believing that God can do it? That the circumstances
S2: can change, that you can be a cycle breaker and
S2: legacy maker? Have you has the vision become fuzzy? Unclear? Foggy?
S2: The Bible says that after Haggai challenged these people, then
S2: the verse 13 says, Then Haggai, the Lord's messenger, gave
S2: them the message of the Lord to the people. And
S2: God said, hey, if you get back on target, put
S2: me at the center. Continue with the vision that I've
S2: called you to. The Lord said, I am with you.
S2: Let me tell you, I've prayed this over and over.
S2: As a pastor of this church. I've got on my knees.
S2: I've cried out to God. I've said, God, I'll do
S2: it if you're with us. But God, if you're not
S2: with us, I don't want to be in ministry. If
S2: you don't go before us, count me out, Lord. Because
S2: if your presence is with us, all things are possible.
S2: When you're amongst us. Healings happen. When you're here. God's
S2: salvation occurs when you hear you open up doors. When
S2: you're here. Nothing can stand against us. God. But if
S2: you're not with us. God. I'm out of here. If
S2: you're not with us, I need your presence. That's why
S2: we call for a season of fasting and prayer. To
S2: be reminded of our own weakness and press into the
S2: strength of God to say, God, we can't do it
S2: without you. Oh, maybe we've grown. Oh, maybe we're bigger.
S2: But God, do not. I in no way ever, ever,
S2: ever mistake our growth and our strength to replace the
S2: power and omnipotent presence of the Almighty God. And as
S2: Haggai spoke, the Bible says that. God says, I will
S2: be with you, declares the Lord. I love this what
S2: it says in verse 14. It says, so the Lord
S2: stirred the spirit, and he started with the leader. He
S2: stirred the spirit of Zerubabel, who was the governor of Judea.
S2: How many of you know God can even touch politicians?
S2: You know, it's a miracle when he does that. And
S2: then he says, and he also stirred the spirit of Joshua,
S2: the high priest. I pray, oh, God, across Chicagoland, stir
S2: the hearts of pastors to preach the gospel and not
S2: tickle people's ears. We have hundreds of churches around Chicago.
S2: I pray, oh God, may our preachers preach with power.
S2: May there be passion in the pulpit. Truth that's proclaimed
S2: with love. But God merely be truth. Uncompromising truth to
S2: the Word of God. Not just bland, mediocre, light hearted,
S2: nice little principles that don't call people to holiness, that
S2: don't move people to God. That don't call people to repentance.
S2: God fill our pulpits with the fire of the living Jesus.
S2: So God stirred the hearts of the politicians. He stirred
S2: the hearts of the preachers. And then it says, and
S2: the spirit of the whole remnant of the people. God
S2: stirred up the people, and they came together and began
S2: to work on the house of the Lord Almighty, their God.
S2: When he stirred them together, they had a vision of
S2: the future. And when they had a vision of the future,
S2: they had power in the present to make a difference.
S2: You see, we don't have energy to make a difference.
S2: Unless we have a vision that compels us and we're
S2: stirred in our heart to make a difference. I heard
S2: years ago I heard of a town that a reporter
S2: had gone into that was scheduled to be inundated. They
S2: were going to release a dam, and the dam would
S2: inundate a whole village. And so it would be, it
S2: would be drowned out. They did it for irrigation purposes.
S2: And the reporter went into the village that was about
S2: to be flooded. They were fighting the breaking of the dam,
S2: and he noticed that the houses were manicured, that the
S2: gardens were well kept, that fences were painted, that the
S2: streets were clean from debris. Neighbors were out talking. And
S2: he interviewed the neighbors and they all said, no, we
S2: love our town. We don't want it to be flooded.
S2: We don't want this to be destroyed. We. We're fighting.
S2: We're keeping. And he noticed that it was a great
S2: little town, but the politicians and the powers that were.
S2: Be they said, no, it's better we have to flood this.
S2: We have to open. This dam or it will cause problems.
S2: And so once the town heard. That the town would
S2: be flooded. The reporter went back a couple. Months later
S2: and he walked through the town and he realized there
S2: was debris in the streets. Gardens were unkept. Trash was
S2: out in front. And he interviewed some of the people.
S2: He said, what's going on here? This is a different town.
S2: And they said, well, you haven't heard the news. We're
S2: going to be flooded. If there is no vision for
S2: the future, there will be no power in the present
S2: to make a difference and work hard. I'm talking to
S2: someone here. If you have no vision for the future,
S2: you have no determination to work hard. Now. If you've
S2: lost your vision, you'll lose your strength and energy. If
S2: you've lost a God given preferred vision of the future,
S2: you will be lethargic. Ramble on Meaninglessly do the minimal.
S2: Just live in life. But if you have a God
S2: preferred vision of the future, it's that vision of a
S2: God given future that will motivate you to work hard
S2: for what God is doing. It'll get you out of
S2: bed in the morning, jumping out of bed in the morning,
S2: get that cup of coffee. Get in the Word of God.
S2: Praying like your life depends upon it, because you're a
S2: man or woman with a mission and a God given
S2: destiny to make a difference in this world that God
S2: has called us to live in until he comes again.
S1: Regaining your God given vision for the future. A great
S1: word of encouragement on bold steps. That's Mark, Jobe and Mark,
S1: I want to underscore your point that this isn't something
S1: that we have to do on our own. If we
S1: make God the center, he will come alongside. He will
S1: be with us. Let's wrap up with a word for
S1: someone who's feeling weak or weary about moving forward and
S1: getting back into that race.
S4: You know, we all feel like that certain days when
S4: we're just tired. And I'm talking to that person right
S4: now that you've been persevering week after week, month after month,
S4: and you're just plain old tired. I'm encouraging you to
S4: say it's not by might, not by power, but by
S4: my spirit, says the Lord. So I want to challenge
S4: you in your weakness to press into God and just say, Lord,
S4: I am very tired and very weak right now. So
S4: I ask that you would empower, strengthen and restore me.
S1: Yeah, that is an encouraging word. Thank you. Well, it
S1: is our prayer every day here on bold steps that
S1: God's Word will change the hearts and draw people to
S1: himself through the teaching of God's Word on this program. Now, Mark,
S1: we recently came across an example of this the power
S1: of radio. I mean, when we met Nancy at a
S1: recent event that you spoke at, and we'd like you
S1: to hear Mark a bit of how Moody Radio was
S1: there just when she needed it.
S5: My name is Nancy, and in 1971, I was going
S5: through a very dark, painful time in my life. I
S5: was thinking, there's another way out. I couldn't stand the
S5: pain anymore. I didn't want to live. And it was
S5: in the evening. And I was listening to the radio.
S5: And I was just turning stations just to. Just to
S5: find something. And I heard this voice, and it just
S5: really drew me. And I listened to him. And what
S5: kept me listening to the program was I felt hope
S5: that I could still survive this situation that I was
S5: in and find hope and find something better. Just ministered
S5: to my heart. It kind of saved my life, I felt.
S5: So that's why I love Moody and I want to
S5: continue to contribute to him. It was a lifesaver for me.
S4: I love that story. Wow, Nancy, that touches me at
S4: a deep moment of darkness in her life. I love
S4: that she says this, I felt hope. I felt hope.
S4: You know how many times, Wayne, I've heard that from
S4: people that have told me. I went through a season
S4: where I could barely get out of bed, where suicidal thoughts,
S4: but God ministered through moody radio. And of course, we
S4: know it's not moody. It's the Spirit of God ministering
S4: using radio. Yeah. Yeah. That's a powerful story. Thank you. Nancy.
S1: Yes. Thank you. And if you'd like to join her,
S1: you can contact us through our website at Bold Steps.
S1: Org or give us a call and donate over the
S1: phone by dialing 800 Moody. That's (800) 356-6639. And when you
S1: do give a gift, you'll receive a copy of this
S1: month's Bold Step gift. In today's fast paced world, genuine
S1: connection often takes a back seat to convenience. After all,
S1: sending a text is a lot easier than sitting down
S1: for coffee. But doctor Heather Holloman's book, The Six Conversations
S1: shows us there's a better way. Through real world guidance
S1: and biblical wisdom, this book will transform how you approach
S1: every interaction, helping you build the meaningful relationships we were
S1: designed to have. This bold step gift offers proven strategies
S1: to help you move beyond small. Talk to conversations that
S1: truly matter. So reach out today and get your copy
S1: of this life changing resource. We'll send you a copy
S1: with your gift of any amount to support bold steps.
S1: Just call 800 D.L. Moody or give online at Bold
S1: Steps org. You can also send your gift through the
S1: mail by writing to us at bold steps. 820 North
S1: LaSalle Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois 606 ten. I'm Wayne Shepherd. Tomorrow
S1: we begin the final message in our fully devoted study,
S1: a lesson from the Book of Second Kings called do
S1: you See it yet? So be sure to join us
S1: Tuesday here on Bold Steps with Mark John. Bold steps
S1: is a production of Moody Radio, a ministry of Moody
S1: Bible Institute.