Title: Awakening Potential
Text: Mark 13:37 What I say to you, I say to all: Stay awake.
Did you hear about….
- Winning lottery ticket but didn’t realize.
- A guy wanted a car for college graduation gift. Dad gave him a journal. Years later when dad had died, he opened the journal for the first time and the key to the new car fell out. “Son, I want you to be able to write memories as you do your road trip.”
- Build me a luxurious house… “It’s yours.”
Awaken the “want to.”
Want is a wish.
Desire, properly directed, is blessed by God.
The Bible encourages shaping proper desires and motivations.
- Whoever desires to be great. Matthew 20:26
- Earnestly desire the higher gifts. 1 Corinthians 12:31
- Earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy. 1 Corinthians 14:1, 39
- If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. 1 Timothy 3:1
- Let the one who desires take the water of life without price. Revelation 22:17
Awaken the “will to.”
While want is a wish, will is determination.
Wanting to do something and having the will to do so must go together.
Joshua demonstrated this will when he said, “As for me and my house we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15
Daniel demonstrated this will in Daniel 1:8, “Daniel resolved not to defile himself…
Awaken the “work through.”
The Bible is filled with instruction regarding our work.
For example, Peter heard the word of faith, “Get out of the boat.” He was then faced with his need to do the work of faith. As an example, Peter got out of the boat and walked on water.” Matthew 14:22-33
Noah did the work of building the ark.
Jesus did the work of carrying his own cross up Calvary’s mountain.
Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. Philippians 2:12, 13
Conclusion
In this season of fasting and prayer…
Ask God to create within you a huge want to.
Ask God to help you develop a long term will to.
Get busy on the work through.
“Of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these, ‘It might have been.” John Greenleaf Whittier