The End of Human Strength - Part 2
September 19, 2021      |     By: Jonathan Brickley      |      Category: Sermons      |      Location: El Dorado
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Mark 1:1-3 (NIV)
1 The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God,
2 as it is written in Isaiah the prophet: “I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way”—
3 “a voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’”

Straight Paths

Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

The Anointing - “THE” Teacher

1 John 2:20, 27 (NIV)
20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.
27 As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him.

All things = All Things

Nehemiah 9:19-20 (NIV)
19 “Because of your great compassion you did not abandon them in the wilderness. By day the pillar of cloud did not fail to guide them on their path, nor the pillar of fire by night to shine on the way they were to take.
20 You gave your good Spirit to instruct them. You did not withhold your manna from their mouths, and you gave them water for their thirst.

1 Corinthians 4:15-17 (NIV)
15 Even if you had ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel.
16 Therefore I urge you to imitate me.
17 For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.

How? The Gospel
Where? In Christ Jesus
What? Imitate Me / My Way of Life

Malachi 4:5-6 (NIV)
5 “See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes.
6 He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction.”

Luke 1:17 (NIV)
17 And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

“Straightening Every Part of Their Hearts through Repentance”

ALL Scripture is Red Letter

Psalm 119:18 (NIV)
18 Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.

Heavenly Truths - Hidden from wise & intelligent
Revealed to those with childlike faith

By Nature - We are Blind to the things of God
1) To get revelation we must SEE
2) to see we must ASK

Paul’s Journey to Rome - Shipwreck Story

Acts 27:1 - 28:14

Acts 27:9 - “Hurry & Worry”

Acts 27:9 (NIV)
9 Much time had been lost, and sailing had already become dangerous because by now it was after the Day of Atonement. So Paul warned them,

Acts 27:10 (NIV)
10 “Men, I can see that our voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss to ship and cargo, and to our own lives also.”

After Discipline & Repentance for Crooked Paths - comes:

Acts 28:2, 7, 10 “Unusual Kindness” - “Generous Hospitality” - “Honor” - “Fresh Supply”

Acts 28:2, 7, 10 (NIV)
2 The islanders showed us unusual kindness. They built a fire and welcomed us all because it was raining and cold.
7 There was an estate nearby that belonged to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us to his home and showed us generous hospitality for three days.
10 They honored us in many ways; and when we were ready to sail, they furnished us with the supplies we needed.

Acts 28:8-9 “Healings & Miracles”

Acts 28:8-9 (NIV)
8 His father was sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him and, after prayer, placed his hands on him and healed him.
9 When this had happened, the rest of the sick on the island came and were cured.

He works ALL things for the good of those who Love Him and are Called According to His Purpose!

“Divine Re-Do” (Acts 28:11-13)

Acts 28:11-13 (NIV)
11 After three months we put out to sea in a ship that had wintered in the island—it was an Alexandrian ship with the figurehead of the twin gods Castor and Pollux.
12 We put in at Syracuse and stayed there three days.
13 From there we set sail and arrived at Rhegium. The next day the south wind came up, and on the following day we reached Puteoli.

- New Ship
- New Supplies
- New South Wind
- Recognition of Divine Protection

Leaning on our own understanding gets us into storms (Produces “crooked paths”).
Human attempts will not deliver us. Only heeding the word of the Lord will save.

1) Are you tempted to Lean on your own understanding?
  - Don’t listen to ship pilots or ship owners (experts)
  - Listen to THE Pilot and THE owner
  - spare yourself “damage & loss”
  - Don’t take “disastrous voyages”
  - Wait for “straight paths” even if it seems slow

2) Are you in the Storm?
  - Stop Trying
  - Give up “all hope”
  - Receive Encouragement & put “All Hope” in the Lord!
  - Listen for His word - even if “this ship” must sink

3) Are you washed ashore on “some island” after your repentance & shipwreck?
  - NO CONDEMNATION!
  - No looking back in discouragement!
  - Acknowledge the FACTS (“you should have taken my advice…”)
“BUT NOW” …
  - Enjoy His “unusual kindness, hospitality, honor and fresh supply” for you!
  - Get ready for a “DIVINE RE-DO!

God Protects and Redeems and works for our Good!