The Sweet Spot Series - "Serving with a Sense of 'I Must' or 'I Can't'"

Jesus said as a twelve year old boy, “I must be about My Father’s business.”(Luke 2:49) How many times have “I Can’t” stood in your way of serving the Master? Paul said, “I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13) It’s when I give into my fleshly desires and lean on my natural strength that I miss the mark in Serving Him in with the assignment He has called me to.

Sarah, getting older and weaker said to Abraham, “Take Hagar and she will give you a son.” She had lost all hope that her barren womb could ever produce a son. Abraham decided to listen to his wife instead of the voice of God that made him the promise.

Caleb, after waiting for 40 years with a murmuring bunch of doubters said at the age of 85, “Give me my mountain.” Too many times it’s in our leaning to our own natural flesh that we miss the miraculous steps that God has ordained for our lives.

Twenty eight years ago, I came to a barren pitiful church on the Northside of Jacksonville, Florida. My natural mind and flesh wanted to say, “There is no hope for this little place called Oceanway A/G. They had a handful of members but God had other plans in mind. He reminded me, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.  (I Corinthians 12:9)

I said to the Lord, “Where do I begin?” He said; “Start praying that I will send to you workers for the harvest field”. I begin to watch God save backsliders and begin to fill the church with people who had a Mind To Work and a fire to reach out to our city. I and many others are here today with an “I Must” Mentality and not an “I Can’t” mindset. To this day I continue to PRAY that God will send us people who are ready to reach out and SERVE those who still are without the beauty of Christ living in their lives.

Jesus also said, “I must go through Samaria.” Now the Jews hated the Samarians, but Jesus was pressed by His Father to stop at a well where He would find a woman who had been married five times and the man she was living with wasn’t her husband. Before she knew it, she was not only drawing water for the Master but would find New and Living waters where she would never thirst again. She left that well saying, “Come see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could He be the Messiah”? People came streaming from the village to see Him. Rise up today and say, “I can, and I will never allow anything to distract me from Serving My Lord and Savior”.