RESOLUTELY MOVE FORWARD - FERNANDO RUATA

"Let your eyes be focused on the Shepherd and not the wolf."

~ Fernando Ruata

Encourager Church Sun 8/24/14
Pastor Fernando Ruata

Luke 9:51-56

Samaritan Opposition

⁵¹ As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. ⁵² And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; ⁵³ but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. ⁵⁴ When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?” ⁵⁵ But Jesus turned and rebuked them. ⁵⁶ Then he and his disciples went to another village.



God wants us to experience the power of perseverance.
However you entered the temple you exited the other way – always moving forward.
There was nothing that would deviate Jesus from Jerusalem.
He resolutely moved forward.
He would fulfill the calling on His life.
We are to go forward towards our Jerusalem.
The Samaritans rejected Jesus and the disciples wanted to send fire and destroy them all.
They took the rejection personally even though Jesus didn't.
Don’t get the wrong attitude/spirit.
Keep heading towards your Jerusalem.
The wrong spirit will make you deviate from your journey.
Maybe you’ve taken someone’s reproach and it made you deviate from moving forward.
The disciples probably did have the power to send fire from heaven.
Thank God Jesus stopped them.
God uses this experience to teach them the joy of moving forward.
God is saying don’t let yourself get in the wrong spirit.
We all do at times.
Fernando got his child a big ticket item but his child didn’t appreciate it.
When that happened Fernando got in the wrong spirit because his child didn’t share his values.
Sometimes we put value on the wrong things.
God says STOP IT, where I AM taking you I want you to experience the joy of the journey.
If we get in the wrong spirit we won’t persevere; we'll deviate.
Luke 9:57

The Cost of Following Jesus

⁵⁷ As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”
⁵⁸ Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”

Jesus didn’t want anyone following Him with wrong expectations.
We must share the Father's values.
The next Bible story is inspiring.
God wants us to finish strong.
Luke 9:59
⁵⁹ He said to another man, “Follow me.”
But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”
⁶⁰ Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”
Let someone else bury the dead.
Phase 1 Don't have the wrong spirit.
Phase 2 Don't live with regrets.
Years ago someone cheated Fernando out of money in a business deal.
If he resurrects that experience it will prevent him from going forward without regrets and in the right spirit.
I am moving forward and will not turn back towards anything dead.
If you read about the disciples’ deaths as martyrs you see they had no regrets.
You may have had losses but its not worth allowing those things to keep you from going where God is taking you.
In the next verse a man says let me say goodbye first.
⁶¹ Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.”
⁶² Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”
No one after putting their hands to the plow looking back is fit to do the work of the kingdom.
You will have to set your mind towards Jerusalem.
Resolutely look to the future.
If you're not looking to the future, then you've gotten in the wrong spirit.
God does not want us to allow life and its problems to make us deviate from the journey.
Life has a way of throwing things at you that can make you deviate from the path God has for you.
If we allow those things to deviate us we won’t experience the joy God has set before us.
Luke 10 is the destination God has for us.
We must bury the things that need to be buried and never uncover them.
God has an amazing journey planned for us.
What was the journey for?
Luke 10:3 Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.
Let your eyes be focused on the Shepherd and not the wolf.
Yes you’re going as lambs but I AM your shepherd.
Vs. 9 is the destination.
Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’
God desires that you and I lead people to the kingdom.
When you get in the wrong spirit and live with regrets you forget what the kingdom is about.
The greatest joy we will have is seeing people come to Christ;
Seeing people get healed.
You want to bring fire to an experience because you are tired of dealing with it.
Fernando has often wanted to be Rambo...
A legitimate life distraction could have kept the disciples from experiencing what God had planned for them.
I WANT YOU TO BE ABOUT SAVING PEOPLE.
HEALING THE SICK.
If we would spend our lives for the sake of the Kingdom we would be so happy.
LOL (Lifestyle Of Liberty class) is designed to equip us to change the world.
We have the power to change the world; just don’t get in the wrong spirit.
Luke 10:17 The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.”
Rejoice not about the demons being subject but that you are saved.
Keep the right perspective.
¹⁸ He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. ¹⁹ I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. ²⁰ However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
Vs. 21 At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.
Jesus is praying.
He rejoiced in the Holy Spirit.
Because He is seeing His disciples do what they were called to do.
Stay pure in heart.
Don’t let the journey make you stray.
Ezekiel 37:
This is God’s prophet.
If God puts you in a valley - the lowest place - and with dead bones —
They were dry and scattered bones.
God brings Ezekiel to a place of death and asks can these bones live.
Ezekiel says “You know Lord.”
He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”
I said, “Sovereign Lord, you alone know.” Ezekiel 37:3
If you don’t know your Lord you’ll ask for fire.
Because he’s in the right spirit he brings it right back to God.
You are to prophecy to the low place - not curse it.
Don’t allow yourself to become one of the dead bones.
God puts you in the dead place so you can bring life to it.
Maybe you’ve experienced a low place, a dead circumstance and said “God it’s dead, its not going to work.”
⁴ Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! ⁵ This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. ⁶ I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’” - Ezekiel 37:4-6
Ezekiel is placed in a very low, dead place.
The valley is not the mountain top but God is still your Shepherd.
If you’re in the wrong spirit you'll get into agreement with the enemy instead of God.
Don’t let that stop you from believing for the resurrection of people.
We are God’s prophets.
Prophesy life to the bones.
That place that looked dead became an exceeding great army.
God has called us to call those things that looked dead and prophesy life.
Speak life, healing, resurrection, in the low places.
Speaking death only produces more dead bones.
Prophesy life.
Prophesy a great army.
God we’re moving forward.