Experiences

Ephesians 2:10 “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”

Continuing Pastor Obie’s last Sunday’s sermon on “Making a Mark in the Kingdom of God”, he stated that life is a series of experiences. In checking the 1828 Webster’s dictionary, it proclaims: We see the root of these words is to go, to fare, to drive, urge or press, to strain or stretch forward. Then Webster goes on to define the word “experience” as: 1. A trial, or a series of trials or experiments; active, effort or attempt to do or to prove something, or repeated efforts. A man repeats the trial, and his experience proves the same fact. A single trial is usually denominated an experiment; experience may be a series of trials, or the result of such trials. 2. Observation of a fact or of the same facts or events happening under like circumstances. 3. Trial from suffering or enjoyment; suffering itself; the use of the senses; as the experience we have of pain or sickness. We know the effect of light, of smell or of taste by experience. We learn the instability of human affairs by observation or by experience. We learn the value of integrity by experience. 4. Knowledge derived from trials, use, practice, or from a series of observations. Thus we all experience pain, sorrow and pleasure; we experience good and evil; we often experience a change of sentiments and views. Hence, experience is to know by practice or trial; or to gain knowledge or skill by practice or by a series of observations.

James 1:23-24 “For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.”

Pastor Obie asserts that the main issue is how we can use our experiences to bless others that counts. We were created for good works according to His call and his purposes; not ours. Deuteronomy 11:2 says, “And consider today (since I am not speaking to your children who have not known or seen it), consider the discipline of the Lord your God, his greatness, his mighty hand and his outstretched arm.” Remember what God has done in your life (significant events and people you experienced), hold close the good and bad experiences in these areas in your life, and embrace the Savior and Lord of the world Jesus Christ, who had your past, has your present and will have your future. Know that God uses difficult experiences to mold us, to grow up and to mature us (relationally, educationally, spiritually, vocationally and, even, painfully) in this life for good.

1 Corinthians 13:11 “When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.”

Extract the lessons from your experiences by examining, testing and evaluating them. Learn from the failures and repeat the successes. Those who do not discover and understand from their failures are doomed to repeat them. Employ your experiences to minister, motivate, model, and mentor others. Titus 2:7-8a says to “Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned.” Stop doing laps in the desert of this existential, materialistic, secular humanistic world. Our purpose is to show others that in Christ, true love, joy peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control and that it can be done. It’s not impossible; it is possible, attainable and within reach. We can overcome obstacles and barriers with the Lord.

Job 32:7 “Let days speak, and many years teach wisdom.”

We should all be imitators of Christ and model Jesus to others. We should also find and follow a godly mentor (as a personal trainer/coach), who can improve and share in our life with godly wisdom and that we can pattern ourselves after. Learn from the godly experiences of others. Go and make disciples in the world, walking beside those in your sphere of influence with the love of God, reflecting the gospel of Jesus Christ. By your experiences, bless others, impact and increase the kingdom of Heaven and change the world with your life. It is our priority and authority, and what we were designed for.

In Christ, Brian