How to Come Out of the Wilderness With Power | Season 02, Episode 06 | Simple Truth Podcast

If you're in a wilderness season, you're likely asking the wrong question. The question isn't why is this happening to me? The question is, what is God preparing me for? Because God is definitely preparing you for a purpose. Throughout this season of the Simple Truth podcast, we've been asking a simple but important question. What is a Christian? We saw that a Christian is a follower of Jesus Christ. that his life is a pattern and a model for our life. We are born again. We're baptized in water. We're filled with the spirit. And like Jesus, we are led into the wilderness. The book of Luke showed us that Jesus returned from the wilderness in the power of the spirit. He came out of the wilderness tested and proven, ready to live in his purpose and walk in God's power. Like Jesus, God intends for you to overcome your flesh and the devil in the wilderness and to come out tested and proven, living out your purpose and walking in the power of God. This is what it means to be a Christian. The wilderness is where the power of God is formed in your life. The power to resist temptation. The power to stand firm against pressure and persecution from others. the power to hear and to obey God. The power to help others in ways the world just can't. In short, the power to fulfill what God has called you to do. If following God feels hard right now, then be encouraged. Today, we'll discuss how God is developing his power in you through the wilderness. Let's take a look at it in this episode of The Simple Truth. Welcome to the Simple Truth Podcast, where we open the Bible to uncover simple, biblical, and essential truths that can transform your life. And now, here's your host, Ted Ross. >> Hi, my name is Ted Ross, and this is the Simple Truth Podcast, your home for biblical truth clearly taught and freely given. I'm super excited about this episode because we're talking about power, God's power, how to come out of the wilderness in the power of God. So, let's get into it. Why does this episode matter? Well, the wilderness, as we've seen in previous episodes, it's not some kind of detour. It's actually how God forms his power in you. The wilderness includes testing and waiting and difficulty. We saw this with Jesus in the scriptures and with others. And God uses that experience to replace our own self-reliance and our own pride with dependence on his spirit. When we become dependent on his spirit and we learn to obey him, then God's power is revealed in us as we obey him and walk in his purpose. Walking in God's will, that power works through you and me for the good of others. This episode examines how God develops his power in you and in me through the wilderness for his purpose and for your benefit. So that leads us to our first simple truth. God's power comes through the gospel and not by our ability. Paul wasn't confident in himself, but he had purpose and he had the power of God. If anyone could have bragged or been confident back in the New Testament era, Paul would have been one of those people. He had superb credentials. And he laid all of them down and he says, "I'm not confident in myself. My confidence is in God." Let's take a look. 1 Corinthians 2 verses 1-5. Verse one. And I, brethren, when I came to you did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom, declaring to you the testimony of God. Verse two, for I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. Paul said, I did not come to you with excellence of speech. Excellence means superiority, brilliance, an impressive speaking style. Paul said, I didn't come to you with an impressive speaking style or wisdom, declaring to you the testimony, the witness, or the evidence of God. Instead, Paul said, I determined not to know anything. Paul resolved not to rely on his intellect, on his eloquence. He didn't rely on emotion. He didn't rely on props. He didn't rely on some clever thing or fanciful, you know, fashion or technology. He didn't rely on any of those things. Paul purposefully relied on the gospel only. The death, burial, and resurrection. Paul said, "I didn't know anything except Jesus Christ and him crucified." the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. And why would Paul do this? Verse three, I was with you in weakness, in fear, and much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the spirit and of power. That your faith should not be in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. Paul ministered so their faith rested on God's power, not people's power. He says,"I was with you in weakness." Paul wasn't weak. He wasn't fearful. And he wasn't literally trembling. He was emphasizing his dependence on God. Paul was utterly dependent on the father. He needed God to be able to provide, to be able to help him get from place to place, to protect him. People were trying to kill Paul. It says that his speech and his preaching were not with persuasive words. That means convincing or enticing words. You know, there's an expression people use. Paul's speaking wasn't sexy. The stuff that Paul said and did, people didn't look at him and says, "Oo, I just love his smooth words. I love the way he just delivers that thing. I love his speaking voice." That wasn't where the power came from, folks. He says, "I didn't come to you with enticing words of human wisdom, but I came in demonstration that is proof, manifestation, display of the Holy Spirit and power." The wilderness strips away self-reliance. As you go through the wilderness, you're getting rid of that confidence, that boastfulness, that pride in who you are, in the money you have or think you have or your looks or how fancy you can talk or your education. The wilderness strips that away because God doesn't need your education and he doesn't need your looks and he doesn't need your fancy speeches. God wants servants. God wants empty vessels who can represent God. The wilderness strips away our self-reliance so we emerge walking in God's power, not our power. So we can fulfill our purpose in God. So we don't walk in our own power and our own cleverness. We walk in God's power. Way better. After the wilderness, the gospel flows through you in power, not words only. 1 Thessalonians 1:5, quote, "For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit, and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake." It says here where Paul says, "Our gospel, the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, did not come to you in spoken message, and verbal speech and word only, but it also came in power." There's that word again. It came in ability. It came in force. It came in strength. He says it also came in much assurance. That's confidence, conviction, and certainty. If Paul were confident in his own abilities, he wouldn't be very convicted or certain. He wouldn't have a lot of confidence at all because human beings just really don't have a lot of great abilities when it's all said and done. Nothing compares to the ability of God. Paul performed his purpose in power and conviction and it came from his own conversion and his own wilderness experience. When Paul became born again on the Damascus road, he entered into his own wilderness season. Galatians 1 verses 15-18 verse 15 but when it pleased God who separated me from my mother's womb and called me through his grace when Paul became born again verse 16 to reveal his son in me that I might preach him among the Gentiles I Paul did not immediately confer with flesh and blood to confer is to consult with to get advice from Paul didn't run off to some person Verse 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I Paul went to Arabia and returned again to Damascus. Verse 18. Then after 3 years, I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter and remained with him, Peter, 15 days. Paul spent 3 years in a wilderness season, learning his purpose and learning the power of God. When Paul returned, he returned converted and in the power of God. In fact, your purpose is performed through power, not performance. 1 Corinthians 4 18-20. Quote, "Now some are puffed up as though I were not coming to you." This is Paul writing, "But I will come to you shortly if the Lord wills, and I will know not the word of those who are puffed up, but the power." Verse 20, for the kingdom of God is not in word, but it's in power. That is powerful stuff, folks. Paul said, now some are puffed up. That word means inflated, proud, arrogant, self-important. It's about them. It's not about them, folks. It's about God. He says, "As though I were not coming to you." Verse 19, "But I will come to you shortly if the Lord wills," Paul wrote. And Paul says, "And I will know." That means to recognize, to perceive. Paul said, "I will know. I will recognize. I'll perceive." Not the word of those who are puffed up, who are proud, who are arrogant, who are self-important, but he says, "I'll know the power." That spoken message, that verbal speech of arrogant people, Paul's not going to perceive or recognize it or honor it. Paul's going to see the power, the ability, the force, the strength because he says the kingdom of God is not in self-important people talking. The kingdom of God is in humble people operating in ability, force, and strength because that's the power of God. What are some biblical examples of walking in power and purpose? Let's take a look. We'll go through these quickly. Peter and John, for example, walking in their purpose and power, they changed a life. Acts 3 verses 1-10. Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the 9th hour. And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple, which is called beautiful to ask alms from those who entered the temple. So here's a person who is disabled. And this person would ask for money from people because he couldn't work. Verse three, who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked for alms and fixing his eyes on him with John. Peter said, "Look at us." Oo, there's that discernment. He knows God's about to do something. Verse five, so he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. This poor guy was hoping to receive some kind of charitable donation, some kind of money. That word lame means he had a longstanding disability. As in basically for as long as anyone could remember, this person was unable to walk. Verse six, then Peter said, "Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you." So much better than silver and gold, by the way, folks. Quote, "In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk." Verse seven. And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up. And immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. So he leaping up. He didn't just stand up. This man hasn't been walking. He leapt up stood and walked and entered the temple with them. Walking, leaping, and praising God. Verse 9. And all the people saw him walking and praising God. Then they knew that it was he who sat begging alms at the beautiful gate of the temple. And they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to them. This routine encounter Peter and John, it improved this lame person, this disabled person's body and many people's lives that day because Peter and John walked in their purpose and Peter and John manifested the power of God. In fact, Paul's wilderness conversion allowed God to work through him, too. Acts 14:8-10. And in Lististra, a certain man without strength in his feet was sitting. A from his mother's womb who had never walked. This man heard Paul speaking. Paul observing him intently. There goes that discernment again. It's a gift of the spirit. And seeing that he had faith to be healed, said with a loud voice, this is Paul talking, "Stand up straight on your feet." and he leaped and walked. Paul observed him intently and saw he had faith. That means he saw he had belief. He had confidence. He had a conviction to trust God. Your wilderness season isn't an end. It's preparation for your purpose. Don't you see? It's tough, but it's to prepare you for what you're purposed to do. Walking in your purpose, God will sustain you with his power. Also, Acts 28:3-5. But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper, that's a snake, came out because of the heat and fastened on his hand, a snake bit him in the hand. By the way, folks, this is not modern hospitals and antivenom and all those kinds of things. This is a deadly thing back then. Verse four. So when the natives saw the venom hanging from his hand, they said to one another, quote, "No doubt this man is a murderer whom though he has escaped the sea, yet justice does not allow to live, Paul came off of a shipwreck." Verse five, but he shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm. That's a boss move, as young people say. Get bit by a snake, shake it off into the fire, and keep moving. And why would he do that? Because God had a purpose for him. and the power of God was going to sustain him. He was not going to die if some snake off on that island. That wasn't what God purposed him to do. And he'd been through the wilderness. He knew. You and I are called to walk in power and purpose. Great power worked through Jesus, through Paul, through John, through Peter. How about us? Well, Ephesians 3:20. Now to him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us. That expression exceedingly abundantly is far more well beyond. God is able to do far more well beyond all that we could ask or even think. And he does it according to the power. There's that word again. The ability, the force, the strength that works in us. God's power works in us, folks. This isn't just about Jesus and Paul and Peter and John and all these legends as we see it. This is about you and me because Jesus is our example because God is conforming us into the image of Jesus. Do you see here how this works? Do you see what it means to be a Christian? It means to walk in the steps of Jesus and Paul and Peter and John to do our purpose and to do it in God's power. Our purpose is far beyond what we're thinking and it will be accomplished by God's power, his ability that is already working in us. That power comes through the conversion of your wilderness season. In fact, the Holy Spirit was poured out to activate purpose and power in us. Let's take a look in the Old Testament, the book of Joel 2:28 and 29. Quote, "And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out my spirit on all flesh." This is God talking. Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy. Your old men shall dream dreams. Your young men shall see visions. Verse 29. And also on my men servants and on my maid servants. I will pour out my spirit in those days. God's spirit turns everyday Christians like you and me into carriers of divine power and purpose. And it's not us. It's a gift. We can't brag about a gift. It's not coming from us. It's emanating from God. It's working through us. But the credit goes to God. And God defines the purpose. Though our purposes differ, the same spirit works powerfully in all of us. 1 Corinthians 12:4-7. Quote, "There are diversities of gifts, but the same spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all." Verse seven, but the manifestation of the spirit is given to each one for the profit of all. That word manifestation is the visible demonstrations of the Holy Spirit. There's a variety of gifts, but there's one spirit. There's a variety of ministries, but one Lord. And there's a variety of activities, but the same God's working all activities and all people. But the manifestation, that visible demonstration of the spirit, it's given to each one of us. you and me for the profit of others. Developed through the wilderness, God places his power within every Christian, releasing different gifts so his purposes are fulfilled. After the wilderness, Christians move from testing to testimony. Let's take a look at Mark 16:15-18. This is Jesus talking. And he said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature." Right? This is called the great commission. Verse 16. He who believes and is baptized will be saved, but he who does not believe will be condemned, and these signs will follow those who believe. In my name, they will cast out demons. They will speak with new tongues. Verse 18, they will take up serpents, and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them. They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover. Notice you have this commission, this instruction to go into all the world and preach the death, burial, and resurrection to every creature. But then you start to see these manifestations will follow those who believe. The power comes with that message, folks. The wilderness shapes you and the power is then released through you for God's purpose. So let's take a moment. So what is a Christian? Well, a Christian to recap is a follower of Jesus Christ. And to follow Christ is to live as Christ lived. It's to be changed to become more like Jesus. And it's to follow his life as our example. And we see there are kind of six major milestones in the path of Jesus that we see in our Christian path. We're to become born again. We're to be baptized in water. We're to be filled with the Holy Spirit. God will lead us by the spirit into a wilderness season. We're to overcome our flesh and the devil in the wilderness. And then we're to go fulfill God's purpose and walk in his power. But too many Christians get stuck wandering in the wilderness. I see it a lot. God draws them in a powerful supernatural way. They become born again. They dedicate themselves to following God. But being a Christian isn't clear to them. And so they start wandering. They may wander from church to church or they may wander from belief to belief or they may wander just in so many different ways. They sense that they have a purpose, but they never fulfill it. And that's frustrating. For Jesus, the wilderness was a literal place where he was led to be tempted, proved, and he came out in power. But for Christians, the wilderness experience is a figure of speech. We're not going to go out to the desert. It's used to describe a season where God humbles us, tests us, and refineses us. The wilderness is tough, but God's got you. You're going to need to obey him through it, though. This is not something you're going to get out on your own cleverness. You're not going to be able to go under the wilderness or over the wilderness or leave the wilderness or around the wilderness. God has led you to it, and God will lead you through it. But you're going to find yourself humbling yourself. You'll find yourself reading and praying and fasting, seeking his will because God has to lead you through the wilderness. And by the way, it's the hardest and the best thing that you could do in your life. Christians who go through the wilderness, they come out with purpose. They come out with power. We live in a world where people desperately seek both purpose and power. And you can get it for free. You can get it from God. When Jesus says, "Take my yoke upon you, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light." This is what he's talking about. Taking that yoke, walking along with Jesus, going through suffering, overcoming your flesh, overcoming the devil, and then understanding your purpose, and walking in his power. So, what are the keys to getting through the wilderness as soon as possible? What does it take to get through as fast as possible? You do not want to spend 40 years in the wilderness. You want to be like Jesus, 40 days in the wilderness, right? What are the keys to having a successful Christian life? Too often we're seeing people, they're confused and they're floundering and they're always wrestling with the same things over and over again, and that's not God's will for you. Thank you for listening to this episode of the Simple Truth Podcast. I hope you find you have a much better understanding of what is a Christian. One of the biggest challenges for many Christians is the wilderness experience. I've met many people in my lifetime. And let me encourage you with this. Your wilderness season, it's not a dead end. It's a preparation. In the wilderness, God refineses your character. He exposes hidden weaknesses and he strengthens your faith. Like Jesus, you're being tested and you're being proved so that you can make real progress in overcoming your flesh and the devil. In the wilderness, God has not abandoned you. God is instead at work in you. And when you emerge from the wilderness, you're equipped to walk according to your purpose, just like Jesus and Peter and John and Paul demonstrated. We looked at all these scriptures in this episode. Your faith tested in hardship becomes a conduit for God's power to bless others. Jesus is praying for you. And I'm praying for you. You got this. And if you want to get through the wilderness as fast as possible, then you and I need to do the right things in the wilderness. And so, what are the right things? Thank you for asking. We're going to discuss five key disciplines in our next episode. If you enjoyed today's podcast, don't forget to like, to subscribe, to share it with someone else. It has been a real pleasure talking about the Bible with you. I pray God bless you and God keep you until next time. Thank you for listening to the Simple Truth Podcast. For additional episodes, visit us at www.simpletruth.org