Here's the notes from the message delivered at New Life Community Church, Sunday, August 19, 2012 entitled "Face Up: You Have a Future". You can listen to this message at our webpage:
www.newlifesite.com.
Inside Story, Part 8
“Face Up: You Have a Future”
13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. 17 How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! 18 Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand — when I awake, I am still with you. Psalm 139:13-18 (NIV)
What happens when you are emotionally shattered? What do you do when you are beat up on the inside? Simple Answer: Get in the presence of God and let Him heal you. We want to look a bit closer at this thing of emotional healing.
In a broader context, we from time to time do what we call a FREEDOM WEEKEND. Friday evening and Saturday to minister on three areas:
1. Pulling Down Strongholds
2. Breaking Curses
3. Spiritual Liberation
4. Emotional Healing
This is huge in every person’s life.
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; 19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” 20 Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. 21 And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” Luke 4:18-21 (NKJV)
It’s summed up in terms of Jesus healing your life so that you can go on to fulfill His great will for you.
I’m using the imagery of the FACE as a part of this concluding message. “Face” is an interesting concept in the Scripture. It’s more than just the physical area at the front of your head. It actually speaks to your “person” and how you relate with the world. We speak about the face – “losing face”, “I’m having trouble facing people.” There is the “happy face.” “His face shone.” At times we can read each other’s faces. You can say good things with your mouth, but your face tells what’s really going on.
DEFINITION OF “FACE”
As a NOUN:
a. The surface of the front of the head from the top of the forehead to the base of the chin and from ear to ear.
b. A person: We saw many new faces on the first day of classes.
2. A person's countenance: a happy face.
3. A contorted facial expression; a grimace: made a face at the prospect of eating lemons.
4. Facial cosmetics: put one's face on.
5. Outward appearance: the modern face of the city.
6. Value or standing in the eyes of others; prestige: lose face.
b. Self-assurance; confidence: The team managed to maintain a firm face even in times of great adversity.
7. The most significant or prominent surface of an object, especially:
a. The surface presented to view; the front.
b. A façade. – that which is presented to the public and to the rest of the world.
As a VERB:
1. To occupy a position with the face toward: stood and faced the audience.
2. To front on: a window that faces the south.
3.
a. To confront with complete awareness: had to face the facts.
b. To overcome by confronting boldly or bravely: "What this generation must do is face its problems" (John F. Kennedy).
Phrasal Verbs:
face down : face down an opponent in a debate; faced the enemy down.
face off
face up : had to face up or get out; finally faced up to the problem.
Idioms:
face the music To accept the unpleasant consequences, especially of one's own actions.
in the face/teeth of In opposition to or defiance of.
on the face of it From appearances alone; apparently: On the face of it, the problem seems minor.
show (one's) face To make an appearance: Don't show your face on my property again.
to (one's) face In the view or hearing of: insulted me to my face.
Game face
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fly in the face of to act in defiance of
in one's face directly opposite or against one
in (the) face of despite
look (someone) in the face to look directly at a person without fear or shame
on the face of it to all appearances
set one's face against to oppose with determination
show one's face to make an appearance
shut one's face Slang (often imperative) to be silent
to someone's face in someone's presence; directly and openly I told him the truth to his face
until one is blue in the face Informal to the utmost degree; indefinitely
THE MANNER AND WAY IN WHICH WE GO FORWARD.
24 “The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26 the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26 (NIV)
Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance. Psalm 42:5 (NKJV)
Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God;
For I shall yet praise Him, the help of my countenance and my God. Psalm 42:11 (NKJV)
He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Isaiah 53:3 (NKJV)
but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear. Isaiah 59:2 (ESV)
We become so beat up on the inside what we can’t face the future. Pain…injury…loss of hope
Couple of weeks ago, referred to MRI. Diagnostic Tool. MRI heals no one, it just tells you what’s wrong.
We need a spiritual MRI.
This week, began Physical Therapy.
1. An Injury took place. Something went wrong.
2. Pain and problems
3. Dr. orders MRI
4. Surgery
5. Recuperation – Physical Therapy
What if we could have SPIRITUAL or EMOTIONAL THERAPY?
1. An injury takes place. You have something wrong down inside now. Guilt. Anger. Depression. Etc.
2. You come to Dr. Jesus.
3. Spiritual MRI
4. Surgery
5. Now you are in the healing process. You need EMOTIONAL THERAPY.
The Scripture is full of verses dealing with EMOTIONAL HEALING.
Psalm 38:18. The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit.
Isaiah 57:15. For this is what the high and exalted One says— he who lives forever, whose name is holy: “I live in a high and holy place, but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit,
to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.
Psalm 51:17. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart—these, O God, You will not despise.
Psalm 41:4. I said, “Lord, be merciful to me; heal my soul, for I have sinned against You.”
Psalm 147:2-4. The Lord builds up Jerusalem; He gathers together the outcasts of Israel. 3 He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
Three Examples of How We Handle Emotional Injury:
1. A Tree putting on deeper layers of bark. Just add a layer and you can hide the decay inside.
2. A Car with one piston not firing. Runs a little rough, but gives out on the uphill.
3. A Man who injures his arm. Weak arm makes you build up the good arm to compensate.
Four Steps to Restoration
When Craig came up to me, I arose and began walking toward him. He immediately stopped me and said, “You’ve got to walk correctly. You’ve already learned how to walking incorrectly. Now you’ve got to learn again how to walk.”
1. You’ve got to learn how to WALK again.
You have COMPENSATED for your injury.
Your injury has affected your walk.
You must be INTENTIONAL.
Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, Ephesians 5:15 (ESV)
They then took me to a room and had me lay down and measured the way my leg bends.
2. We need divine MEASUREMENT.
Then I was given a reed like a measuring rod. And the angel stood, saying, “Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there.” Revelation 11:1 (NKJV)
Then I had to lay down and let them work on me. Laid heat on the knee for 12 minutes. Then electric massage of knee. Asked what they’re trying to accomplish. Said BREAK UP THE TOXINS. I asked, “What are toxins.” He said, “Well, the things that shouldn’t be there.”
Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God. II Corinthians 7:1 (NIV)
2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. … 5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. … 7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8 But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Colossians 3:2,5,7-8 (NIV)
Then they put me through a series of “small” exercises. None of them was a “back-breaker”. They said, “Just do these as we tell you. And you will return to full health.”
4. Little steps of OBEDIENCE go a long way.
So many Scriptures about how God will order your steps.
He will give you places to walk. He will show you where to step. All that you are to do is take the steps He places before you.
To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. I Peter 2:21 (NIV)
