#2128 – Life Without Limits (16 Jan 2011)

The Message

Nick Vujicic

The Message

Our ministry of Life Without Limbs, our website is lifewithoutlimbs.org for any more information, and the book is on there, as well. I want to thank, on behalf of the Life Without Limbs ministry, Dr. Schuller and the entire Crystal Cathedral Hour of Power ministry for having me back here. It’s great to see you. God bless you. And thank you for your support and we’ve been praying for you all that God would have His way here in this ministry and that we would not put limits as to what God really can do, even in times of quote/un quote, it’s my quote/un quote, impossibility.

I don’t know if you caught that last image there of that video of seeing that little boy with no arms, no legs, rolling up to me, he actually lives here around Southern California provinces here and it was just amazing to see him. And when I saw him, and I realized that God would let me be a source of inspiration to him and his family and my parents inspiration for his parents, I realized that God has no limits as to even when we feel like there is just no hope, that God can actually un-expressively in words, He can do miracles with even the most broken pieces of anyone’s life.

So I just want to share with you from the bottom of my heart some fresh, if you want to say encouragement and inspiration straight from the word of God. And I would like to first open up with 1 Peter chapter 5, and then we’re going to go to Psalm 23. We all love that Psalm, “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.” And I want to talk about how God in His voice to us, if we listen to His voice, if we’re obedient to Him, if we walk in the steps that God has clearly shared in scriptures and the gospel, and if we believe not just what we hear from peoples descriptions or summaries, or even interpretation of scriptures, if we ourselves look into the scriptures and we have our heart right according to scriptures, we know that our hope is not alone in anything else but the word of God and Jesus Christ, then we would be blessed, then even in the most difficult circumstances, where you have to be forced to be carried around the corner.

I love what Dr. Schuller just said. When we’re talking about things around the corner, when we’re talking about the opportunities of tomorrow, there are some people who give up because they don’t have the strength to walk around the corner. And if you never go around the corner, then you’ll never know what God has around the corner. But the beautiful thing about today is not putting our hope in what’s around the corner, the hope is in knowing the touch of God’s hand, of God’s mercies, of God’s grace and blessing as we are obedient in righteousness, getting to know His touch as He carries us to tomorrow through today. Amen.

Whether it be in families with financial situations, or marriages, or broken homes, we all need God. And it is the greatest pinnacle of my relationship with the Lord when I’m broken. In the sense of knowing that I cannot rely on my own intelligence, I cannot rely on my own skill, I cannot rely on anybody else but the promises of God. When you are in that state that is when you can live a life without limits.

First Peter chapter 5, verse 1 says, “To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ’ suffering and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed. Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care serving as overseers. Not because you must, but because you are willing as God wants you to be, not greedy for money, but eager to serve. Not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock and when the chief shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away. Young men, in the same way, be submissive to those who are older. All of you clothe yourselves with humility toward one another because God opposes the proud but He gives grace to the humble.” Isn’t it wonderful that at least that when we sometimes feel that what’s happening the world around us, or the walls around us seem to crumble, that’s when you’re like oh wow, I’m humbled. Sometimes He lets us as His sheep, Him being our master shepherd; He lets us realize that hey we really need to listen to His voice every single day. So when we are humbled, when we are broken, take that as an opportunity to press your ear against the heart beat of our father, to hear His voice and not any other things. Lord, what do You want me to do today? What can I fix up in my life today? Lord, convict me as David says, Lord search me oh God and test me. If there be any wicked way in me, please, please convict me and bring me to that light everlasting, in that grace and that forgiveness and that repentance.

Let’s read on. “In that humility,” verse 6, “humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time.” It may be tomorrow, it may be ten years from now, but verse 7, “cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.” He cares for you; He cares for me, as He loves His children, like you love your children. He cares for us. “Be self controlled and alert. Your enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing same kind of sufferings.” Do you know that there are brothers and sisters around the world who are being persecuted for their faith? Whose husbands and wives are getting killed because of their faith? Know that we are not alone and we need each other, we need to uplift this message of hope around the world to know that we are one. The body of Christ is one and together we can hold each other, we can uplift each other, we can support each other, we can encourage each other. The greatest thing, how? In prayer. In humility. In saying brother, here is my problem. I just want you to pray for me. Or going up to a brother and forgetting your own needs and saying how can I carry you through your storm? How can I help you today, even though the thunder is rolling, and even though the lightening is crashing and its striking down things that we thought would never be touchable, the Lord has prompted me to say brother, how are you? Because I know that yes I’ve got a world of pain and then I look at you and your smile and I got to understand though that you’re going through persecution as well.

You’re going through trials as well. Your family is going through pain as well. That is the wonderful blessing that we are reading here as well, to hold each other up, knowing that we’re all going through something. But our hope is not in our capacity. Our hope is not in finances. Our hope is not in some thing, but the Lord Jesus Christ. His grace and His truth above all things. The truth that’s everlasting, the truth that is for you and me, the truth for you today, the truth for China, the truth for the Middle East, the truth for orphans in Africa, the truth for sex slaves in Mumbai who’ve been kidnapped at age 10, bought for $700 US dollars. That’s the difference between the message of Jesus Christ and His gospel than anything else, not just positive messages, not just more intellectual things, not just working out how can I get this or how can I get that, getting more knowledge about good and evil, getting more knowledge about this or that. Its not about the knowledge, it’s about the freedom of the gospel of Jesus Christ and when it’s preached, with no more addition or no more subtraction. In its pure form, you can live in the power of Jesus Christ.

In verse 10, “Then the God of all grace who called you to His eternal glory in Christ after you have suffered a little while. Everybody say a little while. Everybody say a little while. Say a hundred years is just a little while. A hundred years is just a little while! Amen? It’s a little while. For there is no name above the name of Jesus and the angels of God. It’s against powers and principalities of darkness. It doesn’t come to just business decisions. Do you understand this? It doesn’t just come to strategic plans. You understand this? It’s not against trying to find who’s the blame. But the shepherds of the flock, if they’re walking in obedience and all uprightness and righteousness, absolutely. In that integrity and understanding that this is all God’s, then God will do His will and that’s why they still have peace. And I want you to know today, this last verse; this is where it comes now. I didn’t even finish verse 10. I get excited, my hands fly everywhere, I’m so sorry. “And the God of all grace,” going back to verse 10, “and the God of all grace who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while.” Suffering’s not foreign to Peter, Timothy, Apostle Paul, Job.

“After you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.” Now here’s the wonderful thing: “to Him be the power forever and ever, amen.” All the glory, all the honor to Him. Why? Everything could change for this ministry in one day. Everything can change in your life in one day. In this next second, God could give me arms and legs. And the wonderful thing about suffering and uncertainty, if you do trust in the Lord with all your heart, He knows how much your heart can bear. “God’s grace is sufficient.” That is the wonderful thing about living life without limits with God, because there are no limits to His grace, there are no limits to His mercy, there are no limits as to what God can do when you come to Him with full repentance and you say God, this is You right here, right now, forever. I am Yours. Help me to do what You want me to do.

Many of us maybe have come to that place where you have said yes absolutely God. Come into my life and help me to know what Your will is. As a child, oh my goodness. Oh my goodness. I remember my childhood and I remember my grandfather still telling me what he’s staying today. Both of my grandfather’s were persecuted for their faith in Eastern Europe back in 1950’s and 1960’s. They were persecuted for not picking up a gun. They were persecuted for standing on their faith in Jesus Christ. My last blood grandparent is my mom’s father, who’s alive and he’s 94 down in Australia. And when I was a teenager, I didn’t work out, you know, why my grandfather would come all the way, a thousand miles away to come visit me and my family while I was still in Australia, but not spend much time with me. And I soon realized what he was doing behind the scenes. He was reading his bible five hours a day. And I came up to him one day before he really got sick and he’s really not that well right now, but before he got really sick, I asked him while he could still speak what is one piece of advice that you can give me, and that was the same question I asked my dad’s dad before he also passed away and went with the Lord. My dad’s dad said believe, believe, number one, and secondly, be disciplined.

My mom’s father said this: don’t add or subtract from the gospel. And in its purest form, as little kids, I did the funniest thing today. I never thought I’d do this; I bought a little kids album today on my I-Tunes. Little, you know, little, little kids singing praise songs. I encourage you to do that. Its wonderful worship but let’s come to the simplicity of even the psalms that we remember. Come to Him like a child and read over yourself this psalm, Psalm 23: “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for You are with me. Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil. My cups overflows. Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord,” in a little while, “forever and ever and ever,” in a little while. Amen.

Verse 2: “He makes me lie down in green pastures.” I was thinking that word makes. He makes me. He makes me lie down. Sometimes when the walls crumble around you, you sort of stop, don’t you. Sort of reflect. Sort of puts you in a position where you sort of have to sort of stop and think just a little bit. Let that be a message for all of us today to stop every day and lie down with joy. Joy not because of tomorrow, not because you’re going to learn something in a book, joy because of who Jesus is and how much He loves you and the world. I personally believe we’re about to embark on a huge breakthrough in the body of Christ.

Let’s pray: Father, we thank You that You let us go through different fires and tribulations so not only Lord God does the character of our faith build us up and that we’re strong and firm, but Lord God, in suffering for a little while, whatever that may be even dying of cancer, even losing a loved one, Lord God, help us to cling to You like never before. Use us, comfort us, strengthen us and help us get back to the basics. It’s not about a book, it’s not about more knowledge about business strategy or anything else, but Lord, convict us of any wrong doings that You may forgive us and heal our land. Thank You God, for guiding us, comforting us and strengthening us one day at a time. Lord, there is not one broken heart, one broken piece of our lives that You cannot use. Thank You God that we can have joy today, not an opportunity in tomorrow, but joy today in knowing that there is no name above the name of Jesus, that we can have all freedom, liberty, peace, comfort and joy in knowing You and seeing You work in our lives. Bring to us the power and ability and the grace to do Your will on earth as it is in heaven. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen. Amen. God bless you all. Thank you so much. Thank you for your prayers and support. Thank you. We’ll pray for you. Thank you

 


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