May 4, 2016 | Divine Placement

This is a message from Dr. Anthony George's Wednesday night Bible study. Here's the link to the audio message from FBA's website. My notes are only meant to be a guide to assist in your Bible study. Enjoy! :)

  Matthew 20:20-28 The essence of this passage is about serving. Yet it also goes into how God places people in life.   Laws of divine placement:

1. Manipulation brings disastrous consequences.
   • We know that the two brothers asked their mother to ask Jesus these questions because in the other chapters, it identifies the brothers names as asking this. James and John.
   • Manipulate: to control or play upon by artful, unfair, or insidious means especially to ones own advantage. 
   • Have you seen manipulation in your family? Workplace? Church? Government? Media? News? 
   • Manipulation always has consequences.
     • Breeds Resentment (ticked off) Matthew 20:24
     • Creates turmoil in its environment. James 3:16
       • Jealousy and selfish ambition are ingredients to manipulation.
     • Leaves a horrible legacy behind: how did you get there? What did you do? Can you say God gets all the glory?
2. Access requires alignment.
   • Closeness means access.
   • Closeness is not power.
   • The brothers wanted the access without the alignment.
   • Matthew 11:29
   • Simon Peter had access but not alignment. Matthew 16:23 NLT
   • It doesn't mean you always have to understand, but it requires closeness so that you can have access. 
   • Not here to change Him, but here to obey and honor Him. 
   • Be careful with who you allow to have access to you, who you allow in your circle. You don't have to be on the same page with everything, but you have to be aligned in having each others backs
3. Promotion always has a price tag.
   • Greater authority means more responsibility. 
   • Greater accountability.
   • Sitting with Jesus means suffering with Jesus. Jesus went through humiliation before exhalation.
   • If God promotes you, it requires something to be given up to you. There are no exceptions.
4. Unbridled ambition leads to foolish overconfidence. 
   • Matthew 20:22
   • Ambition can blind us to our own limitations. None of us are invincible.
   • Big difference between saying that we can do it and saying He can do this.
   • Which should we say?
     • I can do it.
     • He can do it.
   • There's a difference:
     • I can do all things
     • I can do all things through Christ...
   • Contrast between overconfidence and FAITH 
5. The Father is the one who determines out assignment. Matthew 20:23
   • Jesus said that he does not determine this, but our Father in Heaven determines it.
   • 1 Chronicles 29:11-12 TLB
     • What comes from the Father:
       • Riches: material wealth 
       • Honor: respect from others
       • Greatness: exalted position
       • Strength: the ability to prevail
   • The Father assigns our position.
   • The Father gives us our promotion. 
   • The Father gives us our possessions.
6. Assignments require preparation. Matthew 20:23
   • John 14 "I go prepare a place for you"
   • Prepared positions are for prepared people.
   • We want the position without the preparation, but it doesn't work that way. 
   • Like Disney's Fast Pass, we don't want to wait in line for the ride. But God wants to prepare you--to go through the line--so that you can appreciate it when God says you're ready.
   • Would you rather go for it now, ruin the blessing, and 
   • He's also protecting me from me; too much too soon leads to destruction.
7. A divine assignment is always to people.
   • God assigns us to other people. 
   • As a Christian, we are always to treat people with dignity.
   • There is always the world's way and then there's God's way.
   • Service brings respect. Matthew 20:26
   • Value service over power. Matthew 20:27
   • We should follow God's example of sacrifice. Matthew 20:28, Philippians 2:6-7
   • I'm not called to serve a place or position, but you are called to serve the people there.

If our lives are a pitcher of love, we are to pour it out to give to others.  As you look at the position and place God has placed you, what is your assignment? How well are you doing?