Don't Leave Me Down
Forced Series- PMJ
Acts 14:20-
Forced Multipliers- God-used pressures that accelerate development, reveal capacity, and push you into levels you would not have reached through comfort alone. Pressures, systems, or decisions that make growth happen faster than comfort would allow. Any pressure, disruption, or responsibility that removes that option to stay the same.
Sometimes pressure calls for retrospective reflection- looking back at yesterday to determine what God is about to do today.
The Forced Multiplier in this text = COMMUNITY
The first thing that God said was not good in the Bible was not sin, it was when Adam was alone.
Genesis 1-The Creation Narrative
He creates the world, but never lifts a finger. He spoke it into existence.
Good = Functional
The snake didn’t show up when Adam was alone. Because the devil understands the power of partnership.
The enemy doesn’t fear you having relationships, he fears you having strong relationships.
Sometimes loneliness is proof that something is missing in my community.
You can be surrounded by purpose and still suffer from isolation.
The first “not good” in the Bible was not about sin, but about solitude.
Adam’s isolation did not make him weak, but it was dysfunctional. Being alone may be manageable, but it is not sustainable.
God never designed assignment to be carried in isolation. Function requires connection.
God’s answer to isolation was not more work, it was meaningful connection.
At some point life will test you in an area that you cannot fix by yourself.
Support is subjective to the one that’s being supported.
It’s one thing to be surrounded, it’s another thing to be supported.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 “Two people are better than one”
Falling is inevitable, but staying down is optional when you have the right support.
Proverbs 27:17- Iron sharpens iron…
The right people don’t just stand beside you, they sharpen you.
Acts 14:8- “At Lystra a man was sitting who had no strength in his feet, lame from his mother’s womb, who had never walked”
Feet represent foundation.
Vs.9-This man was listening to Paul as he spoke…
Where this is taking place, there is no church. How is Paul preaching if there is no church?
Paul is simply speaking.
Romans 10:17 MSG Version- “The point is, Before you trust, you have to listen. But unless Christ’s Word is preached, there is nothing to listen to.”
When the devil can’t get your heart, he gets your ear. Your ear is the birth canal to your spirit. - Oop!
Some people have a desire for it, some who are hungry, and some who are determined to get it. But some of us are convicted that it’s our’s already.
Interest-I think it would be nice ; shows up when it’s convenient
Desire- I really want this ; feels good until discipline is required
Hunger- I need this ; blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled - Matthew 5:6
Whenever hunger shows up in the Bible, there is a direct understanding that it will come to pass. [For I’ve never seen the righteous forsaken, not His see begging for bread.]
Obsession- I can’t stop thinking about this
Conviction- This is who I’m called to be ; wanting it isn’t enough, God I know this is who you called me to be.
Discipline- I will do it whether I feel like it or not
Desperation- If God doesn’t move, I don’t know what happens next
Vs.10- And he leaped up and began to walk ; vs.8- “he never walked” ; God said that because of his faith, he would skip some steps- A Word!
Stop being shocked when things you’ve never done become easy to you. You may be in a Divine Leap Year. God, I welcome it!
Divine Urgency- When your spirit says it’s time, but your mind doesn’t know it yet.
He never verbally requested a miracle, his spirit demanded a miracle. His body language said “do it for me.”
vs.15- God says who can I promote that will still give Me the praise?
Who tried to kill Paul? The crowd. Who resurrected him? His community.
Crowd = Quantity of people
Crew/Community = Quality of people