Christine Caine - Grab A Shovel, Part 3
You have one life. This is not a dress rehearsal for the real thing. The Bible says that life is but a vapor. Here today, gone tomorrow. Don't waste your life scrolling through someone else's. Don't waste your life comparing yourself with someone else's. Don't waste your life competing with someone else's life. Get about the Father's business. Let your fuel be to do the will of him who sent you. Let us be like Jesus who said I must be about my Father's business. Are you ready for God to do something new and powerful in your life? While many wonder what the future holds and how we should live in times of crisis, God's word has the answers. So grab your journal and a pen and take some notes and let's dive right into today's message. There is a way for you to walk in faith and experience the fullness of your purpose, and I just know God has a word he wants to deposit in your heart today.
Hey, everyone. I am so grateful that you've continued to join me for this incredible series on picking up a shovel and digging. We are in week 3 of this series. We've been focused on the book of Genesis chapter 26, the one full chapter about Isaac in the Bible, and we've been learning from the life of Isaac who redug wells in his generation. He redug the wells of his father Abraham, and then he dug brand-new wells, and we know that as a generation it is our opportunity right now to pick up a shovel and dig some wells for our generation.
Now of course we're using this as a metaphor of digging the spiritual wells of our hearts so that the life of the Spirit of God can flow through us and impact the world around us. And the thing that God is doing in our generation is not what he's done in every other generation. There are practices that we must bring from one generation to the next. These are basic spiritual disciplines. They are basic practices of being followers of Jesus Christ. Part of the history and the tradition of the church, practices like prayer, practices like fasting, practices like obedience and reading the word and being committed to the Word of God, to worshipping God.
There are some wells we need to dig up. There are practices that we stop practicing and therefore we stopped being formed into the image of God. So sometimes you've got to pick up a shovel and dig up some of the old wells like he dug up the well of his father Abraham, and put into practice some of those things that define us as Christ followers in this day. But then we're going to pick up a shovel, and we're going to dig some new wells for our generation. That means we do things differently. The Lord said in the book of Isaiah, behold, I do a new thing. Do you not perceive it? God says I'm not doing the same old thing in the same old way. I'm doing a brand-new thing in this generation.
And last week, we saw that the brand-new thing was not the either, or. The things is that have kept us polarized and apart, the things that have kept often the church divided, God says no, I'm bringing those things together. It's not either or. It's both and, and we're picking it up here to understand that when you make a decision to pick up a shovel and to begin to dig some wells in your generation, oh, you get the attention of the enemy. I promise you at that moment the enemy will make sure that he sends an assignment against you. You will get resistance when you start to dig new wells.
When you start to get serious about your walk with God, when you start to get serious about digging some wells for your generation, you will meet resistance. Until then, you won't meet resistance because the enemy doesn't care. If you don't care about the things of God, about pursuing your purpose in God, the enemy is going to leave you alone. But when you get serious about following God, when you get serious about the plan of God for your life, when you get serious about the purpose of God for your life, oh, expect resistance. And that's what we see in Genesis 26. In Genesis 26:14, we saw that the Philistines were jealous of the blessings that were on Isaac's life, and so they began to get contentious. And they began to come after them.
In Genesis 26:19 and 20, we saw that first well. There were 4 wells that were dug. The first one that he named Esek which means strife, arguments because that's what happened. Don't be surprised when literally you feel like all hell has broken loose around you when you start to pursue the purpose of God because that's what happens. Genesis 26:21, we see that the second well is called Sitnah. That means contention, accusations. In Genesis 26:22, we see Rehoboth which means wide open spaces. And then of course Genesis 26:33 Sheba which is oath. So what happened is Isaac did not stay at the first well, the place of strife and arguments. He didn't say in the second well, at the place of contention or accusation.
So what happens to a lot of us is be careful. You go, well, do I go further or do I go further right or left? No, no, no. What he did was he went and dug a new well. For some of us the issue is not to go further right or left but to dig deeper. That is what we need to do in our generation. This polarization is keeping us apart. It's time for us to dig deeper. And we see restoration. That's exactly what we saw right there. They reached a place of peace and truce because of the new wells that were dug. And I'm believing God in our generation we're going to find this place of peace. So why don't we pick up these shovels and start digging? Because that's the reality. That's really the question that's on the table today.
We've been talking in this series about the benefits of redigging old wells. The benefits of digging new wells. But if we're aware of so many benefits then why is it that we don't do it? Why is it that many followers of Jesus, many builders of the church are not willing to pick up a shovel and start digging? And I think there are several reasons, the first one really is that digging is hard, it is messy, it is not spectacular, it is unapplauded, it is often unrecognized. I mean it's not often that you see someone digging a ditch that you stop and go, man, that's awesome. I'm going to post that on Instagram. That is the most amazing, it's just messy. It's just dirty. It's unrecognized. It's unapplauded.
So you've got to be willing if you are going to step into the purpose of God for your generation, you've got to be willing to pick up a shovel and know that, you know what? You are not going to get applauded for doing it, but you're doing it for the audience of one. You're doing it because it matters to God. And in a generation where we do everything for the approval of man, God is saying I'm looking for some heroes that will pick up a shovel. I'm looking for some heroes that are willing to get their hands dirty. I'm looking for some people that are willing to do something things in anonymity, in obscurity. I'm looking for some people that are willing to live in an upside down kingdom, willing to do things that the world thinks that, you know what? That's got no value. Things that are counter cultural, things that don't seem to always look like an external standard of success.
Some would think that you might not end up acquiring more stuff or accumulating more stuff or amassing more accolades. And God is saying I'm looking for some people that are willing to pick up a shovel and to start digging where they are in their world, perhaps never recognized for it. Most of us don't pick up a shovel and dig because it's just really hard work. We want spectacular work, but we're not willing to do hard work. And you know, the scripture says that you and I are invited to the kingdom and we're invited to be co laborers with God. Co-laborers. Now, co-laborers implies a lot of work. Labor is work. The Bible doesn't say that we are co stars with Jesus. It says we are co laborers. We've got a lot of people that want to co star but not a whole lot of people that are willing to pick up a shovel and co labor. And we would get this job done if more of us were willing to pick up a shovel and to labor with God.
If we were willing to be co laborers with the Creator of the universe who invites us into his story and says you can go into the harvest field. The Bible says, Jesus says look up to the fields. They're white for harvest. The harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few. There are pray to the Lord of the harvest to send forth laborers into the harvest. I wonder if you'd be willing to be a laborer for the Kingdom of God. Pick up say shovel and start digging when it doesn't seem to dramatic and too glamorous. Would you be willing to be a laborer for the Kingdom of God?
The enemy will do everything he can to stop you picking up a shovel and to stop you digging in your generation. I'm believing even as I'm speaking now by the spirit of the Lord, the spirit of the Lord is speaking to people. And you know this is your time. You know that God is moving you to pick up a shovel in your generation. It's going to turn your life upside down but you want to be used in the hand of God for his great glory on this earth. And you don't want to be chasing all the things that are of no eternal value but you want to be chasing the things that will give you eternal reward, things that matter for all eternity. Being a co laborer with Jesus Christ in the harvest field that we'd see the greatest influx of the end time harvest that we've ever seen in our generation, but we need laborers that will pick up a shovel and start digging.
So another reason that many of us don't pick up a shovel not only is it not glamorous but we have FOMO. That would be true in our generation. FOMO is the Fear Of Missing Out. And you know what happened is a lot of us, we are freaking out. It's actually a term, if you look up the definition, it's we get this sense of anxiety that if I commit to this something better is going to be happening over here and a lot of us don't pick up a shovel and commit to the purposes of God because we're scared we're going to miss something better. What could be greater than serving the purposes of God in our generation? What could be greater than being a co laborer with the Lord Jesus Christ in our generation? What could be more exhilarating? What could be more eternally satisfying than being a co laborer with the Lord Jesus Christ in his harvest field in our generation? Yet our FOMO of temporal things causes us to neglect the pursuit of eternal things.
You know, the serpent when he was tempting eve, he goes you know, God knows if you eat of that piece of fruit from that tree, if you eat from that tree, then you will be like God. And she's got FOMO right there. You mean, there's something I'm missing out on? I was content but now I find out there's something more I could have and I might miss, FOMO started in the Garden of Eden. It didn't start with social media but it's right there before us all the time. So what happens to us, guys? What happens to us is our Fear Of Missing Out causes us to spend our life looking at everybody else's life and not living the one and only life God has placed us on this earth to live.
Listen, this is not a dress rehearsal for the real thing. This is the only life that we have. And if you and I spend all of our life looking at everyone else's life, we will never live the life that Jesus has called us to live. So what happens to us? What we do is instead of digging, we don't pick up a shovel and dig because we're scrolling, not digging. We're talking, not digging. We're posting, not digging. We're liking, not digging. We're comparing and not digging. We're competing and not digging. We're watching, and not digging. We're criticizing and not digging. We're arguing and not digging. We're avoiding and not digging. We're playing and not digging. We're escaping and not digging. We're hiding and we're not digging. If we fix our eyes on our phones, how are we going to know the new thing that God is doing?
We were not created to compare and compete and to like. It's killing us. We need to get about the Father's business. We need to do the thing that we were put on this earth to do. We are his workmanship Ephesians 2:10 verse says,for we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus. For what? For good works that God prepared before we ever got to this planet that we should walk in them. You will never be satisfied until you step into the plan and purpose of God for your life. Before you ever got to planet earth, God created good works for you. You were not an accident. You are not here by accident. You are here by divine design. The Bible says that before you were even formed in your mother's womb, God knew you. God knitted together your innermost parts. You are fearfully and wonderfully made.
God prepared all of your days before as yet there was one of them. God chooses the times and the seasons that he placed us in. He chooses the nations that he placed us in. He plucked you out of eternity. He positioned you in time. He filled you with gifts and talents for the purpose of serving your generation. You are not an accident. You have one life. This is not a dress rehearsal for the real thing. The Bible says that life is but a vapor. Here today, gone tomorrow. Don't waste your life scrolling through someone else's. Don't waste your life comparing yourself with someone else's. Don't waste your life competing with someone else's life. Get about the Father's business. Let your fuel be to do the will of him who sent you. Let us be like Jesus who said, I must be about my Father's business.
Oh, I'm calling a generation to get about the Father's business. Let's stop minding everybody else's business and let's get about the Father's business. Let's get about the kingdom cause. Let's get about doing what God has put us on this earth to do, that we'd see his kingdom come, his will be done here on earth as it is in heaven. God has a divine assignment for your life. God has equipped you to fulfill that divine assignment. Don't waste your life not doing the thing that God has put you on this earth to do. If you and I are in Christ, we should have no FOMO. We're not going to miss anything. The Bible tells us in Psalm 16:2, there is no good thing apart from him. So when you have him, don't have FOMO because you've already got what is already good. Jesus. There is no good thing apart from him. The scripture says in his presence is the fullness of joy. Can you get that?
Psalm 16:11, "In the presence of God is the fullness of joy". So while we're looking for joy in all of these other places, relationships and status and acquiring and accumulating and amassing and positions and titles, it's in his presence that we're going to get the fullness of joy. I'm trying to say to you today that you don't need to be FOMO because you've already got it all in Christ. You've got everything you'll ever want and need. The Bible tells us in Ephesians 1:3, we have every spiritual blessing in Christ Jesus. Everything. It's there, in Christ. The Bible tells us in Ephesians 2:6, we are seated in heavenly places with Christ. We're already there. Someone goes, man, I want to get to the top. Honey, you're at the top. You're already seated with Christ Jesus in heavenly places at the right hand of the father. You can't go any higher. You're already as high as you're ever going to get.
If you got a revelation of what your position in Christ already is, there's only one way to go from there and that is down. Down to humbly serve a lost of and broken world, down to wash the feet of people, down to reach out and serve a lot of and a broken humanity because we're already at the top. We're seated in heavenly places at the right hand of the father in Christ Jesus. In him is the fullness of joy. We have every spiritual blessing we need in him, and there is no good apart from him. I dare say to you, you got no reason to have FOMO. If you're in Christ. Because you have it all already in him. The only kind of FOMO that we should have as Christ followers, we should have FOMO of what God is doing.
I think God actually hard wired FOMO into our hearts. I want to confess to you today I have FOMO. I have serious FOMO, but not the kind of FOMO that you're thinking I have. I do suffer from FOMO but we are so obsessed with the here and now that we forget what the FOMO is really for. We shouldn't have FOMO of temporal things. We should have FOMO of eternal things.
So I have FOMO that I might miss the good works that God has prepared for me to do from before the beginning of time according to Ephesians 2:10.
I have FOMO that I might miss, I might miss out on some of the eternal rewards that God has for me according to Revelation 22:12.
I have FOMO that I might miss hearing, well done, good and faithful servant, according to Matthew 25:21 because I was so busy doing what I wanted that I didn't do what God wanted.
I have FOMO that I might miss out on having some crowns to cast before his feet according to revelations 4:10 and 11.
I have FOMO that I might miss out on the abundant life that he came to give me that he spoke of in John 10:10.
I have FOMO of missing out on his presence with me in all of my pursuits according to Exodus 33:15.
I have FOMO that I might miss that he was with me and I didn't even know it. Like Jacob did in Genesis 28:16.
I have FOMO on missing out of being ready when he returns, Matthew 24:44.
I have FOMO that I might miss making his last commandment my first priority according to Mark 16:15.
I have FOMO that I might miss my time such as this. Esther did that in 4:14 in the book of Esther chapter 4:14. She didn't miss it. I don't want to miss it.
I have FOMO that I might miss out on becoming holy as he is holy as Hebrews 12:14 tells me. I might miss the thing that I'm supposed to seek first on this earth, Matthew 6:33 says seek first his righteousness, and all these things I will add unto you. Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness.
I have FOMO that I might miss out on co laboring with God and just build something to myself according to 1 Corinthians 3:9.
Dare I say if you are a Jesus follower you should have FOMO. We were hard wired to have FOMO but we shouldn't have FOMO of what someone else's living room looks like on Pinterest or what's going on on Instagram and how someone's filtered their life. No, no, no. We've got the wrong kind of FOMO. Our FOMO should be that we do the good works that God prepared for us. We are going to get the eternal rewards that God wants us to have, that we're going to hear, well done, good and faithful servant, on that day. We're going to have some crowns to cast before his feet, that we're going to live the abundant life that he's called us to live, that we know his presence in everything that we do, that we know that he is with us and we don't miss it, that we know that we're going to be ready when he returns because he is coming back. That sky is going to split. That sky is going to roll back. He is coming back on his horse, faithful and true.
He is coming back. Will we be ready? Are we going to have made his last commandment our first priority? Are we going to live our time such as this? Are we going to be holy as he is holy? Are we going to seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness? And are we going to pick up our shovel and co labor with him? Oh, temporal life is very short. James tells us it's but a vapor. Here today, gone tomorrow. Eternity is forever. Are we going to pick up a shovel and begin to dig for the things that really matter? And not waste our life on temporal pursuits that lead to nothing? Dare I say we get the right kind of FOMO. Let's have FOMO of missing out on eternal things rather than temporal things that don't matter in Jesus name.