Matt Hagee - Unseen Commitment: Making The Impossible Possible
If you brought your Bibles, turn them to the book of Ephesians 6:10. This morning, I want to begin this message by simply taking a moment to thank God in heaven, to thank his Son Jesus Christ to thank his precious Holy Spirit, because we've been discussing unseen realities. And while we have not seen the Holy Spirit, and while we have not seen Jesus Christ, and while we have not seen the Almighty hand of God, his presence has been very real here in this sanctuary. I know that I've felt him. I've seen him working in your life. I've seen him touching your heart. I've seen him moving in your situations. And I don't think that that's something that we in any way, shape or form should take for granted. So right where you are, I just want you to lift your hands and join me in thanking God for what he has done in this service and in this series.
Heavenly Father, today, in Jesus' name, we give you thanks. We give you praise. We give you glory. We give you honor, because it is our privilege to stand in this sanctuary, lifting holy hands and being in your presence. We do not take for granted that you would come and spend time with us, as we open up your word. We do not take for granted, Heavenly Father, that your Holy Spirit is moving things that we cannot see, and doing things that we cannot do, and touching our lives, as we give you praise, and we give you glory, and we give you honor, in Jesus' mighty name. We thank you, father, that you have a plan in this service today. And every power and principality is defeated, in the name that is above every name, that matchless and mighty name of Jesus Christ, your Son and our Savior. And all of God's children said, praise the Lord.
Ephesians 6:10, if you're there, say, amen. It says, "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might". Someone say, "His might". "Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, and against rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand".
Heavenly Father, today, I ask that your word would come alive in our hearts, in Jesus' name. Amen.
You may be seated. Today, as we're talking about unseen things that God has created, I want to talk to you about something that you have to create for God. This is something that you have to do on your own, and it is the key ingredient that enables you to see God's miracle-working power in spiritual warfare. Oftentimes, people want to know: why does God move for them and not for me? Most of the time, it's because you are missing this one thing, and this one thing is communicated in one simple word, "Commitment". When it comes to any issue in your life, especially this challenge of spiritual warfare, you'll find various types of people. And I categorize them in three different ways. There are curious people. They want to know what and how and why it works. There are committed people and there are convinced people. It's not enough for you to be curious or convinced. You have to be committed. I talk to people all the time that they're curious, "How does tithing work"? You're never going to know until you commit to tithing.
How does prayer work? You're never going to know until you commit to prayer. How does marriage work? You're never going to know till you commit to marriage. Look at Jesus' life and ministry. He always attracted an audience. He had a multitude that came to him on several occasions. And in every multitude, there were the curious, there were the convinced, and there were the committed. For example, the day that he fed 5.000, there was a multitude that was curious, as they gathered to see this carpenter from Nazareth. They were curious: how does he do miracles? They were curious: can he really make the lame leap and the dumb speak? They were curious: why do the pharisees hate him and tax collectors and prostitutes love him? Here in this sanctuary, watching all over the nation and around the world, there are people who are still curious about Christ. They want to know: what is it about Jesus that makes people commit their lives to him? How can he make somebody so different in a day? How can he make old things pass away and all things become new?
For all of their curiosity, you need to know that you're never going to be satisfied with Christ until you are convinced that he is the Son of the living God: that he's not just another religious figure in which you can place your hope, but he is the king above all kings and the Lord above all Lords: convinced that there is no other name given among men whereby we might be saved other than that matchless name of Jesus: convinced that his name is the name that breaks chains of addiction and holds of bondage: convinced that he is the one who makes the impossible possible: convinced that Jesus Christ is a comforter to the brokenhearted: that he's a shelter to those in the storm: that he's the conqueror of sickness and disease: that he's the champion of Calvary: that he's the one who mends your broken heart: that he takes old things and calls them new again!
Church, today, I want you to know I am convinced that he is the way, he is the truth, he is the life! He has a name that is above every name! At his name, every knee should bow and every tongue should confess to the glory of God the Father! Today, I want you to commit yourself. Commit yourself to doing whatever he needs. Commit yourself to working in the field until the harvest comes. Commit yourself to standing for truth in a day when truth is not heard. Commit yourself to lifting up holy hands without wrath or doubting, and professing the mighty name of Jesus Christ. When we have that kind of commitment, revival will begin. When we have that kind of commitment, the nation will change. When we have that kind of commitment, we will declare the goodness of God in the land of the living. And there's nothing that powers or principalities can do about it!
So what do we do with this commitment? We have to recognize our commission. The verse that we read this morning, Ephesians 6, it gives us the commission of the committed. Everyone, who is commissioned, Carries paraphernalia, regalia, a uniform, a badge that tells others what they are commissioned to do. San Antonio police, they have a uniform and a badge that says that they are the law enforcement in this municipality. State police, they carry a badge that says they have jurisdiction in the state. Federal police, they carry a badge that says that they have jurisdiction all over the country. As a child of God, when you read Ephesians 6, and it says, "To put on the whole armor of God," what it is saying is that you, as his child, are commissioned to go into heavenly places in the authority of Jesus' name: and that you have the ability to enforce what his law says. Whatever this book promises, you can possess it. Whatever it brings to your life, you can have that if you are willing to fulfill your commission!
So what do we have to do? First and foremost, it says, "Be strong in the Lord". Say that with me. "Be strong in the Lord". Most of the time, we want to do the work in our strength, not his strength. And whenever you're living a committed life, you have sacrificed your strength to his will, heart, soul, mind, and body. How can he lead you if you haven't given him your heart? How can you think his thoughts if you haven't surrendered your mind? How can he use your mouths and your hands and your feet unless you've given him your body? "Be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might". This is the same commission that God gave to Joshua whenever he said, "Be bold and be strong: for the Lord your God is with you". Joshua had a responsibility to face the enemies that were keeping him from his Promised Land. You and I, like Joshua, have enemies that want to keep us from the promise of God in our life. And we have the same God, giving us the same commission, "Be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might". Why? Because his power and his might never fail.
Most of the time, we struggle in this area of spiritual warfare, one, because we have not committed ourselves to the commission: but two, because we do not dress appropriately for battle. And when you read Ephesians 6 all the way through verse 18, it goes piece by piece on what is responsible for you to wear whenever you go into spiritual warfare. First it says, to take on the belt of truth. Now, understand that Paul is describing a Roman centurion. And so the armor that he is talking about is the kind of armor that was reflective of what the Romans would wear. And what he was saying is, the foundation of your armor is truth. Your foundational garment, not a belt, but the thing that you wore underneath everything else is truth. And what he's communicating to the body of Christ is that your spiritual life has got to be built on truth. Why? Because our God is the way, the truth, and the life.
There is nothing in him that is deceptive. Everything that he does is true. "Thy word is truth". His presence is truth, everything that he does. So if we're going to do anything for him, it has to be done in truth. "They who worship God, worship him" how? "In spirit and in"... The next thing that you have to have on top of this foundation of truth is you have to have a right heart which is why the Bible says in Ephesians 6, "Put on the breastplate of righteousness". This protects your heart. Why? Because out of your heart springs forth the issues of life. That's what Proverbs 4:23 says. Whenever you put on the breastplate of righteousness, you're saying, "Thy word have I hidden in my heart that I might not sin against thee".
I'm going to live a right life from a pure heart, because that's what God expects of me. Righteousness, you need to understand, does not come from any source other than God. There is no denominational righteousness. There is no educational righteousness. There is no cultural or traditional righteousness. You are not righteous unless Jesus Christ makes you righteous. Therefore, put on the whole armor of God and take up this breastplate of righteousness so that your heart is pure before the Lord. The next thing that you need is a helmet of salvation. Not only do you have to have a right heart, but you have to have a right mind. The knowledge that you are saved is a powerful thing. That's why it's called "The helmet of salvation". One of the things that the enemy wants you to do more than anything else is doubt your salvation. Well, I don't feel saved. The good thing is salvation ain't a feeling: it's a fact.
As you carry on with the proper wardrobe for warfare, the Bible says, "Have your feet shod with the gospel of peace". Now, this is a place where oftentimes we stumble. Why? Because you cannot impart what you do not possess. The gospel is something that has to be shared. But you cannot share a gospel of peace if, in your life, all you possess is fear. And one of the things that we do, as Christians, is we allow the world to paint the picture of what we're worried about. I talk to people all the time. "Oh, pastor, what are we going to do? What are we going to do in the next general election? Who's going to run? What's going to happen? Where's the economy going"? And what you need to understand is that while all of these things are moving and shifting and shaking down here on earth, nothing is moving or shifting or shaking in heaven, because God is still on his throne, and his word still endures!
"Have your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace". This means that if you're going to be effective as a warrior in the army of the living God, you've got to be mobile. It doesn't matter what kind of combat you're in. If you're immobile, you're ineffective. And one of the great challenges that we face in the American church is that we fill a sanctuary but we won't impact a city. Why? Because we're immobile. We don't ever get outside the walls. The message that we carry is a gospel. It's good news. And it's a gospel of peace, meaning that the price has been paid for us to receive the inheritance of the righteous. This gospel of peace breaks the chains of sin. This gospel of peace, it delivers and it heals. This gospel of peace, it conquers the enemy. So why are we afraid to share it? Because we don't possess it. You've got to be mobile. And what you need to know is that there's a difference between mobility and motion.
How many of you know somebody who's constantly moving and doing nothing? And then they sit down and go, "Oh, I'm so busy". Well, just sit still. It'll do you some good. What you need to know is that motion is not always progress. Progress is when you can tell I went from here to there, and I'm not going back. How many times in our spiritual lives do we want to go from here to there, but when Monday comes and the alarm clock rings, we go, "Well, he preached real good on Sunday, but I'm backing up on Monday"? What you've got to do is learn how to take ground, and then do what Ephesians 6 said, "Stand your ground". That's when you know you're making progress. When you say, "I've won this spiritual battle, and I'm going to win this spiritual battle, and I'm going to win this spiritual battle. The lion came and I beat the lion. The bear came and I beat the bear. The giant came and I beat the giant. The enemy came and I beat the enemy".
In your life, you need to know that God in you is more than enough! So, no matter what the world throws at you, you are more than a conqueror through Christ! And then the Bible says, in Ephesians 6, "And above all, say that with me, "And above all take the shield of faith". Now here's something you need to read in this verse. When Paul says, "Above all," he's saying this is the most important part. If you forget everything else, if you forget the foundation of truth, if you forget the breastplate of righteousness, if you forget the helmet of salvation, all you need to remember is put on Jesus. Because when you look at every piece of this armor, he is the truth, he is our righteousness, he is our salvation, he is our peace that surpasses all understanding. If you forget all of the details of what I've said, just put on Jesus.
What are you wearing today? Jesus. But here's something that you have to do, above all, you have to commit yourself to picking up this shield of faith. Because without faith, it is impossible to please God. Without faith, it is impossible to wage war in heavenly places. Without faith, it is impossible to see God's hand move in your life. That's why commitment is the ingredient that brings the miracle. When you pick up that shield of faith and you hold it as true as you can, and you say, "God, I'm in an evil day, but I know you're standing with me," "God, the forces of hell are coming against me, but I know if you're for me, who can be against me". It's when you pick up that shield of faith and you sing in your prison at the midnight hour, it's when you pick up that shield of faith and the doctor's diagnosis is not what you wanted to hear, it's when you pick up that shield of faith and you declare that God has not given me a spirit of fear but of power and of love and of sound mind.
In a moment of sickness, my shield of faith says, "By his stripes, I am healed". In a moment of poverty, my shield of faith says, "My God shall supply all of my needs according to his riches in glory". In a moment of rejection, my shield of faith says that he is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother. In a moment of weakness, my shield of faith says, "The Lord is on my side. What can man do to me"? Child of God, commit yourself to picking up that shield, and send your enemy to flight! Because the one thing that the devil can't deal with is a child of God who's committed. If you're convinced, he'll try to persuade you. He wants you to doubt everything. If you're curious, he'll possess you. But if you're committed, he says, "I've got to leave that one alone because he's done something I can't break. He's put all of his faith in something that I can't overcome. And the thing that I can't break and the thing that I cannot overcome is that blood of Jesus".
It's that blood of Jesus. I should have never let him shed it. I should have never let him sacrifice himself. Because when he shed that blood, every one of his children, who commit themselves to living for him, who commit themselves to calling upon him, who commit themselves to believing in him, I can't do nothing about it! It's that blood of Jesus! So child of God, will you commit yourself? Will you commit yourself commissioned by his blood, commissioned in the authority of his name, commissioned to declare the goodness of God in the land of the living? I have decided. I have decided to follow Jesus. No turning back. No turning back. You've got to decide to live like you have nothing to lose. Because Jesus said, "If anyone comes after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever tries to keep his life will lose it. But whoever loses his life for my sake, he'll keep it". What was he saying? Be committed. Don't wonder. Don't be curious. Don't let the power of God be convincing. Just commit yourself and see what God can do.
Would you stand in the presence of the Lord? If you're here today and you say, "Pastor, I need to make that commitment. I'm tired of just being curious about Christ. I'm tired of being convinced about what he can do in the lives of others. Today, I've got to make a commitment. I've got to pick up that shield of faith, because I know that the only way I'm going to see his power in my life is if I surrender to him, heart, soul, mind, and body". For some of you, that means that for the first time in your life, you're going to call him "Savior". And for others, it means that this time you're going to call him "Lord".
Wherever you're watching today, if you want to join us in this moment of salvation, I encourage you to do it. As we pray in this sanctuary, God hears you wherever you happen to be. And if you'll commit your heart, soul, mind, and body to him, I promise you: you'll be amazed at what great things God can do. I want everyone in this place to raise their hands and repeat this prayer with me:
Lord Jesus Christ, today I commit heart, soul, mind, and body to you and you alone. I receive the free gift of your salvation by your grace. And I receive your Lordship in my life, as I sell out and commit myself to you. From this day forward, I belong to you. I do not belong to the world, nor the things of this world. But I belong to the King of kings and to the Lord of lords. Thank you for giving me this gift. Thank you for loving me enough to forgive me, for extending your mercy and your grace towards me. Now from this day forward, I'm going to tell the world all that you've done, all that you are, and all that you have made me, a child of the king, in Jesus' name. Amen.