Taking A Second Look

Mark 8:22-25

I. Many of life’s problems come from oversight.

A. There is a well-traveled test in college classes that begins with a lengthy paragraph of instructions. Buried in the instructions is this phrase, “Before you begin to answer the first question, write your name on the top of the paper, turn it into the teacher and leave.” Most students never read the instructions. They assume they already know what to do. Consequently, they labor for an hour or two over problems they never had to do, had they only read the instructions.

B. Have you ever looked into the cupboards and said “We have nothing to eat?”
C. Have you ever stood at your closet and said, “I don’t have anything to wear?”
D. The problem is that we grow so accustomed to our surroundings that we become blinded to the things that are within our reach.

II. Many people suffer from a false sense of spiritual impairment.

A. Inadequate equipment: “If only I had…”
B. Impossible adversity: “If it were not for…”
C. Implied unfairness: “If God would just…”
D. If we feel that God has undersupplied, under-equipped, under-blessed us, and at the same time he has overloaded, overextended and over-commissioned us, we need to take a second look at what we already have!

III. God has fully supplied us with everything we need for the day.

A. The woman and the pot of oil. II Kings 4:1-7
B. Shamgar delivered Israel with an ox goad. Judges 3:31
C. Look at the insignificant, common things God uses:

• Hagar -A well of water
• Moses -A bush and a rod
• Israel -A piece of brass, a tree in the water
• Baalam -A donkey
• Elijah -A raven
• Elisha -A wispy cloud, an axe head, a word
• Daniel -A prayer meeting
• Jesus -A boy’s lunch, a ball of mud, a word, a look, a touch,
• a fish, a fig tree
• D. Many times we search for the spectacular, but overlook the ordinary things God has placed within our grasp.

IV. What do we have?

A. The Word of God:

1. Hebrews 4:12

2. Hebrews 11:3

3. I John 2:14 I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.

B. The Name of Jesus:

Acts 16:18 And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.

Phil 2:10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

C. The Spirit of God:

1 Cor 2:9-12  But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

D. Other spiritual gifts, truths and revelations:

• Gifts of the Spirit
• Fruit of the Spirit
• Praise
• Holiness
• Righteousness
• Prayer

V. Let’s take a second look at what we have and begin to use them for the Glory of God.