Expanding Capacity

Introduction: Last week we began a series of conversations on the subject of all in. I also reminded us of the Prophetic Promise that Pastor Jim Raley spoke over me and this house…Mimshach Anointing= expansion, increase, and provision.

What does that look like in a very practical way?

My big idea when it comes to All In is not to see us simply become better Leaders, Parents, Son or Daughters….I want us to become Better People! If we become better people, we’ll become better Leaders, Parents, Sons, and Daughters…even better friends.

I’ve seen enough Leaders who want to and do expand their influence…but they are not better people.

Transition: My desire is that we all “grow up into Him who is the Head, that is, Christ Jesus…” but what does that really mean.

Have you ever felt there is this Chasm between where you are and the Dreams God has given you….

Like trying to cash a $1,000 check with only 57 cents in the bank….
All those Prophetic words we spoke about last week….the Course you set out for the New Year…Yet a Gulf between here and there….
Let’s be honest it is frustrating and painful….

Expanding Capacity
1. To be All-In we have to Expand Our Capacity
2. It is said that Luke 2:52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.

ESV

1. 1. If Jesus grew and increased…we have to increase as well…
2. I believe the best leadership book ever compiled is the Bible…
3. I also believe Jesus is the greatest leader to have ever lived…because He demonstrated Servant Leadership….
4. Build your confidence
5. Expand your connections
6. Improve your competence
  1. Getting better at very specific things that truly increase capacity.
7. Ask God to Strengthen your character
  1. Character is integrity – humility, hunger, and awareness
8. Increase our Commitment

Transition: These are just a few areas…but let’s dig deeper and even a lot more biblical in our approach.

Backdrop
1. Matt 15:29-31

29 Jesus left there and went along the Sea of Galilee. Then he went up on a mountainside and sat down. 30 Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute, and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them. 31 The people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel.

NIV

1. This is the backdrop of the story we are going to spend time in today…
  1. Look at all the miracles…
  2. The healings
  3. The Lives Changed, Relationships Restored, Destinies Discovered in these few verses….
2. Matt 15:32-33

32 Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way.”

33 His disciples answered, “Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?”

NIV

1. 1. Listen and look at all the doubt, the questions, right after all the miracles they have just experienced
  2. Let’s look at the Parel story in Luke 9 because it is interestingly funny to me…
    1. Luke 9:12

12 Late in the afternoon the Twelve came to him and said, “Send the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging because we are in a remote place here.”

NIV

1. 1. 1. In this text, the Disciples know Jesus well enough to realize Jesus is going to be moved with compassion for these people and they try to Pre-empt Jesus’ Compassion.

Transition: If you and I are going to Expand our Capacity….We’re going to have to Expand Our Compassion!

Expand Your Circle
1. Expand Your Circle
  1. Circle of Concern
  2. Circle of Compassion
  3. Circle of Responsibility
2. We all desire more influence and I believe we should….
  1. But God wants to first give us more Compassion….
  2. I believe you shouldn’t have influence if you don’t have compassion….
3. In the Text, we are getting a Glimpse of What Motivates Jesus
  1. We do not need more men and women in Power who lack Compassion and Character
  2. Jesus used His Power as an Expression of His Character and Compassion

Transition: Today being KB Sunday…who or what Causes you and I to redirect our energy, our money, our attention to someone or something else.

God expands our Capacity at the rate our Compassion deepens and expands.

Compassion Moves to Action
1. I love what Jesus says in the Story…You give them something to Eat
  1. Jesus knows they can’t do it without Him…
  2. He actually depended on that and set it up that way….
  3. That we cannot do it without Him
2. The Goal for KB…our Mission is too Big for Us to Do without Him…

Transition: To expand your capacity, you’ll have to expand your Circle and then own what you have.

Own What You Have

Matt 15:34

34 “How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked.

NIV

1. Here is the deal…we want God to bring what He has to the table….
2. But God rarely will bring to the table what He has until We bring What we have to the Table…
  1. This is the Idea of All In…
  2. I’m bringing what I have, All In to the Table…
  3. Not comparing to anyone else or with what someone else does or doesn’t do…
3. In the verse Jesus is wanting them to own, take responsibility of what they have…
4. The expansion of Capacity is revealed in Crisis…
  1. A crisis of knowing and owning…I don’t’ have enough on my own.
5. “How man loaves do you have…”
  1. God gives you a Bigger Vision for your Life
  2. God has given me such an awesome vision and assignment….and you realize…Wow I’M GOING TO FAIL
6. In Lukes’s account vs. 13 says, “We have ONLY a few loaves and a few small fish…”
  1. It’s funny because in most “fishing stories” they always catch the Whopper of a fish…but these fishermen…talk down the size of fish…
    1. We’ll always talk down what we have when we allow the need to become overwhelming in our own minds and abilities…
    2. We are living out the God Factor…
  2. ONLY
    1. It is our view of our ONLY that is limiting our Capacity
    2. When God shows you your future….
    3. You’ll also have to face your ONLY
  3. Then God can go to work in your life…

Transition: That is why Salvation doesn’t work if you don’t admit I’m a sinner who needs a savior…if you think, I’m not that bad…or worse God accepts me just the way I am…then Jesus died in vain and pointless.

Disciples Capacity Expands

Matt 15:36-37

36 Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and they in turn to the people.

NIV

Luke 9:14-17

But he said to his disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.” 15 The disciples did so, and everybody sat down. 16 Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke them. Then he gave them to the disciples to set before the people.

NIV

1. Jesus did the Miracle…but the Apprentices did the Feeding
  1. Now catch this idea of Increase Capacity…
  2. Jesus did the miracle for the 12…but the Apprentices performed the Miracle to the 1,000’s
2. What the Apprentices gave to Jesus…
  1. Jesus blessed, broke, and gave…
  2. But when Jesus gave it back to the Disciples it was different than what they gave to him…
  3. To the naked eye, it didn’t look different…but it was different…
  4. The Limitation on the Capacity of a few loaves and a few fish had been expanded…
  5. But the Expanded Capacity wasn’t demonstrated until the Disciples began to pass it out…
3. See we have misunderstood God…
  1. WE have thought God wants to Just do something FOR US…
  2. But God wants to do something THROUGH US
  3. You want to expand your capacity….start doing things for others….
4. If there is no compassion, there are no left-overs…
Closing
1. Kingdom Builders doesn’t simply be or begin as a Money Thing….
2. It is about Capacity and Compassion…
3. Salvation is giving ourselves to Christ…
  1. Giving Him our only…
  2. Giving him our few loaves and fish of a life…
  3. Then I begin to live in the left-overs of Blessing…

Expanding Capacity

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