Lesson 7. Personal and Public Victories. The “How to Hear God” School was held at Father’s Blessing Church. Author – John Paul Jackson. Teacher – Dmitriy Leo
Every Christian likes public victories; we want to see the sick healed, demons cast out, and the dead raised. But we see few public victories in our lives, and the reason for this is the absence of personal victories.
Personal victories form the foundation on which public victories are built. Personal victories usually precede public ones.
Examples:
- Before defeating Goliath publicly, David had personally defeated a lion and a bear.
- Before beginning His public ministry, Jesus had personally overcome temptations in the wilderness.
Personal victories are victories over temptations, dangers, difficulties, and weaknesses.
Public victories include mass conversions of sinners, healing from diseases, casting out demons, raising the dead, the power of the word, the power of faith, and public miracles and signs.
Examples:
One man says:
… now I love my father-in-law
… I couldn’t even stand seeing my neighbor before, but now I love her
… I no longer argue with my husband
… more peace in my heart
… my parents say that I’ve changed
… things have improved at work…
These are personal victories that build the foundation for public victories.
Another person:
… debts, debts
… my mother-in-law and wife are ganging up on me again
… work is a mess, and my boss is giving me a hard time
… my son is failing at school
… the pastor keeps criticizing me in every sermon
… I just can’t quit smoking
… I’ve been on sick leave for three months now
… I have no desire to pray
… I won’t forgive my neighbor for what he did.
These are personal defeats, and nothing can be built on them for public victories.
If we cannot overcome fear within ourselves, how can we help others get rid of it? If our family is in chaos and conflict, how can we give sound advice at a family seminar?
Temptations, difficulties, and weaknesses will come into our lives, but we will draw our strength from whatever we focus our attention on.
When we encounter an obstacle, we either try to remove it and focus on what we should do, or we focus on God, and He gives us the strength and grace to overcome that obstacle. Learn to focus on God, not the problem.
Some people think pastors have an easier life: God is always speaking to them, the Word is being revealed to them, He answers their prayers, their children are obedient, the church pays them, they don’t have to swing a pickaxe, their wife doesn’t argue…
Wait! But it isn’t because he is a pastor! These are his personal victories, and that is why God allows him to be a pastor.
Scripture says that everyone has equal opportunities, but not everyone uses them equally;
1 Cor. 9:24–27 “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable one. Therefore I do not run aimlessly; I do not fight as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.”
What should you do?
1. Realize that every victory of mine lays the foundation for my future public ministry.
How long can you keep running in place? Your strength is spent, yet the finish line is still nowhere in sight.
I need to stop spending all my strength on tending to my fleshly nature and start achieving personal victories.
Example:
David would have acted foolishly if, instead of killing the bear, he had saved his own skin and the sheep’s through fleeing or building defensive structures.
It turned out that killing the bear was easier. But we do exactly the opposite.
2. Start winning today.
Look at what has defeated you! For some, it is something they have never overcome:
– the last shot
– the last cigarette
– the last cutting remark to my husband
– the latest TV series
– the last screw stolen at work
– the latest piece of gossip
– the latest offense
These little personal things defeated us so easily.
Will we overcome the big public things?
End of lesson.
Father’s Blessing Church
Author – John Paul Jackson
Teacher – Dmitriy Leo
