More Than You Can Bear Limits

More Than You Can Bear

Limits

 

Have you ever felt you were at your breaking point?

Have you ever thought you were at your limit?

Ever notice bridges that have a sign telling you

What the weight limit is for that bridge?

How well do we hold up under the traffic of life?

God wants to increase your load limit

As you and I are a bridge with one side in this world

And the other in the Kingdom of God

So how much can you bear?

As Jesus said to a man

Be it according to your faith

No wonder Jesus’ famous rebuke to the disciples was

Oh, you of little faith

You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you

Because He is limitless

 

Limits

Have you ever felt you were at your breaking point?

Have you ever thought you were at your limit?

Ever notice bridges that have a sign telling you

what the weight limit is for that bridge?

How well do we hold up under the traffic of life?

One of the biggest temptations

we have is to complain or grumble.

The temptation to quit or give up the faith.

What is your load limit?

Jesus said…

 I am the Way, the Truth and the Life

No one comes to the Father except through Me.

Jesus is the Ultimate Bridge.

A Bridge that was tested.

After Jesus was baptized, He was led into

the wilderness to be tempted by the Devil.

Matthew 4:1  

Three temptations where each one was

meant to turn Jesus’ attention on Himself.

But Jesus’ response revealed

where His strength came from.

The first temptation…

 Jesus put His trust in the Word of God.

 The second…

 Jesus did not view the test

personally, but as testing God.

 

The Third…

 Jesus gave God all the glory.

Jesus came in flesh and blood like us.

We see the reality of this as He was beaten,

real blood flowed from His body.

Food, water, shelter were all needs of Jesus.

The ultimate test of Jesus, was the cross

where He laid down His life for sinners.

What an example of a Bridge.

We, too, are to be bridges that lead people to Christ.

We will be tempted and tested.

Paul in 2 Corinthians 13:5…

Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith;

 test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you

— unless, of course, you fail the test?

You and I will not escape this world

without bearing heavy loads…

Loads that can crush the human spirit.

Many have left the faith because their focus was on

the human weaknesses, rather than God’s strength.

The Psalmist in Psalms 26:2 says…

Test me, O LORD, and try me,

examine my heart and my mind.

I have always hated tests.

But tests are important.

 It is good to test bridges…

 To check for signs of wear, cracks and

even erosion around their foundation.

Abraham was tested…

By faith Abraham, when God tested him,

offered Isaac as a sacrifice.

Hebrews 11:17

Because he passed the test,

he is the father of many nations.

Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed

and so became the father of many nations,

just as it had been said to him,

"So shall your offspring be."

Romans 4:18

The parable of the sower and the seed

reveals every seed is tested.

Matthew 13

Zechariah says believer will be tested

like gold and silver are tested with fire.

Zechariah 13:9

James is addressing displaced believers

due to severe persecution and He tells

them there is a benefit to their testing…

 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds,

because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.

Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete,

not lacking anything.

James 1:2-4

Tests will come from God, the Devil, and ourselves.

You and I cannot escape temptation and testing.

Our trials may be giving up something, like Abraham.

Our testing may be waiting,

 like Moses, who led the people out of Egypt

 but had to wait and be patient in the wilderness.

Ultimately, our testing is the same

as Jesus’ testing in the wilderness.

Will we hang onto the Word of God?

Will we see the test is to reveal the grip we have

on faith in God in our life, not our personal desires?

And will we rejoice and worship in all circumstances?

The tests we face are to help us

see our strengths and weaknesses.

 God wants to increase your load limit.

As you and I are a bridge…

 With one side in this world and

the other in the Kingdom of God.

So how much can you bear?

As Jesus said to a man…

Be it according to your faith.

No wonder Jesus’ famous

rebuke to the disciples was…

Oh you of little faith.

You can do all things through

Christ who strengthens you.

Because He is limitless

Scripture Reading

1 Corinthians 10:11-13 NIV

11 These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come. 12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! 13 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.