Bill Hybels – Relentless
Lead Pastor, Willow Creek Community Church
2 Chronicles 16:9
Mother Teresa
- In April 1942 as a school teacher made a vow to refuse God nothing. Not to withhold anything from him no matter the price
- Vowed to throw herself fully into what he tells her to do
- Vowed to do his bidding without delay.
- Vowed to God she would be faithful in the little practices.
- Little sacrifices – go to the back of the line, volunteer for the cleanup.
- Guard her words carefully -and loving no matter who it was.
- God’s radar spotted her carte blanch yielded-ness
- That’s the person I would pick if I was God.
- Question: Are you the kind of person who is lighting up the radar screens of heaven by your willingness to refuse him nothing.
- More often that not they want to lead a bigger deal, more than they want God in their life – on people who are wondering why they don’t lead more
- If you were God for a day would you pick you for additional responsibilities and entrustment.
- At 36 – after 12 years of obscurity and carte blanch yielded-ness – she goes on a train ride to a spiritual retreat
- God touches her to help the poorest of the poor in Calcutta
- Mother Teresa was elated that God would notice her.
- The minute she got the prompting she said yes without delay.
- No problem God has spoken – I will refuse him nothing.
- I believe in a God that taps on your shoulder – of average people and speaks.
- Question: What do you do when God taps you on the shoulder and asks you to step up?
- There is a direct correlation between carte blanch yielded-ness and a fresh assignment from God.
- Some of you need a new touch that what you’re doing is what God has called you to do.
- There are plenty of people who didn’t surrender without delay because of their comfort and ego and security.
- Don’t let that be your story – don’t extinguish something new that God is trying to give life to through you and your leadership.
- Refuse God nothing – you will never regret it.
- You would think when Mother Teresa showed up in Calcutta things would just fall in place for her.
- That’s not what happened – she was told to keep teaching.
- She meets with the father as much as possible to vision cast him and persuade him.
- Some sisters started a rumor that she meet with the father for romantic reasons
- It caused her deep anguish
- She wants to move ahead but can’t because of obstacles beyond their control
- Every leader I know can recount the era where their dream almost died.
- It’s happened throughout biblical and modern history.
- It will happen to you – and thats when God does some of his most penetrating and pure work.
- Is that what God wants or me – how long will I wait – do I have to adjust to his timetable – do I believe God can change the heart of those over me
- Am I willing to pay the price – would I lay down my life
- BE careful when you are in those waiting periods
- God might be refining you, but I cannot advise you to give up and bail.
- She got through to the father and was denied by the arch-bishop
- He said no
- With a kind of relentlessness – she embarks on a letter writing campaign to wear the archbishop down.
- You don’t have to do anything for me – I;m not asking for money – I’m only asking you not to stand in the way.
- Please forgive me for being so tiresome with my continual appeal – but I have to act this way should of the poor are being lost
- Acts 20:24
- It doesn’t matter what happens to me – only that I achieve the mission God gave to me.
- When that happens that leader is ready – and God normally parts the waters.
- It was a year and a half for mother teresa
- It required a relentlessness of spirit.
- Some of you are wondering how much longer you can hang on to your calling . . . and how long you have to wait
- I recommend as long as it takes.
- Outlast the opposition
- Out pray the problems
- Wear down those who stand in the way
- Who knows what God might do if you hang on to the vision and calling God has put on your life
- Callings are holy and a precious commodity
- Sometimes you only get one in a lifetime and yo must get it right.
- She had to find facilities
- She had to raise money
- She had to build a staff – had to learn these things
- She had to address and resolve organizational problems
- She did it imperfectly
- She made leadership mistakes – grieved them and was embarrassed by them
- She just put them aside and led again the next day
- She made herself into a phenomenal leader – don’t say you can’t
- How bad do you want it?
- There were dry spells for her.
- She often journaled about this quirky thing.
- She was hoping to feel God’s companionship
- She thought the presence of god would be more palpable tan it was in her experience
- When it didn’t happen month after month and year after year – she started to blame herself
- She would get up the next morning and she would go to work and carry out her call
- Even though I don’t feel his presence I will seek to love him as he has never been loved.
- Those are words that are foreign to my depth of spirituality.
- We withhold our love for dumb and petty reasons
- From stoplights and I stop
- She pressed on year after year after year.
- Sometimes when I walk up to this podium I think God I wish I felt more than I’m feeling
- Maybe I shouldn’t be doing this – there has to be more to it than this
- I don’t why I go through those periods
- And sometimes I need to change my spiritual practices.
- She spent most of her life feeling the presence of god wasn’t as warm as she wished it had been – but she went on anyway.
- One wonders if history will ever see anyone like her again.
- So often upon reading her words I would pray you got it all God I’ll do your bidding without delay
- God give me that kind of relentlessness.
- Here am I – those are powerful words – God is looking and searching – he just needs someone who says I will refuse you nothing.
- We are always in the position where we are asking people to decide things.
- Leaders never shrink back from putting that decision and challenge out there – the stakes are too high.