Living Hope Fellowship Church

OUT ON A LIMB

Training Material

by Pastor Kevin Badgley

OUT ON A LIMB

Preface

(faith)

          We have to realize that it takes drastic measures in order to see Jesus.  Zacchaeus took a drastic measure, and climbed up in a sycamore tree.  It was something that would make him stand out as one of “those” people.

          Zacchaeus stuck his neck out, and got out on a limb until he saw Jesus.  Up there you are going to be wide open to shooters, and those who would throw rocks at you, mock you, and reproach you for your faith.  They think that you are up there to make trouble or to be “somebody”. 

          God wants us to quit running around in circles.  Waiting on someone shows them that you have faith in what they can do for you!  Wait upon the Lord, and He will answer.

OUT ON A LIMB

by Pastor Kevin Badgley

          In Luke 19:1-6 it says, “And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.  And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich.  And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature.  And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way.  And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house.  And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully.” 

          The Bible makes a declaration that there was a man by the name of Zacchaeus who was little of stature.  He couldn’t see Jesus, and he couldn’t get to the Lord, because he was so small.  There were so many normally sized people pressed into Jesus as He taught and traveled, that this small one, Zacchaeus, couldn’t get to Him to get what he wanted from Him.  He couldn’t see Jesus move, because too many people were wrapped around the “Truth”. 

          This kept the “Truth” from one who wanted to receive the “Truth”.  I believe that the truth of God’s Holy Word, that the Lord Jesus manifests among His people, is being covered today.  Something has become a barrier to those who are small, who yet desire to see Jesus. 

          In Acts, Chapter two, the disciples were accused of being drunk.  Verse 13 says, “. . . these men are full of new wine.”  However, Peter said in verse 15-17, “For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.  But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh. . . .” 

          Would the church today, whenever they heard someone say, “. . . these men are full of new wine,” explain the real truth of the matter, or would they back off and not even get full of the Holy Ghost anymore?  Could they take the reproach of the latest news media? 

          There are some who are desiring to see the Lord move.  This remnant of God wants to come out from among the world and be separate.  They will draw nigh to Jesus that He will draw nigh to them, so they can see the Lord Jesus face to face. 

          The Bible declares in Matthew 5:8, “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.”  I believe that the saints, the children of the Living God, can see the Lord God manifest among us in our services and in our personal lives if we will trust Him! 

          Zacchaeus took a drastic measure, because he didn’t know what else to do.  Beloved, today we need to do the same thing.  We have to realize that it is going to take a drastic measure in order to see Jesus.  Some churches have “insulated” Him from us, and have kept us from the real Lord Jesus Christ, and the truth of the Gospel.

          Zacchaeus took that drastic measure, and climbed up in a sycamore tree.  It was something that would make him stand out as one of “those” people.  I have had people come up to me and say that they have been under persecution, because they are one of “those” people.  They are one of those “holy rollers” or one of those who believe the whole Bible.  They are just foolish enough not to listen to the theologians who have (so called) “found out the truth” and are teaching the people. 

          Zacchaeus that day became one of “those” people.  Thank God for “those” people who will believe Him and bear every reproach.  They don’t care what the whole world says, or what the news media says, or what the church says, or mom, or dad, or friend or foe says, but rather what God says. 

          Zacchaeus climbed up in that tree for one reason only.  It was not to be seen of men (as many today are doing and calling it faith), but he went up there knowing that he would have to bear reproach against himself for seeking the Lord.  He took that risk. 

          Zacchaeus stuck his neck out, and he got out on a limb until he saw Jesus.  When you are up there in that tree, you are going to be wide open to shooters, and those who would throw rocks at you, and those who would mock you, and those who would reproach you for doing so.  They think that you are up there to make trouble.  They think that you are just up there to be “somebody”.

          Some have taken a step, but not by the faith that God gives.  It is the act of covetousness on their behalf.  They want bigger congregations, or money in the bank, or a bigger automobile.  You should believe God for souls instead of your own reputation!  Jesus became of no reputation that He might win our souls and make us of His reputation, lowly and meek, but full of faith and in favor of God’s grace.  Thank God for the victory in Jesus Christ! 

          When you go up in that tree you are going to come under persecution.  You are going to come under rock throwing.  Some don’t want you up there, because you are an embarrassment to them.  I’ve known many cases where a lay member who had no authority in the church went out on a limb for Jesus.  He wanted to see Jesus, and wanted to see God move more.  He prayed that way and had works that showed his faith.  The congregation and the preacher browbeat them and reproached them.  They said, “You have gone out on a limb!” 

          Some people get impatient sooner than others.  Have you seen some people quit waiting sooner than others?  Some people wait on God for a whole day!  My!  My!  What a favor that they are doing Him!  Other people wait on God for a week, and they say, Well, that is enough.  Other people wait a month, or six months, or a year, maybe ten years, or forty years. 

          Moses was on the back side of the desert for forty long years, and then God used Him.  I am convinced that they who quit waiting on God are the ones who lose the ministry and the blessings.  The promises of God are of no effect to them who will not patiently wait upon the Lord.    

          Patience is a crucifier.  Waiting on God will crucify your flesh every time.  Every time you want to do something, while waiting on the Lord, you can say, No, I believe God wouldn’t have that, that I might get my blessing.  The longer you go without, the meaner you can become, or instead, the closer to God you can become.  Pretty soon you will say, You know, I really don’t need that anyway.  I don’t really want that anyway.  I want all of what God wants. 

          By your patient waiting before the Lord you are cleansed and sanctified of all the pulls that would keep you from receiving from God, and then God moves! 

          I don’t believe that it is up to the time that we wait, but rather, how much we yield over to God as we wait.  They that wait upon the Lord will see His salvation.  Patient means to be steadfast and enduring.  God has given you a promise.  You have fasted, prayed, and sought God.  As you believe God, and read His Word continuously, evermore obeying it, you are being sanctified.  All of this process is going on.  You haven’t seen the miracle yet.  You haven’t beheld the glory of God as of yet, but you are believing God. 

          This is what we are going through as far as the concern for the remnant revival that is in the earth today.  We have prayed, and we believe God, but we are also waiting upon the Lord that He would sanctify us, cleanse us, and get us ready for the victory that is ours in Christ Jesus.  We wait as God deals with the hearts of those that we are praying for.  God is doing a work, and we are patiently waiting for Him to finish what He wants to get done, both in them and in us, and then a full blessing will come.  Then we will see the salvation and the glory of God. 

          Psalms 40:1 says, “I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.”  Somebody that shakes their fist at God, demanding an immediate move of God is not going to have His ear inclined unto them.  Surely we have seen God move immediately, but right now I believe God is preparing a way for His remnant.  He is making the rough places smooth and the mountains lower.  He is dropping everything that exalts itself against the knowledge of God.  He is casting down imaginations and pulling down your flesh as it stands in boldness against Him! 

          God is commanding His people to seek His face and to wait upon Him again.  Waiting on God is almost a lost art.  I am amused many times by people who say that they can’t stand to wait on God.  They say that they can’t pray that long or read the Bible that much, or believe God that long. 

          However, the fact of the matter is that anytime you go to a doctor’s office anywhere, you can see people waiting.  Even if it is impatiently, they are still waiting on the doctor.  If they would get real and wait upon the Lord Jesus an hour, or two, or three, or how many it takes to see the doctor, they wouldn’t have to be in that doctor’s office.  If they would wait on God the Father as long as they spent in the waiting room, they wouldn’t have to be in that hospital ward, or any place but in the presence of the most High God!  Hallelujah!   

          We have learned to wait on the wrong things.  We anxiously wait to hear the contest winner.  We anxiously wait to hear the announcement for the latest automobile that is coming out.  Some wait to hear the lottery numbers or other things that won’t profit a man, but rather will damn his soul.  Some wait upon things that will not bless, but on things that will steal, kill, and destroy if they yield over to them.  We should be waiting on the Lord. 

          Patience is something that we need to have!  The Bible says in James 1:4, “But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.”  You can’t have a perfect work unless you have patiently waited on the Lord sometime or another.  That is why some preachers preach dead sermons.  They have not waited on the Lord during the week.  They haven’t fasted, prayed, and studied His Word.  Instead of ciphering out all the different messages that they could speak, they haven’t sought God for the message that God has given them to preach for that time.  You can preach a word out of the Bible, but is it one that God wants to preach that hour, that day, and that moment?  Maybe He wants you to preach a certain message. 

          Maybe God wants you to witness to someone or testify.  Maybe He wants you to do something, but is the timing right?  If you are waiting upon the Lord, and He deals with you, He will give an unction in your heart and soul that will stir you up to do the thing.  It will not glorify you, but it will glorify Him. 

          You can know that if you have patiently waited upon the Lord, that He is inclined unto your cry.  You will have the word for the hour, and for the day, and for that moment, and souls will come to God.  This is the manifestation of the glory of God, but it takes waiting upon the Lord. 

          The Bible says in Hebrews 11:6, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”  We must painstakingly and patiently seek Him!  Wait upon Him and diligently seek Him out! 

          All preachers are supposed to be seeking God.  They shouldn’t have to do anything else.  The congregation should support them, prayerfully seeking God’s face, that they might be blessed greater.  However, a preacher has to do a little bit of everything in order to make a living.  God is frowning on this, and wants His ministers and His people to start waiting patiently upon Him.  He wants us to quit running around in circles. 

          When you wait on somebody, you show them that you have faith in what they can do for you to meet your needs.  You do it every day with doctors, and you do it every day with other professional people, so you should be doing it with God ten times over!  Then you won’t be needing anybody else but Jesus!

          Today, harden not your heart, but wait upon the Lord, and He will answer.  Wait, I say, on the Lord.   

CONTACT INFORMATION:

PASTOR KEVIN BADGLEY

LIVING HOPE FELLOWSHIP, P. O. BOX 111, GRAND CHAIN, IL  62941

CHURCH / FAX (618) 634-2541

E-mail  livinghope@hughes.net

www.livinghopefellowshipchurch.org

These condensed Bible studies have been published to help new Christians in their new walk with the Lord.  Kevin Badgley, the author, is the pastor of Living Hope Fellowship Church.

This is a Living Hope Fellowship publication.