Canaan Fellowship

Giving God a Blank Check

—

in
Canaan Fellowship
Canaan Fellowship
Giving God a Blank Check
Loading
/

This sermon by Bruce Hempel uses the metaphor of giving God a “blank check” to explore the nature of following Jesus. He examines the disciples’ journey, who left everything to follow Christ without knowing the future hardships, and encourages believers to trust God completely, even when faced with difficult teachings, trials, and persecution.

  • [00:01:15] Giving God a blank check means trusting Him with our lives, not knowing how He will fill in the details, just as the first disciples did when they left their professions to follow Jesus.
  • [00:04:38] As Jesus’s ministry progressed, He began teaching things that were hard to receive, such as in John 6, where many disciples turned back after hearing they must eat His flesh and drink His blood.
  • [00:08:49] Bruce poses three key questions for self-reflection:
    1. Have you said yes to Jesus and believed in Him as your Savior?
    2. Have you accepted His calling on your life, acknowledging Him as your Lord?
    3. Do you continue to follow Him when things get harder?
  • [00:11:25] The two primary biblical passages on the Holy Spirit are identified: John 3, which describes the new birth of the Spirit, and John 14-16, where Jesus promises the Holy Spirit as a helper after He ascends.
  • [00:12:04] The new birth by the Holy Spirit is compared to conception; it is the moment spiritual life begins, though its effects may not be immediately visible to others.
  • [00:16:25] At its core, giving God a blank check involves trusting that God is good and will see you through hard times, even when you don’t know the full picture.
  • [00:17:52] The example of John Mark in Acts, who initially turned back from a missionary journey due to persecution but was later restored, serves as a warning and encouragement to persevere.
  • [00:18:45] Various hardships that can test one’s faith are listed, including persecution, difficult teachings, unexpected loss, financial trials, health issues, family rejection, and ridicule.
  • [00:21:37] In John 14-16, Jesus also speaks about bearing much fruit and having joy, which is possible even in trials through the power of the Holy Spirit.
  • [00:23:51] Acts 1:8 is cited, showing that the Holy Spirit gives us power to be Christ’s witnesses, from our local area to the ends of the earth.
  • [00:26:54] A final insight is shared: prosperity can be a greater test of faith than hardship, as trials often drive us to rely more closely on the Lord.

Scripture References

  • John 6
  • John 3
  • John 14-16
  • Acts 1:8

Generated by AI model deepseek-chat