Stephanie Ike - God's Plan is Greater Than What You Can See

What is God asking you to lay at his feet? Abraham was asked to sacrifice his promised son, Jesus willingly laid down his life as a sacrifice for our sin. When we trust God's plan, something beautiful unfolds. Lisa Bevere, Stephanie Eke, Alex Celi, and Holly Wagner are joining us for an important conversation on radical obedience. When we think about the type of obedience that just speaks to great faith. You know, the first person or the first example in the Bible I think about, is Abraham. And with Abraham, you know, there's the story of the sacrifice of Isaac when the Lord tells him, sacrifice your only son, the son that you love. And Abraham without delay, without any negotiation. I mean, the next morning he just takes his son, and that was so beautiful to me. But what I. Recognize is that the strength for him to do that did not start with Isaac, but it rather started with Ishmael. You know, Ishmael was the child that was not part of God's perfect plan. It was the child that was created from the place of self reliance that's produced by doubt. It was the child that you have the ability to create without any type of dependency or the need of the power of God. And what I recognize is that Ishmael's what they represent. They're harder to give up than an Isaac because it's that Lord, I have built this. With my hands. I know how to control it, I know how it works, I know what to expect from it, and you want me to give this up. When the Lord came to Abraham when Ishmael was around, and he's just like, look, Isaac is the promise. I know you haven't seen him. I know you don't know how this is going to work, because you know your wife has passed the age of child bearing and all of that. Abraham tells the Lord. He's like, oh, that Ishmael might live before you. He's trying to negotiate that, Lord, why wouldn't you just accept Ishmael. They are more difficult to sacrifice because I created it. I know how it works. And that's what I began to discover in my life, that radical obedience to God. It starts with the ability to lay my life down because Isaac is what you produce from the place of encounter of the power and the faithfulness of God. It's not even really what you produce, it's what God gives to you. And so the isaacs those things that are just like, oh my gosh, how is it that it was so easy for you to lay it down? Because I didn't build it. And if God gave it to me, he could either bring it back or he has something better for me. And so my. Biggest struggle in life was when God told me to lay down the life I built. I had a thriving business. I thought I was living my best life. And the Lord is showing me, Stephanie, what you're involved in. I don't have any part of that, you know. Psalms one twenty seven, verse one, it says unless the Lord builds a house, those who then the builders labor in vain. And he was show me, Stephanie, what you've built I was not a part of. And if you truly want to discover who you are. I was in a time that I was saying, God, something feels off, something in me doesn't feel right, And He's like, if you truly want to discover what I know about you and the truth of who you are, lay it all down and follow the instructions that I give you. But it really started like God I need to lay my life down. You know, Jesus said this, He said, the Father loves me because I laid down my life so that I can pick it up. But the life he laid down was the life that was not really connected to the truth. And the life he picked up was everything the Father knew about him. And so that has been my journey. That the journey of obedience. Why I find it easy now to say yes to God. It really started when I had to give the big yes that God, not my will, but yours be done. And I had to be honest with God that I know that I know you're real, I know that you're for me, but I'm scared. I'm scared that you might not show up. And one of the things that kept me anchored was that Lord, because I know you're real, I would rather live in the reality that I trusted you, even if I look like a fool. I accepted the reality that I could look like a fool, this could end up wrong, this might not be what I think it is. I needed to embrace the reality that it might not work out the way I'm thinking and say, but God, either way, I'd rather walk this out, this life out with you than choosing my own way and being and ending up in depression and all kinds of anxiety simply because I had the feel of uncertainty. And so that has been my journey when it comes to radical obedience. You know, I love what you talked about. We learned really early on in the ministry that what you build in your own strength and in your own flesh, you have to maintain in your own strength and in your own flesh. I remember when John and I first started the ministry. Ever reason, now, here's the checklist. You do then you do B, and you do C. But we had actually cried out to God and we said, we don't want to build what you are not in. We don't want to go further than our character can carry us. God, we want you to work what needs to be worked out in our life so that we don't implode somewhere down the road. And I remember we we kind of followed everybody else's thing. We printed up business cards. John would he makes fun of it. He was like, it was kind of like have gifts, we'll travel. Here's our business cards. And then we looked at it and they had the wrong address on it. We are so poor we put the wrong address, the wrong phone number, everything we did, and and you know, God just said, you need to put that seed into the ground and let it die, that seed of your Ishmael ministry, and you go serve somewhere. I know people aren't gonna like to hear that, but he said, nope, you don't build. You serve. And so we went and served in secret. We went and served when it looked like there was no reason that the dream that was in John's heart was never going to come to pass. But when that Ishmael thing completely died, God gave us an Isaac moment. And so many people you're like Abraham, You're saying, oh, that Ishmael might live before you all the days of his life. And God's like, baby, girl, I got something so much better for you, and what I give you I will provide for So I love that whole story of Abraham and Sarah because you know it took Abraham a little bit of time. If you read in Genesis seventeen, he actually is the first one to laugh. He's like, are you kidding? And then in Genesis eighteen you see these angels coming by simple believe it was a foreshadowing of Jesus and the angels are like, hey, hey, where's Sarah your wife? Like, have you forgotten your relationship with your wife? Have you decided you're going to stay in an alignment with Hagar when I actually have an alignment that's a covenant alignment for you. And so Isaac's come from a covenant alignment, not from our own strength. And I love that we're talking about this because these are things that aren't spoken about. But what I build on my strength, I have to maintain in my strength, and that's rough. It's interesting in that story, the Abraham and Isaac story in Genesis twenty two, it's actually the first time that I think the word love is used and it's between a father and a son. And it's actually the first time the word worship is used and it's about sacrifice. So I think obedience right when you see that obedience involves love and involves worship, right, So keeping our just keeping it real right. Way back in the day when I was working as an actress, I had done this television show that after I did it, I was twenty one years old, knew trying to figure out what it meant to make Jesus Lord he'd been savior, right. I knew what savior was, but lordship is about obedience, right, And so I was trying to figure out what it was to make him lord and what that looked like. And so after I had done this show, I was reading the Bible and third John, I think there's a verse in there that says to not imitate evil. And now I know the context of that is different, but right in that moment, it was a challenge for me as this young actress. So how do I act and not imitate evil? And so I knew what God was asking me to do, and you know he was saying, and I said, Okay, God, I don't at this point, I don't think there's any movies that honor you, right, I couldn't. There weren't that many. But I'll just tried to not do anything that brings you dishonor can we just start with that? Right? And then there came this one job opportunity and I was offered this job with actually going on one audition, and then I realized I couldn't do the whole show. After I read the script, I couldn't do it. And then they just came back and offered me the job. There was no coming back for a second audition, none of that. And my agents were thought I was just amazing, And so I said no because it was another kind of soap opera thing, and I just knew that this isn't what God had for me, and it was a lot of money. And I went to this Bible study and that night, as I was just I said no already, the first no. And these people were saying, Holly, think of what a light you could be on the set. You should go do this, And I'm thinking, I'm twenty one years older. I'm thinking, I'm pretty sure I'm supposed to be a light everywhere, right, And then they start telling me about all the things I could good, I could do with all this money. But I knew what the direction that God had given me, right, so I said no. And so sometimes I think the sacrifice is saying yes to things, but it's also saying no to things right, right, And so for me, it was saying no to something trusting. Now. I didn't know that fifteen years later I would be a shepherd in God's house. I didn't know that what I would be doing. In his kingdom. I didn't know any of that. I was just this twenty one year. Old girl trying to figure out what it meant to make him lord and to worship him. I knew I loved him, and so for me, that's kind of what that moment was about. It wasn't saying yes to something in the sense that was no to this so that I could ultimately say yes to something else. And I had to be careful because what God asked me. And this is what I think. Sometimes we get so religious and that we what God asked me to do. I'm not saying he asked everybody else to do that, right, Because there's people that take there's people that take a lot of different parts, So take them. That's between you and your God, right. But for me and not moment, he was wanting to see if I could lay something down. It wasn't even about the part. It was about could I say yes to him, say no to this, to say yes to him. So we have to be careful that we don't put all this religious rules on people. Don't do that. No, It's like, what is God saying to you in this moment? Does that make sense? Yeah? Totally. I want to introduce you to an amazing organization that Matt and I just love. It's called Mercy Ships. They're the largest floating civilian hospital in the world, staff by generous doctors and nurses who donate their time to bring life saving medical care to those who otherwise would not be able to receive treatment. Their newest ship, the Global Mercy, is joining their fleet, creating urgent need for more volunteers. You don't have to be a doctor or a nurse to serve. There are many other positions on the ship that are desperately needed, including cooks, cleaning teams, and more. It's easy to get Just visit mercyships dot. Org for more information. I remember back years ago, Matt and I were up in Los Angeles and we had a huge deal. The man who people would know his name, had offered us to come work for his company. He'd done every major movie you could possibly think of, and he wanted just mad at me. He didn't want Generation Entertainment our company. He just wanted the two of us to come over. And I remember saying to Matt that morning, because Matt had already signed the papers, and I just remember saying to him that morning, Man, wouldn't it be crazy if this deal blew up somehow, and by two or three o'clock in the afternoon, something had come through the contract that I just bristled at, and the deal blew up, and we look back now at it. That was very financially we were set for life. But God didn't have that plan for us. God had this plan for us. And so surrendering our stuff is compliant. This is great words for surrendering. Compliant, cooperative, and responsive. That means you do it right when God says to do it. And I had this written down. Obedience is not just a syndonym to surrender or submission. It is more of a continual application of our faith. We are giving up our will when we are willing to relinquish our plans, our agendas, and desire for control than Christ is in control. And it is the ultimate application of our trust that leads to a real life of obedience. God says that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him, that when we seek after God, he gives us rewards. He gives us everything, and we need stuff. We can't buy stuff, the peace, the joy, the things that you can have everything in the world. But if you don't have peace at night, if you don't have joy. In your life. That's what surrendering your will to Christ gives us. It's that reward from God when we obey him. Yeah, I absolutely agree, And I love how surrender looks so different for so many people. So even just connecting to what you said and to what Holly said, it looks very different. Because even in my life when the Lord told me to walk away, what was just like what I thought, Come like, Lord, I'm making amazing money and you're telling me to walk away from it. That does not speak to the fact that God wants anyone to, you know, not have a source of income. But what I didn't realize was that what God was training me on was I didn't even know that, Okay, ministry was going to be the thing that God raises me in, and in hindsight, he showed me stuff. Now, I wanted you to recognize that you serve not because not from the place of what you can get out of it, but I needed to test you even in the place of your finances from the beginning, because there are times that I will have you go to places, and there are things that I will have you do and I would require this very thing of you because I need you to show up. It might not be about the location or the venue. They might not have what you might think is what is appropriate or whatever. But I need to test your heart when it came to your finances because I'm going to raise you in ministry and I don't need you to get blinded by this very thing. And so surrender looks so different. So when the Lord said, no, I'm gonna crumble this, but then I'm gonna raise it up, and the Lord brought to me that and so much more so, it's such a beautiful thing that we recognize and we acknowledge that because the Lord told me to do it this way, it does not become the law. The law is the Bible, right, So my personal experience and testimony of the Lord has to do with what he was testing in my heart from the beginning, and that's really beautiful to me. Yeah, I think it's a lordship issue too. I love that we talked about that savior and Lord, I love that you were talking about Holly his savior. But then he becomes Lord, and I think there is something to be said when he becomes Lord. It is not my will, but yours be done. And what I've discovered in my life, I think this is a constant. I think this happens throughout your life. I don't think it's a one time sacrificial obedience because I can know pivotal moments where God asked me to say no to something and also to pick something up that I didn't want to pick up that I've had to yield my will because we often look at it, well, I see this far, and we think we know best about our lives. But God has actually ordained every step. He's written them in a book, and he's seen them before we even walk them out, And so we have to trust that the one who created us knows us best and what he's doing when he's asking us to surrender number one, we realize that who's actually in charge him, not us, but also that he knows the best outcome for us. And you know, I've been trying to teach my daughter this because she's seventeen, you know, and she's in this season of seeing that when you yield and obey, that it's a kill joy to your life, like God's asking so much of you. But what I've been trying to help her understand is that surrender and obedience actually you gain more than you ever dreamed or imagined. And that's what I think. The enemy comes in to lie to us and say, well, look at the money, and look at the influence, and look at the opportunity. But God goes, but I need to test your heart because actually, what I've got for you is greater than you could even imagine. And you've limited yourself to this. And God says, actually, what I see for you in the spirit is so fast and great that if you just trust me, but if you're willing. And I love that God on as our decision, he honors our choices. But I've just learned that the walk of obedience, man, it leads to a life that you could never imagine, even though at times it's felt painful and you know, limited, Alex. I love that you talked about willing and obedient, because you can be obedient and unwilling, or you can be willing and not obedient, like I'm will I'm going to think about that. I'm going to go along with it. And I love that you brought up Abraham, Stephanie, because when Abraham is going up to worship, he looks at a servant when they said, well, where's the offering, and he says, God will provide and we will come back to you. And so he actually had a revelation that because God is the one who gave him Isaac, that God was the one who could raise Isaac up if that's what needed to happen. And of course we know he saw the ram caught in the thicket and in that moment he has so it's not only about worship, it's not only about love and obedience. But he had a revelation that had never been declared about God before he saw Jehovah Jirah. He saw the God who sees my needs and provides for them. So there is provision in obedience, and there is lack in disobedience. Even if it looks like maybe at first it might be the way to have money, in the long run, it'll end up being disobedient and destruction and loss. You know, I also love that you guys brought up the difference. Says that, Holly, that's what God said to you. I remember being a brand new Christian. I was married for about six months and we had a gym membership and I I went to this dance class, and all of a sudden, I realized we were dancing to music that was The lyrics were absolutely horrific, and I seemed to be the only person in the room that could hear the lyrics. And I said, wait a minute, did they just say and it's so bad I wouldn't even repeat it. It was so bad. I said, did they just say that? And everybody's like, yeah, he just said that. And I felt so grieved in my spirit. And I'm driving home afterwards, and I've heard the Holy Spirit say, do not go there again. He said, dance is worship for you. And he said, so I do not want you dancing to what diminishes me, or my order or those created in my image. And so what did I do. I got to generous of my friends, throw it out on the table, tell them all they need to They all need to quit their dance class, they need to get out of jazzer's size, they need to get out of a and they didn't receive it. I'm like, you, all, this is what the Lord is saying. Yes, this is what the Lord is saying. And I thought, well, my friends are a bunch of disobedient unwilling people. And when I was driving home, God said to me, I told you that. I didn't tell you to say that to everybody else. He said, that's the relationship that you and I have. Do not put your convictions on other people, because it just brings condemnation and bondage. So I love that. Stephanie, Alex Holly, you know, we've all been trying to so carefully wrap that around. Laurie's just always sweet, but we have some borderline naughty women in the mix here. Better together so well. Because really what we're painting, the picture of right is is, to use a church word, it's the journey of sanctification, right, That's what it is. When you say yes to Jesus, when he becomes Lord, you still step It's like you step through that door. So now you're now Jesus is Lord, but you're still a little bit of a mess, or a lot of a mess. You still have things habits in your life, belief patterns in your head, behaviors that are damaging. And so I think the more we walk out this journey, right, I think God talks to us, perhaps first about the things that will kill us at and now that's just my opinion, because I just think he wants us to live long enough to fulfill his purpose. So he'll start talking to about the things that are damaging, perhaps to your body, and then it becomes stuff that's damaging to your soul because unforgiveness will kill you. But then, to Alex's point, sanctification also involves picking things up, right, right, So I'm letting things go, but I'm also picking things up, the things that he's trusting to me, whether it's a ministry or a family right, or a friendship or faith. It's like the things you pick up. And I just think that's the journey, and it is a life long journey. Obedience isn't something I just figure. If the perfect Son of God learned obedience, we're probably gonna be learning it until we meet him, right right, It's a journey. Look, don't beat yourself up. We've all messed up. I mean, yesterday I had stuff going on in my head, right, just like wrestling with things, and so we all do. It's the journey. Now, I'm probably maybe I'm quicker to obey now than I was ten years ago, and hopefully ten years from now, I'll be quicker to obey than I am. It's like, but that's the journey. So give yourself a. Break, right, just you are loved and valued, Yeah, right, And God's on your side. He's with you. He doesn't when you mess up, he doesn't just roll his eyes and go there she goes again and he goes, come on, honey, get back up, Get back up. And we can't de minimize the choices that we make today because the choice to obey God and one thing makes it more likely that we're going to obey him the next time. And that is just a life of obedience. Stephanie, why don't you finish and take us out today? Yeah? No, I love this and I really believe that, even in prayer, just recognizing that obedience just even Hally mentioned it. It's a journey. Obedience is our walk with God, you know. And again, if you find yourself messing up, you know, the Bible says the righteous man falls seven times and gets back up. There is some type of perfection that happened, not even perfection, the sense of being perfect, but perfected in the love of God. That happens even in the falling. And then you get back up and you're rising up perfected in God's love, not in works, and so it's a beautiful experience. Even when you feel like you're far from God. God will say, like he said to Adam, where are you? I was walking in the garden and you're not walking with me. Where are you? It's not a question to condemn you. It's a question to say, come back in position. I'm right here, and. God will always make a way for us to get back into that journey of walking with him. So give yourself a break. So let's spread. Heavenly Father, we just thank you for your love. We thank you for your goodness. We thank you Lord that you are always there, right there with us. Oh God. Sin does not separate you from us, but it separates our understanding and mentality that God of your love for us. And so we right now, I just pray for those that are listening to this conversation that they would embrace the grace, Lord, the grace of knowing that this thing is about walking with you, and that even if we ever find ourselves out of step with you, we can get back. It's about the decisions we make today and not what happened yesterday, not what happened a minute ago. But what happens in the now moment, And so I pray for everyone's now moment, Oh God, that in the now they will say yes, in the now they will walk with you in Jesus' name, Amen, Amen. Amen at TBN. Our mission is to use every available means to reach us any individuals and families as possible with the life changing gospel of Jesus Christ. Thank you for helping make the gospel of grace go around the world. And it's because of you that partner with us that this ministry continues. God bless you.