In 1852 Mt. Everest was identified as the tallest point on the planet at 29,028 feet. People naturally began trying to be the first person to reach the top of the world. Over the next century at least 15 expeditions set out to reach the summit, resulting in at least 2 dozen deaths. With oxygen dangerously thin at that altitude, the treacherous crevasses and the shifting snow made scaling the mountain seem physically impossible. Finally, on May 29, 1953, Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay were the first people to reach the top. They instantly became international heroes. What had appeared impossible had at last been accomplished. In the ensuing years, many more people would successfully reach the top, but only after Hillary and Norgay proved it could be done.

What we require today are spiritual Hillarys. We need people who refuse to accept the spiritual limits that have impeded other Christians. We need men and women who will pay the price required to go to a level with God that no one in their generation has yet achieved. People want to see what it looks like to overcome spiritual limits and to experience the joy of relating to God in a new direction.

We encounter numerous spiritual limitations:
1) We face the limit of not knowing God’s way of thinking.

Though God tells us His thoughts, we often fail to grasp them.

2) God’s power is infinite.

Yet many Christians experience only a small amount of divine strength in their daily living.

3) God’s presence brings unmitigated joy.

Yet there are 1000’s of joyless Christians.

4) Jesus offers peace for our greatest trials.

Yet many Christians remain heart broken and anxious.

Christians needlessly allow obstacles to prevent them the full measure of what God has prepared for them.

In order to triumph over unnecessary spiritual hindrances, let’s consider the following realities:
1. God wants us to overcome our spiritual limits.

His promises to us are sincere. Look at Matthew 7:7 for example:

When He makes offers such as “seek, and you will find”, He means it!

Any promise you find in scripture reflects God’s desire for you. Don’t miss a divine pledge, because you don’t believe it is possible. If God promised it, it is possible!

2. God stands ready to give His people victory in every area of life.

David saw the Lord take impossible situations and produce complete victory. Likewise,

God is prepared to overcome any obstacle that prevents us from going deeper in Him.

3. We must make every effort to incorporate God’s promises into our lives.

Paul urged the Christians at Philipi to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” (Note: “sowtayria” is to rescue or safety. We must work through our challenges and spiritual warfare, to victory.)

Paul highlighted a great paradox of the Christian life.

While God is the one who ultimately accomplishes His work in our lives, He doesn’t override our complacency.

God will not give us a dynamic, mature Christian faith if we’re content with an immature, shallow one. God’s promises are before us, but we must decide how much we want to experience them.

4. The rewards for striving for higher levels with God are incalculable.

Each new degree of the Christian life has fewer and fewer people who attain it. Yet those who experience deeper intimacy with God eagerly testify to the wonder of knowing Him so deeply. How can you place a value on knowing and experiencing more of God?

The reward is worth any effort or sacrifice.

As I mentioned in previous messages in this series, there are three things that will hold you back from overcoming limits:
1. Sin (Hebrews 12:1)
2. Lack of Faith (Matthew 13:58)
3. Lack of Love (2 Corinthians 5:14, John 14:24, John 15:14)

Today there are more Christians than ever before. There are also more churches and Christian organizations and ministries than at any time in history. Yet, morally, spiritually, and socially, our world is getting worse.

Today there are a record number of unchurched people in North America. Western Europe is a spiritual wasteland. World religions that violently reject claims of Christ control the lives of millions of people around the world.

What does all this mean? Despite millions of Christians today, our world is falling further and further away from God. Something must change. We must change. Clearly our current walk with God is inadequate. Obviously, the ministry of many of today’s churches is insufficient for the task of bringing our world to Christ.

We must be willing to go to a deeper level in our relationship with Christ if He is to use us more powerfully.

Our churches must become dissatisfied with their current level of divine service and cry out to God for a fresh awakening. Tonight we start a new study, “Counter Culture”. David Platt in this study tells Christians to pray for two things:
1. Give us zeal for God and
2. Make me passionate for the salvation of people.

Are you ready for God to take you to a new level in your walk with Him? Yes No

Do you hunger to know more of God? Yes No

Do you want Him to use your life more powerfully to impact others? Yes No

God wants that too. When God puts a desire on our heart, it will increasingly grow deeper and He will fulfill it! God isn’t looking for lip service, as we tell Him how much we wish we knew Him better. He seeks radical commitment to do whatever it takes to know Him the way we say we want to.

Cling to His promises and make a radical commitment to God and unlimit God to help you overcome your limits!