Greatness Is In The Preparation, Not In The Performance

Ephesians 4:21-24, “If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.”

I want to show you another picture that I found this week. Truly, a picture is worth 1,000 words sometimes. I love the following picture of an iceberg...

“Greatness is in the preparation,

not in the performance.” —Dr. Jack Hyles

I also found these wonderful quotes by Pastor Hyles on the importance of preparation:

“If we prepare ourselves for life's inevitables, we will not be perplexed by life's transitions.” —Dr. Jack Hyles

“A person who has not done well the little is not prepared or qualified to do the big.” —Dr. Jack Hyles

“A prepared person will always have his opportunity.” —Dr. Jack Hyles

Amen and amen! Greatness is not in the performance, but in the preparation! I love that. It is a scientific fact that whenever you see an iceberg at sea, the bottom base of the iceberg extends ten times deeper and bigger under the water's surface than the portion of the iceberg that is visible above water. God is more than amazing!!!

Our life dear reader is much like the iceberg. Our words and actions at any given time are a result and reflection of years of character building or weakening. This is why it is so important for parents to make a deliberate effort to instill good character into their children by training them from infancy to think, do and live right. Children are like sponges, absorbing everything around them, both good and bad. It's not what you teach your children that influences them THE MOST, it is what they hear and see in your own behavior Mom and Dad!

But it's not just children, we as adults are also like sponges! If you're like me, you can hear a song one time during the day, and you'll be replaying that song in your mind for the rest of the day. The things that we see and hear are recorded in our brain, just like a tape recorder. I have fallen asleep while watching a movie, one that I have seen multiple times, and my conscious mind will wake me up during the ending credits of the movie. I have had that happen several dozen times, so much so that I concluded that my brain knows (even while I am sleeping) the timing of the movie. Scientists still don't fully understand the human mind and how it works. 

Here's another personal example of how powerful the mind is. I often listen to Alexander Scourby read the King James Bible while I am sleeping. I have learned that the most important thing is to set the volume level just right. I adjust the volume through trial and error so that it is just loud enough to be able to comfortably hear the Holy Bible, but not so loud that it aggravates me. But every time I listen to the book of Revelation, and I mean EVERY TIME, when Alexander reads Revelation 19:13b about Jesus' name being “THE WORD OF GOD,” I briefly wake up! I wake up because that verse is so dear and special to me! That is very interesting.

Whenever certain favorite Bible verses are read, I wake up! I also briefly wake up when John 1:1-3 is read. Passages about the inspired Word of God wake me up! It is the most amazing thing. It proves a couple things:

1. First, that our subconscious mind is very alert while we are sleeping. It shows that our brain is always alert to things going on in the background.
2. Second, it shows that we need to be very careful what we subject our mind to, because we are always preparing our mind for future events, tragedies and situations. 

When a crisis comes into our life, it doesn't shape our character, it reveals our character! I listen to A LOT of Bible preaching! I do it for numerous reasons. I do it because I NEED PREACHING!!! I do it to gather truths to help my web visitors when they email to me. We all need to hear preaching, because preaching helps us think right! Of course, nothing should substitute for reading or listening to the inspired Word of God. The reason why so many churchgoers have been horribly corrupted today is because they blindly listen to corrupt preachers who errantly teach the Bible. By “blindly” I mean that they don't verify with their Bible the things being taught to them.

It is a very dangerous thing to assume (ass-u-me) that the things a preacher says are true. How do you know if he is telling you the truth? What saith the Scripture? 1st John 4:1, “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” We “try” (test) the spirit by searching the Word of God top see if what they are teaching aligns with God's Word. Acts 17:10-11, “And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” The Bereans were more noble the Bible says they they are Thessalonica, because they SEARCHED THE SCRIPTURES DAILY. Why did they do that? The Bible says they searched the Scriptures to see “WHETHER THOSE THINGS WERE SO.” Boy, I love that!!! That is what every person needs to do, get into the Word of God to verify the things they are being taught.

Dear reader, if everyone would follow this simple rule—to SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES to verify the things we are being taught by pastors and evangelists—false doctrine would be stopped in its tracks and exposed!!! John 5:39, “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.” Never take any speaker at their word, compare what he or she is saying with the Holy Bible.

I worked in the secular workplace most of my life. It is a jungle out there! it is very difficult for a born-again child of God to work in a heathen environment at work. I was bullied as a Christian in the workplace on nearly every job I ever worked! I know firsthand the pain and mental anguish of working in a Hostile Work Environment. If that is you dear friend, I encourage you to join your union if you have one, and study your union book to learn your rights in the workplace. That is how to cope with bullies and bad management, know your rights and fight for them! Learn about EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission).

I am now 54 years old. I have fought umpteen battles in my life because of people violating my rights. As a Christian I know that God our Creator has rights too! Ecclesiastes 12:13, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” I love that Bible passage, because it sums up life!!! Very few people fear God and keep His commandments. To “fear God” literally means that you are afraid of His judgment if you disobey Him. I fear God and so should you! Many people only obey the law for fear of the courts, and thank God for that! But what if the apocalyptical time comes when there is no courts anymore? Would you still do what is right? You will if you fear God. Do right if the stars fall, DO RIGHT!!!

As a born-again child of God I do not fear going to Hell (John 3:18;Acts 13:39; Romans 5:20; Romans 8:1). But I do fear God's “hot displeasure” (Psalms 6:1) and facing the “terror of the Lord” (2nd Corinthians 5:11). 2nd Corinthians 5:10 teaches that every believer will be held accountable for the GOOD and the BAD done in the body. Contrary to what some preachers errantly teach, we WILL have to answer for our poor choices as God's children. 1st Thessalonians 4:6 warns that if we “defraud” our Christian brother, God will avenge them of our wickedness. Although there is no danger of criminal court (Revelation 20:11-15) in eternity for any believer, there is risk of loss in civil court (1st Corinthians 3:15). 

God wants every child of His to be RENEWED in the spirit of our mind...

Ephesians 4:21-24, “If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.”

We have heard some false preachers teach that you must repent of your sin to be saved. Calvinists errantly preach this falsehood. They claim that if you don't turn away from a lifestyle of sin that your faith is fake and you are not saved. But as we just read in Ephesians 4:22-24, the Bible tells believers to “put off” the old man, implying that this is not essential to get to Heaven. Putting off the old man is a choice. God commands every born-again believer to put off the old man, and put on the new man created in righteousness, but IT IS A CHOICE!

If these qualities were automatic with the new birth, then the Apostle Paul wouldn't need to teach them to the believers at the church of Ephesus. But Paul is teaching them, exhorting the saints at Ephesus to put on the new man which is created in righteousness through faith in Jesus. So there are TWO decisions that every person needs to make. The first is whether or not to accept Jesus as your personal Savior. If you do receive Christ, then there is a second decision that God wants you to make, which is to follow Jesus as His disciple. It is VERY important that we always keep salvation (sonship) completely separate from service (discipleship). I love this helpful quote from Pilgrim's Progress author, John Bunyan:

“If you do not put a difference between justification wrought by the man Christ without and sanctification wrought by the Spirit of Christ within, you are not able to divide the Word aright; but contrariwise, you corrupt the Word of God, and cast stumbling blocks before the people.” [emphasis added] —Evangelist John Bunyan (1628-1688)

Greatness is in the preparation, not in the performance. There are many preachers today who did not spend quality time preparing for the pulpit. They are corrupt in their doctrine, unsaved infidels, wrestling the Word of God to their own destruction (2nd Peter 3:16-17). I spent eight years at Hyles-Anderson College (1985-1993) preparing for the ministry as a pastor. I slept in my car, shed my blood on the roadway, froze in the winter, sweltered in the hot weather, but I earned my degree! That just the beginning of the preparation! Then life was the real teacher, breaking me down to the ground, so that God could build me up. As the old wise preacher said, while baptizing a young man who felt God's immediate call to preach: “God take him, break him and make him!” God cannot truly use a man until He first breaks him!!!

Job was familiar with God's chastisement and testing. Job 5:1-2, “Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty: For wrath killeth the foolish man, and envy slayeth the silly one.” Solomon too knew God's chastisement. Proverbs 3:11-12, “My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction: For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.” Chastisement is never pleasant! No one likes to be broken and tested by God. But it is necessary if we are to grow and be used of God for His purpose and glory. The greatness is never in the brief performance, but in the decades of laborious, painful and relentless preparation.