Life Without Limbs
Teaching: Life Without Limbs
Text: Jeremiah 29:11
Path: Nick Vujicic is an evangelist and author, whose hobbies include fishing, painting, and swimming. Vujicic established Life Without Limbs in 2005 and currently serves as president and CEO. From sold-out stadiums to the halls of solitary confinement prisons, Nick has shared a message of hope in nearly seventy countries. In this message, Vujicic talks about his life’s story.
Points:
People
· In the opening video, Vujicic states that 8 million people have been reached with the Gospel since 2005 through Life Without Limbs. His goal is to reach a billion over the next few years.
· Currently, Life Without Limbs reaches 6 large churches and 6 countries per year.
· Vujicic has spoken with 18 presidents and 10 governments.
· In 2017, Life Without Limbs reached out to Kiev. Over 400,000 people committed his or her life to Christ, with over 43 million tuning in electronically.
Personal
· Was born with tetra-amelia syndrome, a rare disorder (called phocomelia) characterized by the absence of arms and legs.
· Vujicic was born in Melbourne, Australia, in 1982 to Dušanka and Borislav Vujičić, Serbian immigrants from Yugoslavia.
· Vujicic’s been married 7 years and has 4 children.
Problem
· God knows the plans He has for us (Jeremiah 29:11). God loves to bless in His plans, but sometimes He says no.
· In Vujicic’s young mind, there was a problem: he was born with no arms or legs. Though his parents were encouraging, he wanted the common things of life.
· Vujicic asks: At what stage in our life do we say, I’m ok? For Vujicic, being “ok” meant having arms and legs. It was difficult for him to believe in a God who didn’t give him what He asked.
· In life, Vujicic states humans identify with three things: what we know, see, and feel. Vujicic only knew, saw, and felt he was different from others.
· But on the other hand, God gives life, freedom, and hope. Vujicic was caught in between these two worlds: the problem and the answer.
· People tried to provide answers for Vujicic. At an airport, a lady told him that in a previous life he lived a bad life but would come back as a butterfly. Wrong.
· Jesus gave Vujicic a whole different outlook; Jesus provided the freedom and hope Vujicic sought.
· Vujicic committed his life to Christ, and the Lord began to use him in great ways. Recently, God has healed Vujicic. Vujicic was diagnosed with holes in his spine. They are now gone.
· Vujicic understands that if something is real, it is real for everyone—of all time, places and people. Only Jesus fits this criterion; He’s the same yesterday, today, and forever.
· Throughout his life, Vujicic asked God: what is your plan?
Plan
· Pray according to God’s will. Vujicic is praying for His dad’s cancer. But his father died. We must understand God sometimes says no and has a better plan.
· When we don’t get a miracle, we can be a better miracle for someone else.
· What do we want and need? The answer: purpose-ness in Jesus.
· We can’t make decisions without consequences. Our decisions matter.
· No matter your situation, we are children of God. We must recognize this!
· There is war for your soul. The war is about coming to Christ.
· Recognize Biblical truths: Psalm 139: we are fearfully and wonderfully made, and Philippians 4: 13: through Christ we can do all things.
Pray
· We need to be people of prayer.
· Like a friend, we must talk to Jesus daily.
· At age 10, Vujicic tried to commit suicide, then lost use of his foot. But through prayer and God’s purposes, he began to realize God had a plan for him.
· He recognized that the truth of Christ will set Him free.
· There are four major religions in the world. One is based on rules and regulations with violence at the center; another, with 330 million gods; and another, with no real god. Only one religion provides a relationship with God, delivering freedom and hope.
· Jesus came to seek the lonely and lost, the sad and sullen. He came for all.
· When God hears our sincere plea for repentance, He forgives and forgets. We must turn to Him. Today is a day of salvation: pray to receive Him.
Practice:
Connect Up: Vujicic demonstrates that the Lord will use people of all kinds. Take a moment to reflect on the diversity of people the Lord used throughout Scripture, honing on different aspects of his or her life. How did the Lord use them, regardless of his or her strengths or weaknesses? What about you? How has the Lord used you in your weaknesses?
Abraham -age.
Elijah – depression.
Joseph – Abuse.
Job – Family and financial problems.
Moses – Speech issues.
Gideon – Fear.
Samson – Pride
Rahab – Prostitute
Samaritan Woman – Divorced.
Noah – Drinking.
Jeremiah – Young and given to emotional outbursts
Jacob – Cheated, character flaws.
David – Adulterer and murderer
Jonah – Fled from God.
Naomi – Widow.
Peter – Denied Christ
Martha – Worried too much.
Zacchaeus – Money issues.
The Disciples – Pride and loyalty issues.
Thomas—Disbelief
Paul – Persecuted Christians.
Connect In: As someone that has overcome great physical and social difficulties, Vujicic shows us the power of God working in a life submitted to Him. How should the church view and reach people of physical or social difficulties? Talk about the following situations facing the people throughout the world. Discuss ways the church can be a balm and beacon, helping represent Christ in all situations. If you have personal experience with one or more of the areas, share your story.
· Depression
· Bipolar affective disorder
· Physical challenges (disabled, blind, visually impaired, etc.)
· Schizophrenia
· Autism
· Down’s Syndrome
· Dementia
· Anxiety
· Heath disorders (cancer, diabetes, heart, muscular-skeletal, etc.)
Connect Out: Take time to pray for people within the groups above. Ask God to give you a heart of love towards each group and an opportunity to minister to them. Also in Vujicic’s message, he gave attention to sex workers and human trafficking. As people abused and used, sex workers are social outcasts. Though Jesus reached out to Mary (a prostitute), sex workers are often neglected within the church. Take time to pray for sex workers to come to Christ. Become aware of different ministries that reach out to sex workers, praying for the ministries that reach hurting hearts.