While we are sitting, I want to sincerely talk to Jesus, and we must do it together. What
Jacob started off last week with, which is boldness to preach, and he talked about being
filled with boldness. We will have part two today, and the title is, The Boldness that
God Gives Us to Advance, to Push Through. So that's the title, but there's really no
point in talking about any of that without being centered around Jesus, because the whole
point of all of this is that, one, we serve Him, two, we give all of what we have to Him.
So let's just with our mouths quietly, with voice, just speak a Tao to Him. So Father,
we come to you. We come to you, Jesus. We come to you, Holy Spirit, this afternoon.
Jesus, one thing you really love is when your children come huddled around you, when they
centered around you. And so this afternoon, Jesus, we want to hear from you. We want to
be filled by you. We want to receive everything you have for us. Your Word is so fresh. Your
Word is alive. Your Word is life-giving for us, for every and anything in our life where
we need your touch, your presence to give us everything we need. Even that which seems
like just a sliver of hope. You brighten it up. Thank you, Jesus, for your presence. Jesus,
we don't serve an idol. We don't serve a thing that cannot speak or a thing that cannot move
or a thing that cannot see. We serve you. You fill our space with your glory. You fill
our spirits by being one with us. Jesus, it's a privilege for us as a people to know that
we serve a living God. So real. There is not a shadow of doubt in our being that you are
so present here, not just here, but to accomplish everything you have through us on this earth.
So we just praise you, Jesus. We give you our attention. We give you our honor. We give
you our praise. Like one of the songs said, yours is a name that's matchless, undefeated
name. Above every power, principality, you are the most powerful. You are the most powerful
in the world. You reign. You reign. Jesus, I love it when you said all authority in heaven
and on earth has been given to me. And so while we are seated here, we recognize who
you are. You are the risen Christ. And we go marching forward because you are right
in front of us. Your presence is with us. And so I thank you. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Okay. So when the first century church was born right after Jesus resurrected and the
spirit of God descended upon people, the 120 gathered there, the first thing they faced
is opposition. And the thing with opposition is that sometimes you can feel it without
hearing anything. But most times opposition is something you can perceive because there
is a real threat being spoken at you. And so for the first century church, yeah, the
opposition was real and it was spiritual opposition, but the spiritual opposition came in voices
that were communicated to them because they would talk about, hey, these guys are coming
to arrest you. They heard, hey, these guys are coming because they are going to catch
you and they may kill you. So threats and opposition is communicated in real words and
through feelings that these powers try to infiltrate with. And what we have is when
the spirit of God is in us and the spirit of God leads us, he gives us everything we
need to face opposition and then to advance through it. So the spirit of God isn't given
to us so that there is no opposition. The spirit of God is given to us so that in the
midst of opposition, which is often expressed through threats, we still advance through
it, which is what happened with, when you think about Elijah in second Kings chapter
19, you see Elijah, he's in, by the time chapter 18 is closed off, you see he had the
biggest of victory perhaps in all of Old Testament. One man standing up knowing God is with him
and on that mountain top he experienced God's glory. Fire came down. Too many people watching
him. Threats and fire came down. He experienced what it is to receive God's power, stand in
it. But then what happens is in the next chapter, chapter 19, verse 1 and 2, you read this that
Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say this, that I'm going to kill you. And so the
opposition that was around then sent word to Elijah and basically said, Elijah, I'm
going to kill you. And the Bible says in verse 2 of chapter 19 that Elijah, recognizing what
was happening, he ran for his life. Yeah, he ran for his life because it was a real
threat to his life. And so while he had this amazing victory on the mountain top, in the
next chapter he's running for his life. But what I love is in the midst of all of that,
and this is where we're going in the New Testament, we'll have a completely different understanding
of this. In the midst of all of this, the opposition that he faced was real, that Elijah
faced was real. On one hand there was an attempt to arrest whatever he was doing and on the
other hand there was also an attempt so that Elijah doesn't show up. Chapter 19, the last
couple of verses actually talks about not Elijah but Elisha. That these powers that
tried to stop the advancement of what God was doing because in God's plan Elisha already
was there. Elijah just didn't know it. Elijah didn't know when chapter 19, verse 1 and 2
happened that there is an Elisha. But then when he found Elisha towards the end because
God worked with him to get him out of the cave, what did Elijah do? He found residence
in a cave. He was tired, he was done, he even said, God I'm done, take me. Not knowing what
God had prepared for him. And so for us in this time that we occupy, the threats are
different. The opposition is different. You don't have a Jezebel lady throwing threats
at the church. You have spiritual powers that try to bring fear, that try to bring opposition.
And the spirit of God is given to us very different from what happened with Elijah because
Elijah was in the Old Testament. He did not have the spirit of God living inside him.
But we now do have the spirit of God living inside of us and the spirit of God has been
given to us not to say well there is no opposition, there is no threat, I'll keep moving forward.
No. In the face of opposition, in the face of threats being hurled at the church, the
church is now given everything the church needs including boldness to stand up and say
yes there are threats, yes there is opposition, but we will advance. And that is how Elisha
how the early church did it. And if there was any opposition you can recount over and
over again, we just need to read what happened in the book of Acts and you keep seeing this.
Whenever they tried to do some things, people came around and said no you can't, we are
going to finish you, we are going to kill you. And even outside of the scripture when
you hear about what happened to the disciples, you see the level of threat there was. The
only difference is sometimes we don't even perceive the threats there are because we
are so not interested fully in doing everything that Christ has asked us to do. Sometimes
we hear about threats here and there and we are like oh yeah we'll pray about it. But
the reality is this, when we stand up together as a people of God and we say there is a mandate
given to me, there is a mandate given to us. What is that mandate? Matthew chapter 28,
19 when Jesus said go therefore make disciples. That is the mandate that has been given to
us. So when I really stand up and when we really stand up and say this is the mandate
that Christ gave us, all of our beings, all of what we have is toward this one purpose
and we stand up then God gives us power to advance. He gives us power to advance because
His mission will always happen. It is always going to be accomplished. There is no power
that can stop our father. There is no power that can bring about impediment toward what
God wants to do. God's plans always works out. Now what He is looking for is this, willing
participants. And so even though God's plan will always work out, we always have the will
and option to either be a willing participant and a partner in what He is doing or we can
here and there dabble with it. And what we must be about is we go full in the work that
Christ has commissioned for us. And that does not always mean standing up on the street
side and preaching. It means different things for different people. But we must huddle around
Jesus and say, Jesus if this is what you asked me to, then that is so fully mine to take
on. This mantle is not something I will wear on a Sunday and not on a Friday afternoon.
This is a mantle that has been given to me 24x7. And when I walk like that and you walk
like that and when we have this common understanding, this culture, this mindset that this is all
what we are about, everything else is gravy, then something happens. Gravy is a bad word.
It's so true. And that this becomes, whenever the church then comes together, which is what
happened with the first century church, when they got together, what was the deal? Were
they about just sitting and worshipping only? No. They were about sitting and worshipping
and hearing and learning and then going out. That was very natural for them. It was the
most natural thing for the first century church to do. And it is, even today, that it must
be natural to us. Yeah? So I want to talk about a few things. I'm hoping we'll go very
quickly through a bunch of points so we finish not too late. So I want to talk about the
point. So the attempt is to keep the light covered. Light as in you and I. Covered. Covered.
Because what the devil tries to do is, because the devil knows that the battle has already
been won. Christ already said that I have disarmed the enemy. And so as far as the devil
is concerned, he knows already that when darkness comes against light, what happens?
Light wins. It is established. You know that even just from a point of science. Light and
darkness, there is no match. When light comes, darkness goes. That's just a physical reflection
of what Christ has already done. Darkness, Bible says, cannot comprehend light. And so
I love it. It cannot comprehend light. The light of Christ cannot be comprehended by
darkness, even today. Even today, it does not have an answer and it will never have
an answer. And so as far as the devil is concerned, it fears light so much so the only thing it
can do is not fight light because there is no point fighting light because it's already
defeated. But what if light can be covered? And that is what the attack is. To keep the
church from recognizing that this light must go out. This light must be on the city hill.
It is up on the hill so everyone can see it. So that it attracts people to it. And that
is the attempt of the devil. Once we know that, then we must also realize the power
of light in us. That when I wake up, then when you wake up, Jesus is so present in us
that this power in us, this reality of Jesus in me makes the devil tremble. Makes the devil
tremble. That the reality of Jesus in the context of a church makes the devil tremble.
It is true. But we don't think like it because we sometimes don't even think that the battle
has been won. Christ has already won the battle. Bible says the devil is already disarmed.
And then like I said, what my mentality and your mentality should be, aha, if that is
so then Jesus, I want to rise up and shine this light so that it will not be covered.
And so you see from heaven when we are looked at, there is light. There is light. There
is light in us. That beyond the flesh and the bone and whatever we are, there is light.
Who gave you this light? Jesus. Where do I get that from? Jesus said, you are the light
of the world. Because he is the light of the world. And he has given his light to me and
to you. And so when I go around, the reality is this, I have the light. That when you go
around, the reality is this, you have the light. But what does the devil want to do?
Make you believe, make me believe that I don't have the light. But I have the light. And
as soon as and when this light confronts darkness, there is only one result. Always. It's established
at the cross. What is it? Darkness cannot comprehend light. And light always reigns
victorious. Yeah? So let's define a couple of things. True boldness is the expression
of the spirit of God in you. Expression of the spirit of God in you to express the spirit
of God in you to advance without compromise in the face of opposition. To advance without
compromise in the face of opposition. So genuine boldness then is not speaking with a loud
voice. Genuine boldness then is not standing up when 15 people march into the church and
say, oh no, I'm going to stand up. That's not genuine boldness. Probably a couple of
weeks ago I was driving and I saw a word before even Jacob started this theme. I saw a word
and I was like, what is this world? I've never understood the meaning or I haven't thought
about it. I think it is A-R-C-H-I-B-A-L-D. Archibald. I was like, what is that? So I
looked it up and it says genuine boldness. Genuine, sincere, true. That there is a type
of boldness that is genuine. Which is not raised voice. It is beyond that. It is the
internal posture of me and you. When we have the posture of hey, this is who I am inside.
Here is who I am inside and doesn't matter what happens, I always am this way. Doesn't
matter if I am woken up from night, when I'm sleeping, doesn't matter if I am at work,
doesn't matter if I am doing something. There is this boldness inside you that is sincere
and genuine because something has already happened to you. And we'll get to that. What
that is, we'll get to. It is so sincere, it's so real and genuine that you're not making
something up to be that. You know what I mean? Because sometimes we have pressure to become
something. And with Christ we don't have any pressure to become something because he makes
us everything we need to be and we then can walk exactly as he has designed us. And so
there is this thing called true, genuine, sincere boldness of the spirit that Christ
gives. He doesn't give you anything fake. If you can trust one person who can give you
things that are not fake and that which will withstand the test of fire, it's Jesus. He
doesn't give you fake stuff. He always gives precious things. And when he gives me boldness
and he gives you boldness, it is a real thing. It does not always have to be heightened
voice. Yeah? And so if that is the definition of boldness, then we go down this path of
what are a couple of things that you need to have in order to function in this? Number
one, it requires a cause, C-A-U-S-E, cause. It's pointless to have boldness if you don't
have a cause. Yeah? You must have a cause. And so if you ask David, he will tell you
that his dad sent him to the Israelite camp to check out what's going on and give some
supplies to the army, including his brothers. That's why he was sent. But when he is there
and he hears what's happening, he says, is there not a cause? Is there not a cause to
take away the reproach of Israel? That is what it says in the Bible. That this man found
in that place at that time, even though it wasn't for him to do, because there are much
more capable people in the land, he said, is there not a cause? And so one of the things
that the Holy Spirit desires in us is this, that we are so consumed by this reality. What
is this reality? That there is a cause which Christ has already made so clear to us. That
even though it is everything around us tries to tell us it is okay, that when we walk into
a grocery store or wherever we are at, we are surrounded by people who need Christ.
And that is the cause. If I don't have that, then I don't need boldness. But if I have
that, then God knows I need it. Yeah? So it's almost a prerequisite. I cannot ask him, God,
give me courage and boldness, when if that is not my cause. Now, the reality is this,
everyone sitting here, we have it. We know what the cause is. It's very clear to us.
We have heard that enough. We have understood it. We know it. We can all say, Matthew 28,
19. We can even quote other scriptures to communicate to other believers what this thing
is and how they ought to be. We can do that. But having the cause is one thing. There is
another thing which is conviction. Now, those who wrestle with the cause, they develop conviction.
Understanding 28, 19 is one thing. But then when I wrestle with 28, 19 and say, God, is
this what you want? Why? How? When? Conviction develops. And that conviction is so important
for the Spirit of God. Because I'm a willing participant, like I said before. So on one
hand, the Spirit of God gives me conviction, but there is also a need for me to wrestle
with what he has already said. And the reality is this, like I said that while all of us
know it, how can we all be so consumed? How can we all be so convicted by this? So convicted
by this. I wonder sometimes there are days when I feel so convicted about this and then
there are days when I am somewhere and I just want to do something else. Because I feel
like I've done enough or I feel like, yeah, now is the break time. But I feel like I'm
not. That is not how it ought to be. That always 24, 7, this is what I carry. That I'm
consumed by what he has already given me as my mandate 24, 7. Any questions? Because as
much as we want the courage and the boldness in the Spirit, we can't really walk in it
truthfully if we don't have the cause. And even if we have that, if we have not developed
the conviction, then it doesn't go together. We need conviction. We need to know why this
is important. And the recent conviction is something you develop. On one hand, Christ
gives you through his Holy Spirit this conviction, but it is also something you have to steward.
You have to nurture it. You have to work with it. You have to wrestle with it. And this,
I tell you, is important. Because if you think and if I think that we are rising up
to advance the kingdom of God, we must take time. We must take time to wrestle with that
word. Why did Jesus say what he said? We know it here, but it has to then travel the 18
inch journey from here to here. That it is not head knowledge we pass on to others. It
is this reality, which is why, see, we all know this. There are times when someone comes
to us and we know this person needs Christ. It's so easy to say. I just wanted you to
know, you know, Jesus loves you. Jesus is so real. I want you to know that Jesus will
help you. And you walk away because, yeah, you said what needed to be said. You may have
quoted even 15 scriptures. But that's one thing. There is another thing, which is to
look at the man and even without him knowing, see how Jesus sees him. And the love of Christ
then compels you not to just say a thing and move on, but to stay. But to look at him.
But to recognize who he is and then speak what the Holy Spirit births into your being.
It is a completely different thing. We sometimes become so proficient in our Christianity that
we know what the gospel is. But the gospel must be something we wrestle with. And those
who wrestle with the gospel, those who spend time to look at it, to understand it, to say,
God, I want to get to the bottom of this. I want to go so deep in it that my entire
being gets consumed by it. That is a different type of people. Otherwise, we are Christian-ies
The other thing is sons and daughters of the Father, which is what the firstborn in
that house of the prodigal did not have. He did not have the heart of the Father. He knew
everything. He knew there was a son gone. He knew that, you know, this and that. But
what he did not have is the heart of the Father. How can I have the heart of the Father? How
can you have the heart of the Father? Unless we wrestle, unless we are with him, unless
we spend time with him, it is impossible to have fully. And now even after we have
received it, it is something that must be stewarded. See, I know what I am saying is
so real, because we can all say the gospel easily. But to be convicted by the gospel
every day as you go about your affairs is another thing. It is an entirely another thing.
And that is something Christ wants us to have, because all of the Holy Spirit is real, in
his reality wants to impart that to me. And I can have it easily. All I need to do is
spend time working with that word. Why? Why, Abba? I know it here. Bring it here, Abba.
Have it move from here to here. That I am not about saying a few things and saying it
right, but I am about getting your heart. Once you are not about saying it right, when
you are more about getting his heart, that's good. Otherwise we want the right words. We
want to say it right. We don't want to look foolish. Who cares? Who cares if I then go
to Jonathan and say whatever I say, but he goes away because the power of the Holy Spirit
worked through me and he understood the reality of gospel in five seconds in the words that
I spoke. Otherwise I can sit there, stand there, talk to him for 20 minutes because
I am with all my head knowledge trying to convince him something, but he doesn't get
it. This is why the first century church was different. And we now, together with the
mandate that God has given us, let's be different. So one, we talked about is there not a cause?
Two, we talked about those who have wrestled with the cause develop conviction. Now, when
we talk about the spirit of the Spirit, and I want to give a very quick detour. The response
of the flesh to opposition and threats is fear. But the response of the Spirit is boldness
and joy. So when there is opposition and fear hurled at you, at the church, the natural
the church the natural response in the flesh is fear but the response from the
Spirit of God is not fear it is courage boldness and then joy which is important
because we don't put those things in the same sentence when we talk about
advancement but here is what Jesus said through the Bible when Apostle Paul
writes here is what he said about the kingdom what is the kingdom of God it
is not eating and drinking but it is righteousness peace and joy and so you
see kingdom the word itself if you were to just put it here kingdom means
conflict we have heard about that a few times here and so within that context of
kingdom there is righteousness there is peace and there is joy see joy is a
weapon it is something that God gives us to use in the midst of fear in the midst
of confusion in the midst of threats he gives us a weapon and that weapon is
also called joy which is why somewhere in Psalm 35 or somewhere there it says
who comes in the morning joy comes in the morning and all of heaven so let's
assume Jonathan sorry today you're sitting in the front so let's assume
Jonathan wakes up here's the reality as Jonathan opens his eyes who comes the
Holy Spirit has brought joy to him already now does he realize that or not
is his deal do I realize that or not is my deal but what the Holy Spirit wants
is Derek can you touch joy today it doesn't matter what's happening around
you but this morning I have delivered this greater kingdom reality to you that
in the midst of threats in the midst of pain in the midst of confusion I have a
weapon that I want you to use weapon joy we don't think like that but it is
the kingdom of God is made of not eating and drinking but righteousness
right standing with God peace will cover it another day and joy we must which is
why I think last week Tony was talking about Paul and Silas that these guys
were in the prison what are they doing it's not worship guys it's worship
that's born out of joy otherwise we think they're singing songs no no no it's
the internal conviction that floors flows outside of them through this music
songs clapping worship but what they have inside of them is this reality of
joy it is a different thing that we should spend more time about because
this is so critical to get somehow we we often think of joy as this that's not
that important because there are so many other important things to look at no it
is strength it's a weapon that's why God says rejoice rejoice rejoice rejoice
rejoice rejoice rejoice because when you rejoice there is something that happens
inside of you you say yes to what God says irrespective of what's happening
around you rejoice rejoice and one thing we must do is to learn how to be
more joyful without manufacturing it without faking it without somehow trying
to piece it all together trust the Holy Spirit to make us more joyful like
legitimate genuine true sincere joy because here's the other thing you
cannot represent Christ well and fully if you're not joyful I don't know if you
know this but there is this guy who who got born again and was so mad about the
cause of Jesus that he goes to the store where he works and a lady walks in at
9 a.m. and he says if you're not born again if you don't know Christ you're
going to be thrown into hell and so somehow the other employees hear about
what happened at 9 a.m. just as the store opened and they all reported what
happened to the boss the boss comes and he says what did you do Randy like you
should have never done that no one wants here it is is that's going to happen to
you too if you don't know what's the point because the message is right but
it's there is no the only objective there is to communicate it doesn't have
the heart and these things are rare in the world but the church must always
have it and when the church has it it will show not fake joy but real yeah so
let's go through a few other things we'll finish on time I'm telling it to
myself
son allow my joy to touch your past your present your future and that's also true
because see you can only have true joy when your past as you look at it is
covered in Thanksgiving it doesn't matter that yes there are scars yes
there are things that you wish were different but you must be able to look
back at your past and say thank you you must then be able to look at your
present and it must be marked by his presence and then you must be able to
look at your future and you must be able to say I've given it to you I trust you
you're good you're faithful and you'll see that your future is painted by his
promises when all these three things are done it is natural to have joy and so I
look at my past yeah there are things where I wish it was different but that's
okay he's got it now you say thank you you look at your present and you see his
presence has now marked it right now he's marking your presence your present
today he's it's marked by his presence and then you look at the future and you
have questions you still have things that you're not sure about but that is
okay because you look at your future and with the conviction that the Spirit of
God has given you you look at it and say I can see you being painted by his
promises and when you have those three then you say I have joy it's real that
is genuine that is sincere because all of your life has now been covered by
him so that let's get back to okay let's get back to what I wrote down here is
progressive boldness but doesn't really matter what the subtitle is there are
five or six types of boldness that I want to cover one to believe you see
this in rehab rehab in Joshua chapter 2 is a lady who should not even be in the
Bible if we are all going by what we have done but thank you because we don't
go by what we have done we go by what he has done and so you find rehab in
chapter 2 of the book of in the book of Joshua and you read this about rehab
that she heard about this God that did something miraculous somewhere else and
she was convicted that this God is a real God and that anything and
everything that happened in Jericho is not the real stuff and so she said uh-huh
if you guys came from that land and if you guys came here representing that God
then I'm gonna say I'm gonna give you hospitality I'm gonna have you guys be
hidden here because I trust in that God so to believe you need boldness in the
midst of opposition you must believe who he is in the midst of opposition can
you believe that this is the same God who split the sea open that when the
devil tries with all its deceit true to then bring these words of confusion to
you you say I have been given the boldness to stand the boldness to
believe I believe in who he is just like guys I talked about earlier we take time
to wrestle with what God has given in terms of the gospel in terms of his
cause so that it develops true conviction inside of us one thing we
must do is to spend time thinking and seeing and hearing who he really is we
think we know our God we think we've understood him but if you were to sit
down at his feet and say what does David even mean in Psalm 18 what is he talking
about what is he talking about about him coming on the clouds what is he
talking about that from his nostrils come what is can't get someone read some
18 real quick only if you can read it real quick
I can go there too
see it's so important that we think about these things differently otherwise
we fall trap to familiarity here is what David wrote then the earth reeled and
rocked the foundations also the mountains trembled and quaked because he
was angry smoke went up from his nostrils and devouring fire from his
mouth glowing coals flamed forth from him he bowed the heavens and came down
thick darkness was under his feet and then it goes on what is what is he
talking about because we all have our extent of understanding of God and all
of us are in different places with it one thing that we must do is to in in
times of fellowship with him also ask him to show you more of who he is
because otherwise we will live good Christian ease life for 70 80 years
without having understood what this is and God says when a son or a daughter
comes to him and says ABBA I really want to know haha you will know this morning
prefer the second thought we've already gotten used to the first thought because
just as you read that you know exactly what it means that's why we don't read
it again we go back to it the next time you read it but preferring the second
thought which is hold on hold on what is this I want to touch it father I want to
understand this father it changes it which is what rehab did she heard many
others heard it too but she said hold on I ain't going past what I just heard
right now and sleep no I have to think about what I just heard you think she
was the only one who heard no others heard it too but there was something
about rehab that insisted no I'm gonna go deeper that insisted that I want to
learn more and anytime you and I say about teach me he teaches me next
boldness to perceive who you are this is so important
X chapter 2 boldness to perceive who you are
if you want to write down this is accept the to 14 through 21 the whole idea is
this the Spirit of God came down powerfully and the believers have been
filled with the Holy Spirit all of a sudden when people started mocking what
was happening Peter rises up he stands up and he goes straight back to Joel
chapter 2 to perceive what God is doing and more importantly also to perceive
who you are in the story of God is very important we don't think like that
sometimes because we are all about about who are you in this we also need to know
who we are in this otherwise we miss our roles Peter understood that there is a
reason why Jesus said what he said when he said I have given you the keys to the
kingdom Jesus said that back then and Jesus reminded him again in mark chapter
16 and then now you see Peter just as the Holy Spirit came down the first
response is not all that good because now people are saying you guys just
drank a bunch of new wine and that's why you're doing all of this he rises up he
recognizes that this place this time has been reserved for him to rise up it is
important that on one hand we recognize who God is at the same time we need need
to also recognize who you are and I am it is deeply important because once you
realize his power in you once you realize how see he sees you everything
changes everything changes this is so real guys I I tell you this is so
important to know who you are in Christ it is so important for you to know who
you are in Christ it is deeply important you need to know who Christ is then you
need to know who you are in Christ once you have the understanding true
understanding of who you are in Christ things begin to change the way you stand
up changes the way you sit down changes the way you walk the streets changes
everything changes once you realize who you are in Christ because he did not
create us to be just somebody's our father is one who does not have unplanned
kids he does not have unplanned kids he is one father who does not have unplanned
kids meaning when I was formed he has plans when you were formed he has plans
it is not planned it is plans plural which means then those plans recognize I
must recognize I must see where I met in those plans once I recognize that then
my understanding of who I am in him changes drastically changes so important
otherwise we become like light that's covered is there light yes is it covered
yes and understanding this takes that lid off because we realize who we are in
Christ third
boldness to refuse I won't explain that much references Daniel chapter 3 16
sometimes you need power to not sometimes you need in life the power to
say no the boldness to say no
one thing that we can do sometimes is when we have a theme like this talked
about at in church on Sundays it seems like this is about the church advancing
and it is we can fall into the trap of thinking these things don't apply to our
individual lives all of these things super apply to our individual lives
outside of Richmond and it applies to everything that God wants to do as a
church it's true and so the power to say no the boldness to say no is something
that the Spirit of God gives and it is important in these times to sometimes
look at something and say no I refuse it I refuse it I refuse to go down that
path which I don't want to explain today because we all know the story of
Shadrach, Mesheke, and Abednego and what they did but I just wanted to flag that is
one of the things that we as believers are given by the Holy Spirit boldness to
stand boldness to stand next one first Chronicles chapter 11 12 first
Chronicles 11 12 hey Brandon you don't need to bring it up now but the the
slides v2 just have it ready thanks not now okay first Chronicles chapter 11 12
this is one of the three mighty men of David his name is Eliezer a beautiful
picture and may this picture never leave your mind there is an army coming but
there is Israelites have this land and it's it's it's it's filled with barley
yeah and everyone else on the Israelite side has run away but there is one man
standing his name is Elias Eliezer and he's standing right in the middle and he
wars when even when people leave God gives power to stand and it is important
that we have it which is why you know that song from Nagaland though no one
yes don't don't no one join me still I will follow that is what we are about
that it doesn't matter who it is with you who it is not with you that you are
so compelled by this truth so much so that you will stand up that you will say
no that you will say yes to his ways and no to the ways that are not from him
yeah last couple of things boldness to witness and then boldness to preach
boldness to witness and the point after that is boldness to preach Acts chapter
3 if you read that you'll see this one you know again with all these these
things that I'm talking it's very natural to think that well this is about
standing up and preaching the gospel to 500 people on the street side if you do
that it is good there is nothing wrong with it it's a good thing to do as long
as we do it the right way but this is beyond that this is living out the
gospel and what Peter and John did in Acts chapter 3 was not any of these
things first because they were walking to the temple when they saw this guy and
all they wanted to do was because they felt compelled to witness who Christ is
they witnessed to him because they had already been witnesses of his power and
of his healing might which they transferred onto this man who was needy
that's all they did so there is the boldness to witness that if I know that
this is who God is then before even I preach sometimes before even I say
anything anything with my word do I have the boldness to look at the situation
and say Christ is enough to heal this man Christ is enough to heal this woman
and then in that case because a miracle happened they also found room to preach
they weren't going to preach because it happened a lot of people came together
and said oh okay what's going on and then they preached the gospel see in
all of these things one thing is clear that the Spirit of God has certain
things that he has always done with the church that we can easily have and there
is no magic trick to it there is no five steps to it that this is the reality
that he wants this for us all we need to do is work with him desire this and then
this is our portion what I'm going to show you next is something that I came
across while sitting down to to prepare for the sermons I otherwise wouldn't
but I just want you to see something that I saw in the word and get something
from it just so that it gives us a fresh insight I really believe that nothing in
the word is placed in the word by chance everything in the word of God is placed
there to inform me educate me give me ways to live well righteousness all
these things that then in the New Testament it's talked about everything is
birthed by God we cannot take any story and anything in the Bible and say well
that's a story now everything is placed there for a reason it's life-giving so
for that reason I want to brand if you can bring this up please is that V2 go
go forward okay so there's this guy in second Chronicles chapter 20 I had
read the story before but this time when I read this something stood out and it
reminded me very quickly as a Reddit of another passage in the Bible what had
happened here is if you just listen to me and then I'll show you what the
slides are see Jehoshaphat is the king and he finds out there are three types
of three armies coming to fight him and the natural response was fear oh wow
there are three armies coming to fight but what he does is he he asked God what
to do and here is what he does see oh you can't yeah you can see it so you can
see in verse 6 it says he is now talking to God Oh Lord God of our fathers are
you not God in heaven you rule over all the kingdoms of the nations in your
right in your hand of power and might so that none is able to withstand you this
is a key see when we face opposition and trial it is so important to first
recognize who God is this is why I said what I said before that we must all
regardless of us being new to faith perhaps and only being in faith and for
six months versus someone who has been in faith for 50 years we must all take
time to be with God to learn his magnificence his bigness his might his
power it is so important that part is deeply important for the work of God
through us it is absolutely important that we must know him beyond almighty
almighty is good but there is something beyond almighty a deep understanding of
what almighty means and this man had it when he said something like this you
rule over all the kingdoms of the nations in your hand our power and might
so that none is able to withstand you yes there are three armies coming
against me but no one is able to withstand you one number two he then
recognizes what God has already done and said so did you not our God drive out
the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it forever to the
descendants of Abraham your friend you see what he is doing without reading the
next verse verses what he is doing is he started with recognizing who God is
immediately he goes to God did you not say this did you not do this next slide
okay then he goes to the present reality when he says God now behold the men of
Amon and Moab and Mount Seir whom you would not let Israel invade when they
came from the land of Egypt and whom they avoided and did not destroy so now
he says here's what's happening but before he said what was happening he
started with who God is then he moved on to what God has already said what God
has already done and then he says this is my present reality and then he goes
on to pray what he needed pray for what he needed okay this is second Chronicles
chapter 20 I was reading this passage and then immediately I realized that
this is Acts chapter 4 so go to ask can you go to the next slide and and and
yeah next slide and then one after okay sorry yes go back thanks Brandon okay so
here acts have to for what's happening except for you now have the same
situation instead of three armies now the people of God the first century
church is faced with severe threat and opposition what do they do they do this
they pray together sovereign Lord who made the heaven and the earth and the
sea and everything in them what is it one before anything else recognizing who
God is see guys the victorious life that Christ has given for us to live on earth
is rooted in who he is it's rooted in who he is when we say you're the Lord of
heaven and of earth what do we mean by that let's go deeper to realize that
there is no power nothing that is beyond his control everything that is created
is created by him second or Colossians chapter 1 everything that is created is
created by him and so you see this pattern in the scripture where they go
back to who God is before making any requests because once you know that
something changes once you know who God is something shifts when I see him
accurately inside of me his spirit will help me understand aha Derek yes this is
real opposition but let me tell you who I am because there is nothing that is
too impossible for him everything is possible for him second thing here again
in Acts chapter 4 you see this what did God say what did God do so now he they
say did you not through the mouth of our father David your servant said by the
Holy Spirit why did the Gentiles rate essentially quoting accepted or some to
that's all he's doing some to God did you not say this already did you not do
this already and then next slide then they say the present reality then they
ask God for boldness and then in the next verse they launch out in the gift
that God already gave them it says they were filled with boldness and then they
went on to proclaim the good news of God what am I saying with all these things
we can't shift our focus away from who God is in all these things one thing
that's primary is who is he who is he who is he his father his king his Lord
his creator and then to say ABBA I want to know you so much more I want to I
know you deeper I want to be like David who saw certain things that he and
others did not perhaps see I want to be like others who have experienced things
from you that I haven't experienced I want more I'm not satisfied with one I'm
not satisfied with two show me who you really are help see my father and your
father is someone when you and I go to him and say more he will reveal more
some things he has already kept in secret just so that we can ask and those
who ask will find it Proverbs it says it's a glory of God to conceal things
it is for us to go and ask and then to find it but it and even better not even
better the second part of it is Deuteronomy 29 29 where it actually says
that which you have found that God had kept secret which has now been revealed
to you that is now for yours that is now yours forever and your generations
that the awareness of God that he gives me is now for generations after that the
awareness of God that he gives you please read sorry I don't have can
someone read a Deuteronomy 29 29
the secret things belong to the Lord our God but the things revealed belong to
us and and to our generations forever you see this so we always go back to who
our goddess and then we say and understand see and understand and believe
what he has already said and done and then from that place we ask for more
boldness the boldness to advance he then gives it so that we can launch into
things that he has given us in the face of fear and then without it yeah
so Jesus we we don't want to live life to accumulate head knowledge we don't
want to live life to hear and hear again to simply hear and hear again we want to
experience kingdom realities here on earth that you have already kept as
inheritance for your church and so today I say this Jesus show us your
magnificence show us your glory Abba you are ruler of heaven and earth creator
you gave yourself the name I am who I am every other name points to something
you are I am who I am Holy Spirit there is no one like you you hovered over the
face of the earth and then you now fill us and so help us as a people to know
you more to not be Christians but to be sons and daughters to walk in our
inheritance Lord we ask you that you will give us understanding and wisdom
that you will cause us to be truly convicted by your cause convicted that we
would wrestle with what you have said and that you will impart to us your heart
that we carry then your heart as we go out into the world that this becomes not
a reality for some days but an ever-present state of our being that we
are always consumed by who you are and what you want so that we partner with
you in your work Jesus we desire this sincerely we ask this of you today and
we pray that you grant this to us in Jesus name Amen