WEBVTT NOTE Podcast: Acts 29 Vancouver Episode: Prevailing Church : Weaponry Publishing Date: 2018-05-13T06:00:44-07:00 Podcast URL: https://acts29.ca Episode URL: https://acts29.ca/prevailing-church-weaponry/ 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:01.860 losses on the enemy. 00:00:01.860 --> 00:00:07.220 That a church, as soon as you use the word prevailing, means that it's a church that 00:00:07.220 --> 00:00:12.460 engages, battles, endures, and overcomes, and therefore prevailing churches inflict 00:00:12.460 --> 00:00:14.300 losses on the enemy. 00:00:14.300 --> 00:00:20.300 Matthew 16, 18, we said, says, and Jesus said this, that the gates of hell shall not prevail 00:00:20.300 --> 00:00:21.420 against the church. 00:00:21.420 --> 00:00:23.740 So we inflict losses on the enemy. 00:00:23.740 --> 00:00:25.020 That's what we said last week. 00:00:25.240 --> 00:00:32.440 And we said to inflict loss is to restore what is stolen, to consolidate or strengthen 00:00:32.440 --> 00:00:39.120 what is restored, and to sentence the one who stole. 00:00:39.120 --> 00:00:40.840 That's inflicting losses. 00:00:40.840 --> 00:00:42.320 Inflicting losses has three parts. 00:00:42.320 --> 00:00:49.000 The first part is you restore what is stolen, and then you go and consolidate or strengthen 00:00:49.000 --> 00:00:51.640 what has been repossessed. 00:00:52.540 --> 00:00:56.540 And then the third part is someone stole. 00:00:56.540 --> 00:00:59.340 Someone needs to be punished for it. 00:00:59.340 --> 00:01:01.380 So the thief needs to be punished. 00:01:01.380 --> 00:01:06.580 These are the three parts that are involved in inflicting losses, and prevailing churches 00:01:06.580 --> 00:01:13.540 learn how to do this in lives, in situations, in cities, in nations. 00:01:13.540 --> 00:01:17.540 And not too many of these churches exist, so our hope is that one day we can grow into 00:01:17.540 --> 00:01:19.540 being like this. 00:01:22.580 --> 00:01:26.900 The other thing we said last week was when you inflict losses, make sure that you don't 00:01:26.900 --> 00:01:29.620 suffer collateral damage. 00:01:29.620 --> 00:01:35.220 So we talked about four or five things that we have to take care of if we want to inflict 00:01:35.220 --> 00:01:39.180 loss on the enemy without being affected by the enemy. 00:01:39.180 --> 00:01:45.500 And some of the things we mentioned were pride, order, being part of the body, not continuing 00:01:45.500 --> 00:01:48.460 in evil habits, and listening to the prophetic. 00:01:48.460 --> 00:01:50.100 So we talked about that last week. 00:01:50.100 --> 00:01:55.360 Then we said that we are up against an enemy who is a man of war. 00:01:55.360 --> 00:01:58.160 Goliath was called a man of war. 00:01:58.160 --> 00:01:59.600 He is skilled in battle. 00:01:59.600 --> 00:02:06.280 This is what he's been doing since the beginning of the earth, or even slightly before that. 00:02:06.280 --> 00:02:07.840 He is a man of war. 00:02:07.840 --> 00:02:12.560 There is a shout in the enemy's camp, meaning he has a demonic horde that is very encouraged 00:02:12.560 --> 00:02:19.260 by sometimes the small battles that they win, even though they know the war is lost. 00:02:19.260 --> 00:02:24.380 And there is a relentlessness in the enemy's assault, and it's meant to wear us down. 00:02:24.380 --> 00:02:25.380 We said that. 00:02:25.380 --> 00:02:31.320 Then we said that the prevailing church must rise up, like David did, to stand before the 00:02:31.320 --> 00:02:36.260 men of Israel and say to them, let no man's heart fail because of Goliath. 00:02:36.260 --> 00:02:37.780 Your servant will go and fight. 00:02:37.780 --> 00:02:39.100 That's what Goliath said. 00:02:39.100 --> 00:02:43.380 And we need to say that for the sake of others, not for our own sakes. 00:02:43.380 --> 00:02:47.760 And then the final thing we said last week was you can only go and fight if you've been 00:02:48.000 --> 00:02:49.440 going out and fighting. 00:02:49.440 --> 00:02:53.600 You can only go out and fight if you've been going out and fighting. 00:02:53.600 --> 00:02:57.720 You can only go out and fight if you've been going out and fighting. 00:02:57.720 --> 00:03:03.600 Meaning if you have dealt with the lion and the bear and have snatched sheep out of the 00:03:03.600 --> 00:03:10.560 mouth of lions and bears, then you can snatch Israel out of the mouth of Goliath. 00:03:10.560 --> 00:03:16.920 The only way you can go out and fight is if you have been going out and fighting, and 00:03:16.920 --> 00:03:23.200 that then gives us a starting point saying, oh God, teach us, train our hands to war. 00:03:23.200 --> 00:03:26.040 Not for our own sakes, but for the sake of others. 00:03:26.040 --> 00:03:28.400 So that's where we finished last week. 00:03:28.400 --> 00:03:34.080 So now we start this time's teaching and there'll be some left over from last week. 00:03:34.080 --> 00:03:37.800 Guys, most Christian warfare doesn't look like fighting. 00:03:37.800 --> 00:03:40.920 Most Christian warfare doesn't look like fighting. 00:03:40.920 --> 00:03:47.720 It looks like proclaiming, praying, praising, prophesying, and planting seeds from the spirit 00:03:47.720 --> 00:03:49.600 into lives, into situations. 00:03:49.600 --> 00:03:50.960 So it doesn't look like fighting. 00:03:50.960 --> 00:03:53.360 So most Christian warfare looks like praying. 00:03:53.360 --> 00:03:57.880 Man, this is such a manly color. 00:03:57.880 --> 00:04:20.720 Praising, proclaiming, planting seeds of the spirit into lives, situations, cities, nations. 00:04:20.720 --> 00:04:22.720 That's what it looks like. 00:04:22.720 --> 00:04:25.480 That's what Christian warfare looks like. 00:04:26.440 --> 00:04:32.840 And therefore, if you notice, everything involves this whole thing of using your mouth. 00:04:32.840 --> 00:04:37.080 And therefore, it is the one thing that the enemy wants to take away from churches. 00:04:37.080 --> 00:04:43.280 If I can get them to be Canadian, that's all I need to do. 00:04:43.280 --> 00:04:49.560 If I can help subdue their voice, and I've said this a million times and we'll do another 00:04:49.560 --> 00:04:50.560 million. 00:04:50.560 --> 00:04:55.120 If I can subdue their voice, if I can help them to be orderly, if I can help them not 00:04:55.120 --> 00:04:58.960 to get excited or raise their voices or speak, then I have them. 00:04:58.960 --> 00:05:05.840 Because everything that is a form of warfare in Christianity needs speaking. 00:05:05.840 --> 00:05:17.720 And therefore, we said last time that words are the delivery mechanism. 00:05:17.720 --> 00:05:31.160 Words are the delivery mechanism and the word, as in the word of God, is your primary weapon. 00:05:31.160 --> 00:05:35.160 Words are your delivery mechanism and the word is your primary weapon. 00:05:35.160 --> 00:05:42.400 We saw this with Jesus when he confronted Satan one-on-one in the wilderness where every 00:05:42.400 --> 00:05:46.560 time the devil came up with something, be it an assault or a temptation, the intent 00:05:46.560 --> 00:05:49.680 was, I'll use words and I will use the word. 00:05:49.680 --> 00:05:58.800 So the words become your delivery mechanism and the word becomes your primary weapon. 00:05:58.800 --> 00:06:04.880 We said last time that when words are wielded well, and how do we wield words well? 00:06:04.880 --> 00:06:11.800 By dividing it correctly, meaning knowing what the Bible says, by adding faith to it 00:06:11.920 --> 00:06:16.600 and exerting authority. 00:06:16.600 --> 00:06:22.080 That's how we wield the word well. 00:06:22.080 --> 00:06:26.400 By dividing it correctly, meaning I need to know what the word says about a situation. 00:06:26.400 --> 00:06:30.840 I then need to mix that with faith because in Hebrews chapter 4, the promises of God 00:06:30.840 --> 00:06:35.680 did Israel no good because it did not mix the promise of God with faith. 00:06:35.680 --> 00:06:42.080 So it is inadequate to know the promises of God. 00:06:42.080 --> 00:06:47.200 Now I have to take the promises of God and mix it with because I trust who you are, oh 00:06:47.200 --> 00:06:51.360 God, I know these words will come to pass and I will speak them. 00:06:51.360 --> 00:06:53.720 And then the final thing is authority. 00:06:53.720 --> 00:07:02.040 If faith is trust in God, authority is the place you have in God to know that everything 00:07:02.440 --> 00:07:08.880 you are Jesus, you are for the sake of the church and you have delegated to me authority 00:07:08.880 --> 00:07:11.400 over all the power of the enemy. 00:07:11.400 --> 00:07:17.480 And it is your desire and pleasure that I go and fulfill Isaiah 61, 1-3, which your 00:07:17.480 --> 00:07:22.560 son started and has included me in finishing. 00:07:22.560 --> 00:07:29.560 What is Isaiah 61, verse 1-3 says, the spirit of the Lord is upon me for he has sent me 00:07:29.560 --> 00:07:35.000 to proclaim the good news to the poor, to proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening 00:07:35.000 --> 00:07:40.960 of prison doors, to proclaim the favor of the Lord, to proclaim comfort to those who 00:07:40.960 --> 00:07:41.960 mourn. 00:07:41.960 --> 00:07:47.680 There is so much a proclamation in three verses and you suddenly realize that words are the 00:07:47.680 --> 00:07:53.360 delivery mechanism and the word is your primary weapon and if that can be taken away from 00:07:53.360 --> 00:08:00.920 us, then we have nothing else to use. 00:08:00.920 --> 00:08:04.160 The other thing that we've talked about in the past and we need to be made aware of is 00:08:04.160 --> 00:08:07.120 that the spirit world is always listening. 00:08:07.120 --> 00:08:12.240 Since the spirit world does not sleep, the spirit world is always listening and if the 00:08:12.240 --> 00:08:19.880 spirit world is always listening, then they look to see what your delivery mechanism delivers. 00:08:20.880 --> 00:08:23.560 Because they can work with what we say. 00:08:23.560 --> 00:08:25.960 This is not a name it, claim it thing. 00:08:25.960 --> 00:08:28.800 Like I said, the word is your primary weapon. 00:08:28.800 --> 00:08:33.760 Everything you say must align with God's intent and nature, not even his word. 00:08:33.760 --> 00:08:37.680 You cannot look at the word without looking at God's nature. 00:08:37.680 --> 00:08:41.400 Anytime a person tries to understand the word without understanding God's nature, he will 00:08:41.400 --> 00:08:44.840 get it wrong. 00:08:44.840 --> 00:08:48.360 But once you know his nature, the word becomes clearer. 00:08:48.360 --> 00:08:51.440 Because you can interpret Greek any which way you want, but if you don't interpret 00:08:51.440 --> 00:08:56.760 the nature of God, your Greek will lead you askew. 00:08:56.760 --> 00:09:02.000 You'll get whacked in your glabella. 00:09:02.000 --> 00:09:05.600 I like the sound of that word. 00:09:05.600 --> 00:09:13.480 So because the spirit world is always listening, what is your delivery mechanism delivering? 00:09:13.480 --> 00:09:16.480 Because they're always listening. 00:09:19.360 --> 00:09:28.280 And then we said that the word is a double-edged sword, Hebrews 412, and it is strategy for 00:09:28.280 --> 00:09:29.280 fighting the enemy. 00:09:29.280 --> 00:09:32.600 We talked about this last week where we said on one hand it's like a machete that cuts 00:09:32.600 --> 00:09:39.200 both ways and so you can use it as the spirit of God directs where I love it in Psalm 103 00:09:39.200 --> 00:09:45.040 and Psalm 105 or 7 when it says that he sent his word and healed our diseases, that my 00:09:45.040 --> 00:09:51.680 word goes forth and does not come back void, that I watch over my word to perform it. 00:09:51.680 --> 00:09:54.940 So there is a sending out of the word. 00:09:54.940 --> 00:10:01.220 And then there are stories in the Bible which are meant to be strategies that we use. 00:10:01.220 --> 00:10:03.400 Stories in the Bible that are strategies that we use. 00:10:03.400 --> 00:10:11.880 There is a deliberate reason why Elijah lies over the boy and hand-to-hand, mouth-to-mouth 00:10:11.880 --> 00:10:13.700 and causes him to come back to life. 00:10:13.700 --> 00:10:23.220 There is a deliberate reason why Elijah or Elisha asks Naaman to dip himself in the river 00:10:23.220 --> 00:10:24.380 seven times. 00:10:24.380 --> 00:10:25.980 There are deliberate reasons. 00:10:25.980 --> 00:10:30.900 These were stories or principles in the book of Leviticus that prophets would borrow and 00:10:30.900 --> 00:10:33.280 say we know what this meant then. 00:10:33.280 --> 00:10:37.980 Now I'm going to use this as a parable to bring to pass what God wants to bring to pass. 00:10:37.980 --> 00:10:44.740 There is a reason why Peter sends everyone out when Dorcas is dead and brings her back 00:10:44.740 --> 00:10:46.780 to life. 00:10:46.780 --> 00:10:52.060 Some of the acts that you see in the book of Acts are things that are drawn from stories 00:10:52.060 --> 00:10:56.380 in the Old Testament. 00:10:56.380 --> 00:11:00.600 And so in the same way now we have a greater treasury because we got both the Old and the 00:11:00.600 --> 00:11:04.220 New Testament and many of those stories are meant to be examples that we are supposed 00:11:04.220 --> 00:11:07.740 to use. 00:11:07.740 --> 00:11:14.060 To bring results and just imagine this every time you break bread we are reenacting the 00:11:14.060 --> 00:11:16.380 death and resurrection of Christ. 00:11:16.380 --> 00:11:20.980 Every time we reenact one of these stories you'd think the demonic realm is not aware 00:11:20.980 --> 00:11:33.580 of what happened the last time this was used. 00:11:33.580 --> 00:11:39.020 I gave you examples last time of ways that we can use stories in the Bible to bring to 00:11:39.020 --> 00:11:45.980 pass things today where we take that example and use it today. 00:11:45.980 --> 00:11:46.980 So I won't repeat it. 00:11:46.980 --> 00:11:51.420 Guys, at the end of the day when we begin to work like this then the jawbone of an ass, 00:11:51.420 --> 00:11:56.700 the jawbone of an ass can become a weapon of mass destruction in your hands. 00:11:57.700 --> 00:12:04.140 fascinating how Samson is now facing a thousand Philistines and he does not know what to do. 00:12:04.140 --> 00:12:05.820 So what does he go and do? 00:12:05.820 --> 00:12:08.900 He sees the jawbone of an ass lying on the ground. 00:12:08.900 --> 00:12:17.620 He picks up the jawbone and then if you notice in Judges chapter 15 verse 16 or 17 while 00:12:17.620 --> 00:12:23.260 Moses is using this jawbone to slaughter a thousand Philistines he is singing. 00:12:23.260 --> 00:12:25.220 Now what's he singing? 00:12:25.220 --> 00:12:30.100 He's singing with the jawbone of an ass I've brought down a thousand Philistines with the 00:12:30.100 --> 00:12:33.980 jawbone of an ass I've brought down a thousand Philistines. 00:12:33.980 --> 00:12:40.060 Man that must have added insult to injury and he slays them all and once he slain them 00:12:40.060 --> 00:12:46.980 all he stopped singing and he throws the jawbone away. 00:12:46.980 --> 00:12:53.620 That man had a problem with lust otherwise he was one of the most amazing leaders in 00:12:53.620 --> 00:12:54.620 Israel. 00:12:54.940 --> 00:13:00.780 If that guy had somehow gotten through being seduced by every second woman who went past 00:13:00.780 --> 00:13:05.100 him he'd have been one of Israel's greatest leaders. 00:13:05.100 --> 00:13:10.020 So he finishes using the jawbone and now he suddenly realizes that man he's been fighting 00:13:10.020 --> 00:13:14.740 for hours so he's super thirsty and so what does he say? 00:13:14.740 --> 00:13:20.820 He says oh God I am so thirsty that I could die here of thirst so would you rather provide 00:13:20.820 --> 00:13:24.660 me water or see the Philistines say that he died of thirst? 00:13:24.660 --> 00:13:31.820 God says I'd rather see you provided water and so there's a rock and God causes water 00:13:31.820 --> 00:13:37.500 to gush out of the rock and he drinks to his heart's content and both in the slaying of 00:13:37.500 --> 00:13:42.500 a thousand Philistines with the jawbone of an ass and with having his thirst slaked what 00:13:42.500 --> 00:13:44.340 did Samson use? 00:13:44.340 --> 00:13:56.940 The power of the spirit of God and words. 00:13:56.940 --> 00:14:04.780 It's in Judges 15 verses 14 to 20 you can read it later. 00:14:04.780 --> 00:14:09.900 Some guys are known for some of their really bad exploits these stories of Samson's get 00:14:09.900 --> 00:14:13.860 left on the roadside because we only remember him carrying the gates on his shoulder and 00:14:13.860 --> 00:14:17.940 then getting killed under a whole lot of pillars but he did so many amazing things 00:14:17.940 --> 00:14:23.940 but what a way for him to go what a shame. 00:14:23.940 --> 00:14:28.940 Any questions before we go on? 00:14:28.940 --> 00:14:34.860 Guys woe is me words are not helpful. 00:14:34.860 --> 00:14:37.400 Not helpful. 00:14:37.400 --> 00:14:41.980 When you feel like woe is me go and call one or two people and talk to them and get the 00:14:42.100 --> 00:14:47.780 woe is me out of you because if you don't you'll woe is me for the next one month catching 00:14:47.780 --> 00:14:51.880 every person that passes along to woe is me. 00:14:51.880 --> 00:14:55.420 It is necessary to express what you feel. 00:14:55.420 --> 00:14:56.780 God is that kind of a God. 00:14:56.780 --> 00:15:01.580 Jesus probably expressed some of his frustrations to Peter, James and John besides his father 00:15:01.580 --> 00:15:07.100 because that was his inner circle so woe is me is fine but after woe is me is done with 00:15:07.100 --> 00:15:14.100 those two or three friends then do not carry it on because the spirit world is always listening. 00:15:14.100 --> 00:15:21.100 Jealousy bitterness envy anger sadness God is not on my side stuff is prayed on by the 00:15:21.260 --> 00:15:25.220 enemy because he knows that this guy is actually beginning to believe it let me provide him 00:15:25.220 --> 00:15:30.220 some more circumstantial evidence. 00:15:30.420 --> 00:15:37.420 This is the relentlessness of Goliath who can come and weary you for 40 days. 00:15:41.620 --> 00:15:46.740 In Psalm 149 verses 6 to 9 there's a remedy for it because we are talking about how to 00:15:46.740 --> 00:15:52.020 be a prevailing church and what our weaponry is and one of the remedies is that the saints 00:15:52.020 --> 00:15:59.020 shall glory in God they shall lie on their beds and they shall engage in high praises 00:15:59.220 --> 00:16:01.900 with a two-edged sword in their hands. 00:16:01.900 --> 00:16:06.820 Again it goes back to this whole idea of using words. 00:16:06.820 --> 00:16:09.060 High praises what are high praises? 00:16:09.060 --> 00:16:11.800 What are high praises? 00:16:11.800 --> 00:16:18.800 What are high praises? 00:16:29.020 --> 00:16:36.020 Okay high praises in your mouth okay character and nature high praises what are high praises? 00:16:44.540 --> 00:16:49.500 Words that come from the heart? 00:16:49.500 --> 00:16:51.420 Declarations of? 00:16:51.420 --> 00:16:52.420 Declarations of his deeds? 00:16:52.420 --> 00:16:57.300 I would take all these things that you've put together and let me give you an example 00:16:57.340 --> 00:17:02.300 in 1 Samuel chapter 4 a strange thing is happening the Philistines have gathered at a place called 00:17:02.300 --> 00:17:09.220 Affek and Israel is there and suddenly the Philistines hear a shout and the shout grows 00:17:09.220 --> 00:17:12.780 louder and louder and the Philistines are wondering what's happening they begin to panic 00:17:12.780 --> 00:17:18.300 a little and then they find out that Israel is shouting because the ark of God has come 00:17:18.300 --> 00:17:23.780 back into their camp from Shiloh and here's what the Philistines say the Philistines say 00:17:24.100 --> 00:17:25.940 what are we going to do? 00:17:25.940 --> 00:17:29.220 God has turned up in their camp. 00:17:29.220 --> 00:17:36.220 High praises are when a people don't necessarily need to shout loud or don't have to be on 00:17:36.780 --> 00:17:43.520 top of a mountain don't have to have instruments but their praises literally cause them to 00:17:43.520 --> 00:17:47.260 recognize that God is suddenly there. 00:17:47.260 --> 00:17:52.420 It is the shout of a king in their camp we sing that song the shout of a king is amongst 00:17:52.420 --> 00:17:57.820 us high praises is when you become aware that oh shucks the king is actually here that's 00:17:57.820 --> 00:18:01.620 what high praises is what would low praises sound like? 00:18:01.620 --> 00:18:06.140 Low praises would sound like you are there and we are here and we will praise you high 00:18:06.140 --> 00:18:13.140 praises is when a people suddenly become aware that the shout of a king is in our midst the 00:18:13.860 --> 00:18:19.340 shout of a king is in our midst and so it says in Psalm 149 that one of the ways you 00:18:19.380 --> 00:18:24.380 undo the enemy one of the ways you inflict losses one of the ways you recover possessions 00:18:24.380 --> 00:18:30.880 and one of the ways you execute judgments upon the enemy is by engaging in high praises 00:18:30.880 --> 00:18:36.420 with a two-edged sword in your hand which is to say guys begin to learn how to have 00:18:36.420 --> 00:18:41.220 the shout of the king in your midst even when you are alone in your home and begin to use 00:18:41.220 --> 00:18:44.620 the word which is your two-edged sword to do what? 00:18:44.620 --> 00:18:50.900 To bind kings and nobles enemy kings and nobles to punish them to execute the written 00:18:50.900 --> 00:18:57.280 judgment to inflict vengeance and loss upon the enemy Psalm 149 6 to 8 I am not adding 00:18:57.280 --> 00:19:04.280 anything to it and then God goes on to say this honor or this privilege do his saints 00:19:04.940 --> 00:19:10.460 have? One of the things that bothered me about the verse it says that these saints lie on 00:19:10.460 --> 00:19:16.180 their bed and they engage in high praises and a two-edged sword and so why on the bed 00:19:16.180 --> 00:19:23.180 why not they walk around and do it? Because if you look at Psalm 41 3 Psalm 6 5 or 3 5 00:19:23.580 --> 00:19:27.660 you will find that whenever David talks about the bed the bed was either a place where someone 00:19:27.660 --> 00:19:32.220 was sick the bed was either a place where someone was weary and mourning or the bed 00:19:32.220 --> 00:19:37.380 was a place where one was absolutely tired and didn't want anything to do and God is 00:19:37.420 --> 00:19:42.020 saying that's not what I call a bed when you begin to engage in high praises with a two-edged 00:19:42.020 --> 00:19:48.540 sword a bed becomes a place where you repose in rest because all your worrying happens 00:19:48.540 --> 00:19:55.540 out of a place of rest it doesn't matter how bad your situation gets Jacob remember Psalm 00:19:55.820 --> 00:20:01.820 149 6 to 8 that you have the ability to be at rest because of who I am and then begin 00:20:01.820 --> 00:20:06.620 to engage in high praises where the shout of the king is in your midst and a two-edged 00:20:06.700 --> 00:20:12.220 sword in your hand and as you begin to use this strange things will begin to happen 00:20:12.220 --> 00:20:19.220 kings and enemies that are coming against you will be bound in fetters you will execute 00:20:19.460 --> 00:20:26.460 written judgments on them I remember this happened about three years ago where I had 00:20:26.700 --> 00:20:33.700 to because of a mistake that was not my own I had to pay back $23,000 in ten days $23,000 00:20:40.220 --> 00:20:46.540 in ten days and that's what I get paid now at Acts 29 but in those days it was different 00:20:46.540 --> 00:20:52.780 and so I was thinking to myself how do I pay $23,000 in ten days and I remember panicking 00:20:52.780 --> 00:20:57.940 because this would affect my credit history it would affect everything it would probably 00:20:57.940 --> 00:21:04.460 affect me for the next seven years and instead of panicking and I would so suggest this to 00:21:04.460 --> 00:21:11.460 you when panic hits withdraw from whatever you're doing if you're at work take an early 00:21:11.460 --> 00:21:18.460 break if you're walking a dog let the dog walk you find a place where you come into 00:21:18.460 --> 00:21:25.460 rest with God withdraw Jesus was good at this he would either do it early morning before 00:21:25.460 --> 00:21:30.060 the disciples woke up or when he would hear really nasty news like when John the Baptist 00:21:30.060 --> 00:21:36.460 got beheaded he would withdraw and why would he withdraw not to sulk he would withdraw 00:21:36.460 --> 00:21:41.460 so that he could align his heart quickly with God because once you do that you're in a place 00:21:41.460 --> 00:21:46.460 of rest and remember doing this and saying okay father so how do I deal with this I'm 00:21:46.460 --> 00:21:51.460 saying okay father so how do I deal with this because for me it's impossible to pay $23,000 00:21:51.460 --> 00:22:00.100 in a in nine days ten days so how do I deal with this and God didn't provide a way of saying this 00:22:00.100 --> 00:22:06.780 is how I'll get you the money or anything of that sort all he said was they will besiege you but 00:22:06.780 --> 00:22:11.940 they will not a shoot a single arrow into your city and that was a scripture from first Chronicles 00:22:12.660 --> 00:22:17.740 that they will besiege you but you they will not enter the city nor will they shoot a single arrow 00:22:17.740 --> 00:22:25.380 I thought I said nuts really so how are you going to do this they will besiege you but they will 00:22:25.380 --> 00:22:30.860 not shoot a single arrow into your city very often God would rather have me see who he is and how he's 00:22:30.860 --> 00:22:38.580 going to do it whenever you ask the question how when where you will get more panicky whenever you 00:22:38.580 --> 00:22:45.740 ask the question who you will be at peace because in that who is all the hows whens and where's but 00:22:45.740 --> 00:22:51.900 when you go after the how when where you always end up being consumed by the how when where and 00:22:51.900 --> 00:22:58.380 your mind can only think so far and therefore you miss out on the who it is never how will you do 00:22:58.380 --> 00:23:04.460 it Oh God it is never when will you do it Oh God it's never where will you do it Oh God it is Lord 00:23:04.460 --> 00:23:17.340 who oh you then you will because you always do when where how will be provided as and when it's 00:23:17.340 --> 00:23:30.380 only the who this is so important day it is only the who and so all I have to do is align my heart 00:23:30.380 --> 00:23:36.860 with the who and not worry about the when where how because the when where how always gets me 00:23:36.860 --> 00:23:48.260 into panic stressed scary impossible need more faith need more prayer need more worship but it's 00:23:48.260 --> 00:24:00.180 always who how do I turn it off a practice I don't know I mean within 10 days I started 00:24:00.180 --> 00:24:10.940 receiving money like crazy like crazy I had 23,000 paid off in nine days I thought to myself can you 00:24:10.940 --> 00:24:20.860 do it again and it didn't happen on the next nine days but that got paid off and then I went on 00:24:20.860 --> 00:24:29.260 Equifax to check my credit score and nothing had been touched man nothing had be touched 00:24:29.260 --> 00:24:39.420 who not when where how any questions any thoughts any additions 00:24:39.420 --> 00:24:52.260 guys we are called to proclaim Liberty to captives open doors to prisoners and to restore 00:24:52.260 --> 00:24:58.660 desolate inheritances what does that mean in simple English it means that if there is a 00:24:58.660 --> 00:25:05.500 situation in your neighbor's life or in anybody else's life that you become aware of where there 00:25:05.500 --> 00:25:10.660 is some form of captivity and we can look at it out in two ways prisoners are sometimes this is 00:25:10.660 --> 00:25:16.060 not always the case this is just for your consideration prisoners and captives perhaps 00:25:16.060 --> 00:25:20.780 there is a small differentiation in this in that prisoners are those that are sentenced because 00:25:20.980 --> 00:25:29.180 of something done because of something done captives are those that are taken prisoner 00:25:29.180 --> 00:25:40.380 and put in bondage regardless Jesus proclaims freedom through you through you by the Spirit 00:25:40.380 --> 00:25:46.500 to both of them and do you think there are people around like this tons and tons you must count it 00:25:46.500 --> 00:25:52.580 a privilege to be able to be released and sent by God to proclaim liberty to the captives and 00:25:52.580 --> 00:25:59.420 open prison doors for those that have been taken prisoner it's your privilege why is it your 00:25:59.420 --> 00:26:06.020 privilege why is it my privilege to find people in Steveston in Langara in Surrey who may be 00:26:06.020 --> 00:26:10.500 prisoners and captives and why is it a privilege because it is God's will that has already been 00:26:10.500 --> 00:26:16.300 enforced in heaven it is God's great desire that every man woman and child be set free God lives 00:26:16.300 --> 00:26:22.460 for freedom he said for freedom I have set you free it is so important freedom is such a core 00:26:22.460 --> 00:26:29.020 value of God that he would rather give you your freedom to choose him or not choose him then take 00:26:29.020 --> 00:26:35.420 it away but freedom is such a core value to God that he would rather send his son to die on a cross 00:26:35.420 --> 00:26:41.420 so that you may receive it this is how important it is and since his will is already enforced in 00:26:41.420 --> 00:26:47.860 heaven he has a deep desire that I go to Langara and Surrey and Steveston to set free sometimes 00:26:47.860 --> 00:26:55.620 situations sometimes peoples sometimes land sometimes cities and sometimes nations because 00:26:55.620 --> 00:27:00.260 it is his will and desire and his will and desire shall prosper in the hands of Christ the only 00:27:00.260 --> 00:27:03.780 question is do you want to partner with Christ he doesn't need you but he wants you 00:27:11.940 --> 00:27:17.980 prisoners are those that may be sentenced as in unforgiveness causes imprisonment the Bible says 00:27:17.980 --> 00:27:23.540 in Matthew chapter 18 that when the man refused to forgive he was cast into prison and given over 00:27:23.540 --> 00:27:31.460 to tormentors jealousy and bitterness caused imprisonment Saul became jealous of David and 00:27:31.460 --> 00:27:40.020 so what happened a distressing spirit came upon him we can set that situation free and then there 00:27:40.020 --> 00:27:44.260 are captives those that have been taken into bondage those that have believed lies one of 00:27:44.260 --> 00:27:52.740 the greatest reasons for captivity is lies one of the greatest reasons for captivity is lies Satan 00:27:52.740 --> 00:27:58.900 uses lies to keep us bound break the lie with truth and the person can be set free without 00:27:58.900 --> 00:28:11.860 casting out demons break the lie with the truth and a person can be set free without casting out 00:28:11.860 --> 00:28:20.700 demons demons hide in principalities and strongholds that are constructed with a set of lies you remove 00:28:20.700 --> 00:28:28.620 that stronghold of principality built in here with lies and demons have nowhere to hide truth is not 00:28:28.620 --> 00:28:37.220 conducive to demonic abode truth is full of light they can't stand it how do you hide in light 00:28:47.620 --> 00:28:53.500 I pray God that we get opportunities to enforce decisions that Jesus has already made in heaven 00:28:53.500 --> 00:28:59.540 where you are sure enjoy where you are sure in peace where you are sure in truth where you 00:28:59.540 --> 00:29:09.060 are sure in healing by banishing or expelling bondages and lies and imprisonment that you get 00:29:09.060 --> 00:29:15.100 an opportunity to do it this week not by casting out demons that can come later but by helping 00:29:15.100 --> 00:29:20.500 those that are imprisoned look for them look for Gideons there are tons of Gideons really nice guys 00:29:20.500 --> 00:29:27.140 really good guys who are in a winepress treading grapes where treading wheat where wine should be 00:29:27.140 --> 00:29:33.220 trodden on where grapes should be trodden on he's in a winepress treading wheat all Gideons 00:29:33.220 --> 00:29:37.740 require is someone to go looking for them and once you find them to be able to bring them out into 00:29:37.740 --> 00:29:44.500 the open raise them in the light and these Gideons then end up shaping nations I thank God for the 00:29:44.500 --> 00:29:50.500 people who had the willingness to come and find me in a wine press bring me out into the light 00:29:50.500 --> 00:29:57.500 teach me and help me to change nations this is what we should be looking for looking for Gideons 00:29:57.500 --> 00:30:05.460 what churches and businesses do is we are good at spotting talent but we rarely go looking for 00:30:05.460 --> 00:30:12.940 Gideons hidden in wine presses spotting talent is easy it's no big deal to know that Mike plays 00:30:12.940 --> 00:30:22.140 the sax duh that is spotting talent and so what do churches and businesses do we either monetize 00:30:22.140 --> 00:30:27.220 the talent or we capitalize on it so we can put him up in the worship team and say you're a great 00:30:27.220 --> 00:30:34.940 blessing to the church keep blowing that sax of yours till the next sax player comes along who's 00:30:34.940 --> 00:30:38.940 better than him and suddenly we send him to Siberia as an evangelist because we got a better 00:30:38.940 --> 00:30:49.660 saxophonist and he can play his sax in Siberia warm people up but the point is this that's spotting 00:30:49.660 --> 00:30:56.460 talent but what if you looked beyond his sax and began to try to discover the treasure within that 00:30:56.460 --> 00:31:04.620 is what God wants from churches and businesses that is what Jesus does if Jesus wanted fish 00:31:04.620 --> 00:31:14.520 Peter was a good guy to pick on but he wasn't looking for fish the greatest affront to God 00:31:14.520 --> 00:31:25.820 the he finds this as a obnoxious insult is when I either disregard or I'm indifferent to your dignity 00:31:25.820 --> 00:31:31.540 and walk past it without giving you dignity or when I give you dignity based on your usefulness 00:31:31.660 --> 00:31:40.860 to me two things that we Christians should never do one I should not be indifferent to conferring on 00:31:40.860 --> 00:31:46.420 your dignity and worse if I'm indifferent to it if I'm if I'm dismissive of you if I disregard your 00:31:46.420 --> 00:31:53.660 dignity it is an obnoxious insult before God it's a personal affront to him because he makes everyone 00:31:53.660 --> 00:31:58.900 in his image so it doesn't matter whether it's someone who's gay or straight but it's someone 00:31:58.980 --> 00:32:04.260 who's brown or black or white it doesn't matter the moment I do that it's like a horrendous 00:32:04.260 --> 00:32:10.140 insult to God and the second thing is when I bestow dignity upon you based on your usefulness 00:32:10.140 --> 00:32:20.660 to me that is horrible before him two things we must avoid I know I'm going off on a track but 00:32:20.660 --> 00:32:25.180 perhaps it'll be important in the places you work in the businesses you run 00:32:32.620 --> 00:32:38.620 that's a soft topic other weapons that we can use guys other weapons we can use righteous 00:32:38.620 --> 00:32:44.380 living is a weapon righteous living is a weapon righteous living is a weapon in Proverbs chapter 00:32:45.260 --> 00:32:52.860 two it says that a man who lives righteously will be delivered from death sometimes you can cast a 00:32:52.860 --> 00:32:57.460 demon out of somebody and the demon comes back seven times stronger and then you cast it out 00:32:57.460 --> 00:33:01.540 again and it comes back seven times stronger and it casts you out again and you'll be needing to 00:33:01.540 --> 00:33:06.700 enjoy casting out demons not realizing that the guy is being ravaged over and over again and that 00:33:06.700 --> 00:33:11.740 what you need to teach the person is righteous living because otherwise all that will happen is 00:33:11.740 --> 00:33:22.980 deliverance ministry righteousness is key to inflicting losses upon the enemy because the 00:33:22.980 --> 00:33:29.980 one thing that Jesus said in John 14 and he said it so brilliantly was that Satan has nothing in 00:33:29.980 --> 00:33:38.140 me the prince of darkness is coming and he has nothing in me he has nothing in me the confidence 00:33:38.140 --> 00:33:42.420 you can have when you know you're walking righteously I didn't say when you know you're 00:33:42.420 --> 00:33:47.940 walking perfectly I said when you know you're walking righteously where right living and right 00:33:47.940 --> 00:33:53.500 relationship with God and people around you is so important to you that it shows in your practical 00:33:53.500 --> 00:33:58.820 living us Satan hates it because he suddenly realizes that even though he is the prince of 00:33:58.820 --> 00:34:04.100 darkness he has nothing in you because you are pursuing righteousness righteousness exalts a 00:34:04.100 --> 00:34:10.460 nation when a nation is righteous promise 14 when a nation is righteous it exalts a nation when a 00:34:10.460 --> 00:34:18.500 person is righteous it delivers him from everything that is decaying and death mighty weapons of God 00:34:18.500 --> 00:34:23.100 prevailing church can't have one or two people doing this the entire church begins to walk like 00:34:23.100 --> 00:34:29.780 this what a great future awaits us guys we're going to ride into the sunset that will never 00:34:29.860 --> 00:34:38.660 set it's like John Wayne continuously riding or some of you don't know who John Wayne is 00:34:38.660 --> 00:34:54.300 we'll talk about it next week John Wayne is a mixture of Wayne Mike Barnes and Mark put 00:34:54.300 --> 00:35:08.180 together oh the secondhand lion Elmer used to call Wayne and him the secondhand lions you 00:35:08.180 --> 00:35:13.660 should watch that movie two movies I highly recommend no not I highly recommend two movies 00:35:13.660 --> 00:35:26.020 I recommend secondhand lions and the other one which is a new release is the same difference 00:35:26.020 --> 00:35:39.420 I'll find it it's a really good movie gosh this is dangerous when pastors recommend movies in 00:35:39.420 --> 00:35:49.580 the middle of same same kind of different as me same kind of different as me really nice movie 00:35:49.580 --> 00:35:55.660 true story same kind of different as me if you find anything objectionable in it my name is Wayne 00:35:55.660 --> 00:36:07.620 so job 22 verse 30 I really like this was job 22 verse 30 job 22 verse 30 don't Google the movie 00:36:07.660 --> 00:36:14.220 right now job 22 verse 30 here's what it says he will even deliver the one whom you intercede 00:36:14.220 --> 00:36:19.380 who is not innocent yes he will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands guys what 00:36:19.380 --> 00:36:24.660 a powerful words what a powerful words I've used this word sometimes to pray for people who aren't 00:36:24.660 --> 00:36:30.500 repentant but who I like a lot and who need a break they are not repentant they're still going 00:36:30.500 --> 00:36:35.780 down a road that they should not be going down and here is God saying that listen the cleanness 00:36:35.780 --> 00:36:41.860 of your hands will deliver even those that are not innocent it's like into this is real 00:36:41.860 --> 00:36:47.300 intervention not the TV intervention this is real intervention where God allows the cleanness of 00:36:47.300 --> 00:36:56.740 your hands to intervene for someone who is guilty and God spares him job 22 verse 30 00:36:56.740 --> 00:37:00.780 30 00:37:05.580 --> 00:37:10.660 the strange thing is remember that story I told you about how the arc returned and there was a 00:37:10.660 --> 00:37:15.020 big shout in the camp that's only part of the story here's the second part of the story the 00:37:15.020 --> 00:37:20.500 arc returned there was a shout in the camp and Israel went out of fight and lost the fight and 00:37:20.500 --> 00:37:29.900 the arc was taken by the Philistines and Eli dies his wife gives birth and dies during childbirth 00:37:29.900 --> 00:37:36.280 the Sun is called Iqabod Iqabod means the glory has departed it doesn't matter that you have the 00:37:36.280 --> 00:37:43.180 arc if you don't walk righteously you can have all the high praises you want you can have a 00:37:43.180 --> 00:37:50.500 two-edged sword in your hand and yet you can have nothing if we don't have righteous living 00:37:50.500 --> 00:37:52.900 Sad eh? 00:37:59.500 --> 00:38:07.140 some other weapons and then we'll end hearing is a weapon hearing is a weapon hearing is a 00:38:07.140 --> 00:38:19.820 weapon as in oh God how do I go about this do I set up an ambush and in second Chronicles 20 00:38:19.820 --> 00:38:25.540 or first Chronicles 20 God says to Jehoshaphat yep you go up this mountain and stand on the 00:38:25.540 --> 00:38:30.740 mountain and start praising and here's what you need to say praise the Lord for his mercy and 00:38:30.740 --> 00:38:36.540 doors forever and as you start singing this with the priests up front I'll set up an ambush that's 00:38:36.580 --> 00:38:43.540 how he won that victory David in the second Samuel 5 oh God or first Samuel 5 I don't remember oh 00:38:43.540 --> 00:38:48.300 God so how do you want me to go about this army here's what God says go behind the mulberry bushes 00:38:48.300 --> 00:38:53.900 and when you hear the sound of troops marching over the trees you know it's time to attack what 00:38:53.900 --> 00:38:59.300 ways to take down the enemy man you think it doesn't work now it works more now than it ever 00:38:59.340 --> 00:38:59.800 did before 00:39:10.220 --> 00:39:16.740 any questions before we go on another time David wanted to know how to take the city of Zion which 00:39:16.740 --> 00:39:21.100 used to be called the city of Jabos he didn't know how to get it because it was up on a hill and it 00:39:21.100 --> 00:39:25.500 was very well fortified and then God shows him how he says there's a water shaft go up the water 00:39:25.500 --> 00:39:30.620 shaft and you'll access the city and David sends men up the water shaft they access the city and 00:39:30.620 --> 00:39:38.220 take it down so whenever I'm dealing with the enemy on any level beat in the life of somebody 00:39:38.220 --> 00:39:44.060 or beat over a city or a nation or a situation my question is father what is the easiest way what 00:39:44.060 --> 00:39:50.300 is the smartest key I can use to stop this now or to change this now doesn't matter whether it's 00:39:50.300 --> 00:39:54.740 someone who's suffering a disease or whether it's a loss that I am suffering or whether it's 00:39:54.780 --> 00:39:59.180 something that is being taken away or something that has been has to be repossessed the question 00:39:59.180 --> 00:40:05.260 is simple how do you want to go about this or God and God will show and when he shows you employ it 00:40:05.260 --> 00:40:12.420 why is my interview taking so long or God how come I haven't gotten the results of God I send 00:40:12.420 --> 00:40:17.900 those documents long ago where are they stuck oh God how do I get rid of this disease or God it's 00:40:17.900 --> 00:40:22.780 been plaguing me for a while how do I go about juggling these three four things when things are 00:40:22.820 --> 00:40:27.420 dropping and breaking why are there accidents in my life a lot why are things breaking down every 00:40:27.420 --> 00:40:33.060 time why does the same thing happen again and again and again why oh God show and in a second 00:40:33.060 --> 00:40:39.220 he shows you I remember telling the story to acts 29 ages ago every time I would go out to 00:40:39.220 --> 00:40:46.220 distribute tracts downtown or do anything downtown that had to do with evangelism I would come back 00:40:46.220 --> 00:40:53.540 and my car would be told I don't know why either be a minute past or there'd be some strict car 00:40:53.540 --> 00:40:58.220 tour on a Saturday who didn't have anything else to do who'd be waiting there to tow your car because 00:40:58.220 --> 00:41:02.140 it's slightly off the line or slightly off the minute and so every time I went to do any 00:41:02.140 --> 00:41:08.940 evangelistic work in downtown I would pay about 80 or 100 bucks and I remember it happening again 00:41:08.940 --> 00:41:12.380 and again and I remember sitting down with Mike Scandalberry and I said you know this keeps 00:41:12.380 --> 00:41:17.100 happening every time it doesn't matter it's the fifth time it's happening and he says Jacob if 00:41:17.100 --> 00:41:22.460 you have a house where the thief breaks in through a window again and again and again what would you 00:41:22.460 --> 00:41:28.140 do and I said I would put bars and rods and belts and whistles and alarms to prevent it from happening 00:41:28.140 --> 00:41:33.220 he says do that in the spiritual and so I remember sitting and this was about 16 or 17 years ago 00:41:33.220 --> 00:41:37.940 sitting and saying oh God this has happened so often I've lost so much money in the name of 00:41:37.940 --> 00:41:43.700 Jesus Christ I barred this window from ever being broken through again that no longer will 00:41:43.700 --> 00:41:49.660 the enemy deprive me discourage me do harm to me so coming in through this window again and again 00:41:49.660 --> 00:41:59.580 it's been 17 or 18 years since my car has been touched another time when we were at River Road 00:41:59.660 --> 00:42:10.980 here's what happened someone broke into the car and they took surprisingly all they took was my 00:42:10.980 --> 00:42:17.820 CDs but the car was broken into I remember coming to River Road and telling the church hey we need 00:42:17.820 --> 00:42:24.300 to pray that this be recovered because this cannot happen this is not how God works God has the ability 00:42:24.300 --> 00:42:32.340 to protect and so whatever has been taken must be returned we finished prayer and I go home that 00:42:32.340 --> 00:42:37.820 night and the strangest thing is waiting at the door someone has gathered all these CDs tied them 00:42:37.820 --> 00:42:44.820 in a nice ribbon and left it at my door who does that which thief has the time to gather all the 00:42:44.820 --> 00:42:50.340 CDs put them nicely together like I never used to keep them tie them up in a ribbon find his entry 00:42:50.380 --> 00:42:55.820 into the building without a key know which house I'm living in come to that house and place the 00:42:55.820 --> 00:43:14.180 CDs outside my door how do these things work again and again and again and again I mean I'm 00:43:14.180 --> 00:43:17.220 looking at the clock otherwise I can tell you stories and there are others here who can tell 00:43:17.220 --> 00:43:26.460 stories here and do the next thing is rest if you want to if you want to go up against the enemy 00:43:26.460 --> 00:43:32.540 learn how to rest because one of the favorite tricks of Satan is when situations happen to make 00:43:32.540 --> 00:43:40.300 you go all gung-ho and start praying like crazy and going gung-ho and praying like crazy is not a 00:43:41.060 --> 00:43:50.340 god way it's usually a way of panic useless flailing using your power to turn stones into 00:43:50.340 --> 00:44:00.020 bread trying to take control self-effort striving machinations manipulating things are signs of a 00:44:00.020 --> 00:44:06.340 lack of rest when things begin to break down in someone else's life you should be the one who 00:44:06.340 --> 00:44:12.900 Jesus can look for and say aha there he is asleep at the stern of the boat let me go rest my head 00:44:12.900 --> 00:44:18.220 on Jacob because he's my pillow he's the only one who seems to be sleeping in this God is looking 00:44:18.220 --> 00:44:25.740 for ones who are sleeping in a storm those are the ones he can really use the guys who are bailing 00:44:25.740 --> 00:44:30.020 out water they don't realize that they're in the middle of the sea of Galilee and they're going to 00:44:30.020 --> 00:44:36.980 drown he's always looking for the one sleeping in a storm what a qualification for usage you 00:44:36.980 --> 00:44:41.420 would think that God would pick on the one who's really let's pour out this water let's bail it out 00:44:41.420 --> 00:44:50.180 let's know he is looking for a pillow find me a pillow in the midst of the storm and I can use 00:44:50.180 --> 00:45:04.260 a person people are rest are tremendous fighters people of rest are tremendous fighters I mean the 00:45:04.260 --> 00:45:09.780 Queen's horses are like that right the horses that pull a chariot restful horses thoroughbreds 00:45:09.780 --> 00:45:15.940 who've been trained so well and it doesn't matter that you shoot of a cannonball approach them with 00:45:15.940 --> 00:45:24.420 a flamethrower reverse your exhaust so that it makes noises shoot these horses won't move because 00:45:24.420 --> 00:45:32.180 they respond only to one thing the whisper of the guy who drives the coach that is all these 00:45:32.180 --> 00:45:41.100 horses respond to they don't respond to anything else only once in her last 60 years has a Queen's 00:45:41.180 --> 00:45:49.740 horse ever gone up on its two legs hind feet and because she was a good rider she still stayed on 00:45:49.740 --> 00:45:57.180 top only once in the last 60 years and that was because an old Morris Minor backfired 00:45:57.180 --> 00:46:12.540 Jeremiah 51 verse 20 it says I want you to be my battle axe I want you to be my battle 00:46:12.540 --> 00:46:18.260 axe God is talking about Cyrus but it applies to us as a church I want you to be my battle axe I 00:46:18.260 --> 00:46:24.180 want you to I want to use you to break down things I want to use you to cut down things I want you to 00:46:24.220 --> 00:46:36.820 use you to dismount rider and horse I want to use you as my battle axe Jeremiah 51 verse 20 00:46:36.820 --> 00:46:45.620 at the end of this week I mean on Sunday I want you to look back at the last six days and I want 00:46:45.620 --> 00:46:52.540 to ask this question of you did you bind up the strongman this week and plunder him and what did 00:46:52.580 --> 00:47:00.940 you plunder him off it's a question that's supposed to make you and I think what did we do in terms of 00:47:00.940 --> 00:47:08.740 the first few lines of Isaiah 61 was there a proclamation of good news was there a proclaiming 00:47:08.740 --> 00:47:12.540 of liberty to the captives and the opening of prison doors and a proclamation of the year of 00:47:12.540 --> 00:47:22.420 the favor of the Lord as in Matthew 12 29 did I go and bind up the strongman in situations life 00:47:22.460 --> 00:47:28.500 cities and nations and if I did how did I plunder him what did I plunder him off 00:47:43.540 --> 00:47:49.420 what a glorious life awaits us I'm glad I'm still young 00:47:52.580 --> 00:48:00.180 I mean that very sincerely for once I am glad I got years left to see this happen man I pray 00:48:00.180 --> 00:48:07.460 God that God gives me years to see this happen for all of us don't be in a hurry to die guys 00:48:07.460 --> 00:48:20.620 there's a lot to do yeah if you get sick get healed live so much to do any questions before 00:48:20.780 --> 00:48:29.940 I conclude and I really mean that this time any questions is this impractical is this something 00:48:29.940 --> 00:48:33.820 you can reach to I mean these are rhetorical questions it's not impractical it's something 00:48:33.820 --> 00:48:43.580 you can reach to absolutely doable you know Nehemiah in chapter 6 he's building the wall 00:48:43.580 --> 00:48:51.740 and doing all this stuff and Nehemiah chapter 6 the enemy which is basically Sanballet, Gershem 00:48:51.740 --> 00:48:59.620 and Tobiah they are the enemy and so Nehemiah is in the process of building the wall in chapter 6 00:48:59.620 --> 00:49:05.580 verse 3 here's what the enemy tries first he says to Nehemiah hey why don't you come and meet with 00:49:05.580 --> 00:49:10.860 us let's talk and sort out our differences and Nehemiah says I got a greater purpose than I'm 00:49:10.860 --> 00:49:17.780 involved in right now so leave me alone I ain't coming down that's what he says so one of the 00:49:17.780 --> 00:49:23.060 tricks of the enemy is to deviate you from your purpose deviate you from your purpose how does it 00:49:23.060 --> 00:49:31.420 deviate you from your purpose by making your job your possessions your money your family your work 00:49:31.420 --> 00:49:46.680 far more important than Christ and the church heard me oh no okay I'll repeat it how does Satan 00:49:46.680 --> 00:49:52.780 deviate us from the greater purpose he deviates us from the greater purpose by presenting to us 00:49:52.780 --> 00:50:03.220 something like work family possessions money future security as of greater importance than 00:50:03.220 --> 00:50:09.980 Christ and what he wants to do through the body that's the way he deviates us from purpose and 00:50:09.980 --> 00:50:16.020 he'll present it like this at this stage in your life this is what you're meant for later on you 00:50:16.020 --> 00:50:24.940 can do the Lord's work as if Satan knows the least of life you have how dare he offer me that 00:50:24.940 --> 00:50:32.500 that you you need to focus on this now later on you can focus on God really since when does he 00:50:32.500 --> 00:50:42.980 decide how long I live in what I do with my life Nehemiah chapter 6 verse 3 in verse 9 here's what 00:50:42.980 --> 00:50:49.220 he comes up with he says the enemy says to Nehemiah hey Nehemiah I think we need to talk 00:50:49.220 --> 00:50:54.260 because I think you're doing wrong and I'm gonna say this to you if you don't come and talk and if 00:50:54.260 --> 00:50:58.260 you don't sit down with me I'm gonna send a letter to the king and the king is gonna shut you down 00:50:58.260 --> 00:51:04.660 and so now he introduces a new way of trying to stop Nehemiah and that's through fear the threat 00:51:04.660 --> 00:51:11.140 of fear and that is something Satan uses really well the threat of fear fear for your life fear 00:51:11.140 --> 00:51:16.180 for your loss of security fear for how you will be deprived fear for how others will prosper and you 00:51:16.180 --> 00:51:22.460 will not all those fears that doesn't work because Nehemiah says nope I'm not gonna listen to you so 00:51:22.460 --> 00:51:28.660 then they come with a third ploy and here is the third ploy they send a false prophet who is an 00:51:28.660 --> 00:51:33.700 Israelite and when Nehemiah goes into the temple the false prophet comes and says to Nehemiah hey 00:51:33.700 --> 00:51:41.140 Nehemiah let's withdraw into the inner sanctuary of the temple and let's shut the door because in 00:51:41.140 --> 00:51:49.020 here we will not be killed and Nehemiah's responses really you think I'm afraid I will not withdraw 00:51:49.020 --> 00:51:54.900 into the temple because I have to build a wall I refuse to stay within because you will not bring 00:51:55.900 --> 00:52:06.500 fear and cowardice. That's the third thing that the enemy does where we will continue to grow stronger 00:52:06.500 --> 00:52:14.460 in the church but we will never go out there we retreat deeper and deeper into the sanctuary of 00:52:14.460 --> 00:52:20.180 the church waiting to be raptured while God is saying I placed you on the earth so that I may send 00:52:20.180 --> 00:52:23.580 you out I placed you on the earth so I may send you out I placed you on the earth so I may send 00:52:23.580 --> 00:52:27.180 you out tell me when to stop I placed you on the earth so I might send you out I placed you on 00:52:27.180 --> 00:52:36.060 the earth so I may send you out someone say stop I placed you on the earth okay thank you I placed 00:52:36.060 --> 00:52:48.460 you on the earth to send you out not to withdraw back in I am called we are called by the Spirit 00:52:48.460 --> 00:52:57.420 listen to these words because I don't mean them glibly I mean them earnestly I believe this based 00:52:57.420 --> 00:53:05.500 on what I know God will and can do we have been called by the Spirit to alter the course of history 00:53:05.500 --> 00:53:13.020 we have been called by the Spirit to alter the course of history and to rebuild ruined cities by 00:53:13.020 --> 00:53:19.580 proclaiming the good news by proclaiming liberty by proclaiming the favor and the comfort of God and 00:53:19.580 --> 00:53:26.220 the opening of blind eyes this is what we've been called for this is what I've been called for to 00:53:26.220 --> 00:53:35.060 alter the course of history in cities and nations that are ruined to rebuild and restore them to 00:53:35.060 --> 00:53:40.420 open the eyes of the blind to open prison doses set captives free and to proclaim the good news 00:53:40.420 --> 00:53:49.300 of the gospel this is what we've been ordained for never forget that guys like I said last week 00:53:49.300 --> 00:53:57.460 if that is not our purpose I pray God that he shuts us down I was praying that this week at home 00:53:57.460 --> 00:54:03.740 oh God if you are not able to accomplish this through acts 29 will you please shut acts 29 down 00:54:03.740 --> 00:54:14.180 may it cease to exist because there's no other reason for our continuance I'm scared of that 00:54:14.180 --> 00:54:23.660 prayer because I'm praying it sincerely and it's an honest prayer and if you don't he's got no 00:54:23.660 --> 00:54:36.220 problems he let the ark be stolen and he named the boy Iqabod his glory was never meant to stay 00:54:36.220 --> 00:54:43.220 in the church Habakkuk 2 14 and the knowledge of the glory of the Lord shall cover the earth as the 00:54:43.220 --> 00:54:54.620 waters cover the seas you have been set aside by Christ to assist him in setting others aside 00:54:54.620 --> 00:55:00.320 through the pouring out of your life never forget that you have been set apart by Christ you have 00:55:00.320 --> 00:55:08.000 been I have been set apart by Jesus Christ to assist him in setting others apart by the Holy 00:55:08.120 --> 00:55:14.680 Spirit through the pouring out of your life one last time you have been set aside by Christ to 00:55:14.680 --> 00:55:21.400 assist him in setting others apart by the power of the Holy Spirit through the pouring out of 00:55:21.400 --> 00:55:25.760 your life I just sing this one song and then end