WEBVTT NOTE Podcast: Acts 29 Vancouver Episode: Year of Release Gates Publishing Date: 2020-06-07T06:00:44-07:00 Podcast URL: https://acts29.ca Episode URL: https://acts29.ca/year-of-release-gates/ 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:08.680 So, if you want a title for today's teaching, it's the year of release, and we're going 00:00:08.680 --> 00:00:10.520 to talk about Gates. 00:00:10.520 --> 00:00:19.440 The year of release, and we're going to talk about Gates, G-A-T-E-S. 00:00:19.440 --> 00:00:21.400 This message is sponsored by Microsoft. 00:00:21.400 --> 00:00:23.120 I'm just kidding. 00:00:23.120 --> 00:00:27.160 It was just one of those Bill Gates things. 00:00:27.160 --> 00:00:29.760 I knew you wouldn't get it, so I knew it would fall flat. 00:00:29.760 --> 00:00:36.920 But like I said, you crack a bad joke like this, and from here on, it's all the way up. 00:00:36.920 --> 00:00:42.040 So this teaching is called Year of Release, Gates. 00:00:42.040 --> 00:00:50.160 And so, guys, Isaiah 61, if you look at it, Isaiah 61, verse 4. 00:00:50.160 --> 00:00:54.760 Hey, Don, where's Don? 00:00:54.760 --> 00:00:56.520 Okay. 00:00:56.520 --> 00:01:02.840 Isaiah 61, I'm not sure you noticed this. 00:01:02.840 --> 00:01:10.960 Isaiah 61. 00:01:10.960 --> 00:01:11.960 It's not important. 00:01:11.960 --> 00:01:12.960 I don't need Don. 00:01:12.960 --> 00:01:15.640 Isaiah 61, verse 4. 00:01:15.640 --> 00:01:16.880 Isaiah 61, verse 4. 00:01:16.880 --> 00:01:18.520 So here's what it says. 00:01:18.520 --> 00:01:25.460 They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated. 00:01:25.460 --> 00:01:30.780 They will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations. 00:01:30.780 --> 00:01:31.780 So let me read that again. 00:01:31.780 --> 00:01:33.820 Isaiah 61, verse 4. 00:01:33.820 --> 00:01:39.860 Isaiah 61 is basically a release and favor passage for the next very long. 00:01:39.860 --> 00:01:41.580 But here's what it says in verse 4. 00:01:41.580 --> 00:01:47.180 They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated. 00:01:47.180 --> 00:01:51.900 They will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations. 00:01:51.900 --> 00:01:54.460 So the question is, who is they? 00:01:54.460 --> 00:02:02.260 And to your surprise, perhaps, look at who they are. 00:02:02.260 --> 00:02:04.860 Go to verse 1. 00:02:04.860 --> 00:02:14.220 The poor that are oppressed, the brokenhearted, the captives, the prisoners, those who mourn, 00:02:14.220 --> 00:02:21.420 they are the ones who will, in verse 3, become oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord 00:02:21.580 --> 00:02:23.380 for the display of his splendor. 00:02:23.380 --> 00:02:28.740 And they will then go and rebuild ruined cities. 00:02:28.740 --> 00:02:31.740 I'm not sure you knew that. 00:02:31.740 --> 00:02:35.660 When we think of rebuilding ruined cities, we think of ourselves. 00:02:35.660 --> 00:02:43.500 But what God is saying is, as you go about releasing people from oppression, from captivity, 00:02:43.500 --> 00:02:51.740 from prison, from blindness, from mourning, from heaviness, from ugliness, from despair, 00:02:51.740 --> 00:03:00.860 as you begin to set these ones that I'm sending you to free, they will then become the oaks 00:03:00.860 --> 00:03:07.100 of righteousness who will rebuild cities that have been long devastated. 00:03:07.100 --> 00:03:08.740 It's not us who go and build it. 00:03:08.740 --> 00:03:15.900 It's the one who you go to set free that builds the city. 00:03:15.900 --> 00:03:20.980 That's just nuts because half my life, actually three-quarters of my life, actually nine-tenth 00:03:20.980 --> 00:03:25.860 of my life, I thought it's talking about us, not them, but it's talking about the ones 00:03:25.860 --> 00:03:34.420 you set free who will become the oaks of righteousness who will go and rebuild the city. 00:03:34.420 --> 00:03:37.420 What a brilliant strategy. 00:03:37.940 --> 00:03:44.620 If you think you're building cities now, how did you come to be? 00:03:44.620 --> 00:03:49.980 Because someone came to you who were poor, who were oppressed, who were blind, who was 00:03:49.980 --> 00:03:55.860 a captive, who were in despair, who were ugly, who were in mourning. 00:03:55.860 --> 00:03:57.460 Someone came and set you free. 00:03:57.460 --> 00:04:01.100 And today you are going into a place to build the city. 00:04:01.780 --> 00:04:07.580 And by the same token, now when we go into a place, the intent is not that we build the 00:04:07.580 --> 00:04:10.860 city but we set people free to build the city. 00:04:14.700 --> 00:04:16.700 I think that's brilliant. 00:04:18.580 --> 00:04:22.260 Suddenly it's like, ah shucks, I'm called to set people free. 00:04:22.260 --> 00:04:24.020 Thanks Joan, that was good music. 00:04:24.020 --> 00:04:26.540 There's nothing you can do about it. 00:04:26.540 --> 00:04:30.540 Once it starts playing, it's so loud, I have to talk about it. 00:04:31.100 --> 00:04:46.780 So, I'm so caught up with this fact that our job is to go set or bring release to people 00:04:46.780 --> 00:04:50.180 that need release because that is the only way cities are built. 00:04:50.180 --> 00:04:51.860 Guys, please understand this. 00:04:51.860 --> 00:04:58.380 When God prescribes a pattern, he then makes sure that if you stick to that pattern, the 00:04:58.380 --> 00:05:00.700 city will be rebuilt. 00:05:00.700 --> 00:05:02.460 The city will be rebuilt. 00:05:14.900 --> 00:05:17.060 You'll do anything to come on camera. 00:05:24.220 --> 00:05:26.540 Yeah, that's like a cameo appearance. 00:05:29.380 --> 00:05:31.780 Oscar for the best supporting actor. 00:05:31.780 --> 00:05:35.780 Problem is now Derek will come and do something too. 00:05:37.780 --> 00:05:44.860 Okay guys, so think of this, if you don't do things according to how Jesus Christ wants 00:05:44.860 --> 00:05:50.380 it, what you'll end up doing is a lot of hard work with less results. 00:05:50.380 --> 00:05:57.100 If you do things the way Christ prescribes, you do less but you get maximum results. 00:05:57.100 --> 00:06:00.940 And whether it be in Nandigama, whether it be in Wali, whether it be in Vancouver, or 00:06:00.940 --> 00:06:03.940 whether it be in Mongolia, here is the pattern. 00:06:03.940 --> 00:06:11.020 Can you go and bring release by the spirit of the sovereign Lord to the morally and spiritually 00:06:11.020 --> 00:06:17.540 oppressed, to the broken hearted, to those that need freedom from prison and captivity, 00:06:17.540 --> 00:06:24.260 those that are in despair, in heaviness, in mourning. 00:06:24.260 --> 00:06:28.300 Will you go to them and if you go to them and bring release by my spirit, then here's 00:06:28.300 --> 00:06:29.620 what's going to happen. 00:06:29.620 --> 00:06:32.140 They will then become orcs of righteousness. 00:06:32.140 --> 00:06:34.020 How will they become orcs of righteousness? 00:06:34.020 --> 00:06:38.020 Because one of the ways God brings relief into a place is not just by setting people 00:06:38.020 --> 00:06:45.340 free but by teaching them to observe everything that I have taught you. 00:06:45.340 --> 00:06:50.900 So the raising up or the planting of churches in places is critical. 00:06:50.900 --> 00:06:56.740 Because that's how you take a captive, a slave people that have been set free and make them 00:06:56.740 --> 00:06:57.740 a nation. 00:06:57.740 --> 00:06:59.860 What do you think is happening here? 00:06:59.860 --> 00:07:04.780 Why is it that I have the confidence, leave alone me having confidence, that's not too 00:07:04.780 --> 00:07:11.380 difficult but think of God having the confidence in this group of people that have been set 00:07:11.380 --> 00:07:15.160 free that he's willing to send you into a city because he knows that you have now the 00:07:15.160 --> 00:07:20.500 ability to set others free. 00:07:20.500 --> 00:07:27.700 Once this happens, it is invariable that the city begins to, inevitable that the city begins 00:07:27.700 --> 00:07:31.340 to come to a place where it begins to prosper. 00:07:31.340 --> 00:07:37.200 Any questions on that? 00:07:37.200 --> 00:07:41.300 So we plant or raise a people so that we can teach them to observe everything that we have 00:07:41.300 --> 00:07:42.900 been taught. 00:07:42.900 --> 00:07:47.260 But they are the ones who now becomes orcs of righteousness that can go into it, that 00:07:47.740 --> 00:07:53.100 the city they were and begin to bring it into a place where the streets will be restored, 00:07:53.100 --> 00:07:57.700 where the ruins will be rebuilt, where generations that have been devastated for ages will once 00:07:57.700 --> 00:07:59.380 again begin to flourish. 00:07:59.380 --> 00:08:05.340 This is why Jesus, when he cast out of the man in Decapolis or in Gadarenes, when he 00:08:05.340 --> 00:08:11.540 cast out a legion from the man who had thousands of demons in him, the man said to Jesus, can 00:08:11.540 --> 00:08:12.820 I come and follow you? 00:08:12.820 --> 00:08:16.580 And Jesus said, no, go back into the city that you came from. 00:08:16.580 --> 00:08:20.740 And he goes back to Decapolis and in Decapolis, he begins to minister. 00:08:20.740 --> 00:08:25.220 Jesus was chased out of that village because the pigs went into the water. 00:08:25.220 --> 00:08:31.220 You read a few chapters later and the disciples go by that village again and they find that 00:08:31.220 --> 00:08:36.380 there are believers now in that village because a one man who was set free, who then went 00:08:36.380 --> 00:08:41.340 back and became an orc of righteousness in the very place that people used to shun him. 00:08:41.340 --> 00:08:50.060 This is the way to build and thank God that the spirit has revealed this key. 00:08:50.060 --> 00:08:58.620 Hallelujah. 00:08:58.620 --> 00:09:04.580 But know that cities and lives will be contested by giants and tyrants. 00:09:04.580 --> 00:09:14.140 Know that cities and lives will be contested by giants and tyrants and they must be overcome 00:09:14.140 --> 00:09:17.260 if cities are to be transformed. 00:09:17.260 --> 00:09:24.700 And to overcome them, you need the fierceness of the spirit of God. 00:09:24.700 --> 00:09:33.620 Know that land and life, cities and lives will be contested by giants and tyrants who 00:09:33.660 --> 00:09:37.940 must be overcome if cities are to be transformed. 00:09:37.940 --> 00:09:45.100 And you need the fierceness of the Holy Spirit or you need to know and understand the fierceness 00:09:45.100 --> 00:09:47.060 of the Holy Spirit for this to happen. 00:09:47.060 --> 00:09:50.220 Go to Isaiah 49, verse 24 and 25. 00:09:50.220 --> 00:09:57.020 I decided not to put verses on the screen because I want us to make the effort of opening 00:09:57.020 --> 00:10:01.700 to scriptures using this thing called the phone or the Bible because otherwise it's 00:10:01.700 --> 00:10:03.540 getting a little too comfortable. 00:10:04.460 --> 00:10:07.260 Everything comes on screen and then it's up to you whether you read it or not. 00:10:07.260 --> 00:10:12.780 This way if you don't, you'll feel a little guiltier. 00:10:12.780 --> 00:10:15.700 Isaiah 49, verse 24 and 25. 00:10:15.700 --> 00:10:23.660 And here's what it says, can plunder be taken from warriors or captives rescued from the 00:10:23.660 --> 00:10:24.700 fears? 00:10:24.700 --> 00:10:27.660 Some versions say tyrants and giants. 00:10:27.660 --> 00:10:31.940 Can plunder be taken from warriors or captives rescued from the fears? 00:10:32.340 --> 00:10:38.220 So this is what the Lord says, yes, captives will be taken from warriors and plunder will 00:10:38.220 --> 00:10:40.140 be retrieved from the fears. 00:10:40.140 --> 00:10:44.260 I will contend with those who contend with you and your children. 00:10:44.260 --> 00:10:45.780 I will save. 00:10:45.780 --> 00:10:48.940 Let's go on to verse 26. 00:10:48.940 --> 00:10:51.740 I will make your oppressors eat their own flesh. 00:10:51.740 --> 00:10:54.220 They will be drunk on their own blood as with wine. 00:10:54.220 --> 00:10:59.020 Then all mankind will know that I the Lord, I'm your savior, your redeemer, the mighty 00:10:59.020 --> 00:11:00.020 one of Jacob. 00:11:00.020 --> 00:11:01.020 We sang about that. 00:11:01.100 --> 00:11:06.660 The point here is guys, tyrants and giants will oppose the taking or will contest the 00:11:06.660 --> 00:11:07.660 taking of cities. 00:11:07.660 --> 00:11:10.820 And when they do, they must be overcome to transform that city. 00:11:10.820 --> 00:11:14.860 And you can only overcome them by knowing and then operating in the fierceness of the 00:11:14.860 --> 00:11:15.860 Holy Spirit. 00:11:15.860 --> 00:11:20.500 And that is why we keep going back to Isaiah 61 where it says the spirit of the Lord is 00:11:20.500 --> 00:11:25.300 upon me to set the captives free, to open prison doors. 00:11:25.300 --> 00:11:30.140 Any questions before we go on? 00:11:30.260 --> 00:11:31.260 Any questions? 00:11:36.260 --> 00:11:44.060 Isn't it a relief guys that we will not have to rebuild cities and restore generations 00:11:44.060 --> 00:11:47.020 that is the people that are set free that do it. 00:11:47.020 --> 00:11:50.580 It just changes your mindset, eh? 00:11:50.580 --> 00:11:55.900 I can't tell you what a cool key it is. 00:11:56.660 --> 00:12:05.660 And to think that it's been hidden, I can't believe I didn't know it. 00:12:05.660 --> 00:12:08.660 Any questions? 00:12:12.660 --> 00:12:18.140 Okay, guys, cities are spiritually fertile places, eh? 00:12:18.140 --> 00:12:22.540 Cities are spiritually fertile places, both positive and destructive. 00:12:23.180 --> 00:12:29.100 Both in a positive sense and destructive senses, all cities are spiritually fertile places. 00:12:29.100 --> 00:12:35.500 Jesus knew this in Luke 4.43, when he's told to wait in a particular place because things 00:12:35.500 --> 00:12:36.500 are going well there. 00:12:36.500 --> 00:12:41.820 In Luke 4.43 he says, I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom to the other cities, 00:12:41.820 --> 00:12:43.540 for I was sent for this purpose. 00:12:43.540 --> 00:12:50.420 I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom to other cities, for I was sent for this purpose. 00:12:51.300 --> 00:12:54.100 When you look at the history of cities in the Bible, you will see that there were fertile 00:12:54.100 --> 00:12:56.740 places both positively and destructively. 00:12:56.740 --> 00:12:59.820 It showed the best of man and it showed the worst of man. 00:12:59.820 --> 00:13:06.020 I mean, when you look at last Sunday, 2000 years ago, Jerusalem, 3000 in that city were 00:13:06.020 --> 00:13:08.100 saved at Pentecost. 00:13:08.100 --> 00:13:13.980 If you look at the jailer's family in Philippi or Lydia's family in Philippi, you find that 00:13:13.980 --> 00:13:18.540 families and households were saved in Philippi just by one preaching. 00:13:18.660 --> 00:13:23.660 You look at the witness of the woman at the well in Samaria, you find an entire city turning 00:13:23.660 --> 00:13:28.740 to God because one woman who was of great ill repute began to see Christ the way he 00:13:28.740 --> 00:13:30.940 wanted to be seen. 00:13:30.940 --> 00:13:38.500 You look at Aeneas, the guy who was crippled in Lydda, he got healed and the entire city, 00:13:38.500 --> 00:13:41.540 I'm talking about an entire city turning to God. 00:13:41.540 --> 00:13:46.720 You look at this chief called Publius in Malta, Acts 28. 00:13:46.720 --> 00:13:51.840 You find him being healed after Paul shakes off the snake that came out of the firewood 00:13:51.840 --> 00:13:54.120 and the entire city turns to God. 00:13:54.120 --> 00:14:01.620 There is something about a city that can suddenly take on mass conversions to Christ because 00:14:01.620 --> 00:14:05.120 of what Christ can do and how he is presented. 00:14:05.120 --> 00:14:06.120 Go ahead. 00:14:13.720 --> 00:14:14.720 Sorry? 00:14:16.720 --> 00:14:26.080 Yeah, so we have been set free to go into a place to set free others and in the process 00:14:26.080 --> 00:14:28.120 the rebuilding continues. 00:14:28.120 --> 00:14:32.760 Today because someone set me free, I'm in the process of building. 00:14:32.760 --> 00:14:35.860 Today because someone set you free, you're in the process of building. 00:14:35.860 --> 00:14:40.240 What we see around us is a result of someone else setting us free and so we have built 00:14:40.240 --> 00:14:41.240 this. 00:14:41.240 --> 00:14:47.640 It's our turn to pay it forward where we go and set others free so that they then learn 00:14:47.640 --> 00:14:49.920 how to build. 00:14:49.920 --> 00:14:50.920 And this is just brilliant. 00:14:50.920 --> 00:14:52.120 It's so God. 00:14:52.120 --> 00:14:54.640 It's like the idea of the seed. 00:14:54.640 --> 00:14:59.600 God could have planted trees at the beginning of creation and said, these trees shall remain 00:14:59.600 --> 00:15:00.600 forever. 00:15:00.600 --> 00:15:01.600 But he didn't choose that. 00:15:01.600 --> 00:15:05.120 He decided that there would be this thing called seed that would fall to the ground 00:15:05.120 --> 00:15:08.640 so that more trees would grow. 00:15:08.640 --> 00:15:12.320 That is the idea here. 00:15:12.320 --> 00:15:17.760 We perpetuate through not going and building ourselves but releasing people to build. 00:15:17.760 --> 00:15:22.080 One of my favorite things to do in life because this is what I've been called for and have 00:15:22.080 --> 00:15:26.360 the grades for is to release people into what they are supposed to do. 00:15:26.360 --> 00:15:29.400 Because if you can release people into what they are supposed to do, they will do it. 00:15:29.400 --> 00:15:37.560 Otherwise you'll have to do it. 00:15:37.560 --> 00:15:41.880 So on one hand you have these amazing things happening in these different cities in the 00:15:41.880 --> 00:15:42.880 Bible. 00:15:42.880 --> 00:15:48.920 But on the other hand you also see in Acts chapter 8, Philip's ministry required dealing 00:15:48.920 --> 00:15:55.560 with a manipulative sorcerer before things could begin to happen in Samaria. 00:15:55.560 --> 00:16:03.120 In Acts chapter 16, Paul had to deal with the spiritual oppression of divination because 00:16:03.120 --> 00:16:09.120 The caves of Delphi were very close to where Paul had landed and there were oracles that 00:16:09.120 --> 00:16:15.040 would come from false prophetesses and the spirit of divination called Python. 00:16:15.040 --> 00:16:16.400 He had to deal with it. 00:16:16.400 --> 00:16:22.680 In Nineveh, Jonah had to deal with an evil warlike regional presence because the Ninevites 00:16:22.680 --> 00:16:26.800 were known throughout the Old Testament as vicious. 00:16:26.800 --> 00:16:31.360 In Ephesus, Paul had to deal with sorcery and magic. 00:16:31.360 --> 00:16:38.320 In Paphos in Acts chapter 13, a wizard controlled the government. 00:16:38.320 --> 00:16:43.080 His name was, I think, Elimas. 00:16:43.080 --> 00:16:48.800 In Pergamum, Jesus Christ himself says to the church in Pergamum, I know where you dwell, 00:16:48.800 --> 00:16:51.920 where Satan's throne is. 00:16:51.920 --> 00:16:58.760 In Athens, Paul had to confront both idolatry and the false philosophies of the world. 00:16:58.760 --> 00:17:04.680 In Rome, Paul had to deal with Caesar worship which is why he was so insistent that Jesus 00:17:04.680 --> 00:17:08.360 Christ is Lord. 00:17:08.360 --> 00:17:12.920 So on one hand you have this positive aspect of cities where people can turn to Christ 00:17:12.920 --> 00:17:17.280 because of the way Christ presents himself through the church and then you have this 00:17:17.280 --> 00:17:21.960 negative or destructive aspect of cities where cities are actually controlled by giants 00:17:21.960 --> 00:17:24.520 and tyrants that must be overcome. 00:17:24.520 --> 00:17:31.120 But take all these stories and you find that today you might not have these obvious giants 00:17:31.120 --> 00:17:36.960 and tyrants but today's spiritual realities disguised as isms and institutions but the 00:17:36.960 --> 00:17:39.280 underlying forces are the same. 00:17:39.280 --> 00:17:43.720 The underlying forces are the same. 00:17:43.760 --> 00:17:49.160 So you may not have an evil war-like regional presence but you may have the same presence 00:17:49.160 --> 00:17:56.460 being extremely oppressive to a certain caste, class, color, gender. 00:17:56.460 --> 00:18:04.640 So we call it an ism but it is still evil. 00:18:04.640 --> 00:18:08.780 The strange thing is you take any of these stories or all of these stories and the one 00:18:08.780 --> 00:18:14.540 common thing you see in all of these stories is that when the power of the gospel or the 00:18:14.540 --> 00:18:27.500 power of Christ came forth and undid disease or drove out demons, it often initiated transformation. 00:18:27.500 --> 00:18:32.380 Do you really think, I don't because I've been asking this question again and again, 00:18:32.380 --> 00:18:36.300 do you really think that Christ no longer does this? 00:18:36.300 --> 00:18:41.940 Do you really think that the one who said he is the same unchanging Jesus has decided 00:18:41.940 --> 00:18:45.100 that this is not the way I'm going to do things anymore? 00:18:45.100 --> 00:18:49.100 You know what a lie that is. 00:18:49.100 --> 00:18:54.700 Every city that I mentioned and I went through city after city, in every city I mentioned, 00:18:54.700 --> 00:19:01.380 the common theme is either the gospel was preached to a people who had some idea of 00:19:02.140 --> 00:19:09.700 When 3000 turned to Christ at Pentecost in Jerusalem, you're talking about Jews who already 00:19:09.700 --> 00:19:12.540 knew Yahweh. 00:19:12.540 --> 00:19:17.780 They knew the concept of the Messiah but in most other places where Christ dwells, not 00:19:17.780 --> 00:19:19.900 familiar, what is the common theme? 00:19:19.900 --> 00:19:24.600 The driving out of demons or the demonic and the driving out of diseases. 00:19:24.600 --> 00:19:29.260 This was a common theme that opened up city after city after city after city. 00:19:29.260 --> 00:19:33.620 What makes you think that Christ would do it any different because of a people that 00:19:33.620 --> 00:19:36.620 are faithless? 00:19:36.620 --> 00:19:51.140 Man, you don't want to be sterilized, sanitized Christians who try every other method but 00:19:51.140 --> 00:19:56.580 the method that Christ uses. 00:19:56.580 --> 00:19:58.220 You know how hard it's going to be? 00:19:58.220 --> 00:20:04.620 Is that an upward slog it's going to be? 00:20:04.620 --> 00:20:20.980 Any questions? 00:20:20.980 --> 00:20:33.500 It's an organized kingdom so like any organized kingdom there are multiple layers. 00:20:33.500 --> 00:20:38.980 This is how the government of kingdom of God advances. 00:20:38.980 --> 00:20:48.380 Any questions guys? 00:20:48.380 --> 00:20:59.460 Okay, guys, this is the time of God's favor for Wally and his time of favor towards us. 00:20:59.460 --> 00:21:02.580 Gosh man, what a privilege it is. 00:21:02.580 --> 00:21:04.260 You think Paul didn't count it a privilege. 00:21:04.260 --> 00:21:07.220 You think Peter didn't count it a privilege. 00:21:07.220 --> 00:21:11.080 Jonah didn't count it a privilege because he was reluctant. 00:21:11.080 --> 00:21:16.040 We can be Jonah like or we can say, oh God, you're actually going to use us as a church 00:21:16.200 --> 00:21:22.840 to try this out and wherever you're listening, be it in Sydney or Bahrain or India, the same 00:21:22.840 --> 00:21:27.640 applies to your churches too. 00:21:27.640 --> 00:21:31.900 This is the time of God's favor for Wally and for us and with a time of favor comes 00:21:31.900 --> 00:21:32.900 promises. 00:21:32.900 --> 00:21:37.980 Whenever there's a time of favor, there are promises that come with it. 00:21:37.980 --> 00:21:41.480 Whenever there is favor, there is a promise that comes with it. 00:21:41.920 --> 00:21:43.920 There was favor upon Abraham. 00:21:43.920 --> 00:21:48.620 Hey Abraham, I know your name is R-A-M but I'll make it R-A-H-A-M because you'll be the 00:21:48.620 --> 00:21:49.620 father of nations. 00:21:49.620 --> 00:21:52.620 Whenever there's favor, there's a promise. 00:21:52.620 --> 00:21:59.040 Hey David, I know you're a shepherd boy but I'm going to make you king. 00:21:59.040 --> 00:22:03.080 Along comes Samuel and anoints him though by appearance he's got absolutely no rights 00:22:03.080 --> 00:22:04.480 to be anointed. 00:22:04.480 --> 00:22:09.160 With every time of favor, there are promises with it. 00:22:09.840 --> 00:22:11.840 So I want us to be aware of these promises. 00:22:11.840 --> 00:22:17.840 So the first one I want to talk about, before I go to the promises, guys, God is speaking 00:22:17.840 --> 00:22:30.840 to us from Exodus 33, 14 and he's saying to us, my presence will go with you. 00:22:30.840 --> 00:22:33.840 My presence will go with you. 00:22:33.840 --> 00:22:36.840 I will see the journey to the end. 00:22:37.520 --> 00:22:39.520 You must understand something. 00:22:39.520 --> 00:22:43.520 I'm scared to say and God said this or the Spirit of God said this or God is giving 00:22:43.520 --> 00:22:45.520 this promise or God is saying this. 00:22:45.520 --> 00:22:52.520 I'm scared to say that if God didn't say it because that would just add drama to the 00:22:52.520 --> 00:22:57.520 teaching and really you think I want to impress you? 00:22:57.520 --> 00:22:59.520 You know, we are one nation. 00:22:59.520 --> 00:23:01.520 We are one nation. 00:23:02.200 --> 00:23:07.200 So when I'm saying to you that hey, God is speaking to us from Exodus 33, 14 and saying 00:23:07.200 --> 00:23:10.200 my presence will go with you. 00:23:10.200 --> 00:23:12.200 I will see the journey to the end. 00:23:12.200 --> 00:23:18.200 I want you to be assured that it comes with the backing of God that he's going to do this 00:23:18.200 --> 00:23:21.200 for us as we begin to step into Wally. 00:23:21.200 --> 00:23:26.200 So I want you to be assured that God is speaking to us from Exodus 33, 14 and saying my presence 00:23:26.200 --> 00:23:28.200 will go with you. 00:23:28.200 --> 00:23:30.200 I will see the journey to the end. 00:23:30.880 --> 00:23:39.880 And so here are the promises that God is giving us that I want us to consider, that I want 00:23:39.880 --> 00:23:43.880 us to remember, that I want us to remind ourselves of. 00:23:43.880 --> 00:23:46.880 The first one is from Psalm 24, verse 7. 00:23:46.880 --> 00:23:49.880 Psalm 24, verse 7 and 8. 00:23:49.880 --> 00:23:52.880 Psalm 24, verse 7 and 8. 00:23:52.880 --> 00:23:56.880 And it says lift up your heads, oh gates. 00:23:56.880 --> 00:23:59.880 Lift up your heads, oh gates. 00:24:00.560 --> 00:24:07.560 Be lifted up, oh you ancient doors, that the king of glory may come in. 00:24:07.560 --> 00:24:11.560 That's one of the promises God is giving. 00:24:11.560 --> 00:24:20.560 Guys, the first six verses of Psalm 24 is how us mere mortals ascend the holy hill of 00:24:20.560 --> 00:24:23.560 him who is immortal, invisible and eternal. 00:24:23.560 --> 00:24:25.560 Who shall ascend the holy hill of God? 00:24:25.560 --> 00:24:27.560 And so you start this ascent. 00:24:27.560 --> 00:24:29.560 That's the first part of it. 00:24:30.240 --> 00:24:32.240 And verse 7 onwards it changes. 00:24:32.240 --> 00:24:35.240 Now it's no longer the mortal ascending the hill of the immortal. 00:24:35.240 --> 00:24:41.240 It is the immortal, eternal, invisible king of glory now saying, okay, now that you have 00:24:41.240 --> 00:24:44.240 done your part, I am going to come down. 00:24:44.240 --> 00:24:46.240 And here is what God is saying. 00:24:46.240 --> 00:24:51.240 Go stand and say to Wally, lift up your heads, oh gates. 00:24:51.240 --> 00:24:57.240 Lift up, you ancient doors, that the king of glory may come in. 00:24:57.920 --> 00:25:01.920 This is not the king of the plains or the king of Surrey or the king of Vancouver or 00:25:01.920 --> 00:25:02.920 the king of the mountains. 00:25:02.920 --> 00:25:03.920 This is the king of glory. 00:25:03.920 --> 00:25:08.920 And when you are the king of glory, there can only be one victor when he comes in. 00:25:08.920 --> 00:25:11.920 There can only be one victor. 00:25:15.920 --> 00:25:19.920 One of the scriptures you need to use that I will use, Derek and I were driving around 00:25:19.920 --> 00:25:21.920 Wally a couple of days ago. 00:25:21.920 --> 00:25:25.920 It's this idea that, oh God, this is what you are saying. 00:25:26.600 --> 00:25:29.600 You are saying to us and you are saying to that city, you know, why say lift up your 00:25:29.600 --> 00:25:30.600 heads, oh gates? 00:25:30.600 --> 00:25:39.600 Because there was this tendency when kings would sit around their thrones and they were 00:25:39.600 --> 00:25:42.600 staring defeat in the face, their heads would be bowed. 00:25:42.600 --> 00:25:47.600 It says in the council of kings, their heads would be bowed because they were being beaten. 00:25:47.600 --> 00:25:50.600 And then someone would come along and say, lift up your heads, oh you gates. 00:25:50.600 --> 00:25:54.600 Lift up, you ancient doors, that the king of glory may come in. 00:25:55.280 --> 00:25:57.280 We've talked about the idea of ancient doors. 00:25:57.280 --> 00:26:04.280 There are some doors that God in Kairos, as in God in the fullness of time wants to open. 00:26:04.280 --> 00:26:10.280 These are doors that God ordained before certain places existed. 00:26:10.280 --> 00:26:12.280 We talked about this. 00:26:12.280 --> 00:26:21.280 We talked about how in Genesis 12, God said, Abraham, through you the nations will be blessed. 00:26:21.960 --> 00:26:24.960 At that time, it was a promise given to the whole earth. 00:26:24.960 --> 00:26:29.960 But the Jews thought that that promise was only meant for them. 00:26:29.960 --> 00:26:31.960 It was an ancient promise. 00:26:31.960 --> 00:26:37.960 Thousands of years later, Peter stands up at Pentecost and now he begins to remind people 00:26:37.960 --> 00:26:39.960 of that promise that was given long ago. 00:26:39.960 --> 00:26:46.960 And for the first time in Acts chapter 10, the Holy Spirit falls on the Gentiles and 00:26:46.960 --> 00:26:48.960 the Jews. 00:26:49.640 --> 00:26:53.640 And what God had promised Abraham in Genesis 12, that through your descendants the nations 00:26:53.640 --> 00:26:56.640 will be blessed, happens in Acts chapter 10. 00:26:56.640 --> 00:26:58.640 It's an ancient door being opened. 00:27:02.640 --> 00:27:04.640 Lift up your heads, oh you doors. 00:27:04.640 --> 00:27:08.640 Lift up, you ancient gates, that the king of glory may come in. 00:27:08.640 --> 00:27:14.640 Guys, I don't know why he's choosing us to do this, but be absolutely sure that his presence 00:27:14.640 --> 00:27:18.640 will go with you and he will see your journey to the end. 00:27:19.640 --> 00:27:21.640 I'm so looking forward to this. 00:27:21.640 --> 00:27:25.640 Just based on the promise of God, not because I know how to do this. 00:27:27.640 --> 00:27:30.640 Ancient demonic doors will be shut. 00:27:32.640 --> 00:27:34.640 Ancient demonic doors will be shut. 00:27:34.640 --> 00:27:41.640 When Jericho was destroyed by Joshua, a king called Hel, H-I-E-L, decided to build it. 00:27:41.640 --> 00:27:44.640 And Joshua had said, anyone who builds a city is cursed. 00:27:45.320 --> 00:27:47.320 And Hel decides to build it. 00:27:47.320 --> 00:27:49.320 And he builds it by sacrificing one of his sons. 00:27:49.320 --> 00:27:51.320 He rebuilds Jericho. 00:27:51.320 --> 00:27:53.320 But there's a problem in Jericho now. 00:27:53.320 --> 00:27:58.320 The water is barren and it produces barrenness and it just is toxic. 00:27:58.320 --> 00:28:00.320 The water is toxic. 00:28:00.320 --> 00:28:02.320 And an ancient demonic door has to be shut. 00:28:02.320 --> 00:28:08.320 And along comes Elisha and he takes a bit of salt and sprinkles it at the source of the waters. 00:28:08.320 --> 00:28:10.320 And an ancient demonic door is shut. 00:28:12.320 --> 00:28:14.320 Lift up your head, oh you doors. 00:28:15.000 --> 00:28:19.000 Lift up, you ancient gates, that the king of glory may come in. 00:28:19.000 --> 00:28:21.000 This king of glory did come to the earth once. 00:28:21.000 --> 00:28:26.000 And he is so victorious that there would be no question of a contest. 00:28:27.000 --> 00:28:31.000 But the odd thing with this king of glory is this king of glory was willing to lay down his life 00:28:31.000 --> 00:28:36.000 so that we can now go into Wall-E and claim absolute victory because his presence will go with you. 00:28:36.000 --> 00:28:38.000 And he will see your journey to the end. 00:28:41.000 --> 00:28:43.000 Any questions? 00:28:43.680 --> 00:28:45.680 Okay, next verse. 00:28:45.680 --> 00:28:49.680 Isaiah 45 verse 1 to 3. 00:28:49.680 --> 00:28:53.680 That's the next promise being given to us. 00:28:53.680 --> 00:28:55.680 Isaiah 45, say verse 2 and 3. 00:28:55.680 --> 00:28:57.680 Here's what it says. 00:28:57.680 --> 00:28:59.680 And this God is saying to us. 00:28:59.680 --> 00:29:02.680 Saying, listen, this is what I'm going to do for you. 00:29:02.680 --> 00:29:07.680 And so he says, I break city gates open so you can go through them. 00:29:07.680 --> 00:29:09.680 I will march out ahead of you. 00:29:09.680 --> 00:29:12.680 I will cut through their heavy iron bars. 00:29:13.360 --> 00:29:16.360 I'll give you the treasures that are hidden away in dark places. 00:29:16.360 --> 00:29:22.360 Then you will know that I am the Lord and I am sending you for, I am sending for you by name. 00:29:22.360 --> 00:29:26.360 And so what God is basically saying is, listen, I'm giving you access to Wall-E. 00:29:26.360 --> 00:29:28.360 What am I giving you access to? 00:29:28.360 --> 00:29:30.360 To treasures hidden in dark places. 00:29:30.360 --> 00:29:32.360 What are the treasures hidden in dark places? 00:29:32.360 --> 00:29:34.360 The souls of men. 00:29:34.360 --> 00:29:36.360 The souls of men. 00:29:36.360 --> 00:29:38.360 What will I do to help you get in? 00:29:38.360 --> 00:29:40.360 I'll give you access. 00:29:40.360 --> 00:29:42.360 How are you going to give us access? 00:29:43.040 --> 00:29:44.040 I'll go ahead of you. 00:29:44.040 --> 00:29:45.040 And do what? 00:29:45.040 --> 00:29:47.040 The very doors that are barred. 00:29:47.040 --> 00:29:49.040 Doors of government. 00:29:49.040 --> 00:29:51.040 Doors of poverty. 00:29:51.040 --> 00:29:53.040 Doors of politics. 00:29:53.040 --> 00:29:55.040 Doors of business. 00:29:55.040 --> 00:29:57.040 Doors of depravity. 00:29:57.040 --> 00:29:59.040 I'll break them open. 00:29:59.040 --> 00:30:01.040 I'll break those iron doors open. 00:30:01.040 --> 00:30:05.040 When Babylon was shut up, Cyrus was sent to break Babylon open. 00:30:05.040 --> 00:30:08.040 And it was said that Babylon had double doors made of bronze. 00:30:08.040 --> 00:30:10.040 Double doors made of bronze. 00:30:10.720 --> 00:30:14.720 And that when Cyrus actually came, because he was anointed of God, to attack Babylon, 00:30:14.720 --> 00:30:21.720 these doors began to be left open so that Cyrus could go right in and take Babylon. 00:30:21.720 --> 00:30:23.720 And God is saying the same thing today. 00:30:23.720 --> 00:30:25.720 That listen, I'm giving you Wall-E. 00:30:25.720 --> 00:30:29.720 I'm breaking open the iron bronze doors so that you can go right through. 00:30:29.720 --> 00:30:31.720 I will march out ahead of you. 00:30:31.720 --> 00:30:33.720 I'll cut through the heavy iron doors. 00:30:33.720 --> 00:30:35.720 I'll break the city gates open. 00:30:35.720 --> 00:30:37.720 I'll give you the treasures that are hidden away in dark places. 00:30:37.720 --> 00:30:39.720 Then you will know that I am the Lord. 00:30:40.400 --> 00:30:42.400 You will know that I am sending you because I am giving you access. 00:30:42.400 --> 00:30:48.400 Hey, please get something inside you to say hallelujah to these promises of God. 00:30:48.400 --> 00:30:50.400 Because you're not saying it to me. 00:30:50.400 --> 00:30:52.400 I don't need your encouragement. 00:30:52.400 --> 00:30:54.400 Just looking at your faces encourages me. 00:30:54.400 --> 00:30:56.400 If you believe that. 00:30:56.400 --> 00:30:58.400 No, it really does. 00:30:58.400 --> 00:31:03.400 Because I know that you are actually hearing this and absorbing it. 00:31:03.400 --> 00:31:08.400 But the reason you need to respond is my God, man, God is giving you a promise from heaven 00:31:09.080 --> 00:31:11.080 for a city, you must respond to him. 00:31:11.080 --> 00:31:13.080 You're not responding to me. 00:31:13.080 --> 00:31:15.080 I really mean it. 00:31:15.080 --> 00:31:17.080 I don't need an encouraging amen. 00:31:17.080 --> 00:31:19.080 But you need to respond to a promise. 00:31:19.080 --> 00:31:21.080 Because otherwise the devil does not know that you are agreeing. 00:31:21.080 --> 00:31:23.080 You don't have to shout it out. 00:31:23.080 --> 00:31:25.080 Whisper it to your wife. 00:31:25.080 --> 00:31:27.080 If you don't have one, you'll need another promise for that one. 00:31:39.080 --> 00:31:43.080 The third promise that he is giving us, these are promises from God given to a people. 00:31:43.080 --> 00:31:49.080 And may it so be with the churches that are watching that you have the same access given to you 00:31:49.080 --> 00:31:52.080 in perfect Kairos time for your neighborhood. 00:31:52.080 --> 00:32:00.080 The third promise that God is giving us is from Revelation chapter 3 verse 7 to 9. 00:32:00.080 --> 00:32:06.080 Revelation 3 verse 7 to 9. 00:32:06.760 --> 00:32:12.760 If the second one was accessed, if the first one was, listen, look at what I'm going to do. 00:32:12.760 --> 00:32:14.760 This is my thing. 00:32:14.760 --> 00:32:20.760 If the second one was accessed to Wally, the third one is, hey, I want you guys to know what clout you have. 00:32:20.760 --> 00:32:22.760 The kind of clout you have. 00:32:22.760 --> 00:32:26.760 And so here's what he says in Revelation 3 verse 7 to 9. 00:32:26.760 --> 00:32:28.760 Only he's saying it in Acts 29 now. 00:32:28.760 --> 00:32:30.760 These are the words of him who is holy. 00:32:30.760 --> 00:32:32.760 These are the words of him who is true. 00:32:32.760 --> 00:32:34.760 These are the words of him who is true. 00:32:35.440 --> 00:32:37.440 These are the words of him who holds the key of David. 00:32:37.440 --> 00:32:39.440 By the way, the key of David. 00:32:39.440 --> 00:32:43.440 When you go to Isaiah 22, verse 22, you find that there was this guy called Eliakim. 00:32:43.440 --> 00:32:48.440 Eliakim was chosen by God to handle the key of David. 00:32:48.440 --> 00:32:52.440 The key of David was basically a key that you would wear on your shoulder. 00:32:52.440 --> 00:32:54.440 It would hang from your shoulder. 00:32:54.440 --> 00:32:57.440 It showed that you had governing authority. 00:32:57.440 --> 00:33:03.440 And the key of David was given to Eliakim so that he could decide who could enter the presence of the king 00:33:04.120 --> 00:33:07.120 and who could now be dismissed from the presence of the king. 00:33:07.120 --> 00:33:11.120 He was the one who would open a door into the king's presence and you could enter 00:33:11.120 --> 00:33:13.120 or who would lock a door into the king's presence and you could not enter. 00:33:13.120 --> 00:33:17.120 It's this idea of Xerxes stretching out his scepter towards Esther and saying, 00:33:17.120 --> 00:33:22.120 Esther, you may come, or stretching out his scepter to Vashti and say, you cannot come. 00:33:22.120 --> 00:33:24.120 That was the idea of the key of David. 00:33:24.120 --> 00:33:29.120 And so here is Christ now in Revelation 3 verse 7 to 9 saying, 00:33:29.120 --> 00:33:31.120 these are the words of him who is holy. 00:33:31.800 --> 00:33:35.800 As in listen, I God who is holy, I'm saying this to you Acts 29. 00:33:35.800 --> 00:33:38.800 Hey Jacob, I God who is true. 00:33:38.800 --> 00:33:41.800 So don't begin to try and figure out is this really you. 00:33:41.800 --> 00:33:43.800 I am the one who is true and I'm saying this to you. 00:33:43.800 --> 00:33:45.800 And this is what I'm saying. 00:33:45.800 --> 00:33:47.800 That I am the one who holds the key of David. 00:33:47.800 --> 00:33:49.800 What I shut, nobody can open. 00:33:49.800 --> 00:33:51.800 And what I open, nobody can shut. 00:33:51.800 --> 00:33:56.800 And he's already said in the preceding scripture that I'm opening the door to Wally. 00:33:56.800 --> 00:33:58.800 And no one can shut it now. 00:33:58.800 --> 00:34:00.800 You can avoid it. 00:34:01.480 --> 00:34:04.480 You can ignore it, but you can't shut it. 00:34:06.480 --> 00:34:09.480 And if you don't go in, you'll find someone else. 00:34:14.480 --> 00:34:17.480 One of the things I always think is father, when I get to heaven, 00:34:17.480 --> 00:34:20.480 may I never regret any door that you opened that I didn't walk through. 00:34:22.480 --> 00:34:24.480 May I never settle for second best. 00:34:24.480 --> 00:34:28.480 May I never settle for that which is good and in the process miss out on the best. 00:34:31.480 --> 00:34:34.480 And then he says, I know your deeds. 00:34:35.480 --> 00:34:38.480 It just bothered me when he said that, that he's watching. 00:34:39.480 --> 00:34:41.480 I know your deeds. 00:34:41.480 --> 00:34:44.480 He's not saying it to me, he's saying it to us as a church. 00:34:44.480 --> 00:34:46.480 I know your deeds. 00:34:46.480 --> 00:34:50.480 See I've placed before you an open door that no one can shut. 00:34:50.480 --> 00:34:52.480 I know that you have little strength. 00:34:52.480 --> 00:34:56.480 He must have counted how many of us actually up regular. 00:34:57.160 --> 00:35:00.160 I know that you have little strength. 00:35:00.160 --> 00:35:05.160 Yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. 00:35:05.160 --> 00:35:08.160 I thought that is such a high compliment from God. 00:35:11.160 --> 00:35:16.160 One of the things we need to learn how to do if you want keys given to you 00:35:16.160 --> 00:35:19.160 is to step into the matrix of the word. 00:35:19.160 --> 00:35:22.160 But after stepping into the matrix of the word, 00:35:22.160 --> 00:35:25.160 you have to be open to revelation that comes from God. 00:35:25.840 --> 00:35:28.840 Which is proceeding and which is present. 00:35:29.840 --> 00:35:33.840 Because one can look at these promises in Revelation 3, 7 and 9 and say, 00:35:33.840 --> 00:35:37.840 oh yeah these are promises given to the church of Philadelphia and it is good. 00:35:37.840 --> 00:35:39.840 We must receive it. 00:35:39.840 --> 00:35:41.840 Whatever door he opens we should walk through. 00:35:41.840 --> 00:35:42.840 What he shuts we... 00:35:42.840 --> 00:35:45.840 That is such a sad attitude. 00:35:45.840 --> 00:35:48.840 Stand in Revelation 3, enjoy all of it. 00:35:48.840 --> 00:35:53.840 But then may your ears be tuned to listen to us. 00:35:54.520 --> 00:35:57.520 You are saying 7 to 9 is ours? 00:35:59.520 --> 00:36:02.520 Because that is what is meant by standing in the matrix of the word 00:36:02.520 --> 00:36:07.520 and listening to the proceeding word as in the word that proceeds from the mouth of God 00:36:07.520 --> 00:36:11.520 and is present as in it is present for now. 00:36:12.200 --> 00:36:15.200 Capish? 00:36:19.200 --> 00:36:21.200 I loved it when he said, 00:36:21.200 --> 00:36:26.200 I know that you have little strength yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. 00:36:26.200 --> 00:36:29.200 And what that means is God is willing to trust us. 00:36:29.200 --> 00:36:34.200 He is willing to give us the ability to admit and the ability to exclude. 00:36:34.200 --> 00:36:36.200 He is giving us a choice. 00:36:36.200 --> 00:36:39.200 Any questions? 00:36:39.880 --> 00:36:42.880 Any comments? 00:36:48.880 --> 00:36:51.880 Okay. 00:36:51.880 --> 00:36:53.880 I want us to remember two images. 00:36:53.880 --> 00:36:59.880 I want us to remember two images for the future as we step into... 00:36:59.880 --> 00:37:02.880 Wally will just be one of many. 00:37:02.880 --> 00:37:03.880 You will have a decade. 00:37:03.880 --> 00:37:04.880 You will have a decade. 00:37:04.880 --> 00:37:05.880 You will have a decade. 00:37:06.560 --> 00:37:08.560 Wally will just be one of many. 00:37:08.560 --> 00:37:12.560 You will have a decade of taking cities, guys, in the future. 00:37:12.560 --> 00:37:19.560 The 2020s will be known as a decade when Acts 29 either learned how to do it 00:37:19.560 --> 00:37:25.560 or learned and taught nations and churches across nations of the earth how to do this. 00:37:26.240 --> 00:37:37.240 The reason I don't feel proud or pompous or ho about it is because I really don't know how to do this. 00:37:37.240 --> 00:37:44.240 So you can't show off when you don't know what you are doing. 00:37:44.240 --> 00:37:47.240 But it's going to happen. 00:37:47.240 --> 00:37:48.240 Okay. 00:37:48.240 --> 00:37:51.240 So I want us to remember these two images. 00:37:51.920 --> 00:37:56.920 The first images from Judges 16 verse 3. 00:37:56.920 --> 00:37:58.920 It's just that one verse. 00:37:58.920 --> 00:38:00.920 I just want you to remember it. 00:38:00.920 --> 00:38:05.920 And so we are talking about gates and the first images from Judges 16, 3. 00:38:05.920 --> 00:38:06.920 And I want you to remember this. 00:38:06.920 --> 00:38:08.920 Then Samson got up. 00:38:08.920 --> 00:38:11.920 He took hold of the doors of the city gate. 00:38:11.920 --> 00:38:14.920 He also took hold of the two door posts. 00:38:14.920 --> 00:38:18.920 He tore them loose together with a metal bar. 00:38:19.600 --> 00:38:21.600 He picked them up, put them on his shoulders. 00:38:21.600 --> 00:38:25.600 Then he carried them to the top of the hill that faces Hebron. 00:38:25.600 --> 00:38:42.600 It is this idea of knowing that God has given us the ability to tear out gates that bar entry into arenas in that city. 00:38:42.600 --> 00:38:47.600 I remember my dad and mom giving me this illustrated Bible. 00:38:48.280 --> 00:38:51.280 But the illustrations were not silly paintings. 00:38:51.280 --> 00:38:58.280 These were paintings done by super famous painters from hundreds of years ago. 00:38:58.280 --> 00:39:05.280 And I still remember this painting of Samson with the gates on his back trudging up a hill. 00:39:05.280 --> 00:39:10.280 I remember reading it as a five year old and thinking, wow. 00:39:10.280 --> 00:39:14.280 And when I was writing this down yesterday, I was thinking, this is what you're going to do with this, father? 00:39:14.960 --> 00:39:21.780 This is probably with the 00:39:21.780 --> 00:39:22.780 eso diet arrives. 00:39:22.780 --> 00:39:38.680 With Samson's 00:39:38.680 --> 00:39:45.400 of David or the mighty 30 of David. By the time we get to mighty 3 and mighty 30, that's more 00:39:45.400 --> 00:39:55.920 than people right now. So everybody's included. And the other image I want you to have is that of Nehemiah 00:39:55.920 --> 00:40:11.560 3 verse 3 and Nehemiah 4 verse 17. Combine it together. Nehemiah 3 verse 3 and Nehemiah 4 17. 00:40:11.560 --> 00:40:19.800 So one is the tearing out of gates so that nothing can imprison. And then there's Nehemiah 3 verse 3 00:40:19.800 --> 00:40:27.480 and Nehemiah 4 17. And here's what it says. The sons of Hasena rebuilt the fish gate. They laid 00:40:27.480 --> 00:40:35.360 its beams. They put its doors and metal bolts and bars in place. And Nehemiah 4 17, the people 00:40:35.360 --> 00:40:40.400 continued to build the wall. Those who carried supplies did their work with one hand. They held 00:40:40.400 --> 00:40:45.760 a weapon with the other. And so that's the counter image. One is of removing the gates, 00:40:45.800 --> 00:40:52.120 as we will do in Wall-E. And the other one is putting in gates so that people cannot be ravaged 00:40:52.120 --> 00:40:57.280 at will anymore. Where you will build a wall, where you will put in beams, where you will put 00:40:57.280 --> 00:41:01.400 in the gates, where you will have a weapon in one hand while you're working with the other. 00:41:01.400 --> 00:41:10.280 Carry these two images. I pray God that the spirit of God will plant in your fertile imagination 00:41:10.280 --> 00:41:20.840 right now these images as we begin to go into this place. Hey, remember this guys. When God 00:41:20.840 --> 00:41:29.600 gives a people an invitation, all he needs is one person to respond and he can do it. But the 99 00:41:29.600 --> 00:41:35.960 others who do not respond will get the benefits but will never enjoy the adventure. And adventure 00:41:35.960 --> 00:41:44.320 is only enjoyed when you have passion for it. And passion, like we said last time, is provoked only 00:41:44.320 --> 00:41:52.960 when it becomes a burden on your heart. Let me go through that sequence again. When God invites you 00:41:52.960 --> 00:42:02.040 into something he is doing, it only needs one person to work with him. He can do it even without 00:42:02.200 --> 00:42:10.160 the one. But when he's laid out an invitation, he's just looking for one. And may we defy the odds in 00:42:10.160 --> 00:42:18.160 the Bible. May this invitation not be spurned by anybody listening because in the Bible they did. 00:42:18.160 --> 00:42:30.480 May you not be biblical in your disobedience. But if you respond to this invitation, then great. If 00:42:30.520 --> 00:42:38.040 you don't, you will still get the benefits. People who went to war and people who didn't go to war, 00:42:38.040 --> 00:42:44.040 both got the benefits. But the ones who went to war with God would get to be part of an adventure. 00:42:44.040 --> 00:42:51.120 That they would tell their sons and their sons sons so that you would have generations that knew 00:42:51.120 --> 00:42:57.880 the God of their father. You don't take part in the adventures of God. You will spawn a generation 00:42:57.880 --> 00:43:15.920 that does not know your God. That's a terrible thing. Once you want to take part in this adventure, 00:43:15.920 --> 00:43:22.240 you need passion. And if you want passion, you need to have a burden. And that burden better be 00:43:22.240 --> 00:43:35.040 a God burden. But if you get it, my God man. Things are very different. Remember these two pictures. 00:43:35.040 --> 00:43:48.200 I also want us to remember two things that the devil is scared of as we begin to prepare to step 00:43:48.240 --> 00:43:57.640 into this. And I pray that everybody does. I'll cajole you, coax you, threaten you to take part 00:43:57.640 --> 00:44:06.520 in it, but you can still resist. I want us to remember two things that the devil knows and is 00:44:06.520 --> 00:44:20.760 afraid of. First is from the scripture Matthew 16 18. Matthew 16 18, where he knows that Jesus 00:44:20.760 --> 00:44:42.720 said I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail or overcome it. So that's one 00:44:42.720 --> 00:44:49.400 thing that the devil knows and is afraid of. That should Acts 29 or should the churches that 00:44:49.400 --> 00:44:57.040 attempt this get a hang of it, then they will know that as they begin to take lives and a city 00:44:57.040 --> 00:45:04.320 called Wally, that if they begin to enter in as a church, that the gates and the powers, 00:45:04.320 --> 00:45:10.680 gates of hell, all gates of hell means is the powers of hell. Why? Because gates were where 00:45:10.680 --> 00:45:19.360 the elders used to sit in the city. Gates would be like city hall. And so even today when you go 00:45:19.360 --> 00:45:27.440 into a village in India, you'll find the panchayat sitting at a big tree, usually at a center place 00:45:27.440 --> 00:45:33.200 in the city. In the olden times, gates were always found at this right at the entry of the city. And 00:45:33.200 --> 00:45:38.440 so here is what God is saying. Here is what the devil is afraid of. If these guys realize that 00:45:38.440 --> 00:45:44.640 they can go into Wally and build again there or continue to expand the church, if they realize 00:45:44.640 --> 00:45:49.800 that then the gates and the powers that are at work in Wally right now will not be able to prevail 00:45:49.800 --> 00:45:56.520 or overcome them. He's aware of it, but he's hoping that we will not be aware of it. Or that we will 00:45:56.520 --> 00:46:01.320 just see it as a great scripture that Jesus said that applies to apostles, prophets, and people 00:46:01.320 --> 00:46:09.960 like that and not to us ordinary people. And the second thing that Satan is afraid of is Genesis 00:46:09.960 --> 00:46:25.200 22, 17, the second part where it says, I will bless you. And then it goes on to say, and your 00:46:25.200 --> 00:46:42.200 children will possess the gates of the enemy. Not too many people know this little gem of a scripture 00:46:42.200 --> 00:46:49.280 that is hidden in Genesis 22, 17. I will indeed bless you and your children. He's saying it to 00:46:49.280 --> 00:46:55.040 Abraham. And your children shall possess the gate of the enemies. Your children shall possess the 00:46:55.040 --> 00:46:58.800 gate of the enemies. This is another thing that the devil is aware of because he knows the word 00:46:58.800 --> 00:47:04.960 well. He knows this too. That should these guys realize that they are being given the city, 00:47:04.960 --> 00:47:10.540 they don't realize that God has blessed them to possess the gates of the enemy. 00:47:10.540 --> 00:47:23.680 Get, get, listen to the last six or seven weeks of teachings guys. Now that you know that we are 00:47:23.680 --> 00:47:32.520 amazing podcast people, listen to it in your car. Listen to it again and again. Because as you listen 00:47:32.520 --> 00:47:39.280 to it, you'll see what God is trying to do. And if you don't listen to it, you will not get the 00:47:39.280 --> 00:47:53.000 hang of it. You'll be a hanger, hanger on, not a participator. That won't be as much fun. Would 00:47:53.000 --> 00:48:08.040 you rather bungee jump or hang on to the one bungee jumping? Neither. Therefore guys, withhold 00:48:08.040 --> 00:48:13.760 nothing from your life. As we step into the next two and a half months, withhold nothing from your 00:48:13.760 --> 00:48:20.440 life. Withhold nothing from your life back. Withhold nothing from your life back. Let's keep walking 00:48:20.680 --> 00:48:31.480 in the simple things that God reveals and let's be guys who enjoy his co-mission. Enjoy his co-mission 00:48:31.480 --> 00:48:38.800 and withdraw or hold nothing back from your ability to step into this. Because as you do guys, 00:48:38.800 --> 00:48:48.440 you think you won't grow spiritually. I mean, if we have grown this much, what will happen as we 00:48:48.440 --> 00:48:53.960 keep growing in it? What will life look like 20 years from now? What will life look like? What 00:48:53.960 --> 00:49:00.760 will you be like 20 years from now? I mean, besides the fact that I'll be 65, there'll be 00:49:00.760 --> 00:49:05.960 so many other things that will be added to my life. Hey, by the way, I hope there's a committee 00:49:05.960 --> 00:49:12.040 or two that is planning Maya's birthday. She'll be quite disappointed if you don't plan a surprise 00:49:12.040 --> 00:49:17.280 birthday for her. And you can do it either on Saturday or Sunday. And if there are too many 00:49:17.280 --> 00:49:22.440 people, we can have one group meet on Saturday, the other group meet on Sunday. Yeah? 00:49:22.440 --> 00:49:38.880 I'm learning that it takes just a few who know the times and who carry the sound of heaven to 00:49:38.880 --> 00:49:46.720 affect the earth. I'm learning that it takes just a few who know the times and who carry the sound 00:49:46.720 --> 00:49:53.880 of heaven to affect the earth. All you have to be is faith-filled and faithful. Faith-filled as in 00:49:53.880 --> 00:49:59.560 our shucks God. Never done this before. We'll step out. Faithful as in our shucks God. Even though I 00:49:59.560 --> 00:50:06.600 don't see it working. You never stop. So I will be faithful. And you just continue being faithful. 00:50:06.600 --> 00:50:15.760 What? You can sing better? Yeah. Come, come, come, come, James. Tell them to play. You can sing. 00:50:15.760 --> 00:50:35.200 Come, come, come. Come on, man. Come, Bishop. Remember the majority of one, guys. Remember 00:50:35.200 --> 00:50:48.800 the majority of one. Never forget that. Any questions before I end? Any questions? Okay. 00:50:48.800 --> 00:50:57.080 Guys, when you look at Acts and the epistles, you will see how the Spirit transforms cities 00:50:57.080 --> 00:51:02.280 throughout the church. And he would do, he would affect different areas. I love the fact that in 00:51:02.280 --> 00:51:07.600 Acts chapter 6, the Spirit of God noticed racial discrimination. And so he said, all right, we got 00:51:07.600 --> 00:51:14.600 to change this. The Hellenist women and the Jewish women are not getting along well. The Hellenist 00:51:14.600 --> 00:51:21.280 women are being discriminated against. So he tells the apostles, got to change this. And so in Acts 6, 00:51:21.280 --> 00:51:26.960 he begins to work on racial divides. In different parts of the Bible, he realized that, okay, 00:51:26.960 --> 00:51:33.320 got to use businesses to establish households. Then he would use arms for the poor as part of 00:51:33.320 --> 00:51:40.800 the absolute core of Christianity in the decision made by the Jerusalem Council in Acts chapter 15. 00:51:40.800 --> 00:51:47.280 He would free slaves. The whole letter from Paul to Philemon is about this slave called Onesimus 00:51:47.280 --> 00:51:54.280 and his treatment of him. He would begin to affect three different categories in cities. I don't know 00:51:54.280 --> 00:51:58.200 why they call it the Acts of the Apostles. It should be the Acts of the Holy Spirit. And so here 00:51:58.200 --> 00:52:02.200 are the three aspects in cities that the Holy Spirit would try to change through the church. 00:52:02.200 --> 00:52:08.320 One, infrastructure. As in, I'm not talking about bridges and roads. I'm talking about the 00:52:08.320 --> 00:52:17.880 infrastructure of the society. Two, he would affect their behavior. Was Rome a place that was given 00:52:17.880 --> 00:52:23.120 to debauchery and decadence? Well, Christians, you will learn how to behave differently. What 00:52:23.160 --> 00:52:28.520 is the Lord? Do you have to be part of a guild? I will tell you that Christ is Lord and there is a 00:52:28.520 --> 00:52:32.440 different way he provides even if it means suffering. And the third thing he would do is 00:52:32.440 --> 00:52:39.400 he'd begin to change the worldview or the spiritual culture of a place. And you saw that happening 00:52:39.400 --> 00:52:47.400 particularly in Ephesus where Demetrius the silversmith said, hey, this place is changing so 00:52:47.400 --> 00:52:54.920 radically that our businesses are failing because no one's buying idols anymore. These were three 00:52:54.920 --> 00:53:01.320 things that would change in every city that the Holy Spirit decided to touch down in. How does he 00:53:01.320 --> 00:53:10.840 touch down? Through a people. Can you imagine us going into cities with Jesus for the rest of this 00:53:10.840 --> 00:53:17.320 decade? I very deliberately worded it that way. Can you imagine us going into cities with Jesus? 00:53:17.320 --> 00:53:25.960 Hey, I'm going to Nazareth tomorrow. Want to come, Jacob? Really, Jesus? How bad is it? No, 00:53:25.960 --> 00:53:31.800 that's not the question. And they would follow. And then they would go to Nazareth. I'm going 00:53:31.800 --> 00:53:37.360 to Jerusalem tomorrow. Really bad idea, Jesus. You might get crucified. Get thee behind me, Satan. 00:53:37.360 --> 00:53:44.600 Oops. And then you would go. So imagine, can you imagine us going into cities with Jesus for the 00:53:44.600 --> 00:53:50.360 rest of this decade to do three things? To establish his presence through planting, 00:53:50.360 --> 00:54:03.160 to establish his presence, to establish his presence through planting, his presence through 00:54:03.160 --> 00:54:14.360 planting churches. Can never avoid that, eh? Because that's critical. The last word is church. So to 00:54:14.360 --> 00:54:22.200 establish presence through planting. The second one, rebuilding one life at a time. Rebuilding 00:54:22.200 --> 00:54:29.640 one life at a time. Doesn't matter what kind of life is it. Is it a juvenile deliquent? Well, 00:54:29.640 --> 00:54:39.160 deal with, rebuild that. Is it someone who is challenged? Rebuild that life. Is it someone who 00:54:39.720 --> 00:54:45.320 has been in poverty for three generations? Deal with that. Is it someone who's discriminated? 00:54:45.320 --> 00:54:49.400 Deal with that. I'll show you how to. And the strange thing about how God starts things is, 00:54:49.400 --> 00:54:55.800 he wants you to start it and he will find people to help finish it. One of the things that Paul 00:54:55.800 --> 00:55:03.160 says in Romans chapter 15 is, I have nothing more to do in these areas because whatever pioneering 00:55:03.160 --> 00:55:07.480 work I had to do, I finished. So I'm looking towards Spain and I'm going to head to Spain. 00:55:07.480 --> 00:55:13.000 And when I'm going to Spain, I'll come your way, he says to the Romans. The intent is not that you 00:55:13.000 --> 00:55:17.880 become the author and the finisher. The intent is that you start what God wants and then God begins 00:55:17.880 --> 00:55:27.320 to send others who can bring it to maturity. Can you imagine us going into cities with Jesus for 00:55:27.320 --> 00:55:32.920 the rest of this decade to establish presence through planting, to rebuild one life at a time? 00:55:32.920 --> 00:55:41.160 And then the third one is to engage in the welfare of the city through projects that we take on. 00:55:41.160 --> 00:55:47.240 Welfare of the city. And by this, I don't mean distributing Starbucks at a gas station. Something 00:55:47.240 --> 00:55:57.160 little more than that. We are not trying to be the friendly neighborhood, not Spiderman, 00:55:57.160 --> 00:56:01.560 the friendly neighborhood church. We're not, that's not our intent. The intent is to change 00:56:01.560 --> 00:56:05.800 the neighborhood, not to become the friendly church that you can visit. 00:56:11.080 --> 00:56:17.160 I want to show you where we've been and the role you could play in the future. This is just the 00:56:17.160 --> 00:56:24.680 first draft. So just lick it and just taste it, but don't think this is it. 00:56:25.320 --> 00:56:33.560 So I wish I had one of those rods that point from this far. Or the laser thing. Do we have 00:56:33.560 --> 00:56:37.160 the laser thing? We've got podcasts, we've got YouTube, but we don't have the laser thing. 00:56:38.520 --> 00:56:44.920 Okay. It wouldn't be a smart idea to use a guitar, right? 00:56:46.920 --> 00:56:50.520 Can you track me with the camera, please? 00:56:55.400 --> 00:57:02.680 Okay. So these are the stages we've learned. We've learned Christ. We are continuing to 00:57:02.680 --> 00:57:07.560 learning Him. We've learned how to operate as a church. Oh, shots. I have the same thing on my 00:57:07.560 --> 00:57:18.280 sheet here. Yeah. So here's the thing. We've learned Christ. We've learned how to function as a 00:57:18.280 --> 00:57:29.480 church. We've had leadership beginning to mature. We have levels of leadership coming up. God 00:57:29.480 --> 00:57:36.360 doesn't make leaders and followers. He only makes one kind, servants. And these servants then learn 00:57:36.360 --> 00:57:41.240 how to lead other servants. And then the other servants begin to step up. He makes servants and 00:57:41.240 --> 00:57:47.480 sons. He doesn't make leaders and followers. So we've learned leadership. We've learned stages 00:57:47.480 --> 00:57:53.000 of life. And what do you mean by stages of life? That these are some of the things that 00:57:53.800 --> 00:57:59.720 I am good at. These are some of my abilities. These are some of my natural talents. These are 00:57:59.720 --> 00:58:07.800 my gifts. This is my vocation. I'm beginning to figure out my groove and I'm willing to step into 00:58:07.800 --> 00:58:13.320 other things. And as we learn the stages of life, we know how to be fruitful in our life work. 00:58:14.040 --> 00:58:21.480 It's amazing that many at Acts 29 have good jobs but don't think much of their work life 00:58:21.480 --> 00:58:25.080 because they're beginning to shift towards this idea of life work. 00:58:27.400 --> 00:58:31.400 How will I know that your life work is more important? When you lose your job, 00:58:31.400 --> 00:58:36.840 you're not very troubled by it. Or when you don't have a job, you can live with your brother 00:58:36.840 --> 00:58:39.560 and mooch off him for one and a half years without a problem. 00:58:43.480 --> 00:58:49.960 Sorry, that was just a low blow. Who is it? I don't know. 00:58:55.720 --> 00:58:59.240 Suddenly if my volume gets cut off or the camera disappears, you know who it was. 00:59:01.400 --> 00:59:06.920 So you've learned fruitful life work. So these are stages that we've worked through and we'll 00:59:06.920 --> 00:59:11.640 continue to work through. But look at the things you can get involved in in Wally. Enabling your 00:59:11.640 --> 00:59:16.760 sphere of influence, relief and rehabilitation. As in what about the poor? What about those that 00:59:16.760 --> 00:59:21.480 have mental and physical challenges? What about those that are in prison? What about those that 00:59:22.440 --> 00:59:33.320 have had problems with law? Poverty and hunger. It's rife in that city. Some of us will be involved 00:59:33.320 --> 00:59:40.520 in that sphere of influence. Education and training. Works and economics where you will 00:59:40.600 --> 00:59:46.840 deliberately set up your piano business, both in Vancouver and in Wally. Or your 00:59:49.000 --> 00:59:54.600 artificial intelligence business or whatever. Or your construction business. Public service 00:59:54.600 --> 01:00:02.120 and governance where we begin to step into a meeting with or asking how we can help the 01:00:02.120 --> 01:00:08.680 local authorities. Industry and technology where I don't know what it even looks like. So that's 01:00:08.680 --> 01:00:13.160 why I said this is just a taste. Just lick it and move on because we'll figure out how to do this. 01:00:13.160 --> 01:00:20.200 Art and media. My God, what if, what if we were able to begin a profitable newspaper in Wally 01:00:21.800 --> 01:00:29.080 that begins to not promote a Christian world, Christian literature but a Christ-like worldview? 01:00:30.280 --> 01:00:37.560 Art and media. Sports and recreation. Try getting Joe Sackink and Cliff Ronning and a few others to 01:00:37.560 --> 01:00:46.760 help. Environment and climate action where people begin to be concerned about ecology, 01:00:46.760 --> 01:00:55.000 justice and recreation. The justice issues that Wally is exposed to begin to get taken care of. 01:00:55.000 --> 01:01:00.040 Health care and well-being. The strange thing is this church has such a cross-section of people 01:01:00.040 --> 01:01:01.560 that these areas can be touched. 01:01:07.240 --> 01:01:10.200 Don't worry. Thank God God is in charge and not Jacob. 01:01:13.720 --> 01:01:18.520 People are willing to give us money for this. I've met two people in the last four days 01:01:18.520 --> 01:01:23.160 who want to give money towards this because they want to see how this works. 01:01:23.240 --> 01:01:29.080 Money will not be the issue. Money will not be the issue. We will be the issue. 01:01:33.960 --> 01:01:37.400 Any questions because I'm done? Oh shucks, it's not even four. 01:01:42.440 --> 01:01:43.480 Any questions? Go ahead. 01:01:46.600 --> 01:01:50.520 Sorry, justice and reconciliation. But justice and recreation will do too. 01:01:50.520 --> 01:01:55.480 I've changed it. Yeah. 01:01:58.040 --> 01:02:03.320 Any other questions? Because it does say reconciliation on the side. Yeah. 01:02:07.480 --> 01:02:08.360 Any other questions? 01:02:13.960 --> 01:02:15.880 Okay, let's close. 01:02:18.680 --> 01:02:19.880 Sheldon, are you free to play? 01:02:21.240 --> 01:02:24.040 Okay, pardon? 01:02:28.040 --> 01:02:33.960 No, no, no. Let's sing that song in the river 01:02:36.120 --> 01:02:39.720 because this river has the ability to go into the city and change things.