Truth Collection: A New Reason to Praise | Pastor Bryan Powe

having begun by the Spirit, are you now being

perfected by the flesh? What does that scripture

remind us of is that we can oftentimes just through

a repetitive motion or just through, we can casually

or without notice begin to transition. how we

are living, that we all know that we were saved

and called by God and that awakening was spiritual.

But somehow, as we begin that journey, we tend

to oscillate between that spiritual awakening

and that spiritual understanding of how we are

to live. And we bounce back between how we once

were. Like we'll start to interweave in together

lifestyles. Those lifestyles being a spiritual

lifestyle and a lifestyle of the flesh. And so

that scripture is given to us to remind us that

it is foolish to ever think that you can finish

what God started in the flesh. That it's I'm

trying to think of a stronger word, but foolish

is actually pretty strong Only other word is

dumb But I think foolish already did that But

it's foolish for me. Are you to ever think that

what God started in the spear? What are you starting

to spray? He called you in the spear that we

can somehow Finish this in our flesh. That's

foolish thinking So go with me to Ephesians chapter

Ephesians 2:1

2 verse 1 and I can tell you this message is

filled with a lot of blunt truths but they're

to point you to a clear way of moving forward

and so just telling you say hey neighbor just

survive some of this truth So Paul starts off

he says and you were dead in trespasses and sins

key here word here is were and If you skip the

word you'll find yourself Confused but Paul is

letting you know from the jumpstreet. This is

how you were You were once dead in trespasses

and sin. What does he mean by dead that you?

We're not alive to what is right. That you were

not aware of what was good. That you were dead.

You were separated from that which was good.

You had no, you could not recognize good if it

was standing in front of you. That you had this

present condition that wouldn't allow you to

see good if it was standing in front of you and

labeled, this is good. You wouldn't recognize

it. You couldn't discern it. You wouldn't pick

it out of a lineup. It was impossible. Look,

you never say, hey neighbor. It was impossible

for you to even know what was good. That's how

you were. He says, in which you once walk following

the course of this world, following the Prince

of the power of the air, the spirit that is now

at work in the sons of disobedience. Right? So

as we continue to unpack this, Paul says, you

not only did not recognize good, but you used

to walk a certain way. And he's using the word

walk because he wants you to realize that you

had a lifestyle, a lifestyle that could not recognize

good if it was in front of you. You had a lifestyle

that didn't even know how to please God. That

it wasn't something that was, check this out,

simply decision -based. It was your lifestyle.

And you got to read this this way because oftentimes

we return to a life of the flesh because we think

God saved us to make better decisions. And so

now that I'm smart enough to make better decisions,

I now put down my spiritual walk and pick up

a life of the flesh because I think, I think

that God saved me to make better decisions. That's

not the totality of it. What Paul is letting

you know is, no, God saved you from a lifestyle

that you were trapped in. And it's important

for you to realize that you were trapped in the

lifestyle. That you were, you had no way of even

recognizing good. That you were entrapped, you

were. Dead in sin separated from God and no good

decision could get you to even see God clearly

that you and me were dead in sin that we were

uh We had a nature that wouldn't allow us to

even see good. Say hey neighbor You wasn't even

on the block of good I like to say it like this,

it's important for you to see that you were buried.

Look at me say, hey neighbor, you were buried

in brokenness. And this brokenness wasn't, check

this out, it wasn't defined simply by the decisions

that you made. Your brokenness according to scripture

was divide was is defined by a nature. You didn't

have the ability to escape That it wasn't that

you were making bad decisions It was that you

had a nature that caused you to think the way

you were thinking you had a nature that made

you do the things and say the things that you

were saying, that you thought that God saved

you to make better decisions. No, he snatched

you from one nature and gave you a new one because

the nature you had would not allow you to be

able to make good decisions. Why? Here we go.

That's what Paul unpacks. He says, because you

follow the course of this world. In other words,

that me and you, it wasn't that you were simply

making decisions, you were trained to make decisions.

That he says follow the course of this world,

you have to understand that this world has a

pattern that it wants you to follow. And when

you're not alive to God, you don't know how to

break free of that pattern. And so by nature,

you follow the pattern set before you. And so

you were in this life, not because you chose

it, but because you don't even know what else

to choose. You didn't have the ability to discern

anything different other than what was already

told to you. Y 'all rocking with me. And he says

check this out you were following the prince

of the power of the air in other words that there

are things that are floating in the air and there

is a Principality that it rules the air his name

is Satan and So what he does is is he throws

suggestions in the air? and then what happens

is we hear these things and because we have no

recognition or reckon, we cannot discern what

is good, you follow the air. What does that sound

like? This is just what I feel like doing. This

is, my heart is drawing me that way. These are

all, look at them say, things. full of air and

he's wanting you to realize that you didn't have

a choice because you couldn't even recognize

good so if i can't recognize good or i can't

discern what's god then i am subject to whatever

is floating in the air not only am i subject

to what's flowing in the air satan controls there

he's the principality that governs the air Come

on y 'all rock with me. I love remember this

remember this it start off with were This is

everything you were I See something y 'all losing

it wait wait a minute pastor So because it's

important for you to risk the beef I'm not gonna

preach too soon He said the spirit that is what

now at work in the sons of disobedience wait,

hold up That is something we must wrestle with

right because Paul didn't say it's gone. He just

said it moved So you and me I'm assuming that

you're saved like I'm safe we were once subject

to This nature what a nature that follows what's

in the air a nature that's subjected to our passions,

our flesh, that we were subjected to it without

the ability to even know something different

to choose. And so when Christ saved us, he brought

us into the light. So now both me and you, assuming

that you're saved, we know, ha, that's not God.

This is God he wants you to know that that Recognition

wasn't something you worked for it was a nature

given to you Y 'all just rock with me that that

now I have looking every say a new nature This

new nature gives me the ability to actually see

the old nature when you were when you are subjected

to the old nature, you don't even know you have

a bad nature. Y 'all gotta rock with me. This

is gonna help y 'all if y 'all stick with me.

And so in Christ's victory on the cross, you

know what happened? Through Christ, we got the

victory over that power that exists, but it's

important for us to realize that the power still

does exist. It exists in the sons of disobedience.

Well, who are the sons of disobedience? Those

are the people. Check this out. It's not behavior

based. These are the people who are denying Christ.

Because you got to remember by grace you were

saved so behavior didn't get you in and behavior

can't kick you out We talked about that last

week that you are sealed right and so he's saying

listen you you got to realize what's happening

around you that there are sons of disobedience

they by nature can't do right and You can talk

yo behind off But they are by nature at odds

with God You are trying to get them to make different

decisions When you have to realize the decisions

they are making are shaped by a nature. They

haven't been saved from You can recognize that

they are submerged, submitted to, and buried

in it because you have a new nature that can

now discern what is godly. I'm saying this because

we have to realize many of us have stopped being

passionate about seeing people saved. You want

to know why we stop being passionate about it?

Because we've numbed the truth of what this is

saying. And we simply think that God saved us

to make better decisions. No, he snatched you

from one nature to a new nature so that you can

discern what is good. Because if he didn't switch

your nature, you would still be doing what you

were doing. And so you keep thinking that you

can talk people out of what they're doing. You

can't talk them. You got to minister salvation.

Because as long as they are unsaved, they can't

even do what's good. Why? Because they can't

See what's good. And you were once like that

too. You weren't just doing bad things. You were

submerged in a lifestyle. You had a nature that

didn't even, if it was good in front of you,

you wouldn't pick it. Why? Because all you had

was flesh. All you had was your passion. All

you had was your feelings. There was no spirit

on the inside of you was saying, no, crucify

that flesh. Crucify that passion. Crucify that

feeling. That feeling don't line up with the

word of God. You didn't have that. You now have

that. And so it's important for us to see this

because it'll get us stirred up again about actually

saving souls. Because how could you expect your

whole family to change if all of them remain

sons of disobedience? I want my family to be

better. Well, it starts by going on a soul winning

crusade. You keep fighting flesh and blood when

you already been told we don't even fight flesh

and blood like that is useless We fight spiritual

warfare. What are you warring over? I'm warring

over your soul Salvation because until you were

saved you won't not only will you not be able

to pick was good But you can't even stay good.

You don't even know what's good I could be talking

good and you don't even know is good talking

to you We have to realize the actual plight of

an unsaved person. And so that we can understand

the glory of a saved one. Because until I decide

to realize the actual nature of a broken person,

I don't appreciate the salvation I actually have.

Think as long as you think God it saved me so

I can make better decisions You were dumbing

down with salvation is no he changed your nature

So you can begin to recognize that was good that

you can recognize that which is golly that without

salvation You didn't know good. You didn't know

golly. You didn't know right from wrong. You

ain't know nothing You were dead and sin Thank

you You are under control of the prince of the

air Look at yourself you were He says among whom

we all once lived in the passions of our flesh

carrying out the desires of the body and the

mind and we were by nature children of wrath

like the rest of mankind look at him say you

was naughty by nature had to do it had to do

I normally say that for second service but And

so Jesus, God, in his rich mercy, decided to

snatch you out of the wrath, the lifestyle, the

nature. That had nothing but death as an end

and Give you a new nature that now has eternal

life as the reward We'll hear what I'm saying

His first word by God I'm teaching ahead of myself

Being rich in mercy because of the great love

with which he loved us, right? That God being

rich in mercy. It's important for us to realize

that mercy is when I decide not to give you the

punishment you've earned. That you earned punishment.

Mercy is me. deciding not to give you that in

which you've earned. And the Bible describes

God as being rich in mercy, that he's rich in

the ability to move past what you've earned,

what you deserve. And this is why a lot of y

'all trying to figure out, let me just keep it

moving. I wanna say this before we move on, that

mercy always seeks recipients. And so God is

always looking for people in which he can overflow

with mercy. He's always searching to find those

in which he can deposit, bestow upon mercy. This

will really help you understand more about you

and the life you're living, despite some of the

decisions you make. As you have a God who's rich

in mercy, who has made it a part of his expression

of love to perpetually forgive what you actually

have earned. You know, we were talking about

I have a reason to praise and y 'all a lot of

y 'all missed it just right there That God has

an account that only is accessible when you are

in a deficit That yes, he's gracious he has that

yes, he's forgiving he does that but he also

has a reserved called mercy And he continues

to make sure the reserve of mercy is at its full

state. So he never runs dry of mercy. He's rich

in mercy. I think y 'all understand what's happening,

y 'all. That God, imagine this. Now, I'm just

gonna do this as a slight example, right? Imagine

that I'm just gonna say something right. Y 'all

rock with me. Some of y 'all be looking at me

funny because you're like, I don't even want

it. But let's say, let's say that you had an

extravagant amount of wealth. Every wise financial

advisor will tell you what we call having an

emergency fund. They will tell you to have a

maintenance fund. They would tell you that as

you're accumulating riches, it's important that

you put money aside just in case. Well, the thing

is, when you are wealthy, you never have the

thought of using the emergency fund unless there's

an emergency. That's why I need some of y 'all

to think, because some of y 'all think I'd be

tapping in my emergency fund all the time, Pastor.

But imagine that you are so wealthy, that there's

no need to use the fund ever. That what you do

is, as you earn, you continue to supply it. It

literally has done nothing but accumulate over

time. Why are you saying like this? Because we

need to understand that you wouldn't use that

money unless an actual emergency showed up. Otherwise,

it sits there. And so when the Bible describes

God as being rich in mercy God has an account

That is perpetually funded that cannot be depleted

That is available So when you have done something

that deserves You to be punished he goes to the

mercy account and covers the balance. That God

is, look at, he's rich in mercy. Why? Because

what he celebrates isn't that you make better

decisions, he celebrates the nature that you

now have received. He looks down and he sees

you through who you are now Not by decisions

but by nature There's two categories sons of

wrath and sons of obedience To his sons of obedience

they have access to a rich supply of mercy Boy,

I got to keep moving And it says because of the

great love which he loved us even when We were

dead in our trespasses Made us alive together

with Christ by grace you have been saved and

raised us up with him, seated us with him in

the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. What's the

truth, Pastor Brian? Truth is, you have escaped

what used to define you, that what once imprisoned

you no longer has authority over you, that he

took you. gave you a spiritual resurrection.

And although you are physically standing here,

you also have residency spiritually in heaven.

This new nature gives you access to what heaven

has to offer. So that although you are living

on earth, You have an understanding of heaven's

reality. So when you got saved, you were resurrected

in Christ Jesus and seated in heavenly places.

What does that mean? That means now, instead

of you being subject to a nature which could

not recognize what was good are God you are now

seated with God that although I can physically

see you. There is a spiritual reality that you

are now seated with Christ in heavenly places.

Why is that important? That's how I can connect

the dot. Well, how can I now recognize what is

good? I'm still here on earth. No, there's a

flesh part of you that is still here, but you

are spiritually. seated with Christ simultaneously.

So you don't just have one reality that you're

aware of. Not only do you see what's happening

here on earth, but you are aware of what has

been finished in heaven. So as I look at earthly

things, it's important for me to realize what

has spiritually already been finished so I can

act according to what heaven has said and not

what I see. Y 'all rocking with me. Where did

that thought come from? Well, you have to remind

yourself you are seated in heavenly places with

Christ Jesus that there's a part of you that

is fully aware of what heaven has finished and

that part of you is Speaking to the one that

is sitting right here in front of me and looking

at life saying what should I do with this? Well,

if you pause for a second decide to tap into

the spiritual reality concerning your identity

you will find out that heaven has finished everything

in front of you that he made you alive to all

spiritual blessings in what heavenly places that

although you see me physically I actually have

dual citizenship. That I am simultaneously standing

in Tampa, Florida while seated in heaven. Look

at your neighbor say, you are He said so that

in the coming ages verse 7 he might show the

immeasurable riches of his grace and kindness

towards us in Christ Jesus right that that that

that that he did this so that he can make a display

of us of what the reality looks like for someone

to be alive in Christ while living on earth.

Hear what he just said. He said that God wanted

to make a display of what it looks like to be

alive to Christ while living on earth. He wanted

to make it clear that there's a difference between

those who are alive to Christ and on earth and

ones who are not alive to Christ and on earth.

There is a difference. Y 'all are living on the

same planet, but y 'all have two different realities.

And I, God, make sure that the reality is made

plain, that those who are alive to me are subject

to the things that those who are dead to me are.

Y 'all rocking what I'm saying. This is important

that you see this. It's important that you see

this because you'll understand what God is doing.

And it is important that me and you represent

the reality that we live from. That's why he

can't leave you how he found you. Getting ahead

of myself getting ahead of myself Boy, but I

want to do it out God. We got to do it. We got

to do it He says for by grace you have been saved

through faith and it is not of your own doing

it is a gift from God not the results of work

so that no one could boast for Check this out

for before before you are his workmanship Created

in Christ Jesus for good works with God prepared

beforehand that you should walk in him So what

is he saying? I love to say this that you are

his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for many

of us to truly understand that you better for

you to use the term recreated look at him say

neighbor you've been recreated that God at the

point of salvation took everything that concerns

your life put it back on the potter's wheel and

created a new outcome from the same problems

that he took what had happened to you and said,

now, because you are a living representation

of what someone alive to me looks like, I need

to take what happened to you and create a new

outcome because you were headed for death. But

now you're headed for life. He wanted you to

realize that this wasn't even some random plan

that he actually formed you According to what

he had already planned before time You gotta

hear what I'm saying that God already knew when

he was going to switch you from a son of death

to a son of life He already knew the moment He

was gonna snatch you out of darkness and to his

marvelous light that you didn't get saved by

random You were called into salvation given a

new nature and what? What he did is he took that

old you, put you back on the potter's wheel,

and shaped you according to the new plans he

already had. And so he took the same stuff, but

created a new person. Why are you saying this,

Pastor Brad? Because some of us think that I

got saved too late. No, you were saved right

on time. Some of us think sometimes that God

is being slow. No, he's not slow concerning anybody

God is an on time God and I know you feel like

you've been through some things that weren't

do you but you got to understand he takes all

of it and creates new outcomes recreated me something

you got a pause right there in church we have

to wrestle with this what do you mean by that

pastor Brad that you have to fight with this

truth You have to fight with this truth. You

have to allow this truth to reconcile what you

see in front of you. Because truth is, the gospel

didn't simply rescue you from something. It rescued

you for something. I'm gonna read these things

to you. Boy, I wanna keep going. Whoo! It's good,

it's so good. But I'm gonna read this to you.

Because there's some simple things that God actually

wants you to do with what you heard. and you

can hear all this and overlook the simple thing

he actually wants you to do. Y 'all wanna know

what the first thing God wants us to do with

what you just heard? Live with the present hope.

Because why would he do all of this and ever

give up on you? He wants you to take all of what

you heard and not just have a living hope but

to establish an eternal hope. A hope that cannot

fade. He wants you to take all of this and look

at whatever is trying to trouble you and realize

who already rescued you. He wants you to take

all of this and go to war for your spiritual

awakening. Because the only thing that's troubling

many of us is we can't discern what God is doing.

But you have to understand just because you don't

discern it, it doesn't mean he stopped doing

it. But it's hard to live with the present hope

if I can't discern what God is doing You are

alive to what he's doing. You can see what he's

doing And so the first thing he wants us to do

is Never to relax our hold on hope and to realize

You have been declared to speak life over dead

things, that there is nothing dead. It's just

dormant. What's dormant of? It's dormant of its

spiritual awakening. He's speaking this to them

so that they could prioritize their spiritual

walk. Otherwise you will return to the flesh.

That truth is until we commit to renewing our

minds daily. We will never see his hand clearly

But I need you to hear this just because you

can't see his hand. It doesn't stop his hand

What we are actually missing out on is praising

him while it's working Romans 12 and 2 y 'all

put up on the screen so you can see this and

we got to do this We got to finish y 'all get

ready for second service, you know And he says

put up on the screen Right do not be conformed

to this world Flesh, right? This is mirrors what

we read earlier about how can you begin in the

spirit? And I'll now try to finish in the flesh

right that you were saved from that nature You

were saved from having to conform to the pattern

of this world. What are some of these patterns?

I just want to say some stuff simply that in

order to be successful you need a degree. That's

a pattern. It's not even true amongst people

who are in the world. Now that doesn't mean that

you don't get a degree if God told you to. But

what it does mean is you never allow yourself

to disqualify what God has decided to qualify

out of his mercy You got to you what he's saying

because some of y 'all was supposed to go to

school you didn't But you got to remember God

is rich in mercy Some of y 'all what you you

you were Supposed to make that move and you didn't

but he's rich in mercy Some of y 'all, you did

make the wrong decision, but he's rich in mercy.

You have to realize that yes, many of us, not

only have we made some dumb decisions, we got

some dumb ones coming, but we have a God. who's

rich in mercy. Why is he saying this? So that

you can maintain hope despite the condition of

this world. He understands better than us that

we're living in two different realities. And

you know that there will be times where you will

turn to a thing you've been saved from. But he's

rich in mercy. He already knew. We're surprised

by our dumb decisions. God has already planned

for them. The only person surprised by what you

did is you. And when you understand the reality

of what it means. to be in this world and not

of this world you won't even give yourself the

grace you should be giving yourself because it's

not just that you make bad decisions it's that

you were there was a nature i'm gonna have to

do this just give me a little second Oftentimes,

the emperor will do something. And the first

thing we ask her is, why did you do it? Y 'all

know what we're searching for? Sources that don't

belong are part of your thinking. We're looking

for who's that shouldn't have been involved.

We're looking for places you've been that you

shouldn't have been We're thinking about things

you've seen that you shouldn't have watched that

we're we're we're we're not Searching for her

just to simply say I won't do it again No, baby

girl, you got to understand you're gonna do it

again if we don't disconnect the source that

causes you to do it That's what he means by nature.

That we know that there is always an environment

that cultivates the decisions. And we try to

major on the decisions and neglect the environments.

And God's like, no, I understand this more than

some of y 'all. So I'm rich in mercy. Because

you weren't just saved to make better decisions.

It takes. a holy environment to consistently

make good decisions. And many of us, we're still

trying to get our environments to mirror heaven.

Y 'all got to talk to me. And God, who's rich

in mercy, often understands what we don't even

give credit to. What are you trying to say? He

knows how hard it is to choose that which is

holy in a world that celebrates that which isn't.

Why is he saying this though? So that I could

continue doing wrong? No, we don't take the grace

of God for vain. He's saying this so that you

can maintain your eternal hope. Y 'all rocking

with me, right? It says, do not be conformed

to this world, but be what? Transformed by the

renewal of your mind. I want you to realize that

Romans 12 is mentioning the renewal of your mind.

Romans, I mean, Ephesians 2. Highlighted that

you were making decisions according to a dead

mind Y 'all say word and So it's within the same

atmosphere In which we were once doing dead things

that were supposed to do living things y 'all

gotta hear what I'm saying You got a new spirit

you have the same mind That mind was alive during

the old nature Now this mind has to be renewed

to this new nature. That is a process thought

by thought They say I will not allow The mind

that once had me To be the same thing that now

stops me that I will commit to renewing The only

thing that can stop me check this not stop his

hand but stop your praise while he's doing what

he's doing And he says by the testing you may

discern this is what I love put it back up there

Here comes It's coming I believe It says that

by testing you may discern what is the will of

God what is good and acceptable and perfect.

So, my discernment of what God's doing is connected

to my mind being renewed to see what God is doing.

So if I leave my mind, Does it, I would just,

let's just see if we just learned something today.

I'm gonna say no. If your mind can't see it,

does it mean that God's not doing it? If my mind

can't see it, does it hurt my hope while he's

doing it? Yes. If my mind cannot discern what

God is doing, the result is a hope that's hindered.

I'm gonna do it again. If my mind can't discern

what God is doing, does it stop him from doing

it? If my mind cannot discern what God is doing,

does it hurt my hope while he's doing it? Hope

deferred does what? So anytime I'm hoping for

something that's Extended beyond where I thought

it should happen. What does it do? Y 'all got

listen we we at school today Hope deferred does

what? So if I was hoping for something to happen

in one year And it's now two years, what happens?

Thank y 'all, it's right here in front of you.

That if I thought breakthrough was a year from

now and breakthrough hasn't came and it's two

years from when I thought it was, my heart gets

sick. What happens to a sick heart? Hope depletes.

Well then the question then becomes, how do I

make sure that my hope and my heart stay healthy

while God's doing what he's doing. I have to

have a mind that can see what he's doing. That

as long as my mind can see what he's doing, my

hope remains anchored. So then the question becomes,

how do I keep my mind seeing what he's doing

even while he's doing it? Is this some simple

stuff? I have to commit to the thoughts that

truth gives me. I have to commit to the thoughts

that truth has given me because truth has the

power to change your mind. My spirit is in heavenly

places. I am a co Existing I have two Places

in which I live. I have an earthly reality in

a heavenly reality Everything concerning me is

settled and done But sometimes if we're being

honest we get tired Does our weariness stop God

no But where does our weariness come from? Our

inability to see what God is doing. But what

God is doing is actually living. on the inside

of us well what stops me from even attaching

to what's living on the inside of me a mind that

hasn't been renewed to receive what heaven is

doing so how do i bridge the gap between being

sick because of how long and being start praising

god even though it's been longer than i thought

i have a mind that can see what's happening on

the inside of me well how do i start to clean

my mind up i start to allow truth to change my

mind that i allow Every word that god has spoken

to make subject the thoughts that oppose what

he said This is thought by thought and as I attack

these thoughts, not only do I make satan's remind

him He's under my feet, but I remind my heart

that all is well I'm already way over time. So

I might as well do this Did you put it back up

there because I need you to see this It says

that I got another one after this too. That's

the problem All right, so I'm gonna go ahead

go to the other we'll get back to that Jeremiah

29 11 it says for I know the plans I have for

you. I know. You may be unaware, but I know.

Right now, you may be unaware, but he knows.

There are things heaven knows about you that

you can fight spiritually to see. Heaven's not

trying to hide what it's doing, but you have

to fight to see what it's doing. Why? Because

an unrenewed mind blocks what God is doing. It

can't stop. what God's doing, but it will block

you from seeing what he's doing. So if I want

to know what heaven is planning, I have to fight

to see what it's doing. If I stop fighting, I

stop seeing. Heaven doesn't stop doing, I stop

seeing. But if any season I want to see what

heaven is doing, Can fight to see it? How do

I fight in your mind? That if I wake up in wage

war against my mind as I do it I can see what

heaven is planning He says for I know the plans

I have for you declares the Lord plans to prosper

you and not to harm you Plans to give you a hope

and a future it's important that you realize

this prophecy was given 70 years before it actually

came true We read it as though it was something

that happened the next day they sat with that

for 70 years In heaven loves giving Long -term

hope for difficult times So before we go further

I'll probably guess is why I put on my fatigues

today. The question isn't, is it finished? Oh,

it's finished. The question isn't, does God have

a plan? He does. The question isn't, is heaven

on your side? Heaven is. But there's a grand

opportunity before each one of us to see what

heaven is doing. And I'm saying this because

I know I'm standing in front of many people.

You're fighting to maintain hope, to stay encouraged,

to stay uplifting, to keep doing the right things,

although you haven't seen good results. And the

prince of the power of the air would love for

you to just submit to one of his thoughts that

it's not going to happen. It's dead. It's over.

And I'm standing here with heaven saying, it's

not dead. It's not done. Heaven has been working.

And if you feel yourself in a moment where quitting

feels like the next best thing, where compromise

has been taking over. Put on your whole armor

And begin to fight to see what heaven is doing

You weren't designed to live without hope We

were designed to live with a future and a hope

You weren't designed to fight from discouragement.

You were designed to live from a hope and a future.

Y 'all get anything out of the word today? Father

God we thank you for today. I pray that That

your sheep heard your word today, I pray that

they leave here Ready to step out of that dormant

season And to take hold of their mind commit

to seeing what you are doing. And if there's

anybody here today, they're not saved. They haven't

received Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior.

We want to give the opportunity for you to do

so. The Bible tells if you confess with your

mouth and believe in your heart. that Jesus has

died and rose again, you shall be saved. And

so if that's you today and you want to be saved,

as we say this prayer, just say it along with

this. Father God, I thank you for your son, Jesus.

I believe that he died and he rose again. And

when he rose, rose of my forgiveness, he justified

me. He extended mercy towards me. And I am now

a son, a daughter of the King. Church, can we

get up for people that said that prayer for the

first time? Satan doesn't want you to fight.

He wants you to just give up. And you have to

realize you'll give up if you don't fight. We'll

receive today's offering. I wish there was a

better transition, there's not. But we do believe

in cheerful givers whose heart are in their giving.

And so today, as you give, do so knowing that

it is something that is pleasing to God, something

that God sees as honorable and something that

you should be cheerful about. that God loves

a cheerful giver, someone who's excited about

sowing. And so as you give, give so cheerfully,

amen? Y 'all understand how much I wanna keep

going. Because there's, I'ma just, let me do

this piece for those y 'all who ain't even gonna

come back next week. Because it helps you reconcile.

The fight. That when you get down to Ephesians

2 and 20, Jesus begins to describe himself as

the cornerstone and that there's this whole structure

being built and that each one of us are being

joined into a holy temple of the Lord. And what

is he saying? He's saying that we are what? Living

temples. And in order for you to truly understand

what heaven is doing, you have to understand

what a temple once represented. That a temple

was the seat in which God was experienced. It

was the most magnificent structure that would

be in a city. That temples were set upon a hill.

That temples were lavish. Temples were full of

glory. That they were the epitome of excellence.

And now God now says you're his living temple.

You wanna know what God is doing? He's making

you just as excellent as that temple once stood.

And we often are trying to minimize what God

is trying to maximize. That we are now his temple.

living representations of what once physically

stood before people. So no, God's not done with

you. He has plans greater than you could imagine.

But y 'all stand to your feet. Father God, I

just thank you for today I pray that as your

people go that they take this word and begin

to wrestle with it That they allow the truth

of this word to set up arguments against every

thought that's trying to come against it I pray

that they own who they are in you now that they

realize that they are a new creation Creating

Christ Jesus for good works that God is already

pre -planned that he's not trying to make them

holy they already are holy that he's not trying

to figure things out everything is already figured

out that he's not wondering they're not wondering

but he has a path for them and i pray that they

fight to see what you were doing look you never

said i will fight to see what god is doing I

love y 'all, I thank God for you guys. Now I

want to Him who is able to present you from falling,

to keep you from falling and to present you faultless

before the presence of His glory with exceeding

joy to the only wise God, our Savior. Be glory

and majesty, dominion and power both now and

forever. Amen.