Kingdom Advancement!

You're listening to the Cross Kingdom Sermon of the Week,

we hope you enjoy this message from Justin Carpenter.

PayPal stripe all that stuff. I have to do this

real quick because I did it first service, and after

the Lord spanked me and corrected me on some of

my theology two weeks ago. I have to publicly correct

it because I've publicly taught it. And I believe that leaders,

whether you're prophesying or you're teaching, when you realized you

were teaching something that was inaccurate, or if you miss

a prophetic word, you have the integrity to repent from

the same platform you delivered it on.

And so.

Concerning money, coming out of a Baptist background, I was

always a strong tithe guy. Right as I moved out

of Cessationianism into Continuism, which means I believe all the

gifts are still around fivefold ministry, all that good stuff.

And as I studied.

The tithe and offerings and free will offerings and everything,

a part of my teaching, I was teaching that the

tithe wasn't necessarily coming through the New that it came

through into.

The New Covenant.

Because I was attributing the tithe to old Covenant.

And the law.

Well, two weeks ago when we were at the Shavdas,

Bill Johnson was there and he and he taught three times,

and of course something he said, I was like, oh,

but that's good, right, we need correction when we're off

and I just I just want to publicly say that

I was wrong attributing the tithe to the law because

the tithe actually came through Abraham before the law was

even around.

And if you.

Follow correct exit Jesus, it's the principle of first introduction

and the introduction of the tithe because Abraham paid tithes

to Melkezedek.

Are you all with me?

And so I wouldn't always take a strong stance for

a long time on the issue of tithing. And then

Malachi it specifically start talks about the storehouse, which is

filling up the food and so on and so forth,

and I was leaning more towards with the tithe as

an issue of like food and the temple and so on.

Are you understand what I'm saying? And it just hit

me now, I'm not gonna take up an offering, So

hold your horses. Oh we're gonna take up a special offering.

You untithed in son of a Gun's no, but no, seriously,

I you know, there's the churches under correction of the lords,

specifically the leadership. And it doesn't take a rocket scientist

to realize he has got a bullseye on Dallas, Texas

right now.

There were two more.

Pastors that have fallen of larger churches in that area.

But purification is good, y'all. He loves us just as

we are, right. It says why we were yet sinners.

He died for us, but in the same breath he

loves us too much to leave us as we are.

And all the wives said, thank you Jesus.

And.

Is that good?

I got fired up first service and I said something

and I was like, maybe I shouldn't have said that word.

And I was like, oh, thank goodness, Lisa's not here.

I'm still in trouble. Yeah, I just told him myself.

So I think I'm released to actually teach this session

this service what I was gonna teach first service, but

the word had a different thought process. Let me start

out again by sharing a dream I had this past week.

I was on in my dream, not reality. I was

at the shore like a beachline, super bright, vivid, just

like I'm wide awake looking at y'all or it would

be outside. And this massive bomb drops out of the

sky and it explodes in the ocean, and there's this

huge tidal wave that comes up and starts coming.

Towards the shore.

And I see a building and I run into this

building and I start warning everyone that a bomb exploded,

a tidal wave was coming, and you must get to

the center.

Of the house. Are y'all with me so far?

And I woke up from this dream warning everyone to

get to the center.

Of the building.

And I woke up and I was like, Okay, Lord,

is this bomb symbolic or is this literal? Because you

know there's saber rattling happening right now. Y'all understand that

if Iran attacks Israel, we could escalate into World War

three quicker than you can blink. And y'all also should

understand there are people that want that.

Are y'all awake.

We don't want that, right we pay we're praying for

the peace of Israel, but we also know prophetically that

Israel is like a cup of trembling in the last

days and ultimately one day.

It will lead to the war of Gog and Magog.

Wherever you want to put that in your end Times theology.

That's a whole other eight week series minimum probably anyways,

But I actually felt like this represented spiritual warfare. I

don't know exactly there, but I believe there's there's gonna

be a moment of explosion with spiritual warfare soon, and

it's gonna It's like in Isaiah when it says when

the enemy comes in like a flood, right, are you

all with me? And this that that that tidle wave

was coming and the only way we were safe is

if we were in the heart of the house, away

from the windows, protection with walls. But what I'm saying

is I'm talking about the secret place with the Lord.

This is a time God is, God is dealing with it,

says Judgment starts first with the House of God, right

and he and he starts with his elders. So the

Lord's addressing the elders. Because culture is always top down.

Whether you're you have a business, whether you're it doesn't

matter whatever mountain of influence the lords put you into.

Callature is always built from top down. Leaders in a

nation come out of the spiritual water table of that nation.

Are you with me?

So?

In other words, when we're in a spiritual drought in

a nation, the odds of having a lot of righteous,

faith filled leaders is low because they're coming up out

of the culture of that country. It says righteousness exalts

a nation, but sends a reproach to any people. What

we are doing is the church, the remnant is waking up.

Right.

Twenty twenty was not.

Just a global shakening. It actually signified like a trumpet,

or sounded like a trumpet, a new era and time

that we're in. There is no going back. So don't

keep looking back in the rearview mirror. Things have permanently

changed and birth pains are closer if you hadn't figured

that one out. Regardless of your end times perspective, your commission,

your duty as the body of Christ, has not changed.

What is your duty. It's the commission, It's the great commission.

Every one of you are called to make disciples. Some

are literally called to go to the ends of the

earth to make disciples. Right, make disciples of all nations.

But you, every one of you in this seat, you're

the change agent for this nation. It's not our politicians.

Do you understand that we pray for our leaders, we

pray for those in authority. We pray that we might

live a peaceful life. But I want to tell you

that we are in turbulent waters. We're in turbulent times,

and the turbulence is going to get more intense. Do

not fall prey to a political spirit, because the moment

you embrace a political spirit, you're going to start looking

at people with hatred and you're not gonna love your enemies.

Are you with me that this is not the time

to give into that spirit, because it's extremely strong. We

live in a republic. I am confirmly I can't talk

hold on, help me. I am firmly convinced if I

can spit that out that when someone has surrendered their

life to the Lord Jesus and they're walking with him,

they're gonna vote righteously. They're gonna protect life, They're gonna

protect marriage, They're gonna protect the home. I have a

very difficult time with people that claim to follow Jesus

that are okay with certain things.

This is about good and evil in our nation. Are

you with me?

We are the ones responsible. It says the heavens, even

the heaven are the lords. But He's given the earth

to the sons of men. We, as the body of

Christ have we have to stop being afraid to be.

Responsible over the earth. Right now.

With that said, you better get your butt out there

and vote in November. I'm not gonna tell you how

to vote in this moment. I would like to trust me,

but I'm I'm gonna I'm gonna err on the side

of silence in that moment because I think I made

my point, and don't don't don't fall pray that you

don't think your vote matters. I understand things in the past,

but more than anything, pray mercy over our country period,

because we need mercy, says Mercy triumphs over judgment. We

need mercy in our lives. We we we when when

I was at the Shabda's cole and I got in

line with Bonnie because they've done a watch of the Lord,

a three hour watch on Friday nights for the last

thirty years, consistently.

Think about that.

The Moravians have did a hundred plus years. Nothing significant

has ever taken place without intercession. But there's balance there.

Why we're interceding and petitioning and watching.

What did Jesus say over and over to the disciples.

Watch, watch and pray, Watch and pray, pay attention, stay awake.

And I'm afraid a large part of the church today

is sound asleep. They've confused the Gospel of the Kingdom

with the American dream. They've taken take up your cross

and put that all aside for a narcissistic gospel. You

need to understand that what God is judging in this

moment is the celebrity preacher. That's what he's dealing with.

And if you want to know where more judgment, not condemnation,

but correction is coming to the body of Christ, it's

to that celebrity idle mindset. God crushes idols. He loves

to crush idols. And Jeremiah Israel had so many idols

in their heart, and then they came before the Lord

and he says, will you inquire of me with your

idols in your heart? He says, I will answer you

according to your idol. And that's one of the big

dangers because in the New covet or in this past season,

and that at least in the Charismatic movement, so many

people would run to and fro from conference to conference

to get a word, to get a word, to get

a word, not to get a word so that they

could start a process of purification and holiness with the Lord.

But like a pez dispenser, and all these prophetic voices

lined up and lined people up and pimped out their gift.

And the Lord is purifying leaders, purifying the prophetic in

this And I believe wholeheartedly that there's going to be

prophetic voices that actually rise up with the word of

the Lord in their heart. But what's happened in the

seasons of past is that literally people were answered according

to their idol. One of the ways in which that

plays out is I can sit here and lock into

anybody right now and start picking up on burdens you're

caring and your soul. I can pick up on desires

of your soul. And if I am being dishonest and

lacking integrity as a prophetic voice, I can prophesy your

soulish desires back to you. And if you don't weigh

it and judge it, you think you've got the word

of the Lord, and you go run down a path that.

Jesus never told you to all, are y'all with me?

This is one of the ways in what spiritual abuse

in the church has happened. And Jesus is jealous for

his bride. So guess what he's stepped in with his

massive foot and he's handling things. Oh yeah, the one

thing I didn't finish.

Sorry.

So I was at the conference and Cole and I

got prayer because I really feel like we're supposed to

start a watch, which you know a watch is three

hours if you study the watches in scripture. I don't

know all the details. There's other people that have a

heart for this. Dave Rogers, his his passion has been intercession.

We're gonna move forward, meet talk with the elders and

try to figure out.

What this looks like to start. But I know this.

Part of the prayer I got from Bonnie left me

on the ground. U. I went from this to this

to somebody rolled me over because I was on my

side and I look up, cold is standing.

There stoically kill him, kill him.

No.

And but.

In spite of all the craziness in this hour, in

spite of and by the way, if you want to

get in a better mood, don't watch.

The news every day.

Okay, if listen, if you're watching the news every single day,

stop it. I'm not saying put your head in the

sand or be ignorant, but I'm just saying, like, y'all,

the joy of the Lord is not gonna be on

your face after about fifteen minutes.

Right, So.

We don't typically grow and mature on the mountaintop.

Right.

Mountaintops are a time of blessing, of reprieve, of refreshing,

and we all need mountaintop seasons or moments where we can.

You know, it says that he waters those that water,

and I'm like, oh, everyone's been there. Like I got

breakthrough the conference, and then when I was on my

jeep trip, I got refreshed. So the Lord had mercy

on me. I feel a ton better, like a ton better, thankfully.

And what's awesome is in this tension and in the

midst of so much uncertainty as a country, I've never

been more excited about what God's.

Up to and what He's about to be up to.

Yeah, he's just looking for a group of radical people.

Do you want to have outrageous faith that you got

to have outrageous surrender? You can't have great faith without

great surrender.

Period.

Don't fool yourselves if you think you can have great

faith without great surrender what you have as a religious spirit.

And by the way, that.

Is the number one enemy that's been constricting revival over

our region is people checking the boxes, going to service,

having some Jesus sprinkles, and then executing their own will

using God's word to justify it. I believe wholeheartedly Jesus

responds to hunger, says, blessed are those who thirst and hunger.

What happens to him? See, I think we have a

green light way more often than we think. I think

God is waiting for a group of people to be crazy,

hungry and just believe ridiculous things like actually believe that

all things are possible for those who believe Bill Bill

shared this testimony at the conference. He you know, they've

got a school of ministry, right, And he went into

class one morning and the.

Lord gave a word of knowledge.

He said, the Lord told them somebody had just asked

for five hundred bucks. Asked the Lord, hey, I need

five hundred look y'all, keep your hands down, because I

don't have any money in my pocket. And Bill said

he reached out with a hundred dollars bill, and he said, hey,

who just asked the lord for five hundred bucks. One

person put their hand up, and it was a girl

in the front row. He said, look, this isn't five

hundred bucks, but five hundred is in this and he

gave her the hundred.

Fast forward later. Yeah, I know that. Look, don't worry,

I'll clear it up here in a second. He's like,

that ain't five hundred.

I may not be a mathematician, but I know what

account he said, there's five hundred in that hundred and

so a little bit some hours later that day, she

goes to the grocery store. She's in the checkout line

and the people in front of her are short.

They can't pay for their groceries.

She remembers she's got a hundred dollars bill in her pocket.

She takes the hundred and gives it to the family

to pay their groceries.

She goes back to her.

Place there where she lives in Reading, and somebody was

at her front door with five hundred bucks. Now, if

it always worked that way, would all be rich, wouldn't we?

The lord would turn into atm right. But the point is.

Most of the time, God gives us an answer with

a seed, but we either throw it away because we

lose hope, or we eat it because there's a difference

between your bread and your seed. You eat your bread,

you sow your seed.

Are you with me?

So, regardless of money, whatever breakthrough you're looking for, you know,

an acorn turns into an oak tree. Do you want

the key to perseverance to see your prayers answered? When

you're holding that acorn or you're holding that that seed,

the mulberry seed, You don't you it as a siege.

You view it as a tree. We give thanks in

all things. We give thanks for prayers that haven't been

answered as if they have been answered, because we have

a promise that anything we ask, according to His will,

it is answered. That's why we can say amen before

it's answered. The key is to actually get into a

place inside of him with intimacy and your prayer life,

to where your desires become his desires. Your ears lock

into his heart and his thoughts, and you actually begin

to find out what he wants to do. And then

you start praying in stereo with him what he desires

to do on this earth. And then you begin to

give thanks for it, because you've already know without a doubt,

if you pray anything according.

To His will, it is done.

But we in the American Church have intermingled this gospel

with You don't need to deny yourself, you don't need

to take up your cross, you don't even need to

confess your sins anymore, hyper grace, because Jesus paid all

of it. Will you tell that to Antonius and Saphiro.

How many of you have thrown your seeds away because

you didn't view the tree. You didn't view the seed

of reconciliation with a relationship. You didn't view this prayer,

this little seed that you've been praying worth holding on

to and persevering to see it come to pass.

I just switched to a little bit of water. I've

had a little bit of caffeine this morning.

Yeah, out of all the things in life, that's.

Thank you, Elizabeth. I appreciate that so much.

I believe that we are in the process of stepping

into a place where we're gonna begin to see lots

of breakthroughs. And I don't just mean it's it's the

scripture that it says the uh the Reaper will overtake

the plowman. I don't remember the exact If somebody has

that memori, spit it out, I don't remember the exact address,

but you know which scripture I'm talking about, right. It

goes back to the principle of God answering you even

before you ask. Yeah, Amos not you're both all right?

Good job, y'all. Amos nine thirteen. Go there real quick.

I worked so.

Hard on this outline, and again, well, at least I

learned something when I was preparing, right, Amos nine thirteen,

I have to enlarge the print. There we go, Amos

nine thirteen. Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord.

When the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader

of grapes him who sows the seed, the mountains shall

drip sweet wine, and all the hills shall flow with it.

I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel, and

they shall rebuild the ruined cities and inhabit them. They

shall plant vineyards and drink their wine, and they shall

make gardens and eat their fruit. I will plant them

on their land, and they shall never again be uprooted

out of the land that I've given them, says the

Lord God. Y'all understand when they side note when Israel

recovered that land that was always their land, you understand

the Palestinian nation came from the Philistines. That lands Israel period.

It's Israel's land, which means God's overseeing it. Regardless of

your political stance, don't you dare give into anti Semitism

and anti christ spirit and begin to come against the

Jewish people. You may not agree with all their politicians,

they don't. I mean, there's yep, we're we're said. Scripture

promises those who bless them will be blessed, those who

curse them will be cursed. You can pray for someone

or pray for a nation without fully agreeing. I pray

for our leaders I probably should pray for the current

ones more. I pray for our nation all the time.

Do you think I agree with a lot of our

current leadership. No, I think they got a spirit of

stupid on them. But I still pray for our country

because I love our country. I've got family members that

fought for our country and many of you. And freedom's

not cheap, But the greatest freedom you've been given came

from Jesus, and he's the captain of your salvation. Let me,

I wanna, I wanna go to Revelation eight. By the way, Revelation,

not revelations, is the revelation of Jesus.

That's how it starts.

It's the revelation of Jesus Christ, not the Antichrist. You know,

the word Antichrist is actually not even in the Book

of Revelation. Anybody know that. A lot of times with

all the amazing Left Behind series movies we've watched, the

focus is.

Like the Antichrist.

So you think, like the whole book of Revelations about,

you know, the lawless one rising up. One little side note,

which I've said before, Thessalonians chapter two, when it talks

about the lawless one, the man of lawlessness, he was

a when that book was written in fifty six a d.

So you've got a little bit of a problem. He

would be a little old right now. In twenty twenty four, Selah,

So Revelation eight, verse one, when the lamb opened the

seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half

an hour. Then I saw the seven angels who stand

before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. And

another angel came and stood at the altar with a

golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer

with the prayers of all the saints on the golden

altar before the throne, and the smoke of the incense,

with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from

the hand of the angel.

Then the angel took.

The censer and filled it with fire from the altar

and threw it on the earth. And there were peals

of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake. Do

y'all understand that just described your prayers? How many times

have you not prayed earnestly over something? Because and if

you're honest, no one's gonna get stoned here either way.

You know what I'm saying. I was in Denver. It's

the mile high city for a reason. Was that a

dad joke? Oh, a bad joke? My wife goes, yes,

that was a bad joke. I thought it was all right,

that's not I'm moving forward before I get a deeper ditch.

What was I saying?

That's the revelation eight. That's the answer that Oh, I

know what it was. SORRYO, how many of you haven't

earnestly prayed into something because you honestly didn't think it

would make that much of a difference.

I've been there.

About how about praying for a family member for thirty years?

Thirty five years.

And it seems like nothing's budging and you feel like

maybe your prayers aren't going anywhere.

Well, guess what.

Revelation eight is a picture of what happens when the

bowl of prayer or prayers is full.

Remember the seed.

Remember I just talked about that seed. Are you viewing

it like a tree? Are you viewing the acorn like

an oak tree? Are you viewing it like something that's disposable?

And if it doesn't produce growth quick enough for you, you're

just gonna pull it out and throw something else in

there and see what sticks. The moment when you want

to begin to give up on prayer, you need to

go to Revelation eight and see the power of your prayer.

There's a reason why James tells the elders to go and.

Pray over those that are sick. It says the.

Faithful, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails barely.

No, it doesn't say that.

It says it avails much and if the enemy can

get you convinced that your prayers don't have much power,

then you've literally just given up the authority you have

on the earth and you're not going to see the advancement.

Of the kingdom.

If you're praying for someone and they got a demon,

do you not think that demon knows whether you act

believe the authority.

That you have.

One time, I was in a deliverance session and the

demon said, I don't even know you to try to spark,

you know, fear because like the sons of Skeeva, So

you know what I did, because I have a good

sense of humor in those moments, I said, if you

didn't know me, I'd already be beaten naked.

Now come out.

True story though right Sons of Skiva says they were mastered.

The enemy got ahold of them, mastered them, and they

went away naked paraphrase birthday suit.

So I want to.

I want to start going towards the direction of landing.

Safely.

You know, we we can begin to get bitter with

our responsibility from the Lord. Anybody ever, anybody ever despised

their calling, like they felt like they were called to

something and they and they felt like this huge burden

and they didn't deal with the bird.

It's listen, y'all saving here.

Carl was like, she's like, where's Chae and Lisa, where's Leslie?

Leslie might thump me, where's Leslie?

Oh?

Okay?

And but we've we've all been there, you know we can.

Scripture also says don't despise small beginnings. Again, it goes

back to that issue of seed. What's in your hand

and what is really in your hand? Do you understand

that when Jesus took the fish and the bread and

he blessed it, he gave thanks for it. It wasn't enough. Hello,

thousands of people needed to be fed, and he holds

up this tiny little deal. But giving thanks for what

wasn't enough opened up the.

Door to plenty.

What a stewardship if you're faithful, and a little will

make you faithful? And what much if we're commanded to

give thanks in all circumstances. It doesn't matter what you

have in that moment, it's what God wants to do

with it. And the entire Bible is a testimony of

breakthrough after breakthrough after breakthrough after breakthrough after breakthrough. It's Micah.

Go to Micah too, and I'm not talking about my

son in the sam booth. Oh what are you doing

down here? Oh? I was like, who's doing the cameras?

He's right in front of you.

Huh see, I told you I'm sharp.

Micah two verse thirteen. This is the scripture for breakthrough, y'all.

He who opens the breach goes up before them. They

break through and pass the gate, going out by it.

Their king passes on before them, the lord at their

right hand, the amplify, says the breaker, the Messiah who

opens the way shall go up before them, liberating them.

They will break out, pass through the gate, and go out.

So their kings goes so their king goes on before them,

the lord at their head. I have a question, though,

how many y'all been sitting on your blessed assurance not

moving going? God, give me breakthrough, Lord, I believe you

can give me breakthrough.

That kid needs breakthrough.

Ah, that's what maybe somebody y'all need to do. But

I have a question. When did the water part? When

did the water part when you stepped into it? Do

you understand the only way you get breakthrough is actually

as you go into what you need to break through,

you actually have to go into it. The promised land.

God promises all that land to the chill of Israel.

And there were giants in the land, and it specifically

said that He left them there intentionally. So what have

you actually started looking at your giant as your promotion

rather than your demotion? What have you actually started looking

at the obstacles as God setting you up for breakthrough

in victory versus ah. I thought he was a good father.

And it's just so hard. I just don't know. We've

all been there, y'all. I'm not condemning anybody.

I've been there. It's called intercessory whining.

The Lord asked me a question back in twenty eighteen.

I've shared this at times. If you've heard it, well,

you know I'm a minister.

I repeat things so I love you.

I was in my quiet with the Lord praying and

I hear this, will you love Judas? And I'm like,

I'm sorry, I think i'm hearing things. Lord, What do

you want to say to me? Will you love Judas?

The True Lord Jesus Christ? What do you want to

say to me? Will you I'm like, I don't need

to be prophetic to know where this conversation is going

ahead correct when he asked me a question like that,

and so I'm like, that's good question.

Lord. I'm like, you know, I will with your help.

And so at the time we had a restaurant.

Something happened with a restaurant and we broke into it

one of the employees. I was next to the employee

a few days later washing glasses, and the Lord.

Said, will you love Judas?

Yes, I bless them, and I'm praying in my heart

next to this person. I thought, awesome lessons over. Anybody

been there? The Lord asked you a question. You think

the lesson's over, then all of a sudden you hear

this engine revving like a stinking V eight.

It was just the start and fast forward.

Another lesson was way more painful, hurt a ton.

And one day I was with the Lord.

Close to intercessory whining but not quite see when Judas

came into Jesus's life, It said he loved him to

the end.

Jesus knew Judas.

You have to understand something about Judas's thought process. He

was convinced when the Messiah showed up that the Messiah

was gonna just kick a mudhole in all the Gentiles,

kick the Roman Empire clear out of their land. All

the Goieme the dogs, right gentiles, which were all gentile

by the way, if you're wondering, and uh, and but

it's Goieme for gentile. And they they were convinced the

Messiah was going to come in as this military ruler

and clean house. And instead Jesus shows up and he

is blessing his enemies, he's loving his enemies. He's literally

telling these guys to do exactly opposite of what they

were convinced the Messiah would do when he showed up.

So what if.

Bitterness came into judases heart over that three and a

half year period, three three and a half year period

because he got tired of not seeing the Messiah do

what he thought he was supposed to do. Anybody ever

get bitter towards the Lord because he didn't do what

you wanted him to do. What if that's what actually

opened the door of bitterness for him to be willing

to betray him and hopes that a different Messiah, a military.

Figure would show up.

Regardless of you know, that's I can't prove that. I'm

just gimme grace right, not building the doctrine there, But

the point is he loved him all the way through.

How many of us would love now think, come on,

let the Holy Spirit in there. How many of you

would have loved certain people had you known the outcome?

Come on.

That's like a mic drop question, because I know I

had to answer the Lord truthfully, would you have loved

that person?

And I told the Lord, no, I wouldn't have. I

know I wouldn't have.

And all of a sudden I realized how bankrupt of

love I was in that place in my life still.

And then you go, And then the Lord says, they

have a journey too, a destiny, a journey to walk

out in God. Do you all understand that when we

use all these cool buzzwords and the charismatic movement, the

Christianese that we all have, when we talk about destiny,

if you remove people, there is no destiny period. There

is no destiny over your life without people.

Without people.

So, whether you're called to to be a school teacher,

a firefighter, a commercial pilot, a banker, real estate, whatever

it is, whatever you're called to you, it's only because

people are there. And the Great commission is all about people.

I've said this many a times. After I got burned

youth pastoring. A couple of times I told the Lord

and late nineteen ninety nine, I was done with ministry.

I'd never do it again, and I was done with

his people. Didn't want anything to do with them. But

I'll get as close to you as I possibly can.

Lord.

I'll love you Lord with all my heart, but I'm

done with your people. Anybody been there, and you know

what Jesus did. Every time I got closer to him,

he would put his people in front of him, and

he said, if you love me, you gotta love my people.

It's my body. It's not optional.

And when I got my heart right, got healing, I

could actually start loving people again. And I realized in

that process the reason why people hurt so bad was

because I was looking to them for my identity. And

as I actually got more focused on Jesus and allowed

the Creator to tell me who I am, then I

could forgive people of their stupidity a whole lot easier,

because all of us are probably one breath away from

a spirit of stupid At times, that old flesh rears

up and you're like Am I going to crucify it? Nope,

not this time, and then whila. It never ends, well

does it? Let me end with this? Our duty when

I say end a couple of minutes, our duty is

to serve, But without delight we will become bitter in

our service and begin to despise our duty are. In

other words, duty without delight will result in bitter service.

Delighting in the Lord will result with duty that brings

desire of the heart and life to our souls. Duty

without delight will lead to a legalistic relationship with the

Lord rather than freedom.

And the oil of intimacy.

In fact, duty without delight will actually lead to a

diminishing prayer life. Our spiritual duty comes from the Lord,

and his duty is actually a commandment, not just a

suggestion from him. You ever, notice how we we want

to change what the Lord told us from a commandment

to a suggestion when we're not really excited to obey what.

I feel like the Lord said this to me.

I'm not quite sure now, because all of a sudden

you realize the cost of giving something up that you

weren't quite ready to give up. Great faith does not

come without great surrender. There's no way around it. Period,

it's impossible to have great faith without great surrender.

Mark ten five.

For even the Son of Man came not to be served,

but to serve, and to give his life as a

ransom for many. One thing that's interesting in Exodus eight one,

then the Lord said to Moses, go into Pharaoh and

say to him. Thus says the Lord, let my people go,

that they may serve me. That word for serve is

a word called avad, and it means a slave or servant.

But there's another word that comes from that root word,

and it's translated to work or service or labor. And

this is all that word is used in a God.

Is used in the context of the service of God.

It's in job psalms, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Melachi, it's in levitical service,

it's in celebrating the feast days. It's in giving offerings

and sacrifices. And the second one is in priestly and

levitical services.

What am I saying.

I'm saying that we always separate our work from our warship,

and according to the scriptures and according to a Hebrew mindset,

they're one and the same. Maybe many of you wouldn't

idolize a platform in a ministry, if you realized that

your position that you carry is absolutely just as important

regardless of what you're doing with your work, because it's

an act of worship that's actually unto the Lord. See,

until the body of Christ wakes up and knows that

they're the ones that's called to do the work of

the ministry, then it's pretty difficult to see a city transformed.

Why because transformed people transform cultures. But if you haven't

allowed the Kingdom of Heaven to advance inside of you,

you're not going to see it advance through you. And

as long as we have this western, stinking mindset, I'm

not saying y'all, somebody over there, as long as we

have this mindset that it's the pastor's job to do

everything and I don't believe that's here, then you've totally

missed out on the reality of your calling the heavens.

Even the heavens are the lords. But He's given the

earth to the sons of men. Go, make disciples, Go,

don't sit, don't complain, don't whine.

Go.

I'm not telling you to get out right now, but

but the point is, do you understand whether you're a janitor,

a cook, driving buses for kids, which bless your heart

starting tomorrow morning, five am, right, sir. But regardless what

you're doing, it's an active worship. Your life is an

active worship, and it's unto the Lord. Now, when you

understand what you're holding, you're better position to ask the

Lord what he wants to do with that.

Jesus, what do you want to do with me? As

a bus driver?

Lord sharpened my senses so that as the kids come

on the bus and they're having struggles, you can give

me words of knowledge so I can encourage them and

nudge them a little bit closer to Jesus. What coffee

you're always at the coffee shop? Bless your heart because

I am too. Hallelujah, and so he Brews. If you're

pulling shots for the Lord, espresso shots, guess what? Whoever's

in front of you, say, Jesus, what do you want

to say to them? He might say, justin not so

many shots. But the point is when you have the

mind of Christ and you understand that you're advancing the

Kingdom in your mettron, your sphere of influence, everything changes

all of a sudden, No longer idolizing somebody else's job

because you're working for the King of the universe and

you're not worried about what the person next to you

is doing. Do you understand that when you leave your

lane and go into somebody else's lane, you're actually despising

your calling, You're envying somebody else's calling. And then you

fall into self promotion and every other stupid thing in

the world because you don't understand the gift you've been given.

There's only one of you, regardless of what you think

about yourself or what anybody else thinks about you, There's.

Only one of you.

You, every single one of you in this room, were

literally created uniquely by God to do something on planet

Earth at this moment in history that no one else

can do as good as you.

And that's not just good preaching.

It's the reality of who you are, who you are

and the kingdom that.

He wants to advance through you. Okay, I'm landon.

Oh sixty seconds sewing Grifthians nine six to twelve, last scripture.

The point is this, whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly.

Whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must

give as he decided in his heart, not reluctantly or

under compulsion. For God loves a cheerful giver, and God

is able to make all grace abound to you, so

that having all sufficiency in all things, at all times,

you may abound in.

Every good work.

That is, as it is written, He has distributed freely,

He has given to the poor. His righteousness endures forever.

He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for

food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and

increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched

in every way to be generous in every way, which

through us will produce thanksgiving to God. For the ministry

of this service is not only supplying the needs of

the saints, but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God. Y'all,

we are called to a life of generosity. But if

you live as an orphan, you're gonna hoard everything, and

you're going to try to protect what little influence you

believe you got because you're in deception, because you thought

you earned it and made it happen, and you didn't

realize that slaves work for wages, but sons live from inheritance.

Okay for a teams.

I hardly followed any of the outline, but I think

it worked.

Oh yeah, go ahead.

Also, Kylie is going to pray over any kids that

are going to school teachers, home.

Homeschool mothers.

So I was like, blu, Kylie, why don't you come

up Joe, if you are a keyboard and you're going

to be starting school Monday, why don't you come on

at where?

Oh, Michael is already up here.

I want to share something quickly, since we were talking

about seats. Micah came home, was it Friday night? Friday night,

and he's like, Mom, I want to share something with you.

And this devotional that I had bought him, and it

was about seeds and it says anyone can count the

seeds in an apple, but only God can count the number.

Of apples in a seed.

And I sat there and I thought about that, and

I was like, oh my gosh, that's so powerful. So

when you take that one little seed, and these children

are also seeds, we're called to be a living sacrifice.

And so that one seed wherever you plant it, and

it's watered and it's nurtured. We don't know what that

one seed could turn into thousands, hundreds, millions.

Of other seeds.

And so these children, I just I love that Mike

had brought that to me and we just sat there

and we pondered it. And so as this new school

year is about to start, these children are seeds. They

are being planted into schools, into classrooms with friends, and

their lives.

Can grow so many other seats for the Lord, and

it just blew me away.

So I wanted to share that because we were talking

about seats. But I'm going to pass this over to you,

Kylie to pray over these kids, and anyone that feels

led to come up and put your hands on the

children to pray, come on it.

And Derek want to go get the kids anyone that's

in Kids Church. So if you have a kiddo in

Kids Church, they are on their way to anyone start

getting ready to go back to school, whether you're preschool

all the way through university, we want to pray for you.

And over you.

If you are a teacher or administrator at the drive

or bus driver, janitor, if you work in the cafeteria,

you have anything. If you're a homeschool parent, anything to

do with working with kids. I just invite you to

stand or come forward as well, so we want to

pray over you. Then I wait just a moment while

the kids come in from kids Church to come on

at ghiddos?

Can I come up here?

Y'all see why we've got to have a bigger building now,

Holy go They just keep coming and they're multiplying.

Come on up, squeeze in. We've got plenty of room.

Let make room. Yeah, we'll pray from them, pray for

them from here.

We're gonna pray from for the three to five s

from a distance.

Yeah, okay, okay, Look at all of these amazing young people.

I mean, this is half of us here.

Becky Bone survived.

That's good bringing in the last Come.

On, well, I want to talk to all of you

that are about to go back to school, whether you're

in college or high school, middle school, elementary school, or

even pre school.

We want to pray over you as.

You start a new school for God's protection, for the

Holy Spirit who lives inside of you, to speak to

you and use you to be a mouthpiece and to

speak to those that are around you to make a

difference on your campuses in your home. So if you'll

stretch your hand forward to all of these amazing people, Father,

I just lift up all of your children to you

right now. I thank you that we get to lay

hands on these children and to send them off to

a new.

School year prepared for success.

I thank you for the Holy spirit that lives inside

each one of them, that you have called each one

of these kids to be firestarters in the spirit. Father,

we're asking for revival in our nation. We're asking for

revival in our region. And we ask that you would

start with the youth from preschool all the way through

university level, that you would spark a fire inside of

each one of them, and that you would give them

the courage and the boldness to speak for truth and love.

That your light would shine brightly through them, that people

and teachers and leaders would be drawn to the light

and the love inside of them. I asked that you

would surround each campus like a shield, protecting our children

that no harm can come near them. In the name

of Jesus, I asked that you would be with the

teachers and the administrators, with the security team and the

cafeteria workers, and the bus drivers and the janitors and

everyone involved that has anything to do with our children,

that your light would shine through them, that you would

enlarge their capacity to love on and to tend to

the hearts of every child who walks through their doors

and into their rooms.

I lift up the homeschool.

Parents as they're preparing for a new school year, and

I ask for your peace to be on them, that

you would lead and guide them, that you would cause

every footstep to fall in to perfect alignment. I declare

success over the schools and over the school year for

every child, every student, every parent, every teacher in Jesus's

mighty name.

Amen.

Hey, before you all go anywhere, kids, one thing, there's

I feel like some of y'all literally are kind of

dreading going back.

I mean, I know all.

Kids dread the end of summer. I'm with you, but

like specifically, like there's there's a fear of starting the

new year, and the Lord doesn't want the Lord doesn't

want you to carry that. So can real real quick,

real quick, if that's you can, I can you just

put your hand up saying I'm just kind of dreading

going back. Yeah, yeah, okay, yeah, you back there.

Hey, you aren't you up here?

Boy?

All right? So if that's you, hold your hands out

like Christmas. Okay, just put your hands out like it's Christmas.

Say Jesus, will you two?

Thank you for listening.

For more messages and other resources, please subscribe to this

podcast or go to our website at www dot Cross

Kingdom dot org