The Benefit Package: A Call To Remember, A Call To Worship | Psalm 103:1-5 NKJV | Elder Nikimi Lyles

Hallelujah, that's a good place.

That's a good place to be reminded that he's a rescuer.

That's a good place, when chaos is trying to distract you, to know that God is a rescuer.

That's a good place to go ahead and worship him in advance for what you know he's able to do.

Hallelujah, if you have that testimony that he has rescued my life, he has rescued my life.

I need you to make some noise in the building for those who may be in a place that they need some rescue.

They need some assurance that they're in the right place.

They need some assurance that they're serving a God who can do exceedingly and abundantly.

He has rescued my life, hallelujah, hallelujah.

I'm going to ask you to go ahead and rest.

Rest in your seat for just a moment.

I want to start with just honoring our leaders in their absence.

Our pastor, our senior pastor, pastor Walter Bowers Come on, y'all can do better than that.

Yes, amen, amen.

He gives, yes, gives tirelessly, makes himself available to us, and now he has taken some rest with his family, much deserved.

We give honor to him.

We give honor to our First Lady, the lovely Lady Tiffany Holloway Bowers.

Yes, yes, amen.

We know that you all are watching.

Enjoy your rest.

To all my fellow clergy, thank you all for being in place.

It's a great thing when a leader can take a rest and know that things are still going to go on, so it's an honor to serve with you all and to have all of you all here To my amazing husband.

I love you.

Thank you for your continued support, for always covering me, for always giving me great wisdom.

It's such a wonderful blessing to have a partner where you not only honor them, you honor the wisdom that's in them, and I honor your wisdom.

I thank God for you wisdom.

I thank God for you, for all of our online guests, anyone that's streaming all of our digital platforms.

We welcome you again to the city.

My name is Pastor Nakima Liles.

Elder Nakima Liles and I have been tapped on the shoulder to bring you a word today.

We're going to do what thus saith the Lord and we're going to move out of your way.

But before I do that, I have permission from our pastor to do what the say of the Lord, and we're going to move out of your way, but before I do that, I have permission from our pastor to do a shameless plug.

Ladies, our women's conference that is coming up.

Yes, you've heard.

You've heard.

You've heard that it is coming.

It is our inaugural conference and you've heard from some wonderful men that support us, but let me let you hear it from a woman's perspective.

This is going to be a safe space for you to really let go and release some of the things that have been holding you back from walking into destiny.

This is not just the conference to show up and buy a t-shirt and get a cute bag.

This is going to be life-changing.

Everything that has happened in this conference, from the vision to the execution, to the facilitators, has been intentional and it has been designed with the women of God in mind.

He has heard your cries.

He knows the burden that you're carrying.

He knows the disappointments.

He knows the hurts that you have to carry every day and still walk and still move forward and still smile and still get them kids to school and still go to work and show up and still be a wife and still come and serve in ministry and still be all these things to other people, while you got fragments of you that need to be healed.

This is your time.

You do not want to miss this place.

We have some awesome facilitators.

Uh, we have not announced those facilitators publicly because we wanted to give our internal partners the opportunity to go ahead and register first, because when these heavy hitters' faces hit the platform, you might not be able to get a spot.

I just want to go ahead and give that to you.

I just want to go ahead and give that to you.

I'll give you a sneak peek.

Not only do we have the blessing and the gift of none other than Dr Rhonda Pettigrew.

She's going to be coming in and she is a powerhouse.

If you haven't followed her, you need to go out and find her.

She is going to be in line with the vision.

But we also have some local hitters.

We're going to be blessed with the presence of Lady Leah McNair.

She's going to be in the house facilitating.

We're going to have Lady Stephanie Crump in the house.

We're going to be blessed with some financial education from a wealthy crown, with Pastor Delisa Artis coming from Greensboro.

There is a lineup, a lineup that has been put together to give you what you need.

So when August rolls around it gets to be August 31st.

You cannot say you haven't had the opportunity to be poured into, you haven't had the opportunity to be blessed.

We have limited slots available for this conference, so you want to make sure that you go in, you sign up for those workshops.

Those workshops are designed to tailor to some specific needs, wherever you are in your life, and we encourage you to go ahead and register.

Amen, amen, All right, we are going to go ahead and move into the word.

Now we can go ahead and rest upon our feet, because we stand for the reading of the word here in Chosen City Church.

Our scripture today will be coming from Psalms 103, verses 1 through 5.

Psalms 103:1–5

A familiar passage of scripture, and I won't be before you long.

I know we still have baptism to get through, but nonetheless there is a word from the Lord, for, from the Lord, for his people.

All right, let us read together.

Bless the Lord, oh my soul, and all that is within me.

Bless his holy name.

Bless the Lord, oh my soul, and forget not all his benefits.

Who forgiveth all thine iniquities, who healeth all thy diseases, who redeemeth thy life from destruction, who crowneth thee with loving, kindness and tender mercies, who satisfies thy mouth with good things so that thy youth is renewed like the eagles.

Amen, amen, let us pray.

Heavenly father, we thank you for the sent word for this house.

We believe and we stand in agreement that it will accomplish all that you sent it to do, lord god.

Now, father god, I decrease and I say holy spirit, have your way, speak in me and speak through me.

Let your word be edification for the souls of your people, that they may receive and that they may remember, lord God, that you are the God who is their beneficiary, benefactor, who has made them beneficiaries unto you, father God, that you have left them, father God, with a promise, and all they need to do is just call on your name, god, we love you and we thank you.

It is in Jesus name we pray.

Amen, amen.

I want to use for a topic today or sermon title for everyone who likes to have a title, the benefit package, a call to worship, a call to remember.

I know that we all understand benefits in some way.

We've heard of the word benefits and we've heard how benefits work, most times in relation to our job.

We talk about benefits If they're going to offer us a job.

We want to know the salary, but the next thing we want to know is what are the benefits?

How much time do I get off?

How many breaks do I get?

But even more than that, what does your insurance look like and how much is it going to cost me?

And if it's right, we'll say sign me up.

The benefits generally are the determining factor in our decision on whether or not we accept the offer that's been extended to us.

But when challenging times come, we'll have a job and we pray for that job and we pray for it over and over and over again.

But the moment those people start working your last nerve, the moment you realize it wasn't what they said it was going to be, oftentimes the only reason you stay around is because of the oh.

Y'all talking back to me today.

Yes, yes, we're going to get through this fast.

I came to talk to you all today and to remind you that you have a benefit package that has been availed to you.

You have a benefit package that's been availed to you the moment you accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior.

And I'd like to do some a little differently.

I know my topic says the benefit package, a call to worship, a call to remember, but I'd like to start at the latter end of the topic and work my way back.

If that's all right with y'all.

I know we get used to tell me all my benefits first and then I'll sign up, but I need to start with what God designed you to do, and that is worship.

So we're going to start with talking about this being a call to worship because of the God that we serve, amen.

So in this particular passage of scripture we see the Psalmist David.

He is saying to his soul bless the Lord, oh my soul.

And he's saying it in such a way that it's almost a command.

He's not saying, uh, will you do it?

Um, can you do it?

He's saying bless the Lord, oh my soul.

That brings me to my first point.

I will bless the Lord.

This is a call to worship.

David's word demonstrates that he understands that worship is a soul work.

He knows that his soul has to be engaged when it comes to blessing the Lord.

We can bless God in many ways.

We can bless him with the praise which is thanksgiving on our lips, but worship requires something different of you.

Worship is the space where you get to show a true adoration of God, but it requires a complete surrender from you.

Worship is something different.

Worship is going to require you to get outside of yourself.

It requires the created to focus on the creator and not anything that's going on around you.

God desires that we become true worshipers.

So we see David here in the text.

He's saying to his soul I need you to worship, I need you to be reminded what you were put here to do.

Why is he having to remind himself to worship?

Why is he having to remind himself to show the one who is worthy that he's worthy?

Well, the truth be told, we forget sometimes.

We forget sometimes, and so David is.

He's actually calling and pulling on his soul to say listen, regardless of what's going on, you were made to worship God and you were made to worship him in spite of, not because of, because that is the same way that he's giving you his benefits in spite of, not because of you.

So you owe him in the same manner that he's given to you.

So he's saying to his soul you need to bless him and you need to do it with all that's within you, all that's within you.

We come in sometimes weighed down and the weight of what we have makes it challenging to worship.

It makes it challenging to give back to God in the manner which he's given to us.

But this is what he desires.

The word said, the hour cometh, and now is where the true worshiper shall worship him in spirit and in truth.

And that spirit and in truth has nothing to do about with my card note being due.

It has nothing to do about my kids being disobedient.

It has nothing to do about I'm in between jobs.

The true worshiper has to find a way to connect to the one who's worthy of the worship.

Worship is your adoration unto God, and how you worship him is a direct demonstration of your relationship to him.

What are you saying?

I'm saying you can only bless God to the degree in which you know him.

You can only bless him to the degree in which you know him.

You can only bless him to the degree in which you believe him to be God in your life.

So sometimes we struggle because we're in that place of struggling with how we believe that he will be God in our situation.

It doesn't change who he is.

We're struggling in our own faith.

But when you learn to ascribe to God the true worthiness of who he is, you'll be able to offer to him the worship that he deserves and you'll be able to command your soul in a place where it might not feel like to say, uh-uh, we got to get up.

We owe him something.

We owe him better than what we're giving him right now.

He's been better than good.

Right now Doesn't look like what I want it to look like, but I know him for myself and I know the character of the God that I serve and my worship is predicated on his character, not my circumstance.

Say that again my worship is predicated on his character, not my situation.

So we find David.

David is calling on his soul to arise, acknowledge God and show some gratitude.

Show some gratitude about the God who has made the ultimate sacrifice for you, who did not even deserve it, and all he's asking of you is to commune and spend time with him.

Commune and spend time and hear what he's saying to you.

Oftentimes we're in this place where we don't know where to move, where to go, how to turn, but we haven't paused to worship and spend time with God.

But that worship time not only will it convict you, it'll give you some direction, it'll give you some peace, it'll, course, correct you when we think about the benefits of God.

This should be our call to worship, and I need to remind us that we don't get into a religious facet of motions.

We have to be mindful that we don't become lovers of the act of worship more than the one we're worshiping, because sometimes we'll get caught up in the emotional high of being in an atmosphere of worship.

We'll get caught up in showing up to check the box, check the outfit and check the dance and we've never connected with him.

If your worship does not connect you to him, then it's all for naught.

You, you have just aborted the whole purpose of what worship is.

God is saying I'm desiring that you connect your worship to me.

It's nice that your outfit is cute.

It's nice that the bottom of your shoes are red.

That's all good, it's.

It's nice that your inches is 28 inches long and they, they Remy, they Indian, they 3d lace what, what, what?

We wearing our 3d HD lace it.

Oh, it's nice.

It's nice and and and guys, y'all laughing, but y'all do it too.

I see you at the back looking at each other's socks, checking the suit, looking at the belt.

It's nice that the belt is Ferragamo.

It's nice that the shoes are Gucci.

But if you showing up just to show that of you missed and aborted the entire purpose of the worship that God has called you to David's, making it clear that worship is not a mechanical process.

It's an intentional act.

You have to be purposeful when you're worshiping God, because showing up to church is one thing, but when I show up and I worship him and he meets me there, that's something else.

This is the benefits of God that I'm speaking about.

That's why I left the package at the end, because I got to remind us.

If you'll just worship him, he'll start to bring to mind some things that he's already done for you.

It'll keep you encouraged for the race.

It'll keep you encouraged while you're going through a trying time.

It'll keep you encouraged even when you gotta tell yourself I command me to bless the God.

I command me to bless the God that brought me over last time and I'm commanding me because I know he'll do it this time.

Hallelujah, listen, you got to be okay to tell yourself I take authority over me.

Command simply means that I'm taking an authority, that I'm saying that this vessel that God created, that he breathed life in on today, it will give him what is due to him, in spite of what I feel like.

It will give him what is due to him in spite of what's going on around me.

I command me to bless him because he is worthy and this praise is not going to be dignified.

And PSA, where my greeters and my clergy, this is for y'all.

I love y'all and I ain't speaking for nobody else, but I'm speaking for me.

When I'm in worship, don't hand me a tissue.

I don't care what I look like.

I don't care if makeup running down my face, I don't care if snot is running down my face.

I'm giving back to the creator a portion of what he's given to me.

When he's done with me, I'll come find you, all right.

When he's done with me, I'll reach and let you know what I need.

We got to be all right to give an undignified praise.

We weren't trying to be dignified in sin and then we get in church and we were.

There's some things that you have to work out in worship and true worship.

When you're working it out in worship, it ain't pretty, it ain't pretty, but, baby, you gonna get everything that you need.

We, we gotta be all right.

And I don't know about you, but when I command my soul to bless God, when I command my soul to bless the one who blesses me over and over again.

Most times I'm recalling to mind the things that he's already done and it stirs up in me an excitement.

That brings me to my second point.

Not only will I bless the Lord, I can't forget it.

This is a call to remember.

Some of you all have forgotten because you're in the hard place, but you got to get to a place where you can't forget what God has done for you.

I don't know about you, but I've had broke times and broken times and I can't forget where he brought me from.

I haven't always been standing where I am now and I won't always be standing in this place, but I know where he brought me from and I can't forget.

So I'll always bless his name.

And you say, you said you can't forget, and then David comes right on and tells his soul to forget.

Not.

It's a discipline to get to that place, but the reason that David is saying to his soul to forget not is he understands that we all have the capability of remembering some things.

We all have the capability of bringing to awareness, bringing to our mind and awareness of something that we've encountered, something that we've gone through.

We remember our first crush, we remember our first kiss.

We remember our first kiss.

We remember who showed up for us and who didn't.

We're taking a legend.

We remember the things that we want to remember.

So why is David reminding his soul, reminding himself to forget not an infinite and almighty God?

The same God he just commanded his soul to bless?

Well, if we're honest, we tend to forget along the journey when it gets tough, the same God he just commanded his soul to bless.

Well, if we're honest, we tend to forget along the journey when it gets tough.

It's often the trying time that move us to the place of forgetfulness.

It's the trying times that moves us to a place where we forgot that God provided in the last place and we can't even see that he's the same God that will provide in this place.

God gave us his spirit to bring all things to remembrance.

However, we still have life, and life be life, and I'm just going to be real.

We still have life.

We can give spiritual connotations for all the things that you go through, but the reality is, some things hit you and they knock the wind out of you.

Some things hit you and you find yourself just struggling to stand back up, let alone remember.

But David is talking to himself.

And this is what I need you to do.

There's going to come some times where you got to remind yourself.

David is saying self I need you to remember who God is to us.

And David, I believe, understood this better than anybody Because in times of trouble, in times of iniquity, he had seen God be God all over again.

Yet he still had times where he was lamenting, he still had times where he struggled, he still had times where God didn't show up how he thought God should show up for him.

Thank you, reverend Johnson.

He, he, god, didn't show up how he thought he would and it hurt his heart.

Yet he says I need you to forget not, forget not the God that we serve, because when we get to a place where we can command our soul to forget not, it'll push us to the place of authentic worship.

When we can command our soul to forget not, it'll push us to give God what is due to him.

It'll push us to worship when everything is falling down around us, and worship not only glorifies God.

Worship will encourage you.

Worship will encourage you right in the midst of everything going wrong.

We have to remember the God that we serve and we have to remember that he'll never leave us and he'll never forsake us.

We have to remember his divine dealings in our life.

He's been with us through it all.

He's never left you.

He's never forsaken you, even the times that you turned your back, you moved to the side, you didn't feel like he was there.

He was right there, all alone.

He was right there, all alone.

He was right there.

We have to get to know the character of our God, who he has continually shown himself to be.

It's then, and only then, that we can understand why he would give us the benefits that he does.

Do not forget God's divine hand over your life, even when it doesn't feel like it.

You're going to have to draw on your memory.

You're going to have to do some.

I remember when, not as the world.

Remember when's concerning your life, but you're going to have to do some.

Remember when's a.

I remember when, the last time I didn't understand it, but God ended up working it out in my favor.

I remember the last time when I thought I was going to be broken, when I had to lose that thing, but God was really setting me up to win over.

Here in this season, I need to remind some people that are in your crying season, that your crying season is watering your next season.

This is the God that we serve.

He's setting it up in advance and, even if you can't see it right now, you can't forget.

This is a call to remember the God that we serve.

David said this.

He said it is good for me to have been afflicted, that I may learn your statutes.

Some of the things that you are experiencing or have experienced were necessary.

We don't want to admit it, but there are some things that I had to go through that that broke me, but it broke off pride, it broke off some weight, it broke off some things that couldn't go into where God was trying to take me through.

And then I was so hurt some some of the areas that God broke off of me.

I was embarrassed, I was hiding from people, but now I stand boldly in the light saying God, I thank you.

I didn't see it then, but God, I thank you.

I didn't understand it then, but God I thank.

You't forget.

You have to remember that God is a God of grace and he's given you all of these benefits just because he loves you.

Nothing that you've done, nothing that you've done to earn this.

There's nothing you can do to repay him for it.

He's done it just because he's good, just because he he's merciful, just because he's kind, and this is the adoration that we owe to him when we go into worship.

God, I thank you.

I'm not going to ask for anything, as Reverend Johnson said, he already knows he's working it out in your favor.

I don't even have an ask on today.

I just want to say I remember when.

I remember when, when I was down and out, and then you said, lift up your head on ye gates, and then I was lifted up and the everlasting doors are before me and, god, I thank you.

I remember when this is my call to my soul to worship you.

I can't forget.

I will bless the Lord.

That brings me to my next point.

I am his beneficiary.

I am his beneficiary.

We're going to move into the benefits now.

His beneficiary, we're going to move into the benefits now.

A benefit is simply an advantage or something that's game, and God, and all his mercifulness, decided that me and all my wretchedness was worthy to be a beneficiary to something that I never did anything to be worthy of.

He decided, in all his mercifulness and goodness, to name me the beneficiary.

If you all have ever had to do your benefits on your job, you know they ask you to list your beneficiary.

They ask you to put down who will receive the benefit should something happen to you, and in most beneficiary situations you have to designate not only the full name but the relationship.

We serve a God who knew that we would continually break covenant in the relationship and still listed us as a beneficiary.

Listen, some of y'all already done went and took your kids off for stuff because you know they wasn't going to do right and we keep.

He knows that we're fallible.

He knows that we're going to mess up some things.

Yet he went ahead and made us a beneficiary and he sealed a relationship with he being the benefactor and we being the beneficiary.

The beneficiary generally has a need of something and they receive.

The benefactor is the one who has the ability to not only provide that need, but they can take care of what the beneficiary needs.

So he's put himself in a place to be our benefactor and then to provide everything that we need, and he's done it without us having to do anything.

He's given us a benefit package without us being worthy.

He's given us benefits without us having to earn it.

And he knew that these relationships are always asymmetrical the beneficiary can never do anything for the benefactor that the benefactor can't do for himself.

Yet he continues to remain in relationship with us.

He continues to look at us and say I know what you need, I got you.

He continues to crown our us and say I know what you need, I got you.

He continues to crown our heads with love and kindness.

That's why when, when I was young, I didn't understand what my grandma used to say you can't beat God's giving, no matter how you try.

As I got older, I started to understand that giving wasn't in the dollars, giving was in.

Today I woke up and I had life and breath and activity of my limbs.

Today I woke up and I was clothed in my right mind.

Today I was clothed in my right mind and was actually in my right mind, because there are some people that are not in their right mind and they don't know they're not in their right mind.

So God gives you activity of limbs, he clothes you in your right mind and he gives you the power to obtain wealth, and you didn't do anything for it.

So David has called upon his soul to praise the Lord wholeheartedly Because of his benefits.

And he says forget not his benefits, that alone.

Listen, when I just type those words, I was in my house doing like this Because I recall to mind.

I recall to mind all of the things that I have gone through in these 48 years of life and I said God, if it had not been for you, where would I be?

I look back over some situations and I said that's a but God moment.

I don't even know how me and all my craziness made it out of that.

I don't even know how me and all the foolishness that I was doing made it out of that.

Let me give you a situation.

Maybe this ain't all of y'all, but my 10 o'clock crowd y'all a little bit more real.

You ever did something a long, long time ago.

You never even remember you did it and one of your friends be like man.

You remember that time we you'd be like oh Lord, I had a.

I remember when and it could have been another way.

I can't even tell you some of the craziness, but if it had been another way, I could have been in prison.

I could have lost my life.

Somebody else could have lost their life.

I remember when God made me a beneficiary and I dare I will forget not his benefits, his benefits.

So David has cautioned his soul to make sure you don't leave God's benefits unacknowledged.

And in the text we see that he's outlined some of the benefits, but the benefits of God are innumerable.

We can't outline them in these five, these three verses, but some of the things that David does outline is this and these are some of the things I need you to know that God has made you a beneficiary to.

He forgives your iniquity.

Iniquities are just immoral failures.

What are you saying?

Yes, he forgives even that.

He forgives even that.

The enemy wants you to think that you're too far gone.

He wants you to think that you need to stay in hiding from shame and embarrassment.

But I came by to tell you that part of your benefit package is that he forgives even that.

And David got it, even that testimony, if you look back over to some of the things that he didn't always get it right, yet he was still a man after God's own heart.

Even after his sin with Bathsheba, he was still a man after God's own heart.

Even after he cut off Saul's robe in anger, he was still a man after God's own heart.

God forgives our iniquities.

That's part of your benefit package.

Y'all ought to make some noise If you think back over some of the stuff you did, some of the stuff that people don't know.

You did some of the stuff that you'll never admit you did.

God, I thank you for the benefit package of forgiving the iniquities.

I thank you, god, that you forgave even that.

I thank you, god, that you forgave even that.

His benefit package says that he heals all diseases.

God is Rapha and he does heal.

Here's the challenge.

We don't get to tell him how to heal, and that's where we get in trouble.

David saw his son healed in a way that broke his heart.

He wanted God to heal his son in a way that he would live and God healed him in a way that he transitioned.

It broke his heart.

But if you go back and read the scripture, what did David do?

He washed his face, he went to the temple worship and then he went and fed his natural body.

There are some things we got to know that just because God doesn't do it how we expect him to do it, it doesn't mean he didn't still do his work.

It doesn't mean that it still wasn't accomplished.

We're so finite in our thinking we have to be careful that we don't try to box in a God of possible into our thinking that includes impossible.

God is a God that heals and part of his benefits is that he heals.

He redeems your life from destruction.

He redeems your life from internal and external destruction, because everything that's tearing us down ain't on the outside.

Some of the things we got to deal with are on the inside.

But God is a God that has a benefit that he can redeem your life from any and all destruction, and you got to know that.

He can redeem it from anything that comes up against you and he can redeem it from any spirits that you wrestle with inside of you.

But you got to be willing to accept his benefits.

The scripture goes on to say that he crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, and he does this in spite of.

He has a strong devotion to you.

He has a devotion to us, even when we're not devoted to him.

Think of the relationship you have with your children.

Sometimes we, when we have adult children, we get frustrated and the first thing we'll say after all, I've done for them.

Can you imagine if God had that attitude towards us.

After all, I've done for them, we'll do it.

I ain't picking up the phone after they're so ungrateful.

God has a benefit where he has steadfast love and mercy.

Steadfast means it just keeps coming and coming and coming.

And every time I fall he's still coming after me.

And every time I fall he's still coming after me.

And every time I fall, he's still picking me up and he's still saying daughter, I got the bruise on your knees, that's all right, and you can still do it.

And I still gave you the assignment and I still gave you the work and I still gave you the gifting, even though you fail, I gave it without repentance.

My love is steadfast.

It's steadfastfast and merciful.

I'm so glad his benefit package includes a mercy that's not like the mercy that I'm able to give.

It's above and beyond.

His benefit package says he satisfies your mouth with good things.

Satisfies means to fulfill or enrich, but mouth in this passage is appropriately translated as thy age.

He satisfies your age with good things.

This is why the enemy keeps coming up against you, trying to tell you you're not worth it, coming up trying to tell you you might as well.

Well, quit now, because if I can cut off what God has for you.

You won't live to see the abundance, you won't live to see the good thing that he has set up for you.

But God says I'm gonna satisfy your mouth, I'm gonna satisfy your age with good things.

If he's going to satisfy my age with good things, then he determines what my age is, not me.

So I want to encourage anyone who's wrestling today, who's wrestling with thoughts, who's wrestling with frustration of this, is it for me.

It's not going to get any better.

I might as well quit.

Now we bind.

We bind the thoughts of the enemy.

Now we speak life over you in the name of Jesus.

You shall live and not die.

You shall experience.

You shall experience the life that God has for you in the name of Jesus.

He will satisfy your life, he will satisfy you with good age.

In the name of Jesus.

He will satisfy you with good age in the name of Jesus.

And as he satisfies you, as he satisfies your age with good things, the scripture, the last part of that scripture, says so that your youth is renewed like eagles.

That's exciting, isn't it?

No, it's not.

If you knew how an eagle's, how it got its youth over and over again.

It's a bloody and a painful process but it's necessary.

I told you earlier some things you go through are necessary.

So eagles not only change, they change their plumage over time.

They start out brown.

They actually get white as they age.

So when you see the white crown, it's because they live through some things.

Okay, now, when, when they when he's talking about renewed like Eagles, you know they fly high, ten thousand feet them feathers go through some things.

They get tore up in order to keep doing what it was designed to do to fly at that level.

They got to lose them.

And but those feathers, they can't lose them all at one time or they'll be grounded.

Then they can't hunt, they can't sustain, they can't live.

This process is called molting.

So, as God is renewing you like an Eagle, there are going to be times and seasons where you have to molt.

You're going to have to lose some things.

You're going to have to carry the weight of some old things.

We don't want to do that.

We always say I'm letting it go and forgetting what is behind me.

But God said there's gonna be some transitional seasons where you're gonna have to carry part of the old while I'm renewing the new, because if you put off the old, it'll ground you.

I need you to know that I'm gonna sustain you while you're carrying the old and I'm developing the new.

Listen, if, if we understood how intentional God is in his benefits, we would know that he desires to give us his very best.

We would be able to cast down and speak against the enemy when he tries to come up against us and tell us something contrary to what the word of God says.

So I need for about three of y'all to get this in your spirit that, whether you're in a transitional season, wherever you are, that God is going to renew you like the eagle, and it may be a painful season, but you are not alone.

Don't isolate yourself, don't get by yourself.

You need to connect with a body that can support you.

You need to connect with a place that will feed you.

You need to connect with a place while you're transitioning.

And then watch this.

This is how good God is.

He is a benefactor right.

He's made us his beneficiary.

The word says Jesus says greater works than these that you shall you do.

Also.

As you learn to understand this benefit package, you will understand that God will transition you from a beneficiary to be an extension of the benefactor, of the benefactor, you'll be able to change somebody else's life.

There are some benefactors in here that God has lined up to be able to help you through the hard transitional seasons, but if you don't connect to it, you'll miss out on your benefits.

So I'm I'm wrapping up and I'm going to close and go to my seat.

I appreciate you all resting with me on today, but I want to remind you that God is good, and he's good just because he's good, not because of anything that we've done, and he's merciful and gracious and long suffering, which is why we have the benefit package.

That he is good and upright, which is why he's given us the benefit package.

It's not because we deserve it, but it's because he has an unfailing love and he loves you with an everlasting love.

And whether or not you believe your word that he thought you were worthy enough, and if he thought you were worthy enough and he signed you up to be the beneficiary, I admit I admonish you to go ahead and cash the check because it's right there for you.

I don't know anybody that walks away and leaves life insurance money on the table.

When they sign your name, you say I thank you, I appreciate it.

When the check comes in the mail, you cash it and put it in the bank.

Listen, this, this I can't even pick it up this, this, this is your benefit package.

What are you saying?

This is your benefit package.

What are you saying?

Some people don't know that they have an abundance of benefits.

Some people don't know it so they don't keep the the relationship with the benefactor a priority.

Some people are letting go because they haven't tapped into their benefits.

Many of you know I work in health care and one of the most distressing things that I can see sometimes is people come in, they have excellent benefits and they haven't been to the doctor in 20 years.

I want to encourage you on this morning that you need to use your benefits.

It's right there for you and if you need it in the form of benefits, you understand, because sometimes we just got to know what's in it for us.

I'll try to break it down as as condensed as I can and concise, but he's giving you his word, which is essentially your offer letter.

So your offer letter says this is available for you and we've chosen you as the appropriate candidate and the only skills and abilities that you need knowledge, skills and abilities.

We call them ksas in in the federal world, but only knowledge, skills and abilities that you need are three things knowledge of jesus christ, the skill to believe in your heart and the ability to confess with your mouth.

That makes you the best candidate to receive the benefits.

Don't leave your benefits on the table.

God has left for you, in his word, an offer letter, and in this offer letter is a benefit summary.

Just in case you're wondering, how do I get to know all of this, you got to get in his word.

You won't know what's available to you.

The same way, you get that benefit package and you flip through it from that job.

You got to start flipping through this word because you'll understand that you are not alone.

You'll understand your job description.

You'll understand your position title.

You'll understand what he expects of you.

When we go to a job, the first thing we want to know is what do I have to do?

Because most times, because we only gonna do that.

But y'all tell me this is your position description, this is your offer letter.

This is also your training manual, your standard operating procedures.

If you want to know how to get something done, you just need to turn to your, your offer letter.

You need to open up this manual.

You need Lord.

How do I get out of this?

Oh, let me flip over to Psalms 116.

Okay, thank you, lord.

Thank you If you want to know, lord, I don't know all of these things.

If you read in his benefit summary, he says I have given you my Holy spirit who will teach you all things.

You already have a lead trainer on board and you have a manual, but you gotta crack it open to use it.

It does no good to take the instructions and put it on the shelf.

You'll always be in a woe is me situation.

You have a benefit package and I want to encourage you on this morning that you take a hold of the hand of the lead trainer, whatever you call him, holy Spirit, advocate, paraclete, and let him walk you through and guide you through the processes.

Let him teach you all things, let him bring all things to your remembrance.

But there is some criteria, because we got a code of conduct in this place and that is that you desire that you walk humbly, that you act justly and that you love mercy.

There are some things that's going to be required of you on this journey.

But he's going to teach you and you'll get a performance evaluation in this process.

But the good thing about it is that it resets every day.

You'll get new mercies, morning after morning.

They'll be restored every time you mess up.

You got unlimited performance improvement plan.

You can't get fired from this job, but you can quit.

I need you to not tap out in this season.

I don't know a job that's hiring like this one.

I need you to understand.

You got a benefit package and if you don't tap into it, you're gonna miss out on the fullness of what God has for you here in the earth.

We're not waiting to die to get his fullness.

There's some fullness that he has for you right here and you're missing it because you don't read through the benefit package.

The benefit package.

You got a medical plan.

You got a medical plan.

It's not a family plan.

They got to go get it for themselves, but that's okay, it's available to them.

But your medical plan, it ain't but one and it's the gift of eternal life and if you accept it, he'll give it to you.

And guess what?

He knew you couldn't afford it before he wrote out the benefit summary.

So, before he even wrote it out.

Your offer letter states it's paid in full.

It was paid in full.

His son came down through 42 generations and nailed it to a cross called Calvary and paid it all for you.

All you have to do is reap the benefits.

There's a benefit package for you, a benefit package for you.

Every offer letter requires a response.

Every offer letter requires a response.

If you accept his offer, if you want to be the beneficiary to this benefit package, you have to respond.

There is even a response in the manual that he give you.

If you flip over to Psalms 112, all my Bible scholars, y'all should be running right now.

Scholars, y'all should be running right now.

If you flip over to psalms 112, he don't even make you work hard to figure out how to respond to the offer letter.

Psalms 112 says what shall I render unto the lord for all of his benefits towards me?

I'll take up the cup of salvation and I'll call on his name.

All I have to do is accept salvation that's freely given me and call on the name of the Lord.

And these benefits are available to me.

My God, I command me to bless the Lord.

I will bless him because he's worthy.

I can't forget, forget not who God is.

He's made you beneficiaries for nothing that you've earned, for nothing that you've earned.

And today he's re-extending the offer letter.

He's reminding you that the offer never left the table.

He's reminding you that if you left it there, it's still there To come back to it.

And, for those who accepted the offer, he's reminding you to get your manual off the shelf.

You need to fully understand the summary associated with the benefits connected to him standing all over the building.

Salvation costs you nothing.

The benefit was freely given.

It cost God his only begotten son.

And now all you have to do is believe in your heart and confess with your mouth.

And I know you might have messed up last week.

Last time I checked, your gift was still there Because it came without repentance.

Don't let go of God's hand.

Forget not his benefits, no matter what comes up against you.

You got to remember to lift up a praise.

You got to remember to offer worship unto God because he is worthy.

He is the same God of possible.

He's the same miracle worker who worked it out the last time.

He's the same promise keeper.

He's the same restorer.

He's the same one who has the ability to put you on the potter's wheel and start all over again.

The world will give up on you, but God will remold you.

You won't even look like who you were or what you went through.

You are God's beneficiary.

I want to speak today quickly in prayer, because I've been sensing strongly in the spirit and I've had some intercessors praying with me, because I've been sensing strongly in the spirit and I've had some intercessors praying with me that are the reason that a lot of us are not accepting the benefit package is because we're distracted by distressing spirits.

The enemy has sent some distressing spirits to cause chaos, to keep us distracted, to keep us keep our eyes off of what God has for us, to cause us to be weighted, to cause us to just want to give up, and I want to pray today against that.

I want to pray and speak some things.

I want to pray for peace.

I want to pray that anxiety will sit down somewhere, that frustration has no place, that these things that are trying to become your identity, that you may have them but they don't have you.

In the name of Jesus, that the spirit of suicide has is not going to run rampant in this place.

We are going to call chaos to order on today.

If you desire to come to the altar, you may do so.

If you desire to lift your hands at your seat, you may do so.

There'll be ministers here at the altar, should you desire to come to the altar.

But we're going to pray corporately.

But I want to encourage you to just lift up and posture in your heart the petitions that you have before the Lord, the things that you need your benefactor to do on your behalf, because this is your call to worship him, this is your call to remember who he is, and we are going to stand in agreement that anything that's trying to hinder that is cast down.

Now, in the name of Jesus, heavenly father, we come to you and we say thank you.

Thank you for reminding us of all your great works, thank you for reminding us of all that you've done for us, thanking us for, thank you for reminding us that you'll do even the more.

Father God, god, we love you on today and we thank you, father, god, for your word that is blessed and that has pricked the hearts of your people.

We stand in agreement right now, lord, god, that no distressing spirit will keep your children up at night anymore, that they'll leave here today and they'll have sweet rest and peace.

In the name of Jesus, we take authority and dominion here in the earth that you have given us, and we cast down anything that tries to exalt itself above you and to exalt itself above the power of your holy spirit, god, and we said it has no place here, it has to flee.

In the name of Jesus, we speak according to the power that you've given us.

Lord God, that anxiety is no longer holding our brothers and sisters back in the name of Jesus.

Anxiety is no longer preventing them from taking a step forward.

In the name of Jesus, they shall live and live abundantly.

Lord God, according to your word.

In the name of Jesus, we bind the spirit of frustration that's making people want to quit and tap out.

We bind the spirit of frustration that's making people walk away from families, that's making people walk away from jobs, that's making people walk away from assignments, that's making people walk away from ministry and callings.

We bind it now, in the name of Jesus.

We but we sit here to frustrate frustration.

In the name of Jesus, we say peace will be in the lives of your people, lord God, we ask that you do it now.

Do it and do it quickly.

There are some people that need it to happen now, in this moment, and I and say let it be so according to their faith and belief.

In this moment, god, because you're able.

Lord, god, lord, god, we bind the spirit of confusion in the name of Jesus, we bind the spirit of dissension.

In the name of Jesus, we speak unity in this house.

We speak unity over every home.

Lord, god, in the name of Jesus, where two are going to walk together, god, you're going to be in the midst.

Husband and wives are going to walk together, families are going to walk together, brothers and sisters are going to walk together.

In the name of Jesus, I feel a spirit of reconciliation in the name of Jesus.

God, call back to order the community that you set forth here in the earth, that we know that we need one another and the enemy is bound on today.

No more confusion, no more dissension.

You can go, sit down.

We take our authority back here in the earth and we cause chaos to order.

Our god is a god of kairos and he'll call k calls chaos to come to order and we speak with the same authority that chaos will not reign in the homes of your people.

Chaos will not reign in your sanctuary.

Chaos will not reign on their jobs.

Chaos will not reign in their minds.

Chaos will not reign in their hearts.

God, in the name of Jesus, they will be at peace and it is so.

We believe it and we decree it.

We stand on the commandments that are in your benefit package, god.

We bring to mind and we call to remember the power that you have given us to speak and call these things to be so.

God, we honor you and we love you.

It is in Jesus name that we decree these things to be so.

Let the church say amen.