Take the Land

we move out or go out. Today we're going to look at four verses from 1st Corinthians

chapter 10. We'll start there. 1st Corinthians chapter 10, 1 through 4.

1st Corinthians chapter 10, 1 through 4. It says, I do not want you to be

unaware brothers that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed

through the sea and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea

and all drank the same spiritual drink and all ate the same spiritual food. I

thought the verse was up here. This you can bring up later. And then it says, for

they drank from the spiritual rock that followed them and the rock was Christ.

There's one thing I want us to do today guys. This is it. Today is one of those

days where more than what I have to say, I want us to do things together as God

brings things up in our minds, in our spirits. So please don't sit here to

listen. Please sit here to work with the Holy Spirit. My desire today is that by

the time we are done, you will have let go of some stuff because we're in a new

place moving to a new time, new purposes with him. So please don't listen to me.

Please listen to me and work with the Holy Spirit. He's telling you stuff as I

am speaking, I'm sure. And as he speaks, as he lights up your mind, work with him

to do what you need to do. Yeah? Okay. Let's read the verses again. First going

to be in chapter 10, one through four. Almost sounds like it's one of those long

Paul verses but it's not too bad. Just four verses. For I do not want you to be

unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed

through the sea and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea

and all ate the same spiritual food and all drank the same spiritual drink for

they drank from the spiritual rock that followed them and the rock was Christ.

These four verses, Paul actually says, the reason I'm writing this to you, the

church in Corinth, the reason I'm writing is I don't want you to be unaware. The

story is very clear. It's a story of the Israelites in the wilderness. It's a

story of how God brought them out, how they spent 40 years in the wilderness

before they entered into the promised land. So it's not a story that the people

who are hearing this letter, they're not unaware of it. But then still, Paul is

saying, I do not want you to be unaware. I do not want you to miss this thing. I

do not want you to not pay attention to what I am writing because what I am

writing is going to be something you need to apply in your life. In other words,

he actually says in verse six, if you see there, it says, now these things,

meaning the things that we just read, now these things took place as examples

for us. Why? That we might not desire evil as they did. So the whole reason Paul

is writing to the church in Corinth and he's labored amongst them for a while

now, the reason he's writing the letter is because he's saying, I want you to be

aware. I don't want you to be unaware of what happened because there are

experiences, there are lessons for you to learn from the story. And the word

unaware very simply is this. It's not equal to I want you to be aware of. It

actually means do not resist what the Holy Spirit wants to tell you through it.

Do not resist knowledge. It is one thing in life to know and hear, but it is

another thing to say, father, I want this to go deep into my spirit and do a work.

Don't resist it. One of the things that we can so easily do is these are verses

that we have read, these are scriptures that we know, there are 500 sermons you

probably have heard, but then the Holy Spirit comes along and he says, I want

you to be aware. I want you to be aware. I want you to pay attention because there

is something here that I want you to learn. So that's what we're going to do

over the next little while. I want to share a story. Subtle thoughts in our

minds that resist the knowledge of God can often go unnoticed. Listen to me

please. Subtle thoughts in our minds that resist the knowledge of God can often go

unnoticed. I'll give you an example. In 2017, Don and I were looking for a place

to move from Vancouver to Surrey and I had been at that time in Canada for six

years or so and so we started looking and I found a place on Craigslist, this

place in Langley. Don and I drive there. We go, we talk to the landlord. They like

us, we like them. We're like, yeah let's move in. It's easy. And so we go, we

come back. Don and I come back. There is something in my heart that's not right.

Even though we found a place, it's just 20 minutes from where we

would be living to work. So easy drive. 20 minutes is not bad. I come back home

and I don't feel right about it and two days later or three days later I'm at a

house church meeting and if you remember Anne and Elmer, Anne is talking and while

Anne is talking, Anne is saying, the Holy Spirit wants you to repent of decisions

that you take too quickly. As soon as Anne said it, in my heart I knew what it was.

Because all those two, three days there is something weighing on my heart. Yes

they said yes. The house opened up but that wasn't the right thing and the Holy

Spirit began to speak to me and this is what he said, Derek, the last six years of

your life in Canada, every time you looked for a house or a rental, every time

you needed a car, you did not go to Craigslist first. You came to me first.

It's been six years now. You're very quick to go to Craigslist to find a

place. This is not how I lead you. As soon as I heard it, we wrote back to the

person and said we're not taking the place and I went through a process

because I all of a sudden realized that these are subtle thoughts. Hey what's

wrong with Craigslist man? Nothing wrong. What's wrong with that place? Nothing

wrong. Place opened up. Favor, let's go. But the Holy Spirit is saying no. So

listen to me. Continuous resistance to knowledge dulls your mind and robs you

of God purposes. Continuous resistance meaning the Holy Spirit is telling hey

there is another way to do it but you're so used to or have become accustomed to

doing things a certain way and if you keep going down that path it will dull

your mind. It will rob you of God purposes and these are subtle things so

you've got to be aware. You got to know what's happening. What happened is we

came back and we decided we ain't doing this so we went back to our father and

we said hey father we want to do it the right way. Not Craigslist but you. You

open a way. You open a door. You open a room. You open a space. In a matter of

couple of days a place opens up and Don used to walk to work because it was three

minutes. When we thought 20 minutes was a great deal he opened up a place for us

two three minutes from our place of work. Why am I sharing this story? Because

it's so important for us to recognize that these subtle things if we if we

don't arrest them if we don't arrest those thoughts where we say where we

are quick to do and operate a certain way if you don't arrest them and say nah

nah nah nah this is not how my father raised me. This is not what the Holy

Spirit wants me to do. So I'm going to be aware of what he wants to do. I will not

resist truth. What is the truth I was resisting by going first to check

Craigslist? I am a man led by the Spirit. It's a knowledge that I know but it

doesn't matter that I know it. I need to apply it. I need to live it. How do I live

it? Not going to Craigslist first. Not going to Google first. Use Craigslist and

Google when you need to. Before that you go to the Father. But if I dull my mind

to that and this is the thing I want us to understand if I as a person I say oh

that's how it is I keep going down that path I lose something. I am robbed of

God purposes. So subtle thoughts subtle things like this pay attention to this

because it is important. Samson is a good example because Samson over a

period of time rebelled against knowledge rebelled against what was

right what happened dullness and it robbed him of God purposes. I want us to

read before we go through these four verses and what it means for us. The

passage right before this in 1st Corinthians chapter 9 is equally

important because Paul is writing something to the church in Corinth and

when we read what happened to the Jewish fathers in the wilderness before that

Paul writes and he says guys you are in a race and in this race that you're in

which equates to our lives on earth here is how you operate here's the modus

operandi here is how you live here is how you run and there are so many times

in the scripture you see this our lives are equated to a race and when we think

of this race what you sometimes do is you think of the athletic track where

you're running with the you know you're running with Diana and May and Matt and

you're running around and around in circles but my goodness man this race

that we are on we don't share the same track it takes us to different places

but here is the thing we we do it together there are times when our paths

traverse it come together it intersect but we are on a path that God has put

you on and you're running it takes you to different places in life different

things happen but in that passage right before these four verses that we read

out and in other passages in the Bible it's very clear how God asks us to be

how he wants us to operate one thing he says is do not be aimless because you're

not running aimlessly you're not just running for the sake of running you're

not waking up the next day and living your life aimlessly and it says you are

supposed to train yourself so the training doesn't happen there and then

we go run here while we run we are being trained for the next phase and

this is important guys at this time for us because God is taking us to a place

and the title that I have for today is take the land he is giving us land and

by that I do not mean this place by that what I mean is there is spiritual

inheritance and other inheritance that the father wants to release to us and

for us to be able to take the land that he is giving we've got to live a certain

way we've got to leave behind some things then we then we can walk into and

access and inherit what God has for us couple other things about running the

race before we move on this is just a side thought but I felt it's important

to say while you're running do not fight battles that aren't yours when you're

running I'll repeat it do not fight battles that aren't yours it's wisdom

for you to know what it is that you that you should engage in what it is that you

shouldn't sometimes it's easy because you're running and there is stuff

happening that you go and and and you'll say something for everything when God

doesn't want you to you've got to know what is it that he wants you to go and

engage people on what is it that where he wants you to go and deal with

something you are not supposed to deal with everything that comes your way some

of the stuff that you see is for someone else to deal with some of the stuff you

see you ain't doing it now you're doing it next year so do not fight battles

that aren't yours with respect to relationships do not fight battles that

aren't yours very important somehow I felt I had to say this today next thing

we have opposition and that opposition is not flesh and blood that opposition

can be dealt with the weapons of war that the father has given us Ephesians

Ephesians 6 · chapter mention

chapter 6 I don't want to spend too much time on it because the main stuff we are

talking about I want to go to that real quick and the last thing I want to say

with respect to the race is this you have to forget what is behind and

strained forward strained towards what is ahead you have to forget what is

behind and strained towards what is ahead

so important even as you sit here God is placing before us a new land God is

placing before us new inheritance God is placing before us things we are to

partake in individually and together as a people if you're here today doesn't

matter if you come every week or not I'm saying that the father has a new land

new purposes new inheritance he wants to release and for you to be able to do

that you will have to let go of your past and strain towards the future what

is ahead so one of the things I want to do and this is why I started the way I

started by saying don't listen to me today as I speak I pray that you work

with the Holy Spirit as I speak I pray that you allow the Holy Spirit to speak

to you because if you do I know he's going to take you somewhere I know it

if you do if you're faithful in saying hey I want this father there is a land

you have kept for me new things you have for me I'm going to let go of these

things I am trusting fully because I have to rush through this real fast I'm

rushing I'm trusting fully that the Holy Spirit will bring these things to your

mind and as he does write it down as he does write it down so let's look at the

first verse first Corinthians chapter 10 the first verse it says for I do not want

1 Corinthians 10 · chapter mention

you to be unaware we talked about resisting knowledge already that our

fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea see on the way

from Egypt to the promised land one of the things that happened is that right

above the tabernacle there was a cloud and the way God operated with the

people of Israel is whenever the cloud settled the Israelites were supposed to

camp there when the cloud lifted and when it moved they were supposed to move

everything to this place wherever the crowd the cloud rested they were to set

camp there so when it says here for I do not want you to be unaware brothers

that our fathers were all under the cloud what it means is the Israelites

were taken from one place to another place and on this map you can see the

different places they were at how did they go well there was a cloud that was

leading them and the scripture says during night this cloud was like fire

and so there would be times when the cloud will move at night and it did not

matter if it was day or night as soon as the cloud lifted they moved it did not

matter that it was 6 a.m. or 5 p.m. if the cloud lifted they moved and for us

to inherit and walk into and take the land that God has for us in fact Jane

did not know this but this is what I wanted to teach today and she sent me a

text this morning if I can read it as we step into new place into a new place

here is what I see I see the image of God taking Israelites through wilderness

place to place after the Red Sea wherever the arc went whenever it moved

the people moved can we as a people know practice moving together with him

whenever and wherever with increasing awareness of his presence and our eyes

on the movement of the Spirit I'm telling you guys one of the things that

the father wants to accomplish with us here is he wants us to move together

moving together means being very aware of the cloud I almost named this sermon

following the cloud it's amazing they the cloud rested on the tabernacle think

about it guys think about this way it's a million people in the desert desert and

there's a cloud right in front above the tabernacle and the cloud lifts and moves

they move the cloud settles they camp we are asked we are called to be led by the

spirit just like that when the spirit says go you go when the spirit says stop

you stop when the spirit tells to Heidi Heidi you turn back to the person you

were talking with Heidi you turns this is the lifestyle that is meant for us

not just as individuals but as a people I'm gonna tell you something from this

place wherever we go I pray that all of us are engaged in the direction God wants

us to go not in terms of the place we are going to occupy but in terms of the

inheritance that is in store for us there has to be all of us knowing the

DNA of what the father has given to this house saying we want that saying if

you're moving this way I am moving this way saying hey maybe this is the way we

have done worship all this while but we're gonna change the way we're gonna

work do worship moving forward maybe the kids were making noise all this time

moving forward from here on our noise will be louder than the noise of the of

the kids you're tracking me there has to be a difference when the spirit says go

we go when the spirit says stop we stop and it has to first apply to our lives

individually and then as a collective my goodness it's going to be so cool

because we're gonna start seeing things happening where half the people as we

show up here we will already know what's gonna happen and God would have released

something to us and then the other half God would have said this is what's gonna

happen and it'll all come together and it'll explode we are not going to do

church into the in the next place as in the next few months years whatever God

has for us we're not going to do it the way we are used to I'll share another

story last year 2021 2022 in June or July Iris and I were in Chennai and we

were at a hotel actually the night before we were like let's go stay at a hotel for

the next couple of days we had a place to stay at but because I was in Chennai

only for a few days I was like let's go stay at a hotel so that night we start

googling where do we stay and as we are googling and finding out the question is

Holy Spirit where do you want us to go where do you want us to go and so there

is five six options and we find that we pick this place we go there we stay

there there that night we wake up the next day and as we wake up I have this

thing in my heart and Iris and I talk and the father is saying there is

something that I want you to do today we don't know we talk about it we read the

book of James where faith is dead without actions and we just know there

is something that's awaiting us that evening or that day but we don't know

what it is so we talk about it we pray we go down and have breakfast and as we

are having breakfast there's a family sitting right next to us and Iris tells

me see that family there is something that needs to be done with this family

and so we look at them and seems like they're Europeans or something there's

you know parents and two kids and so we sit down we are having our meal or

breakfast and as we're eating we begin to ask God father what it is that you

want us to do because it's so clear it's in our hearts that you want to do

something we've been asking you we've been talking to you you're saying it is

this family we have no idea who they are they're kind of sitting there how do we

do it and he speaks to us and he says go and tell this man who is sitting at this

table tell him that as a family they are supposed to live in difficult

conditions difficult places and God while they live in difficult conditions

in places will have them be very fruitful to those around them which is

like a very Christian you think to say so we are like okay we'll go say so we

go and tell this man this is we just want to say one thing we believe in

Jesus and Jesus is saying this as soon as we say it the guys like pull the

tables together turns out he's a pastor turns out they are in India and they've

been asking and praying to find out should they stay in India for a little

bit should they be in India because it's a different culture they don't know how

it's going to work out they have no idea if they're you know the kids are going to

like it or not it's the kids don't speak English they're not sure and here comes

a guy and a girl telling them the father is telling you Jesus is telling

you you're supposed to live in difficult places and as you live in

difficult places you'll bear much fruit to those around you so we pull our

tables together we talked for maybe 45 minutes we exchanged numbers on that

trip we meet them twice after that two years or a year later we're still

connected we have friends and they've been they they are right now in India

because the word came amongst other things I'm sure but the word came saying

this is what you're supposed to do the thing is if you just wake up and do

something else not knowing our purpose it's easy to miss it and the thing is I

don't want these days every now and then I want these days every day we need

these days every day we need these days every day where we are waking up with

purpose and all of a sudden the father says send a text message to this person

and say this who are we to do it sons and daughters who are we to do it men

and women with the spirit of the living God living inside of them who are we to

do it commissioned and given authority to do and display his works here on

earth and if you belong to this house this is certainly the direction we are

going so they followed the cloud and can you think of this this way individual

stories are not what he is after he is after a collective story he's interested

in the individual stories that he wants to write in our lives but he's after a

collective story of his bride in acts 29 going from the place they were at to a

new place to a new land where as they move and take on new things he will

release new things to us so I'm excited even as I'm talking because as I said

please don't listen to me today please write down the things that the Holy

Spirit is showing you couple other things actually only because we don't

have much time on jump right into the second part of that worse so we looked

at that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea and

all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea and when it says

baptized into Moses in the cloud and the sea it really means that all of these

relights they followed Moses because Moses was the man set by God to lead

them out just like for us we follow Christ we are baptized into Christ death

and his resurrection for the Old Testament guys it was just a mirror

image of what was to come and it meant that they were baptized in the sea and

in the cloud meaning they were committed to following even though they

did some stuff they were committed to following God through this man that was

set as the leader let's read this the next part and all ate the same spiritual

food the manna and all drank the same spiritual drink that actually came from

the rock that Moses struck and water came off it so that's what the scripture

saying but here is what I want to tell you the reason Paul is writing this is

because Paul is saying do you realize the church in Corinth that these were a

people who saw the cloud and followed the cloud these were a people who ate

something that no other people on earth ate on a daily basis these were a people

who drank a spiritual drink these were a people who were baptized into Moses but

still millions missed out from that generation only two walked into the

promised land Joshua and Caleb the children did but the guys who stepped

out of Egypt most of them did not and that is what Paul is saying and so Paul

is writing to Corinth the church in Corinth is because he doesn't want the

people to miss out on the inheritance that is in front of us in front of them

for us as I said there is a land that's waiting us there is a land that's

awaiting us we are going to take the land but to take the land there are a

couple of things that we need to do let me ask this question can you tell me

what is what is the main reason the Israelites did not enter into the

promised land anyone can say what is the main reason the Israelites did not

enter into so the the fathers that we read off what is the main reason they

did not enter into the promised land they did not apply faith to the word

given disobedience they never believed God they were grumbling murmuring

lack of trust

they compared themselves to grasshoppers ignoring what God said okay

as here is the one thing that we often miss when we talk about the end all of

these things are true everything that we said right now is true but you know what

one of the main reasons is it was fear read with me let's go to Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 1 · chapter mention

chapter 1 26 through 33 this is where I'm telling stick with me here for this

bit please because this is so important for us there is something that God wants

to do through this verses so listen to this Deuteronomy chapter 1 26 to 33 in

Deuteronomy 1 · chapter mention

verse 8 of chapter 1 God said see I have set the land before you go in and take

possession of the land that the Lord swore to your fathers to Abraham to Isaac

to enter Jacob to give to them and to their offspring after them yeah in verse

8 God said here is the land you came out of Egypt like I brought you out of

Egypt I've been taking you from one place to the other place the cloud has

been moving you've been following yeah you've been murmuring you've been doing

this thing that thing but I brought to this place that is the land go and take

the land they had a time in their lives where God placed it right in front of

them and said that's the land I need you to go and take it because it's been

given to you now read this verse 26 yet you would not go up but rebelled against

the command of the Lord your God why and you murmured in your tents and said

because the Lord hated us he has brought us out of the land of Egypt and to give

us into the hand of the Amorites to destroy us where are we going up our

brothers have made our hearts melt saying the people are greater and taller

than we the cities are great and fortified up to heaven and besides we

have seen the sons of the Anakim there the reason they did not walk into the

promised land when it was set right in front of them is because they looked at

the promised land and all of a sudden they were like oh people are greater

taller faster stronger fortified cities that's scary we can't do it fear is what

kept them out fear there was a place that God wanted them to enter it's the

same people who crossed the Red Sea same people who saw miracles one after the

other signs wonders water flowing from the rock it's the same people who

enjoyed manner who experienced the supernatural it's the same people who

could think of the day when the Egyptian army was drowned when their

chariot wheels locked and they were overthrown the same people

then came to a place where a promised land was right in front of them and they

said we're not going to go in because we are afraid and read this verse with me

Moses responded to them and said do not be afraid do not be in dread or afraid

of them the Lord your God who goes before you will himself fight for you

just as he did for you in Egypt before your eyes and in the wilderness where

you have seen how the Lord your God carried you as a man carries his son all

the way that you went until you came to this place and in spite of this word you

did not believe the Lord your God who went before you in the way to seek you

out a place to pitch your tents in fire by night and in the cloud by day to show

you by what way you should go so here's the question guys for us to enter the

land and to take possession of the land we need to let go of fear we need to

overcome fear fear is the reason they did not enter the promised land and my

question is can you take a minute or two to think because I am I'm very

interested in us tonight going together through a process of dealing with fear

and having our father take care of those things so that we don't miss out on the

things that he has for us how many of you here have pens sorry pen pen one two

okay there's quite a few there are some posted notes there or whatever you call

it can you just distribute them yellow posted notes just distributed share your

pens you know how many of our pens we have here share it amongst yourself and

as the guys are giving this out listen to me please the question is are you

tolerating fear are you tolerating fear are you tolerating fear are you neutral

to fear has fear become become normative for you

yeah yeah the pens you don't have pens just ask someone next to you and next

time oh it's coming thank you and next time bring pens okay all of you have

papers in your hands share the pens but before you start writing it down listen

to me please for us to take the land we have to have our father deal with our

fears we cannot inherit the land that he is giving us without having him deal

with our fears and every person sitting here is affected by fear in some measure

and so the questions that I have for you is this number one is fear normative for

you number two are you tolerant of fear are you tolerant of fear are you neutral

to fear are you finding yourself in places in your thoughts where fear is

normal and you're okay with that fear living inside your head because that

fear can stop you from progressing and it robs you of inheritance this is why

Paul is saying I want you to be I want you not to be I want you to be aware of

what is happening don't be unaware because our fathers went through this and

they did not inherit the promised land because one of the things fear so keep

this in mind and in our hearts in our minds now have the Holy Spirit reveal

things to you write down the areas that you're afraid of where you find fear it

could be a certain aspect about your future it could be something that happened in the past

and you think it will repeat itself it could be something you've watched you saw you heard

of and you feel that it could happen to you could be what is being said in the news and you first

ignore it you ignore it again and then you're like hmm should I think about it should I do

something about this fear creeps in so write down those areas this is the part where you have to

work with the Holy Spirit ask him to shed light into your thinking because guys we are not interested

in a sermon we're interested in the father doing something with us write it down

when I was thinking about fear one of the things that the father told me is this fear creeps in when

you identify yourself as one in the crowd and not my son fear creeps in when you identify yourself

as one who is part of the crowd and not as my son meaning in other words Psalm 91 a thousand

may fall ten thousand at my right hand but it shall not come near me because whoever who wrote

that Psalm they did not find them as part of the crowd if it was Moses who wrote it Moses who led

the people through the wilderness believed that plagues can come and go and it can affect different

nations but it will not come near me because I'm not one among the many nations I'm not one among

many I'm his son I'm his daughter so interest rates can go up but you're not one among the many

you are you're his son his daughter there can be massive layoffs but you're not one among the many

you're his son his daughter fear can cloud your mind it can cloud your mind and so right now Holy

Spirit revealed to us areas where fear is sometimes subtle subtle it's creeping in and

it's trying to make a stronghold in our thinking but tonight as a church as a people we are

recognizing the trick and the ploy of the enemy and as a people we are standing against fear

individually first before we do it collectively we need to understand that fear at the end of

the day is a spirit fear is a spirit Bible says the spirit of fear it's a spirit and our Lord

reigns victorious over every power every spirit he has defeated them all so identify fear as a

spirit you have to know what you're dealing with it's a spirit this is where what James said before

is important in life with what is happening we have to ask Abba help me to discern what is happening

so that I can see the root and I deal with the root not the symptoms not the waves not the water

but the storm so the reason I'm fearful about this is because I'm actually fearful about something

else and behind fear there is always a lie there is always a lie behind the fear here is the thing

one of the things that I'm going very slow because I'm not interested in finishing this thing I'm

interested in us working with the Holy Spirit to do something in where it says perfect love

casts out fear if we can get to a place where we understand that that perfect love is not our love

it is his love which is always perfect towards us perfect love casts out fear so it's not your

love that has to be perfect for the fear to be cast out it is his love that is already perfect

which is for you that casts out fear one of the questions that the father is asking right now is

this I want to love you are you available to be loved I want to love you are you available to be

loved perfect love casts out fear let me love you well Derek let me love you well

again allow me Nick to love you well let me love you well this is on one hand when you read

Acts chapter 2 you see Peter speaking in much with much boldness to a large crowd in 3,000

Acts 2 · chapter mention

being people being saved and you can say this is all because of what happened in Acts chapter 2

Acts 2 · chapter mention

when the spirit came down it is very true but I can tell you one thing man Peter after the

resurrection of Jesus found himself in a completely different place when it came to

understanding Jesus's love for him this guy who denied Jesus three times found himself in that

room where the women came and said and asked Peter and the other disciples go to Galilee when he

heard his name first he knew and he understood that Jesus asked him to do so he knew that all

of those things that he did that he was beating himself up for that was taken care of I'm very

sure Jesus spent time specifically with Peter on one hand it is because there was a commission

given to him but on the other hand the task that was ahead of him it could not be done with fear

and yes the spirit of Spirit of God came down and when the spirit came he was anointed with

power but there was fear that needed to be dealt with and it was dealt with

next one let's put fear there I hope you wrote down what you needed to write down

over ten more minutes I need to rush second thing guys there are so many things we can talk about

in this story but somehow the the idolatry part the murmuring part somehow I don't even have it

on my notes because I felt I'm not supposed to touch on those things today for us the second

thing interestingly that God wants to talk to us about is self-pity self-pity self-pity is when

you find yourself in a place where you're sulking because someone has done wrong things to you things

that you did not deserve or you feel like you did not get what you deserved Iris is smiling

and cannot control her smile because I have struggled with sulking sulking is when you feel

like I deserved it or I did not deserve it why did that happen I remember having a conversation

with Iris months ago where I said actually beginning of this year where I said this year

I don't want to sulk self-pity is a dangerous game and the father wants us to be aware of it

see the best guys fell for this too so you can be encouraged if you suffer through this Elijah

suffered with this why on one day he had Mount Carmel experience the prophets of Baal have been

defeated and then he hears the news that Jezebel said I'm gonna finish you as soon as Jezebel said

what she said here is what Elijah did Elijah was afraid we dealt with the fear part and then

he came to the bush sat down under it and prayed that he might die I've had enough Lord he said

take my life I'm no better than my ancestor and sisters here is the guy one chapter ago was on

Mount Carmel the prophets of Baal were defeated in a few verses later he is telling Lord take my

life I'm no better than my ancestors I want done just take it take my life I'm done self-pity is

where you begin to sulk where you begin to tell God I've had enough this is too difficult I don't

want to do it it's been going on for some time I don't know I don't want to deal with it it's too

difficult self-pity self-pity self-pity cycles patterns you find yourself in and God's response

most of the time interestingly before he tells you what to do is sit up and eat stand up and

eat arise and go and take a shower I know it doesn't sounds very spiritual but it applies

really well God's responses he sends an angel to Elijah and says arise and eat but arise and

eat and then now that you've eaten now that you're in your senses let me ask you why are you here and

then God has to take him through a process of showing him again I am here I'm speaking to you

in this still small voice self-pity if you're listening to me and you find its roots in you

write it down two days ago when I woke up I heard this line that I want to say because one of the

I didn't hear it for myself I believe I heard it for what I was preparing for for this message the

heard in conversation between two people and one person is saying to the other you're already

defeated why bother you're already defeated why bother so in areas of your life where if you have

been told that you've been defeated if you've been told that you've been at it for years and

months but nothing has come out of it why bother actually it said it said you're already defeated

how can you win not why bother you're already defeated how can you win the message that the

father has for you if this is you is this you're not defeated you're not defeated the enemy is

saying that you are defeated the enemy wants to believe wants you to believe that you're

defeated that you're done and out but you're not defeated rise up rise up there is a land

that is kept right in front of you take the land do not waste your time in self-pity recognize it

nip it in the bud the third thing guys I'll finish with this then we'll spend some time

together doing something the third thing that the father wants us to be aware of is unbelief

unbelief in Mark chapter 9 there is a man whose son is suffering from a problem and he comes to

Mark 9 · chapter mention

Jesus and he says listen to me please I know the kids are here but listen to me please the the man

comes to Jesus and he says I need my son saved and Jesus says if you believe and the man says

I believe help my unbelief it's one sentence I believe help my unbelief if you find yourself

in situations where yes you believe but you're also saying help my unbelief I believe help my

unbelief I believe you you're good but please help my unbelief it's a good prayer to pray you don't

have to make yourself non-human and think that no these feelings no these feelings when they come

I believe but help my unbelief because he responds he absolutely responds he truly responds so these

three things that you guys have written down at the end of this here is the question he's asking

you've written down some stuff Derek am I always good Vedisha am I always good Diana am I always

good because if the question is am I good the answer is yes it's a resounding yes in this room

the question he's asking is am I always good do you believe that I am always good to you that

there is not a single second where I'm neutral about you that I'm always loving always planning

preparing for you do you believe that I always love you am I always good am I always good guys

again I believe help my unbelief if that's your response respond it that way if you believe he's

always good amazing good for you it's a great place to be at but if you find yourself at the place

I know you're good but then there are these things in my life that it doesn't appear so good so I

need help that's a great response to because he'll deal with it he'll help you with it so then if

you've written down these things I want you to stand up only if you have written down stuff you

don't need to do it if you don't have it but if there are things that you've written down and

you're saying I need help there is a land that is kept right in front of me guys I know I'm five

minutes off but we'll finish in five minutes there is a land that is kept right in right ahead of me

it's my inheritance I want it for myself I'm also part of a people as the cloud moved the

moved and I want to live a life where every day I move with the cloud every day I move with the

Holy Spirit every day in my thinking I'm with the Holy Spirit my thoughts are first with the Holy

Spirit before my actions are I listen to him when he asks me to go somewhere I go I speak what I've

been told to do but then it doesn't end there father these are the things the fears in my life

that I've written down I recognize that these are strongholds I recognize that there is a spirit of

fear at work and I ain't prepared to give it any more room in my life if you are one of these men

or women in this room and you're saying I will not give it room I recognize that it's a spirit

behind fear and I am not prepared to give any room to the spirit of fear my father is always good

he's not sometimes good he's always good and if you say yes I struggle with self-pity I sulk

sometimes it may not be predominant in my life but I find myself in places and times where I

sulk there is self-pity and you're saying I'm gonna lay it down when you say rise up and eat

when you say rise up and walk when you say rise up and do these things I will I'm not going to

default to my old ways of thinking I will move ahead in the things that God has for me guys even

as I am speaking respond to God because your words your thoughts with him makes the difference

it completely changes the play playing field when you're in it with him and you speak his words when

you're in it with him and he shines light in your mind and you say yes I see it this is the path I

want to go he will do it and third unbelief if you have written down areas of unbelief things

that you need help with here is what I want you to do put that piece of paper down wherever

you're standing put it down but as in on the floor put it down on the floor the whole point

of everything that I'm saying is this there is a land there are things purposes waiting for you

you cannot enter into the land and take possession of the land unless you let go of these things you

can't do all of these things in your flesh can you you cannot but can the Holy Spirit help you

yes you cannot do these things with your thinking can you know but can the Spirit of God do something

yes and if you believe this put that piece of paper down and have you one feet on that paper

as a symbolic representation of this which is I will not give any room to this stronghold I've

recognized you and I bring you down in the name of Jesus Christ guys here is what Paul wrote he

said pull down strongholds and take captive every thought that is against the knowledge of Christ

it's not for pastors to do it's not for someone else to do this is for you to do for your life

here is what it says pull down those strongholds and take captive every thought that rises up

against the knowledge of God so in the name of Jesus Christ if you believe you're saying I've

recognized it the Spirit of God has enlightened my heart and the Spirit of God is now pulling

down those strongholds and as I walk out of this room not because someone said so but because the

Spirit of God is with me and I work with the Spirit in this matter I walk out as a man as a

woman who is different you may have had a stronghold in my life but from this point on I'm victorious

from this point on I ain't going to be afraid of you from this point on I'm going to be like a

Joshua and a Caleb who doesn't care about what the many people around them think but they look at

the promised land and they say I have seen the hand of God upon my life I did see him taking me

through the Red Sea I did see him doing the miracles and the wonders that I saw you may not

believe it but I believe it he's always good to me who always loves me and I'm in it because he is

in it with me and so father we come as a people this is your people this is us we can't do these

things with our strength but we've taken that first step everything here on it's yours to do

but we will work with you we see the promised land we see God purposes we see God things we see your

we see the things you have awaiting us and we say we are in it we want it we desire it we are walking

into those things with you trusting in you you're with us we will follow the cloud we will not be a

prey to self-pity we will not we will deal with unbelief by trusting in you we will say help and

you help when we can't do it you'll carry us and when we can do it we'll work against it will speak

and when it comes to fear today you have released your favor upon us and you have released us from

fear we thank you in Jesus name I pray amen cool guys that is it for today