Restoration : God With Us

We're going to talk about restorers, and I'm not trying to force a Christmas theme into

it, but we are restorers because God is with us, because God is the only one who can restore.

We talked about this last week, two weeks ago, that we are called to be restorers. Why?

Luke 4, 18 says, the Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to proclaim the

good news, to heal the brokenhearted, to open prison doors. Guys, you should have been memorizing

this throughout the week, remember? Because he was supposed to get up and stand in front of the

mirror or not stand in front of the mirror and repeat this. The Spirit of the Lord is upon me

because he has anointed me to proclaim the good news, to heal the brokenhearted, to open prison

doors, to recovery of sight to the blind, to set the oppressed free, and to proclaim the year of

favor. And so the year of favor, as we discussed, is the year of Jubilee. And what Jesus was saying

is, I come to now declare perpetual Jubilee, and Jubilee was always about restoration. And then we

talked about Isaiah 58, where we said, he's a repairer of the breach and the restorer of

the streets to dwell in. We are called to be restorers. But the reason we can be restorers

is because God is with us. And so if you look at Isaiah 7, Isaiah 7 verse 14, it talks about that.

Isaiah 7:14

It says, there was this king called Ahaz, and Isaiah goes up to Ahaz and says, hey, Ahaz, ask

for a sign. And Ahaz says, no, I won't ask God for a sign. And that's when Isaiah says, ask the Lord,

your God, for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights. That's in verse 11.

He says, no, no, I won't. And so then Isaiah says, well, here is a sign God is giving you. And he

says, the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and we'll call him Immanuel. And the whole

idea of Immanuel is God with us. And so here's what we are saying, guys. We are saying, in him,

God is with us. In him, as in in Christ, God is with us. But it also follows then that in him,

Colossians 3.3, God is with us. How is this different? First, in Christ, we know God was

present, so we are saying, in him, God is with us. But it also says in Colossians 3.3, that we are

hidden in Christ. So in him, God is with us. Get used to this. I had three amazing dreams last night,

because I've been obsessed with this for so long, I'm beginning to dream it. I'm seeing dreams in

which I'm responding to, in him, God is with me. And therefore, I'm in a position to rebuke things

restore things, bring things to order, heal things. And in these three dreams, and there were

different people in the dreams, it is so easy in a dream to have the courage to go and say, I know

this is incurable, but you can be healed. I know you have an addiction to cigarettes and alcohol,

but you can be healed. Not because of anything that we have, but because of God in us and with us,

and we in him. That's the whole idea of what we want to do today. And it says a very simple way

to do it. Needs a tiny bit of courage and foolishness. And in Christianity, both go together.

So, yeah. Yeah. So on one hand, in Christ, God was with us, because Christ walked here on earth as

God. So in Christ, God was with us. But then Colossians 3.3 says, we are hidden in Christ.

So in that sense, in him, God is with us again. It's both ways. We are in him and he is in us.

Works out both ways. It's inseparable. Guys, here's the thing. We are servants of his. Therefore,

there is no question that we will be restored if we follow the steps of restoration. He says about

Israel at one stage, he puts it this way. He says, I have provided ways to redeem you, but should you

not be redeemed and should you still stay as servants of others, I want you to know that you

are my servant first Israel. I brought you out of Egypt. So I will redeem you. As in, it doesn't

matter whose servant you presently may be. Maybe an addiction has mastered you. Maybe a sin has

mastered you. Maybe a situation has mastered you. But God is saying, you must remember that whatever

be your master now, I brought you out of Egypt. You are mine. You are my servant. I am responsible

for you. Therefore, I will redeem you if you follow the steps of restoration. You must be

absolutely confident of Christ when it comes to you being rescued. If you doubt for a second that you

cannot be rescued, you're not casting aspersions on anyone but your master who is a rescuer.

It doesn't matter what situation you're going through. You must be confident that you will be

rescued. And then you have to follow the steps of rescue and restoration. If he says, I want to

rescue you by sending a helicopter, well then strap the blooming rope around you. If he says,

walk on water, well walk on water and avoid the flood. Whatever he tells you to do, as Mary said,

do, but be confident that you will be rescued because at the very heart of the word salvation,

sozo is the simple meaning, rescuer. The very meaning of the word Jesus means rescuer. Joshua, rescuer.

And therefore now God is saying, I want you to be rescuers too. But people will have to listen to

the method of rescue. If you choose not to be rescued that way, that's entirely a person's

choice. But you must for yourself know that there is no situation on the face of the earth, as long

as you're alive here, that you cannot be rescued out of. Even you are rescued out of death,

physical death, and then should you die, and you will die unless you're raptured. You will be

rescued from that too because it's a micro fraction of a second. We are the ones who will be crying

for you. You will be happy.

This God is a God of rescue.

And so guys, we said this last time,

desire to give back to people what sin has stolen from them. Desire to give back to people

what sin has stolen from them. Demonstrate the restoration of the cross. At the end of the day,

what was Christ doing on the cross? Rescuing the world. Demonstrate the restoration that you and I

can give to people from whom sin has stolen things. We have the ability to restore.

You must believe this. You must start dreaming it. I'm so blessed that I'm dreaming it. I'm not

asking you to use that as a measure, but when you get obsessed with things, you dream about things.

If you don't dream, doesn't mean you're not obsessed with it. It just means you're not a dreamer.

I dream every night.

I dream every night.

Since I was a kid, I can't remember a night I haven't dreamed. None of you appear in those dreams.

So remember, we are proclaimers of Jubilee. We are proclaimers of Jubilee. Please don't forget that.

We proclaim the year of Jubilee perpetually upon people. And like I said, the next one year,

you'll have so many encounters set up by God before the foundations of the earth.

There's insurance lady, others, and in each situation, through relationship,

we proclaim Jubilee. Not without relationship, through relationship.

Through relationship. Hey, if you don't build things through relationship, why should people believe you?

Through relationship, proclaim the year of God's favor. And what does the year of God's favor look

like? The good news. What else? Opening a blind eye. What else? Opening a prison door. What else?

Opening a blind eye. What else? Opening a prison door. What else? Healing of the brokenhearted. What else?

Opening of doors for those that are oppressed. What else? Restoration. What else? The spirit of joy

instead of the spirit of heaviness. What else? Singing instead of mourning. What else? Oaks being

raised in great strength. What else? Beauty instead of ashes. This is what restoration looks like.

You think Christ is giving it to people himself? No. Throughout the world, whenever this happens,

it is because Christ used someone to do it for someone. Do you realize that?

Almost never is Christ giving anything to anyone directly except through people.

How does joy come? It comes through an expression of words that are sent into your heart, either

through a book, a poem, a song, a TV program or words. How does comfort come? Either through a

touch, a smile, an expression of words, some action. How does heaviness go away? Either through a

rebuke by a word or an introduction of joy through some other means. There is not a single situation

on the face of the earth that God is doing except through people, sometimes believers and sometimes

people who don't know God. When a poet writes a beautiful poem that people read and it lifts

their heart up, it doesn't matter that the poet is not a Christian but what he writes is from God

because everything that he writes about, about the sunrise, about the beautiful forest trees

is coming from God. God can choose to do it directly but he chooses not to do it directly.

How much more us?

I didn't say no. I said he chooses to do it mostly through people. It's his favorite way of doing

things guys. The battle was never between God and the devil. The battle was always between man and

the devil. Therefore the battle will be won by man, not by God. It'll be won by God in man.

Act 1038. Again, God could have done this without Jesus. He didn't need to send Jesus down to the

earth to accomplish these things. You think God can't heal someone with a stroke of lightning?

Like benevolent lightning that just gives you a slight shock

and it gets your atrial fibrillation.

But he chooses not to. Act 1038.

And God anointed not Jesus the Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, the Jacob of

Vancouver, not Nazareth. So God anointed Jesus of Nazareth or Jesus of Nazareth.

The Jacob of Vancouver, not Nazareth. So God anointed Jesus of Nazareth or Jacob of Vancouver

or Rodrigo of Brazil or Sheldon of Hong Kong since he's going there shortly. So

God anointed, just so I'm just prophesying early.

And if you notice, I left Jane out.

Act 1038. How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth or Jacob of Vancouver with the Holy Spirit

and with power and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the

devil because God was with him. Let me read it one more time. Act 1038. How God anointed Jesus of

Nazareth or you with the Holy Spirit and power and how he went around doing good and healing

all who were under the power of the devil because God was with him. So here's a question. What's the

target? The target is all who were being oppressed or harassed by the devil.

No. That's a target. That's your target too.

Anyone being harassed or oppressed by the devil is your target.

Why? Because you're a restorer. Why? Because God is with you.

Second, you know in Isaiah 8-10, God is saying this. He says,

devise your strategy, but it will be thwarted. Propose your plan, but it will not stand. You

know why? For God is with us. Israel is saying this. Hey, you guys go ahead. They're saying to

the enemy, you devise your strategy. It will be thwarted. You come up with your plans. It won't

succeed. You know why? Because God is with us. Have a few people who are with you.

With us. Have a fierceness about this. When people are harassed and oppressed by the devil, say,

say with confidence and your confidence will grow. We'll talk about that. Say with confidence.

You devise your strategy. God will thwart it. You come up with your plans and try to destroy.

I'm telling you something. God is with us. This is no ordinary God. This is not some domesticated cat.

This is a lion. There's a wildness about this aslan. His fears say, God with us is a different kind of

God with us. It's not just about comfort. Restoration requires that things that are in bondage,

that are broken, that are decaying be undone.

There's another scripture that I use often almost every morning, Deuteronomy 33 verse 27.

Deuteronomy 33:27

Depending on the version you read, it says this. God shouts destroy, but you thrust out the enemy.

God shouts destroy, but he ain't trusting out the enemy.

When God shouts destroy, you go thrust out the enemy.

You go thrust out the enemy. God is the one shouting destroy. He's given the command.

Who is he waiting for? You. To do what? To thrust out the enemy.

What's your response? If that is your target, what is your response?

Your response is

your response is

you went around doing good,

healing all. You went around doing good, healing all. That's your response. So we know the target.

What's your response? You went around doing good, healing all.

This is your response. Are you sent? Yes. How do we know? John 20 verse 20 and 21.

John 20:20

And Jesus called them and said, as I have been sent, so I send you.

And then he breathed upon them and they received the Holy Spirit.

That's your response. But who is your source? How come you do this? Because God is with you.

Source is established. You're not doing this on your own strength. You are getting more and more

convinced that God is with you. It's not that you doubt that, but you sometimes don't realize it.

Get obsessed with it. That God is with me and God is with me means I will be rescued if I follow

the steps that he gives me for rescue. If I don't follow the steps and try to do it any other way,

then Isaiah 30 applies where it says, you shall live by the light of your own fire.

And that won't keep you warm. But there is always rescue for every child and every servant of God

because he is the master. And he says, I brought you out of Egypt. You are my servant first.

And nobody else will have mastery over you. This is a surety that you and I should have about being

rescued. Otherwise, we'll have to come up with some kind of theology that allows him to abandon

us and still keep us happy. Source, God is with you. Agency, I mean, source is God, but through

what agency does he make this happen? Agency, you are anointed with the Holy Spirit

and power. And you are anointed with the Holy Spirit.

And power. That's the agency at work. Your target is those that are harassed and oppressed by the

devil. Your response is, I go around doing good, healing those that are oppressed by the devil.

And oppression is not just sickness or disease. It can be misery. It can be sadness. It can be all

those things mentioned in Isaiah 61. It can be brokenheartedness. It can be decay. It can be

being trapped. It can be being free and yet trapped. It can be all those things. But

that's our response because we are sent to do exactly this. Who is the source? Where does your

strength come from? It comes from God. Through what agency does it come? Not through prayer or

fasting that helps, but it ain't the agency. The agency is the Holy Spirit. It's the Holy Spirit.

Prayer or fasting that helps, but it ain't the agency. The agency is the Holy Spirit.

And what has he done? He has commissioned you, selected you, separated you, anointed you with

what? With himself and incoming himself. He now bestows power upon me. Do I for a second doubt

that as I stand here, walk, as I leave this place, as I sleep, that I am anointed? No, I don't doubt

that. I am anointed by God, not because I'm a pastor, but because I am a child of God.

I am anointed. By whom? By the Holy Spirit. How do I know? Because he is upon me. Who says so? That

God. It just is that I'm not aware of it always. I'm not convinced of it. This ain't the Old

Testament where I have to sing songs like David sang when he says, cast me not away from your

presence, O Lord, take not your spirit from me. He ain't going to take his spirit from me.

He takes his spirit from me. I lie dead because my spirit and his spirit have become one.

We'll talk about how we can be responsible so that there is an unbridled flow of God through you,

touching the world, so that by the time you die, you have resurrected so many lives.

Any questions?

Guys, if you are persuaded of this, then you will begin to proclaim it. Persuasion

and proclamation. Persuasion and proclamation are key to unleashing or releasing the life of God from

within you, around you. Persuasion, being persuaded of it. How can you be persuaded of it? Persuasion

must be preceded by... sorry, proclamation must be preceded by persuasion. Persuasion must be

preceded by you living and knowing the word. If I don't know the word, I can't be persuaded. Once

I'm persuaded, I must proclaim because whatever I believe, I will confess. I will confess.

Jesus's ministry was that way too. There were words of Jesus and there were works of Jesus.

Words of Jesus, works of Jesus. Always went together. Words of Jesus, works of Jesus.

The leper was healed. Why? Because Jesus said, I am willing.

The lame man walked. Why? Because Jesus said, arise. The centurion knew that Jesus had only to

speak a word. When Jesus said go, demons went. Words of Jesus, works of Jesus.

This is not complicated. As your persuasion grows in your heart that God is with you,

you will go into situations not looking for an outcome but looking to release life.

The outcome you may see, you may not see. Sometimes immediately, sometimes later. But

release life. He's asking, so how do you live the word? John 15, 7 puts it this way. If you abide in

me and my words abide in you, then ask anything and it shall be done for you. So what does it mean?

If you abide in me, as in Jacob, if you begin to live in me and my words, the words that I've spoken

begin to live in you. That's how he puts it. The message puts it this way. If you are at home in me

and my words are at home in you. So on one hand, it is you now walking with Christ and Christ's words

becoming flesh in you. Once that happens, you are persuaded. Once you are persuaded, it is impossible

to stay quiet. It is not possible. Your lack of proclamation will always betray your lack of

persuasion. And the words you speak will reveal your heart. Who said it? Jesus. Out of the abundance

of your mouth, out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. You will know. It doesn't matter

how much you swear your allegiance to Christ. When I hear you, when you're not in church, I will know

what you believe. How is proclamation activated? By doing what Jesus tells you to do, man. Matthew

Matthew 10 · chapter mention

chapter 10. I love this. Read it in the message. Matthew chapter 10. If you want to see what

Matthew 10 · chapter mention

restorers do and how easily restorers can go into work, turn to Matthew 10.

Matthew 10 verse 5 to 10. In the message, it reads really well. It makes it so simple. Matthew 10

Matthew 10:5–10 Matthew 10:5–10

verse 5 to 10 in the message. I love the way he calls us harvest hands. Jesus sent his 12

harvest hands out with discharge. Don't begin by traveling to some far off place to convert

unbelievers. And don't try to be dramatic by tackling some public enemy. Go to lost,

confused people right here in your neighborhood. Tell them that the kingdom is here, meaning that

my rule has started. Bring health to the sick, raise the dead, touch the untouchables, kick out

the demons. You have been treated generously, so live generously. Don't think you have to put on

a fundraising campaign before you start. You don't need a lot of equipment. You are the equipment.

And all you need to keep that going is three meals a day. Travel light. Beautiful, eh? Let me read

that again. Matthew 10 verse 5 to 10 from the message. Jesus sent out his 12 harvest hands

Matthew 10:5–10

out with discharge. Don't begin by traveling to some far off place to convert unbelievers. Don't

try to be dramatic by tackling some big public enemy. I threw in the big. Verse 6. Go to the lost,

confused people right here in the neighborhood. Tell them that the kingdom is here. Bring health

to the sick, raise the dead, touch the untouchables, kick out the demons. You have been treated

generously, so live generously. Don't think you have to put on a fundraising campaign before you

start. You don't need a lot of equipment. You are the equipment. And all you need to keep going is

three meals a day. Travel light. Simply. So how do you begin this process? The first thing it says

is go preach. Preach what? That the king is here. What will happen then? You will be forced to show

evidence that the king is here. You will be forced to show evidence that the king is here. The works

happen when the words are spoken. When the words happen, the words that you speak carry weight. The

works happen when words are spoken. And when the works happen, your words carry weight. The works

happen when the words are spoken. And when the works happen, your words carry weight. One last time.

The works happen when the words are spoken. And when the works happen, your words carry weight.

This is why Jesus in Luke chapter 10 verse 9 says, go

Luke 10:9

heal the sick. And when you heal the sick, you can tell them that the kingdom is here.

Luke 10, 9. So here is a simple way to go about this guys. It's really simple. I was astonished

at the simplicity of it.

Jesus expects us to make the same proclamation or announcement. And what is that announcement?

The king is here. The king is here. And this is what he can do.

This is very difficult. You know this. But here's what is saying. Here is what you are saying.

The king is here. And then you're telling them what he can do.

But to do that, there are a few things that you will have to do. One, you'll have to

believe what he says. You'll have to boast. You'll have to be foolish.

And the fourth one, you'll have to behave like God lives in you.

Okay, so let's go over that. This is the main thrust of what we want to say here.

If God is with you, then it is required that you announce for the rest of your days here on earth

this simple proclamation. Hey, Jesus is here. And by the way, here is what Jesus can do.

But to do that, you must one, believe what he has done and what he can do. You must believe it.

I can't help you with that because it is your call whether you believe it or not. Whether you

mix it with a little water or milk or sugar, it's up to you. But if you want to drink it straight

and strong, just believe what he says he can do. And if you believe it, then you must boast about

it. You know what? Boasting is bragging. My dad is this. No, no, you think your dad is this. My dad

is this. It's boasting. It's bragging on somebody. Why? Because the child is convinced that his dad

is actually that. Boast. Pardon? No, there is no scripture that says that boast. But the scripture

says if you boast, boast in the Lord. Yeah? If you boast, boast in the Lord. So what are you saying?

Hey, guess what? Jesus can heal. Oh, you got a problem. Jesus can solve that. Oh, you got issues.

Jesus can take care of that. Oh, you're being attacked by demons. Jesus can take care of that.

Oh, you know, Jesus can even raise the dead. Jesus can make you happy. Really? Jesus can make you

happy? Yeah. Jesus can provide you a job. The answer to everything is Jesus can do it.

After you make your boast, now you're in trouble.

Because now you've gone ahead and still told them what Jesus can do.

Pardon? Now the pressure is on. And that then leads us to the third step, which is be foolish.

What are we saying when we say be foolish? Be foolish to go ahead and do what you need to do.

Be foolish when nothing happens. Be foolish when something happens. Be foolish. Because you ain't

in command of the outcome. You're only in command of what Jesus does.

I decided some days ago that it doesn't matter what situation I'm going to be in,

I'm going to say, hey, Jesus can do this. I mean, I would, it's like my dad can do it.

You got a problem? My dad can do it. That might sound a little loud. So just stick to Jesus.

Jesus can do this. Whatever your situation. Why? Because I'm convinced without a shadow of a doubt

that he is a rescuer. The difference between me and someone who does not know Jesus is not in the

love he has for him or me. Jesus loves them as much as he loves me. The difference is I get to

reciprocate that love and I get to experience that love. That is the quality that the redeemed possess,

that they get to reciprocate love and they get to experience love. But it is not that someone is

loved less in the world than someone in the kingdom. We are loved equally. Therefore, he is

a rescuer. But how will they know he is a rescuer if someone doesn't tell them that he is a rescuer?

But how will someone tell them that he is a rescuer if someone is not sent to tell them that he's a

rescuer? Romans 10. And therefore I'm saying to you, but we are all sent. We are servant hands,

harvest hands. And we know the truth. Now boast on it, as in boast in the Lord.

Jesus went so far as to say that when they see the works that you do, they will believe in me.

Look at what he's saying. That is hard. Look at what he's saying. He's saying,

you go ahead and do greater things than I am doing and at least the things I'm doing. And when you

do it, they will say, our shucks gone. John 14 talks about that. So everybody here can do this.

The only thing I can't determine for you is this. If you believe that Jesus does not always heal,

then that's what you will be able to boast about. If you believe he does heal, then you will be able.

What do you believe? I'm telling you this. Doesn't matter where we are at with our beliefs. We all

believe good things in this church right now. There are good things that you believe and do not

believe out of your experience. Believe out of the truth of the word. You cannot believe out of your

experience. Your experience does not count. If your experience is what determines who God is,

then I'm frightened of your God because your experience will color him and my experience will

color him. If it is not your experience that determines God, but it's the truth in the word

that determines God, then what do you believe to the extent that you believe? Because there is

nobody in this church right now who does not believe good things about God. Start boasting.

That is the fearful place where you begin to say, my God can do this. I am determined throughout

the rest of the year in whatever situation I find myself with strangers, with people that have

relationships with, with people that I'm building relationships with, that I will not wait for an

opportunity someday in the future, but I will tell them now because I am, he said, and I will

grab an opportunity and say, oh yeah, my God can help you. Not my God, Jesus can help you because

he's helped many that I know and he's helped me. And there begins the story. Whether they accept it

or reject it is something that I'll have to live with, but my boast will not be silent because if

I don't cry out then the stones will, not the ones who are stones, stones will cry out. Man,

you're really going with this marijuana ban thing, eh? Sheldon. So the stones will cry out.

The stones will cry out. And then after I boast, now comes the next step. Oh, so you think your

Jesus can heal? Well, then heal me. And now comes a big step. You think your Jesus can change my

situation? Well, then change my situation. Then comes a big step. And that is when you have to

be non-Christianies or Christianies, depending on who you're relating to, and you've got to be

foolish. And the foolishness is in two areas. One, what you're going to do because you're stepping

out on a limb. Two, what if nothing happens? One is in your command, one isn't.

There are two reasons why we don't see miracles. One, we never pray for them. Two,

people in this part of the world have many other places to go to before they seek a miracle.

When you don't have money, there are banks, there are lines of credit, there's your credit card,

there are friends, there are loan sharks, or there's money under your mattress. So there are

different places you go to for money. But in a world where there are no such opportunities,

the simple will turn to God and cry out. And they'll open their fish, open their fridge,

and there's a fish called Simon in their fridge. And they eat Simon and they open their fridge the

next day and the Simon is there again. So that's one reason why miracles happen. The second reason

why miracles happen often in other parts of the world, and please don't think it's in the other

parts of the world, the miracles, signs, wonders will start happening in your life when it has

become your constant boast and it's become your constant method of foolishness. You will see it.

Attempt to think 10 times and you will see results 5 times. Attempt to think 100 times

and guess how many times you're seeing the results now. 50 if everything stays the same.

You know what it'll do when you see 50 miracles? You'll start calling yourself pastor.

And then finally behave like God because otherwise we will end up in the same boat as those that Jesus

said. Lord we did miracles in your name. We spoke in tongues in your name. We healed. We cast out

demons. And what did Jesus say? I don't even know you because there is something called behavior.

Because remember the works that the Holy Spirit does like miracles, signs, wonders,

word of knowledge are all a disclosure of the activity of the Holy Spirit.

But your behavior is the work of the Holy Spirit in you. And if the fourth one doesn't add up then

people will get what they want but they will never follow the one you have just presented to them

because your behavior doesn't match up. That's really all I wanted to say guys.

The more responsible you are the more authority you have. The more responsible you are the more

authority you have. The anointing is upon you. The Spirit of God is upon you. But authority

is basically the ability to be responsible with the power that is upon you. Authority is the

ability to be responsible for and with the power of God in the person or the Holy Spirit upon you.

Authority is the ability to be responsible to steward the power of God present in your life

by the person of the Holy Spirit. And the more I'm responsible the more I leverage my authority.

The more it is legitimized. The more I leverage it. And so the more responsible you are the more you

can responsibly exercise or release the power of God. And that is a constant thing we are walking

towards. We're constantly moving towards that. Any questions guys? Because I'll conclude.

The more responsible you are before him the greater the authority behind the proclamation

and the unbridled flow of the Holy Spirit. So I'm not trying to add this up and make this sound

like a Christmas message. That's like saying Die Hard is a Christmas movie. Christmas, God has

come to save His people. He has come to set the captives free. He has come to forgive sinners.

He has come to heal the sick. He has comepper raise the dead. He has come to drive out demons.

He has come to pour out the spirit. He has come to intervene. He has come to restore. Christmas,

God has come to save His people. God has come to set the captives free. God has come to forgive

sinners. God has come to heal the sick. God has come to raise the dead. God has come to drive

out demons. God has come to pour out the spirit. God has come to intervene. God has come to

restore. Just think of that again, eh? Christmas? God has come to save his people. God has come

to set the captives free. God has come to forgive sinners. God has come to heal the

sick. God has come to raise the dead. God has come to drive out demons. God has come

to pour out his spirit. God has come to intervene. God has come to restore.

Through whom? Us. By the agency of the spirit. We cannot back down from this. John 1, 4 put

it this way. And he was the light of man and he was life. And that light has come into

the world. And the darkness cannot, has not overcome it. The darkness has not overcome

it. It cannot. The light in me, the life in me of God, no darkness can overcome. No darkness

can overcome. Now when we start doing this, and I pray God that we do it, any questions

guys? Any questions? I'm done. Any questions? Is this difficult? Yes. Which part? The boasting

because you know after boasting you'll have to be foolish. That's the difficult part.

The believing is completely up to you. There's nothing anybody can do to force you to believe.

Even Jesus can't force you to believe. No one can force you to believe. You believe

what you think you want to believe. But if it ain't the truth, it ain't going to help.

gravity, try it. Come to my place. It's on the 20th floor. But let me know. So what you

believe no one can determine. Boast. Boast man. Boast. Your boasting gets louder when

your belief is solid. Be foolish. When I go for these pastors retreats, I know that

most pastors can't play ping pong because ping pong is not a common Canadian thing.

So when I go for these pastors retreats, there's a table tennis board at the retreat center.

So I'll start boasting. Hey, anybody wants to play ping pong? Because this is one game

I can beat them all at. And so I'm so confident and persuaded of my belief that I'm good at

ping pong that I'll challenge anyone man. And so I'll start boasting. I'll start needling

them, forcing them to play me because this is one game I can beat most pastors at. And

so my boast is so strong because I believe I'm good at it. And then next thing is, okay,

now that you boasted, show them be foolish. And then there was this guy called Ryan who

became the pastor at Ebenezer Baptist. I didn't know he was really good. I played seven games

and I got beaten in all seven. But that's the outcome. Be foolish. There's nothing you

can do about it. Be foolish and finally behave like God lives in you. After you get beat,

even though you want to throttle him, walk away with your hands in your pockets and say

nice things as good game. Walk away.

All righty. Let's just pray. Father, this is easy. I know it can be done by us. I just

pray that we take these four things. What do we believe? Am I willing to boast about

it? As in Jesus can do this. Jesus can do this. Am I willing to boast about it? If I

boast it, I will be put in a place where I will have to be foolish. When I'm foolish,

you always show off because foolishness provokes you. Foolishness provokes you. Foolishness

provokes you. Joshua was foolish. Noah was foolish. David was foolish. Paul was foolish.

Peter was foolish. Foolishness provokes you. And then Father, people will know the rescuer,

not just hear about the rescuer. Now that you have seen what my God can do, repent,

change your heart.