Prevailing Church : I Will Give

So we're going to talk about prevailing church I will give. We started on this July 1st,

never got it completed, so I'm going to go down that route. So I always start these messages

saying we're building a prevailing church, and by the word prevailing church what we

mean is we are trying to become a people that engages culture, that contends with culture,

that overcomes culture, that engages culture, that contends with culture, that overcomes

culture. I would like to say that when I hear stories and I hear stories from all of you

at different points during the week, I find that all of us are doing it. Each of you individually

in your own situations, workplaces, streets, are doing it individually. You are engaging

people outside of the Christian community. You are contending for the faith and letting

people know who Christ is, and you are overcoming the ways of this culture, and it's evident

in your stories, but each of us is doing it individually. I would like us as a church

together, or the word used is corporately, and individually. Because usually church works

this way. People do things individually and it helps the church. I'm saying Acts 29 should

have the ability to take on this city based on what God wants us to take on, and we must

see and show people what it looks like. So one of the things I've been asking God is,

Father, what impossible thing in Vancouver would you give to Acts 29 where we can take

something that is impossible, engage it, contend with it, bring down Goliaths if necessary,

and overcome the culture that this city presents in that area, and in the process, learn how

you do things, and in the process, pay a cost for doing it, and in the process, show other

churches and the world that this is how the kingdom works in a city. That's my desire.

Each of us is doing it individually, and your stories are fascinating, but what does it

look like when a whole people take this on? What does it look like when the church in

Ephesus results in the folding up of the guilds of silversmiths and goldsmiths and blacksmiths

because Diana is going out of business? No, no, no, no, don't look at her. I'm talking

about the other, Artemis, because business is falling. What does it look like then? That

is what I'm saying, Father, give us something impossible. And I'm doing it half with excitement

like Jane was saying and half afraid because it would mean that there would be a cost to

pay because the Goliaths are not easy to slay. You have to learn how to use the sling.

So a prevailing church, and it's the only kind of church Jesus was building, is a church

that engages culture, that contends with culture, contends, requires some degree of battle,

and then overcomes culture. Why does Jesus build a church like this? Because the prevailing

church must take on the nature of its head. And Christ contended, endured, and overcame.

Christ contended. Christ engaged by coming down to the earth. Christ contended by taking

a stance. Christ endured by paying the cost. Christ overcame because he is an overcomer.

And if that is the nature of the head, that should also be the nature of the body. And

so on one hand we are saying, yes, the great commissioners make disciples, but what kind

of disciples? We must make disciples that are overcomers. And the moment you use the

word overcomer, you imply that there is a battle that must be endured and must be overcome.

The moment you say overcomer, it implies that there is a battle. It implies that there is

a battle. These are things that churches don't have the privilege to enter into. And I pray

God that God grants us this privilege to enter into things called battles that he fights,

but we hang on to his tailcoats as he runs amongst the enemy. And so do we really know

what we are talking about? No. But can we learn it? Yes. And the thing with overcoming

is Christ in his letters to the churches, the seven churches in the book of Revelation

kept saying, to him who overcomes, so he expects the church to overcome. But then he says,

to him who overcomes, I will give or I will grant. There is rewards for overcoming and

the rewards are not material. The rewards are much, much richer than material stuff.

Remember guys, it's always the things that are added unto you. Prosperity materially

is always the things that are added unto you. The real riches are other things that today

we'll talk about two of them, just two of them. Real riches and when you, I assure you

if you taste the riches that we are going to talk about today, your life will never

be the same. You can live on love and fresh air. No, you can't. I'm just saying that

these riches that we are talking about are so tremendous that money would be nothing

in comparison. You would actually believe that. Money is always something that is added

unto us as we seek other more important things. Money is always added unto us. Jobs are always

added unto us. Promotions are always added unto us. Any material prosperity is super

important but it is something that is added unto you. It follows. And so the devil's only

move when it comes to prosperity is instead of having it follow you, can I put it before

you so that you're always running after it. And it's been highly successful. So what do

overcomers overcome? What do overcomers overcome? Here are the three things overcomers overcome

based on the word. One, they overcome seduction or temptation. Two, they overcome opposition

by the devil and his forces, by satanic forces. And they overcome persecution by his agents

here on earth, by human agents. And three, they overcome the strong, the strong, the

strong cultural sway of the world. These then are the three things that the church will

be forced to succumb to. And when I say church, I don't mean church as an organization, as

the people of God. These are the things that they'll be forced to succumb to. And you see

it in your own lives. The first thing that we have to overcome is seduction and temptation.

It could be something as simple as Jacob, do not be seduced by the time you squander

on things that are not necessary even though I'm bringing you into greater things that

need greater focus. Or do not be seduced by your job or your money. Do not be seduced

by your lusts. Do not be seduced by illegitimate habits. Do not be seduced or tempted by your

greed. That's the first thing overcomers overcome. And we see in the letters that Jesus writes

to the church that these were things that the churches were going through. Where he

says to one church, you've lost your first love. Some things seduced or tempted them

to leave their first love. God was still important but he wasn't the one. The second thing that

we as a people need to overcome is the opposition of the enemy. I hear your stories. I hear

how pressure was put on you. You felt like folding. And then you rose up again and you

said, oh God in the past I would have broken but I will stand and I will see your victory.

You begin to speak like Moses saying, I stood and I saw the rescue of God. This church has

had story after story of this. Well done. Well done church. With the little that you

have made it much. Every face I look at I can think of stories. It's fascinating what

God has been able to do through your life. And we have benefited as you shared these

stories. There is opposition that will come from satanic forces. But the one thing that

this church has learned is to a degree to combat that and we will go further. And then

there is persecution that comes from human agents. We've not really felt that but we

know the silence that begins to come over as the intimidation that comes over us in

this culture. The silence and the intimidation are the weapons used in this culture to persecute

Christianity and it's a mild form of persecution. There's no loss of life. There's just tremendous

fear to stand up for God. But even that we shall break as we get the courage to speak

for the one that we love. And this is the right time to speak and say something like

amen. Thank you. Next time try to do it without the cue. And the third thing is the strong

cultural sway of the world. I know we've defined it again and again but it's so important to

redefine it. Culture is the collective thinking of a people. There is a collective thinking

that Canada has. We see it expressed through the premier, through the prime minister. We

see it expressed all around us. We see it expressed through the media. We see it expressed

through education and entertainment. And to be able to stand against it is not easy.

Particularly for your children to stand against it. You as a parent have to take a stance,

eh? Because it's overwhelming the collective thinking of a nation at present. It's overwhelming.

Teach your children how to stand. Now one of the ways to prevent them from being swept

away by it is by preventing them from watching hours of meaningless TV. Regulate their television

times because it is the one media through which edutainment educates and changes the

minds of children. Calling good what is evil and calling evil what is good. Calling evil

good. By changing standards, by lowering the neck line, raising the hemline with guys and

with girls. I'm not thinking of girls in particular. Everything changes and it is done through

audio visual means because that has always been the means through which the devil has

used. The devil has attacked humans right from the garden of Eden where he starts off

with this is pleasant to the eyes. Yeah, me being the age I am, when I say TV I mean all

of social media because the word TV is shorter than social media. Though I do have a Twitter

account and I had Snapchat for two weeks. I do have an Instagram account and a Facebook

account. I'm with it though I've not posted for the last five years. So, I'm not going

to post for the last five years. This is what prompted Jesus' letters to the seven churches

saying hey guys these three things you're failing and there was only one church out

of the seven that he did not say anything to in terms of failure. To every other church

he was warning them listen you started a certain way, you've ended a certain way, you started

in a certain way, you're going to end a certain way, you started a certain way but be careful

you may end a certain way because you knew what was afoot. You think Jesus does not know

what ails Acts 29 and what would he write in a letter to us? I'm not talking to a personal

letter to all of us but what would he write to this church through this messenger what

would he write to Acts 29 saying hey Acts 29 watch. What would it be? I have a few thoughts

but this is what I sometimes when I ask somebody hey do you have a word for the church? Sometimes

it's not how wonderful we are that God may want to say. He may start off with this is

how wonderful you are, these are your problems, change or otherwise oh and by the way I'm

for you. That's the tone of the letter in the book of Revelation. Keep that in mind.

So how do we overcome? How do we overcome? The reason I'm kind of rushing through this

is because we already spoke about this on. Thank you Derek. Derek's going to the UK in

October. He's going to watch Liverpool play Manchester City. He got tickets for the game.

He'll also work a little while he's there because his company is sending him. The game

is on a Sunday. He may not go to church but he may go for the game. Oops sorry I was just

talking to myself I didn't know I was on the mic. Sorry Derek. How do we overcome? We talked

about this a while ago. How do we overcome? One, according to the letters written in the

book of Revelation by Jesus to the churches. Can you imagine this? God really didn't need

to do this. But what kind of head of the body is this? What kind of Christ the Messiah is

he that he actually takes time to write letters and then he writes letters and he actually

uses postal service. He sends angels to the messengers in the church to read it out to

the rest of the church and then it lives on forever. How amazing is this? These are actual

letters written by Christ sent to us. Amazing eh? And so as you go through Revelation chapter

Revelation 2:7

2 verse 7 verse 11 verse 17 you see how do we overcome? The first thing we do if you

want to overcome is we hear the Spirit. He keeps saying, Jesus keeps saying if you want

to overcome he always prefaces it with let him who has ears hear what the Spirit is saying.

Let him who has ears hear what the Spirit is saying. As a pastor or as one who leads

a church it is critical for me to hear what the Spirit is saying. And these are the disciplines

or these are the places I want to rise to not just for myself but for the sake of the

body and for the sake of Christ. If you are leading a house church or involved in a house

church and in some capacity as a leader or a contributor to a house church then you must

learn how to hear the Spirit. And if you don't then we are the one to suffer because of that.

If there is one thing you pray for me it is that oh God help him to keep hearing you keep

rising to a level where he can hear you. Because if you don't hear the Spirit then what do

you lead the body by? So the first one is hear the Spirit. Second be of good cheer. Be of good cheer.

In John I think it was 14 or somewhere he says tribulations will come but be of good

cheer for I have overcome. Be of good cheer. I have seen that in Acts 29. I hear you talking

about things that are happening to you and yet you come and say though the victory shall

not blossom yet I shall do cartwheels of joy and I will rejoice in the Lord for I know

what is coming. Be of good cheer. This is another way of overcoming. John 16 33 talks

about it because testing forces your life of faith of your faith life testing forces

faith life into the open testing forces faith life into the open and it matures you so that

you lack nothing. It's 1 Corinthians James 1 and 1 Corinthians something. James 1 talks

about it. Yeah it's actually from James 1. That your faith life will be tested so that

its colors can be seen in the open and when it is tested you will mature and you will

lack nothing. Therefore if you want to overcome different people going through different situations

here is there anybody who isn't? But one of the ways we overcome is to be of good cheer

and to be of good cheer is to be joyful despite what is happening because you know that the

final outcome and the final word always rests with him who put his own life down for yours

and will never be separated from you. He'll always have an answer guys he'll always have

an answer. He will always have an answer which then drives you to the first point but if

he has an answer and I do not hear his spirit how do I go about figuring it out? Do not

learn how to hear because you want to know the will of God. Learn how to hear because

it is the only way to live. If you don't have his words what do you have? I don't want his

will I just want to have a conversation with him on everything. I want to find out how

he thinks. If I find out how he thinks then the will does not matter. Teach me to find

out how you think oh God and every time you think oh God you put your power and your thinking

into words help me to hear your words that's all I need. I shall hone my skill in this

for the rest of my life oh God for your sheep hear your voice. Got a precedent in this guys

there'll never be a day when we are there because there's always more to learn tomorrow.

This is the most beautiful thing about Christianity you never get to a place where you have reached

full knowledge. Third your faith how do you overcome your faith? Your faith that overcomes

and conquers the world. Your faith that overcomes and conquers the world. Your faith keep increasing

in it. Faith comes by hearing but grows by stretching. Faith comes by hearing but grows

by stretching. Faith comes by hearing but grows by stretching. Ask God to invite you

into things that will stretch your faith because otherwise it does not grow. Oh God

now that I've learned this oh God would you now increase my faith. Oh God I have learned

would you now increase my faith I've heard. Faith comes by hearing I have faith. Oh God

would you please grow the faith by stretching me. Ask God to invite you into these things.

A passive Christianity or a passive Christian does not go knocking on God's door for extra

invitations. Passive Christianity finishes the work that is done and then sits because

tomorrow work will come again. One of the problems with Mark as an employee is that

he works at three times the speed that the other employees work at. Most of the people

that work with him don't want him working with them because he finishes the work in

half the time and then he goes asking for more work. He doesn't pace himself. Be like

Mark. Finish things quickly and go to God saying what's the next hill you want me to

take. I'm 85 I'm 80 but I want those hills where the anachs live. Hey if you want to

take the hills where the anachs live. Hey if there was anybody who had the choice of

land that he could have had like this because only he and Joshua did not go the route of

the ten spies they could have had anything in the land and what does Caleb go and say

give me the land where the anachs dwell but Caleb fears I know I'm 80 but give me the

land they got chariots with iron wheels give me that land. That is active Christianity.

Oh God give me another challenge oh God this ain't good enough. You know it's important

to be soaked in the scripture. Jesus told the people who came to tempt him you err because

you do not know the scripture. Yep. Guys here's what I'm saying. Active Christianity does

not want to just do what you're doing right now. Imagine your son or daughter coming

and saying daddy I finished this can you take me I want to jump two more meters higher or

I want to jump 30 meters more I want to learn how to ride the bike without the side wheels

or dad help me to ride with a pen or dad I don't want to just stir an egg I want to make

an egg whatever people like doing the point is this which father does not want a child

like that and choose to learn more. Active Christianity any questions before we go on.

Guys this won't come unless you go looking for it because here's the thing about God

and I've said this to you before he parts the curtain so that Prashant can have a glimpse

but he will not completely draw it aside because Prashant has to be curious and inquisitive

he has to come and start pressing his nose against the glass pane to see what he saw

a glimpse of then God opens because the things he gives you are so precious so precious that

you must have a desire for more before he opens it. Any questions. We are going this

way we will all go this way because God has put far too much into this church now to turn

his back. It's like my God I fed you my dad used to say this to me when I was a kid I

fed you so much you better be taller than me because till I was 14 I wasn't growing

but the wrong way and so I wasn't growing straight up so and my dad would tell him he

said I fed you far too much you got to get taller than me it was like a threat and a

desire I didn't know how to fulfill that so even though I didn't know God too well I'd

start praying oh God could you make me slightly taller Acha has fed me too much and eventually

I grew taller than him which isn't much of an accomplishment but it still was worth what

it was. The point is this guys that I don't know what the point was the point is yeah

there was a point our faith is another thing that helps us to overcome your faith that

overcomes when you read Hebrews 11 33 you see the faith that overcomes that was able

to put down kingdoms that could cause enemy armies to flee that had the dead returned

to life women had their husbands restored it's the faith that overcomes first John 5

4 talks about the same thing in first John 5 4 talks about the faith that conquers the

faith that conquers you need faith for that and this church does not lack in it because

it's been taught plenty you've heard enough stories there is no lack of faith in this

church it's a commendation praise God. Fourth one assurance of his love assurance of his

love assurance of his love you've heard me say this before and I love saying it because

it's such a characteristic of God one of the things that your God specializes in is he

is a God who reassures the new the Old Testament and the New Testament are continuously just

bombarded with statements from God that reassure a people reassure individuals he'll always

come up and say I will keep you I will be with you do not fear he is a God who reassures

when I'm going through a difficult time even if he does not give me the answer there's

only one thing I want from him oh God can I hear your reassuring footsteps next to me

your voice next to me in which case I don't mind waiting while this thing works out but

he reassures whenever you're going through a difficult time look for his reassuring voice

you'll see shepherds do it and make this strange noise and the sheep feels happy even though

he's still going through the same circumstances why are we putting assurance of his love in

here because it says in Romans 8 it says through all this we are conquerors or overcomers through

him who loves us assured of his love it's one way to overcome assured of his love read

Romans 8 Romans chapter 8 to Romans 8 Romans 8 27 or 28 oh Sheldon we forgot to let you

Romans 8 · chapter mention

say your bit man Romans 8 hopefully Romans 8 37 depending on the version no in all these

things we are more than overcomers or conquerors through him who loved us for I'm convinced

that neither death nor life neither angels nor demons neither the present nor the future

nor any powers neither height nor depth nor nothing else in creation will be able to separate

us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord these are the ways that we

overcome any questions before we go on any questions yeah yeah sometimes we want to hear

because we want to find God's will I want to know God's will I want to know what God

wants me what is will for me what is ministry is for me what his destiny is for me it has

been so pumped up destiny ministry that you may end up finding your destiny because he

reveals it ministry because he reveals it but you still can't think like him what is

the point if I find my destiny and my ministry but I don't think like God but if I think

like God then it doesn't matter what my ministry or destiny is I'll begin to walk in it without

even knowing it I want to think like God overcoming people will be reborn in the same way that

God says always a divine guarantee from Christ and what does he give he gives what he received

from his father my god what a god eh he gives what he received from his father why because

we are co-heirs with him he gives what he received from his father to him who overcomes

when Christ overcame he received from his father certain things it's out of that bounty

he gives so let's look at what he gives let's go to revelations 2 17 we'll just maybe next

time we'll talk about another reward for overcomers I mean why do why am I focusing on rewards

because when you look at these rewards man they were dying for because this is how this

is what we should aim for live for all other things will be added on you won't even focus

on those things and by the way before I talk about the rewards to him who does not overcome

I'd like to suggest that what you have will be taken away and given to those that overcome

to him that does not overcome when you're in situations where you have succumbed to

seductions succumbed to temptations succumbed to the opposition of the enemy succumbed to

the persecution and compromise when you succumb to the culture of the world I would suggest

to you that what happens to him who does not overcome is that what they have is taken away

and given to the one who overcomes just a thought

amen revelations 2 17 to him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manner to eat

and I will give him a white stone and on that stone a new name written which no one knows

except him who receives it so let's just take those two and we'll not make it because it's

five to four let's try to him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manner to eat

guys the whole idea of hidden manner is in Hebrews 9 4 you find that Paul is talking

about the ark in which was kept the two tablets the Aaron's rod that had budded or staff that

had budded and an urn in which there was manner in Hebrews 9 4 Paul talks about it

he says and behind the curtain was the ark of the covenant and in the ark of the covenant

was an urn in which they had put manner there Aaron's staff that had budded and they had

the tablets hey that's pretty decent drawing yeah surprisingly good drawing and I think

surprising and so who said it is actually okay okay so so this was you think you're

going to get a chance to make your announcement now so there's this there's this ark that

was hidden there's this ark that had that had these things and then something happens

during Nebuchadnezzar's destruction of the temple everything disappears man nothing is

seen anymore but then in revelations 11 19 in revelations 11 19 just before the judgments

heaven is opened again and one of the things John says is that I saw the ark of God within

the heavens hidden manner is what we'll talk about an end today because we won't be able

to get to the second part and this is so I so desire this guys go to Hebrews 1 3 Hebrews

1 3 Hebrews 1 3 to him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manner to eat Hebrews

1 3 here's what it says in Hebrews 1 3 different words of ways of saying it the message puts

it this way he holds everything together by what he says he holds everything together

by what he says other than that he holds everything together by what he says other than that he

the other version say that he upholds all things by the word of his power if you were

to go and see the actual Greek words it is by the Rama of his dunamis or in other words

everything he does he does through power filled words that's Hebrews 1 3 Hebrews 1 3 so here's

what God is saying he's saying Jacob if you make it a habit to overcome I want you to

know how I operate one of the things I do says God is I do everything I can to help

others I do says God is I hold everything I carry everything I drive everything that

exists through the words of my power through the word of my power meaning I everything

I do I do with power filled words you go to creation power filled words you look at the

conception of Jesus power filled words you look at how you were born again power filled

words you look at how Satan was defeated power filled words you look at how the flood

happened power filled words you look at how I hold the planets in orbit power filled words

you look at who my son is my words and power displayed through the person of Jesus Christ

who came down in flesh everything I do I do through power filled words Rama the word of

my power Rama of my dynamics meaning everything I do I do through words that carry in it power

now let's go to Deuteronomy 8 3 just remember that and we'll come back to this Deuteronomy

8 3 man shall not or look for man shall not live by bread man shall not live by bread

but he shall live by every Rama if it's Luke 4 or Deuteronomy 8 3 every Rama that proceeds

from the mouth of God before that he said I fed your father's manner and I fed your

father's manner in the desert that they did not know that they did not know that they

did not know and why did I feed them manner that they did not know so that they could

live in the desert and I fed your father's manner in the desert that they did not know

and why did I feed them manner that they did not know so that they may know that man shall

not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God okay next

verse John chapter 6 verse 58 and 63 John chapter 6 verse 58 and 63 I am the living

John 6:58 John 6:58

bread that came down John chapter 6 verse 58 and 63 I am the living bread that came

John 6:58

down from heaven your fathers ate the bread that came down from heaven and they died not

as your fathers ate manna and are dead I am the living bread which came down from heaven

not as your fathers who ate the manna and are dead but if anyone eats of this bread

he will live forever that's it John chapter 6 John chapter 6 verse 58 and 63 John chapter

John 6 · chapter mention John 6:58 John 6:58

6 verse 58 and finally John 6 63 John 6 63 and then we'll tie it all together the words

that I speak to you are spirit and life the words that I speak to you are spirit and life

the words that I speak to you are spirit and life the words that I speak to you are spirit

and life it is the spirit who gives life it is the spirit who gives life the flesh prophets

nothing

All good?

Flesh profits nothing.

Okay, so here's where we begin.

Jesus says to overcome us, as in the ones who are able to overcome the seduction of the world,

the ones who overcome satanic opposition,

the ones who don't compromise through persecution or temptation,

the ones who do not get swayed by and overcome by the present way the world thinks and does things.

To these I will give hidden mana to do what? To eat. Hidden mana to eat.

So we're trying to say, what is this hidden mana?

And here's how we go about it.

First, guys, mana at the end of the day, when we talk about it today,

mana is simply the proceeding word of God.

Mana is the proceeding word of God.

God is continuously talking.

Israel didn't know what it was. They used the word, what is it?

They thought that this was the bread from heaven.

They didn't have any idea what it was.

Mana today is the proceeding word of God.

It is a word that God proceeds from the mouth of God.

And here is what God is saying.

Jacob, if you overcome, every time you overcome and make it a habit of overcoming,

I will do something for you.

I will give you words that come out of my heart,

which are a present truth for your situation.

It will proceed from my mouth and you will hear it.

And every time you hear it, you will arrive at the point I want you to arrive at

much faster than anybody else because you will not do things by the flesh.

You will do things by the word that proceeds from my mouth that comes to you

and does whatever I want accomplished in your life.

So let me simplify it if that wasn't simple enough.

Here's where we start.

God does everything through the word of his power.

He holds everything, carries everything, drives everything, leads everything,

consists everything together by what he says.

What he says in the Bible and what he is presently saying today

that lines up with the Bible.

He does everything by the word of his power, everything by the word of his power.

How does he heal? Word of his power.

How does he raise the dead? Word of his power.

How does he provide? Word of his power.

How does he create? Word of his power.

How do you think Aaron and Reni's child is being formed?

Word of his power.

How do you think Rhonda's disease is being destroyed?

Word of his power.

What is there that God does not do by the word of his power?

Everything he does by the word of his power.

The rema of his dunamis.

Rema means a word that is released to you at present that carries in it sufficient grace and power

to detonate at the right moment in your life, bringing to pass whatever God wants to bring to pass.

Therefore he will say to Daniel,

70 years from now and on the 70th year something happens.

Therefore he will say to Nebuchadnezzar, 7 years from now and he's a pagan king.

7 years to the day something will happen.

And therefore he'll say to Israel, on such and such a day, 400 years from now

and on the 400th day Israel leaves Egypt.

And then he says to Nathaniel, go and you will find this hero.

Says to Philip, go and find that day. On that very day.

Everything is created by the word of his power.

I know you've heard this before, but I need to hear this again.

Because so many of the things that I do and that we do are sustained sometimes by our wisdom, by our experience,

by our knowledge, by the pressures that culture puts on us, by deadlines.

But there is only one thing, one thing that God does things by.

And that one thing that God does things by is by the word of his power.

By the rema, the proceeding word, the word that he speaks now.

Saying, hear Marcus, rise.

He didn't say it in the Bible. There was no character called Marcus then.

But he said, rise and Marcus rose.

Everything sustained consisted of lead driven by, carried on by the word of his power.

And then once he's established that, once he's established in our minds that everything I do is by power filled words,

then he says, I fed your father's manner.

And they were happy because all they were looking for was to feed their hungry stomachs.

Poor guys, don't be like your father's.

Don't come to me looking for provision.

Because there is something much greater that I want to give you.

To which provision, healing and plenty, everything you need for life and godliness can be supplied to you.

They went looking when I told them not to look.

They went looking when I told them to look.

They would not look when I told them to go to fight.

They would not fight when I told them not to go to fight.

They would fight.

Do not be like your father's.

Do not do what your forefathers did.

I fed your forefathers manner that they did not know of.

It was the first time they saw something fall from heaven.

They did not know of it.

So much to the point that they asked, what is it?

And so they call it manner.

I fed your forefathers that manner that they did not know of.

Why? So that they may know.

He fed them what they did not know so that they may know.

He fed them what they did not know so that they may know.

Know what?

Know that man does not live by any self sustained means.

Man should not live.

You, you should not live.

This church should not live by self generated means of sustenance.

It is common sense.

Well, it doesn't have a place.

It does not have a place.

Man should not live.

I should not live by bread, by things that I can make by myself.

Things that I can generate myself.

Things that are self sustaining.

I should not live like this.

How should I then live?

I should live by every rima.

Every word that comes from the mouth of God.

That proceeds from the mouth of God.

How?

There are two ways.

One, I go to his word and cultivate the discipline of reading it.

Two, I cultivate the discipline of listening.

Listening.

Not for the will of God.

But for, oh God show me how you think so that I can think like you.

So that as a man thinketh so shall he be.

If I begin to think like God so shall I be.

Not God but I shall be like him here on earth.

As he is so are we.

The reason I am emphasizing this is so that we stop this nonsense of living by bread.

We live by every word that comes out of his mouth.

Every word that comes out of God's mouth.

Here is the thing guys.

This requires then that one verse in the Our Father prayer to go into effect.

Give us this day our daily bread.

Oh my God how have we made it about provision?

We are doing exactly what our forefathers did.

Which father will not make sure that his son has food to eat?

Your father who knows what you need before you even ask it.

You think he will have you come and ask for food.

Oh father oh please give me some food to eat.

No no no no no it was far more than that.

It may be that on a very superficial level.

But behind it is what he told the Israelites to do.

Every morning wake up and go looking go looking go looking.

For what? For manna.

And what is manna?

The word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.

He said this in Deuteronomy 8.3 and Luke 4.

Jesus repeats it to the devil.

The hardest discipline to cultivate in Christianity.

Is the discipline of finding God's voice.

Of tuning your ear and of reading this word.

And the devil will do everything in his power.

Everything in his power to prevent you.

And to prevent me.

He has been highly successful.

It is the one area where he finds greatest success in my life.

As I increase in my function and responsibility.

He will try harder to have me read the same amounts.

That I have been reading for the last 10 years.

Because that will not sustain me for the long journey.

I remember God saying recently.

That Jacob if you seek my face I will give you sure footedness.

If you seek my face I will give you sure footedness.

Meaning you will be like a deer on mountain crags.

And you will not slip.

Because there will be a broad enough place for you to walk.

If you seek my face I will give you sure footedness.

If you read Osco chamber from 2 days ago or 3 days ago.

There is this place where it says.

Go into your secret place.

And your father will speak to you in secret.

But it is not enough to find a secret place.

Or a chair or a beautiful valley.

Or a lake to sit by.

Because once you sit by that lake.

Then come the distractions.

Where you are thinking of a hundred other things to do.

That are super important.

That need to be done.

But the one thing the devil has been trying and has succeeded.

Is can I keep him away.

From the one thing that will sustain him.

Man shall not live by bread alone.

If I could only get him to think about the bread he needs to bake.

Then he will survive by that.

But if I could keep him from listening to the proceeding word of God.

That comes out of my mouth.

Then I can have him operate at this happy level.

Where he is better than hundred others.

But he ain't anywhere near what he ought to be.

I will give you hidden manner to eat.

When he was speaking to them in the book of John.

They had the same problem as their forefathers.

They said.

But why are you saying that we don't have manner.

We do. We are great Christians.

We do really well.

And he said listen I am the living bread.

Your fathers ate it and they died.

Guys we won't die.

We are born again.

We are born again.

We are born again.

We are born again.

We are born again.

We are born again.

We are born again.

We are born again.

We are born again.

We are born again.

We are born again.

We will survive.

But here's the thing.

I would rather that you focus on this and increase.

Than sustain yourself the present way you're doing.

Because I ain't happy with the way I am sustaining myself.

Increase in it.

Increase in it.

And all other things shall be added unto you.

It is the hardest thing to do.

When you get up in the morning.

And when you get up in the morning.

There will be this scream in your head.

And it's just in your head.

Forget when your kids wake up.

That's a whole different scream.

This is just the internal scream of your head.

I got this to do that to do this to do that to do this to do.

Go back to the story.

Bless he told about her dad.

His wife has just died.

He loved her a lot.

I know that couple.

But he gets up in the morning and what does he do?

At 430 a.m.

He gets up and he's still doing what he always does.

The discipline of pursuing the word.

It's sadly absent in our lives.

And if there is one thing that God may abrade us on in this church.

It will be come on guys.

You've been doing the same thing for five years.

Show me an increase in your diet.

And he will certainly say to this man.

I am the living bread that came down from heaven.

And then he goes on to say words that I speak to you a spirit in life.

It is a spirit who gives life.

One other version says every word I've spoken to you is a spirit.

And it is life making every word that I speak to you a spirit words and they are life making.

You know there's a place in the Bible where in the book of John disciples come and ask him.

How can we work the works of God?

How can we work the works of God?

It's a common question at Acts 29.

How can we work the works of God?

How can we do what Jesus did?

And I would think Jesus would say come be trained in the methodology of healing and stuff like that.

Instead he says if you actually believe.

If you actually believe.

The one that the father has sent you will do the works of God.

And the belief that carries that sense of listening and doing because at one point in John 4 32 and 33 Jesus says this.

They come and ask him.

So how did you survive?

You didn't have any food.

How do you how come you're not eating?

And he says my food is to do the will of the one who sent me.

And at the end of the day you can do all the hearing you want and become the most prolific hearer in the world.

But after hearing if it is not followed by an actual obedience of what you hear then here is what will happen.

One your hearing will be taken away.

There is evidence in the Old Testament and the New Testament where it says they are like people who want to hear you sing a song.

After you finish singing they walk away.

If you hear then you must do because otherwise the hearing is taken away.

And when you do you overcome and when you overcome God says hey come I'll show you a spot in the desert where I left some manna that no one's picked up yet.

Come and so you go there and there's some hidden manna there.

No one's picked it.

It's still fresh.

Go take that.

And then you had breakfast and he says yeah but have some more.

I got some more manna that I had strewn.

Come here take this.

And each time you do you get a fresh revelation of God.

You get a fresh perspective of what he's inviting you to.

You get to know what he's doing and you enter into this most amazing place.

Most amazing place.

Long for it.

I long for it.

You must long for it.

You must long for it.

And this is what this place is.

The place is shall I hide from Jacob what I'm going to do.

Just just just one second.

Shall I hide from Jacob what I'm going to do.

It is what he said of Abraham.

Abraham is my friend.

Shall I hide from Abraham what I'm going to do.

Shall I hide from Dano what I'm going to do.

Shall I hide from Ruth what I'm going to do.

Shall I hide from Aaron what I'm going to do.

It is the ultimate place to go to.

This is hidden manna.

Shall I hide from Jacob what I'm going to do.

This is hidden manna.

Why am I going to Uttarakhand?

Because some one and a half years ago the Lord said shall I hide from you what is really happening.

I'll show you.

Can you get some people together go.

I wish there were Uttarakhand's like this in my life every day.

As he begins to include you in the things he's doing a strange thing will happen guys.

You will be his errand boy ready to go anywhere.

Anywhere.

Anywhere every morning.

I have a framed poster to put up on my wall in the new place I'm staying at.

And it's a map of the world and under it are two simple words in neon.

It says adventure awaits.

Every morning I get up and I look at it and I think to myself so where today oh God?

Burnaby? Sure.

Bukharo? Sure.

Bukharo is in Bihar in India.

Because now you won't have any problems entering into it because he's made you his confidant.

Hidden manna.

And it'll be in your area of specialty in your area of specialty.

What are you good at in that area?

Shall I hide this from Jacob?

You know what God is doing right now as I tell you this.

He's parting the curtains to give you a glimpse.

That's all he's doing right now.

And now it is up to you how far you want to pursue it.

Please try please please do something about it.

Because I do.

I do.

I do.

Let's stop.

Gisela you're going to say something.

Gisela you're going to say something.