Unprecedented Living: Glory – Aaron's Rod

I got a call from a family in India who we had met three years ago and when we met them

three years ago one of the things the Lord said into their lives was that someone's going

to come into your life and say to you that I want to send you on a trip abroad and I'll

pay for your entire airfare and I'll pay for your hotel for your food and accommodation.

That was in 2006 and last week a person comes to them and it's a family of four people and

says to them I'd like to send you to Malaysia and Singapore and I'd like to pay for the

entire trip I'd like to pay for all the hotels and then I'd like to pay for the food.

Now why am I saying this to you? Sometimes when you look at the words that have been

spoken over your lives by whoever you may think nothing is happening. This took three

years folks but it came to pass. I'd suggest that you occasionally go home and look at things that

have been spoken over your life because you have to remind yourself because it does come to pass.

This took three years and I got a call from them saying that we are going and the person's paying

for the entire trip for four people man. Took three years they'd almost forgotten it so go back

and check because many of the things spoken over your lives will come to pass but live in the hope

and in the faith of it because when we don't believe what God has said sometimes that acts

as a barrier from us receiving things in exact time. Just thought I'll drop that in. Okay here

goes unprecedented living principles of glory and we are talking about Aaron's rod. That's what we

started this two weeks ago. Here's our premise for those of us who weren't here or have forgotten.

The Bible says that the ark used to be the carrier of God's glory so the priests would carry the ark

upon their shoulders and they'd step into the Jordan and the Jordan would part. The ark was where

the glory or the what's what's another way of defining glory? Sue go ahead.

Goodness what else? Power. It's God's goodness, his reputation, his splendor, his weight, his

his nature, his character all wrapped into one is called his glory. Everything his reputation,

splendor, weight, glory, nature, character, influence all of it is encompassed in this one

word called glory or kabod. Kabod means weight of all that he is and the ark used to be the carrier

of God's glory but we now know that who's the ark now? We. We are the carriers of God's glory.

We as a corporate body folks most of the things we'll be talking about can apply and will apply

to our individual lives but never forget we need to see things as a corporate body. We are a new

man. We are a new man. The Bible talks about Ephesians chapter 4 verse 11 to 17 says so that

Ephesians 4:11–17

you may be built into the full stature of Christ that you may be built into a new man. We are that

which is why when Lorian said did you write the song it is true that I wrote the song but my

response was deliberate when I said it is a song from this house because that song would not be a

reality if it didn't come out of what God is feeding us. He broke the bread about being sent

two weeks ago and we shared in it. It is ours our house. Got to begin to think like that folks.

Got to begin to think like that. The focus is the body and the new man and the thing is when we

focus like that it begins to filter and percolate and get deposited in our lives also. That's how

it works. Hebrews 9 verse 4 is where we found out that the ark had three things in it. If you want

Hebrews 9:4

to turn to Hebrews 9 verse 4. Hebrews 9 4 the ark had three things in it. Reading from verse 4 or

Hebrews 9:4

verse 3. 9 3 behind the second curtain was a room called the most holy place which had the golden

altar of incense and the gold covered ark of the covenant and it says there this ark contained

the gold jar of manna, Aaron's staff that had budded and the stone tablets of the covenant and

in the last two weeks or more we have covered the stone tablets. We've covered the jar of manna and

what it represents and you can pick up the CD if you don't remember or weren't here and now we are

going to talk about Aaron's staff. Just want to say that this is the kind of message I would like

someone else to preach on my behalf and as we go on you'll kind of see why. This is the kind of

message where you'd prefer a path someone who comes from outside and preaches it on my behalf

but that's not the way it works now anymore. So we're not, I just thought I'll throw that in. Let's

read the background of Aaron's staff. Let's go to Numbers chapter 17. Numbers 17. Numbers 17.

Numbers 17 · chapter mention

Yes. The Lord said to Moses, speak to the Israelites and get 12 staffs from them,

one from the leader of each of the ancestral tribes. Write the name of each man on his staff,

on the staff of Levi write Aaron's name, for there must be one staff for the head of each

ancestral tribe. Place them in the tent of meeting in front of the testimony where I meet with you.

The staff belonging to the man I choose will sprout and I will rid myself of this constant

grumbling against you by the Israelites. To find the background go to chapter 16 and go to verse 16.

Chapter 16. No, let's go to chapter 16 verse 1 to 4. Look at what it says. Chapter 16 verses 1 to 4.

Korah son of Izar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi and certain Rubanites, Dathan and Abiram,

sons of Eliab and on the son of Pellet became insolent and rose up against Moses. With them

were 250 Israelite men, well-known community leaders who had been appointed members of the

council. They came as a group to oppose Moses and Aaron and said to them, you have gone too far,

the whole community is holy, every one of them and the Lord is with them. Why then do you set

yourselves above the Lord's assembly? When Moses heard this he fell face down. Then he said to Korah

and all his followers, in the morning the Lord will show who belongs to him and who is holy and

we will have that person come near him. The man he chooses he will cause to come near him. You Korah

and all your followers are to do this. Take censers tomorrow and put fire and incense in them. The man

the Lord chooses will be the one who is holy. You Levites have gone too far. Now come back to 17 and

let's continue from verse 6 of chapter 17. So Moses spoke to the Israelites and their leaders

gave him 12 staffs, one for the leader of each of their ancestral tribes and Aaron's staff was

among them. Moses placed the staffs before the Lord in the tent of the testimony. The next day

Moses entered the tent of the testimony and saw that Aaron's staff, which represented the house of

Levi, had not only sprouted but had budded, blossomed and produced almonds. Then Moses brought

out all the staffs from the Lord's presence to all the Israelites. They looked at them and each man

took his own staff. The Lord said to Moses, put back Aaron's staff in front of the testimony to

be kept as a sign to the rebellious. This will put an end to their grumbling against me so that they

will not die. Moses did just as the Lord commanded. The Israelites said to Moses, we will die, we are

lost, we are all lost. Anyone who even comes near the tabernacle of the Lord will die. Are we all

going to die? Why did they react like that? Go to verse 32, chapter 16 verse 32.

Chapter 16 verse 28. Then Moses said, this is how you will know that the Lord has sent me to do all

these things and that it was not my idea. If these men die a natural death and experience only what

usually happens to men, then the Lord has not sent me. But if the Lord brings about something totally

new and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them with everything that belongs to them and

they go down alive into the grave, then you will know that these men have treated the Lord with

contempt. As soon as he finished saying all this, the ground under them split apart and the earth

opened its mouth and swallowed them with their households and all Korah's men and all their

possessions. They went down alive into the grave with everything they owned. The earth closed over

them and they perished and were gone from the community. At their cries, all the Israelites

around them fled shouting the earth is going to swallow us too. So that's the background of the

story and we needed to know that because as we talk about Aaron's Rod, this is where the whole idea

came from. So basically Aaron's Rod, if you were to, if someone were to ask you and say, so what's

Aaron's Rod about? Aaron's Rod first, it represented the authority of the father in the house. Aaron's Rod

represented the authority of the father of each house. Each house was told, listen, go and get your

staff. Each staff is to represent the father of a tribe and so Aaron's Rod in this case represents

the authority of the father of the house.

Okay and it also was placed as a signal or a red flag against bitterness, against rebellion and

against obstinacy of the sons of the house. So let me say this again, the rod represents

the authority of the father of the house,

of the father of the house

and it also was supposed to be a red flag or a

signal against rebellion,

obstinacy and

bitterness

from or of the sons of the house.

So that's, it's very base, that's what it represents.

Aaron's Rod represented on one hand the authority of the

father of the house but when it was kept in the ark it was supposed to represent

the rebellion, it was not supposed to represent, it was supposed to be a signal or a red flag against

rebellion, obstinacy and the bitterness of the sons of the house. Any questions?

Comments?

So when you say red flag, I'm not familiar with that passage about beer swallowing but

what I gather it was put there not necessarily to wave it around to people but just as a reminder

of what happened.

Yeah a signal or a, please beware.

Like a reminder kind of thing.

Yeah like a reminder in the sense that it was put there,

like a warning sign.

So that's what the Bible says it was supposed to do.

Any questions with regard to this?

See folks, there is core quality among all believers, we've talked about that.

All believers are now priests and kings.

All believers are now priests and kings.

So we have to be very careful about that.

There is core quality among all believers, we've talked about that.

All believers are now priests and kings.

But one of the mistakes Cora made was he goes and says to Moses in chapter 16 verse 3 or 4,

chapter 16 verse 3, numbers chapter 16 verse 3, look at it.

Numbers 16:3

They came as a group to oppose Moses and Aaron and said to them, you have gone too far.

The whole community is holy, every one of them and the Lord is with them.

Why then do you set yourselves above the Lord's assembly?

Folks, Cora was right in his initial statement.

The entire community is holy.

He wasn't making a false statement there.

It was a correct statement.

We are all priests and kings.

There's an equality among believers today.

There's no division between clergy and laity.

That doesn't exist anymore.

Like I love saying, the day that the Lord is with you,

I love saying the day Christ died and the curtain was tore apart, the Levites ran out of a job.

Suddenly Israel's priesthood did not have a job.

They were supposed to lead people into the holier holies, now the holier holies was exposed.

But as much as there is a core quality of believers,

we need to understand that God sets for the sake of the house a hierarchical order

that does not have to do with rank and importance but has to do with divine order.

You'll see that in the Godhead too.

Father, Son and Spirit are co-equal.

But we know from, for instance, John 14, 28, that Jesus said the Father is greater than I.

It is not to say that God, the Father is somehow stronger and more powerful than Jesus the Son.

No, we know without a shadow of a doubt that the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are co-equal.

But the Father is first among equals.

This is an old principle that God has been trying to develop throughout

but occasionally we who have postmodern westernized or easternized mindsets do not like the whole idea.

Because co-equality and the democratic way of doing things is preferred

and as we talk about it more you'll see what I mean.

Any questions?

Preach on. Guys, feel free to question.

Oh, I'm not sure.

Any questions?

See, when God establishes a hierarchy it is not for ruling folks.

It's for establishing order.

And as you go further we'll see how God fleshes it out.

But we need to understand that God does not operate without order.

God does not operate without order.

Unfortunately what has happened, please, here's another thing.

Why are we talking about this?

You know, I don't know whether you saw this on global TV

but there's a family that has bought a house in the valley, I don't know where.

Here's what happened. They bought the house for $126,000.

They thought they were getting a good deal.

What had happened was they had foundations laid till the steps

and then when the part that is right under the house, some of you saw it, right?

Right under the house the foundations are faulty.

So what is happening is they can't even shut their front door now

because the house is beginning to sink.

You can see the paneling on the wall begin to warp.

The house is at an angle. Why?

Because the foundations are not right.

They evaluated their house and they found that now it cost $60,000.

They are a low-income family who bought a brand new house

and now they won't even get 60 grand for it.

Why? Because the foundations were faulty.

Faulty. But the house is new.

The house is new.

And useless.

At one point they said we don't even know if this will become a death trap

because it might collapse on them.

Imagine the door not shutting because the house is beginning to keel over.

See, that is why we are talking about this

because if we want to build this house right, we have to get these principles in.

Otherwise, four years down the road, we will all be walking like this.

Hey, how are you Diana? Good to see you.

Can't do that.

Because ruling carries in it lordship and authority

and Jesus very clearly said at one point,

the people who are leaders in the world lord it over their subjects

and they rule over them.

I have not called you to do that.

Have you noticed that I am your servant and yet you call me master?

So when we talk about ruling, there seems to be a...

And that's not it.

That's not what he's calling us to.

It's John somewhere. I'll get...

It's on your sheet, but I don't exactly...

Let me just check where it is.

No, it's not 1428. It's Luke 2223.

Luke 2223. We'll actually get there a little later.

Very good.

Can you tell us that story that is happening in number 16 that there is a rise in the Lord?

Basically, a guy called Cora and his cohorts decided

that Moses doesn't need to lead us anymore.

We are as holy as him, so why can't we lead him?

Moses was the meekest man on the face of the earth.

And he instead of arguing with them, falls down on his face and says,

I can't handle this.

And they also said that he was the one who had chosen to set himself apart.

Yeah, they actually said that. They accused him of that.

Rather than...

Yeah, recognizing God's choice.

And so Moses says, sorry Matt, just one sec.

So Moses says, okay, let God decide.

God decides one, by making sure that rebellion was swallowed.

Two, he says, let me settle this once and for all.

Tell all the twelve tribes and their fathers to bring a staff from each of the tribes.

So we decide once and for all which tribe is to...

Which person out of which tribe will...

From now on lead.

And that's how Aaron's rod takes and it begins to bud blossom and bear almonds, which we will talk about.

Go ahead, Matt.

How is a horse so weak?

Or is meekness differentiated from meekness?

Meekness is...

We talked about it ages ago.

Gosh, I'm forgetting my definitions.

Meekness is the strength that a horse has under the control of its master.

You wouldn't call a horse that's standing under its master weak.

But you'll be surprised at how you can go and rub its nose and it won't do nothing to you.

And yet it could take you out with one kick.

You've experienced that with cows.

No, no, no. I'm not kidding. Matt and I have talked about it.

Remember you told me once you...

Yeah, the calf that kicked you. Sorry, not the cow.

Meekness is not complicated.

Meekness is a strength that is not aggressive but stands its ground.

It's reined in. It's under control.

Like a racehorse.

Yeah, like a racehorse. Just you let it go and it can really fly.

But it doesn't even chop at the bits when it's told to stand still.

Can you say that again? Not aggressive but...

Not aggressive but... what did I say?

But stands in strength.

Stands in strength. Yeah.

Moses was kind of insecure because God told him you won't do stuff and he was kind of afraid that you'll have to be telling him stuff.

Yeah, and then he changed.

Remember most of our understanding of Moses comes from Charlton Heston.

So make sure that you're not thinking of him when you think of Moses.

All our understanding of Moses comes from the Ten Commandments movie.

It was on last night too.

I should have been blessed I didn't see that.

Oh, then you're fortunate because I thought Moses had done so many things which he really hadn't done.

But in the movie he did.

So I thought it sounded right but it's not true.

But he changed. He was a man of great... I mean Jesus said he was a type of me.

Yeah, he was a meekest man that walked the face of the earth.

So please understand that there is a hierarchical order in the priesthood of believers.

And I've said this before, God selects faulty, inadequate man by divine design.

God selects faulty, inadequate man by divine design.

And it has nothing to do with democracy, succession, reputation, pedigree, or anything else.

It has nothing to do with that.

Nothing to do with reputation, success, succession, pedigree, or anything of that sort.

And amazingly he appoints men and women to the church to equip the church,

or men and women to the church to lead the church.

Nothing to do with democracy, succession, reputation, or pedigree.

Unfortunately, however... You can't use unfortunately and however.

So let's go with however.

However, since the Old Testament... You can't use however and since either.

Unfortunately... How do you get around this?

Forget both.

Since the Old Testament, man has all...

Diana is now stuck at why can't we use those words?

Get over it.

Sadly, since the Old Testament, man has always tried to usurp or take over leadership in the church

through structures and methods that are ungodly.

Folks, it's an old, old, old problem.

Ever since the Old Testament, man has always tried to usurp or take over leadership in the church

and since the Old Testament, man has been trying to usurp or take authority in the church

through ungodly methods or ungodly structures.

But if we as a people, we as a church want to represent God's glory, God's reputation, God's nature, God's character,

if we want to understand that accurately, we have to understand that the principle of Aaron's rod

applies today as much as it applied in the Old Testament.

If we want to make sure that four years from now, the doors of this church will shut and open

and will not get stuck and will not be at a angle, this has to be established.

Because culture and time does not change these eternal principles, folks.

And if we violate these principles, then basically the earth consumes,

just like that man's house is being consumed because the earth is swallowing that house up.

So let's look at some orders or systems in the church today and figure out if they are divine or defective.

Please understand that sometimes people set up a certain system in a church

and it's based on their understanding of scripture, but I'd like to suggest to you that their understanding is inaccurate.

Just because I understand something doesn't mean it's right. I've got to understand it correctly.

I remember a girl who went for a driving test and she didn't know that her indicator was a wiper.

So she's sitting there for the test and she's got the guy next to him and he says,

give your right indicator and the wiper starts working.

I mean, you need to understand it correctly before.

And the other thing I want us to understand is, folks, as we talk about this,

you may think of churches, you may think of pastors, you may think of people,

and you may think, man, they've got it completely wrong or they've got it completely right.

Remember that we are not to throw spears at people. That's Saul's job.

We are not Saul-like. We are supposed to be David-like.

So even as we expose defective systems and dismantle them,

make sure that we do not throw spears at those who disagree with us,

because that would be exactly what King Saul would have done.

We can't afford to do that.

So let's look at some of the orders of structures in churches today in terms of ruling.

The first one is called, you must have heard of it, it's called Episcopalian.

Episcopalian. That's how the papal structure works.

Where there's a pope, there are some cardinals, there are some archbishops,

and then there are some bishops, and then there are some reverends,

and then there are some deacons.

What happens in a system like this is that the subjects are cut off and are in bondage to the king.

It's the pope who decides what goes and what does not.

This system has nothing to do with any godly order in the church.

You cannot have one big honcho sitting and telling you what to do from Rome or from Bombay.

It's a defective system.

It releases people who are in bondage to a king who is seated far away.

That's not how we are supposed to function.

And that's a common system in some churches.

It doesn't have to be Catholic, folks.

It can be a church that is not Catholic and yet has a structure where there's a head someone,

and he issues decrees and edicts that have to be followed by the group of churches under.

Not the way to go.

The second order is Presbyterian.

Presbyterian.

I'm not talking about any denomination, I'm talking about systems.

Presbyterian.

The Presbyterian system is basically where you have elders telling the leader how to run the church.

You have elders telling the leader how to run the church.

This is common in many, many, many, many, many churches.

The elders tell the leader how to run the church.

And what happens then is that it's an oppressive system that's run by consultation.

So if the leader wants to do something, I'll have to go and first sit at this table and say,

you know, I feel God saying that I need to do this, this, and this.

And then you will all want to decide whether God is actually,

whether we should go ahead with what God is saying.

It's ridiculous, man.

This is exactly what happened with Samuel.

Matt, am I still on or?

Okay.

This is exactly what happened with Samuel and Israel.

God told Samuel, I will be their leader.

And the elders of Israel, I've given you the scriptural reference there,

the elders of Israel come and say to Samuel, no, no, no, no, no.

You are old and your children are not following God.

We want a king like the other nations.

It's a defective system.

It's not a godly system.

Yeah.

Yeah.

And that's not a godly system.

I'm not saying a church that adopts a system will not do relatively well,

but who wants relatively well when we are talking about Christ,

the son of God who is perfect and whose ways are perfect?

And who paid the price for the body?

Whose bride are you messing around with?

I mean, we're talking about the church being the wife of Christ.

Yep.

The third system is congregational.

Congregational is where there is democratic rule.

The whole congregation decides whether we should do something or not do something.

The whole congregation decides.

You know, unfortunately, whenever the crowd gets together to decide something,

they usually choose Barabbas.

That's exactly what happened with Jesus.

When the crowd got together, they chose Barabbas.

And so whenever there's a congregational model where things are democratically voted on

so that the church will decide through a democratic election,

a democratic choice, whether we should do something or not do something,

I'm telling you it is so packed with stuff that will undo what God may want to do.

Yeah.

The church in Laodicea in Revelation 3.14,

the word Laodicea means the rights of the people.

That's what the word means.

Laodicea means rights of a people.

And what is the problem with the church in Laodicea?

The church in Laodicea was lukewarm.

And I'm suggesting to you that it is impossible when the majority decides on something

for anything to be without compromise, folks.

You have to come to a happy compromise to gain votes.

That's how politicians win.

You know, I know pastors and I've been in churches where there are good men and women

and they're making sacrifices for the church.

But ultimately, regardless of sacrifices they might make for the goodwill of the church,

the destiny of the church is decided by either a democratic decision

or by a group of elders who may not be in the same page.

Just the way it is.

Then there is the independent leader.

The independent leader is an authority unto himself.

The independent leader is an authority unto himself.

He does what he wants and he controls through charisma or intimidation.

An independent leader is an authority unto himself.

He does what he wants and he controls through charisma or through intimidation.

People like that end up being the head and the husband of the church

when it's actually Christ who is the head and the husband of the church.

Independent leaders will control either through tremendous charisma where you will follow

or through intimidation where you're afraid to touch or say anything

because you think something will happen to you.

In situations like that Christ is no longer the head of the church.

They become the head of the church.

In situations like that Christ is no longer the bridegroom of the bride.

They become the bridegroom.

Folks, there's a difference when it comes to the bride of Christ.

If you were getting married, I'm assuming a bride chooses a bridesmaid, right?

Yeah? Yeah.

But when it comes to the church, the bridegroom chooses the bridesmaids for the bride.

In the world, a bride goes and says, you, you, and you will be my bridesmaid

and then she spends a whole lot of money so that they all look the same.

Meaning they all dress up the same.

Sorry. Please ignore that observation.

But, but the thing with Christ as the bridegroom is that he's the one who picks the bridesmaids for his bride.

He knows who to pick to equip the bride to be ready.

So when we decide who will be the bridesmaids for the church, who will equip the church

through pedigrees, through the power of the church, through the power of the church,

through pedigree, through reputation, through degrees, through succession, through election,

I'm saying to you that it is, it is, it is just the exactly opposite way of going about it, folks.

Any questions thus far?

We have a solution. But any questions with regard to what we've said thus far?

How would we know who the right people are? We'll come to that.

Any questions?

Okay. The Bible says that the way a church should go about setting itself up is to be autonomous, is to be autonomous.

By autonomous, I mean it should be self-governing.

Self-governing.

It should be self-governing,

self-sustaining,

self-propagating.

A church should be self-governing, meaning, I mean to begin with,

I met a person recently who I was sitting across and the person said,

oh, I think what I'm going to do is I'm going to start a church.

And I didn't have the courage to say to him that, are you sure that's what God is calling you to do?

Are you sure that's what your gifts or ability to equip is?

Because as far as I know, that's not what the person is supposed to do.

But the person who was sitting there and does not have a job at present said, I think I'll start a church.

And I'm saying to you, that's usually not the way to go about it.

If you are an equiper, you will know it even before anyone else identifies it, folks.

If you are called to be a teacher, evangelist, pastor, prophet or an apostle,

I'm saying to you, before anyone else knows it, you have already known it because God clearly spoke to you.

Not in a hazy dream where you saw a nose coming out and saying something.

No, no, no, no. Very clearly God will say, I have this for you.

So you will know it. What do you do after that? You wait.

Why? Because you are now appointed to the body of Christ.

The body of Christ has at some point to see that in you, to recognize and at some point release you to do what you're supposed to do.

You have to wait for it to happen. Jesus waited how long? 30 years.

Go ahead, Matt.

Self-imagined, but then he should wait till the church actually sees it.

Yeah, if the body doesn't see it, if others don't come to recognize it, then there's something wrong.

Because it is impossible once God has birthed that in you and put that in your DNA for it to be hidden.

It'll come out, folks. It'll surely come out.

The outside church meaning? No, no.

No, it is. No, this is one thing.

If God has called you to any of these servant roles, you will know it before anyone else.

Folks, you will know it.

You will know it first.

It won't be the other way around.

God won't come and use someone to say, I have no, no, no.

God would have spoken to you first because these are Christ appointed things.

The Bible doesn't say the Holy Spirit appoints these five services.

He says Christ has appointed these five services.

You will know it.

The way to, the way we should build is to be self-governing, self-sustaining and self-propagating.

What I mean by self-sustaining is, you know, one of the reasons we said to the North American Baptist Conference that

we would like to discontinue the money that you were giving us to do the church plan was exactly because of this.

Because we wanted to be self-sustaining.

Self-propagating is giving birth.

Self-governing is where from within the house you now get a plurality of leaders.

You don't get a plurality of leadership.

You get a plurality of leaders.

An autonomous church is a self-governing church, self-sustaining church, self-propagating church.

And you develop a plurality of leaders, but you don't develop a plurality of leadership.

Meaning it's not, because then it goes back to all the elders sitting together and trying to arrive at a consensus.

I've known of situations like that where five, six elders will sit together and they won't make a decision till all of them are agreed.

That's the way of, that's not the way.

I'll show you from the Bible that that's not the way.

Some of us must be thinking, but how does this affect my life?

Folks, it affects our lives like crazy.

Because once you become part of, once you become part of this, every, the way this loaf comes together determines what filters into each life.

And we'll talk about that.

See, when you go to Acts chapter 15, for example, they had a problem.

Acts 15 · chapter mention

The Gentiles were beginning to enter the church and the Jewish church in Jerusalem had a problem.

So they come for a huge discussion.

Peter also turns up for the discussion because Peter had just had this amazing thing that happened at Cornelius' house where the Gentiles started speaking in tongues and received the Holy Spirit.

And you will notice that all the elders and the whole church actually turned up for this meeting.

And they were having debates, discussions on this whole topic of if the Gentiles come into the church, shouldn't we circumcise them?

That was the discussion.

And then Peter, who is the leader and one of the prime leaders among the apostles, what does he do?

He stands up and gives, shares his testimony.

But Peter was a leader of the apostles, but he wasn't the leader of the Jerusalem church.

Even when he came to the Jerusalem church, he was the leader of the apostles.

The elders were discussing too, if you read Acts 15.

And then at one point, James stands up and James was the leader of the Jerusalem church.

And then James says, based on the principle that God is restoring the tabernacle of David, this goes back to what we were saying last week, folks.

We do not have policy to restore the tabernacle of David.

This goes back to what we were saying last week, folks.

We do not have policies.

We have principles.

And those principles have to be derived from the word.

And James listens to the whole discussion, listens to what Peter has to say.

And then he stands up and says, based on the scripture in Psalms or somewhere where it says, I will restore the tabernacle of David and my salvation shall reach to the ends of the earth.

I want to say now that the Gentiles will not have to go through circumcision.

And then he states what has to be done.

That's the way a church is supposed to work.

We can all discuss.

But at the end of the day, both the church and the leader has to give room to the voice of the Holy Spirit.

And you've got to step back.

It doesn't matter what my opinion is.

Doesn't matter in a sense what your opinion is.

You have to step back and give place to the voice of the Holy Spirit.

I'd suggest to you the same principle applies to your homes.

Get this right in the beginning when you have children.

And you'll find that just as it works in this house, it will work in your home.

Where husband and wife are co-equal, but the husband is first among the equals, folks.

And at the end of the day, after the children have discussed and the wife and the husband have discussed, the husband has to have the ability to step back and speak for God.

And make room for the voice of the Holy Spirit for the home.

And the same principle applies to the house.

These are scriptural principles, not policies.

It's not a policy.

I'm the husband and what I say is right.

Doesn't work that way.

Doesn't work that way.

In verse 16 and 17 of Acts 15, you should read the wording.

James sends a letter saying, it seemed good to us and the Holy Spirit.

That's how he words the letter.

It seems good to us and the Holy Spirit.

Because you've got to step back and let the voice make room for the voice of the Spirit.

Hearing the Holy Spirit is the privilege of the community, meaning us.

Hearing the Holy Spirit is the privilege of the community.

A leader should take advice from others, but ultimately make room for the voice of God.

A leader should take advice from the community, but ultimately should make room for the voice of God.

That's the way it's supposed to work.

And that's how we've been doing things.

I'd like to suggest to you.

When it came time to move from Viva Java to here, that's what happened.

I mean, you know, Tino and I were sitting with Artie on Thursday.

And Artie was saying, so why did you guys move?

Why did you leave me here like this and move?

And I was glad Tino was there because it was a witness.

And I said, Artie, this is what God did.

And I told him how the Lord spoke.

And I said to him, we were happy here.

We hadn't outgrown this place.

I love the smell of coffee.

But at the end of the day, we had to make room for the voice of the Spirit.

It's the same with dollars that we give speakers who are coming.

We don't sit and try to figure out, so is this guy really worth it or not?

It is amazing how some of you have been at those meetings.

We decide on a figure almost unanimously.

We decide on a figure almost unanimously.

We decide on a figure almost unanimously.

We decide on a figure almost unanimously because the Spirit of God says,

how about this?

And we won't even talk.

And then when we speak out, the figure is usually the same.

You make room for the voice of the Spirit.

There is a plurality of leaders, but there's no plurality of leadership.

There is one set man.

And we're going to talk about the set man principle next.

That's why I said this is a better preacher than someone else preaching

because otherwise it seems self-promoting, but it's not.

Set man principle, if you want to go to the next bit.

Folks, every house is to have a set man.

And the whole idea of set man comes from Numbers 27.

To think that God put Aaron's staff in the tabernacle

to let churches know that there is a way to do things.

Set man principle, every house is to have a set man.

The set man concept is from Numbers 27, verses 16 and 17.

Numbers 27:16

Numbers 27, verses 16 and 17.

Numbers 27:16

And here's what it says.

Numbers 27, verses 16 and 17.

Numbers 27:16

That's where the concept of set man comes from.

That's where the concept of set man comes from.

May the Lord, the God, the Spirit of all mankind

appoint a man over this community to go out and come in before them,

one who will lead them out and bring them in

so Lord's people will not be like sheep without a shepherd.

Our usual response to stuff like that is,

oh, we follow Jesus Christ, we don't follow man.

I'd like to say to you that order here on earth

is established through the agency of the Lord.

The agency of man.

It's always established through the agency of man.

So what are the qualifications of a set man?

Does he have to be an apostle? Does he have to be a prophet?

Does he have to be a pastor, teacher, evangelist?

No, no, no. You have to be like David.

You don't need to be a title, you have to be like David.

You have to be a man or a woman running after God's heart.

You have to be a hearer of God.

You have to be someone whose hands are skilled in war

and you have the ability, if necessary, to kill giants.

You have to have a desire to build a house for God.

You have to have spiritual authority.

You have to be anointed by Samuel.

And what I mean by anointed by Samuel means

the purpose of God in your life to do that must be evident

and must be recognized.

Questions, guys?

Questions?

No questions?

Any comments?

Guys, don't feel scared to ask questions.

This is how we build principles.

Okay.

Folks, a set man is a father.

And it's a father that produces sons.

A hireling cannot produce sons.

A set man is a father.

And it's a father who produces sons.

A hireling cannot produce sons.

You know, you can hire a pastor who has the heart of a father.

Unfortunately, by the way,

he will not be allowed to produce children

because he is hired and so he can be fired.

So you cannot...

He doesn't have the freedom.

He may be a potent man,

but he does not have the freedom to produce children

because he has been hired by someone who decides

whether he's to stay with the bride or not.

So you cannot...

A father produces children.

A hireling does not.

If you turn to Judges 17,

you'll see that story there. It's a very sad story.

Judges 17.

Judges is Joshua after Joshua.

Joshua judges Ruth.

Judges 17.

Folks, a set man is a father.

And it's a father who produces children.

Folks, if it's getting late,

just imagine this in your minds.

You don't have to come this evening.

Thank God we're talking about not deciding things democratically,

but making room.

We can hear you.

Okay.

Yeah, tug of war.

If it's in Scripture, we'll do it that way.

Okay.

Judges 17.

10.

Here is a guy called Micah.

And he...

This was a time when there were no prophets

and judges in Israel.

And he meets a Levite.

And Micah says in verse 9,

Where are you from?

He says, I'm a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah.

And he says, I'm looking for a place to stay.

Look at verse 10.

Then Micah said to him,

Live with me and be my father and priest

and I will give you ten shekels of silver a year,

your clothes and your food.

Hired him to be his priest and father.

But now go to 18...

Chapter 18, verse 19.

Or verse 18.

Chapter 18, verse 18.

Judges chapter 18, verse 18.

Judges 18:18

And it says there,

When these men went into Micah's house,

the same guy who hired this Levite to be his

priest and father,

and took the carved image, the ephod and the other household gods

and the cast title,

the priest said to them, what are you doing?

They answered him, be quiet, don't say a word,

come with us and be our father and priest.

Isn't it better that you serve a tribe and a clan in Israel

as a priest rather than just one man to one man?

Isn't this exactly what is happening folks?

What does it say?

Yeah, the priest was glad he took the ephod,

the other household gods and carved image,

went along with the people.

This is unfortunately what's happening.

It's happening to hundreds and hundreds and hundreds

of youth pastors.

Who are men with a passion for God.

But who are not.

And they are not going to be able to do that.

They are not going to be able to do that.

They are not going to be able to do that.

They are not going to be able to do that.

They are not going to be able to do that because they are men

who are not going to be able to serve God.

But who need to break into a church

so that they can serve and then move on to a tribe

and a clan that is bigger.

It's a sad thing folks.

And these are men with a great passion.

Do you see why we need to reform things?

Otherwise, we end up in a system

that is not, if you held a plumb line to it would be off and there'll be times

when we may be off but may God send us people or send us the word so that we

may hold it against us and then have the meekness to correct ourselves. So folks

make sure that you connect to a set man whose staff or rod is blossoming. Make

sure, this is where we talk about why it is important, how does it all help me as

an individual in the church, make sure that you connect to a set man whose rod

is blossoming because only then will the full purpose and grace of God placed in

that house through the set man be yours. Let me say that again, it is important

that I connect to a set man whose rod is blossoming and we'll talk about what

that means because only when I connect to a set man of that sort will all the

purposes of God and all the graces of God through that set man for the house

become mine. Number 17 verse 12, I think it's a number 17 verse 12 or

numbers 11 verse 17, God says to Moses I'm going to take the spirit that is off

Numbers 11:17

you and I'm going to put it on these 70. It's not because a set man suddenly

becomes special, it is just that God has ordained order in such a way that when

you connect to a set man whose rod is blossoming then all the purposes of God

for that house will flow through into your lives. Numbers 11 17 and number 17

I think it's on top of the sheet. 17 12 let's go check it out. Number 17 12 says

no must be wrong. Numbers try numbers 11 17. Numbers 11 17. 17 12 is not the right

verse. Numbers 11 17 yeah numbers 11 17. I will, God is speaking, he says I will

come down and speak with you there and I will take off the spirit that is upon

you and put the spirit on them. They will help you carry the burden of the people

so that you will not have to carry it alone. What's happening is some elders

had come and Moses needed help and God took that grace that was upon Moses and

put it upon the 70 so that they may have the same grace to judge properly. This is

why when Jacob blessed his children he didn't say son Ryan you will be this. No

he said son Ryan you and your descendants will be people who will know

their times and know what to do. Daughter Lynn you are called Joseph and you will

be a fruitful tree that will bear plenty. Daughter Bunnies you are Benjamin a

ravenous wolf who will know what to do. Daughter Chris you are Judah you are a

lion's whelp and you shall know how to put your feet on the neck of your

enemies. It was to a people a tribe but passed down through the father. It's

important to connect to a set man whose rod is blossoming and what do we mean by

a man whose rod is blossoming a set man whose rod is blossoming. What it means

is folks remember when Aaron's rod was brought into before the people what did

they see? They saw buds, they saw blossoms and they saw almonds. It was not a static

blossoming it was buds meaning things were in continuous growth continuous

growth and the strange thing about almonds is that the almond tree if you

look at the Hebrew meaning is a tree of waking and the word almond means awake.

Why? Because the almond tree begins to bear fruit immediately after winter in

the month of January. What is being conveyed is that when you connect to a

set man whose staff is blossoming what it means is that you get an early

release of the moves the purposes and the graces of God here on earth you get

an early release of it because it's coming through a set man who's

connected. That's what it means which is why God showed Jeremiah a tree and said

what do you see Jeremiah? Jeremiah said I see a staff with almonds

and then God responds good what you saw is right I am watching my word to bring

it to pass in haste and why in haste because the almond tree always comes

up before anything else and it was important that Jeremiah see it before

others see it because if a prophet doesn't see it before others see it he

cannot prophesy. It would be like that skit we did where the person was lying

here listening to the train going to come and then the train came and went

over the person's leg and the person was still there. Remember the skit Kamala and I did?

And the rest of our team it would be that way. Anne and some others.

That was just Kamala's way of showing galloping. Oh yeah.

The set man when a set man begins to build a house because he has Davidic or

she has Davidic qualities in them then I would say they already have what is

necessary in them and as people begin to see that they begin to connect.

That's how it works. And it's not based on numbers it's just people connecting.

I heard this guy recently say God does not weigh, God does not count believers

he weighs believers. God does not count believers he weighs believers. So it

could be two people or it could be two thousand people but at the end of the

day people begin to connect and I'm telling you yeah this message may not

be popular in in general but it doesn't matter right we have we need to fix

things. Connecting to the right set man confers protection from wolves.

Connecting to the right set man confers protection from wolves. That's one of the

things that happens.

Actually when you, I was surprised at this, when you connect to the right set man

the house begins to prosper financially. The house begins to prosper financially.

In scripture in 2nd Chronicles 23 you will find that there was a priest

called Jehoiida and while he was priest there was a lady called Aselia

Queen Aselia and she was a corrupt queen and she ruled and guess what Jehoiida

did he executed the queen and placed a rightful king on the throne whose name

was Joash and as soon as Joash came to the throne he built it he found a chest

which was supposed to be used as a treasury he built it right left it at the

door and the word of God says that as soon as Joash came to the power and he

corrected the things that needed to be corrected every day they would put out

the chest the chest would be full of money and they would bring the chest in

and empty then they would put it out again again the chest would be full of

money and it kept happening over and over again. What principle do we derive

from it that when correct order is established and the right set man is put

in place the house begins to prosper financially and you know I'm not a

prosperity preacher. 2nd Chronicles 23 talks about it 23 11 to 15 and 24 7 to 11

we don't have to go do fundraisers we don't have to force people to give money

comes in money comes in. Hey let me throw this in and again I say it with meekness

folks you know I heard this story about how see once you connect to when you

know you're connected to a house and you're connected to the right set man

then when you go on a mission trip or something ask to be sent folks because

if the sender God has set a set man then there is blessing in being released. I

know a guy who went on a mission trip in Africa out of a church which is based

on these principles and the pastor called him up and said son where are you

and he said I'm in the Cameroon or someone doing a mission trip and he said

who sent you there and he said no no I just went on a mission trip and the

pastor pleaded with him and said son please come back because if you do not get back

quickly within a week you will catch malaria and the pastor was not threatening

I met this pastor he is he's like Sidney such a meek man that you won't even

notice him but the whole idea of being sent is so important because unless we

are sent we don't go in the authority of the father and if you don't go in the

authority of the sender what are we doing?

Ryan doesn't disappear from home for days on end or say he goes somewhere and

then calls oh yeah yeah by the way I left no no no he asks

no that's different that's yeah I I would have to know I would have to know

that I am going out now and I know the Lord is telling me to go I'd like to go

and say would you send me out of this house would you send me because there's

tremendous authority that comes with that and this is not any there's not a

part of rulership or anything this is just a divine principle folks that's all

it is the young man came back in a hurry because he was a son of the house which

brings me to the other question you everybody here including me needs to ask

ourselves this are you a guest here and please understand just because you signed

a covenant membership form doesn't mean that you are a son or daughter in this

house okay you can sign a piece of paper read it and actually sign it but

that does not make you an automatic son or a daughter we have to ask am I a

guest in this house am I a consumer in this house am I a donor in this house am

I a relative in this house am I a servant in this house am I a clone in

this house am I a member of this house or am I a son or daughter in this house

because if you're a son or a daughter if I'm a son or a daughter in this house

then I have some kind of ownership here

because it is possible to be a covenant member but not be a son because it's

possible to be a covenant member and yet be in a do-lam a do-lam was a place

where the people congregated to David because there was a need or you could be

in Hebron Hebron was a place where people congregated because there was

fellowship it had become a really strong happy club all you can be sons and each

one has to ask I have to ask myself what am I here am I a guest am I a consumer

am I a donor it would be easy for me to think oh I'm a donor or am I a son in

this house

the thing is it's sons who are trained and trusted by God to step up and care

for the vineyard later on at the end of the day folks you can only trust sons

you can work with sons without suspicion it is sons who are trained it is sons

who are trained and trusted by God to step up and care for the vineyard

numbers 27 18 shortly after God says I will appoint a man who will lead you out

and in he says Moses look at Joshua Joshua was a son folks he would wait with

Moses at the end of the meeting would be marveling at God and got just Moses

take Joshua and start giving him authority train him up because after you

leave he's going to be the one who steps up and I'd strongly suggest to you ask

yourself this question don't look at the piece of paper or the plaque that was

given by acts 29 that may or may not be on your wall ask yourself am I a guest

am I a relative am I a member am I a clone am I a servant am I a donor am I

a consumer or am I a son ask I'm asking everybody to ask themselves I have to

ask myself too it's very easy for a person who's teaching or preaching to

think he's a donor or a benefactor that's perverse it's perverse nothing short

of it I have to shift in here folks the shift has to happen here because we are

so used to being members so used to being donors servants but being sons is

a new concept for me and if I'm a son it also then requires that I see someone

as a father in the house which is even more difficult for me because I don't

mind you being my pastor but father no I won't give you that kind of influence in

my life

this is why I said it's better if someone else features this on behalf of me we will

talk more about fathers and sons in the future folks it's a precious theme of God fathers

and sons let's go to the next one so we finish by one sins against the set man sins against

the set man how can the sons of the house sin against the set man we talked about Aaron's

Rod being a warning or a red flag or a signal against rebellion against bitterness against

obstinacy by the sons towards the father of the house in case we in case I haven't made

it clear enough let me say it very simply at this present moment in this church I am

the set man and I'm the father of the house I have to learn how to behave like a father

and if I am the father of the house then you are the sons of the house I do not know if

we are all sons or daughters or whether we are all the other things I said but you have

to check that I have to learn I was telling somebody just three or four days ago my desire

now is to learn how to be a father how to shine the shoes of the children how to be invisible

because it is always a son that is made visible when the father sent Jesus the father was

invisible the son was visible and every father will want his sons to be better than him if

Marcus does not want Ryan to do better than him then Marcus is not his father

we'll come to that a little more since against the set man these are principles folks these are not

policies these are not rules and forget it I don't need to put in disclaimers replacing set

one of the sins against set man is replacing the set man by seizing authority replacing the set

man by seizing authority Cora did it Absalom did it Jezebel did it and trust me you don't want to

name your children after any of these three people if you have a daughter don't name a Jezebel if you

have a son avoid Absalom but Cora Absalom Jezebel and there are other examples in the Bible

where they seized authority and usually it's a terrible and you know I have absolutely no fear

in terms of authority being taken away because authority is delegated and no one can really take

it away I feel bad when churches take away the authority of their leaders it's a horrible thing

to do it's a scary place to be it's a scary place to be folks and unless we practice it in

small things no we won't understand it in the scheme of big things simple thing today after we

finish there'll be a cake brought out for people's birthdays you saw how Heidi and Chris did all of

this but strangely enough five days ago Heidi calls me up to say would it be okay if I got a

cake I mean first of all I didn't even think of the cake or your birthdays two I wouldn't have

most probably gonna get it three I don't handle the money in the church so she would have gonna

get it but after all that she's still called to ask would it be okay with you if we got a cake

then Chris or Heidi asked would it be okay if we got some bread with these Easter thingies on it

are they asking because they shake and fear not at all but it's a principle folks and my response

was yeah yeah yeah I mean in my mind part of it was why are you even asking me but then I realized

no it's it's not why you even asking me it's a principle that's being set man in the same way

when I want to spend a money certain amount of money that is sizable I won't go ahead and spend

it without first running it past Wayne and Chris and Heidi and whoever else may be around the table

at that time I bring it up why because I can't be an authority unto myself either these are

principles if we put them in right now I'm telling you man the house begins to prosper

and the people in the house begin to prosper I'd suggest to you that even if a set man commits

adultery don't touch the arc to steady it let me say that again even if a set man or the father

in the house commits adultery do not touch the arc to steady it if necessary you resign and leave

but please don't force the resignation of the set man in the house David had a chance to take

Saul out once twice three times and he would step back and say nope and the crown did come to David

at the right time folks you know when the Bible says do not entertain any accusation against an

elder without two or three witnesses it was not so that let's get two or three witnesses and force

resignation it was let's get two or three witnesses to show that he's sinned and now that he has sinned

let us now discipline him and restore him that's why it was done not to force resignations but we

forced pastors to reside not for adultery for much lesser crimes unfortunately I have to some

extent participated in some of these sins against set men in my past by either being neutral

or being on the wrong side the other sin against the set man is exposing the set man's nakedness

exposing the set man's nakedness and what I mean by that is remember that story in Noah where Ham

walks in and sees Noah lying naked and he goes tells his two brothers that hey hey our dad is

lying naked and the brothers when they hear it walk in backwards so that they won't see see

sometimes it is important that in a house people have access into each other's lives but once I

have access into your life and you have access into my life you must be careful and I must be

careful not to expose your weaknesses to others I should not go around saying you know Wayne yeah

Wayne's this way but in this area no no no no Wayne is not your topic on my topic of conversation

unless it is absolutely important for me to tell you and I've done this to folks I've exposed

nakedness before others without reason cause or necessity and as sons you are not to expose the

nakedness of your father when a father gives you the right as every child should have to access a

father then the weaknesses should not be gone around this is where prayer meetings get dangerous

in churches where they begin to pray for the pastor that's not prayer that's exposing a father's

nakedness the third one where I'm sure there are other areas too but these are the three main

areas where churches stumble which I pray we won't stumble money measures money measures we

talked about how a week or two weeks ago we talked about how one of the ways we honor set a set man

or someone sent by God or a father is through esteem care money and hospitality esteem care

money and hospitality you'll find this in your notes from last week folks imagine this okay who

here has a garden Joan has a garden a few of you have a garden let's assume you grow you grow

grapes in your garden and after growing when Bernice have garden after you grow grapes or

tomatoes in your garden you go and pluck the grapes to eat it and I immediately say we've got to bring

a disciplinary committee together because we have to censure her for eating of the fruit of her own

tree would you do that it sounds ridiculous to go up to Gisela who grows beans in her backyard and

say how dare you eat of the beans you just planted get a disciplinary committee together we've got to

censure her but but guess what and we'll talk about the sins of the set man later but guess

what churches censure the pastor for tutting money that they have not allocated in their budgets and

stuff like that there are pastors who've lost their jobs there are pastors who've immediately

gotten a bad reputation because the eight of the very tree that they planted and the Bible says

in first Corinthians 9 7 Paul says why is it that we cannot partake of the very thing that we have

sown and planted what value are you going to put on being delivered from demons what value are

going are you going to be are you going to put on a prophetic word coming through a man or a woman

of God what value are you going to put when God uses a man to touch you and you'll be healed what

value can you put on what bread is being broken over the last three weeks in this house what value

can you put on it how much is the person worth 1,000 2,000 3,000 4,000 what value can you put on

it Paul says you cannot that if if a person sent by God has sown into your life spiritually then

it is okay for the person to reap of you materially first Corinthians 9 7 I'm preaching from scripture

folks but we have taken men of God and done great harm to them because they perhaps went

without the permission of the board and bought an extra table the reason I don't touch the money

in this church is simply because I'm not good at touching money and because when I said not

touching money meaning not that something will happen to me but because budgeting is not my thing

and secondly because no one can ever say that I'm messing around with it but that perhaps comes from

a place where there's a fear that or people will say people should not say it it comes out of a

place of fear but people should not say it we'll talk about the integrity of the pastor later but

we need to understand as sons and daughters in the house that you do not this is not the way

church is I'm so glad that whenever we have decided what is paid me first of all to to to to tie

someone to a salary a contract is unbiblical you try you tie a higher link to a contract folks

you you don't tie you don't you don't say hmm we got to sit and deliberate how much this person

is worth I've done that too you you don't tie you don't you don't say hmm we got to sit and

deliberate how much this person is worth I've done that too I'm so glad that whenever how much

the church gives me a month is decided it's never that much no no let's make it a little less no no

no no no every time it's happened people have gathered around said and they've thrown out a

figure and surprisingly the other person was thinking of the same figure and stuff like that

and you know when we started I wasn't we've only two people so it was not like you could give

anything but every now and then Heidi or Wayne or Chris and a few others will come and say we

got more money in the church we'd like to give you some more that's the way it's supposed to work

when I went for a pastor's meeting someone asked me have you gotten have you made sure that you

have a contract because once things begin to turn wrong you could be in a deep hole if you don't

have a contract because you have nothing to stand on and I was thinking that would be so absurd if

I got into a contract go ahead Matt the scripture says do not muzzle an ox that is treading grain

and a person who is working amongst you especially in breaking a bread is worthy of double honor

that's what it says yeah and Paul says do you think God was concerned about ox when he was

talking about that no it's exactly what you were saying unbiblical to tie salary or contract or

try to deliberate the worth of a person how do you measure spiritual benefit we have to shift

from job to father and son in the minds of both the set man and the house this house is done well

in this matter I mean when sometimes we've given speakers who come four thousand dollars folks five

thousand is the is the budget of the church every month and we've given four thousand dollars

sometimes to speakers you know how that has come about sitting around a table and saying you know

I'd really like to give this person this much and everyone will say yeah I think we should

that's how things that we decided making room for the voice of the spirit of God because you

cannot measure it folks questions don't be afraid to ask I realize that I'm the one speaking this

and it looks like it's to my advantage but with the last part we'll deal with that and then we'll

conclude any questions don't feel afraid to ask it can be very profitable being a speaker yeah

listening is beneficial and there is no value you can place on it I mean how much will you pay me

for this how much ten thousand twenty thousand these are eternal principles how can you how can

you ever put a value on an eternal principle established by God you cannot you cannot you

know you I would go it could it could it could well be possible that next by the end of April I

may have one and a half million dollars and please trust me I'm not using this as an example

I'm not trying to I'm saying it could well be I'm talking about the truth folks it could well be

possible but that by the end of April I may have a million and a half dollars but guess what even

if I had a million and a half dollars this house should still make sure that the set man in the

after that I can take it and if necessary return it to the house but the house should still make

sure that the principle of honor is maintained because the house prospers because there was a

time when I began to know that yes God is going to send whatever money is required for me to both

live and to travel and to distribute that I'll tell acts 29 I don't need us what the money that

acts 29 gives me every month and the Lord corrected me said no you are not to take away a principle

you can do with it what you want after you receive it but you are not to undermine the principle

it may occur to us when I'm speaking like this that it is to the set man's advantage this message

and it's not to the house's advantage Tina and I were sitting and talking about this in the coffee

shop I want us to know that if the set man is a type of Elijah then the sons are a type of

Elijah and what did Elijah get a double portion folks if the set man is Elijah then the sons of

Elijah and a double portion is in every area of your life my only caveat which is again something

that came up and Tina was talking about this is that Elijah's can leave early and when they leave

early they will have strong ministries but it will only be half the potential that it could have

had the reason Elijah got a double portion was because he stuck on with Elijah he stuck on with

Elijah and then at the right moment it was his time to be released I would say be very aware of

when is the right time to leave folks because there is a time when you may part ways but make

sure it is a god time because otherwise you will go and you will do well but you will be at half

your potential because the double had not happened yet just be aware of that because Ryan will leave

the house at some point he's not going to stay with them for the rest of his life I can see them

breathing a sigh of relief but but he will leave the house at some point so everyone has a time

appointed but make sure it's at the right time otherwise you operate at half your capacity you

will do well but it's still half capacity finally sins of the set man and we'll stop with that

because we don't have anything else for today sins of the set man I would like to call it I'm calling

these sins syndrome with an SNS IN DRO ME the first syndrome is the safest safest CEP 8 AS safe

as syndrome CEP 8 AS safest is another name for Peter I just thought surface rhymes better with

sin than Peter say first syndrome it's from Galatians 2 14 where Peter comes and he begins

to sit with the Jews instead of sitting with the Gentiles and eating because he didn't want to be

associated with the Gentiles and didn't want to practice the truth and sins of the set man is when

a set man refuses to repent before the leadership of and then the church after he's implemented

inaccuracies let's assume I do something or teach something that is wrong if I don't come first and

repent to the leadership of the church and say guys what I taught was wrong what I did was wrong

if I don't do that and if I don't after that come to the church and say guys what I did was wrong

what I taught was wrong then I am that's the sin of the set man you are supposed to come and repent

before the church and you can call me on this guys if you think I'm in error you first have to come

and discuss it with me if I say no then if you think there is someone else who has seen my error

bring the other person too because you need more than two or more and then if I don't take it to

the other leaders in the house and then Jacob now has a choice either he will stand and he will

repent of what is wrong have it being established through scripture or now Jacob needs to be

disciplined by the house and Jacob refuses to be disciplined then you should not force him out you

should leave and God help Jacob if he doesn't discipline if he doesn't respond to discipline

it's a frightening place when a set man chooses to be aggressive and arrogant and doesn't repent

second Gehazi syndrome Gehazi syndrome Gehazi all the scriptures for these are given on top

of the page Gehazi syndrome is when the set man lacks integrity and he gives up the color

God on his life for wealth or money for silver here's a strange thing folks Elisha was to Elijah

what Gehazi was to Elisha meaning let's as you Kamal was Elijah I'm Elisha and Ryan is Gehazi

no let me make Ryan Elisha Kamal is Elijah Ryan is Elisha I'm Gehazi Kamal gives Elisha a double

portion I would have got a double portion from him which means I'd have had four times the strength

on his life I squandered that for what for two talents of silver and there are many men and women

of God who lack integrity and have squandered the God call on their lives for wealth money is not

for falling in love with money is to reform things to change things when it comes into a church money

is not to fall in love with but to reform and change things but that we'll talk with another

time when we talk about wealth and the church next syndrome is a has a has a has a has a has syndrome

this is when a set man changes the structure changes God ordained structures to gain advantage

for the house he changes God ordained structures to gain an advantage for the house what I mean

by that is see Ahaz was a king in Israel you know what he did he went to Damascus when he

went to Damascus he saw a beautiful altar and he looked at the altar he thought man this altar is

so good-looking I got to put it in the temple and this altar was to some pagan God so he calls his

designer and he says take the design go build it in the temple they take the altar and build it in

the temple next to the altar that God had ordained and guess what he's offering sacrifices to the God

of Abraham but he's offering it on the wrong altar sometimes a set man can offer the right

sacrifice on the wrong altar and that's a sin you want to hear some such sins seeker-friendly

Christ is still the sacrifice but he's being offered on the altar of seeker-friendly oh when

you dilute a message so that more and more people will come seeker-friendly churches are churches

that won't necessarily preach the truth the way it should be spoken it will dilute it so that people

can come in here and they won't be offended feel good message that's one example where you where

it's the right sacrifice on the wrong altar another another example prosperity preaching just just

tell everybody speak the right thing say the right thing and a car will be yours gold will be yours

it's still Jesus will give you but it's preaching Jesus on a wrong altar positive thinking turn on

a crystal cathedral you'll see that think positively think positively and everything

will be okay Jesus is still mentioned but it's again the wrong altar right sacrifice on the wrong

altar seeker-friendly see what will happen then is it will bring people both into it'll bring the

world to the church but it'll also bring the world into the church two things happen people

will flock like crazy it'll bring people into the church but it'll also bring the world into the

church it's a mixed multitude that's one of the sins a set man commits so if you see me doing that

then you need to take note of that then okay you're sacrificing you it's a right sacrifice you are

mentioning Jesus but the altar is wrong because the setup now is wrong you got to come and stop

that the Sun the Sun should come and say the other next syndrome is Nimrod Nimrod Nimrod

syndrome Nimrod is when a set man begins to control the house through charisma through

intimidation folks the moment you feel fear in this house something is very very wrong if for a

moment you feel fear in this house that if I do not do this Jacob will or the leader will or the

church will something is wrong it has to be out of complete freedom or if charisma or persuasiveness

pushes you back into a corner something is wrong in Luke 22 verse 23 Jesus said there are rulers

Luke 22:23

who come and they act like benefactors like they're doing you a big favor when you see leaders like

that remember they are not exactly who I want them to be they're not my type of leaders he

called them benefactors what happens in churches like that is all the people start looking like

the leader you become clones and the same mentality is transferred if I rule through control I guarantee

you you will control the ones below you because control is a thing that passes from one person to

the other the last two points and this is a really strange one it's called I don't know if

you've heard of this word any HUSH TAN any HUSH TAN it's in the Bible anyone knows what it is

Nehush Tan see strangely enough remember that time when people rebelled against God and God

said okay put up a bronze snake and because fiery serpents had started going and biting people and

Moses puts up a bronze snake and he said if you look at the snake you will be healed and the whole

idea was that Christ was again put up on the cross he becomes sin we look at him and be a sinless is

the same concept but what happened was that Israel took that bronze snake and called it Nehush Tan and

started offering worship to it it's in the Bible snake like us something to do with snake I don't

remember the exact but because a sermon serpent was known as an evil thing they call it Nehush Tan so

it would be a little more palatable it's in the second Kings 18 for the the why do I call it the

because sometimes what happens with the set men in the house is they take a subject and the subject

becomes more important than the substance they take a subject and the subject becomes more important

than the substance they take a subject and the subject becomes more important than the substance

let me give you an example we could go get so hung up on this apostolic stuff that all we do the

...till we tongue twist ourselves.

That is when a subject becomes more important than the substance.

Let me give you other example. Curses.

Oh, you got this curse in your life.

10th generation, 15th generation, third generation, fourth generation.

Yes, curses may exist but please,

let's not make our entire lives about curses.

That's when the subject replaces the substance.

I might sin, it's because of a curse that my father inherited from his great-grandfather.

Give me a break, at some point this has to end.

There is a place for this folks, I'm not saying no.

You know we've talked about this.

But when the subject takes over the substance of things...

And I've done that too.

Warfare.

Spiritual warfare.

Warfare is not about geography, warfare is about intimacy.

End times.

Ministries would run dry if end times wasn't the subject.

All the people who prospered in the year 2000,

Y2K,

subject replaces substance.

Communion that we have right now, breaking of bread, the Lord's Supper,

that could become a subject for us.

And we would lose out on the substance, we could get so hung up with practicing it

every day and every week, that even that could become a subject and we could lose out.

In this particularly, be careful of the set man in this house, meaning I'm talking about me.

Be careful, if you sense that, that is happening

and you need to sense it from the Lord, then you need to come and tell me.

Because in a time of new teachings, it is easy to get hung on a subject.

Fortunately God has been leading us.

In our conversations, one of the topics that came up was,

first God brought us to Christ's life, then he brought us to the whole topic of Zion,

and now he's taking us here. It's just progressive, we never planned this.

But if at any point we get hung up on any of these things, that would be trouble.

And the last syndrome is Cain, the Cain syndrome, C-A-I-N.

The Cain syndrome.

And the Cain syndrome is simply this folks, Cain able to offer a sacrifice that was acceptable to God,

while Cain was casual about his sacrifice and brought that which did not find much value before God.

And this is something that a set man can easily fall into,

where he begins to regurgitate other people's teachings,

or build the house with hay and straw that he gathers during the week from different places without any effort,

or he has to go and mine and extract gold, diamonds and silver to build a house out of.

And you will know, you will know when the set man of the house is just regurgitating something he has heard,

and gathered from different places, and you will know when it's actually extracted.

And when you find that the set man of the house is beginning to just haphazardly try to build a house with hay and straw,

gathered from the fields as he's walking around, be careful,

because a house that's built out of hay and straw will eventually be burnt, and nothing will remain.

If you don't have any questions, we'll pray for Roslyn, Chris and Heidi.

Please don't not ask questions because it's 1 10. Just ask before you go.

Because you're not coming back this evening. Any questions?

Yes?

I've been thinking for a while, a long time, about buying some audio equipment to record the worship,

and for my own personal use, kind of procrastinating.

So if people can remember to pray and ask God that this is kind of expensive,

and there's lots of auctions, and I get the right stuff so that I can hook up mics and record,

that's how, God willing, I should be able to make a broadcast quality CD of our worship and improvisation,

and people can have their apps in their car and stuff.

Cool. Just note down that for prayer on Monday.

If you come tomorrow, Matt, just remind me again.

Guys, any question on what we've done thus far?

No questions. Please don't be intimidated.

Okay, during the week if you... go ahead.

Okay, here's a question. If I were to feel that God was saying something while the rest of you feel God is not saying it,

and you come and say it to me, but I'm fully convinced, what should you do?

Should you leave or how does it work?

First I'd answer that by saying, given the principles we've put in thus far,

it's going to be almost impossible for us to be at such loggerheads where I'm hearing one thing and you're hearing another thing.

Because once you put in principles, these things are completely nullified in a sense of speaking.

That's one. Two, let's assume I was wrong, then I have a feeling knowing what God's doing in my life

that perhaps I would listen to you or at least think again and go back to the drawing board and say,

Father, everybody thinks otherwise, how come I'm thinking this way?

Three, given the trust that is beginning to develop in this house, I believe that the house would give me more room

because you would expect that Jacob may be hearing God right, but you would still be careful.

Four, after all that, if I was wrong, then I would suggest that, yeah, you should say, Jacob, if you do not change,

we are not able to be with you on this one simply because we do not think this is the voice of the Holy Spirit.

I don't think it'll get that far because the principles have already been set.

The beautiful thing about this house that I really like is that we are becoming a community that can hear God,

and it is not based on one person.

And I always keep going back to that one instance where we had to make a major decision of moving, and I did not hear it.

And yet not for a moment did I suspect or doubt that the others had heard it. Why?

Because I was confident that this house is beginning to learn how to hear.

So it did not matter that I didn't go back to God and say, Father, six of them heard it, but I am the pastor.

How come you didn't speak to me? Is this really you? Never even occurred to me.

Set in the principles and we avoid pitfalls.

Any other questions?

Okay. Let's just pray for Heidi and Chris and Rosalind, if you guys want to come up.

Okay. Let's just pray for Heidi and Chris.

And then we'll pray for Rosalind.

Father, you know someone went for one of the other services on Good Friday, and when I asked them,

so how was the service? They said it didn't feel like one because it got over in about an hour and a half.

I thought that was funny.

I'm sorry.