19th April || Uncharted Territory || Nathan Niesley

Shall we? Hello.

Hello. Testing.

Hey, all right, we're getting ready here, so we're going to

cross the river today, but I'm just.

Going to say a short. Prayer before we do that.

I've got my sword today, by the way.

I'll explain why in a moment, all right.

But Heavenly Father, I just. We just worship you.

Today we invite your presence here, Holy Spirit.

You just fill us up. Encourage us, give us courage

and strength to follow in your footsteps wherever you're

leading. We want to partner with you.

Yeah. So in Jesus name we pray.

Amen. OK.

Is everyone ready? To cross the river, OK.

So I brought my sword because we may have some battles along the

way we're going to be looking at.

Joshua 3 to 4, but before we do that.

For those of you that don't know me, I've been involved with the

Vineyard Church all my life. I'm Nathan, by the way.

Yeah. OK.

So first in Philadelphia, PA, and then after that in Canada.

And we also went on missions trips to Africa, to Kenya and

Uganda, and then finally to Hong Kong.

So I've been all over the map. I've been involved in many

ministries around the world. So.

A lot of them are quite intense. The communities I've been part

of, we've seen people healed, we've seen demons cast out, and

we experience God drawing us closer in intimacy with him.

So I have a lot. Of these experiences.

That I want to bring into this. Passage.

I hope that's OK. Because strangely, this is like

one of my life passages that connects a lot with these

experiences that I've had. And also, the second thing you

should know about me is that I love the Old Testament.

OK, so I don't know if any of you agree with that, but that's

my. Favorite book?

Actually my favorite. Section of Scripture.

I just Even as a child, I loved reading the Old Testament and so

much. So that I learned Hebrew.

In school and I tried to read it in the original Hebrew in

Aramaic. So I'm going to pull some things

out of the Hebrew text. For this passage, I hope that's

OK too. Are we all OK with that?

OK. So a couple.

Of things, yeah. So as I said.

Some of these experiences are a bit intense, so we're going.

To do a little exercise here if. Anything gets too much.

Here's what we're going to do. Shake it off.

Shake it. Off.

OK, Everyone ready? Shake it off.

OK, so the first thing I want to.

Say about this maybe? We can go to the not the the

text but like the next slide. Yeah, perfect.

OK, so the Hebrew scripture is. Interestingly enough, they're

not organized in the same way as our English Bible.

I don't know if you know that or not, but like we have all these

neat little categories, you know, we have the.

Books of law Books. Of wisdom.

Poetry, all that stuff. Actually, the Hebrew.

Bible is only organized into 3 sections so they kind of like

move the books around a little bit but they're the same books.

But the first one is the Law, and then the prophets, and then

the. Writings.

So they have these. 3 sections and each of those sections

represent kind of a person, a way that you have.

Access to God, so the. Law is represented by the.

Priest. The priest.

Who is the mediator between US and God?

And then? After that there's the prophets,

which is like the. Person who?

Speaks the the words of God to the people.

And then the writings is like represented by the scribe who

writes. The the actual words of God for

the people. But so the interesting thing

about this is. That Joshua although.

As Libby said last time, it the narrative.

Flows like. Straight from the book of

Deuteronomy into Joshua. Joshua was actually the first

book of prophets of the prophets.

According to the Hebrew understanding.

So I just want to think about. This a little bit so because I

like thinking about Joshua as a book of prophecy because I, I, I

think. There's even like an added

expectation some things that we can find.

Here like yes, we're. Going to be looking at how the

book reveals something about the nature of God and his dealings

with his people, but I think that it's also important to look

at some of the themes and signs. As as as a book of prophecy,

that's. Pointing forward to New

Testament truths and to our lives today.

OK, So what does this mean? So first of all, all the old.

Rabbi scholars agree. That the main prophet in the

book is. Joshua, OK, No surprise there.

He's the one hearing from God and communicating it to the

people. But the one significant sign

that I think we should recognize here is the name of Joshua.

OK, so the Hebrew name. Of Joshua is Yehoshua.

The meaning here is. Basically just like the word.

Salvation sort of made into a name, if you can think of it

that way. I'm going to set my sword down

for the moment. So as the language developed.

By the end of the Second Temple period, the more common form of

this name was the shortened form of Yeshua.

Does this name sound familiar to anyone?

Yes, OK. So this is actually the name of

Jesus. This is in Hebrew.

This is who Jesus was named after.

So Matthew 121 Mary will bear a son, says the Angel Gabriel, and

you will call his name Jesus, Yeshua, or salvation in a sense.

For he will save his people. From their sins so.

He's this aspect of. Salvation is built into the name

of Jesus, so I think it's. Important to ask how is this

book? Of Joshua and the character of

Joshua. Pointing us forward to.

The work of Jesus. So he's supposed to be going.

Forward he's supposed to be. Leading God's people to victory

and taking the promised land. So how does that?

Connect with the work. Of Jesus well Jesus stepped onto

the scene and he proclaimed the Kingdom of God is at hand right

the Kingdom of God is among you and he's so he's ushering in the

Kingdom of God just as. Joshua is sort of.

Ushering in this new reign into this area.

You can see that. So the closest literary parallel

to the book was a royal. Land grant.

So they did. Studies to try to compare the

book of Joshua to other texts. Around that time and that's what

they found. So it's like it's taking this

territory. So what does that look like if

we apply it to? The work of Jesus in our lives.

I want to focus on that for a second.

I think there's two things that I really want to highlight with

this. So 1 is like a more internal

thing where we can see our own selves as kind of the promised

land, right? Where Jesus is creating us into

what he wants us to be, cleaning us, making us holy, drawing us

closer to him, aligning our priorities to him, and then all

that once we're we're, we're becoming more like him.

Of course that. Spills out into our relationship

with others. We we are better able to love

others. And, and truly understand those

outside of our circles. But I think there's another

thing that I want to highlight here that's a bit more external

in what the advancement of the of the Kingdom looks like.

And that's what Jesus might be calling us to, what the Spirit

might be leading us to, something that involves stepping

out in faith, crossing the boundary.

That's what we're going to be looking at today, crossing the

river in a way that we haven't before.

So both of these senses, both the internal and sort of the

external advancement of the Kingdom, I really think need to

be connected to what seems to be like violent or military sort of

metaphors in this book. Anyone else have that kind of

weird, weird feeling sometimes when you're reading about

battles in Scripture? Yeah.

So like. All these military campaigns,

the destruction in the Book of Revelation Psalm is sometimes

saying God, please kill my enemies, like destroy them.

This is a bit weird. Jesus said.

We're supposed to love. Our enemies, right?

That's the whole point. Jesus definitely said that,

right? He said that.

OK, I'll just make sure I got this right.

So if you find any violent passages in the Bible, here's my

way of looking at them. It's not the only way, there's

other ways, but this is my. Favorite way?

So always. Read them and apply them in

light of can we go to the next slide maybe.

Oh, wait, it's not there. OK, maybe.

No, no, you can go back. To the first one, yeah.

Oh, no, There it is. It is there.

Sorry. Ephesians 612.

Right, so for our struggle. Is not against flesh and blood,

but against the. Rulers, the authorities, the

powers of this dark. World and against the.

Spiritual forces of. Evil in the heavenly realms.

So I think it's a good way of reading the Bible to say anytime

you see a violent passage, the one way of looking at it is to

frame it as a metaphor. For God as a warrior.

Taking on the forces of evil and empowering you to deal with any

of those forces that may be holding you back.

This can be true either within you as you grow in your

relationship with him, but also maybe around you as you step out

in faith among your friends, your family, the workplace.

We'll apply this a little. Bit more as we go along, but one

of the things I want to highlight is there's so many

opportunities. Out there in our lives.

Today, in order to step out and faith even something simple like

doing grocery shopping right. I used to say if you have a.

Shopping list? That's your ticket for an

encounter with someone God wants you to minister to.

You could be asking God, what sort of person will I meet in

this grocery store? Maybe they need prayer.

You don't have to be awkward or do anything like that, but you

can just pray for them silently if you happen to see someone who

might fit those descriptions. Those kinds of things.

You never know what God might have.

That's a treasure. Waiting for you.

OK. So I think can we go back to the

first text slide? So what I want to do is just

jump. Through the passage quickly

together. And we're not going.

To read it all because it's 2. Chapters.

It's a bit long, but I will pull some things out.

As we go through it. Just to get some insights here.

Are we all good? Everyone ready?

OK, so this is the very beginning.

Let's just start. From verse one, Joshua rose

early in the morning and stop. OK, why did I stop there?

Joshua Rose. Early in the morning I have.

To stop there because this. Is my favorite catch.

Phrase of the Old Testament so and so rose.

Early in the morning, OK. Does anyone, can anyone think of

any examples of people rising early in the morning that you

may know of? OK.

Jesus, yeah. In the Old Testament though,

like if you think about. Before Joshua, the people that

would have had this phrase. Yeah, that's true for Jesus, but

I just want to say here, because it's not because I'm a morning

person, that's not why. But there's something about this

phrase that indicates a powerful encounter with God is coming.

Maybe even there's going to be a testing in place.

OK. So really quickly I'm.

Just going to run through. These rapid fire.

Genesis 1927 Abraham rose early in the morning to see if God did

what he said he was going to do. And yes, Sodom and Gomorrah is

destroyed. The smoke is rising from the

scorched land like smoke from a furnace.

OK. Genesis 2114 Abraham again

rising early in the morning. He has to trust God that he will

take care of Hagar. And Ishmael, as he's sending

them away, they have an encounter with God, an Angel of

God in the wilderness who provides for them.

Genesis 22 Three Abraham again rising early in the morning to

sacrifice his son Isaac, and we all know he.

Was tested there. And he has an encounter.

With God as well. Genesis 2818 Joseph has the

heavenly vision of angels going up and down the stairs of

heaven. Sets off a pillar.

Of remembrance Genesis 3155 Laban rises early in the morning

again. There's a pillar of remembrance,

and the angels of God meet Jacob.

So, OK, I'm not going to go through all of them, but you get

the idea, right? Something is going to go down

here. Let's see what it is.

So if this pattern holds, Joshua's preparing for his

encounter with God, perhaps. So what ends up happening?

He is tested. Right, and he does end up with a

powerful encounter with God. OK, so.

Let's go back to oh, thank you. That's perfect.

OK, so. I'm going to avoid that place

name there. I know some preachers have made

fun of that name. Yeah, you don't want to.

Live there OK we're. Not going to stoop to that

level, all right. Let's see.

So they camped before crossing over, and then they.

Went through the camp and commanded the.

People, so we're following this. You shall set out from your

place OK following the ark. So that you may know the.

Way you should go. For you have not passed this way

before, right? So God is taking us.

We can. The lesson from this we can take

is God is taking us into new territory.

We sometimes will need his guidance as we go and we'll talk

about that A. Little bit later, but.

Just this is a mental note. We're going through the

scriptures first and we'll put all the.

Pieces together later, all right, Right after that it shows

there should be a. Space between you and it, a

distance of about 2000 qubits do not come any nearer to it then

Joshua. Said to the people, Sanctify

yourselves for. Tomorrow Yahweh will do wonders

among you and the priests are taking up the Ark of the

Covenant and passing in front of the people.

OK, so I just want to highlight here that there's.

A lot of. Preparation going on, right,

They have to sanctify themselves and they're also.

Letting a space. Between themselves and God.

This is something that's connected to an old custom of of

allowing space for the king to move ahead of you.

And the idea here is that it's not just about the.

Presence of God, but it's also about the people.

And the responsibility on them to host his presence well.

And I think that's an important theme that we need to pull out

of here. Maybe we can go on to the next

slide. Let's see.

OK, so that all right. So I just want to highlight one

thing here. By this you shall.

This has got. I promise that he is going to.

Drive out the. Canaanites, the Hittites.

The Hittites. Perizzites.

OK, all those but this you shall know that El.

Hai is among you. Has anyone heard that name of

God before? I I actually.

Did a search, I can't find it anywhere else in the Bible.

I found it in Psalm. 42 Two. My sole thirst for God and for

El Hai. My soul thirsts for.

God and for the living God, it's the name of God, really rare

sort of name of God, but it means the living God.

And so obviously God is here contrasting himself.

With all the other dead powerless gods of all these.

Other nations, right? He's about to prove his name.

He's about to demonstrate that he is alive, right.

OK, so then skipping down so. This is just the indication.

Of what's going on here? Those who aboard the Ark.

Had come to the Jordan so when the.

Feet of the priests bearing the ark.

Were dipped in the edge. Of the water, the waters flowing

from above stood still. Rising up in a single heap, far

off at Adam. The city that is beside.

Zarathan well, those flowing towards.

The Sea of Arabah, the Dead Sea, were wholly cut off.

Can we go on to the next one? Then the people crossed over

opposite Jericho while. All Israel were crossing over on

dry ground the. Priests who bore the Ark.

Stood firmly on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan until

the entire nation finished crossing over the Jordan.

Wow. OK, this is in one way this is

even more amazing than parting the Red Sea.

I mean, you're stopping flowing water from flowing, right?

That is crazy. So God is revealing his power.

He's revealing himself to be the same God who parted the Red Sea

with Moses. So.

Basically, this is Joshua has sort of.

Passed his test. Now he's taking on leadership of

the people. Because of this.

So you can see the connections sort of leadership passing from

Moses to Joshua. OK, so then.

Let's go to. Oh, we're on the same one.

OK, so the rest. Of chapter 4 here there's a

real. Big theme of remembrance.

So each of the tribes. Takes a big stone from the

middle of the river and they carry.

It over to the other. Side setting up a memorial for

future generations of the miraculous work of God that had

LED them to where they are. Can we go on to the next slide

then? OK, so then here you can see in

parentheses there. So Joshua now also sets up 12

Stones in the middle of the now dry Jordan River.

To show where God had. Taken them.

OK, well, the poor. Priests have to stand there the

whole time while everyone's moving stones around, right?

But then they. Finally get to crossover too.

But notice in verse 13 there so about 40,000 armed for.

War crossed over before. Yahweh to the plains of Jericho

for battle. OK, so.

Obviously we still have the. Military metaphors going on

here. This is the just the first.

Step of faith that they've taken on and there's more to come.

OK. All right, everyone OK.

So far, got it. OK, now we're going to put it

all together with some lessons about what we've learned.

The first lesson that I want to. Highlight is God is ready.

To meet us, but it's often up to us.

To take the first step. OK, he's the one who goes.

Before us, the warrior. Fighting for us, preparing the

way. So John Wimber, one of the main

founders of the Vineyard movement, was once on a tour of

I. Think it was like an.

Aerospace Center somewhere like a NASA center.

In any case, the tour guide was pointing out a big.

Rocket that was set up. To launch and Wimber was trying

to engage with the tour guide, he he wasn't getting many

audience interactions. So when he said are there any

questions, Wimber just blurted out a random question.

He said is the guidance. System working now and the tour

guide kind of rolled his eyes, right?

And he said, OK, no, the guidance system doesn't.

Start until the rocket leaves. The launchpad, then it's guided

which way to go. So Wimber kind of shrugged and

moved on. But then later he was thinking

about this. This is a great picture.

Of following God right sometimes we've done all the preparation

and then we're just sort of like sitting around waiting for

guidance right but that guidance doesn't come until we actually

take that step forward then the guidance kicks in and we're.

Directed the way. That we need to go.

This is something that I experienced and I know we shared

a. Little bit of our.

Story in the weekend away, I'm going to pull in some things

from Alice and my story, but there was one point in time.

Where things had shifted. In my life and I was just

waiting for. For God's.

Move because I didn't know it was coming next and it was a.

Year of just. Praying and and, and seeking his

face about what was next. Not getting any answer.

To be honest, it's a year and I still didn't know what I was

supposed to do. So I said OK, finally then I

just sort of made a decision. I'm going to stay where I am.

That's my decision. Right after I made that

decision, it was like 90° guidance shift.

Nope, you're going to go right now.

Now is the time to go. So that's ultimately then that

was part of my journey. I'll share some more details as

we go though, but so the next. Part of this is that it's it's

it's. That moment, that moment of God

being ready to to meet us, but. Then we're taking the 1st.

Step but behind that, as I said, there was a year of praying, a

year of thinking and, and and just seeking God.

So maybe we can go on to the next slide so God is ready to

meet us. But also it's important to have

a a space that we create for God to.

Move in our lives and this comes with intimacy with him right

spending time just in prayer and following his his guidance,

following his signs. It's it's almost like.

It's like setting up that launchpad, right?

Really it begins with developing that intimacy, seeking him and

his voice, getting to know he's leading, knowing how he speaks

to you in particular, right? All these things are really

important and what we find as we go along.

It's like a parent leading a child.

He not only. Goes ahead of us.

But he also gives us the courage to face some of our spiritual

enemies, our fears, anything from our past that might be

holding us back as well. OK, let's see.

So I would like to just spend a lot of time on the second point

for a moment, if that's all right.

So in the weekend. Away last year.

Alice and I shared about our journey as a couple, how we

ended up taking some steps of faith and ultimately this LED us

from Hong Kong to here, so I also.

Shared a bit about how. I was led to Hong Kong before

that. I won't share all of that again,

but I did want to add one part of that story that I didn't

share before. But I have to apologize because

it's very intense. OK, shake it off.

So in many ministry events I've been part of teams that had to

deal with a demon surfacing and one of the people attending

there, unfortunately. What do I mean by that?

Well, OK, it's a freaky. Voice that's not the regular

voice of the person coming out of their mouth and saying

things. Not very nice things.

OK, so I recognize this is not a situation that we want to overly

emphasize and spend too much time in.

I get that, totally get that. But I just need to mention this

because it illustrates one of these points.

In one of our meetings we did have a demon surface in a

particular individual older man and it was saying how much it

hated this man it. Said that he was a.

Good man, though. It had been in him for years,

but it was not able to do anything with him.

It was frustrated that it wasn't getting anywhere with him, but

it said in all. These years, the.

Only one thing that was able to do was hold him back in.

Fear so that he. Could never move into his

calling. OK, yeah, crazy stuff, but I had

to. Say like, OK.

First of all, we're not going to be placing any belief or trust

in these voices. Let me just make that clear.

Not cool. We're not going to do that.

They often lie and their power is broken by the name of Jesus

and this. Guy got his.

Freedom that day. OK, so Amen.

But The thing is, after hearing that spirit, I was impressed by

two things. First of all.

In a weird way like. What a testimony for.

A spirit to say it. Couldn't do anything with you,

though it had been trying for years and years and years.

Like that's pretty. Awesome in a way, and in a

weird. Sort of twisted way, right?

But. The second part hit home really

for me, like it's it was saying it was holding him back.

Again, might have been lying, don't know.

But still it made me examine myself and I'm thinking, are

there any voices that that are holding me back?

Is there anything that's holding me back right now for what God

might be calling me? And it's exactly what Libby was

saying last last week. How would you live differently

if you knew that God? Was with you that that's.

Kind of a, a version of of that that I was feeling in my mind,

if I what is here that might be holding me back.

I really want to examine myself and just get rid of everything,

right? Break off all the chains that

are holding me back because I don't want to spend my whole

life. Maybe, you know, like like this

guy that might be stuck in that place.

OK, so again, shake it off. Shake it off.

Moving on to the next next. Similar story, so after.

Moving to Hong Kong, this actually, I should admit that

was one of the factors that influenced me to say yes to God

and actually make that leap to Hong Kong because I was like,

yeah, I don't want anything holding me back, right?

But in Hong Kong, I also want to mention something.

So most of my ministry time in Hong Kong it was.

It with addicts, so with. People that were struggling with

addictions of various kinds and also people that are struggling

with the criminal past and many things.

But I was very often on the night.

Shift so I was. Praying for people like they

were there on the bed or, or just the intensity of the

midnight, right. And we were praying up until

3:00 in the morning or whatever. It was with these guys.

And I distinctly remember one night so.

This guy, he starts talking. To me about something that's

holding him back, this is a temptation that he just kept

slipping back into and couldn't break free from.

And I remember as I was praying for him, I saw Jesus giving him

a sword. So I'm going to bring the sword

back again. All right?

We need the. Sword.

Sword of the Spirit. OK, so everyone's got your full

armor of God. I hope you brought your armor of

God today. As we were praying for him, I

saw Jesus giving him a sword and we.

Acted this out together that. He needed to face that entity,

that thing that was holding him back and just cut it right down

the middle. OK, so we acted this.

Out together and I said. Look, we're we're going after

this thing right now. You got to take up the sword and

do this. Jesus is not going to do it for

you. He's giving you this.

So he took up this. Imaginary sword OK and then just

chopped that thing right down, you know, and had to do that to

move forward and I remember he. Let out a yell and then he just.

Wept and wept that night, and I and.

Obviously this guy. Went through a deliverance in

that moment, right? And Jesus was just taking him

there and showing him that it's not just like, in a way we, I

think we feel like we're just alone.

Right, that that we're just. Facing our our demons alone.

Well, we're not facing them alone and in.

Fact. Jesus is both.

Giving us the the weapons but also standing behind us cheering

us on as we face them. But yeah, OK, so these are all

my little stories from second point of #2 And so all this is.

To say that. We do have spiritual enemies and

sometimes we do need a spiritual act of violence, so this is

where the violence comes back in to deal with them.

Are we all good? OK, no more crazy stories from

me. But I do want to share a crazy.

Story from CS Lewis, so this is from.

The silver chair. And again, we talked about this

a little bit in the weekend away, but nobody seemed to know

what I was talking about. So we're going to watch it

today. All right, OK, so this is about

following God's leading and breaking off all that might be

holding us back and also about following the signs that God

might be leading. So just to for some context

before we. Play the video so that.

There are three main characters here.

They're on a quest led by Aslan, who in the Narnia world is the

lion that represents God. Their quest is to find a lost

Prince, and Aslan has given them guidance in the form of signs

that they need to follow on this quest.

But despite following these signs, they end up in a weird

underground Kingdom, trapped with a crazy night.

He needs to be strapped to an enchanted chair every night by

the Queen of the Underworld, supposedly to cure his madness.

He urges them, don't go near me when he's in the chair because

he says he will become even more dangerous.

And then as this scene starts, the night is in one of his chair

sessions, OK, And he claims that he's now actually in his right

mind and he asks these our heroes or characters to release

him from the chair in the name of Aslan.

So this is actually. Unfortunately, fulfilling the

last sign that Aslan told them to follow, they need to follow

someone who says something in my name.

So now they're looking at each other, wondering.

What should we do? OK.

OK, alright, that's the end of the clip.

Thanks for that. So.

I just love that. Scene and I love that line.

Lie there in ruin file vile foul engine of sorcery.

And also the the last line. We'll do it again too, right?

Just a good reminder that we don't have to face these battles

alone, but with our church, community and others around us,

we can conquer and defeat the things that are holding us back.

Quick plug for small groups. By the way, if.

You're not in one, get in one. That's a good.

Way of support. Along these lines, OK.

So thank you for that. We'll go into the next slide, I

think. So the.

Last lesson from, especially from.

Chapter 4. Is identifying spiritual

memorials, testimonies of what he's done and this links.

Back to that last clip, because it's.

Talking about the signs that they followed, they're leading,

leading the characters from one step to the next.

It's like connecting the dots and they didn't want to be in

the place where they are at. They they didn't expect.

To be here, but God. They know by comparing notes and

seeing all the journey that they've been on and all the

signs that they followed that God has LED them there.

So yeah, I, I think I just want to emphasize.

That this. Comes in the memorials.

That we raise up as. Testimonies.

To what God has done. Right, so both looking back at

what he has done and also perhaps looking forward at what

he will do in the future. And this this can be whether you

keep a journal of your journey with God or.

Whatever that looks like. With you sharing your testimony

with others, reminding yourself of all he's done and connecting

your dots that he's placed along your way.

Yeah. OK, So am I allowed to do things

with Joshua 5? I was like.

That's not really on this, but that's my favorite chapter,

actually. Anyway, so because it's got that

great scene with the Josh, you have to read it on your own

time, but read the scene with Joshua and the Angel of God.

It's awesome. It's awesome.

OK, Anyway, the Israelites are draining through the wilderness

in Exodus 16. They cried out to God.

For food and every day he would send them manna from heaven to

eat. It was like this.

Bready stuff. I assume everyone knows what the

mana was, but it was only good for one day.

Actually you could only collect it enough for one day or it

would spoil. So this is literally like a

daily. Ration of bread this.

Is like their daily bread that they got that was.

To sustain them through this sort of wilderness time.

But after they entered the promised land, so now they're

eating the crops of the land and suddenly the mana stops

actually, so it says in 511, so on the.

Day after the Passover, they ate the produce.

Of the land, the mana ceased on the day that they ate the

produce of the land, and the Israelites no longer had mana.

They ate the crops of. Canaan that year, OK, what are

the implications of this, right. We're in a new season.

We're actually. Your act of.

Faith is not only bringing you to a new.

Place but also. Future generations can benefit

from your move of faith, right? This is not like something that

can just be for you, but can be for others.

That is important to remember. I think it could be sowing the

seeds for future generations, so I'm going to.

Close here. Soon, but I want to play another

clip from. Sorry for the double dose.

Of John Wimber today. But I was actually.

Preparing this sermon and I somebody from like the Vineyard

USA posted this video and it's of John Wimber he's doing like

his I think it's a series on healing that he did someone post

this on social media and I thought well this.

Just really fits exactly. With what we're talking about

today. So it's about the the.

Theme is now is the time to believe again.

I don't have the best quality videos.

I'm sorry, but this is just like treasures from the past.

So I just for. As we move into kind of ministry

time now, I just want us to. Think about some of these three,

these three points here. So what does God as a warrior

look? Like in your life right now,

what steps of faith might he be calling you to take to partner

with him? What would it look like for you

to create more? Space for him to move.

Yeah, I just. I just have the impression

though that like there, there may be another.

Category. Of of person here that.

After hearing what I said, you, you, it's sort of.

Like now become real in a way that you never sort of

experienced before or thought before, and you might be wanting

to come just. Take steps of faith closer.

Not knowing exactly. What that looks like yet?

But just saying like I want, I want more of you I want.