Going Beyond Ministries with Priscilla Shirer – Acting in Obedience

Priscilla Shirer (born December 31, 1974) is an American author, motivational speaker, actress, and Christian evangelist. Her father is Dallas mega-church pastor Tony Evans and her brother is Christian entertainer Anthony Evans.
The daughter of Tony Evans, senior pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship Church in Dallas, Texas,[1] Priscilla grew up well acquainted with the Bible. As a freshman at the University of Houston, she interned with a Christian radio station. Soon listeners were calling the station, inviting Priscilla to speak at their Bible study groups and other events. Soon she was invited to lead a weekly Bible study at the Zig Ziglar Corporation and then to join its speaker team. Priscilla has worked as an independent contractor for CBS and hosted a local television show, but recently she has focused solely on Christian ministry opportunities. She calls Anne Graham Lotz, daughter of evangelist Rev. Billy Graham, her mentor in ministry.

Together the Shirers established Going Beyond Ministries, a speaking bureau featuring Priscilla. The parents of three young boys, the Shirers share ministry and family responsibilities. While Priscilla continues to minister full-time, Jerry manages his schedule and other business aspects of Going Beyond Ministries.

Priscilla speaks around the world at churches and other events, including the LifeWay Christian Resources-sponsored Going Beyond conference and Deeper Still: The Event, where she shares the stage with Beth Moore and Kay Arthur. She has also authored several books.

Shirer graduated from Duncanville High School and Dallas Theological Seminary, earning a master’s degree from the latter in Biblical Studies.

In 1993, Shirer was a freshman at the University of Houston. Shirer was married in 1999 to Jerry Shirer, former Hilton Hotels executive. The couple has three sons.

In 2013, Shirer was a speaker at the 2013 Women of Faith conference. In 2015, Shirer made her film debut in the Kendrick Brothers film War Room. In October 2016, Shirer was recognized as one of four prominent women of faith during the 10th anniversary of God’s Leading Ladies Life Enrichment Program at The Potter’s House.[1] Shirer also featured at the 47th GMA Dove Awards.

you’re ready for the Word of God awesome

why don’t we stand too often how

phenomenal was Priscilla last night oh

good lord

amen

well why don’t we just put our hands

together and just give her a beautiful

beautiful beautiful color welcome

[Applause]

amen

[Applause]

good morning y’all so thrilled to be

back with you this morning and to open

up the Word of God with you before you

sit down again I want to take this

opportunity because I think it is so

important for us to honor other people

that the Lord has put into our lives I

had an opportunity to honor Miss Bobbye

last night but now mr. brian is here

Pastor Brian is here and listen I want

you to know that we have had the

privilege my husband and I of seeing

them you know when no one else is around

when the lights are not on when they are

not on a platform and to be able to say

that there is as much integrity in their

life when everybody is not looking is a

rare thing they have a strong marriage

they have parented their children in the

fear of the Lord there is integrity and

not only the power and the anointing of

God upon their lives but they are

servants who just longed to see the body

of Christ come into their full of

standing as the bride and so would you

with me thank them for what it is that

they are bringing to the body of time

my husband and I are better off having

having met you we’re better off thank

you very much you may take your seats

and as you do as you do I must also just

give a quick greeting to our friend my

friend Christine Kane who really is the

reason why I’m here I think it was five

years ago or so that she and I met in

the United States somewhere and she said

you need to come to Australia and so she

made that connection between myself and

the Houstons and so here I am and my

husband and I are privileged to know you

Christine and your husband Nick I love

the Word of God let me pray for us as we

open it Lord Jesus thank you so much for

your word thank you God that you speak

to us clearly through your word so god I

pray right now that every woman under

the sound of my voice from the furthest

reaches of the balcony all the way down

to the front row will hear you speak

personally to their heart Lord we’re

praying for more than just a general

revelation today we’re praying for a

Rhema word somebody say Rhema that is

God that we want you to speak

specifically to our heart about what

matters to us in these moments in this

particular season of our life we are

sitting on the edge of our seat God

because we cannot wait to hear what it

is that you might say to us all God’s

people said amen

it was about two years ago that I was

sitting in the United States and

Nashville Tennessee I was about to speak

to a group of ladies that were gathering

in the arena there my sister and I were

in the hotel room getting dressed for

the day and as we got ready we were just

flipping channels and we came across CNN

Headline News Now I was captivated by

the story because there was a gentleman

that was being interviewed and he looked

very interesting

this man via split screen because the

anchor at CNN was on one side of the

screen and this gentleman was probably

in Los Angeles I believe on the other

side of the screen so you could see both

of them at the same time and the

gentleman who was being interviewed was

just a strange-looking guy he had braids

that were dyed jet-black and they were

hanging down all over his head he had on

a little bit of makeup and you could see

some some tattoos peering out from

underneath his tank top that he had on I

mean they were everywhere he was just an

interesting looking character

I was just captivated I wanted to know

what this was all about

it turns out this man’s name was Brian

Welsh his nickname middle name her

nickname was head his friends all called

him head turns out he used to be the

lead guitarist for a heavy-metal rock

band called Korn kor n now i don’t know

if you can tell by looking at me or not

but I’m not really a heavy-metal music

listening kind of sister I feel sorry

for any of you who might be but it turns

out that corn seems to be some type of

you know really incredible band that

lots of people are listening to in the

States and abroad and so lots of folks

knew this guy but he was no longer the

lead guitarist of corn and this new

story was to tell us why and so the news

anchor via split screen says to him you

know why are you no longer a part of the

band and and Brian said you know the

bottom line is one day I was just I

realized I awaken to the fact that I was

killing myself on the lifestyle that

went along with that type of job that we

would travel from city to city and we

would indulge in drugs and alcohol and

illicit relationships and he said one

night after a night of all-night binging

I don’t even know what city I was in he

said I stumbled in the wee hours of the

morning out of the room in the same

sweat and caked on makeup and clothes

that I had on during the concert the

night before and I swagger down the

street and I saw a church building he

said I stumbled into the church building

there were people there who in spite of

the way I look put their arms around me

sat them beside upset me beside them in

the sanctuary and that day they

basically loved me right into the body

of Christ he said that very day the

taste for drugs the taste for alcohol

the taste for the lifestyle I’ve been

living supernaturally those taste just

left my mouth he said I was a different

man you should have seen the face of the

news anchor that day

he said who are you saying did this for

you oh he said Bryan up Bryan responded

and said I’m telling you it was Jesus

Christ my lord at that point at that

point my sister and I started doing the

holy dance on the hotel bed does anybody

know what I mean when I say holy dance

we couldn’t believe it the gospel of

Jesus Christ was basically being

presented loud and clear right on

prime-time television in the States we

were so excited about that a month later

I got a call from a television show that

tapes in Dallas I know Christine’s been

on that show life today with the with

James and Betty Robison

and they call me every time it you know

there’s like a real guest who can’t show

up they call me because I live about 40

minutes down the street and they’ll call

and see if I can come over and so I came

over on that occasion they told me they

wanted to take two programs with me but

they take four shows in one sitting and

so I did not know who the other guests

would be until I arrived and sat down

for dinner and across the table from me

with those same braids and a little bit

of that same makeup and those same

tattoos was Brian head Welsh I never

thought in my whole life I would be so

excited to meet somebody in a heavy

metal band

I was taking pictures and getting

autographs I just was so excited to meet

him and when it was time for his

interview I sat like a little schoolgirl

with my chin in my hands because I

wanted to hear everything that he was

going to say I loved the interview but

the part that captured me was when he

said what most people don’t know is that

when I accepted Jesus Christ as Savior

we were as a group about to sign our

fifth record deal it would have

guaranteed me twenty million dollars

somebody say twenty million dollars lord

have mercy

and so he said my signature was the only

one missing on the contract but I just

felt compelled there was something in me

that wasn’t allowing me releasing me to

sign that contract that’s what the Holy

Spirit does so he said I told my boys

guys I just got to go and think about

this for a little while what he meant

was going home and praying about it

brand-new Christian he didn’t even know

really how to open the Word of God and

study it and dive into it but he said he

just prayed ins and Lord would you give

me direction and he said he happened

upon a verse that said and they left

everything to follow Jesus

he said he had a clear word from the

Lord and you better have one if you’re

gonna leave 20 million dollars on the

table he called up his friends and he

said I’m sorry but guys I’m leaving

everything to follow you and now this

man because he was willing to be the

unique one the one to stick out like a

sore thumb the one to turn his back on

the way he’d always been doing things

and follow hard after the new direction

that God had laid out in front of him

even though it cost him because he was

willing to do that he now has a ministry

to people that I could never reach that

may never listen to someone who looks or

sounds like me but he can stand before a

crowd who’ve been involved in that kind

of lifestyle and listen to that kind of

music and are involved in all that is

involved in that type of industry he can

stand before them and proclaim the good

news of Jesus Christ and they listen and

they fill up stadiums to hear what he

has to say and now throngs of people are

coming to know Jesus Christ as Lord

because one person was willing to go on

a different journey with God and I don’t

know about you but I’ve gotten to a

place in my relationship with God that

living a mediocre regular old Christian

life just ain’t working for me anymore I

don’t want to just read a verse a day to

keep the devil away

I want to hear God speak through his

word I want his power operating in my

life I want to hear his voice in his my

ears I want to experience the abundance

the fullness of everything he has for me

anybody want to go with me on that

journey and so over the past few years

God has allowed me to dig in deep to the

journey of the children of Israel out of

Egypt and into the Promised Land because

listen to this there were approximately

2 million Hebrew people 2 million Hebrew

people that left Egypt with the

opportunity to experience the fullness

of God in the promised land 2 million

and as the original 2 million adult

pilgrims that left Egypt do you realize

that only two of them ever stepped on

Canaan soil that’s one in a million

here today is the body of Christ

millions of us have been freed from

Egypt we have placed faith in Jesus

Christ were on the journey with him we

all have the opportunity according to

John chapter 10 verse 10 to not just

have life but have abundant life to have

it to the full the problem is that there

are millions of us who have the

opportunity and yet only a handful

actually walking on Canaan soil and if

there’s only going to be a few if

there’s only going to be a handful why

not those people be us and so one of the

two that made it into Canaan one of the

one-in-a-million

I call them is Joshua if you have your

Bible turn with me to the book of Joshua

if you don’t have your Bible it’s okay

because the woman next to you can’t wait

for you to look over her shoulder to see

what we’re going to learn about Joshua

from Joshua chapter 3 we’ll also have

these scriptures on the screen for you

so don’t despair there are some simple

principles that I see in Joshua that I

also saw in Brian head Welsh these are

the principles that seem to map out and

seem to be true of people that are going

to go all the way with God that are

going to take him at his word that don’t

want to just go to church every now and

then and read the Bible every now and

then but they want the fullness of all

that God has come to offer them and

these characteristics that are true of

Joshua if you and I can step them in our

hearts and in our lives they will assist

us as well and to walking into the

abundant life that God has for us even

if it costs us something and so you know

the story as you turn there let me just

tell you the children of Israel at this

point they’ve been traveling for 40

years 38 years of 38 years in one

particular section of the wilderness

that’s important for you to know that

they traveled for 18 months out of Egypt

and to the border of Canaan and do you

realize that their wandering was on the

border of Canaan for 38 years they were

not in and around the entire wilderness

they were on the edge of the promised

land for 38 years and so here finally

Moses dies Joshua takes the reign

of leadership and our boy Josh decided

enough is enough I’m not wondering

anymore in this wilderness I’ve had

enough of all this manna from heaven I

appreciate it God but it is boring me to

tears and so he looked at the people and

he says that we’ve been given a word

from God we can have this territory we

can experience him in fullness his milk

and his honey and Joshua says I want it

all and so there are some

characteristics that that are a

characteristic of him that you and I

need to take note of and so God has

given him instructions God has said to

him you cross over this Jordan and you

can enter into the promised land let’s

see what Joshua does Joshua chapter 3

verse 1 then Joshua rose early in the

morning let’s just stop right there

God gives Joshua some instructions he

gives him a directive he gives him clear

instructions as to what it is he’s

supposed to do and we find our boy

Joshua rising up early in the morning to

act immediately in obedience to God the

first thing that I want to encourage you

to do today if you and I are gonna have

a Joshua spirit if we’re gonna be the

one in a million to go all the way with

God we got to be serious about acting

immediately in obedience to God some of

you felt a stirring in your heart

yesterday to get on board with one of

these projects as we go into all the

world and make disciples and and be the

hands and feet of Jesus Christ and you

felt a stirring and you know God was

telling you commissioning you to get

involved listen would you act

immediately in obedience to God maybe

for some of you

the call was a little more subtle it

involves your own life that that you’re

just going back home to the chaos of

that that is in your own fault four

walls of your home and God has told you

specifically what you are to do in

obedience to him regardless of what

you’re going back to let me just

encourage you would you act immediately

in obedience to God whether it’s you

being the one to give the apology to

your spouse

whether it’s persisting in that

relationship whether you being the one

to start the Bible study to start the

ministry whether it feels like you’re

you’re timid to do what it is that God

has asked you to do would you and I have

a Joshua spirit that encourages us to

act immediately regardless of the way

that we feel now this was so different

than Moses do you remember that when

Moses got the call in Exodus chapter 3

he had every excuse in the book God says

you’re gonna leave my people Moses says

what wait a minute Who am I that I

should do that and God says it don’t

matter who you are you tell him I am he

said but what what what what if they

don’t believe me

God said what’s that in your hand I’ll

use what’s in your hand Moses couldn’t

stop there he said don’t you know God

that I can’t speak well God said Omo I

got that cover to excuse after excuse

but Joshua when he got the Commission

from God to lead two million people

across the Jordan he didn’t waste time

with excuses he just got busy acting

immediately in obedience to God

scriptures are replete with the

marvelous activity of God in the morning

do you remember that it was early in the

morning that Abraham rose up with his

son Isaac to go to Mount Moriah and end

a sacrifice his son to the Lord it was

early in the morning that Joshua’s

predecessor was commanded to stand

before Pharaoh and say let my people go

it was early in the morning that young

David left for the battlefield the day

he defeated the Philistine giant named

Goliath and it was early in the morning

that the women went to the tomb of Jesus

and found that he had been risen from

the dead there are some miraculous

things that happened when you and I get

on board early not just in the day but

early in your decision-making process

early in figuring out what your

priorities will be just getting on board

with what God has asked you to do first

a lot of folks often email or ask me

about better the balance of our life

because we have three small children and

obviously we travel some my husband and

I are in ministry together and they ask

how we prioritize and

balance all those things and let me tell

you that as a juggling act at that Jerry

and I are still trying to figure out

prayerfully however one thing that an

older woman in the face-to-face told me

I’ll never forget it her name is Jill

Briscoe an incredible minister of God’s

Word and I sat down at her feet one day

we were in a hotel room and any time I’m

with someone who is more mature than I

who’s been married longer than I who’s

been mothering longer than I that sort

of thing in ministry longer than I

listen if you ever find yourself in a

situation like that my friends you can’t

be yourself out at their feet and listen

to what it is that they might share with

you and I’ll never forget what she said

to me she said for Scylla most people

think that a balanced life is if for

instance you have 10 boxes that

characterize the 10 things that are a

part of your life and most people think

a balanced life is if all of them are

equally full she said that’s not a

balanced life that’s chaos she said a

balanced life is when you prayerfully

consider which of these 10 are most

important to God in this season of my

life right now you pull those to the

front push everything to the back and

then you allow those two or three to be

full while the rest of them have just a

small amount in them

she said that’s a balanced life balance

is when you determine what is God’s

priority for you in this season and then

you get busy acting immediately and

pouring into those boxes and so you and

I have to determine what it is that God

has asked us to do right now and act

immediately in obedience to God the

second thing that we find out that

Joshua did it says at the end of verse 1

that he and all the sons of Israel set

out from she team and came to the Jordan

that was about a seven mile walk they

lodged there before they cross so

they’re on the edge of the Jordan and

they’re lodging there verse 2 tells us

how long it came about at the end of

three days let’s just stop right there

Joshua 2 million people his army

officers they are all seated there at

the edge of the Jordan they were

probably there for three days for

several reasons one of the reasons was

probably that they needed to organize

the way they were going to cross this

body of water but there are three days

majd at the edge of the jordan allowed

them the opportunity to see something

you see this body of water the jordan if

you visit it now in israel it is a very

calm placid body of water because it has

been dammed up now however when these

people were crossing 3,500 years ago at

this particular time it was April which

means it was harvest season that means

that a mountain that was to the north of

the Jordan it was called Mount Hermon it

was melting all of its winter snow and

so all of the runoff from that melting

was running into the Jordan River that

means that the Jordan River was like the

Colorado River at flood flood stage at

this particular point it was 50 times

wider than it would have normally been

it was a violent rushing body of water

and for three days they sat on the edge

of the water looking at this seemingly

impossible impassable dilemma that was

in front of them and they had the

opportunity to gather up fear and doubt

that they would be able to cross this

body of water but Joshua he was the

leader now and he decided nothing is

going to keep me out of the Promised

Land I’m going in with or without you so

Joshua gathered up his people and

inspired them to move so we find that

Joshua was not only acted immediately in

obedience to God but he acted fearlessly

in the face of insurmountable odds again

yesterday we got some very startling

realities as to what is happening in the

world around us and if we sit on the

edge of that long enough and look at it

long enough there is no doubt some doubt

and some fear that’s going to begin to

creep its way into our hearts and minds

if we allow it to we’ll be scared stiff

to where we are paralyzed and not

willing to do anything maybe it’s what

you’re facing in your life as you look

at it in front of you it feels like

you’ll never be able to get through or

across the dilemma that is in front of

you can I just encourage you with the

Joshua spirit to not only act

immediately

obedience to God but to act fearlessly

and would you just think about how the

priest must have felt because the

priests are going to have to be the ones

who stand with the ark and take that

very first step into the body of water

they’re the ones who are gonna have to

get their feet wet they’re the ones who

are gonna have to trail a blaze the

trail for the rest of the people behind

them and listen the priest had heard the

story about the Red Sea and I wonder if

they were thinking to themselves God you

divided it first last huh last time you

performed a little bit of the miracle

before we actually had to get into this

thing but this time God you’re telling

us to move forward with the fearless

faith even though the circumstances look

like they’re gonna be a big problem this

is what God is calling us to do he is

calling us before he divides the Red Sea

to step our feet into it he is calling

you to go back home to the dilemma that

you were facing to go right into that

body of water that is scaring you to

death and to get your feet wet to step

into that body of water and believe that

he will perform the miracle before

you’ve actually seen anything happen a

you and I are called to be women a

fearless faith to believe that he can

accomplish incredible things do you know

that fear is created when the enemy

perverts the most sensitive area of your

life he takes the tender place and he

seeks to attach a spirit of fear to it

because this is what he knows he knows

that your area of sensitivity my area of

sensitivity and tenderness is probably

the area where God wants us to

experience the most victory it is

probably the area in our life where our

deepest and best ministry is going to

come from so if he can attach a spirit

of fear to it and get us to steer clear

of it we never get around to live into

our full calling it potential as

daughters of the Most High King so I

gotta tell you I went through years of

being paralyzed by fear to speak in

front of a group I mean paralyzed there

are still some butterflies when I have

to do this at least they’re flying in

formation now

but they are still there but let me just

tell you and my husband can attest to

this I went through a season of life

where I was mortified to stand on the

platform I would stand in the back my

palms would be sweating I would be in

and out of the restroom because I just

could not get it together I would try to

make phone calls you remember this Jerry

trying to make phone calls to see if

somebody could replace me because I was

not feeling well I mean I was mortified

I could not sleep I could not eat it was

the enemy now I see because an older

person helps me with this as I called

them to get clarity on what was

happening they said Priscilla don’t you

dare back down because this is the enemy

trying to attach a spirit of fear to

that which is what God has called you to

do and would you know that one of the

ways one of the ways I’m able to

determine God’s calling in my life for

just his word and direction as we move

on this journey one of the ways is when

I have two options and the only reason

I’m not going to choose one of them is

because I’m afraid that’s probably the

option that God would have for me it’s

probably it because the enemy is going

to attach fear to the one he’s trying to

keep me away from the enemy is do you

understand this is not a playground that

this is a battlefield that he’s after

your soul that he’s working overtime

listen if you’ve already received Jesus

Christ as Savior he knows that he cannot

destroy you but he is going to spend the

rest of your life and his trying to

distract you trying to keep you from

living to your full potential as a

daughter of the Most High King he’s

gonna work his artists and so if you’ve

got some options in front of you and the

only reason you’re steering clear of one

I’m talking about the only reason when

you boil it down is that you are

terrified and you just don’t know if you

can handle it and you feel ill-equipped

and unworthy and you just don’t know if

you can go that far that’s exactly where

God wants you the enemy doesn’t want you

in a place where you actually have to

depend on God he didn’t want you praying

more and exhibiting more faith that’s

not what he’s after but God puts us in a

place where if we don’t depend on him we

won’t be able to get the job done

and when we’re in that place when we

have that kind of experience we can know

that we can follow confidently God’s

leading in that place because when our

power runs out when we are weak that is

exactly when he is strong that’s what

his power kicks in and so you and I can

do what Joshua did and not only act

immediately in obedience to God we can

act fearlessly in obedience to God look

at the woman next you and say stop being

afraid girl all right let’s see what it

is that Joshua does next I love this it

says it came about verse 2 at the end of

three days the officers went through the

midst of the camp verse three they

commanded the people saying when you see

the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord your

God with the Levitical priests carrying

it then and only then you shall set out

from your place and go after this I love

this

Joshua basically says y’all we’ve been

walking around this wilderness for a

long time he says the only way we’re

going to be able to get where we’re

trying to go is if we wait till we see

the Ark of the Covenant the Ark of the

Covenant was the representation of God’s

presence with the people he said when

you see the Ark of the Covenant and only

when you see the presence of God moving

that’s when I want you to move here’s

what I love about the spirit of Joshua

Joshua did not say I’m the leader follow

me Joshua says God’s the leader we

better all be following him and he gives

us a clear reason why they are to follow

God it’s at the end of verse 4 he says

here’s the reason why we’re gonna follow

the Ark of the Covenant for we have not

passed this way before we haven’t been

here before we don’t know how to

navigate these roads there’s no way we

can get across this impossible seemingly

impassable circumstance when unless we

follow the God who’s already gone before

us my husband Jerry he is a

technological guy he likes all these

little gadget thingies I don’t really

know I’m not really into all that stuff

um he and and Joel have been walking

around just comparing gadgets they just

compare things you know you got this

got this what do you have on that well

what’s on that I don’t know what’s on

that take me to get that I’ll go get

that so he’s got this little

navigational system thing I think it’s a

garment or something I don’t know what

it is but this navigational system in

the car with us so he can figure out

where we’re going right but oftentimes

this is what he does he not only has the

navigational system that he travels with

but then when we get a rental car they

come with a navigational system if you

ask for it so he’ll ask for the

navigational system that the car comes

with so now he has two navigational

system you think we’d be able to

discover where it is that we’re supposed

to be going so one day we’re in

Mississippi USA we fly into the airport

we have an hour-and-a-half drive to

where it is that we’re supposed to go we

get into the rental car and he starts

programming his Garmin and the

navigational system that’s in the car

just because he likes to compare notes

to see if this one’s going to take him

the way that this one’s going to

I wonder if any wife other than me has

ever just had the stare out of the

passenger-side window I mean it’s just

the restraining power of the Holy Ghost

that keeps you from committing murder

cuz I’m a simple girl I’m thinking to

myself you know you know Jerry there are

some people who live where we’re going

they have been from the airport to where

we’re going before you know if it were

me baby if it were me I would just call

them and ask him how to get there

but you know you try to be you know let

them do their thing you know let them

have their little moment the ride was

supposed to be an hour and a half three

hours later I am working hard to keep my

mouth quiet but eventually the flesh

went out and I said honey why don’t we

give him a call you know in that little

voice where it’s kind of like a question

why don’t we give him a call you know

you have to make him think it’s their

idea Donna get to make a bit so he

finally picks up the cell phone and he

starts to call um the folks there and

they said cuz the volume was turned up

loud so I could hear her she said to my

husband oh I wish that you had called us

so long ago yeah she said I wish that

you would have called us long ago

because we live so far in the backwoods

of Mississippi that there are some new

roads back here that have been paved the

electronic gadgetry has not caught up

with the new roads that have been paid

it pays to know somebody who has been

that way before and you need to know my

friend that where you’re going what will

what will encompass the next 12 months

of our lives until you gather again at

this meeting he’s already been there

he’s in your tomorrow waiting on you to

show up you might as well go ahead and

talk to him

tune into him and say Lord I’m gonna

follow you and so when you see the

presence of God moving will you drop

everything you’ve gotten comfortable

with on the borders of the Jordan River

in the wilderness journey of your life

will you drop that which has been

comfortable and just decide I’m going

all the way with God even if it means

I’m gonna have to get my feet wet to do

it you know what I love about Jesus

while he was here on earth not only that

Jesus did the Father’s will Jesus did

the Father’s will it’s a good thing but

here’s the thing

it’s that Jesus did the Father’s will

and nothing else

see that’s the kicker the kicker is that

there were so many great opportunities

presented to Jesus but oftentimes you

see him saying that’s good but my time

has not yet come that’s good but my

father has called me over here at one

point in mark chapter 2 the disciples

are saying him don’t you know there are

people waiting on you everybody’s

waiting on you to heal Jesus everybody’s

waiting you’ve got a whole audience out

there today can be the day that we show

him you’re the Messiah and Jesus says

you know what Mark chapter 2 verse 35 I

have gone out early in the morning to

spend time with the father and since I

have he’s given me clear direction that

it doesn’t matter how many people are

over here applauding me I’m off to

Capernaum to do the Father’s will what I

love about Jesus is that he not only did

the Father’s will he only did the

Father’s will and nothing else and so

many of us get so depleted doing all the

good stuff we have no energy left for

the god stuff would you just look for

the presence of God and follow hard

after him and God often acts in a way

God often acts in a way that is

different and unique from what we are

used to we have to be sitting on

edge of our seat to see what God’s

activity might be even if it is unique

to what we have experienced in our

denomination at our church in our own

experience with God God is so much

bigger than your experience yes there

are truths that we stick to that we

stand on there is a foundation of truth

about the character of God that we can

bank our bottom dollar on but when our

experience becomes the fullness of God

that we’re missing out on everything

that he wants to be in our lives and so

each and every one of us has for example

a box that we carry around not a little

ro1 but a hypothetical box that we carry

around and in it we have placed our own

experiences with God what we’ve learned

to be true about God in our church or

our denomination what others their

testimonies what they’ve experienced

about God we hear that and we put that

all in our box about God and this is the

filter through which we determine what

we will and what will not pray for what

we will expect God to do and not do and

listen there’s nothing wrong with your

box hopefully there’s good stuff in your

box I’m not gonna tell you to throw your

box away the problem is that you and I

have the nerve to put a lid on our boxes

we have the nerve to say that all that

I’ve experienced and known to be true

about God that must be it and so when

God starts working over here we just

assume that can’t be God cuz that’s not

in my box do you know what boxes do

boxes do not limit God they limit our

awareness of God’s activity so our eyes

are closed to see what it is that God is

doing in and around us just because it’s

a little bit different than what you’re

used to Joshua said would you just

people acknowledge God’s presence just

look for where his spirit is moving and

where he’s acting and the direction he’s

going and then don’t turn to the left or

the right

you just follow hard after him so you

and I all have a box and I’m going to

encourage you to hang on to that box but

allow the Lord to use the foundation of

your experience with him up until this

point allow him to use that now as the

the building block upon he can upon

which he can build a structure of new

experiences with him

where he can now build a monument of

relationship with himself that is

outside of your original box but equally

valid and important if you and I are

going to be all that we can be in

relationship with him and so Joshua says

the Joshua spirit says not only am I

going to act immediately not only am I

going to act fearlessly but I’m going

where God’s going I’m going to

acknowledge the presence of God my

five-year-old little boy at the time he

was three it was Christmas time Jackson

my oldest was five little Jerry junior

was three it was Christmas were sitting

around the Christmas tree and Jerry

tries to have a little spiritual moment

with the boys before they dive into

their gifts right so they’re all excited

about their gifts and you need to know

at our house we buy them like two or

three little gifts from the dollar store

because they’re too young to know that

it ain’t worth nothing so we’re milking

that for as long as we possibly can and

the other reason we do that is because

my kids have grandparents are there any

Grandmama’s in the house any

grandmother’s yeah we want you to know

we love you because around noon on

Christmas Day we take my kids to nonny

and Poppy’s house that’s my parents

nonny and Poppy’s house and that’s where

my kids get the goods yes Lord so here

we are with their little two or three

trinkets in front of them they can’t

wait to dive in and Jerry says hang on

guys hang on hang on whose birthday is

it really today he just wants them to

get a little perspective whose birthday

is this today the five year old Jackson

says it’s Jesus’s birthday the three

year old hears it’s Jesus’s birthday

sees the gifts in front of him and says

mi Jesus

[Applause]

I hope you’ll pray for my children the

truth is that out of the mouths of babes

sometimes you know the truth comes

because we think we’re God too if we

didn’t we wouldn’t try to control

circumstances the way we do if we didn’t

think we were jeez I mean if we really

thought there was someone seated on the

throne who could handle our lives

we wouldn’t be stressed out and

frustrated and trying to follow our own

decisions and opinions and ideas in our

life we would follow hard after him

knowing that he is God and I am NOT I

want you to very carefully look at the

person that is sitting next to you don’t

say anything just look at him now I want

you to say to them you are not God

and I mean just look at him aren’t you

glad they aren’t God your opinions your

ideas they might be good my friend but I

would encourage you not to follow your

own whims would you follow hard after

God he’s been this way before the final

thing we see about Joshua it’s not only

did he act immediately and act

fearlessly and acknowledge the presence

of God but then verse 5 says Joshua said

to all the people consecrate yourselves

for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders

among you the final thing that Joshua

did that this encompasses the Joshua

spirit is that he anticipated the

miracles of God he says listen before

God has even done anything would you all

start acting like he is who he says he

is and will accomplish what he says that

he will accomplish

would you consecrate yourself that is

set yourself apart purify yourself

sanctify yourself consecrate yourself

would you start acting right now like

God is gonna change your marriage like

God is gonna bring that wayward son back

like God is gonna reverse the doctor’s

report would you act like God can rescue

the orphan that he can free the slave

that he can bring that wayward person

back home would you today act like he’s

a great big God who can accomplish great

big things the Joshua spirit anticipates

God’s miracles in the face of adversity

when your life is caving and all around

you the Joshua’s spirit says I still

know who I belong to and he’s still

seated on the throne would you

anticipate God miracles and then two

million people tired of wandering tired

of feasting on the manna that God had

graciously provided but after 38 years

they were at forty years they were ready

for something new under the leadership

of someone who acted immediately who

acted fearlessly who acknowledged God’s

presence and who anticipated God’s

miracles these millions stepped foot

into the Jordan and finally one and all

they cross from a life of wandering into

a life of fullness and abundance

and freedom and my friends this

afternoon when we dispersed later on

tonight when we dispersed would you know

that God has called you to be the one in

a million he has called you not only for

your own sake to be the one in a million

but because when you go back home to

your church to your family to your

neighborhood to your workplace you’re

the one that has been commissioned in

that dark place to be the light of God

that calls people to follow you once and

for all across the Jordan and into the

promised land and I don’t know about you

but if there’s only going to be a

handful going I want to be one of them

Lord Jesus thank you for your people

thank you God that you’ve given us the

opportunity to experience the best of

what you have to offer Lord I

commissioned each and every one of us in

this room today under the sound of my

voice and I ask Lord that today would be

the day we stop wandering and that we

step foot into the Jordan with

confidence knowing you will carry us all

the way over to the other side and when

we get to that place Lord will be

faithful to turn around to those who

might be looking in our direction and

say it wasn’t us it wasn’t our ability

it was because of our great big God who

is seated on the throne and Jesus name

all God’s people said

[Applause]