There is a war over our words. Bill Johnson breaks down Paul’s letter to Timothy to encourage us that there is a war for our words. We have to take what God says and use prophesy as weapons of warfare.
[Applause]
thank you thank you
thank you
i uh i leaned over to ask chris question
i didn’t remember the question now
elena oh i left my pho my phone down
there i think today
it’s not like i need it i just don’t
want to forget it
there it is oh thank you
all right
i leaned over to ask him a question and
i just i just kind of bumped him and
when i knew over he was gone he shot
right out of that seat and i thought
i was gonna ask him
a question it’s funny i was i was with
my dad in l.a we were at a stoplight and
and uh i don’t know how it happened
but the guy in front of us was reading
his newspaper while he’s driving so he’s
part he’s he’s had a red light he’s
reading the newspaper
and my dad
honked the horn the guy threw the paper
shot through a red light
thankfully nobody was injured
but it kind of reminded me of that
moment right there i hunt my horn chris
is gone
well
i don’t even remember what i was going
to ask you but it
was a very enjoyable moment for me
you do not lack
giving me opportunities to enjoy life
[Laughter]
[Applause]
i’m going to read to you a
funny story that’s one of the first ones
i ever read here
some years ago
but i just like it so much that
i’m reading it for my personal enjoyment
if you like it join with me
as a bagpiper
i play many gigs
recently i was asked by a funeral
director to play at a graveside service
for a homeless man
he had no family or friends
so the service was to be in a pauper
cemetery in the kentucky back country
as i was not familiar with the backwoods
i got lost being a typical man i didn’t
stop and ask for directions
i finally arrived an hour late saw the
funeral guy had evidently gone the
hearse was nowhere in sight
there were only the diggers and the crew
left they were eating lunch
i felt badly apologized to the men for
being late
i went to the side of the grave looked
down at the vault lid was already in
place
i didn’t know what else to do so i
started to play
the workers put down their lunches began
to gather around
i played out my heart and soul for this
man
with no family of friends
i played like i had never played before
as i played amazing grace the workers
began to weep
they wept i wept we all wept together
why are you laughing
when i finished i packed up my bagpipes
and started for my car though my head
hung low my heart was full
as i was opening the door to my car i
heard one of the workers say
sweet mother of jesus i ain’t never seen
nothing like that before and i’ve been
putting in septic tanks for 20 years
[Applause]
[Laughter]
oh i do think that’s funny
all right open your bibles please
to the book
of first timothy
we’re going to read quite a few
scriptures so please keep it open
um
because what i want to do today
is i want to give you what i consider to
be an overall message of a book
it includes specific statements
it includes specific charges
encouragements insights but there’s an
overall message
the subject for today is a war of words
if there was ever a culture that lived
in an environment where there were war
of words it’s right now how many of you
are on social media
war of words
the entire thing is a war of words it’s
it’s uh there are so many attempts of
the enemy
to distract us from our assignment and
purpose
into fighting over specific
words
um
here’s the dangerous part
is to is to persuade me to anchor my
affections into an inferior cause
an inferior reality and what it does is
it weakens me for why i’m alive
paul is writing this letter to timothy
timothy’s his spiritual son
and so what we have here is we have we
have a dad
talking to his boy
and he is exhorting him
as to why he’s alive
and what is the expected outcome of his
life
every parent should be aware of the fact
that
as we raise our children grandparents as
we raise our children
we we have the privilege
of helping them to understand their
identity
secondly their purpose
thirdly their
destiny
we have this continuous responsibility
to reaffirm who they are
why they’re alive and where they’re
going
but there’s another interesting
thing that paul adds that i’m going to
start adding to my
my thought about our role as parents
is he starts to define
god’s intended outcome or impact for
their life
for for timothy’s life there was an
intended impact
and that impact can be found in a couple
places if you’ll just look quickly with
me
at uh 1st timothy 2. i’m going to have
you bouncing all over so
please keep your bibles open how many
have your bibles
how many of you have hard copies
all right
how many of you have
iphones ipads except my goodness
gracious all right
well all are accepted
i have i have many of each
um but if you look uh with me quickly
at uh chapter two
in the first three verses
there is a command and an invitation to
pray
the unique thing about these verses
because of how many verses i have i’m
going to read select phrases but i would
like for you to see them in your bibles
all right
in the first three verses what is unique
about this is paul is exhorting timothy
and his followers
to pray and give thanks on behalf of all
men
this is at a time when there is
persecution from government leaders and
he is actually exhorting
timothy and his followers to be thankful
even for these that are corrupt
there is something that happens when you
obey the lord when it’s not easy that
forms a christ-likeness in us that you
can’t get in any other way
obedience that is easy forms little in
us it’s important but it forms little
the the picture that i like out of
scripture
is the gates of heaven are described as
being pearl made out of pearl pearl is
formed in irritation and the whole
concept is gates are praised in isaiah
60.
and the concept is we give praise when
we’re in difficulty when it’s least
expected that’s when we give thanks
that’s when we give him honor that’s
when we give him praise that actually is
what forms in us christ-likeness that is
mature and that excuse me that maturity
is a posture position of great stability
why is that important because the lord
is looking to release glory he’s looking
to release the weightiness of blessing
that comes in so many different fashions
the weightiness of blessing on on
individuals and corporate groups on our
lives
here’s the deal though if i have a
fracture in my foundation the greater
the weight that is put upon me the
fracture increases
and so a way i like to put it is the
blessing of the lord on us unsanctified
life crushes it
but the blessing of the lord on a
sanctified life establishes it there’s a
firmness there’s a maturity and he is
looking for a group of people that he
can entrust the weightiness of his
presence the waiting of his weightiness
of his glory the reason
god’s dream
is for the earth to be filled with the
glory of god
his dream is that all the kingdoms of
the earth will be his
he’s not going to do it through a
military takeover that could be done at
any moment easily he’s doing it through
a people that become like christ that
will carry the weightiness of presence
into life so paul is addressing timothy
over a conflict and he’s giving timothy
a picture of what he intends to do so
what i’m going to do is i’m going to go
to the end of the story and give you the
outcome before i give you the process
here’s the outcome he directs timothy
into praying for all people with
thankfulness even though they don’t
deserve it and here’s the outcome verse
4
who desires all
men to be saved
there’s something about you and me
becoming like christ
there’s something about p being a people
that are unmoved by opposition and
criticism
unmoved in fact we do the opposite we
actually give thanks
in difficulty not necessarily for
but in difficulty knowing that we serve
the lord the god most high who is in
charge of everything and is
uh
defends and protects and uses every
situation that comes in our direction
for his glory and for our strength it’s
the confidence in his lordship it’s in
that context we’re able to give thanks
so that process has an intended goal
what is it the intended goal is god says
that all would be saved now look at
chapter four
chapter four has a process that we’ll
look at in a few minutes but it
concludes with verse 16.
verse 16 says take heed to yourself and
to the doctrine
and remember we’re dealing with war of
words we’re talking about ideas thoughts
concepts principles so take heed to
yourself and to the doctrine continue in
them for in doing this you will save
both yourself and those who hear you
new american standard puts it away i
like better it says
for as you persevere in this you will
ensure
salvation
both for yourself
and for all who hear you
you’ve got to know when you’ve run into
something that is way bigger than your
understanding in your faith so that you
have the wisdom to stop and to park at a
phrase that just invited you
into something that is beyond your gift
picks that is beyond your faith that is
beyond your history that is beyond your
knowledge of revival history you just
ran into a verse that god says if you do
this you will ensure
your own salvation but not only that
for everyone
in the sound of your voice
there’s very few promises in scripture
that are as big as that one
as far as i’m concerned
he’s invited me into something and he
shows me the end
before i see clearly what the beginning
is
because he’s putting the joy before me
to endure the cross the process
of becoming a people that can actually
see all
to be saved
it’s time to dream his dreams
it’s time to think his thoughts
to adjust our values to what he values
we sometimes become satisfied with
mirroring something that’s similar but
it’s not the same
he said
that you would ensure
salvation for yourself
and for everyone who hears you talk
so here i want you to look at the
challenge
it’s all the way through the book of
first timothy but we’re gonna start in
chapter one and i’m just gonna pick out
certain verses
just because i i want it to be clear in
our thinking before we we get into the
process that god’s invited us into
verse 4 says don’t give heed to fables
endless genealogies which cause disputes
rather than godly edification which is
in faith
verse 5 the purpose of the commandment
is love from a pure heart good
conscience sincere faith which some
having strayed have turned aside to idle
talk
do you hear what’s being read here
idle talk was a tool
to disengage a person from a
relationship with god and discovering
why they were alive
meaningless conversation i’m not saying
we don’t play around and talk about the
weather i’m talking about we’re talking
about values that change
the affection of the heart the target of
the affection of the her
and paul is giving a warning to a group
of people that get wrapped up in
conversation about the you know the
endless genealogies that this qualifies
you for this and this qualifies all this
stuff that just gets talked about
sometimes in christendom that is just
vain babbling and he’s saying listen it
wars with the affection of your heart
and there’s something profound about god
revealing to you and me identity purpose
destiny and outcome or intended impact
of our life there’s something about
understanding what it is god has
intended for us
so every parent
has we’ve been summoned into this role
to build a sense of identity into our
children our grandchildren we hit this
day after day after day and in that we
identify purpose this is why you’re
alive the giftings are in you were
breathed in you by god himself and these
these are the things that god has given
you to do to flourish it
all of this is important because you
have a destiny you have an intended
destiny but the destiny isn’t the reason
it’s the impact it’s that all would be
saved
and so the lord describes this life of
abundance for us because of his heart to
bring us into a place of sanctified
affections where we are truly anchored
into our reason for being
it’s interesting to me we come to the
end of
of timothy and i’m jumping ahead of the
story but it just fits in here for me
at the end of the story
tim paul says this he says command those
who are rich
in this present age not to be haughty
nor trust in uncertain riches
but instead in the living god who richly
gives us all things to enjoy interesting
verse so let’s walk through it he says
tell those who are wealthy not to set
their affections on the uncertainty of
riches it’s unstable it’s not worthy of
their affections their trust needs to be
in god himself and then it says who
richly gives us all things to be enjoyed
so it wasn’t a statement to drive us to
poverty it was a statement to drive us
to purpose yes
it’s a statement it’s a revelation of
purpose that is to drive us to
connection
because there’s something about this
passage he says
he says it’s the lord who gives you
these things
here’s the challenge
when god puts blessing in my life
if it does not endear me to him
then that blessing ends in that moment
but when it endears me to him in other
words i see this as coming from his hand
from his favor in my life my affection
for him increases my devotion for him
becomes more refined and focused what
happens is i’m drawn to him from the
blessing now the blessing can continue
to increase but the moment the blessing
ends
with me just enjoying a moment a favor
an income and increase the open door and
it’s all about me that lifespan of that
blessing ends in that moment
proverbs puts it this way he says the
lord adds blessing to our life and he
adds no sorrow to it
in other words he gives us income
without income tax
there’s heaven on earth right there
income without income tax in other words
there’s no balloon payment there’s no
buyer’s regret there’s no there’s
nothing that comes around the corner
that causes us to regret the increase
that god brought so here paul is saying
all right tell those who are rich in
this life
don’t put your don’t anchor your heart
in the uncertain in anything that’s
uncertain
anchor your heart and that which is
absolute let the blessing draw you to a
confidence in god not a confidence in
money not a confidence and blessing
why because he’s trying to get this man
timothy and his followers into a place
of refined focus refined purpose
enjoying everything that god brings but
it’s always unto something
does that make sense it’s unto something
it’s never it’s it doesn’t have a
lifespan of ending at noon today
it doesn’t have a lifespan of well when
the summer’s over then that blessing is
gone it is something that took me to the
source of the blessing for which i
become ever more
increasing in my faith my confidence my
adoration my affection
all right
so here are the warnings
idle talk verse 6 of chapter 1
look to chapter 4
chapter 4 verse 1
says the spirit expressly says that in
latter times some will depart from the
faith
giving he to deceiving spirits and
doctrines of demons
speaking lies in hypocrisy
having their own conscience seared with
a branding art then he goes into some of
the issues that they dealt with in their
day go to chapter
and verse 3.
if anyone teaches otherwise does not
consent to wholesome words even the
words of our lord jesus christ and to
the doctrines which
accords with godliness
he is proud
knowing nothing but is obsessed with
disputes and arguments over words
hello internet
arguments over words
from which come envy strife reviling
evil suspicions
useless wranglings of men of corrupt
minds destitute of truth who suppose
that godliness is a means of gain
in other words that they can obtain
godliness through their fight with their
opinions that they can somehow come into
this place of purity
paul is warning about what the war of
words
one more verse look at verse 20
verse 20 first timothy 6
o timothy guard what was committed to
your trust
avoiding the profane and idle babblings
in contradictions of what is falsely
called knowledge
all right there’s there is a string of
verses statements made
concerning
the warning the backdrop of warning so
picture this paul comes up and he says
all right
you are being hit with a wall of words
that are all fighting for your destiny
they are all fighting for your affection
all this wall of words whether it’s this
you know you could throw in any
political agenda you can throw in any
social agenda it doesn’t matter maybe
it’s a personal family thing whatever
it’s this wall of words that are all
fighting to affect why you’re alive to
have their voice their say
and the lord and and paul defines this
problem he says listen you have a higher
call and your higher call is that
everyone who hears you would be saved
everyone under your influence and to get
that result you cannot be entangled with
this because this will rob you of
strength this will rob your faith this
will redefine your purpose you will
embrace a lesser call if you’re involved
in the war of words
[Applause]
so now
it’s a little different we’re just
bouncing around the whole book
go back to chapter one
still alive
15 of you that’s all i needed really
verse 18
first timothy 1 18 this is a verse i’m
gonna say we’ve looked at several times
just in the last couple months
verse 18 again this charge i commit to
you son timothy
according to the prophecies previously
made concerning you
that by them
you wage the good warfare
look at chapter 4
verse 12
let no one despise your youth
but be an example to the believers in
word and conduct in love in spirit and
faith impurity stop right there let no
one despise your youth
for timothy’s for timothy the issue was
his age as compared to other apostolic
leaders but for you it may be your
gender maybe the fact that you’re a
woman it may be your race it may be your
income it may be your family background
it could be any number of a million
things don’t let anyone discount your
place in god
don’t let anyone undermine or disqualify
you through their treatment or their
words but here’s the interesting thing
when he says don’t let anyone disqualify
you
don’t let anyone look down on you
because of your age or your race or your
income or whatever it is don’t let
anyone do that he doesn’t instruct in
protest
or defense or self-promotion
the best answer you and i have for all
of our critics because we all have them
we all have people who would discount
our place in god every single one of us
have people who would discount our
assignment and our place in god
and the best answer we have for a critic
is to become like jesus
there isn’t a
clearer
better answer so paul says become an
example
in your conduct that’s the way you do
life in your words that’s your your
pronouncement that’s your it’s it’s that
you’ve refined what you’re willing to
speak about and what you’re not willing
to speak about in the war of words
you’ve chosen where you’re gonna put
your life on the line
and then he says in your faith that’s
your relationship with god in your love
that’s your relationship with people so
he outlines this entire opportunity that
we have to illustrate and demonstrate
what jesus is like in how we do life
that is the answer and that is how you
pull the plug
silence the voice of the people who
point to you and say you’re not
qualified you have this in your history
you’ve been married before whatever fill
in the blanks you you had this kind of
lifestyle before you came to christ
all of those things the enemy would use
to disqualify you because he’s afraid of
you becoming like what jesus said you
were to become he’s very nervous about
the redemptive process on a broken life
and every one of us we have somebody
that would disqualify us
verse
14 do not neglect
the gift that is in you
which was given to you by prophecy with
the laying out of hands of the eldership
these verses verses 12 through 16 have
been verses that i
i it’s just a feeding place for me has
been for 40 years
i can no longer claim the youth of verse
12
unless i compare myself to methuselah or
someone
you know
then i’m just a pup
that’s right so i think that’s what i’m
doing the rest of my life is i’m
comparing myself to moses or somebody
verse 14 do not neglect the gift that is
in you which was given to you by
prophecy with the laying on of hands of
the eldership do you understand that
when god speaks
he creates
and whenever the word of the lord is
spoken over somebody’s life there is an
impartation of a grace for life
a grace is given that enables us to
actually do what was described in the
word
but here’s the challenge
chapter 1 he says
fight the fight with the prophecies made
what does that mean it means your
destiny is here
you have opposition here
and all you have here is a word
see many believers and i’m telling you
it’s many a high percentage of believers
could write books on how to live off of
what god brings your way and god is so
generous that you will always have a
steady stream of love and kindness and
blessing just be in the right group and
you’ll thrive
but what you were born for
is deep in the heart
and it was called to the surface through
a prophetic word
that is bigger than your imagination
it’s bigger than what you would ever
assign for yourself it’s not the
fulfillment of your dream it’s bigger
than your dream
and that thing is planted in you and you
attract the word of the lord and in
getting that word of promise it may come
as you’re reading the scripture you may
be called out in a service you may have
a friend that calls up and say hey i was
thinking of you today and suddenly you
have this word now you have a
responsibility because god has announced
to your purpose he has announced your
destiny but it is not guaranteed it is
only accomplished by
the ache of the heart that causes me
like a hannah
to cry out for a child when i am barren
she cries out and it wasn’t until she
was able to mirror the anguish in god’s
heart
she wanted a son god wanted a prophet
and when she mirrored the ache of his
heart for a prophet that’s when the two
met and god granted her what she
requested but she had this ache and this
cry this burden of her heart for a child
that caused her to lose all sense of
public you know demeanor she she didn’t
care what anyone thought of her it
wasn’t about making herself a fool that
wasn’t the target the target was she had
to somehow express what she had in her
heart that she couldn’t find any civil
way to express she got alone with god in
the temple she lifted her voice eli
thought she was drunk out of her mind
come to find out she was passionate out
of her mind she was hungry out of her
mind
she ended up having
that son but there was something in her
that says i was born to have children
and the present announcement of being
barren and trying all these years was
not good enough it is not good enough
and so she took out of her own heart her
soul this passion that became like a
sword and this obstacle of barrenness
was slain as she met with god who
announced over her that she would have a
son and she had exactly what she cried
out for the point is every person in
this room has something
in you
that testifies you
when you’re quiet and you’re by yourself
you were born for more you were born for
more than this you were born for more
than this
you were born for more than this
it’s bigger than what you would dream on
your own it’s bigger than what would
ever make it to your prayer list it’s
bigger
it’s bigger
now take what god says
and learn how to fight
because it is in the fight we become
strong
we become mature
the cracks
get sealed get healed
so that the lord can fulfill his dream
releasing the weightiness of presence
the weightiness of blessing the
weightiness of glory upon a people who
won’t be crushed by it but instead will
be established by it because it’s the
glory of the lord he’s got a dream
and the dream is that the earth will be
filled with the glory of god he’s got a
dream that his government would always
increase in its manifestation in its
expression on the earth he’s got a dream
the dream is that the people of god
would actually host his glorious
presence in such a way
that people all over the world see that
light
of god on people’s lives and want to
know the same father this same savior
the same lord
it’s his dream
so he’s working with the timothy
and he says this gift that is in you
be absorbed in it
be absorbed in it be lost in your
passion for excellence and what god has
put in you why because your destiny is
hinged you fulfilling the reason your
life is connected to your
absolute willingness to focus on what
god has said over your life regardless
of the war of words is we feel fulfilled
with the war of words because we’re
addressing so many issues but are we
addressing why we’re alive
are we addressing what we were born for
the enemy knows he can’t get me to do
this sinful act and that sinful act so
what does he do he wants to somehow pull
me out of my assignment because then
like a dislocated arm it’s still
attached it’s still alive it just
doesn’t have its normal function it
can’t move like normal it can’t move it
doesn’t it can’t hold things it can’t
carry the weight because it’s it’s
dislocated it’s out of its function it’s
out of its purpose out of its socket
and when i have misplaced affections
i’m alive
but i’m disconnected from purpose
i’m disconnected from
purpose the enemy wars
to get me to put my affections on
something that’s inferior
because then
though i’m alive
of lost function
he says
in verse 15 meditate on these things
give yourself entirely to them
so that your progress is evident to all
in verse 16 take heed to yourself and to
the doctrine
continue in them please notice we
sometimes
make
comments about doctrine it’s not about
doctors about this that’s true but
doctrine is not a bad word it’s not a
negative word it’s actually it’s
actually a word that encompasses the
body of truth
it’s the acknowledgement that god is a
father he said jesus is a savior that’s
doctrine
and while it’s silly to
argue over
lesser things
doctrine is essentially important so
paul is providing this as an antidote
for the wall of words that is assailing
the mind of the people of god in this
city
it’s doctrine
but he says give attention to yourself
and to the doctrine and this is where we
have because as you persevere in this
you’ll save both yourself and all who
hear you
interesting note here
in uh
paul paul is addressing timothy timothy
is
the apostolic leader over ephesus
paul addresses the elders of ephesus in
acts 20. and when he does he he tells he
tells those leaders says
watch over yourself
and for the church
for the flock of god watch yourself and
the flock here to timothy says watch
yourself and the doctrine the point is
is in both cases the exhortation is
watch yourself
take care of yourself
it sounds
almost blasphemous but there is a
sanctified self-centeredness
try this sign yeah get a drink of water
first there’s a sanctified
self-sensitive obviously not ego not
selfish in the sense that everything
rotates around us but
let me give you an example
when we
uh we had a drought here for several
years
and these large trees that surround our
property they i’m told they drink 40 to
50 gallons of water every day
none of us walk by those trees going
use selfish tree
don’t you know it’s a drought
what are you doing
reaching into subterranean streams that
we could be tapping into and using for
ourselves and here you are flourishing
when everyone else is dying what’s the
matter with you
self-centered egotistical tree
now it’s silly because it’s doing what
it was designed to do it was designed to
reach into the depths of the earth to
draw whatever it needed
because if it doesn’t do that it’s not
around long enough to provide shade or
fruit or any of the reasons why that
tree is there
when you get on an airplane
the stewardess says in the unlikely
event i always like that
and the unlikely event of the need of
oxygen
panels will open in the ceiling an
oxygen mask will fall down
put it on yourself first then on those
who need assistance around you why
because if you don’t take care of
yourself first you won’t be around to
take care of the others
probably in the last 30 or 40 years i’ve
heard so much stuff there’s a season of
time it was almost weekly of teachings
and books and messages conferences on
preventing burnout burnout had
become such a high issue and problem in
the church
i’ve got a teaching on burnout i’ll give
it to you right now burnout happens when
you give out more than you’re taking in
so stop it
[Applause]
stop it
well i have so many responsibilities
well then you have a greater
responsibility to receive
none of us are that good
to just give out and not received
take heed to yourself into the doctrine
if you look one more verse with me
chapter 6
verse 20 one last time
o timothy guard what was committed to
your trust avoiding profane idle
babblings
contradictions of what is falsely called
knowledge
by professing it some have strayed
concerning the faith grace be with you
amen
if there was ever
a this is obviously just an opinion but
if there was ever
a group of people
perhaps even more
suited to receive this letter as a
personal letter
dare i see even more than timothy
himself
it is the generation that’s alive right
now why because of the wall of words
the vain babblings the idle talk the
distractions and concepts and ideas
pulling people away from the absolute
truths of the scripture
truth is not that complicated
serving jesus isn’t complicated it may
be hard but it’s not complicated
he’s lord so he’s first that kind of
sells it
you do what he says that kind of sells
that part too
it’s just it’s really fairly simple it’s
just he’s he’s god enjoys being god
it’s complicated when i entertain the
vain babbling
the idol talk the ideas that contradict
scripture and i give them a place in the
rehearsing of my mind what happens my
affections get tainted my affections
start to be distracted
start to be pulled in all these
different directions and i lose sight of
why i’m alive and if i lose sight of why
i’m alive then my impact on everyone who
hears me being saved
becomes compromised
god’s a god of design
paintings don’t appear on the wall
there’s a painter
creation doesn’t exist without a creator
there is no design
without a designer
and the god we served
designed you
commissioned you fashioned you
with significant eternal purpose
but to get to where you have an ache
to go
that which is beyond your capacity to
dream
that will require a fight
and it’s not a fight with people
it’s not a fight with these who are
using the war of words
it is a fight for your destiny
with what god says
what has god said over my life
here’s the challenge
one of my favorite verses in the bible
absolute truth one of my favorite verses
it says of moses
and he built the tabernacle
according to what he saw on the mountain
it’s an astonishing verse why
he spends weeks up in the presence of
god in the glory god gives him a pattern
shows him what he wants built when he
comes back into the valley he comes down
from the mountain and israel is
worshiping a stupid golden calf
they are in idolatrous worship there is
immorality there’s all kinds of garbage
going on in god’s name because moses
took so long he comes down and it says
he successfully built what he saw up
there in other words what was going on
around him that contradicted the vision
did not affect the vision
[Applause]
what kind was contrary to the command
did not affect the command and he was
successful at remembering because
sometimes for you and me we hear this
great promise from god but when we get
in the fight we go ah the prophet must
have been wrong that day it’s been three
years i’ve been confessing i’ve been
proclaiming i’ve been i’ve been doing
all i’ve fasted i’ve done all this stuff
it hasn’t happened it must not be god
what do we do we take the very thing
that we heard on the mountaintop
and it becomes redefined in the valley
so we become more comfortable with an
explanation for why we have not gotten
breakthrough
thankfully hannah didn’t do that
but there never would have been a samuel
you were born for something that is
extremely significant
and i hope that everybody in this room
has enough time alone
if it’s just at night going to sleep
where that that is in you becomes
activated and you begin to feel the
the pain not in a not in a morbid way
but that that which makes you willing to
move
into discomfort
because the the discomfort
of lacking breakthrough
is greater than the discomfort of being
in pursuit
we were born for this
i have already stated several times that
the intended outcome for every one of
our lives is that everyone who hears us
would come to christ
what a dream my goodness everybody
every neighbor that you spend time with
comes under that influence of grace and
they hunger to know this jesus that is
all over you what a dream
what a dream that in the workplace where
you have influence everybody under your
influence wants to know this jesus
this
is the dream of god
the chances are high
of a crowd this size
and there being people here who do not
have a personal relationship with jesus
you’ve never been what the bible calls
born again
it’s it’s a simple
act of faith
receiving jesus
as your savior as your lord as the one
who forgives of sin
there’s actually an invitation by god to
come to know him as father
the one the only one who was able
to erase your past and give you a fresh
beginning as though
you had never sinned
every one of us have this opportunity
most everybody in the room have already
made this decision it’s why we’re
together week after week after week
but
for those that are here i believe jesus
arranged your steps and made it possible
for you to be here today and so i’m
going to ask this for anyone here that
would say bill i don’t want to leave the
building till i know that i’m at peace
with god till i know what it is to be
forgiven of my sin
to know what it is to be actually
adopted into the family of god not
bethel not not a specific church but
into his family
if that’s you i’m going to ask you right
where you are just to put a hand up just
real quick to say bill that’s me right
back here
all right there’s a couple more back
over there
just put your hand up high
if that’s you
we’ve got i think three
three people or so that i see over here
anyone else i give just a moment for
this
any other else anyone else that i that i
missed
all right let me have all right down
here let me have all of you stand
another one bless you
let’s stand together
another one over here
another one over oh yeah yeah see two
more right there
wonderful
wonderful
you know there’s three people i just i
just missed so
let me throw the net out again
this is the most important thing that
could happen today
this is not only
changing the eternal destiny of an
individual but an entire family line
because as for me and my house we will
serve the lord that is our right here’s
another one
anyone else
anyone else put your hand up
so wonderful thank you jesus
beautiful i’m going to ask now
everyone that just raised your hand i
think there’s seven or so
that i was able to count i’d like to
have everybody stand if you could
stand with us we’re going to close in a
moment but not yet
i want to ask those who raised your hand
right up over here to my left we have
what we call a freedom banner and i want
to ask for everyone that just raised
your hand this has nothing to do with
joining a a a church like bethel it has
to do with people that we know and trust
that can talk and pray with you so that
you know truly what it is and experience
what it is to be loved by god forgiven
of god i want you to come right over
here to my left and we’ve got a team of
people ready for you just come on down
real quickly let’s have ministry team
come with them
ministry team come up along the front
let’s have our ministry team come on
down please real quickly
by the way
[Applause]
cal and michelle pierce i don’t know if
they were announced earlier but cal is
speaking tonight from the healing rooms
up in spokane grab your friends there’s
going to be a whole bunch of good stuff
happening tonight
i want to pray over you though first
before we release everyone
and uh and then
tom’s going to give some instructions
all right ministry team come quickly
line up along the front please
i keep praying this same prayer
i’ve prayed many weeks now in the last
few months
i cannot shake this
message
i cannot shake this message i think it’s
bigger than me identifying a season i’m
in
i feel like i feel like the lord is
drawing us into
a significance of impact that is beyond
anything we’ve ever known or dreamed of
and it’s not just bethel it’s the people
of god
so i want to pray put your hand on your
own heart i want to pray
father i ask again
and continue to ask
that you would release a grace
over us as a body of believers a grace
a grace for hearing the word of the lord
over our life and the grace that moses
had to not forget it no matter what the
circumstances said to not deny it no
matter what happened around him to hold
fast to what you say
i pray lord that you would put that kind
of devotion that kind of focus
that kind of commitment into the hearts
of this family of believers
i ask for this in jesus name
amen amen hold your places please tomo
give us some instructions