The Importance of Listening to God’s Words Over the World’s – Bill Johnson Sermon | Bethel

Bill Johnson teaches on the importance of listening to God’s words over the world’s. Teaching from Paul’s first letter to Timothy, Bill highlights the danger of letting our hearts be distracted by the words of the world and meaningless arguments, and in contrast, the power of being locked into God’s word. In our world today there is so much to be distracted by, and we need to guard our hearts from meaningless arguments and idle words which is so common on social media. Paul reminds Timothy of his destiny in Christ, and the power of God’s Word in getting him to his destiny. We must also stand strong in the word of God over our lives as it is key in reaching our destiny. Subscribe for weekly videos: https://bit.ly/bjmYoutube

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Scripture References: 1 Timothy Proverbs 10: 22 Originally shared at Bethel Church, Redding California, on June 24, 2018. Bill Johnson is a fifth-generation pastor with a rich heritage in the Holy Spirit. He is senior leader of Bethel Church in Redding, California, and is passionate about seeing Revival and God’s Kingdom established and revealed in the lives of individuals, families, communities, and nations. Bill’s teaching on the Kingdom of Heaven, hosting the Presence, and the renewed mind has helped thousands around the world to step into their true identity in Christ, God given purpose, and walk in a supernatural lifestyle displaying both purity and power. #BillJohnson #BethelChurch #GodsWord #SocialMedia #Words

there was ever a group of people perhaps

even more suited to receive this 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

I’m going to read to you of

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 from 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 asked for directions

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 or 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]

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

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

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 is 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 First Timothy two I’m going to

have you bouncing all over so uh 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

but if you look with me quickly

at 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 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 praise 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’s

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

is 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 being a people that are unmoved by

opposition in 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 4 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

you can remember we’re dealing with war

of words we’re talking about ideas

thoughts Concepts principles so take

heed to yourself end to the doctrine

continue in them for in doing this you

will save both yourself and those who

hear you The 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 and 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 has 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

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 going to start

in chapter one and I’m just going to

pick out certain verses

just because I want 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 heart

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

vein 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 outcomer intended impact of

our life there’s something about

understanding what it is God has

intended for us and 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 we’re

breathed in You by God himself and these

these are the things that God has given

you to do to flourish him

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 uh of Timothy and I’m jumping

ahead of the store 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

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 an increase so 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 of 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 under

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 one look to

chapter four chapter four verse 1. says

the spirit expressly says that in a lot

of times some will depart from the faith

giving heed 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 six

in 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.

oh Timothy guard what was committed to

your trust avoiding the profane and idle

babblings and 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’re 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 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

so good

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’ve

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 in 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 and 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 in every one of us we have

somebody that disqualify us

foreign

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 12-16 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

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 a laying out 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 of

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 in 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 or

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 they’re 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 would 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 this 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 you’re

alive 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

I’ve lost function

he says

in verse 15 meditate on these things

give yourself entirely to them

so that your progress is evident to all

verse 16 take heed to yourself and to

the doctrine

continuing them please notice we

sometimes make

comments about doctors 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 acknowledgment 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 a sailing the mind of the people of

God in this city

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

this sounds

almost Blasphemous but there is a

Sanctified self-centeredness

try this son you know get a drink of

water first

there’s a Sanctified self-centeredness

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 walked by those trees going

you selfish treaty

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

not 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 student says in the unlikely event I

always like that and the unlikely event

of the need of oxygen

panels 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 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

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 receive

take heed to yourself into the doctrine

if you’d like one more verse With Me

chapter six

verse 20 one last time

oh 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

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 settles

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 idle 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

it was 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 idolatus 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’s 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

what 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 Pro I’ve been doing all that fast

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 or

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

with 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 is 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 is able to erase your past

and give you a fresh beginning as though

and 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 I said all right there’s a

couple more back over there

just put your hand in the pot if that’s

you

we’ve got I think three three people or

so that I see over here

anyone else I’ll 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 with

another one

let’s stand together another one over

here

another one over here oh yeah yeah see

two more right there oh 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 that’s 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

foreign

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 is nothing to do with

joining 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

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 pray 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 asked for

this in Jesus name amen amen