WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.240 --> 00:00:07.599 Hallelujah. How are you doing? I have an assistant to help me preach 2 00:00:07.679 --> 00:00:13.279 today. Over on the left. If you haven't seen Roger, this is 3 00:00:13.320 --> 00:00:17.280 my trustee assistant today. Over we're on the right. I know it's a 4 00:00:17.320 --> 00:00:22.079 little harder to see on the science, but we're going to preach together today. 5 00:00:23.640 --> 00:00:29.879 This is you know who it is, Captain America. Yep, you've 6 00:00:29.920 --> 00:00:37.960 got it, Captain America. Captain America is the leader of the not the 7 00:00:38.000 --> 00:00:43.359 Disciples, the Avengers. This is the leader of the Avengers. Right. 8 00:00:43.479 --> 00:00:49.240 So, yeah, Father, we just asked you to make the word so 9 00:00:49.439 --> 00:00:57.560 rich today so powerful. Thank you in advance for describing our hearts, moving 10 00:00:57.600 --> 00:01:02.600 our hearts with what moves yours. We give you the praise for the word 11 00:01:02.679 --> 00:01:07.680 and for the body that we can come together celebrate issue look to you through 12 00:01:07.760 --> 00:01:12.120 him. We gave you the thanks for it in Jesus' name. Everybody said, 13 00:01:15.120 --> 00:01:19.200 amen, Amen, Amen, Amen. Yeah. So Captain America is 14 00:01:19.239 --> 00:01:23.799 the Captain of the Avengers. You know about that. This guy was actually 15 00:01:23.879 --> 00:01:26.519 created in nineteen forty. I didn't know if you knew that, but nineteen 16 00:01:26.599 --> 00:01:32.519 forty, so you know, Marvel picked up on him, and I knew 17 00:01:32.519 --> 00:01:36.879 you were marveling already at what I had done. But here he is. 18 00:01:37.159 --> 00:01:41.400 And I want to talk about avenging a little bit. I want to talk 19 00:01:41.439 --> 00:01:49.560 about defending and avenging because Jesus is the ultimate avenger and the ultimate defender, 20 00:01:49.760 --> 00:01:53.079 and you know, sometimes we don't know, maybe we don't think of him 21 00:01:53.079 --> 00:01:57.840 in those terms. But I want to remind us of that a little bit 22 00:01:57.239 --> 00:02:04.439 as we think about him, and just see him not only as our intercessor, 23 00:02:05.239 --> 00:02:12.639 but see that his intercessory rule is one of avenging and defending. And 24 00:02:12.719 --> 00:02:17.400 I hope to just clarify again this morning who our battle is with, who 25 00:02:17.400 --> 00:02:23.719 are warfare is with? Hebrews seven, and this is talking about, you 26 00:02:23.719 --> 00:02:29.159 know, just the amazing priesthood of Jesus. Hebrews seven is talking about Melchzedic 27 00:02:30.520 --> 00:02:34.479 and the amazing priesthood of Jesus, and it says verse twenty four. I'm 28 00:02:34.479 --> 00:02:37.879 going to pick it up there. But because Jesus lives forever, he has 29 00:02:37.919 --> 00:02:46.680 a permanent priesthood. So this priesthood relationship means he's representing us before God. 30 00:02:46.840 --> 00:02:50.319 Right, And this is part of why we pray in his name, is 31 00:02:50.360 --> 00:02:53.719 because our approach to God is through him, right, That's our approach. 32 00:02:53.800 --> 00:02:58.680 We come to God through him. So he's made a way for us to 33 00:02:58.719 --> 00:03:00.800 come to God. If it were for him, we wouldn't have a way 34 00:03:00.800 --> 00:03:02.759 to come to God. He is the way, the truth of life. 35 00:03:04.240 --> 00:03:07.759 No man come to the Father but through him. Right And so it says 36 00:03:07.800 --> 00:03:12.759 he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he's able to save completely those who come 37 00:03:12.960 --> 00:03:22.639 to God through him because he always lives to intercede for them. King James 38 00:03:22.639 --> 00:03:28.240 translation, he ever liveth to intercede. Now that means that that's actually been 39 00:03:28.240 --> 00:03:35.840 his role from the beginning. It's not just his role since his first advent. 40 00:03:36.080 --> 00:03:40.919 This has actually been his role from the beginning. Is and we know 41 00:03:42.000 --> 00:03:49.000 that because he is the Lamb that was slain from the foundation of the world. 42 00:03:49.879 --> 00:03:53.120 So this has been his role. Alonge is to be our intercensor, 43 00:03:53.240 --> 00:03:58.680 to be to be the one who would represent us before the Father. And 44 00:03:59.039 --> 00:04:04.039 he was prepared to do so even from the foundation of the world. So 45 00:04:04.360 --> 00:04:09.199 he ever lives. And here's a little bit about what an intercessor means. 46 00:04:09.240 --> 00:04:12.759 And I think we can conclude a bunch. And when I think about intercessor, 47 00:04:12.879 --> 00:04:15.040 like, I'm all thumbs. I don't know what in the world. 48 00:04:15.120 --> 00:04:21.399 An intercessor is we're exhorted in the intercession. And there's examples of intercession, 49 00:04:23.920 --> 00:04:28.600 but I think the greatest example of intercession is actually the life of Jesus. 50 00:04:28.680 --> 00:04:32.040 Right. He's the embodiment of the heart of God toward us. He's the 51 00:04:32.079 --> 00:04:38.920 embodiment of the prophets. He's the embodiment of every prayer that was prayed from 52 00:04:38.959 --> 00:04:46.959 the beginning of Adam's fall and just the desperation. Can you imagine the desperation 53 00:04:46.240 --> 00:04:50.560 of Adam and Eve, Hello, somebody, can you imagine having lived in 54 00:04:50.600 --> 00:04:57.040 the garden of Eden and now you're out and there's fiery angels at the east 55 00:04:57.319 --> 00:05:01.240 entrance, and your whole life has changed. So from the very beginning of 56 00:05:01.319 --> 00:05:09.480 that fall until his coming, he was the embodiment of what it was to 57 00:05:09.560 --> 00:05:13.199 intercede, what it was to avenge, what it was to defend, what 58 00:05:13.279 --> 00:05:15.959 it was. And so you know, some things we can conclude about that 59 00:05:17.519 --> 00:05:24.120 is that he ever lives to represent us to God and therefore against the enemy. 60 00:05:24.839 --> 00:05:27.360 And I want to touch on that more as we go. He ever 61 00:05:27.399 --> 00:05:30.240 lives to fight for us, he ever lives to save us from our enemies, 62 00:05:30.519 --> 00:05:36.360 he ever lives to deliver us. He ever lives to stand between us 63 00:05:36.360 --> 00:05:41.519 and those who would devour us, he ever lives as our representative, he 64 00:05:41.600 --> 00:05:45.759 ever lives as our attorney. We know the Holy Spirit is called the paraclitos 65 00:05:46.639 --> 00:05:50.600 in the Greek. He is our representative, he's our attorney. But do 66 00:05:50.759 --> 00:05:56.959 we realize that the Holy Spirit is just the spirit of Jesus sent to dwell 67 00:05:57.000 --> 00:06:03.279 in us. While Jesus, in an actual tangible being, is at the 68 00:06:03.360 --> 00:06:09.120 right hand of the Father. The Holy Spirit of Jesus has been sent to 69 00:06:09.199 --> 00:06:15.079 dwell in us to renew us and open up the Holy Spirit communion with Father. 70 00:06:15.199 --> 00:06:23.120 But that Holy Spirit, who we would consider our attorney, our representative, 71 00:06:23.720 --> 00:06:26.839 the Holy Spirit, is actually the spirit of Jesus. So Jesus is 72 00:06:26.879 --> 00:06:33.600 our attorney. Jesus is your attorney. Jesus is your defender. Now he's 73 00:06:33.720 --> 00:06:40.040 defending us, and he is representing us, and he's our attorney on the 74 00:06:40.079 --> 00:06:42.839 basis of what he's done, not on the basis of what you've done, 75 00:06:43.120 --> 00:06:46.000 on the basis of what he's done. He's representing us before the Father, 76 00:06:48.680 --> 00:06:55.040 and so he silences our accuser. Right, he's our attorney, he's our 77 00:06:55.199 --> 00:06:59.600 justification. But the Bible says not only our justification, but our justifier. 78 00:07:01.279 --> 00:07:06.720 He is the embodiment of other's father's heart toward us. If you want to 79 00:07:06.720 --> 00:07:11.560 think about the father's heart toward you, the father's heart toward mankind, we 80 00:07:11.639 --> 00:07:18.000 have to realize that Jesus is the embodiment of Father's heart toward us. So 81 00:07:18.160 --> 00:07:25.959 when religion or religiosity or whatever you know we've all heard or thought or think 82 00:07:26.000 --> 00:07:30.279 of or whatever you know, whatever we would think of with regard to Father's 83 00:07:30.360 --> 00:07:32.439 heart, we have to see the full embodiment of his heart is hidden in 84 00:07:32.519 --> 00:07:50.319 Jesus. So he is an expression that could not find its fulfillment until he 85 00:07:50.399 --> 00:07:54.759 came and bore my sins and allowed me to come back and to come near. 86 00:07:56.959 --> 00:08:01.519 That's another interesting thing, is no matter what you think about God and 87 00:08:01.360 --> 00:08:05.680 a picture of God or God the Father in the Old Testament, you have 88 00:08:05.720 --> 00:08:13.560 to realize that God's heart could not find an ultimate expression of intercession toward us 89 00:08:13.680 --> 00:08:20.000 to rescue us until Jesus had come and bore everything that I deserved in his 90 00:08:20.079 --> 00:08:26.560 own body. And so Jesus is the full expression of the fulfillment of Father's 91 00:08:26.560 --> 00:08:31.160 heart toward me. And it's kind of summed up in Corinthians five eighteen. 92 00:08:31.600 --> 00:08:35.639 It says God reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of 93 00:08:35.679 --> 00:08:43.360 reconciliation, and that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ. He 94 00:08:43.440 --> 00:08:50.360 was reconciling the world. He wasn't reconciling Christians to himself in Christ. He 95 00:08:50.399 --> 00:08:56.879 was reconciling the world to himself in Christ. He was reconciling every person to 96 00:08:58.000 --> 00:09:03.600 himself in Christ and not counting people's sins against them. Now, this is 97 00:09:03.679 --> 00:09:09.320 interesting. This is the heart of God. The heart of God is that 98 00:09:09.360 --> 00:09:13.879 he's not counting people's sins against them, that He's actually dealt with all sin 99 00:09:15.000 --> 00:09:18.679 in Christ. And these are crazy things and cool things for us to wrap 100 00:09:18.720 --> 00:09:22.840 our heart around, our mind around, because it's powerful to shift us out 101 00:09:22.879 --> 00:09:28.600 of a legalistic aspect toward others into a grace based aspect toward others. Not 102 00:09:28.679 --> 00:09:33.120 that we omit truth, but Jesus was the embodiment of grace and truth. 103 00:09:33.639 --> 00:09:39.480 So John Wan says, Moses gave us the law, but Jesus has given 104 00:09:39.559 --> 00:09:45.159 us grace and truth. And this is super important for us. And we 105 00:09:45.279 --> 00:09:48.879 see some other things about his intercession over in Isaiah in these passages that talk 106 00:09:48.919 --> 00:09:54.000 about him before he came, So several hundred years before he came, the 107 00:09:54.000 --> 00:09:58.399 prophet Isaiah was talking about what it would be like when he came, and 108 00:09:58.440 --> 00:10:01.720 what he would be like when he came, and Isaiah fifty nine is one 109 00:10:01.720 --> 00:10:05.759 of those it says truth is nowhere to be found, and whoever shuns evil 110 00:10:07.000 --> 00:10:13.519 becomes a prey. That sounds like a bad time to live in. But 111 00:10:13.600 --> 00:10:18.360 the Lord looked and was displeased that there was no justice. He saw that 112 00:10:18.399 --> 00:10:22.440 there was no one. He was appalled that there was no one to intervene. 113 00:10:22.679 --> 00:10:26.519 So his own arm achieves salvation for him. He put on righteousness as 114 00:10:26.559 --> 00:10:31.039 at breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on his head. He put on 115 00:10:31.080 --> 00:10:35.559 the garments of vengeance and wrapped himself in zeal as a cloak. Now this 116 00:10:37.200 --> 00:10:41.679 is an interesting thing when we think about an avenger, and here we are 117 00:10:41.879 --> 00:10:48.519 with Captain America, an avenger and he's set out against evil. And I 118 00:10:48.559 --> 00:10:52.639 think it's very interesting that it Marvel or Disney or whatever it is, many 119 00:10:52.639 --> 00:10:58.200 times they're actually reaching in the themes that we understand because there's a thread of 120 00:10:58.240 --> 00:11:01.960 Biblical reference in all of our hearts, and what all of us yearn for 121 00:11:01.240 --> 00:11:07.159 is some hero that will deliver us from some bad villain. It's a biblical 122 00:11:07.320 --> 00:11:13.200 thread, even woven into culture and society, and Jesus is that avenger. 123 00:11:13.879 --> 00:11:20.000 And I think it's very important that we keep the theme very clear that it's 124 00:11:20.240 --> 00:11:26.600 rescuing people from evil, not judging people because they're evil. This is a 125 00:11:26.720 --> 00:11:31.159 huge biblical theme, and we can get confused if we let religion weigh on 126 00:11:31.279 --> 00:11:37.159 us too heavy, and we can begin judging one another and judging people and 127 00:11:37.279 --> 00:11:41.159 judging the young saved, which is not the full expression of what an intercessor 128 00:11:41.279 --> 00:11:50.879 is, A defender, is an avenger is more shouting would be even more 129 00:11:50.879 --> 00:11:56.639 exciting at this moment Isaiah sixty one. The fear of the Sovereign Lord is 130 00:11:56.679 --> 00:12:01.600 upon me because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. 131 00:12:03.559 --> 00:12:07.600 Now, this is again another Messianic passage. We know it's a Messianic 132 00:12:07.600 --> 00:12:13.559 passage. How do we know that because when Jesus was baptized Luke chapter three, 133 00:12:13.679 --> 00:12:18.799 Luke chapter four. When Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit descended on 134 00:12:18.960 --> 00:12:26.559 him, and then he immediately went into the wilderness fastest forty days. At 135 00:12:26.559 --> 00:12:31.720 the end of that time, he hungers, he faces the enemy, he 136 00:12:31.879 --> 00:12:39.799 undergoes major temptations from the enemy. Then Luke chapter four fourteen, Jesus returned 137 00:12:41.200 --> 00:12:48.480 to Galilee from overcoming Satan, and news about him spread throughout the whole countryside, 138 00:12:48.720 --> 00:12:50.480 and he was teaching in their synagogues, and everyone praised him. He 139 00:12:50.559 --> 00:12:52.799 went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath 140 00:12:52.840 --> 00:12:58.600 day went into the synagogue, and one his custom he stood up to read, 141 00:12:58.879 --> 00:13:01.279 and the scroll of the proper Isaiah was handed to him. He unrolled 142 00:13:01.279 --> 00:13:05.440 it. He found the place that I'm about to read out of chapter sixty 143 00:13:05.440 --> 00:13:07.399 one. The spear of the Lord is upon me, because He's anointed me 144 00:13:07.440 --> 00:13:13.759 to preach good news to the poor. He sent me to proclaim freedom for 145 00:13:13.000 --> 00:13:16.679 prisoners, recovery of sight to the blind, to set the oppress free, 146 00:13:16.720 --> 00:13:22.360 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor. Then he rolled up the scroll, 147 00:13:22.440 --> 00:13:24.240 gave it back to the attendant, and then he said, and he 148 00:13:24.360 --> 00:13:28.960 began to say, And it isn't recorded all that he said. It just 149 00:13:28.000 --> 00:13:37.759 says that he began to say, this scripture is fulfilled today in your hearing 150 00:13:37.159 --> 00:13:41.039 that's the first day of his ministry. That's the beginning of his ministry. 151 00:13:41.159 --> 00:13:45.600 He returns from the wilderness in the power of this Holy Spirit, and he 152 00:13:45.679 --> 00:13:52.960 begins his ministry, and he quotes this because it's all about what Isaiah foresaw. 153 00:13:52.240 --> 00:14:05.440 It's all about avenging the children of Adam of their enemies. It's about 154 00:14:05.519 --> 00:14:11.039 avenging the children of Adam of their enemies. I mean, this is the 155 00:14:11.240 --> 00:14:16.600 amazing thing about Jesus is that he's come. Now. Remember I don't know 156 00:14:16.600 --> 00:14:24.000 if you remember, but you know, months ago we talked about how the 157 00:14:24.639 --> 00:14:31.840 nations in the Table of Nations in Genesis ten eleven two Bible Table of Nations, 158 00:14:33.279 --> 00:14:37.960 we talked about how that God divided up the nations into seventy nations, 159 00:14:37.000 --> 00:14:46.679 sixty nine were given over to unclean Elohim. And these unclean Elohim spiritual princes 160 00:14:46.679 --> 00:14:54.440 of the spirit realm. They were given lordship or dominion over the nations because 161 00:14:54.480 --> 00:15:01.799 the nations had chosen to rebel against God, and so God turns them over 162 00:15:01.919 --> 00:15:09.399 to what we hear Daniel talk about in chapter ten. Daniel says he's praying 163 00:15:09.399 --> 00:15:18.240 in Daniel chapter ten, remember this, Remember that Israel was under Babylon and 164 00:15:18.279 --> 00:15:22.720 then also under Persia, and this is the time of judgment for Israel, 165 00:15:22.840 --> 00:15:28.120 and so he's praying. And at that time, though Daniel is a Jewish 166 00:15:28.320 --> 00:15:39.200 young man and a leader in what was Babylon also now Persia, he's still 167 00:15:39.200 --> 00:15:43.519 devoted to God, he still knows Jehovah, he's still one of Abraham's kids. 168 00:15:43.919 --> 00:15:46.240 And so he's praying. Remember that. I don't know if you remember, 169 00:15:46.480 --> 00:15:50.080 but he's praying because he had the same revelation that Niemiah had when Niamayah 170 00:15:50.279 --> 00:15:58.159 was interceding. So Niemiyah interceded before God on behalf of the children of Israel. 171 00:15:58.240 --> 00:16:03.360 Also because there had been a proclamation by God through Jeremiah that there would 172 00:16:03.360 --> 00:16:11.519 be a seventy year period where Israel would be under judgment for their sin and 173 00:16:11.559 --> 00:16:15.879 their rebellion toward God, and that at the end of that seventy years they 174 00:16:15.919 --> 00:16:19.559 would be restored. So we find the Amaya starting chapter one, he's interceding. 175 00:16:21.240 --> 00:16:23.679 When we turned to Daniel, we see Daniel interceding. And if you 176 00:16:23.799 --> 00:16:29.519 remember, right, because we're coming into that season ourselves, right, I 177 00:16:29.519 --> 00:16:32.240 know, we've been feasting, but we're about ready to go into fasting. 178 00:16:33.039 --> 00:16:37.279 And so our twenty one day Daniel fast is coming up shortly, and so 179 00:16:37.399 --> 00:16:42.480 he's praying, he's interceding, and it says that like the skies were like 180 00:16:42.600 --> 00:16:48.440 brass, and there was no answer. But at the end of the twenty 181 00:16:48.480 --> 00:16:55.279 one day period, it says that he has an angelic visitation and the angel 182 00:16:55.360 --> 00:17:03.519 that appears to him says that the Prince of Persia was standing against your answer 183 00:17:03.639 --> 00:17:08.400 coming through. Remember that. Let me you remember that Daniel chapter ten, 184 00:17:10.079 --> 00:17:18.440 the Prince of Persia was actually resisting the answer of your prayer having a breakthrough. 185 00:17:18.599 --> 00:17:23.079 And so Michael, by the way, is the elohem, the prince 186 00:17:23.559 --> 00:17:30.839 that was given lordship from an angelic perspective over the children of Israel. And 187 00:17:30.920 --> 00:17:37.519 so it says that Michael is the one that came to Daniel and they needed 188 00:17:37.720 --> 00:17:41.319 assistance. It says there was a war in the spirit realm, and then 189 00:17:41.359 --> 00:17:48.200 they broke through the resistance that the Prince of Persia had put up against their 190 00:17:48.279 --> 00:17:53.559 answer, and now they had come with the answer to Daniel's prayer, Daniel's 191 00:17:53.599 --> 00:18:00.160 prayer of intercession on behalf of the children of Israel. So there's this there's 192 00:18:00.200 --> 00:18:03.400 warfare going on in the spirit realm all the time. There's things going on 193 00:18:03.400 --> 00:18:08.839 in the spirit rum all the time. And you've got these sixty nine Elohim, 194 00:18:10.920 --> 00:18:18.599 unclean angelic beings that have had dominion over the nations since the division of 195 00:18:18.640 --> 00:18:29.079 the Nations, and now those unclean ones have been conquered by Jesus. But 196 00:18:29.119 --> 00:18:33.640 Paul says, we still have a wrestling match going on. There's still a 197 00:18:33.680 --> 00:18:37.240 wrestling match going on, and the wrestling match, the victory of the wrestling 198 00:18:37.319 --> 00:18:45.799 match over the nations is very much determined the winner, the victory the plunder 199 00:18:45.960 --> 00:18:51.960 of the nations, that bringing in of the nations into the Gospel. It's 200 00:18:52.079 --> 00:18:59.319 very much determined by those who rise up in intercession, as Nearby did, 201 00:18:59.720 --> 00:19:06.559 as Daniel did, and as Jesus modeled force as the ultimate intercessor. So 202 00:19:06.599 --> 00:19:11.279 when we think about Jesus as this intercessor, we think about him, we 203 00:19:11.640 --> 00:19:17.079 have to see that it's not just somebody who stands between us and God, 204 00:19:17.680 --> 00:19:27.160 but he is a defender. He is an avenger that on behalf of the 205 00:19:27.160 --> 00:19:33.039 sons of Adam still to this day, because he ever lives to make intercession 206 00:19:33.039 --> 00:19:40.599 on our behalf. That means that up until this day and still that he 207 00:19:40.880 --> 00:19:45.920 is releasing over the body of Christ, the believers, those who are one 208 00:19:45.960 --> 00:19:49.400 with Him in the spirit, the spirit of intercession, the ministry of intercession, 209 00:19:49.759 --> 00:19:55.880 the spirit of a defender, the spirit of an avenger. That we 210 00:19:56.200 --> 00:20:03.160 are the ultimate expression of how this whole victory is going to play out. 211 00:20:08.319 --> 00:20:15.079 And I'm just saying this because sometimes we need a refreshing on this, because 212 00:20:15.200 --> 00:20:23.000 this whole mindset has a tendency to leak because what our flesh knows and what 213 00:20:23.039 --> 00:20:32.039 our flesh understands, what carnality understands, we understand it works, we understand 214 00:20:32.319 --> 00:20:38.079 legalism, we understand self righteousness. So we have a tendency to see people 215 00:20:38.119 --> 00:20:45.279 through that lens as well. So that's part of what has to be conquered, 216 00:20:47.240 --> 00:20:53.279 is seeing people through the wrong lens. Isaiahk you one, let me 217 00:20:53.319 --> 00:20:57.000 just finish it real quick. You know, if what Father has is bad 218 00:20:57.119 --> 00:21:02.799 news, right, because I mean if he's if he's if he's if he's 219 00:21:02.839 --> 00:21:07.279 about crushing people and beating people up, if this whole thing is like like 220 00:21:07.359 --> 00:21:11.759 he's mad with people, Like if Father is really mad with people, if 221 00:21:11.880 --> 00:21:18.480 Jesus is the one assigned to the earth because he's because Father is mad at 222 00:21:18.480 --> 00:21:25.519 people. Then even this passage about him which he quoted is being fulfilled through 223 00:21:25.599 --> 00:21:29.559 him, wouldn't make sense? Like, why would he be bringing good news 224 00:21:29.599 --> 00:21:36.799 to the poor. The Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the 225 00:21:36.839 --> 00:21:41.599 poor. Wouldn't you want to bring like a rebuke to the poor, right, 226 00:21:41.359 --> 00:21:47.039 wouldn't that make more sense? He has sent me to bind up the 227 00:21:47.039 --> 00:21:51.200 broken hearted, But didn't they get Aren't they broken hearted because they had something 228 00:21:51.200 --> 00:21:57.359 to do with it? Aren't they just stupid? And he's sent me to 229 00:21:57.440 --> 00:22:07.200 release from darkness prisoners? But why are they hanging out in darkness? Don't 230 00:22:07.240 --> 00:22:12.680 you know that they're the problem? And they're white? Are in darkness because 231 00:22:12.680 --> 00:22:18.400 they're so dark? And to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor. But 232 00:22:18.559 --> 00:22:22.480 he goes on to define the year of the Lord's favor it's favor for humans 233 00:22:22.599 --> 00:22:29.960 and its vengeance on Satan. We have to understand the context. It's favor 234 00:22:30.119 --> 00:22:36.559 for humans. He is the livings. You believe he is the living fiftieth 235 00:22:36.640 --> 00:22:42.400 year, he is the living embodiment. And that's what intercession is all about. 236 00:22:42.440 --> 00:22:49.640 What intercession is all about is about confronting those that would devour and harm 237 00:22:49.799 --> 00:23:00.759 our friends. Our relatives and our enemies, to proclaim the year Lord's favor 238 00:23:00.079 --> 00:23:03.240 and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, 239 00:23:03.720 --> 00:23:07.759 to provide for those who grieve in Zion, and bestow upon them a crown 240 00:23:07.759 --> 00:23:11.160 of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, a 241 00:23:11.200 --> 00:23:18.880 garment of praise instead of despair. Oh, and didn't you know they're actually 242 00:23:18.960 --> 00:23:22.119 royalty and they're going to be called oaks of righteousness. The planting of the 243 00:23:22.160 --> 00:23:32.519 Lord for the display of his splendor, isn't that crazy? I love it 244 00:23:32.559 --> 00:23:36.240 that the Lord, that this spirit of intercession, that in the ministry of 245 00:23:36.279 --> 00:23:41.279 the Lord, the Lord doesn't wait for people to manifest hunger. The Lord 246 00:23:41.319 --> 00:23:48.400 doesn't wait for people to come to him. That an intercessor or a defender 247 00:23:48.559 --> 00:23:56.440 or an avenger is observant. The Lord was observant, and so he's not 248 00:23:56.519 --> 00:24:00.240 waiting. And this is Isaiah sixty five, which is kind of crazy Isaiah 249 00:24:00.319 --> 00:24:03.559 sixty five. And I kind of thought of it during worship, so I 250 00:24:03.559 --> 00:24:07.759 looked it up. And so if you see me messing with my phone most 251 00:24:07.799 --> 00:24:11.640 of the time up here, I'm not on Facebook. I'm actually like having 252 00:24:11.640 --> 00:24:15.480 a download of something from the Holy Spirit. So Isaiah sixty five, I 253 00:24:15.559 --> 00:24:18.960 revealed myself to those who did not ask for me. I was found by 254 00:24:19.000 --> 00:24:22.960 those who did not seek me, to a nation that did not call on 255 00:24:23.039 --> 00:24:27.640 my name. I said, here am I. This is kind of crazy. 256 00:24:29.160 --> 00:24:32.039 There goes my water. This is kind of crazy. But don't worry 257 00:24:32.039 --> 00:24:34.559 about it. But the heart of Father. See, we have a tendency 258 00:24:34.599 --> 00:24:38.880 to think. If they move toward me, I'll move toward them. If 259 00:24:38.920 --> 00:24:45.000 they appear hungry, I'll make myself available if they seem to if they seem 260 00:24:45.400 --> 00:24:48.200 to want prayer, then I'll pray for them. But if they don't seem 261 00:24:48.200 --> 00:24:52.319 to be open, I don't want to infringe on their personal space. Jesus 262 00:24:52.440 --> 00:25:00.039 infringed. God is an infringer. The spirit of defending and a is a 263 00:25:00.200 --> 00:25:06.839 spirit from God that infringes that. It gets into your personal space, it 264 00:25:06.880 --> 00:25:11.720 gets into your grill. And this is what he's modeling for us. Everything 265 00:25:11.759 --> 00:25:15.039 that he's doing, he's modeling for us. It's like, you know, 266 00:25:15.119 --> 00:25:18.559 he goes into the synagogue. Look chapter four. After he this is the 267 00:25:18.599 --> 00:25:21.839 first day of his ministry. He goes into the synagogue. He goes to 268 00:25:21.960 --> 00:25:29.039 Nazareth on the Sabbath Day verse sixteen, and the prophet the scrolls handed to 269 00:25:29.079 --> 00:25:33.039 him. But then he goes down to Capernaum verse thirty one, into a 270 00:25:33.119 --> 00:25:37.000 town in Galilee, and he teaches a little bit there. And then in 271 00:25:37.039 --> 00:25:41.480 the synagogue there's a man with an impure spirit. He cries out at the 272 00:25:41.519 --> 00:25:44.000 top of his voice, going away, to what do we have to do 273 00:25:44.039 --> 00:25:45.799 with you, Jesus of Nazareth. Have you come to destroy us? I 274 00:25:45.839 --> 00:25:48.680 know who you are, the Holy One of God? He says, be 275 00:25:48.799 --> 00:25:52.559 quiet and come out of him, And immediately the guy's delivered. And then 276 00:25:52.599 --> 00:25:56.640 it just goes on, you know, the ministry just goes on. Jesus 277 00:25:56.759 --> 00:26:00.559 leaves the synagogue. He goes to the home of Simon and his mother in 278 00:26:00.680 --> 00:26:03.720 law who's suffering from a high fever. They asked Jesus to help her. 279 00:26:03.720 --> 00:26:10.240 He've been over and rebuke the fever. They've never seen a fever rebuked. 280 00:26:12.799 --> 00:26:17.720 At sunset, people were brought to Jesus and had all kinds of various sicknesses 281 00:26:17.720 --> 00:26:21.119 and diseases, and he lays his hands on them and he heals them. 282 00:26:21.720 --> 00:26:25.279 This is we're still in Looke four. We haven't even gotten I mean, 283 00:26:25.359 --> 00:26:29.200 like this is just the beginning of stuff that he's doing, and what he's 284 00:26:29.240 --> 00:26:33.799 doing all the way through. He's showing us what an intercessor does. He's 285 00:26:33.839 --> 00:26:37.680 showing us what an advenger does. He's showing us what a defender does. 286 00:26:37.759 --> 00:26:41.039 Now, I know, around here we talk about deliverance and we talk about 287 00:26:41.079 --> 00:26:45.240 how you're deputized. But most of the time when we talk about deliverance and 288 00:26:45.279 --> 00:26:48.000 we talk about how you're deputized, it's most of the time it's like in 289 00:26:48.000 --> 00:26:52.920 a private session, Roman says, you know, uh, Pastor Dwine, 290 00:26:52.000 --> 00:26:56.359 could you pray with me? I got something really bugging me or something kind 291 00:26:56.359 --> 00:27:00.839 of been you know, just kind of harming me or my family, or 292 00:27:00.079 --> 00:27:03.319 you know, somebody comes to me, mister Craig, or you know, 293 00:27:03.400 --> 00:27:07.880 somebody comes mad Or Roger one's prayer and you sat down with them, and 294 00:27:08.200 --> 00:27:18.920 at that moment you clothe yourself with intercessor, defender, avenger. And it's 295 00:27:18.960 --> 00:27:21.799 not at that moment, you know what, It's not about confronting them, 296 00:27:21.960 --> 00:27:26.640 is it. No, it's not about confronting them. Oh, well, 297 00:27:26.799 --> 00:27:33.920 I'm glad you have a we're going to have this session together. So you've 298 00:27:33.960 --> 00:27:41.160 got some vulnerabilities, eh, so you've been having some rough times. I 299 00:27:41.200 --> 00:27:48.160 learned you something. No. I sat down across from the table from them, 300 00:27:48.960 --> 00:27:55.559 deputized in the authority of Jesus, as an avenger, as a defender, 301 00:27:56.119 --> 00:28:00.119 as an intercessor. I'm going to get between them and Father, and 302 00:28:00.200 --> 00:28:11.720 I'm going to get between them and the enemy. Now, Father, this 303 00:28:11.839 --> 00:28:15.880 is your son down here, and I know. I know that they deserve 304 00:28:15.960 --> 00:28:22.960 mercy not judgment, because of what Jesus done on their behalf. Well, 305 00:28:22.000 --> 00:28:26.039 you can't say that about non Christians. Oh yeah, you're messed up. 306 00:28:26.680 --> 00:28:33.400 Yes you can, Yes you can, And yes Jesus did. And everywhere 307 00:28:33.440 --> 00:28:38.400 he went. Nobody had to get qualified to get healed. Everywhere Jesus went, 308 00:28:38.519 --> 00:28:42.480 nobody had to get qualified to get healed. Everywhere he went. Nobody 309 00:28:42.480 --> 00:28:48.359 had to get qualified to get healed. Nobody had to get qualified religiously to 310 00:28:48.440 --> 00:28:53.559 get healed or ministered to or loved or forgiven. Nobody had to get qualified. 311 00:28:53.680 --> 00:28:56.799 Nobody had to measure up. Nobody had to come through a few hoops. 312 00:28:57.039 --> 00:29:03.559 Nobody had to Nobody had to do things before he was prophesying over Nathaniel 313 00:29:03.960 --> 00:29:11.519 or over Levi or over the Centurion. Nobody had to do anything to measure 314 00:29:11.599 --> 00:29:23.039 up mark five. You know the story in mark five. Mark five comes 315 00:29:23.079 --> 00:29:26.839 right after mark four. This is where they're going across the water in the 316 00:29:26.839 --> 00:29:32.200 boat and the big storm rows and a big storm rose. Maybe the storm 317 00:29:32.240 --> 00:29:37.240 arose because they knew who was on the other side. So when they got 318 00:29:37.279 --> 00:29:41.240 to the other side, after he rebuked the wind and the waves, maybe 319 00:29:41.279 --> 00:29:44.400 he knew what was on the other side. And so when they got to 320 00:29:44.440 --> 00:29:48.960 the other side, here's the madman from the gatherings, And here's this guy 321 00:29:48.119 --> 00:29:51.599 naked, and he's up on the beach a little bit. And if you 322 00:29:51.680 --> 00:29:55.680 came up in your little bayliner boat with your evn rude motor and you saw 323 00:29:55.720 --> 00:29:57.839 a naked guy running around, you might be like, we're at the wrong 324 00:29:57.880 --> 00:30:02.400 beach. Honey, turned around, put the boat in reverse. Please don't 325 00:30:02.440 --> 00:30:04.799 put down the anchor. We're not going in. But no, Jesus. 326 00:30:04.880 --> 00:30:11.640 From a distance, he starts commanding the spirit to leave him alone. He's 327 00:30:11.680 --> 00:30:15.079 not speaking to the man. We don't even know that the man could hear 328 00:30:15.240 --> 00:30:21.799 him. The spirits in the man heard him, but at a distance he's 329 00:30:21.839 --> 00:30:26.759 commanding get out of him, leave him alone. This is the spirit of 330 00:30:26.839 --> 00:30:33.119 the Avenger. This is what we're called to church. This is what we're 331 00:30:33.160 --> 00:30:45.319 anointed for Church. We are the embodiment of the Avenger. This is March. 332 00:30:45.599 --> 00:30:47.839 This guy didn't ask for it. The guy didn't ask for it. 333 00:30:47.920 --> 00:30:49.319 In fact is if you would have listened to the voice that came out of 334 00:30:49.359 --> 00:30:52.839 the man, it would have been exactly the opposite of being asked. It 335 00:30:52.880 --> 00:30:56.720 would have been the opposite. He yelled, what have we to do with 336 00:30:56.759 --> 00:31:03.240 you? Right like they are resisting Mark five one through ten. They're resisting. 337 00:31:03.240 --> 00:31:04.759 If Jesus would have paid attention to the voice that he heard, he 338 00:31:04.799 --> 00:31:10.000 would have said, oh wrong, beach, guys, back it up. 339 00:31:10.039 --> 00:31:12.720 This guy wants nothing to do with us. But he knew that it was 340 00:31:14.039 --> 00:31:18.960 not the spirit of the man speaking. He knew his spirit was speaking through 341 00:31:19.279 --> 00:31:25.680 the man, and so he continues in his advancement of attacking the spirit that 342 00:31:25.799 --> 00:31:30.720 was speaking through the man. We have to realize Ephesian six ten through eighteen 343 00:31:32.279 --> 00:31:37.519 that our intercession over people is so effective that we're not fighting with flesh and 344 00:31:37.559 --> 00:31:41.240 blood. We're not fighting with flesh and blood. We're not fighting with flesh 345 00:31:41.279 --> 00:31:44.440 and blood. We're not fighting with flesh and blood. We're not fighting with 346 00:31:44.519 --> 00:31:53.359 flesh and blood. We are at war with principalities and powers He's unclean egelo 347 00:31:53.519 --> 00:32:02.559 Him that have been loosed, and we're loosed to assert their will through the 348 00:32:02.640 --> 00:32:08.799 people of their nations, holding them in captivity. But now they have been 349 00:32:08.880 --> 00:32:13.759 put under the feet of Jesus, and what's left for us to do is 350 00:32:13.799 --> 00:32:20.240 to confront them in our authority and be an intercessor, like a defender and 351 00:32:20.279 --> 00:32:31.319 an avenger. Because if we begin to do that in the spirit, then 352 00:32:31.480 --> 00:32:38.799 our activity, our behavior, what we walk out in the natural will reflect 353 00:32:40.839 --> 00:32:47.359 the open doors that have been created in the spirit realm, because as Paul 354 00:32:47.440 --> 00:32:53.839 instructs us to do, we've entered in the intercession. Intercession first in the 355 00:32:53.880 --> 00:33:07.039 spirit over people, over tribes, over kindreds, over tongues, over nations. 356 00:33:07.119 --> 00:33:13.880 And then we've lived as an intercessor, dispensing love, dispensing healing, 357 00:33:14.359 --> 00:33:23.119 dispensing kindness to those who aren't worthy. But we're not so worthy ourselves, 358 00:33:23.200 --> 00:33:37.599 are we? Let's sad this morning John twenty verse twenty. After he said 359 00:33:37.599 --> 00:33:42.960 this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples were overjoyed 360 00:33:42.960 --> 00:33:45.839 when they saw the Lord. This is when he breathed on them, and 361 00:33:45.960 --> 00:33:50.480 they received the Holy Spirit. And again Jesus said, peace be with you, 362 00:33:52.039 --> 00:34:09.880 as the Father has sent me. I am sending you as the Father 363 00:34:12.880 --> 00:34:22.039 has sent me. I am sending you. This is the This is the 364 00:34:22.440 --> 00:34:31.639 prepare the way of the Lord. Cry of John the Baptist to a people 365 00:34:31.679 --> 00:34:37.079 despoiled, It says, a people despoiled, the people that were under the 366 00:34:37.119 --> 00:34:42.840 influence of darkness. And he came announcing the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. 367 00:34:45.000 --> 00:34:50.800 And he came opening the door for the Lord. And I'm telling you 368 00:34:50.840 --> 00:35:00.840 today that our intercession opens the door. Our intercession pairs the way of the 369 00:35:00.880 --> 00:35:08.880 Lord in the hearts of the people around us. And it might be the 370 00:35:08.920 --> 00:35:19.639 greatest expression of love, for no greater love has a person. Then they 371 00:35:19.679 --> 00:35:27.199 would lay down their life for a friend. If you spend yourself in prayer 372 00:35:27.280 --> 00:35:32.519 for somebody, a friend or an enemy, that is an expression of love, 373 00:35:37.159 --> 00:35:43.639 and your attraction to them in prayer will draw the love out of you. 374 00:35:45.480 --> 00:35:50.039 So in person, the most powerful weapon that we have, the love 375 00:35:50.039 --> 00:35:54.840 of God, will pierce through the vulnerability of their heart and open them up 376 00:35:54.880 --> 00:36:00.480 to be prepared for the Lord, and his visit will be welcomed and not 377 00:36:00.639 --> 00:36:07.639 refused, because we prepared the way of the Lord in their own heart through 378 00:36:07.679 --> 00:36:14.920 the spirit of intercession in prayer and the lifestyle of a defender and an avenger 379 00:36:15.440 --> 00:36:22.360 against their enemies. And God cares about every person that much the sons of 380 00:36:22.360 --> 00:36:28.159 Adam, the sons of Adam. Jesus has come that the enemies of the 381 00:36:28.159 --> 00:36:34.000 sons of Adam would be put under their feet, and that they would be 382 00:36:34.039 --> 00:36:43.800 redeemed restored to God. Father, we just welcome you right now. Com 383 00:36:43.880 --> 00:36:46.440 on, would you put up your hands with me all across this auditorium, 384 00:36:46.440 --> 00:36:54.000 and just welcome the revelation of love through intercession, Holy Spirit. We welcome 385 00:36:54.320 --> 00:37:06.920 the revelation of love through intercession. Not just the intercession of standing between one 386 00:37:07.599 --> 00:37:13.639 who is suffering or lost, or poor, or broken or held captive and 387 00:37:13.920 --> 00:37:22.519 you, Father, but standing as an avenger, standing as Isaiah saw Jesus, 388 00:37:22.280 --> 00:37:30.440 as a defender and an avenger, standing on their behalf against the enemy, 389 00:37:31.119 --> 00:37:37.760 standing on their behalf against darkness and against the spirits that hold them captive. 390 00:37:38.280 --> 00:37:45.079 Only Spirit quicken our understanding and quicken the ministry of love through us, 391 00:37:45.159 --> 00:37:52.360 that while they are yet unworthy, we join with him who died for them, 392 00:37:52.199 --> 00:37:58.440 that the Love of God would be awakened within them. We thank you 393 00:37:58.559 --> 00:38:05.679 for today receive it in this Christmas season. We receive it now in Jesus' 394 00:38:05.800 --> 00:38:10.599 name. And everybody said, God, bless your church. Let's worship as 395 00:38:10.599 --> 00:38:10.800 we go.