WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.760 --> 00:00:10.400 Hallelujah. And then we'll get some lights. Hallelujah. Let there be light, 2 00:00:10.560 --> 00:00:20.559 creative power come. Thank you Lord. Well you excited about Jesus hallelujah. 3 00:00:21.320 --> 00:00:23.719 Well I want to I want to just say, you know, Pastor 4 00:00:24.920 --> 00:00:27.879 asked me to fill in this morning just he wasn't feeling great this week, 5 00:00:27.960 --> 00:00:33.359 so we just declare health over he and Pastor Joel. But I'm excited to 6 00:00:33.359 --> 00:00:36.359 be able to bring the word to you this morning. And and and I 7 00:00:36.359 --> 00:00:40.439 want to say, you know, Pastor Joel had such a strong prophetic word 8 00:00:40.520 --> 00:00:45.439 their vision. I love the fact that God is going to surprise He's a 9 00:00:45.439 --> 00:00:50.159 god of surprise us, and He's going to do some things in all of 10 00:00:50.240 --> 00:00:54.960 us that we didn't expect. And things are going to look like you didn't 11 00:00:55.039 --> 00:01:00.320 expect them to look. You might have a vision of how you think things 12 00:01:00.359 --> 00:01:03.320 are going to look in this season that we're coming into. But I'm telling 13 00:01:03.399 --> 00:01:10.840 you, God is shaking the nations, He's shaking leadership, He's shaking things 14 00:01:10.879 --> 00:01:14.879 that have never been shaken before, like they're being shaken right now. And 15 00:01:14.959 --> 00:01:22.239 it is really his way of reminding us that he's in charge. We might 16 00:01:22.280 --> 00:01:23.799 have thought a man was in charge. But no, no, no, 17 00:01:23.879 --> 00:01:29.920 God's in charge. And so this morning, as we dive into the word 18 00:01:29.959 --> 00:01:33.959 Lord, we just declare that we're open to your Holy Spirit. We say, 19 00:01:34.000 --> 00:01:38.079 Holy Spirit, Come fill this room, fill our minds, fill our 20 00:01:38.120 --> 00:01:42.239 hearts. God show us your ways. God, Your ways are higher than 21 00:01:42.280 --> 00:01:46.359 our ways, and Lord, we lean into that. Today. We lean 22 00:01:46.400 --> 00:01:51.400 into that in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen, we God bless you. 23 00:01:52.040 --> 00:01:53.519 Glad you came this morning. I'm Joe Simms, one of the elders 24 00:01:53.560 --> 00:01:57.640 here at the church, and I love to be able to be here and 25 00:01:57.680 --> 00:02:00.560 share with you this morning. And today I want to I want to just 26 00:02:00.599 --> 00:02:05.959 continue with kind of the themed pastor has been on about creative power, and 27 00:02:06.000 --> 00:02:08.039 today we're going to talk about taking territory. How many of you are ready 28 00:02:08.039 --> 00:02:12.280 to take some territory? Been feeling like, you know, it's time to 29 00:02:12.400 --> 00:02:17.800 expand, time to move forward in some things. And so this morning I 30 00:02:17.840 --> 00:02:23.520 want to talk about that with you for a few minutes and let's just see 31 00:02:23.520 --> 00:02:28.680 where God takes us. Amen. Let's start in Deuteronomy thirty four, and 32 00:02:28.879 --> 00:02:31.879 I want to just start with this. It's verses seven and eight says so 33 00:02:32.120 --> 00:02:38.080 Moses, the servant of the Lord, died there in the land of Moab, 34 00:02:38.599 --> 00:02:42.000 according to the word of the Lord, and he buried him in a 35 00:02:42.080 --> 00:02:46.240 valley in the land of Moab, opposite Bethpoor. But no one knows his 36 00:02:46.319 --> 00:02:51.400 grave until to this day. Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when 37 00:02:51.400 --> 00:02:57.000 he died. His eyes were not dim his natural vigor was not diminished. 38 00:02:57.360 --> 00:03:01.039 And the children of Israel wept for Moses in the planes of Moab thirty days. 39 00:03:01.840 --> 00:03:08.800 So the days of weeping and mourning for Moses ended. Wow. Think 40 00:03:08.840 --> 00:03:15.120 about this for a moment. The Israelites that were alive then, all but 41 00:03:15.240 --> 00:03:22.719 two, had only known Moses as the leader outside of Egypt. They weren't 42 00:03:22.719 --> 00:03:25.639 in Egypt. They didn't know slavery, they didn't know all those things, 43 00:03:25.840 --> 00:03:30.879 never experienced that. They're in the wilderness. They've heard tell of all these 44 00:03:30.919 --> 00:03:32.759 great things that he had done to get them out of Egypt. And then 45 00:03:32.800 --> 00:03:38.080 they had seen things happen at his hand in their forty years, some of 46 00:03:38.120 --> 00:03:46.520 them much younger, obviously, but he died. They know of the Promised 47 00:03:46.560 --> 00:03:51.919 Land, and they've heard about it from two spies, Joshua and Caleb. 48 00:03:53.400 --> 00:03:59.120 But they are now leaderless. In their minds, it's like, Wow, 49 00:03:59.159 --> 00:04:02.680 Moses is dead. What are we going to do? What's going to happen. 50 00:04:03.199 --> 00:04:08.960 Moses had made it very clear to them that Joshua would be the next 51 00:04:09.039 --> 00:04:15.240 leader. He had demonstrated that, he told them that. And so now 52 00:04:15.280 --> 00:04:18.360 we turn our attention to Joshua and we look and we think, here's a 53 00:04:18.399 --> 00:04:26.439 guy who has been thrust into power of leading this people just like that. 54 00:04:27.040 --> 00:04:32.879 Because Moses died, there was no transitional team where he had months and weeks 55 00:04:32.920 --> 00:04:38.240 to prepare and he would get up and share his vision for leadership, and 56 00:04:38.279 --> 00:04:41.240 where he would get up and do all of these different things, and the 57 00:04:41.279 --> 00:04:43.879 people can kind of get used to his leadership. No, no, no, 58 00:04:44.120 --> 00:04:50.199 Moses died, and now Joshua gets to be in charge. You go 59 00:04:50.279 --> 00:04:58.439 one day from being mentored by Moses, from being his right hand man to 60 00:04:58.600 --> 00:05:05.160 now you're in charge of one million people. Anybody here been thrust into leadership, 61 00:05:06.680 --> 00:05:12.800 anybody here been thrust into leadership of a million people. And if you 62 00:05:12.879 --> 00:05:15.639 read the accounts in the Bible of the Israelites, they were like herding cats. 63 00:05:18.720 --> 00:05:21.800 You would leave, you thought you had it whipped. You left Sunday 64 00:05:21.839 --> 00:05:27.879 service. It was amazing power of God fell. Everything went great, and 65 00:05:27.920 --> 00:05:30.279 you went off to seek the Lord, and all the people went like, 66 00:05:30.519 --> 00:05:46.480 weird on you sound like pastorship. It happens, you imagine. I mean, 67 00:05:46.560 --> 00:05:51.279 so, now Joshua was in charge, it's his job. I can 68 00:05:51.319 --> 00:05:56.399 only imagine what he felt like. I led a company with two hundred people. 69 00:05:56.439 --> 00:06:01.199 That was tough. I cannot imagine a million. Just can't even imagine 70 00:06:01.240 --> 00:06:08.319 that. But there he was. And so when you get thrust into leadership, 71 00:06:08.360 --> 00:06:12.079 lots of things happen to you. You know, you can step up 72 00:06:12.079 --> 00:06:16.879 to the plate. Sometimes a leader can become stagnant. They can stand still, 73 00:06:17.319 --> 00:06:26.839 they can just freeze. They don't get things done. And so here's 74 00:06:26.920 --> 00:06:33.120 Joshua and then God shows up. That's good. If you get thrust into 75 00:06:33.199 --> 00:06:38.600 leadership, you hope God shows up. Tell me, amen, one you 76 00:06:38.639 --> 00:06:43.600 get thrust into leadership, you want God to show up. Pastor's been teaching 77 00:06:43.680 --> 00:06:47.920 us about creative power and how that our words and how we think and how 78 00:06:47.920 --> 00:06:54.079 we respond to things. That makes a difference. Would you agree? And 79 00:06:54.120 --> 00:06:58.160 so God shows up in Joshua one verses one and two, and he says, 80 00:06:58.279 --> 00:07:03.079 and it says, and after Moe's is Yahwey's servant died and Yahways spoke 81 00:07:03.120 --> 00:07:10.439 to Joshua and he said, Moses. He says, my servant, Moses 82 00:07:10.800 --> 00:07:17.120 is dead. Now get up. So that would indicate that Joshua hadn't taken 83 00:07:17.160 --> 00:07:24.720 it very well. Maybe he was just you know, maybe he was who 84 00:07:24.759 --> 00:07:27.800 knows, We don't know. Doesn't really say much about that, but you 85 00:07:27.920 --> 00:07:30.680 got to tell him. Now, God's saying, listen, you've mourned. 86 00:07:30.759 --> 00:07:34.240 You've mourned for thirty days. You guys have hung out, you've been depressed. 87 00:07:34.240 --> 00:07:39.879 It's over with. Moses is dead. He's not coming back. Get 88 00:07:39.959 --> 00:07:46.879 up, now, get up. How many of you have somebody in your 89 00:07:46.879 --> 00:07:54.920 family or somebody that you know who likes to read the obituaries anybody, well 90 00:07:54.959 --> 00:07:57.319 you laugh, But there are people who do this. Sometimes. I think 91 00:07:57.360 --> 00:07:59.879 it's because they're checking to see if they're names in it, you know. 92 00:08:01.079 --> 00:08:05.800 But you know, when my mom was alive, I would call her and 93 00:08:05.879 --> 00:08:09.120 check on her, you know, and she lived surrounded by older people, 94 00:08:09.560 --> 00:08:13.160 and so I would call her and she'd be a little depressed, and she'd 95 00:08:13.160 --> 00:08:18.040 go, oh, Joe, it's the worst thing, and already knew what 96 00:08:18.120 --> 00:08:20.279 was going to follow, and said, well, what happened, Mom, 97 00:08:22.279 --> 00:08:28.759 David from the seventh floor he died, and she'd be like really bummed about 98 00:08:28.759 --> 00:08:35.360 it. She didn't even know him, but it's like he died. And 99 00:08:35.399 --> 00:08:37.720 I'd be like, well, Mom, how old was David? Eighty seven? 100 00:08:39.559 --> 00:08:43.480 Eighty seven? That's a good life. And so I would kind of 101 00:08:43.600 --> 00:08:46.399 end the phone call with, you know, well, Mom, you outlived 102 00:08:46.440 --> 00:08:52.120 another one. Good job. Kind of break her out of it, you 103 00:08:52.159 --> 00:08:56.240 know, get her attention off of it, you know. And so you 104 00:08:56.279 --> 00:09:01.000 know, it's one of those things where you know, we've all had that 105 00:09:01.039 --> 00:09:03.480 person. Well, here's God's showing up doing it. He demonstrated this. 106 00:09:03.840 --> 00:09:07.320 The only thing I was surprised that when I read this was that he didn't 107 00:09:07.320 --> 00:09:16.279 say, hey, Margaret Simms called me and said that Moses died. But 108 00:09:16.480 --> 00:09:22.559 you know, God announces this to Joshua. It's like, Joshua, Moses 109 00:09:22.600 --> 00:09:28.799 is dead and he ain't coming back. Get up, get going. We've 110 00:09:28.840 --> 00:09:33.240 got some territory to take. I'm here to tell you today, God has 111 00:09:33.279 --> 00:09:35.960 some territory for you to take. And the thing that you've died, that 112 00:09:37.120 --> 00:09:39.159 died, that you've been mourning, God saying, get up, get over 113 00:09:39.200 --> 00:09:48.399 it. It's time to move forward, Thank you Jesus. We have to 114 00:09:48.440 --> 00:09:56.240 stop mourning and wondering and start getting ready for what God's got next. It's 115 00:09:56.279 --> 00:10:01.360 time to trade our disappointment for our next DiscId signment. Come on, trade 116 00:10:01.399 --> 00:10:07.320 your disappointment for your next assignment. Come on, trade your disappointment for your 117 00:10:07.360 --> 00:10:13.519 next assignment. Somebody say, I'm trading my disappointment for my next assignment. 118 00:10:15.399 --> 00:10:16.919 Come on, come on. That's what we've got to do. We have 119 00:10:18.000 --> 00:10:22.159 to the children of Israel had to trade their disappointment in the death of Moses 120 00:10:22.320 --> 00:10:30.080 for the next assignment that God had for them. They couldn't move forward without 121 00:10:30.080 --> 00:10:33.000 that thing dying. And some of us we've got some stuff that needs to 122 00:10:33.080 --> 00:10:37.840 die so we can move forward. We're hanging on to the things that are 123 00:10:37.919 --> 00:10:46.320 dying far too long. Continues in Joshua one two. It says this is 124 00:10:46.559 --> 00:10:50.360 God said this. He said, prepare to cross the Jordan River. He's 125 00:10:50.360 --> 00:10:54.639 talking to Joshua now. He says, prepare to cross the Jordan River. 126 00:10:54.960 --> 00:11:00.399 You and all the people lead them into the land that I am giving to 127 00:11:00.480 --> 00:11:03.120 the Israelites. Every part of the land where you march, I will give 128 00:11:03.159 --> 00:11:09.000 you as I promised Moses. Your borders will extend from the southern desert to 129 00:11:09.080 --> 00:11:15.759 the northern mountains of Lebanon, and from the great River Euphrates to in the 130 00:11:15.799 --> 00:11:20.200 east to the Mediterranean in the west, including all the land of the Hittites. 131 00:11:20.320 --> 00:11:24.039 Joshua, no one will be able to defeat you for the rest of 132 00:11:24.080 --> 00:11:26.480 your life. I want you to hear that, Joshua, no one will 133 00:11:26.519 --> 00:11:30.320 be able to defeat you for the rest of your life. Put your name 134 00:11:30.360 --> 00:11:33.440 in there. Come on, your name, John. No one will be 135 00:11:33.519 --> 00:11:37.399 able to defeat you for the rest of your life. Joe, no one 136 00:11:37.399 --> 00:11:39.919 will be able to defeat you for the rest of your life. Come on, 137 00:11:41.399 --> 00:11:45.240 we got to lean into this, and he says, I will be 138 00:11:45.320 --> 00:11:48.159 with you as I was with Moses. I will never fail you. I 139 00:11:48.200 --> 00:11:52.399 will not abandon you. You must be strong and brave. One version says, 140 00:11:52.399 --> 00:11:56.840 courageous. Come on, you will lead the people to acquire Come on, 141 00:11:56.960 --> 00:12:01.039 you will lead the people to acquire and a portion the land that I 142 00:12:01.159 --> 00:12:07.480 promised their ancestors that I would give them. Want to imagine hearing those words, 143 00:12:07.080 --> 00:12:13.240 prepare to cross over. Come on. Courage is starting to build in 144 00:12:13.360 --> 00:12:16.879 Joshua as he hears this. God is speaking to him. He says, 145 00:12:16.919 --> 00:12:22.120 prepare to cross over. That time has come, that that you've heard about 146 00:12:22.559 --> 00:12:26.639 is now upon you. You promised, your promised land is right in front 147 00:12:26.679 --> 00:12:31.799 of you, Joshua. Everywhere you march, it's yours. Come on, 148 00:12:31.879 --> 00:12:35.200 if your feet touch it, it's yours. Come on. Would that change 149 00:12:35.200 --> 00:12:37.840 the way you walk? Would that change what you're wearing? Would that change 150 00:12:37.879 --> 00:12:43.120 the way you think about things? Come on? Come on, My feet 151 00:12:43.480 --> 00:12:50.639 are gonna go, and that's my territory. Your borders are gonna extend as 152 00:12:50.679 --> 00:12:54.360 far as you can see. And he says, I love this. No 153 00:12:54.399 --> 00:13:01.039 one will be able to defeat you. No demon, no person, nothing 154 00:13:01.120 --> 00:13:03.799 can get in your way because I'm with you. I won't abandon you, 155 00:13:05.000 --> 00:13:11.519 and I will not leave you. Wow. Come on, he says, 156 00:13:11.519 --> 00:13:16.360 you're going to acchoir and you're going to a portion. It's your territory, 157 00:13:16.799 --> 00:13:20.799 I'm telling you, God saying over us today, get up, get ready. 158 00:13:22.000 --> 00:13:24.960 I've got territory for you to take. Get up, get ready. 159 00:13:26.159 --> 00:13:30.840 I've got territory for you to take sacrifice. Thinking about the things that you've 160 00:13:30.879 --> 00:13:33.279 been thinking about. God's saying, get up, get ready, I've got 161 00:13:33.399 --> 00:13:41.440 territory for you to take it. Continues in Joshua three, and it says, 162 00:13:41.840 --> 00:13:46.759 then Joshua rose early in the morning. How many of you rise early 163 00:13:46.759 --> 00:13:50.480 in the morning. Come on, says Joshua rose early in the morning. 164 00:13:50.639 --> 00:13:54.960 And they set out from the acacia grove and came to the Jordan, he 165 00:13:54.000 --> 00:13:58.519 and all the children of Israel and lodged there before the crossing. So it 166 00:13:58.639 --> 00:14:03.919 was after three days that the officers went through the camp, and they commanded 167 00:14:03.960 --> 00:14:09.320 the people, saying, when you see the ark of the Covenant, and 168 00:14:09.360 --> 00:14:16.919 the priest the Levites saying, bearing it, then you shall set out from 169 00:14:16.960 --> 00:14:22.679 your place and go after it. The ark of the Covenant represents the presence 170 00:14:22.679 --> 00:14:28.240 of God. Then you shall set out from your place and go after it. 171 00:14:28.519 --> 00:14:31.879 Yet there shall be a space between you and it. Do not come 172 00:14:31.919 --> 00:14:35.600 near it, that you may know the way by which you must go, 173 00:14:35.720 --> 00:14:45.600 for you have not passed this way before. That acacia forest, the acacia 174 00:14:45.679 --> 00:14:50.360 tree in that day represented divinity. It represented strength, that represented protection. 175 00:14:52.600 --> 00:14:56.399 All of the things that they thought they had inside that grove, God's calling 176 00:14:56.440 --> 00:15:03.120 them out from among it, and he's saying, that thing that you thought 177 00:15:03.159 --> 00:15:05.600 was protecting you, no, no, no, no, no, I'm 178 00:15:05.639 --> 00:15:13.879 your protection. I'm your protection. When you see the ark of the Covenant, 179 00:15:13.879 --> 00:15:18.799 which by the way, was made of acasha wood. When you see 180 00:15:18.840 --> 00:15:22.840 that and it represents the presence of God, he says, follow it, 181 00:15:26.360 --> 00:15:33.360 Follow the presence of God. Follow it. Can you imagine the excitement that 182 00:15:33.519 --> 00:15:41.720 day. For forty years they've heard about these things. They've heard about this 183 00:15:41.799 --> 00:15:48.360 promised land. There were two spies still alive, Joshua and Caleb, and 184 00:15:48.399 --> 00:15:54.360 they could tell them about what they saw in that promised land, how it 185 00:15:54.440 --> 00:15:58.519 flowed with milk and honey, how large it produce, was, how fertile 186 00:15:58.559 --> 00:16:07.039 this land? And was how that in that land, In that land there 187 00:16:07.080 --> 00:16:12.720 was blessing and there was abundance. And they didn't tell them that there were 188 00:16:12.759 --> 00:16:18.360 giants, because Joshua and Caleb didn't see the giants. They just saw the 189 00:16:18.480 --> 00:16:22.919 territory. They saw what God was giving them. We've got to be able 190 00:16:22.919 --> 00:16:27.519 to look past the circumstances that say no, you don't, and say yes, 191 00:16:27.600 --> 00:16:33.799 I will. Come on. Look past those things, look past those 192 00:16:33.840 --> 00:16:37.799 giants, look past all that, and see what God has prepared for you. 193 00:16:40.360 --> 00:16:44.720 Imagine you're Joshua boy. He probably woke up really early with some adrenaline 194 00:16:44.759 --> 00:16:48.679 pump in that day, because this is the day that he knows is coming. 195 00:16:48.919 --> 00:16:53.320 This is our day to start stepping foot into our territory, into our 196 00:16:53.360 --> 00:16:57.000 promised land. No longer do we live in tents, but we get to 197 00:16:57.039 --> 00:17:03.160 live in houses. No longer do we have to move around all the time. 198 00:17:03.319 --> 00:17:07.839 We get to set up some roots. We got some stuff that we 199 00:17:07.880 --> 00:17:11.680 can do. We're coming out of Remember all those people that were following him, 200 00:17:11.880 --> 00:17:15.839 they had lived only in the in the wilderness, so they might have 201 00:17:15.920 --> 00:17:21.039 even been comfortable. They had come to terms with it, and now they're 202 00:17:21.039 --> 00:17:25.039 getting ready to break out, says they broke camp. They got some things 203 00:17:25.079 --> 00:17:30.799 to do. You know. For those of you that know Sandy and I 204 00:17:30.960 --> 00:17:34.759 well or even a little bit, you know, I like she's she's wonderful, 205 00:17:36.559 --> 00:17:41.839 and she has hung with me for forty two years, and you know, 206 00:17:41.880 --> 00:17:45.759 plus some time before when we were dating. But but you know, 207 00:17:45.200 --> 00:17:48.720 we've been married forty two years. I like stability. I really, it's 208 00:17:48.799 --> 00:17:52.559 like one of my core values. If you boil my core values down, 209 00:17:52.599 --> 00:17:56.839 one of them would be stable. Like I like stability. You know, 210 00:17:56.960 --> 00:18:06.720 same wife, same kids, you know, show up at a restaurant, 211 00:18:06.799 --> 00:18:08.400 they start cooking before I walk through the door, you know, those kinds 212 00:18:08.400 --> 00:18:12.039 of things. I like stability. I'm dependable. You know. I used 213 00:18:12.039 --> 00:18:15.359 to say I was boring. My wife decided, she said, stop saying 214 00:18:15.400 --> 00:18:18.039 you're boring. You're just steady, dependable, Like, okay, I can 215 00:18:18.559 --> 00:18:22.680 be that. And you know, I mean, we've been here twenty eight 216 00:18:22.759 --> 00:18:26.240 years, We've known our pastors almost thirty loved them to you know, we 217 00:18:26.359 --> 00:18:32.640 just we love these guys. But I like stability. And so you know, 218 00:18:33.119 --> 00:18:36.279 when God begins to move, how many of you know, he likes 219 00:18:36.319 --> 00:18:41.319 to mess with your stability. And so you know, while a few years 220 00:18:41.359 --> 00:18:45.519 ago, the Lord began to stir our hearts as to what things might look 221 00:18:45.640 --> 00:18:52.640 like as we move into when I moved into my sixties, and so we 222 00:18:52.759 --> 00:18:59.440 made a decision that I would sell the part of the business I owned that 223 00:18:59.440 --> 00:19:02.839 i'd been involved. I've been for almost thirty years. Can I just tell 224 00:19:02.839 --> 00:19:07.920 you that will mess with you. That will mess with you because you've done 225 00:19:08.000 --> 00:19:12.319 something for a very very long time, been in the same business forty two 226 00:19:12.359 --> 00:19:17.240 years. It's a long time. And I'm not that old, only forty 227 00:19:17.279 --> 00:19:22.799 one, but you know, same business forty two years. And so we 228 00:19:22.880 --> 00:19:26.880 make this decision, and so we did this thing. We finished it, 229 00:19:26.960 --> 00:19:30.039 and we wrapped it all up in December, like two months ago, three 230 00:19:30.079 --> 00:19:36.440 months ago now. And can I tell you it's caused us to have to 231 00:19:36.519 --> 00:19:41.599 live with faith that we we've never really in a way we've never had to 232 00:19:41.599 --> 00:19:45.880 live before. Like stretches you because I remember as we were getting close to 233 00:19:45.920 --> 00:19:48.039 this thing, like one night, probably more than one night, but one 234 00:19:48.119 --> 00:19:52.200 night in particular, I woke up at like three am. And it wasn't 235 00:19:52.240 --> 00:19:57.000 because adrenaline and excitement was pumping through me. It was fear, in trepidation. 236 00:19:59.200 --> 00:20:03.880 It was like, what have I done? Moment? I'm just being 237 00:20:03.960 --> 00:20:06.640 real with you, you know, because I stood here and told you everything 238 00:20:06.680 --> 00:20:10.160 was great, wonderful, you know, case arras Rah, that wasn't what 239 00:20:10.240 --> 00:20:14.279 it was. I was. I absolutely I can't say I had a panic 240 00:20:14.319 --> 00:20:18.559 attack, but I was close. And I woke Sandy up and I was 241 00:20:18.640 --> 00:20:22.440 kind of freaking out, and we just began to pray and seek God, 242 00:20:22.480 --> 00:20:25.799 and the Lord just you know, his Holy Spirit filled the room and began 243 00:20:25.839 --> 00:20:30.240 to calm my nerves. But I want to tell you this because if you 244 00:20:30.319 --> 00:20:33.559 can think like that for a moment, how many of you been through some 245 00:20:33.640 --> 00:20:40.000 transitions and they freaked you out a little bit. God's saying, this morning, 246 00:20:40.920 --> 00:20:45.599 we're stepping out of something. But it's into the better, it's into 247 00:20:45.640 --> 00:20:49.119 the calling, it's into the thing that he's promised you. It's into those 248 00:20:49.160 --> 00:20:56.200 things. That's what God's saying. Most of us would choose security over risk 249 00:20:57.000 --> 00:21:07.559 because risk equal being uncomfortable. How many of you like to be uncomfortable? 250 00:21:07.200 --> 00:21:11.559 I don't see any room. I don't see you very many hands. Okay, 251 00:21:11.960 --> 00:21:15.200 like some of us, you know, I don't like to be uncomfortable. 252 00:21:15.640 --> 00:21:18.559 Like if it's too warm, I want the air on. If it's 253 00:21:18.559 --> 00:21:19.640 too hot, I want the heat on, you know, the if I 254 00:21:19.720 --> 00:21:22.319 want I want the air on, or I want the heat on if it's 255 00:21:22.319 --> 00:21:26.160 too cold, you know. And sometimes it's like, you know, I 256 00:21:26.200 --> 00:21:30.880 want to I want to I want to change the thermostat. I'm telling you 257 00:21:30.880 --> 00:21:36.839 God is changing some thermostats and he's going to make you uncomfortable because He's got 258 00:21:36.880 --> 00:21:44.440 some stuff for you to do. Hallelujah. Come on. I want you 259 00:21:44.480 --> 00:21:52.519 to know something that God didn't bring them out of Egypt to leave them in 260 00:21:52.559 --> 00:21:57.039 the desert, and he didn't bring you out of your last situation to leave 261 00:21:57.039 --> 00:22:07.359 you where you're at now. It's really important that you understand you weren't just 262 00:22:07.400 --> 00:22:15.839 saved from something, but you were saved for something. And you weren't saved 263 00:22:15.839 --> 00:22:19.680 from something. You were saved for something. Because if all it was was 264 00:22:19.839 --> 00:22:22.759 you're saved and God puts you over here and says, thank you, you're 265 00:22:22.799 --> 00:22:33.000 saved. I'll see you in heaven, that sounds terrible. We had some 266 00:22:33.079 --> 00:22:37.079 stuff to do, we got some places to go, We've got some things 267 00:22:37.119 --> 00:22:40.880 to conquer. So God saying I didn't save you just to save you. 268 00:22:40.920 --> 00:22:47.160 I saved you because I've got something for you to do. Back in the 269 00:22:47.279 --> 00:22:51.559 nineteen nineties early ninet times, anybody alive in the nineteen nineties, some of 270 00:22:51.559 --> 00:22:56.359 you, okay, good I was. And there was this guy who's still 271 00:22:56.359 --> 00:22:59.359 around a little bit, Stephen Curts Chapman, You guys remember him. And 272 00:22:59.400 --> 00:23:04.079 he had a song out, you know, and it was all about seeing 273 00:23:04.119 --> 00:23:11.200 the future. Remember, saddle up your houses. We got a trail to 274 00:23:11.279 --> 00:23:15.079 blaze. Remember that song. Well, somebody was singing with me. I 275 00:23:15.160 --> 00:23:19.759 heard you, all right, yeah, you know, through the wild blue 276 00:23:21.000 --> 00:23:26.519 yon earth. God's amazing grace. Yeah, come on right, that's it. 277 00:23:26.279 --> 00:23:32.200 That's it. Come on, that's all about seeing the future, because 278 00:23:32.240 --> 00:23:34.799 he says in the song, I woke up this morning and started my day, 279 00:23:34.880 --> 00:23:41.160 my routine day, and then I read the Bible and I read about 280 00:23:41.240 --> 00:23:45.759 me, and I discovered that God had a purpose and a destiny for me 281 00:23:45.160 --> 00:23:51.440 that didn't include just setting around and waiting on stuff to happen. He said, 282 00:23:51.480 --> 00:23:53.519 saddle up your horses. You've got a trail to blaze. Come on, 283 00:23:53.680 --> 00:23:56.359 God saying to all of us in this room today, you've got a 284 00:23:56.440 --> 00:24:03.680 trail to blaze. We got some places to go, We've got some territory 285 00:24:03.039 --> 00:24:11.440 to break through, We've got some territory to take down. I want you 286 00:24:11.519 --> 00:24:15.839 to see this again, it says in Joshua three to two and through five 287 00:24:17.000 --> 00:24:19.519 says after three days, I could go there's so many layers to this, 288 00:24:19.640 --> 00:24:23.799 you guys, it's crazy. After three days, the leaders of the people 289 00:24:23.839 --> 00:24:29.319 went throughout the camp, giving orders to them, watch for the priest of 290 00:24:29.400 --> 00:24:33.359 the tribe of Levi to lift the ark of the Covenant of Yahweh, your 291 00:24:33.400 --> 00:24:41.559 God. When it starts moving, follow it so you will know which way 292 00:24:41.599 --> 00:24:49.039 to go, since you've never marched this way before. Follow the presence of 293 00:24:49.079 --> 00:25:00.480 God. Because you've never marched this way before. It's unfamiliar territory. It's 294 00:25:00.519 --> 00:25:03.160 going to be uncomfortable. There's going to be some challenges. There's going to 295 00:25:03.160 --> 00:25:07.680 be some things. But keep your eye on Jesus, keep your eye on 296 00:25:07.799 --> 00:25:11.960 the ark of the Covenant, keep your eye on the presence of God. 297 00:25:11.559 --> 00:25:19.880 Run after his presence. Coming out of the wilderness, where it was predictable, 298 00:25:22.559 --> 00:25:30.839 where it was familiar, where it was comfortable. And now God's saying, 299 00:25:30.880 --> 00:25:33.160 get ready, because I'm going to take you into a new territory. 300 00:25:33.519 --> 00:25:38.000 You might not be comfortable immediately. You might have some things that you've got 301 00:25:38.079 --> 00:25:51.680 to look at and wonder about and think about and pray about. Amen with 302 00:25:51.839 --> 00:25:56.599 God's saying to us today, I've got some new territory for you. I've 303 00:25:56.599 --> 00:26:03.039 got some places for you to go that you don't know, and i want 304 00:26:03.039 --> 00:26:10.000 you to pursue my presence. That arc was a wooden box made out of 305 00:26:10.039 --> 00:26:15.279 acacia wood plated in gold with all of these different things in the polls where 306 00:26:15.279 --> 00:26:19.960 acasha would and it represented the presence of God, and they were told stay 307 00:26:21.000 --> 00:26:26.480 behind it, keep your eyes on it. Your job. Your job is 308 00:26:26.519 --> 00:26:36.119 to pursue his presence. Craig Cooney says this. He says, the greatest 309 00:26:36.240 --> 00:26:41.440 enemy of the new is the known. Well, the greatest enemy of the 310 00:26:41.480 --> 00:26:45.640 new is the known. The greatest enemy, the greatest enemy of keeping you 311 00:26:45.799 --> 00:26:52.359 right where you're at is what you already know. In my case, it 312 00:26:52.400 --> 00:26:56.400 was comfort. I'm like, I like what I do. It's cool. 313 00:26:56.880 --> 00:27:00.880 A couple hundred people, you know, things are fun, We're good. 314 00:27:00.200 --> 00:27:03.200 I like this. And God says, no, no, no, no 315 00:27:03.359 --> 00:27:08.640 no. What you've known was good. Well, what you're being called into 316 00:27:10.079 --> 00:27:19.720 is great, So you need to pursue my presence for the great. I 317 00:27:19.759 --> 00:27:25.519 want you to see this, and Joshua three, it goes on and says 318 00:27:25.559 --> 00:27:30.400 this. In verse fourteen, it says, now it was time for the 319 00:27:30.440 --> 00:27:34.160 early harvest. Come on, can I just tell you it's harvest time. 320 00:27:36.960 --> 00:27:41.079 It's harvest time. It's harvest time. God's calling us up and out of 321 00:27:41.119 --> 00:27:45.160 what we've been doing. He's saying, get out of your comfort zone and 322 00:27:45.200 --> 00:27:48.720 get ready because it's harvest time. I got some things for you to harvest. 323 00:27:48.759 --> 00:27:51.559 I've got souls for you to harvest. I've got territory for you to 324 00:27:51.599 --> 00:27:55.160 take. I've got things for you to do. This church cannot be the 325 00:27:55.200 --> 00:27:57.880 same as it is today tomorrow, and it won't be. We got to 326 00:27:57.920 --> 00:28:02.319 get out of our comfort zone. You know what we come in. We 327 00:28:02.359 --> 00:28:03.960 came in here a couple of weeks ago or last week. We got here. 328 00:28:04.000 --> 00:28:07.319 We were late because of something beyond our control. And we got here 329 00:28:07.359 --> 00:28:11.519 at eleven o'clock on Sunday morning. It was uncomfortable. You know why, 330 00:28:11.720 --> 00:28:19.599 I couldn't find a parking place like this is a good problem to have, 331 00:28:22.039 --> 00:28:26.160 But God wants us to be a little bit uncomfortable because it causes us to 332 00:28:26.240 --> 00:28:33.039 run after his presence. It goes on, and it says, and the 333 00:28:33.160 --> 00:28:37.200 river was overflowing at flood stage. When the people broke cramp to camp to 334 00:28:37.519 --> 00:28:41.440 cross the Jordan. The priest went in front of them, carrying the Ark 335 00:28:41.480 --> 00:28:45.480 of the Covenant on their shoulders. But I want you to see this. 336 00:28:45.119 --> 00:28:52.400 The very moment the priests with the arc dipped their feet in the river's edge, 337 00:28:53.720 --> 00:29:00.720 the water coming downstream toward them stopped flowing and piled up in a solid 338 00:29:00.920 --> 00:29:07.279 wall. We could go on here, but I want you to understand something. 339 00:29:08.480 --> 00:29:11.759 If you want to get to your promised land, you got to start 340 00:29:11.759 --> 00:29:17.759 walking. You got to start taking territory. You've got to put your boots 341 00:29:17.799 --> 00:29:22.279 on. You've got to be looked beyond what you don't have. Don't look 342 00:29:22.279 --> 00:29:25.079 at we don't have a bridge. Don't look at we don't have a boat. 343 00:29:25.119 --> 00:29:27.319 Don't look at we don't have waiters. Don't look at those things. 344 00:29:27.640 --> 00:29:33.200 God says, start walking. And the moment that the priests put their feet 345 00:29:33.240 --> 00:29:40.599 in the water, boom, the river parted, the water stopped, and 346 00:29:40.640 --> 00:29:42.640 they walked through on dry gown. Come on, come on, That's what 347 00:29:42.720 --> 00:29:47.359 God has for us. He's saying, come on, start walking, Start 348 00:29:47.400 --> 00:29:56.559 getting yourself ready to go into that next territory. Your inheritance and the plans 349 00:29:56.599 --> 00:30:03.000 and purposes of God lie ahead. It can't be where you were, and 350 00:30:03.039 --> 00:30:07.400 it can't be where you are. God's calling us into His great abundance, 351 00:30:07.680 --> 00:30:19.039 into that great place. Thank you Jesus, We just stand. I want 352 00:30:19.079 --> 00:30:22.079 you to see something this morning, because you might be saying, you know 353 00:30:22.119 --> 00:30:30.839 what, this is resonating with me. I've been in this place of stagnation. 354 00:30:30.960 --> 00:30:47.279 I've been hanging out, comfortable, just observing. This morning, God's 355 00:30:47.279 --> 00:30:52.880 saying it's time to step out, come out of the acacia growth. Break 356 00:30:52.920 --> 00:30:57.799 camp. You say, pursue me, because what I have lying ahead of 357 00:30:57.839 --> 00:31:10.279 you is great, beater than anything you've ever known. Our job is to 358 00:31:10.279 --> 00:31:15.680 pursue his presence, run after him. When he moves, we move. 359 00:31:21.799 --> 00:31:27.119 Jeremiah one to five says this says, before I formed you in my in 360 00:31:27.200 --> 00:31:33.160 the womb, I knew you and approved of you as my chosen instrument. 361 00:31:34.319 --> 00:31:40.720 And before you were born, I consecrated you. I have appointed you as 362 00:31:40.759 --> 00:31:51.599 a prophet to the nations. Can I just tell you this morning, some 363 00:31:51.680 --> 00:31:56.119 of you, the world has told you that you aren't approved. The world 364 00:31:56.119 --> 00:32:04.000 has told you that you can't do something, and some of us have bought 365 00:32:04.000 --> 00:32:07.279 into that. And when we look at ourselves, we see the shortcomings, 366 00:32:07.359 --> 00:32:13.559 we see the things that we can't do. But God tell you this morning 367 00:32:14.680 --> 00:32:22.079 that you're approved, that you're anointed, that you're consecrated, that you've been 368 00:32:22.160 --> 00:32:25.559 set apart for his purpose, that you've been set apart to do something. 369 00:32:25.759 --> 00:32:30.839 That He didn't just save you from something, but he saved you to something. 370 00:32:32.960 --> 00:32:37.480 So this morning, as we close, I want you to allow the 371 00:32:37.480 --> 00:32:42.000 Holy Spirit to just work in you. And for some of this that means 372 00:32:42.039 --> 00:32:45.759 we're gonna have to make some decisions to leave the things that we've been mourning 373 00:32:45.880 --> 00:32:52.279 behind so we can move forward into what God has for us. It's going 374 00:32:52.359 --> 00:32:58.519 to require us to make some tough decisions maybe, but can I just tell 375 00:32:58.559 --> 00:33:05.960 you there it They're worth it. Walking in his peace, walking in his 376 00:33:06.680 --> 00:33:13.000 abundance, walking in pursuit of his presence, Walking in his presence is so 377 00:33:13.200 --> 00:33:16.359 worth it. So this morning, as we close, I just want you 378 00:33:19.799 --> 00:33:24.920 to decide, God, I'm gonna run after your presence. I'm gonna leave 379 00:33:24.960 --> 00:33:30.559 behind all the things that I've been mourning. Those dead things are over with 380 00:33:31.960 --> 00:33:38.119 and I'm moving forward in you. That's what I believe God is saying, 381 00:33:39.680 --> 00:33:45.000 and he's saying this morning, would you just take that first step? Would 382 00:33:45.000 --> 00:33:49.759 you just start walking? And as your feet touch the ground, I'm going 383 00:33:49.839 --> 00:33:53.799 to make the path light for you. You're gonna see where you're going. 384 00:33:55.599 --> 00:34:00.960 Thank you, Jesus Father. We thank you for your goodness. We thank 385 00:34:00.000 --> 00:34:05.359 you for your word. God, and Lord, we're a people who want 386 00:34:05.400 --> 00:34:09.000 to pursue your presence more than anything, who want to pursue what you have 387 00:34:09.159 --> 00:34:13.039 for us. God. We say, Lord, take us out of our 388 00:34:13.079 --> 00:34:16.239 wilderness into the promised land, into the things that you have for us. 389 00:34:16.280 --> 00:34:22.199 God, we thank you for it today in Jesus. Then come on, 390 00:34:22.199 --> 00:34:24.360 we got you. Give him a shout of praise. Thank you, Lord, 391 00:34:24.639 --> 00:34:30.880 so worthy, so worthy. Prayer Warriors Prayer Team. Would you come 392 00:34:30.960 --> 00:34:34.679 and just line the front and those of you that would like prayer, you 393 00:34:34.719 --> 00:34:37.440 want to seal this with God this morning, we would encourage you to come 394 00:34:37.519 --> 00:34:40.000 forward, just some prayer this morning. Hell, Loly, God bless your church.