1 00:00:08,800 --> 00:00:12,480 Hello, a big welcome to the Via Zion Sermon podcast. 2 00:00:12,840 --> 00:00:15,280 We are a church based out of Chennai, India. 3 00:00:15,720 --> 00:00:19,040 We are thrilled that you tuned in today and hope that you will 4 00:00:19,040 --> 00:00:22,360 be refreshed, revived, and energized by what you hear. 5 00:00:23,120 --> 00:00:26,280 Our desire is that you will live life with a renewed sense of 6 00:00:26,280 --> 00:00:30,040 purpose that stems from a vibrant faith in Jesus. 7 00:00:30,760 --> 00:00:34,560 As you listen in to today's sermon, carefully curated 8 00:00:34,560 --> 00:00:38,320 promises, we begin to look closely at Abraham's life of 9 00:00:38,320 --> 00:00:42,360 faith and hope that your heart is stirred up with a renewed 10 00:00:42,360 --> 00:00:49,160 trust in God for the year ahead. Hi Church, What a joy it is to 11 00:00:49,160 --> 00:00:53,600 bring God's word to you. Today we're looking at this 12 00:00:53,600 --> 00:00:57,040 theme for this year, 2025, positioned to possess the 13 00:00:57,040 --> 00:00:59,200 promise. And I don't know what you've 14 00:00:59,200 --> 00:01:02,880 received from it, but Mangeshom and I were praying over this for 15 00:01:02,880 --> 00:01:05,519 the past few months and justice, kind of assimilating it, putting 16 00:01:05,519 --> 00:01:08,720 it into our system. God was reminding us of so many 17 00:01:08,720 --> 00:01:12,520 promises that He has made over the years to us both as a 18 00:01:12,520 --> 00:01:14,960 couple, as a family, as individuals. 19 00:01:14,960 --> 00:01:18,960 And over the last 17 years, we have seen them unfold. 20 00:01:19,440 --> 00:01:21,640 And you know, when you look at a promise, we tend to look at it 21 00:01:21,640 --> 00:01:24,880 in our human mind logically in such a 1 dimensional way. 22 00:01:24,880 --> 00:01:29,240 But God has this amazing way of just, you know, I'm doing more 23 00:01:29,240 --> 00:01:32,080 than we could ever imagine with that promise that He has given 24 00:01:32,080 --> 00:01:34,680 to us. And today, when we look at the 25 00:01:34,680 --> 00:01:38,320 theme for 2025 position to possess the promise, I believe 26 00:01:38,320 --> 00:01:41,560 that God has given each of us a promise for our lives. 27 00:01:41,800 --> 00:01:43,960 And when we talk about a promise, we're not talking just 28 00:01:43,960 --> 00:01:47,680 about a small thing like a career change or a shift in our 29 00:01:47,680 --> 00:01:50,400 health or something like that. But this is larger. 30 00:01:50,400 --> 00:01:54,280 This involves Our Calling. This involves territory that we 31 00:01:54,280 --> 00:01:58,080 must take for the Kingdom. Where we will live out our 32 00:01:58,280 --> 00:02:00,520 life's calling and purpose to the fullest. 33 00:02:00,920 --> 00:02:04,880 And God is positioning each of us to possess that land, that 34 00:02:04,880 --> 00:02:07,280 spiritual territory that has been marked out for us. 35 00:02:07,280 --> 00:02:09,280 And that is what this year is going to look like. 36 00:02:10,000 --> 00:02:13,040 And today we're going to begin a series over the next two months 37 00:02:13,040 --> 00:02:15,120 at least, where we're going to be looking at the life of 38 00:02:15,120 --> 00:02:21,000 Abraham, someone who was so pivotal to every believer in 39 00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:24,560 Jesus, looking at him and seeing how he possessed the promise 40 00:02:24,560 --> 00:02:28,160 that God gave, it gave him. And I've titled today's sermon 41 00:02:28,480 --> 00:02:33,800 Carefully Curated Promises, because God crafts promises for 42 00:02:33,800 --> 00:02:35,440 each of us. The. 43 00:02:35,440 --> 00:02:38,480 Promises are from His word, but then He gives each of us a 44 00:02:38,480 --> 00:02:41,800 specific one, which is so tailor made to Our Calling, to our 45 00:02:41,800 --> 00:02:44,680 personality, to what He is destined for us, to what He has 46 00:02:44,680 --> 00:02:47,920 made us for. And I believe that he chooses 47 00:02:47,920 --> 00:02:50,880 his people for a specific time, for a specific purpose. 48 00:02:50,880 --> 00:02:54,200 And we're going to be looking at Abraham particularly because he 49 00:02:54,200 --> 00:02:58,320 was the epitome of taking God at his word and going on to follow 50 00:02:58,320 --> 00:03:00,440 whatever God asked of him, right? 51 00:03:00,880 --> 00:03:02,320 And I believe this is very pivotal. 52 00:03:02,320 --> 00:03:04,720 The worst that we're going to focus on, on all the weeks, 53 00:03:04,720 --> 00:03:07,600 whether we're going to kind of pivot everything on, is this 54 00:03:07,600 --> 00:03:12,800 Genesis 18 verses 18 to 19 says. Abraham will surely become a 55 00:03:12,800 --> 00:03:16,400 great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be 56 00:03:16,400 --> 00:03:19,480 blessed through him. For I have chosen him so that he 57 00:03:19,480 --> 00:03:23,000 will direct his children and his household after him, to keep the 58 00:03:23,000 --> 00:03:26,520 way of the Lord by doing what is right and justice, so that the 59 00:03:26,520 --> 00:03:30,000 Lord will bring about for Abraham what he has promised 60 00:03:30,000 --> 00:03:32,040 him. If you look in this, he's 61 00:03:32,040 --> 00:03:35,520 actually, God is actually mulling over whether to, you 62 00:03:35,520 --> 00:03:39,200 know, give Abraham Intel about Sodom and Gomorrah and what he's 63 00:03:39,200 --> 00:03:41,960 going to do there. And he's he's talking to himself 64 00:03:41,960 --> 00:03:45,280 and saying, should I tell him because I have chosen Abraham 65 00:03:46,160 --> 00:03:48,600 for a certain purpose? Because when he fulfills that 66 00:03:48,600 --> 00:03:50,680 purpose, I will give him the promise I have. 67 00:03:50,680 --> 00:03:55,000 Promised him and I want to ask you this question that you're 68 00:03:55,000 --> 00:03:59,120 probably thinking could God choose each of us for such a 69 00:03:59,120 --> 00:04:02,000 high calling? Yes, it's a resounding yes. 70 00:04:02,200 --> 00:04:06,160 And what is this calling exactly to direct our children and 71 00:04:06,160 --> 00:04:10,640 households after us to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is 72 00:04:10,640 --> 00:04:14,000 right and just more is caught than taught. 73 00:04:14,000 --> 00:04:16,560 Abraham and Sarah really lived that. 74 00:04:17,360 --> 00:04:20,399 It was not just them who was following this living God, 75 00:04:20,720 --> 00:04:24,960 leaving an A familiar territory, territory for the unknown, but 76 00:04:24,960 --> 00:04:28,080 they had to leave their people in the ways of justice and 77 00:04:28,080 --> 00:04:29,840 righteousness. And that was what God was 78 00:04:29,840 --> 00:04:34,120 calling them to, so that He would set them apart from all 79 00:04:34,120 --> 00:04:37,720 the nations around them. Right, and the byproduct of such 80 00:04:37,720 --> 00:04:41,520 a lifestyle of justice following heart after God would be God in 81 00:04:41,520 --> 00:04:44,960 turn fulfilling His promise. The problem is, most often all 82 00:04:44,960 --> 00:04:46,880 of us want to short circuit. That we're like. 83 00:04:47,040 --> 00:04:49,040 You know what, God? You said something, do it. 84 00:04:49,280 --> 00:04:50,880 You said you didn't enlarge my family. 85 00:04:50,880 --> 00:04:53,000 You said you'll enlarge my my wealth. 86 00:04:53,000 --> 00:04:55,920 You said you will do this God. But where is your promise? 87 00:04:56,560 --> 00:05:01,200 We forget that there are conditions almost like subtext. 88 00:05:01,720 --> 00:05:04,040 Which is so. Beautifully woven into God's 89 00:05:04,040 --> 00:05:07,760 Word that we need to look at that to understand how God 90 00:05:07,760 --> 00:05:10,760 actually fulfills His Word to us. 91 00:05:10,800 --> 00:05:12,880 Over the next few weeks we're going to be looking at different 92 00:05:12,880 --> 00:05:14,960 aspects. Of Abraham's life, we're going 93 00:05:14,960 --> 00:05:19,120 to be looking at how he had to choose to obey and follow 94 00:05:19,280 --> 00:05:23,680 despite all odds, much like us. And yet he kept choosing. 95 00:05:23,760 --> 00:05:28,120 He kept choosing to follow God and he grew in his pursuit of 96 00:05:28,120 --> 00:05:30,320 God. And the beautiful thing about 97 00:05:30,320 --> 00:05:32,840 Abrams life is he's mentioned multiple times in the New 98 00:05:32,840 --> 00:05:36,920 Testament as a man of faith who believed, who took God at his 99 00:05:36,920 --> 00:05:40,160 word, believed him and it was credited to him as 100 00:05:40,160 --> 00:05:43,120 righteousness. When you look today, we're going 101 00:05:43,120 --> 00:05:46,120 to be looking at Genesis chapter 12 verses one to three, which is 102 00:05:46,120 --> 00:05:48,760 the call of God on Abraham's life. 103 00:05:49,240 --> 00:05:52,560 Abraham lived with his wife in his father's house. 104 00:05:52,760 --> 00:05:56,640 He lived in Ur which was in ancient Mesopotamia. 105 00:05:56,920 --> 00:05:59,360 He. Lived there and God moved him 106 00:05:59,360 --> 00:06:02,880 and his family out. So his father Tara took Abraham 107 00:06:02,880 --> 00:06:07,880 and Sarah and Lot and other household members and they moved 108 00:06:07,880 --> 00:06:10,000 and came and settled in a place called Haran. 109 00:06:10,760 --> 00:06:14,720 But it was in Haran that God actually called Abraham out 110 00:06:14,720 --> 00:06:18,280 after his father died. So Tara dies, It's just Abraham, 111 00:06:18,280 --> 00:06:22,600 Sarah, a lot of he's a wealthy Chieftain Now he has his nephew 112 00:06:22,600 --> 00:06:25,600 Lot, who's staying with him, and Lot has his household. 113 00:06:25,600 --> 00:06:27,720 And you know, they have a big, big crowd. 114 00:06:28,440 --> 00:06:31,000 And God says to Abraham the following. 115 00:06:31,000 --> 00:06:34,880 He says go from your country, your people and your father's 116 00:06:34,880 --> 00:06:37,000 household to the land I will show you. 117 00:06:37,920 --> 00:06:39,680 I will make you into a great nation. 118 00:06:39,960 --> 00:06:42,600 I will bless you. I will make your name great and 119 00:06:42,600 --> 00:06:45,440 you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless 120 00:06:45,440 --> 00:06:47,640 you, and whoever curses you I will curse. 121 00:06:47,880 --> 00:06:52,240 And all peoples on earth will be blessed through you. 122 00:06:53,400 --> 00:06:59,560 It's beautiful because this is the basis of of an entire 123 00:07:00,320 --> 00:07:04,040 lifestyle change for Abraham and his household, as it were. 124 00:07:04,160 --> 00:07:09,400 Imagine these guys lived settled in, in this land which seemed, 125 00:07:09,400 --> 00:07:12,120 you know, completely normal and comfortable to them, much like 126 00:07:12,120 --> 00:07:14,200 us. And then God says, get up and 127 00:07:14,200 --> 00:07:17,920 move. And would it have been easy back 128 00:07:17,920 --> 00:07:19,240 in the day? They didn't have trains, they 129 00:07:19,240 --> 00:07:20,840 didn't have planes. They didn't have the kind of 130 00:07:20,840 --> 00:07:22,800 transport we had. They didn't have the comforts we 131 00:07:22,800 --> 00:07:26,800 have, and yet God was calling him into a completely different 132 00:07:26,800 --> 00:07:29,480 lifestyle, one of complete dependence on him. 133 00:07:29,480 --> 00:07:31,760 He said I'm going to take you, I'm going to lead you, but 134 00:07:31,760 --> 00:07:33,400 you'll have to be wholly dependent on me. 135 00:07:33,400 --> 00:07:35,520 You have to listen for my. Voice, you're going to have to 136 00:07:35,520 --> 00:07:39,080 do what I say step by step. And the beautiful thing is the 137 00:07:39,080 --> 00:07:42,640 next verse says Abraham left and followed. 138 00:07:43,720 --> 00:07:46,040 And I want to leave three things with you that we will take away 139 00:07:46,040 --> 00:07:48,840 from this passage. If we want these carefully 140 00:07:48,840 --> 00:07:52,160 curated promises to actually be fulfilled in our lives. 141 00:07:52,160 --> 00:07:54,880 There are three things that you need to do you and I need to do. 142 00:07:55,240 --> 00:07:58,840 The first thing is that we have to leave behind what God asks us 143 00:07:58,840 --> 00:08:02,320 to leave. And this is easier said than 144 00:08:02,320 --> 00:08:06,120 done right? It was required of him of of 145 00:08:06,120 --> 00:08:10,480 Abraham to leave behind Haran. And so it was after Tara's death 146 00:08:10,480 --> 00:08:13,760 that he had to actually leave behind his familiar place, his 147 00:08:13,760 --> 00:08:17,040 people, his homeland, and he had to move out. 148 00:08:18,200 --> 00:08:19,720 It would have been a big ask. Why? 149 00:08:19,720 --> 00:08:21,720 Because he it was a source of his identity. 150 00:08:21,720 --> 00:08:24,400 It was a source of his income. It was a source of his 151 00:08:24,400 --> 00:08:28,080 livelihood. Everything that Abraham knew 152 00:08:28,080 --> 00:08:31,000 about himself for what he could do, what he was called for was 153 00:08:31,000 --> 00:08:33,960 in that place. And yet God was saying leave it 154 00:08:34,320 --> 00:08:37,880 and follow me and the journey would have been long and hard 155 00:08:37,880 --> 00:08:41,120 because He's going to take him from Haran to Canaan. 156 00:08:41,600 --> 00:08:46,600 And you know that was 4. 100 miles apart, it's from modern, 157 00:08:46,600 --> 00:08:49,680 modern day Turkey right up to modern day Israel, which is a 158 00:08:49,680 --> 00:08:52,560 huge distance by foot. They didn't have comfortable 159 00:08:52,560 --> 00:08:56,440 travel, you know, modes of travel, so they were moving by 160 00:08:56,440 --> 00:08:58,880 foot. With a huge entourage with them. 161 00:09:00,480 --> 00:09:03,960 Verses four and five says So Abraham went. 162 00:09:04,040 --> 00:09:07,040 Abraham went as the Lord had told him, and Lot. 163 00:09:07,080 --> 00:09:10,920 Lot went with him. Abraham was 75 years old when he 164 00:09:10,920 --> 00:09:14,000 set out from Haran. He took his wife Sarai, his 165 00:09:14,000 --> 00:09:17,080 nephew Lot, all the positions they had accumulated and the 166 00:09:17,080 --> 00:09:19,920 people they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the 167 00:09:19,920 --> 00:09:22,200 land of Canaan and they arrived there. 168 00:09:23,760 --> 00:09:26,920 It's beautiful because age didn't deter him. 169 00:09:26,920 --> 00:09:30,640 He was 75. Of course, at that time, 75 was 170 00:09:30,640 --> 00:09:36,240 like today's probably 35, but whatever, whatever it looks like 171 00:09:36,240 --> 00:09:40,120 on the surface of it, it was a huge move for Abraham and Sarah. 172 00:09:40,280 --> 00:09:42,800 And yet they just did what God said. 173 00:09:42,800 --> 00:09:45,160 Sarah trusted Abraham. She let him take the lead. 174 00:09:46,520 --> 00:09:49,160 Now you have to understand, Lot was a close relative. 175 00:09:49,840 --> 00:09:52,600 Now when God was saying leave behind that which is familiar, 176 00:09:52,600 --> 00:09:56,720 Leave behind your father and his household, Lot was included in 177 00:09:56,720 --> 00:09:58,360 that household that needed to be left behind. 178 00:09:58,360 --> 00:10:00,920 But Abraham was a man of responsibility. 179 00:10:01,240 --> 00:10:05,560 Lot's father had died while they were still in earth and so this 180 00:10:05,560 --> 00:10:08,560 boy was literally didn't have any kind of parental covering. 181 00:10:08,760 --> 00:10:11,280 So Abraham and Sarah probably provided that for him. 182 00:10:11,560 --> 00:10:17,320 And so Lot travelled with them. But it came to a place where 183 00:10:17,320 --> 00:10:20,000 Lot's herds had increased, Abraham's herds had increased, 184 00:10:20,000 --> 00:10:23,760 and both their herds men were fighting and Abraham with. 185 00:10:24,160 --> 00:10:28,120 With so much of forethought, decides to send them on their 186 00:10:28,120 --> 00:10:31,120 way so that they don't fight. They have a good communication 187 00:10:31,360 --> 00:10:34,000 within the family to prevent disunity, he says. 188 00:10:34,000 --> 00:10:36,360 You know what you choose the place you want to go to. 189 00:10:36,400 --> 00:10:40,080 I choose the other place you choose NI choose S such a 190 00:10:40,080 --> 00:10:44,800 magnanimous moment. And So what lot does typically 191 00:10:44,800 --> 00:10:47,880 as a nephew would do as a younger person of the younger 192 00:10:47,880 --> 00:10:50,760 generation. He looks and he sees the the 193 00:10:50,760 --> 00:10:53,680 plain of the Jordan, which was beautifully pastured. 194 00:10:53,680 --> 00:10:55,840 It had so much of water being fed into it. 195 00:10:56,120 --> 00:10:58,360 The place looked well watered and so he picked it. 196 00:10:58,360 --> 00:11:02,600 And this was Sodom and Gomorrah. Reminder not to. 197 00:11:02,720 --> 00:11:04,760 Judge a place by its cover, right? 198 00:11:06,160 --> 00:11:09,600 He picks that he moves Abraham turns to go in the opposite 199 00:11:09,600 --> 00:11:13,680 direction and when he does as beautiful because when he 200 00:11:13,680 --> 00:11:18,640 decided to actually leave the remnant of his household and 201 00:11:18,640 --> 00:11:22,800 cleave to God, it was when God gives him a renewed assurance. 202 00:11:22,800 --> 00:11:26,200 Let's look at Genesis chapter 13 verses 14 to 17. 203 00:11:26,200 --> 00:11:29,920 It says it was after the separation that God speaks more 204 00:11:29,920 --> 00:11:32,280 blessing. It says the Lord said to Abraham 205 00:11:32,280 --> 00:11:36,360 after Lot had parted from him, Look around from where you are, 206 00:11:36,360 --> 00:11:38,280 to the North and South, to the east and West. 207 00:11:38,560 --> 00:11:41,400 All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring 208 00:11:41,400 --> 00:11:43,720 forever. I will make your offspring like 209 00:11:43,720 --> 00:11:46,920 the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, 210 00:11:47,400 --> 00:11:49,400 then your offspring could be counted. 211 00:11:49,680 --> 00:11:53,960 Go walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am 212 00:11:53,960 --> 00:11:57,160 giving it to you. Up until then, there was number 213 00:11:57,760 --> 00:12:00,520 real. Explanation as to what he would 214 00:12:00,520 --> 00:12:03,080 possess, he said. I'll take you to a land, but 215 00:12:03,080 --> 00:12:06,160 here he's actually saying I'm going to increase your offspring 216 00:12:06,160 --> 00:12:09,800 to a point of beyond number. You cannot count them. 217 00:12:09,800 --> 00:12:12,920 He's also saying you walk the length and breadth of this land, 218 00:12:12,920 --> 00:12:14,480 that you look at the land of Canaan. 219 00:12:14,680 --> 00:12:18,200 I'm giving all of it to you. He's actually quantifying the 220 00:12:18,200 --> 00:12:21,240 kind of blessing Abraham's descendants are going to get. 221 00:12:22,200 --> 00:12:25,440 And when I look at that, I ask myself, many times there have 222 00:12:25,440 --> 00:12:29,160 been times when God has asked me to turn my back on things that 223 00:12:29,160 --> 00:12:31,680 were not benefiting the new season I was walking into. 224 00:12:31,880 --> 00:12:33,080 They could have been relationships. 225 00:12:33,080 --> 00:12:36,040 They could have been good. Friendships, they could have 226 00:12:36,040 --> 00:12:39,240 been certain habits, certain habitual ways of thinking, 227 00:12:39,240 --> 00:12:43,280 certain methods of doing things, and God would nudge me and say, 228 00:12:43,280 --> 00:12:44,800 you know what? That is over. 229 00:12:45,720 --> 00:12:47,440 That is over. That's an old season. 230 00:12:47,600 --> 00:12:51,600 I'm calling into a season of new beginnings and I want to ask you 231 00:12:51,600 --> 00:12:54,520 today, what has God been asking you to leave behind? 232 00:12:54,640 --> 00:12:58,160 What has God been saying, Hey, I want you to now take this about 233 00:12:58,160 --> 00:13:01,160 turn and look to me because I have a promise that I want to 234 00:13:01,160 --> 00:13:04,080 see fulfilled in your life. But you need to stop doing some 235 00:13:04,080 --> 00:13:05,480 of the things you were doing in the past. 236 00:13:05,480 --> 00:13:08,760 You need to cut that one relationship off, which is 237 00:13:08,760 --> 00:13:11,120 detrimental. You need to change that 238 00:13:11,120 --> 00:13:14,320 dependency, that dependency on that narcotic, that dependency 239 00:13:14,320 --> 00:13:18,480 on that person, that dependency on that particular gadget. 240 00:13:18,640 --> 00:13:21,240 I need you to cut it off. I need you to leave it behind 241 00:13:21,240 --> 00:13:23,320 because I'm calling you in a different direction. 242 00:13:23,840 --> 00:13:26,280 Maybe God has been saying the dream you've been having is a 243 00:13:26,280 --> 00:13:28,800 selfish ambition. The dream I have for you is 244 00:13:28,800 --> 00:13:31,560 better. Let why not start to dream my 245 00:13:31,560 --> 00:13:32,360 dream? Maybe that's. 246 00:13:32,360 --> 00:13:36,400 Something you have to let go. Maybe it's a method of living. 247 00:13:36,640 --> 00:13:39,160 Maybe it's just something you've you've brought into your life. 248 00:13:39,240 --> 00:13:42,040 It's become a habit and you're thinking it's humming. 249 00:13:42,040 --> 00:13:45,720 Nobody but God is saying this is a new season, this is a new 250 00:13:45,720 --> 00:13:47,560 time. I am doing something fresh. 251 00:13:47,720 --> 00:13:49,560 I want to rearrange things in your life. 252 00:13:50,400 --> 00:13:52,640 I need you to leave some things behind. 253 00:13:53,560 --> 00:13:57,640 I want to encourage you. When you do as God asks, you can 254 00:13:57,640 --> 00:14:00,440 be sure that you step into the adventure of a lifetime. 255 00:14:00,440 --> 00:14:05,000 When we look at Abraham's life, it was not so much a nomadic 256 00:14:05,160 --> 00:14:08,480 life as one of justice implicit. Trust. 257 00:14:09,000 --> 00:14:11,800 He trusted God with what he left behind. 258 00:14:12,360 --> 00:14:15,600 Was it difficult to leave behind a dependent nephew? 259 00:14:15,600 --> 00:14:17,400 It must have been hard. He must have wondered God, will 260 00:14:17,400 --> 00:14:20,880 he be OK? But he entrusted him to God and 261 00:14:20,880 --> 00:14:23,080 stepped back. Stepped back into the path God 262 00:14:23,080 --> 00:14:26,160 had for him. Would it have been hard to leave 263 00:14:26,160 --> 00:14:28,560 behind his brothers families? It must have been. 264 00:14:28,720 --> 00:14:31,600 It must have been hard to leave behind the the wealth that he 265 00:14:31,600 --> 00:14:36,720 inherited back at home. Maybe God is calling you to 266 00:14:36,720 --> 00:14:40,960 leave certain things behind. I know for one, I struggle to 267 00:14:40,960 --> 00:14:43,760 leave things. I joke about it at home, but 268 00:14:44,760 --> 00:14:47,680 both Geshom and my daughter tend to be holders. 269 00:14:47,960 --> 00:14:51,520 They cannot give anything up. Geshom in fact has shirts from 270 00:14:51,520 --> 00:14:54,160 when he was in 8th and 9th standard and I've tried to get 271 00:14:54,160 --> 00:14:57,080 rid of those, but he's so stubborn about holding it back. 272 00:14:57,080 --> 00:14:59,120 And I keep telling him, you're heading into new seasons. 273 00:14:59,120 --> 00:15:01,080 Why are you having the clothes of the past? 274 00:15:02,280 --> 00:15:05,720 And a lot of times, on a more serious note, we are holding on 275 00:15:05,720 --> 00:15:08,080 to the things of previous seasons that we don't need to 276 00:15:08,080 --> 00:15:09,480 hold on to. That bitterness, that 277 00:15:09,480 --> 00:15:12,600 unforgiveness, that sadness. It's time to let it go. 278 00:15:12,600 --> 00:15:15,840 Leave it behind. God is saying, see, I'm doing a 279 00:15:15,840 --> 00:15:17,600 new thing. Will you not step into it? 280 00:15:18,280 --> 00:15:20,440 Will you not look at where we are headed? 281 00:15:20,640 --> 00:15:22,120 And that brings me to my second point. 282 00:15:22,120 --> 00:15:25,800 It says go where God leads. The first thing is leave behind 283 00:15:25,800 --> 00:15:30,000 what God asks you to leave. Second is to go where God leads. 284 00:15:30,000 --> 00:15:33,520 Not where you and I want to go. Like I finished this recording. 285 00:15:33,520 --> 00:15:35,880 I probably want to go to McDonald's and get some Nuggets 286 00:15:35,880 --> 00:15:40,600 and a cold coffee, but I know that at home I'd have a much 287 00:15:40,600 --> 00:15:44,080 healthier snack waiting for me. On a more. 288 00:15:44,080 --> 00:15:48,360 Eternal note, There are many things and many places that God 289 00:15:48,360 --> 00:15:53,520 wants us to take us to. There are many places that God 290 00:15:53,520 --> 00:15:57,000 wants to take us to, but we are so resistant and saying God, I 291 00:15:57,000 --> 00:15:59,800 don't want that. I want to go where I want to go. 292 00:16:00,400 --> 00:16:03,760 I want to go to this place that I know is not good for me, but 293 00:16:03,760 --> 00:16:06,920 God, it, it feeds that part of my dry soul. 294 00:16:07,160 --> 00:16:10,640 I want to do this particular thing in my career, which I 295 00:16:10,640 --> 00:16:13,800 believe will pick me up and put me in that niche position. 296 00:16:14,800 --> 00:16:17,200 But I'm not sure if God wants me there, but I know I want me 297 00:16:17,200 --> 00:16:20,040 there. And it's so important to 298 00:16:20,040 --> 00:16:24,440 understand that we like Abraham. If you want to reap the promises 299 00:16:24,560 --> 00:16:28,520 that Abraham reaped, we need to go where God leads like Abraham 300 00:16:28,520 --> 00:16:30,560 did. You know what? 301 00:16:30,960 --> 00:16:35,280 God was calling Abraham out of earth into Canaan so that for 302 00:16:35,280 --> 00:16:38,800 generations the people of Israel would have that as their land. 303 00:16:39,520 --> 00:16:44,120 God is calling each of us to a certain destination, not just 304 00:16:44,120 --> 00:16:47,960 for ourselves, but for generations to come, a place of 305 00:16:47,960 --> 00:16:52,760 inheritance and occupying a place where Our Calling is fully 306 00:16:52,760 --> 00:16:55,520 realized. It could be God calling us out 307 00:16:55,520 --> 00:16:59,800 of our present, very cushy job into a carry a switch that's 308 00:16:59,800 --> 00:17:02,360 completely different. Maybe it's lower paying, but 309 00:17:02,360 --> 00:17:05,280 completely fulfilling. Maybe God is calling you into a 310 00:17:05,280 --> 00:17:10,040 new city, a new country, where you'll be completely out of your 311 00:17:10,040 --> 00:17:12,040 depth but completely dependent on Him. 312 00:17:13,319 --> 00:17:17,880 Maybe God is calling you from this place of deep unrest into a 313 00:17:17,880 --> 00:17:22,800 place of complete peace, knowing that you are where you need to 314 00:17:22,800 --> 00:17:27,119 be in this season of your life. Maybe God is moving you from one 315 00:17:27,119 --> 00:17:30,640 church to another. Because your time is up in this 316 00:17:30,640 --> 00:17:34,720 one place, it could be the end of a friendship into something 317 00:17:34,720 --> 00:17:38,720 even better. If you look at Abraham's life, 318 00:17:38,720 --> 00:17:41,360 right, he never settled in one place. 319 00:17:41,960 --> 00:17:45,000 Now, I'm not saying that you need to be, you know, a wanderer 320 00:17:45,000 --> 00:17:47,760 hopping from job to job, place to place, church to church. 321 00:17:47,760 --> 00:17:51,920 That's not what I'm saying. But he was ready to move when 322 00:17:51,920 --> 00:17:56,320 God asked him to move when his when there was a famine that 323 00:17:56,320 --> 00:17:58,880 picked up in one place, he knew where he had to go next. 324 00:17:59,320 --> 00:18:01,600 When the famine ended, he knew where to go back. 325 00:18:02,200 --> 00:18:04,560 He never pitched his tents. For too long. 326 00:18:04,880 --> 00:18:07,200 And if you look at the book of Hebrews, Hebrews Chapter 11 327 00:18:07,200 --> 00:18:10,080 talks about Abraham and said and all the other heroes of faith 328 00:18:10,720 --> 00:18:13,760 who primarily knew that their eternal place of rest, their 329 00:18:13,760 --> 00:18:17,000 eternal mansions was their destination, not the places they 330 00:18:17,000 --> 00:18:21,280 lived on in earth. As I was watching the the fires 331 00:18:21,280 --> 00:18:25,040 in Lai was watching on the news and just felt so disturbed 332 00:18:25,040 --> 00:18:28,520 seeing houses up in flames. It was very disturbing to see 333 00:18:28,520 --> 00:18:32,240 people standing in front of their blazing homes with with a 334 00:18:32,240 --> 00:18:36,760 small water hose and trying to hose it down and it. 335 00:18:36,840 --> 00:18:39,560 I realized that that's what I would do if it was my house. 336 00:18:40,320 --> 00:18:43,960 But then I remembered that when you look at Abraham's life, he 337 00:18:43,960 --> 00:18:46,840 was always on the move, moving where God asked him to move, 338 00:18:46,840 --> 00:18:50,760 never really settling anywhere, because his ultimate, ultimate 339 00:18:50,760 --> 00:18:53,880 destination was heaven. His ultimate place was a City 340 00:18:53,880 --> 00:18:56,200 made of gold, where the streets were made of gold. 341 00:18:57,680 --> 00:19:01,240 And sometimes we all tend to migrate to looking at the 342 00:19:01,240 --> 00:19:03,480 temporal where that's where our treasure is. 343 00:19:04,760 --> 00:19:07,080 But Abraham's eyes were set above. 344 00:19:07,280 --> 00:19:10,560 It was set on the one who was leading him, not in the house 345 00:19:10,560 --> 00:19:13,320 that he established for himself, not in the garden that he had, 346 00:19:13,520 --> 00:19:15,920 not on the resources that he could accumulate. 347 00:19:16,720 --> 00:19:20,360 But interestingly enough, there were blessings along the way. 348 00:19:20,520 --> 00:19:22,200 Was he accumulating more? Yes. 349 00:19:22,200 --> 00:19:25,400 His household was growing, his possessions were growing, his 350 00:19:25,400 --> 00:19:28,560 livestock was growing. He was getting more wealthy by 351 00:19:28,560 --> 00:19:33,160 the year, right? I would like to say that he was 352 00:19:33,160 --> 00:19:37,040 not nomadic, but his he was dynamic, he was moving. 353 00:19:37,040 --> 00:19:39,960 I I don't know if you remember, but Gheshum was talking about 354 00:19:39,960 --> 00:19:42,040 how our life needs to be 1 of momentum. 355 00:19:43,160 --> 00:19:45,720 Stagnancy is the opposite of the Christian life. 356 00:19:46,000 --> 00:19:48,440 The Christian life, because the Spirit is moving and he's 357 00:19:48,440 --> 00:19:51,000 dynamic. He's moving in and through us. 358 00:19:51,240 --> 00:19:53,080 We can never really settle anywhere. 359 00:19:53,400 --> 00:19:55,320 So even if you're. Settled in a good job. 360 00:19:55,320 --> 00:19:58,520 Praise God for that. God is asking you to constantly 361 00:19:58,520 --> 00:20:01,200 have your eyes on the horizon and saying, God, I'm placed 362 00:20:01,200 --> 00:20:02,280 here. What do you want me to do? 363 00:20:02,960 --> 00:20:04,640 What have you placed me here for? 364 00:20:04,640 --> 00:20:05,880 God? Is this the end? 365 00:20:05,880 --> 00:20:07,760 Is this the destination? Is there more? 366 00:20:07,880 --> 00:20:11,120 How can I be the best here? How can I bring your Kingdom? 367 00:20:11,760 --> 00:20:15,920 On Earth here how can I do your will here? 368 00:20:16,440 --> 00:20:21,400 That's what it looks like to be dynamic and it's interesting 369 00:20:21,400 --> 00:20:23,760 because he. It says he went to Canaan, then 370 00:20:23,760 --> 00:20:27,320 he went all the way to Shechem, then Bethel, then he sets out 371 00:20:27,320 --> 00:20:29,600 and continues into the desert, the Negev desert. 372 00:20:29,880 --> 00:20:33,600 When famine hits, he moves to Egypt, then he returns to the 373 00:20:33,600 --> 00:20:36,360 Negev with lots of added possessions. 374 00:20:37,720 --> 00:20:41,760 So the when you look at his life, there was a leaving behind 375 00:20:42,240 --> 00:20:44,200 and there was a following that was necessary. 376 00:20:44,200 --> 00:20:47,200 When Jesus called his disciples, what was the simple phrase? 377 00:20:47,200 --> 00:20:50,320 He said follow me, come behind me. 378 00:20:50,560 --> 00:20:52,720 If I'm running, you run. If I'm walking, you walk. 379 00:20:52,720 --> 00:20:54,680 Walk at my pace, run at my. Pace. 380 00:20:55,400 --> 00:20:58,320 Soar with me. That is the invitation that each 381 00:20:58,360 --> 00:21:02,320 of us who follow Jesus today as children of God, this is what we 382 00:21:02,320 --> 00:21:04,480 are called into. We are called into place of 383 00:21:04,480 --> 00:21:07,840 following God. Where he goes, we will lead. 384 00:21:08,120 --> 00:21:11,480 And then if, if you notice when we follow God, it'll seem like 385 00:21:11,480 --> 00:21:13,600 there are detours. It'll seem like there's a 386 00:21:13,600 --> 00:21:15,360 wandering in the wilderness for a season. 387 00:21:15,360 --> 00:21:17,040 It'll seem like there's some dryness. 388 00:21:17,080 --> 00:21:18,760 It'll seem like there's some storms. 389 00:21:19,200 --> 00:21:23,640 But the beautiful thing is, no detour is without purpose. 390 00:21:24,040 --> 00:21:29,840 No detour or no set back is without it being a setup. 391 00:21:30,320 --> 00:21:32,160 It's a place where God. Meets us it's. 392 00:21:32,160 --> 00:21:35,880 A place where God uses us. It's a place where God trains us 393 00:21:37,040 --> 00:21:41,760 and it says over here in chapter 14, Lot and his family get 394 00:21:41,880 --> 00:21:45,880 kidnapped by an enemy king when the king of Sodom and Gomorrah 395 00:21:45,880 --> 00:21:50,960 gets goes into a war with these other kings and there's a huge. 396 00:21:52,280 --> 00:21:54,120 You know, conflict that breaks out. 397 00:21:54,920 --> 00:21:57,120 And so this is what Abraham's response was. 398 00:21:57,120 --> 00:21:59,800 Now, Abraham could have washed his hands off, but there's a 399 00:21:59,800 --> 00:22:02,160 sense of responsibility for Lord. 400 00:22:02,640 --> 00:22:05,760 Even though they had split ways, Abraham felt responsible to get 401 00:22:05,760 --> 00:22:09,280 him back, to set him back on his feet in his own home. 402 00:22:09,720 --> 00:22:11,240 And so this is what it says he does. 403 00:22:11,240 --> 00:22:15,720 Genesis 14 verses 14 to 16 says when Abraham heard that his 404 00:22:15,720 --> 00:22:20,240 relative had been taken, he called out the 318 trained men 405 00:22:20,720 --> 00:22:25,160 born in his household and went in pursuit as far as Dan. 406 00:22:25,600 --> 00:22:29,320 During the night, Abraham divided his men to attack them 407 00:22:29,600 --> 00:22:34,480 and he routed them, pursuing them as far as Hoba north of 408 00:22:34,480 --> 00:22:37,240 Damascus. He recovered all the goods and 409 00:22:37,240 --> 00:22:41,240 brought back his relative lot and his possessions together 410 00:22:41,240 --> 00:22:43,520 with the women and the other people. 411 00:22:44,640 --> 00:22:47,200 This seems when you look at this whole chapter, it feels like a 412 00:22:47,200 --> 00:22:49,640 huge detour because. This is something that's 413 00:22:49,640 --> 00:22:53,040 happening in the life of Lot it. Didn't have to concern Abraham, 414 00:22:53,200 --> 00:22:55,800 but it's so beautiful because Abraham was so ready. 415 00:22:56,480 --> 00:23:00,920 He had 300 odd men in his camp who were prepared to go and 416 00:23:00,920 --> 00:23:02,840 fight. Isn't that amazing? 417 00:23:02,840 --> 00:23:05,200 What were they prepared for? Abraham was just a Chieftain. 418 00:23:05,200 --> 00:23:06,600 He was. He was not a king. 419 00:23:06,600 --> 00:23:09,520 He was not a general. He was probably not ever going 420 00:23:09,520 --> 00:23:11,640 to be in a position of war, if you think about it. 421 00:23:11,880 --> 00:23:15,400 And yet he had people trained and this was the perfect 422 00:23:15,520 --> 00:23:18,400 situation in which they could be unleashed. 423 00:23:18,400 --> 00:23:22,440 And as I love those, the use of those verbs, it says during the 424 00:23:22,440 --> 00:23:27,320 night he divided his men. They attacked, they routed, they 425 00:23:27,320 --> 00:23:30,440 pursued. It's amazing and. 426 00:23:30,680 --> 00:23:33,800 He recovered everything, recovered all. 427 00:23:34,200 --> 00:23:38,920 And I want us to, just as a segue, God is calling each of us 428 00:23:38,920 --> 00:23:42,680 when he calls us to follow him. He's calling us into warfare. 429 00:23:42,680 --> 00:23:45,920 He's calling us into head to head battle with the enemy to 430 00:23:45,920 --> 00:23:47,960 take back the things the enemy has taken. 431 00:23:48,120 --> 00:23:50,600 And over this year we're going to see what that looks like. 432 00:23:50,600 --> 00:23:54,840 When we have to possess our inheritance, it means stamping 433 00:23:54,840 --> 00:23:57,440 back on territory that originally belonged to us and 434 00:23:57,440 --> 00:24:00,040 taking it back, telling the enemy you have to take your 435 00:24:00,040 --> 00:24:02,080 hands off this. I'm recovering all. 436 00:24:03,320 --> 00:24:07,600 And that's what Abraham did for Lot, and he restores Lot to his 437 00:24:07,600 --> 00:24:10,760 land, meets the couple of kings, restores all of their 438 00:24:10,760 --> 00:24:13,560 situations, and then goes back to where he's at. 439 00:24:14,520 --> 00:24:17,160 And that is what it's like to be a possessor of the promise. 440 00:24:17,160 --> 00:24:19,640 And that is why Abraham is called the Father of Faith, 441 00:24:19,880 --> 00:24:21,680 because nothing seemed like a detour. 442 00:24:21,680 --> 00:24:23,240 He took everything in his stride. 443 00:24:23,400 --> 00:24:25,040 He was there when Lot needed him. 444 00:24:25,040 --> 00:24:27,840 He came back. We look in later chapters where 445 00:24:27,840 --> 00:24:30,760 he stood in the gap for Lot again for his people. 446 00:24:31,440 --> 00:24:35,440 For the people of Sodom, we look again at how Abraham was ready 447 00:24:35,680 --> 00:24:40,440 to be a blessing to others. And that's what happens when we 448 00:24:40,440 --> 00:24:43,120 go where God leads. And I want to encourage you. 449 00:24:43,120 --> 00:24:46,080 Maybe you're thinking I have followed God where he led me, 450 00:24:46,080 --> 00:24:48,920 but I feel like He let me down. My prayers have not been 451 00:24:48,920 --> 00:24:50,640 answered, others prayers have been. 452 00:24:51,840 --> 00:24:54,280 Maybe you're thinking, well, I feel like I've been in a 453 00:24:54,280 --> 00:24:57,440 transition for too long. I feel like God led me in the 454 00:24:57,440 --> 00:24:59,720 wilderness, but I'm still wandering around in it. 455 00:25:00,320 --> 00:25:02,440 And I want to encourage you that, you know, even though it's 456 00:25:02,440 --> 00:25:04,840 not smooth sailing, He is with you in the storm. 457 00:25:05,440 --> 00:25:07,200 He is with you in the wilderness. 458 00:25:07,360 --> 00:25:10,840 He is with you when it's night for a very prolonged period of 459 00:25:10,840 --> 00:25:13,000 time because the day always comes. 460 00:25:13,600 --> 00:25:18,600 But if He is with you, if He is with you, you can be assured 461 00:25:19,000 --> 00:25:21,160 that you can face anything that comes at you. 462 00:25:21,400 --> 00:25:24,600 You will recover all that has been promised to you, and you 463 00:25:24,600 --> 00:25:27,840 can live like a true possessor of the promise. 464 00:25:28,720 --> 00:25:31,080 He will never lead you where He's absent. 465 00:25:31,080 --> 00:25:34,280 So that's the second thing. It's so important to remember 466 00:25:35,200 --> 00:25:37,880 that when we leave behind the things that God asked us to 467 00:25:37,880 --> 00:25:42,640 leave, we need to now follow God where He calls us to be. 468 00:25:43,120 --> 00:25:46,000 Following Him is all important. And the third thing that comes 469 00:25:46,560 --> 00:25:51,040 just by virtue of doing the first 2 is that allowing we 470 00:25:51,040 --> 00:25:57,120 allow God to bring the blessing, Allow God to bring the blessing. 471 00:25:57,360 --> 00:26:01,360 I love that passage in Genesis chapter 12 which says I will. 472 00:26:01,360 --> 00:26:04,480 It's a sevenfold blessing. I will make you into a great 473 00:26:04,480 --> 00:26:06,480 nation. I will bless you. 474 00:26:06,840 --> 00:26:09,680 I will make your name great and you will be a blessing. 475 00:26:10,080 --> 00:26:13,200 I will bless those who bless you and whoever curses you I will 476 00:26:13,200 --> 00:26:15,360 curse. And all peoples on earth will be 477 00:26:15,360 --> 00:26:20,440 blessed through you. The predominant pronoun being 478 00:26:20,440 --> 00:26:25,760 used here is I. If the onus is on God to bless 479 00:26:25,960 --> 00:26:29,240 Abraham, it was nothing Abraham could do for himself. 480 00:26:30,640 --> 00:26:35,000 And I want if for anyone who's thinking that you, it's based on 481 00:26:35,000 --> 00:26:38,240 you that your blessing comes, you can take that pressure off 482 00:26:38,240 --> 00:26:40,240 you. It is completely on God. 483 00:26:41,080 --> 00:26:44,360 Even when we mess up, even when we backslide, even when we do 484 00:26:44,360 --> 00:26:49,480 things that are disturbingly harmful to ourselves, God is 485 00:26:49,480 --> 00:26:52,520 faithful to his word. God is faithful to his word. 486 00:26:52,520 --> 00:26:55,320 He has not become unfaithful when we have become unfaithful 487 00:26:55,520 --> 00:26:58,920 when we have been faithless, heal and change in being who he 488 00:26:58,920 --> 00:27:02,760 said he was. He's faithful to his word and 489 00:27:02,760 --> 00:27:07,360 it's beautiful here because it says I will make you into a 490 00:27:07,360 --> 00:27:09,560 great nation. Abraham and Sarah had probably 491 00:27:09,560 --> 00:27:12,680 given up. Hear God saying your your 492 00:27:12,680 --> 00:27:16,120 offspring will be as as many as this as the sand on the sea. 493 00:27:16,600 --> 00:27:20,720 And they not even had one kid. Can you imagine how scary it 494 00:27:20,720 --> 00:27:23,280 must have been? God, you've called us from from 495 00:27:23,280 --> 00:27:26,160 the known to the unknown. We have left behind family and 496 00:27:26,160 --> 00:27:28,040 friends. We've come and we're just 497 00:27:28,040 --> 00:27:31,160 wandering around this land. And yet the one thing you 498 00:27:31,160 --> 00:27:34,480 promised us hasn't come true. Is our wealth increasing? 499 00:27:34,480 --> 00:27:36,280 Yes. But the one thing you said that 500 00:27:36,280 --> 00:27:39,000 we will have children hasn't happened. 501 00:27:39,240 --> 00:27:43,440 But the beautiful thing is that the onus is on God to bring the 502 00:27:43,440 --> 00:27:45,000 blessing. It is not on us. 503 00:27:46,120 --> 00:27:50,080 And Abraham and Sarah, as human as they were, try to engineer 504 00:27:50,080 --> 00:27:51,640 that blessing. We'll see that in the coming 505 00:27:51,640 --> 00:27:53,320 weeks. We'll see how Ishmael happened. 506 00:27:54,000 --> 00:27:56,840 It was where a blessing was engineered. 507 00:27:57,280 --> 00:27:59,160 Here, we're not having a kid. Let's try it our way. 508 00:28:01,040 --> 00:28:03,760 And it's interesting enough that sometimes we try to broker our 509 00:28:03,760 --> 00:28:05,920 blessings. We position ourselves in our 510 00:28:05,920 --> 00:28:09,440 career in such a way that this boss sees us, that person sees 511 00:28:09,440 --> 00:28:11,000 us, and then maybe they'll notice us. 512 00:28:11,160 --> 00:28:14,720 Maybe they'll elevate us. We broker our blessing with with 513 00:28:14,720 --> 00:28:19,000 when it comes to people, when it comes to relationships, whatever 514 00:28:19,000 --> 00:28:22,520 it is, we find that it never really ends well when we broker 515 00:28:22,680 --> 00:28:25,000 our own blessing. I want to read from Genesis 516 00:28:25,000 --> 00:28:29,520 chapter 12. Verses 11 to 17 it says as he 517 00:28:29,520 --> 00:28:32,600 was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, I know 518 00:28:32,600 --> 00:28:35,560 what a beautiful woman you are. When the Egyptians see you, they 519 00:28:35,560 --> 00:28:38,280 will see this is his wife. Then they will kill me, but will 520 00:28:38,280 --> 00:28:41,040 let you live. Say you are my sister, so that I 521 00:28:41,040 --> 00:28:44,040 will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared 522 00:28:44,040 --> 00:28:47,160 because of you. When Abraham came to Egypt, the 523 00:28:47,160 --> 00:28:50,760 Egyptian saw that Sarai was a very beautiful woman, and when 524 00:28:50,760 --> 00:28:53,520 Pharaoh's officials saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh and 525 00:28:53,520 --> 00:28:57,240 she was taken into his palace. He treated Abraham well for her 526 00:28:57,240 --> 00:29:01,760 sake, and Abraham acquired sheep and cattle, male and female 527 00:29:01,760 --> 00:29:04,280 donkeys, male and female servants and camels. 528 00:29:04,600 --> 00:29:09,280 But the Lord inflicted serious diseases on Pharaoh and his 529 00:29:09,280 --> 00:29:12,720 household because of Abraham's wife Sarai. 530 00:29:14,080 --> 00:29:17,760 Wow. He wants his life to be safe. 531 00:29:18,560 --> 00:29:21,320 He's looking out for himself. So he says you're beautiful, 532 00:29:21,320 --> 00:29:23,480 you'll get away with it. I'm clean. 533 00:29:23,680 --> 00:29:25,520 I need some help. Cover me. 534 00:29:26,160 --> 00:29:28,800 Tell them you're my sister so that I will be treated well. 535 00:29:28,800 --> 00:29:32,800 When you say treated well, it basically means I will be looked 536 00:29:32,800 --> 00:29:33,920 after. They'll give me a bunch of 537 00:29:33,920 --> 00:29:36,760 things and, you know, keep me comfortable. 538 00:29:37,120 --> 00:29:39,600 And that's what he did. It says he gave him sheep, 539 00:29:39,600 --> 00:29:42,760 cattle, male and female donkeys and servants. 540 00:29:42,760 --> 00:29:46,240 And camels. All so that they could acquire 541 00:29:46,240 --> 00:29:49,560 the wife. Unfortunately, God had other 542 00:29:49,560 --> 00:29:52,440 plans. He inflicted serious diseases on 543 00:29:52,440 --> 00:29:56,600 the King and his household. It doesn't end well when we 544 00:29:56,600 --> 00:29:59,480 broker our own blessings, when we engineer our own blessings, 545 00:29:59,640 --> 00:30:02,840 when God promises something, He is the initiator. 546 00:30:03,360 --> 00:30:05,320 He is the fulfiller of the said blessing. 547 00:30:06,280 --> 00:30:10,040 We are required only to obey. We're required to just do what 548 00:30:10,040 --> 00:30:14,040 is required in the present. He brings about the development. 549 00:30:14,240 --> 00:30:17,200 He brings about its evolution. He brings about the completion. 550 00:30:18,120 --> 00:30:20,080 Our role, What is our role? You're probably saying then 551 00:30:20,080 --> 00:30:21,200 what? I don't have to do anything. 552 00:30:21,200 --> 00:30:24,000 No. Our role is to keep our eyes on 553 00:30:24,000 --> 00:30:26,480 the promise maker and to just follow his leading. 554 00:30:27,000 --> 00:30:29,480 It is never to sit in an easy chair and do nothing. 555 00:30:29,760 --> 00:30:31,120 It is to do. As we are. 556 00:30:31,120 --> 00:30:36,120 Told to do this year, this whole year, 2025, as much as we are 557 00:30:36,120 --> 00:30:39,120 positioned to, to possess the promise. 558 00:30:39,120 --> 00:30:42,320 It's not merely a physical position of just standing and 559 00:30:42,320 --> 00:30:46,120 waiting or sitting and waiting. No, it's a spiritual position of 560 00:30:46,120 --> 00:30:50,560 being so filled with faith. To say, you know what, whatever 561 00:30:50,560 --> 00:30:53,600 it is, God, I trust you. Whatever you allow in my life, I 562 00:30:53,600 --> 00:30:55,360 will trust you. Whatever you bring in, I know 563 00:30:55,360 --> 00:30:58,120 that you have got the capacity to carry me through it. 564 00:30:59,000 --> 00:31:01,960 That's what it looks like to be positioned. 565 00:31:02,880 --> 00:31:07,280 And the beautiful thing is when we are positioned, God is able 566 00:31:07,280 --> 00:31:10,120 to actually use us to be a blessing to others. 567 00:31:10,120 --> 00:31:12,880 I think it was sometime last year when Geshom was sharing 568 00:31:12,880 --> 00:31:15,120 with us about us being channels of blessing. 569 00:31:15,560 --> 00:31:17,680 We are not just meant to be reservoirs where we just keep 570 00:31:17,680 --> 00:31:20,680 collecting all the blessing that God gives, but we were blessed 571 00:31:20,680 --> 00:31:22,800 to be a blessing. And he says through you, the 572 00:31:22,800 --> 00:31:26,200 nation's will be blessed. And we think about it today, 573 00:31:27,120 --> 00:31:29,560 because of Abraham's faithfulness, because of 574 00:31:29,600 --> 00:31:34,160 Abraham's great faith in God, today those of us who have 575 00:31:34,160 --> 00:31:37,760 accepted Jesus by faith have access to this God. 576 00:31:37,760 --> 00:31:41,840 We have access to his Kingdom. Has he been true to his word? 577 00:31:41,840 --> 00:31:44,360 Yes. The nations have been blessed 578 00:31:44,520 --> 00:31:47,160 through Abraham. When you look back at that 579 00:31:47,160 --> 00:31:49,960 blessing, when you look back at that blessing, I want us to read 580 00:31:49,960 --> 00:31:53,080 that blessing again. He says I will make you a great 581 00:31:53,080 --> 00:31:54,520 nation. I will bless you. 582 00:31:54,960 --> 00:31:57,320 The nation that came out of Abraham was the nation of 583 00:31:57,320 --> 00:31:59,640 Israel, and God has truly blessed them. 584 00:31:59,640 --> 00:32:02,400 As much as they're dispersed around the globe, God has 585 00:32:02,400 --> 00:32:04,000 blessed them in a very different way. 586 00:32:04,440 --> 00:32:06,280 It says I will make your name great. 587 00:32:06,720 --> 00:32:11,680 You will be a blessing. He says I will bless those who 588 00:32:11,680 --> 00:32:17,280 bless you and whoever curses you I will curse and all peoples on 589 00:32:17,280 --> 00:32:21,360 earth will be blessed through you just like that. 590 00:32:21,680 --> 00:32:24,920 Each of us here have been called to be conduits and channels of 591 00:32:24,920 --> 00:32:27,280 blessing. We will never melt to hold it 592 00:32:27,280 --> 00:32:29,480 out, hold it up for ourselves and justice. 593 00:32:29,480 --> 00:32:31,400 Hold it in and you know, sit on it. 594 00:32:31,960 --> 00:32:34,320 God wants us to be channels of blessing. 595 00:32:34,320 --> 00:32:38,080 And I love that Abraham grows in the chapters that you read about 596 00:32:38,080 --> 00:32:40,240 him. When we go to Genesis chapter 597 00:32:40,640 --> 00:32:44,640 14, he has grown from Genesis chapter 12 where he was, you 598 00:32:44,640 --> 00:32:46,400 know, bartering with the king of Egypt. 599 00:32:46,400 --> 00:32:50,000 Here he comes to a place where it's after the defeat of those 600 00:32:50,000 --> 00:32:52,680 enemy kings who took Lot's family. 601 00:32:52,960 --> 00:32:55,800 He's restored everything. And then he's just literally 602 00:32:55,800 --> 00:32:59,040 having breaking bread with Melchizedek, who's the king of 603 00:32:59,040 --> 00:33:02,080 Salem. And, and this is what that king 604 00:33:02,080 --> 00:33:06,240 says of Abraham, he says. Genesis 14 verses 18 to 24 it 605 00:33:06,240 --> 00:33:10,000 says then Melchizedek a king of Salem brought out bread and 606 00:33:10,000 --> 00:33:12,320 wine. He was priest of God Most High 607 00:33:12,320 --> 00:33:16,480 and he blessed Abraham saying, Blessed be Abraham by God Most 608 00:33:16,480 --> 00:33:20,560 High, creator of heaven and earth, and peace be to God Most 609 00:33:20,560 --> 00:33:23,160 High who delivered your enemies into your hand. 610 00:33:23,560 --> 00:33:25,800 Then Abraham gave him a 10th of everything. 611 00:33:25,800 --> 00:33:28,760 The king of Sodom said to Abraham, give me the people and 612 00:33:28,760 --> 00:33:31,880 keep the goods for yourself. But Abraham said to the king of 613 00:33:31,880 --> 00:33:34,000 Sodom with raised hand. I have. 614 00:33:34,120 --> 00:33:38,800 Sworn an oath to the Lord God, Most High Creator of heaven and 615 00:33:38,800 --> 00:33:42,320 earth, that I will accept nothing belonging to you, not 616 00:33:42,320 --> 00:33:46,080 even a thread or the strap of a sandal, so that you will never 617 00:33:46,080 --> 00:33:48,560 be able to say I made Abraham rich. 618 00:33:49,040 --> 00:33:52,680 I will accept nothing but what my men have eaten and the share 619 00:33:52,680 --> 00:33:55,840 that belongs to the men who went with me to Eno, Eshkol and 620 00:33:55,840 --> 00:33:58,560 Mamre. Let them have their share. 621 00:33:59,680 --> 00:34:05,640 It's incredible because now came a rich king, the Salem king of 622 00:34:05,640 --> 00:34:07,400 Salem, who we know nothing much about. 623 00:34:08,440 --> 00:34:13,719 Very Christ like in his origins, in his priestly role, but yet he 624 00:34:13,719 --> 00:34:17,280 comes and he blesses him. And the king of Sodom is trying 625 00:34:17,280 --> 00:34:19,920 to bless him, trying to give him the spoils of war. 626 00:34:20,199 --> 00:34:23,960 And Abraham refuses to touch it, saying, let lest it be said that 627 00:34:23,960 --> 00:34:26,719 you made me rich. Abraham had finally come to a. 628 00:34:26,719 --> 00:34:29,600 Place of resting in the fact that it was God who would. 629 00:34:29,600 --> 00:34:32,400 Make him rich. It was God who would bless him. 630 00:34:32,400 --> 00:34:35,360 He couldn't engineer it. He couldn't collect it. 631 00:34:35,639 --> 00:34:39,639 It was on God. And it's beautiful because I 632 00:34:39,639 --> 00:34:42,960 pray that each of us, as we're reading this, we start to see 633 00:34:42,960 --> 00:34:45,199 where we fit in this puzzle, right? 634 00:34:45,600 --> 00:34:48,159 Galatians chapter 3. This is where it actually sinks 635 00:34:48,159 --> 00:34:52,239 in and where it sits for us. Galatians chapter 3, verses 5 to 636 00:34:52,239 --> 00:34:53,760 9. I'm reading it from the NLT. 637 00:34:53,760 --> 00:34:56,320 It says this. I ask you again, does God give 638 00:34:56,320 --> 00:34:59,760 you the Holy Spirit and work miracles among you because you 639 00:34:59,760 --> 00:35:01,720 obey the law? Of course not. 640 00:35:01,720 --> 00:35:04,640 It is because you believe the message you heard about Christ. 641 00:35:05,560 --> 00:35:09,280 In the same way, Abraham believed God, and God counted 642 00:35:09,280 --> 00:35:11,400 him as righteous because of his faith. 643 00:35:11,640 --> 00:35:14,800 The real children of Abraham then are those who put their 644 00:35:14,800 --> 00:35:18,080 faith in God. What's more, the Scriptures look 645 00:35:18,080 --> 00:35:21,080 forward to this time when God would make the Gentiles right in 646 00:35:21,080 --> 00:35:24,960 his side because of their faith. God proclaimed this good news to 647 00:35:24,960 --> 00:35:29,000 Abraham long ago when he said all nations will be blessed 648 00:35:29,280 --> 00:35:31,640 through you. So all who put their faith in 649 00:35:31,640 --> 00:35:37,040 Christ share the same blessing Abraham received because of his 650 00:35:37,040 --> 00:35:40,760 faith. That's where we fit in you and 651 00:35:40,760 --> 00:35:42,800 I. We chose Jesus, right? 652 00:35:42,800 --> 00:35:45,360 We chose Jesus. We, we came to him in faith. 653 00:35:45,360 --> 00:35:49,320 We we said that sinner's prayer and in faith we receive Jesus 654 00:35:49,320 --> 00:35:51,440 into our lives. We don't see him, but he's so 655 00:35:51,440 --> 00:35:54,200 healed. We have hedged all our bets on 656 00:35:54,200 --> 00:35:56,080 him. We live for him. 657 00:35:56,080 --> 00:35:58,160 We would die for him. That is how we live right? 658 00:35:59,280 --> 00:36:03,520 The minute we come into a faith relationship with God in Jesus. 659 00:36:04,120 --> 00:36:07,920 We have access to the blessing that was given to Abraham. 660 00:36:08,600 --> 00:36:11,280 Isn't that amazing? You and I can claim that 661 00:36:11,280 --> 00:36:14,320 sevenfold blessing for ourselves, provided we are 662 00:36:14,320 --> 00:36:17,520 willing to leave that which we have to leave behind and follow 663 00:36:17,520 --> 00:36:21,400 God where He leads. That's the condition, and I want 664 00:36:21,400 --> 00:36:23,520 to encourage you with this, this 2025. 665 00:36:23,520 --> 00:36:26,880 I don't know what your promise looks like, but I believe that 666 00:36:26,880 --> 00:36:31,360 God has a carefully curated promise for each of us. 667 00:36:31,880 --> 00:36:34,440 The promise he's given me is not the same that he's given my 668 00:36:34,440 --> 00:36:36,320 husband. It's a different promise for 669 00:36:36,320 --> 00:36:38,120 him. The promise he's given our 670 00:36:38,120 --> 00:36:41,000 children is different. The promise he's given our 671 00:36:41,000 --> 00:36:43,560 church is different. But all of it comes into this 672 00:36:43,560 --> 00:36:47,880 place of knowing that every promise in Jesus is yes and Amen 673 00:36:48,000 --> 00:36:50,880 because the one who guarantees is faithful. 674 00:36:51,080 --> 00:36:53,560 The one who gives the promise cannot lie. 675 00:36:54,000 --> 00:36:56,640 The one who's given the promise is perfect in every way. 676 00:36:57,600 --> 00:37:01,800 And that's why. And that's why these carefully 677 00:37:01,800 --> 00:37:06,200 curated promises are us. If you and I stand in faith 678 00:37:06,880 --> 00:37:09,960 believing that God, this promise you've given me you, it will 679 00:37:09,960 --> 00:37:14,480 come through. I believe we're going to see the 680 00:37:14,480 --> 00:37:17,560 possession of those spiritual lands this year. 681 00:37:18,560 --> 00:37:19,800 So I want to encourage you with this. 682 00:37:19,800 --> 00:37:23,040 The promise of increase is yours in Jesus. 683 00:37:23,040 --> 00:37:24,520 The promise of blessing is yours. 684 00:37:24,520 --> 00:37:26,560 The promise of restoration is yours. 685 00:37:26,840 --> 00:37:30,480 The promise of healing is yours. The promise of recovering all is 686 00:37:30,480 --> 00:37:33,920 yours. The promise of Shalom, peace 687 00:37:33,920 --> 00:37:37,440 enveloping your life is yours. The the promise of overwhelming 688 00:37:37,440 --> 00:37:41,560 joy is yours. The promise of you being a 689 00:37:41,560 --> 00:37:44,360 blessing unto many is yours in Jesus. 690 00:37:44,920 --> 00:37:49,320 None of these are. They are ever separated from our 691 00:37:49,320 --> 00:37:50,800 lives. The minute we step into a life 692 00:37:50,800 --> 00:37:55,680 of faith, these become ours. But it's on us to seek God and 693 00:37:55,680 --> 00:37:58,760 ask him, Lord, what is your curated promise for me? 694 00:37:59,600 --> 00:38:02,160 Because I can't take someone else's promise and make it mine 695 00:38:02,160 --> 00:38:04,800 and say God told me this. Did God really say it? 696 00:38:05,280 --> 00:38:09,160 And I would encourage you this week or even this whole month as 697 00:38:09,160 --> 00:38:11,840 we go through the series, that you would come very faithfully 698 00:38:11,840 --> 00:38:14,760 before God and say, Lord, I want a promise for me. 699 00:38:14,760 --> 00:38:18,040 I want a word for me. If God just gives you a word, 700 00:38:18,560 --> 00:38:21,640 ask Him to show you the promise from his word and tag it to that 701 00:38:21,640 --> 00:38:24,400 word. Because anytime God speaks with 702 00:38:24,400 --> 00:38:27,760 his audible voice, it is always tagged to the word of God. 703 00:38:30,000 --> 00:38:33,440 If we would put our faith in Jesus and really trust Him, 704 00:38:34,360 --> 00:38:36,880 these promises are ours in Jesus. 705 00:38:37,920 --> 00:38:42,280 Will doubt and worry step in? Yes, it threatens to creep in 706 00:38:42,320 --> 00:38:45,320 all the time. Will there be these fears of 707 00:38:45,320 --> 00:38:46,680 these things not happening? Yes. 708 00:38:46,880 --> 00:38:50,600 But the key is to hold on to the promise giver with all that we 709 00:38:50,600 --> 00:38:53,880 have. For some of us who are so used 710 00:38:53,880 --> 00:38:58,560 to striving and hustling, God is saying, will you stop trying so 711 00:38:58,560 --> 00:39:04,120 hard and just start trusting me? I've got it all figured out for 712 00:39:04,120 --> 00:39:05,840 some of us who need more. Proof. 713 00:39:06,200 --> 00:39:10,080 More evidence that we heard God. He's saying just take me at my 714 00:39:10,080 --> 00:39:14,520 word, which means that when he gives you that word, tag it to a 715 00:39:14,520 --> 00:39:17,160 promise. Ask him, show me a promise that 716 00:39:17,160 --> 00:39:20,880 matches this word so that I will stand on that promises. 717 00:39:21,360 --> 00:39:26,240 Stand on those promises. Each of us are part of a grander 718 00:39:26,240 --> 00:39:28,080 plan. None of us are ordinary. 719 00:39:28,760 --> 00:39:30,600 One of our pastor friends was teaching us this. 720 00:39:30,600 --> 00:39:34,440 He said you are not ordinary in God's eyes. 721 00:39:34,440 --> 00:39:38,320 You are extraordinary and he has linked you to a greater plan, a 722 00:39:38,320 --> 00:39:42,240 grander purpose. And it's in Christ's promises 723 00:39:42,600 --> 00:39:45,400 that we realize how grand the plan is. 724 00:39:45,560 --> 00:39:50,320 And so maybe it's time that you would start seeking God for 725 00:39:50,320 --> 00:39:52,880 2025. God, what am I being positioned 726 00:39:53,120 --> 00:39:56,200 for? What is the promise you have for 727 00:39:56,200 --> 00:40:00,640 me? I want to just quickly detour to 728 00:40:00,640 --> 00:40:04,040 that place where. Abraham had to go and recover 729 00:40:04,040 --> 00:40:06,280 all. He had to take back what the 730 00:40:06,280 --> 00:40:09,920 enemy had stolen, which was Lot and his loved ones and his 731 00:40:09,920 --> 00:40:12,840 possessions, it says He went there, he recovered all 732 00:40:12,840 --> 00:40:20,080 possessions, Lot, everybody. For too long God has given us 733 00:40:20,080 --> 00:40:24,160 promises, but the enemy has acted like he has ownership over 734 00:40:24,160 --> 00:40:27,520 those plots of land. Maybe our health, maybe our 735 00:40:27,520 --> 00:40:31,040 marriage, maybe our finances. Maybe the generations to come, 736 00:40:31,040 --> 00:40:33,520 maybe over our health and our addictions. 737 00:40:33,800 --> 00:40:35,360 And he's saying, oh, well, I own that. 738 00:40:35,440 --> 00:40:38,840 You didn't own it. But God is saying, I came to 739 00:40:38,840 --> 00:40:41,880 give you freedom. The peace that I give, the world 740 00:40:41,880 --> 00:40:43,800 cannot give. That is yours. 741 00:40:44,560 --> 00:40:47,880 And God has been teaching me personally that any area of 742 00:40:47,880 --> 00:40:51,280 consistent warfare, if you find it in your health, that means 743 00:40:51,280 --> 00:40:56,080 it's a it's an area that the Lord wants you to take back if 744 00:40:56,080 --> 00:40:57,520 the enemy wants to hold on to it. 745 00:40:57,640 --> 00:40:59,960 But if there is warfare in a particular area, you need to 746 00:40:59,960 --> 00:41:04,160 stand up and fight back. And he will give you a warfare 747 00:41:04,160 --> 00:41:05,840 strategy. It could be prayer, it could be 748 00:41:05,840 --> 00:41:07,800 praise, it could be fasting, whatever it is. 749 00:41:08,120 --> 00:41:13,120 But I want you to be unrelenting about what he's promising you 750 00:41:13,560 --> 00:41:16,160 because he doesn't lie. The enemy lies. 751 00:41:16,560 --> 00:41:18,080 He tells you. Well, you know what good health 752 00:41:18,080 --> 00:41:20,960 is never going to be a portion. You're never going to have 753 00:41:20,960 --> 00:41:22,760 restoration of that particular finance. 754 00:41:22,760 --> 00:41:24,840 You lost. It's it's impossible. 755 00:41:25,440 --> 00:41:27,880 It's too far gone. He's going to tell you this 756 00:41:27,880 --> 00:41:29,120 addiction is going to destroy you. 757 00:41:29,120 --> 00:41:31,080 There's no hope for you. You might as well give up. 758 00:41:31,960 --> 00:41:34,600 But God is saying the truth will set you free. 759 00:41:34,680 --> 00:41:36,440 I am the truth. I will set you free. 760 00:41:37,160 --> 00:41:41,080 That is the truth and it requires that you stand on the 761 00:41:41,080 --> 00:41:44,080 promises of God and say no more, no more. 762 00:41:44,080 --> 00:41:47,200 That's a that's a hack I'm giving you identify an area 763 00:41:47,200 --> 00:41:49,480 where you're consistently experiencing warfare. 764 00:41:49,720 --> 00:41:51,280 That's the place you need to reclaim. 765 00:41:51,840 --> 00:41:55,480 Ask God for a promise. Ask God for a promise, and then 766 00:41:55,480 --> 00:41:58,400 stand on the promise and watch the enemy flee. 767 00:41:58,480 --> 00:42:02,680 Stand up against him. But mostly remember this that if 768 00:42:02,680 --> 00:42:05,920 we are to lay claim to the promise that God gave Abraham, 769 00:42:06,640 --> 00:42:10,960 we need to live as Abraham did, which was to leave behind what 770 00:42:10,960 --> 00:42:15,520 was required to be left behind to pursue that which God was 771 00:42:15,520 --> 00:42:18,520 calling him to pursue because we don't want to be like Lord's 772 00:42:18,520 --> 00:42:20,200 wife. You remember Lord's wife. 773 00:42:20,400 --> 00:42:23,800 She had to leave Sodom and Gomorrah and head up into a 774 00:42:23,800 --> 00:42:28,160 small little town called Zua and and the angels explicit 775 00:42:28,160 --> 00:42:29,800 instructions was run for the hills. 776 00:42:30,160 --> 00:42:33,640 Don't look back. And some of us. 777 00:42:34,200 --> 00:42:37,360 I'm so desperate for the new season, but we're so clinging on 778 00:42:37,360 --> 00:42:39,440 to the old. We're like, oh, what if God 779 00:42:39,440 --> 00:42:41,680 doesn't provide for me in the new like He did in the old? 780 00:42:41,960 --> 00:42:44,360 Oh, what if I don't get friends again because I end this 781 00:42:44,360 --> 00:42:46,680 friendship? What will I do with my 782 00:42:46,680 --> 00:42:49,560 weeknights if I stop this particular addiction and this 783 00:42:49,560 --> 00:42:52,640 particular habit? God is saying, I need you to 784 00:42:52,640 --> 00:42:56,680 stop looking back and look forward because Isaiah 43 says, 785 00:42:56,680 --> 00:43:01,960 see, I am doing a new thing. I am doing a new thing. 786 00:43:02,360 --> 00:43:05,720 If we keep looking back, we're never going to see the 787 00:43:05,720 --> 00:43:08,400 magnificence of what He has in front of us. 788 00:43:08,400 --> 00:43:10,840 So we're going to pray right now, and I'm going to pray 789 00:43:10,840 --> 00:43:15,080 specifically that God will help you find that promise for this 790 00:43:15,080 --> 00:43:17,760 year. Maybe you already have it, and I 791 00:43:17,760 --> 00:43:21,080 thank God for that. I pray that you will stand your 792 00:43:21,080 --> 00:43:24,360 ground on that promise that no matter what comes you would say 793 00:43:24,360 --> 00:43:28,840 God, I believe you said this, The enemy can back off because 794 00:43:28,840 --> 00:43:31,560 this is your word. It is unchanging. 795 00:43:31,560 --> 00:43:33,880 It is unshakeable. For those of you who have not 796 00:43:33,880 --> 00:43:37,080 got a word, I don't want you to do the shortcut method. 797 00:43:37,080 --> 00:43:38,720 I want you to take the long winded Rd. 798 00:43:39,080 --> 00:43:43,800 Sit with God every day. Ask him for a word, ask him for 799 00:43:43,800 --> 00:43:48,000 a promise Link the two stand in the gap fight. 800 00:43:48,000 --> 00:43:51,920 For your promise, let's pray. Father, I thank you for this 801 00:43:51,920 --> 00:43:53,360 time. I thank you for all that you are 802 00:43:53,360 --> 00:43:55,480 doing in our lives. I thank you that you have been 803 00:43:55,480 --> 00:43:59,840 faithful beyond measure. God, and I just pray for 804 00:43:59,840 --> 00:44:02,720 everyone who is watching this sermon right now who's been 805 00:44:02,720 --> 00:44:06,680 listening in, I pray that God, you will make clear your word to 806 00:44:06,680 --> 00:44:08,400 them. Whatever the season is going to 807 00:44:08,400 --> 00:44:10,000 hold. I pray you would give them a 808 00:44:10,000 --> 00:44:11,200 word. I pray you would give them your 809 00:44:11,200 --> 00:44:13,240 promise. I pray that they would be 810 00:44:13,240 --> 00:44:15,080 unrelenting in how they pursue you. 811 00:44:15,080 --> 00:44:19,360 God, I pray your Father that they will recover all that the 812 00:44:19,400 --> 00:44:23,080 enemy has taken. They will stand stoic. 813 00:44:23,320 --> 00:44:26,080 They will fight for what rightfully belongs to them. 814 00:44:26,440 --> 00:44:29,040 I pray God for those who are struggling to leave behind. 815 00:44:29,040 --> 00:44:31,840 Things of the past, things of the previous season. 816 00:44:31,840 --> 00:44:36,240 God, you're calling them into a season of new wine, new grain, I 817 00:44:36,240 --> 00:44:39,000 pray Your Father, new oil. I pray that God, they will not 818 00:44:39,000 --> 00:44:41,960 settle for the old. They would run towards you that 819 00:44:41,960 --> 00:44:46,200 they will go where you lead them or Father, Lord, I pray that you 820 00:44:46,200 --> 00:44:50,520 would help them stop. Striving, stop hustling and to 821 00:44:50,520 --> 00:44:54,040 rest in you, God, I pray that you will bring the blessing as 822 00:44:54,040 --> 00:44:56,600 only you can. We pray. 823 00:44:57,680 --> 00:45:03,040 We pray it'll be a year of incredible miracles, signs, 824 00:45:03,280 --> 00:45:07,080 wonders, breakthroughs. We pray God will start to hear 825 00:45:07,080 --> 00:45:11,280 of how people stood and possessed their promise. 826 00:45:12,800 --> 00:45:15,360 I pray, O God, we'll be positioned in faith that our 827 00:45:15,360 --> 00:45:20,400 trust in you will grow each day, that you will help us take you 828 00:45:20,440 --> 00:45:22,600 at your word. We will, you will help us, God, 829 00:45:22,600 --> 00:45:26,440 to just believe the things you say to us and we will see it 830 00:45:26,440 --> 00:45:29,560 unfold in our lives. I pray that Lord, in this year, 831 00:45:29,560 --> 00:45:34,560 this, this season of new beginnings, open our eyes to 832 00:45:34,560 --> 00:45:37,200 hear you. Open our eyes to see you. 833 00:45:37,200 --> 00:45:40,080 Open our ears to hear you. Open our hearts, God, to sense 834 00:45:40,080 --> 00:45:43,360 the things you are. Trying to communicate with us, 835 00:45:44,440 --> 00:45:48,360 lead us, go before us. In Jesus name I pray. 836 00:45:48,840 --> 00:45:49,920 Amen. Amen. 837 00:45:50,040 --> 00:45:52,200 God bless you have an amazing year. 838 00:45:52,440 --> 00:45:56,400 I pray that as we get into this that you would start to read up 839 00:45:56,400 --> 00:45:58,840 more on Abraham and Sarah and that you would start to learn 840 00:45:58,840 --> 00:46:01,360 off their lives. Because it's such exemplary. 841 00:46:01,360 --> 00:46:05,120 Life so human, so frail, and yet so powerful because of their 842 00:46:05,120 --> 00:46:06,560 obedience, because of their faith. 843 00:46:07,480 --> 00:46:11,080 God bless you. Thanks for listening to this 844 00:46:11,080 --> 00:46:14,200 message. We hope you were blessed to hear 845 00:46:14,200 --> 00:46:17,920 more messages like this. Make sure to subscribe and check 846 00:46:17,920 --> 00:46:20,560 out our podcast channel for past episodes. 847 00:46:21,040 --> 00:46:24,360 If you like what you are hearing, consider rating us, 848 00:46:24,520 --> 00:46:27,400 subscribing and even sharing it with friends. 849 00:46:27,880 --> 00:46:32,200 That would really help us. For more content from Via Zion 850 00:46:32,560 --> 00:46:36,720 and to connect with us, go to Via Zion dot in. 851 00:46:37,280 --> 00:46:40,840 Remember, whoever finds Jesus finds life.