1 00:00:01,800 --> 00:00:09,800 Hey man, I'm so grateful that as a church body, we get to be a 2 00:00:09,800 --> 00:00:18,080 part of that when when you you give sacrificially and we also 3 00:00:18,840 --> 00:00:23,920 have pastor and his wife go and they they give of their time and 4 00:00:23,920 --> 00:00:27,800 people step up. Things get to happen in the 5 00:00:27,800 --> 00:00:31,480 Kingdom because of that, and that is just awesome. 6 00:00:31,480 --> 00:00:32,960 I would not have it any other way. 7 00:00:32,960 --> 00:00:35,880 When they're gone and they're doing that, it is just it 8 00:00:35,880 --> 00:00:39,480 tickles me to death because that is amazing and amazing things 9 00:00:39,480 --> 00:00:44,400 happen when when people get together and decide that they're 10 00:00:44,400 --> 00:00:48,040 going to go into the prison doors and minister the word of 11 00:00:48,040 --> 00:00:50,080 the Lord. Amen. 12 00:00:50,800 --> 00:00:53,520 Amen. You stand with me and turn to 13 00:00:53,520 --> 00:00:57,600 Jeremiah 29 and 11. Many of you know it just by me 14 00:00:57,600 --> 00:01:04,040 uttering the scripture text. I'm thankful for Pastor and his 15 00:01:04,040 --> 00:01:05,680 wife. Love and appreciate them. 16 00:01:06,080 --> 00:01:08,120 Appreciative of brother and sister Mason. 17 00:01:08,400 --> 00:01:10,960 Brother Mason just brought a great word this morning. 18 00:01:10,960 --> 00:01:17,240 Did he not his good. I do not want to be a part of 19 00:01:17,240 --> 00:01:18,880 it. I'm in it, but I'm not of. 20 00:01:20,080 --> 00:01:22,760 I want to take a stand. That was good word this morning. 21 00:01:22,760 --> 00:01:27,440 Thankful for that. So appreciative of my lovely, 22 00:01:27,440 --> 00:01:32,520 lovely wife. And as as many of you may know, 23 00:01:32,520 --> 00:01:38,280 we just celebrated our three-year anniversary and, and 24 00:01:38,320 --> 00:01:41,040 each and every day I just fall more and more love with her. 25 00:01:41,160 --> 00:01:43,160 And she just gets cuter and cuter. 26 00:01:45,200 --> 00:01:49,680 And, and she'll probably say that I, I, I say that she gets 27 00:01:49,680 --> 00:01:51,920 cuter because her ADHD gets worse. 28 00:01:51,920 --> 00:01:56,040 And so it's kind of funny, but I enjoy that it's, it's, it's a 29 00:01:56,040 --> 00:02:03,440 funny, quirky part. So Jeremiah 2911 says, For I 30 00:02:03,440 --> 00:02:06,600 know the thoughts that I think towards you, saith the Lord, 31 00:02:07,320 --> 00:02:12,080 thoughts of peace and not of evil to give you an expected 32 00:02:12,480 --> 00:02:16,120 end. The the way that I'm going about 33 00:02:16,120 --> 00:02:20,200 this today may not be what most of us would think when we think 34 00:02:20,200 --> 00:02:25,360 of Jeremiah 2911, but I hope you hope you will bear with me in 35 00:02:25,360 --> 00:02:29,400 this. I want to speak tonight on enter 36 00:02:29,600 --> 00:02:33,320 the ring. Enter the ring. 37 00:02:33,920 --> 00:02:35,720 I wonder if you would help me pray tonight. 38 00:02:35,720 --> 00:02:39,000 Sit down your Bibles, lift your hands and we would lift up a 39 00:02:39,000 --> 00:02:41,280 praise and to the Lord and pray for this service. 40 00:02:41,280 --> 00:02:44,640 God, I ask you just to move Lord, that you would have your 41 00:02:44,640 --> 00:02:47,120 way. Lord, anoint my lips of clay. 42 00:02:47,120 --> 00:02:49,680 Lord that I would speak what needs to be spoken tonight. 43 00:02:50,120 --> 00:02:52,160 Lord touch, Lord, hearts and minds. 44 00:02:52,160 --> 00:02:55,680 Lord, prepare, Lord, planting ground for your word that it 45 00:02:55,680 --> 00:02:58,560 would not, Lord, fall on bad ground and bad soil, but it 46 00:02:58,560 --> 00:03:01,560 would be something that we take the heart, Lord, we will allow 47 00:03:01,560 --> 00:03:04,040 to impact us. Lord, allow that we would walk 48 00:03:04,040 --> 00:03:05,680 away. Change today. 49 00:03:06,080 --> 00:03:07,880 Lord, we're thankful. We're going to give you all the 50 00:03:07,880 --> 00:03:10,400 glory and the honor and the praise today. 51 00:03:10,800 --> 00:03:16,280 And Jesus mighty name we pray. And everybody said Amen. 52 00:03:17,240 --> 00:03:19,080 Amen. Look at your neighbor and tell 53 00:03:19,080 --> 00:03:31,150 them, enter the ring. Amen. 54 00:03:31,630 --> 00:03:36,350 As as you see the title slide that was so wonderfully made, 55 00:03:37,150 --> 00:03:41,710 the ring that I'm talking about is a boxing ring. 56 00:03:43,550 --> 00:03:46,230 I'm not talking about the ring that you have on your finger. 57 00:03:46,950 --> 00:03:50,880 I'm not talking about a ringing in your ear, talking about a 58 00:03:50,880 --> 00:03:55,160 boxing ring and why? Well, when, when I was growing 59 00:03:55,160 --> 00:03:59,840 up in in my teen years, there was something that I took a 60 00:03:59,840 --> 00:04:03,120 little bit of a liking to and I did quite often for a little 61 00:04:03,120 --> 00:04:05,240 while. I would go down in the basement 62 00:04:05,240 --> 00:04:08,000 and, and my parents were so gracious to drive me somewhere 63 00:04:08,000 --> 00:04:10,240 and I would able, I was able to buy something off Facebook 64 00:04:10,240 --> 00:04:11,920 marketplace and it was a boxing bag. 65 00:04:13,080 --> 00:04:14,960 Put the sand in the bottom boxing bag. 66 00:04:14,960 --> 00:04:21,680 I'm in the basement 1212 punch and I I think that I took a 67 00:04:21,680 --> 00:04:27,360 liking to to boxing coming from the fact that my parents 68 00:04:28,040 --> 00:04:32,240 introduced me to a movie franchise called rocky. 69 00:04:33,520 --> 00:04:39,040 All right, and for those that don't know anything about Rocky, 70 00:04:39,760 --> 00:04:42,560 it's it's American sports drama. Go figure. 71 00:04:42,960 --> 00:04:47,040 We're talking about we're talking about boxing and and 72 00:04:47,040 --> 00:04:50,480 this franchise. The story is centered around the 73 00:04:50,480 --> 00:04:54,800 man by the name of Rocky Balboa. And he's a he's a small time 74 00:04:54,800 --> 00:04:59,600 boxer that that fights in in some small clubs for low pay. 75 00:04:59,600 --> 00:05:02,880 And he ends up getting a chance to fight the heavyweight champ 76 00:05:03,520 --> 00:05:08,360 and, and in doing so in that he goes a full 15 rounds. 77 00:05:08,360 --> 00:05:11,160 I don't know if how much you know about boxing, but normally 78 00:05:11,160 --> 00:05:14,760 that's it. 15 rounds. Is it 15 rounds seems like a 79 00:05:14,760 --> 00:05:21,000 whole lot of time and and so he goes that distance and and the 80 00:05:21,000 --> 00:05:24,920 thing about Rocky is he he was that he could really. 81 00:05:24,920 --> 00:05:28,120 Take a beating if you ever. Watch the movies, he looks like 82 00:05:28,120 --> 00:05:32,000 a mess afterwards. Man, he does he he looks like a 83 00:05:32,080 --> 00:05:37,520 a monster almost afterwards and. And it was, it was interesting 84 00:05:37,520 --> 00:05:40,600 because throughout the fight. He he would take hits and that 85 00:05:40,600 --> 00:05:42,840 probably would have finished other people. 86 00:05:42,840 --> 00:05:46,480 And this was based later on you find out that this was based 87 00:05:46,480 --> 00:05:52,080 after a real boxer and and it was he was considered the the 88 00:05:52,120 --> 00:05:56,800 nickname they had for him was something the bleeder and and 89 00:05:56,960 --> 00:06:00,400 because he was always bleeding because he just kept getting hit 90 00:06:00,600 --> 00:06:05,280 and he had like 300 some odd stitches in his entire career. 91 00:06:06,400 --> 00:06:11,360 And so it was just he kept getting hit and and some hits 92 00:06:11,360 --> 00:06:14,400 that anyone else might not have been able to stand their ground, 93 00:06:14,400 --> 00:06:17,520 but he he stood his ground. And people, people love to watch 94 00:06:17,520 --> 00:06:21,440 these movies and myself included, because because you 95 00:06:21,440 --> 00:06:25,000 couldn't help but get excited. You couldn't help but get 96 00:06:25,000 --> 00:06:30,080 invested in in the fight. And and even if this in this 97 00:06:30,080 --> 00:06:34,760 particular movie, The endurance and the strength that was shown, 98 00:06:34,760 --> 00:06:39,480 even though Rocky looked terrible, he was enduring and 99 00:06:39,480 --> 00:06:43,440 and he was enduring and appealed to those that were watching. 100 00:06:43,440 --> 00:06:47,720 It appealed his ability to withstand this, this brutal 101 00:06:47,720 --> 00:06:50,000 beating and and still keep fighting. 102 00:06:50,000 --> 00:06:54,880 A quality that made the watcher root despite the odds it seemed. 103 00:06:55,640 --> 00:07:00,720 And and just as Rocky knew the the risks when he stepped into 104 00:07:00,880 --> 00:07:05,520 the ring, we must too understand that that walking in God's 105 00:07:05,520 --> 00:07:11,120 purpose is like entering a spiritual boxing ring. 106 00:07:11,120 --> 00:07:16,720 If you will. Where the opponent is Satan and 107 00:07:16,720 --> 00:07:22,000 he is ready to throw punches. I know this may be simple 108 00:07:22,000 --> 00:07:23,480 tonight, folks, but please bear with me. 109 00:07:24,240 --> 00:07:29,960 When, when, when God presents His purpose and plan for us in 110 00:07:29,960 --> 00:07:32,680 our lives. We start to, when we start to 111 00:07:32,680 --> 00:07:37,040 walk in and everything seems great and dandy and it thinks it 112 00:07:37,040 --> 00:07:40,280 brings clarity and focus and direction in our lives, but it 113 00:07:40,280 --> 00:07:45,000 also puts us higher on Satan's hit list. 114 00:07:46,440 --> 00:07:51,320 We we've, we've approached higher on his cue of entering 115 00:07:51,560 --> 00:07:57,840 the ring with us reflecting then on Elijah. 116 00:07:57,840 --> 00:08:04,360 Just like Rocky, he faced a daunting task in First Kings 18. 117 00:08:05,240 --> 00:08:10,000 In First Kings 18, he God has directed Elijah to confront the 118 00:08:10,000 --> 00:08:15,200 prophets of Baal to call Israel back to the one true God. 119 00:08:16,120 --> 00:08:21,000 They were all gone up in in an idolatry and and he his whole 120 00:08:21,240 --> 00:08:25,640 goal and mission was to with God's help, to bring them back 121 00:08:25,760 --> 00:08:29,960 to focus on the one true God. And Elijah knew that this was a 122 00:08:29,960 --> 00:08:34,559 battle not just against the prophets themselves, but also 123 00:08:34,559 --> 00:08:39,640 against spiritual forces. He stepped into the ring with 124 00:08:39,640 --> 00:08:44,840 unwavering faith, knowing that his fight was about more than 125 00:08:44,840 --> 00:08:51,560 just personal victory, it was about reclaiming a nation for 126 00:08:51,560 --> 00:08:55,400 God. First Kings 18 and 20 it says. 127 00:08:55,400 --> 00:08:59,600 So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel and gathered 128 00:08:59,840 --> 00:09:02,600 the prophets together into Mount Carmel. 129 00:09:02,840 --> 00:09:07,440 And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt 130 00:09:07,440 --> 00:09:12,200 thee between two opinions? If the Lord be God, follow him, 131 00:09:12,400 --> 00:09:16,600 but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him, not 132 00:09:16,760 --> 00:09:23,160 a word here in this debate. Elijah stepped into the ring. 133 00:09:23,160 --> 00:09:27,600 He was getting already. He was, he had his fists up, if 134 00:09:27,600 --> 00:09:30,600 you will, spiritually and with the help of the Lord, he was 135 00:09:30,600 --> 00:09:35,800 ready for a showdown between truth and falsehood. 136 00:09:37,240 --> 00:09:41,640 And here with this debate, he was going to be facing many, 137 00:09:41,640 --> 00:09:45,080 many people. When it comes down to ratios, 138 00:09:45,080 --> 00:09:49,920 Elijah was outnumbered. We're talking about 450 prophets 139 00:09:49,920 --> 00:09:56,880 of Baal to one prophet of God. Didn't look good to the natural 140 00:09:56,880 --> 00:10:01,320 eye. I'm sure somewhere as much faith 141 00:10:01,320 --> 00:10:05,600 as Elijah had in the back of his mind, looking at 450 prophets, 142 00:10:06,000 --> 00:10:10,200 probably just thinking what have I gotten myself into? 143 00:10:11,800 --> 00:10:17,920 This is crazy. And he knew that this did 144 00:10:17,920 --> 00:10:21,120 present some risks. Elijah was smart. 145 00:10:21,120 --> 00:10:25,720 He knew that that if God doesn't show up in power, then he could 146 00:10:25,720 --> 00:10:31,080 be executed for defying the authority of the kind, the king, 147 00:10:31,080 --> 00:10:34,560 and challenging the established religious practices. 148 00:10:36,120 --> 00:10:40,680 He also risked alienating himself from his people and 149 00:10:40,680 --> 00:10:44,840 leaders because he was standing against the time of popular 150 00:10:44,840 --> 00:10:51,000 opinion and culture norms and which often would lead to 151 00:10:51,000 --> 00:10:57,200 isolation and rejection. And if you think that you're 152 00:10:57,200 --> 00:11:01,400 going to be able to follow after the plan and purpose of God in 153 00:11:01,400 --> 00:11:05,480 your life without isolation, without rejection, and without 154 00:11:05,480 --> 00:11:09,760 being separated from this world, and you think that you can still 155 00:11:09,760 --> 00:11:14,120 do all that you're supposed to do for God and not stand out, 156 00:11:14,880 --> 00:11:21,120 you have been deceived. You are mistaken. 157 00:11:21,120 --> 00:11:25,320 You, you can't you. God didn't call you to be a 158 00:11:25,320 --> 00:11:28,680 chameleon in the world. He called you to be in the 159 00:11:28,680 --> 00:11:37,280 world, but not of it. Elijah knew the risks. 160 00:11:38,440 --> 00:11:41,920 He wasn't trying to fit in. He was trying to do what God had 161 00:11:41,920 --> 00:11:46,000 called him to do. And he faced not only physical 162 00:11:46,000 --> 00:11:49,760 danger, but the isolation that comes with standing on God's 163 00:11:49,760 --> 00:11:54,160 truth in a world that was steeped in idolatry. 164 00:11:54,320 --> 00:11:59,040 And like Elijah, we may face isolation and rejection when we 165 00:11:59,040 --> 00:12:04,560 follow God's plan, but we're called to stand firm, knowing 166 00:12:04,560 --> 00:12:07,840 that our fight is a part of something bigger. 167 00:12:07,840 --> 00:12:12,000 It's not my fight, it's His fight. 168 00:12:14,200 --> 00:12:15,960 See. Brother Malone, do you mind 169 00:12:15,960 --> 00:12:16,880 coming up? Come up here. 170 00:12:17,400 --> 00:12:18,760 Hey, Trevor, you might come up here. 171 00:12:22,120 --> 00:12:24,360 Face each other. I want a good, clean fight. 172 00:12:24,360 --> 00:12:28,360 No, I'm. Now if you look at these two, 173 00:12:29,720 --> 00:12:35,680 you would say who probably the winner would be if there was a 174 00:12:35,760 --> 00:12:42,240 fight. You feeling good about that? 175 00:12:43,200 --> 00:12:46,960 No, no he's not. And and with that, we have to 176 00:12:46,960 --> 00:12:50,760 understand that he's going to present 450. 177 00:12:50,760 --> 00:12:52,280 Prophets of bail you're you're welcome. 178 00:12:52,280 --> 00:12:55,560 You, he's just, he's just that big, and then you're going to 179 00:12:55,560 --> 00:12:59,000 represent. Elijah, Elijah is facing these 180 00:12:59,000 --> 00:13:04,600 foes and and with that, he has to understand that he can't do 181 00:13:04,600 --> 00:13:07,360 this on his own. He's facing 450 profits of bail 182 00:13:07,560 --> 00:13:12,080 and he's facing he's facing king and queen and he's facing all 183 00:13:12,080 --> 00:13:14,680 these authoritarians that are going to go against him. 184 00:13:14,880 --> 00:13:17,400 He can't do this one man mission. 185 00:13:20,200 --> 00:13:24,720 And that's where that's where it's not, it's not just Elijah 186 00:13:24,720 --> 00:13:28,640 against 450 prophets. It's Elijah and God. 187 00:13:28,880 --> 00:13:38,360 And God takes the forefront and Elijah's getting cocky, but 188 00:13:38,360 --> 00:13:41,800 Elijah takes the forefront. And so then when Elijah takes 189 00:13:42,000 --> 00:13:44,400 when, when God takes the forefront of Elijah, then what 190 00:13:44,400 --> 00:13:49,520 happens is there's more power. There was no power before, there 191 00:13:49,520 --> 00:13:53,000 is power now, and there's way more power, right? 192 00:13:53,280 --> 00:13:55,680 And I'm not saying I couldn't. I couldn't beat him. 193 00:13:55,680 --> 00:13:58,000 Up. But what I am saying, when God 194 00:13:58,000 --> 00:14:01,760 steps into that, he steps in the gap, if you will. 195 00:14:02,520 --> 00:14:07,440 There is no contest. We have to understand there is 196 00:14:07,440 --> 00:14:11,840 no contest. We think it because the 197 00:14:11,880 --> 00:14:16,840 adversaries are many and we hear it all the time, but there is no 198 00:14:16,840 --> 00:14:22,920 contest. When God steps into the gap and 199 00:14:22,920 --> 00:14:25,840 he enters the ring with you. There is no contest. 200 00:14:26,080 --> 00:14:31,760 There is nothing. So Elijah knew that risk when he 201 00:14:31,760 --> 00:14:35,840 stepped in and and he knew that if God doesn't come through, 202 00:14:35,960 --> 00:14:39,960 he's probably going to die. Don't be beat to Pope. 203 00:14:39,960 --> 00:14:45,800 And when we think of the plan of God, we we want it to come with 204 00:14:45,800 --> 00:14:49,320 thoughts of clarity and joy and direction. 205 00:14:49,600 --> 00:14:53,960 And those things may come, but after a little while, real life 206 00:14:53,960 --> 00:14:58,000 sets in. When we walk in it, real life 207 00:14:58,000 --> 00:15:00,320 sets in. It's it's not something we don't 208 00:15:00,320 --> 00:15:04,720 want it to be something to fear. But sometimes it happens because 209 00:15:04,720 --> 00:15:07,720 our flesh gets in the way and and we start to think, well, 210 00:15:07,720 --> 00:15:10,080 there's 450 of them and one of me. 211 00:15:14,160 --> 00:15:18,320 You guys just said thank you, but. 212 00:15:19,040 --> 00:15:23,560 I think it's crazy and it's silly to me sometimes that, you 213 00:15:23,560 --> 00:15:28,840 know, I think it'd be goofy when people think that when when we 214 00:15:28,840 --> 00:15:32,720 start to do the things of God, that Satan's just going to be 215 00:15:32,720 --> 00:15:42,880 like, oh man. Can't do anything I guess. 216 00:15:44,040 --> 00:15:45,440 I lost them. They're gone. 217 00:15:45,800 --> 00:15:47,280 I can't get them. They're gone. 218 00:15:49,480 --> 00:15:55,600 Is it, is it not silly to think that Satan, once you start 219 00:15:55,600 --> 00:15:59,400 following your call and your purpose, that Satan's just like? 220 00:15:59,400 --> 00:16:06,080 Oh no, they're gone. There they are. 221 00:16:07,480 --> 00:16:09,840 I thought I had them and I lost them. 222 00:16:11,000 --> 00:16:16,160 No, that is silly thinking to think that that we're not going 223 00:16:16,160 --> 00:16:21,600 to face because we we have the culture of the simplistic 224 00:16:21,600 --> 00:16:26,200 Christianity Today that thinks that as long as you're a good 225 00:16:26,200 --> 00:16:30,360 Christian, no bad things will happen to you. 226 00:16:34,080 --> 00:16:37,720 And I'm not saying that we need to find Satan under every rock 227 00:16:37,720 --> 00:16:40,040 and be like that was Satan and that was Satan. 228 00:16:42,120 --> 00:16:44,280 But there is a pattern. That comes with it. 229 00:16:46,920 --> 00:16:49,840 There is a pattern that comes with it, and I think we would be 230 00:16:49,840 --> 00:16:54,400 deceived if we think that things that happen, whether physically 231 00:16:54,400 --> 00:16:57,960 or spiritually or mentally with the things that happened. 232 00:16:57,960 --> 00:17:01,040 We would be deceived if we thought that it wasn't something 233 00:17:01,040 --> 00:17:04,280 that Satan was doing. Because before that we were on a 234 00:17:04,280 --> 00:17:06,599 pretty good track. We were doing all right. 235 00:17:07,040 --> 00:17:09,920 We were doing good. We were doing good with God. 236 00:17:10,480 --> 00:17:13,960 Satan puts up a roadblock. What happened, God? 237 00:17:16,839 --> 00:17:20,880 Satan puts up the roadblock and then we hit it and like, God, 238 00:17:21,520 --> 00:17:26,960 why'd you do that, silly? It's silly. 239 00:17:28,520 --> 00:17:31,960 And, and I know we don't look at it this way most of the time, 240 00:17:31,960 --> 00:17:35,360 but but when you repent, you, you're baptized and filled with 241 00:17:35,360 --> 00:17:39,400 the Holy Ghost and you live your life according to the word and 242 00:17:39,400 --> 00:17:43,400 follow God's plan for your life. Satan is at risk of losing. 243 00:17:43,400 --> 00:17:48,840 You see, we don't think about it that many times because we're 244 00:17:48,840 --> 00:17:54,280 focused on souls for the Kingdom, but Satan's go as souls 245 00:17:54,280 --> 00:18:02,200 for hell. So Satan is at risk of losing 246 00:18:02,200 --> 00:18:04,200 you. So he's not going to be over 247 00:18:04,200 --> 00:18:07,200 there at risk of losing you. And you go on and you're just 248 00:18:07,200 --> 00:18:10,640 like, well, he's just, he's gone. 249 00:18:11,080 --> 00:18:15,360 No, he's going to try everything in his power to be able to 250 00:18:15,360 --> 00:18:18,680 derail you, whether it's physically, whether it's 251 00:18:18,680 --> 00:18:20,600 spiritually, whether it's mentally. 252 00:18:20,600 --> 00:18:24,400 He's going to try to attack in some way in form because he 253 00:18:24,400 --> 00:18:28,200 doesn't want what God would do through you. 254 00:18:31,160 --> 00:18:35,080 So it's more likely that he decides to take some jabs at 255 00:18:35,080 --> 00:18:37,720 you. He decides that when you decide 256 00:18:37,720 --> 00:18:40,760 to enter the ring, he gets in and he's like, all right, Bubba, 257 00:18:40,760 --> 00:18:42,320 here we go. Let's do it. 258 00:18:42,480 --> 00:18:45,520 Let's go. Because He does not want to lose 259 00:18:45,520 --> 00:18:52,280 you to God. Because when, when before, When 260 00:18:52,280 --> 00:18:55,400 you weren't in following after God's purpose and calling in 261 00:18:55,400 --> 00:18:58,400 your life, He liked you where you were, even if you were on 262 00:18:58,400 --> 00:19:00,040 the Pew. He liked you where you were 263 00:19:00,040 --> 00:19:02,680 because you weren't doing what you were supposed to be doing. 264 00:19:03,680 --> 00:19:05,720 Your backslider on the Pew sitting. 265 00:19:05,720 --> 00:19:09,080 Maybe you stand a couple times at church, lift your hands that 266 00:19:09,080 --> 00:19:11,080 way. You act the part, and then you 267 00:19:11,080 --> 00:19:13,000 go home and you do whatever you want to. 268 00:19:13,000 --> 00:19:15,720 You come on Wednesday, you act the part again. 269 00:19:15,920 --> 00:19:19,440 You come on Sunday at the part. But during all of that, oh, why 270 00:19:19,440 --> 00:19:20,920 don't we just drink a little bit? 271 00:19:20,920 --> 00:19:22,880 Why don't we go find something to do? 272 00:19:26,680 --> 00:19:29,600 You're entering his hit list, his hit list. 273 00:19:29,760 --> 00:19:32,520 You're going up. Because especially, you know, 274 00:19:32,520 --> 00:19:35,480 there's people that I've encountered that I've seen that 275 00:19:35,640 --> 00:19:40,600 they have great things playing with God and Satan deceives 276 00:19:40,600 --> 00:19:43,080 them. And then you think about what 277 00:19:43,080 --> 00:19:49,240 they could do. But Satan's deceived. 278 00:19:49,880 --> 00:19:53,480 Satan's attacked in some way in form, he is attacked. 279 00:19:54,040 --> 00:19:56,880 And whether it's people giving up because, you know, all the 280 00:19:56,880 --> 00:19:59,280 physical things that have happened, you know, oh, I can't 281 00:19:59,280 --> 00:20:02,240 pay the bills or blah, blah, blah, the car keeps breaking 282 00:20:02,240 --> 00:20:05,840 down, whatever it may be. And they allow those type of 283 00:20:05,840 --> 00:20:08,280 things to defeat them because like, well, I didn't have these 284 00:20:08,280 --> 00:20:09,680 problems when I was going to church. 285 00:20:11,960 --> 00:20:14,280 You weren't a threat when you weren't going to church. 286 00:20:16,800 --> 00:20:18,760 Hit man, don't go after random people. 287 00:20:18,760 --> 00:20:22,440 Hit man, go after the people they've been hired for. 288 00:20:22,440 --> 00:20:25,320 They're called targets. What's happening? 289 00:20:25,320 --> 00:20:29,320 You're being targeted because you are going to be a catalyst 290 00:20:29,320 --> 00:20:35,480 for the Kingdom. When you enter the ring, it is 291 00:20:35,480 --> 00:20:37,280 not going to come with the rainbows. 292 00:20:37,280 --> 00:20:40,600 It's going to come with a target on your back. 293 00:20:46,640 --> 00:20:52,760 In Ephesians 6 and 12, it says, For we wrestle not against flesh 294 00:20:52,760 --> 00:20:55,840 and blood, but against principalities, against powers, 295 00:20:56,040 --> 00:20:59,120 against the rulers of darkness of this world, against spiritual 296 00:20:59,120 --> 00:21:04,360 wickedness in high places. When we enter the ring, the 297 00:21:04,360 --> 00:21:06,960 enemy of our soul doesn't sit idly by. 298 00:21:07,680 --> 00:21:13,320 His goal is to disrupt, discourage, and derail us for 299 00:21:13,320 --> 00:21:17,720 fulfilling God's plan. Satan would love nothing more 300 00:21:17,720 --> 00:21:20,520 for than you to crawl back to your old habits. 301 00:21:21,120 --> 00:21:24,440 He would love for you to start to question things and start to 302 00:21:24,440 --> 00:21:27,800 turn away. He uses strategies to attack us, 303 00:21:27,840 --> 00:21:31,880 often targeting our weaknesses because he knows that's the 304 00:21:31,880 --> 00:21:35,640 easiest way to do it. Our weaknesses, our fears and 305 00:21:35,640 --> 00:21:39,200 our doubts. All the things that may be 306 00:21:39,200 --> 00:21:44,160 simple all the way down to things that may be simple 307 00:21:44,320 --> 00:21:48,360 because Satan's petty. It don't matter. 308 00:21:48,360 --> 00:21:53,080 Satan Petty. I'll tell you now, folks, again, 309 00:21:53,160 --> 00:21:56,440 please understand I'm not looking for Satan under every 310 00:21:56,440 --> 00:21:59,800 rock, all right? But there there were things in 311 00:21:59,800 --> 00:22:03,360 the past few months, my wife and I going through transition and 312 00:22:03,360 --> 00:22:04,440 figuring out what we're going to. 313 00:22:04,440 --> 00:22:09,520 Do with with. Our life and ministry and and I 314 00:22:09,520 --> 00:22:11,080 tell you what. It was the. 315 00:22:11,080 --> 00:22:17,200 Patterns for me that I realized there's something more than just 316 00:22:20,360 --> 00:22:24,800 it was it guys? It was, it was stupid things I'm 317 00:22:24,800 --> 00:22:27,160 telling you right now. I mean, we're, we're talking 318 00:22:27,160 --> 00:22:30,200 about, we're talking about the sink, we're talking about the 319 00:22:30,200 --> 00:22:32,360 oven, we're talking about the TV. 320 00:22:32,360 --> 00:22:38,080 Just stupid I'm I'm I'm serious like he's so petty down to just 321 00:22:38,080 --> 00:22:45,160 a little annoyance distractions that the create anger just. 322 00:22:49,880 --> 00:22:52,320 All the way down. Now many of you know I have a 323 00:22:52,320 --> 00:22:55,280 MacBook, right? I use that MacBook. 324 00:22:56,000 --> 00:22:58,760 It's sole purpose mainly is for ministry. 325 00:22:59,200 --> 00:23:03,720 If I didn't have if I didn't do design or video, all I need is 326 00:23:03,720 --> 00:23:05,360 this right here. I'm fine. 327 00:23:06,000 --> 00:23:07,720 I don't need a MacBook, all right? 328 00:23:08,760 --> 00:23:13,520 And there was one day I opened it up and it gave. 329 00:23:13,800 --> 00:23:16,040 Nobody would probably even know what this means, but it gave a 330 00:23:16,040 --> 00:23:17,720 little circle with the line through. 331 00:23:17,720 --> 00:23:21,880 It wouldn't start up. Are you kidding me? 332 00:23:22,600 --> 00:23:26,840 I weeped like a baby. I know that may seem silly to 333 00:23:26,840 --> 00:23:30,240 you, but but my goodness, I told God. 334 00:23:30,240 --> 00:23:33,160 I prayed to God. And I said, God, I use this. 335 00:23:33,720 --> 00:23:36,920 I use this for ministry almost exclusively. 336 00:23:39,640 --> 00:23:42,400 I do not want to allow. Satan to take this away. 337 00:23:43,080 --> 00:23:45,520 I didn't have the money to buy a brand new MacBook. 338 00:23:46,560 --> 00:23:52,680 I didn't have it and I troubleshooted. 17 hours worth 339 00:23:52,680 --> 00:23:55,960 of troubleshooting, praying off and on troubleshooting. 340 00:23:56,200 --> 00:24:00,000 And then out of nowhere. Just started to work and 341 00:24:00,120 --> 00:24:02,560 fighting God. I'm like thank you Jesus. 342 00:24:04,120 --> 00:24:08,560 I say that not this because it's a silly story, but because Satan 343 00:24:08,560 --> 00:24:12,720 will use just the most simplistic thing sometimes in 344 00:24:12,920 --> 00:24:16,920 packs of different things. Again, it's about patterns. 345 00:24:18,040 --> 00:24:19,960 Because he's trying to derail you. 346 00:24:19,960 --> 00:24:23,080 He's trying to distract you from whatever you're supposed to be 347 00:24:23,080 --> 00:24:25,400 doing. He's trying to make it more 348 00:24:25,400 --> 00:24:28,880 difficult for you even to do what you're supposed to do. 349 00:24:31,840 --> 00:24:35,360 So with that, he's trying to stop the advancement of the 350 00:24:35,400 --> 00:24:38,240 Kingdom. That's his goal. 351 00:24:38,240 --> 00:24:40,280 His goal is to win souls for hell. 352 00:24:43,920 --> 00:24:49,520 As soon as Elijah stepped into his purpose and to pursue the 353 00:24:49,520 --> 00:24:54,400 call Israel back to worshipping the one true God, the enemy 354 00:24:54,400 --> 00:24:59,760 tried intimidating him because physically again, Elijah was up 355 00:24:59,760 --> 00:25:03,400 against 450 prophets of Baal. So maybe Satan thought, well, if 356 00:25:03,400 --> 00:25:07,040 he walks up. There and he sees 450 prophets 357 00:25:07,040 --> 00:25:09,640 of Bailey and going to be like, I'm going see you. 358 00:25:11,160 --> 00:25:13,560 But that didn't work. That didn't work on Elijah. 359 00:25:14,320 --> 00:25:17,120 And, and you know, with the natural eyes, again, it didn't 360 00:25:17,120 --> 00:25:21,840 look, didn't look great. But Elijah had faith in God. 361 00:25:22,800 --> 00:25:26,400 And so also Elijah faced isolation because all the 362 00:25:26,400 --> 00:25:29,440 prophets of Baal were stacked and and they were backed by the 363 00:25:29,440 --> 00:25:32,080 authority of King Ahab and Queen Jezebel. 364 00:25:32,880 --> 00:25:39,000 And Satan will often try to use worldly power and influence to 365 00:25:39,000 --> 00:25:44,440 create an appearance of insurmountable opposition. 366 00:25:45,120 --> 00:25:47,880 It's just an appearance. Anyone ever seen Wizard of Oz? 367 00:25:49,360 --> 00:25:51,920 He's just a little man behind the curtain. 368 00:25:52,560 --> 00:25:56,840 He's just trying to deceive you. It's not he doesn't have all 369 00:25:56,840 --> 00:25:59,920 that power. It's just trying to deceive in a 370 00:25:59,920 --> 00:26:03,520 way that you think that, Oh my goodness, Satan has all this 371 00:26:03,520 --> 00:26:06,760 power and I'm going to, I'm going to go back and crawl into 372 00:26:06,760 --> 00:26:09,680 my old habits because I can't do anything. 373 00:26:12,720 --> 00:26:15,280 But it doesn't. It doesn't amount to much. 374 00:26:15,280 --> 00:26:18,760 Even if our flesh makes it out to be something greater than it 375 00:26:18,760 --> 00:26:20,920 is. God is so much greater than just 376 00:26:20,920 --> 00:26:25,480 the simplistic diversions and delusions that that Satan tries 377 00:26:25,480 --> 00:26:30,920 to pass our way. Elijah also face psychological 378 00:26:30,920 --> 00:26:35,680 warfare in First Kings. 18/20/28, it says. 379 00:26:35,680 --> 00:26:39,080 And they cried aloud, This is the prophets of Baal. 380 00:26:39,400 --> 00:26:43,640 And they cut themselves after their manner with knives and 381 00:26:43,640 --> 00:26:47,520 lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them. 382 00:26:47,800 --> 00:26:53,040 And it came to pass when midday was passed and they prophesied 383 00:26:53,240 --> 00:26:57,680 until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice that 384 00:26:57,680 --> 00:27:03,120 there was neither voice nor any to answer nor any that regarded. 385 00:27:05,000 --> 00:27:08,840 They were using psychological warfare here because they're 386 00:27:08,840 --> 00:27:11,240 making it seem like they're doing these big things and 387 00:27:11,440 --> 00:27:14,160 they're even going to this the ends of cutting themselves and 388 00:27:14,160 --> 00:27:17,120 having blood everywhere. That would be a little 389 00:27:17,120 --> 00:27:20,200 intimidating. You see 450 people cutting 390 00:27:20,200 --> 00:27:25,600 themselves and hollering and screaming and woo be a little 391 00:27:25,600 --> 00:27:29,680 intimidating. And they called upon their their 392 00:27:29,680 --> 00:27:33,840 God and gods and and they did it with loud cries and the self 393 00:27:33,840 --> 00:27:36,240 mutilation. And they created this chaotic 394 00:27:36,240 --> 00:27:39,600 and frenzied atmosphere. And they were trying to create 395 00:27:39,600 --> 00:27:43,680 fear and doubt and Elijah trying to and making it seem as though 396 00:27:43,680 --> 00:27:47,720 he was up against this powerful and unstoppable force. 397 00:27:49,160 --> 00:27:54,080 And and with that, we have to understand that Ephesians 6 and 398 00:27:54,080 --> 00:27:58,400 13 says wherefore taken to you the whole armor of God, that ye 399 00:27:58,480 --> 00:28:05,240 may be able to with withstand the evil day and having done all 400 00:28:05,240 --> 00:28:08,320 to stand. That's about endurance. 401 00:28:09,280 --> 00:28:13,120 It's about, it's about taking on the armor of God and having God 402 00:28:13,120 --> 00:28:16,320 by your side or in the gap, if you will, and it's about 403 00:28:16,320 --> 00:28:18,840 enduring. He was, he was probably couldn't 404 00:28:18,840 --> 00:28:22,880 have endured that by himself because because of how long it 405 00:28:22,880 --> 00:28:26,320 was going on, it may have been overwhelming. 406 00:28:26,320 --> 00:28:28,280 It probably may have pierced his ears. 407 00:28:28,280 --> 00:28:32,080 We got 450 people screaming and hollering and it may have just 408 00:28:32,080 --> 00:28:35,200 been overwhelming and it could have gotten to the point where 409 00:28:35,200 --> 00:28:38,840 it was so psychologically overwhelming that he could have 410 00:28:38,840 --> 00:28:41,200 gained. He may have not been able to 411 00:28:41,200 --> 00:28:42,960 endure that if he was not following. 412 00:28:42,960 --> 00:28:44,960 He did not have God standing in the gap. 413 00:28:44,960 --> 00:28:47,160 He did not have God standing by his side. 414 00:28:48,520 --> 00:28:51,760 Just as a boxer prepares for a match, we have to prepare 415 00:28:51,760 --> 00:28:55,400 ourselves spiritually for the days and the battles that we 416 00:28:55,400 --> 00:29:00,800 face and will face. It's not if it's will face when 417 00:29:00,800 --> 00:29:05,400 we walk into God's purpose. Preparation is key to 418 00:29:05,400 --> 00:29:09,480 withstanding what Satan tries to bring us. 419 00:29:10,640 --> 00:29:15,600 Spiritual prep involves grounding ourselves in prayer 420 00:29:15,760 --> 00:29:20,640 like a stake to the ground and in Scripture and deep 421 00:29:20,640 --> 00:29:27,600 relationship with God that we we know him not just a a surface 422 00:29:27,600 --> 00:29:31,840 level, but that we may deeply know Him daily. 423 00:29:33,800 --> 00:29:37,960 And so before entering this ring, Elijah made thorough 424 00:29:38,000 --> 00:29:41,800 preparations that demonstrated his faith in God. 425 00:29:42,640 --> 00:29:47,880 He made preparations and 1st Kings 18 and 30 continuing on, 426 00:29:47,880 --> 00:29:51,840 it says, and Elijah said unto all the people, come near unto 427 00:29:51,840 --> 00:29:53,680 me. And all the people came near and 428 00:29:53,680 --> 00:29:57,680 to him, and he repaired the altar of the Lord that was 429 00:29:57,680 --> 00:30:01,640 broken down. First thing he did was repair 430 00:30:01,840 --> 00:30:04,960 the altar of the Lord that had been torn down. 431 00:30:05,080 --> 00:30:08,760 Sometimes one of the best things we can do when we have walked 432 00:30:08,760 --> 00:30:13,680 away and we've lost our way is going back to where our altar 433 00:30:13,680 --> 00:30:17,320 was and repairing the things that were broken, repairing the 434 00:30:17,320 --> 00:30:19,880 things that were broken when we lost our way. 435 00:30:22,560 --> 00:30:27,240 This was symbolic of restoring true worship and recommitment 436 00:30:27,240 --> 00:30:31,280 unto God that that's a reminder to us that spiritual preparation 437 00:30:31,280 --> 00:30:34,840 begins with our relationship with God and not our 438 00:30:34,840 --> 00:30:37,440 relationship with God in the House of God. 439 00:30:37,440 --> 00:30:41,360 It's the relationship with God in the sense of heart, in the 440 00:30:41,360 --> 00:30:44,400 sense of with me as an individual. 441 00:30:47,680 --> 00:30:52,520 Continuing on in that story First Kings 1833, it says and he 442 00:30:52,520 --> 00:30:57,720 put the wood in order and he cut the bullet in pieces and laid 443 00:30:57,720 --> 00:31:04,120 him on the wood and said Fill 4 barrels with water and pour it 444 00:31:04,120 --> 00:31:07,440 on the burnt sacrifice and on the wood. 445 00:31:08,360 --> 00:31:11,840 And so he's, he's carefully arranging the wood and he placed 446 00:31:11,840 --> 00:31:15,200 the bull on the altar in pieces. And this is showing he's 447 00:31:15,200 --> 00:31:18,040 committing himself to doing things God's way. 448 00:31:18,040 --> 00:31:20,280 He's not trying to intervene or anything like that. 449 00:31:20,280 --> 00:31:22,480 He's trying. He wasn't cutting corners or 450 00:31:22,480 --> 00:31:25,040 rushing the process. He's being meticulous and he's 451 00:31:25,040 --> 00:31:27,320 doing things. And then on top of that he says 452 00:31:27,320 --> 00:31:31,040 go get me. Some water and and I'm sure the 453 00:31:31,040 --> 00:31:33,400 prophets of bail over there like what's this guy? 454 00:31:33,480 --> 00:31:35,440 What's this joker think he's going to do? 455 00:31:35,960 --> 00:31:37,280 What does he think he's going to do? 456 00:31:37,920 --> 00:31:40,960 First Kings 1834 is continuing on. 457 00:31:40,960 --> 00:31:46,040 And he said do it the second time and they did it the second 458 00:31:46,080 --> 00:31:50,280 time again, 4/4 barrels with water. 459 00:31:51,080 --> 00:31:55,360 And then the third time and they did it the third time and the 460 00:31:55,360 --> 00:32:01,840 water ran about the altar and he filled the trench also with 461 00:32:01,840 --> 00:32:05,720 water. Elijah took an extra step of 462 00:32:05,720 --> 00:32:09,760 faith and it takes extra steps of faith for us sometimes. 463 00:32:09,960 --> 00:32:14,320 It's not just this like Lord, I believe Hallelujah, thank you. 464 00:32:15,000 --> 00:32:19,800 No, it's an extra step of faith. Sometimes it seems reckless. 465 00:32:21,720 --> 00:32:25,680 Your faith may seem stupid to other people. 466 00:32:26,280 --> 00:32:30,760 It may just seem so silly. It's like what you doing what 467 00:32:30,760 --> 00:32:33,960 now and there's probably with the problems to build like just 468 00:32:33,960 --> 00:32:40,240 4 barrels of water 123 are you serious? 469 00:32:40,840 --> 00:32:44,640 What does he do it like they're probably thinking he's just 470 00:32:44,640 --> 00:32:48,200 trying to make a fool out of himself and his God because he's 471 00:32:48,200 --> 00:32:52,040 making it impossible for fire impossible. 472 00:32:53,120 --> 00:32:55,240 But he wasn't. He wasn't doing this for 473 00:32:55,240 --> 00:33:00,080 dramatic effect. It was a statement of faith. 474 00:33:00,080 --> 00:33:05,080 He was making it clear that fire would consume the sacrifice. 475 00:33:05,760 --> 00:33:09,640 Only by God. It was only going to be God that 476 00:33:09,640 --> 00:33:11,880 does it. And in our fights with Satan, we 477 00:33:11,880 --> 00:33:17,320 have to rely on God's power. We need to prepare in such a way 478 00:33:17,320 --> 00:33:22,000 that it's evident to everyone, including ourselves. 479 00:33:22,000 --> 00:33:25,480 We have to convince ourselves, we have to believe in ourselves 480 00:33:25,480 --> 00:33:28,240 before we ever even think anybody else is going going to 481 00:33:28,240 --> 00:33:30,040 believe it. And that it's going to be by 482 00:33:30,040 --> 00:33:33,080 God's hand alone that the victory is going to be won. 483 00:33:33,080 --> 00:33:35,920 It's going to be God's hand alone that the fire is going to 484 00:33:35,920 --> 00:33:38,360 be brought down because this is all soaked. 485 00:33:38,360 --> 00:33:42,360 It's all, it's all soaked. There's no way by natural means 486 00:33:42,360 --> 00:33:48,760 that this is going to happen. And so we get to verse 36, and 487 00:33:48,760 --> 00:33:52,160 it says, And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the 488 00:33:52,240 --> 00:33:56,520 evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, 489 00:33:56,520 --> 00:34:01,920 Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this 490 00:34:01,920 --> 00:34:07,800 day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and 491 00:34:07,800 --> 00:34:11,560 that I have done all these things at thy word. 492 00:34:11,560 --> 00:34:16,800 And verse 37 says, Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people 493 00:34:16,800 --> 00:34:21,120 may know that thou art the Lord God, and that thou has turned 494 00:34:21,120 --> 00:34:27,520 their hearts back again. Once Elijah had it all prepared, 495 00:34:27,960 --> 00:34:32,239 he prayed fairly, a simple prayer by comparison of the 496 00:34:32,239 --> 00:34:36,360 screaming and the shouting and the blood, and he very simple 497 00:34:36,360 --> 00:34:40,719 but powerful prayer. He asked God to show his power 498 00:34:40,880 --> 00:34:45,679 so that the people would know that it is the one true God. 499 00:34:46,080 --> 00:34:49,480 My God, I did this. I poured water all over it. 500 00:34:49,480 --> 00:34:50,880 It's all in the trench and everything. 501 00:34:50,880 --> 00:34:53,840 I did that so that it would be undeniable. 502 00:34:53,840 --> 00:34:57,400 God, I did that because I followed your command, because I 503 00:34:57,400 --> 00:34:59,880 knew that it would be undeniable that it was you. 504 00:35:03,960 --> 00:35:08,640 And the prayer was the climax. Of Elijah's preparation and it 505 00:35:08,640 --> 00:35:12,840 was rooted in his relationship with God and his understanding 506 00:35:12,840 --> 00:35:15,960 that God's will will be done if it's his will. 507 00:35:16,920 --> 00:35:21,840 Our preparation and fight should always lead us back to prayer 508 00:35:22,480 --> 00:35:29,640 and seeking for God to make the way even though the opposition 509 00:35:29,880 --> 00:35:33,680 we face. It can, it's real and it can be 510 00:35:33,680 --> 00:35:38,720 intense and things Satan does can be silly or annoying or even 511 00:35:39,040 --> 00:35:43,360 actually impactful at times. And, and as long as we stand in 512 00:35:43,360 --> 00:35:48,440 God's purpose and rely on his power, the outcome is certain, 513 00:35:50,040 --> 00:35:56,440 certain, and we have to have the faith of I think of the song of 514 00:35:57,320 --> 00:36:01,880 you made a way. I don't know how, but you did 515 00:36:01,880 --> 00:36:05,800 it. You've made a way because we 516 00:36:05,800 --> 00:36:09,200 have to believe that. What that song, I don't know 517 00:36:09,200 --> 00:36:14,840 how, but he's going to do it. He's done it before, didn't know 518 00:36:14,840 --> 00:36:17,640 how he did it before, but he's going to do it again. 519 00:36:20,440 --> 00:36:25,160 And and I'm a song person going back to the song of I've seen 520 00:36:25,160 --> 00:36:31,600 you move, you've moved the mountains, but I believe I'll 521 00:36:31,600 --> 00:36:37,720 see you do it again, do it again and again and again because 522 00:36:37,800 --> 00:36:40,840 we've seen it. We have record of it, but we've 523 00:36:40,840 --> 00:36:43,720 also seen our own mountains move. 524 00:36:43,720 --> 00:36:48,240 We've also seen our own. Victories and we have to go back 525 00:36:48,240 --> 00:36:51,560 to those moments because sometimes we forget where we 526 00:36:51,560 --> 00:36:57,520 came from after all that preparation and the, the, the, 527 00:36:57,920 --> 00:37:01,360 the water was everywhere. God came through. 528 00:37:02,520 --> 00:37:05,840 God came through and he responded in an undeniable way 529 00:37:05,840 --> 00:37:10,240 that only he could because it was soaked with water. 530 00:37:10,720 --> 00:37:15,200 Fire fell from heaven and it consumed not only the sacrifice, 531 00:37:15,360 --> 00:37:21,120 but the one and the stones and even the water in the trench. 532 00:37:21,280 --> 00:37:24,680 That's my God. That's the God that stands in 533 00:37:24,680 --> 00:37:28,920 the gap when Satan's my foe. That's the God that stands in 534 00:37:28,920 --> 00:37:32,240 the ring and says you're not alone in this, I'm going to come 535 00:37:32,240 --> 00:37:36,520 through. The fire didn't just light the 536 00:37:36,520 --> 00:37:41,800 sacrifice it consumed. God isn't isn't looking to give 537 00:37:41,800 --> 00:37:45,480 you partial victory. He's looking to give you 538 00:37:45,720 --> 00:37:49,400 complete victory. But we have to allow, we have to 539 00:37:49,400 --> 00:37:53,240 allow complete victory because just as they're in the Bible 540 00:37:53,240 --> 00:37:56,520 that there were, they tried to save parts when they were 541 00:37:56,520 --> 00:38:03,040 supposed to all utterly destroy, we can't allow for God to only 542 00:38:03,040 --> 00:38:04,840 have this room for partial victory. 543 00:38:04,840 --> 00:38:08,880 He wants freedom to completely have victory. 544 00:38:10,960 --> 00:38:15,760 And So what happened those that watched First Kings 1839 and 545 00:38:15,760 --> 00:38:20,520 says and when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and 546 00:38:20,520 --> 00:38:26,680 they said the Lord he is the God, the Lord he is the God. 547 00:38:30,680 --> 00:38:35,360 I would wonder, just as in Elijah's day, if the things that 548 00:38:35,360 --> 00:38:39,560 we encounter, the things that we face, that it would so happen 549 00:38:39,560 --> 00:38:42,680 that it would be a witness to others, that they would realize 550 00:38:42,880 --> 00:38:52,600 the Lord, he is God, the Lord he is God, that our, our, our walk 551 00:38:52,600 --> 00:38:58,000 would be the witness that would bring people just longing to 552 00:38:58,000 --> 00:39:07,880 know him. That won't happen if you think 553 00:39:07,880 --> 00:39:14,360 you can do it on your own. And if you don't, you're not 554 00:39:14,360 --> 00:39:16,480 willing to go to distance if you're not willing to endure. 555 00:39:17,280 --> 00:39:21,080 Because Elijah could have simply just placed the wood and 556 00:39:21,240 --> 00:39:23,760 whatever way could place the altar. 557 00:39:24,440 --> 00:39:29,040 Or the the the. Sacrifice on the altar and no 558 00:39:29,040 --> 00:39:32,160 faith or anything like that in the sense of doing more and just 559 00:39:32,160 --> 00:39:34,320 left in. There you are. 560 00:39:36,280 --> 00:39:39,920 Grand scheme of things, I think it's possible that God still 561 00:39:39,920 --> 00:39:45,160 would have been faithful, but would it have been convincing 562 00:39:45,160 --> 00:39:47,800 enough? Come on. 563 00:39:47,800 --> 00:39:50,440 That's I think sometimes there's extreme things that we go 564 00:39:50,440 --> 00:39:52,760 through in life. I feel like our. 565 00:39:52,760 --> 00:39:55,800 Extreme, sometimes for a purpose, because they're just 566 00:39:55,800 --> 00:39:59,120 extreme enough that it's convincing enough to believe in 567 00:39:59,120 --> 00:40:03,320 him. Because would it been convincing 568 00:40:03,320 --> 00:40:06,360 enough for them? I know that there wasn't fire 569 00:40:06,360 --> 00:40:10,720 that consumed the opponents, but still, if he had just done a 570 00:40:10,720 --> 00:40:13,920 simple burnt offering and just thrown it on there, would it 571 00:40:13,920 --> 00:40:16,120 have been convincing enough for them to be like? 572 00:40:16,800 --> 00:40:20,600 Oh the Lord, he is God. No, I don't think so. 573 00:40:21,320 --> 00:40:26,280 They were so engrossed in idolatry and and the ways of the 574 00:40:26,280 --> 00:40:29,480 world that it took undeniability. 575 00:40:29,480 --> 00:40:35,920 It took something so beyond simplicity in order for fire to 576 00:40:35,920 --> 00:40:39,560 fall and for there to be convincing and this. 577 00:40:39,560 --> 00:40:42,840 Act it's It was symbolized the removal of. 578 00:40:42,840 --> 00:40:46,800 Falsehood and idolatry that had plagued Israel. 579 00:40:48,360 --> 00:40:51,760 In our own lives, God's victory often includes a cleansing 580 00:40:51,760 --> 00:40:55,880 process and includes, you know, where he removes the things that 581 00:40:55,880 --> 00:40:58,600 have been hindering our spiritual growth. 582 00:40:58,840 --> 00:41:02,600 And He leads us deeper. He leads us deeper, more 583 00:41:02,600 --> 00:41:07,760 authentic relationship with Him. When you enter the ring, there 584 00:41:07,760 --> 00:41:10,480 are going to be things that Satan's going to try to deceive 585 00:41:10,480 --> 00:41:12,000 you. He's going to try to trip you up 586 00:41:12,000 --> 00:41:13,960 on things that were in your past. 587 00:41:14,360 --> 00:41:18,280 And if you allow him to deceive you, he will hinder your growth 588 00:41:18,360 --> 00:41:23,920 both in the Kingdom of God. First Corinthians 1558 says, 589 00:41:23,920 --> 00:41:28,200 Therefore, my beloved reverence, be ye steadfast, unmovable, 590 00:41:28,200 --> 00:41:30,400 always abounding in the work of the Lord. 591 00:41:30,400 --> 00:41:35,280 For as much as you know that your labor is not in vain in the 592 00:41:35,280 --> 00:41:38,480 Lord. With all this in mind, I ask 593 00:41:38,480 --> 00:41:42,720 you, I challenge you, embrace the fight. 594 00:41:43,680 --> 00:41:48,760 Enter the ring, enter the call of God knowing that you're going 595 00:41:48,760 --> 00:41:53,120 to face opposition, but you have to have a daily walk to be 596 00:41:53,120 --> 00:41:57,120 prepared for it so that way you're not getting tripped up by 597 00:41:57,120 --> 00:42:01,080 Satan to and fro. The journey of following God's 598 00:42:01,080 --> 00:42:04,440 purpose is not always easy. The battles we face can be 599 00:42:04,440 --> 00:42:06,520 fierce. The opposition can be 600 00:42:06,520 --> 00:42:10,880 overwhelming, but we are called to embrace the fight. 601 00:42:11,400 --> 00:42:14,800 We're not called to shy away from it and tuck our tails. 602 00:42:16,240 --> 00:42:20,480 The spiritual battles we engage in are an essential part of our 603 00:42:20,480 --> 00:42:24,120 growth and our witness to the world. 604 00:42:25,360 --> 00:42:28,800 Embracing the fights means understanding that difficulties 605 00:42:28,800 --> 00:42:31,680 and oppositions are going to be a part of this walk of life 606 00:42:33,400 --> 00:42:35,840 again. Satan's at risk of losing you. 607 00:42:37,400 --> 00:42:40,200 And so we have to understand that that's going to come at a 608 00:42:40,200 --> 00:42:44,360 price of the target on our head. That's going to come at a price 609 00:42:44,360 --> 00:42:48,240 of trying to be attacked because you see what happens. 610 00:42:48,240 --> 00:42:51,240 I'm not saying everyone out in the world doesn't have problems, 611 00:42:51,440 --> 00:42:54,280 but you see what happens when people backslide or they decide 612 00:42:54,280 --> 00:42:58,120 to compromise on on issues or anything like that, or, or they 613 00:42:58,120 --> 00:43:03,400 decide to do many of different things that cause them to go and 614 00:43:03,400 --> 00:43:06,240 backslide. What happens, many of them, not 615 00:43:06,240 --> 00:43:10,000 all, but many of them, they have this this season again, sin is 616 00:43:10,000 --> 00:43:14,680 good for a season, right? They have this season and it's 617 00:43:14,680 --> 00:43:18,160 almost as if like it's, it's God, like, oh, it's all better 618 00:43:18,160 --> 00:43:21,040 now. The sunshine and rainbows are 619 00:43:21,040 --> 00:43:23,920 here, right? But it's only good. 620 00:43:23,920 --> 00:43:29,200 For a season. It's only good until you realize 621 00:43:29,640 --> 00:43:30,960 what you've gotten yourself into. 622 00:43:30,960 --> 00:43:34,720 Because Satan's like, yes, I won. 623 00:43:37,160 --> 00:43:43,040 But hope's not lost. In that because you can still 624 00:43:43,040 --> 00:43:46,360 come back. But with the. 625 00:43:46,360 --> 00:43:52,640 Coming back, you have to realize it may not be easy, but you have 626 00:43:52,640 --> 00:43:55,680 to push, you have to, you have to follow after what God has, 627 00:43:55,880 --> 00:43:57,200 and that's going to be difficult. 628 00:43:57,200 --> 00:44:00,560 But we have to understand that this is not going to come with 629 00:44:00,560 --> 00:44:04,880 just simplistic, you know, I'm just going to lift my hands and 630 00:44:04,880 --> 00:44:08,480 I'm going to accept Christ. This is going to come with. 631 00:44:08,480 --> 00:44:12,480 Following after a deep relationship with God. 632 00:44:14,200 --> 00:44:18,360 And with that, when he stands in the gap, we have all power. 633 00:44:18,360 --> 00:44:23,880 And authority given unto us by him to face any opposition. 634 00:44:25,600 --> 00:44:29,960 First Kings 19 one and three. This is after the accountant, 635 00:44:29,960 --> 00:44:34,720 Ahab told Jezebel. All that Elijah had done, and 636 00:44:34,720 --> 00:44:40,400 with all how he had slain all the prophets with the sword, he 637 00:44:40,400 --> 00:44:42,560 collected all of them, slain them. 638 00:44:43,160 --> 00:44:47,640 And Jezebel sent a messenger into Elijah saying so let the 639 00:44:47,640 --> 00:44:51,000 gods. Do to me and more also, if I 640 00:44:51,000 --> 00:44:58,840 make not thy life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about 641 00:44:58,840 --> 00:45:02,040 this time. And when he saw that, he arose 642 00:45:02,040 --> 00:45:08,280 and went for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belongeth to 643 00:45:08,280 --> 00:45:11,960 Judah, and left his servant there, and. 644 00:45:11,960 --> 00:45:16,160 After Elijah's great victory. And Mount Carmel, great victory 645 00:45:16,160 --> 00:45:20,440 with God in Mount Carmel one might expect that his struggles 646 00:45:20,440 --> 00:45:23,160 were over. One might expect that his 647 00:45:23,160 --> 00:45:25,800 struggles were over. However, the battle was far from 648 00:45:25,800 --> 00:45:30,200 finished because when Queen Jezebel had heard about to 649 00:45:30,200 --> 00:45:32,040 defeat. The prophets of Bel, she had 650 00:45:32,040 --> 00:45:35,040 threatened Elijah's life. She had threatened his life and, 651 00:45:35,160 --> 00:45:37,560 and in fear, he fled to the wilderness. 652 00:45:37,920 --> 00:45:41,400 He fled. And I'm not saying it was the 653 00:45:41,400 --> 00:45:44,560 smart thing. I'm I'm sure he was probably 654 00:45:44,560 --> 00:45:48,240 exhausted even after experiencing this mighty 655 00:45:48,240 --> 00:45:51,240 victory. He felt overwhelmed and and he 656 00:45:51,240 --> 00:45:56,760 sat under the a broom tree and prayed that he might die, saying 657 00:45:56,760 --> 00:45:58,880 I have had enough. You know, I've had enough. 658 00:45:58,880 --> 00:46:02,000 Lord take my life. I am no better than my 659 00:46:02,000 --> 00:46:06,160 ancestors. And this shows us that even the 660 00:46:06,160 --> 00:46:10,800 most faithful servants, if God can experience if, if they can 661 00:46:10,800 --> 00:46:14,880 experience fatigue and discouragement and fear after 662 00:46:14,880 --> 00:46:19,520 intense spiritual battles, Embracing the fight doesn't mean 663 00:46:19,520 --> 00:46:23,800 that we won't feel those things. Embracing the fight after years 664 00:46:23,800 --> 00:46:27,160 of serving the Lord doesn't mean that's still not going to 665 00:46:27,160 --> 00:46:28,920 happen. It may become easier with 666 00:46:28,920 --> 00:46:31,920 routine, but then sometimes you know what Satan does. 667 00:46:32,040 --> 00:46:36,000 He UPS the ante, He UPS the ante and that's what we have to 668 00:46:36,000 --> 00:46:39,400 understand because you know, you, you, you get, you have 669 00:46:39,400 --> 00:46:42,800 these people that leave after being in church all all their 670 00:46:42,800 --> 00:46:46,720 life or or maybe for so many years and you question it's 671 00:46:46,720 --> 00:46:49,600 because Satan kept upping the ante. 672 00:46:50,000 --> 00:46:54,160 He kept upping because he was trying to find the pinpoint that 673 00:46:54,160 --> 00:46:56,480 was going to do it, the pinpoint that he was going to be like I 674 00:46:56,480 --> 00:47:00,880 won. And so in Elijah's moment of 675 00:47:00,880 --> 00:47:07,520 despair, God didn't rebuke him. Instead, he provided for him and 676 00:47:07,520 --> 00:47:11,240 he was sending an Angel to give him, give him food and water 677 00:47:11,480 --> 00:47:13,800 and, and allowing him time to rest. 678 00:47:14,040 --> 00:47:17,440 And though the fight, through the fight, God understands our 679 00:47:17,440 --> 00:47:19,920 limits. He does understand our limits, 680 00:47:20,120 --> 00:47:23,000 but we have to be willing whenever we're done with the 681 00:47:23,000 --> 00:47:25,920 fight and we're exhausted. You know, the the boxers, when 682 00:47:25,920 --> 00:47:27,560 they come out of the ring, there's some of them that 683 00:47:27,560 --> 00:47:29,960 literally collapse after the fight because they're just 684 00:47:29,960 --> 00:47:34,200 exhausted, especially if it's 15 rounds worth and they've just 685 00:47:34,200 --> 00:47:37,600 expelled all this energy and they get done. 686 00:47:37,600 --> 00:47:40,760 Elijah got done. And we have to be willing 687 00:47:40,760 --> 00:47:44,160 though, after God has helped us recuperate, we have to be 688 00:47:44,160 --> 00:47:50,960 willing to re enter the ring. We go through battle and we 689 00:47:50,960 --> 00:47:54,000 think it's done. We go to our corner, we sit in 690 00:47:54,000 --> 00:47:57,760 our corner chair and we have God being our coach and you know. 691 00:47:58,240 --> 00:48:01,240 Good job. You know, whatever and and we 692 00:48:01,240 --> 00:48:05,560 think it's done, but we have to be willing to reenter the 693 00:48:05,560 --> 00:48:06,680 battle. Reenter. 694 00:48:06,880 --> 00:48:08,320 And that's what was happening here. 695 00:48:09,120 --> 00:48:13,040 God didn't let Elijah stay in his place of fear and exhaustion 696 00:48:13,040 --> 00:48:17,120 for long. He renewed his purpose and he 697 00:48:17,120 --> 00:48:21,480 sent him back into the fight with a fresh mission, a fresh 698 00:48:21,520 --> 00:48:24,920 battle, and, and entering the ring and embracing the fight 699 00:48:25,040 --> 00:48:29,800 includes being open to God's renewal after after all of that 700 00:48:29,800 --> 00:48:33,760 and being continual in continuing the work of God. 701 00:48:36,040 --> 00:48:39,120 Even after all that we faced, all the setbacks that we faced 702 00:48:39,120 --> 00:48:42,160 or the periods of discouragement, And even after 703 00:48:42,160 --> 00:48:46,680 all of that, that even if we've lost our way, we have to come 704 00:48:46,680 --> 00:48:48,640 back into alignment with God's plan. 705 00:48:49,200 --> 00:48:54,680 We reenter one more time. As we journey through life, 706 00:48:55,280 --> 00:48:58,520 walking in God's purpose, we face those inevitable 707 00:48:58,520 --> 00:49:00,360 challenges. We must remember that we are 708 00:49:00,360 --> 00:49:00,960 not. Alone. 709 00:49:00,960 --> 00:49:05,000 That's right, in this fight, just as God was with Elijah on 710 00:49:05,000 --> 00:49:09,160 Mount Carmel, bringing the fire from heaven and proving his 711 00:49:09,160 --> 00:49:12,720 power, He is with us in every battle that we face if we allow 712 00:49:12,720 --> 00:49:17,560 him to move completely. We're not trying to save these 713 00:49:17,560 --> 00:49:20,040 little things. Well, God, I, I do like this. 714 00:49:20,720 --> 00:49:23,240 This is fine. It may be fine to you, but it 715 00:49:23,280 --> 00:49:29,000 might not be fine to God. Opposition's real and, and, and 716 00:49:29,000 --> 00:49:31,560 the enemy will try to discourage, intimidate and wear 717 00:49:31,560 --> 00:49:35,880 us out. He'll try to hit us without 718 00:49:36,200 --> 00:49:40,680 questioning our purpose, worth, doctrine and faith. 719 00:49:40,680 --> 00:49:44,000 And he will come with temptation, fear and 720 00:49:44,000 --> 00:49:46,360 discouragement every chance he can get. 721 00:49:49,400 --> 00:49:53,960 We can stand and music can come. We have to understand that. 722 00:49:54,840 --> 00:49:57,840 When, when, when Satan's in the ring and he's trying to exploit 723 00:49:57,840 --> 00:50:03,000 our weaknesses and find out where you're vulnerable, he is 724 00:50:03,000 --> 00:50:04,920 enduring too. He's an endurer. 725 00:50:05,680 --> 00:50:13,920 Round after round after round, he will continue and we have to 726 00:50:13,920 --> 00:50:22,320 understand that allowing God to have full power is the way that 727 00:50:22,320 --> 00:50:25,440 we're going to win. It's the way that we're going 728 00:50:25,440 --> 00:50:28,520 to. Persevere when we serve a God 729 00:50:28,520 --> 00:50:31,920 that's greater than any obstacle, He's stronger than any 730 00:50:31,920 --> 00:50:35,920 adversary and more powerful than any challenge we had faced or 731 00:50:35,920 --> 00:50:39,760 will face. The same God who set fire from 732 00:50:39,760 --> 00:50:43,640 heaven and consumed Elijah's sacrifice is the God that fights 733 00:50:43,720 --> 00:50:47,720 for us today. I have good news for you today 734 00:50:47,720 --> 00:50:53,160 because that means God is Infinity and O when it comes to 735 00:50:53,160 --> 00:50:56,480 fights. You have a scorecard and they, 736 00:50:56,480 --> 00:51:01,160 they have, you know, 52 and two or the, the one, the one column 737 00:51:01,160 --> 00:51:04,480 on the left is the wins and the right is the losses. 738 00:51:04,840 --> 00:51:10,640 God is Infinity and O. And so we have to allow him room 739 00:51:10,640 --> 00:51:14,360 to move because we will lose the battle alone. 740 00:51:15,880 --> 00:51:21,400 We will if if Elijah went there on his own and just thought that 741 00:51:21,400 --> 00:51:23,600 he was going to do it on his own. 742 00:51:24,760 --> 00:51:28,360 There may have not have been Israel coming back to the one 743 00:51:28,360 --> 00:51:30,960 true God. There may not have been Israel 744 00:51:30,960 --> 00:51:36,240 coming back if David when he walked out there against the 745 00:51:36,520 --> 00:51:41,280 Goliath, if he went there on his own, it may not have been 746 00:51:41,280 --> 00:51:44,160 victory. But he said, I come in the name 747 00:51:44,880 --> 00:51:50,800 of the Lord. So we need to embrace the fight 748 00:51:50,800 --> 00:51:53,040 tonight. If you feel led to come, you can 749 00:51:53,040 --> 00:51:54,440 come. These altars are open. 750 00:51:54,720 --> 00:51:58,880 Embrace the fight. Enter the ring not with fear, 751 00:51:58,880 --> 00:52:02,480 but with confidence that we would have, confidence standing 752 00:52:02,480 --> 00:52:06,280 firm in the knowledge that we are more than conquerors through 753 00:52:06,280 --> 00:52:09,280 Christ. Every battle we face is an 754 00:52:09,280 --> 00:52:13,840 opportunity for God to show up and show out His power, for 755 00:52:13,840 --> 00:52:18,080 faith to grow stronger, for us to be a witness unto the world. 756 00:52:19,120 --> 00:52:24,040 Just as Elijah's faith had LED God to to led to God's 757 00:52:24,040 --> 00:52:27,560 undeniable victory, our battles are opportunity to display 758 00:52:27,560 --> 00:52:30,480 power, display His power and victory. 759 00:52:30,480 --> 00:52:34,200 The enemy will attack. It is undeniable that he will 760 00:52:34,200 --> 00:52:37,720 attack. But with God on our side, we 761 00:52:37,720 --> 00:52:41,920 can't lose. If it's His will, we can't lose. 762 00:52:42,360 --> 00:52:44,880 So step into the ring with confidence tonight. 763 00:52:45,720 --> 00:52:49,120 Step into the ring with Tom, embrace the fight knowing that 764 00:52:49,120 --> 00:52:53,880 victory in Jesus is assured. If I follow after God's will in 765 00:52:53,880 --> 00:52:57,160 his way, even if it seems like I'm in a down portion, maybe 766 00:52:57,160 --> 00:52:59,720 it's not a loss, but I'm in a down in the fight. 767 00:53:00,480 --> 00:53:03,600 I got knocked down a little bit in the fight that I know that 768 00:53:03,600 --> 00:53:07,720 he's faithful to bring me forth to the next challenge, the next 769 00:53:07,720 --> 00:53:10,440 fight. Every challenge is another 770 00:53:10,440 --> 00:53:14,200 chance for God to show up to show up. 771 00:53:14,720 --> 00:53:17,760 So I say tonight, enter the ring. 772 00:53:18,400 --> 00:53:21,400 Enter the ring as we sing tonight.