Part 4: You Can’t Go With Me If You Don’t Grow With Me 

Posted on March 3, 2025 by growintheword

Delivered by Bishop Joseph W. Walker, III 
Sermon Synopsis 2.23.25

Psalm 1:1-3 NKJV 
Blessed is the man 
Who walks not in the counsel of the unGodly, 
Nor stands in the path of sinners, 
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; 
2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, 
And in His law he meditates day and night. 
3 He shall be like a tree 
Planted by the rivers of water, 
That brings forth its fruit in its season, 
Whose leaf also shall not wither; 
And whatever he does shall prosper.

I.          INTRODUCTION

  1. We should place demands on relationships that come into our lives. We have the right to do this.
    1. It is important to know that God desires us to be in relationships of reciprocity, because you can do bad by yourself.
    1. When relationships are sent by God, they strengthen us. They sharpen us, because iron sharpens iron.
    1. Relationships not sent by God threaten our destiny and put us at risk. Reckless relationships will lead you down paths that lead to your demise.
    1. It is amazing to see how people continue to connect with these relationships that lead to our demise.
    1. When you mature, your discernment helps you to better determine which relationships you should be in.
  2. You may wonder why people stopped calling you. You didn’t do this, God did this. You sometimes think you have to a particular someone to make it. Our relationships should not be about this, they should be about about where God is taking you. It is not for your right now, but instead your not yet.
    1. Psalms is part of the wisdom books. It is a book of songs. On many occasions you see in the songs, where people went through things and God brought them out. Others were songs explaining how they were depressed.
    1. The songs give us a framework of what it feels like to be a child of God.
  3. Our decisions determine our destiny. Blessed people have peace in their lives. Blessed people are intentional about who they connect with.
    1. Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the unGodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; – If you walk long enough with someone, you will begin to stand for what they stand for, and your will begin sitting in situations that they are comfortable with. It’s causes you to turn from sin and go into wickedness.
    1. Sin is something you can turn away from, but wickedness is when you try to tell God that he is wrong, and you are right.
    1. You have to declare that you can’t go with me if you are not willing to grow with me!

II.          RISE BY REJECTING (Psalm 1:1)

Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the unGodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful

  • There is no elevation without elimination. You elevate based on your decisions to eliminate.
  • Sitting in the seat of scornful: This suggest that you have allowed yourself to sit at the wrong table.
  • The Bible says something about not walking in the counsel of the ungodly. This means there are some things we have outgrown.
    • This is why giraffes eat from the top of the tree and turtles eat from the ground. You don’t want to deal with people that deal in low places.

A.  Dismiss Destructive Counsel

  1. The advice that people give you can be deadly for you sometimes. 1 Corinthians 15:33 (NKJV) says 33 Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.”– When mom didn’t want you to hang with certain  people, it was for a reason. Bad people can cause your destiny to be derailed.

B.  Separate From Sinful Spaces

  1. What you will accommodate really says what you will tolerate. You are aiding and abetting it.
  2. Remove yourself from sinful spaces. If we don’t, we will end up justifying some sins. We say things like, “God knows my heart”.
    1. This is death on the installment plan. This can change your heart. It will make you something that God didn’t intend for you to be.
  • Some people you just can’t hang with. You can’t walk with people that hinder what God has for your life. We have enough trouble in our lives, without adding other people’s trouble.
  • When I separate from toxic places, I get rooted in revelation.
  1. ROOTED IN REVELATION (Psalm 1:2)

2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, 
And in His law he meditates day and night. 

  • There is always truth, but it is based on what level you comprehend it.
  • God has great plans for your life and if you knew what it was, you would do better.
  • People perish because of a lack of knowledge.
  • In His word do I meditate day and night. What I remove out of my life, I replace with the word.
  • This word we preach from is a living word.

A.  Love The Law

  1. No one can make you love God’s word. You have to learn to love it for yourself.
  2. People wonder why you get up so early to come the church, but it is because you love the word.
  3. God’s word heals me, gives me a breakthrough instead of a break breakdown. When you’re going through, you have to have a word to bring you out.
  4. In this ministry, there are people that drive from AL or KY just to get a word from God. When you need a word, there is no distance too far.
    1. Post Covid studies show that 80% of people pick a church based on the word and its relevance. We measure the effectiveness of our sermon on your outcome and not how many amens we receive.

B.    Meditate For Maturity

  1. Meditate on the word day and night. You take the word of God and hold it in your life.
  2. 5 things needed to meditate
    1. Reading – When you read it, you can’t unsee it.
    1. Reflect it – What does it say to me
    1. Repeat it – Say it over and over. Memorize it.
    1. Refocus – Know that it will be tested.
    1. Respond – React on what you’ve received.
  3. When I get a word, it might not be for me right now. It’s like a cow that chews the cud. A Cow will eat grass and hold another part of it in its belly. When there is nothing to eat, the cow is still chewing. The cow is chewing on the cud. It was able to regurgitate and eat on something it ate months ago.
    1. This is how we got to recall the word. We need to be able to recall the word when we need it.
  1. REMAIN IN RIGHTEOUSNESS (Psalm 1:3)

3 He shall be like a tree 
Planted by the rivers of water, 

  • Understand your identity. You shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water =]that brings fruit in its season. You have to be true to your standards.
  • You are vulnerable, because you are not stable.

A.  Planted By Purpose

  1. You are never planted randomly. You are planted by rivers, because they are flowing. If you are planted by what’s flowing, you will always be growing.
  2. God always plants you by where you can grow.
  3. God puts us where our purpose is alive. When you are planted by your destiny, know that you might be pushed.

B.    Faithful In Fruitfulness

  1. You are planted like a tree. No matter what kind of tree it is, all trees are bigger than scrubs.
  2. We must recognize that we’re not shrubs. We are designed to be elevated above shrubs. You have to embrace your tree-ness!
  3. God is intentional – God is intentional about where he plants you. We have too much to do, to not be growing. We have to be around people that help us grow.
    1. God will put trees with trees. You can’t connect to scrub, because you are a tree.
  4. Your increase – It happens in your season. We are not worried because it’s orange season, because we know our apple season will come. We only worry about our season.
  • REAP WITH RESILIENCE (Psalm 1:3b)

That brings forth its fruit in its season, 
Whose leaf also shall not wither; 
And whatever he does shall prosper.

A.    Stand Strong In Seasons

  1. The scripture says, “Whose leaf will not wither and whatever I do will prosper”. – People who tap out in seasons, were not designed to go with you. Whose leaf will not wither. Stand strong in all seasons.
  2. Stand strong in seasons – No matter what comes at you, you remain strong!
  3. We are so locked in, we are committed. We are steadfast and unmovable, always working in the work of the Lord.

B.    All I Do Is Win

  1. Whatever you do, shall prosper. Everything connected to you will prosper.
    1. There are uncertain times going on now. Some people may be unnerved by some things that are going on and things that could possibly happen.
  2. There is one thing you must remember:
    1. Be Faithful – You don’t have to worry, because you’ve been faithful. This means something.
    1. Be Fruitful – The grace of God, will always close every gap that man tries to put into your life.
    1. Be Fortified – Remain strong, hold on to God, and never let go.
    1. Be Flourishing – The tree will be flourishing. If I am forever flourishing, how will I always be fruitful?
      1. The tree is planted by rivers. Rivers represent 2 things, anointing and blessing. Anointing represents prosperity and increase.
        1. There were 4 rivers that flowed in the Garden of Eden for provision.
        1. Egypt was prosperous because it was located by the Nile River.
        1. In Ezekiel 47, we see the story told where the water came under the door. It started ankle deep and it kept rising. This was representative of the anointing.
  3. Jesus Christ – Christ was not Jesus’ last name. Christ means the anointed one.
    1. Water represents anointing. When they pierced Jesus in the side, blood and water came out.
    1. When Jesus said I thirst, it was as the water (anointing) thirsted.
  4. When God plants you by the anointing, He has planted people that are anointed that can speak into your life.
  5. You need people around you that can speak to your promises.
  6. Where does the blessing come in? If I’m planted by the blessing (river), this means He will make provisions for you in situations where you shouldn’t have it.
    1. Remember God said He will make rivers in the desert.
  7. In this season, stop talking about waiting for your season. Every season is your season. You will be blessed when it looks like you shouldn’t be blessed! Remember they can’t go with you, if they can’t grow with you!!
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Part 3: I Deserve Better

Posted on February 21, 2025 by growintheword

Deliverd by Bishop Joseph W. Walker, III
Sermon February 16, 2025

Genesis 29: 31-35 NKJV
When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren. 32 So Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben; for she said, “The Lord has surely looked on my affliction. Now therefore, my husband will love me.” 33 Then she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Because the Lord has heard that I am unloved, He has therefore given me this son also.” And she called his name Simeon. 34 She conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Now this time my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” Therefore his name was called Levi. 35 And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Now I will praise the Lord.” Therefore she called his name Judah. Then she stopped bearing.

I.                              INTRODUCTION

  1. It has been said that life itself is the greatest teacher. We believe that to be true, because the events in our lives always come with lessons and blessings.
    1. When you look at the things that God allows, the mountains, valleys, and the challenges, you begin to realize that God will give you a PHD in adversity.
    1. God will sometimes allow us to go through a variety of experiences, because He knows that we will come to a place of self-realization.
    1. Self-realization is an important part of our maturing process as believers. You have to let people come to revelation on their own, sometimes. This is why it is important to be patient.
    1. God is long suffering towards us. He doesn’t want any of us to perish. We are all on a journey trying to figure out what God’s desire and standard is for our lives.
    1. We do crazy stuff and make wrong decisions, then something finally clicks where we realize that we need something better.
    1. God is not going to stop you from dating that person or taking that job. He’s not going to interfere with free will, but He is going to put you in a position where you will discover for yourself, what you deserve.
  2. In Luke 15 is the story of a prodigal son. It is about a son who takes his inheritance, before his father intends to give it to him. He goes out and lives a rowdy lifestyle with it. He is the life of the party until he finally hits rock bottom. He finally finds himself in a pigpen situation and there, covered in mud and smelling like pig slop, he comes to himself.
    1. In this place, he comes to himself and realizes that he is living like a pig, when his father has a big house that he could stay in. He decides that he will go back and just be a servant at his father’s home. He decides that he will go back home as a servant, instead of going back in a position of entitlement. It is a wonderful story about how we come to ourselves.
    1. Self-reflection is important. When you think back over your life, you may remember coming to the point where you said to yourself, “I deserve better than this”. Have you ever been on a job and just realized that you deserve better?
    1. This word is going to allow us to see the power of our decisions and the power of our destiny. This story is about Jacob, Leah, and Rachel. It is a complex story. It is not only a story about love and relationships.  It is a story about things we connect with. It is a story about our motives. When you understand who you are, you will understand what you deserve.
  3. The scripture tells us that Abraham has a son named Issac and Issac has a son named Jacob. Jacob is the grandson of Abraham. He is the twin brother of Essau. When they were born there was a conflict that took place between them, even in the womb of the mother. While they are being born, Essau is being born as the firstborn and Jacob grabs his heal inside the womb, to pull him back in, so that he would be the firstborn.
    1. Jacob takes advantage of Essau out in the field one day. Traditionally, the firstborn received the birthright. Because Essau is hungry and Jacob knew it, Jacob tells Essau that he would give him a bowl of soup, in trade for his birthright. Because of Essau being so hungry, he sold his birthright for a bowl of soup and crackers.
      1. How many of you have given up your destiny for soup and crackers? You have given up all that God wants to do in your life, for immediate gratification.
    1. There was a moment that Essau realized that he had been tricked by Jacob, and he began to pursue him, to kill him. Jacob began to run, because that is what you do when you don’t have integrity, you are a trickster, and a conniver. You run from city to city, job to job, person to person!
    1. When you begin to run, you will finally realize that you will run into yourself.  When Jacob runs, it is important to know that biblical times can’t necessarily be compared into modern times contextually meaning you can’t just copy and paste scenarios into today’s standards. We tell you this so you can process what you are about to read.
  4. Jacob runs to a place of familiarity. He runs to his uncle Laban house, and when he gets there, he sees his uncle’s daughter Rachel and falls in love with her.
  5. I know what you are thinking. If Laban is his uncle, isn’t Rachel his cousin? This would be true but remember what we said about the copy and paste. You could do this back in these times.
  6. Rachel is very attractive, and she knows it. To put it in old terms, she would be a brickhouse.
    1. Jacob is locked in on Rachel. He goes to Laban and says he wants to marry his daughter. Laban says that Jacob has to work for him for 7yrs to be granted her hand in marriage. In those days, you had to work for it!
    1. Jacob works Laban 7yrs, trying to get Rachel’s hand in marriage. The night of the consummation of the marriage, he had gotten a little tipsy and when he began to pull the veil off Rachel’s face, he realized that it wasn’t Rachel. It was Leah. He had been tricked.
    1. Leah, unlike Rachel, is not as appealing to the eye. The bible says she was tender-eyed. Jacob was furious and ran out of the tent, because he realized that he had been tricked.
    1. When he confronted Laban about the situation, Laban informed him that the oldest daughter had to be given in marriage first. He told him that he would have to work 7 more years in order to marry Rachel, so he has to work 14yrs to get what he wanted.
      1. In those days, they could have more than one wife.
    1. Fast forward 14yrs, Jacob is excited, because he finally got Rachel.
    1. Rachel is beautiful, but she was barren. She could not help pass down a generational blessing, because she could not have babies. Whenever you were barren in those days, it was viewed as a test from God.
    1. Leah, though not as attractive Rachel, has an open womb from God.
    1. One woman has position and the other has function.
      1. People will put you in a place because you serve their purpose and others will put you in a position, because you make them look good, but will later hide you, because all they want from you is function.
    1. How did this affect Leah? She had Jacob first, but Jacob doesn’t want her. How do you process not being wanted or being rejected? This private pain.

II.                              PRIVATE PAIN

A.    IT’S HARD WHEN PEOPLE DON’T SEE WHO YOU REALLY ARE

  1. Everyone has had to deal with private pain. This can be difficult, because we have learned how to act like everything is ok, but we cry on our way home.
  2. Jacob can represent not only a person. He can represent a career or an institution too. It’s hard when people don’t see who you really are.
  3. Why is Jacob rejecting Leah? It is because of her external attributes. He hasn’t taken time to get to know her inside.
    1. People do us the same way. They will pass over us, because they are looking for something on the outside, not knowing that what they need is on the inside of us. Beauty is vain.
  4. She is hurting because of the shallowness. How people view us, make people miss the greatness that God has placed inside us.
    1. There is more in us than people can see.

B.    REJECTION IS HARD TO HANDLE

  1. Rejection can cause you to question your self worth. It can cause wounds that heal slowly. Leah wounds are rooted in something she can’t help. We can’t control where we are from.
  2. It’s hard when you realize that you’re with someone that wants something or someone other than you.
    1. This can be relationship or on the job.
  3. When you try to make it work, it often pushes them to something else.
  4. Theres a blessing on the other side of your rejection. The rejection was for God’s redirection.
    1. Jesus was even rejected but became the chief cornerstone.
    1. Joseph was rejected, but later became second in command.
    1. David was overlooked by his own family but was later anointed as king.
  5. When people rejected you, they made you available for God’s next in your life.
  6. A lot of people have gotten rejected on the job or maybe even as a date for the prom. You have to think, if these things hadn’t happened, you wouldn’t be where you are today.
  7. If you don’t deal with your rejection, it will deal with you.

III.                              PROBLEMATIC PURSUITS

A.    Rejection is magnetic.

  1. How many times have you chased what you didn’t want?
    1. It just kept pulling you back in.
  2. We chase after what is rare, because we need validation.
  3. When Leah realized she was rejected, she started having babies by Jacob.
    1. Rachel was barren, Leah was not. Her ability to have babies was a gift.
    1. Instead of using it for God, she tried to use it to try and manipulate a player.
  4. Be careful who you fall in love with, because you might become as they are. Leah is a giver and doesn’t get anything in return. It’s like putting water in a cup, with a hole in it. Whatever you do, is never enough.
  5. You have to ask yourself, are you filling or are you funding someone else’s emptiness?
  6. This cycle will cause you to end up back where you were.

B.    THE DYSFUNCTIONAL PLEAS FOR ATTENTION

  1. How does she seek attention? She starts having babies. She is having babies trying to get Jacob to want her.
  2. She thinks by having babies for Jacob, it will change his heart.
  3. Jacob kept laying with Leah, knowing he didn’t love her. She thought it would change his heart, but it never did.
  4. Just because she’s willing doesn’t make it right. We can’t act in dysfunction and be surprised when brokenness’ shows up. If you don’t see a future with someone, don’t make one in the form of a child.
  5. How many times have you poured your love out, hoping that it would finally make your mate see your worth?
    1. Give out cookies may doesn’t work like you think. There’s all kind of cookies out there and he might like different kinds of cookies.
    1. You might find out that you’re just feeding a cookie monster.
  6. Leah kept having babies thinking it would make Jacob love her. Giving more to someone that doesn’t love you, doesn’t make them love you more.
  7. She named the children out of a dysfunctional plea.
    1. Reubenmeans to see. What is your Ruben? What are you posting trying to get people to see?  It doesn’t work
    1. Simeon – She named the second child Simeon.  If he doesn’t see me, maybe he will hear me, she thought. What are you using to make people hear you?
    1. Levi – She named the third one Levi. She thought , “He’ll finally be joined to me”. We are looking for people to like us. Stop living life by asking for people to like you. You have to know how God made you.
  8. Cultural says you are failure, but you are fearfully and wonderfully made. You got to know who you are.
  9. They may hate you but know that God loves you.

IV.                              PROVIDENTIAL PROVISION

A.    THEY MAY HATE YOU BUT GOD LOVES YOU

  1. Jacob may have hated her, but God loved her. Just like Leah, God loves us.
  2. Don’t allow Jacob to cause you to miss what God has for you.
    1. Why when it comes to your enemies, you post paragraphs, but when it comes to what God is doing for you, you only give a couple of words? Y
    1. You’re putting all your energy on the negative.
  3. Think about negative stuff that happens at work and all you have to say about that, but when you get a promotion, all you say is, “We’re about to level up”.
  4. Healthy relationship vs toxic Ex’s.-  Meet someone amazing, all we get is “We excited about this new chapter”. When your talking about the toxic Ex, we get 3 min reel of you going in.
  5. We are so consumed with people, we miss where God is trying to take us.
    1. Story: Bishop tells the a story of how he and friends used to go to the Boys Club to shoot basketball. He knew they had to get there on time to get the full hour to play. They only did basketball from 4-5 and then they would change it to dodgeball.
    1. One guy would always have an issue with the barking dog and he would hold them up trying to make the dog stop barking at them. How are  you going to undog a dog? He was preventing them from getting to their destination on time. The only reason he is barking is, because they moving. Dog’s bark, because that’s what dogs do. Don’t delay your destination trying to make a hater stop being a hater.

B.    GOD HAS FAVORED YOU WITH POTENTIAL

  1. God has favored Leah. He has placed something inside her that others covet, but she is focused on someone that don’t even like her.
  2. Don’t be upset about who likes you. Birth what God has for you to birth.
  3. The favor of God is on the life of the rejected.

V.                              PRAISE WITH PURPOSE

When you realize who you are, that’s when you realize what you deserve.

There comes a moment when you are sick and tired of being sick and tired. If you’re fed-up act like it!

A.    WHEN YOU ARE FED UP, ACT LIKE IT

  1. Leah had 4 children. She didn’t name the 4th one like she did the others.
  2. She births the others for Jacob. She named the 4th one Judah. She births this on for God. Judah means praise.

B.    PRAISE OVER PEOPLE

  1. You’ve been waiting for other people praise and affirmation. When you birth this one, now it has to be for God’s glory!
  2. All the time you’ve been rejected, it was because the devil knew that you were carrying something special.
  3. Leah was the rejected one that didn’t fit in cultural norms. She didn’t know what she was carrying until she came to herself .
  4. She named the 4th one Judah, who begot the royal bloodline.
    1. Perez was the son of Judah and Tamar – Genesis 38:29 NKJV says 29 Then it happened, as he drew back his hand, that his brother came out unexpectedly; and she said, “How did you break through? This breach be upon you!” Therefore his name was called Perez.[a]
    1. Perez begot Hezron – Ruth 4:18 NKJV says18 Now this is the genealogy of Perez: Perez begot Hezron; , 1 Chronicles 2:5 N NKJV says 5 The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul.
    1. Heron begot Ram(Aram) – Part of the lineage of Ram is found in Ruth – Ruth 4:19 NKJV 19 Hezron begot Ram, and Ram begot Amminadab;
    1. Amminadab was the father-n-law of Aron the high priest – Numbers 1:7 NKJV says  7 from Judah, Nahshon the son of Amminadab;
    1. Nashon became the leader of Judah’s tribe – Numbers 2:3  (NKJV) 3 On the east side, toward the rising of the sun, those of the standard of the forces with Judah shall camp according to their armies; and Nahshon the son of Amminadab shall be the leader of the children of Judah.”
    1. Salmon who was one of the spies that went in when jezebel fell in love with Salmon –Matthew 1:5 NKJV says  5 Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse,
    1. Boaz begot Obed- Ruth 4:21 NKJV 21 Salmon begot Boaz, and Boaz begot Obed;
    1. Obed begot Jesse- Ruth 4:22 NKJV 22 Obed begot Jesse, and Jesse begot David.
    1. Jesse  begot David – 1 Samuel 16:1 NKJV 16 Now the Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go; I am sending you to Jesse the Bethlehemite. For I have [a]provided Myself a king among his sons.”
    1. David became king and begot Solomon –  2 Samuel 7:16 NKJV 16 And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before [a]you. Your throne shall be established forever.” ’ ”
    1. Solomon
    1. Jeconiah (Jehoiachin) – Matthew 1:11 NKJV 11 Josiah begot [a]Jeconiah and his brothers about the time they were carried away to Babylon.
    1. Zerubbabel – Haggai 2:23 NKJV 23 ‘In that day,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘I will take you, Zerubbabel My servant, the son of Shealtiel,’ says the Lord, ‘and will make you like a signet ring; for I have chosen you,’ says the Lord of hosts.”
    1. Joseph – Matthew 1:16 NKJV 16 And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ.
  5. Revelation 5:5 NKJV 5 But one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and [a]to loose its seven seals.”- his name will called the lIon of Judah. How, because a woman way back that was rejected, would be in the bloodline of that which was rejected (stone).
  6. Now unto who is able to do exceedingly and abundantly… This next praise is my Judah praise! Open up your mouth and give this one to God. Now is your turnaround. Now is your time!
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Part 4: It’s Time To Take Over 

Posted on January 31, 2025 by growintheword

 

 

Delivered by Bishop Joseph W. Walker, III 
Synopsis 1.26.25

Joshua 1:1-8 NKJV 
After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, it came to pass that the Lord spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, saying: 2 “Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them—the children of Israel. 3 Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses. 4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your territory. 5 No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. 6 Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. 7 Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. 8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

I.          INTRODUCTION

  1. Doesn’t take long to find out God is a god of His timing.
  2. God deals with Kairos time not Chronos.
    1. Galatians 4:4-5 NKJV says 4 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born[a] of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.- God operates in his own time. It might take a while for God to manifest it, but He will do it in His own time.
    2. Old folk used to day, “He might not come when you want Him, but He’s always on time”.
  3. There is a difference between seconds and time, seasons and moments. When you walk in a season, you will know it.
  4. You can’t get frustrated over time. You have to trust God and know that there are seasons that He works in. Habakkuk 2:3 (NKJV) says 3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come, It will not tarry. – Remember it was Job that said he would wait until his change comes.
  5. There is a moment that happens because of your season. The moment in this text was the death of Moses.
  6. Moses has perished in this story, because he had served out his purpose. His purpose was to bring the Children of Israel out of Egypt.
  7. Joshua’s purpose was to take them into the Promised Land. It wasn’t about stepping into the new place but instead stepping into a new promise.
  8. A promise is bigger than your zip code. It deals with
  9. You came in not to be a visitor but instead take it over.
  10. God wants you to walk into a season, accept the promise, and have the mindset of
  11. There is confidence that comes with this. If you have to be here, you want to be here the way God sent you. You are here, because God sent you here!
  12. The enemy knows it won’t be long before you take over. This is why the enemy is angry when you show up.
    1. The people that hired you might soon be answering to you.
  13. Joshua was Moses’
  14. Things to know about Joshua:
    1. Joshua was a Military Leader- Exodus 17:8-16 says 8 Now Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim. 9 And Moses said to Joshua, “Choose us some men and go out, fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand.” 10 So Joshua did as Moses said to him, and fought with Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 And so it was, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. 12 But Moses’ hands became [a]heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. 13 So Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. 14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this for a memorial in the book and recount it in the hearing of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.” 15 And Moses built an altar and called its name, [b]The-Lord-Is-My-Banner; 16 for he said, “Because [c]the Lord has sworn: the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”
    2. Joshua was Moses Assistant – Exodus 24:13 says 13 So Moses arose with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up to the mountain of God.
    3. Joshua was one of the twelve spies – Numbers 14:6-9 NKJV 6 But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes; 7 and they spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying: “The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. 8 If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, ‘a land which flows with milk and honey.’ 9 Only do not rebel against the Lord, nor fear the people of the land, for they[a] are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the Lord is with us. Do not fear them.”
    4. Joshua was a successor to Moses – Deuteronomy 31:14-23 (NKJV) says 14 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, the days approach when you must die; call Joshua, and present yourselves in the tabernacle of meeting, that I may inaugurate him.” So Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves in the tabernacle of meeting. 15 Now the LORD appeared at the tabernacle in a pillar of cloud, and the pillar of cloud stood above the door of the tabernacle.16 And the LORD said to Moses: “Behold, you will rest with your fathers; and this people will rise and play the harlot with the gods of the foreigners of the land, where they go to be among them, and they will forsake Me and break My covenant which I have made with them. 17 Then My anger shall be aroused against them in that day, and I will forsake them, and I will hide My face from them, and they shall be devoured. And many evils and troubles shall befall them, so that they will say in that day, Have not these evils come upon us because our God is not among us?’ 18 And I will surely hide My face in that day because of all the evil which they have done, in that they have turned to other gods.19 “Now therefore, write down this song for yourselves, and teach it to the children of Israel; put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for Me against the children of Israel. 20 When I have brought them to the land flowing with milk and honey, of which I swore to their fathers, and they have eaten and filled themselves and grown fat, then they will turn to other gods and serve them; and they will provoke Me and break My covenant. 21 Then it shall be, when many evils and troubles have come upon them, that this song will testify against them as a witness; for it will not be forgotten in the mouths of their descendants, for I know the inclination of their behavior today, even before I have brought them to the land of which I swore to give them.”22 Therefore Moses wrote this song the same day, and taught it to the children of Israel. 23 Then He inaugurated Joshua the son of Nun, and said, “Be strong and of good courage; for you shall bring the children of Israel into the land of which I swore to them, and I will be with you.”

II.          PREPARATION FOR THE PROMISE

  • You don’t always know you are in a season of preparation. When God is preparing you, sometimes He allows us to be in the subway awhile, before he gives us the promise. This is why people think you just popped up. They didn’t see your subway experience.
  • Preparation season is important.
    • David went to the palace and worked before becoming king.
    • Ester before becoming queen. – She learned the politics of the palace and how to navigate that space, before becoming queen.
    • Joseph went through a pit and prison, before becoming second in command in Egypt – God was preparing him to be in command.
    • Paul before his missionary journeys – Galatians 1:17-18 NKJV says 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went to Arabia, and returned again to Damascus.18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see [a]Peter, and remained with him fifteen days. – Sometimes God needs to have us unlearn some things, before allowing us to step into our promise.
    • Nehemiah before rebuilding the wall. Nehemiah 1:11 NKJV says 11 O Lord, I pray, please let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant, and to the prayer of Your servants who desire to fear Your name; and let Your servant prosper this day, I pray, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.”For I was the king’s cupbearer.-
    • Even Jesus – Jesus died at 33. He prepared for 30 years for a 3 yr ministry.
  • Nothing you go through will be lost. God will take every experience and use it to help you.

A.  Acknowledge The Past 

  1. Moses is a person, but he represents a season. You need to acknowledge history before going into something new.
  2. You have to respect the season of Moses. Never walk into an era without respecting what was.
  3. You can celebrate the past, but don’t dwell there.
    1. If you aren’t careful, you will end up having an 8-track ministry in a download season. You can’t dwell on a Moses’ Egypt season, when you have entered Joshua’s Promised Land Season.

B.  Align With The Plan 

  1. What is the plan of God? God told Abraham to go to a land where He would show him later. Abraham took Sarah and Lot with him.
    1. God will never give you vision by yourself. You need people to help you make it come to fruition.
  2. God told Joshua to take these people with you. It’s never about you; it is about us.
  3. When you recognize the attacks on your life, know that it ain’t about you, it is about others.
  4. The enemy knows that if he gets you messed up, it will affect others. Your fight is for those coming up behind you.
  5. Who shouldn’t you take? Sometimes we take the wrong people with us. Mc Hammer will even tell you that he took too many people with him in his rise to stardom. He should be a Billionaire now.
    1. You have to know exactly who to take with you. You have to take people who are aligned with you and who can grow with you. If you can’t grow with me, you can’t go with me!

III.          POSSESSION OF THE PLACE

  • When you get there, you won’t be a tourist. God wants you to come there to possess it. This is about a season of
  • God is about to give us:
    • Ownership – God is about to give you authority and stewardship over the land.
    • Influence – Community and culture around it is subject to your influence. You can’t have influence over what you don’t own.
    • Legacy – You are not only supposed to own and influence the land. You are supposed to pass it down to future generations. You must pass down generational blessings.

A.  Step Into New Territory 

  1. You have to walk into this. When you get the word, you have to get up, and step into it. Faith without works is dead!
  2. You can’t be troubled by what it looks like. Joshua was given a promise by God.
  3. What was the problem? The land was already occupied by other people.
    1. God already knows it’s occupied, but He needs you to trust Him.
  4. If He told you to walk into it, He will work out the details.

B.  Secure The Land 

  1. Understand the power of security, when you walk into the land.
  2. Territories are where demons hang out. Demons are assigned to territories.
  3. When you go to certain cities, some things are more prevalent in certain cities. You have to go in with the attitude that I am casting out the spirits that have these territories on hold.
  4. We have to drive out:
    1. Toxic relationships
    2. Complacency
    3. Sinful Habits
    4. Spiritual strongholds
  5. We have to drive out everything that is not in line with God’s word!

 

IV.          PROTECTING THE LAND GOD HAS GIVEN US

  • We have to pray for people.
  • It’s about:
    • Prayerful Petition – We have to pray for God’s protection.
    • Purposeful Position – We have to put our foot down. We have show our presence.
    • Proactive Protection – God came that we might have life more abundantly. We came to protect the land.
  • God defined what he was giving them. He explained that from the wilderness, to Lebanon, to the Euphrates River, to the Great Seas, would belong to them

 

  • Wilderness – Produces strength. Got to go through it to get to the blessing.
  • Struggle – You can’t gain strength without having the struggle.
  • Strength – God is going supply you with all you need in abundance. This will support your strength.
  • Supply – God will provide everything that you need.
  • Scale – Look at the size of the Great Sea. God wanted to demonstrate the size his blessings and provisions could be.

 

A.  Power For The Purpose 

  1. Imagine God saying he is going to give you this and that. It isn’t just for you; it is for everyone.
  2. You are going to a land that is You start putting people out, but they ain’t going out without a fight. Don’t be afraid, because as God was with Moses, He will also be with you.

B.  Depend On Divine Strength 

  1. Demonstrate Courage – God needs you to have courage. This is not the time to be afraid.

V.          PERSISTENCE IN THE PRINCIPLES

  • What’s going to keep you?
  • The challenge of walking in promise is sustainability. The blessing that God wants us to have is not a back in the day blessing. It is a right now blessing! It’s sustainable from generation to generation. You will never be a “once was”
  • What is it that keeps us?
    • Story: Many Pastors around the world want to know how Mt Zion grew so big? How did they go from 175 members to over 30,000.? The answer is it was because of Bible Study.
    • You can tell how popular a church is on Sunday morning. You can tell how popular a Pastor is at by night service. You can tell how popular God is by Bible Study. People love Bible Study, because they are hungry for the word.

A.  Meditate On The Word 

  1. We want the word. Keep this word and bound it around your neck. What’s going to keep you is God’s word.

B.    Manifest Success 

  1. Manifest means I apply God’s word, activate faith through action, and believe God for the word.
  2. The word says, “When you come into the land, yo shall be prosperous in all your ways”. This means that all that we touch, God is going to make prosperous.
  3. The word says “You shall have good success”.
    1. Story – Bishop explains how he and his family were making homemade pizza. All the ingredients have been put together properly, and they now have
    2. Little Joseph gets anxious and wants to eat some of the items on the pizza, but he can’t. Bishop explained that he needed to give the pizza to his father, so that he couldn’t finish preparing what was started.
      1. In like manner, we have to take our success from school and give it to our father. For example, We’ve done well in school, but you want to hear our Father say, “Well done”!! Give it to your daddy!
    3. Getting back to the story, Bishop puts the pizza in the oven, but the kids kept peeping in the window and opening the oven door to see if the pizza is ready.
      1. We do the same thing. We keep asking, is it ready yet?
    4. God has us in the right environment.
      1. Like the pizza, we have to stay in the oven (environment) long enough. If we keep opening and closing the oven, we delay the process.
    5. The father has set the timer. There is a difference between seconds and seasons. Bishop reminded his kids that he had set a timer to let him know when the pizza is done. He told them that when they heard the buzzer, to let him know, because that would let them know that it is done.
      1. God has us at a place for an appointed time and He knows when the time is right. It is time to take over!
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Part 3: The Blessing Is Bigger Than You Think 

Posted on January 24, 2025 by growintheword

Delivered by Bishop Joseph W. Walker, III 
Synopsis 1.19.25

Ephesians 3:20 (KJV) 
Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

I.            INTRODUCTION

  1. As we grow in relationship with God, we also grow in faith. As your faith grows, your visions expand.
  2. Vision has a lot to do with your exposure. Your exposure increases your expectation of what is possible. Taking a bus, a plane, or a boat ride is important. You must get out of your zip code to know how big the world really is.
  3. You can’t be big when little’s got you!
  4. Your expectation grows when your perspective changes. You need to position yourself for great expectations.
  5. There are many things you’ve been praying over. Today’s word will be a prophetic declaration over your life. What you have been hoping for is so small in comparison to what God wants to do for you.
  6. The reason why some things never happen is because we limit our vision to accommodate people. We are concerned about how they feel about it.
  7. Your season is going to be bigger. You must revisit your plan. When you hear this word today, you will see how big God is going to bless you.
  8. The book of Ephesians is an Epistle. It is a book of revelation, of truth, and application.
  9. It is a book of truth in that it tells you what you should know and it gives you life application, in that it tells you how to apply what He says to do.
  10. In today’s lesson, we see that the Apostle Paul is a prisoner. Paul writes this for the Gentiles, the non-Jews of that day.
  11. The blessing of Abraham talks about blessing the Jewish people. There was a mind set at this time where they thought that if you were a non-Jew, you would get the scraps from the blessing and not the blessings. They believed that the non-Gentiles would get the leftovers.
  12. Paul is saying to the Gentile people, he knew how culture had treated them, and because of how culture treated them, their perspective was off. Paul informed them God’s blessings included them too.
  13. Paul told them not to let his current situation (his incarceration) cause them not to understand what God was about to do them. If you were a Gentile, your prayers were limited, because you didn’t really expect the full blessing. Paul wanted them to know to open up their spirt and their mind up. Whatever you thought your blessing was, know that its going to be bigger!
  14. Paul begins today’s scripture by saying “Now unto him…”ma.

II.            HAVE PERSPECTIVE OF HIS AUTHORITY

  • You haveto understand who God is in your life. We recognize who God is and that he can do what non-one else to do. Therefore, we approach him differently. If He has authority and power, He has it over everything

A.   Recognize God’s Sovereign Will 

  1. God does what he does, because He is sovereign, meaning that He does what he does, when He wants to, and how He wants to, and He doesn’t owe us an explanation for why He does what He does. It is His will.
  2. The Wills of God.
    1. Perceptive Will of God –Matthew 22:37 (NKJV) says 37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’– This is the instruction of righteous living.
    1. Permissive Will of God – God sometimes allow things to happen that doesn’t align with Gods will. He permits it, even though it is not His will. Job chapters1 & 2.
    1. Perfect Will of Christ – He aligns His will with our lives. Jeremiah 29:11 (NKJV) says 11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. – God not controls our income, He also controls our outcome.
    1. Directive Will of Christ – This is how God uses the Holy Spirit to give us guidance. Acts 16:6-10 (NKJV) says 6 Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. 7 After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them. 8 So passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. 9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them. – You have your plans, but God will redirect you.
    1. Sovereign Will of Christ – His will can’t be hindered. Acts 2:23 (NKJV) 23 Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death;– It was part of a Divine plan. Whatever God’s will is, we will accept it and not fight against it.
  3. God is a God that not only speaks it, but makes it come to pass.

B.   Know When It’s Time To Give It To Him 

  1. When you try to work your problem out, God will put you in a situation where you have no choice, but to give it to Him. Stop trying to be so heroic. It’s ok to cast your cares on Him.
  2. The word “Now” as used in the phrase “now unto Him…”, has a lot to do with timing.
    1. Lateral time – means immediately or at this moment.
    1. The word “Now” is transitional – It means that the writer is shifting to another thought. “Now unto Him” implies that now it’s going to happen when God says its going to happen. We are not going to worry about it. We are going to leave it up to Him.

III.            HE HAS PROVEN HIS ABILITY

  • Now unto Him who is able… This is about ability.
  • History says God is able. He can do what no man can do.  He is able to exceed our expectations.

A.   He’s Able To Do What Seems Impossible 

  1. This is not theoretical. He has a track record. Remember the fiery furnace, or Daniel in the Lion’s den? If you look over your life, you have seen God do the impossible.

B.   His Record Is Reliable 

  1. Have you ever heard of the company Nvidia? It is a tech company that manufactures computer chips. From your smart phone to self driving cars, they are involved.
    1. Most people don’t think about them, but we are benefactors of their work. Likewise, aware or not, we are benefactors of God working behind the scenes.
    1. God woke you up this morning. Something miraculously happened between good night and good morning. He woke you up!
  2. Our faith reinforces our directive.

IV.            HE HAS PROMISED US ABUNDANCE

  • This hasa lot to do with what you are exposed to. Abundance is more than materialism. It’s about peace, joy and grace.

A.   God Is About To Exceed Your Expectations 

  1. Verse 20 is really a doxology. It does two things.
    1. Shows that God can do things that exceed our expectation.
    1. Shows that God never gets tired of doing it.
  2. We come to God for one thing, and He always exceeds our expectations.

B.   Embrace This Season Of Overflow 

  1. God will not just give you tangible blessings. He will also give you things that money can’t buy!
  2. Your blessings have a lot to do with “how do you see?”.
  3. Story: When Bishop was first called to the ministry, he thought he was going crazy. He was seeing stuff. You drive by a field and see cow pastures, but he would see condos. When you are a seer, you see stuff others don’t see, and it is hard to communicate it.
    1. We come to tell you that you are not crazy.
    1. The moment you see something; you start saying it.
  4. How you see affects:
    1. How you speak – How you speak matters. If I see what’s possible, I speak what’s possible, even if people in my situation don’t see it.
      1. Example: You have seen more, and you go back to share with your family or friends, and they say you think you are better than everyone else. Even your language begins to change.
      1. Story: Bishop tells how his dad was an entrepreneur when they were growing up. His dad is 96 years old. He started a Window Cleaning business in his 20s and he used to clean houses too. Rights of passage for Bishop and his siblings was they had to work on the business truck.
        1. Going with his dad, gave Bishop exposure as a young lad. Back then, they all had to go through the back door to clean houses.
        1. He explained how his dad would get on his hands and knees to put the wax down and then they would buff the floors. As his dad was doing this, Bishop walked through the house they were cleaning, just looking around. He began to dream about having the same nice stuff when he got older.
      1. When you see blessed people, you don’t really realize where it comes from. Bishops dad always wanted his kids to have more than he did so he exposed them to more.
    1. How you Scale things – Once you see it and say it, you will start believing God for it. The exposure allows you to change your scale for measuring the things you want and the goals that you set.
      1. Example: When Mt Zion went to the location to make plans to buy Antioch, God showed Bishop the whole mall. When they just wanted one area, God showed them more. This is overflow!
      1. 2025 is your year. You have to thrive in 25!
  5. Now unto him that is able to do exceedingly, abundantly, above all that we can ask or think.  

V.            HE WORKS THROUGH THE POWER OF ALIGNMENT

  1. According to the power that worketh in you. God does it according to the power that is at work in your life. It is about alignment and abundance.
  2. Ask God to bring you into alignment. Don’t miss the buffet, thinking about the snack.
  3. Whatever God does in the season is because you fall into alignment. It is about truth and application.
  4. The gentiles didn’t even understand. This is Post Pentecost. When the Holy Spirit came in Acts 2, and people thought they were drunk, Peter reminded them that this was the manifestation of what was prophesied.
  5. Everybody now has access to the Holy Ghost, which is at work in you.
  6. Story: Bishop said he got into the EV world. He purchased an electric vehicle. Joseph likes the car and pretends that it is his.
  7. When you pull into the garage, you have to plug it up at night. Little Joseph decides he wanted to plug the car in. So, Bishop allowed Little Joseph to plug the car in.
  8. The next morning, when they got ready to use it, the car wasn’t starting. They found the car was only at 20%. Lil Joe plugged it in, but it wasn’t aligned properly, so the car did not get fully charged.
  9. This is a lesson for us. You can be in a thing but not aligned. You can go to church, but not be aligned with God and therefore, miss receiving the power that you are supposed to have.
  10. God works though the power of alignment. God is going to do it, but you have to be properly aligned. The blessing is bigger than you think!!
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