Just to be close to you, Sermon 06/13/10

Posted on June 20, 2010 by growintheword

Just to be close to you

Synopsis of sermon 06/13/10

Delivered by Bishop Walker III

Having an authentic relationship is to try and grow closer together although most of the time, we do just the opposite. In relationships, we often grow further away from each other. In the text today, David desired to get closer to God. When you desire to get close to God, you decide to focus on him, rather than things around you. Our experiences have pushed us into wanting to get closer to God. Because of what we’ve gone through, we pray more, we go to church more, we read about him more, and etc… Whatever has happened to us has made us realize that we needed to be closer to God. Know that it takes more than just coming to church. Paul said on Mars Hill that you can’t dwell in a temple made by man’s hands. You can have church anywhere. We can think ourselves happy, just thinking of all God has done for us. Somebody reading this came with a desire to be closer to God. You really desire an intimate relationship with God. You are tired of playing games. Some people desire so much to get closer to God, they can see and hear more than ever before. Your desire is not to miss God.

Text: Psalm 27:4: 4One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.

 I. Right Priorities

One thing that I have desired … (Psalm 27:4a).

  1. We must make it clear what our desire is. Mark 6:33: 33And the people saw them departing, and many knew him, and ran afoot thither out of all cities, and outwent them, and came together unto him.- Desire: a feeling that accompanies a unsatisfied state. – When you become unsatisfied with the things in your life, then you begin to desire more. You begin to see that relationships, drugs, and alcohol have left you empty. Now your desire for God has become greater.
  2. What are you longing for? An authentic relationship with God. We have become determined to find the Lord. When a child of God’s mind is made up, you will:
  3. Seek – When you look for something, you will change direction. You will devalue everyone and everything around you. What you are looking for becomes more valuable. There are many things we place greater value on than God. It is not until our back is against the wall that we seek God.
  4. Sacrifice-Suggests we will remove everything that keeps us from his presence. Hebrews 12:1-2: 1Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. – Because of all we have gone though, we find ourselves pursuing God.
  5. Steadfast – We are at a point where we refuse to be uprooted simply because people don’t like us. For many of us, if we are a member of a church 15 yrs, we are doing well. Our grandparents stayed at churches they belonged to for 30yrs or longer. Once they were rooted in a place, they very seldom left. Now we are constantly seeking to get a relevant word.

II. Reside in his presence

  1. David’s desires are so big for God, because he knew he could not get his desires fulfilled anywhere else. On one hand, he talks about dwelling in the physical temple. David says he loves the church, being around the saints, and etc… The truth is, there has to be something in us that just loves the church. When we were in the world there were certain things that we just loved. Bishop explains that he still has frat brothers that walk around with their gold boots. There are some people that just love the mall and some others that love the clubs. They can’t explain it, but they just love it. It is a apart of who they are. Church going ought to be the same for us. We don’t know why we love it so much. We just do! It is a part of us.
  2. 7 reasons why come to church
    1. It is an act of obedience to God Hebrews 10:24-25 says 24And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 25Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.-It is a command of God. Exodus 20:8 says 8Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. -God establish with the intent of us fellowshipping.
    2. It is an expression of our love for God. It shows people publically that we love God. If you love someone in the world, you are at their house all night long. God just needs a couple hours from us. Psalm 22:22 says 22I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.
    3. Builds me up spiritually– Jeremiah 3:15 says 15And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding. – You have to come to the restaurant to get the meal.
    4. Brings a special visitation of God’s presence. Psalm 22:3says 3But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.-God inhabits our praises. Everything in heaven gives God glory, so why shouldn’t we? Matthew 18:20 says 20For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. – We need God’s presence.
    5. Provides fellowship with other Christians. You can’t be island to yourself. You need people. The devil uses your isolation to intimidate you. Psalm 133:2 says 2It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; 1 John 1:7 says 7But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
    6. Provides accountability to spiritual leadership. He is not looking at you, trying to figure your spirit. Hebrews 13:17 says 17Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you. – It is so important that you are accountability.
    7. Combines our spiritual strength in prayer. We need each other’s prayers. Matthew 18:19 says 19Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. – You got to be around other people that can be prayer warriors with you.  Leviticus 26:8 says 8And five of you shall chase an hundred, and an hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight: and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword. – 5 of us can chase five hundred enemies.
    8. We love his presence. We want to get so used to God’s presence; we realize God is not interested in a one night stand with us.
  3. When it comes to coming to church, where do you fall on this list?
    1. Are you coerced? Coercion basically is saying, “Because you made me.” Ex- When you were made to go to church when you were younger, you rebelled when you first got independent.
    2. Are you Consequential? – We fear what will happen if we don’t. – Know that God doesn’t have feared based relationships
    3. Are you Casual – You come only when you feel like it. What do you do when you don’t feel like is the problem. There are going to be some days that you don’t feel like it.
    4. Are you committed – I want to want to go. – We are at a point when the job has us traveling and we actually have withdrawals from not going to church. If you don’t have this kind of passion, you ought to ask the Lord to put it in us. This way, we will want to be there. How can you love the Lord like you say you do and miss hearing the word missing and miss seeing the saints? We have to get to a place that no matter what, no gas, no money, no car; we have that desire to make it into the house of the Lord.

III. Righteous perspective

…behold the beauty of the Lords Psalm 27:4c

  1. Once perspective changes everything around me changes. When we get a revelation from God, we know that nothing happens that God can’t fix. If it is crooked, God will straighten it. If it is broke, God will fix it.
  2. Beauty is in God’s:
    1. Providence – The devil tries to keep you from God, so you will doubt he is still working. God has the power to turn a bad thing into a good thing and restore the yrs the locust ate up. When people look at us, they are looking at the power of God on display.
    2. Power – God’s power does for us, what we can’t do.
    3. Provides – God doesn’t say there you go. When he gets ready to bless, he gives it to you like a parent. We often wants God to bless us from afar. God doesn’t bless outside of proximity. God blesses you in his presence. If you don’t get it in his presence, you will forget about him. In his presence, you will be wrapped and tied up in him. You will know where your blessing comes from.
  3. Because we have gotten closer to God, we have seen and know things about him that we have never noticed before. Some people have just about given up, but God has got them! No matter how old you get, you remember that one person that gave you the blues. Ex-For Bishop, it was the Blues family. With this family, if you fought one of them, you had to fight them all. Bishop explained how one time, one member of this family crossed him the wrong way and the fight was on. They were in elementary school at this time and Bishop’s friend gassed him up to try to keep the intentions of fighting going. When the afternoon came, the Blue’s family was coming down the street. Bishop said he started talking stuff to them, because his friends had gassed him up so much, he believed he could win. They kept getting closer and closer and all of a sudden they turned and walked away. Bishop thought “Wow!” he had scared them away. All of a sudden, Bishop’s Dad patted him on the shoulder. It was because of Bishop’s Dad that they turned and walked away. You can swell up if you want to and think you are bad, but know that your Daddy above has your back. The times you think your enemies left you alone because of you was really a direct result of your Daddy!
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Knowing made the difference, Sermon 06/06/10

Posted on June 16, 2010 by growintheword

Knowing made the difference

Synopsis of sermon 06/06/10

Delivered by Bishop Walker III

God allows certain things to happen in our lives. It is all about experiential knowledge which is when God allows things to happen to push us to our revelation. There is no substitute for going through things for yourself. We can’t just be comfortable riding on other people’s revelation. How would you know God could heal, unless you have been sick? How would you know that God could make a way out of no way, unless your back was up against the wall? You have to recognize that God has been good to us despite our circumstances. We come to revelation based on our experience. This is where David is today. Things have challenged his anointing. This is a reminder of who God is, so we won’t become weary in well doing.

Look at James 1:2-3 says 2My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. – Here James embraces experience because it gives him greater knowledge. In Romans 8:28 it says 28And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.- This scripture implies that we have seen how God has made these things that happen in our life, work together for our good. 1 John 3:2 says 2Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. – This scripture suggests that at this moment, we come into the know. We must know that God is attempting to bring us out of darkness into revelation.

I. Complete Provision

Psalm 27:1 1The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

  1. Whatever we need, we have to come to a place where we know God has it. God doesn’t do us like people do us by saying he can help us and then turning around and not doing it. God can handle the totality of it, because he is our source and supply. We don’t place expectations on people wanting them to do what they were not designed to do. No matter who isn’t, we thank God that He is. When we raise e the question who what how, we find that the Lord is always our answer. People look at us and see the power of God working in our lives and we have to realize that it is not us doing it. It is the Lord doing it. We are able to work every day, because the Lord is. It is not because we have been so good. It is because the Lord is.
    1. The Lord is our light-This represents knowledge. He gives us in other words revelation. – Then we live in the knowledge, we refuse to live in darkness and not bring light into our situation. Matthew 4:16 says 16The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.- In this scripture, it describes how Jesus showed up as the light while men were sitting in darkness. In John 8:12 it says 12Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. – Jesus reminds us that the light is within us. Psalm 119:105 says 105Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.- When we have God in our life, we have revelation. We are a walking in illumination that comes with revelation. By this we mean that we can be in a dark situation and bring light to it, based on our revelation. We are not there to complain how bad it is. We are supposed to bring people into revelation, based on what we know
    2. He is the strength of our life: First we need to understand the concept of salvation in order for us to get the full effect. In Salvation, the savee has to know that they don’t have the power to save themselves. We must realize that while we were yet sinners, God saved us. God died for the ungodly. If God has the power to save us from Calvary, what problem could be worse than that? God saved the woman who was about to be stoned, the three Hebrew boys, and even Lazarus who had already had his funeral. Isn’t it amazing how God will send you the word that you need the most right when you need it. God will give you a light when you need it the most. God will not withhold anything from those who walk upright.
    3. He rescues us. God delivers us from our situations.

II. Certain of his power-

You will never know God’s power unless you acknowledge our greatest weakness. Remember when Paul asked the thorn to be removed 3 times and the Lord said his grace was sufficient.  8For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. 9And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.-Once you turn it over to God and acknowledge you can’t do it on your own, God’s strength kicks in at our weakness point. Corinthians 4:16 says 16For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.-You can’t operate just in your flesh. You don’t get your inner man renewed Sunday by Sunday. You do it day by day, because you catch hell every day. We want to thank God for renewing us day by day. Our enemies ought to thank God for this day by day renewing, because without it, we could have cut somebody by now!

The strength you gain is from the Holy Ghost. Drinking won’t work, because our trouble can swim. Smoking blunts won’t work, because trouble can get higher than any high we can get. Ex– Bishop Walker says he remembers traveling though Alexandra Louisiana with his Uncle. Bishop kept seeing that the truck was riding on “E”, yet his Uncle kept driving instead of stopping for Gas. A few miles down the road, he asked his Uncle again about stopping for gas, but Bishop’s Uncle assured him that he had it under control. Finally after seeing how concerned Bishop was, his Uncle said, “D do you see this?” His uncle hit a button that was located under the dashboard. Next thing you know, the gas hand went back up as they were driving. What Bishop did not know was that this truck had a reserve tank on it. Just like this, we have to thank God that we got power that can kick in just when we think we are about to go under. Like the truck, we have a reserve tank. The scripture says that they that wait upon the Lord would have their strength renewed. We have power that makes us stable. We are not going to let the devil run us from where we need to be! We have to make up our mind that we will be stead fast and unmovable always abiding in his word!

III Confidence in his protection

Psalm 27:2-3 says 2When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. 3Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident. – “Encamp” means that our enemy set up their tents while they were after us. Despite all of this, the scripture reminds that we will be confident.

  1. When you read this (verse 2) in your bible, you understand what “stumble” means from an English perspective. It means to tip over. In Hebrew it means to be destroyed. Your enemy is like a horror move; they can have one leg and one arm cut off and yet they keep on coming after you. While we are still in our situation, we are going to still give God the glory, we are going to appear like we know we are coming out of it, and we are going to keep our head up. There are folk that are still determined to be faithful and show up in despite what they are going through.
  2. Unless there is with us, that which is above us, we shall soon be consumed by that which is about to destroy us. In other words you are allowing what you see, to eclipse what you know. We don’t walk by sight; we walk by faith so we can’t live by what it looks like. We live by what we know.
  3. If you are not comfortable, you will have others worry about your situation more than you. David recognizes there is a
    1. Conspiracy-We are fighting an organized legion of demons that are aligned to strategically take us out. This is why you wake up saying if isn’t one thing, it’s another.
    2. Crowd– The things stacked up against us has become a crowd.
    3. Conflict– Both conspiracy and crowds bring about conflict which serves as host. Know that in the midst of these things, you are covered
    4. Covering-People have been dispatched by Hell’s Temp Agency. They are sent to your life to frustrate you and keep you from reaching your destiny.
  4. When the scripture mentions, “… Even mine enemies and my foes…” know that this is not your real enemy. You real problem is your “Friendmies”. These are those that appear they have your back, but privately they are jealous of your anointing and will privately try to take you out. This is an organized platoon coming at you. David says they can come all they want to. He wrote this song because they stumbled and fell.
  5. “They came to eat up my flesh” mentioned in the scripture means that they came like a pack of wild dogs, but they stumbled and fell. They were destroyed. It is not like God tipped them off. They were destroyed. Remember how God saved us? He never tipped anybody off. When God brought the Israelites out, he waited until the last one got out of the sea, then Pharaoh’s army was destroyed. Ex- Bishop was in the airport and he picked up a book to read while he was waiting. It was on World War II. In World War II, the Air force of Great Britain (which were our allies), had this amazing group of pilots they were called the Royal Air Guards. The Royal Air Guard otherwise called the Fighter Interceptor Unit had a specific job to do. Their job was to intercept aerial assaults at night. They practiced during the day, but worked at night. They were so trained and accurate; their radars were able to see the attack before it happened. Before the Royal Air Guards would be dispatched, they would intercept the missile before it could get into the target’s airspace. Now the target would be asleep while a war would be going on over their heads. The Royal air Guard would not even inform the target, because they had it under control why the target slept. We don’t wrestle against flesh. Over our head the devil is launching an attack. We can’t tell, because God blocks it before it gets to us. He won’t worry about waking us up. We give God the glory, because what is so special about the target they want to attack it night? David saw himself as a target. This was the same David that slew Goliath. Just like David, though we are targets, we are giant slayers. This is why the devil wants to take us out. It was Saul to was jealous, because he could not do what David did. Your enemy is jealous for the same reason. He wants to take you out, but you have to know that you are protected. We do just like the target in the book. We can sleep knowing that God has our back!
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Walk in it, Sermon 05/23/10

Posted on May 26, 2010 by growintheword

Walk in it

Synopsis of Sermon 05/23/10

Delivered by Bishop Walker III

Text: Psalm 37:23-26 says 23The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. 24Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand. 25I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. 26He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed.

All of us have raised questions about where we are, where we are going, and what is happening in our life. Whether you know it or not, there is a correlation in all of these questions. The truth is, wherever you are going in life has a lot to do with understanding who you are. You’ll never know where you are until you understand who you are. When you understand who you are, then it really doesn’t matter where you are, because you will be who you are, everywhere. Who we are does not change, because of our context, because we are able to change our context based on who we are. The God in us can transform a whole environment. There are people that are probably sitting next to you right now that need to understand that just by sitting next to you, the atmosphere will be changed for them, just because of who you are.

Identity is important in the life of a believer. Knowing who we are has a lot to do with what God is doing in our lives. If effects how we interpret things and how we see God move. Many of us surrender to the pressures of life, because we look at the wicked and see how fast it seems like that obtain success. This makes us become frustrated and we begin to contemplate that maybe if we did what they did, then maybe we could reach the same heights that they have reached. This is why in a Psalms like this David opens up setting the records straight. He says let’s be clear about who you are in relation to the wicked. In Psalm 37:1-2 David says 1Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. 2For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. – In other words you have to know who you are. We are the righteous, God’s chosen people. You have to recognize that God is always doing something in our lives. God has great plans for you whether you know it or not. Regardless of your background, regardless of to what has happened to you, there are some great and awesome things that God is going to do in your life. It is important that you understand this, because many of us are wondering if this is case, why are we here and not there. There is something awesome is going to do in and through you. The devil got the memo of what God was going to do for you and that’s why the devil works over time to try and frustrate you and confuse you. No matter what other people say about you, no matter what is going in your life, know that you have God’s word, conviction, and faith. It is because of this that you have to walk into what God has promised you. We have learned to be insulated within the promises of God. We have learned how to walk into the favor of God. We have learned that even if we have to walk by ourselves at the expense of losing friends, we are going to walk in it! This is the word for some of you today.

This is a relevant word for some of you today. It may be a season where you are all by yourself. For some of you, your back is up against the wall and you really don’t have any other choice, but to walk in this thing. God said tell you this is where the blessing of the Lord lies. It lies in obedience. It lies in your willingness to walk in what you have been taught and to what God has promised you. Psalm 37:23 says 23The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD… Order in this comes from a military term. In other words, David’s steps have been given specific order. If you have been given orders, there is an acknowledgement of authority that you submit to. You will never submit to someone that you see as your equal. Therefore there is a submission to a greater power. Therefore, we take our authority from someone greater than we are. So then we recognize that our feet have been appointed.

I.                  Our feet has been appointed

Psalm 37:23 says 23The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.

  1. Before you were born, God was moving strategically in your life. You were born into a process. It didn’t begin when you were born. You were born into God’s process. He was always working something and allowed you to be born at the right time and the right place. When the fullness of time had come, God had already been working with the prophets, but he sent Jesus at the right. This is why Herod wanted to kill Jesus and it is the reason why people didn’t want you to be born. It is too late for them to hate on you now, because God’s got some great things he is going to do in your life. God knows where we need to go in order for us to get what we need. When you are in God’s will, there are no accidents where you are. Each step you take must be ordered.
  2. There are lessons that we are supposed to get from our steps being ordered.
  1.  
    1. It’s about Timing– This means we don’t move until it is the right time to move. Every step we take is with caution under spiritual supervision. If you look back over your life, you would probably notice that every problem you had in the past was because you got ahead of God. You have to know that God has certain timing before he tells us to move. It doesn’t mean God isn’t going to do it. He just wants us to wait until the right time and he will tell you when to move. Somebody reading this is waiting on God to tell them to take the next step. Even if others try to tell you it is the right time, you have to be spiritual enough to lean not to our own understanding, but in all our ways acknowledge him knowing that he will direct our path.
    2. Training-When God tells us to take a step; he puts us in a place to make us better. He puts us into a context so that we can be trained. This is why we don’t move when we want to. We move when God tells us to. God will connect us to right people to challenge us and motivate us to get to next level. We want to make certain that where we are going, we are around positive people. This is training.
    3. Trials-Every step we take, there is a different trial or a different test. God uses these things to see if we are ready for the next step. Some people look at where people have ended up and in our eyes they have arrived at certain levels of success. We conclude that this success has happened over night. Consequently, our way of following in their footsteps is by taking the elevator. Know that these successful people didn’t get where they got by taking the elevator. They got where they are by taking the stairwell. You have to take it one step at a time. You got to come up by working your way up. This is why our kids are so spoiled today. We give our kids too much too soon. We have to teach them if they want something, they have to work for it one step at a time!
  1. There is purpose for us being where we are. We are where we are, because there is a purpose that called me to this place. God never calls me to a place without purpose being tied to it. How many times have you went into something and there was no purpose in it? This is called labor without purpose. This is the same as slavery. Who volunteers for slavery? If you are working in a place with no purpose, that’s slavery. Working without purpose, fails to produce fruit. Wherever we go we want to make certain that there is purpose tied to it, because our purpose is what sustains us in the place.
  2. The b portion of Psalms 37:23b says and he delighteth in his way. What makes God’s delight? It is the fact that we bear fruit in the purpose.
  1.  
    1. We have a certain Perspective-Where we are is bigger than us. We don’t take the attacks that happen to us personally. We recognize that our purpose is bigger than our selfish agenda. We recognize that this is what God has chosen to do in our life.
    2. We choose Perseverance-We have chosen to endure stuff that other people are still giving up on. We recognize that if we be not weary in well doing, in due season, we will reap if we faint not. Therefore, we are steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, because we know our labor is not in vain. Every step has been appointed and we do not move until God says so.

II.               Your failures have been accommodated

Psalm 37:24 says 24Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.

  1. God has made accommodations for every aspect of our life. God has already thought through this and figured out how it will work out. He even has factored in our foolishness (all the things we might do to mess things up) and made accommodations to allow me still to meet my destiny.
  2. David says, “Though he falls …” Some may think that they are exempt from falling, but the scripture says all of us have fallen. The experience of doing God’s will and the attacks that come with this is enough to cause us to fall. Even the best of us can fall.
  3. He makes accommodations for our foolishness. How? He doesn’t allow us not to hurt ourselves. Have you ever fallen and been surprised it didn’t kill you? It is like falling real hard and then checking yourself to see if anything is wrong and saying, “Wow, I survived it”. In other words, you can’t believe no damage was done. God showed up just in time, caught us, and put us back in place. The revelation: It really doesn’t matter how far you have fallen. What matters is where God catches you. Whether you were on a rafter or you were falling from a lower height, a fall is a fall. The height of the fall doesn’t necessarily determine the damage of the fall. The frailty of the fall-ee determines the damage of the fall. Some people fall and we find ourselves saying, “You know that didn’t hurt that bad”, but you don’t know where they were in their life. It doesn’t matter where you were when you fell. The good news is it was grace that softened the blow. He caught me right before I hit. There is greatnesses inside you and God said he will not let you self destruct. You are sitting next to somebody who fell. They will tell you that they can’t believe they are not strung out or tested positive for something thing they knew they should have. All they can tell you is that God caught them in the nick of time. We shout like we do, because we are in the should have been, could have been club. We have lifetime memberships. Could have been me out doors is what we say! Should have been me, locked up! Should have been me talking to myself!

III.           Your future has been assured

Psalm 37:25 says 25I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.

  1. God completes what he starts. God never starts something and not complete it. David says I looked over my life and began to reflect in verse 25. For him to say he was young and now he is old means he has scanned his life. It means he has seen his life generationally. He realizes his life has been lived in impacted generations. Davdid says he has seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.
  2. Your offspring benefit from your righteousness. Psalm 37:26 says 26He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed. – Both verse 25 & 26 say that your offspring benefit from your righteousness and they benefit from your negative actions. Your decision to obey or disobey is bigger than you. Exodus 34:7 says 7Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation. – The wickedness of one generation can impact 3 and 4 generations. You are fighting your grandparent’s afflictions as well as yours. What’s wrong with you can be the result of what was wrong with your grandparents. Something inside of you should say Lord let the curse stop here. Ex-When you say you won’t tithe, what you are saying then is you are willfully disobeying God. God then will willfully send a curse through your blood line that your grandchildren and great-grandchildren will suffer as a result of your disobedience. You are not tithing just for you. You are also tithing for your children’s children. When the scripture says God will open the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing more than we will have room to receive, it means that we won’t have enough lifetime to benefit from what God does in your life. Therefore, you must leave an inheritance to your children’s children. You will have so much you can’t use it up in your lifetime, so your children’s children have to be blessed. This is why God told Abram in Genesis 22:18 18And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice. – Your obedience brings about a blessing in generations to come. When you hear that you never seen the righteous forsaken or seed begging bread, you have to know that we are the righteous of God and our seed (children we birth) will be blessed. You ought to thank God for your praying grandmother and grandfathers, because you are the benefactor of their faithfulness. Ex- Bishop explains he didn’t know he was poor he got grown. The reason is poverty is a mindset not condition. Bishop explained that he thought everyone drank sugar water. He says he thought everyone ate spaghetti 3 times a week. Some of us have forgotten where we come from. In fact we (Mt Zion) walk around in this blessed place because we benefited from our parents and grandparents faithfulness and righteousness.
  3. There are some promises to the righteousness of God.
    1. Discernment – No matter what is going on in our life, God discerns what you need. Psalm 34:15 says 15The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry. – God discerns everything that goes on in our life. He knows about it and cares about it.
    2. Development – Psalm 92:12 says 12The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. – Don’t look at me, because now I am a seed. We are thanking God for our “shall be”. We are the righteousness of God.
    3. Defense – Proverbs 18:10 says 10The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe. – When in trouble we know where our help comes from. It is in the name of God. He has a name for everything we go through (Jehovah Jireh, Jehovah Shalom, Jehovah Nissi …)
  4. Deliverance– When we are a child of God, it doesn’t matter what goes on in our life. Our back can be up against the wall and it doesn’t matter. David had murder plots around him, but he said in Psalm 34:19 says 19Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all. –  Say all of them! No matter what you go through, know that God has the power to get you out of them all. David said I have been young, but now I am old. He said he never seen the righteous forsaken nor seed begging bread. What have you seen? We have seen folk down to last dime, but God made a way for them. We have seen people that the Doctor has given up on, but God healed their body! We have seen folk that people thought weren’t going to amount to anything, but we have seen God use them and raise them up to levels of prominence and prosperity! We have seen people go through tragedy, just for God to turn it into triumph! If you knew what God did in my life, you would never doubt what God can do in your life. We have never seen the righteous nor the seed begging bread! Whatever God promised you, walk in it! Whatever God promised you, walk in it! You won’t walk by yourself, because he will walk with you if you are in the valley of the shadow of death. Grandma says he walks with me and talks with me and tells me I am his own. Be not dismayed whatever betide, God will take care of you. What he’s done for others, he’ll do the same for you! Walk in it! Your steps are ordered by God!
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Work your faith, Sermon 05/16/10

Posted on May 22, 2010 by growintheword

Work your faith
Synopsis of Sermon 5/16/10
Delivered by Bishop Walker III
Text: Hebrews 11:1 says 1Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:6 says 6But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
All of us have this in common. It is the pursuit of our dreams and our goals. All of us should be after something. This is called destiny. We have it in our view and we understand clearly what it takes to get to it. It takes an incredible amount of faith to believe that it is possible, yet you pursue it because you believe it exists. At the same time we have needs they we have not met. Many today stand in the need of healing, understanding, support, and supernatural intervention. What prevents a lot of these things from happening as it relates to destiny is the needs that we have to have met along the way. Often we are not where we should be not because we are trifling, but because we have some needs that need to be met along the way. It takes a big amount of faith to get to a point where we simple trust God. We have to have faith to believe that it is not only possible, but also that God can provide for us the things that we need along the way. Anyone can tell you that the moment you begin to try and pursue things, the enemy will do everything in his power to try and discourage you and try to make you disillusioned by the problem. When people don’t believe in what you believe you have to reach way down inside you and say “I yet believe, because of my faith”
Faith is so simple, but we seem to complicate faith. The Greek word for faith is 4102. pistis (πίστις) pis’-tis which simply means belief. We throw faith around so carelessly. We think it is something everyone just has automatically. We tell people who don’t read the word and who don’t have word inside them to simply to have faith and we expect them to have it. We tell them everything is going to be alright, but we forget that Romans 10:17 says 17So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. – In other words, the only way a person can have faith is by being exposed to revelation. They have to sit under a word that produces faith in their lives. Somebody will tell you that if you have the faith, God has the power. This message is really about moving beyond the lip service of faith and telling people that we believe. We have to go to the next level and learn to work what we believe. There is something that God has given us. It is the ability to work our faith until what we are hoping God for begins to manifest in our lives. Many will tell you if it wasn’t for their faith they would have given up a long time ago. Faith sustains us, keeps us in the race, and keeps us from losing our mind. It is not only important to have faith. We also have to work our faith. Many of us need this word today. To work our faith we need:
I. The right perspective on faith
Hebrews 11:1: 1Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
1. Faith is active, faith simply is. Faith must be present and current. In other words, it can’t be applied in one area and not applied in another. Our faith is always both active and current. This means you can’t have faith and believe God for a job and then not have the faith to tithe. We can’t have faith that God can get us into school and then not have the faith to know he can cure our cancer. If faith is here, it must be there.
2. Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. Faith creates a sense of expectancy. This is really what hope is all about. We heard a word that brought about the hope for things that we cannot see. We therefore live in expectation of what God’s word said was possible for our life. In faith, we have walk like it and believe it.
3. Substance of things hoped for. The substance of faith is the word. The word produced the hope. By this we mean we wouldn’t have believed it if the word of God hadn’t told us.
4. It is the evidence of things not seen. Since we hoped for it, and because we don’t see it in the natural, it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist in the spirit. We don’t walk by sight, we walk by faith. Now we start making preparations in the spirit based on what we know. We don’t walk around with our head down, because we know what God promised us. This is a twitter-able. “If you believe what he told you in the light, it will work in the dark.
Hebrews 11:2-3 says 2For by it the elders obtained a good report.3Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. – Everything that began did so through the word. Go back to Genesis and you will see that God employed the word. God gave the word a job. God said it and it was. The creative power of the word in back in Genesis, is the same word that exists in you and me today. The devil doesn’t want you to get a word, because you will start hoping, start seeing, and start saying. Once you start saying, it will start manifesting. Even if we don’t see anything right now we open up our mouth and speak those things that be not as though they were! Some of you sit back and keep your mouth closed too much! When we ought to be quiet, we talk and when we ought to talk, we are quiet. Because we have faith, you have to learn to create stuff in the Spirit of God.
5. Faith is active. It can’t be over here and not over there. We can’t doubt God. That is an insult to God. If we believe God can help someone perform brain surgery, then we can’t trip over a headache.
II. Have to be ready to prove our faith.
Hebrews 11:4-5 says 4By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh. 5By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.
1. Enoch lived and pleased God and was translated or caught up. In other words, he didn’t experience death. In the words, we see that people had trials and trusted God through their faith. Faith was used to establish a testimony. Faith allows us to be examples and witnesses of God. Your faith is as strong as the test you survive. Ex- Some people may say my house is worth a certain amount. The truth is your house is only worth what people are willing to pay for it. Know that your faith is only as strong as the test you survive.
2. When you go through something, God knows that you are in pursuit of something awesome up the road. You have these challenges, because the devil is trying to block you, so it takes faith for you to get to your destiny. Do you remember Peter? He becomes a defender of the 1st Century Church. He becomes the first Pope. This is the same Peter that denied Christ three times. Early on, Jesus saw this coming. In Luke 22:31 it says 31And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: – Jesus said the devil wants to sift you wheat…In Luke 22:32 it says 32But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. – Jesus says he has prayed for Peter. Jesus prayed that Peter’s faith would not fail. We must then know that faith is essential.
3. God wants you to outlive what is trying to outlive you. Your testimony ought to be that you desire to hang in there. We have so many people that give up because they don’t have faith. People, who have faith, are inevitably faithful. It is impossible to have to faith without being faithful. Faithful is the ability to believe in the process. People who supervise can tell when their workers have lost faith in the vision of the company. They can tell, because their people start coming to work when they want to come. They have made a shift already. They are already are looking for something else. When we hang in there, we are saying to God that he can still count on us to be here. Our presence is an indicator that we are still faithful and willing to hang in there. It is saying we will be here when the storm is over.
III. Rejoice in the promise of faith.
Hebrews 11:6 says 6But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
1. We don’t’ have faith for nothing. We have faith to apply it to something. God has to create a situation for faith to be applied. God doesn’t heal for nothing. He heals for something. If the something didn’t exist, we wouldn’t ever develop the faith. We can’t have more faith in our doubt, than faith in our faith. You can’t be wishy washy with your faith. You can’t have until faith either. You have to trust God even when things are difficult. You have to learn to hold on to your faith regardless to what comes in your life. Without faith is it impossible to please God, because those who come to God must believe that God is. The moment we stop having faith, we doubt the very existence of God. As long as God is, our faith is! The moment we start wavering or the moment there is fear, there is absence of the revelation of God. When we know where God is, we know where our faith is. Whatever you need, God is. If you need a healing, a mercy, or breakthrough, God is! God is a rewarder of those who diligently seeks him, those that won’t let situations detour them, and those that will keep their eye on the prize. These are the one that receive the promises of God. You have to trust God without having a plan B.
2. Faith is not believing he can, because God can whether we believe it or not. Faith is not believing he will, because that is hope. Faith is believing it’s done. Faith says, the moment I was privy to a word, I know God would never give me a word in the natural, that wasn’t settled in the spirit. We are just waiting for what God has already settled in the spirit and we are waiting for it to tinkle down into the natural. Ex-If someone needs $1500 to solve their problem, they would be happy for a check that a stranger writes for them, but more happy after it clears. Once the check is cashed, they develop a sense of gratitude. Faith is rooted in the credibility of the rewarder. When another person that they already trust pulls out their check book, that same person who needed the $1500starts shouting right then They know that this person don’t’ write bad checks. If we know you, we are not going to wait until the check clears. We are going to give God the glory before the check clears. Just like this, when we God is moving, we wait until the check clears. Tension exists in believing God for a thing and it hasn’t shown up yet. Hebrews 11:39-40 says 39And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: 40God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect. – God says, your faith has to get to a point that even if God doesn’t do this, you know he’s got that and that is much better than this. In other words, if I don’t get this job, my faith will hang in there, because he is preparing me for that job! If I don’t get this Prince/Princess then he’s got that King/Queen waiting on me! Give God glory for the that he is getting ready to give you. Every time God says no, he’s got something better for you up the road. Real faith says God I trust you in the midst of things that don’t work out the way we want them to. The promise is not based on what you want, but what God wants for our life! Ex- We asked a pew how come people trust them so. People come in and sit all their weight on the pew, but they never look and see if the pew is sturdy. People just flop down and put their whole future on the pew. We asked the question, why do people trust the pew so much? The pew responds, because I held them up last time. We hear the Lord saying, I carried your weight last tim`e, so why do you doubt me this time?

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