Part 1: Cross-Words 

Posted on October 11, 2024 by growintheword

 

Synopsis of 10/6/24

Delivered by Bishop Joseph W. Walker, III 

  • Luke 23:34, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.”
  • Luke 23:43, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”
  • Mark 15:34; Matthew 27:46, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
  • John 19:26-27, “Woman, here is your son… Here is your mother.”
  • John 19:28, “I am thirsty.”
  • John 19:30, “It is finished.”
  • Luke 23:46, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.”

I.               Introduction

  1. On Calvary, we get a model of how we should act during harsh treatment. We also see the commitment we should have when experiencing pain, while trying to pursue our purpose.
  2. Our words have power. They can carry the depth of our witness. It is true that the power of life and death is in the tongue. Despite this, many of us are guilty of speaking death, when we should be speaking life.
  3. The words you speak show how you see your future. The integrity of who you are, is aligning your words with your
  4. God is trying to reveal how we should handle mountain experiences. God gives us these words prophetically. God wants us to know that mountains and new blessings are in our future.
  5. The more highs we have, the more lows we will have. The enemy will try to discourage you the higher God takes you.
  6. All of us will have to deal with crosses. The words that Jesus spoke from the cross, was Him fulfilling his assignment. The words he spoke was was called cross-words.
  7. Our crisis are not a personal attack on us. They are to cause onlookers to believe in God’s ability to deliver.
  8. Can God trust you with trouble? If you want to know what I’m made of, then just listen to my
  9. Crossword are words that God gives to us, that help us to navigate the most difficult seasons of our lives.
  10. Jesus came to the earth to pay the price for our redemption. The price he had to pay was being crucified. He died for our sins.
    1. When Roman’s crucified a person, it was supposed was done in the most gruesome way possible. They deliberately tried to make it as painful as possible. It was their capital punishment and was meant for severe criminals.
    2. The Romans wanted to make their crucifixions so paint that it would scare others from doing the same thing you did.
  11. Remember last week we talked about the Sanhedrin being intimidated by Christ? They brought Jesus to Pilot for saying he was the Son of God. Even though Jesus could have stopped it, he let it play out.
  12. The same people that shouted “Hosanna” when Jesus come into town, shouted “crucify him”, when there was an opportunity to let him go.
    1. When people say they like you, take it with a grain of salt. People will claim to like your now, but they will hate you tomorrow.
  13. They take Jesus to a hill called Calvary. It was a terrible place to die. Jesus was innocent, but He dies between two criminals. Jesus speaks up and shows the power of our crosswords.
  14. To manage your mountain, you have to:

II.               PARDON THOSE WHO HURT YOU

  • Jesus said forgive them, because they know not what to do. When people offend us, Jesus said forgive them.

A.    People Mishandle What They Don’t Fully Understand

  1. Voice – When people don’t understand you, they don’t know your voice.
    1. When people don’t understand your voice, they don’t understand your vision.
  2. Vision – This means they can’t see what you see, regarding your future. They can’t see beyond where they are right now.
  3. Value – With no vision, they will not value you. People that hate on you or attack you, don’t appreciate the value you bring into their lives. You have value!I
    1. Jesus was the son of the living God and the people they had no idea who they were crucifying. People don’t know who you are, because they don’t appreciate valuable things.
      1. For example, you go into an antique shop and kids will touch stuff on the shelf, just because it is shiny. As an adult, you know not to touch some stuff, because you realize how valuable it is. Your maturity makes you appreciate the value.

B.    Release Them At The Foot Of The Cross

  1. Real forgiveness is to be unburdened from a person’s feelings about you. Vengeance is the Lords!
  2. Jesus is on the cross telling them to forgive them. You have to release them to the foot of the cross. Leave it at the cross. Let it go. Whatever they said about you, let it go!
  3. You can ever get to crossword #2 (help), without crossword 1 (forgiveness).

III.               PROVIDE HELP

  • From the cross, Jesus kept ministering through his misery. He stays on mission, and He stays on the course. He looks at his mother and says mother behold your son, son behold your mother. John wasn’t related to Mary. By saying this, He signified that a new bond of spiritual kinship was about to be born. We’re not going to allow what people did to us, change who we are.
  • It’s saying:

A.    Your Heart Must Be Bigger Than Your Hurt

  1. The size of your heart is based on your capacity to love. Whenever you’ve been offended, it will change your heart. It will have you afraid to enter relationships. We are not going to empower people that hurt us and allow them to stop us from being who we’re supposed to be. It’s bigger than you!
  2. Some people get hurt and go home. You have to provide help even while you are hurting.

B.    Mature People Can Cover Others While In Their Own Crisis

  1. You will learn how to cover others, because you recognize that it is bigger than you. Even if you are being crucified, you know that you are supposed to help others. Some people are going through hell, but they still are praying for you. Some people still show up, even though things are falling apart at home.
  2. Paul said he died, that we may live. It’s about our stewardship. Think about the healthcare workers that had to put on clothes and help others through the pandemic while the rest of us were in quarantine. They had to deal with mental health crisis, but they kept going in and helping those that did nothing to help themselves.
    1. Think about the social worker that had to deal with dysfunctions in families, placing kids in foster homes, and trying to figure out if kids were being treated right.
    2. How about Pastors that deal with home issues and still have to stand in the pulpit and encourage us.
  3. In your life, you’ve got to find out who needs you and who feeds you.
  4. Mature people can minister to others, without complaining, even while on their cross.
  5. When you help people while you’re hurting you will:

IV.          PRAY WITH HONESTY

  • Jesus said, “Father, why have you forsaken me?” Psalm 22:1 begins with the words, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?”.
  • Have you you ever asked why God has forsaken you?

A.    There Is Nothing Wrong With Asking Why

  1. Job asked why? David wrote many Psalms asking God why? Jeremiah asked God why he suffered? Mary and Martha asked why Jesus wasn’t there when their brother died.
  2. All of us have to ask why at one time or another.

B.  Remember His Will Is Greater Than Your Why

  1. The will of God is larger than your whole life. Jesus even said, “Let thou will be done”. We know his thoughts are not our thoughts. We’ve made up in our minds to trust Him, even when we can’t trace Him.
  2. You’ve come to realize that it was good that you were afflicted. You learn that all things work together for the good. You have to let His will be done. If you let His will be done, you will look back and realize that if He brought you through before, He can do it again!

V.          PUT IT ALL IN HIS HANDS

  • You understand the power of putting it in his hands. It’s a statement of confidence.
  • It is complete submission to the Father that you trust His wisdom.

A.  Whatever It Is, He Can Handle It

  1. It’s all about whose hands it’s in. Put a basketball in some of our hands, then it results in someone shooting bricks. Put it in the hands of LeBron James, it means Put sickness in God’s hands and you get healing. He makes ways out of no way!

B.  His Hands Can Hold You, Heal You, And Help You

  1. This is a statement of security. The old folk used to say, “oh to be kept by Him”.
  2. Hold – The son Jesus Christ is on the mountain. He’s calling out to God the father. This is similar to a child calling out to his parents. It’s like a child saying, “I need you to pick me up”, so he lifts his hands up to be picked up. At this level the child feel pain and can’t articulate it, so they need their father to pick them up.
    1. When you lift your hands, you’re saying, “God, pick me up and hold me”. Times you thought you weren’t going to make it, but God was holding you.
  3. Heal – His hands also healed me. His hands are healing hands. Everything Jesus touched; he healed. Jesus laid his hands on the blind and they could see. He laid his hands on the paralyzed and they could walk. Jesus puts his hand on a boy’s coffin and he got up.
    1. When you got the diagnosis and God healed you, you can testify that God has healing hands!
  4. Help – Those hands are also helping hands. Helping hands show up at the very moment you need help. He is a very present help in the time of trouble!
    1. Peter was walking on the water and beginning to sink and then he says, “Master, help me”. Jesus reached out and caught him by the hand, right before he went under. These are the hands that kept you from going under! Now unto him that able to keep your room from falling.
  5. Story: A father wants to buy his son a special gift before his performance. He is going to be in the New York Orchestra. He decides to go into the local pawn shop. He asks the Owner for something unique and different. He sees a violin in the corner, broken but unique. The Owner said he could give anything for it, because it wasn’t any count.
    1. The Father gave the Owner a few dollars for it. The owner didn’t know that the father restored things. The father spent all night working on it, tuning, and revarnishing it. He bought a new case and put the violin in it.
    2. Afterwards, he presented it to his son. The son began to play the old violin. It played good, but it had a different sound. He liked the new sound.
    3. The son’s final performance came. The son played the solo on this old violin that his father gave him, because of the unique sound it had. People began to applaud him as he played. What a beautiful sound it was! After the performance, they asked the son where he got that violin. He told them that his father gave it to him. They asked his father where he purchased this violin. The father said he restored it after purchasing it in a pawn shop the night before.
    4. The father took time with the violin, because he knew its potential. He knew if he could get it in the hands of his son, it would sound like never before. In like manner, God saw something in you. He cleaned you up and put you in the hands of His son. Some people wonder why you sound like you do. The truth is, it’s because of the hands you were placed in! Can you give God glory for whose hands you are in?
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Part 5: You’ve Got A Package At The Door 

Posted on October 8, 2024 by growintheword

 

Synopsis of 9/29/24

Delivered by Bishop Joseph W. Walker, III 

Acts 12:1-16 
1 Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. 2 Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword. 3 And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also. Now it was during the Days of Unleavened Bread. 4 So when he had arrested him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before the people after Passover. 5 Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church. 6 And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison. 7 Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, “Arise quickly!” And his chains fell off his hands. 8 Then the angel said to him, “Gird yourself and tie on your sandals”; and so he did. And he said to him, “Put on your garment and follow me.” 9 So he went out and followed him, and did not know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. 10 When they were past the first and the second guard posts, they came to the iron gate that leads to the city, which opened to them of its own accord; and they went out and went down one street, and immediately the angel departed from him. 11 And when Peter had come to himself, he said, “Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel, and has delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the Jewish people.” 12 So, when he had considered this, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together praying. 13 And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a girl named Rhoda came to answer. 14 When she recognized Peter’s voice, because of her gladness she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter stood before the gate. 15 But they said to her, “You are beside yourself!” Yet she kept insisting that it was so. So they said, “It is his angel.” 16 Now Peter continued knocking; and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished.

    I.         INTRODUCTION

  1. One of the things you will discover about God is he specializes in deliverance. Deliverance by itself is not the true blessing. The true blessing is in how God does it.
  2. God always has a way of showing up and showing out no matter how bad things are. God brings us out at the right time. The old saints would say, he might not come when you want him to, but he’s always on time.
  3. In this series, we have been talking about doors and destiny. Today take your spiritual antennas up a little higher. We are going a little deeper.
  4. Some of the players in the sermon today are Peter the apostle, James the brother of John, some of the early church martyrs, and Herod Agrippa I. This sermon also focuses on people who understood the power of prayer.
  5. Around 40 or 41AD, Herod Agrippa I was Roman appointed by the Emperor. He was made king of Judah.
  6. The Jesus crowd was getting bigger, because Jesus had risen. The religious leaders wanted to put a stop this movement.
  7. Who was Herod Agrippa I? He is one part of a family dynasty that ruled Judah under the backing of Rome.
    1. Herod the Great was his grandfather. This Herod (the grandfather) was the one that wanted to kill Jesus when he was born. He was the Herod that tried to get the Wise Men to tell him where the baby Jesus was, so he could kill him.
    2. Herod Agrippa I was known for wanting to gain favor of the Jewish Council.
  8. Jewish Council:
    1. Among them were the Sanhedrin. In the Jewish culture, this was the highest governing council. They were in charge of judicial and political This is how we get the concept of Council today.
    2. Among them that sat on the council were:
      1. The Chief Priest.
      2. The Elders from the community.
      3. The Scribes, who were experts on Jewish Law which was found in the Torah.
    3. The Sanhedrin had 71 members on this Council. The 71st was the High Priest, like a President.
    4. The Pharisees – They were observers to the law. They were great interpreters of what the Law actually said.
    5. The Sadducees – They were aristocrats of those who went by what was written in the Law.
  9. It is important to understand that the Jewish Community really believed in trials to seal one’s fate. For example, when they arrested Jesus, they didn’t have a quorum, so they didn’t have enough people there for it to be legit. Jesus’ charge was he said he was the Messiah and for some reason, they couldn’t get all the Sanhedrin together. This is why we it was called a kangaroo court.
  10. Acts 12:2 says that Herod Agrippa I had already killed James and now has Peter. This was the one that Jesus left in charge of the Disciples, so Herod was excited that he has now captured Peter. He knew that if he killed Peter, he could apprehend the Jesus movement. He decided to wait until after the Passover to kill Peter.
  11. They took Peter to the inner part of the prison. In this hole, Peter is being guarded by a quadrant of soldiers which is 4. Peter is not guarded by just one quadrant; he is guarded by 4 quadrants of soldiers. What are they so afraid of?
  12. In addition, two soldiers were chained to Peter, so any movement made by Peter would be known.
  13. Peter is supposed to die the next day after the Passover. Peter is on death row, and he is sleep. What does Peter know that makes him able to sleep and not be worried?
  14. While Peter is in prison, the Church is at Mary’s house, praying for Peter’s wellbeing and his They wanted him to get a breakthrough. No matter how bad your situation is, God will not only deliver your package, He we deliver it to your door.
  15. Peter represents that thing the enemy has tied up. Just like Peter, we have areas in our lives that are bound. If you don’t have anything tied up, just keep living.
  16. Herod Agrippa I was after certain believers, not all believers. If you are not intimidating to the enemy, then he is not concerned by you
  17. Herod has already killed James and now he has Peter. What is it about Peter that has the enemy wanting to get to him? What is it about you that makes the enemy want to skip everyone to get to you?
  18. The church was at Mary’s house. You might think you have your crew, but know that your real crew will pray for you when times get tough.

 II.         WE’VE ALL GOT A PROBLEM THAT’S TIED UP

A.  The Enemy Is Only After Legitimate Threats

  1. The enemy is only after those anointed by God. Know that this comes with the territory.
  2. If you are anointed, know that you will always be a target.
    1. Those that advocate for the gospel.
      1. No body wants to share anything but bad news. When you tell people that you don’t have to be on the bottom or that they should be the borrower and not the lender, the enemy will try to silence you.
    2. Those who have the ability to stir up the gifts of others.
    3. Peter is on death row and in the third part of the prison. Peter is on death row. It looks bad right now.

 

 

B.  It May Look Bad But Remember God Has A Plan

  1. Peter has work to do and will not die in that jail cell, because he still has work to do. Know that you will not die right here.
  2. You can’t die as long as God still has work for you to do. You have to keep yourself from being anxious.

III.         IT’S GOOD TO HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE PRAYED UP

A.  Trouble Reveals Your Tribe

  1. It’s good to have people in your life who are prayed up.
  2. You have to do life in the community. The enemy will put you in isolation, so that he can interrogate you.
  3. Say what you want about church. We are not perfect, but if you find yourself in ICU, it won’t be the people that you kick it with, that will be praying for you. It will be somebody from the Church. You need a full community to cover you.
  4. The people of God were praying for Peter.

B.   Intercession Interrupts The Plan Of The Enemy

  1. When you hear the word intercession, think about the words interrupted or interception.
    1. For example, the football team looks like they are about to score, but then someone out of nowhere intercepts it. The point is, it looked like it was going one way, but it ended up going another.
    2. Imagine a large company, under attack from a cyber threat. It’s like a Hacker trying to steal valuable data. If left unattended, it could lead to a big loss. There is a cyber team, constantly monitoring the network. Their job is to attack and disrupt any attack from succeeding. To do this, they set up countermeasures from achieving their plans.
      1. They don’t wait on the company. Cyber Teams don’t wait to get permission from the company. They attack immediately and block the attack! Intercessors are like security teams. They stand in the gap to protect the believers. They step in and block that thing that is trying to attack the believer, and the believer might not even realize that they are under attack.
    3. We have to protect our intercessors. Grandmother was somewhat like a intercessor for some of us. She could tell when something was going on with our lives. She could tell when someone wasn’t right for you and she could tell when you were going through something, because they interceded for us.
    4. Intercessors are fervently praying. Intercessors block the plan of the enemy. Real intercession can invoke Devine Intervention that disrupts the plan of the enemy. Everyone can’t pray like this.
    5. Intercessors can get heavens attention and cause things to happen, because they prayed.

IV.         NO MATTER WHAT DON’T GIVE UP

  • The Church were interceding and praying for Peter. Intercessors are selfless. They forsake their own prayers to pray for you.
  • Weeping endures for the night, but know that joy comes in the morning

A.  God’s Got Angels Protecting You

  1. Intercessions will show you that angels will protect you. Everyone doesn’t have the ability to call angels. We were created a little lower than the angels according to the scriptures.
  2. Because we pray to the Father through the Son, Jesus serves as an Intercessor for us.
  3. Peter has been imprisoned by a man name Herod Agrippa I. he has already killed James, the brother of John. He wants to impress the Sanhedrin Council. Peter is being guarded by 4 quadrants of solders and there are two chained to him.
  4. The Church was interceding on Peter’s behalf. They were trying to invoke an interruption against Peters fate.
  5. Through their intercessions, they invoked an angel and the bible says an angel of God goes into the jail cell with Peter. There was a light shinning in the prison and the angel appeared and tapped Peter to wake him up.
  6. With a soldier at every gate, and 4 quads around him, and two chained to him, how come no one saw the light or heard anything when Peter was leaving? When God gets ready to get you, you will be out of it, before the enemy gets the memo

B.   Get Up, Get Your Stuff—You’re Coming Out Of This

  1. The chains are not going to come off, unless you stand up.
  2. Peter stood up, but he was chained to a guard. He stood up, the chains fell off, and the guard didn’t even know.
  3. The angel told him to put his clothes on and his sandals.
    1. When they arrested you, they would strip you. The angel wasn’t going to let him leave without his stuff.
  4. Peter doesn’t know if he is awake or if he asleep when he interacts with the angel. Peter is in the third part of the jail.
  5. Peter walks out with the angel. He walks through the gates. When Peter came in, many were locking doors. God opened the doors for him to come out. Just like Peter, I see doors opening for you!
  6. There is a guard at the door and the guard doesn’t even see him.

V.         WHAT YOU PRAYED FOR HAS ALREADY SHOWN UP

A.  God Will Not Only Get You Out Of It, But On The Other Side Of It

  1. The angel walked with Peter while he was on the enemy’s territory, but when he got to the other side, the angel was gone.
  2. What will Peter do now that he’s out? Peter decided to go to Church, the people that prayed him out of this. You don’t start your week without showing up in Gods house!

B.   Answer The Door

  1. The answer to the Churches prayer, is at the door. While they are praying, a knock hits the door.
    1. You got to believe that before you get off your knees, God can get you what you’ve been praying for.
  2. There was a servant named Rhoda that answered the door. She said to the Church, “what we’ve been praying for is at the door”, but they didn’t believe her.
  3. We think revelation comes to those who have titles. This time it came to the servant. If you serve God in this season, God will give you a revelation that something is about to happen.
  4. Your breakthrough is at the door, your wholeness is at the door, your spouse is at the door, everything you need to do is at the door!
  5. Give God glory, before it happens! You’ve been asking the Lord to do it for you!
  6. The devil should have killed you while he had you. Remind everyone that you are still alive.
  7. Give God glory for what he is about to do. You‘ve got to get the door!!
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Posted on October 8, 2024 by growintheword 

Part 5: You’ve Got A Package At The Door 
Synopsis of 9/29/24
Delivered by Bishop Joseph W. Walker, III 

Acts 12:1-16 
1 Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. 2 Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword. 3 And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also. Now it was during the Days of Unleavened Bread. 4 So when he had arrested him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before the people after Passover. 5 Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church. 6 And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison. 7 Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, “Arise quickly!” And his chains fell off his hands. 8 Then the angel said to him, “Gird yourself and tie on your sandals”; and so he did. And he said to him, “Put on your garment and follow me.” 9 So he went out and followed him, and did not know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. 10 When they were past the first and the second guard posts, they came to the iron gate that leads to the city, which opened to them of its own accord; and they went out and went down one street, and immediately the angel departed from him. 11 And when Peter had come to himself, he said, “Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel, and has delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the Jewish people.” 12 So, when he had considered this, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together praying. 13 And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a girl named Rhoda came to answer. 14 When she recognized Peter’s voice, because of her gladness she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter stood before the gate. 15 But they said to her, “You are beside yourself!” Yet she kept insisting that it was so. So they said, “It is his angel.” 16 Now Peter continued knocking; and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished.
I.	INTRODUCTION
A.	One of the things you will discover about God is he specializes in deliverance. Deliverance by itself is not the true blessing. The true blessing is in how God does it. 
B.	God always has a way of showing up and showing out no matter how bad things are. God brings us out at the right time. The old saints would say, he might not come when you want him to, but he’s always on time. 
C.	In this series, we have been talking about doors and destiny. Today take your spiritual antennas up a little higher. We are going a little deeper.
D.	Some of the players in the sermon today are Peter the apostle, James the brother of John, some of the early church martyrs, and Herod Agrippa I. This sermon also focuses on people who understood the power of prayer. 
E.	Around 40 or 41AD, Herod Agrippa I was Roman appointed by the Emperor. He was made king of Judah.  
F.	The Jesus crowd was getting bigger, because Jesus had risen. The religious leaders wanted to put a stop this movement. 
G.	Who was Herod Agrippa I?  He is one part of a family dynasty that ruled Judah under the backing of Rome. 
1.	Herod the Great was his grandfather. This Herod (the grandfather) was the one that wanted to kill Jesus when he was born. He was the Herod that tried to get the Wise Men to tell him where the baby Jesus was, so he could kill him. 
2.	Herod Agrippa I was known for wanting to gain favor of the Jewish Council. 
H.	Jewish Council:
1.	Among them were the Sanhedrin. In the Jewish culture, this was the highest governing council. They were in charge of judicial and political matters. This is how we get the concept of Council today. 
2.	Among them that sat on the council were:
a.	The Chief Priest. 
b.	The Elders from the community.
c.	The Scribes, who were experts on Jewish Law which was found in the Torah. 
3.	The Sanhedrin had 71 members on this Council. The 71st was the High Priest, like a President. 
4.	The Pharisees – They were observers to the law. They were great interpreters of what the Law actually said.
5.	The Sadducees – They were aristocrats of those who went by what was written in the Law. 
I.	It is important to understand that the Jewish Community really believed in trials to seal one’s fate. For example, when they arrested Jesus, they didn’t have a quorum, so they didn’t have enough people there for it to be legit. Jesus’ charge was he said he was the Messiah and for some reason, they couldn’t get all the Sanhedrin together. This is why we it was called a kangaroo court. 
J.	Acts 12:2 says that Herod Agrippa I had already killed James and now has Peter. This was the one that Jesus left in charge of the Disciples, so Herod was excited that he has now captured Peter. He knew that if he killed Peter, he could apprehend the Jesus movement. He decided to wait until after the Passover to kill Peter. 
K.	They took Peter to the inner part of the prison. In this hole, Peter is being guarded by a quadrant of soldiers which is 4. Peter is not guarded by just one quadrant; he is guarded by 4 quadrants of soldiers. What are they so afraid of? 
L.	In addition, two soldiers were chained to Peter, so any movement made by Peter would be known. 
M.	Peter is supposed to die the next day after the Passover. Peter is on death row, and he is sleep. What does Peter know that makes him able to sleep and not be worried? 
N.	While Peter is in prison, the Church is at Mary’s house, praying for Peter’s wellbeing and his release. They wanted him to get a breakthrough. No matter how bad your situation is, God will not only deliver your package, He we deliver it to your door. 
O.	Peter represents that thing the enemy has tied up. Just like Peter, we have areas in our lives that are bound. If you don’t have anything tied up, just keep living. 
P.	Herod Agrippa I was after certain believers, not all believers. If you are not intimidating to the enemy, then he is not concerned by you 
Q.	Herod has already killed James and now he has Peter. What is it about Peter that has the enemy wanting to get to him? What is it about you that makes the enemy want to skip everyone to get to you?
R.	The church was at Mary’s house. You might think you have your crew, but know that your real crew will pray for you when times get tough.
II.	WE’VE ALL GOT A PROBLEM THAT’S TIED UP
A.	The Enemy Is Only After Legitimate Threats
1.	The enemy is only after those anointed by God. Know that this comes with the territory. 
2.	If you are anointed, know that you will always be a target. 
a.	Those that advocate for the gospel. 
i.	No body wants to share anything but bad news. When you tell people that you don’t have to be on the bottom or that they should be the borrower and not the lender, the enemy will try to silence you. 
b.	Those who have the ability to stir up the gifts of others. 
3. Peter is on death row and in the third part of the prison. Peter is on death row. It looks bad right now. 


B.	It May Look Bad But Remember God Has A Plan
1.	Peter has work to do and will not die in that jail cell, because he still has work to do. Know that you will not die right here. 
2.	You can’t die as long as God still has work for you to do. You have to keep yourself from being anxious. 
III.	IT’S GOOD TO HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE PRAYED UP
A.	Trouble Reveals Your Tribe
1.	It’s good to have people in your life who are prayed up.
2.	You have to do life in the community. The enemy will put you in isolation, so that he can interrogate you. 
3.	Say what you want about church. We are not perfect, but if you find yourself in ICU, it won’t be the people that you kick it with, that will be praying for you. It will be somebody from the Church. You need a full community to cover you.
4.	The people of God were praying for Peter. 
B.	Intercession Interrupts The Plan Of The Enemy
1.	When you hear the word intercession, think about the words interrupted or interception. 
a.	For example, the football team looks like they are about to score, but then someone out of nowhere intercepts it. The point is, it looked like it was going one way, but it ended up going another. 
b.	Imagine a large company, under attack from a cyber threat. It’s like a Hacker trying to steal valuable data. If left unattended, it could lead to a big loss. There is a cyber team, constantly monitoring the network. Their job is to attack and disrupt any attack from succeeding. To do this, they set up countermeasures from achieving their plans. 
i.	They don’t wait on the company. Cyber Teams don’t wait to get permission from the company. They attack immediately and block the attack! Intercessors are like security teams. They stand in the gap to protect the believers. They step in and block that thing that is trying to attack the believer, and the believer might not even realize that they are under attack. 
2.	We have to protect our intercessors. Grandmother was somewhat like a intercessor for some of us. She could tell when something was going on with our lives. She could tell when someone wasn’t right for you and she could tell when you were going through something, because they interceded for us. 
3.	Intercessors are fervently praying. Intercessors block the plan of the enemy. Real intercession can invoke Devine Intervention that disrupts the plan of the enemy. Everyone can’t pray like this. 
4.	Intercessors can get heavens attention and cause things to happen, because they prayed.
IV.	NO MATTER WHAT DON’T GIVE UP
•	The Church were interceding and praying for Peter. Intercessors are selfless. They forsake their own prayers to pray for you. 
•	Weeping endures for the night, but know that joy comes in the morning
A.	God’s Got Angels Protecting You
1.	Intercessions will show you that angels will protect you. Everyone doesn’t have the ability to call angels. We were created a little lower than the angels according to the scriptures. 
2.	Because we pray to the Father through the Son, Jesus serves as an Intercessor for us. 
3.	Peter has been imprisoned by a man name Herod Agrippa I. he has already killed James, the brother of John. He wants to impress the Sanhedrin Council. Peter is being guarded by 4 quadrants of solders and there are two chained to him.
4.	The Church was interceding on Peter’s behalf. They were trying to invoke an interruption against Peters fate.
5.	Through their intercessions, they invoked an angel and the bible says an angel of God goes into the jail cell with Peter. There was a light shinning in the prison and the angel appeared and tapped Peter to wake him up. 
6.	With a soldier at every gate, and 4 quads around him, and two chained to him, how come no one saw the light or heard anything when Peter was leaving? When God gets ready to get you, you will be out of it, before the enemy gets the memo
B.	Get Up, Get Your Stuff—You’re Coming Out Of This
1.	The chains are not going to come off, unless you stand up.
2.	Peter stood up, but he was chained to a guard. He stood up, the chains fell off, and the guard didn’t even know. 
3.	The angel told him to put his clothes on and his sandals. 
a.	When they arrested you, they would strip you. The angel wasn’t going to let him leave without his stuff. 
4.	Peter doesn’t know if he is awake or if he asleep when he interacts with the angel. Peter is in the third part of the jail. 
5.	Peter walks out with the angel. He walks through the gates. When Peter came in, many were locking doors. God opened the doors for him to come out. Just like Peter, I see doors opening for you!
6.	There is a guard at the door and the guard doesn’t even see him. 
V.	WHAT YOU PRAYED FOR HAS ALREADY SHOWN UP
A.	God Will Not Only Get You Out Of It, But On The Other Side Of It
1.	The angel walked with Peter while he was on the enemy’s territory, but when he got to the other side, the angel was gone. 
2.	What will Peter do now that he’s out? Peter decided to go to Church, the people that prayed him out of this. You don’t start your week without showing up in Gods house! 
B.	Answer The Door
1.	The answer to the Churches prayer, is at the door. While they are praying, a knock hits the door. 
a.	You got to believe that before you get off your knees, God can get you what you’ve been praying for. 
2.	There was a servant named Rhoda that answered the door. She said to the Church, “what we’ve been praying for is at the door”, but they didn’t believe her. 
3.	We think revelation comes to those who have titles. This time it came to the servant. If you serve God in this season, God will give you a revelation that something is about to happen.
4.	Your breakthrough is at the door, your wholeness is at the door, your spouse is at the door, everything you need to do is at the door! 
5.	Give God glory, before it happens! You’ve been asking the Lord to do it for you! 
6.	The devil should have killed you while he had you. Remind everyone that you are still alive. 
7.	Give God glory for what he is about to do. You‘ve got to get the door!! 
 

							

	
			

													
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Part 4: Everything You Need Is At The Door 


			

				Posted on September 27, 2024 by growintheword			


					

				





 


Synopsis of Sermon 9.22.24


Delivered by Bishop Joseph W. Walker, III 



Revelation 3:19-21
19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. 20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. 21 To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.


I.               INTRODUCTION


    

  1. It is important to understand that God desires relationship with you. Even if you have been in a setting, where people said you were not deserving, God wants you. He wants all that He has placed inside of us, to come to fruition.
    2. 

  2. What is certain, God is right there. He is there waiting on you to let him in.
    3. 

  3. So many people go through life looking for things, not realizing what they need is close to them.
    4. 

  4. Everything you need is at the door. Your healing and your breakthrough is at the door! Your peace and your joy is at the door!
    5. 

  5. In the last few weeks, we have been talking about the 7 Churches of Asia Minor. Today we will be talking about the church This is the only church that did not receive any positive commentary in John’s letters from God.
    6. 

  6. They were the lukewarm church. Rather than being spiritually passionate, they were passive. They were accused of being too familiar with God. God said they either had to be hot or cold. Their lukewarm state made God sick!
    7. 

  7. Even though they were lukewarm, God still gives them a chance to repent. He urges them to change their spiritual condition. 
    8. 

  8. God wants you to be prosperous, but he doesn’t want us to forsake Him for our blessing. Christ wants a deeper relationship with all of us. Many people are willing to serve God, but once they receive what they asked God for, they give all their time and attention to that blessing, while turning their back on God.
    9. 

  9. God:

      

    1. Request for Hospitality – He wants us to have a relationship with you.
      2. 

    2. Seeking Access or Permission – The Lord will never mess with free will. It is up to you to let Him in. he will not force Himself on you.
      3. 

    3. An Opportunity for Relationship – There is so much that waits for you when you get into relationship with God.
      4. 

    4. Urgency or Persistence – Even when you were out there doing your dirt, God was still knocking.
      5. 

    5. Invitation to Opportunity – A whole new level of life is waiting on you.
      6. 

    

    10. 



II.               RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST PROVIDES DISCIPLINE


    

  • There is no relationship with Jesus, without accountability. God wants you to hold up your end of the covenant.
    • 

  • To be in covenant with God:

      

    • We have to first submit to his word – When you go on a job and they give you a manual, you have to comply with what is written in that manual. The employers is not going to change their manual to suit you. Their manual tells you how they operate and how you are supposed to operate.
      • 

    • You have to serve His will.
      • 

    • We have to surrender in worship. – Some people can’t worship, because they like to be worshipped.
      • 

    • Sharing our witness. – We have to be willing to share our witness. We must tell people how good God is.
      • 

    

    • 



A.    God Loves Us Too Much To Let Us Lose It 


    

  1. All of us have sinned and come short of the glory.
    2. 

  2. God essentially saved you from yourself. God will cause you to become disoriented sometimes, to save us from ourselves.

      

    1. Ever had your car not start? This is an example of God saving you from yourself. God kept you from being in a bad situation, because your car not starting, kept you from being at the wrong place, at the wrong time.
      2. 

    

    3. 

  3. God loves us so much; He won’t let us lose our family or our career.
    4. 



B.    It May Hurt Now, But It Will Help You Later 


    

  1. God chastens us, because He loves us. God’s chastening is meant to be a deterrent and turn us away from bad things.

      

    1. Story: A lot of us can relate to getting whippings from our parents. They used to say it was for our own good and that it would help us up the road. Although we didn’t see it then, most of us are thankful for it now.
      2. 

    

    2. 

  2. Sometimes God whips us to disrupt our plans, for our own good!
    3. 



III.               REPENTANCE FROM YOUR PAST DEEDS


    

  • This Church in the story was zealously passionate, but God needed them to repent. If you are truly sorry, why are you still doing the same thing?
    • 

  • Repentance is:

      

    • Recognition of Sin. – If you don’t think it is wrong, you won’t repent. You have to first acknowledge it.
      • 

    • Sorrow for Sin – If you can do dirt and not feel bad about it, then you don’t have the Holy Spirit.
      • 

    • Confession – We can openly admit our sins to God.
      • 

    • Commitment to change-
      • 

    • Seeing transformation 
      • 

    

    • 



A.    This Is The Season To Get You Together 


    

  1. It can be triggered by a bad event or something else. This is the moment when you realize that this is the season to get your life together.
    2. 

  2. This is the moment that you are done with the foolishness and done playing games!
    3. 



B.    Don’t Go Back To The Buffoonery 


    

  1. This zeal is about moving forward. At this moment, you’re not going to let the enemy rob you of your best. Buffoonery could have cost you your job, your name, or your family. How much more would we have if not for the buffoonery?
    2. 

  2. We want to pause and give God thanks for delivering us from the buffoonery. I’m reaching forward to the things that God has promised me!
    3. 

  3. Once you repent, maybe you will hear the knock. Before you weren’t able to hear God’s knock, because you had too many people knocking at your door.
    4. 



IV.               RECEIVE HIS PRESENCE AT THE DOOR


    

  • Now you’re at a place where something new can happen in your life.
    • 

  • Its almost like a person wearing strong perfume or cologne. You can smell something there, even if you don’t see it.
    • 



A.    What You Need Is At The Door 


    

  1. Once you realize you need God, you will know what you need is at the door.
    2. 



B.    He Enters By Invitation Not By Force 


    

  1. The Lord does not force His way into our lives. Some people are too salty. They go overboard on sharing. They are on spiritual mode so much, it runs people away instead of drawing them.
    2. 

  2. Sometimes we try to force Jesus on people. This doesn’t draw people. Jesus doesn’t knock the door open or kick it down. He comes in by
    3. 

  3. You have to get to a place that you want him to come in.
    4. 



 


V.               REJOICE IN THE PROMISES OF YOUR DESTINY


    

  • Jesus says, when He comes in, He’s going to dine with you.
    • 

  • He overcame and because He’s an overcomer, He sits by his father.
    • 



A.    Prevail Over Hell 


    

  1. Jesus says you’re an overcomer, because He has overcome the world, you will over come too.
    2. 

  2. Remember Jesus told the disciples, “Greater things will you do…”
    3. 



B.    After Every Victory There Is Promotion 


    

  1. Because you overcome, that means God can trust you. Every time you come out of battle; you will give God glory!
    2. 

  2. If you remember the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, you know that they were thrown in a fiery furnace and the Lord brought them out. Afterwards the king promoted them and he made a decree for all the kingdom to start worshipping their God.
    3. 

  3. When Paul is snake bit, he gets promoted. Those waiting to die, asked him to lay hands on them, so that they may be healed. This was the same hand that was bitten.
    4. 

  4. If would think back, you will probably remember that God has taken you higher after every adversity you have had.
    5. 

  5. When you let God in, since He is an overcomer, your whole life will experience elevation and promotion.
    6. 

  6. Story:

      

    1. Bishop tells the story of a time where he was going through a tough season. He had been at a convention all day and had to preach that night.
      2. 

    2. It was about 3pm in the afternoon and he had to be picked up to go preach by 6:30pm. He was so tired, that he just wanted to go to the hotel and crash for a couple of hours. He didn’t even want to take the time and get something to eat. He was willing to settle for the
      3. 

    3. He got in the elevator and just as it was about to close, he heard a faint voice from down the hall say, “Can you hold the door?”. Bishop wanted to act like he didn’t hear it, but the Holy Spirit convicted him, so he put his hand in the door and held it for him.
      4. 

    4. Bishop saw him push the button for the 27th floor and Bishop was kind of glad, because he was getting off on floor 17. He thought it would be good, because the guy wouldn’t be stopping between floors.
      5. 

    5. The guy said that Bishop looked tired. Bishop replied back to him, telling him that he was tired and had to go back to speak that night. He even told him that he was just going to hit the mini bar and go to sleep. The guy said, “don’t do that!” He asked Bishop to come on the 27th floor with him.
      6. 

    6. The guy was a CEO of a big company and there was a floor that was on the Club Level of the Hotel. This guy had access to it. So, when they got off on this 27th floor, there was a big spread of food that was supplied for special guest for free. Almost anything you wanted was there! There were even waiters coming around with food and drinks on a tray.
      7. 

    7. Bishop was about to settle for the mini bar, but since he answered the door, he got access to all that he needed. He was If he hadn’t let the man in, he would have missed out on his blessing.
      8. 

    8. Are you missing your blessing by not answering the knock? God won’t force you to let Him in. He will only come in if you answer the door and let him in.
      9. 

    9. Everything you need is at the door!
      10. 

    

    7. 






							

	
			

													
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