Power of a changed mind Part I, Sermon 10/04/09

Posted on October 6, 2009 by growintheword

Power of changed mind Pt 1


“Power of changed mind”
Synopsis of sermon 10/04/09
Delivered by Bishop Walker III
Text: Romans 12.2

One of the greatest challenges for any of us is changing our minds. The mind is a powerful thing and often the greatest challenge is moving out of carnality and moving into spirituality. This is why Paul writes to the Early Christians at Rome. The church at Rome was in its infancy stage when Paul writes to them. Rome was an advanced civilization like Egypt was. It was a time of Caesar, a time of idolatry, and a time where Christians were persecuted and martyred. It is here that Paul makes a bold declaration to these early Christians by telling them to present their bodies as a living sacrifice, Holy and acceptable unto God which is their reasonable service. Paul goes on to say in the text: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. – Paul wanted them to be aware that God wanted them to see themselves from God’s perspective.
This is a word today where Paul is challenging them not to be manipulated by the magnetic pull of the world. The world’s way of doing things often causes believers to backslide. It causes us to be moved into directions that are inconsistent with what God has for our lives. So here is a word today to inform you that we believe that it is God’s will that our minds get right. You have to understand that you don’t have to lose your mind, but it is important to always allow your mind to be kept by God. Some of us may not want to admit it, but some of us can testify that we have been through stuff where our mind almost slipped away from us. This is why Paul says you have to understand the power of transforming and renewing. It is important that we don’t lose our minds when we allow our minds to be transformed by God.
There are many that will tell you that just a few years ago, they saw life, they saw the church, and they saw God, and people around them from a much different perspective, but since their minds have been changed, now they are living the best days of their lives simply from a changed mind. When God changes your mind, you move from a hater to a helper. You move from a state of hopelessness to a state of hopeful and from a spectator to a participator. When you look around you can get testimonies from people that will tell you the power of a changed mind. There are people around you now that if you knew them a few years ago, you wouldn’t think you were sitting with the same person. They are dressed up looking good, but the truth is if you knew them just 5 or 10 years ago you wouldn’t know them. This same people will tell you that God can really change your mind. God wants to take your mind out of the gutter and out of all low places. God wants your mind to go to the penthouse. God says he is trying to take us to another dimension, but he says he can’t take you without your mind. Unless you mind is willing to go, nothing else will go with you.
Today we will stretch you and talk about issues that Church doesn’t want to talk about.
I. How to reconcile the relationship between psychology and theology
1. There is a taboo created when it concerns psychology. Nobody wants to get psychological help. There are people so filled with egotism that they think they got it all together. The truth is we don’t have it all together. You can’t have discussion with the mind without psychology and you can’t have change of the mind without theology.
2. There is a spirit of rebellion within us all. We naturally rebel against the things of God. You can’t be in love with God and in love with the world at the same time. The enemy always wants to attack the mind. Though you can’t stop the attack on your mind, you can control your response.
3. The enemy systematically attacks our mind and when he does he likes to catch us up in:
a. Carnality- thoughts of the flesh and of the world. If the enemy can keep you away from spiritual things and keep you caught up in worldly things, then he can make certain that he can control you contextually.
b. Contextually-if you don’t feed yourself spiritual things, you will view the world where you are. There will be no vision because of the lack of exposure. It can keep you from being exposed to something greater and you will become cynical.
c. Cynical-you become critical of others that have reached their goals. You will think something is wrong with their achievements, but really you are angry because they are living out what you should be doing. Now you become complacent.
d. Complacent-Years pass and you do the same thing over and over. Year after year you never pursue your dreams or your goals, because the Devil systematically attacked your mind.
4. We must address this thing clinically. You got to understand that a lot of the things that we see in the bible in the Old and New Testament, that the scripture calls demonic possession is really much deeper than demonic oppression. When we look at the nature of some of the historical stories in the bible, we are looking at a time where people didn’t have the framework to call clinical disorders of the mind to be anything else but demon possession. A lot of stuff called demon disorder was really clinical disorders. In the past, we kept putting oil on people with these types of disorders and they kept coming back. You must know that you can’t cast out of people, what they are not willing to talk out. A lot of things we try to cast out, need to be brought out clinically.
5. Demon possession does exist, but Jesus dealt with both the spiritual and clinical issues.
6. In Mark 5, Jesus goes off to the country of Gadarenes where the man in graveyard was cutting himself with stones. Who do you know that lives in the graveyard cutting themselves with stones? Mark 5: 1-5 : 1And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes. 2And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, 3Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains: 4Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him. 5And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones.
7. Jesus sees the spirit in the demon possessed man, but he also notices that he has clinical issues too. Jesus not only deals with the demons, but he deals with the clinical issues too.
8. Exhibit:
a. He asks what the man’s name is, and the man says we are Legion for we are many. Mark 5:9: 9And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many. – If you just cast out one demon, he has a lot of other issues underneath that you need to deal with. Jesus exposed this to teach the disciples that the guy had more than demonic issues to deal with. Though Jesus cast the demons out of the man, he leaves him clothed in his right mind. Mark 5:15:15And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.
b. In Mark 9 a father brings his son to Jesus. Mark 9:17-19: 17And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit; 18And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not. 19He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me.-The father tells Jesus that the boy foams at mouth and throws himself in the fire. He switches from extreme to another. If you think about it, this sounds like bi-polar. Jesus begins to have a conversation to help him talk it out. This is clinical. Jesus asks how long the boy had been like this.-Jesus was trying to help him understand that people don’t just show up this way. Ex-Just like your children at home. Your kids have been walking around with stuff that you didn’t buy and you just now noticing this! Problems exist for a long time and we don’t pay it any attention. The father in the story says he believes, but asks Jesus to help his unbelief. The boy’s father tells Jesus if he can have anything, he wanted Jesus to have mercy on him and his child. Mark 9:21-25: 21And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child. 22And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us. 23Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. 24And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. 25When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him.- He realizes what is wrong with the son, can also be wrong with him.
II. Every attack starts in your mind.
1. One out of four Christians struggle with depression. Abraham in Genesis 15 struggled with depression. Sarah in 1 Samuel 1 struggled with depression. Jonah in chapter 4 struggled with depression; Elijah in 1 Kings 19 struggled with depression. King Saul in 1 Samuel 16:14-23 struggled with depression. Jeremiah in the whole book of Jeremiah and the whole book of Lamentations struggle with depression. David as anointed as he was, struggled with depression. Bishop Walker III (who delivered this sermon), when he went through the grief that he went through 5 yrs ago, struggled with depression. Everybody reading this is flooded with some type of depression. If it hadn’t been for God who kept our minds, we wouldn’t even be here today. Somebody knows what it feels like to be alone in your house with all the lights off or walking around having conversations when there is no one there but you. This is how the Devil messes with your mind, but nobody wants to talk about this in the church! Nobody wants to deal with this! People just sit up in church and have this stuff going on in their head…
2. This is attacks of the mind!
a. The Devil says he will get you by getting you to disobey God. He knows if he can get you to disobey God’s word, this is the moment you will be subjected to deviant behavior.
b. Deviance is when you begin to violate things of cultural norm. This is the point that you become promiscuous, it is the point you get into crime, and all other kind of foolishness.
c. Out of your Deviance you become delusional, because now you begin not seeing life clearly and you end up disappointed.
d. And this is when depression sets in, because depression is a mental state of a sense of being inadequate and it starts a lack of inactivity. This is when the Devil says he has you because, he wants to destroy you. This is when destruction comes but Jesus says in John 10:10: 10The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
3. God says he wants to control your destiny. He wants you to have life abundantly. God wants you to understand the attack on your mind. The Devil is trying to prevent you from getting the word so you will not have the right perspective. The Devil will try to have you mad at the man of God who is trying to set you free, but won’t have you made at the person beating you upside your head.
III. Right perspective after transformation
1. Transformation is a genetic change. It is a change in composition, structure, character, or condition. It is like having a computer. You have hardware, but you need to download new software. You also have to get new antivirus protection to stop what is trying to crash your hardware. This word is like antivirus software.
2. It is important to understand the term renewal. When you look at transformation, your composition changes. We are saying that we have to look at the state of our mind. What are the greatest threats to our mind?
3. Threats of the mind:
a. Anxiety – This is stuff that you are worried about. This stuff keeps you up all night. It is fear.
b. Addiction. Stuff you can’t let go of.
c. Approval. Wanting people to approve you. Living your life so people can feel good about you.
4. If you can ever get control over these three areas, you will almost be there. This is why it is important to understand the power of the spirit over the mind. It is important because this is where revelation comes from. Every experience that Jesus took the disciples through was about bringing them to a greater revelation. You have to understand how to see life from a biblical perspective. When your mind gets right, you have to recognize that the only thing that is going to transform your mind is that we recognize that we have to get a mind of Christ. Philippians 2:5: 5Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: – We have to make sure we feed our mind the word, everyday.
5. Mind of Christ:
a. Wisdom- the proper application of truth.
b. Worshipper–got a made up mind to worship God.
c. Winner-we realize that we are victors not a victims.
6. We are kept by the powers of God through faith. 1 Peter 1:5: 5Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. – What is keeping your mind from slipping is the power of God through faith. If not for the power of faith, you would have lost your mind. God can keep you.
7. Masquerade is external. Metamorphism is eternal. Romans 12:2: 2And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. -Transformation in this scripture is actually looking at metamorphism vs. masquerade. Do you want to masquerade (look like you got it together where know that you are one crisis away from being exposed) or metamorphosis (a real change from within, meaning you won’t lose your mind through a storm)?
8. We got a generation of people focusing on the masquerade. They look like they re a prayer warriors, but are exposed when the storm comes. When you got metamorphous is not about Gucci, it is about prayer. You can rejoice in the power of a testimony.
9. God changes our mind so we can rejoice in the power of my testimony. The most authentic evidence of a changed mind is a person that has been a recipient of a changed mind. The word we are talking about now, we can prove. You can literally prove thorough your testimony that your mind was in one place, but now is in another. We don’t think like we used to think. We have a knowledge that we know why we know what we believe. God gave us a set of experiences that we thank him for. There are people that in their old mind, thought they had it all figured out.
a. Our old mind says we will serve God as long as it makes sense to our mind. Once it moved outside our mindset, we were frustrated with our relationship with God. In our old mind, we could only be faithful to God as long as we get the job or whatever we were hoping God for. When you can accept the perfect will of God, you realize that he is sovereign and everything he does is right. It is not about our mind, but his mind. You know that everything he does is right. There are a lot of people that thank God for tangible stuff, but there are some that can thank God for a changed mind. Ex-In the delivery ward of the hospital, there is an OBGYN that is about to bring forth the birth of another child. They are encouraging the mother to push, but there is really one thing they are really after to ensure a successful delivery. If they could just get the baby’s head out, then the rest of the process will come out pretty smooth. Getting the head out is the hardest part of the process, but if they get the head out, the rest of the body will come out ok .In like manner, God says if he can just get your head right, if they can get the hardest part of the process over with, the rest of you will come out ok.
God Bless!

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Insight Pt. I, “Knowledge & Wisdom” Bible Study 09/30/09

Posted on October 3, 2009 by growintheword

Insight Pt I


“Knowledge & Wisdom”
Synopsis of Bible Study 09/30/09

What separates a believer from a non believer is what a believer knows. People make decisions based on what they don’t know. Hosea 4:6:6My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.-people are destroyed because of what they do not know. Without knowledge, wisdom won’t happen. Knowledge in other words is the foundation for gaining wisdom. In the Garden of Eden, knowledge (in the absence of Wisdom) came in and ruined everything. Ex- When a car breaks down, mechanical knowledge is needed. The knowledge you have is tied to a problem. God gives us the knowledge to solve life’s problems.

Everything God created was done with knowledge. Proverbs 3:19-20: 19The LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens. -Whatever God does is an act of love, so he knows what he does. God has knowledge and he wants us to gain it about him and spiritual matters. Why come to church and not try to gain spiritual knowledge.

I. Love without knowledge?
You can have love without knowledge. Ex- There was a mother that only feed her children meat. As a result, they weren’t healthy because they lacked some nutrients that they should have been getting. She read something about nutrition (knowledge) and it prompted her to change their diet. As a result of this, the kids got healthier. Since the mother changed the kid’s diet as a result of the knowledge that she gained, does this mean began to love the kids anymore? Of course she didn’t. The truth is previously she didn’t have the knowledge to do what she needed to do. As a result of the knowledge she gain, she changed what she was doing. This can be applied to other situations. How can a wife or husband be a good spouse without knowing what a spouse is supposed to do? They have to have to knowledge to know what to do in order to do it well. In this same manner, we need to gain knowledge of what God wants us to do and what his will is for our life.
You have to have knowledge to go with your zeal. Proverbs 19:2: 2Also, that the soul be without knowledge, it is not good; and he that hasteth with his feet sinneth.
Acts 17:22: 22Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.-The Apostle Paul was brilliant, intelligent, a writer, a Theologian, and etc… Paul goes to Mars Hill located in Athens grace and this is the Mecca of Philosophy. This is where the smart people used to hang out to discuss historical things. Paul shows up and is respected because of his history. In verse 22, superstitious here means traditionalism. Paul tells the great Philosophers and Theologians that they had things that they believed in that were not foundational.
Acts 17:23: 23For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.- Paul tells them that he knew they loved God, but they have so many traditions, they are ignorantly worshiping him. All of us are smart, but there are areas that we are ignorant in. Ex-Lots of people come to church and have learned wrong because of tradition. Tradition is one of our bigger blockers of what we are supposed to do. The truth has to transcend all of our traditionalism. It is hard accepting that what you grew up believing is wrong. Ex. – some people still have a hard time seeing a preacher wearing jeans in the pulpit. Ex2-The sheet being used on the communion table has no biblical soundness. Historically it was just used for fly problems. Ex3-Holding up the one finger when you tip out of church, really comes from slavery. It came from the fact that slaves had to let their Master know that they were leaving out, so they would do it by holding their finger up. There is no biblical foundation to this. Paul simply reminded the Theologians and Philosophers that traditions were messing them up.
Acts 17:24-25: 24God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; 25Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; – Pual tells them they are only worshiping God in the temple. This is why they thought they could do what they wanted to do outside the church. We come to the church to worship, but we should come to the church worshiping. God doesn’t need us to lift our hands. We need to do lift our hands as a form of surrendering. When you give in a offering, it is not because God needs it. We give because we want to be blessed. We have our very breath because of him. What if he took it away or made us pay a breath tax?

Acts 17:26: 26And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; – In the this scripture, Paul is dealing with people so covered in religion, but the truth is, we are all one family. When you come into the truth, you know we are all one blood. In God’s eyes, there is not separate race, or denomination, or anything that cause us to separate ourselves from each other.
Acts 17:28: 28For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. -Paul says he wants to bring us into knowledge.

II. Those who are deliberately ignorant and actively avoid truth
Don’t be a fool. Ephesians 5:17: 17Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. Study God’s word and know what his will is for every area of your life. If we want to be a better man, a better woman, better in our finances, or better in our relationships, we need to read what God’s word says about the goal.
Seek the truth and gain knowledge. Proverbs 23:23: 23Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
Leave your simple ways. You are above this stuff. Proverbs 9:6: 6Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding.
Nothing you can desire can compare to wisdom Proverbs 8:11: 11For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.
.

He, who walks with wise, grows wise. Ever notice how fools like to hang out together. Hang out with people who are pursuing what you want Proverbs 13:20: 20He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.
You need people who can speak knowledge into your life. You really can’t trust your own understanding. If we were to talk about what happened in the news recently, when it got back, it would be a different source. Lots of time we call it a reliable source when actually it is a re-lying source. Proverbs 24:5-6: 5A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength. 6For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellors there is safety.
We need to know the source of true knowledge. The source of true knowledge is God. Proverbs 3:5-7: 5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.6 Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. 7 Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil.
The Lord gives wisdom. The knowledge we have comes from God. Proverbs 2:6: 6For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.
III. The source of true knowledge
They say they are going to trust God and not the doctor. Many people have said they were going to listen to the doctor. They say they are simple going to trust God. Well God gave the physician knowledge and refusing this knowledge is an act of ignorance.

Court, God gave knowledge to the lawyer. Out of Gods mouth comes knowledge. We come to church every week and we come with a problem and we want to know is there a word from the Lord. We are not coming for a word from our Pastor. We are coming for a word from God.. It is God’s word that you after, because God’s word is an answer to your problem. We have real problems and d we need a real word. When you show up, the knowledge you get deals with the problems you are experiencing. Ex-On one occasion, Jesus gives parable which is an earthly story with heavenly meaning. It is about the seeds that were sown by the sower. Some fell by the way side, some fell on stony places, some had no roots and withered away, some fell among thorns and others fell into good ground. Jesus pulls the disciples in and tells them what the parable means. He tells them that the seeds will represent the reaction of the people they spread the word to. Some people the seeds will fall by way side, some will have hard heads, some the world will choke out from the lack of roots, and others will be excited and run with the word. Knowledge is the answer. He then tells them to get in the ship with him after the parable of the seeds lesson. Jesus goes to sleep and the disciples are supposed to ferry the ship through the unpredictable Sea of Galilee. Out of nowhere a storm comes. When it comes, they start panicking. Nobody had the understanding or the knowledge of the storm. If they could have solved it or stopped the storm, they would have. Like us, we are here because we need an answer. The disciples start panicking. They cried out “Master!” They remembered that Jesus was on the ship. Jesus is the word. The word, the knowledge, or the answer is on the ship, during the problem. They have a problem, but the answer is on the ship. Most preachers will say “Peace Be Still” is the main point of the story of this particular storm. That is a powerful sermon but let’s go a litter deeper. The revelation of that text is when Jesus says “o yea of little faith”. If your faith is awake, you can go asleep too. God gave them knowledge on the sea shore with the parable of the seeds. You don’t have to wake up the teacher, when you already got the answer. We get so codependent on the teacher, we keep asking the teacher, when he has already spent time giving us the answer. Jesus is like they woke him up over something that they already had knowledge to understand. The source of knowledge is God. God will give the knowledge to or the answer. You have notes and you have CDs of the sermons falling out of your car. Why don’t we go back to what God has taught and quite asking the teacher for what has already been taught., why don’t you go back to what you have already been taught.

IV. Knowledge, understanding, and Wisdom
Knowledge is the facts. 1 Corinthians 12:8: 8For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; – Understanding is the ability to lift the meaning out of the facts, and wisdom knows what to do next.

We are after using knowledge to get wisdom. Ex-There is a man un-churched. The wife goes to church. Her Pastor is teaching on”relationships” a powerful teaching of knowledge. Let’s say she lifts up a piece of the teaching. She waits until Monday night football and tries to talk to her husband who is not into church. She cuts off the football game says she is sick of the way her husband is treating her. She includes that her Pastor says he needs to love her like Christ loved the church. This is a good example of having knowledge without wisdom. She may be right in what she is saying, but coming home and cutting off Monday night football, and demanding that he go by a church principle is not exactly a wisest way to get him to buy into what you believe. How many of us have had the right knowledge, but through a lack of wisdom, acted at the wrong time?

Knowledge Understanding Wisdom
Facts meaning What to do next
Information Principle Application
Memory Reason Action
Scholar Teachers Prophets

Those with knowledge are able to collect, remember, and access information
Those with understanding are able to extract the meaning out of the information
Those with wisdom know which principle to apply now.

IV. There is a principle we need to drop
Revelation is revealed to us by our ability to be able to understand it. Matthew 16:13-15: 13When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? 14And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. 15He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? -Jesus asks who do they think he is?
Simon Peter said thou art the Christ the son of the living God. Matthew 16:16: 16And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
Narration: (verse16) Well Jesus, you know I always talk first. I really don’t fit in. I have a knife. I am from the street, I am a little edgier than the others, but I am just me. One thing I know though, I know who you are. You are the son of the living God.-We make judgments on how colorful people s language is. The truth is, some of the folk like Peter are the ones that really know who God is. God is going to use somebody with a messed up background just like he did Peter.

Matthew 16:17: 17And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. -Even though you got issues, you got the clutter out of your life long enough to receive the word of God and allow God to reveal who I am (who Jesus was).

Matthew 16:18: 8And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.-He said you are Peter (or Pedros meaning a big piece of rock), because you gave revelation knowledge, you will be stable and solid. Upon ecclesia, the study of the church and what it really is, the church will be built and the gates of hell will never prevail against this. There are some satisfied with knowledge, but there are others that want a revelation word or Rama word.
What you receive from people is information, but from God you receive revelation. We want to learn the proper revelation of knowledge. Coming to bible study tells others that you really are hungering for a knowledge of God.

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Manifestations IV , “If you didn’t know, now you do” Sermon 09/27/09

Posted on September 28, 2009 by growintheword

Manifestations IV

If you didn’t know, now you do.
Synopsis of sermon 92709
Delivered by Bishop Walker III

Text: Micah 7: 1-8

One of the most important things in life is spiritual maturity. The journey that brings us to spiritual maturity is often tied to experiences that God knows we need. There are things that God takes us through, because he knows we are not going to volunteer for it. So God providently navigates our lives though a series of experiences so we can come to know him. While going through these experiences, you don’t often understand why. The truth is, you reflect back over it one day and you will actually thank God for the journey, because you will learn some things about God, and about the people around you. It is important because experiential knowledge helps you get to a point where your relationship becomes personal with God. By this we mean your relationship is not tied to what somebody said or tied to what you read in some book. Your relationship is actually tied to what you know for yourself.

When you look at Micah(the book), the Minor prophet is really lamenting over his situation as he looks out and sees so much wickedness in the land. He attempts to walk in righteousness and do the things that God has asked him to do, but it look like those who are wicked are prospering instead of him. Micah lifts this up in verse one by saying, “1Woe is me! for I am as when they have gathered the summer fruits, as the grapegleanings of the vintage: there is no cluster to eat: my soul desired the firstripe fruit.” In other words, he is looking at the wicked prosper, but he is wondering when his season is going to come. If we be honest we have all been here. The point is, why is it necessary for us to go through seasons like this? You have to have to heighten sensitivity to what God allows you to experience, because you know if God sends you through it, there must be a lesson to it. If you didn’t know, you are about to know some things about God that will change your life forever. Through this Micah discovers the frailty of human relationship and the strength of a Divine relationship with God. You need to understand that God is the only constant in your life. The song writer said ‘Time is filled with swift Time is filled with swift transition, Naught of earth unmoved can stand, Build your hopes on things eternal, Hold to God’s unchanging hand”. It is so important for you to understand the importance of having a powerful a relationship with God. Even when your circumstances shift, you ought to be solid enough in your relationship with God that you ought to know who is keeping your, providing for you, and who takes of you. Without experiences, you would not arrive at this place.

I. Season of rough returns.
1. All of us have been at this place. This is the season where you work, labor, and give and the return does not seem adequate enough to meet your needs. Micah’s situation has cause discouragement for him. Have you ever seen the wicked prosper? You work and work and you see that you are not where you think you should be. Well want you to know that it is ok to be in this season. You gave people praise in their season, so it is not a point of you hating. You see people that are not working for God prospering and you just wonder when your turn is going to come. You kept yourself Holy and you still feel like you’re by yourself. Ever been in a place of entitlement? This is the season where Satan will come and isolate you so he can interrogate.
2. Satan will come in at the season to cause:
a. Sociological comparison-make you look at where others are as compared to where you are. We must know the sinners only have a term. The bible promises that they will soon be cut down like grass.
b. Psychological confusion-now you are looking through your frustration and not hearing God adequately.
c. Theological contempt-you start raising questions about God’s fairness. That is what the devil wants us to do. The devil is trying to rob us of believing God for what he promised us. Many become cynical. When you are cynical, you begin to ask will it ever happen for you. After this you begin to have contemplation. This is where you think you will never get where you should be and you think maybe you should be doing something else. God said this season is just a test to discover who will keep you and provide for you. This thing will not end until God has the last word. If you don’t know, now you know that all things work together for your good and are for those that are called according to his purpose. Weeping endures for night, but joy comes in the morning. If you don’t know, now you know! Has though not known, has though not heard the everlasting Lord the creator of the ends of the earth that they that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength. Even in the season of rough returns, never let your frustrations cause you to miss what God has promised you.
II. Searching for real relations
1. Everybody is looking for something. Micah 7:4: 4The best of them is as a brier: the most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge: the day of thy watchmen and thy visitation cometh; now shall be their perplexity. – . When we look at human relationships, the writer says he gets discouraged. We all have had some people that have disappointed us in the past. Satan will make us push away people that mean us good, and embrace people that don’t mean us any good. You need people in your life that will hold you accountable. You need people that can tell you if you are going down the wrong path. You need for people to keep it straight with you. Micah 7:5-6: 5Trust ye not in a friend, put ye not confidence in a guide: keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom. 6For the son dishonoureth the father, the daughter riseth up against her mother, the daughter in law against her mother in law; a man’s enemies are the men of his own house.-A man’s enemies are in your house or you inner circle sometimes.
2. You will have let downs from:
a. Friends-there will be friends that will let you down. Proverbs 18:24: 24A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.-you must show yourself friendly. There will those that make you promise and they will be here until trouble comes. Once trouble comes, they are out. Ex-Peter denied Jesus 3 times and Judas betrayed him. Bishop explained that he used to meet people and given them 100% right off the bat and then let them deduct from that as the relationship went on. Now he explains that he has learned to start them at 0% and let them earn their integrity score from there.
b. Leadership-People will let you down as leaders. Never get to a point where you allow your relationship with God to be hinged on a man or woman. People who lead have troubles just like you do. Everyone has some issues, so your relationship with God should be hinged on only him.
c. Family-Family will also let you down. There‘s no pain like a family pain. We have pain with our mothers, our fathers, and etc…People often put dysfunctional families in a category, but the truth is we all came from dysfunctional families. There’s something wrong with all of us. A man’s family can hurt him.
3. Here is where Micah got to in Micah 7:7: 7Therefore I will look unto the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me.-you must not let human relation define your spiritual relationship. We are already loved because of our relationship with God.
4. When we look to hills it changes our:
a. Perspective – one thing we are sure of is God is right.
b. Patience – when we look to the hills, we develop patience.
c. Plight -2Psalm 40:1-2: 1I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. 2He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings-One thing we know is God is real. There are many folk that will get excited by the gifting of God.
5. We need to be excited simply by our relationship with God. We are looking for real relationships, but we have experienced some let downs. God is the same, though people will let you down. Don’t let your let downs define what you want God to be.
III. Strength to rise out of life’s ruts.
People are waiting to capitalize off of your demise. Micah 7:8: 8Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD shall be a light unto me. – When you are down to nothing, God is up to something. You have to be determined to send a message to your enemy. Before they call the party together to celebrate your demise, you will be out of what they thought that you would not come out of.
You will be surprised who is on the “see there committee”. Ex- “See there, I told you he wasn’t about nothing!” You got to develop the strength that though you are in a rough spot, you shall arise. Some of you have lost your fight and allowed your situation to drain you. You have to decide not to be a victim. We might be in a bad situation, but we shall arise, because we understand our destiny.
Even though it is dark, God will be our light. This involves:
1.Revelation-You are in darkness, bet God will light your way. Once God gives you revelations you get revival.
2. Revival-You will be revived by the revelation you got that was caused by God lighting your way. It involves self motivation and preservation.
3. Restoration-we are not just coming out, but we are coming out better. Don’t feel sorry for the way we are. Simplicity of things can be insulting, but have profound revelation. Micah says he is in a bad place, but he is telling his enemies not to rejoice. This situation was produced to see what he was made of.
There are 3 kinds of people
1. Plate people-don’t look like it, but you are like an expensive plate. You are expensive, but you don’t appear expensive. You serve until you are dropped. Once you have been dropped by your situation, you will break. No matter if you are an expensive plate or a cheap one, if you are dropped, you will shatter.
2. Sand people-you are like the people that have been through too much. You say you will not break, because unlike a plate, you are not breakable. People come to you for refuge. You give them the place to come and be restored. When you get dropped, you just flop. You don’t break, but you just stay right there. 5 yrs from the point of being dropped, you haven’t moved from that spot. Everything about you says that you have been dropped. You still encourage everyone else you never grow anymore and you never move from that spot.
3. Ball-you get dropped, you bounce back. You lose your job, yet you bounce back. You flunk the class but you bounce back. You got a record, but you bounce back. Sometimes the devil gets tired of you bouncing back. He tries to bounce you harder, but he doesn’t realize that the harder you are bounced, the harder you bounce back. The higher fall, the higher you come back. The higher you are bounced the higher your praise. Can you thank God for everything you went through. If you didn’t’ know now you know.

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I can, I will, I must Part IV, How to work with God and walk worthy of the purpose Bible Study 09/25/09

Posted on September 25, 2009 by growintheword

I will, I can, I must Part IV
How to Work with God and walk worthy of the purpose God has given you
Synopsis of bible study 09/23/09
Delivered by Bishop Walker III
When we look at working with God, we come up with ideas in our head on our own and then we ask God to work with us on it. It’s like we are saying, “Here it is; now you bless it”. This is not how it is supposed to be. God wants us to get with what he is doing instead. We ought to want to know what God’s intended purpose for us and then we ought to want to get in line and onboard with that purpose. Ephesians 4:1-3: 1I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, 2With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; 3Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.- it is important for us to understand that God desires for us to work alongside him in what he is doing. There has to be a sense that our purpose is not something that we just do. Our purpose is something that we are. It doesn’t mean that we are defined by it, we still maintain our identity. In other words we don’t get so consumed by what we do (purpose) that we lose ourselves. Once we see the difference between doing our purpose and being it, then doing it makes us step up our being to match what we are doing (our purpose). If it is a high calling or Holy calling, then we work on areas in our life so we don’t misrepresent God. It is significant that we look how he wants us to look, while we do what he wants us to do. Paul says walking worthy of our vocation. God is putting his reputation on the line, by trusting us to do what he wants us to do. God trusts us to do what he ordained us to do.
I. God calls every person to do four things
1. He calls us to salvation. He calls us from sin. He saved us and we are on the way to heaven, but we got to live down here. In other words, God saved us for more than to just sit on our hands. God saved us not only to allow us a chance to be with him in heaven, but to give us time to do our purpose here in the earth realm. Many of us are not ready to die, because we have other things we have yet to do.
2. Sanctification- this is the process of maturing in the righteousness of Christ. We were naughty by nature. When we got saved, we turned away from the stuff we were caught up in. The truth is this is like detailing a car and still driving it in the rain. The car is going to get dirty, because the car is exposed to the elements of the weather. In like manner, as long as we are exposed to life’s elements, we will get dirty with issues. God has to sanctify us every day so our old self won’t rise up and taint who we are trying to become.
3. Service-we recognize we are called to serve. Whatever our assignment is, we are not called to serve ourselves. It is not about us to be served, so we can stop crying about being called in different directions. We are called to serve and not be of ourselves. We are called to be a blessing to other people.
4. Accountability-God wants us to have accountability partners in our lives. When you are working in your purpose, the things that God is going to do in your life is so awesome, you will read your own press, causing no one to be able to hold you accountable. When you are in purpose and people are looking up to you, it is easy to lose your accountability. If everyone is under you, because they look up to you, then they are afraid to hold you accountable. You need some people in your life that can tell you when you are wrong and who will help keep it real for you. People that love you, hold you accountable. The sad thing to say is these are usually the people that we run away, but we really need them.
II. What defines us worthy of our walk?
It is our wisdom faith and transparency. Ephesians 5:15: 15See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, -when you begin to look at this, it suggest that we have to recognize that we must walk in faith and purpose. In other words, we want to be in step with God and his agenda for our life.
1. This requires:
a. Surrender-Lots of people do what you do, but they haven’t surrendered. When you surrender you let go and say God I am in your hands. Ex-Lots of preachers preach, but they haven’t surrendered their lives. They have their own agenda. Surrender is moving when God says to move. If you are still holding stuff back from God, then you have not totally surrendered to God. A good example of total surrender is Jesus on the cross.
b. Sensitivity-we must develop the discernment to listen to God. John 8:28-29: 28Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things. 29And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him. – Having sensitivity means we are sensitive to what God is saying to us. Vision has a set time that it will speak. We have to be sensitive to what God says so we don’t miss it. Ex-Many of us have gotten or experienced some discernment, when it comes to horizontal relationships. This means you can see foolishment in people before they even cross our path. We now have to develop vertical discernment. How do you know what God is saying? There is a thin line between hearing from God and schizophrenia. God wants you to develop discernment and hear what he is saying to you. This may mean we have to get clutter out of our life. We hear the word of God, but by the time it filters through the clutter in our life, we make ourselves believe God has said something that he didn’t.
c. Proper Position. Ex- You can be talking on the cell phone to someone and all of a sudden you can’t hear them anymore. There is nothing wrong with their phone, but you want them to stop talking, because you can’t hear them. You continue to move from place to place trying to get a signal. You even try getting into awkward positions trying to get a signal so you can hear and finally you have gotten down on your knees. In like manner, you might have to get in that awkward position on your knees to hear God. God might not hear you until you get on your knees.
d. Supplication-Mark 1:35: 35And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.-Jesus thought enough to get up early in the morning and spend time with his father (God). If Jesus did it, we should too. Try getting up early in the morning before the sun comes up and before you day starts and spend time alone with God. During this time, you can be very specific about things you need.
e. Self -denial- Galatians 2:20: 20I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. -You have so many desires. How many of you have magnified desired in spiritual places. Every fleshly thing that we desire does not just rise up in the world. Sometimes it will rise up in church. The truth is you have to crucify these desires every day. When you are in purpose, you have moved your agenda out of the way, making it easier to do that which God called you to do.
III. What is holding your back?
What is holding you back from writing your list for your vision and the steps to getting it accomplished?
1. Is it Fear?-Sometimes fear manifests itself in the form of xenophobia-This is the fear of fear. God has not given you the spirit of fear, but of power and love and a sound mind.
2. Is it Apathy?-means that you are saying that you are going to get around to it, but you never do. You keep putting off. Watching TV and watching “Dancing with the stars” is not going to get your vision into action.
3. Is it bondage to sin? Sin takes time. You got to plan it, do it, and then take the long way home to get it out of you. You have so much sin, you don’t have time.
4. Is it debt? Remember whenever God gives a vision; he always wants that vision to be under Devine Supervision, because at that point he gives provision, there is not a need for division, and very seldom a need for revision. God never wants you to finance vision on your credit card. We got too much to do for God to be in debt.
5. Is it Disillusionment-the means you don’t see life as you should. You are not really sure what to do.
6. Is it Deep wounds or hurt? Have past hurts hindered you from doing God’s work? Could even be church hurt.
7. Is it Bitterness and resentment? Do you have the Jonah complex? Are you refusing to work with the people that God sent you to work with?
8. Is it No vision or purpose? Are you simply confused on what your purpose is?
9. Is it Repeated failures? Are you scared you may fail? Michael Jordon was recently placed into the Hall of Fame. Do you know how many times he missed shots before this honor was given to him? You learn from your failures. When you walk in purpose, God will take care of you as long as you take care of what you are supposed to take care for him. ; Philippians 4:19: 19But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. – God said this because the church was helping with Gods business and his Ministry. Psalm 36:8: 8They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures.- God will take care of you if your help him.
10. Useful Quote
“We grow great by dreams. All big men are dreamers. They see things in the soft haze of a spring day or in the red fire of a long winter’s evening. Some of us let these great dreams die, but others nourish and protect them; nurse them through bad days till they bring them to the sunshine and light which comes always to those who sincerely hope that their dreams will come true.”… Don’t let anyone steal your dreams!-Woodrow Wilson.
This series that we have been in is going to be part of a book. We have a book now called “In pursuit of purpose”. In that book Bishop tried to guide some people along to help them in finding their purpose. Here are more principles that we think will also help in further progressing towards that goal.
9 steps to help in the progression towards purpose
1. Predestination-before your grandmother met your grandfather, God had preordained your destined. Jeremiah 1:5: 5Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. All we need to do is be born. The two most important days to us ought to be when we were born and when God called us.
2. Petition-when I when God called us to our purpose. We must know when God is summoning us. We know we have been called when we feel isolated around lots of people. Lots of people are talking, but we do not hear them, because God has muted them out. God has called us out from among them.
3. Problem (the thing your purpose solves). The purpose in you is to solve a problem. God sees a problem and puts something in you to solve the problem. If God sees something in you to solve a problem and you don’t walk in your purpose, then you allow problems to exist that God ordained you to solve. Every problem in the world has a solution. You can’t cognitively work through it to figure it out. It is spiritual.
a. The problem of two generations ago has become normal to us. Ex-Your grandparents wondered how they would heat the house. Now we just turn on the thermostat. Ex-Bishop’s father had an outhouse when he was growing up. They had a toilet outside in a shack in the back of the house. You can’t even imagine this problem now days. The problem of one generation is normalcy to another. Two generations ago, when you had bad eyes, you just got bigger glasses. Now you can get laser surgery and see better than you did at the age of 25. This vision problem was solved because somebody walked in their purpose. The cure to cancer is probably in prison right today (failing to solve a problem). The cure to AIDS could be sitting here right now. In our generation, you are supposed to solve the problem assigned to you so it doesn’t go to the next generation. God put the answers in you so you wouldn’t allow problems to go to the next generation. Ex- Bishop explains that it is part of purpose is to solve problems by teaching about financing, relationship, purpose, and etc… He takes the blows that the world gives him, because he knows he has problems to solve on our behalf. He has to do what he has to do so that we may fulfill our purpose. Many of us went to Universities that our ancestors paid the price for. If they hadn’t paid that price in their generation, then we might not even have been accepted at that University.
4. Preparation -there is no way we could solve the problem without preparing for it. Many mean go to school. As soon as God called bishop, he went to seminary. What if a surgeon did that and waiting on God to give him the answer when you came with him with the problem. Learn how to work a business plan.
5. Perspective /vision-God is not going to give you vision, if you are not investing in it. Once you make preparation, God will show you something so awesome you won’t be able to stand it.
6. Passion-after investing into your vision, you starting getting that passion for it. Passion is what wakes you up in the morning; it is what drives you, and what helps you through the hard times.
7. Plan-you need the passion to help you develop the plan. What’s the game plan to get there? You can’t go to the bank and borrow money if you don’t have specifics. What’s the plan? Passion without a plan is zeal without knowledge.
8. People-the plan you develop will connect you with the right people. Nobody is going to leave their job and come and join in your vision, if you don’t have a plan. Nobody will invest in your vision without a plan. If you a leader and no one is following you, then you are just walking. What made the disciples leave their father and follow Jesus? Jesus said he had a plan to make them better (referring to making them fisher of men). The plan you have will draw the right people. Where there is no vision, people perish. Imagine being a pastor and thinking you can carry on a vision of building a church without people. You are the Pastor, the Deacons, the congregation, the choir, the ushers and etc… This makes no since. It takes people to make it work.
9. Produce- the people will always help produce it. John 15:1-2: 1I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 2Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.-He says to every branch, you are the employees. If you don’t bear fruit, you are fired.
a. Verse 3 – John 15:3: 3Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.- he will keep you stretching so you can grow.
b. Verse 4- John 15:4: 4Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.-a branch can’t do anything by itself.
c. Verse 5 – John 15:5: 5I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. -He said he is the vine, the CEO and we are the branches; the employees that bear fruit or in other words is productive.
d. Verse 6 – John 15:6: 6If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. -if we the branches try to do things ourselves, then we will be severed from the source of our life (God). We might prosper for a while, but eventually we see everything begin to wither. Men then will gather you or you will become subject to the hands of men. You have to kiss but to make it.
e. Verse 7 – John 15:7: 7If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. – If you do what God asks, then you can ask what you will and he will give it to you.
f. Verse 8 – John 15:8: 8Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. – We want to get the glory, then produce. What is the point of being a good Pastor and a poor Christian? What good is it to be a good teacher and a horrible Christian?

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