Part II: Perfect Peace In An Imperfect Situation

Posted on July 19, 2024 by growintheword

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Synopsis of Sermon 7.14.24

Delivered by Bishop Joseph W. Walker, III 

Isaiah 26:1-3 
In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: “We have a strong city; God will appoint salvation for walls and bulwarks. 2Open the gates, that the righteous nation which keeps the truth may enter in. 3 You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.

I.                INTRODUCTION

  1. One of the things that is so essential in a Christian’s life is consistency. This is the key to success. This also happens to be one of our challenges too. We vacillate between being on fire for our assignment and being too tired to do our assignment.
  2. When you understand consistency, you know it is a transferable trait. What makes us who we are as children of God, is we are who we are regardless as to what is going on around us.
  3. The challenge today is, how do we maintain consistency in an imperfect situation?
  4. When you read Isaiah chapters 24-27, you will see that it is about the Isaiah Apocalypse. In these days, it was prophesied about good over evil.
    1. What has occurred here is the same Israel that came out of Egypt, eventually split. It’s when the kingdoms were divided. Israel went one way, but Judah went another way.
    1. Isiah prophesied to them in the midst of their division. He began to share with them about perfect peace.
    1. Assyrian threat- They have the threat of being taken over by the Assyrians.
      1. Divine judgement and hope – On one hand, it looks like God is about to punish them, and then on the other hand, God is going to bless them.
      1. Political turmoil – Two world forces are trying to take over the world. Will it be Egypt or Assyrian?
      1. Spiritual decline – They have gotten into a pit and as a result, some of them have gone back into idolatry.
  5. God will keep you in perfect peace – This means that God will sustain you in mature peace.

II.               THERE IS A REASON FOR THE SONG OF PRAISE

  • Their songs pointed to their faith. They weren’t just songs.

A.    Our Song Points To Past Victories 

  1. It is an indication that we have not forgotten what God has done for us in the past. As a result, we show up giving God glory.

B.    Our Song Is A Preemptive Praise 

  1. Preemptive means praising in advance of the victory. The enemy looks at me, because I am celebrating before we even run the race.
  2. We know what ever situation we are in, we know God has already done it before.
  3. When you began to reflect on what God has done in your life, you don’t need any pumping or priming to praise the Lord!

III.               ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT YOUR STRENGTH MUST BE PROCLAIMED

  • Know who you are.
  • Isiah tells them that they are a fortified city. God is their defender!
  • God has given them spiritual walls. It might look like you are surrounded by the enemy, when you are actually being surrounded by God.

A.    Give Yourself Credit For What You’ve Survived 

  1. You’ve survived being broke, being sick, being jobless, and yet you are still here. Sometimes you just got to thank God that you are a survivor!

B.    You Define Your Reality 

  1. Don’t let other people do this. You define your own reality otherwise; the enemy will do it for you.
    1. Remember when Joshua sent out the spies to spy on the Promised Land, and they came back saying that the inhabitants of the land where there were giants and they looked like grasshoppers compared to the giants?
    1. Notice, the giants didn’t call them grasshoppers, they called themselves grasshoppers. If you don’t know who you are, you will let the enemy tell you who you are.
  2. You are a strong city. You are fearful and wonderfully made. You are the head and not the tail. You are a royal priesthood and chosen a generation.

IV.                THE RIGHTEOUS ARE SURROUNDED BY HIS PROTECTION

A.    God Has You Covered On All Sides 

  1. When you understand you are a strong city, you know that you are surrounded by his protection.
  2. God has placed this protective wall around you and you didn’t even realize it.
  3. Story: We love cars and how much technology has evolved throughout the years. One feature that has really been great for us is the 360 view. It is able to show you the car from the top down. This way you can see around the whole car on all sides. The thing that makes this great is, you can see in all of your blind spots.
    1. In like manner, God says He’s got you covered on all sides! He can help you navigate the blind spots!

B.    Access Is Only Granted To The Righteous 

  1. God will show you who has access.
  2. God’s protection is not only in what He does, but also who he keeps from you.
  3. It is important who gets in?
    1. The Right Morals – They need to believe like you do. If you love God, then they need to love God.
    1. The Right Motive – They’re not just trying to get next to you, just to use you.
    1. The Right Message – They speak the same. They speak God’s word like you do.
  4. God will keep you in perfect peace who’s mind is stayed on Him!
  5. The only enemy you got is between your ears. It’s your mind!

V.                YOU CAN REJOICE BECAUSE HE SUSTAINS OUR PEACE

A.    Through It All God Has Kept Me 

  1. Against every attack, God has sustained you. When you think of all that could have taken you out, you have to realize God kept you.
  2. God showed us who we were. He reminded us of our destiny.

B.    I’m Focused On Destiny And Not Distractions 

  1. In imperfect situations, it is easy to get distractions. The enemy is trying to make you think it is normal to be in a fear-based relationship. He has inverted the goodness of God to make you think something might happen. In other words, If something is going well, you fear something is going to happen. You think it is too good to be true.
  2. You worked too hard to get to a good season. You need to enjoy it! Don’t just wait for something bad to happen.
  3. This fear becomes your distraction. You start doubting what God can do. There comes a moment where you got to trust what God can do. What ever you’re going through, know that this isn’t God’s first rodeo.
  4. If God said he was going to heal you, it may take a while, but it’s coming.
  5. You have to keep your mind on Him. Mature peace comes when your mind is stayed on God.
  6. Story— There was a woman on the flight that abruptly closed her shade on the plane. It was during a time that they were experiencing turbulence. When asked why she did so, she said that she had a better experience flying, not being able to see what was going on outside.
    1. Later they noticed that this woman was staring at the Flight Attendant. When they asked why she was doing this, she told them that she knew enough to know to watch the actions of the Flight Attendant. As long as she was calm, she knew everything would be alright. If the Flight Attendant was worried, she knew she should be worried.
    1. We need to do the same as she did. When situations come, keep your eyes on the Lord!!
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Part I: The Peace Of An Overcomer 

Posted on July 12, 2024 by growintheword

Synopsis of Sermon 7.7.24

Delivered by Bishop Joseph W. Walker, III 

John 16:33 
These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

I.          INTRODUCTION

  1. Peace is not the absence of tension. It is the ability to recognize the presence of God in the midst of all that you go though, and the maturity to respond instead of
  2. Of all the things that Jesus could have left, He chose to leave us peace. When you have peace, it allows you to remain centered. It gives you a tactical advantage over the events that happen in your life.
  3. There will always be forces that try to impede our progress. The need for peace is great, because so much is coming at us, all the time.
  4. We should never go through life anxious or Anxiety is an enemy of peace. “There is no path to peace. Peace is the path.” – Mahatma Ghandi. Peace is the way to life.
  5. It is important to know that in the midst of all that’s happening in your life, you need to know that God is about to bring peace over your life. You can’t appreciate this, until you have gone through some stuff. Thank God for peace!
  6. In order to understand this word that Jesus speaks; the context must first be understood.
    1. In John 16, it is about Passover Peace. This story takes place during the feast of Passover which was a celebration of their liberation from their slavery in Egypt.
    2. Judah is under Roman occupation. The Roman Emperor was Nero, but he was called Caesar. This was not a name; it was a title. Pilate was the Governor. There was hostility going on concerning Jesus, because they felt that he was breaking Roman culture.
    3. Jesus came saying that He had come to establish His kingdom. They didn’t understand that His kingdom wasn’t of this world. All the people that followed Jesus had left the temple to follow Jesus. The religious leaders were angered to the point that they wanted to bring Jesus before Caesar to be crucified.
  7. Disciples Expectation – When Jesus said he was leaving, the disciples were worried about dealing with what Jesus had left behind for them, particularly the danger. Jesus told them that he was going to leave them the peace of an Overcomer.

II.          HE GAVE US HIS PROMISES

  • These things I have spoken to you… – God’s word is always a promise. He never sends His word without a

A.  Whatever He Tells You Is For Your Benefit 

  1. Jesus was aware of what the disciples would encounter, so He gave them what they needed, to get where they were going.
  2. Whenever you get a word, put it in the deep freezer. There will be a time that you will need to go back and recall that word.
  3. God gives us His word for your benefit.
  4. It Is Prophetic(expectation) – He’s getting you ready for what’s about to happen.
  5. It Is Preparatory(equipping) – He equips you to deal with what will happen.
  6. It Is a Paradigm(example) – He shows you how to get though it.1 Corinthians 10:11 NIV says 11 These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come.

B.  His Word Does Not Change When Your Situation Does 

  1. God is immutable. This means His words are
  2. The word of God stays constant. It lasts forever.
  3. God’s word is the same from generation to generation. Stay with the Word! No good thing will He withhold from you!!
  4. His words are the only thing that kept you. Everything you have is because of the word.

III.          WE HAVE GOD’S PRESENCE

  • He says in me, you’re going to have peace:
  • You have to have a desire to have a relationship with God. This is the only way to really appreciate this.

A.  The More You Grow In Him, The More You Know In Him 

  • Jesus took ordinary men on an extraordinary journey. Any relationship with Jesus in it, is always progressive.
  1. You Have An Anointing 
  2. Jesus said greater works than Him shall we do. When you grow in Him, you realize what you have in Him.
  3. The anointing is the presence of God on you.
  4. You Have Access 
  5. Romans 5:2 says through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

  6. Access was only given to priests in the old days. When we know who we are in God, we don’t need a middleman.
    1. If nobody comes to pray for us, we know that we can lay hands on our own children and we can pray over our own house.
  7. You Have Authority 
  8. You have to eventually get over what happens. You have to walk in your authority.
  9. We have the authority to run demons out of our presence.

B.  No Him, No Peace—Know Him, Know Peace 

  1. Peace does not exist without problems. You come to understand the peace while in the midst of the storm.
  2. Peace is my ability to remain calm in this storm. I act like a thermostat, not a thermometer. Thermometers react to the changes in the atmosphere. Thermostats can change the atmosphere!
  3. When you know what you have in Him you know about what Roman’s says. Romans 8:28 NKJV says “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” – When I look at how I respond now, that means that I have grown to respond to what I know and not what’s happening.
  4. Problems know how to fly. They will try to follow you wherever you go.

IV.          WE WILL GO THROUGH PROBLEMS

  • In this life, you will have problems:

Know that all your problems won’t stop, just because you’re in relationship with Christ.

A.  Nobody Escapes Trouble 

  1. Nobody escapes trouble. You have to have empathy. It is so easy for you to say, “That’s good for them”, when someone is going through problems, but know that everyone gets a turn to have troubles. You might be next.
  2. What you put out there, will come back into your own life. Everyone gets a turn at having trouble.

B.  Just Because You Have Trouble Doesn’t Mean It Has You 

  1. Overcoming peace looks like this, “I have the peace to understand why the trial came. Nothing happens in your life without God allowing it!”.
  2. It doesn’t happen, unless there is a lesson in it. No matter what happened, you survived it, so if you have a pulse, you ought to have praise!
  3. We Know It’s Just A Test – It lets you know where you are in your faith.
  4. We Know It’s A Part Of Our Trajectory– It happened so that you would be pushed into the direction God needed you to go.
  5. We Know It’s Temporary– It won’t last forever.
  6. How do we prove these 3 things?
  7. Test: Do you know how astronauts prepare for a mission? Before a mission, they undergo several tests and exercises designed to prepare them for where they are going.
  8. The countless things God is taking us through has nothing to do with our right now. It’s all about what God is taking me to.
  9. He has to train you on this level, for the next level. James 1:2 NKJV says 2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, – Trouble produces the ability to be able to hang in there and do it.
  10. Trajectory – Before a launch, every detail must be taken into consideration. A lot of numbers determine the path of the ship. Everything that happens goes into putting the ship on course. If God gave back some of things you lost, you would not be going to where you are and you might not be on the path that you are on.
  11. It is temporary in nature. No one stays on the space station forever. It is never terminal; it is to get you back home.
  12. Our affliction is only for a moment.

V.          WE ARE GUARANTEED TO PREVAIL

  • When we overcome, it is because He overcame:

A.  He’s Already Defeated What’s Trying To Defeat You 

  1. There is no stone he has not conquered. There is no cross God has not conquered. He’s already overcome it. Therefore, you have to act like you know that you are going to overcome it.

B.    You Will Get Through This With Victory 

  1. God wants you to protect your peace. You stay up all night, because your anxiety won’t let you sleep.
  2. It’s not how fast you go through it. It’s how well you get through it.
  3. You don’t realize that God has toughened you up for it.
  4. You are an Overcomer – Revelation 12:11 says And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.
  5. How do we overcome it? It is because of:
    1. The Blood Of The Savior– Jesus was the example. When Jesus died on Calvary, he shed his blood. This made him overcome death.
    2. God told the Children of Israel to put blood on the door posts, so that when the death angel came, it would see the blood and pass over them. The same blood in the Old Covenant, manifested in the New Covenant.
      1. That time you fell asleep behind the wheel and didn’t have a wreck was because of the blood! That time you beat cancer was because of the blood!
    3. The Blessing Of Our Stories– Revelation 12:11 KJV says 11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.- He has overcome, that’s why we know that we will overcome.
    4. The enemy doesn’t want you to tell your story, because it will liberate someone else.
      1. We have this navigational app called Waze. It not only tells us where to go, it also tells us if there is a car on the side of the road or a pothole up ahead. It does this by use of Satellite.
      2. We wonder however, how the satellite can tell the difference between a car or a pothole? The answer is, because someone ahead of us reported it.
  • If you will notice, Waze will ask you, “Is the car still there?” Or “Is the pothole still there? We have an obligation to answer this. What you are doing is warning the person behind you, because you benefited from the report of someone that has already gone through what you are going through. In like manner, we have an obligation to tell our story, because we have already gone through what someone behind us is going through now! We have the peace of an overcomer.
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PART III: In God We Trust 

Posted on June 28, 2024 by growintheword

 

 

Synopsis of Sermon 6.23.24

Delivered by Bishop Joseph W. Walker, III 

Psalm 20:6-7 NIV 
6 Now I know that the Lord saves His [a]anointed; He will answer him from His holy heaven with the saving strength of His right hand. 7 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.

I.          INTRODUCTION 

  1. A big part of living in relationship with God, involves trust.
  2. Trust occupies a profound place. It is a deep seeded reliance on God’s character. Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV says 5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall [a]direct your paths. – Trust is surrendering to God. Psalm 9:10 NKJV says 10 And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You. – Trust really highlights the faithfulness of God over generations. You have placed confidence in God.
  3. Trust is not easy. We like to be in control of our own lives.
  4. Trust requires relinquishing control and relying on God. While we’re trying to figure it out, God has already worked it out.
  5. It is impossible to access the promises of God without trust. We put trust in everything else, but we struggle with putting trust in God.
    1. You sat on your chair and didn’t worry about it not working. You just trusted it to be strong enough to hold you.
    2. You get on a plane and put your life in the hands of the airline. You don’t question the pilot or plane. You just trust that the airline has everything the way it is supposed to be.
  6. When you’re in relationship with God, no matter the challenges you face, there comes a moment where you just have to put your trust in God.
  7. This Psalm today is important to understand. Psalms were songs. This particular Psalm today, was a song that was sung prior to going into battle. David and his army sung the victory before the battles even began. You have to go in declaring that it is already done!

 

II.          REMAIN SPIRITUALLY AWARE 

  • A relationship with God requires that you know what you know. Lots of people live their whole lives not knowing what God has available to them, because they never put in the work.

A.  Revelation Is Progressive 

  1. Revelation is the apprehension of truth at your own comprehension. This means God reveals things when you can understand it. An example of revelation is like this phrase, “If I knew then what I know now, I would have done better”.
  2. You are constantly learning. God is constantly revealing Himself to you.

B.  Knowing Makes The Difference 

  1. When you know, you act differently. People that know don’t walk around hopelessly and never walk around holding their heads down. They know that joy comes in the morning.
  2. If people knew what you knew, they would act like you act! You know all things work together to them who love the Lord and who are called according to His purpose.

III.          REMEMBER THE LORD SAVES HIS ANOINTED 

  • God will never anoint you and then allow you to succumb the the attack of the enemy. God has you in protective custody.

A.  The Anointing Attacks Adversity 

  1. When there is a gift or assignment on your life, God anoints you for it. God never allows us to copy someone else’s anything. Whatever your gift is, God anointed you for it.
  2. Stay in your lane and you will stay in your anointing.
  3. Anointing was used to set people aside for a Holy Purpose. This is to be set apart. This also means you have been placed on a higher display for an easier attack. When you are anointed, you become a target of the enemy.
  4. In the bible days, Priest were set apart. Exodus 28:4 NKJV says 4 And these are the garments which they shall make: a breastplate, an [a]ephod, a robe, a skillfully woven tunic, a turban, and a sash. So they shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother and his sons, that he may minister to Me as priest., 1 Samuel 16:13 NKJV says 13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel arose and went to Ramah.,1 Kings 19:16 NKJV says 16 Also you shall anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi as king over Israel. And Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place., – Don’t be surprised, but when the oil of God is on your life, you become a threat to the enemy.
    1. Jeremiah wouldn’t have been depressed if hadn’t been anointed. Stephen wouldn’t have been stoned if hadn’t been anointed. You go through what you go through, because of what is on your life.
  5. The anointing destroys the yoke. People don’t see you but they see God through your anointing. God puts his super on your natural!
    1. What does it mean to say that the yoke is being destroyed? The yoke was a wooden piece put on the neck of two animals used to controlled both animals together. Be careful of demonic entanglements, because you could be yoked with the wrong people and being pulled in directions you weren’t designed to go in.
    2. The anointing breaks the yoke. Once the yoke is broken, you are separated from what you were yoked up with. Isaiah 10:27 NKJV says 27 It shall come to pass in that day That his burden will be taken away from your shoulder, And his yoke from your neck, And the yoke will be destroyed because of the anointing oil. – Burdens and oppression are seen as yokes. Spiritual bondage shows up as that which is controlling your Destiny, just like a yoke. God is going to destroy your yoke, because He is greater than the plan of your enemy.
  6. God is about to destroy your every yoke.
    1. Remember, somebody is controlling the yoke that is controlling you. When God destroys your yoke, the one controlling the yoke will no longer have any power, so they will try to attack you, to keep you from your destiny. Matthew 11:28-30 NKJV says 28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am [a]gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
  7. When you are anointed, it is designed to liberate people from their yokes. Luke 4:18 NKJV says 18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me [a]to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind,To set at liberty those who are [b]oppressed; – What is a person’s yoke? It’s poverty, diabetes, worry, sorry, and etc. Every yoke we experience is included in verse 18, God came to liberate you from it all.
  8. The moment you tell people they can do more, the enemy will attack you.

 

B.  The Lord Protects His Investment 

  1. Protection of Investment: Your gift is an investment. In financial institutions, your principle or original amount is protected by risk mitigation. They use instruments, programs, and hedge funds to try and protect your investment.
  2. Your gift wasn’t supposed to be one dimensional. For example, if you get fired over here, you have enough gift to be able to create over there.
  3. How does God protect you? God uses strategies and hedges to protect too. We are his investment. Remember God had a hedge around Job. Satan had to get permission to harm him. God will always protect his anointed investments (us).

IV.          RELATIONSHIP WITH A SAVIOR WHO ANSWERS 

A.  He Hears From Heaven 

  1. Transcendence means God is above us. He’s high enough, above us, to be reverenced, but low enough to be with us.
  2. Every resource in heaven is available to us now. The Lord’s prayer says “Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”.

B.  He Has Enough Power To Change My Predicament 

  1. He saves me with the strength of his right hand. The right hand is the hand of power.
  2. When you get in the hand of God, no force can pluck you out of His hand. God has power over cancer, depression, unemployment and whatever else you may be dealing with.

V.          REST IN THE SECURITY OF YOUR ALLEGIANCE 

  • People trusted in chariots and horses back in the biblical days. This was symbolic.
  • Horses and chariots provided speed and agility. If you had a chariot and horse, you had the advantage during times of war.
  • There is a tendency for us to put trust in our own resources. This could become a form of idolatry. Psalm 20:5-7 NKJVsays 5 We will rejoice in your salvation, And in the name of our God we will set up our banners! May the Lord fulfill all your petitions. 6 Now I know that the Lord saves His [a]anointed; He will answer him from His holy heaven With the saving strength of His right hand. 7 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will remember the name of the Lord our God. – When David and his men went into battle, they were often outnumbered and out resourced. Psalm 20 was the song they sang on their way to battle. They were saying, despite what they were facing, they were going to remember the name of their God.

A.  Our Resources Can Often Be Unreliable 

  1. We put trust in people and people keep letting us down. David says they will remember the name of their God.

B.  His Name Says It All 

  1. Names were significant in scripture. There are two types of names given. They were
    1. Given Names – These are names given by our parents that might have religious meaning, identify our culture, or have some kind of importance concerning our heritage.
    2. Earned Names? These are names such the GOAT (greatest of all times), or other names earned by something you used to do or be.
  2. Knowing this about names: So when David and his army think of the name of God, they think He has so much history, they know that they can trust Him to see them through it.
  3. The name of God is never given to us as nouns, they are adjectives which are descriptive. They were given by people that had experiences with God.
  4. Jehovah Jirah – The Lord will provide – Genesis 22:14 NKJV 14 And Abraham called the name of the place, [a]The-Lord-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”
  5. Jehovah Rapha – The Lord who heals – Exodus 15:26 NKJV 26 and said, “If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you.”
  6. Jehovah Nissi – The Lord is my banner or miracle. – Exodus 17:15-16 NKJV 15 And Moses built an altar and called its name, [a]The-Lord-Is-My-Banner; 16 for he said, “Because [b]the Lord has sworn: the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”
  7. Jehovah Shalom – The Lord is my peace – Judges 6:24 NKJV 24 So Gideon built an altar there to the Lord, and called it [a]The-Lord-Is-Peace. To this day it is still in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
  8. Jehovah Raah– –  The Lord is my Shepard. – Psalm 23:1 NKJV 23 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not [a]
  9. Jehovah Tsidkenu – The Lord our righteousness. – Jeremiah 23:6 NKJV 6 In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell safely; Now this is His name by which He will be called: [a]THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
  10. Jehovah Shammah –– The Lord is there – Ezekiel 48:35 NKJV 35 All the way around shall be eighteen thousand cubits; and the name of the city from that day shall be: THE[a] LORD IS”
  11. All these names represent experiences of God.
  12. Story: Bishop explains that every Sat, the family goes to Chick Fillet. Bishop asked the kids what they wanted, so the kids gave their order to their dad.
    1. When it was time for Bishop to place his order, the worker asked Bishop what name the order needed to be placed under. He gave them his name, which is “Joseph”.
    2. After the order was prepared, they asked if Bishop was the name on the order. After he indicated that he was the person that paid for the order, they put the food in the car. Bishop handed the food to his kids and it hit him, the kids were benefiting from their father’s name. They were benefiting from what their father have already paid for.
    3. In like manner we are the benefactors of blessings that our father has already paid for. Because the Lord is there. With his His name we have position, and we have power.
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PART II: When All Hell Breaks Out 

Posted on June 21, 2024 by growintheword




Synopsis of Sermon 06.21.24
Delivered by Bishop Joseph W. Walker, III

Acts 16:25-26 NKJV 
But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed.

I.            INTRODUCTION 

  1. It is important to understand that we are dealing with the duality of two kingdoms. We are dealing with the spiritual kingdom and natural kingdom. Satan governs the natural kingdom.
    1. The natural kingdom includes all things fleshly and satanic. All immortal and spiritual things is governed by God.
    2. Heaven responds to us through God by dispatching angels and heavenly host. They aid in our spiritual journey.
  2. God employs human agents to do his bidding. Satan’s job is to prevent the kingdom of light from advancing and to keep what we are supposed to do, from coming to fruition.
  3. The adversity we experience comes from hell to prevent that thing you are supposed to do from coming to fruition. When all hell breaks out, it often means that you are getting close to your blessing. This makes hell to unleash all of its fury on us.
    1. Understanding this helps us realize that God will make sure what He has assigned to our life, is going to come to pass!
  4. Your life, your gift, and your presence matters. It matters for the fulfillment of the kingdom.
  5. Stop looking for affirmation from the kingdom of darkness. When you walk in with your spiritual gift, carnal people can’t process what God is doing in your life.
  6. You were chosen for this. You will fulfill what God has chosen for your life.
  7. In today’s sermon, the backdrop comes when Paul and Silas were on their second missionary journey. Rome has taken over most of the world at this point. In essence, Rome is in charge.
  8. We have key characters in the text.
    1. First is a Paul. At first he was called Saul. God found him on his way to kill Christians. The Lord would convert him on Damascus Road and then his name would be changed to Paul.
      1. Paul spends the rest of his life uplifting and building the kingdom of God.
      2. Paul went on to write a 3rd of the New Testament. Paul was both Holy and hood.
    2. The second character is Silas. Silas was Paul’s Road dog.
    3. The 3rd character is Timothy. Timothy becomes a mentee of Paul. Paul circumcises him, because he was a Gentile.
  9. Lydia was a woman who was in incredibly wealthy. She sold purple cloth. She was the first convert to Christianity in all of Europe. When she heard Paul preach, she got baptized and so did her whole family. She allowed Paul to stay with them when he needed to.
  10. There is also a Philippian jailer. He is an unnamed Roman officer that gets converted.
  11. Paul has his missionary journey charted out. At midnight, he had a vision come to him which instructed him to come to some people. He then pivots to Philippi, the capital of Macedonia. Often you don’t choose your assignment, it chooses you.
  12. They encounter something on their way to Philippi. There was a long line of people with money in their hands. There was a young girl, scripture calls her a damsel. She has the spirit of divination which is fortune telling. Note that Prophecy shouldn’t cost anything.
  13. People were paying money to get their fortunes told by this damsel. Her masters decided to exploit her gift for gain. Paul and Silas cast the spirit out of the damsel and they we’re jailed for it. At midnight they sang songs of praise and they were released from their chains.

II.            COURAGE TO CONFRONT THE DEVIL 

  • When there is an assignment on your life, you have to confront opposition. The young girl made her master’s much gain.
  • Paul and Silas could have walked off and not worried about it, but Paul was too annoyed. When you have the holy spirit inside of you, it grieves you when something is not right.
  • Don’t downplay being annoyed.

A.     If It Troubles Your Spirit, Deal With It 

  1. John Lewis coined the phrase, “good trouble”. God will not trouble your spirit for you to just walk by. He troubles your spirit to deal with it.
  2. Jesus did not play with demons, He confronted demons. Demons know who you are when you show up. When you walk in places, you disrupt what the demons are trying to do.
  3. When the demon inside the girl saw Paul and Silas, the demon tried to call Paul and Silas out. The Demon tried to draw attention to them. Paul knew that this was a spirit, it wasn’t too the Holy Spirit, so Paul said, “come out of her thou unclean spirt”! Paul casted the spirit out of the damsel.
  4. This teaches us:

B.     Don’t Compromise Your Convictions 

  1. Standing On The Word – If I’m the only one, I will stand on his word.
  2. Submitting To His Will – Whatever God tells me to do I will do. I am committed totally to what he says do.
  3. Strong Witness – People respect you because they see God in your life.
  • The masters got upset, because Paul cast the demon out. To them, Paul was costing them money.

III.            CONSPIRACY TO CONTAIN YOUR DESTINY 

A.   The Enemy Will Attempt To Discredit You 

  1. If the enemy can discredit you, then he can discredit your influence.
  2. The damsel’s masters were no longer able to exploit this girl.
  3. Things the enemy will do to discredit you.
  1. Labeled you Incorrectly – They will try to make people think poorly of you.
  2. They Stripped Them Of Their Possessions – The tried took Paul and Silas’ clothes. This was an attempt to strip their morale.
  3. Lashes Out Because They Are Intimidated – The enemy gets defensive when you show up. They know exactly who you are in the kingdom.
  4. Limited You Through Incarceration – They thought if they locked Paul and Silas up, then they would no longer be able to spread God’s word.

B.   The Enemy Will Incarcerate What It Cannot Control 

  1. The children of Israel was enslaved because of one man’s inability to accept the growth of a people.
  2. Slavery is not always physical. It can also be a system. When you are anointed, what’s inside of you is always bigger than what tries to hold you.

IV.            CONNECTED WHEN THE CRISIS GOES DOWN 

  • Paul and Silas were tied together and went through everything together.
  • You can’t fall apart. You have to keep yourself together. God promised to keep us in perfect peace. You can’t keep anyone else together, if you are not together yourself.

A.   Attacks Expose Your Real Allies 

  1. If you really want to know who’s with you, it will happen when the bottom falls out. We classify people as friends, and when they show you they really aren’t, we realize that they were never your friend.
  2. Example: Bishop explains how he used to start everyone at 100% and allow them to work down their credibility with him. He found himself disappointed a lot. Now he starts everyone at 0% and they have to work themselves up. This way, he is never disappointed.
  3. A friend loves at all times and a brother is built for adversity.

B.   There Is Strength In Unity 

  1. We focus a lot on Paul and Silas staying together. They were together before this situation happened. If you were together before the storm, you will be together during the storm.
    1. The funeral doesn’t have to be the place where we finally come together.
  2. The enemy spends a lot of time trying to divide us. A house divided cannot stand!
  3. On the day of Pentecost, everyone was in one place and on one accord, and that’s when the Holy Spirit came. When we come together, the devil can’t divide us.

 

V.            CREATIVE CHURCH WILL BRING DELIVERANCE 

  • They took Paul and Silas and put them in a jail cell. They thought this would stop them from spreading the word.
  • The Church is not a building. The church is in us. Wherever we go, is church.
  • What you proclaim in church, has to be portable out in the world.
  • Paul and Silas didn’t stay in a permanent lament. They taught us that :

A.   Maturity Knows How To Pray Under Pressure 

  1. When you have a prayer life, it shows up like this: You know everything you have is the result of prayer.
  2. You don’t have to pray in the KJV version. God hears you when you talk regular.
  3. Sometimes you wonder if God hears you. God’s signal and His coverage is better than Verizon!
    1. Story: Bishop explains being somewhere and there was dead spot. He was unable to get any cell coverage. After trying in multiple areas, failing to get any coverage, he discovered that he could get a signal when he held his phone down low.
  4. As a result he got on his knees. Next thing you know, he was in a corner on his knees, talking on the phone. Someone wanted to know what doing. Bishop told them that the signal gets better, when he got on his knees.
  5. Songs were important to Israel. Songs tell stories. Paul and Silas sang hymns at midnight. It is the lyrics of the songs that make the song.
    1. Old songs had lyrics that meant something like, “Love and happiness” by Al Green. We need a song that has some lyrics and tells a story.
  6. When Paul and Silas sang the song, the Bible says the prisoners heard them. Then the Bible says suddenly there was an earthquake and the prisoners chains came off.

B.     There Is A Sound That Releases The Supernatural 

  1. When Paul and Silas sang, God disrupted what the enemy was trying to do. The earthquake was evidence that God was doing something in response to their praise.
  2. If you ever learn the power of opening up your mouth, things will happen! Remember when the Children of Israel shouted the walls of Jericho fell down! Remember that when all hell breaks out, you are anointed for the attack.

 

 

 

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