1 00:00:01,520 --> 00:00:04,080 Speaker 1: Hey, this is Stephen Ferdick. I'm the pastor of Elevation 2 00:00:04,320 --> 00:00:06,560 Speaker 1: Church and this is our podcast. I wanted to thank 3 00:00:06,600 --> 00:00:09,920 Speaker 1: you for joining us today. Hope this inspires you. Hope 4 00:00:09,920 --> 00:00:11,960 Speaker 1: it builds your faith. Hope it gives your perspective to 5 00:00:11,960 --> 00:00:14,680 Speaker 1: see God is moving in your life. Enjoy the message. 6 00:00:16,400 --> 00:00:19,160 Speaker 1: And I've been waiting to ask you. Are you ready 7 00:00:19,200 --> 00:00:24,439 Speaker 1: for the Word of God? Not me? Really ready? Are 8 00:00:24,440 --> 00:00:27,760 Speaker 1: you ready? Come on, y'all better stretch for this word. 9 00:00:30,680 --> 00:00:35,760 Speaker 1: All right, quit banging on those fongos and let me preach. 10 00:00:36,400 --> 00:00:41,240 Speaker 1: First Kings, Chapter twenty. First Kings Chapter twenty remains standing 11 00:00:41,280 --> 00:00:44,520 Speaker 1: for the reading of God's word. It's good to see 12 00:00:44,560 --> 00:00:48,520 Speaker 1: my niece Hattie with blonde hair. I barely recognized her. Wow, 13 00:00:48,560 --> 00:00:51,479 Speaker 1: a lot has changed. I used to have blonde hair, Hattie. 14 00:00:51,479 --> 00:00:54,720 Speaker 1: Look it up. It's on Google. First Kings, Chapter twenty, 15 00:00:55,400 --> 00:00:59,440 Speaker 1: versus one through thirty four. You want to hurry today? Okay? 16 00:00:59,520 --> 00:01:06,200 Speaker 1: Are you hung hungry for the bread of life, the 17 00:01:06,360 --> 00:01:08,880 Speaker 1: manna from heaven? I have food to eat that ye know, 18 00:01:09,000 --> 00:01:14,400 Speaker 1: not of Okay, King James, let's do it. One Kings 19 00:01:14,440 --> 00:01:19,800 Speaker 1: twenty verse one. Now ben Hadad, King of Arab mustered 20 00:01:19,840 --> 00:01:25,440 Speaker 1: his entire army, accompanied by thirty two kings with their 21 00:01:25,440 --> 00:01:29,080 Speaker 1: horses and chariots. He went up and besieged Samaria and 22 00:01:29,160 --> 00:01:33,240 Speaker 1: attacked it. He sent messengers into the city to Ahab, 23 00:01:33,360 --> 00:01:37,559 Speaker 1: King of Israel, saying, this is what Ben Hadad says. 24 00:01:38,600 --> 00:01:43,520 Speaker 1: Your silver and gold are mine, and the best of 25 00:01:43,600 --> 00:01:49,080 Speaker 1: your wives and children are mine. And the king answered, 26 00:01:50,040 --> 00:01:53,800 Speaker 1: just as you say, my lord, the King, I and 27 00:01:54,000 --> 00:02:02,080 Speaker 1: all I have are yours. How are you going to 28 00:02:02,160 --> 00:02:10,600 Speaker 1: give up that easy on what God gave you? I 29 00:02:10,720 --> 00:02:13,440 Speaker 1: and all that I have are yours. And the messengers 30 00:02:13,440 --> 00:02:16,160 Speaker 1: came again and said, this is what ben Hadad says. 31 00:02:17,120 --> 00:02:19,280 Speaker 1: I sent to demand your silver and gold, your wives, 32 00:02:19,280 --> 00:02:21,400 Speaker 1: and your children. But about this time tomorrow, I'm going 33 00:02:21,440 --> 00:02:23,160 Speaker 1: to send my officials to search your palace. In the 34 00:02:23,200 --> 00:02:26,040 Speaker 1: houses of your officials, they will seize everything you value 35 00:02:26,680 --> 00:02:30,200 Speaker 1: and carry it away. And the King of Israel summoned 36 00:02:30,240 --> 00:02:32,160 Speaker 1: all the elders of the land and said to them, 37 00:02:33,080 --> 00:02:36,240 Speaker 1: see how this man is looking for trouble. When he 38 00:02:36,360 --> 00:02:40,920 Speaker 1: sent for my wives and my children, my silver and 39 00:02:41,000 --> 00:02:44,560 Speaker 1: my gold, I did not refuse him. Let's key in 40 00:02:44,600 --> 00:02:48,760 Speaker 1: on these next verses. The elders and the people all answered, 41 00:02:49,880 --> 00:02:55,680 Speaker 1: don't listen to him or agree to his demands. So 42 00:02:55,800 --> 00:02:58,639 Speaker 1: he replied to ben Hadad's messengers, tell my lord the 43 00:02:58,720 --> 00:03:02,239 Speaker 1: king that will do all you demand it the first time, 44 00:03:02,919 --> 00:03:07,760 Speaker 1: But this demand I cannot meet. And they left and 45 00:03:07,880 --> 00:03:12,120 Speaker 1: took the answer back to Benidad. They left and took 46 00:03:12,160 --> 00:03:17,320 Speaker 1: the answer back to Benadatt. This demand I cannot meet. 47 00:03:18,400 --> 00:03:24,040 Speaker 1: Don't listen to him or agree to his demands. Now 48 00:03:24,080 --> 00:03:26,679 Speaker 1: that that scripture was probably unfamiliar to most of you, 49 00:03:26,720 --> 00:03:28,560 Speaker 1: how many you never heard that one before? Don't remember 50 00:03:28,600 --> 00:03:32,640 Speaker 1: hearing it? We can't start my first Sunday back with y'all, 51 00:03:32,639 --> 00:03:36,880 Speaker 1: lion right here in church. Come on, how many of 52 00:03:36,960 --> 00:03:39,880 Speaker 1: y'all like I don't really know much about Benadat. I'm 53 00:03:39,880 --> 00:03:41,920 Speaker 1: gonna balance. I'm gonna balance this and give you a 54 00:03:41,960 --> 00:03:44,560 Speaker 1: familiar scripture, and then we'll preach. But look real quick 55 00:03:44,560 --> 00:03:51,000 Speaker 1: at Philippians chapter four. Philippians chapter four, verse six. Do 56 00:03:51,160 --> 00:03:58,400 Speaker 1: not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by 57 00:03:58,480 --> 00:04:03,160 Speaker 1: prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 58 00:04:03,480 --> 00:04:09,720 Speaker 1: And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will 59 00:04:09,880 --> 00:04:18,320 Speaker 1: guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. So 60 00:04:19,320 --> 00:04:22,680 Speaker 1: for the next few minutes, let's talk about the guided 61 00:04:22,800 --> 00:04:29,720 Speaker 1: mind and the guarded heart. And in case that's too pretty, 62 00:04:30,080 --> 00:04:38,000 Speaker 1: here's the other title. Take it back. Take it back, Father, 63 00:04:38,080 --> 00:04:40,720 Speaker 1: I thank you for this day of deliverance. Do what 64 00:04:40,760 --> 00:04:44,480 Speaker 1: you said you would do in Jesus name Amen on 65 00:04:44,520 --> 00:04:46,880 Speaker 1: your way to your seat. Punch your neighbor gently if 66 00:04:46,920 --> 00:04:49,920 Speaker 1: they are not COVID conscious, and say, take it back. 67 00:04:54,680 --> 00:04:56,960 Speaker 1: We need to get a new Touch your neighbor. Oh, 68 00:04:57,040 --> 00:05:04,320 Speaker 1: touch your neighbors. Take it back. So I want to 69 00:05:04,400 --> 00:05:07,599 Speaker 1: make a confession to you. This is one of my 70 00:05:07,600 --> 00:05:09,440 Speaker 1: friends advised me not to share this. I'm gonna sare 71 00:05:09,480 --> 00:05:13,719 Speaker 1: it anyway. About ten years ago, I went to have 72 00:05:13,760 --> 00:05:19,240 Speaker 1: a consultation for liposuction. Buck went with me. This is 73 00:05:19,240 --> 00:05:23,560 Speaker 1: not an endorsement or a negative publicity against cosmetic surgery 74 00:05:23,560 --> 00:05:27,080 Speaker 1: in any way. But I went to get an endorsement 75 00:05:27,839 --> 00:05:31,200 Speaker 1: for what do you call it? A consultation to see 76 00:05:31,200 --> 00:05:34,520 Speaker 1: if the doctor thought I should do liposuction. I didn't 77 00:05:34,560 --> 00:05:36,640 Speaker 1: do it. He talked me out of it. And the 78 00:05:36,720 --> 00:05:41,600 Speaker 1: reason I went is because I want to have abs 79 00:05:41,680 --> 00:05:44,440 Speaker 1: and I like fried rice. So that's why I went. 80 00:05:44,560 --> 00:05:49,560 Speaker 1: That's what I told him. So when he heard me talking, 81 00:05:49,600 --> 00:05:54,760 Speaker 1: he said, oh, you're one of these guys. And I said, 82 00:05:54,760 --> 00:05:56,640 Speaker 1: one of what guys? And Buck was there, so he 83 00:05:56,680 --> 00:05:59,760 Speaker 1: was there with me. He said, you're one of these guys. 84 00:06:00,480 --> 00:06:05,599 Speaker 1: You just want to You want me to fix the fat, right, 85 00:06:06,120 --> 00:06:09,680 Speaker 1: but you still want to eat the food, he basically, 86 00:06:09,760 --> 00:06:11,279 Speaker 1: And I think the guy had a lot of integrity 87 00:06:11,279 --> 00:06:15,360 Speaker 1: because he said, get out of here. He said, come 88 00:06:15,440 --> 00:06:19,880 Speaker 1: see me after you've changed your processes. Come see me 89 00:06:19,960 --> 00:06:22,320 Speaker 1: after you've changed some things, you know, maybe your diet, 90 00:06:22,320 --> 00:06:25,080 Speaker 1: you're exercising all that. Then if you still he said, 91 00:06:25,080 --> 00:06:30,919 Speaker 1: but don't come to me asking me to fix what 92 00:06:31,040 --> 00:06:35,039 Speaker 1: you were unwilling to change. So I left and I 93 00:06:35,040 --> 00:06:36,880 Speaker 1: didn't do it, and I still haven't done it to 94 00:06:36,920 --> 00:06:38,320 Speaker 1: this day, but I might one day. I don't know 95 00:06:39,000 --> 00:06:42,800 Speaker 1: making any commitments like that. What I've noticed a lot 96 00:06:42,800 --> 00:06:48,760 Speaker 1: of times spiritually is that we bring God our problems, 97 00:06:49,240 --> 00:06:51,640 Speaker 1: and that's good. I want you to know you can 98 00:06:51,640 --> 00:06:55,880 Speaker 1: bring any problem that you ever have into the presence 99 00:06:55,920 --> 00:07:01,640 Speaker 1: of God. Your problems are welcome in God's presence. You 100 00:07:01,720 --> 00:07:03,760 Speaker 1: might as well bring him into the presence of God. 101 00:07:04,600 --> 00:07:08,640 Speaker 1: It's not like he doesn't know about them anyway. My 102 00:07:08,880 --> 00:07:13,120 Speaker 1: problems are welcome in God's presence, and that helps me 103 00:07:13,160 --> 00:07:15,240 Speaker 1: to know that there's nothing that I'm dealing with that 104 00:07:15,280 --> 00:07:17,440 Speaker 1: I have to carry by myself. I don't get extra 105 00:07:17,560 --> 00:07:21,960 Speaker 1: credit for holding it to myself. When I come to God, 106 00:07:22,000 --> 00:07:24,520 Speaker 1: I can start talking about you know, like Paul said 107 00:07:24,520 --> 00:07:29,320 Speaker 1: in Philippians chapter four, anything he said, don't be anxious, 108 00:07:29,560 --> 00:07:33,960 Speaker 1: but instead pray. And I'm so grateful that there's nothing 109 00:07:34,000 --> 00:07:37,280 Speaker 1: that I have to hide from God. I can bring 110 00:07:37,360 --> 00:07:40,200 Speaker 1: him any problem that I have, not just a big 111 00:07:40,240 --> 00:07:43,120 Speaker 1: one but a small one. Not just a small one, 112 00:07:43,360 --> 00:07:46,160 Speaker 1: but a big one. God doesn't have a scale where 113 00:07:46,200 --> 00:07:50,280 Speaker 1: he weighs my problems and says that's too big. I'm busy. 114 00:07:50,480 --> 00:07:52,560 Speaker 1: And on the other hand, God doesn't have a must 115 00:07:52,600 --> 00:07:54,640 Speaker 1: be this tall to ride sign in his presence where 116 00:07:54,640 --> 00:07:56,800 Speaker 1: he says, if your problem isn't a certain amount, I'm 117 00:07:56,840 --> 00:07:58,640 Speaker 1: not concerned with it, because He's numbered the hairs on 118 00:07:58,640 --> 00:08:00,000 Speaker 1: my head and he cares about what I care about 119 00:08:00,040 --> 00:08:04,480 Speaker 1: out But lately I felt the Lord challenging me. And 120 00:08:04,520 --> 00:08:06,600 Speaker 1: I want to start this teaching with you today and 121 00:08:06,720 --> 00:08:08,480 Speaker 1: this will just really be the beginning of it. But 122 00:08:10,160 --> 00:08:15,360 Speaker 1: God's been challenging me instead of always just bringing me 123 00:08:15,440 --> 00:08:19,720 Speaker 1: your problems, which you're always welcome to do. Why don't 124 00:08:19,760 --> 00:08:27,960 Speaker 1: you start bringing me your thoughts, okay, instead of coming 125 00:08:28,000 --> 00:08:31,520 Speaker 1: to me, you know, like in an emotional state where 126 00:08:31,560 --> 00:08:33,880 Speaker 1: you're all worked up and you're so depressed, and you're 127 00:08:33,920 --> 00:08:35,960 Speaker 1: so anxious and all these other things that I know 128 00:08:36,000 --> 00:08:37,880 Speaker 1: I'm not supposed to be, but I get there and 129 00:08:37,920 --> 00:08:44,040 Speaker 1: then asking God, will you please suck it out? It's 130 00:08:44,040 --> 00:08:47,360 Speaker 1: been a while. Have y'all prayed any prayers lately? God? 131 00:08:47,400 --> 00:08:51,960 Speaker 1: Would you please suck this out of me? Have you 132 00:08:52,000 --> 00:08:53,920 Speaker 1: ever come to the Lord for light bow? Is what 133 00:08:53,960 --> 00:08:58,560 Speaker 1: I'm trying to say, where I'm asking God to deal 134 00:08:58,600 --> 00:09:00,800 Speaker 1: with the consequences, and that's fine, and I would not 135 00:09:00,920 --> 00:09:03,160 Speaker 1: discourage you from that. There's nothing that you brought in 136 00:09:03,200 --> 00:09:07,199 Speaker 1: here today that God hasn't seen before. Please don't ever 137 00:09:07,280 --> 00:09:09,560 Speaker 1: be arrogant enough to think that you have created a 138 00:09:09,600 --> 00:09:12,240 Speaker 1: new category or species of sin that God is somehow 139 00:09:12,280 --> 00:09:16,920 Speaker 1: going to be repulsed or surprised by. And please don't 140 00:09:16,920 --> 00:09:18,520 Speaker 1: ever think that you're going to bring God something that 141 00:09:18,559 --> 00:09:22,800 Speaker 1: he would be intimidated or insulted by. At the same time, 142 00:09:23,559 --> 00:09:25,720 Speaker 1: wouldn't you like to find out what it would be 143 00:09:25,920 --> 00:09:29,720 Speaker 1: like that instead of letting the problem get to the 144 00:09:29,760 --> 00:09:32,760 Speaker 1: point where it's so tangled up inside of you that 145 00:09:32,840 --> 00:09:34,800 Speaker 1: you have to bring it to God as a full 146 00:09:34,840 --> 00:09:39,480 Speaker 1: grown problem. What if you started involving God earlier in 147 00:09:39,520 --> 00:09:46,560 Speaker 1: the process, at the level of your thought. When I 148 00:09:46,600 --> 00:09:50,400 Speaker 1: read you the scripture from One Kings twenty, it was 149 00:09:50,440 --> 00:09:53,200 Speaker 1: a surprising scripture for me that God led me to 150 00:09:53,200 --> 00:09:57,679 Speaker 1: the preach because the main character in the passage is 151 00:09:57,920 --> 00:10:00,840 Speaker 1: not King David, or you know, Man God's own heart, 152 00:10:01,760 --> 00:10:06,400 Speaker 1: or Moses who was no ordinary child, but a king 153 00:10:06,440 --> 00:10:10,280 Speaker 1: that we don't preach much about named Ahab. Now, the 154 00:10:10,320 --> 00:10:13,480 Speaker 1: only time you ever hear Ahab's name is in connection 155 00:10:13,800 --> 00:10:17,200 Speaker 1: with the problem that he caused, and AaB caused a 156 00:10:17,240 --> 00:10:19,920 Speaker 1: lot of problems in fact, for any of you who 157 00:10:19,920 --> 00:10:21,880 Speaker 1: feel like you're too bad for God to bless you, 158 00:10:22,160 --> 00:10:24,280 Speaker 1: or you can't like really give what God has for you. 159 00:10:24,520 --> 00:10:27,880 Speaker 1: The Bible says in One King sixteen that Ahab was 160 00:10:27,920 --> 00:10:32,840 Speaker 1: the most wicked king who ever lived. All right, So 161 00:10:32,880 --> 00:10:36,319 Speaker 1: that's who we're talking about. And the Bible says that 162 00:10:36,360 --> 00:10:40,280 Speaker 1: thirty two kings came to attack him, a confederacy of 163 00:10:40,520 --> 00:10:43,520 Speaker 1: thirty two different kings led by ben Hadad, who a 164 00:10:43,600 --> 00:10:45,800 Speaker 1: had fought three different times. And I'm just giving you 165 00:10:45,880 --> 00:10:50,520 Speaker 1: all this background to remind you that Ahab in One 166 00:10:50,679 --> 00:10:54,240 Speaker 1: Kings chapter twenty, the king who needed for God to 167 00:10:54,280 --> 00:11:06,960 Speaker 1: do something. Let me read it again. Isn't it crazy? 168 00:11:07,760 --> 00:11:10,840 Speaker 1: I just read it again that the king of Israel, 169 00:11:13,280 --> 00:11:19,560 Speaker 1: the nation that belonged to God, didn't even ask for 170 00:11:19,720 --> 00:11:28,959 Speaker 1: God's perspective before he agreed to the enemy's demands. If 171 00:11:28,960 --> 00:11:32,800 Speaker 1: you notice, there is no section in this scripture that 172 00:11:32,840 --> 00:11:36,679 Speaker 1: Ahab stops and calls for a prophet. There is no 173 00:11:36,800 --> 00:11:39,280 Speaker 1: section in the scripture that I read you that Ahab 174 00:11:39,320 --> 00:11:42,120 Speaker 1: stops and says, well, let's see what the Lord says 175 00:11:42,160 --> 00:11:47,800 Speaker 1: about this. There is no indication see aep I hate 176 00:11:47,840 --> 00:11:52,960 Speaker 1: Ab because he caused all this trouble for the nation 177 00:11:54,080 --> 00:11:57,920 Speaker 1: and then wanted to blame the enemy for an agreement 178 00:11:58,120 --> 00:12:03,600 Speaker 1: that he himself made with the enemy. How many times 179 00:12:03,640 --> 00:12:07,600 Speaker 1: in my life, in your life, have we asked God 180 00:12:08,280 --> 00:12:12,160 Speaker 1: to deliver us from an agreement that we made with 181 00:12:12,240 --> 00:12:20,040 Speaker 1: the enemy without consulting him. Oh, you're one of those kinds. 182 00:12:20,760 --> 00:12:23,840 Speaker 1: The life of suction doctor said to me, you just 183 00:12:23,880 --> 00:12:25,960 Speaker 1: want me to suck it out. You just want to 184 00:12:26,000 --> 00:12:28,640 Speaker 1: bring me the results of your habits and have me 185 00:12:28,720 --> 00:12:34,840 Speaker 1: fix them without adjusting any of them. AaB is so 186 00:12:35,000 --> 00:12:39,880 Speaker 1: quick to agree with the enemy. I wonder how many 187 00:12:39,920 --> 00:12:45,959 Speaker 1: times in your life have you agreed with the enemy 188 00:12:46,440 --> 00:12:50,360 Speaker 1: without even consulting God. You know what I mean by 189 00:12:50,400 --> 00:12:53,960 Speaker 1: agreed with the enemy. It comes along in the form 190 00:12:54,000 --> 00:12:58,080 Speaker 1: of anxiety. I'm not one of these people who wakes 191 00:12:58,160 --> 00:13:04,480 Speaker 1: up to my first alone clock. In fact, my default 192 00:13:04,760 --> 00:13:11,480 Speaker 1: disposition in the morning is despair and discouragement. Holly, that's 193 00:13:11,520 --> 00:13:13,000 Speaker 1: too loud of a laugh, and you just keep it 194 00:13:13,000 --> 00:13:17,280 Speaker 1: down on that front. Row my default position. And so 195 00:13:17,480 --> 00:13:20,680 Speaker 1: in some ways the verse I read you in Philippians. 196 00:13:20,679 --> 00:13:22,800 Speaker 1: I know you don't think these two scriptures go together, 197 00:13:22,840 --> 00:13:24,720 Speaker 1: but I'm going to show you how they do. Because 198 00:13:25,320 --> 00:13:27,880 Speaker 1: Philippians four six to someone like me is just about 199 00:13:27,880 --> 00:13:31,000 Speaker 1: the most annoying Bible verse in the Bible, where Paul says, 200 00:13:31,040 --> 00:13:34,040 Speaker 1: don't be anxious about anything. And I want to file that. 201 00:13:34,120 --> 00:13:36,520 Speaker 1: My first instinct is I want to file that in 202 00:13:36,600 --> 00:13:42,400 Speaker 1: the court of useless advice. And I also want to 203 00:13:42,480 --> 00:13:46,440 Speaker 1: argue with Paul because his kids didn't have Snapchat, and 204 00:13:46,520 --> 00:13:48,800 Speaker 1: so when he's telling me don't be anxious about anything, 205 00:13:48,920 --> 00:13:50,760 Speaker 1: he didn't even have kids. So how are you going 206 00:13:50,840 --> 00:13:53,400 Speaker 1: to sit here and advise me on a situation that 207 00:13:53,480 --> 00:13:55,959 Speaker 1: you never had firsthand experience of. And I want to 208 00:13:56,080 --> 00:14:01,560 Speaker 1: argue with Paul, don't be anxious about anything, because to me, 209 00:14:01,600 --> 00:14:08,560 Speaker 1: at first it seems like an impossible demand. So then 210 00:14:08,600 --> 00:14:10,760 Speaker 1: he says something else. He says, but in every situation, 211 00:14:11,360 --> 00:14:17,400 Speaker 1: by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 212 00:14:17,440 --> 00:14:20,600 Speaker 1: Do not be anxious about anything. But in every situation, 213 00:14:20,680 --> 00:14:24,280 Speaker 1: by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God. 214 00:14:24,440 --> 00:14:26,360 Speaker 1: Now this is the end of a letter that Paul 215 00:14:26,360 --> 00:14:28,480 Speaker 1: wrote to the Philippian Church. This is not the first 216 00:14:28,480 --> 00:14:30,320 Speaker 1: thing that he said to them. This is not your 217 00:14:30,360 --> 00:14:33,160 Speaker 1: annoying friend that gives you unsolicited advice. This is a 218 00:14:33,240 --> 00:14:35,520 Speaker 1: church that he had a great relationship with. This is 219 00:14:35,680 --> 00:14:37,840 Speaker 1: in a time of his own imprisonment where he has 220 00:14:37,880 --> 00:14:39,840 Speaker 1: more to worry about than they have to worry about. 221 00:14:40,000 --> 00:14:43,000 Speaker 1: And when we see the word anxious, I know you 222 00:14:43,040 --> 00:14:45,880 Speaker 1: can't relate to this. But a few people in the 223 00:14:45,960 --> 00:14:50,640 Speaker 1: church have had more anxiety in the past year than 224 00:14:50,800 --> 00:14:53,960 Speaker 1: they ever had before. There's a few people in the church, 225 00:14:54,960 --> 00:14:59,400 Speaker 1: just a few dirty sinners. And what the devil did 226 00:14:59,440 --> 00:15:03,000 Speaker 1: to me over the course of the pandemic is very interesting. 227 00:15:04,160 --> 00:15:09,160 Speaker 1: It's almost by getting me to indulge in the little 228 00:15:09,200 --> 00:15:14,360 Speaker 1: thoughts I noticed that he had. He had, he had 229 00:15:14,560 --> 00:15:19,000 Speaker 1: tempted me to make agreements that I didn't even know 230 00:15:19,120 --> 00:15:25,800 Speaker 1: that I made. That almost that almost caused me to 231 00:15:25,880 --> 00:15:32,280 Speaker 1: give up what God gave me, an agreement with the enemy. 232 00:15:33,120 --> 00:15:35,920 Speaker 1: So Ahab has a wife named Jezebel, and she has 233 00:15:36,080 --> 00:15:39,240 Speaker 1: taught him to depend on idols. She is a Phoenician woman. 234 00:15:39,400 --> 00:15:41,600 Speaker 1: She does not serve the God of Israel. She has 235 00:15:41,640 --> 00:15:45,160 Speaker 1: taught them to serve the rain god. Bail the rain God. 236 00:15:45,320 --> 00:15:47,560 Speaker 1: But he has just been proven false on a mountain 237 00:15:47,600 --> 00:15:50,720 Speaker 1: called Mount Carmel under a prophet named Elijah. And now 238 00:15:50,800 --> 00:15:54,240 Speaker 1: after a state of famine, the nation is weakened, and 239 00:15:54,320 --> 00:15:58,200 Speaker 1: so Benidad makes a strategy. I will attack them while 240 00:15:58,240 --> 00:16:01,400 Speaker 1: they are still weak from the famine. And it's not 241 00:16:01,560 --> 00:16:03,840 Speaker 1: just one enemy that you got to worry about. The 242 00:16:03,880 --> 00:16:07,040 Speaker 1: Bible says that he went and got thirty two other kings. 243 00:16:07,720 --> 00:16:10,520 Speaker 1: Because you need to know before you agree with the enemy. 244 00:16:10,560 --> 00:16:17,000 Speaker 1: He always brings company that you didn't count on an 245 00:16:17,040 --> 00:16:22,400 Speaker 1: agreement with the enemy. Have you made any agreements with 246 00:16:22,520 --> 00:16:29,520 Speaker 1: the enemy that need to be broken? Today? Before you 247 00:16:29,560 --> 00:16:35,200 Speaker 1: can move forward into the promise that God has for 248 00:16:35,240 --> 00:16:43,240 Speaker 1: your life. Do not be anxious about anything. I don't 249 00:16:43,400 --> 00:16:48,640 Speaker 1: like that verse, because frankly, I like my anxiety, and 250 00:16:48,680 --> 00:16:50,960 Speaker 1: I'm not talking about as a medical condition. You know, 251 00:16:51,080 --> 00:16:54,040 Speaker 1: terms get so culturally loaded. They mean different things to 252 00:16:54,120 --> 00:16:56,960 Speaker 1: different people. I am not telling you not to consult 253 00:16:57,000 --> 00:16:59,400 Speaker 1: a professional. That is not the point of this sermon. 254 00:16:59,640 --> 00:17:04,919 Speaker 1: But any of us have made an alliance with anxiety 255 00:17:06,600 --> 00:17:10,480 Speaker 1: somewhere deep in our hearts, and we have actually grown 256 00:17:10,560 --> 00:17:15,080 Speaker 1: so accustomed to our anxiety that it now feels normal 257 00:17:15,160 --> 00:17:19,840 Speaker 1: to us, and peace feels foreign. And so now you 258 00:17:19,920 --> 00:17:23,040 Speaker 1: get used to just waking up feeling weird all the time, 259 00:17:23,200 --> 00:17:25,239 Speaker 1: and now you get used to feeling on edge all 260 00:17:25,280 --> 00:17:27,560 Speaker 1: the time, and you begin to think that it is 261 00:17:28,080 --> 00:17:33,159 Speaker 1: normal because it's all that you've ever seen. And I 262 00:17:33,200 --> 00:17:36,000 Speaker 1: love what the elders said to Ahab. This is what 263 00:17:36,080 --> 00:17:38,520 Speaker 1: I believe the spirit of God is saying to somebody today, 264 00:17:38,680 --> 00:17:42,679 Speaker 1: and it's the message God gave me. Do not listen 265 00:17:43,200 --> 00:17:51,040 Speaker 1: to your enemy or agree to his demands. Just because 266 00:17:51,119 --> 00:17:55,359 Speaker 1: my enemy speaks something doesn't mean I have to agree 267 00:17:55,359 --> 00:18:02,040 Speaker 1: with it. After all, it is not the voice you 268 00:18:02,119 --> 00:18:06,600 Speaker 1: hear that determines the life you end up with. It's 269 00:18:06,640 --> 00:18:12,240 Speaker 1: the voice you believe, and before the enemy can get 270 00:18:12,280 --> 00:18:14,840 Speaker 1: you to agree with it, he has to get you 271 00:18:14,920 --> 00:18:17,960 Speaker 1: to believe it. So in order to get you to 272 00:18:18,080 --> 00:18:21,480 Speaker 1: believe it, he'll get somebody to say it. And how 273 00:18:21,480 --> 00:18:25,440 Speaker 1: many have found out you cannot believe everything you hear? 274 00:18:25,880 --> 00:18:30,400 Speaker 1: Not these days, I was reading the list of things 275 00:18:30,440 --> 00:18:33,200 Speaker 1: that Paul said that we should think about, because he's 276 00:18:33,240 --> 00:18:35,399 Speaker 1: trying to give us a new perspective. You have to 277 00:18:35,400 --> 00:18:37,879 Speaker 1: believe everything that crosses through your mind. You have to 278 00:18:37,920 --> 00:18:40,840 Speaker 1: accept everything that comes across your heart. He said, don't 279 00:18:40,840 --> 00:18:45,640 Speaker 1: be anxious about anything, but pray about everything. Now he says, 280 00:18:45,680 --> 00:18:47,720 Speaker 1: there are some things we should think about verse eight. 281 00:18:48,440 --> 00:18:51,280 Speaker 1: Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever 282 00:18:51,400 --> 00:18:53,800 Speaker 1: is pure, whatever is lovely. But see, I stopped at 283 00:18:53,840 --> 00:18:56,679 Speaker 1: part one when he said, finally, brothers and sisters, whatever 284 00:18:56,840 --> 00:18:59,719 Speaker 1: is true, think about such things, because I wondered, how 285 00:18:59,720 --> 00:19:05,080 Speaker 1: do I know anymore what that is? How do I 286 00:19:05,119 --> 00:19:10,919 Speaker 1: even know what is true? How can I possibly know? 287 00:19:12,119 --> 00:19:19,640 Speaker 1: In this culture of headlines and highlights. Now you don't 288 00:19:19,640 --> 00:19:22,919 Speaker 1: even just believe the headline. You believe the retweet of 289 00:19:22,960 --> 00:19:27,879 Speaker 1: the retweet of the retweet of the retweet. How do 290 00:19:27,920 --> 00:19:31,879 Speaker 1: I even know what is true anymore? How do I 291 00:19:31,920 --> 00:19:36,400 Speaker 1: even know? Because if I make an agreement with the enemy. 292 00:19:36,400 --> 00:19:39,520 Speaker 1: That's why I was excited about uth X. I think 293 00:19:39,560 --> 00:19:46,240 Speaker 1: that if we can undo some of the untruths and 294 00:19:46,359 --> 00:19:55,280 Speaker 1: keep our young people from making some agreements with the enemy. Now, 295 00:19:55,520 --> 00:19:58,720 Speaker 1: this is what I'm praying. This is what I'm praying, 296 00:19:58,920 --> 00:20:01,080 Speaker 1: not only for this this week, but I'm praying this 297 00:20:01,119 --> 00:20:03,600 Speaker 1: for my kids all the time. Y'all know I've got 298 00:20:03,640 --> 00:20:06,760 Speaker 1: a good prayer life because I've got three children that 299 00:20:06,800 --> 00:20:10,040 Speaker 1: are still living in my house. Y'all know I got 300 00:20:10,040 --> 00:20:11,800 Speaker 1: a good prayer life because one of them as his 301 00:20:11,880 --> 00:20:14,560 Speaker 1: driver's permit. You'll know I got a good prayer life 302 00:20:14,560 --> 00:20:16,800 Speaker 1: because I have a beautiful ten year old daughter. And oh, 303 00:20:16,840 --> 00:20:21,400 Speaker 1: I'm praying every day. Don't let my daughter, don't let 304 00:20:21,440 --> 00:20:30,680 Speaker 1: my sons, don't let me make agreements with the enemy. 305 00:20:31,720 --> 00:20:35,199 Speaker 1: Don't let me make an agreement with the enemy. You know, 306 00:20:35,280 --> 00:20:38,560 Speaker 1: sometimes you get in this self pity mode and you 307 00:20:38,640 --> 00:20:40,320 Speaker 1: kind of go with it and you start thinking, oh, 308 00:20:40,400 --> 00:20:42,600 Speaker 1: I'm just worthless, I'm just this, I'm just that, I'm 309 00:20:42,640 --> 00:20:44,280 Speaker 1: just the other. You know why you do that? Because 310 00:20:44,320 --> 00:20:49,560 Speaker 1: it takes the pressure off for a minute. You know 311 00:20:49,600 --> 00:20:52,560 Speaker 1: why Ahab gave up his silver and his gold, and 312 00:20:52,600 --> 00:20:58,040 Speaker 1: the Bible said his best wives not you can have 313 00:20:58,200 --> 00:21:00,479 Speaker 1: the other ones, but Lord, let me keep the best ones. 314 00:21:01,240 --> 00:21:03,320 Speaker 1: I'm gonna take your silver and your gold, and I'm 315 00:21:03,320 --> 00:21:05,159 Speaker 1: gonna take your best wives and your best kids. In 316 00:21:05,200 --> 00:21:09,040 Speaker 1: other words, I'm attacked the land. They have said, okay, 317 00:21:09,119 --> 00:21:11,760 Speaker 1: because if I agree with you, maybe you won't attack me. 318 00:21:14,359 --> 00:21:19,800 Speaker 1: So sometimes we find ways to make the attack stop 319 00:21:20,760 --> 00:21:23,760 Speaker 1: that actually make the battle worse and weaken us on 320 00:21:23,840 --> 00:21:30,520 Speaker 1: the inside after the fact. This is the root of addiction. Oh, 321 00:21:30,560 --> 00:21:32,560 Speaker 1: I was praying for our kids when y'all were standing 322 00:21:32,600 --> 00:21:35,400 Speaker 1: up earlier. I was praying, God, don't let them make 323 00:21:35,480 --> 00:21:40,479 Speaker 1: an alliance with something early in their life. Don't let 324 00:21:40,560 --> 00:21:43,400 Speaker 1: them make an agreement with something. Some of us make 325 00:21:43,440 --> 00:21:47,320 Speaker 1: agreements with things that provide us with temporary relief. But 326 00:21:47,440 --> 00:21:51,920 Speaker 1: they are false gods. They cannot save, they do not 327 00:21:52,160 --> 00:21:55,720 Speaker 1: serve us, they do not satisfy us. They are broken 328 00:21:55,840 --> 00:22:02,480 Speaker 1: cisterns that cannot hold water. So if we're going to 329 00:22:02,520 --> 00:22:05,880 Speaker 1: preach about anything, if we're going to preach about repentance 330 00:22:05,920 --> 00:22:09,560 Speaker 1: from sin and dead works, we have to first understand 331 00:22:09,760 --> 00:22:12,600 Speaker 1: that before the problem, this is my sermon, before the 332 00:22:12,640 --> 00:22:16,600 Speaker 1: promise of God can be received, your agreement with the 333 00:22:16,760 --> 00:22:26,120 Speaker 1: enemy has to be broken. And there are things there 334 00:22:26,119 --> 00:22:29,640 Speaker 1: are things about you that are not true, that are 335 00:22:29,640 --> 00:22:33,120 Speaker 1: not right, that are not noble, that are not good, 336 00:22:33,240 --> 00:22:36,680 Speaker 1: report that are not virtuous, that are not praiseworthy, that 337 00:22:36,760 --> 00:22:41,200 Speaker 1: you have begun to believe, because sometimes it is easier 338 00:22:41,240 --> 00:22:44,359 Speaker 1: to believe the lie that looks like the evidence I 339 00:22:44,359 --> 00:22:50,600 Speaker 1: can see, then believe the truth that is new. And 340 00:22:50,640 --> 00:22:54,720 Speaker 1: it's easier for me to bring God my love handles 341 00:22:56,400 --> 00:23:01,200 Speaker 1: and ask him to suck them out. Have you ever 342 00:23:01,520 --> 00:23:03,480 Speaker 1: crawled up in the presence of God when it's so 343 00:23:03,640 --> 00:23:07,600 Speaker 1: bad that you can't even hardly pray anymore? After you've 344 00:23:07,600 --> 00:23:14,840 Speaker 1: been fifteen rounds with Oh God? And I've had God 345 00:23:14,920 --> 00:23:17,680 Speaker 1: help me in those times. To be honest with you, 346 00:23:17,920 --> 00:23:20,040 Speaker 1: I wouldn't bear if he didn't help me in those times. 347 00:23:20,359 --> 00:23:22,720 Speaker 1: So there's nothing wrong with that. But I heard the 348 00:23:22,760 --> 00:23:25,119 Speaker 1: Lord say to me the other day, this would have 349 00:23:25,160 --> 00:23:33,000 Speaker 1: been easier if you'd have brought it to me earlier. Listen, 350 00:23:33,600 --> 00:23:36,600 Speaker 1: it starts before you see it. Say that out loud. 351 00:23:36,840 --> 00:23:41,240 Speaker 1: It starts before you see it again, it starts before 352 00:23:41,560 --> 00:23:44,440 Speaker 1: you see it. That's true for a leak in your roof, 353 00:23:46,920 --> 00:23:49,600 Speaker 1: that is true for an emotional state. I was so, 354 00:23:49,920 --> 00:23:54,080 Speaker 1: I was so obsessed with Paul's instruction to the Philippians. 355 00:23:54,280 --> 00:23:57,720 Speaker 1: He said, the peace of God will guard your heart 356 00:23:57,840 --> 00:23:59,800 Speaker 1: and your mind in Christ Jesus, look at this and 357 00:24:00,119 --> 00:24:02,359 Speaker 1: seven and the peace of God. So I want the 358 00:24:02,400 --> 00:24:04,439 Speaker 1: peace of God. God, give me your peace. I'm so 359 00:24:04,560 --> 00:24:06,639 Speaker 1: stressed out, I'm so anxious. I don't know what to 360 00:24:06,800 --> 00:24:10,480 Speaker 1: do about it. And he said, well, if you don't 361 00:24:10,520 --> 00:24:16,600 Speaker 1: guide your mind, it's impossible for God's peace to guard 362 00:24:16,600 --> 00:24:23,200 Speaker 1: your heart. How many know your mind needs to be guided? Oh? 363 00:24:23,280 --> 00:24:25,320 Speaker 1: Let me, Oh, I need to break it to you. 364 00:24:25,320 --> 00:24:31,320 Speaker 1: Your mind needs guidance. Your mind is an undisciplined, rabid 365 00:24:31,600 --> 00:24:36,240 Speaker 1: dog that will bite the whole neighborhood. Your mind needs Goddess, 366 00:24:36,240 --> 00:24:39,800 Speaker 1: that powerful computer of your mind. That mind needs guidance. 367 00:24:43,520 --> 00:24:46,840 Speaker 1: Elon Musk didn't make a self driving mind yet, y'all. 368 00:24:48,640 --> 00:24:53,000 Speaker 1: I don't think there's one coming on the market. So 369 00:24:54,280 --> 00:24:58,040 Speaker 1: if I'm going to bring God into my problems but 370 00:24:58,160 --> 00:25:04,000 Speaker 1: not bring him into my process, what's what's going to happen? 371 00:25:04,119 --> 00:25:11,560 Speaker 1: Every single time? When the King said to the enemy 372 00:25:11,600 --> 00:25:16,320 Speaker 1: ben Adad, I can't meet these demands. The Lord gave 373 00:25:16,359 --> 00:25:20,720 Speaker 1: a promise in verse thirteen, listen to this. This is 374 00:25:20,760 --> 00:25:24,120 Speaker 1: one king's twenty thirteen. A prophet came to Ahab, king 375 00:25:24,160 --> 00:25:28,879 Speaker 1: of Israel, and announced, this is what the Lord says. Whoo, 376 00:25:30,240 --> 00:25:34,960 Speaker 1: this is what the Lord says. I'm supposed to read 377 00:25:35,000 --> 00:25:38,280 Speaker 1: what comes next, but that's where I'm stuck. This is 378 00:25:38,400 --> 00:25:44,120 Speaker 1: what the Lord says. Everybody say it. This is what 379 00:25:44,640 --> 00:25:48,000 Speaker 1: the Lord says. What did I come to church to 380 00:25:48,040 --> 00:25:50,760 Speaker 1: hear what the Lord says? What do I want to 381 00:25:50,800 --> 00:25:53,719 Speaker 1: fill my heart with? What the Lord says? What do 382 00:25:53,760 --> 00:25:56,680 Speaker 1: I want my kids to believe? What the Lord says? 383 00:25:56,960 --> 00:25:59,280 Speaker 1: What am I building my life on that can't be 384 00:25:59,359 --> 00:26:03,040 Speaker 1: shaken with a storm? What the Lord says? What has 385 00:26:03,119 --> 00:26:06,520 Speaker 1: the power to defeat and uproot every lie? I believe? 386 00:26:07,000 --> 00:26:10,399 Speaker 1: What the Lord says? What am I steering my life 387 00:26:10,400 --> 00:26:14,160 Speaker 1: according to what the Lord says? What has the final 388 00:26:14,359 --> 00:26:17,359 Speaker 1: say over what happens to me in this season of 389 00:26:17,440 --> 00:26:21,479 Speaker 1: my life? What the Lord says? What has divide power 390 00:26:21,840 --> 00:26:26,520 Speaker 1: to demolish strongholds and defeat every devil in hell? What 391 00:26:26,600 --> 00:26:30,159 Speaker 1: the Lord says? This is what the Lord says, I 392 00:26:30,280 --> 00:26:33,800 Speaker 1: heard what you said, Benadadh, But this is what the 393 00:26:33,800 --> 00:26:38,800 Speaker 1: Lord says. Do you see this that stormy, Do you 394 00:26:38,960 --> 00:26:43,479 Speaker 1: see these problems? Do you see this situation? This is 395 00:26:43,520 --> 00:26:47,240 Speaker 1: what the Lord says. I will give it into your 396 00:26:47,359 --> 00:26:55,240 Speaker 1: hand today. Then you will know. I am the Lord. 397 00:26:56,480 --> 00:27:00,960 Speaker 1: Well Pastor Steve, that doesn't apply to me. I'm divorced, 398 00:27:01,240 --> 00:27:04,680 Speaker 1: Well Pastor Steve. That doesn't apply to me. I'm twelve, 399 00:27:05,000 --> 00:27:08,360 Speaker 1: Well Pastor Steve. That doesn't apply to me. I got 400 00:27:08,359 --> 00:27:12,359 Speaker 1: a learning disability, Well Pastor Steve. That doesn't apply to me. 401 00:27:12,840 --> 00:27:16,160 Speaker 1: I got an eating disorder, Well Pastor Steve. That doesn't 402 00:27:16,200 --> 00:27:19,600 Speaker 1: apply to me. I don't have any friends, Well Pastor Steve. 403 00:27:19,840 --> 00:27:22,320 Speaker 1: That doesn't apply to me. I got a ge d. 404 00:27:22,680 --> 00:27:29,119 Speaker 1: If God did it for Ahab, he is sure enough 405 00:27:29,240 --> 00:27:41,560 Speaker 1: to do it for me. I amn this style. Do 406 00:27:41,720 --> 00:27:46,280 Speaker 1: it for me, Lauren. Do it for me, Lauren. I 407 00:27:46,359 --> 00:27:51,600 Speaker 1: have been carrying the burdens of battles that my decisions created. 408 00:27:55,840 --> 00:28:00,919 Speaker 1: I have been anxious about agreements that I'm me with 409 00:28:01,040 --> 00:28:07,200 Speaker 1: the enemy. But the Lord said, I'm gonna I'm gonna 410 00:28:07,280 --> 00:28:14,439 Speaker 1: deliver them into your hands today. Then you will know. 411 00:28:19,640 --> 00:28:25,119 Speaker 1: Then you will know, and the peace of God, which 412 00:28:25,160 --> 00:28:30,400 Speaker 1: passes all understanding, will guard your heart and mine. Wait 413 00:28:30,400 --> 00:28:35,280 Speaker 1: a minute, what's the difference heart and mine? Heart and mine? 414 00:28:36,400 --> 00:28:40,680 Speaker 1: The heart is the emotions. The mind is the thought process. 415 00:28:42,800 --> 00:28:47,120 Speaker 1: And I can't pray my way out of emotional states 416 00:28:47,880 --> 00:28:57,240 Speaker 1: that my thinking cost. Y'all didn't shout too good over 417 00:28:57,280 --> 00:29:01,320 Speaker 1: that heart. Sit down, We're still we're still just getting started. 418 00:29:05,400 --> 00:29:12,000 Speaker 1: I'm not very I'm not very good at vacation. I 419 00:29:12,000 --> 00:29:13,680 Speaker 1: don't know how you can be bad at vacation, but 420 00:29:13,760 --> 00:29:18,600 Speaker 1: I am. Usually I'm too lazy to do anything fun 421 00:29:18,640 --> 00:29:27,800 Speaker 1: with my kids and make any memories. But then sometimes 422 00:29:28,400 --> 00:29:32,560 Speaker 1: when I try stuff, it just goes horribly wrong. In fact, 423 00:29:32,600 --> 00:29:34,520 Speaker 1: every time I try to do something a little interest, 424 00:29:34,520 --> 00:29:37,760 Speaker 1: it goes wrong. We were talking this summer. We went 425 00:29:37,800 --> 00:29:41,320 Speaker 1: to the beach this summer and they've had kayaks that 426 00:29:41,360 --> 00:29:44,320 Speaker 1: you can ride in the ocean. But it's different. When 427 00:29:44,320 --> 00:29:47,320 Speaker 1: Holly gets in the kayak, it's peaceful. When I get 428 00:29:47,360 --> 00:29:53,120 Speaker 1: into kayak, it's cursed. And there's three times we got 429 00:29:53,160 --> 00:29:55,280 Speaker 1: in the kayak that it went bad, all in one 430 00:29:55,280 --> 00:29:58,520 Speaker 1: week last summer. I didn't get into kayak this summer 431 00:29:58,520 --> 00:30:01,640 Speaker 1: because kayak is cursed. When I get in one of 432 00:30:01,680 --> 00:30:04,240 Speaker 1: the times that the kayak had ended with a man 433 00:30:04,400 --> 00:30:06,360 Speaker 1: with scissors pointing them at me, telling me he was 434 00:30:06,400 --> 00:30:08,480 Speaker 1: going to stab me with the scissors. And that happened. 435 00:30:08,720 --> 00:30:11,160 Speaker 1: That happened, and we don't have time to talk about that, 436 00:30:11,240 --> 00:30:12,680 Speaker 1: and I don't really want to talk about it. It's 437 00:30:12,680 --> 00:30:18,280 Speaker 1: a horrible memory. But even when I'm not in the kayak, 438 00:30:18,840 --> 00:30:20,719 Speaker 1: listen how bad I am. Listen how bad I am 439 00:30:20,720 --> 00:30:27,000 Speaker 1: at adventures. We swam in the ocean two summers ago, 440 00:30:27,760 --> 00:30:30,440 Speaker 1: and I think I told you all this story where 441 00:30:30,480 --> 00:30:33,520 Speaker 1: the rip title. Yeah, I told you that, But it's 442 00:30:33,520 --> 00:30:36,160 Speaker 1: a conversation that I had with Elijah that I wanted 443 00:30:36,160 --> 00:30:39,440 Speaker 1: to say to you. And maybe I'll say more about 444 00:30:39,480 --> 00:30:41,040 Speaker 1: this at Youth Thanks, because they're gonna let me preach 445 00:30:41,040 --> 00:30:42,640 Speaker 1: a session too, and I might have talked more about this. 446 00:30:44,680 --> 00:30:48,640 Speaker 1: I said, Elijah, You've got to be so careful how 447 00:30:48,640 --> 00:30:52,920 Speaker 1: far you swim out from me, because even if I 448 00:30:53,000 --> 00:30:57,120 Speaker 1: want to get to you out there, there is a 449 00:30:57,160 --> 00:31:01,080 Speaker 1: place that you can get so far away from me. 450 00:31:01,960 --> 00:31:03,920 Speaker 1: I'm your dad, I'm your father. If I could get 451 00:31:03,960 --> 00:31:07,000 Speaker 1: to you, I'll get to you. But in this particular instance, 452 00:31:07,040 --> 00:31:09,440 Speaker 1: the undertow was so bad. I had Abby on one arm, 453 00:31:09,480 --> 00:31:12,320 Speaker 1: and Graham was hanging on the other. And they weren't 454 00:31:12,440 --> 00:31:14,320 Speaker 1: care if I lived or died. They were just using 455 00:31:14,320 --> 00:31:18,360 Speaker 1: me to get out as an object. And I said, 456 00:31:18,720 --> 00:31:21,720 Speaker 1: if you get too far out, it won't be about 457 00:31:21,760 --> 00:31:24,640 Speaker 1: whether I want to come get you. There is such 458 00:31:24,680 --> 00:31:26,920 Speaker 1: a thing, and I used it to parallel to them, 459 00:31:26,960 --> 00:31:29,480 Speaker 1: not just the water. But I just talked about in 460 00:31:29,840 --> 00:31:32,880 Speaker 1: your teenage years, in your decisions, there is a place 461 00:31:32,880 --> 00:31:42,800 Speaker 1: where you can get far enough out. Now. I'm not 462 00:31:42,840 --> 00:31:45,120 Speaker 1: saying God's love can't reach you wherever you are, especially 463 00:31:45,120 --> 00:31:46,440 Speaker 1: for y'all in the back, how y'all doing. I'm not 464 00:31:46,440 --> 00:31:51,320 Speaker 1: saying you're too far away for the Lord. But what 465 00:31:51,400 --> 00:31:55,680 Speaker 1: I'm saying is you can't make an agreement with the 466 00:31:55,880 --> 00:31:59,120 Speaker 1: enemy in your soul and then ask for peace in 467 00:31:59,160 --> 00:32:03,160 Speaker 1: your life. If you do, it's going to be cyclical, 468 00:32:04,160 --> 00:32:06,080 Speaker 1: and you're just going to keep bringing your problems to 469 00:32:06,120 --> 00:32:09,360 Speaker 1: God over and over again and he'll accept them. But 470 00:32:09,400 --> 00:32:12,280 Speaker 1: the Lord has been asking me, do you always want 471 00:32:12,320 --> 00:32:15,760 Speaker 1: to be bringing me your problems or do you want 472 00:32:15,800 --> 00:32:23,600 Speaker 1: to bring me your thoughts before they become problems? Why? 473 00:32:25,520 --> 00:32:28,920 Speaker 1: So I think we have to decide will we be 474 00:32:29,000 --> 00:32:32,280 Speaker 1: willing to let God guide our minds, so that is 475 00:32:32,320 --> 00:32:34,600 Speaker 1: peace can guard our hearts. And the term is a 476 00:32:34,640 --> 00:32:38,120 Speaker 1: military term. It's a great, amazing picture that Paul gives. 477 00:32:38,360 --> 00:32:41,280 Speaker 1: It's a military terms talking about a detachment that God 478 00:32:41,320 --> 00:32:43,400 Speaker 1: will set up at your heart. The peace of God. 479 00:32:43,480 --> 00:32:45,680 Speaker 1: There are two things mentioned in Philippians chapter four. You 480 00:32:45,720 --> 00:32:47,520 Speaker 1: may not notice them on the surface, but they're both 481 00:32:47,640 --> 00:32:49,600 Speaker 1: right there. One is the peace of God and one 482 00:32:49,680 --> 00:32:54,920 Speaker 1: is the God of Peace. In Philippians four seven, it says, 483 00:32:54,960 --> 00:32:57,720 Speaker 1: in the peace of God which passes all understanding. And 484 00:32:57,800 --> 00:33:00,360 Speaker 1: every time I call someone who's going through something that 485 00:33:00,400 --> 00:33:02,520 Speaker 1: you can't imagine or can't figure out how to deal with, 486 00:33:02,600 --> 00:33:05,360 Speaker 1: or you can't counsel, the standard thing that I will 487 00:33:05,360 --> 00:33:07,520 Speaker 1: pray for them is God, And I pray that your 488 00:33:07,560 --> 00:33:11,520 Speaker 1: peace that passes all understanding will guard your heart of mind. 489 00:33:11,720 --> 00:33:14,000 Speaker 1: Because you know, when you're calling someone who lost their 490 00:33:14,080 --> 00:33:16,880 Speaker 1: child as a pastor, or when you're calling somebody who 491 00:33:17,000 --> 00:33:18,800 Speaker 1: is in the fight of their life and dealing with 492 00:33:18,920 --> 00:33:21,880 Speaker 1: things that you know they didn't cause for themselves, is 493 00:33:21,920 --> 00:33:24,680 Speaker 1: no good for you to try to explain it to them. 494 00:33:25,040 --> 00:33:27,000 Speaker 1: So I'll just pray that the peace of God that 495 00:33:27,040 --> 00:33:30,800 Speaker 1: passes all understanding would guard their heart and their mind 496 00:33:31,160 --> 00:33:35,720 Speaker 1: in Christ. But some of the agreements that you make 497 00:33:35,760 --> 00:33:39,760 Speaker 1: with the enemy, instead of keeping out anxiety, peace of 498 00:33:39,800 --> 00:33:43,000 Speaker 1: God wants to keep out anxiety. But sometimes your agreements 499 00:33:43,120 --> 00:33:49,000 Speaker 1: with the enemy keep out the peace of God. You 500 00:33:49,040 --> 00:33:52,680 Speaker 1: know when I tell myself I'm not worthy. In psychological terms, 501 00:33:52,720 --> 00:33:55,680 Speaker 1: they talk about rumination, and a lot of us we 502 00:33:55,760 --> 00:34:01,880 Speaker 1: think that we're overthinking things. We're really underthinking things. We're 503 00:34:01,920 --> 00:34:03,880 Speaker 1: just thinking the same thing over and over at the 504 00:34:03,880 --> 00:34:06,920 Speaker 1: same level. Never involve God. Just give the enemy whatever 505 00:34:06,960 --> 00:34:09,320 Speaker 1: he wants. Just give him our mind. Just believe anything 506 00:34:09,320 --> 00:34:14,360 Speaker 1: that goes through our mind. Right, But the peace of 507 00:34:14,400 --> 00:34:16,680 Speaker 1: God will set up a guard at your heart. That's 508 00:34:16,719 --> 00:34:22,640 Speaker 1: your emotions if you guide your mind. And that's why 509 00:34:22,640 --> 00:34:29,000 Speaker 1: he says there's power and prayer. I don't pray like 510 00:34:29,040 --> 00:34:34,359 Speaker 1: I like I could, like I should. Sometimes I don't 511 00:34:34,360 --> 00:34:35,960 Speaker 1: pray till the pressure gets so bad I feel like 512 00:34:35,960 --> 00:34:39,160 Speaker 1: I'm about to explode. And the Lord's like, you, are 513 00:34:39,160 --> 00:34:41,279 Speaker 1: you done with that? Now? You're gonna come on over here. 514 00:34:41,320 --> 00:34:45,560 Speaker 1: And if you drag that far enough across the floor, 515 00:34:45,600 --> 00:34:47,640 Speaker 1: have got low enough now. But what if you don't 516 00:34:47,640 --> 00:34:52,160 Speaker 1: have to wait till it gets to that point, Lord, 517 00:34:52,640 --> 00:34:57,240 Speaker 1: keep me from doing something crazy in the next five minutes. 518 00:34:57,280 --> 00:34:59,359 Speaker 1: It's gonna take me the next five years to clean up. 519 00:34:59,480 --> 00:35:06,400 Speaker 1: What if you what if we prayed about What if 520 00:35:06,440 --> 00:35:11,880 Speaker 1: you involved God earlier in the process, like before it 521 00:35:12,000 --> 00:35:14,439 Speaker 1: goes all the way to level ten? What if God 522 00:35:14,480 --> 00:35:17,920 Speaker 1: wanted to meet you at two? Oh, this is slipping 523 00:35:17,960 --> 00:35:20,200 Speaker 1: a little off tray. Like if you drove your car 524 00:35:20,320 --> 00:35:25,000 Speaker 1: like you guided your mind. You being a bitch. Just 525 00:35:25,160 --> 00:35:27,799 Speaker 1: let go of the wheel until the last minute. You're 526 00:35:27,800 --> 00:35:30,759 Speaker 1: steering into a semi Now you want to drive, but 527 00:35:30,880 --> 00:35:35,480 Speaker 1: we do it with our souls. We wait until let's 528 00:35:35,480 --> 00:35:39,520 Speaker 1: see exact last minute. Oh, God, deliver me from the 529 00:35:39,560 --> 00:35:43,319 Speaker 1: decisions that I've made all week. No, I'm serious, y'all. 530 00:35:43,360 --> 00:35:46,560 Speaker 1: Do me like that in one hour on Sunday. You 531 00:35:46,640 --> 00:35:49,359 Speaker 1: want me to preach a word that will deliver you 532 00:35:49,680 --> 00:35:56,080 Speaker 1: from the decisions just spend all week making. That's not right, 533 00:35:57,520 --> 00:36:02,680 Speaker 1: it's not fair. I told the dental hygienist one time, 534 00:36:02,920 --> 00:36:07,240 Speaker 1: I'm not gonna flyss. I'll be here every six months. 535 00:36:07,320 --> 00:36:09,560 Speaker 1: Do the best you can whenever you can get out 536 00:36:09,560 --> 00:36:12,040 Speaker 1: of my teeth in that time. Just do it and 537 00:36:12,120 --> 00:36:14,560 Speaker 1: the rest leave it, and it'll grow for the glory 538 00:36:14,600 --> 00:36:17,640 Speaker 1: of God until you remove it again. I know it's gross, 539 00:36:17,880 --> 00:36:20,840 Speaker 1: but I let it build up until the last minute. 540 00:36:21,080 --> 00:36:23,480 Speaker 1: And God has been saying to me, you can bring 541 00:36:23,520 --> 00:36:28,280 Speaker 1: me your problems, but you can also bring me your thoughts. 542 00:36:31,160 --> 00:36:34,240 Speaker 1: Now I'm at the point where I will pray about 543 00:36:34,360 --> 00:36:40,280 Speaker 1: absolutely anything because you know why I do it, because 544 00:36:40,440 --> 00:36:44,960 Speaker 1: Paul said I could, and he wrote the Bible. And 545 00:36:45,000 --> 00:36:47,680 Speaker 1: I know you think there's certain things we're not supposed 546 00:36:47,719 --> 00:36:50,520 Speaker 1: to pray about, but you didn't write the Bible. I 547 00:36:50,560 --> 00:36:54,719 Speaker 1: don't care what you think about it anymore, because Paul said, 548 00:36:54,960 --> 00:36:58,680 Speaker 1: don't be anxious about anything. Listen to this. Pray in 549 00:36:58,800 --> 00:37:04,480 Speaker 1: every situation, and so in Greek, every situation means every 550 00:37:04,520 --> 00:37:10,120 Speaker 1: situation in that deep I got a degree in the Bible. 551 00:37:14,560 --> 00:37:18,480 Speaker 1: I'm gonna blow your mind. A porn addict can pray 552 00:37:18,520 --> 00:37:23,359 Speaker 1: while he's looking at porn. I'll see y'all next week. 553 00:37:23,400 --> 00:37:29,280 Speaker 1: We gotta do this in doses LJ. You can pray 554 00:37:29,600 --> 00:37:34,279 Speaker 1: in the middle of a panic attack, not after it's 555 00:37:34,320 --> 00:37:36,799 Speaker 1: over and you're on the floor. You can pray, you 556 00:37:36,800 --> 00:37:39,359 Speaker 1: know what. You can even start with a selfish prayer 557 00:37:39,360 --> 00:37:42,560 Speaker 1: if you have to. You have to wait until you 558 00:37:42,640 --> 00:37:45,160 Speaker 1: want the right thing to talk to God. You've been 559 00:37:45,160 --> 00:37:49,160 Speaker 1: waiting the rest of your life. You're too dysfunctional to 560 00:37:49,239 --> 00:37:52,640 Speaker 1: wait until you want the right thing to pray. Delight 561 00:37:52,640 --> 00:37:54,239 Speaker 1: yourself on the Lord, and he will give you the 562 00:37:54,280 --> 00:37:56,799 Speaker 1: desires of your heart. He will put them in there. 563 00:38:05,080 --> 00:38:07,200 Speaker 1: So I prayed the man who had the scissors at me, 564 00:38:07,680 --> 00:38:10,319 Speaker 1: and the thing I prayed God, I want to take 565 00:38:10,320 --> 00:38:12,799 Speaker 1: his sisters from him, because I was more fit than him. 566 00:38:12,840 --> 00:38:15,200 Speaker 1: I could see it. I you know, I sized it 567 00:38:15,239 --> 00:38:20,440 Speaker 1: up real quick, and I and so you know, they 568 00:38:20,440 --> 00:38:22,279 Speaker 1: say pray for your enemies. It doesn't say what you 569 00:38:22,320 --> 00:38:27,879 Speaker 1: pray for him. So you have to start somewhere. My Lord, 570 00:38:27,960 --> 00:38:36,600 Speaker 1: let him fall on his scissors right now. But but 571 00:38:36,680 --> 00:38:41,560 Speaker 1: the important thing is that you involve God in the process. 572 00:38:43,440 --> 00:38:50,000 Speaker 1: Right You ever had to pray in anger? Pray angry? 573 00:38:51,920 --> 00:38:53,840 Speaker 1: I was getting ready to preach one time, and I 574 00:38:53,880 --> 00:38:56,040 Speaker 1: start praying to the Lord, why will you hide your 575 00:38:56,040 --> 00:38:59,960 Speaker 1: face from me? Elo elo, love me buck thing, my wife, 576 00:39:00,000 --> 00:39:03,279 Speaker 1: you're forsaking me. I wouldn't feel anything to God. And 577 00:39:03,560 --> 00:39:08,480 Speaker 1: I thought as if God was saying, oh, there you are, there, 578 00:39:08,480 --> 00:39:13,080 Speaker 1: you are. Why am I hiding my face from me? 579 00:39:13,120 --> 00:39:17,400 Speaker 1: Why are you hiding from me. You keep God out 580 00:39:17,440 --> 00:39:22,279 Speaker 1: of the process, You keep God out of the then 581 00:39:22,320 --> 00:39:26,080 Speaker 1: you end up just being just like a half Oh 582 00:39:26,120 --> 00:39:29,920 Speaker 1: I hate a haveb but I gotta be honest. I 583 00:39:30,000 --> 00:39:33,759 Speaker 1: kind of relate to him. Enemy is attacking me with 584 00:39:33,800 --> 00:39:37,120 Speaker 1: thirty two kings. Okay, you can have it. You can 585 00:39:37,160 --> 00:39:43,120 Speaker 1: have it. It is easier to just believe the lie 586 00:39:45,680 --> 00:39:48,959 Speaker 1: than it is to you know, you got to train 587 00:39:49,000 --> 00:39:57,160 Speaker 1: yourself in truth. It doesn't come naturally. Paul said, whatever 588 00:39:57,239 --> 00:40:03,040 Speaker 1: things that you have seen, received or heard from me, 589 00:40:05,719 --> 00:40:08,240 Speaker 1: a lot of us have never actually seen a pattern 590 00:40:09,440 --> 00:40:13,759 Speaker 1: of how to fight our battles with God's help. We 591 00:40:13,800 --> 00:40:15,640 Speaker 1: believe the way that we've seen it done is the 592 00:40:15,640 --> 00:40:19,200 Speaker 1: only way that it can be done. We don't really believe, 593 00:40:19,320 --> 00:40:22,440 Speaker 1: like really believe that I can give my battle to 594 00:40:22,480 --> 00:40:27,560 Speaker 1: the Lord. We don't really believe that the peace of 595 00:40:27,600 --> 00:40:33,440 Speaker 1: God will guard my heart in my mind. But I 596 00:40:33,480 --> 00:40:39,279 Speaker 1: want you to watch what happened to Ahab. You know, 597 00:40:41,680 --> 00:40:44,520 Speaker 1: the enemy doesn't just attack you once and if it 598 00:40:44,520 --> 00:40:48,719 Speaker 1: doesn't work, he leaves you alone. Because the Lord gave 599 00:40:48,760 --> 00:40:53,760 Speaker 1: Ahab a victory over Benedad. But just after the victory, 600 00:40:53,760 --> 00:41:02,840 Speaker 1: the prophet comes back and came to Ahab again, and 601 00:41:02,920 --> 00:41:06,040 Speaker 1: look at this. In verse twenty two, he said to 602 00:41:06,080 --> 00:41:11,640 Speaker 1: the King of Israel, strengthen your position and see what 603 00:41:11,840 --> 00:41:17,200 Speaker 1: must be done, because next spring the King of Aram 604 00:41:17,800 --> 00:41:26,600 Speaker 1: will attack you again. I'm under attack again. I'm dealing 605 00:41:26,600 --> 00:41:31,759 Speaker 1: with depression again. Jesus died for me, and I believe 606 00:41:31,800 --> 00:41:37,840 Speaker 1: that his blood cleanses me. But I'm struggling with unworthiness again. 607 00:41:38,960 --> 00:41:42,160 Speaker 1: And the prophet said something very interesting. It's not just prayer, 608 00:41:42,160 --> 00:41:45,440 Speaker 1: it's not just peace. He says, strengthen your position and 609 00:41:45,480 --> 00:41:50,080 Speaker 1: see what must be done, because see the officials. Verse 610 00:41:50,160 --> 00:41:52,640 Speaker 1: twenty three of the King of Aram had a theory 611 00:41:53,239 --> 00:41:56,400 Speaker 1: on why God gave the victory to the Israelites the 612 00:41:56,400 --> 00:42:01,240 Speaker 1: first time, and they advised him their god are gods 613 00:42:01,280 --> 00:42:04,560 Speaker 1: of the hills. That is why they were too strong 614 00:42:04,600 --> 00:42:06,600 Speaker 1: for us. But if we fight them on the plains, 615 00:42:07,000 --> 00:42:11,120 Speaker 1: surely we will be stronger than they. So do this, 616 00:42:11,360 --> 00:42:14,719 Speaker 1: remove and replace them, or remove all the kings from 617 00:42:14,760 --> 00:42:18,160 Speaker 1: their commands and replace them with other officers. Remove and 618 00:42:18,200 --> 00:42:19,960 Speaker 1: replace would be a good sermon, by the way, to 619 00:42:20,239 --> 00:42:22,960 Speaker 1: remove and replacement not today. You must also raise an 620 00:42:23,040 --> 00:42:24,440 Speaker 1: army like the one you lost. Horse for horse and 621 00:42:24,520 --> 00:42:27,000 Speaker 1: Chario for cherry, so we can fight Israel on the plains, 622 00:42:27,200 --> 00:42:29,319 Speaker 1: then surely we will be stronger than they. And he 623 00:42:29,440 --> 00:42:37,239 Speaker 1: agreed with them and acted accordingly. He agreed with the 624 00:42:37,320 --> 00:42:40,960 Speaker 1: lie and acted accordingly. This has been a dad the enemy. 625 00:42:41,160 --> 00:42:44,640 Speaker 1: He agreed with the advice of his counselors. He thought 626 00:42:44,680 --> 00:42:50,080 Speaker 1: that God Yahweh, was like Bail of the Phoenicians. He 627 00:42:50,239 --> 00:42:54,239 Speaker 1: thought that God was only limited to one geographical locale. 628 00:42:54,480 --> 00:42:57,320 Speaker 1: So the reason they beat you was because you fought 629 00:42:57,320 --> 00:42:59,360 Speaker 1: them in the hills. But if you fight them in 630 00:42:59,400 --> 00:43:01,480 Speaker 1: the low place. Now here's the thing. Some of you, 631 00:43:01,719 --> 00:43:04,720 Speaker 1: the enemy attacked you on one level, and it didn't 632 00:43:04,760 --> 00:43:07,680 Speaker 1: work because you still have your faith and you still 633 00:43:07,719 --> 00:43:10,439 Speaker 1: have your sanity, and you didn't blow your brains out, 634 00:43:10,680 --> 00:43:13,120 Speaker 1: and you didn't give in, and you didn't walk away. 635 00:43:13,400 --> 00:43:16,920 Speaker 1: But now watch this. He's hitting you with a low blow. 636 00:43:18,000 --> 00:43:20,120 Speaker 1: He said, if you fight them in the plains, will 637 00:43:20,160 --> 00:43:22,480 Speaker 1: be stronger than them. But look what the word of 638 00:43:22,520 --> 00:43:24,319 Speaker 1: the Lord says. And I want to show you this 639 00:43:24,360 --> 00:43:26,600 Speaker 1: in verse twenty eight, and I'm closing. I'm closing because 640 00:43:26,600 --> 00:43:28,799 Speaker 1: it says that they lined up against them, and they 641 00:43:28,800 --> 00:43:31,160 Speaker 1: seem like a flock of small goats, and they look 642 00:43:31,239 --> 00:43:33,719 Speaker 1: too small, but they had God fighting for them. Verse 643 00:43:33,760 --> 00:43:35,359 Speaker 1: twenty eight. The Man of God came up and told 644 00:43:35,360 --> 00:43:37,920 Speaker 1: the King of Israel, here it is again. This is 645 00:43:37,960 --> 00:43:42,160 Speaker 1: what the Lord says. This is what the Lord says, 646 00:43:42,880 --> 00:43:47,480 Speaker 1: because the Eramians think the Lord is a god of 647 00:43:47,520 --> 00:43:56,520 Speaker 1: the hills and not a god of the valleys. Because 648 00:43:56,640 --> 00:44:01,279 Speaker 1: the enemy face that if he hits you in your 649 00:44:01,400 --> 00:44:04,759 Speaker 1: weakest spot. Just be honest, how many of you the 650 00:44:04,880 --> 00:44:08,160 Speaker 1: enemy has hit you with a low glow lately, like 651 00:44:08,239 --> 00:44:11,279 Speaker 1: in the place where it hurts the most. This is 652 00:44:11,320 --> 00:44:14,960 Speaker 1: what the Lord says, because he hit you where you 653 00:44:15,000 --> 00:44:19,440 Speaker 1: were the weakest. I am going to display my strength 654 00:44:19,840 --> 00:44:26,759 Speaker 1: in the greatest way because the enemy thinks, oh, if 655 00:44:26,800 --> 00:44:29,960 Speaker 1: I fight him there, they'll give in. But he's wrong 656 00:44:30,080 --> 00:44:33,880 Speaker 1: about it. The harder he hits you in the most 657 00:44:33,960 --> 00:44:37,720 Speaker 1: vulnerable place, the greater a candidate for the grace of God. 658 00:44:37,760 --> 00:44:47,120 Speaker 1: You become. Some of you. The enemy couldn't defeat you 659 00:44:47,200 --> 00:44:49,560 Speaker 1: while you were awake, so now he started sneaking into 660 00:44:49,640 --> 00:44:52,160 Speaker 1: your sleep. You've been having dreams in the middle of 661 00:44:52,200 --> 00:44:54,640 Speaker 1: the night about scenarios. You've been waking up in a 662 00:44:54,680 --> 00:44:57,440 Speaker 1: cold sweat, not even rested. He couldn't fight you couldn't 663 00:44:57,480 --> 00:45:01,680 Speaker 1: beat you awake, so now he's fighting you asleep. Some 664 00:45:01,760 --> 00:45:04,759 Speaker 1: of you, the enemy took a lot from you personally, 665 00:45:04,960 --> 00:45:06,840 Speaker 1: but it didn't cause you to lose your faith. So 666 00:45:06,920 --> 00:45:11,239 Speaker 1: then he hit your kids. There was one thing for 667 00:45:11,280 --> 00:45:13,280 Speaker 1: you to be dealing with it, but now you're watching 668 00:45:13,280 --> 00:45:16,360 Speaker 1: your kids suffer. Oh, if I can't beat them in 669 00:45:16,400 --> 00:45:22,919 Speaker 1: the hills, I'll fight them on the plains. God said, 670 00:45:22,920 --> 00:45:36,360 Speaker 1: I am the God of unconditional victory. I believe that 671 00:45:36,520 --> 00:45:40,560 Speaker 1: God is calling somebody today to take back not only 672 00:45:40,640 --> 00:45:45,200 Speaker 1: the high places. But God said, because your enemy thinks 673 00:45:45,440 --> 00:45:50,359 Speaker 1: that I am only the God of the hills, I 674 00:45:50,400 --> 00:45:55,879 Speaker 1: am going to show you a victory in the valley 675 00:45:56,080 --> 00:46:03,360 Speaker 1: so you will know. Like Bail, I don't operate based 676 00:46:03,400 --> 00:46:08,319 Speaker 1: on physical location. I don't need perfect circumstances to do 677 00:46:08,440 --> 00:46:13,000 Speaker 1: my work. In fact, if you have faith to believe it, 678 00:46:13,360 --> 00:46:17,120 Speaker 1: I hear God saying I stack the odds against myself. 679 00:46:18,880 --> 00:46:23,480 Speaker 1: That's what the Lord said. I'm making it so impossible 680 00:46:23,840 --> 00:46:28,080 Speaker 1: because I want you to know that it's your weeh. 681 00:46:28,160 --> 00:46:33,680 Speaker 1: I want you to know that it's God. See when 682 00:46:33,680 --> 00:46:36,480 Speaker 1: they're fighting you in the mountains, when they're fighting you 683 00:46:36,560 --> 00:46:39,439 Speaker 1: in the good time, you think it's you. You think 684 00:46:39,480 --> 00:46:42,799 Speaker 1: it's your leverage. This is what the Lord says in 685 00:46:42,880 --> 00:46:46,600 Speaker 1: this season, I'm going to do something in the lowest place, 686 00:46:47,080 --> 00:46:52,680 Speaker 1: in the most vulnerable place, in your weakness. I am strong. 687 00:46:55,440 --> 00:47:02,759 Speaker 1: So what does Lord say? That's what I want to know. 688 00:47:06,560 --> 00:47:10,800 Speaker 1: I don't want to agree with the enemy about anything 689 00:47:12,719 --> 00:47:15,880 Speaker 1: that keeps me from hearing what God has said about me, 690 00:47:18,760 --> 00:47:26,240 Speaker 1: whether it's why I'm unworthy, why I'm incompetent. In fact, Lord, 691 00:47:26,320 --> 00:47:31,759 Speaker 1: right now, in the name of Jesus, in the name 692 00:47:31,800 --> 00:47:37,560 Speaker 1: of Jesus, I break the power of the agreements that 693 00:47:37,600 --> 00:47:42,799 Speaker 1: your children have made with the enemy, and we call 694 00:47:42,880 --> 00:47:47,480 Speaker 1: on you, God of Peace, to set up an armed 695 00:47:47,520 --> 00:47:53,759 Speaker 1: guard at our hearts. In Christ, Jesus, we thank you 696 00:47:53,800 --> 00:48:03,440 Speaker 1: that our position in You is permanent and it is fixed. Lord. Today, 697 00:48:02,080 --> 00:48:08,880 Speaker 1: we don't want to give the enemy so easily what 698 00:48:09,000 --> 00:48:13,319 Speaker 1: you died with your blood to purchase for us, and 699 00:48:13,360 --> 00:48:17,879 Speaker 1: you came to give us peace right now, standing all 700 00:48:17,880 --> 00:48:22,560 Speaker 1: over this house, every location, watching online, God said, take 701 00:48:22,600 --> 00:48:29,040 Speaker 1: it back. You agreed with the enemy, but take it back. 702 00:48:30,800 --> 00:48:33,000 Speaker 1: I know I agreed in my heart that I was workless. 703 00:48:33,000 --> 00:48:34,680 Speaker 1: I know I agreed in my heart that my best 704 00:48:34,719 --> 00:48:36,680 Speaker 1: days were behind me. I know I agreed in my 705 00:48:36,760 --> 00:48:38,839 Speaker 1: heart that I wouldn't ever, but I take it back 706 00:48:40,760 --> 00:48:46,160 Speaker 1: because this is what the Lord says. God, We're not 707 00:48:46,200 --> 00:48:48,040 Speaker 1: going to be so quick to hand over the best 708 00:48:48,080 --> 00:48:52,480 Speaker 1: of what you gave us. We've let the enemy have enough. 709 00:48:52,520 --> 00:48:56,960 Speaker 1: He's taken enough ground in this season. We've given up 710 00:48:57,080 --> 00:49:06,799 Speaker 1: enough ground. Not another inch, another inch. I thank you 711 00:49:06,840 --> 00:49:10,720 Speaker 1: that now, in this moment, you are releasing your peace, 712 00:49:13,480 --> 00:49:19,280 Speaker 1: your unconditional victory. Lord. I want to pray for somebody 713 00:49:19,280 --> 00:49:21,520 Speaker 1: today who has believed the lie that you are a 714 00:49:21,520 --> 00:49:25,200 Speaker 1: god of the mountains, only, that you can only win 715 00:49:25,200 --> 00:49:29,080 Speaker 1: into hills, that you can only use perfect people, and 716 00:49:29,120 --> 00:49:31,560 Speaker 1: that you can only work in perfect circumstances. It's a lie. 717 00:49:33,280 --> 00:49:35,680 Speaker 1: And because the Aramians think that you're only a god 718 00:49:35,719 --> 00:49:39,600 Speaker 1: of the hills and not the valleys, I dispatch victory 719 00:49:39,680 --> 00:49:43,719 Speaker 1: into the valleys of your people's lives today. Well, I 720 00:49:43,760 --> 00:49:47,400 Speaker 1: thank you for it. I thank you for it. In advance. 721 00:49:48,480 --> 00:49:51,120 Speaker 1: We have heard your word today. This is what the 722 00:49:51,120 --> 00:49:55,120 Speaker 1: Lord says. We have sung your word today. This is 723 00:49:55,200 --> 00:49:58,960 Speaker 1: what the Lord says. And we thank you Jesus in 724 00:49:59,040 --> 00:50:04,440 Speaker 1: your name that over these next seven days of our life, 725 00:50:04,560 --> 00:50:09,280 Speaker 1: as we meditate on this word. We will not rehearse 726 00:50:09,920 --> 00:50:13,359 Speaker 1: the reasons that we should feel defeated, and we will 727 00:50:13,360 --> 00:50:17,960 Speaker 1: not rehearse the reasons that we should be afraid. We 728 00:50:18,040 --> 00:50:22,320 Speaker 1: will remember the victories that you have given and anticipate 729 00:50:22,360 --> 00:50:26,320 Speaker 1: the ones that you have promised. All of God's people 730 00:50:26,520 --> 00:50:28,800 Speaker 1: who agree with this word, lift up a great shout 731 00:50:28,840 --> 00:50:34,399 Speaker 1: of brace, Lift up a great shout of friends. Thank 732 00:50:34,480 --> 00:50:40,600 Speaker 1: you Lord. Come on, lift your hands, lift your hands. 733 00:50:41,280 --> 00:50:44,560 Speaker 1: I declare victory over your life. This is what the 734 00:50:44,600 --> 00:50:49,880 Speaker 1: Lord says. I'm gonna give it into your hands. Receive it, 735 00:50:50,040 --> 00:50:53,719 Speaker 1: Receive it right now, receive it right now. I give 736 00:50:53,760 --> 00:51:00,080 Speaker 1: it in your hands. It is a kid. We receive it. 737 00:51:00,800 --> 00:51:03,680 Speaker 1: All the people who receive this word, clap your hands 738 00:51:03,719 --> 00:51:09,520 Speaker 1: and say amen. Thank you for joining us. Special thanks 739 00:51:09,560 --> 00:51:12,120 Speaker 1: to those of you who give generously to this ministry. 740 00:51:12,440 --> 00:51:15,400 Speaker 1: Is because of you that this ministry is possible. You 741 00:51:15,440 --> 00:51:17,880 Speaker 1: can click the link in the description to give now, 742 00:51:18,400 --> 00:51:22,240 Speaker 1: or visit Elevationchurch dot org slash podcast for more information, 743 00:51:22,800 --> 00:51:25,920 Speaker 1: and if you enjoyed the podcast, you can subscribe. You 744 00:51:25,960 --> 00:51:28,040 Speaker 1: can share it with your friends. You can click the 745 00:51:28,040 --> 00:51:30,319 Speaker 1: share button, take a screenshot and share it on your 746 00:51:30,360 --> 00:51:33,319 Speaker 1: social stories and tag us at Elevation Church. Thanks again 747 00:51:33,360 --> 00:51:39,440 Speaker 1: for listening. God bless you.