Lightly edited for readability while preserving the speaker’s meaning and substantive statements.
We don't want to be like the rest of this world law. We want our minds purifying our hearts purifying Now we want to be real Christians Lord not some halfway hypocrites law. We want to be real God we want to be able to walk in love and in firmness and We want to be able to have compassion on those who need compassion and other savings fear pulling them out of the fire Whatever it takes Lord. We want to have the word in due season We want to have a a life Lord that they see Your glory and your power and your presence they see the peace in the midst of a terrible storm They see faith when it seems like you're far away Lord when They need to see that there's power to drive out the the demonic powers They need to see that there's healing for those that have been abused and hurt That you haven't changed Jesus you came to heal the brokenhearted Set at Liberty those that are bruised you came Lord preach deliverance to the captives Recovering of sight to the blind you came to save people out of darkness from the power of Satan to the power of Jesus Lord we just ask you Lord Wear your body on this earth where your hands your feet your eyes your mouth Your heart down here Lord We just want to do what you want us to do help us get free from The junk in the world. It's only temporary anyway in ourselves to you father. We pray this this morning Help us open our eyes to selfishness and pride When we do what we want to do instead of what you want to show us rebellion show us where we fear man We fear what people think instead of doing the right thing Would help us get free from ourselves, and I just can't hardly stop praying this man
Let's just pray another minute. Thank you Jesus We yield to you Lord we yield to the Holy Spirit Lord if you want to speak the Lord we receive that word right there that That prophecy that you you want us to surrender and you will To the surrendered heart to the surrendered life you will show yourself strong You will do great things Through the life that is surrendered to you through the life that hates sin like you hate it Through the life that's willing to lay down Its own will to do your will You will do great things Thank you Jesus. Thank you Jesus Thank you Jesus. Well. This is one of those mornings that The Lord would not release me to the message to what he wanted me to preach or teach until we got here matter of fact I felt like He wouldn't release me on it until we got through praise and worship For some reason sometimes he does that sometimes I know days in advance sometimes. I know the night before sometimes I know the morning of and sometimes I don't even know when I step up here, but Today, I think the Lord's made it very clear, and it does kind of fall in line with what we are What we've been discussing about being led by the Spirit, but I want you to turn to Luke chapter 14 Because I need to talk about something this morning that I when it comes to being led by the Holy Spirit that You know I think we covered the attitude of sin last week didn't we the attitude you should have towards sin and what God thinks About I think we covered that pretty thoroughly But there's another sin you know there's the overt sins you know that we talked about last week like fornication or adultery or witchcraft or drunkenness and we talked about and we went through Ephesians 5 and Galatians 5 and Talked about what it means to walk in the in the flesh or versus walking in the spirit and that somebody that's Walking in the spirits going to be led by the spirit, and they're going to mortify or kill the deeds of the body they're going to get the body under control and It's not that they'll ever be a Sinless Christian, but as I've said many times in the past sin should be the exception in the life of a Christian and not the rule if something's ruling you then you need to get freedom over it and
There is freedom in Jesus Amen That's the good thing you don't have to be bound in something that you have to do all the time that you know is Is evil or wrong you can be set free from it? But there's another sin that Christians commit Left and right when it comes to being led by the Spirit and that is It's not just Getting the sins of the flesh out of your life that you've got to deal with But the next thing you've got to deal with is you've got to find the will of God for your life And there's so many Christians that think that it stops with maybe just becoming moral But no God has a plan for your life He has a plan for me and there's nowhere that it's written in the Bible You know Dean go to Auburn, Alabama and start a church right that's not written in there So how did I have how did I find out that that was God's will and direction for my life? And over the years many different things that God has spoken and that's what we're going to talk about a little bit about finding The will of God, but I'm going to show you something Finding the will of God for you for your own life Is not optional. I mean, it's not something you get to do or not do God expects you to seek him enough to get close to him enough until you hear from him and learn to hear from him and Know what he wants that you to do in given situations Whether it be the the calling ministry calling or how God wants you to serve in church or even where you should go to church What you should do with your money if you should go to school if you shouldn't go to school I mean if you should move if you shouldn't move God has a he has a big plan and then he has the little steps along The way to get you there and guess what the grace of God and the mercy of God is that he's calculated in sometimes Knowing ahead of time where you would blow it and he's even calculated in sometimes where that you can actually blow it But then he can get you back on course and you cannot miss your destiny But there are times and seasons that if God is wanting you to do something and you miss it right then It's gone forever. I mean, this is a serious thing about finding the will of God This is why I'm we're gonna read some Scriptures on this about you know They're gonna be people who say Lord when they stand before Jesus on judgment day And they're gonna say Lord we prophesied in your name and in your name We cast out demons and we did many wonderful works and he says he will say depart from me You workers of iniquity or lawlessness I never knew you and then he says in that and that's this is in Matthew 7 But then he says that many will say to me Lord and that they haven't you know We haven't we done these things he says not all those who called me Lord Lord is going to enter the kingdom of heaven, but those who do the will of my father Now I want to say last week. We covered the will of God that's written if you won't do it's already written in the book
You can forget hearing about your calling your destiny the direction in your life. You can forget about it God wants people who will first put the word of God first the written word first if God says don't live in fornication Then guess what that's the will of God for you if God says don't be a drunkard That's the will of God for you So we I think we established that pretty clearly but then there's the things of you know Like I said about who you're gonna marry About where you're gonna live about where you're gonna go to church about what am I called to do in the kingdom of God? Besides the normal things of having a prayer life and going to church, but what am I gonna do? What is my calling and gift? How did I figure out that God had called me to be a pastor and a church planner or in the prophetic ministry? How did I know those things and I want to say this is that you can know you can find out I found out Very early on I found out at 19 years old It's not a matter of how old you are how young you are. It's how surrendered you are It's how much you're willing to say God. I don't want my will anymore. I'll give up my whole life To find out what you want me to do and I'll do whatever it is That's true Christianity and until you make that great exchange You may believe in Jesus, but you have not become a follower of Jesus There's a big difference You have to be willing to leave the sins of the flesh and the lust of the world But you also have to be willing to die to your flesh to die to yourself and do the will of God For your life and that this is so serious. So I told you to turn to Luke and once I want you to see this So you'll see that it's not optional Luke and I didn't turn there I guess everybody turned there, but I didn't turn there yet. I get to talking I guess that's what preachers do we get to talking don't we Luke 14 and I'm doing this by memory. So I hope we I hope I'm turning to the right place Yes, here we go This this is not preached in churches too often right here Verse 25 and there went great multitudes with him and he turned and said unto them if any man come to me and Hate not his father and mother and wife and children and brethren and sisters yay in his own life Also, he cannot be my disciple Now, of course, Jesus is not talking about hatred in the sense of wanting ill will but he's talking about if you don't love me So much more than even you love your family your wife your children your own life You cannot be his disciple. Did I make that up? See this this we don't like to talk about Jesus said you got to give up your own life your own plans your own destiny Find out what I want for you guess what sometimes they might be the same thing
But a lot of times they're not going to be the same thing, right? But let's keep reading he says if you don't hate Father mother wife children brethren sisters yay in your own life. You cannot be my disciple Whosoever does not bear his cross and Come after me cannot be his disciple. Y'all don't underline that we're gonna come back to that Whosoever does not bear his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple for which of you intending to build a tower Siteth not down first and counteth the cost whether he will have sufficient to finish it Less happily after he has laid the foundation and is not able to finish it all that behold it began to mock him Saying this man began to build and was not able to finish or what king going to make war against another king siteth Not down first and consult as whether he with shall be able with 10,000 to meet him that cometh against him with 20,000 Or else while there other is a great way off. He sendeth ambassadors and desires conditions of peace Verse 33 so likewise whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he has cannot be my disciple You know, this is this is something that Christianity has has I think failed to get a hold of we understand His cross that Jesus died on the cross for our sins that we could not be good enough Righteous enough that we had to have a Savior that we had to have a redeemer that we had to have That God himself had to shed his blood to clean away the filth and the darkness of sin in our hearts and our lives to give Us a chance even at being returned to him We understand that there's forgiveness if you confess your sins and you're willing to forsake them that because of what Jesus did on The cross that we can be forgiven and he will throw your sins as far as the east is from the west That is the mercy and the goodness of God his cross But we forget that Jesus said you must take up your cross and One day I remember this was about a year ago The Lord spoke to me and he said many Christians understand my cross But they all understand their cross and this was at a time when God was speaking to me and dealing with me about going to Washington DC and I want to tell you right now going to Washington DC with two little girls that live in Montgomery, Alabama That's almost 900 miles away from them and I want to tell you right now that I grieved and and and did not want to do that and Then I wept some tears and I struggled with it and with God and God had put me though kind of in a place Where I almost I had no choice at the time, but I want to tell you right now I was struggling with this and the Lord Spoke to me very clearly and he said this is your cross right now You cannot even love you cannot even love your daughters or put them in front of my will For your life and at that time I had no idea I
Could have been there for years from what I knew from the Lord, but I knew it was the Lord to go I remember that and And many of you know this that as a pastor I went through a divorce back in 2001. It was a very devastating time for me Devastating time, but I'll tell you that Right after that in 2002. I remember being just a broken man and the Lord said I want you to go to Africa The Lord had opened the door for me to go actually to go to Africa or to India at the time And I didn't want to do either. I was depressed. I was discouraged. I was broken hearted I was messed up. My kids were you're a lot younger. I didn't want to be away from them for a month I'll never forget. I almost didn't do it and I remember walking across the parking lot One day and the Lord said son He said you're a soldier. He said endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ Obey me and of course I obeyed and God moved I cannot even tell you I'm talking about Miracles and people getting saved and it was unreal and I came back You know I made it back in a month, and you know what they were okay You know and you know what when I went to DC as hard as it was God Had me do and I thought I might be there for three or four years, and you know what it was only three months God revealed some problems in the church. I was at told me to deal with the problems I Said Lord you know the moment. I deal with the problems. I am fired He said yeah, I know But this is what I sent you to do and then right after that he goes now I want you to go to Auburn and look what he did by obeying He could give me the next step. I want you to go to Auburn. I want you to start a church and put me 50 miles from my girls you see what I'm saying Sometimes the will of God is difficult, and it's hard to do But what you don't see is all you see is it being one way and God knows what he's doing And God wants people who will trust him and who will get close enough to hear him and will do things even when it's Difficult to do in the natural. I want to tell you there's no way that no way That we should even be able to live here or be here right now, but I know it's God's will so whatever it takes All right, what does he say if he does not take up his cross? This is the scary part. You know when he talks about work out your own salvation with fear and trembling You got to know I remember years ago
You know we forget And I just need to tell you you know Your car is really not your car if you're a true disciple of Jesus. It's Jesus Your house your money nothing and the true Christian that's surrendered to the will of God for their life Whatever God says they'll do and this is what we have to learn Do you want to see great things as a Christian then you'll have to go through some difficult things? Matter of fact what the Lord is about to do and I'm just going to tell you what the Lord is about to do through This church in this area in this region. I'm going to tell you is no accident What he's already doing listen the people that are getting saved and people that are are Growing and in the Lord and getting filled with the Holy Spirit and and being touched and I'm going to tell you right now I don't take anything for granted every life that's changed Blows my mind it just blows me away I Mean just witnessing to Charlie the other day at on the job site just witnessing to him and the anointing I felt when he walked away I fell up against the house and just it just broke down in tears because because whenever God's moving in any way It is a precious Holy and wonderful thing not to be taken for granted But what God is about to do what he's already doing in this church what he's about to do He's told me very plainly. He said son you keep passing the test I put in front of you you keep passing the test you keep doing what I say to do even when it looks impossible God rewards those who diligently seek you God rewards those who diligently operate in faith who will say you know what it doesn't make sense You know in in Matthew 17 here's a beautiful story in Matthew 17 They come into this town and the tax collectors are there and are wanting taxes from Jesus and from Peter and the disciples, right? and then they ask are you gonna pay tribute you're gonna pay your taxes and Peter just blurts out without even asking Jesus what we're gonna do about this He just says yeah, and he walks up to Jesus and Jesus has to give him a little talk But here's what Jesus tells Peter to do. He said you know what I guess they had emptied the The bag or Judas had stolen everything or they had given it all to the poor because they had money coming into the ministry But whatever they didn't have any he said go to The lake there cast in he said you're gonna pull a fish out of the water and when you do There's gonna be a piece of money in his mouth and give that to them for me and for you now if you're Peter and you're a fisherman and that's all you've done your whole life is fish and Never found a piece of money
at a fish's mouth That sounded strange that God will ask you sometimes to do some strange things. But listen, that's why you have got to know The Spirit of God the witness of the Spirit and the voice of God for yourself Because sometimes you'll ask you to do things And you're gonna have to eat. I'm gonna tell you if you know, it's God sometimes it will go against Your logical thinking but will you do the will of God? Alright, let's let's look at another verse here people that People that surrender to the will of God get all kinds of stuff Turn to mark chapter 10 just real quick here mark 10. I'm not gonna read the whole story here but you know the the rich young ruler had just come to Jesus and Wasn't willing to give up his riches to follow the Lord and this is mark 10 verse 28 We're gonna look at this. He said then Peter began to say unto him lo We have left all and it followed you You know, basically, what do we get and Jesus answered said verily I say unto you There is no man that has left house or brethren or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands for my sake and the Gospels For my sake and the gospel, but he shall receive a hundred fold now in this time Houses and brethren and sisters and mothers and children and lands with persecutions and in the world to come eternal life Well, you know the the prosperity preachers like to preach on this hundred fold thing But isn't it interesting that you don't get the hundred fold until you've gone through test after test after test Are you willing to leave this? Are you willing to give up this? Are you willing to change this? Are you willing to forsake some things even if it's even if you have to forsake some some old friends? Or maybe some family members that are dragging you down or or God saying to do something difficult But see these guys were willing. I mean these guys Peter was married And he's off traveling with Jesus for three years now Yeah, he made it back in in town from time to time But I was saying this wasn't easy these guys had to give up even their livelihood They were fishermen and Jesus said come after me and I'll make you fish as a man. No promise of a salary Come after me. I mean these were things that were difficult to do and yet these men surrendered their lives and They kept surrender to life and when it got difficult Jesus said things that were hard for them to get a hold of they still kept Following and so by the end when he goes to the cross and it says they offer Sook him and fled and there was all this confusion and everything yet. They still ended up back
And Jesus were like these are the guys now That I can fill with the Holy Spirit That I can entrust with the power to heal the sick that I can bring thousands to them now And I want to tell you the disciples that never again you want to talk about the money that came in when the revival started And said people just came started selling land and and property and started laying the money to the church never had a another financial problem But notice they didn't get there Until they went through step by step by step test Obey, right? That's why it's important to hear the voice of God turn with me to Ephesians 5 we we read this last week, but I want to emphasize a verse that we didn't emphasize About the will of God the will of God and being led by the Spirit Ephesians 5 verse 17 and 18. He says wherefore be not unwise But understanding what the will of the Lord is and be not drunk with wine We're in his excess but be filled with the Spirit. So he says don't be unwise but understanding what the will of the Lord is Don't be unwise Let me tell you the difference between a wise Christian and a foolish Christian a Wise Christian will seek God and stay in the word and get to know the Lord's voice and begin to hear what God wants For their lives and to understand it and to do it The foolish Christian just goes through life thinking they can do whatever they want He tells them don't be unwise but Understanding what the will of the Lord is and then look at this prayer that Paul prayed for the Colossians go to Colossians chapter 1 This is a prayer. You ought to pray for yourself and pray for other people. I love this prayer Colossians chapter 1 look at this prayer Paul prayed and I want to say this Paul didn't waste his time So if he prayed it it was an effective prayer Colossians 1 verse 9. He says for this cause We also since the day we heard it do not cease to pray for you and to desire that you might be filled With the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding So that you might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing and be fruitful in every good work and Increasing in the knowledge of God we just got to stop right there. How many of you think it might be good
to walk worthy of the Lord to be fruitful in every good work to be Increasing in the knowledge of God and to be strengthened with all might according to his glorious power. That might be a good thing That's some good stuff, right? What did he say you have to do? be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding that means discerning When God's talking to you and God's speaking to you when God's leading you Okay, now I'm gonna stress this again I believe you can as we've read the scriptures in John 16 and John 10 you can God will speak to you the Holy Spirit will speak he wants to show us things to come right but Somebody that's gonna hear God's got to be very much in the Word of God You got to be grounded. You got to have a good foundation in the word so you can judge what you're hearing But I want to show you something just just the Apostle something the Apostle Paul did turn to Acts Chapter 16 about being led by the Spirit here Now this is beautiful. This is a beautiful illustration of what I'm talking about here Paul had already surrendered to do the will of God for his life even if it meant persecution and death but him and I Guess it was Silas at this time We're going to preach the Word of God in the world and look look go down to verse 5 They had left the council in Jerusalem. We're going out to strengthen the churches and verse 5 Acts 16 5 and it says and so the churches were established in the faith and increased in number daily and when they had gone through Friday or whatever and The region of Galatia and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia now y'all to watch this After they were come to miss you they attempted to go through Bithynia But the Spirit suffered them not and they passing by miss you came to Troas now I want you to stop right there Paul and Silas and and it really all Christians Don't we all have the command in the scriptures go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature now? That's clear, right? That's a clear command from Jesus Mark 16 50 go into all the world preach the gospel to every creature Paul already knew this He understood this he was doing this, but it doesn't always mean that you can go everywhere at the same time We're not God. We're not omnipresent right he had to get specific instructions But what they were obeying here They were obeying the general instruction of the word go into all the world and preach the gospel So they were going into the world so they got into this place they got into what is this first place a? Region of Galatia there and it says listen to this they were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia
Now listen you have to be walking really close to God To know that a clear command that's already in the Bible God saying now. I want you to do this right here Not here yet. You see that I mean these guys were preachers. I mean they were our spirit field They were ready to preach anywhere, but the Holy Spirit they were they must have spent time in prayer The Holy Spirit said to both of them don't want you to preach here Why um they may have gotten killed God said I'm not ready for that yet. Don't preach here I remember when I went to the island of Mauritius the island of Mauritius is primarily Hindu But it's also a great portion of its Muslim I preached in three or four different churches there But there was one church right before I got there that I was going to preach in I was scheduled to preach in and the Muslims had attacked it and beaten some of the Christians there and me being the Caucasian individual that I am Would it have stood out like a sore throat now? I was willing to go there and preach and I told them I will go and preach But they said we will not take you there because they will probably kill you and I said well I'm here. I'm submitted to your authority wherever you say we go we go and wherever you say we don't go We don't go so we did not go to that church All right, there were places in Africa When I went there that I remember the bishop saying you will not go there I remember when we we landed in the International Airport at first We were met with soldiers because the bishop of the seminary that I was in fellowship with he said They'll try to kill you between the the International Airport and the local airport So I had two soldiers guarding me on each side with a k-47s Escorting me from one to the other. It's not all candy walk, you know, we're spoiled in America aren't we? But what they were saying is, you know, and I was just submitting to their authority But you know what they were saying is there's certain places if you go it you're gonna die If I went to the northern part of a near Abuja, which is in Nigeria, I would have been killed Just just the fact of the color of my skin. Okay, so They said we want you here, but we're gonna we've got specific things where we want you to go I said, okay, I'm good with that. I like breathing So it says they were forgetting of the Holy Spirit again being sensitive Forbidden of the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia and after that they were come to miss you and they tried to go Into Bethany, but the Spirit of God again said don't do it. So can you imagine Paul? He's getting a little frustrated I'm called to preach The Holy Spirit saying don't preach here. Don't preach here, right? So this is beautiful He says in verse 8 and they passing by miss you came to Troas and a vision appeared to Paul in the night and there stood A man of Macedonia and prayed him saying come over into Macedonia and help us and after he had seen the vision
Immediately, we endeavored to go into Macedonia assuredly gathering that the Lord could called us to preach the gospel unto them So here they just get you know, a little frustrated the Holy Spirit saying don't go here. Don't do this don't preach here So what do they do? Well, we're just gonna camp for the night now again this this shows you some this is the Apostle Paul Why didn't God just say clearly just don't just go to Macedonia. He could have done it that way could have sent an angel Appeared to him and said go into Macedonia and preach Right. No, God was showing Paul again, so we never get dependent on how On the same method So we're always trusting God and waiting on God Paul says I don't know what to do goes to sleep has a dream Wakes up it's from the Lord. This is Paul God speaks like that. Listen to God will speak to you in dreams a Dreams just if it's if it's a if it's a word from God if it's a dream from God It's it's the same as a vision from God. You're just asleep. That's why it's called a vision here. So God will speak in visions He'll speak in dreams. I Remember God's spoken to me like this many times God's warned me of certain people who are enemies By showing me in a dream that they were really an enemy I could give many examples, but God will speak to you now listen with dreams. You got to be careful Some of them can be too much pizza at night All right Some of them could be because there's so much there's there's there's junk in your house. It shouldn't be in your house Some of them can be just because you're busy or you're worried and you got a lot of things on your mind You can't you got to be careful But there are certain dreams that if God's showing you some and a lot of times if if I'm talking about Jesus or I'm Rebuking the devil in a dream or or I wake up and it won't leave me and it and it kind of begins to apply To the situation. I mean, that's God speaking to you. You need to listen to that. Okay? And God's given open visions before closed vision open vision is something you see with your eyes open a closed vision is something You see with your eyes closed, but God does speak that way But that's what we've already talked about. He'll speak to you what and still small voice sometime He'll make the scriptures come alive to you But as I've read that what's interesting is you read the book of Acts and you see how God led them It wasn't always sure. Look, what did they say? Immediately gathering what does that mean immediately gathering we were we were pretty sure That this is what the Lord was saying to do It's not always easy. It's not always clear because God still wants you to step out in faith That's why he doesn't always send an angel. That's why he doesn't always let you see the from heaven, you know When you fall on the ground why that's why sometimes it's so quiet. It's subtle. It's like is that God Is that really God? Sometimes you got to just step on out and go, you know what?
I'm gonna try and so what do they do they go there and God begins to move some people start getting say See I'm saying led by the Spirit of God Finding the will of God for you Paul found the will of God for his life. God uses a prophetic word Let's go back to Acts 9. This is something we've looked at before we go back to acts 9 This is something that God uses gene made to do He uses me to do it sometimes too and some of you he's used words of knowledge words of wisdom prophetic words But I just want you to see this in an anise God's given Paul a word about his destiny for his life But then he tells an anise to go in and pray for him. Look at this He tells him an anise Verse 10 9 10 and there was a certain disciple at Damascus named an anise and the Lord said to him in a vision An anise he said behold. I am here. He said Lord The Lord said to him arise going to the street which is called straight and choir in the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus for behold he prays he has seen in a vision a man named man anise coming in and putting his hands on Him that he might receive his sight now This is God telling him I want you to go they he argues with him a little bit But he goes but look at what happens when he gets there The Lord said give him this word verse 15 But the Lord said him go your way for he is a chosen vessel unto me To bear my name before the Gentiles and kings and children of Israel for I will show him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake and So an anise goes and shares this word with with Paul and lays hands on him But see what happened was God was already had already spoken to Paul I'm going to send you to Kings. I'm gonna send you to the Gentiles Here comes an anise speaking a prophetic word to him and what this is is the word of wisdom we talked about the gifts of the spirit the word of wisdom reveals the will of God in the future so God speaks it to Paul He already has a vision of this man coming in laying hands on him receive his sight God's already told him you're gonna be a chosen vessel to me But here comes an anise prophesied you're gonna be a chosen vessel to me to go to the Gentiles now This is a Jew They didn't go to the Gentiles But he told him you're gonna go to the Gentiles and you're gonna do this you're gonna go before Kings stand before Caesar Which he did You're gonna stand before the children of Israel giving him Part a word about his destiny about his future about his calling So God will speak to you in a vision and speak to you in a dream He can speak to you in the still small voice. He can speak to you through the word, but yes, he will use other believers
To give you prophetic words and things to speak to you about your future and you have to be able to discern It's the anointing on it is the Spirit of God on it Some of these things we're gonna have to start recording more about when God starts giving words to people We're gonna have to start recording those gene will record those words Like I said, I have words that he spoke over me in 1989 1991 1993 That bring great encouragement to me the the the Lord speaking to you is important and again That's why you should be in church That's why you should be around people that are seeking after God that are going after God because God will speak to them God's used some of you already to speak things to me or to confirm things to me He's used you I've been praying about him and I felt impressed by God about something and then somebody will come up and say I was praying the other day. I felt God come on me and say this Using Kevin to do some of that Patrick even my wife all the time Jonathan see what I'm saying that confirming. That's why listen. We are all in this thing to help each other You don't know you might you might give yourself to prayer one day and God give you this vision You're like, I don't even know what that is and come tell me and it's exactly what I need to hear We all need to be listening But listen the people who hear from God or the people who? Surrender to the will of God. I will do what you say Lord Those people will begin to hear clearly Amen, and this is good stuff. Let me let me just say when you start hearing from God People can start getting saved around you see this is when you can start operating the word of knowledge How many of you know the nine anybody ever anybody in here know the nine gifts of the spirit mentioned in first Corinthians 12? Who knows that God speaks through the gifts. Let me let me just go down through them real quick prophecy tongues and interpretation gifts of healing working of miracles discerning of spirits word of knowledge word of wisdom Did I forget one? Faith that's right Some people group them in three different groups power gifts that do something the gift of faith the gifts of healing gift of working The miracles all right faith is a supernatural burst of faith It's all of a sudden you have a you have more faith to do something you ever thought about The gift of the workers and miracles that's pretty self-explanatory there it pretty much creative miracle Some just purse of power gifts of healing That's where you seem to you seem to see people get healed more than normal or you just you would just operate the gift But the revelation gifts the word of knowledge the word of wisdom
discerning of spirits those are very powerful word of knowledge is when God reveals to you a supernatural piece of knowledge that you couldn't know either about Someone's past or their present Word of wisdom is more about future because it's revealing the will of God or destiny for that person Prophecy is defined more as an encouraging and exhorting and comforting word And then you have of course tongues and then the interpretation of tongues when those are coupled together They equal the gift of prophecy but can still be the gifts of word of knowledge or word of wisdom Like I'm tell you I've been up here even last week And I was praying for somebody and God showed me this darkness down inside him That was more and a deep depression they were struggling with and I won't tell you what that was There was that's a word of knowledge but I also saw it in vision form because I saw this darkness down inside of them and They admitted and said that's true They had been hiding that from other people, but admitted it was true I remember there was one time in my church in Montgomery when we had a visitor a woman that I'd never seen before and I remember she came forward and I was praying for her at the altar and I remember with my eyes closed I laid hands on her and I was praying for and I saw in a vision I saw her standing in the aisle of a grocery store and I saw her in an aisle of a grocery store and the Lord told me to tell her to not be afraid But to be to but to speak the word to be bold not be afraid but to witness in that grocery store Well, I found out after the service was over She came up to me and said that She had just taken a job where she was in a grocery store one of those ladies that gives samples in the grocery store and that people had come up to her wanting to talk about Jesus just powerfully, but she was afraid to say anything because she was afraid she would lose her job and She said she had just asked herself before she visited church that day Are there any but is there anybody that really operates in the gifts of the Spirit? Are there any prophets anymore and God just boom? Just nailed it. But what I'm saying is these things You can do Any believer can and every believer is supposed to be hungry and Thirsty and covet the gifts. Let's let's look at that real quick. I want to turn to 1st Corinthians 14 And I'm probably going to end here Maybe don't you like that? Maybe I want you to see we got a desire of these things and I want to say this when I was witnessing to the Fellow at work the other day you want to know what God is attention It wasn't just that I knew what I was talking about 1st Corinthians 14. Yeah, it wasn't just that I knew what I was talking about when it came to Buddhism and whatever and I was
able to Do that I was able to give an answer to him But the thing when I turned that thing when I turned that thing toward and God God started speaking about people that have been abused molested rate Hurt when they were young and I don't know if that happened in his life But I can tell you either it happened in his life or someone he knows Because when I started talking about the power of Jesus to heal that person and change that person Boy both him and his friend He's like churches don't talk about that. I said well the true Church of Jesus Christ Will cast demons out and pray for healing of those that have been wounded and they'll be healed and they'll be changed Because we got in the whole homosexual discussion And you know that changed his heart and he said and he went from talking to me about Buddhism to saying Where are you gonna be preaching? And then I kind of left him for a second He's like, no, no, no, where can I find y'all? Where are you gonna be? I'm just saying you know what? We got to have some power That's why we should covet these gifts. These gifts are not just so we can show off in church There to use out there, right? He says what? 14 verse 1 follow after charity or love and desire spiritual gifts desire you see that Back up to 1st Corinthians 12 verse 31. What does he say there? But covet earnestly the best gifts Covet, you know what covet means? I mean, that's like desire greedily I mean that's really desire and want these gifts. Why why should we want these gifts? the word of knowledge to be able to reveal things going on in people's life or the word of wisdom or or to be able to Speak the exact word that's going to comfort them or or speak to them Because the Bible says if we operate in these things and expose the secrets of their hearts They will fall down and worship and say God is in you and is it this what we want people to see That God is in us and working through us that it's not just talk But there's some there's some power behind the talk Look at 14. Let's drop down He's given instructions on the gifts and again, I'm just jumping over a lot of stuff, but I want you to see this he says Verse 22 will just start there where four tongues are for a sign not to them that believe but to them that believe not But prophesying serveth not for them that believe not but for them which believe if therefore the whole church become together one place
And everybody speaks with tongues and they're come in the unlearned or the unbelievers will they not say you're mad But if all prophesy and they're coming one that believeth not or is unlearned. He is convinced of all He is judged of all and thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest and so falling down on his face He will worship God and report that God is in you of a truth And this is the kind of stuff that wakes people up I remember sitting on a bench in a park in Eureka Springs, Arkansas My brother and I went out witnessing one day just to give you an example And my brother went out witnessing I sat down in the park beside this probably 19 20 year old girl Sitting on a park bench by herself gave her a track Started talking to her about Jesus. All right, and as I was talking to her this car rode by and I saw her look and I and by the look in her eye and By her looking at this car all of a sudden the Lord gave me a clear word of knowledge about this girl And you know what he told me. He said this girl is into Satanism She's afraid. She wants out. She has seen them torture and kill people and all other things She's afraid to even speak out loud that she wants out But I knew I had to say this and I said the Lord I said Jesus wants me to tell you this That you're into Satanism You're in this coven that's here and that's part of them that just drove by I did not know that in the natural I said you're part of this coven that just drove by you're terrified you want out But you're afraid that they'll kill you if you get out I said Jesus wants you to know that he is the power and all power in the universe if you come to him fully He'll protect you and deliver you I said these people been trying to kill me for a number of years and I'm still alive Tears started rolling down her face and she said how could you know that I said Jesus sent me to tell you that You do with it what you want to do you want to pray and accept Jesus? She prayed with me right there what she did after that. I don't know this is what I'm talking about Man in my own life. I wish this happened more You know I'm sitting there Lord Lord, please I want more of that word of knowledge stuff, man That freaks people out When you know stuff about them all right, but it's all in love Because the ultimate goal is to want to see them know that God is real God cares about them The fact that God would show you something like that showing I care about you
I care enough about you to send somebody to you to show them the secrets of your heart and to try to help bring you To something that's going to help you. This is good stuff We should covet earnestly The gifts of the spirit we should desire them Again, not for self-promotion But soul-winning Not to look fancy But to help somebody come to know Jesus What did Jesus didn't Jesus use it? John 4 y'all know the scripture The woman at the well, what did he do? What did he tell her he starts talking to her about eternal life I was talking about her about water Of life that she won't ever have to if she drinks this water. She'll never have to drink any again She's like what is this? Jesus says but go get your husband She said I don't have a husband and here goes the word of knowledge No, you don't have a husband. You've had five of them and the one you got now is not your husband Sir I perceive you are a prophet Then she starts talking about well our fathers say we should worship It's funny when you start operating in this stuff. They want to start arguing religion with you But our fathers say we should worship in this mountain and the jews say we should worship here Jesus just flat tells the salvation is of the jews And your father's lied to you She goes well, I know the messiah's supposed to come and what he say I mean But he got her attention. He got her heart because what do you know what a woman that's had five husbands Now yes, she's been in sin But let me tell you something about that a woman that's had five husbands is a hurt woman And she's a woman that's obviously been hurt by a man after man after man So what did he do? He spoke to what was hurting her? Not just to expose her sin but to show her you know what? I know what's going on in your life It isn't working out too good, is it? But it got her attention and it got her so saved That she went in and told the whole city And why was jesus everything remember everything jesus did? Was an example for us to follow Some of you say I don't know why I don't have the gifts of the spirit operating in my life Get hungry Desire it more than anything Desire it for the right reasons. I want to help people come to know jesus the savior I want to help somebody that's struggling. I want to I want to some there are people that's going to come to church And it may be the only time they get in the door
And you need to be listening to god because god's not only going to use me to do it He wants to use you guys to do it and god may show you something about somebody before they get out the door You need to share that word with them and it may touch their lives and change them and save them before they get out That door and whether they come to this church or not. That's not the point We want them to be saved We want them to know that jesus loves them and died for them But that there's one way and they can be healed and they can be delivered I want people to know the truth more than I want them to come to our church But they can do that god can do that through you Amen Hunger for these things word of knowledge word of wisdom God's giving me some of these things over you guys. I know stuff about y'all Sometimes i'm afraid to say it Like are they ready for this? Like I told adam see adam and jonathan that day y'all think i'm crazy thousands Gonna lead worship in front of thousands Gonna preach to thousands of youth Y'all mark it down. I remember one time y'all think this is this is crazy But there was a there was a girl in in my church In montgomery And I remember I mean you talking about anointed Singer worship leader. Oh man But wasn't ready, you know Messed up in some areas need to get some things right But called And I remember laying hands on her one day back then the gifts used to operate more and more when if I touched you It was like it started working But I remember laying hands on her and I remember seeing in a vision. I saw her leading worship in front of a group Of 700 people now. Remember I saw the people I saw the building. I saw the color of the carpet everything 700 people I said the lord shows me you're gonna lead one day soon You're gonna lead worship in a place where there's 700 people and I said there's burgundy carpet All right That was probably in 1997 In 2001 all the stuff happened In our life. She ended up they ended up leaving, you know, I ended up disbanding the church. She goes to another church in 2004 I visit that church where Her and her husband are going to church and I walk in on a sunday morning and 700 people there with burgundy carpet
She's leading The worship and I thought wow Would that let her know? I'm where god wants me to be This is good stuff you guys When somebody prophesies to you gives you a word don't take it lightly. I'm gonna show you something This is the last scripture. I promise now And i'm gonna have to check myself here Because I can't remember now right offhand if it's first timothy or second timothy, but i'm gonna find it Mark you I don't know You know which one i'm going to? uh first First timothy chapter one. I wouldn't share it myself. Sorry. It left me It's our closing scripture And god speaks to you either personally Prophetically through somebody else and you discern it's god or like when jean may comes he's going to minister to some of you He's going to give you words Some of you i've already given words The devil will come and try to steal those things Look what he tells timothy here We're going back up and look at verse 15. This is a faithful saying And worthy of all exception that christ jesus came into the world to save sinners Of whom I am chief How be it for this cause I obtain mercy that in me first jesus christ Might show where am I? Oh, yeah that jesus christ might show a pattern to them Which should hereafter believe on him to everlasting life now unto the king eternal immortal invisible the only wise god be honor and glory forever And ever amen this charge I commit unto thee son timothy according to the prophecies Which went before on thee that you by them Might war a good warfare Holding faith and a good conscience which some having put away concerning faith have become shipwrecked What's he saying there when god begins to reveal your destiny? You're calling your gifts He gives you a word about something the devil's going to come and try to steal it He's going to come and try to tempt you make you fall pull you away Do whatever he can do to keep that from being fulfilled in your life and god wants you to take that word And fight the devil with it and stand and believe it and pursue god until it comes to pass Take the prophecy and war a good warfare with it There are things, you know, we all in in this world. We want instant gratification, don't we? We want a prophetic word today and want it to come to pass tomorrow Now sometimes that happens, but that's rare But I want to tell you some of the prophecies that god have spoken over me were 20 years ago But I know are about to happen
Things that god told me things he told me sometimes some things were 10 years before they happened and then they happened Some were five years somewhere a year Do you war a good warfare? Listen every word that god gives you Will be tested by the devil Are you going to take it and fight? See jesus knew his destiny That he was going to go to the cross And the devil tried everything he could do to stop him didn't he how many times he tried to kill him? All right But at one time there had to be a time, right? Know your destiny know the will of god. Amen. Let's pray Thank you father Lord, I pray for your people. I pray for myself lord that we would be filled with the knowledge of your will and all wisdom And spiritual understanding God that you would help us be a people willing to take up our cross and do whatever we need to do individually corporately That we would be a people that would obey the voice of the holy spirit Even sometimes when we don't understand That we would be people of the word That we would be people who would discern between true prophets and false prophets That we would discern when when a word comes forth is from god and take hold of it and fight Father I pray in the name of jesus that your your people would be people led By the holy spirit that lord. I pray for the gifts of the spirit to increase And flow in your people lord God that we may help other people that we may expose the secrets of their hearts got not to hurt them But to heal them and bring them to jesus's savior Anoint us god. I pray anoint your people this morning Anoint your people this morning. Let's everyone stand for just a moment jesus You know, I don't really feel like we're supposed to have some big altar call this morning, but If you want prayer for something, I just want to give the opportunity if somebody needs prayer This morning. We're going to let you let you come and we're going to take a moment to just pray I'm pretty sure I know most everybody in here. It looks like I think everybody's Pretty much understands where they stand with god But if you just want prayer for something I want you to just step out and we're going to pray for you right here Anybody want prayer? Not pushing but if you want prayer this morning for anything in particular anybody else
See, I kind of feel like god's going to speak to somebody a matter of fact. I want to say this I've been needing to say this to you The lord's preparing you to be an elder in his church Now this is not Right now But the lord said that's what he wants for your life He's preparing you for that I don't even know there's an anointing there And that's and you know, see we've taken this stuff lightly That is a very serious thing Elders are held to the same standard that the pastor of five four miniatures held But I just felt that Matter of fact, I want to tell you the lord's the lord's trying to prepare you for the same thing We were working the other day and he was telling me this but I just I didn't say it but Is once y'all the day coming To be elders in this church I know that's good But you know, we're not going to play the games with it. We take that stuff seriously God's about to do some great things Jared this year This year god's going to reward some faithfulness in your life because you're going to see some things that you've longed to see But the lord's already shown you that if you open your mouth and you'll be bold and you'll share That people are going to listen and I want to tell you this year You're going to freak out because more people you've talked to people you're not ashamed of the gospel And you've talked to people But you've had so many just kind of walk away and saw lord. I'm just not seeing Now the lord's gonna they're gonna listen, you know why brother? Because all god's looking for somebody to speak when the spirit of god descends they'll start listening But the lord just says you just be faithful and this year speak To people like you've never spoken and you're gonna see a harvest of souls that you lead to jesus around you Thank you. Chief nick. I'm just gonna say this too. I believe I believe the lord is preparing you to be another minister I really do. I already see it on you now again. This is something you have to desire. I won't make you do it But I just believe this And I feel like I need to say something to you too. Also I know you guys have the gift of hospitality and you know very giving
a couple The lord wants you to know that he doesn't take that lightly That he does reward labors of love And that he's going to reward you for letting this church meet in your house You've been through some warfare because this church has met in your house But he's going to reward you in the days ahead and it's not a bad thing. You guys would take nothing But the lord's going to reward you in some way. I don't know what it is But he just wants you to know that he is He's recognized not just us. We appreciate it, but he's recognized your labor of love for it. Amen Thank you. Jesus You know what angel? God's doing a great work in you There's one word I hear that you need to know That that jesus loves you That he he considers you his daughter And he the work and the good thing that he's doing in you he's just beginning And the words that I hear for you Is don't give up Don't give up when it gets hard. Don't give up when it gets difficult. Don't be impulsive and make the wrong decision Because the lord has a plan for your life And he started a good work in you and he's going to finish it if you let him And you're going to look back and you're going to go I can't believe the person I was before But you're going to know how good it is To see the power of god flow through you You know, there's been people that's told you that you are nothing and you'll never be anything But god has a plan And those same people Those same people are going to see A powerful godly young lady a lot happier than they are Thank you. Jesus father Father we thank you for your goodness We thank you for your goodness and your power Holy holy god. Holy holy god father in jesus name my brothers that came up this morning I just touched them. I just pray for your glory upon their lives more and more I thank you for what you have done in kevin's life what you're doing in kevin's life. I pray for more. Jesus More more anointing more glory more overcoming power more victory Oh god in the name of jesus christ for your glory to work
For you to move mightily in his life in his home and his children mightily lord more jesus more jesus More jesus more of the gifts operating moving his life Oh lord and jonathan lord more jesus More jesus your glory upon him lord god. Oh lord god for faithfulness For faithfulness lord. I pray for fruit that remains Fruit that remains power flowing in that youth group power flowing through them Oh god to their to their schools Power flowing in the ones that are there that need to be filled with the holy ghost That need to be delivered from stuff From demonic strongholds lord anoint him and anoint each one of them Oh god in jesus name father in the name of jesus lord jared Lord god power anointing more jesus more jesus More jesus we're on that campus Lord god for those college students, so I know you're going to use him god to be a minister To those college students lord Jesus I thank you for the gifts already flowing in my brother. Thank you that he's sensitive to the holy spirit and that there's more More jesus More jesus father. I thank you lord. I thank you for the hunger and desire and chandler lord To want to be filled with the spirit to want to help you than anybody around her lord God give her the desires of her heart to walk in the power and gifts of the spirit lord more jesus more of your anointing More of your glory in her life Or Since I want to tell you something about being filled the holy spirit you're making it more difficult than it is Let me explain something to you The bible says they speak with him as the spirit gave them God won't make you lose your your toe your lips I'll say this when you feel the glory of god come on you whether it's in a service Or you're in your prayer closet You've got to step out and think and again letting that that language flow That's not even you've got to move your the holy spirit won't move your tongue and won't move your boat You have to step out the thing. It's like either stepping out of the boat. He had to physically do something And once he stepped out though, it was super natural They spoke with tongues as the spirit gave the utterance you speak He bubbles it up from the inside That's why it's the only gift god's given us that it flows when we want it to because we take a step out And then it starts flowing. I don't know what i'm gonna say
But I just know i'm not gonna i'm gonna yield my tongue to something It's not english and then boom it starts rolling like a I mean it starts rolling like a freight train avenue All right Anybody else that hasn't been filled with the holy spirit you are you if you're hungry for that You're right with jesus and you're hungry for that. All you've got to do is believe it And when you get prayed for or you're in your prayer, like you feel the holy spirit come on you You just start letting it go and you'll find out Holy, this is the father. I pray in the name of jesus. Give her this understanding to release. Oh god This prayer language the baptism of the holy spirit with the gift of speaking in other tongues in her life. Lord Oh lord in the name of jesus Now you can just lift it up baro cumbre sita da bara satara See I I chose to speak right there, but I didn't know what was going to come out But I moved my tongues in my life Lord filler Release and loose. Oh god that prayer language fire fire of god in her In the name of jesus Lord bless adam. I thank you lord for a fresh anointing In his life a fresh glory coming upon him a fresh anointing Lord the blood of jesus cleansing the fire of jesus cleansing him and working in his life power lord powerful praise and worship in front of thousands of people lord, I believe revival revival praise and worship revival services Oh Where hundreds of people are being saved Oh jesus strengthen it bring deliverance bring fire bring total freedom And lord god just lord even a greater anointing in the worship area than he's had before A greater fire a greater passion And an anointing to win the lost Or And the lord wants me to tell you That because you have humbled yourself Because you have not become arrogant or angry or bitter at him or anyone else The lord says humility lifts you up Humility exalts you and the lord says there will be a debt That all of your hearts desire in worship in the gifts In what you want to see in church
That those hearts the hearts desire your hearts desire will come to pass. You will see it With your own eyes what you've longed for For many years I feel that though. I feel that anointing so strong God's gonna give you the desires of your heart And see the desires of your heart It's not it's not about the numbers or the thousands. It's not that But the lord said that's because of faithfulness that will be because of faith That's because you want to see people Worship god in spirit and intro you want to see the glory You want to see the holy spirit move and and people get saved You want to see them? hands raised Kneeling and crying and worshiping you want to leave people into them and you know for you to leave them there you have to go there The lord said he's going to reward you to reward you with the desires of your heart to see it Many people never get to see what they want to see you're going to get to see it I just uh when he was praying for you Fire before he even said it. I just saw the fire going I really did. I just didn't have to I was kind of curious about it. I didn't really know what it would have been or whatever Amen, you know, that's biblical the bible says that tongues of fire settle, you know, what's going to happen to you It's going to be like patrick I remember patrick wanted us to pray for him to be baptized in holy spirit You know how long was it six years? Six years he'd been wanting Okay, so you ought to feel pretty good, you know I don't think it's going to be six years. Okay But six years, but I remember we went on because he wanted us to come pray for him to be filled with the holy spirit I said You know the bible says we lay hands on people and the holy spirit will come on them And since they have to speak out But I remember because sometimes in pentecostal churches, you know And the spirit people get all worked up and think that people are making them speak And I don't want that to happen to you. Okay, you can in a church. I mean many people have been baptized in the spirit in church But I told him I laid hands on him And I said I just felt like the lord said it's going to be in a room. You're going to be by yourself And you're going to be praying and you're going to just get the holy spirit's going to come on you sometime in private You know, where was it the next day? Two days later and I just want to say you hunger and thirst you keep seeking
And you feel the glory of god come on you in prayer time you let that you you're going to come back and tell us You're going to come back and go. Wow And now I know what you're talking about Amen Praise god Praise god anybody else before we take up the offering There's a back in the old days back in the old pentecostal days. There's some people that waited longer than six years That sought god and sought god and sought god And I you know what? I think that's a good thing. You know what I mean? Sometimes again this instant grits this microwave christianity, you know Get it right now get everything right now. It's like no paying no price. It's like, you know Sometimes for some some things of god you need to show some hunger some desperation some i'm gonna go after I don't care How long it takes i'm going after this And it just makes it worth it It's special to you then Thank you. Jesus Thank you. Jesus. Let's just let's just pray Thank you father We worship we thank you for your presence here today The anointing here today god, I believe a release of the gifts of the spirit god within your people lord a release of the gifts That's in them god the gifts you've given them already that you want to operate flow lord I just release them in the name of jesus We just loose our brothers and sisters to be free to flow in the gifts god We pray that that impartation and that freedom and that stirring up of the gifts come forth In every person lord that even this week and next week that they'll begin to see in their prayer time and in their Time of when they open their mouth to witness they begin to see the gifts released The spirit moving and speaking through them Lord, I believe chandler in the next within the next two weeks god that she be released into her prayer language in the baptism Of the holy spirit lord. I believe I received this word from from jared about the the fire Falling and resting upon her and she's going to begin to flow in those gifts The name of jesus. We thank you lord We worship you jesus And we know god that through the release Of your spirit god in our lives that people are going to be saved and healed and delivered And that's what we want lord. Thank you. Jesus Whew praise be to god somebody praise the lord in this place Thank you. Jesus It's something unique today. I don't know last sunday and this there's just so I feel like we've broken through something and I And i'm going to say this. I really believe that part of it not all of it Is because of a few weeks ago when I told everybody about praying in tongues for longer periods of time extended periods of time I think we're breaking through some stuff and I just want to encourage you this week again Take 30 minutes take an hour whatever you can and pray in tongues solid through that time And and and just be in prayer for the time. We're breaking through things in the spirit realm
People are going to be getting saved more and more. We're going to have a revival In this town. I have determined nothing less He's looking for people to do it You'll be seated for one second. We're going to take up the offering glory to god And What's that? All right, why don't you pray you can pass the the plane Yeah, you can pass around let mr. Patrick pray you can pass it around Would you forget? Praise you Jesus I felt you know Find the devil in your prayer time binding put on your armor every day. Don't let the devil