 In Week #4 of this Breakthrough Series we are looking at “Breakthrough Within”...
1. Who does Jesus say that you are? Psalm 139:13-14 13 For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother's womb. 14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works You are fearfully and wonderfully made… Proverbs 31:10 speaks of women saying… her worth is far above rubies. In Revelation 1:6 God says He’s… made us kings and priests The problem isn’t with reality its with perception… The truth is that we are who He says we are but our perception preaches another message and we often believe the lie rather than the truth… Romans 1:24-25 24Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, 25who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator There is a lie about who you are and there is the truth about who you are… which one do you believe today?… Matthew 16:13-19 13When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?" 14 So they said, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." 15 He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" 16 Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." 17 Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven Jesus starts of by clarifying the difference between who people say that He is and who He truly is… Then Jesus shifts and declares that the world has called you “Simon- Bar Jonah” but I declare you to be “Peter”… Simon means one who hears or listens and Bar Jonah means the son of Jonah which means he was a good boy who listened to his father… His new name Peter means rock… and Jesus says now that we know the “TRUTH” about who we are I will build my church… Peter you use to believe that you were the son of a fisherman that was destined to be a fisherman as well but you are a rock destined to be a strong part of My church… I will soon go back to heaven and leave you with the keys to my kingdom and they are much more valuable than nets and so are you… Again are you walking in the truth about who you are or the lie today? Even if its a “good lie” that says you are a good son or daughter or mother or father or friend and so on it can’t compare to the truth about you… They said that Jesus was a good teacher and holy man but He is so much more than that… He is the Christ, the Messiah, the Savior of the world… On Wednesday night in Hebrews we’ve been studying what Jesus actually accomplished on the cross… The last couple weeks we’ve been talking about Jesus taking the power the devil had and “disarming him”… Colossians 2:13-15 13 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, 14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 15 Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it. So the truth is that while men and women do have an enemy and many are bound by him they are bound because they believe a lie… not because they are unable to be free… Hebrews 2:14-15 14 Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. So Jesus has disarmed the devil and stripped him of the power of death which he wielded to hold men and women in bondage and keeping us separated from the life of God… The Lord says that we are immeasurably valuable kings and priests… The problem is that we believe the lie that we are not strong enough to walk away from the things that bind us… We believe the lie that we are not worth much… We believe the lie that God does not see us or that He does not care for us… That means we need a “Breakthrough” so that we can see and walk in the truth… and that breakthrough has to happen “Within” us… God wants to get inside you and change your name! 2. Who do your circumstances try to convince you that you are? The problem with name changes and finding the truth is circumstances… Psalm 139:7-14 7 Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? 8 If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. 9 If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,10 Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me. 11 If I say, "Surely the darkness shall fall on me," Even the night shall be light about me; 12 Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, But the night shines as the day; The darkness and the light are both alike to You. 13 For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother's womb. 14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Before King David talks about being fearfully and wonderfully made he takes the reader on a journey through his circumstances that makes it hard to get to the truth about himself… Listen to what he said… Sometimes I ascend to heaven… Sometimes I’ve gone down into hell… Sometimes I’m lost as if in the middle of the ocean with no direction or point of reference… Sometimes I feel as if the darkness is closing in on me… Our circumstances can be so overwhelming and we all have circumstances… We have those moments of great spiritual highs but most of us have lows and struggles and concerns and frustrations that often seem to be around more than our spiritual highs… The “breakthrough” we need has to come from “Within” here too… It’s not our circumstances that have to change its our understanding of our circumstances that has to change… Listen to what David said about all the circumstances he was experiencing… Psalm 139:7-12 7 Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? 8 If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. 9 If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,10 Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me. 11 If I say, "Surely the darkness shall fall on me," Even the night shall be light about me; 12 Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, But the night shines as the day; The darkness and the light are both alike to You. David has had a breakthrough “Within”… He says its not that his circumstances have changed… he has come to understand that his circumstances do not prevent his God from getting to him… He is not bound by his circumstances he is free because wherever he finds himself there is God standing with him… 2 Corinthians 3 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. Your circumstances try to convince you that you are someone you are not and that you are far from God but you don’t have to be… Daniel 3:20-26 20 And he commanded certain mighty men of valor who were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, and cast them into the burning fiery furnace. 21 Then these men were bound in their coats, their trousers, their turbans, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. 22 Therefore, because the king's command was urgent, and the furnace exceedingly hot, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. 23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. 24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his counselors, "Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?" They answered and said to the king, "True, O king." 25 "Look!" he answered, "I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God." 26 Then Nebuchadnezzar went near the mouth of the burning fiery furnace and spoke, saying, "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here.” Where the spirit of the Lord is there is freedom! There is no circumstance that can separate you from the love the God… And look at this… Verse 26 says… 26 Then Nebuchadnezzar went near the mouth of the burning fiery furnace and spoke, saying, "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here.”… Either your circumstances will convince you of the lie or your faith will convince the world of the truth… I'd like you to listen to a song that talks about the joy of the presence of God even within our circumstances and how not to be in a “hurry” to escape the circumstances… Song: I’m not in a hurry www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMvLUOLhU-8 3. What is Jesus’ provision for the battle you are fighting “Within”? So the fact that we need breakthrough means that there is a battle being fought… so what are our weapons or what has Jesus provided for you to be victorious?… Psalm 139:7-18 7 Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? 8 If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. 9 If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,10 Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me. 11 If I say, "Surely the darkness shall fall on me," Even the night shall be light about me; 12 Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, But the night shines as the day; The darkness and the light are both alike to You. 13 For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother's womb. 14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.15 My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them. 17 How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! 18 If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; When I awake, I am still with You. The 1st weapon God gives us for this fight is “Peace”… The peace of knowing that God knows the end of our story… Verse 16 says… 16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them… When you understand that God has seen the best of you and your completion you will have “breakthrough within” and endure the seasons and circumstances of this life… Isaiah 46:9-10 I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, 10 Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, 'My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure Romans 4:17 says that He is the God… who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did You may not see it yet but God does… It may not exist in your physical world yet but it does exist in the mind of God and it is His pleasure to bring it into your existence… The 2nd weapon the Lord gives us for the fight is “Power”… Luke 24:49 49 Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high. So Jesus tells the disciples of the “PROMISE” the Father has made about things that exist in the heavenly’s but will be sent into their existence… In this case it is the “presence of the Holy Spirit” which will bring the presence of God and peace into their lives… and as if that isn’t enough Jesus says just wait here… Don’t be in a hurry… and you will receive “Power”!… Acts 2:24 is speaking about Jesus as the One… 24 whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it. The power we are talking about conquers the grave and it will conquer any and every circumstance in your life if you let it… If you stand on the truth of God about who you are… If you look for the presence of God within your circumstances… and if you receive the peace of God and walk in the power of God… You will have a breakthrough “Within” and your future will be dramatically different because of it… You will breakthrough the bonds of emotion, and fatigue, and anger, and sadness, and loneliness, and doubt… and any other restraints the enemy sends your way… As the song says “Don’t be in a hurry to leave the presence of God” Song: I'm not in a hurry www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMvLUOLhU-8
0 Comments
 Our God is a God of order and progression…
While He can take you from one place and transport you to another or show you things that are beyond your current position He typically takes you on a journey that is often referred to in the scriptures as a walk… It’s also referred to as a race because there is a prize and there are rules… Like Morpheus said to Neo… “There are rules that can be bent and there are rules that can be broken”… God takes John up into heaven and shows him the Lord in all His glory… God takes Enoch and Elijah to heaven without dying… God takes untrained and overmatched men and uses them to win military battles like Gideon and Jonathon & his armor bearer… These things do happen but they are truly the exception rather than the rule… The rule is that God awakens the soul of a man or a woman like we saw in Week #1 of our series and they “Break Up” out of death and into life… Week #2 focused on “Breakthrough with People” because people are used to bring you to the Lord and then they are used to help you walk with the Lord… I’m so excited about the group going through the Discipleship Course right now because I believe they are going to begin to see things they’ve never seen before and experience another “Breakthrough” in their lives… But again our God is a God of order and progression… If you don’t understand your salvation and you haven’t been baptized and you aren’t a man or woman of prayer how can you be discipled or disciple others?… In life we often want a career without education or climbing the ladder… We want a peaceful loving relationship without struggle and sacrifice… We want vehicles to run forever without maintenance… In our faith we also feel entitled to blessings once we have “broken up” into salvation but the Lord says now that you are here you must begin to run your race… Actually He says… Begin to crawl and then We will walk and then I will release you to run… 1 Corinthians 3:1-3 1 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; 3 for you are still carnal. See it?… Don’t get too tied up with the lack of spiritual growth and being called carnal Christians who still feed the flesh instead of the Spirit… It’s important but I want you to focus on the picture the Lord is painting about progress… Paul says even now you are babes in Christ… still drinking milk… and not ready for solid food… Hebrews 5:12-14 says… 12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. 14 But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil Habakkuk 2:2 is the scripture each of the ministries here at The Way is built on… 2 Then the Lord answered me and said: "Write the vision And make it plain on tablets, That he may run who reads it. I understand and teach our ministry leaders though that they cannot run until they learn how to crawl and walk and actually receive visions from God… Today in Week #3 of our “Breakthrough” series we are looking at Breakthrough “With God and In Your Faith”… We’ve seen the need to “Break Up” and out of this world and we’ve seen that we need breakthrough “With People” in order to live in the kingdom… Now I want to focus on gaining ground “With God and In Your Faith” in the heavenly realm… Prayer… Let us enjoy the milk given to us if we are babes in the faith but let us crawl if we need to crawl and help us to walk if we should be walking and let us run who should be running… I want to start out by saying I’m talking to Christians… If you’d like to become one you always have the opportunity to confess your sin and ask Jesus to become Lord and Savior… For the Christians I speak to I want to challenge you but I always want you to remember that you are saved by grace and faith in Jesus and this isn’t about earning anything from Jesus… This is about growing in Jesus and experiencing breakthrough with “God and In Your Faith”… On your best day you are hidden in Christ and that is what God sees and on your worst day you are hidden in Christ and that is what God sees… Let me paint a picture of the kind of breakthrough we are talking about… You were asleep and you had a breakthrough into consciousness earlier today… You were in your home and you opened the door and broke-through into nature… You got into your care and you were on many roads but then you broke-through off of Lambert or Tamarack and into the church parking lot… You got out of your car and you broke-through into the foyer… You broke-through into the sanctuary and here you are… At each breakthrough you enter in to something special but even though you are leaving something behind you bring the knowledge of what you’ve left behind with you into the future… Many of us don’t realize the blessings of the different areas that we’ve broken-into with God and we forget to carry the blessings of past breakthroughs with us… Let’s look at our morning again not as babes on milk but as men and women who are eating solid food… You were asleep and you had a breakthrough into consciousness earlier today… You realized this morning as you do every morning that you are not in control and would die if God didn’t rest you every night and wake you every morning… You were in your home and you opened the door and broke-through into nature… You breathed in fresh air and looked at the creation of God reminding you that the Sun is giving life to everything around you and the Son of God is giving life within you… You got into your care and you were on many roads but then you broke-through off of Lambert or Tamarack and into the church parking lot… As you got into your car you realized that God has given man the gift to create because He is a creator and the things we create are a blessing to man kind… You got out of your car and you broke-through into the foyer… You realized that there were many places the blessings of your manmade car could have taken you and even in this parking lot there were many doors but you chose The Way… You looked around the Foyer and realized there is water and coffee and places to sit and relax and there is a TV giving you information on what’s ahead of you… and there are other people who have had breakthroughs this morning and arrived in the very same foyer that you have… You broke-through into the sanctuary and here you are… You realize that in this very room you have learned the majority of the things you know about God and you have worshipped Him in song more here than any other place and you feel His presence here in a unique way and you say to yourself I expect to meet with Him here today… You thank Him for all that He has done just to get you here so that He can speak into your life and bless you and comfort you… See at each stage of breakthrough there are things that you can now do that you could not have done before the breakthrough and there are things that you can no longer do that you could before the breakthrough… Yesterday I sat with a couple and heard a woman who’s been married for 50 years testify about never letting her emotions get in the way of what God has called her husband to… and not letting the immature sympathy of other believers lead her into self pity for herself or her children… and proclaiming that if God calls her husband into ministry that He has also called the family and will provide for the children in every area of their lives… She had breakthrough in these areas and she could never go back to where she was before the breakthrough… If she ever wanted to she would have to deny what she had come to know and forfeit all that was prepared for her in that new place with God… Hebrews 5:13-14 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. 14 But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised See a babe drinks milk forever but those who grow up and continue to breakthrough with God they enjoy solid food and they remember the milk that was given to them… They begin to ask questions like where did that milk come from? and who prepared the solid food? and what can I do to show my gratitude for all that has been provided for me?… How can I honor You Lord for this relationship you’ve given me and these finances you’ve given me and this house of worship You’ve led me too?… Beyond your journey to church this morning and all the breakthrough that took place what breakthroughs have happened in your walk with the Lord?… So what breakthroughs are still ahead and how will you be sure to experience them?… 1. Hold On Habakkuk 2:1-3 1 I will stand my watch And set myself on the rampart, And watch to see what He will say to me, And what I will answer when I am corrected. 2 Then the Lord answered me and said: "Write the vision And make it plain on tablets, That he may run who reads it. 3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come Breakthroughs with the Lord come to those who wait for them… God corrects and directs and we have to be ready for that… God will give vision and direction that we must write in stone so that we can have clarity about the direction we are to run… Then we must wait for Him to give us breakthrough… Breakthrough is for “an appointed time”… It will come but you must be there “holding on” when it does… A brother told me he had been significantly struggling for a while and then this last wednesday in bible study he had breakthrough… He was struggling but he continued to show up and he continued to serve the church and he continued to love his wife and children and he continued to show up for men’s fellowship and he continued to go to work but Wednesday was the “appointed time” of breakthrough… Hold On men and women of God!… Not because I say so but because God says so!… Psalm 25:5 5 Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; On You I wait all the day. Psalm 25:21 21 Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, For I wait for You. Psalm 27:14 14 Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord! Psalm 37:7 7 Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him Psalm 37:9 those who wait on the Lord, They shall inherit the earth. Psalm 37:34 34 Wait on the Lord, And keep His way, And He shall exalt you to inherit the land; When the wicked are cut off, you shall see it. Psalm 130:5 5 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, And in His word I do hope. Isaiah 40:31 those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint. Don’t give up continue to “Hold On”!… Stop giving up and going back and walking away from the Lord… “Hold On”!… If you’ve done it in the past leave that behind you and “breakthrough” into the realm of those who “Hold On” when the storms of this life come… Don’t stay in the Foyer of your Faith… come on in to the Sanctuary!!! Job 2:1-10 1 Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the Lord. 2 And the Lord said to Satan, "From where do you come?" So Satan answered the Lord and said, "From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it." 3 Then the Lord said to Satan, "Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil? And still he holds fast to his integrity, although you incited Me against him, to destroy him without cause." 4 So Satan answered the Lord and said, "Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life. 5 But stretch out Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will surely curse You to Your face!" 6 And the Lord said to Satan, "Behold, he is in your hand, but spare his life." 7 So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord, and struck Job with painful boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. 8 And he took for himself a potsherd with which to scrape himself while he sat in the midst of the ashes. 9 Then his wife said to him, "Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!" 10 But he said to her, "You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?" In all this Job did not sin with his lips. Job had had a breakthrough that many of us need to have… He was not serving God because of the blessings and walking away from God when life got hard… Job knew who the Lord was and the Lord knew who Job was and God allowed Job to teach the devil something about those who had given their lives up in order to know God… Satan said that all men will give up everything including God to save their own lives… Job said not so… I will “Hold On” to that which matters most… Revelation 12:11 they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. 2 Samuel 22:47 47 "The Lord lives! Blessed be my Rock! Let God be exalted, The Rock of my salvation! Psalm 89:26 26 He shall cry to Me, 'You are my Father, My God, and the rock of my salvation.' The Rock is what you “Hold On” to when you want to go back and He is stable and strong but you have to know Him… 1. Hold On 2. Press In - Show Up - Try It Holding on and waiting on the Lord is not a passive holding on or waiting in fear and paralyzed… You should be holding on in faith and waiting on the Lord in confidence… To wait on the Lord is to be doing what He expects you to be doing until He comes with blessings and rest or further orders and direction… I don’t believe the man I mentioned earlier would have gotten breakthrough this week if he wasn’t doing what he knew he should be doing while he held on and waited… We have to have the physical waking up into consciousness and the spiritual waking up in thanksgiving to the giver of consciousness as we hold on and wait upon the Lord… You can’t just show up you have to show up and actively wait upon the Lord… When you get here you have to press in and you have to try to take the next step… Matthew 25:14-30 14 "For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. 15 And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. 16 Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. 17 And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. 18 But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord's money. 19 After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them. 20 So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, 'Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.' 21 His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'22 He also who had received two talents came and said, 'Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.' 23 His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.' 24 Then he who had received the one talent came and said, 'Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed.25 And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.' 26 But his lord answered and said to him, 'You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. 27 So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. 28 Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. 29 For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.30 And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. Waiting on the Lord and holding on is not taking your salvation and hiding it in the ground so that you don’t lose it… You have to take your salvation and invest it… When you get to church you have to say heres what I came in with but how can I take what I’ve got and turn it into more?… If I take what I already know and apply it to what I’m hearing today I may be able to come up or breakthrough… If I take what I’ve learned about salvation and who Jesus is and I sing it out in worship maybe something will break in my life and I’ll see my faith increased and multiplied… If I take the little that I have financially and invest it into the G-O-D 500 instead of the S&P 500 stock exchange maybe He will give me a return on my investment in the earthly and spiritual realms as His word says He will… Are you struggling as a man or a woman?… Show up the the men’s and women’s events while you wait on the Lord… Are you struggling with giving?… Show up to Financial Peace while you wait on the Lord… Are you struggling with understanding the word of God?… Show up to Wednesday night bible study awhile you wait on the Lord… Are you struggling in your marriage?… Show up to couples nights out and the engaged marriages events while you wait on the Lord… Breakthroughs are waiting for you but you have to press in and show up and try it… Breakthroughs come to those who are walking while they hold on and wait on the Lord… 1. Hold On 2. Press In - Show Up - Try It 3. Read - Hear - Digest the Word On Tuesday night I was late to Men’s Fellowship & Bible Study because I had another my headphones are on but I’m listening to other people talk and this time I had to say something… On Wednesday night we were reminded that the devil knows the truth but won’t share it and the world doesn’t have the truth… The only place we can get the truth is from the Word of God and the church of God… Without these you are on sinking sand and rather than breaking through you actually begin to sink every time you try to hold on and push through... John 11:1-44 1 Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. 3 Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, "Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick." 4 When Jesus heard that, He said, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it." 5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was. 7 Then after this He said to the disciples, "Let us go to Judea again." 8 The disciples said to Him, "Rabbi, lately the Jews sought to stone You, and are You going there again?" 9 Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 10 But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him."11 These things He said, and after that He said to them, "Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up." 12Then His disciples said, "Lord, if he sleeps he will get well." 13However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep. 14 Then Jesus said to them plainly, "Lazarus is dead. 15 And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless let us go to him." 16 Then Thomas, who is called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with Him." 17So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles away. 19 And many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother. 20 Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house. 21 Then Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You." 23 Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." 24 Martha said to Him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." 25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. 26And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?" 27 She said to Him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world."28 And when she had said these things, she went her way and secretly called Mary her sister, saying, "The Teacher has come and is calling for you." 29 As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly and came to Him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in the place where Martha met Him. 31 Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, "She is going to the tomb to weep there." 32 Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died." 33 Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled. 34 And He said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to Him, "Lord, come and see."35 Jesus wept. 36 Then the Jews said, "See how He loved him!" 37 And some of them said, "Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?" 38 Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 39 Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, "Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days." 40 Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?" 41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. 42 And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me." 43 Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!" 44 And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Loose him, and let him go." You can hear the word and not believe it or understand it… Mary & Martha had shared many meals with Jesus and heard Him speak and teach countless times but they hadn’t come to understand and truly digest the words that they were hearing… On this day though they saw what they had heard about in action… They were given clarity about who the Messiah truly is here and now not just then and there in the future… They had a breakthrough and saw death overcome by life against all the laws of nature and science… They could never go back to the world they lived in before this day… Are you reading and hearing and digesting the word of God in a way that gives you breakthrough into new realms of spirituality… The link below is for a song called "Transfiguration"… It says “I have seen the glory that cannot be unseen”… That’s breakthrough!!!… www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjeE1wzLfjI  Welcome to February and our new series - “Breakthrough”
Watch this 2 minute video to begin this blog: www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mc9TswBvGU I liked the video of Bertha because it shows how much goes into a breakthrough… Bertha built one of the longest transportation tunnels in America… So many things have to come together and work together before we see the actual breakthrough and completion of the tunnel… I also liked that all of this was happening “beneath the surface” of Seattle and most people had no idea what was happening… All of these things are true when it comes to breakthrough in our lives… We have to go through things… There are things coming together and working together for our good… and most of the work is happening in a place that nobody can see… Here are a couple of quotes on breakthrough I found that I liked… ― Paul Colaianni said… “A "breakdown" is when you've exhausted every option and have no choice but to accept the fact that you are powerless to create the outcome you want. A "breakthrough" has the same definition.” ― Connie Willis, Bellwether said… “Don't they know science doesn't work like that? You can't just order scientific breakthroughs. They happen when you are looking at something you've been working on for years and suddenly see a connection you never noticed before, or when you're looking for something else altogether. Sometimes they even happen by accident. Don't they know you can't get a scientific breakthrough just because you want one?” Pastor Vaughn said… ”Since I decided to always put off quitting till tomorrow I’ve found that every breakthrough I’ve had in my life has happened the day before I quit”… Let's get a good look at what Breakthrough is as we set the stage for this series… Definition of Breakthrough: a sudden, dramatic, and important discovery or development. an instance of achieving success in a particular sphere or activity. an act or instance of moving through or beyond an obstacle a sudden advance especially in knowledge or technique a person's first notable success warfare : an offensive military assault that penetrates and carries beyond a defensive line So 1st of all in order to have breakthrough there must be something to breakthrough or some obstacle that needs to be overcome… 2nd there has to be an actual overcoming or breakthrough… 3rd there will always be a new physical status and mental understanding because you find yourself somewhere you’ve never been… That’s why the title of Week #1 is Breakthrough - “Somewhere You’ve Never Been”… We can use Abraham as our example of this… Genesis 12:1-5 1 Now the Lord had said to Abram: "Get out of your country, From your family And from your father's house, To a land that I will show you. 2 I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." 4 So Abram departed as the Lord had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. And Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. 5 Then Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his brother's son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people whom they had acquired in Haran, and they departed to go to the land of Canaan Abram was successful and wealthy and had already made a home for himself… All of those things can be considered blessings but they were barriers to the call of God on his life that needed to be broken through… We've heard about a man referred to as the rich young ruler who did not break through the barriers of the blessings in his life in order to follow the call of God on his life but here Abram does… Genesis 12:4 4 So Abram departed as the Lord had spoken to him So we have the #1 the thing needing to be broken through and #2 the breakthrough itself but what about #3 the new place both physically and mentally?… Genesis 13:1-15 1 Then Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had, and Lot with him, to the South. 2 Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold. 3 And he went on his journey from the South as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, 4 to the place of the altar which he had made there at first. And there Abram called on the name of the Lord. 5 Lot also, who went with Abram, had flocks and herds and tents. 6 Now the land was not able to support them, that they might dwell together, for their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together. 7And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram's livestock and the herdsmen of Lot's livestock. The Canaanites and the Perizzites then dwelt in the land. 8 So Abram said to Lot, "Please let there be no strife between you and me, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen; for we are brethren. 9 Is not the whole land before you? Please separate from me. If you take the left, then I will go to the right; or, if you go to the right, then I will go to the left." 10 And Lot lifted his eyes and saw all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere (before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah) like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt as you go toward Zoar. 11 Then Lot chose for himself all the plain of Jordan, and Lot journeyed east. And they separated from each other. 12 Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain and pitched his tent even as far as Sodom. 13 But the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the Lord.14 And the Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him: "Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are--northward, southward, eastward, and westward; 15 for all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever. So physically Abram has gone from his land to Egypt and now a fork in the road between the plain of the Jordan and Canaan and all of these are places he had never been… But what about mentally?… Listen to what Abram says in Verses 8 and 9… 8 So Abram said to Lot, "Please let there be no strife between you and me, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen; for we are brethren. 9 Is not the whole land before you? Please separate from me. If you take the left, then I will go to the right; or, if you go to the right, then I will go to the left.” Mentally Abram has also gone to a place he had never been before where land itself is no longer of much importance… You go right and I’ll go left or you go left and I’ll go right… Who am I where I live and who is with me where I live and the peace I have with others where I live are so much more important than where I live and the land I own… So for us as we look at “Breakthrough” we need to ask if we’ve been changed to the point where we see everything associated with our obstacles differently… Not only are they behind us but the “old us” is behind as as well… I want to shift our focus now to the barriers themselves… 1. Barriers In Motion When we think of barriers we think of brick walls that we run against and bang against and then we go back and draw up plans to get through and we continue to approach because it’s always there waiting for us… We all need breakthrough in some areas of our lives today and they are not standing still like a punching bag… they are moving targets and they hit back… Our Barriers are “Barriers In Motion”… Physically pressing us and re-directing us as they see fit… Matthew 11:12 the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. When we are 11 or 12 maybe drugs come along and begin to “peer pressure” us… and some of us were able to fight that battle pretty successfully at that time… JUST SAY NO!… But then at 12 or 13 sex begins to apply pressure… and often times broken families and divorce show up… and then money enters the seen… and now drugs renter the fight and brings alcohol along with them… These barriers are in motion and they are pressing us and directing us and defining us… You know what happens to kids who can’t fight?… 3 things…
With that in mind lets look at the real problem we are facing as these barriers and forces in our lives are pressing and directing and defining and shaping us… Romans 7:15-21 15For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. 16 If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. 17 But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. 18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. 19 For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. 20 Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. 21 I find then a law, that evil is present with me SIN is my ultimate barrier and burden… Not only am I being pushed BACK but more importantly I am being pushed DOWN… I am literally being pushed down in to death and hell… 1 Corinthians 1:18 18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. God says I have an answer for the horizontal barriers and pressures of your life but more importantly I have an answer for the vertical barriers and pressures in your life that determine life or death… It’s literally a cross!… Colossians 2:12-14 12 buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. 13 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, 14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. This takes us to point #2… 1. Barriers In Motion 2. “Breaking-Up” The first “Breakthrough” is not a breakthrough as much as it is a “Break-Up”… We are breaking through the barrier and burden of sin that was ultimately pushing us down in to death and hell… We are being “raised” in newness of life and literally “Breaking-Up” into heaven and life… Romans 6:4 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. In the movie Constantine Keanu Reeves eventually lays his life down in order to have his friend resurrected and as the devil is dragging him to hell all of the sudden he becomes to heavy to drag and and then he begins to ascend to heaven and out of the grip of the devil… This scripture is saying the same thing… Eventually we realize it isn’t the horizontal forces that are really killing us it’s the vertical force of sin that must be broken through… We lay down our lives because we know we can’t do it ourselves and just when the enemy thinks he has us we breakthrough and we are raised to life… We are also breaking up with this earthly world that we at one time were so in love with and we commit ourselves to the heavenly world that exist above and behind and beyond this one… 2 Corinthians 5:1-7 1 For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven,3 if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked.4 For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life. 5 Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. 6 So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. 7 For we walk by faith, not by sight. 8 We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. Revelation 1:9-11 9 I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. 10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, 11 saying, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last," and, "What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches What is the point and what is the picture painted here?… When it comes to breakthrough… 1. We need to know where we are By faith we walk rather than by sight AND when we walk in faith, like John we are often able to see heavenly visions… 2. When we “Break-Up” into the heavenly realm we definitely begin to see what we were battling and what we are battling in the earthly realm for what it really is… Ephesians 6:12 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. When it comes to our barriers when we have “Broken-Up” we can see them more clearly…. I can also see who is pulling their strings as the hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places… The last couple weeks we looked at Elisha saying t this disciple that there were more with them than against them and God opened his eyes to see angels and chariots of fire surrounding them… We begin to see in this realm and understand the difference between puppets and puppet masters and then the master of puppets who is angry that we have been saved… Daniel 10:7-13 7 And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who were with me did not see the vision; but a great terror fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves. 8 Therefore I was left alone when I saw this great vision, and no strength remained in me; for my vigor was turned to frailty in me, and I retained no strength. 9 Yet I heard the sound of his words; and while I heard the sound of his words I was in a deep sleep on my face, with my face to the ground. 10Suddenly, a hand touched me, which made me tremble on my knees and on the palms of my hands. 11 And he said to me, "O Daniel, man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you." While he was speaking this word to me, I stood trembling. 12 Then he said to me, "Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. 13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia. The earthly man Daniel has been given a heavenly vision and spoken to about the battle being fought as he prays… For 21 days principalities and powers and heavenly hosts fight to bring word to Daniel and the Princes of darkness “Barriers In Motion” actively fighting against us… So when we “Break-Up” into this realm we still don’t know how to fight very good at this point but some things have changed…
Colossians 2:8-15 8 Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; 10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power. 11 In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. 13 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, 14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 15 Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it. The barriers remain but you have the Christ and you have friends and you have access to new equipment and new weapons… Ephesians 6:10-13 10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day 1. Barriers In Motion 2. “Breaking-Up” 3. Breaking through to somewhere you’ve never been Break throughs are amazing… You find yourself in a new place with a new mind and new eyes and you are like a kid in a candy store… My son Nate and I had a breakthrough this past Thursday… He’s 10 now and we were on our way to his basketball practice just him and I and I told him I was going to leave one of my phones with him if me and his mom wanted to go get coffee or go for a walk… He got so excited and started asking me a bunch of questions… I let him turn that phone on and look through the contacts and then call his mom and tell her what we talked about… I felt just as good to me as it did to him to be in this new realm with my son and having this breakthrough so I just went all in… I asked him again about girls and if they are just friends or if he thinks they are pretty… He said just friends so I told him that’s great and when that changes to come and talk to me and that I would be asking him from time to time… Then we talked about his body and how things are changing for him as a little boy and why he has to wear clothes and towels all the time and having a sister and little brother… At the end of that part he said “Dad how did you know?”… I told him… “Son, I’m your father and I love you so I always know what’s going on with you”… Immediately I thought about my father in heaven and how He says the same to all of us… I thought about how exciting it must be for Him when we have breakthrough and He’s able to show us new things and talk to us about new things and tell us how He’s been seeing things we didn’t know He saw… As we go through this series I am praying for breakthrough for everyone… We all have areas of life where we need breakthrough and there’s no feeling like it when we find it… Mark 9:2-9 2 Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and led them up on a high mountain apart by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. 3 His clothes became shining, exceedingly white, like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them. 4 And Elijah appeared to them with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. 5 Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah"-- 6 because he did not know what to say, for they were greatly afraid. 7 And a cloud came and overshadowed them; and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!" 8Suddenly, when they had looked around, they saw no one anymore, but only Jesus with themselves. 9 Now as they came down from the mountain, He commanded them that they should tell no one the things they had seen, till the Son of Man had risen from the dead. Imagine seeing what these men saw?… They have had a breakthrough into a realm they had never seen before… They see the heavenly communicating with the earthly… They begin to ask questions and God speaks and directs them on how to live in this realm… After the breakthrough they are taken back to the earthly where it is just them and Jesus but they now know they are living in both even though they can’t see the heavenly… Now they walk by faith and not by sight… I want you all to begin to pray about your next breakthrough… and pray for those that need a “Break-Up” first… John 18:3-8 3 Then Judas, having received a detachment of troops, and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, came there with lanterns, torches, and weapons. 4 Jesus therefore, knowing all things that would come upon Him, went forward and said to them, "Whom are you seeking?" 5 They answered Him, "Jesus of Nazareth." Jesus said to them, "I am He." And Judas, who betrayed Him, also stood with them. 6 Now when He said to them, "I am He," they drew back and fell to the ground. 7 Then He asked them again, "Whom are you seeking?" And they said, "Jesus of Nazareth." 8 Jesus answered, "I have told you that I am He. Therefore, if you seek Me, let these go their way,” Every force and weapon is pushed back and falls to the ground when Jesus speaks and says “I am He”… If you need help and breakthrough and a break up and you are asking who can save me… Jesus says “I am He”… He stands ready to take all the punishment for every sin you’ve ever committed… He says “let these go their way”… to death for everyone who chooses Him and He goes to the cross in their place… To "Break-Up" is to come out from under the weight of sin that is pressing you down to death and hell and receive life… And for those who are saved I encourage you to keep putting off quitting till tomorrow… Galatians 6:9 9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. |
Archives
July 2018
Categories |
RSS Feed