 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.
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