Sunday, November 21, 2010

God Idea: The Morning After

NLC LC@AL 11-17-10

Sermon Text:  Numbers 16:28b
Sermon Title:  God Idea:  The Morning After
The morning after the Israelites saw the miracle of the death of the 250, the manifestation of the events of that day and ran because they got the message; they act like they got a hangover.  They accuse Moses of murdering God’s PEOPLE? They act like they can’t remember anything.  How do you completely miss what God was doing?  How do you get up and flip the script on God.  After all God has done then you confuse what you saw. 

Point 1:  Interpretation
The move of God always needs interpretation.  The day after the people ran in fear, vs. 34 - 34 At their cries, all the Israelites around them fled, shouting, “The earth is going to swallow us too!”
They accused Moses of murder.  Vs. 41 -  41 The next day the whole Israelite community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. “You have killed the LORD’s people,” they said.
They completely misinterpreted the message and move of God. 
At first you wonder how they could misinterpret that?  Then when you think these are the same people right after 10 plagues grumbled.  Here are the same people who after the Red Sea swallowed Pharaoh and his army grumbled.  This is the same people who complained right after their dinner of manna from heaven, quail and water from a rock.  This is the same people whose clothes did not wear out in the desert and saw God lead them with a pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night.  They saw Moses meet with God face to face.  They got the original copy of the word of God written by the finger of God. 
The interpretation in the text; God is in control and he will not permit his congregation/community to be divided.  How do I know its God?  Ask yourself; does it add, increase, bring peace, fix, etc.  Then it’s God.  Don’t be confused like the Israelites. 

Point 2:  Intercessionvs. 45-46 - 45 “…. And they fell facedown.  46 Then Moses said to Aaron, “Take your censer and put incense in it, along with burning coals from the altar, and hurry to the assembly to make atonement for them. Wrath has come out from the LORD; the plague has started.”
Interpretation didn’t work so Moses had to start interceding for Israel. Notice something Moses is praying for people who raised up against him.
a)    Light up
b)    Lace up – Aaron laced up his sandals and ran into the midst of the people.  Aaron literally stood between the living and the dead. 
c)    Line up – Aaron lined up with the people who couldn’t stand him. 

Point 3:  Interruptionvs. 48-50 - 48 He stood between the living and the dead, and the plague stopped. 49 But 14,700 people died from the plague, in addition to those who had died because of Korah. 50 Then Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance to the tent of meeting, for the plague had stopped.
After the intercession the plague was interrupted.  The plague only claimed 14,700 lives.  It was on its way to claiming more.
The wages of sin is death and the gift of God is eternal life.  Look what the word says in the MSG bible in James 1:13 Don't let anyone under pressure to give in to evil say, "God is trying to trip me up." God is impervious to evil, and puts evil in no one's way. The temptation to give in to evil comes from us and only us. We have no one to blame but the leering, seducing flare-up of our own lust. Lust gets pregnant, and has a baby: sin! Sin grows up to adulthood, and becomes a real killer.
God is able.  In order for God to do it follow Moses and Aaron’s lead. 
a)    Recognize the plague

b)    Remain at the Temple to get in God’s face

c)    Ratchet up their prayers/requests

Conclusion:  Don’t wake up the morning after God has showed himself with a miracle, manifestation and message and forget it was God.  If you do remember Interpret; Intercede and God will Interrupt. 

A God Idea: Whose Time Has Come

Wednesday, November 3rd
LifeChanging At Another Level Bible Study
Bishop Dudley

Sermon Text:  Numbers 16:28b - 28Then Moses said, "This is how you will know that the LORD has sent me to do all these things and that it was not my idea:
Sermon Title:  A God Idea: Whose Time Has Come
From time to time something unthinkable gets started and nothing can seem to stop it.  Every now and then the force of a plan, a vision, a movement takes hold in the hearts of men and women; and it becomes alive.  Someone said, “There is nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come.”  Someone else said you cannot kill an idea.  You cannot put it in prison; you cannot destroy it, strip it naked and make it ashamed to appear in public.  And when that idea is from God, Jesus said the gates of hell won’t even prevail.
Point 1: U R A God Idea
            Like Israel in the text is a God idea whose time has come so are you and I. A God idea takes time, temperature, totality.
(a)          Time: It took Israel generations to evolve
1)    Abraham Isaac, Jacob (generational)
2)    400 years oppression (temperature)
3)    40 years in wilderness (totality)
(b)          A God idea emanates and radiates God’s glory. Beautiful mountains, crash of the seashore, a computer solving problems, a skyscraper touching the sky, a parent parenting well, a home full of joy, prosperity, more than enough, external life and all God ideas that literally glow in the dark.
His people are his idea. The Promised Land is his idea and with every God idea comes opposition and a plan to overcome opposition.
Point 2: Opposed
            Israel was opposed from within; you too will be opposed from within.
Romans 7:7-21 - 7But I can hear you say, "If the law code was as bad as all that, it's no better than sin itself." That's certainly not true. The law code had a perfectly legitimate function. Without its clear guidelines for right and wrong, moral behavior would be mostly guesswork. Apart from the succinct, surgical command, "You shall not covet," I could have dressed covetousness up to look like a virtue and ruined my life with it.  8-12Don't you remember how it was? I do, perfectly well. The law code started out as an excellent piece of work. What happened, though, was that sin found a way to pervert the command into a temptation, making a piece of "forbidden fruit" out of it. The law code, instead of being used to guide me, was used to seduce me. Without all the paraphernalia of the law code, sin looked pretty dull and lifeless, and I went along without paying much attention to it. But once sin got its hands on the law code and decked itself out in all that finery, I was fooled, and fell for it. The very command that was supposed to guide me into life was cleverly used to trip me up, throwing me headlong. So sin was plenty alive, and I was stone dead. But the law code itself is God's good and common sense, each command sane and holy counsel.  13I can already hear your next question: "Does that mean I can't even trust what is good [that is, the law]? Is good just as dangerous as evil?" No again! Sin simply did what sin is so famous for doing: using the good as a cover to tempt me to do what would finally destroy me. By hiding within God's good commandment, sin did far more mischief than it could ever have accomplished on its own.
 14-16I can anticipate the response that is coming: "I know that all God's commands are spiritual, but I'm not. Isn't this also your experience?" Yes. I'm full of myself—after all, I've spent a long time in sin's prison. What I don't understand about myself is that I decide one way, but then I act another, doing things I absolutely despise. So if I can't be trusted to figure out what is best for myself and then do it, it becomes obvious that God's command is necessary.  17-20But I need something more! For if I know the law but still can't keep it, and if the power of sin within me keeps sabotaging my best intentions, I obviously need help! I realize that I don't have what it takes. I can will it, but I can't do it. I decide to do good, but I don't really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don't result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time.  21-23It happens so regularly that it's predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up. I truly delight in God's commands, but it's pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge.
 24I've tried everything and nothing helps. I'm at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn't that the real question?  25The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different.
Point 3: Plan to Overcome
            Moses’ plan to overcome was to remind his enemies he/what he was doing was a God idea.
            When you remind the enemy you are a God idea you also remind yourself. When you remind yourself you rekindle the word to start the passion not to be denied. You restore your faith in God. You rehearse his word in your heart. You represent his word in the earth. You renovate the old thoughts of failure and turn them into new thoughts of success. You refurbish what was turned down. You replenished for the long haul. You are recommitted to the fact you are a God idea.

Hidden Hurts...Public Deliverance

Wednesday, October 23,  2010
Sermon Text:  2 Sam. 6:23
Sermon Title:  Hidden Hurts Public Deliverance
Emotions are always present.  Emotions are a part of life they just aren’t supposed to control your life.  For some of us, we hide them in hopes they would go away but you must be willing to be healed publically. 
In the text, Michal was barren until the day she died.  The text seems so unkind to her to let that be the last words said about the wife of David.  But deep behind the text is lurking her hidden hurt and pain.  Now like the leaves, she is about to show her true colors.  Behind this bitter woman is some hidden hurt.  2 Sam. 3:13-16  13 "Good," said David. "I will make an agreement with you. But I demand one thing of you: Do not come into my presence unless you bring Michal daughter of Saul when you come to see me." 14 Then David sent messengers to Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, demanding, "Give me my wife Michal, whom I betrothed to myself for the price of a hundred Philistine foreskins."
 15 So Ish-Bosheth gave orders and had her taken away from her husband Paltiel son of Laish. 16 Her husband, however, went with her, weeping behind her all the way to Bahurim. Then Abner said to him, "Go back home!" So he went back.

Point 1: Isaolated – 2 Sam 6: 16 As the ark of the LORD was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD, she despised him in her heart.  Unresolved hurt will cause you to isolate yourself.  On this glorious day the kings court was in full glory, but Michal is in the palace peaking out of the window.  She chooses to be alone. Isolation is a guarantee pain will penetrate every area of your life.       One of the first things some like to do when they have been hurt is withdraw.  Refuse to be touched.

Point 2: Interpret vs. 20 - 20 When David returned home to bless his household, Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him and said, "How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, disrobing in the sight of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!"
When David returns home he tries to help Michal understand the importance of today’s events.  He tried to put it in context for Michal.  Michal has her own interpretation.  When you interpret life through your hurt/pain, you see things that don’t exist. 

Point 3:  Impotent. Vs. 23 And Michal daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death
The worst thing that could ever happen to a woman during the biblical days outside of rape/murder was being barren.  The writer simply drops the bombshell and moves on to the next story.  The writer does so because it’s rather obvious. 

If you are impotent/barren and nothing is happening in your life could it be you have hidden hurt?  Invite Jesus in your life.  Invite Christ in for public deliverance.  Invite Jesus in so you can get your joy back.  Invite Jesus in so he can deal with the hidden hurt so your true colors will shine through. 

The Spirit of Emotions 10/13/2010

Sermon Text:            2 Timothy 1:7 - 7For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.
Sermon Title:            The Spirit of Emotions
For everything that is godly the Enemy has a counterfeit. Faith in God is of course godly. The counter of faith is fear. In our previous scriptures Jesus connected the dots for us. He told the disciples Matt 8:26-  26He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.  He said they shouldn’t be afraid and they had half of faith. Jesus told Peter a similar thing in Matthew 14:31 -  31Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?". Paul said it best God in our text, God did not give you a spirit of fear. Emphasis on spirit. So all of my human emotions hurt, pain, pleasure which grow out my soulish realm carry a spirit that has its own negative anointing. This means I have to be vigilant to increase my godly anointing which ultimately increase my faith. My faith will always lead to godly living and increased power.
I want you to see how the spirit of emotions can take over the people of God and delay his purpose/agenda individually/collectively in the earth. This is seen best by the story of the Israelites Num 13:26-33 - 26 They came back to Moses and Aaron and the whole Israelite community at Kadesh in the Desert of Paran. There they reported to them and to the whole assembly and showed them the fruit of the land. 27 They gave Moses this account: "We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. 28 But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there. 29 The Amalekites live in the Negev; the Hittites, Jebusites and Amorites live in the hill country; and the Canaanites live near the sea and along the Jordan."
 30 Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, "We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it."
 31 But the men who had gone up with him said, "We can't attack those people; they are stronger than we are." 32 And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, "The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. 33 We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them."
The children of Israel are on the verge of something big. They are minutes and miles away from the Promised Land. All they need is the anointing of faith to walk into Canaan and possess the land. But another anointing shows up and tries to counter the faith anointing. There is a show down. Let’s see who wins. In one corner there is Emotions. In the other corner there is Faith.
Emotional Anointing
Faith Anointing
Deminishes - vs 33 We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them."
Makes you think small, seem small, and act small. You shrink
When your emotions grow….the Israelites emotions got the best of them.
Enlarge VS27 They gave Moses this account: "We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit.
Caleb saw the big things of God
Deteriorates VS 32 And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, "The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size.
Emotional anointing can break down the entire moral, strength and confidence of the entire move of God.
Empowers VS  30 Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, "We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it."
Faith strengthens in the fall of problems.



Delays 14:1-41 That night all the people of the community raised their voices and wept aloud. 2 All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, "If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this desert! 3 Why is the LORD bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? Our wives and children will be taken as plunder. Wouldn't it be better for us to go back to Egypt?" 4 And they said to each other, "We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt."
40 years verses a few days all because of emotions
Excellerates VS  30 Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, "We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it."

God does a quick work

Who are you listening to? Whoever you are listening to is going to increase the anointing/spirit in you. I John 3:21 -  21Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God 
This will help you understand confidence in God to do Ps 34:4 -  4 I sought the LORD, and he answered me;  he delivered me from all my fears. Comes by which anointing growing.
I can certainly do this. I can certainly live right. I can certainly be in control of my emotions. I can certainly have what God wants me to have. I can certainly be healed, delivered and set free. I can certainly…… And it starts with me feeding the spirit of faith and starving the spirit of emotions.

Virtual Family Sunday Questions

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