Bill Johnson teaches on spiritual warfare and how to win every battle. Scripture tells us that our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual rulers and authorities. Bill Johnson teaches on strategies of war found in Scripture, and how to fight FROM a place of victory, not just for victory. Through co-laboring with God and following His voice, we can remain in peace no matter what we are facing, confident of God’s goodness. Subscribe for weekly videos: https://bit.ly/bjmYoutube
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0:00 Introduction 0:25 God’s Strategy for Winning in Spiritual Warfare 10:33 The Weapon of Praise (Celebrating Your Breakthrough Before it Comes) 24:58 Fighting FROM Victory, Instead of FOR Victory 31:54 The Weapon of Prayer (How to Pray Effective Prayers) 40:50 You Are Stronger Than Your Enemy Bill Johnson is a fifth-generation pastor with a rich heritage in the Holy Spirit. He is senior leader of Bethel Church in Redding, California, and is passionate about seeing Revival and God’s Kingdom established and revealed in the lives of individuals, families, communities, and nations. Bill’s teaching on the Kingdom of Heaven, hosting the Presence, and the renewed mind has helped thousands around the world to step into their true identity in Christ, God given purpose, and walk in a supernatural lifestyle displaying both purity and power.
we are not fighting for victory we’re
fighting from Victory towards the broken
conditions of life that is the
responsibility of every
believer so when we talk about Warfare
we have reason to celebrate ahead of
time because it the battle literally has
already been won we’re just learning how
to apply that which Jesus has been
Victorious
[Music]
over how many of you realize we’re we’re
honestly in a spiritual war
yeah there’s there’s no question in fact
there’s never been a time in my life
where it’s been more intense and uh uh
in fact I would say probably 10 times
more than any other season of my life
has been the last two years now our
strength in spiritual
warfare is no greater than our ability
to control our
thoughts our strength in spiritual
warfare you guys can make me work this
morning I’m going to get a workout I can
see our strength in spiritual warfare
our Effectiveness in spiritual warfare
is no greater than our ability to
control our thoughts and in 2
Corinthians 10 probably the greatest
chapter on instruction for spiritual
warfare there is this phrase taking
every thought captive to The Obedience
of Christ imagine being in a natural war
and you’ve got like the number one
Terrorist on the planet opposing you and
you take the person captive he’s now a
prisoner of war but what happens if you
take that captive a prisoner of war and
you turn him into a soldier for the same
cause as you that’s what it means to
take captive Renegade thoughts to The
Obedience of Christ is that which was
not Waring against me is now Waring for
me it means when you got that little
thing going on in your head where you’re
arguing with somebody and you’re anger
with them and you got this going on and
that going on turn it into a prayer of
blessing for them and you’ll disarm the
enemy and you actually use a thought
that was supposed to be used against you
it will now be used for
you God has um they’re strange to me
probably strange us strange ways of
winning
wars you know anytime you send a choir
out into battle first like they don’t
have
weapons they just sing and they have
instruments and you send them into the
deep of a battle that’s an unusual way
to go to war unless you don’t like the
worship team then
of but the Lord showed up and would
deliver and Powerful things would happen
how about the time he said uh for Moses
he has him lift his hands up and Aaron
and her just each hold up an arm as long
as arms are up they
win or what about the time um the
prophet is surrounded by this enemy Army
and um and the Lord blinds them all and
the King says can I kill them he says no
feed them so it brings them into this
big banquet and then it says that Army
just decided not to attack Israel
anymore that’s a strange way to win a
war is I’m not saying feed your enemies
your
demons yeah breaks down it breaks down
all
right so the Lord has unusual ways of
winning of leading his into war cuz
because the the way a war is won is
through relationship and Trust through
obedience it’s the raised hands it’s the
Striking The Rock it’s the proclamation
here it’s the proc it’s it’s the natural
obedience to whatever God says to do
that’s what brings about the Triumph and
the Victory did I tell you where to open
your Bibles too no yes no Ze some of you
heard it some of you didn’t Zechariah 1
is where you should be Zechariah Chapter
1 if you’re not there hurry and get
there and we’re going to read uh let me
start by saying you’ll see the number
four and you’ll see the word horns four
horns four in the scripture often
represents something that is
global north south east
west it’s a
global thing horns are strength
Authority power so when it talks about
four horns influencing the Earth it’s a
global demonstration of demonic power
that enslaves people in wrong thinking
all right so let’s read this passage and
then I’ll see if we can make some sense
out of it all right Verse 18 then I
raised my eyes and looked and there were
four horns and I said to the angel who
talked with me what are these and he
answered me said these are the horns
that have scattered Judah Israel and
Jerusalem then the Lord showed me four
Craftsmen and I saidwhat are these
coming to do and he said these are the
horns that scattered Judah so that no
one could lift his head but the
Craftsmen are coming to terrify them to
cast out the horns of the Nations that
lifted up their horn against the land of
Judah to scatter it let’s read these
verses again I want you to
uh I want to think with me as we go
through this because the Lord it it’s
almost like the Lord is saying when in
War I hope it’s a good
show when in war
create let’s read verse 20 and 21 then
the Lord showed me four Craftsmen and he
said what are these coming to do and he
said these are the horns that scattered
Judah so that no one could lift up his
head but their Craftsmen are coming to
terrify them very very unusual way to
win a war is to ra raise up Artists
Craftsmen skilled laborers skilled
workers it says these horns these four
powers or authorities these Realms of
Darkness have been released to number
one scatter the people of God number two
scatter them so that they can no longer
lift their head sometimes we are
separate not because of division but
because we’ve just not fought to be
together especially in this season very
unusual
season the scripture says don’t forsake
the assembling of yourself together as
is the habit of some especially as you
see the day Drawing Near what is it
saying as you see things intensifying
the Earth do what is not natural for you
go against the grain and fight to be
together yes we are members of a body
all of us we are members of one another
and while there are times where are we
are forced to stand alone uh but that’s
a season it’s not a lifestyle ever
sometimes we’re forced to stand alone to
fight something it almost seems like on
our own the best we know how just to
prove our own faithfulness to the Lord
but we are actually joined together
members of one another and the enemy
Works to separate and to scatter to
cause a loss of identity if there’s
anything we can see happening in the
world right now we got guy men who don’t
know their men they think they’re women
got women who don’t know they’re women
they think they’re
men or one of the other
58
options
people say well Bill we’ve got to show
compassion and I I do believe that we
got some troubled people we just need to
love and serve it’s just I’m tired of
seeing the church showing compassion to
Demons
yes we don’t we don’t go easy on the
powers of darkness and then call that
compassion we got to know where to fight
where to stand strong where to embrace
where to love where to be patient where
to be
kind God’s giving the church a backbone
know so here we’ve got this unusual
story where the Lord says there are
these Powers released into the Earth and
it’s Global and if ever I’ve seen
something that was out of
order demonic that was Global it’s right
now I’ve never seen the nations in the
same turmoil all around the world as is
happening right now I do believe this is
a right now word so I’m I’m going to ask
you with that kind of certainty and
intentionality listen to this very very
simple
exhortation that
Global
Insanity that is sponsored
by so many different movements and
political leaders that Global
Insanity has an opponent that it can’t
stand up
to and that’s the people of God coming
into their authentic self
to give creative expression of who God
made them to be art Artisans Craftsmen I
I don’t I don’t believe is just
referring to uh those who carve wood or
those who paint beautiful paintings or
those who sing beautiful songs or dance
or act or those are the Arts and they
are highly highly valued by
us but there is an artistic expression
that a single mom needs with that one
child that’s different than the rest and
to be able to communicate well to that
child to bring that child to their place
of Destiny needs a Grace a wisdom and
artistic flare it’s the lawyer that has
a case he doesn’t know how to win but he
knows he must and the Lord gives them
creative expression ideas the accountant
that has a challenge in helping this one
business to prosper and they get that
Insight there’s that artistic flare that
comes out of fellowship with the Lord
that is in great great need
when we look at the subject of
warfare in scripture we’re not talking
about conflict with another person we’re
not talking about uh you know this
nation another Nation we’re not talking
about you and your neighbor we’re not
talking about um the conflict between
maybe you and a boss that you work for a
co- worker or whatever it’s it’s not
human centered it’s actually it’s
actually centered on a Spirit realm that
has influence over the thoughts and
values of a
culture it is so vital that you
understand that’s at work otherwise
you’ll pick people off as your Target
and it’s it’s not it’s not people PE God
loves people but there are powers at
work that persuade people to think
through I’ve talked about a a Biblical
filter to think through a demonic filter
and they have as much conviction for
what they believe as you do for what you
believe but it’s because they see
through a demonic filter what we’re
doing is we’re learning how to engage in
the right war in the right battle so
that those Powers no longer have
influence over people’s thinking and
lives the the mark of the Gospel
impacting a person’s life is Liberty not
Conformity come on it’s it’s not
becoming a part of a group where you’re
controlled it’s it’s being entrusted
with Divine Insight where God trusts you
to think for yourself and to make
decisions it’s there’s the biblical
pattern there’s the filter if you will
there’s the template that we think
through because because it’s vital that
we live according to our
design when you get rid of the designer
in culture you lose any reason for
design come
on so this is a story Paul said in
Ephesians 6 he says we battle not
against flesh and blood our battle is
against spiritual Powers spiritual
forces of wickedness in Heavenly places
and he describes an unseen realm that
actually influences the thoughts and the
values of a culture of a people all
right we’re going to read quite a few
verses so please have your Bible open
and we’ll just kind of dance through uh
this chapter 2 Chronicles 20:15 listen
all of you Judah and new inhabitants of
Jerusalem and you King Jehoshaphat thus
says the Lord do not be afraid nor
dismayed because of this great multitude
for the battle is not yours but God I
love I love when the Lord says do not be
afraid I I I love it and I
don’t anytime he says don’t be afraid
it’s because you have a really good
reason to be afraid it’s what I figured
out but in in the way the the economy of
God I’ve got to get better language for
this but the economy of God where there
is transfer of resource as there would
be from one account to another in the
econom of God the way he resources a
life is through speech is through the
word it’s through declaration so
whenever God says Don’t Be Afraid in the
words don’t be afraid is the capacity to
not be
afraid it’s actually in the deposit of
his word to the heart so my role is to
stay humble and tender to stay
responsive because whenever he speaks he
will create in me the ability to do what
he just commanded me me to do and that
is the marked difference between law and
Grace another
subject good lots of differences but
that is one in Grace he
empowers all
right the battle is not yours but God’s
go down to verse 17 you will not need to
fight in this battle position yourself
stand still see the salvation of the
Lord who is with you oh jerud in
Jerusalem do not fear be dismayed
tomorrow go out against them for the
Lord is with
you I think probably the most
frustrating part of this walk with the
Lord for
me is knowing when I’m supposed to stand
still and watch him work on my behalf
and when I’m supposed to do something
come on true true I’m asked this
question all the time when do you know
what to do
I don’t know if I knew I’d write a book
on
it I don’t know I’ve got I’ve got one
thing figured out though if what I’m
doing isn’t working then do the
other if I’ve waited and waited and
waited and nothing’s happen do something
if you’ve been swinging your sword and
nothing’s happened shut up and sit down
for a while just let’s see if God will
show up and work on your behalf that’s
he he works one of those two ways wow
it’s actually represented in how we
progress in the Kingdom these two
realities he said unless you receive the
kingdom as a child what is that that’s
the rest
position and then he says the violent
take it by force referring to
advancement in the Kingdom that’s the
doing something you can’t do them at the
same time or you hurt
yourself or somebody around you you
you’ll mess something up because you
can’t you can’t do the sit still and the
fight at the same time those are the two
postures and the Lord will generally
lead us into the one that will bring out
the
greatest strength significance identity
all that stuff in us that we need in
that particular
moment jump to verse 20 you guys still
all
right don’t know what I’d do if you said
no but it has happened I’ve had it
happen
verse 20 they arose early in the morning
went out to the Wilderness of tcoa as
they went out Jehosaphat stood and said
hear me oh Judah and you inhabitants of
Jerusalem believe in the Lord your God
and you shall be established believe His
prophets and you shall prosper now I
remind you they are facing a
war with
insurmountable opposition an army beyond
their their ability to fight reasonably
against and this is the word of the Lord
believe in God you’ll be established
Believe In His prophets and you will
prosper it didn’t say
survive God is not a survival
God he’s not a make do God he is the god
of extremes extreme breakthrough extreme
increase extreme abundance
an Believe In His prophets you will
prosper verse 21 we have two more verses
verse 21 when he had consulted the
people he appointed those who should
sing to the Lord who should praise the
beauty of his Holiness of Holiness as
they went out before the Army and were
saying praise the Lord for his Mercy
endures forever last verse 22 when they
began to sing and praise the Lord set
ambushes against the people of Ammon
Moab and in Mount Sierra who had come
against Judah and they were
defeated extraordinary
story there’s another one that I turn to
occasionally for a recreational reading
it says the Lord it says uh to the
people of God sing a new song to the
Lord his praise to the ends of the Earth
at the end of this exhortation it says
and the Lord will go forth like a mighty
man he will stir up his Zeal like a man
of war he will cry out yes he will shout
aloud he will prevail against his
enemies what’s the point this response
of Praise Is Not stroking the ego of God
so that he’ll work for
us he is not insecure with his identity
looking for somebody that will remind
him he’s
God there’s something in the Unseen
realm that where there is a connection
to the nature of God and the confession
or Declaration of people people there’s
something that causes a collision of the
realities of Two Worlds the confession
the proclamation the song and the
invasion of God to repair a human
ailment they work together in tandem in
the same way as prayer he answers in
this case the prescription was not to
pray it was not to fight it was not to
March around a wall this one was to send
out a choir and just
sing and as they sang notice what they
said the beauty of of
Holiness the beauty of Holiness was a
Target do you know why Jesus heals
people’s
body of course it’s his compassion it’s
his love for people but think about this
the great promise that comes to us in
Malachi says that there’s healing in his
wings there’s
healing in his wings
and it goes on to say the son of
righteousness will rise with healing in
his wings
righteousness healing healing is a
physical expression of
Holiness it it doesn’t mean if you have
a physical ailment you’re Unholy and
doomed that’s that’s not the point the
point don’t go there go here when Jesus
heals he’s demonstrating he’s holy he’s
demonstrating his purity is
demonstrating the righteousness of God
and that righteousness was the target
the beauty of
Holiness it’s my personal conviction
that all real Beauty in the world stems
from his personal Holiness all Beauty in
this world from creation everything that
is beautiful in song in thought with the
eyes what we see in creation everything
has stemmed from this one aspect of
God’s own person that’s his holiness
and they took those things to mind and
began to sing and to make
declaration Old and New Testament alike
teach this concept that we’re to love
God with all of our heart soul mind
strength strength physical body it’s not
okay I just sit down and do nothing it’s
there’s supposed to be physical
alignment physical response to who he is
it’s supposed to happen that I stand
it’s supposed to happen that I kneel
it’s supposed to happen that I shout or
I raise my hand there’s some sort a a
physical response because I’ve got to
bring this thing that wants to rebel
against the purpose of God bring it into
confinement and let it express the
greatness of God through physical
expression it’s important emotionally
that I arrest my emotions that are up
and down and I I grab hold of those and
I give them a direction of focus today
we are going to consider the greatness
of God but it also says
mind mind
mind I’m supposed to use my intellectual
capacity to consider his ways come to a
conclusion put it into word form and
make it a part of a song make it a part
of a praise that we think through what
he did to arrange for you to hear the
gospel and we become overwhelmed with
his greatness his significance we think
through I believe in tongues is a
wonderful expression of Praise but it’s
directly from the spirit to God it’s
supposed to at times come through our
own brain that has the filter if you
will the filter the template of God’s
nature revealed in the stories in the
Miracles and that we join ourselves to
those stories we declare his goodness
his greatness they did that and it says
and God in the Isaiah Passage s himself
up as a man of war he
said I can’t handle it any
longer I’ve got to go kick some demons
around or I’m just not going to feel
good about the day now those aren’t his
words those are mine but you get the
point and Israel brought got a great
Victory the remainder of the chapter
talks about how God made them Rejoice
before their
enemies and they ended up with great
Joy if you want joy
Rejoice don’t don’t Rejoice because you
have joy Rejoice to get
joy
on
Amen I believe
that when they began to sing to praise
the Lord set am
bushes and their enemies were
defeated there are situations that are
being faced by everybody in this room
some of those situations all they need
is a
song Some of the odds that seem to be so
stacked against you some of the
circumstances that seem to be the most
impossible they are no match for a song
come on
there are no match for that yielded song
of surrender that acknowledges the
beauty of Holiness the beauty of his
wonder the beauty of his nature his
history with the people of God and he’s
no different today than he was then and
there is that song there’s that decree
there’s that
[Music]
shout and the Lord
says he stir himself up and he brings
about
victory
it says now when they began to sing and
to praise the Lord set ambushes against
the people of Ammon Moab Mount sier who
had come against Judah and they were
defeated I love stories like this this
particular theme is uh actually all
through the Old Testament especially
from David onward he he learned in his
own experience the power of praise he
learned that God actually establishes
his throne upon the praise of his people
he he saw in his own experience the
Triumph of how worship praise transforms
a person’s life we’ve learned together
that when uh things are difficult you
don’t respond according to the
circumstance you respond according to
the nature of God and when we do that
when we’re anchored into the heart and
the nature of God the nature of his
promises we have reason to celebrate
before the answer this scripture The
Story Goes On to say the Lord made them
to Rejoice over their enemies the key
was they Rejoice before they won the
battle by the way don’t ever think the
battle is between God and the
devil there is no there is no threat
there whatsoever Satan is not the
opposite of God he’s the opposite of of
uh of Michael they are both created
beings there is no struggle between God
and powers of Darkness that’s that is a
laughable
concept the enemy only exists
as training ground for the people of God
who will reign with him forever there
one purpose
[Applause]
alone God designed Humanity to destroy
the powers of darkness in the
creation we had that assignment but with
sin forfeited the ability to defeat him
so Jesus Took on flesh beat the powers
of Darkness on our behalf and then
handed us the keys of his own personal
Victory we are not fighting for victory
we’re fighting from Victory towards the
broken conditions of life that is the
responsibility of every
believer so when we talk about Warfare
we have reason to celebrate ahead of
time because it the battle literally has
already been won we’re just learning how
to apply that which Jesus has been
Victorious over in this particular story
they began to sing and the Lord set
ambushes before the Lord uh before uh
the people of God I had an interesting
experience uh about 20 years ago it was
fairly soon we’ve been here 22 I think
it’s 22 years what year is
this what what year is it
19 we’ve been here 23 years 23 years
this week oh how about that 23 years
this
week okay so about about 21 years or so
ago um it was a Saturday night um I was
fast asleep middle of the night and a
voice wakened me the voice of the Lord
woke me up and I I don’t know the time I
don’t remember the time but he he woke
me up with his voice and I laid there
literally the rest of night the rest of
the night putting this phrase through my
through my
mind uh and come back next week and I’ll
tell you exactly what that phrase was
that’s that’s just so cruel but that’s
that’s that’s what I do that’s what I do
no um he spoke to me he he woke me with
his voice and this is what he said he
watches over the watch of those who
watch the
Lord he watches over the I literally
laid there all night thinking that
through what does this mean we know that
we have responsibility if you’re a
parent you’re a Watchman over your
children your your household if you’re a
pastor or Watchman if you’re a business
owner you’re a Watchman over that place
of responsibility so we all have
responsibilities and God never leads us
to be irresponsible but he was showing
us how his world Works he was showing me
I should say in this situation he spoke
to me and he said he basically said this
I’ll watch over your’ll watch if you’ll
watch
me and that’s what worship is worship is
the engagement of Heart to Heart the
word worship actually is a word that
means to kiss it’s a face-to-face
encounter the Lord draws Us in to this
kind of a relationship regardless of
circumstances because he Remains the
Same his promises he has Solutions and
answers for every problem we could ever
Face In Our Lifetime and whatever you
think is the biggest problem in your
life right now he already has a plan and
a solution charted out for that
situation it is not Russian Roulette is
not some random I hope we get a
breakthrough he has a very specific
specific course of Direction where his
Redemptive touch will be put to that
problem that’s who he is that is his
nature and because that is so absolutely
true we have every reason Kingdom
reasoning is I get to celebrate ahead of
time Thanksgiving and praise whenever we
offer Thanksgiving to the Lord we thank
him for what he’s done we praise him for
who he is and what’s important what I
learned ear early on is I would get so
discouraged I’d get so bummed out
and there’d just be like this Cloud over
me and I you know I try to quote
scripture or do whatever to try to get
my head cleared and it just wouldn’t
work what I finally figured out is that
the darker the cloud the more exuberant
my praise needed to be so the time I
least felt like dancing before the Lord
is when I would dance before the Lord
the least time I felt like shouting and
raising my hands and lying prostrate
before the Lord whatever it might be
those were the moments I would do that
and it would break that cycle over me me
you can you can stand here like this for
5 days and have nothing happen but when
you give yourself Spirit soul and body
to glorify his name through your
offering something happens something
happens the air becomes charged with the
power and the presence of God because he
shows up in that moment to deliver he
shows up in that moment to heal and I I
remember in in ear early days having to
learn that cuz I I I I I knew it on
paper but I didn’t know it by
experience and Thanksgiving we give him
a
sacrifice because of what he’s done in
praise for who he is but in
worship I’m the
offering I just step right under the
altar here I am do as you please
accomplish your purposes that’s really
what worship
[Music]
is just trying to say listen we have
responsib ability it’s a responsibility
to engage with God to make a difference
it says the church had constant prayer
it wasn’t a now I lay me down to sleep
prayer it wasn’t a prayer before a meal
it was an engaging with God until
something
changed constant prayer is digging the
heels in because something is going on
there has been a partnership made in
this case Herod where a spirit of murder
has come upon a a leader and he’s
governed by watch this you’ll see this
all through scripture where a political
leader is governed by the fear of man he
sees it pleases the Jews so he will
commit yet another crime to please this
particular group the group that
illustrates the spirit of murder he will
adopt the spirit of murder to gain their
favor and that’s how the political
system
works and we pray not to throw stones at
people in leadership because we got some
wonderful people in leadership and we
have some that are wonderful they just
don’t know it they’re thinking
stupid I’m not going to give
names but the responsibility is still to
pray to sit back and say well God’s
sovereignty he can turn this abortion
thing around anytime he wants oh don’t
be
stupid maybe 62 million babies is enough
maybe it’s enough maybe it’s enough
where we we actually draw a line and we
say no no this is not okay this is not
okay yes we vote Yes we we do do what
we’re supposed to do but don’t fall for
that trap that these life and death
issues for a nation are political issues
they are
not constant prayer why because there
was an
opposition I love the story about Jesus
the devil met Jesus in the wilderness
tempted him and he tempted him and he
tempted him again and then it says
finally the devil left
him the devil has been severed from his
source of strength you have an eternal
source of
strength your Yes to God wears him
out your Yes to God can Outlast the
enemies attempts to dissuade you
constant
prayer agreement in prayer is is is
profound it’s not just an intellectual
agreement although I’m I’m not opposed
to that it’s not just that we agree on
an idea you know we can say let’s pray
together about abortion being God
healing forgiving our land and healing
our nation and and we would be in
agreement together but it’s more than
that it’s a burning of the Soul it’s the
joining of hearts that says this this is
something we must lay hold of and
there’s that unity in prayer there’s
this exponential increase that happens
and I the way I like to illustrate is if
I take a fishing line which it’s only
right fishing is more acceptable than
hunting so I can use fishing line in my
illustration today and uh spare all the
non-hunters not in this room of course
none here but maybe out there somewhere
and YouTube world if you take a fishing
line that breaks with 2 lb a 2 lb weight
on the bottom 2 lb of pressure you tie 2
pound weight it
breaks you take two of those and you
wrap them
together you would think it would be it
would hold up to four pounds of weight
because it’s 2 plus two but it
multiplies it has this effect it’s like
six or 8 lbs now to break two 2 lb test
lines you take a third one and wrap wrap
it around you got three wrapped together
now you got something like 15 lb test
line out of three
2B it’s
exponential
growth and in the natural it prophesies
to us about the power of agreement in
prayer I believe in praying on our own I
we have 12 acres and I I walk my
property that’s what I like I walk when
you walk and pray you don’t sleep and
pray now every night I try to sleep and
pray I get in bed and I begin to pray
until I go to sleep and I I like
that but if I if I sit down and pray
it’ll be nap time
soon I will sleep in the arms of Jesus
he’s never mad but I would like to pray
for
some so I like to I like to walk I like
to walk and pray and to bring things
before the Lord that’s generally what I
do I come here early in the morning
Sundays and I just I I walk for an hour
an hour I just walk non-stop for an hour
sometimes hour and a half just walking
and praying for what’s supposed to
happen on that day the point is is that
we engage with God to make a difference
we don’t engage with God to check the
box and say we we finished our
assignment the engagement in prayer is
to make a difference and it’s the only
way I can access the reality of Joy on a
kingdom level that is overflowing
because things have happened due to this
partnership we’ve been called into a
co-laboring role a co- laboring
partnership so here we have constant
prayer was offered up now I want you to
go to uh John chapter 15 and
um let me talk to you to John
[Music]
15 verse one we’re going to excuse me
we’re going to read eight verses verse
one I am the True Vine my father is the
vine dresser Jesus is giving a lesson a
metaphor an illustration of an extremely
profound reality let me tell you where
we’re headed before we get there so that
you’ll be able to picture it as we read
it if you take a a Vine a a grape vine a
Vine that grows
grapes the branch connects to the
vine but the fibers of the branch
and the fibers of the vine are so
intertwined that you can’t separate them
you can cut the branch off but that’s
there is actually a growth into itself
and that is the actual picture in
scripture of abiding in Christ is that
you can’t tell where he ends and where
you start there’s this intertwining of
Hearts of minds of will there’s this
yielded to the heart and purposes of God
so deeply that that I I can’t tell where
he starts and where I end that that sort
of thing that’s the work that God is
doing in us and that’s the purpose of
this illustration verse two every branch
in me that does not bear fruit he takes
away every branch that bears fruit he
prunes that it may bear more fruit God
rewards all growth with
pruning how many of you want to
grow yeah he rewards all growth with
pruning verse three you are already
clean because of the word which I have
spoken to you the word clean there is
the same word as the word
prune you’re pruned I pruned you and
then he says but you guys are already
pruned because of the word I spoke to
you what does it tell us the discipline
of God comes from his
voice the circumstances are just to get
our
attention
oh the whale swallowed Jonah and that
was the discipline of the Lord no I just
got his
attention and just got his attention so
the next time God spoke he was actually
listening he actually prunes us with his
word it’s called a sword for a
reason it was that was better than your
response but it’s all right verse four
abide in me I in you as the brand cannot
bear fruit of itself unless it abides in
the vine neither can you unless you
abide in me boy isn’t that the
truth there’s nothing of the Eternal I
can produce through my own
efforts but everything is available if I
yield
to every season is for advancement and
every bit of progress in the work of the
Lord disheartens the enemy and that
should Delight your soul he’s never my
target but it is the fruit of obedience
the fruit of obedience is you build in a
person’s life you pray for the sick and
they’re healed you share your faith with
the neighbor and they turn to Christ
it’s you build a business that has
integrity and momentum that serves the
community well all these things that we
build that you teach children that make
a difference in the Earth all these
things that we build dishearten the
enemy and while I don’t put a lot of
attention on him I love the thought of
him being depressed
amen I love the thought of him needing
volume or whatever it is that you take
when you get
that and then verse 19 is where we’ll
end says they reported now this is where
uh the people were reporting The Good
Deeds of the enemy to Nehemiah to soften
his heart towards him so it says they
reported his Good Deeds before me and
they reported my words to
him oh I love that so
much so what were nehemiah’s words why
should the great work that I’m doing
cease will I come and talk to you so the
angel writes it down and he makes the
devil Read
It should a man like me hide in the
temple save my life not going to do it
it’s written down and the devil has to
review it all the decrees that Nehemiah
is making over his own life and over his
own city is constantly brought broadcast
in the enemy’s
environment do you remember what in uh
in the wilderness where it says Satan
came to tempt Jesus and of course he he
whooped the temptation
but there there’s a place where it says
and the devil left him until a more
opportune
time what does that mean Jesus outlasted
him yeah
you have unlimited strength in Christ
the enemy is withering as we speak he
has limited strength I didn’t say no
strength I said limited strength
yeah and as long in fact I had somebody
had this prophetic dream and they said
uh they said I was Marching In the just
marching in O Obedience of the Lord and
my March my walk the enemy had to run to
keep up it’s a great picture and they
would fall off out of
fatigue so the whole point is don’t stop
just don’t stop don’t stop don’t don’t
stop to have a conversation in the
valley of Ono don’t stop to go hide in
the temple for a season stop the
nonsense just keep walking just keep
marching keep doing what he said to
do all right I’m
done why don’t just
I love uh I love the 23rd psalm which I
I I think I probably quote part of it
every few
weeks I love it so much but I love where
he says
uh he prepares a table before me in the
presence of my enemies that’s right
that’s
right I love
that Chris hit it real well today with
the prayer time that he led Jesus in the
wilderness not to be defeated but to
bring Victory to obtain victory for
us every time every time the Lord takes
us into a situation it’s always for
Triumph it’s never for
setback prepares a table before me in
the presence of my
enemies I don’t know what that looks
like to you but the table is a place of
intimacy and connection nourishment
strength so every time I say I love you
to Jesus God puts it on the devil’s
intercom he makes him listen to what he
can’t
control and has lost every every effort
to distract and dissuade and
dilute
the second place that I was going to
mention to you out of
Corinthians that Paul talked about the
devil he said I’m afraid that the devil
through his
craftiness could deceive you from and
here’s one of my favorite phrases in the
whole Bible deceive you from the
Simplicity of Devotion to Christ I just
say that phrase with me the Simplicity
of Devotion to Christ say it again the
Simplicity of Devotion to Christ all of
this we just went through was merely
through distraction through intimidation
accusation manipulation all these things
was to get you and me disengaged from
the Simplicity of Devotion to Christ
What Fear does is it adds
value to
busyness
fear causes us to want to draw
identity out of overly full busy
schedules the scripture says we will be
I’m I’m on sermon number three so hold
on the scripture says that we we will be
led forth with peace so I don’t want to
go anywhere peace doesn’t take
me there’s something about being filled
with the scripture and filled with the
spirit that combination enables us to
navigate the challenges that we Face
good so I pray for that I pray for you
and me that together we can walk in
Repentance not Embrace fear not
entertain the things that undermine our
confidence our Simplicity of Devotion to
Christ God help us to be a church family
that protects that at all costs say it
with me again the Simplicity of Devotion
to Christ say it one more time the
Simplicity of Devotion to Christ father
help us so that fear none of the tools
ever pull us out of the Simplicity of
Devotion to Christ I thank you for that