Change can be scary, but it’s often God’s plan. In a place of transition, we can choose to approach the changes with fear and resistance or we can choose to embrace it as part of God’s ultimate purpose and plan for our lives…
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connection worship is not wasting time
God says I want people who claim to be
my leaders to spend time with me
worshiping me take your shoes off stay a
while Joshua chapter 5 I want to begin
reading with verse 12 then the man is
ceased on the day after they had eaten
the produce of the land and the children
of Israel no longer had manna but they
ate the food of the land of Canaan that
year and it came to pass when Joshua was
by Jericho that he lifted up his eyes
and looked and behold a man opposite him
with a sword drone in his hand and
Joshua went to him and said to him are
you here for us or our adversaries and
he said no but as commander of the army
of the Lord I have now come and Joshua
fell on his face to the earth and
worshiped and said to him why does my
lord what does my lord say to his
servant then the commander of the Lord’s
army said to Joshua take your sandals
off your foot for the place where you
stand is holy and Joshua did so and now
one more little phrase in verse chapter
6 of verse 1 now Jericho they didn’t say
didn’t start out talking about but the
noun means there’s some timing connected
here after you’ve done what after you’ve
been through what you just heard in the
previous chapter now Jericho now it’s
time to move and cross over into the
promised land I want to talk to you
today about what to do when you’re in a
transitional place I really felt like as
I tried my best to get the heart of God
for this congregation the people that
are watching those of you online those
of you by television I believe that
there are millions of people perhaps who
are hearing me today who are in
transitional places and you’ve got to
understand
that when you’re in a transitional place
it means that God is going to move you
from where you are into what he has for
you but in that transitional place it
can become very very frustrated because
when you’re at the same level for a long
time we weren’t built I believe I
believe we weren’t built to be at the
same level all the time I believe
something in us yearns for more
something in us yearns to go from faith
unto faith from glory unto glory I know
as this church has grown when we would
hit a certain level I would get and it
seems like we would be there for a while
and I would get this uneasiness this
this restlessness that would almost
drive me out of my out of my comfort
zone I guess that we’ve got to break
through and we’ve got to grow and we got
to reach more people and I believe that
frustration is from God but when you’ve
been at the same level of whatever it is
that your experience and in God and you
can’t seem to get father and what he’s
called you to do you’re in a
transitional place the word of the Lord
came if you read it in this chapter it
came to Joshua and he said you and this
people will cross over this Jordan to a
land that I will show you there’s a
place of crossing over a separation from
the wilderness a separation from the dry
spell a separation from the struggle of
just getting by just having enough just
going through the same wilderness
experience that’s not God’s best and
that’s not God’s plan for your life that
the wilderness has a purpose to teach
you to trust God but he has a place of
crossing over for your life and notice
that it took a Joshua it took a power
relationship without a power
relationship Israel could not get to
their promised land without a
relationship with Joshua Joshua is a
beautiful type and picture of Jesus and
there’s no way that you’re gonna get in
to what God has for you without going
through Jesus in
side of you there are things that cannot
be unlocked to you get around the right
folks
and Joshua could take them where Moses
could not Moses represented the law and
the reason that God didn’t let him take
them into the Promised Land I’ve heard
people say because he struck the rock
and I understand that that was a part of
it but really he made it into the
Promised Land because he ended up
talking to Jesus on the Mount of
Transfiguration but the reason he didn’t
let them lead he didn’t let Moses lead
them into the Promised Land is because
he wanted us to understand the law can’t
get you there it’s going to require
Joshua Jesus to take you into the
promises you can’t earn it
you can’t deserve it it comes only
through Jesus Christ through his blood
through his cross through his
resurrection through his name you enter
in to the promises give me a big Amen
right there and so it matters whether or
not you get power relationships in your
life
first of all with Jesus but then with
leadership that God puts in your life if
they had not connected with Joshua then
they would have never entered in there’s
a difference folks between showing up at
church and joining up with the vision of
the house join up with powerful people
join up with anointed people join up
with people who have a touch of God in a
dream and a vision and if you don’t have
a dream get around somebody who’s
dreaming and God has a way of using them
to spark something in you that will
cause you to come out of the mediocrity
that you’ve been in and begin to walk
into the promises God has for you the
scripture said and God began to magnify
Joshua in the eyes of the people now
listen to me very carefully when a new
move of God begins to happen you either
ignore it or you make friends with it
notice that when God is taking you
somewhere and transitioning you you’ll
see this in the Old Testament God
constantly three times changed the diet
of the people
the children of Israel had three
specific diets in the Old Testament in
Egypt it says over and over and over
they ate leeks and garlic and onions I’m
gonna call that the food a bondage when
you’re in bondage you eat certain things
that everybody around you can tell what
you’ve been eating it’s not hard to tell
what some people have been eating cost
their attitude stinks what comes out of
their mouth stinks and we can tell what
you’re consuming in your diet if you’re
consuming offense if you’re consuming
bitterness if you’re consuming unbelief
if you’re consuming doubt and fear and
worry and depression it always comes out
in a stinking attitude and in words that
come out of your mouths if you’re ever
gonna get out of bondage you’ve got to
start eating something you’ve never
eaten before the Bible puts it this way
do not be conformed to this world but be
transformed by the renewing of your mind
instead of taking in a diet of things
that gives you a stinking attitude you
have to begin to take in the Word of God
listen to it worship with it feed on it
listen to CDs listen to preachers get
the word in you because God is bringing
you out of bondage out of and off of the
food of a bondage and he’s saying I want
you to move in to a new place and the
scripture said that he changed their
diet and then that they get into the
wilderness and they had the second diet
guess what it was it was called manna
and the word manna in Hebrew means what
is it what is it for 40 years they ate
the bread of uncertainty what is it it’s
the bread that sustains you while you’re
wandering through the wilderness and you
don’t understand where you’re going or
where you’re at and you’re just kind of
holding on and God is teaching you
things and when you first get saved
take you off of the stinking attitude
stuff and he’ll say come on out and
he’ll plant you in a church and at first
it’s exciting but then you may go
through a little wilderness time but
that wilderness is just going to equip
you with something called manna you
don’t know quite what you’ve gotten into
but church is a what is it to you I
heard I’m supposed to get baptized what
is it it’s what is baptism what is the
Holy Spirit
what is the baptism in the whole it’s
all a big what is it that’s okay God has
you right where he wants you and then
there came the place of the cross over
and and that’s where I read where the
scripture said and the manna ceased and
they ate of the fruit of the ground the
third diet final diet that he put his
people on now their diet had to change
again and he said now you can have
whatever you’re willing to break the
ground for you’ve got to become a ground
breaker and whatever you’re willing to
so for that’s what you can eat whatever
you want to eat you decide whatever you
want to get out of your walk with God
now that you’ve been saved and I’ve
taught you what it is to be a believer
what it is to be an intercessor what it
is to be a witness for Jesus Christ what
it is to be a spirit-filled believer now
it’s up to you now the man is gonna
cease and what you get out of your
Christian walk is not up to God whatever
you sow you will reap a demand is placed
on your faith now now listen this is a
big point your comfort level in a place
of transition your comfort level must be
challenged that’s why I change their
diet because it’s uncomfortable you’re
faithful you’re fruitfulness is linked
to your discomfort zone that’s why I
said they that sow in tears it’s
uncomfortable will reap in joy that’s
why there’s a verse that said he that
will not plow by reason of the heat it’s
uncomfortable will have no heart
service in the winter your fruitfulness
is linked to your discomfort zone your
fruitfulness is tied to being in a place
of discomfort just about the time you’re
ready to write and print your 1,001 ways
to prepare manna recipe book God will
come along and he will say I’m changing
everything and you become in a place of
discomfort what is it is over now go get
it yourself it’s called the food of
freedom it’s not a handout you have to
take a plow and you have to sow and you
have to read your diet has to switch
when you cross over a woman giving birth
the first sign that she’s entering
fruitfulness is discomfort when a
woman’s gonna have a baby
the first thing she will do is feel
discomfort and get to the hospital and
she’s got one thing on her mind are the
drugs ready because this is extremely
uncomfortable but notice that discomfort
is always connected to fruitfulness I’m
saying to you today that God has you
right where he wants you in a
transitional place now notice what
happened Joshua then sees the angel of
the Lord and he asked him a question
he’s standing there with a sword in his
hand the angel is they said have you
come for us are you for our adversaries
and I love this angel he’s a bad angel
he said neither if you want God on your
side you better get on God’s side
because he’s not on your side and he’s
not on their side
he’s on his side and if you want him you
better get on his side people take the
word that like he’s on our side he’s
God’s Word even façades God’s word is
what
it is and you either get in line with it
or he just ignores you
I like this angel because this angel
said it don’t matter to me I’ve come to
do the will of God I’ll whip you I’ll
whip them I’ll whip all of y’all I don’t
care I’m on assignment for the will of
God to be done it’s not about people
it’s not about churches it’s about the
will of God and God’s glory and you
can’t just grab the word and act like
you can fight somebody with the word God
has his own agenda and we have to get
into his agenda now notice this I’m just
gonna do some more teaching here now
Joshua surrenders leadership to the
angel of the Lord Joshua was captain of
the people but the angel of the Lord was
the captain of the hosts of the Lord you
see everybody’s not a leader everybody
has the potential to be a leader but not
everybody’s a leader if you don’t
believe everybody’s not a leader put
them over your stuff let’s put them over
your stuff leadership is identified by
two things leadership is not titles
leadership is not positioned leadership
is not what you call yourself I’m a
leader leadership has to do with two
things number one results don’t tell me
you’re the best mechanic in town if I
just had you work on my car and they’re
pulling me up in a tow truck I don’t
care how big your yellow page aunt is if
you don’t get results you’re not a
leader it’s about results in the world
knows this the world will hire people
and if they don’t get results
they say take you a little title and
leave goodbye secondly leadership is
about fruitfulness leaders have the
ability to produce fruit the biblical
example of that is Moses the Bible said
that he was ready to find the first High
Priest for the nation of Israel and so
God told him what to do he said
I’ll tell you how you vindicate and know
who I choose as the leader he said tell
him to take a stick a dead stick cut it
a stick down each tribe is the write
their name of their leader on that stick
and bring a stick representing the tribe
and the leader of that tribe twelve of
them bring it into the holy place and
put it on the Ark of the Covenant and
leave it in there and the stick that was
dead and comes back to life is the way
that you will know the one that I choose
is the stick that was dead will begin to
produce fruit and that is the one that
you are to follow that is the one that
you are to go to with your sins that is
the one you are to go to to get the
blessing and the Bible said they all
brought dead sticks all twelve of the
tribes and there was one that Aaron had
and he laid it down they came back all
the sticks were dead but one of the
sticks came alive and it was budding and
it was fruitful it was Aaron’s rod the
scripture said and God said the one
that’s fruitful that’s the leader you
are to follow that’s the leader you are
to follow that’s what God did when he
did the same thing when he wanted
somebody to lead the world to salvation
every religion said our founder is the
right one
Islam said Muhammad is the right one
Buddhism said Buddha’s the one Confucius
is the one all the religions of the
world our leader is the one God says
fine let’s kill them all Jesus he claims
to be the one let’s kill them all kill
them all and lay them in the tomb and
the one that’s dead like a stick and
comes back alive again fruitful he’s the
firstfruits of them which sleep well I
Got News for you
Muhammad stayed like a dead stick and
Buddhists stay like a dead stick but on
the
des he’s alive again his name is Jesus
there’s no other name there’s no other
way to life and there’s no other one who
can lead you into the Promised Land
he’s our fruitful leader will you give
it Jesus a big praise the mighty name of
Jesus whoa whoa
I’m almost done hallelujah
and what got me about this story is the
scripture said when the angel said who’s
on the Lord’s side Joshua said I’m with
you and then I love this part
Joshua fell on his face and worshiped he
fell on his face he’s at a transitional
place that he has long to be and his
people have loaned to B for 40 long
years he’s there but I love the fact
that before you get to Joshua 6 and 1
word says now Jericho right before it
a man in a place of transition fell on
his face and the angel said take off
your shoes when the message Bible says
take off your shoes and stay awhile in
other words I know you’re busy I know
you got stuff pushing on you I know the
people are anxious I know they’re all
packed up and ready to go they’ve been
waiting for generations to get across
this river I know a lots going on I know
you’re a busy leader but fall down on
your face take your shoes off stay a
while and worship God because when you
worship it sets you up for the
transition leaders ought to be
worshipers you’ve got time to worship no
matter what’s pushing on you worship is
not wasting time God says I want people
who claim to be my leaders to spend time
with me worshiping me take your shoes
off stay a while another thing about
taking your shoes off is have you ever
walked around barefoot you feel
everything your feet are sensitive so
take your shoes off where I’m taking you
I’m gonna need you to be sensitive I’m
gonna need you to really be in tune and
leaning on me where I’m taking you
you’ve never been before and I need you
to be worshipful I need you to be in a
spirit of dependency leaning on me
worshiping me look
to me as your source not man and I
conclude with this point your Bible said
now Jericho was straightly shut up walls
of resistance they heard they were
coming have you ever seen in the movies
you know when back in the back in the
old days you know when they had the the
cities they when they hear the enemy’s
coming the drawbridge starts so that’s
what it means it was straightly shut up
nobody was going in nobody was coming
out watch this walls of resistance the
Lord had somebody inside where they were
trying to go God had somebody for Joshua
that was where he was trying to get to
already and here’s the thing that the
Lord told me to tell you that there’s
somebody that’s gonna help you get into
your promised land and here’s the catch
it was Rahab and she was a prostitute if
you think that he’s only got to use your
people and your kind of folks and
everybody that you think like you and
act like you and agree with everything
that’s not how God takes you into the
Promised Land he will use whoever he
wants to use when he wants to use them
and if you’re sensitive if you can hear
him if you’re worshiping you’re humble
enough to say I know you’re not a
prophet you’re a prostitute but God said
come to your house and she was the one
that helped them get into the Promised
Land the Lord said to tell you that
there is someone coming in your future
that you are going to have to connect
with they are a power relationship and
they may not even be saved
stand up on your feet no one moving no
one walking around just real steel and
real quiet for just a moment I want you
to take 30 seconds all over this room
and all of our campuses in the overflow
wherever you are lift your hands up high
and I want you to do what Joshua did as
busy as he was as Presonus things were
on him he took time to worship throw
your hands up turn the volume up on your
voice box get a praise phrase in your
lips open your mouth and if you’re in a
place of transition begin to worship
Jesus he’s the Good Shepherd he leads
you into green pastures beside the still
waters
goodness and mercy are following you and
you need to worship you need to take
your shoes off a little while you need
to say god I’m just gonna settle right
here and I’m gonna give you the glory
that I might the steps of a righteous
man are ordered of the Lord I’ve been
frustrated I’ve been at a place of
transition but I know you’re taking me
in I know you’re leading me in I know
you’re taking me God where I’ve never
been before and the walls of resistance
are coming down the walls of resistance
are coming down in Jesus mighty name
and in the name of Jesus I speak power
relationships the most unlikely people
you’re gonna set at the table in the
room with the most unlikely people
you’re gonna pinch yourself and say I’m
I really here how did this happen and
you’re gonna know that as you spent time
in worship he opens doors no man can
shut when he announces favor on your
life
nobody’s curse can stop the blessing