Assembly Required | Sarah Jakes Roberts

[Music]

in prayer so I’m gonna go to first Kings

17 I’m going to be reading from verse 8

if you’re visiting you will recognize

that my family is standing it is our

custom to stand for the reading of the

word so if you’re visiting we ask that

you would just honor our tradition first

King seventeen and eight says then the

word of the Lord came to him saying

arise and go to Zarephath which belongs

to Sidon and dwell there see I have

commanded a widow there to provide for

you so he arose and went to Zarephath

and when he came to the gate of the city

indeed a widow was there gathering

sticks and he called to her and said

please bring me a little water in a cup

that I may drink and as she was going to

get it he called to her and said please

bring me a morsel of bread in your hand

so she said as the Lord your God lives I

do not have bread only a handful of

flour in a bin and a little oil in a jar

and see I’m gathering a couple of sticks

that I may go in and prepare it for

myself and my son that we may eat it and

die and Elisha said to her do not fear

go and do as you have said but make me a

small cake from it first and bring it to

me and afterward make some for yourself

and your son for thus says the Lord God

of Israel the benefi

shall not be used nor shall the jar of

oil run dry until the day the Lord sends

rain on the earth my subject for tonight

is assembly required assembly required

and so God just have your way in this

place and help my feet not to hurt and

let my friends get comfortable and sit

down so we can have a good time in the

name of Jesus amen

I don’t know if you all know this about

me but I

quite the handy woman I am a regular

Doug Euler HGTV DIY queen and I love

ordering things off of the internet and

having to put them together it works my

husband’s last nerve when I do it but I

get joy when I think about it when I

open up the pack and there’s just all of

these pieces because I just take a sense

of pride in having to put things

together the only thing that I didn’t

realize that I know now that I am a

professional handy woman in my head

how important it is to not just lay

everything out and to read the

instructions but to also make sure that

I keep the little monkey wrench that

usually comes when I’m putting things

together that little l-shaped tool

because there is a temptation to put the

things together and then when I’m

finished to throw the tool and the Box

away because I reached a certain level

of accomplishment the only issue is that

when things start getting a little shaky

hypothetically because I’m such a

professional this never happens to me

I’m just sharing it for the sake of this

analogy when things start falling apart

I don’t have the tool that allowed me to

put it together in the first place and

so I think it is important for us to

realize that our lives are very similar

to us putting together pieces of

furniture we have all of these different

pieces of our lives all of these

different goals all of these different

experiences that have made up who we are

but all of those materials are counting

on one tool to put it all together and

the reality is that we have to keep that

tool and maintain that tool and sharpen

that tool you just in case we have

moments in our life where things begin

to get a little shaky and that tool is a

word from God I need to come to church

because I need to receive a word

because when I receive a word it gives

me perspective on all of these different

pieces of my life that feel like they’re

falling apart I have all of the

materials but the word is what helps

give me direction it’s what helps me

order my steps it helps me understand

what is normal resistance for where I am

on this level I need a word my whole

life is depending on a word and so if

God doesn’t give me a word then I find

myself confused and lost and wondering

who I am and what I am because my life

is not governed by a word a word that

says I have plans for you plans to

prosper you and not to harm your word

that says no weapon formed against you

will prosper if I don’t hang on to that

word I can get in the middle of a storm

and think the storm is going to take me

up because I’ve lost track of my word

and I am believing like never before

that one of the greatest materials one

of the greatest tools for us to keep up

with as we pursue purpose is that word

that constantly governs every word and

every move that we make and so as I dive

into this scripture I recognize that

Elijah is in a very peculiar time in the

text it’s important for us to realize

chapter 17 the first Kings is the first

time that Elijah has even been

introduced to us in the Bible which is

kind of odd because most of the time

when a prophet is introduced we have

some lineage connected to him but Elijah

would end up becoming one of the

greatest prophets in the Bible and when

we find him in the text God is

assembling the experiences that would

allow him to be great because you don’t

just stumble into this thing there is

some assembly required

you don’t just stumble into a good

marriage there is some assembly required

you just don’t stumble into the industry

there is some assembly required you

don’t just stumble into being an

entrepreneur there is some assembly

required I got to learn

how to budget I have to learn how to

communicate I have to change my language

for this dimension there is some

assembly required and God you gave me

the vision I know what I’m working

towards but I need the tools for where I

am right now because the tools show me

how to function with the pieces I

currently have and then once you

accomplish on a certain level you

realize that your purpose your life your

relationships often need some tightening

up so the assembly never stops I wish

that when I bought things off of Amazon

or IKEA that I could trust that once I

put them together that I would never

have any issues with them but if you are

like me and you’ve ever ordered anything

on the Internet you put it together

knowing this gonna fall apart and you

give it six months to a year at least I

didn’t spend that much money on it

because I know based off of the

materials that I’m working with that

it’s not going to go the long haul that

I wanted to did you know that what you

put together in one season may be

deconstructed in another season so that

God can give you better materials the

next time around this is the tool that

he gave you on this level because this

is what you are prepared to afford and

what you can handle and when he’s ready

to move you to the next dimension he

can’t do that until he removes what you

put together in the last season oh

[Applause]

that’s a whole word right there

that’s like a word word y’all why are

y’all doubling upwards now what is that

about I don’t understand

petty petty what is that what I’m saying

is true though and if you are not

careful you will find yourself mourning

for the old materials and the old

finished products and the old

breakthrough when God is trying to give

you a new breakthrough and so we go from

glory to glory not because we find

ourselves constantly having it all

together but because we find ourselves

in situations where we have to

reassemble a life and you know you have

to reassemble your life because like

Elijah experienced you end up having a

drought let me break it down for you so

in the beginning of this chapter

Elijah announces that there is going to

be a drought but he’s kind of okay

because after he announces that there’s

going to be a drought he is then told by

God to go to a brook where I am going to

sustain you so God sends him to this

brook where there is water still flowing

and he’s not concerned about a drought

but suddenly the the brook dries so the

place that God sent him the place that

was supposed to sustain him the place

that was supposed to separate him from

what everyone else was experienced dried

up you see everyone else was worried but

he didn’t have to worry about that thing

and now I have to worry about the very

thing that I thought I would never have

to worry about and I don’t understand

God why you would send me somewhere that

would eventually dry up I don’t I don’t

understand

how you could send me to this Brook how

you could send me to this city see this

is a word for people who have had things

go well and then all of a sudden they

looked up and this wasn’t exactly the

way things started off I feel like my

breakthrough has dried up I was doing so

good three months ago I was in the word

I was focused my heart was happy and now

I think I’m almost depressed I don’t

understand how this Brook has dried up

how did I get to a place where I thought

I was living in a place of breakthrough

and now I feel like I’m struggling again

Elijah sat there and he saw the brook

dry up because the brook doesn’t just

dry up quickly it goes from flowing

strongly to a slow stream and what I

love about Elijah is that he should have

I would have started thinking that I

it’s time for me to move I see this

brook is drying up but he stayed there

and the place that God sent him even

when that place didn’t look like what

God told him anymore and I realized that

part of the reason why he stayed there

wasn’t just that he was obedient though

that is something it was because he

wasn’t living for a brook he was living

for a word and so I can’t move from this

position to the next position until I

get another word because the word

stations me here and until I get another

word I can’t leave otherwise I will be

wondering and I’m too old and I’ve gone

through too much to just be wandering so

I know it’s not looking like what I

thought it was gonna be but because I

live

life governed by a word I can’t start

putting things together on my own

volition

I need another word God send me a word

God send me your word God send me a word

God send me a word God send me a word I

won’t move until I get a word I won’t

quit until I get a word god I need a

word I need a word that lets me know

that when I make this step you’re gonna

have me because I stepped out on my word

before and I failed so god I’m going to

stay here even when it’s ugly even when

it doesn’t look like what I thought it

would because I’m not living for what I

see I’m living for what I can see and so

god I don’t know what you’re doing in

the midst of this drought but if you

sent me I’m staying because I’m loyal

like that because you’ve been too good

to me and you came and got me out of the

droughts I created so if I’m gonna drop

that you created I know you got me

this is the Earth’s drought it’s not my

drought I feel that for somebody that

was my mama’s drought that’s not my

trout I know cuz he created a brook for

me in the middle of that Drive that

should be crazy and out of my mind but

for some reason there was a brook in the

middle of the drought he created water

when everyone else was struggling so I’m

waiting I’m waiting for a word one of

those words that moves me one of those

words that makes fear back off of me one

of those words that lets me know you

still see me that you got me I’m waiting

for a word I’ll come to church on a

Thursday night at 8 o’clock in Los

Angeles because I’m waiting for a word

I’ll get in my word in the middle of the

night cuz I’m waiting on a word I

worship when I used to club because I’m

looking for a word and this world can’t

give me the word I’m looking for the

world was help me to get hot but I can’t

do that cuz I’m looking for a word and I

can’t be so hot that I can’t move when

he says mom I lived my life by a word

I’m waiting I’m waiting I’m waiting the

brook is drying up but that’s okay

Elijah is not moving until he gets the

word I’m waiting I’m waiting for a word

that helps me make sense of where I am

that lets me know that you still see me

so Elijah is just sitting by the brook

watching it dry up but he’s waiting on a

word and as we sit here and we watch him

wait for this word one of the things

that I notice in this text is that when

the word is introduced to him that he

recognizes that he’s not going to die

thirsty Oh God see because the problem

with the drought is that you’re afraid

that if I don’t get any sustenance if I

don’t get water if I don’t get something

that feeds me in the middle of this

drought then there is a possibility that

I could die thirsty I may die before I’m

ever the one who actually breaks the

generational curse I may die with this

addiction and he’s watching this drought

break up and he recognizes that he’s

watching the brook dry up and he

recognizes that goddess in a word that

is going to allow him to move and God

sends the word to him and he says to go

to Zarephath and go to a place where I

have commanded a widow there to provide

for you so God goes from providing for

Elijah with a brook to a widow which I

don’t know if you know this or not but

that’s like a little bit of like a

biblical like downgrade like not because

she was just a widow but a widow in that

society in that time in that culture

represented poverty and represented

someone who was almost untouchable and

so God you gave me a brook that was

flowing and now you tell me that the

brook has dried up and my next I would

be waiting for the ocean cuz you know

exceedingly abundantly and glory to

glory I would be thinking like alright

the brook dried up but that’s alright

it’s our ocean in my future come on

somebody glorious I’m a shout over that

thing but God takes him from a brook to

a widow which doesn’t really seem fair

but I realized that God had to shake up

his thinking in such a way that he

couldn’t predict how God was going to

sustain him I wrote in my notes that God

may not use what you had before to

sustain you in this

reason if you are so intent on God only

using what you know then you may miss

out on what you need because if Elijah

would have thought I just need you to

move me to another place where there is

a brook then he would have overlooked

the possibility of the widow being able

to provide for him and so he had to be

open to the possibilities that I’m not

going to do it the way I did it before

so there is a responsibility that we

have as believers to release God from

the responsibility of being predictable

in the season where we ask him to do

exceedingly and abundantly above all

that we may ask or imagine because I

imagine you using Tobruk again I imagine

you using a person to heal me because

the last time I felt good and secure and

confident I was in a relationship and

now that I’m pressing in and praying and

asking God for healing I’m really

looking for a boo and not a healing

because I would understand that my

healing isn’t attached to another person

it’s actually attached to what you say I

gotta find I got to break that thing

down for you I thought that my provision

was going to come from the industry I

thought my provision was going to come

from corporate America I didn’t realize

that I was supposed to be an

entrepreneur so here I am looking for

another job when I should be learning

how to put a business plan together

because you don’t just take me from

Brooke to Brooke you take me from the

Brooks to the widow into things that

don’t even make sense in my mind but

that you plan on using to work together

for my good I’ve been looking for the

wrong things I’ve been looking for the

wrong intentions I’ve been looking with

the wrong motivations I’ve been looking

for somebody to hand me something not

realizing that you already have a plan

I’m not going to use conventional wisdom

to build your next flow there’s a flow

with your name on it

a further presence of God there’s a flow

in the earth a spiritual flow there’s a

currency everywhere you go and God says

I’m trying to equip you to build your

own flow that you can be occurring that

you can be a force in this earth and I

can’t do that if you’re still tied to

what I used before and in order for you

to find this next flow you have to say

God I surrender to whatever this season

is supposed to be in my life so that I

can access the next dimension of the

flow things have been shaky things have

been falling apart in your life and

you’ve been thinking it’s a sign that

you’re not on the right track and I hear

God’s saying that I’m stripping you away

so that I can tighten your flow so that

you can be potent and you can be

powerful so that you can break some

things up on the earth and you couldn’t

do it with ideas and mentalities that

was I lead diluting who you were I’m

trying to create a new flow I’m trying

to create a new flow a new flow for

Elijah I’m not going to do it the way I

did it before this is a new thing strip

yourself away from all of the formulas

that you think can predict I’m Who I am

and recognize that I came to do a new

thing I am a creator I don’t have to

duplicate anything I’ve ever done before

I spoke a word and the earth came into

being a spoken word and the sea

separated themselves I spoke a word and

cattle were roaming around this earth I

am a creator and everything I do will be

edgy and authentic and created because

that’s the kind of god you serve so

don’t ask me to be predictable and say

you want to be edgy if you want to be

edgy and safe this isn’t the kind of God

that you need to serve because in order

for you to go from glory to glory

glory he breaks you out of your comfort

zone he’s creating a new flow for Elijah

a new way for me to provide for you a

new way for me to sustain you a new way

for me to show you who I am a new way

for you to discover who you are a new

way for you to see your talents and

giftings this is something new you

haven’t seen this before I know the year

is almost up but is anyone crazy enough

to believe that he can still do

something new or do you only praise God

when the clock strikes 12:00 and that’s

when you get excited coz you get to

start over

I hear guys saying we can get it poppin

right now what’s up what you trying to

do la we can do something new right now

in this season if you are willing to

release yourself from who you have been

so you can embrace who I’m calling you

to be I’m doing something new eyes

haven’t seen ears haven’t heard neither

has it entered into the hearts of men

what I plan to do through you and you

think because you haven’t seen it that

it cannot be done and that’s why you’ve

been in a situation where you are stuck

but I came to deliver a word I didn’t

come to entertain you I came to let you

know that God wants to do something new

and that the only thing that is keeping

him from doing it is your attachment to

what he did in the past

[Applause]

this is different this is not that this

is that this is that this is the thing

that you’ve been waiting for this is the

thing that you’ve been praying for this

is the thing that you’ve been fasting

for this is why your friends don’t

connect with you any longer this is why

you don’t fit in the way that she used

to this is why not just anybody can pour

into you because I’m creating the new

flow this is what you’ve been feeling

Restless this is what you’ve been

wondering who you are because I’m

redefining you you’re under the mighty

hand of God and I have something for you

[Applause]

[Music]

[Applause]

so God we repent we changed the way

we’ve been thinking and changed the way

we’ve been seeing this current and

present situation that we’re in and we

ask God that you would strip us from

what we think needs to happen so that we

can see what you’re already doing open

our eyes change our minds and give us

strength to move forward I just had to

get that out because I feel like a place

of repentance that I made this thing

about me and not about you that I made

it about what I wanted to see happen and

I never stopped to ask you what you

wanted to do

I took the materials and I saw the

finished picture but I never stopped to

read the instructions to say God what am

I supposed to do with what you’ve given

me

and so God we just ask that you continue

to move and that you move us as you move

so that I’m not fighting you to be where

I want you to be but that I have the

maturity and wisdom to go where you say

go y’all sit down

I’m not finished I’m not gonna do me

like y’all been doing me the last few

weeks I can’t get these notes I don’t

get every last one of them okay and

nobody got time for that y’all be taking

over my services listen there’s a part

of you that I really want you to get

that’s the only reason why I would do

that I know that God gave it to me when

Elijah encounters this woman this Widow

she’s in an interesting situation

because she also is assembling something

she is assembling the tools that she

needs to die she has come down to her

very last not recognizing that Elijah is

coming and when that partnership occurs

that though she was down on her last

that partnership is going to create

sustainability for her which i think is

really important as you all go out into

your worlds and environments and

relationships and industries because

someone who lives their life by a flow

can encounter someone who was living

life with a different flow but your flow

can overcome their flow and create

sustainability for them as well there’s

the woman is gathering tools she needs

to live a life that will ultimately lead

to death but Elijah is gathering the

tools God has ordained to produce life

and that is the difference between those

of us who are Kingdom and those of us

who aren’t and this isn’t like a shady

thing like if you’re not Kingdom we

don’t fool with you as a matter of fact

it’s quite the opposite

because I have come to establish God’s

presence on the earth in territories

where his presence may not otherwise be

and in order for me to do that I can’t

be afraid of encountering flows that

don’t look like mine because I have

enough faith in enough trust and the

power of God that works through me that

I can go into rooms where everyone is

living their life according to what they

want to do and it not tamper with my

anointing and you got to be real about

whether or not you can do that if you

can’t do that you got to pull yourself

out of it because you are too powerful

and if you are not powerful enough to go

in that room and change the flow then

you will drown in someone else’s flow

but you come to a point where you reach

a certain level of maturity where you

decide I can go into any room and not

lose my core because I’ve been through

too much and I know who God is so god if

you send me into the industry I can

change that flow I got enough faith and

who I am in you not because of who I am

but who I am in you but I can spin

flat-footed in black churches and white

churches and on the street and in target

and still declare the work of the Lord

because that’s the kind of flow I carry

and corporate and in church in

industries and then not because that’s

the kind of flow that I carried in any

city in any realm and any deal I came to

impart something into you and lay this

is a confidence that you can only get

from God and it’s not for everybody it’s

only for certain people who recognize

the power of the

connected to God and that it’s not just

so you can be rich and look good and so

that you can overcome the flows of this

world I feel the presence of God in this

place I came to overflow in the flows of

this world so that God would have placed

something down on the inside of me that

breaks something in the spirit realm

darkness will be afraid because my flow

just got Unleashed and that’s what

there’s been hail over my mind and

that’s why I’ve had issue after issue

because they were trying to keep my flow

blocked up but God sent a word and the

word unblocked my flow I’m flowing in

the whole new realm I’m flowing on the

whole new level I got this kind of

confidence

God you’ve been building up the flow

that’s what’s been happening over the

last few weeks over the last six to

eight weeks I don’t know about you but

I’ve been trying to figure out what God

is doing what you’re trying to do in

this thing and I felt like I just got a

word from heaven for somebody crazy

enough to believe it that you thought I

was killing the flow you didn’t know

that I was unleashing the flow and a

whole new realm there’s new territory

assigned to your name and you wouldn’t

be strong enough if I left you where you

were so I took you through some things

so that when I unleash you you know what

to do in the room you know what to do in

the meeting you know when to hold your

tongue and when to unleash it you know

when to spin and win the saving you

wouldn’t have known that

[Applause]

[Music]

hallelujah I just this is what I want to

tell you Elijah tells the woman you’ve

got the right idea you have the flower

and you have the oil and you have the

sticks the only issue with your plan

right now is that you are not expecting

the right end there was nothing wrong

with the tool she had there was

something wrong with the end that she

was expecting she was expecting to die

so Elijah tells are just real fast let

me tell you Elijah tells her that do not

fear go and do it do as you have said

you’ve got the right idea but first I

want you to switch up the back end and I

want you to make a small kick for me and

then I want you to bring it to me that

means don’t look at the cake and try to

hold it for yourself bring it to me and

then after you bring it to me go back

and make something for yourself in your

son and listen verse 14 says for thus

says the Lord God of Israel the

benificial not be used up nor shall the

jar of oil run dry until the day the

Lord sends rain on the earth so when she

got into the kitchen and she started

making the cakes her mind had been

changed in such a way she was going to

make the cakes regardless she was going

to build the fire regardless the only

difference was that she had a different

word that she was working with and when

she was working with that word she was

no longer expecting death she was

expecting multiplication

[Applause]

I’m expecting two different ends I

thought this thing was trying to kill me

but I changed my mind about what I’m

expecting I changed my mind about what

can come from this I thought I was going

to be lonely brokenhearted and depressed

that’s what I was expecting but I got a

word that changed what I was expecting

to happen in the end now I am expecting

that no weapon formed against me will

prosper now I am expecting that I’m

gonna make it to the other side I

changed my expectation about what you

can do with these parts I changed I

changed my expectation and all God has

been trying to do over the last few

weeks is get us to change our

expectation about what is going to come

as a result of this season because as

long as I’m flirting with the

expectation of death as long as I am

flirting with the expectation of

brokenness and loneliness and drought

and fear and anxiety then I can’t begin

to expect that God is gonna sustain me

he didn’t change what she was working

with he changed what she was expecting

to happen and I don’t know about you but

I’ve been pressing in and asking God to

not just show me the materials I’m

working with but to help me see a

glimpse of the expected hint and as I

have asked him to give me a glimpse of

the expected in things have been coming

my way that I didn’t even think should

be coming my way but those things are

assigned to me that I’m one step closer

to that expected ends so I can be

blinded by what is not working or I

could choose to live my life from the

position of an expected end which

changes how you see droughts because the

woman was still in a drought but the

drought was not in the woman I can’t let

what’s around me get in me

[Music]

[Applause]

I can’t let what’s around me get in me

and it’s starting to get in me I feel it

I’m starting to be more afraid I’m

starting to be more angry I’m starting

to be more hopeless I’m starting to be

more depressed the drought is starting

to get in me but I came so that I could

push it out and the only thing that

pushes out the drought is the flow of

living water the only thing that pushes

out what’s trying to press in is a word

that decrees and declares who you are in

the kingdom of God I am fearfully and

wonderfully made

God has formed me from my mother’s womb

he knows me he is ordained he sanctified

I’m anointed for this and I’m just not

anointed to schedule the way it ends

like the woman who thought I’m gonna

plan how I’m gonna go out why I know

that’s for somebody the only thing I

have control over right now is how I’m

going to end it that’s the only thing I

feel like I can control it’s how I’m

going to end it but when she received

this word from Elijah he showed her that

you still got all of the materials you

need to to live and to live not just for

a moment four days after days after days

but I need you to change your mind about

what you have

I feel that prophetically for somebody I

don’t know who you are I got you know

he’s got you he’s got you he sees you

and he knows you and I just want to

rebuke right now they call me demon

bully I want to rebuke right now in the

name of Jesus the spirit of torment and

depression and anxiety and suicide that

would dare make anyone believe that the

only thing they have control over is how

it’s gonna end

I rebuke that in the name of Jesus devil

we bind you up and we send you back to

hell where you came from for we wrestle

not against flesh and blood come on

somebody I wish I had somebody in this

place who recognized it that this is a

spiritual thing and I bet you that if

about six to seven hundred of us could

unleash our flow in this room that

darkness could be pushed down can I get

somebody who doesn’t mind going in on

behalf of somebody else

just my worship I came for the widow I

came for the woman who was on her less

depression with my flow because where

two or three are gathered in the name of

Caesars I believe that hail gets nervous

can we send him a notice in this place

that you can’t have my sister in Christ

you cannot have my brother in Christ get

off of my daughter get off of my

finances get off of my marriage I came

to be a part of a greater flow I wish I

had about two or three crazy people in

this room who would take the roof off of

this place I’ve been too much I’ve seen

his faithfulness and you can’t do it

I’ll do it for you

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your worship is war that’s your weapon

your weapon is worship your weapon is

worship your weapon is worship when you

leave here you may have to go to

counseling you may need some therapy you

may need some rehab but worship makes

room for you to make the decision to get

your life together I’m not saying that

we don’t have practical I’m saying that

what sustains me it’s what I do in the

spirit realm and then I play that out in

the natural realm so worship is my

weapon worship is how I’m going to get

out of it

obedience is how I’m gonna make it to

the next dimension

I’ll humble myself under the

God have your way in this place all

precious Savior I feel that church girl

thing working up on the inside of me but

I feel like we just got one more push I

feel like we just got one more word that

will unleash the floodgates

our city’s over our generation and

the one

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they say as young folks don’t know how

to press in because we get tired so we

don’t ever get to really see the

fullness of what God can do but

something happens when we don’t let our

emotions dictate our praise or our

emotions to dictate our worship somebody

was on the brink of suicide in this room

but they got a new word somebody was on

the brink of anything at all but they

got a new word somebody was about to

give up on that play but they got a new

word somebody was about to walk away

from the very thing that was going to

heal him but they got a new word that’s

what God does when he sits in the room

and so we worship you in this place

because somebody else needs breakthrough

because somebody else needs to hear from

you God I need you over my creativity

God I need you over my business God I

need you

over my marriage god I need you over my

children God I need you I need you I

need you I need you I need you I need

you I need you I can’t make a decision

without you I can’t move unless you say

go I need you I need you I need you

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hallelujah

hallelujah

I just want to feel the presence sit in

this room

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god I repent God I changed my mind

god I need you again God I lost my power

I lost my faith

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this is this is activate LA and in order

to be activated you have to be both

inspired and empowered I’m thinking

about the book of Acts when they were

looking for someone to help take the

ministry forward and they found this guy

named Stephen and there were two things

that marked Stephen that got the

Apostles attention it says that he was a

man full of faith and full of the Holy

Ghost those two things I feel the Spirit

of God those two things everything that

the pastor Sarah is saying about taking

territory and about going into new flows

and new streams all of that requires

faith and the Holy Ghost and I sense

that some in this room the reason why

you’re frustrated is because you’re

trying to do it without the Holy Spirit

you’re trying to do it in your own

strength to trying to do it out of

inspiration and motivation but you need

the Holy Spirit of God are you tracking

with me and it’s so important is so

important that Jesus said don’t even try

to go out there and do anything until

you get it if you study the book of Acts

in Acts chapter one Jesus came and he

inspired it he said hey you know

wonderful things are gonna take place

but I need you to tarry I need you to

wait in Jerusalem until you receive the

promise of the Father and it said that

and when that happens in verse 8 he says

and when that happens then you shall

receive power when the Holy Spirit

overtakes you and so you’re going to

need not just inspiration not just

motivation but you’re gonna need the

power of God to activate you for purpose

and so so we’ve come to this moment in

the service and you know we’re gonna

receive our tithes and our offerings in

a second but but we’re at a moment

now I really think that God wants to

take it over the edge are you tracking

with me I feel the Spirit of God he

wants to take it over the edge so that

you’re not out there fighting with your

own weapons but God wants to resource

you with power unlike ever before unlike

anything else you’ve ever experienced

because these things that you’re gonna

run up on in this town in this world and

this time will require the Spirit of the

Living God are you tracking with me not

by might not by power but by my spirit

says God and so as we’re sitting there I

just want you know I’m gonna give you a

little bit more so in the book of Acts

the disciples were moving about and they

were doing their thing and they came

across some other disciples and they

they had the right intentions they were

doing good things they were preaching

God’s the gospel you know they were

believers but Paul noticed something

about them and he looks at them and he

says wow man is it’s wonderful what

you’re doing but then he says have you

received the Holy Spirit since you

believed in other words he said where

where you are is cool where you are is

fine but but I’m telling you there’s

something missing there’s a missing link

and this thing that’s missing you’re

gonna need I’m telling you right now you

don’t need the power of God you’re gonna

need more than inspiration you’re gonna

need more than faith you are going to

need the power of God pastor talked

about the rivers of living water out of

your belly will flow rivers of living

water I’m not talking about being weird

I’m not talking about being crazy I’m

not talking about you know you just

won’t be one of those crazy Christians

but I am talking about being an

activated Christian I am talking about

being full of the Spirit of God divine

resource so if you’re here and you say

God I want to be filled with the Holy

Spirit I recognize

Jesus said that I would be in a holding

pattern until I got power that’s what

the disciples were in they were in a

holding pattern Jesus said don’t go

nowhere because you’re gonna be in a

battle that you’re not equipped to fight

you can’t fight this battle with

inspiration

you can’t fight this battle with

motivation you can’t even fight this

battle with faith alone you have to be

full of faith and the Holy Ghost and

when you’re full of the Holy Ghost it

makes you full of faith because you’ve

no greater is He Who is in you than he

who is in the world so if you’re here

when you say pastor I want to be filled

with the Holy Spirit I want you to come

and meet me here at this altar right now

and I need my leaders to come up behind

we’re gonna pray for you tonight you’re

gonna need that family you’re gonna need

that overflowing knowing that you’re

gonna need that thing that runs out as

interesting pastor the brook had a flow

and that flow ran out but the widow

woman that flow just continued and it

just continued and it just continued and

the Holy Spirit will be everything that

you need Wow that’s the missing link I

feel that for you so how do I receive

the Holy Spirit how does it happen first

of all I have to believe I have to

believe the gospel I have to believe and

the awesome thing is it is the Holy

Spirit that taps you and gets you to

believe in other words you cannot

believe without the engagement of the

Holy Spirit so you’re already halfway

there but there is another level there

is another level

oh god there’s another level the holy

ghost wants to change your personality

the Holy Ghost will make you bow the

Holy Ghost will allow you to operate in

in Gibson and miracles and signs and

wonders you’ll have visions and power

and influence and there will be

something very different about you you

need we need the Holy Ghost there might

be some here you say I have the Holy

Spirit but but if I’m honest I’ve been

feeling weak you need a fresh touch I

want you to come as well so how do you

receive it it’s believing Lord I believe

how do you receive it well in that

account in Scripture where when the

Apostle Paul came across those believers

who had good intentions but no power

good intentions but no power when you

have good intentions and no power you

have to hear the same message over and

over and over again it almost becomes

like a drug because I’ve got the message

but I don’t have power that allows me to

walk out the message with victory and so

Paul he sees him and he’s like wow this

is you know you guys are wonderful

people I’m really you know he he wasn’t

putting them down he was encouraged by

the fact that they believed but he also

knew for the journey that they were

called to that we’re going to need

something a little more and so the Bible

says that they pray and they laid hands

on them Ilario

but we don’t have to be to the airport

until we got time now tell you I’ll be

honest with you when I received the Holy

Spirit for the first time

nobody laid hands on me I just was

hungry I was desperate and sometimes

when what God is doing in your life he

doesn’t want anybody to touch you he

wants to touch you because because you

might get something that you with me I

was just I was I was full disclosure

full transparency I was just I was on

the couch praying I was seeking God and

and maybe it’s because I didn’t have

anybody around me with enough anointing

and enough grace to facilitate where I

was headed and so I’m on the couch I’m

kneeling down I’m praying and all of a

sudden the Spirit of God came upon me

and my life has never been the same

again there was another moment that just

came to me though there’s another moment

yeah I think this was actually the first

moment that second moment was it had to

do with me speaking in tongues but there

was another moment I didn’t plan on

going here there was a moment when I

sought out God and I said God are really

I’m tired of living in disobedience and

it wasn’t even that there was this one

thing that I was doing it wasn’t that it

was just my heart was not completely

surrendered to God so it wasn’t one

thing it was just I wasn’t his and I

remember in 2007 months I sought the

face of the Lord and in that seventh

month I felt like the Lord said you

sought me and now you found me

you heard my voice you know my voice

there’s some people in there right now

you know the voice of the Lord you’ve

been hearing it you’ve been coming you

cannot escape the voice of the Lord

everywhere you turn whether it’s social

media whether it’s it’s your here or

wherever you cannot escape the voice of

the Lord and now you have matured enough

to recognize his voice that’s where I

was and there was this moment where God

was like you sought me and now you found

me what are you going to do and so I was

facing in my own direction it was a

direction where where I was the master

of my destiny and I was the master of my

fate I’m facing in this direction and

God is speaking to me in my ear and in

that moment I had to make a decision am

I gonna continue to be my own master and

do my own thing or am I going to yield

to that voice that’s talking to me and

so literally it was this that voice that

was talking to me he was no longer

talking to the side of my face I turned

to him I turned my face and my direction

to the voice that was talking to me and

I surrendered to God and in that moment

is when I got filled with the Holy

Spirit it was a decision of the heart

that says God you are the Lord and I am

going to worship you I’m going to submit

to you and I’m going to live for you and

in that moment God filled me with the

Holy Spirit and it was marked by first

of all power and it was power for me to

not do things that were part of my

natural habit there was some things that

were not worthy of me that I could not

stop doing are you tracking with me

there was some things that I knew

weren’t right but but those things were

stronger than me because I was trying to

fight those things out of my flesh and

not out of the power of God I was trying

to fight it out a willpower and

willpower was not working willpower

became won’t power are you tracking with

me and in that moment when I turned to

him and I said God

I am yours I got filled with the Spirit

of God two things two notable things

happen one was I have power and all of a

sudden victory over that thing that I

wanted to stop doing but I couldn’t do

you know Paul says the things that I

want to do I don’t do and the things

that I don’t want to do those things I

do who will deliver me from the body of

this death and then later on in chapter

8 that’s Romans sevens in Romans chapter

8 he starts talking about how the the

power of the Holy Spirit of what gave

him the victory to no longer walk in the

flesh but to walk in the spirit so

something happened in the spirit that

allowed him to do what he wanted to do

and not be bound by what he could not

stop doing that was the first thing I

got power and isn’t that what Jesus said

you shall receive power when the Holy

Spirit comes upon you and the second

thing that happened to me was my spirit

came alive and all of a sudden I became

a man of Revelation all of a sudden when

I when I would open up the scriptures it

was no longer these crazy obscure words

on the page but but I can see God

breathing and talking to me and speaking

to me the Word of God came alive to me

and divine resources the gifts of the

Spirit and revelation and insight and

knowledge and prophecy and all of the

full measure of God began to be my

portion and I haven’t looked back since

and I haven’t been the same since and

that’s the person that you’re seeing now

who is completely different from the

person that you would have met 18 years

ago because I had an encounter with the

Holy Spirit I had been in church since I

was nine years old

this was different that’s what this had

nothing to do with belief it had to do

with power are you tracking with me

and that’s what we’re offering tonight I

probably can’t lay hands on all of you

but imma lay hands on every single one

of you that I can until the Lord tells

me to quit and if you don’t get hands

laid on you I do not personally believe

it’s a requirement I believe that if you

surrender to God and you open up your

heart to God and you say God and you ask

him god give me the Holy Spirit I don’t

want to do this by myself I need your

power I need your spirit I need your

grace you told the disciples don’t go

until they get it and I believe that you

have it for me and it’s not dependent

upon another man if I don’t get to you

you just claim you just receive it right

there in the atmosphere are you tracking

with me so I just want you to miss

beginning the worship God and I want to

pray for you you’re gonna receive

something I’m gonna impart something to

you you’re gonna get something and

you’re gonna be established some of you

have been tossed to and fro and God’s

gonna establish you

[Music]

and y’all just flow with me you’re doing

a great job tonight can we honor and

celebrate this this worship team in this

band I want to pray for you I just want

you to begin to pray and worship and

then we’re gonna give amen

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oh come on God is real God is real and

you shall receive power when the Holy

Spirit comes upon you

come on let’s worship come on let’s

worship let’s watch it

I’m not going into the battle in my own

strength

I’m going in the battle with the name

which is above all names come on come on

this is real we’re not playing games

this is not positive thinking this is

the power of God

loose in our lives to do great things

come on worship God with me

come on come on come on come on come on

yes

[Music]

thank you Jesus

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the real thing the real

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how the heck do you want it

how bad do you want it where my hungry

people at

where my husband people laugh

hungry people where my hungry people you

want the power of God in your life for

real I’m tired of being wishy-washy in

one day out the next day

[Music]

bad bad bad

how bad do you want it

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start again

it’s not a game

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it’s not a game so in acts 1 and 8 it

says you will receive power when the

Holy Spirit comes upon if you study that

word in the Greek it doesn’t read come

upon it means when the Holy Spirit

overcomes you overcomes soon overcomes

ooh

watch this overcomes you did you catch

it

it’s greater than you he is greater than

you you need the Holy Spirit to overcome

you so that he can move through your

life that’s what’s up that’s what you

see when you see Pastor Sarah she’s

flying gorgeous and anointed but you

know what’s up underneath all of that if

you take all that off you know what’s up

under there the Holy Ghost

what’s up under there its power that

thing that jesus said don’t even do

nothing without it

that’s what’s underneath there and

anybody can have it come on where you

need to get hands laid on you I’ll miss

my flight if I have to laying hands on

you

who’s hungry if you’re hungry run up

here just run up here if you’re hungry

right now I want to see the hungry

people I want to see the hungry people

save it where the hungry people come on

come on receive it receive it

we say that with signet receiving

[Music]

receive it yeah yeah yeah

what’s sickening

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[Applause]

God’s looking for some hungry people

[Applause]

we’re sealing

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God wants to touch you

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Christina

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what’s in it

receive

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we want more of you God we want more of

you

we want to be full of faith and the Holy

Ghost will come on up on Halloween you

might want a regular ghost

I want the Holy Ghost and Fire

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let me tell you something we’re big on

fashion we like to look fashionable

we’re in the culture we understand it we

do business in the culture all that’s

wonderful but up underneath it it’s the

Holy Spirit are you tracking with me

would it go anywhere when rooms with

some of the most influential people in

the world and we don’t change in the

room in fact it is the Holy Ghost that

got us in the room are you tracking with

me don’t ever get it twisted it’s about

power it’s about power whoo

it’s about power

thank you Jesus he loves you family is

from the moment that we planted this

church unto now

it has been my commitment to God and my

personal deal with God that I would

never leave the people that he sends me

ill-equipped for life are you tracking

with me he told me it’s gonna be hard

and you’re gonna have to go through some

things but I said I just can’t I’m a

spiritual father I’m a natural father

I’m a spiritual father I will never

leave you ill equipped you need the Holy

Spirit every day and to be filled with

the Holy Spirit every day for everything

that’s the difference that’s the

difference so lord I just want to seal

this this moment of impartation thank

you Jesus for your presence thank you

for your word that gives us so much

instruction on how to be everything that

you called us to be I thank you for the

lives that are forever changed in this

moment they’re full of faith and full of

the Holy Spirit I thank you for the

lives that are being reordered right now

the steps that are being reordered I

thank you for the hunger and the thirst

for God that is in this building right

now and you said blessed are those who

hunger and thirst after righteousness

for they shall be filled

be filled be filled till this moment in

Jesus name

amen

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