Service Date: 01.23.20 8PM
[Music]
let’s just dive right into the work
we’re gonna be reading from acts 12
verse 1 to 16 and I’m just gonna kick it
off it says now about the time Herod the
king stretched out his hand to harass
some from the church then he killed
James the brother of John with the sword
and because he saw that it pleased the
Jews he proceeded further to cease Peter
also now it was during the days of
unleavened bread so when he had rested
him he put him in prison and delivered
him to four scores of soldiers to keep
him intended to bring him before the
people after Passover
Peter was therefore kept in prison but
constant prayer was offered to God for
him by the church and when Herod was
about to bring him out that night Peter
was sleeping bound with two chains
between two soldiers and the guards
before the door were keeping the prison
now behold an angel of the Lord stood by
him and the light shone in the prison
and he was struck Peter he and he struck
Peter on the side and raised him up
saying arise quickly and his chains fell
off his hands then the angel said to him
gird yourself and tie on your sandals
and so he did and he said to him put on
your garment and follow me so he went
out and followed him and did not know
what was done by the angel did not know
that what was done by the angel was real
but thought he was seeing a vision when
they were past the first and second
guard posts they came to the iron gate
that leads to the city which opened to
them of its own accord and they went out
and went down one Street and immediately
the angel departed from him
and when Peter had come to himself he
said now I know for certain that the
Lord has sent his angel and has
delivered me from the hand of Herod and
from the expectation of the Jewish
people so when he had considered this he
came to the house of Mary the mother of
John whose son name was Mark where many
were gathered together praying and as
Peter knocked on the door of the gate
a girl named Rhoda opened so I don’t
name door them was there but they don’t
came to answer when she recognized
Peter’s voice because of her gladness
she did not open the gate but ran in and
announced that Peter stood before the
gate but they said to her you were
beside yourself basically you were out
of your mind
you don’t lost a child yet she kept
insisting that it was so so they said it
is his angel now Peter continued
knocking and when they opened the door
and saw him they were astonished
Heavenly Father we thank you for your
word Lord the word that you have given
him a it come forth in the power of the
Holy Spirit may it speak to everyone who
opens up their heart to hear and Lord
have your way do only that which you can
do Lord give us the assurance that you
are a good good father that you are our
defender that your goodness runs after
us Lord that you keep us that we cannot
even stand in our own way heavily father
have your way in Jesus mighty name amen
family you may be seated
you know I was getting ready for this
message so some interesting things
happen first of all this morning I have
this vision and in the vision I see
myself wearing a champion hoodie like
today like right now like this evening
it sounds like wow okay I don’t have
that but I could find it in the mall so
I’m thinking that maybe the Lord wants
me to redeem myself because not too long
ago I wore an Adidas tracksuit with
Nikes and I guess that was a taboo
in America in Nigeria if I bought it I
style it however I liked it so I thought
maybe God wants me to redeem myself and
wear a champion with some Nikes but when
I got to the mall and I found the hoodie
that I had seen in my vision the Lord
started speaking to me and he said I
want you to tell my people that I am
their champion that it should be a word
that is written on their hearts that the
same way I showed you this vision of
like it was just the same way I just saw
I’m wearing right now just everywhere
just written everywhere that in that
same way we should carry that on our
hearts in our minds you see a champion
is one who fights for another’s cause he
said my blood is still speaking on your
behalf that the victory that my blood
attained that it still speaks over you
and so as he when he gave me this
scripture I was really moved by it
because you see in this scripture the
first thing that we were told that
happens is that James a disciple is
killed James is the brother
to John John is the one disciple who
identified himself as the one that Jesus
loves he said he would call himself the
disciple whom Jesus loves and the other
disciples will feel a certain kind of
way but James would had a certain see he
had a knowing that you love me if they
don’t know it if they don’t know how
much you love them will I know it and
I’m gonna define myself by it
I am the disciple whom you love it is
shown in the Bible how you know John
will just rest his head on Jesus’s
shoulder on his chest they had there was
such an intimate relationship between
the two and so out of all the disciples
James his brother is killed
can you imagine what happened when James
was arrested and they were praying for
him and I’m sure that John was like this
cannot happen this would never be and
all of a sudden the reports come back
that James was killed by the sword but
you see an interesting thing in the book
in mark 10 when Jesus was having a
specifically with James and his brother
John he almost predicts that their death
will be something similar to his he
tells them that the same cup that I
drank you would drink it also that you
will it was almost a foretelling that
your death will really come by
persecution so in the way he has
prepared them for it but you see the
truth in life is that anytime we are
outsiders to a story we have our
speculation we have our assumption when
we see something happens to someone else
we’re like God that is unjust that is
not right that is unfair and it’s hard
to speak about James perspective because
we don’t know the backstory to James but
in the book of Acts I believe in acts 6
there is a man named Stephen Stephen was
a faithful follower of Christ he was not
known as the disciples was Stephen was a
man that was known to be full of the
Holy Spirit he was a man known to move
in many signs and wonders but Stephen at
a point was also arrested Stephen was
the man who saw before he became the
Apostle Paul had given the order for his
execution when Stephen was arrested he
was about to be stoned the beautiful
thing I love about his story is that we
get an inside scoop about how he saw it
from as an outsider all you will see is
that while Stephen is this faithful man
that loves God and wants to walk out the
things of God and now he’s arrested and
he’s about to be stoned but Stephens
experience was so different when Stephen
was kneeling down he said I see the
heavens opened up and I see the Lord it
was almost a picture that the Lord was
waiting to welcome him home Stephen was
at peace everyone else may have been
panicked but Stephen was all right he’s
like oh no I am aware that it is my time
you see Stephen even said something
similar that Jesus said he said Lord
forgive them do not hold this against
them he moved in a different level of
peace because he was in alignment with
the will of God in that moment but it’s
hard for us to understand on the person
side of the story if we are not then we
can only see
and judge based on what we see God why
would you allow that to happen to this
person why would you let that happen to
Stephen why would you let that happen to
James and so you have Peter James has
just been killed and now he’s arrested
and it’s interesting that the night
before he is also going to be his
execution as planned he’s sleeping it
almost showed me someone who had lost
all hope because at that time I mean I
would give it all like God I would pray
do something you know shout something
but Peter is asleep it was almost a sign
like god I mean you know maybe it’s my
time no James was just taking I don’t
know what else I have in me it was a
moment that we can look and say that
what if Peter this was a state of
hopelessness you see Peter I the reason
why I can believe that Peter did not
have an expectation to even be free is
because even when the angel came he was
more convinced that it was a vision more
than reality that at that point he’s
like you know what this is what it is
and I guess my time has come but that
was not what the call of God for his
life at that time was you see unknown so
Peter people were praying for him and
when they undo to their prayer and angel
is released to free Peter but what moved
me about what was taking place is that
when Peter goes to the home where he’s
being prayed for the lady Rhoda who who
you know sees him at the door so she was
someone who was actually a servant she
was a servant girl who would normally
open the doors for visitors so she tells
the people of the home and she’s like
hey Peter’s at the door she’s excited
she believes that God you have released
Peter from the enemy’s camp and they
don’t believe her
the people that we would think that wow
this is where the power came from that
what is the faith that released the
angel came from the servant girl because
she was the only one that had the
expectation that no no Peter
she was excited you see joys of that the
type of joy that she expressed is a sign
of when you see what you have believed
the people in the house who would seem
like the people that were more spiritual
it shows us you see last week I talked
about how the posture of prayer is
expectation when there is no expectation
you’re not really doing anything when
Peter was at the door and they said no
it must be his angel then what were you
praying about you’re praying for Peter
to be set free Peter shows up you say
nah nah bruh he’s his angel God you know
the Bible tells us that God often uses
the foolish things to confound the wise
God used the faith of a servant girl to
get Peter out of the enemy’s camp you
see why this moves me so much it’s
because the Lord began to show me that
there’s some of you and perhaps maybe
many of you that there are things in
your life that you just feel like you
don’t know what to do there areas in
your life like you just feel like God I
feel like I’ve given it all I’ve God and
this is just what it is
and he wants you to know that he’s not
looking down at you at that place he’s
not saying hey you know get your fade up
that he has a plan that he has people
positioned people that would be praying
for you people that would open doors for
you people that are signed to help you
you see one of the things that the Lord
taught me that really moved me one day
he asked me he says how does a dead man
have faith you see when someone is
resurrected from the dead what faith was
exchanged the man is dead what faith
does he have to resurrect himself or
herself and I thought about I said lord
I don’t yeah I can’t see that I don’t
know if he’s interceding for himself
from heaven then everybody else would be
doing that but how does a dead man have
faith to be resurrected it was never his
it was the faith of the person the Holy
Spirit used to
select him or her you see there are
things in your life there are things in
your life that you may feel like god I
don’t have what it takes I’m trying but
if the strength is not in me and God
said that is perfectly okay because
again in your weakness
I would always be your strength you see
even Jesus had a moment of weakness on
his way to the cross he was carrying his
cross and it was so heavy for him at a
point that he could not bear the weight
of it to the point that the soldiers had
to force someone named Simon to come and
pick up his cross and help him carry the
cross up to on you know on his journey
but you see something I really found
fascinating about Simon is that the very
name Simon means heard there was a woman
in the scriptures Leah when she felt
like her husband didn’t love her she
cried out to God and says my husband
does not love me
all of a sudden somehow without the love
they happen to do a little something and
she got pregnant when she got pregnant
she names her child Simon and she says
because the Lord has heard that I am
unloved now we fast-forward to this
scenario with Jesus and the man
the soldiers think that they’re just
forcing a random person to come and
carry his cross but what if that man was
assigned by God as an answer that when
Jesus was carrying it and the weight was
too heavy for him to bear that what if
Jesus Christ the father and say Lord I
need help I am gonna be faithful to my
assignment but in this very moment I
need help
and all of us father the soldiers think
they’re forcing someone but that man was
an answer to Jesus even Jesus’s Prayer
now if Jesus would need help in a place
of weakness what about us you see I came
here to deliver a very simple message
God says that he is your champion and
that is a word that you should carry on
your heart you don’t have to figure
everything out by yourself
you don’t have to always know everything
you don’t have to know how it’s gonna
work out you don’t even have to know god
I may not I don’t even know I’m gonna
make it till tomorrow
you can rest in God in those moments and
say god I don’t know but you do and I
want to look up to you and say God you
have your way in my life God wants you
to know that he is your champion he is
your defender I literally decided a
message God is my champion
there let it be my declaration that in a
moment and in the midst of my fear and
anxiety that I can remind myself and say
it’s okay because God is the one who
carries my life in his hands you see
whatever it is that may be plaguing you
crippling you making you feel like you
cannot take a step forward you have to
look at that thing and say God is my
champion there is someone he has
positioned out there that is assigned to
help me in this scenario and I would
just be the person to receive help when
it comes you see we have to learn and be
open to help we have to be open to
receiving it is also a blessing to
receive that is a blessing to give
sometimes we’re so quick to say no I
want to do this for other people but
there are times where God says it is
time for you to also get poured into God
wants to fill you up again
you see family I really want us to use
today as a time to worship because
worship is when an exchange happens
worship is when we say God you can take
my weakness and fill me up with your
strength in that exchange the Lord will
begin to reveal to many of you people
that may already be in your circle he
may begin to reveal to you decisions
that he would empower you to make but
for you to know that he is your champion
you see he did not even allow Peter to
stand in his own way he did not look at
Peter and say Peter you have little
faith this is why I’ve called you home
he said Peter I see that you may be down
you may not understand why James just
passed away why James was murdered but I
had a plan for that and James is resting
in peace knowing that but you may you
may be
you may be the outsider looking in and
wondering god but this always happens
look at this person and that person and
this person and God is saying you don’t
understand the plans I have for the
people that you’re calling out and I
also have a plan for your life a plan
that would keep you a plan that would
prosper you you are not in this thing by
yourself you see whatever God assigns he
equips when God gives you a word he is
there to encourage you and so I want us
to take this moment and declare in our
hearts that God you would be my champion
this is going to be an interesting year
you know in the beginning when our
pastor preached on the year of revealing
he said it’s gonna be it’s gonna reveal
a lot of things there’s gonna be you’re
going to encounter a lot of amazing
things and you’re going to encounter
things that may want to shake you up
because that is actually the assignment
against you being older your call today
you see there’s a scripture that talks
about in the time that you ought to be
teachers you still need to be taught and
it’s not a word that is against being a
student it’s not a word that it’s
against learning or receiving from
pastors the teachers know that word
teacher actually means doctor it means
that there is something about your life
there is a calling on your life to bring
healing to situations in the earth to
bring healing your call is assigned to
heal people and it says that so in the
time in that I mean it was about times
and seasons you see being revealed is
about you walking out your call whatever
it is but it may be in through books may
be through music and it be whatever in
your career that God has assigned your
position to bring healing to situations
and to people and in the time that you
also walk in that you still are holding
on to your wounds when you should be
walking out the call that brings healing
to the earth you’re married to your pain
and the Lord is saying but if you look
at me as your champion you will not need
to be married to the things that happen
to you yesterday
you would understand that God
I can control my past but I can trust
you with my present I have no idea
either what’s gonna happen tomorrow but
this moment right now our pastor talked
about this the power of the present
moment that this moment right now God I
can trust you you see the moment we take
our eyes of the fact that we are called
to be healers in this nation we are
called to bring healing what through
whatever it is that God has called you
to when we hold on to pain and wounds
and scars we are allowing the enemy to
distract us to be infants again that
word actually says in the time that you
ought to be teachers you still need to
be taught the basic principles of the
word of God the basic principles trust
in God knowing that he has your back not
not not given in to fear because God is
saying I would be your defender I would
be your protector not allowing fear to
you not allowing the voices of
doubt to surround you and it and that
scripture actually says you still need
to be taught again so it’s almost like
this cycle of deception where we are
coming to God but it’s like this it’s
almost like a drug to give me temporary
relief and I find myself back again but
the Lord says when you look at me it
breaks the cycles in your life because
you see oftentimes what keeps us in a
loop is when we are trying to do things
based on our own strength when we’re
trying to find our way based on our own
strength and God is saying you don’t
need to worry about what you can do I am
here I want to fight for you we were
thinking about that that Lord you fight
for us and God wants to fight for each
and every one of you and so this is a
moment of declaration that God I’m gonna
receive I’m just gonna lift my hands and
surrender and say God I don’t need to do
this life by myself I don’t need to
figure it out by myself
and I really want us to press into
worship and so family stand with me
thank you Jesus thank you Jesus I
believe something so powerful it’s gonna
break over your life as we worship you
see there are times where you just
you’re not even there times at all times
you have to allow the spirit to flow as
he pleases and I believe that in the
moment you see worship is also about
surrender we don’t come in here on
Thursday nights and on Sundays to be
entertained not at all
we come in here because we say God I
want you to touch me and what we do as
stewards when we stand on this altar is
to say Lord however you decide to move
we will submit to it and I believe that
there is something that as you press
into your worship tonight that you’re
not thinking about who to the left of
you who’s to the right of you but you
were looking to God that everything that
troubles you you begin to lay it at his
feet and say god I don’t know how but
you would be my way maker you would make
the way for me I’m not gonna stay in
this repeated cycle of trying to do
things in my own strength and so family
in this moment if you know that you need
to make that declaration over your life
if you know that you’ve been holding on
to things you’ll be holding on to your
way of doing things your way of seeing
things I want you to come to this altar
that you’re making that statement and
say God be my champion have your way I
give you everything
thank you Jesus thank you Jesus thank
you Jesus
you say there’s something about stepping
out there’s something about stepping out
it’s it’s you’re not you’re not
concerned you’re like God I don’t want
to stay in the same place it was almost
a prophetic act of saying God as I’ve
heard this word and I know that it
speaks to me I’m choosing not to stay in
the same place I’m gonna take a step out
step out on faith I step out on your
word knowing that Lord you got me God is
my champion God family just say that
with me God is my champion God is
fighting for us what is it in your life
what are you believing him for what are
you trying to do
he is your champion he’s saying that you
would not stand in your own way as long
as you’re in my hands we’re not assigned
to do everything by ourselves there are
people assigned to help you and for some
of you maybe what you struggle with is
receiving help I want you to come to
this altar maybe you struggle with being
open for someone to step into your life
and say hey I can support you in this
area there maybe you’re very skeptical
of people and you’re very guarded and
yes people have hurt you in the past and
you don’t know how to open up to people
look to God and say God I’ve been
betrayed in the past but I’m gonna keep
believing that anytime someone has
access to my life and there’s something
about that access that I filled you on
it I will open myself up to it give me
the sermons but let me not discern
through the lens of my fear let me
discern through your love show me who
you have in my circle that you have
called to me
so if you know you struggle with that
come to this altar right now thank you
Jesus thank you Jesus thank you Jesus
thank you lord thank you lord
Heavenly Father
as we lift our hands up high as a sign
of surrender we say Lord you have your
way
that this is a sign of saying that we
are letting go that anything that we
cannot control that Lord we are gonna
let it go
[Music]
thank you God
the declaration that we are making in
our heart right now
at anytime something tries to come to
trip us up we would say no no no I serve
a king who fights for me I would not
submit to this temptation I serve a king
who fights for me he will always make a
way for me to be victorious thank you
Jesus
while we are in this posture of worship
and surrender I want to call out one of
our worship leaders Kyle
[Music]
thank you
don’t worry about who’s next to you
don’t worry about any of that while I
was in prayer today I saw that there
will be a grace that comes upon you you
see the powerful thing about grace is
that it’s like in a moment that’s many
of you walked in here burdened heavy
struggling with there were addictions
temptation unforgiveness bitterness but
when the grace of God comes upon you in
a fresh way all of a sudden you’re
empowered to do things that you did not
know you could do and as I was in prayer
for you I saw the Spirit of God doing
something fresh upon you to empower you
for what is ahead you see all God needs
is your willingness that’s it is to say
God I may not even feel like giving you
this thing but I’m going to surrender
because in that state of saying God I am
willing even when my feelings don’t
align the power of the Holy Spirit
empowers you to accomplish what God
desires for you and so in this place I
want Kyle to just worship from his heart
[Music]
Electrify for me
I’m a champion you’re much happier
[Music]
I’m putting down the armor it doesn’t
fit
I’ll let my faith fries and I will not
quit I’ll let you fight for me
[Music]
I’ll let you find me I’m pulling
down the armor that doesn’t fit
I’ll let faith rise I will not quit
I’ll let you fight for me I’ll let you
fight for me cuz you’re my champion
you’re my champion
you are ways when you’re my champion
[Music]
you are my champion you always win
you’re my champion you’re my champion
you always win
you’re my champion you’re my champion
you are ways with I’m putting down the
arm that doesn’t feel how let my faith
rise I will not quit I’ll let you fight
me how Electrify me putting down the arm
that doesn’t feel how let faith rise I
will not quit
I’ll let you fight me how let you fight
me
[Music]
you can have it all
you can have it all I give you
everything
no you can have it all you can have it
all give you everything I give you
everything you can have it all
you can have it all I give you
everything I give you everything you can
have it all you can have it all
I give you everything I give you
everything
you can have it all you can have it all
I give you everything I give you
everything you can have it all you can
have it all
I give you everything I give you
everything you can have it all you can
have it all I give you everything I give
you everything you can have it all you
can have it all
I give you everything give you up you
can have it all give you everything give
you you can have you can have I give you
everything
give it you can have you can have it all
you can have
I give you everything I give you
everything you can have it all you can
have it all
I give you everything I give you ever
you can have you can have it all
you can have it all I give you say to
your champion you can have how can you
ever I give me well you can have you can
have it all again you from the tops of
your long saying you can have you can
have it all
you can have it I can’t give you
everything again you can have
I give you where
yuga now you can have I give you
everything I give you can have you can
have you can have you can have it you
can have it you can have it you can have
it you can have it you can have it you
can have it you can have it you can have
it you can have it you can have it you
can have it you can have it you can have
it I don’t want and I don’t need it hot
I give you everything you can have it
all you can have it all
I give you everything I give you
everything
you can have it all you can have it all
you can have it all you can have it all
[Music]
you can have it all you can have it all
you can have it all
you can have it all you can have it all
you can have it all
you can have it all you can have you can
have my life is not my phone
do you I beat it up I give myself I give
myself to you
but alive and I’m I owe to you I be
loved I give my sale but life is my life
is not my yeah I give myself I give
myself to you my life is not my life to
you I belong I give myself girl give
myself to you one more time my life is
not mine to you I belong myself
yeah one more time
my life is not my home
to you I’ll be long yeah
hugging myself yeah
this time no music just the voice is
surrendering to God in this moment my
life is not my fault
– I belong he hears you he hears you I
give myself yeah one more time my life
is not my home to you I’ll be long yeah
[Music]
I’ll give myself hell he needs to hear
one more time my life is not my
do you have in love myself
[Music]
thank you Jesus thank you Jesus Lord may
this be the posture we are forever lay
that’s your feet wet you see I just
sends the unexpected help is coming your
way you see it would be it was so
unlikely that I believe that even in the
moment the people did not even recognize
that the servant girl the one that was
overlooked that the Holy Spirit used her
[Music]
unexpected help is coming your way
and you will testify you are not in this
by yourself God wants you to know that
you are not doing life by yourself you
are not doing life by yourself Heavenly
Father we thank you we thank you Lord
because your children have cried out to
you
our life is not our own Oh God and in
our yes to you we encounter things that
we don’t understand and now we’re yes to
you we suffer oftentimes even
persecution we are misunderstood we feel
isolated but Lord also in our yes to you
is your provision it’s your favor is
your a point at time Oh God
that what you have purposed to be so
will be Lord we receive the assurance
right now that we cannot stand in our
own way when we have said yes to you and
so Lord we thank you there are
instructions you’re gonna give us and in
the past we were indecisive but Lord
because we’re not looking at ourselves
because we are looking at you to be the
defender of our cause we would walk out
everything that you’ve placed in our
heart we will begin to realize that
these ideas are not just random ideas
that these ideas are not just things
that seem fluffy but these ideas carry
healing in it thank you lord
Lord we will trust you we will trust you
Oh God and we receive your grace we
receive your empowerment Oh God
that in this moment as we lifted up our
voices Lord that there was a great
exchange that took place we let go and
we laid our fears before you we laid our
anxiety before you we laid everything I
even sense that many of you there are
testimonies that your testimony is not
meant to be hidden and the fear of
sharing it is because of what you think
how you think you would be perceived but
the Lord is saying that I walked with
you I held your hand through it not for
you to hide what took place that in your
testimony there will be healing and even
though you fear what the naysayers would
say they have no impact to your life we
don’t have to be afraid anymore
God will cover you and he would give you
a piece of the Word of God talks about a
peace that surpasses all understanding
meaning at a time that we should
naturally be worried we’re at peace in
the time that we should naturally have
anxiety because now we’re looking and
we’re saying God you would be the
defender of my cause I don’t need to
fight this battle by myself all of a
sudden you would receive a peace that
you cannot even explain and so Lord we
surrender to your will into your way
there are many things ahead of us in
this journey and this moment we mark it
in your presence that this is a moment
of freedom this is a moment of clarity
this is a moment where not only are you
holding on to me but I am holding on to
you thank you Jesus so what is taking
place and what will continue to take
place in our hearts in our minds in
Jesus mighty name
[Music]