“The Most Important Thing” – Stephanie Ike

Service Date: 12.22.19 11:15AM

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[Applause]

[Music]

let’s just go into the word of god and

before we do that can we just take a

moment to honor our senior pastors

pastor – ray and pastor Sarah Jaques

Roberts Amen family we’re gonna be

reading from the book of Job if you have

encountered God for a period of time now

maybe that’s the book that you avoid if

you haven’t and that’s the book you look

for you read when you’re looking for

employment funny story

before we read the script everything

you’re standing we stand together okay

but funny story I had a friend of mine

when I met him he was Muslim at the time

and then he eventually gave his life to

Christ and they’re so hilarious he

shared with me one day and he was like

you know what he wanted he was looking

for he was praying to God to give him

the right job and he took his Bible and

he opened it and they fell into job and

that day he got a call for employment he

said oh I can’t wait to read this story

I said you might be surprised that it’s

not about employment but let us read

we’re gonna start from verse 1 ohm and

all the planes – OH – we’re back in my

mind um we’re gonna start from first 1

to 12 and it says there was a man in the

land of us whose name was Joe and that

man was blameless

he was morally upright he was a man of

integrity so he was blameless and

upright and one who feared God and

shunned evil and seven sons and three

daughters were born to him also his

possessions were seven thousand sheep

three thousand camels five hundred yoke

of oxen five hundred female donkeys

basically he was wealthy

and a very large household so that this

man was the greatest of all the people

of the East now that is very important

to take note of he was the greatest of

all the people of his region and his

sons would go and feast in their houses

each one on his appointed day and that

is believed to be perhaps their

birthdays and we’ll send an invite and

there are three sisters to eat and drink

with them so it was when the days of

feasting had run their course that job

was sent and sanctify them and he would

rise early in the morning and offer

burnt offerings according to the number

of them all for job said it might be

that my sons have sinned and cursed God

in their hearts

thus job did regularly so when he says

that they have cursed God is not that

they use profanity but that perhaps in

their hearts they turned their back from

God that in their enjoyment and there

are partying and you know just being lit

and whatnot that they felt like you know

what we don’t need God and so in jokes

panic on his fear that maybe in their

heart day they turned away from God I

want to offer a burnt burnt offering and

a burnt offering symbolized that which

would reconcile relationship with God in

the olden days now there was a day when

the sons of God came to present

themselves before the Lord and Satan

also came among them and the Lord said

to Satan from where do you come so Satan

answered the Lord and said from going to

and fro on the earth and from walking

back and forth on it then the Lord said

to Satan have you considered my servant

job that there is none like him on the

earth

a blameless and upright man one who

fears God and shuns evil so Satan

answered the Lord and said does job fear

God for nothing have you not made a

hedge around him have you not protected

him

have you not protected his household and

around all that he has on every side to

signal of that word every side that

Satan was aware that there was no way he

could penetrate job’s life oh this is so

good to me you have blessed the work of

his hands and his possessions have

increased in the land but now stretch

out your hand and such all that he has

and he will surely curse you to your

face he will surely turn his back on you

and the Lord said to Satan behold all

that he has is in your power only do not

lay a hand on his person

so Satan went out from the presence of

the Lord

family you may be seated Amen you see

when we read about the story of Joe for

anyone who’s familiar with the story it

always brings about this question of God

why would you nominate him to be

punished why would you offer him up for

to suffer why would you you know people

are trying to be nominated for Forbes 30

under 30 40 under 40 you know some God

elevate me to that nomination okay don’t

nominate me to the devil don’t tell me

that you know wow I just love you so

much that I told the devil to check you

out and I gave him permission over your

life that’s how much I love you it’s

always it’s very it’s confusing it’s

like God why would you do that why would

you have this conversation with Satan

and offer me up to him what is the point

because based on just their conversation

it would seem like the point was for

Satan to know that

job is a man who were not turned his

back in God but why do we need to prove

that to him if I’m already walking with

you God why do I need to prove a point

to the enemy if you’re covering me why

does he need to feel like oh if you take

down your protection over my life that

why does he need that information why

but you see the amazing thing is that

when oftentimes when we see when you see

a conversation between God and man or

even with Jesus when you see this

conversation with people that are not

intimate with him the Satanist does not

have intimacy with the father you see he

can be in the presence of God because

the thing is that when Satan lost his

when he was kicked out of heaven it’s

not that he cannot be around the

presence of God but is that he lost his

position in heaven so he can hang around

he can come and show up and say hey I’ve

been watching your people he can be in

the presence of God the presence of God

does not does not scare him what scares

him when it comes to the presence of God

is what you find out about yourself in

the presence but he’s not afraid of the

presence of God he can go and speak to

the Lord what he lost in heaven was his

position and so he goes before God and

they’re having this conversation but the

question has always been why would God

you know engage in this conversation and

offer job up but the answers is not in

what they’re talking about because when

Jesus speaks to people in parables when

he speaks to people that are not

intimate with him it’s not about what he

says most of the times about what he

doesn’t say and so you see this dialogue

you see them talking and Satan is like

hey God is like have you considered my

servant job and what I found so

fascinating about this is that when I

looked into that scripture it’s not that

God offered up job that word actually

meant target it was that he was telling

the enemy that you have been watching

job because he says to him where are you

me from what have you been doing how was

your day do you have lunch and

faithfulness like you’re not being

taking a stroll around the earth first

of all the beautiful thing there is that

we learned that he’s not omnipresent he

cannot be everywhere at once he can only

be one place at a time and so we catch

this understanding that he’s just

walking to and fro from the earth and

then God realized this God who is all

knowledge the devil is not all it does

not know everything he’s not all-knowing

all he knows is based on what he

observes and so God says I know you have

been considering my servant job I know

you have been watching him because you

see he Satan had all this information

about job he said you have covered him

on every side I’ve tried I’ve tried my

best based on whatever I could get I’m

nothing you have protected him I’ve

watched how you have blessed this man

and increased him but he says you know

what why don’t you give me a shot

because of course he fears you because

of all the things you’ve done for him

but it was never because Satan was

trying to attack job or Satan wanted to

prove a point to God that you know what

people are only serving you because of

what you do for them you see the

scripture tells us something so powerful

about gob says that job was the greatest

in all the east so in his region job was

a man of influence when you read about

the story of job and when job talks

about himself he talks about how he was

like a king amongst his people he said

of himself that when he would speak

about a matter no one else would speak

after him that was the influence and the

reference that job had amongst the

people when the enemy is walking on the

earth he’s not just walking because you

know he can put on his Instagram that he

likes long walks on the beach or long

walks on the earth he’s walking because

he’s trying to monitor the regions where

do I have dominion and what am I lose

where my losing territory where my

losing ground when he sees job he is

threatened by job because job has the

influence of the people and something

about influences that when you a lot of

times you know we may do things that we

see the people we like to we may be

dressed like them or whatever it is

whatever you know floats your boat you

may have their nail colors I don’t know

whatever floats your boat but when

someone has influence we tend to we are

attracted to their way of life we want

to know more about them and so when job

has influence in this region and now

he’s known as someone who walks who who

walks out the things of God

a man who fears God a man who lives

upright because of his fear of God and

so just by his lifestyle alone it will

cause people to be intrigued about him

and he tricked about the God that he

serves you see a lot of times people

don’t need you to speak to them about

the gospel that you become the gospel to

them the Bible calls us that we are a

written epistle that someone can look at

your life and they were it was feel like

well I want to know which God you serve

I want to know more about you

so when job is a person that has the

influence of his region and he’s a man

who fears God and then what it shows

that all of a sudden the people could be

drawn to God because of the Jude who job

is so when the enemy looks that job he’s

not after job he’s after job’s influence

he says you are a threat to me having

Authority and taking territory of this

region and if I can strike you and if I

can get you knocked off your boat there

was another boat there but let’s just

imagine you see there’s a scripture

where Jesus says that if you strike the

shepherd the sheep would flee and so the

enemy doesn’t go after the sheep he goes

after the shepherd and that is why

family is very important that you pray

for people that you also look up to that

you pray that God will keep the

because whatever Jew you to them is the

very thing that the enemy is working

overtime to break and so when it came to

job he’s like okay if I can get job to

fall then I could scatter the people

that follow him and perhaps I can gain

Authority and I can gain that territory

back so here’s the enemy’s agenda now

God’s agenda is different it’s not about

proving a point to Satan you what what

for God’s agenda would always be about

the benefit of the person that there is

something that God can use in that

process to build them you see something

that happens to job also happened was

very similar to Peter in the Bible when

Jesus was walking the earth when he was

about to go to the cross the enemy

realized something

if Jesus dies even if he okay he could

resurrect that’s a possibility maybe

I’ve heard this conversation some of

this enough eavesdropped or maybe he

doesn’t resurrect so maybe he doesn’t

choose the cross but if he does choose

the cross what would become a threat is

his disciples because they’re the ones

that now Jesus has given the command to

preach the gospel into all the earth and

so if he’s out of the picture okay you

know he empowers them the Holy Spirit

comes upon them but the disciples though

they’ve been with him they know the

mysteries that their secrets that Jesus

has revealed to them that if this

information gets to all the earth I’m in

trouble if people really find out about

the power of Jesus and the power of the

Holy Spirit I’m in trouble so what does

the enemy do the Bible tells us that

Jesus comes to Peter and says Peter

Satan has demanded you he has requested

to sift you as wheat very similar to job

job is that Satan is looking for job you

are threatened by this man the same way

the enemy was threatened by Peter Peter

was one who was bold for the Lord

I mean somebody tried to come up on

Jesus and he cut his ear he said now

next time i’ma cut all of you okay but

the problem is that Peter thought that

this was his own that by hit in his own

strength he was just this loyal person

and his own strength he was just this

person that will be righted died for the

Lord

Peters weakness is that he was

self-reliant he relied on his own stay

on his strength on his his own wisdom

about his ability to follow Christ he

didn’t realize that his ability to

follow Christ was because of the grace

of God not because of Peter and so you

have this moment where Jesus tells Peter

Peter Satan has requested you to sift

you as wheat but I have prayed for you

that your faith would not fail and so

what we see in that picture I gave them

an image of what it looks when you sift

wheat and right there look at that now

what is on the bottom is that which is

unprofitable that’s just the chaff is

what falls off and then what remains is

that which you know what it could be

edible what you can sow but what the

enemy is looking to do is that he wants

that to become Peters faith that if I

shake up Peter a little bit then maybe I

can get him that maybe he was begin to

think that Wow

if I don’t have the ability to follow

Christ like I think then maybe I

shouldn’t do this at all he was after

like how can i how can I get these

people away from their calling and their

purpose and he noticed I said you know

what Peter has this thing about him

stuff I’ve been watching him you see the

only thing that the enemy what the enemy

uses against you is what he observes

about your behavior that’s all he can do

is to watch you and he strategizes based

on the things you do so when he when he

observes Peter he’s like you know what

Peter really has this thing about

himself he thinks he’s all that in the

bag of Skittles and so now he’s he tries

to strike but the beautiful thing is

that Jesus said I prayed for you

I prayed that your faith would not feel

what that looks like is that Peter even

when you fail the test I’ve covered you

my grace would will empower you and my

grace will let you understand that Peter

I didn’t call you in the first place

because of your loyalty matter of fact I

also called someone named Judas and he

was never loyal to me I don’t call you

because of what you can offer me I call

you because of who I am and what I can

do in your life and so the same strategy

that the enemy thought he could use to

get Peter rid of his faith in God was

the same strategy that the father in his

wisdom said actually this would get rid

of Peters pride that this would allow

him to humble himself and recognize that

Peter without me you cannot even follow

me that even your desire for me cannot

be met without my grace upon your life

you see sometimes many of us in this

room maybe we’re dealing with something

we’re dealing with we’re struggling

there’s this thorn in our lives and

we’re wondering god I just helped me

please help me in this but we say that

but we’re not really opening ourselves

up to God we’re still trying in our own

strength to defeat it to overcome it and

God is like when will you just surrender

I don’t need your perfection I don’t

need you to have it all together matter

of fact I never needed you to have it

all together that’s why I went on the

cross for you because in me you will

have everything but without me you can

do nothing and so this is Peters story

so we get back to job and it’s like what

is God after when it comes to job what

is it that God wants to mature what is

it that God wants to build when it comes

to the life of job and as I studied this

book I recognized that God was after

job’s heart you see the Bible tells us

many things about job but there are some

things it doesn’t mention which was very

almost alarming to me because it tells

us that job was an upright man was a

blameless man

that on paper job was perfect job feared

the Lord and shunt evil but you see

there was another man that was described

in a very similar way to job his name

was Noah Noah was a man that God called

to build an ark in the time that there

was they had never seen rain and God has

given him a message that there’s gonna

be a flood and this is gonna protect

your family this is gonna protect the

animals but Noah was a man when in

Genesis 6:9 and if they have it don’t

show it up here the scripture tells us

that Noah was a just and perfect man in

his generation very similar to job all

of this has to do with their integrity

there were men of integrity but then it

says something and Noah walked with God

that it is possible that you can be

blameless and perfect in your generation

without relationship with God and Noah

walked with God the Bible tells us that

job feared the Lord and he shunned evil

and all these things but as I studied

the life of Jobe I recognized that job’s

job lived a life out of fear of loss not

out of relationship with the love of

love and father you see when you study

his life when he when calamity fell upon

him listen we’ll start there when God

gave the enemy permission he said you

know what go after him

it’s that’s alright just keep his life

the first thing the enemy attacks was

his wealth and his children all his

children died at the same time all his

resources went away and a servant comes

to job to tell him what has happened and

this is what job says naked I came from

my mother’s womb and naked shall I

return the Lord gave and the Lord has

taken away blessed be the name of the

Lord now that’s beautiful

very moving but

but it’s very unrealistic you just lost

10 of your kids you just lost all your

resources and you just have this poetic

speech naked I can’t make it I will

return no God it was so perfect then you

know that you know job is just doing the

thing the enemy looks at him is watching

him it’s like Oh job did not steal and

then he didn’t shake nothing he says you

know what God let me affect let me touch

his health because in the enemies study

of humanity he recognized something

about humanity that we would do anything

to live we will do anything for our

health we will do anything like when it

comes to our body I mean when I have a

cold I value when I could just walk

around and free them I’m like oh my god

this is really something so jump so the

enemy says you know what let me touch

his health and he says skin for skin he

says mom will do anything for his life

if I affect him in his body he will turn

against you again it had nothing to do

it whatever the dialogue seems like God

says go ahead but only spare his life

the enemy inflicts him with a serious

disease and job’s wife comes to him and

she says you know what just curse God

and die job says to her o foolish woman

he says shall we receive good from God

and shall we not receive evil he’s like

you know what it’s all good I know I

have boils all over my body the script

rebel tells us how there’s a point where

even warms were attracted like it was

bad and job is just there Wow shall we

receive good and not evil from the Lord

almost like he has a posture he’s doing

open mic night

and all of it it sounds so moving but it

was not his truth

you see when he said the second

statement the Bible tells us that in all

these things job did not sin with his

lips it emphasized on where sin did not

come through but it doesn’t speak

anything about his heart you see when he

was tortured by the enemy and when job

had lost everything now after all his

moving speeches that he probably would

say one day if he won the Oscar his

friends come over to his house and when

they see him they are so moved by his

pain that for seven days they all sat in

silence they had no words they had

literally no words from everything they

knew about job now they see a man they

can barely recognize so for seven days

no one said anything and this is where

we begin to reveal who job really is and

what is really in his heart you see when

we worship it’s a powerful time when we

worship we receive we know we get the

knowledge of who God is the Bible tells

us that job worshiped so what he said is

in fact true are we gonna receive good

and not expect to receive evil but the

way he says it that is it’s there layers

to a statement like that so when you

worship you receive you become aware I

would even use that you become aware of

of the knowledge of who God is but it is

until we are still that an exchange can

happen because there’s one thing with

becoming aware and there’s one thing

with receiving what you are aware of job

was aware of who God is he was aware

that you know what in life are we gonna

receive good and not evil he was aware

that Lord naked I came naked I would go

he was aware that yes your name should

be praised and blessed be the name of

the Lord but until he comes to a point

of stillness because what stillness does

is that it begins to reveal

who we are after job was silent for

seven days he was trying to do

everything he wanted to make sure look I

don’t want to say the wrong cleaver in

my mouth but nothing changes his

condition is still the same the first

thing that comes out of job’s mouth it’s

not the Lord is my keeper in silence

it’s not that the first thing that comes

out of job’s mouth is cursed be the day

I was born this is now the most honest

thing that job has ever said so all

along when he when he lost his children

when he lost his Goods when he got sick

job was not happy about it and God is

not looking for who you’re pretending to

be God is looking for what you really

feel because until that comes to the

surface God cannot help you God cannot

walk with you God cannot do anything

with the person we want to pretend to be

because we think that God if I say or do

the wrong thing that maybe I would lose

everything you see when the enemy study

job the enemy recognized something about

job that job was actually afraid of loss

every moment that I mean his kids will

just they will have a party job is so

afraid that if they do the wrong thing I

might lose it all that immediately he’s

like okay seven days they’re feasting

for seven days on the eighth day first

in the morning I need to go sacrifice to

the Lord to make sure my kids are in the

right so I don’t lose it all job

operated from this place of fear he

moves from a works mentality he thought

that it was the things that he did that

made him who he is

and the reason I know this is because

when you study about job in you and you

read his dialogue amongst his friends

you read the things that he says job

would say things like how can I a

righteous and just man the one who

clothing the naked and fed the poor and

took care of the widow he starts listing

all the good deeds that he has done and

he says how can this person go through

what evil people should go through god

I’m not evil I’m righteous I’m a just

person how can I be good

he kept defending his righteousness when

the enemy studied him he recognized job

you obey God quite all riots you do all

the things the book tells you to do but

you have no intimacy because when I

watch you I don’t see peace when I watch

you I don’t see someone who operates

from the place of peace that you only

receive when you have relationship with

the God that you serve he recognized

that job you you panic a lot and so let

me attack you from that point maybe if

you lose everything you would be you

will lose all hope and think that you

know what is done and for a moment he

had job because for a moment job will

say things that like I long for death as

though I search for hidden treasures job

wanted to die as for him he had no

understanding that how is it that what

I’m going through is connected to

anything about my life because I am self

righteous job this should not be my

portion and that was what God was after

God understood that I will let the enemy

have his way but he won’t take your life

yes he touched everything around you

because you see family at the end of the

day everything that we are able to have

access to anything that the Lord puts in

our hands we’re only stewards over it

and we don’t own it

even our even when you have children a

spouse family members you don’t own

anything you’re simply a steward over it

and the thing in life is that guy

if or if you’re taking note I titled

this message the most important thing

what is most important to God concern in

your life is not what you do for him

it’s who you become and God was not

interested in what job did for him job

did a lot in the name of God but when

God looked at him he looked at someone

who was only doing and he had not become

the person that God formed he had not

become the he had not walked in the call

the true call of his identity job was

just doing the right things and he was

his motivation really was fear of loss

because when you read about job you see

that he truly believed that everything

he had was sustained by good works when

God saw job he saw someone who was a

slave to good works that as long as I do

this right as long as I pray this way as

long as I’m reading at this time as long

as I’m doing the things that the Bible

tells me to do who got me you who Wow

we’re good but you see one thing I

learned is that obedience without

relationship obedience without intimacy

is religion

you can obey every single word from God

but if you do it from a place of fear

its religion it’s not the it’s not the

truth of the gospel you see there were

people that came to Jesus and they said

to Jesus they said we have held in your

name we casted out demons in your name

we did all these things in your name

they were obedience to the general call

of God they were obedient to when the

Lord says go out and cast out demonic

spirits raise the dead they were

obedient to the Word of God but Jesus

says to them get away from me I do not

know you because God is not interested

if what you’re doing is not from a place

of relationship it is relationship that

should always be the driving force of

your life your intimacy

with God and so when it came to job God

knew that I can use this very thing to

bring you to the place of humility and

to the place that we can actually walk

together because right now you’re just

doing what you believe is right before

my eyes and before my eyes it is right

but I know I God does not only look out

the outside he looks at the hearts but

job when I see you I don’t see who I

called when I see what you do you know

what check mark but I want to mature you

in my love and so he allows what seems

chaotic and what seems like Joe can not

put his finger on he had no control of

anything he could not control the lives

of his children being taken away taking

away nothing like that and so Joe begins

to go on this rant and he’s talking

about just the different disease he has

all these questions for God and he has

all these questions because he’s

wondering God why why why why a

righteous man like me

and finally when God responds to him God

responds and says you know what come out

to me like a man I have questions for

you God responds to him with questions

but in the midst of the quite the

questions actually bring the answer that

job is looking for because the first

thing that comes out of the mouth of job

is cursed be the day I was born because

I cannot understand how this has

anything to do with me being the person

you’ve called me to be the first thing

that comes out of the mouth of God

is where were you when I laid the

foundations of the earth God says you

know what you want to curse your

creation let me let me talk to you about

the creation of the earth and you tell

me if you were present when I was

forming the earth you’d let me know what

materials did I use you let me know how

I decided to do what I did you see what

God was showing Joe one of the things

that God was showing job is that in the

same way

there you are not aware of how I built

and how I create you are not aware that

I can use pain and suffering to mold you

into the person you need to become that

you only think that suffering happens to

those that are evil know there are many

things that I can use the Bible tells us

that the ways of God are not our ways

and these thoughts are not our thoughts

and so God is saying that it as you walk

with me you will begin to mature into

the level of the person who may who

could start understanding my ways but

job where were you

he says since you have wisdom you let me

know and he begins to act show up all

kinds of questions about the sea about

the Sun about the stars about animals

all types of questions question after

question after question and there was a

moment when he pauses for job to

response and it’s responding job is like

you know I will put my hand on my mouth

he was silent he said he literally had

no words and God continued he continued

asking job more questions and in the

midst of that job realized he talked he

talked about how the purposes of God

will stand and then he said lord I

repent because he recognized that God

your ways are not really mine and he

began to see that job you have this

self-righteous behavior about you and

that was what God desired to break

because God recognized that if I’m gonna

do what I have called you to do and this

is what happens in each and every one of

our lives when God is taking you anytime

God is preparing something new for you

there has to be a breaking point you see

there’s a scripture that talks about how

God will make streams in the wilderness

but what is amazing about that is the

location God is saying okay I will turn

this wilderness into a place you see the

wilderness is a dry land that

lives there but God says I will turn

this and make streams there so it’s

almost as though God is saying that I

put you in the wilderness and in

becoming who you’re called so I can

transform this to what it truly is

supposed to be but in order for you to

properly steward what I’m giving you I

have to focus on who you become God was

invested in who job would become and

oftentimes God will use things in our

lives that we have no understanding of

the loss of a job the loss of a contract

the loss of a loved one a heartbreak

molestation there are things that will

wonder God where were you you see the

name of Jobe actually can be translated

to enemy and so they’re very dear

various theories about was this his real

name I was a surname that he gave

himself because in many ways even in his

language he referred to himself as the

as an enemy to God another way that you

can translate that is where is your

father you see there are many times in

our lives that we’ve wondered God where

were you when this happened where were

you because the same way that how is it

how is it possible that it is God that

would give the command for all jobs

children to be killed that is a question

you will say God must not be here God

where are you you have abandoned me you

have forsaken me but God in His wisdom

says look you are a steward over what

I’ve given you and when I decide to take

it back I have a plan for that – when I

decide to put it somewhere else I have a

plan for that – but I’m focused on you

when I look at you I’m not looking

immediately at what I gave you I’m

looking at who you must become because

that is the person that can steward my

resources properly

and so job his very name meaning enemy

God am I your enemy but when God reveals

himself to job job is humbled what is it

that may have been happening in your

life what is it that you feel like it’s

out of control and you’re wondering God

are you in there you see in job 38 verse

1 when God encounters him the Bible

tells us that God spoke to him out of

the whirlwind we don’t know what the

whirlwind came from but that was what

God chose to use to speak to job you see

the very nature of a world with is it’s

created because there is instability so

what it represents and what it’s

symbolic to is instability and chaos

that very whirlwind represented job’s

life and when God spoke through it he

was showing job that God job I am in

this thing you see there are times in

life that you will see where Jesus was

silence a storm when a storm will come

against the disciples and Jesus would

tell the storm to be quiet but there are

times in life when God is your storm and

he only becomes your storm because he

knows that that is what you need in this

moment for who you truly are to be born

therefore your identity in him to come

forth what is it that you have gone

through and what if I told you that God

ordered it that he orchestrated it he

sounds very hesitant to share this story

about one of my best friends and she’s

in the house but I spoke to her got her

blessing you know a few a couple days

ago I kept having and i stoled spoke to

her about it

I kept having these visions and and in

the vision it was like God was telling

me something is gonna happen something

was gonna happen concerning her and it’s

something that will shake it something

that it would look like it’s supposed to

shake her up but he said I’m the one

that ordered it and when I saw it I’m

like God we need to change the plan okay

that’s my friend okay and he said no I’m

not informing you because you can do

anything I’m informing you to inform her

that when something comes and it seems

like it’s gonna shake her that I’m in it

and it will work for her good we’re on

the phone now my god you know we’re

trying to brainstorm what could it be

and I’m like you know this you know God

be funny sometimes I really don’t know

where how far he’s trying to go and two

days after that she had an accident and

it was like an impact like her car is

totaled and so the glory of God like

just it did not shake her the way the

enemy thought maybe it could because

there was the knowledge that God is in

it and even with pains in her body she

was on the stage worshiping your worship

pastor Dana Brown can we honor her

because there is a strength that comes

when you know that even what seems like

your calamity is in the hand of God

there is a strength when you know that

what seems to be out of your control is

not out of his sight that God even what

seems unstable in my life you are the

foundation and so even though I can

control it God you have me you see if

you look at if you look I think about

what seems to be out of your control

right now understand that it is in the

hand of God you know I wondered even

this morning it was funny because this

morning in prayer and I’m like I was

just thinking about that I said God what

is the point huh why do you tell me that

and that still happens I’m like we know

it was just so interesting to me and one

thing he said to me this morning it’s

one that she would know without a doubt

that I’m in it but he said sue is

connected to what I’ve called you to

speak on that you would use that as an

example to tell my people that whatever

seems chaotic and what seems to be

unstable that I’m in it you see as I

began to see that and I knew the sign of

this because then I see her I have a

vision where she’s on the stage as she’s

worshiping I’m like nah bruh you know

she should be arrested and she’s here

today and she’s worshiping and so I knew

that this was what God is speaking to

each and every one of you that whatever

seems chaotic in your life that I have a

plan for it that accident I had a plan

for it that cancer I have a plan for it

that molestation I have a plan for it

that heartbreak I have a plan for it you

see when it comes to God there is no

loss that that feeling of wondering god

I watched people I watch people with

their parents to parent home that

single-parent home I had a plan for

watching your mother or your father on

drugs I had a plan for it feeling like

you were unloved as a child I had a plan

for it that what I used to build your

life is outside of what you would think

I should use joke did not think that a

man like him should suffer he said no no

no this is for the evil folks but God

said you don’t think like I think

because God understands that there was

something about pain that begins to

reveal the layers of who you are and

until God gets to the core of you then

he can walk with you you see we know

about a man named the Apostle Paul

before he was the Apostle Paul his name

was Saul and he was a terrorist but it

was his truth what he walked in was his

truth and it was in that place of truth

and authenticity that Christ encountered

him and says I’m now calling you I’m

gonna flip this thing around

you see God does not need you to do

anything for him he just needs your

heart and when he has that the both of

you together can shake up this world

see whatever it is you know I have this

I’ll share with a friend I have this

faces sometimes in my life where anytime

it feels like God is about to to and I

start to notice it more when I started

tracking it but any time I felt like God

was about to ship something in my life I

would just I have these moments where

it’s in my prayer time it’s just me

crying literally it’s just a bunch of

tears and it feels disconnected with my

thoughts because I’m crying but I have

no understanding why and so my spirit is

very aware of something that has not

come to my knowledge in the natural and

then the Lord began to reveal and I was

like God why like the moment I just hear

the sound of worship oh my god and I was

like God what is happening and he began

to speak to me you’re mourning something

you just haven’t come to the knowledge

of it your spirit is mourning a version

of you that was stand in the way of what

I’m calling you to do and that version

of you you loved it and in the process

of time it begins to come to my natural

understanding what God is calling me to

kill and so he prepares me in my spirit

to give me the strength to mourn it

properly when it comes time in the

natural you see some of you may have

experienced that where for no reason

you just feel like I might like to

somebody like did I lose somebody that

you just there’s this morning in your

spirit and it’s not because you’re

actually Mourning

but God is strengthening your spirit so

when it comes to your natural

understanding it is the grace of God

that gives you the ability to kill what

was stand in your way

and so when we’re looking at job and we

look at job and we think that job is

just this crazy story of God just

feeling wild job is a very powerful

story of relationship and what God is

after God is after our hearts whatever

seems to be to have been a negative or

anything like that one of the things

I’ve learnt about God is that there is

absolutely no loss in God

every single thing connects you see job

said something that really moved me

after he had encountered God and he

repented he said I have heard of you

with the hearing of the ear but now I

see you that was the moment where

intimacy began that was the moment where

relationship began even job testifies he

said you know what all I’ve done is

based on what I’ve heard I’ve heard that

you know what if you do this things God

will bless it if you do this you know so

I thought I had to work for your for

your love I thought I had to work for

your hand upon my life I thought I had

to work for it

I didn’t know I had to just receive it

you see the Bible calls Grace a gift you

don’t pay for a gift you don’t work for

a gift you receive gifts and all you

have to do is receive the kindness of

God that we never earned all you have to

do is just say God I’m open whatever it

is you want to do with me I recognize

that I’m not worried me because of what

I do I’m worried because of who you are

you see what’s so powerful is that there

are two things that happen in the end of

the story of job one of them we see that

his friends cuz this friends that he was

around when you read about when they

speak to him his friends would say they

accused they falsely accused them

because they assumed that what he was

going to was because job was just you

know doing evil things

and it makes sense because if if that’s

his friend and those are his friends and

job actually thought that’s odd he had a

similar mindset because he also looked

at himself and his like only an evil

person should be going through this and

so his friends were like-minded with him

so when they saw him in his pain they

falsely accused him and said you know

what job if you put iniquity far from

you then the Lord would restore you if

you and one of them even goes as far as

saying that you know what job you’re

very unjust man you’ve abandoned the

poor which was a lie because job was

actually a very giving and and you know

just a great guy you know joke but his

friends falsely accused him and God says

something God rebukes his friends and

tells them go and meet job that he would

pray for you and when job prays for you

I would accept his prayer but that was a

powerful moment for job because this way

is this this reveals the fruit of

relationship with God you see job has

always performed for God in a high place

he has done things for God when he was

stable when he had all his you know

ducks in the row he was wealthy he had

influence he did the right things from

that place he performed for God I was

because it was kind of like a

performance but from a low place God now

tells him to pray for people and not

just pray for them not just any random

prayer God says if Joe prays for you I

would accept it that is a language of

friendship it says job is my friend and

now he is my friend not because he can

do anything for me he is my friend

because of who I am when Joe prays for

them job also receives the friendship of

God he recognizes that God in my pain in

my boils in my loss I can serve you that

serving you is not what I do when

everything is working out for me

serving you is not what I do when I when

I feel the best serving use no one I do

all things are just you know I see that

all things are working for my good

sometimes I can’t see it but in that

moment job recognized that God I can

serve you in my pain I can serve you

like wow this is friendship and the

moment job tapped into that the moment

he prayed for his friends it wasn’t just

about his friends it was about him

because the Bible tells us that right

after is where his restoration began he

said but after Joe know when Joe prayed

for his friends God restored him and

there was not just a restoration God

multiplied him it was said that job

received double of everything that he

had you see I want what moved me about

this is that the restoration you know

some of you may have heard the saying of

double for your trouble and I personally

don’t like that saying because it almost

sounds like you know God is like hey you

know thank you for you know taking a you

know just taking that for me you know

but hey let’s get even okay no beef I’m

gonna give you double alright because I

know you went through all this trouble

in my name so I got you it’s not that is

that there was someone he needed to

become that the double was always his

portion that that was always a sign to

him from God but in order for him to

walk it out he needed to become someone

that it wasn’t God just saying that hey

I got you thanks for hanging in there

thanks for sticking through it I got

your job it was God looking at job and

saying now you look like what I know and

I would assign to you what always

belonged to you you see in this increase

I believe it also increases influence it

gave him more territories to conquer for

the glory of God more people followed

him because now they have seen the

testimony of his life everything that

comes our way God is in it if it got to

you

gun allowed it to get to you and just

because of that it’s not for us to look

at it like we are the victims God what

are you teaching me what are you trying

to show me what is it that you want to

mold me into through this pain through

this process what is it that I need some

mourn in my flesh God show me I don’t

want to rely on my wisdom because my

ways and your ways huh it’s a whole

bridge you know it’s a whole flight it’s

like going to China then Nigeria but

it’s so there it’s just your ways are so

much higher than mine and so god I want

to humble myself

I know I’ve mourned some things this

year I know I lost some things that I

thought I wanted I know I went through

some things that I felt like man I

didn’t think I will survive it but God

who are you forming in the process

because you are more invested and you

are more concerned about who I become

and now what I do family stand with me

[Applause]

you see one of the things I wanted us to

do with this message so that we also see

ourselves and we’re accountable to

ourselves our creative team they created

a wallpaper and you if you’re following

us so now that they have it oh yeah

right there

or not right there something else if you

follow us on social media

TP hla then you will see the wallpaper

on our I G story and the wallpaper

basically says in 2019 or what I learned

in 2019 something like that and the goal

of this is to look at what seemed like a

loss this year and look at it through

the eyes of a loving God what did God

teach you through it and we just we want

to hear from you to share it to write it

out and share it and you can tag us but

what is it what is it that you in from

your perspective you saw it as

as pain no what is it that now God is

teaching you through it because

sometimes if we don’t bring these things

to our memory that is what works against

us because we quickly forget how God

gave us the victory true things that we

thought we would never survive we

quickly forget that oh my gosh God this

very thing that I complained about this

very thing that I thought that you could

never use me after this it could never

work out you still called me some of you

maybe you feel unworthy for what God has

called you to because you’re still

looking at what you think is needed the

look you’re supposed to have the things

you’re supposed to have what what needs

to be in your life before you move on

the thing that God has given you because

you’re thinking that worthiness comes

the way Society sees it and God says

worthiness has nothing to do with what

you can do for me

worthiness has everything to do with

what I did for you and because you’re in

covenant with me you live in that

reality that when I see you I see the

sacrifice of my son Jesus and when I see

that Wow you all are so worthy before

God

it’s crazy you know when God begins to

teach you about the Holy Spirit being

your strength those are the moments

where when you feel least capable of

doing something that’s when the Holy

Spirit whispers now all the moments you

were ready you were just waiting who God

can’t wait

and he waits until all strength is gone

and he says now is the time because he

doesn’t want you to fall into the trap

of thinking that it is what you do for

him that because you know you know

what’s so amazing funny about God I

remember there was a time I was doing

this fast and at that moment the fast

didn’t really it was really from the

flesh to be honest because in my mind I

believed that when I fast ah God has to

answer me like I just I said you know a

guy I’m in this fast and I’m about to

get an answer right on day seven because

that’s when it ends and I was fast and I

was so proud of myself I said Who

Wow somebody’s right again an answer you

know day seven came I was so happy to go

to bed that day I said Lord surely he

would speak to me my dream I woke up

there’s nothing there I forced myself

back to sleep I said maybe I need to

take a nap so the Lord can speak again

it was dry and I went in prayer I was

like let me just close my eyes and God

would give me a vision oh I saw nothing

again so let me just be still it’s a lot

of noise I think I was ready to go I

need to go to the beach because who you

are gonna speak nothing absolutely

nothing and then one day I’m having a

very unhealthy meal

and the Lord begins to speak to me and

I’m very confused I said God I came in

fasting and prayer and you speak to me

and not just was I having an unhealthy

meal at that moment it was actually just

it was a dysfunctional moment for me and

I was using food to hide my pain and I

was just eating and I was upset about

something and that was the moment God

says oh I got something to tell you

because he says Stephanie it’s not I’m

not there are things I would do yes

based on how you seek me but it’s

because when you’re seeking me in those

moments is coming from relationship is

that you’re seeking after my hearts but

if you think that this is a formula oh

you missed it it’s not a formula it’s

not a plus B equals C he says as when

it’s from your heart oh my daughter I

will meet with you but when you think

that oh I have a problem o child and

know what to do okay Monday looks like

my schedule is clear its inserts and

fasting in there God says do it from

your heart do it anytime anything you do

for me or when you’re seeking me let it

be because your heart is after me not

just after what you can get from me

because if I if I and this is the thin

family it’s not that God cannot answer

you in those moments but his answer

means he’s affirming something that is

not him he’s affirming that this is the

formula and if he affirms it then you

believe that oh I figured it out

no one can have God in the corner so

sometimes your things that God will

purposely not respond to because his

response will be his validation on what

just did and it would validate the

posture you did it from and so unless it

is coming from your heart that God I

want to know this thing I’m seeking

about it’s not it’s not from a selfish

place it’s just from a place that desire

is Lord how do I walk out the fullness

of who you’ve called me to be these are

the things that would help me in who

you’ve called me to be and from that

place

God sees a pure heart and God says I

would I can I can answer that I can

speak to that I can respond to that

because every time God speaks he’s

validating something and so his words

will not just be you know Jesus said do

not cast your pearls before the swine

he’s not gonna just throw his words out

there that it will be trampled upon he

treasures his words because the Word of

God is life and so whatever it is

whatever it seems like it’s chaotic in

your life God is in it and he’s gonna

see you through it and he’s using it to

build you he’s using it to prepare you

for what he has for you what already

belongs to you restoration double for

your trouble all of that already belongs

to you he just said I just need you to

look like the person who can steward it

properly that’s all and how God does

things it’s I mean it’s above me now

how God moves some things we will never

understand but in relationship though he

begins to reveal mysteries and his

secrets the Bible tells us that he

reveals his secrets to his friends and

so as we mature in relationship God

begins to unfold the reasons why he did

this and why he did that

him and some things who you find out

when you you know get to heaven but the

beautiful thing that in the midst of

your questions there’s a peace because

of your relationship with God that there

will be a peace that comes upon you and

the grace of God that comes upon you

that gives you rest even in uncertainty

because that’s what relationship does

because some things we may not have the

capacity to receive and so if God gives

you the word and you don’t have the

capacity for it it could destroy you but

in the midst of it he says you’re not

ready yet for what you think you’re

asking for but I will put my peace upon

you I will give you the grace to keep

moving forward and when we come to that

level where I can reveal this to you I

will but that’s what trust and surrender

does but everything starts with saying

God I surrender God I do not know god

I’m not gonna conclude on my way of life

I’m not gonna conclude and believe that

because I did a B and C then you know

certainly it should be D God would just

you know take you back to a or move on

to F you never know but surrender means

God I let it go god I’m open for you to

be my teacher

I don’t understand certain things and

god I’m on and I want you to know this

I’m upset I really wondered where were

you but I’m open to understanding you

don’t end in your frustration you don’t

end you don’t put a period in pain you

don’t say you know what God you never

showed up I’m done God where were you

I’m never gonna revisit that again

you don’t put a period in it you

acknowledge your pain but you open up

your heart to God to give you

understanding and all of a sudden it is

the work of the Holy Spirit it’s not

anything anybody can say the Holy Spirit

will begin to do a work in your heart

that all of a sudden the very thing that

you thought would separate you from mook

from from having a relationship with God

that will separate you from intimacy all

of a sudden it draws you even closer to

him there are things in my life that I

never wanted to revisit I never wanted

to think about because the father of it

made me feel like a would it would stare

up a pain and resentment that I didn’t

want to address I didn’t want to be the

person who was like God I’m mad at you

oh god no I just love you you know

blessed be the name of the Lord but God

had a point forced me in the corner

where it was just me and my pain and I

had to look at it and I had to question

God about it but I also had to be open

to say God where were you when this

actually happened

and in that place he began to speak and

gave me peace and an understanding that

all of it was always working together to

who he called me to be and so family if

you’re in this house and you know there

are things in your life that you have

been fighting against you’ve been

running away from because you didn’t

want to acknowledge the pain and cost

and didn’t want to acknowledge that

maybe I am resentful a little bit God

where are you and when you can just open

your heart and say god this is my

reality but what is your perspective

healing starts there and if you know

there are things that you just need to

open up before the Lord meet me at this

altar thank you Jesus

[Applause]

thank you lord

thank you

[Applause]

[Music]

thank you lord thank you Jesus

[Music]

thank you

[Music]

if you’re willing to surrender before

the Lord and say God there are many

things I don’t understand if you know

that you have put a pain you’ve put a

period in your pain meet me at this

altar if you’re saying God I’m open I

know just going be visiting this in my

mind alone it takes me to a place I

don’t wanna be but God I’m open to your

understanding I’m open to your

perspective but this is my truth but at

the same time you want to surrender that

before God

and lastly family if you’ve been dealing

with unworthiness feeling as though that

God I can only do this if I’m in this

state of mind or if this is what my life

looks like there are things that God has

spoken to you about and you’ve delayed

on it because you’re waiting to look

like what seems to be worthy you see I

just sends this even now and this is

very crazy but there’s about someone in

this house and God is calling you a

little funny but God is called

God is calling you to ministry and your

hesitation is because you do you are

quite frankly you smoke marijuana and

you’re hesitant because you’re saying

that God there is no way you want me to

be preaching to people and doing the

thing that they would be against there

is absolutely no way and the truth is

you love it

and God has been asking you to let it go

and you’re like haha bruh but the funny

thing is I just sends this so strongly

it’s not that you would be a hypocrite

but that in the journey you would

receive strength to kill what will be

against you and so and this is even

gonna speak to some other people because

there are things in your life that you

love to do but this oh wow this is

beautiful there are things in your life

you love to do but even that person I

actually would need to pray with you if

you know speaking to you about marijuana

this is not the time trust me you puttin

your hand up does not mean that anybody

is watching you to judge you this is the

house of God this is the house of

freedom but there is a call on your life

for ministry and you’re running away

from it because of this very thing but

the crazy thing is that the urgency

about this is because the call that God

has placed would answer things in your

family and so when you’re running away

from it it’s not that you are running

from the call you are running from being

the answer that God has called so if I’m

speaking to you I see who I’m speaking

to and I’m gonna pray with you about

shaking

thank you Jesus thank you Jesus

because you’re gonna receive you’re

going to receive a power there’s a power

that is gonna come upon you and it’s

gonna break is gonna set you free

because you know the call of God God has

been speaking to you about what is

calling you itsu and you’ve been running

the way by God but God is gonna give you

where you would recognize that it was

never your strength that sets you free

but it’s the power of God that sets you

free and he’s telling you to step into

it now not when everything looks good

around you he says step into it now

because you will be the answer to your

family and your family would represent

the faces that God will call you to in

the world but it was starting your home

and we’re gonna pray right after this

and that probably speaks to many of you

in this room there’s an urgency

concerning her but for many of you in

this room you don’t want to delay you

don’t want to delay when God has called

your name because you have no clue what

it’s connected to

and so there are things there they’re

words that God has spoken over your life

and you’re pushing it back

because you’re waiting for it to look

like this or look like that or you’re

waiting to look like the person that is

worthy and God is saying I don’t need

you to do anything right or wrong I just

need your heart and when I have your

heart or we can do something I would

build you it is my love that will set

you free

it is not fear that will set you free it

is the love of God

that frees us is the love of God that

empowers us it is the moments when we

feel the most unworthy and we see the

power of God it does something to you

it lets you understand that Holy Spirit

you are really with me and you will

never leave me and you truly will never

forsake me because you see the Bible

tells us that the darkness is alight

before God that the darkness is not dark

to him sometimes it seems dark to us but

when God sees you in that dark place

he’s not seeing what is happening around

you he’s seen who he called and he will

keep calling you by name he will keep

calling you by name until you rise up

into whom he has called you to be from

the start and it’s not something where

we should walk in shame or we should

walk in in guilt or anything like that

because if I scream and call the person

right in the back it takes them a while

before they get to me I don’t imagine

them to teleport themselves but you see

that journey of walking to the stage

that journey when I did an altar call

and I said if this is you come to the

front it no one is knowing that me you

know no one is thinking that you should

just like who jump from your seat and

land right here but that journey of

walking is what happens when God calls

us by name by the identity on our lives

it takes us a while to actually arrive

but the journey is where God is holding

your hand he says I got you I know

you’re not there yet but I got you and

I’m walking this they’re not with you

you have the things that you struggle

with that’s okay I can use you even in

the midst of that and I can break it out

of you I can set you free and I can set

you loose

but trust that you are in my hand trust

that I have you and so worried in us has

nothing to do with what we do it has

everything to do with who God is and

it’s from that place family we become we

become we become who he called us to be

and that is the best place to do

anything for God because it’s coming

from a place that is authentic and it’s

coming from a place that is in

partnership with the Lord if you’re in

this house and maybe you just stumbled

in here a friend brought you but you

haven’t given your life to Christ you

see something that is interesting is

that in the story of job

when Satan said have you not protected

him on every side even though job had

not arrived but he had given himself to

a covenant he didn’t understand it yet

but he was in a covenant relationship he

just hadn’t realized it yet and that

covenant brought protection you see the

scripture tells us that Satan is the

ruler over darkness over ignorant

there are things that why was it that he

recognized that job was protected why

did he recognize that why is it that he

recognized that I have no access to this

man that means he tried something but he

was protected because of his covenant

relationship the best place I would the

calamity or or whatever comes my way

what gives me the ability to not be

shaken by it is because I recognize that

in the midst of anything any storm I’m

in the hands of God so it can only go as

far as he lets it but if you’re in this

house and you are not confident about

whose hands you’re in are you in the

hands of God or are you being ruled by

darkness if you’re not confident and you

want the confidence and the peace that

comes with relationship with God

you want to know this Jesus you want to

say yes to him you want to give him a

try you want to say God I don’t know

really what I’m signing up for but I

want to know you this is you saying that

God I want to open my heart to you if

that is you and you want to know him for

yourself the beautiful thing is that God

would reveal himself to you all we do is

to help guide you but we’re not the ones

to make the decision or cause you to

stay where you made the decision because

God will step in and he would make

himself know and if that is you just

lift up your hands with boldness that

God I choose you

thank you Jesus thank you Jesus thank

you Jesus family let us pray just by

your heads with me Heavenly Father we

thank you we thank you for your love oh

God and we thank you for your healing

power right now

healing the minds of your children I

think you Lord that in this moment they

are letting go they are letting go and

they are opening up their arms to you

and their hearts to you and their minds

to you and their will to you saying God

you show me

I know I put a period in this but I

believe that there is something there’s

a way you see that I don’t see it yet

and I am open Lord show me Lord you

guide me you’ve called me and yet I

second-guess myself because I still

think that I need to be this person for

you but Lord right now kind of a shame

your worthiness the affirmation that

comes with them being your sons and

daughters is resting upon them now that

even in the low place they are worthy

that even in the midst of their

dysfunction and their pain you’ve called

them to a high calling and it is your

love that will bring transformation and

so lord I thank you that everyone here

is open to your love

and that you are growing us and maturing

us in your love oh thank you Jesus thank

you Jesus

thank you lord thank you Jesus

[Music]

have your way Oh God

touch their hearts as you are doing

right now

for those that decided to give their

lives to Christ today I just want you to

repeat after me

Lord Jesus I confess with my mouth as I

have believed in my heart that you are

my lord you are my Savior I open my

heart to you guide me on this journey

reveal yourself even deeper to me I am

yours in Jesus name Amen

family let us lift up a praise to God

[Music]