But today we’re going to continue our series called basic training, the making of a soldier. I hope you’re ready for today. Hope you got some notepads out or you got sermon notes are available there in your worship guide paper Canfield, pull those out. You’re going to need them today. Let me just give you a little tidbit, little heads up. You’re going to need more. You can give him the YouVersion Bible app and you can download those a sermon notes there as well. And follow along with us. If you’ve got your Bibles this morning, we have the roads church. We get excited about the Bible because why is that? Because we believe that God wants to speak to us every time that we open it up. So we get a little bit excited with us at Mt. Carmel Church. So I don’t know if you’re going to be able to guess where I’m going to tell you to open today, but if you’re really in tune with the Holy spirit, you would already be there.
But if not, if you have your Bibles today, let’s open them up to Matthew chapter 28. That’s your 28 Matthew 28. We get a little excited, but sometimes people sometimes to some people I’m a little bit extra, you know? So I try to tone it down a little bit, but, uh, you know, sometimes you just gotta be who you are gotta be, who you are if that’s extra for you. So it’s not personal. Matthew 28. Are you ready to read the Bible? You ready? Ready for church this morning? Are you ready? Online? You’re ready. Mt. Carmel Church, come on, Mount Carmel. I’m going to watch back and see if you guys were really excited. When I talked during that time, Matthew 28, here we go. Verse 16 says then the 11 disciples went away into Galilee to the amount to the mountain, which Jesus had appointed for them.
And when they saw him, they worshiped him. But some doubted and Jesus came and spoke to them and he said, all authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the father and of the son of the Holy spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you. And lo I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen. Let’s pray, father. I just thank you for your word. And I pray, Holy spirit come. I need you. We want you. We want you to be here. We want you to speak truth to our hearts. We want you to make it plain and understandable. We just want you to reveal things, Lord, that we may not see on our own. So God, I pray that I be hidden, that you would be heard.
You would be seen God that you be the focal point. You’d be the one that gets all the glory today. So Lord, we lean on you and we trust you. And we praise you in Jesus name. Somebody say, amen. What we find in scripture here and the basic training, making a soldier. We’ve been talking about the importance of bringing up people that as they’re growing in their relationship with God, even from the very basic foundations, like, okay, I’m going to be a Christian. What does it mean to develop them? You know, the scripture says to make disciples for us with the best Mt. Carmel Church. And so we’re talking about making soldiers and we’ve been using a lot of military analogies. And I want to give you the theme for today because this is going to be something we talk about throughout. So this is the theme. Are you ready? Ready for the theme?
So I want you to be able to get this in your heart, memorize it, build it, apply it in your life this week. Here we go. Here’s the theme for today. You ready? Here’s the theme. The theme is for today. The theme is initiation is more powerful than prevention. Like, okay. You’ll know. More later initiation is more powerful than prevention. And we’ll say it again because I want the Holy spirit just to start putting it in your heart. Initiation is more powerful than prevention. I talked about two things in this series. Every soldier, every believer needs to know. Number one, they need to know their mission. We need to know why we’re here. Why we’re living, why we’re breathing? Why are we Christians? We need to know our direction for our life. Number two, we need to know our authority or the rules of engagement or the rules of engagement with us at Mt. Carmel Church.
Every soldier knows that they’re not going to be successful in their mission and less. They get the rules of engagement, which speaks to authority and the great commission here. When Jesus was given this to the disciples, he actually gave the rules of engagement first, before he gave the mission. So he told them what was going to be on it. He said, all authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. So here’s something I want to emphasize today. Every Christian needs to know when we get born again, when we get filled with the Holy Holy spirit, what authority do we have in the spirit realm through Jesus? Jesus said, all authority has been given to me in heaven and earth. This is rules of engagement. I believe every Christian needs to know what authority they have in the spirit realm through Jesus notice I said through Jesus, it’s not on my own. It’s not about authority that Chad has in chest. Chad didn’t have any authority, but in Jesus, once I get born again, I’m moved from the authority of just chat for us in the best Mt. Carmel Church. And I come under the authority of Jesus. So most of the time people think they get saved. And it’s just about going to heaven, but I want to encourage and make disciples that they understand when you get born again, it changes your rank of a 40. You move from just a human being to a son or a daughter of God for us at Mt. Carmel Church.
When you move into that category or that classification now authority is bestowed upon you. Not just because you go to church, but because of Jesus and the authority that’s given to him. So we need to know our authority. We need to know that it makes a difference. Authority is of no use. If it’s not recognized or exercised it’s of no use. If it’s not recognized and exercise authority doesn’t mean we won’t have any opposition or authority or adversity. Sometimes when we talk about authority like, Oh, okay. So I got authority. That means I’m not going to have any problems. No authority doesn’t mean we don’t have any opposition or adversity. Authority just means. And it gives us clarity that we’re going to be faced with opposition and adversity. And it tells us what to do when it comes, be clear as a Christian, as a son or daughter of God, we are in the army of God.
Come on.
Now. I’m not talking about Jesus. Hasn’t won. The victory for us. Jesus has already won. So our battle is through appropriate or apply the victory that Jesus won for us. So Jesus is not trying to beat the devil. He already did that on the cross. When he Rose from the Burtons hung on the cross, Rose from the dead, the devil’s defeated. Now we as believers, we have to appropriate all that. Jesus died to give us all right, so we are soldiers in the army. Go, let me give you this example, Ephesians chapter six, verse 10. Again, we own them. Give this theme throughout the message. I want you to understand that we have an, we have an opponent. We have an adversary that we are warring against. Ephesians six says this. Finally, my brethren be strong in the Lord. And the power of his might put on the whole armor of God.
Why, why do we need an armor that you may be able to beat? May be able to stand against every say against you’re going to need that word. Stand against what the Wiles or the strategies of the devil for. We do not wrestle against flesh and blood. People are not our problem. We don’t wrestle against flesh and blood. We’re not fighting against people. I know. You’d like to think they are your problem, whoever they are, but they are not your problem. They’re not my problem. We get it twisted. When we start fighting with people, we don’t wrestle against flesh and blood, but we do wrestle against principalities against powers against the rulers of darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. So notice the pattern here that we have to stand a gift. God gave us an armor that we may able to stand against the Wiles of devil verse 13 Mt. Carmel Church.
Therefore take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day and having done all to stand. And here’s what the word against means. It’s a Greek word. It’s a preposition of direction means towards providing opposition with the implication of a reaction or response to a previous event. So if, when it says stand against the Wiles of the devil, it’s like, if you lean something against the wall, right, you lean it towards the wall and you apply pressure against it. You’re setting against it. When I stand against the Wiles of the devil, it’s, God’s telling me that I need to stand in opposition direction towards what the enemy is trying to do in my life. I stand against it. I oppose it. I stand in opposition against what the enemy is trying to do. He said, this is what I want you to do. The enemy’s going to come. He’s got strategies. He’s got schemes. He’s got whiles. He’s got all this in his repertoire. And he’s going to come to try and cause problems in your life. When that happens Mt. Carmel Church, I’m giving you an armor. Why does he give you the shield of faith? The Bible tells us on down a few verses that you may be able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil one. So why do I have a shield of faith? Because there’s fiery darts going to be shot at me.
See when we’re talking about authority, it’s not that there will not be any opposition or adversity. It will be when it comes, he gives you the equipment to be able to withstand it. I’ll say it again. He doesn’t promise a life free from our position. He promises that we will be equipped to withstand the opposition. He gives us a shield of faith, breastplate of righteousness, helmet of salvation, sword of the spirit. He gives us this weaponry and this armor because we are in a battle. We have an adversary. We have an opposition. Are you following with me? All right? Because people are not taught about their authority. I believe we underestimate our impact on our mission. So what is our mission? He says in verse 19 here go therefore and make disciples of all nations, disciple nations. That’s our mission. Disciple make disciples is not really how we translate it.
It’s really one Greek word, which is a verb go therefore, and disciple nations. It’s an action. It’s a word we have to do. Disciple nations, teach, train, and instruct people. Disciples is make disciples is what we’re assigned to do. Notice what he says, go therefore, and disciple nations, as you go, sometimes people thought the responsibility of discipling nations was the preacher’s job and that what we pay you for to do that discipling stuff. No he’s saying as you go, we go disciple nations. You and I are supposed to go and disciple people with the key, the influence of the kingdom of heaven, wherever we go, as you go, where into the seven mountains of influence, we talked about it. We talked about the economy, our arts and entertainment and sports economy, education, family, government, media, communications, religion. So as you go into these seven mountains of influence in society, influence culture with the kingdom of heaven under the authority of Jesus.
So what God’s telling us in disciple, Nixon’s, he’s telling you, as you go to school, disciple people, as you go to work, disciple people, as you go to the store, disciple people be an influencer of the ways of heaven. Wherever you go. It’s not the responsibility of the church alone or the pastor alone. It is the responsibility of all of us to disciple nations. That’s our mission. So now how are we going to do that? How are we going to do that? We too often think about changing the culture by controlling the negative. Instead of initiating the positive. What was our theme for today? Power of initiation is greater than the power of prevention. So sometimes when we talk about changing culture, changing what’s happening in, we get focused on what we need to stop instead of what we need to start, we get focused on the bad things that need to stop in this world. And then the world will be good. I want to submit to you today that the greater influence is not what we get to stop, but it’s what we start. It’s not about what we get people to quit doing. That changes culture. It’s about what we start doing. That changes culture. It’s not about what we can prevent our kids from getting exposed to it’s about what we can pour into them. That’s greater than what they’re going to get exposed.
Sometimes we think prevention is the way to holiness. It’s not about prevention as your way to holiness. It’s what you implant is your way to holiness. What you initiate. We focus on when, what we need to stop instead of what we need to start. When Jesus walked the earth, let me ask some questions to them. We’ll ask a lot of questions because the things that we’ll talk about today are going to challenge some things in your heart because they challenged me. So I encourage you to stay with me. Don’t don’t tune me out yet. Cause I’m gonna say some stuff that’s gonna make you go. Wow. But, but uh, just trust his ass that you stay with me. So when Jesus walked on the earth, did he control the world or did he influence the world?
Yeah.
When Jesus showed up on the earth physically, how did he influence the world? Did he control it or did he influence it? He said these words when he came repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. In other words, I’m bringing the ways in the system of heaven to the earth. So did, when Jesus came to the earth, did he stop all the other kingdoms from operating or did he just initiate another one?
He didn’t say, all right, I’m here. So now the devil can’t do anything. That’s not what he did. The devil still operated on the earth, but he brought another kingdom who said, my influence is greater than yours. What I’m initiating is going to be bigger than what’s you’re initiating, Oh Jesus, I’m getting a hug excited. Cause I know where we’re going. So he didn’t stop all Swartz. The theme for today, initiation is more powerful than prevention. So now how we view the world impacts greatly how we will influence the world, how we view the world impacts greatly. How will influence it. I want to give you two worldviews in Christianity, two of them that we won’t talk about today, once the warfare worldview, it’s kind of hard to say real quick warfare worldview. The second one is blueprint worldview. And we’ll talk the first about the blueprint worldview.
The blueprint worldview was started by st. Augustine somewhere around between 300 and 450 80. That’s around their lifespan of Saint Augustine of hippo, not hippopotamus, but anyway, you can study that out. But as I began to study, I’m studying theology and I’m taking classes towards my master’s. And we were going back over history and seeing how theology was impacted over the span of time. It’s when st. Augustine came along prior to st. Augustine, that all of Christianity had a warfare worldview, but st. Augustine introduced a blueprint worldview. And here’s what the blueprint worldview States. It teaches that God is in complete control of everything. And that nothing happens outside of his will good or bad. Some familiar stay with me. Many Christians believe that in order for God to accomplish his goal for creation, everything that happens, whether ordained or allowed must somehow fit into his manip meticulous plan and mysterious purposes or a divine blueprint in order for God’s ways to truly happen, then everything that’s happening must fit into his divine blueprint.
I mean, he’s heard some of these phrases, everything happens for a reason. God has his reasons. There’s a purpose for everything. And his ways are not our ways. I believe wholeheartedly that everything happens for a reason. Sometimes people would take Romans chapter eight, verse 28, and they will take that scripture out of context. And they will justify all kinds of things happening and put it at the feet of God. And they’ll say, well, all things work together for the good, for those who love God. Those are called according to his purpose. I know the scripture, it says that all things will work together for the good of those who love God and called the his purpose. But it does not say that God works all things.
Let me take a little further with this view, with this blueprint view, there is some difficulty, however, and beginning to reconcile some specific evil with the perfect goodness of God. Like some people it’s okay to use general, broad brushstroke statements in the context of, of helping ourselves out and making ourselves feel better. And we’ll say, well, you know what? God’s in complete control. And I just trust that he’s going to work it out for my good, well, that sounds great until you go to specific situations in history. Now you begin to ask, how does the Holocaust fit into the blueprint of the goodness of God? How does this dis burning and gassing of millions of Jews fit into God’s great plan Mt. Carmel Church?
That’s right.
Kind of makes you think a little bit. How does abortion fit into the great blueprint? The divine meticulous mysterious plan of God. The murdering of our unborn children somehow fits into the divine blueprint of God. So God’s either ordaining or allowing that that’s him. How about the sex trafficking of children? Let’s get particular. Let’s get cause it’s great for me to say, when I lost my job, well, you know what? God’s taking care of everything. It’s one thing to say that, but it’s another thing to look at that 14 year old girl who’s been sold into sex slavery and tell her, you know what? God’s just going to work this out for your good
Abused over and over and over until she dies. Is that part of his blueprint. I’m going to challenge the way you think a little bit this morning. This is a blueprint view, blueprint view. Everything’s under his, if God’s in control of everything, how we’re humans and fallen angels able to resist him and even frustrate his purposes. Me give you some scripture. Daniel chapter 10, Daniel had been praying for 21 days to God for an answer and verse 12 and angel came to him. And then the angel says to him, do not fear Daniel for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before God, your PR your words were heard, your words were heard by who your words were heard by God, he’s praying, right? And the angel says, I have come because of your words. So if he’s praying to God and the angels come because of his words who sent the angel Mt. Carmel Church,
God sent the angel verse 13, but the Prince of the kingdom of Persia with stood me or resisted me or held me up 21 days and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes came to help me for, I had been left alone there with the Kings of Persia. So here we find that a person praise God sent the answer, but on the way, the Kings of Persia in the spirit realm, demonic forces with stood the answer and held it up for 21 days. Now, if God is in complete control of everything, how in the world is the Kings of pers are going to be able to stop what God sends, held him up for 21 days. And still until Michael, one of the Prince angels showed up and said, yo, what’s up with us Mt. Carmel Church?
Yeah,
You got to go told the angel, you’re going to deliver the message. I’ll clean up this mess right here. I’ll take care of him. So do you see that? Even in there, we see a resistance to the will of God God’s will God’s purposes were to send the answer to Daniel, but then the enemy stood and withstood him and him held him up challenge to the blueprint worldview, the warfare, the warfare worldview, alternatively, which again, I encourage you with this. The warfare worldview was what Christianity held all of history prior to Augustine, the early church, the new Testament church, none of them believed in a blueprint worldview. All of them believed in a warfare worldview. Here’s the warfare worldview. It’s based on the conviction that our world is engaged in a cosmic war, both human and between both human and angelic beings that have aligned themselves with either God or two sites, either God or Satan, this worldview best reflects the response to evil depicted throughout the Bible. Jesus unequivocally opposed, evils, such as disease, demonization, and even natural disasters as originating in the wills of Satan fallen angels and sinful people rather than of God. When you see Jesus and how he walked on the earth, Jesus actually attributed demonization sickness and disease to the devil and not to the father. Jesus rebuked the deaf dumb spirit and commanded it to come out. But if God gave that person that deaf Dunn spirit, how could Jesus rebuke God
If God’s giving him that to teach him something, how’s Jesus going to turn around, rebuke his father and command what he gave him to come out. How about the store that comes up on the disciples on the sea? He’s Jesus stands up and rebukes the wind and the waves, and they become still. If God sent that store to teach the disciples to turn to Jesus, how is Jesus going to turn around and review God?
Right?
Just questions. I’m just asking questions. Don’t get nervous. Just asking whenever you remember. When the Pharisees accused Jesus of casting out demons in the name of demons or under the power of demons, Jesus said a kingdom divided against itself cannot stand. I’m not casting out demons because I have any relationship to those demons. I’m casting out demons because I come from a greater authority. There is the kingdom of God versus the kingdom of darkness. It’s a warfare worldview. The warfare worldview does not assume that there’s a specific divine reason for what Satan and other evil agents do to the contrary. God fights these opponents precisely because their purposes are working against his purposes. Instead of everything being part of God’s meticulous plan, a mysterious higher, good in a warfare worldview, we would not wonder about what specific divine reason God might have and allowing evil to occur. But we would instead view these situations as a result of war and assign the blame to demonic beings who oppose God’s will. Instead of just saying, you know what? I don’t understand. Maybe, maybe this is what God’s wanting to do. People get confused. Is this God doing it? Is this the devil doing it? I’m not sure here’s something. We got to have settled in our heart. We can not be confused with the intentions of God versus the attack of the enemy.
So wait a minute said, or are you saying that God is not sovereign? Are you saying that God’s not sovereign? Because the first thing go throw out is the sovereignty of God cart. Well, what do you mean by sovereign? Let’s define sovereign the definition. According to Webster’s 1828 dictionary. Here’s what it says. Supreme in power to all others is that God check. Yes. It’s God’s Supreme empowered to all others. Yes. One who possesses the highest authority is that God check. Yes. Without control. Here’s the part. Here’s the difference. Here’s where our people, I don’t, it’s not that I questioned the sovereignty of God. I just questioned how people define sovereignty. Notice what the definition says. One who possesses the highest authority without control. The definition says that nothing is in control of God. It does not say God is in control of everything. Oh, religious people get nervous right now. That’s all right. Stay with me. Stay with me. I want you to see God from a certain perspective, this definition of sovereignty. He says, God is absolutely in control. Nobody is in control of him, but it does not say he’s controlling everybody. If he’s controlling everybody, how did Lucifer and a third of the angels bail out on him for a better Mt. Carmel Church?
Just questions. I’m just asking questions. That’s so, so wait a minute. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Are you saying that God’s not in control? Well, how do you find a control? How do you define control? If something happens externally that I could not stop. Am I now in control or out of control? I want to ask some questions. If someone comes up and slaps you in the face, are you in control or out of control?
[inaudible].
If someone comes up and cusses you out, are you in control or out of control? It happened to you. Are you now in control or out of control? If we define control by external manipulation than we are out of control. If we die, define control by internal initiation, you are still in control Is true. Control is true control about external control or internal control. We’ve defined control as making sure everything externally is going the way we want it all the time. But what if control was more about internal intention than it is external prevention? We’ve defined control. As in, I want everything around me to be the way I want it to be. We’ve defined control like that external level of care for Mt. Carmel Church, but I believe true. Definition of control is not external prevention, but internal intention.
Yes.
You want scripture for it? Yes. Okay. I’m glad I’ll be. I’ll give it for it. Galatians. Chapter five, verse 22. But the fruit of the spirit is love. Joy, peace, long set fruit of what? Fruit of the spirit, fruit of the Holy spirit. Holy spirit is God. This comes from God. This is God. This is the fruit God. The Holy spirit is love. Joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self gentleness, self self. It doesn’t say people control it. Doesn’t say circumstance control. It says self control Mt. Carmel Church. That’s the fruit of the spirit self control means to exercise complete control over one’s desires and actions. So the fruit of the spirit that we’re to walk in is to control ourselves, not our surroundings. If we’re wanting to make a soldier, make a disciple, the first thing disciples need to understand is God’s calling you to operate in the fruit of the spirit, which is self control. That you’re not looking to control everything that happens around you. You’re looking to control everything that happens in you.
Yes.
See. And when we’re operating like this, I’m not wondering, I’m not wondering when my kid rebels and starts going against God. I’m not sitting there wondering, Oh, well maybe this is God just causing them to go off and do that so that they can learn their lesson and come back. No, I realize that God’s not going to do. That’s not his plan for their life. So I’m going to begin to fight for my child, stand in the gap and plead the blood of Jesus over them. Come against principalities and powers. Come against rulers of darkness and say no in jesus’ name. Or you can just say, well, maybe it’s God. Maybe they’ll come back. Maybe they won’t blueprint worldview versus the warfare worldview. So how’s this possible here’s is it possible? Let me ask this question. Is it possible that God created an environment where he does not control everything that happens yet at the same time? Absolutely controls everything that he does or initiates come on. I’m gonna make you think a little bit. Is it possible that God created an environment where he does not control everything external, but he absolutely controls everything that he does or initiates some people that want control or get nervous. God’s got to control everything. If he’s got to control everything, how did, how was this possible? How could he create this environment where he’s not in control of everything, but yet he’s in control of everything
I submit to you. He does it by one word, one word love. First John four eight says this. He who does not love does not know God for God is love. God created the world for the purpose of inviting the world to experience what the father, the son and the Holy spirit had amongst themselves. They were love when they create a world, that’s going to have love as an option. Anybody ever loved somebody who didn’t love you back. You better love somebody that rejected them. You’ve ever loved someone that did you the opposite of what you want it. When you have an environment of love and not control, it leaves the opportunity for a choice.
[inaudible]
It is not logically possible.
God, for God, to have an objective of love without risking the possibility of war, because the possibility of love in and of itself creates the possibility of opposition. The, the, the idea of creating environment of love creates the opportunity for opposition because God’s not making people look serve him. He’s not making people love him. He’s giving you an eye and invitation of love. But in that invitation of love, we also have the opportunity for rejection. We have the opportunity to go our own way and thumb our nose, God, and say, I don’t want to be with you. I don’t want to serve you. But I’m telling you, God is absolutely in control of what he initiates Mt. Carmel Church. And the power of initiation is greater than the power of prevention. So is God’s sovereign. Yes, yes. Nothing or no one controls him. No one controls. God, no one controls him.
He is 100% in control of his agenda. He’s 100% in control of how he responds. He’s 100% in control of his intentions. Some somebody, you still need more scriptures. I’m going to give you a couple Ephesians chapter one, verse 11, according to predestined, according to the purpose of him who works all things. According to the counsel of his will. It tells how he works. All things. According to the counsel of his will. It doesn’t say he works all things. It just says everything that he works as according to his will come on. I want you to see scripture from this light. I’ll give you another Daniel chapter four, verse 35. All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed is nothing he does according to his will and the army of heaven. And among the habits of the earth, no one can restrain his hands or say to him, what have you done?
He does according to his will. And no one can restrain his hands. I want to serve a God like that. Who does what he wants? And no one can stop him. It does not say he controls what everyone else does. It says that he controls what he does. God says I’m going to do according to my will. I’m going to do according to my will and no one can stop me. The devil cannot stop what God is doing it. Doesn’t say God, stopping what the devil is doing. Oh man, Jesus, help me, Lord, let me give you a couple more Psalm one 15, verse three. But our God is in heaven. He does whatever he pleases some one 35 or six, whatever the Lord pleases he does in heaven and on earth in the season, all deep places, God does what he pleases us. We think control is we have to control the opposition. God created an environment of love, where the opposition will be freed to happen for a season. There’s coming a day, there’s coming a for the freedom of the, of the enemy to oppose God is going to come to a screeching halt and he will be thrown in the Lake of fire for all of eternity.
But you and I still operate in the kingdom of love and freedom. So how are we going to influence the kingdom of heaven or influence the earth with the kingdom of heaven? If we hold this blueprint worldview, we will look at things like the coronavirus virus and say, well, I’m wondering what God sent that you don’t have to. Here’s some, here’s the confusion with the blueprint worldview. What happens is that something good happens out of something bad. And then people will back into it and say, well, that must’ve been God’s will because something good happened out of something bad. No, no, no, no. That speaks to the power of his redemption to get something good out of something bad. It doesn’t mean that he calls something bad to get something good to happen. He can get something good to happen all by himself, but he’s so good. He can redeem bad. He can redeem evil intentions. That’s the power of God.
Let me ask you another couple of questions we’ll be done, which is true power and authority, which is true power and authority controlling what everyone else does or not being able to be controlled no matter what anyone does, which is true power and authority. I’ve seen people that try and control everybody around them and they think they got power Mt. Carmel Church. They don’t have power. The true power is that a person that cannot be controlled by no matter what anybody else does. That’s power. When no matter what you do to them, you can’t shake him no matter what you say to them, you can’t move up. That person’s walking in power, not the person who’s trying to manipulate and control what everyone else does. True power is power of love that says in me, you can’t stop me. You can’t change the way I act. The way I behave. You can’t change the way I love you.
You can’t change my love when the Bible says, Oh Jesus. In Romans chapter eight, when the Bible talks about nothing can separate us from the love of guts. We’ve taught. We’ve thought that that meant that governor’s controlling that that’s not God controlling. It’s God controlling his initiation towards you. You can’t control my love for you. You can’t stop my love for you. No matter what you do, nothing can separate you from my love. People interpret that the gods controlling people and instead of the way around, God’s controlling himself. Why does this matter? Because it’s not about eliminating opposition as much about empowering conviction.
If we have an inaccurate definition of control, and this is what I believe we’re trying to correct today, then we will have an inaccurate definition of sovereignty, which creates an inaccurate belief of how God wants to influence the earth through us. If I have an inaccurate belief about control, I think it’s about controlling things externally. Then I’ll have an inaccurate belief about sovereignty, and I will assume that everything that’s happened, God’s initiating. And then I will have an inaccurate about my responsibility to release the kingdom of heaven and the earth and make an influence. So here’s some questions I’ll ask you one statement and question transformation then is not so much about what we prevent, but what we initiate, you will make a difference in your kid’s life. It’s about what you initiate in your kids, not what you stop in your kids you’ll make a difference in your marriage. It’s not about what you get them to stop doing. It’s about what you initiate. Doing.
Initiation is greater than prevention. Here’s some questions for you. Number one, are we trying to influence by preventing things or initiating things? Are we trying to change our life by what we stop or by what we start? What if control was more about our internal intention than it is external prevention? Initiation is more powerful than prevention. Are you trying to stop things around you? Are you trying to keep things from happening to you or you working on what your response is going to be? When the storm came Mt. Carmel Church, Jesus had a response to it. He was sleeping. He wasn’t worried about the storm. So now what do we do in opposition? When the Wiles of the devil, when their strategies become, I want to encourage you this. When some people hear this, they get a little nervous. Are you? And I had some people even ask after the first service they’re like, listen for a while.
I wasn’t sure about what you were saying a little bit frustrated with you. Like you’re trying to question the summer to go. I’m not questioning the sovereignty of God. I believe a hundred percent. God is sovereign. I’m just saying, I’m just questioning how people define sovereignty. They define sovereignty, like God’s controlling everything. And you got to, you got a very difficult time convincing me that God is controlling every detail of humanity. Cause I got some things I want to bring up to you specifically. So, okay. Talk to me about this, your little girl. Talk to me about prostitution and the sex. Labor is talk to me about abortion. Talk to me about this. And God’s controlling that on a war warfare, worldview, warfare worldview, not blueprint.
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