Hey, we’re just been on a series in our church called basic training, the making of a soldier. I just want to welcome our erodes family. Although watching online, get to talk to people every once in a while, ran into some people this week said, Hey, we’re part of your erodes family. So you never know who’s watching. You never know who’s tuning in what to say hi to our family in Mount Carmel. We love you Mount Carmel. So great to have you with us. Those people are hiked, ready to go. I mean, we don’t think much about it in North city, but we’ve had people that’s been here in North city go and attended Mount Carmel. And when they attend there, they’re like, man, those people are more engaged and responsive sometimes in the people in North city. So we just want to thank God for each and every one of you in Mount Carmel for pastors, Kevin, and Amy, doing a great job there at that location for Mt. Carmel Church.
Proud of them. Hey, this basic training, the making of a soldier. If you first time with us, we’ve been on this for several weeks and I think this is week six. So if you’re tired of it, sorry, we’re going to keep talking about it. Cause we’re busy making some soldiers, making some disciples. We feel like it’s what God’s called us to do. So the sermon notes are available there in your worship guide. If you want to follow along or you can get them on the YouVersion Bible app and follow along, they’re here at the road’s church. We believe that God’s word is alive. And that every time we open the Bible, God wants to talk to us. I would rather live in expectation that God always wants to talk to me than live in disappointment that he never wants to talk to me. I’ve been there when I thought, you know, God ain’t talking to me, God didn’t have anything to say to me, but now I just try to fool myself into believing that every time open my Bible, God has something to say to me.
And it’s a whole lot better way to live. I’ve found out in my own life. So I encourage you get excited when you open up the Bible. So that’s why we make a little bit of noise because we believe God wants to speak to us. So if you have them today, Mount Carmel, erodes family, get your Bibles out. Let’s open them to Matthew 28, Matthew 28. Your Bible may automatically open to that by now, but we’re just going to launch from here and get into our topic for today. Matthew 28, are you ready? We come in, we come in, we ain’t backing at Mt. Carmel Church. The church is coming. The church is comma it’s here. It’s ready. Verse 16, here we go. Then. And since then the 11 disciples went away into Galilee to the mountain, which Jesus had appointed for them. And when they saw him, they worshiped him.
But some doubted Jesus came and spoke to them, saying all authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in name of the father and of the son and of the Holy spirit. Teaching them to observe all things that I’ve commanded you and lo I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen. I’m just going to pray, father, just thank you for the anointing on your word. We just praise you. Holy spirit, come, come and minister come and breathe life to this Lord. We just want to be with you. Hear what you’re saying to us? I pray God, you will speak into every heart there. Mount Carmel or erodes family right here in the auditorium. People listening back on podcasts. God, I pray that this will not just be a sermon or a message, but gotta pray.
You’ll be a fresh word from you into our hearts in jesus’ name. We pray. Amen. Amen. Now here’s what we’re talking about today. I will give you the theme for the day. Alright? So you can jot this down and throw in your notes, but I want you to get this in your heart. I’m going to be mentioning it over and over throughout the sermon because I want you to get it. The theme for the day is that the influence of the kingdom of heaven in the earth is greater than the influence of the opposition. Let me say it again Mt. Carmel Church. The influence of the kingdom of heaven in the earth is greater than the influence of the opposition. I’m going to say it one more time. I want to make sure you get it and hear what I’m saying. The influence of the kingdom of heaven in the earth is greater, more powerful, stronger than the influence of the opposition in the earth.
Reason. I’m saying that is because I want to check and see if you believe it. That’s what God is doing. What God’s doing in our lives is more important than what the enemy is doing. Two things we’re talking about, making a soldier. Two things that I said is important that every soldier should have. Number one, every soldier, every Christian, every follower of Jesus should know their mission. Number one that speaks to direction. That’s why you’re alive. Why you’re doing what you’re doing, why you’re taking up oxygen on the planet. Why am I here? This is what most people struggle with. They want to know, why am I here? Is my life worth something. You need to have direction here at Mt. Carmel Church. You need to live on a mission every day you get up, you need to have a mission. What is our general mission? I gave it to you last week.
Our mission is to influence culture with the kingdom of God. Under the authority of Jesus. Our mission is to be an influencer for the kingdom of God. That’s our mission. Your job is not your mission, your job. Some people more excited about that than others, but your job is not your mission. Our mission is not to get a good job, make some money and retire someday. That’s not our mission. Our mission is to influence the culture around us. With the kingdom of heaven. Our mission is to influence our family members. Our mission is to influence our children. Our mission is to influence our coworkers. Our mission is to influence the culture around us in every mountain of influence. That’s our mission. Our mission is to make the worth look as much like heaven as possible while we’re here. That’s what Jesus gave us is our mission.
So make sure you get that down. Our heart. Number two for everyone needs a mission. The second thing that everyone needs is the nose needs to know the rules of engagement with speaks of authority. Need to know our mission. Why are we here? What are we doing? And number two, we need to know the rules of engagement as a Christian. I believe this was one of the, one of the most important things as a believer to know their authority as a Christian, if we’re going to build, I believe God’s building an army and I believe, I mean, he’s building his army of the body of Christ because Christians aren’t supposed to just hide and survive this world. We’re supposed to thrive and influence,
Right?
And as I said before, we’re we’re to influence in our workplace everywhere we go. We’re not just supposed to influence from the pulpit we’re supposed to influence from the workplace. Wherever we go, school, we’re supposed to be an influence. So when I talk about knowing the rules of engagement, knowing the authority, knowing what we have a right to do, we sang about it to this morning that we have, we have a 40, that we’re singing. When I opened my mouth. You know, when I lift my hands to shout walls, come crashing down. Whenever I open my mouth miracles, come out, we talk, I have the authority in jesus’ name. Oh, it’s a great Saul, but is it alive in us when it comes to Mt. Carmel Church? What does that mean? What does it mean to have a 40? Do I get to boss people around? No authority is one word. Authority is influence. People want to boss people around, but that’s not what authorities for authorities for influence authority is frivolous. So when I say I have a 40 in jesus’ name, I have influence in jesus’ name, that I have something that can make a difference. We’ll get into that more in just a moment. So, so Jesus said here in verse 18, he said all authority, how much authority? All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. So Jesus has jurisdiction of authority is where
In heaven and on earth.
Right? So if Jesus has all authority, then the devil has how much, all right, Jesus has all the devil has none. How much has none reason I ask again? Cause I want to make sure you get it, that we get in our hearts. The devil has zero authority. He has not only squat authority. He has diddly squat.
Yes,
He has done in your life. He has done in our life. And if we will get that in our life, then we realize if I have a 40, if you have a 40 in jesus’ day and he has none. When he comes into our life, tries to tempt us, try to bring something into our heart. We realize we have the authority to say no. In Jesus day, he has no authority. He has no right in our life. So we have to get that. If Jesus has all the devil has none. The devil has no delegated authority. He only has delivered authority or permissive authority. What do you mean by that? Chet? God does not. He did not delegate the enemy to have any authority in our life, but he does have delivered authority or permissive authority. In other words, if I allow him to that he can have authority in my life.
If a thought comes to mind, that is not of God, but it comes from the enemy and tells me how to feel about myself. And I partner with that authority. And I yield my authority to that. I partner with that voice. And I agree with that. And I say, yeah, that’s true. Then now I have relegated my authority or pass my authority over him, over to him. And so now that thought begins to run my life. Instead of me running my life under the authority of Jesus. That’s how it works. It’s permissive authority. Devil has no right to run your life. He has no authority to tell you what to do, but now he will have authority. If we allow him to tell us what to do, if we agree with him, if we deliver our authority to him and say, you’re right, I hate them. They did that to me. I will never forgive them. You have just relinquished authority over to the enemy. Your authority to walk in peace has now been delivered to the enemy and you will walk in whatever he chooses to give you
Jesus.
So this is why it’s important for us to walk in our authority because we don’t want to walk in his authority because he’s got nothing but trash for you
Garbage.
So we get, we get yield to that. All right. So let’s look at what it means here. Just because we say this though, let me make sure and remind you this. Just because I say the devil doesn’t have any authority doesn’t mean he doesn’t have any tactics. Doesn’t mean he doesn’t have any strategies. Doesn’t mean he’s not working. You’re just, you know, we got riots going on. People burning down buildings and, and causing all kinds of problems in cities, all over the country. And they have no authority to do that, but they’re still doing, why are they doing it? They’re going to do it until someone in authority stops them. When someone in authority stops them, all of a sudden they don’t do it anymore. And this is what happens in the kingdom of darkness. The devil will try and do as much as we allow him to do. But when someone in authority stands up and says, Hey, you’re done. I’m over. I’m not believing that lie anymore. Guess what? He’s done the riots over.
So we got to exercise our authority. The presence of a 40 alone does not stop anything it’s authority. That is exercise. That stops something. So I’m gonna tell you what the devil has been running rough shot in my life. He’d just been torment, me, attacking my family, attacking my marriage, attack my kids. I understand he’s going to do that. But the Bible says that he’s given us an armor in Ephesians chapter six. He says, given you weapons, he says, behold, you don’t wrestle against flesh and blood, but I give you this whole armor put on the whole armor of God that you may able to stand against the Wiles of the devil. It doesn’t say behold, I give you this, this armor stay in the power of God because there will be no Wiles of the devil says, I want you to build sand against them.
So he’s going to give us that. Okay. So now did Jesus, let me ask us about thorny. Jesus said all authority has been given to me. Did Jesus need to leave heaven and earth? Sorry. Need to leave heaven to come to earth, to gain authority for himself. Just a question. I’m going to ask you a couple of questions. So did Jesus remember Jesus was in heaven with God when they created the earth. The Bible says in Colossians that nothing was made on the earth without Jesus. So Jesus is in heaven with the father. He says, he’s got all authority. So did he need to leave heaven to come to earth, to get authority for himself? Then who did he come to get authority for?
I think it’s important for us to talk about this for just a moment, because I think sometimes in the body of Christ, we’re not taught this and we don’t let it get revelation in our heart that Jesus didn’t come to get authority for himself over the devil. He already had authority over the devil. Jesus, didn’t come to get authority over death. Hell and the grave. He already had authority over death. Hell and the grave. So Jesus didn’t come to get authority for himself. Who did he come to get authority for us? So if he came to get authority for us, where are we always asking him to do everything for our Mt. Carmel Church?
Just questions. I’m just asking questions. If he, if he came to get a 40 for man over the enemy, then why are we always asking him to take care of the enemy? He already had authority over the enemy. He didn’t need, he didn’t come to get authority for himself over the enemy. Jesus, didn’t come to tell the devil. He was Lord. The devil already knew he was Lord all of the demons in the gospel. Whenever they come across Jesus. They’re like, we know who you are. You are Jesus. The son of God don’t tore me into us. They knew what was up.
Jesus came so that they can know what was up in you. Come on, catch it, catch it. Sons of Skiva. They said, Jesus, we know Paul. I know authority, authority. All right. So Jesus came to give authority for you for me. What are we doing with it? That’s the question. That’s the million dollar question. So now they had in the beginning in Genesis chapter one remembered God said, let us make man in our image, verse 26. And according to our likeness, let them have dominion over the fish of the CEO of the birds, of the air, over the cattle, over all the earth. This is God making man in his image and likeness gave them dominion over everything that creeps on the earth. He made his own, made them in his image Mt. Carmel Church, male and female. He created them so equal gender authority available verse 28.
Then God blessed them. And God said to them, be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air. And over every living thing that moves on the earth. What was God’s plan in the beginning God’s plan. The beginning was to create this earth. He put mankind in there, male and female. And he said, listen, I want you to subdue the earth, have dominion over it. And I want you to influence this earth with the kingdom of heaven. I want you to make this earth look like, act like, sound like heaven. I’m going to put heaven in you. You’re going to have a relationship with heaven. And I want you to be into influence, have dominion and subdue. So who had authority in the beginning over all the mankind. So mankind was supposed to determine what this earth looked like and sounded like an act of light.
God was going to work through them. God was going to partner with them. God, they were going to do it. Not independent of God, partner power, but in relationship with God’s power. But this was his original intent in the beginning. Notice what he said, be fruitful and multiply. We think that’s just talking about babies now. I’m all for that. That’s wonderful. But that’s not just what he’s talking about. We said be fruitful. What’s fruitful mean you produce, where does fruit were? The seeds of a fruit there on the inside of it. So when you produce, you produce out of what you are. So when he said be fruitful, in other words, he said, what’s in you. I want you to spread everywhere you go, multiply what you are. You have this personality, you have this gifting of God. I want you to multiply that. So when he’s saying, be fruitful and multiply, he was saying, I want you to go across the whole earth and begin to influence it.
This was his agenda in the beginning. So now Jesus came to do this again. He came to get it back. So we lost it in Genesis. Hadn’t Genesis, one lost in Genesis three when Adam and Eve ate the fruit. Thanks a lot, Adam and Eve, but Jesus came to get it back. Did he come to get it back for himself? He never lost it. Who do you come to get it back for, for us, for you? For me, Matthew chapter four, Jesus began preaching in Matthew 14. He says repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand when Jesus showed up on the earth, he said, I’m bringing the kingdom of heaven. The kingdom means Kings dominion, or it’s an area where he rules or it’s a system, a King system of rule. So when Jesus came on the earth and at Mt. Carmel Church, he began to preach. And he said, the system of heaven is at hand or has come near you.
What does that mean? Jesus came on the earth and said, here’s what I’m bringing with me. I’m bringing the system of heaven. And now we’re going to influence the earth with the system of heaven. It’s come near you. This, this was his agenda. When he, when he first came on the scene. But notice what he said, you’re going to have to repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand, was the word repent means, means to think differently, a change of heart and mind that abandoned former beliefs and behaviors, embracing new ones in a different direction. So Jesus said, if you’re going to grasp the system of heaven, you’re going to have to change the way you think. If you’re going to grasp, God’s way of doing things, you have to change the way you think. If you’re going to operate under the authority of jesus’ name, you have to change the way you think. We will not be able to think like the world and operate like heaven.
I want to make sure you get this. We cannot think like the world and operate like heaven. Run it by you. One more time. We cannot think like the world and operate like heaven. And we cannot think like heaven. When we only listened to the world, I will not get the heaven system in my mind. And in my heart, if I never bring it into my heart. So this is what God’s saying to us. We want to operate that. So jesus’ life was an example of this. Let me give you a, so here’s what he said, based on the authority that he has. He said, now, I want you to go and make disciples of all nations. What does that look like? Making disciples? I can’t make a disciple. I can’t disciple other people with something I don’t have in my own life. Here’s important. We’re going to talk about basic training for being a soldier, being a Christian here’s here’s. One of the first keys is we have to go from just hearing it to being it discipling people or making disciples is about us. Not hearing something, but becoming a Mt. Carmel Church,
Just hearing something. Doesn’t change your life. Becoming something changes your life. I can take in information, but if it never gets down into my heart and becomes who I am, it will never change me. And therefore, if it doesn’t change me, it will never change someone else. Let me give you a scripture, Colossians chapter two. Here’s what it says. As you therefore have received Christ as you, as you have therefore received Christ Jesus, the Lord knows what says, so walk in him as you therefore have received that word received as a Greek word, parallel Bonnell. And it means to seize, to grab, hold up, to pull near, to hold near it’s. It’s called it’s it’s context is talking about when you receive information. So it’s taking information and you pull that information near and hold it close to you. What that means is as we teach, it means that God is saying, as you receive Christ, as you get information about Christ and you begin to hold it close to you, how close to you para lambano para like parasite, how close is the parasite it’s attached to you?
So I’m talking about going from hearing sermons to taking the word and where it becomes a part of you as you receive Christ Jesus in your Lord. So walk in him, walk is just how you live your life. So here’s what God is saying. As you get the word in your heart, where it becomes a part of you, then you begin to walk it out and your walk is what’s going to influence people, not just what you received. What I receive will not influence anyone until it becomes part of my walk. I could tell people all day long at the best Mt. Carmel Church, what I believe with my mouth and with my head. But until they see it with my walk, it will never influence them. I’m going to influence my family, my kids, my friends, more with my walk than I am with my words. You got to have it in it.
And he said, as you receive Christ, as you make it a part of your life. So walk in that and then look at the next verse. It says, then you go on rooted and built up in him and established in the faith. As you have been taught abounding in it with Thanksgiving. So now this is what God’s wanting us to do to influence the kingdom. Here’s the theme. Remember the influence of the kingdom heaven and the earth is greater than influence of the opposition. God wants us to influence the world with stuff we have received. So what are you receiving? What’s it become part of you? Is this something you would say? Well, it’s just good as it can have a good, good sermon, good sermon, preacher, good sermon. If the sermon never becomes a part of you, you wasted your time.
It’s gotta become a part of your life. And that’s why I tell people you’re never going to get the sermon to be a part of you, just listening to one time and going out to the door. You’re only going to get it when it’s a part of you. When you begin to meditate on it, you take it home. You look at the sermon notes you read. I went through all of that. That’s fine, but you’re never going to grow past where God wants you to be past where you are, where God wants you to be. God’s wanting us to grow. So this is why it’s stirring us off. So let me ask you a couple of questions. If God believes that the influence of the kingdom of heaven is greater than the influence of the opposition in the earth. If God believes that the question is, do we believe that?
Do we have more belief in our opposition that we do the authority of the kingdom of heaven? Do we have more faith in the opposition coming against our kids than we do the influence of the kingdom of heaven on our kids? Do we have more faith in the influence of sin than we do the savior? See, sometimes we try to stop things from happening and we think that’s going to bring victory when we can. But God’s saying, listen, you’ve got to trust that the influence of the kingdom of heaven is greater than the influence of the opposition. God didn’t remove the devil out of the garden.
Wow.
Jesus said, I don’t pray that you come out of the world. I pray that you stay right in the world and you begin to influence the world. We’ve thought that the key to victory was removing temptation. But what if it’s not about the power of temptation, as much as it is about empowering the conviction? What if it’s, what if it’s more about the influence on us being greater than the temptation that is against us, that we believe more in what is in us? We say this, Oh, greater is he that’s in me than he that’s in the world. We say that in here. And then we go out there and we act like he’s not the Lord of that world. He’s only the Lord of this world. I’m telling you, God’s willing to stir up in your heart. That the influence of the kingdom of heaven is greater than the influence of the opposition. So the church should be rising up in power. Being excited about what’s happening in the earth. Yes. Yeah. We come in, we ain’t backing down.
[inaudible]
God wants to make soldiers. He’s making, he’s not making victims. He’s making victors. We’re not victims of our circumstances. We’re victors over our circumstances. Who’s the greatest influence in your life. Who’s the greatest influence in your life? What voice is the greatest influence in your life practical application right now? Whose voice would you believe Mt. Carmel Church? Sometimes we believe the voice of the opposition. More than we believe the voice of the kingdom of heaven. Whose voice are you going to finally believe for? You’re going to finally say, okay, it’s safe now out there. Which voice is going to tell you that before you believe it,
Is it a political figure?
When that person tells you it’s safe, then you’ll believe it. When this person says, when this organization says, when this group says, which person influences you the most I’m coming, I’m coming right down in wherever we live, right? What influences our life? What voice influences my life the most is the one that gives me permission to do what I’m doing. In other words, who do I look to to model my behavior? After if I model my behavior after this voice, then they have ultimate authority in my life. Which voice is going to give you permission to walk in peace and not an anxiety? Well, when the, when this news network says it’s safe, then I’ll feel a whole lot better while you waiting on them.
Here’s what I’m saying. I’m not criticized. I’m not putting down. I’m just saying this. When we give permission for our control over our peace into someone, else’s hands in one area of our life Mt. Carmel Church, we will give it to them. In other areas of our life. You can have, I can not put it over into someone else. You’re not the authority in my life. I’m not waiting for permission from you. I get my permission from heaven. Well, listen, we got to walk in with some absolutely. We got to walk in wisdom. There is no greater wisdom than the word of God. There is no greater wisdom than the word of God. So let’s go water it down and call it wisdom to put our authority in someone else’s hands.
Yes.
Yeah. I’m just trying to encourage you. I’m not trying to condemn you. Let me go to Matthew chapter 16, I got to go to places and then we got to quit. Matthew 16 and Matthew 18. So hold your fingers. In those words, just flip back and forth. Matthew 16, Matthew 18, Matthew 16, Matthew 18. How do we influence culture in the kingdom of heaven with the kingdom of heaven? How do we influence culture with the kingdom of heaven? How do we do it? How do we do it? Matthew 16, we read this last week. So I’m just going to touch on it briefly. It says. And I also say to you that you are Peter and on this rock, I will build my church. And the Gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. I will build my church. Jesus said I will build my church, my church, my ekklesia, what was the ekklesia a legislative assembly or governing group of people called out having authority to make governmental type decisions, to change the culture of a region.
Hold up, hold up. Jesus said, I will build my church. My ekklesia, what does that mean? What are they going to do? My church, my ex, they see a mine. There’s going to be others. There’s going to be other groups of influence, but I’m going to build my group of influence. And here’s what they have to do. Have the power to do. They have the authority to make governmental type decisions, to change the culture of a region, to match the culture of the one who empowers them. Whoa, are we reading this? We have the 40 to change the culture of a region to match the culture of the one who empowers us, who empowers us. Jesus. Don’t be afraid to say, it’s not a trick question at Mt. Carmel Church. Jesus said, all authority has been given to me and I turn around and give it to you. So now who am I looking to is the one who’s gonna be the influencer in my life that I can help change culture.
I’m looking at the one who empowers me. The news doesn’t empower me. Political party. Doesn’t empower me. CDC doesn’t empower me. Then it doesn’t empower me. Jesus empowers me again. I’m not flipping. I’m not, what am I doing? I’m not being disrespectful to any of those organizations. I’m just saying, Oh, ultimate authority. And my life has to be Christ first. So now he says, I’m going to build my church. And the Gates of Hades will not prevail against it. Now what’s he going to do with my church? They’re going to influence culture at Mt. Carmel Church. They’re going to influence. They’re going to bind and loose in 19. He says, I give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Jesus said repent for the kingdom of heaven. His hand is at hand. I give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven.
Whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Now we’ll read that verse out of the new American standardized version. Cause I think it says it better. Here’s what I want to get in your, in your heart as a soldier. If I could pull you aside, one-on-one, here’s what I would pour into you. I would say you need to know this as a believer, as a follower of Jesus, you have been given a 40 by Jesus Christ and you have the keys of the kingdom of heaven in your life that you can bind and loose based on the authority of the kingdom of heaven. So anything that comes to you that is not from God. You have an authority to bind that in Jesus.
How do I do that?
Whenever the thought comes to you, this is not from God fear, torment, worry, anxiety, stress insecurity, whatever things that God would not say about you in that moment, you have a right to say, I do not receive that thought. I do not receive that. I bind you up. But then after I bind that up, step two is I have to lose something good. So now I come over here and I lose from the kingdom of heaven. I bind the kingdom of darkness and I lose from the kingdom of heaven to pour into me, God, everything that you say about me, about my future, about my life, what you want to do with me. I loose that over my life. Then I begin to receive what God says and I reject what the enemy says. You have the authority to do that. Instead words, we’re praying, God, we just take that away.
He said, I’ve given you the keys, bind it up. This is what believers need to have in their life. They need to have this authority that they buying things that have already been loosed or sorry, buying things that have already been bound in heaven. They lose things that have already been loosed. Go to Matthew 18. Let me close here. What’s the theme for the day. The influence of the kingdom of heaven on earth is greater than the influence of the opposition. Let me say it again. The influence of the kingdom of heaven on the earth is greater than influence us at Mt. Carmel Church.
Of the opposition. Matthew 18. We’ll read out the new American standardized version against this. Truly I say to you, because he say, Chad, this, let me throw this in first, Chad, okay. If we’re going to be the ecstacy, if we’re going to be a church of influence, how many does it take to influence? Cause I’m just, I’m just one kid in my class. I’m just one person in my office. The rest of them, a bunch of I’m just one teacher trying to impact my school. I’m just one guy on the factory floor. I’m just one lady in the office. I’m just one guy in the office. I’m one in the coal mine, wherever he may be. I’m just one. How many does it take? Let me, let me just tell you how many it takes to make a difference. Matthew 18, truly. I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven shall have been loosed in heaven.
Again, I say to you that if two agree on earth, that if two of you agree on earth, how many again? I say to you that if, how many, two of you agree? Where on earth? Wait a minute. Most were saying, notice the pattern who knows the connection of heaven and earth. That if two of you agree on earth about anything they may ask, it shall be done for them by my father who is in heaven for where two or three have gathered together. My name, I am there in the midst of the word. Agree. Let me look at this word with you. If two of you agree on an on earth about anything, they may ask agree. This word agree is the Greek word. Soon, full Nao. You might recognize that’s where we get our English word for symphony. Where two of you agree, simple Nao symphony.
You think of a symphony. You think of parts coming together in harmony, singing and instruments, playing together. One song, maybe different parts each bringing their own parts. But you agree that word agreements to sound together in unison, a joint decision sounding together. So here’s a question I want to ask you if there’s the kingdom of heaven and there’s other kingdoms. If the influence of the kingdom of heaven is greater than influence of the opposition, here’s the question. Which kingdom do you sound like? Which one are you in symphony with? Which one are you in harmony with? When God says this about your life and the opposition says this, which one do you agree with? Which one do you partner with with your mouth on the issues that you’re facing right now? Which kingdom do you sound like? You sound like everyone else, or do you sound like the King of Kings?
Whenever people are talking to you about what you’re facing, what you’re going through, which ones you agree with here? I’ve heard people say this. Well, some of you people you’re just so out of touch with culture, you’re out of touch. I would rather be out of touch with culture and in touch with the kingdom of heaven. Then to be out of touch with the kingdom of heaven and be in touch with culture. I don’t care what culture thinks. I care what the kingdom of heaven thinks. I don’t care. What people tell me is right or wrong. I care for the one, the one who’s going to judge me someday. I care what he says is right or wrong. I don’t care what society says. Well, Hey, nowadays, it’s different nowadays. It’s different. We don’t these things or it’s not, this is still the truth for my life. So here’s one ask you this. As we close with this here at Mt. Carmel Church,
Which kingdom
Has a greatest influence in your life, which one’s influencing your life right now, the kingdom of heaven or the opposition.
Here’s what I’ve found. Maybe this is true for you
Too many times in our life. We’re busy telling heaven about earth and we spend too little time telling earth about heaven. What do you mean when I’ve faced discouraging moments? I’m telling you I’ve taken my share of gut shots. If you’re a dude kicks to the groin, ladies, you don’t understand that. But dude, you understand what I’m talking about. Slaps to the face, whatever analogies you want to make. Some pot shots that are coming out of the car. He may relate yet. You’re talking, I’m talking about some out of left field that hits you, that you weren’t expecting that to come. You weren’t expecting that to happen. You didn’t know that was coming. When those things hit you, what do you do then? What do you do then? What do you let’s get practical? We can talk theory about authority, but when we have thoughts, bombarding us, it’s hard to take that authority or that reality that’s in my mind and say, I’ve got to grab a hold of another reality, but here’s something God said, Chet, and I’m going to get into this maybe next week, he dropped a little bit in this week, but Jeff, you were always in control.
I said, no, I’m not.
I can’t, I’m not in control of this. I’m not control of that. I’m not control this. He said you are always 100% in control of your response. You are never out of control. Have you seen me?
He’s like, yeah,
Which you’re always in control of how you respond. So here’s what I want you to choose. I want you to choose the right kingdom this week. I was struggling with some stuff, really emotionally struggled with stuff. So I come into my prayer time of a morning. This is, this is how I do. I get up early, go to my prayer time with God. I don’t feel like praying at Mt. Carmel Church. I don’t feel like doing anything. I don’t feel like worshiping. I feel like just
Get in my closet, get on my knees. I said, Jesus, here I am.
You’re waiting for the big moment. That was it.
That was it. That was the mall.
I choose today to trust you with things that are out of my car. And I choose to be in control of who I worship and who I model my life after. And I choose to model my life. After the kingdom of heaven, I choose right now to model my thoughts and model my behavior. After the kingdom of heaven, I don’t feel like it. I don’t want to do it, but I choose right now to model my behavior in this moment with the kingdom of heaven. So what I do is I begin to repeat over myself. What you say over myself, when that’s done, what I feel? I begin to declare over my life and over my family. What you say when it’s not what I see, I declare over my life and my health. What you say? I declare over my environment, over my church, over my society, over my community, over my nation, over my state. I declare what you say. That will be the Lord of my life.
Do I feel anything? No.
Did I get into emotional hype and start yelling and running around the closet? No, I couldn’t run around the club.
Basic training soldiers for going to battle. I want you to be ready.
It’s so many times I’ve heard people say this, tell her this, love your excitement. I love your energy and what you do. Don’t confuse my energy and my excitement for emotion, my energy and my excitement comes from what is Parallon Bano in my life. Because there’s times when I have no excitement, have no, I have no band. I have no, I have nothing but tears and flat on the floor on my face crying, say, God, I don’t know how it’s going to work out. Those are some of my moments and you’re going to have them. And it’s okay Mt. Carmel Church. A soldier’s not defined by always feeling victorious. The soldier is defined by. They always keep fighting. They just keep fighting.
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You’re never going to overcome something by the absence of it.
I got some more nuggets I want to drop right now, but I don’t have time for it. You’re never going to overcome something in the absence of it. You’re only going to overcome something in the presence of it. When you stare it in the eye and say, today, you bow to the name of Jesus today. I’m picking myself up off the floor. Me and Jesus are taking you. It’s dealt with well when that’s not in my life anymore. When I’m not tempted anymore. When I don’t feel that pressure anymore. No, no, no. That’s not. When you’re going to get victorious, it’s when you still feel tempted and you stare at the eye and say, not today, tile,
Jesus
Something’s portal inside of me. I don’t know what I’m talking about. This. Somebody is receiving this going. Didn’t have all this for you today, but I’m telling you, somebody is waiting on something to feel better and get better before you act. I’m saying strike while the iron is hot, while you’re surrounded by temptation, surrounded by discouragement. That’s when you pick yourself up and you begin to praise on purpose. When you feel like quitting and throwing in the towel and not being a Christian anymore, that’s the day that you take the Hill. That’s the day when you got to trick yourself a little bit, because you’re mostly going to tell you, this is the day you lay down for the top Mt. Carmel Church. You got say, no, this is a day I’ve taken while the enemy thinks he’s got you.
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