1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:05,000 Genesis chapter 14 and verse 14 reads as follows. 2 00:00:05,040 --> 00:00:10,040 Now when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, 3 00:00:10,920 --> 00:00:15,920 he armed his 318 trained servants 4 00:00:16,120 --> 00:00:19,480 who were born in his own house 5 00:00:19,480 --> 00:00:22,320 and went in pursuit as far as Dan. 6 00:00:23,460 --> 00:00:26,440 He divided his forces against them by night 7 00:00:26,440 --> 00:00:30,480 and he and his servants attacked them and pursued them 8 00:00:30,480 --> 00:00:35,480 as far as Hobo, which is north of Damascus. 9 00:00:35,760 --> 00:00:38,400 So he brought back all the goods 10 00:00:38,400 --> 00:00:42,680 and also brought back his brother Lot and his goods 11 00:00:42,680 --> 00:00:46,520 as well as the women and the people. 12 00:00:46,520 --> 00:00:48,360 It says he brought back his brother Lot. 13 00:00:48,360 --> 00:00:52,000 Now just as a notation there, it says the word brother 14 00:00:52,000 --> 00:00:57,000 but it's more of a familiar or family relational term 15 00:00:57,680 --> 00:01:00,960 but indeed Lot was actually his nephew. 16 00:01:00,960 --> 00:01:01,800 It was his nephew. 17 00:01:01,800 --> 00:01:04,040 And I wanna preach today for a few moments 18 00:01:04,040 --> 00:01:07,320 this word the Lord gave me on taking it back. 19 00:01:07,320 --> 00:01:09,020 Someone say taking it back. 20 00:01:10,080 --> 00:01:11,200 We're gonna pray right now. 21 00:01:11,200 --> 00:01:14,120 This message is a very important one 22 00:01:14,120 --> 00:01:19,120 as we seek to take what God wants for us 23 00:01:19,120 --> 00:01:23,440 and as we seek to progress further into his kingdom, 24 00:01:23,440 --> 00:01:25,760 the revival, everything that we have experienced, 25 00:01:25,760 --> 00:01:27,800 God wants to do something greater in our midst. 26 00:01:27,800 --> 00:01:28,640 Let's pray. 27 00:01:28,640 --> 00:01:29,760 Father, we love you today. 28 00:01:29,760 --> 00:01:32,320 We thank you for your goodness, your mercy, 29 00:01:32,320 --> 00:01:34,560 the way that you have dwelled in this place 30 00:01:34,560 --> 00:01:38,520 for surely Lord, the Lord is in this place. 31 00:01:38,520 --> 00:01:41,120 God, we know that you sit enthroned 32 00:01:41,120 --> 00:01:42,920 in the praises of your people. 33 00:01:42,920 --> 00:01:45,560 And now God, I pray that you would anoint our hearing, 34 00:01:45,560 --> 00:01:47,360 open up our understanding 35 00:01:47,360 --> 00:01:50,360 and I pray that we would receive your word Lord today 36 00:01:50,360 --> 00:01:54,000 with gladness and not only with gladness God 37 00:01:54,000 --> 00:01:57,960 but that we might put this word in action in our lives. 38 00:01:57,960 --> 00:02:01,840 In the name of Jesus, we pray everyone say amen. 39 00:02:01,840 --> 00:02:03,560 You may be seated in God's presence. 40 00:02:03,560 --> 00:02:08,560 It was in June of 1967, the world watched in shock 41 00:02:08,800 --> 00:02:13,800 as Israel, a tiny nation surrounded by hostile enemies 42 00:02:13,800 --> 00:02:16,880 faced the fight of its life. 43 00:02:16,880 --> 00:02:21,880 It was called the Six Day War and it began with an attack. 44 00:02:23,160 --> 00:02:27,160 Egypt, Jordan and Syria had massed their armies 45 00:02:27,160 --> 00:02:32,160 determined to wipe Israel off the map. 46 00:02:32,240 --> 00:02:35,040 Outnumbered, outgunned and outflanked, 47 00:02:35,040 --> 00:02:40,040 Israel seemed to have no chance of survival. 48 00:02:40,120 --> 00:02:42,640 In fact, the prognosis was so strong 49 00:02:42,640 --> 00:02:47,640 prognosis was so bleak that over 40,000 coffins 50 00:02:48,640 --> 00:02:53,120 were prepared for the expected casualties. 51 00:02:53,120 --> 00:02:57,600 That's how bleak the outcome appeared. 52 00:02:57,600 --> 00:03:02,080 But what happened next was nothing short of miraculous. 53 00:03:02,080 --> 00:03:04,600 In a stunning preemptive strike, 54 00:03:04,600 --> 00:03:08,520 Israeli forces took to the skies, 55 00:03:08,520 --> 00:03:10,680 crippling the enemy's air forces 56 00:03:10,680 --> 00:03:15,080 before they could launch their assault. 57 00:03:15,080 --> 00:03:18,680 And in just six days, what should have been 58 00:03:18,680 --> 00:03:22,360 Israel's defeat became one of their greatest 59 00:03:22,360 --> 00:03:25,120 military victories. 60 00:03:27,440 --> 00:03:30,520 And you know, they didn't just defend their land. 61 00:03:30,520 --> 00:03:32,240 It went beyond that. 62 00:03:32,240 --> 00:03:37,240 They actually reclaimed what had been stolen. 63 00:03:37,240 --> 00:03:41,400 On the third day, Israeli paratroopers and troops 64 00:03:41,400 --> 00:03:45,880 stormed into Jerusalem, retaking the old city 65 00:03:45,880 --> 00:03:49,000 for the first time, talking about all the city 66 00:03:49,000 --> 00:03:50,960 in almost 2,000 years. 67 00:03:50,960 --> 00:03:53,560 And it was such an epic milestone, 68 00:03:53,560 --> 00:03:55,640 such a powerful moment that soldiers, 69 00:03:55,640 --> 00:03:58,720 when they reached the Western Wall, 70 00:03:58,720 --> 00:04:01,600 they wept as they reached the wall. 71 00:04:01,600 --> 00:04:03,440 As they touched the Western Wall, 72 00:04:03,440 --> 00:04:07,920 which was the last remnant of the old ancient temple, 73 00:04:07,920 --> 00:04:12,440 they could not help but become overwhelmed with emotion 74 00:04:12,440 --> 00:04:16,360 as they hugged these walls, thanking God 75 00:04:16,360 --> 00:04:20,040 that they were not only able to defend themselves 76 00:04:20,040 --> 00:04:24,240 but take back what was rightfully theirs. 77 00:04:24,240 --> 00:04:28,040 And the victory that day was more than just about winning. 78 00:04:28,040 --> 00:04:32,320 It was about reclaiming what was theirs. 79 00:04:32,320 --> 00:04:36,440 And this page from history has always stood out to me. 80 00:04:36,440 --> 00:04:39,240 It's a powerful, and there are many other miracles 81 00:04:39,240 --> 00:04:42,120 that were documented, recorded, that took place 82 00:04:42,120 --> 00:04:45,320 during the Six-Day War, and it stands as a testimony 83 00:04:45,320 --> 00:04:48,520 that you ought never to mess with God's people. 84 00:04:48,520 --> 00:04:49,440 Amen. 85 00:04:49,440 --> 00:04:51,480 Never to mess with God's people. 86 00:04:51,480 --> 00:04:54,520 And with God's help, they took everything back 87 00:04:54,520 --> 00:04:57,200 that belonged to them, and I couldn't help but wonder, 88 00:04:57,200 --> 00:05:01,440 as I was reflecting upon the text before us, 89 00:05:01,440 --> 00:05:05,520 if these brave Israeli soldiers, the whole nation of Israel, 90 00:05:05,520 --> 00:05:09,880 did not think back upon various patriarchs 91 00:05:09,880 --> 00:05:13,200 and heroes of faith in their own history 92 00:05:13,200 --> 00:05:18,200 who took great steps to do the will of God and to fight back. 93 00:05:18,200 --> 00:05:22,000 And one of those is in our reading today. 94 00:05:22,000 --> 00:05:25,920 It is the father of faith, who his name was Abraham. 95 00:05:25,920 --> 00:05:29,360 And Abraham declared war on those 96 00:05:29,360 --> 00:05:34,360 who captured Lot and all that was associated with him. 97 00:05:34,640 --> 00:05:36,400 And I want to, for a few moments, 98 00:05:36,400 --> 00:05:39,320 just lay a brief foundation for us to see 99 00:05:39,320 --> 00:05:44,320 this historic moment in the life of this patriarch, Abraham. 100 00:05:44,920 --> 00:05:49,040 It is an interesting fact for you Bible students and readers, 101 00:05:49,040 --> 00:05:53,640 those that like to dig into the deeper details of scripture, 102 00:05:53,640 --> 00:05:57,240 an interesting fact that this text records 103 00:05:57,240 --> 00:06:01,760 the first war ever mentioned in the Bible. 104 00:06:01,760 --> 00:06:04,000 It doesn't mean that there weren't other wars 105 00:06:04,000 --> 00:06:06,040 or conflicts in human history, 106 00:06:06,040 --> 00:06:10,160 it's that this was the first one recorded in scripture. 107 00:06:10,160 --> 00:06:12,280 And I think that there are many reasons for that, 108 00:06:12,280 --> 00:06:14,480 probably because it has more to do 109 00:06:14,480 --> 00:06:19,480 with just a diplomatic crisis, it was a spiritual crisis. 110 00:06:19,720 --> 00:06:23,280 And if we use the law of first mention, 111 00:06:23,280 --> 00:06:28,280 the law of first mention is a theological approach 112 00:06:28,600 --> 00:06:31,560 to reading scripture and what it tells us 113 00:06:31,560 --> 00:06:34,800 is that the law of first mention establishes 114 00:06:34,800 --> 00:06:39,320 a concept's foundational meaning so that we can understand it 115 00:06:39,320 --> 00:06:41,520 all throughout the word of God. 116 00:06:41,520 --> 00:06:44,640 And so whenever something is mentioned for the first time, 117 00:06:44,640 --> 00:06:48,560 generally speaking, there are some foundational principles 118 00:06:48,560 --> 00:06:50,400 that we can learn from. 119 00:06:50,400 --> 00:06:54,480 And so since this is the first time that warfare 120 00:06:54,480 --> 00:06:57,440 is mentioned in the context of God's people, 121 00:06:57,440 --> 00:07:01,320 there are some powerful truths that we can uncover today. 122 00:07:01,320 --> 00:07:05,160 And the first or the really foundational truth for us, 123 00:07:05,160 --> 00:07:07,960 and this is what I'm gonna be building upon here today, 124 00:07:07,960 --> 00:07:10,240 is about spiritual warfare. 125 00:07:10,240 --> 00:07:14,600 And it is this, that all spiritual warfare 126 00:07:14,600 --> 00:07:20,600 is about reclaiming what rightfully belongs to God's people. 127 00:07:20,600 --> 00:07:23,480 I want you to understand that spiritual warfare 128 00:07:23,480 --> 00:07:25,480 is what I'm gonna be preaching about today, 129 00:07:25,480 --> 00:07:29,080 but in its entirety, if you were to sum up 130 00:07:29,080 --> 00:07:31,680 all spiritual warfare, which is something 131 00:07:31,680 --> 00:07:34,480 that every Christian, every believer 132 00:07:34,480 --> 00:07:39,480 needs to be engaged in, it is our call, it is our purpose, 133 00:07:39,520 --> 00:07:43,840 but it is all on the basis of repossessing 134 00:07:43,840 --> 00:07:48,840 or reclaiming something that belongs to God's people 135 00:07:49,560 --> 00:07:50,600 at the foundation. 136 00:07:50,600 --> 00:07:53,520 Now, there may be different motives 137 00:07:53,520 --> 00:07:55,560 or different incentives or different things 138 00:07:55,560 --> 00:07:59,040 that we focus on while engaged in spiritual warfare, 139 00:07:59,040 --> 00:08:02,120 while praying, while believing, while expecting, 140 00:08:02,120 --> 00:08:05,600 but it all comes down to reclaiming something 141 00:08:05,600 --> 00:08:08,800 that belongs to God's people, whether it's territory, 142 00:08:08,800 --> 00:08:12,000 whether it's dominion, people even, 143 00:08:12,000 --> 00:08:16,360 or the blessings of God, the things of God. 144 00:08:16,360 --> 00:08:18,040 It's really that simple. 145 00:08:18,040 --> 00:08:18,960 It's really that simple. 146 00:08:18,960 --> 00:08:22,320 It's about reclaiming what belongs to us. 147 00:08:22,320 --> 00:08:25,360 And if you can just settle that in your mind today, 148 00:08:25,360 --> 00:08:27,960 settle that in your heart, that this is what it's all about, 149 00:08:27,960 --> 00:08:32,720 because indeed, we read in Ephesians 6 and verse 12, 150 00:08:32,720 --> 00:08:37,200 for we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, 151 00:08:37,200 --> 00:08:40,240 but against principalities, amen, 152 00:08:40,240 --> 00:08:44,960 against powers, against rulers of the darkness of this age, 153 00:08:44,960 --> 00:08:49,960 against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 154 00:08:49,960 --> 00:08:51,440 Someone say amen today. 155 00:08:52,480 --> 00:08:53,320 Amen. 156 00:08:53,320 --> 00:08:57,800 These strongholds that we are called to war against 157 00:08:57,800 --> 00:09:00,320 exist for a particular reason. 158 00:09:00,320 --> 00:09:04,040 I don't have time to get into all of the particulars today, 159 00:09:04,040 --> 00:09:07,640 but basically, they exist, these strongholds, 160 00:09:07,640 --> 00:09:11,520 these principalities, these powers, rulers of darkness. 161 00:09:11,520 --> 00:09:14,200 The reason why they exist in the first place 162 00:09:14,200 --> 00:09:16,720 is because way back in the beginning, 163 00:09:16,720 --> 00:09:20,280 man who was Adam forfeited the dominion 164 00:09:20,280 --> 00:09:23,520 that God had given him in the garden because of sin. 165 00:09:23,520 --> 00:09:26,520 Man was given complete dominion over all of the earth, 166 00:09:26,520 --> 00:09:28,120 every creature, everything. 167 00:09:28,120 --> 00:09:30,360 Man had complete dominion over it all. 168 00:09:30,360 --> 00:09:33,160 But because of sin, man lost that dominion. 169 00:09:33,160 --> 00:09:38,000 He lost domain and ownership and authority over all of that 170 00:09:38,000 --> 00:09:39,280 because of sin. 171 00:09:39,280 --> 00:09:43,440 And so ever since then, there has been conflict, 172 00:09:43,440 --> 00:09:47,480 spiritual conflict between God's seed or God's people 173 00:09:47,480 --> 00:09:52,480 and the enemy over reclaiming what God originally intended 174 00:09:52,800 --> 00:09:53,840 for us to have. 175 00:09:53,840 --> 00:09:55,720 Are you following me so far? 176 00:09:55,720 --> 00:09:58,560 And so because man forfeited that, 177 00:09:58,560 --> 00:10:03,560 now the God of this age, the ruler of wickedness, Satan 178 00:10:04,840 --> 00:10:09,120 and all of his cronies and his kingdom, his minions, 179 00:10:09,120 --> 00:10:13,960 they now seek to establish control in different areas, 180 00:10:13,960 --> 00:10:16,520 in different families, and even in our own lives. 181 00:10:16,520 --> 00:10:19,560 But the good news is, hallelujah, 182 00:10:19,560 --> 00:10:23,320 that Jesus came to give us the ultimate key. 183 00:10:23,320 --> 00:10:27,160 Jesus came to reclaim that which was lost. 184 00:10:27,160 --> 00:10:30,520 He said, the Son of Man came to claim 185 00:10:30,520 --> 00:10:33,680 and to take that which was lost 186 00:10:33,680 --> 00:10:37,840 because of what Jesus Christ did for us on the cross 187 00:10:37,840 --> 00:10:40,800 by shedding his blood for our sins 188 00:10:40,800 --> 00:10:44,240 and raising three days later from the grave, 189 00:10:44,240 --> 00:10:47,200 he took the keys of hell, death and the grave 190 00:10:47,200 --> 00:10:48,760 away from the enemy. 191 00:10:48,760 --> 00:10:52,440 And now you and I are benefactors of that. 192 00:10:52,440 --> 00:10:54,760 Somebody ought to give God some praise today. 193 00:10:54,760 --> 00:10:59,680 Hallelujah. Jesus is victorious 194 00:10:59,680 --> 00:11:01,320 and all power in his hands. 195 00:11:01,320 --> 00:11:04,800 However, there is still going to be a fight. 196 00:11:04,800 --> 00:11:07,200 And the fight is between us 197 00:11:07,200 --> 00:11:10,400 and the repossession of God's things for us. 198 00:11:10,400 --> 00:11:12,640 And we look at Abraham today, 199 00:11:12,640 --> 00:11:15,600 and Abraham is a model for the believer. 200 00:11:15,600 --> 00:11:18,880 He is the father of faith, Scripture refers to him as. 201 00:11:18,880 --> 00:11:21,680 He is the prototype that we're looking at. 202 00:11:21,680 --> 00:11:26,120 And when Abraham felt like the enemy had come against him 203 00:11:26,120 --> 00:11:30,600 and did him wrong by taking his nephew lot 204 00:11:30,600 --> 00:11:32,280 and taking him away, 205 00:11:32,280 --> 00:11:35,280 Abraham did not just sit back 206 00:11:35,280 --> 00:11:38,560 and just wait to see what was going to happen. 207 00:11:38,560 --> 00:11:40,800 Abraham did not just, you know, 208 00:11:40,800 --> 00:11:43,040 kind of like just wait around 209 00:11:43,040 --> 00:11:45,600 to figure what was going to take place. 210 00:11:45,600 --> 00:11:48,120 He jumped into action 211 00:11:48,120 --> 00:11:52,160 and he begins to show us some things that we must do. 212 00:11:52,160 --> 00:11:54,160 And the first thing that we see today 213 00:11:54,160 --> 00:11:55,920 that I want to impart to you 214 00:11:55,920 --> 00:11:58,400 about what exactly we're dealing with here 215 00:11:58,400 --> 00:12:00,840 is that number one, like him, 216 00:12:00,840 --> 00:12:04,000 we must understand that there is a lot at stake. 217 00:12:04,000 --> 00:12:05,920 Someone say there's a lot at stake. 218 00:12:07,000 --> 00:12:07,840 Hallelujah. 219 00:12:07,840 --> 00:12:09,280 I'm getting just a little bit of feedback 220 00:12:09,280 --> 00:12:11,080 in this monitor here, brother, if you can help me out. 221 00:12:11,080 --> 00:12:12,720 There is a lot at stake. 222 00:12:12,720 --> 00:12:14,360 Now, what I think is interesting here 223 00:12:14,360 --> 00:12:18,680 is that Abraham literally had a lot at stake 224 00:12:18,680 --> 00:12:21,040 because he had a nephew named Lot. 225 00:12:21,040 --> 00:12:24,160 And so it was literal for Abraham. 226 00:12:24,160 --> 00:12:27,320 He definitely had a lot at stake. 227 00:12:27,320 --> 00:12:31,200 But for us, there is a lot, figuratively speaking, 228 00:12:31,200 --> 00:12:35,320 there is a lot at stake, a lot at stake. 229 00:12:35,320 --> 00:12:37,800 There's much to be concerned about. 230 00:12:37,800 --> 00:12:38,640 There's a lot. 231 00:12:38,640 --> 00:12:40,880 We're not just fighting just because. 232 00:12:40,880 --> 00:12:43,000 There is something at stake. 233 00:12:43,000 --> 00:12:44,040 There is a prize. 234 00:12:44,040 --> 00:12:48,520 There is something to be gained. 235 00:12:48,520 --> 00:12:51,560 And for Abraham, this hit very personal for him 236 00:12:51,560 --> 00:12:54,480 because, again, Lot was his nephew, 237 00:12:54,480 --> 00:12:57,200 but he wasn't just his nephew in the sense 238 00:12:57,200 --> 00:13:00,160 that if you have nieces or nephews in your life, 239 00:13:00,160 --> 00:13:02,880 like I do, you love them and all that, 240 00:13:02,880 --> 00:13:04,400 but when it's time for them to go home, 241 00:13:04,400 --> 00:13:06,360 they gotta go, hallelujah. 242 00:13:06,360 --> 00:13:08,640 Yeah, I don't have my nephews, praise God. 243 00:13:08,640 --> 00:13:10,320 Hope you're not watching, hallelujah. 244 00:13:10,320 --> 00:13:14,000 But they got a whole tribe of them. 245 00:13:14,000 --> 00:13:14,840 You know what I'm saying? 246 00:13:14,840 --> 00:13:15,880 So I'm kind of past that stage. 247 00:13:15,880 --> 00:13:17,520 I don't know what I'm talking about. 248 00:13:17,520 --> 00:13:20,200 They got a bunch of little ones, and I love them to death, 249 00:13:20,200 --> 00:13:22,360 but when it's time to go home, it's time to go home. 250 00:13:22,360 --> 00:13:23,680 It's like, you can't stay here. 251 00:13:23,680 --> 00:13:24,760 You can't live here. 252 00:13:26,440 --> 00:13:27,680 Hallelujah. 253 00:13:27,680 --> 00:13:31,800 But Abraham and his relationship was not like that. 254 00:13:31,800 --> 00:13:34,640 In fact, Lot was more like a son to him 255 00:13:34,640 --> 00:13:36,840 because Lot lost his father early. 256 00:13:36,840 --> 00:13:39,000 His dad died early in life. 257 00:13:39,000 --> 00:13:42,960 And so Abraham stepped in as his surrogate father. 258 00:13:42,960 --> 00:13:45,960 He became a father figure in Lot's life, 259 00:13:45,960 --> 00:13:47,760 and he practically raised him, 260 00:13:47,760 --> 00:13:50,920 and he loved him like a son. 261 00:13:50,920 --> 00:13:55,600 And so this was more than just a nephew or relative. 262 00:13:55,600 --> 00:14:00,040 This was like a son to him, and he loved him that way. 263 00:14:00,040 --> 00:14:02,440 And you see it all throughout the story of Abraham and Lot. 264 00:14:02,440 --> 00:14:04,920 He just constantly was interceding for him 265 00:14:04,920 --> 00:14:06,880 because he loved him so dearly. 266 00:14:06,880 --> 00:14:10,160 And so when Lot fell into enemy hands as a POW, 267 00:14:10,160 --> 00:14:14,360 as a prisoner of war, it was very personal for Abraham. 268 00:14:14,360 --> 00:14:15,920 He took it so personal. 269 00:14:15,920 --> 00:14:19,920 And it also just wasn't just about Lot. 270 00:14:19,920 --> 00:14:22,560 It was about everything that was connected to him, 271 00:14:22,560 --> 00:14:26,600 his possessions, his family members, his future. 272 00:14:26,600 --> 00:14:28,520 Because in Abraham's mind, 273 00:14:28,520 --> 00:14:30,920 Lot represented the next generation. 274 00:14:30,920 --> 00:14:32,640 He represented tomorrow. 275 00:14:32,640 --> 00:14:35,840 He represented legacy and destiny. 276 00:14:35,840 --> 00:14:40,120 And so Lot was very symbolic of all the things 277 00:14:40,120 --> 00:14:44,320 that Abraham was believing God for in his own life. 278 00:14:44,320 --> 00:14:47,320 And so if Abraham didn't do anything, 279 00:14:47,320 --> 00:14:50,880 a lot, a lot would be lost. 280 00:14:50,880 --> 00:14:51,920 Let me tell you something 281 00:14:51,920 --> 00:14:54,960 about what the enemy's main objective is today. 282 00:14:54,960 --> 00:14:56,960 You see, when the enemy attacks, 283 00:14:56,960 --> 00:14:59,800 he's not just coming for one thing, brother. 284 00:15:01,720 --> 00:15:02,800 You understand what I'm saying? 285 00:15:02,800 --> 00:15:05,120 He's not just coming for one thing, sister. 286 00:15:05,120 --> 00:15:06,080 That's not, no, no, no, no. 287 00:15:06,080 --> 00:15:07,720 That's just the beginning. 288 00:15:07,720 --> 00:15:09,480 The enemy's not just coming for one thing. 289 00:15:09,480 --> 00:15:12,960 He's coming for everything that's connected to it. 290 00:15:14,200 --> 00:15:15,920 Everything that's connected to it. 291 00:15:15,920 --> 00:15:17,520 He's coming for all of it. 292 00:15:17,520 --> 00:15:19,080 He wants all of it. 293 00:15:19,080 --> 00:15:21,360 And so the devil, let me show you today, 294 00:15:21,360 --> 00:15:26,360 has a three-stage strategy for taking what is ours. 295 00:15:27,160 --> 00:15:30,320 This is a no-good character today. 296 00:15:30,320 --> 00:15:32,800 This is a terrible character today, the enemy. 297 00:15:32,800 --> 00:15:34,320 And we're not gonna glorify him, 298 00:15:34,320 --> 00:15:36,400 but we need to expose him for what he is. 299 00:15:36,400 --> 00:15:39,400 And so Jesus said in John chapter 10, 300 00:15:39,400 --> 00:15:41,160 and verse 10, if you could put that up, 301 00:15:41,160 --> 00:15:45,320 here is the three-stage strategy of the enemy. 302 00:15:45,320 --> 00:15:49,320 Jesus said the thief does not come except to, 303 00:15:49,320 --> 00:15:53,480 help me out, steal and to, 304 00:15:53,480 --> 00:15:58,000 and to, this is the enemy's objective. 305 00:15:58,000 --> 00:15:59,880 But notice how he starts. 306 00:15:59,880 --> 00:16:01,680 It doesn't, it's not the other way around. 307 00:16:01,680 --> 00:16:04,400 It's not, he doesn't come to destroy, kill, and steal. 308 00:16:04,400 --> 00:16:07,200 No, he ultimately wants to destroy, 309 00:16:07,200 --> 00:16:10,280 but it starts at the stealing stage. 310 00:16:10,280 --> 00:16:14,200 The stealing is important because he wants to steal 311 00:16:14,200 --> 00:16:16,040 what doesn't belong to him. 312 00:16:16,040 --> 00:16:18,480 And once he steals it, you know what he wants to do? 313 00:16:18,480 --> 00:16:21,680 He wants to kill whatever life is left in it. 314 00:16:21,680 --> 00:16:24,480 And then once he kills whatever life is left in it, 315 00:16:24,480 --> 00:16:25,960 then he wants to destroy it. 316 00:16:25,960 --> 00:16:26,800 You know what I mean? 317 00:16:26,800 --> 00:16:29,000 He wants to wipe it off the map. 318 00:16:29,000 --> 00:16:31,000 He wants to cut the bloodline. 319 00:16:31,000 --> 00:16:34,160 He wants to cut off the blessing for generations to come. 320 00:16:34,160 --> 00:16:37,920 He wants to eradicate it 321 00:16:37,920 --> 00:16:40,200 and wipe it from the face of the earth. 322 00:16:40,200 --> 00:16:41,880 This is how he wants to work. 323 00:16:41,880 --> 00:16:43,840 This is his whole objective. 324 00:16:43,840 --> 00:16:46,680 And so before we talk about even the killing 325 00:16:46,680 --> 00:16:49,440 and the destroying, the most critical stage 326 00:16:49,440 --> 00:16:51,600 in this process is the stealing. 327 00:16:51,600 --> 00:16:53,360 Someone say the stealing. 328 00:16:53,360 --> 00:16:55,040 This is the most critical stage 329 00:16:55,040 --> 00:16:59,600 because if Satan can steal something from us 330 00:16:59,600 --> 00:17:03,520 without a fight or worse, without us even realizing, 331 00:17:03,520 --> 00:17:07,240 if he can rob us of something right under our nose, 332 00:17:07,240 --> 00:17:09,720 if he can steal something from our lives, 333 00:17:09,720 --> 00:17:12,040 from our purpose, from our family, from our death, 334 00:17:12,040 --> 00:17:15,720 if he can steal something and then, and do that, 335 00:17:15,720 --> 00:17:19,680 then he could kill or even destroy it 336 00:17:19,680 --> 00:17:22,480 with very little resistance. 337 00:17:22,480 --> 00:17:23,640 Oh, hallelujah. 338 00:17:23,640 --> 00:17:26,720 So what I've come to inject in your hearts today 339 00:17:26,720 --> 00:17:30,880 is at the stealing stage is the most important. 340 00:17:30,880 --> 00:17:34,200 We cannot allow the enemy to steal something 341 00:17:34,200 --> 00:17:36,440 and then just sort of let things play out. 342 00:17:36,440 --> 00:17:41,440 No, we've got to have a militant in the spirit mindset. 343 00:17:42,040 --> 00:17:44,520 We gotta have the attitude of a warrior. 344 00:17:44,520 --> 00:17:47,080 We gotta have the attitude of a soldier 345 00:17:47,080 --> 00:17:50,200 and say, I'm not willing to just allow the enemy 346 00:17:50,200 --> 00:17:53,520 to steal whatever he wants from my life. 347 00:17:53,520 --> 00:17:56,080 If he steals something, then you gotta know, 348 00:17:56,080 --> 00:17:58,360 devil, that shots have been fired 349 00:17:58,360 --> 00:18:01,040 and I'm not just gonna sit back and let you do 350 00:18:01,040 --> 00:18:02,480 whatever it is that you do. 351 00:18:02,480 --> 00:18:05,240 I've got a witness in the house of God today. 352 00:18:05,240 --> 00:18:09,560 Oh, that's why you can't say, pastor, it's only my joy. 353 00:18:09,560 --> 00:18:10,480 I'll be okay. 354 00:18:10,480 --> 00:18:12,920 No, you better take back your joy 355 00:18:12,920 --> 00:18:16,040 because if you don't, tomorrow it'll be your strength. 356 00:18:17,040 --> 00:18:18,280 Hello, somebody. 357 00:18:18,280 --> 00:18:22,560 The Bible says the joy of the Lord is our strength. 358 00:18:22,560 --> 00:18:24,600 If you don't fight for your joy, 359 00:18:24,600 --> 00:18:26,400 tomorrow it'll be your strength 360 00:18:26,400 --> 00:18:29,560 and then by that time you won't have any strength left 361 00:18:29,560 --> 00:18:30,600 to fight him back. 362 00:18:30,600 --> 00:18:32,840 Don't you say it's only my peace. 363 00:18:32,840 --> 00:18:35,800 I can do without peace, no, because today 364 00:18:35,800 --> 00:18:38,000 it might be your peace, but tomorrow 365 00:18:38,000 --> 00:18:40,040 it'll be your whole mind. 366 00:18:40,040 --> 00:18:45,040 Somebody shall fight. 367 00:18:45,640 --> 00:18:49,000 Don't say, well, brother, it's just one soul. 368 00:18:49,000 --> 00:18:50,960 There's plenty of more souls out there. 369 00:18:50,960 --> 00:18:52,720 The devil is a liar. 370 00:18:52,720 --> 00:18:55,080 It might just be one soul to you today, 371 00:18:55,080 --> 00:18:58,520 but that soul is connected to many other souls 372 00:18:58,520 --> 00:18:59,440 and many others. 373 00:18:59,440 --> 00:19:04,120 There's a whole generation that the devil wants to wipe out, 374 00:19:04,120 --> 00:19:06,920 but the people of God are here today 375 00:19:06,920 --> 00:19:08,960 and we've got faith in our spirit 376 00:19:08,960 --> 00:19:11,800 and we're ready to fight the good fight of faith 377 00:19:11,800 --> 00:19:14,680 and say devil, not on my watch. 378 00:19:14,680 --> 00:19:17,040 Somebody ought to lift up your hands. 379 00:19:17,040 --> 00:19:19,240 Somebody ought to thank the Lord today. 380 00:19:19,240 --> 00:19:20,080 Yay! 381 00:19:24,520 --> 00:19:27,480 Say this, say not on my watch, devil. 382 00:19:27,480 --> 00:19:30,800 Come on, with some power, say not on my watch, devil. 383 00:19:32,720 --> 00:19:34,840 This is where it ends, right here. 384 00:19:34,840 --> 00:19:37,360 And the enemy tried to steal and Abraham said, 385 00:19:37,360 --> 00:19:39,720 no, no, no, I ain't having this. 386 00:19:39,720 --> 00:19:40,560 I ain't having it. 387 00:19:40,560 --> 00:19:43,360 And you know Lot wasn't no perfect character either. 388 00:19:43,360 --> 00:19:45,520 Lot had flaw, it wasn't like he was going after, 389 00:19:45,520 --> 00:19:46,920 you know, a saintly person. 390 00:19:46,920 --> 00:19:48,240 Lot had made a lot of mistakes, 391 00:19:48,240 --> 00:19:51,120 but you know, but that's the heart of God. 392 00:19:51,120 --> 00:19:52,920 Even if something isn't perfect, 393 00:19:52,920 --> 00:19:55,880 even if something isn't pristine, 394 00:19:55,880 --> 00:19:58,320 even if something isn't exactly the way we want, 395 00:19:58,320 --> 00:20:01,360 but it has value in the eyes of God. 396 00:20:01,360 --> 00:20:03,920 And so the Lord says, you need to go and get that. 397 00:20:03,920 --> 00:20:06,080 What has the enemy taken from you? 398 00:20:06,080 --> 00:20:07,280 Is it your joy? 399 00:20:07,280 --> 00:20:08,280 Is it your love? 400 00:20:08,280 --> 00:20:09,280 Is it your peace? 401 00:20:09,280 --> 00:20:10,320 Is it your purpose? 402 00:20:10,320 --> 00:20:12,120 Is it a loved one? 403 00:20:12,120 --> 00:20:14,800 I'm here to tell you that the stakes are too high. 404 00:20:16,160 --> 00:20:17,820 Stakes are too high. 405 00:20:17,820 --> 00:20:18,660 They're too high. 406 00:20:18,660 --> 00:20:20,680 And so whatever it is that we gotta get, 407 00:20:20,680 --> 00:20:23,120 we gotta get over, get over ourselves, 408 00:20:23,120 --> 00:20:26,000 get over whatever it is so that we can get back 409 00:20:26,000 --> 00:20:28,400 to reclaiming what belongs to us. 410 00:20:28,400 --> 00:20:29,680 But let me bring you to point number two. 411 00:20:29,680 --> 00:20:31,160 And man, there's so much I wanna preach about. 412 00:20:31,160 --> 00:20:33,360 I might have to make this a series in a couple of weeks, 413 00:20:33,360 --> 00:20:36,600 come back to this, but hear me on this next part, 414 00:20:36,600 --> 00:20:38,120 because this is so important. 415 00:20:38,120 --> 00:20:41,220 And it has to do with the attitude that we have 416 00:20:41,220 --> 00:20:42,840 in getting what belongs to us. 417 00:20:42,840 --> 00:20:45,720 And it's this, that winning, someone say winning, 418 00:20:45,720 --> 00:20:48,420 it starts before the war. 419 00:20:50,620 --> 00:20:53,020 Oh man, I need to take a jook of water, praise God. 420 00:20:55,780 --> 00:20:57,860 Before the war, can I tell you something? 421 00:20:57,860 --> 00:21:00,460 If you start getting ready in the fight, it's too late. 422 00:21:02,180 --> 00:21:04,580 Imagine what a soldier's gonna do when he starts going, 423 00:21:04,580 --> 00:21:08,140 you can't go through basic training while you're in battle. 424 00:21:09,420 --> 00:21:12,100 And the reason why some Christians are getting whipped 425 00:21:12,100 --> 00:21:16,060 by the enemy is because they're not prepared. 426 00:21:16,060 --> 00:21:17,420 You step outside of your house 427 00:21:17,420 --> 00:21:20,360 and you don't got the armor of the Lord on you. 428 00:21:20,360 --> 00:21:21,780 How are you gonna fight him? 429 00:21:21,780 --> 00:21:22,900 Amen, somebody. 430 00:21:24,580 --> 00:21:26,900 In fact, you ask most anybody 431 00:21:26,900 --> 00:21:30,460 whether it's professional sports, boxers, athletes, 432 00:21:30,460 --> 00:21:32,260 really, if you think about it, 433 00:21:32,260 --> 00:21:35,220 the war or the fight is won, not in the ring, 434 00:21:35,220 --> 00:21:36,820 it's won in the preparation. 435 00:21:38,100 --> 00:21:39,980 Because it's when what's an opponent 436 00:21:39,980 --> 00:21:43,140 doesn't respect his enemy and he doesn't prepare himself, 437 00:21:43,140 --> 00:21:46,180 doesn't matter how talented, how gifted, how athletic he is, 438 00:21:46,180 --> 00:21:47,660 he'll get knocked down in the ring, why? 439 00:21:47,660 --> 00:21:49,940 Because he wasn't prepared. 440 00:21:49,940 --> 00:21:51,180 He just steps in there and say, 441 00:21:51,180 --> 00:21:53,100 hey man, I got the stuff. 442 00:21:54,920 --> 00:21:56,080 What about the preparation? 443 00:21:56,080 --> 00:21:58,060 Abraham, he was a man of peace 444 00:21:58,060 --> 00:22:01,780 and we talk a lot about the peaceful nature of Abraham. 445 00:22:01,780 --> 00:22:05,000 He was, but can I tell you, he was prepared for war. 446 00:22:06,420 --> 00:22:08,060 He was prepared for war. 447 00:22:08,060 --> 00:22:09,700 The Bible says this, what's this? 448 00:22:09,700 --> 00:22:11,220 Abraham, I've got new, 449 00:22:11,220 --> 00:22:14,340 you're gonna have new respect for Abraham today. 450 00:22:14,340 --> 00:22:15,780 You're not just gonna see Abraham today 451 00:22:15,780 --> 00:22:18,220 as an altar builder and a covenant maker, 452 00:22:18,220 --> 00:22:21,380 you're gonna see him as a bad warrior, watch this. 453 00:22:21,380 --> 00:22:23,020 Because in verse 14, if you could, 454 00:22:23,020 --> 00:22:24,740 I don't know if I have that, if not, that's okay. 455 00:22:24,740 --> 00:22:29,740 In verse 14, the Bible says that he armed his 318 trained 456 00:22:30,540 --> 00:22:35,540 servants behind the scenes in the midst of making covenants 457 00:22:35,860 --> 00:22:37,340 and building altars. 458 00:22:37,340 --> 00:22:41,140 We think that Abraham is just like a tearful worshiper. 459 00:22:41,140 --> 00:22:44,860 He was training up an army. 460 00:22:44,860 --> 00:22:48,460 He was equipping an army, preparing an army 461 00:22:48,460 --> 00:22:51,740 with uniquely qualified skills. 462 00:22:51,740 --> 00:22:54,460 These were unique servants. 463 00:22:54,460 --> 00:22:57,460 I mean, I have an appreciation for the way 464 00:22:57,460 --> 00:23:00,620 that these men came up under Abraham. 465 00:23:00,620 --> 00:23:01,500 They were unique. 466 00:23:01,500 --> 00:23:03,140 I'll tell you one reason why they were unique. 467 00:23:03,140 --> 00:23:05,300 They were a dual threat. 468 00:23:05,300 --> 00:23:06,300 They were a dual threat. 469 00:23:06,300 --> 00:23:10,260 They were not what some might call like a one trick pony. 470 00:23:10,260 --> 00:23:12,900 They didn't just do one thing and do it really well. 471 00:23:12,900 --> 00:23:15,800 And if that's the case, nothing wrong with that. 472 00:23:15,800 --> 00:23:18,300 But these people were like ambidextrous. 473 00:23:18,300 --> 00:23:22,500 They could do a little bit of everything almost. 474 00:23:22,500 --> 00:23:25,420 They could serve with one hand 475 00:23:25,420 --> 00:23:27,380 and then they could fight with the other. 476 00:23:27,380 --> 00:23:29,620 Reminds me a lot of Nehemiah's men 477 00:23:29,620 --> 00:23:32,120 as they were rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, right? 478 00:23:32,120 --> 00:23:34,820 Because the scripture says that with one hand they built 479 00:23:34,820 --> 00:23:37,620 and with the other hand they held a sword. 480 00:23:37,620 --> 00:23:39,940 So these were very much like that. 481 00:23:39,940 --> 00:23:42,280 They could tend the flocks by day 482 00:23:42,280 --> 00:23:46,460 and do the service and the work within the house of Abraham, 483 00:23:46,460 --> 00:23:49,520 but wield the sword by night. 484 00:23:49,520 --> 00:23:53,280 These were specially trained servants. 485 00:23:53,280 --> 00:23:57,600 And I believe that this pictures the kind of versatile, 486 00:23:57,600 --> 00:24:00,900 hear me today, the kind of versatile church 487 00:24:00,900 --> 00:24:05,220 that God is wanting to raise up in this hour of spiritual 488 00:24:05,220 --> 00:24:06,460 hostility. 489 00:24:06,460 --> 00:24:09,060 God wants to raise up men and women of faith 490 00:24:09,060 --> 00:24:13,180 in the church today that can tend the flock by day 491 00:24:13,180 --> 00:24:15,820 and wield the sword by night. 492 00:24:15,820 --> 00:24:19,700 God wants people in the house to God today in the church 493 00:24:19,700 --> 00:24:24,340 that not only conserve, but engage in spiritual battle. 494 00:24:24,340 --> 00:24:29,060 Oh, what would happen if we like these trained servants 495 00:24:29,060 --> 00:24:30,900 in the house of Abraham? 496 00:24:30,900 --> 00:24:35,900 They not only lend their talents, they lend their giftings, 497 00:24:36,020 --> 00:24:39,980 but they also were engaged in spiritual battle. 498 00:24:39,980 --> 00:24:43,120 I wonder what would happen in the church today 499 00:24:43,120 --> 00:24:45,060 right here in this place. 500 00:24:45,060 --> 00:24:47,580 If there were a people that said, you know what? 501 00:24:47,580 --> 00:24:50,340 I'm not only gonna lend my gift to God, 502 00:24:50,340 --> 00:24:53,980 but I'm gonna be active in spiritual warfare. 503 00:24:53,980 --> 00:24:56,380 I'm gonna get into my prayer closet. 504 00:24:56,380 --> 00:24:58,140 I'm gonna seek God. 505 00:24:58,140 --> 00:25:01,900 I'm gonna win a lost person for Jesus. 506 00:25:01,900 --> 00:25:06,900 I'm gonna see the power of God release in my life. 507 00:25:07,060 --> 00:25:10,100 I wonder if there's somebody here today, 508 00:25:10,100 --> 00:25:14,340 people who can really worship, people who can really pray, 509 00:25:14,340 --> 00:25:17,860 people who can really speak the name of Jesus. 510 00:25:17,860 --> 00:25:21,660 Clap your hands and let's give God some praise, hallelujah. 511 00:25:21,660 --> 00:25:25,900 This is what it's gonna take. 512 00:25:25,900 --> 00:25:28,300 And the revivals that we've experienced, 513 00:25:28,300 --> 00:25:29,660 the revival that we just had last Sunday, 514 00:25:29,660 --> 00:25:31,500 praise be to God for that. 515 00:25:31,500 --> 00:25:34,820 But let's make sure it's not just an experience. 516 00:25:34,820 --> 00:25:37,300 Let's make sure it becomes a lifestyle. 517 00:25:37,300 --> 00:25:40,020 The Bible says the weapons of our, 518 00:25:40,020 --> 00:25:43,340 for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, 519 00:25:43,340 --> 00:25:47,940 but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds. 520 00:25:47,940 --> 00:25:51,220 There are strongholds that need to come down 521 00:25:51,220 --> 00:25:53,660 in the name of Jesus Christ. 522 00:25:53,660 --> 00:25:55,580 Can I preach like I want to here today? 523 00:25:55,580 --> 00:25:56,660 Hallelujah. 524 00:25:56,660 --> 00:25:59,860 There are strongholds, someone say strongholds. 525 00:25:59,860 --> 00:26:03,860 There are strongholds and a stronghold sounds exactly 526 00:26:03,860 --> 00:26:06,660 or is exactly like how it sounds. 527 00:26:06,660 --> 00:26:09,860 It's a place of strength that's got a hold. 528 00:26:09,860 --> 00:26:11,180 And there are certain places, 529 00:26:11,180 --> 00:26:14,580 some might be in our own lives, amen. 530 00:26:14,580 --> 00:26:16,980 It might be in our own little worlds 531 00:26:16,980 --> 00:26:19,740 or they might be in the world around us. 532 00:26:19,740 --> 00:26:22,700 There are footholds and there are strongholds, 533 00:26:22,700 --> 00:26:27,420 territories that the enemy has tried to claim as his own. 534 00:26:27,420 --> 00:26:30,940 And he's gonna sit there until a person of faith, 535 00:26:30,940 --> 00:26:34,220 full of the Holy Ghost and understands the power 536 00:26:34,220 --> 00:26:35,780 of the name of Jesus, 537 00:26:35,780 --> 00:26:39,420 tells that guy that he's got 30 seconds to get out of there 538 00:26:39,420 --> 00:26:41,860 because if not, he's gonna regret it. 539 00:26:41,860 --> 00:26:44,740 He's got to deal with people of faith 540 00:26:44,740 --> 00:26:48,300 that are willing to put the devil in his place, 541 00:26:48,300 --> 00:26:52,260 in the spirit and start claiming things 542 00:26:52,260 --> 00:26:54,020 that belong to us. 543 00:26:54,020 --> 00:26:56,620 I don't know if I'm talking to somebody here today 544 00:26:56,620 --> 00:26:58,780 that's got some things that you need to reclaim 545 00:26:58,780 --> 00:27:00,620 for the kingdom of God. 546 00:27:00,620 --> 00:27:04,500 Oh, you got some things you need to reclaim for the Lord. 547 00:27:04,500 --> 00:27:05,900 Things in the spirit. 548 00:27:05,900 --> 00:27:09,180 Well, the Lord sent me here today to tell you 549 00:27:09,180 --> 00:27:12,300 that you are armed and you are dangerous, 550 00:27:12,300 --> 00:27:14,060 but you've got to use it. 551 00:27:14,060 --> 00:27:17,220 You've got to prepare yourself for battle. 552 00:27:18,660 --> 00:27:20,900 If we could have these weapons, that's wonderful. 553 00:27:20,900 --> 00:27:23,660 We can attend church and that's wonderful. 554 00:27:23,660 --> 00:27:26,060 But let me tell you something, coming to church, 555 00:27:26,060 --> 00:27:28,260 getting involved with the church, 556 00:27:28,260 --> 00:27:30,660 whether it's on Sunday, whether it's midweek 557 00:27:30,660 --> 00:27:31,900 at the school of discipleship, 558 00:27:31,900 --> 00:27:34,780 whether it's in a city group, praise be to God, 559 00:27:34,780 --> 00:27:35,860 whatever those things are, 560 00:27:35,860 --> 00:27:38,820 it's not for the purpose of us just being fed. 561 00:27:40,100 --> 00:27:42,900 No, it's for us to be trained. 562 00:27:43,980 --> 00:27:45,940 Whoo, hallelujah. 563 00:27:45,940 --> 00:27:49,540 So that we can go about and carry out the work of ministry 564 00:27:49,540 --> 00:27:50,740 in our lives. 565 00:27:50,740 --> 00:27:53,740 And be the hands, the feet of Jesus Christ. 566 00:27:53,740 --> 00:27:55,740 It is not, too many people choose 567 00:27:55,740 --> 00:27:56,980 what church they're gonna go to. 568 00:27:56,980 --> 00:27:58,580 Is it, they're gonna feed me. 569 00:28:00,780 --> 00:28:03,260 And the problem is, is that people are not growing 570 00:28:03,260 --> 00:28:05,700 spiritually, they're just getting spiritually fat. 571 00:28:06,860 --> 00:28:08,780 Oh, I can't say that, I'm sorry. 572 00:28:14,060 --> 00:28:15,900 We don't like hearing that, but it's true. 573 00:28:15,900 --> 00:28:18,580 How many sermons, how many things are we gonna hear? 574 00:28:18,580 --> 00:28:19,500 How many things are we gonna hear? 575 00:28:19,500 --> 00:28:21,740 We said, why should God give you more 576 00:28:21,740 --> 00:28:24,580 if you haven't done anything with what he's given you now? 577 00:28:27,740 --> 00:28:29,740 If you don't like the word fat, okay, 578 00:28:29,740 --> 00:28:31,380 we're spiritually out of shape. 579 00:28:33,420 --> 00:28:34,820 Something you rolled your eyes when I said that, 580 00:28:34,820 --> 00:28:35,740 it's all right. 581 00:28:35,740 --> 00:28:37,340 We're spiritually out of shape. 582 00:28:37,340 --> 00:28:40,060 We're spiritually not conditioned. 583 00:28:41,620 --> 00:28:43,900 And so why should God give us more? 584 00:28:43,900 --> 00:28:44,900 I wanna go to the next, 585 00:28:44,900 --> 00:28:46,620 when's the next revival gonna be, Pastor? 586 00:28:46,620 --> 00:28:49,620 Why, what did you do with the last revival? 587 00:28:49,620 --> 00:28:50,460 Uh-huh. 588 00:28:50,460 --> 00:28:51,300 Uh-huh. 589 00:28:53,140 --> 00:28:54,900 Who are we, who are we talking to? 590 00:28:54,900 --> 00:28:56,140 What things are we claiming? 591 00:28:56,140 --> 00:28:59,500 How have we changed since the last time? 592 00:29:01,780 --> 00:29:03,460 Let me tell you something. 593 00:29:03,460 --> 00:29:06,460 Passion, zeal, I'll just be a few more moments, hallelujah. 594 00:29:06,460 --> 00:29:08,980 Passion, zeal, that's great. 595 00:29:08,980 --> 00:29:10,460 It's great when you can come to church 596 00:29:10,460 --> 00:29:13,620 and get excited and get passionate. 597 00:29:13,620 --> 00:29:14,780 But let me tell you something, 598 00:29:14,780 --> 00:29:16,500 your zeal, your passion is not gonna help you 599 00:29:16,500 --> 00:29:17,340 in the battle. 600 00:29:17,340 --> 00:29:20,620 You will always default to your level of preparation. 601 00:29:22,580 --> 00:29:24,980 You'll always default to your level of preparation. 602 00:29:24,980 --> 00:29:28,180 You'll always fall back on your level of prepare. 603 00:29:28,180 --> 00:29:31,380 From, they came up under Abraham. 604 00:29:33,220 --> 00:29:37,660 And so for them, this mission was personal. 605 00:29:41,940 --> 00:29:43,060 They were loyal. 606 00:29:43,060 --> 00:29:45,660 They were dedicated. 607 00:29:45,660 --> 00:29:49,460 And they, and you know what they were? 608 00:29:49,460 --> 00:29:54,460 For hell or high water, through thick and thin, 609 00:29:54,460 --> 00:29:56,620 they were Team Abraham. 610 00:29:58,620 --> 00:30:01,500 The reason why some are struggling to get the victory 611 00:30:01,500 --> 00:30:05,260 in areas of your life is because your allegiance 612 00:30:05,260 --> 00:30:06,740 is on shaky ground. 613 00:30:08,100 --> 00:30:09,980 Oh my God. 614 00:30:09,980 --> 00:30:14,540 You're never gonna get the victory with a partial commitment, 615 00:30:14,540 --> 00:30:17,540 with a partial, oh, hallelujah. 616 00:30:17,540 --> 00:30:18,660 Woo, my God. 617 00:30:20,660 --> 00:30:24,740 The Bible says they were from his own hand. 618 00:30:24,740 --> 00:30:25,580 You know what that tells me? 619 00:30:25,580 --> 00:30:27,820 They had no ulterior motives. 620 00:30:29,780 --> 00:30:31,500 No secret agendas. 621 00:30:32,820 --> 00:30:33,980 Hmm, my God. 622 00:30:35,100 --> 00:30:37,140 Everyone worrying about who's gonna get the credit 623 00:30:37,140 --> 00:30:38,500 and who's gonna get, 624 00:30:38,500 --> 00:30:41,700 they were just, they were Team Abraham. 625 00:30:43,220 --> 00:30:45,260 They were in it all the way. 626 00:30:48,060 --> 00:30:50,980 Some are struggling to take back what the enemy has stolen. 627 00:30:50,980 --> 00:30:52,900 Not because you don't love God. 628 00:30:52,900 --> 00:30:55,140 Not because your salvation is in question. 629 00:30:56,420 --> 00:30:59,820 But perhaps because there is some wavering. 630 00:31:01,340 --> 00:31:05,940 You cannot claim victory if you haven't chosen a side. 631 00:31:05,940 --> 00:31:08,860 You can't claim victory saying, 632 00:31:08,860 --> 00:31:12,380 I'm just gonna have it one foot in and one foot out. 633 00:31:13,540 --> 00:31:16,140 These men, they were so committed. 634 00:31:16,140 --> 00:31:18,140 They were just waiting for Abraham 635 00:31:18,140 --> 00:31:18,980 to give them their orders. 636 00:31:18,980 --> 00:31:21,380 Abraham, just tell us where to go and we'll be there. 637 00:31:21,380 --> 00:31:22,860 Tell us where to show up. 638 00:31:22,860 --> 00:31:25,300 Tell us how you, give us the marching orders. 639 00:31:25,300 --> 00:31:26,820 Tell us what the vision is. 640 00:31:26,820 --> 00:31:28,460 Tell us where we need to go, Abraham. 641 00:31:28,460 --> 00:31:29,900 And we're ready to fight. 642 00:31:29,900 --> 00:31:30,740 We're ready to fight. 643 00:31:30,740 --> 00:31:34,260 We're not just servants, but we're warriors at the same time. 644 00:31:34,260 --> 00:31:36,100 And we're also trained. 645 00:31:36,100 --> 00:31:37,820 We've been working in the gym. 646 00:31:37,820 --> 00:31:40,060 We've been polishing our swords. 647 00:31:40,060 --> 00:31:42,620 We've been practicing these skills. 648 00:31:42,620 --> 00:31:44,980 And we're ready to get into the fight. 649 00:31:44,980 --> 00:31:46,580 So just tell us where to go. 650 00:31:46,580 --> 00:31:48,900 And then at the moment that Abraham gathered 651 00:31:48,900 --> 00:31:52,900 his 318 men together, they say, now it's time, gentlemen. 652 00:31:52,900 --> 00:31:55,140 Let's go and reclaim what God has. 653 00:31:55,140 --> 00:31:56,820 Let's go and get our lot back. 654 00:31:56,820 --> 00:31:59,740 They said, let's go into battle and let's get a lot back. 655 00:31:59,740 --> 00:32:01,500 Let's go wherever we need to go. 656 00:32:01,500 --> 00:32:03,340 And let's reclaim the things of God. 657 00:32:03,340 --> 00:32:05,260 I've come to tell somebody here today 658 00:32:05,260 --> 00:32:07,820 that if you want to see a breakthrough in your life, 659 00:32:07,820 --> 00:32:10,260 if you want to see God reclaiming 660 00:32:10,260 --> 00:32:14,460 of whatever it is in your life, God is revealing it right now 661 00:32:14,460 --> 00:32:15,620 when the Holy Ghost. 662 00:32:15,620 --> 00:32:17,580 Oh, rabba, bai, yash, shah, shah. 663 00:32:17,580 --> 00:32:20,860 He's revealing it right now when the Holy Ghost of those things 664 00:32:20,860 --> 00:32:22,860 you need to reclaim in your life. 665 00:32:22,860 --> 00:32:24,740 He's revealing it right now. 666 00:32:24,740 --> 00:32:27,820 And this is the last thing that the Lord wants me to say, 667 00:32:27,820 --> 00:32:30,620 is that you've got to take the fight to the enemy. 668 00:32:30,620 --> 00:32:32,860 Oh, what I love about Abraham. 669 00:32:32,860 --> 00:32:36,660 What I love about Abraham is that he went all the way. 670 00:32:36,660 --> 00:32:39,460 He went as far as he needed to go 671 00:32:39,460 --> 00:32:42,740 to take back what the enemy had stolen from him. 672 00:32:42,740 --> 00:32:47,740 Oh, he traveled many, many miles, upwards of 120 miles. 673 00:32:47,980 --> 00:32:51,460 Him and his skilled, trained men went with him 674 00:32:51,460 --> 00:32:54,220 and they went inside of the border. 675 00:32:54,220 --> 00:32:57,260 Let me tell you something in the Holy Ghost right now. 676 00:32:57,260 --> 00:33:00,500 There are some things that God is going to give to you, 677 00:33:00,500 --> 00:33:03,220 but you've got to be willing to go beyond 678 00:33:03,220 --> 00:33:05,220 whatever border, whatever line. 679 00:33:05,220 --> 00:33:07,300 You see something, my God, 680 00:33:07,300 --> 00:33:11,380 we have this thing in our head and our minds that tells us, 681 00:33:11,380 --> 00:33:13,580 and every one of us today has one. 682 00:33:13,580 --> 00:33:17,300 We said, this is as far as I'm willing to go. 683 00:33:17,300 --> 00:33:20,660 But what if I told you that your breakthrough 684 00:33:20,660 --> 00:33:23,500 and your miracle and your victory 685 00:33:23,500 --> 00:33:27,140 was right on the other side of how far you're willing to, 686 00:33:27,140 --> 00:33:28,540 you're not hearing me here today. 687 00:33:28,540 --> 00:33:32,540 Some of you say, I will not praise him any louder than this. 688 00:33:32,540 --> 00:33:36,660 What if I told you if you praise him a little bit harder 689 00:33:36,660 --> 00:33:38,340 and a little bit louder, 690 00:33:38,340 --> 00:33:41,180 you might see the miracle in your life. 691 00:33:41,180 --> 00:33:46,180 Oh my God, if I go a little further, 692 00:33:47,020 --> 00:33:49,380 would you stand with me this afternoon? 693 00:33:49,380 --> 00:33:52,180 Ba-da-ba-ba-yai, what would happen? 694 00:33:53,380 --> 00:33:55,900 If I go a little further, you say, but pastor, 695 00:33:55,900 --> 00:33:57,900 I mean, this all sounds nice and great and wonderful. 696 00:33:57,900 --> 00:34:00,900 You know, I took a few notes, that's all great. 697 00:34:00,900 --> 00:34:02,540 That's cute, what a cute message and all that. 698 00:34:02,540 --> 00:34:05,020 But I don't know if I'm ready to go to the next level 699 00:34:05,020 --> 00:34:07,060 because I've already made an agreement with God 700 00:34:07,060 --> 00:34:09,260 that this is what I'm gonna give this year. 701 00:34:09,260 --> 00:34:10,660 This is what I'm gonna do this year. 702 00:34:10,660 --> 00:34:12,740 This is as far as I'm willing to go. 703 00:34:12,740 --> 00:34:16,300 Well, then you may not get what you've been believing, God, 704 00:34:16,300 --> 00:34:17,660 to give back to you. 705 00:34:17,660 --> 00:34:20,980 But if you're willing to go as far as Hobo, 706 00:34:20,980 --> 00:34:24,100 oh my Lord, as far as Hobo. 707 00:34:24,100 --> 00:34:27,700 He said, I'm not gonna stop within the predictable place 708 00:34:27,700 --> 00:34:28,660 that I always stop. 709 00:34:28,660 --> 00:34:30,500 Some of us are so predictable. 710 00:34:30,500 --> 00:34:32,540 You pray the same prayer all the time. 711 00:34:32,540 --> 00:34:34,660 You worship the same way all the time. 712 00:34:34,660 --> 00:34:36,580 You praise the same way all the time. 713 00:34:36,580 --> 00:34:38,580 You give the same thing all the time. 714 00:34:38,580 --> 00:34:42,140 And God is saying, I wonder why, I hear the Holy Ghost, 715 00:34:42,140 --> 00:34:43,900 would you try me? 716 00:34:43,900 --> 00:34:46,300 Would you put your foot out there? 717 00:34:46,300 --> 00:34:49,620 Would you, mm, you say, why do I gotta do that? 718 00:34:49,620 --> 00:34:53,620 Because until we go into the enemy's camp, 719 00:34:53,620 --> 00:34:56,580 we may not take back what belongs to us. 720 00:34:56,580 --> 00:34:59,860 Come on, help me out, musicians. 721 00:34:59,860 --> 00:35:04,500 Ah, until we go all the way, until the enemy's camp, 722 00:35:04,500 --> 00:35:06,140 all the way. 723 00:35:06,140 --> 00:35:08,260 Someone give God some praise right now. 724 00:35:09,860 --> 00:35:11,900 Come on, somebody magnify him today. 725 00:35:13,300 --> 00:35:15,660 I feel the Holy Ghost in this place right now. 726 00:35:15,660 --> 00:35:17,940 I feel the Spirit of God in this place. 727 00:35:17,940 --> 00:35:20,060 And there is a push in the Holy Ghost 728 00:35:20,060 --> 00:35:22,500 to go further than where we've gone before. 729 00:35:22,500 --> 00:35:24,540 There is a push in the Holy Ghost 730 00:35:24,540 --> 00:35:27,180 to press beyond our predictable norms. 731 00:35:27,180 --> 00:35:29,220 There's a push in the Holy Ghost 732 00:35:29,220 --> 00:35:32,500 to look past whatever it is that we see 733 00:35:32,500 --> 00:35:36,580 as our typical and normative experience with God. 734 00:35:36,580 --> 00:35:39,900 And the Lord says, if you're willing to go beyond that, 735 00:35:39,900 --> 00:35:42,580 oh, if you're willing to push beyond that, 736 00:35:42,580 --> 00:35:44,620 you're gonna find a lot. 737 00:35:44,620 --> 00:35:46,420 You're gonna find what the enemy 738 00:35:46,420 --> 00:35:48,380 is trying to take from you. 739 00:35:48,380 --> 00:35:53,380 Oh, I feel like somebody is about to break free.