Transcription
God, I thank you. Hebrews chapter 3:16-19.
If you on the screen, say, "I'm there." >> Where my super saved people who got a physical Bible in the place. Hey, and where the people like me you looking on the screen. Y'all not better than us.
Hebrews chapter 3:16. This is what it says. "Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? And with whom was he angry for 40 years? Was it not those who sinned, whose bodies perished in the wilderness? And to whom did God swear, uh-oh, that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobey."
God is having a writer of Hebrews is is having a conversation and he's saying obviously we can see that he's talking about the nation of Israel when they left Egypt. Somebody say Egypt. Now we at talkback church that means you can holl at your boy. If you can't say amen say >> there we go.
But the writer of Hebrews is saying that that the nation of Israel like who was it that God was mad at? He's pointing something. Watch this. He's saying that they disobeyed and that God swore that they would never somebody say never enter his rest. Verse 19's word drop our anchor. Watch this. It says, "So we see," somebody say, "See, that they were not able to enter because of their unbelief." My God. So we see that they were not able to enter because of their unbelief.
I need you to go ahead and introduce the title of our message to your neighbor today. Can you elbow them and say neighbor? >> Come on. That was the wrong neighbor. Find somebody else. I need you to say, "Cousin, >> expensive." >> Unbelief. I don't know if you know this, but your unbelief is expensive in this place.
Father, help me to preach this. Help me to teach this. I pray their hearts will be open in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. Will y'all say, >> "Amen." >> Amen. Expensive, unbelief.
We had a saying at our church that notetakers are what? >> World changers. >> World changers. I got to I'm going to start this off with a statement. What if I told you that the most expensive thing in your life is not your bills? She said, "You don't know my bills, Pastor. What if I told you that the most expensive thing in your life is not your mortgage, that it's not your rent? What if I told you that the most expensive thing in your life is not those student loans? It's not that birthday present that you bought that was outside of your budget. It's not that vacation. It's not that car that you drive. It's not your spouse and it's not your children. The most expensive thing in your life, watch me, is your unbelief. >> The most expensive thing in your life is your unbelief.
I want to make a really strong statement on this 2-year anniversary. Your unbelief is costing you more than you think. >> Hear me. In fact, I can guarantee it scripturally that it is costing you more than you can even imagine.
I just told you that we're starting this new series called Blocked. And the premise of it, we're actually going to send out our newsletter. The premise and the big idea of the series is that there's habits, perspectives, and even people that can serve, watch me, as barriers to you seeing, experiencing, and becoming all that God has promised you. Watch me. There are habits. There are perspectives. And there are for some of us even people, you might be with them. Just just look straight. Watch me. That serve as barriers that are stopping you from seeing, experiencing, and becoming all that God has promised you. In other words, God has promises, but they've been blocked. Is that you have to understand, watch me, lean in, that God does have a plan for your life. That's the most simple thing I can tell you. But it's a lot of times that we just think that we're just kind of out here just living. God does have a plan for your life. God does have promises for your life. But the heartbreaking reality is that many of us do not live in what in the fullness of what God has intended because of the barriers that we've set up knowingly or unknowingly. And the most scary thing about a barrier is that you may not know that it's there. And so you're hoping and you're wishing that you're going to walk into a door that has that you've been locked out of because you have set up a barrier. And you some of us are going through season after season after season getting upset with God with a barrier that you created. >> I can't get no help in this Catholic church. Watch me. And after and over the next few weeks, we are going to identify and hopefully tear down what some of these barriers are. But watch me, none of them hinder you more than your unbelief. There is no barrier that will hinder you more than your unbelief.
Write this down. This is our big idea. Unbelief is our greatest barrier to the promises of God. It is the number one. Watch me. Nothing is greater and nothing is a greater hindrance than a lack of faith. Nothing can block the promises of God like unbelief. Nothing can watch me lock you out of your destiny like a lack of faith.
Because hear me you have to understand this about faith. Faith is not some arbitrary thing that we just talk about in church. Faith is not it is the central premise of who we are as Christians. is that faith is the premise of what is we do that we that we know that that faith is who we are but you have to understand this is that faith is a key write this down faith is a somebody say key >> let me can I teach you the Bible >> I hope so listen what it is faith is a key all throughout the Bible we see faith being the element that unlocks I something in somebody's life all throughout the Bible we see people walking up to doors trying to get in and they're not able to and then faith comes along and unlocks it. That we see people, oh my goodness, that we see people in seasons trying to get out of a season and they cannot get it and then faith comes along and it unlocks it. Because faith is a key.
If you don't believe me, if you were to ask Paul, he would say that faith is the key to our salvation. That's why he said in the book of Ephesians to the church of Ephesus, he says that we are, watch me, is that we are for it is by grace that you have been saved through faith, not of your own selves. Basically, what he's saying is that faith unlocks your salvation because faith is a key.
>> Faith is also a key to your healing. If you don't believe me, you could ask a woman in in in the New Testament who had been bleeding for 12 years straight. And when she heard that Jesus, does anybody read the Bible in here? that Jesus was coming by and she said, "If I can just touch the hem of his >> the hem of his garment, that I will be healed." And the Bible says that she fixed her eyes on Jesus and she began to crawl through a crowd, thousands of people just trying to get to the thing that was touching him. And then all of a sudden, she touched him and the Bible says immediately that she was healed and Jesus stopped and watched me. It's not that Jesus just stopped because the healing is not what blesses me in this moment. The thing that blesses me the most is what Jesus said, "Daughter, your faith has healed you." Because faith is a key.
And faith is not just the key to your healing, but faith is also the key to your deliverance. If you don't believe me, you could take a trip through the gospels and you would find 10 lepers standing by the wayside. And they shouted to Jesus AND THEY SAID, "HAVE MERCY ON US." AND Jav David said, I mean, Jesus said, "Go ahead and show yourself to the priests." And the Bible says in Luke chapter 17 that as they went, they were healed. They begin to look at their hands and say, "This looks new." I look at my feet and they do, too. Everything began to change around me. And the Bible says that 10 of them were healed, but only one of them came back because you you can't leave your praise out in this season. I'm not going to go there. But Jesus goes and he's standing there. And one of them comes back and Jesus said, "Hey, did I not cleanse the other nine, too?" >> And he said, "God, I'm just grateful for you. I don't know about them, but I have decided that my praise is not going to stop where you healed it, but I'm going to carry it with me into the next season. That I'm not going to forget. Who am I talking to? What it is that you have done for me, GOD, I'M GRATEFUL AND I LOVE WHAT JESUS SAID. HE SAYS, "GO. Your faith has made you whole." Because faith is a key.
Watch me. And if you don't believe me, faith is not just a key to your to your deliverance, but faith is also a key to pleasing God. If you were to ask the writer of Hebrews, he says in Hebrewsap 11:6, "And without faith, it is impossible to please God." Because faith is a key, >> but not just to pleasing God. If you were to ask a young shepherd boy, he would tell you that some of y'all who feel like you've been losing in this season, this is for you. That faith is also the key to your victory. Because when a young shepherd boy who was about 15 to 16 years old was standing in a valley looking at a 10-ft giant who had been killing folks since he was a child that he said that he said who is this little dog that comes at me and he says you come at me with a sword and a spear but I come at you in the name of the Lord God Almighty because he understand that his watch me that it was not his skill that was going to bring him victory it was his faith and later on he begins to say that a thousand may fall at my side that 10,000 may fall at my right hand, but ain't none of it ever going to come near me because I know that my faith is the key to my victory. He goes on to say, and they write songs about him. Watch me. That Saul has killed thousands, but David has killed his >> 10,000s because he understood that his faith >> was the key >> to his victory.
Pastor Matt, what are you trying to tell me? I'm trying to tell you this is that there are certain things that you can't access by your work. You can only access by your faith. >> Let me work this. There's some of Watch me. What does that mean? There's some things that you'll never be able to access by by your work. Only by your faith. At some point, them degrees not going to save you. >> Some of y'all got more degrees than a thermometer. Cool. It's certain things that there's certain doors that won't be able to open. Listen, I get that you got money, but there's some doors that money can't open. Only faith can. I get that you cute, but there's some doors that your looks can get you in. Only your faith can. I know that you work extremely hard and you need to keep working. BUT THERE'S SOME DOORS THAT ONLY FAITH can get you in. >> YOU CANNOT WORK YOUR WAY INTO EVERYTHING. Some things only happen. Somebody say by faith.
>> Watch this. That's why God is always trying to develop your faith and the enemy is always trying to diminish your faith. God is always trying to develop your faith. >> He wants to build your faith. That he wants to strengthen your faith. He wants to grow. He wants to heighten your faith. But the enemy always wants to diminish your faith. That that he wants to take away from it. Hear me. I want you to write this down. Your faith is always the central target of the enemy's attacks. >> I'mma say that one more time. Some of y'all right like me. Your faith is always underline that. Always the central target of the enemy's attacks. She's agrees. Always the central target of the enemy's attacks. Watch me. Because if he can take your faith, he can get you to disengage with God.
>> God is always demanding and developing your faith. But the enemy is watching me. Write these two words down. Trying to diminish or displace your faith. Because sometimes he don't need to tear it down. He just needs you to put faith in something else. >> I don't need to break down your faith. I just need you to believe in your wallet more than you do God. I don't need to take your faith. I just need you to put your faith in your ability to understand and not the and not faith in what God can do. I don't need to take your faith, but let me make you put your faith in your boo. >> Let Hold on now. I'm not holding on. I don't got to take your faith. I'm just going to let you put in your jaw. I'm going to let let you put it within your friend group. And so now be now so now watch me. And what the enemy does whenever he comes to dis have have you and tempts you to displace your faith, he always pulls the rug out from underneath you. And then you see that you do not have true faith in the first place. >> Am I talking to anybody?
>> So the thing is is that the enemy, watch me, is always trying to diminish or displace your faith. Because if he can take your faith, he can get you to disengage with God. He can get you to disconnect. Watch me. If he can take your faith, then he can have you coming to church every week and not expecting to get anything from it. So you post on your stories, but don't nothing change in your life. >> You hear the song and you're like, man, this is a cool song, but the song ain't getting you. And and so the thing is is if he can if he can take your faith, THEN YOU CAN DISENGAGE. You can be present, but not here. >> And so you came to church, but the church didn't church didn't do it. It didn't build you. It didn't edify you. didn't challenge you. It didn't equip you. The whole point and reason why we're meeting that none of it happened within your life because you was disengaged the whole time. >> If he can get you if he can take he'll get you to disengage. And so the thing is is that we don't know that we have a lot of people who are disconnected from the church, disconnected from God, but still walking and going through the motions. And so you go through the motions, but you ain't got no motion. motionless.
>> If he Watch me, IF HE CAN TAKE YOUR FAITH, he doesn't have to block you out of your destiny cuz you'll block it yourself.
>> Your faith is always the target. The funny thing um one of the funny things that about being a pastor is is you get to hear people's logic on things that happened at times and uh I remember one time that I had I had a little baby come to me and she say I said man how man how you doing is everything good she said oh she said man the enemy is after me I mean this week he was after my car I said she was so spiritual I said baby he can't I said, "He he he he not after your car, but but he knows that if he can mess with your car, that he can mess with your faith. >> He's not after your house. He don't need one. He trying to live in you. >> But he knows if he can mess with your house, then it's going to wither your faith. >> He's not after your job. He's doing his job by messing with you. But he knows that if hey if I take the if I cause some strife on that job >> you going to stop praying as much >> that if I make the job a little shaky all of a sudden you think God is shaky >> that watch >> that if I touch your wallet you'll take away from God because you'll feel like he's no longer a A PROVIDER. >> HE'S NOT AFTER THE THING. He's after your faith.
>> And he's consistently watch me. He's consistently jabbing at all these things because he's trying to take, diminish, and displace your faith. Your faith, watch me, is always the target. And the harsh reality is people's unbelief has been locking them out of the promised land for generations. >> Locking them out of their promised land. Watch me. A lack of belief can have you attempting to walking into God ordained doors and being locked out.
>> Pastor man, what are you saying? God spoke it. It's supposed to be yours, but you forgot your key. And so now I remember that that when I got my first house key, man, you know, I was a young kid and and my mama held that key up like it was a Heisman trophy and she said, "Hey boy, you bet not." Okay. She lose this key. And I thought I was fly. I got me a little old shoe, took the shoelace off, put it through the key. I used to walk around like this at the schoolhouse. And I said, "Man, you ain't got no key. Your mama don't trust you. You lame. And I'm sitting there, watch this. And I remember just like the dummy I was, I left my kids school. And I don't know about y'all, but my mama was, you know, you lose your key, she think the house is already robbed. She's just like, "NOW EVERYBODY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD GOT MY KEY." I said, "Mama, don't nobody want to come here and it's only one key and it's school. We good." But I remember the day that I lost it and I walked up to my house and I went to the door and I said and hear me. If you lived in my apartment complex and you saw me try to get into the house, you would think that it wasn't mine. You would think that it was not intended for me >> because all and the whole time I had just forgot my key that they would not know that I was really living there, that I had provision there, that I had protection there and that that house was for me. But the whole time I'm standing outside looking like an impostor because I forgot my key. How many things have you been walking up to thinking that God said it's not for you, but he really said it was for you, but you just lost your key? That you tried to open up a door of faith and or you tried to open up a door of freedom, but you left your key. You tried to open up a door of healing, but you left your key. YOU TRIED TO OPEN UP A DOOR, BUT YOU left your key.
Unbelief has been locking people out for generations >> of things that God has spoken over their life. >> Marriages that could have been restored, >> unbelief blocked it. >> He watch me. Trauma that could have been healed, unbelief blocked it. Prosperity that could have happened, unbelief blocked it. because you'd much rather believe in what you know or what you can think rather than what he can do. >> Unbelief has been locking people out for generations.
Watch me in Hebrews 3 gives us one of the greatest examples. Can I teach this really quickly? That that that it gives us one of the greatest Hebrews chapter 3, our text today. It is literally to to me, Pastor Shea, it is one of the greatest tragedies that I see in scripture because what we see, let's read it real quickly. Who are they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those that Moses led out of Egypt? So, we can see from context right here from 16 that we know that they're talking about God leading the Israelites out of Egypt. Amen. Watch this. And so, he begins saying, "And with whom was he angry for 40 years?" We know that that was him. Was it not those who sinned? He's asking rhetorical questions. Whose bodies perish in the wilderness? Go to verse 18. Watch this. And to whom, watch me, this is where we got to get to. And to whom did God swear >> that they would never ever ever ever forever ever ever >> okay enter stay saved into his rest if not to those who disobeyed. Watch verse 19. So we see take our context. So we can see the reason why they were not able to enter was because of their unbelief >> that they could not enter into the promised land.
Now this is the thing one of the things that I've learned is that practically everybody knows that the nation of Israel wandered for 40 years but majority of people don't know why they wandered for 40 years. And to understand this you where this watch me the unbelief this is why we got to have context. Somebody say context. >> Context.
So to understand what the unbelief that this writer of Hebrews is referencing, you got to go back to Numbers chapter 13 and 14. I'm not going to read them all, but but but you have to go through Numbers 13 and 14. In the beginning of Numbers chapter 13, we see the nation of Israel standing on the cusp of the promised land that they are looking over and they see this is what God has promised us for generations that they're looking. Now, this is the crazy thing is because we know that I preached this before in Joshua chapter 4. Joshua comes to the nation of Israel and he says, "Hey, sanctify yourself. Consecrate yourself for tomorrow you will see the Lord do marvelous things." And then they walked across the Jordan River and they got into the promised land. But if you're not careful, you would think that that's the first time that they've been there. >> They were there 40 years ago. >> And the reason, watch me, because disobedience will always create delay. I'm not going to bother that today. So they went and in in Numbers chapter 13, God speaks to Moses and he says, "Listen, y'all can see the promised land, but I need you to go do something. I'm going to give it to you, but I need you to go do something. I need you to take 12." Somebody say 12. >> I need you to take 12 people, one leader from every tribe of the nation of Israel. And I need you to pick leaders. I need you to pick strong men. I need you to pick people who have faith. I need you to pick t take people who are not afraid. I need you to pick the right people in our quick leadership 101 lesson. The worst thing you can do as a leader is send people on a mission who are unqualified to handle the task. >> Is to send people oh my goodness to spend a bud a budget that they can't manage to complete a task that they can't handle and they go through. Somebody say through. >> They go to the norththeast. go the whole thing and they begin to explore the land and they walk through and they begin and Moses had told them, "Hey, make sure you check out the cities. See how their walls are and and see if they're fortified. See who lives where and and make sure you bring back a sample of the soil. Bring back a sample of the fruit. May let's do some some recon. Let's go see everything that's going on in the land. And I want you to come back and report it to me. But I want you to discover the entire thing. I need you to bring it back to me. And I'm not asking you, watch me. I'm not asking you if we can win. God already said that. I'm asking you to bring me strategies. So So we gonna see how we can win. I need you to bring back a report. Don't you miss that. He said, "I need you to bring back a report." And the Bible says that they go all the way through the land and watch me. They get to the place because the Bible said it was a land flowing with milk and >> honey. >> Milk and honey. And it says that it was a bountiful land. And they get into the place. Watch me. And they come across because this, watch me, this is a reflection of what the promised land looks like, is that it says that they get to a bushel of grapes. And it says that the grapes were so big. This is a literal thing. This is not an allegory. It was a literal grape that they had to cut it off of a branch and it was so big and two people had to carry it themselves because everything in the promised land is overflow. Don't miss that. And so they get to the place, watch me. They get to the place that was promised to them and they bring it back and we get to Numbers 13:27. Watch this. This is them bringing their report. This was their report to Moses. We entered the land you sent us to explore and it is indeed a bountiful country. A land flowing with milk and honey. Here is the kind of fruit that it produces. They saying we went over there and God did not lie that we walked into this place and it really is flowing. We walked in there and everything that man said it was true. Listen, I even have evidence. Some of y'all need to be need to testify with that. I even have evidence of what it looks like. This is the type of fruit that it produces. I need you to SEE THIS. LOOK, GOD DIDN'T LIE.
But watch me. This is where the problem comes because right after they show the fruit, they begin to fall. >> And in verse 28, they said, verse 28 says, "But." Somebody say, "But." It says, "But the people living there are powerful and they have strong cities and and and they said there's even giants there that there's that there's descendants of of of Anoch and and and I don't know." And they begin to say that I I don't think that we can beat them. They're like, "Hey, like that I I don't think I know I saw THE FRUIT, BUT WE DON'T NEED TO GO." AND ALL OF A SUDDEN, somebody somebody named Caleb says, "No, we should go." He says, "Hey, listen. You have to understand that they're standing around Moses giving this report and the nation of Israel is listening and 10 of them are sitting there talking about why they shouldn't go and two of them are saying we should go and then 10 of them are saying y'all need to shut up and the two are saying no you do we need to go right now watch me and the 10 get so mad that the two had more faith than them because sometimes your faith will offend the the the faithless I don't know who I got some faithfilled people in this room. Have you ever seen some people that were so offended that you believe God for more >> that day? Just because you want to be miserable, don't say nothing to me. I believe God can still heal. I believe God can still deliver. I believe God can still do it. So if you want to be faithless, do that over.
>> And watch this. And the 10 who did not believe, listen what they did. They got mad. They walked off and they said that they begin to spread the bad report all throughout Israel. Cuz I can't stand somebody who lose an argument, want to get somebody on their side, >> and they start running around telling everybody, "Oh, well, you know, they don't really know what they talking about. >> Shut up. Watch me." And and and and one of the saddest things in this story happens in Numbers 14:1. It says, "And all night the nation in the community of Israel wept and cried aloud." Can you imagine standing in front of your promise, holding evidence in your hand, but crying because you believe that you can't take it? >> And they sat there with grapes in their hand, but fear in their heart. evidence that he does not lie, but you'd rather believe the lie of the enemy.
>> And they're standing there, watch me. And the Bible says that they decided to that that they begin to say these dreaded words, "We should have stayed in Egypt. We should go back." God brought us out here to die. Watch me. They even decided to try to try to overthrow Moses as their leader, who just literally led them out of the worst situation of their lives. Because sometimes when you hit your breaking point, you don't know what to think. And they're sitting there, they're asking to overthrow him. And then all of a sudden, watch me. God looks down at this mess and says, "I'm going to kill him." >> That's what he says. >> God says, "Y'all done." Watch this. This the question. How long? This is what IT SAYS VERBATIM. HOW LONG WILL THEY HOLD contempt to my name? How long will I continue to do miraculous signs and they still not believe? How long will I continue to do things in their life? And this is how we would say that blueprint. Why you going to keep playing with my name? Why you going to keep lying? In other words, he's saying this. How long? Why are you acting like I did not restore you? Why are you acting like I did not keep you? Why are you acting like I did not bless you? Why are you acting like you made it through by yourself? Why are you making it seem like you just that good? You not that good. I did that. GOD IS SAYING, "HOW LONG ARE YOU GOING TO ACT LIKE I WAS NOT THERE?"
>> SEE, the problem is is is is that is that you think you made it by yourself? >> And and and and the thing is is God is saying, "How long are they going to have spiritual amnesia? >> How long h how long are you going to are you going to forget what I did five minutes after I did it?" Because in reality, all you wanted was a transaction, but you don't hold on to a receipt. >> And so, you ask for me to buy something, but you don't keep you don't even Oh my good. AM I TALKING TO SOMEBODY IN HERE? >> HE SAID, "HOW LONG >> ARE YOU GOING TO KEEP BEGGING ME TO DELIVER YOU, AND ONCE I DO IT, YOU ACT like you got there yourself? >> How long?" >> And God says, "I'mma kill them. It's over with." But watch me. Killing them. He lived. That's what he told Moses. But but that's not the saddest part to me. God says, "I'm not just going to send a plague and destroy them. I'm going to disown them >> because I've done so much and they recognize me so little." And then Moses was like, "God, maybe don't kill him. Let's figure something out." The Bible says that Moses says, "God, what would the other nations think?" Oh my good. This is This is leadership. Five verses earlier, they were planning to overthrow him and kill him. Because sometimes as a leader, you got to step up for people who hate you. >> Let me keep going because y'all don't want to hear me in here. Part of leadership, watch me. You know what? I say what I want to. Part of part of pastoring is praying for people who actually despise you. >> People want to people want to rush to be in ministry. Part of leading people is loving people when you know they talking about you behind your back. is help is is helping love on people even though they hate on you.
>> And Moses says, "Don't kill them." He says, "God, what what what all the other nations say, >> that they know that you have been with them face to face, that you have brought them out of Egypt just to let them die in the wilderness." And this is what I love. He says, "Prove your love and power to be as powerful as you have said >> that you are slow to anger, abounding in love, and that you will forgive." He says, "Punish them, but don't destroy them." >> Watch me. And the Bible says this, and the Bible says that God relented, my God. And God says, "All right, I'll pardon them, but as surely as I live, nobody who had unbelief will make it into the promised land." He says, "I'm not going to kill them now. I'll let them live. Now them 10, they going to die. But them other people, watch me." That's funny. But al but it also shows that God don't play about people who go and start division >> because an entire nation oh my goodness an entire nation fell into the wilderness because 10 people wanted to be punks >> and they didn't and watch me and they didn't want to be scary by themsel but they wanted to drag everybody down with them. Just cuz you can't fight don't mean I can't. And so the thing is is THAT THEY TOOK EVERYBODY DOWN and God said they going to die now. >> Y'all can die later. >> Watch this. That's what the Bible say. And he says look, he says this will be your punishment that you will go and wander in the wilderness >> and everybody over the age of 20, watch me, will die before you enter into the land that I have sworn to them. And the Bible said, watch this in Numbers chapter 14, because we said, why did they wander? Numbers chapter 14 says this. Because your men explored the land for 40 days, you must wander in the wilderness for 40 years, a year for each day, suffering the consequences of your sins. This is scary. Then you will discover what it's like to have me for an enemy.
>> Watch me. God says >> because of your unbelief, you will die in the process and never see the promise. >> He said your watch me your punishment is to be near the promise but never get the promise. >> Your your life will be promise adjacent. That you'll always walk by a thing and never experience a thing. that I'm gonna watch me because don't don't don't think that the wilderness was all the way across the country. The the wilderness was right outside of the promised land and y'all gonna stay there until every remnant of unbelief dies. >> He said there's no way your punishment, watch this. He said I and because and this is what I love. He never says to you that I did not swear it to you. He says I swore and you blocked it. >> That I spoke it and you blocked it. that it was ordained for you and you blocked it. That I spoke it over your life and I didn't take it from you. You took it from you. I spoke freedom over your life. You took it. That I spoke Are y'all hearing me? That I spoke healing over your life. I didn't block it. You did. He He says that it's been blocked. So, like I said, unbelief has been and will always be the greatest blockage to you seeing, receiving, and being all that God has promised.
But let me give you encourage really quickly. While we see that unbelief robbed the many, we also see that faith saved a few. >> I could run up out of here that listen that while unbelief robbed some people, that it saved some others. You see, if you were to go to Numbers 14:30, while God is pronouncing judgment on the Israelites, he says this, "None of you will ever enter the land I swore to you." Period. The only exceptions will be Caleb and Joshua. My God, I don't know if there's anybody in here that is hoping to be an exception in this season. >> You got to understand what exception means. All of that, this is what I said for them. But as for you, >> there's an exception. Listen, that that as believers, we believe in something that is called the rule or the law of exception. Which means just cuz it happened like that for you don't mean it got to happen like that for me. That you might have struggled with that, that ain't mean I got you. That you might have took that route, but that don't mean I GOT YOU. CALEB AND JOSHUA WERE THE EXCEPTIONS. Watch this. And not only were them, but the Bible says that even all of their lineage and descendants after them. Because don't think that your faith can't affect your children. Let me keep going. And they WERE THE EXCEPTIONS. WATCH ME. Because of their faith. Because while everybody was doubting, they stood up and said, "We should go fight." >> While everybody was running away, they said, "Let's run, too." They said, "I were there. Watch me." And the thing is is that in order for you and I to be the exception in this season, you have to have faith. Somebody say faith. In order to see that God all that God has for you, you have to have unshakable faith. You have to have immovable faith. You have to have what I call anchored faith. >> Write that down cuz you looking at me. >> I'm not going nowhere. Anchored faith. You got to have anchored faith. And Caleb teaches us what it looks like to have anchored faith. Me write this down. I need to preach a sermon called the exception. Um is is that and this what you have to know. Anchored faith is predicated on three things. Somebody say three. >> These are my three points. My past, >> his promise and his position. >> Y'all hear me? >> My past, his promise, and his position.
First thing is my past. My my faith has to be anchored in that. Watch me. When we look at this story, we can look at God's punishment and we can Blake, we could be like, man, God is harsh. Like, man, he you ain't got to do all that. Like, that's not You say you're going to disown him. You going to destroy him? Like, that's crazy. But you have to understand that God was hurt. >> God, watch me. God was heartbroken. God was furious. You want to know why? Because the Israelites had a history with God. God was not demanding a faith that he had not prepared them to have. >> Don't let don't miss that. God was not asking for something that he did not prepare them for. >> I say this in all in all service. I'll say it again because if if you read the book of Exodus outside of context, then you'll miss the intention of the miracles that God is doing. >> Because you have to understand that the Israelites were in Egypt. Someone say Egypt. And they were enslaved for 400 years. And and that doesn't just mean that they were working for them, but they were stripped of their culture. They were stripped of their identity. They were stripped of their language. They're stripped of their they were stripped of everything. And so God, the miracles that God did were strategic and intentional because in theory, God was just dating them. >> Don't miss this. Pastor Lisa, you love when I that God was dating them before he asked them to marry him. Pastor Matt, what are you saying about this? is that when you when you are enslaved for 400 years, you don't know what to believe. >> You don't that that Yeah. They say, "Man, there's this God somewhere that say he care about us. We wouldn't be enslaved if he cared." All of these things and they're making you practice their religions. They're making you do all these things. Watch me. Do not miss this. And so God steps on the scene and says, "Hey, he's the Bible says in Exodus chapter 1 that he heard the cries of his people and he decided to go save them." Amen. Y'all with me? >> Am I in the Bible? >> Am I in the Bible? >> Okay. So this is what happens. And so he says he he says to them, he say he says, "Man, I'm he" He tells Moses, "Hey, go and tell Pharaoh, let my people go." He says that and Pharaoh says, "No." And Moses, yeah. And he says, "No." You know, we know the whole back and forth. And then God begins to send plagues. Y'all with me? >> He sends 10 plagues. And the strategy, do not miss this, the strategy of the plagues were intentional because every single, if I had time, I'll tell you. Every single plague that was done was an intentional attack on a god that the Egyptians served. Every t attack was strategic and in the beginning of the plagues they affected everybody. Everybody suffered from the plagues but at some point in time it tipped and it didn't affect the Israelites anymore. It only affected the Egyptians. And so God basically came in and said, "Hey, I'm trying to show you that I'm in charge." And then secondly, I'm trying to show you that I'm on your side. And so I'm trying to help you. And then he leads them out of Egypt. They get to the Red Sea. Do y'all remember this? They get to the Red Sea. Watch me. They're still trying to see who this new God is that they they heard about him, but they have not experienced him. That's some of y'all stories in here. You heard about a god from your grandmother, but you didn't experience him for yourself. Let me keep going. They go and they get to the Red Sea. And when they get to the Red Sea, they said, "OH MY GOD, WE SHOULD HAVE STAYED THERE. WE ABOUT to die." And then God says, "Man, stop crying. Hold up your staff." Boom. And he splits the Red Sea because I'm trying to show you I can make a way out of now way. You can trust me. And then they get through and then they're thirsty. They say, "Oh my god, we should have WENT BACK TO TO EGYPT. At least we had water there." And they said, "Oh, there's water over here." He said, "Yeah, it was bitter." He said, "Throw the stick in there." They throw the stick in there and bitter water becomes sweet. He's trying to say, "I can change any circ circumstance. You can depend on me." >> And then they go a little bit further. THEY SAY, "LISTEN, WELL, WE HAD SOME WATER, but last time we had a bottle, a body of water. We don't have it anymore." They said, "Man, strike the rock." And I made water come out of a rock because I can make a way. Out of nowhere, you can depend on me. And then they go a little bit further. THEY SAID, "WE HUNGRY. WE DIDN'T MEAN TO BE FASTING. WE'RE GOING TO DIE. WE SHOULD HAVE WENT BACK TO EGYPT, but he made quail and mana come down every day." He says, "Listen, I'm a provider. You can depend on me. and all throughout. And then they have TO FACE THE AMALACHITES. THEY GO INTO WAR. THEY SAY, "GOD, WE AIN'T NEVER FOUGHT BEFORE." AND HE SAID, "WELL, as long as you worship me, as long as Moses' hand stay raised, then you'll be winning because you cannot lose your worship when you're in battle." And as LONG AS THEY WORSHIPED, WATCH ME, THEY WON. BUT WHEN THEY LOST THEIR WORSHIP, THEY LOST. AND HE WAS TRYING TO SAY, "IF YOU JUST TRUST ME, YOU'LL WIN. I'M GOD. YOU CAN depend on me." And then they get to Exodus chapter 18 and God says, "I am the Lord thy God >> who brought you out of Egypt. >> Don't serve nobody but me. >> I've been dating y'all. Now I'm putting a ring on it. It's your time." >> I've showed you who I was. Now you can believe me. >> SO NOW WHEN I GIVE YOU ALL these commandments after this, you can follow them because the intention is FOR THIS WHOLE TIME I'VE been doing miracles. I've been trying to show you that I'm on your side. >> Is this making sense? So then, watch me. SO THEY GOT ALL OF this and then they get into this place. God was doing these miracles strategically >> because he was trying to create, watch me, a dependency and a belief. In other words, he was trying to create faith >> because your faith has to be anchored in your past with God. >> And if that's not this with them, it's got to be with us. That's why I be telling y'all that you got to take inventory and you got
To make sure that you keep a record of what God has done in your life. Because then you walk into church or you walk into hard times and you forgot that He healed you before. You forgot that He kept you before. You forgot that you weren't always looking like this, but there was a time in your life when you were low and down.
And if you do not keep a record, stuff will come your way, watch me. You'll look at a present problem and forget that He solved it in the past. And you'll forget the character of the God that you are serving. Your faith has to be anchored. Somebody say anchored. Anchor in your past.
And let me say this, I said this before. The worst thing you can do is get spiritual amnesia. That's the worst thing you can do. Is it that you sit there and you can't remember anything? You're going to tell me we get on, we get up here, you get in your room and you can't say nothing that you're thankful for, but you can say everything that you're mad about. You can tell me every car that you want to get for the next 30 years. You've got 15 houses saved on Zillow right now. Because watch me, because you know what you want, but you are so disconnected from what it is He's already done.
If I asked you to write down, watch me, your prayer requests, you can write them. But if I asked you, could you, could you write down your answered prayers? Could you do it? Could you remember how He brought you out? Can you remember that when you were low? Can you remember when you was crazy? When you was lazy? Some of y'all was hazy. Can you remember what He did? Your faith has to be anchored. Somebody say anchored in your past.
Number two, it has to be anchored in His promises. Slide your feet back. It's got to be anchored. Y'all going to give me some? Can I teach this? That that it's got to be anchored in His promise. And that's hard for a lot of us because a lot of us don't know His promises because we don't read His word. You don't know what He says. Watch me. Is is is is that you can't know His promises if you don't know His word. Watch me. And and and we don't, we don't know His word. We don't read His word. We don't spend time with Him. Watch me. So the only word you know is yours. The only word you know is yours. So you don't know what to believe, 'cause you're the only person talking. Watch me.
And this is a dangerous thing because this is how people end up having more faith in themselves than they do in God. This is how people end up believing their logic over their Lord. Are you hearing me? This is dangerous. And let me take it a step further. When you're not anchored in His promises, you'll hold on to any promise that's convincing. When you're not anchored in the promises of God, then you'll just find out which promise looks sexy now, even if it's not this religion. Let me go on. When you're not anchored, then you just allow anybody who can talk well to convince you of another type of promise.
Listen to me. How do you think the nation of Israel fell off? Because they believed the 10 rather than the two. Think about this. Let's play this back in our mind. The whole nation, ain't go and check it out. 12 of them did. So, oh my goodness. So, they got locked out of their promise because they believed the wrong report. You missed it. Their entire destiny got canceled because they believed the wrong person. That's why you got to watch who you let speak over and into your life. You got to watch the people who want to sit there and talk negative and be gossipy and say, "You have to watch that." They lost out because they believed the wrong report. How many doors have you been locked out of because you've been listening to the wrong friends? Because you've been in the wrong group chat. You've been at the wrong kickbacks in the wrong sections. Complain that you don't want to do B-groups. You be hanging out. You be B-grouping with people all the time, just in the wrong places. Y'all love a B-group. You just like when there's a hookah. All right, let me stop right there. Don't worry about it. Don't stop. Don't worry about it.
They let the wrong person speak over their life. And now they're suffering the consequences because they believed the wrong report, because they let the wrong person speak over their life. They let the wrong person tell them, now watch this. They let the wrong person tell them what they could not do. They let the wrong person tell them what they could not be. They let the wrong person tell them what God could not do. So now you're continually sick because they convinced you God wasn't a healer. And now you're now you're continually bound because you don't think He can really break that. Now you're continually shackled up because you don't think that God can really set you free. You belong and you believe the wrong report. Whose report? Watch me.
You got to stand on His promises. You got to stand on His promises. And Caleb could stand firm because Caleb remembered the promise. Numbers 13:2, look at what it says. This is God speaking before He ever sends out the the before He ever sends out the spies. This is what He says. "Send out men to explore the land of Canaan." Watch this. He could have stopped there. He could have stopped. "Send them out to go explore." See, He, He could have said, "Hey, go do it." This is why every part of the Bible is intentional. "The land that I am giving to the Israelites." So Caleb sat there and said, "We can go fight." Because He already said it was ours. We can go fight because He already made a promise. He said He already said it. And if He said it, then I believe it because He ain't lied yet. So if He tells us to go, I don't care who they got over there because God said that He was going to give it.
Do I have anybody in this place who can stand on business about what God has said over your life? That God, "You will never leave me, my God, nor forsake me." And I believe that "all things work together for the good of those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose." "For I know the plans that I have for you. Plans not to harm you, but to give you a future and a hope that your latter days shall be greater than your former days." Is there anybody who knows the promises of God? And if you don't know them, go find some. You can't stand on something you don't know. You can't stand on the, you can't stand on my faith. Oh, I'm not going to teach that. You got to know it for you. The old saints would say, "You got to know that you know that you know." I can stand on this 'cause it's mine. And some of y'all got to take the promises of God. I gave a young lady homework after service. She said, "What do I need to do?" I said, "You need to go find 10 promises. You need to write them jokers down." And every day you need to remind yourself of what they say. "God, You are not a man that You should lie, nor are You the son of man that You should repent." That God, that Your word would not return unto You void. You said it. I believe it because You're the same yesterday, come through here, today and forevermore. If You said it, then I can take it to the bank. And I'm standing on His promise. Somebody say, "I'm standing." I'm standing.
And then the last thing, I'm about to go. Your faith got to be anchored in His, in His promise. Your faith got to be anchored in your past. That's what, watch me. My past is what God's done for me. Then it's got to be anchored in His promise. That's what He's spoke over me. But the last one is what makes all the difference. It's His position, which that is where He stands for me. My past is what He's done. My, my, my, my promise or His promise is is what He said. But, but His position is where He stands. See, Caleb, watch me. Caleb understood something that everyone else didn't understand. Caleb said, "Certainly, we should still go and attack them." He said, "We'll win." And everybody else is looking at saying, "Caleb, stop." Like, "No, no, we're not going to go." And and did, did you see the people over there? And and and they're complaining. They're going back and forth. And Caleb's saying, "No, we got to go." And they're saying, "No, no, we can't go. That there's giants there. That their cities are for, they have all of these things." And Caleb responded. Watch what Caleb says. I'm about to get excited. Verse, uh, Numbers 14:9. "Do not rebel against the Lord and don't be afraid of the people of the land. My God, they are only helpless prey to us. They have no protection. My God, they have no protection." This next, this next G, they have no, but the Lord is with us. Now, this is what I love because Caleb didn't say that y'all are wrong. He just said that your thought is incomplete. He's saying, "I'm not saying that there's not giants because I seen them too. I'm not saying that they don't have tall walls, 'cause I seen them too. I'm not saying that those armies were not vast and they were not strong. I'm not saying that we don't have a battle ahead of us. What I am saying is that you're missing one key factor. You're missing something. You're not wrong. You're just incomplete. You're missing where He stands." Caleb said He's with us. Caleb said He's on our side.
And family, I came here today to tell you one thing that is very simple. That is very clear. And it's the same thing that Caleb said to Israel: that God is on your side. My God. That God is on your side. I don't care what the doctor's report said because He's on my side. I don't care what anybody else says because He's on my side. I don't care how I feel because He's on my side. The haters can say whatever. People can say whatever. He's on my side. And I can stand like Paul and say this, that "if God be for me, who am I talking to? That if God be for me, that if God be for me, that if God be for me, that if God be on my side, then who can stand against me?" You can come at me with whatever you want, but "no weapon formed against me, my God, shall shall prosper, and every tongue that rises in judgment, it shall be condemned." God is on my side, my God. That's why David could run up to Goliath 'cause he said, "Yeah, I see who you are, but God's on my side." That's why Joshua could run into Jericho. He said, "Yeah, 'cause I see the walls, but God is on my side." That's why Peter could step out of the boat and preach at Pentecost because he said, "God is on." That's why Paul, watch me, could be in chains and say, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Because he recognized that God's on.
Is there anybody in this place who can step outside? 'Cause listen to me. You looking at me and I'm looking at you. This may not be for everybody, but for some of us, I just told you that God may not lock you out of seasons. Your unbelief will. So, you don't got to believe. But there's a group of us in here who have decided that I don't need to look cute for you and I ain't got to look cool for you, but I'm not going to miss out because I'm worried about you. God is on my. My faith is not just anchored in who God is. My faith is not just anchored in what He does. My faith is also anchored in where He stands. And if goodness and mercy shall follow me, if God will go ahead of me, if God will surround me, God is on.
And when I look around, see some of y'all, y'all new here. Welcome. I love y'all. There's some of y'all who've been here for a while. Some of y'all were here on launch day. I see you, Steph. Some of y'all were here two years ago, said Susan. I see y'all. Some of y'all were here in 2023. And it is apparent to me that when I look in two years, 7,400, however many people giving their life to Jesus so far, I can see that God has been on our side. 2,000 plus people baptized outside. God has been on our side when there was times that y'all did not know that we ain't have a building to have church in. And all of a sudden on a Thursday, something opened up because God was on our side. When we thought we did not have the money to have another service, all of a sudden somebody came in and stepped in because God has been on our. When we did not know which way was up or down, God was on and He ain't stopping.
If God be before me, if you could get that in your spirit, I'm gone. If God be for you, I I I know there's a giant, but if He be for you, I understand your body hurts, but if God be for you, I understand that that your marriage seems like it's breaking, but if God be for you, I understand that that you are confused in your mind, but if God be for you, I understand that you got more going out than you got coming in. But if God be for you, He will turn it around. And you got to get something in your spirit. I gotta go. But you got to get something in your spirit. Watch me. That is unshakable. That is immovable. That is anchored. And saying I'm not going. If God be for me. Y'all can sit down. God be for me.
Let me pray for you. Father, in the mighty name of Jesus. Hey, I'm just tired of people getting knocked off their post 'cause life comes. I'm sick of it. That God has so much for for your life. And we'd much rather sit around and look cute but then believe God for more. Looking cool ain't that important. What did He say? You got to have unshakable faith in this season because the enemy wants to send attacks. Hey, God called Peter deeper. Let me teach you this. But it was also in the depths that the storm came. And if you ain't rooted, if your faith ain't strong, the wrong season will take you out. The wrong season will have you wishing that you could go back to bondage. But I am speaking prophetically over your life if you are willing to receive it. That in this year, God, hey, God is about to make an exchange that He's going to take, hey, your unbelief and He's going to deposit what the Bible says, a measure of faith that you're going to be able to believe. Is that some of you going to be in the midst of hell and people are saying, "How are you smiling?" 'Cause I just believe He's on my side. That I can believe for more. You still haven't gotten what you prayed for. But I'm going to keep praying that I'm believing that I'm going to see the goodness of God in the land of the living. That I'm confident in this and that He who began a good work, He shall continue it. Faith. I'm believing, hear me, for a prophetic exchange. God specializes in giving beauty for ashes. He specializes in giving, watch me, in giving dancing instead of mourning. He specializes in taking away your heavy garments and giving you a garment of prayer. He specializes in changing a thing. And my my belief is that God is going to exchange the unbelief for a new level of faith. Father, hey, I pray now in the name of Jesus, that's it. That You will begin to grow, hey, a level of faith that shocks us and shocks others. God, that we will believe for more. And God, I'm not just talking about for houses and for cars. Those things don't matter. You'll reward us however You see fit, God. But we're going to believe that You will keep us, that You will restore us, that You will renew us, that You will revive us, God. That we'll believe that You're a good, good Father, even though we did not have an earthly one. We'll believe that You are the Great Physician, God. You are the Wise Counselor, God. We'll believe for more. I believe for the people in this place who have walked away from faith, who have never encountered faith, that today is a day that will change their life forever.
If you've never given your life to Jesus, every eye open and everybody looking at me really quickly 'cause I want to share something with you. If you're in this place, you've never given your life to Jesus or you've given your life but you kind of feel like, "Hey, I walked away." You're going to have an opportunity, but let me tell you something first. If you're a staffer or a dream teamer or part of the prayer team, don't stand up. Just raise your hand. Okay? Hundreds of people in here. If you're in this place and you've never given your life to Jesus, this is the first thing I want you to know. We've been praying for you. Don't miss this. Literally, you know, people say that I had a praying grandmother. That's me. I had one. That I had a praying auntie. I had one. I had people who prayed me into the place I'm at. I'm trying to show you that if you feel something in your heart, you're not here by coincidence. Somebody prayed you into this place with the only hope that you would get to know the greatest hope, which is Jesus.
If you're in this place and you've never given your life to Jesus or you have but you feel like you've walked away and you want to rededicate it today, on a count of three, very boldly, I want you to raise your hand. I don't need you to look at nobody else but raise your hand. One, two, three. Come on. I see hands in this place. Come on. I see hands in this place. I see hands up. Come on. I see you over here. We got hands in the back. Come on. I see one over here. Come on, y'all. So proud of you. Listen, I want you to repeat after me. Say, "Father, I love You. I thank You for Jesus. I believe that He lived, that He died, and that He rose for my sins. Come into my heart. Be my Lord. Be my Lord. I am Yours, and You are mine. In Jesus name. Amen." Come on, let's give Him a praise right there. On the 2-year anniversary, let the redeemed of the Lord say so.