Transcription
[Music] To the right of the book of Joshua, chapter 1, verses 5 through 11. Yeah, let's do it. God is good to us, and all the time. We are in the first chapter of the book of Joshua. We'll begin in the fifth verse, and I think we read down to about the eleventh verse of the chapter.
"There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life." There shall not be any man to stand before thee all the days of our life. "As I was with Moses, so I will be with thee." I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. "Be strong and of good courage." For unto this people shall divide for an inheritance the land which I swear unto their fathers to give them. "Only be thou strong and very courageous." That thou layest observe to do according to all the law which Moses my servant commanded thee. Turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. "This book of the law shall not depart out of that mouth, but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou may observe to do according to all that is written therein." For then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
There's a good success. There's a bad success. How many want good success? "Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of good courage." Be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed, for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.
Yeah, then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying, "Pass through the host and command the people, saying, Prepare you victuals," says food, "for within three days ye shall pass over this Jordan to go in." In three days, three days, ye shall pass over this Jordan to go in to possess the land which the Lord your God giveth you to possess it. Can you say amen?
Go back to verse 5 for me and put the fifth verse back up there. The opening verse there. "There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of our life." Check this out. "As I was so I will be." As I was so I will be. As I was so I will be with thee. "I will not fail thee, nor will I forsake thee."
This morning, for the next few moments, I want to talk to you about the power of His presence. The power of His Renowned presence. The power of His friends, not your problems, presence. The power of His presence. Let's pray.
Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on us now as we go into the Word of God. Let the Word of God go into us. Let His transformative power illuminate within us, transfigure us, move us, and motivate us. Fix us and change us. Be God in the midst of this place. Establish Yourself in the hearts of Your people, not just these that are here, but to the thousands and thousands that are streaming online. Be God, whether they're in the living room on the couch, or laying in the bed, or whether they're looking at a television screen, or holding their phone in their hand. Be God in the midst of Your people. I thank You because You're enough for whatever I got. You're enough, God, to get me through it. In Jesus' name, shout amen. You may be seated in the presence of God.
Yeah, let's go to work. I love the book of Joshua. I should warn you before I get started, it's one of my favorite books, particularly in the Old Testament. It's one of my favorite books because this book is not for wimps. It is not for the faint of heart. It is not for the superficially religious, the mundane, or the ritualistic. This book is a book of power to people who are coming to take over. This is a transformative book. Its New Testament companion book would be the book of Ephesians. The book of Ephesians starts out talking about God has given us all things. The book of Joshua starts out talking about God has given us all things, and He frees all things that pertain unto life and godliness in Christ Jesus. It spiritualizes what Joshua literalizes. In Joshua, we're inheriting land. In Ephesians, we're inheriting life. Both of them take courage. Both of them take a lot of courage.
Let me set the text in context so that you can understand what is going on at the time, because scripture, the strength of the scripture, is only revealed when you understand its environment in which it was spoken. Everything in this text is moving, but God. Everything is in the middle of transition and transformation, but God. The children of Israel are in transition, not only physically leaving their nomadic history after having been slave for, in slave for 400 years in Egypt for 430 years. They are now on the cusp of a new beginning. And while a new beginning is a good thing, it is also a scary thing. It is a difficult thing, and it is a challenging thing because now they must go from being nomadic to be owners and dwellers and possessors of land. The land that they are possessing is rightfully theirs, but they don't remember it. They've come home, but they've never been there before. Their fathers, their ancestors, had left their 400 years ago. And so this is a generation that has no memory of what they're about to possess. They have no history there that they can look back on as a point of reference to know that the future is good. They just know that it's new.
Now they are facing a new future without their own leaders. He wasn't just any leader, he is Moses. Moses is a mighty man of power and authority. He is in a class of distinction all by himself. God said, "Other prophets have I spoken to through dreams and visions, but of my servant Moses, when I speak face-to-face." God says Moses is in a category all by himself. Moses, I'll show things true that I would show nobody else. Moses has been the man for 40 years to these people. It was Moses' rod that was stretched out over the Red Sea that caused the Red Sea to back up. From Moses' face going hither and thither, and the wind blew the waters back for miles. It was Moses that established the covenant of the law. It was Moses that brought down the plans for the tabernacle. It was Moses that prayed, and manna fell down from heaven. It was Moses that turned the bitter waters sweet. It was Moses that declared the power of God until he was a pillar of fire by night and a cloud by day. It was Moses that gave them shame. It was Moses that gave them covering. It was Moses that prayed until God said, "Quail from heaven." It was Moses. Tell somebody, "It was Moses." It was Moses. Everything they knew about God had come to Moses. Everything that they understood about God had come through Moses. It was Moses who brought down the Ten Commandments. It was Moses that showed them the power of God so strong that the mountains shook and were set on fire and not consumed. It was Moses that repelled the sins of Israel. It was Moses that clinched the leprosy off of his sister. It was Moses. If you had a problem, it was Moses. When God sought to talk to somebody, it was Moses. When God got ready to heal somebody, it was Moses. When they got sick, it was Moses. Had lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, it was Moses. The only problem is, Moses went up on the hill and he didn't come back. And they're trying to figure out, "Who am I without Moses? What will life be like?" Moses, they don't really know what happened to Moses. Had never got his body. The angels have taken his body away. God had to tell them that Moses, my servant, is dead. When they heard that Moses was dead, they started screaming. They ripped their clothes and yelled and cried for days and days turned to weeks, and weeks turned to a month. They did nothing but lament the death of Moses. Almost there. And now Moses is gone. The worst things in life can happen when you're almost there. The closer you get to your promises, the more you lose. You don't hear what I'm saying. They have waited 40 years to get to this place. Every step they've taken has been by foot. They didn't call it boy. They had no bus service. They had no wagon train. They had no steam engine. They had no Teslas. They had no automatic transportation. They had to walk this thing step by step and foot by foot. Every inch of the land had footprints on it in the hospice, the feet of the desert. They had walked with God, depending on Him for their daily bread. When they woke up in the morning, because they were with Moses, manna fell from heaven in front of each tent within their reach. Manna doesn't fall in your mouth, it falls within your reach. Somebody got it. Somebody's been sitting around like a little bird with your mouth up and waiting on God to sit it into your mouth. God never brings a blessing to your mouth, He brings it within your reach. Touch your neighbor and say, "If you stretch, you can get it." "Give us this day our daily bread." "Give us this day our daily bread." "Give us this day our daily stretch." Because even though God said it, if you don't stretch for it, you don't get it. And now our Moses is dead. If you have to understand Moses being dead, it's trouble to a people who are already privatized. I remember being a little boy when, when, when the news flash came on that Dr. King was dead, and everybody closed down the schools and the kids went home, and everybody's face was stunned and shocked. And we, as a people, were traumatized. We were as traumatized by his death as we were about the causes for which he fought because he epitomized leadership. True leadership is a gift from God, whether it's over a corporation or a church or business. Truly, I'm not talking about titles, I'm talking about leadership. True leadership is a gift from God. If you've ever had a real father or real mother, it's a gift from God, whether it's in the house or in the company or in the business or in the country. True leadership is a blessing. Bad leadership is a curse. I'ma say that again. Bad leadership is a curse. The Bible said, "When the wicked shall rule, the earth shall mourn." With the wicked shall rule, the earth shall mourn. With wickedness is in charge, everything under its uppers. You cannot make a man or a woman a leader. You either are or you are not. Giving them a desk doesn't make him a leader. Giving them an office that makes him a leader. Giving them a title that makes him a leader. Giving them a degree that it makes them a leader. A leader is a perspective. Moses was a leader. Moses was a man. When Moses put down his rod, something happened. When Moses raised his hands, their enemies were defeated. [Applause] Who are we without Moses? How can we go forward without Moses? Life will never be the same again without Moses. And God let them cry their eyes out for about a month, and then He says, "Now, now." Somebody say, "Now." My grandmother didn't say "now," she said "now." I don't know how you spell "now," and then it's probably a UGA, something like that, but admit, "Now." You know, W, "now." Moses is dead. Got it. Now Moses is dead. That's enough crime. That's enough weeping. That's enough astonishment. That's enough hysteria. "Moses, my servant, is dead." "As I was, you see, you see how that fits? And I was with Moses, so shall I be with you."
I want you to see that everything is changing. And when everything starts changing, change is scary. Change is discombobulating. Change brings anxiety. Change brings tension. Change brings stress. And change, you must have faith because you don't have facts to stand on. All of your facts are gone. And change, you have to believe because you can't see and you don't know and you're not sure. Now, faith is the substance of things hoped for. Now, "Moses, my servant, is dead." I need faith. Would stop death so I could move into the unseen. We know how to wander, but do we know how to build? We know how to survive in the desert, but do we know how to pick fruit in the promised land? We know how to drive back other nomadic people, but we don't know how to fight people that are dwelling in the land. We have no point of reference for this. It is when everything is changing around you that faith has its greatest relevance. It has its greatest power. When life is destabilizing and the future is uncertain, and the props you had up under you are all giving away, that's when you discover God. When you run out of Moses, you run into God. Somebody in here, all you got is God. Everything you was leaning on is giving away. All you got is God. All you know is God. All you see is God. All you understand is God. All you can hold on to is God. If God doesn't do it with this part, "As I was, so shall I be." Because that's the only thing in the text that is not changing. The region is changing. The territory is changing. How they see themselves is changing. Their requirements are changing. Their leadership is changing. They are transitioning from Moses to Joshua. Everything is destabilized. Everything is in a place of disarray. And the only thing that's solid is, "As I was, so shall I be." So shall I be. I'm still here. I still catch you. I'm still with you in the city, but I got you. You're the new job, but I got you. You hit a new relationship, but I got you. You got a new devil to fight, but I got you. "As I was, so shall I be." Yeah.
You don't need that word if you're not gonna love it. You don't need that word if you have made up in your mind you will die in the wilderness and have a pity party and feel sorry for yourself and cry yourself to sleep for the rest of your life. You don't need this sermon. You can exit on any door. This is for people that are gonna go ahead. But I'm going broke, but I'm going lonely, but I'm good, I'm uncertain, but I'm going. I gotta find a way to go ahead. And so, in order to find a way to go ahead, you have to find an absolute in the middle of variables. When you're living in variables, you must always find an absolute. The absolute is God. In this text, "As I was, so shall I be." God says, "I am Who I am." No matter what season of life you're in, no matter who walked away, no matter who went up on the mountain and didn't come back, no matter who died in the wilderness, no matter who betrayed you, no matter who lied on you, no matter who divorces, no matter who quits, no matter who. "I will not fail thee. I will not forsake thee." That's key.
I want you to see the spirit of the text, not just a letter of the text. The power ain't like a promise with you need one. So I'm gonna try to break it down into six principles. I will give you these principles. These principles are important. Number one, I'm gonna talk about the people, because God is talking about the people. He's telling Joshua, who is the new leader, who has been leader, he has been Moses' junior, he has had leader techniques and principles, but now he has the full job. It's one thing to be an assistant to the leader, it's another thing to be the set man. When you are the set man, the buck stops with you. Joshua has assumed this position, and God is telling him, "Go amongst the people and tell them what to expect." Because for God, it is about the people. And if you ever find a purpose that's bigger than you, God will help you. I'ma turn around, try that again. If you ever find a purpose that's bigger than you, God will help you. God is not your manager. He's not here to promote you. He's not here to make you feel important. He's not here to give you a back rub or massage. God is here to help you find your purpose, then it's bigger than you. And if you can find something that's big enough to pray about, are y'all ready for this morning? You should have went on the cruise, got some rest. You can't handle me this morning. See, half of the stuff on our list that we're praying about is not big enough to pray about. Stop bringing these little penny-ante requests to God. It's an insult to as a great man to do little stuff. God needs a challenge. God needs a big dream. God needs something that's bigger than you. Joshua, I know you're nervous, but this is not about you. This is about the people.
"Be strong." Over and over and over and over again, the Almighty says the same thing. "Be strong and very courageous." "Be strong and very courageous." "Be strong and very courageous." Why does He keep telling us to be strong and very courageous? Because we are facing things that want to take our strength and steal our courage. And we have to be commanded. It's a commandment. It's not a suggestion. It's not an idea. It's not something you vote about. "Be strong and very courageous" is a command from God. In fact, if you don't do this, you can't survive. You got no choice. [Applause] My mother was daring the Vols Hartman's of us, and it was in the early stages where I could really talk to her really good. And I said, "Mama, this is so amazing. I know you know what's going on, and you seem so cool about it. You seem so calm. I never ran into her crying or falling apart or collapsing or looking worried or looking nervous." And I said, "You seem so strong, and you seem so courageous, and you seem so powerful." And she said, "Baby, mama ain't got no choice." Sometimes you have no choice. It simply is what it is. I didn't ask for it. I don't want it. I didn't prefer it. I'd rather not deal with it, but I have to face it with strength. "He's strong and very courageous." You have got to have something to pray about that's bigger than you, that is worthy of the attention of God. Because the truth of the matter is, God blesses you for other people. I tell you, a week ago, those of you that missed the worship service, had only come to hear the word, missed the point. You don't understand that God doesn't get anything out of preaching. [Applause] God already had His word. You miss your one chance to give something to God when you worship. You're giving something to God. When I'm preaching, God is giving something to you. So you are saying, "I can miss giving something to God and expect God to give something to me?" That's not hard. "What give, and it shall be given unto you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, shall men give unto your table." That's why every worshipper in here, when you praise Him, you are blessing God. When He speaks to you, He is blessing you. Reciprocity. You got to learn reciprocity. You can't expect to get something while you give nothing. Hallelujah. You're not praising God because you're emotional or not emotional, or introvert or extrovert. It's not a black thing or white thing or Latino thing. It's not a Pentecostal thing. It's a Bible faith. Let everything that hath breath praise God. Said, "If you're not dead, give me some praise." [Applause] "You are the God." Glory to God! Glory to God! Glory to God! If you are not dead, give me some faith. Meaning that you are, you Baptist, are you Methodist, are you Pentecostal, are you glad, are you white, are you Latino? He said, "Are you breathing?" If you are breathing, even if you backslid, even if you're a sinner, God said, "You still owe me some praise because I let you live." With your praise itself, let everything that hath breath. Let me go on. You bet, sir. Praise service. Let me go. [Applause] You must understand that the camouflage of the text is the promised land. It is eye-catching. It is amazing. It is wonderful. It is what they were waiting on. But looking at the promised land is only camouflage because the real promise is not the land, it's the presence. You think this is about property? This is not about property. This is about presence. You're so busy trying to get the property that you don't understand presence. But the real gift is, "I will not forsake you. I will not leave you. As I was, so shall I be." Can I give you the truth? God never grieved over Moses. God never grieved over the death of Moses. The truth of the matter is, when Moses died, God turned His head to Joshua and kept right on. "As I was with Moses, so shall I be." See, the promise is myself. One, it's a promise. The promises of God is it not that you all have to fight, not that you all have to cry, not that you all have struggles. His promise is that I will be with you. The promise is bigger than the land. The promise is that power is His presence. The promise is His presence. Stop coveting the property. Covet the presence. If you get the presence, you will get the property all by itself. What good is a property if you don't have His presence? The promise is, "I will be with you." I'm not promising you you won't have to fight. You will have to fight, but the fight will go better if you know I'm with you. How many people in a fight right now? The Lord sent me to tell you that He's in the fight with you, but the battle is not yours. It belongs to God. If you're gonna draw comfort, be comforted by His presence, not His presents. [Applause] See, we have been taught to ask God like Santa Claus for presents. Give me, give me, give me, give me, give me, give me, give me. But what we ought to do is seek His presence, because His presence is more powerful than His presents. I hope I'm speaking clearly enough for you to understand the distinction between getting God's gifts and getting God's glory. The promise I want you to see is not the land, it's presence. Let me go, let me go into it. Can go deeper. Young person, just breaking out, trying to figure out, "Who am I? Do I have what it takes? Can I do this? Am I any good at it? Will I succeed? I drop a good fight, but can I really fight? I said I'm a great man, but am I really a great man? I want to be a good mother. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know." Know God. He said, "All God says all of that is, 'I will be with you.'" Middle-aged person, getting older, don't even know what old is. Running into a change in your life, not sure of yourself, out of your element, so that you figured out how to be a grown person, now you're trying to learn how to be an old person. [Applause] They ought to teach a class on how to get old. It would be worth setting up a curriculum for you for all the things that happen to you that nobody tells is going to happen to you, and you got to act like it don't bother you. The only promise God gives you: "I will be with you." Older person, getting ready for the grave. What is that gonna be like? God doesn't promise you you will not die. The only thing God promises you is, "I will be with you." Young lovers, get ready to get married. The only thing God promises you is, "I will be with you." Couples breaking up, going through a divorce. Only thing God promises you: "I will be with you." Man may not leave, she may forsake you. "I will not forsake you." Just cause he left that mean island, just because she left, doesn't mean how there. I'm still in the house. I'm still opening doors. I'm still waiting on you. Auto giveth. I don't teach until you get it. The presence of God. Jack to your job. The presence of God is with you if you lose your job. Darley been cited in the text. It's a presence of God. Got you in the hospital. I got you. In your college. I got you. In your classroom. I got you. In your marriage. I got you. Your divorce. I got you. Your strip. I got you. In your weakness. [Applause] I won't forsake you when you're falling. I won't run out on you when you failed. I won't back up when you're up against the wall. I won't run away when you disappoint me. "I will be with you." As to me, that's the best part of the text. That is the promise. If you don't take that to be your promise, you will lean on something that can be stolen. You will label something that can be taken away. So one thing the devil can never take away from me, he's with me. And if he's with me, he's more than the world. Y'all can't handle it. Y'all can't have this.
So I talk to you about the people. Talk to you about the problems. Number three, I want to talk to you about the priority. He says, "I want you to tell the people to meditate in my word night and day." God says, "I want your priority to be pleasing me. Delight yourself in it and seek to obey it." I want that to be your priority. No, no, no. I tell you, I say this all the time. No rich man is looking for no broke woman with a lot of bills. [Applause] Let me find somebody who's got real bad credit and they'll owe everybody so I can bail them out. [Laughter] [Applause] I mean, you might end up with that, but you are not looking for that. I say, "See no golden." [Applause] [Laughter] I'll explain it to the old folks in the white frozen later. Meet me in the back. How give me the Residence Inn? Because nobody wants to be loved for what they got. They want to be loved for who they are. In fact, if you love me for who I am, you can get what I got. The way to get what I got is love who I am, because I will trade you what I got if you respect who I am. That's what God is saying. He, He said, "I want to make sure that you're in this for the right reason. So in order to purify you, I want you to get in my word, and I want you to seek to obey my word outside of your promised land." Don't wait till you get there to be grateful. I want to know, can you be grateful broke? I want to know, can you be grateful sick? I want to know, can you be grateful lonely? I want to know, can you be grateful when I break your heart and I hurt your feelings? Can you wipe your face and say, "You're still God"? I want it. I want to check your priority, because I swam. Don't bless you if you get your priority right. Don't worry about the blessing. I got the property. So the text talks to us about the priority of having a devotion. Do not know. Most people do not have a devotion outside the church. To have a devotion, most church people live close to the edge of backsliding at any given moment. You're just one honking horn away. [Applause] And the reason is, yeah, I keep it real. So if you don't want to, if you don't read, oh, don't come here. The reason we are not in touch with our spiritual selves is that we have no devotion aside from our stage. [Music] [Applause] I couldn't remember when we didn't have to hire washer. I can remember where the church didn't have praise dancing. Everybody was a praise dancing. Everybody wasn't washing her. The problem is, you don't need me. You don't need an organ. You don't need a band. You don't need a drum. You don't need all these people with all these amazing voices. You need a heart that's open to God. You need a heart that can sing out of tune in your kitchen, that can walk around in your office before anybody gets there, and you making coffee and blessing the Lord and getting ready for your day. I'm talking about a relationship with God, not with people, not with church, not with fame, not with fortune, not with your idea of success, because when you get whatever you're trying to get, you will find out it ain't nothing. Soon as you get it, you gonna figure out it wasn't what you thought it was in the first place. They will be in your guard. [Applause] Y'all can handle it, 'cause you want to be rich. I know rich folk is crazy. I know rich people never suicidal. I know rich people that have no sense. And all you want is rich. It's paper, baby. It's just paper. Calm down. It's just paper. You can burn it. Instead, lighter. So we're just, you need a devotional that anchors you, because things are gonna go up, they're gonna go down. Your life is gonna go up, it's gonna go down. Your finances gonna go up, they're gonna go down. Your friends gonna go up, they're gonna go down. Your marital status gonna go up and go down. We've been happily married for 50 years. A liar, liar, pants on fire. Ain't nobody been happy 15 years with nobody. I'm not even happy with me 50 years. I get sick of myself. No way in the world even be happy to do you stop lying. The tub. We made it. We pinned it. [Applause] The priority of a devotional stabilizes you in a destabilized environment. It is, it is the worship. It is the breakfast of champions. It is some breakfast of champions. There is nothing like walking up on my white prayer and having to back up out of her space, and she had a whole room lit up with glory. And her relationship with God is none of my business, so I back out of her stuff because that's too personal, even for your husband. She might need to be talking about me. [Applause] Give us privacy so she can work it out. [Applause] That's how personal the priority of consecrating yourself. You know what you stress? Having a little kiddin. You have no consecration. This will last. Have you had devotional by yourself without all these fancy singing and all their selves? No wonder you get out. They might sing like this, "Hey, make you happy." Whether you got the Holy Ghost or not. I'm talking about you by yourself, walking around in your heart, making up a song. Ain't got no 2K5, no key, nobody can play it, but God loves it. He said, "Make a joyful noise." "Serve the Lord with gladness." "Come before me with singing." God's telling you how to please Him. He said, "Come before me with singing." I'm like it when you say, "I don't care that you ain't got no tool, just make some noise." When you walk up in your house, in fact, it's easier to do it in church. When you do it at home, the reason you're so slow to start up is that you don't do it at home. I just believe that where God is getting ready to take you, this message is necessary. He's getting ready to put you in the unstable environment, out of your element, where things are uncertain, and the only stability you're gonna have is coming from His presence. And you've got to learn how to value His presence enough to give Him time. Whatever you value, you make time for. People who are in the gym all the time, value looking like that, they take time for it. They're in the gym six hours a day. They look like, "The reason I look like this is not that important to me." If it was that important to me, I would do it for six hours a day. Mine don't have to do it in 15. Whatever God go do, we gonna have to do it quick. I want microwave abs. You got to cook it quick, Jesus, 'cause I got stuff to do. Whatever you value, you make time for. How much time do you make the dog? So he said, "I'm telling you, I want you to start getting in my word and observe my role as a part of your daily routine." So in order for you to possess, I want you to prioritize. Sweetie, let me put it in New Testament language. "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and then all these things shall be added unto you." He didn't tell you to seek the thing. He said, "Seek the kingdom." If you seek the kingdom, the thing will follow you.
Number four, what this is really about is the purpose of God. Moses is dead, but God's purpose didn't. So when He says, "As I was, so will I be. As I was with Moses, so will I be with you." I'm gonna do the same thing through you I would have done through Moses, because it wasn't about personality, it was about purpose. Now, this I'm giving really on here is bad. You gotta be ready. You gotta be able to handle this. To accomplish His purpose, God will use anybody. [Applause] [Music] See, you think it's a few little blessed people, and if you're not in God's clique, God can't use wrong. God uses donkeys. Y'all don't want me to talk to you. God uses animals. God uses fish. God don't care what it is. When God gets ready to accomplish something, in order to get it done, He'll use anybody. He used idolatrous Ruth, the Moabite. She didn't even know who God was. But when God gets ready to accomplish His purpose, He'll snatch anybody from anywhere in order to get things done. If you want to survive, getting the purpose, the safest place in the whole wide world is in the purpose of God. Whenever you get in the purpose of God, God will protect you to protect His promise. Jianchi handle it. Ah, things work together for the good of them that love the Lord, who are the called according to His purpose. God said, "If you get in my purpose, I'll make it work out alright." If you get in my purpose, I'll fight your enemies off for you. I'll whip anybody who stands up against you if you do what I tell you to do. If I know I can count on you to do my purpose, your animation to come by in abyss, your battles become my battles. I'll drive back your diseases. I'll heal your body. If you hear my purpose, I'll strengthen you in your old age. Hezekiah was getting ready to die. [Applause] He was ready to die. He laid up in the bed, he was sick and afflicted. The prophet Eli, prophet even told him he was gonna die. True prophet said he was gonna head. The cars turned his face to the wall and told God. He said, "If I die, the grave cannot praise God." Said, "If you praise me, I'll add 15 years." Touch three people. Say, "Get into purpose." [Applause] Get in the purpose. Get in the purpose of God. It is something bigger than you. Get is something that's not about you. Getting something that's not about what you had in mind. Giving something where you're willing to sacrifice. The safest place isn't the purpose of God. I am alive because of the purpose of God. I've seen my enemies die fighting me because I was in the purpose of God. God didn't help me because I was good. God helped me because I was obedient. Oh, my God. Tells me people say, "Get in the purpose." Can I go deeper? How many people getting blessed through the word? Make some noise. How many people feel like you're in the purpose of God? Make some noise. How many people are going to be more intentional about being in the purpose of God? Dr. James, trying to let him be able to use me anywhere, anytime, anyplace. So I was in the Caribbean and I was meeting with the premier on one of the islands, and his father had just died. And it was a day after. And I said, "Sir, I don't want to disrespect your face, or I'll put you in an uncomfortable situation, but I know you're hurting." And above any business, and we were talking, I am at my core a pastor. And I said, "Let me pray for you." Because I understand how hard it is for people who are perceived as big men to get real prayer, because everybody's trying to impress you, and everybody wants to bow down before you, and they see you are so big that they don't know that you get weak, and they don't know you get tired, and they don't know that you're hurting, and they don't know that you just lost your daddy. And he burst into tears. And I took him, and I prayed for him, because that is my purpose. Now, we were talking about business, and we were talking about property, and we were talking about possibilities. But I never let the possibilities, or the property, or the business drive me away from a purpose. Because if I gotta leave my purpose to get the promise, then you can keep it. I will walk away in a hot minute. You have never seen anybody who can turn and walk away like I can walk away. My way says this cancer. I can walk away and still be waving back. Angle check can hold me, and nothing else can hold it. I'm a grown man. I got a grown God who does grow stuff, and I don't have to go through you to get nothing. If God get ready to bless me, He's already sixty-two years. You don't let nothing drive you away from your purpose, because the purpose of God is already blessed. All that praying you trying to do, trying to get God to bless your plan, stop it. Get His plan. It's already blessed. You ain't got to stand before no fans. God's plan. He's already blessed. God's plan is His purpose. Stop trying to draw God into your agenda. Get in His. Because He will protect that which pertains unto Him. Let me tell you why you're here. Because of the purpose of God. If you be honest, you know it's not because of your righteousness. Now, you can them, but you can't plead me, because I know. Don't let me turn on my prophetic gift and read you. You know you are not that holy. The purpose of God has protection. Are you hearing what I'm saying? And when you are in the purpose of God, you ought to be knocking the door, trying to do something for God. Oh, y'all go let me do something for God. I don't know. I don't know when I got it. Sound. What I got to do? I got, I got doing. I'm gonna be a bar and to do something for God. Committee, put me on to do something for God. Committee, right now, put me on to do something for God. Committee, because if I get on to do something for God, committee, arthritis can't hold me. Sickness can't hold me. Death can't hold me. Disease can't hold me. Leukemia ain't hold me. Haters can't hold me. Witches can't hold me. War lost ain't hold me. You know why? Blessed. Because I'm in His purpose. A blessed because I'm in His will. I'm blessed because I showed up where He told me to show, and I said what He told me to say. Let me hear y'all. Oh, I feel the glory of God in this place. Would you tell your name? God is getting you ready for something. Now, I'm going deeper. I'm going deeper. Cards, you going with me? You going with me.
So my fifth point is the provision. The provision. Now, normally, when you talk about provision with God, it's normally God provided, okay? This time, smile. God has been providing for 40 years all through the wilderness. The manna has fallen every morning with the dew. Early in the morning, God baked the bread, fell right in front of the tent. They grabbed it. They ain't. That's why I brought it up so you could remember your blessing that God makes for you. It's always within arm's reach. They pulled it in according to their households, some more, some less. So don't compare yourself with each other, because God is just, but He's not fair. [Music] Where is everybody in here? Gets to just. Since you got more kids, you get more, more capacity, more provision. That's just. But she could say, "That's my fare." I don't have no kids here with me. It's not fair, but it's just. You mad at God because He's not fair? God didn't promise to be fair. He promised to be just. So to the big tent people who had a lot of need, more bread filled because they had capacity. People who have little need, got little bread. That wasn't fair, but it was just. They have had 40 years of God handing out the bread. In our text, for the first time since they got out in the wilderness, God now says, "I'm through handing you bread. Prepare your victuals." This is the first time that He has made the Promised Land generation have to prepare. He said, "I'm through giving you freebies." [Applause] He says, "Prepare your victuals," which is food. You gotta go out there and prepare. Now, this is a generation who never had to cook. All the bread was prepared. But God now says to them, "The manna has ceased." I could pull out scripture. I didn't. "The manna has ceased." When the manna ceases, it's a sign you must prepare. It's not a sign you can't eat. When it ceases to be easy, it doesn't mean it ceases to be. It just means that in the course of providing, God changes methodology. That which comes easy is always temporal. [Applause] That's so good. I'm gonna get the CD pass here. That which comes easy is always temporal. That's like honeymoons. That which comes easy is always temporal. If marriage was honeymoons, that's right. Look at me like you all know what I'm talking about. That which comes easy is always temporal. Sooner or later, you have to get your hands in it. You have to put some sweat in it. You have to put some effort in it. He said, "Now I'm making you prepare your victuals because you're closer than you've ever been before." You're closer than you've ever been before. Get your hands in. Who felt? I felt unction like glory coming out of me like God is saying specifically to somebody, "Get your hands in it." I've been handing these stuff that you didn't have to put your hands in. Now you got to get your hands in it. I'm gonna feed you, but you got to get involved in it. You got to put your hands in it. Comparing your victuals, 'cause I'm getting ready to move. [Applause] I'm getting ready to shift you. Prepare your victuals, 'cause you got three days to get ready for this shift. [Applause] Sunday to Monday, Monday to Tuesday. It's either with its three days to get ready. Prepare your. In three days, you will cross into something [Applause] like you have never crossed into before. In three days. Somebody say, "Three days." At three days. Three days. Prepare your victuals, for in three days you shall cross this Jordan. Wait a minute. I heard that three days before Jesus said, "If you destroy this temple, in three days I'll raise it up." Jesus went into great death, burial, and resurrection. Three days. Hosea said, "In two days I revived thee, and on the third day." Out there's some about God in three days. There's something about God in three days. He will raise up Jesus on the third day from the dead, and Jesus is the living bread. [Applause] You heard me. Did you? Jesus is the living bread. Get your hands in it. Thomas comes in and says, "Unless I get my hands in it, I won't believe." Get your hands. See, you can go to church all you want to, but until you get your hands into Jesus, prepare your victuals, because in three days I'm gonna bring you into it. Now, watch this. This is the kind of message that is for people who are on the cusp of change. I am staggering while I'm preaching at the power of His presence. As I sense more prophetic than preaching, that there are people in this room that are on the cusp of transition. And this is more than a cute message. You had to be here, because everything in your life is getting ready to shiver, and God is getting ready to bring you into a place that you have never been, a state that you have never been. And it is in part because Moses, my servant, is dead, and you have been destabilized too, in order to become dependent, so that with which you normally would depend has gone. And now God has got you to Himself, and He says, "Prepare your victuals." [Applause] Who am I free to choose? Somebody, somebody, somebody said, "Marry my God." My God. My God. My God. My God. Who am I preaching to? Where are you? Are you in the kitchen? Are you in the house? Are you on the front porch? Are you in your car on your way to church? Are you in golfing? Cold? Where are you? Pinching the.
Submatik, I don't know what picture, whoever picture, if I in the house makes annoyed, the provision of God has now been placed in the hands of the believer that is not to be ignored. God is saying, "I'm putting it in your hands."
Gunshot! Aah! I'm putting it in your hands. I'm putting it in your hands. I'm through dropping stuff here till 10:00. I'm putting it in your hands. Get your hands in it. Get your hands in it. Get your hands in it. Get it involved in it. I want to feel your DNA in it. I want your fingerprints in the bread. Get your hands in it. Feel it. Touch it. Punching, pulverize it. Me that need it, need it, need it like dough. Get your hands in everything that you're about to eat because you're getting ready to cross into another dimension. Talking to somebody. I feel it so strong. My toes are tingling. Every nerve in my body is standing on edge. Glory to God! There's a shift in this room. There's a shift coming in this room. Little by little. Back. Get out the way! Get out the way! Now hold it. Go! Get out the way! Little by little, by little, by.
There's a ship coming in the world. There's a ship coming in the world. There's a ship coming in the world. Do you hear what I'm saying? There's a ship. Then I said, somebody's has been destabilized situation for a long time and you're big time. I said, if you're big kind of heavy and your boss has been on, and God says, "Stop crying, 'cause I'm getting ready to shift you. Stop crying, 'cause I'm get ready to ship you. Stop crying, because I'm getting ready to ship you into another dimension." Glory to God! Get your hands in your brain. Get your hands in your stuff. Get your hands in your vision. Get your hands on the glory. Get your hands on the power. Get your hands in it. Get it. Do you hear? Do you hear it, y'all? Yeah.
I'm not gonna do it for you the way I used to do it for you. I'm not gonna do it the way I used to do it. Stop crying for me to do what I used to do. You're in love with yesterday. Your yesterday is over. It's over. Let it go. I'm not gonna do what I used to do again. I will do a new thing in you. The former things have passed away. Stop craving for that which is over. Stop crying after what's over.
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I rebuke the spirit of avoidance. I produced this fear to being disconnected. I revealed this rid of depending on other people to handle your stuff. This is a season right now that you got to get your hands in it. You got to have your mouth in it. You got to get involved in it. You got to get involved in it. Cuz of ship disk of blow ready. God, I'm sorry. Oh, I can't go to file. Help me, Holy Ghost. Whoo! Go Ritu God!
A shift is coming. A ship is coming. A shift is coming. The shift, the shift, the shift is coming. The shift is coming. Oh, oh, the shift is coming your way. To go me to do what I used to do. But I'm gonna do something fresh. Glory to God! In fact, you've wondered, "Who am I if you don't do what you used to do?" I don't have to do what I used to do. I'm gonna do something new in your life. Get your hands in preparing the victuals. Prepare your victuals, for in three days you will cross this Jordan. In three days, I'm gonna make you another kind of person. In three days, you will be a new kind of people. In three days, you will never wander again. In three days, you will not be nomadic and here and there and everywhere and unstable. In three days, I will stabilize you. In three days, I will organize you. In three days, I will bring a new deal out of the old deal. In three days. And get ready to ship. God said, "I'm gonna yourself."
The whole direction of your ship is about to shift in the winds of God. He says, "I have given you number six. I have given you the possession. It's number six. I have given you the land to possess it." Which is an oxymoron. It is an oddity because if you've given it to me, why do I have to possess it? God says, "I've given it to you by permission, but you got to take it by force."
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I have given you the land to possess it. You gotta possess it. You're gonna possess it. You're gonna possess it. You're not just gonna shout about it. You're not just gonna sing about it. You're not just gonna dream about it. You're going to possess it. You have got to prepare your food. The food you need to eat for what's in front of you is different from the foods you needed to eat for what was behind you. Do you hear what I'm saying? In order to be ready for what God is going to do, you gonna have to change your diet for it. What you got time for? Who you listen to? What you let feed you? To let poorni your spirit has got to ship for this. This egg that's [Applause] properly ready. It's really.
I have given you the land. I have given you the land. Take it. "I will take it." I told you, "I will be with you. I will be with you when you take it. I will be with you when you take it. I will be with you when you possess it." You will win every battle not because they're strong, but because I'm with you. The only battles they lost was when they disobeyed God. So his punishment was their failure. His reward was their winning. If you obey me, I'll make a winner out of a loser. I'll turn your life completely around. I'll turn your mourning into dancing. I'll give you a beauty for ashes. I'll give you the garment of praise for the spirit of evidence. I will lift you where it matters most, on the inside. I won't just give you pretty stuff. I'll beautify the meek with salvation. I'll make you pretty where it counts. I won't just make you look good. I'll make you good. I will restored unto you everything that your enemies have taken out of you.
There is a glory in this room. [Applause] Because I obeyed him to preach the power of his presence. There is a glory in this room right now. Oh my God! I know you're getting it over the internet, but I wish you were in this room because there's something in this room right now. There's an undercurrent in this room. There's a flow in this room that I'm not sure that all the fiber optics can convey the glory of God. Because the glory of God, there's something in the atmosphere that shifted in this room. And if you're a spiritual person, you can feel it right now.
I have given you the land. I have given you your future. Now take it. I have given you your prophecy. Now take it. I have given you your destiny. Now take it. Giving you your opportunity. Take it. I have carved out a place for you. No man will withstand you all the days of your life. Nobody a behavior resistant.
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I'ma bring you down to the banks of the river. I'ma bring it to the hedge and your Jordan. Are you ready to cross over? He's standing at the river. Standing at the river. I got to cross over into my promised land. This way before.
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About 5,000 watts of us. This is she Templeton, lost innocence, wife, the chef.
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There's a move. Victory! Victory! Victory! Victory! Victory! Victory! Victory! Yes! Yes! Yes!
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