STAYING IN STEP WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT
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Through Obedience: Walls can be Torn down
Through Obedience: Walls can be Torn down
Good morning, for some of you folks who don’t know who I am as Eudora is continuing to grow since I last preached here, I am Bill Collins, one of the Council members for Cornerstone along with my beautiful wife Megan. I absolutely love coming down to Eudora as it is always warm and inviting and you can feel the Holy Spirit move here. You all have been also very welcoming to my wife with the Women’s Ministry that Kris has done an absolute phenomenal job at!
I am filling in for Shannon today as he is on his adventures spreading the gospel at our Kenya location. To have such an anointed man of God leading this church, spreading the Word of God in a foreign country who needs to know about Christs love for us and our salvation in him. I think we all should feel honored to call Pastor Shannon our Pastor, I get the honor to not only call him my Mentor, but a true friend.
Don’t worry Matt, I haven’t forgotten about you, or Brother Cory either. Also, great word couple weeks ago about taking a Stand as Christians.
Shannon and these men are truly men who I have seen seek God’s face everyday and remain obedient, or in step with the Holy Spirit.
See ya’ll thought I would start out with a good Dad joke like Shannon, I have come to realize I cannot pull them off like he does. So I will remain mindful and obedient to not try them again.
Now staying in step with the Holy Spirit correlates to remaining obedient; lets look at the greatest missionary the world has seen, no not Shannon, close........but Paul.
Paul wrote in his letter to the Galatians to reaffirm the true message that faith in Jesus Christ is the basis of membership into God’s Kingdom. Paul told the Galatians.......
25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.
First lets look at the Theologian definition of Obedience and break it down to better understand how we can sew that in our daily lives.
Lexham Theological Wordbook Theological Overview
Obedience is a responsive action. It assumes that God has already acted on our behalf, and that our fitting reply is to follow his will; very often, he then promises further blessing. In both the OT and the NT, the category of words relating to hearing (שָׁמַע, šāmaʿ, “to hear”; ὑπακούω, hypakouō,”to obey”) often expresses a general call to God’s people to follow him (or his law), whereas the visual words (signifying “to watch, to keep”) tend to focus on individual statutes.
It says that Obedience is a responsive action. Well in response to what, the understanding that God himself has already acted on our behalf. Now, really dig down and think deep about what that is saying, God already has acted on our behalf. He made us in “HIS” image, nothing or no one else, but “HIS” image, on our behalf. He gave man a companion, we may be one rib short men, but we now have a women to walk by our side, to be a voice of reasoning, our greatest treasure, as Proverbs 18:22 says, a gift from God.
How else do you think I chose the shirt I was wearing today to preach! Voice of reasoning right, did I say that!
Let’s not forget on our behalf, he gave a virgin an opportunity to become pregnant, to bare a son that would carry his own cross and carry all of our sins........and would die to wash us in his blood so that we can walk this earth everyday knowing On HIS Behalf........we have a direct path to be with the Lord when our time has come to an end, as long as we Accept him, are obedient to him and seek him.
I know it goes on to say that our fitting replay is follow his will and very often he then promises further blessings. I don’t know about you my friends, but to be created in his image.....have a companion created just for me.....and have a man walk this earth and shed his own blood to cover me up and wash away all my sin to be able to walk with my Heavenly Father.....I would say you and me, our cup is filled every morning when we wake up. And Yes, I will remain Obedient and in Step with the Holy Spirit!
The next part of the definition which is the Greek translation Sama. Which is interpreted as “hearing” or “to hear”.
We owe it to our Savior to wake up every day fully refreshed and seek his face and spread his word. Let those who don’t know him, Know of him, know of his love, through our words, our blessings. Let them sama, let them “hear”. Plant the seed, let them hear the word through you, not only verbally but through your actions and how you walk out your faith.
Now if we sama, we should also, as the Greek states hypakou, we should obey. As God’s people we should follow him.
Alright, everyone with me!! Can I get an Amen.
Now being obedient or in step with the Holy Spirit; lets “sama”, hear what the greatest missionary the world has seen says, no not Shannon, close........but Paul.
Paul wrote in his letter to the Galatians to reaffirm the true message that faith in Jesus Christ is the basis of membership into God’s Kingdom. Paul told the Galatians.......
25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.
God gave us “Free Will”, along with the choice to stay in step with the Holy Spirit and imagine, in life, like Pastor Matt and I discussed a while back when this sermon came to me, I went to him and shared the idea that God laid on my heart to write this for you all. We collaborated for a few hours that day and he truly helped me capture some valuable scripture that reflects this message. It also set in stone; Matthew 18:20 “Where two or three gather in my name, there am I among them.”
You see Matt was part of a marching Band before and I was not just in the military, but also a previous Drill Sergeant. When we move; when we March, when we run, we stay in step. It is what we are trained to do. It is what our Band Leader, Drill Sergeant or just plainly our leader train us to do. BUT...........what happens when just one person...........one individual does not stay in step. You can see that person a mile away.
So imagine what the Lord see’s while he sits on his throne and his greatest creation starts to get out of step or was never in step with God’s will in the first place. I can tell you many of us sitting here today, before we made the choice to have a relationship with Christ, weren't even in step or out of step, we were merely on our own, away from God’s will, God’s Purpose, God’s Blessing for us.
How can we expect to even get in step with the Lord and receive the blessing or anointing of the Holy Spirit on our life if we are not even standing in God’s Will with the choices we make. If we do not walk out the choices we have made to be believers, make a public statement of baptism, live our lives as Jesus would want us to live. If we cannot do these things, how can we stay in Step with the Holy Spirit.
How can we tear down the walls the Enemy has put in front of us that keep us from seeing our pre-destined adoption as sons and daughters into the Lord’s Kingdom through his son, Christ Jesus, and from his grace he blessed us for eternity.
He gave up everything; for us to have everything.
Paul in his letters to the Ephesians, which was written as a caution to his readers that they were entering into a spiritual battle.
4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.
Friends in today’s society, we are truly in a spiritual battle. The enemy has built walls that stand very tall, very firm, well built. The enemy has his Soldiers posted up on top of these walls and the weapons they use are through the means of:
- Abortion
- A community called LGBTQ that has said countless times they are coming for our children, God’s Children.
- Child Trafficking within in our own borders like we have never seen that is being exposed.
This same enemy;
- Shut down our churches for a year
- Took the Bible and prayer out of the school system.
- Took down the flag of a country founded on Christian beliefs by men with Christian values.
- Replaced the symbol of a rainbow which signified God’s Promise to never flood this earth after Noah continued on his purpose for mankind, with another rainbow with only 6 colors.
And if we are not facing a societal spiritual battle, we as Christians tend to face an internal Spiritual battle that comes to us in the likes of:
A sin that stands between you and God’s full purpose and blessing on your life.
A bad attitude that breeds discouragement, Pride, arrogance or unforgiveness for something from your past, and this has allowed these walls to be erected in your life.
These things can lead to a cold or bitter spirit that will continue to steal God’s best for you. Whatever the reason the only way forward to receive God’s Blessing is to tear down that wall. These walls that we have allowed the enemy to erect in front of us to steal our blessing, can be brought down.
This is a Godless enemy that only wants harm and destruction for God’s people and our belief’s.
Whether we want to believe it or not, the battle is on our door step, but they do not have what we have. The King of Kings, The Commander of God’s Army.
STAYING OUT OF STEP: Glory Stolen
STAYING OUT OF STEP: Glory Stolen
First lets start with the story of Moses who was never able to go to the Promised Land as he personally diobeyed God. In Numbers Chapter 20; Moses, the Leader who saved the Isrealites from Pharaoh was now in charge of taking care of them. They had established near a town called Kadesh and were completely out of water and the people were growing restless. They told Moses and his brother Aaron they should have stayed in Egypt and died with the others instead of following Moses into the desert. They felt they were led like cattle to die of thirst in the desert.
So Moses and Aaron go to the sacred tent in which the Lord appears to them and says.
7 and the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 8 “Take the staff, and assemble the congregation, you and Aaron your brother, and tell the rock before their eyes to yield its water. So you shall bring water out of the rock for them and give drink to the congregation and their cattle.”
Moses did in the moment as the Lord told him and gathered the people around the rock, but out of frustration, he yelled at them calling them rebellious people and struck the rock twice with with his staff and the rock broke open spewing water for the people and their livestock.
His frustration was not fully in step with the Lords wish as he acted out in frustration and did not bring Glory to God for his blessing of water for his people.
The Lord then responded.
12 And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe in me, to uphold me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them.”
Moses in his anger.........in his frustration........ in that one moment changed the direction of his path to the Promised Land, through disobedience.
Friends how many of you have received a blessing in the past, maybe very recent, only to squander it or question it, or not act on it with what I call “Immediate Obedience.”
What is “Immediate Obedience”,
“Immediate Obedience”; or instant obedience as its called officially is the only kind of obedience, as delayed obedience is disobedience. Every time God calls us to any duty, He is offering to make a covenant with us; doing the duty is our part, and He will do his part in special blessing.
See, in my house, I teach our son Colton, or I am still trying to teach Colton I should say at the age of 8, what Immediate Obedience is. Colton is your typical 8 year old boy with a ton of energy and a lot of questions to go with it. enough to drive my wife absolutely crazy since Colton and I can carry a conversation for hours and my wife on the other hand, well she needs quiet time and personal space. So, Colton when told to do something, always ask......Why? With the why, Momma and I tend to get frustrated at times, when something is time sensitive or we are trying to teach him to be Teachable, because I do agree with the ideology that Teachable kids grow up to be more productive in Society and adapt more within the Work Force. So I explained to Colton that day I sat down with him using the Analogy; So buddy, when imagine is a car was driving down the road really fast and you didn't see it and you were standing right in the middle of the road, what would happen. He answered as I expected, “I would get hit and hurt.” Right, so if you listened immediately or right away, could that keep you from getting hurt.” of course the answer was, “Yes”.
So let me ask you as believers, are you moving out of the way of the moving car taking you straight to hell, because Christ told you to move??????
Or was that Glory stolen!
SAYING IN STEP WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT: His name is Joshua
SAYING IN STEP WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT: His name is Joshua
Our current times are very similar to the times of Joshua in the Old Testament, so in your Bibles you can follow along by turning to Joshua 1-6.
See Moses, who at this point was about to die, had just climbed Mount Nebo where the Lord showed him the Promised Land of his people the Isrealites. The Lord showed him the whole land to include a valley in which a town of Jericho was located. Upon seeing this, Moses then died.
1 Moses, the Lord’s servant, was dead. So the Lord spoke to Joshua son of Nun, who had been the assistant of Moses. The Lord said: 2 My servant Moses is dead. Now you must lead Israel across the Jordan River into the land I’m giving to all of you. 3 Wherever you go, I’ll give you that land, as I promised Moses.
Joshua, who was Moses assistant, disciple and predecessor, who Moses laid hands on and filled him with the Holy Spirit; The Lord came to Joshua and placed him in charge of the Israelites to guide them across the Jordan River, into the promised land. The land that God had promised Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, when he said I will give it to your descendants.
The Lord then goes on to tell Joshua.....
5 No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. 6 Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. 7 Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go.
8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
This is one of my favorite messages in the entire book of Joshua. These 4 verses have so much meaning that we can put into use within our own lives, while we walk with the Lord. It is an absolute guide on how we can start to stay in Step with the Holy Spirit.
The Lord says that he will be with us, he will not fail us. His love for us is endless as he walks among us.
Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 6:16 where God tells us very clearly at the end of that verse “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
The Lord goes on to tell Joshua to be strong and courageous and to do according to all the law that Moses commanded him. To not turn left or right from it, and he would be prosperous and have great success. See he wanted Joshua, just as he wants us to stay on the straight path that is laid out for us to walk in order to fulfill the purpose he has for an of us.
For Joshua it was to lead God’s chosen people across the Jordan into the Land that was promised to them. To fight for what was rightfully theirs while allowing no man or Army to stand in the way, because the Lord himself was behind Joshua.
Understand that whatever battle you are fighting today or whatever blessing the enemy has taken away from you, The Lord will not leave you and will fight with you, beside you and for you. As long as you do what the Lord says in the next two verses. The Lord says to not allow the Law or “Word” to depart your mouth, to meditate on it day and night, so that you will do what is written within it. He is clearing telling us to stay in the word daily and to meditate on it, or pray on it.
This actually brings me to a very good topic as many Christians do not like to us the word “Meditate”. Because to some that is not aligned with the Bible, or what the Lord wants for us when we stay in the Word. Some believe to use the word “Meditate”, would refer to another religion like Buddhism or any other religion that involves multiple deities or gods.
So understand that it clearly states here that the Lord is telling us to meditate. I have a saying when it comes to meditating after my daily reading.
“With Meditation, comes Interpretation, then comes Application.”
When reading the word daily, we need to ensure that after, we take the time to meditate and think over what we have read to really understand how we can apply it in our daily walk. This is a great opportunity to have the Lord speak to your heart and show you what He was trying to say. See without the proper interpretation, we cannot understand the application. Once you understand God’s intention, he will show you how to apply it.
In verse 9 the Lord commands Joshua, Joshua 1:9
9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Once again we should walk every day as a new day and understand that the God we serve is a Mighty God and he is bigger than any problem we are facing. He is their with us, beside us fighting the good fight with us. We have to lean on him, as anything we try to did through our own will is destined to fail, but everything we do through him, through God’s will for us, will prosper as he is with us wherever we go.
STAYING IN STEP WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT: The Walls of Jericho
STAYING IN STEP WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT: The Walls of Jericho
Ok, Joshua has been established as the Leader chosen by God himself and takes the Isrealites across the Jordan they come to the first city Jericho. They were celebrating Passover on the Plains outside the city of Jericho in an encampment called Gilgal. While everyone was celebrating, Joshua went on a reconnaissance of Jericho alone and was contemplating a plan to overcome the walls surrounding the town for the sheer size and strength left him confused. He really has no idea how he is going to Command the Army of the Isrealites to tear down the walls. Standing there confused and puzzled he comes across a man with a sword drawn. Joshua asked the man,” Are you for us, or for our adversaries.” and the man responded.
14 And he said, “No; but I am the commander of the army of the Lord. Now I have come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, “What does my lord say to his servant?”
In other interpretations, the man identified himself as “The Lord of Hosts.”, which is the Battle name of the God of Isreal. At this moment, Joshua knew he was standing before the manifestation of God.
Some scholars claim that this is one of the few times within the Old Testament that Jesus, who is called, the Commander of the Lord Army, showed himself.
Can you imagine, standing there, about to go into battle and Jesus himself with a drawn sword is standing before you, ready to go into battle with you. I would absolutely fall to my face and worship him in that instant.
This also shows a proper response when we are confronted with adversity and the Lord shows himself, reveals his Grace and Mercy for us and the situation we took to him and laid at his feet, while we confront the walled off areas of our own lives.
At this point the gates of Jericho were locked up tight, because they were afraid of the Isrealites, which they understood the Lord promised them this land, but they did not want to give it up.
The Lord came to Joshua and told him how he was to defeat the walls of Jericho.
First I want to establish that at this point, Joshua was now the General or Commander of the 12 tribes of Isreal, which made up God’s Army, the Isrealites.
Joshua had a Divine Assistance in Battle
A Divine Assistance in Battle, which is translated as the concepts of a god assisting in or even determining the outcome of a battle by fighting for one side or another.
Now I will say that absolutely we should be as obedient to the Lord as Joshua was and absolutely we should want a Divine Assistance in Battle, but stay with me. We need and must have that from only one God, and when we give obedience to the Holy Spirit and we stay in Step with the Holy Spirit, the Lord will then be by our side to place his Armor on us to fight.
Joshua 6:2–3 (ESV)
2 And the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and mighty men of valor. 3 You shall march around the city, all the men of war going around the city once. Thus shall you do for six days.
4 Seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. On the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. 5 And when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, when you hear the sound of the trumpet, then all the people shall shout with a great shout, and the wall of the city will fall down flat, and the people shall go up, everyone straight before him.”
The battle is already won, The Lord said, I have given Jericho into your hands......... Joshua just needs to obey now.
There is a lot of significance in the Lords orders for Joshua to obey in order to receive his first military victory.
First for Joshua to command his men to march around the city for six days, in which these six days signified a spiritual exercise or a ritual act of obedience to God’s command to Joshua. There was zero military strategy involved. Zero.
Then on the seventh day, seven in symbolically in Scripture meaning completeness of totality. The number seven is utilized frequently throughout the Bible.
The Priests will then blow the trumpets and make a long blast with the rams horn, or in Hebrew it was called the qeren and shopahar, which were instruments often used in warfare for signals.
But they were to blow these horns before the ark, what ark.....The Ark of the Covenant. Understanding for those who do not know, The Ark of the Covenant has always been known as not just a wooden chest overlaid in gold that contained the tablets of the la, but the Isrealites believed that the ark was symbolically Yahweh’s throne, representing his very presence on earth.
Finally all the men shall shout with a large shout and the walls will crumble.
So we have symbolical numbers utilized throughout the Bible representing spiritual exercises and scriptural completeness.
Horns and trumpets blown signifying warfare
And Yahwehs very presence with the Ark of the Covenant being marched around in step with all of Joshuas men.
only to have all his men shout to crumble the walls.
What does Joshua do?
He uses “IMMEDIATE OBEDIENCE”!!!!!!
There was no, lets talk about this idea, maybe I will walk around a couple times and then have the priests blow horns and trumpets, No.....He Executed, He OBEYED!!! and the end result for Joshuas Immediate Obedience is his the Walls of Jericho came down and his men went in the city and seized it as God Promised his descendants.
Joshuas first Military victory. Joshuas Immediate Obedience led to his people receiving the blessing promised to them by the God of their ancestors. The one and only mighty and powerful God.
See, when we look deeper here folks, we see that when we today as believers in an Almighty God act in Immediate Obedience....WE not only receive the blessings promised to us, but others around us are just as effected to receive those same blessings.
Remember that you are something bigger than yourself and you may just be responsible for the blessings that others are to receive. SO spread the good word, immediately when given the command so that others can “sama’, hear.
The last piece of scripture I will leave you with today is this
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Jesus was saying, do his will for us, walk how he would want us to walk, talk how he would want us to talk and love, like he would want us to love. When we give our self to Christ, our old self dies and a new self is born again in Christ. We now walk with a new purpose, and spreading the word of God is a blessing in its self. That we cannot hold onto. Others deserve to hear it.
That when you receive a new life in Christ you no longer live for yourself, you live for him. He then speaks through you to spread the good word. Everything you are now belongs to him and he belongs to you.
Reality is, God willing, one day when I move on to the other side, I will stand face to face with God and he will say; “Well done good and faithful servant, well done.” But then I really think he is going to ask, “Who did you bring with you”, “who did you love as I loved you?” Who did you forgive as I forgave you?”
Seek him every day!
Walk in Step with him everyday!