Move Forward

Good morning everyone! What an incredible week we had last Sunday. The Lord was here. The altars filled twice. People set free. Declaring to take risk and trust God more deeply. We talked that you have to quit playing it safe. You have to get out of your comfort zone.

The whole goal of this series as we discussed last week is

For YOU to take borderline steps to lead to boundless success.

You must make the move to get out of your comfort level and move into the realm of the supernatural and empowered life. Don’t play it safe with relationships, with community, or with church. We encouraged you to join our fellowship groups and I am very pleased to announce that you responded. All of our groups are full. But if you didn’t join one there still are opportunities. To start one or to have another start to join. We want you to be a part.

So here is the next step in being a risk taker. You have to

Move Forward

God wants you to get that life He has for you. But you have to move forward to it. You say pastor Chris, I am in a place right now where I can’t move forward. I am stuck. Whether it is mentally stuck or physically stuck or spiritually, I am here to tell you today what God would say, “Take a step.”

Let me take you back to a ways. There was a little boy who was nine years old on a night in June. He was at church camp. The camp was going great. It was called Ambassador Conference Center. It was in Goodlettsville. It was a night service and that boy heard God calling to him. He went up to respond and on that night God gave that boy the gift of salvation and he also gave him the Holy Spirit.

That boy who was sick before service started knew that something wasn’t right. So he went back to his sit. He heard God say, I didn’t call you to sit on the sidelines. So that boy went back up to pray for someone else. As He was doing that, he could fell the power of God and knew that his sickness was leaving too. So He felt the release to leave the altar and flew to the restroom. As he was running he prayed and said I did what you ask. Heal me. Got to the restroom and the nausea left. He didn’t throw up. The people that he had prayed for too were healed that night. There was even one little girl who was left in the sanctuary still out under the spirit that he had prayed for.

That night he slept and dreamt of preaching. He knew that what happened that night was just the beginning of what would become his life.

Later on in life he had another dream of preaching to thousands in a field. So he set his life to that mission. He made it past abuse, trauma, neglect, loss, and even some of his own rebellion. But he kept moving forward.

Finally the day came in which he would be a pastor. He took over a church that would be fully under his leadership as he followed the Lord. There were 20 people. Then it dwindled down. He was preaching to 6 or sometimes 4 people. Not exactly his dream come true. But he kept going.

Then money started going away. Things had to change. He had to move forward again. Trusting the Lord. That is exactly what he did. He and his wife opened a brand new church in March of this year. It was rough that morning. Lights didn’t work. The computer didn’t work. We didn’t have a check in station for like the first 2 months. The projector went out. We didn’t have this complete of a worship team and can I just say hats off to this team up here. They do a tremendous job of leading us. i am thankful to be a part. I don’t know where Larry was but we needed you then brother. lol Things have definitely changed and progressed. But guess what, we can’t get comfortable here. We have to move forward.

But I remember sitting there on that day and of my first time preaching and not the thousands not even the hundreds were there. The 10’s were there and half of them were my family. It wasn’t a fantastic sermon. I was nervous. We weren’t in some nice sanctuary like this. We didn’t have the lights like this. We didn’t have the tvs like this. It just wasn’t my dream fulfiflled and then een when we got here. 15 people and six are my family. Its wasn’t what I had been expecting. I had this grand dream but the reality wasn’t that.

My dream is wild by my reality is mild.

I mean we have been there. You are this guy.

(Insert graduation photo)

Everything is going great you have your hands raised ready to take over the world. Then reality sets in and you end up looking like this.

(insert photo of overworked and tired)

Then reality hits. The stress and struggle of life hits. It didn’t turn out the way you wanted. It didn’t pan out to be the dream you had thought and wanted it to be. This can hit you at every day life situations as well. Maybe it is hitting you this year because you thought this was going to be the year. This year I turn over a new leaf. Just a rabbit trail for a minute. Have you ever thought about that saying. Who goes around just turning leaves over. What is the point. It looks the same. I really didn’t understand this saying. I tried looking up its origin. No one had any clue. we know what it means but I just want to know how turning over leaves came to mean that. I mean seriously if I saw a guy outside in my yard turning leaves over, I would think he was nuts. Or that he lost something.

But I digress. Maybe you wanted to get into shape this year but became more of a shape. You wanted to exercise but got extra fries. You wanted to save money but can’t remember how to do that. You had a dream that you were going to do this or that but the reality happened. We all have those moments. Those times when we are not living in what God wants for us. A live that is lower than the promises over our marriage, and fmaily, and finances, and freedom. What do we do?

Settling is not the answer. Don’t just settle. Don’t allow that to happen to you. Jesus gave his life for this. We need to walk in victory becuase God is a God of victory.

Despite your frustrations and failures and shortcomings. Move forward. Take the challenge today. Frustration can win. Failure can win out. But

Failure isn’t fatal.

It isn’t the end. Unless you stay there. Unless you allow it. Don’t. It takes faith.

We are going to discuss two risk takers today. I want you to be ready because I may get in your stuff today and you just let me waller in it so I can help you out of it ok?

Open up your bible to

Judges 6:1–11 NKJV

Then the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord. So the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian for seven years, and the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel. Because of the Midianites, the children of Israel made for themselves the dens, the caves, and the strongholds which are in the mountains. So it was, whenever Israel had sown, Midianites would come up; also Amalekites and the people of the East would come up against them. Then they would encamp against them and destroy the produce of the earth as far as Gaza, and leave no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep nor ox nor donkey. For they would come up with their livestock and their tents, coming in as numerous as locusts; both they and their camels were without number; and they would enter the land to destroy it. So Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites, and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord. And it came to pass, when the children of Israel cried out to the Lord because of the Midianites, that the Lord sent a prophet to the children of Israel, who said to them, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘I brought you up from Egypt and brought you out of the house of bondage; and I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of all who oppressed you, and drove them out before you and gave you their land. Also I said to you, “I am the Lord your God; do not fear the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell.” But you have not obeyed My voice.’ ” Now the Angel of the Lord came and sat under the terebinth tree which was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon threshed wheat in the winepress, in order to hide it from the Midianites.

Judges 6

Gideon is the first risk taker that we are going to discuss today.

Gideon, I love, becuase He doesn’t start in a place of prominence. Gideon is hiding. Gideon is scared. Gideon is lost becuase he is threshing wheat in a wine press. You can’t thresh wheat in a wine press. A wine press is meant to press grapes into wine. But he is putting wheat there. Because there was no wine coming into Israel. There was not annointing. There was no Holy Spirit becuase they had walked away from God and done what was right in their own eyes not what was right according the Lord. There was no wine to be had. So he was using it for a wrong purpose. But none the less he is a risk taker. If the Midianites found out they would have come and taken it and may have even killed him. He is an average guy just hiding and God shows up.

He was created for more than that though. Look at verse 12

Judges 6:12 NKJV

And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him, and said to him, “The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor!”

He is hiding! But God doesn’t see his problem he sees his potential. Many of you are here right now in the same as Gideon and you believe that this scared person is just who I am. You don’t see yourself as mighty. You don’t see yourself as victoriuos. YOu don’t see your situation as anything to brag over but God brought you here today to hear what He sees.

What God says about you, always trumps what you think about you.

So many of us are stuck in what we think about ourselves. Who cares. Listen to what He says.

Jesus didn’t die to make you common, but to make you conquerors.

But there were some roadblocks that Gideon had to get over even in his own mind and I think some of them are the same for you. Listen to his response.

Judges 6:13 NKJV

Gideon said to Him, “O my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.”

Judges 6:13–16 NKJV

Gideon said to Him, “O my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.” Then the Lord turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?” So he said to Him, “O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.” And the Lord said to him, “Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat the Midianites as one man.”

Judges 6:13-17

This is the road block Gideon had. He was trying to look to the future through the lenses of a disappointed past. We do the same thing. I tried to lead a small group and it didn’t work so I wont do it ever again. I tried to talk with my friend about Jesus but I failed miserably so I won’t do that again. I want to join a church but I have tried to join one before but man I just haven’t found one. You cannot stay at the disappointments. Your destiny is bigger than your history. You later days will be better than your former days. In order to get to those latter days you must move forward.

This is the road block Gideon had. He was trying to look to the future through the lenses of a disappointed past. We do the same thing. I tried to lead a small group and it didn’t work so I wont do it ever again. I tried to talk with my friend about Jesus but I failed miserably so I won’t do that again. I want to join a church but I have tried to join one before but man I just haven’t found one. You cannot stay at the disappointments. Your destiny is bigger than your history. You later days will be better than your former days. In order to get to those latter days you must move forward.

It is another story and our second risk taker. A man Called Jacob.

Jacob as you may remember wasn’t the best. He tricked his brother into the birth right. He tricked his father. Then he was tricked. But there was one young lady that caught his eye and stole his heart. So he worked hard for her. 14 years and then another 7 once they are together. They made it but then we catch up to this story right here.

Genesis 35:16–21 NIV

Then they moved on from Bethel. While they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel began to give birth and had great difficulty. And as she was having great difficulty in childbirth, the midwife said to her, “Don’t despair, for you have another son.” As she breathed her last—for she was dying—she named her son Ben-Oni. But his father named him Benjamin. So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). Over her tomb Jacob set up a pillar, and to this day that pillar marks Rachel’s tomb. Israel moved on again and pitched his tent beyond Migdal Eder.

You hear that. This wife that he had given up so much for. The wife he wanted to be with for 14 years before he finally was able to. A wife that he just knew was going to be the girl he was with the rest of his life. She passed away. If anyone could have stayed in his disappointment it could have been him. You mean Lord I was working for this? I did 14 years of hard labor and dreaming and believing and desiring for this. Now she is gone. Now everything that I thought was going to be isn’t. I just can’t believe you left me like this. I can’t believe this is what you brought me to lord. But that isn’t what happened.

Look at what it says Jacob buried his wife and set up a pillar to mark her tomb. But then Israel moved on. Jacob come to a moment where he lost it all…but Israel moved forward. Same man but because he came to a moment where he had to make a decision, it changed him. He became something different and better for it. God wile it looked as though he had abandoned Jacob actually allowed him to come here so he an be exactly what God wanted him to be.

Genesis

Both of these men I am sure had questions about where was God and why he allowed them to go through this but listen to this...

Risk takers move forward despite disappointments.

We have all had failures and disappointments. But listen to this

Failure is an event, not a person.

This is a verse that some of you need to write down and staple on your foreheads. Or write it on the mirror. It is this verse right here.

Micah 7:8 NKJV

Do not rejoice over me, my enemy; When I fall, I will arise; When I sit in darkness, The Lord will be a light to me.

See some of yall don’t want to move becuase everyone is staring at you. They may see you succeed. They may see you fall again. They may see you and tell you that you are doing it all wrong. But the prophet doesn’t say that when he falls he will spread it all over facebook and let everyone know. He doesn’t say that he will talk about how bad his life is and spread it all over so people feel sorry for him. He doesn’t say that he will sit and sulk in self pity. No he says that I will rise.

God tells Gideon listen to this

Judges 6:14 NKJV

Then the Lord turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?”

Judges 6

Judges 6:16 NKJV

And the Lord said to him, “Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat the Midianites as one man.”

God is with you. I know you have been through some things. I know life has not been easy. I know your heart is broke. Jacob, I know that you just lost your wife. Gideon, I know no one else is attempting to do what I am asking you to do. I know it looks like you are going to move by yourself. But I am with you.

Then Gideon has this to say in verse 15.

Judges 6:15 NKJV

So he said to Him, “O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.”

He says lord you told me to go in my own strength but I don’t have any. MY clan is the weakest and I am the weakest in my clan. Some of you feel that way right now. You say, I have no strength to go on. There is no way that I can do this. I will not be able to push through. In fact, I don’t even want to push through. I am just so tired.

I remember when we were at the training last year on planting a church. I remember looking at my wife and saying, we are ready. We can’t do this. We don’t have this. We don’t have that. We are going to come cool city. You know a metropolis. We don’t have the flashy things. My wife has all the looks but I am the face you see. I mean it is just not going to work. We aren’t qualified. I mean look at our past. Look at our families. No one in my family had been in ministry before. How in the world are we going to do this. We had this Gideon moment. Where we are doubting everything and even wondering do we move on from here like Jacob or just pack it up and quit right here. Let me tell you what God told me.

Quit disqualifying what God has called.

You are sitting here telling yourself or someone else they an’t do what what God has called them to do becaouse you don’t see they have the qualification or you don’t think you have the qualifications. Did God call you? That’s all the qualifying you need. There is a line in the play we are doing the Hobbit and my character Thorin ask Gandalf where were you. Gandalf says looking ahead. Then I ask him, what brought you back. Gandalf says looking behind. My response is that’s interesting but could you make it more plain. Some of us are sitting here today attempting to get God to make it all plain to us but then that would not require the faith necessary to follow. Just follow. Take the risk. Here is what risk takers do.

They move forward despite their apparent deficiencies.

Here is why because they know it is not about their limitations. Write it down like this.

God isn’t looking to your competencies, he is looking for your compliance.

Every thing is about Him. He looks to his story, not your history. He looks to his power not yours. He knows his abilities and God is looking for people to which His abilities can shine. He looks to limited people to pour out his limitless power.

I know what you are saying. I get there too. Gideon was there too. Gideon said this.

Judges 6:17 NKJV

Then he said to Him, “If now I have found favor in Your sight, then show me a sign that it is You who talk with me.

Lord I just really want to know if you are calling me to do this. Give me a sign that I know its you. Are you really calling me to move forward.

Risk takers move forward despite their doubt.

Take the step. I know the doubts are there. I know the problems are many. I know the doubts are calling to you. I know you can’t see everything. I know you don’t know all the answers. I know sometimes we even doubt that God is really calling us. We might even doubt God. Move forward. Just take one step. You are here today and God is calling you here. Take a step and join this church. Follow the vision here. Put your talents and gifts to work. Here. Hey I know church has hurt you before. I know in the past it didn’t work out. I know that church people can be cruel and hurtful. Don’t doubt us, trust Him. People ask me all the time, how is this going to work or how is that going to fit. I don’t know all the answers. I just know God. I trust that He who has the plan will work it all out. I have to because i know that I can’t. Take the risk. Put yourself out there. I know it will be tough. I know it isn’t comfortable. I know it isn’t what you really want to do. Take the risk. Commit and see what God does to honor that in your family, in your marriage. Give your tithe and see how God will bless that. Be obedient and see where GOd will take you.

Look at how Gideon ends this.

(Play music) Fighting for Us

Judges 6:22 NKJV

Now Gideon perceived that He was the Angel of the Lord. So Gideon said, “Alas, O Lord God! For I have seen the Angel of the Lord face to face.”

Judges 6

Judges 6:24a NKJV

So Gideon built an altar there to the Lord, and called it The-Lord-Is-Peace. To this day it is still in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

Judges 6

How can he say that. He is going to war right now. He is about to bring the entire army of the midianites down on him. There is no peace coming. But he isn’t talking about outside. He is talking about inside. Gideon had peace becuase he knew he had talked with God and he knew God was with him. So he had peace with taking the risk. He took a step and peace. He went to battle and peace came over him. The same with you. If you will just take the step. It is like this in your notes.

You might have your doubts about God, but God has no doubts about you.

You may know the end of this story. Gideon goes on to follow God’s directive. He goes to israel and says, we have had enough of this crap. Who is with me to take on the midianites. 32,000 poeple join him. God says eh that’s too many to fight the 120,000 man army of the midanites. I need you to take it down to 300 and they go to the battle and don’t even have to life a sword. God defeats the army for them. All God needed was a man to be obedient. That’s it. He is looking for the same thing today. You want victory. Obey the victorious One. Quit kicking the gourd down the road. Quit passing the buck. Quit wondering if this is God or not and trust that if you go after God with everything you have, He will show up.