Step #2 of the 12 Steps

Going to the Second Step. I won't be long today. We're looking at the 12 Steps of AA because they are biblical foundational things that I've revolutionized lives and I'm saying I think we should take a look at those eyes changing the whole world and has for over 50 60 years now more than that. The Second Step says that we came to be aware that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity and that's what we've been celebrating today a power greater than ourselves. That's why you and I are here because we believe there's a power greater than ourselves if you and I didn't believe that God was greater than what we are able to do in manifest we might we why would we be here? We're here because we hope and we believe and we read scripture and we believe what it says that there is a God that is greater than us that is more powerful than us and that can take the insanity of Life, whatever it may be and straighten it out and bring it back into ranked if we want to change things in her life. We want breakthroughs in our life. We want miraculous change in our life. We have to get in underneath this higher power. We don't have to get above it Beyond it. We have to get underneath it. Where we are saying you are my source. You are my source. I cannot change things Without You guiding me now. That's the way you're saying that people can't do anything people doing amazing things without God in their life. But what God enables us to do is to do the right thing. Now, there's a difference we can do amazing things we want to do the right thing we want to do what God wants us to do the way God wants it to be done because that guarantees success when we start trying to get people saved tell people how they should live in all those things in our mind. It usually gets all messed up. Usually when you listen to God in those situations, he's telling you to do something you never really thought of and it's usually not say anything at all. It's do something love love love love is the answer love will never fail as I saw with wee wees funeral Love Never Fails. It always comes back with fruit. It always does. So understanding that there's a higher power in your life and my life gives us tremendous strength and perseverance. It gives us a hope that God has not forgotten and that there's something is going to happen in our life you more than anybody else and I'm more than anybody else have reason to hope we could listen to both typhoons in about hurricanes in about Donald Trump and about everything and it could really send you into a tailspin. Some of the people in America are absolutely in a tailspin about what's going on down there with that crazy government that they have that are taking children from their parents. There's no Nation on the earth since Nazi Germany that has done that it's gone crazy. And so and it's some people are really in a lather about it and Cuz they don't have a hope. We have to have hope in the middle of our situation. NAA was developed. Actually, we want a little bit of History was developed back in 1931 that came out of a group called the Oxford Group which word group of Lutheran ministers that got together in and they started to say that if you want a solution to living in fear and living with selfish success in your life. He want a solution to that. You have to surrender your life to God because God has a distinct plan for your life. And the god they were talking about was the judeo Christian God who is a god that is alive. He's living He Speaks he interacts with us. He is an active presence in the world. It's not food. It's not Allah. It's not any of these Gods it is when they designed it was around the judeo Christian God, of course, he has moved away from that because apparently you're not allowed to you can dispose any other God accept the Christian one in our country. Apparently you can talk about all all You can talk about booty. You can talk about Hinduism and everything. They think you're enlightened, but you start talking about Jesus and they think you're a bigot. Understand this understand I had somebody else say this to me who's very high up in the Christian circles in the in Canada said it to me on Wednesday. He said we need to be prepared because there is stuff coming down the pike against the church. We have to get ready. You have to get ready for your testimony to be examined. You have to get ready and have a reason for what you believe and it can't be a bunch of hubba Wubba lubba. It's got to be real and because this country is changing and it's changing very fast. The West is changing very fast. And if anyone believes, there's going to be some kind of great Reawakening of the Christian church and it's going to go back to the way it was you're dreaming in Technicolor. The fact is the church is coming into almost what I would call a second Reformation that God is allowing the the situation in the world to come and it's going to refine the church and that means you and I And we can't just go around and say well, you know people should be accepting Jesus because that's just the way it is. No, you have to have a sensible reason for that. You have to be able to explain what it is you believe and we have to be demonstrating Christ in a way that is loving and is compassionate and is in a way that isn't going out and telling people that they're going to hell and we just have to be very careful because things are changing in the next 5 to 10 years. You will see the Christian church with OTA charitable status in this country. You will see that I'm sure because they're going to say that a lot of the Christian stuff is hate. Speech. So we have to be very very careful not scared. Not scared just careful. That's all we just have to be careful. The goal is to surrender to God's plan, and I don't know where your journey is, you know him where people are but sometimes we can get messed up an off-the-track of life. We really can like can do it to him and we have to you know, sometimes it happens because we won't listen to people telling us the truth and we insist on living her own way my heavens. We just insist on living her own way people holding onto hate holding onto anger holding onto unforgiveness. I'm telling you. I have learned it and I still have to deal with it. I'm telling if you're holding onto anger bitterness unforgiveness. It is going to destroy you. It will stop God's blessing in your life. It will stop the forward motion of God's progression in your life and it will cause the person that you are hating to prosper. It will it will cause the person that you're hating that you are not in conversation with because you have an anger issue and there's probably somebody at all of us has somebody at some point that were like that with in life and I'm telling you if we insist on doing an hour or own way, there are consequences there are consequences and it comes on us. Doesn't matter how wrong they were. Just because they were wrong to you doesn't mean you have to be wrong for them. That just makes you then. It is that incredible truth. You know that Martin Luther King Jr. Said that only life can drive out Darkness more Darkness does not drive out darkness. And the only thing to drive out hate is love you can't put more hate on hate and expect hate to change it. That's just not the way it works and well, it's not fair not fair kill Jesus. It's not fair. But Jesus left us an example of living against the traditions of the world. We live in that's what we're call to is the church. That's how we are an image for the world is that we are reacting differently than the world reacts and if we want to react the way the world react and we need to receive what the world received. And some of those things are not very good. The good news about it. Also. God does have a way to get us back in the right direction thinking properly. You know, I wanted this scripture is amazing going to go very quickly through this something so incredible. It says old people of Zion who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. He will be gracious. If you ask for help, he will surely respond to the sound of your cries. Explain a little bit more but God strength is always available to us. It's always there but we need to ask for it. I don't know why he set it up that way, but he will not move in our life until we ask for it. Sometimes we say, oh God did something wonderful there and and you know, maybe that's the truth. But for the most part if we want God to change something we ask him to do that and we have to invite him into our life. He is a consummate gentleman in that way sometimes asking for help is very hard because we have to accept the wrong and don't like none of us like doing that. None of us like doing that. No one likes to have to go to somebody Andrea and kind of show that they weren't strong enough in Life or in a situation. It's called pride and ego. That's what it's called. And if most of the time we are acting out of Pride and ego and those two things always bring death. They will always bring death pride and ego always bring death conflict Division and they bring in the devil and the scripture that says something where wherever there is self-seeking and pride you will find every evil thing. Thank you. You'll find every evil thing in there and it's the truth.

You know, it's funny because I did a concert once and it was a disaster. It was way back when I was doing concerts Christian concert. It didn't turn out very well as real mess and afterwards I said to God what happened there and he said the two bands that were going to finish up the show we had about six bands. There's on the Halifax comets and stuff the last two were arguing about who would close the show.

And I was in the trailer before the things start it and we're trying to figure it out in there and one with one group would come if they was supposed to be I wish you because then and then somebody else the deal. And guess what God closed the whole show. That's what happens. And that's what you show me said Keith. There was self-seeking pride and ego. You said I'm not blessing that I'm not blessing it and a lot of work went down the tubes out of Isaiah show something about the character of God that it's so encouraging though the lord gave you adversity for food and suffering for drink. He will still be with you to teach you you will see your teacher with your own eyes. Your own ears were will hear him right behind you a voice will say this is the way you should go whether to the right or to the left. This is an incredible example of God's grace and compassion what was happening during this piece of scripture. This was Isaiah prophesying was that the Assyrian army was coming down to attack Israel and Judah the northern kingdom, which was Israel would eventually be conquered by Assyria and then the Syrians were then going to come against the southern Kingdom of Judah so that and Isaiah the prophet knew this was going on because God said to them they continually continually over and over again chose to go there own way. They would choose other gods. They married other into other face and they started serving other gods. You know how that goes in the Old Testament the modern-day kind of Equivalent to that is how we look to the world how we look to other things besides God to give us direction to give us correction and to give us hope in life when we start trusting another things whether it's finances or whatever. It is. No matter what it is. We are leaving God. And that's what they would do over and over and over again. Here's a Syria finally coming down and attacking and what does Israel do it tells us? What's Oral weights? My rebellious children says the Lord you make plans that are contrary to mine. You make Alliance is not directed by my spirit that's piling up your sins for without consulting me. This is what his real went. Did you have gone down to Egypt for help? You have put your trust in Pharaoh's protection. You have tried to hide in his shade. So you're there. All of the prophecies are coming true, everything is happening and they still refuse to come to God and say we screwed up. We did it wrong. Please forgive me. Come help us that's all God was looking for and he would have come in and change the whole thing. But no, they said who's got a bigger Army that can help us. Well boy, and they go down to Egypt and it's a mess.

They would not confess their need or their fault. And you know, what's amazing about this. God have been prophesying to them for 64 years 64 years. God was saying through the prophets in through Isaiah in this case about what was going to happen. And the patience of God 64 years. And even at the very end of it. Even at the very end right at the very they're already going down to Egypt after 64 years of God trying you think he'd say, okay, okay, but he didn't we go and read that scripture again though the lord gave you adversity for food and suffering for drink. He will still be with you to teach you you will see your teacher with your own eyes and it goes on to say that he will give you directions if you listen. Absolute patience of God is unbelievable. And you know when? You know when people tell you about the Old Testament God they say he was a murderer and you know and tell him to go and kill all these people and murder babies and all this stuff. That's in the Old Testament is there we have to Grapple with that folks and there's no nice little theology that can wipe that away and that's just the way it is. But we also have to remember in that is this 64 years God was waiting and even rate when they were running with their tail between their leg down to Egypt. God is running behind them saying listen, I'll help you just come to me just come to me and that's what God saying to us today. I don't care what you've done. I don't care how long it's been I don't care what God wants to help us. It is an amazing reality about the compassion in the love of our God that he was willing to leave them and teach them even when they're running in the wrong direction. And lucky for because you and I were running in the wrong direction and God came along and knocked on our door and said hey, if you want to come this way, I got something for you and for some strange reason you guys and I said, yes, we don't always though. And you probably all have a testimony of where it went left because you didn't answer you didn't do properly didn't you weren't the person that God wanted you to be in want us to be and it gets in a mess it does but what beautiful is God brings it back. You can bring it back and verse 22. All God's has all the actresses this and you will destroy all your silver idols and your precious gold images and we have to when you take a scripture like that, you know, you don't have no silver silver idols and gold things in your heart want me to do. I don't know like maybe that Sunday think of something else. I'll try this now, right? Maybe look at your horoscope and try to wonder is God like maybe God will speak to me through this. Maybe I'll find out what's going on Christians strong Christians who read the horoscope. I got all don't mess around. I don't mess around with that. It divides your attention. It divides your trust right and dumb. But anyway, whatever it is that we look to and you have to ask God. What do I look too when I'm scared? What do I look too? and cuddle shelters You will throw them out like filthy rags saying to them good riddance. And no matter what the future says no matter what we think we need God is what we need God is what we need and he will manifest himself in the way that he will manifest himself. But we've this morning he is saying I am with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you it doesn't matter what has been behind you. It's all about what's in front of you that's important that we trust God with our futures that it doesn't matter the mess. We've made of our life. It doesn't matter what mistakes we've made and where it's put us that God is able to turn that around and redeem it and make it into a blessing and something that is amazing in the eyes of the world. That's what God has planned for your life and my life. Well, I'm 70 years old. Well, I'm 80 years old when I'm 50 years old doesn't matter matter. I don't matter you're still a breathing living human being. God doesn't see your age. Actually, he keeps on asking older people to do more stuff given notice that and if you haven't had that experience stick around Mosaic for a while and you'll experience it that God seems to just lump on two people. You know, I know it is good because it stops us from getting old and stupid. That's what it does. It really does because you know, what our tendency is for the most part is to sit in a chair and watch TV. Isis up that's right. That's right the Caesar. Heaven's Sake don't seize up on us It's funny every once while Church goes too long. You can tell because when we dismiss you can hear the old line everybody's get enough, right? It was a little bit too long today.

but God is with us and so We just want to close and say father. Thank you. Father thank you for what you're doing. Thank you that you were with us today that you would dramatically and very strong have shown us today that father got you have not forgot that father. If you said you're going to do what you're going to do with it. So father we just and what you said is that you're going to finish the good work in Christ Jesus. And sometimes you let it sit on it. Sometimes you don't but we trust you with what you're going to do in the way you're going to do it and we can leave this place today with peace. That's the piece you give as long as we let go of our way of dealing with it anger hatred unforgiveness, whatever. It is father, but we just say father I give this to you and I will do what you want me to do. Father we thank you that you will never leave us nor forsake us. You will never fail and we trust you today for your glorious Grace in her life in Jesus name Amen to pray for some people. Anybody who's going to school? Doesn't matter your age anybody who is going to school this year. I just want you to come forward and we're going to pray for you individually. I just felt at the beginning of the service, you know, and you guys that are going to school and is anybody else who's all going to school here this year? I think Prozac you are and Emmanuel. You are Austin it looking are you looking sharp Austin? Look at you all done up like the man. I just want you guys to come up and we're just going to pray and I would invite those like we did last week to come up and to pray for them. So come on up Rosie and and Gladys and everybody that's going to school because you know what God's got a plan for your life. And you're going to school because God wants to prop while you have to have an education but God wants to prosper you and roseff. You haven't even seen the beginning of it yet. You really haven't what God's going to do in your life, but God is going to do. dad moved so if you're going to school. Just come up. And can I like Roseanne? I know I call you all the time. Come on up and pray for some people other people that you know, Jerry come on up and pray for these people. And and also I want to remember Hazel her her brother the guy to hear about that car accident on willit that the guy got hit by the car. That was Hazel's brother and he's he's not in very good condition. They still in a coma and also her sister. And Harry your son Harry. Yeah, he needs prayer. Harry needs prayer. That's Mama to match his son. So I would just ask if you start praying for these people and just believe more than anyone else. There's coffee at the back and just help yourself.