Wells of Opposition

Vision at Sunday night prayer

On Saturday, May 21, 1927, a New York evening paper contained an expert’s elaborate demonstration of the impossibility of flight across the Atlantic Ocean.

The funny thing is, on the first page of that very same paper, was the headline flung across the top in gigantic letters: “LINDBERG HAS ARRIVED!”

“LINDBERG HAS ARRIVED!” And underneath was an article describing the first transcontinental flight by Charles Lindberg. When the “experts” were saying it can’t be done, Charles Lindberg did it. He flew across the Atlantic Ocean.

And underneath was an article describing the first transcontinental flight by Charles Lindberg. When the “experts” were saying it can’t be done, Charles Lindberg did it. He flew across the Atlantic Ocean.

Whenever we attempt anything worthwhile, there will always be those critics who say, “It can’t be done.” There will always be those who oppose. There will always be those who fight us. But that doesn’t need to stop us from doing what we know God has called us to do.

The question is: What do we do, as people of faith, when opposition comes?

What do we do when the critics try to shut us down? What do we do when people try to discredit what God wants to do through us?

To help answer that we’re gonna look at a story in Genesis.

Prompt

follow along on the screen ..............................or in your bibles unless you are Billy…we dont have enough time to wait on you to turn pages.

Its in chapter 26, where Isaac, a man of faith, faces opposition from the Philistines.

Its important to state that there is a great famine and drought in the land, just like had happened in Abrahams time

Genesis 26:12 NLT

12 When Isaac planted his crops that year, he harvested a hundred times more grain than he planted, for the Lord blessed him.

Isaac planted crops in that land and the same year reaped a hundredfold, because the LORD blessed him. (NIV)

Now, the normal yield or harvest in a good year was 25 to 50-fold. Isaac reaped 100-fold – i.e., 100 times what he planted!

Genesis 26:13–15 NLT

13 He became a very rich man, and his wealth continued to grow. 14 He acquired so many flocks of sheep and goats, herds of cattle, and servants that the Philistines became jealous of him. 15 So the Philistines filled up all of Isaac’s wells with dirt. These were the wells that had been dug by the servants of his father, Abraham.

Gods favor was upon Issac, and with Gods favor also comes the jealousy of man!

When Gods favor shines brightly upon you, MAN will envy you!

They will want what you have .......without walking the through the steps you took on your journey to get there....... and some will even pile DIRT into your spiritual well.

So the Philistines stopped up Isaacs wells,

Genesis 26:1 NLT

1 A severe famine now struck the land, as had happened before in Abraham’s time. So Isaac moved to Gerar, where Abimelech, king of the Philistines, lived.

Now remember, these are days of drought and famine (vs.1). Water is very scarce, so these wells are very important! The Philistines are trying to starve Isaac out of existence, because they are envious of his success.

Now remember, these are days of drought and famine (vs.1).

Water is very scarce, so these wells are very important!

The Philistines are trying to starve Isaac out of existence,

because they are envious of his success.

Sometimes when you are gaining ground for the Kingdom, Satan will try to starve you out of existence. And He will even use your friends and family to try to do so

Genesis 26:16 NLT

16 Finally, Abimelech ordered Isaac to leave the country. “Go somewhere else,” he said, “for you have become too powerful for us.”

– i.e., too numerous.

Then Abimelech said to Isaac, “Move away from us; you have become too powerful for us” (NIV) – i.e., too numerous.

In a land with limited resources, there is not enough to sustain both Abimelech’s people and Isaac’s vast and growing household.

Genesis 26:17–18 NLT

17 So Isaac moved away to the Gerar Valley, where he set up their tents and settled down. 18 He reopened the wells his father had dug, which the Philistines had filled in after Abraham’s death. Isaac also restored the names Abraham had given them.

and he gave them the same names his father had given them. (NIV)

So Isaac moved away from there and encamped in the Valley of Gerar and settled there. Isaac reopened the wells that had been dug in the time of his father Abraham, which the Philistines had stopped up after Abraham died, and he gave them the same names his father had given them. (NIV)

Instead of fighting, Isaac simply moves on and reopens the wells his father had dug years before. You see, Isaac is trying to establish his presence in the land,

He didnt cower and run, he simply moved down the block, claiming the land and his father’s wells by right of inheritance.

That’s why he gives them the same names. Then he goes on to dig another well.

Genesis 26:19 NLT

19 Isaac’s servants also dug in the Gerar Valley and discovered a well of fresh water.

 Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and discovered a well of fresh water there (NIV) -- Literally, a well of living water There was an artesian well with running water - a very valuable and important find in the midst of drought.

-- Literally, a well of living water

There was an artesian well with running water - a very valuable and important find in the midst of drought.

But the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Issac's herdsmen and said, "The water is ours!" So he named the well Esek (which means dispute), because they disputed with him. (NIV)

Genesis 26:20 NLT

20 But then the shepherds from Gerar came and claimed the spring. “This is our water,” they said, and they argued over it with Isaac’s herdsmen. So Isaac named the well Esek (which means “argument”).

(which means dispute), because they disputed with him. (NIV)

Names meant a lot back then... who would want to drink out of the well of dispute

Then they dug another well, but they quarreled over that one also; so he named it Sitnah (which means opposition).- NIV

Genesis 26:21 NLT

21 Isaac’s men then dug another well, but again there was a dispute over it. So Isaac named it Sitnah (which means “hostility”).

Sitnah also means opposition

Actually the name Satan comes from this very word. For you see he IS the adversary. He IS the hostile opposition to every believer.  But not even Satan can stop Gods people from accomplishing Gods will in there own lives.

He moved on from there and dug another well, and no one quarreled over it. He named it Rehiboth (which means ENOUGH or plenty or room), saying, "Now the Lord has given us Enough room and we will flourish in the Land." NIV

Genesis 26:22 NLT

22 Abandoning that one, Isaac moved on and dug another well. This time there was no dispute over it, so Isaac named the place Rehoboth (which means “open space”), for he said, “At last the Lord has created enough space for us to prosper in this land.”

Rehoboth (which means ENOUGH, plenty, room, open space), saying, "Now the Lord has given us Enough room/space and we will flourish in the Land."

Have you had spiritual wells stopped up  in you life?

How many times have you had an awesome experience with Christ and you feel like an unstoppable disciple just to have the walls crash down around you and you feel like the spiritual flow has stopped.

Perhaps you have just felt like you are in a drought and you are dying for a drop of spiritual rain.

SPIRITUAL RIVER IN LIFEGATE......Show LifeGate Logo

Maybe there are some old wells in your life that need to be re-dug and tapped into.

The well of spiritual vision:  

GW translations reads Without prophetic vision people run wild, but blessed are those who follow GODS teachings.

Come on church, this isnt a business! This is a place of divine, spiritual, prophetic vision.

We have to come back to that, we must remember that.

If your spiritual leader has  been given prophetic vision you roll with it......

BUT WHAT IF ITS SOMETHING I DON’T LIKE OR AGREE WITH? If its not sin then trust in God. God is not going to let something happen that He doesn't want to!                                                                                                                     

God is not going to let something happen that He doesn't want to!                                                                                                                     

What about in your own life? You must dig or re-dig the well of spiritual vision.

You need to be  able to see and hear God at work in your life. And allow yourself to see the vision for your life that God has for you.

And to be able to recognize evil for evil and the resurrection POWER inside of you as  authority over that evil

Helen Keller said: " the most PATHETIC  person in the world is the one who has SIGHT but has NO VISION"

The well of Faith:

Do you remember the days following a major conformation from God when your well of faith was over flowing but the cares of this world started to trouble your heart.

Thats when our faith grows weak and then doubts, fears, and anxieties grip us 

and pull us down with one hand while heaping dirt into our well of faith with the other. 

You see Jesus addressed this problem  in . He reassures us that our Heavenly Father will provide for all the needs of His children.

Jesus basically  says that Gods got you. He will take care of you. Even when you think He is late He’s still right on time.

Don’t let the worries of this world weaken your faith.

Satans plan is to pile so much on top of you that your well of faith starts to dry up.

But Its the mercy of God that takes a drop just the size of a mustard seed and makes it enough! Enough for your well to overflow

Even the disciples prayed in { Lord increase  our faith.

Satan wants to stop up because he knows Gods word and he knows........

Hebrews 11:6 LEB

6 Now without faith it is impossible to please him, for the one who approaches God must believe that he exists and is a rewarder of those who seek him.

, It is impossible to  please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to Him must believe that God exists and that He rewards those who sincerely seek Him.

So its time to make a decision and take a stand.......either HE is or HE isn't Its time to re-dig your well of faith

The well of obedience:

The unquestionable mark of true discipleship is obedience.

Our Lord demands obedience. He makes this abundantly clear in

{ Jesus says " So why do you keep calling me Lord, Lord when you dont do what I say?"

God expects us to be obedient to Him...... and the leaders He has put in place in our lives.

That means your BOSS your PASTOR, .......LAW ENFORCEMENT your PARENTS your GOVERNMENT.

The Bible tells us in many places about the obedience that God expects from us.

{ says obey your spiritual leaders and do what they say for it is their work to watch over your souls and they are held accountable for this. Give them reason to do this with joy and not sorrow for that would not be for your benefit...END}

The Bible also tells us that all authority is placed by God. Yes all authority...... if you believe the Bible to be true then you must stand on this also.

You may not agree but you must be obedient because God commands it.... HE says to submit to the governing authorities. Our well of obedience starts to dry up because we think we know better then the people God has placed over us.

We become uncomfortable with the things they do and changes they make so we start filling our own well by being disobedient to our authority and by doing that? to God also

Keep digging: Even greater wells lie ahead.

Isaac's servants kept digging and their efforts were rewarded by finding a well of running water in the valley. If we are to experience the joy of greater service to our Lord, we must be relentless in our efforts to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Never settle for where you are.

prompt......music Meg

MEG

play instrumental music!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!@@@####$$$$%%%%%%^^^^

We can never be too Christian. We must constantly continue to grow.

If we don't learn something new everyday then we're not paying attention to the things and the people around us.

God is constantly trying to teach you, Keep searching keep seeking keep digging there's another well ahead of you, and there's one after that, and another one after that, and so on and so on.

Continue reaching to God STRIVING more and more and more for a deeper relationship. you can never know Christ too much. You can never know too much of his love and his grace mercy.

{{ It even says this in  { You already know these things, dear friends. So be on guard; then you will not be carried away by the errors of these wicked people and lose your own secure footing. Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. All glory to him, both now and forever! Amen.}}

You see LifeGate, God is doing a new work in this place, in this church God is doing a mighty works in this church, God is giving new vision and When the experts in you life tell you it cant be done just remember the Lindberg story.

And remember how much faith he had to have.  

Prompt

MEG

Show LifeGate Logo.........

Spiritual wells in LifeGate, Spiritual river, Vision, transparency, New vision , Repentance.

Church......GOD SAYS! There was a spiritual well  dug here but it got stopped up with disputes, and the another was dug and stopped up with hostility, even another that was stopped up by the desires and opinions of others. Another dug and filled in with selfish and immoral decisions

but now God says I am having THIS pastor and THIS church dig a new spiritual well and it will be named the well of ENOUGH, the well of ROOM, the well of PLENTY  and NO man woman child or demon with be able to stop up this well of LIVING WATER.

And this time I as your Pastor will not rebuke the Enough.

NOW LETS BREAK DOWN THIS OBSTRUCTION!!! .......................................... ..........................................