Sunday, April 12, 2015

Victorious Support (Series: Victorious Living)

Theme: Victorious Living!

Victory is one of those strange church words that’s thrown around. I want to help the  FOL family to understand the mechanics of victory: What is it? Who is it for? How was it gained? Who maintains it? How does it materialize in our lives? I desire us to experience the abundant supernatural influence of God’s power in our lives that’s called victory; the power that allows us to overcome obstacles and setbacks.

12 Give us aid against the enemy, for human help is worthless. 13 With God we will gain the victory, and he will trample down our enemies. Psalm 108:12-13 (NIV)

But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:57
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#2 Sunday, April 12th
Theme: Victorious Living!
Message Title: Supernatural Support
Message Focus: Why be defeated by a defeated enemy?
Message Text: Psalm 60:11-12 (NIV)

11 Give us aid against the enemy, for human help is worthless.12 With God we will gain the victory, and he will trample down our enemies. Psalm 60:11-12 (NIV)

✺ Message Aim: Understanding that our enemies are not defeated and then re-released!  They are destroyed by God!

Supernatural: of, relating to, or being above or beyond what is natural; unexplainable by natural law or phenomena; abnormal. 2. of, pertaining to, characteristic of, or attributed to God or a deity.

We as humans, do not determine the supernatural acts of God. Gideon did not ask God to do what God did. Nor did Moses. Yet, we have this rich history… Not so that we can tell God what to do… But that we know what God is capable of, so that we can prepare our hearts to receive what God is offering supernaturally.


Big News: We have a victory that was won for us by God!
(Picture of Selma; Picture of service leaders; 

What is the enemy’s power? (Deception. He no longer rules over death/grave)
What is a stronghold (mind)? (A concept that controls reality & shapes action)
How are we delivered? God’s role? Role of Truth? Role of constant renewal?
Let’s Look at 2 stories of supernatural defeat of the enemy:
  1. Moses & Pharaoh
  2. Elisha’s Servant (2 Kings 6.17)


MOSES
  • The purpose of the signs of the plagues was to impart knowledge" and a wonder "basically points to something extraordinary…

  • (Exodus 3:20). This confirmation was to serve at least two purposes: to show the Israelites that the 1. God of their fathers was alive and worthy of their worship and 2. to show the Egyptians that their gods were nothing.

  • They believed He existed and worshiped Him, but they doubted that He could, or would, break the yoke of their bondage.

➣The Lord Almighty broke the backs of the natural-phenomenon gods…..

➣The Lord Almighty broke the economy by messing with the Nile, the blood of Egypt.

➣The fourth plague, flies, was a judgment on Uatchit, the fly god. In this plague, God clearly distinguished between the Israelites and the Egyptians, as no swarms of flies bothered the areas where the Israelites lived (Exodus 8:21–24).

➣God's creation-wide concern is explicit in the plagues as is his ability to act even in the middle of "enemy territory” (Thou prepares a table for me in the presence of…)

➣Last 3: Let indelible impressing with Pharaoh (specifically) of Who he (god) was dealing with!!
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Message Insights!

  • Miracles make statements. Statements that are meant to be heard!

  • Take roads signs for example…points to something coming up…won’t repost a sign just because you weren’t looking.

  • Do we more need more miracles or more faith in & knowledge of our God?

  • The miracles in Egypt taught something about God’s nature without God having to redo them…we simple re-play them in our hearts. (We have to sit with Truth!)


[It’s time to believe in God and God’s victorious hand, again!]


ELISHA & HIS SERVANT

2 Kings 6:17New International Version (NIV)
And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots(A) of fire all around Elisha.

  • Victory was present, but he was oblivious to it
  • His eyes were open! Not to merely view victory as a reality, but to view God Almighty as his Protection and Promise Keeper.



Takeways:

  • If I had a choice of walking in the miraculous and walking closely with a miraculous God, I’d take the latter.

  • God wants to change the landscape of your horizon (how you function!)

  • Your victory is in your Miraculous God…not in your miracle, per se.

  • I am spending time meditating on the goodness and nearness of my Miraculous God rather than waiting on my next miracle. 

  • If in fact, you have received a miracle…you’re not waiting waiting on your next miracle…God is waiting for you act/react appropriately in light of that miraculous interaction.

Next Steps:

  • Get prayer today that your eyes will be opened to the reality of God around you!
  • Ask for God to open your eyes to His Miraculous Power and Constant Care for His people as you read/study scripture


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