The Danger of Declaring: Why Positive Confession Fails the Gospel

• Moses' Final Exhortation 00:03:48 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor discusses Moses' final instructions to the people, emphasizing strength, courage, and the command to choose life over destruction.
• The Shema and Priorities 00:04:37 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor explains the Shema as a call to hear and listen, urging the congregation not to neglect the most important spiritual things during times of change.
• Church Transition and Growth 00:09:11 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor recounts the history of the church's moves, from the schoolhouse to the dance studio, highlighting growth and baptisms.
• Passing the Baton 00:11:44 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor uses the analogy of a relay race to encourage the congregation to maintain momentum and pass the ministry to the next generation.
• Momentum and Transition 00:11:44 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor uses the analogy of a relay race to argue that church transitions should maintain or increase spiritual momentum rather than stopping or slowing down.
• Evangelism and the Lost 00:13:46 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor defines the church's vision as seeking and saving the lost, urging the congregation to fight for drug addicts and those struggling in marriage.
• Collective Spiritual Shift 00:20:23 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor leads a corporate declaration to shift health, mindset, and focus away from disability and toward healing, joy, and evangelism.
• Overcoming Past Attacks 00:19:45 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor identifies that the enemy has attacked the church through health issues (cancer, tumors) and declares these attacks are ending.
• Readiness for Battle 00:25:36 ▶️ 📄
  > Citing Moses and Joshua, the pastor warns that change brings battles but encourages the congregation to be strong and courageous for the dominion coming.
• Change and Readiness 00:24:34 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor discusses the inevitability of change in church leadership and ministry, urging the congregation to be strong and courageous like Moses and Joshua.
• Spiritual Dominion 00:26:09 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor speaks about taking spiritual property and dominion that the enemy has taken, linking it to the need for strength and courage.
• Divine Guidance 00:26:46 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor uses the example of Moses following the cloud and fire to illustrate that believers must follow God's lead rather than relying solely on human plans.
• Prayer 00:27:56 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor exhorts the congregation to 'fall in love with prayer,' describing it as a vital, yearning connection with God necessary for spiritual health.
• Evangelism and Mindset Shift 00:29:41 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor urges the congregation to love what God loves, specifically the lost, and to shift their mindset from viewing people as 'good guys' to recognizing their spiritual need.

• Sermon Illustration 00:08:18 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor shares a personal anecdote about his wife's early singing abilities, noting she could only play 'Jesus You Are Welcome Here' on the keyboard, and their son Jackson learning to play drums on a Wii console before getting real drums.
• Sermon Illustration 00:09:37 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor recounts a block party on the side of Highway 150 where they baptized two people in a horse trough and reunited a family, illustrating the church's outreach efforts.
• Sermon Illustration 00:10:05 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor tells the story of a man named Buck, who was baptized at the block party, and how the pastor supported Buck's decision to move to Michigan to reconcile with his son, prioritizing family restoration over church retention.
• Sermon Illustration 00:11:49 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor uses the analogy of a relay race to explain the concept of passing the baton with momentum, urging the congregation to keep the ministry moving forward rather than letting it stall.
• Sermon Illustration 00:11:50 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor describes a relay race where runners must pass the baton while running to maintain momentum, contrasting this with a church that 'flopped over' during transition.
• Sermon Illustration 00:16:13 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor shares a personal anecdote about his dog staring at him until he gives her a cracker, illustrating how God is watching and waiting for the church to respond.
• Sermon Illustration 00:17:46 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor quotes a Los Angeles mayoral candidate who stated that 'the things that we fight are the things that we allow,' applying it to the church's internal struggles.
• Sermon Illustration 00:23:27 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor tells a story about a dog breaking its chain and running faster than ever before, illustrating the freedom and excitement of being unchained by God.
• Sermon Illustration 00:28:34 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor shares a personal anecdote about a 'Donald Trump pot' bought in 2019 that looks fine but leaks everywhere, using it as an analogy for how prayer can feel 'not quite right' if one does not truly love it.

• Pastoral Charge 00:11:26 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor invites individuals to be baptized, offering options for cold water immersion at Lake Norman or a heated pool at a hotel.
• Pastoral Charge 00:21:23 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor urges specific individuals in the congregation to verbally release spiritual blessings like healing, joy, and peace.
• Pastoral Charge 00:19:12 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor expresses a desire for the congregation to increase their numbers in baptism, Holy Ghost reception, Bible study, and prayer.
• Pastoral Charge 00:28:00 ▶️ 📄
  > Develop a deep, affectionate relationship with prayer.
• Pastoral Charge 00:29:30 ▶️ 📄
  > Be physically and spiritually present for God and church leadership.
• Pastoral Charge 00:29:56 ▶️ 📄
  > Actively and intentionally engage in evangelism.

[00:00:00] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[00:00:00] Joshua chapter 1 and verse 7 you can just listen up if you weren't able to bring the Word of God to the house of God. In the transition between Moses and Joshua a lot of things were said a lot of chapters were dedicated to it and you may hear more of this today as well as upcoming services but it speaks well into the catapulting of the next man up.
[00:00:36] and very courageous that thou mayest observe to do all according to to do all according to all the law which Moses my servant commanded thee turn not from it to the left or to the right nor and to the
[00:00:53] left excuse me that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest wherever you go don't turn away from the law that Moses has preached to you amen let's lay the word of God aside today as we begin to reach out to the Lord today.
[00:01:11] Sweet Jesus, we thank you right now.
[00:01:14] Holy, gracious King, I believe in you, God.
[00:01:18] I trust in you, Lord, lifting you up, God.
[00:01:22] I believe in you, I trust in you, Jesus, holding on to you.
[00:01:26] Anoint this message today for your glory, God.
[00:01:29] In Jesus' righteous name.
[00:01:32] Amen. You may be seated today.
[00:01:34] Once again, we thank you for being in the house of the Lord this morning.
[00:01:39] First time guest, we want you back.
[00:01:41] If you live close by, we want you back.
[00:01:43] Praise God.
[00:01:44] We'll be back.
[00:01:45] Praise the Lord.
[00:01:46] Next Sunday is actually Mother's Day.
[00:01:48] I just thought about that.
[00:01:50] There's going to be some gifts for mothers next Sunday.
[00:01:52] I believe that I caught word that Sister Mitchell's already beginning to round stuff up for moms.
[00:01:58] So that's always a special time.
[00:02:00] Praise God.
[00:02:01] And if mom ain't happy, ain't nobody happy.
[00:02:03] Praise the Lord.
[00:02:04] And I wouldn't be here without my mom.
[00:02:06] How about you?
[00:02:06] I don't think you would be.
[00:02:08] Praise God.
[00:02:09] I want to say today, first off, that I respect, I deeply respect the people that are here today, especially the folks that have been with us for the last couple of years.
[00:02:19] I respect everyone for having been amazingly good through all of this.
[00:02:25] If there's ever been a time that somebody could have got an attitude, it's through these types of times.
[00:02:30] If there's ever been a time that somebody could have rose up their preference and their will, it could have been during these times.
[00:02:37] There's never been a time for somebody to say, well, I'm going to go do something else.
[00:02:41] It could have been during these times.
[00:02:44] You would have actually had a fairly decent, I don't believe in excuses, but you would have had a fairly decent excuse because there's change and there's shifting going on and we all understand that.
[00:02:54] But you guys have said, you know what?
[00:02:56] This is our church.
[00:02:57] This is our city.
[00:02:59] This is our area.
[00:03:00] This is our town.
[00:03:01] This is where we belong.
[00:03:02] This is who we are, including ourselves.
[00:03:04] Praise God.
[00:03:05] And so you've said, you know what?
[00:03:06] We're going to be a part of this because we want to see God do something great in this.
[00:03:11] Do something great with this area.
[00:03:14] Hallelujah.
[00:03:16] With these people.
[00:03:19] Thank you, God.
[00:03:20] I believe that Moses could testify that everything didn't go the way that he had preferred for it to trying to get to the land of Canaan.
[00:03:30] It took him 40 years.
[00:03:31] It didn't have to take that long.
[00:03:32] A lot of people died.
[00:03:33] It didn't have to have that happen.
[00:03:35] A lot of people bucked up against him.
[00:03:37] It didn't have to have that happen.
[00:03:38] and so I'm sure that that wasn't his preference if we could speak to Moses today.
[00:03:43] But we see that in Deuteronomy chapters 31 through 33 that he gives a lot of direction.
[00:03:48] You don't have to go there because it's a couple chapters worth.
[00:03:51] But he gives a final exhortation to the people, and he keeps reiterating a few things.
[00:03:57] The first thing, he encourages them to lean upon their strength in God.
[00:04:02] Moses told the people to be strong and courageous.
[00:04:05] Does that sound like what Joshua just said?
[00:04:07] and not to be terrified, assuring them that the Lord would go with them.
[00:04:13] He would never leave them nor forsake them.
[00:04:16] In fact, he said on many occasions that the Lord would go before them.
[00:04:21] Hallelujah.
[00:04:21] So not only is he going before them, but he's also walking side by side.
[00:04:25] Man, we've got that today.
[00:04:27] He's just as close as the mentioning of his name.
[00:04:30] Thank God for a God that's that close.
[00:04:32] Praise God.
[00:04:33] Amen.
[00:04:34] So he encouraged them.
[00:04:35] He strengthened them.
[00:04:37] There's something called the Shema.
[00:04:39] A little Sunday school lesson here today.
[00:04:40] The Shema that he encouraged them with, which means literally to hear and to listen and to pay attention.
[00:04:47] You've got ADD today, just hone in with me today.
[00:04:50] If you're all thinking about what you're going to do for lunch, come on back.
[00:04:56] We had a college professor that would say, if you're all fishing, come back to shore.
[00:04:59] Come on back.
[00:05:00] I see you're daydreaming a little bit.
[00:05:02] I don't see you doing that, but this is what this means.
[00:05:03] Shema is a foundational prayer that was done twice a day.
[00:05:07] He reiterated the central command was to love God with all their heart, with all their soul, and with all their strength.
[00:05:14] That was the Shema.
[00:05:16] And that was what Moses said.
[00:05:18] Don't lose this.
[00:05:20] And all of these changes, don't neglect the most important things.
[00:05:25] Hey folks, in all of any change that we're going to be going through, don't neglect the most important things because the whole reason why we're doing everything that we're doing is for the most important things.
[00:05:35] for my family to make it to heaven.
[00:05:37] For me to see Him face to face and say enter in well and good and faithful servant.
[00:05:42] Don't lose the most important things.
[00:05:45] Don't lose your Holy Ghost.
[00:05:47] Don't lose your holiness.
[00:05:48] Don't lose your power in God.
[00:05:50] Allow Him to move through you.
[00:05:53] Keep the most important things.
[00:05:55] I'll go over other things in just a moment.
[00:05:58] It was a call to obedience.
[00:05:59] Moses urged them to strictly obey the covenants promises and faithfulness that would bring blessings and disobedience would bring destruction. He gave a final blessing he died at age about 120 he blessed the tribes of Israel
[00:06:19] and he highlighted God as their protector and helper he gave another exhortation to say he said, he presented before them, he says before you is life and death Destruction and blessings.
[00:06:38] And he said, choose life.
[00:06:41] Therefore, choose life.
[00:06:45] Folks, choose to do the things that will ultimately draw you closer to God.
[00:06:50] He's talking about a spiritual life and death.
[00:06:53] Amen?
[00:06:53] Separation from God through the Old Testament was always regarded to as a spiritual death.
[00:07:00] And so I've got to stay close to God.
[00:07:02] I've got to stay close to God in all of these things.
[00:07:04] Amen.
[00:07:05] Therefore, choose life.
[00:07:06] Somebody say life.
[00:07:08] I don't want this to sound like a funeral today, and it doesn't.
[00:07:13] Thank God for that.
[00:07:14] Amen.
[00:07:15] I've shed a few tears this morning.
[00:07:17] My wife and her beautiful self.
[00:07:19] Somebody asked me this week, they said, how did you get her?
[00:07:26] And it wasn't just one person.
[00:07:28] I've had multiple people.
[00:07:29] How did you get that girl?
[00:07:31] And I said, well, once in the day, I did have some game.
[00:07:34] I could actually dance at one point in time.
[00:07:40] That means nothing to you guys.
[00:07:42] But I thought, am I that bad?
[00:07:45] I mean, I know I've got some wrinkles and some crow feet.
[00:07:49] I've started a skin care regimen.
[00:07:51] I've started some hair thickening shampoo.
[00:07:53] I get all of that.
[00:07:55] I know I've been a little out of the pocket the last year, but I ain't that bad.
[00:07:59] I might be some dumb, but I'm not plumb dumb.
[00:08:03] So anyway, that's an aside.
[00:08:05] My beautiful wife and her beautiful singing, it does bring back memories that when we were setting up at the schoolhouse that's right beside the property that the church owns, we were setting up and taking down.
[00:08:18] Jackson would set up and take down.
[00:08:20] He couldn't play the drums.
[00:08:21] Amy couldn't play the keyboard.
[00:08:23] It was a rough time, folks.
[00:08:26] We had some very forgiving people coming at the time.
[00:08:29] Praise the Lord.
[00:08:30] But we would do about one or two songs, and usually it was the same song at least for a couple weeks in a row.
[00:08:37] Jesus you are welcome here Jesus you are welcome That's about the only song she could play at the time So we played it like three weeks in a row Maybe four We told Jackson We said Jackson you can play the drums
[00:08:51] If you'll be serious about this He whipped out Wii music And began playing the drums on Wii music And that's where he actually learned how to play primarily And then we were like okay we got some drums
[00:09:04] A guy that I went to high school with bought us some drums and so Jackson was able to start playing and we started having some church from that point in time.
[00:09:11] We moved to the dance studio and we tripled in attendance from that point in time over the last couple of years that we were there.
[00:09:16] From moving there, we moved to a small church and continued to grow from that point as well.
[00:09:20] Let me tell you something.
[00:09:21] We've seen people baptized in Jesus' name by the hundreds.
[00:09:24] We've seen people receive the Holy Ghost by the hundreds.
[00:09:28] Hallelujah.
[00:09:29] I'm not going to go down every single story today.
[00:09:31] There'll be a lot of stories to share and to tell, but man, there was a year we had a block party on the side of 150 down there.
[00:09:37] and we had inflatables and we had people preaching. We had people stopping in because they just wanted to see what was going on.
[00:09:43] We baptized two folks that day off the side of the street. They repented of their sins. They were baptized in Jesus' name.
[00:09:51] We put a whole family back together that day. To God be the glory for that. I want to see more of that.
[00:09:58] I want to see more of that.
[00:09:59] Praise God. One of the guys who was baptized, his name was Buck. We started a Bible study from that point.
[00:10:05] Start going to his house.
[00:10:06] And, you know, we want everybody to stay.
[00:10:08] We want everybody to stay.
[00:10:09] I mean, if you start coming, we want you to stay.
[00:10:13] Let there be no mistake about it.
[00:10:16] There's no question.
[00:10:17] Do we need to come back?
[00:10:19] Yes!
[00:10:20] So we started a Bible study with Buck, and he's like, you know, that's been working on me, and my son lives in Michigan, Saginaw, Michigan.
[00:10:28] Won't forget it.
[00:10:30] And he said, with tears in his eyes, he said, I really feel like I need to go there and be with my son and be with my family.
[00:10:38] God's dealing with me on this.
[00:10:41] And as much as I wanted him to stay with our church, I believed at that point in time that was the greater will of God for his life to get back in relationship with his son.
[00:10:54] And he did that.
[00:10:55] And so God began to work things out.
[00:10:58] After that fact, it was in Buck's corner to continue to live for God.
[00:11:01] There was another lady that was baptized that day.
[00:11:04] Her name was Sheena.
[00:11:05] We worked with Sheena for a long time.
[00:11:07] She might even be watching the service today.
[00:11:09] I don't know.
[00:11:10] We baptized Sheena that day as well.
[00:11:13] And I just got to say, if you're baptized off of the side of the road, praise God, that's some cold water that you're getting baptized in.
[00:11:18] We didn't have water heaters at that point in time, and it was a horse trough.
[00:11:23] So there's no airs being put on at that point in time.
[00:11:26] If you want to get baptized today, we'll go down to Lake Norman.
[00:11:28] We'll baptize you.
[00:11:29] If you feel like you need a little something nicer, we'll find a hotel.
[00:11:33] We actually have one in the back pocket that we can go to to baptize you in a heated pool. Praise God.
[00:11:38] So whatever you choose to do, we can baptize you in Jesus' wonderful name.
[00:11:44] Amen.
[00:11:44] I want to encourage you today to run while you reach.
[00:11:49] Here's what I mean by that.
[00:11:50] We're passing the baton today.
[00:11:51] You ever seen a relay race?
[00:11:55] It's crazy. We only really watch it during the Olympics, but they do these all the time.
[00:12:00] And I guess they just don't televise them or whatever.
[00:12:02] But they're running.
[00:12:04] And what happens to the person that they're getting ready to pass the baton to?
[00:12:07] I don't want to run too fast.
[00:12:08] I'll hurt myself.
[00:12:09] I am getting a little older.
[00:12:10] Praise God.
[00:12:11] What happens to the person that they're getting ready to pass the baton to?
[00:12:14] They're running as well.
[00:12:16] Right?
[00:12:17] So there's momentum happening as this baton is getting passed.
[00:12:22] Folks, hey, I want momentum.
[00:12:24] It don't have to stop.
[00:12:25] It doesn't have to slow down.
[00:12:27] We've got to pass the baton, but the momentum needs to continue.
[00:12:31] And in fact, it needs to pick up from time to time.
[00:12:35] And so we want to pass the baton as the momentum is moving.
[00:12:40] Hey, somebody move the momentum today.
[00:12:43] Somebody shift the momentum this morning.
[00:12:47] Oh, it's on you.
[00:12:49] It's on me.
[00:12:50] It's on us today to pass the baton with momentum.
[00:12:56] Thank you, Jesus.
[00:12:57] That lays on all of our shoulders.
[00:13:00] to pass the baton with momentum.
[00:13:04] How many churches have transitioned in ministry and it just kind of flopped over and they had to dig it back out?
[00:13:10] They had to fight to get back to where they were.
[00:13:14] I want to fight to reach the next person that needs God in their lives.
[00:13:21] I want to fight to reach that next drug addict that's struggling and doesn't want to be that way.
[00:13:28] I want to fight to reach the next person that's struggling in their marriage and they don't know which way to go.
[00:13:32] I want that person.
[00:13:34] So if momentum is stopped, the shift, the focus shifts from the lost internally to the church.
[00:13:43] We don't want that.
[00:13:46] If you're looking for a vision, it's to seek and to save that which is lost.
[00:13:52] If you can't get on board with that, then you need to get on board with what Jesus is all about.
[00:13:57] I'm not trying to push you away.
[00:13:58] I'm not trying to push you out.
[00:14:00] But Jesus said, I've come to seek.
[00:14:03] and to save that which is lost.
[00:14:05] You might as well get on board with that, old man.
[00:14:07] Might as well get on board with that baton.
[00:14:10] Hey, I've got to reach to lost.
[00:14:14] Thank you, Jesus.
[00:14:17] So I encourage you to run while you reach.
[00:14:22] When you're passing the baton, you're running while you're reaching.
[00:14:24] Run towards God and reach out to a lost and dying world.
[00:14:33] This ain't just a jumping point.
[00:14:36] It's a springboard.
[00:14:41] Make sure it didn't hurt me too bad when I just jumped.
[00:14:44] It's a springboard.
[00:14:47] Never forget the kids when they got a trampoline.
[00:14:49] Anybody ever had a trampoline?
[00:14:52] A couple people.
[00:14:54] Man, you go so much higher, and it's just, man, Jax used to do back flips on them.
[00:15:01] I tried and landed on my head.
[00:15:03] It just wasn't in the cards for me.
[00:15:07] But it helps you just jump so much further and so much higher.
[00:15:11] I could never dunk a basketball with me and put me on a trampoline and we can get some stuff done.
[00:15:16] It's a springboard.
[00:15:18] Jumping higher than we could within ourselves.
[00:15:22] So when we come collectively, just like in the upper room on the day of Pentecost.
[00:15:28] I don't know what would have happened.
[00:15:29] The Bible says two or three gathered together, but there was 120 right there.
[00:15:33] There's an awful lot of springboardedness going on when those people began to gather together and pray, I want the very same thing in this house.
[00:15:41] The very same thing in this community.
[00:15:43] Don't blunt what God is trying to springboard.
[00:15:46] Can you say amen?
[00:15:48] New energy.
[00:15:51] New excitement.
[00:15:53] Maybe even new direction.
[00:15:54] I'm all for it, man.
[00:15:56] I'm all for it, praise God.
[00:15:58] I'm all for the newness that God is bringing to this house.
[00:16:03] The Lord is watching us right now.
[00:16:06] He's watching.
[00:16:08] The angels are watching.
[00:16:13] I sit down and try to relax and my dog just starts to stare at me.
[00:16:19] And then she'll tap a few times.
[00:16:23] When she wants to go out, she sits in front of the door and just stares at me.
[00:16:27] Right, Sister Hedrick?
[00:16:28] She just stares at me and does not quit staring at me until I let her out.
[00:16:37] Sometimes if I'm eating a cracker, like last night, she'll look at the cracker, she'll look at me, she'll look at the cracker, she'll look at me, she'll look at the cracker.
[00:16:47] And I'm like, Here, just take the cracker.
[00:16:51] Nobody's looking.
[00:16:52] It's just us.
[00:16:53] Take the cracker.
[00:16:57] Stares at us until something happens.
[00:17:00] The Lord is leaning in and He is staring at each and every one of us.
[00:17:06] Waiting to see what you're going to do.
[00:17:09] Waiting to see what direction you're going to do this.
[00:17:13] Praise God.
[00:17:14] How will they do this?
[00:17:15] How will they respond?
[00:17:17] What will they do from this point?
[00:17:19] Just staring.
[00:17:20] Just waiting.
[00:17:21] And you say, well, I'm waiting on God.
[00:17:22] Here's the funny thing.
[00:17:23] God's waiting on you.
[00:17:24] God's waiting on us.
[00:17:26] He's already done what He's going to do.
[00:17:27] He's already went to the cross.
[00:17:29] He's already poured out His Spirit.
[00:17:31] He's done what He's going to do.
[00:17:32] He's looking at us.
[00:17:33] He's looking at us to do what we need to do.
[00:17:38] Thank you, God.
[00:17:43] I heard this this week, and I wanted to share this with you.
[00:17:46] It's just a quote.
[00:17:48] There's a guy running for the Los Angeles mayoral race.
[00:17:51] He's wanting to be the mayor of Los Angeles.
[00:17:53] And I think at some point in time he was a reality TV show star or something like that.
[00:17:57] I don't know him.
[00:17:59] But he said this.
[00:18:01] He said, keep in mind, the things that we fight are many times the things that we allow.
[00:18:08] He was talking about homelessness and people doing drugs on the street.
[00:18:12] He said, we're allowing this in Los Angeles.
[00:18:15] He said, the things that we're fighting are the things that we allow.
[00:18:20] Can I say that the fight begins when you draw the line?
[00:18:24] If I draw the line there, the fight's going to begin where I draw the line and I want to keep it as far away from me as I possibly can.
[00:18:31] Many times the things, and I can say it for this church, the things that we're fighting are the things that we have allowed to be in our lives.
[00:18:39] Sometimes it hasn't been that way.
[00:18:41] Sometimes that's not been the case.
[00:18:42] But many times it has.
[00:18:44] You've allowed things to happen and to take place and that's where the fight began.
[00:18:50] Just a thought.
[00:18:53] I can talk for a long time about what the Lord has done for the last 14 1⁄2 years, but I'm excited about what the Lord's going to do for the next 14 1⁄2 years.
[00:19:01] I'm excited about what the Lord's going to do for the next 15 to 20 years in Mooresville.
[00:19:06] I'm excited about that.
[00:19:09] Amen.
[00:19:11] Hundreds baptized.
[00:19:12] I want to see thousands.
[00:19:14] Hundreds received the Holy Ghost.
[00:19:15] I want to see thousands.
[00:19:17] Hours of Bible study.
[00:19:18] I want to see countless more of that.
[00:19:21] Countless hours of prayer.
[00:19:22] I want to see more of that.
[00:19:23] The city can and will be shaken.
[00:19:26] Can you say amen?
[00:19:34] I have said before that there have been times where something just didn't seem like it quite lined up.
[00:19:44] Here's what I believe.
[00:19:45] Over the last two to three years, the enemy has attacked this church specifically through health, specifically through ailments.
[00:19:54] And I'm not talking about little stuff.
[00:19:55] I'm talking big stuff.
[00:19:57] Cancer.
[00:19:59] Tumors.
[00:20:00] major surgeries.
[00:20:04] The enemy has attacked us through our physical bodies and just as I said, the Lord has been watching us to see what we're going to do the whole time.
[00:20:11] This is not a retiring for the Hedricks.
[00:20:15] This is really just a refiring, if you will.
[00:20:18] We're just trying to reignite the fire for what the Lord is trying to do in this particular city.
[00:20:23] There's a shift going on right now.
[00:20:26] There's a shift taking place right now.
[00:20:30] And I want you to hear this, and this is what we've got to do collectively is collectively I come against the enemy and I declare a shift in our health and well-being right now so that the very things that have stopped us
[00:20:44] from reaching out can be on the back burner.
[00:20:47] Hey, I declare a shifting in our health.
[00:20:50] I declare a shifting in our mindset, our bodies today.
[00:20:54] I declare a shifting with this.
[00:20:56] A spiritual shifting, Sister Trish.
[00:20:59] A spiritual shifting.
[00:21:01] My God, I declare it.
[00:21:03] Hey, come on collectively, lift your voice.
[00:21:06] I declare it.
[00:21:08] Say it.
[00:21:08] I speak against disability.
[00:21:11] I speak against cancer.
[00:21:14] I come against infirmity today.
[00:21:18] I come again.
[00:21:19] And I release.
[00:21:20] Somebody release healing.
[00:21:23] Somebody release joy.
[00:21:25] Somebody release peace today.
[00:21:28] Somebody release those things.
[00:21:29] Come on, somebody.
[00:21:30] I release those things I release evangelism I release reaching the lost thank you God amen you may be seated shifting right now from my mind to be on Jesus shifting right now from my mind to be on the lost
[00:21:47] shifting right now to fall in love with prayer shifting right now to take initiative let me say that again you were still praying shifting right now to take initiative I'm there. I'm there.
[00:22:06] I only say everything I just said, myself included.
[00:22:12] That through whatever reason, the crippling that has taken place over the last two to three years, that that be no more.
[00:22:23] I don't want to be held back from my family.
[00:22:26] I don't want to be held back from teaching a Bible study.
[00:22:30] I want my physical body to be in alignment.
[00:22:32] If that's the will of God, for my life. Amen.
[00:22:37] Right now I shift to be used by God.
[00:22:40] If you can use anything, Lord, you can use me.
[00:22:46] I want to see through the eyes of faith and not fear.
[00:22:49] That's why Moses and Joshua reiterated these things several times.
[00:22:55] Some of you who are new, man, you have no idea what people are jumping up and clapping their hands.
[00:22:59] I've been in your seat.
[00:23:00] I understand.
[00:23:02] Why are those people so excited?
[00:23:04] Well, you're talking about people that once was spiritually blind, but now they can see.
[00:23:10] That's pretty exciting, spiritually speaking.
[00:23:13] Somebody who was spiritually lost, but now they're found.
[00:23:16] That's pretty exciting.
[00:23:17] Praise God.
[00:23:18] Somebody that didn't have direction that now has direction.
[00:23:21] That's why people stand up and they clap and they're excited about what God is doing.
[00:23:24] That's a pretty exciting thing.
[00:23:27] The fastest animal that you'll ever see is a dog that just broke off his chain.
[00:23:33] He's been chained up for too long.
[00:23:36] And there he goes.
[00:23:37] what was that flash well that was the dog who's been chained up for far too long he's running why is he running that fast I've never seen him run that fast because he's never been that
[00:23:50] free hey I've never been so free as I am today I want to give God glory that's why I stand that's why I clap that's why I praise God it's exciting to praise God it's exciting to lift him up
[00:24:07] It's exciting to give Him praise.
[00:24:11] Thank you, God. Amen.
[00:24:13] I appreciate you. You may be seated.
[00:24:16] There's a shifting.
[00:24:19] He even says it on the wall.
[00:24:21] Praise God.
[00:24:23] There's a shifting going on.
[00:24:26] I'm not downshifting.
[00:24:28] I'm shifting to go a little faster, a little harder, taking more initiative.
[00:24:34] Why did Moses and Joshua tell the people to be strong and courageous?
[00:24:38] Why did he say that?
[00:24:41] Because a lot of change was coming.
[00:24:45] Not to neglect the most important things, but change.
[00:24:51] Places of worship, this is going to change over the next two years.
[00:24:56] Pastoral ministry, it's changed as of yesterday.
[00:25:00] Changed.
[00:25:01] Different personalities.
[00:25:03] You do realize that people are going to come to church now because we've shifted some things that you don't know.
[00:25:10] So there's going to be a lot of personalities that are just going to be different.
[00:25:15] Maybe you like those people, maybe you don't.
[00:25:17] But they all need God.
[00:25:21] It's alright.
[00:25:22] My wife don't like me some of the times, but she's got to put up with me, man.
[00:25:27] Right?
[00:25:28] Just as it is in the body of Christ.
[00:25:30] Man, I don't have to like you to love you.
[00:25:33] Amen.
[00:25:34] A lot of change.
[00:25:36] There's going to be a lot of battles coming.
[00:25:41] Joshua and Moses both said the same thing.
[00:25:43] Be strong and courageous because there's going to be some battles that we're going to have to fight.
[00:25:46] Now, we've just shifted, but there's going to be other battles to fight.
[00:25:51] And they fought some crazy battles on Mount Sinai.
[00:25:54] They fought some crazy battles in the wilderness.
[00:25:58] But there's some other battles that's coming.
[00:26:00] A little different enemy at times.
[00:26:02] It's going to look a little different.
[00:26:04] Are we ready for those battles?
[00:26:09] A lot of dominion is coming.
[00:26:11] There's going to be new spiritual property that we're going to be taking.
[00:26:15] spiritual dominion that the enemy has tried to take and has taken in some degrees there's going to be some dominion that's going to happen where do I fit in with that change Moses and Joshua both knew that
[00:26:29] a lot of establishment a lot of standing that's going to happen and going to take place that's why they said you've got to be strong and courageous because in all this change it just gives me a reason to do something else
[00:26:46] and I don't want to do that the Bible says that Moses followed a cloud by day and a fire by night there were times that even he didn't even know where they were going that sounds crazy
[00:26:59] because we expect the man of God to have a plan but hear this we got to expect the man of God to follow after God so wherever God leads us wherever God guides us cloud by day and a fire by night.
[00:27:14] That's where we want to be.
[00:27:18] Amen.
[00:27:20] I have been humbled and have been through some of the most uncomfortable conversations that I've had to have in my last 48 years of life.
[00:27:31] Over the last year.
[00:27:34] Uncomfortable.
[00:27:35] But I knew it had to happen for God to be able to break in and to break down maybe even some habits that we've fallen into.
[00:27:46] Some spiritual maladies that we've fallen into.
[00:27:50] Amen.
[00:27:51] Let me end with this.
[00:27:53] I want to exhort you on a couple of things.
[00:27:56] I want you to fall in love with prayer.
[00:28:00] That may be an over-simplistic statement, but I want you to think about it.
[00:28:05] I want you to fall in love with prayer because that says I fall in love with talking to God.
[00:28:11] Fall in love with prayer.
[00:28:13] Let that be something that if you literally yearn for, just like you haven't eaten that day, I'm starving to talk to God.
[00:28:25] That's the degree it needs to be.
[00:28:27] I didn't pray today, something's not right.
[00:28:31] Something's just not quite right.
[00:28:34] I've got a pot.
[00:28:35] We call it the Donald Trump pot because we got it with Donald Trump's money back in 2019.
[00:28:40] and it does a pot of coffee and it does a little cake up too.
[00:28:45] It's wonderful. Love it.
[00:28:46] But boy, when you go to pour a cup of coffee from the pot, it just leaks everywhere.
[00:28:53] I love this thing.
[00:28:55] I love this pot.
[00:28:57] But it's going to leak everywhere.
[00:28:58] We've looked at it. We've examined it.
[00:29:01] Everything looks just fine.
[00:29:02] But something's just not quite right.
[00:29:05] Such as it is with prayer.
[00:29:07] And I thank you for my example.
[00:29:09] Such as it is with prayer.
[00:29:10] something will just completely not be quite right if we don't fall in love with prayer.
[00:29:17] The thing that should have been the home run will be a base hit.
[00:29:20] The thing that should have reached thousands will only reach a couple people.
[00:29:25] There's something just won't be quite right if we don't fall in love with prayer.
[00:29:29] Moving on.
[00:29:29] Be there.
[00:29:30] Somebody say, be there.
[00:29:31] When God needs you, be there.
[00:29:34] When the pastor needs you, be there.
[00:29:38] Be there.
[00:29:41] Next, love the things that God loves.
[00:29:46] Love the very things that God loves.
[00:29:50] That's what I want to fall in love with.
[00:29:53] I want to be serious.
[00:29:56] I want to be intentional about reaching the lost.
[00:30:00] You've heard me say that five times now through this message.
[00:30:05] There's this shifting that's taking place that says that the lost deserve an opportunity.
[00:30:10] we've been inward for too long it's time to reach out to bring people in I've got to be serious I've got to be intentional about reaching can the lost still be the lost I think we see people nowadays
[00:30:26] it's a pretty good guy he's a pretty good guy he's a great guy but is he lost I think we view people from the eyes and the mindset that maybe they're not quite lost we need to shift that mindset
[00:30:38] let's all stand the only way to end this service today is with an ending of commitment it's an ending of saying I know that all these things are taking place and I'm all about it
[00:31:02] I want to be smack dab in the middle of everything God is doing next week Pastor Mitchell will be preaching, Sister Mitchell will be speaking it's going to be Mother's Day as of yesterday they are the official pastors of this church
[00:31:19] Pastor and Sister Mitchell Call me what you want to.
[00:31:23] Praise God.
[00:31:25] Still pastor.
[00:31:26] Yes, I'm just still the founding pastor.
[00:31:28] How about that?
[00:31:30] But nevertheless, I'm going to make a commitment to these things that were spoken about today.
[00:31:36] Let me reiterate them.
[00:31:37] Fall in love with prayer.
[00:31:38] Be in there.
[00:31:39] Love the things that God loves.
[00:31:41] Be serious and intentional about reaching the lost.
[00:31:46] That's what we're making a commitment to.
[00:31:49] Let's all begin to crowd around the front here today, if you will, just as a stepping out in faith this morning.
[00:31:55] Hallelujah.
[00:31:56] I want you to tell God, I'm going to be serious about these things today.
[00:32:01] I'm going to be serious about these things this morning.
[00:32:05] Oh, I want you to just begin to call out to God.
[00:32:09] Maybe rekindle some things within your life right now to say, hey, I stand firm with the goodness of God.
[00:32:16] I stand firm with the truth and the righteousness of God.
[00:32:19] Oh, that's it, begin to call