Well good morning church. This is the day that the Lord has made amen. Come on. Let's rejoice and be glad in it I Don't know about you, but I didn't come here to perform.
I didn't come here to watch a performance We didn't come here to check off a box We didn't come here to fulfill a religious duty, but we came here today to encounter the living God Amen How many came here today to encounter the living God if you came for any other reason you came for the wrong reason We came today to encounter him we came today to hear from him and the Psalmist David told us this in Psalm 119 verse 89 He said this forever, oh Lord forever, oh Lord thy word is settled in heaven How many a glad that his word is settled in heaven his yes is yes, and his no is no There's no gray area with him amen his word is forever Settled in heaven. I don't know about you, but I take great comfort in that knowing that his word is steadfast It's unmovable. It's unshakeable that we can trust in it. We can rely on it We can hold on to it in spite of whatever may be going on around in the bottle So we can know that the word of God is our lamp It'll be a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path come on church This word has the answers to everything we have need of if we will just get into it Spend time with it and understand what the word of God says about us.
It's settled How many things in life are not settled? How many got some things this morning that just aren't settled? Come on, let's be honest You got some things that just aren't settled you got that situation that isn't settled you got that circumstance that isn't settled You got that thing that you're dealing with and it just seems to be lingering It's just not settled you don't know sometimes whether you're coming or you're going you don't know if you're up or you're down Come on you don't know as Henry told me years ago You don't know whether you should lay it down or pick it up It's unsettled, but how many of you know it today that the word of God is forever Settled in heaven you can count on that you can rely on that you can believe it because God is not a man The Bible says that he would lie second Timothy chapter one verse seven says this for God have not say God have not So God didn't do it for God have not given us a spirit of fear Now, what you understand something today fear is a spirit fear is false evidence appearing real fear is a spirit But God have not given us a spirit of fear How many are glad about that today? How many are thankful today that God did not give it to you?
So if God didn't give it to you, why do you want it? Why do you hold on to it? Why do you walk in it if it didn't from God? We shouldn't we shouldn't want it I told you a few weeks ago Wednesday night.
You have the right of acceptance And you have the right of refusal you have the right to accept what's going to come into your life What's going to come into your home? What's going to come into your family? And you have the right of refusal so when the spirit of fear comes and it will come How many know what I'm talking about the spirit of fear will come and sometimes he comes so hard That it almost causes us to be paralyzed for a moment But we've got to quickly understand that that spirit does not come from God We have the right of refusal and we can say no, I'm not going to accept that spirit of fear But God has given me power someone say power that was weak someone say power power Say like you have authority power and of love and of a sound disciplined mind You have the right of refusal you can say not today devil you aren't going to take my joy You aren't going to take my peace now listen that doesn't mean circumstances are going to come up That doesn't mean you're not going to go through hard times that doesn't mean you're not going to face difficult moments Where you're for a moment unsure of what's going to happen But you can know this that God is always for good amen God works it all together for a good even the difficult places even the hard places Even those times we don't understand God works it for our good But the enemy comes with a spirit of fear to try to get us to doubt or miss place our trust in God But he is trustworthy amen why because his steadfast love never ceases in his what mercies they do what they never they never somebody say never come on They never they never so when the enemy comes and said well Why did God let God is good his steadfast love never ceases and his mercies they never come to an end But God doesn't love you. Oh, yes He does his word says on the apple of his eye you start quoting the word when the enemy came at Jesus Jesus countered the enemy with the word Jesus said it is written.
How many glad what's written in the word? It's everlasting. It's settled. It's complete.
It's fixed. It doesn't change God has not given up fear fear has gripped our world fear has gripped our society We live in a culture driven by fear, but we are the light of the world We are the church of the blood-bought son of God Jesus Christ Amen and because of that we do not have to walk in fear we walk in truth and the truth says God gives us power Power some of you've been through some things in your life, but you are still here today I've been through some things in my life, but I'm still standing. I've been knocked down, but I've got back up I'm still standing you have been gone through the ringer, but you're still here. You're still breathing You're still living.
You're still worshiping you're still singing but I throw up my hands even when you don't feel like it You say but I throw out my hands God I don't feel like throwing my hands up today But I'm gonna throw out my hands again and again and again and again You know what that does to the enemy of your soul when you just keep saying but I'm gonna throw out my hands again Well, I'll hit you again But I'm just gonna throw up my hands again. Well, I hit you again. I'm gonna throw out my hands again I respond so every hit should be. I'll throw up my hands again and again.
I'll sing out hallelujah I ain't got much else right now, but I'll sing you a hallelujah I ain't got much to give, but I'll give you my hallelujah. I'll give you my glory. I'll give you the praise. I'll give you the honor.
I'll give you everything to your name. I may have got knocked down, but God, I'm going to throw up my hands and praise you again and again. Come on, I've got any children of God in this house today. I've got any children of God in this house today.
Listen, the enemy may have come at you. He may have hit you. He may have given you his best shot, but you're still here. And the sign that you're still here today is signing up that God is with you.
He has an abandon you. He has not forsaken you. He has given us this power to overcome the schemes and snares and traps and tricks and the deceitfulness of the enemy so that we can have this sound mind. And the scripture says, let this, let this an act of our will, let this.
It's a three letter word, let, but it's up to us. God doesn't come and do it for you. He will not throw your arms up for you. That's up to you to do that.
And he says, let this mind, which was in Christ, beware. Now in you, we've got to have the mind of Christ. We've got to take on the mind of Christ, but that is an act of our will. But when we know God's word is forever settled, when we know God's word is absolute truth in the middle of a firestorm, we can have peace because we know his word is settled.
We know that he is for us. We know that he's given us power. We know that he's given us love and we know that he's given us a sound mind. Hallelujah.
Glory to God. Praise his holy name. In Matthew chapter 28 verse 18, I'm just warming you up for the sermon. Matthew 28 verse 18 says this, and Jesus came and he spoke unto them saying, ready?
Jesus declared this. He said, all power, say all power. Does that mean all power? Does it mean some power?
It means all power. We struggle with that because we've never fully, truly understood all power. We don't walk in it. How many of you have felt powerful sometimes and then you've felt pretty weak sometimes, huh?
But Jesus said, all power is given unto me in heaven and earth. All power, dudomus, all power. He can do anything. How many of you believe God can do anything today?
Turn with me now to Matthew chapter 8. We're going to look at two quick stories and I've got some thoughts and things I want to share with you concerning this power and this authority. Matthew chapter 8, beginning verse 14, we're going to look down through verse 17. Beginning verse 14, when Jesus came into Peter's house, he saw Peter's mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever.
She had been pretty sick. She was incapacitated, a high fever. Verse 15 says, he, meaning Jesus, went over to Peter's mother-in-law and he touched her, say, touched her. How many have been touched by the Lord?
A few weeks ago, I stood in this platform and I said things were getting ready to turn around in some lives and it was going to be rather quickly and boy, oh boy, have things changed in some people's lives rather quickly, rather quickly. Some financial situations, financial blessing, healings, restoration, strength. There are some things that have happened in some people's lives that blow my mind. There are some folks, there are some folks that God moves so mightily on their half-open doors and increase them and bless them in ways that would blow your mind.
Only a God like him, right? Only a God like him can do that. In a moment, in a touch, it doesn't even matter how long it has been, it only takes a moment in his presence. Just one touch, just one word.
And he touched her hand. He touched her hand and the fever left her. Why? Because he had to touch her power.
Do you understand that? See, in the moment his hand contacted her hand, something was released from him to her power because he had authority. He had authority to touch her and the power that was his was released into her and when the power that was his was released into her, that which was sick was now made well. Come on church.
He touched her hand and the fever left immediately and she got up and she began to wait on him. In other words, she got up and instantly began to serve. Instantly began to do something. Verse 16.
And when evening had come, many who were demon-possessed, many who were demon-possessed. Now remember the Bible says if everything that Jesus had done would be recorded, there would not be enough books to write it all down. We have but a snippet of what he's allowed us to see that transpired and took place. But there are so many things that he said and did that we don't even have recorded, but there's so many of them.
How many of you like to have just been in some of the conversations? I don't know about you, but I would have loved to have been in Peter's house because this was an intimate moment. This was a more quiet moment. This wasn't a 5,000 out in a field moment.
This was an intimate moment in a quietness of a home. And Peter's sick mother-in-law instantly delivered and healed and up out of the sick bed. And then noise of that word of that begins to spread and people start bringing other people to the house, to the house. Most houses today aren't full because there are enough people telling what's going on in the house.
See, when we start telling other people what's going on in the house, then people start showing up at the house. Come on now. And when evening was come, they brought many that were demon-possessed to him. And he drove out the spirits with a word.
How did he drive out the spirits? With a word. His word is forever settled in heaven. And when the son of the Most High God opened up his mouth and spoke a word, demons fell helpless in his presence.
Come on church. So we see an instance where sickness instantly ceased. We see now a circumstance where demon possession had taken a good friend of mine who I have not seen in many years now, though, from India. He told us a story one night of they were in a service and a demonic spirit had manifested itself in that service.
And he commanded that demonic spirit to leave. This is in India. Things happen in some of these countries that like a window, like this, a side window went up. And the person that had been possessed literally was set free and the window opened up and the demon went out the window.
And my friend said, shut the window. And the window went back down. That's power. That's authority.
He said that he said to that demon, you opened the window? Shut it. He exercised the power and the authority that had been given him through the cross of Calvary in the blood of Jesus Christ. We've got to learn to walk in authority.
We've got to learn to walk in the power and the authority because if his word is forever settled in heaven and he is the same yesterday, today and forever, do we still not have that same power and authority today as children of God? Well, the world will tell you not. Cultural tell you not. But I'm here today to tell you that the word of God has never lost its power.
The blood has never lost its power. So many demons were brought to him and he drove out the spirit's plural with a word. He has told him to get out. And he healed all the sick.
All that came that were demon possessed and sick were delivered and healed. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah. He took up our infirmities. Any more?
Our diseases. Jump with me now to Matthew chapter eight. So we see his power and authority over sickness. We see his power and authority over demon spirits.
Matthew chapter eight beginning verse number 23 through verse 27. Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake so that the waves were sweeping over the boat, beginning to fill the boat with water. You all know the story very well.
But Jesus was sleeping now at this particular point in time. Why? Because in the middle of the storm he had peace. In the middle of the elements he had peace.
The disciples went and they woke him up saying, Lord, panic, fear had set in. Lord, save us. Why did they say, save us? Because they were afraid they were going to perish.
So real fear had set into their hearts that this was going to be the end. Have you ever felt like this was going to be the end? Maybe it's going to be the end of your marriage or the end of your relationship or the end of your job or the end of your health or the end of your life or whatever that thing is, you're in the middle of. Have you ever felt you came to a point where this was going to be the end?
Let me say like that. There was just no way out. You couldn't see a way out. But thank God he's a way maker, amen?
How many gladdies a promise keeper? And they woke him up. And they were so afraid. And they said, save us.
We're going to drown. They make a statement. We are going to drown. That sentence only meant one thing, death.
But I mean, you know, sometimes he does his best work in death. We're going to drown. And Jesus speaks up and he says, you of little faith. Why are you so afraid?
Then he got up and he rebuked the winds and the waves. And it was completely calm. Say, calm. Say, calm.
It was completely calm. And they said, this is what they said, what kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him. So we see in these two stories, Jesus exercises, he demonstrates absolute power and authority in healing the sick and casting out the demons from those who had been possessed.
He shows us authority over nature, the winds, the rain, even recognized his force. He has in a word. He spoke a word. Peace be still.
Are you ready for this? Authority over fear. The wind recognized his voice. Do you recognize his voice?
The demon possessed knew his voice. The sickness knew his voice. Disease knew his voice. The elements knew his voice.
What terrified the disciples? Submitted to his peace. The very thing that brought fear to them submitted to the peace and the authority of Jesus Christ. Authority over chaos.
When everything around them was out of control, Jesus remained in control. Hear me, Church. He doesn't always stop every storm immediately. How many of you wish he did?
He doesn't stop every storm immediately because sometimes what happens in the middle of the storm is better for us. And sometimes what happens in the storm reveals his glory. Come on, Church. But here's the thing, even in the middle of the storms, he's promised to be with us.
And we have to know and we must understand that his authority is unshaken by the things that shake us. He's unshaken by what shakes us. Come on, Church. When it comes to spiritual warfare, there's good news.
Jesus has already won the battle. At the cross, he stripped Satan of his authority and he gave the authority back to the Church. Many Christians live as though they are powerless. Many of the children of God today walk around as if they are powerless, as if they are victims to everything that comes down the road.
Many Christians are fearful of the enemy, of the devil, intimidated by him, in situations and circumstances. How can we be intimidated by an imposter? He comes as, he's not. He comes as a storm.
He comes as a roaring lion. He's not either of those things. He's got a roar, but his roar has no bite. Come on, Church.
Many today walk as if they're afraid of what the enemy is going to do to them or what the enemy they think is doing to them. Unassured. Hear me, Church. And maybe you're here today and you're on a short of who you are in Christ.
But Jesus made it very clear that all power has been given to him and he has given us power to bind up the works of the enemy and to cast him out in Jesus' name. Amen? Amen? Do you believe that today?
Turn with me to Matthew chapter 16. I want to remind you of that authority that belongs to each and every one of us as a child of God. Matthew 16 verse 19. Jesus says, I give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven.
I give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. What the keys represent? They unlock something. A key will give you access to something.
How many of you have ever gone to a door but you didn't have access to get in the door because the door was locked. But if you had a key, you had access. How many of you are glad that he's given us the keys of the kingdom of heaven? In other words, Church, he's given us access to the kingdom.
That's good news. I can't help but get excited. This is good stuff. This is power and this is truth.
Whatsoever he said. Whatsoever you bind on earth. Come on now. Is this in your Bible?
Is Matthew chapter 16 verse 19 in your Bible? They haven't removed it out of your Bible yet? You know, there's some translations that literally remove some verses. My wife and I were looking at a Bible one time and I was like, wait a minute.
There's supposed to be another verse there. The whole verse was completely gone. They completely took it out. This still in your Bible?
Do you believe it? Do you believe Jesus still has authority? Do you believe you were joined as a Jesus Christ? Do you believe the same authority that was given to him was given to you?
We got a little weaker on that response. Do you still believe that same authority that Jesus had when he laid his hands on Peter's mother-in-law? Now I got admitted. I don't know what he was thinking when he did that but he, somebody go and get that later.
I'm just kidding. I'm just kidding. That's same power and authority when he laid his hands on Peter's mother-in-law instantly she was healed. And he says, I've given you the keys.
Unlock it. You can have a key but that doesn't mean you're going to insert it in the lock. You could have a key and never gain access to what that key gives you access to unless you go to where it is that the key gives you access and you exercise you're right with the key. Come on.
What's so ever? Anything. He said, what's so ever? You bind on earth, will be bound in heaven.
And whatever you lose on earth will be loosed in heaven. How many believe that today? Do you believe that? Luke 19 or Luke 10 verse 19.
Luke 10 verse 19. Jesus said, behold. He said, hold on now. Catch this.
Listen to this. Give unto you power. Say power. To tread upon serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy.
And nothing shall by any means hurt you. Jesus said, I've given you power. Take your power and the authority that I've given you. Exercise that.
He said, you don't have to be afraid. You don't have to be afraid. I've given you power. I've given you authority.
Exercise that. Use that power. Use that authority. Just so that you know.
You know, the worship team, the worship team is preparing and they're ready and they get here on Sunday morning and do their sound checks. But they're going to be here greeting you when you come in on Sunday mornings. And if you come in and you need prayer and you want somebody to pray with you, go to one of them. They're going to be around, greet and talk to you.
I greet everybody on the sidewalks until they get so cold out there. I can't stand it anymore. I'm out there until 10 minutes until 10 every Sunday morning. And then I come in and pray in my office before we come into the service.
But when you come in and you need prayer, if you need prayer on the sidewalks, I need prayer. If you need prayer, go up to somebody you know or maybe you don't even know them and say, listen, I don't know you today, but I need you to lay my hands on me and pray. I need prayer. For the Bible says his house shall be called a house of prayer.
We do not just want to be another meeting place. We don't want to just be another building where people come and gather a couple of times a week. We want to be a hospital for the sick and a refuge for those who are lost and hurting and broken. We want to be a place where they can come and we can lay our hands on them and speak a word.
Empower and authority will break the chains of darkness over them. Amen? Come on church. The world needs it today.
The world needs the church today. It's time for the church to rise up. We have been given a platform right now that we have not, see I have never seen the platform, that the church has been given right now in this hour and this season and we cannot miss it. We have got to rise up and be the church of Jesus Christ.
We have got to be the blood, blood, born again, spirit, built, children of God that will lay our hands on the sick. We will speak to demonic spirits to cease. We will cast out the devil in the authority of Jesus name. Come on church.
People need hope. I've said for years the most dangerous people on the planet are people without hope. When a person loses hope, there's no telling what that person will do when there is no hope. But you've been given the keys, the access to the kingdom of God in that good news.
And we can take that good news to a lost and hurting people and let them know that we see them. We understand they're hurting and we're there for them and we lay our hands on them and we pray over them and we lead them to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and then we become their biggest cheerleaders. Come on church. They say come on you can make it.
You're going to make it and we're going to do whatever we can to help you make it. Who wouldn't want to be a part of a place like that? That's the way the church is supposed to be. Mark chapter 16 verse 17 and 18.
And these signs say signs. How many of you have ever said Lord show me a sign? Years ago a secretary of previous church bought me a plate and it was a little guy who said Lord show me a sign. You know big sign came out of heaven and said here's your sign.
Some people see signs in a billboard. You know what I mean? It's something it connects. You know what I'm talking about?
You know you need it. You needed a word. Remember Jesus just spoke a word? How many of you just needed a word?
Sometimes all I had ever needed was just a word. Sometimes just one word has made a difference in my life. Sometimes just one sentence has changed everything around and how about it? But God one word changes everything.
One word can take everything and make it new again. That's our hope. Amen. In Christ.
And these signs will follow. There are things that should follow those of us who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and And these signs shall follow those who believe in my name. They shall, come on, they shall drive out, they shall cast out demons, they shall speak with new tongue. We have power church, we have authority.
We are not hopeless, we are not helpless, we are not destitute, we must understand this authority comes from Christ and Christ alone. You notice he didn't say you're gonna have to earn this authority? He said, I give it to you. You know, in a police officer, I mean, if you've ever been stopped, you know, this ought to be interesting.
No, I didn't say arrested. So everybody's safe, right? How many of you have been stopped by a police officer? Let me see your hand.
Wow, wow. Oh, wow. Harvest truly is a place for the sinners, huh? Wow.
Wow, I expected a few hands. Oh my goodness. When a police officer holds up his hand, to stop traffic, what does the traffic do? It stops.
It's not because of his physical stature or the size of his biceps. It's because of the authority that has been given him. And so when he says, and we live in a culture today, that even the authority given to many of them is not recognized today by our culture. And that's a shame.
That's a shame. We love the police, don't we? We love those who have been put in positions of authority. Well, by the number of you who raised your hands, I'm not sure you love the police, but.
Hey, listen, we all have a job to do, right? And when somebody's been given a position of authority, they need to exercise that authority. I was so grateful, and I am so grateful that on a regular basis, the state police make their presence known in our parking lot. On a regular basis, they're here during the week, they sit in our parking lot.
Last night at 10 o'clock at night, they were sitting in our parking lot. There are Sunday mornings, they'll make rounds through our parking lot. They make a, I thank God for that. I thank God for that.
It sends a message, right? That there's authority, that there's protection. I mean, you know you have protection under the authority of Jesus Christ. Oh, church, come on, when we recognize this man, there is nothing that'll stop the blood bot church of the Lord Jesus Christ.
But in the same way, we have authority in Christ. If we're told to stop, we should stop. Stop signs anymore, just suggestions, you know? Now they're preaching from the congregation.
Boy, I give them a little authority, and look what happens. Listen, we don't confront the devil with our own strength and our other own authority, but the delegated authority and power of Jesus Christ is what we come at him with. Because he isn't concerned with who you are, but he's concerned with who you are. Come on church, stop underestimating who you are and the power that you have been given.
You are a child of the most high God. You are a representative of the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. So church, we must start acting like that, amen? We are operating under the authority of heaven.
Have you ever thought about it like that? We serve the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. We're called ambassadors of the most high God. We need to start operating under the authority of heaven.
We've been given power to bind. You know what that word means? It means to forbid. To bind means to forbid.
It means to restrict or stop something from moving or operating. That's what the word bind means. So when the enemy comes at us, we need to restrict him. Your Bible says, resist the devil in what will happen.
He will flee. Why? Because you have authority and you have power. All you have to do is resist, restrict, stop him.
Jesus said, what we bind on earth will be bound in heaven, come on church. That's power. That's authority. That means, you know what that means?
That means literally we have the backing of heaven. We have the backing of heaven when our declaration aligns with God's will. Well, that's key. When our declaration aligns with the will of God.
So when the enemy comes knocking and he will, when sickness tries to invade your body and it will, when frustration and fear grips your mind and there are moments that it will, when uncertainty and heaviness comes and they will, when demonic influences and oppression try to overwhelm you. Notice I said oppression, not possession, because as a born against fear filled blood bought child with the most high God, you cannot be possessed of the enemy. You are blood bought and the enemy can't cross the blood line. But he can try to oppress you.
With you know what, have you ever been, have you ever just gotten up one day and you're going and you just feel heavy? Somebody said to you, what's wrong? And you don't know. And then they keep trying to pry it out yet.
It keeps, it makes you even more irritable and it makes you more agitated and they keep trying to say, well, just tell me what's wrong. The truth is how many of you know this to be real? You don't even know. Have you ever just been so heavy?
Have you ever just felt that? That's an oppression. That's an oppression and that can come on anybody. But in the power and the authority of Jesus name, we need to say stop that, stop that.
I'm not gonna be that way. I'm not gonna think like that. I'm not gonna act like that. I'm not gonna talk like that.
But there are moments that these things will come and they will try to overwhelm us. You don't have to accept it. You have right or refusal. You don't have to tolerate it.
Far too many people tolerate things in their lives that they should not be tolerating. Cast it out. Say no, stop it. You can bind it in the name of Jesus.
It's kind of like when Bucky, I told Bucky this morning when he's coming up the sidewalk, I said, you made this sermon today. He said, oh boy, I said, just sit by next door. It'll be all right. It's kind of like when Bucky calls, we're done calling, he'll text me and say, hey, I'm coming over to weed today.
In the next few words are this, where's the dog? Or can you have the dog in the house? What's he saying to me? Restrict that dog.
Bind him up. Do something that you don't even trust that steel cable he's on. No. He said, I'm coming at this time.
I said, okay, I'll have him in the house at that time. He's become very, very, very overwhelmingly protective in his seven years of our yard. Once you're in the house, he's okay with you. But if you try to walk up outside, walk by yourself, you better know Jesus.
He's already broke one steel cable buck. He did. He broke one in his case. And that's why he texted me.
In that cage in the back, I haven't been able to put him in the cage because I got to fix it. He grabbed all that cage with his mouth and he ripped that fence right off that cage. Every Sunday morning, I'm going to go, is that dog in the house? And he is a sweetest personality, but he's a guard.
He's there to protect, right? And he does his job very well. Very well. Poor Justin was down the field one day, and he had his headphones on.
Checking the ground, he had his back and opened up the door. I didn't see Justin down there. And the dog took off and I'm thinking, oh Lord. Justin had no idea what was coming.
And there came Dewey up behind him, Karen and Sherry with the dumpster one day. He was just a puppy. He went right up both front poles on Sherry's shoulders. Did he lick your face?
She passed out. She don't know what he did. But the point is, keep the dog in a place where he can't get to me, right? Keep him.
I'm coming to Weedwack and I don't want to mess with him. In other words, what Buck is saying to me is take his ability to get to me away, right? How many know Jesus did that for you? Come on, church, he did it for you.
Come on, give him a shout of praise today. Jesus did it for you. And then in return, he's giving you that same power. Binding is stopping, casting out is removing.
Binding is stopping, casting out is removing. In Mark 16, Jesus didn't say, they might try. He said they shall cast out. Maybe they can.
He said they shall cast out demons. This church is decisive authority. Say decisive, decisive authority. Listen, not negotiating, it's decisive.
You don't negotiate with the enemy. Your authority is decisive. Stop it. Get out.
I'm gonna listen into that. I listen to God. No more. Take authority.
Take authority. It's been giving you. And I know sometimes we say, oh, no, no, no, no. For God did not give us a spirit of fear.
But of what? Power, love, and a sound might discipline. God's giving it to us. He's giving us the ability to do it.
It's ours. We can accept it or refuse it. It's ours. Don't do not negotiate with the enemy.
Evict him. Evict him. Tell him what's time to move out. And hear me, some of you.
Don't give him 30 days. Evict him on the spot. This enemy, you evict on the spot. You say go now in Jesus' name.
Amen? Why? Because it's already been defeated. Darkness cannot remain where the light of Christ shines.
When Jesus encountered demons, he never argued nor did he ever debate them. He spoke with authority and he said, come out. Aren't you glad you have that same authority today in the name of Jesus? Huh?
But that authority has to be exercised. You and I have to exercise that authority, right? And as a believer who knows his authority but doesn't act on it, that believer will live in, ready? Fear, worry, frustration, uncertainty, and defeat.
You've got to act on the authority you've been given. If not, you're going to live in very uncertain times in your life. The devil thrives on fear. The devil thrives on fear.
His best work is fear. He thrives on fear, silence. And he loves it when you and I become passive, inactive. But when you and I open our mouths and we declare God's word, we activate the authority and the power of heaven.
How do we do that? Come on, worship and come back to the platform. I'm going to give you three quick, or four quick things. One, we speak the word of God over every situation.
We speak the word. Jesus did it by speaking a word, right? So we speak the word of God over our situations, over our circumstances, over our difficulties, over our heartaches, over our troubles, over our problems, over our fears, over our worries, over our stresses, over our anxieties. Two, we pray in Jesus' name with confidence that when we pray, he hears us.
We don't pray like, well, God, I know you're kind of busy and I hope you hear this, but if you don't, okay, I understand because my life is miserable anyway, but I'm just going to throw this up and maybe you'll catch it. Maybe you'll do something, maybe you won't. That's not how we pray. The Bible tells us to pray specifically, not to pray haphazardly.
We're to pray very specifically and very pointed when we pray. So pray in the name of Jesus, access the name of Jesus, the name that is above all names, and do it with confidence, with authority, refuse to accept what the enemy brings. Bind it! When that dog's being unruly and I say don't do it easy, instantly he'll look at me and he listens because he understands and I don't know how crazy because he'd tear me apart, but from little up and as Vets said, he recognizes you as his authority.
He said he listens to you probably better than he listens to anyone. When I come in the house, the last night Tyler was petting him, soon as I walked in he snapped around and just looked to see what I was doing or what I wanted. He recognizes who has authority over him and he listens to that. Exercise, and sometimes I'll do it with a stern voice.
I'll say do it, instantly he'll do it. But if I just do it with a laugh voice, then he thinks I'm playing. Sometimes you've got to exercise your authority and sometimes it's in the tone in which it's spoken. How many of you know tone?
Tone makes all the difference. Oh Ron, come over here honey, I want you to do it. Ron, get over here now. Right?
How many of you are kids? You're like oh Ron, come over here. You're like oh mommy. You should get over here right now.
When you hear get over here right in this parents we all know how to do that. Nobody teaches us that. But we all know how to, we snarl, we twist our nose, we wrinkle our lip, we know when they break down you and then they do it like that. They're breaking their vocal cords and everything.
You understand I better, I better move. I better get moving. Number three, refuse to accept what the enemy brings. If it's not of God, don't accept it.
If it's not of God, don't accept it. When the male lady tries to bring something to my house that isn't my name on it, I refuse it. And that happens. It happens.
You know they're going to be delivering our stuff for 25 years here. And there's a name on the street the whole way across down and they're like oh that's not our name and that's not our address. Well could you take it to them? No I'm not dating.
No you take it back. You have the right to refuse all right? Refuse to accept, and I'm not saying the male person is an enemy, they're not an enemy. But you get the point.
If it's not of God, if it's not for you, refuse it. Command oppression to leave and cast it out. So many live under such a weight of oppression. You can see it in the countenance.
You can see it in body language and all your changing your body language right now. Everybody's going to smile right? But isn't it true? You can tell by the just the look on someone's face.
You can just tell by the way they're holding themselves when they walk into the room. When they walk into they walk in the room with confidence or do they walk in the room? Oppression. It's heavy.
It's heavy in our culture today. It is. And part of the reason it's so heavy is because we live so much with these things in our hands and we're constantly comparing and comparing and wanting and desiring what we see everyone else have and it causes us just to be heavy. We need to learn to live with godly contentment.
Be thankful for what we do have, treasure what we do have in life. Not allow the clouds of heaviness over comparison, comparing ourselves to others and what they may have and what we don't. It can cause heaviness. I mean, I know what I'm talking about.
Just the uncertainties that people deal with in life. Just the uncertainties. I mean, no, there are so many uncertainties in life. But thank God, he's certain.
That's our hope, right? Everything else is uncertain. We can be certain that we have him and we can know with all the certainty that he said nothing shall hurt you. Jesus promised us.
Luke 10, 19, nothing shall harm you. The battle's real and the enemy is relentless at times. But how many glad we don't fight for victory? We fight from victory.
Amen? We fight from the position of victory. We don't have to fight for victory because he's already secured the victory. The victory is ours.
Come on, church. We need to understand this powerful truth. The blood of Jesus secures our protection and the name of Jesus enforces our authority. The blood of Jesus assures our protection.
Isn't that good? But the name of Jesus assures our authority. Isn't that good? Come on, stand with me this morning.
Are you glad you're here today? I'm so glad you're here today. So glad to be around the table of God's Word and to be encouraged and be strengthened and be blessed by his Word. Listen, as I've said a number of times throughout the message, I know life can be hard at times.
I know life can be difficult at times. I know life can be on certain at times. And I know the thoughts like, well, when am I going to get mine? When is it going to work out for me?
Why did it happen for them? And not for me? Know this with all certainty today that God is for you and not against you. And in those moments when you're struggling the most, the most devastating thing you can do to the enemy is declare the Word of God.
The most devastating thing you can do to the enemy is when he hits you, when he comes at you is that you stand and declare the Word of God. And when you say things like, I'm going to throw up my hands again and again and again and again. The enemy hates that. You know why?
Because it puts him in his place. How many here like to put some, don't raise your hand. Everyone that's been pulled over by the cops, you've like to put somebody in your own, in their place, right? Jesus already put the devil in his place.
And when you stand on the authority that's been given you, you put him in his place. Stop letting him tell you who you are. Start telling him who Jesus says you are. Amen?
Let's pray. Father, we love you today. Thank you for the power and the strength, the authority that you give us in the name of Jesus. Father, I pray today for a fresh outpouring of your spirit over this household of faith.
I pray over every believer today, God that you will pour out fresh anointing, fresh wind, fresh fire. Stir, or to those who may not have come to faith in you yet, I pray today will be the day that they will not let this day go by without bowing their heart before you and believing on the Lord Jesus Christ. Father, we love you. We love you with everything that is within us today.
And we know because of you, we are not hopeless. We are not helpless, but we are powerful and we have authority. We love you with everything that is within us. Help us as we learn and grow to walk in that and to be who you have called us to be so that we may be able to fulfill the plan and the destiny that you have for us in this life.
One day we might stand before you and hear the words, well done, thy good and faithful servant. Blessed be the name of the Lord. Amen?