Creature From the Heavenly Realm

Matt 27:39-40

Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads 40 and saying, "You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself!

Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!"  NIV

There will always be voices tempting you to not fulfill the plan of God 

          Jesus could have been saved from suffering – but chose to do the will of God

Wherever there’s potential for suffering & difficulty – save ourselves

          That’s why many people stay away from church

                    Avoiding suffering… whether a bad sermon or hurt feelings

Why you should never stay away from church:

You must know who He is and who you are and what His plan is

You are of this world; I am not of this world.  (17:14)

1. He got his directions from the heavenly realm – John 12:49; 5:19
2. His food was from another world – John 4:32, 34
3. He taught the principles of the other world
4. He demonstrated the power of the other world

Jesus leaves & returns to the heavenly realm

He sends His Spirit back to live in us

But I chose you out of the world

  Now, we are Creatures from the Heavenly Realm

1. He gives us a new heart and puts a new spirit in us – Ezek 36:26
2. We are to renew our minds – think from another world – Rom 12:2
3. We are to live from our heavenly position
4. We are to act from our heavenly position

As Creatures from the Heavenly Realm, we are multi-dimensional

We are His Church:

Matt 16:18.  On this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.

Ekklesia “called out ones; to assemble together; to congregate”  

If you don’t come when Jesus calls, what are you?

1. The first thing the new creatures did was meet continually, with their own kind – Acts 2:46

Excuse:  I don’t have to go to church to be saved

You’re supposed to BE the church, connected to other called out creatures

          Or why go to heaven?

If you don’t go to church because of an offense or hurt…

You’re trying to ‘save yourself and avoid suffering

       Rather than submitting to His will

We are His Building – on another dimension

1 Peter 2:5.  You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house

Can you imagine a building without all of the construction material?

         No one would want to use that building

We are His Body – Not “like” a body

Rom 12:5.  We, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.

We are supposed to be a functioning member in the body

          Connected to each other

He is the head – How can we be connected to the head

        But disconnected from the other members?

1 Cor 12:25-26

There should be no division in the body, [and] the members should have the same care for one another. 26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.

How can you care for other members without being connected?

Well, they don’t care for me!

We don’t exercise the principles of the heavenly realm

          Forgiveness, longsuffering, patience, aggressive love

We are His Army

He is a warrior – Ex 15:3

Eph 6:11-12

Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

We cannot fight this enemy alone

        We must stand soldier-to-soldier, and shoulder-to-shoulder

Endure hardship like a good soldier.  2 Tim 2:3

          Be able to go through something

Protect the church – that Jesus died for

Protect your members – members of us and members of His body

Who’s voice is it saying, “You don’t need to go to church”?

          The same one that told Jesus to come down from the cross

Be a contributor, not just a consumer

The Measure of A Champion - 360 Worship Center 4th Anniversary

Rev 11:1-2

Then there was given me a measuring rod like a staff; and someone said, "Get up and measure the temple of God and the altar, and those who worship in it. 2 "Leave out the court which is outside the temple and do not measure it, for it has been given to the nations.  NASU

We would love to be champions

          Truth is – when we think of champions, we think of someone else

When you were younger, you dreamed of being a champion

          We believed we could do anything – even dangerous things

Grown folk & Reality begin to slowly rob you of your dreams

          We know too much

The older we get, the less we feel like champions

We don’t feel like a champion when we’re changing diapers or paying bills

Now, we try to talk ourselves into things

We do a better job of talking ourselves out of doing things

We give lip-service to certain scriptures:

•        I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me
•        We are more than conquerors through Him who loves us

Instead of focusing on the Word, we focus on the wounds 

We know ourselves:  flaws, in character, weaknesses & shortcomings

We disqualify ourselves from the use of God

        Never believe we’ll be champions

Jeremiah 

God told him that he was destined to be a champion

The first thing he did was say, “I can’t”

Fear – the greatest hindrance to being a champion

          Protection – against failure, hurt, embarrassment

We justify our fears with excuses

Too young, lacking education, no experience, what if I do it wrong

We want to wait until the conditions are perfect – procrastination

God doesn’t give you anything to do without anointing you to do it

And He commits to being with you

If Jeremiah could become a champion, you can too 

Moses 

Started out thinking he was a champion

Made a bad decision – murdered a man

Had a record

May not have a record – but, We all have a memory of a failure

Destroyed his self-confidence?

If Moses could become a champion, you can too 

 Ruth, the Moabite

Living under the covers

Incest, family struggles

                    Abortion

You’ve been born again into a new family

If Ruth could become a champion, you can too 

Elijah

Bi-polar, sank into depressions, disappear for weeks…

If Elijah was a champion, you can be a champion too 

Woman with alabaster box 

“If He knew what kind of woman it is touching Him”

People will have us thinking we’re not fit to handle Him

          To handle ministry

We’re not champions – in their estimation

          What we’ve done & gone through

Jesus said: “Whenever the gospel will be preached, they’ll talk about her”

What this woman did made her a champion

God’s measure of a champion is different from ours

God’s weapons of a champion are different

360 Worship Center, do you know your weapon? 

Ps 149:6.  Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand

He measures 360 Champions by their Worship 

•        Notice where the Champions are – Inside: the place of access

Champion are skilled with their weapon  

A Champion knows how to use their weapon

Under all circumstances

Worship changes your view from horizontal to vertical  

Stop looking at your situation & start worshiping Him

Leah – Gen 29:31. When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb;

Reuben, Simeon, Levi & Judah

Worship Drives the Distress Out of the Situation 

1 Sam 16:23.  Saul would become refreshed and well, and the distressing spirit would depart from him

Worship will restore your energy

Worship Confuses the Enemy

2 Chron 20:20.  Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper."

22 When they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir.  They begin to fight, destroy and kill one another.

 Worship Brings God into the Situation – Isa 30:29-32 

You shall have a song as in the night when a holy festival is kept

³⁰ The Lord will cause His glorious voice to be heard, and show the descent of His arm,

³¹ For through the voice of the Lord the enemy will be beaten down, as He strikes with the rod.

³² In every place where the staff of punishment passes, which the Lord lays on him,

It will be with tambourines and harps; and in battles of brandishing He will fight with it.

Grace & Desire

John 2:1-5

On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. 3 And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, "They have no wine."

4 Jesus said to her, "Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me?   My hour has not yet come."

5 His mother said to the servants, "Whatever He says to you, do it."

Timing: 

John 7:30.  Therefore they sought to take Him; but no one laid a hand on Him, because His hour had not yet come.

•     If doing things “in time” is so critical,

Why would Jesus do this miracle, when it wasn’t His time?

1.  She was “Highly Favored” – Luke 1:28

She carried the favor of God

         No reason is ever given for that favor, or grace

Grace:  He gives me gifts that I don’t deserve,

because of who I am, not because of what I’ve done

Mary knew who she was – She was “Abundant Grace”

          You’ve got to know who you are when you make your request!

I am God’s favorite place to command the blessing! 

2.  She had Relationship with Jesus 

Jesus came to reveal the Father – so that we’d enjoy relationship with Him

Everything is about bringing us into relationship with the Father

A father delights in doing things for his children

Matt 7:11.  If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!

Divine Timing was Changed due to Relationship 

3.  Jesus gave her what she Desired

We think that God only cares about our “Needs”

Wine?

• It’s not needed
• It’s not spiritual
• “What does that have to do with Me?” 

God cares about our desires – as well as our needs

John 15:7.  If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you,

you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.

Matt 6:25.  Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness,

and all these things shall be added to you. 

All He wants us to do is make Relationship the Priority 

He gives us dreams & visions 

          What do you dream about?

Your father wants to see your dreams come true

Ps 37:4.  Delight yourself also in the Lord, and

     He shall give you the desires of your heart.

Ps 35:27.  The Lord… has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.

John 2:11 This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee,

and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.

1 John 5:14-15

Now this is the confidence that we have in Him,

that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.

15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask,

we know that we have the petitions that we have desired of Him. 

Prophetic Strategy for This Season

Gen 8:22.  As long as the earth remains, seedtime & harvest, cold & heat,

       Winter & summer, day & night shall not cease.

Every living thing goes through seasons of growth & stagnation – spring & winter

Times of hope and times of difficulty – day & night, cold & heat

You may be in a Summer-like season (everything is dry)  

Or winter (no fruit, everything seems dead)

Whatever season you’re in now, “due season” is coming

What happens in the “due season” depends on what you do in this season

We must know what to do in each season

You can’t adjust the season, you must adjust for the change in season 

Churches go through these seasons 

AGF is in a spring-like season

All Growth is Seasonal

Nothing bears fruit year round

The Prophetic tells what to do in specific seasons & how to handle changes 

1 Kings 20:22. And the prophet came to the king of Israel and said to him, "Go, strengthen yourself; take note, and see what you should do, for in the spring of the year the king of Syria will come up against you."

i.e. Don’t quit.  Let your fishing nets down again, except in a different place this time

Prophetic Strategy for This Season - Revealed in the Ministry of Elisha (1 Kings 19 – 2 Kings 6)

 1. Guard our ‘Heart of a Servant’

Elisha was the successor to Elijah’s ministry

Elisha’s fame was that he washed the hands of Elijah – 2 Kings 3:11

God wants to give AGF a double-portion

The purpose of the ministry He is entrusting to us to serve others

“The least shall be great” 

We will only be great to the extent that we’re willing to serve

2. If we don’t Pursue, we won’t Possess

Elijah told Elisha 3x to “stay here” – 2:2, 4, 6

50 stood at a distance: they could prophesy, but didn’t get the double portion

We are supposed to want the fullness of ministry – the double portion 

Elisha burned his plow – 1 Kings 19:21

We get tired too quick 

3. We must Prepare for Increase

God Only Gives Increase to the Level We’ve Prepared for It

Dig Ditches – 2 Kings 3:11-20

  Make room for the prophetic in your life – 2 Kings 4:8-13

You will have based on your ability to “Think Big!” - Is 54 MSG Bible

4. The Prophetic Produces Prosperity

Believe the Lord & you will be established.  Believe His prophets & you will prosper

a. Business Plan with jars for the oil – 2 Kings 4:1-7

Creativity and wisdom for your increase

b. Debt Release miracle of the floating ax-head – 2 Kings 6:1-7

5. The Prophetic Challenges Everyone to Do Their Part

2 Kings 6:2.  Let us go to the Jordan, and let every man take a beam from there,

and let us make there a place where we may dwell."

6.  The Prophetic Secures the Future – Raises up sons

2 Kings 4:16 Then he said, "About this time next year you shall embrace a son."

          20. The child died

And returns them to their mother – the church – 2 Kings 4:32-37

The raising up of the child was very personal

We have been too callous & casual about the children & youth

                 We have sent “the Staff” to raise them up

Train Them to Carry on Ministry

School of the Prophets

          The older ones help the younger ones

The Veil is Torn - Sermon Notes

Heb 9:6-8, 11-12

Now when these things had been thus prepared, the priests always went into the first part of the tabernacle, performing the services.  7 But into the second part the high priest went alone once a year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the people's sins committed in ignorance; 8 the Holy Spirit indicating this, that the way into the Holiest of All was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing.

11 But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. 12 Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.

Heb 10:19-20

Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh.

Adam sinned

         God covered man with skins, which required shedding of blood

God covered Himself – put up veil / curtain / divider

          Became unapproachable

Tabernacle & Priesthood

The Tabernacle is a “copy and shadow of what is in heaven” – Heb 8:5

Priests – Mediators.  Joel calls them “ministers of the Lord”

1. Offer blood of sacrifices, sweet incense, & intercede for the people
2. Direct the people regarding the heart of God

Holy of Holies, representing the presence of God, was behind a veil

“You can only go behind the veil into His presence, once a year;

otherwise you die.”  Lev 16:2

Met God over the Mercy Seat 

This set the tone for how we’ve dealt with God

1. At a distance – fearful
2. Letting others (priest) deal with God for us & do the work of ministry

The enemy wants to keep us in the shadow, instead of in the reality

He wants us to have a certain “dread” of God

God’s Heart aches for Relationship with us, so He changed the Priesthood

Jesus came to be a high priest and reconcile us to God – Heb 2:17

Jesus tore the curtain – opened the way into heaven 

Mark 15:37-38

And Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and breathed His last.  38 Then the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.

He went into heaven with His own blood and sprinkled heavenly things

               He’s a Priest forever, interceding for us

Now we can move freely into the Presence of God

Heb 4:16.  Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace,

that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Come boldly without being afraid God’s mad at you, or that you’ll die

Trusting in the blood of Jesus, not your own works 

          God is “well pleased” with the substitute – Jesus

                    Nothing missing, or lacking

Approach with confidence, because the seat has changed

         From Mercy seat ~to~ Throne of Grace

What’s behind the veil?

Mercy to pardon all of our sins & remove the guilt

          Mercy is God holding back  

          Grace is God giving freely    

Grace

He gives you gifts that you don’t deserve because of who you are,

not because of what you’ve done

Grace is the Presence of God in your life, and Access into His Presence

Grace is Empowerment for service (charis, charismato); spiritual gifts

Rom 3:23.  For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

•        Mercy deals with sin, & Grace restores the glory

Nothing hindering us from going into His presence

          And coming out with manifestations of His ‘Grace’