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