How a Strong Man Is Stumbled

I'm going to go to John 1633 and then I'll bounce around a little in the New Testament. We'll just start with this one. Jesus says, these things have I spoken unto you that in me you might have peace. What a promise. But then Jesus doesn't want us to get confused about our life in the spirit and your work and ministry, so he quickly adds to that, in the world you shall have tribulation. And he sums it up with that great statement that we cling to in faith, Brother Turner. But be of good cheer. I have overcome the world. I got an odd sermon. I was going to preach life lessons from a questionable prophet. But the Lord directed me even this morning. I just sit over there and listen to some of you come in and pray and practice. It was wonderful. And I'm going to talk about how a strong man is stumbled.

How a strong man is stumbled. Would you pray with me? Lord, we thank you for this great opportunity, Lord, that we have each time we gather with your people. We come to you looking for your thoughts, God, the touch of your spirit. You're moving. You know how to open our hearts by your spirit that somebody can see a way forward in their life, a way forward in their ministry, a way out of problems, a way out of distress. Help us, Lord, we pray that we can be a blessing to your people. We'll give you all the honor and the glory for it is yours. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen. God bless you. May be seated. Thank you, worship team. You did a fabulous job today. I think there can, maybe I could contrast this a little bit. There is a crisis of unbelief. The crisis of unbelief is when you in the middle of your life or your circumstances or

your issue, your God is too little and my problem is too big. The cure is to somehow walk into the house of God and come into a service and somebody begins to sing a song about the goodness of the Lord. Or somebody stands up and shares a testimony of the provision of God or perhaps it's the preacher that gets up and begins to thunder away in the pulpit somewhere and God allows us to lift our eyes in the spirit and get a vision of who he is. That's why Jesus is careful to speak to his disciples and to every disciple that will follow. These things have I spoken of you. I want you informed that in me you might have peace. Not in the world. In the world you're going to have tribulation. Be of good cheer. I have overcome the world. Verse Thessalonians chapter 3 verse 4, the apostle Paul's writing by the spirit of

God and he says, for verily when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation. Even as it has come to pass and you know, I already warned you that this was coming to pass. Why are you now so shocked by this issue of trouble? Second Timothy chapter 3 verse 12, the apostle Paul writes his son in the Gospel and he says, yeah, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. I just want to remind you today that you will not make Jesus lie. You will not make the word of God a lie. You have to understand that if you're going to live godly in this world, I need to go ahead and mark it down in my life in ministry. Not everybody's going to get along with me. Not everybody's going to want to go along with me.

But if I'm going to live godly in Christ Jesus, I'm willing to pay the price even if my sacrifice is costly. Thank you, worship team. The apostle Peter says, beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial, which is to try you as though some strange thing has happened under you and yet we get in the midst of problems and circumstances and challenges and we think, God, did you lose my address? I thought when I got saved, everything was going to be peaches and roses and though that's not what the Bible says, if Jesus faced persecution, you are not a stronger, a more savvy, a more accepted minister than Jesus, so you need to go ahead and write it down that you don't take up his cross. You got to take up your cross. That's why in John 15, 18, Jesus says, if the world hate you,

you know that it hated me because before, rather, it hated you. Now, why all of this information to the people of God? Why would Paul say this to a persecuted church? Because he knows there's something called the crisis of unbelief. But there is a different type of crisis, a different type of test and I'm going to call it the crisis of belief. It's where I know God can but he's not. I'm going to look at two particular figures, one of them Elijah and one of them John the Baptist and it's the revelation of a life or the revelation of God through a life and these two men were incredible in terms of what they did in their times and they reach a crisis of belief. And it's not that God was somehow failing them but they had wrong expectations of life with God. And there is a lie that each one of us have to face.

I can escape trials. I can be exempt from persecution. I can have victory and maybe I have a problem though with calendars and timelines. This is the crisis. It's not the crisis of a lack of faith. It's the crisis because of faith. I know God is a healer then why isn't God healing? I know that God is a provider. I hear other people getting phone calls. I hear other people getting their school bill paid. I hear other people having their family situations worked out. They're having revival in their church and then why is it it's not happening for me? I know God can but why is he not for me? How was a strong man stubbled? I think it's this, the crisis of belief. And these examples in the Bible of true ministry where you can get so, so sidetracked, so confused that you can

lose direction and I don't know where to go and what to do. These lives show us these things. I want to look at case study number one. The revelation of a life lived. First Kings chapter 17. We see the prophet Elijah standing before the wicked king and he tells him it's not going to rain for three years. We've already been in a drought for six months but I just want to let you know when he stands before this wicked king and he says it's not going to rain until I say, I wish we had time to deal with it. You know why he could say that? He knew the law of God that if you forsake the Lord and you follow idols and you begin to get into disobedience God said I will shut up the heavens. And so the prophet of God knows the word of God.

By the way, that's the standard of any prophet. The prophet of God's got to know the word of God and know the will of God for that moment. And he steps forward and says it's not going to rain until I say. And then God takes him to that miraculous provision at the book Cherith and I wish we had time to deal with it all. And then he takes him to a little widow's house because it doesn't matter if even the king's not interested in revival God's going to find somebody that wants to be dedicated. God's going to find provision for a man of God right in the midst of a situation where people want to backslide. First Kings chapter 18. We have that great showdown at Mount Carmel. I wish we had time to preach it but that's not my challenge today. And that at the end of the three years of drought

he appears to, here comes Elijah and there's Obadiah and he's like they're looking for a way to find, we can't let all the animals die as the wicked king says and there's this prophet that's hidden, these other prophets of the Lord and taking care of them and somehow he's granted favor with Ahab complex. I don't know what to do with all that. But then he says you go tell Ahab that I'm ready to meet and they have that showdown at Mount Carmel and the Lord answers by fire in such a powerful way and the words of the prophet Elijah are vindicated and he has great victory and there seems to be a revival and the evil prophets are slain and after a prayer meeting on the mountain there's a size, there's a cloud just a size of a man's hand and he goes and tells that wicked king you better hurry

and get back or you're never going to make it home there's going to be so much rain and God sends the rain. The Lord moves on him, he girds up his loin and he runs and he passes Ahab even in his chariot and God grants victory. The Bible says in 1 Kings chapter 19 because that's chapter 18 and Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done and with all how he had slain all the prophets with the sword then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah saying so let the gods do to me and more also if I make not thy life as a life of one of them by tomorrow about this time. Now I'm going to help you just because God grants you victory doesn't mean hell's going away just because God gives you a miraculous provision in a moment and you begin to speak what you know to be the will of God

and God begins to vindicate you in some way hell is not going away and you got to go ahead and embrace yourself and realize I got more victories in the future I got more hardships in the future and I have to continue to walk by faith this great man of God who could stare down an evil king and could look at many of the compromise in his day and preach the word of the Lord and could see all of that when he heard, when he saw that he arose and he went for his life and came to Herbersheba which belonged to Judah and left his servant there but he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a juniper tree and he requested for himself that he might die and said it is enough now oh Lord take away my life

for I am not better than my fathers you ever had a pity party prayer meeting? I know we make fun maybe a little bit of the prophet Elijah but it sounds a whole lot like things I've done where I've been tempted to look at what God didn't you give me victory then why is it I'm still facing opposition and because you Ahab leaves and Jezebel talks and the man of God now finds himself in the position of caving into the pressure of an ungodly voice where there is a woman somewhere that wants to influence leadership in such a way that she can continue her evil practices I'm just going to tell you you've got to realize every once in a while even when I do everything that's right there's opposition doesn't immediately go away the Bible says that he lay and slept under a juniper tree

behold the angel touched him and said unto him arise and eat he looked and behold there was a cake baked on the coals and a cruise of water at his head and he did eat and drink and laid him down again and the angel the Lord came again the second time and touched him and said more than arise and eat arise and eat why because the journey is too great for thee so the miraculous provision of God comes and he arose and did eat and drink and he went and the strength of that meat for 40 days and 40 nights unto a whore of the mountain of God he's got this rest and this provision this miraculous touch of God to go for 40 days and the Lord helps him and he came thither the Bible says unto a cave and lodge there and behold the word of the Lord came to him

and said unto him what doest thou hear Elijah why are you here and he said I've been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts for the children of Israel have forsaken my covenant thrown down my altars and slain my prophets with the sword and I even I only am left and they seek my life to take it away and he said go forth and stand on the mount before the Lord and behold the Lord passed by in a great strong wind rent the mountains and break it into pieces and the rocks before the Lord but the Lord was not in the wind and after the wind and earthquake but the Lord was not in the earthquake and after the earthquake of fire but the Lord was not in the fire and after the fire a still small voice and it was so when Elijah heard it

and he wrapped his face in his mantle and he went out and stood at the entrance entering of the cave and behold there came a voice unto him and said same question what doest thou hear Elijah and he says God didn't you hear my prayer meeting before you ever prayed the same thing to God Lord are you sure you're listening I know you ask me why I've been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant they've thrown down thine altars they've slain thy prophets with the sword and I even I only am left and they seek my life to take it away repeat but tucked in the middle of this is a perception issue that God is going to address and I hear I've been very jealous for the Lord that's not a question I understand that you've been dedicated

now hear me today I understand that you're willing to dedicate your life to God he said I understand Elijah you're willing to dedicate in the midst of compromise and the children of Israel forsaken thy covenant I get it that's where the nation is that's why I've called you to be a prophet I've called you to be a voice and they've thrown down thine altars I know they don't want to worship the right way they don't want to consecrate the right way I get that they've slain thy prophets with the sword I get it I get it and they seek my life to take it away that's true but God has got to correct that little misperception that I even I only am left you are not the only one that wants to serve God Elijah and if you're not careful in a moment when you isolate yourself away from fellowship

I understand there are compromisers but don't you ever get it twisted there are 7,000 that haven't kissed this there's many that haven't bowed down and compromised their life I was praying for some of you today I know some of you thinking well brother Kilman you don't know my whole context you don't know where the Lord has called me that's why you're called to be a prophet Elijah you're to go back and be the voice because you don't know the quiet obedience of somebody in a church somewhere saying if I could just find somebody to speak the word of the Lord if I could just find somebody that would direct me to the path of blessing I will follow God didn't you hear my prayer the first time yes I got to deal with your misperception the Lord said unto him go return on my way to the wilderness of Damascus

and when thou comest anoint Haziel to be the king over Syria I already got a man there that knows my heart I already got somebody prepared Elijah and then Jehu the son of Nimshi shall thou anoint to be king over Israel I got leaders that you don't even know yet and your voice is going to call them I understand we're living in complex times and there are people that are saying well you just give the UPC or the AJLJC a little bit of time in 10 years everything's going to look different so I'm just going to tell you there's going to be a preacher somewhere that preachers the word of the Lord God's going to call leaders because they preach the word of the Lord and this plague is not in trouble it's in God's hands and Elijah the son of Shepat you're going to anoint him to be the prophet in thy room

and it shall come to pass that him that escapeth the sword of Haziel shall Jehu slay and him that escapeth the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay oh imagine that preachers got a sword yeah we sure do and I'm going to tell you I know what the enemy is saying to you you just stand in the pulpit and you preach and you teach and you sing the word of God that the Lord has called you to preach and I promise you what you can't get done God's going to put somebody in your life that will help you get the work of God done we are in this together we are not in trouble we are headed towards the victory that God intends he says yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel all of the knees which have not bowed down on Tabel in every mouth

which has not kissed him and he's saying they're fateful ministers right now Elijah there are fateful leaders and fateful followers even in complex times so don't let the voice of an ungodly woman and I know they're still in power see there's where your test of faith comes I know God can you can remove this evil voice you can expose the wrong you can move right now and you can vindicate what I've been called to preach and there are people that are coming you're going to have to go ahead and get used to attacks in this world you will have tribulation you have to say God you can remove it right now and not everyone is always wanting to tear down altars and not everyone is looking to forsake covenant and I'm going to get real concrete not everybody is wanting to leave holiness not everyone is willing to forsake

not everyone is willing to forsake essentiality not everybody is looking for respectability in your day and I understand you may feel outnumbered and outgun but you just keep preaching the word of the Lord and watch God use your life to starvation looks like they're still getting away with it I got it every once in a while you have to have the attitude of David I don't want to weave too many biblical stories here but when he's being chased out of power and his son is coming against him in rebellion listen that's in the bible on purpose and I don't want to be mean-spirited here but you could even have family members turn against the truth and try to run you out on the rail and what does that great man David do? he goes out and shimmy or shimmy eye whichever you prefer is chasing him out of town

and he's got to make a decision because here comes the Zadokites and the sons of Zadok and they're chasing him out with the ark and they're saying David you are preaching the truth you are aligned with God this is a rebellious king we're not in alignment with him we're going to carry the ark they will not be able to do one sacrifice David if they don't bring you back they will not be able to do anything what does David say? no no no you go back home you stay in the temple I refuse to manipulate spiritual ends for my own gain because I know God maybe that God is done with me and if he's done with me amen but if he's not done with me in a few short chapters we're going to see that the people that were in opposition to David are fighting to bring him back into the kingdom

you just stay who God has called you to be you stay a righteous king who refuses to answer in his flesh against the carnality of other people and watch God vindicate you over time don't get disillusion because oh God it's just there's threats coming I'm trying not to break protocols here I had a good friend tell me somebody said I can destroy you the problem with that brother Runmush brother Turner forgive me my friend has no political ambitions he's a good man a godly man he's not interested in position he's interested in truth that will set you free from manipulation if you're not interested if God puts you up great if God doesn't put you up great you know at the end of the day if you're seeking position you will feel the pressure of that you will feel like you have to control everything

but if you can surrender your control and just stay in the pathway of God it doesn't matter what people say against you let God vindicate you over time don't get weary in well doing you will reap into season if you fain not don't be stumble by the timeline of God to vindicate your life I wish I could preach it the way I feel you're less than a chapter away Elijah from anointing a young man from being called a cast something on the shoulders of a young minister who will double what the Lord has done in your life I'm just going to tell you some of you in this room are going to be the answer that's what I come to preach today some of you today are going to be the answer to what I hear sometimes in the troubled voices of elders brother Kilman

I'm worried I don't see anybody yet I don't know how this is going to go I just want to tell them let me take you to a chapel of young people that are committed to the apostolic doctrine and let me show you God's future for the church don't get disillusioned please be seated don't be stumbled don't be troubled by God's seeming patience with issues I'll be more plain with evil and lies and manipulation God's timeline Elijah is secured don't get disillusioned because you can't see the answer now case study number two John the Baptist what a preacher everybody flocks out to see him because he thunders away the word of the Lord by the way he didn't do one miracle preach John answered and said unto them I indeed baptize you with water but one mightier than I cometh in the latch of whose shoes I'm not worthy

to unloose it he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire he said whose fan is in his hand and he will thoroughly purge his floor and he will gather the weed into his garner but the chaff will he burn with fire and quenchable and he's saying I know Messiah is coming I've been called to trail-blace for him I've been called to prepare the way of the Lord I'm that prophet from the Old Testament prophesied by Isaiah and Malachi and I'm called to prepare the way of the Lord you are called to prepare the way of the Lord help people understand that high things have to be brought down and low things have to be brought up and then the king can come that repentance means taking some things out of your life and putting some things in your life so that the Lord can come

and then Jesus comes and here's the challenge of John who can stare down the religious establishment Brother Herbson and say here, why did SEPICERS? I wish I could hand you the mic you can just act it out, I love that the slave used to do that so well he would preach and he was playing John the Baptist and well you know he had no problem in public settings confronting every disobedience from every stripe of life a strong man like Elijah but then he stumbled it's not that crisis of unbelief he knows what God has given him to preach but the Bible says it Luke chapter 3 but Herod the tetriarch being reproved by him for Herodias his brother's Philip's wife he's sleeping with his brother's wife and John can even preach to power you're wrong for all the evils which Herod had done and added yet this above all

and then he shut up John in prison what are you going to do if the Lord calls you to a ministry to preach something that doesn't come to pass in your lifetime stumbled by allowing evil voices and the timeline God why haven't you vindicated me yet or stumbled by God will you ever vindicate me brother Noah in my lifetime both of those if you're not careful can take a strong man down and John calling unto him two of his disciples sent them to Jesus saying art thou he that should come look we for another Jesus you're not meeting my expectations I know the prophecy that you gave me the unction of the Lord I'm a prophet of the Lord I only speak the word of the Lord you've given me these things to say and I'm looking for that fan I'm looking for the separation that's in

the book of Revelation John God is doing way more in the economy of salvation if he does it then you can't even have a church and because your vision is not as big as the vision that God has called you to speak your limited understanding of even what the Lord calls you to declare can sometimes make you think man did I miss something did I not say Jesus begins to say are you the one or should we look for another and he cured all these infirmities and plagues and evil spirits and the blind received the sight and then he answered him saying go your way and tell John tell him what you see and how the blind see the lame walk the lepers are cleansed and the death here and the dead are raised and the poor and the gospel is preached all of that fulfillment of the Old Testament is happening

right now and then he adds this beautiful little statement that is my challenge to you today and blessed is he who's whoever shall not be offended in me don't be offended at his timeline don't be offended how he unfolds whether or not to vindicate you in this life or the next that's not your job I'm working towards a closure see here's what I think I'm trying to communicate am I that temptation to think am I the only voice God am I the last one willing to speak Isaiah 62, 6 and 7 says I've said a watchman upon my walls O Jerusalem which shall never hold their peace that's your calling as a preacher I have heard many of you in personal conversations I've watched you come to the altar I've watched as you worship you forgive me I've watched as you've sung truth and taught truth and preached truth

and I know some of you are saying I'm never going to hold my peace there's so much brokenness in the world I'm never going to be silent I have to declare the word of the Lord you that make mention of the Lord keep not silence and give him no rest till he establish until he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth I know there are people powerful men and women prophets of the Lord that will speak and in the face of public opposition they're relentless they will never be quiet even if they have to stand alone and in the face of everyone even their peers they will stand and victories are won for God in public moments because they do not fear people but there's a temptation when you get in private because hell has not gone away Jesus is not doing all what he said and you have the threats

of this ungodly person and Lord I know what you called me to speak but I don't see it happening did I somehow miss something and here's the temptation to be stumbled as a strong voice for God to fail to quit to give up because you know he can but he's not yet don't get isolated in a cave somewhere repeating prayers that you think God hasn't heard wondering wondering if it would be better Lord just to die a martyr than to continue to live faithful they'll come to the music three stages intimidated at the start where you can fall into the trap even at Indiana Bible college thinking I'm the only one I'm the only one God I'm the only one standing for right things or when you start in ministry in the beginning I'm the only one and if I stand this way how will I ever get ahead

for stage number two which is in your future intimidated when you launch Lord and I'm in a circle I'm in a situation and it seems like there's no one else that is a lie of your flesh how will I ever have influence if I begin to speak up in my district how will I ever have influence if I lead for the right things you are not alone there are going to be people in the context of your ministry that are waiting for your voice and your annoyance God is going to use some young man or some young lady is going to come and embrace leadership and God is going to use their life powerfully for your generation that's not hyperbole this is God's economy and thirdly way into your future or pointedly maybe intimidated by legacy to get to the point we start thinking where is the next generation

and we forget all the squirrely sermons we've reached all the dumb ideas I had all the stumbling to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ we can say how will it continue I'm afraid God not of people but I'm afraid that I'm alone I'm weary God I'm not weary for standing for truth but I'm weary because I think I'm the last one I just come to tell you sometimes you got to help people see Him high and lift it up on the throne because they're weak in faith but people with strong faith you have to help them see His ways Your calendar is not His calendar so give God your obedience and don't be stumbled by His patience with some things would you just slip up a hand and say Lord I want to be strong I don't want to be weak

I want to see you for who you are I want to understand your message is the message of life and when I stand to preach or to prophesy when I sing I want it to be strong a vision of who you are when I preach I want it to be a strong representation of who you are and what you afford when I teach I want them to understand who you are so that they can see in the Spirit who you are and apprehend by faith what they need but listen to me strong preacher don't be stumbled in the midst of your faithfulness because God is not doing everything you want Him to do surrender results to God let Him bend again I know some of you are in complex situations right now I've talked to some of you so here's my invitation if you know

that you're wrestling within your own heart that ideal I feel like I'm the only one you need to come down and say God get that out of my spirit because if you think that you will give up and you will never be used by God to call your generation of leaders out to the forefront so God can have revival you need to surrender that to the Lord your calendar is not my calendar God I can't see everything that you're doing you may be in a prison John and just have to say the timeline is yours and if I never see it my voice has been faithful for you you will accomplish everything that you intend even if I never see it Jesus I'm going to give you my favorites