A Good Soldier | Senior Pastor Kenneth Carpenter

you have your Bibles and would join me this evening the second book of Timothy the New Testament the second book of Timothy chapter number two verse number one although this is not my title this next statement will summarize my Bible lesson tonight of spiritual warfare spiritual warfare I got good news to share with you tonight the devil is defeated am he is defeated now you see when Ma's defeated what's he doing with all of this well let me tell you it's kind of like our election okay our election happened in November and we elected a president in November but he goes by the term president elect until Monday with the inauguration and um you see 2,000 years ago the election happened on a hill outside of Jerusalem Satan Was Defeated he was defeated there that day but there's coming a grand inauguration yes sir of which for all of time he will be shut up and I just like to read that verse in Revelation sometime said the angel came down with a great chain and shut him up so the enemy is defeated but until that time we will do what's called spiritual warfare but we're fighting in an army that has already won already won second Timothy 2 And1 thou there for my son be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus and the things that thou Hast heard of me among many witnesses the same commit thou to Faithful Men Who Shall be able to teach others also look at verse three with me closely thou therefore Ender hardness as a good soul soldier of Jesus Christ no man that Warth entangleth himself with the Affairs of this life that he may please him who had chosen him to be a soldier and tonight for the Bible class the Bible Lesson spiritual warfare I simply want to teach on a good soldier a good Soldier if you want to be that good soldier put your hand on your heart let's ask God to speak to us right now father Lord I want to be that good soldier Lord I realize Lord that you've already defeated Satan that Lord that we're in between that time that Lord that we do spiritual warfare with him because he's after my soul lord he knows that he is doomed he knows that he is sealed Lord he knows that his judgment awaits he is fighting against the church he is fighting against your people Lord in the name of Jesus tonight may you baptize all of us with a spirit God to be a good soldier in jesus' name we pray amen amen thank you for standing you may be seated this evening a good soldier Paul tells the young Timothy that he is to endure hardness Paul makes no bones about it that this Army that he fights in that he will that he will with without fail that he will have to endure he will have to endure hardness as a good as a good soldier now other words let's let's not think anything strange or let's not think that we're backsliding or we're not right with God because hardness difficulties come it's all because we are in we are in a war and we are a good soldier he said now uh a good soldier doesn't um entangle himself self with the Affairs of this world get he doesn't get tangled up in things of this life the reason he doesn't get tangled up with the things of this life is because he wants to please him that have chosen him to be to be a good soldier now why would you take the Bible class tonight why would you take this Bible class this evening and talk about spiritual warfare because I want you to listen to me tonight I am not going to be making suggestions of what might work tonight I'm going to be giving you time tested scriptural advice tonight of things that have been proven they have been proven it's not something hey I I I think I'm going to try this this I hope it works it's not I think I'm going to try it I hope it works it's what you're going to receive tonight if you will receive it it's time tested it's proven that it works that it's it's effective you know David found himself one day on a battlefield um he was there just to deliver some some food to his brothers and he found himself on the battlefield with Goliath blaspheming the name of the God that he loved and uh before you knew it David was bouncing around the camp telling them let me go fight him let me go fight him everybody else was hiding in their tents at the bellering cursing of Goliath but not David David said let me let me go fight him let me let me add him what makes you think that you can kill this GI this champion of gath join me in 1st Samuel 17:36 for a moment David just what makes you think that you could defeat this Goliath of gath he says in verse number 36 second excuse me 1st Samuel 17 and verse number 36 he says thy servant slew both The Lion and the bear and this uncircumcised Phil Philistine shall be as one of them seeing he hath defiled cursed blasphemed the armies of the Living God can I tell you something tonight what we all ought to build on is what God has done for us when it comes time to face a new wall a new Jericho a new fiery furnace a new trial in life we need to look back and build on what God has already done for us I wonder tonight am I in a house with some people surely there'll be 20 people here tonight that God has done something for am anybody here God's brought you out anybody here God's healed your body anybody here tonight I just took an offering up anybody here tonight God has made a way financially for you that you knew that it had to be God what makes you think you can kill Goliath David do fight with Goliath well I killed a lion and a bear verse 37 David said moreover the Lord that delivered me out of the Paw of the lion and out of the Paul of the bear he shall deliver me out of the hand of the Philistine and Saul said unto David go and the Lord be with thee and Saul armed David with his army watch this now Saul armed David with his armor and he put a helmet of brass upon his head and also he armed him with a coat of mail that was a like bodyguard a shield and David GED his sword about his armor and a Sade to go for he had not proved it and David said unto Saul I cannot go with these for I have not proved them and David put them off from look what David you see if you're going to fight with something fight with something that's proven fight with something that works David David Saul said well you you've convinced me you'd like to go with here take my armor and David put his helmet on and I can see that helmet being four sizes too big for David and David girded Saw's sword on and I could see that sword dragging the ground and David's like wearing Saul's armor and it's four times too big for him David says sa I got to put this off I got to take this off because I've never been in battle with this right here I I I've never I I I don't I don't know if this will kill a bear or not I don't know if this will kill a lion or not I've never proved I I've never been in battle can I tell you something don't go to battle against the Devil with a tool that you've never used before don't try a new way of thinking or a new way of sitting or a new way of standing why don't we just keep up with the old past do you know that praise and worship and prayer and fasting and faithfulness to the house of God has whipped the devil in the past and if if it has whipped the devil in the past come on how many of you right now how many of you right now could be transparent and tell you and tell tell tell yourself today that there have been times in your life that you didn't feel like praising and you didn't feel like worshiping and you really didn't think that this was really working out but somehow you kept getting injected with the faith of God's word and you kept coming back and you kept doing what what you you you didn't understand it it was that ritual you didn't understand it but you you you drug yourself in here but God touched you God made a way for you God brought you through that situation and you're still standing here I'm telling you there's a lot of new ideas I haven't proved right now but I proven I have proven Bible said David took the five smooth stones out of the brook and Shepherd's bag and his sling and the rest the rest is history now listen to me tonight what I'm going to teach you about spiritual warfare is not something new it's something that's been proven it's something that has been proven let's go back to the New Testament the book of Ephesians the book of Ephesians chapter 6 verse number 10 as a matter of fact Paul comes to the very last chapter in Ephesians man he's talked about everything from uh husbands and wives and children and and he he's talked about a a number of different things from chapter one from chapter one to chapter six Paul's talked about a number of things how to you husband and wife children obey your parents all he's talked about all all all of these things but it comes to Ephesians chapter 6 and verse number 10 somebody tell me what the first word in the verse is finally do you know that when Paul makes the statement finally he is really saying listen to what I'm about to say because if you don't listen to what I'm about to say it really doesn't matter what I've said up to this point it's really you can even dig it out in the Greek word it's kind of like finally or in other words don't miss this if you miss this you'll miss everything don't don't don't don't forget this don't don't finally he makes the word he he says the word finally finally now what is it Paul what is it that you're saying is so essential that that you've taught for six chapters now but now you come to that one word finally what is it finally my brethren be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the Ws that's schemes and trickery of the devil he says I know I've told wives and husbands to love each other I know I've told children to honor their parents I know I've told you how to be at one I know I've told you how to be in Christ I I I know I've told you all these things but if you fail to recognize your in a battle you will become a casualty you will become another that started but didn't finish the race or the fight finally be strong and watch the wording verse 10 finally I've saved the best for last finally be strong in the Lord could we say that phrase right now be in the Lord now if you want to be strong in the Lord really say it don't don't care about anybody that's around you right now say it like you really mean it be strong in the Lord be strong strong in the Lord this word strong has the meaning to be infused to be infused with Supernatural strength and ability to be filled to be strong to be infused to be empowered with this Special Touch of God God's strength be strong now notice this please ple please notice notice this be strong in the Lord now that's there that's there for a reason be strong smaller word in the Lord don't try to be strong in any other thing because you will never defeat the Devil in any other thing except the Lord you'll never do it you see let me let me read you a little something from Rick Reiner's book Dressed to Kill let me tell you something about Satan Satan is intelligent he's Keen he's brilliant he's canning cunning quick brainy he is strong capable of influencing he is determined boy he is a determined Devil he's a wise strategist he orderly plan planning and arranging systematic assaults Against Humanity you ought to laugh your head off you ought to laugh your head head off when things start going unusually crazy on Wednesday you ought to laugh your head up when things start going unusually Haywire on Saturday evening a y y may have a prayer meeting get you more real with us tonight or think it laugh your head off when things go crazy in between Sunday at the 10:00 a.m. service and Sunday night at the 6 a.m. 6:00 p.m. service why he's a strategist he knows just the right time he knows just the right time you see when I say all these things when I say all these things about the devil he plans uh he's an opportunist he will not pass by an opportunity you give him an opportunity he'll take it he knows exactly when to strike no wonder the Bible simply says neither give place to the devil it's been said if you'll give him an inch he'll take the rule you let him get his toe in the door he'll soon set up a foothold there he'll take anything you'll give him he's patient um Naturally Speaking our physical strength doesn't even begin to compare with the devil's strength our intelligence doesn't begin to touch his brilliancy our wittiest moment is Thoroughly deficient compared with the enemy's shrewd methods of thinking and operating well that doesn't sound very encouraging brother Carpenter well I guess you heard me he didn't say be strong in Nathan Young right he didn't say be strong in fac he didn't say be strong in both sards he didn't say be strong in whatever your name is he said be strong in the Lord I'm no match sister Davis I'm no match for the devil I don't have the brilliancy to outwit him but if I can get in Christ he is the Conqueror he is is the great defeater of the adversary but I've got to know where my strength is tonight I'm talking about spiritual warfare I don't think you'll be able to keep up with me on the screen but you can try Ephesians 3 And1 blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in Heavenly places in Christ verse four according as he had chosen Us in him before the foundation of the world Ephesians 1 and6 to the praise and glory of his grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the Beloved in whom verse S in whom we have Redemption through his blood the Forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace in whom verse 13 in whom you also trusted after you heard the word of Truth look at all of these things in him I guess I need to tell you tonight before you go fight the devil you better be sure you're in him let me say it again before you listen to this advice tonight you better make sure that you are in him oh let me share with you just a little book of Acts story it's found in Acts chapter let's see I I believe it is found in Acts chapter 19: 11 can somebody say praise the Lord you see before we go to fight him before we go rebuking him you better make sure that you're in him because you're no match for him if you're not in him you're no match for him if you're not in him well let's see how important it is to be in him acts chap 11 excuse me 19 in verse 11 and God wrough special Miracles by the hands of Paul so that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons and the diseases departed from them and the evil spirits went out of them then certain of the Vagabond Jews that's an interesting thing there they weren't connected to anybody they they they they just own their own Vagabond Jews Exorcist interesting took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus saying we adjure you that's a Judicial phrase that's a courtroom phrase We adjure you by the name of Jesus whom Paul preaches now this is going to get interesting here because don't go to battle against him if you're not if you're not sure you're in him right that's right get it right with him before you march out on the battlefield if Satan is destroying your marriage before you try to work on your marriage work on making sure that you're in him if you've identified hey this is satanic activity hey this I believe it's the enemy first make sure you're in him these these exorcists these vagabonds they they watch Paul cast out Devils they watched Paul preaching and they would come and put cloths uh around him and he would wipe the his his his brow with the with the cloth and they would come and get the cloth and they would take the cloth and they would take it to sick people and sick people got healed and they saw all the special Miracles and they they saw how Paul would say in the name of Jesus evil spirit come out and watched his evil spirits came out of people and so they thought wow this is wonderful so they found a man that had an evil spirit and they said we adure thee we adure thee by the name this is verse 13 Again by the name of Jesus whom Paul preacheth come out we ad jur thee by the name of Jesus whom Paul preached and there were seven sons of ska a Jew and chief of the priest which did so and the evil spirit answered and said Jesus I know and Paul I know but who are ye who are you I I know who Jesus is I know who Paul is but I don't I don't you know the greatest compliment hell could ever give us is that hell knows us and I guess the greatest compliment you could ever have is to say the enemy is fighting me because the enemy would never fight a dead horse the enemy would never he's too brilliant to waste his time on somebody now I may make something may I may say something right now make some of you mad but you somebody said they told me one time they said now you said something that just rub the cat the wrong way I said turn the cat around but when you're sitting there say I don't really understand what he's talking about I don't ever get I don't ever he ain't fighting me I don't I don't know what you mean by the fighting you well that ought to kind of concern you cuz sometime in your life you're going to be fought by hell and if you're not being fought by hell it may be that you're a good you're a good advertisement for him and he don't want to mess with your life he would just rather have you come and sit and do nothing and say nothing and Advance the kingdom by no way he just might leave you alone but if you're doing something for God if a church is doing something for God it's not if the enemy attacks attacks that church it's when the enemy attacks that church but I got news for the adversary tonight I'm going to be a good soldier of Jesus Christ because I am in Christ Upon This Rock I will build my church and the Gates of Hell shall not who are you but who are you and the man in whom I'm going back to verse 16 and the man in whom the evil SP Spirit was leaped on them and overcame them and prevailed against them so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded what a sight that must have been can't you see them with they turbin on and stroking their long beards we adure thee by the name of Jesus whom Paul preached come out I see that devil say I know Jesus and I know Paul but who are you and the next thing that Old Devil got a hold of them ripped their clothes off and they ran down the road wounded and naked can I tell you you ever engaged the devil make sure that you can answer that you are in him that's why repentance is needed look at the small phrase about baptism the Bible says we're baptized you getting it we're baptized in Christ amen we get the Holy Ghost in us we're baptized in Christ we are we are in we are in him well let's go back Ephesians 6 and10 finally my brethren be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might finally my brother Brethren be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might can I tell you that is not a suggestion as you break down the Greek words you find that Paul is not suggesting that they're strong in the Lord he is commanding them to be strong in the Lord he's not saying hey it'd be a good idea if you'd be strong in the Lord and the power of His might no no no no he is command commanding them and you know what a command is a command is given it's an order it's something that you do you don't get to think about it it's like you're in the AR a good soldier right they don't give suggestions in the Marines they don't come out and suggest that you be up at 6:00 a.m. they don't get out and suggest that you put a 200 lb backpack on and run five miles they don't suggest that to you they command that of you why because that's going to make a good soldier out of you can I follow in the footsteps of the Apostle Paul tonight can I be the pastor of for of this church and say I command you to be strong in the Lord I command you to understand the strength that you need in God I command you he said he said be strong in the Lord and in the power and in the power of His might this word to be strong to be strong it's an it's an unusual word to be strong and Paul used it it is a classical Greek word that describes individuals who have been very carefully handpicked by the gods to perform some extra special superhuman strength or task this word be strong was used when when they they would use it in the classical Greek setting when they were describing pagan gods that would pagan gods that that would choose an individual and in this instance could be the mythical Hercules they would choose a human they would handpick a human to do do some extra special human task can I tell you tonight that we have all been chosen of God doesn't that make you feel special that God has chosen you but God in choosing God in choosing us God in choosing us would Empower us with his spirit and that we would be able and and don't we all haven't we all guilty of saying this I don't believe I can do it I don't believe I can do that do you know what that's the greatest start of your life is that you can't do it but when we get in Christ amen when we submit to the gospel when we believe the death burial and Resurrection when we submit to repentance a change of life a change of mind and we are baptized in his name and filled with his spirit he steps in and says now I'm going to give you the power to do what you couldn't do on your own oh I bless his name I bless his I bless his name tonight you know as we go back up just for a moment to Ephesians 6 and 10 to Ephesians 6 and10 finally my brethren save the best blast be strong in the Lord you've been handpicked and in the power of His might let's read it slow and in the power of His might and in the power words words make a difference here and in the power of his might say it again words make a difference and in the what are we going to walk in tonight what are we going to fight the enemy in in the power of his mind I'm going down in this battle if I'm not in his might I'm going to be absolutely defeated he will eventually wear me wear me down our human will May last for a while but it'll eventually it'll eventually be worn down and we'll throw in the flag and we'll stop but if I could ever preach to myself and if I could ever preach to you that what we need is the power of His might God has defeated the adversary he was defeated at Calvary and we're just waiting for the Ultimate Putting into office of the Throne of Jesus Christ in our life oh don't you want to live for God that way come on give the Lord a hand of Praise right now I want to live for God that way in the power of His might in the power boy that rings a bell doesn't it in the power of His might I need the Holy Ghost you need the Holy Ghost we we need to be filled with the Holy Ghost yes sir we need to receive the Holy Ghost and we need to stay full of the Holy Ghost why because it's the power of His might as we read the book of Acts you'll find that they not only initially received the Holy Ghost in Acts 2 but other chapters in the book of Acts record that they got into prayer meetings the same people that initially received it in Acts 2 got into pray pray meetings and the Bible would say over again and they were filled with the Holy Ghost because tonight I'm glad for something that I received now a few years it'll be 50 years that I've received the gift of the Holy Ghost but I'm telling you I wouldn't be here tonight had I just relied on what happened to me almost 50 years ago but I'm here tonight because I try to live every day to get full of the Holy Ghost I try to live every day to get God's spirit inside of me now I realized that the initial and filling of the Holy Ghost happened when I spoke with other tongues when I spoke in other tongues other tongues is the initial sign that you have been filled with the baptism of the Holy Ghost I'm glad for that initial sign in Acts chapter 2 but in Acts chapter 1 verse number8 follow this and Link it to what I've just been saying about in the power of His might why don't we say that in the power of His might Acts chapter one and verse number eight but you shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost has come upon you and you shall be Witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and in Samaria and unto the other most part of the world of the Earth this word power both in power of His might and power after that the Holy Ghost the word is dunamus it means strength power and ability it means strength power and ability that's what it means strength power and ability when we receive the Holy Ghost the very first time and we spoke with other tongues as the initial sign that the Holy Ghost to come you see God has always given signs to confirm his word he said Noah I will not I will never again destroy the Earth with a flood therefore I will put a rainbow in the sky as a sign of the Covenant Abraham I'm going to keep you and you're going to be a special people but I'm going to give you a sign of the Covenant of circumcision Shepherds you this shall be a sign unto you you shall find the Babe wrapped in swaddling clothed and lying in a man he is a God that gives signs and why wouldn't he give us a sign of the infilling of his power to give us the ability to give us the power to be a witness to become a witness oh it is that seed it is that DNA seed of God that place is deep down in my soul oh you look at the small Acron you look at a small Acron and you look at it it looks nothing like what it's going to become if it stays in the ground and stays fertilized you look at when we say well you're just speaking in another tongue you're just speaking something it's not just gibberish it is God's spirit giving me the ability and giving me the power to become what I could never ever become on my own I'm glad that I received it and I'm going to tell you if you're here tonight and you've not yet received it you too can receive this wonderful gift it's far greater than just believing Upon Jesus it's far greater than just knowing there's a place called Heaven it is that power oh thank you for worshiping with the word tonight is that power it is that power but wait a minute wait a minute the Bible says in Ephesians chapter 1 verse number 19 look at this in Ephesians chapter 1 and verse number 19 it says and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us word who believed according to the working of his Mighty power now what's interesting although it's the same word power that she used in Acts one and you shall receive power it's a different Greek word you shall receive power in Acts 1 and8 means ability it means strength but this word and I I will butcher this in Acts chapter one it's called dunamus but Ephesians 1:19 it's called katrus and katrus does mean it does mean force and strength but it means power that refers to the greatest strongest flow of power that exists in the entire universe in fact this word power is so Supreme that in script scripture it is only used in reference to God's power man does not possess this kind of power unless it has been given to him by God it is a word that denotes demonstration it denotes demonstration it it denotes an act of demonstrating now when we get the Holy Ghost in Acts 1 and8 we have been given the power the seed but when that power grows it turns into katros which is a demonstration of power it is a demonstration of power you see the greatest weapon that Satan ever possessed was over the death of a human being that was the greatest power he owned it Lock Stock and Barrel it was his nuclear weapon for thousands of years he owned death but there was one who came to this earth over shadowed a virgin girl and was born of the Virgin Mary grew up 33 years walked up a Hill Called Calvary fully man and fully katrus fully God he laid his life down as man as man he said destroy this Temple But as God he said and in three days I will raise it up again you do realize sister Carpenter that Rome was the most powerful force military force in the time of Jesus Christ you realize that if you saw a Roman soldier brother Fallon in the days of Jesus you saw the most sophisticated you saw the most trained you saw the most hardened you saw the Navy Seals in the days of Jesus with the Roman soldiers as a matter of fact it was the Roman soldiers that were sent to guard the Tomb of Jesus Christ but let us read what our Bible says about our God Matthew chapter 28 and verse number one are y'all as excited as I am right now Matthew 28 verse1 in the end of the Sabbath as it be to Dawn toward the first day of the week Came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the supper and behold there was a great earthquake and for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the Stone from the door and sat upon it his countenance was like lightning and his reignment white as snow can I tell you God came to the Earth that kros came to the Earth that power like no other power came to this earth that same power that tells us to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might I'm not just strong in the Lord I've got demonstration to back it up I'm not just strong in the Lord I've got some demonstration every battle you've come out Victorious when you thought man the devil's going to try to bring me down with this but when all the smoke cleared it's like some of the movies when all the Smoke Clear and you wonder did the man make it through all of a sudden he comes walking out of the smoke it is a demonstration that I am still here it's a demonst oh I I oh Lord I'm not I'm not doing this Justice tonight I'm not doing this Justice tonight because you know all he said you had to do he said be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might and then he said having done all to stand stand therefore and he begins to list to Franklin he begins to list the the the armor that we have standing is our demonstration that we have overcome standing is a demonstration that we have overcome two hands lifted in the air is a demonstration that we have overcome a wife sitting beside you brother po waving her hand is a demonstration that we have overcome a say oh my God I'm telling you a demonstration a demonstration that's why we're praising the Lord Abel that's why you are a demonstration tonight oh don't you want to demonstrate to the enemy I'm still here hey you thought you going to get me but I'm still here you tried to fog my head up but I'm still here you're trying to mess with me but I am I just remain standing with me tonight anybody want to demonstrate tonight would be anybody want to demonstrate tonight Brian triplet would you want to demonstrate tonight why you walk out your Pew and demonstrate that you're still standing tonight won you do that right now why don't you just demonstrate tonight why don't you just demonstrate right now Hey sister Roberts why don't you come out of your Pew and demonstrate a moment you're already demonstrating right there what why don't you demonstrate sister car why why don't you just demonstrate right now no you do whatever you want to do enemy I come against you in the power of His might I come against you in the Kross I come against you in the demonstration I come against you in the power come on tonight would you like to come down and just demonstrate for a moment he thought he had me he thought I was down but I done pop my head back up right now I got Kross in me I got overcoming power in me I got to come on roar like a lion tonight I got power I got power power I got power woo I got power come on brother new Mary I got power I got power I'm demonstrating right now I hope y'all get a hold of this we're demonstrating right now we're demonstrating right now the devil wants to put you under condemnation because he doesn't want you to demonstrate he doesn't want you to demonstrate why don't you go ahead and demonstrate right now I'll never be worried to raise my hands I'll never be worthy to praise the Lord but he had made me worthy praise him right now oh I'm a soldier in the army of the Lord I'm a I'm a sold I'm a soldier I'm a soldier I'm a soldier let me show you let me show you tonight oh my my my Hallelujah let me show you tonight what the most powerful Army looked like when God's kros came to the tomb the Bible says and for fear Matthew 28:4 and for fear of him the keepers that's the Roman soldiers did shake and became as dead men can I tell you when a power shows up on Earth greater than any power the most powerful Roman soldiers had to become like dead men because something else showed up but I'm going to tell you not only did Roman soldiers have to act that way every devil in hell has got to act that way when I begin to worship Him and allow his kro power to come in that's why I got to keep praising sister Marcy that's why I got to keep praising brother Sutton that's why I got to keep praising Stephanie that's why you got to keep praising cuz it's a demonstration that I'm still here my eyes made me black I'm may be missing something but I got to tell the enemy tonight I'm still standing I'm still standing I'm still here I'm still standing Praise Him Praise Him hallelujah holy ghost I couldn't let you go home unless I give you a little bit to work with there's a proper way to rebuke the devil there's a proper way to rebuke the devil number one you you need to identify you need to identify that it's him can I tell you that unforgiveness is not of God I don't care how wrong you were done I just lost about a half dozen fol right there you can go ahead matter of fact brother brother sinata will you help me with the sermon cuz it just came to my mind today and I figured you could help me and this thought I was in prayer and this came to my mind what does mold and the devil have in common got to grow in a dark place is that right I don't believe M grows in daylight it's got to grow in a dark damp place do you know that unforgiveness is a dark damp place in your life well you don't know what they did I don't I don't need to know what they do we we've all been shot with somebody doing something that we didn't deserve and I flip the coin over we've done things to people that they didn't deserve let me just read I I'm I promise I'm not going to keep you I'm not I'm I'm not going I'm not going to be like Pharaoh I am going to let God's people go 2 Corinthians 2:10 very quickly on the screen 2 Corinthians 2:10 2 Corinthians 2:10 Paul said to whom you forgive anything I forgive also I'm G to tell you people in your wife that are aiding and helping and promoting you not forgiving they're not your friend to whom you forgive anything I forgive also for if I forgive anything to whom I forgave it for your sakes forgave I it how can I do it well I I just can't forgive them okay maybe you can't but in look at this in the person of Christ that's the way I forgive I forgive people in the person of Christ because when I begin to think about how he has forgiven be honest come on be honest when I begin to think about how he is Forgiven he saw it he was there things you've never shared things you never t talk to anybody about he saw it he was there he even heard you asked for forgiveness and he even forgave you but I'm going to tell you things begin to switch around when he forgives you so much and you're not willing to forgive other people you say well I just can't do it that's because you're not in him if you'll ever get in him let me read verse now would everybody agree tonight we're all in Bible college right now would everybody agree that the theme the theme of verse 10 is forgiveness brother thp you're an educated man you're an educator you you got an edication all he's an educator well could we all agree tonight that the the theme of verse 10 is forgiveness all right that's the everybody say that's the theme that's the well then we're going to go to verse we're going to go to verse 11 because that's not a period at the end of Christ all right that means thoughts going to continue on it's going to continue on into verse number 11 lest Satan should get an advantage of us for we are not ignorant of his devices can I tell you unforgiveness is a device and if he can plant it on you he's going to rule and reign your life so the first thing we've got to start doing is getting into Christ that's why we have morning prayer that's why we are having the 21 days and I'm glad I had it on my note and I forgot to announce it tonight I was thinking about how disappointed the kids were going to be that they weren't going to class and I forgot it but you know I've been really disappointed that snow and ice and cold has kept us from a few of our days of morning prayer I I've really been disappointed so I'm I'm going to ask everybody I know that Saturday is is is family prayer and I'm going to show you that I got a heart I'm not going to ask you to come to the church Saturday at 7:14 a.m. I believe the Bible said they went to the temple at the 9th hour why don't Saturday as many as you can why don't we meet here at the church at 9:00 a.m. and have prayer I I've really missed being able to come in these 21 days of prayer but why do we do 21 days because we're trying to get everybody in Christ and we're trying to when when you when we end the 21 days you're going to go ahead in your own home and have your 22nd day and your 23rd day why because I've got to get into Christ because I'll never defeat the enemy if I'm not in the power of His might that's the only way that I'm going to defeat him and the only way that I can rebuke him is to identify him oh precious Lord tonight I come before you right now God I thank you for such a beautiful congregation that Lord that are so willing and and God they they want to hear the word and God they've stood here for the last several minutes and I thank you God I I truly thank you that I pastor this awesome church I truly thank you God for these awesome people that are here that God you're doing great things in their life now father help us Lord to do spiritual warfare I rebuke the devil in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I rebuke his voice tonight in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I rebuke his his works I rebuke his spirit I rebuke his condemnation I rebuke his voice I rebuke everything about him in the name of Jesus Christ we have got to evangelize our city we have got to get busy when it shows for you and Lord I rebuke that adversary that hinder in the name of Jesus we pray tonight amen and amen