The Fight is Part of the Process | Senior Pastor Kenneth Carpenter

you have your Bibles and tournament me first Timothy chapter six and verse number twelve praise God I'm glad that I was buried in Jesus name glad that I was baptized in Jesus name for the remission of my sins and I had already received the Holy Ghost before I went into water but there's those that receive the Holy Ghost coming out of water thank God that I've been baptized in that name the watery grave we heard a word from the Lord this morning many of us received it many of us have made plans today putting things in our lives to remind us of our dreams and I used my travel time to Sevierville on Sunday afternoon and my travel time home which amounts to about an hour and a half give or take a few minutes and I used that time to really talk to the Lord and ask the Lord what he wants me to say and I really felt like the Lord today I had another message tonight but I really felt like the Lord today spoke to my heart that I was to speak in part about what we heard this morning faith was and is in this house tonight and I want you to know something right now it's the title of my message the fight is part of the process the fight the fight is part of the process you can't have your dream without the fight first Timothy 6:12 fight the good fight of faith lay hold on eternal life whereunto thou art also called and has professed a good profession before many witnesses the fight is part of the process father you are taking this church somewhere we have yielded ourselves to you and God I believe that you have since then you have found here a group of people that want to move when the cloud moves a group of people God that want history to record about us that we said we're available I thank you tonight God for what you did this morning I thank you Lord for how heaven was stirred and God I thank you all that you've done help me tonight just to deliver what I feel like you've given in Jesus name we pray amen you may be seated so good to have Stephan and Sarah Kuykendall with us tonight from Carmel Indiana by way of Ireland he men and they have stepped in in Ireland and assisting brother strong strong in Ireland and Vincent Accardo would you stand right now we'd like to give you a great big hand it was supposed to come home and they couldn't get a flight out of Ireland and they were there several weeks longer and I went over to him tonight and asked him it's good to have him home and thinking they were going to say we're glad to be home but they said we can't wait to get back I said we're going back amen and you might not understand it it just becomes a god thing when God puts a work in your heart Bruce at the caca dog thanked that the fight is part of the process no dreams are fulfilled without a fight so get ready for the fight get ready for the fight some of you might have already had to fight not long I'm the service was over today things might have came up came up that was an absolute opposition trying to miss your spirit I don't think it's strange the fight is part of the process if you weren't are being fought then you'd need to really rethink some things but for me to be helpful is one of the greatest compliments hell could pay us to be opposed praise God the fight is part of the process the Apostle Paul told the young pastor Timothy fight the good fight of faith so he don't own it not only tells us what to do he tells us why we're doing it it is a fight over our faith if there's anything tonight the adversary wants is our faith and if there's anything tonight we won't give is our faith I'm going to fight for my faith the word fight means to enter into a contest to contend in gymnastic games it means to fight with an adversary it means to struggle with difficulties and danger but we are here tonight after being preached to this morning and we want Heaven and Hell to hear our praise and declaration we will fight we will fight Paul in another book speaking of the same posture it must have been important because in 2nd Timothy 4 verses 6 through 7 Paul is maybe hours away from being beheaded he writes his last letter knowing the date of his execution is scheduled he writes to the young pastor and says for I am now ready to be offered and the time of my departure is it him I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith old Jesus help us all when the closing hours if we live and depart this life in such a way that we know that death is but a few blocks away and we know that the end is just the day or so ahead God let us all be able to say victoriously I have fought a good fight I fought a good fight may we all say I have finished my course but the main thing may we say and I have kept I have kept the faith we need to keep the faith Luke chapter 18 verse number 8 Jesus says I will tell you that I will avenge them speedily nevertheless when the Son of man cometh what's he looking for when he comes back to this earth what's he looking for what are we fighting to keep he's looking for what we're fighting to keep what thing Jesus looked in Luke 22:31 Jesus looked at Simon one day and the Lord said Simon Simon behold Satan had desired to have you that he may sift you as wheat he said Simon Satan has come like he did to Joe and Simon Satan has had to get my permission because Satan wants to try you Satan wants to sift you like wheat now you understand the process that wheat goes through it goes through number one the cutting down process it come it goes through the process of being alive but being cut down it is taken once it is cut down to a hard surface it is thrown up and down on a windy day until the hole is broken and the grain can be harvested he says Simon Simon Satan has asked that he could take you and he could break you he has asked that he could break you he wants to sift you like wheat because we have been in a conversation of what's on the inside of you can I tell you tonight that I may broke but I'm not broken I may be cast down but I'm not mistaken I may go through something - where the hole is broke but at the end of the day it's not the hole it's what's inside of us that really matters it's what's inside of you that really matters can you say with me tonight greater is he that is within me than he that is in the world because I want to catch you off and I want please remember it we did a lot of dreaming today but the Holy Ghost has told me to come back tonight and tell you that the fight is part of the process so be encouraged tomorrow be encouraged this week the things that you wrote down the things that your faith was inspired to believe be encouraged tonight that when you begin to feel struggle when you begin to feel resistance lift up your head and give God a praise and a shout because it is an evident token that it is still part of the process when you feel like it down lift up two hands and say I did some dreamin on May 24th and I'm just part of the process would you lift up your hands right now in the name of Jesus in the name of Jesus come on tonight let's praise Him right now praise God I prayed for you because Simon in order for you to become what I want you to become the fight is part of the process you've got to be cut off during the time you get to your dream you're going to feel like you have no life in you you're going to feel like you've been cut off in the time to fulfillment your dream you're going to become you're going to get in between a rock and a hard place and you're going to wonder if this is the dream I'm going in the wrong direction but it's not the wrong direction it's the right direction because the fight is part of the process it's just part of the process when you're between a rock and a hard place don't forget your dream when you're going up and down and the wind is blowing and you don't know which Aislin it's just all bark but when you've been cut off when you're the rock and a hard place when you've been tossed up and the wind is blowing you're hitting the rock remember this one thing but I have prayed for me that thy faith fail not and when thou art converted strengthen thy brother's can I tell you when you're cut off don't have confidence in your pastor but have confidence in the high priest of our profession who ever liveth ever liveth to make intercession for the saints you think it's good to come by the church and hear your pastor call your name but you ought to know that there's second goes by that we have a great high priests that all he does is praying for you I'm praying for them I'm praying that their faith will not regardless of the hardpoints regardless of how much they feel cut off regardless about the wind blows I'm praying for you to make it and when you are converted stripping your brother I'm praying for you that your faith fail not the fight is part of the process you're not giving your dream without a fight your wife's not coming back to God prodigal children are not coming back without a fight things are not gonna change the Bible school is not going to be built when I don't feel this on story about but the fight is part of the process it was in genesis chapter 15 verse number 1 abraham has been made a lot of promises from god but it's time for abraham to go to another spiritual level and to hear a message about dreaming he says in chapter 15 verse number 1 after these things the word of the lord came in to abram in a vision saying fear not April I am my shield and thy exceeding great reward and Abram said Lord God what will give me seeing I go childless the skirt of my house is this any a sir a Damascus the conversation going between God God steps out and says I'm your Lord reward and Abram says well if I have a reward the only air I've got in my house is a servant by the name of Eliezer Abraham said Behold to me thou has given no seed and lo one born in my house is not my hair and behold the word of the Lord came unto him saying this shall not be thine heir but he that shall come forth out of that own bowels shall be thy name he brought him forth God brought Abraham forth abroad and said look now toward heaven and tell the stars if they'll be able to number them and he said unto him so shall thy seed be Abraham's shows doubt to God you've promised me an heir but all I have is Eliezer and God comes back and says Eliezer will not be your heir what you have bought what you have produced will not be your heir but you're gonna have a son from your own loins and he said step out here a minute it had to be dark it had to be dark because you can't see the stars in the day so this time had to be dark you know some of the darkest hours of your life can be some of the richest lessons that God could ever teach you so if you're here tonight and you're in the pitch dark midnight of your life God would like to show himself strong to you tonight he said Abraham step out of your tent look toward the heavens and he said tell the stars if you're able to number them I read that where Abraham lifted up his eyes that one could count we're in the neighborhood of 6,000 stars you said man that's a lot of stars I wonder if there's any connection do you know in our Bible from Genesis to Revelation is 6000 promises I wonder if God didn't say to Abraham I got a promise forever star that you can count when you look up and see the stars I have got a promise and the Bible says that I want you to hang with me now he believed verse 6 he believed in the Lord he had counted he counted it to him for righteousness Abraham didn't know how but he looked up at the stars and he just simply said in faith I believe because of what you said but watch this as he goes on verse 7 and he said unto him I am the Lord that brought thee out of ur of the Chaldees to give thee this land inherited and he said Lord God now Abraham talks again and he says Lord God whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it between verse number between verse number 6 where the Bible said Abraham believed it to verse number 8 Abraham says how can I know there's a lot of people that believe a lot of things but never get to verse 8 in their life well I believe God wants to use us well that's good but I need a verse 8 how am I going to know that you want to use us that word no there means to see he says how can I see that you're going to use this we have entered into a time when we believe we're the church we believe God is raised us up we believe that on each individual person here tonight rests divine destiny of God's purpose there's nobody that is a waste here tonight there's nobody that God doesn't love here tonight there's nobody here that God doesn't have a plan for tonight I believe that but how can I know that how can I see that he said God I believe it but how can I know it and God said in verse nine he said take me a heifer of three years old and a she-goat of three years old and a ram of three years old and a Turtledove and a young pigeon and he took him to him all these and divided them in the midst lay one piece one against another the birds divided he not now he says you want to know if you want to know you've got to be more than a stargazer if you want to know you've got to be more than just somebody that reads it and says I believe it if you want to know you have got to sacrifice oh you want to know then if you want to know you've got sacrifice take me a heifer take me a goat take me around and if I think but the birds divide not the reason that the animals were divided was because each of these animals represented a pagan nation that had a grip upon upon Israel or Abraham these are pagans the heifer the RAM the goat are all pagan nations and God is saying if you want to know then you have to know what I'm going to do to all the enemies that come against you and but you can I tell you brother Tyler Copeland sent me one of the most powerful devotions the other day about Paul doing the work of God being bit by the serpent and it simply says this God never told you you wouldn't get beer but he didn't promise that he wouldn't kill you god never promised us a bed of roses but he did say he would be with us god never promised us that everything you do in life is easy but he said when you're struggling I will never leave you and I will never forsake you oh I like for somebody to get a hold of this tonight I'd like some staggering sailor god that's been staggering don't receive strip tonight to believe that this is your word divine because that's what I'm gonna do to these nation's solves 22:12 many Bulls have compassed me strong Bulls of Bashan have be sent me about pagan gods Daniel chapter 8 verses 20 and 21 the RAM which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of media and Persia pagan gods and the rough goat is the king of Grisha and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king what's he saying how would you divide these heathen mascots I want you to divide about because when you come up against those nations I don't want you to be afraid and in the days to come we shall have our dream and when we come up against things that don't want to see our dreams fulfilled I want us to know that God is already divided them but you will notice he said do not divide the birds the reason the Dove was not to be divided is the Song of Solomon to 14 oh my done thou are in the cleft of the rock in the secret places of the stairs let me see thy countenance let me hear thy voice for sweet is thy voice and my countenance is tumbling all these animals represented false pagan gods of resistance but the bird represented the nation of Israel and God was saying when other nations have been divided gods caught a nation that shall never be divided I want you to know that I am NOT a Jew by blood but I'm a spiritual Jew by new birth experience I'm in a kingdom of spiritual Israelites called the Church of the Living God and he said about the church that the baits of hell shall not prevail against it come on give him surprise so he divided them up and lay them there and verse 11 Genesis 15 11 I need to know something I need to know something I believe but now I'm needing to know I need to see and when the files came down upon the corpuses Abram drove them away can I tell you verse 11 is very important because anytime you want to know what God is doing in your life get ready for the foul the foul spirits will start coming to your life foul voices start coming into your life some of those voices can even come from among us some of those voices that's why we ought to be all careful about what we say for dare we say something that the adversary has caused us to think you better think about what you're saying you better think about what you're about to open your mouth and say because you've just made becoming a vehicle for the adversary to spew a pal voice through your life but let the file come the files going to come the foul voices are going to come because anytime you get sacrifice the file is going to come you say no partner I didn't have a battle like this when I wasn't serving God and I got more battle going on right now than I had when I was out in the world no dad you know why you're a sacrifice because the birds do not come down upon the living but they come down upon the sacrifice get ready when you get your blessing for the fowl to come get ready when God begins to touch you and we have a great service like we have today get ready get ready get ready get ready get out of here shoot out of here down here you've lost your mind you crazy you're crazy why don't you just why don't you just post it your way damn it Shh get out of here you don't have to do all that praying get out of here you don't have to obsess get out of here you don't have to live that way anymore get out of here get out we need to understand that the end the enemy the foul will come and you're it's your it's your responsibility to shoo them away did I tell you that the fight is part of the process you think God's gonna use some you young whippersnappers it's gonna be easy for you you just gonna walk right into your ministry your tea you're kidding yourself you're gonna have an anointed Ministry you got to get ready for the fight you're gonna have God's gonna use you you've got to get ready for the fight say you want to be a sunday-school teacher you better get ready for the fight say you want to join the choir you better get ready for the fight you gotta get ready for the fight I hope I'm connecting tonight you better get ready for the fight because don't come up to me with your pretty perfume and you're pretty cologne and you're well shined shoes and you're prayerless looking faith and tell me you want to be used of God you better come up with some bloodshot eyes it's been in the prayer room you better come up with some rugged look on your face you know how to fight hell because you had a vision to do something for God and the fowler voices come that it might be a foul boys from your past it may be a foul boys of intimidation it may try to be a foul boys of comparing you with somebody else and I'm not as good a singer as this hush I'm not a good as preachers this hush that's really pride wrapped in false humility you just need to step out and say you know what I believe God wants to use me and I'm ready for the get out here get out of here get out of here I'm not my husband to get back at church I love my chance to get back and get out musicians would you come and when the foul came down upon the car for carcasses Abraham drove them away listen to this now after he shooed the foul way God gave Abraham a vision of two things he gave him a vision of a smoking furnace and a burning lamp he's shooting two things a smoking furnace and a burning land once the smoking furnace for refinement refinement and that I brag on you being my spiritual children can I tell you don't believe and become to the place to where you think we're perfect here first Apostolic we're not there's some refinement that needs to go on the furnace is for burning out those impurities that lay deep within the metal the heart of the furnace the more the refinement Oh God that the furnace burn among the people tonight that the furnace burn within us tonight things laying deep within us experience attitudes that are stuck to the sides of our soul God I need you to turn up the furnace because I need to get in the midst of the furnace to where the only thing matters are you help me to see myself young to fight a smoking lamp the burning lamp was for guidance God can never guide you without the furnace without the furnace God cannot guide you and a nation he's born Jesus spoke a parable of a man that went out and so seed in Matthew 13 and 4 he said that when he sowed and that could be the equipment what I've done today and winning so some seed fell by the wayside and is it any great wonder look who shows up Wow a woman by the name of Brisbane had to watch her sons behind for something she know her son's committed but the death of her sons were required to appease and other people they hung ristmas sons that the Bible says that Richmond went out in second Samuel 21 10 she spread a cloth upon a rod from the beginning of the harvest and to the water dropped on them from heaven and suffered neither the birds of the air to rest on them by day nor the beasts of the field by night what a mother what a mother they're hopeless they're hanging and rotting into change the Bible said Risman spread a blanket out on a rock I promise you Brisbane didn't look like she walked off the cover of some women's magazine her hair was probably mad at she didn't sleep well at night the least he'll know is she was up shooting the fallaway weeks went into months but the Bible said and it was told David what RZA the daughter can I tell you some of you have been swinging at the foul for a long time I've come to preach to you tonight and Chaney to take cheer to have faith you're going to get the Kings attention you're not always going to pray for your situation and nothing's going to happen I've come to tell you tonight that the fight is part of the process fight young person for your purpose five young person for your identity fine for your purpose things fight for your identity single moms' fight for your children moms and dads fight for your children comes just as soon as you decide you're going to have a godly house the foul is going to come up may moms and dads step out and say not in this house not here god bless every single mother in this church god bless every single mother in this church god bless every single mother god bless every god bless every single father every single parent home god bless every mom and dad my boy to live for God driving home from Knoxville last night a granddaughter Paras begin to tell us what her dream is Paris what you think you got on your mind for the Lord just said Papa just as quick as I can as quick as I can Papa I want to start studying I want to be a Christian counselor I want to be able to counsel people I want to be a Christian counselor saying sound like a missionary to me don't sound pastor's wife to me go south and evangelist wife to me can I tell you it's messed up as this world's getting we may need God to raise somebody up that can become a Christian counselor but not just any Christian counselor but an apostolic Christian counselor I close with this last scripture job 8:11 can the rush grow up without mire can the flag grow without water the rush was a plant was a plant that grew in the murky wetlands the odor wasn't Pleasant it was murky and the odor was not pleasant but the writer said you can't have the rush without mire so what's so big about rush rush is what they make paper from paper is what we record stories on can you realize tonight you're never going to write your story without the mire it is the dirt tonight it is the fight tonight that's going to make the prize all worth it if it was just handed to you you wouldn't have a lot of praise but when you stand back and look whether it's a building or a family and you realize I thought he'll over this I had a lot of fights go on over this I got some scars and some bruises but God told me that my dream would come but the fight is part of the process just staying with me tonight oh god I love you tonight would you bow your heads would you begin to pray right now the name of Jesus tonight the name of Jesus tonight I had a dream this morning I've gotta fight this afternoon that's all right it's part of the process heads are bowed and eyes are closed and I pray that the church would lift up a prayer of intercession right now soon anybody in this house tonight you want to give your life to God the aisles are open and the altar is open I want to give my life to God tonight pastor Carter the aisles are open the altar is open come on pray right now with me want to give my life to God tonight I I'm tired of the way I'm living I'm tired of what I'm going through the devil is gonna be bound and I'm tormented day and night come on the altars hoping right now why don't you step out of your seat but you make your way up around the altar right now go ahead Jesus help him tonight Lord Oh God touch him tonight God come on start your miracle tonight come on step out of that pew right now you're here tonight and you would like to be feeling the Holy Ghost step out of your seat right now and come to this altar step out right now you'd like to be filled with the Holy Ghost the promise of God hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah oh god you are the Holy Ghost tonight there's any you want to be baptized in Jesus name come on right now right now right now right now Yauch reserve now those of you in the are to keep prayin those of you in the audience you listen to me for a moment if God has given you a dream I want you to get in this alternate night if God has given you a dream if the officer feels up step out in the aisle if God has given you a dream I want you to come I don't want you to ask God let this message god the fight is coming god I pray that you bring this message to their memory God bring this message to their memory God bring this message to their memory oh the joy of the Lord oh the joy of the Lord right now come on let's pray we got people's lives are tense tonight oh we got people's lives that need to be touched come on church please help me pray we say strip away take me back to and not decrease as you increase it's not a bad decrease it's not about me holy spirit Oh Oh we're going to sing this song through one more time maybe a time or two please remember Wednesday night service 7:30 pastor Erickson is teaching a series on a pathway home you don't want to miss it any that are here this evening you're sitting in the few sections that I've been roped off if you're here today write down you want to go ahead and leave before the crowd and all of that business and you can feel free to leave as we sing right now but I want to give a last call clean up out of here tonight wants to be water baptized in Jesus name we stand here with water we stand here with a change of clothing for you all we need tonight is for your willingness to submit to God's Word let's sing that song do a couple of times before this means would you would you help me pray tonight brother or give us the name of the family here in the neighborhood ray and it was his son right here in this neighborhood where we live in the raise their son brother doing you how old he that he was 53 years old the last time the last conversation meansit's Carter had with him was inviting him to church he stopped at here to talk to us we talked about the Lord and I'd like I'd like his mom and dad to know when it is a funeral tomorrow do you know is it going to like the other funerals gonna be koban 19 you finally find that out for me I'd like to I'd like to go by if so is it going to be that way to keep this a busy old bit read that way okay thank you I'm gonna go by the funeral home tomorrow I said one of the neighbors here lost through 53 year old sons so unexpectedly as a matter of fact the Rays have they visited here one time and I'd like to go tomorrow and tell him that Sunday night we had that last thing we did was pray for the comforting power of God would you lift up your voice and pray for the rain family right now God Lord I've never buried a child god my biggest fear would be to do that so God be the God of all comfort to the rain family tonight God touch that mom and dad right now we pray in the name of Jesus for your comforting angels Lord to touch that family tonight God to move upon that Family tonight God and touch that family god help us Lord to be a witness Lord to that family God y'all and the love of God who's from this place to the Ray family god help us god help them the next few days God help that family array family Jesus name God bless you you dismissed in Jesus name be back Wednesday night