Sunday Morning Worship Service | Pastor Whitley

all right is this microphone on this morning I said the most important thing we are here to do today is see lives change I can fellowship at a restaurant I can talk to you out on the phone somewhere but we're here today to see lives changed I believe he wants to do that get your Bibles turning me to the Book of Revelation the last book of the Bible we're gonna go to two chapters there just keep that Spirit of anticipation believe the Lord's going to continue to do something in this house Revelation chapter number 12 and then we'll jump over to Revelation chapter number 20. beginning at verse number seven in Revelation chapter number 12. it says and there was war in heaven someone say War [Music] this is not a cruise ship Christianity is not a cruise ship this is a battleship this is a war this is life and death Michael and his angels fought against the dragon someone say the Dragon and the dragon fought and his angels and prevailed not that's important isn't it neither was there Place found any more in heaven and the great Dragons I'm gonna say dragon was cast out that old serpent called the devil and Satan which deceiveth the whole world he was cast out unto the Earth and his angels were cast out with him chapter number 20 of Revelation beginning at verse number one I saw an angel come down from heaven having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand he laid hole on the dragon that old serpent which is the devil Satan and bound him a thousand years and cast him into the bottomless pit and shut him up and set a seal upon him that he should deceive the Nations no more to the Thousand Years should be fulfilled and after that he must be loosed a little season I came across a quote this week and it was just it just hit me you know this is from GK chesterson he said this fairy tales are more than true not because they tell us dragons exist but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten [Music] fairy tales are more than true not because they tell us dragons exists because they tell us that dragons can be beaten allow me to paraphrase and rewrite Mr chesterton's quote the Bible is more than true not because it tells us dragons exist but because it tells us that dragons can be beaten today I want to preach to you dragons can be beaten does anybody believe that there's victory in the house today does anybody has anybody walked in here ready to do some battle today and say I'm gonna beat I'm gonna win I'm gonna be victorious is anybody ready for that today won't you lift up your hands one more time father we're ready we are anticipating we are expecting Deliverance change to take place Lord I know your word is true that is a sword it is a hammer it is fire and I pray today that you would set fire upon us to take up the sword of the spirit and hammer away at our dragons in Jesus name we pray won't you clap your hands unto the Lord today that's pretty poor if I can just tell you that I wonder if somebody can clap your hands like the Vols won the championship around here I wonder if somebody can clap their hands like you clapped two weeks ago come on I watch those videos come on I wonder if somebody can lift up your voice like you did yesterday come on I'm telling you we're more than conquerors through Christ I wonder if somebody can give him praise right now that I want to leave here Victorious I'm Gonna Leave Here free and liberated in Jesus name and you can be seated I want you to get loud today I'm tired of patty cake Church I am absolutely tired of dead dry church if you want to be a part of the first church of the Frigidaire you can find the door but I wonder if somebody wants to have Holy Ghost hot Revival today I wonder if somebody said you know I don't want church is normal I don't want church as usual I want Revival come on does anybody want that today I'm tired of head nodding and Penny patter claps I want somebody to get the Holy Ghost I want somebody to get changed today [Applause] I Feel Like a Man on Fire right now dragons can be beaten the story of the Bible is a cohesive story it paints a vivid picture of protagonists and antagonists heroes and villains there's romance and heartbreak kingdoms being built kingdoms being torn down wars and rumors of wars there's life and death and even life after death there's Giants and giant Killers lost arks and lost worlds there's friendship and betrayal it's filled with poetry and songs wisdom and proverbial sayings prophecies and broken promises then there is the author who breathes out every word and sentence who adds the moral and holy center of the story and brings everything to a perfect climax the overarching story woven into every detail is the story of Triumph the darkness which spreads throughout all Humanity in the world brings Decay and destruction broken Humanity has been influenced by slithering and deceptive serpent the Bible uses several names for the devil Satan Lucifer serpent Prince of the power of the air God of this age evil one Prince of demons accuser tempter and the Great Dragon here is the story's antagonist and the author and the writers of scripture paint him as such every page you turn he's influencing evil he hides in the shadows and lurks in the dark in Genesis he's described as a slithering and speaking Serpent and by the time we get to the end of the story he is morphed into a dragon with Legions of demons fighting with angels it's a picture of good versus evil light versus Darkness the darkness of sin which has infected Humanity needs a strong antidote and it comes from the story's hero the lamb he is the embodiment of God he heals sickness caused by sins destructive power he walks on water he takes a little boy's lunch and multiplies his fish and bread to feed thousands he raises the Dead the lamb surrounds himself with a ragtag group of unlikely people tax collectors and insurrectionists fishermen and Shepherds his greatest work however is being the Lamb of God giving his life as a ransom for many he doesn't wage war with swords and Spears and armies instead he becomes the sacrifice to free all of humanity from the darkness of sin he is the Lamb of God and the sacrifice but he is the lion of God in his resurrection from the dead his return as the king is the final installment of the Epic story he reigns in power and defeats the darkness and beats the dragon the Bible story brothers and sisters gives us hope and life because it tells us the truth that dragons can be beaten while the story of the Bible has already written yours is still being pinned while you are strengthened with the truth of God's word and what the Lamb of God has done for you your journey is difficult and you have your own fire breathing dragons to face but you see everybody's dragons are different but be reassured that dragons can still be beaten if there is anything that I can implore you to do today I'd tell you to pick up the Bible and read with the understanding that this is the greatest guide to slaying your dragons it's more than a self-help book telling you to pick yourself up by your own bootstraps rather it is the empowering of the Holy Spirit to dwell within you inspiring you to overcome every fear and obstacle that tries to keep you from your god-given destiny I want you to know if your life was being written today it would tell a story of your character and God's Grand Story of redemption that you are a living breathing dragon killer [Applause] you're a living example of defeating your dragons how in the world are you going to get there brother Nate let me tell you how I'm going to get this go to the book of of Exodus because if there's anybody who understands defeating Dragons It's Moses it had been 40 years since Moses had fled from Pharaoh he was now watching his father-in-law's flock of sheep in the desert a Midian and while Moses wandered in the desert not doing what he was called to do God appeared to him and commissioned him to go to Egypt and deliver the children of Israel from Pharaoh's bondage Moses's Destiny wasn't to be watching his father-in-law's sheep know his glorious purpose was to walk into Egypt and free a beaten and broken people their cries had reached heaven and God looked down and found amen but Moses seen his dragons when God told him to go back to Egypt when God appeared to him in a burning bush he commissioned him and said this go and set my people free and this is Moses's first response to God what if they don't believe me what if they won't listen to me what if they say the Lord never appeared unto you he didn't object to the journey he didn't object to the mission he was afraid of rejection a dragon called rejection Moses feared what people would think of him he was afraid people wouldn't take him seriously he was afraid of rejection he wasn't afraid of pharaoh I was afraid of what people thought about me going to pharaoh I'm not afraid I know they need to be set free but what if they don't listen to me 40 years before that he knew what that was like didn't he 40 years before this moment he had tried to liberate his people he killed a man in Egypt hoping that it would inspire a people to raise themselves up from the depths and leave their bondage instead they rejected him and 40 years later he's out of the will of God doing something that he's not called to do and yet here God says at 40 years has been long enough Moses here I am go and set my people free and Moses his first response is what if they reject me it's not fair what if what if Pharaoh kills me that's not what he said what if the Dragon shows up that says you will be rejected in this room since many people who fear rejection you face rejection before the marriage didn't work out a parent abandoned you you prayed the prayer of faith and the person didn't get healed you tried reconciling with reconciling with that loved one but they refused to listen you applied for that job and you didn't get it you tried going back to school and to further your education but it was harder than you expected maybe you tried to witness to someone they asked all sorts of questions and you were embarrassed by your answers and now the dragon is sitting before you keeping you from attaining your god-given purpose and he breathes out fear-inducing questions like what if they don't listen what if it doesn't work what if you look foolish do you really want to lose again do you really want to embarrass yourself the very thought of those things send cold chills down your back and cause your your stomach to turn it's not fair that you fear it's rejection that you fear he represents this he represents everything that Keeps Us from our destiny can I ask you today what's keeping you from doing what God is calling you to do I guarantee it's not some outside force it's not some Pharaoh somewhere sitting upon a throne no it's the scared little boy that's inside of you and it's the scared little girl afraid of being rejected so this is what God says to Moses you would think I'll just give you I will endow you with confidence I'll anoint you with bravery no that's not what God Said God said what's in your hand Moses what's in my hand the staff this is what I have in my hand what's that have to do when it's anything what if they don't listen to me what if they reject me and God says what's in your hand Moses it's just a staff and he said Moses throw the staff down what good is that going to do I want you to use what you've already got I'm not giving you more bravery I'm not giving you more courage I'm not giving you more strength I'm not giving you more anointing I'm not going to give you more Assurance I want you to oh you're not hearing me I want you to use what's already in your hand can I tell you some of us don't need more anointing we need discipline some of us don't need more favor we need a work ethic [Applause] come on what's in your hand you've already got it some of us are waiting for more doors to be open for us and God is saying the door is open throw it down and pick it up again that's all you got to do I'm not going to give you more anointing I'm not going to give you any more Holy Ghost I'm not going to give you any more armor I'm telling you to use what you've got can I tell you I want you to know right now that God sees what's in your hand and you need to use it he said I don't have enough and God says that's more than enough I've given you a calling I've given you a purpose you don't need more inspiration you just need to get up in the morning some of y'all don't need more favor you need a work ethic some of you don't need more inspiration all you need to do is find something in yourself and say I've got more than enough to go back and to face my dragon he said throw it down all right throws it down guess what it turns into serpent foreign that's a serpent it's small you see some of our dragons started out as small little serpents and you didn't deal with it when you were a teenager and now you're facing it as a fire-breathing dragon now you've procrastinated you've put off and you've given enough excuses for that serpent to turn into a dragon but the Lord said Moses take it by the tail some of y'all need to take your dragon by the tail and say listen Dragon I'm tired of you threatening me rejection I'm tired of you putting fear into my spirit come on anxiety it's time for you to go come on depression you need to take that thing by the tail today throw it down and pick it up and say oh yes come on somebody it can't be under your feet if you're not willing to pick it up by the tail [Applause] you gotta take rejection by the tail you're gonna have to take your anxiety by the tail you're gonna have to take your addiction by the tail you're gonna have to take your Lust by the tail some of y'all need to realize that God wants you to overcome but you're going to have to throw down what he's already given you and get some Holy Ghost initiative and pick it up wouldn't it just be easier for you to lay your hands on me brother Nate listen I can pray the prayer of faith but I can't give you discipline that's right I want you come on give me some kind of magic pill to overcome listen there's the only magic pill I can offer you right now is prayer fasting and the sword of the spirit if that's not good enough for you I don't know what to tell you right now but I'm telling you you need to use what you've got and he's equipped us with more than enough to slay and kill our does anybody believe that today does anybody believe it we've got more than enough in Christ [Applause] somebody say Amen okay picks it up turns back into a staff God says all right now let's get back to the plan here Moses and Moses goes oh one more thing um thank you for the staff and the serpent uh Miracle there but but but but but but but but I'm not very good with words never have been I'm not I'm not now I'm 80 years old my student got it together and though you have spoken to me Moses wasn't afraid of pharaoh Egypt he was afraid of public speaking some of us would rather face an artillery as bullets machine guns then get up in front of people and say will you come to church sometime we're so insecure we feel so inadequate not only did Moses have a dragon called rejection he had a dragon called insecurity how many times had Moses been made fun made fun of made to feel inadequate how many times had he been the butt of cruel jokes how many times are his friends and his peers mocked him it's hard to speak up when you don't believe that you can speak at all there are some in this room you've not been physically abused but you've been mentally and emotionally abused and you try to speak up and someone says Ah stupid why would you ever say that that's a dumb question Who Do You Think You Are you don't have a speech impediment but you got an insecurity if that doesn't work who do you think you are you don't come from a good family you don't have enough money in the bank you're not a McCool or a Whitley why in the world would you want to be I know the Whitley bunch not something to be proud of and that's what the devil does to you you'll never do anything for God you can't do anything for God that's for those those for those Elite people those people you you think got it all together who do you think you're not tall enough you're not pretty enough you're not smart enough you're not rich enough are you hearing me it's called insecurity and here's what God says to Moses hey hey bro who made your mouth in the first place who are you telling me who created you what I did wrong I put you in that family I made you that tall I gave you that skin color I gave you all you're not hearing it right now who are you to tell God who created you what he did wrong come on you don't look at yourself the way everybody else looks at yourself you need to see yourself as your heavenly father has created you and he sees you you're a daughter you're a son you're his child [Applause] what you gonna do about it God that's what he says he goes well uh well uh I'm not qualified I'm not special enough I'm not popular enough I'm not cool enough and we got this laundry list of things why we can't do something for God and so we live at this low level of just coming to church and hope nobody shakes my hand and or I just hope they see my favorite song I just want to sneak in the back and hope nobody sees me I just want to sneak in sneak out and just get out and then you get upset when somebody doesn't talk to you low level insecurity who do they why they get all the solos why don't I probably because they're a better singer how come they get all the opportunities probably because they're here on Wednesdays and Sunday mornings and Sunday nights [Applause] you can be seated you don't have to listen making excuses is not going to get you more doors opened and so you know what God says to Moses he goes all right I knew you would say that I answered the first prayer I've already answered your second prayer before you even asked it Aaron's on the way can I tell you God has already got the provision for you you don't need to rely upon yourself he says fine I'll answer your prayer it's on the way I knew you would say that here comes Aaron he's already coming I don't know what you've been praying for but God knows what you need before you even say it before you even point out your inadequacies he says I know what I can do I'm gonna send you some hell [Applause] his Dragon was being slain before he can even get the words out I don't need I don't know who he needs to hear this but your Miracle's coming Aaron didn't know why he got up that day but something told him head towards Midian and did he didn't know that there was a man and that was his brother meeting with God and they were about to go on a Divine Mission together he just said I just feel like going to Midian today and God said Here Comes Your Miracle Moses here comes your brother Aaron and together you're going to turn the world upside down your Miracles coming it's am I saying man somebody needs to kill insecurity today come on somebody needs to kill rejection today somebody needs to kill it today somebody needs to kill that anxiety today there are people in this room who feel insecure and inadequate dragons are guarding your destiny and you're afraid you don't have the confidence or the ability so your answer is always send somebody else and then you get upset we say how come they get to do everything I'm preaching good today how come they get to do everything how come what are you doing how I like to have the solo well will you will will you open the door for people I can't do that I'm shy and you're going to come up here and okay all right oh Lord Jesus help me right now I want to teach I want to I want to preach to thou brother the name of God has called me to preach the thousands great a Sunday school class just opened up well I'm not going to do that I'm inadequate no you got an ego you see some of you have turned your insecurity into your security I'm going to say it again so you can tweet it later you've turned your insecurity into your security it brings you comfort to stay in your comfort zone so you let everybody else do all the work and you come in and pout and act like oh I don't know why he didn't do anything for me why because you keep telling God send somebody else when he comes knocking on your door say Here I Am send me some of y'all don't need more bravery you just need to you just need to stand up and do it being brave doesn't mean that you aren't scared it means you're scared and you still do the right thing you can face the things that scare you you can Triumph and yes dragons can still be beaten but you're going to have to realize potential and Destiny perish in the absence of confidence what God is calling you to do is not comfortable but to unleash your faith in the face of a dragon you fear will bring you victory amen so this dragons of insecurity and rejection you've been held back by your own self-confidence you don't need to believe in yourself anymore you need to believe in the one who's calling you and dwelling within you some of you need to beat the addict the dragon of addiction some of some of you others need to beat the dragon of anger your inability to keep your temper in check is why you go from job to job you need to slay that Dragon today let's go back to our main character here Moses his two dragons were him were within himself likewise your dragons come from within the devil the Dragon is already defeated he's a dragon without teeth Claws and Fire but you know what the devil is he's the Accuser of the Brethren but not only is he the accuser of the Brethren he's the abuser of the of the brethren you see abuse doesn't have to be physical it could be mental and he'll paralyze you with fearful thoughts thoughts of embarrassment thoughts of rejection thoughts of insecurity and thoughts of inadequacy and if that doesn't work here's the next one he'll try to use he'll abuse you with thoughts on your from your past he'll abuse you of thoughts of your previous failures and mistakes and he'll abuse you with the thoughts of your previous sins if he can't accuse you he'll abuse you he may not be able to take a bite out of you he may not be able to claw you and breathe his fire upon you but he can paralyze you with tempting thoughts and abusive thoughts and accusatory thoughts and it can cause your knees to knock and it can cause chills to go down your back and it can cause your mouth to go dry and you stand there Frozen because I can't face dragon but I want you to know dragons can be beaten I'm going to say it again for somebody come on musicians dragons can be beaten stand to your feet you must slay the dragon that hinders your progress too many have faced daunting situations and the smokes in the breath of a fire-birthing dragon has intimidated you for too long but likewise there are people in this room listen to me there are people in this room who have pierced the dragon's heart with the sword of the spirit you have defeated dragons of depression drugs divorce and much more you're a living epistle or a fairy tale being read of all men you're a testimony to others that dragons can't be beaten you know I like to get out in the congregation before church after church have coffee with you have dinner with you and I hear so many of you tell me this you wouldn't believe my story or you say this to me you should hear where I came from what you're trying to say is this let me interpret that you're trying to say this dragons can be beaten what you're trying to say what you're trying to communicate is I'm here because I beat the dragon I'm here my family's here my kids are here because I stood up to a dragon you didn't overcome witches and wolves and goes but you may have stepped into the cave of a fire-breathing dragon called a dictionary alcoholism or abuse you slew the dragon that stood in your way and now you're free and you know what it's like to say dragons can be beaten that's why we're here that's why we're here on Wednesdays and Sundays we're here as a testimony that dragons can be beaten I'm almost done Moses looked within himself and found dragons that could potentially keep him from his calling but what he failed to recognize at least for a few moments is that he was standing in the presence of God think about it for a moment he's in the presence of God he had just told him take off your sandals for this is Holy Ground he's looking at a bush engulfed in fiery flames and the bush is not consumed a voice is speaking to him and it's not human and it's saying I am that I am he's not saying you're not what I'm not you're not what they are you're not what who they think they are he says I am that I am I am Moses do you realize you can stop time right now Moses do you realize Miracles are within your reach and you're worried about rejection how I feel the Holy Ghost right now there are people in this room who don't come to this altar on Sundays because you fear what people will think about you and you're standing in the presence of the I am and you're worried about what will they think I got you I got your answer for you I want me to be mean and cruel and facetious who cares what are they going to think if I raise my hand that you love Jesus what are they going to think if I come to the altar that you love Jesus what are they going to think if I run around this building that you love Jesus what's the Worst That Could Happen what's the words that they I you're in the presence of the I am there's people in here in the presence of the almighty God and you constantly think about what if what if what if but I want you to know something dragons can't be reasoned with dragons can't be Bartered with Your Dragon addiction lust greed whatever it is it's not going to compromise it wants you to submit Retreat and surrender [Music] but you must slay Your Dragon today I just believe that there are missionaries in this room I'll say it again because you didn't hear me the first time I said I believe there are missionaries in this room but there's a bit of dragon in your ear saying yeah you can't do that you can't do that who do you think you are they'll never listen to you they'll never believe you it's gonna be somebody else [Music] there's other people you've come from terrible family backgrounds and all you can think of is I'll be just like my dad and I'll be just like my mother and I'll just we'll have the same type of dysfunctional family as they had and that dragon is sitting upon your destiny you need to stand up to your dragon today and say I'm not my dad I'm not my mom we're not that family we're going to have a healthy loving holy worshiping family once you lift up your hands right now I believe there's some people in this room that God's raising up as worshipers I believe there are some worshipers in this room I know we have some we know of but I believe there's some others in this room I'm telling you we're going to slay that Dragon called in security we're going to slay that Dragon call rejection I believe there's some Sunday school teachers in this room and I'm going to tell you something you need to kill that dragon that says you can't speak well you need to kill that dragon that says you don't know enough Bible I'm telling you you need a slave that Dragon I want to somebody today dragons can be beaten lift up your hands right now I wonder if somebody's desperate enough to get outside of themselves if somebody's desperate enough they'll say I don't care if I look foolish I don't care if I sound crazy I gotta kill this thing I gotta kill this thing I've got to destroy this thing come on I want to slay this thing come on lift up your hands right now come on dragons [Music] [Music] everything is [Music] awesome I want you to play with somebody I want you to pray with somebody right now come on there needs to be an Aaron that comes alongside you Jesus [Applause] in Jesus [Music] everything else [Music] New York that is Jesus [Music] name I want you to listen to me I like to do a call to action when they say in the business World always get them to a call to action being up here and praying is good I believe in prayer I believe in praying in the spirit but to really kill and slay Your Dragon I need to walk out these doors and do something with it [Music] if that person that a strange family member bothers you every time you go to pray you need to call him if they don't listen they don't listen but you better slay that Dragon today if it's an addiction if it's something that you know keeps bringing you down go home and kill that dragon go get rid of it out of your house get rid of it off your computer and whatever you've got to do kill that thing listen praying up here is good praying up here is good but you need to be have a call to action to go do something I believe there's some Sundays we need some Sunday school we need more Sunday school teachers you know what we need more of we need more Hospitality volunteers we need people well I'm shy kill that dragon brother nay I'm an introvert kill that Dragon listen your testimony could be the thing that empowers somebody else to kill their dragon brother nay I don't know how to witness that's all right you don't have to be a theology student to be a witness for Christ all you got to do is say hey can I tell you about Jesus and how he helped kill my my dragon how about how about over coffee today that's all it takes but what if they ask me a hard question tell them you don't know the answer [Music] what if they ask me something I don't know tell them that what's the worst they're not going to reject you what's the worst that could happen don't let embarrassment don't let embarrassment be the dragon that keeps you from your destiny there is there is a hundred and eighty thousand people in this County who need the message of Jesus Christ and you've got it I want you to lift up your hands one more time whatever your call to action is I want you to say God tell me what it is if I gotta go home and get rid of some stuff I'll get rid of it if I gotta call that family member I'll call him but today I'm gonna slay my dragon