How Much Victory Do You Want

Thank you, Jesus. Come on, let's lift him up. Well, come on. Why don't we lift up that name together today? Would you do that with me right now? Come on. Lift up that name. Acts 4:12 says, "NEITHER IS THERE SALVATION in any other. FOR THERE IS NONE OTHER NAME UNDER HEAVEN GIVEN AMONG MEN WHEREBY WE MUST be saved." I'm glad to be a people of the name today. Aren't you? Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Why don't you put your hands together and applaud the Lord in this house today? Hallelujah. Thank you, Jesus. for your presence THAT'S IN THIS HOUSE, GOD. HALLELUJAH. HALLELUJAH. HALLELUJAH. Praise God. Praise God. It is so good to be at Cornerstone Chattanooga. And uh my my the Lord has blessed Cornerstone >> with a great facility. Aren't you thankful for what God has given you? Amen. Amen. I know some of you stand saying, "The Lord didn't give it. We're paying for it." Well, he provided for it. Amen. Amen. And uh I don't know how much your security team can see, but I'm going to put my wife on blast cuz see, she was here when you were on the storefront not too long ago. Junior Bible Quizzing was here and she told me, she said, "Man, one of those sessions was tough." And she told me about what the size of the room was according to what we have even at our church. And when we pulled it up today, she said, "This ain't it." I said, "Yeah, yeah, it's it." "No, don't turn here." So, we went on up a little ways. And so, I came in the exit. So, I don't know how much the security team sees, but I apologize. Um, but, you know, I I I won't go as far as I did in the car cuz uh they they they quickly put me in my place. But, um, I went out the exit anyway or came in the exit. So good to be here with uh Pastor Sloan, Sister Michelle Sloan, Brother Sam, Sister Lauren Sloan. Aren't you thankful for leadership in your life? And this church is blessed. Very blessed. Now, you don't have to worry about me being too long today because my stomach is still on Central Standard Time. back home. It's almost lunchtime and uh they've they've had a great service back home and uh I noticed I I got to see a little bit of the service because of the time change and uh so they're probably getting out of church headed to lunch and just in case somebody has tuned in today uh from there. I love Harvest Church and I'm thankful that God has placed us there. It was a God thing. I will not go through all the details. I shared just a snippet of the story this morning with your young leaders uh that are kind of in training and have a heart for leadership uh this morning. But God placed us there. There's no doubt in my mind. And I needed that as a 21-year-old man stepping into a role that I did not feel ready for. Um I needed the Lord to confirm to me in many different ways that it was the right thing and the right time. And it's that that has sustained me. And I want to say this to you today. Find your place. Know your calling. >> Because when the storms come to test you, you're going to have to fall back on what you know and not on what you feel. >> Because my feelings can be wrong. >> My feelings can get hurt and they didn't mean to hurt me. I get nervous, pastor, when they come in my office and they say, "Now, I feel I whoop whit a minute >> because I've had times in my life my feelings were wrong and I had to inform my feelings. >> This is the day the Lord has made. I may be a little down and out, BUT THIS IS STILL A DAY THAT I CHOOSE TO REJOICE. I'VE GOT TO INFORM MY FEELINGS OF WHAT I KNOW. HE'S STILL IN CONTROL." AMEN. AMEN. AMEN. give honor to the home church today and if they're watching know pastor's coming home tonight at some point and I look forward to being home but I am excited to be here. I'll give honor also to my kids. Um I have literally drove them all over the United States. Um we homeschool and they do a year round model of school so that we can do stuff like this. And we came in a day or so early and got to do some things here in Chattanooga. And I love my kids. There's nothing like being a PK. And you can take that a lot of different ways. Um, and I know I've got some PKs in the house that understand that. Um, but there's also nothing like the blessings of being a PK. And I I love those kids and I know God's got great things in store for them. Not sure how to take this my oldest growing up like she is and as beautiful as she is. Maybe that's why I've walked around with a sword and a bow and arrow all weekend. I don't know. But uh I I'm I'm struggling with that. And I looked over today and I thought, "My God, she looks like a young lady today. Lord, help me." Um, and then the most beautiful young lady in the room, my wife Kelsey, thank you so much for coming with me today, this weekend. And, uh, thought it was bad on me at 21. She was just 19 and engaged when the church asked me to be the pastor. And I called her and we met in a gas station parking lot. And I said, "This is your out. I feel like this is what God's calling me to, but if you don't think it's what God's calling you to, then that's probably going to be it. We're probably having to be done. And we're engaged, but that's okay. And she said, "No." She said, "I've always thought that I would be a a preacher's wife." And uh so she has been with me every step of the way, and so thankful for what God is doing. Amen. Second Kings 13, I know you've been standing. Let's hurry. I if you were there at the service last night, I do not have as many scriptures today. I already apologized to the production team from yesterday. Um, that almost felt like a Wednesday night Bible study, but today is going to be just preaching. Amen. 2 Kings 13 verse 18. Got so many friends in the room today. Just know I love you and so good to see you today. Then he said, "Take the arrows." And so he took them. This is Joash and Elisha. Elisha said to the king of Israel, he said, "Strike the ground." And so he struck it three times and then he stopped. And then verse 19, "And the man of God was angry with him." You're reading from the King James. I'm kind of translating here today. I'll try not to change the context of the text. HE SAID, "YOU SHOULD HAVE STRUCK the ground five or six times." He said, ' And if you would have done that, you would have struck Syria till you had destroyed it. The King James says consumed it. Whereas now, or but now you're going to strike Syria only three times. Now, I don't always ask questions when I preach, but it just so happened this is how it's felt this weekend. I preached a question yesterday. I'm gonna preach a question today. I want to ask you this question in my title. How much victory do you want? >> WE ALL KNOW GOD HAS THE POWER, >> but he's waiting on you >> to tell him how much victory >> that you want. Amen. So, I'm asking you that question today. Would you ask the Lord just to talk to us in this room? Lord, I thank you for your faithfulness and the closeness of your presence today. And I ask, oh God, that you would touch my mouth, that I would only speak what you would have me to say today. I pray Lord that you would touch the ears not just to hear, but also receive your word with open hearts, open minds. And Lord, I ask that you would come confirm your word with signs following today in Jesus name. Amen. Amen. God bless you. Thank you for being here today. You can be seated in the presence of the Lord. And if you are a guest, come back and hear pastor preach and these other ministers preach. It is my honor to be with you today. But I'll tell you what, this church is blessed with great leadership. How much victory do you want? The Bible is full of stories of people of faith, men and women who obeyed the promises of God. And there are fascinating stories of faith in the Old Testament that have their application in the New Testament in the spiritual realm. And there's often a gap in what we do and what we should have done. You ever had those situations in your life and was like, "Man, I did this, but I really wish >> I had done this." >> I have too many of those stories. God's helping me. Yeah, YOU YOU STRUCK THE ARROW ON THE GROUND three times, but you should have, according to our text, struck it five or six times. So today, I WOULD LIKE for our faith to become expectation and passion. And we'll close that gap maybe between what we've been doing and what we should have been doing, what we are doing today and what we should do to have the victory that God has really promised this church. How many believe that God has promised cornerstone victory right here in your city? Amen. Amen. So, in the era of the divided kingdom of Judah and Israel, Joash was the king of the northern 10 tribes of Israel, headquartered in Samaria. He was the 12th of 19 kings of that realm. And like every other king of that northern kingdom, uh he he was an evil man. He he was not a godly king. But when he heard that Elisha, the prophet of God, was sick and he learned he wasn't just sick with a cold. This guy's going to die with this illness. It's going to claim his life. Joash, according to the scripture, he goes to the bedside of Elisha and he wept over him. It's fascinating that the words that Joash said over Elisha were the same words that Elisha has said over his mentor, the prophet Elijah. HE SAID, 'OH MY FATHER, MY FATHER, THE chariots of Israel and their horsemen. Joash realizes even in his ungodly state that the only reason they exist is because of the abiding presence and favor of God. Even over them, while they've been backsliding, there was still the abiding presence and God's favor to a certain extent was over them. And he realizes that Elisha, this man of God, the the that the prophet of God, he is the only reason that they exist. And he says, "God has allowed us to continue to this time." Earlier in the chapter, believe it's in verse 7, um we learned that Israel's military had been decimated until there were only 50 horsemen. There was only 10 chariots and there were down to around 10,000 foot soldiers in all of Israel. So even though Joash is ungodly, he knows the man of God and the God of that man can bring military victory in their nation. And he knows that Elisha's dying. So it's somewhat in a panic that he goes to him. And it's in 2 Kings 13 and4. Elisha had become sick with the illness of which he would die. And then Joash, the king of Israel, came down to him and wept, the Bible says, over his face and said, "Oh my father, my father, the chariots of Israel and the horsemen." So Joash is afraid that when Elisha dies, the Syrian army is going to invade them again and it's going to totally conquer the weakened nation of Israel. So this is not really the heart of my message today, but I just want to tell you that you cannot live off of the prayers of a preacher or a parent or a spiritual leader in your life. THERE WILL ALWAYS COME A POINT WHERE YOU HAVE TO DEVELOP YOUR OWN WALK WITH GOD. >> I AM THANKFUL FOR ELDERS IN MY LIFE, ESPECIALLY WHEN I WAS A LOT YOUNGER AND I was JUST EASING INTO MINISTRY. THERE WAS TIMES IN MY LIFE WHERE ELDERS would walk up to me AND POINT THEIR FINGER IN MY FACE AND SAY, "THIS IS WHERE YOU'VE GOT IT RIGHT AND THIS IS WHERE YOU'VE GOT IT WRONG, AND THIS IS WHAT I'M GOING TO PRAY OVER YOU." I I HAD ELDERS PRAY PRAYERS OVER ME THAT I'M STILL LIVING the blessings AND BENEFITS OF TODAY. BUT I'M ALSO THANKFUL THAT THEY INSTILLED IN ME THAT I MUST LEARN HOW TO PRAY FOR MYSELF BECAUSE NOW THAT ELDER MAY NO LONGER EVEN BE LIVING, BUT I STILL HAVE A GOD THAT'S ABLE TO BRING ABOUT EVERYTHING THAT I REQUEST OF him in his name. >> So that's not my main part of my message today, but it's something we always need to remember. You must cultivate your own walk with God, your own prayer life, your own routine and discipline of fasting, your own relationship with the word of God, and you hide it in your heart that you might not sin AGAINST GOD. GOD, IN SPITE OF JOASH'S UNGODLINESS, he has mercy on Joash. And through the prophet Elisha, he gives Joash and Israel hope for victory. And now you know the Bible, there's some pretty strange ways that God worked in the Old Testament especially, right? You know, right now we're reading through the Bible together and and uh Matthew has gotten quite a bit better at reading. So now this year, what we're doing is we're reading the Bible through together as a family every night. And uh so with that has uh comes some pretty uh interesting questions. And even last night while we were reading there was words and I'm like you know what I I've been in this thing all my life. What does that word even mean? And and so we were in the book of Exodus last night and they start talking about all the tapestries and the taches and and and the knots and the knobs and knops and all this kind of stuff and and I'm trying to explain it as we go and we're looking up these words. God did some pretty different things in the Old Testament and some unorthodoxy. You might say God was anything but boring. >> He never has been and he never will be boring. Okay? AND SO JOASH IS there and ELISHA TELLS Joash he wants him to take a bow and an arrow. Now, I've met one of your young men through quizzing, and I know this is probably going to be really interesting today, but I wanted I I didn't want to pull Matthew a second week in a row. I've preached this, but uh uh [name redacted], hey, [name redacted], can you can you come right up here and help me? [name redacted] is part of your Bible quiz team, and uh him and Matthew kind of hit it off. Come right up here, buddy. Now, I'll have to set some real quick parameters. First off, you're not going to get that. Okay? So, you won't get an arrow, but how about being king for a day? How's that sound? Well, maybe not for a day because I don't want to get in trouble you going home ordering people around, but just for a few minutes. Okay. So, um you're gonna you're going to play Joash for me today. And I meant to do this before service because I got to look and see which direction is east. There we go. So, I'm going to be pointing this direction. All right. Now, SO JOASH IS THERE AND ELISHA tells Joash, he says, "I WANT YOU TO GET a bow and an arrow." Now, we're just going to act like the arrow is there. Okay? So, hold that for me. You know how to hold a bow. All right, there you go. So, stay right there for me. And then he says, "I want you to aim it toward the east." So, can you aim it that direction? Oh, that's working out really good because there is nobody over there. Look at that. All right. But me in just a minute. Let me Here we go. Now, he says, Elisha, he says, "I WANT YOU TO TAKE THESE BOWS AND OR THE BOW AND ARROW, AND THEN HE SAYS, I WANT YOU TO ASSUME THE POSTURE OF A WARRIOR." Can you pull that back for me? There you go. Now listen, one of the things you need to remember about King Joash. >> He's a wimpy king. Now, not this guy, but Joash was a wimpy king. Read about him. All you had TO DO WAS STOMP YOUR FOOT REAL hard and he'd run. >> He's afraid. Now, think about this. ELISHA THE PROPHET is sick. I'm coming back to you. I'm not FORGETTING ABOUT YOU. ELISHA is dying and THIS KING GOES TO A DYING PROPHET FOR HELP. And Elisha says, "I want you to take the bow and the arrows." And then ELISHA PUTS HIS HANDS. NOW, we're probably going to have to turn from the east so everybody can see this. Okay, we'll stay right here in this aisle. You ready? He takes his hands and he puts them >> on King Joash's hands. Now, let me stop right there for just a moment because there is a very powerful application that we cannot miss today. Because no matter WHAT WARRIOR JOASH WAS OR WAS NOT, >> THE STRENGTH REALLY WAS NOT GOING TO BE BECAUSE of his hands. >> THE STRENGTH WAS GOING TO COME FROM THE POWER OF THE HANDS THAT WOULD COME to his hands. Let me preach that just a moment today. HERE'S WHAT I WANT YOU TO KNOW. THAT NO MATTER WHAT YOU'RE DOING IN YOUR LIFE, YOU CANNOT do this by yourself. I DON'T WANT TO GO THROUGH ONE DAY WITHOUT THE HAND OF GOD ON MY LIFE. LISTEN TODAY. IF YOU'RE RAISING A FAMILY, WE NEED THE HAND OF THE LORD ON EVERY FATHER AND EVERY MOTHER. IF YOU'RE TRYING TO BUILD A BUSINESS, YOU NEED THE HAND OF GOD UPON THAT BUSINESS. WE NEED GOD ALMIGHTY TO TAKE HIS HANDS AND PUT IT ON OUR HANDS AND direction our lives because even in my own greatest day, my wisdom will never amount to what the Lord's wisdom can bring in my life. Preachers, YOU CANNOT PREACH WITHOUT the anointing and see anything HAPPEN. UH SINGERS, WE CANNOT SING WITHOUT GOD'S HAND OF ANOINTING. WE DON'T WANT TO TRY TO TEACH A SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS. I DON'T WANT TO TRY TO BE AN USHER. I DON'T WANT TO TRY TO RUN SOUND OR PROJECTION OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT WITHOUT THE HAND OF ALMIGHTY GOD COMING AND JOINING MY HAND BECAUSE THAT'S WHEN ETERNITY is affected in people's lives. And so he puts his hands on King Joash's hands and then he said, "I want you to open the window." Now, I don't understand that because you just did it. But here's the thing. If I'm standing here and my hands are on your hands, how are we opening a window? That's just something for you to think about. I don't know how the window opened. But he said, "Open the window." And so he figures out a way and they get the open window and then he says, "Aim toward the east." And they've east. Yeah. You're getting closer. It's about right there. Right where that keyboard's at. You ready? He says, "Aim toward the east because he says that's where the Syrians are." >> AND HE STARTS TALKING TO HIM. HE SAYS, "YOU KNOW, THOSE guys have taken your land. Those are the guys. They've conquered part of Israel and it used to belong to you, but now it belongs to them, but we're going to take it back because God has promised us great victory." So, I WANT YOU TO AIM TOWARD THE ENEMY. Don't aim the other way. Don't run from the enemy. >> I want you to aim toward them. NOW, BACK IN THE DAY when they were going to war, THEY WOULD OFTEN EITHER THROW A DART or shoot an arrow in the direction of the enemy's camp. And it was not really to kill a whole lot of people because what are you going to do with one arrow? >> It was a declaration of war. >> IT WAS A STATEMENT THAT WAS MADE. It was ceremonial, if you will. He wasn't going to kill anybody with the arrow that he shot out of that window unless he just happened to hit somebody. BUT HE'S AIMING TOWARD THE ENEMY. AND NOW HE'S SHOOTING AN ARROW THAT'S SAYING TO THEM, "We are on our way. We're declaring WAR ON YOU. WE'RE GOING TO TAKE BACK WHAT YOU STOLE FROM US. CAN I PREACH THIS LIKE I FEEL IT TODAY? Stay right here. I'm going to be right back. Can I preach this like I feel it today? I promise you I won't go too far. I don't know how far I could go and stay on camera for those people watching from home. But let me say this to you. I have watched from a distance as God has blessed this church. I never will forget the feeling, Pastor Sloan, that I felt in my office when I read the news about a tornado in 2020 hitting your building. And I thought, my God, how much more can a church take? >> WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF COVID, FRIENDS. THERE WAS a whole LOT OF NEW NORMALS AND THEN A CHURCH LOSING their building. And I'm sitting there going, "Dear God, WHAT IS HAPPENING?" I REMEMBER PRAYING FOR THIS CHURCH. I REMEMBER THINKING THAT, OH MY GOODNESS, I COULDN'T IMAGINE BEING THE PASTOR AND ALL THAT BEING UPROOTED. I remember seeing the video footage of the news cameras that would come out and walk through the building and show the piano and HOW THAT THINGS HAD FALLEN OVER IT AND AND THERE WAS MASS DESTRUCTION. BUT WHEN I WALK INTO THIS BUILDING TODAY AND I SEE THE BLESSINGS OF GOD, GOD HAS SENT ME INTO THIS ROOM TO PREACH TO YOU. IT'S NOW TIME TO FOCUS ON THE CITY. IT'S NOW TIME TO FOCUS ON THE CITY. WE'RE GOING TO PINPOINT AN AREA WHERE THE ENEMY IS AT TODAY. AND WE'RE GOING TO DECLARE WAR AND SAY, "HELL, YOU HAVE FOUGHT THIS CITY LONG ENOUGH. YOU'VE HAD I'VE TRIED TO HELP YOU IN THIS ROOM TODAY. YOU HAVE TRIED YOUR BEST TO KNOCK US OUT, BUT WE'VE GOT PRAISE IN THE HOUSE. WE'VE GOT ARROWS AND WE'RE LETTING HELL KNOW WE DECLARE WAR." IF YOU KNOW HOW TO WAR IN THE SPIRIT, WOULD YOU PUT YOUR HANDS TOGETHER AND BEGIN TO THANK GOD THAT HE HAS POSITIONED YOU? UH HE'S READY TO PROSPER YOU. Thank you, buddy. I'm going to be Joash now. You can take that crown right back down there. You can take it right down there. There you want to wear it. I don't care. You can wear it. I just missed him cuz I'm about to get this arrow. Okay. Ready? Here we go. Don't take it personal, [name redacted]. I did the same thing to Matthew last week. I wouldn't let him use the arrow. I know you Bible readers, some of you have been raised in your church, you already know this story. And he says to Joash, he says, "I want you to take the remaining arrows." YOU SHOT ONE OF THEM, but he says, "I want you to take the remaining arrows and I want you to strike the ground with them." Now, here's the part of the story that is amazing to me. Elisha does not give him any further instructions than that. Strike the ground. I just want you to strike the ground. Anybody have kids in the room? I know you do. I see kids all over the house. It's like when YOU TELL THEM, "GO CLEAN YOUR ROOM." And then they come back. This is what my kids do. They'll come walking down the steps and all it takes is me or Kelsey to say, "Is it mama clean?" And they start walking BACK UP THE STEPS BECAUSE THEY KNOW I DIDN'T TELL THEM if there's anything on your floor, you're going to be in trouble. I didn't tell them, "Make sure your clothes are in the hamper. Make sure ALL THAT THE TRASH IS PICKED UP. MAKE SURE THAT IT'S AND SPIN, THAT IT'S WHAT MAMA WOULD WANT. I JUST SAID, "Go clean your room." >> Now, us men, we struggle with this because, you know, if our wives ask us to do something, we do it. But maybe sometimes it's just what they asked, you know, and and maybe I'm out here by myself in confession in front of everybody, but there there's times where, you know, she'll say something about, "Well, I did it." you know, hey, can can you take the trash out? Especially when all this ice was in our place and I had like four inches of ice. I might have took it out, but it might not have gotten to the trash can just yet because on my way to the truck to leave, that was when I was going to risk my life and walk across that stuff and put it in the TRASH CAN, BUT I WASN'T GOING TO DO IT AT THAT MOMENT. Take it all the way. Well, she didn't say take it all. You know, we can justify ourselves. >> And we'll say, "WELL, NOW IS THAT REALLY WHAT the word says? >> DO I HAVE TO DO THAT TO BE SAVED, PASTOR? REALLY? IS ALL OF THAT NECESSARY?" >> And all he says TO THIS KING, HE SAYS TO KING JOASH, HE SAYS, "I WANT YOU TO STRIKE THE GROUND." And this is how I see Joash. And see, that's how some of us we worship. >> That's how some of us pray. >> Now I lay me down to sleep. K S, whatever. We We do IT BECAUSE WE'RE TOLD TO, but there's no heart in it. >> There's no passion BEHIND IT. I I'M FOLLOWING YOU. BUT BUT YOU know you know we just pray you God's sovereign. He's going to do what he wants to do. He can do anything. So why should I ask with passion? Why should I ask and knock when he's God? He wants me to have it. He'll give it to me. I' I've watched some people when they're trying to receive the Holy Ghost. Maybe this is a West Tennessee problem. I don't know. I'll just tell you sometimes they'll come to the altar and they'll just stand there and I'm like, you're not going to get it like that. You can't speak in tongues until you speak. I know that sounds like earthbreaking revelation, but like to get people TO UNDERSTAND THAT THEY THINK GOD'S GOING TO COME AND JUST KNOCK THEM OVER, >> BUT THAT'S NOT HOW GOD OPERATES. >> God says, "I WANT TO KNOW, DO YOU WANT IT?" >> SO, THERE'S GOT TO BE SOMETHING IN US THAT IS PARTNERING WITH ALMIGHTY GOD. YOU THINK IT'S ALL UP TO THE LORD, BUT THE BIBLE SAYS WE ARE laborers together >> WITH GOD. SOME PEOPLE HAVE MORE VICTORY THAN OTHERS. AND IT'S NOT BECAUSE GOD IS ANY DIFFERENT FOR THEM THAN HE IS FOR YOU. HE IS NO RESPECTOR OF PERSONS. HE DOES NOT PLAY FAVORITES OF PERSONALITIES, BUT HE DOES PLAY FAVORITES OF PASSION AND FAITH. >> LOOK AT YOUR BIBLE. IT'S A WOMAN WITH AN ISSUE OF BLOOD WHO PUSHES HER WAY THROUGH THE CROWD TO GET TO JESUS. IT IS ZAKIUS WHO CLIMBS A TREE JUST SO HE COULD SEE JESUS. IT'S A WOMAN WHO GOES TO THE UNJUST JUDGE AND SHE WILL NOT GIVE UP UNTIL SHE GETS WHAT SHE WANTS. IT'S A FRIEND AT MIDNIGHT WHO KEEPS KNOCKING UNTIL HIS FRIEND OPENS THE DOOR AND GIVES HIM BREAD THAT HE NEEDS. WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND IT IS GOD WHO SETS THINGS IN MOTION. THIS OPPORTUNITY TO US IS PRAYER. I GOT TO SEEK HIM WITH ALL OF MY HEART. And Elisha IS LOOKING AT JOASH and his passivity. >> I got good people that's just told me, "Well, pastor, that's just not who I am." >> And yet you watch a ball game with them and that's who they are. >> Or you let them find the right sale at Dillards. We shot at Dillards the other day. Only they got that joke. But I I you know, WE GET EXCITED OVER SALES. WE'LL GET EXCITED, MAN. THERE'S SOME OF THEM, MAN. THEY TAKE THAT coupon and stuff serious. Dear Lord have mercy. They're passionate about that stuff. I didn't even know that was a thing until a group started meeting at our church to do it. And I thought, "Dear God, like I'm all about saving money, but man, y'all are extreme, you know, and and and but now, you know, I'll get excited ABOUT SPORTS. I'LL DO ALL THAT, BUT I CAN'T GET MORE EXCITED ABOUT SOMETHING OUT THERE THAN I WOULD in here. And so, we've got to understand it's really not about personality. >> It's about passion. >> Our favorite verse is, "Be still and know that I am God." >> It's in the Bible, right? Yeah. But that's not the only thing in the Bible. >> There is that effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man >> that avaleth much. There's Jacob wrestling with the angel all night long. Why is that in the Bible? Because sometimes I think God wants to know how much victory >> DO YOU WANT? >> HOW badly do you want it? ARE YOU OKAY WITH JUST ENOUGH OF GOD TO BARELY MAKE IT TO HEAVEN? OR DO YOU WANT COMPLETE victory in your life? >> Amen. So, the amazing part about this story is that Elisha expects something that he doesn't fully ask. Well, if God really wanted me to do this, he should have gave me more instructions. Where is there room in our walk with God for us to say, "There's a promise of victory, and I want it so badly. I'll do anything just to get it." And the Bible says, we read it in our text, Joash just smites the ground three times, you know, one, two, three. I did it. >> Now, where's the victory? And Elisha gets angry. >> You know, the Bible tells you to pray and so you pray and God gets mad at you. It's time to worship the Lord. And you worship the Lord and the Lord says, "I'm not happy." Ask Cain and Abel, >> but one did it with his heart. >> And the other one just did it because he's supposed to >> and it didn't really cost him anything. >> And oh, see Well, he did it and we'll sit there and justify the Lord shouldn't have been so hard on him. You know, we we should He at least came and brought the offering. The Lord's not happy sometimes with us because we're really not worshiping in spirit and in truth. >> It's not passionate. It's passionless. Passive. Amen. trying to deal with something here today that I feel like has tried to creep its way into the American church. Your your pastors have served overseas and missions and I'm sure they can account for this that there is an American mindset about how we approach God. And I'm I'm going to say something today and I hope hope you know I'm as patriotic as the next guy, but we must remember God is not an American. Guess what? I'll even take it a step further. God is not you and God is not me. >> You may have your idea about how God would work. And I've had plenty of them how I thought he should have done it, but I think it's better that I always go to the scripture and say, "What does God where's God's requirements? How why am I not getting what I feel like should be happening?" We should not superimpose God's viewpoint on ours. I've already given you those illustrations of people who really wanted it. They went for it, weren't satisfied without an answer. I cannot explain to you about why God does not answer the prayer sometimes the first time you pray it. Now, I quickly told you those stories about the woman who goes to the unjust judge and asks him to avenge her of her adversaries and the judge does not. He doesn't fear God. He doesn't regard men. He doesn't respond to her at all. He totally ignores her. But she doesn't take that as his answer. She still has a need. And so she goes back every day, every day, every day until the judge says, "Though I don't fear God. I don't regard man, this woman's going to wear me out. She's going to wear me down. SHE'S DRIVING ME BONKERS." BASICALLY, THAT'S WHAT HE SAYS. I'M GOING TO GIVE HER WHAT she wants. Now, IN THE BEGINNING OF THAT PASSAGE IN LUKE 18, JESUS SAYS HE TOLD THEM THIS STORY THAT MEN OUGHT ALWAYS TO pray and NOT TO FAINT. THAT'S THE PURPOSE OF THAT STORY, TO TEACH US THAT WHEN WE PRAY, WE'VE GOT TO PRAY AND KEEP PRAYING UNTIL WE GET AN ANSWER. THAT'S HOW GOD THINKS ABOUT PRAYER. THAT'S HOW WE OUGHT TO VIEW PRAYER. >> The story of the friend AT MIDNIGHT HAS THE word impertunity. That's a great King James word, ain't it? And it means incessant asking. It means asking and never giving up. when you pray according TO THE WILL OF GOD. MAYBE THERE'S spiritual warfare like in Daniel's DAY AND THERE'S RESISTANCE AGAINST THE WILL OF GOD AND THERE'S THIS WARFARE maybe going on in heaven. But you DON'T QUIT PRAYING BECAUSE YOU HAVEN'T RECEIVED YOUR ANSWER. NOW OBVIOUSLY if you're praying falsely TO CONSUME IT UPON YOUR OWN LUST. THE BIBLE SAYS YOU NEED TO CHANGE YOUR PRAYER AND pray according to the WILL OF GOD. BUT IF YOU ARE PRAYING SOMETHING THAT IS THE WILL OF GOD, YOU KEEP PRAYING, HONEY, UNTIL YOU GET AN ANSWER FROM THE LORD CUZ HE'S ASKING THE QUESTION, "HOW MUCH VICTORY do you want?" >> That's how we approach sports. It's how we approach business. It's how we approach other things with passion AND TENACITY AND HOLDING ON. AND SO, I WANT TO HELP YOU TODAY ABOUT YOUR WALK WITH GOD AND WHAT GOD'S ABOUT TO DO FOR YOU IN THIS CITY. THANK THE LORD THAT he loves you. BUT YOU MUST GO AFTER HIM WITH EVERYTHING YOU HAVE. EVERYTHING THAT'S IN YOU WITH THE PASSION THAT YOU HAVE. THAT'S WHY TODAY I AM THANKFUL FOR YOUR WORSHIP AND YOUR PRAISE IN THE HOUSE OF GOD. I CHALLENGE YOU. TAKE THAT TO ANOTHER LEVEL AND WATCH WHAT GOD WILL DO IN THIS CITY. >> WELL, it's not my personality. Elisha didn't say, "You know, Joash, you got this little passive personality. You're kind of an evil king relying on my prayers, my spiritual influence, trying to get you to be a warrior." So, he says, "Grab the bow." He says, "Grab the arrow. I'm going try not to let go of this thing. If I do, Lord, help us." He says, "I want you I want you to grab this bow and the arrow." And he said, "I want you to aim it toward the enemy." Obviously, the east was this way. I want you to aim it toward the enemy, but you're not doing it in your own strength. You're not doing it in your own abilities. What did the prophet say? It's not by might. It's not by power, but it's by your spirit, oh God. That's how things are going to happen. We cannot and I love organization. Believe me, I I have it all at home. I love the structure you have here in this church. But I'm going to tell you something. I I will eventually get to the place as a leader that I have to stop organizing because I can't organize a revival. I could provide the opportunities. We can organize prayer meetings, but until we pray, >> the power don't happen. There's a place for our grit to go along with the grace of God. I don't have time to preach that today, but I want you to understand there is there everything has a role. Everything's working together. My organization is great, but I'm going to come to a point like what I talked about last night. I've got to rely on really what's proven. >> Huh? So, he says, "I want you to grab the bow and I want you to grab the arrow. I want you to assume a posture of a warrior. I want you to act like what you're supposed to be, king. You're a scaredy-cat. You're running from your troubles. But I want you to become a warrior. >> I want you to learn that your strength is not coming from your hands, but it's coming from the hands of God. So, this sick prophet is going to grab his hands, and he's going to PUT HIS HANDS OVER THE HANDS OF A king to remind him, you're not in this thing by yourself. smite the ground three times. And remember, he he's thinking, "I think this is stupid. I've done shot the arrow. Why am I hitting the ground? This doesn't make any sense. Oh, I'm embarrassed." The king, you know, didn't you know, Elisha, I'm the king. I'm trying to act all dignified and you got me over here hitting the ground. What in the world? They're going to think I'm crazy. So, three times. Okay. He didn't say three times, but he just said, you know, I'm not going to do this more than once. I'm going to do it more than once, but I'm not going to go overboard with this thing. So, I'll just do enough. After three times of hitting the ground, you know, Elisha's angry with him. Angry. And that's kind of where I left the story, right? And he tells the king, remember, he has an expectation that is implied. It's not explicit. He does not tell them what to tell him what to do. You know, he he said he said, "You should have. WHAT YOU SHOULD HAVE DONE, YOU DID THIS, BUT WHAT you should have done is smite the ground five or six times. Now, we would have looked back at that prophet and said, "Well, why didn't you tell me that?" Because, you know, for me to live it, pastors got to preach it by verse. If you're always going to have to have a scripture and verse for something, I'm afraid you're going to be lost. >> Because my Bible says the spirit will lead >> and guide you >> into all truth. There are things the Lord may ask of me that he may not ask of anybody else because he knows me. >> It's called personal conviction. And he knows what it's going to take for Seth Wilkerson to be saved. If I'm not careful, Sam, sports can become my God. I love it. But I got to be careful not to love it as much as I love God. There are things that we can be involved in and participate with, but I have to be very careful that I don't allow it to exalt itself more than what God has exalted in my life. And so I've said all of that to say this. I'm I'm bringing this to a close today. If they want to come back to music, he says, "Well, you didn't tell me. YOU SHOULD HAVE TOLD ME. WHY DIDN'T YOU MAKE ME FOLLOW THE LETTER OF THE LAW? I would have done that if you'd have told me to do it. But this story proves and demonstrates that there are times when God wants to see what's in you. >> How much victory do you want? And he tells him, "If you would have, you should have smitten the ground five or six times, then you would have smitten Syria till you utterly or totally destroy them. But now," and that's the story of some of our lives in this room today. We are dealing with the but now. It used to bother me to see people to be able to go to conferences and pray through and then come home and struggle. But it's because we've learned how to do just enough to feel the goosebumps without totally selling out. And that's the story of maybe somebody in this room today. Can I tell you, it's not too late for you. Maybe you've tapped the arrow three times, but the spirit of God is in this room today to give you a chance to keep tapping that arrow and saying, "I am believing." Not just for a victory in our building, but now God's about to send souls to fill this building. >> And I'm going to tell God today how much victory that I want. He said, "King, after you win those three skirmishes because you didn't do what you should have done, those guys are still going to be there and they're going to strengthen themselves and they're going to come back for you and you won't totally destroy them. You'll keep fighting." And I'm going to tell you, friend, it is not the will of God for you to keep fighting the same battle over and over and over. But God wants to give complete victory. If you're struggling with habits and addictions and things of that nature in your life, can I tell you, we serve a God, the anointing of the Lord can destroy that yoke in your life. You can walk out a new person today. You don't have to live bound by those things, but you can walk out free to live a life of victory. Standing with me all over the house, my message to us today is this. It's from an amazing story in the Bible. feel like the Lord rebirththed it in my spirit. And I told you I preached it last Sunday. And in the middle of preaching that message and the Holy Ghost began to fall, the Lord spoke to me and said, "You're going to preach this next Sunday and cornerstone because the Lord wants them to see there's victory beyond just a building. There's souls that are about to fill this house. You've got room for growth and it's about to happen. There's so much potential in this place." And not just potential in the building, but today I want you to see the potential in you. Oh, I'm wimpy. No, you're not. You're a warrior in God. Assume the posture of a warrior and say, "I'm going to become the biggest prayer warrior Pastor Sloan's ever seen because we're going to have to fight battles in the spirit before we see it manifest in the flesh." So I ask you today, how much victory do you want in your life, in your city, in your FAMILY? ARE YOU CONTENT JUST TO BARELY GET BY? I'M happy to hear you've ordered more chairs cuz I believe you're going to NEED IT. ARE YOU GOING TO ACCEPT THE CONDITIONS OF YOUR FAMILY, OF your life, OF YOUR SOUL? ARE YOU GOING TO WRITE YOURSELF OFF AND SAY, "I'LL ALWAYS BE ON THE PERIPHERY. I'VE never been involved. UH THAT THAT'S JUST ALL THAT'S WHO I AM. THAT'S WHO I'LL ALWAYS BE." OR ARE YOU GOING TO SAY TODAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, LORD, I'M GOING TO ASSUME THE POSTURE OF A WARRIOR, AND I'M GOING TO ASK GOD, YOU TO HELP ME CHANGE MY BEHAVIOR, but also HELP CHANGE MY NATURE. I'M GOING TO GO AFTER YOU WITH EVERYTHING THAT IS IN ME. IF THAT'S YOUR DESIRE TODAY, WOULD YOU JOIN ME AROUND THIS ALTAR AND LET'S SPEND SOME TIME in praise TO THE LORD AND TAP THE ARROWS AND SAY, "GOD, I'M NOT GOING TO QUIT TAPPING UNTIL I KNOW THERE'S COMPLETE VICTORY THAT'S COMING." IF YOU NEED VICTORY IN YOUR LIFE TODAY, WOULD YOU TAKE A MOMENT AND COME TO THIS ALTAR AND SAY, "GOD, I SURRENDER TO YOU. I GIVE EVERYTHING TO YOU TODAY. YOU'RE NOT JUST THE AUTHOR, BUT YOU'RE ALSO THE FINISHER OF MY FAITH. YOU'RE NOT JUST WRITING TODAY'S STORY, BUT MY FUTURE is in your hands." Uh would you lift your voice all over this house today? GOD IS HERE IN THIS HOUSEH. HE WANTS TO HELP YOU GET COMPLETE VICTORY IN YOUR LIFE. HE WANTS TO BRING THAT THAT DESIRE TO WIN SOULS. I BELIEVE IT'S GOING TO BE BIRTHED IN INDIVIDUALS IN THIS ROOM. THERE'S BIBLE STUDIES THAT ARE GOING TO COME BECAUSE OF THIS PRAYER MEETING TODAY. WOULD YOU SPEND TIME TALKING TO THE LORD IN THIS HOUSE TODAY? SEEK AFTER HIM. HE'S NOT FAR FROM US TODAY. Let's seek his face together. Oh. Victory belongs to Jesus. Victory belongs to him. Oh. Victory belongs to Jesus. Oh, victory belongs to him. Who will stand against the Lord? No one can. No one will. Come on, pray. Somebody get a hold of God. Lord, I'm believing you for great things. >> Lord, I'm believing you for great things. Come on, somebody. You got a whole shroud of fear and doubt that's trying to write your story. Step beyond it. Lord, I'm trusting you for great things. Lift your voice. Lift your voice. Jesus. Jesus. Hey, I love you, Lord. Come on, prayer warriors. Pray. Get a hold of God. Lord, I'm trusting you, Jesus. I'm believing you for great things. Holy is the Lord. >> Victory belongs to Jesus. >> Victory belongs to him. >> Yeah. In the name of Jesus. >> The name of Jesus. Come on. How much you want of the Lord? >> Jesus. >> Come on. There is an abundant life. >> There is an overcoming life. There is an overcoming life. Come on. It's greater than what you've got now. >> Come on. You can thrive in Jesus. You don't have to just simply survive. I need you, Lord. I trust you, Jesus. Spirit of the Lord. Spirit of the Lord. Jesus. >> Come on. Pray. Reach over. Pray with somebody close to you. believe with them. Come on. God's doing a work in your life. God is doing a work in your life. God is doing a work in your life. Hey, I love you, Lord. I trust you, Lord. I trust you, Lord. I trust you, Lord. I trust you, Jesus. >> Spirit of the Lord. Spirit of the Lord Jesus. >> Come on, somebody. Come on. Press through the doubt and fear. >> Press through the doubt and fear. Press through the doubt and fear.