Defending The Sacrifice

Headset mic is down. So y'all going I'm gonna have to I'll preach with this one tonight in Jesus name. Why don't you turn around, shake someone's hand, and let them know you're glad to see them in the house of the Lord tonight. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. I'm thankful for God's protective hand upon us. Brother Randy, we're so glad to see you guys tonight. Glad the Lord kept his hand upon you, your precious family Sunday evening and things could have been a whole lot worse, but we're glad you're in the house of the Lord tonight. Hallelujah. Genesis 15 verse number 11. Genesis 15 verse number 11. I will this will be where I will launch from tonight. But I will use portions of Genesis chapter 15 uh to to bring about what I feel tonight is the the word for this hour and word for this service. And when the fowls came down upon the carcasses, Abram drove them away. The Living Bible says, "And when the vultures came down upon the carcasses, Abram shued them away." I want to teach slash preach for just a little while tonight from this subject, defending the sacrifice. Defending the sacrifice. If you're going to help me right now, I just one more time. I want us to remember I looked over to my right and remembered a special request. I want us to remember brother and sister Dodd in prayer. They requested prayer tonight. They are unable to be here in the house of the Lord. So, while we pray over the reading of the word, let's remember them in prayer tonight. Father, I thank you for the word. I thank you for what you're going to speak in this house. I thank you, God, for what we are going to experience. And I thank you Lord for touching our elders tonight. I pray in Jesus' name that your hand and your your your hand would move upon us and that your word would be magnified in our hearts. In the name of Jesus we pray and everyone say amen. You may be seated tonight.

Uh didn't we didn't we have a phenomenal weekend? Our marriage retreat and then on Sunday, didn't brother and sister Diaz bless us? Wow. What a what a move of God. We're still feasting on all that God did in that service. When you read Genesis chapter 15, and I'll I'll give this to you for for homework and just meditation purposes. Uh, Genesis 15 is not just a, if you will, a historical narrative, but when I begin to peel the layers back, it would became a spiritual revelation about covenant, about sacrifice, and about spiritual warfare. Abram had already obeyed God. When we jump into the text, we will see that the verses and the chapters leading up to chapter 15 that Abram had already left her and he was a man of faith and was walking by faith and he was following the voice of God. But in Genesis chapter 15, God begins to do something deeper in the life of Abram. He is not just giving Abram direction. He is establishing covenant with him. For God would tell Abram, "Fear not in verse one," Abram, I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward. But when you read that on the surface, you find out shortly thereafter that the tone of Abram's uh concern was at an all-time high when he begin to say things like this, Lord God, what will thou give me seeing I go childless? He is correlating and exceeding great reward as a a seed that would come from him and his wife. And God would respond with a promise bigger than Abram's imagination. And he takes him outside and says, "I want you to look now toward the heaven and I want you to tell the stars." Man, I just When's the last time you talked to the stars? I want you to look toward heaven and I want you to tell the stars and listen to way. So shall thy seed be. In other words, I want you to look in the heavens and I want you to begin to declare something uh not as though it is right now, but what it's going to be. Amen. The Bible says in verse number six, "And he believed in the Lord and he counted it to him for righteousness." It it's it's a time of covenant. It's a time where God is depositing promises and covenant into Abram. But here we discover that belief alone was not the end of the story for Abram. For God was about to establish covenant through sacrifice. And whenever covenant is about to be activated, let me just tell you, war is about to show up. Yeah. When whenever covenant is about to be activated and revealed, war, it it's going to show up. Some of you wondering right now, what what's all the battle for and what's all the battle going on? I can tell you that there is a battle going on because there's a covenant that's been pronounced over you and there's blessings that are on the horizon and THE ENEMY KNOWS JUST WHAT TO DO. AMEN. And so what did Abram do? Abram at the instruction of God began to prepare a covenant sacrifice. You will read that he brought a hepher and a goat and a ram, a turtle dove and a pigeon. The Bible says he divided the animals and laid them out before God. This was the the agreement. This was the covenant practice where two parties would walk between the pieces saying if I break this covenant let me become like these sacrifices. And so in this story something unique happens. Abram prepares the sacrifice, but God will be the one to walk through the sacrifice. Because this covenant that God was given to Abram did not depend on Abram's perfection. It depended on God's faithfulness. Somebody needs to hear me this evening. This covenant would ultimately point toward another sacrifice, the cross uh where the lamb of God would be broken so that humanity could enter a covenant with the Lord God Almighty. Uh I just wish is there anyone in this house tonight thankful that the supreme sacrifice was made for you and I? He died in our place. Uh he took our shame on his shoulders. UH HE TOOK MY SINS UH AND THE HANDWRITING of ordinances that were against us. Colossians said which was contrary to US AND TOOK IT out of the way and nailing them to the cross. That's why we could come on a Wednesday night and there ought to be worship in our hearts uh BECAUSE OF THE PRICE HE paid for us. On this Wednesday, I've come to preach to somebody that this sacrifice is worth defending. The blood is still worth fighting for. Amen.

Let me break this down and help us tonight. In Genesis 15:11, "And when the fouls came down upon the carcasses, uh, Abram drove them away." The vultures came for the sacrifice. Yes, that may not make much sense to you right now, but I I want you to notice that there's something important here. The attack didn't come during the preparation. THAT'S RIGHT. THE ATTACK DIDN'T COME WHEN HE WENT AND GOT THE HEER. THE ATTACK DIDN'T COME WHEN HE GOT ALL the elements, the goat, the ram, the turtle dove, and the pigeon. Uh Abram gathered the animals. Abram arranged the sacrifice. Abram obeyed the instructions of the Lord, but no attack came then. Right? But here, hear me tonight, sanctuary. The the attack came when the sacrifice was laid out and was waiting for the activation. It was waiting for the presence of God to be in demonstration. That's when the vulture showed up. You may say, "Why, pastor?" Because the enemy don't mind your preparation. That's right. He minds your activation. He doesn't mind you sewing. Uh but when he shows up is at harvest time. When when God's getting ready to bring fruition to the labor, uh when God's GETTING READY TO SHOW HIS hand strong and mighty, that's when he shows up. Yeah, he doesn't mind you praying occasionally, but he gets nervous when prayer is about TO BECOME POWERFUL AND A WEAPON THAT you use. He doesn't mind your church attendance. He doesn't mind you coming to church, but when some WEARY SAINT RISES UH ON a Wednesday night and comes into the house of God uh and THEIR FAITH IS ABOUT TO BECOME EFFECTIVE, UH YOU BECOME HELL'S worst nightmare. AND THAT'S WHEN THE vultures start circling the sacrifice. Amen. The enemy attacks what is about to become active. Those birds of prey represented spiritual opposition. They were trying to contaminate the sacrifice. They were trying to interrupt the COVENANT THAT THAT COVENANT MOMENT between Abram and the almighty God. They were trying to corrupt what God was about to activate. I don't know. I I feel like that this past Sunday, God activated something in this church. God set something in motion and God released us as a church in divine apostolic authority. Uh, and that's when vultures show up. That's when the the vultures try to show up. UH, THEY WERE TRYING TO CORRUPT WHAT GOD was about to activate. But Abram did something that I wish that would get in the heart and mind of every man and every woman, uh, every young person, every young adult. Uh the Bible says uh that Abram drove the vultures away. He didn't negotiate with them. He didn't tolerate them. What he did was defend the sacrifice. You hear your pastor tonight. The enemy always attacks what is about to become active in your life. Some of YOU ARE WONDERING WHY IS THE PRESSURE INCREASING? WHY IS THE WARFARE INTENSIFYING? WHY HAS THE resistance grown? Can I tell you tonight, the attack's not random. It's actually prophetic. The attack's actually prophetic because the enemy CAN SENSE THERE'S SOMETHING ACTIVATING IN THEM. THERE'S SOMETHING ACTIVATING AND it's nearer than it's ever been before. As I begin to read this and I begin to study, uh, I'm telling you in the Holy Ghost, uh, that the vultures were actually announcing what was about to happen, right? You see, those birds were not just nuisance. It was an announcement. Uh, something holy was on the altar. Something divine was about to happen. Something divine was going to take place. and vultures are attracted to sacrifice. Yeah. You allow me to preach this to you tonight in the Holy Ghost. If the enemy is circling your life, if the enemy is circling your family, if hell is flapping its wings around your family, if pressure is increasing around your calling and purpose, uh it might just be because something powerful is lying on the altar of your obedience. You don't understand it right now, but your obedience UH IS PRODUCING SOMETHING SO POWERFUL THAT THE VULTURES WOULD LOVE TO COME AND PICK IT up off THE ALTAR. THE ATTACK IS OFTEN PROOF THAT YOU'RE CLOSER TO A BREAKTHROUGH THAN YOU'VE EVER BEEN BEFORE. Let me just tell you something about the enemy. THE ENEMY DON'T WANT TO WASTE TIME ATTACKING DEAD THINGS, RIGHT? HE WANT TO ATTACKS WHAT'S ABOUT TO LIVE. HE WANTS TO ATTACK WHAT GOD'S GETTING READY TO USE AND ACTIVATE. UH HE WANTS TO ATTACK WHAT HEAVEN IS ABOUT TO RELEASE. Let me just tell you what Abram did. He didn't chase he he God let I want to say it like I FEEL IT. WE WANT GOD TO CHASE the birds. But God not sent He's not coming down. He's not descending from his throne to chase your birds. You got to get the spirit of Abram on you. And you got to say, "I'm willing to defend my sacrifice. I'm willing to defend my home. I'm willing to fight for my kids. UH I'M WILLING TO FIGHT FOR THIS. IT'S WORTH EVERYTHING TO ME. UH I I CAN EXPECT GOD TO DO THE GOD THINGS. UH BUT WE AS INDIVIDUALS, UH WE AS SPIRITFILLED, UH BELIEVERS, WE'VE GOT TO STAND UP AND SAY, "I'M DRIVING THIS AWAY. I'M DRIVING THESE SPIRITS AWAY. I'M DRIVING these thoughts away. God provided the promise and God would confirm the covenant, but Abram had to defend the sacrifice. We want God to do everything sometime. But uh he's looking at us. Are you willing to defend? Are you willing to defend what I'm getting ready to activate? Are you getting Are you going Are you willing to defend? Some battles God fights for us. But some battles God expects you to stand up in authority and fight these battles. Abraham had to say, "Not today, devil. Not on this altar that I built. Not on this promise I've received. Not on this covenant that God's made with me." We just need to get sick and tired of being pushed around. sick and tired in the spirit realm, right? And say, "You know what? I'm getting ready to chase some vultures out of my life." Anybody want to know what vultures rep what they what they could look like? I'm running discouragement out of my home. I'm running fear out of my mind. I'm I'm RIGHT I'M CASTING DOUBT UH AND EVERY spirit of unbelief. Uh I'm I'm I'm wooing them. I am I AM CHASING THEM BECAUSE MY MY SACRIFICE is worth defending. Is there a distraction that's got you in in a frame of mind uh that that's you're wondering even who you are? You ought to w YOU OUGHT TO NO, YOU CAN'T HAVE MY SACRIFICE. NO, YOU CAN'T have what I fought so long to become. Right. Right. Spiritual fatigue is a vulture. The enemy wants to wear you down before your moment of activation occurs. If I can just wear you down, if I can get you spiritually fatigued, if I can get you distracted, if I can get you fearful and afraid, if I can get you so feared with doubt and fear and discouragement, God showed up. After Abram fought and defended the sacrifice here, here's what the Bible says. After Abram drove the vultures away, the Bible says a deep sleep fell upon him. Yeah. And then God revealed the future. Could it be God will not reveal his promises? God will not reveal the fulfillment of covenant. God will not show you what's next until you handle what's in the here and the now. Yeah, we want to know what's around the corner and we want to know what's ahead. God will only reveal the He will only reveal the future to you IF YOU WILL WILLINGLY FIGHT WHAT'S IN THE PRESENT. WHAT'S ON THE ALTAR? WHAT'S THE SACRIFICE THAT YOU'RE DEFENDING? It was there God would reveal the future. God would speak to Abram and tell them tell him of the bondage of Israel. He would tell them that 400 years they would go into captivity. He would then share with him the deliverance of the people and he would share the promised land. And then the most powerful moment happened in the whole chapter 15. The Bible says in verse in verse number 17, listen to this. And it came to pass that when the sun went down and it was dark, behold, a smoking furnace and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces. Remember that was the that was the culmination of the covenant is when the two became in agreement and walked in the midst of the sacrifice. This is where God would consume and pass through the sacrifice. That was the type in the shadow of the presence of God confirming the covenant with Abram. And God was literally saying, Abram, this promise does not depend on you. I will fulfill it. You've defended the sacrifice. Now, let me fight for you. That's right. You've defended what you were supposed to do. Uh now let me fight for you. I will bring this nation to be. I will give you this land. I WILL KEEP THIS COVENANT with you. Here's the powerful truth that we must come into an understanding of. What come to contaminate the sacrifice could not stop the covenant. Yeah, Abram chased the vultures, but God confirmed the promise. Sometimes the very attack that tried to stop you becomes a confirmation that God is working. Right? Every time you defend this truth, every time you defend righteousness, every time you defend holiness, every time you defend separation, every time you make a righteous stand, God shows up and said, "Uh-huh. You did the right thing. I'm going to confirm. I'm going to confirm what I'm doing right now in and through you." Joseph had virtures. David had vultures. Daniel had virtures. Even Jesus had vultures on the cross. But every attack that came became confirmation of destiny every time the attack came. What if we viewed our attacks just a little different? What if we viewed attacks just a little different? What if we viewed persecution? What if we viewed battles going on in our life just a little different? Maybe God's trying to stir something in in somebody tonight that that that would say, "You know what? Uh, what we had on Sunday, what we experienced on Saturday and Sunday, what we experienced in the weeks prior, uh, that's worth defending. THAT'S WORTH FIGHTING FOR. Let me ask somebody tonight, what's circling your life right now? Where is the warfare at? Where is the resistance? Where is the pressure? Sometimes the attack is not the problem. It's the announcement. God's getting ready to do something bigger than you imagined. What if the warfare you're in, the resistance you may feel, the pressure that you're under, God is putting something in you. How many have you ever read on a on a container contents under pressure may explode? Could it be God has applied the pressure at all the right places to get something out of you so that he can feel you? Maybe it's years, maybe it's months, maybe it's days or even weeks. But God sent an announcement tonight to you. What you're defending is worth fighting for. What you're standing and saying, you know what, pastor, I'm fighting with everything in me. Keep fighting. You never know what when you go to bed tonight, what God reveals to you, and you begin to see things, and God begins to deposit things into you that you wondered why I defended what I did, why I fought like I fought. And God just peels the layers back and shows you a future. a future. But if you never defend the sacrifice, you'll never see the future. IF YOU'LL NEVER IF YOU DON'T DEFEND the sacrifice, you won't get to see an Isaac being born. That's right. You won't get to YOU WON'T EVER GET TO SEE THE FRUITION and it BE RECORDED THAT THE GOD I FEEL MY HELP RIGHT NOW. YOU WON'T GET TO SEE OR READ THE RECORDING THAT GOD WOULD BE THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, THE GOD OF ISAAC, THE GOD OF JACOB. THERE WOULD NEVER BE AN ISAAC. THERE WOULD NEVER BE A JACOB HAD A MAN NOT STOOD ON A MOUNTAIN ONE DAY AND SAID, "I'M DEFENDING THIS SACRIFICE. I'M DEFENDING SOMETHING THAT FUTURE GENERATIONS CANNOT SEE RIGHT NOW. I'M DEFENDING SOMETHING THAT MY GRANDKIDS ARE NOT EVEN BORN YET. BUT IF I DEFEND IT, THEY'LL GET TO experience it." Yes. Some of you need to wake up AND SAY, "I'M FIGHTING. I'M FIGHTING for a generation that I may never see. I'm fighting for a people. I'm fighting for a church that I may NOT GET TO SEE THE FULFILLMENT OF PROMISE, but my actions will be pointed back to because I fought and I defended. They'll get to enjoy in captivity in Egypt. They got to rehearse. Uh there is an expiration date on our captivity. THEY WHEN THEY GOT TO EGYPT, BROTHER JONES, they got to rehearse uh what what what the what the prophecy, if you will, WHAT THE PROMISE WAS. Uh 400 years we're going to be here. All right. But just let me read to you what the Bible says. And also that nation whom they shall serve. I'm going to judge them. And afterward shall they come out with great substance. You've got to get a revelation tonight. What you're fighting for right now is going to produce something. Even if it's in maybe there is a season in your future where it looks like you're not going to win. Maybe in your future there is some unknown things and there's more questions than answered. Uh but I got a word from the Lord that says uh and afterward they came out or they will come out with great sustenance. THERE IS A GREAT SUBSTANCE, A REWARD FOR THOSE WHO WILL DEFEND THE SACRIFICE. You defend IT EVEN WHEN IT DON'T MAKE SENSE. You clap when you don't feel LIKE CLAPPING. YOU SHOUT WHEN YOU DON'T FEEL LIKE. YOU SHOUT AMEN. YOU LEAVE FOR JOY. YOU RUN. YOU DANCE. YOU SHOUT. IT DON'T MAKE EVERY TIME YOU DO, YOU'RE DEFENDING. YOU'RE DEFENDING THE SACRIFICE. Some of you right now are living under prayers that somebody prayed and somebody fought for you when you didn't even know it. Somebody was calling your name out in prayer. Somebody was I'll never forget I give honor to my to my grandmother. I was told this story by my great friend, brother Glenn Massie. He would preach revivals down where my where my grandparents went to church. And brother Massie said there was one revival. I was about I think I was about 19 20 years old at the time and I wasn't living for God like I should have. And brother Massie preached a revival in that in that Pleasant Ridge church. And my my my my grandmother unbeknownst to me went to brother Massie said, "Brother Massie, I need you to pray for my my grandson with me." And she called me Shaney Boy. I NEED YOU TO JOIN WITH ME AND pray for Shaney Boy. He needs our prayers right now. I never knew this story. years and years later. I truly believe with all of my heart because of one grandmother, because of a mama, but I'm I'm going I'm pointing back to a grandmother who lived two and a half almost three hours from where we lived in Meridian, Mississippi, could be found in that old rocking chair, in that living room with that old pipe stove in that living room, but she would be found praying and calling our names out in prayer. I remember when my wife's grandmother would stay in our home and it it was a IT WAS A NIGHTLY THING WITH MAMA BEACH. EVERY night the door would be shut AND THERE WAS A VOICE YOU WOULD HEAR COME FROM THAT BEDROOM wherever she was. And she was calling every grandkid's name out. She was calling every great grandchildren's name. She was calling every child's name. She was praying for churches. Uh she was praying for loved ones and friends. Uh what we didn't understand then and what I understand even more now is there was something in those old elders uh THAT SAID IF I'M THE ONLY ONE THAT'S ON THIS HEEL, I AM GOING TO DEFEND THE SACRIFICE. UH THEY'RE DEAD AND GONE. THEY'VE GONE ON TO MEET THEIR REWARD. BUT I'M WALKING IN A PRAYER THAT WAS PRAYED OVER ME. I'M WALKING IN MY CHILDREN, MY WIFE, OUR WAY. WE'RE WALKING IN PRAYERS THAT WERE PRAYED. THEY WERE DEFENDING SACRIFICES. They were stewing off the vultures. They were casting away the vultures that would have loved to come and consume what would be used for the glory in the kingdom of God. Can I can I just uh stretch your theology a little bit and just say the enemy may can see something you ain't seen yet. That's right. You circling. He sees something you don't see yet. Could it be the enemy can sense a breakthrough in the atmosphere? Could it be that the enemy can feel a covenant moment approaching? They're just this close to coming into the house of God. They're just this close from walking in those doors. They're just so close. God's already moving the pieces of the puzzle. And that nest is getting a little uncomfortable. Brother Mark, the nest is getting a little SLEEPLESS NIGHTS ARE ALREADY HAPPENING. GOD'S ALREADY WAKING THEM UP AND THEY'RE HEARING sermons that they've heard years. I'm telling you what I know in the Holy Ghost. God's waking them up and giving them dreams and visions. They're just trying to get enough courage to walk back into the house of God. But if the enemy can shut your mouth and get you off the mountain and get you away from defending the sacrifice, I don't care how long you've been defending it. I don't care how long you've been praying. I DON'T CARE HOW MANY TIMES YOU'VE CALLED THEIR NAME. I CHALLENGE YOU IN THE HOLY GHOST. CALL THEIR NAME ONE MORE TIME. ONE MORE. YOU CAN'T HAVE MY BOY. YOU CAN'T TAKE HIM. YOU CAN'T HAVE MY KID. YOU THIS IS A HILL WORTH DYING ON. I said this is a heel worth if I die defending them. And when I SAY DEFENDING THEM, I mean in prayer, in consecration, in separation, and standing for righteousness. It's a heel worth dying on. I'll go down because I don't know. I don't know when they're going to walk in. I don't know when they're going to feel the hand of somebody walk behind them like we've seen on Sunday. And the Holy Ghost begin TO MOVE. THE HOLY GHOST BEGIN TO do in just a couple of minutes what we couldn't manufacture in any other natural. But if you're willing to hang on a little longer, if you're willing to defend a little longer, God's got some covenant promises that he's ready to make with you. God's got some covenant promises that he's going to reveal to you. But you just got to be willing to stand on a mountain that many times is unpopular. Stand on a mountain when you're all by yourself. GET AWAY FROM THAT SACRIFICE. GET AWAY from what's been prepared for THE LORD. GET AWAY. YOU CAN'T HAVE it because there's a covenant about to be established between God. I read it this afternoon and I'm going to read it. And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep, verse 12, fell upon Abram, and lo, a horror of great darkness fell on him. He had just got through defending the sacrifice. He had just got through defending what was going to be his gift unto God. The sun was setting, but I don't think it's by accident. And low and horror, he got fearful of the unknown. The Bible called it great darkness fell upon him. It was right before God would reveal covenant. It was right before God would reveal to him what was to come. That's when he got the scarest. God sometimes will put you in places where literally you're almost scared to death. God, I don't know if I can do this. I DON'T KNOW. THE HORROR OF GREAT DARKNESS fell upon him. But after the horror of darkness is when God would speak covenant to him. What are you trying to say, pastor? If you're walking right now and you feel like you're in utter darkness, it's not a it's not literally, but it's all around you and that's what you feel. You feel the darkness and the horror of great darkness. May I submit to you now is not the time to to to succumb to the horror of great darkness because I've got scripture that tells me that God dwells in the thick darkness. NO MATTER HOW DARK IT MAY BE, HE'S already there. NO MATTER HOW DARK IT may be in your mind, in your spirit, he's already there. The horror IS THERE. THE HORROR OF THE GREAT DARKNESS TO get you to be fearful and get you to be afraid. But could it be out of the horror of the great darkness that God reveals to you promising covenant? Could it be like Abram? It's in your darkest moments and you're laying there and you're saying, "Why God? How, God? What are you doing, God? God sent me to this pull pit of not my own accord tonight. I wanted to preach something else, but God sent me here to tell this great church in the midst of your darkness. After you have defended the sacrifice, after you have defended what is soon to be activated, and darkness will come, be of good courage because it's after the darkness that God will speak. It's after the It's after the darkness God will establish and reveal covenant to you. It will be bigger than what you thought. Let me just say this. Say it like this. The sacrifice that you have prepared for our covenanteping God is way less than the great and precious promises he has reserved for us. It may look like, boy, I've gave this sacrifice and I've did this and I've done that. If you only could see what God has reserved for you, our little sacrifices would seem so minute. When you look and walk out into the stars tonight and say, "Oh, when you look at the sun and the moon and you watch and you try, you see the effects of the wind, but have you ever really seen the wind? When you look and you see the majestic of a rainbow after a storm season, And you see the colors just so beautiful as the light of God shines through to remind us of his faithfulness. The enemy can sense something that you have not seen yet. Verse 17. And it came to pass, and I'm closing that when the sun went down and it was dark. Hear me tonight, church. WHEN THE SUN GOES down and when the darkness settles and it seems hopeless, behold, a smoking furnace and a burning lamp pass between the very thing you defend. The very thing you're fighting for right now will go through some dark times. the very thing you're defending. It will get dark. But don't you think darkness is the absence of his presence in his spirit? Don't you think God cannot? That's when God shows up in the darkness, the burn, smoking furnace and burning lamp that pass between those pieces. And in the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, "Unto thy seed I give this land from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river of Euphrates, the Kennites, and the Kisanites, and the Canonites, and the Hittites, and the Parizzites, the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Gegosites, and the Jeeps. One man affected that whole known world because one man took a stand to defend the sacrifice. Your actions tonight are sending a message. They're sending a message to every enemy of your soul, every enemy to your home, every enemy to your children. It may look like they're winning, but I've come to let the devil know they ain't winning. As long as I'm breathing, they're not winning. As long as I'm praying, they're not winning. As long as I'm faithful, they're not winning. As long as I'm I'm doing my best to be righteous and holy unto God, they're not winning.

Stand to your feet all over this house. I tell you what I'd like. I'd like for you to step out of your seat and come to the front. I don't know what some of you have been facing. I don't know what some of you have been fighting. I don't know what some of you have been enduring. But I'm going to tell you, the sacrifice you've been defending is worth fighting for. It may seem like the more you pray, the further they get. Don't you quit praying. It may feel like the more you do, it seems like, MY GOD, UTTER CHAOS IS HAPPENING. Don't you quit. Don't you quit. You don't know who they going to run into tomorrow. You don't know what's going to happen. You don't know the text and or the calls you're going to get by tomorrow. You don't know the cause or you don't know who you're going to bump into. It's going to be a trigger. It's going to it's going to be like a domino fog. And God puts you right at the right place at the right time for the will of God to be performed in your life. Could we just right for a few moments just begin to lift up our voices? Can we just lift up our voices right? I wish that spirit of Abram would get upon us right now. I wish you would get I wish that spirit of Abram that would get was upon him that day. That was about to be it it was about to get dark. It was about to be a moment of covenant declarement to his life. Uh but God, right now in this househ right now in this house, there are prayers that are being prayed. Right now, there are prayers that are being prayed. Would you call their names out right now? Would you begin to call the names of those that you love? Those that you've been defending, those that you know uh need to be in the household of faith. Uh those that you know that are out of relationship with the Lord God Almighty. Uh we're given an announcement tonight. Uh we're making a proclamation tonight. THE ANNOUNCEMENT HAS been made. This sacrifice is worth defending. Hell, you can't have them. You can't You cannot have the sacrifice that I've prepared for my God. You can't have my children. You can't have my grandchildren. You can't have this church. You can't have the precious loved ones of this church. Oh God, what does he have on the future for you? What does he have on the horizon for you? I can tell you it's on the other side of what you defend. is on the other side of what you make up your mind and say, "Uh, you know what? I ain't coming now." Come on, Nehemiah. You're not coming off the wall. Keep building the walls. Uh, KEEP BUILDING THE WALLS, NEHEMIAH. COME ON, JEREMIAH. KEEP CRYING OUT BEFORE THE LORD. Come on, Daniel. Keep praying. Come on, Daniel. Keep being faithful. We will see we will see our loved ones saved and walking with God. We will see our families restored. We'll see those things that we thought were hopeless. We will see those restored. We will see the healings and the miracles and the signs and wonders if we're bold enough to defend it. God's bold enough to make covenant with us. God's bold there'll always but in covenant there's always sacrifice. You never get covenant without sacrifice. Well, we won't covenant without sacrif that's never going to happen. No, that's why God robed himself in flesh because he had to be the covenant supreme sacrifice to bring us back into relationship with him. And in living for God, there will always be sacrifice. But every sacrifice is worth defending. Every sacrifice is worth defending. It will produce covenantal blessings for you and your family. Would the spirit of shama come and rest upon you in the middle of your pe patch? It's harvest time for some of you and your families. It's harvest time. And God, there's evidence that there's harvest time around you. But it took one man that would withstand the attack of the enemy and say, "I'll not leave my harvest defenseless. I may die, but I'll die in the pee patch. I may die, but I'll die defending my harvest." May that same spirit go home with us tonight. May that same spirit be our be a be a guiding light to us as we march forward in revival. I want you to allow God to use you this week to get somebody into this house this Sunday. I've got a word I've got a word for this church on Sunday. God gave me two word this one for tonight and he's already deposited into me for Sunday. I believe there will be there will be a moment in our service Sunday that God is going to thunder in this house. There is going to be a a there will be a divine response with the help of God. OH, I NEED YOU TO HELP ME DEFEND THE SACRIFICE.

FATHER, go with us from this house. Go with us from this place, but not your presence. God, I pray these altars, God, that are being swed with tears this week. There will be those of us in this house tomorrow night for prayer meeting that are going to walk through these altars. We're going to anoint. We're going to pray over chairs. We're going to pray over over this altar area tomorrow night in prayer meeting. We're going to gather in this house for prayer. And as a result, we're going to defend the sacrifice. God, I thank you for your covenants with us. It's in the name of Jesus we pray. And could everybody say amen?