John Gray - Stand Strong
Father in the next few moments meet us in this place, turn it around, change it break it. Whatever that thing is it's been trying to hold us hostage get it off of us. I said get it off of us. Get it off of our families. God get it off of our minds and get it off of our marriages and get it off of our children. I feel like people aren't sure what to do right now. They don't know if they should look at me if they should pray if they should shout, if they should move, if they should stir and they should do whatever is in their heart, because I'm not leaving here, the same way I came in. I can't determine what somebody else does but I can come after you with everything that I've got. Oh glory. Speak through your word. This is my prayer in Jesus name, amen.
Somebody give the Lord a great praise if you can. There comes a time when everything has to change. There comes a moment in your life when you can't talk in code anymore, you can't try to dumb it down for people, you can't keep skirting the issue that God has a calling on your life and that you didn't ask for it but God has called you to greatness. And you you can't hide anymore, it just happens. There's a moment in your life, where everything has been building up to God revealing who you are. For I consider that the sufferings of this present age are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us, for the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly awaits the revealing of the sons of God Romans 8:18 and 19.
And I saw pastor Lisa shift in the Holy Ghost and she stopped and she began to prophesy, because whether you know it or not, she's not just a preacher and a teacher, she is a prophet and so she has the ability to prophesy or to tell or foretell what God is doing or what he's trying to say to his people. So I don't want you to think that her words were casual. This was not another offering, it was not another moment, it was a part of what this day is supposed to be. March 8th of 2017. Eight the number of new beginnings, one in seven another eight new beginnings, you've stepped into new beginnings and didn't even know it. You're sitting in a new beginning but some of y'all are about to stand up in a new beginning. Your health has to turn, your family life has to turn, your finances have to turn, your dreams have to turn, your children have to turn, the situations have to turn if something has to break.
And it has to happen in I need somebody to get a now praise, don't look at me, this is not spectator. This is engagement, this is excuse me while I worship. I've been crying at night you didn't know it and I was in emergency room last week for ten hours and they couldn't figure out, was it my heart or was it my brain, was at my liver? And then the tests came back and they can't find nothing, because what it is is the enemy's last chance to get me before everything turns. I need somebody to know, that tonight is the night when everything, I know that we're in close quarters and it might not be easy to do but I encourage you right now to just right where you are just see if you can just... Did you feel it? Did you feel it brother? I love you so much.
This is the season where the people that have been standing with you are gonna get blessed because they've been walking with you. Tell somebody it's turning for my friends. It's turning for my family. It's breaking in my favor, not tomorrow, not Saturday, not Sunday, right somebody give him a praise, in this place. This is the moment that many of you have been waiting on. You've been sensing it in your soul. That's why all hell was breaking loose but you kept praising. Who am I talking to? You didn't even have a reason to worship, put your hands lifted, am I talking to anybody that you don't even know where you got the strength from to keep praising?
And for some of y'all here, I hear the enemy say be quiet, that doesn't apply to you. If he said that to you, you need to be even louder. You need to be even louder. I can hear the devil ain't nothing breaking in your favor. He's alive. If you are a visitor tonight, you're not a visitor because you didn't accidentally show up here tonight. God wanted you here tonight. Because some of your prayers are about to be answered tonight. You know how many people are hurting? Need a real breakthrough from God, John they don't need people playing games. Wanna to talk to anybody in here who feels like me that the enemy just keeps poking it and messing and just hitting it.
You know what I've learned about the enemy, he's a bully. And like most bullies, he over-exaggerates his strength. All a bully really needs, is for somebody to just instead of backing up, just look and be like what? I need you to get that in your spirit right there, just get a "What"? No I'm not moving. I'm gonna stay right here devil I'm not going anywhere, I'm not leaving my marriage. I'm not leaving my children. I'm not leaving this post. I know it's been hard but it can't be like this forever something's gotta break.
As a matter of fact your time is up. Pray for me please, the enemy's been messing with my health. Just pray that I get this word out of my spirit. I got three MRIs next week. You think I'm walking in there scared? I'm gonna be in there were things like sir we're not allowed to have any music and am like now listen it's not in my phone that's me singing, that's me. Don't worry about what I'm doing, I'm just setting the atmosphere. So the equipment realizes that it doesn't tell me I tell it. I need a couple people who will just turn with me. Just say it's turning. If you feel it just ah, hey, hey, hey.
The enemy is fighting you, because he wants you to be quiet, he wants you to give up. Because you are this close, do you hear me? You are this much wig glue away. You are this close. Tell somebody I'm this close. Tell them I'm too close. Mark chapter 14 starting at the 32nd verse, there comes a time when you can't hide who you are. You can't hide the calling on your life. You can't run from the moment, you're in it you're in the moment. You're in the moment. You've tried to put all this stuff over you, just to make everybody else around you feel good.
Then they came to a place which was named Gethsemane and he said to his disciples, "Sit here while I pray". And he took Peter James and John with him and he began to be troubled and deeply distressed. And he said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful even to death. Stay here and watch". He went a little farther, fell on the ground and prayed that if it were possible the hour might pass from him. You can't escape the moment. You cannot stop what's coming. You cannot stand and you don't wanna to stop what's coming.
And he said, "Abba Father all things are possible for you, take this cup away from me. Nevertheless not what I will but what you will". Then Jesus came and found them sleeping. And said to Peter, "Simon are you sleeping? Couldn't watch one hour"? Could you not just come to church one time? You could go to the football game and be there for six hours. You've been in here ten minutes you are already ready to go? Are you sleeping? Watch and pray lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak.
Again he went away and prayed and spoke the same words and when he returned he found them asleep again for their eyes were heavy and they did not know what to answer him. Then he came the third time and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting"? It is enough! The hour has come: behold the Son of man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners rise let us be going. See my betrayer is at hand.
I wanna preach from the subject heading "Enough is enough". I'm gonna say it again enough is enough. I wonder what it was like for Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane on that Thursday night. Probably looking over his life over the things that he had experienced. Making sure that he had been compliant and obedient in every area because he understood, the unique nature of his assignment and his calling. Thinking about the life of Jesus that had been prophesied through the Old Testament that Messiah was coming. And then for this baby to be declared by Simeon and Anna in the temple that this was the Christ.
And then Luke 2:52 says he grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and men, to watch this little boy from a distance and imagine the turmoil, the family dynamics is he Joseph's? No he's not Joseph's, he's Mary's but it's not Joseph's but Joseph is the covering and by two years old the family is in all kinds of uproar because here come wise men saying "This is the one who was born the king of the Jews" and Herod who should be excited about it was actually insecure because his replacement was a two year old baby. And he says when you find him let me know so I can come kill him, I mean worship him.
There're some people who wanna kill what's in you so God had to hide you. I didn't say they wanted to kill you, some people probably you know we're mad at you but I don't know if it went that far. But there are some people that just can't stand that you're anointed. They just think that's just something oh, they just don't like you. And oh it just doesn't matter. I just tried to help you right there. Oh my God they don't like me. Do they pay any of your bills? Do they move the niddle in any area of your life? Why do you need to be liked?
Trying to help some get free from needing people to be excited. They are as excited about your calling as you. Jesus, the Bible says grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God. And man this, imagine the turmoil of having to flee political and spiritual persecution in his homeland. He had to emigrate to Egypt. Yeah, Jesus was an immigrant. Read your word. He had to leave Israel to flee persecution and he had to wait until that regime was over, for him to come home.
Jesus understands the plight of those who are broken and oppressed who are lost and who are hurting and let us never forget that Jesus himself was a man of sorrow and acquainted with grief. So no matter who you are where you come from, whether you have a lot or a little, Jesus can identify. Whether you've been all good or all bad he can identify. He was at all points tempted yet was without sin. So nobody gets to walk in here and act like they're better than anybody else, because if it wasn't for the blood of Jesus, none of us would have access to the Father.
Someone needs to thank God for Jesus. No no no no you're not gonna clap more for your blessing than you are for Jesus. I said someone needs to thank God for Jesus. Jesus is now in the garden. 33 years of life. And it's it's the moment. And he said. "Daddy, I don't want it, but I'm gonna do what you ask me to do". Let me go get these dudes I've been walking with for 3 years I'm sure they're gonna hold me down, I'm so proud oh, some of you guys have been hurt because some folk that you thought, understood the season you were in, were asleep.
How come they couldn't? Nobody could see it why? Because God will hide you in plain sight. And even the people closest to you won't be able to see you because he wants you to rely on him. Am I talking to anyone? You know many how many marriages could get free tonight if you stopped trying to put the last name Christ on your spouse? He can't see everything because he didn't make you. She can't see everything because she didn't make you. She is a complement to you, he complements you. He did not create you, she did not create you, so stop getting mad when they can't answer your prayers. Some of y'all wanna say amen but you don't want people to know y'all was arguing.
Tell somebody it's time. Jesus got through 33 years and most of the time in his public ministry the Bible says he would always talk in code, he was always speaking in parables. People never really could grasp him passed the field, they weren't sure is he the Messiah, is he not? Is he the Son of God? Is he from Bethlehem, is he from Nazareth? Where is he from? Or who is it? Well we know Joseph and what about Mary? And then he's got other brothers and sisters and then he's got these dudes following him. What's going on?
But he stretched out somebody's hand and I know that dude was blind for a long time. Now his eyes is open. Remembered them lepers looking like the thriller video? Well he healed them up too? That you heard about what happened with Lassie last, he was dead as a doornail. He's sitting up over at the coffee shop now. I don't know, something about this man is different. But he won't come out and tell us who he is. People still can't figure you out. They don't know if you're a saint or a sinner. Because sometimes you speak in tongues and other times you speak in, amen. What you've been battling is the tension between your flesh and your spirit. Who you were and who you are. And what you're called to be in the time, for the true unveiling is right now.
Somebody say right now. Jesus got to the garden and it was time. Tell somebody it's go time. Need to write this down I'm almost start giving you notes quick. Tell somebody it's go time. See I can't make you feel good anymore by apologizing for what God placed in me. I didn't make me so I can't hide who he made me anymore. I'm sorry but he anointed me for this moment. I'm sorry but he positioned me for this moment. I'm sorry but I'm supposed to be in this job. I'm sorry I'm supposed to be with that individual. I'm sorry that's what my kids are supposed to look like. I'm sorry this is who God made me. I'm sorry this is my hair or lack of hair. I'm sorry stop apologizing, for who God made you, embrace.
Jesus told the disciples y'all still sleeping? That's the problem with the body of Christ we've been asleep. Oh yeah we've been asleep. My wife she has a song that's her wake up, her alarm thing and I like the song. I loved it for the first two years that she played it. But here's the thing with my wife. My wife will push the snooze button six times. Anybody else of multiple snooze pusher? Here's the problem. The purpose of the snooze is like once. Maybe twice. But about that 13th time, not only have you broken your own rest, you could have slept for another hour.