April 29, 2025 • 44 mins
Pastor Britt kicks off our new series, "Believing For The Impossible," reminding us that Jesus challenges us to move spiritual truth from head knowledge to heart transformation, confronting areas where we've held back from full surrender.
• Salvation is FOR me – the rescue operation where Christ's sacrifice addresses our sin and offers forgiveness
• Salvation is IN me – Jesus actively heals our deception and breaks the power of darkness
• Salvation is THROUGH me – God's kingdom power flows through our surrendered lives
• The rich young ruler couldn't release his grip on possessions, preventing him from experiencing God's kingdom
• We all have "contested ground" where we're still battling for control instead of surrendering to Jesus' lordship
• Jesus is stronger than any darkness, deception, or stronghold in our lives
• Every act of enemy-love and sacrificial giving allows kingdom power to flow through us
• We must decide: will we participate in God's cosmic victory or hold onto our own way?
Will you allow the Holy Spirit to show you the contested ground in your heart today? Surrender those areas completely to Jesus's lordship and watch His power transform you and flow through you.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:04):
Welcome to the Rock Family Sermon of the Week.
For more information about ourchurch, please visit
therockfamilytv Now.
Join us for a message from ourspecial guest speaker.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
I want to caution you , because there's a lot of times
, there's a lot of things inlife that we think we know, but
they haven't quite moved fromhead knowledge to heart
knowledge, they haven't movedinto practice, they haven't
moved into action, they haven'tmoved into behavior.
So we're going to have to kindof keep that tension today, amen
.
So we're going to have to kindof keep that tension today, amen
(00:42):
.
You know, just even thinkingabout that this morning on the
drive in, I was like you know,even as a family, you can
probably think of some thingsthat, um, your children think
they know, and they do know, butit's just locked.
There's there's a, there's apadlock right here.
Like I walked in this morningto see my children's bedrooms
(01:04):
and the problem is not that theydon't know that the clothes go
in the drawer, right, butthere's clothes everywhere, all
over the floor.
You know, there's some things.
In fact, let me just see if youcan guess which family member
this is.
It'll be more fun this way.
So there's a family member whoknows they cannot eat chips and
(01:29):
salsa.
If they eat chips and salsa allnight long, they're going to
have heartburn and they're goingto burp and they're going to
disrupt the other personsleeping ever so lovely in that
bed, but they just keep eatingthe chips and salsa.
But they just keep eating thechips and salsa.
(01:50):
He's denying that all day long.
And like, here's one for me.
Like, I know how to drive, Ireally, really do.
Now, on my driver's test I didactually hit the car in front of
me, but that was many years agoand they still passed me.
And here I am today.
But I'm just going to say mychildren could attest that mama
(02:13):
hits a lot of curbs and you know, there's some things that they
were in process of knowing.
Right, that's what we'retalking about today.
All right, right, let's see ifI can get my everything up and
running where it needs to be.
Here we go.
I'm going to read you this quoteanyone who supposes that there
is now no longer any need forhim to prayerfully search for a
(02:36):
fuller understanding needs toponder.
If any man think he knowethanything, he knoweth nothing Yet
, as he ought to know.
1 Corinthians 8.2.
The fact is, the moment thatany of us start to take for
granted what we already know onsomething in the Bible, we cut
(02:58):
ourself off from any furtherlight.
Let's pray, jesus, you are here.
It's so evident.
God, we thank you that you arehere.
Holy Spirit, would you bubbleup today in every heart, every
person here, with fresh, livingwater?
(03:20):
Would you reframe our hearts,would you refocus our minds,
would you teach us new things?
Would you call us up God, wouldyou create in us everything
that you already wrote about inthe books?
God, we love you today.
We praise you in Jesus name,amen.
Okay, let's start with our text.
We're going to read.
(03:40):
You're going to open yourBibles to Matthew, chapter 19,
16 through 19.
The rich, young ruler, remember, I said you're going to read.
You're going to open yourBibles to Matthew, chapter 19,
16 through 19.
The rich, young ruler, remember.
I said you're going to be like.
I already know this story.
And behold, a man came up tohim saying teacher, what good
deed must I do to have eternallife?
And he said to him why do youask me about what is good?
(04:04):
There's only one who is good.
If you would enter life, keepthe commandments, he said to him
well, which ones?
And Jesus said you shall notmurder, you shall not commit
adultery, you shall not steal,you shall not bear false witness
, honor your father and yourmother and you shall love your
(04:25):
neighbor as yourself.
It was a long passage, so Ijust split it up Verse 20, let's
keep reading.
The young man said to him hey,all these I've kept good news.
But it wasn't good news becausehe still knew something was
missing inside, which is why hesaid but what do I still lack?
And Jesus said to him well, ifyou want, if you want to be
(04:48):
perfect, go sell what youpossess and give to the poor,
and you have treasure in heavenand come and follow me.
And when the young man heardthis what do we already know
Because you've already read thisstory he went away.
What Sorrowful, because he hadgreat possessions.
(05:12):
Now, right here, at this moment,the disciples are with Jesus.
They've watched thisinteraction.
They're watching this man turnaway, sorrowful, not getting the
very thing that he wasgenuinely seeking for.
And so I love how Jesusoperates with his disciples.
He pulls them off to the sidefor a little teachable moment.
Where's my mamas in the house?
(05:34):
Actually, mamas, daddies,grandparents, teachers, youth
leaders everybody in the room.
Don't miss what Jesus does ashe's training up his disciples.
We don't ever want to miss ateachable moment.
I absolutely love that.
That like storybook picture inmy mind, where the family
gathers together every eveningover a lovely home cooked meal
(05:59):
and then they open the familyBible and they have the
devotions together, where theygo each around the room sharing
what this has done in theirheart, as the truth has landed
upon them.
Not in our house, I don't knowabout your house, but you know
what.
I make sure that I don't missthe teachable moments.
See, there's times to havedevotions.
(06:21):
Every time you're in the car,every time you're watching a
show, every time you're watchinga show, every time a song lyric
comes on, every time they comehome with a drama from school,
every time they see somethinggoing on in mom and dad's life
and they're watching how we'reresponding and processing hard
things right.
So we're going to take a notefrom Jesus.
We're not going to miss ateachable moment.
And that's what he does.
He pulls them off to the sideand he says I need a full-time
(06:47):
helper clicker next time.
Okay, jesus says to him look,look, look, come over here.
Truly, I say to you, only withdifficulty will a rich man enter
the kingdom of heaven.
Again, I tell you, it's easierfor a camel to go through the
eye of a needle than a richperson to enter the kingdom of
(07:09):
God.
When the disciples heard this,they were greatly astonished.
They take a step back and theystart to now make it about them,
because that's what we all do.
Well then, who?
Who can be saved?
You know, I read this passageabout a thousand times preparing
for today and I have to behonest with you, the same thing
(07:31):
that the disciples were feelingin that moment I feel every time
I read it.
It's very disconcerting, it'svery uncomfortable that I'm
envisioning this man who'sgenuinely seeking.
What we do know about him ishe's a rich, young ruler.
We know that he is coming tosay that he's done all the good
things and he's saying what elsecan I do to earn?
(07:52):
I wanna know.
You know, I've heard debates,I've heard that there is a life
after death, and I've heard thatmaybe it's good deeds to get me
there, maybe it's charity or,you know, maybe it's just
obeying the law in all of itsfullness.
But I really want to make sure.
So, jesus, can you go ahead andtell me um, you're, you're a
good teacher, I've heard you'regood.
Can you go ahead and tell mewhat else I need to do so that I
(08:13):
can have what I'm looking forand Jesus lets them go See in
the Bible Belt and in the South.
We don't like to let peopleleave disappointed, right, we
like to people please, we liketo get it together to make sure
that everybody can have theirhappy, joy-filled experience.
But if you had been there thatday, what do you think you would
(08:37):
have been feeling?
I mean, maybe maybe just sayingright off the bat, you might've
just judged him.
You might've, right off the bat, just seen rich, young, we'll
throw in a handsome.
Maybe he was, maybe he wasn't.
We know that he had likeinfluence because he's some sort
(09:00):
of religious ruler, he's somesort of higher up in a religious
circle.
So, I don't know, maybeSmithlake's with us today.
Pastor Drew, I think this wouldhave been you.
I just feel like you would havebeen the one being like hmm,
those rich people, they wanttheir cake and eat it too, but
not you, fayetteville.
(09:20):
See, we're one church, onefamily, so we've got to pretend
like we're all in the same room.
Not you, fayetteville, becauseI know you have all those
compassion people.
You would have said but Jesus,oh, don't make it so hard for
him.
That's just too much to ask.
He's such a good guy, I'm notgoing to leave Madison out.
Who do I want to pick atMadison, carlos coming for you.
(09:47):
Look, man, didn't you hear?
You just go to say the prayer.
You didn't know the prayer.
We all know the prayer.
We learned it when we wentwitnessing.
You know, jesus, I believe I'msaved.
Yeah, but not here inHuntsville, cause, see, we got
our Bible shredders, we got ourones that know the old Testament
(10:07):
.
So you would have been thinking,you know, I do remember a story
in the old Testament and Godasked Abraham to give up
something very precious.
But you know what?
In the end, he didn't reallyhave to do it.
So maybe you get to keep yourstuff right.
He didn't really have to do it.
So maybe you get to keep yourstuff right.
(10:28):
But Jesus says it two times.
It's easier for a rich man whatdoes he say?
The eye to put a camel to theeye of a needle.
This also came to lifeyesterday, as last night at a
very, very, very late hour, I'mhaving to hem these pants.
Did you know that when you'refive feet tall, they don't make
clothes that fit you?
Again, large men for themicrophone, tall ladies for the
(10:53):
clothing, as I'm trying to put athread in that needle to hem
these pants.
I'm thinking of this scripturewhy, why would he say this?
Now, before we go on, I reallywant us to talk about these two
areas, because I feel like weall need to start with the same
working definition.
That's real helpful when you'recommunicating, when we all are
working from the same place.
(11:14):
So let's start with the kingdom.
So what do we know about thekingdom of God?
Because, you know, in thispassage we've got a lot of
things being interchanged.
We've got what must I do to besaved?
How do I have eternal life?
How do I enter into life?
What is the kingdom of God?
What is the kingdom of heaven?
So let's talk about these.
These are all the same.
We're talking about the kingdomof God.
The kingdom of God is his ruleand his reign, and his reign
(11:48):
it's where he has authority,it's where his way and his will
is executed every time.
So let's talk about heaven.
Is heaven a far, far, far offplace?
That is right above the clouds?
Maybe, but heaven is actuallywhere God is.
It's where God sits, it's wherehe rules and reigns.
It's a dimension that'sprobably not that far from us.
(12:09):
That's why we feel thin placeswhen we worship and we're like
like today, I don't know aboutyou this morning, I felt he was
here.
I felt him here.
I felt him here.
The kingdom we're talking aboutthe kingdom.
Well, in his kingdom he's theLord of his kingdom, so it's his
(12:37):
sovereign way.
Okay, and we know all throughscripture.
But we've had people joke on usjust from other denominations
and traditions and backgrounds,and it's totally fine to do that
.
Why y'all always using the wordkingdom?
Everything's about the kingdom.
You got it on t-shirts, you gotit on the wall.
What's the big deal about thekingdom?
The big deal is that'severything about the New
Testament is that the kingdom ofGod that had been established
in the garden that we lost cameback when Jesus came on the
(13:00):
scene.
His rule and reign came backinto the earth when Jesus came
in human flesh.
And what do we know is the endof the story?
The end of the story is thatone day, a new heaven and a new
earth Right Is going to makeeverything new again.
Make everything right.
His kingdom will be fully come.
So it has come, it is come andit will fully come.
(13:22):
Talking about the kingdom ofheaven, all right.
So why is it so hard for a richperson to enter this place of
rule and reign of his lordship?
Well, when we think about arich person, they have resources
, they have wealth.
We know that not a lot aboutthis man, but he must have had
(13:44):
businesses, he must have hadland.
It could have been family money.
Well, with resources and withwealth, what does that bring?
Options, choices, agency.
Yes, jesus has a way, but youknow what?
I've got a lot at my disposal.
Do I really want to follow thatway?
(14:06):
See, it's real easy to go.
Oh yeah, rich people.
But see, compared to a firstcentury Jew, every one of us
would be wealthy.
We're all the rich men in thisstory.
So, as we read the last verse 26, as they're so perplexed and
confused and disheartened andconcerned about their own
(14:27):
salvation, jesus brings the goodnews.
He looks at them.
I think we forget that Jesuslooks at us.
I think we move so fast throughlife, through circumstance,
through situations, that weforget that his eyes are always
(14:50):
on us and that he's with us.
He's with you today and helooks at them and says with man,
this is what, but with Godlet's say it together All things
are possible.
See, this man walked away beforehe got to hear that part.
But the truth is he couldn'tuntangle himself from his belief
(15:17):
that he needed to earnsalvation.
He couldn't untangle himselffrom his riches and his power
and his choices.
They said who can be saved?
Hold on fixing my Come on, comeon.
(15:53):
The Holy Spirit must want timefor you to think about that
question.
Just sit with it.
Who can be saved?
Fayetteville, the first level ofbelieving for the impossible.
We came in here with songlyrics.
We came in here with big needs,big face, big request, great
(16:15):
need.
And you know where it allstarts.
The first place we believe forthe impossible is that salvation
was.
For me it's the rescuerevelation.
It's sad to me because we're incultural Christianity, with
(16:36):
people who have been in churchfor years and this still is here
and not here.
It was the outrageous act oflove for the fallen, cursed,
oppressed humanity that brokethe back of the cosmic evil
holding us in slavery.
Perfect love exposed anddisempowered the evil of the
(17:02):
destructive powers, erased thecondemnation of the law that
stood against us and freed us toreceive the life giving Holy
Spirit, who draws us intorelationship and fellowship to
walk with God.
You know one of my favorite,favorite things to just I just
say it all the time, I don'tknow why, but I just love it.
(17:22):
Behold the lamb of God whotakes away the sin of the world.
It never gets old.
But you know, even though Ibelieve that and it stirs my
emotions I have found myselfhaving to get back in alignment
(17:46):
with this.
The other day I realized I passby a middle school every day
and I do my best every dayunless somebody's having a
meltdown in the back seat topray over these students as
they're going in and out oftheir school.
But I have found myself prayinglike this God, this generation,
(18:07):
they're so lost, god.
Would you just awaken them, god, would they turn?
Would they wake up?
Would they actually just stopall this stupid stuff?
Would they just come to you,jesus, I'm sorry, I didn't find
(18:29):
him and you didn't find him.
He rescued you.
So, god, we got to change ourprayers.
We need a rescue.
We need to recognize who thencan be saved.
Salvation is for us, say for me, for me, salvation is for me.
We can't fix ourselves.
But then the other side of thisis the big C church is really
(18:51):
good at this part of the gospelwe can share good news all day.
Smile, jesus loves you.
Hey, he's not mad.
God loves you because we haveaccepted and received the for me
part of salvation.
(19:12):
Also, where's my people in sales?
Who's in sales marketing?
Just wave at me.
I know Fayetteville.
Y'all be selling somegenerators out there.
What's the first thing we learnin sales?
What's the first thing we learnin marketing?
You got to make it easy, right,remove the barriers of entry,
remove all the hindrances.
It's got to be obvious.
(19:32):
It's got to be fast.
It's got to be quick, it's gotto be simple.
So when you're thinking of thegospel, you're thinking, oh,
what's the easy way to getpeople in the door?
But Jesus didn't do that.
Why?
You got to make it hard, jesus.
But if we stop, as the big Cchurch with the God loves you,
(19:57):
he's not mad at you, he did itall for you we lose the potency
and the power of the gospel.
That's in Romans 1, 16.
You know this verse, for I amnot ashamed of the gospel.
It is the power of God.
For who?
Everyone who believes thatpower.
(20:21):
See, the only problem thatJesus came to solve.
Last week we celebrated.
He died on the cross, he rose.
We always forget aboutascension in our tradition.
That's actually where heactually was enthroned, formally
Like.
He sits up there far aboveprincipality and power.
(20:42):
Sits up there far aboveprincipality and power, his
enthronement of his kingdom.
The only problem that Jesuscame to solve wasn't for that
man to know where he was goingafter he dies.
In fact, I would say a biggerproblem for you on the daily is
not where you're going to bewhen you die.
Although important, the greaterproblem that you have on the
(21:03):
daily is the powers of darknessthat parade themselves around
you.
They hide us light.
They go after your children,they go after your marriage,
they go after your family, afteryour bloodlines, after your
generations, after your mentalhealth, after your finances,
after your peace.
Would you agree?
(21:25):
We fight evil constantly.
Fear.
Am I the only one?
See, I'm a Holy Spirit girl.
I know how to pray and then,when I can, I know how to find
ladies that can, but you knowwhich one always comes back Fear
(21:50):
.
Colossians 2, 13.
Let's read this you were dead inyour trespasses, the
uncircumcision of your flesh,but God made you alive together
with him, forgiven of all ourtrespasses.
He canceled our debt.
He stood against us with thelegal demands.
(22:10):
He set aside and nailed it tothe cross.
But this last verse, hedisarmed the rulers and
authorities.
He shamed them and triumphedover them.
This is the second place that wehave to believe for the
impossible.
It's the salvation.
(22:31):
What was the first one?
Salvation for me.
This one is the salvation in me, salvation in me.
Let me read these two versesMatthew 12, 22 through 29.
When Jesus heals the sick and hedrives out evil spirits oh, I'm
paraphrasing when Jesus healsthe sick and drives out evil
(22:53):
spirits, satan's dominion isdeparting and his kingdom is
coming.
See, when you read the NewTestament Matthew, mark, luke
and John and you start to readwhat Jesus did, it said that he
came preaching, he came teaching.
But what else did he come doing?
Healing and delivering.
(23:14):
So did he come healing andexercising demons?
Because he just needed you toget your attention, so that you
could believe that you're gonnahave a good place to go after
you die.
A lot of people think that theyskip right over this.
God anointed Jesus of Nazarethwith the Holy Spirit and with
(23:36):
power.
He went about doing good andhealing all who were what
Oppressed by the devil, for Godwas with him.
Acts 10, 38.
This was another thing that,although I know right, it's
gotta move from here to here.
(23:56):
This is the revelation thatJesus is stronger.
In the Bible Jesus said theworld is under siege by a strong
(24:17):
man, but guess what, I'mstronger.
He bound the strong man so thatwe could be healed and
delivered.
But we don't move it from hereto here.
Say in me salvation, in me,jesus heals our disease.
(24:41):
Jesus heals our disease.
1 Peter 2, 24,.
He himself bore our sins in hisbody on the tree that we might
die to sin and live torighteousness.
By his wounds you have beenhealed.
Am I talking about the Band-AidI had to put on Jackson's heel
last night for the tiniestlittle scratch that no one could
(25:03):
see?
What is it about a Bandaid witha child?
It's all well, they can pickout one with a color and a
character, not our disease.
You know what your disease is,the same disease Adam and Eve
had.
It's a disease, disease ofdeception, a demonically induced
(25:26):
disease of deception.
See, the very same thing.
They're here in the garden.
They're in his kingdom, hisrule and reign he plans to do be
fruitful and multiply throughthem.
And they have a choice, and Ialways made it about the fruit.
I don't know Cause I like fruit.
Maybe I saw people was like Iwonder what kind of fruit.
Maybe it was really pretty andsparkly.
A choice and I always made itabout the fruit.
I don't know because I likefruit.
Maybe I always was like Iwonder what kind of fruit.
Maybe it was really pretty andsparkly and tasty.
(25:48):
No, no, no, no, no, it's notabout the fruit.
See, we read through Westerneyes.
This was a Hebrew idiom thatmeant a choice between always
depending on God to know what isright for your life, or the
knowledge to decide for yourself.
(26:10):
Do I want to live my whole lifedependent and tied to my
creator, trusting andsurrendering that his way is the
right way, that he is the kingof his kingdom, or do I want to
have a little of both?
Do I want to be like the richman?
(26:30):
Do I want to have my options?
Do I want to have the knowledgeto say well, you know what, I'm
going to take some scripturebecause I like some of this
stuff.
She's saying it's not bad.
Yeah, I like some of those songlyrics we were singing.
Yeah, I'll take that.
I'll take me some healing.
(26:52):
Adam and Eve chose to choose forthemselves.
That's the disease and that'sthe disease he came to heal in.
You See, the rich man couldn'theal himself, because good works
won't do that.
Surrendering to the kingdom ofGod, surrendering to his choices
(27:15):
, surrendering to what is rightfor us you can't read scripture
Like I.
Just you can't read scriptureand not see the whole thing.
It's a cosmic battle betweengood and evil.
The cross, the resurrection,the ascension.
He does the impossible becausehe actually destroys the violent
powers of deception against you, violent powers of deception
(27:40):
against you.
He pours his Holy Spirit, newspirit in us, gives us a new
nature.
This was a revelation for me,see, I'm giving you all the time
, all the things he's got to fixin me.
Isn't that good to know thatyou never graduate from Jesus
(28:02):
school?
See, we decided to start aschool with not enough time and
not enough money.
So, not really, because we arefollowing Jesus and believing
that that's what he wanted us todo.
So what do you do?
In that moment, you begin topray, right?
Well, remember that thing aboutfear that I said that keeps
(28:25):
coming up, because he alwayscomes back.
I found my prayers very fearful.
I found my prayers actuallygiving most of the glory and
most of my vision to what'sgoing on in a generation.
And, god, how?
How are we going to do this?
How are we going to do this?
(28:46):
Lord?
I see the ones that you'regoing to bring, that you're
going to transport from there tohere.
How are we going to do this?
They need a miracle, they needa rescue.
God, the sin is so great.
How are we going to raise up ageneration?
And I started praying thisprayer oh Lord, this generation
(29:12):
is contested ground.
And one day the Holy Spirit wokeme up, real, real early.
He said I need you to stoppraying that over this contested
ground.
Why are you praying that thisis contested ground?
Kingdom Heights is notcontested ground.
You start declaring thatKingdom Heights is holy ground.
Why are you praying that thisis contested ground?
Kingdom Heights is notcontested ground.
You start declaring thatKingdom Heights is holy ground.
Kingdom Heights is holy ground.
This church is holy ground.
Your campus is holy ground.
Your home is holy groundbecause, see anywhere that you
(29:33):
decide, he's the king, he's incharge.
His rule, his reign, I'msurrendered to his lordship.
Guess what this is?
This is not contested.
You say, what does contestedmean?
It means there's a powerstruggle.
It means we don't yet knowwho's going to win.
We don't really know what'sgoing to happen here.
We don't know who's stronger,but guess what?
(29:55):
We know Jesus is stronger.
See, it's religious, it's areligious spirit.
I was praying over that inworship.
Just like an iceberg, lord,just smash it.
You ever just see stuff inworship.
Ask him, say give me eyes tosee.
In the spirit I saw my words,which weren't my words.
All I'm here.
(30:15):
If y'all just need to know,lord, you can offer your body as
a living sacrifice.
I'm offering up my voice as aliving sacrifice, but I saw my
word is like an arrow goingright into the heart of someone
who's so hardened and so callousthat you don't feel.
You don't feel anymore.
You're in here in worship andyou see people getting excited
and you're like I want to, but Iain't feeling nothing.
(30:36):
See, jesus came to break theback of that because Jesus is
stronger and his perfect love,his perfect love, pours into
your heart and it breaks offdeception and it breaks off lies
.
But you got to.
Jesus is stronger.
(31:00):
So my question today is whereis the contested ground in your
heart?
We just finished this greatgarden series.
I loved every minute of it.
If you missed even a singleweek, I encourage you to go
listen to the podcast, get onYouTube.
It was the most beautifulseries, just lacing God's heart
for people that all he everwanted was a family, an unbroken
(31:23):
relationship with you, and nomatter what we did as humanity
to mess it up, he always had aplan.
He was always coming for you.
He was always planning torescue you.
He just needed to get yourattention so you could choose.
Jesus is stronger.
Attention so you could choose.
Jesus is stronger.
So where is the power struggle?
Where is the contested ground?
(31:44):
I pray the Holy Spirit wouldshow that to you.
I pray that you would believefor the impossible there.
I know where I'm going.
I'm going to heaven.
I know I believe I received.
I received what he did for me.
But what about in you?
What about in you?
You don't have to keep going.
(32:05):
You don't have to keep livingin a sin cycle.
You don't have to stay bound.
You don't have to be defeated.
You don't have to have failureover and over and over again.
You don't have to see things inthe generations pass down and
to continue to stay to yourchildren and your grandchildren.
Has anybody here got arevelation that you should just
(32:26):
stop praying for your family andstart praying for your
children's, children's,children's children.
Holy ground, everybody say holyground.
(32:46):
The last part of this salvationthrough me, if you did not know
the end of the story, jesus isrestoring some things, all
things.
He is restoring all things.
That's right.
Some of you are in professionswhere you see the worst side of
(33:12):
humanity.
You see the darkest, deepest,most heinous things that people
could ever succumb to.
Jesus plans to redeem andrestore all things, everything
that the enemy stole, everythingthat the enemy has distorted
(33:35):
and ruined.
Jesus has a plan.
There's a new heaven and a newearth that will come and
actually make new again what isour normal, what is our
existence, what is our reality?
And this is the cool partSalvation is for you, salvation
is in you, salvation is throughyou.
(34:00):
We gotta stop just getting thelittle sample at Costco.
Oh, just have the little bite,I want the whole meal.
The church he called us to be isthe church that puts the beauty
of the Lord on display.
That is the microcosm of whatthe kingdom's going to look like
(34:23):
.
The church that says, oh, thatracism's out there, prejudice is
out there.
Yeah, it is.
If you didn't think that youneed to wake up.
Yes, it is.
But guess what?
This space is the family of God, the kingdom of God.
We are the microcosm to sayit's not here because his rule
and reign is here and we operatethe way he does.
(34:45):
Your marriage is a microcosm ofhow Jesus loves his church.
Everything we do we get theprivilege to model what he's
going to do in fullness when hecomes Salvation through me.
You know, I think about thisbecause I want these things.
(35:08):
I want these things so bad andI think sometimes we make them
too fancy.
Everybody say fancy, fancy.
Did you know?
Every time you love your enemy,perfect love comes through you.
Every time you've beenslandered by somebody at work
(35:34):
and you bless them and pray forthem, the kingdom comes through
you Every time you pray forthose who persecute.
You See, I don't feel like alot of us have a lot of
persecution, which is why it'sso funny that we quote.
I won't be ashamed of thegospel, but yet we kind of are.
(35:55):
We're timid, we're timid, we'reshy, we suck it up for ourself.
Oh, more love for me, jesus.
And walk right by somebody indarkness, brokenness, sorrow,
depression, isolation, and yetthe light, the perfect love.
(36:16):
What's he want to do?
How does he want to spread itThrough you?
You know, when you givesacrificially, the kingdom comes
through you, not the oh well, Igot my tax return and I already
(36:36):
booked my vacation and there isa $20 refund left.
You know what I'm talking about,when you just have that
fleeting thought what To givesomething to someone, and then
quickly you pull that back.
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh.
Where did that come from?
That's the kingdom of Godtrying to come out through you.
(37:01):
It's time that we be more loyalto his kingdom than to
nationalism or a political party.
We all know it.
We know it Clap, say HolySpirit, move it here to here.
Holy Spirit, move it here tohere.
(37:22):
All right, we either participatein God's comic victory, cosmic
victory over the powers, or wedon't.
I just had to put this quote uphere.
When I read it I was like, well, I guess that's all we need to
say.
It's a choice.
We're either going to be hishands, we're either going to
(37:44):
partner with him, we're eithergoing to receive this or we're
not.
And I think that's the choicetoday, as we launch into seven
weeks of believing for theimpossible.
You've got your list right nowof all the miracles you need God
to do, and this is where I feellike we need to start.
We're going to believe forsalvation, we're going to
(38:10):
believe that we would be changed, we are going to believe that
the things that are warring inus are gonna submit to the
Lordship of Jesus, and we'regonna believe that the power of
the living God is gonna flowthrough us.
Can I get an amen?
All right, campuses.
I'm gonna let you end howeveryou wanna end, but I am gonna to
(38:33):
end this campus with a prayerand I really want you to pray
with me.
I don't want you to listen tome praying.
I don't want you to justalready be so excited.
Oh, she, let us out early.
We're so happy Cause you knowwhat you can do, that and it'll
sit right here, so let's justput our hands up.
(38:55):
Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit, we areyour people.
We are your people and you arehere and Lord.
We just come in faith,believing in the God of the
impossible.
God.
We come today believing thatyou are the God of the
impossible.
You still do miracles, god.
We're signing up today, allover again.
(39:17):
We're signing up, god, tobelieve that we cannot earn.
We cannot earn your perfectlove, god.
You are the God who rescues.
God, we just put our hearts inyour hand.
Today, god, we thank you foryour rescuing power.
If there's anybody that comesto mind right now that you know
needs a rescue, I want you tobegin to lift up their name.
(39:39):
We lift up, we lift up peopletoday.
We lift up boys and girls, menand women all over our cities
today, god, that are in need ofa rescue.
They're in need of your perfectlove.
They're in need of your lightto shine on their face, god, to
move away the veil from theireyes, to be able to see that you
(40:01):
have a plan for them, to beable to see that you love them,
god, and that you've alreadymade a way, god, I thank you
right now, god, that everyperson, lord, still battling
that religious spirit that wouldsay, well, yeah, he rescues,
but you know what he didn't haveto rescue me from?
Very much, god.
(40:22):
We just surrender to you today,god.
We repent, lord, for focusingon our good works.
We repent, lord, for comparingourselves to others to say, oh,
look how good we are.
Oh, lord, look at all thethings we've done.
God, we come up today and wejust sign up all over again to
say we believe God.
(40:43):
What is impossible for man ispossible with you and God.
We say today search our hearts,god.
Search our hearts, god.
Search our hearts.
Where is there contested ground?
Holy Spirit, would you put yourfinger, just like you showed
(41:09):
Jesus, the very thing that thatman could not surrender control
to you for God.
Search our hearts and find theplaces, if there be any place,
lord, that we've held back fromyou, any place, lord, that your
lordship is not ruling andreigning in our thoughts.
(41:33):
God, we just offer up ourthoughts to you today, lord,
would you begin to search us,our thoughts, our desires, our
appetites, god?
We lay them on the altar today,god, and we receive the truth
that you are stronger.
Every cycle of sin, every liethat we believe today Jesus is
(41:55):
broken by the power of yourblood, god.
I thank you, god, that today,lord, that you would begin, that
you would begin to do a newwork.
You said the old is gone andthe new has come.
So, lord, I just pray, god, formy brothers and sisters.
Today, lord, we receive you byfaith and God, we want you to do
a full work in us, a full work.
(42:16):
Come, holy Spirit, come and God.
We just thank you, father, thatas we start into this series,
god, that you're going to beginto unpack more and more, because
we're not going to say wealready know, but, god, we're
going to truly come before youand say would you allow your
(42:37):
kingdom power to flow through me?
I just want you to begin to, inyour own words, just begin to
say God, use me, god, whateverit takes, lord, god, use me, use
me, lord, use me Jesus.
(42:58):
God, I don't wanna be a halfChristian, lord, I wanna
experience everything that youhave, lord.
We just thank you, god, foryour truth today.
We thank you for your power.
Today, god, we thank you foryour perfect love today.
We commit today that we believein miracles.
We receive your miracle today,god, and we're going to go out
(43:23):
of here carrying the truth andpower that there is light for
darkness.
There is light for darkness,god.
You've already made a way, lord.
We thank you for it.
In Jesus' name, everybody sayamen.
Speaker 1 (43:40):
We hope and pray this message was encouraging and
impactful.
Join us live on our website orFacebook on Sundays at 9 and 11
am.
You can stay connected with uson Facebook and Instagram at the
Rock Family.
Have a Jesus-filled week.
Welcome to the Rock Family Sermon of the Week.
For more information about ourchurch, please visit
therockfamilytv Now.
Join us for a message from ourspecial guest speaker.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
I want to caution you , because there's a lot of times
, there's a lot of things inlife that we think we know, but
they haven't quite moved fromhead knowledge to heart
knowledge, they haven't movedinto practice, they haven't
moved into action, they haven'tmoved into behavior.
So we're going to have to kindof keep that tension today, amen
.
So we're going to have to kindof keep that tension today, amen
(00:42):
.
You know, just even thinkingabout that this morning on the
drive in, I was like you know,even as a family, you can
probably think of some thingsthat, um, your children think
they know, and they do know, butit's just locked.
There's there's a, there's apadlock right here.
Like I walked in this morningto see my children's bedrooms
(01:04):
and the problem is not that theydon't know that the clothes go
in the drawer, right, butthere's clothes everywhere, all
over the floor.
You know, there's some things.
In fact, let me just see if youcan guess which family member
this is.
It'll be more fun this way.
So there's a family member whoknows they cannot eat chips and
(01:29):
salsa.
If they eat chips and salsa allnight long, they're going to
have heartburn and they're goingto burp and they're going to
disrupt the other personsleeping ever so lovely in that
bed, but they just keep eatingthe chips and salsa.
But they just keep eating thechips and salsa.
(01:50):
He's denying that all day long.
And like, here's one for me.
Like, I know how to drive, Ireally, really do.
Now, on my driver's test I didactually hit the car in front of
me, but that was many years agoand they still passed me.
And here I am today.
But I'm just going to say mychildren could attest that mama
(02:13):
hits a lot of curbs and you know, there's some things that they
were in process of knowing.
Right, that's what we'retalking about today.
All right, right, let's see ifI can get my everything up and
running where it needs to be.
Here we go.
I'm going to read you this quoteanyone who supposes that there
is now no longer any need forhim to prayerfully search for a
(02:36):
fuller understanding needs toponder.
If any man think he knowethanything, he knoweth nothing Yet
, as he ought to know.
1 Corinthians 8.2.
The fact is, the moment thatany of us start to take for
granted what we already know onsomething in the Bible, we cut
(02:58):
ourself off from any furtherlight.
Let's pray, jesus, you are here.
It's so evident.
God, we thank you that you arehere.
Holy Spirit, would you bubbleup today in every heart, every
person here, with fresh, livingwater?
(03:20):
Would you reframe our hearts,would you refocus our minds,
would you teach us new things?
Would you call us up God, wouldyou create in us everything
that you already wrote about inthe books?
God, we love you today.
We praise you in Jesus name,amen.
Okay, let's start with our text.
We're going to read.
(03:40):
You're going to open yourBibles to Matthew, chapter 19,
16 through 19.
The rich, young ruler, remember, I said you're going to read.
You're going to open yourBibles to Matthew, chapter 19,
16 through 19.
The rich, young ruler, remember.
I said you're going to be like.
I already know this story.
And behold, a man came up tohim saying teacher, what good
deed must I do to have eternallife?
And he said to him why do youask me about what is good?
(04:04):
There's only one who is good.
If you would enter life, keepthe commandments, he said to him
well, which ones?
And Jesus said you shall notmurder, you shall not commit
adultery, you shall not steal,you shall not bear false witness
, honor your father and yourmother and you shall love your
(04:25):
neighbor as yourself.
It was a long passage, so Ijust split it up Verse 20, let's
keep reading.
The young man said to him hey,all these I've kept good news.
But it wasn't good news becausehe still knew something was
missing inside, which is why hesaid but what do I still lack?
And Jesus said to him well, ifyou want, if you want to be
(04:48):
perfect, go sell what youpossess and give to the poor,
and you have treasure in heavenand come and follow me.
And when the young man heardthis what do we already know
Because you've already read thisstory he went away.
What Sorrowful, because he hadgreat possessions.
(05:12):
Now, right here, at this moment,the disciples are with Jesus.
They've watched thisinteraction.
They're watching this man turnaway, sorrowful, not getting the
very thing that he wasgenuinely seeking for.
And so I love how Jesusoperates with his disciples.
He pulls them off to the sidefor a little teachable moment.
Where's my mamas in the house?
(05:34):
Actually, mamas, daddies,grandparents, teachers, youth
leaders everybody in the room.
Don't miss what Jesus does ashe's training up his disciples.
We don't ever want to miss ateachable moment.
I absolutely love that.
That like storybook picture inmy mind, where the family
gathers together every eveningover a lovely home cooked meal
(05:59):
and then they open the familyBible and they have the
devotions together, where theygo each around the room sharing
what this has done in theirheart, as the truth has landed
upon them.
Not in our house, I don't knowabout your house, but you know
what.
I make sure that I don't missthe teachable moments.
See, there's times to havedevotions.
(06:21):
Every time you're in the car,every time you're watching a
show, every time you're watchinga show, every time a song lyric
comes on, every time they comehome with a drama from school,
every time they see somethinggoing on in mom and dad's life
and they're watching how we'reresponding and processing hard
things right.
So we're going to take a notefrom Jesus.
We're not going to miss ateachable moment.
And that's what he does.
He pulls them off to the sideand he says I need a full-time
(06:47):
helper clicker next time.
Okay, jesus says to him look,look, look, come over here.
Truly, I say to you, only withdifficulty will a rich man enter
the kingdom of heaven.
Again, I tell you, it's easierfor a camel to go through the
eye of a needle than a richperson to enter the kingdom of
(07:09):
God.
When the disciples heard this,they were greatly astonished.
They take a step back and theystart to now make it about them,
because that's what we all do.
Well then, who?
Who can be saved?
You know, I read this passageabout a thousand times preparing
for today and I have to behonest with you, the same thing
(07:31):
that the disciples were feelingin that moment I feel every time
I read it.
It's very disconcerting, it'svery uncomfortable that I'm
envisioning this man who'sgenuinely seeking.
What we do know about him ishe's a rich, young ruler.
We know that he is coming tosay that he's done all the good
things and he's saying what elsecan I do to earn?
(07:52):
I wanna know.
You know, I've heard debates,I've heard that there is a life
after death, and I've heard thatmaybe it's good deeds to get me
there, maybe it's charity or,you know, maybe it's just
obeying the law in all of itsfullness.
But I really want to make sure.
So, jesus, can you go ahead andtell me um, you're, you're a
good teacher, I've heard you'regood.
Can you go ahead and tell mewhat else I need to do so that I
(08:13):
can have what I'm looking forand Jesus lets them go See in
the Bible Belt and in the South.
We don't like to let peopleleave disappointed, right, we
like to people please, we liketo get it together to make sure
that everybody can have theirhappy, joy-filled experience.
But if you had been there thatday, what do you think you would
(08:37):
have been feeling?
I mean, maybe maybe just sayingright off the bat, you might've
just judged him.
You might've, right off the bat, just seen rich, young, we'll
throw in a handsome.
Maybe he was, maybe he wasn't.
We know that he had likeinfluence because he's some sort
(09:00):
of religious ruler, he's somesort of higher up in a religious
circle.
So, I don't know, maybeSmithlake's with us today.
Pastor Drew, I think this wouldhave been you.
I just feel like you would havebeen the one being like hmm,
those rich people, they wanttheir cake and eat it too, but
not you, fayetteville.
(09:20):
See, we're one church, onefamily, so we've got to pretend
like we're all in the same room.
Not you, fayetteville, becauseI know you have all those
compassion people.
You would have said but Jesus,oh, don't make it so hard for
him.
That's just too much to ask.
He's such a good guy, I'm notgoing to leave Madison out.
Who do I want to pick atMadison, carlos coming for you.
(09:47):
Look, man, didn't you hear?
You just go to say the prayer.
You didn't know the prayer.
We all know the prayer.
We learned it when we wentwitnessing.
You know, jesus, I believe I'msaved.
Yeah, but not here inHuntsville, cause, see, we got
our Bible shredders, we got ourones that know the old Testament
(10:07):
.
So you would have been thinking,you know, I do remember a story
in the old Testament and Godasked Abraham to give up
something very precious.
But you know what?
In the end, he didn't reallyhave to do it.
So maybe you get to keep yourstuff right.
He didn't really have to do it.
So maybe you get to keep yourstuff right.
(10:28):
But Jesus says it two times.
It's easier for a rich man whatdoes he say?
The eye to put a camel to theeye of a needle.
This also came to lifeyesterday, as last night at a
very, very, very late hour, I'mhaving to hem these pants.
Did you know that when you'refive feet tall, they don't make
clothes that fit you?
Again, large men for themicrophone, tall ladies for the
(10:53):
clothing, as I'm trying to put athread in that needle to hem
these pants.
I'm thinking of this scripturewhy, why would he say this?
Now, before we go on, I reallywant us to talk about these two
areas, because I feel like weall need to start with the same
working definition.
That's real helpful when you'recommunicating, when we all are
working from the same place.
(11:14):
So let's start with the kingdom.
So what do we know about thekingdom of God?
Because, you know, in thispassage we've got a lot of
things being interchanged.
We've got what must I do to besaved?
How do I have eternal life?
How do I enter into life?
What is the kingdom of God?
What is the kingdom of heaven?
So let's talk about these.
These are all the same.
We're talking about the kingdomof God.
The kingdom of God is his ruleand his reign, and his reign
(11:48):
it's where he has authority,it's where his way and his will
is executed every time.
So let's talk about heaven.
Is heaven a far, far, far offplace?
That is right above the clouds?
Maybe, but heaven is actuallywhere God is.
It's where God sits, it's wherehe rules and reigns.
It's a dimension that'sprobably not that far from us.
(12:09):
That's why we feel thin placeswhen we worship and we're like
like today, I don't know aboutyou this morning, I felt he was
here.
I felt him here.
I felt him here.
The kingdom we're talking aboutthe kingdom.
Well, in his kingdom he's theLord of his kingdom, so it's his
(12:37):
sovereign way.
Okay, and we know all throughscripture.
But we've had people joke on usjust from other denominations
and traditions and backgrounds,and it's totally fine to do that
.
Why y'all always using the wordkingdom?
Everything's about the kingdom.
You got it on t-shirts, you gotit on the wall.
What's the big deal about thekingdom?
The big deal is that'severything about the New
Testament is that the kingdom ofGod that had been established
in the garden that we lost cameback when Jesus came on the
(13:00):
scene.
His rule and reign came backinto the earth when Jesus came
in human flesh.
And what do we know is the endof the story?
The end of the story is thatone day, a new heaven and a new
earth Right Is going to makeeverything new again.
Make everything right.
His kingdom will be fully come.
So it has come, it is come andit will fully come.
(13:22):
Talking about the kingdom ofheaven, all right.
So why is it so hard for a richperson to enter this place of
rule and reign of his lordship?
Well, when we think about arich person, they have resources
, they have wealth.
We know that not a lot aboutthis man, but he must have had
(13:44):
businesses, he must have hadland.
It could have been family money.
Well, with resources and withwealth, what does that bring?
Options, choices, agency.
Yes, jesus has a way, but youknow what?
I've got a lot at my disposal.
Do I really want to follow thatway?
(14:06):
See, it's real easy to go.
Oh yeah, rich people.
But see, compared to a firstcentury Jew, every one of us
would be wealthy.
We're all the rich men in thisstory.
So, as we read the last verse 26, as they're so perplexed and
confused and disheartened andconcerned about their own
(14:27):
salvation, jesus brings the goodnews.
He looks at them.
I think we forget that Jesuslooks at us.
I think we move so fast throughlife, through circumstance,
through situations, that weforget that his eyes are always
(14:50):
on us and that he's with us.
He's with you today and helooks at them and says with man,
this is what, but with Godlet's say it together All things
are possible.
See, this man walked away beforehe got to hear that part.
But the truth is he couldn'tuntangle himself from his belief
(15:17):
that he needed to earnsalvation.
He couldn't untangle himselffrom his riches and his power
and his choices.
They said who can be saved?
Hold on fixing my Come on, comeon.
(15:53):
The Holy Spirit must want timefor you to think about that
question.
Just sit with it.
Who can be saved?
Fayetteville, the first level ofbelieving for the impossible.
We came in here with songlyrics.
We came in here with big needs,big face, big request, great
(16:15):
need.
And you know where it allstarts.
The first place we believe forthe impossible is that salvation
was.
For me it's the rescuerevelation.
It's sad to me because we're incultural Christianity, with
(16:36):
people who have been in churchfor years and this still is here
and not here.
It was the outrageous act oflove for the fallen, cursed,
oppressed humanity that brokethe back of the cosmic evil
holding us in slavery.
Perfect love exposed anddisempowered the evil of the
(17:02):
destructive powers, erased thecondemnation of the law that
stood against us and freed us toreceive the life giving Holy
Spirit, who draws us intorelationship and fellowship to
walk with God.
You know one of my favorite,favorite things to just I just
say it all the time, I don'tknow why, but I just love it.
(17:22):
Behold the lamb of God whotakes away the sin of the world.
It never gets old.
But you know, even though Ibelieve that and it stirs my
emotions I have found myselfhaving to get back in alignment
(17:46):
with this.
The other day I realized I passby a middle school every day
and I do my best every dayunless somebody's having a
meltdown in the back seat topray over these students as
they're going in and out oftheir school.
But I have found myself prayinglike this God, this generation,
(18:07):
they're so lost, god.
Would you just awaken them, god, would they turn?
Would they wake up?
Would they actually just stopall this stupid stuff?
Would they just come to you,jesus, I'm sorry, I didn't find
(18:29):
him and you didn't find him.
He rescued you.
So, god, we got to change ourprayers.
We need a rescue.
We need to recognize who thencan be saved.
Salvation is for us, say for me, for me, salvation is for me.
We can't fix ourselves.
But then the other side of thisis the big C church is really
(18:51):
good at this part of the gospelwe can share good news all day.
Smile, jesus loves you.
Hey, he's not mad.
God loves you because we haveaccepted and received the for me
part of salvation.
(19:12):
Also, where's my people in sales?
Who's in sales marketing?
Just wave at me.
I know Fayetteville.
Y'all be selling somegenerators out there.
What's the first thing we learnin sales?
What's the first thing we learnin marketing?
You got to make it easy, right,remove the barriers of entry,
remove all the hindrances.
It's got to be obvious.
(19:32):
It's got to be fast.
It's got to be quick, it's gotto be simple.
So when you're thinking of thegospel, you're thinking, oh,
what's the easy way to getpeople in the door?
But Jesus didn't do that.
Why?
You got to make it hard, jesus.
But if we stop, as the big Cchurch with the God loves you,
(19:57):
he's not mad at you, he did itall for you we lose the potency
and the power of the gospel.
That's in Romans 1, 16.
You know this verse, for I amnot ashamed of the gospel.
It is the power of God.
For who?
Everyone who believes thatpower.
(20:21):
See, the only problem thatJesus came to solve.
Last week we celebrated.
He died on the cross, he rose.
We always forget aboutascension in our tradition.
That's actually where heactually was enthroned, formally
Like.
He sits up there far aboveprincipality and power.
(20:42):
Sits up there far aboveprincipality and power, his
enthronement of his kingdom.
The only problem that Jesuscame to solve wasn't for that
man to know where he was goingafter he dies.
In fact, I would say a biggerproblem for you on the daily is
not where you're going to bewhen you die.
Although important, the greaterproblem that you have on the
(21:03):
daily is the powers of darknessthat parade themselves around
you.
They hide us light.
They go after your children,they go after your marriage,
they go after your family, afteryour bloodlines, after your
generations, after your mentalhealth, after your finances,
after your peace.
Would you agree?
(21:25):
We fight evil constantly.
Fear.
Am I the only one?
See, I'm a Holy Spirit girl.
I know how to pray and then,when I can, I know how to find
ladies that can, but you knowwhich one always comes back Fear
(21:50):
.
Colossians 2, 13.
Let's read this you were dead inyour trespasses, the
uncircumcision of your flesh,but God made you alive together
with him, forgiven of all ourtrespasses.
He canceled our debt.
He stood against us with thelegal demands.
(22:10):
He set aside and nailed it tothe cross.
But this last verse, hedisarmed the rulers and
authorities.
He shamed them and triumphedover them.
This is the second place that wehave to believe for the
impossible.
It's the salvation.
(22:31):
What was the first one?
Salvation for me.
This one is the salvation in me, salvation in me.
Let me read these two versesMatthew 12, 22 through 29.
When Jesus heals the sick and hedrives out evil spirits oh, I'm
paraphrasing when Jesus healsthe sick and drives out evil
(22:53):
spirits, satan's dominion isdeparting and his kingdom is
coming.
See, when you read the NewTestament Matthew, mark, luke
and John and you start to readwhat Jesus did, it said that he
came preaching, he came teaching.
But what else did he come doing?
Healing and delivering.
(23:14):
So did he come healing andexercising demons?
Because he just needed you toget your attention, so that you
could believe that you're gonnahave a good place to go after
you die.
A lot of people think that theyskip right over this.
God anointed Jesus of Nazarethwith the Holy Spirit and with
(23:36):
power.
He went about doing good andhealing all who were what
Oppressed by the devil, for Godwas with him.
Acts 10, 38.
This was another thing that,although I know right, it's
gotta move from here to here.
(23:56):
This is the revelation thatJesus is stronger.
In the Bible Jesus said theworld is under siege by a strong
(24:17):
man, but guess what, I'mstronger.
He bound the strong man so thatwe could be healed and
delivered.
But we don't move it from hereto here.
Say in me salvation, in me,jesus heals our disease.
(24:41):
Jesus heals our disease.
1 Peter 2, 24,.
He himself bore our sins in hisbody on the tree that we might
die to sin and live torighteousness.
By his wounds you have beenhealed.
Am I talking about the Band-AidI had to put on Jackson's heel
last night for the tiniestlittle scratch that no one could
(25:03):
see?
What is it about a Bandaid witha child?
It's all well, they can pickout one with a color and a
character, not our disease.
You know what your disease is,the same disease Adam and Eve
had.
It's a disease, disease ofdeception, a demonically induced
(25:26):
disease of deception.
See, the very same thing.
They're here in the garden.
They're in his kingdom, hisrule and reign he plans to do be
fruitful and multiply throughthem.
And they have a choice, and Ialways made it about the fruit.
I don't know Cause I like fruit.
Maybe I saw people was like Iwonder what kind of fruit.
Maybe it was really pretty andsparkly.
A choice and I always made itabout the fruit.
I don't know because I likefruit.
Maybe I always was like Iwonder what kind of fruit.
Maybe it was really pretty andsparkly and tasty.
(25:48):
No, no, no, no, no, it's notabout the fruit.
See, we read through Westerneyes.
This was a Hebrew idiom thatmeant a choice between always
depending on God to know what isright for your life, or the
knowledge to decide for yourself.
(26:10):
Do I want to live my whole lifedependent and tied to my
creator, trusting andsurrendering that his way is the
right way, that he is the kingof his kingdom, or do I want to
have a little of both?
Do I want to be like the richman?
(26:30):
Do I want to have my options?
Do I want to have the knowledgeto say well, you know what, I'm
going to take some scripturebecause I like some of this
stuff.
She's saying it's not bad.
Yeah, I like some of those songlyrics we were singing.
Yeah, I'll take that.
I'll take me some healing.
(26:52):
Adam and Eve chose to choose forthemselves.
That's the disease and that'sthe disease he came to heal in.
You See, the rich man couldn'theal himself, because good works
won't do that.
Surrendering to the kingdom ofGod, surrendering to his choices
(27:15):
, surrendering to what is rightfor us you can't read scripture
Like I.
Just you can't read scriptureand not see the whole thing.
It's a cosmic battle betweengood and evil.
The cross, the resurrection,the ascension.
He does the impossible becausehe actually destroys the violent
powers of deception against you, violent powers of deception
(27:40):
against you.
He pours his Holy Spirit, newspirit in us, gives us a new
nature.
This was a revelation for me,see, I'm giving you all the time
, all the things he's got to fixin me.
Isn't that good to know thatyou never graduate from Jesus
(28:02):
school?
See, we decided to start aschool with not enough time and
not enough money.
So, not really, because we arefollowing Jesus and believing
that that's what he wanted us todo.
So what do you do?
In that moment, you begin topray, right?
Well, remember that thing aboutfear that I said that keeps
(28:25):
coming up, because he alwayscomes back.
I found my prayers very fearful.
I found my prayers actuallygiving most of the glory and
most of my vision to what'sgoing on in a generation.
And, god, how?
How are we going to do this?
How are we going to do this?
(28:46):
Lord?
I see the ones that you'regoing to bring, that you're
going to transport from there tohere.
How are we going to do this?
They need a miracle, they needa rescue.
God, the sin is so great.
How are we going to raise up ageneration?
And I started praying thisprayer oh Lord, this generation
(29:12):
is contested ground.
And one day the Holy Spirit wokeme up, real, real early.
He said I need you to stoppraying that over this contested
ground.
Why are you praying that thisis contested ground?
Kingdom Heights is notcontested ground.
You start declaring thatKingdom Heights is holy ground.
Why are you praying that thisis contested ground?
Kingdom Heights is notcontested ground.
You start declaring thatKingdom Heights is holy ground.
Kingdom Heights is holy ground.
This church is holy ground.
Your campus is holy ground.
Your home is holy groundbecause, see anywhere that you
(29:33):
decide, he's the king, he's incharge.
His rule, his reign, I'msurrendered to his lordship.
Guess what this is?
This is not contested.
You say, what does contestedmean?
It means there's a powerstruggle.
It means we don't yet knowwho's going to win.
We don't really know what'sgoing to happen here.
We don't know who's stronger,but guess what?
(29:55):
We know Jesus is stronger.
See, it's religious, it's areligious spirit.
I was praying over that inworship.
Just like an iceberg, lord,just smash it.
You ever just see stuff inworship.
Ask him, say give me eyes tosee.
In the spirit I saw my words,which weren't my words.
All I'm here.
(30:15):
If y'all just need to know,lord, you can offer your body as
a living sacrifice.
I'm offering up my voice as aliving sacrifice, but I saw my
word is like an arrow goingright into the heart of someone
who's so hardened and so callousthat you don't feel.
You don't feel anymore.
You're in here in worship andyou see people getting excited
and you're like I want to, but Iain't feeling nothing.
(30:36):
See, jesus came to break theback of that because Jesus is
stronger and his perfect love,his perfect love, pours into
your heart and it breaks offdeception and it breaks off lies
.
But you got to.
Jesus is stronger.
(31:00):
So my question today is whereis the contested ground in your
heart?
We just finished this greatgarden series.
I loved every minute of it.
If you missed even a singleweek, I encourage you to go
listen to the podcast, get onYouTube.
It was the most beautifulseries, just lacing God's heart
for people that all he everwanted was a family, an unbroken
(31:23):
relationship with you, and nomatter what we did as humanity
to mess it up, he always had aplan.
He was always coming for you.
He was always planning torescue you.
He just needed to get yourattention so you could choose.
Jesus is stronger.
Attention so you could choose.
Jesus is stronger.
So where is the power struggle?
Where is the contested ground?
(31:44):
I pray the Holy Spirit wouldshow that to you.
I pray that you would believefor the impossible there.
I know where I'm going.
I'm going to heaven.
I know I believe I received.
I received what he did for me.
But what about in you?
What about in you?
You don't have to keep going.
(32:05):
You don't have to keep livingin a sin cycle.
You don't have to stay bound.
You don't have to be defeated.
You don't have to have failureover and over and over again.
You don't have to see things inthe generations pass down and
to continue to stay to yourchildren and your grandchildren.
Has anybody here got arevelation that you should just
(32:26):
stop praying for your family andstart praying for your
children's, children's,children's children.
Holy ground, everybody say holyground.
(32:46):
The last part of this salvationthrough me, if you did not know
the end of the story, jesus isrestoring some things, all
things.
He is restoring all things.
That's right.
Some of you are in professionswhere you see the worst side of
(33:12):
humanity.
You see the darkest, deepest,most heinous things that people
could ever succumb to.
Jesus plans to redeem andrestore all things, everything
that the enemy stole, everythingthat the enemy has distorted
(33:35):
and ruined.
Jesus has a plan.
There's a new heaven and a newearth that will come and
actually make new again what isour normal, what is our
existence, what is our reality?
And this is the cool partSalvation is for you, salvation
is in you, salvation is throughyou.
(34:00):
We gotta stop just getting thelittle sample at Costco.
Oh, just have the little bite,I want the whole meal.
The church he called us to be isthe church that puts the beauty
of the Lord on display.
That is the microcosm of whatthe kingdom's going to look like
(34:23):
.
The church that says, oh, thatracism's out there, prejudice is
out there.
Yeah, it is.
If you didn't think that youneed to wake up.
Yes, it is.
But guess what?
This space is the family of God, the kingdom of God.
We are the microcosm to sayit's not here because his rule
and reign is here and we operatethe way he does.
(34:45):
Your marriage is a microcosm ofhow Jesus loves his church.
Everything we do we get theprivilege to model what he's
going to do in fullness when hecomes Salvation through me.
You know, I think about thisbecause I want these things.
(35:08):
I want these things so bad andI think sometimes we make them
too fancy.
Everybody say fancy, fancy.
Did you know?
Every time you love your enemy,perfect love comes through you.
Every time you've beenslandered by somebody at work
(35:34):
and you bless them and pray forthem, the kingdom comes through
you Every time you pray forthose who persecute.
You See, I don't feel like alot of us have a lot of
persecution, which is why it'sso funny that we quote.
I won't be ashamed of thegospel, but yet we kind of are.
(35:55):
We're timid, we're timid, we'reshy, we suck it up for ourself.
Oh, more love for me, jesus.
And walk right by somebody indarkness, brokenness, sorrow,
depression, isolation, and yetthe light, the perfect love.
(36:16):
What's he want to do?
How does he want to spread itThrough you?
You know, when you givesacrificially, the kingdom comes
through you, not the oh well, Igot my tax return and I already
(36:36):
booked my vacation and there isa $20 refund left.
You know what I'm talking about,when you just have that
fleeting thought what To givesomething to someone, and then
quickly you pull that back.
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh.
Where did that come from?
That's the kingdom of Godtrying to come out through you.
(37:01):
It's time that we be more loyalto his kingdom than to
nationalism or a political party.
We all know it.
We know it Clap, say HolySpirit, move it here to here.
Holy Spirit, move it here tohere.
(37:22):
All right, we either participatein God's comic victory, cosmic
victory over the powers, or wedon't.
I just had to put this quote uphere.
When I read it I was like, well, I guess that's all we need to
say.
It's a choice.
We're either going to be hishands, we're either going to
(37:44):
partner with him, we're eithergoing to receive this or we're
not.
And I think that's the choicetoday, as we launch into seven
weeks of believing for theimpossible.
You've got your list right nowof all the miracles you need God
to do, and this is where I feellike we need to start.
We're going to believe forsalvation, we're going to
(38:10):
believe that we would be changed, we are going to believe that
the things that are warring inus are gonna submit to the
Lordship of Jesus, and we'regonna believe that the power of
the living God is gonna flowthrough us.
Can I get an amen?
All right, campuses.
I'm gonna let you end howeveryou wanna end, but I am gonna to
(38:33):
end this campus with a prayerand I really want you to pray
with me.
I don't want you to listen tome praying.
I don't want you to justalready be so excited.
Oh, she, let us out early.
We're so happy Cause you knowwhat you can do, that and it'll
sit right here, so let's justput our hands up.
(38:55):
Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit, we areyour people.
We are your people and you arehere and Lord.
We just come in faith,believing in the God of the
impossible.
God.
We come today believing thatyou are the God of the
impossible.
You still do miracles, god.
We're signing up today, allover again.
(39:17):
We're signing up, god, tobelieve that we cannot earn.
We cannot earn your perfectlove, god.
You are the God who rescues.
God, we just put our hearts inyour hand.
Today, god, we thank you foryour rescuing power.
If there's anybody that comesto mind right now that you know
needs a rescue, I want you tobegin to lift up their name.
(39:39):
We lift up, we lift up peopletoday.
We lift up boys and girls, menand women all over our cities
today, god, that are in need ofa rescue.
They're in need of your perfectlove.
They're in need of your lightto shine on their face, god, to
move away the veil from theireyes, to be able to see that you
(40:01):
have a plan for them, to beable to see that you love them,
god, and that you've alreadymade a way, god, I thank you
right now, god, that everyperson, lord, still battling
that religious spirit that wouldsay, well, yeah, he rescues,
but you know what he didn't haveto rescue me from?
Very much, god.
(40:22):
We just surrender to you today,god.
We repent, lord, for focusingon our good works.
We repent, lord, for comparingourselves to others to say, oh,
look how good we are.
Oh, lord, look at all thethings we've done.
God, we come up today and wejust sign up all over again to
say we believe God.
(40:43):
What is impossible for man ispossible with you and God.
We say today search our hearts,god.
Search our hearts, god.
Search our hearts.
Where is there contested ground?
Holy Spirit, would you put yourfinger, just like you showed
(41:09):
Jesus, the very thing that thatman could not surrender control
to you for God.
Search our hearts and find theplaces, if there be any place,
lord, that we've held back fromyou, any place, lord, that your
lordship is not ruling andreigning in our thoughts.
(41:33):
God, we just offer up ourthoughts to you today, lord,
would you begin to search us,our thoughts, our desires, our
appetites, god?
We lay them on the altar today,god, and we receive the truth
that you are stronger.
Every cycle of sin, every liethat we believe today Jesus is
(41:55):
broken by the power of yourblood, god.
I thank you, god, that today,lord, that you would begin, that
you would begin to do a newwork.
You said the old is gone andthe new has come.
So, lord, I just pray, god, formy brothers and sisters.
Today, lord, we receive you byfaith and God, we want you to do
a full work in us, a full work.
(42:16):
Come, holy Spirit, come and God.
We just thank you, father, thatas we start into this series,
god, that you're going to beginto unpack more and more, because
we're not going to say wealready know, but, god, we're
going to truly come before youand say would you allow your
(42:37):
kingdom power to flow through me?
I just want you to begin to, inyour own words, just begin to
say God, use me, god, whateverit takes, lord, god, use me, use
me, lord, use me Jesus.
(42:58):
God, I don't wanna be a halfChristian, lord, I wanna
experience everything that youhave, lord.
We just thank you, god, foryour truth today.
We thank you for your power.
Today, god, we thank you foryour perfect love today.
We commit today that we believein miracles.
We receive your miracle today,god, and we're going to go out
(43:23):
of here carrying the truth andpower that there is light for
darkness.
There is light for darkness,god.
You've already made a way, lord.
We thank you for it.
In Jesus' name, everybody sayamen.
Speaker 1 (43:40):
We hope and pray this message was encouraging and
impactful.
Join us live on our website orFacebook on Sundays at 9 and 11
am.
You can stay connected with uson Facebook and Instagram at the
Rock Family.
Have a Jesus-filled week.
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