WEBVTT 00:00:02.080 --> 00:00:05.040 Welcome to the Celebration Church Orlando podcast. 00:00:05.200 --> 00:00:06.879 Thank you so much for listening today. 00:00:07.040 --> 00:00:08.960 We hope it encourages you and inspires you. 00:00:09.199 --> 00:00:16.800 All right, if you guys message I would love for you to join me in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter number four. 00:00:17.039 --> 00:00:19.920 The Gospel of Matthew chapter number four. 00:00:20.000 --> 00:00:26.559 We're going to get there in in just a moment, but while we are turning to that, I wanna I want to share a couple of things with with you guys. 00:00:26.640 --> 00:00:35.679 Now, there's a couple of things that I do in the beginning of every year that kind of helps me to kind of begin to identify the patterns and the rhythms that God speaks to me in. 00:00:35.759 --> 00:00:38.479 So I'm gonna give you guys a little bit of insight for for me. 00:00:38.640 --> 00:00:43.759 Every year, when I'm when I'm reading through the Bible, um each year I have a different color highlighter. 00:00:43.840 --> 00:00:46.880 So for this year, I'm gonna give you guys a little bit of a pitman perspective. 00:00:47.039 --> 00:00:50.320 This year, my highlighter for 2022 is the color green. 00:00:50.479 --> 00:00:54.719 Green is a strong color for growth and prosperity and blessing and things like that. 00:00:54.799 --> 00:00:56.320 But here's what that means for me. 00:00:56.479 --> 00:01:01.359 Um, when I look at my Bible and I look at the highlights in yellow, yellow was 2020. 00:01:01.439 --> 00:01:06.719 Um, my my highlights that were in blue was 2021, and now I'm going into 2022. 00:01:06.799 --> 00:01:17.200 And here's what that does: it allows me when I'm looking at my Bible to see what God was speaking to me back in 2020, what God was speaking to me in 2021, and what God is speaking to me in 2022. 00:01:17.280 --> 00:01:27.200 And if I can see that God was speaking to me the same passage of scripture like consistently for three years, that's how you begin to recognize themes that God is clearly trying to speak to you. 00:01:27.359 --> 00:01:58.079 So I would just want to encourage you, just one of the little spiritual life hacks that I use is that as you're engaging the word of God, you can do this with a digital Bible, you can do it also um obviously with a paper Bible, but find that one thing that you highlight your Bible with, and then when you look back at it years later, you can say, Okay, the year of 2022, these are all the scriptures that I highlighted that God was speaking to me, and you begin to recognize the themes and the patterns that God is speaking because God often speaks in rhythms and patterns, and it's us it's up to us to recognize those patterns that He's speaking to us in. 00:01:58.239 --> 00:01:58.879 Amen. 00:01:59.359 --> 00:02:00.000 Amen. 00:02:00.480 --> 00:02:08.719 Um, I'm I'm pumped about this, um, about this series that we're going into, this series um that we've entitled Make Room. 00:02:08.879 --> 00:02:16.639 Um, because I realized that in order for us to truly be the recipients of what it is that God has for us, it requires us to make room. 00:02:16.719 --> 00:02:25.039 You'll find that the biggest blessings, I I began to think of it this way that if every single one of my prayers, if they were all of them were answered, would I have room for them? 00:02:25.199 --> 00:02:27.759 Have I made preparation for the things I've been praying for? 00:02:27.919 --> 00:02:31.599 Have I made preparation for the things that I'm asking for God to move in? 00:02:31.759 --> 00:02:35.199 And and more often than not, we all can can accumulate a little bit of clutter. 00:02:35.360 --> 00:02:36.639 We we carry some things with us. 00:02:36.719 --> 00:02:41.680 And if we're not careful, when God shows up to present something to us, we we don't have room for it. 00:02:41.840 --> 00:02:50.319 And so this series is meant to challenge us to take inventory of where we are in our lives and to begin to position ourselves in such a way that we begin to make room. 00:02:50.400 --> 00:02:55.599 What are some things I need to clear out so that I can make room for what it is that God wants to bring in? 00:02:55.759 --> 00:02:57.520 I think about it uh this way. 00:02:57.759 --> 00:03:04.479 Whenever we go grocery shopping, there's a moment where um I'm the way that I put up groceries and and my wife's at home, she's she's watching. 00:03:04.560 --> 00:03:07.680 Um, hey honey, she she just lost her grandmother, so we're praying for her. 00:03:07.759 --> 00:03:15.360 She's at home grieving and she's gonna be with her family, but um I know she's watching right now and and and we love you, we're we're we're encouraging you, and we're with you and your family. 00:03:15.439 --> 00:03:22.960 Um but but one of the things that I that I know is when I go grocery shopping, the way that I put up groceries is vastly different than the way that Megan does. 00:03:23.120 --> 00:03:31.759 My my strategy for putting up groceries is I got it, I put it in the refrigerator, whatever's there, I move it out the way, I shove it in the back, I do whatever I need to do in order to force it to get in. 00:03:31.919 --> 00:03:36.560 But but what Megan does is she actually likes to take stuff out, look at it, look at the expiration date. 00:03:36.639 --> 00:03:38.240 What are the things that still need to be here? 00:03:38.479 --> 00:03:44.319 She actually begins to make room because she doesn't want something expired to take up too much space. 00:03:46.159 --> 00:03:47.840 This is just an introduction, y'all. 00:03:48.000 --> 00:03:56.240 I I wonder as we go into the new season, what are the expired things we're bringing with us that's not making room for the abundance that God wants to bring to us? 00:03:56.479 --> 00:04:05.520 I believe that God is asking us in this season to begin to evaluate our proverbial closets, our proverbial refrigerators, and say, what are the expired thoughts that you're carrying with you? 00:04:05.680 --> 00:04:07.759 What are the expired habits that you're bringing with you? 00:04:07.840 --> 00:04:10.960 What are the expired relationships that are taking up space? 00:04:11.039 --> 00:04:15.759 And when a new relationship shows up, you don't make room for it because you got this old thing in the way. 00:04:15.840 --> 00:04:28.879 What this series is meant to do is to really challenge us to take inventory, remove the things that that aren't healthy for us, remove the things that that we've really grown attached to that maybe God wants us to release so that we can make room for what it is that He has for us. 00:04:29.120 --> 00:04:36.399 I believe one of the passages that have really been speaking to me in that regard is found in the Gospel of John, um, chapter 3, verse 30. 00:04:36.480 --> 00:04:42.000 Um, and and you could just write that down later as a note, but it's John the Baptist, and he says these things as it relates to Jesus. 00:04:42.160 --> 00:04:43.439 The ministry of Jesus has come. 00:04:43.600 --> 00:04:52.879 John the Baptist has been very influential in preparing the way for Jesus, but he's at this point where he makes this statement I must decrease and he must increase. 00:04:53.199 --> 00:04:58.160 John was saying that I need to have less of me in order for there to be more of Jesus. 00:04:58.399 --> 00:05:04.480 He was speaking of himself, he was speaking of his ministry, but I believe that same thing applies to us. 00:05:04.560 --> 00:05:07.120 There's gotta be less of me if I want more of Jesus. 00:05:07.279 --> 00:05:11.040 There's gotta be less of me in my marriage if I want to see Jesus glorified in my marriage. 00:05:11.120 --> 00:05:15.600 There's gotta be less of me in my resources if I want to see Jesus glorified in my resources. 00:05:15.759 --> 00:05:21.519 You can look at every area of our lives and have this fundamental idea: less of me and more of Jesus. 00:05:21.839 --> 00:05:26.720 Because where there is a more of a presence of Jesus, there's a blessing that comes alongside of it. 00:05:26.879 --> 00:05:29.839 When we decrease, it does bring increase. 00:05:30.000 --> 00:05:32.319 When we make room, we make progress. 00:05:32.560 --> 00:05:35.839 That's what we're going to be talking about over the next couple of weeks. 00:05:36.000 --> 00:05:41.120 To give us context into the gospel of Matthew, chapter four, I'll set it up this way. 00:05:41.360 --> 00:05:45.920 Not much is known about the early life of Jesus. 00:05:46.160 --> 00:05:56.639 Now, I know we all are used to seeing baby Jesus in the manger, but when we look at the collective um timeline of the life of Christ, we don't have a lot of information of his early life. 00:05:56.800 --> 00:06:00.639 Here's what we have of Jesus: we have the prophetic words concerning him. 00:06:00.879 --> 00:06:02.160 We we have his birth. 00:06:02.319 --> 00:06:04.720 Um, we all celebrated uh Christmas. 00:06:04.879 --> 00:06:11.199 We we have after that, we have about two years um later when the wise men finally arrive to present him with his gifts. 00:06:11.360 --> 00:06:14.399 Then we fast forward and we don't see him again until he's 12 years old. 00:06:14.560 --> 00:06:20.319 He's in the temple talking to uh the the the wise men and the and the sages, he's inside of the temple. 00:06:20.480 --> 00:06:23.759 He has a conversation there, and then we fast forward and then he's 30. 00:06:24.000 --> 00:06:31.920 So when we are looking at the life of Jesus, we are literally only seeing about 10% of his life when we look at his ministry. 00:06:32.079 --> 00:06:40.480 So you got to ask yourself, what was he doing in all of those years of silence, all of those years that we have no context of, all of those years we don't have perspective of? 00:06:40.639 --> 00:06:46.720 Well, I believe that Jesus was living a traditional Jewish life which was preparing for his calling. 00:06:47.040 --> 00:06:48.079 Imagine that. 00:06:48.319 --> 00:06:54.000 That we only seen 10% of his life and 90% was spent in preparation. 00:06:54.480 --> 00:06:59.360 How often do we live our lives where we want 90% to be seen and only 10% in preparation? 00:06:59.439 --> 00:07:01.360 But Jesus modeled something different for us. 00:07:01.519 --> 00:07:06.720 That there's times where we need to spend a lot of time in preparation if we want to have maximum impact. 00:07:06.800 --> 00:07:14.240 And because of the 90% of preparation that Jesus put in, that 10% that we saw was enough to literally change the world. 00:07:14.480 --> 00:07:18.480 Jesus is now at a point where he's about to begin his public ministry. 00:07:18.560 --> 00:07:20.160 He's about 30 years old now. 00:07:20.399 --> 00:07:28.720 All these years of silence, he goes and he gets baptized by his cousin John the Baptist, which is initiating his public earthly ministry. 00:07:28.879 --> 00:07:32.560 That's kind of what leads us into this very next moment that happens after that. 00:07:32.639 --> 00:07:41.439 After he gets baptized, starting here at verse number one, it says this Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 00:07:41.839 --> 00:07:45.759 After he had fasted for forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 00:07:45.920 --> 00:07:51.519 Then the tempter approached him and said, If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread. 00:07:51.680 --> 00:07:58.480 He answered and said, It is written that man should not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes out of the mouth of God. 00:07:58.639 --> 00:08:02.720 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the pinnacle of the temple. 00:08:02.879 --> 00:08:17.120 And he said to him, If you are the son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, Um, he has given his angels orders concerning you, and they will support you with their hand so that you will not even strike your foot on a stone. 00:08:17.519 --> 00:08:21.600 Jesus told him, It is also written, Do not test the Lord your God. 00:08:21.759 --> 00:08:33.440 Verse number eight, and again the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splinter, and he said to him, I will give you all of these if you fall down and worship me. 00:08:33.679 --> 00:08:40.639 Then Jesus told him, Go away, Satan, for it is written to worship the Lord God your only and serve only him. 00:08:41.279 --> 00:08:47.600 Then the devil left him, and the angels came and began to serve him. 00:08:48.080 --> 00:09:06.480 Then, after Jesus had fasted for 40 days and forty nights, after Jesus was tempted, after Jesus was tested, after he responded with the word of God, then it says that the angels came and strengthened him and that the enemy fleed. 00:09:06.879 --> 00:09:21.519 I believe that this passage of scripture almost serves as a recipe for us to be successful in whatever our visions and goals and dreams are, if we can look at the pattern that Jesus has set for us. 00:09:21.600 --> 00:09:25.840 I want to talk to us for a few moments around this idea of being anchored. 00:09:26.080 --> 00:09:26.879 Let's pray. 00:09:27.039 --> 00:09:29.200 Lord, I thank you so much for your word. 00:09:29.600 --> 00:09:31.519 I thank you, God, for your community. 00:09:31.600 --> 00:09:38.960 I thank you for this amazing church family and what it is that you've allowed us to do, what you've commissioned us to do, and what you're empowering us to do. 00:09:39.120 --> 00:09:51.200 Lord, I just pray over the next few moments that you give us open eyes that we can see you, open ears to hear your truth, and open hearts to receive it, and the ability to take the necessary steps to see your will activated in our lives. 00:09:51.360 --> 00:09:56.799 Holy Spirit, we invite you to encourage us, to challenge us, to direct us, to inspire us. 00:09:56.960 --> 00:09:58.799 And it's in Jesus' name that we pray. 00:09:59.120 --> 00:10:01.759 Amen and amen. 00:10:02.879 --> 00:10:10.320 You know, I I I read somewhere that um that the earth is like over 70% filled um with water. 00:10:10.559 --> 00:10:12.559 And and so that's not a spoiler alert. 00:10:12.639 --> 00:10:13.279 We all get that. 00:10:13.440 --> 00:10:17.279 We all understand how much of the world is just filled with water. 00:10:17.360 --> 00:10:23.200 So historically, that meant that there were certain areas that just weren't accessible because there was no way to get to them. 00:10:23.440 --> 00:10:31.519 So naturally, um, man and his ingenuity through the spark of inspiration from God, he gave man the inspiration to create boats. 00:10:31.679 --> 00:10:36.879 And boats now made the world a lot smaller and made areas that were unaccessible accessible. 00:10:37.039 --> 00:10:47.440 So man created a boat, and as man would get on these boats, they would begin to travel and to seek out new worlds and to learn and discover what's all out there, what's available for them, what are some other things that are there. 00:10:47.600 --> 00:10:59.679 But but then there became a recurring problem that the winds would come and that the waves would come and that storms would come, and now these boats that were basically at the whims of the waves didn't have any direction. 00:10:59.759 --> 00:11:06.559 So then they began to create sails, and that would allow them to steer and use the wind that would actually help them to be able to be redirected. 00:11:06.639 --> 00:11:14.639 But when storms would come, they couldn't steer through it, and so they would end up crashing up against walls and rocks and losing and not even making it to their destination. 00:11:14.799 --> 00:11:21.840 So then, through the spark of inspiration, man was then told to, we need to create something that's gonna allow us to be stabilized. 00:11:21.919 --> 00:11:24.240 We're gonna create an anchor. 00:11:24.480 --> 00:11:29.679 And and the beautiful thing about an anchor is that once you drop it, it allows you to, it allows you to be stabilized. 00:11:29.840 --> 00:11:44.399 It allows that even if the currents shift, that there's only but so far you can go, that that if the winds come that that you're anchored, you're not gonna get set adrift, you're not gonna lose everything that you've carried with you, that you can you can ride out the storm and you can make it to your destination. 00:11:45.039 --> 00:11:47.440 That's how important anchors are. 00:11:47.600 --> 00:11:59.919 They allow you to be stabilized, it allows you to be rooted, it allows you to not be adrift to the point that you don't make it to your destination, or if, or unfortunately, that you don't make it anywhere at all, that you are lost at sea. 00:12:00.000 --> 00:12:02.879 That's that's the significance of anchors. 00:12:03.440 --> 00:12:26.799 And and and I I look at this and I say this because I think that that we all need to have something that anchors us to ensure that that when the storms come, because they will come, that when the waves come, because they will come, that when that when the tides shift, because they will shift, there is something that we are anchored to that would allow us to experience stability and ensure that we don't lose everything that we've accumulated up to this point. 00:12:27.039 --> 00:12:35.440 I believe that there's a few things that that God wants to ensure that we are anchored to, because if we're not anchored to the right things, we can end up going astray. 00:12:35.679 --> 00:12:40.080 Paul he he uses this language in Ephesians chapter number four. 00:12:40.240 --> 00:12:51.679 He says that we will no longer be like little children, tossed by the waves, blown around with every wind of teaching and human cunning cleverness and the techniques of deceit. 00:12:51.919 --> 00:12:55.679 Paul was using this idea of someone not being anchored. 00:12:55.759 --> 00:13:01.360 And then when something new comes in, it completely changes your direction, it completely changes your mind. 00:13:01.519 --> 00:13:04.000 I I was just recently talking to Pastor Vinny. 00:13:04.080 --> 00:13:07.919 We went out and we went to see uh the newest Matrix film. 00:13:08.159 --> 00:13:12.799 Anybody that knows me knows that I absolutely love the Matrix, the universe, all of that. 00:13:12.879 --> 00:13:13.679 I'm I I love it. 00:13:13.840 --> 00:13:19.679 So when we walked out of that movie, we were talking, me, him, and Danny, and we were like, man, like that was that was pretty good, man. 00:13:19.759 --> 00:13:23.679 Like, okay, like we we had our whole month, we like geeked out for like 10 minutes in front of the theater. 00:13:23.759 --> 00:13:24.399 It was awesome. 00:13:24.639 --> 00:13:25.600 Then we went home. 00:13:25.679 --> 00:13:32.080 And as we went back home, we went to our respective areas, we started looking at the reviews of what experts had to say about it. 00:13:32.320 --> 00:13:40.240 And now something that we once enjoyed, something that we once liked, when we come back, because of the words of someone else, we no longer like it. 00:13:40.720 --> 00:13:49.279 How how often is does it happen where we can feel really good about something until somebody says something to us that completely shifts our opinion or perspective? 00:13:49.440 --> 00:13:51.279 We can say, Man, I really love this album. 00:13:51.440 --> 00:13:52.480 You like that album? 00:13:54.159 --> 00:13:54.639 Do you? 00:13:54.879 --> 00:13:56.559 Oh, you must don't really understand music. 00:13:57.120 --> 00:13:57.679 Well, of course. 00:13:57.759 --> 00:13:59.279 Like, what do you what's your opinion on the matter? 00:13:59.360 --> 00:14:03.200 And then if I can hear enough, it can completely sway my decision. 00:14:03.360 --> 00:14:04.799 Have you ever been to a restaurant? 00:14:04.960 --> 00:14:05.840 My wife is good at this. 00:14:05.919 --> 00:14:10.559 Like, if you ever been to a restaurant and you have like a favorite dish or a favorite meal, and you I absolutely love this. 00:14:10.639 --> 00:14:12.799 Oh, you you you you love their bacon? 00:14:13.600 --> 00:14:14.720 Man, I don't I don't like their bacon. 00:14:14.799 --> 00:14:15.440 You know where you need to go? 00:14:15.519 --> 00:14:16.799 You need to go to this other spot. 00:14:16.879 --> 00:14:28.080 And before long, something that we genuinely said that we like, something that we genuinely said that we enjoy, we no longer like it because we've allowed someone else's words to completely change our opinion. 00:14:28.320 --> 00:14:32.639 These things seem so small and cavalier, but how often does it happen with much bigger things? 00:14:32.799 --> 00:14:46.559 How often does the enemy show up in our lives and we feel good about certain things, we feel strong about certain things, we feel like we're going in the right direction, but then all it takes is the wrong voices to begin to influence us and we begin to drift away from our very convictions. 00:14:46.879 --> 00:14:52.639 This is what Paul is talking about because we're not anchored to the right things, we're anchored to people's opinions. 00:14:52.799 --> 00:14:55.600 Or, or we're anchored to our feelings. 00:14:56.320 --> 00:14:58.559 And we know our feelings are facts, don't we? 00:14:58.879 --> 00:15:00.879 We we know our feelings are the gospel. 00:15:01.039 --> 00:15:03.679 We know that we live in a world where our feelings are the truth. 00:15:03.759 --> 00:15:15.440 So, unfortunately, the way that my feelings may change, then that means that what I'm anchored to may change, and I never make it to my destination because as the winds come, I'm constantly being tossed to and fro. 00:15:15.600 --> 00:15:26.000 Jesus gives us the remedy in Matthew chapter 7 when he says this Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 00:15:26.240 --> 00:15:34.639 The rain fell, the rivers rose, the winds blew and pounded the house, yet it did not collapse because its foundation was the rock. 00:15:34.799 --> 00:15:38.320 They were anchored on something beyond just my feelings. 00:15:38.480 --> 00:15:41.039 They were anchored on something beyond human opinions. 00:15:41.120 --> 00:15:44.240 It was anchored on something beyond myself. 00:15:44.559 --> 00:15:50.240 What Jesus is encouraging us and challenging us to do is we have to be anchored in something beyond ourselves. 00:15:50.399 --> 00:15:52.799 We have to be anchored to something beyond our opinions. 00:15:52.879 --> 00:15:57.120 And we live in a world, unfortunately, where my feelings and my opinions are the truth. 00:15:57.200 --> 00:16:03.759 And unfortunately, those things can be so easily swayed that I can lose focus and I can't make it to my God-given destination. 00:16:03.919 --> 00:16:08.320 This is why when we engage in the Word of God, these are things that anchor us. 00:16:08.480 --> 00:16:12.000 That when we engage in moments of worship, those are things that anchor us. 00:16:12.159 --> 00:16:17.279 That when we engage in journaling and being reminded of what God has done, those are things that anchor us. 00:16:17.360 --> 00:16:20.559 That when we serve the people of God, those are things that anchor us. 00:16:20.639 --> 00:16:23.759 That when we give out of obedience, those are things that anchor us. 00:16:23.840 --> 00:16:30.559 When we enter into a season of prayer and fasting, those are things that anchor us. 00:16:31.120 --> 00:16:38.720 It allows us to be anchored to something so that when the winds come, we don't get too far away from what it is that God wants us to do. 00:16:39.679 --> 00:16:41.039 Fasting simply means this. 00:16:41.120 --> 00:16:43.919 It means to intentionally abstain from something. 00:16:44.559 --> 00:16:47.679 It means to disconnect so that we can connect. 00:16:48.080 --> 00:16:50.399 Fasting means to disconnect from the world. 00:16:50.639 --> 00:16:52.559 Prayer means to plug into God. 00:16:52.799 --> 00:16:55.200 We we do this as a regular thing. 00:16:55.279 --> 00:17:01.120 It's a spiritual discipline that ensures that we are anchored to something beyond ourselves. 00:17:01.440 --> 00:17:07.039 I rarely make any significant decision without going into a period of prayer and fasting. 00:17:07.359 --> 00:17:15.839 That may be one day, that could be just a couple of hours, but I very rarely make a decision that is substantial without at least pausing and saying, okay, I'm going to disconnect. 00:17:15.920 --> 00:17:16.240 Why? 00:17:16.480 --> 00:17:21.119 Because all of us are susceptible to being to having opinions influence us. 00:17:21.359 --> 00:17:25.039 All of us are susceptible to having outside sources begin to sway us. 00:17:25.200 --> 00:17:37.119 So what I need to make sure of before I make any decision is I want to make sure that I've paused, I've disconnected from anything that can distract me so that I can truly hear from God and not from the voice of man. 00:17:37.680 --> 00:17:40.160 What we see is that the enemy is very cunning. 00:17:40.799 --> 00:17:47.680 He's very manipulative, and it's amazing how he can speak through different things, through half-truths and taking scriptures out of context. 00:17:47.839 --> 00:17:55.519 I believe this, that when we fast and pray, it is how we intentionally disconnect from the world so that we can adequately engage the presence of God. 00:17:55.680 --> 00:17:56.079 Watch this. 00:17:56.240 --> 00:17:59.279 When we fast, we make room for God to speak. 00:17:59.519 --> 00:18:02.720 That when we fast, we we make room for God to inspire. 00:18:02.880 --> 00:18:09.039 When we fast, that we make room for God to challenge us, that when we fast, it's how we make room for God to lead us. 00:18:09.200 --> 00:18:17.680 When we look in scripture and see some of the people that have fasted before they were given their assignments, the impact is almost um hard to even fathom. 00:18:17.839 --> 00:18:22.880 Moses was in the presence of God for 40 days and 40 nights, and they gave him the law. 00:18:23.119 --> 00:18:27.039 Daniel fasted for 21 days and he got vision and revelation. 00:18:27.279 --> 00:18:30.799 David fasted and it helped him to get closure with the loss of his son. 00:18:30.960 --> 00:18:35.359 Elijah fasted and it allowed him to get direction on what his next steps are supposed to be. 00:18:35.599 --> 00:18:41.839 Esther fasted and they gave her the strength and courage to face her husband, who was the king, who was trying to eradicate the Jews. 00:18:41.920 --> 00:18:47.200 What I'm saying is that fasting is essential in order for us to draw closer to God. 00:18:48.319 --> 00:18:49.440 Here's what fasting is not. 00:18:49.599 --> 00:18:51.279 Fasting is not a spiritual hunger strike. 00:18:52.799 --> 00:18:54.160 It's not a spiritual hunger strike. 00:18:54.319 --> 00:18:59.279 In other words, I don't fast to get something from God, I fast to get to Him. 00:19:00.480 --> 00:19:04.720 I'm not fasting to get something out of Him, like Lord, I'm going to starve myself until you say yes. 00:19:04.880 --> 00:19:06.160 No, that's not what a fast is. 00:19:06.319 --> 00:19:09.039 Fasting is actually removing things so I can get closer to Him. 00:19:09.519 --> 00:19:17.759 And then even if, even if the thing that He wants me to go through, the thing He wants me to walk to is uncomfortable, He will strengthen me to do it. 00:19:18.480 --> 00:19:25.680 Fasting allows the distractions to move away so I can hear clearly from God and I can be strengthened on what it is that He wants me to do. 00:19:26.000 --> 00:19:29.519 We don't fast to get something from God, we fast to get to Him. 00:19:30.160 --> 00:19:32.720 Jesus is entering into His public ministry. 00:19:33.119 --> 00:19:36.160 He goes into this period of praying and fasting. 00:19:36.240 --> 00:19:37.759 Remember, Jesus is our example. 00:19:38.000 --> 00:19:40.799 So Jesus is entering into a new season of his life. 00:19:40.960 --> 00:19:42.640 He's about to go public with his ministers. 00:19:42.799 --> 00:19:45.759 He's about to start doing the thing that God called him to do. 00:19:45.920 --> 00:19:51.279 I would even go as far as saying that seasonally from Jesus, he was entering into a new year. 00:19:51.839 --> 00:19:52.799 Sound a little bit familiar. 00:19:52.880 --> 00:19:54.079 We're entering into a new season. 00:19:54.160 --> 00:19:55.200 We're entering into a new year. 00:19:55.279 --> 00:19:58.319 We're entering into a new world of opportunities. 00:19:58.480 --> 00:20:07.119 And for Jesus, as he was entering into that same moment, he decided to go into a period of fasting and praying to prepare himself for what he was about to face. 00:20:07.200 --> 00:20:09.359 And I believe the same thing can be said of us. 00:20:09.519 --> 00:20:19.440 What scripture says is that as Jesus gets baptized and now he's led out into the wilderness, this desolate location, the Bible says that he was tempted by the devil. 00:20:21.599 --> 00:20:23.200 Now let's let's break this down for a moment. 00:20:23.279 --> 00:20:27.359 That word tempted means to be tested or examined. 00:20:28.880 --> 00:20:36.799 That Jesus had this substantial assignment on his life that was going to have a global impact, that was literally going to change the world. 00:20:37.039 --> 00:20:41.680 But he had to first go to a place where what was in him had to be examined. 00:20:42.480 --> 00:20:44.720 That what was in him had to be tested. 00:20:45.279 --> 00:20:50.640 I firmly believe that you truly never know something's character or capacity until it's been tested. 00:20:51.920 --> 00:20:56.319 You really never know what something has the capacity to do until it's tested. 00:20:56.559 --> 00:21:00.640 You never know what someone has the capacity to do until they're tested. 00:21:01.039 --> 00:21:05.200 Nothing reveals character or capacity more than being tested. 00:21:05.680 --> 00:21:12.880 Many of us have been in places where once we were tested, we've seen that we did indeed have the capacity to do the thing that we thought was so overwhelming. 00:21:13.039 --> 00:21:20.880 Many of us, when we had a lot put on our plate and we thought we couldn't do it, it was when it's in that moment that we realized that no, I do have the capacity to do it. 00:21:21.039 --> 00:21:26.240 But it's also in those moments that our character is revealed, our dependency is revealed. 00:21:26.400 --> 00:21:32.400 I'm a firm believer of this that when we're tested, we don't rise to the occasion, we fall to our preparation. 00:21:33.920 --> 00:21:34.960 Let me say that again. 00:21:39.759 --> 00:21:42.799 Jesus lived a life of constant preparation. 00:21:42.960 --> 00:21:46.720 So when the testing came, what was in him came out of him. 00:21:48.480 --> 00:21:52.319 When the pressure was applied, what came out of him was the word of God. 00:21:53.279 --> 00:21:59.680 My question for some of us if the pressure is applied to our life right now, is Jesus coming out or is our flesh coming out? 00:22:00.960 --> 00:22:06.400 If the pressure is applied to our lives right now, if things begin to fall apart, what's going to come out of us? 00:22:06.480 --> 00:22:08.160 Because what's in you is going to come out of you. 00:22:08.319 --> 00:22:17.359 So what seasons of preparation do is it allows us to allow the presence of God to fill us to the point that even when things get uncomfortable, that the will of God comes out. 00:22:17.440 --> 00:22:29.200 This is why Jesus could be in the Garden of Gethsemane, literally praying that he doesn't die, but he's able to stand to his feet and say, Nevertheless, not my will, your will be done. 00:22:29.519 --> 00:22:37.119 The pressure and the pressing of his assignment began to collide with his feelings and his emotion and his desire to live. 00:22:37.200 --> 00:22:40.160 But when that pressure came on, obedience came out. 00:22:40.480 --> 00:22:46.640 I want to live a life that I've put so much of God in me that when the pressure comes, that God comes out of me. 00:22:46.960 --> 00:22:54.640 I want to live a life of such obedience and such desire to do the will of God that when the pressure comes upon me, the anointing comes out of me. 00:22:54.799 --> 00:22:58.400 See, the Bible declares that it's the anointing that destroys the yoke. 00:22:58.559 --> 00:23:06.240 That means that that is the thing that gives us freedom, but unfortunately, the only way that the anointing on our lives comes out of our lives is when there's been a little bit of crushing. 00:23:06.400 --> 00:23:14.480 So now we're in this existential crisis where the only way I can truly get free from something is to be put in a position where it's a little bit restrictive. 00:23:14.559 --> 00:23:18.880 But ironically, God will use that very same restriction to bring me to a place of freedom. 00:23:19.039 --> 00:23:20.319 Let's look at the life of Jesus. 00:23:20.480 --> 00:23:23.839 It was his death on the cross that brought victory to all of mankind. 00:23:24.000 --> 00:23:28.880 He didn't want to die, but somehow him dying in his flesh brought a resurrection in our spirit. 00:23:29.039 --> 00:23:33.279 What that means is there's some things that we have to die to if we want to come alive in Christ. 00:23:33.440 --> 00:23:37.359 There's some things that we got to die to if we want to see the fullness of God come alive in our life. 00:23:37.440 --> 00:23:41.279 There's some things that we need to bury if we want to see Christ come alive inside of our life. 00:23:41.359 --> 00:23:47.039 This is the moment where we can make room for the things of God to begin to really blossom and take root. 00:23:47.119 --> 00:23:56.240 And so now we have Jesus who is making this conscious decision to disconnect from all of the distractions because he knew that he was going to face so much opposition. 00:23:56.480 --> 00:24:01.039 So he enters into this season of prayer and fasting. 00:24:01.200 --> 00:24:03.920 And it revealed to us who his source was. 00:24:04.079 --> 00:24:07.599 It revealed to us what he was anchored to. 00:24:07.839 --> 00:24:13.680 There's three things I want you to write down that I believe that can help us as we're launching into this new season. 00:24:13.839 --> 00:24:18.240 Here's the first thing fasting anchors our appetite in Christ. 00:24:19.440 --> 00:24:22.400 Fasting anchors our appetite in Christ. 00:24:22.559 --> 00:24:24.559 Let me let me unpack what I mean by that. 00:24:24.880 --> 00:24:32.160 The devil tells Jesus that if you're hungry, duh, like you haven't eaten in 40 days. 00:24:32.319 --> 00:24:34.640 You haven't done anything for 40 days, like you're you're hungry. 00:24:34.799 --> 00:24:39.920 So why don't you just turn these stones into bread so that you can eat? 00:24:40.319 --> 00:24:44.799 See, see, see, the devil is using something that is very common sense. 00:24:45.039 --> 00:24:46.640 Of course, Jesus is hungry. 00:24:46.960 --> 00:24:51.200 And the truth of the matter is there is absolutely nothing wrong with eating. 00:24:51.440 --> 00:24:53.359 There's absolutely nothing wrong with eating. 00:24:53.440 --> 00:25:00.480 However, for Jesus, he had made an obligation to God that he was going to eat after the 40th day. 00:25:00.960 --> 00:25:08.720 What the enemy loves to do is he loves to show up and to suggest ideas that brings us to a place of compromise. 00:25:09.200 --> 00:25:10.480 Here's the thing I want to make sure. 00:25:10.880 --> 00:25:12.799 Notice I said suggest. 00:25:13.680 --> 00:25:18.079 I am not the type of person that believes in exalting the enemy. 00:25:18.319 --> 00:25:22.240 When Jesus died on the cross, he was placed under our feet. 00:25:22.400 --> 00:25:25.440 The enemy's greatest power is the power of suggestion. 00:25:25.599 --> 00:25:29.359 It's up to us whether or not we want to accept what he's suggesting for us to do. 00:25:29.680 --> 00:25:32.160 He suggested for Jesus to eat. 00:25:32.319 --> 00:25:40.720 And Jesus responded and said, It is written that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. 00:25:40.799 --> 00:25:42.799 He's quoting from Deuteronomy chapter 8. 00:25:42.880 --> 00:25:46.160 In the context in which he is quoting from, he is saying this. 00:25:46.400 --> 00:25:51.200 Moses says these words to the children of Israel as they're preparing to go into the promised land. 00:25:51.440 --> 00:25:56.880 And he's reminding them with this statement that yes, you guys ate manna while you were in the wilderness. 00:25:57.039 --> 00:26:02.640 God fed you, but it's not the manna that sustained you, it was the word of God that did. 00:26:02.960 --> 00:26:10.400 So when Moses makes this statement to the collection of people, he's saying, Don't be so dependent on things that are so quick to pass away. 00:26:10.559 --> 00:26:13.200 Recognize that God is your source. 00:26:14.400 --> 00:26:17.119 That is such a strong word for us in our current culture. 00:26:17.359 --> 00:26:23.839 Because the biggest temptation that I think we can often find ourselves in is the temptation of instant gratification. 00:26:24.880 --> 00:26:28.480 I know that you said you're going to fast for 40 days, but but man, you're hungry. 00:26:28.640 --> 00:26:29.519 God knows your heart. 00:26:29.680 --> 00:26:30.480 It's all good, man. 00:26:30.559 --> 00:26:31.920 It's all under grace anyway. 00:26:32.079 --> 00:26:36.079 Go ahead and compromise and have instant gratification. 00:26:36.319 --> 00:26:38.319 We live in an instant gratification world. 00:26:38.400 --> 00:26:41.039 We live in a world where why wait when you can have it? 00:26:41.119 --> 00:26:44.000 And listen, I am just as much a part of that as possible. 00:26:44.160 --> 00:26:48.400 When I go onto Amazon, and if it's not prime, I'm not ordering it because I don't have the patience to wait three days. 00:26:48.559 --> 00:26:51.680 Man, if you're not here within two days and it's not God's will for me to have it. 00:26:51.839 --> 00:26:55.920 Like we all, we all, we all know that feeling of wanting instant gratification. 00:26:56.000 --> 00:26:56.640 I get it. 00:26:56.799 --> 00:27:04.880 But but but there are some things that we have to make sure that we are not missing God's patient obedience and going into instant gratification. 00:27:05.119 --> 00:27:21.680 The things that God wants us to wait on the Lord so we can renew our strength, those things that God is encouraging us to just stand still and see the salvation of God, those are things that deal with just waiting and standing and being obedient and even persevering and building up the ability to handle no and know that God is still faithful. 00:27:22.160 --> 00:27:24.799 Those are character traits that is going to serve you well in life. 00:27:24.880 --> 00:27:33.039 But when we begin to live in a world of instant gratification, our ability to wait on the Lord begins to waver, which means we never establish strength. 00:27:33.279 --> 00:27:40.000 And then whenever something new comes, we're tossed to and fro because we haven't developed that skill set of being able to wait. 00:27:40.160 --> 00:27:50.400 When the enemy comes to Jesus and he's suggesting for him to turn the rocks into bread, he's trying to tempt him to compromise and to lean into instant gratification. 00:27:50.559 --> 00:27:56.480 And what I believe every single one of us gotta say is that I have an appetite for the things of God more than for the things of the world. 00:27:57.119 --> 00:28:01.279 My desire is to see and to do the will of God in my life. 00:28:01.599 --> 00:28:06.400 So many times we compromise the destination because of the length of the journey. 00:28:08.240 --> 00:28:13.599 We don't want to get to the destination because the journey is so long, so we're we're constantly okay with the small things. 00:28:13.680 --> 00:28:19.039 But what if the big thing that God has for you is going to require you to have delayed gratification? 00:28:19.279 --> 00:28:26.720 I I once heard someone say that the thing, the way that you define true maturity is when someone understands the weight of delayed gratification. 00:28:27.119 --> 00:28:28.720 That is the mark of maturity. 00:28:29.039 --> 00:28:33.519 Because when you think about how children function, children want everything now mine. 00:28:34.240 --> 00:28:37.039 But Paul says, when I was a child, I thought as a child. 00:28:37.440 --> 00:28:38.559 I behaved as a child. 00:28:39.200 --> 00:28:42.960 I wanted things like a child, but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 00:28:43.039 --> 00:28:47.920 In other words, I no longer have a childish mentality that means that everything works out for me overnight. 00:28:49.519 --> 00:28:52.480 Sometimes we want microwave solutions to crock pot problems. 00:28:57.519 --> 00:28:58.640 Don't y'all play with me. 00:28:58.720 --> 00:29:00.559 This is the first Sunday of the year. 00:29:02.240 --> 00:29:10.240 We want microwave solutions to crock pot problems, things that require a little bit more time for the season and the things that God has for us to work its way through. 00:29:10.319 --> 00:29:16.799 So that may when the temptation and the opposition and the obstacles come, that you can still taste the flavor of the kingdom in our lives. 00:29:16.960 --> 00:29:21.039 Unfortunately, we have too many surface-level Christians because they didn't want to stand and wait. 00:29:21.119 --> 00:29:22.799 They're instant gratification Christians. 00:29:22.880 --> 00:29:26.799 But when something brushes up against them, the flavor is gone and there's no substance beneath it. 00:29:26.960 --> 00:29:35.039 But I believe that celebration Orlando is going to be a church that roots itself and anchors itself in God in such a way that even when the storms come, you can still see Jesus. 00:29:35.200 --> 00:29:38.400 That we even when the opposition comes, you can still see Jesus. 00:29:38.559 --> 00:29:44.640 This is the will of God for our lives, for our appetites to be anchored into the things of God. 00:29:45.279 --> 00:29:47.359 Making sure that our appetites are anchored in Christ. 00:29:47.440 --> 00:29:54.319 Here's the second thing that I want you to write down that that fasting anchors are affirmation in Christ. 00:29:55.119 --> 00:29:59.119 That fasting anchors are affirmation in Christ. 00:29:59.279 --> 00:30:05.200 So the enemy then, after he realizes that he's not successful with that temptation, he says, okay, look, I got another idea. 00:30:05.599 --> 00:30:16.720 He takes him to the top of the temple and he says, Hey, listen, you know what would be a great way to launch your ministry if you just stage dived off of this thing and the angels came in and magically caught you. 00:30:16.960 --> 00:30:20.640 Jesus, I promise, if you do that, bro, you will go viral. 00:30:21.279 --> 00:30:23.599 You might even get a Jesus jump challenge. 00:30:23.759 --> 00:30:29.119 Like it, it it'll become a thing that everybody is doing because the angels are gonna come in. 00:30:29.200 --> 00:30:30.240 It's gonna be a spectacle. 00:30:30.400 --> 00:30:35.359 You're gonna be popular, everyone's gonna know you, and then everywhere you go, people are gonna say, Oh, that's that was Jesus. 00:30:35.440 --> 00:30:39.440 He's the one that jumped off the off of the temple, and and the angels came in and magically caught him. 00:30:39.599 --> 00:30:42.640 And okay, he he clearly must be the Messiah. 00:30:44.240 --> 00:30:46.480 Affirmation of the world. 00:30:46.799 --> 00:30:53.839 Because if Jesus would have gone on such a public display, he would have been hailed and respected and loved one moment. 00:30:54.319 --> 00:31:05.759 But when people began to turn against him, he could have possibly lost sight of who he was because he was needing the affirmation of man in order to validate his calling. 00:31:06.160 --> 00:31:17.920 I believe that one of the things that the enemy has done in addition to compromise and getting us into this instant gratification is for us to be so consumed with the opinions of man. 00:31:18.880 --> 00:31:35.359 For us to be so consumed with what the world says, for us to be so consumed with what everybody else says, and we live our lives not on mission, not on purpose, not based on calling, but we live our lives and make decisions based on what's going to look good for the gram. 00:31:38.160 --> 00:31:44.960 We begin to orient our lives and we begin to compare our lives and we begin to look at other people and and and we look at who like my photo. 00:31:45.039 --> 00:31:46.880 When I like their photos, they don't they don't like my photo. 00:31:47.200 --> 00:31:56.160 We begin to get absorbed into a world that consumes us, and we're no longer doing things through a place of authenticity, we're doing things for worldly applause. 00:31:57.920 --> 00:32:03.279 Having my granddaughters with us during the week of Christmas was amazing. 00:32:03.519 --> 00:32:09.839 They're they're they're three and five respectively, but they think they're grown, so you can only imagine what that's like. 00:32:10.160 --> 00:32:14.240 But because they're so close in age, um, we just buy them double of everything. 00:32:14.400 --> 00:32:18.400 You get the same clothes, you get the same toys, we just don't want no problems. 00:32:18.559 --> 00:32:22.079 Because they're at that age where they just constantly are comparing, they're frustrated, they're disappointed. 00:32:22.240 --> 00:32:25.200 So they just constantly, so we was like, okay, we'll get you the same thing. 00:32:25.279 --> 00:32:32.240 And so um both of them got the exact same coloring books, they all got the same crayons, they're playing and they're they're doing their thing. 00:32:32.400 --> 00:32:39.920 And so my my my oldest granddaughter, um Kyla, she comes to me and she says, like, hey G-pop, because that's what they call me, because that fits me. 00:32:40.079 --> 00:32:41.759 Um I just feel like that fits me. 00:32:41.839 --> 00:32:43.200 When they when I was like, yo, what do you want to be called? 00:32:43.279 --> 00:32:44.640 I'm like, I'm not gonna be called Grandpop. 00:32:44.720 --> 00:32:45.119 Look at me. 00:32:45.200 --> 00:32:46.000 I'm I'm not there yet. 00:32:46.079 --> 00:32:47.200 So so they called me G Pop. 00:32:47.279 --> 00:32:50.240 She's like, hey G Pop, um, did you look at my coloring? 00:32:50.319 --> 00:32:51.839 I'm like, oh my goodness. 00:32:52.079 --> 00:32:57.839 Girl, you you are probably the best person I've ever seen color something in my entire life. 00:32:58.000 --> 00:33:00.559 Like, I don't know if anyone will ever be able to top this. 00:33:00.720 --> 00:33:04.000 I think we need to like frame this, send it to the Smithsonian. 00:33:04.079 --> 00:33:05.839 This is a moment that we need to document in history. 00:33:06.000 --> 00:33:06.559 I do all of that. 00:33:06.640 --> 00:33:08.000 That's what that's what you're supposed to do. 00:33:08.160 --> 00:33:10.720 So she captures that moment, she walks away, she smiles. 00:33:10.799 --> 00:33:12.400 And then the little one, Kaleia, comes up. 00:33:12.480 --> 00:33:14.240 She's like, G-Pop, what do you think about mine? 00:33:14.319 --> 00:33:16.880 I'm like, baby girl, you did such an amazing job. 00:33:17.039 --> 00:33:19.200 I am so proud of you, girl, you crushed it. 00:33:19.359 --> 00:33:23.839 Kyla walks away, she's like, You didn't say you were proud of me. 00:33:24.559 --> 00:33:30.480 You you gave a whole bunch of accolades to Kalea, but but you didn't say you were proud of me. 00:33:30.720 --> 00:33:32.559 Are you not proud of me, G Pop? 00:33:33.039 --> 00:33:35.200 And we got into this whole conversation. 00:33:35.279 --> 00:33:36.799 I'm like, of course I'm proud of you. 00:33:36.960 --> 00:33:38.319 Well, you didn't tell me you were proud of me. 00:33:38.400 --> 00:33:41.519 You told her you're proud of her, but you didn't tell me you're proud of me. 00:33:41.680 --> 00:33:45.200 She lost all the other compliments, she lost all the other things. 00:33:45.359 --> 00:33:50.319 All she could fixate on is that I didn't tell her the exact same thing that I told her sister. 00:33:50.480 --> 00:33:54.880 So I said to her, I said, Listen, I am proud of you both, but here's what I want you to understand. 00:33:55.119 --> 00:33:56.960 I want you to be proud of yourself. 00:33:57.279 --> 00:34:03.200 You did a good job, and I want you to recognize it because there's going to be come times where your grandfather may not see it. 00:34:03.359 --> 00:34:06.799