Antioch Fellowship Church | 4 October 2020

[Music] time [Music] so [Music] [Music] so [Music] you [Music] do [Music] stupid [Music] so [Music] dude [Music] so [Music] [Music] [Music] fellowship missionary church where are we for the kingdom of god helping those in need [Music] welcome [Music] welcome welcome [Music] welcome [Music] good morning antioch family and friends and welcome to another live worship experience here at the antioch church and whether you're in his house or your own house we are excited to have you here with us today in just a moment we will participate in corporate praise prayer and worship now if you're at home we welcome you to fill his presence with us and to submit prayer requests online for those who wish to give you can do so by using our app or by texting afnbc to 779 777 most importantly we will hear a word from god from our very own pastor chris who is beginning a brand new series entitled verses now much like the instagram battles there will be biblical components that will be going head to head i'm excited and i hope that you are too now buckle up because service begins in five four three two one [Music] are you ready to praise the lord this morning we are here for no other reason but to celebrate jesus but the bible says that clap your hands all ye people shout to god with the voice of triumph come on stand to your feet and let's give him some praise this morning [Music] clap your hands doggy [Music] lift your hands and [Music] [Music] shout to [Applause] hey everybody hey everybody [Music] oh i see you everybody [Music] can't stop [Music] is everybody [Music] hallelujah [Music] yeah don't only give them thanks right come on come on give them thanks i see you make sure you tell me you make sure thank you [Music] listen make sure you say thank you that's always [Music] make sure thank you [Music] [Music] can we say that again [Music] right now [Music] oh [Music] now right here if you didn't say thank you this morning i want you to have a thank you fit what do you mean thank you fit just waking up that's a fit clapping your hand for brushing your teeth or putting your clothes on that's enough to give him thanks for walking out the house getting in your car that's enough to give him thanks for coming in here looking at everybody that's enough to kill god some praise can i get a witness yes can i get away with this yeah see i'm about to have a thank you fit anyway [Applause] that's all i'm gonna say thank you [Music] jesus you jesus oh lord i thank you [Music] it's a good time [Music] i dare y'all to look up to heaven and wave your hand and say thank you [Music] [Music] waking me somebody giving praise [Music] you are standing there right now somebody giving faith come on somebody giving faith somebody give him thanks thank you for life health and strength thank you [Music] you should have lost your mind a long time ago [Music] hold on [Music] thank you [Music] just because the words has stopped let not your word stop as we continue to say lord thank you as we look back over our lives we have something that we can say thank you god we thank you for all the victories that you have what maybe he hasn't won a victory in your life but you have bear witness of some victories in someone else's life as we begin to go to the throne of grace i encourage you at home i encourage you in the sanctuary to begin to create a place of worship where you stand to begin to create an atmosphere to communicate with the father lord we come to you on this morning to say thank you god thank you for being our healer thank you for being our way maker thank you for being our mind regulator thank you for being our heart fixer thank you god for providing for us lord we thank you for making ways out of no ways lord we thank you for opening doors lord we thank you for closing doors lord we thank you for setting us free lord we thank you for delivering us lord we thank you for protecting us lord we thank you for the hedge around us and our stuff lord we thank you for the antioch fellowship missionary baptist church lord we thank you for our leader pastor chris wesley lord we thank you in the name of jesus for every ministry that you have established in this church lord we thank you for the vision that you have set lord we thank you that this is a bible teaching bible teach preaching church lord we thank you for the fellowship in the community lord we thank you for the outreach lord we thank you that last night was not our last night lord we thank you that you have given us a new day of grace a new day of mercy a new day god that we can get it right with you so as we come before you this morning father we ask that you would cleanse our heart lord that you would cleanse our mind our soul and our spirit lord and create right spirits within us in the name of jesus lord where we may grow weary and well doing god we pray that you would give us strength to endure strength to continue to run the race lord and we say thank you because we know that all things work together for good lord and we just say thank you lord so father we come this morning lord asking that you would receive the prayer requests that's strolling on the screen that you would receive the prayer requests that are in the it's in the email box lord we pray right now those who have whispered solid requests god because we know god that you are able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we could ever ask or think father so we bring our cares unto you and we say thank you and we give your name praise and honor lord and we just ask that you would please hear us because your word says that not only will you hear us but that you would deliver us as well so we rejoice in the fact god that you've heard us we rejoice in the fact that our deliverance is on the way and in the meantime in in between time we'll continue to say thank you lord we give your name praise and honor on this day it is in the mighty name of jesus that we decree and declare that it is well it is well and let every heart say let every heart say amen amen amen [Music] [Music] [Music] come by thank you [Music] thank you lord [Music] oh thank you you may how many don't believe that [Music] your way [Music] me hmm [Music] [Music] good morning antioch family and friends and thank you for tuning in to the experience of worship live to our in-house audience it's great to see you we are glad to see that you're doing well and that you were able to make it into the house today and to everybody streaming online thank you for tuning in we pray all as well we can't wait to be with you again and to our visitors thank you so much for tuning in thank you for choosing antioch and thank you for worshiping with us on today at this time we would love to invite you to connect with us by tapping into the afnbc app on the app you can fill out a connect card so that we can invite you back to worship with us in our body of faith as a reminder you can give online via the app or by simply texting to afnbc277 777 now here's what's happening this week only at antioch so as you all well know pastor chris would love to invite you to join him for vision week at vision week he would like to share some exciting news regarding what's upcoming for the antioch church this will be a time to hear his heart for the church along with the vision not only in detail but to show you how you can impact the vision of the house we look forward to seeing you tune in on all of our digital platforms you can join us beginning monday october 5th through thursday october 8th at 7 pm also drive through thursdays is taking place at an all new time there's been an adjustment and we want you to be aware of it so please note drive through thursday will now be held from noon until 3 pm every thursday again drive through thursday will be held from now on from noon until 3 pm as some of you know or have heard we are rolling out discipleship groups beginning mid-october as a church we strive to build people we've designed these classes to do just that you will be blessed as you study his word in depth and grow in your christian walk discipleship classes provide you with the opportunity to engage with other christian followers and receive training in becoming the disciple jesus is calling you to be experience fellowship with other believers as you learn and grow together registration for these groups is now open visit afnbc.org or tap into the app to register classes will begin wednesday october 14th at 7 pm to our new members hey yes you new members so you attended new membership orientation we really appreciate that attendance so we mentioned we had a gift for you however a few of you well several of you haven't picked it up just yet so as a reminder please pick up your gift at the information center on sunday mornings or during drive-thru thursdays antioch family guess what shop is back so we took a little break for sweet hour of prayer but we'll be right back up and running on tuesday october 13th so join us weekly at 7 pm for shop again that is sweet hour of prayer well that's all we have my name is alex smith and this is this week at antioch we look forward to seeing you again have a blessed week [Music] come on wherever you are go ahead and clap your hands clap your hands clap your hands we got a little song we're gonna sing for you this morning we want y'all to help us sing it hey here we go all of my life here we go this is my favorite part say you [Music] i'm [Music] here we go [Music] this morning [Music] [Music] here we go [Music] oh wonderful anybody gonna serve him i said is if anybody gonna serve the lord i need you to scream back at me and just say here say this for the rest of my life for the rest of my life for the rest of my life [Music] [Music] for the rest of my life [Music] i for the rest of my life here we go y'all we going home this time here we go do it again here we go [Music] try to [Music] glorious [Music] for the rest of my life what are you gonna do i'm gonna serve him i'm gonna give him praise i'm gonna give him glory give me god one more time for the rest of my life here we go we're going home this morning me [Music] here we go your name is glorious hey [Music] let your glory heal this place let your all consuming fight fill this tabernacle [Music] purified surround us in this place want you to breathe new life within us send a refreshing lord saturate our hearts let your glory feel [Music] that you're all consuming fire [Music] surround us in this place [Music] saturated [Music] oh shower down your spirit breathe on your people this morning lord shower down right now shout out sing your spirit [Music] [Music] fear purify our hearts surround us in this place [Music] saturated [Music] lord we need you to breathe on your people this morning shower down down lord we need you showers [Music] showers [Music] oh surround us in this place [Music] with everything that's going on in the world right now with everything that's going on in the world right now don't you think we need a healing don't you think we need a breakthrough come on do you hear me will you lift joe's hands and ask god i ask god for his healing [Music] send your spirit down to protect us everywhere that we go when you lead us need your power we need your healing we need your anointing shower down [Music] shower [Music] let your glory fill this place [Music] let your glory fill this place let your glory feel this place right now [Music] thank you for sending your healing thank you for sending your anointing we don't deserve it god thank you for sending breakthroughs even though we don't worship you like we should thank you for spending your healing thank you for sending your saving power [Music] so [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] how grateful we are thank you that you had poured out in the on of pandemic we are aware of your presence because you've rained on us in the middle of lack we've seen provision because you've rained on us middle of famine we've seen abundance because you've rained on us in the midst of chaos we've seen peace because you've reigned on us [Music] and we did not come into your presence and not pause and say thank you for your reign [Music] thank you for your presence thank you for your power thank you provision thank you for protection thank you but you have been near you've supplied every need you've heard every cry and you've done above what we could ask think or imagine you've ranked on us and so god we say thank you and now lord we stand in your presence in need of refreshing so let some drops fall our souls are thirsty we need you to speak to us now and so we posture our hearts and position ourselves to hear clearly from you thank you for your word now thank you for what you're planning to do in us through your word in jesus name amen what did you join me in genesis chapter number 32. i want you to join me in genesis chapter number 32. [Music] we'll begin reading in verse number 24. genesis number chapter number 32 beginning in verse number 24 today we will begin a new series entitled verses about some essential unnecessary battles in the life of every believer we'll begin here a series here in genesis chapter 32 beginning in verse number 24 when you have it will you let me know with the sound of a man this is the word of the lord then jacob was left alone and a man wrestled with him until the breaking of day now when he saw he did not prevail against him he touched the socket of his hip the socket of jacob's hip out of joint as he wrestled with him he said let me go the day breaks he being jacob said i will not let you go unless you bless me so he capitalized eight said to him what is your name he said jacob he said your name shall no longer be called jacob but israel for you have struggled with god and with men have prevailed and jacob asked saying tell me your name i pray and he said why is it that you asked me about my name and he blessed him there jacob called the place but neil i have seen god face to face my life is preserved just as he crossed over pennell the sun rose on him and he limped on his hip and this morning we'll begin this series by tagging this text god versus jacob god versus jacob today's text drops us into one of the most pivotal moments in the life of one of the most important characters in the scriptures god makes a covenant in genesis chapter 12 to a man named abram and he promised that he would make a great nation out of him the time abram is 75 years old and childless but at the word of the lord and holding on to this promise he starts out on a journey to obey god by chapter 13 text lets us know that abram has become rich but still doesn't have a child he's seen provision but he's still waiting on promise chapter 16 abraham's wife sarah has come up with her own plan to aid god's promise she says genesis 16 2 that perhaps she can build a family through someone else's womb our servant hagar bears a song for abraham named ishmael this idea rooted in impatience and distrust results in a war that abraham's legitimate seed still fights today check the lesson trying to rush god's promise could very well create opposition in your life that you won't ever be able to stop fighting in spite of abraham's and sarah's effort to manipulate god's process god doesn't allow their perversion to stop his promise 25 years after abraham's initial encounter with god when he is a hundred years old he and sarah have the son god promised named isaac abraham's life teaches us that god's promises often come with lengthy processes that are above our comprehension but are always in god's control we can trust god to perform his word no matter how long it takes him to perform his word but if that's the lesson of abraham's life i think isaac's life teaches us that god isn't just a visionary in control of the big picture but but a sovereign god who's in control of every minute detail of that big picture you see isaac saw that over the course of his life you'll remember in one moment on top of a mountain as a boy in genesis 22 he saw a picture of salvation that that was both personal and prophetic while he's lying on an altar to be sacrificed god steps in and provided another sacrifice around that was caught in the thicket showing that god would meet their immediate needs and centuries later god would be the father to sacrifice his son when he was 40 years old god with great detail and intentionality selected the right woman at the right time to be his wife after the death of his mother sarah god sent rebecca to be his wife isaac in fact had such a strong relationship with with the lord that according to genesis chapter number 25 when he prayed for his wife to get pregnant she got pregnant however this was no ordinary pregnancy the bible says that rebecca felt two babies jostling inside of her the wrestling was so uncomfortable that she had to stop and ask god what is going on his response is found in genesis 25 verse number 23 when god said two nations are in your womb and two peoples from within you will be separated one people will be stronger than the other and the older will serve the younger this suggests lord hear me uh help me here here it is this suggests that both sons would be nations the question was not about which son would be powerful but which one would have the better positioning some people aren't fighting you because they see you as a threat to their growth just a threat to their favor so so so they're not battling over who would be the nation but who would have lead position amongst the nations rebecca gives birth to two boys the oldest name esau who the scriptures say come out he comes out red and hairy holding on to esau's heel is is the brother who seemed to lose the wrestling match in the womb jacob who comes out second esau was a hunter jacob learned to cook esau was favored by isaac jacob was favored by rebecca isn't it interesting that sons who had complementary giftings found themselves being contrary enemies because parents pit them against each other don't worry about it one day fueled by hunger esau sold his birthright for stew years later when isaac's when isaac whose eyes had weakened was near blind old he was ready to bless esau and give him his birthright but rebecca helped jacob concoct and execute a plan to trick isaac into thinking that jacob was esau so he could receive what esau so cheaply gave away jacob cooked and his mother covered him in esau's clothes and put goat skin on him to make him feel hairy to isaac's touch according genesis 27 when jacob went to isaac pretending to be esau the text says that isaac recognized jacob's voice but was convinced that he was esau because he felt the hair that covered him living without vision will cause you to lean on what you feel instead of what you heard [Applause] and these feelings will cause you to give valuable things to the wrong people when esau discovered that his brother took his blessing he vowed to kill him rebecca heard of the plot and sent jacob away on his journey in genesis 28 while sleeping the lord shows up to jacob watch this and makes him the same promise that he made to isaac his father and abraham his grandfather in spite of where you are right now i am going to make a great nation out of you god promised that he would bless the world from a trickster meaning god's plan wasn't thwarted by jacob's character [Applause] that in spite of what god knew about jacob his plan to use jacob was still on schedule jacob leaves bethel this place where he talked to god to go to a place where laban was it is it is there where jacob the trickster got tricked laban got the best of jacob caused him to work twice as long for what he wanted his daughter rachel by using his older daughter leah as debate although laban laban got the best of jacob by chapter 31 jacob has children and wealth that has outgrown laban's even though jacob worked for laban isn't that how favor works when god has a plan for your life he'll allow you to outgrow the people whose provisions have been blessing you don't worry about it god tells jacob to leave laban and go home and he promised that he would be with jacob here friends lies the problem esau is there the esau that planned to kill him is there in spite of what he knows jacob obeys in his chapter 32 opens there's an interesting message in the text here's our text genesis chapter 32 and verse number one the bible says that god sends angels to be with jacob jacob aware of the angelic presence knowing that god had sent assistance to encourage him still decides to scheme and plot for a peaceful reunion with esau knowing that god was there to help him he still decided to take matters into his own hands to try to manipulate a peaceful encounter with his brother this is what happens in the text he sends messengers to esau to to tell esau about his journey and his newly found wealth he he split all the people in his camp into two groups so that if esau attacked one group the other one could run free he prayed and asked god to help him he sent gifts hoping to pacify his brother listen even though he was aware of god's presence he was still according to the text distressed and in great fear knowing god was there he was still in distress have you ever been there when you know god is with you but you can't shake your fear fear that what you've done is coming back to get you fear that your own actions are gonna cause you to have to suffer penalty and punishment that you thought you could outrun and manipulate text says that he finally uh sends everything he owns all of his servants and all of his stuff ahead of him in fact he sends lastly his wife and children ahead of him and for the second time in the narrative of jacob's life for only the second time we find jacob by himself he wasn't by himself in the womb he was never by himself in the house he wasn't by himself with a laban he wasn't by himself with his family there are two moments that scripture reveals to us that jacob is alone the first time god spoke to him in a dream the second time god says i gotta deal with you in another way if abraham's life was all about god's promises and processes and isaac's life was all about god's sovereign detail it's interesting to me that up to this point jacob's life has been all about human efforts to manipulate situations for gain and ambition's sake but this was the child of the promise this moment in our text friends is the turning point this this moment in our text is the pivot this moment in our text is perhaps the most important moment in in jacob's life and one of the most important moments in all of human history because god is about to turn jacob the child prophesied to carry the promise from a manipulative trickster to a great nation but how how could god turn jacob from what he was to who he was prophesied to be how could god turn jacob from who he has shown himself to be and who god made him to be god decided to pick a fight [Music] do you not do you not see it in the text jacob sends everybody away preparing for a few moments of peace finally by himself finally in a place of quiet finally in a place with his own thoughts just trying to stay out the way just trying to keep things quiet just trying to be by himself and not have to deal with no drama and the text says a man showed up to fight you [Music] jacob didn't pick a fight somebody showed up to fight him and because of what the text shows us we know who it is god showed up to fight jacob this didn't happen its intended in fact effect on you so let's try it this way have you ever been doing your best to stay low-key to keep the drama down to keep the noise down to stay out the way and despite your best efforts to maintain peace you only find chaos here you are in the middle of your best effort to find tranquility but tension finds you have you ever done your best to try to stay above the fray but the fire finds you this text introduces us to a troubling truth oftentimes that tension you feel in moments of trying to pursue peace is god showing up to start a fight with you it ain't the devil it's god showing up to fight you it ain't esau it's not your past it ain't your guilt it's god showing up to start a fight [Music] why would god intentionally bring struggle to your quiet moments why would god allow moments of prayer to turn into moments of pressure why would god allow moments of solace and solitude to be turned into moments of stress and struggle here's the answer answer hear me well buckle up there is no peace until you've wrestled with god and lost there is no peace there can be no peace until you've wrestled with god and have been overtaken the peace you're praying for requires you to wrestle with god jacob sent gifts to esau but couldn't find peace he had to wrestle with god jacob couldn't come up with his own plan for protection to find peace he had to wrestle with god jacob couldn't get alone into a quiet place and find peace because there's a difference between peace and quiet no he had to wrestle with god here's what i'm trying to tell you your peace can't be manufactured your peace can't be purchased your peace can't be coerced your peace can only happen and take place when who you are comes face to face with the god who created you to be more god almighty the idea of our text today is that point in order to find peace the trickster who had manipulated his way into success had to finally face a god who couldn't be manipulated but he could only be met friends this fight with god can't be avoided and there's no scheme that can keep you from it at some point in your life every single one of us will have to stand across the ring and face the god of heaven and earth and wrestle until you're changed or until you quit a few things in the text and then i'm done one note the text says that they wrestled until daybreak this this means that this was a long fight on one side of the ring is the god of heaven and earth who never gets tired whose strength is supernatural but somehow or another jacob has the strength to fight as long as god did how does a natural being find the strength to fight a supernatural battle perhaps it's because when you fight with god he gives you strength to endure until you get to the point he's trying to get you to i thought y'all would be hollering back at me a little louder through there that's the reason why what you're going through hadn't broken you yet and even though god sent it he's strengthening you for it so you can keep wrestling until he gets you to the point he's trying to get you to here's what i stopped by to tell somebody it's not going to break you it's meant to build your muscle and you'll find out the longer you wrestle god will give you strength to wrestle until he gets you to the point that he's trying to get you to here's the proof of it you need more proof y'all don't believe me i'll show it to you in the text because the text says that jacob is wrestling some of the fight with the messed up hip meaning god set it up that first he would have to fight tired and then he would have to learn how to fight broken but the text says somehow or another jacob find the strength to keep fighting i don't know who i'm talking to somebody should have jumped up and said pastor chris that's my testimony i'm learning how to fight tired i've learned how to fight broken but for some strange reason i still got fight left in me it ain't by accident baby that's supernatural it ain't by accident god gave you the strength and he's going to keep letting you fight until you get to the place that he's trying to get you to aren't you glad that god doesn't set up fights to break you but he sets up fights to build you so he can get out of you what he needs to get out of you here's more proof you need more proof the text would suggest to us that god had enough power to break jacob at the beginning meaning if god wanted to flex his muscle he could have broken jacob at the beginning of the match but this fight was not about god proving his strength to jacob it was about god proving to jacob that he had some strength in him if god wanted to break you he would have broke you in round one but because you're still standing he's trying to show you that there's more in you than you know and if you can handle a wrestling match with me what is esau if you can handle a wrestling match with me what is the battle on the other side god's trying to convince you that you're strong enough to deal with your worst fear you're strong enough to deal with the thing that's been keeping you up at night you're strong enough to handle it because he put it in you greater is he here it is the text says that after wrestling god saw that he would not overtake jacob here's my problem because because uh uh the prophet hosea says that in describing this fight jacob took the worst of it so god not being able to overtake jacob has nothing to do with who won the physical altercation it would suggest that jacob was the bloody and bruised one not god but god couldn't overtake him what it suggests is god help me winning your battle with god ain't about getting the best of god it's about holding on [Music] god almighty y'all making me work here here it is i need you to hear it the reason god couldn't overtake jacob it because he wasn't beating jacob it's because jacob had got up in his mind that he was go hold on and not let go and all i'm trying to tell somebody is you may be down you may be bruised you may be broken but you ain't losing as long as you hold on you may have been talked about you may have been schemed against they may have put you down but as long as you hold on you are still winning victory doesn't look like what the world says it looks like victory is holding home until you see god do what he promised he would do you don't believe me don't die don't mind i brought my own witness romans 8 says we are like sheep gathered for the slaughter we're killed all the day long yet in all these things we are more than conquerors what does it mean we got to conquer like jesus conquered and jesus conquered looked like a beaten-blooded savior on a cross on calvary's mountain but even though he was beaten and even though he was bruised because it was god's plan he held all and all i stopped by to tell somebody is winning this fight ain't getting the best of the opponent winning this fight is holding on y'all making me work here there's something else that intrigues me about this text the text says that god showed up to fight jacob typically the aggressor in the fight is trying to get something out of the person they attack the aggressor in the fight is the one going after something so how in the world do we get to the place where jacob is asking the one who attacked him for something [Music] okay if i go fight past the high it's because there's something of pastor highs that i want but it wouldn't make sense for me to fight him and then him to ask a blessing for me so how do we get to the point where jacob is requesting the blessing it would suggest that god showed up to bless jacob he was just trying to get a request out of him maybe god picked the fight to get jacob to ask for the right thing here's how i know y'all missed it here's how i know because earlier in the text jacob prayed but what he prayed for was something god already provided suggesting that this fight was trying to teach jacob how to make the right request and what was the request i'm not letting go until you bless me before y'all shout too soon the text already suggests that most of the things we consider blessing is stuff jacob already had [Applause] he discovered earlier in the text that the stuff won't give me peace so i'll give the stuff away my story didn't give me peace i'll tell it to other people the things i love the most my family won't give me peace i'll let them cross over first but i will not let you go until you give me what i'm finding out i've been desperate for all along and what is it wesley here it is uh i won't let go until you bless me the blessing that caused him to let go was not god putting something in his hand because friends if the blessing what adequate jacob would have held on blessing wasn't of a financial nature it wasn't it wasn't it wasn't of a social nature no according to the text god says what's your name my name is jacob i was named after what i did when i got here i was named hill grabber or trickster and my whole life has been connected to what they named me so so the moment they named me trickster that's what i became i showed up as a heel grabber and they would never let me live it down my name is what i've been tied to my whole life i've been a trickster since i got here i was a trickster in the womb that's what my parents named me my name is jacob and god says no no no no no no longer am i calling you what you've done i'm calling you based on what i'm about to produce come here come here somebody god says they might name you based on what made sense to them but i'm calling you based on what's in you that i'm planning to get out of here they call you a failure i call you a business owner they call you broken i call you whole they call you messed up i call you aren't you glad that god don't call you based on what you've done god don't call you based on your failures but he calls you based on what he's going to get out of you here's my problem with it god names him israel but nobody ever calls him that even after this moment the bible continues to call him jacob god changed his name people didn't know it but jacob is secure enough with his private moment with god that he doesn't need people to validate what god called him when god calls you you don't have to worry about what other folk call you and you can be secure in what he said even if you never see it oh y'all need some more help i'm feeling myself getting happy already here it is watch this we never see jacob call jacob but we see his seed called israel meaning they might not see it in you but they'll see it when you're gone that they might call you trickster but your legacy is called victory [Music] text says i'm almost done god gives jacob a new name you're not you're not trickster anymore you're not hill grabber anymore you're israel because you've struggled with god and you've struggled with man but you won i need you to see the picture friends joker jacob is scared of his brother but he won he's been tricked by laban but he won he's been beaten and bested by god but he won i don't know who i'm it's taking y'all too long to get this i'll talk to y'all over here cause y'all get it somebody understands that even though it looked like i lost since god said i won i can hold on to the fact that i'm victorious here's the problem with some people over here the problem with some people over here is they're still believing the report of the scorecard and not what god said so the reason it's hard for a lot of us over here to shout about victory is it's hard to claim something we don't see in the moment but the reason you know you won ain't because it looked like you won is because the judge said so all right let me try to bring it down your street i love boxing i love combat sports but there's something that's happened in the course of boxing that's caused people to sour on it and what's caused people to sour on it is controversial decisions because if a fight goes all 12 rounds what happens is the referee doesn't get to pick the winner and the cheering crowd doesn't pick the winner but the judges who said it ringside picked the winner and what started to happen is people who thought they won fights were given rewarded uh losses because the judge said who won whoa what i'm trying to tell you is if you hold on to the end the judge gets to decide who wins and our judge doesn't say the winner is the one who gave out the most punishment our judge is the one who says the winner took the most punishment but they didn't let go your name isn't jacob it's israel your name isn't hill grabber or second place your name is no longer second place your name is who's wrestled and won then jacob says what's your name who who are you the response is why would you ask me who i am here's why you know who i am because you've wrestled with me come here come come here y'all okay here we go right over here this was somebody right over here you you you do know that the only way you get revelation is through wrestling y'all y'all y'all looking at me crazy the reason god started the match was so that jacob would know more about god after the match the only reason god makes you wrestle is for revelation in your wrestling there's something you're about to learn about god that you didn't know before he showed up so that he could show you who he is you don't believe me note that the chapter starts with jacob having angelic protection but still feeling the need to plot after wrestling with god he discovered that the protection from god was everything he needed because he had fought with god and understood how strong god was i'm through i'm done revelation only comes with wrestling then there there are a few a few things in the text and i'm done here about the um the memorial to this moment one jacob finishes fighting and changes the name of the place he's in names it pineal meaning uh uh face of god for jacob says i gotta teach you for a second and i'm done jacob says for i've seen god face to face and and i've lived i've seen god face to face and i've been preserved preserved jacob sees this moment as the moment where he saw god face to face but he lived i got a problem because in exodus chapter 33 god tells moses no man will ever see my face and live nobody can see me and live which suggests to me that jacob had a wrong takeaway from the moment in jacob's mind he saw god face to face and lived the reality is who saw god face to face died jacob saw god face to face but jacob died in a wrestling match israel is who was alive come here here's what i'm trying to tell you one day you saw god and you had to wrestle with him and if you wrestled with them and taken away the right conclusion you were made new and now you're a new creation the old has passed away who you used to be is dead and now you're a new creature you can say i've been made new because i wrestled with god and he changed my name know that even though he made a monument to that place he still had to leave it he changed the name of the place but the text says after he changed the name of the place he couldn't stay at that place because it's not enough to be transformed in a place if you don't leave to be a new person it's not enough to shout in pennell if you leave pennell as jacob i'm done here it is last point last monument to this fight tex says there's a new name of the place and and as he leaves to cross over the sun comes up if i had time i would tell you that as long as you've been fighting the sun to come up again i don't have time to encourage you there let me encourage you here the text says that when he leaves the sun came up yeah but he was walking with a limp all right let's try it again all right all right all right he fought god said he won but when he left the place he was walking now now now i got to put this in context a few chapters ago when he left home he left home running with esau stuff when he comes back he's limping empty-handed so the evidence of victory is not how fast you can run or how much stuff you got the real evidence of victory is that beaten up and broken wounded and scorned talked about and lied on but the evidence of victory is no matter what you've been through you still showed up through many dangers toils and snares you have already come and i don't know who i'm talking to here but i came with good news this morning and the good news is even though you look like you got a limp you still got victory that's all i stopped by to tell somebody is that the evidence of your victory is not that you're walking straight with your head held high like nothing's wrong with you but the real evidence that you are more than a conqueror is that you show up right where god sent you and you may have shown up living but you still made it i don't know who i'm talking to but i came to celebrate with some limping folk this morning with some people who can say i've been through the storm and rain but i made it i've had heartache and pain but i made it i've been talked about but i made it i may walk a little different now but i made it i may have lost some friends along the way but i made it i may have lost some stuff along the way but i made it i may have to walk by myself sometimes but i made it i may have sacrificed some stuff but i made it and i got good news for folk who showed up limping i got good news for folk who showed up bruce i got good news for folk who showed up weary i got good news for folk who showed up battered i stopped by to tell somebody you were in good company i said you're in good company let me try this thing here i just need somebody who's been wounded to wave your hands and be a witness every one of us struggle story every one of us have taken the worst of a wrestling match but look at us still standing look at us still strong while the testimony of your neighbor didn't do it let me try it another way one friday evening jesus took a crosser up a hill called calvary beaten and broken they nailed him to a crosses and the bible says they put nails in his hands i thought i was in the right house for this they put nails in his feet they put a crown of thorns on his head he hung his head and he died didn't he die but y'all know that ain't where the story because early sunday morning he got up i didn't rush the pastor he got up but there's a point i gotta share with you the bible says that jesus shows up to his disciples one day and they can't believe that he made it they can't believe he's alive can i tell y'all what jesus said put your hands in the holes in my hands put your hands in the holes in my side yes they broke me down yes i got some scars yes i got some open wounds yes i got some open wounds but look at me i'm still alive and if jesus had scars and still made it i stopped by to tell somebody even with your scars you're more than a conqueror i'm out of here y'all but can i ask you all my questions it's been a little while and i've made myself happy can i ask you all my question there anybody here with some scars but you can say i made it with some pain but you can say you made with some better places but you can say you made it with some broken bones but you can say you made it i made it yes i made it [Music] i'm still here by the grace of god broken but i'm here wounded but i'm here tired but i'm here turn to your neighbor and don't touch nobody but right through your mask yell adam if you need to see a miracle look at me i'm dressed up good today and you can't see my wound i'm dressed up good today so you can't see my scars but i got the broken place i got some better places but because i'm still here i came to the glare that if god be fought [Music] what is the world against me i'm still here to declare that greater is king who is in me i'm still here to declare that my god shall supply my needs i'm still here to declare that he is tell your story tell your story i've been through but i came out and i might have [Music] with a testimony as a matter of fact the bible says that even to this day the children of israel don't eat the meat from that socket because it gives them a reason to tell a story [Music] y'all just a place to shout it gives them a reason centuries later to tell a story of a fight and i stopped by to tell you that your limp is just an opportunity to tell a story of how we've overcome to tell the story of how you made it [Music] leftover tea off the lawn let the folks wake some limp let the folk with them score let them vote with some bruises say so say so say so did he make a way did he bring you out did he beat your knees did he cover your family even with your lips did he bring you through you ought to tell somebody say so so [Music] i gotta let this thing alone but testify to somebody around you real quick and i'm through don't get too close to him but just let somebody square in the face from about six feet apart and say excuse me over there you don't know my story you don't know what i've been through you can't feel my pain you don't know what i had to go through to get here and since you don't know my lymph you can't understand my praise don't you dare try to figure it out but because of my limp i just gotta let you know that my worship is for real because my wrestling match was for real my worship is for real because my storm was for real my shout is for real because my battle is for real my holler is for real everybody with the lymph ought to lift your hands and give them [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] officers come on decision team members [Music] you don't know my story all the things that i've been through you can't feel my pain what i had to go through to get here you'll never understand my friends so don't try to figure it out because my worship [Music] my worship is for real i've been through too much to worship him somebody testify i've been through too much [Music] too much not to worship him i've been through too much too much now to worship him [Music] my worship my worship is for real say hallelujah [Music] my words somebody sing [Music] [Music] hallelujah [Music] sing hallelujah [Music] [Music] [Music] lord [Applause] my [Music] [Applause] yes [Applause] [Music] uh [Music] here's the reality everybody has to wrestle with god every single person i have to come face to face with the god of heaven and earth there's only one of two potential outcomes outcome number one is that you are transformed and given a new name outcome number two is that you die in the fight god makes it clear nobody sees my face and live either you will become a new creature or you will be overtaken and the choice is yours will you submit to the god of heaven and become who he destined for you to be or will you choose to live apart from him those who choose to submit to him will be transformed and given relationship with him those who choose to fight against him will perish and will have to spend eternity separate from him this morning was the beginning of somebody's fight you've encountered the lord and he is calling you into a relationship with him and if that's you and you are ready to submit so that you can have the peace that comes with relationship this is your opportunity to come you can come and we'll have decision counselors in the room who are safely uh ready to talk to you about that decision or you can email us a membership at or send us a afnbc.org message the first round of that fight is all about kingdom membership it is about coming into the kingdom the second round of that fight is about community there's a place where the lord wants to draw you into he wants to draw you into a place and if the lord is saying that this is the place the lord is calling you to unite email us and membership at afnbc.org you can come now and our decision counselors to safely talk to you about that decision or you can send us a direct message or maybe you need prayer online there praying prayer warriors ready to pray with you pray for you you've been in the room we're ready to pray with you so as the music ministry shares as the officers and decision team members are ready to welcome you will you come now and respond to the request to have a relationship with the lord jesus [Music] hallelujah [Music] is [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] is [Applause] worthy here we go [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] every day if is in a fight this morning just want to pray for all of us in the room if you would just lift your hands those of you who have been wrestling and it feels like feels like the fight won't end the battle won't stop the assault is increasing one stop about to tell you it's probably not the devil it might be god trying to get something out of you we're so quick to blame the enemy for struggle but a lot of times it's this it's god wrestling to pull you out of where you are into who he made you to be let's pray let's pray lift your hands receive god i thank you now that by your sovereign grace and love for us you showed up to pick a fight with us thank you that you love us too much to let us stay how we are so you showed up to pick a fight but i thank you that you picked the fight because there's something in us you're trying to get out of us that there is destiny inside of us you're trying to pull to the forefront but there is a new season that you're trying to pull us into and you're wrestling with us until we ask you the right question so god help us to hold on thank you that you've given us stamina for the fight but now we're ready we're at our broken place we're at the place to say we won't let go until you bless us we won't let go until you make us who you've called us to be we're ready to be changed we're ready for a new name we're ready to reject the things that others have said about us we're ready to be who you said we're gonna be and we receive it now speak to us speak to us so that we know what you're calling us into speak to us so that we hear you clearly speak to us so that we wrestle with you as we wrestle with you we got revelation and insight into who you are thank you that you're changing names now thank you that you are changing names now [Music] thank you that you are unlocking destiny now thank you that you are providing now and thank you that you've shown us we're stronger than we think oh yes help us to remember this fight as we go into more fights if god be for us [Music] help us to know we're okay as we have to face things and god we thank you that the next part of the text suggests that you have gone before us to deal with the things that have frightened us thank you that as jacob got to esau you had already taken care of it think of that as we walk into the next thing that we're afraid of you've already taken care of it we come against fear now we come against fear now in jesus name thank you for our opportunity to get away from everything else and wrestle with you because when we're alone with you even when we're wounded we're changed and i declare we'll never be the same after this fight in jesus name amen amen we thank god for those who responded let's make ready now to protect together in the lord's supper as is our custom the first sunday of every month we are going to make ready to take the lord supper together so if you're streaming from home and you had an opportunity to come by drive through thursday to pick up your elements grab those let's protect together if not grab something in your home and let's um consecrate it to the lord and let us remember what christ did for us together let's pray god thank you for your sacrifice at calvary and now we commemorate that not because you're dead we know you're alive but it's because one you told us to to to do this in remembrance of your sacrifice may we never be so grateful for what your sacrifice means that we cheapen the price for it help us to be grateful to remember what you did for us soberly and gratefully forgive us cleanse our hearts cleanse us from anything we've done said or thought that's against you we don't want to eat or drink damnation to ourselves with pure hearts full of gratitude and wonder we gather around your table to commemorate the cross let your presence rest now in jesus name amen [Music] uh [Music] oh [Music] me make the difference [Music] god [Music] that make a difference [Music] me oh [Music] has made no difference [Music] [Music] oh [Applause] [Music] [Music] ah [Music] that's made a difference [Music] the night the lord jesus was betrayed gathered with his disciples took bread blessed it broke it and said this is my body it shall be broken for you let us eat together and he took the fruit of the vine blessing said this the blood buys you into a new covenant without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin let's gratefully drink together god thank you for your sacrifice thank you for this new covenant that it's brought us into the grateful hearts we commit our lives to you in jesus name amen man as we prepare to be dismissed a couple of quick announcements um please please please i need y'all to hear me i need every single person who considers themselves a part of this family of faith to make it a priority to be a part of vision week this week amen i need every single one of you to make it a priority to spend some time every night monday tuesday wednesday and thursday at 7 00 pm to lock in and just hear what the lord is saying about where we're moving as a church family if you can't watch it then we'll leave it up on our social media but i need you to watch it this week are y'all hearing me and the greatest question i've been asked is what's going on and where are we going or you'll know if you if you pay attention so i want to hear nobody say well i didn't know amen please please please make it your make it a mission and a priority for you and your family to stop and listen to where it is we're moving as a church even if you don't feel like you care about the first couple things there there are things that you need to know that you'll miss if you don't um stream this week so please do so also starting next wednesday on the 14th we have our um discipleship sessions starting back so you can go in through the app of the website now and register for the classes that you're the class that you want to take and you can take either one of the six week courses or two of the three week courses but this six week session is designed uh for us to grow together after the six weeks we'll take a holiday break and we'll kick off the next phase of classes in january you do not want to miss these sessions there will be they will be impactful if we're going to say we build people we need to make sure that we're growing amen as we talked about during the series where we walk through the parables of jesus one of the the identifying markers or traits of anybody connected to the kingdom is constant growth anything that's not growing is dying the way we grow is in the word of god amen so please please please please please make it your mission to sign up for these digital discipleship courses that will be 100 online there will be dialogue with the teachers of each classes each class and there will be some material for each class so make sure you are signed up you can uh start signing up for those classes today you can do it now online okay um there any birthdays this past week including the day uh i see you throw that hand up hey happy birthday yes ma'am happy birthday happy birthday happy birthday it's a bunch of y'all happy birthday lord of mercy uh as well as happy birthday to any of you online any wedding anniversaries this past week including today oh happy anniversary happy anniversary anybody who's online we celebrate god for you anybody get a job or a job promotion this past week including oh glory right get praise him oh yes congratulations i just recognize who that is that herald back there hey man one of my college boys hey um congratulations anybody get a chance to retire all right we're praying hold to his hand um let's continue to pray for um all those who serve in our schools and our hospitals um our you know front-line workers and those who are helping to combat this virus y'all let's pray for our country lord have mercy y'all pray for the president y'all know y'all pray for him ain't no telling what god can use i don't have nothing deep i'm just this is why we pray i'm friends with some of y'all on facebook i saw what y'all was saying and i ain't saying nothing because i don't really know what to say y'all just pray for him all right we we we don't want to be found guilty of becoming the thing that we despise so let's let's pray for those we disagree with or agree with whatever whatever your political preference whatever that's you make sure you register to vote if you haven't we the last day to register was this past week i think in texas so we did some vote tomorrow so do we still have any more voter registration cards yes can we get those out of the front okay we still have some voter registration cards here we've been doing some registration during drive through thursday so if you're not registered to vote i don't care what reverend jacob said i'm playing because y'all know he'd be rushing y'all out of here stop by the information desk if you are not registered to vote and we will register you to vote today before you leave amen all right vote early we have some volunteer opportunities for election day that you'll get um that we're doing some things so we'll we're actually going to be sending out some information this week to call for some volunteers we're going to do our part in in our community to make sure that we can make the voting process as smooth as possible in the areas around the church so if you're interested in volunteering we'll have some volunteer opportunities for you there um not everything as we leave let's not forget to give you can give digitally on the website texting afnbc to 77977 or through the app those of you who are here will give on the way out and those who don't have that option if you're away and don't have those technical resources you can come by drive through thursday from 12 to 3 this week or at any point during our office hours and drop off your giving let's continue to be faithful to do what it is the lord has called us to do in that area amen we all have lengthy appeals to give i just believe that those who have been given to ought to be willing to give back to the god who's given to us so richly amen all right if there's nothing else let's be [Music] dismissed [Music] [Music] god god how we thank you for what our eyes have seen our ears have heard our hearts of experience thank you that you love us so much you'll show up to us and wrestle with us until you get out of us what you need to get out of us give us proper perspective of our struggle help us to understand that what you allow you'll use and now god made the grace of god the sweet communion of the holy spirit rest ruling about him forth now forever i pray special blessings on your people i pray that you would establish them bless their going out bless their coming in i pray that you give divine favor this week divine strength for every assignment that you will put their names on the minds of people that they've never met to extend opportunities that will change their life i pray right now for favor in every area and most of all i pray that we become who you've called us to be and that we can reject what we've been called before and pray for traveling grace and mercy as we leave this place and never from your presence in the name of jesus we pray on behalf of our senior pastor pastor chris wesley and the rest of our antioch family we pray that something that you heard today will impact something that you do this week oh and don't forget tomorrow at 7 pm we will begin vision week and on october 14th we will begin our discipleship courses now you will need to register but it will be at the same time in the same place that's it for me my name is mikaela mcdade let's make this week a great one [Music] no [Music] you

Channel: Antioch Fellowship Church

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Id: OEDL6TOKPtY

Length: 135min 15sec (8115 seconds)

Published: Sun Oct 04 2020