New Life Croydon - Online Service - 26/09/2021

good morning new life good morning nice to see all your faces this morning if you'd like to take your seats and we'll get on with this morning's service it's always good to be in the presence of the lord it's always good to come into the presence of the lord with anticipation of what god will do our god is a good god his love for us endures forever his mercies never come to an end we're here because of jesus christ we're here because he loves us so much and so today we're going to be worshiping the lord we're going to be praising him we're going to be glorifying his name we're going to hear the word of the lord and we're going to trust that he will meet with each and every one of us at our point of need so please come quickly take your seats so that you can settle in a very quick housekeeping the sitting on the right hand side uh it's for those who want to ensure that there is still social distancing and so everyone on that side of this hole here is wearing a mask so please please please if you don't intend to keep your mask on then feel free to move to any of the other seats in the house keep that area separate and for people who do wear masks i hope that that's quite clear and okay welcome to everyone who's joining us online this morning we pray that the lord will bless you we will encourage you as much as you can if it's possible to join us here in person it's a very different very different feeling and well it's just completely different when you have others around you you can fellowship with with safe distancing with your mask on and you can actually physically talk to them so i'll encourage you to come if you are able to but i also know that there are some of you who are quite far away who are now joining us online so we really welcome you and ask the lord to bless you paul writing to the ephesians encouraged them to remember to remember and i just read very quickly a few words from that passage in ephesians 2. he asked them to remember he said to them you know you were once people who were dead in your transgressions and sins you were following the ways of the world gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature following his desires and thoughts you were objects of wrath separate from christ outsiders to god's ways foreigners to the covenants of the promise without hope without god in the world very far away separated by the dividing wall of hostility strangers or outsiders to the kingdom of god but but you are here this morning because christ has walked in your hearts and this is what he says you are no longer like all those words that i read out but you are now raised up with christ you are seated with him in the heavenly realms do you know you're now god's masterpiece created a new in christ jesus for good works you are a masterpiece just as i am i'm a masterpiece in case you don't learn god has prepared work for you in advance and now you're able to tap into that work you've been brought near through the blood of christ you are reconciled to god through the cross you are fellow citizens with god's people you are fellow citizens with god's people you are members of god's household do you know you're a member of the household of god you're a dwelling in which god lives by his spirit isn't that wonderful that's who we all are this morning and the evidence of that is that we are here we are here to serve the lord so as we worship keep these thoughts in your mind help that to encourage you let that be a strong encouragement for you you are in the presence of god who loves you and who cares for you and as you worship and as you adore and as you lift the name of jesus christ up as ruth and the worship team are going to do now just feel joyful rejoice in the lord and know this that the power of god will be present in your life in a mighty way god will meet with you this morning in an unexpected way i have come this morning full of hope and anticipation that the power of god moving in our midst will be so strong you will have testimonies to share remember who you were before remember who you now are in christ you are loved of the lord bless you [Music] please stand with us we're gonna declare the victory of the cross [Music] so i could live [Music] and now my life is yours [Music] what is your name jesus [Music] is your name and now my shame [Music] [Music] on and is and i will see of your goodness forevermore worthy is your name jesus you deserve the praise what is your name [Music] [Music] you deserve to [Music] [Music] the praise what is your name the example in the heavens as your glory fills this place as your glory fills this deserve place praise you're the name of all names be exalted now in the heavens as your glory fills this place you alone deserve as your glory fills this place you alone deserve you're our praise [Music] what is your name jesus you deserve the praiseworthy is your name what is your name jesus [Applause] [Music] is your name jesus [Music] you deserve the praise what is your name what is your name jesus [Music] you deserve the praise what is your name [Music] that was the warm-up [Music] i just i felt really inspired yesterday that i needed to encourage you to find a new freedom in worship that we have done to listen to the still small voice because god is wanting to speak to us this morning and he is wanting to take us beyond the things that we have known to the bits where we feel a little bit funny taking us beyond barriers so this morning can i encourage you that ask the holy s we're gonna open our hearts to jesus this morning we're gonna say god if you want me to kneel on the floor this morning i will do that if you want me to run around the building this morning i will do it if you want me to lift my hand whatever it is you want me to do to express my love for you this morning this is training our ears to hear his voice we need this in our lives trust me so let us this morning just welcome him holy spirit we welcome you this morning holy spirit we've set our eyes and our attention on you this morning and we worship you and we say come we say whisper into our ears we say ask us to do whatever you want us to do and we say that we will obey we will be your obedient children this morning we ask for a freedom we ask for new freedom in jesus name in this place that we would be free to express our love for you that you would fill our hearts like we have never known before fill our hearts with your love jesus move us move us this morning in your presence oh jesus go be exalted and be exhausted now in the heavens as your glory fills this place you alone deserve our praise you're the name of the names be exhausted now in the heavens as your glory fills this place you alone deserve our praise you're the name of our names be exhorted now in the heavens as your glory fills this place you alone deserve our praise you're the name of our name be exalted glory fills this place you alone deserve our praise [Music] jesus you deserve the praise what is your name what is your name [Music] jesus do you deserve the praise what [Music] is your name [Music] you deserve the praise [Music] you deserve the praise what is your name [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] oh [Applause] oh jesus [Music] so be exalted now in the heavens as your glory fills this place you alone deserve our praise you're the name of all names be exhausted now in the heavens as your glory fills this place you alone deserve our praise you're the name you're the name [Music] as your glory fills this place you alone deserve our praise you're the jesus you deserve the praise worthy is your name worthy is your name jesus you deserve the praise worthy [Music] [Music] jesus [Music] sir [Music] [Music] so [Music] um [Music] is [Music] [Applause] [Music] is he yes to the church [Music] [Music] is [Music] [Music] worthy is [Music] [Music] he reigns on highways [Applause] [Music] hallelujah [Music] holy is the lord [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] is [Music] is [Music] [Applause] [Music] he is holy holy he is [Music] jesus jesus oh [Music] jesus [Music] oh a table that you prepare for me in the presence of my enemies it's your body and your blood you shed for me this is how i fight my battles there's a table [Music] [Applause] [Music] of my enemies it's your body and your blood you shed for me this is how i fight my battles and i believe [Music] oh is how i fight my battles this is how i fight my battles this is how i find my battles this is [Music] this is how i find my battles this is how i find my battles this is how i [Music] [Applause] [Music] follow me so my weapons are praising thanksgiving for this is how i fight my battle [Music] and i believe praise for all you've done this is [Music] is how i find my battles this is how i find my battles this is how i find my battles this is if i look like i'm surrounded but i'm surrounded by you if i look like i'm surrounded but i'm surrounded by you if but i'm surrounded [Music] this is [Music] [Music] it may [Music] it may look like i'm surrounded but i'm surrounded by you with [Music] i'm [Music] [Applause] [Music] we worship you lord you're worthy of all our praise oh god you're worthy oh lord of all our worship hello this is only just the start because we're going to continue in worship it's so good lord to be able to worship you you created us for worship you created us to be in fellowship with you father when we worship we are blessed you bring joy into our hearts you lift bodies away from us we feel your power move within us we encourage your lord by the words of worship and adoration to your name what a god we said your ways indeed are not our ways our thoughts are not your thoughts you are beyond our understanding how amazing lord that our worship blesses us even more than we can bring to you lord we love you jesus we adore you you are our lord and our god what a blessing what a blessing what a blessing to be in the assembly of your people this morning what a joy god you're good your love endureth forever hallelujah oh hallelujah [Music] jesus you're wonderful [Music] fix your thoughts on jesus this morning fix your thoughts on our savior the spirit of the lord is amongst us even the most hardened hearts will know that the spirit of the lord is amongst us there is no way you would have worshipped the way you did but for the holy spirit inspiring you the holy spirit is in you god is here lord we want you to take complete control it's all about you we've come from our homes because of you have your way are you let's quiet in our hearts before the lord let's just quiet in our hearts let the lord minister to us [Music] hear his words his words of delight in your heart this morning he delights in you he delighting you [Music] he delights in you [Music] perhaps there's someone here this morning the lord wants to say to you i love you i have always loved you i know you i know your thoughts towards me [Music] i know your desire i know your desire to serve me but this is what the lord will say to you [Music] i will guide you in the way you should go it's not for you to determine what you want to do for me [Music] it's for you to submit to me that i may show you what i want you to do for me for if you work in your strength you are serving and pleasing yourself alone but when you let me minister what it is i have created you to do for the kingdom then you will be working alongside me [Music] do you not know do you not understand that the only thing you do that can please me is what you allow me to do in you [Music] therefore don't waste your energy and time thinking i will do this for the lord i will build this for the lord i will do all those things that are good in themselves but it is what i want you to do that will please me do you not know that in your own human desire you will allow the enemy in because then self-glorification becomes the purpose for what it is you are doing it looks good to you and in the eyes of people but it's not what i'm calling you to do humble yourself under the mighty hands of the lord and induced season i will raise you up cast all these burdens this thoughts these ideas place them at my feet because i care for you and because i love you father we bless you we thank you for your word and we know that you do all things for our good to the glory of the name of our lord jesus christ father this morning we pray for paul he's asked us to pray as a congregation and assembly of your people to pray for his wife and for her health lord you know what paul's wife is facing you know the challenge that she is going through lord we thank you he said i have come that you may have life and have it more abundantly lord we hold on to those words for paul's wife and we say in the name of jesus life an abundant life coming to you now in jesus name lord we thank you for the quick need of your spirit on her healing because by your wounds she's healed thank you father thank you father you said you promised faith believes hope anticipates it patience wait for it we love you lord father we pray for paul's daughter as she goes to university father we thank you for her but we thank you for all the youngsters in our congregation those who are starting university for the first time those who are returning to their various courses lord will lift all them all of these young people up to you they are your children they are the greater tomorrow the future belongs to them lord keep their hearts and their minds in christ father lord almighty go ahead of them place them in contact with the people like mandate with the spirit of god do not let them fall into the hands of the evil one do not let them be tempted oh lord almighty by the philosophies and the world ways of life that are often seen in universities but let their hearts be set upon you for they are yours they are yours oh lord put a head your protection around them all bless them in their courses keep their focus upon you and help them lord to remember always it is you it is because of your love it is because of your goodness that they are where they are our sister estes asked us to pray lord i thank you that you love this dear woman you do love her and as he cries out to you lord you're hearing our prayer this morning is this is that in the name of jesus know within you know the love of god for you don't strive in your own strength don't put yourself down don't let the enemy steal from you that which the lord has already promised it is done esther it is done now lift your hands up in praise worship and he will set you free for because of freedom he came for you and for you let the light of the lord shine in your heart let his peace fill you right now let his shackles that continue to tell you that you are not good enough be broken in the name of jesus for power of the holy spirit moves in you believe it hold on to it take it in your hands like something you have the lord loves you there is nothing else you need to do he already loves you may god be praised may god be glorified father we do thank you my brother has asked me to uh to remind you there is baptism service next week so if you want to be baptized and i'll encourage you to if you have not yet been to please meet brother kofi at the end of the service he'll be hanging around somewhere he's sitting on that side there and you can ask him to please book you in but we'll invite you all to come baptismal services are always very powerful you hear testimonies of the power of god in the lives of people i'll encourage you to come it's always a good thing to do i'm going to pray for the kids now before they go out and we're going to be worshiping ruth is going to be leading us in worship again but i want to pray for you before you go and then as we pray and the worship begins then you can go lord these are your children these are children that you have brought to hear the word of god these are children lord growing up in the house of god these are green shoots oh lord almighty that you have made we look upon them and we are looking and thinking what wonderful blessing we have in our midst but father these i know there is a great plan for each of them there is a wonderful plan that you have for them our prayer is that the enemy will not steal your plans from their lives that every one of these youngsters lord will grow to accomplish your purpose for them great purposes to bring glory to your name to bless them to bless their parents to bless everyone who will come in contact with them lord we thank you because your power is immense the eyes have not seen the ears have not heard the heart of mind cannot yet conceive the power and what you have prepared who knows what these ones will be great leaders of tomorrow in every sense politically spiritually in the business world these are the future lord lord i put them in your hands i put them in your hands these are the great youngsters for tomorrow father bless their teachers they are going out and they are teaching the great people of tomorrow may their hearts oh lord be filled with joy and anticipation of what they will see in the future when they see these ones grown up i remember i taught them may they serve you with all their hearts with all the fullness of words you have placed within them to bless this ones to speak words of life into them father i love you you do things that are beyond our understanding and i just praised you this morning because you are here we will continue to worship you we are going to glorify you and your work of miracle will pour out here today and there will be testimonies testimonies of the power of god and walk amongst us praise the lord give glory to him worship our god for our god is good his love endures forever hallelujah hallelujah i'm not enough unless you come will you meet me here again [Music] cause all i want is all you are will you meet me here again i'm not enough i'm not enough unless you come will you beat me here [Music] all i want is all you are will you meet me here again i'm not enough [Applause] i'm not enough unless you come will you meet me here again [Music] cause all i want [Music] is you meet me here again not for a minute was i forsaken the lord is in this place the lord is in this place come holy spirit dry bones away the lord is in this place the lord is in this place not not for a minute was i forsaken the lord is in this place the lord is in this place come holy spirit dry bones awakened the lord is in this place the lord is in this one more time not for a minute was i forsaken the lord is in this place the lord is in this place come holy spirit dry bones awaken the lord is in this place the lord is in this place [Music] jesus you're here we worship you jesus just want us to think about what we're singing there come holy spirit dry bones awaken what words to sing let's just sing that through again this morning we're asking the holy spirit to come any dry bones in our lives in our church in our community let's just sing it through again to welcome him this [Music] lord morning in this place yes not for a minute was i forsaken the lord is in this in this place come holy spirit dry bones awaken the lord is in this [Music] is in place place not for a minute was i forsaken the lord is in this [Music] the lord is [Music] father thank you father we thank you for the reality that you are in this place by your holy spirit father we thank you for just a sense of your presence this morning we thank you for even now refreshing and touching our lives and father as we come to your word this morning father we want to hear from you forever open our ears to hear open our hearts to hear from you father our desire is to leave this place different when we arrived so father speak to us this morning i pray speak to us we pray lord as a church speak to us as individuals speak to as i pray in the name of jesus amen amen you may be seated if there's any children or young people still here you can go to your activities it's great to see everyone summer's just about holding on all right so it's good so over the last few months over the summer i've been drawn to the book of joshua and really just reading that book studying it for those who don't know the book of joshua is named after joshua that's profound teaching this morning and joshua is the leader of god's people israel you know the story that god's people have been in in captivity in egypt and god raises up moses they come out of egypt miraculously and then they are in the the air will be called the wilderness and they wander really in the wilderness for 40 years and the reason they wander that long is basically there they make lots of mistakes they don't really trust god they kind of you read you read the book at the store and you can get really frustrated like why don't you just obey god but they don't and finally they they kind of they after 40 years god brings them to a place where he wants them and he brings them to the edge of this land that he's promised to give them the promised land and that's where the story the book of joshua takes over moses has died a new generation has arisen and joshua is the person who is going to lead the people across the river jordan into this plan that god has promised them for many many years and as you read the book of joshua that's what you read about it's an exciting story it's a great story to read and i've been just camped in this book um and i get to speak in lots of dots of different groups and sometimes you're trying to work out god are you speaking just to me is this something you want to say to me is it for a particular group in the church what what are you trying to say so some of the things i said initially i shared with some of the some of our staff and sometimes when you shared something it's like a burden lifts you've kind of got given you something to share you shared it you passed it on finished but the burden has stayed with me so as i thought about that um i think i think it's something i need to share with you i think it's a message for god to encourage us as a church to encourage as individuals so this morning we are going to be looking in the book of joshua so why on earth are we in looking at an old testament book of the bible what relevance does this have for us obvious point it's the word of god but what relevance does it have for us today just want to give you a couple of reasons why i think this is relevant for us firstly i believe the story we read in joshua serves as an example to us when paul writes the corinthians in 1 corinthians chapter 10 he actually says that the story of god's people has been given to us as an example it's an example to teachers negatively we can learn from their mistakes and positively we can see principles on how god leads and directs his people so it serves as an example to us now lots of over the years lots of bible teachers have been intrigued by the story of god's people israel how does it relate to us and they've tried to kind of interpret what what does it refer to and in the past many commentators said well i think egypt must be the time before we became a christian the wilderness is our kind of our christian life here on earth when we cross jordan that's that's that's when we die and the promised land is heaven because it's a place of blessing that sounds good doesn't it but it's wrong the promised land is not heaven okay some of you are looking at me thinking what's he saying the promised land is a place of battles it's a place where there is land to be possessed where there is a kingdom to be advanced the promised land is not heaven jordan is not death the promised land i believe is a picture of the victorious christian life the spirit-filled christian life that god wants us all to enjoy so the challenge for us in the book of joshua is to move beyond kind of what i would describe as a wilderness christian life where we're just about surviving and making you know we're kind of going around in circles where we come into a place of victory where we begin to possess the land where we become all that god has called us to be so it's a great example if you want if i said to you this morning who wants to live a victorious christian life yes intriguingly some of you haven't got your hands up which is quite worrying um but if we want to live a victorious christian life there are principles in this book to help us so that's the first reason it's just a general example secondly i believe it's irrelevant to us because it covers a period of transition and change this is a big change it's a change of leadership so the leader moses has been leading for a long time he's gone and now there's a new leader joshua so that's relevant it's a time of change it's a huge change but it's also a big change in that they come out of this long period of the wilderness they cross the jordan and they come finally into the land god has promised to give them so he says it's a story of change and transition and i believe that is relevant for us because i it's been said many times from this platform in recent weeks and months that this has been an unprecedented time of change isn't it we are in a time of transition and change in the natural realm we've gone for a time of upheaval you know many of us we've said this before if you just said a few years ago all the things that happened in our world we just said no way but as a church as god's people it's also a time of transition and change we believe wholeheartedly that god is bringing us into a new season so it's not a case and i'm going to emphasize this where we've kind of just we're picking up where we left off this is a new season this is a time when god is wanting to do new things so when we look at the story of the of joshua we can see principles and lessons that will help us navigate the season of change and transition that we are in so that's the second reason and then really narrowing it down narrowing it down and this is what i really want to touch on this morning the book of joshua shows us how to move forward in unfamiliar times how to move forward in unfamiliar times and there's one particular phrase in the in the story in joshua which is really grab me i've probably over the years read the book of joshua i don't know how many times lots and lots of times but when i read the book some months ago there was a phrase that i don't know if you've had this experience you read god's word and suddenly something just let leaps at you and you think why haven't i seen that before it's always been there but god is wanting to quicken a thought a phrase to you so the verse i want to look at is found in joshua chapter 3 and verse 4. god's people have reached the edge of the river jordan the wilderness is behind them the river jordan is in front of them and beyond the river jordan is this land this promised land this land of blessing that god has promised to them and they know that it's time for them to cross the jordan and to move into that land and it's time to get ready and what happens in that in joshua chapter 3 is joshua he has various officers army officers and they go through the land telling everyone get ready get ready we're going in we're crossing the jordan and they give them instructions and the instruction they give them is they need to follow the ark of the covenant and we'll talk about why that is so important they need to follow the ark they need to follow it from a distance because it's a holy thing it's a it represents god's holiness they can't treat it just with familiarity but they need to follow the ark and then they say this so talking about the ark joshua 3 verse 4 do not come near it in order that you may know the way you shall go and here's the phrase for you have not passed this way before this word comes to god's people you have not passed this way before and as soon as i read that phrase it leapt off the page and i felt god saying to me as an individual i felt god's saying to us as a church you have not passed this way before that i am bringing you into a a new place a place that you are not familiar with and the journey for us as individuals and as a church it's uncharted territory some of you might know but i love walking in the countryside and i have um various walks i go on and a lot of those walks i've done many times so i'm very familiar with them if you went on them you cut you get you where you probably get lost but you know i know i know when i need to turn i'm familiar with all the landmarks i'm familiar with everything it's enjoyable but there are times when actually i i decide i want to go somewhere new i want to go somewhere different i'm unfamiliar with the route and when i do that i need to know where i'm going i need to have my maps out i need to be studying because i'm not familiar but with that comes also this sense of excitement you see and experience new sights new amazing things and that i think is where god has brought us individually at this time and as a church family but he's saying to us i'm not wanting you to go back to where you were you're not picking up familiar paths i'm actually taking you on a new journey you've not been this way before it's a new season it's a new season and that's what god god said to his people then and that is what god is saying to us so as i read that i began to kind of think well if we are going to go on on this new these new paths a way we've not gone before what are the lessons we can learn from god's people here in joshua what kind of people do we need to be what kind of people do we need to be and there's loads of different things we could say but this morning i just want to highlight three characteristics that god is calling us to be god is looking for us to have in this new season if we are going to navigate and come into all that god has for us as a church what kind of people do we need to be we're going to just mention three these are very simple truths this morning and they are truths that what i've been encouraged as i've spoken to different ones in the church as even we've heard prophetic words being spoken they are just reinforcing these principles so god is not saying in a sense not anything particularly new this morning but he wants to remind us of in this season this is who you need to be the first thing i i noticed when i read the book of joshua is that in this season when we not pass this way before we need to be a people of courage we need to be a people of courage you're probably very familiar with joshua chapter one that's the bit of the the story where joshua's just taken over from moses and god comes to speak to joshua to encourage him and to just to to strengthen him and you may be very familiar that in twice in what in of just a few verses when god is speaking to joshua he says the same thing to him what does he say he says in joshua 1 verse 6 be strong and courageous and then a few verses later verse 9 have i not commanded you be strong and courageous do not be frightened and do not be dismayed for the lord your god is with you wherever you go you know if god says something once we need to get out of it don't we if he says it twice we really need to listen and i believe that god would say the same thing to us today he's saying to us new life be strong and courageous be brave be strong and that kind of thought is just it goes on a few a few verses later after joshua has encouraged and challenged the people that they're going to possess the land they really get hold of this so they start to talk among themselves and they to one another in verse 18 of chapter one say be strong and courageous god wants us to be strong and courageous and i believe this is a season where god is calling us to a new level of boldness a new level of courage a new level of confidence i think we can apply this individually during the week as i was preparing i i really had a burden a sense from god that there are a number of people here maybe listening in the building others watching online and this season is a season where you feel that your confidence your spiritual confidence has been just knocked you feel all over the place you feel just like what who am i what am i doing and i believe that god wants to encourage you and strengthen you this morning and he wants to pour his courage and strength into you as i was preparing this it's the verse from hebrews dropped into my heart where the writer of hebrews says don't throw away your confidence it will be richly rewarded hebrews 10 35. that some of us this morning we're just we've just lost our confidence we've just maybe stuff has happened over the last 18 months that has shaken us thing it's just been tough it's been hard and we're just about holding on it's really really hard and it's it's difficult but god this morning wants to speak afresh to us and he wants to say there was a land to be possessed there was there was there's victories to come there are good things ahead but you need to be strong and courageous we need his strength his boldness as a church as well i believe god says to us new life be strong be courageous in this season be strong be courageous it's a new season we said this we don't want to go back to where we were before here's the thing very simple principle the familiar can be safe can't it you know we know it if you've done something you've always done when i'm out walking if i know where i'm going it's like it's fine but if i decide to go somewhere new there's always the risk i could get a little bit lost i don't know where i'm going and i think there's a time even as churches we can play it safe we can just think well we've got all these programs and ministries we'll just get them all back and running again but god isn't calling us to do that god is saying new life there's a land to be possessed there are victories to be won i've got something new for you so we need to be bold and to be strong and we're in a season where we're we're we're seeing that we're seeing that all kinds of different areas of the church last week we we prayed for dave and richard and you know we sent them out that's something as a church leadership we haven't done before it's a bit it was new it did quite it requires boldness it requires boldness on their part to leave a big church start a little church and then thinking about our youth department we've just taken on ryan and our youth department was really impacted by the pandemic and it was like what are we doing and it it requires boldness because it's not kind of all set out it's it's like what are you calling us to do boldness in lots of areas as elders we are the way we even work together we're we're looking at new ways of working to be more effective again it's not familiar it's like oh not done this before it's boldness it requires boldness as a church as well one of the things we've said to you over the last few weeks is we have a real heart and desire to see more of the supernatural power of god we want to see god breaking out in our meetings we're glad we give praise for everything god's done in the past but we're saying god do more and i know many of you god is stirring you in that area god is touching you and if we are going to see more of the supernatural power of god in our meetings not just in our meetings in our day-to-day lives we are going to need courage and boldness when ian was speaking a few weeks ago he mentioned a book which and many of us among the eldership i know some of you in the church have read called sustainable power by a church leader in bedford called simon holly and he he talks about how his church god stirred them in this area of stepping out into the supernatural and some of the lessons they've learned it's a really great book really important but in that book he he talks about god's the supernatural presence of power of god being like a river that wants to flow for a church and he uses the imagery that there are rocks and boulders in the river that need to be removed from the river so the river can flow and one of the rocks he identifies is the whole area of of fear i want to read you what he said this is really i read this quote in the week and it's fine i find it really helpful he said this we found that on this journey of repentance that the second major rock that the lord wanted to detonate in our hearts was the rock of fear much kingdom extension simply does not happen because god's people are locked up in fear paul wrote to his disciple timothy fan into flame the gift of god which is in you through the laying on of my hands for god did not give us a spirit of fear but of power love and a sound mind and he talks in the book about some of the different areas of fear that we have as we begin to step out into the area of the supernatural he talks about the fear of rejection are people going to think we're weird what if i start to pray for people i meet in the street my neighbors my friends are they gonna think i'm wow they're a bit weird what about a fear of a fear of failure what if it doesn't work what if i pray for someone maybe for healing and it doesn't work and we have to overcome the spirit of fear we have to overcome he goes on to say this to avoid situations where we might make mistakes is probably the biggest mistake of all we are in a season and i'm speaking to myself here where we have to be bold we have to be courageous we have to be willing to do things we haven't done before it's how and how do we see that the time ahead now this whole story of joshua remember the story if we backtrack a little bit you remember when the spies are spent sent into the land 12 spies two of those spiders actually joshua is one of those spies ten spies they see the promised land they see all the good things they say all right so it's an amazing land but their attention is drawn away from the potential blessing to the giant so like we can't do it two of the spies caleb and joshua they see the land they see the abundance they also see the giants but what do they do their eyes are on god you can give us this land that there's that faith and boldness and that we want to be joshuas and calebs don't we we want to see the potential but we don't just see the potential we don't just see even the challenges we don't just see the giants we are saying god in your name we are going to push through we are going to push through now last week this was kind of running through my mind at the end of the meeting last week ruth is leaving us in worship this morning she gave a prophetic word exactly along these lines she was encouraging us to be a people of faith who press in to god's presence his power and she talked about being willing to jump into the river to kind of move from a place of passivity to where we are gonna press in and that is what god is calling us to do and we're going to speak more into that give more practical teaching i've just been so encouraged as i said preparing this because every almost every person i've spoken to has brought confirmation i was talking to a lady in our church on friday night and um she was telling me how she's been stirred in this area of praying for people and she was telling me this story how in the last week or so she one of her neighbors she saw her neighbor getting out of her car and her neighbor was struggling to walk and she had that moment where i need to pray for her and she would think she was thinking like maybe i can pray for her later and god was like no you need to pray for her now and she's telling her the story of how she just went to this lady and said what's the matter and the lady who said i'm in pain i said can i pray for you and the lady was actually really open most people are and she played for this lady and it kind of opened up amazing opportunities and actually the lady was physically touched and a door is open there and it's a great testimony so we need to be these people of courage who are willing to step forward back in the 80s at this point we burst into song who remembers the song we used to sing be bold be strong for the lord your god is with you you know we used to sing that but god i believe to us this morning he's actually saying to us individually be bold be strong because i am with you so this is a season where god wants us to be a people of courage secondly this is a season where we need to be a people of his presence we need to be a people who are very aware and experiencing and living in the presence of god generally there is the promise joshua 1 verse 5 god says to him just as i was with moses so i will be with you i will never leave you or forsake you so we have a general promise of god is with us but there is a sense in which we also need the what we call the manifest presence of god we need to experience and know god's presence so as they're preparing to cross into the promised land what does god tell them to do we've already seen it he says you need to follow the ark of the covenant why is that such a big deal because under the old covenant the ark of the covenant was the place where god's presence dwelt so where god's presence dwelt it was it was where they needed to follow where where god was going they needed to go now god now doesn't dwell in the ark of the covenant we are the dwelling place of god when paul writes to the early church he says to them individually he says you're a temple of the holy spirit when he writes to a local church he says you the church is a temple of the holy spirit god lives in us we need to be a pl we need to be a habitation for the presence of god that means in our individual lives we need to be full of his spirit we need to be continually full of his spirit as a church we need to be full of his spirit we need to be a people who experience god's presence in increasing measure so so important where the ark went they went and we need to we need to experience god's presence why is god's presence so important for us individually as a church two quick thoughts for direction where god's presence went they were going into uncharted territory the leaders say you need to follow the ark so you know where to go when god's presence is manifest in our lives in our church we can expect him to bring direction i am encouraged that in recent weeks and months we've seen an increase in prophetic words as we gather why is that happening god's presence is here god speaks to us we need god to speak to us individually some of us need to hear god's word to us as a church we need god's got to be speaking to us and god speaks to us as his presence is is is with us so joshua 3 verse 2 as soon as you see the ark of the covenant of the lord your god being carried by the priests then you shall set out from the place and follow it in order that you may know the way you will go we can experience his direction when god's presence is real acts chapter 13 you might be familiar with that god is he's the early church god's moving god's presence is there they're worshiping the lord they're just fasting having an amazing time experiencing god and in the midst of that the prophetic word comes from the prophets separate out for me paul and barnabas god gives direction to the church so i want when we're together i want us to experience the presence of god because as we experience the presence of god we can anticipate god speaking to us is that exciting we need god's voice we need god's voice the second reason why we need the presence of god is we need to see more have got supernatural power where the presence is there's the power so what happens here in the book of joshua they face an impossible situation they have to cross this river this huge river this is not a little stream how are they going to cross it it's impossible there's no bridge what happens what happens verse 16 of chapter three as soon as those bear in the ark had come as far as the jordan and the feet of the priests bear in the ark were dipped in the brink of the water the waters down from above rose in a heap very far away now the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of the lord stood firmly on dry ground in the midst of a jordan and all israel was passing over on dry land until all the nation finished crossing the jordan do you notice where god's presence when the ark moved into the river god's supernatural power was seen and they crossed over in dry land we need god's presence we need more of god because we need to see more of his power if we are going to see the supernatural breaking out in our lives in our church it comes out of experiencing the presence of god it it's not us it's him it's him there's a there's enough there's a verse in one corinthians 14 this has fascinated me for for many years it's where paul is giving instructions about spiritual gifts if you know the context here the corinthians were people who loved that their meetings were a little bit chaotic the holy spirit was there but there was a little bit of kind of a little bit chaotic so paul comes not to stop what's happening but just to kind of give them a little bit of instruction and he talks there about the prophetic gift being used and he talks about unbelievers hearing the prophetic gift and then he says this in 1 corinthians 14 24 to 25 if all prophesy and an unbeliever or outsider enters he is convinced by all he is called to account by all the secrets of his heart are disclosed and so falling on his face he will worship god and declare that god is really among you how do you feel when you read that god is really among you i want and i pray that unbelievers come into contact with us individually in our conversations but unbelievers come into this place maybe we invite folk and they are so touched by the presence of god by god moving supernaturally they declare god's in this place god's in this place do you want to see that happen that's the season god is bringing us into where we see that we see god's presence he's so powerful and we need to be committed to that you know there are i'd encourage you read the stories there are so many great stories stories about the last great one of the last great revivals in england was the hebridean revival in scotland in the late 40s a guy called duncan campbell it tells there that god's presence would come so strong there was a whole group of young people in a dance and suddenly god's presence descends on them so they come under conviction and they all rush to the church meeting because they want to get right with god you might have heard a revivalist called charles finney he's told of charles finney he sometimes would walk into a factory and people would drop fall on their faces to repent because they could sense god's presence in him we need god's presence we need god's presence in our daily lives i would encourage you prioritize time just alone with the lord where you can welcome his presence where you can just be still and know that he's god and maybe we need to teach more about how we do that practically but we need that we need in our meetings this morning we need to prioritize the presence of god and we're doing that we're trying to do more and more and more because when god's presence comes that's when the supernatural breaks out that's when direction comes we need to be a people of god's presence and finally number three very quickly so we need to be a courageous people a people of his presence and finally number three we need to be a dependent and devoted people one of the things that god calls for from his people in the book of joshua was total dependency and total devotion the two go together our dependency comes out of our devotion there's a a great little story in joshua five so they're about to they've crossed the jordan they're about to fight jericho and joshua has an encounter with this character who the bible describes as the commander of the army of the lord and commentator is a fascinating angel but actually lots of commentators actually say this was probably a pre-incarnate appearance of jesus so joshua has this encounter with this this being this amazing being and um joshua asked what looks like a really logical question so he says to this this commander of the army of the lord he says well are you are you on our side or are on our enemies side reasonable question to ask but notice how this this got this commander replies he says no i am the commander of the lord i've come i i read a book by the argentine evangelist luis palau many years ago and as a phrase he he put it like this he paraphrased it like this this is what god was saying to joshua i haven't come to take sides i've come to take over i haven't come to take sides i've come to take over god is not wanting to be your pa you've got your life and this is the message i think very much the prophetic message that conley bought this morning it's not about our plans we've got our plans god will you come and help my plans god say that's not the way it works i have a plan for your life i have a plan for this church you get with my plans that's what god's saying i haven't come to take sides i've come to take over and that is what god is saying to us this morning that we we need to allow him to be god we need to completely let him maybe some of us this morning we're living our lives where you know we're living our lives and god will you come and help me help me we do what i want to do no we need to let him be god two familiar stories well maybe one knots are familiar you see this principle worked out you read this we're all filling with the story of the battle of jericho crazy odds this 45 city and god comes and says i'm going to give you this city i'm going to give you this city but you need to obey me and they the plan to take the city you know was crazy they had to march around it just crazy crazy plan but they hear from god they obey god what happens god gives us this incredible city this huge city why does it come it becomes out of a dependency this is a season where god is calling us to a very simple child-like dependency jesus encourages that just that childlike faith where we choose to believe him like little children and in fact actually the longer we go on in life the greater our dependency on him and that's what happens at jericho there's a dependency on god but then the chapter later there's a fascinating story there's a another little city called ai it's it's a cinch it's a doddle football equivalent jericho is top premier league ai is non-league all right and the people look at it there's no going to god they don't get god's word what are you saying god the mentality is we can do this we've got this we don't need all the army we we we can do this what happens they go up to this tiny little city and they're defeated why because there's not total dedication there's there's sin around but also there's not this this not this kind of just just dependency on god they think they can do it in their own strength god is saying to us in this season we have to lean on him there is no room in this season for professional christians do you understand what i mean by that we've done it before we're good at this in ministry if you are involved in any ministry for him do not this is not a season to think i've got this i've done this before i know how to do it i'm professional i'm experienced god is saying i need you to be totally dependent on me i need you to be totally devoted for me to me apart from me in john 15 we need to be just connected to him those words in john 15 apart from me you can do nothing everything god does it's gonna flow out of our relationship with him about knowing him so we've not been this way before can i invite the band to come back up and um we haven't got too long left but we've got a little a few minutes left and i want us to just to to really respond to what god's saying i want us just to pray i want to open ourselves up to god i want us to be honest this morning honest to just just where we're at with him we've not been this way before it's a little bit scary but it's also exciting so father this morning we we thank you lord so much for your word father we identify with the children of israel that lord god we believe you are bringing us into this new land it's a new season father we've not been this way before and father we we want to learn the lessons father god we don't want to miss out lord god we want to fully possess the land father individually lord i thank you lord god for the plans and purposes that you have for us for everyone in this room lord god i thank you for the plans and purposes you have and father i pray that we will be all that you've called us to be as a church lord god you are calling us into a into a new place to go deeper with you father we don't want to miss it so right now father god we just yield to you father i've spoken what i believe you've put on my heart but right now holy spirit i just ask you just to apply what i've said this is where our eyes are closed it's allowed the holy spirit to touch your heart [Music] just feel there may be some here in the bit in the room some watching online and you do identify this has been a season where your confidence and has been rocked you're just you've been really shaken and this morning you say actually i need god's i need fresh boldness and courage if that's you this morning just just just raise your hand [Music] lots of people lots of hands raising so father as we've confess our need for you right now father in the name of jesus lord god we speak your boldness and confidence lord god father we say be strong [Music] be courageous in the lord father we break off every spirit of fear every spirit of intimidation every spirit of failure lord everything the enemy is sought to dump on us this morning father god we break it off us in the name of jesus we break it off individuals and father as a church lord we break it off as a church family too that father god that fear will not hold us back we pray for a release of courage a release of strength we pray and father we we pray also that we will be a people of your presence father god we we need you we need you lord god we need you lord god holy spirit pour your spirit out on us afresh oh god fillers are fresh we pray lord every day we come to you as hungry thirsty people and we say we need you father in your presence you you direct directors father in your presence that's where you do amazing things oh god we need your presence like father we long to see an increasing whale or people coming into our meetings and just experiencing the reality of god that you are in this place father's people coming we want them to experience and know jesus jesus jesus jesus do it lord god and father we want to be a people who are holy devoted and dependent on you father this morning and in your heart just do this lord repent of trusting in our own strength our own ability our own skill our own leadership lord god father we we repent of any sense of just i've got this i've done it before but father we commit ourselves this journey ahead where we haven't been devotion just invite us to stand this morning we're just gonna spend a little bit of time not a long time just a little bit of time worshiping god there's one final declaration i want us to make this morning right at the end of the book of joshua [Music] they've accomplished a lot they've conquered lots of land they've gained territory they've done amazing things for god right at the end joshua's about to die and he gathers the people together and they they reaffirm their commitment to god and they reaffirmed the covenant to garden joshua challenges him he says look choose who you're going to serve if you're going to serve god serve god but make a choice and then joshua comes to me this amazing statement he says as for me and my house we are going to serve the lord [Music] and i i believe this morning individually we need to make that on behalf of ourselves of our families as for me and my house whatever comes in this season there are battles ahead for some of you there are giants to overcome but we are committed but as for me and my house we are going to serve the lord and as a church this morning let's say it together as for me and my house we will serve the lord so father right now lord we're going to worship you we're going to declare our love for you and even now lord god as we worship in you holy spirit touch lies we pray we pray for healing we pray you set people free even now we pray in the name of jesus so let's just begin to worship our god this morning [Music] nothing worth more [Music] that could ever come close nothing can compare [Music] you're our living home [Music] your presence lord jesus [Music] [Music] becomes free and my shame is undone your presence lord [Music] holy spirit holy spirit you are welcome we can't flood this place and feel the atmosphere [Music] [Music] by your brain holy spirit holy spirit you are welcome here come flood this place and fill your glory god is what our hearts long for to be overcome [Music] your presence let us become more aware of your presence let us say spirit the glory of your goodness let us become more aware of your presence let us experience the glory of your let us become let us become more aware of your presence let [Music] let us experience the glory of your goodness let us become more aware of your presence [Music] [Music] your glory god is [Music] [Music] amen just as we're in god's presence just want to pray for release of god's power if you need this morning a touch from god in your in your physical body just just lift your hand up just lift your hand up maybe some other we don't normally do this at the rest you just look around and maybe just stretch out your hands towards someone [Music] father god i thank you that where your presence is that's where your power flows and right now in the name of jesus we speak life and strength and healing in the name of jesus we come against every cancer in the name of jesus we say cancer be gone in the name of jesus we speak against migraines in the name of jesus we speak against heart conditions be gone in the name of jesus receive your healing now in the name of jesus in the name of he jesus we speak arthritis be healed in the name of jesus lord god touch bodies we pray touch bodies we pray in the name of jesus oh god touch touch touch lord god we pray the name of jesus in the name of jesus release release in the name of jesus release in the name of jesus thank you jesus we're going to end with one last song but one i just want to say this there might also be people who talked at the end about devotion and there may be just one or two people here you've never given your life to jesus the holy spirit is touching you this morning you this life we've talked about this life of knowing jesus and there's a stirring in you maybe you don't fully understand this is a day for you to surrender your life to jesus maybe some of you been living your life's half-heartedly it's like god has been your pa surrender to him we'd love to speak to you afterwards just come and make yourself known to any others we'll pray with you we'd love to pray with you let's end our time together just by worshiping our amazing god [Music] as mark was saying earlier there's some you know there are so many fears around but we need to choose faith and yeah just rely on the holy spirit to to give us the boldness to be able to choose that faith in him amen [Music] you unravel me with a melody you surround me with a song of deliverance [Music] let's sing it this morning come on i'm no longer [Music] longer a slave to fear [Music] [Applause] [Music] you have chosen me [Music] is [Music] [Music] to fear [Applause] [Music] no [Music] i'm no longer asleep [Music] [Music] to fear [Music] so i could walk [Music] [Music] [Applause] you rescued me so i could stand who believes that this morning [Music] you rescued me you rescued me so i could stand [Music] i [Applause] [Music] am a child [Music] [Music] amen amen amen amen amen amen amen amen i know our time has gone but i just wanted to sing that through one more time some of you as you sing it god is gonna just break something off you he's going to release courage and strength so i want you to sing it in absolute faith this morning but you are a child of the king you're a child of god this morning if you want to move around if you want to dance go just do so some of you need to do something we've not done before just let something break off us this morning father god just just release courage and strength this morning i pray in the name of jesus let's sing it through one more time [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] i am a child of god yeah father we thank you for this morning father we thank you we are gonna possess the land this is a new season father we are going to be a people of courage we are going to be a people of your presence and father we are going to be our dependent and devoted people we pray so god we speak blessing on those here those watching we pray god we're looking to hear testimonies of your power breaking through in our lives we pray in the name of jesus and all god's people said have a great week god bless you there is [Music] the name power jesus [Music] there is power in the name of jesus to break to break every chain break every chain [Music] there the name is jesus yeah there is power in the name of jesus to break every chain break every chain to [Music] rising [Music] rising [Music] break every chain break every chain break every [Music] break every chain break every [Music] god bless you have a wonderful week [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] so [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] you

Channel: New Life Croydon

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Length: 113min 37sec (6817 seconds)

Published: Sun Sep 26 2021