Robert Madu August 2017 | Celebration Church

Wow come on anybody love Jesus in this place tonight come on can we just take a moment and lift up the name that is above every name come on let's give Jesus the biggest standing ovation of praise tonight oh come on celebrations you could do better than that we serve a great guy we serve a magnificent god Jesus have your way in this place tonight God we give you permission to do whatever you want to do shake whatever you want to shake move whatever you want to move now we're not gathered here tonight to be entertained now we've come to be drastically changed speak to us let us sleep different than the way that we came in come on as somebody who loves Jesus say hey man come on say Amen again hey would you do me a favor before you take your seat before you take your seat look at somebody next to you get in their face get in their personal space and just say neighbor tonight is gonna change your life come on just in case that neighbor with a little stuck up a little booze you find another neighbor fun that's the neighbors come on say other neighbor I'm telling you I got a feeling that tonight is gonna change your life a couple of you believe it give God one more handclaps of praise or you could be seated how many glad that you came to first Wednesday tonight man this is it really is absolutely amazing absolutely phenomenal I think sometimes especially as church people we are notorious for being in the middle of miracles and not even realizing it sometimes you can be in a revival or asking God to send a revival and God's looking at you like you're in one and this is pretty unbelievable to see on a Wednesday night there's a million places you could be I heard the parking lot is all jammed and jacked up something you have to park it costo and walk across the street come on that's just the sound that guys don't do something in this place today this is this is unbelievable I am beyond honored to be back to say the least I kind of have a rule when traveling if you come to a church the first time you're still kind of in the guest category but if you get invited back the second time the iterator family so I hope you know come on you got a chocolate brother named Robert Madhu from Dallas Texas got less stuck with me man I absolutely positively I love this church I love the spirit of this house I just connected with pastor Randy and I think you are absolutely blessed with the best of the best now let me say this let me say this because these aren't just empty words for me I'm just in a season of my life where I so appreciate leaders and pastors whose lives speaking louder than any sermon they could ever preach when you look at their life that they live their lives will preach to you and their faithfulness to love God and to love his people and man I just pray celebration you never take for granted the incredible gift God has given you and pastor Randy and Cherie and who they are come on can we just let them know that we are so thankful come on for who they are for the life they live y'all can do better than that would you let your passes know how much you're appreciative come on celebration make them feel awkward a little bit and feel the love thank God for you pastor everything down for you it's so appreciative to be here and I would just come to hang with my homey Nick man he's my white chocolate brother from another mother and I always have a good time hey I'm excited about the word God has given me I want to jump straight to it if I can because I preach this message to myself last night responded to my own altar call amen and I brought my ministry a check for a thousand dollars son know you're gonna be blessed because I preached it to myself first and I really believe that tonight is gonna give somebody perspective as to why you're facing what you're facing feel like somebody in here might be feeling like man Robert it's the best of times but it's also the first of tubs and you're wondering why am I going through what I'm going through I really believe God's gonna open your eyes through his word tonight and give perspective to what you're facing so it's gonna be good I'm gonna jump straight to it I'm gonna look at Matthew chapter 3 tonight Matthew chapter 30 verses 13 through 17 and they will also got a Matthew chapter 4 verses 1 through 11 Matthew 3 13 through 17 and then Matthew 4 1 through 11 while you're getting your smart device or your Bible or whatever you got let me see one more time how do you have never heard me preach before can I see your hand you've never heard me preach before hands quite a few of you okay quick disclaimer I am a hollaback preacher okay all that means is over these next few moments we have it is illegal for you to just sit there and go that's interesting no if anything I say resonates with you where you're feeling it you can say a man you could say preach that you could grunt you could literally stand up in the middle and go that was for me you can also stand up in the middle go oh that was for you for really any one of those who work tonight but come on you can't be quiet when you had celebration church come on a quiet church is a dead church and you're not dead you are alive amen Matthew three starting at verse 13 when you're ready to read it say yeah you need a little bit more time to find it say hold on I give you some time that was a desperate hold on verse 13 it says then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him John tried to prevent him saying I need to be baptized by you you're coming to me but jesus answered and said to him permit it to be so now for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness then he allowed him when he had been baptized Jesus came up immediately from the water and behold the heavens were open to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon him and suddenly a voice came from heaven saying this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased it's exactly how God sounded that day by the way just in case Matthew chapter 4 Matthew 4 1 through 11 it says then Jesus was led up by the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil and when he had fasted 40 days and 40 nights oh just let that hit you in the face four minutes forty days and forty not that's a long fast that is a long fast earlier this year I did a 21-day Daniel fast a Daniel fast and four days into the fast I was convinced Daniel 8 Kentucky Fried Chicken I want anybody judging me I struggled too fast for minutes but Jesus fasted 40 days and 40 nights and I loved him the Bible is blatantly obvious it says afterward he was hungry I bet he was nice verse 3 says now when the tempter came to him he said if you are the son of God command that these Stones become bread but he answered and said it is written man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God then the devil took him up into the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him if you are the son of God throw yourself down for it is written he shall give his angels charge over you and in their hands they shall bear you up lest you dash your foot against a stone pause timeout did you read what we just read Satan is quoting scripture to Jesus not only that has to eject up but it lets us know something and please don't miss this tonight it lets us know that you have to be real careful how you approach and how you apply the Word of God to your life because if you have the wrong approach or the wrong application of the Word of God you can actually manipulate scripture to say whatever you want it to say that's exactly what the enemy is doing and if you're not careful you'll start adjusting the Word of God to fit your life instead of adjusting your life around the Word of God that's that's that's for free that's not even a part of the message Jesus interpret Scripture with Scripture and he says it is written again you shall not tempt the Lord your God verse eight again the devil took him up on an exceedingly high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory and he said to him all these things I will give you if you will fall down and worship me then jesus said to him away with you Satan for it is written you shall worship the Lord your God him only you shall serve then the devil left him and behold angels came and ministered to him can you say Amen that's good stuff that's good stuff tonight tonight I want to preach just using this as a title using this as a subject the water and the wilderness the water and the wilderness look at your neighbor one last time the same neighbor come on don't be afraid to talk to your neighbor in church come on say neighbor it's about the water and the wilderness come on find another neighbor find another neighbor say other neighbor you're my second option but I want you to know it's about the water and the wilderness a couple of people leave guys don't speak to you all first ones they would you give them some praise up in here I feel like preaching come on let's pray let's pray before we jump into this it's gonna be a long prayer but just bear with me would you bow your heads god you are awesome speak tonight amen the water had the wilderness celebration in church this year I will celebrate and commemorate 13 years of full-time ministry 13 years full time at teller administered for the last 13 years I've had the incredible privilege and opportunity to travel around the world and preach the gospel the good news about Jesus for 13 years it's hard it's hard for my young mind to even believe that it's been 13 years because I first started coming to the church I'm a part of in Dallas Texas when I was just three years old I preached my first sermon when I was single 16 Ronnie's still living at home with my parents today I'm happily married 33 three kids one dog no cat one mortgage six chess tears I'm a grown man now people grow in my 13 years of traveling there is a question that I've often been asked and it is a question based on an assumption you know generally happen after a service especially if my father is traveling with me somebody will inevitably come up to me and say hey Robert how long has your father been preaching a Robert where does your dad Pastor some people shocked I let them know that my father is not a preacher my father is a firefighter for the last one thirty two years my dad Robert Madhu's senior has been fighting fires for the city of Dallas for the last 42 years come on shout out to all the first responders come on now my father now we have the exact same name totally different vocations the same name distinctly different callings I think that's imperative for you to note tonight because in the unlikely event that your house should catch on fire and you were to be trapped inside of that house that caught on fire and for whatever reason you can only call robert madhu to get you out make sure you call the right robert okay make sure you call the right robert now don't get me wrong both of us will do our best to make sure you get saved church joke some of you get that tomorrow like like neither one of us would want you to experience the flames however how we accomplish that objective will be totally different okay my father robert lanoue singing who's the fireman he's going to jump on a firetruck go inside the house and rescue you from the flames my approach don't be a little bit different okay I'm just gonna grab a microphone and I'm gonna stand outside a considerable distance away from you that's trapped in the fire and I'm just gonna encourage you I'm gonna encourage you and I'm gonna say something like consider it pure joy my brother whenever you face various trials knowing that the testing of your faith produces perseverance and perseverance patience I know in the fire right now gold because of no weapon formed against you shall be only one y'all remember Shadrach Meshach and Abednego they were in a fire not me but he keeps your help - all I'm saying is I'm a preacher not a that was fun anyway in all seriousness and I'll share this celebration some of my greatest memories as a kid was when I would visit my dad at the fire station okay you can understand when you're a little boy and your dad is a fireman and you get to visit him at the fire station people the fire Satan - a little boy is like Disney without the ticket prices okay I remember running around the fire station I'm trying on the uniform I'm climbing the ladder and pretend driving the fire truck I remember kids at school would be like hey Robert I think they're Chuck for Christmas I'm like that's cute I dropped one hashtag dream bigger I mean it was so awesome moments some awesome memories that I will never forget but hear me celebration I will never forget the day on the kid I'm visiting my dad at the fire station I'm pretend driving the fire truck and all of a sudden without warning I hear on the intercom engine 26 5 alarm house fire engine 26 5 alarm house fire and all of a sudden my father went from laughing and smiling at me pretend I'm in the fire truck - all of a sudden in his Nigerian voice saying son get up now he picks me up throws me out of the seat to my mind immediately firemen started coming out of the crevices and the corridors of the fire station like ants escaping an ant bed that had just been stepped on I saw two firemen who were playing ping pong they threw the paddles in the air and started putting on their gear one fireman was eating a turkey sandwich he stopped the mid-bite of the turkey sandwich and jumped on the fire truck and in no less than three minutes the same fire truck I was pretend riving was now peeling out of the parking lot and the same siren I was pushing for my entertainment was now being pushed for an emergency because time was of the essence and destiny was on the line and I will never forget the look on my father's face and the immediacy of the moment as he had to quickly transition from a moment of fellowship with his son - now racing to put out a fire that he didn't start share my childhood memory with you tonight in a feeble attempt to accurately articulate the tone and the tension of what is happening in Matthew chapter 3 with Jesus baptism and in Matthew chapter 4 with Jesus temptation and tonight I need you to feel the whiplash of our Savior because in Chapter three with his baptism he is in perfect fellowship with the father but in Chapter four with his temptation he is racing to put out a fire that he did not start but started in the book of Genesis when Adam and Eve were disobedient and took of the forbidden fruit and got humanity and the mess that it is in today and the tension is in his transition from Matthew chapter 3 to Matthew chapter 4 buckle up your seat belts I'm going somewhere tonight if you guys stay with me one of the things I want you to understand at the onset is that the chapter numbers and the verse numbers that are printed in your Bible although sometimes they can be helpful sometimes they can actually be a hindrance and stop you from getting the context of the text that you're reading so if you're not careful you'll do what I've done for years which is to read about Jesus baptism in Matthew chapter 3 pause for a commercial break and then read about his temptation in Matthew chapter 4 and you'll be tempted to look at these two events as isolated events that should be viewed independently but I submit to you tonight that these two events were never supposed to be viewed independently but rather interdependently because God has actually given us biblical Blue's Clues as to what you will face as a believer God is just letting you know that if you're gonna live a life of faith and walk this thing out there is a trajectory that your life will go through there is something that is inevitable that you will face all I'm trying to tell you tonight is that there is a connection between the water and the wilderness the water and the wilderness the water and the wilderness but maybe maybe I read the wrong verse of scripture tonight and I shouldn't read Matthews account maybe I should've read my boy marking Mark's account because look at how mark puts it in mark chapter 1 verses 9 through 13 it says this it came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan and immediately coming up from the water he saw the heavens parting and the spirit descending upon him like a dove then a voice came from heaven you are my beloved son and whom I'm well pleased verse 12 says immediately immediately know chapter break immediately the spirit drove him into the wilderness and he was there in the wilderness forty days tempted by Satan and was with the wild beasts mark says immediately Jesus went from the water to the wilderness it is that immediately that irritated me this entire week because I'm trying to figure out how in the world one moment he's being baptized the next moment he's in a battle one moment he is in total comfort the next moment he is in total conflict one moment he is in cohesive community the next moment he is in complete isolation one moment he hears a voice from heaven the next moment he hears a voice from hell one moment he's in the water getting a word from heaven the next moment he is in the wilderness facing real warfare come on don't act like you ain't never been there before how in the world is it Oh Sunday on Wednesday to experience God's power and presence but the very next day it's like the enemy put the laser beams from Hell on your forehand one moment you stepping out of great faith the next moment fear has gripped your heart one moment you want to pray for your enemies and bless them that curse you the next moment you want to look at all y'all haters and speak to them in a tongue that needs no interpretation come on somebody does anybody know what it's like to make the transition from the water to the wilderness the tension is that the transition why is it celebration why is it that on the pathway to your purpose and route to your destiny that the GPS system God's positioning system will always tell you start on water Road then make a sharp right turn into the wilderness you always go from the water to the wilderness before talk about what happened in the wilderness I first want to discuss what happened in the water and I need you understand tonight that Jesus baptism was a big deal it was a big deal this is an epic moment in fact let me say tonight if you put your faith in Jesus and you haven't gotten baptized yet what's wrong with you get baptized Jesus got baptized you know you're cray-cray self but Lisa get baptized Jesus baptism was an epic moment his baptism was like a scene at the beginning of the movie but if you missed it cuz you put an extra butter on your popcorn you may as well go home away for the movie to come in on Netflix she will be confused the entire movie this was an epic moment I found it intriguing of the four gospel writers Matthew Mark Luke and John who put pen to paper to talk about the life of Jesus only two of them discussed Jesus birth Matthew and Luke mark and John don't even demon necessary to discuss it the birth of Jesus come on you know you gangster when you skip Christmas okay they don't even talk about his birth but all four of them talk about what happened in the water and what happened in the wilderness all for them said you cannot miss these significant moments Jesus baptism was a big deal I know it was because the Bible says when Jesus got baptized that immediately the heavens opened up the heavens opened up come on you know what the heavens open up that the atmosphere has just shifted you know when the heavens open up an announcement is gonna be made over your life you know when the heavens open up you're gonna get a word from God that's why you hear on a Wednesday night not so you can hear a cute message that we can sing songs up as free like as Christian karaoke but is there any radical believers that you said I came tonight but the husband's to open up in my life so I can experience God's power and its presence come on can we take a praise way and just give God some praise like you want to see the heavens open Oh some of y'all ain't been through nothing some of you are going through some Hell in your life when the heavens open up something is going on you do know that the next time the heavens open up a trumpet is gonna sound we are leaving this earth and going to our real home that is in heaven and in glory when the heavens open up something is going to happen I know Jesus baptism was a big deal simply because of who showed up at the baptism because for the first and only time in the New Testament the whole Godhead the whole Trinity Father Son and spirit made a cameo appearance at the exact same time because you got God the Father making a declaration from heaven you got got the son being baptized in the water and you got the Holy Spirit descending like a dog come on when the whole Trinity shows up you know this is no I know his baptism was a big deal simply because of what the father was declaring over the son she the father was not declaring random words the father was declaring a truth there has to be the anchor in your soul whenever life comes against you the father was declaring something that you got to know that you know that you know no matter how much the enemy is making you think that God forgot about you the father was the clearer the truth that has to be cemented in your heart whenever life comes against you and that truth is this I am loved I'm a child of God and he is pleased with me I am loved I'm a child of God and he is pleased with me I am loved I am a child of God and he i'ma say to you get it I am loved I am a child of God and he is pleased with me I am loved I am a child of God [Music] you know that truth right there will change your life forever okay like 14 of you know what the rest of you gonna find out in a minute I'm telling you that truth once that gets grounded in your heart that will change the way you walk into a room that would change the way you feel about yourself the day you begin to understand you are loved you are a child of God and he is pleased with you I want to give you a dare it's a free country but I want to give you a dare on this first Wednesday every morning you wake up every morning wake up before you brush your teeth just go to the mirror and declare over yourself mitchell's thank you breath and just say I am loved I am a child of God and he is pleased with me that would be a great way to start your day if you're thinking about if you're thinking about getting a face tattoo I wouldn't but if you want to anyway I have a suggestion of what you should put on your forehead you should put I am loved I'm a child of God and he is pretty to me next time you go to Starbucks and the barista says what name should I put on a drink you want to tell her I got three I am loved I'm a child of God and he is pleased with me next time your Instagram on Facebook or Twitter or snapchat and you're not getting the comments or the lights or the views you thought you were gonna get on that particular post I do to cut off your smart device that's making you stupid and just eclair to yourself I'm not living for other people because I'm already loved what if what if what if you filtered every circumstance every negative comment from other people through that transcendent truth that you are loved you're a child of God and he is pleased with you come on you will lose your joy so easily if you were confident of that something I wouldn't come to church looking like you constipated and sucking on lemons if you knew you unlocked you're a child of God and pleased with you somebody that means what somebody comes up to you and they're like I don't like you so that's cool I'm still loved I'm a chopping power and he is pleased of it you know you're ugly you're entitled to your opinion I'm still loved I'm a child and power and hey you know you ain't got no teeth I know but I'm still love I'm a chopper guy and he put that truth change your life forever thank you sir that's that's what most believers stop though we always stop at the water and don't get me wrong the water is a significant place please don't miss this because the water is the place where your identity is come the water is the place here me where you begin to find out who you are and whose you are note when the father makes this declaration over the son this is before Jesus has done a single miracle he hadn't walked on water yet hadn't healed anybody yet hadn't cast it out one demon yet he hadn't taken the two fish in the fire blows and multiplied to me the first Red Lobster yet hadn't been to the cross hadn't even gotten up from the grave and yet the father still says you're loved you're my child and I'm pleased with you Wow he hasn't done anything I know but this has nothing to a performance everything to do with proximity and relationship to me you are still loved you're still my child not please before you ever perform but that's what most believers stop we always stop at the water so you leave a service like this and it's easy to do because you leave a service like this you're like did you get a preacher tonight hey I'm a child of God he is pleasing me and you feel real good in the water and get skipping in the parking lot but I felt the need to warn you that right after the water you'll walk straight into the wilderness right after you hear the voice from heaven hear me you will hear the voice from hell this is what messes us up as believers because it's like we've almost been program and condition a thing that once I have the approval of heaven I won't have an attack from the enemy oh yes it's in our psyche ascend our ideology it's even being promulgated from some pulpits to the point that we have relegated the approval of God to a bigger house a better car check in the mail who I got a check in the mail God must be pleased with me and we have relegated it to blessing and don't get me wrong I'm off a blessing I am for bless alpha blessings or blessings of lessons or blessings but the life of Jesus is proof positive that the approval of heaven does not absolve you from an attack from the enemy as a matter of fact I'll go further to say that the reason why some of you are facing what you're facing right now hear me it's simply because God is pleased with you you didn't do something wrong you did something right that's why Hale is coming against you conversely the reason why some of you life is perfect right now and you tiptoeing through the tulips and kool-aid is coming out of your water fountain might be because your life is stagnant and you haven't done anything but can I tell you when you start messing with the kingdom of darkness where you start saying I'm gonna be alive in the midst of darkness when you start standing up for purity in the midst of perversion where you start kicking demons out of your house and say as for me and my house we will serve the Lord he'll get too nervous and the devil starts to tremble [Applause] it is the smile of heaven that attracts the scowl from hell would a ttle tweet it is the smile of heaven that attracts the scowl of hell and all I'm telling you tonight is receive the smile receive it but don't get shocked when you get the scowl from hell I'm gonna be honest with you a celebration church when I was studying this text I did not like this message at all full disclosure which is pretty bad as a preacher you should kind of like the message not to preach and I told God I don't like the sermon or this message that's Oh God I don't want to go from the water to the wilderness let's pick it I would rather have my water experience in the wilderness oh yes well total I'm gonna go from the water give me my water experience and the wilderness I think this text with a rental a whole lot better maybe I got too much imagination but I think would have read a whole lot better if it started off in the wilderness and as soon as Satan rolls up on Jesus and says if you are the son of God then let aloud voice come from heaven and interrupts Satan in the middle of him talking like God the Father say what you mean if he is the son of God he is the son of God cuz I already said he was that Satan I'm gonna tell you right now you better put some respect on Jesus name better put some respect on it if you don't put some respect on his name all three of us father-son in spirit we bout to jack you up as a matter of fact let there be water and then water shows up in the wilderness and the whole Godhead takes satan by the throat and just starts around in him no I wish you would say if one mote just drowned him to death and then after Satan's lifeless body is floating in the water that's when you call John the Baptist and say we're ready for the baptism now but it won't happen I'm sorry will not happen you will not get your water experience in the wilderness because God has this uncanny ability he has this profound proclivity to take you from the water to the wilderness from the water to the wilderness from the water it is God's system to take you from the water to the wilderness from the water to the wilderness from the water to the wilt I will say it till annoys you but the water to the wilderness the water I want you hear my voice in your hair tomorrow at work as you pour coffee go for the water to the wilderness God system he takes you from the water to the wordless you do know in our text today that John the Baptist baptized people in the allure and the but when they asked John who he was he said I am a voice crying out in the crying out prepare the way of the Lord what is the way of the Lord he'll take you from the water to the wilderness from the water to the wilderness before the water - now I'll see what the children of Israel had to go through the Red Sea because the Red Sea is comprised of water and the water is the place where your identity is confirmed and they will thought they were just lays but they were not just slaves they were loves they were children of God and he was pleased with them and when you are God's child come on somebody there is no stronghold if there is no there is no addiction you heard the testimony tonight I don't care if it's heroin methamphetamine whatever it is when God wants to set you free he will set you free and you'll be free of me oh come on somebody shouting give God some praise like you know freedom can happen in your life Moses had to lift up his staff and split the water they didn't go straight to the promised land they went from the water to the they were in the wilderness 40 years Jesus was in the wilderness 40 days and God I always have this system I've taken you from the water to the wilderness I don't want to sound like a broken record tonight and I hope I'm not bringing my own presupposition to a biblical passage I told you earlier I got three kids okay two year old one year old one in the oven okay we'll have three kids under three pray for your boy and and because my kids are so young birth is not too distant of a memory to me so I would even like to pose posit and postulate tonight that even the way we entered the earth is just the microcosm it's just a mirror of this transcendent truth that God always takes you from the water to the wilderness can I preach this thing like I'm feeling you do remember how you were conceived right you do remember how you were conceived right you were conceived in your mother's womb identity already confirmed in the wool we're having a boy we're having a girl and then that funny in your mother's womb you were surrounded by so much so that when your head got too big and your birth was imminent your mama looked up over the dining room table and said oh ma just broke and rushed to the hospital and do you remember your first birthday do you remember how you enter the earth how did you come to the earth did you come to the earth and laughing no did you come to your singing no did you come to your dancing no did you come to the earth rapping start it started from the belly now I'm here no no that's not how you came into the earth every single baby around the world comes into the earth just like the top of your lungs and that's silly new book new parents oh look at a baby that is crying at the top of his lungs and we're smiling I'm convinced every celebration church I am convinced that if you could translate and transcribe the cry of every newborn baby the caption across the screen would read what you mean welcome to the world don't you mean welcome to the you spend your entire life wrestling with the weight the frustrations the complexities of the wilderness that you were born into I've learned in my life to be quick to love not quick to judge cuz you don't know the wilderness that some people were born into oh yeah wilderness is a real place and it is the intense heat of the wilderness that seeks to evaporate your experience from the water and it can leave you with big questions like Who am I where am I and how do I deal with what's in front of me and here's the question that has to be answered before we leave here tonight and that is how are you gonna handle the temptations that face you in your wilderness how you gonna handle it some of you are shocked that I even ask the question because you're like everyone but how dad if you're the Most High God I've been walking with the Lord for years now I floated in the room today I have communion for lunch what is this temptation that you speak of I speak in tongues more than I speak in English what is this that you talk about while I'm in church tonight I know but this is the water tomorrow you gotta go to work that is the will to know come on somebody talk back to me a little right tension is in the transition I want you to see tonight and I'm almost done please don't miss this I want you to see tonight that the same spirit the same spirit that descended upon Jesus in the water is the same spirit that led him into the wilderness don't miss that in the text the Bible says the Spirit led Jesus to the wilderness so if the spirit led him there that means the wilderness is not the problem the wilderness is life here's the problem the problem is who is in the wilderness post it up waiting on you to get there Satan was already in the wilderness you got to see this was already in the wilderness post it up waiting for Jesus to get there and he did not open his mouth nor clear his throat until after Jesus had fasted 40 days and 40 nights but he was already in the wilderness watching him the whole time just posted up just here's what the enemy does he waits he watches and then he attacks this is what the enemy does he wait he watches he's the original creeper he watches and he attacks this is always been his tactic he waits he watches and he attacks he did it to Adam and Eve in the garden this is always been his tactic he was a snake he was a serpent what did he do he get up in there and he waited he watched and then he attacked he did it as a snake as a serpent oh let's go miss some of you up I'll never forget watching the Discovery Channel and they did a special on snakes special effects and I almost changed the channel cuz I don't do snakes but I'm glad I kept watching I'm glad to get watching because I hit something that blew my mind they said that snakes don't miss this are one of the only species that never blink they don't blink they just wait and they watch for moments of weakness and vulnerability oh I watched another special they did and this was about a lady that had a pet snake she had a pet name a pet snake the animal that Satan chose to manifest himself through that was her pet that's a different kind of cray cray and she ran into a problem she ran into precarious predicament because her pet snake stopped eating the snake refused to eat for several months this thing would not eat anything I was concerned she takes her snake to the veterinarian and says they have a problem she says my snake for the last few months it won't eat I used to feed her rats and rodents it just stopped eating the veterinarian looked at the snake but did the woman but your dismay looked at the woman then begin to ask her a litany of questions said ma'am by any chance have you been sleeping with your snake lady said yes I have I have I got to be honest he's a Python he's not poisonous and his cage is right next to my bed and there are some nights that I let him slither out and I let him come to the bed me I'll be on a step there are some nice veterinary said hmm said ma'am while sleeping with your snake have you ever woken up to your snake right next to you and stretched out beside you lady said yes and I woke up and my snake was right next to me and it was stretched out beside me veterinarian said hmm said ma'am I have some good news and I have some bad news so the good news is your snake is not sick Sheils thank you Jesus so the bad news is the reason your snake refuses to eat is because your snake is preparing to eat you since the reason your snake has not eaten for several months is because your snake is strategically orchestrating its digestive system to have enough room for you she said the reason you wake up to your snake right next to you and stretched out beside you is because your snake is sizing you up and it's trying to see how big it has to get to swallow you whole the lady's head and I think that's how some believers act as it relates to the enemy do you think the enemy likes that you're in the house of God on a Wednesday night do you think the enemy likes that you still lifting up your hands and worshiping in spite of the hell that's coming against you do you think he likes that you're hearing the Word of God no he is watching and he's trying to destroy you but how many are thankful that he's already been defeated because of the precious blood of Jesus Christ oh so he can keep watching but I'm gonna be who God has called me to be and Joe what he's called me to do I didn't come from Dallas to Fresno to scare you with snake stories but I do want you to be alerted and aware of the fact that you have a real enemy who hates you and he will attack you in the wilderness the moments of vulnerability so here's the question how you gonna win the war in your wilderness how you gonna win the war how many know if you're gonna win the war in the wilderness you can't just shout you need a strategy so I'm doing no preachers probably done before I'm gonna give you four points watch this in four minutes four things that I want you to get down four things that you must know if you're gonna win the war in your wilderness if you're taking notes get this down if you're not taking notes get this down number one you don't want to warn your wilderness you must first know where you are you got to know where you are notice when the enemy launches his attack on Jesus this is at the beginning of Jesus ministry John the Baptist has just said behold the lamb of god has come to take away the sins of the world he's just had his inauguration right at the inauguration comes temptation the enemy loves to battle you hear me at the beginning of the thing as soon as you're getting started about something you can almost expect an attack from the enemy cuz he loves to battle at the beginning come on some of you in here tonight can testify any time you get ready to start something you can almost expect an attack from the enemy come on getting ready to start a business expect an attack getting ready to start a family expect an attack getting ready to start a ministry expect an attack he wants to battle you right at the beginning come on this should give some perspective to some of you who feel like from the day you were born all hell came against your life it did cuz the enemy knew the purpose and the Destiny and the call that was on you and he tried to destroy you before you ever got started this always been his tactic he loves to battle at the beginning hear me there were seasons throughout Jesus ministry he was always attacking but there were seasons where the attack was more intense he doesn't at the beginning he does it again at the end and the Garden of Gethsemane to the point that Jesus is sweating blood even when Jesus was on the cross he attacked through a voice in the crowd who shouted out he saved others how come he can't save himself trying to get Jesus to come off the cross and abort his mission because he was right at the finish line come on home you know sometimes it's right when you're at the edge of your breakthrough that the enemy will attack you the most you gotta know where you are what season of life is this for you if you don't know where you are you'll never know how to fight back against the enemy or know your pathway to victory where are you where are you you know the first question of God after Adam needs sin guess what the first question of God was where are you he knew where they were he was trying to get them the real where they were because if you don't know where you are you'll never know you're a pathway to victory number two you gonna win the war on your wilderness you have to know that the word is your weapon well I could have Church on that point right there the Word of God is your only weapon it is all you got to fight back it is your weapon with every attack what was Jesus response it is written it is written it is written it is written not in its hashtags not its tweeted no it's in a podcast hold on pastor Randy preached last week hold on Satan let me download the podcast no it is written the Word of God as your weapon watch this in the water the word came over Jesus in the wilderness the word came out of him see church people get it twisted when we're in the wilderness we're in the witness we want a word over us don't we when you're going through you can some picture people I can see you they'll come to church with our hands folded looking at the preacher like oh you better have something to say - - because wilderness you better have something good to preach but can I tell you when you're in the wilderness you need more than a word coming over you you need more than a good sermon come on you better have some work coming out of you and if you're gonna survive the wilderness you in and you can't have it come out of you if you've never taken the time to put it in you gotta eat the Word of God it is your only weapon I'll tell you how God made this real to me he made a real a couple years ago but I went to Israel I went to Israel and I had an awesome conversation with a camel I talked to a camel I think they got a picture of it oh this again yeah there it is I talked to that camel at Israel and I was straight up with the camel I said hey let me ask you something man I said you live in the wilderness said how do you survive the wilderness you live in camel said something to blew my mind camel said he said whenever I sit down to eat or to feed Robert he said I'm able to take in large amounts of water and vegetation at one sitting he said I'm actually able to take in more than my body actually needs so much so that I store it in my body he said that's the humps you were just riding on so he says I'm going through the wilderness in a matter how the wilderness season allow me he said I always got something stored up in me to pull back from that can sustain me in the midst of the wilderness come on somebody that's a picture of a believer who gets the Word of God in you it'll sustain you no matter what's going on around you number three you gonna win the war in your wilderness as the worship team joins me you got to know what is that stake what is that stake can't tell you celebration Church why I love Jesus so much so many reasons one of the reasons I love Jesus because Jesus made decisions with my destiny of mind Jesus made decisions through the lens of his love for Humanity every decision he was thinking about you just thinking about man some people think he was just thinking about us on the cross when he got up from the grave but no no no how many know he was thinking about us in the water and in the wilderness here's how I know he was thinking about us in the water have you ever thought about this why in the world would Jesus get baptized like why would Jesus get baptized you know what baptism is right baptism is an external expression of an inner commitment that says when I go down to this water the old me is dying in the water but the new me is coming out of the water resurrected ready to step into everything that God has for me why then would Jesus get baptized I mean come on there's no old hymn to go down in the water this is the perfect sinless spotless son of God come on if anybody could have skipped baptism Jesus is at the top of the list told us why John the Baptist was even stuttering reread it earlier just the notion of his baptism he's like did you want me to baptize you baptize me what's wrong with you come away off this baptism make some no since this is LeBron James asking you for dunking tips come on this is Adele asking you for voice lessons this is our current president asking you for spray tanner tips like this match that I remember that I remembered that Jesus did not just come to earth to die the death that we were supposed to die he came to earth to live the life that we were supposed to live he was our perfect example he had to fulfill all righteousness he said John you gotta baptize me I know I created you and I created the water you're about to put me in but this is not about me this is about those who are coming after me so they can have hope to know that you don't have to be defined by your karma stage by your past says come on how many are thankful tonight that there can be a new you that can reselect and to all that God has for you [Music] he was thinking about us in the wilderness here's how I know if he turns those stones into bread and he eats of it he is no better than Adam that ate of the forbidden fruit and called sin to enter the world with every decision he knew we were at stake and can I tell you when you're in your wilderness where the enemy is breathing down your neck you have to know what is at stake you are not living your life just for you there are people that are watching you there are generations that are coming after you come on the decisions you make today will determine the stories that you tell tomorrow that's why you can't quit that's why you can't give up even in the midst of the wilderness don't forget what's at stake you know what was that stake number four you're gonna win the war in your wilderness this is my favorite point in my last one you got to know where your help comes from you got to know where your help comes from I love it because after the enemy tried everything he knew how to try he even tried to get Jesus worship that was the final attempt you know the enemy loves to try to steal your worship in the midst of the wilderness come on you experienced it tonight you've been going through the wilderness and the enemy said how can you lift up your hands how can you open up your mouth for what's coming against you but can I tell you don't you ever lose your worship and the mist of the wilderness don't you ever stop praising come on is a trick of the enemy to get you to stand out with your lips zipped and your hands down but I'm telling you in the midst of your wilderness if you can still lift up holy hands and still open up your mouth and say God I don't understand it I don't know why it's coming against me but I do know this you're a good guy I do know this all things work together for the good of them that love the Lord and the called according to his purpose I do know that no weapon formed against me shall prosper I do know that greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world come on is there anybody in head of mine you go where your help comes from help comes from the Lord don't stop worship don't stop praising in the midst of the wilderness come on after the enemy left the Bible says angelic assistance came in the wilderness that began to restore Jesus come on that's a word for somebody in here tonight the enemy's been messing with you but you need to talk back to the enemy and say away with you Satan and I believe God is going to release angelic assistance come on somebody get up on your feet give our God surprise in this place tonight hallelujah I know what my help comes from my help comes from the Lord hallelujah don't you lose your worship don't you lose your praise even in the wilderness cuz hear me you can face every life from hell you really can if you hold on to the truth from heaven and the truth from heaven is you're loved you're a child of God and he's pleased with you Jimmy you're not what you face it you're not even please don't miss this you're not what the enemy is tempting you with somebody needs to hear that tonight you think just because the temptation is coming but that's who you are that is not your identity you are who God says you are you are his child it'll matter what's coming against you come on you can roll over that shame all that condemnation you are still his child you face the life from hell if you hold on to the truth from heaven I'm just gonna ask him to small worship team please join me I'm gonna ask every head bowed every eye be close and I want us to sing in a minute I didn't know who I came for tonight feeling here tonight and you say man I'm in the midst of a wilderness and the voice in the lie of the enemy has been so loud in your ear I'm believing tonight God's gonna do something so significant in your life he's gonna give you strength to stand haven't done all to stand how do you know how do I know you can survive you're worthless because Jesus has already gone before us and he stood up you resisted the temptation so that you could stay out and having done all to stand don't you give up in the wilderness you're loved you're his child he's pleased with you

Channel: Celebration Church

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Id: zz_AX4uawK0

Length: 57min 8sec (3428 seconds)

Published: Wed Jul 18 2018