Amen.
Give them a hand. Happy new year! Happy new year. Who's the man?
Jesus. What is up, what is up, what is
up. Let's say hello to everybody on
our campus, San Ysidro, East County and City Heights and all
micro-sites, Coronado, and military, give them a hand God
bless you. And Juvenile Hall and Donovan
State Prison, God bless you all and welcome to church. How many here for the first
time? Welcome, welcome.
God bless you. My name is Miles McPherson,
pastor of The Rock, and this is 2017 excited for the new year,
and I want to make 2 quick announcements that were made but put
exclamation point on both of them. One, 21-days of fasting starting
tomorrow. I encourage you to get
information on the website, and it's in the bulletin and get
books on it. To fast next 21 days. In a nutshell, what I am going
to do, I am not telling you to do this. I encourage you to consult your
physician before taking my medical advice. I will spend a week cleaning
myself out with fruits and vegetables and a week of liquids
and in that second week two or three days of water and in the
last week ween myself back to food. I encourage you, giving up crack
and drunk stuff is all good but we want to go a little level
than that. You might do social media or
television or gossip. All of that is great but
encourage you to give up something here. And easy rule, when you go to
the grocery store, don't eat anything in the aisles, it's all
junk. Stay on the outside of the wall
and fruits and vegetables or meat or fish, unless you want to
cut that out. But the stuff on the shelves is
garage, unless water, and that's factual. The purpose is to draw near to
God, even though you cut that out, you give yourself to God to
do something more powerful in your life. In Mark 9, there was a boy that
was demon possessed and the disciples couldn't cast out the
demon and Jesus did in 17 words and disciples went to them and
said why can't we do that, and paraphrase, Jesus said you can
and this kind nothing but praying and fasting. There is certain things in your
life that come out praying and fasting and certain things won't
come out just wishing it out. My encouragement is to take the
challenge on the fast starting tomorrow. How many by a show of hands do a
form of fasting for the next 21 days -- keep your hand real
high. And by show of hands you would
like something to happen in your life spiritually than never
before. Let me tell you something --
that will never happen, let me finish the sentence. What you want to happen will
never happen if you do the same thing you do last year. So you have to do something
different. They will talk about today. Number 2, Saturday we are
starting a Saturday-morning prayer in all campuses, 9 a.m. and City Heights at 10, it's 60
minutes in all campuses at 9-10 and City Heights 10-11. And we will have a short period
of worship and pray. If you want something
supernatural to happen in your life, it will never happen
unless prayer is a part of it. I am not saying you have to come
to this prayer meeting but it's available. All the madness in the world,
the racial tension and violence and shooting, that simply is a
spiritual battle. It's not flesh and blood, the
Bible says that we don't wrestle against flesh and blood, it's
spiritual, it's spiritual. And the only way to be combatted
is with spiritual weapons. And this power of God will come
to this earth through his church, that's what we are here
for. If we don't ask God to open up
his heavens and pour out the spirit, it's not coming from the
government. The government is not going to
give you what you need, pursue God. My challenge for you as we start
this year, we want something different to happen in our lives
and corporate life and individual lives. I want all the blessings that
God has for me. I don't want you to have my
blessing. As a matter of fact, God is not
going to give you my blessing. Like Christmas, none of you went
into where people had gifts and said, I don't want my gifts. Y'all were like, is my name on
that one, on that one -- are you sure that's not for me. I want all the spiritual
blessings assigned to me, do you want yours? God says you can have them but
come and get them. Fast and prayer, not saying you
have to do those two things to get them. But you have to do something
different. But fasting and praying is
something that we give us and we will start tomorrow. Get on our knees and start this
party. Get this party started. And by the way, say amen if you
like my haircut. Say amen if you don't like my
haircut. [Laughter]
There is a story behind it, and I will tell it to you in a
minute. Lord, I thank you so much for
all the people that like my haircut. And Lord I pray for all the
people who don't, which includes my wife. But Lord I thank you that you
love me anyway. I thank you that you love us,
Lord, you know what is going on in our country, and our city,
and our world. And you know why we are here. That we would be a vessel for
the spirit of God. I pray you would challenge us to
trust you. In Jesus' name, amen. Look to the person next to you
and say, this is for you. If you have a Bible, prepare
your Bible to lift it up, we are going to lift up our Bibles and
say word in 10 seconds, on the count of three, say word. One.
Two. Three.
Word. Turn to Numbers chapter 14. As I was preparing for today,
and more specifically tomorrow, and the fast. I fasted many, many times, 40
days three times. And a bunch other lengths. So it is a very exciting place
to go. I grew up using drugs for eight
years. So I have a lot of drug high
experience. And when you fast, you
experience a different euphoria. All drugs do is tell you to have
pleasure in a distorted way. And I don't want to go into the
drugs but dopamine is in your brain and dopamine is flooding
your brain because you enjoy this so much. Can I get amen. When you get high, something
happens in the spiritual realm where the joy of the Lord floods
your brain in your presence. I love to be in that place. So as I was preparing, I said, I
want to do something different with my hair. So I told my wife, I have been
telling her for a couple of weeks I will do something
different with my hair. And she's like oh, boy, I am Mr.
Extreme. And I went to get my haircut
yesterday and this happened. And I driving back I called my
wife on the phone, I said, I did it. She said, boy, what did you do. And I said, what I did, I am not
trying to get any girlfriends. If you don't know my humor, that
is code for not to look nice. And she said, are you going to
lose the one you have? [Laughter]
So I said, that's really complicated for you to leave me,
I ain't worried about that, it's real complicated. And I walked in the house like
this -- and I said, hey. And she was like, oh, boy. I am going to challenge you to
do something different in your spiritual life. That if you want something
different to happen, all of y'all raise your hand, I want
something different to happen in my life. That is never going to happen
until you do something different. You are not going to get
anything different doing the same thing. That's called insanity doing the
same thing over and over again expecting something different to
happen. God is not going to do something
unless you do something. In other words, you are not
going to wear him out with your routine. Okay, I guess I will do it. No, I need something different
to happen in your life. In this story we read today, the
title of our series is called, a matter of trust. Today's message is called A
different spirit, and the Jews are in Israel and Moses is
called at 80 years old to deliver them from Egypt. From 10 plagues and miracles and
lies and hail and locust and blood in the water and frogs,
all the different plagues that God brought through Moses and
then you saw the Exodus and the sea parts and they walk around
in the wilderness 40 years. They leave Egypt and get to
Mount Sinai after 50 days and at Mount Sinai for year and a half
and on their way to promised land. The promised land is a place of
milk and honey to have their own crops and animals and God can be
their God and they can be God's people. And that's the promised land. In our life as many of us are in
bondage through drugs and low self-esteem or pornography or
whatever, and God wants to set you free to have peace in your
life and health and peace of mind. I used to be in bondage to
cocaine and God set me free, and stopped in one day. And some guys that I got high
with 31 years ago are still getting high. They are still in bondage. God said I will bring you to the
promised land and I am still experiencing that today. God wants to bring you out of
Egypt. Are you following. And the Jews came out and walked
11 days -- say 11 days. And there were 12 tribes of
Israel and Moses decided to take one spy from each tribe and send
them into the promised land to spy it out and let us know what
is there. How many tribes? Say 12. How many spies? And then Moses you will be in
the days 40 days. How many days? 40 days is a moment of testing. I don't know if you are a woman
that is pregnant, or have been pregnant, you are pregnant for
40 week, not 10 months. A baby has brain waves after 40
days and Moses fasted 40 days, and Jesus fasted 40 days and
rained 40 days in the Bible. 40 is the number of testing. God is organized, and he's a
number fanatic. And he spent 12 spies to spy out
40 days. And he said, I want you to go in
there and bring back proof to the 2 million Jews that the
promised land is what I said. They go and come back and show
the people it's exactly what God said. Of the 12, 10 said we can't go
in because there are giants in the land, it will be too hard. And grumbled against the people
and Joshua and Caleb had a different spirit. Say different spirit. They said, we will go in anyway. In other words, God is faithful,
we should take him at his word and trust him and walk into the
promised land. If we want something different,
let's go and get it. But you are not going to get it
with the same spirit you have. Chapter 14:24, look at what it
says... Numbers 14:24... Say different spirit. Take a deep breath and shout
out, different spirit. And has followed me fully. Because of that... If you want to walk into your
promised land, by the way, your promised land is this different
thing you want. Okay. If you want to walk into what
God has for you. I was reading the Bible the
other day -- well, while I was reading the Bible the other day,
God was telling Abraham he was 100 years old, you are going to
have a baby at 100 and wife is 90. Poppa is a rolling stone, that's
a cool guy. And Abraham is like -- and Sarah
is like, ain't no way. Which is exactly what she said,
and God said, nothing is impossible with God. And they had a baby. Here's what God said, his name
is going to be Isaac. When God named people, he gave
them their purpose. I am telling you their name
because their name is their purpose. God knows you and he's got your
purpose and promised land and you he got it, not for you to
create, just to receive. If you want to have it, you have
to a different spirit. A different spirit is different
than what you had when you walked in. You say, I am going to find out. Be on fire. I want more of you. Three things, write this down. Number 1, be different and trust
the promises of God. For one time just trust what God
said. He said, if you pray to me, if
you call to me in prayer, I will tell you great and mighty things
you do not know. Say amen if you want to know
things that you don't know. God said call to me, trust me. I promise never to leave you or
forsake you. You will always be in my
presence, therefore acknowledge my presence. Don't walk around thinking you
are by yourself, because you are not by yourself. Trust me.
Be different. Number 2, be different and trust
the evidence of God's faithfulness. Trust the evidence. I was -- when I was getting my
haircut I was looking for a meter, a place to park my car. And I went to the meter and to
put your credit card in the meter and get a little thing,
that stresses me out. How many fellas this stresses
you out. These are the A.D.D. dudes, and
just like -- my wife is what is so difficult. Nothing. I am sitting there and step 1,
press the time, and step 2, take the ticket out and step 3, take
the card out and put back in your pocket. That stresses me out.
This is true. I am like -- breathing and
praying to walk up to this thing. And I am like --
And I see in my peripheral vision -- peripheral, this
person walking right at me. You know how you can tell
someone is going to walk by you and walk at you. And oh, dude, we are ready to
get on -- and she wasn't slowing down but coming with speed. And so I am okay, get ready. But you are a pastor so respond
pastoral. So there is a car right in front
of me and the woman walks in front of me and the meter, and
cuts in between me and the car and meter. And looked at me, wait a minute
I have a ticket for you. I said what do you mean? I am leaving and my ticket is
for an hour and a half and I am like hey, I don't have to deal
with this machine right. I said what is your name. She told me her name and I said
my name is Miles and you just blessed me. And God said, I got you. Now it was a very small gesture
but a big statement that really God said to me, I got you. And not, I got you for the
meter. I got you. Look at what Number 2 was. There is evidence in your life
that God has taken care of you. Stop doubting him. He says, give me more. You give me more of you, and you
get more of me. And more of me is way better
than more of you. Number 3, be different and trust
in the power of God. Say, God I am really going to,
before I take NyQuil, I have been fighting a cold for three
weeks, NyQuil is the bomb. However, before you take NyQuil,
I want you to pray. Before you go to the doctor, I
want you to pray. Before you start tripping on
your finances, I want you to pray. Trust in my power. Three things. Did y'all write those down? Very good, read the story, go to
chapter 13. Chapter 13. It says in verse 26... How many people spied out the
land? 12. How many days did they spy
out? 40. In other words, we really can
grow our crops. We really can have our animals
graze, and here's the evidence, they brought back on poles,
grapes and vegetables and fruits they were growing there. They said, this is evidence that
it's not desert land but fertile land, just like God said. There are people in your life
and why are they so blessed. Can I get amen if you know what
I am talking about. And you are like I don't
understand it. They don't seem smarter than me. They don't seem taller than me. More skilled than me. More, more trained. That's not even their real hair. They don't workout. I don't get it, why are they so
blessed. God. As a matter of fact the
disciples, they said, we perceive that you are
uneducated. That's a nice way of saying you
look stupid. That is in the book of Acts. You are untrained and
uneducated. Uneducated doesn't mean you are
dumb, just that you don't have information. And untrained you don't have
skills to use it. So you have no information or
know how to use skills. But you have been with Jesus, so
we don't know what to do with that. These guys said look, there are
people in your life like that. You are like, I don't get it. They got God in their life, they
are blessed. There is evidence in their life
that prayer really works for them. How did that happen? I just prayed on it. I was just reading my Bible and
God gave me a word. An idea. And you are like -- there is
evidence. Walking with God works. Obeying God works. Doing it our way don't work. Look at what it says next. It says verse 28... Everyone say nevertheless... In other words, the land does
have what God said. It does have what you said,
Moses. However, it's going to be
dangerous. So we shouldn't go in it. And look at what it says, verse
30... In your life, you are going to
have God. You will have people like me and
the Bible telling you to go and trust God and read your Bible
and walk by faith. And serve and go to Life Class,
give. And go to small group and pray
and fasting. And you have all of these people
that challenge to trust God, and then you have this -- if you go
on a fast and you may faint and hit your head on the curb and
lose your job and be in the hospital. People sleep in on Saturday
morning, to get up and pray, that's so stupid. Your beauty sleep is not helping
you. I don't know who told you that
sleep makes you look better, it does not. As a matter of fact you wake up
looking uglier. Say amen if you don't know what
I am talking about. Some say I look at myself and I
look uglier. And before or after. And nay sayers. I don't want to go to small
group and people know my business. Don't tell them your business
but spend time there instead of gossip TV or spend time on
Facebook and what you are looking at is real. You can trust God or the nay
sayers that say what about this. Look at 14:1... In other words, listen, listen,
they very in slavery for 400 years. They went to Mount Sinai after
50 days, they were there a year and a half. 50 days of walking. And then a year and a half and
then 11 more days they are at the edge of the Promise Land. Less than two years after the
Exodus. Less than two years. God says you are here, here it
is, let's go. As a matter of fact before you
go in send in some spies so they tell everyone else it's just
what I said. Go test it. Test it. In other words, pray for five
days and test God. Be faithful and serve and test
God. Be faithful and give and test
God. As a matter of fact he says,
tithe and test me. Test me. This is God talking trash. Test me if I don't open up the
window of heaven. This is like a full-money back
guarantee. Well, I don't like full-money
back guarantees. Since when? So they are at the promised land
and now the people are saying it would be better that we go back
to slavery. I think I want to go back to
doing cocaine. I think I will go back to
smoking weed and runs the streets. Please, that ain't better than
this. There are people in your life
that say you don't need that church stuff. The Rock is like a cult. Let me tell you the definition
of a cult. We control who you talk to so
they don't say anything against what we tell you. And the definition of a cult,
the leader is only one with information, and listen to him. Listen to me, go talk to
everybody and you have the information, and read it by
yourself. The point people say don't go to
church, don't pray. Listen, God is saying test me. The devil wants to enslave you. The devil wants to put you in
bondage. In verse 2, chapter 14... Let me give you a one-minute on
leadership. All of y'all are leaders of
something. Whether your department of your
job or own a business or leader of a family or leader of a
relationship or yourself. You are a leader of something,
every single one of you. And when you try to lead people
to a better place, they will rebel against you, all the time. Why? Because there is a voice that is
trying to convince them that change is worse than staying the
same. And it is too much of a risk
that what you are going to is not better than what you have. But it's zero risk when that
promise of something better is from God. And so look at what it says,
verse 3... I have to tell you God will
never call you out of what you are in to destroy you. He will never call you out of
what you are in to something worse. Now, the process will be scary
because you are walking into the unknown. But you walk into the unknown
every day. When you meet somebody that you
want to date, you go to the club, hi, my name is whatever,
here's my number. Right there -- here's my number. Is the biggest step of faith you
just took. Because that brother could be
psycho. Just because he's good-looking
and got pecs and teeth, doesn't mean he ain't psycho. Call me --
Or if you are psycho, stalk me. I was at the airport, my wife
and I go to Vegas, and we see a show, we saw Lionel Richie, it
was cool, old school. And saw this lady at the
airport, what is your name, how old are you, 21. She said, I am going home I came
with my friends and they want to drink and sleep around with guys
they meet. I can't fathom how dangerous
that is. I mean like your life. Forget disease or pregnancy. Your life. With some guy that you just meet
and you are both drunk? That's what the devil wants for
you. And God says no, I have
something so much better for you. I mean the worse my wife has to
deal with is this -- And it's going on grow back in
three weeks -- I hope. My wife is over there saying,
it's worse than that haircut I have to deal with, just keep
reading the Bible, pastor. Verse 6... Everybody say exceedingly good. God is exceedingly good. If the Lord delights in us, he
will bring us into the land and give us a land that flows with
milk and honey... In other words, they are trying
to -- they are lying to us trying to lead us into pain. And God is saying, are you out
of your mind? I'm trying to bless you. Every time you come here, and
I'm yelling or whatever, and you go to another church or visiting
and your pastor is yelling. All he is doing is what Caleb is
doing, trying to convince you to trust God. There is a Promise Land right in
front of you and come on, I don't know if I want to go to
small group. I don't know if I want to go to
Life Class. I don't know if I want to give. I don't know if I want to pray. I rather stay in Egypt. I want to go back to slavery, I
like my addictions because they are known. I understand how they work. I go online and I watch
pornography and I come home and drink and I go to bed. I know that pattern, it's more
comfortable to me than going into blessing. I don't know what that blessing
may do to me, it may make me cut my hair and make me weird. No, you are already beyond
weird, it's jacked up over here. Can I get amen. This is talking about freedom,
when you said you want something different. What you are saying, I want the
blessings of God in my life. And they are saying stone them. And then the Bible, I wish I was
there to see this part, verse 10... Here's Joshua and Caleb, two
against 10, and talking we need to go in and no we don't need to
go in. And the people are saying stone
them, we want to go back to Egypt. And then God shows up. Bad boy starting losing it. You know what happened? You can read the rest, please
read the rest of the story, God said to Moses, Moses, I want to
kill them. All of them. I am tired of this. I have done miracle upon miracle
upon miracle and still they don't believe me. And I want to kill them. And Moses said, please don't
kill them. And God said okay, I am not
going to kill them today. But here's what is going do
happen, how many days they spied out the land? 40. How many days walked from
Mount Sinai to the edge, 11, say 11. And especially at the Promise
Land and went in and came out. And he said, what I will do, I
will have you walk around 40 years in circles. One year for every day that you
saw the evidence of my faithfulness and turned your
back on it. And you are going to walk one
year for every day you saw my faithfulness and turned your
back on it. And walk 40 years until all of
those people and their children die. Except Joshua and Caleb. Moses even didn't get in and
Aaron didn't get in, Moses didn't get in for another
reason. Here you are in all campuses and
walking around your wilderness, because you don't believe God. Doing the same old thing and
playing God for a fool and giving him your token worship. Church once a month. No you are not in a group, you
don't go to Life Class. You don't give. You kind of show up and get
entertained, claim me as your pastor, this as your church. God is like, you don't go to
that church, you just know about it. You are not committed to what I
called that church to do. You just attend every now and
then to feel good. Let's do something different.
Say different. In a minute I am going to pray
and pray a Caleb prayer and people that want a Caleb spirit
and you have seen altar call. I want you to be one. All campuses close your eyes and
bow your head. As you are listening I want you
to think about your life and how it is time for you to do
something different. This year, 2017. Want something different? You do something different. Lord, I pray for a different
spirit, not a different habit. But a different spirit. I pray Holy Spirit that you stir
people's hearts right now and their hearts start beating
faster. Palpitating. Racing.
Running. Pounding. That you would reveal to them
that you want more of them. That you want them to walk away
from the old way they used to do things. And if you are ready to receive
and walk in this different spirit, than the one you came in
here with. And basically it's a different
level of commitment to the spirit of God. I want you to pray this prayer
with me and ask you to stand and come down on all campuses. In your heart, pray, dear God, I
want a different spirit. One that follows you fully. Like Caleb. I don't want to have a
nevertheless spirit, a what-about spirit. I want to have a let's-do-this
spirit. I am ready to go spirit. Holy Spirit, fill my heart with
your power. Your wisdom. Your encouragement. Stir me. Give me a hunger. And a thirst for intimacy with
the heart of God. I surrender my life to You. If God spoke to you during that sermon and you feel like you want to ask Christ to be your savior, It's as simple as A-B-C. Admit and accept that you are a sinner. The Bible says all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Believe in your heart that Jesus Christ is Lord. That He died for your sin and rose from the dead. Then confess yourself a sinner and say, "Jesus, please forgive me of my sin." If you would like to ask Jesus Christ to be your savior, just look at me right now, and pray this prayer with me in the privacy of your heart knowing that God knows you and loves you very much. Say, "Dear God, I believe that I am sinner." I know the penalty of my sin is death. I don't want to die and go to Hell. but I believe that Jesus Christ is Lord, that He died and rose from the dead for my sin. I confess myself a sinner and ask Him to forgive me of my sin. Jesus, please forgive me of my sin and fill me with the spirit of God. In Jesus name, amen. If you prayed that prayer, If you just asked Christ to be your savior, we want to know. We want to email you some resources. If you just prayed that prayer with me, to accept Jesus as your savior, Click on the link that just appeared. We want to send you some free resources. God bless you, and we will see you in Heaven.
