Stay Strong | Stay Strong

Lord we thank you for this day that you have made we give you the glory and the honor all glory all glory belongs to you you are our risen Savior and we thank you Jesus for giving us life and life more abundantly there is no life without you Jesus Christ and so this morning as we open up our word Lord I pray that your word would come alive I pray that your word would challenge us correct us change us transform us forever and ever I thank you for the word I thank you that here in this church we stand on the word we believe in the word we follow the word it is a light unto our path a lamp unto our feet and without it we can go nowhere so God in this hour we believe what God that you are going to speak to us by the power of your Holy Spirit and it is your spirit that moves it is your spirit that comes and invades our mind invades our heart and fills our soul I thank you Lord God for your presence in the name of Jesus we pray amen and amen amen glory to God praise God the title of my message this morning is stay strong turn to somebody real quick and tell them stay strong might not know what that means yet but turn one other person and tell them somebody maybe even that you don't know and tell them what stay strong I hope you put a smile on somebody's face I feel like you did Joshua chapter 14 turn with me to Joshua chapter 14 if you have your Bibles say Amen praise God if you're excited about the word of God say Amen that's what I'm talking about I can't do life without God's Word and it just brings me joy to be able to open up God's Word not just on Sunday but every day you have to find time to open up God's word each day it is really important it a lamp unto my feet a light unto my path let me tell you something without God's word I am lost without reading God's Word you and I each and every day of our lives you are lost if you ever ever want to know the roadmap for your life it is in the Word of God thank God for our phones our smart phones that have GPS and ways and all the other cool apps that you can get now that tells you when there's traffic when there's an accident when you need to go another route let me tell you something some of us spend more time on our phone following our GPS and ways and whatever apps that you use then we do following the GPS to our soul and that is God's Word and I'm telling you we're gonna always open up God's Word here in the house I'm gonna continue to encourage you whenever I have the opportunity to share the word I'm gonna challenge you before I begin to preach that this word has been given not just to me and the pastors and the elders and the choir but for every single one of you out there God has given you his word and it's in his word it's in the power of the word that we have like it's in the power of the word that we're able to go forward amen I can find myself preaching just simply on God's Word but that's what I'm preaching this morning stay strong Joshua chapter 14 beginning with verse 6 if you got it say Amen Joshua chapter 14 beginning with verse 6 then the people of Judah came to Joshua at Gilgal and Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenna's I said to him you know what the Lord said to Moses the man of God and Kadesh Barnea concerning you and me I was 40 years old when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh Barnea to spy out the land and I brought him word again as it was in my heart but my brothers who went out with me made the heart of the people melt yet I wholly followed the Lord my God and Moses swore on that day saying surely the land in which your foot has trodden shall be an inheritance for you and your children forever because you have wholly followed the Lord my God will stop right there I love this moment in Scripture Joshua was preparing to divide the land and give it to the tribes of the people of God who were expecting the promise and the inheritance and he was preparing to cast Lots doing exactly what God told him to do but Caleb stepped and the people of Judah and I love Caleb in this moment because when he walked up to Joshua he felt like he needed to remind him of the journey that we've both been on sometimes you have to look to your fellow brother and sister and let him know God has been good I love this moment with Joshua and Caleb Josh was getting ready to divide the land to cast lots and Caleb says hold up Josh wait a second remember me and you back in the day numbers chapter 13 specifically but remember when Moses Moses gave us a word from God to go and spy out the land and remember Moses told us that God said spy out the land but I'm going to give you the land it's my promise you can go check it out but it's yours Josh remember you see Joshua was getting ready to cast lots I don't know how they did it roll the dice flip the coin but Caleb was like that's not how I'm going to get my inheritance my inheritance was given to me directly by the Word of God so Josh can we just skip the process with me because my future is not going to be determined today by the flipping of the coin my future is not going to be determined this morning by the rolling of the dice it's been 45 years but I'm still standing on God's Word hey Josh I know you're getting ready to divide things up but I already know what I want because what I want is what God told me I could have everybody else can roll the dice and everybody else can flip the coin but I'm not here hoping that I have a great lottery pick today because I have the word of the Lord and I've been holding on to the word of the Lord for a long time and caleb takes a few minutes with Joshua and begins to rehearse the goodness and the grace of God sometimes you have to rehearse the goodness of God it's good sometimes when you and I as fellow brothers and sisters take time and remind ourselves about the grace of God that has been able to see us through and allowing us to be here this morning for most of us here it's been a long journey can I get an amen [Applause] Caleb says Josh I was 40 years old when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh Barnea to spy out the land I brought him word again as it was in my heart I didn't just bring Moses statistics I was holding true to God's word that says this is the promise this is your inheritance that word was in my heart my fellow brothers brought a different word that made the hearts of the people melt but what what I told people was good news he was reminding he's reminding Joshua that there were two reports there was the majority report of 10 that said we can't take the land because the Giants live in the land of Canaan and then remember Joshua you and I specifically so in numbers chapter 13 it was Caleb that spoke up first after the 10 spies began to yell and bark about how yeah there's some milk and honey but and there's always a but when there is doubt there's always a but when there is fear and they go on and on telling the people we can't take the land we can't go forward there are giants in the land and Caleb takes a moment to remind Joshua I was the one that spoke up and saying shut up everybody hold on a second and from his heart he said we can take it right now we can occupy it and we're well and we'll able to overcome it hey Josh feet do you remember that and then he goes on to say he says listen I have wholly followed the Lord my God which you will find in the text is repeated constantly because that's the key for you and I to move forward that is the key to our strength to be fully surrendered to God fully wholly completely surrendered to his will surrendered to the word surrendered to the move of the Spirit if ever you want to move forward if ever you want to overcome if ever you want to experience victory in your life you have to be fully surrendered to God it's pretty simple but it's the truth if ever you want to go forward and when Caleb was saying this he was not boasting in his own strength he was boasting in the word that was given to him God said it himself about Caleb and in numbers chapter 14 if he would go there real quick in numbers chapter 14 God said it himself he said but my servant Caleb in verse 24 because he has a different spirit and has followed me fully I will bring into the him into the land into which he went and his descendants shall possess it meaning because Caleb has a different spirit he's going forward his family's going forward because he's fully surrendered I'm gonna take care of him because he's walking in obedience I've got his back a different spirit it's a spirit of courage the Bible tells us that God's not given us a spirit of fear but of power love and a sound mind Caleb had a sound mind he his hear was Caleb thinking hold on a second I know that there are giants I know that there are obstacles and challenges I know that there are some things that we're gonna have to face in life I know that there are trials I know that there are things that are constantly stepping in your way but I'm holding true to the promise and his sound mind he said wait a second we were told to spy out the land Joshua but we were also told that the land belongs to us so regardless of the statistics was regardless of the facts regardless of your circumstances here in New York City regardless of your job situation regardless of what's going on in your children's lives regardless of what's going on in your marriage regardless of whether you're still waiting around for a spouse God's gonna work it out when you are fully surrendered to God you put your trust completely in him and what happens is you are able to walk and live in the joy of knowing that my end is a victory ending when you are fully surrendered to God walking in faith knowing that the victory was won on the cross you're not worried about what the end result is gonna be because I serve a God who is the beginning and the end it's I'm not I'm not trying to figure out what the ending is gonna be in my life I'm not trying to figure out what the ending is gonna be this year I'm not trying to figure out what its gonna look like in the beginning of 2020 or the end of 2020 because I serve and live for a God who is the beginning and the end it's almost like that which we pursue here on earth is irrelevant in comparison to the eternal victory that I have in Jesus Christ the God who lives inside of me that says I've got it from beginning to end I am the author and the finisher of your faith Caleb Caleb says come on he said listen in verse 9 going back to Joshua chapter 14 he said Moses sworn that day saying surely the land on which your foot is trying to shall be an inheritance for you your children for ever because you've wholly followed the Lord my God in verse 10 if you got to say Amen Caleb says this to Joshua and now behold the Lord has kept me alive just as he said these forty five years since the time that the Lord spoke his word to Moses while Israel walked in the wilderness and now behold I am this 85 years old stop right there caleb was old I want you to understand this incredible picture of faith and strength you seen 45 years ago God had given him a promise to Caleb into Joshua you to your families you're going forward now there were 10 others who brought a bad report and God said those who brought a bad report they're not going to see the Promised Land and for every day that I sent them out to spy out the land they shall now have to live a year wandering in the wilderness and in the desert but guess who else had to hang out with the Wanderers and the doubters and the haters and those that had no future Joshua and Caleb so they got the promise they were given God's Word that they're going forward but they had to hang out in a wilderness for the next 40 plus years that doesn't sound too fair I'm like May just God 40 plus years that puts things in perspective that puts in perspective how Caleb approached Joshua in that moment at 85 there was a sense of urgency and desperation and passion to get out of the wilderness because he'd been waiting a long time for the promise it's also a testimony of his faith in God that one year after the next he was still holding fast to God's promise I want to tell you something o know if I could do it in my flesh and the natural knowing that God's given me a promise a land filled with milk and honey to be able to go forward to be a provision breakthrough to be able to experience the blessing and the promises of God but yet now for 40 years I've got to hang around with people that ain't gonna go as far as me and Caleb saw a whole lot of funerals over the next 40 plus years a whole lot of death a whole lot of pain a whole lot of negativity a whole lot of doubt and yet through it all he was still standing on the promises of God so yeah after 45 years on Joshua you ain't flipping no coin for me I have waited way too long and I still believe in God's Word the same way I did at 40 I can imagine him just shoulders squared standing amongst the people 85 years old saying Joshua Moses told me God spoke to me that the place where my foot stepped is the land that I get you don't need to flip a coin I know exactly the property that I want I know the hill that I want I know the mountain that I'm going to take I was once on that mountain and I knows the statistics that looks so good in the natural but I am still standing on the supernatural Word of God that what I saw 45 years ago is still mine today hey Joshua I'm 85 years old now look at this verse 11 if you whip me say Amen I am still as strong today as I was in the day that Moses sent me my strength now is as my strength was then for war and for going and coming so now give me this hill country of which the Lord spoke on that day for you heard on that day from the Anakim were there with great fortified cities it may be that the Lord will be with me and I shall drive them out just as the Lord said I call that spirit-filled Street talk 85 years old a Joshua a church I'm still strong my prayer this morning is that that would be your most I'm still strong I've been through the wilderness but I'm still strong I've gone through some stuff but I'm still strong I've seen a lot of pain but I'm still strong there's been some dark hours but I'm still strong there's been some highs and lows but I'm still standing on the word of the Lord there's been some stuff that's been going on I've heard complaints I've heard negativity I've been from one job to the next I've had to move from one place to the next I've been thirsty at times but I'm still trusting in the living water of God I'm still strong I still got this I'm as strong as I was 45 years ago I can still take the mountain come on Joshua come on people I'm still strong [Applause] not in my own strength but in the strength of the Lord and in my weakness I find my strength in the Lord I boast in my weakness because it is the Lord that gives me strength the joy of the Lord is my strength that's what the word of the Lord says that the joy of the Lord is my strength where do you find the joy of the Lord it's all through the word this is why I started count this morning talking about the word because that everlasting that eternal joy comes from knowing that the word belongs to you and I and the joy of God's Word the joy of the Lord is my strength so that whatever happens here horizontally it can't affect my relationship vertically this word that continues to fill my soul I'm still strong strong as ever Joshua I'm 85 I know I look old and wrinkly I know my muscles and bulging the way they did at 40 but it's not by might nor by power but by my spirit says the Lord the Spirit of the Lord the strength of the Lord he says come on he says look it's almost like he repeated himself from 45 years ago when he said he said I can do this now and Joshua 14 he was saying I can take this now 85 years old I still got joy 85 years old I can run up on that mountain and in the name of Jesus Giants have to fall that's what he's basically saying he said come on he said I can go right now I just I just need the blessing okay I just I just need you to skip over you know the casting of the lights process I just needed to remind you God gave me a word gave you a word I can take it right now and it's a reflection of what he said in numbers chapter 13 when he came to the people said shut up everybody hold on we can go up right now he said at 40 at 85 he said we can go right now at 40 he said we can take it right now we can occupy it and we can overcome it three things he said he goes we can move now that's reflecting on his faith to go forward regardless of what it looks like ahead of you he said move now we move now there was a sense of urgency and desperation to bear witness of who he was in the power of God this is no time search to draw back Church brothers and sisters from the balcony all the way to the back tears the main floor to those watching online this is not the hour to draw back there are hills and mountains that we still need to take [Applause] he said I can take this he said I can take it right now and he said we can occupy it meaning we have power and authority wherever I step wherever you stand you stand in the power and the authority of the Holy Spirit do you know you have the power e power and the authority to shift the atmosphere wherever you are I don't I don't I don't care what it looks like on your job your home your community your neighborhood when you stand on the promises of God you have the victory he said we can go up now we can occupy it and we are well able to overcome it meaning I have the victory I had the victory in the name of Jesus I have the victory because Christ Jesus went to a cross died for my sins and rose again and the same spirit that raised up Christ Jesus is the same spirit that now lives inside of me he said let's come he said give me that mountain and the Bible says this it says then Joshua and verse 13 Joshua chapter 14 verse 13 look at it if you gotta say Amen because he says then Joshua blessed him and kind of like this interesting fact that Joshua ain't say nothin back the whole time because when you speak God's Word ain't nothing to say you just have to comply Josh was like I didn't want to say brother bless you he said Joshua blessed him verse 13 and he gave her bran to Caleb the son of Jephunneh for an inheritance verse 14 therefore LeBron became their inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the kena sight to this day why because he wholly fully completely followed the Lord when you are fully surrendered to God you will live life of victory when your complete trust is in his word when your faith is in him when you put your faith in the finished work of the cross your inheritance is victory listen to me your inheritance is the Julie of the Lord your inheritance is eternal life your inheritance is breakthrough your inheritance is unconditional love your inheritance is the blood that washes and cleanses and heals and sets the captives free your inheritance is everlasting life reconciled with God one day we're passing right on through here and God has taken us home this is a powerful moment in verse 15 this is an incredible moment in the story now the name of her bran formerly was Kiryat Arba Arba was the greatest man among the Anakim and the land had rest from war Joshua had started the process of dividing up the land but there was still a hill there was still one mountain the specific mountain that they had climbed while spying out the land that mountain hadn't been touched yet kayla was like I want that one Kiriath Arba the city of Arba I loved it because in parentheses the writer gives us this reminder that it was the greatest man of that people a fierce giant that still occupied the one mountain that was still a representation of that which stands in your way the enemy this is why kayla was like I've got fight in me and I know everybody's reaching for a couple of hills but there's still one more mountain that I need to step foot on and put up one more fight and that dude Arbor has to fall I know Arba the sons of anak I know there's a whole lot of talk about those last few giants that are standing in the way but when we get the victory it is finished in Christ Jesus and all giants before hey leave no foothold for the enemy no room no room they get no space the promised land is ours leave no room for doubt leave no room for the Giants of fear leave no room for the Giants of anger the Giants of depression leave no room all Giants have to fall I don't care I don't care how big it is Caleb said that big one that last one Josh don't even worry about it I'm going up there I'm taking them down at 85 years old [Applause] curious arbor Kiryat Arba I'm changing the name because that's my property that's my land and wherever I step God gets the glory not our book oh yeah yeah yeah they talked about he's the greatest man well greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world so come on step up to me it's still strong worship team come on I'm still strong greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world are was gonna have to drop the sons of anak are gonna have before I don't care who's up at that mountain still but that mountain belongs to me and I'm changing the name I'm changing the name to her bronc the word means fellowship and scripture tells us that it went from a place of war to a place of rest because when you are holy and fully surrendered to God you will find rest in the presence of our Living God our Savior [Applause] you will have the victory you will win the fight the name changes maybe some of you your home your job your school your mind it's been a place of war constantly but this morning let's find rest in the strength of the Lord Isaiah Isaiah chapter 40 they that wait upon the Lord they shall find rest they shall renew their strength they shall mount up with wings like eagles they that wait upon the Lord they shall find strength they shall renew their strength they shall mount up with wings like eagles they they shall run and not be weary they should they shall walk and not faint it's 40 years 40 40-plus years I'm just waiting on the Lord sometimes we just we're not waiting on the Lord here's what we do sometimes we're waiting on the miracle but we're not waiting on the miracle worker where we're waiting on the provision god I'm waiting for it waiting for that thing that I need I'm waiting for what I want I'm waiting for I'm waiting for that bonus on my job I'm waiting for that that opportunity to you know to marry that girl I'm waiting for that I'm waiting for the right opportunity to - for that man to come up and ask me out for a cup of coffee I'm waiting I'm why I'm waiting I'm waiting for my promotion waiting I'm waiting I'm waiting I'm waiting for my kids to come back home because they driving me crazy and when I'm waiting for my spouse to get it right my husband he driving me crazy [Applause] waiting waiting for my wife to get filled with the spirit because she's nagging me all the times just I'm waiting but how many of us are waiting on the Lord it's a big difference it's a really big difference you see our strength is not renewed based upon the miracle our strength is renewed when we are holy and fully surrendered to Jesus Christ we could spend hours testifying of the different things that God has done for us the Grace and the mercy that we've experienced the breakthroughs and the miracles but those things in and of itself are not going to strengthen you for the journey it's a life fully surrendered to God it's those that wait on the Lord knowing and maybe not knowing when the wilderness season will end that's tough I've been trying to process that one for a while god I'd be able to do that like am I am I willing to endure my trials and seasons of disappointment and struggles and and pains and hardship for for that long and still be just filled with the joy of the Lord and still hold to your promises and still get into my word and get excited about being in your presence I was really challenged by this am I willing to just stay strong and the only way that's gonna happen is to just to live a life in prayer live a life fasting live a life reading the word coming in to God's house and regardless of whether it's going right or not just giving him all praise and just worshiping his glorious name [Applause] and I know now that it's in the strength of the Lord that we find rest would you stand up with me hallelujah as we worship as we worship for those of you that are not at rest for those of you who are still facing one more giant for those of you that are at the point now in your faith and ready to say give me the mountain if you want the mountain let's take it let's do quick work against the enemy let's take the mountain take hold of your inheritance this morning take hold of the promises of God find rest in the presence of Jesus Christ if this word is spoken to you this morning I want to pray for you I want to pray I want to bless you and I want to say go you walk out today take the mountain take the mountain we're gonna worship the Lord whoever you right now just needs to just come forward and just say man I just I need I need rest I'm gonna take hold of my inheritance this morning um I've been fighting and battling just in my home my job my community in my mind I need rest I have an inheritance and I've just forgotten that I've forgotten it I've got an inheritance take them out to take them out [Music] but you just lift up your hands with me [Applause] listen we surrender Oh God we stand before you fully surrendered to your will we stand on your word we stand now on your promises give us the strength of God to stand we choose to wait on you give us strength for the journey Oh God Lord I know for many it's been a long journey in the wilderness it's been a long journey in the desert it's been a long journey of uncertainty and confusion and struggle and pain but oh God we take hold of our inheritance this morning give us the mountain Oh God give us the victory give us rest give us for this strength to fight one more time Oh God one more time God give us the strength to fight give us the strength to believe one more time Lord God that you are the miracle worker you're gonna do it Oh God you are our deliverer you set the captives free Lord God you've given us an inheritance Lord God we believe we believe in the name of Jesus that we have the victory Oh in the name of Jesus we are wholly and completely and fully surrendered to you give us rest but I know that there are many Giants that have stood in the way of your people but this morning they must fall Giants will fall in the name of cheeks in the name of Jesus every giant a giant of confusion fall now in the name of Jesus the giant of fear come down now in the name of Jesus in the name of Jesus we praise Lord God we give you all the glory in the honor I thank you for your word that brings life to our soul and your precious name Jesus Christ we pray amen

Channel: Times Square Church

Views: 8,771

Rating: 4.9238095 out of 5

Keywords: David Ham, Sermon, Times Square Church

Id: QgD4CwnyjUM

Length: 39min 16sec (2356 seconds)

Published: Fri Jun 28 2019