The Gift of No: When God Says No | Pastor Benny Perez

thank you so much for joining us my name is Bianca and I'm the dream teams director here at Church LV we are so grateful for what God is doing through the church and we would love to hear about what he's doing in your life you can share your story at church lv comm slash story here we're all about following Jesus and fulfilling his mission if you'd like to partner with us financially you can do so by visiting us at church lv comm /give we hope this message speaks to you today be sure to like comment and subscribe thank you so much for watching please Acts chapter 16 beginning in verse 4 you ready for the word of God as they went on their way through the cities they delivered to them for the observance the decisions that have been reached by the Apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem so the churches were strengthened in the what say loud were strengthened in the what and they increase in what what that's in the Bible they increased in numbers that's in the Bible I mean know that God wants to reach people increase in numbers weekly monthly yearly come on read the scripture and read increasing numbers what what is it daily I love that and they went through the region of what's the next word of exactly exactly I a hundred-dollar bill if anybody could pronounce that word the right way no that's not the right way and they went through the region of yes Galatia having been watch forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word Asia let me translate having God tell them no go to verse 8 right verse 8 so passing by Messiah sometimes you have to pass by where you want to go to get to where God wants you to be they went down to Troas and I watch this how powerful this is and a vision appeared to Paul in the night a man of Macedonia was standing there urging him and saying come over to Macedonia and help us and when Paul had seen the vision immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them so setting sail from Troy as we mean a direct voyage to Sam and the following day to Neapolis father thank you for your word amen he may be seated we're in a series called the gift of know for the sake of time I'll save my funny story for next week yes because I'm hungry I want to give you the title of the message very quickly is when God says no look at your neighbor and say neighbor when God says no Lukich other neighbor say neighbor it looks like I said no to you just tell them don't don't tell him that I believe that every prayer you pray God answers I believe that every prayer that pastor Benny Perez has prayed God has answered now how does God answer well a lot of times he says yes and gives you what you want sometimes he says no and he's gonna give you something better and sometimes he says wait to give you the very best but God will answer your prayer in fact I would submit to you that you have received a lot of knows in your life when you pray to God if you have not received any knows from God I don't know if you're really in a relationship with him because God is a good god come on somebody can I hear an amen but the culture pushes back on us and says well knows a negative word it's a critical word it's like how can you tell me no but that's not the way we need to view it when it comes to our good Heavenly Father because when we understand how good god is and gracious god is and that God is a giver and sometimes the greatest gift he could give you is a gift of no because watch me he rather give you an O in the present because he's got a greater yes for you in the future it's no it's no I'm a parent I have three kids and there are times if you raise good kids listen good kids are not a result of you saying yes all the time sometimes good kids and a result of you saying no now world came with no as long as we know why God said no but God is not obligated to tell you the reason why so so we've been talking about this over the last few weeks at and I've been intrigued about this and and and God said just just just give him this simple word today when I say no we pick up in the book of Acts chapter 16 we were reading about Paul and Silas Paul and Silas went on three missionary journeys what does that mean Paul and Silas particularly Paul would go and he'd go to new regions new areas where they need to hear about Jesus and he talked to them about Jesus people would turn and put their faith in Jesus Christ as a result of that Paul would start a local church in Galatia a local church in Ephesus a local church in Philippi a local church in Colossae thus we have all these books that were written to local believers to local churches and so Paul and Silas went one time and they preach the gospel and now they're coming back a second time and when they're coming back a second time they're actually bringing now some documents this is before Facebook and email and they're not posting thing on a wall they they're bringing these documents now what are these documents these documents is because there was conflict in the church see conflict in the church is not new in fact I'm gonna say something that I'm gonna submit to you that if you never have conflict it doesn't it means that you really don't have real relationship because if you are long enough come on you can have some conflict okay someone help me don't leave me hanging like that somebody if you really have friendship you're gonna have conflict you can have to listen learn how to work through the conflict because you're always going to have conflict they had conflict in the New Testament church and here was a conflict so many Gentiles non-jewish people were coming to Jesus and the conflict was so severe that a council the Council of Jerusalem and in John 10 in Acts chapter 15 you had Paul and Peter and James I mean these are heavyweights in the church man and they're getting together and they're arguing and debating do these new believers need to follow the law of Moses and become circumcised now if you're a Gentile and you're 55 years old and you're not circumcised you're praying that that's not one of the requirements somebody give me an amen on that one right there I'm just telling you right and so what happens is as they're stating their case you're debating vehemently like like Paul and Peter are going face-to-face if they're getting each other's grill and they're talking about it and they're dealing with it right and so all of a sudden James the elder the brother of Jesus stands up as the senior elder as the spokesperson as the leader of leaders and he says okay I've listened now let's pray and let's ask God what he thinks so then we make this statement in Acts chapter 16 or 15 verse 28 for it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us he's writing these words too late no greater burden than these requirements so he says this we all agree that as Gentile believers saying yes to Jesus you need to abstain from from animals being sacrificed to idols you need to abstain from drinking blood you need to abstain from that you need to abstain from animals that have been killed the wrong way and been strangled they need to abstain from sexual immorality if you keep yourself from these things watch you would do well now what this is not a requirement of salvation but he says we want you to live well we want you to live in a way that is honoring to God okay so let me explain what sexual immorality is because we don't get this sexual morality is in God against sex he created sex oh it's quite at 11:45 God is pro sex God created man and woman and said have lots of it I wish had some people clapping a little bit in fact can I tell you this way the reason why you're here I know it's bad to think about your mom and your dad I'm just telling you it's just oh Jesus help me know because if we're not careful we think God is against sex but God is pro sex he created sex but God says the best sex is when you do it within the context of marriage so let me just define it for you it's not condemnation I'm not putting you down it's like I can't believe you said that I didn't say it it's in the Bible so if you having sex with someone you're not married - that's called sexual immorality that is small sex little bit sex if you want big sex big bed sex then you need to do it God's Way I'm just telling you right and the cool thing is you live in Las Vegas you can get married in three minutes in fact I'm going to open up my wedding chapel and we'll marry you as you're walking out right now in Jesus name just bring your marriage license in then Jesus yes and you're like walking I got buried at your job a so what they're writing this to the believers so so they take these letters right to these churches and they read this to the churches because people are saying you got to be under the law of Moses you got to observe the law of Moses and that's your gonna be safe but listen to me salvation does not come under the law or from the law salvation is Duke race by faith in Jesus Christ alone and when you put your faith in him you will now be saved and your sins will be forgiven and you'll be in right relationship with God somebody say amen to that can you imagine now you're Paul and Silas inside everybody's kind of like wow okay cool we could do this and now as they're delivering these letters look what happens the Bible says in Acts chapter 16 now they go to this place that we could not pronounce right they went to the region of Pi and Galatia and what they wanted to do is he wanted to go preach watch in Asia but the Holy Spirit but God Himself said no then they said okay we want to go to pith Nia but the spirit of Jesus the Holy Spirit said no now now it's interesting that that the Holy Spirit said no so I could just fly through this point and assume that you understand how God says no but most people don't understand how God says no so let me tell you how God says no number one God says no through his word not like for instance how would you ever want to take revenge on somebody can I see your hand somebody teach you Tori you want to do them dirty come on wave your hand at me right and then the Bible says revenge is mine sayeth lord I will repay that's that's out of my Bible how do I know that when you've had some enemies somebody do something say something do something and God says in his word right no you can't do that no he says love your enemy do good to them that abused you and say Oh manner of evil for you of you right so the scripture God tells us know through the scripture the hostes God tells us know how holy spirit Alice know through leadership I said through leadership through your parents oh no my parents yes do your parents do your employees employers now if your ploy or your precious time you do something that's against obviously don't do it but I'm not talking about that God would tell you know like yo man show up to work on time okay I got one amen I like like when your employer says no you can't you don't you just like like you're like you're like you're like stopping my creativity no we're trying to get you to work no no see see you think God only shows up in her burning bush he shows up to your supervisor okay you're not talking back to me right now he deals with leadership so so I was living at home till I was actually 22 moved out of my house when I was 23 and I was 22 and and man I was busy I'm going to school study for the ministry busy never clean my room it's always busy running around doing things for the Lord I would say clean your room man clean your room okay mom I'm gonna get to it but I'm praying right now come on Bob do something spiritual right now right and so this is restored so one day I come home I'm going to Cal State Fullerton I'm working at Bank of America and I'm interning at a church and I come home and all my stuff is thrown outside mm-hmm yeah like oh my stuff and we have a dog see when I grow up as a dog dogs were never house dogs there was always outside right that's how you toughen him up no wonder he lived to be 16 years of age and so my son like so my dad comes home we have a talk he goes hey I say dad all my clothes were outside he says I know he said you want to live here clean your room if you want to clean your room go find another house I said no sir I'll clean my room right now the other day BJ was texting me he's 18 he's texted me say dad you know this is happening and you know I won't be home till like 2 o'clock I said oh no no no you're not gonna be home that late you need to come home at this time what emoji crying face you know the tears coming down I said son the reason why I don't want you coming over at 2 o'clock isn't it because I don't trust you I trust you I know you're a good driver but they're drunk drivers out here in Las Vegas and I can't let you be out that late but BJ you can come home at 2 o'clock but your stuff will be outside see we don't like when God speaks through leadership and the reason why you're not maturing in your faith it's because you're not listening to the God to the people that God has put in your life whether it's your parents your leaders your pastors come out somebody help me preach this right now so the Holy Spirit will say no do the Word of God through leadership do the inner witness of the Holy Spirit like if you're not feeling comfortable with something you gotta you gotta you gotta check yourself before you wreck yourself no you just gotta say wow and the Holy Spirit convicting you he's not convicting you he's leading and guiding you and when you're going down the wrong path the Holy Spirit's gonna let you know you should have made a left but you made a right the reason why it's like well she's just fine or he's just okay or this is a job that I really want and you're not feeling that peace that peace of God which passes all understanding because you pray you're not feeling that I'm telling you the Holy Spirit is saying listen be careful this is not what you should be doing and then lastly he'll say no through circumstances you light things up well all of a sudden now it's going to be a no they had to knows this man had to knows to to good things listen God does not say no because something is bad he's saying no because there's something better I'm not trying to help you because we think it's bad that's why God says no but God says it's not my best can you track with me so could it be that if God is saying no it's not a bad thing it's a good thing it's a good person it's a good place it's a good job it's it good yeah that's good but I don't want just the good I don't want you stir just the okay I want the best perfect will of God in my life and in your life and so it's that bad it's just not the best so God says no for a moment I've learned this at times but at times they'll say no for a lifetime notices that the Bible says that the Holy Spirit said no to Paul preaching in Asia at that moment but in acts 19 verse 10 it actually says that Paul actually now goes to the place called Asia and a great revival breaks out because a no for the moment doesn't mean it's no for a lifetime now what why did he say no maybe the people weren't open to the gospel maybe there was danger there maybe there was something that we did not know about but watch me now Paul ended up going there to Asia to preach we don't know why but sometimes God says no in the moment and it may not be for a lifetime so it comes down to this are you ready Church here comes you ready it comes down to trust and timing that whole kingdom of God is based upon trust faith and timing you could be watch me doing the right thing at the wrong time and the wrong time will ruin the right thing I'll say it again you could be doing right the right thing in the wrong time and the wrong time can ruin come on the right thing it's all about timing and Trust in the kingdom can't we trust God's timing can we trust that God is in control can we trust that we can have faith in the God that wants to staff their very best in their lives and the challenge is always trust in timing timing and Trust that's why the Bible says trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own earth standing and all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight the kingdom of God operates to trust in faith without trusting my life pool will be ruled by what I see and what I understand now watch this how small of a life I would live if it's all based on what I see and of what I understand that's why the Bible says we walk by faith come on and not by sea that's why you're not like everybody else that's why if you're born again you're a child of God you're a son of God a daughter of God you're not like everybody else listen to me and over for listening to me all over America that you can see with the eyes of faith you could believe God could do the impossible you could believe that God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that you can a stick or even imagine I am NOT limited by what I see I'm not limited by what I understand I have an infinite God in a kingdom that says trust me and my timing I don't want to be limited just about what I understand this is crazy if you'd have told me we would buy a ninety thousand square foot building it came on I remember I walked into that a few years ago too many poles too many poles too many poles so I said like too many poles everywhere then we had brought in an architect he didn't see poles he saw an 1800 seat auditorium I saw the obstacle he saw the opportunity I'm preaching better you'll say Amen right now I'm just telling you right now help me out come on help me preach this right now come on any sip I need something yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah hayleybay baby I need something I tell you walk you through one of my friends both beside church over 10,000 people in his church and I walk in to that came our bill years ago and I go now too many poles too many there's too many that to me and all I saw was the obstacles oh no they're giants in the land the cities are big I mean there's there's there's so much so much harvest look at these grapes it takes Julis to carry this but they're too big and the ten spies said we are like grasshoppers in our eyes and so we were in their eyes two guys said I don't know what you're saying I see a land flowing with milk and honey come on and if God said he's gonna make us we're able to capture what God has said are you looking at the obstacles to the opportunities because when you walk in your own ability you just see all the stuff we've had our final meeting we're going to permitting in about ten days it's interesting all those polls that I see this is crazy you ready when the architect took it and he put the worship center right word was it was if the polls were supposed to be there in the first place are you hearing what I'm saying so so so could we be men and women that enter into seeing God's ways and now we begin to trust and trust in his promises and trust in his timing and have faith and what he has spoken through his promises see because God has always seen something greater I think I'm ready to land this plane it's very interesting because watch what happens to nose to nose in bit Nia I know in Asia he finally gets to another place and it says when he was in that place look at it says any vision appeared to PO in the night a man in Macedonia said coming over and help us and Paul concluded that God was leading him to preach the gospel there why is it that Paul now got a vision because he was in the right place to receive the right vision if he would have went to bit Nia or Asia he would have been in the right place to get a vision for the man from Macedonia but God will do whatever he has to do to get you in the right place so you can receive the right vision because there's somebody waiting on the other side of your obedience give God a big hand clap right now God will position you in the right place to receive the right vision let me tell you a story many years ago me and pastor Winnie we were traveling full time I've been Australia at least 46 times Amara says 48 who cares after that many times I preach to some of the largest places in the world I've loved my moment I love my time I've spent awesome I still get to a lot of fun stuff it's great it's incredible but we knew that God was moving us from Seattle and so originally I love Charlotte North Carolina thank you notice how many people are clapping sir no I look I preached in Charlotte before right I love North Carolina I just love the South I love it I love Virginia I love that I don't know why I'm a ghetto kid from LA but I'll actually like people who have manners yes sir no sir sweet tee' sir thank you sir hey man praise the Lord sweetie we'll just solve all the gang violence if we just would just pass it out amen seriously come on Crips and bloods this have some sweet tea praise the Lord Amen it'll work right and so I remember saying winning win it we need to go to Charlotte when he goes absolutely not God says no and so look what happens in Charlotte Steven Furtick is God's second choice imagine if we would have showed up what really would have happened in Charlotte North Carolina that's a joke sort of now watch so I go Kate Wendy how about Boise Idaho I love Boise it's beautiful no all right and then like Southern California like where I grew up I said no and I said La Hoya come on you white people La Jolla you know what I'm talking about has anybody ever been in La Jolla come on wave Rihan that is God's country come on let's be honest and I'm like yes yes and we had preached a few times at a church all of the way across town called I CLV and I remembered that I'm like okay Lord and the Lord spoke to us go to Las Vegas and we came to Las Vegas we landed that one day I remember the whole story I'm like it was the host Enoch was yesterday and and like oh my gosh I think God's calling us to Las Vegas he said no to Boise he said no to Charlotte he's seen no to Southern California he said no to La Jolla and he's seen yes to Las Vegas see what you think is you're sitting in a building but you're not sitting in the building you're not sitting in some chairs see that's what's your natural eye what you're sitting in is a vision you're sitting in a vision because when we went and we prayed and we sought God at Disneyland because that's where God speaks to my wife through a mouse I called ratón he's a rat killed a rat born and bilingual and God says start a church with who don't know very many people who okay you hear the story you've been here long enough 27 people show up 25 people we don't know but you don't know no hide the Civil War hide the China in fact some of the people come in and hide the paper plates there's little sit like Jesus help us I'm landing the plane here and you're sitting in a vision because if you look what Paul had the vision he said Paul come help us it wasn't about Paul it was about who Paul was gonna go and reach and touch and you're sitting in a vision when we had that vision me and pastor Wendy so many years ago when God said I'm gonna raise you up to have a multi-ethnic multi-generational both sigh economic come on church that's gonna display the kingdom of God on earth come on somebody as it is in heaven you're sitting in the vision come on clap your hands you're sitting in the vision you're sitting in the vision you're sitting in a vision we're gonna launch our second campus come out in April you're sitting in the vision you're sitting in a vision you're sitting in a vision you're seen in a vision and now come to the keyboards and now it's our vision to see Las Vegas come to know the goodness of God it's it's the vision come help us I didn't know the Blakeney's when they were sitting in my house you know I didn't know I only knew Ron porous who was playing keyboards and my wife who was singing leading worship in the kitchen I set up like 30 plastic chairs and I preached like there were 10,000 people there can I tell you something and I said I'm gonna go for the power of God start hit the place people start falling out I just like I hope I got enough insurance I don't know who these people are No no to a great yes how about your life could you'd be that the nose are setting you up for the greatest yes you've ever had and it's really not so much about you but who you help out I told this to Michael I told this to other people when we open up our new facility I'm ready writing out the list I'm gonna thank every staff member former and present my name because I wouldn't be here let was it for them and by the way they wouldn't be here it wasn't for me I am your father maybe Darth Vader but I'm your father and why are you gonna do that pastor Benny because I realized the vision is always bigger than a person it's always bigger they come on than just me and pastor Wendy are you hear what I'm saying now this blows my mind as I land the plane so what does Paul do Paul goes by where he initially thought he should go and he goes and pastor Paul it says that he goes over to Macedonia but he doesn't just go to Macedonia general he goes to the city of Philippi pastor Mitch we know Philip by the book of Philippians has written to the church right the Philip I these are people and when he shows up look what happens he shows up and he meets a woman named Lydia a seller purple wealthy influential woman he leads her to Jesus because God wants to break the mold and say no I'm gonna start a church with a woman of influence a woman of resource and a woman is going to lead a dynamic church and Philip I know it gets even better so what happens is Paul comes and pollen size and they empower this woman and there's another woman that's following them around she's possessed by a devil but we miss it she's actually human trafficked she's a human trafficking victim that men are using her and exploiting her for resource so so God sends Paul and Silas listen to now empower a woman and liberate another if they when I got the to knows they were never showed up in the right yes and a wealthy person God was gonna use their wealth and influence and then another young lady that was been trafficked and they can-they she gets set free and because they did the right thing now they're in prison it gets even better because here's what we would do really god you said you said no to Bethany and then the other city I can't even pronounce don't you know Asia needs the gospel and I do two good things and now I'm in prison that's the way some people would respond but not Paul and Silas because they recognize that condition does not change their position of who they are in Christ so so they are in the prison pastor miguel appreciate and they begin to praise and worship God now watch how this works and all the prison doors all the prison doors all the prison doors all of the chains fall off and the jailer runs in and he's about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped now watch this the jailer is scared because being a jailer and that day was not your job it was your home you very rarely leave the jail you would not go to synagogue you will not go to a special meeting you would not go to church so watch God said it's okay I'm gonna bring the church in here most people want to break out of jail God had them break into jail they didn't go in there they didn't go in there because they did something wrong they went in there because God had them on a mission to reach somebody and when they went in there the jailer said what must I do to be saved now let's gets even better it said he got saved and all his household God was led by a multi-ethnic multi-generational multi economic group of people of a wealthy woman a young lady and a jailer and out of that small group assure a prevailing church was birthed

Channel: ChurchLV

Views: 980

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Id: _Ww7d7j6Cag

Length: 36min 43sec (2203 seconds)

Published: Tue Aug 28 2018