Arise In Violence challenges believers to adopt a spiritually aggressive stance in their pursuit of God’s kingdom. Contrary to the misconception that the kingdom of God is free from conflict, this message emphasizes the need for a proactive approach to overcome the forces of darkness. It encourages individuals to rise with determination and spiritual fervor, recognizing that possessing the promises of God requires an assertive mindset. This involves not only confronting external challenges but also addressing internal battles. By embracing a militant faith, believers can effectively claim their spiritual inheritance and fulfill their divine purpose, ultimately leading to personal transformation and victory in their spiritual journey.
The Book Of Joshua – Possessing The Kingdom
By Pastor Delbert Young
Arise In Violence sermon video audio notes
Audio
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Arise In Violence sermon video audio notes
Scriptures: John 3:3, John 3:5, Acts 1:8, Ephesians 6:12, Matthew 11:12, Hebrews 3:17, Joshua 1:1, Joshua 1:2, Joshua 1:2, Joshua 1:3, Joshua 1:5, Joshua 1:6, Joshua 1:7, Joshua 1:8, Joshua 1:9, Isaiah 60:2, Matthew 11:12
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WATCH SERMON VIDEO
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I want to talk to us today and for the next several weeks about POSSESSING THE KINGDOM. Most popular theology teaches the kingdom will come after the rapture and the great tribulation. This is not accurate and is not the kingdom Jesus preached and taught. Jesus taught a kingdom available now to the person who is born again.
One night a very religious man named Nicodemus came to Jesus. Nicodemus had a lot of questions and Jesus immediately turned the conversation to the kingdom because the answers Nicodemus was looking for were in the kingdom. The answers you and I are looking for are in the kingdom. We can have all the religious teaching possible, but not find the answers unless we POSSESS THE KINGDOM. Jesus is passionate about the kingdom and told Nicodemus he must be born again, but not born again so he could go to heaven when he died.
John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
There is a kingdom we can actually see now. How do we see the kingdom of God? The kingdom is where you see your dream and realize what you were born to do. The kingdom is seeing the abundant life God has planned for you. The apostle Paul said the kingdom of God is righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Rom 14:17). The kingdom is seeing your promised land. The purpose of your being born again is so you can see those things.
The conversation with Nicodemus continued and Jesus told him the kingdom of God could not only be seen. It can be and is entered now.
John 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
Notice Jesus told Nicodemus entrance was not automatic, but very possible. The reason we receive the Holy Spirit and are birthed of the Spirit is so we can enter the kingdom of God now. Jesus was telling Nicodemus it was not by his religious prowess and training he would experience the kingdom. It is by a spiritual birthing. We are given access to the kingdom of God when we are birthed of the Spirit.
A lot of things birth in us when we are born of the Spirit. The Spirit births gifts in us – gifts of the Spirit. The fruits of the spirit are birthed in us – love, joy peace, etc. But there is one constant the Bible talks about happening when we are born of the Spirit. It is power.
Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
We are given the power and ability to do whatever we need to do wherever we may go. Every place we go we take a spiritual supernatural power meant to advance the kingdom and advance our lives. For example: I moved to this city from Griffin, Georgia, but I brought a power with me to expand the kingdom and a power to advance my own life. For all those years, both of those things have been happening.
However, the enemy does not want the kingdom of God to advance. There is tremendous resistance. The Bible says it’s a war or a struggle.
Ephesians 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
The enemy doesn’t want your life to advance. The enemy doesn’t want you healed and the enemy doesn’t want you to prosper. Also, the enemy doesn’t want you happy. Furthermore, the enemy doesn’t want your marriage to work or your children to be obedient. Moreover, the enemy doesn’t want you to live your dream and live the abundant life. In other words, he doesn’t want you to enter the kingdom. The enemy wants you to stay out in your wilderness eating manna and drinking water. However, God wants you to enter the kingdom where there are big grapes, pomegranates, and honey. This was what God told the children of Israel was awaiting them in their promised land and was to be compared to the manna and water they had.
So, if you ever enter and possess the kingdom, Jesus said you must become violent.
Matthew 11:12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.
There is an attitude of spiritual aggressiveness required to POSSESS THE KINGDOM. Notice the aggressive words Jesus used to describe the kingdom – suffereth, violence, take, and force. Jesus wants people to become violent about the kingdom. The Kingdom is at hand.
ARE YOU VIOLENT ABOUT THE KINGDOM,
or are you passive? “Well, you know Delbert, I’m not sure about this kingdom stuff.” No. You have got to become violent in your spirit if you want to experience a life of big grapes and honey.
Often times we have a misconception of the kingdom of God. We think it’s a place where there are no battles and everything is perfect and exactly the way we want it. This just isn’t true. There is violence in the kingdom. We are overthrowing the kingdom of darkness. Let me ask you this. Was Jesus violent when it came to the kingdom?
THE BIBLE TALKS ABOUT A PLACE OF ABUNDANCE
God has provided for every one of his children. It’s a place where all of your needs are supplied – spiritually, physically, and emotionally. It’s a place of happiness and fulfillment. God doesn’t want you to have a mediocre life. He wants you to have an abundant life.
If you think for one moment it is God’s will for you to be unhappy or lonely or depressed then you are wrong and unless you change your attitude and become ARISE IN VIOLENCE you will never experience God’s kingdom. If you accept defeat from the devil and murmur and complain about life then you will never experience what God has for you.
God had promised the children of Israel a Promised Land where they could experience wonderful things. It was a land flowing with milk and honey. They experienced God’s promise of deliverance from Egypt through the Passover and the blood of the Lamb. They experienced a Pentecost experience at Sinai and they experienced God’s supernatural provisions. Eventually, they came to the Jordan River. Across this river was their promised land. They could see it. They could have entered it and they would have had to fight for it and God guaranteed them victory.
You know the story. Moses sent twelve spies into the land to spy it out. Ten spies came back with a bad report. They said there were giants in the land and walled cities. They told the people they didn’t have a chance to win. Though they had a guaranteed victory, they were not willing to be violent and battle to possess it. Instead, they murmured and complained. They turned and went back into their wilderness eating manna and drinking water. There they died never experiencing their kingdom. The Bible says God was grieved because of this.
Hebrews 3:17 But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness?
The bottom line is they didn’t want it. I have to ask, how badly do you want it? Are you willing to settle for manna and water? Or, do you want the honey and the big grapes available just across this Jordan?
I want it all. I want everything God has prepared for me and I don’t know about you, but I want Life Gate to POSSESS THE KINGDOM. Also, I want every one of you to experience your promised land.
I want to encourage you over these next weeks to stir up your spirits. I want to provoke you to be aggressive and even violent about the kingdom and I believe so many of us are right there at your Jordan. God is saying he wants you to enter. God is saying he wants Life Gate to enter. There is so much yet to be experienced.
I plan to take some principles from the book of Joshua to help us understand from the spiritual violence standpoint what is necessary to enter our promised land. The one I am sharing today is the first one we learned from Joshua.
Joshua 1:1 Now after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD it came to pass, that the LORD spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ minister, saying,
Joshua 1:2 Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel.
The death of Moses was a very serious situation for the children of Israel. It’s interesting how God told Joshua Moses was dead. The reason it is interesting is because Joshua knew it already. They had been mourning the death of Moses for over thirty days. Why would God make an issue of it to Joshua? The reason is that the people had become dependent upon Moses. Moses had been their deliverer. It had been Moses who had worked out their salvation. Moses had prayed for them, and acquired provisions for them. Moses was their mouthpiece. Everyone, including Joshua, had become dependent upon Moses and this attitude and mentality would not work if they were to enter their promised land.
THE TRUTH IS AS GREAT A LEADER AS WAS MOSES, EVERYTHING MOSES DID WAS PRELIMINARY
to what God wanted to do in the lives of people. We have all had some great leaders and great teachers. We have learned a lot and seen a lot, but everything to this point in your life has been preliminary for what God wants to do next. God wants you to POSSES THE KINGDOM, but to do it, you cannot be dependent upon Moses. It won’t be because someone else prays for you, acquires God’s provisions for you, or works your deliverance. God wants you to do it. He wants you to take it by force. It’s time for God’s people to ARISE. Let’s look again at verse 2.
Joshua 1:2 Moses my servant is dead; NOW THEREFORE ARISE, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel.
In other words, God was saying if Joshua was going to possess his promised land, then he was going to have to ARISE IN VIOLENCE himself. If the people were going to possess their promised land, they would have to ARISE IN VIOLENCE. Joshua was going to have to stir up his own spirit. This entire chapter of Joshua is concerned with this ARISE principle.
Joshua 1:3, 5-7, 8-9
3 I will give you every place where you set your foot…
5 No one will be able to stand up against you… I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.
6 “Be strong and courageous…
7 Be strong and very courageous…
8 Joshua 1:8 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.
9 …Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.
There is guaranteed victory, but before Joshua could cross over and enter the Promised Land God had for him, he had to ARISE and become violent in his spirit. There had to be a conscious decision to go in and be violent.
I want to make one more point before closing.
(Holman Christian Standard Bible) Joshua 1:8 This book of instruction must not depart from your mouth; you are to recite it day and night, so that you may carefully observe everything written in it. For then you will prosper and succeed in whatever you do.
(God’s Word Bible) Joshua 1:8 Never stop reciting these teachings. You must think about them night and day so that you will faithfully do everything written in them. Only then will you prosper and succeed.
Success or failure depended upon Joshua’s discipline to read God’s word, speak God’s word, and meditate upon God’s word. Joshua could no longer depend upon Moses.
People today are missing out on God’s best because they are lazy. They don’t want to find out what God’s word says. They don’t meditate upon it and they want Moses to do it for them. Also, they are too busy to come to church and workshops. Furthermore, they don’t want to be inconvenienced. Moreover, they have a dream in their heart, but they want Moses to do everything for them. However, your success depends upon your reading, speaking, and meditating upon God’s word. You will never possess your promised land unless you discipline yourself to do this.
People rely on others to do their Bible reading for them. It’s “Where was that scripture?” People rely on others to do their praying for them. It’s “Call so-n-so and tell them to pray for me. I’m just so depressed.” No. You need to discipline your self to read your Bible every day and meditate on the victory you need. You will be amazed how our life will change.
Don’t hear me wrong.
There is nothing wrong with calling and asking about a scripture. There is nothing wrong with getting people to pray for you, but if this is all you do then you will never ARISE IN VIOLENCE. MOSES MY SERVANT IS DEAD. You know in your own heart coming and singing a few songs and listening to me talk for thirty minutes a week is not enough for you to enter your promised land. You need to ARISE IN VIOLENCE. Isn’t the word of God called the sword of the Spirit?
I want to close with this verse from Isaiah.
Isaiah 60:1 “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.
Isaiah 60:2 See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you.
Notice when we ARISE our lives shine and the glory of the LORD rises on us. You know my take on the glory of God. It’s when God shows off. If you are familiar with the book of Joshua, you know God was about to show off. He was about to provide a supernatural entrance into the Promised Land. He was about to cause the great walls of Jericho to fall down flat and He was about to stop the sun from moving.
I promise you if you will ARISE IN VIOLENCE God will show off for you. Jesus said,
Matthew 11:12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.
I want to encourage you today and tell you the reason you are born again and have received the Spirit of God is so you can see and enter the kingdom of God. I want to tell you you can conquer every giant and walled city you will ever face. If you will ARISE IN A KINGDOM VIOLENCE, God will give you more than you can ask or think. Don’t fall into the wilderness when there is a promised land for you. Stir up your spirit and make a conscious decision to ARISE IN VIOLENCE. How many are going to cross over with me and experience some big grapes and some of life’s honey as we POSSESS THE KINGDOM? Give the Lord a shout and hand clap!
Arise In Violence sermon video audio notes
Arise In Violence sermon video audio notes
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