Part 1 UNASHAMED, UNDAUNTED, and UNSTOPPABLE!

Transcription

1 Part 1 UNASHAMED, UNDAUNTED, and UNSTOPPABLE! Texts: Psalm 65:9-13 (NLT) - You take care of the earth and water it, making it rich and fertile. The river of God has plenty of water; it provides a bountiful harvest of grain, for you have ordered it so. [10] You drench the plowed ground with rain, melting the clods and leveling the ridges. You soften the earth with showers and bless its abundant crops. [11] You crown the year with a bountiful harvest; even the hard pathways overflow with abundance. [12] The grasslands of the wilderness become a lush pasture, and the hillsides blossom with joy. [13] The meadows are clothed with flocks of sheep, and the valleys are carpeted with grain. They all shout and sing for joy! Haggai 2:18-19 (KJV) - Consider now from this day and upward, (V19) from this day will I bless you! A. I'm here today to declare that something other than the calendar has changed in the year 2017! 1. There has been a shift in the heavens over Christian Tabernacle, its members, and their families. 2. The Word for this year is: UNASHAMED, UNDAUNTED, and UNSTOPPABLE! Over the next few weeks, you will understand what those words mean to our congregation. 3. We have experienced delays not just in the past year, but the last several years! a. We have faced opposition and challenges. b. As you would expect, the enemy has repeatedly tried to defeat our dreams and plans and make them come to nothing but he failed! c. Because we did not give up, we are now in a new season of acceleration. God has advanced the timetable and caused it to speed up. 4. Some solutions are complicated, while others are simple.

2 a. When NASA first began sending astronauts into space, they quickly discovered that ballpoint pens would not write in zero gravity. To fix the problem, NASA scientists spent a decade and billions of dollars developing a pen that would write in zero gravity, upside down, underwater, on almost any surface including glass, and at temperatures ranging from below freezing to 300 C. b. The Russians used a pencil. c. Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NKJV) - To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven: d. Daniel 2:21 (NKJV) - And He changes the times and the seasons; 5. God has changed and accelerated our season. This year, things will be different. But we must be careful not to carry the attitudes, limited expectations, opposition, and challenges of the past several years into this new year. 6. One thing I've noticed is that our families and businesses experience the same seasons as the church. a. That was certainly true of Israel. Whatever season the nation was going through, the families endured the same. b. That's exactly what is happening in our nation. Whatever the season, good or bad, it seems to affect us all. If the economy dwindles, we all feel it; if it increases, we are all encouraged. c. We're affected when our nation is in war, either by sons or daughters leaving home or the astronomical debt incurred by our government that must be repaid with tax money. d. In a time of peace, we all enjoy the benefits. B. It's interesting to note that God did not view Israel as a nation. 1. In Acts 7:38 (KJV), God referred to Israel as "the church in the wilderness." a. The Greek word used here is "Ekklesia" which is translated as church in the New Testament.

3 b. Israel may have considered themselves as a nation, but God called them a church. c. Whatever the nation or church of Israel experienced, the individual families and members shared the same. 2. The reason for this is the power of 'spiritual coverings.' a. All that has happened with our church building loan the approval, then delays and failed promises has signaled a change in the heavens over our congregation. b. Your life has also just changed for the better! 3. On my first Sunday in this new year, I want to explain why your season has just changed. Though you may not yet understand, I want to declare that in 2017, we are UNASHAMED, UNDAUNTED, and UNSTOPPABLE! C. The power of spiritual coverings 1. Numbers 19:14-20 (NKJV) - This is the law when a man dies in a tent: All who come into the tent and all who are in the tent shall be unclean seven days; [15] and every open vessel, which has no cover fastened on it, is unclean. [16] Whoever in the open field touches one who is slain by a sword or who has died, or a bone of a man, or a grave, shall be unclean seven days. [17] 'And for an unclean person they shall take some of the ashes of the heifer burnt for purification from sin, and running water shall be put on them in a vessel. [18] A clean person shall take hyssop and dip it in the water, sprinkle it on the tent, on all the vessels, on the persons who were there, or on the one who touched a bone, the slain, the dead, or a grave. [19] The clean person shall sprinkle the unclean on the third day and on the seventh day he shall purify himself, wash his clothes, and bathe in water; and at evening he shall be clean. [20] But the man who is unclean and does not purify himself, that person shall be cut off from among the assembly, because he has defiled the sanctuary of the Lord. 2. We are God's vessels, created to be used for His glory.

4 a. 2 Corinthians 4:7 (NKJV) - We have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. 3. A reality of life in this fallen world is the death and decay constantly at work all around us. a. The Law of Moses had a provision for dealing with the effects of death within a dwelling. b. Before an uncovered, contaminated vessel could be used again, it had to go through a cleansing process. Only the covered vessels were protected. 4. The spiritual application is clear: death is also at work in the House of God, just as lingering diseases must be eradicated in hospitals. a. Satan comes to steal, kill and destroy. Death can overcome a contaminated individual who is not covered. b. Contamination can affect your relationship with God, your finances, family, and every aspect of life. 5. The law required a specific period of time for this cleansing. a. A sprinkling was required on the 3 rd day (the day of resurrection), and on the 7 th day (the day of completion). b. On the 8th day, (the day of new beginnings), the person or vessel that had been cleansed could be restored to useful service. D. Numerous scriptural examples in typology explain how spiritual coverings affect believers. Here are two of them: 1. While Israel was traveling to the Promised Land, they were covered by a cloud by day and by fire at night. a. Jewish scholars say the cloud that protected them from the heat was horizontal rather than vertical. At night, the cloud become a pillar of fire that provided warmth. b. As long as Israel remained under the covering, they experienced supernatural, miraculous protection and daily provisions. Even the normal laws of nature seemed to be suspended.

5 c. Defying the second law of thermodynamics, their garments and shoes did not decay during the 40 years in the wilderness. d. Included in this divine protection was a daily supply of manna from heaven and protection from their enemies. But those who chose to lag behind were not covered; their enemies were waiting to destroy them. 2. Naomi and her family is another illustration of this spiritual covering. a. When Naomi, her husband and two sons left the covering of their home in Israel, only Naomi and her daughter-in-law returned empty. But as she reconnected with her covering, grace began to smile on her once again. b. Ruth 3:3-5 (NKJV) - Therefore wash yourself and anoint yourself, put on your best garment and go down to the threshing floor; but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. [4] Then it shall be, when he lies down, that you shall notice the place where he lies; and you shall go in, uncover his feet, and lie down; and he will tell you what you should do." [5] And she said to her, All that you say to me I will do. c. Ruth 3:7-9 (NIV) - When Boaz had finished eating and drinking and was in good spirits, he went over to lie down at the far end of the grain pile. Ruth approached quietly, uncovered his feet and lay down. [8] In the middle of the night something startled the man; he turned and there was a woman lying at his feet! [9] Who are you? he asked. I am your servant Ruth, she said. Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a guardianredeemer of our family. E. Seven types of coverings mentioned in scripture will be covered in our next sessions: 1. Blood Coverings 2. Prayer Coverings

6 3. Coverings of Grace 4. Love Coverings 5. Coverings of the Anointing 6. Coverings of Glory 7. Ministry Coverings