Church Of The Harvest | Sermon Podcast | Cleveland, TN

Preacher: Pastor Rhonda Davis

The Wilderness Setting: Written by King David’s chief musician Asaph, Psalm 78 serves as a historical reminder of Israel's behavioral cycles in the desert. Fresh out of Egyptian deliverance—having witnessed the ten plagues, the parting of the Red Sea, and being physically guided by pillars of cloud and fire—the people began to bitterly complain against God a mere three days into their journey.

An Honest Question vs. An Accusation: In Psalm 78:19, the people ask, "Can God really prepare a table in the wilderness?" Pastor Rhonda noted that the word really transforms a seemingly innocent question into a toxic accusation dressed up as reason. It is the phrase used when a human heart has already decided the answer is "no," waiting around only to prove its own doubt correct.

Covenant Over Anger: Despite their rebellion, God did not slam the door or cancel His covenant. Instead, He commanded the skies to open and rained down manna—the food of angels. God systematically spread a feast in front of the very people who were whispering against Him in their tents the night before.

Pastor Rhonda unpacked the three distinct tables God establishes throughout biblical history:

The Purpose of the Table: The wilderness table is never a structural reward for individuals who possess perfect, unwavering faith. It is a table of pure grace, deliberately established right in the middle of your human doubting.

The Goodness that Pulls: Relying on Romans 2:4, it is the unmerited goodness of God—not His anger—that gently leads broken, derailed, or disappointed individuals into true repentance.

The Commitment of God: God remains infinitely more committed to your ultimate destiny than your lingering doubt is committed to keeping you away from His presence. As highlighted in Psalm 78:38-39, He stays full of compassion, frequently holds back His anger, and remembers that human beings are fragile, temporary flesh.

The Blinded Army at Dothan: In 2 Kings 6, the King of Syria surrounded the prophet Elisha at Dothan with a massive host of horses and iron chariots. When Elisha’s servant panicked, shouting, "What shall we do?", Elisha uttered the historic reality: "Don't be afraid. Those who are with us are more than those with them."

The Spiritual Sight Shift: Elisha did not pray for his servant’s natural eyes, but for his spiritual eyes to be opened. Instantly, the young man saw the surrounding mountains packed with the fiery chariots of God's angelic hosts.

A Feast Instead of a Sword: After praying for God to strike the Syrian army with blindness, Elisha boldly walked into their ranks and led them directly into the capital city of Samaria. When the King of Israel eagerly asked, "Shall I kill them?", Elisha commanded him to serve them a massive feast of comfort food and water instead.

The Victory of Mercy: This exact battlefield feast provides the historical background for Psalm 23:5 ("Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies"). It was not the edge of a sword that permanently stopped the Syrian invasions—it was an overwhelming act of covenant mercy.

Pastoral Application on Stiff-Arming: Pastor Rhonda paused the message to deliver a deep word on forgiveness and breaking internal chains (Psalm 44:21). True forgiveness does not excuse the offender; it releases the victim from an emotional prison. She shared a transparent personal testimony of a spiritual son and backup worship leader who left her ministry years prior. Though she smiled outwardly, she spent years "stiff-arming" him to protect her own heart from being hurt again. After her late husband confronted her behavior, she broke down at the altar, embraced the man, repented of her coldness, and unlocked a deep, ongoing fellowship that persists to this day.

Crushing the Enemy's Head: The framework for the final table was established in Genesis 3, where God promised that the seed of the woman would eventually crush the head of the serpent. Because Satan acutely understands this legal decree, he target-attacks human families with desperation and fear.

Spread While We Were Rebellious: Reading from Romans 5:6-8, Christ did not wait for humanity to surrender, perfect their theology, or clean up their lives. He set out the bread and wine of the ultimate table at Calvary while we were actively operating as His lifestyle enemies.

The Table of Communion: At the Last Supper, Jesus willingly broke bread, dipped from the same cup, and washed the feet of Judas Iscariot—the very man orchestrating His betrayal. He fully established a table in the literal presence of His enemy.

Jesus Is Better: Moving into corporate communion, Pastor Rhonda echoed the foundational theme of the Book of Hebrews: Jesus is structurally better than legalism, religion, and all earthly material goods. He is the express image of the living God.

Prophetic Prophecy Declared: During a prolonged moment of corporate worship, a prophetic word was delivered over the room: “I have not brought you this far to leave you, says the Lord. You are hidden in the hollow of My hands, and I am preparing you to move like an arrow shot from a bow at the right time. You are the ones called to set My tables of mercy in the wilderness of this world.”

The River in the Desert: Standing across the sanctuary, the congregation applied Isaiah 43:18-19, commanding all spiritual squatters of doubt to leave, completely releasing old bitterness against parents, employers, or former spouses, and taking communion with a fresh, childlike awareness of Christ's healing power.

Here are the primary scriptures read, cited, or expounded upon during the service:

Psalm 78:19 > "Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish [prepare] a table in the wilderness?"

Romans 5:6-8 > "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly... But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners [enemies], Christ died for us."

Romans 2:4 (Referenced) – Knowing that the goodness of God leads human beings to repentance.

Psalm 78:38-39 > "But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away... For he remembered that they were but flesh; a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again."

2 Kings 6:16-17 > "And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha."

Deuteronomy 31:6 (Referenced) – Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, He it is that doth go with thee.

2 Chronicles 32:7 (Referenced) – Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for there be more with us than with him.

Psalm 23:5 > "Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over."

Psalm 44:21 (Referenced) – Shall not God search this out? For He knoweth the secrets of the heart.

Revelation 3:20 > "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me."

Isaiah 43:18-19 > "Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert."

Numbers 6:24-26 (The Benediction) > "The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace."

Summer in the Psalms: Sheltered & Secure (Psalm 61) – This Psalm teaches us that we can be confident and, like David, we have access to pour out even our most desperate cries to the Lord, knowing He listens and responds according to His will.

Faint – The word faint here means when my heart is overwhelmed, exhausted, or weighed down by circumstances.

A Core Truth – You might say that in order for us to realize that God is all we need, we have to be brought to the point where God is all we have.

Refuge – A refuge is a safe, secure shelter from physical or spiritual distress. It’s the strong tower David refers to.

Shelter – Shelter provides protection, and in Hebrew it means hiding place. (See Psalms 91). The secret place of the Most High, under the shadow of His wings, where our enemy can’t find us.

Heritage – Heritage means a legacy, spiritual blessings, promises & eternal security.

Vow – Vow means my solemn, binding promise. A sincere declaration. His vow was one of life-long worship.

1. David said, "O Lord, You have searched me and known me."

2. "You comprehend my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways."

3. "For there is not a word on my tongue, but behold, O Lord, You know it altogether."

4. "Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?"

5. Even when David ran, hid, or sinned, God's hand still led him.

6. David said, "I am fearfully and wonderfully made."

7. "How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them!"

8. David's honest prayer was, "Search me, O God, and know my heart."

9. God calls David a man after His own heart not because he was sinless, but because he kept coming back.

1 You have searched me, Lord,

7 Where can I go from your Spirit?

13 For you created my inmost being;

19 If only you, God, would slay the wicked!

Here is a detailed breakdown of the July 5, 2026, worship service and Pastor Rhonda Davis’s message, organized with clear section headers, bulleted highlights, and a complete Scripture Index.

Location: Church of the Harvest (TL Lowry Center)

Special Occasion: Independence Day Weekend & America's 250th Anniversary Celebration

Opening Prayer: The service opened with a focus on celebrating both national freedom and the ultimate freedom found in Christ, inviting the Holy Spirit to fill the room.

Miracle & Prayer Focus: Believers were invited to join their faith with the prayer teams at the altars to see God work miracles, declaring that every need must bow to the name of Jesus.

Underground Church Reflection: Preachers reminded the congregation of the immense privilege of public worship, noting that members of underground churches globally meet in secret and worship with unprompted passion despite the threat of death.

Pastor Rhonda invited members to share their recent experiences from the unique altar ministry lines held the previous week:

Tina Toles: Shared that despite initial fear and hesitation to step into the prayer line, she experienced an overwhelming, unprecedented power of the Holy Spirit that left her with a deep, lasting peace throughout her work week at Chick-fil-A.

KK (Mrs. Smith): Expressed that after a period of being away from church and feeling like she was simply "floating" through life, stepping into the line brought an immediate sense of peace. Pastor Rhonda ministered to her, saying, "God said, I am yours," validating a real, physical encounter with the Holy Spirit.

Wednesday Night Series: Summer in the Psalms continues this Wednesday at 7:00 PM at the TL Lowry Center, featuring Pastor Joe Robinson teaching from Psalm 139.

Next Sunday Guest Speaker: Welcoming back Lori Wilke, an anointed speaker, singer, and author with a deep prophetic teaching edge.

Community Outreach Impact: Pastor Rhonda thanked the church for its continued financial stewardship, highlighting recent works funded by tithes and offerings: reaching the homeless, jail/prison ministries, assisting single mothers, and completely covering the rent for a local family in dire straits.

Led by Army Veteran Michael Cook (who served 10 years stateside), the service paused to honor first responders and military veterans present in the congregation:

Presentation of the Colors: The United States flag was formally presented by Tina Toles, a retired Master Sergeant who served 21.5 years in the U.S. Air Force Air Combat Command, with deployments to Japan, Turkey, Germany, and Italy.

Tribute Video: A special media presentation featuring interviews with church children and reflections on "American Grit," the founding fathers, and the constitutional right to pursue happiness was highlighted and credited to Austin and the media team.

Preacher: Pastor Rhonda Davis

The Odds of Grace: Statistically, based on global birth rates, an individual has only a 2% to 3% chance of being born in the United States.

A Beacon of Light: Over its 250-year history, America has outlasted its accusers, remaining a democracy through civil war, internal discourse, and external enemies. The nation historically leads the world in sending Christian missionaries to foreign sands and outspends the next three runner-up nations combined in global disaster relief.

The Call to Stand: Reading from Galatians 5:1, the church is reminded that Christ sets us free for the purpose of living in actual freedom. Believers must actively choose never to be entangled again by a yoke of spiritual slavery.

The Winter of 1777 (Valley Forge): To understand the value of freedom, Pastor Rhonda recalled General George Washington leading 12,000 under-resourced men into Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, after devastating defeats. 2,000 soldiers died from cold, starvation, and disease. Out of sheer desperation, men boiled their shoe leather for sustenance and left trails of blood in the snow from bare, frostbitten feet—yet they refused to surrender because they believed freedom outweighed personal comfort.

The Cost of Spiritual Liberty (Calvary): Moving from Valley Forge to the hill of Calvary, Jesus Christ endured the ultimate price for human liberty. As prophesied in Isaiah 52:14, He was beaten beyond human recognition. Though He possessed the immediate power to call down 10000 angels (Matthew 26), He chose to stay on the cross because He determined our freedom was worth the price.

Inherent Human Dignity: True liberty—both the civil freedom to vote and live without government interference, and spiritual freedom—stems from a singular source: God Himself. Because God is free by nature, and because humans are uniquely made in His image (Genesis 1:27), every individual possesses inherent, sacred dignity.

The Living Room Jail Cell: Quoting Galatians 5:1 from The Message, Pastor Rhonda warned against trying to add legalism to grace. Living a restricted, legalistic life after being saved is equivalent to being liberated from a maximum-security prison only to build a voluntary jail cell right inside your own living room.

Guarding Against Apathy: History shows nations are rarely conquered by sudden external conquest; instead, they fall through internal apathy and gradually forgetting what it cost to obtain their liberty. Pastor Rhonda recalled a WallBuilders podcast interview by historian David Barton featuring a Washington State pastor who had to sue the government in 2020 because secular establishments were permitted to stay open while churches faced criminal misdemeanors for outdoor worship and singing.

Identifying Modern Chains: The enemy constantly attempts to lure believers back into old bondages. These chains manifest as:

Rehearsing past failures on a continuous mental playlist.

Slipping back into toxic, generational family mindsets.

Trapping oneself in people-pleasing loops and performance mentalities.

Prophetic Deliverance: Pastor Rhonda shared a personal moment from her youth when minister Billy Burke gave her a word detailing a "ball and chain" around her ankle representing the conditional expectations of others. Breaking that chain requires standing firm—derived from the Greek word stekete, meaning to stubbornly hold your ground, defend your position, and completely refuse to be moved.

Know What You Have: You cannot properly steward what you do not understand. Taking inventory of spiritual rights reveals that there is zero condemnation for those in Christ (Romans 8:1), sin is no longer your master (Romans 6:14), and the same Holy Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives inside you (Romans 8:11). Pastor Rhonda referenced a 2022 table talk discussion with Lance Wallnau and Cindy Murdock, recalling Wallnau's story of Donald Trump in 2015 challenging silent ministers to defend their biblical rights, which later resulted in the executive repeal of the restrictive Johnson Amendment.

Use Freedom for Something Greater: Freedom is never the final destination; it is simply the vehicle. According to Galatians 5:13, liberty must never be used to satisfy selfish, sinful natures, but rather to serve one another in love. The sacrifices of past generations are dignified when we use our voices to speak truth with grace and act as the hands and feet of Jesus to help the homeless, the prisoner, and the vulnerable.

Let the Holy Spirit Lead: Believers must maintain an open mind to how God wants to uniquely deploy their skills, influence, and talents across different seasons of life. It does not require unusual human ability to shift the world—only a caring heart, a determined mind, and a willing spirit.

The Command to Pray: Aligning with 1 Timothy 2:1-2, the church corporate is called to make supplications, prayers, and intercessions for all people, explicitly including kings and all secular authorities, so that believers may lead quiet, peaceful, and godly lives.

A Promise of Healing: God is not finished with America. Relying on Lamentations 3:23 (His mercies are new every morning) and the covenant promise of 2 Chronicles 7:14, the church closed by corporate prayer, repenting of negative mindsets, asking for systemic healing from the White House to the communities, and calling a wayward generation back into their divine identity.

Here are the primary scriptures read, cited, or expounded upon during the service:

Psalm 139 (Referenced) – The focal text announced for the upcoming Wednesday night teaching by Pastor Joe Robinson.

Galatians 5:1 > "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage." (Also quoted from The Message: "Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you.")

Isaiah 52:14 (Referenced) – The prophetic description of the Messiah being marred and beaten beyond human recognition.

Matthew 26 (Referenced) – Jesus declaring He could command twelve legions of angels to deliver Him, yet choosing the cross.

Genesis 1:27 > "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them."

Romans 6:14 > "For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace."

Romans 8:1 (Referenced) – There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.

Romans 8:11 > "But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you."

Galatians 5:13 > "For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another."

1 Timothy 2:1-2 > "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty."

Lamentations 3:22-23 (Referenced) – The Lord's mercies are not consumed; they are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness.

2 Chronicles 7:14 > "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."

Numbers 6:24-26 (The Benediction) > "The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace."

Overcoming the World's Directions: In the natural world, when asking for directions, people might discouragingly tell you, "You can't get there from here." However, God specializes in impossible routes. No matter your starting point or how dead-end your situation seems, God can get you to your divine destination.

The Invisible Path: Reading from Psalm 77:19, Pastor Rhonda highlights that God's road often leads straight through the sea and mighty waters—paths that no one even knew existed, leaving no human footsteps behind.

The God of Action: Citing Psalm 77:13-14, we serve a great God who actively makes things happen and pulls His people out of the worst kind of trouble.

Choosing a New Path: In Psalm 84, the sons of Korah write about longing for the courts of the Lord. This is significant because their ancestor, Korah, rebelled and was destroyed. Yet, his descendants chose a different path. You may come from generations of brokenness, but you can choose today to serve the Lord.

Proximity Over Position: The house of God is beautiful not because of its physical architecture or staging, but because it is where God's people gather to corporately meet with Him.

A Day in His Courts: According to the Psalmist, a single day in God's courts is better than a thousand days spent anywhere else. Proximity to God trumps any secular privilege—even a debt-free million-dollar resort or a palace.

Strength to Strength: In the sanctuary, believers draw dynamic strength from one another's testimonies—seeing brothers and sisters who have conquered cancer, beaten addictions, and defied medical odds. Together, they pass through the Valley of Baca (weeping) and turn it into a place of fresh, living springs.

The Roundabout Way: When God delivered Israel out of Egypt (Exodus 14), He intentionally did not lead them along the shortest route through Philistine territory. God stated His strategy: He knew that if they faced an immediate battle, they would get discouraged and turn back.

Strategic Position vs. Apparent Mistake: God purposefully led them on a roundabout way through the wilderness to camp at a perceived dead end at Baal Zephon. To Pharaoh and the enemy, it looked like they were wandering aimlessly and trapped by the wilderness.

The Enemy's Trap: What the world or the enemy labels as a disastrous mistake is actually God's hidden strategy. God didn't build a dead end to trap His people; He built a trap to eliminate their enemy.

Through, Not Around: When the crisis hit at the Red Sea, God did not build a bridge over it, send boats to carry them, or take them around it. He took them straight through it. The obstacle itself became the road.

Night Season Operations: God blew back the waters all through the night season. When you are in your own dark night season and cannot see a way forward, that is precisely when God is operating behind the scenes to clear your pathway.

The Mystery of the Dolphin Skins: In Exodus 26:11, God instructs Moses to cover the ceiling of the Tabernacle's tent of meeting with dolphin skins. While finding sea creatures in the middle of a dry wilderness seems impossible, Jewish history and various scholars suggest a powerful reason:

As the Israelites crossed the Red Sea with walls of water stacked high on either side, they could see the marine life.

They carried those skins into the wilderness as a permanent structural reminder in their ceiling to look up and remember: “We did not get here by ourselves; it was the Lord who redeemed us.”

The Right to Cross Over: Because the blood of Jesus has purchased you, you are legally classified as the redeemed of the Lord, giving you an absolute right to cross over your barriers.

God's Unconventional Pathways: Throughout history, God has continuously built unexpected avenues of deliverance using unlikely people:

He anointed a heathen king named Cyrus to march through the Euphrates River at night to overthrow Babylon and deliver His weeping people.

He anointed a simple cupbearer named Nehemiah to stand before King Artaxerxes to secure the rebuilding of Jerusalem's ruined walls.

Shouting to the Mountain: When holy projects stop halfway and leave you in disappointment, we must speak the prophetic words of Zechariah 4:7: Cry "Grace, grace" to the mountain, and it shall be leveled into a plain.

The Humble Arrival: When the King of Kings arrived, He bypassed the expected pathways of Middle Eastern royalty—the velvet tapestries, marble floors, and royal heralds. Instead, He started in a dusty, earthy manger filled with straw and the smell of livestock.

Palace Transmutations: God took a route no human saw coming. If God can navigate a path from a low, dirty manger straight to the right hand of the Throne, He can take the "manger" situations of your life and turn them into a palace.

The Strategic Weapon: The cross was naturally a site of execution, sin, deep shame, and public humiliation. The religious elite and demonic principalities assumed Jesus could never reach the throne from such a low place of defeat.

Returning to the Feet of the Cross: The cross is not just the entry point of your salvation; it is your ongoing structural weapon against the enemy. When you are bullied by fear, intrusive thoughts, or defeat, return to the feet of the cross where the veil was torn, sin was destroyed, and shame was paid back.

The Third Day Resurrection: The apparent defeat of the cross was turned around on the third day when Jesus was triumphantly resurrected from the tomb. Because of that structural victory, God has highly exalted Him and given Him a name that reigns supreme over cancer, sickness, debt, and every dead-end trap of the enemy.

Here are the primary scriptures read, cited, or expounded upon during the service:

Psalm 77:19 > "Thy way is in the sea, and thy path in the great waters, and thy footsteps are not known."

Psalm 77:13-14 > "Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary: who is so great a God as our God? Thou art the God that doest wonders: thou hast declared thy strength among the people."

Psalm 84:1-2 > "How amiable [lovely] are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts! My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God."

Psalm 84:6-7 (Referenced) – Passing through the Valley of Baca [weeping] and making it a well, as they go from strength to strength.

Psalm 84:10 > "For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness."

Exodus 14 (Referenced) – The account of God leading Israel the roundabout way through the wilderness to camp at Baal Zephon, and Pharaoh assuming they were trapped.

Isaiah 51:9-10 (Paraphrased) – Awaking the arm of the Lord to put on strength as in ancient generations, drying up the great deep to make a road for the redeemed to cross over.

Exodus 26:11 / Exodus 36:19 (Referenced) – The structural command to cover the tent of the Tabernacle with a covering of dolphin skins [badger/sea-cow skins in some translations].

Zechariah 4:7 > "Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it."

Isaiah 51:11 (Referenced) – The redeemed of the Lord returning and coming with singing unto Zion, with everlasting joy upon their heads.

Numbers 6:24-26 (The Benediction) > "The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace."