Victory Church

Faith requires us to trust God and believe in things we can't naturally see!

John 20:29 (NIV)

29 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Faith requires us to leave some things behind.

1 Corinthians 11:1 (NIV)

11 1 Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.

Faith requires us to set our plans aside and align with God’s divine purpose for our lives.

Conclusion/Repentance Call - One of the biggest killers of the Christian soul is offense and bitterness.

There is a story of a man that had a dream. In the dream, he was standing in hell and couldn't figure out why he was there. He was a faithful pastor, a loving father, and a friend to many. As he stood there awaiting judgement he noticed that the room was full of Christians... full of good people. His time finally came to stand in front of the judge. He said God, why am I here? I healed people in your name, I loved well, I gave my life for your Father. God looked at him and said, “Yes! Your served well, you lead millions to me, your reward would have been great in my kingdom! BUT you refused to forgive just one person, so I couldn't forgive an of your sin. Your gifts never made it to my altar! You loved well but you didn't love one. Depart from me!”

Matthew 5:21-26 (NIV)

Murder

21 "You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' 22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, 'Raca,' is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell.

23 "Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.

25 "Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. 26 Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.

Matthew 18:17-18 (NIV)

17 If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

18 "Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

We can't be faith walkers or be all God has called us to be this year or ever if we are living under the bondage of offense!

It's a worldly self-centered perspective

For those in Christ, it calls God a liar.

Psalm 139:14 (ESV)

14

I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Wonderful are your works;

my soul knows it very well.

It accomplishes nothing.

James 1:23-24 (ESV)

23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.

Why is it important that we have a proper perspective of ourselves?

Matthew 22:37-40 (ESV)

37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

We Have to have a Vertical reflection.

Our reflection has to be vertical not horizontal.

We have to live in light of who God says we are, not who we say we are, our parents say we are, our friends, or our enemies...but who God says we are.

Judges 6:11-16 (ESV)

The Call of Gideon

11 Now the angel of the Lord came and sat under the terebinth at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the winepress to hide it from the Midianites. 12 And the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, “The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor.” 13 And Gideon said to him, “Please, my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all his wonderful deeds that our fathers recounted to us, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has forsaken us and given us into the hand of Midian.” 14 And the Lord turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian; do not I send you?” 15 And he said to him, “Please, Lord, how can I save Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house.” 16 And the Lord said to him, “But I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man.”

Know who you are, declare who you are, believe who you are, and live out who you are called to be.

Luke 2:48-52 (ESV)

48 And when his parents saw him, they were astonished. And his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.” 49 And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?” 50 And they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them. 51 And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart.

52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.

Jesus was 12 years old, his parents hadn’t had "The Talk" with him. They never had to tell him that Joseph wasn't his daddy. He knew he was the Son of God... And just like Jesus we have to know that we are sons and daughters of the Most High God!!

James 1:25 (ESV)

25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.