← Faith Life Church ALL Audio Messages
Faith Life Church ALL Audio Messages
The Greater Faith Conference 2025 - Pt. 2 - The Spirit Of Disobedience
01:00:00
Loading summary
Transcript1 lines
- [00:01]
A
Didn't you like it? Hallelujah. Yeah, we do. We thank God for them. Well, last night we began on something I believe the Lord has directed us to be on this week. I'll review just a little bit for the folks that weren't with us. And I'm talking about the obedience of faith. Now this is the greater faith meeting at Faith Life Church. So don't be surprised if you hear some faith. But there are different ideas about faith. You know, there's. A number of people who have endeavored to stand about something in faith and it didn't work out too many times. And I hear people use the term faith failures and I don't like that term at all. Because the faith that's in us as born again believers is a measure of God's own faith. And it does not fail. I said it does not fail. The scripture talks about unfeigned faith. If there's unfeigned faith, that means there's feigned faith. Feigned means pretend. And so there is that. That looks like faith, sounds like faith, seems like faith, lot of people, but it's actually not. And one way you can tell it's not, it doesn't work, doesn't get results. But what we looked at last night is the faith of Abraham. He's held up to us as the premier example. Of course, Jesus being the ultimate example. But we were told as we read the scriptures, what, four or five times that he is our Father and the Father of faith. And we walk in the same steps of our Father Abraham. And so if you want to know what real faith is, you can't spend, you won't waste any time. I'll say it like that. Looking at how Abraham knew God, heard from God, walked with God, that's real faith, what happened with him? And it's recorded for us for all generations. Somebody say the obedience of faith in Hebrews 11. We'll start there for time's sake. Hebrews 11:8. This is the great faith chapter, talking about the men and women who live by faith walk by faith. And here's one of Abraham's verses, by faith, the real thing. Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, he did what? He did what? We read multiple times in Genesis where it said exactly that, that he obeyed. He obeyed. He obeyed. He obeyed and did what? Went out. Why did he go out? He was called to go out and so he went out. Now you're laughing, but I've been around word and faith circles for 40 plus years now privileged to be, in my opinion, around some of the most capable and most knowledgeable people on the subject, Brother Hagin. Others. And what I keep seeing is that there are difficulties in our camp because people have separated principles of faith from hearing from God and being led by the Spirit. And if you'll notice, Brother Hagin, he did teach a lot on faith, but he talked a lot about being led by the Spirit, right? A whole lot. And you cannot successfully separate exercising authority or faith principles from being led personally by the Holy Spirit in everything you do. Proverbs 3 said, Trust in the Lord with all your heart and don't. What? Don't, don't lean. Don't rely on your own understanding. This is how most people live and function. It's totally on their own understanding. If it's not your own understanding, where would you get it? If it's not your own understanding, it didn't come from your head, it came out of your heart. It came the quickening of the Spirit, the revelation of the Spirit. Don't lean to your own understanding. What did he go on to say? In all your ways, how many? Not just the big stuff, in all your ways, do what? Acknowledge means, recognize and ask and inquire. Where people have had bad experiences is where they didn't pray, they didn't seek God, they didn't get direction. They just decided, I'm going to believe for this. And I believe it in my heart and I confess it with my mouth and I bind and I loose. Somebody said, what's wrong with that? Well, you tell me, how is it working? Faith doesn't mean you're independent. Faith means you are completely dependent on God, on His spirit, on his word. Everybody say it out, I must hear from him first. Somebody said, I know it's God's will for me to be healed. Isn't that enough? No, it's not enough. Because there's a thousand and one questions about your situation, the steps you need to take, what you do, what you don't do. Well, I know it's God's will for my needs to be met. Isn't that enough? No. It's a foundation. But every day is a new day, right? How do I walk this out? Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. And that is the Christos rhema, that is the anointed spoken word to you. I'm not talking about trying to hear voices, but you do need to hear from God, every one of us, every day. Then once you hear from him that's what you put your faith on. That's what you do. That's why I'm talking about, why did Abraham go out? He was specifically told. And he could have faith to do it based on what God told him. And one reason people have fallen, had mistakes, is because they tried to do what God told somebody else. Well, it worked good for them. Well, yeah, and crossing the Red Sea worked good for Moses and the Hebrew children, but when the Egyptians tried to do, didn't work good for them at all. You know why God told Moses and the people go forward. You know what he told Pharaoh and his bunch? Let them go. They couldn't have faith to cross. God didn't tell them that the only thing they could've had faith for was to let them go. Missile will. That doesn't matter. Oh, it mattered. All in the world. They're losing their slave force. They're fearful that they can even function without them. But if God said, let them go, he'll take care of you. You could be okay. They could have had faith to let them go based on what he told them. But they were too fearful and too proud. And they all died trying to act on somebody else's word from the Lord. Are y' all okay? So Abram, Abraham, he went out. He obeyed. He obeyed. He obeyed. He obeyed. And he went out not knowing this is strong faith. He packed up. He loaded everything up. His neighbor said, are you really leaving, Abram? He said, yep. They said, where are you going? He said, the Lord will show me. What do you mean you don't know where you're going? He said, I think we should go that way. But what city? What country? The Lord will show me. Now, see, people think that's crazy, yet we're still talking about him all these generations later. Can you say, thank youk, Lord? We looked at James 2 last night, where he said, well, you know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead. That word works. It's not talking about works of the flesh. It's not talking about works of keeping the law. It's not talking. It literally means doing. Faith without doing is dead. And then it brings up Abraham. Was not Abraham our Father justified by doing when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? You see how faith worked with his doing. And by doing was faith made perfect. The scripture was fulfilled. Abram believed God, and it was imputed to him for righteousness. And he was called the Friend of God. You see that how by works or doing, a man is justified, not by faith. And he didn't just say, not by faith. He said, not by persuasion only. Why? Because the Lord told him to take his Son and go up on that mountain and offer him up. And if he would have said, I believe you, God, I believe you, God, but I'm just not ready to do it right now, well, then you're not persuaded. And it was the doing of it that proved he really did trust God. And his faith was perfected and developed in the doing of it. He obeyed. He obeyed. He obeyed. Go, please, to numbers. I'm moving too quick. Are y' all in a hurry? Big hurry. Then go by Ephesians, chapter two. On your way. It's not on the way, but. Ephesians 2 and. Go ahead. Verse 1. Put it on the screen for us, please. Ephesians 2. One, you hath he quickened. It's talking about us who were dead, spiritually dead in trespasses and sins, wherein in time past, you walked according to the course of this world. The whole world lies under darkness and death and curse because of sin, sin, and because of unbelief. As we go, you'll see the same word, unbelief, or excuse me, disobedience, is a number of times translated disbelief, same word. And the words are used interchangeably. Talking about the first generation of Israelites that came out of Egyptian bondage said they were rebellious and disobedient and they couldn't enter in because of their unbelief. The words unbelief and disobedience, unbelief and rebellion are used interchangeably because that is the reason why people disobey, is a lack of trust. And so it says, verse two, in time past, you walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air. 2nd Corinthians 4. 4 calls Satan the God of this age. And so that helps explain God is not controlling everything down here. In fact, according to this, the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that works in what the spirit of the evil one, is specifically influencing all the time, everywhere. To rebel, to rebel, to defy, to disobey the whole planet. That's why you'll see little ones have only learned three words, and one of them is no. Why? Somebody said that they're being influenced that young. Yeah, the enemy tried to influence them before they were born. But our flesh has not been born again. It's the inner man, hidden man of the heart. And so your flesh, if you let it, will be defiant, it will be disobedient, it will Be rebellious if you let it. Yours, mine. And that's why you have to be like Paul. He said, I keep under my body, I bring it into subjection, lest by any means, after I preach to others, I myself should be a castaway. He's saying, even though I preach some good stuff to you, if I don't keep a hold of my flesh, I could wind up on the spiritual junk heap. But what's the push? The world we live in is dark. Spiritually, it is so dark, we don't know the difference, because this is all we've ever known. We were born into this. But thank God, soon, and very soon, we're getting out of here. And one of the things we're going to realize, as soon as our spirit slips out of our body and we leave this dark place, we're going to go, oh, wow. No oppression, no pressure, no heaviness, no fear. Oh, somebody say thank youk, Lord. Hallelujah. Just light. Light and life. And that's forever. That's all we will know forever. This is the roughest it will ever be for us, and we're making it. Is that right? This is as bad as it will ever be. Whoa. That should make you happy for us. Because after this, it is joy, unspeakable, full of glory. Somebody say, amen. But the pressure is to resist. And if anybody tells you to do something, just without even thinking, if you yield to your feelings, it will pop out. No, I don't want to. I don't have to. You can't make me. Oh. And it's a fact. God won't make you, but it will cost you if you don't repent. Now, repentance is the best music you ever heard in your life. You can have messed up so bad and just messed up things for years, but if you'll hit your knees and you'll repent and you'll ask God to forgive you, you won't reap what you have sown. Jesus reaped it for you. Oh, hallelujah. But if you won't repent, you will encounter the results of your rebellion. And that's something we should take most seriously. The Prince of the power of the Air, the Devil himself, and all his cohorts, and all the demon spirits involved in coercing and manipulating, controlling this earth, all the billions of people on it. One of the main things they're pushing is rebellion. Rebellion against God and against anything of his. Any of his words, any of his spirits, his spirit's things, his people's things, His Church's things and people who don't know God and are not born again, they are unknowingly under the power of this. They don't even know what's pushing them. You and I ought to say, thank God that we have been delivered from the power of darkness and translated into the kingdom of his dear Son. And we are not blind. Spiritually, we are not dead. Spiritually, we are not in prison. Spiritually, the Lord has set us free. And he whom the Son has set free is free indeed. But even though you've been born again, even though you've been set free, even though you're a child of light, you still got this flesh that didn't get born again. You still got the part of your mind not yet renewed. And the enemy will push you to disobey, to disbelieve, to defy, to rebel. And you want to see it as God sees it. He hates it. He despises pride and rebellion and defiance. He has seen too much of it. Whether it was his angels he created, whether it was humanity. He's winding it up in short order. He's only going to tolerate it so long. But you and I are the exception. We are the ones nobody made us. We willingly bow our knee to the Lordship, Lord Jesus. And when you said that, in essence, you're saying, I will obey. Because when you say, I submit to His Lordship, you're not just saying, he's my Savior. You're saying, I am not running my own life. I am not my own Lord. He is. But it takes faith. Obey. There will be times that your flesh is screaming, I don't want to. I don't want to. Things are saying, you're crazy. If you do, if you do, if you do. But if we know him and we know we've heard from him, can you trust Him? Is he looking out for your best interest? Does he have the best plan for you? And so, by faith is, if we trust him, we will obey. Did you go to numbers, then? The 20th chapter? We talked about it. No, I'm not ready for numbers yet. Go to Romans the 10th chapter. Are you believing with me? Please. Please. That's one good thing about having services for a week, right? We don't have to do it all in one night. Romans 10:20. He said, isaiah is very bold. Now, let me remind you, this is just a couple of clicks from Romans 10:17, right? How faith comes and he talks about. But they have not all believed our report, and we won't get into it right now, but the Bible Talks about obeying the gospel equal to believing the gospel. Isaiah is very bold and he says, I was found of them that sought me not I was made manifest to them that asked not after me, keep going, but to Israel. He says, all day long I have stretched forth my hands to a disobedient and gainsaying people. Have you read the scriptures of God's dealings with his first covenant people? Were there times he really got upset? And what was it about this right here, the number one problem on the planet. That's a big statement, isn't it? Number one problem on the planet. Won't listen. That's it. Won't listen. Won't listen to God. Won't listen to the gospel. Let me read this to you from some other translations. Verse 21 it said, he keeps on reaching out his this is the living Bible, keeps on. He keeps on reaching out his hands. They keep arguing. And refusing to come. If you read other translations, it literally says that God says, here I am, here I am, here I am. He said, but they won't come. They won't come. God's word translation says all day long I have stretched out my hands to a disobedient and rebellious people. A people unbelieving and contradictory. One said, Lamsa said, a quarrelsome and disobedient people. Did you hear that word gainsaying? That's arguing. Beware of arguing. Your flesh will push you that way and the spirit of disobedience in the earth will push you to argue, to talk back. That's what gainsaying is, talking back, arguing. Do you want to understand these things? Go ahead and pray it out loud. Then say, father God, I want to please youe. I want to yield myself completely to the Lord Jesus, to youo Holy Spirit, to youo Holy Word. Teach me what is disobedience? What is rebellion? What is arguing? Help me to recognize it and identify it, and by your grace I'll stop yielding to it. In Jesus name, Amen. The reason I read that before in Ephesians is because you can argue and rebel and disobey and it won't even be noticed. In this world that's considered normal operations. You and I will be radically different if we are submissive and obedient. See, some folks didn't even like that right there. Submissive. Have you read the Bible? It's a good thing. Does God tell you to do something that's bad for you? It's a good, oh, somebody good. Good thing. Good thing. Hallelujah. And the thing that the enemy pushes you to do instead of doing what you're told to do is to do your thing. In Romans 10, where we just read. He's quoting from Isaiah 65. So let me read it from Isaiah, Isaiah 65. 1. I am sought of them that ask not for me. I am found of them that sought me not. I said, behold me. Behold me to a nation that was not called by my name. Thank youk, Lord. I have spread out my hands all the day to a rebellious people which walk in a way that's not good after their own thoughts. What is going to do it their way? The biggest danger to God's plan is your plan. That's the biggest threat. He said, all day long I've held out my hands to an obstinate people who walk in ways not good, pursuing their own imaginations instead of obeying, they said, no, I'm going to do it this way. Now let's go to numbers. The 20th chapter. Are you okay? We saw last night that stubbornness and rebellion under the law was a capital offense, punishable by death, just like murder. Now, when you hear that, that seems extreme because our minds need renewing. What did the Lord say? Don't be conformed to this world. The world makes huge allowances for defiance. You have to be yourself. You have to be you. And you've got to stick to your own truth, your truth. Truth is not relative. The Lord asked me a question some years ago. I was actually on the back of a motorcycle riding, and he asked me a question. He said, what's the difference between belief and truth? Well, I rode another 20 miles and I still haven't figured it out. I said, lord, what? What? I didn't hear a voice in my heart. He said, truth is true whether you believe it or not, whether you even know it or not. And no matter how much you believe something, it doesn't make it true. People say I have a right to my beliefs just like you have a right to your beliefs. Not if we're Christians. But if you don't want to be a Christian, you can believe anything you want to, right? But if I say Jesus is my Lord, I'm to believe what he tells me to believe in His Word and His spirit. And you too. We should be on the same page, same Bible. Is that right? This your truth, my truth stuff? This is to be despised. What people are saying is truth for me is whatever I say it is. Truth is not relative. Truth is true whether you think so or not. And it's not going to change. Y' all okay, but we need mind renewal. And we just prayed just a moment ago as to how serious God views disobedience and rebellion. This is exactly what Adam and Eve did. Why we are in a curse filled earth, death filled place today. They did not make a mistake. It wasn't a miscalculation. They disobey what God told them to do. They were crystal clear. They knew. They were not confused. They decided to trust God's enemy and act on what he said instead of the loving God that made them. And that's why it's so serious. Now here's the thing. The enemy will push you to do that. He'll push me to do that. That spirit of disobedience. They were the only ones he could push then. And he pushed them. And it worked. He pushed Jesus 40 days and 40 nights. Do you remember that? He pushed him. And one of the things he did, he showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And why is this a deal? Because that's his destiny. King of kings, Lord of lords over everything. And I'm going to paraphrase the devil saying, hey, no need going by that awful cross. Let's take a shortcut. You bow before me and you can have it all. And what did Jesus say? You get behind me. You get behind me. You worship the Lord your God and him only. What does that mean? Who is he going to obey? Nobody except the Father. That's it. Not open to anything else. Won't consider anything else in Numbers 20. Let's see. Let's start in Verse 1. Y' all said you were not in a big hurry. The children of Israel came to the desert of Zin. And Miriam died there and was buried there. Keep going. I'm going to read several verses. There was no water for the congregation, of course. They were in the desert. And they had encountered this repeatedly. And God had provided for them repeatedly. They gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron. Is this submission? No. And the people chode with Moses. Chode is a strong word. And they spoke and said, would God we had died when our brethren died before the Lord. The enemy will push. I mean, how many people in modern times have let it come out of their mouth? I wish I was dead. Why would you ever say such a thing? Because a spirit is pushing you. Why? Because the enemy wants your words. If he can get you to say it. And keep saying. Gives him a right and access to you. Don't ever say such a thing by yourself anywhere. Don't ever say such a Thing they said, why have you brought the congregation of the Lord into this wilderness? That we and our cattle should die there in Deuteronomy? They said it's because God hates us. Really? And why have youe made us to come up out of Egypt? You bring us into this evil place. There's no place of seed. There's no figs, there's no vines, there's no pomegranates, there's no water to drink. Stop right here. They're talking about what they don't have. The enemy will push you to talk about what you don't know, what you don't have, what you can't do. Because just like faith comes by hearing, fear comes by hearing, doubt comes by hearing. And the enemy will push you. But we don't know this and we don't know that, and we don't have this, and we don't have. Stop it. Stop it. Stop it. You're giving God, the apostle and high priest of your confession, nothing to work with. And you're giving the enemy words to work against you with. And that's why people are so pushed to say it. Spirits are pushing people. Say it. Say it. Say it. And when a thought keeps going through your mind night and day, a thousand times, if you don't cast it down, next thing you know, you'll open your mouth and you will say it. And that's the whole thing the enemy is trying to do. We don't have this, we don't have that. We don't have the other. The reality is, God's plan is a short trip through this to the promised land. Hallelujah. And you, if you're there, you are experiencing something that generations of your forefathers did not experience. You are a free man. You are a free woman. You are healed in your body. You got money in your pockets. And God said, I got you orchards and vineyards and houses and stuff, and it's right over there. And he took them that way because they need to learn some lessons about faith, lessons about obedience, which is the same thing. You obey because you trust. And they failed every test, even though they saw all the miracles in Egypt. They saw God split the Red Sea. They saw him make the bitter water sweet. They saw him rain bread out of the sky. Even though they saw all of this didn't faze them, every time they lacked something, they slid right back into this. We're all going to die out here. We're not going to make it. And it displeased the Lord because it proved when it got the 10th time that they did this with a major situation in numbers. 14 is when the Lord told them, what you've been saying is, what's going to happen to you? You're going to die. Why? Because he saw they will never change. Now only he knows that. You and I don't know that. But he knew it wouldn't have mattered if you would have given them another 40 opportunities. They were not going to change. Didn't believe, won't obey. You remember his dealings with them? When he rained manna out of the sky and he said, go pick it up. And they did. And then he said, on the day before the Sabbath, you're going to have twice as much. And he said, don't go out on the Sabbath. So what did they do? Went out on the Sabbath. Somebody said, yeah, them guys. No, it's not just them guys. God sees it a lot more seriously than them guys. He takes it personally. While we're talking about this, we want to identify it. So we give zero place to the nature of. Of the devil, which is rebellion and defiance. Somebody say, I'm not going to be that way. I'm not going to be that way. We're going to give the enemy no place in this regard. Keep reading. Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation and fell on their faces and the glory of the Lord appeared to them. Yeah. Don't forget, everybody is seeing that. Every day they're seeing the pillar of fire. At night they're seeing the glory cloud. You know, you can get used to anything and take it for granted and still gripe. You can sit under the glory cloud and belly ache and gripe and say, you wish you were dead. It seems unfathomable. Does it? The Lord spoke to Moses saying, take the rod. Anybody read this story before? Anybody know where it's going? Take the rod. Gather the assembly together. You and Aaron, your brother, and what? Speak to the rock in front of them. You're going to do this publicly in front of everybody? Speak to the rock before their eyes. And he tells them ahead of time what's going to happen. It will give forth its water, and you shall bring forth to them water out of the rock and you shall give to the congregation and their beast to drink. Now, I think sometimes we have seen a little rock about yea big and a little water fountain type thing come out. This is millions of people with all of their camel herds and cow herds and sheep herds and goat herds. I mean, you couldn't see the end of them if you were standing in front. It takes rivers of water to give all of these people. Keep going. So Moses took the rod from before the Lord as he commanded him. So far, so good. And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock. And he said to them, here now, you rebels, Must we fetch you water out of this rock? Boy, there's a lot wrong with that. So much wrong with that. Now he's fed up with this bunch. God is fed up with this bunch. But there's a scripture, Matthew 7, Judge not, lest you be judged. For in whatever you judge another person, that's what you will be judged. And Romans 2 says, whoever judges is guilty of the same thing. What is he judging them for? Being rebellious? What is he about to do? That's the very word God used about him. And Aaron was rebelling. He said they rebelled against him. No matter how much somebody upsets you, if you just want to take care of yourself, y' all talk to these folks over here. If you just want to spare yourself, don't judge them. I said don't judge them. Don't judge them. Now you can judge whether a thing is right or wrong. Leaders are told to judge what people call a move of the spirit, to judge a doctrine. But that does not mean you judge the people involved. Why? Because one, the Lord commanded you not to. But we are simply unqualified to do so. Why? Because God looks at the heart. We don't see that unless God would give us a revelation or a glimpse, we don't see that. And so we don't know what they see and what they don't, what light they have and what they don't, what God told them. We don't know how well they are walking in the light that they have. And besides that, we got a full time job walking in the light. Do we? Is that right, preachers? Preachers, Pastors. What if you walked in the full light of everything you've ever preached or taught? Oh, boy. So if you're smart, James says that if you judge and show no mercy, you'll be judged without mercy. But mercy rejoices over judgment. So if we're smart, when somebody is really aggravating us, really making us upset and mad, if we were wise, we would go, hey, this is an opportunity to set myself up for some mercy down the road. Is that right? And so maybe I don't like it. Maybe I even know some of it is wrong. But I don't know them. I'm not going to act like I know them and what's in their heart. So I'm not going to judge them. I'm asking youg, Lord, help them have mercy on us. I'm sowing some mercy because I'm going to want me some mercy when I need it. Moses. I'm not judging him. If I had to live with these people, all the months and all the stuff he's been through. Talk about putting yourself out there. He's a wanted man in Egypt. His picture is at the post office. Wanted, dead or alive. I mean, Pharaoh has got it out for him. And he's been out to back desert for 40 years, hoping everybody forgot about all that. And he hears God. He obeys God. He goes. And he keeps coming up in front of Pharaoh and leaning his shoulders back and going, saying, jehovah says, let my people go. People die for less around there. And after all of the signs and wonders, and every time they made a mistake, who goes to bat for them? Who intercedes for them? Moses. Moses. I mean, he did it over and over again. And they treat him like dirt. And every time something goes wrong, they blame it all on him and Aaron and. And they take all their frustrations out on him. And he let it get to him. He let it work on him. And he judged them. And the next thing you know, he does exactly what he hates about them, which is, why. Is everybody awake? Are you listening? It's why everybody, all of us, we must not judge our parents. Do you want to do the same things that they messed up on? Then you better forgive and you better sow mercy. We must not judge our spouses. Y' all with me or not? Unless you want to wind up. It might not happen the next week. But if you judge them and you won't repent, there will come a time you'll look up and you go, oh, my Lord, I am doing the same thing. Because you didn't have grace not to. Because you judged. There's no need waiting a minute further. Everybody just close your eyes and reach your hand up and say, father God, I have no right to judge anybody. I'm not qualified. I don't know people's hearts. You are the judge. Only you are qualified, and you have been so merciful to me. I must not withhold mercy from someone else. By faith, I forgive everyone who has transgressed against me, hurt me, sinned against me, done anything wrong against me. By faith, I forgive them. I loose them. They owe me nothing. No explanation, no making it right. I ask youk to forgive them and don't hold that against their charge. In Jesus name. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Keep reading. He said, hear now, you rebels, calling somebody something that you despise is judging. And people say, I wasn't judging, I was just pointing out, yeah, it's judging. Must we hold up? We fetch you water out of this rock. No mention of God. This is serious. This is very serious. Next verse. So Moses lifted up his hand. I almost don't want to read the rest of this verse. And he did what with his rod? He smoked the rock twice. He's mad, he's upset, he's tired. He's tired of them. He's tired of this. You rebellious bunch, are we going to have to get water out of this rock for you? Whack. Whack. And I mean, it cracked, it moved, it gushed, it flooded, it flowed. And the people cheered and the animals ran over to it. Everybody is parched and they drank and they washed their faces and their feet and their hands and the camels drank for an hour and a half and people took a bath. And everybody was happy about that. And there just rivers of water flowing. And so even though it got off to a rocky start, all is well that ends well. You know, speak to the rock, hit the rock details, right? I mean, as long as you got the job done, Everybody got their need met, right? Everybody's happy. No, no they're not, friend. This is very, very significant. All is well that ends well is not a script. And it is not God. And this is not how he is at all with God. He knows all the details and he knows the end from the beginning. And he has already chosen who, where, when, how, and it's all important. And we won't know most of it, but there are big reasons why he tells us to do a thing a certain way. And he will not accept your modifications, nor mine. He won't accept it. He will forgive you, but he won't accept and say your change is okay. Now if you haven't thought that before, don't discount it. This is a big point of what we're talking about. To the outward observer, this looks like it worked out right. I mean, it is a miracle sign and wonder, how can this not be okay? Results, Even miracles are not of themselves confirmation of the people involved. A minister can be as wrong as can be. And if a person hearing them decides to have faith in God directly, he'll do something for them in spite of somebody on the platform. The Lord will forgive you. But he will not tell you that it's okay you changed it up, you did it a different way. He will not tell you that. And if you don't repent, it will cost you. Not in your salvation, but in this life. It will cost you in this life. Have you read the rest of the story? Did it cost Moses in this life? Did God still love him? Oh, yeah. But did it cost him? It did. Why? One of the reasons it cost him. He knew better. He knew better. And listen to what the Lord responded. The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron. Now, get the picture. There is major celebration going on. Oh, if you were about to starve to death from thirst and your wife and your kids and whoever, wouldn't you be thrilled? Beautiful rivers of clean, sparkling, wonderful water. And you're talking about there were 603,000 fighting age men. You add to that the women, the older people, the kids, there's a couple of million people out here. And so think about just the noise of 2 million people and the noise of all the livestock and all that. And in the middle of this celebration, the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, you two, come here. Y' all there because you what? Because you what? Now? They disobeyed, right? But what's God calling it here? You didn't believe me. Isn't that what we've been talking about the whole time? Because you didn't believe me to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, that was the most grievous thing is he left the impression he was doing it. I know. Years ago, we first got to Rhema, Phyllis and I needed a car in the worst way. And we'd learned to sow some seed and believe God. And we were able to get a. What was that, an 85 or so. Oldsmobile Toronado, black and silver with wire wheels. I mean, back when the Oldsmobile was an Oldsmobile, big old long hood and it was used, but, oh, it was nice. And the first day I drove that to the prayer and healing center I was working over there, and I pulled up and some of the folks that helped us came out and said, oh, brother Keith, is this your car? I said, yeah. They said, oh, wow, this is great. How did you get it? I said, I believed for it. They said, oh, praise God. And when they got through exclaiming and walking away, something bothered me on the inside. So later on, we had prayer school. I was praying in prayer school. And that came back to me. And I said, lord, what was the deal on that? I felt like I had a. Bothered my spirit. And I don't mean I heard a voice, but he took me through this. I heard myself say I believed for it. I said, is something wrong with that? He said, well, how did you come to believe for it? I said, well, you got me in a place where I could hear the word and see examples and get faith. And he said, whose faith was it? I said, it's your faith. It came from what? Your word. Your people preached on it. And he said several times you got discouraged and thought about giving up and quitting, but I encouraged you. I said, yes, Lord, you did. He said, who brought it to pass? I said, well, you did. He said, my word, my faith. I did it. And I wasn't even mentioned. It was just, I believed for it. I believed for it. Nothing about God. Somebody said, what's wrong with that? Here's what he went on to show me. He said, here's the bigger thing. Some of those guys left impressed with your faith. That won't get them any closer to what they need, because the enemy will come, sit on their shoulder and say, yeah, but Brother Keith has some faith. He said, they need to leave him pressed with me, and I'll tell them I'll do the same thing for them and greater. Come on. Can you see what we're talking about? And what it's called in the scripture here is sanctifying the Lord God. Well, sanctify means to separate in such a way that he is seen and he is acknowledged and he is credited, Right? When you pray and God hears your prayers and does great things, you don't say, we prayed it into being, we prayed it into happening. Who did it? You didn't do it. Thank God. You prayed. He heard your prayer, but he's the one who did it. So we should give him the glory and give him the praise. But see, when you get mad and you're judging other people, you get stupid. Just miss all kind of things. Waltz out there and start judging people and yelling and hitting the rock when you should have started out by saying, everybody, everybody. God has heard our prayers. Oh, come on. Are y' all with me or not? Sanctify the Lord God before the eyes of the people. That's what he was saying before. The Lord has done this for us. And he's told me, you know, how he supplied water before and he supplied bread and protection and all these things. Well, he's told me he's doing it again. Hallelujah. And he told me what to do. And if you had calmed down, and slowed down, you might have remembered that he said, speak. Somebody said, what's the big deal about that? The thing is, we have to know. It doesn't matter whether we understand it's significant or not. If we trust him, we will do it exactly the way he said it. But if you'll read in the New Testament, particularly Hebrews 9 and chapters 10, along in there, it keeps saying, he was offered once, one time, sacrifice once and for all. Why, when he smoked the rock the other time, Jesus went to the cross one time. He was smitten and judged one time. And that was not to be demonstrated again the next time, God spoke hallelujah out of heaven and raised him up from the dead. And now when we speak and confess, it has to do with believing in your heart and speaking. And he said, out of your belly will flow rivers of living water. Not saying. Moses wouldn't know any of that. He didn't have the book of Hebrews. He wouldn't have understood it. But you don't have to understand. You have to trust God. And if he says, do it this way, then you do it that way. Hallelujah. Let me keep reading. I don't think I need to go too much longer. The NIV says, the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, because you did not trust me enough to honor me as holy. Are these hard words? Now think about who we're talking about. Moses loved God, and he was the most humble man on the planet. But he let his temper get the best of him. And he said, you didn't trust me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites. You will not bring this community to the land I give them. You know, later on, Moses tried to talk to him about it again. He brought it up and said, lord, can't we. And the Lord said, don't bring it up to me again. Sin is violation of light. To him that knows to do good and doesn't do it to him, it is sin. There's repentance. God will forgive. But if you won't make the change, and especially if you won't repent, it will cost you in this life. And this thing cost him. He's with God now. That was a long time ago, right? He's good. But should we learn from this as we finish up? Should we get not fearful, but very serious about doing what the Lord tells us to do? And when he gives us something, not feeling like we can change it and alter it and do our own thing? No, what you want to do is say okay Lord, tell me again, tell me again what do we do? How do we do it? And so once you're clear, no matter who says what or who asks for what or what kind of pressure comes on you, you say no I cannot do from left or right except what the Lord told me to do right. And if you trust him enough you will do it no matter if it looks like it's going to cost you. You will do it without deviation, without change. And how many know if you obey God and you do what he tells you to do, he will confirm that word and you will be so glad you did and it will come out afterwards how right it was. But the big thing is that you didn't doubt him and you didn't disrespect Him. You trusted him enough to simply obey somebody. Say thank youk Lord stand up on your feet if you would please. There's so much more could be said about this but.