← Promise of Life Church Podcasts
Promise of Life Church Podcasts
#1416. Tue. Feb. 3 - "Don't Be A Sleeping Chicken - Know God & Resist!" Part 1
00:23:23
#1416. Tue. Feb. 3 - "Don't Be A Sleeping Chicken…
Loading summary
Transcript2 lines
- [00:00]
A
Hello, radio family. Welcome to the Voice radio broadcast with Senior pastor Craig Field. Thank you for listening in. Today we are beginning a new message titled don't be a sleeping chicken. Know God and resist. We encourage you to go to our website, PromiseOfLife CA, and visit our Media Radio archives for previous broadcasts. The Bible says that Jesus was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon him, and by his stripes, we are healed. Healing is for you. No matter what the circumstance, God's loving hand is always outstretched to you. This is why every week we've dedicated Fridays to be Healing Fridays. Pastor Craig wants to agree with you for your need on the air. So if you have a prayer request, email us at Healing fridaysomiseoflife Ca. Send that email in faith and trust that as you listen in, his healing power will manifest in your life. Now, if you've received healing while listening to any of these broadcasts, kindly email us at testimoniesromiceoflife Ca so we can give God praise together. In today's message, Pastor Craig will take you down memory lane into a clear and loving warning to the church body. In 1st Peter 5. 8, it says, Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary, the devil, walks about like a roaring lion, seeking who he may devour. We must remain spiritually alert. The enemy comes looking for moments of distraction, discouragement, and complacency. This message is a call to the church to wake up. Stay watchful. Guard your heart. Guard your mind and your faith. Stay anchored to the word of God and attentive to the Holy Spirit. When we remain sober and vigilant, you walk in confidence, not fear, knowing God has already given you the Through Jesus Christ, the devil is defeated. So walk in your authority. As we listen to Pastor Craig, bring today's message.
- [01:40]
B
I heard the Holy Ghost say, repeat that story that you told them at Pastor Nancy's church. But I want to. He said, tell that story again. So can I tell you that story and then we'll just see where we go, okay? But you see my dad rich. He's rich. He was rich. He's not rich anymore, but he was rich. And he was the president of the New York Stock Exchange. And so he was a very wealthy man. And I went to Bible school, But he told me, he said, craig, there's no handouts for you. He said, I didn't get rich because everybody gave me something. I got rich because I worked hard. And he goes, I want to teach you the value of hard work. I said, I bind that. I said, help. Now he did help me a little bit with rent. But basically I had to work a job to have food and to have. I didn't have a car and my roommate, kind of mean spirited young man, but anyway, he had a car and he knew I didn't have a car. And so I had to walk from the apartment building to the Bible school in the snow, about an hour in the snow in my dress shoes. And he would pull up beside me and he would wave at me and then he would try to spray me with the car for the snow. And I thought, okay, well I'll just bless those who despitefully use me. So I would pick up a snowball and try to hit him in the head. But anyway, no, that's not really what I did. But the point is I didn't have the money, so I had to get a job. It's good to get a job. I've had so many jobs I can't count them all. Okay, so I understand what you're going through. But I looked for a job to sell sneakers and they said, you don't look like a good salesman. So I didn't get that job. Then I looked at the job to take the garbage out. We don't want you to do that. And so I finally found one at Wendy's and I said, can I make the hamburgers? They said, oh no, you need to have worked here at least two years before you make the hamburgers. That's the highest job here. You're the rookie. That's veteran quality job. I said, what do I do? They said, wash the toilets, wash the floor. So there I was kneeling down and have you ever been to public toilets? Yeah, I have because I've cleaned them and they're disgusting and people are disgusting in general. And I would clean those toilets and I'd wash that floor and I'd make a minimum wage, just enough to have food and just barely get by. And thank God my dad helped me with the rent. That was his blessing to me. But I got tired of the Wendy's and so I said, lord, I want a better job. And I didn't know anything about faith back then. Nobody had taught me faith like my wife knew. But I didn't know, we weren't married at that point. So I said, lord, I need a better job. And so I asked my good friend who was one of the pastors at the church there under Pastor Peter Unger, and I, his dad was one of the pastors and so I said, do you know anywhere I could get a job? I don't like Wendy's anymore. And so he said, oh, I've got a great job for you. The pastor's son. And so he says, come. He said, I do this. I do this a couple times a week. And I said, okay. And he goes, you know, it's whatever it was. 10, 12 bucks an hour, which, you know, was pretty good back then. And so I said, wow, that's more than I'm getting paid at Wendy's. So I said, I'll do it. What's the job? He says, you are about to become a pcc. I said, what's a pcc? A professional chicken catcher. I said, what? What's a chicken? I've never even heard of a chicken catcher. He says, you're about to be one. I said, okay. He said, training is five minutes long. He said, all you need is five minutes. He said, I don't have time to train you because we have to get all the chickens into the little containers. So I said, I'm starting to get nervous a little bit. And so he says, make sure you have boots, don't come in shoes because it's very dirty. And. And he says, if you need notice plugs, if you've got sensitive nasal passages, bring some plugs. Otherwise, I said, I know, I'm not sensitive. So we go into this warehouse. I mean, this is huge. This is a 20,000 foot square foot warehouse, okay? It's massive, at least five or six times larger than the sanctuary. And it's dimly lit. And we have to go in at like 11 o' clock and it's dimly lit and it reeks. Chickens are the most disgusting creatures. When you have chickens with Swiss chalet, just remember this story. They are nasty, but when they cook them, they're good. But before you cook them, they're nasty and they stink. So I thought, oh, my Lord, I should have got a nose plug. So we go in there and it's dimly lit and I'm looking all like I look, and there are thousands and thousands of chickens lying on the ground sleeping in this, in this warehouse. I remember it like it was yesterday because it so scarred me, okay? And I said, what do we do here? And he goes, you catch them. And he said, have you ever watched Rocky? I said, I've watched Rocky. He said, you remember how they used the chicken in his training? If you've ever watched Rocky, you know what I'm talking about. Because to get his reflexes revved up, he had to catch the chicken, and he couldn't catch the chicken. One chicken is very hard to catch. Can you imagine 3,4000 of them? And so he said, now listen. We whisper when we go and we don't talk. I said, okay. So we're standing there, and he says, now listen. You see all the chickens? I said, I see them. And they're all sleeping. And chickens make a noise when they sleep. So you can hear this. You can hear this, like, little. I don't know what it's called, a cuckle, A chuckle, an oogle or something. Like a what? Like that. So you can. Very light. Very light. But it's like they're snoring. It's like they're snoring. By the way, did you know that snakes snore? Yeah. I learned that in Liberia because in the war, some of these pastors were sleeping in the forest because they were going to get decapitated by the rebels. And he said, they'd be sleeping and they'd wake up and there'd be these poisonous snakes beside them that come up to them for body warmth. And he said, and the snakes snore. And they would wake. The snorings would wake them up. So, wives, if your husband snores, you can call him a snake. Amen. Anyway, let's. I don't know. Yes, a chicken. That's where I was going. The chicken is snoring. Not snoring, but clucking or whatever they call it. Okay. So I'm looking around. I said, how are we supposed to get all these chickens? There's only four of us. Him, his dad, the pastor was doing it. And then another guy the pastor invited, I said, how was four of us supposed to catch, I don't know, seven, 8,000 chickens, whatever it is? I mean, it was thousands of chickens. He says, oh, that's why you've only got five minutes of training. Because we got to start right now, and we got to go eight, nine hours straight. I said, I don't know if I want this job anymore. I want to go back to Wendy's. He goes, no, you're here, and this is a very good job. And a lot of people want this job. I gave it to you. And if you work hard tonight, you'll have a job catching chickens. The rest of Bible school. I don't know if I want that. But anyway, so he says, now listen. He said, we've got to be quiet. The light is dim. If you wake them up, one will wake up the next. And before you know it. There's 6,000 chickens that are going like rocky everywhere. And he said, you'll never catch anything. And we then have to wait till tomorrow night when for them to all go back to sleep. So don't wake him up. I said, how do you catch the chicken without waking it up? He goes, this is your training. So he said, watch me. So he goes on his knees, and they're sitting. Their little nasty little claw feet are underneath them. And he says. He puts on this little glove, and he says, you can do it bare hand, but it's better because sometimes they scratch you by reflex. And then he shows me in hand, there's scratch marks over his hand. So he says, put the glove on. And he says, now reach under there. He said, do it without the glove first, because you need to know what you're looking for. So he says, reach your hand under there. So I reach my hand real slowly under the tummy, the belly of this thing. And he says, now feel for its ankle. Can you feel where those three nasty little pronged legs are feet are? Go up a little bit and feel for the ankle. And you got to get both together. Not one, both ankles together, because they sleep with their feet like that. So he said, look for the ankle. So I said, I think I got it. I. I think I got it now. He says, now watch me. So he puts his hand under, and he goes, are you ready? Now, don't do it till I tell you. But are you ready? I said, yes, I'm ready. He goes, 1, 2, 3. And then he goes. And he does it so quick, but without jerking it, the chicken is upside down, fast asleep now. He says, if you wake them up because you don't do it properly, we're going to have outrage in this place. So we said, you got to be very skillful now, and you got to do it quick, but don't jerk them. It's a smooth scoop. That's what he would call it, a smooth scoop. So he goes, whoop. And so I'm nervous, and I got my. And so I did it. And the chicken almost woke up the first time because he started doing this with his wings. And I'm just saying, oh, please, Jesus, I can't lose this job. I said, go to sleep, Go to sleep. He just puts his wings in. So I'm holding him, and he's sleeping and he's upside down. I said, I did it. He said, amazing. You did it on your first time. Training is over. So he takes off and he just starts going to another part of the warehouse. And he's just scoop, scoop, scoop. So I put the glove on and I would do it. And actually I didn't wake any of them up. They were very impressed. I'm a true professional chicken catcher. And so I would scoop them and then you walk out there and then there's these like plastic things and you put them in and you close the lid. And then eventually they put them on this big 18 wheeler and they take it to the slaughterhouse. Okay? That's where you get your chicken breast from. All right? It didn't grow in the earth. Somebody had to catch a chicken, skin the chicken, cook the chicken. Now you'll think that when you get grilled chicken sandwiches. So I started doing that, I started doing that, I started doing that. I'm telling you, I got so good at it that by the eighth hour, I put both hands under the chickens and I went, whoop. Just like that. Greg just said, whoop. And I would walk by and he. Because he was doing two hands from the beginning, but it took me about eight hours and I finally got. I got the hang of it. I got so good. I got so bold. I took that glove off, I just walked. So proud. I just was so proud. And he's like, good, good. You know, he's giving me the thumbs up. And I was exhausted. My nasal passages were permanently scarred. I've got dirt, mud, and chicken dung all over my shoes. And then they give me 85, 87, whatever it was, it was like $11 an hour times eight. So what is that? $88 in cash, no tax, because it's off the radar. They're illegal. It's an illegal chicken operation. And I put that $88, whatever it was dollars in my pocket. And I thought that was the hardest $88 I've ever worked for. So I went back to Wendy's the next day and I didn't take the job. They offered me a full time position as a professional chicken catcher. And I said, nuts, and I'm done. But when I was preparing for the message for World Harvest Church last Sunday morning, the Lord reminded me of that story. And I've never really preached that as a teaching point. I've just said it as a complaint that I had bad jobs. But the Lord reminded me about that story and he took me back to that evening, that night. I only did it one night. And he said, do you remember that? I said, lord, I was a professional. I was just in a different industry. Chicken catcher. He said, you remember that? And he said, my church are just like those chickens. That's what I heard him say to me. He said, my church are just like those chickens. They're sleeping. They're all cozy. And he said, the devil is just like you. He didn't say I was the devil. He just said, the devil is just like you. And he said, he comes in there nice and quiet. He comes in there nice and sly, nice and cunning, and you're asleep. And he's very good. He don't want you to wake up. What he wants to, I'm telling you. God spoke this to me last Sunday morning, early in the morning. I'm staying in Pastor Nancy's house, and I'm in the bedroom praying for that morning service. And the Lord said to me, my church is just like those chickens. And he said, the devil is just like you. And he comes sly and he comes cunning, and he's so skillful. Listen to what he said. He will turn your life upside down while you're still sleeping. He'll put you in prison and he'll send you to the slaughterhouse. And he said, I don't want you sleeping anymore. He said, I want you to tell them no sleeping anymore. You know, symbolically, he's talking about being alert. And then he started dealing with me. And I preached kind of a different angle for her about my property and don't allow things on your property. But when he said to me earlier today on the plane, and he said, I want you to share that story with your congregation this morning. I said, go the same direction. And he said, no, I want you to focus on a different angle for your congregation. But he said, that principle remains true. Now, I tell stories because Jesus told parables and a parable you will remember. A story you will remember because it's a picture in your mind, all right? Whereas words, you might forget them six minutes later or six weeks later or six years, you may not remember all the words, but a story you remember. I hope you remember your pastor. I was half the man I am today, going and catching chickens. Because that is a picture of the church. The devil doesn't want us to wake up because if we wake up, there will be chaos for him. But as long as we're all just feeling cozy, we have our nice little church. We have our nice little group of friends, and there's nothing wrong with that. We have our little job. Everything is secure, everything is good. And really, spiritually, many people there, and they're just. They're just enjoying life. And if you're not careful. The devil is on the prowl. I'm not trying to glorify him or anything like that. I'm just stating a fact. He said, you are like the devil was like you. And he knows how to turn your life upside down in the moment of a moment while you stay sleeping. And before you know it, you're. Now, that's the first step. And then you're in a box. Now you're in some kind of a confinement. And now you're on your way to failure. Do you understand? What you want to do is you don't want to get in the box to begin with, because once you're in the box, it's going to be much harder to escape. Once you get to the slaughterhouse, what you need to be do is awake and not. You know what I mean? I'm talking symbolically. We can get kind of so lethargic and so listen, I'm trying to help you. I'm not trying to hurt you. But we can get so lethargic about. Yeah, I go to church. Yeah, I love Jesus. Yeah, I pray a little bit. Yeah, I know the word a little bit. And that's all good and well, but it can lull us into a false sense of, you know, life is just perfect. And even though I've got some problems, you know, that little thing, I don't really have to worry about that. And that little thing, I don't really have to worry about that. I'm just happy. I'm just happy. Before you know it, your life's upside down. And I see people that come to counseling with me, and many times, if you. If I can just be. Oh, I can't give specifics because it's, you know, pastor, not client, lawyer client, but pastor, congregation member confidentiality. So I don't talk about private things. But I've watched people over the years, and everything can be going well. And it seems like from one week to the next, all hell breaks loose. And it didn't have to. It didn't have to if you're not sleeping now, have a look over there. You okay with me? First Peter, chapter five. Are you there? Because I'm not. First Peter, chapter five and verse eight. And it says this. Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion, as he's not a roaring lion, but he wants you to think that he's intimidating. Walketh about seeking whom he may devour. He's looking. He wants to turn your life upside down. Whom. Resist steadfast. Resist steadfast. The word resist in Greek means to oppose. Withstand and stand, against whom? Resist steadfast, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. In other words, you're not a special case. The devil wants you to think you're a special case because if he can make you to think that you're the only one going through something, you'll start to have self pity. But if you realize I'm not the only one going through this. My brethren all over the world are going through the same kind of things. And I'm no different. And I can stand just like they can stand. Notice it says be sober. That word actually is talking about alcohol, if you want to be exact in it. It means to be sober. It means to abstain from wine in the original language. In other words, we don't drink. Okay, but I'm just saying that what this is talking about is don't have dulled senses. Anything that would dull your senses, alcohol or anything else. I don't want you dull. I want you sober. I want you alert. Are you understand? See the semen chicken is not alert and is not sober. They're sleeping. That's why the enemy can come in there and turn their life upside down. The devil is looking whom he can make mess with, who we can take advantage of, who we can put things on. And because they're sleeping, they're just going to ignore it. But I am told to be sober and I'm told to be vigilant. And that word, vigilant, I mean, really, that's the perfect chicken word. The word vigilant in the Greek means to keep awake. It means to watch and to stay watchful and wakeful. In other words, don't be sleeping on the job in your life. I'm talking symbolically. We all physically sleep, but I'm talking spiritually. Don't get into a lulled state of dulled senses and sleeplessness and lethargy and just getting comfortable with everything. Because there is a fox in the hen house. There is a lion on the prowl. We are not afraid of him. He's a defeated foe. But if you're sleeping, he said, stay awake. What does that mean? If you're not awake, he can do something. But if you are awake, he can't turn your life upside down. Because you see him coming. You see him coming. And you have been taught, and you're continuing to be taught how to respond when you see these problems showing up. But notice it says if you're awake and that adversary is going to try to come and devour you. What do you do? You resist steadfastly. That means withstand him, push back on him. Do you understand? Steadfastly means to be. It means literally. It means to be stiff. It means to be solid. It means to be stout. It means you're not bendable. He can't bend you. He can't push you back. You are steadfast. You're like a stiff board that says, no, you don't. And God needs his church to be more alert. Listen, I had another sermon. I could have preached another sermon this morning, but I heard the Lord say, tell them the story. Tell them the story. I want them to think about that story. I want them to look at their own life. Because you're a chicken. Are you watching? Or are you just kind of spiritually asleep half the time? And you just kind of wake up to come to church, then you go back to sleep. Because there is an adversary and he is on the prowl. And there is a fox, and he is sly and cunning, and he will grab you before you even know you have been grabbed. And you will be fast asleep with your life turned upside down. Before you know it. You're in a spiritual, oppressive prison. And God wants to avoid that. So he tells us, stay awake. That's number one. Number two is you've got to resist. Resisting is a very important quality. And let me tell you, when you're kind of lazy, when you're kind of sleep oriented, you don't resist. Resisting takes effort. Resisting takes skill. Resisting takes words. Resisting takes faith. If you're not speaking on a regular basis, you're not resisting. Do you understand? Now have a look with me now that you're getting warmed up finally, dear God. Thank you, Jesus. Have a look at Daniel, the book of Daniel, chapter 11. Daniel, chapter 11. And verse 32. Are you ready? Read. Okay. And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries. Now watch this. But the people that do know their God, the people that do know their God shall be strong and shall do exploits. The people that do know their God. So everything ultimately right comes down to knowing him. Can I tell you, the Lord said once to me, he said, do you want to know? I'm just telling me my conversation. You might have a different conversation with him. But he said something to me a while ago, and he said, would you like to know what is one of the most important scriptures in my word? He didn't say the most, but in my heart it's the most important. But he said, one of the most important scriptures in my word. And I said, yes, I would like that. Please tell me. And he said, and I'd like you to turn there with me. Notice the people that do know their God. Know their God shall be strong and shall do exploits.