Freedom Series (Part 9)

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Freedom Series

(Part 9)

Good morning and welcome to Jesus Church=

I am so happy we are doing this series

• And I know that there are many of us realizing things in our lives
  • That we have struggled with for years
  • God is showing us the “What/Why” of our struggle
  • And now its finally time to get rid of it
• I would love to hear your testimony as well
  • Many of you have told me how God is bringing you freedom
  • That’s such a blessing for me to hear
  • So please – Talk to us/Email/Text…
• We want to rejoice in what God is doing in your life

Last week: Emotional Healing – 1 of 5 Jesus’ ministries in Luke 10

• And just again when it comes to Strongholds
  • We know Satan putting on this mask of comfort
  • And he will disguise himself as the Holy Spirit – Comforter
    • Tells us our vices are where we should run
      • Anger… Manipulation… Control… Pride
• And we believe we can find comfort in these instead of God
  • If you missed last week… you need to go back and listen
  • I promise it will be worth your time
• And we now have 2 Weeks left
  • Next week going through deliverance
  • But lets pray and dive in

Turn to Matt 16 – Illustration

Ever noticed how things can look the same… be totally different

• Examples…

This morning I wanna talk to two sets of people

• 1^st: Those who feel good about life right now
  • Relationship with God is great
    • God is speaking, You’re listening
    • Feel in the right place
    • Excited about God’s plan for the future
  • Not perfect but Good
    • Growing closer to God
  • This is where I believe we should live mostly
    • Winds at your back
    • Suns in your face
    • Life is good
      • Walk close to Him… and he walks close to us
• 2^nd: Those who barely made it here this morning
  • And you feel the complete opposite
    • Trapped/Abandoned/Suffocated
  • It’s like you’re in a Prison
    • No money in you account
    • Can’t stop fighting at home
    • Doctor report was unfavorable
    • Kids hate you and God
• And maybe life went from sunshine to storm clouds overnight

The amazing thing about the Bible is…

• Hero’s of faith are recorded not only in good times… also in bad
  • God doesn’t hide us from their humanity
    • Noah… Moses…
    • Look at David: One moment he’s anointed king
      • Man after God’s own heart
      • Next story he’s an adulterer & murderer
• This morning I want to look at Peter
  • Maybe the highest of highs… lowest of lows
  • Bold and outspoken… and fearful and cowardly

Matt 16 Jesus is teaching

Crowd wants miracles, battle plans and campaign speeches

• Jesus brings a word on serving, sacrifice and discipleship
  • Not the best campaign strategy
  • People get mad and leave

Matt 16:13

When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?

Context on Caesarea Philippi

• Amazing place because its basically untouched by archeologists
  • Across from city is a rock face up to the heavens
  • At Base Philip the tetrarch built a temple (PIC)
    • Caesar
    • God Pan
    • All around this temple are etches to other gods
  • Base of mountain there is a cave
    • Associated with an entrance to hades
    • Google search “Gates of Hell” and it’ll bring you here

Matt 16:15

“But what about you?” He asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.

• So in the midst of idols and false gods
  • Peter had the insight to speak truth
  • First time Jesus had be declared
    • Christ – Christos (Anointed Messiah)
• This was the high point for Peter (life is good)
  • Peter was close to God
    • Ears to hear
    • Eyes to see
    • Mind to understand
    • Heart to believe
      • This is all God asks from any of us
  • Listen to the response to Jesus

Jesus answered and said to him, Blessed are you Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock (people who will listen, believe and obey like you) I will build My church, (opposed to a godless temple built on this mountain) and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

• And this is all done in the shadow of a giant mountain
  • In which was believed to be a gate to hell

While everything good… all seems to be perfect

• Jesus is proud of what Peter declared… in this moment
  • If Jesus says this place “Will not prevail”
  • That reminder is because it might seem at times like it will
• Jesus is saying: Understand not every day will be like today
  • In future when darkness comes you need to remember 3 things
    • You have settled your savior in your mind
    • Gates of hell will not overcome you
    • Whatever you bind is bound / loose on Earth will be loosed

And we know how quickly things change for Peter

• As he goes from lifted up to put in his place
  • Found of the church to being used by Satan
  • And he tries to correct Jesus for saying he must sacrifice his life

TAG: But lets fast forward to Act 12… where this really comes into play

Acts 12 – What Jesus said is about to happen

Context up to Acts 12 (Much has happened)

• Jesus tells all disciples he is about to die (they will all abandon him)
  • Peter thinks this is foolish
  • He’s a big deal… Jesus doesn’t know what he’s saying
    • I’m the rock on which you’ll build church
    • Gates of hell won’t over come me
    • So others will, but not me
• Jesus says, “listen knucklehead”
  • You will betray me 3 times… and sure enough it happens
    • People start to recognize him
    • He disassociates himself
    • Rooster crows… he weeps in shame
• Peter went from high of highs… to low of lows
  • Rock on which He will build the church…
  • To total denial
  • Sounds like our lives sometimes too
    • Hear from God one moment
    • Think He’s abandoned us the next

Peter is restored and commissioned by Jesus

• In Acts 2 Jesus sends His Holy Spirit… Peter gives 1^st sermon
  • 3 thousand people are saved
  • Life is good again – Back on track – I’ve learned my lesson
• Peter becomes the primary leader… central voice of the church
  • God is using Peter to heal people
  • He has wisdom & understanding beyond himself
  • Everyone is talking about Jesus and Peter

That’s Acts 2… but by Acts 12 everything has changed

• Harrod has just murdered one of Jesus’ disciple: James
  • People seemed to like it so he wanted to do it again
  • Thinks lets get the top guy (Peter)
  • Everything about Jesus will dissolve if we take him out
• He’s arrested… thrown in jail… If it was me his thoughts would be…
  • God did you forget about the whole “build on the rock”
  • Were you wrong on the “gates of hell not prevailing”
  • God what about what you promised me
• But that’s not what we see
  • We see a man with a settled soul
  • Why isn’t the enemy having a field day with Peter’s thoughts

Acts 12:5-6

So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him. (You are part of a praying church) The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains.

• Now this isn’t knew for Peter… He already saw his friend executed
  • This isn’t some type of bluff
    • In a terrible prison
    • In between to stinky soldiers
    • Tomorrow you are going to die
  • I wouldn’t be sleeping much
    • I have problems sleeping if someone writes me an email
• And Peter isn’t only asleep… he’s in a really good sleep
  • Mouth wide open
  • Drool down your chin
  • Deep Sunday afternoon
    • During a Cardinals game because they are loosing sleep

Acts 12:7

Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. “Quick, get up!” he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrist.

• Peter so asleep he doesn’t even wake up at a flood light from God
  • Angel has to knock him upside the head
• How could Peter be so asleep
  • The enemy had no open window to control Peters thoughts
  • Why – Because Peter knows Jesus is the authority
  • And the voice of Jesus is the only voice worth listening to

Acts 12:8-10

Then the angel said to him, Put on your clothes and sandals. And Peter did so. Wrap your cloak around you and follow me, the angel told him. Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening, he thought he was seeing a vision. And they passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading TO the city. It opened for them by itself.

Now in my mind: This makes no sense

If you are held in a Roman Prison outside the city… Going to be killed

• And by some miracle an angel wakes you up
  • Breaks the chains the bind your hands and feet
  • Angel gives you a cloak of invisibility
  • And giant iron gates unlock and open on their own
• Last place I would want to go is back into the city
  • Any escaped convict will tell you
    • Don’t go where the police are
    • You run away from that place
• But not Peter… “He came to the Iron Gate LEADING to the city”
  • Why… why in the world you he go there
  • Because that’s where God called him…
  • Inside that city… with that praying church

This morning some of us need to be encouraged…

• You stand in front of a gate leading to where God has called you
  • You might not want to go there
  • Logically it makes more sense to take a different path
• But you know God called you there
  • And the only thing that will keep you from God plan
  • Is the enemy trying to get you to make your own plan

And some have lived outside the gates way too long

• Afraid of what might happen if we actually trust God
  • And even though your destiny waits inside the city gates
    • Enemy convinced you will get hurt again
    • And this is the jail cell Satan wants you in
  • The only reason why Satan doesn’t want you in the city
    • That’s where God’s called you
    • Because that’s where His people are
  • And look at Peter… preaching the very next day
    • Proclaiming the Jesus that set him free
    • Fulfilling His assignment
• And God has a call on your life as well… won’t always be safe
  • Safe was running to the hills
  • Give up on the city
    • Peter went back
      • Gates would not stop his call
      • Prison would not hold him back
      • Death would not keep him away
        • The gates of hell would not prevail against him

Why’d Peter succeed when faced with such darkness

Its because Peter had already made up his mind

• You are the Christ… the son of the living God
  • If he had to come to that realization while at the gates…
  • I don’t know what would have happened
• The dark times aren’t when we should decide who we trust
  • No… Come to your conclusion in the good times
    • And you will have peace in the dark times
    • Conclude that when and if the prison comes
      • God is still in control

Story

Missions trips to Guadalajara

• Started as a freshmen in high school
  • Where I was called to the ministry
  • Where I learned the importance of going out
• At 19 we were taking our last trip
  • I was now more of a leader than a kid
  • Night before I had the most realistic dream/vision
    • Story of Satan – If you come back I will kill you
• 1^st go to remote village
  • Doing a VBS and helping to repair some houses
  • Priest finds out we are doing this
    • Start stoning us (Pastor has been stoned)
    • Got hit in the head
      • Said if don’t leave he will kill us
      • Rain clouds leave from worship
• Go to take a shower a few days later
  • Putting on shorts and feel a prick
    • Went to the YWAM leader and she got a little scared
    • Get me to hospital (didn’t have)
      • Didn’t even have a red cross
      • They had a green cross
  • Driving to Green cross through these tiny villages
    • A giant pig dies in the middle of the road
    • The we get a flat tire
• Before we left I had decided who my Christ was
  • No amount of voodoo, stoning, or venom would stop me

That night I came back to the camp

• Preached my first sermon
  • Satan is a roaring lion
  • Lions that roar are the old lions
  • They are the defeated lions
    • What I said then is what I say now

Rom. 8:37

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.