How to Enter Your Promised Land and Leave Behind the Wilderness - Bill Johnson Sermon, Bethel Church

Israel went for 40 years around the same Mountain CU they just couldn't learn the lesson the lesson was abandonment and trust and some people have gone without for their entire life and all the Lord's trying to do is to teach trust because once trust is settled you can be intrusted with the promised land all right got a couple funny signs I don't need a valentine I need $8 million and a fast [Laughter] metabolism I don't want to brag or make anyone jealous but I can still fit into the earrings I wore in high school I

love this one things I ask my mom where's my phone where's the remote what's for dinner why can't animals talk things I ask my dad where's [Laughter] mom that one's just too true I one more a recent studies found that women who carry a little extra weight live longer than the men who mention it yes amen yes amen all growth is rewarded with pruning all death is rewarded with Resurrection to for seal to follow him is the entrance into a lifestyle that he's in charge of it's a crosswalk into Resurrection it's a crosswalk into breakthrough

Israel traveled from Egypt which was a picture of sin so forgive me if you're from Egypt just a onetime illustration that's all um from Egypt through the Wilderness into the promised land the Wilderness experience was one of great difficulty and challenge they had to trust God every day for mana on the ground sometimes they were thirsty for days had nothing a rock was struck water came out of the rock one time there was a whole supply of quail that didn't turn out real good but uh but they had meat once but there was this ongoing

miracle that God trained them with in the wilderness but the daily provision of Mana was not the promised land it was the training for the promised land there are times where we have a perspective of faith that uh I don't want to say is immature it's just it's not developed and that's probably true for all of us in some measure but we we tend to think that the person who believes God for daily provision has greater Faith than the person who works and has an income and it's not true I remember having a a a

friend friend of mine he's home with the Lord now but a businessman he was quite wealthy quite well too he had a pretty large business it affected uh from Denver West and uh and I remember we'd have early morning prayer meetings in Weaver Ville and he would come early and he would be over on the side he'd be kneeling and praying and and in conversation with him sometime after he began to come to this Perman he he was there praying for his employees that he would Prosper enough to keep them employed so they could put

their kids through college that's what he's praying for see when you when you have we've got this thing in our n in our nation that's ugly and it's it's a jealousy is exalted as a virtue where people look at somebody who has more than they do and assume they did something wrong to get it and uh jealousy is all often exalted as a virtue and it's it's called discernment and anytime you give a virtuous name to some to a dysfunction you give it not only permission to stay you give it room to set down Roots

until it actually affects our personality and the Lord is is wanting to expose some of this stuff not out there but in here so we where we know how to properly celebrate another person's breakthrough what's what's important is when you've been praying for something and somebody else gets your breakthrough and you know they haven't prayed near as long as you have which means basically they don't deserve it like you do it's a it's an invitation for personal breakthrough believe it or not it's actually it's the mercy of God exposing what could go wrong in the

heart so that when your breakthrough comes it lands in a safe place character is the container that blessing is to rest in and it doesn't leak out character is what holds and contains the blessing that the Lord would like to put on our life what I don't want to do is is to create in your thinking blessing means mansions and M you know tons of material things or whatever it sometimes includes that but if that's the focus we're trouble yeah what's vital for us to learn is in this journey that we deal with what he's

dealing with inside of us because he's always preparing us for greater breakthrough I've said it to you a number of times through the years let me declare it again God disciplines us so His blessings don't kill us he disciplines us so His blessings don't kill us he actually longs to put blessings now some people in this room would um many in the church let me just say generally are very much afraid and oppos to financial wealth wh which I understand the reasoning I don't agree but I understand the reasoning the problem is they don't have

the same fear over increased anointing and both will give you access to Pride see to think that because I'm pursuing something that's overtly spiritual I'm safe is far from the truth because it's the greater recognition that is the issue can we navigate that see Jesus walked with an anointing where everyone who came to him was healed everyone the father sent to him sent him to was healed so anyone who came to him with a request was healed everyone the father directed him to was healed what would happen if that same measure of breakthrough was put

on just one individual in this room it'd be cool for a very short time but your name would be a household name within 30 days around the country let's say that you couldn't be bought let's say that you've dealt with a money issue you couldn't be lured into compromise for money let's say that issue is settled you still have a problem because at our local airport would be 50 private jets with suitcases filled with money as they try to persuade you to come and pray for their dying loved one and so you can't be bought

you still have a problem you can only say yes to one and you've got 49 others that fly away and you've got their faces in front of you that you didn't have time to pray for them the point is is is that increased anointing gives us as much access if not more access to Pride arrogance Independence all the things that are dangerous for us as much as wealth so when I talk about wealth or I talk about favor um let me use the word blessing when I talk about the blessing of the Lord increasing on

our life there are times where it's a promotion at work there are times it's finding that spouse you've been waiting for all these years there are times where you're unable to have children and all of a sudden you're pregnant with twins see it's it's it favor blessing comes in so many different ways sometimes it's just this people just will prefer you at work there's no explanation you don't have the highest position but people just are drawn to you maybe they automatic just confess their personal issues and problems because they they trust you that's favor that's

that's wealth in this Kingdom where the Lord adds that favor to your life where people just trust you sometimes it's just the fact that you just get the big breaks you get the big deals but the point is is the Lord would increase every one of our lives in this realm of blessing if we could carry it for for his glory which means I hold to everything Loosely because sometimes today's blessing is tomorrow's investment I've been working on this theme for a while I'm I'm working on a book again and uh I think I've got

another week or so I'll finish but it's it's I talk about this issue of promotion I talk about this is issue of of blessing favor and increase and how can we navigate it well what does it look like first of all if uh if Eric was here tonight and I were to give him brand new truck that'd be cool he'd be quite happy I wouldn't be very happy if you gave it away why because I actually gave it to him because of my delight in him I I want him to enjoy what I bought him

I I don't want him to take that gift and there's sometimes the Lord deposit something in our life that he just wants to see our Delight I've had times where I've given things to people and they didn't know how to manage or handle that added blessing in their life and so they quickly just gave it away I understand I understand we we don't want to accumulate you know we don't want our identity wrapped up in material things I get that but there are times where our confidence in his nature as a father is revealed by

how well we Steed a gift that was given to us can you receive a blessing give him thanks and simply Delight in it see whenever the Lord releases whether it's a material blessing it's favor an Open Door promotion at work whatever fill in the blanks any of those things whenever he adds blessing to our life he is always trying to endar us to a world we cannot see the problem is when that natural blessing endear me to the visible more than the Unseen is where the breakdown starts for me I believe that the Lord would

fill our lives with with friends with position with favor with possessions all things that testify of a father who is incredibly perfect and he T takes absolute Delight in us and the ability to celebrate his goodness in the midst of a very special meal that somebody bought for you forgive me I'm I'm I'm going to repeat a number of statements just because I want to put it into context for tonight I some of my favorite stories in uh in church history or when uh a missionary couple would sit down with their children for dinner for

example and this has happened frequently throughout history they would sit down for dinner but they'd have no food in the house but they sit down anyway they set the table they've got the forks and spoons and knives everything's in place and there's no food and they all sit down and they pray and they give thanks for the food and right about the time they finish the prayer there's always a knock on the door and somebody was moved by God to bring groceries to that missionary family I love those stories so much it's it's a coolest

thing in the world I remember Benny and I used to run a Street Ministry here called the salt house about 4,000 years ago and it was back you may be read about it the hippie era it it actually happened we saw for real and uh and we worked with a lot of a lot of kids on the street and stuff like that we lived in this particular uh this particular House downtown and people would drop in for counseling and deliverance or maybe they just wanted to try to throw our piano at the front window which

actually tried to happen but we we had a number of wonderful experiences it it felt at one time that every demonized person uh the west of the Rockies came to visit us I can't prove that but that's what it felt like it was it was it was it was school for us we thought we were there for them but I think we were there to learn and uh and it it was it was interesting I remember one morning uh Ben and I were praying together and and talking and we we uh we looked at the

bills and there was a certain amount that we in fact I asked Ben I said how much do we need to pay the bills for the ministry how how what's do and she told me the amount it was $300 and which would be 20,000 today but uh $300 and and I remember we just prayed and I I was walking I walked out of the house the mail came in the afternoon but I walked out in the morning and open the door and right to the left of the of the the door um there's a mailbox

and I just by habit just opened it there was an envelope in there no stamp nothing with an envelope and I open it and there's a check for $300 that's I I love when that stuff happens I mean Jesus is good at that but here's where I'm at in my life right now I want to be the guy knocking on the door I I I want to be the one who hears responds and attends to somebody else's place because both are are places of great blessing and honor and is uh the disciples left everything to

follow Jesus and in Mark 10 in fact why don't you look at it it'd be fun just to have you stare at the Bible for a minute Mark chapter 10 this is a great uh portion of scripture for so many reasons Mark chapter 10 now I don't I don't know about about you I I like I like the in yourface verses I like the iny face verses I like pick up your cross and follow me I those verses those are good verses I don't want to read over this quickly I like I like my coffee

unreasonably strong I like my so my hot sauce insanely hot and I like my Bible to growl at me when I pick it up that's that's the way it is that's this is my approach to life so when I find the in-your-face verses I don't want to dodge and assume it's for somebody else all right all right don't give me that look um verse 23 of Mark chapter 10 the dis Jesus looked around and said to his disciples how hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God how many of

you understand every one of us qualify as the hard one yeah don't I wouldn't answer me either if I were you it's it's not a trick question but let's just keep reading verse 24 and the disciples were astonished at his words but Jesus answered again and said to them children how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God this time he adds a description to his statement those who trust in riches so I've asked you the question before right now we have politicians we have political Realms we have

we have they're trying to figure out how much is too much money for a person to make first of all it's not government's responsibility but I'll leave that aside since I'm not running for office how much is too much money it's whatever amount replaces trust see for one person $1,000 in the bank is more is beyond their trust level all of a sudden they turn to the money instead of trusting God but but there are others it could be100 million because it's not an amount it's a condition of the heart and so Jesus says how

hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom now jump down to verse um uh verse 26 they were greatly astonished saying among themselves who then can be saved do you understand they are asking that even about themselves all right verse 27 Jesus looked at them and said with men it's impossible with but With God all things are possible verse 28 Peter began to say them see we've left all and followed you Jesus answered and said assuredly I say to you there is no one who has left house or brothers or

sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands for my sake and the gospels who shall not receive a h hundredfold now in this time houses brothers sisters mothers children and lands with persecutions and then the age to come eternal life I like this verse for a whole bunch of reasons first of all what are you going to do with h hundred [Laughter] mothers you get the point Jesus is using a description announcing to those who left everything to follow him that they have access to unlimited resource to accomplish all they've been called

to do unlimited resource David put it this way he prayed it in Psalms 119:1 17 I believe he said deal with your servant bountifully that I may live and keep your word in other words the only way I could possibly fulfill all that you've put in my heart is that you would have to deal with me bountifully the expectation for increase I know automatically we think of dollars and it's easy to measure but there there are many in this room money is not the answer it's a promotion it's a position change it's an idea it's

an invention it's a song it's a Melody that's never been heard it's just the fact that God is giving us access to his mystery realm because he's longing to communicate the nature of his heart the nature of his mind the nature of his world to this one and it's the people of God that that have access to this realm called the secret things the mystery of God trusting God pursuing God so Peter says we left everything to follow you and Jesus said that's right and I'm going to add a 100 times as much back into

your life with persecution there there's a promise I've never seen on any one's [Laughter] refrigerator I've seen a lot of good promises but that one was never in the Bible promise box but follow this with me Israel left Egypt went through difficulty so they could be trusted with the Promised Land Israel went through the Red Sea Paul calls it the baptism of Moses through trial and now through another another body of water a baptism but this one's not a still body of water it's a river it's the purpose for Holy Spirit baptism to introduce to

a way of life that you can't get on the other side of the river there's a death that takes place but there's a life that becomes clear the disciples leave everything to follow Jesus they have nothing and before Jesus goes he says I'm going to add 100 times back into your life he wasn't saying I'm going to give you mansions on hilltops I'm giving you access to unlimited resource to accomplish all you've been called to do why because you trusted me without I can now trust you with before Jesus before Jesus died he he did

this very very strange thing he told his disciples to get a sword I think Peter was quite happy with that direction he been warming up and his sword swinging so in the garden they come to take Jesus Peter knows why Jesus would want him to have a sword to hurt people of course and so he pulls out the sword cuts off the servant's ear Jesus shakes his head puts the ear back heals it put the sword away what purpose did the sword serve take this with a grain of salts just an opinion only Jesus would

have you get a sword you can't use because it is symbolic of an entire realm of resource that is at your disposal for all God's called you called you to do I remember many years ago I was looking through a fly fishing catalog which is a great joy of mine fly fishing and the catalogs I like most hunting and fishing catalogs and I look through them to discover the will of God for my life it's amazing how sometimes the Lord will just speak to you and uh and I got this catalog from our local Fly

Shop it's one of the best best in the world and I go through it and I look each page just waiting to hear the father speak I will admit it didn't happen but I I gave him the chance and I didn't throw it away just in case tomorrow he might speak I go through the catalog and at the very end of the of the uh catalog is all the items that only true devoted fly fisherman would ever want uh a leather couch with a trout etched into the leather cushion things that are essential essential um

Crystal goblets with a famous river etched on the side or a picture of a rainbow trout leaping for a fly things that no serious fly fisherman would want to live without and I got to that part of the catalog and I'm looking at all the goblets and there was this one section I can still see it right side of the page right down the inside column there were three flasks flask made out of comper stainless steel or something and it was I apparently flash Fishman like to have whiskey or brandy or something with them in

case you're not catching stuff I don't know I figure I I figure that must be why it's there so I looked at them and it was exact it took me like two SEC 3 seconds to look through I looked at them and they just look cool so I looked at the price and I thought to myself I can afford it and then I thought I have no use for it I mean I don't take whiskey to the river you know come to think but there is Brandy creep up by whiskey Town Lake maybe that's where

you would do it I don't know anyway all right that's for those of you who aren't local that's actually the name of placees so I looked I looked at the price I thought I have no use for it so I turned the page got through with the catalog put it away we uh went to England a week or so later and Benny and I were uh were at this conference and a woman brought each of us a gift and of course I had Benny open her gift first and I I don't remember to this day

what it was but it was something you'd give a Godly woman you know earring with cross or picture frame with the name Jesus honor or something you know it's just what you give to godly people you know it's just a it was a nice it was a nice Christian gift and then I open mine I open it and there's a flask a flask now outwardly I'm saying that's awesome thank you so much inwardly I'm thinking you're a kidding you're a kidding do you know how many things I have on my emergency list prayers that need

to be answered do you know how many things that are important they're not life and death but they're on my list that need to be answered I even have this it would be nice part of the list and under that is a pile of stuff that wasn't good enough to make the list and on the bottom of that pile was 3 seconds glancing at a flask in a catalog and King Jesus reaches to the bottom of this insignificant pile pulls out a flask inspires a woman across the pond bill needs one of these it's my

it's my sword it it's it's just there to remind me everything's covered everything's covered that he would actually inspire someone to spend their dollars to buy me something I have no use for because I looked at it for three seconds I'm trying trying I'm going to get there come on I'm going to get there you and [Laughter] [Applause] me we may have to tag team this one h look at this verse again 29 assuredly I say to you there's none who has left house or brother sister father mother wife CH 100 wives Solomon no never

mind children lands for my sake and the gospels who shall not receive a h hundredfold look at it now in this time this is not heaven now in this time houses brothers sisters mothers children lands with persecution and in the age to come eternal life I remember several years ago in fact uh this last week was Bob Jones homegoing anniversary he died on Valentine's Day if you don't know who he was he was a wonderful friend of ours A a amazing prophet of the Lord uh who actually died way back in the 70s and he

he came before the Lord and the Lord had one question for him did you learn to love wow and the next moment he found himself back in his body and he spent from the 70s until what three years ago four years ago learning to love and if you knew Bob at all you knew that was what he what he excelled at he just love he just loved he loved us so much he loved people so much and Jesus took him home on Valentine's Day wow we were sitting at a table at his funeral after the

service everything was done I was sitting at a table with several a number of folks that you would know with with Mike ble and Joiner bunch of others and we were just talking about some of the things that uh that we were experiencing it was if I tell you what it was it would sound like a complaining session it wasn't we were kind of comparing notes to be honest there's uh not everybody in social media is is wild about us which is it's a shock it's a it's a complete shock I I you probably didn't

know this but it's true it's true I have a sign on my phone that said on the internet you can be anything you want so why do so many people choose to be [Laughter] stupid that's unrelated to this subject of course so we were talking about some of the things that we had have had happened and and one of the guys there uh Bob Wier mirin Offa Ministries wonderful wonderful man he said he said I just call it income tax and everybody just kept on talking I said I said what he said income tax Yeah

the more income the more tax the more favor yeah learn to handle it well because it determines what you can car really does many break down at that point of opposition rejection Jesus said see if I will not return to you 100 times as much now in this time with persecution I don't think the Lord inspires persecution I just think blessing on people's lives Stir It Up in others and one of the things we are required to navigate is being with people and it just doesn't always feel good many turn to retaliation Vindication they respond

in like spirit and and it's just tragic I remember years ago watching there was a real moral mess with a bunch of leaders I think it was back in the 80s it was it was embarrassing and uh there was this Ted Coppel I believe is who I think is the one who with ABC did this panel and he had all these major leaders in the church that were in this panel panel and there there's this this conversation but all these famous Christians that had fallen morally and I'll never forget as long as I live what

Ted Coppel said he said when we do investigative reporting it requires us to do a lot of research but with these stories you guys called us did you hear what I just said he said you guys Christian leaders called us with information about other Christian leaders we didn't have to do the research you guys called us throughout history there have been times where there have been great moves of God that literally just came came to an abrupt end because of jealousies because of competition so many things and yet never was it in the heart of

God to end the increase the ramping up of what he was doing in the Earth but in order to save those who were carrying that weight of Glory so as not to bless them beyond their capacity to Bear he withdrew the anointing we're at a place in a time where I feel like the Lord the Lord is wanting to see yet again what can we carry before him can we be misunderstood I mean nobody likes it you never have to enjoy it but you do have the privilege of giving thanks in the middle of it

the the key three months ago the L in the middle of the night the Lord spoke to me um the key to mental health is giving thanks and everything the key to emotional health is rejoicing always maintaining that aspect that approach to life is Central to who God made us to be so here we've got this story see if I will not add back into your life a hundred times with persecution there's something about difficulty that keeps us prayed up or we crumble under the difficulty and I believe that the Lord would love to demonstrate

his resurrection power he would love to Dem demonstrate what it looks like to have a people that that are finally out of the Wilderness Israel went for 40 years around the same Mountain because they just couldn't learn the lesson the lesson was abandonment and trust and some people have gone without for their entire life and all the Lord's trying to do is to teach trust because once trust is settled you can be in Trust Ed with the promised land I believe to embrace the assignment that's been given to us which is to disciple Nations we

have to have this lesson done I have to be okay with you getting the car I was praying for I have to know how to celebrate your promotion when I was hoping it would be my turn Jesus and Solomon in Proverbs both taught the same concept that when you when somebody else experiences a breakthrough it is an opportunity for us to celebrate their breakthrough as preparation for our own and the inability to celebrate somebody else's breakthrough as though it were mine actually pushes back my own experience of breakthrough left Egypt Wilderness finally dealt with trust

the promised land is where they had to go to work doesn't sound like the promised land for a lot of people why was it the promised land because God would Breathe on human labor and bring Supernatural increase there was the partnership of our effort and God's grace it is the very thing that God has wanted demonstrated in the Earth from day one is the partnership of Heaven and Earth it's that beautiful marriage of Supernatural and natural so that they work together in tandem illustrating this perfect father for who he is I believe that the Lord

is giving us an opportunity to see what that's like again and so I want you to stand we're going to pray I hope he gives you a sword you can't use in my closet there was a shelf where I put a flask and every day when I got dressed I had the reminder of what he's like he notices the subtle attention of your heart towards something never was even big enough to pray about was never even enough to put a dent in the day but somehow he caught it I remember many years ago sitting out

at Whiskey Town Lake and there's no correlation between the flask and whiskey Town [Laughter] Lake I was there by myself had my Bible it was a nice warm day I was reading and worshiping Jesus and just having the most amazing time and I remember seeing these little blue gill little perch swimming around so I picked up these little Pebbles and I'd throw them in the water they'd come up and eat it spit it out I was there to torment them it's a gift I pick up another little Pebble throw it in they eat it spit

it out and I had this thought cross my mind I wonder if they would eat a bee because bees have stingers so I just wonder if they would eat a bee as soon as that I thought it a boo a bee a boo a be flu I wish I had a film of this it flew from this side it stopped right in front of me lost the ability to fly dropped into the water a fish came up and ate it and I [Laughter] [Applause] thought so you know like everything that's going on in here the

meditations of our heart are louder in heaven than our voice is here on Earth so let's pray father I thank you for the promised land I thank you for the design you have for us for the absolute complete fulfillment of life itself the lineage our family lines our relationships with friends and people how you just set the stage for Success at every turn the skills The Graces the gifts that you give us to be to have a meaningful lifestyle God I'm thankful for all of these things but I pray right now that you would increase

the capacity for breakthrough that eternity would be forever marked because we used everything you gave us for your glory that we withheld nothing for ourselves but literally kept everything on the Altar for you to breathe upon for you to bless for you to partner with God I'm asking that is in this next season you would teach us what it looks like to have the natural and the supernatural perfectly partnered together we pray this in Jesus name put a hand on someone next to you and I want you to pray specifically Supernatural wisdom Divine wisdom Divine

wisdom Divine wisdom Divine wisdom Divine wisdom divine wisdom now wisdom is prophetic in nature so press into this just a moment longer Divine wisdom let it be accompanied with dreams let it be accompanied with ideas with solutions that there be medical um inventions uh medical devices Let There Be technology uh technological solutions Let There Be relational answers that words that would bring healing to a household to a family every area of life that you would reconstruct the damaged parts of the brain through the prophetic decree of a man or a woman with wisdom God we

call for this for the honor of the name Jesus that our cities would demonstrate your likeness that our cities would demonstrate your heart I pray this in Jes Jesus name amen go ahead and put your hands down who's who's uh who you could go ahead come on up I want to give you a quick story in Weaverville we had uh one of our one of our key guys in the church uh had just uh he he was he he was an accountant he had an accountant office and did taxes and all the stuff for businesses

and what all and one of his competitors was opening had just opened a brand new office and um and so he was invited to come to to see this Branch so that had a grand opening and so he stayed uh for the whole party and then at the very end he asked for the husband and wife he said we're kind of tight right now so I didn't have a gift to bring could I just pray for the two of you and so they said sure and so the three of them got in a little circle

and he put his hands on them and he celebrated the goodness of God for prospering this business that everyone else would say was a competitive business and he prayed for abundance he celebrated the goodness of God on this couple and on this business and he prayed and he prayed by the time he's through the com quote unquote competitor have tears coming down their faces because they realize I'm going to use my language this is how his world Works in his world it's possible for both businesses to succeed in his if you see somebody get a

breakthrough that you are praying for even if you have to force yourself force yourself celebrate it celebrate it if you're jealous sometimes giving a gift will silence jealousy I'm serious I'm serious put something into an action skip a meal pray for them do something but put it into an action to silence that voice of jealousy because it's not to have any place in US amen all right I'm done