The Devil Will Pay For This PART 2 | Pastor Travis Greene | Forward City Church

Hey family, thank you so much for joining me today uh for this week's message. We are in a series. This is week seven of our series Level Up. And today I preach part two of a message called the devil will have to pay for this. There's four ways that the devil is going to pay for it.

And not going to spoil it for you. I want you to watch the full message and allow the Lord to minister to your heart. I will tell you I will tell you this that one of the greatest ways to make the devil pay is to forgive those who hurt you.

And the Lord is going to do some remarkable things in your life in this season. The Bible literally says after Job prayed for his friends, the Lord restored him and gave him twice as much. And so, uh, this is a this is a deep message. I want you to lean into it.

I want you to allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you and I'll be with you at the end. I love you. >> All right. I just had to brag on my child. Job Job 42. Job. Good God. Job 42. We're in the book of Job and uh 
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 >> 42 verse 10.

You ready? I'm going to read two verses then you'll be able to sit. It's our tradition to stand for the written of God's word just to honor him. And um right after that you'll be able to sit for the next few moments and I'll I'll knock this word out.

It says, "After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes and gave him, watch this, twice as much." >> He said, "If you don't want double, you can just be fancy. But how many of y'all believe in God for increase in your life?" Twice as much as he had before all his brothers and sisters and everyone who had known him before came and ate with him in his house. that comforted and consoled him over all the trouble the Lord had brought on him.

And each one of them gave him a piece of silver and a gold ring. Last week I started a message called the devil will pay for this. And I told you at the beginning of it that was just part one. Today if you're so kind, I'm going to give you part two of this message.

The devil will pay for this. Look at three people that tell him the devil owe me something. He owe me something. All the stuff I've been through, I won't pay back with interest. You shall recover it all and the devil going to pay for it. Lord Jesus, breathe on this word.

Breathe in this room. Move by your spirit in Jesus name. Amen. If you're excited for the word of God on your way down to your seat, give him a good praise. Hey, thank y'all for coming to church today. I know this word is for you, especially if you have been enduring.

And I want you to hear every word that the Lord allows me to release to you because I believe it is all important, vitally important for the season you are in your life. And if you qualify for this, please receive it. If you have been enduring, and I say that word on purpose, a season of hardship, watch this, and unexpected trials. >> Talking about stuff you didn't sign up for, >> and you have been a faithful, a good and faithful servant.

Enduring. What does enduring look like? Enduring looks like obeying God when he tells you not to respond to their post. 
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 And enduring. Enduring means that I'mma show up even when I don't feel like it. Enduring. The Bible says, the Bible says in Galatians 6:9, "Be not weary and welloing for you shall reap if you faint not in due season.

For those who endure, there is a blessing on the other side of your endurance." And if you had to go through things and God never gave you an explanation for why this is your word, there's safety and understanding that you serve a God that cannot be understood. Cannot be comprehended.

He is sovereign. He is big. And the Bible talks about this man named Job that the Bible says he was blameless. Blameless. He was a good guy. What happens to when bad things happen to the good ones? Here's Job. Job. He's a good guy. And the Bible says in one day he lose everything. $9.65 million worth of livestock.

Did you hear what I just said? >> 9.65 mill. You mad about 20 that they owed you. This man lost shy of 10 million and all 10 of his children in one day. And the confusing part of this entire text was the fact that God brought his name up. that God was the one who signed him up for trouble.

Four things I want you to grab from this message because you'll face them in your life at some point. And this story really can be summed up into these four things. You're going to have to go through suffering, >> silence, storms, and sacrifice. suffering, silence, storms, and sacrif you're going to have to deal with it.

It was Peter who wrote in first Peter uh chapter 5, he says, he says, "Yo," he says, "After you've suffered >> a little while, >> he will, come on, church folks, establish you." NIV says he will restore you. My God, there is something, thank you, Holy Spirit, that I can expect to receive on the other side of suffering.

My God, I just need to speak to somebody really quick because there are some people who've been feeling defeated because you've been going through >> and perhaps you think that God is against you because of the hardship that you've been having to endure. What if the suffering that you're in now, my God, is a prerequisite to the establishment that God's trying to have in your life?

What this means is that he's about to settle you. He's about to root you. He's about to restore you. But what I love about this story of Job is that I don't just have to expect restoration, but I can start expecting double. 
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 >> Do you know anything about interest? >> Double.

Double. Double. There's a blessing on the other side of this. There's a blessing on the other side of this. And I told you last week, I just got to refresh your memory. You're not going to come out of this empty-handed. >> That right there is enough to sum up everything.

You might go through it, but you're not coming out empty-handed. And not only are you not coming out empty-handed, but you're coming out with authority. You can expect, my God, you have been in a factory where God has been conditioning you to walk in authority and empower. What does that look like, Travis?

That looks like when I show up, atmosphere shift. That looks like when I go places, I don't make requests. I can make demands. You have authority. You have the spirit of the living God if you've received them living on the inside of you. The Bible says that the same power that got him up is in you.

And so if Ezekiel can speak to dry bones, ladies and gentlemen, you can speak to anything dry in a valley in your life. If your money dry, you can speak to it. If your children dry, you can speak to it. If your marriage dry, you can speak to it.

If your job dry, you can speak to it cuz you got power, power, wonder working power on the inside of you. I need you to help me preach. Grab somebody and tell them you got more power than you think you do. And the devil knows it. So he's trying to frustrate you enough.

Hear me Simba that you forget who you are. It was a prophet Rafiki. Some people call him a witch doctor. I think it was a prophet. Little creepy. He said, "Simba, follow me. Take me to the water." He took him to the water. said, "Simba, look." Simba, look.

He said, "Look hard." Simba looked again. Then he told him, he said, "Remember who you are." And when Simba looked again, he didn't see his reflection. Come here. He saw the reflection of his father. And I know you've been going through hard times and something convinced you that you didn't belong to God.

Remember who you are. I am the son of a king, not Mufasa. I'm the son of the king of kings and the lord of Remember who you are. My daddy on a cattle on a thousand hills. Remember who you are. There is power on the inside of you.

But trials were honest. Suffering sometimes will cause you to forget. You can get beat up so much that you don't even recognize you. You could go through so much drama and trauma that you you start forgetting, hear me, the promises of God >> because some of us receive the promises of God in our innocent stage and we think that our missteps and our mess ups and our mistakes disqualified us.

But God is not just alpha, he is omega. Meaning when he called you when you were innocent, he knew that one day you would be guilty and he still called you cuz he says a righteous man I feel like having church fall seven times but he will get back up.

I don't need everybody. Give me the people who know you're not perfect but you serve a perfect God that'll take 20 seconds and give him a praise because he has not changed his mind concerning you. The promises of God are yes and amen. God is not a man that he to lie.

If he said it, he meant it the first time. Good God all He meant it the first time. And here's Joe. I'm sorry for my visitors. Sometimes I get crunk. 
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 Here's Joe. And the Bible says his siblings and his acquaintances >> bring him silver and a gold ring. >> Silver represents their investment into his new season. >> The gold ring always in the Bible represents authority.

So they're coming to confirm that it's a brand new day. >> What you don't want to do is miss next Sunday. You ain't got to have a ticket for Sunday church. We ain't that kind of church. What's wrong with y'all? But you can't miss next Sunday cuz next Sunday is our anniversary.

We turned 9 years old. Mama Teresa, I'm about to take a 20 second praise break. I'm going to tell you why. Cuz last year we turned eight. >> Eight is a number of new beginnings. >> And God did some new stuff. >> But nine is a number of finality.

That means that whatever you've been in, you don't hear what I'm telling you. In the next seven days, God's about to end some stuff for you. If I was you, I wouldn't miss next Sunday cuz you about to step into your ninth season. Grab your neighbor and tell them, "I got a feeling that God's about to put an end to that thing.

I don't know what nightmare, what torture, what torment, what warfare you've been under, but your God is about to finish what the devil started. And the devil going to have to pay for it. silver. >> Sorry. >> And the go. I got to keep moving. I got to keep moving.

I got Somebody just take 20 seconds to give them an It is finished praise. God, I thank you for putting a period. That thing is over. That thing is I don't know what you've been fighting. I don't know how many nights you've been up. I don't know what warfare you've been doing.

I don't know what devil and what strongholds been coming against your house. But I got a feeling that God's about to end what the devil started. It's finished. It's finished. It's finished. It's finished. All right. Silver, silver, and a gold ring. Is it just me or did it feel like the devil be giving you blow after blow after blow after blow?

Every time you make one step, you get knocked back again. And you like, "God, what is going on?" I don't know why it's been happening, but I can't tell you, but that thing got an expiration date. Whatever you are in, I got a feeling God's about to end it.

And I'm just crazy enough. I ain't got to wait till the battle is over. I don't have to wait till our anniversary service. I can lift my hands and praise them right now. Grab your neighbor and tell them, "It's finished. It's finished. It's finished. It's finished. It's finished.

It's finished. Your weeping days are over. Your lonely days are over. Your depressed days are over. Your sick days are over. It is finished. Finished. Finished. Finished. 
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 And God don't stop. We not going to get past this point. >> I don't know. Me and my wife needed that.

We done been going through so much. How she break her foot. The girl done broke her foot. The doctor said it's going to be six to eight weeks. >> But then we went to the doctor this past week. Anthony He said, "I think in about 3 weeks you going to be walking again cuz whatever you going through, you just going through it."

My friend Steven Fer said, "And it came to pass. Whatever you in got an expiration date on it. It's about to pass over." David said, "Yay though, I walk through the valley. I might be in the valley, but I ain't stuck here. I'm coming out. Coming out. Coming out.

Coming out. Coming out. Coming out. Grab your neighbor and tell them, "Get ready. Get ready. Get ready." Cuz you about to come out out of this. You coming out. You coming out. Did you hear me? You coming out. You coming out. If I got to pull you out, you coming out.

All right. The Bible says, please be seated. Please be seated. The Bible says that Job's siblings and his acquaintances brought him silver and a gold ring. And when I read this, I didn't get happy. I got offended cuz I said, "Where y'all been for 40 chapters?" Beware of the people who show up in your chapter 42.

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 >> And you know that was black cuz the Bible said, >> the Bible said they came over to eat. 
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 When my white friends check on me, you know, they just they're really concerned. They going to bring me a flower. I pray that you're all right, pastor. I love you.

Let somebody die. And black folk come over. They like, "Y'all got y'all ain't got no chicken up over here. What a setting up at where y'all uh I ain't got no tent out here. 
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 My uncle died. White people came over, brought us name brand Coca-Cola and Sprite. Black folk that the bottle said red.

I was like, what is I made this at the house. It's good though. It's good. Bible said they came over to eat, comfort, and console him. >> But they were nowhere to be found when he was going through it. And I can only imagine how awkward this dinner was. >> This past weekend, I was in Nashville, Tennessee for the Still Awards.

And I went there and every time I'm there, it just takes me back. Like I I just start remembering my first encounter there. My first encounter there, I went Travis Green. I was just little Tra. And I went in 2011. I was nominated for best new artist of the year.

There was no chance I was going to win. Nobody knew who I was. is I just I got in a nomination by luck and I went I took my girlfriend at the time, Jackie, her mama, my mama, my sisters, my band, everybody, the pastor, everybody. I said, "Everybody coming to the award show.

I made it. This is my moment." And I went there. It wasn't my moment. Nobody cared about me. Only a couple people was nice to me. Donnie was nice. Kirk was nice. Everybody else was mean to me. They didn't like me. And I came in and I went walking around and and the guy who I was with, his name is Reuben.

He died a couple years ago. But I Ruben was a good man because Ruben was the first guy old school Hispanic player player from the Himalayas. Ruben was a man. He signed me to his independent label. I'll never forget he had me come up to New York. New York.

Oh my god. We took a minivan and drove all the way up to New York. We hit the big time. We walked around in Time Square and I said, "I'm about to be rich." I was not though. And And he put out an album. He put out an album called Stretching Out.

You remember that, Raquel? an album called Stretching Out. And boy, I thought I was going to hit it big time. I wasn't, but Ruben believed in it. This is This is Reuben. Ruben was the mastermind behind Prince and Stevie Wonder. Reuben is a big deal. Reuben started at Motown back in the day with Barry Gold.

Reuben is if anybody believe in me, Ruben can believe in me. And Reuben surrounded me with artist development and all kind of stuff. And he he put money behind it. And we made music videos and he took me around and introduced me to all these people. The only thing is Ruben didn't get a return on his investment >> cuz the album sold a record-breaking 13 copies.

No, I don't know how much it sold. It just won a lot. It was enough for him to believe in me anymore. >> And so the next album came up and I worked hard on it and I did all these songs and stuff that people still haven't heard.

Some of them I gave away to different artists so you might have heard them by now. But some of the songs I never even released. And and I was so sad because he shelved me. And in the industry that's called they just put you up and you they not put no money behind it and they just kind of forget about you.

You kind of just drifting to the back. And they shelved me. And then I stumbled upon a year of 2013 and I started singing a little song called Intentional. And then and then 2014 2014 Sony RCA they heard the record Intentional. There's a woman named Snoopy. This is the movie.

You can't make this up. She heard the song, interrupted a meeting and said, "Y'all got to hear this guy. He lived down in Charlotte, North Carolina. Check this song out." They said, "Oh my god, that's an amazing." They didn't know I recorded a song in my closet. I was broke as a joke.

But they got the song and they said, "We got to do whatever we can to sign Travis Green." They came from New York all the way down to Charlotte and said, "Boy, we hadn't been here since we came here to visit John P. Key. If we down here, that mean we really want you."

Only thing was Ruben still had me under contract. So now we're in a legal battle. Reuben didn't want to put no money behind me, but Ruben didn't want to let me go. >> But Sony own PlayStation. Sony got my knees. And Sony said, "Ruben, let me just write you a check and I need you to leave Travis alone."

And Ruben was like, "Bet, I will take that. Thank you so Fast forward, the year is 2019. October the 1st, 2019. It's the last time I would see Ruben. I was in New York and I text him. I said, "Ruben, I'm in your city, man. Why don't you get up with me for dinner?"

He said, "I'm on my way." We went to dinner that night. We sat down and you'll never believe. This is like a scene from Five Heartbeats. Reuben said, "I always believed in you. I knew you was a star. I knew you were going to make it. I could see the twinkle in your eyes.

You always stood out and you were bright. And I just knew it was nothing but a matter of time." And I sat there. I was like, "Mhm." And then the waitress walked up and she said, "How do y'all want to do the checks?" I said, "One check, please."

And I paid for it. And I recognized why while Job had to have that dinner that night. God said, "Travis, until you're ready to feed those who left you. I can't use them to bless you." And this is why the Bible said, "Thou preparest a table before me."

Holl at me. in the presence of my enemies. God is trying to level you up because he's about to send you blessings from unexpected places. Did you hear what I just said? Lean on somebody. Tell them level up. Level up. Level up. Level up. The Lord told me to tell you, this ain't for everybody, but for the people who can get it.

God says, "I'm about to use people who don't like you to bless you. They not even going to want to do it. He The bank ain't even going to want to give you the money. The boss ain't even going to want to give you the promotion. But God says, "I am the God who hold the heart of the kings in my hand."

He says, "I'm about to use those who left you to bless you in your next season if you would just stand still." >> Oh, that's hard for us cuz we want we want our moment. >> Some of us going to be like, "I really brought you here to this dinner, Ruben, to let you know that you want me damn hot.

And God says, "If vengeance is yours, it can't be mine." 
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 >> God used out of all of the people, this this really tripped me up. Out of all of the people God could have used, Titus >> to help push Job into his double season, he used the hands that were nowhere to be found in the previous chapter. >> Okay?

Don't be picky about who God want to use to bless you. And when I was reading this, when I was reading this, God took my mind to another Jay. His name is Joseph. And it was Joseph who had to have a dinner with his brothers, the same ones who abandoned him.

What's interesting about the story of Joseph, you're not about to like what I'm about to say, but what's interesting about the story of Joseph is that in the book of Genesis, there's more real estate given to Joseph than any other person. More than Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob.

Nobody got more chapters than this man, Joseph. And yet, he's not even Jacob's most important son. >> Judah is the most important son. >> Because through Judah came David >> and through David came Jesus. >> What's significant about this story is that if Joseph would have got his revenge, we wouldn't have got Jesus. >> Question.

Are you okay with God using those who use you? >> Oh god. Oh god. I knew. No, don't clap. You don't like it, it's okay. >> Cuz God is so God, he can choose to use whoever he want to. My God. Tell somebody, don't be picky. Don't be picky.

Don't be picky. When God wanted to use people to sew into Jo into Job's new season, he used the very people who were nowhere to be found. The devil's going to use God's going to use the devil to pay for it. Now, I need you to catch this.

This is very important what I'm about to tell you. The devil only respects spiritual weapons. your clap back neck snap. It's just exercise. No, no. Cuz the weapons of our warfare are not carnal >> but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds. That's why that's why I'm so excited about this week.

Holy Ghost. That's why we've been in a fast cuz God trying to equip you to fight in the spirit. Good God. You've been trying to fight na spiritual warfare with natural weapons. My God, there are so warfare you're enter into that your education, your logic, your experience cannot get you out of.

You're going to have to have a prayer language, ladies and gentlemen. You're going to have to know something about this Bible that you're carrying. And God is trying to allow you to level up so you can fight a new way. There's four ways very quickly to make the devil pay.

And we're talking about suffering, silence, talking about storms, we're talking about sacrifice. Four ways to make them pay. You ready? Very quickly. Number one, don't stop learning. >> Job said, "My ears hurt about you, but now my eyes see you." >> Ain't it funny that nothing teaches you about God like suffering? >> Hey, we'll be honest.

I know you ain't used to being honest in church, but if if we'll be honest, some of us got introduced to God through suffering. >> Personal testimony. I heard them talking about him Jehovah Gyra. I didn't know that until I really needed him to provide. >> So sometimes got to use the suffering to teach you another side of him.

Did you hear what I just said? The Bible says Job was the greatest man of the east in that time. Ain't it funny that the greatest man endureth the greatest attack? Here's why. Because status does not shield you from suffering. >> You can be in a mansion. You can be in the projects.

You can be you can be at the White House. You can be in a dope house. Suffering will find you anywhere that you are. You can work your whole life to attain something that's lost in a second. This is why Solomon says in Ecclesiastics, he said, "Everything is meaningless.

Vanity, vanity." Ain't it funny? We're working so hard to attain stuff that we can lose. >> You going to be in perfect health. I'm talking about gluten-free. >> And the next day, they get a diagnosis you weren't expecting. Have a full family photo this year. And that's Christmas. people are missing because life, please hear me, young people and old, tomorrow is not promised to you. >> Did you hear what I said?

Tomorrow is not promised to you. And I don't know who needs to hear this. We're going to have a call for salvation later today at later in a couple minutes. But I need you to hear me, ladies and gentlemen. Don't think just because you're young, you have time. >> You got Man, you need something eternal.

Ah, one of the major reasons this generation is battling with anxiety at an all-time high is because we believe this is reality. >> And if losing a dollar can make you kill yourself, >> that something has convinced you that what you see is real. You can stick yourself with all the Olympic you want to. >> This is temporary, ladies and gentlemen. >> And the difference between us and the old school saints is they didn't have no they didn't have much around them to put their hope in. >> Oh no.

They didn't they didn't have the Maserati and the Tesla and they they didn't have the big house and they didn't have the fancy stuff. They didn't have, you know, you know how you do, you spend more money at Starbucks than you do at church. They didn't have that luxury.

They weren't able to just be wasteful with their resources. No, the only thing they had to put their hope in was something eternal. That's why the songwriter said, "Build your hope on things eternal." Man, you got to put your hope in something that's lasting, and it's not what you see with your eyes. >> Suffering will convince you that this is everything.

And it's not suffering does not discriminate, ladies and gentlemen. I'm sorry. S suffering is not just for the sinner. It's for the saint. >> And you have to learn. If you don't know this, then you'll think that God is only proud of you in your successful seasons. >> Ah, come on, talk to me.

You'll think that God is only with you when the sun is shining. >> But God is trying to teach you something about him even through your suffering. This is why Paul writes in Philippians 3:10. He says, "Man, oh, that I may know him, that I may know him and the power of his resurrection."

Watch this, "And the fellowship of his suffering." He says, "There is a connection. There's a deeper connection that I get with God when I go through something." That's why I don't need nobody preaching to me or talking to me or mentoring me that ain't going through nothing. If you ain't never had to cry and you never dealt with betrayal and you never had nobody stab you in the back and you never had nobody walk out on you and you never had to cry, you can't tell me nothing.

I need somebody with a testimony to tell me for we overcome the blood of the lamb and by the word of the test. I need somebody with a testimony that can look me in my eyes and say, "I've been there. I've been on the verge of dep depression and and divorce and I I've been there.

I I felt like I was going to lose my mind before and if I can make it, you can make it." Help me preach. Look at somebody. Tell them, "If I can make it, you can make it. You can make it. You can make it. It's through suffering. >> It's through suffering." >> David says, David says, "Then though I walk through the valley of the shadow >> of death," watch this.

I'll fear no evil. >> For you with me? David's revelation of God as a shepherd came through a valley. >> What is God trying to teach you about him in this valley? >> Right here, right now, don't stop learning. Number two, don't stop leaning. Don't stop leaning. God's trying to teach you how to lean into the silence.

What's remarkable about the book of Job is that 85% of it, God is silent. He speaks to the devil in chapter 1 and two and does not speak to Job until chapter 38. >> And Job says in chapter 42, he said, "Man, my ears hurt, but now my eyes see."

And I was looking at this, "My ears hurt. My ears hurt." Job's only revelation of who God was came by what he heard. Faith come by hearing hearing the word of God. All he knew is what he heard. And the theology of that time, what they believed about God was that suffering always was a sign of punishment.

So God says, "I got to teach you something new." My God. I got to teach you that I'm not a God who will leave you when you go through. Oh man. And I got to teach you that you going through is not a sign of my abandonment. >> Sometimes bad things just happen cuz we're in a broken world.

So whether you are at a graduation or funeral, whether you are at the mountaintop or in a valley, I'm trying to teach you that I'm with you. Has anybody ever had to learn him in a silent season? >> Travis, what's a silent season? A silent season is when your go-tos don't work no more.

A silent season is when those songs that used to give you goosebumps ain't giving you nothing. >> And you're like, "Where are you now, God?" All that Job had heard is that God is a God who will bless you and prosper you. All he's experienced, all he heard is that if you got faith, you won't get sick.

And if you be generous, then you'll never go through any financial hardship. He heard the song, we're blessed in the city. We're blessed in the field. Everybody loved that song. But he had to learn a new song called It Is Well with my soul. What happens when the God I serve, my God, is not showing up the way that I want him to show up?

And ladies and gentlemen, I don't know if you've experienced it yet, but you're going to go through a storm one day. Well, this new school stuff ain't going to help you at all. You're going to have to go to your grandma himnote to page 182 and start singing some songs that you used to sing back in the day pulling on the ancient of days and saying, "God, I need the real I need you now.

If you don't come now, I'm not going to make it." And Job had to learn that God is a God who won't abandon you in the suffering or in the silence. No, ladies and gentlemen, silence is not a sign of abandonment. It is an invitation. >> Oh, God.

It's an invitation. I believe there's some people in here who's been spiritually frustrated. >> Cuz you're like, "God, I'm trying, but I just feel like I ain't feeling you." >> But you don't understand. God is saying, "It's because I backed up from where we used to be. >> I didn't leave you.

I'm just calling you deeper." My God. And this net faith in order to level up. Good God. You going to have to start walking a little deeper. You going to have to start praying a little more. Come on. What used to work ain't going to work. I know you used to do your little 900 a.m. little Bible study.

You going to have to shift that to 6:00 a.m. God says, "I'm trying to do a new thing. I know you used to your little cute little social media fans." God said, "Now you have the old school, turn your plate upside down. I'm trying to take you deeper because there is a devil that is after you and your family and he only respects spiritual weapons."

The deepest uh revelations I ever got from God came from my quietest times. This is why Job said, "Though you slay me, yet will, I trust you." Because silent seasons develop your trust muscle. My >> God, you got to learn him in a new way. >> Don't stop learning.

Don't stop leaning. We're almost there. Don't stop listening. >> Don't stop listening. After 36 chapters, God finally speaks. The Bible says in Job 38:1, it says, "Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm." This is what he said. He said, "Where were you?" >> You got so much to say.

Let me ask you a question. Where were you when I when I laid the earth foundation? >> He said, "Tell me if you understand. You so smart." >> God has something to say. Because for 36 chapters, everybody else had an opinion. The Bible says that Job's three friends, Elephas, Bildad, and Zofar, they show up and they sit with him in silence for seven days.

And then somebody just can't hold it. They're like, "You ever told your kids to be quiet?" They're like, and one of the friends like, "I gotta say something. I just got to say something." And once they start, the words just start just coming out. They can't hush. They're just giving them all of their logic and all of their opinion and all of their theories and all of their saying, "Clearly, Job, you're hiding something.

Clearly, there's something you need to confess. You did something wrong. God wouldn't turn his back on you. You doing something wrong. Something happened." And I recognize the antagonist of the story wasn't just the devil. It was those that the devil used to break the silence. I've always been amazed at what God said to him.

Where were you? Then when I was reading it, God said, "Take a deeper look. Don't just look at what I said. Look at how I said it because you can't just read the Bible." >> And the Bible said, "Then the Lord spoke to Job." Here we go. Out of >> the storm.

Wait a minute. He spoke to him out of the storm. God says, "Yeah, because I'm not just present in your suffering and in your silence. I'm present in the storm." And I prayed. I said, "God, clearly there's a revelation in this. Why did you speak out of the storm?"

He says, "Perhaps, Travis, I used the storm to silence his friends." >> What if I told you, please catch this, that the storm that you faced had to happen? Because God had to bring separation from those who you thought were really with you. >> Uh-uh. You didn't hear what I just said.

He said, "I use the storm to silent the wrong voices." Because the devil never cared about double. He only cared about Job's devotion. Now, I got to move quickly. Watch what happens here. The devil can't talk to Job directly. And so, how does he get to Job? The same way he get to you, he used people with your last name. >> Ah, here we go.

He used people who are closest to you to tell you something that God didn't say. >> It sounds like this. If I was you, >> they're not your enemies. They love you, but sometimes their love can be a liability. And so God said, "Sometimes I will cause a disruption."

My God, I'll cause a storm because the person who had your ear was trying to talk you out of what I was talking you into. And the only way I could disrupt it was to end it. My God, did you hear what I just said? Watch what happens.

The Bible says Job's wife come to him. >> Cuz the whole thing was about devotion. The devil was trying to, it was a bet. He was like, "I bet I could break him. I bet I could get him to leave you. I bet I could get him to leave church.

I bet I can get him to stop giving. I bet I can get them to stop being faithful. I bet I can. Enough pressure. And God says, "You bet. What you're facing is cuz God is betting on you." The devil said, "I'm going to use his wife." The wife come to Job and she said, "Why don't you just curse God and die?

You're ugly. You're broke. kids gone. There ain't nothing left to do but curse him and die. Just say something bad so he'll kill you and then maybe I can get the life insurance policy. I just I'm trying to get past this season. When Job said, "I can't." He said, "No, no, no, no.

I can't do that. The Lord gives and the Lord takes away, >> but it doesn't change the fact that his name is still worthy to be praised." God says, "I will use the storm to silence the other voices." I'm almost done. Number four, don't stop loving. Now, this is what really got me.

This really got me because the most powerful part of the story is not just the restoration. It's what led to it. I think you missed it. The Bible says in Job 42:10, "After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes." Did you hear what I said?

After Job had prayed for his friends, here's what happens. God speaks and he says, "Hey, y'all three boys who had something to say, Elephaz, Bill, Dad, Zofar," he said, "Y'all been talking a lot of noise about me." He said, "All y'all going to have to go get some rams and go get some stuff, and you going to have to sacrifice."

But then he tells him this. He says, "But Joe going to have to pray for you. >> Your sacrifice don't mean nothing if he don't cover you." >> You want to know what a real sacrifice is? having to cover those who falsely accused you. >> The same friends who criticized him, Job had to cover.

And God said, Travis, the proof that what they did to you didn't get in you is that you can still be a blessing to them. Come here. Come here. Are you still willing to sacrifice for those who hurt you? Good. Cuz there is no sacrifice greater than the sacrifice of love.

And there's no love stronger than the one that's undeserved. And God says, "Sometimes I'll allow you to go through the suffering, silence, and storms to qualify a sacrifice. The Lord told me in prayer, I had to share this with my wife and some of our team members. The Lord told me, he said, "Travis, I'm I'm about to do something with you.

You about to level up." He said, "But I'm about to teach you a a new thing." And I was like, "Uh oh, here we go again." He said, "I'm about to teach you how to bless those who curse you. >> How to how to bless the very people who curse you. dinner on me.

At first, at first I thought that s his siblings and his friends were wrong and I I was like, man, they left them. And then God gave me a deeper revelation. I love this. The Lord told me, he said, I didn't want them to show up too early. >> Cuz sometimes you can have too much help. >> And if they would have showed up prematurely, it would have been more voices added.

So God said, "I wouldn't allow them to call you when you was going through." >> Cuz I was trying to keep your ear inclined to my voice. My God. God says, "I've been Oh." He says, "I've been doing this on purpose." I just recognized last night he was when he was sharing this with me and I was praying through it.

He said, "Travis, Reuben didn't shove you. I preserved you." >> Cuz Reuben was a great man, but Reuben couldn't handle intentional and made a way and won't let go. and good and love room. No, no, that was out of his reign. So, I needed to send a storm to end that to start something new.

And I need you to hear the words that are coming out of my mouth. God is about to turn the page and start something new in your life. And you've been crying about not being seen, not knowing that your God has been signing you up for double. I need a few people in this room that know that God's about to do something supernatural in your life.

To stand on your feet and give him a good praise like you know he is able to do exceedingly and abundantly above all you can ask or think. You weren't left. You were kept. You weren't left. You were kept. And the Bible says we're all standing. The Bible says after Job prayed for his friends, the Lord restored him.

Hear me. After he prayed for his friends, here's a question. Here's a question. What's standing in the way of your restoration? Who's standing in the way of your restoration? Who are you still holding on to? Notice, God did not release the blessing until Job released them. And so he prays for the criticizers and he feeds the ones who left him.

And that, my friend, is when I know that I can trust you with a new level, Travis. If this is just for me, it's just for me. But I believe God's trying to lift you. If you believe God's trying to lift you, would you lift your hands for a moment?

We're out. Come on, everybody. Join me on your feet really quick. We're going to do this prayer together. And this is what I want you to do. Every eye closed in this room around the world, unless you're driving, I want you to close your eyes for one moment.

I'm about to ask you to do something very difficult, ladies and gentlemen. It's going to be very difficult. I'm warning you. I want you to think about, and we all got somebody, someone who hurt you and left a wound. And maybe you've been harboring this in your heart.

And I know what it's like, man. You You won't pay back. I know what that feels like. And it sucks when it seems like they're getting away with it. But sons and daughters, it's time to level up. I want you to get that person on your mind. And you're about to pray a prayer.

It's one of the most powerful prayers you're going to pray. Three words. >> Lord, bless them. 
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 >> Bless them. If you want to use the ones that used me, use them. If you if you want to cause success for the person who hurt me, let them have success.

God, I release them because I don't want to be in the way of you releasing my net season. You releasing my overflow, my my double. There is something on the other side of this. if I could just let it go. And it's hard >> to let it go. >> But Lord, >> bless him in Jesus name. >> I told you this one was special.

Hey, do me a favor. Like, subscribe, share, tell everybody about what God is doing here at Forward City Church. But please share this message with someone who needs to hear about it. The devil going to have to pay for this. Whenever he bothers those who got covered, he has to pay back with interest.

And so I'm excited about your future. I love you. Prayerfully today you receive the Lord as your as your Lord and Savior. Receive him into your heart. We have information below. You can click the links. Uh get involved with what God's doing. Get connected. Give. Serve. Be a part of what God's doing here at Forward City Church.

I love you so much. Remember your pastor's going. The future's waiting. Move forward. God bless.