HOUSEKEEPING PT. 1 | PASTOR TRAVIS GREENE | FORWARD CITY CHURCH

Hey family, man. Thank you so much for checking out this week's message. It means the world. To me, um we have been praying, we've been fasting, we've been believing God uh for revival this year. Our theme of the year is winds of revival. And so, we were going to shift into a a different topic, but the Lord gave us a word to stay right here um speaking about revival and what is necessary for revival.

And so, we're in a a series now called uh home invasion. And I pray your hearts are open to receive this word from God for you. Uh but this is the way to get revival. Listen, can't just steward revival in God's house. You also got to steward it in your house.

And so um I pray your hearts are open. You're ready to receive a word from God. I'll see you at the end. Love you. We're in the theme of the year is called winds of revival. That's why we're singing these songs about when because we're believing this is our revival year. >> Oh man.

Shout it. This is my revival year. >> This is my revival year. >> And the text comes from Ezekiel 37:9 and 10. It says, "Then he said to me, prophesy to the breath. Prophesy, son of man, and say to it, this is what the sovereign Lord says. Come breath from the four winds and breathe into these slain that they may live."

Well, tell somebody, "It's time to live again." >> Come on. I'm trying to teach you HOW TO PREACH. TELL THEM, "IT'S TIME TO LIVE AGAIN. >> IT'S TIME to live again." SO I PROPHESIED AS HE COMMANDED me and breath entered them. They came to life and stood up on their feet.

Look around a vast army. >> I love this because revival is not random. It's a response. >> It's God's return on the investment of surrender. The word revival literally means to be revived. It means to be brought back to life. The spiritual content of this means to be awakened, to be renewed. >> And this is what the Lord has been doing.

You're a revivalist. which means you have a calling on your life to wake things up. >> But the first step is you being >> awakened. >> The wind represents the breath of God. It comes and it breathes on dead things and raise them back to life, dead places.

And so we work through over Janu in January the four winds. The four winds he told him prophesy to the four winds. The north wind is the wind of repentance. All of this is on YouTube. Please go check it out. The south wind is the wind of renewal.

The east wind is the wind of removal. And the west wind is the wind of restoration. And we'll go deeper into these winds. We're going to all year. This is where we at. Winds of revival. All year. All year. We're stewarding. We're stewarding revival. I'm telling y'all. We're stewarding a revival.

Oh my God. Listen. Oh man. I feel this prophetically, JAMAL. FOR WHAT GOD'S ABOUT TO DO, you have to be ready. >> I want you to hear me in the spirit. FOR WHAT GOD'S about to do in this house, you have to be ready. Bible says, MAN, THE HARVEST is full, but the laborers are few.

You have to be ready. God's about to send such a harvest, you have to be ready to preach in season, out of season. I'm only 17. Get ready. >> YOU SO, SO THE ONLY WAY TO GET READY, YOU GOT TO FILL YOURSELF with word. >> You got You got to fill your soul.

You got to worship. You got to get ready. You got to stir up the gifts is what Paul told Timothy because revival is not just coming. Revival is here. Come on, say that. Revival is here. >> Revival is here. >> Revival is here. And so I'm going to give you we're going to do these declarations real quick and then literally I'mma intro this message that I'll finish next week.

But let's do these uh declarations. These the winds of revival declaration. And there's only one way to say it. You got to >> shout it. If you're going to whisper, just hush. You got to shout it. Now I'm going to tell you what. IF YOU BE LOUDER FOR THAT SUPER Bowl >> and you GET LOUDER FOR BUNNY MORE THAN GOOD GOD. >> Come on. >> SHOUT IT.

THIS IS MY REVIVAL YEAR. >> THIS IS MY REVIVAL. >> EVERYTHING IS ABOUT TO SHIFT. >> I PROPHESY >> TO THE NORTH. >> SOUTH EAST AND WEST. FRESH WIND IS BLOWING ON EVERY DEAD AND DRY PLACE. DAD DREAMS LIVE AGAIN. Dad gift LIVE AGAIN. DEAD FAITH LIVE AGAIN.

COME ON, SAY, "LORD, BREATHE ON MY MIND, MY HEART, my health, MY FAMILY, MY ANOINTING, MY CHURCH, MY CITY, MY RELATIONSHIPS, AND MY FINANCES. THIS IS MY YEAR FOR DIVINE ALIGNMENT. WHAT WAS SCATTERED MUST COME BACK TOGETHER. WHAT WAS BROKEN WILL BE RESTORED. HEAVEN'S VERSION of me is ready to rise.

COME ON. YOU'RE GETTING QUIET. YOU'RE GETTING QUIET. SHOUT IT. I WILL NOT FIGHT AGAINST THE WIND. Wherever it blows, I will go. Use me. Use me. Use me TO DO WHATEVER, HOWEVER, WHENEVER. This is MY YEAR TO PRAY MORE PASSIONATELY, FAST MORE FERVENTLY, AND BE MORE DEVOTED DAILY.

I renounce every lie. I rebuke every idol. I REPENT FOR DOING THINGS MY WAY. YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING. TAKE everything and give me you. MY WORSHIP IS MY STRONGEST PLACE. SAY THAT AGAIN. MY WORSHIP IS MY STRONGEST PLACE. Your response to surrender is revival. I receive I receive I RECEIVE THE WINDS OF REVIVAL IN EVERY area every area OF MY LIFE IN JESUS NAME.

AMEN. GIVE HIM A PRAISE LIKE YOU WANT THE WIND to blow. I want the wind to blow. I want you to take your seats. I'm going to SHOW Y'ALL A QUICK VIDEO. SERIOUSLY, IF YOU GIVE ME ABOUT 10 minutes, about 10 minutes. I want to share with you what God told me.

And this is the intro to where we're going over the next several weeks. But we're going to show you a video to kind of set this up. This new series. Say, "New series." >> New series. >> Now, after the video, Simon says, "Stand up and go crazy." All right.

And then we're going to do 10 to 14 minutes of an intro. Y'all ready? >> Let's do it. The scripture says, "Choose you this day whom you will serve, but as for me and my house we will serve the Lord. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved and thy house."

Harden not your heart, but it's hard not to have a stony heart, but I'm housing idols. I'm housing something that God don't want. The Lord told me this in prayer. He said, "In order for any spirit to remain, it must be comfortable." So many of us say, "God, come rest on us."

But we don't prioritize his comfort. It is a choice. And I know it's an idol when I wanted to get out and it refused to. The only thing that can get something stronger than me off of me is a force that's stronger than it. His name is Jesus.

He will be there to help you every day and every hour to do one of the greatest tasks he ever assigned us to have our part in a home somewhere. Get your house in order. The scripture says, "Is your own house in order? Come on church. Come on church.

Come on church. This series is called home invasion. In order to steward a revival in God's house, we must first steward it in our homes. Grab your Bibles real quick while you're standing. Judges 6. Thank you, Lord. Hey, online, I'm hanging out with y'all. Y'all let me know where y'all watching from.

I got you pulled up on YouTube. Y'all let me know where y'all watching from. Last service, somebody said, "I'm watching from Blewood, South Carolina." Now, you know what? That's ridiculous. I'm watching from two exits up. Man, if you don't get Judges 6. I'm going to read just a few verses and God's going to do something.

And I do want to pray for you. Don't rush out. Super Bowl don't start at 6:30. I already checked. But I do want to pray for you. I believe we are going to encounter the presence of a living God. >> Somebody say we already have. >> WHAT ELSE MORE?

Judges 6. You ready? >> Verse one. Thank you, Lord. The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord. And for seven years, he gave them into the hands of the Midianites. What happens when what? Whatever you're facing is unrebukeable. God did this. Skip to verse 11. The angel of the Lord came and sat down under the oak in Afra that belonged to Joaz the ais where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a wine press to keep it from the Midianites.

So he's trying to keep harvest away from the enemy. Verse 12, when the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, "The Lord is with you, mighty warrior." Verse 25, jump down. That same night, the Lord said to him, "Take the second bull from your father's herd, the one seven years old."

You know which one I'm talking about. TEAR DOWN YOUR FATHER'S altar to bail AND CUT DOWN THE ASSUR BESIDE IT. GOD SEES EVERYTHING. THEN BUILD A PROPER KIND OF ALTAR. GOOD God Almighty. >> Tell somebody there's a proper altar. M BUILD A PROPER KIND OF ALTAR TO THE LORD YOUR God on the top of this height using the WOOD OF THE ASSURPPOLE that you cut down.

OFFER THE SECOND bull as a burnt offering. SO GIDEON TOOK 10 OF HIS SERVANTS AND DID AS THE LORD TOLD HIM. BUT BECAUSE he was scared, if you're scared, say you scared, not Georgia. He was scared of his family and the town's people, he did it at night rather than in the daytime.

IN THE MORNING WHEN THE PEOPLE OF THE TOWN GOT UP, there was Belle's altar demolished with the Ashira pole beside it cut down and the second bull sacrificed on a newly built altar. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. I got so much to give, but I told y'all 10 to 14.

So, >> don't you say take your time. Don't say that if y'all don't If you don't say it, if you don't mean it. >> Hey. Hey. The reason, man. Thank you, Lord. Thank y'all for your prayers. I'm telling you, I just feel I feel such a grace in this season.

Like, I'm like I just feel the power of God. It's so hard to just even almost do anything but worship. I just feel like I'm overflowing. And um I was asked this past week, someone got upset with me and sent a text message and said, "Why you why you keep talking about such and such?

Think you're doing it for attention. Why you keep talking about such and such?" I said, "Yo, I'm just say, yo, I'm just trying to be obedient to God. I don't >> I don't need I I definitely don't need bad attention." >> Why would ANYBODY SIGN UP FOR THAT?

But the Lord is strategic in this hour for tearing down high places and idols. Hear me, Gideon. >> Because you're anointed to build a new one. >> I feel this by the Holy Spirit. It feels like a lot right now because you're contending things from your family, from your bloodline, >> but it's cuz you're anointed to build a new one.

The Lord says, "I'm not just going to redeem your family tree. >> Some of our family TREES IS SO CORRUPT." GOD SAYS, "I'M GOING TO UPROOT YOU." >> AND USE YOU TO PLANT A WHOLE ANOTHER ONE. Oh my God. I don't want to get stuck right here, but I need all the Gideonss in the room to shout, "It stops with me."

Ah, it stops with me. THIS IS A HOME INVASION. I GOT AN ANNOUNCEMENT. It stops with me. I KNOW EVERYBODY ELSE DID THAT. I KNOW IT RAN THROUGH MY BLOODLINE until it ran into me. IT STOPS NOW. THAT'S the last one. My mom WAS THE LAST ONE. MY DADDY WAS THE LAST.

IT STOP. I FEEL THE HOLY GHOST. IT STOPS WITH ME. I NEED EVERY CURSE BREAKER TO TAKE 10 SECONDS and shout. IT STOPS WITH ME. IT STOPS WITH ME. ADDICTION STOPS WITH ME. ABUSE STOPS WITH ME. DIVORCE STOPS WITH ME. IT STOPS RIGHT NOW. Why is it so hard? >> Cuz you're a builder. >> I'm sorry.

God is preaching to me right now. And the first instruction many times >> to renovation is demoing. >> I'll show you pictures. Creative team, y'all. Y'all post it. Y'all post these pictures later. Post this clip and post pictures of what I'm talking about. You can do it before you watch the Super Bowl.

Put this up. The very first thing they did when they came in what used to be a Best Buy, literally I have a sledgehammer and the contractor, he said, "I want you to take the first blow." >> I DIDN'T KNOW IT THEN, JC, BUT IT was prophetic. >> BECAUSE BEFORE GOD BUILT SOMETHING NEW, >> HE TEARS down what was previously existed.

And I KNOW THAT WALL OVER THERE WAS MAD AT ME. THAT WALL PROBABLY SAID, "I'VE BEEN HERE 30 YEARS. I'VE BEEN HERE BEFORE YOU GOT THE CLUB." I WOULD TELL BEFORE GOD EVEN TOLD YOU TO START A CHURCH, WHY YOU MESSING WITH ME, I'M COMFORTABLE. I GOT TO TELL YOU NOW CUZ GOD HAS ANOINTED ME TO BUILD SOMETHING NEW.

MY GOD, YOU GOT 10 SECONDS IF YOU KNOW YOU ARE A BUILDER TO GIVE YOUR GOD. TEAR IT DOWN. TEAR IT DOWN IN SACRAMENTO. TEAR IT DOWN. TEAR IT DOWN. NORTH CALI, TURN IT. Tear it. Tear it. Tear it. Tear it down. I know the enemy's been comfortable, but you got to break it up and tear it down.

Why? >> Because there's a new altar coming. >> There's a new altar coming. Ezekiel, >> I had to tear down >> the old army. >> That's why there's bones everywhere. >> I tore it >> cuz I'm about to bring divine alignment. I just heard the Lord. He said, "Get ready for him to bring some things back in order."

I don't know who needs to hear this. He says, "BUT YOUR DAYS OF BEING SCATTERED are over." My God. HE SAYS, "I BROKE IT TO BUILD IT." My God, I BROKE IT TO BUILD IT. I BROKE IT TO BUILD IT. I KNOW YOU LIKE, "GOD, WHY MY FAMILY GOING THROUGH THIS?"

GOD SAID, "I HAD TO BREAK SOME STUFF." I KNOW YOU THOUGHT YOU WERE OVER THAT. YOU NEVER SHARED ABOUT THE MOLESTATION. BUT GOD SAYS, "YOU GOT TO TALK ABOUT IT CUZ I GOT TO BREAK. I GOT TO BREAK IT OUT OF YOUR MIND CUZ I'M ABOUT TO BUILD YOU STRONGER, MORE ANOINTED, WITH MORE GRACE than you EVER HAD IN YOUR LIFE.

TAKE 30 SECONDS, lift your hands, AND PRAISE THEM LIKE YOU KNOW YOU A BUILDER. Use me TO DO WHATEVER, HOWEVER, WHENEVER. >> There's always a hammer. >> Before there's a regular hammer. >> And it's easier to build sometimes than it is to destroy. Cuz you're destroying by faith. >> Why did the wall have to move? >> Because the architect knew that I got something better coming. >> Forget the former things.

Y'all sit down. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Just sit down. Sit down. Sit down. Forget what was. >> Behold, I do a new thing. >> Question. Shall you not see it? >> I broke that on purpose. And I don't know who needs to hear it. >> You've been crying over spoiled milk. >> Samuel comes to David and said, "How long you going to mourn over Saul? >> I broke that to build a new king.

I broke that system. And the first mission Gideon is given, we're going to do this next week, is the first have a home invasion. >> The name of today's message, part one, is housekeeping. Housekeeping. Tell somebody, prepare for housekeeping. >> Prepare for housekeeping. One of the most necessary and annoying parts of traveling when you travel a lot is when you're in a hotel and that woman come knocking on your door at 7:15 a.m.

Ma'am housekeeping. No, don't you hate that? But you need it, >> right? and she's showing up because she wants to reset. She want to clean out some stuff. It's necessary, but you hate it because sometimes it requires temporary displacement. >> You You hate it, but you got to get out the way so that she can come and do her assignment. >> I was thinking about this, Bri, and I thought about one of the nicest hotels in the world, the Rich C.

One day you going to stay there. I've only stayed there a few times cuz I'd be like, "Babe, a bed is a bed." She said, "You lying. You so picky and bougie." I done check that's all the hotels. I can't do this, baby. The bathroom. She I already unpacked.

Repack the bathroom. I can't do it. >> It's really the opposite. She be LIKE, "A BED IS A BED." NO. NO. Can't do it. The Rich CARLTON IS KNOWN FOR ITS CUSTOMER SERVICE. The guy who founded it, his name is Cesar Rich. And he had this slogan. It's is an amazing motto.

He said, "We are ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen." They perfected this idea of customer service. I'm talking about even to today. If you stay at a Ritz Carlton and you ask for anything, it is literally their privilege to make it happen. Try it next time. Stay there and ask for pig feet.

Ain't even on the menu. Somebody will go to Piggly Wiggly. Find a 60-year-old black woman and have her cook you some pig feet. Y'all quit eating that mess. Y'all just be eating anything. Pig feet. The hotel. Watch this. The reason why they take this so serious, I got to set this up.

This just a foundation. They take it so serious because the hotel is a reflection of ownership. >> The owner's name is on the line. >> That's right. >> And so they're going to do everything they can TO GO ABOVE AND BEYOND. >> THE ANGELS, I mean, the employees SHOW UP EVERY DAY TO MAKE sure that the owner looks well. >> Say that to Rick a couple times and when I show up, tell them my name.

They have my name reserved. My name is on the room, but my name has never been on THE BUILDING. THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OWNERSHIP AND OCCUPANCY. >> Sometimes I walk up to the desk and I'll be like green. My first name Travis. He like cool. My name is on the room, but my name has never been on the building. >> AND I HAVE TO ESTABLISH THIS FRAMEWORK BECAUSE MANY OF US GET IT TWISTED AND WE FORGET WHO'S actually in charge. >> WE FORGET THAT WE DON'T OWN ANYTHING. >> My house, you don't own nothing.

HAVE ANY OF Y'ALL GOT kids that ever said these two words that made you want to punch them through the chest like it was 1988 and it was still legal? There was no rules in the '9s. You extension cords. Come on. If we had testimonies about abuse, I mean whoopins, I mean spankings, I mean folks should come to church kids with real injuries and it wasn't sports.

Your mom done knocked you out on Sunday morning on the way to church. These have a slogan back in the early 90s called backslap. Y'all remember that? I'm a backsl. Y'all ain't Y'all don't know nothing about y'all ain't country enough. Nothing made you want to backslap a kid, backhand slap a kid than when they said it's my room. your room.

Boy, them ain't even your draws. You don't you have made no contribution TO THIS HOUSE. >> THE ONLY THING YOU'VE DONE IS COST ME MORE. >> I LOVE YOU, BUT YOU cost >> mine. Imagine how God must feel when we say stupid stuff like this is my body.

Come on. >> I'm minding my business. >> You ain't got no business. >> The Oh, man. No, no, no. Thank you, Holy Spirit. I'm just going to go I'm going to jump right in. I told y'all it's all gas. It's all gas. THIS IDEA ABOUT IT BEING YOUR BUSINESS is actually actually satanic. >> Autonomy is a curse. >> It is the opposite of accountability.

So the devil WANTS YOU TO JUST HAVE YOUR SECRETS AND YOUR BUSINESS BECAUSE HE OPERATES BEST IN DARKNESS. >> Tell your neighbor, you ain't got no business. >> See, black folks don't like that. That the one thing we want to keep is our business. My business. My car.

My money. What they talking about offering? It's my money. I've learned I've learned I've learned that if I own it, then it's then I'm responsible for it. Oo. If I own it, then I have to maintain it. If I own it, y'all, I don't own none of this.

I don't own THE CHURCH. THIS GOD'S CHURCH. IF I OWN IT, THEN I I got to I GOT TO FIGURE OUT EVERYTHING. And half the time I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'LL BE DOING. >> I just I walk by faith, not by sight. >> Come on. This is a faith walk. >> And so the Lord wants to shift you.

I can't get stuck here, but he wants to shift you from actually even thinking that you own it, but to understand that you are a steward. >> That means that you are a manager. The Bible says the earth is the Lord, the fullness thereof. But just because God's own it, I love I love this.

Doesn't mean he's just going to barge into the room. Revelation says, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock." But many of us reject him because like the woman who come into your door at the hotel, you have do not disturb >> on your heart. God, you can deal with this, but do not disturb my lust.

You can deal with this, but do not disturb this relationship. You can deal with this, but do not disturb this memory. You can deal with this, but do not disturb this habit. And God says, "If only you would open up, I could come in and clean some stuff.

I could come in and rearrange some stuff." And watch this. Watch this. WATCH THIS. WE NEED TO SHIFT OUR PRAYER. WE DON'T just want a move of God because a move is temporary. WE WANT WE DON'T JUST WANT him to move. We want him to move in. >> But in order for him to move in, it means that something got to move out. >> My mom is one of 14.

My grandma had 14 kids. Uh, tradition has it that after eight, she didn't even feel them anymore. She thought it was a fart. They would just pop out. And my grandma, she had so many kids. See, 95 now, y'all. So many kids. 14. Mom's four. One to 14.

I got about 40 first cousins. It's true. Pastor Jamal, D, they came with me one time to Myrtle Beach to a football game. Every human being that walked by was a first cousin. After a while, Jamal was like, "No way." I was like, "That's another first cousin. Another first cousin.

Another first." I got about 40 of them. They all throughout Myrtle Beach. That's why I had to go all the way in the woods of Georgia to find my wife cuz I would have ain't no telling Conway, all that that whole area. I got so many uncles and aunts THAT'S COUSIN.

NEVER MIND. BUT WHAT I'M REALLY TRYING TO say It's okay. >> Y'all don't LOOK AT ME IN THAT TONE VOICE. IF YOU FROM SOMETHING TO YOU KNOW Y'ALL RELATED Y'ALL your whole family both sides of the family just intertwined. Just don't take it to your grandma. YOU EVER TOOK SOMEBODY TO YOUR GRANDMA THAT WAS LIKE WHO WHO YOUR PEOPLE AGAIN?

Y'all is related. My mom GOT SO MANY NIECES AND NEPHEWS and growing up in Georgia, my mom, she would take at at certain TIMES SHE WOULD TAKE SOME IN. She would just take a niece in here and a nephew here and they'll come and go to school in Georgia and stay with us because she wanted to just help them out and give them a fresh start.

But 40 something niece and nephews, there was never a moment in her life where she had the capacity to take them all in. I'm going somewhere. Even though she had the generous heart to do it, there wasn't space to do this. >> Let me help you. So, when we say God is jealous, it's not because he's insecure. >> Lean impulse.

IT'S BECAUSE HE'S THE ARCHITECT OF YOUR soul >> and so he understands that there is limited capacity in you. >> HE'S TOO BIG TO SHARE SPACE. >> IT'S NOT THAT GOD JUST WILL NOT COMPETE WITH IDOLS. HE CANNOT. IT'S BENEATH HIM. And not ONLY THAT, THE BIBLE SAYS THAT THERE IS NO RIVAL.

THERE'S NO EQUAL NONE BESIDE HIM. AND SO GOD UNDERSTANDS THAT IF YOU HOUSE ANYTHING, THIS IS WHY WE HAVE HOME INSPECTION AND HOME INVASION BECAUSE WE GOT TO DEAL WITH SOME STUFF. THE HIDDEN IDOLS THAT WE'VE housed >> and God says, in order for me to move in, if you want more of me, it's going to cost you less of everything else.

And so God is shifting us from just being recipients or being being having revival, attending revival to being carriers of revival. >> But it requires housekeeping. The question is, what are you housing? >> In order to steward revival in God's house, we must first start stewarding revival in our homes. >> And now we're ready to preach. >> Gideon, I like Gideon.

He one of my favorite people in the Bible. Top five easy. I like Gideon because he's an underdog. >> I like G. Look at Chris. Chris my trainer. Been training me for 10 years. He has never been an underdog in his life. Look at all the muscles. He got neck muscles.

Toe muscles. He be doing all kind of dumb exercise. We going to work on the toe today. But unlike Chris, I've been an underdog in my life. I was the football player on the team >> and my biggest contribution was height. This is a true story, Jamal. It was one game the coach put me in in the in the game cuz we're getting beat anyway.

I was free safety and the free safety was back then in middle school they was able to be the one in front of the huddle. Normally that's linebacker, but back in middle school it was free safety. And I remember one game he put me in, we was getting beat real bad and the good players could play both sides of the ball.

So they was exhausted and we was there and I was trying to be I said I said uh I said and it was this one guy named Pat. He might be watching Pat. He always had his mouth like this. He always had uh uh he right there. He watching at home right now.

And uh Pat, this true story. I gotta get back in this sermon, but this is funny. Uh this true story. I went in the huddle and I I never forget. I'm clean y'all. I ain't got no dirt. I've been sitting on the sideline following the coach around the whole game.

Put me in coach. Put me in coach. And so he finally put me in the game and I get in this huddle. I never forget. I got TO SAY, YO, COME ON. WE CAN DO IT. I don't know if this was like I remember the Titans. I was trying to give him a speech.

WE CAN DO IT. COME ON. LEAN IN. GOD. COME ON. GOD'S WITH US. NEVER FORGET. Pound up. Man, he ain't been in the game. He ain't been in the game. Shut up. I was like, "Oh, break." So, I was the underdog. I was terrible. Terrible. I WAS UNDERDOG.

LIKE, GIDEON GIDEON WAS an underdog. He was hiding in a wine press. >> THEY'RE UNDER WARFARE AND HE'S HIDING. And yet, >> I love our God for many reasons. But I LIKE THAT WHEN THE LORD SENT AN ANGEL TO THE WINE PRESS, he looked to Gideon and said, "You mighty warrior." >> How do you call a wimp >> A MIGHTY WARRIOR? >> THERE WAS NOTHING mighty or warriorish >> about his position. >> There was nothing mighty or warriorish about his condition.

THERE WAS NOTHING THAT LOOKED LIKE GOD HAD A PLAN FOR HIM BECAUSE HE WAS THE UNDERDOG. I don't know who I'M PREACHING TO. THERE WAS NOTHING ABOUT HIS CURRENT CIRCUMSTANCE THAT LOOKED LIKE GOD had a plan. AND YET GOD IS A TYPE OF GOD THAT DON'T CALL YOU BASED ON WHERE YOU ARE.

BUT HE CALLED YOU BASED ON WHAT HE SEES. And he SAYS, "I KNOW YOU'RE HIDING RIGHT NOW, BUT THERE'S SOMETHING MIGHTY on the inside. I I need to talk to the person in the back row. I know you're hiding right now, but there's something mighty on the inside of you.

God's hand is on you. He's not a man that he should lie, nor the son of man that he should repent. IF HE SAID IT, he meant it. And his HAND IS ONLY. DO me a favor. Help me preach. POINT SOMEBODY AND TELL ME, YOU MORE mighty than you think you are. >> God don't NEED MAN'S APPROVAL, PERMISSION.

HE DON'T EVEN need your resume to call you. He do not call the qualify. HE QUALIFIES THOSE WHO HE CALL. THAT'S THE KIND OF GOD. AND HE KNEW EVEN THOUGH GIDEON WAS HIDING, WATCH THIS. HE KNEW NOT JUST THAT HE WOULD USE HIM, BUT HE KNEW exactly how he would use him.

And I don't have time to really execute this, but I'm just going to give you a little bit. Can I give you a little bit? >> JUST A LITTLE BIT. Something unique happens to Gideon. Gideon has an army of 32,000 people. He go and demolish out. He do all this.

THEN THE BIBLE SAY HE BLOW THE TRUMPET. 32,000 people show up ready to serve Fort Jackson. Let's get busy. They come give him the salute. They getting marching orders. Let's go. We ready. 32,000. GIDEON'S army grows from 32,000 to 300. >> Some of y'all doing math. >> I think you just missed the wrong word right there.

You said his army grew. >> Hallelujah. >> This is why I'm generous. >> Because when I release, my God, >> I make space >> for Gyar to do more than I could. SO WHEN I GIVE, I DON'T LOSE. It is a game. My God, he grew from a lot to a little because a little is a lot when it's in the hand of God.

I I need to go somewhere else to preach. Y'all be coming here to play around. HE GREW. TELL SOMEBODY, "GOD BEEN GROWING ME." MAN CALL IT FAILURE. GOD CALLS IT PRUNING. God been growing me. Ah, that wasn't a losing season. THAT WAS A SEWING SEASON. MY GOD. UH, IN OTHER WORDS, HE SWED ALL OF THOSE MEN.

THEY NEEDED TO GET OUT OF THE WAY SO GOD CAN GET IN THE WAY. AND MAYBE PERHAPS YOU GOT TOO MUCH HELP AND YOU'RE RELYING ON YOUR OWN STRENGTH. >> Have you EVER I'M LOOKING FOR THE RIGHT PEOPLE. I AIN'T COME TO PREACH TO EVERYBODY. HAVE YOU EVER BEEN IN A SEASON WHERE IT FELT LIKE YOU WERE LOSING? >> It's like God. >> Have you ever been in a season, MAMA, WHERE YOU FELT LIKE GOD WAS PICKING on you?

Yeah, >> like Lord, please go to the neighbor house enough >> man. Imagine a church growing from 32,000 to 300. >> That pastor would probably be suicidal >> because it would look like he was losing. >> But he wasn't losing. God was actually requiring >> man's help >> to get out the way. >> HERE'S WHAT YOUR BIBLE SAY.

You got to read it when you get home. You need to read Judges 6:7 and 8. Here's what your Bible say. It literally says this. God says, I need you to send them home. He says, because you have too much help, my God, I'm about to run. I got to land this plane because I want to pray, but I'm about to run real quick.

The reason I'm going to run cuz the Lord told me he got too much help. >> Reason I love this so much because the first time I landed in this text was in my mid20s and this gave me revelation for what God was requiring from me. And he said, "Travis, you got too much help."

And this is what the Lord says. He says, "If this is in your Bible, he says, if I allow y'all to beat the Midianites in your current condition, >> you'll take the credit." So I GOT TO STRIP YOU COME HERE IN SUCH A WAY THAT WHEN I DO WHAT I'M ABOUT TO DO, NOBODY GOING TO BE ABLE TO GET THE GLORY BUT ME.

Not a supervisor, not a boo, not a not a NOT A PROFESSOR, NOT A MAMA, NOBODY GOING TO GET THE GLORY FROM ME. Not a bank, come here. NOT AN INSTITUTION, NOBODY GOING TO GET THE GLORY FROM ME. I HAD TO STRIPPED YOU SO MUCH THAT WHEN I TAKE YOUR SITUATION AND TURN IT AROUND, YOU WON'T HAVE TO TESTIFY IT WAS NOBODY BUT JESUS.

WHEN I LOOK BACK OVER MY LIFE AND I THINK THINGS OVER, I CAN TRULY SAY I'VE BEEN BLESSED. I HAVE A TESTIMONY AND IT WAS NOBODY BUT JESUS WHO KEPT YOU. NOBODY BUT JESUS WHO HEALED YOU. NOBODY BUT JESUS WHO PROVIDED. NOBODY BUT JESUS. HOW DID Y'ALL GO FROM A LITTLE SHACK BUILDING TO 45,000 SQUARE FT?

NOBODY BUT JESUS. HOW DID GOD TAKE A BOY WITH A SPEECH IMPEDIMENT IN GEORGIA and send them around THE WORLD SINGING? NOBODY BUT JESUS. GRAB YOUR LET'S HAVE CHURCH. GRAB YOUR NEIGHBOR AND TELL THEM GOD'S GOING TO GET THE CREDIT FOR THIS ONE. GOD IS AFTER HIS GLORY.

HEY, GOD IS AFTER HIS GLORY. GOD IS AFTER HIS GLORY. And so he says, "I got YOU RIGHT WHERE I GOT YOU. I GOT YOU RIGHT WHERE I WANT YOU CUZ I'M GOING TO GET GLORY OUT OF THIS. I'MMA GET GLORY OUT OF YOUR CHILDREN. I'm going to get glory out of your marriage.

I'm going to get GLORY OUT OF YOUR FINANCES." This is a setup for THE GLORY OF GOD to be imposed in your life. Take 10 seconds and give your God GIVE YOUR GOD A PRAISE LIKE YOU KNOW THAT HE WHO HAS BEGUN A GOOD WORK IS FAITHFUL to complete it to the day of JESUS CHRIST.

GET THE GLORY. HEY. HEY, get the glory. Get the glory. USE ME TO DO WHATEVER, HOWEVER, WHENEVER. GET THE GLORY. Get the glory. I want to get out of this. But if it's going to give you glory, keep me right here. Wrap me IN THE CRADLE OF YOUR HORN.

Get the glory. Yay. Though I walk through THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH, I WOULD NOT fear for you ARE WITH ME. YOUR ROD AND YOUR STAFF, THEY COMFORT ME. THOU prepared a table BEFORE ME. IN THE PRESENCE OF MY ENEMY, GET THE GLORY. Whatever you do, hey, whatever you do, get the glory out of my life.

Uh, GET THE GLORY OUT OF THIS SITUATION. GET THE GLORY OUT OF THIS DIAGNOSIS. Get the glory out of this foreclosure. Get the glory out of this divorce. Get the glory. Tell your neighbor, he going to get glory out of this. He going to get glory out of this.

He going to get one thing about it. HE GOING TO GET GLORY OUT OF THIS. MY WEEPING MAY ENDURE FOR A NIGHT, BUT HE GOING TO GET glory out of this. I MIGHT BE CONFUSED RIGHT NOW, BUT JUST HOLD ON. HE GOING TO GET GLORY. I KNOW YOU LAUGHING RIGHT NOW CUZ I'M BROKE, BUT HE GOING TO GET GLORY OUT OF THIS.

I AIN'T GOT NOTHING TO POST ON INSTAGRAM RIGHT NOW, BUT HE GOING TO GET GLORY OUT OF THIS. ONE THING ABOUT MY GOD, HE WILL get good not to get glory. >> His resume says one thing. Glory. >> The fact that I got 11year-old that's alive when the doctor said there was no way he going to live.

Glory. The fact that I was pronounced dead when I was 4 years old, but I'm still here at 42. Glory. The fact that my dad died and I'm supposed to be locked up, homosexual, or dead. Glory. THE FACT THAT GOD'S BEEN GOOD TO ME, he kept me. Glory, glory, glory.

I need SOMEBODY TO QUIT BEING SAD. GIVE HIM THE GLORY WITH YOUR PRAISE. CLAP YOUR HANDS ON YOU PEOPLE and shout unto the Lord with the voice OF TRIUMPH LIKE YOU KNOW HE'S worthy of the honor. He's worthy OF THE PRAISE. HE'S WORTHY OF the glory. Sit down.

Sit up. Sit up. So God yeah. I may have to cry, but >> you're going to get the glory. >> Yes, you are. Yes, you are. Yes, you are. >> You're going to get the glory. >> I just heard in my spirit. >> I just heard in my spirit.

Someone's there with a question like, "God, I want to trust you, but why this? >> Why me? >> Why now?" >> And I just heard a word in my spirit to him. I heard the Lord say, "I'm betting on myself." >> God says, "You may can't trust yourself, BUT I CAN TRUST ME." >> And one thing I know, I know you see a red sea, but I see glory.

I know you see Goliath, but I see glory. I know you see a bloody cross, but I see glory. I know it don't look good to you RIGHT NOW. THEY THOUGHT IT WAS OVER FOR HIM, BUT 3 DAYS LATER, THAT TOMB WAS empty because anytime you see trial, HE SEES GLORY.

ANYTIME YOU SEE BATTLE, HE SEE GLORY. YOUR AFFLICTION MAY LAST INTO A LITTLE WHILE. BUT GOD sees after you suffered a little while. He will establish you. He will settle you. HE WILL PERFECT YOU. WHAT IS THAT? THAT'S GLORY. I NEED YOU TO LIFT YOUR HANDS. TAKE 20 SECONDS. >> GLORY.

GLORY. >> COME ON. THIS IS OUR first time in the building in two weeks. Take 20 seconds. Lift your voice and give him glory. Glory, glory, glory, glory, glory, glory, glory, glory, glory, glory, glory, glory, glory, glory, glory, glory, glory. Hey, hey, hey. Glory, glory. You want to get the glory.

I'm going finish the message next week >> cuz I need to pray for you. You're going to keep the you whoever that woman that was screaming in the back just in, that was a holy scream. What you were doing was releasing something. God says, "When you release that stress, you can expect glory to come.

When you release that anxiety, expect glory to fill it." He says, "I'm looking for vacancy, HOUSEKEEPING. I'M MOVING STRESS OUT SO GLORY CAN STEP IN. I'm moving sickness out so glory can step in. I'M MOVING WORRY OUT SO GLORY CAN STEP IN. HONEST GLORY STEP IN. GLORY STEPS IN WITH MY HANDS LIFTED UP AND MY MOUTH FILLED WITH PRAISE.

WHEN I LIFT HIM, when I lift him, when I lift him, glory shows up. I NEED A 100 PEOPLE TO LIFT YOUR HANDS AND COMMAND. GLORY, SHOW UP IN MY LIFE. GLORY, show up in my mind. Glory, SHOW UP IN MY MARRIAGE. GLORY, SHOW UP IN THE HOSPITAL.

GLORY, GLORY, It is a competition >> that God's not in. >> He doesn't compete. >> So to say God is fighting with the devil is insulting. Are you kidding me? >> God is just allowing the devil to do some things >> for his The devil's so dumb. HE WORK FOR GOD. >> It looks like an attack, Joe, >> but it's a setup for glory.

So the battle is not between God and the devil. Even the battle between good and evil is not involving God. Good and evil is beneath him. >> They ate from the tree. Good and that's beneath him. >> He's above all of that. >> He's Elohim. He God has never been in a fight in his life. >> HOW DO YOU KNOW?

CUZ THE BIBLE SAYS HE'S SEATED. And you're straight ENOUGH TO KNOW ONE THING YOU'RE NOT GOING TO DO IS FIGHT sitting down. >> THE FACT THAT HE'S SEATED MEANS THAT HE'S NOT STRESSED. THE FACT THAT HE'S SEATED MEANS HE'S RESTING. THE FACT THAT HE'S seated means that he's not fighting. >> So what is this fight?

The fight is between you >> and the enemy. Amen. And it's a fight >> that you don't have to engage in. >> That's why you're stressed because you're trying to fight. >> And the Bible is very clear. We wrestle, >> not against flesh and blood, >> but against principalities, >> against rulers of high places, against these are these are wicked strategic attacks that's trying to get you to fight the wrong battle.

That's what we going to talk about next week. >> You're focused on the wrong battle. because you think it's physical and it's spiritual. And God says if you would just take your hands off of it. >> See, that's against your nature. Oo, cuz some of y'all are used to fighting for yourself >> cuz nobody else will fight for you. >> You were abused and no one else will fight for you.

So you said, "Uh, one thing I'm going to do, I'm going put up these walls. I'm going to protect me." >> And God says, "No, no, no, no. If you would just take your hands off of it, the devil lose by default. >> That don't mean don't take your prayer off.

You still pray, you still announce, you still release angels, you still war in the spirit. That's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about fighting in the flesh. >> It's a losing battle. >> For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal. NIB said, "The weapons of warfare are not of the flesh, >> but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds."

Watch this. To the pulling down of idols. Housekeeping part one. Thank y'all. I'll finish next week. But what I want to pray about, thank you Lord. are those who have idolized the idea of fighting for yourself. And the reason the army had to leave is because if they would have fought the battle, they would have got the credit.

The reason you can't fight this because God want the glory. The only way God's going to get the glory is if you take your hands off. Stop defending yourself online. The battles you engage in and reveal the level you're on. >> There's so many battles that may come across me, come across my timeline, or somebody may send me or text me or something.

That's why I don't even have social media on my phone. I stay away from it. There's so many battles that try to get to me. I can't come down. This Nehemiah Bible says these guys kind of come to him trying to get him distracted. He said, "Yo, I I got a great work to do and I can't come down."

And some of us have been coming down to try to fight and figure out one of the ways of fighting in the flesh and I'm going to pray for you is you trying to rationalize >> what's happening. >> So you may not fight with your hands, but you're fighting with your mind.

That's why you can't sleep. >> You're trying to make sense of a spiritual matter. >> And God says, "Would you just release?" That's what this moment is. This moment is a divine release where I say, "I'm taking my hands off. I want to pray for you. If that's you, meet me at the altar very quick.

We're going to do it in five minutes and you go home. If that's you, if that's you, I want you to meet me up here at the altar very quickly. I got to take my hands off of this. Thank you, Lord. I just heard the Lord tell me this.

Some of you guys' health conditions is actually a misdiagnosis. >> The symptom is showing up because you're fighting wrong, >> man. Oh, man. I warned you. I warned you. This is a move. Hopefully, you took notes. Hopefully, your heart was open to receive a word from God. Listen, something stirred your heart and today you're saying, "You know what?

I want to give my heart to Jesus." I want to pray a prayer with you. Very simple prayer. Repeat after me. Lord Jesus, I believe you died on the cross for my sins. And I believe you got up so I don't have to stay down. Today I receive you as my Lord and my Savior.

Change me. I surrender my life to you. I don't just want to be saved by you. I want to be used by you. And I don't just want to be used by you. I want to be known by you. So you are my Lord. You are King. Take over in Jesus name.

Amen. I love you. Hey, thank you so much. If you need additional prayer, there are links below. If you want to give and sew into what God is doing here at Forward City Church, there are links below as well. Um, and if you're listening to podcast, you can go to forwardcity.com forwardcity.com to be involved with what God's doing here.

I love you. We'll see you soon. God bless you.