The Power of Perhaps | Bryan Woodson

((applause)) I just drove from hushon so I don't know God's got something for you and Stephanie today but open your bibles if you will to 1 Samuel chapter 14 U let me just start out by saying God is going to move us today do you believe that God is going to move us today if you're in here on a Sunday like this you're here hungry and I know you are or you were told you had to be there and you don't disobey your parents but regardless of how you got here you're here and I believe God's going to move us today I don't want to be the same person at the end of this day that I was when I woke up in the morning and the main reason is is because today we're choosing to spend our lives and to bend our lives around the truth of God's word I refused to go to bed the same man I was when I woke up because God is still moving and God is still moving in Me God is still moving in you and if you're a candidate to be moved by God this morning give a big shot of Praise in this house and every room that you are today 1 Samuel chapter 14 it begins in verse 6 saying this Jonathan said to his young armor Bearer come let us go over to The Outpost of the uncircumcised fellows and I I appreciate how the Bible makes things sound poetic but I don't know that necessarily Jonathan said fellows that's a little too sophisticated because they were in the middle of a skirmish a war a battle that had been lingering forever but nonetheless Jonathan says to his young armor Bearer let's go over to to The Outpost of these uncircumcised fellows and then he says this word he says perhaps say that out loud say perhaps you know that sounds like a a dad phrase hey Dad when you're done with that can we go to Toys R Us perhaps what am I saying no but when we get in the realm of God and we begin to talk to God and we begin to move with the things of God when we get around God our perhaps is not a no but our perhaps is leaning towards a yes when God says maybe something in your heart begins to LEAP you you know those moments you've been in the Altar and you've been worshiping and praising God and maybe maybe someone uh someone up here on the platform or someone giv a testimony or next week I might need some water that wasn't that was actually real I might need some water I don't know but just throw it at me Jonathan if there's one up there or Aaron nice Johnny excellent Johnny single handsome but this story is not about him this is another Jonathan but Jonathan said to his young AR armor Bearer come over and let's go to The Outpost of the uncircumcised fellows perhaps the Lord will act on our behalf and it might have been altars that you've been here next week we're baptizing people at all of our campuses and no doubt some of them are going to share bits of their heart that that are going to bring us to tears they're going to bring us to our feet and some of us might be inspired by their journey and we might say to God we might miss whisper to God God do you have a plan for me God you know my life you know where I've been God could there be something left over for me and if all you hear from the mouth of God is a maybe something in you begins to stir God said maybe God said maybe God said maybe there's some room there was no room for Jesus in the end but there was room for Jesus in the world there was room for Jesus Jesus in your heart if you make room for him he's making room for you and all bets are off all the lies of the devil that he has spoken over you since the day you were born some of you are here by the miraculous your mom had planned to abort you but you're here anyways car Crashers tried to kill you but you're here anyways that tree was going to fall on your house last night but God kept it from it and you're here anyways God's got something for you and Jonathan Whispers with that kind of courage to his armor Bearer and he says perhaps the armor Bearer knows Jonathan enough to know that when Jonathan says perhaps he really means yes perhaps the Lord will work on our behalf nothing can hinder nothing can restrain the Lord from saving whether by many or by few and whenever I'm on a team I want to be on the many but what Jonathan is saying he's saying to his armor Bearer I realize that our army is nothing compared to theirs the army of the Philistines of Philistine some say that they had 3,000 chariots others say they had 30,000 chariots but when it comes to counting the men in the army they were immeasurable they could not count them in Saul's Army in Jonathan's father's Army in the army of the Israelites you could count them you're immediately at a disadvantage when you could count them you could count them in this room they had an army of 3,000 and Saul divided them up between him and his son Jonathan he gave Jonathan a thousand and Saul kept a thousand and Jonathan whispered to his armor Bearer and he said perhaps the Lord will act on our behalf then the armor Bearer turned and said something beautiful to Jonathan which is really I believe a picture of our posture towards God the armor bear Turned to Jonathan and I don't know if he whispered I don't know if he shouted but I know that he said do all you have to do in your mind go ahead he said I like like it how he provoked him do everything you have to do in your mind go ahead go ahead go ahead I'm with you heart and soul the armor Bearer could have just said hey hey Jonathan I've been around I'm not going nowhere let's just try this thing out but he did not say that he said go ahead he said I'm with you heart and soul heart is about here but soul is about heaven and that armor Bearer knew that if I follow Jonathan I might end my life on this Earth because of the battle that we're about to face but I've already decided I'm all in on this thing I'm not going halfway anymore I'm all in on a maybe I'm all in on a perhaps and yes I'm with you heart and soul say heart and soul let me back up real quick and take a quick second to let you know that Jonathan is the young son he's the prince of Israel Saul is his father and I call him The Reluctant King from the beginning Saul was reluctant about his role in the kingdom of God and I know a lot of us in this room at different points in our life we could be called The Reluctant King The Reluctant leader The Reluctant son The Reluctant husband The Reluctant parent The Reluctant co-worker or entrepreneur or CEO but here is here is Saul sending Head and Shoulders above everyone else he's handsome he's beautiful on the outside he's got it all going on but on the inside he's melting and rotting to the core and he's trying to keep up this facade he's spinning plates he's trying to work the narrative get ahead of the news he's he's he I could just imagine if we sat down to eat with Saul we would never really get a straight answer he would be somewhere else you know those people they're always somewhere else in their thoughts spinning wheels and solving problems and getting out of whatever they're in Saul had 3,000 men the Philistine Army had at least 3,000 chariots with two men for Chariot Jonathan had already been fighting it said in a couple chapters before that young Jonathan with his armor bear and His Thousand they had already declared some battle with the Philistines and the minute that they won that battle here Here Comes his father King Saul ringing his Bell he hears that Jonathan has won the battle and here is his father coming up talk about Stolen Valor he comes up from behind and blows The Trumpet of the king letting everyone know that Jonathan didn't win the battle but the king did the king is conniving it's funny you never really hear Jonathan complain about his father in this story he's all about the mission Jonathan is fighting strategizing hungry for victory ready to lay it all down seeking and serving God no compromise but here's Saul on the other side he's hiding in fact in this story right here he's camped under a tree let me tell you a little bit about Saul in Samuel chapter 10 when he was anointed to be the king of Israel he they they said where did he go we must anoint him and somebody spoke up but said oh Samuel I know where Saul is he has hidden himself among the baggage no nobody hid him he has hid himself from the very beginning Saul has been hiding from his Destiny and I'm talking to somebody in the room right now or somebody watching on this TV you need to stop hiding from your destiny your false humility is not helping you it's hurting you you need to step into the light that God has called you to and be a candidate of the king you're not representing yourself it's not arrogance when you call when you say yes to the call it's not arrogance when you come to an altar call it's not arrogance when you ask Jesus to clean up the filth in your life and you say I lay my life before you I lay it down you can pick it up and make me greater than I am it's un arrogance it's humility and God is calling you outside of yourself to step into the kingdom and accomplish some things can I get a bigger amen right there I don't know if I'm preaching to you or preaching to the little old Brian that I used to be my teachers laughed at me I had a sarcasm issue I was making up for my learning disabilities I couldn't I couldn't I couldn't what was it reading and comprehension obviously I can't speak all that great every now and again but I had tutors and I was doing I had mom drugged me all over plac the specialist and and look I got in trouble with my mouth and I would just be sarcastic towards Authority but it was all covering up insecurity I wanted to hurt you before you hurt me that's insecure and and an insecure leader they raise up an insecure nation and that's what King Saul is doing right here in Israel that I used to despise Saul but do you know what that tells you guys it it's I'm telling on myself everything I despise about Saul I really despise about me come on Saul get your act together don't you know who you are you you were chosen by God you were anointed by the man of God you were brought in front of the whole nation quit messing up moments Saul get your act together Saul I wasn't talking to Saul I was talking to me you need to read that book The Tale of Three Kings and you recognize that David wasn't just battling David and Saul David was battling the Saul inside of David we've all got an insecurity we've all got an arrogance issue but we all need Jesus I'm going to take a break and that's where you're going to tra praise the Lord real quick something about that song one of those songs we sang I think it talked about waking us up or something like you woke us up and I was thinking about about 3 o'clock in the morning when those when those lightning bolts were waking us up and I just I I was looking out there at just it's a little terrifying but it's a little beautiful too that power is not something that we need to be afraid of that power is something that God is reminding us you're not weak when you're with me so Saul now has 600 men he started with 3,000 he's Whitted his group down to 600 now he's sitting under a tree and in Samuel chapter 10 he hid himself among the baggage in Samuel chapter 14 in this story he's hiding under a a pomegranate tree that speaks of prominence and it speaks of authority and it speaks of wisdom and blessing he's not those things but he's propped himself up under that thing hoping that you and I walk by and perceive that he is that thing Saul was a man that was reluctant from the beginning in chapter 10 he was among the baggage in chapter 14 he was hiding under a tree in chapter 17 he should have been facing Goliath but meanwhile he's in his tent pushing a teenager to go fight the Giant and in ch in chapter 22 he's under a tree again I I I'll give you I'll give you one guess where they buried Saul under a tree that man died and they buried him under a tree that was his legacy but God's called us to more than just leaning up under trees it says in in Isaiah chter 40: 31 verse 31 they that wait on the shall renew their they shall Mount up with wings as they shall run and not grow they shall walk and not you get extra credit this section right here you nailed everyone but here's what I want to let you know if that's not Happ happening then you're not waiting on God if while you're waiting you're not your strength is not renewing if while you're waiting you're not mounting up with wings as Eagles if while you're waiting you're getting weary and you're running if while you're waiting you're walking is turned to sitting then you're not waiting on God you're waiting on something other than God but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength they will Mount up with wings as eagles they will run and not grow weary and all the rest of that stuff when we wait on God that's what happens when you wait you like that I love that song I know it's kind of old and some of you are like what just Google it just Google that's what happens when you wait I don't know who sings it but it just fires me up when we do it's a reminder when we wait on the Lord waiting feels like a waste but if that's not happening then you're not waiting on the Lord your waiting needs to turn into worshiping your waiting needs to turn into trusting your waiting needs to turn into believing but here in this story waiting turned into Waring something was burning in Jonathan leadership you I could just see Jonathan he was a young leader I could see you know the little whiskers the little peach fuzz growing up on his upper lip and his bottom chin and he's starting to like feel himself and starting to get bigger shoulders and he's starting to squeeze his dad's hand when they shake and trying to like pull him off balance he's starting to feel Authority in his voice he's starting to get stronger he's starting to feel himself and you know that moment when you begin to notice things that are happening that you don't agree with it's not a spirit of division if you'll be if you'll be thoughtful and humble it's really the Holy Spirit developing leadership in you it's not to cause uh Division and to bring people down and to question authority it's just the Holy Spirit giving you space in your heart to say what would you do how would you handle that and if you handle those moments well God will give you more and that's what Jonathan is doing he couldn't just sit there any longer he had to pick a fight and he said come let's go to the other Outpost and and and and and some of you guys only relate to let's go when you were about to throw hands with somebody back in high school let's go some of you just woke up you're like I'm ready to fight it I I'll fight that preacher right there let's go don't fight me till after the service we got to keep going but he said come on let's go let's go over to The Outpost perhaps the Lord let's go perhaps the Lord will act I really think this is the moment of Victory we're going to read other things and God does some crazy Miracles stuff that blows your mind but I think this was the moment for Jonathan when he won the victory before he could even taste the victory I think this is the moment we can't do nothing we can't stay here reminds me of 2 Kings chapter 7 there were four lepers and there was this battle happening between two armies and it says now there were four men with Leprosy at the entrance of The City Gate and they said to each other why sit here till we die why sit here till we die if we say we'll go into the city the famine is waiting for us there and we will die but if we say we'll go to the camp of the of the enemy and surrender and if they spare us we live but if they don't spare us we die they're stuck between a rock and a hard place and I don't know about you this morning but I'm not going to die right here and I'm not going to go die going backwards I'm GNA die going forwards I'm going to die leaning into Jesus I'm going to die lifting up his name I'm going to die proclaiming the good things of the Lord in the land of the living I'm going to die I'm going to die hopefully while I'm praying for someone to be healed I want to practice this thing I want to see God at work not just in my life but in our life in the kingdom of God there's something amazing that was happening the the army of Saul once they heard of the large army of the Philistines it said they begin to hide inside of rocks they began to hide in the woods and systemns I don't I've never even seen a sistern but they found one and they hid in that thing but what breaks my heart about the story is it says some of the people in God's chosen Army ran across the uh the the Jordan River and went back to the place of slavery well that's a move we cannot make that's spitting in the face of God that's saying God you have a dream but your dream is not my dream God you have a promise but go as as life has gone on I don't believe your promise anymore and not only am I not going to fight for you and stand for you I'm going to go back to the place that you originally rescued me from and I'm not going back the same I'm going back broken but these four men of leprosy they finally decided if we sit here here and die if we go into the town and die if we go to the enemy's camp and die so when they reached the edge of the camp nobody was there the Lord had caused the Army the the the Armenian or the uh some Army the bad guys the bad guys when they heard the four lepers coming their way the Bible says that God gave them the the Tactical Advantage the Lord caused that these four lepers made them sound like an army of Chariots and horses and great men and so they fled and those four lepers ran into tent to tent they got the gold they got food and they were gorging and celebrating and putting on the jewelry and having a good time and then they looked at each other and said wait a minute there's a whole city in famine we can't just sit here and eat this until we're full let's go proclaim the goodness to the town and everybody's going to eat I'm telling you if four of you find yourself and victory tell the rest of us because we want to celebrate together if you get a miracle in your house you tell us about it if you get breakthrough on your job you tell us about it because if God will do it for you he'll do it for me and generations past and generations in the future come on give God a shout of Praise in this house it's time to move and I want to let you know this morning when Jonathan was talking to his armor bear he was challenging him it's time to move on a maybe it's time to move in the meantime time it's time to take a step towards Destiny it's time to move on God's maybe and put it all on a perhaps and Jonathan had no guarantees the lepers had no guarantees can I tell you the only guarantee you and I have is this Jesus told us in this world you will have trouble trouble is not going to be anything you can avoid trouble will find you trouble will knock on your door trouble will wake up next to you trouble will walk into your hospital room trouble will walk up to you on the job but this is the other thing that Jesus Promised in this world you'll have trouble but take heart because I've overcome Jesus promises two things you will not outrun trouble but you will not outrun the power of the overcoming power of God in your life so bring it on trouble Bring It On trouble because my God is an overcomer and you're an overcomer too in this house and online give him praise is this an overcoming church are you ready to overcome the enemy are you tired of sitting there are you ready to move on a maybe cuz that's what God is calling you to do the only guarantee in life is you're an overcomer funerals will come and go tragedies will strike when it's least convenient I can say that and you can hear it so flippantly but some of you in this room your heart goes to a very dark place when I say that it's not fair it's not nice some of you are still catching your breath from the last hit you took from the enemy but while you're down in a position recovering your breath while tears are still streaming down your face when you're wondering is this worth it when you're wondering is God going to come through for me I want to remind you that Jesus says in this world you will have trouble but he says take heart for I've overcome the world faith faith is God faith in God is the Ultimate Surrender waving the White Flag to Jesus Jonathan's plan was not about strength or skill or submission he didn't have some clever approach in fact it said let me read it to you Lord Heal My Eyes in Jesus name let me read it to you in 1 Samuel 1 Samuel 14 this is a great moment you guys can begin to play so Jonathan says to his armor bear let's go over then he says to them as he's facing the enemy he says we're going to let the enemy see us and we're going to call up to the top of this cliff and if they say stay where you are then we're going to stay right where we're at but if they say climb up this cliff and fight us then we're going to know that the victory is ours is that bold Jonathan is already sold out and the armor Bearer is already all in heart and soul and so as they stand there in verse in chapter 14 it says from the top of the cliff the enemy called out and they said look the Philistines they said the Hebrews are crawling out of their holes look when the devil tells you who you already are don't let that offend you when the devil reminds you that you don't get all right all the time guilty one of my sons learned a cuss word not at school from me changing the brakes on one of the cars I'm not going to tell you which one it was but if you ever want to hear it you come around when I'm changing the brakes on the car I might say it again he asked me he said dad can I say that word and I wanted to say hell no but that would have been cussing and I'm not going to do that but here he is looking up the cliff and they're calling him what they already know remember the Israelite Army they're hiding in holes and caves and sists and it says from the top it says oh the Hebrews are crawling out of their holes and and they're and they're and they're coming out of their hiding he says come on up we'll teach you a lesson so John turned to his armor Bearer and he said clim time after me the Lord has given them into our hand and Jonathan climbed up using his hands and his feet sometimes you have to crawl to Victory before you can claim your Victory doesn't feel it doesn't feel like heaven on Earth when you're on your hands and your knees and you're crawling through thick and thin and mud but sometimes you got to crawl to Victory before you can claim your Victory and some of you are there this morning you feel like you've been crawling your whole life through mck and M and bramble bushes and thorns and things that are destroying you and throw and slowing you down that said once they got up to the top it said this then the Panic struck the whole Army I love this part then Panic struck the whole Army those in the camp those in the field those in The Outpost those in the rating parties and the ground began to shake can you picture that these men are climbing up this cliff and they get to the men and they begin to use their one sword that they had Saul had a sword and Jonathan had a sword and I don't know what the armor Bearer had but whatever he had he was cut people with it they were fing the fellows at the top of that cliff and then the Bible says once they did all they could do then Faith showed up and when Faith walks in the room all bets are off and the enemy better start running because once they started killing the Bible said confusion hit the camp and not only the guys on the battlefield but the guy back cooking lunch he pulled out his sword and he began to kill his friends and then other guys in other parts of the area the Philistines began to lose their minds some of us are trying to just get through the day but God wants you to have ultimate total Victory you're just trying to get out of a meeting but God wants you to own the company some of you are trying to just get out of an awkward situation but God's bringing you up to a Mountaintop and he's giving you a view of this is all yours this is the kingdom of God it's time to move on on a maybe it's time to stand up and fight it's not time to sit here and stay here it's time to advance the army of God can I get one amen out of this Presbyterian church and give God a shout of praise cuz he's moving on a baby stand up all over the room that's not even all of it it said the Panic struck struck the whole Army the camp and the field those in The Outpost raing parties they just turned on each other what was that like one at one point they're eating a sandwich talking about whatever the next thing you know they're poking each other with their swords because once you do all you can do God does all he can do you know when David killed Goliath no one else had to fight Goliath ever again who else did Goliath pick on nobody and you know what David did David raised up giant Killers When you slay your giant you've got a moral authority to raise up giant killers ((applause)) when the Panic struck the whole Army and all the you you know how we couldn't count the Army but God could I know where they're at I know where they're hiding but then it said the ground shook the ground began to shake when Jonathan stepped out in faith when two men stepped out in faith when two men climbed a cliff when two men were all in when they faced their Nemesis and certain death they not only survived but they thrived and as the Army is turning on itself God begins to shake the earth I wonder if that was because God was up in heaven jumping and shouting look at my boys woo let's go you hear God whispering that in your ear this morning let's go to the dads that are in the room like Saul and Jonathan it's not too late to turn to Jesus if Saul could have just bent his knee when he was leaning up under that pomegranate tree and said God my life is a choke I'm living Al liive Saul could have turned that thing around and instead of fighting against the son he could have fought right beside him telling you there's some dads in this room God's whispering in your heart let's go it's time to move on a mayy we're messing around don't wait till you're old and regret your years to turn to Jesus Jonathan stepped out in faith and did his armor Bearer and the ground Shook and the Army ran in confusion when you move out in faith the enemy moves out in fear all the terror that was designed for you lands on the lap of the devil and he goes running for the he doesn't know what a sistern is but he's going to find it when you show up with your faith and with your army and with your sword I'm asking you in this room right where you're standing close your eyes all over this room if you're here and you feel like you're stuck in the middle you feel like you're called to More Than This you actually said it to your spouse or to a friend this week there's got to be more if that's you I want you to come to this altar right now I want to pray for you right now and all of our campus has come to the altar right now there's more than this there's more than this I'm made for much more than this God's called me for more than this if you're in the room today and you're ready to move on a baby you're ready to take the next step maybe you've been dating that girl for 12 years you need to marry her you need to move on a maybe baby if you feel like God's moving in your heart to se towards Ministry or to begin a business or step out in faith in a missionary in a missionary exploit or to reach people for Jesus or to be a light maybe you're the one that is saved in your household and God has put a burden on your heart to see the whole family tree come to the saving knowledge of Jesus I want you to come down to this altar right now I want to pray for you in this room let's sing the song together as they come come on ((music playing)) let's you're ready to take on the enemy ready to step into Destiny get in this altar this morning evil even through the valley of the sh I Fe no evil even though walk through the valley of the sh I feel you your you Fe we we this death you lost your shame oh grave you my oh fear trip we know we want is this let's ((music playing)) pray you know there's people in this room that this is just sort of Sunday talk but there's others that are here you're locked in this is the moment that Faith becomes real that you decide I'm no longer a victim but I'm to whisper to the people around me Perhaps Perhaps the Lord will come through father I pray for this group of people at all of our campuses that are wrestling with a call with the purpose some that are wrestling with pain and tragedy and let down I ask you Holy Spirit to do a deep work in all of their lives God your ways are not our ways and your thoughts are not our thoughts why would you call a kid in his armor Bearer to climb a cliff why would you wait for them to kill a few men before you began to unleash absolute confusion on the enemy's armies God I know this today the enemy loses in this room the enemy loses his grip in this room loses his grip on a generation like young Jonathan's he loses his grip on a generation like old Saul's God you've called us to more than this and we ask you Jesus to whisper the ear in our heart it's time to move on a maybe let's go if you're here today and you want to make Jesus the Lord of your life you want to surrender your all to him right we are standing just raise your hand want to lead you in a prayer raise your hand say Lead Me In A Prayer I want to know Jesus as my Lord and my savior I'm surrendering it all to him today let's pray say Jesus come on out loud say Jesus Here I Am Lord I belong to you and you belong to me I Repent of my sin of going my own way of fighting this fight or by myself I receive your forgiveness the work you did on the cross You Are My Savior and you are my Lord use my life use what's left of my life to build the kingdom to spread the gospel to wreck havoc on the enemy and to point a generation to Jesus Christ if you believe that prayer and you said it say a big amen in this house ((applause)) today Andy we hope to see you next week stay plugged into church this is part of it plug into Community get in your small group today is next step steps I think I don't know the storm might have messed that up but let's just go next steps is right after this service if you want to join the church next week we're baptizing people we promise we won't hold you under the water too long let's get in the rhythm of following Jesus let's be a part of this community of building the things of God we love you have a great week Pastor will be back next Sunday I can't wait to be back in the house of God we love you guys God bless what an incredible service so powerful so glad that you were able to be here for incredible worship and such a powerful message from Pastor Brian we love him so much we're grateful he was here with us today today if you make the decision to receive Jesus Christ as your lord and savior first I want to say congratulations that it's the absolute best decision you will ever make and we want to get connected with you and help you along the way so please text the word yes to 510510 or if you need prayer for anything at all you can text the word prayer to 510510 as well we have a 10 people that'll be praying for you this week and we just want to say thank you so much for giving to this ministry we are able to reach So Many Nations over 200 Nations we're able to reach because of you and spread the gospel inspire people to live for Jesus so again we want to say thank you so much for your giving you can join us next week Pastor be back in the house so we'll see you next week have a great rest of your Sunday bye ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) 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