
**BOLDNESS PART 2 - CHALLENGING CHARIOTS
Exodus 14:21 - 23
21 And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.
22 And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.
23 And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea, even all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.
TRIGGERED - Triggers are sensory reminders that cause painful memories or certain symptoms to resurface.
ISRAEL saw the waters part and in the same moment saw the chariots chasing them.
- It is easy to be excited when God FIRST PARTED THE WATERS AND THERE WAS NO OPPOSITION…
- It is EASY TO BE BOLD BEFORE THE BATTLE…
- It is easy to praise God when the bills are paid…
- It is easy to praise God when the problem is solved…
BUT WHAT ABOUT WHEN THE CHARIOTS OF YOUR PAST COME?
When the Israelites heard the chariots, the wheels, the whips which reminded them of their past their failure, their PAST issues, their present enemy, their present problems.
1 Peter 5:8
8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
VIGILANT = vig•i•lant (vij′ə lənt), adj.
1. keenly watchful to detect danger; wary: a vigilant sentry.
2. ever awake and alert; sleeplessly watchful.
A SOUL is blinded (love is blind, etc. is blind, lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh, pride of life causes us to stop looking at reality).
A QUICKENED SPIRIT - walks in the SPIRIT! WALK BY FAITH AND NOT BY SIGHT!
SOBER = Temperate in any way; not extreme or extravagant. Serious, solemn, grave, or sedate.
THE ENEMY IS CHASING YOU WITH HIS CHATTERING CHARIOTS.
“ROARING” = INTIMIDATION - he’s making a lot of noise.
THE ONLY WAY SATAN CAN DEVOUR YOU IS IF YOU GET DRUGGED UP WITH FEAR!
Paul saying =
- Do not get DRUNK off of NEWS
- Do not get high off PANIC
- Do not get high off the STRESS
YOU CAN’T SEE RIGHT IF YOU ARE ADDICTED TO THE DRUG OF PARANOIA AND FEAR…
THERE IS SUCH A THING AS CHARIOT CHATTER…
- it is the constant whispers of the enemy coming against you…
ENEMY’S GREATEST TRICK IS
“Acts as a roaring lion” … to intimidate… to get your attention…
he can’t keep God from holding up the waters… but maybe he can stop you from moving forward in the provision that God has provided.
The church has never been killed by chariots, but the church can be
The devil KNOWS HE CAN’T KILL YOU so his GOAL is to CONTAIN YOU.
2ND STORY: Book of Acts of a man named Phillip
Acts 8:26
26 And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert.
- God SENT A WORD to go to the middle of absolutely nowhere when he was seemingly successful in his current position.
A GREAT ENEMY TO GOD’S BEST is
27a And he arose and went: and, behold
- You need to GET UP…
- You need to DO SOMETHING…
- You need to SEE RIGHT.
IF WE LIVE TRIGGERED BY THE SOUND OF THE CHARIOTS…
- we hide
- we stop
- we close our eyes
PHILIP LIVED HIS LIFE BY
- Phillip sat in the desert, when finally something pulled on the inside of him as he saw a chariot blasting down the road.
27 b a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship,
28 Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet.
29 Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.
30 And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?
There is the law of intention and the law of attention:
- WHEN WE BECOME INTENTIONAL - IT CHANGES WHAT WE PAY ATTENTION TO:
– Giving intentionally
– Going to church intentionally
– School intentionally
INSTEAD OF BOLDY MOVING FORWARD IN THE MIRACLE WITH THE SOLUTION YOU CARRY, YOU STOP BY LIVING TRIGGERED BY THE CHARIOTS THAT ARE CHASING YOU.
PHILIP WAS LIVING LIFE LED BY THE SPIRIT and IT ALLOWED HIM TO BOLDLY FOLLOW WHEN GOD TOLD HIM TO RUN AFTER A CHARIOT!
31 And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.
32 The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth:
33 In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth.
34 And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man?
35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.
THERE ARE 2 CHARIOTS in all our lives:
SCARY IS NOT SITUATIONAL…
A situation is not overtly scary in and of itself, but how we see ourselves and the situation makes it scary or not….
- ANY SITUATION CAN BE
- ANY SITUATION CAN BE
BOLDNESS is not the absence of fear, It is converting fear into excitement!
- A scary situation can have a good report and
- A positive situation can have a negative report.
SCARY HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH YOUR SITUATION:
IT IS ALL ABOUT HOW YOU
:: GOD IS CALLING FOR US TO BECOME CHARIOT CHASERS ::
1. “I’M LOOKING
IF YOU JUST LOOKED FORWARD TO IT - you would see your life different…
IF YOU JUST LOOKED FORWARD TO IT - you would see the water that God wants to use to drown your enemies will baptize you into a new season.
It is the law of INTENTION and the law of ATTENTION
Philippians 3:13
13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
God SO MUCH wants to invade this world with the reality of Heaven and EVERYTHING Jesus purchased on the cross.
DON’T MISS THE MIRACLE OF THE WATER BY LOOKING BACK AT THE CHARIOTS!
Matthew 14:22 - 32
22 And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away.
23 And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.
24 But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary.
25 And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.
26 And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.
27 But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.
28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.
29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.
30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.
31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?
32 And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.
Jesus deals with waves several times…
FEAR HAS LESS TO DO WITH THE
AND MORE TO DO WITH HOW YOU SEE AND WHAT YOU SAY.
Philippians 4:4 - 6
4 Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.
5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.
6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
STRESSING ABOUT A SITUATION IS SEEING THE
Stressing about a situation is seeing your wave as greater than His Word.
PRAYER = talking (changes how we see)
SUPPLICATION = asking (changes our intention)
THANKSGIVING = expecting (changes our attention)
Miracles will always follow a man of faith WHO IS FOCUSED ON FAITH!!
It is not the problem that holds you back, it is the preoccupation with the problem.
WHICH CHARIOT HAS MORE OF YOUR CHATTER?
2) “KEEP IT
THERE ARE TWO CHARIOTS!
1. THE PROBLEM CHASING AFTER YOU
2. THE PROVISION THAT GOD HAS IN FRONT OF YOU!
Romans 8:31 - 37
31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth.
34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY TO THE THINGS AND SITUATIONS THAT COME AGAINST YOU!
WHAT ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO SAY TO THE THINGS?
JESUS SPOKE TO THE WAVES AND HE SPOKE TO THE HEARTS OF HIS DISCIPLES!
SPEAK TO THE
The REPORT is your statement of
Peter’s information was there is a storm, there are big waves!
- WAVES OF ANXIETY
- WAVES OF PEER PRESSURE
- WAVES OF FEAR
There were the WORDS OF JESUS!
- YOU TALK TO YOUR TROUBLE!
- YOU DECLARE TO YOUR THINGS YOUR THEOLOGY!
- YOU TELL YOUR WAVES WHO YOU WORSHIP!
- YOU DECLARE A GOOD REPORT DAILY!
3) “GO
Acts 8:30
30 And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?
When your flesh fears and your faith goes forward you will always find favor!
BRAVE AND BOLD ACTIONS OF FAITH WILL CHANGE SITUATIONS!
BRAVE AND BOLD ACTIONS OF FAITH WILL CHANGE COMMUNITIES!
YOU MAY BE LACKING AND GOD SAYS “I WANT YOU TO GIVE”!
- chase the chariot and walk on the waves!
- GO BIG OR GO HOME! YOU BELEIVE THIS - DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!
YOU MAY BE SICK AND GOD SAYS I WANT YOU TO LAY HANDS ON SOMEONE AND PRAY FOR THEIR HEALING
- chase the chariots and walk on the waves!
- Do you believe this??? GO BIG OR GO HOME! – DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!
Proverbs 3:5 - 6
5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
TRUST IN GOD - AND HE WILL CHALLENGE YOU WITH CHARIOTS!
THE PATH GOD DIRECTS US TO GO IS MANY TIMES NOT STAYING IN THE BOAT OF SAFTEY, COMFORT AND SECURITY!
MANY TIMES THE PATH HE DIRECTS IS IN THE MIDDLE OF WAVES!
TRUSTING IN GOD WITH ALL MY HEART STRENGTHENS MY BRAVERY, STRENGTHENS MY BOLDNESS!
- PHILLIP WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO IT!
- PHILIP WAS KEEPING IT 100!
- PHILIP WAS GOING BIG IN GOD!
“WILL YOU STILL BE A CHARIOT CHASER?!”
Churches grow with chariot chasers.
- people who pray over the seat you’re sitting in before you ever got here
- people who will open up their homes to chat with those in their own chariots.
- chariot chasers in the parking lot who love you enough to stand in the heat
- chariot chasers who greet you as you come in
I SEE myself correctly
I HAVE BEEN DECLARING correctly
NOW I NEED TO STEP accordingly.
Peter did not wait for the waves to stop to start stepping… he stepped in the midst of the waves.
GOING FORWARD WE WILL DECLARE:
“I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO IT!”
“I’M KEEPING IT 100!
“I’M GOING BIG WITH GOD!”