Call, Command and Covenant

Last night Bishop Woods expanded on Sunday's sermon I Got This take from Exodus 3. He began by stating that many of us want to be blessed, but we do not want to go through what it takes to get to the blessing.

Pastor Christine has expressed this many times for us as well when she says that God won't show you what you have to go through because if He were to show you what you needed to go through to get to where you are going many of us wouldn't go!

Bishop explained that it is important for us to go through what God wants us to go through because the end result of our process is that God can then trust us to carry His name! Remember that we must develop a real, healthy, loving relationship with God. When we truly know God and He knows us then He can trust us, but God will not bless you with anything that He cannot trust you with.

God gives a call
God gives a command
God gives a covenant

It is important to operate within the call that God has given to you. When we operate outside the call God will allow and permit things to happen, which is why so many people say God did this or that. It's not that He did this or that, it's that He allowed it, but there are usually consequences to actions taken or things received outside of the call. Think about it. Too many people will make a preemptive move like buying a house or car because they can, but not at the voice of God. Yes God wants us to have these things to show that He's working in our lives, but it has to be in His time. Just because it looks like you can afford something now, if you make a preemptive move things can certainly change. Bishop Woods, put it rather well When you put your hands on it you will make a mistake.

Attributes for supernatural growth begin with surrendering to the will of God by aid of the Holy Spirit.
1. Find your Horeb. Marvin Sapp has a song titled Place of Worship. I love this song because it instructs that we must all find our place of worship where we can enter in and be intimate with God without distraction. This is what Moses did on the other side of Mount Horeb. But as Bishop warned last night be careful that you surrender to God for His sake and not just because you want something. You are not seeking the supernatural to occur--it is simply a result of your surrender. There are natural laws and there are supernatural laws. One of the supernatural laws is that God will show up and show out when we surrender.

Go to a place where you cannot be distracted. This is especially important if you are in the middle of work or a busy time. Escape and show our God that no matter what I'm going through Lord You are first. We have to get to a place where our worship cannot be contaminated by our conditions. Find a serene place to worship God.

2. Find God's Holiness. God wants you to get to the place where you are worshipping Him in Spirit and in truth not just asking Him for help or for things. You are worshipping Him for who He is. When we find ourselves in a place of pure worship we cannot be moved from it.

3. Find Humility. The reason why many of us have not moved in our process from calling to command or from command to covenant is because we lack humility--we are of the opinion that we can take it from here, we can handle things or we know what to do. Just because you have drive and motivation, talent and gifting doesn't mean that you just take off doing what you want to do. This is what happened with Moses. Moses saw the need of his people so he killed the Egyptian, but that act was premature and unnecessary. God has everything in control. There is no need to act without consulting Him first and finding out where He wants us to me or what He wants us to do at any given moment. When we submit our motivation, our talents, our gifts and our earnest desire to help God's people, He will lead us and guide us. As we humble ourselves God will move us in the right path and direction.

What has to Happen for God to Operate in Our Lives
1. Take off your shoes. In other words remove anything between you and God. Psalm 60:5-9. Step out of the shame of your past.
2. Move things off of you so that you can move forward. God didn't come for things, but He came for people. Remember not to be so caught up in the promise that you forget about the provider. Moses had to take off his shoes, because those represented the shoes that he killed the Egyptian in. Psalm 103:8-12.
3. Stay on track. Moses stepped out of pace with God and into his own wisdom. When Moses yielded his foundation to God by removing his shoes then God was able to sure Moses up with a strong foundation. Get out of what makes you comfortable--your foundation and take on God's foundation 2 Cor. 3:4-12--Trust in God. Don't just shout on credit, but praise God in advance because of who He is regardless of how things look around you. When you do this you are building up your ownership bank account.

Move when God says move and go when God says go only. When we do this we can count on these things:

1. Crazy Confidence--Philippians 1:6
2. Crazy Faith--Hebrews 11:1 & 6
3. Crazy Conditions--Exodus 3. Moses was in a crazy condition in the hot desert, in front of a hot burning bush, with an on fire God talking to him. Additionally he was dealing with some hot people. What we have to remember is that while everything around us maybe burning hot we still serve a Holy God.