Boots on the Ground - Part II
Mt 8:5-ff
Tim Franklin
8/31/08
Introduction:
- Review last weeks message.
- "Boots on the ground" is an all-purpose term used to describe ground forces actually fighting in a war or conflict at the time of speaking, rather than troops not engaged or being transported to the fighting.
- The uniqueness of this title is our heavenly Father urging us to take responsibility for our region and to get out of the seats of safety and engage the enemy.
- It may sound today as if I oppose big conferences—I do not. Big conferences bring in people from all over the place to be equipped to do the work of the ministry. Big conferences do not affect a region unless the people of region are impacted by the conference to get involved in Kingdom work.
- We have held five successful and big prophetic conferences in this region. God has prophetically spoken many things over us but unless we remember them and fight for them in the place of prayer with faith and action it will most likely never come about.
- What did Jesus do to penetrate a region? He built faith! William Branham, healing evangelist in the 50s was told by God through an angel, “Just get them to believe!”
- Mt. 8:5ff. In this passage Jesus open up a region. In Mk. 1:28 after He enters here it says his fame spread through the whole region. Do you want to make Jesus famous in Brevard county!
1 He Released Revelation
A Where Jesus went he was releasing revelation.
i Luke 4:22 They marveled at his gracious words. Spirit of the Lord is upon me, he has anointed me,
ii Mark 4:1-ff The parable of the sower.
iii John 4:9 If you have seen me you have seen the Father.
B Where Jesus went he made the Kingdom visible
i He healed the sick.
ii He loved woman caught in adultery, Nicodemous the Pharisee, the lepers.
iii He encouraged Zacheaous, Mary, Martha, the Roman soldier (father forgive them…)
iv He preached truth
C We are sent to declare the Kingdom of God
i Romans 10:14,15
a How will they hear with out a preacher?
b How shall they preach unless they are sent?
c Boots on the ground is about activating the prophetic words that have been spoken over us as a county.
ii Luke 10:1-ff Jesus sent them two by two.
a To declare peace—encourage, edify, give hope,
b To heal
c To preach the Kingdom
2 He Acknowledged Faith
A This county has been prophetically encouraged to believe.
i Cindy Jacobs 1997 “The Lord says to you, my children you doubt. You doubt yourselves and you doubt you have the abilities. …I am going to do a work if you will believe says the Lord, that will be heard around the world…:
ii Bob Jones last years conference: In speaking of healing, “One reason the Lord has been silent is that we would not have believed Him if He told us what was going to happen.”
iii Paul Keith Davis: December 11th, 2004 “If you are going to carry authority your going to have to see the realm from which that authority comes. You are going to have to believe it for yourself, you can’t believe someone else’s testimony, you have got to have your own….I believe that there is going to be a testimony that will emerge from this body right here, that will be able to say, ‘We have seen Him for ourselves.’” …. “I am releasing over these people the spirit of faith, supernatural faith. Faith that transcends their own faith.”
B If God is encouraging us to believe there must be a spirit of unbelief that is holding us back. We have to break the back of unbelief! We must be a people who believe, walk in faith and stir faith in others where ever we go.
i Unbelief is an enemy of our soul.
ii Unbelief can be taken out. Joshua 1:8, Ro. 10:17
C Interesting
i Mt 8:10 I have not found such great faith in all of Israel!
a It is a gentile Roman soldier, a centurion. A lead of 100 men with in a legion.
b Jesus finds the greatest faith in all of Israel, in a soldier who is used to having boots on the ground. Why?
c Soldiers understand authority. Mt. 8:9
d Soldiers understand how to overcome fear.
(1st) They are drilled to build confidence—in each other, in their leaders.
(2nd) They practice regularly their skills until they are second nature. The problem with the church we don’t practice until we are in the fire. Then it is too late. We need to drill constantly. So that right action, right choices become a part of our nature.
(3rd) Note: It was the centurion Cornelius who became the first gentile baptized in the Holy Spirit.
ii We have to have the mindset of soldiers in this Christian faith walk. Failure is not an option. The objective must be taken. We are fighting for the Kingdom of God.
iii When Jesus wants to be made famous he finds a group of people who are Boots on the Ground and not tails in a seat!
3 He Moved with Action
A Jesus demonstrated what He believed by what He did.
i He believed sinners should be saved. He forgave. Paralytic-‘which is easier to say, your sins are forgive or rise and walk?”
ii He believed in grace. The woman caught in adultery.
iii He believed in healing. Should not this woman bound these 18 years be healed?
iv He preached truth. Mt. 5-7 Sermon on the Mount.
B Faith must have works.
i James 2:17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. NKJV
ii James 2:20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? NKJV
iii James 2:22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? NKJV
C Zealous in service. Rom 12:10-11 Never be lacking in zeal , but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. NIV
i Our power is in our ability to love.
ii Our impact is our ability to serve.
iii Our influence is in what we believe.
D Notice that Jesus sent the 12 and he sent the 70 and he desires to send you.
Conclusion:
- If you want to be a part of this army that goes for Jesus into this county make Jesus Lord of your life now.
- Seal the Saints with call to go.
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