How to Pray With Faith and Move Heaven - Bill Johnson Sermon | Bethel Church

0:00 And I hear people say a lot, if we could get a million people to pray for this one thing, I know it would happen. The scales of heaven are not tipped because of how many people we got to pray. It's tipped because whatever force was involved in the affliction, it got broken by somebody who stood in authority. Why don't you grab your Bibles? Let's just move quickly into this.

0:28 Open to Mark chapter 16. and then we're going to read out of Acts 9, Mark 16, then Acts 9. Please somebody fix this. Not right now, but before next week. or I will have to light it on fire. Just kidding, kinda.

1:29 How many of you enjoyed Eric's message this morning? Was that wonderful? I was so thrilled with his message. Candice, how many of you have seen the TV show Monk? Candice calls him monk Benny calls me monk so we have our monk moments if you've never seen the show just erase what I said from your minds we have moments where things have to be just right and this isn't just right so I'm going to work through it and if we make it to the end we'll have had a victorious evening alright Mark 16. I want to make a statement or two before we get into this to make sure that this is put in a context that I'm not misunderstood.

2:28 I don't mind being misunderstood. It happens a lot, but I don't want to do it intentionally if that helps at all. Mourning is essential. When there is loss, learning how to grieve, learning how to walk through that process is a very vital part of life some people skip that and think it's maturity only to collapse later and it's just not smart it's just better to own up to feelings of loss, confusion, betrayal, whatever and just be honest just stay before the Lord walk through it with the Lord the best thing in the world you can do is to talk out loud to God because he already understands it all anyway. And something happens, though, when we talk to him about what we're thinking, what we're feeling. Even if you think he betrayed you. I know people do it all the time.

3:22 They'll tell God that he betrayed them and he doesn't kill them. And that's wonderful that he doesn't kill them. But I don't think that's a smart idea. I think it's a lot smarter just to say, it feels like you betrayed me, but I know it's impossible. And so I need help processing what I am thinking and what I'm feeling. Alright, you guys with me? But now from this point on, I'm going to talk against mourning. I had to get that out of my system so that anyone who's in that mourning season or grief because of loss or whatever it might be, stick with it until it's done. But I want to talk to you tonight. thanks for that word of encouragement that's right i can do somebody shout it out i can do it i can i can do this i'm going to stack everything on this side though Okay, now I can do this. All right.

4:20 Turn in your Bibles to Monk chapter 16. Mark 16, verse 9. This is after the death of Christ. This is the chapter of resurrection. Verse 9, when he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven demons.

4:46 stop there just just for a brief moment do you remember when jesus rose and before he ascended to the father he stopped in the garden and he talked with mary for a moment you remember that she grabbed a hold of me he said don't don't grab hold of me i haven't gotten to the father yet it's it's it's important to see the shift in seasons when jesus was born of the virgin mary the first person to embrace him was the virgin Mary. The first person to embrace him from his second birth, which was resurrection, is the one out of whom he had cast seven demons. she went and told those verse 10 who had been with him as they mourned and wept and when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her they did not believe there are times in our life where mourning goes beyond the natural process of grieving into a supernatural alignment with unbelief.

6:08 It's wisdom to be able to distinguish the difference. to know when mourning is taking us farther away from abandonment and trust in the Lord, taking us farther away from that into our own... idea, our own opinion, our own perspective on tragedy or loss, whatever has happened. So Mary came to them, told them that he was alive, and they did not believe, and the context was they were in mourning. Verse 12, after that he appeared in another form to two of them as they walked and went into the country. And as they went and told it to the rest, they did not believe them either. later he appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table and he rebuked their unbelief now the two things they're noted for in his chapter is number one mourning and number two unbelief he rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart because they did not believe those who had seen him after he had risen Just a moment here before I get to where I want to go, which is Acts 9.

7:29 in in western culture we put a lot of emphasis on our individual relationship with the lord our individual experience our individual perspective and yet jesus rebuked his disciples because they didn't believe the experience of another person there are sometimes the Lord will touch one person and it becomes the experience of a community it's illegal for me to say, God, you must do that for me first before I believe.

8:17 What he will be sure to do is provide all the necessary truths, insights, experiences to the family that is necessary for me to believe. But they will not always come directly to me. Amen.

8:54 when the Lord didn't want David to build a temple I remind you who David is he's a man after God's heart he's a man who clearly knows the voice, the presence of the Lord he is a man who according to Acts 2 is a prophet he's functioning as a priest before the presence of the Lord and he is the king of Israel He's probably the most highly gifted individual of his era. He went and sought counsel from the priest about building a temple. God would not speak to him directly. He would only speak, excuse me, not the priest, the prophet Nathaniel. The Lord would not speak directly to David. Why? It had nothing to do with David's spirituality or lack thereof. It had everything to do with the way God works is to strengthen our dependence and our ability to walk together in community.

9:57 And so there are times he will provide what I need through the voice of this person. There are times I'm crying out to God and I'm asking for an insight and yet the insight will come from the testimony of a child. if I'm hungry I am positioned to receive if I'm arrogant it has to come to me directly and the Lord always works in a way that is both beneficial to me as an individual but beneficial to us as a family and so Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene she tells the disciples they don't believe her he appears to two guys on the road they come back and tell him they don't believe him either so Jesus does his appearing out of nowhere act and rebukes them for their hardness of heart Why? Because the hardness of heart caused them to be skeptical of the testimony of another person.

11:11 Now here's the challenge. All of us have heard and have seen testimonies that were not legitimate. and we've heard and seen testimonies that were true i have a friend years ago i couldn't believe he was he's a little rascal and he told me this bizarre story of his conversion i mean it was just amazing i was just in awe and it went on for it seemed like an hour but it's probably 10 minutes you know and he told me details about his story that were just stunning and then when he was through he says, now do you want to hear the real one? There are some people who reject a story because the story is unbelievable and it's true. And they accept a story that's totally believable, but it's a lie. How can you tell the difference? Only one of the two releases presence.

12:09 if everything is always intellectually appraised and not valued from the sense of presence that is released in the environment then it's going to be difficult for us to recognize what is right and what is not plus love has a unique edge to it because according to the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 13 love believes all things. you're making me work here tonight. I can see what's happening.

12:54 There's a bent to believe. It doesn't mean gullible. It doesn't mean become a doormat, but it does mean that I am in such anticipation of what God is doing and saying that I am looking for what he's saying next. You don't have to win me over. You don't have to convince me. I am hungry, and I know that my hunger attracts the very thing I'm looking for. Okay, that went over pretty well. Let's move on to Acts chapter 9. Thank you. I'll pick up your donation at the end of the service.

13:47 Acts chapter 9. in verse 36 at Joppa there was a certain disciple named Tabitha which is translated Dorcas Neither of those two names are, I mean, the first one's good, Tabitha Bedorkas. I'd rather, I saw a football player today's name was. jerk something a baseball excuse me place for San Diego Padres I turned to Benny and I said man I changed my name jerk Jerko or something I'm sorry I'm a little distracted it's the table Do you know how vets used to work on horses? I know this won't make sense to you until after I complete this statement.

14:46 They would have, they'd need stitches from running to a barbed wire fence. They'd put a clothespin on the nose, and then they'd stitch them up, because the horse was so focused on the clothespin the vet could do anything. And I kind of feel like I've got a clothespin on my nose right now. so It's all right, I'll get over it. Dorcas.

15:15 Let's start at verse 36 again. We maybe should go back to Mark. I'm not sure, but let's stay here. Acts 9, verse 36. At Joppa, there was a certain disciple named Tabitha, and that's a beautiful name. Just translated Dorcas. That's another beautiful name. This woman was full of good works and charitable deeds, which she did. but it happened in those days that she became sick and died. When they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room. And since Lydda, Lydda, I forgot how you pronounce it, was near Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent two men to him, imploring him not to delay in coming to them. Then Peter arose and went with them. When he had come, they brought him into the upper room and all the widows stood by him weeping showing the tunics and the garments which Dorcas had made while she was with them but Peter put them all out and knelt down and prayed and turning to the body he said Tabitha arise and she opened her eyes and when she saw Peter she sat up verse 39 again peter arose went with them when he had come they brought him into the upper room and all the widows those who had already suffered loss and had already suffered disappointment We're there.

16:54 and they were there weeping, and they showed Peter the tunics, the garments, that Dorcas had made them while she was with them. But Peter put them out. He made them all leave the room, and then he knelt down and prayed, and then he turned to the body. and spoke to arise.

17:24 I've been in so many situations where the grief or the burden is so strong that it weakens or draws from the ministry of faith. And if you can imagine with me, Peter is not being cruel. He's not being insensitive. He's not ignoring the obvious personal needs of widows that were not doing anything evil whatsoever. They were just simply grieving.

18:04 But to move in deeper into the things of the Lord, there are times where you have to put grieving outside. Thank you. I mean, you have to make a decision. Do you want resurrection or do you want to grieve? and there are times where it is that distinct. It is that clear of a choice. and to me the picture of Peter in this moment is so profound.

18:38 I have had so many situations now in the many, many years that we've been praying for the sick. I've had so many, many situations where the heaviness that is on the family that is very rightfully and naturally burdened for this person who is sick, it is so dominating the atmosphere that it's very difficult to minister to that individual and it almost looks cruel to want the family to go sit down or to do something i i i know that it appears so insensitive and yet sometimes you have to make that decision i remember some years ago i had standing right over in here, a family brought to me a son, a son that was maybe 14 or 15 years old. I forget now the disease that he had, but it was something that was obviously very grievous to him, and the whole family was rightfully burdened and concerned, and they brought him to me. And when I started to pray, everybody laid their hands on him, and I I've got to be careful here because I don't want to send the wrong message whatsoever because I believe so strongly in getting everyone to pray.

20:01 But to be honest with you, when some people lay hands, this is going to sound cruel. I'm just going to go for it, all right? When some people lay hands, they're not releasing, they're taking. Sometimes the grief, the burden is so heavy that when there's the laying out of hands, they actually aren't releasing anything kingdom. They're actually drawing strength out of the situation.

20:22 I remember my brother Bob so many years ago, Basil Howard Brown was here, and Rodney Howard Brown's brother, and my brother Bob got absolutely hammered by God. Hammered. Six foot six hammered, which is a lot of hammer right there. It's a lot of hammer. When Bob goes down, there's a whole bunch down there. And my grandmother, my dad's mom, she stood about this tall, and she looked up at Bob once and she said, there sure is a whole lot of you.

20:56 That's about the best description I've heard right there. There sure is a whole lot of you. And he was laying down here and I'll never forget afterwards, I honestly felt like I was to sit there just next to him and just kind of almost protect him. Sounds silly, but in a way, just to pray over him because God was doing such a deep, profound work in him. But he told me later, he said, certain people came by, laid hands on him. When they did, the anointing left. that's not to shame or condemn anyone. It's just to say the spirit of God is in every believer. When we cooperate with him, we partner with him. There is the release of life in speech and in touch in prophetic acts. There is the release of kingdom life. The laying on of hands is for that purpose. It is not a symbolic act. be healed. It's not a symbolic act. It's not an act of sympathy. You know, I see some believers lay hands on people and they just kind of massage you. And that's awesome because I love to have my neck massage. So if you ever have hands that have nothing to do, count me in. I'm there. But that is not the ministry of power. That is body ministry, period. Look at your hands for a moment. These are the tools through which God has chosen to release the effects of eternity, to release the effects of the kingdom.

22:30 Jesus said the kingdom is within you. And Peter is in this situation in which the room, the house, if you will, is so filled with grieving. There are so many reminders of the good that she has done. I'll never forget a comment that Randy Clark made some years ago. He said, when I first started traveling with him, I remember him saying, And, you know, I have people come to me and they say all kinds of kind things and nice things. And they pray for me and say, oh, God, that you would reward him for the price that he's paid and what all. And then he said this. He said, if I ever get sick, please don't remind the Lord of the good things I've done so that I'll be healed. There's a higher standard from which I can be healed. And that's God's love for me.

23:25 Please don't ever base it on even my faithfulness on my best day. I've had people come to me and ask for prayer, and they've said things like, you know, pray for me, because I know if I get healed, my doctor will get saved. And I, and that's, I mean, that's awesome, because that stuff happens. You know, somebody gets healed as a miracle, and there's just this domino effect through the family or through the caregiver, the doctor, whoever it might be. But God thinks differently than that. He doesn't heal us for public relations.

24:04 It's not a PR act. It's not an act to improve his reputation in the earth. And I tell people, I've told people frequently through the years, I said, listen, I've got an even better reason for you to get healed than even your doctor getting saved. What is it? It's because he loves you. And I tell you what, if you were to tell no one, he would still heal you. He's not doing this so that you have a message. He's doing this because you're an object of his affection, and he paid a price for you to not suffer any longer. And sometimes, sometimes we're in situations, and I, this, this may be a, this passage out of Acts may be a little bit out of place for many of you, because I don't know how many of you get into that situation where you're surrounded by family members. But this is what I did here. I, this young boy, young man brought to me, and I, and so I, I, I tried to think of the wisest way I could encourage them because they had very genuine concern for their son. And I wanted to encourage them, but I also wanted to get him away physically so that I could minister to him one-on-one.

25:16 But I didn't want to in any way cast an offense over them where they felt they weren't holy enough or spiritual. It had nothing to do with that. They were just so closely wrapped up emotionally that I, when I was with them, all I could feel was faith being drained right out of the situation. And so I asked them, I said, would you guys do me a favor? I want you to stay right here and I want you to intercede. And with your permission, parents, I'd like to take your son over here. And I just walked maybe 10, 12 feet in front of them. I said, with your permission only, I want to take him up here and talk with him one-on-one. And I want to minister to him. sometimes you need to do whatever you can especially when we're dealing with believers for whatever reason when you're with unbelievers everything's different and for those of you that think the faith in the person you're ministering to is essential for the miracle Dorcas had no faith She was severely lacking in hope.

26:32 She was not encouraged. She was not confessing the right things. She was dead. Dead, dead. Totally dead. Years ago, I heard the story of Supraza. it's a praise of one of our dear friends and one of heidi's key men little eight-year-old girl had died and he went to console the family and the little girl's body was laying there had been dead for many many many hours and he was just consoling comforting the family. And he just decided to hold the little girl's hand as he comforted the family.

27:34 And he just leaked. He just had resurrection life flowing through him. He didn't mean to. He didn't say, he didn't pray anything. He didn't say anything to the body. He was just holding the little girl's hand, this eight-year-old little girl, and she just sat up. Just sat up. You know, he works so differently. And I hear people say a lot. They say, if we could get a million people to pray for this one thing, I know it would happen. You know, honestly, as much as I appreciate that. As much as I appreciate the prayers of a million people for one thing, I honestly would rather have, and I mean this sincerely, one prayer of faith.

28:31 than a million prayers of agreement, simply hoping something will happen. the scales of heaven are not tipped because of how many people we got to pray. It's tipped because whatever force was involved in the affliction, it got broken by somebody who stood in authority and dealt with the issue. And Peter knew enough in this moment, I don't know, you know, it doesn't give us any information, so I just have to guess. I've not been in that situation. I've been in some somewhat similar. And he knew enough to know, I need to have the room to myself. I need to have the room to myself. But notice what he didn't do. He didn't clear the room and then turn to the body.

29:24 he cleared the room so that he could hear because right now all he can hear is the voice of wounded people and the reminders of what this lady used to be and he needed to get clarity for his own heart. Because to bring a word of resurrection is different than just a shot in the dark. Forgive the example, all you non-hunters. but this one is my best example and i have to kill an animal to illustrate it when you're duck hunting you have a flock of ducks or geese fly by the temptation of every hunter in the world is there's so many birds right there I'm just going to start shooting and all of you duck hunters who have done this you know what happens nothing no birds fall they just keep on flying because you can't shoot a flock of ducks you have to pick one you have to not be distracted by the amount and you have to pick one and in these kinds of situations many people will go in because they know in their mind jesus raises the dead and turn to the corpse and command it to be alive peter did the wise thing he quieted his heart before the lord and he prayed he prayed until it was settled when it was settled he stood and he gave the command. I want to encourage you in a couple things. First, know when mourning is to be over.

31:21 Know when the grieving process for loss, disappointment is over. And from that point, make a decision. From this moment on, I will not partner with unbelief one moment longer. and to prove it I must put myself in a place where I have to look for problems that offended me in my last disappointment when my dad died Rick Joyner I spoke with him on the phone I think it was two days before he died and Rick mentioned to me he said this loss you're going to have access to a seven times greater anointing in this area than you had before through this loss and if you understand the scripture correctly when something was stolen for example in Proverbs under Solomon's rule, if somebody stole a car, for example, which is hard to do in Solomon's day, but if they stole a car, just work with me here, they had to pay back actually six times more than what they had taken. There was this multiplied return. And Rick brought this word to me that there'd be a seven times greater anointing, which means what? I can't wait for problems that come to me. I have to look for them.

32:41 I have to clear the room of every voice that reminds me of what used to be. the disappointment and the residue that is left from people's lives. And I have to clear the room of all of that, get before God, cry out for breakthrough, and then start looking for problems. I don't think we can be trusted with the anointing we've asked for if we cannot survive loss and disappointment. Peter cleared the room got on his face before God and when he heard he got up and he addressed the problem sometimes our knowledge of the word positions us to address the problem before we've heard from God and most situations will not change because we declare out of principle we have to declare out of presence