The Gates of Hell Shall Not Prevail Against You - Bill Johnson Sermon | Bethel Church

0:00 Our prayers have greater purpose than what we thought. We're not just praying for a nice little blessing to come upon a household. We're actually praying prayers of the government of heaven to bring about a change and a transformation in the world around us. Good morning, good morning. Yeah, that foster kid thing, I wish they would make something that really touches you, you know.

0:31 Gabe told me this week, he says, you will cry. Yeah, I didn't cry, you cried. I didn't cry. Yeah, Benny and I have had four different foster kids through the years in our home. And I've got two adopted grandsons. And there they are. And an adopted niece. And so this is a big deal. So I'm saying yes, please. One of the greatest needs in our city right now in Shasta County is actually foster care. and gives a great opportunity to influence somebody for the rest of their life. We had two boys that were brought into our home. There were two of five. Both their parents had killed themselves over a period of a year or so. And just such a horrible story, such a tragic story.

1:27 And they were in counseling, of course, because of the nature of the home they were in. but when they moved in with us and within I forget now I think it was within three weeks might have been a month but they didn't need counseling anymore they just kind of got settled in their heart and began to taste of the love of God and it just brought a clarity of heart and mind to their life so anyway it was such a privilege for us I encourage you to do that Chris will be talking at that meeting on Tuesday and it'll be worth your while I have an oldie but a goodie to read to you.

2:10 It's been a while since I've read this one. According to a news report, a certain private Catholic school was recently faced with a unique problem. A number of their young ladies were beginning to use lipstick and would put it on in the bathroom and then press their lips against the mirror. Every night the maintenance man would remove them and the next day the girls would replace them. Finally, the principal, Sister Mary, decided something had to be done. She called all the girls to the bathroom, met them there with the maintenance man. She explained that all these lip prints were causing a major problem for the custodian who had to clean the mirrors every night. To demonstrate how difficult it had been to clean the mirrors, Sister Mary asked the maintenance man to show the girls how much effort was required. He took out a long-handled squeegee, dipped it into the toilet.

3:04 and then clean the mirror with it. Since then, there have been no lip prints on the mirror. That's called an education right there. That's somebody who's wisdom and educated. So funny. ha, ha, ha I love Paul's encouraging word and exhortation for us for endurance. It's such a significant subject because one of the ways that we endure is by living in the opposite spirit to our surroundings.

3:50 Let me rephrase it. The Bible doesn't call, it calls us to endurance, but doesn't call us endures. It calls us overcomers. The goal isn't to barely make it. the goal is to experience, to illustrate, model a measure of breakthrough that nobody could earn, but only by the grace of God we experience. The joy of the Lord is our, I'll let you try again. This is a real slow pitch. If you don't know that verse, just follow the person next to you because they said it real quietly, but they really believe it. The joy of the Lord is our, Wow, such faith on that. I'm so encouraged. Thank you. The joy of the Lord is our strength. So in many ways, the measure of our strength is according to our joyfulness.

4:45 We are no stronger than we are joyful. We are no stronger than we are joyful. The joy of the Lord is our strength. I'm no stronger than I am joyful. That would be cruel if joy were a personality trait. That would be cruel if joy was an occasional gift given. but it's actually a reality of the kingdom that is always within reach. The kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy. The kingdom of God is at hand. The kingdom of God is always within reach. Joy is always within reach. Joy is one decision away.

5:31 Strength is one decision away. in the natural world the world around us rejoices because they have joy in the kingdom we have joy because we rejoice In the kingdom we have joy because we rejoice. There's an intentional response. Now here's an interesting thing is that I know we're to use our will to determine to serve God, to follow him, etc. But there are some things, all progress in the kingdom doesn't come through determination, it comes through surrender. it's yielding to a momentum he has already created for us it would be like this would be a river down here sorry you're all in the river well that's good news you're in the river all right you're in the river and this river is flowing that direction and i can say i just determined it's my will to go that direction or i can yield and get into what's already moving and that's what grace is grace enables what he commands it's stepping into a momentum already created by his will by his word we have been given this incredible responsibility and privilege to actually affect environments.

6:51 And I'm not trying to be, you know, spacey. I'm not trying to be any weirder than we already are. Let's be honest. Let's be honest. We're already, you know, there. So are you going to speak to yourself? I'm not weird. So... we have this privilege to actually affect environments.

7:23 because you worship in your home let's do it this way because you worship in your home because you pray with your children because you practice this life in Christ in your home it affects the atmosphere of your neighbor's home and your neighbor that before you moved in may have never thought of God in a crisis now at least considers God when they face crisis. Why? Because something was changed. Both Abraham and Lot are called righteous in the Bible.

8:12 Abraham said of Abraham that he was righteous. God considered him righteous because of his faith. But it says Lot, it says Lot, righteous Lot, was oppressed by the sensual conduct of unprincipled men. So think through this phrase with me. Lot is also righteous. Righteous Lot, righteous Abraham. Righteous Lot oppressed by the sensual conduct of unprincipled men. In other words, the behavior of people around him put a cloud over him that affected him. He remained righteous. His relationship was right, but he didn't have impact on his surroundings. Abraham, on the other hand, was the father of nations. His righteousness actually affected the destiny of nations. So there are times where we live in a right relationship, but we're not having impact on the world around us.

9:08 And there's many, many believers that are much like Lot that are affected by the surroundings because we live with an ignorance as to who we are and why we're here. It's not our greatness. It's not our significance. It's not our great faith. It's his plan. It's his design. It's his purpose. The spirit of the resurrected Christ, the very spirit that raised Jesus out of that grave lives inside of you, lives inside of me, and longs for expression.

9:39 He's in you and he wants out. Not to leave you, but you know, flow through. All right, all right. So here we've got this incredible privilege and responsibility for this thing called endurance. And endurance has a lot to do with strength. And I want you to go with me to Acts chapter 14. We're going to read just a couple of verses there. There's a great verse. What I want to do is I want to spin off of what I've done, I think, four meetings before this since January. and just kind of talk to you a bit about our responsibility and how we have an opportunity before us to really impact the atmosphere of the state of California.

10:21 California is a state in past times have been known for great revivals, and today it isn't. And I believe God wants to heal us as a state and a nation, of course. And what I want is an understanding, intentionality, that we are alive for such and such a purpose.

10:41 In Acts chapter 14, verse 1, it says, Now it happened in Iconium that they went together to the synagogue of the Jews and so spoke that a great multitude, both of the Jews and of the Greeks, believed. But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against their brethren. Man, that happened before social media. How does that work? Let's read verse 2 again. But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brethren. Therefore, and I have that word circled in my Bible, therefore they stayed there a long time. Let's read this again. Verse 1, Now it happened in Iconium, they went together to the synagogue of the Jews and so spoke that a great multitude, both of the Jews and the Greeks, believed.

11:41 But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brethren. Therefore, they stayed there a long time. some people who never hear the will of God, the voice of God, some people will never hear the voice of God, hear the voice of God when they're offended. That was so good. I felt happy. It was joy. It just began to bubble up inside of it. I'm trying to have fun with you, but I hope you understand. Some people, actually, they are led by their circumstances. If there's a problem, it's time to change. No, if God called you to position, you don't change until he speaks. So marriage is in because difficult times instead of working through people leave families, occupations, cities, churches, fill in the blanks because of a problem.

12:44 I'm praying for all of us that we become addicted to the voice that we learn when he speaks. And when he says, stay, you stay. When he says, move, you move. So here we have a group of people who actually stayed when it got tough. They changed from staying at Motel 6 to getting an apartment for a season. It wasn't a weekend stay. We got to stay here for a while. So they stayed there a long time speaking boldly in the Lord who was bearing witness to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands. I want you to notice that the breakthrough in miracles did not happen until they stayed. Some things you don't get till you stay. it's it's you weather the storm and then you get the thing you ate for that you were born for why because the blessing of the lord would kill a lot of people that haven't been groomed through trial as much as I don't like it, it helps me.

13:52 there are the scripture says that the gates of hell, gates refer to authorities, the gates of hell, the authorities of darkness cannot prevail against the church. I somehow I grew up thinking that it was the church behind gates and the Lord is protecting us. But it's actually the church that is advancing against the realms of darkness and those gates cannot stand against an advancing church. When the Spirit of Christ moved inside of you, all of heaven stood on edge to see what you had accomplished in His name. What demonic powers would bow to the name Jesus through our lips?

14:45 There is a heavenly expectation that this resurrection of Christ would be manifest continuously, daily, in your life, through your life, and through mine. and it's unto this transformation of cities and nations. We talk about it a lot. I have a tendency to make things complicated, so I'm going to see if I can not do that and not give you the gift of confusion today. I'm going to try really hard. The Lord actually has practical intention of discipling people, individuals, and nations. I don't want to be misunderstood with this, but the Great Commission was not for evangelism. The Great Commission was for discipleship. But it takes evangelism to have something to disciple. So the Lord has a habit of picking out the end target. in bowling. I'm not a bowler. Actually, I bowled a year ago. Oh, never mind. I did okay, but I hurt myself. How do you hurt yourself bowling without dropping a bowling ball on your foot or something? And I didn't do that. But anyway, there's the pins at the end of the alley and there's markers in the lane. A good bowler will always measure what they're doing by the markers in the land. They hit the initial target so that they can hit the ultimate target.

16:09 And so the Lord puts these things in front of us as initial targets knowing that there's an ultimate end that He has planned and that is the discipling of nations. Yes, you've got to get individuals saved to do it, but it's the discipling of nations. How do you disciple a nation? A lot of this we've talked about in recent weeks and in recent months, so I'm just going to kind of dabble around and ramble for a bit and see if I actually say something. We have been given this mandate of the Lord and here's this passage that says the gates of hell will not prevail against the church. And the word church there is a word that Jesus took out of secular use. In fact two of the most important words in the New Testament were actually not Hebrew words. They were not from Jewish culture. The word apostle, we've taught on it a lot.

17:10 Chris has great teachings on that subject. But the word apostle is actually taken from the Romans who borrowed it from the Greeks. And what it was is there would be a newly conquered territory by Rome. And they would want to occupy that. But before they occupied, they wanted to change it and transform it. So they would send an armada of ships. and the headship was called an apostle ship. And they would go to this new land with architects and educators and linguists and work with language. And they would go there to culturize this newly conquered land. They'd build new roads, new buildings, all this stuff so that the emperor, should they ever visit this newly conquered land, would feel as at home there as they did in Rome, on earth as it is in heaven. The reason you and I have the assignment of discipling nations, if I can use different language, to bring transformation to culture itself.

18:14 is so that the fulfillment of the prayer, the Lord's prayer on earth as it is in heaven is actually an apostolic prayer. It's so that King Jesus feels as at home in Reading as he does in heaven. that's the prayer, that's the mandate. And that word apostle, Jesus took out of secular use. My personal conviction is God was the one who inspired the concept in the first place. I like the fact that he uses unbelievers, people that don't know the Lord yet, pre-believers, I should say. I like the fact that he uses pre-believers to create and inspire. If everything came from the church, we become arrogant and independent and snobs. And it's for our good that so much richness comes out of the culture that surrounds us.

19:09 Pastor Tommy Reed is 94, I think it is right now. He's an incredible man of God. I remember him asking this question at a conference that I went to in the 80s. And this question actually made a mark on my life. It changed my life, this one question. He said, when you hear a beautiful piece of music written by somebody who's not a believer, is it because they were inspired by the devil, or is it because they were made in the image of God? and I don't know that I ever would have taught that people were inspired by the devil and that's why they brought beautiful music, but it was my frame of reference. It was my way of thinking that there was God worked with his people and the devil worked with his people and everything came out of those two conflicts and it's just not true.

19:59 God puts his blessing. It says it rains on the just and the unjust and that rain is actually the blessing of heaven. It rains on the just and the unjust. Why? Because it's this kindness that leads to repentance. And God brings so much beauty and wonder. And until we stop and recognize and honor people because they've been made in the image of God, we miss one of the most important expressions that God has for humanity. Well done, good and faithful servant. Oh, it wasn't me. It was you. Oh, stop that. Well done, good and faithful servant. Yeah, I never liked when you did that. Well done, good and faithful servant. He's the one who acknowledges. Here's the amazing thing is that you and I in obedience do what he says to do. He makes it happened and he gives us credit. I'm going to give you another chance. I'm going to give you a chance here. He inspires, he directs, he commands, he directs, he empowers, he enables, he causes something to happen.

20:51 You obey and it happens and he gives you credit. He says, well done, good and faithful servant. Listen, how many of you understand everything you've ever done in your life that worked was by his grace? Yep, all right. And he still says, well done. He doesn't say, it was just by grace. He honors the yes.

21:13 And here in this concept of church life, we have this word apostle, which is this inspiration to bring transformation to the society around us, to the world around us. But first we have to experience it. What is heaven like? But the second word is the word church. He could have used temple, he could have used synagogue, he could have used tabernacle, He could have used so many different words. But he wasn't referring to the large gathering of people. We know in Scripture that they met from house to house and in the synagogue. So there's the large gathering and there's the small gathering. But the emphasis of the word church was actually borrowed out of secular society. Ezov also is a dear friend and a brilliant, brilliant man. And he wrote a book on the ecclesia, which is this word for church. And I want to read just a little piece out of the book I wrote, The Way of Life.

22:12 And I quote him. His book is Ecclesia, Rediscovering God's Instrument for Global Transformation. I highly recommend people reading this. Here he says, borrowed from the Greek and Roman empires to refer to a secular institution operating in the marketplace in a governmental capacity. A secular institution operating in the marketplace in a governmental capacity. Now just think about this as it pertains to believers. A governmental institute. Let me back up. Where two or three are gathered in his name.

22:51 There he is in the midst. A home that is dedicated to the Lord. That home is a governmental representation of heaven itself. That place where you work. Let's say there's 50 employees and there's three of you that are believers and you have lunch together and you pray for God to bless and to touch the business and to prosper them and the people around you. That governmental representation is declaring over you the gates of hell will not prevail. what you have prayed for will be done. And there's a persistence and an endurance in prayer that is to bring about transformation in that marketplace. You work at the hospital, you work at the mayor's office, wherever it is, in your neighborhood, you have children, you're a stay-at-home mom or dad, and you're in your environment, that neighborhood is experiencing changes because you're there. I just want you to be aware of it because if we're aware that governmental assignment to pray, we realize our prayers have greater purpose than what we thought.

23:52 We're not just praying for a nice little blessing to come upon a household. We're actually praying governmental responsibility. We're praying prayers of the government of heaven to bring about a change and a transformation in the world around us. It's a very huge and significant assignment. And so here we have this concept that Jesus demonstrated for us when he sent out the disciples two by two. And we've already studied, but I love this story so much. In Luke chapter nine, he sends, he's got 12 guys, he puts them into six groups, and he sends them to different areas. And they're to go and they're to preach, they're to declare the kingdom of God is at hand. The kingdom is within reach. And then they're to pray for the sick, heal the sick, raised dead, cleanse lepers, et cetera.

24:46 He sends them out two by two. When they come back, they bring the great reports, but they also come back and start fighting over who's the greatest, which is just this most bizarre thing. It's in the context of their success in ministry. what I want you to see is the competition that is so easy to invade the heart of someone successful in ministry.

25:15 It happened during the great healing revival of the 50s. They would, you know, if somebody had a certain size tent, the next guy would have a bigger tent, the world's largest tent, then somebody else would get a bigger tent. It was this competition thing. It's really, really sad what happens out of when we start using the gift that God's given us for self-promotion. so the disciples in Luke 9 they're arguing over who's the greatest and Jesus corrects it and tells them what's great and that's the servant and that's the child so he redefines because they're thinking wrong here's the point if we have the right if we have the mind of Christ we can live out of his ambitions and see his exploits his purpose is done and so they're arguing who's the greatest he trims that branch saying that's not going to bear any fruit. And then they say, we saw a group of people trying to cast out demons in your name. We told them to stop because they're not with us. Which to me, they're saying, okay, we know we're not greater than each other, but we're certainly together greater than they are.

26:22 And so now it's the competition between the groups. And Jesus makes this alarming statement. We would be accustomed to hearing if they're not for us, they're against us. But Jesus turns it around, he says, if they're not against us, they're for us. And the very next scene, they're asking Jesus for permission to call down fire to kill an entire city. for the glory of God.

26:57 Actually, if you ever want to do something stupid, just quote a Bible verse that helps to support your decision. Because that's what they did. They said, can we call it on fire like Elijah did? we know our Bibles, we want to kill people like Elijah did. And Jesus said, you don't know what spirit you're of. In other words, you'll have to go to a different anointing to do that. Because that's not the spirit of God. And so it's this amazing series of stories. And if you would look at it, as most of us as pastors would look at it, we'd say, well, that experiment of sending 12 guys out to represent King Jesus failed. because look at the results, the competition, the exclusivity and the hatred to call down fire.

27:44 And the very next scene, Jesus anoints 70 others to do the same. What would be a failed experiment in my mind, he obliterated by spreading the responsibility and the anointing to a larger crowd. I don't know if you're getting this. If the responsibility for healing the sick rests on a small handful, guess what happens? They become elite. When it's everybody's privilege, he sent them out two by two then he gives this promise wherever two or three are gathered in my name he's giving us a picture of the government of heaven and what is needed to bring shifts and changes and transformations it's the agreement of two or three I love the corporate gathering I've been in I've been in gatherings up to 70 plus thousand it's fun I love it but my favorite is just sitting with a few and praying.

28:48 Being in this room is wonderful, but I love meeting with our revival groups and just talk or some of our staff, a few in a room. What I want you to see is it's a choice from God to rest the government of heaven in the hands of two or three people that will yield to the spirit of God and pray in his name in unity, in agreement, and watch what happens. We have this Wall Street mentality that if we had a million people praying, something would happen. Well, how about if we have one person or two people or three people that actually have faith? Then we can see something happen.

29:25 It's not the more, it's not more is better. Jesus works to obliterate that concept that we sometimes restrict the activities of God by natural elements. Should I read more jokes? I really have quite a few. I'm looking at your faces wondering, did I turn left when God was turning right? I'm not real sure.

29:52 I'm going to keep going. Yeah, thank you. Thanks for the encouragement. I was just desperate. Yes, thanks. Is it possible to see a state like California transform? We know the answer is yes. How? How?

30:14 It's one neighborhood at a time. It's one household. It's one neighborhood. It's one city. It's not only possible, it's probable. if the believers will unite and use our posture, our position before God to pray things that make a difference. Ed's have also put something together that I'd like to encourage. We've got a few minutes left. I'd like to encourage you to consider what we're trying to do is just a map all over the state of California where there are households of faith that says, yes, we will pray for transformation.

31:12 How many of you heard the phrase the 1040 window? 1040 window is a geographical area of the earth where the Islamic religion has great influence on society. And missions organizations 40 some years ago started praying, that I know of, started praying, targeting that area. And right now it's common. In fact one of the great revivals in the world on planet earth is in Iran right now with young people. The amounts of young people that are coming to Christ is just extraordinary. And it's the result of targeting in prayer, targeting these geographical locations. And we know of some who will go to the entrance to a mosque and as people enter they'll say, have you seen the man in white? And if they say yes, they say, please stand over there. And they just interview as people walk in. And when they're through they talk to the people who have seen the man in white.

32:06 They've had a dream where the man in white appears to them and some of them, they don't know who it is or what it is. They just have seen it. And so then that person talks to them and introduces them to Jesus. They get born again. Why? We don't control people's dreams, but what we do is we unite in prayer to see on earth as it is in heaven. It's a very specific and very intentional prayer. God, we want your world to influence this one. And by targeting that part of the earth, people are having dreams that would never have dreams. See the man in white, have visitations of God. Incredible encounters take place. Why? Because the church is praying. I remind you, they didn't pray for James and he was martyred. They did pray for Peter and he was spared. Martyrdom was the will of God in the absence of prayer. All right, well.

33:13 And sparing Peter was the will of God in the presence of prayer. So if somebody in Iran can wake up in the middle of the night having had a dream of the man in white, then why not your neighbor? See, what you target matters.

33:36 To love them, to serve them, to pray. What is it to seek first the kingdom? Well, what's the need? Are they in torment? Then it's to see deliverance. Are they sick? Then it's to see healing. Are they depressed? Then it's to see joy. There's so many things that are aspects and expressions of the kingdom that are the priority to pursue as we care for and love for people. and so we've got this go ahead and put that little QR code up on the screen if you would and then I would just encourage every household, every business and every group that would just say yes we will partner, two or three of us together we will partner together and you can do this and not give away any personal information, it's not a sign up for an email or anything, if you want that of course you can get that but I would just encourage every household just to take a picture of that QR code and fill in the blanks and just let them know your household is a household of prayer. That you will make an agreement to pray for the transformation of your neighborhood. Ultimately the city and ultimately the state of California. So there are churches all over the state that are doing this right now the last couple months. They've been just partnering to see this kind of a transformation.

34:52 I don't know if you've heard the phrase Of course, I want to be a family that loves God well, but I actually want to be a part of a city that loves God well. But how about we become a state that loves God well? What would it be like for God to revive and reignite what took place at Azusa Street? We're building a building right now. Do you know when Angela's Temple was built? the great cathedral, if you will, of Amy Simple McPherson and the incredible outpouring. She fed like a million and a half people during the Depression. Signs and wonders off the charts. The miracles that shook the entire world, the planet was affected by that move of God. They built it during the worst economic time of our country.

35:46 because sometimes God wants to display himself in a way that is opposite to his surroundings. And if we are constantly influenced like Lot by the conduct of unprincipled people, we are shaped by the values around us and we are not shaping the values around us. Are you getting what I'm trying to say? Is that we have an option to be the person that brings influence or we are influenced. We are shaped by the values around us or we shape the values around us. and I love the story of Amy Simple McPherson so much because she did so much in the absolute worst time possible. She grabbed her moment to serve a city, to serve a state and a nation, and I feel like the Lord's raising us up to do that. I think that Paul's word about endurance is really significant, but it carries with it. It's not endurance for survival.

36:39 It's endurance for overcoming. It's not just barely making it. is coming out with the prize of the name of Jesus and what it means to serve him well and to love him well. I want to stand before the Lord having seen the state of California turned around.

37:00 And if you're from another state, just forget where you're from. Just, sorry. Bad joke, bad joke. Why don't you stand with me? happy birthday Jay wow happy birthday

37:23 I want to pray this endurance thing that Paul prayed for. I want to kind of shout an amen on that. And I'm wanting us to think that many of the lofty things that we have talked about through the years, that we actually carry a burning conviction that it's not only the will of God, but it is doable. It is something that actually can and must happen.

38:02 If I know I'm alive for that purpose, for that assignment, then my appetites change, my ambitions change. I start choosing different targets. It's different things that satisfy me. Inferior things don't satisfy. the things that God has designed and promised, though the only things that truly, truly satisfy.

38:26 And having the burning heart for what God has intended to do is just one of the greatest gifts that you and I could ever have, is a burning heart for the impossible. And so, Father, I'm asking that you would impart to us that burning heart that even cause us to wake up in the night with the dreams where you've spoken to us about what is possible and promised in our lifetime. For our own families, our own neighborhoods, our city, our state, to see transformation come, God, we pray on earth as it is in heaven, let there be an intentional embracing of your promise by this body of believers. And our yes and amen to the crowd of two or three that determined to make a difference in the earth because we prayed together. I ask every family to be a household of faith making a difference.

39:22 Every household of faith to make a difference. I ask for this in Jesus' name. I would also ask if there's anyone here that doesn't have a personal relationship with Jesus. You're here for a reason and the Lord loves you and has drawn you here for this one reason that you would come to know what forgiveness is. You'd come to know what it is to be brought into the family of God. And if there's anyone in that position, I'd like for you just to acknowledge it by putting your hand up. And by doing so, you're saying, Bill, I don't want to leave this building until I know what the peace of God is. I know what forgiveness is. I know what it is to have a relationship with God. If there's anybody in that position. If you're online, we, by the way, welcome our online family. So happy that we get to join you and you join us. But I would just say, write it in the chat box. and one of the pastors will help you.

40:14 Amen. Amen. All right. Ministry team, if you would come on up, that would help us to save some time. And if you could hold your places till Jay is finished, that would be great. Thanks.