Battle Before The Breakthrough – Sermon

The Battle Before The BreakthroughGalatians 6:9

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

Great Military GeneralOnce a great military general was asked to reveal the three greatest things he learned throughout his military carrier.

He became silent, looked at the men in the room and replied, “Never quit; never, never give up.” 

He paused then repeated, “Never quit; never, never give up.” 

He waited a moment and stated for the third and final time, “Never quit; never, never give up.”

 

Tell your neighbor “Don't give up…”

Some of us our believing God for breakthroughs in our family and in our loved ones. I just want to encourage someone with this message, that the breakthrough you have been believing God for in your family is right around the corner.

The Bible tells you and I not to get weary in doing good for at the proper time we will reap, if we do not give up.

The challenge for you and I is to weather the storm before the breakthrough.

The challenge for you and I is to know that every mountain top of victory will have a valley.

The challenge for you and I is to know that in between victories are struggles.

The challenge for you and I is to know that in between breakthroughs are battles and before every new breakthrough, there is a harder battle than we have ever fought!

Why???

Because There Is Usually A Battle Before The Blessing

I heard one person say, “I am not broke, I am just in between a blessing.”

Moses was used to deliver the people of Israel, but he faced and battled Pharaoh.

David was used as a king, but he battled Goliath.

Nehemiah was used to rebuild the walls, but he battled opposition.

Joseph was used mightily of God, but he battled haters.

So, if you are in a battle right now that is a good sign, it just means that your breakthrough is right around the corner.

– There could be no Triumph without being Tried.

– There could be no Testimony without being tested.

– There could be no Message without a Mess

– There could be no Resurrection without the Crucifixion

OUR GREATEST BATTLE COMES RIGHT BEFORE OUR GREATEST BREAKTHROUGH!

Just like in the natural world, so it is in the Spiritual realm. The darkest time is right before the dawn.

The battle usually rages at its highest, right before the victory.

So, if you are in a battle this morning -fighting and believing for your family, I know it’s not the 1^st of the month or the 25^th weekend, but I feel in my spirit you are about to get paid.

Tell your neighbor “It’s Payday…”

I think it is important for you and I to know that strength is not born by seeing miracles, but we get strength by going through the struggles.

– If I am football player I don't get better by watching you play or win.

– If I am a weightlifter I don't get stronger by watching you work out, I have to lift the weights myself to get stronger.

– The only way I get stronger is in my struggle – I need to fight the resistance and push the weights myself.

I think in the work out world they call that resistance training.

Let’s take a look at something really quick.

Since we are talking about Resistance Training.

Sometimes you and I may find ourselves in a situation and we have been praying for God to change it. Now what do we do when we have prayed about it and the situation stays the same:

Well what I have noticed is whenever someone is at the gym working out, the weights don’t change, the treadmill don’t change, but what is changing is in the one lifting the weights or the one on the treadmill.

Maybe that’s how it is in the spiritual realm, if we have been praying for God to change a situation or change someone and they are not changing maybe God wants to change us.

Hello…

Maybe we have been praying for a financial breakthrough and it doesn’t seem like the finances are coming, maybe God is building our faith.

Maybe we have been praying for someone to change because we don’t like their attitude, but maybe God is building our patience.

Maybe we have been praying for a new job because we don’t like the one we have, but things aren’t changing, maybe God is you.

If the situation doesn’t change God may be is wanting to change us.

The weights in the gym don’t change and the treadmill doesn’t change, but what does change is you and me.

If we are honest I think we could all admit that we have all grown the most when things were uncomfortable.

So, let me say it again – I think it is important for you and I to know that strength is not born by seeing miracles, but we get strength by going through the struggles.

It has been said that the initial struggle a baby bird meets with to emerge from its egg is necessary for its survival. The muscles that the chicks develop in the struggle to get out the egg is what helps him to be strong enough to sustain life outside the egg.

The strength that you and I need in order to get into our promise is in the struggle. The challenge for you and I is not to give up in the struggle.

– Maybe we are believing for our Family member to get saved – Keep Believing.

– Maybe you are believing for that son – Keep believing.

– Maybe you are believing for that daughter – Keep believing.

– Maybe you are believing God for a financial breakthrough – Keep believing you are getting stronger.

The Bible says if we don’t give up we will reap the harvest…

Hebrews 10:35 So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.

Hebrews 10:36You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.

One person put it like this – Get happy when you see spiritual contention in your life! It means you are on the verge of breakthrough and promotion. The challenge for you and I is to remember there is usually a battle before the breakthrough.

God wants to take you and I from strength to strength, victory to victory and glory to glory!

It's all about what we do in the to that gives us the outcome to go to the next level.

It's about what we do in the to between the Glory TO Glory, that determines where we go.

That TO is where the battle takes place.

It is the job of the Enemy to discourage you and I in between the Glory TO Glory.

If we can just get through the TO, then we will be alright.

This morning we may feel things are breaking up, but I am here to tell you that things are breaking through.

The Bible says in Psalms 30:5 For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

It is the job of the Enemy to get us to surrender during the weeping of the night so that we’ll never experience the joy of the morning!

Morning is not necessarily a time of the day, but it is when you and I wake up.Tell your neighbor “Wake up “

It is kind of difficult to fight for a breakthrough in this generation, because we are so used to getting things right away.

Today's culture is a fast food, instant message, quick fix type of culture that can lead to us to being impatient individuals.

Sometimes we might even get the attitude if we have to battle for it or wait for it, it is not of God, but what we need is a Generation that is willing to fight for their Breakthrough like Jacob.

He wrestled for his Blessing.

Are there any Wrestlers in The House this morning?

Is there anybody that is willing to put in some work for that breakthrough in your family?

Is there anybody here that is willing to wrestle for that breakthrough in your loved one’s life?

Is there anybody here that is willing to press on and go to another level in walk with God. ( I have a message about breaking through to new levels in your power spot here )

The giant tried to discourage David with his words.

Before David was able to go to the next level he had to defeat the giant at the next level.

David’s next level didn't come without a battle.

1Sa 17:39David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them. “I cannot go in these,” he said to Saul, “because I am not used to them.” So he took them off.

The next thing that I would like to point out – is that God used what was tested in David’s life to defeat the giant. If you notice that it was David’s sling shot that defeated the giant and not Saul’s Armor.

This morning I think someone needs to know that God wants to anoint what is being tested in your life.

You say – What do you mean by that – Pastor Dre?David didn't win the battle using Saul’s armor, but he won the battle by using a sling shot.

Saul’s Armor had not been use or tested in David’s life, but what was tested was David’s sling shot.

David got used to using a sling and a stone when he was in the wilderness taking care of sheep.

The lesson we can learn here is this: When you and I get strong and use what we have to win victory over smaller battles, then it will make us stronger and more skillful to use the same thing to get the victory in larger battles.

God used the area that had been tested and tried in David’s life to defeat the giant of the next level.

God is about to use that same area where you have had the biggest battles and biggest testing’s to bring about one of your biggest breakthroughs.

I don’t think you heard me this morning – So let me say it again, because I would have gotten a little bit excited.

– If you are having struggles with your family, get ready because God is about to bring a breakthrough where you have been being tested.

The area that you are being testing in right now is about to become the area of your greatest anointing. You may be in a struggle like the little chicken in the egg or like the butterfly in the cocoon, but you are about to breakout into another level.

You needed to go through this struggle, because it is only giving you the muscles that you need to survive at the next level!!!

So if I were you I would get excited – because God is about to release a new level of anointing upon your life.

Hallelujah!!!

Like I said earlier – It is promotion time!!!

It’s almost like when you have been working whole month and it is payday.

You know that there is a reward at the end of the month for all your labor.

Wellllll I just stopped by to tell someone it is Pay Day!!!

That battle that you have been facing was just a set up for your Breakthrough…

Last but not least let's take a look at Isaac.

Genesis 26:1And there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines unto Gerar.

 Gen 26:2 And the LORD appeared unto him, and said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of:

 Gen 26:3Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father;

 Gen 26:4And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;

 Gen 26:5Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.

 Gen 26:6And Isaac dwelt in Gerar:

In the book of Genesis Chapter 26:1 we see the land that Isaac received as an inheritance was a barren land. He entered into the land that was promised to him, but it was barren.

Then to top it off God told him to stay right there, because I want to bless you here.

Wouldn't that be something, you are all excited to inherit the land that has been promised to you, but when you get there it is barren.

So, what happened is God told Isaac don't go anywhere, I want you to stay right here, because I am going to bless you in this land.

God wanted to build him more than giving him the blessings.

So, in Chapter 26 and verse 6 of Genesis we see that Isaac stayed in the land that was named Gerar.

So what Isaac began to do is plant and sow, and as he planted and sowed he became very prosperous and fruitful.

Now what happened is as Isaac began to plant and be fruitful the Philistines didn't like that too much, so they began to come against him.

The philistines didn't like Isaac, so they began to plug up the wells that were dug by Isaacs Father Abraham.

So, in order for Isaac to breakthrough to another level of fruitfulness and blessing, he had to contend with the philistines.

So, he kept on digging wells.

The first one he dug was called Esek, which means contention.

The second he dug was called Sitnah, which means opposition or enmity.

The third well he dug was named Rehoboth meaning room.

So, what I get from this is that as Isaac continued to dig in spite of contention and opposition, God eventually blessed him with some room to be fruitful in the land.

Come on Somebody!!!

The key for Isaacs breakthrough was perseverance through opposition and contention.

As Isaac persevered through the opposition and struggles of the philistines, God eventually gave him room to be blessed.

Just keep on digging.

– Keep on praying for your family

– Keep on praying for your loved one to get saved

– Keep believing for that breakthrough in your family

We serve a God who answers prayer and He is a miracle working God.

Chuck Yeager breaking the sound barrierThere was a written account of Chuck Yeager, an aircraft pilot, who was the first man to ever break the sound barrier. 

Pilots had often approached the speed of sound but severe shaking of the controls caused them to turn back. 

One pilot pushed his small plane’s speed to 800, 850, and then to 900, but turned back when the plane began to shake uncontrollably. 

On Oct. 14, 1947, Chuck Yeager set out to do what had never been done. As he pushed his plane toward the barrier, it began to shake from side to side to the point it appeared it may even explode.  

But this day would be different for he refused to turn back. He said if I die, I die trying. 

I am not turning back!  No matter what, I am going for it!” The Bell X-1 aircraft he was flying went through the barrier surprisingly smooth. It was a sensation of shooting straight through the top of the sky. 

All at once the stars and the moon came out and the sun was shining at the same time. 

For a brief moment he was master of the sky, he went beyond the boundary of understanding and exceeded the limitations of his mind. 

He had reached a place where victory can be realized.

It was for one reason and one reason only because – He refused to turn back!

Don't turn back even if it seems like you are being shaken and rattled.  You may feel tossed all around but don’t give up! 

You are on the verge of a new experience that will bring you to a higher place.  To somewhere you’ve never ever been before!

Don’t turn back! 

Don’t faint! 

Don’t give up! 

Don’t give in! 

Don’t retreat! 

Don‘t turn to the right! 

Don’t turn to the left. 

Don’t even make a “U” turn.

Go straight to the Altar.

It is time for a promotion this morning and just like you walk across the stage at a graduation. It is time to walk to this Altar and enter into your next level.

Come to the Altar with your Spiritual Cap and Gown, because you are about to be promoted. You have passed your exams, you have passed your test and this class is over. It is time for your promotion.

If this sermon has been a blessing to you or if you have any questions please leave them in the comment section below. I really look forward to hearing from you.

Pastor Dre

Sermon: Battle Before the Breakthrough