Wide Open Doors – 5

Wide Open Doors – 5

Subject – The Key to Josiah’s Success

1 Corinthians 16:9 (NLT2) ⁹ There is a wide-open door for a great work here, although many oppose me. 

John 10:10 (NKJV) 10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. 

–Many have testified that the enemy of our soul has come to steal, kill, and destroy and they have having trouble with the whole concept of abundant life...living in freedom every day.

1. It’s Time to Fight to Get Thru the Wide Open Doors.

–Again let me remind you that this fight is for real and your enemy, without the power and armor of God, is stronger than you are:

Ephesians 6:10‑12 (NKJV) 10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 

11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 

12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 

–I think there needs to be a paradigm shift in our thinking here at LIFE Church...It is time for us to start living in freedom everyday...life, and that they may have it more abundantly. 

–We have challenged you to bless the Lord at all times, to put on the whole armor of God, to see every chain broken off your lives, to go thru the wide open doors.

–I believe it is time to get our spiritual and physical house in order...you need to determine that you are going to be faithful to God no matter what.

--You are going to obey His Word even when it is not convenient...you are going to be a hands on parent...

Involved and investing not just education but investing in their growth with Christ.

--It is time to be faithful to Church...what are we teaching our children when we view church as optional. Remember your compromise and complacency will be taken to the next level by your children.

—Jeremy’s staff Sargent in boot camp “Must we look so defeated?”...NO!!! Jesus said: I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. 

–It is time to grow up in the Lord and walk thru the wide open doors God has placed before us corporately, as families, as individuals.  

–Will it be easy...absolutely not...was the cross easy...we must be like Jesus...for the joy set before Him He endured the cross despising its shame.

--Tonight we are looking at Josiah and I believe God has a message for us.

2 Chronicles 34:1‑5 (NKJV) 

1 Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned thirty‑one years in Jerusalem. 

2 And he did what was right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the ways of his father David; he did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. 

3 For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek the God of his father David; and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the wooden images, the carved images, and the molded images. 

4 They broke down the altars of the Baals in his presence, and the incense altars which were above them he cut down; and the wooden images, the carved images, and the molded images he broke in pieces, and made dust of them and scattered it on the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. 

5 He also burned the bones of the priests on their altars, and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem. 

–When Josiah was extremely young he found himself in a place of leadership...King!

–He made a decision even as a child...I will do what is right in the sight of God and walk in His ways and not vary from it.

–You may not be king...but you are probably in a position of leadership...mom, dad, boss, teacher, etc. I exhort you to walk in the ways of the Lord...Do what is right!

–How many of our problems could be taken care of if we were filled with the Holy Spirit, if we did what was right in the sight of the Lord, and walk in His ways. 

–Romans 8 tells to walk in the Spirit and we will not fulfill the lust of the flesh! The end result is “If God is for us who can be against us?”

Romans 8:37‑39 (NKJV) 37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 

38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 

39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

2. The Key to Go Thru the Wide Open Doors.

–So what is the key?  If someone gave us a house or a BMW it would be necessary for us to have the key to access our gift.

–Josiah found the key for the radical transformation in his life...the key that gave him access to the power and plan of God for his life:

2 Chronicles 34:3 (NKJV) ³ For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek the God of his father David; 

–What do we seek? Sadly, everything but Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit.  We get council from those not qualified, seek pleasure, affirmation from the wrong people, we seek happiness.

–In the OT the Holy Spirit would come upon people and I can’t help but believe that the radical transformation of Josiah was because of the power of the Spirit.

–His seeking of the Lord resulted in action...what are you saying PR? I am saying that when we seek God and we are filled with the Holy Spirit...things will happen in our lives.

3 For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek the God of his father David; and in the twelfth year (age 20) he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the wooden images, the carved images, and the molded images. 

–He began to purge Judah and Israel of all the other substitutes in their lives...all the false images...false substitutes for God...purge means to rid of impurities.

–Life Church, if we will go thru wide open doors and walk in freedom everyday it will be because we seek God, get filled with His Spirit, and get the images out of our lives...chains broken.

–Yes, I understand the difficulty of letting these go...Satan is riled up and dispatches his imps to torment us: You can’t live without this thing or person or addiction in your life?

–Liar! Father of lies is his name. Someone needs to be courageous enough to say enough is enough...the line is drawn in the sand...I will live in freedom everyday...battle is on!

John 10:10 (NKJV) 10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. 

3. We Go Thru Wide Open Doors by the Word and by Holy Spirit.

Isaiah 54:17 (NKJV) 17 No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, And their righteousness is from Me," Says the LORD. 

Isaiah 59:19 (NKJV) 19 So shall they fear The name of the LORD from the west, And His glory from the rising of the sun; When the enemy comes in like a flood, The Spirit of the LORD will lift up a standard against him. 

–Who will raise up a standard...the Holy Spirit...Imagery here is the Wind of the Spirit holding up the Jordan River when it was at flood stage or the crossing of the Red Sea...I will drown…No!

–Not if the Spirit of God is in your life...He will raise up a standard...He will hold back the flood waters of the enemy and you will pass thru...Tell someone...I am going thru!

–Remember: It is not you but the Spirit of God within you tearing down the strongholds.

–Josiah did what was right in the sight of the Lord, he walked in His ways, He sought God, and God gave him the courage to stand in the face of great opposition.

–The pattern is still the same for us...Do what is right, walk in the ways of the Lord, seek God and get filled with the Holy Spirit and begin to tear down the junk in your life and in the life of your family.

Isaiah 59:19‑21 (NKJV) 

19 So shall they fear The name of the LORD from the west, And His glory from the rising of the sun; When the enemy comes in like a flood, The Spirit of the LORD will lift up a standard against him. 

20 "The Redeemer will come to Zion, And to those who turn from transgression in Jacob," Says the LORD. 

21 "As for Me," says the LORD, "this is My covenant with them: My Spirit who is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your descendants, nor from the mouth of your descendants' descendants," says the LORD, "from this time and forevermore." 

–The Lord’s covenant with us...His Spirit upon us and His Words in our mouth!

–This is Life...abundant life...full life...this is going thru wide open doors and Living in Freedom Every day!