"The Battle before the Breakthrough"
Galatians 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.
This morning I would like to speak a message entitled "The Battle before the Breakthrough."
Great Military General
Once 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..."
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 of the shadow of death.
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 BATTLE INDICATES BREAKTHROUGH!
Moses was used to deliver the people of Israel, but he faced 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 of God, but he battled haters.
So if you are in a battle right now that is a good sign, that just means that your breakthrough is right around the corner
In between the victories there are attacks!
In between the breakthroughs there are battles!
- There could be no Triumph without being Tried.
- There could be no Testimony without the Test.
- There could be no Victory without a Battle.
- There could be no Resurrection without the Crucifixion
OUR GREATEST BATTLE COMES RIGHT BEFORE OUR GREATEST BREAKTHROUGH!
The darkest time is right before the dawn.
The battle usually rages at its highest, right before the victory.
So if you and I don't turn back - we will inherit new territory.
The Enemy will fight us harder than ever before because He knows that you are closer to victroy than ever.
Don't give up at the border of your breakthrough!!!
I think it is important for you and I to know that strength is not born by seeing miracles, we get strength by going through the struggles.
A Body Builder doesn't get strength by watching someone else work out, but he builds strength by going through the oppostion of the struggle.
"Tell your neighbor Press On..."
The strength that you and I need in order to get into our promise is in the struggle.
Unfortunately, in the struggle is where most people give up.
We are right on the edge or the border of going to the next level, but we give up because we get weary and tired.
I have some good news for someone here this morning, the Bible says if you and I don't give up we will reap a harvest.
In other words - if we don't give up in the midst of the struggle we will get what God has for us.
Hebrews 10:35
So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.
Hebrews 10:36
You 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.
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 between, that determines where we go.
It is the job of the Enemy to discourage you and I in between the victory to victory, in between the Glory to Glory and in between the strength to strength.
This morning we may feel things are breaking up, but I am here to tell you that things are breaking through.
The Bibles says weeping may endure for a night, but Joy comes in the morning.
It’s the job of the Enemy to get us to surrender during the weeping of the night so we’ll never experience the joy of the morning!
Quote from Jacob Riis on Persistence
I look at a stone cutter hammering away at a rock a hundred times without so much as a crack showing in it. Yet at the 101st blow it splits in two. I know it was not the one blow that did it, but all that had gone before.
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 I dare you to be like jacob and be willing to wrestle for your breakthrough.
This morning, I would like to point out a few people who battled for their breakthrough and then we will be done.
I would like to talk about David and then Isaac and we will be done.
Lets take a look at what David faced before he defeated the giant of his next level.
1. 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.
Davids next level didn't come with out a battle. The Giant tried to intimidate David with his words.
Believe me the giant in the next level will try and discourage us from going to the next level by saying things like:
- What do you think you are doing?
- Who do you think you are?
- You don't have what it takes to get to this level!
- It ain't going to happen for you!
- You will not ever get free!
- Things are not going to change!
- Just give up and quit!!!
David didn't let the words of the giant stop him from stepping out and battling the giant of the next level.
How many here desire to continue to grow in the things of God?
Then guess what there are going to be some battles that we will face to get to the next level.
But just like God came through for David He will come through for you and I.
2. God used what was tested in Davids life
1Sa 17:38
Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head.
1Sa 17:39
David 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 Davids life to defeat the giant.
If you notice that it was Davids sling shot that defeated the giant and not Sauls Armor.
This morning I think someone needs to know that God wants to anoint what has been tested in our life.
What do I mean by that?
David didn't win the battle using Saul's armor, because it hadn't been tested in Davids life.
What was tested what Davids sling shot.
David got used to using a sling and a stone when we was in the wilderness taking care of sheep.
The lesson we can learn here is: When you and I use what we have to win smaller battles, it will make us 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 Davids life to defeat the giant of the next level.
I feel someone needs to know that your promotion to the next level is going to come out of the area of your biggest testing. That area where we have been facing the biggest battle.
Some of us maybe feeling it financially.
Some of us maybe feeling it in ministry.
Some of us maybe feeling it physically.
But God is about to turn that situaion around and take us to the next level.
We may be facing some battles right now, but guess what?
God is about to use that same area where you have had the biggest battles to bring about one of your biggest breakthroughs.
Hallelujah!!!
Someone needs to get excited because - I have some good news for someone here this morning, the area that you are being testing in right now is about to become the area of your greatest anointing.
Somebody needs to get happy this morning. God is about to release a new level of anointing upon your life in the area where you have faced the most toughest testing.
You must contend with your giant and gain victory over it before the anointing is released to manifest in a greater measure of authority.
That battle that you have been facing was just a set up for your Breakthrough...
3. Last but not least let's take a look at Isaac.
In the book of Genesis Chapter 26:1 we see the land that was Isaac's inheritance was a barren land.
He entered into a land that had famine, but at the same time this land was promised to him as an inheritance.
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.
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 happned is as Isaac began to plant and be fruitful the phillistines didn't like that to much, so they began to come against him.
The philistines didn't like Isaac so they began to bury the wells that was 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 oppostion, God eventually blessed him with some room to be fruitful in the land.
Come on Somebody!!!
The key for Isaac's breakthrough was perserverance through opposition and contention.
As Isaac persevered through the opposition and struggles of the philistines, God eventually blessed him with room to be blessed.
What I get from this is as long as you and I refuse to give up, God will take us to the next level of our inheritance.
Let me say like I said earlier, I know some of us may find ourselves in a battle right now, but that battle is just a set up for an increase and a greater anointed.
Tell your neighbor make room, because I am about to get my blessing.
If you continue to read on in Genesis we see that God used these conflicts and contentions to lead Isaac back to Beersheba, the place that God wanted him to be.
I know we might not understand what is going on, but if we put our trust in God, He will turn everything around for His Honor and His Glory and get us to the place where He wants us to be.
It maybe a spiritual place, it maybe a physical place and it maybe a financial place. God is able to work it out for His good, if we press on.
I will close with this Illustration:
Chuck Yeager breaking the sound barrier
There 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 shinning at the same time. For a brief moment he was master of the sky, going beyond the boundary of understanding and exceeding the limitations of his mind.
He had reached a place where victory can be realized.
It was for one reason and one reason only. He refused to turn back!
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up(Galatians 6:9).
Just keep fighting - this is the battle before the breakthrough!
For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning(Psalm 30:5).
Strength is not born by seeing miracles - it’s born in the struggle!
We’re being made ready to inhabit our promised land!
We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed (2 Corinthians 4:8-9).
Just push on not looking back and we will gain the land that God has promised us.
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If this sermon has been a blessing to you please stop by my website www.pastordre.com and watch the video - https://pastordre.com/battle-before-the-breakthrough-sermon/..
Pastor Dre
