Sister Jeannie…
So have you ever been in a mess?
So you’re in a mess and you say, “Okay, I’m gonna clean up the mess,” but everywhere you look requires your attention. So it’s not like, “Okay, I’m just gonna put my clothes away.” But then as you put your clothes away, you see paperwork that you never went through. And then you see that bill that you never looked at. I mean, everywhere you look requires your attention and before you can even get to the main thing you have to get through this pile of debacle. I don’t know if you are experiencing that right now. Everywhere you look, it’s urgent. Everywhere you look, it’s well “Well, when this is done, then we can finally get to the main thing.”
The God narrative…
So let’s look at the definition of narrative. The two go together by the way. So, Father, I thank you right now that you say what needs to be said today. So, this morning I woke up with the wrong narrative… the wrong narrative of “it doesn’t even matter.” But the kind of narrative that would say “you can’t make it today and you need to call someone else to lead.” Symptoms, situations, whatever. But if it’s not a narrative rooted and grounded in victory, it’s not a kingdom narrative. And if it’s not a kingdom narrative, it’s a lie. It’s a lie.
So let’s look at the definition of narrative.
Narrative: “something that is narrated. And in order it for it to be narrated, it has to be spoken. It has to be told. A way of presenting or understanding a situation or series of events that reflects and promotes a particular point of view or set of values.”
When I hear about a story in the news or when I hear about something, one of the first questions I always ask is “What’s the narrative?” What is being presented to present a particular point of view? Another definition. The purpose of a narrative writing: narration means the art of storytelling and the purpose of narrative writing is to tell stories. Anytime you tell a story to a friend or a family member about an event or an incident in your day, you engage in a form of narration. A narrative can be factual or fictional. A narrative can be true or false, a way of presenting or understanding a situation or series of events, a way of presenting a situation or series of events, a way of understanding a situation or series of events.
The narrative can be factual, and it can be fictional.
It can be the truth. It can be the lie. It reflects and promotes a particular point of view or set of values. The narrative promotes a particular point of view. The narrative promotes a set of values. The way things are told, the way things are presented, promotes a set of values and a point of view.
Truth narratives…
Father, we thank you for kingdom narratives today, which are truth narratives. We promote the kingdom today. We promote kingdom values. And, Father, I thank you today that we begin to see every situation, every event through the kingdom narrative, through victory, through what have you said, Father. What are you doing, Holy Spirit? What is my role to play?
“Occupy until I come.”
That is our kingdom narrative. The righteous have victory every time. They experience some things. I’m gonna go over this passage in Mark 5. When you look at Jesus… and as Jesus in Mark five, you know, He just crosses over and He’s been ministering to a bunch of people. Father, thank you for your Word. It comforts us. It strengthens us and it makes us rise up and it causes us to see the kingdom narrative. Mark 5:21. “And when Jesus had recrossed in the boat to the other side, a great throng gathered about him and he was at the lake shore.” Already Jesus is in a mess. I mean, He’s just on the shore. He just barely reaches land and…(makes noise: pshesss). That’s the Jesus in you. He’s like, “Can I just get a minute?” No! Here they come. And you know that throng that came at Him had narratives of sickness, narratives of defeat, narratives of urgency. Absolutely every narrative that confronted Jesus was a narrative of urgency.
“Then one of the rulers of the synagogue came up Jairus by name and seeing him, he prostrated himself at his feet.” Jairus also had a narrative. We have a kingdom narrative. We have a “I know you are the Son of the living God narrative.” “And begged him earnestly saying, my little daughter is at the point of death, come and lay your hands on her so that she may be healed and live. And Jesus went with him and a great crowd kept following him and pressed him from all sides so as almost to suffocate him.”
So here’s Jesus. He on the shore … pshesss! And then Jairus “help me.” And then Jesus is “Okay, I’m gonna help you.” And the crowd follows them and keeps pressing in on Him, pressing situations, things that require Jesus’s attention. Along with this one single person who had an urgent, urgent need. Are we in the middle of this right now? Our city requires the kingdom in us.Our state requires the kingdom in us… our family, our relationships require the kingdom in you.
And there was a woman… Okay, so here we go. Here’s Jesus. Just gets off the boat and here come the people. Here comes Jairus prostrate. He’s gonna respond to Jairus so He is already on His way to help Jairus’ daughter. And then… First the crowd, then Jairus, then the crowd still. And then there was a woman who had a flow of blood for 12 years and who had endured much suffering under the hands of many physicians and had spent all that she had and was no better, but instead grew worse.
The number 12 symbolizes God’s power and authority…
So the woman had an issue for 12 years. At the end of this passage, it says that Jairus’ daughter was 12 years old. You know, the Bible has those fun little clues and hints. So I looked at the Hebrew meeting of 12. Twelve which is considered a perfect number. It symbolizes God’s power and authority. We read this through God’s power and authority narrative. He’s in the middle of one mess after another. Was the crowd information? Did they make sure to give Jesus room? Did Jairus act with dignity and say, “Okay, Jesus…” No!
It seemed just like one nutty event after another, because it was. Because the kingdom suffers violence and the violent take it by force. Jairus was saying, “I know you can do this. I know you’re the answer.” The crowd wanted more of the kingdom of God and Jesus. And here’s the woman with the issue of blood. It’s all happening at one time under the narrative of God’s power and authority.
So as I read this, I want you to hear it. I’m gonna ask you, as I read this, to hear this through the filter of God’s power and authority and through the filter of everywhere you go Jesus goes. So like everywhere you go and there’s a pressure and it’s like… “No, that’s Jesus in you.” That’s those things calling on the kingdom in you. That’s what’s happening when you’re up here. Tracy, Come up here. [they enact a demonstration] Okay. So I’m walking. I’m gonna walk. I want you guys to press against me. And instead of me doing like, “oh, I’m like… God’s power and authority. God’s power and authority. God’s power and authority. Do you see what I mean? Go ahead, sit down.
When things press on us, it’s those things calling on the kingdom in you. When you hear a narrative of defeat, when you hear the narrative of nothing’s gonna get better until if or when … That situation is calling on a kingdom narrative in you. It’s saying, “Speak to me.” It’s saying, “Declare over me.” It’s saying, “Pray for me.” That’s what’s happening. If it’s not a narrative of victory, it’s a lie.
So let’s imagine this.
Now, as I read this, imagine yourself in what you’ve experienced when you feel overwhelmed. Imagine you’re Jesus experiencing this, cuz I’m telling you with the awakening that’s upon us, you will experience this. People are gonna be putting a demand on the kingdom in you. If they’re not already. And by the way, they are already. They are already putting a demand on the kingdom in you. You’ve just seen it as stress. That’s not what’s happening. They’re putting a demand on God’s Word in you. That’s what’s happening.
The earth is crying out for the sons and the daughters to show up. Okay, come up here, please again. Both of you. We’re gonna do it again. So I’m walking. Okay, go ahead. And the news, it’s the earth crying out for the kingdom of God in me. It’s crying out. They’re like, I got to have more. It’s your city crying out for you to pray. It’s your city crying out for you to run for office. Do you get it? That’s what’s happening. It’s not this. Go ahead. Do it. That’s not what’s happening. Okay.
Husband John…
Hey, honey. Can I add just something real quick? So as you’re saying that, the scripture that came to mind right away, which I think brings yet another clarity to this scripture in James 1. The Amplified. “Consider it wholly joyful, my brethren, whenever you are enveloped in or encounter trials of any sort or fall into various temptations. Be assured and understand that the trial and proving of your faith bring out endurance and steadfast and patience, and that they would have a thorough work…so that you are perfectly and fully developed with no defects lacking in nothing.” That is the kingdom. The kingdom is Jesus. Jesus is endurance, steadfast, patience, perfectly and fully developed with no defects. And He lacks in nothing. That is the kingdom that is inside of us. But sometimes we get tricked into believing it’s not because we’re looking at the circumstances and situations and feeling that pressure. But He said, consider it wholly joyful. I don’t even know if I’ve ever been wholly joyful about something in my life that I can remember. But He said it…
Jeannie… How about when you married me?
John… Okay, there’s one. Okay. But He’s saying this because He knows we are gonna be enveloped in encounter trials and fall into various temptations. He knew this was all coming.
Jeannie… and by the way, we’re joyful because we know it has to end in victory. That’s why we’re joyful. It’s not the doctrine of endure and be holy and just let… this suffering does not come from God. If we let that irritation form in us and strengthen us, then we’re ready for victory. You do realize that you’re not gonna be ready for the force of victory unless you let that irritation form God in you. Did you know that? Did you know that the victory that’s coming is gonna put pressure on the kingdom of God in you? The victory that’s coming is not gonna bring relief. It’s gonna bring “God, help me with all this breakthrough.” “God, how do I steward the breakthrough?” “God, all these people are wanting to know Jesus in me.” The breakthrough brings pressure too.
Welcome!
Welcome to the kingdom! You are up to bat and the bases are loaded. And you have a home run in your bat.
