Presented by Pastor Tutu Sofowora

3rd May, 2014

Don't stay in your comfort zone, take risk

1. There is a uniqueness about each and every one of us but whether you actualize it, is really up to you 2.  There is fragrance that you carry, whether we ever smelt it is really down to you 3. Many are just content with just getting by in life. Living the life of a mediocre; Living in the plain when God wants them to soar like an eagle

4. They are eagles but just content to flock with the chicken  5. They dream of a better life but take no action to see it realized. Wishful thinking. Day dreaming 6. They want many great things in life but they see the price they had to pay and think oh it's too hard  

7. So they are content to live less than what they are

8. They apply for jobs that pay less and below their potential.

9. Don't stay in the plain. It is a place for the non-entity 10. The plain is very crowded. They are many vacancies at the top 11. Going to the mountain is doing what you have never done 12. Stretching yourself to the limit 13. You are a package of surprises

Isaiah 54:1-6 “Sing, barren woman, who has never had a baby. Fill the air with song, you who’ve never experienced childbirth! You’re ending up with far more children than all those childbearing women.” God says so! “Clear lots of ground for your tents! Make your tents large. Spread out! Think big! Use plenty of rope, drive the tent pegs deep. You’re going to need lots of elbowroom for your growing family. You’re going to take over whole nations; you’re going to resettle abandoned cities. Don’t be afraid—you’re not going to be embarrassed. Don’t hold back—you’re not going to come up short. You’ll forget all about the humiliations of your youth, and the indignities of being a widow will fade from memory. For your Maker is your bridegroom, his name, and God -of-the-Angel-Armies! Your Redeemer is The Holy of Israel, known as God of the whole earth. You were like an abandoned wife, devastated with grief, and God welcomed you back, like a woman married young and then left,” says your God. (Isaiah 54:1-6 MSG) 

15. STRETCH YOURSELF  16. Whenever God wants to promote you, He brings you a test like a mountain that you have to climb. Something that would stretch you to do what you have never done before 17. It is either you run from it or goes for it 18. Like David, his defining moment came just like every other day 19. Every challenge is a set up for promotion 20. His father sent him to go and check on his brothers who were part of Saul's army

1 Sam 17:17-18 - Then Jesse said to his son David, “Take now for your brothers an ephah of this dried grain and these ten loaves, and run to your brothers at the camp. And carry these ten cheeses to the captain of their thousand, and see how your brothers fare, and bring back news of them.” (I Samuel 17:17, 18 NKJV)  21. Saul's army and the Philistines were in battle array in the valley of Elah 22. For forty days morning and evening, Goliath presented himself to the army of Israel taunting them and asking someone to come and take him on. Challenges beckon at us every time 23. But each of them saw Goliath- A giant nearly ten feet tall stepped out from the Philistine line into the open, Goliath from Gath. He had a bronze helmet on his head and was dressed in armor—126 pounds of it! He wore bronze shin guards and carried a bronze sword. His spear was like a fence rail—the spear tip alone weighed over fifteen pounds. His shield bearer walked ahead of him. (1 Samuel 17:4-7 MSG)

24. Then David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” (I Samuel 17:26 NKJV)

25. And they ran for cover, Not even the price that the king promised to give could move them 

So the men of Israel said, “Have you seen this man who has come up? Surely he has come up to defy Israel; and it shall be that the man who kills him the king will enrich with great riches, will give him his daughter, and give his father’s house exemption from taxes in Israel.” (I Samuel 17:25 NKJV)

 26. Then David came and heard Goliath 27. He saw Goliath and turned the battle to God 28. He asked again concerning the prize attached to the head of Goliath

29 . Eliab, his biggest brother started chastising him and asking him what he was doing there. You are meant to be with the sheep. There are for us big boys.  30. In your journey to facing your giant, watch out for big brothers of David that tells you are too young, too inexperienced. You can't do it. This is way out of your league

 31. In David's mind, the size of the mountain may differ, but the principle is the same. 32. The same principle that I applied when I confront the bear and the lion is what I would apply when I faced this giant 33. Phil 4:13- (AMP) - I have strength for all things in Christ who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ's sufficiency]. (Philippians 4:13 AMP) 34. Phil 4:13- (MSG) - Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am.

35. Killing a giant opens the doors for greater opportunity We see it every time before our very eyes in every sphere of life. For example, the athletes, they performed outstandingly, the next thing you, they are on our TV advertising products, services.  Nobody wants to associate with whims, failures, and non-entities. 36. You don't get rewarded when you cowered in the face of challenges, you get rewarded when you confront them and overcome. 37. Take on new challenges. Do new things. Break new grounds in your career, in the things of the Spirit.

BREAK THE CEILINGS 38. There are lids over your life. Lift the lids. Break your ceilings. You are where you are today because of ceilings you have broken in the past- primary school, secondary, university, professional exams  

39. There are people who have done what you want to do, locate them and learn from them. They help you to break the ceilings and remove your limitations. 40. Pick your association carefully. Association is powerful Pro 13:20 - He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed. (Proverbs 13:20 NKJV) 41. The greatest association you can invest in is your time with God.

42. David's boast and confidence was:  1 Sam 17:37 - Moreover David said, “The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you!” (I Samuel 17:37 NKJV)

43. David have seen God do great things through him and He is confident that God can still do the same no matter what the size of the challenge is. 

44. Draw strength from the victories of the past. Bring to your memories the mountains you have had to climb in the pass and they would help you to climb the ones in your future 45. It is the principle of God. When God delivered the children of Israel from slavery, He established the Passover as a feast they must observe forever and He told them to always remember when He delivered them from Pharaoh and brought them out of Egypt.

46. When He divided River Jordan, He told them to take 12 stones from the midst of the river and set it up as a memorial to remember them of when they walked through River Jordan. Before David confronted and killed Goliath, he recounted how he had killed the lions and the bears 

SET UP MEMORIALS 47. Go home. Get a diary and write out specific dates in your life of mountains that you have had to climb, situations that looked so impossible and you came out from, difficult exams that you have passed. Whatever the Lord has helped you to achieved. Write them down and remind yourself THERE IS NOTHING IMPOSSIBLE 48. That is why we are blessed. We are never alone in the journey of our lives. It's delights the heart of God when we attempt the impossible. We know there is no impossibility in the dictionary of God, so also it must never be in our dictionary 49. I have come to realize that something is impossible because I believe it is. What I believe does not necessary means the truth. It is my reality because that is what I believe. 

PREPARATION

50. Whatever you are doing now, do it well. It is a preparation for the great thing.  Ecc 9:10 - Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might;  Colossians 3:23-24 - And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.

51. Moses found himself keeping the sheep of Jethro in the wilderness for 40years before he led the children of Israel out of Egypt and through the wilderness for 40years 52. Before David became king, he led the sheep in the wilderness, he led vagabonds and hide in cave. He poured himself into the vagabonds and they became his mighty men when he later became king. 53. Whatever task or assignment you have been given, do it with every breath in you. 54. Every assignment is a place of preparation. 

55. Every customer is a door to many customers. Treat them well and they would keep coming back 56. The reward of going to the mountain is so great that the price to pay is nothing compare to the fulfillment you experienced in actually attaining your fullest potentials. 57. Go to the mountain- what are those mountains you want to climb. Write them down. Look at them everyday. It is the principle of God. 58. Joshua 6:1 - Now Jericho was securely shut up because of the children of Israel; none went out, and none came in. (Joshua 6:1 NKJV) 59. I'm sure they looked at the wall and men! No way are we going to go in and take this place. Joshua, you must be dreaming. 60.  Before the children of Israel entered in Jericho, they walked round it 13 times. God made them to looked at it and looked at it and looked at it.  61. They began to reevaluate the wall. It's not really as strong as we think it is. Not really as solid as we thought. Look at cracks. God began to make the mountain look smaller and smaller and smaller until their faith can carry it. 60. So on the 13th times, they shouted. Yes we can do it. They believed they can and they did.

Write down your mountain. Keep looking at it. Until it grow smaller. And smaller. And smaller and your faith can carry it. 62. Yes you can be great. Yes you can do great things

1. I’m pressing on the upward way,New heights I’m gaining every day;Still praying as I onward bound,“Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.” 2. Lord, lift me up, and let me standBy faith on Canaan’s tableland;A higher plane than I have found,Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.

3. My heart has no desire to stayWhere doubts arise and fears dismay;Though some may dwell where these abound,My prayer, my aim, is higher ground.  

4. I want to live above the world,Though Satan’s darts at me are hurled;For faith has caught the joyful sound,The song of saints on higher ground. 5. I want to scale the utmost heightAnd catch a gleam of glory bright;But still I’ll pray till rest I’ve found,“Lord, lead me on to higher ground.”

for Pastor Tutu Sofowora

 cityofgod.rccg@yahoo.com