Breakthrough Insights Series

Video Transitions:

Video 1: Story behind the song God of the Breakthrough!

Sermon: Breakthrough insights!

Series: Breakthrough 2020!

Thesis: In 2020 we are looking for a Breakthrough in our lives – a breakthrough from Covid 19, from divisive politics, from societal division and dissension in our society – but to get the desired breakthrough in our lives we need to have 20 – 20 vision into the spiritual realm and see through God’s eyes.

Scripture Texts:

2 Corinthians 10:3-4: “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.”

Introduction:

This morning, I want us to continue to talk about spiritual breakthroughs. But more importantly about having a spiritual breakthrough personally and the process that seems to connect with getting them. We need to push forward in 2020 with the foresight that a breakthrough is possible – that a miracle is possible - we need to see things through the eyes of faith and not fear – through the eyes of God and not man – through the eyes of a biblical world view not a secular world view - I believe we need to give over our negative thoughts and mindsets to the Lord which I believe leads to breakdowns. But to see a breakthrough is possible we must observe the patterns of breakthrough.

Putty Putman stated, “Understanding that life happens in the midst of this invisible spiritual battle helps us make sense of our lives. Each of us has places in our lives where God’s rule has been realized, and we have other places where it has not yet been realized…Some days we will see glorious breakthroughs. Some days we will get to be the very hands and voice of God. We will see God’s rule established and the enemy’s rule overthrown. It is a glorious and beautiful thing. Other days, we may not win the battle. We will give it our all and advance the cause the best way we know how, but we may not see God’s kingdom come the way we expect. We will not win every battle, but in time we will win the war. This perspective is vital because it gives us a means to process situations in which we do not see the kingdom breaking through.”

Scripture:

Psalm 34:18: “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”

Psalm 91:1-16: Security of the One Who Trusts in the Lord.

1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High, Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

2 I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!”

3 For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper, And from the deadly pestilence.

4 He will cover you with His pinions (wing of God), And under His wings you may seek refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark.

5 You will not be afraid of the terror by night, or of the arrow that flies by day;

6 Of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, or of the destruction that lays waste at noon.

7 A thousand may fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand, But it shall not approach you.

8 You will only look on with your eyes, and see the recompense of the wicked.

9 For you have made the LORD, my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place.

10 No evil will befall you, nor will any plague come near your tent.

11 For He will give His angels charge concerning you, to guard you in all your ways.

12 They will bear you up in their hands, that you do not strike your foot against a stone.

13 You will tread upon the lion and cobra, the young lion and the serpent you will trample down.

14 “Because he has loved Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him securely on high, because he has known My name.

15 “He will call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him.

16 “With a long life I will satisfy him and let him see My salvation.”

Here are 3 insights of a breakthrough from God – there is usually a pattern connected with a spiritual breakthrough. We see this just looking at the history of Israel, looking into church history and even into the History of the United States.

Note following thoughts from Praying for a Christ Awakening pages 15-18.

Historically in the OT the pattern looks like this:

God sends a leader and reveals himself to his people and they have a spiritual awakening. But it does not last because the people after about a generation distance themselves from God and His ways. This usually happens when the leader dies! So the people start to fall - to drift away from God. Yes, they distance themselves from the Word of God and worship of God. They forget what God had done for them! They begin to accept idolatry from the secular culture around them. Pagan practices are embraced such as sexual immorality, greed, pride in their sin, sinful lifestyles abound as normal, division rises up and wars and slavery invade. Typically in this crisis moment a remnant of people begin to pray for a spiritual breakthrough and ask God to save them. In the midst of their darkest hour God sends a spiritual breakthrough or awakening.