I’m preaching this message entitled: The Persuaders, I’m beginning with this text in numbers because I want you to see what persuaded looks like (Joshua and Caleb were persuaded)
Then you may say: But they didn’t persuade anyone else,
But You’d be wrong: The fact is they persuaded the next generation to come back and take possession of that which their forefathers forfeited.
Think of that: Two men who believed Gods report were able to persuade an entire nation to believe the promises of God.
Look at these verses:
Num 14: 6 -9 And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes:
7 And they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land.
8 If the LORD delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey.
9 Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not
Joshua and Caleb Were Persuaded:
Now let’s look at a New Testament Persuader:
2Tim 1:8-12
8 Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;
9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,
10 But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:
11 Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.
12 For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, (and am persuaded) that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.
.PAUL WAS PERSUADED:
Persuaded = To convince by argument, to rely by inward certainty, believe, have confidence, trust, yield.
One of the greatest needs in the body of Christ today is for men and women who are persuaded.
To be persuaded means: Won over, convinced, settled
This is essentially what faith is (Faith is arriving at the place where you are convinced and won over by the Word of God).
Until one is persuaded there is a struggle:, feelings, emotions, circumstances all war against the mind.
Examples: I hear the word ( By his stripes ye were healed) but I feel the pain in my body
I hear the word ( My God shall supply all your needs) but my pockets are empty
I hear the word ( But then there’s the doctors report).
I hear the word (But there’s the lawyers report).
And there is a war being waged:
Isa 53:1 Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?
This war is waged in the mind:
It is a war that is between the word of God and the natural circumstances and conditions that contradict the Word of God.
Satan wars with sickness, pain, financial problems, negative reports, etc
If you become persuaded by the circumstances and conditions that contradict Gods Word, you will actually begin to stand in direct opposition to the Word of God.
Example: The 10 spies who allowed the giants and other things that they saw to persuade them, and convince them that they were unable to take possession of their promised inheritance.
Literally what they were saying is: We are persuaded by what we have seen and heard that God lied,
I know that is strong medicine but that is exactly what happened: They let their natural senses over rule Gods promises to them.
On the other hand Joshua and Caleb saw the exact same things, and heard the exact same things but they were persuaded by the Word of God that they were well able to take the land.
Nu 13:30 And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for (we are well able to overcome it).
Nu 14:9 Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for (they are bread for us): their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not.
Joshua and Caleb were persuaded by the Word of promise:
The Word of God had prevailed in their thinking over every possible enemy.
To Joshua and Caleb it would not have mattered how many Giants there were or how big they were or how high the walls of their cities were (They were convinced, They had been won over). THEY WERE PERSUADED
I believe through this message, somebody is going to be persuaded.
For somebody the struggle is coming to an end, The war is coming to an end, those giants that have been staring you in the face are getting ready to become bread for you .
(In otherwords instead of those things devouring you, you are getting ready to devour them).
Jer 30:16 Therefore (all they that devour thee shall be devoured); and all thine adversaries, every one of them, shall go into captivity; and they that spoil thee shall be a spoil, and all that prey upon thee will I give for a prey.
Example: Aaron throws his rod down before the magicians of Egypt and it became a serpent, then the magicians threw down their rods and they also became serpents (but Aaron’s serpent swallowed up the magicians serpents).
The devil has been trying to devour you with sickness and fear, with poverty and lack, financial problems, problems in your marriage, problems in your ministry.
Your children aren’t acting right, the devils trying to steal your peace and your joy.
The devils been trying to persuade you that Gods Word is not true, that those prophecies and promises of God are not true and they will never come to pass.
He’s been trying to get you to take his side and believe his evidence and to speak against the Word of God.
He wants you to say : It’s too hard, it’s too bad, it’s too late, it’s impossible.
The devil has unleashed numerous circumstances against your promises, it seems like you are surrounded by the serpents of fear and doubt and negative circumstances.
But God is getting ready to flip the script
Your setback is just a set up for your come back.
God allowed you to go through some struggles and tests so he could draw the enemy out of hiding, just like he did to the Egyptians, (God drew those snakes out of hiding and then he devoured them).
The rod of Aaron = The authority, the power of the Word of God.
The Word of God will swallow up every serpent that has been loosed against your life.
The devils greatest fear is that you will become persuaded that Gods Word is true.
When you are persuaded: You can look at the dry bone conditions of your life and prophesy your own healing, and your own deliverance, and break through.
The woman with the issue of blood for 12 years prophesied her own deliverance: If I can just touch his clothes I know I’ll be whole.
Jairus prophesied his daughters resurrection: If you will come and lay your hand on her she shall live.
The centurion prophesied his servants healing: Speak the Word only and my servant shall be healed.
Let the Word of God persuade you today:
You are well able to take the land
You are able to defeat sickness and disease
You are able to break satans power over your loved ones
You are well able to fulfil that ministry that God has called you to.
1Jo 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
1Jn 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
Faith is not a struggle, faith is a rest: Once you are persuaded concerning the promises of God for your life the struggle is over.
You may have to walk some things out, but internally there will be a peace and a rest that it shall be even as the Lord hath said.
These are the kind of people satan fears:
Why?
Because Persuaded people have the ability to persuade others.
See Acts 19:26 Moreover ye see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, (this Paul hath persuaded) and turned away much people, saying that they be no gods, which are made with hands:
Look at that again: Not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia this Paul hath (persuaded) and turned away many people from worshipping Idols that are made by mens hands.
When you are persuaded God heals: You can help persuade others concerning healing
When you are persuaded that God restores marriages and heals broken homes: You can persuade others to trust God for their marriages and their homes.
When you are persuaded that God can break habits and addictions and deliver the captives and set them free: Then you can be a powerful tool to bring deliverance and restoration.
PERSUADED PEOPLE, PERSUADE PEOPLE.
People who are intimidated and manipulated by their circumstances are no threat to the devil.
The people who put hell on high alert are those who are persuaded
The ones who say: It doesn’t matter what it looks like or feels like, If Gods word says it that settles it.
I AM PERSUADED:
