The 5 Things You Experience When You Stretch Your Faith

James Greer: [00:00:00] There's at least five things that God wanted you to know about this daring faith that stretches your faith. And God wants you to experience this unbelievable supernatural energy, which is somebody at my age. You got to have it every single Sunday. Amen. You get a new power. And God wants us to stretch our faith. He wants to have a supernatural energy, a supernatural power, and supernatural answer to prayer. Some of y'all have prayers that you need to answer and a happiness that's unexplainable and dreams that are beyond your imagination. Those were at least five things that God wants us to happen during this daring faith, and He almost dares you to do it. My favorite verse. One of my favorite made my favorite is Ephesians 3:20. It says that God does exceedingly, abundantly above all that you ask or think according to the power that work in us. And I've seen God do that. And because I think I do that, I know if he can do it in my life, he can do it absolutely anybody's life. But when you don't stretch your faith, I see so many Christians. I call it strained faith or drained faith. I think every single Sunday, the majority of the people that come to church, not everybody, but the majority of the people, you're saved. If you're not today's date, do that. You're saved. But you’re drained. You're not filled. You're not experiencing the power and the blessings of God, which God intended you to have.

James Greer: [00:01:41] And so you're going to Heaven, but you're not enjoying it while you're here on Earth. Everything in your life. Everything in your life. Rises and falls upon your fellowship with Jesus Christ. Not just your relationship listen, but your fellowship. Oh. Your relationship. When you get saved, you become a child of the king. But I maintain my fellowship on a day-to-day basis. I mean, I am my parent's child. Even when I'm out of fellowship with them. And it's so important because what I'm in the right fellowship with my Father, I can have genuine concerns, but it's okay because they're expressed in my dependance on God and I'll say, Hey, God will take care of it. I'll say, God, what will you do? But when I even I have a relationship, but I'm not in a fellowship. I have fearful concerns. And I started saying, What am I going to do? And it can happen from day to day. I can have wake up one day and I have the right fellowship with Christ. I get up, I spend time with him and I feel like, Hey, man, God's in control. He can do it. I get up one day and I don't do that. And I have fearful concerns and I say, Oh God, what can I do? I've got to take care of this. I've got this problem. And then I feel like I've got the problems of the world on my shoulders.

James Greer: [00:03:19] And it's unbelievable the stress that comes about. So we got to have. The Wright Fellowship. And when we have the right fellowship, everything rises for our marriage to us, everything does. And so we've got a. Function on a day-to-day fellowship with Christ. But when we do, there's five things that can happen, I want to tell you. Number one. Number one, we stretch our faith when we're in the right fellowship. We have the supernatural energy that comes from God. And I love that because every single Sunday when I'm in the right fellowship with Christ, I get to experience it. And at 1 Corinthians tells us about it, 1 Corinthians 12:1 says, Now about the spiritual gifts. Now I want you to know really what it's saying. It's about this, brethren. I want you to understand something when you use your spiritual gift. You'll get to experience. And you're endowed with a supernatural energy. Now, when I say I get to do it every Sunday, God never intended me to use it just so Sunday morning. Oh. God never intended me just to be a Christian on a Sunday morning. Even though it's easier on Sunday mornings because you are sitting there and just like the guy told me not long ago, he said, Brother Jay, you got to start practicing what you're preaching. I didn't like that.

James Greer: [00:04:56] I said, I'm the preacher. He said, I'm the one telling you to practice. But so what is saying about your spiritual gifts, brother? And he's talking to Christians. There's a special endowment of supernatural energies, brother. And you got to be a Christian to do it. I don't want you to be misinformed. Now, what I want you to know is when you go to work Monday, if you'll use the gifts that God's giving you to further his kingdom, you can experience the same energy. It might be. I don't know what God called you to do Monday, but he's giving you a gift to be used. And what I often do and what you often do. We save them for Sunday. And God bless us in spite of our ignorance. But this is the last. Message on the series and God doesn't want it to stop here on Sunday. He wants us to go out and use it on Monday. Amen. I love what Tim Tebow is doing. I didn't know him much when he played football, but I sure know him today. Because he's using his football platform to further God's kingdom and everything that he's doing. And God wants you to use your platform wherever you're at and whatever you're doing to further God's kingdom. And when you do that, he says, you'll get to use the supernatural energy. Amen. Second of all, God says, I want you to know if you allow me to stretch your faith, I give you a supernatural power.

James Greer: [00:06:31] I've just written this verse in the front of my Bible because I love what it talks about. It says the words supernatural energy again, but this word means power as well. And it's in Colossians. It says for this our labor. Until weariness. And sometimes don't you feel like you're just worn out? I'm worn out at work. I'm worn out at home. Well, when we had kids, I was worn out chasing them. I was worn out trying to correct him. I was worn out spanking him. I know you don't spank today. Go sit in the corner. Spank them heathens. Anyway, they will die anyway. For this on labor. And he's trying to tell you that we all labor. Work is not the curse. Striving with all superhuman energy or power. Which he so mildly. In Kindle really means which he set on fire. And worked within me. I love that because God said, listen, when you're. Growing weary. Doing the right things. God, I'll set you on fire. You'll be physically tired, but spiritually on fire. That is good, Brother James. Because I'm going to get worried and you're going to get where we're all going to get weary. But God said, Listen, I want you to know when you'll stretch your faith, I'll set you on fire in spite of your physical weariness. We need to experience some of that. Amen.

James Greer: [00:08:29] I want you to be on fire at work, at home. When you walk in these doors at church. And God said, you can have it. He's way too many people that are worn out for the wrong things, and they're not worn out for the right things because they're focusing so much about the wrong things or not enjoying the right things. That's true. One of the reasons. One of the reasons we're not enjoying. The right thing is because we're so much focused on the wrong things. And the wrong things are called idols. And so many people don't even know what idols are today. And idols are anything that we look for to meet our needs other than Christ. Anything, anything or anybody. What do you look for? To meet your greatest needs other than Christ? It can be anything or anybody. What do you run through? Run to when you're happy, when you're hurting, when you have a need? What do you run to that? That is. That is your idol. Our daughter is worshiping the creature more than the creator. Idolatry worships pleasures more than pleasing Christ. When we worship pleasing pleasures more than pleasing God. We lose the fruits that God has for us. Luke puts it this way. Luke 8:14, says If. Now, the ones that fell among the thorns, the ones he's sought out the word of God. In other words, every time I'm preaching, I'm preaching the word of God and where it falls on your heart.

James Greer: [00:10:19] That's how you receive it determines the fruit in your life. Now, the ones the word of God, he fell among thorns are those who, when they had heard it, you hear it? But what you do with it, you go and are choked by the cares of the riches and the pleasures of life, and they bring no fruit to maturity. Oh. Say they came to church and they heard the word. But they didn't bring any fruit to maturity. If you see them, you say, Oh, that's a tree. Might even be an apple tree, but there's no apples. Now, if you grew an apple tree and you'd never had any apples. What good is apple tree? And that's what it said. It has never brought any apples in because it was pleasing the pleasures more than pleasing God. The problem with pleasing pleasures more than pleasing God, the pleasures just don't last long enough. No maturity. No maturity that brings fruit. You can say the fruit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance against the law. But the. The fruit of maturity here means you came. You heard the word. You didn't bring it in the maturity and maturity. Here is what fruit you needed in your life. When you came, you came because you had a need. It might have been an emotional need, maybe a health need. It may have been a financial need, it may have been a spiritual need.

James Greer: [00:12:01] But you didn't bring it into maturity because soon as you left instead of applying it, you went after the pleasures of life. Nothing wrong with pleasures. But 2 Timothy 3:4 and 5 says, When you become lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, then there's a problem. Because you have a form of godliness, but you're denying its power. And from such people turn away. What power? The power to give you the love, the joy, the peace, the power to give you the supernatural energy, the power to give you supernatural prayer. That power. The power to do what God's called you to do, the power to enjoy all that God’s giving you, the power to use your gifts, and the power to use your gifts to further God's kingdom. When you use your gift, whatever that is. You get the supernatural energy and you get the supernatural power. So God said, Number one, I've got a supernatural energy. Number two, I've got a supernatural power for you. For this hour. Labor. Keep going. Striving with supernatural energy. Then I might kill the fire within you. In other words, what he's saying is. The supernatural energy that's kindled within you when you're on fire with God. Instead of saying, I can't, you start saying I can do all things with Christ. You start living the day-to-day life instead of saying I fear God, then give me a spirit of fear, but a power of love and a sound mind.

James Greer: [00:13:51] See, it changes not only your physical life, it changes your spiritual life, and it changes your attitude. And that's what God wants to do in your life. Amen. Third. Third. God gives you a supernatural answer to prayer. One of the things when I started thinking about supernatural answer to prayer, I just love it because there was a time that Elijah, he prayed down fire and killed 400 Bael worshipers. And in that same chapter, James said, effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. And then he said that Elijah was a man just like us. And he said, Man, he said, for the Christian, he said, When you're right with God and you're right with others, a supernatural answer to prayer is available. He gave us an example of how Sampson had killed a thousand men with a jawbone of a donkey. That's supernatural power and supernatural energy. Amen? And he told us in Judges 15:18, which is nothing more than a physical picture of spiritual application. He was very thirsty, I guess. So you just killed a thousand men. And he prayed. One of the things that we need when we have a great thirst or a great need is to pray and we need to pray to God and we need to tell him, Hey, you're giving me great deliverance and give him the honor and the praise and by the hand of your servant.

James Greer: [00:15:25] He gave God that credit. And but he said, You know, I'm going to die of thirst. And fall into the hands of the uncircumcised. God does not want you to be defeated by the enemy. One of the reasons that God wants to give you victory is when people look at you and they look at Journey Church, they want to say there's something different in their life. And what is different is God's working in their life and I want what they have. Amen. And God. He split open the hollow place and he opened up the ground and water came up and he drank and his spirit returned. And he went back to the battle that, you know, I get tired and you get tired and we need to refill with the spirit and the power of God. We need to get back in the battle and God will give you victory. Amen. That was a picture of the spirit and the power of God. And when you're filled with the spirit with God before us, who can be against us? A lot of people, but they cannot win. That's what God is saying. He wants to answer that prayer. Did you know? Did you know that God says in 2 Chronicles 16:9 that the eyes of the Lord are running to and fro throughout the whole earth to show himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to him.

James Greer: [00:16:43] Did you know the guy just running around church? He's run around the home, He's running around the city. He said, Man, I'm just trying to find somebody. I'm trying to find somebody, trying to find somebody who's heart is right towards me. You know what? Because I want to show my strength to them. When they saw Sampson killing a thousand. Men. The goal was not really to honor Sampson. When. Joshua crossed the Jordan. In the enemy's heart began to fail. And the water dried up and the walls of Jericho were all sealed up. The goal was not to get worshiped, Joshua. The goal was to say, Man, their God is with them. See when God is trying to show forth. His strength in my life and your life is to bring honor to God, not you. You're just the instruments in the hand of a mighty God. In fact, that's what he's talking about in the Psalmist when he says 31:19. How great is your goodness? Oh, God. You store it up for those who fear you. In other words, God said, I want you to know. I've got so many blessings stored up in Heaven. I want to pour them out. I want to lavish them on those who come to you for protection. Why? I want to bless them before a watching world. God said, Do you know that I've got so many blessings stored up for you in Heaven when you get right with God, when you want to make a stand for doing, when you want to do something great for God.

James Greer: [00:18:19] I want to pour them out and I want people to look at you all and look at that church and say, Man, it's got to be a God thing. Amen. So what I'm asking you, what are you attempting great for God that's so big that only God can get the honor and glory. Yeah. Now what? If you say nothing, then don't expect him to do something great. Do you want God to do something great in your life? Amen. Will attempt something great. For supernatural happiness. While hurting. That is the strangest thing. It sounds like a contradiction. So, so many races that Christians don't experience a supernatural happiness. They're in a soup because they don't know what a supernatural hurting is. A supernatural hurt. Are you all ready for this? Amen, man. I want you all to rock the house. Are y'all ready? Amen. You only get a supernatural happiness and a supernatural hurting when you're doing the right thing for Christ. When you're hurting for what's doing, for what's right. If you're really making a stand, if you're really going for it, if you're really preaching the word, if you're really doing what's right, you're going to get hurt for doing what's right. And yet you can turn around and say, Praise God.

James Greer: [00:19:47] Steve. Whenever making fun of us for the trampoline park, Steven finally walked in and said, I finally achieved. I said, What did you finally achieve? They finally made fun of me. I'm so happy. It's hard to achieve. Amen. It's hard to make a stand so right for Christ that other people make fun of you. Some of you have never been made fun of because you do what's right. Somebody's been made fun of because you're doing what's wrong. Some would make fun of you because the way you look. Because where you act. You don't feel good about that. God said listen, happier. Those that strive for peace, you need to be striving for peace. Because they're called the Sons of God. But I will tell you, you can strive for peace all you want. And there's going to be people don't like you. My wife and I were eating lunch yesterday and she said, Honey, what is the thing that you think people misunderstand you most about? And I said, I want to have peace and I want to help people. And they most misunderstand me. But happier those that are persecuted because they're good. And I can honestly say, Honey, that's why I don't have to worry about it. She said she got this long text yesterday. Some Facebook message. They messaged and said, Hey, Miss Debbie, I want to tell you I'm sorry. For the last four years, I've been so mad at your husband.

James Greer: [00:21:21] And on and on and on how mad she was at me and all these different things. And me and my husband got a divorce and on and on and on. And he met with us one time. I told you, don't meet with me. And four years later, he was right. And I shouldn't have been mad. I said all bunch of ugly things. She said. I had posted a bunch of ugly things about you and him both. She said, Honey, did you? I said, Honey, I don't even remember. She said, You don't remember? How can you not remember when people were that ugly to you? I said, It's just a gift from God. She said, What do you want me to say? I said, I don't remember. I forget. I'd love to see her at church. You want me to text that? I said, I sure do. So what happened yesterday? I don't even remember. I mean, I don't remember most of those hurts, most of those hang ups. I mean, it's a gift from God. Some of them I do, but most of them God has blessed and wiped them away from my memory. Happier are those who are persecuted. I’m just happy. I sure was happier this year than I was four years ago, though. And she then she said, and I'm sorry I said some ugly things about you just because you married him. Oh, well, the truth is what it is. Happier are those who are persecuted because they are good for theirs as the kingdom of Heaven.

James Greer: [00:22:54] I mean, you know. When they revalue and persecute and lie about you because you're my Father. Wonderful. It's just wonderful thing. You can be happy. You can even laugh about. I laugh about it now. I wasn't so funny back then, you know? But you can't now, you see. That's okay. Those things are going to happen. My question is. When is the last time you were happy Because you were hurt for doing the right things and not the wrong things? Did you know that the Bible says in Matthew 10:32 that it says this. Therefore, whosoever confess me, I will also confess him before the Father who is in Heaven. I don't think we confess Jesus Christ in front of people enough. I know I don't. Whosoever denies me before man, I'm going to also deny him for the Father who is in Heaven. Now He's talking about we need to be confessed in Jesus before other men, and he'll confess us before the Father. But do y’all know what it says? Do not think I came to bring peace on Earth. I did not come to bring peace, but the sword. He just told us early to seek peace, didn't he? He said, Now bring the sword. If you confess. Jesus Christ. Enough before men. It's going to be some problems. But if you don't, you're the problem. Wouldn't it be great as we go out in daring faith as I.

James Greer: [00:24:43] Are you ready? I dare you this week to confess Jesus Christ before men. At least once on your job this week, confess Jesus Christ as your Lord and your Savior. Because of time, I got to move on. I got to move on. Fifth, fifth, fifth. We dare to dream big. I dare you to dream big. My favorite verse, like I tell you, is the one that I dream about. And it's Ephesians 3:20. Not him. That's able to do exceedingly, but above all, to ask a thing according to Powell, that worthiness. To him be the glory of the church. Jesus Christ, for all generations. Forever. I get to live that verse. I get to live in every single area of my life. I want it read at my funeral. I want to tell you what it means. Spiritually, it means I never dreamed. I couldn't even imagine in all my life. Not ever get to have a church like this. I never dreamed that I get to preach like this. I never dreamed that I get to see so many people saved and so many people baptized. Not even in my wildest dreams, imagination could I ever dream that. Couldn't. It's beyond. And I just thank God for it. I never could dream and imagine my financial situation. I have a very limited education. My parents didn't have money to give me, though they had common sense. People say, Yeah, well, you've lost me as I have, but God's blessed me with it.

James Greer: [00:26:37] God bless me, way beyond my. Intellectual ability. The difference is I know Deuteronomy 8:18, most people don't that have it. You got to remember this. God said the Lord God for it is He who gives the power to get wealth. There's a lot of people that work hard, a lot of people a lot smarter. A lot of people don't know where it comes from. What I do have come from God and what I do have is his. He's blessed me. Spiritually beyond my wildest imaginations. He's blessed me financially, beyond my wildest imaginations. The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 3:12, he says this Something I've done. I know, I know. There's nothing better. For them then to rejoice. And do good in their lives. And also, every man should eat and drink and enjoy the goods of all. His labor is a gift from God. Did you know? That I've been forced. I've been traveled almost all over the world. And being able to do it comfortable. Do you know, growing up, I thought best to know I never went on a vacation my whole life. Never had a new car. Don't know if he rode one. And a. Can you imagine? Now preach it to a church like this. Financially blessed that I can have a new car if I want to vacation, I go anywhere in the world. Never went on one. Can. You can't even dream and imagine that.

James Greer: [00:28:19] I can still remember the first time we went out of town on vacation. Looking at my wife, I said, This is not a pinch yourselves. I can't believe this. And I won that trip. They sent me to Las Vegas. But anyway. Yeah. And I lost what I had. That's what. That's why I learned not to gamble, you know, but extremely abominably about my family. We had two biological children, Jimmy and Shannon. My wife had her tubes tied. And she wanted more kids. She wanted more kids. I mean, we'll get later in life. I'm happy. No, not her. We went and paid to have a tubal ligation reversed. I did my part to try to help. No kids. We had call one night. They had some kids in jail. People we knew and. The kids have been abused physically to some extent, and they were going to. Send them to a foster home and then off to. And I said, Well, call Debbie told her she's. No, no, no, no, bring them home. I said, Bring them home. I said, Yeah, put them all in the car. I said, Okay, we'll put them in the car tonight. Tonight. Ran the next day. The next day. The next day. Next day. Next day. We didn't get one kid. We got three. That's where Gary, Cayla and Randy came from. And God supernaturally blessed us with additional family. So we didn't have two kids, We had five kids and they were all supernatural, blessed and supernaturally blessed grandkids.

James Greer: [00:30:05] So when I say God blessed us beyond imagination, you couldn't even imagine it. God bless us with health. My wife does have some health issues right now. She does have lupus. But look what we've done. We've been married almost 49 years. We've got a marriage that most people never dream of. She's still my best friend. I think God is going to heal her well enough. We're going to travel again, spend time together and. And what else can you say to that verse? I mean, it's. I know that it's available. Emotionally. Sometimes emotions are not what you think. I'm not a very emotional person to speak of. But I'm fortunate that I when we go through, we go up and down in our life. We go up and down with our kids. People say, How are things? I say today, today, this minute. They're okay when that mean that. But one thing that we have learned. That ultimately God's in control. And. I could tell you the things that we've seen happen you would not believe financially, health wise, emotionally. It's probably beyond your imagination with our own family and other people or people close to us. And we have learned something. Ecclesiastes 3:11 that in God's time he made everything beautiful. It's not my time. It's not in your time. So we virtually lived out the biggest and best dreams of anybody I know. And I don't think it's the end.

James Greer: [00:31:55] I think my last half quarter for whatever it is, that's going to be even better. Then my previous. That's the way I look at life. But how do you. I don't think it's ever too late to start. You said, Well, mine's been like hell. Mine wasn't like yours. Well, it can start today. That has to start with Jesus Christ, because he said, I am the way, the truth and the life. No man comes to the Father but by me. There's not many ways to God the Father. There's only one way. That's through Jesus. If you want to go to Heaven, there's one way. That's Jesus Christ. If you want to experience the supernatural, blessings and power of God, it's through Jesus Christ. As to his obedience. I don't know which one you need today. I don't know if you need that energy. Maybe on your job. Maybe it's that power. Maybe it's in your. Marriage. Maybe it's that answer prayer. Maybe it's in your finances. Maybe it's that happiness. Maybe that's in your emotions. Maybe that's your dreams. Maybe that's all together. But why would you not end this service today? Thank God. How old that? And I can tell you if it's available to Brother James is limited. He is. I think the reason that God bless me. And I'm not joking. It's because I was so limited. The people that really knew me say, if he can, I can do that for him.

James Greer: [00:33:38] He could do it for anybody. But he will not do it if you don't ask. So the invitation today. It's whatever you need the most. Come and ask God for it. And do it today. We're just. Stan, let me pray with you. Pray for you. God. You're an awesome God. I don't believe there's anybody here by accident. I believe this thing was divine appointed. Probably most of all for me. I just want to give you the honor and the glory and praise for everything you've done in my life. And everything you've done this church. But, God, you didn't put me here for me. Just me. You put me here for our congregation. The people that I love. And you know, that's the only reason I'm here. Change lives today. Don't let people go home hurting without help. Don't let people go home without hope. Let them know there's absolutely nothing too hard for you. Help them know that you give them energy power, that you can answer prayers. They be on their wildest dreams and imagination. That you can give happiness to the most saddest people in the world. God, whatever they need, may join church, follow through in baptism. Maybe they need somebody to pray with them, pray for them. But God let them come to the front and get help. Let them respond to their next step. But, God, please, I beg you not to go home without help. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Recorded in Pineville, Louisiana.