STRENGTH OVER STATURE (InCourage Church's word for the year).
STRENGTH OVER STATURE
Welcome to another week at InCourage Church, a church that is based in the heart of Rondebosch, Cape town.
This week Dewald Du Plessis shared a word for the year that he received for the church. A word that encourages the church not to look at stature but to focus on the church's strength. Dewald shares on the fact that the Lord wants to strengthen the church's foundation in order to scale. The church's foundation is build on the Great command and the Great Commission.
Below are the sermon notes for those who want to follow:
PS, Apologies for the video quality, we had a technical placement issue.
During my fast the Lord gave me this word
o Strength over stature
7 The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7
•I believe it is the word for this year.
•The Lord reminded me that the world measures success by appearance, status, or size.
•God does not look at the things man looks at.
•Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.
•Bible character that God tied to this word was King David (son of Jesse).
•We can find the story of David in 1 Samuel 16.
• 1 Sam 16 4 Samuel did what the LORD said. When he arrived at Bethlehem, the elders of the town trembled when they met him. They asked, “Do you come in peace?”
5 Samuel replied, “Yes, in peace; I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. Consecrate yourselves and come to the sacrifice with me.” Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.
6 When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, “Surely the LORD’s anointed stands here before the LORD.”
7 But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”
8 Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him pass in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, “The LORD has not chosen this one either.” 9 Jesse then had Shammah pass by, but Samuel said, “Nor has the LORD chosen this one.” 10 Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, “The LORD has not chosen these.” 11 So he asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?”
“There is still the youngest,” Jesse answered. “He is tending the sheep.”
Samuel said, “Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.”
12 So he sent for him and had him brought in. He was glowing with health and had a fine appearance and handsome features.
Then the LORD said, “Rise and anoint him; this is the one.”
•I love what the Lord said to Samuel in verse 7:
o Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at.
• In the same way I feel we look at the church and at our members.
•People tend to flock to bigger churches, established bases because it is less confrontational.
•Or they even have the mindset that they must be doing something right or there is more anointing. (Which is often true).
•But did you know that crowds draw crowds?
o Church plant strategy. (The Lord want to use i different strategy with us as a church).
• And for churches, we tend to want to skip process and long to be a big church or community with all the bells and whistles, etc.
o Best tech, full to capacity, teams, etc.
•David was not considered due to his size, age, etc.
o He was not invited for the lineup.
o He was busy doing His father’s work.
o The Lord deemed Him worthy
• In all honesty, that is what I had to deal with from time to time
o Lord, look how small we are?
o Lord what difference can we make? We are not massive like those other churches, we don’t have this, we don’t have that?
o I sensed the Lord said to me: “WHAT IS IN YOUR HANDS”
•I believe the Lord is saying to us that he wants to strengthen our foundation for what is to come.
•I Believe we are in a prepping season for what is to come.
•I believe that the Lord wants to strengthen us from the inside out.
•When David was still a shepherd boy, he had to deal with a lion and a bear.
•He had to protect his sheepfold from dangerous attacks.
•The Lord was preparing him for what was to come
•The Lord was with David / and David was with the Lord.
•The lord showed me in the week on which I shared with the group about a compactor.
•For those who do not know what a compactor is:
•I sense the Lord wants to “Compact us” with His love, His word, His correction, His spirit.
o Density determines durability
• The Lord want to bind us together, He wants to compact us
So that He can scale.
•God wants to create a greater unity.
•God wants to strengthen our foundation.
•With strong foundation one can build high.
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00:00:00 Introduction
00:02:38 Prophetic words for the church
00:11:41 Ice breaker jokes
00:14:30 Church word for the year