Announcements:

• Thursday Night Bible Study at 7p, (Bible Study theme:  Hungry to Grow In My Christian Journey-Freedom)
• Church Family Christmas gathering Saturday evening December 2, 2023.
• King Jesus will be praised worship night Sunday November 26, 2023 at 6pm.
• Prayer meeting Sunday December 3, 2023 at 6pm.
• Spanish Translation for the sermon is now available at HCC.  Feel free to invite Spanish speaking people to church.
• Youth meet every Saturday at 6:30pm.
• Pray for HCC and Open Hands Community Charitable Services as we prepare to expand our service to the community.

Sermon Notes:

Main Point:  It is time to advance, first by knowing Jesus in the secret place then by allowing the Holy Spirit to work through us to impact others for God’s Kingdom

We are destined to conquer and advance:

Romans 8:37.  We are more than conquerors through Jesus.  When Jesus is Lord, first place in our lives, and we know him personally, then we can be assured that we are more than conquerors.  It is a fact that if Jesus is with us, we are going to conquer whatever comes our way.  It is truth.  It is God’s word.

Psalm 18:29-35.  God shields all who take refuge in him.  With God close to us we can advance.

• Who are those who have a refuge in God?  Psalm 91:1-2.  Those that dwell in the secret place of the Most High God.  
  • And for us today, and during this series we have defined the secret place as that place where you and God are alone in fellowship.  
  • A place where you experience God because you decided to seek him with passion when nobody was watching.

How is the Kingdom of God advanced. 

Quote from: Ezrachimts.  The Kingdom of God is found in the person of Jesus Christ, drawing near to His people so that the Kingdom may be advanced through His people. So, the Kingdom is advanced in us before it can be advanced through us. 

• First the Kingdom of God is advanced in you, by knowing God personally in the secret place.
• Then the Kingdom of God is advanced through you. By the power of the Holy Spirit working through anointed saints that know Jesus.

Pastor’s Thoughts;

• When God’s people turn from the carnal sinful ways and begin to get close to Jesus, in the secret place, then the Kingdom of God begins to advance into a move of God in the land.  (2 Chronicles 7:14.)

• That is what we are beginning to experience in the Spirit.  More and more people are genuinely encountering Jesus, in the secret place (a place where you and God are alone), and the result will be a move of God beginning locally then spreading out.   The best is yet to come.

Quote: Ezrachimts

Jesus Christ in us, the King of Glory, desires to set His throne, His Lordship within our lives as we walk in faith, obedience, and perfect submission to His will for our lives. Everything flows forth from intimacy and relationship with our Lord………and so does the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom comes alive within a person when there is a desire to KNOW their King. 

• We don’t know how much more time we have here on earth, but we can all know this, as long as we have breath, we choose to advance the Kingdom of God, first be knowing God intimately, then by sharing the good news with power that comes from the Holy Spirit.

John 5:19-21.

19 Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. 20 For the Father love the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel.

• Jesus Christ only did what He saw the Father showing and doing. He saw what the Father was doing when He spent extended times of intimacy and fellowship with the Father in the Secret Place.

Conclusion:

• It is time to advance, first by knowing Jesus in the secret place then by allowing the Holy Spirit to work through you to impact others for God’s Kingdom
• What this world needs is God’s people, those who call Jesus Lord, to be passionate about knowing God and impacting others.

Training for Kingdom Purpose:

• Do not let your carnal failures convince you that you cannot be close to God in the secret place
  • Fight for it.  Get back on track as soon as possible.  Work out your own plan of action in the secret place.
• Train your heart and mind to defeat your carnal sinful nature by the power of the Holy Spirit in your life.

Romans 12:1-2.  

• V1.  Surrendering all to God is what we were created today (reasonable service).
• V2.  In the secret place with God your mind will be renewed because you know God and hear his voice
  • We will not find clarity in our walk with God until we surrender our carnal unto God.