In this sermon, the speaker begins by praising the choir for their powerful worship. He acknowledges that many people have attended multiple services and have been greatly blessed and fed by the messages. The speaker then discusses the concept of being in a land of despair, where one moves from revival hour to survival hour. He uses the example of Abraham, who out of fear, asked his wife to lie about their relationship. The speaker emphasizes the importance of surrendering to God in difficult situations and trusting that the steps of a good person are ordered by the Lord. He also highlights the need for recognizing our sinfulness and relying on Jesus to break the power of sin in our lives. The sermon is based on Psalm 37:23 and emphasizes the importance of seeking God's guidance and relying on His strength.

This message is one of the Times Square Church Pulpit Series. It was recorded in the sanctuary of Times Square Church in Manhattan, New York City. You are welcome to make additional cassettes of this message for free distribution to friends. However, for all other forms of reproduction or electronic transmission, existing copyright laws apply. Thank you, Choir. You've been praising Him all day, and we've been so blessed by this Choir, don't you agree? If you've been in the house today, if you've heard messages, how many have been at one other service other than this one today? That's quite a number. And if you've been here at least one other message, you have been greatly blessed and fed. The Lord has really been speaking so clearly and so powerfully today, and we've been lifting His name up. And the Lord is teaching us how to praise Him, not in our flesh, but in our spirit. How to lift Him up when we're tired, how to lift Him up when we're distracted, how to lift Him up when our flesh doesn't feel like it. And those are the high praises of God. And the Lord is teaching us how to do that on that level, because it delights Him. He gets a lot of honor when we're learning to be led out by the Spirit, not by the flesh. And tonight, I have a message, and it's kind of just an exclamation point to all the messages that have been preached today. But it came so easy, this was not a hard message to write. That that's usually a sign that though many people will be edified and blessed, there is someone here that this message is especially for you. There are going to be people here tonight, and I know because of the way it came so easily, that the Lord is saying, everything is arranged for you tonight. I'm speaking this word right to your heart because I know you need it. And it's going to be an on-time word. Let's pray. Father, I thank You, O God, for this one more time, for the privilege of lifting You up. For the privilege, O God, of worshiping You. Lord, You're teaching us how to worship You in spirit and in truth. Now, Lord, I pray that You will take this word, Lord, and that You will send it like a mighty arrow. And that You will strike it through the heart of Your enemy. That, Lord, one more time we will hear how You are high above every power and principality. And in You we have victory. Lord, You're going to make that a reality tonight. We're going to experience it tonight. We're going to know it as Your body that You've come to deliver us, to send an on-time word that we may rejoice and praise You. For You alone are worthy of this praise. We cannot deliver ourselves. And, Lord, tonight we praise You as our deliverer. We praise You as our fortress. We praise You as the God that we can run to. And You never cast us out. And You never tire of us coming to You. But, Lord, we delight You when we come. So we come empty. We come humbly. We come expecting. Lord, we ask You to get all the glory. And we'll thank You for it in Jesus' name. My message tonight is called, The Steps of a Good Man Are Ordered by the Lord. The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord. If you will turn with me to Psalm 37, you will find that exact scripture. Psalm 37 and verse 23. The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord. And when it talks to us about a good man, you and I that know the Lord know we're not talking about a man who naturally keeps the law. We're talking about someone who tries hard and someone who does a lot of things right. We're talking about a man, a man, a woman who has cried out to God and God revealed His Son. Someone who knew that they were a sinner. And the message came that Jesus saves sinners. Someone who knew, God, I don't and I can't live a life that pleases You or pleases me anymore. Unless You come into it. And You break the power of sin and what controls me. Someone who's had a heartfelt cry and said, God, if You're real, meet me. And God met you. And revealed Jesus Christ. And I've had my sin washed away. And now the goodness that we have, it's a gift. And the goodness that we have, since the scripture says that no one's good, not one. We know that God gives us the ability to obey Him. God gives us the desire. God gives us the power. And so that's who we're talking about tonight. There may be some here tonight that you don't know Jesus. You have never cried out. You've never asked Him to come and save you and to forgive your sin. You don't know what it is to walk with God and to have fellowship with Him. But tonight, you can do that. It's as simple as a heartfelt cry that says, Jesus, Son of God, I give You my broken life. Come into it and change me. But really, this message, though, is for the good man. The one that says, God, You've made me good. God, if there's any good thing in me, it's You. And God says it's the steps of that man, that woman, that are ordered by the Lord. If you read with me in Psalm 37, verses 23 and 24, it says, The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down. For the Lord upholdeth him with His hand. Now, the Lord says, I'm going to delight in the way that I'm going to lead this good man. I'm going to delight in it. And though he fall down, He says, I'm going to be there for him, and he's not going to be utterly cast down. And I'm going to uphold him with My hand at the times when he feels he's going to be utterly cast down. And for those that have the Spirit of God, this verse starts to get so exciting. It's beginning to say, God, You've got my life and my steps and the way I should go planned. You say You delight in it. Lord, I hear a blessing here. You say You're not going to fail me. And I've heard it said this afternoon, it was so real. We begin to see the end of the trip, and we're excited. We begin, God says very clearly, now here is the end of all things. He says, Your steps are ordered, they're planned, they're established by Me, and You're not going to fail. But it is the middle of this walk that gets muddled. And God says in Psalm, you don't need to turn there, but Proverbs 16, 9. He says, A man's heart devises his way, but the Lord directs his steps. He says, A man's heart is going to plan, it's going to imagine, it's going to think through plans. And if you're a good man, if you have the Spirit of God in your heart, and the Word is preached to you, and you're reading this Word, God begins to put a burning in you. God, I want to know Your way. I want You to be led by You. And we get a picture in our mind of, God, what Your life blessing me means, and how I'm going to become like You. But you see, the Scripture says, we devise these plans, and we start thinking up. Now, this is how I get from point A to point B. This is probably what has to happen, and I know I have to change here. And if God will come and fix this here, then we'll get there. God says, you can plan, and you can devise, and you can think of all the ways that you need to change, and all the ways that you feel that if you change, this is the way that things will happen in your life. He says, you can do that all you want. And in some cases, we may be right. In some cases, we may be wrong. He says, A man's heart will plan that out. But He says, I'll tell you something. Your steps are directed by Me. How you may think what you may think you need, and how you're going to get there, you can do that. But the actual getting there is going to be directed by Me, because you don't know the way God says to us. He says, because you can't even begin to see it. Because it's a spiritual kingdom that the Lord Jesus has come down now, and has put eternity in our hearts. That kingdom of God is within us, but we can't see it. We can't know it, except by the Spirit. And only He can take us to the place He wants to bring us. So He says, you can't see the path. You're going to have to lean on Me to take you there. He says, I'm going to direct the way. I'm going to have to take you there. And so tonight, I want to look at a couple of ways that a good man's steps are ordered by God. One of these ways was in the life of Abraham. And in Hebrews 11.8, it says, By faith, Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place, which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed. And he went out, not knowing whither he went. And God has made a promise to Abraham, and He says, I'm going to bring you into a place, but you're only going to get to it after. He says, if you obey Me, I'm going to take you to a place after. And He said to Abraham, first of all, you don't know the place. You don't know how to get there. So that's why you're starting out not knowing where you're going. And it's a walk of faith, because we don't know where we're going. We know the end. We know that Jesus says, if you'll walk with Me, if you'll never let go of Me, if you will trust Me, I'm going to take you to a place in Me that is glorious, that the world is going to see Christ in you and Me. I'm going to answer you of yourself and fill you with Me, and all those around you are going to sense a Holy Spirit in you. But you don't know how to get there. But He says, your steps are ordered by Me. And Abraham, they're ordered by Me. He says, there's a clear, definite purpose that I've called you, Abraham. There's a reason why I've called you, and there's a reason that I'm going to take you to a clear and definite destination. And beloved, for us who are in Christ, we know the final end destination is heaven, because Jesus saves. Someday we're going to be awfully glad that we bent our knee, because when we stand at the brink of eternity and see the glorious heaven, when we see what's been prepared for us, when we get it in our spirit that we have an incredible future. We have a hope and we have a future, and no one can take that from us. We have something to look forward to every waking hour. We have something to set our hearts upon, and that is the promise of heaven. But here right now, there is another place in this life, and God's going to take us there. He's going to sow something in our spirit. By faith we're going to receive it, but there's going to be a harvest time in this life. There's going to be a harvest of grace and peace and power if we'll go His way. There is going to be that harvest time. There is going to be a place for those whose steps are ordered and walk in them. And God says to them, go to a place which after you should receive. We might say, after what? What was God referring to? He says, after I've ordered your steps, after you've followed me. He says, not knowing where you're going, Abraham, you're going to start on a walk of faith. And this walk is going to take you right through the center of your own heart. And this place is going to take you right through the Red Sea of our own heart. There's going to be a parting. And we're going to be able to see on this journey that God takes us through. He's going to see the parts of fear, the parts of doubt, the parts of despair, all that He sees. He says, I'm going to take you through it. You're going to know things. Your steps are ordered. I want you, there are things you need to know and understand. But He said, because your steps are ordered right through the center of your heart, they're going to have to go right through the center of my heart. I'm going to take you into the center of my heart. Your steps are going to be ordered right into my mind, right into my heart, right into my way of seeing things, my way of understanding things. And when you've done that, the purpose is that your ordered steps are going to be able to go right to the heart of those you love around you, of those that I've called that your life touch. I'm going to be able to expand your heart and let you move in power and touch lives around you. Your steps are ordered that way. That's the purpose of the ordering. But in Genesis 12, you know God gives that command to Abraham. He says, okay, you're going to start out now. Leave your father, leave your home, leave all that's familiar. That's a walk of faith. And he says, I'm going to a place and I'm going to show it to you in my time, he says. And if you obey, he says, I'm going to make you a great nation. He says, if you obey, I will bless you. He says, Abraham, if you obey, I will make your name great. If you obey, you shall be a blessing. He says, if you obey and follow these ordered steps, all those that curse you will be cursed and all those that bless you shall be blessed. And in you, all the families of the earth will be blessed. And I can hear Abraham hearing all these promises right at the beginning of his journey saying, Lead on. This is incredible. God, this is awesome. Lean on. It doesn't matter if I don't know where I'm going. This sounds too good to be true. Let's go. So Abraham departs. He enters and journeys through the land of Canaan. But the scripture tells us in that part of Genesis that there came a famine in his promised land. There came a grievous famine in his promise of blessing. There came a place of a land that, figuratively speaking, beloved, this is the land that God gives us today in the New Testament. This is the north and this is the south and this is the east and this is the west. All this land here, God says that I'm going to give to you. You're going to know a freedom in it. And beloved, we begin the journey of walking with God. All of a sudden, after the initial euphoria, we hear the promise and the blessing and we sense that God's not going to lie to us. He takes us to a place like Abraham where we had a famine, a grievous famine. There's nothing in us that's fruitful. We see who we are. And the scripture says that to escape, Abraham went south into Egypt. And this is getting confusing because Egypt's enemy land. And he's getting confused and he's in enemy territory. And beloved, when we get into enemy territory, I don't know about you, but I think this is common in man, we get fearful. And fear begins to operate. And that's what happened to Abraham. It tells us in Genesis 12 that like an icy fear, like a relentless pitiful hand will reach out and strangle out of our heart and out of our mind. Precious words that God has spoken to us. And beloved, when a fear comes and it's not checked by the Holy Ghost, it quickly moves to panic. That's the nature of man. And a panic can drive out every noble and high motive in our hearts. A panic can come and the motivating force behind fear and panic is save yourself. And beloved, that's what happened to Abraham. A man chosen of God, anointed by God, yet he gets into an enemy territory. He begins to fear and all of a sudden you know the story. He turns to his wife Sarah and he says, you're fair, you're beautiful, we're in this place. And he says, I want you to lie for me. Tell them that you're my sister. And the scripture says that she was taken into Pharaoh's house because they thought she was an eligible woman. But beloved, now the worst kind of fear that could ever grip a husband grips him. And he could start to say, what have I done? In my fear. God, you've made incredible promises to me, but Lord, I seem to be ruining everything. I started out on this journey and I thought you were leading me and I've come to a place where I'm hurting those I love. I have every good intention of following you, but I don't know where you left off leading and I started leading. But I'm in a place where I'm hurting those I love, I'm panicked, I'm being motivated by a save myself mentality. And beloved, we've all been Abraham. We have all known what it is to be dominated by fear. Where we've been up against something and it says, God, this can't be you leading me here. I see my reaction and I've heard about the blessing. But I see now, Lord, when you begin to speak to me about certain things, I just can't hear you. Or Lord, I can't believe that's you. And Abraham could start to think, I know you spoke to me, but I'm in this place, God, and I must have blown it. I'm blowing it. You've made incredible promises to me, but somehow this is all turned upside down and I'm hurting those I love. And I've blown your promises to me through fear. God, I didn't know how this starts, but I probably have sinned away my chance to be something in you. And what an incredible thing to think that the blessing and the promises of God have run through our fingers. Because we lacked. Because we were fearful. Because in a place where we were supposed to trust all we could think of is save yourself, save yourself, Ron. A place where every promise all of a sudden seemed so empty and tin hollow and nothing to stand on. And I reverted back to the old ways that I handle a situation and God, there I am hurting people around me. But beloved, what was the outcome of Genesis 12? If you read all the way down to the end of the chapter, the scripture says that Pharaoh entreated Abram well for Sarah's sake. The scripture says that Pharaoh gave Abraham sheep and oxen and donkeys and servants and camels for her sake. When the whole story was brought to light and all left Pharaoh's court unharmed, Abraham left with more than he came in with. Now beloved, are you saying that God is rewarding fear? No, beloved, I'm giving us a big picture here. What I'm saying is the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord and he delights in his way. And though we fall down, he shall not be utterly cast down. I'm talking to you about a God who takes us through the fear in our heart. I'm talking about a God who he brings to light all the sin that surrounds fear. He brought it all to light that Abraham lied and that she really was his wife and not a sister. She was not an eligible woman. It all came to light. But by the time they left Egypt, they left with more than he came in with. God's saying, I'm taking you through the fear land. Because that's how your steps are ordered in me. You're not going to run from fear. I'm going to take you through it. And if you will grip me, and if you will let me allow you to confront the deepest fears of your life, if I tell you, you're going to go out blessed. You're going to go out with more than you came in. God is saying, do not give up. If you are in a strange land where you have fallen prey to fear, God says, if you keep following me, I will make it right. Because by following me, you will confront the fears and you'll confront what's at the root of your heart. Abraham, you're willing to sacrifice those dearest to you in the worst time of your life. And though Abraham had to confront that more than once in his life, God was faithful to him. And God brought that man through the fear land. God brought that man through the deepest part of his heart where something he thought he could never do, he did. Yet God brought him through. Because his steps are ordered of God. Because God says, I delight in the way that I'm leading you. I delight in bringing you to the center of your heart, and you see what's there, and you grip me more. And I take you through. I take you through it. I don't forsake you. I don't, when you need me the most, turn tail. At the most, when I show you it's at the core of your heart and you hate yourself, I'm there to remind you I love you. I'm there to remind you I've ordered this. I'm there to remind you I'm delighting in the process of setting you free when you confront the truth I show you. And then you find out I don't abandon you, but I lead you through the fear land. And I take you out with more than you brought in. Our steps are ordered of God when he takes us through a land of despair. Our steps are being ordered by God. A good man's steps being ordered by God. We are going to go through a land of despair. Our life in Christ is one where our wants, our wills, our desires are slowly, one by one, being replaced by his desires. And I'll tell you something, that exchange doesn't happen except by despair. So if you're in the land of despair, I want you to know you're right on target. If you're in the land of despair, it's because God has a plan for you and he's working in you. If you're in the land of despair, it's because God's saying I have to take you to a deep place that I can take you to a high place in me. It's those that refuse to go to a place where I lead them that lead a very shallow surface existence in me, but they only get that shallow little bit of me. God says I order the steps of a good man. He says you're going to go through a land of despair. Because in the land of despair, it's where all of a sudden the flesh is saying I don't want to go there. The flesh is saying God I gave you the reins of my life, but I don't like where you're steering it. And that's a good place. Because when we come out the other side of despair and we find out that God is faithful, you'll find something else out. We'll find something else out. Pride has a way of being totally destroyed coming out through the other side of the land of despair. In the land of despair, it's a place, beloved, where God nails your foot to the floor and you can't run. The land of despair is a place, you know, where we give God all our arguments, and they're good ones, we think. We give him all our arguments, but we get no agreement from God. The scripture tells us that Joseph was brought through the land of despair. You know, God gave him a word when he was a young Christian, when he was a young believer. God said, you know, everything you see, those you value, everything around you, someday is going to bow down to you, Joseph. And the word to us is that if we will allow God to keep nailing our foot to the floor in the land of despair. Kind of an oxymoron, because although our foot is nailed, we're being led through a land of despair. Keep following me, he says. Because someday on the other side, that which torments you, that which is a grievous temptation to you, your fears and your failures will bow down to you. Because when you come through there, you're not puffed up, we're not puffed up, we're not full of pride, we're just so grateful to be alive. And though God can trust us then, God can trust us to trust him then. We don't get puffed up by things then. But Joseph knew what it was, to have this word, these things are going to bow down to you. You're going to be Lord over everything you see one day, Joseph. But the scripture, you know, I love that way Joseph gets that word as a young man. He runs out and tells everybody, look what God told me. And you can hear him, well, let's get going. Let's get down to the bowing stuff. I like this. But you know his story. And as his life unfolded, it was literally one trial after another. And the scripture says that he knew betrayal by those closest to him. That's enough to wound you for a lifetime. He knew the envy and the jealousy and that hatred and strife that comes out of envy and jealousy. Envy and jealousy always breed strife. And they hated him and there was strife and there was envy and jealousy because he was loved of his father. Because in his heart there was a longing to do right. And you and I, we come into the kingdom and we find out we're loved and protected by a father. And he put in us a heart to do right. And for some unknown reason, why are we suffering the envy and the jealousy of people around us? Why aren't they rejoicing of the fact we finally found something worth living for? But this is common demand. The Bible says that Joseph, you know, rejected of his brethren and thrown down in a pit. Picked up by some wayfaring men and put in a household. The scripture says that he begins to prosper and it looks like, you know, life is turning a little bit of a corner. But then all of a sudden he's assaulted by temptations. All this by a man that's struggling to say, God, I've given you my life. Have you taken it? Do you see where I am? But the scripture says he must have felt that God was with him. Because he was able to serve faithfully in Potiphar's house. But then the temptations came. Unrelenting temptation. In Joseph's case, it was an unrelenting sexual temptation. And beloved, it's not a sin to be tempted. But the enemy would want to try to think that he was sinning. But he kept refusing that. And he was successful in refusing that. By the grace of God. But then he came under false accusations because of it. And the scripture says that through these false accusations, the little he seemed to have, the little ground, the little blessing, the little fulfillment of the word that God gave him when he was young was taken away. Scripture says something very revealing, beloved. In Genesis 39-20, you don't need to turn there, but you might want to make note of it. It says finally that Joseph is now put in prison. Only the scripture says he was put in the king's prison. Beloved, a place where the king's prisoners are bound. Now this must be an incredibly hard place to try to believe that God is ordering. There is a measure of grace for every step God leads us through. But a prison house seems so opposite to what God promises. But the scripture clearly says he was in the king's prison. Not Satan's prison. Not there bound by the enemy at his will. Not bound by the power of sin where his mind is shut down and he is tormented day and night. But the scripture says he is in the king's prison. His steps are being totally ordered. God is taking him through the land of despair. Because he needs to go through it. God is taking him to a place that he could not imagine that God would lead his child through. God has now lodged him in a prison house. And you know what happens in a prison house? A lockdown can come into our mind and our mentality. And all of a sudden the driving place if you are in prison is I want to get out of here. I want to get out of here. I don't want to be here. I don't want to be facing this. And beloved if you are called by God. If you are anointed by God. If you have something that God has ordained for you. I tell you something. You are going to find yourself in a place you don't want to be and it's of God's ordering. It's a place where we cannot run. But it's a place with such intense longing to be somewhere else. Doing something else. Doing anything else when we get to the end of it. For some you know there is such a longing for a partner. There is such a longing for a mate that we can get in shutdown mentality. That that longing becomes the only thing that pounds through our mind. We can't seem to grasp the scriptures that say that they who are married are going to have to concern themselves with the things of this world and to please their mate. And that those that are single are devoted totally into the Lord. In other words there is a ministry that singles have that is unique and a privilege to them alone. That they can be totally devoted to the Lord. That he can bring them to a place where he so solely and singly owns them and they are so full of Jesus. That is not available to the married person. There can be in us a place where we are longing to escape. If you will turn with me to Psalm 105. We are going to read about Joseph's I think final run in the prison. A place where he desperately does not want to be. A place the scripture says where his feet hurt in Psalm 105. Starting verse 17. It says he sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold for a servant. Whose feet they hurt with fetters. He was laid in iron. Beloved when that scripture says his feet they hurt with fetters. That is such a picture, a description of this man is clamped down and his feet hurt. Because if he could get out of these fetters, if he could run, if he could be anywhere but there he would choose it. And even though he knows that he is chained there. Even though he knows for that season there is no escape. There is still that spirit in him that chafes against it that his feet hurt. Beloved that is a picture of us in a land of despair. It is that place where we have moved from revival hour to survival hour. It is that place in God where we end up having to have an hourly surrender to the place we are in. Not a daily, an hourly surrender. A place where we can finally cry out. And we mean it and it costs something. Not my will but thine. Because if God has nailed our foot to the floor we don't have any other choice. But you know we can be stubborn and rebellious in our spirit even though our feet are chained our heart can be folded over. And we can end up in our heart being so resistant to the spirit of God. But God says I am going to send a grace to those who I am leading through. Who I am ordering their steps through the land of despair. And those that find their feet in iron are also going to find the grace of Jacob, of Joseph. And finally there is going to be those that God spared upon that their arms are going to be removed from their heart. And they are going to say God not my will but thine. And beloved every time that said a drop of peace like a soothing oil. Will come into your spirit. The Bible says he was laid in iron. That means his soul came into iron. That means there came initially where he was shut down to what God was trying to say. He was so desperate to get out. He didn't want to hear what God had to say. He wanted God to hear him. Get me out of here. God wants it to you. You could snap your fingers in a moment. I could have someone by my side. God wants it to you in a moment. I will praise you Lord. I will give you the glory. But you know the scripture says that his soul was laid in iron. And finally he would not resist anymore. Because he kept talking to God and talking to God. It gets us nowhere if our foot is nailed to the floor. Believe me. When our foot gets nailed to the floor beloved. It's time for God to do the talking. And so finally what I believe is the scripture says. That in verse 19. Until the time that his word came. The word of the Lord tried him. The word of the Lord the promises and everything that he had said to Joseph. Tries him and works in him. And he remembers the time. Lord I thought I was a Christian that had it all together. I remember there was a time when I used to walk into church. And I had the faith of a Daniel. I had the praises of David on my lips. I could walk like a King Solomon. Rich in the blessing of God. But now. God I hop. Hobbling in. In a land of despair with a sore foot. Because you unnailed it for a couple hours for church. But I know when I head back out there. I'm nailed back. But beloved we know that it is God's doing. And all those promises. He has placed in us. Are turning in their trying. But the scripture says until. The word of the Lord came to him. In other words God saying there is a day. When I take a heavenly hammer. And pull out that nail. And I say to you. That what I have what I purpose. What I ordained for that time. Has been established in your spirit. In your soul. And it's not going to be ground. Again. It's not going to be something that I. That you have learned. And you're going to walk away from. But it is something now laid in iron. In your soul. And when you walk away. You walk away free. But you walk away with a heavy. Where I'm heavy in you like iron. I'm solid in you. You're not going to be blown away by adversity. I have worked something in you. The word of the Lord tried you. Till the word of the Lord came. And its promise and its glory. Broke into our soul. And we believed it. And we wrapped ourselves around it. And we started declaring his praise. Because we knew it was true. And that's what happened to Joseph. The scripture says. That he finally when he got free. It says in verse 20. The king sent. And loosed him. And that's what happens to us. Even the ruler of the people. And let him go free. And the scripture says. He made. You know what I can barely read that. He made him lord of his house. And ruler of all his substance. To bind his princes at his pleasure. And to teach his senators wisdom. Beloved there was a time. When with our foot nailed to the floor. It seemed like the enemy had access. To come and torment us. And to bind us up. And the Lord said no this whole process. Was that when you get free. That you and I are going to bind the enemy's princes. That's why the land of despair. Pride can't survive there. Ambition can't survive there. And I can invest you with an authority. And an anointing. To come against the forces of darkness in you. In your family. And you're going to believe it. You're going to see it. Because my word's going to come in loose. And you're going to know what to do. You're going to understand the ways of the enemy. And you are going to bind him at your pleasure. That is the heritage of the saints. That's why God brings us through. That's why God takes us through lands and places. We don't understand. Because after we've gone through that land of despair. Like Joseph. He says I set you on high and I make you a ruler. And you are going to bind the darkness. Where the scripture says when finally this Joseph stands before Pharaoh. This released man brought through the land of despair. That good man whose steps were ordered of God. And God delighted in everything he taught him. Knowing that Joseph was going to come out. Being a man. Knowing that it says in Genesis 41-38. When Joseph stood released before Pharaoh. He says can we find such a man as this. A man in whom the spirit of God is. Beloved that is the hope of when our steps are ordered by God. That those around us says this is a man in whom the spirit of God is. And all that came in contact with Joseph. Knew that. The steps of a good man are ordered. Of the Lord. And then he says after I take you through the land of despair. At my chosen time. He says you're not going to have a fleshly rulership. Prison took care of that. But he who has the spirit of God. Is fit to rule over his enemies. He who has the spirit of God can see. He who has the spirit of God is fit to rule. And it's not going to be a fleshly one. But it's going to be a powerful one. Beloved what does a finished work look like. In the life of a good man whose steps are ordered by God. One who has fallen. But whose hand the Lord outstretched and brought him out. A man who has had his steps ordered. And now he is going to taste the fruit of it. A man who has arrived to that place of destiny. That was promised Abraham. And that Joseph was brought to. What does that life look like? I believe that the apostle Paul's life at the end of his life in ministry looked like that. In Acts 28 it talks about. A Paul. Who himself has been brought through the land of fear and a land of despair. Through a land of unexplained trials. But Paul towers as a man. Whose steps have been ordered. And that God has brought him to a place in him. In 2 Timothy 3.12. Paul is able to declare. Yet all who will live godly. In Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. He says that's a given. I've learned that. That when the Spirit of God came on me. And the Spirit of God led through me. I found out that there were enemies of the Lord Jesus Christ. I found out that those that say Jesus I walk with you all the way. Shall suffer persecution. But he also says. What persecutions I endured. But out of them all the Lord delivered me. He said out of them all. There was not one thing that was able to keep me bound. Everywhere God led me to. Where he didn't always explain himself. And where I did suffer. Every time he brought me through. To a higher place. A deeper place. A richer place. I found out that Jesus Christ was my all in all. That he was enough. I found out that every time he led me to a place. And then led me through. I was a richer man. That I was more powerful in Christ. That I was more humble before him. That I was able to begin to taste the glory of Jesus Christ in me and through me. I began to see men's spirits bow down before the words I spoke. I began to see the kingdom of darkness break out before the Spirit of God. I began to see that a people could be able to stand in a time of persecution fearless. He began to see in a spiritual realm. That he saw Jesus Christ was Lord of all. And that everything did bend its knee to him. And he did not cower because he began to move in a realm that few saw. And fewer understood. But he said through them all. The Lord Jesus Christ delivered me because he's the king. And I never doubted it. The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord. Paul said yes, I knew what prisons and whipping and beating and stoning and shipwreck. I knew what it was to be hungry. To thirst, to be cold. But he said I didn't stop following. I knew what it was to go through beatings and stonings. But I did not stop following. Because he said I believe that the Spirit of God was deposited in him. And there was an urging on of the Spirit. That began to be able to say he was going to say at the end of his life. He could say that I am more than a conqueror through him who loved me. And gave himself for me. The deposit of the Holy Spirit and came urging him on. Saying I'm going to take you through this land Paul. I'm going to take you through all that you have to endure. But in the end you're going to come out more than a conqueror. You're going to be an occupying army. You're going to be able to take the ground that I take you through. And you're going to fully possess it. You're not going to back down. Your fear is not going to cause you to retreat. Your misunderstandings. When you have trials and tribulations to go through. When your own heart wants to deceive you. When there are times where you feel like giving up and you're so tired. He says the Spirit of God is going to come upon you one more time. And it's going to revive you. And I'm going to take you through. And the ground that you pass is going to be yours Paul. You don't have to give up ground because it's the Spirit leading. It's the Spirit taking it. You're going to know a freedom in your spirit Paul. That when you preach and when you teach. That those are going to recognize it's not the human spirit teaching. But it is the Spirit of God. And they're going to start to dwell in truth. Those that sit in darkness are going to see a great light in their spirit. Those that are bound you are going to see chains fall. And those that follow behind you as you follow Christ. They're going to keep the ground too. Because you're not just a conquering army you're an occupying army. And I love the story where you know Paul goes through that shipwreck. He warns before they start on that journey. I know in my spirit it shall not be well. But they disregard him. And they all get on this ship. And the ship does no shipwrecking harm. And finally at the end when the ship is about to get down. Finally Paul is finally said it is as I told you. It wasn't I told you so. It was coming out of a heart of love. And a heart that's going to witness that the Lord God speaks to him. And the Lord God speaks truth. And he's going to say I told you. But if everyone will stay with the ship no one will know harm. And the scripture says that the ship broke up. And they all grabbed onto a piece of wood. And they went into shore. And it was raining and cold. And the people that lived on that island of Melita. They had prepared things for them. And the scripture tells us that Paul was gathering wood for a fire. And he put a bundle of wood on the fire. And many of you know the story how a snake came out. And fastened on his hand. But by this time beloved. Paul had been through too much. And he looked at that snake attached to his hand. And just one more time he just shook that old snake off. And landed in the fire. Because everything had taught him he could. Because everything that the Lord Jesus had brought him through. He was able to look at a poisonous snake. And the life in him was overcome the poison that was trying to be injected in him. Because his steps were ordered. And they were ordered through a land he didn't always like. And a place he didn't always understand. But he declared my God is faithful. And he has ordered my steps. And he will establish them. God delights in the way he's leading me. Because it's forming something in me. And I've become a man that can shake a snake. A poisonous snake into the fire. And the life in me overcomes the death in it. And beloved the scripture tells us. That that hand that the snake fastened on. That he went and he made hands on the sick. And they recovered. And that tells me. That the same hand where the enemy tries to attack us. Can be used for God's glory. Says in me you're going to shake it off. And I'm going to use it for my glory. Because the steps of a good man. Are ordered by the Lord. And that's the fruit that I produce. That's the fruit. But beloved I want to end up. With one last thought. That says when we're being brought to a place beloved. It's not where we're going. That is a concern of God. It's what we are becoming. It's not where we're going. But it's what we are becoming. You know. So many times. There can be a deadly thought. Come into our hearts. And that is we begin to compare ourselves. One to another. The scripture very clearly says. Comparisons are obvious. But we. And our humanist will start to compare. One to another. And many people will sit in the house of God and say. I'm not doing anything great for you God. I'm not leading any miracle crusade. And hundreds aren't coming to the Lord. Under my ministry. And they begin to compare themselves. And they say God. I'm not. What am I doing for you? And beloved that is where. If we can hear what God is saying. I've called you. And I've ordered your steps. If you are mine. And I am delighting in the way. Of the what is being formed in you. And though you fall down. God says you're going to find me faithful. And when you get up. And you keep walking with me. He says I am building a freedom. Into your spirit. And you are going to be able to love. Where you could never love before. He says I'm breaking in. And freedom in your life. I'm breaking into freedom in your home. Do you believe it? I'm breaking into freedom. I'm going to give you the power to witness to work. Yes you are going to open your mouth there. He says I'm going to put. Freedom into your spirit. Where you can rejoice. In adversity. I'm going to put a freedom in your soul. Because your steps are ordered by me. That you're going to know a shock. Of joy at the most. The unseemly. When there's no time to rejoice. There's going to be a shock of joy. But not the joy that the world gives. But the joy that Jesus brings. A joy. That just floods our soul. And God says Jesus you walk with me. And you are changing me. And you are giving me power. And a freedom in my spirit. That all around are coming to say. The spirit of God is in that man or woman. The spirit of God is in them. Beloved where the kingdom of God is. Where the spirit of God is. There is liberty. And not just for ourselves. But that spirit of God spreads to those around us. And we become the hope of those around us. Where once we were anything but hope. It's amazing. But if we can hear it. We are the answer. We who walk with Christ. Are the answer to a lot of people's questions. We are the answer. We are Christ's answer to the world. We bear him. And as such we are the answer to the world. God says but I've got to get a people. That are beginning. That will believe that. And let me lead them into a place. Where that light breaks forth. And I'm seen and I'm heard. The answer can be seen. And the answer can be heard. God says it's not about. Where I'm leading you to. But what are you becoming in me? What are you becoming in me? Beloved our hope is. That someday. As we believe every place. That God leads us they are ordered by him. Chosen by him designed by him. For a purpose in our life. And someday like Paul. We are going to be able to say. Hell you can throw whatever you wanted me. But heaven will swallow it up. Our steps are ordered beloved. Our steps are ordered. We may be going through the fear land. The despair land. The boredom cold land. But if we say God. Being ordered by you. And you're delighting what's happening to me. God then I embrace it. Then I say whatever you have for me at this moment. Whatever I'm facing in my life. I embrace it. I say you're good. I say that I say right now. The enemy has been trying to say. For those that are good. That are not trying to run away from God. But are saying God. I need your strength to be where you place me right now. I need your strength. To be able to say do it all. Don't cut short the work. Don't let me run. Don't let me be overpowered one more time. God keep me steady in the place that you've ordered for me. God I want to be able to glorify you here. God I want to be able to say. I know that you've chosen this place. You've ordained it. And it's working for my good. And it's working for your glory. And so I'm not going to believe the lie of the enemy. That tells me I'm out of your will. That I've sinned away my grace. That the promises don't apply to me. That I must be on hold. Because God doesn't play with our lives. We are not on hold. We're being held. So tonight beloved we're going to stand. And we're going to believe that word. We're going to rejoice. In what he's ordered for us at this moment. If you'll stand. While the musicians come. I believe that for many in this place. That God wants us to rejoice by faith. That God wants to say. Lord I release myself. I'm not going to fight up anymore. I've heard your word. If I've trusted Christ. And my steps are being ordered. And for many that's going to be a sacrifice of faith. But for there's some here tonight. And God is bringing you through a land of despair. And a land of fear. There's some here tonight. That you've never surrendered to Jesus Christ. You may know about him. But you've never made a heart surrender. Where you know. Like you know that your sin is forgiven. You come forward. God says I make an altar here. God said I'm going to save you and forgive you. For those that do know Jesus Christ. You're saying God I need strength now. I need your strength to hold me steady. I need your reassurance. That the place that I find myself in. And the battles and the temptations. You know about. And since you've ordered them. You're going to be with me in the middle of it. This is the conclusion of the message.