This sermon emphasizes the importance of identifying and dealing with hindrances in our lives that prevent us from experiencing the fullness of God's blessings. Using the story of Elijah and Jezebel as a backdrop, the preacher urges the congregation to confront hidden sins, secret struggles, and areas of disobedience that hinder their spiritual growth and intimacy with God. The message calls for repentance, faith, and a determination to overcome these obstacles through the power of the Holy Spirit.

This morning when I noticed all the cars lined up to get into the parking lots, and it just dawned on me the difficulty involved with many of them just getting here to Times Square Church. If you come from New Jersey, you pay six dollars just to get through the tunnels, and now if you come from Long Island or Queens, Brooklyn, there's no charging on the Brooklyn Bridge, Williamsburg, all of the bridges and tunnels, that's going to cost five or six dollars. And then this church, you know, just to park a car, we have arrangements with parking lots all over here, and you're charged only a portion. In fact, I think it's free. The church pays. We get about half price is what they charge us. But, you know, when you add up all the expenses, even those that are riding subways and buses, that's going up to two dollars. That's two dollars in and two dollars home, and it's getting very expensive to come to church. It dawned on me something. I said, I'm so glad that every pastor of this church has made up his mind the nature of these men who walk with us, that they would never come to this pulpit empty and never come and give you fast food, but when you came, you'd be fed. Now, you may like what you hear, but you're going to be changed. And so we make an effort that we have no throwaway services. A throwaway service is just, well, there's not been time to prepare, so let's show a movie or let's just everybody get a testimony. There's always a word from this pulpit. I said, you may not like all that you hear to prepare you for what you're about to hear. I don't like everything I hear from God. Convicts me. Puts me under conviction, and I thank God. I think that's an act of love. I think that's the love of God, the great love of God. It's really not that bad. There's a lot of grace here this morning. Obtaining the fullness of the blessing of Christ. Obtaining the fullness of the blessing of Christ. I want you to go to Romans, the 15th chapter, please. Verse, want to read? 15th chapter of Romans. Welcome to all our visitors. Delighted to have you with us. We ask that the Lord feed you, convict you, and change you. That you'll know that you've had an encounter with Christ as you attend here this morning. Make services of three and then six. We have no repeat services. These are all fresh word from the Lord in every service. 15th chapter of Romans, verse 29. Paul speaking. I hear the rustling of leaves. And in the annex, do you have it? No overflow rooms. Romans, 15th chapter, verse 16. Paul speaking. Assure that when I come unto you, I shall come in the fullness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ. I'll read it again. And I'm sure that when I come unto you, I shall come in the fullness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ. Heavenly Father, I thank you for the power of your word. How it corrects us, how it encourages us, and how it teaches us. And oh God, I ask you to do what you choose to do by your Holy Spirit this morning. I know, Lord, that you have touched my heart and convicted me by what I'm preaching this morning. This is birthed out of my walk with you and out of my talking with you. And this is what you laid on my heart. I have no way of knowing who was brought here by the Holy Spirit this morning. I don't know where they sit. I don't know what the need is. But oh God, you chose to take this day and this message for this particular congregation. Lord, I pray that you put your words in my mouth. Lord, keep me from speaking anything that is unlike you or unworthy of you. Lord, let it be anointed and I cross mark and bring change and healing quick in my body as I speak it. In Jesus' name, amen. Now, Paul writing to those believers in Spain, he said, I anticipate coming to you after I go to Jerusalem to be forgiven for the saints in Jerusalem. But he said, but when I come, I know. He said, I am sure. There's no doubt in my mind that I'm going to come to you and I shall come in the fullness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ. Now, immediately that implies that there are degrees, there are measures of the blessing of Jesus Christ. There are measurements. Some have, in fact, that's the goal Paul said is for us to come into a full measure of the blessing of Christ. Others have a mediocre, some are just entering into a small measure of the gift of Christ. Paul said, but unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. In other words, all of us have been given a measure. That's how you were saved. You were given a measure of the gift of Christ through faith. He said, we all come into unity of faith, the knowledge of the son of God, to a perfect or mature man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. And under the measure, what he means of the magnitude of the blessing of Christ. He said, there's a magnitude to it. There's such a fullness in Christ. It's available, but you have to pursue it. And to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge that you might be filled with all the fullness of God. Now that's the goal Paul said, that you and I, all of us may be filled. God's no respect to persons. He said, I want you to have the fullness of the blessing of Jesus Christ. Paul writes that word fullness there means to complete the task of filling up to the full. In other words, fill it up. There has to be a task. God has given us this task that we pursue the fullness of Jesus Christ. Paul writes, there's one Lord, one faith, one baptism, God and father of all who is above all and in you all. God, the father, son and Holy Ghost, the like abides in all his people. If you are saved, God, father, son and Holy Ghost abides in you. He said, we will come and make our abode in you. All God's children have been given grace according to their faith. And this Paul, the apostle saying there should be a continual increase in the knowledge and the blessing of Jesus Christ in our lives. He said, the apostle says in Ephesians 3 19 to be filled with all the fullness of God. Paul said he had a conscience void of offense toward God and man. He says, when I come to you, you're not going to hear a message from a man. You're not going to hear a sermon. They said, my conscience is clear. There's no controversy between me and God. My life is an open book and I have been shut in with him. And when I come to you, you're going to know that you're hearing from God's throne. You're going to know that you're hearing from a vessel that has understood and known and experienced the fullness of God. He said, I've not arrived yet. I've not attained, but there is a fullness in me. And I come to you and I am sure I am positive. There's no doubt about it. When I come to you, I'm coming in the fullness of the gospel and blessing of the Lord Jesus Christ. And so there's no hidden sin in my life. There's no dark part. So that I know that there is a flow of the blessing of God. Oh, I love to be around people who are living that kind of life. And you can tell there's an aroma of Christ. They speak only of Christ. They're full of Jesus. And it's an amazing thing to be around them because there's evidence that the blessing of God is resting upon them. The blessing of the Lord Jesus Christ. And it's ever increasing. The fullness of blessing has little to do with materialism. I'm not talking about houses and cars and lands. We're talking now about God's commendation. God's well done. In other words, God looks upon this child that is pursuing the fullness of Christ, wanting more and more of him, never satisfied. There's a divine dissatisfaction because he's always reaching out for more of Christ. More intimacy. More revelation of his love and his power. And of his severity also because there's also severity about Christ. Those who disobey purposely never heeding the call to repentance. Now the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus. That great shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the everlasting covenant. Make you perfect in every good work to do his will. Working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ. To be glorified forever and ever. That's the blessing. The well pleasing unto Christ that Jesus can look on your life and you know in your heart that he is saying well done. There is a sense that God gives you the Holy Spirit. I am well pleased with you my son. I'm well pleased with you my daughter. Because there's nothing between us. There's nothing hindering. Those whose lives are well pleasing unto God have certain characteristics that they share with the Apostle Paul. The Apostle Paul had this aroma of Christ through his intimacy with the Lord. These people that I'm speaking about that have the blessing of Jesus Christ in their lives. They enjoy life. There's joy in their hearts but there's no foolishness. They don't talk the conversation of the world. They have set their mind they will never give up the work that God has called them to do. There's no sense of giving up. There's no sense of despair. Paul said there's a despairing but there's never a quitting. There's never giving up. There's always the resources there because of the time spent with Christ and the desire and hunger for him. There's always resources that are flowing. There's a constant flow. It's the blessing flow. Now the blessing flow of the prosperity preachers today is not the blessing of Jesus Christ. God loves to bless his people materially. Yes. God's not jealous of the kind of car you have or the house that you live in and all the blessings. But I've known very poor preachers. I've known poor people who have great friends of Christ. Marvelous blessings and revelations of Jesus Christ having nothing to do with materialism. The purpose of this message this morning is to expose that which hinders a believer from coming into the fullness of the blessing of Christ. What hinders? Paul said to the Galatians, you did well. Who did hinder you that you should not obey the truth? This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you. Because a little leaven is a whole lump. He's talking about some kind of doctrinal belief. He's talking about some kind of theology. He's talking about some kind of mindset that has come into the church that he's addressing. And he said, what's happened to you? There's something now that's hindering you. You were doing well. He's talking to a praying people. A believing people. Those who are doing good works. These are not unbelievers. These are not wicked people. These are praying people. These are those who have known a measure of the blessing of Christ. Paul comes to them and said, something is wrong. You're not growing. He said, you're leaning now on the flesh. You're going back to things of the flesh. And I don't sense the aroma that I once sensed. There's something going on in your life. Paul said, you were doing well. Who hindered you that you should not obey the truth? He's saying, what is this that has crept into your life? This persuasion. Because this persuasion means a convincing argument. He said, you've been convinced by an argument that's not of God. There's something of a gospel alteration. There's something of falseness that has crept into your spirit. And now you can't grow. You cannot increase in the knowledge and the blessing of Jesus Christ. He said, in other words, you labor diligently, but the fullness isn't there. The certainty is not there anymore. That clarity, that clearness, that fullness is not there. Beloved, there are so many godly praying saints that have been so mighty used of God in the past that something happens. A hindrance comes. And the Holy Ghost is saying this to you. Who has hindered you? What is this? Who and what is it that has come to hinder you from going on into fullness, into the flow of blessing, where you live without guilt and without condemnation, without fear? You can look any Christian in the eye. You can look a prophet in the eye. You can look Christ in the eye. And you know, you know that you know that I come in the fullness of the blessing of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I come in fullness. It's often just one besetting sin. There's been victory in every area of life. There's been victory over one thing after another. You have seen, you've witnessed God's hand. You've seen his forgiving grace. But something has crept in, and it's there, and you've made peace with it, and it's there. And usually, oh, folks, I've seen it in the ministry. I've seen it among pastors who have been mightily used of God. But something creeps in, and it leavens the whole lump, and it stops the spiritual growth and fear and condemnation and guilt. And usually it's if there was victory in this one area, if this one thing, and usually it's that unwillingness to go all the way and deal with this one issue, this one matter, this one bit of leaven remaining that keeps multitudes and pastors from entering into the fullness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ. Elijah was a godly praying prophet, a mighty voice in the land. He shared the grief of God's heart. He's one of the prophets that I so enjoy reading about his life. But I believe Elijah was hindered from coming in to the fullness of the blessing of God. Now, I'm not saying this man had sinned, but he failed in his mission. There is no possible way to justify the actions of Jeremiah, I mean Elijah. I'm speaking of Elijah, the prophet of it, Elijah. I'm not going to rehearse the whole story. You know it in Mount Carmel how he called fire down out of heaven, doomed to sacrifice, and they slew all of the prophets of Baal. And he prays and the rains begin to come, and you remember he tells Ahab to eat, rise up, eat, and get to Jezreel because there's the sound of abundance of rain. And the Spirit of God comes on Elijah, and he outruns the church of Jezreel. And I want to pick up the story. I want you to go with me, if you will, to 1 Kings, 19th chapter, 1 Kings. We're talking about that which hinders coming into the fullness of the blessing. 19th chapter, 1 Kings. Folks, Israel has repented. They've turned to the Lord. And I want you to know they had not yet probably arrived back in Jezreel. That's the capital. And that's the home of Jezebel. In chapter 19, begin to read verse 1, And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done with all how he had slain all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time. And when he saw that, he rose in his life and came to Beersheba, which belonged to Judah, and left his servant there. And he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a juniper tree, and requested for himself that he might die, and said, It is enough. Now, O Lord, take away my life, for I'm not better than my father's. And I want you to know the Bible says the hand of the Lord was on Elijah. The hand of the Lord means feeding of the Lord. So we know that the Spirit of God was hurrying this man to the city, the capital city, where Jezebel was reigning over all idolatry, the idolatry of Baal. All of her priests had been slain. So we know that he's on a mission. He stood on Mount Carmel. Remember, he said, Lord, let them know that everything I do is at your word. At your word. What I do, you told me when I was in prayer. We know, there's no question, that God sent him to Jezebel. Jezebel threatens to kill him, and he arose and fled for his life. Now, I disagree with almost all the commentaries I've read on this. Some of them say that God really never intended him to face Jezebel. He'd already accomplished his purpose on Mount Carmel. Others say, well, he ran not because he was afraid, but he ran because God was going to take him into the wilderness and teach him lessons. That misses the point entirely. I'm telling you now, God sent him to kill Jezebel. He was to kill Jezebel. Why kill all of her children, her priests, and not kill the mother of the sin? Why not get to the heart, get to the issue? Why take off the branches and not get to the root? God was not about to let Jezebel raise up another body of children of Jezebel. Now, Jezebel, listen closely to me, Jezebel is a symbolic name. In Hebrew, it means chaste, with a question mark. In other words, chaste means not clean, evil. And God was not about to have a revival up in the mountain and just drop it. He had a man that was on fire, he had a mountain that was on fire, and no question about it, had he marched into that city after a night of prayer, he would have had thousands of those around him. Jezebel could have never gotten to him. And a man who opened the rivers with his mantle, a man who called fire from heaven, a man who was fed miracles, lived in miracles, would have seen another miracle. But God was trying to get at the mother of the sin. He was getting to get to master bosom sin. Otherwise, he would have raised up another core of priests, and the revival was in vain. God sent Elijah to cast down the priests. Who were these priests? These were not imported immigrants. No, no, no, no. There's no proof of that anywhere in the scripture. The Bible said they were seduced. I'm going to prove to you they were seduced. People of Israel were seduced by her gospel of promiscuity. Some writers, a number of writers, don't believe that Ahab's wife was really named Jezebel, but that was an epitaph, a degrading epitaph, because of her hated actions. The Bible's full of these epitaphs, like Sodom represents, even today, sodomy. You get all of these words that are evil represented by this epitaph. Also, Antichrist, there's not an individual alone, but a spirit. Jezebel is a spirit. She is still, Jezebel is still, this spirit is still at work in the church of Jesus Christ. This spirit is still there. Elijah had a history with the Lord. He'd been trained to hear God's voice. Amazing authority this man had. Then he appears on the scene and tells the servant of Ahab, Go tell your king, Elijah's here. Boy, when I read that, what authority, what power this man had. And now he's running for his life in fear. He's running in fear. Now, folks, Elijah wasn't God. He wasn't divine. He was human. And the Bible never tries to whitewash the failures of even his chosen servants, like David and Moses and all of those chosen men because they were human. And these are lessons we're to learn from. He sure hasn't hidden mine until I die. Mine are opened before the eye of the Holy Ghost. And all those things in our lives, unlike him, have been opened. And God is opening something to us here now. Now, I want to prove to you that there's an issue here. There's an issue. God says if you're going to come into the fullness, you've got to kill Jezebel. You have got to get part of the issue of anything that is of idolatry, anything that is of sin. Jezebel's wickedness, uncleanness, and it speaks primarily of fornication and adultery, both spiritual and physical. I want you to go to Revelation 2. Revelation 2. The beginning of verse 18. And unto the angel of the church at Thyatira write, These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like grass. Now, folks, listen. When we talk about these churches of Asia that God is addressing, Christ is addressing, we're not talking just about dispensations. We're talking about churches. We're talking about individuals. The body of Christ is made up of members or individuals. And so you have to narrow it down to the individuals who are members of every church. And it speaks to me. It speaks to you. It speaks to all of us. To the angel of Thyatira, and he comes now with his eyes on fire and his feet like fine brass have just come out of the fire. I know Thy works in charity, in service, in faith, patience, works the last to be more than the first. In other words, what you're doing now is far greater than that which you started. You're increasing in works. Notwithstanding, I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants, to commit fornication and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. And I gave her space to repent of her fornication. She repented not. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her, that great tribulation, except to repent of their deeds. I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts. And I will give unto every one of you according to your works. I will give unto every one of you according to your works. Now, Jezebel was not just some female prophetess standing up in church and teaching the ways and means of fornication and ten ways to hide your adultery. That's not what the Bible is saying. There's a spirit. There's a spirit right out of hell, a Jezebel spirit. And the spirit is teaching people to eat the filth served to idols. Now, folks, this is speaking of indoctrination, something that has been put into the mind, and it's nothing from God. It's in the church, but it's not of God. And I want you to listen closely to me now, please. There's no greater source of indoctrination than television and Internet on the face of the earth, worldwide. You say, oh, here Pastor Dave goes again on television. God's saying something here. He said, every church is going to know, every individual in my church is going to know where I stand. He said, I'm going to make it clear. I'm coming to you with eyes of fire, and I've loved you, and I'm a man of God of grace and mercy. This is Christ. This is not an Old Testament prophet speaking. This is the red letter. This is Jesus Christ, the Son of God, speaking to his church, speaking to you and speaking to me. And I say the church of Jesus Christ today, from the ministry on down, is being corrupted. I mean corrupted to the point where God's people can come to his house and sing and shout and talk in tongues and go home without any shame and watch Sex and the City and The Sopranos. I've never seen them. I don't have television, but I read about it. The filth, the incredible filth, that which is absolutely incubated in hell. And when I read the letters of those who write and confess from the filth they're watching on the Internet, the leaven, an interview in New York Times with one of the most famous young actors in America today did a movie called Titanic, and I've not seen that. And they asked him, are you into pornography? And his answer summed up like this. He said, no, and I'll tell you why. Because those who are involved in pornography, they can't think anymore because it takes over your mind. And he said, anyone who has an actor, any professional person, they get up, they've got 200 films raging and pictures and scenes in their mind and they can't think. And he says, I'm not into that. Can you say that? What kind of movies do you bring home and put into your little box? And you see it begins to wear down the mind. It's the spirit of Jezebel of seduction. He said, seducing my children into fornication. And you can't get away from it. In the original Greek it means fornication includes adultery. Adultery, fornication. And Jesus said, if you think in your mind and you look with lust, you are guilty. He said, you do good works. You're full of charity and service. You have faith. But I have something against you because you allow that woman Jezebel, which calls herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, to eat things sacrificed to idols. And he said, I gave her space to repent of her fornication. She repented not. Folks, understand this. Get it. God is speaking so clearly to my own heart. And he's saying, look, this issue that you're not dealing with, if there's an issue there, he said, I've been patient with you. I have sent prophets. I have sent messages. How patient I've been with you. Remember, ten times he was so patient with Israel. Ten times they provoked him. How God spoke and how God even sent signs of judgment and experiences of judgment, dealing with them kindly and loving. We have a loving, patient Heavenly Father. We have a Christ who endures and endures. But he said, I gave you space. I gave you time to deal with this. And the reason I want you to deal with it, I want you to come into my fullness. I don't want you to live like paupers. I want you to have my resources. And I don't want you to be overcome by the powers of hell and darkness in this last day. I want to use you. I want to make you effective in the kingdom of God. But I can't do it. I have something against you. There's a controversy between you and me. And I can't do it until you deal with it. How many times has God told you to deal with what you watch and what you hear and what you do? How many times has the Holy Ghost in love put his finger on something? He's just put his finger and he said, this is the one thing, just this one thing. And if you stop, you can't even think of anything else that it could be. But the Holy Ghost, because he loves you, will put his finger on it. He will show you. He will expose it. I've been in the presence of the Holy Ghost at times when I couldn't think of anything. And I sit there and said, Lord, I sense that there's something hindering. Hindering. I don't have that flow of revelation. I don't have that aroma in me. I don't have it. There's something, Lord, show me. And then the Holy Ghost will lead me in his scripture and show me. Just like my son Gary in this pulpit last Tuesday, he said there's something missing in my message. All afternoon he said, Lord, there's something messy. There's something wrong. This is just a sermon. I want it to be a message. And the Lord said, yes, Gary, there is a controversy. You're 30 pounds overweight, and I've told you to deal with it for your health's sake, for your testimony's sake. And I've told you I want you to do this. And God had been dealing with him for eight minutes. In fact, he stood in front of his whole staff months before and confessed that God had told him. And then he'd come in eating these sugar pops and he said, well, God's given me a license to do this. That may sound light to you. And I'm not speaking against anyone who is overweight. God forbid. But this is an example that God will show you. The Holy Ghost will show you that one thing that keeps you from entering into the fullness of the blessing of Jesus Christ. You see, he was called to be an instrument. Elijah was called to be an instrument to bring down the very heart of this matter that held back the full blessing on Israel. You allow that Jezebel woman to teach and seduce my servants to commit fornication, eating things sacrificed to idols. Now consider the awful consequences of allowing Jezebel to live. Jezebel is that one issue, the one bosom sin. He said, I'll cast her into a bed. That root means when you're the root Hebrew word is up, put you to flight and you'll wear it down. You'll always be running in fear. You will wear it down. I'm going to cast you into a bed of weariness, fear of exposure. I'm going to cast into a bed, Jezebel's bed of fear. And folks, that's the consequences of not allowing the Holy Spirit to take you all the way in to a total victory to the covenant of Jesus Christ. He said in great tribulation, in the Greek, the Greek rather, pressure, trouble, depression. And I will kill her children with death, except they repent. You see, when you make a covenant with your sin, you won't deal with it and you've made peace with it. You see, if you allow yourself to indulge in something and you don't get convicted now, you're not convicted by it. Comfortable. And the Jezebel spirit comes to you and says, well, you've got to have some recreation. You've worked hard. You deserve, you deserve a little recreation. And this is a day of grace. And God is not that hard. He's not as hard as David Wilkerson. It's a day of grace. And if you do sin, you can run to the cross, you run to the blood and quickly, you know, Jesus, forgive me, go to bed. No, you see, there's a seduction taking place by Jezebel's spirit. Jezebel's spirit. God said, you're being hindered from coming into the fullness of the blessing of God. And God tells us why he's speaking so severely, that all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins in the hearts, and I will give unto every one of you according to your works. Let's go back to Jezreel and Elijah. The Bible says in the New Testament, you've suffered Jezebel to live. And this is exactly what Elijah did. He suffered or allowed Jezebel to live. I told you, I consider Elijah one of the greatest prophets in the Bible. And God loved this man. But I'm wondering if you're getting the point of my message this morning. The God, listen closely, the God who saved you by his power through faith, the God who gave you power over many, many sins of the flesh, the God who's done so many miracles for you in the past, is the same God who has the power right now to deliver you from all the power of the enemy. You say, well, what was the failure of Elijah? Where did Elijah fail? Elijah failed in attributing to Jezebel more power than to God. And he runs in fear. And there are Christians sitting here right now and you don't have victory because you hear, you say what I hear so often, this is too big for me, I've got a habit in my life, I have a sin in my life, I just, I pray, I fast, I do everything, I don't have the power, it's overwhelming, I give up, I can't make it. Giving more power to that spirit of Jezebel that holds you or threatens you and says, you're going down, you're not going to make it, you're going to fail in spite of all of your faith, in spite of all your prayers, you're going to fail, you're going to fall. And the Word of God to you is, no, my Word says sin shall not have power or dominion over you. Jezebel has no power. Her power is just in your mind. And Elijah runs away. Have you ever thought of running away? Oh, there should be an amen from everyone in this building. You see, most people who run away don't go anywhere. Because running away is a frame of mind. It's what the David said, oh, that I had wings like a dove and I'd fly to some wilderness and hide. Jeremiah said the same thing, but he said, oh, that I had a cottage in the wilderness, that I could escape this people. He was tired of people. He'd given up on the church. God help us never to give up on the church or His people. And here's Elijah running in fear. And, folks, the Scripture is clear. David said, I will fear no evil. And the only way your habit holds you or sin holds you or this one issue, this hindering thing in your life, is because of fear, because you will not trust what the Holy Ghost has said, the Holy Ghost says, and this is the new covenant for everything I demand of you, this walk of purity, this walk of love, where you are free to grow, you're free to come into the fullness of Christ. The Holy Ghost has promised you all the enabling power that you need, and the only thing that you lack is faith, faith to believe that what God said is true, that if you would take it in and say, God, this is bigger than me, I'm not going to sit around and cry about it anymore. I'm not going to weep over it. I've had enough tears. My tears didn't wash away anything. You have no inner strength and power in yourself, but God will not do it without you saying, I want to be free. I want nothing standing between me and the Lord, nothing between me and the fullness of the blessing of Jesus Christ in my life. And that's when the Holy Spirit comes with amazing strength and power, amazing resources. God said, I've never asked you to do anything unless I have promised to fulfill all the strength, the authority, and power you need to overcome. You have it if you'll just trust Him and believe God for it this morning. Hallelujah. You know, I find this story, before I close, I find in this story some of the greatest compassion and love of God anywhere in the Bible. He's running, and he finally ends up in the wilderness under a juniper tree. He falls asleep, he's depressed, asleep of heaviness. The angel of the Lord, God sends an angel and wakes him up, and he says, Elijah, get up and eat. And there on hot coals, fire, there's a baked cake, and there's a cruise of water. He eats and drinks, goes right back to sleep. I would think of an angel, if I woke up and there's an angel talking to me, it's hard to go back to sleep. But this man is so down, so depressed, he goes right back to sleep. The angel wakes him again, and there's another meal. And these kind words from the Heavenly Father, Elijah, this is too much for you. The journey is too much. Eat. And in the strength of that, he goes for 40 days and 40 nights, and he winds up in a cave on Mount Horeb, and I can't go through it all. But folks, when he gets to Mount Horeb, there's an issue. And God's not going to sweep it under the rug, so to speak. Elijah's down. He's not a proud man. He's not thinking. He's saying, I'm the only one, but he really believes that because he has not been in contact. This man walked alone. Not a proud, arrogant man. A man who loved God with everything in him. But he missed the fullness of seeing God complete the mission that he was called to. And God says to him very quietly in this still, small voice, Elijah, what are you doing here? And Elijah gives his excuse. You know what it is? I'm the only one left, and they're trying to kill me. The Lord didn't buy it. The Lord didn't buy it at all. But anyway, he said again, Elijah, what are you doing here? In other words, why this depression? Why this fear in you? Why this resignation? Why this quitting? Why this giving up? After all these years, all I've done for you, why? What's this all about, Elijah? It appears to me God accepted his resignation. You see, if you want to quit, God loves you. And you can go on existing with the measure of Christ. You see, the love of God is not an issue here at all. It's not an issue at all. We're not talking about God sending you to hell because you're in a struggle. Not at all. And he says, Elijah, in so many words, he's saying, all right, Elijah, you want to quit? I'm not going to force you, but I want Jezebel dead, and you're going to go anoint Jehu, and Jehu's going to kill her. And I want you to anoint Elisha in your place. And you don't hear much of Elijah from then on, other than a sentimental journey to past points of blessing where he had been used. And he's going to go home on a chariot. He's going to go home in victory. And he's allowed to get the last word, because the last thing you read of Elijah, other than the chariot, is that he goes to Naboth's vineyard where Ahab is coming, and God says, now I want you to prophesy. And he prophesies. God gives him the last word. And he says, they have the dogs, so eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel. In other words, right where he failed, God says, she's coming down in the very spot that you stood. And I'm going to kill her, and the dogs are going to eat her. God always gets the last word. God always gets the last word. And, folks, he said, we're more than conquerors. That's his last word. Hallelujah. The devil's defeated. He doesn't have power. He's holding you only on the lie. Don't believe the lie. No, no, no. And some of it, listen, this man goes home in a chariot. Moses and Elijah are allowed to come back and see Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration. Oh, what glorious men these were. But, folks, it's possibly so righteous and holy and used and still missed the fullness. Moses wasn't allowed to go into the land. He never came into the fullness. That's how important it is to kill Jezebel, to kill her. And some of you, with this, I suppose, some of you have been sitting here so comfortable. You say, oh, boy, there's no lust in me, no thoughts of adultery, fornication. But let me tell you where Jezebel can creep in. Because, you see, you've been praying about things and God's blessed you. You have been in prayer. How many times you know God has heard you. You've been a man or woman of prayer and God has been using you. You've trusted God in everything. But now you're up against the worst battle. You're against everything Jezebel can throw at you in lies. You're up, you have a problem you're praying about right now. And, see, the enemy's coming in with fear now. He's coming in with this thought that you're going to fail and God's going to let you down. And this time you run. No, no, no, no, God says you stand up and fight. And that's what this message is about, that you stand up and fight in faith by the Holy Ghost. Say, I am not quitting. I'm not going down. I'm not going to listen to this seductive spirit of Jezebel. Jezebel, you're finished. God's going to help me deal with everything in my life. I'm coming into the fullness of Jesus Christ. Will you stand, please? Now, church, I'm going to end the annex. And here, please hold steady. I am dead serious, and God's dead serious. And I'm asking God to give me word for word what he wants me to say to you. Jezebel, this spirit of seduction, this bit of leaven is in many that are hearing me right now in this church. There's an issue. There's a hindering force. God says, my desire for you and my goal for your life is that you come into a fullness, that you can come to this church, you can walk on the job, you can go anywhere, and you have an open heaven. There's no guilt. There's no fear. There's no condemnation. I'm right before God. Conscience clear before God and man. Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you've done, but I know what it is. Is it your temper? I don't know. Is it something God told you to do and you've refused to do it? Obey him. You take that step of obedience, and you believe God for a victory over that one last issue. And I'm telling you, everything in your life changes. Everything. The spirit of God begins to work on your behalf, and you will see a flow of blessing. I'm not talking just financial, material blessings. That follows. But you will see and hear things in God's word you never saw or heard before. You'll have that hunger and thirst that you once had, but then you let it slip away because you've been sitting in front of an idol. You've been feeding your mind on stuff that you know is from hell. God says no. He's not threatening you, but he's warning us in his love. I have the power to set you free. You will take the step. If God's speaking to you by his spirit, I want you to come. And we're going to pray diligent prayer. We're going to pray a prayer from the very gut. God, I want to come into the fullness of Jesus Christ in my life. You come wherever you're at. Up in the balcony, go downstairs to the side. And in the annex, if you would just go and stand between the screens so you don't block the view. I'll pray with you also. We'll have a time of prayer, confession, and faith in just a few moments. Come as they sing. You have to understand that God's not mad at you. I'm not talking about the love of God is not in question ever. The love of God is always, always true. I'm talking about the desire in our hearts to be more like Jesus. And to have that flow, that flow that nothing hinders. That channel is not blocked. That channel is not hindered. Look at me for just a minute. You cannot know, unless the Holy Spirit shows you, how much God desires for you and for me. That nothing stand between us. Nothing stand. Even in your marriage, you don't want anything to stand between. You don't want anything that would block the respect, the love from flowing. God wants to pluck those things out of our hearts. Because he so desires for the fellowship and the love. You don't have to scream. You don't have to beg. You bring your desire. Lord, I know what it is in my life. I know what it is. Some of you, it's been a total neglect of prayer. Total neglect of God. You've had time for everyone and everything. But you haven't given Him any quality time lately. You've been slipping away. And that's become a failure in your life. It's something that God says, Hey, you're not only not coming into the fullness, but you're draining. There's something draining the life out of you. Because you're not coming into the source of power. If you're ready to repent of this, He's more than willing to come now, but it has to be from the heart. God wants to dig deep in us today, in me and in you. Now, I'm going to lead you in a prayer, but I want you to think of what you're praying, and it has to come from the innermost part of your being. Now, you have to stand and say right now, I know I am loved. God's not mad at me. He's not trying to judge me right now. I'm not under judgment. I'm under conviction. And that's good. Pray this prayer with me right now, right out of your innermost being. Dear Lord Jesus, I want no hindrance. I want no controversy with you. I want no hidden sin. I want to be an open book. And Lord Jesus, thank you that you came to me this morning with your heart full of love, but your eyes on fire, looking into my heart at that one issue that has to be settled. And Lord Jesus, I want it settled right now. I come to you now to receive mercy and grace for this matter. Forgive me. Cleanse me. Break the power of this matter, this issue that you're dealing with. I believe you now that the Holy Ghost has been promised to enable me to live victorious over all sin and the dominion and power of it. In Jesus' name, I believe that God, by His Spirit, is delivering me right now. And by faith, I receive it, and I set my heart and my mind to walk in obedience. Raise your hands and thank Him. Now, raise your hands and give Him thanks. Lord, we give you thanks. We give you praise. We give you thanks for your faithful. In the end, it's the same thing. Look up and say, Thank you, Jesus. Glory be to God. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Would you thank Him for loving you? Would you thank Him for being merciful to you in His grace? Hallelujah. Lord, you love your church. You love your people. You were saying, How wonderful, how marvelous. You know that? Could we sing that? Please stay right here for just a minute in the annex. Would you give God an offering of thanksgiving while we're singing this, in other words, from your heart? How marvelous, how wonderful His grace. Everybody, stay right where you are for just a few minutes here now. Please don't rush out. How marvelous, how wonderful and my song shall ever be. My Savior's my song shall ever be. My Savior's love I spend a day in the presence of Jesus. Would that there be a sinner condemned of me. How marvelous, my song shall ever be. How marvelous, how wonderful is my Savior's love. Lord. I pray for you in closing. Heavenly Father, I believe you now to bring down, cast down Jezebel from her throne. Lord, we believe in the power of the Holy Ghost to do that. We don't have the power any more than Elijah had the power in his own strength. Lord, we come to your covenant. We come to the blood. We come to the promises of God. I'm asking you to cast down that spirit of Jezebel in every life, in my life and everyone in the church of Jesus Christ here at Times Square and all of our visitors and oh God put some Holy Ghost fight in us today. Lord, that we will not be afraid of this enemy. We'll not be afraid of Jezebel. And we'll stand up by faith and say, I am free. I am free. I will not run. I will not run. I will not be afraid. I will stand up in the name of Jesus Christ the victor through the blood and I will cast Jezebel out of my soul out of my mind and out of my spirit in the name of Jesus. Hallelujah. Raise your hands and say I believe Lord. I believe and I thank you Jesus. I believe you and I trust you. Glory be to God. Glory be to God. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Glory. Lord, you are a victor. Give us a march and song as we leave and folks, would you we have people from all over the world here among us and we have over 100 nationalities in this church. We're all one in Christ. You look around, you'll see people from all walks of life and all ethnic groups but we are one in Christ. Would you show that love? Shake hands with as many as you can possibly reach. Don't just run out. Shake hands. Greet one another in the name of Jesus. God, go in peace. 3 o'clock and 6 o'clock. Thank you.