The God Of Abraham, Isaac & Jacob(4) - The Promise Land

[0:00] Welcome. Thank you for choosing to listen to another faith-building message by Pastor David Entry. Faith comes by hearing and by hearing the Word of God.

[0:12] May your knowledge of Jesus Christ increase as you listen. Be blessed. Today I want to see how far I can take the call of Abraham and I want to talk about the promised land, Canaan land.

[0:24] All right. Called into Canaan or called into the land of Canaan. It's very important that Abraham forms a very significant or occupies a very significant position in God's, watch this, in God's redemption program.

[0:40] God is a redeemer. Let's all say that together. God is a redeemer. God is a savior. Let's all say that together. God is a savior. God is a deliverer. Let us say that together.

[0:52] God is a deliverer. So God had always had a plan of salvation. He's always had a plan of redemption. He's always had a plan to deliver his people.

[1:05] So he's a God of redemption to redeem what was lost in the garden. Now watch this. How many of you are aware that Abraham was not the first man created? Secondly, how many of you are aware that Abraham was not the first man to be good?

[1:19] Read your Bible. After Adam, the Bible says, the whole of faith. In Hebrews chapter 11, when the Bible began to mention the people who mattered, who by faith did something significant with God, when he started mentioning them according to their history, who appeared first.

[1:36] It didn't start with Abraham. Hebrews chapter 11, it said by faith, Abel. Abel. Abel was the first son or the son of Adam. All right, so Adam missed it. He didn't have faith.

[1:47] But faith started with Abel. So he said by faith, Abel. Then he went to verse 5. By faith, Cain. There was Abel. There was Enoch. And then verse 7, by faith, Noah.

[1:59] Someone say Noah. Noah. So Noah was, Abel was there. Enoch was there. Abel was there. Enoch was there. Noah. Noah was a significant person.

[2:11] So why not Noah? Why not Abel? Can you imagine Enoch? He walked with God so intimately that God said you don't have to die. I don't have to wait for you. Come to heaven and be with me.

[2:22] I just, I just, I just, I just want you to come. He walked with God so much in such purity and in such faith that God said come and be with me in heaven. The first man who didn't die. I mean, these are serious guys.

[2:34] But why not Abraham? Now, do you know Abraham's name shows up in the New Testament? The first verse of the first chapter of the New Testament, Abraham shows up.

[2:45] Not Adam. Not Enoch. Not Abel. Not Noah. But Abraham. Shout Abraham. Abraham. So it says the book of the genealogy of Jesus, the son of David, the son of Abraham should have gone to Adam.

[2:58] No. Something starts with Abraham. It doesn't start with Adam. So, look at this. In the book of John, chapter 8, verse 56. Jesus Christ, when he was trying to tell the Jews how long he's been around, he didn't say before Adam.

[3:13] Ka-da-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba. John, let's all read it together. Jesus said to them, most assuredly I say to you, before Abraham was, I am. Well, I want you to read it very loud.

[3:24] Let's go. So, Jesus said to them, most assuredly I say to you, before Abraham was, I am. Before who? Abraham. Before who? Abraham.

[3:35] Why not Noah? Why not Abel? Why not Enoch? Why not Adam? But before Abraham, I am. Before Abraham. And he kept telling the Jews, verse 56, he said, your father Abraham.

[3:48] Because the Jews traced their genealogy to Abraham. But Jesus should have said before Adam. That tells you, Abraham occupied a significant part.

[3:59] When it comes to Abel. Abel was a good man. He had faith. And so, he occupied a place in God. And God blessed him. Enoch was a good man. He exercised faith.

[4:09] And he secured some blessings from God. Noah was a good man. He had faith. He secured some blessings from God. But Abraham was not just a good man. Was not just a good man. He was sitting somewhere minding his own business.

[4:20] And God called him to start something with him. Start something in him. So, that's the difference. Now, watch this. When you read the Bible very carefully. Noah. Noah was saved.

[4:33] And his household. The salvation that God called Noah into. Was a salvation. A household salvation. So, he said, come. You and your entire household. Noah.

[4:44] His entire household was saved. When everyone was going down. So, let me tell you. That means that you don't have to go down with everybody. Your family must be secured. Your family must be different. Your family must be saved.

[4:55] Because God is on your side. Shout, God is on my side. God is on my side. Some of us fear too much. Jesus puts it this way in Luke chapter 12 verse 25. Which of you by worrying can add a cubic to your stature?

[5:08] You can't worry and add something to your life. Worry doesn't add to you. So, actually it's a waste of time. Like a rocking chair. It gives you activity but no progress. You are making some movement but no progress.

[5:21] Worry will give you some movement. I said you are responsible for the outcome of your life. No man of God is. Not your father. Not your lecturer.

[5:31] Not your job. Not your certificate. Not your teachers. It is you. So, it doesn't matter what you claim not to have. Others don't even don't have what you've got. And they are doing better than you.

[5:42] Get up. I don't have a job. I don't have a certificate. I don't have a name. My color is not that nice. And my hair is not that long. And my legs are not that straight.

[5:53] I don't have that. My skin is not that smooth. I don't have this. I don't have that. I don't have even a bank account. I don't have papas. I don't have a debt.

[6:04] I don't. My friend. I don't have a man. I don't have a woman. Jesus appeared to someone. He said, I don't have any man. He said, yes, I know you don't have any man.

[6:15] But I'm here. Amen. Amen. My father was not there. My mother was. Who told your father? Everybody's father. Drop it and get on with it. Yes. Say yes.

[6:26] Yes. There are people who have been divorced brutally and wickedly and have made it big time. So don't let your divorce cripple you.

[6:36] People have failed exams. Michael Faraday failed exams so many times. People fail exams and they became great. Not because they failed, but because they decide to get up after they failed. Learn from your fall and fall forward.

[6:50] Yes. I don't know why I diverted, but it's for somebody. Somebody you have cocooned yourself. You have called yourself into a shell somewhere.

[7:03] Like a child who is sitting in a corner. Nobody likes me. Nothing is working for me. It has become your mantra. Every time there is a reason why you are failing. Every time there is a reason why you can't move forward.

[7:13] Every time there is a reason why things are not working for you. And you say, that's why. That's for me. And you've cocooned yourself. You've got that yourself into a corner of life. People see you every time.

[7:24] As soon as everybody sees you, they can tell there's a problem with you. Everybody, they don't need to talk to you. They can't see from your countenance. You are a definition of a troubled person. Why? Tell someone, cheer up, cheer up, cheer up.

[7:38] Cheer up. Cheer up. Cheer up. Cheer up. Cheer up. Cheer up. Cheer up. Cheer up. Cheer up. This problem will not kill you. Tell the person. This problem will not kill you. Amen. I announce to you that problem is on its way out of your life.

[7:54] Shout amen. I said that problem is on its way out of your life. Amen. All it takes is God.

[8:07] Amen. Some of us worry too much. If a fly just passes, ah, another cause of worry. So now, we are so professional at worrying that when there's nothing to worry about, we are worried.

[8:26] We are beginning to look, there's something wrong. There's nothing for something. What is it? I don't even know, but I feel there's something wrong. I just feel there's something. I'm not happy. There's something wrong. There's something wrong.

[8:37] It looks too peaceful in my house too much today. There's something wrong. The devil is a liar. Shout hallelujah. Hallelujah. The truth is that human beings have not been designed by God to carry problems.

[8:55] That's why people have nervous breakdowns. That is why people have mental breakdown, nervous breakdown. That's why people, depression, okay?

[9:06] Depression is a sign that you are carrying problems that you are not meant to. We are not meant to carry problems, human beings. If you use your iPhone, which has 16 gig, to download a video file, which is about 24 gig, guess what?

[9:25] It will freeze. Worry is a virus. That is why I can't always wait to come to church to rejoice and to shed off some worry.

[9:41] It doesn't mean the worry has left, but it's on its way out. Shout it out. Because the truth of the matter is the more I'm worried, nothing happens.

[9:53] Nothing changes positively. So even the more I'm worried, the more I'm prone to make silly, silly mistakes. People have divorced over silly mistakes because you were so worried.

[10:06] Your wife went for the company party and it didn't come early. Meanwhile, her car broke down. Her phone was off. But you were so worried. As soon as she came, you started talking and saying things you shouldn't have said.

[10:17] And it ended up in reverse. Because you were too worried, too insecure. Sister, there are some sisters who have destroyed potential relationships because of insecurity. God called Abraham.

[10:35] Abraham's call is different from the call of Noah. Noah was called to enter with his family into salvation. Abraham was called. Genesis chapter 12. Hallelujah.

[10:46] Genesis chapter 12 verse 1. Now the Lord has said to Abraham, get out of your country, from your family, and from your father's house. To a land I will show you.

[10:57] And I will make you a great nation. And I will bless you and make your name great. And you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you. And I will curse those who curse you.

[11:10] Let's all read our last part together. And in you, all the families of the earth shall be blessed. Look at something about Abraham's calling. Abraham's calling. Look at this one. Put you on the screen again.

[11:21] Abraham's calling. God said, now God had told Abraham, get out of your country, from your family, and from your father's house. And when you read the King James, let's see how the King James puts it. It says that, now the Lord had said to Abraham, get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, all right, and from thy father's house.

[11:40] So it's not just your country, not just your father's house, but your own people, including your father. Leave Noah, was told, take your family into the ark. Abraham, he said that, no, this is not a call of salvation.

[11:53] It's a calling to ministry. So he said, leave your kindred, your father's house, and go. And before I talk to you about the purpose of the blessing, I want to talk to you about the condition under which he was before he was called.

[12:04] So look at Genesis chapter 11, verse 31. So we are just going back a little bit. Okay, let's look at verse 20. Yeah, let's look at 31, or verse 30, rather. But Sarai was barren.

[12:16] Okay, let's text from 27. It will make sense. This is the genealogy of Terah. Terah begot Abraham, Nahor, and Haran. Okay, so Abraham had two brothers. What are their names? Nahor and Haran.

[12:28] Abraham had two brothers. Their names are Nahor and Haran. All right. Haran begot Lot. What's the name of Lot's father? Haran. And that is Abraham's brother. Am I right?

[12:39] All right. So Haran begot Lot. And Haran died before his father Terah. What's the name of Abraham's father? Terah. Terah. So Haran died before his father Terah.

[12:50] Where? In his native land. Where? In Ur of the Chaldeans. Okay. So he died when they, where did they come from? Ur of the Chaldeans, which is called Mesopotamia.

[13:04] That's where they came from. The original home or country or town was heir of the Chaldeans. And that is where Abraham was born. That's where they grew up.

[13:14] Watch this. And then verse, verse 29. Then Abraham and Nahor took wives. And the name of Abraham's wife was Sarai. And the name of Nahor's wife, Melchah.

[13:26] The daughter of Haran, the father of Melchah, and the father of Isca. But Sarai was barren. Was barren. She had no child. So Sarai was far barren before God called Abraham.

[13:37] Yeah. Remember that. She was barren before God. Then they were talking about their history. At this time, they have not met God. They had not met God. And verse 31. And, oh, this is interesting.

[13:48] Watch this. And Terah. Who is Terah? Okay. You are great students. And Terah took his son Abraham and his grandson Lot.

[13:59] You remember Lot? Who is Lot's father? Haran. Haran. Okay. So he took his grandson Lot and his daughter-in-law Sarai, his son Abraham's wife. And they went out with them from air of the Chaldeans to go to the land of Canaan.

[14:14] And they came to Haran and dwelled there. They are on their way to Canaan. But who initiated their journey? It's very interesting. Terah, his father, took them.

[14:25] But I want to submit to you that God never spoke to Terah. He spoke to Abraham. In Genesis chapter 12 verse 1.

[14:38] It was the second time God was telling him. So, see this, see this, see this. And see this. And they were on their way to Canaan. And they dwelt in Haran. Verse 32. So, the days of terror were 250 years.

[14:51] It took 205 years. That's cool, man. Isn't it? Yeah. Long. But his father, I was checking. His father was more than that. Those times they used to live just under 300. They used to live just under 300. And then they died.

[15:02] Some of them are 30. At the age of 30, they give birth. Then the next time they give birth is when they were 270. I sure understand. No, read on.

[15:13] Just read a bit further. You'll see. Just six verses. You'll see. Very interesting. So, you can have an uncle who was just born at the age your grandson was born.

[15:24] So, what transpired here, what happened here is that, according to verse 32, Terah died in Haran. Let's all say Terah died in Haran. Terah died in Haran. Who is Terah?

[15:35] Terah died in Haran. He died where? Where did they come from? Terah. Acts chapter 7 verse 2. Bible tells us clearly. Look at Acts chapter 7 verse 2.

[15:45] This is Stephen before he was murdered. He was given an account. Theologians, not theologians, but this is just commonly known. Acts chapter 7 is a summary of the Old Testament.

[15:58] Acts chapter 7 is the summary of the Old Testament. And he says that, and he said, brethren and fathers, listen. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham. Huh?

[16:09] He appeared. God appeared to him. Before then, he hadn't appeared to anybody after Adam. And the time gap between Adam and Abraham was 2,000 years.

[16:22] 2,000 years. So, after Adam, God had not appeared. He didn't appear to Noah. He just, no one had favor with God. God didn't appear to anybody until Abraham. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia.

[16:38] Before he dwelt in Haran. You see that? And said to him, get out of your country and from your relatives come to a land that I will show you.

[16:49] So, when he was living in air, God came to him and told him, get out. So, what were they doing in air? Joshua chapter 24 verse 2 and 3. Joshua 24, 2 and 3.

[17:01] And Joshua said to all the people, that says the Lord God of Israel, your fathers, including Terah, the father of Abraham and the father of Naho. Okay.

[17:13] That says the Lord. Your fathers, including Terah, the father of Abraham and the father of Naho, dwelt in the other side of the river in old times.

[17:24] They served other gods. They were idol worshippers. When they were living in the air of the children, they were all idol worshippers. So, Abraham didn't do anything exceptional.

[17:36] He didn't deserve, he didn't do anything to warrant God's visitation. Get it? God chose to appear to him even though he was an idol worshipper. Ah, pastor, thank you.

[17:47] Because I know we can worship idols and God will come. Let's hope that before God shows up, the devil hasn't killed you. Amen. Amen. Or you have not lost one leg already.

[18:01] Or lost an ear or an eye. And then you come and worshiping God one eye. Because when you should have stopped and changed, you didn't change. You are saying, oh God is merciful. He will have mercy on me.

[18:12] Now he has mercy on you. But look at you, you could have lived in God better with whole eyes and whole. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. So, it's very important. It's very important you understand the fact that God appeared to Abraham.

[18:26] God appeared to Abraham and told Abraham. Okay, Abraham. And told him, get out of your father's house when they were living in the air of the childeens with his father. But who took the move?

[18:37] Bible said, and Terah. It was Terah who took his son Abraham, his grandson Lot, and his daughter-in-law Sarai. And he took them and said, let's go.

[18:48] Abraham didn't move. So, what I'm trying to say is that in Genesis chapter 12 verse 1, when God appeared to Abraham, it was the second time God was calling him. The first time God called him. But maybe it's believed that Terah, his father realized that I'm going to miss Abraham too much.

[19:03] So, he decided, okay, let's all go. So, he became an impediment in the way of Abraham because they were supposed to be going to Canaan. They ended up in Haran. But that's where the father wanted.

[19:14] He was going to Canaan. But he ended up in Haran. But thank God, he died in Haran. He died. God said, Abraham, go. He went with his father and his grandson. Now, I want you to know that Lot posed more problems for Abraham because Terah, Abraham's father, was an impediment to Abraham when he was alive.

[19:35] But Lot became a burden to Abraham and his descendants even when he was dead. Because he took Lot to Canaan. How, when he was dead, in what way? Do you remember the story of Sodom and Gomorrah?

[19:46] Lot used to live in Sodom and Gomorrah. And when the place was about to be destroyed, he moved his wife and his two children, his daughters out of the place. But the wife couldn't make it to safety because she was so much fixed on the natural things she was enjoying.

[20:01] She didn't look up to the deliverance God was bringing. So she got stuck, kept looking back to the things that she used to. I remember when I used to have this boyfriend. He was so nice to me. When you are now married, sister, stop that.

[20:13] When I used to have this girlfriend, he was so nice. You are looking back and you are becoming a pillar of salt. You are making your marriage salty now. You are making your advice you are giving to your children are now salty.

[20:24] Because you are busy looking back to them days. Oh, them days we used to go to Iraq for holidays. Them days. Ah, the devil is a liar. Shout hallelujah.

[20:37] So, Lot's wife was busy looking back and became a pillar of salt. So, watch this. So, when her daughters needed her to advise them about womanhood, she was busy looking back at the things that had happened in the past.

[20:54] That she poisoned their future with bad advice because she was salty. Do you know what they did? They got, because there was no man where they were. And their father was the only man. And their father was growing old.

[21:05] And their biological clock was also ticking. So, they said, you know what? Let's plan. Let's get our father drunk. Those of you who have been drinking. Let's get our father drunk. Let's get our father drunk.

[21:21] See, when you get drunk, you make a fool of yourself. No, don't say it. I will say it. I'm even happy I'm saying it here. When you get drunk, you make a fool out of yourself.

[21:35] Am I speaking the truth at all? Why is it that they don't want you to get drunk driving? Because you will kill everybody. And yourself. Okay, okay, quickly. So, he got drunk.

[21:46] Lot, Lot, Lot got drunk. Because they have wine. They had wine. He got drunk. And the daughters got him drunk. And when he got drunk, they went in turn.

[21:57] He didn't know what he was doing. And he ended up impregnating his daughters. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. And so, then they had the Moabites. Yes. He impregnated them. And they were a cursed people.

[22:08] They became a thorn in the flesh of Israel. Yes. So, Lot, even in his death, was a burden on Israel. Because Abraham took Lot along. As for terror, he was an impediment to his death.

[22:22] But Lot was a burden even after his death. Be careful who you tie your cloth to. Life is always like that, Chilip. Oh, yes. Some of us have been addicted to all kinds of things.

[22:34] You are even in church. And somewhere on your iPad, there are pictures you are watching which you shouldn't be watching. Ouch. Ouch. How did he know, Pastor? The Holy Ghost is trying to talk to you.

[22:46] He said, leave that territory you are in. It's called the L, the Chaldeans. Abraham, God called him. And he went with terror. And Lot. So, after Terah died, Genesis chapter 12, verse 1, God came to Abraham.

[23:02] Now, the Lord has said to Abraham, get out of your father's country, from your family, and from your father's house, to a land. To a land. Somebody say, to a land.

[23:13] To a land. To a land that I will show you. Now, look at this too. Okay? The purpose of the calling of Abraham. Now, what is it that's going to happen to you if you move? I will make you a great nation.

[23:25] A great nation. So, if you are writing right, number one. The plan, the purpose for Abraham's calling, one, is to make him a great nation. Number two. He said, I'll make you a great nation. I'll bless you and make your name great.

[23:36] And then, and you shall be a blessing. Okay? So, verse 3. And I'll bless all those who bless you, and I'll curse all those who curse you. And in you, shall all the families of the Israel.

[23:47] So, go back. Let me show you something. He said, gather it to the land that I will show you. So, first of all, he's taking him to a land, and he's going to make him a great nation. And then, number three. So, number one, he's taking him to inherit a land.

[24:02] All right? He had a land for him. I want to digress sharply. Slightly, though, but quite. Brothers and sisters. I know systems have been created to make buying a house and land a bit very difficult for certain caliber of certain type of people.

[24:17] Desire in your heart. That's where it starts. It starts with a desire. To own a land. Or own a house. Because that's the actual beginning of blessing, manifestation of blessing.

[24:29] Someone says something, you don't really have a say until you have a land. But many black people don't know this. Because there has been a socioeconomic situation that has been created from history.

[24:46] That disenfranchises them, but makes, it's like that. I mean, some of the people, your counterparts, their grandfather has finished paying the mortgage a long time and passed it on to their mother.

[24:59] Oh, God said he's bringing you to a land. So, when he called Abraham, purpose was to give him a land. He said, I'm bringing you to a land. Say, can I land? Number two.

[25:11] He said, I'm going to make you a great nation. In other words, a great group of people. I'm going to make you a great nation. And then, number three. He said, I am going. Hey, the number three is the biggest one. He said, in you shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.

[25:24] So, these are the three sections of Abraham's life. Genesis chapter 12, from chapter 12 to chapter 14, deals with the Canaan. Genesis from chapter 15 to chapter 22, deals with his sons and nations.

[25:37] And then, Genesis chapter 23 down to chapter 25, deals with Abraham's old age. And I will take time to deal into that. But today, I just want to draw to your attention. God had a purpose when he was calling Abraham.

[25:48] Now, my one purpose was to take him to a land. Now, what land are we talking about? Not any land. No Haran. Not any land. We are talking about Canaan land. Say Canaan land. The promise was to take him to a Canaan land.

[26:00] He was going to Canaan land. He was going to the land of Canaan. But, how would you know when you get to the land of Canaan? In Hebrews chapter 11, verse 8, Bible talks about how?

[26:11] By faith. When God called Abraham to go out, he obeyed. Hebrews chapter 11, verse 8 said, by faith, Abraham obeyed. When he was called to go out of the place which he would receive as an inheritance.

[26:22] Did you see that? He was told to go somewhere he was going to receive as an inheritance. And he went out not knowing where he was going. So, now, he didn't know the place. But God said, I'll give you to you as an inheritance. So, he got to Haran.

[26:33] He knew Haran wasn't in the place. So, how do you know when you get to Canaan? There are elements, characteristics of Canaan. There are characteristics of Canaan. So long as we are concerned.

[26:44] You can't know God as the God of Abraham without being in Canaan. So, for us to be God's people, first of all, he will take us to Canaan. He's bringing us into Canaan.

[26:55] What is Canaan? When they got to Canaan in Genesis chapter 12, verse 5 and 6. Genesis chapter 12, verse 5 and 6. Then Abraham took Sarai, his wife, and Lot, his brother's son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people whom they had acquired in Haran, and they departed to go to the land of Canaan.

[27:17] So, they came to the land of Canaan. All right. So, they moved after his father died. They moved after God spoke to him. When his father died, God spoke to him again the second time. He said, come on, you got to move.

[27:28] So, the second instruction, the second visitation, he moved. The first time, God actually, Bible says, the God of glory. He appeared in glory. The God of glory came to Abraham.

[27:40] And then he spoke to him in Genesis chapter 12. He didn't appear to him. He spoke to him. But when they moved to Canaan, look at the next verse, verse 6. Verse 6, he said, and Abraham passed through the land, the place of Shechem.

[27:54] Okay. Okay. Let's all say Shechem. Shechem. As far as the Terebinth tree of Moreh, which is an oak. Okay. The Moreh is an oak tree. The Terebinth tree of Moreh.

[28:05] And the Canaanites were then in the land. Now, watch this. So, the first landing point was where? Shechem. What does Shechem mean? Shechem, the name Shechem, the term Shechem means shoulder.

[28:18] The term Shechem means shoulder. And the term Shechem, so shoulder means power. Power. Someone say power. Power. You must know the power. Some of us, we go through a few things and then we lose control or we lose focus on the vision God has given us.

[28:34] One of the things that shouldn't happen to you that your circumstances shouldn't change your direction. Your circumstances shouldn't change the direction God has called you into. Do you understand what I'm saying? Bible says, when Paul was praying for the church, he said that I'm praying for you in Ephesians chapter 1 verse 18.

[28:49] He said, I pray for you that you will know the hope of your calling. You must be aware of the hope of this calling. You must be aware of the terms of the calling. You must be aware of where this calling is taking to.

[29:00] Keep your eye on the calling. Keep your eye. God called Abraham to Canaan and he kept his eye on Canaan. So, don't give up midway. Don't change the direction because some challenges came.

[29:11] Keep going because God is with you. God is with you. Don't say, I won't go to church anymore. I won't give my sight anymore. I won't live right anymore because I'm upset with God.

[29:23] When I was hungry, when I was about to lose my job, he didn't save me. So, I'm upset. No, no. Don't give up because challenges have come. Don't give up. Keep your eye. Don't lose hope. Don't lose focus on the hope of your calling because if God promised he's going to do it, if God told you he was going to do it, he was going to do it, someone shouted yes.

[29:41] Yes. Yes. So, he went to Sikkim. Sikkim means a place of strength. And more, the terebinth tree, the oak tree, more, okay? More means teaching or teacher, which also means knowledge.

[29:57] You need to be in the place of power in Christ before the knowledge of the things of God can make sense to you. You need to be, God wants you to come to Christ. Come into the place of power. That's why this morning I was talking about the Holy Ghost.

[30:10] It's power. The church is about power. The spirit of truth is about power. It says that you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free. Someone say power. Power. So, now quickly, it's a place of power.

[30:23] God is bringing you to a place of power where the devil is not in control over your life. He's bringing you to a place of power where you know how to execute his glory. And then number two, characteristics of Canaan.

[30:35] Canaan is Shikkim. It's in Canaan, which is a place of power. Number two, characteristics of Canaan. Put it back on the screen. Verse 7. Verse 7. Then the Lord appeared.

[30:46] Did you see that? This is a serious one. The Lord did what? Appeared to Abraham. Let's read the first sentence. Let's go. Then the Lord appeared to Abraham. One more time. Then the Lord appeared to Abraham.

[30:56] This is the second time God was appearing to Abraham. When he got to the place of power. Then the Lord appeared to him. And watched this and said, to you, to your descendants, I will give this land.

[31:07] And there he built an altar to the Lord who appeared to him. He built an altar there. Altar. The reason why altars are important. Because altar connotes the acceptance of God.

[31:18] God said, this is what I accept. So he built an altar in Shikkim. All right. And then from Shikkim, he moved to, the next verse. He moved to Bethel.

[31:28] All right. So, and he moved from there to the mountains east of Bethel. And pitched his tent with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east.

[31:39] There he built an altar unto the Lord and called the name of the Lord. What is Bethel? Bethel means the house of God. The house of God. God has, listen, God has never been interested in working with an individual.

[31:51] God has always been interested in working with a group of people. So it's a body of Christ. It's a body thing. It's not an individual thing. So as soon as, if you want to really enjoy the blessings of Canaan, you want to really enjoy the blessings of God, you must make sure that you are in a place of power which is in Christ.

[32:06] And not just that, you move from there. The people of God must be on your mind. You must know that God is not going to just use you alone. He's also working through others. You are not the only one he's going to work through. He can use others to bless you.

[32:18] And so you have to open and know that this thing is a family thing. This thing is a connection thing. This thing is a community work. Shout hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. There are some people that say, I don't belong to any church.

[32:28] That's why you die alone. God works in communities. Read your Bible. So the land characteristics of Canaan is first power. Number two, it's what?

[32:39] It's the house of God. Bethel, the house of God. The house of God. The grounds of the pillar of the truth. Don't disassociate yourself from the house of God. Do not disassociate yourself from the house of God because the impression will be left on you.

[32:53] The devil will do anything to stop you from coming to church. To stop you from going to church. To stop you from fellowshipping. To stop you from being in church. The devil will do anything. That is his target.

[33:03] So if you are not smart, if you are not aware, in 2 Corinthians 2 verse 11, he said, less Satan has advantage over us. For we are not ignorant of his devices. So that means that when you are ignorant of his devices, he will have an advantage over you.

[33:17] What you don't know about Satan's scheme is what he will use to kill you. Satan is not that powerful. He operates on ignorance. Ignorance. What you don't know. Any little thing. This thing is too much for me.

[33:28] I'm so pressurized. I don't know. Today, I'm so in trouble. I can't be going to church. I can't be going to where the people have gone. Sometimes I can't stand this before. I can't stand this before. The devil will put it in your mind that you can't stand people until you can't stand yourself.

[33:43] And when you can't stand, you don't have a stand. If you can't stand yourself, you are falling. Please, may I say to you, someone who is watching me live, you don't go to church.

[33:56] You don't come to church because you are doing somebody a favor. Because it's God who said, I will build my church. God himself is behind what is happening.

[34:08] And he has a place where he calls his house, where people assemble, and he meets them there. So he called Abraham, but he didn't call him by himself. He called him for a purpose.

[34:19] So the characteristic of Canaan is Sikkim, which is strength. Number two is Bethel. He moved to Bethel. He built an altar there. Bethel means the house of God. And then number three. Number three, from Bethel, he made some serious mistakes.

[34:33] Immigration. He became an immigration victim. Because he went to a country whose immigration laws didn't favor families. Or didn't favor marriage. If your wife was too beautiful, the king would like her.

[34:45] So they would kill you for the woman. Yeah, that was an immigration condition. So he said, listen, when we go, don't say you are my wife. Say you are my sister, Egypt. He went to Egypt.

[34:56] And he went and said that. And the king also got the woman. Those kings are very interesting people. He got the woman, but God showed up to him. God messed him up. And he said, please come and take your wife. Why did you lie to me?

[35:07] This woman is not an ordinary woman. This is not everyone. Listen, sister, someone is trying to take your husband. Don't go and fight with that woman. Go on your knees. She will be getting rotten alive.

[35:19] Any man who is married, listen, no man who is married can continue to hang around a stinking woman. Because if he is messing, why should he mess up in a mess? So don't pray to God.

[35:30] God, sort out this thing for me. God, the woman will begin to stink from her hair to her toes. God, you are taking my wife's back.

[35:44] You, I'm going to fight against you. No, that's not dignified. Just walk with God. And your God will visit them. Anyone who walks with God and anyone tries to step into your territory, God is the one who defends you.

[35:57] I see God defending your job. God defending your marriage. God defending your husband. God defending your wife. God defending your children. In the name of Jesus, shout amen.

[36:09] Amen. And so they went to Egypt and then they came back because after it didn't work, they came back. And then they ended up in a place called Hebron. In Genesis chapter 13, verse 18, they ended up in Hebron.

[36:23] Let's look at it. Let's read it from the screen. Let's read. Let's go. Let's read. Let's read. Let's read. Let's read. Stand. And went and dwelt by the terebin tree of memory. Foot of Hebron.

[36:34] And built an altar there to the Lord. See, wherever he built an altar was a sign that this is the place I have access. The altar is a reflection of the acceptance of God. So God accepted Shechem.

[36:45] God accepted Bethel. And God accepted Hebron. What's Hebron? There's a tree called memory in Hebron. I'll talk about it in a minute. But the tree is in Hebron. And Hebron means fellowship.

[36:55] So it's not just the house of God. But you must have fellowship in God's house. Fellowship. I don't talk to this one. I can't stand this one. K group. Hey, I can't go. Yeah, I don't like those things.

[37:07] I just want to be by myself. I don't want anyone to be in my business. So why do you go to hospital then? No one is a Lone Ranger in life. Someone will be in your business. Fellowship.

[37:17] Say fellowship. Fellowship. The signs, the characteristics of Canaan. One, strength. Two, house of God. Three, fellowship. Get into God's house and don't stay on island.

[37:28] Fellowship. Join the fellowship. You must have some fraternity. When we join a department. When we are praying, pray. When we are meeting, meet. Come and fellowship. That's the, and you know, memory. Memory means fatness.

[37:40] The tree memory means fatness. It means richness. Then it's only in the place of fellowship that you begin to enjoy the fatness from God. You begin to enjoy the richness from God. Fellowship is what will enrich your Christian work.

[37:52] Fellowship is what will bring what God has supposed to happen in your life to come to bear. By God's grace, I found my wife through fellowship. It's not right. God didn't create you to be like that. Connect with some people.

[38:03] It's not that there was one sister who came to my office or recently, last week or the week before. It said, Pastor, I thank you so much. Because she was giving up on church and on God. And that would have beaten her bad.

[38:14] How many of you know that? No, no. By the time you come two years later, six months later, five years later, you are battered, shattered, and scattered. She was giving up on God, but she said, I didn't want to come and everybody's calling me.

[38:27] So my friend told me, you know, just for the one, let's go to church. Because everybody's asking of you. That's what happens if you are in fellowship in a church. But if you are not in fellowship in a church, no one knows whether you are around. No one knows whether you are not coming.

[38:38] It's no one's business. Because you are running your own business. And so when you are sinking, you sink gently alone. Nobody realizes that you are sinking. But when you are connected to others, in your absence, where is this one?

[38:50] Where is this one? They begin to chase you. Love brings couples together. But forgiveness keeps them together. Yeah. Shout hallelujah.

[39:02] So Abraham went to Canaan land. And I'll show you the characteristics of Canaan. Next week, I'll show you the second promise. Okay. The purpose of his call. The first one is Canaan land.

[39:13] The second one is what? I'll make you a great nation. I'm going to show you his sons and how God developed Abraham. And how does he relate to us? Because if we are going to enjoy God, then these elements must begin to manifest in our lives.

[39:25] If you are going to enjoy God as God's people, then you must be in Canaan. And what are the signs of being in Canaan? The characteristic in Canaan is what I've shown you. Power, house of God, and fellowship.

[39:35] That's the characteristic of Canaan. It's not necessarily a physical place. But it is a realm in the spirit that when you enter, you begin to have command in the physical. I prophesy over your life that anything that will want to deny you your access to destiny, anything that will want to strip you your opportunities in life, I prophesy over your life anything that will want to humiliate you, anything that will want to take away your opportunities, anything that will want to deprive you of greatness, of your greatness, of fulfilling your vision, of entering into the promise of God, I prophesy that that thing will lose its hold.

[40:12] It loses its influence. In the name of Jesus. In the name of Jesus. In the name of Jesus. I speak healing into your health.

[40:22] I speak healing into your marriage. Healing into your life. Healing into your career. Healing into your family life. In the name of Jesus. Every addiction that you are suffering, I break the power of addiction.

[40:37] I break the power of addiction. Anything that will hinder you from entering your destiny, I break the power of addiction. In the name of Jesus. Thank you for listening.

[40:49] To hear more from David Entry, follow him on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn. Why don't you subscribe to our YouTube channel at Carish Church and subscribe to our podcast so you are always up to date.

[41:03] Be blessed. at Carish Church.