Running Through the Paper Wall

Carter Conlin from the historic Times Square Church in New York City.

The devil stands of the corridor with a magic marker to start writing on your paper wall. Your paper will not strong enough not smart enough. You've always been losing but it still only paper that's all it is.

There is nothing the devil can put before you the can stop you from being what God called you to be welcome a call to the nation with pastor Roger Conlin from Times Square Church in New York City. In today's message titled running through that paper wall. Carter asks the question, what is the devil on your paper wall. But in your heart you know what he writes.

There is not true in your heart you know the victory is yours. Let's discover more about this important revelation as we join Carter now Hebrews chapter 12.

Please, if you turn there with me and you might want to put a marker in your Bible and some 18 as well. Hebrews chapter 12 beginning at verse one.

Therefore, we also since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him who endured such hostility from sinners against himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls know Scripture speaks of the great race that each of us are called to run every one of us.

Every person here listening when you came to Christ, he became your Lord and Savior.

The Bible says that God's Holy Spirit came to dwell inside your physical body and you became the temple of the living God and at the moment that your name was written down in his book of life, a divine purpose that God has ordained for your life started to be enacted.

You were born again by the spirit of God, the old things in your life that govern the all things that hindered you dual things, it blinded of all past away and now by the spirit of Almighty God, you have become new. That means you have a new path.

You have new strength of new thoughts you have a new heart. You have a new mind. If you are in Christ and Christ is in you, the old things are passed away. They've lost their hold that come to an end. Bill defeats the old boundaries.

Everything is gone and a new life of supernatural possibility has opened up a life that, through whom God says I'm going to glorify my name on the earth through you. That is your purpose on the earth. That is why you are here.

That is why I am here. That is why the church of Jesus Christ is still here we are to be an irrefutable living testimony of the reality of God's heart that sent his son to across for all of humanity where to live in such a way that the breath of people, technically, is taken away when the hero speak and they watch how we live, and they see the strength that we have, especially now in this darkened day in which were living in a day when morality is falling in failing civility is quickly becoming a thing relegated to the past in the day when family breakups are becoming common and teenagers are leaving further vacations and living in debauchery in the day when evil is become good and good is become evil unthinkable crimes are almost a daily occurrence.

Now on the news to the point where they don't even make the front page anymore is imperative that you would not run this race now set before us. Each person has to run the race every one of us.

Yes, work were running it together. It's like a marathon, but I have my part to play and you have your part and mine is not greater than yours and yours is not greater than mine. We are all called to glorify the name of Jesus Christ by letting him be who he is within us. Jesus made a way for us to run this race consider him.

He won the victory triumphed over evil possibility became possible because of his victory and resurrection. The devil lost his power weakness had to give way to strength darkness to light confusion to divine order and aimless wandering path and you may have been on suddenly was broken and now there is a clear path that God knows and will reveal it to you and I if we really want to know what usually that path looks impossible in the natural, and indeed in the natural. It is a means by our own natural strength. It could never be accomplished. God never called us to do it in our own strength. He called us to be simply the vessels through whom he will carry his own name to glory. All the requires of you and I is a willingness to believe him. That's all he's ever required of his people throughout the testimony of Scripture. Scripture tells us in Hebrews 12 one. Thursday account was number of witnesses who have gone before us.

And if you picture yourself in the stadium today. These are the people in the upper tears the upper balconies. The higher parts of the stadium. They see now what we fully don't they understand things that we have to believe and trust by faith.

But I can hear them calling out to us the sinks of all the ages all since not only from before Christ, but those who have come after love gone through badly gone through flood the gun through fire that known the triumph of God, and now they see the full picture of who God is and what he's able to do the Scripture says this great cloud of witnesses is around us not to know how that really works. I know that there's a testimony of how God brought them through to victory, but these people are still alive. Don't forget they're not dead there very very much alive and I don't know if they can see planet Earth and what we are doing. But if they could they be open that upper balcony and they would be encouraging us to run, don't stop, don't give up you have a great call of God on your life. Don't give into the lies of the enemy don't give into the strategies of evil. Don't give into the threatenings of darkness. Don't be silent in the time when God is put the power of speaking his words into your voice.

Don't cower under the darkness of this world, which is soon to pass away. Remember, everyone who threatens you, everyone who threatens a testimony of God in your one day their knee will bow and their tongue will confess. Also, the Jesus Christ is Lord, we know these things. But it's hard to run this race is hard for all of us.

I have days that are tough, even though I know all this. I know of the Scripture. I know the history, but there still hard days still difficult days that all of us have want to consider King David from moment this man is appointed by God to be a king, and to be a ruler picture from moment David been called into his father's house and the prophet Samuel a great and feared profit in the generation is standing in his father's house and when he walks in.

Samuel looks upon him with the eyes of God is only God can look upon a person and cause them over to his side and on The flask of oil that he was carrying the David would have known represented that that holy, setting apart for the purposes of God, and Samuel poured the oil on his head. It would've run down his garments right to his feet and obviously spoke words to him about his future that he was the man the God at this point is a boy, but he is the one that God had seen and it appointed to lead his people Israel.

How incredible that must've been.

And then just from that moment with the promise given to his heart to be to be sent out to look after his father's sheep again and you and I come into the house of God than the times of God begins to speak to our hearts is in whispers of God, sometimes of the shouting's of God, and he begins to tell us he wants to do something to our lives. But in our present condition.

It looks so preposterous and so out of reach. How could this be, while it can't be apart from him.

There has to be a measure of rest in my heart and in your heart. This is God if this is going to be then you're going to have to do it. I can't do it. There's no way David could have been king. There would have to be a whole journey ahead of him and would have to be a sovereign journey of supernatural journey. I can see David now leaving the place of anointing and going out and back to his father's sheep and suddenly a lion comes into this little flock of sheep is protecting and grabs a lamb in its mouth and for the first time in his life. He knows something you never knew before the Holy Spirit comes on him and is given the power to do something that he could not do in his own strength stunning and must've been that didn't victory as it was not was not a public nobody would've known of the women told anybody but the ability God gave him to grab a lion by its name. Technically, until it was only a slingshot in his hand in it.

The same thing happen when a bear came against him and then later on he was sent by his father into the camp when Israel was in a battle with the Philistines and he heard a giant call Goliath step out and walk the armies of God and the testimony of God. In that same Holy Spirit came on him again with the courage that only could be given by God and the divine enablement of God, he headed down into the valley. Armed with what looked to be stupidity in the site of the natural world that lives by its natural strength and his natural wisdom, and he won a marvelous victory. It must've looked at that point that it was just going to be up in a ball away only to find himself at a certain point in his life pursued. How many of you know that feeling is started out in the were victories wanting you you know God is with you because you couldn't warn them without God.

Certain things in your life that were broken. Bondage, as were broken relationships. God give you the power to walk away from negative power to be honest when everyone else was. Not telling the truth about certain things and he gave the power to stand in the midst of all this and it looked like. While this promise can't be that far away from my life and start to really believe that there is a supernatural call of God in my life.

I am going to amount to something for his glory, only to find himself in a place where is being pursued like a partridge in the mountains as he said we has no strength anywhere does not want to do is Psalm 18. Let me just read two verse four starts out by saying the pilings of death surrounded me and other was my own inability to finish what I felt called to do was in every direction that I looked, I couldn't see a way out, consider way forward. I didn't know how this thing in my life was ever going to be accomplished. It goes on and says in the floods of ungodliness made me afraid and other was there was so much opposition that I was afraid that I could not avoid or overcome it. That's something people are starting to feel in this generation. How in the world. We were going to be a testament to the opposition is building and increasing so powerfully so strongly it seems to be on every side. It's been emboldened like never seen in our lifetime.

How will this call of God in my life this promise ever be fulfilled in some 18 verse five. This is the sorrows of sale surrounded me. In other words, the hopelessness of what I perceived my situation to be began to overwhelm the felt hopeless of you ever been there were just feels hopeless it's hopeless and he started entertaining the lies of unbelief is says in the second half of verse five the snares of death confronted me. I was brought in other words, to a standstill. I felt trapped. What was I to do. I do know how to go forward from here that you and I know that at some point.

Historically, David when he was faced with the situation.

He abandoned the testimony of that which he already knew the abandonment walked away.

He started in the supernatural, but he turns to his natural reasoning tried to craft a plan to save himself. He forgot about the lion and the bear Samuel Goliath and he ran in another direction. In first Samuel 27 verses one and two.

Here's what David said and David said in his heart. Now I shall perish someday by the hand of Saul false reasoning that wasn't true. Remember the promise of God is that he was going to be the next ruler of Israel. There is nothing better for me than I should speedily escape to the land of the Philistines is a David started out by running a race that he was convinced in his heart would bring honor to the name of God.

I know for sure that's true because when he faced Goliath. He was inwardly enraged that the name of God was being held in such poor reputation by allowing this man to speak the things that he was speaking and so at that point is likely he ran down into the valley with weaponry that looked to be foolish to face a giant because in his heart he was saying the name of God has to be honored and had to be something inside of him that the new this calling.

It was on is like not fully understanding that none of us really do. But knowing that there is a calling is something God has given me to do to glorify his name. It's it's hard to fathom that this young man a certain point in his life is now running in another direction. And for those who have seen a football game I've seen a few that come out of the dressing over the been trying to been taught in the practice and they have their armor on in the coming out with confidence in the come down a long corridor and the cement walls on either side and at the end of the corridor is a paper wall and at the beginning of an NFL game in college games they have to break through that paper wall and it they can see the field until he gets through the paper wall. Can you just imagine how incredulous it would be if an NFL team came out of the dressing room the coming into the the end of the season as it is in the running with confidence down this core door as we do when when you run out of this church today and you go out into the lobby to head out into the streets and you run down the corridor and stop at the paper wall don't believe somehow that can be breached. How full was that would look and we would be crying from the balcony.

It's only paper, but they they stop like keystone cops all banging into each other and look at the paper wall and they somehow get it in their minds to get through this magic viewer in the crowd did you get tickets to the Super Bowl in one of the New York teams happen to be there to do magic if you're in the crowd, and you watched your home team coming out of the dressing room and they all stop the paper wall in unbelief can imagine how you would be shouting forward go forward. Just like in Hebrews 12 one with a great cloud of witnesses that didn't know that the victory is ours know that whatever the devil sets before us is only paper that can stop us. So you do not have the witness of Scripture. Now in the witness of history and we read number 13 for example with the people of God having come out of Egypt. Having seen the miracles of the parting of the Red Sea, God sovereignly leading them to the shores of the Sea in this suddenly stop at the at the very border of the promised land before them is a paper wall. We know the history we're here later than they were ending that we could shelter them down through history we sing all, it's yours. The defenses of departed from them, they will oppose you, but they will not overcome you, but you can see the people of God standing at the wrong paper wall at the very shores of the promised land saying we are not able they are stronger. We are puny.

They are giants in the didn't go in, they forfeited the race and they lived in the wilderness. Instead, for the rest of their lives. And when people don't go in. I want you to hear me on this when you don't go in to the plan of God for your life you will live in the wilderness. All of your days have been maybe your home at the end of your journey, but you will not know the miracle power of God. You'll never know the satisfaction of walking with him through places that only he could carry you go from church to church throughout New York City or whatever state you happen to be from who blame the preachers who blame the choirs you blame the people but the reality is you wouldn't go through your own paper wall. You wouldn't walk and then lease of the miraculous God had set before you, and so the question that God put on my heart for you is what has the devil written on your paper wall.

What is written up because you come running out of this church and in your heart you know it's true in your heart you know you're more than a conqueror in your heart you know that the victory is yours. You know there's no doubt about it in your heart whatsoever so you come running down the corridor of faith, getting ready to go into that stadium with his great battle for the souls of men and for the glory of God is waged in every generation in the devil stands at the end of the corridor with a magic marker to start writing on your paper wall. What does it right on your paper wall not strong enough not smart enough you're a loser. You've always been a loser. You'll never be anything other than what your father was your mother was in some people's walls. He does draws bricks and makes it look like a brick wall, but it still only paper that's all it is. There is nothing the devil can put before you the can stop you from being what God called you to be nothing. Hallelujah. What he will write these things on your wall, and he will do everything in his power to get you to agree with. Even though this is the sound coming from the upper tears of the stadium you can see the people there yet, but you can somehow hear it in the distance.

There's one crowd on the Lord. Tears the hometown crowd me a call at that of the unregenerate. They seem to have the best seats and they seem to have all of the power in their telling you to stay behind your paper wall don't come out. Don't challenge us you don't have the strength you don't have the power but above then there's another crowd above them or those who have faced the same time. Throughout history, but they have found them to be false and powerless in the telling you and I go through that paper will go through whatever you have to go through. Don't stop at this place of unbelief and no matter what the devil writes on your wall. He's a liar is the father of lies. Only knows how to do is lie only can write his lies is only power over you is to get you to walk in agreement with them. I believe that's what Jesus said agree with your adversary when you're in the way lest he cast you in the present agree with them just so angry with me right yes I am weak yes my father was a drunk. If that's the case, yes I do come from a dysfunctional family. Yes I don't have any connections anywhere. I have no money and no resources. I have no power, but I tell you what I do have I have the living God living inside of his closing the Bible tells me that I can condemn your time. Satan you have no power over me. And the longer you can stop leak whatever God has called me to be.

That's what I'm going to be whatever is asked me to do. That's what I'm going to do. Listen to the words of the apostle Paul in first Corinthians chapter 1 verse 26 to the end for you see your calling, brethren, you see your calling, not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty and the base things of the world, and things which are despised, God has chosen, and the things which are nothing or not to bring to nothing the things that are that no flesh should glory in his presence, but of him are you in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God and righteousness and sanctification and redemption as it is written you a glorious let him glory in the Lord. You see your calling brother, let the devil right on your paper wall anything he wants but is not keeping us out of the sin time game. There is no way. Not only are we going in were going into fiber going into when one were going in believing God everywhere. He's told us everything is trained and taught us to do. We will do. Remember, we start with David when he said the pains of death surrounded me. The floods of ungodliness may be afraid, the sorrows of sale surrounded me and the snares of death confronted me that David could've stayed there. And yes he did take a detour into did bring distress into his heart when he says in verse six or Psalm 18 in my distress I call upon the Lord, and cried out to my God and he heard my voice from his temple. In my cry came before him, even into his ears. In my distress I cried out to God is time for all of us to put on the armor of God, and head down the corridor and reach that paper will because until you go through the paper wall.

You can even see the reason you don't even know what the games about don't know what it looks like because you're still behind the paper will it's time to breach that paper will and whatever the devil will whatever it is that stops you from becoming everything that God has called you to be.

It's time to get up as Davidson like God. I can run through go through that paper will go through whatever you have to go through. Don't stop at this place of unbelief.

Thank you for joining us this week for a call to the nation with Carter come from Times Square Church in New York City. For more information log onto TSC.NYC TSC.NYC you can count on a powerful message each week on a call to the nation with Carter,