Leading The Way

Narrator: Welcome to Leading The Way with Dr. Michael Youssef. The driving mission of Leading The Way is passionately proclaiming uncompromising truth at home and around the world. And what you hear when you listen, or see when you watch, is only a small part of the vast ministry reach across six continents in 28 different languages. We invite you to learn more about the scope of ministry at ltw.org.

You see it and you hear it daily, culture and faith are at odds. Political, racial, and social divides once thought faded, especially in the church, have grown and deepened their roots. Up next, Dr. Youssef addresses several ways that Satan ambushes believers in a strategy to squelch the power and the cultural influence of Christians and the church. This is a message Dr. Youssef is calling True Power. Listen along and be challenged to tap into your power available through Jesus.

Dr. Michael Youssef: I think a lot of people admire power, whether it is physical power or it is intellectual power, whether it's political power or it's money power, or it's mental power. A lot of people admire power. They wish it, they crave it, they envy it, they pursue it, and they try to get it even if it kills them.

Unfortunately, because of the pervasive influence of culture, particularly in the area of our knowledge and understanding of power. Because of the pervasiveness of culture in that area upon Christians, Christians too have come to value power in the same way the world does.

Christians have come to view power in the same way the world does. Christians have come to venerate power the same way the world does. Christians have come to validate power and the use of power the same way the world does. But there is a tragic consequence to that to the church of Jesus Christ, to the believers in Jesus Christ.

There's a tragic consequence of us taking on the influence of our culture. Do you know what it is from the world's perspective? From the world's perspective, they now look upon the church just merely as a power-hungry political institution. The world has come to look upon the church just as another lobbying group. The world has come to look upon the believers, the church of Jesus Christ, just as another pressure group. That's how they perceive the church.

Because we have fallen into the trap. But you know what? I believe there's even far greater tragic consequences. Believers, listen to me. There's a far greater, greater tragic consequence than even that, than the world's perception, false perception. Do you know what it is? That Christians have lost their real power. They really have. That Christians have failed to experience this unbelievable, indescribable, unconventional, and unexplainable power that belongs to them by their very birthright.

That's what happened. You know, I was thinking about how Christians have fallen in the trap of perceiving power, exercising power, practicing power in the same way as the world. And how they really traded something that is so precious, so incredible, so indescribable that you can describe to the world for the fleeting and the passing.

And I was in deep prayer and fasting, and I was thinking about this. And all of a sudden, I remembered an incident that has taken place in my life when I was five years old. I was five years old, and I remember it like yesterday. It came so clear to me when I thought of how we have devalued our real power. We have been deceived by the world.

And I thought of this instant. I walked up to my dad one day, and I said, "Dad, I want," what would be equivalent today, "to a nickel." I said, "I I want a nickel to buy candy." He looked at me, he said, "It's bad for your teeth." Give me a break, I'm five years old. What do I know about good for my teeth or bad for my teeth? So I nagged him. No. My father, when he made up his mind, it's all over. But I tried and I couldn't. But I was immature, I was five. I said, "Fine."

We used to have nice bicycles in our house. But you know, there was a specific one that my father really treasured. He valued, he protected. He had a guy specially comes in and maintained it all the time. My father believed that it's the healthiest thing you can do. He was a very wiry, strong, healthy guy. I've just inherited my mother's genes. This particular valuable bike, among all the other bikes we had, this was was his. This was something that was very special to him.

So on this particular day, I was irritated at my father. How dare he not give me what I want when I wanted at the time when I wanted? How dare he would not let me gratify my desires? I didn't verbalize them that way, you understand? But I reasoned like a five-year-old. Down the street, there was a kid who's about three years older than me, and he always talked about this particular bike. He said, "Man, this is a beautiful one. When I grow up, I'm going to get one just like your dad's. This is a great." And he always bragged about my dad's bike. So I walked down to him that day I couldn't get the nickel.

And I said, "How would you like to buy that bicycle for a nickel?" "You mean it? A nickel?" He said, "I'll give you two." I said, "That's even better." I took the two nickels, bought my candy. I got my candy. I got my immediate gratification. But what have I done? I have exchanged the valuable for the ridiculous. I have exchanged the great thing for the crummy. I have exchanged the useful for the useless. I have exchanged the significant for the insignificant. I have exchanged the prize possession for the worthless. I have exchanged highly regarded for the fleeting.

But I want to tell you, that experience at a very early age taught me an incredible lesson in life. As I grew older, and I began to understand what the Christian faith is all about, as I began to understand what the word of God said, as I began to understand the promises of God, as I began to understand the treasure that is ours in earthen vessels, as I began to comprehend the deep antithesis between God's power and the world's power, I have learned from that day on, from the time I became mature in my walk with the Lord, that it is my cry to Him on a daily basis, and many times, several times a day, is my cry to the Lord from that moment of comprehension on, "Lord, it is your power and not worldly power that I crave. Lord, it is the power of your Holy Spirit and not earthly power that I long for. Lord, it is the Holy Spirit's power and not my crummy power that I want to see. Lord, it is the power of your Holy Spirit, not the fleeting power that I seek. Lord, it is your Holy Spirit's power, not the world's manipulative power that I desire."

Let me tell you about the world's power. You have to understand their idea of power in order to make the distinction. You see, when the world talks about power, the world is talking about the ability to control events, the ability to control circumstances. It's the ability to control other people. That's what worldly power is all about. You see, the world's view of power is, it's your ability to manipulate people, your ability to tempt and entice people, to get them to do what you want them to do. It's the ability to be self-sufficient. It's the ability to be above others. That's what worldly power is all about.

But the power of the Holy Spirit gives us is very different. The power of the Holy Spirit that God longs for His children to receive and to have and to be empowered with is for to serve His purpose in our lives. The power of the Holy Spirit and the Spirit gives to us, and God desires for all His children who are born of the Spirit to have and be filled with on a daily basis, moment by moment basis, is like any other power in the world. And that is why Jesus told the disciples, He said, "You stay in Jerusalem. Don't you move from Jerusalem until you receive power from on high." Do you know why?

Because it is only the Holy Spirit's power which is dynamite-like that will blast the power of sin. It's only the Holy Spirit, and the power of the Holy Spirit which is dynamite-like, which is going to take us not to be independent people of God but to be dependent on God. It's only the power of the Holy Spirit which is dynamite-like that can forgive our sins, that can relieve our guilt, that can heal our soul, that can create love and humility in our lives. And above all, it's only that power that gives us favor with God and with God's people.

And let me tell you, you cannot have this power as long as you have bought into the lie of the world's power and the deception of the world's power. And there are two things I want to tell you. Number one, in order to qualify on a regular basis, there are two things that you have to do. But let me tell you something, these are not something you get up in the morning and say, "I've got to do this, I've got to do this, I've got to do this." No, these are more of a mindset. It's a mindset, and you constantly fill your mind with this thought. The two things are they: admit your Achilles' heel. Number one, admit your Achilles' heel. Secondly, avoid your enemy's ambush.

You say, "How do I admit my Achilles' heel?" You heard me say this before. I want to say it and I'll say it again until the Lord takes me home. Whenever I'm speaking to seminarians or young pastors or or groups of people that I speak to, they would ask me often ask me that question. They say, "What is the area of your weakness and how do you guard against it?" I have one answer, a standard answer to that question, "All of them." The question is, "Well, I understand, but now what is the area of your weakness?" "All of them." "No, what I'm talking about, what is your weakness?" I said, "All of them." That's basically it. All areas are areas of my weaknesses. I have no strength whatsoever.

You say, "How can you say that?" No, listen to me. This is not false humility. This is not just sanctimonious talk. This is not just preacher's talk. I want to tell you, this is the absolute truth what I believe about myself. All of them. Every area. And I've learned this lesson from the Apostle Paul. And he learned the secret of power that the Holy Spirit is working in him when he admits his Achilles' heel. It's when he confesses his weaknesses, not when he brags about his strength.

The Apostle Paul was in desperation, and he prayed several times. He wanted the Lord to answer his prayer, and the Lord didn't. And here's what the Lord said to him. He did not answer the prayer the way Paul wanted it. But he did answer his prayer. Here's what he said to him in Second Corinthians, chapter 12, verses nine and 10. You know, before I read the text, I want to tell you something. Through the years, I interviewed many candidates in my previous ministry. And I interviewed a lot of candidates for jobs, and it's amazing how I can see the human tendency coming in exaggerating of what they've accomplished, exaggerating what they can do, exaggerating what their abilities are. Unfortunately, that's a human tendency for all of us.

But I want you to contrast any bragging that you may hear from me or from anybody else with what Paul said in Second Corinthians chapter 12, verses nine and 10. He said, you know, after I prayed about these things, here's what the Lord said to me. He said, "Now Paul, My grace is sufficient for you, for My power made perfect in your weakness." That's literal translation. Not in your strength, not in your ability, not in your string of degrees, not in your leadership in the Jewish community, not your membership in the Sanhedrin, not in what you've accomplished under the professor Gamaliel. No, no, no, no, no, none of these things.

So what's Paul's reaction to what the Lord said to him? Listen to his reaction. His reaction said, "Okay, Lord, therefore." That's what actually a rough translation for "Okay, Lord, I heard you." He says, "I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses so that Christ's power may rest on me." And he goes on to say, "That is why for Christ's sake, I delight in weakness, in insult, in hardship, in persecution, and in difficulties." Now, he was not lying on the ground, let people walk all over him. That's not what it means. He said, "Because when I'm weak, that's when I'm strong." Every time I become so conscious of my shortcomings, I move on very quickly and remember that it is His power becomes perfect in my weakness. Every time I'm facing a temptation, I come to the point, I said, "I remember, Lord, I can't resist on my own, but through your power, I know it becomes perfect in my weakness." In his own strength, Paul felt pain, he felt sorrow, he felt need. But in the power of the Holy Spirit flowing through him, strengthening him, he felt joy, he felt contentment, and he felt peace. And let me tell you, that's real power.

The world power, and you've heard it, would say to you, "Don't let them see you sweat." Have you heard that? But God's power said, "Supernatural strength is only possible when you admit your Achilles' heel." The Apostle Paul once again in Romans chapter 8, verse 7, he testified to the fact one more time. And he's making it very clear. He said, "Listen, in my own strength, I'll be clobbered by the enemy every time. Every time. But in the strength of the Holy Spirit, I am in a position of being more than a conqueror."

To receive the power of the Holy Spirit, you have to on a daily basis admit your Achilles' heel. Come clean with God. Secondly, avoid the enemy's ambushes. Now, you say, "Well, the enemy's ambushing me all the time." He will ambush you when you're not prepared. But if you begin the day with that mindset, then you'll be aware, just like Paul said, of his devices. We're not ignorant. That you're not going to fall for it. Let me give you a few of the enemy's ambushes, okay? I have experienced them myself.

First one, he will say to you, "You have believed in Jesus Christ by faith, you're saved." Right. "But you have to live this life with the use of your mind that God gave you. You trusted Him for your salvation by faith, but be realistic. This is the real world we're talking about. This is not the Bible world. Be practical. Use your mind, use your head. This is how things are. This is how people do it. You placed your faith in Jesus Christ. He saved you eternally. But don't trust in His promises for your daily living. Not when you're cutting that business deal that's a little shady because that's how things are."

You see, he would say to you, "You have received salvation by faith, but you can't operate your business. You can't operate your relationships by faith. You have to be realistic. You have to be practical." Most Christians exercise faith in the power of the Holy Spirit when they are saved for their salvation, for their eternity. But they fall in the trap of manipulating people, manipulating events, manipulating situations, manipulating circumstances in order to let them go their way. Instead of exercising faith in the living God, the one who saved you is the one who's going to carry you through.

The second ambush is the seeking of the power of the Holy Spirit to avoid unpleasantness in life. Seeking the power of the Holy Spirit to avoid unpleasant circumstances and unpleasant people and unpleasant situations in life. Preachers preach that stuff all the time. They fall in the trap of thinking that the power of the Holy Spirit is like a vaccine that you get it in and and then you won't have any difficulties in life. You're not going to have any problems in life. You're not going to have any temptations in life. Instead of what the truth, what the Bible teaches us and namely, it is the continuous pouring of the Holy Spirit. It's continuous receiving of the Holy Spirit so that we become equipped to overcome every single time.

There's a third ambush that you need to avoid, and you do that with your mindset. And the ambush that this enemy sets before us is what I call beating yourself up. I know some people do that mentally all the time, constantly beating themselves up, emotionally beating themselves up. Let me tell you something, listen to me. I tell you this on the authority of the word of God, and I tell it to you from experience. The feeling of inadequacy, especially when things don't go your way, is not a time for you to beat yourself up. It's time for you to beat your knees on the ground.

I want to give you a rule of thumb. Whenever you focus on your inadequacy, other than confessing it and move on, other than surrendering it and move on. We know what you're doing? You're taking the spotlight from God and putting it on your inadequacy. You're taking the spotlight away from the Holy Spirit who wants to empower you. Whenever you focus on your own strength or lack of strength, whenever you focus on what you have or you don't have, whenever you focus on what you lack or you don't lack.

Whenever you do that, you take the spotlight away from God's sufficiency to meet all of your needs, not just some of them. When you focus on your own problems more than God's solution, when your focus is more on the difficulty of the battle than on the victory that God wants to give you. When you do that, you become morbid and gloomy. Nobody wants to be around you. But not only that, listen. When you wallow in your failures, you will give the Holy Spirit no opportunity to do His work in you and through you as He wants to do.

Two simple qualifications: admit your Achilles' heel, but don't stay there. Move on and receive the perfect power of God's Holy Spirit. And secondly, avoid the enemy's ambush. But there's even better news. The Holy Spirit will empower you when you do both.

Narrator: Thank you for joining Dr. Michael Youssef and listening to his Leading The Way message today called True Power. If you'd like to know more about what it means to live in true power through Christ, won't you consider chatting with a Leading The Way pastor or counselor? You can begin that conversation at ltw.org/jesus.

Dr. Michael Youssef: My beloved friends in Christ, our world is lost, confused, and in desperate need of Jesus. Through Leading The Way's June Gift Challenge, you can share the only thing that matters eternally. I have never seen a more urgent time for the preaching of the Gospel, the proclamation of the Gospel in our nation. Together, we can have an impact in these last days. God bless.

Narrator: ltw.org is where you can learn more about Leading The Way. You can check out ways that you can stand with Dr. Youssef in generosity, including a very special opportunity this month. Give us a call, 866-626-4356, or visit us online, ltw.org. That's 866-626-4356 and ltw.org.

And we'd love to hear from you through the postal service as well. You can write to Leading The Way, Post Office Box 20100, Atlanta, Georgia 30325. Once again, that's Post Office Box 20100, Atlanta, Georgia 30325. Our time is gone for this episode. Thank you for being with us, and remember, you're invited back again when Dr. Youssef continues his life-changing series, Heal Me, O God, right here on Leading The Way Audio. This program is furnished by Leading The Way with Dr. Michael Youssef, passionately proclaiming uncompromising truth around the world.