Pronounce Before You Possess
This sermon explores the vital connection between believing God's promises and actively speaking them aloud. It unpacks how our words serve as a powerful tool to claim spiritual territory and activate divine breakthroughs in our lives.
The sermon argues that speaking God's promises aloud activates them, allowing believers to possess what God has already offered. This verbal declaration marks spiritual territory and overcomes opposition.
Overview
The sermon introduces the idea that while believing God's promises is important, it is the act of speaking them aloud that activates them. Our words carry power, setting in motion either blessing or defeat. This principle is exemplified by Moses telling the Israelites to pronounce a blessing upon entering the promised land.
The Israelites initially failed to possess their promised land because they pronounced defeat instead of blessing, focusing on the giants rather than God's promise. The sermon emphasizes that we must speak what God promised before seeing any sign of it, marking territory with our words like an ancient king claiming land.
This act of verbally claiming God's promises is presented as exercising authority, establishing boundaries, and putting forces of darkness on notice. Examples like David confronting Goliath illustrate how speaking victory precedes actual victory. Silence, in contrast, is depicted as surrender, allowing "squatters" (problems) to remain on one's spiritual "land."
The sermon concludes by urging listeners to be like David, not staying silent but actively declaring God's promises over their lives, families, and circumstances. This vocalization is portrayed as the key to breaking bondages and possessing the healing, freedom, and abundance God intends.
Key points
- Believing God's promises is essential, but speaking them aloud is what activates them.
- Moses instructed the Israelites to pronounce a blessing before possessing the Promised Land (Deuteronomy 11).
- The first generation of Israelites failed to enter the Promised Land because they spoke words of defeat rather than blessing.
- Speaking God's promises marks spiritual territory, establishes dominion, and puts the enemy on notice.
- David's victory over Goliath was first pronounced through his words before it manifested physically (1 Samuel 17:45).
- Silence is described as surrender, allowing "giants" or "squatters" (e.g., sickness, addiction) to remain on one's promised territory.
- Evicting these "giants" requires verbally declaring God's promises and exercising spiritual authority through words.
In Joel Osteen's words
“You have to pronounce the blessing before you receive the blessing.”
“Silence leaves the territory unclaimed. Silence is not neutral. Silence is surrender.”
“You have to mark the land with your words before you will mark it with your feet.”
Outline
- I. The Power of Pronouncing Before Possessing
- A. Belief alone is not enough; words activate promises.
- B. Your words have power to set things into motion (blessing or lack).
- II. The Biblical Mandate to Pronounce
- A. Moses commanded the Israelites to pronounce a blessing upon entering the Promised Land (Deuteronomy 11:29).
- B. The promise is an invitation, an offer, requiring agreement through words.
- III. The Consequence of Not Pronouncing
- A. The first generation of Israelites failed to enter the Promised Land due to negative words, not giants.
- B. Negative pronouncements cancel promises and keep us from our blessings.
- IV. The Act of Marking Territory with Words
- A. Like ancient kings, we declare ownership before full possession.
- B. Our words establish dominion, set boundaries, and announce to the enemy.
- C. Speaking God's promises is like putting a "stake in the ground."
- V. Examples of Pronouncing the Blessing
- A. Pronounce healing, abundance, freedom, healthy families, sound mind.
- B. David pronounced victory over Goliath before the physical battle (1 Samuel 17:45).
- C. Evicting "squatters" like depression, shame, addiction, sickness with words.
- VI. The Call to Action
- A. Don't stay silent; silence is surrender.
- B. Speak God's promises in His authority to see giants fall and walls come down.
- C. Victoria and the preacher claimed their building with words.
Scripture references
1 Therefore thou shalt love the Lord thy God, and keep his charge, and his statutes, and his judgments, and his commandments, alway.
2 And know ye this day: for I speak not with your children which have not known, and which have not seen the chastisement of the Lord your God, his greatness, his mighty hand, and his stretched out arm,
49 And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth.
45 Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.
Insights
Words carry a profound power to shape our reality.
Claiming a divine promise begins with speaking it aloud.
Silence often yields ground to the very things we resist.
Questions & answers
What is the main message of the sermon "Pronounce Before You Possess"?
The sermon's main message is that while believing God's promises is important, actively speaking them aloud is what activates them. It emphasizes using words to declare God's truth over one's life to claim what God has already offered.
How did the Israelites fail to possess the Promised Land according to this sermon?
The sermon explains that the first generation of Israelites, despite God's promise, failed to enter the land because they focused on the "giants" and spoke words of defeat ("We don't have a chance"), rather than pronouncing the blessing God had given them.
What does the sermon mean by "marking territory" with words?
"Marking territory" refers to verbally declaring God's promises to establish ownership and dominion over areas of one's life. It's like a king proclaiming his land or planting a flag, signaling to both supporters and opposition that the territory belongs to you.
What role do "giants" play in this sermon's message?
"Giants" represent opposition, challenges, or problems (like sickness, addiction, depression) that may inhabit areas God has promised you. The sermon teaches that these "squatters" remain if you stay silent, and they are evicted by speaking God's promises and exercising authority.
What biblical example is used to illustrate pronouncing victory before possession?
The sermon uses David's confrontation with Goliath. David declared he would defeat Goliath before the actual battle (1 Samuel 17:45), illustrating the principle of pronouncing the victory before possessing it physically.
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