ESC Shabbat Service: Pastor Andrew Gudgeon - Image Bearers

Sep 12, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Anointing Oil on the Dresser and Desperate Authority

A man locks doors, arms alarms, yet hears footsteps ascending. Panic grips his chest like ropes—until a smile breaks through in the mirror. Authority isn’t claimed through strength but through submission to the One who holds all power. The battle shifts when we pick up the tools God places before us: a bottle of oil, a whispered prayer, a command from Scripture. Victory comes not by our might but by yielding to the King’s dominion. [20:17]

“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7, ESV)

Reflection: Where has fear subtly tightened its grip on your life? What tangible step of obedience—prayer, anointing, declaring Scripture—can you take today to resist the enemy’s lies?

Day 2: Crows Scattering at the Fourth Corner

Kneeling on cold soil, a man claims his land for the King. The moment his hand touches the earth, chaos erupts—wings flap, dogs bark, chains snap. Freedom arrives not as a whisper but a collision of obedience and divine response. God’s authority dismantles strongholds when we physically act on His promises, trusting His power to finish what our faith begins. [22:30]

“And at the seventh time, when the priests had blown the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, ‘Shout, for the Lord has given you the city.’” (Joshua 6:16, ESV)

Reflection: What “fourth corner” in your life needs bold, physical declaration of Christ’s ownership? How can you practically “shout” your trust in His victory today?

Day 3: A Book Highlighted in a Field of Worship

Hundreds of books fill a tent, but one title pulses with divine urgency: When God Becomes Real. A desperate man reads it surrounded by singing, tears mixing with truth. God meets us in our unraveling, using ordinary objects as lifelines. Our breakthroughs often hide in the moments we least expect—a page, a lyric, a quiet nudge to turn left instead of right. [14:06]

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Psalm 119:105, ESV)

Reflection: What unexpected “tent” has God placed in your path recently? How might He be using a song, a book, or a conversation to highlight your next step toward freedom?

Day 4: Smiling Back at the Mirror Mid-Shave

A razor hovers as a face in the glass grins with unearthly joy. Panic retreats when we recognize the enemy’s overreach. The lie breaks the moment we name it: “You’ve gone too far.” Our authority flows from seeing ourselves as Christ does—redeemed, sealed, and grinning at the devil’s impotence. [19:26]

“You are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4, ESV)

Reflection: What false narrative about your identity has “gone too far” lately? How can you actively mirror Christ’s victorious smile in that area today?

Day 5: Marching on Jericho’s Rocky Dunes in Dress Shoes

Ancient soldiers trudged through jagged terrain, shofars in hand, long before walls fell. Obedience often feels like blisters forming—unremarkable, painful, seemingly fruitless. Yet each step prepares the ground for God’s “suddenly.” The shofar’s blast matters less than the faith that lifts it to trembling lips. [35:15]

“And he said to them, ‘Go… and say to them, “The kingdom of God has come near to you.”’” (Luke 10:3,9, ESV)

Reflection: What “rocky march” has God assigned you that feels disconnected from victory? How can you obey today as if the walls have already fallen?

Sermon Summary

Yom Teruah brings the community into something tangible, real, and prophetic, where heaven and earth touch as God’s people obey with their feet on the ground. The Feast of Trumpets points ahead to the great trumpet blast when Messiah returns, yet the sound of the shofar also calls God’s people to meet Him now with humility, expectancy, and faith.

A personal testimony of panic, fear, and deep vulnerability gives flesh to the promise that God is able to redeem a story. The enemy’s lies tightened like ropes around the chest, but the presence of the Lord brought a clear word: “You went too far.” God met a desperate heart in a field in Southern England through a book that named the very battle being faced, showing that His care is vast and personal. The blood of Yeshúa proved enough when submission to God and resistance to the devil brought breakthrough, freedom, and the beginning of a different way of living.

James 4:7 places submission before resistance because authority only works under authority. Yeshúa declares that all authority in heaven and earth belongs to Him, and therefore His disciples go, make disciples, and bear His image. Authority does not exist to build an easier life or claim an American dream. Authority is given so that image bearers can serve, obey, testify, and become like their King.

Freedom is not merely freedom from an old story. God makes His people free for something: free to follow Yeshúa, learn His ways, practice His rhythms, and live yoked to Him rather than striving in their own strength. The apprentice sits at the Master’s feet, slows down, meditates on His word, and allows the Spirit to form love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control into a natural response.

Joshua and Israel show what this authority looks like. Israel marched, sounded the shofar, and obeyed the Commander of heaven’s armies, but God brought down the walls. Yom Teruah becomes a rehearsal for Messiah’s return and a call to “wake up, O sleeper.” The shofar summons an awake bride, lamps filled with oil, hearts submitted to God, and a people ready for Him to demolish walls and author a new story.

Key Takeaways

1. God can author a new story. God does not leave His children trapped in the chapters written by fear, trauma, pain, or the author of lies. His deliverance may begin in one decisive moment, but His healing also brings a new journey of abiding, humility, and formation. His faithfulness remains the same even though each person’s journey toward freedom looks different. [87:13]
2. Submission comes before spiritual authority. James 4:7 does not begin with resisting the devil, but with submitting to God. Authority is not self-generated confidence or spiritual performance; it flows from life under the authority of Yeshúa. Humility keeps authority from becoming self-serving and roots it in the character of the King. [88:23]
3. Freedom is always freedom for Yeshúa. God does not simply remove the old bondage and then leave His people to figure life out alone. Freedom opens the way to follow the Master, learn His ways, and become formed into His image. The new story carries a purpose: bearing His name through a life that increasingly looks like Him. [99:54]
4. Obedience leaves God room to move. Israel did not manufacture Jericho’s collapse, and God’s people do not manufacture victory through effort. Their responsibility was to march, sound the shofar, and obey the voice of the Lord. God remains the One who does what only God can do. [94:47]
5. The shofar calls sleeping hearts awake. The Feast of Trumpets rehearses the day Messiah returns, but its sound also presses into the present moment. Messiah calls those dead in sin and those drifting into lukewarmness to wake up, rise, and receive His light. An awake bride lives with expectancy, oil in her lamp, and her eyes fixed on Yeshúa.

## [91:49]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[66:55] - Shabbat Shalom and the Feast of the Lord
[67:44] - Giving to the Hatikva Hope Project
[69:41] - Pressed but Not Crushed
[70:52] - The Battle With Panic Attacks
[73:19] - God Becomes Real in England
[78:25] - Taking Authority in the Home
[83:29] - Submission, Resistance, and Healing
[86:39] - Do You Want a New Story?
[89:26] - Authority Belongs to Yeshúa
[91:49] - Wake Up, O Sleeper
[94:02] - Jericho and Obedient Authority
[96:11] - Yom Teruah and the Sounding of the Shofar
[99:54] - Free From and Free For
[102:47] - Prayer and Shofar Response

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

James 4:7 — “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” [01:23:29]

Ephesians 5:14 — “For anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, ‘Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.’” [01:32:12]

Matthew 28:18-19 — “And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,’” [01:29:46]

Joshua 6:1-20 — “Now Jericho was shut up inside and outside because of the people of Israel. None went out, and none came in. And the Lord said to Joshua, ‘See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and mighty men of valor. You shall march around the city, all the men of war going around the city once. Thus you shall do for six days. Seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. On the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. And when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, when you hear the sound of the trumpet, then all the people shall shout with a great shout, and the wall of the city will fall down flat, and the people shall go up, everyone straight before him.’” [01:34:47]

Leviticus 23:23-25 — “And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to the people of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe a day of solemn rest, a memorial proclaimed with blast of trumpets, a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work, and you shall present a food offering to the Lord.’” [01:36:21]

Observation questions

In James 4:7, what comes before resisting the devil, and what result is promised when believers resist him? [01:28:47]
What does Ephesians 5:14 call a sleeper to do, and what does it promise Messiah will do?
According to Matthew 28:18-19, where does all authority belong, and what mission flows from that authority? [01:30:06]
In the account of Jericho, what were Israel’s responsibilities, and what was God’s responsibility? [01:34:47]

Interpretation questions

Why does James place submission to God before resistance to the devil? How does humility protect a believer from using spiritual authority for selfish purposes? [01:29:02]
Ephesians calls both those dead in sin and those who have become spiritually sleepy to wake up. What might spiritual sleep or lukewarmness look like in the ordinary life of a believer? [01:32:46]
Since Yeshúa says that all authority belongs to Him, how should this shape the way believers think about authority, freedom, and success? [01:30:34]
Israel had to obey difficult instructions at Jericho, but they could not make the walls fall. What does this show about the difference between faithful obedience and trying to manufacture God’s power? [01:35:49]

Application questions

Is there an area of life where fear, shame, pain, family history, or past trauma has seemed to be writing the story? What would it look like to bring that part of the story honestly before God and ask Him to author something new? [01:27:22]
Submission to God may include slowing down, resting, receiving prayer, seeking wise counsel, forgiving others, or changing unhealthy rhythms. Which of these might God be inviting you to take seriously in this season? [01:23:46]
Are there lies that return in moments of anxiety, temptation, discouragement, or isolation? How can you recognize that a thought does not agree with God’s character, God’s Word, or who He created you to be? [01:17:20]
Freedom in Messiah is not only freedom from something; it is freedom for following Him. What is one specific practice—such as meditation on Scripture, Sabbath rest, prayer, fellowship, or serving—that could help you live more closely yoked to Yeshúa this week? [01:40:10]
An apprentice learns the ways of the Master until the Master’s character becomes a more natural response. In what kind of situation do you most want love, peace, patience, gentleness, faithfulness, or self-control to become your natural response? [01:41:44]
What “wall” feels too large for your own strength right now? What is one clear act of obedience God may be asking of you while you trust Him to do what only He can do? [01:36:01]
The shofar is a call to be awake, alert, and ready for Messiah’s return. What could help you keep “oil in your lamp”—a steady, living relationship with God—rather than drifting into spiritual passivity? [01:32:46]

Sermon Clips

52s

#FollowHisRhythms

“If we're going to bear his image, then we don't just bear his name. We learn his ways. We practice his ways. We live in rhythms of the spirit and of the word. We order our lives around his word, his rhythms, his commands, and his presence. The Lord isn't simply saying to us, you're free, now go figure it out. He says, you're free, follow me. He leads, we follow. And as we follow him, we begin to become more like him. We begin to live differently. We begin to practice the ways of our king. We begin to look more like him and respond like him. And then the byproduct is we exude the fruit of the Holy Spirit like him.”

54s

#YourNewStory

“as I'm sharing this story and part of my testimony, if you're having thoughts like, Andrew, I'm really happy for you. That's really great. Or, I wish it would happen for me. Or, I wish I could be confident that the Lord actually spoke to me. Then I want you to know you're exactly who the Lord's looking for this morning. He is with you, he loves you, and he's for you. The question I feel like the Lord has for us today is, do you want a new story? Do you want a new story? Do you feel like parts of your story are being written by things that have happened to you? Trauma in your past, pain in your family of origin? Do you feel like you're just along for the ride in a story that's going to end in tragedy? The Lord wants to meet us today. This is for you.”

46s

#ShofarAwakening

“One day soon, it will be the final trumpet blast as our king returns with fire in his eyes and a sword in his hand. We cannot forget that the days are short. That is a reality. It's time to wake up sleepers. This morning we sound the shofar to remember the command of our leader, our God and king. We sound the shofar to obey his word and his standing order. We sound the shofar knowing he's calling for a bride who is awake and alert in these days. And I'm also believing that this morning at the sounding of the shofar, the Holy Spirit is going to awaken us to a deeper level.”

42s

#AuthorityFromYeshua

“That word therefore is very important in this verse. Yeshu is not merely announcing that he has authority, though that is absolutely true. He's saying, because I have a for... Authority, therefore, go and make disciples. So first and foremost, the authority belongs to Yahshua. Our authority comes from his authority and not our own efforts. The authority we walk in is under his authority, subject to his authority from our relationship with a kind and gracious Lord and our commission from him to go.”

41s

#TestifyHisWork

“And I love that this verse is just such a picture of our relationship with our king. The blood of the lamb, that's his part. It's already been done. It's already been done by Yahshua's sacrifice on the cross. His covenant, his covering for us the remission of sin, that's his part. Our testimony, that's our part in relationship with him. That's our part saying, look what God has done for me. Look what God has done for you. It's for us to testify to the power and might of our God in the midst of a dying world.”

47s

#MarchWithAuthority

“But what I would share with you is that that ground is not easy. It is like, the only way I can describe it is like rocky dunes that are just up and down and up and down. And I was thinking about that. Just the act of marching to Jericho, I'm sure, was not an easy thing. If you've ever tried to jog or walk on soft sand on the beach, it is not easy. I'm thinking about them with armor and the Ark of the Covenant. We heard how heavy that was. It was not easy even to do that task, and yet they did it. They marched, they sounded the shofar and shouted, and then the Lord did what only the Lord could do. This is what authority looks like.”

30s

#ObedientExpectancy

“What if he wants to demolish some walls in Frederick City and he's asking to partner with us to be obedient and expectant that at the sound of the shofar something's going to happen. Not because we're so amazing at sounding a shofar, because we're submitting an obedience to his authority and he is the one who moves. He is the one who does what only God can do.”

43s

#FormedInMessiah

“I don't know about you, but that's the hunger that I have. It's such a deep level that my natural response in any given situation would be like Yeshúa. Hear that. Not not saying internally, oh, I wanna do this, but Yeshúa would do this, so I'm gonna choose something different. But that our very beings, who we are, is becoming more and more formed to the image of Messiah, that our natural response would be exuding the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, self control. This is what the Lord is desiring for us.”

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