Faith Is The Victory WED 6-5-96

Tonight, would you turn to 1 Kings chapter 18 and Joshua chapter 2?

1 Kings 18 · chapter mention Joshua 2 · chapter mention

1 Kings chapter 18 and Joshua chapter 2.

1 Kings 18 · chapter mention Joshua 2 · chapter mention

I want to introduce something now quickly to you and show you a couple scriptures.

I want to give you an illustration tonight.

Sometimes visually, it clicks in my mind.

And it may seem a little silly the way I illustrate something, but if as long as it clicks in your mind, I don't care if you think it's silly as long as you get it, amen?

1 Kings chapter 18.

1 Kings 18 · chapter mention

Let's encourage everybody in out there.

Good to have you in church tonight.

Help them to scurry on in from the uh four-year out there, if you would.

1 Kings chapter 18.

1 Kings 18 · chapter mention

Glad you're in church tonight.

Glad your children are in church tonight.

It's a good place to keep them.

Better in the shopping malls on Wednesday night, amen?

1 Kings chapter 18.

1 Kings 18 · chapter mention

Good, good, good.

Come on in.

Plenty of room.

Plenty of places.

1 Kings 18.

We'll let everybody get settled just for a moment.

And I wanted to say thank you.

On Sunday afternoon, I drove up to Santa Maria and got there in time.

We had a really good service that night.

I was uh I was thrilled for graduation.

You sometimes don't know how it's going to go, and it just went extremely well.

It just uh one of those bullseye type of situations.

And then uh I just appreciate uh one of the blessings too is on Monday to come back through LA and make it through and be back on this side of the world.

Amen.

I don't know about you, but there's something about there's something about being on the other side of LA that I feel out of place because I know I still have to go through there to get back home again.

Do you know what I'm talking about?

And it's just nice when you get to about Tuston and uh and down there into San Clemente and you say, okay, all right, feel like I'm back to the safety again.

Amen.

I don't know.

I don't maybe you don't feel that way, but I I certainly do.

Something about I feel like I'm in Moab when I go too far north, amen.

Amen.

Now when you're back down south, they think everything out here is Moab, and so I just go along with it.

Amen.

Might as well laugh with them.

They're laughing at you anyways.

1 Kings chapter 18.

1 Kings 18 · chapter mention

Look at verse 1.

Now we're getting everybody in, guys.

When everybody to get in, we seem to still have some people that need to be seated or anything like that.

It's an important message.

I want everybody to hear it, okay?

So please come on in.

1 Kings chapter 18.

1 Kings 18 · chapter mention

And it came to pass after many days that the word of the Lord came to Elijah in the third year, saying, Go, show thyself unto Ahab, and I will send rain upon the earth.

Now, if you know what's going on, there's a great famine going on in the land, because there's not rain, if you would, and rain and famine made it a very difficult and a troubled situation.

Look, if you would, uh, this is where he goes into the prophets of Baal, and we won't go into that all together.

Look at verse 41 now, right at the end of chapter 18, verse 41, please.

Verse 41.

And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink.

For there is a sound of what?

Abundance of rain.

Now, listen, he didn't, he didn't see that per se with his eyes, but by faith, evidently, Elijah told Ahab, Hey, listen, there's a sound.

Look at verse 42.

So Ahab went up to eat and to drink, and Elijah went up to the top of Carmel, and he cast himself down upon the earth and put his face between his knees.

Please look up here.

This is what Elijah the prophet, who had just won the great battle, he goes up on Mount Carmel and he does one of these numbers.

He puts his face where?

Between his knees.

He's down like this, amen.

And he's and he's talking to the Lord and he's praying.

Now you know what that is?

Humility.

Nothing wrong with walking and praying, nothing wrong with skipping and praying, nothing wrong with running and praying.

Every once in a while, it's just good to get down and put your face down, amen.

And verse 43.

And said to his servant, Go up now, look towards the sea.

And he went up, that's his servant, and looked.

And said, Would you say the next three words?

There is nothing.

That's encouraging.

Did you ever do that?

Get down on your knees.

Oh God.

Where's the rain?

Oh God, send the rain.

Go out and look.

Oh God, send the rain.

What'd you see?

Nothing.

Oh God, send the rain.

Amen.

Now look what he says.

And he said, go again how many times?

Seven times.

So here's the way I picture this thing.

Oh God, send the rain.

What'd you see?

Nothing.

Oh God, send the rain.

What'd you see?

Nothing again.

Oh God, send the rain.

What'd you see?

Nothing.

Oh God, send the rain.

What'd you see?

Oh God, send the rain.

You getting the picture?

Sometimes what we see in our prayer is nothing.

But he keeps on going.

And about the seventh time, verse 44.

And it came to pass at the seventh time that he said, Behold, there riseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand.

And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, peradventure, or prepare thy chariot, and get thee down that the rain stop thee not.

Let me ask you, has it rained yet?

Elijah knows it's coming.

And it came to pass in the meanwhile that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a what?

Great rain.

I'm not going to talk to you so much tonight about when the great rain comes.

What I want to talk to you about is when you're down praying and you look up and there's nothing.

Now, everybody in here has things that you're hoping for that's important.

Come on, yes or no?

If you're a Christian doing something for God, you're hoping for something tonight that's important.

Now, others are hoping for something that's very important.

Still others are hoping for something that's extremely important.

But everybody's hoping for something important, is that right?

If you don't have a prayer life, then I don't know about you, but I got somebody says, I don't know what to pray about, and I don't know what to pray for.

Man, I got things I'm hoping for, don't you?

It may be just in the important stage, it may be in the very important stage, or it may be passed to the extremely important stage.

Just depends on where you're at with the whole thing.

Look at Joshua chapter 2.

Joshua 2 · chapter mention

Joshua chapter 2.

Joshua 2 · chapter mention

Same type of principle here.

Look, if you would in Joshua chapter 2.

Joshua 2 · chapter mention

And notice this is where the spies come, and they're with uh Rahab there temporarily.

And they say to her, look if you would, uh, verse 12, now therefore I pray you swear unto me by the Lord.

Joshua 2, 12.

Uh, since I have showed you kindness, that you will also show kindness unto my father's house and give me a true token.

This is Rahab speaking, saying, I know you're coming, I know you're going to destroy us, but but give us a promise.

So uh they say, verse 14, the man answers here, our lives for yours, if ye utter not this our business.

They go on to tell her to say, Here, here's this, a little scarlet thread, if you would, uh, verse 21, and bind it in the window.

Now, so she immediately puts that little scarlet line in the window.

Look at Joshua chapter 6.

Joshua 6 · chapter mention

And picture this with me.

You're in Rahab's house, you're one of her family members, and there's this little scarlet line going out the window.

And all you know is there's a promise made that when this war comes, as long as that scarlet line's in the window and you're in that home, you're safe.

Is that right?

So here's what happened.

Verse 12, and Joshua rose up early in the morning, and the priest took up the ark of the Lord.

Seven priests bearing seven trumpets of ram's horns before the ark of the Lord went on continually and blew with the trumpets, and the armed man went before them, but the real reward came after the ark of the Lord.

The priest going on, blowing.

Verse, uh, they did that on the first day.

Now please look up here.

You're in Rahab's house, which is on the wall, by the way.

The scarlet line is let out, and all you see is them marching around once, and they leave.

Next day, they come again.

They march around.

How many times?

One time, and they leave.

Well, I hope they don't forget us.

I hope they see that line.

I hope the word got out.

Third day, they march around again and they leave.

Man, do you think they forgot us?

It's been three days they've been doing this thing.

When are they gonna come, Ray Harp?

How are they gonna protect us?

I don't know, they just gave us their word that they would.

Fourth day, walk around and leave.

Are you sure that's gonna work, Ray Ham?

What day am I on?

Fifth day?

They come, march around, and they leave.

Are you getting the picture?

Boy.

What'd you see?

Nothing.

What day am I on?

Sixth day.

They march around and they leave.

Last day.

Here they come.

They march around.

How many times?

They march around, they march around, and they you just gotta in here they come.

This is it.

Man, they're gonna come out.

When they're gonna come, Rahab, what's what's going on?

Do you know what I'm talking about?

I mean, this is not just important anymore, very important.

This is extremely important now.

And all of a sudden, the trumpets blow and they shout, and the walls come down, and here they come.

I'll guarantee you, when those soldiers finally burst in and said, We're here to protect you, it was joyous.

You know what's tough?

The weight.

You know what's tough when you're down on your knees?

Well, you see, nothing.

Okay, gotta keep going.

Well, you see, nothing.

The wait is sometimes the hardest.

Now you got there's all kinds of things represented here tonight that you're waiting on.

And I'm waiting on.

You say I'm not waiting on nothing, then what do you do with your Christianity?

You've got to be waiting on something.

If nothing else, you're waiting to see salvation is real.

Amen.

So the idea here is I'm gonna tell you that they were in there waiting.

And sometimes the wait's a little bit tough.

Look at Daniel 10 and Joshua 14.

Stay with me.

Daniel 10 and Joshua 14.

We okay tonight?

Daniel chapter 10 and Joshua 14.

Daniel 10 · chapter mention

You see, it's not the answer to prayer sometimes, it's that wait.

Daniel chapter 10, look at this real quick.

Daniel 10 · chapter mention

It says uh verse 2.

In those days, Daniel 10, verse 2.

Daniel 10:2

In those days I, Daniel, was mourning uh three full weeks.

I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all till three whole weeks were what?

Fulfilled.

Uh twenty-one days he was fasting and praying.

Now look if you would again, and uh notice if you would, uh, verse uh twelve.

This uh angelic being shows up and comes to Daniel and says this.

Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to what?

Understand and to chasten thyself, that's the fast before thy God.

Thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words.

Now you know what?

All he had to wait was 21 days.

You say that's not long.

That's a long time when you're fasting.

Amen.

You know, he was waiting and waiting and waiting, and he waited 21 days, and God came with the answer, if you would, and answered his prayer.

But look if you would at Joshua, Joshua chapter 14.

Joshua 14 · chapter mention

You know this guy.

He waited a little bit longer.

Sometimes the wait's not so long, but the trial is great.

Sometimes the wait is longer.

You remember Caleb?

Talk to me.

Remember Caleb?

Uh he waited a while.

You talk about somebody says the patience of Job.

How about the patience of Caleb?

Now look what it happens here.

He says, uh, verse 7, 40 years old was I when Moses, the servant of the Lord, sent me from Cadesh Barnea to spy out the land, and I brought him word again, it was in mine heart.

Then he goes on to say, uh, verse uh 11, and yet I am strong this day, as I was in the day that Moses sent me, how long he's been waiting, verse 10.

And now behold, the Lord hath kept me alive, as he had said, these how long?

Forty and five years.

Forty-five years is a pretty long time to wait for a mountain, amen.

But that's how long he waited.

Brother, one of the things that we have to do as Christians is certainly to understand that sometimes God's acts quickly and sometimes he doesn't.

That doesn't mean he's not hearing it, it doesn't mean it's not important to him.

Now, look at Romans real quick, and let me get into the message.

Do you get the picture of the problem?

Sometimes waiting and seeing nothing, and waiting and hearing nothing, and waiting and wondering.

Look at Romans chapter 8.

Romans 8 · chapter mention

And I'll illustrate something in just a moment, because we're all probably waiting on something.

And you say, Well, I'm not waiting on anything.

Well, you will be by tomorrow.

Romans chapter 8.

Romans 8 · chapter mention

Now look at verse 18.

Because it's not just we that are waiting, verse 18.

For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time, of Romans chapter 8, verse 18, are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

Romans 8:18

For the earnest expectation of the what?

Creature.

What's the creature?

Waiteth for the manifestations of the sons of God.

For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willing, but but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in what?

Hope.

Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of what?

Corruption.

Unto the glorious liberty of the children of God.

What's the creature?

What's groaning and travailing is and under the bondage of corruption, or if you would, a curse?

For we know that the whole creation, verse 22, groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.

And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the first fruits of the Spirit.

Even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting.

Did you see that word waiting a few times?

Waiting, verse 19, uh, the same uh verse 20 in hope.

And then they're waiting again, if you would, in verse uh 23.

Even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, the wit, the redemption of our bodies.

Verse 24.

For we are saved by what?

Say it.

Hope.

But hope that is seen is not hope.

Hey, would you agree with this?

Then faith and hope are sisters.

Because faith is the substance of things what?

The evidence of things not seen.

So faith and hope are sisters.

Because if we see it, then it's not hope anymore.

Then it's reality, then it's sight.

Look, if you get in verse 24, stay with me.

For we are saved by hope.

But hope that is seen is not hope.

For what a man seeth, why doth he yet do what?

Hope for?

And sometimes God makes us wait with hope.

For we if we hope for that we see not, then do we with what?

Say it.

Patience, what?

Wait for it.

What are we waiting for?

That which we're hoping for.

Okay?

Illustration.

Elijah was hoping for rain.

He said there's a sound of an abundance of rain, but there was no clouds in the sky.

But he's hoping for something not yet seen.

Is that right?

And he waited for it.

Rahab put the scarlet thread and had all those relatives, if you would, there, and she was waiting with hope to be delivered.

Yes or no?

And we as Christians are waiting with hope for salvation.

But we're waiting for things right now, too, in our lives, aren't we?

You waiting for something tonight?

Let me illustrate something to you.

It's going to be just maybe a little bit silly, but if you follow with me just for a moment, and would you do this?

Would you pick up uh Romans chapter 5 and Colossians chapter 1?

Romans 5 · chapter mention Colossians 1 · chapter mention

And I just want to give you something, if you would, tonight, just a little visual.

Because the combination of faith and hope and patience and waiting, it seems like it kind of all fits uh hand in hand, if you would.

Uh let's see.

Um what I want to do here.

Brother Mike, why don't you come?

Brother Roy, why don't you come?

And I want to introduce you to two tonight.

Come right over here, guys.

Yeah, right here.

Just stand right here.

And just face each other here.

Brother Steve, why don't you come up real quick?

Bring your Bible, just stand right back here.

I want to introduce you and I want you to listen to me.

Tonight, for representation, I want you to meet hope.

Now, hope and faith go hand in hand.

Uh faith without what is dead?

Works.

Faith without works, faith without actions upon that faith is dead.

Is that right?

I want you to meet tonight, just for a minute, actions.

Because what happens in God's plan, he tries to put hope and actions together.

Is that right?

He wants to marry our faith, if you would, our hope, with our ability to act on that.

That's what keeps us going soul-winning.

We hope that the gospel is true.

We believe that the gospel is true, and our actions is that we go out and give it out.

Is that right?

Yes or no?

Why are you in church tonight?

Because your hope and your faith is strong enough to bring you here.

So listen to me.

What happens is God tries to marry in our hearts and our minds and our lives when we mature, hope and actions.

And he marries it, if you would, and I'll just use his representation tonight with uh God's word.

So what you're looking at tonight is this.

Put your hand right, uh, hold your Bible.

Just put your hand right on his shoulder.

That's okay.

They won't buy.

What God is trying to do through his word tonight is marry hope and actions upon that hope.

Faith without works is dead, not only being hearers of the word, but what?

Say it.

Doers.

And that's what God's trying to marry.

Now, there's something that kind of protects this, if you would, in my eyes.

Uh, guys, let's see, I need about five of you to come up here.

Quickly.

That's enough.

There.

Right there.

There's four, one more.

Right.

Just come right over here.

And I want you to kind of form, if you would, uh a little barrier here, right there, brother, and right here.

And you stand on this step, and you stand right there, right there, right there, and spread it out just a little bit.

Uh you stand on this next step up, one step up, you stand one step up, and you stand two steps up.

There we go.

We're getting it.

You stand one step up, you stand two steps up.

Now you stand three.

I'm just kidding, all right?

Now I want you guys uh, and now I know it's California, but it's okay.

Join hands just for a moment, you guys.

Don't see the coat.

Now spread yourself out a little bit.

Now I want you to sway and sing kumbaya.

No, I'm just kidding.

Come on, stay away.

All right.

Now listen to me.

What we're seeing here is this, and I just want to visualize this.

What's being protected here, if you would, is a barrier, is what say it, hope, and actions upon that hope, being moved by the word of God.

And what you see here is a barrier called patience.

You say, I don't understand.

You see, patience protects hope and actions so they can get together strong enough so they do something.

Is that right?

And patience is what protects it.

But when we're young, our patience is weak.

Would you agree?

Come on.

Our patience is giggle.

Even when we're older than the Lord, sometimes our patience, depending on how big of hope and faith we need to get the job done and what we're hoping for.

Sometimes our patience grows thin.

Come here, you two guys.

And principalities and powers like to use two uh two darts, if you would, to get through.

I'll just use these terms and you can use more.

Uh let's just call him uh fear, and let's call him doubt.

Amen.

And you know what principalities try to do?

They'll put doubt, and behind doubt comes fear.

You know what doubt tries to do and does do?

Let go.

He breaks through, and fear follows.

Just a minute.

It's my illustration.

You come over here.

And you know what fear and doubt try to do?

They try to shake hope and pull him away from actions and the word of God.

Is that right?

And once they can separate our hope from our willingness to act, we're not going to do anything.

Is that right?

We're done.

You know why some people stop coming to the church?

Something shook their hope.

Something shook their faith.

Oh, it may not be fear and doubt, but somewhere that came along.

It could have been, well, someone hurt me or, you know, whatever.

But as long as the principalities and powers can get these two apart from Each other, then this Christian or this family or this ministry or this church won't do anything.

And without faith, it's impossible to please him.

Is that right?

You say, no, what happens when this happens?

Oh, simple.

If they come back to church, the Holy Spirit of God, through the Word of God, goes over and takes faith and doubt and throws them back out again.

I'm sorry, takes hope, uh, takes uh uh who are you?

Doubt and fear and chucks them back out again.

Get rid of them.

And then he comes over and he begins to shore up this patience.

Is that right?

And then he goes over and starts going back to hope and say, now get back together with actions.

Go ahead.

Is that right?

You say, well, then that's it.

Oh no, that's not it.

Because here they come again.

Oh, are we okay?

Come on again, big bruiser.

Let them break through again.

They're back again, amen.

You say, how do they come back?

Well, just stop your devotion.

Just stop your church attendance, just stop acting.

And it seems like they're just right there.

Would you agree?

Go ahead, split them up again.

And here we go with the price again.

And by the way, this is why some Christians just and haven't we all been there?

Yes, sir.

But after we grow for a while, you know what we do?

Go ahead, kick them out again, Bible.

Holy Spirit, get them out again, right?

Get faith back over there where he needs to be or hope and get patience and all that short up.

Now, here's what he does then.

Through the word of God, he makes patience stronger.

You say, how?

Look at Romans 5.

Come on, Romans 5.

Look at verse 3.

What's the first word?

Oh, did I get the wrong scripture?

That's not what I was expecting, amen.

I think I got the right one, but I may be wrong when you said that.

I thought, uh oh, I got the right one.

No, that's the right one.

And not only so, but we glory in what?

Tribulations.

Why do we glory in tribulations?

What's tribulations?

Come on, talk to me.

Trouble.

Trouble.

Pressure, stress.

Why do we glory in tribulations?

Because of this, knowing that tribulation does what?

Works, patience.

What do you mean works patience?

Tribulation strengthens our patience.

Is that right?

Why is God letting this happen?

Because He's strengthening this barrier, if you would, patience.

The more patience we have, the more hope and works get together and stay together.

Does that make sense?

I know this is silly, but it's the way my mind works.

Military, amen?

Amen.

Now, here comes fear and doubt.

You know what?

If you get patience, they don't get in.

Go ahead.

No, no.

They don't get in.

No, go to another spot.

Go to another spot.

Go on, go try again.

Don't let them in.

And don't do anything.

That's the way it works.

Hey, please look up it.

You know what that strengthens our patience.

Strengthens it.

And all of a sudden we say, okay, wow.

Boy, I'm ready to do something now.

Why?

Because patience is the barrier that lets faith and hope work together with the word of God.

Don't you remember when you first got saved, you want to know all the word of God?

You want to have all the faith.

But we didn't have all the patience yet.

We've got to have the patience to protect the faith and the hope.

Are we okay?

Therefore, I would say this impatient people, which we all have been, and all will be at times, makes ourselves vulnerable.

So God has to say, well, let me shore you up.

God, give me more patience.

Well, sure, I'll do that.

And what's going to happen?

Tribulation.

Is that right?

Come on, yes or no?

God's going to allow some things to come to test our patience, which protect us.

Oh, you say, I don't see it that way.

Okay, then you see it the way you see it, but keep going for the Lord.

Waiting takes patience.

Patience is necessary for hope and actions or faith and works or whatever you want to call it to marry up to where there's consistency.

Look at Colossians 1.

Colossians 1.

Stay with me, guys.

You're doing a great job.

Don't leave me yet.

Colossians 1.

Look if you would at verse 23.

Verse 23.

What's the first word?

If.

You know what?

That's a conditional word.

If yes or if no.

If you continue in the faith.

What's the next word?

Grounded and settled.

Now, would you agree with this?

Grounded and settled has to do with this patience thing getting strong.

The court, more grounded and settled we get.

You know, that's why we believe it would be good just to have a Bible.

That you don't have to question whether the words are right.

That's how we get grounded, and that's how we get settled.

Once we get to the place where I wonder if that's really the word of God or not.

Once you decide it is the word of God, I'm not going to mess with it.

Then all we need is a dictionary.

And we look up what the word means, we find out and we get grounded and settled.

And our patience thickens, if you would.

The walls thicken.

And things that used to bother us, eh well, you know, yeah, you know, I had that before, and you know, God's going to take care of it.

I've seen him work before.

I'm confident.

He can do it.

If you continue in the faith, ground is settled, and be not what?

Moved away from the what?

Hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which you was preached to every creature which is under heaven, where I Paul made a minister.

Now I know that deals with you more a salvation type of thing, but may I say this?

We don't want to move away from our hope.

We don't want to move away our hope from the Word of God, because that's what establishes our hope.

Look at James 5.

Stay with me.

James 5.

James 5.

Look, if you would at verse 7.

Verse 7.

Stay with me.

Be what?

No, no, everybody say it.

Be what?

Patient.

One more time.

Be what?

Now please look up here.

Patience is the barrier that protects what's going on, if you would, inside of us and allows for fear and doubt and some of these other things not to break through.

So the word of God can continue to work.

Be patient, therefore, brethren.

Under the coming of the Lord.

Behold the husband, that's a husband is like a farmer, if you would, or uh uh someone who's uh, if you would, uh uh taking care and growing a vineyard, waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth.

I want to make a statement.

One thing God has is time, it's taken away.

God is very patient.

Amen.

I mean, he's not in a hurry.

One thing I've learned about God, sometimes it's not a microwave situation.

Sometimes it's a crock pot.

On low.

Do you know what I'm talking about?

I want him to turn it up and throw it in the microwave.

But you know what I've learned?

You don't get as soft and tender that way.

Sometimes that slow crock pot really does work on us much more effectively and long-lastingly than that zap in the microwave.

Thank you, Scott.

Verse 7.

Behold, the husband waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth and hath long what?

Patience for it.

You know God's waiting for us.

Sometimes, have you ever gone through this thing, and I have?

Okay, if I'm not performing, then God's not going to bless me.

You know what I've learned about God?

He's patient.

He is patient.

He lets me and I mess up and he's patient.

And I mess up and he's patient.

I mess up and he's patient.

And I mess up and he's patient.

You realize that?

Long patience he waits.

Until he received the early and latter lane.

Verse 8.

Be also what?

Patient.

Oh God, give me patience.

Okay, you're praying for trouble.

Then he says this stablish your hearts.

To me, that's what goes on inside of patience.

For the coming of the Lord draweth what?

Nigh.

Okay, guys, you can be seated.

You got this picture?

Look at Psalms 40, please.

Psalms 40.

Thanks, guys.

Psalms 40.

You know it's nice to have ten men in church on a Wednesday night.

I'm not going to say it.

Psalms 40.

Psalms 40.

And one more scripture, Psalms 40, and Proverbs 13.

Psalms 40 and Proverbs 13.

Man, it's good to be able to come together on a Wednesday night and study God's Word.

Not have just some song service.

All good for song service and everything like that, but every time we want to get together, the word's going to be open.

Psalms 40.

Now look at this.

I what?

Waited.

Verse 1.

I waited.

How?

It's one of these numbers.

Whoa God.

Send the rain.

What'd you see?

Whoa, God.

Send the rain.

What'd you see?

Whoa, God.

I'm not going to get frustrated.

I know you can do it.

I'm just waiting patiently on you.

What'd you see?

Whoa, God.

I think I'll just listen today.

What'd you see?

Everything's okay.

Go on back and look again.

Whoa, God.

I know he's gonna see it before long.

I already see it.

And I just want to thank you for what he's gonna see.

What'd you see?

I already knew that.

Whoa, God.

What'd you see?

Little cloud in the shape of a man's hand?

That's God.

I knew it'd come.

Now you know what you gotta be careful of?

Pride.

We gotta be careful of pride when a prayer gets answered.

I knew it'd come.

Oh, did you?

Oh yeah, I knew it.

Well, honey, how'd you know?

Oh, God showed me.

Come on, did you ever have it, guys?

Now I've said to somebody, well, I know it's gonna happen.

I think God looks down and says, I've done that so many times.

After a while, you just say, if the Lord will.

Don't we learn that patiently?

Look if you wait a little bit more.

I waited patiently for the Lord.

He inclined into me and heard my cry.

Now, put a little note in that in your mind.

It might be 21 days or 45 years.

Those are two illustrations in the Bible, right?

21 days or 45 years.

That gives him some leeway, amen.

He brought me up out of an horrible pit, out of miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock.

And look what he did.

And established my what?

My goings.

Goings and doings are kind of the same thing.

And he hath put a new song in my mouth.

Even what?

Praise unto myself.

Even praise unto our God.

See, brother, when we think we got it figured out, sometimes he purposely waits.

So we see that he's God.

Many shall see it and fear and shall trust in the Lord.

Blessed is that man that maketh the Lord his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside the lies.

Many, O Lord, my God, are thy wonderful works, which thou hast done in thy thoughts which are to usward.

They cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee.

If I would declare and speak of them, they are more that than can be numbered.

I'd have to say there was somebody that was just giving God some praise.

Look at Psalm, I'm sorry, look at Proverbs 13.

You know this, but now with this in mind.

Proverbs 13.

Verse 12.

First word?

First word again?

Second word.

What does that mean?

Hope deferred.

They go around once.

What's going on?

What's going on, Rahab?

Hey, all I know, we put the scarlet light in the window.

I don't know what the plan is.

Next day, they go around once.

Hey Rahab, what's going on?

I don't know.

I'm not sure.

Third day, they go around.

Now Rahab's thinking, I wonder what's going on.

Now, maybe it didn't happen that way, but I can picture what's going on in that window on the wall.

They must be looking out there.

And they already know, listen to me, they already know Sion, King of Og, Bashan, they're gone.

They already know that the God drived up the Red Sea.

They know they're coming.

And they know that God's with them.

And the Bible says they're straightly shut up and they're scared.

Fourth day, hope deferred.

It's kind of like bills due.

And hope deferred.

No money.

Fifth day, hope deferred.

What does it do?

Hope deferred maketh the heart what?

Sick.

You say, I don't understand that.

Hang around Christianity.

You will one day.

Oh, I'm just sick inside.

I'm all knotted up and a little worried.

No, I'm a lot worried.

It's hope deferred.

Well, why does God do that?

To increase our hope.

To increase our faith.

To increase our praise.

To let us see that he's God and we're not.

Fast all you want, but you can't back God into a corner.

I'll fast for 30 days until he does it.

You better plan on fasting 60 days.

About the 45th day, you're out of here.

Early rapture.

Because you can't box God into a corner.

Well, I'll fast till he does it.

You're an ignorant person.

I'll fast according to the Lord's will until he gives me peace or until he shows me to stop, and then I'll fast again.

And I'll wait patiently.

Hope deferred.

It makes that heart sick.

Then I'm glad he put this next word in there.

But when the what?

When the desire cometh, what's the desire?

What you're hoping for?

Well, I'm hoping for this.

I'm hoping for this.

And it's important.

And the longer he waits, it moves from important to very important.

And he waits longer, and we intensify our prayers, and now we begin to fast a little bit.

And now it moves from important to very important to extremely important.

Why would God do that?

To increase our desire.

That when it finally comes, it increases our praise.

And we just shout, oh, glory to God.

And it's not just, hey, I want everybody to see me.

Glory to God.

Everybody see me.

Glory to God.

You know what?

It doesn't matter whether anybody sees you or not, you're still glorying to God.

I've had spells before privately.

Nobody saw me and do nothing.

I go to camp meetings sometimes and I just sit there.

A lot of people do a lot of things, you know, and they're doing that and everything.

And sometimes, you know, they'll accuse the congregation.

If you don't get up and shout or something like that, you're not spiritual.

And I'm saying, well, okay, no problem.

And everybody's doing this and everything.

You know what?

Later on that night, sometimes I go back and think on a message and say, Oh, glory to God, that was great.

Oh, that was good.

Thank you, Lord.

Nobody sees me.

Because it's before the Lord.

And I'm not against someone shouting or dancing or singing.

Well, dancing.

David danced.

Mark it down.

But it wasn't Boogaloo.

Amen?

I got nobody to stand up shouting and running or something like that.

It doesn't bother me at all.

As long as they do it before the Lord.

And not for the praise of men.

Hope deferred makes the heart sick.

But when the desire cometh, look what he likens it to.

He likens it to a tree of life.

That's interesting.

Tree of life was in the middle of the garden.

It was uh you ever study the tree of life?

He likens it to the tree of life.

Or a tree of life.

Huh.

Tree of life, uh, tree of life.

Let's see.

Hope defer maketh me sick.

But when it finally comes, it's like a tree of life.

What's a tree of life?

Energy.

Motivation.

I want to do something.

You know how Christians sometimes stagnate?

They're not guarding their hope and actions with the Word of God with patience and seeing how important it is.

Brethren, every day we ought to guard that marriage, if you would.

Faith and works, hope and actions, whatever you want to call it.

And we ought to see that every day the word of God is important, prayer is important.

Every time church is open and available, we ought to come.

Hey, this is a tremendous Wednesday night crowd.

Our children are off somewhere, and the auditorium is full of adults.

You know why?

Because you came to get something.

Now you might walk out of here tonight and say, that wasn't for me, but by Friday it could be.

Especially if he defers your hope.

Oh, I didn't need that.

Didn't need that tonight.

And God says, Well, this defers hope, so he needs it.

That way I make it more real, more genuine.

Well, I don't understand why God used faith that way.

He said to Thomas, you know, you've seen, but blessed be those who having not seen yet what?

Believe.

And we have to do this thing by faith.

And brethren, would you agree with this?

Every once in a while, he proves us.

And he tests us.

You say, why?

Because he doesn't know what's in us?

Please look up here.

He knows exactly what's in us.

We don't know what's in us.

When he defers our hope, it's more for our own self to look at our souls to see that he needs to grow us a little bit rather than saying, well, well, God's proving me to see what's in me.

He already knows what's in me.

He's just trying to show me what's in me.

And usually it produces humility.

And before honor, there must be humility.

Usually the process of hope deferred is a process of humility.

Wouldn't you agree?

Have you been through it?

Have you been through it?

Talk to me.

What did it produce in you?

That too.

You know what produced?

A stronger prayer life.

You know what produced?

Humility.

You know what produced?

A leaning more on God.

You know what it produced?

It's got to be God.

It has to be God.

You know what produced?

Oh God.

Help me to wait patiently.

Help me to realize that right now as I pray, you've inclined your ear into my prayer.

But that doesn't mean you're going to do something about it right away.

But I'm comfortable that you are going to do something about it.

And Lord, this thing is very important to me.

One other thing it does, hope deferred, tests how important it really is.

Come on.

It tests how we think we gotta have it.

We think we need it.

And sometimes, through the process of long patience, we say, you know what?

I don't need that.

I really don't need that.

I thought I did, but I really don't.

And just about the time we walk away, God says, okay, now you can have it.

Because now you don't need it, now you can have it.

Amen?

He just doesn't want it to be so important sometimes in our life to where it has the opportunity to become an idol.

Like the brazen serpent that became an idol.

The ephod of Gideon that became an idol.

It started right, but it turned wrong.

So tonight, if you're waiting on something that's important, or very important, or extremely important, and by the way, I am.

You know what makes these messages so genuine?

Because they are genuine.

I'm going through these things too.

Oh, preacher, that message just helped me tonight.

Well, it's helped me.

I've already tested it.

Helped me.

So it helps me, maybe it'll help a couple others.

Where do you get your sermons from?

Oh, I got a sermon book.

52 sermons for the year.

Let's see.

What week is it?

Hey, you know where you get your sermons from?

Practical life.

Studying, reading, experiencing, failing, faltering.

Okay, here.

Well, let me show you what I did now.

And here's what I learned.

Close the curtain again.

Because we all live basically somewhat the same realm.

Oh, a little different status, but we all have to live in a body.

We all have to live with this human mind.

We all have to live under these circumstances.

So a lot of what we go through is somewhat alike, but varied specifics.

Tonight, if you're waiting, you know what my problem is, preacher?

Fear and doubt broke through.

Hope has been separated from actions, and I'm really kind of stagnated.

What do I do?

Let the Word of God and the Holy Spirit of God, through His Word and your willingness to read and study His Word and be in church and be around His Word, push fear and doubt out, shore up patience, and get faith, or if you would, hope and works and actions back together again.

Brethren, that's where the joy is.

Accomplishing something for God.

And know when you lay your head down at night, God used you that day.

Nothing more important than that.

Well, you know what?

God just knows I can't do anymore.

He'll never tempt us above that which we are able.

But with the temptation, provide that what?

Escape.

That we may be able to do what?

Bear.

He knows what we can take.

He knows what we can take.

The old pressure cooker?

Shh.

Just soften us up.

When we say our Father or Lord or God after He softens it up, sometimes, brethren, it begins to bring a tear to our eye.

There are times we can get so hard.

God.

This is Doug.

And uh right now, I'm pastor of a church here that's growing in.

And I want you to know right now, I got a requisition.

I need this and this and this.

Oh yeah, he's going to listen to that.

That's not his ears intending to my cry.

That's I'm demanding, and he's going a little hard there, Doug.

Going through the motions.

Step into my pressure cooker.

Let's get you softened back up again so when you pray, that little tear comes back again.

And you can't fake it, you can't manufacture it, you can't buy it.

It only comes through trials and tribulations.

Tribulation worketh patience.

Patience, experience.

Experience, hope.

And hope maketh not ashamed.

That love of God is spread abroad in our heart through that process.

Let's all stand.

Please don't leave.

Look up here just for a moment.

Please don't leave.

Look right up here.

It wouldn't hurt for some of us in just a moment to say, Lord, I've been kind of complaining a little bit about my trials, but really I see that it's necessary to develop my patience.

So I just want to come and thank you for tribulation.

Sometimes I know I'm supposed to joy in tribulation, but obviously I really don't, but I know it's necessary.

Lord, I need to come and talk to you.

My faith is weakening because of my inactivity in your word.

I need to get back to it again.

Would you remove them, please, in a way that I can't?

And sure back up my patience.

Please allow the Word of God and the Holy Spirit tonight to do that.

Or maybe tonight you know someone.

And a little intercessory prayer.

And by the way, you say, Well, I don't have anything to pray about for myself.

Then think of someone who needs some prayer.

And pray for them that pleases God.