Sermon
While I’m Waiting | Pastor Jesse Jernigan | 3.15.26 (Sermon)
Publisher transcript
Transcript
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I feel like preaching a little bit this
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morning. Anybody ready to receive the
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word of the Lord?
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Amen. I want you to take your Bibles and
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just go ahead and saddle up and go to
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the book of Daniel with me.
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The book of Daniel and I this is not
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going to be a prophecy message although
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that would probably be applicable to the
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situations that are going on around the
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world right now and the chaos and the
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confusion and the wars and rumors of
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wars but the Lord has not released me to
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do that this morning. All I can say if
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you're looking for that here's what
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here's your instructions. Look up cuz
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your redemption draws nigh. Amen. Jesus
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is coming soon. I still believe that. I
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come on I still hold firm to that but I
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believe at some point he's going to
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release me to preach on that but I want
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to speak directly to the heart this
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morning. So if you've got that I want
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you to grab your Bible Daniel chapter 3
Daniel 3 chapter mention
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and when you get it stand to your feet
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for the reading of God's word. We're
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going to read about five or six verses
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together and ask for the blessings of
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God to be on this moment but again I
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want you to know that this whole entire
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morning it has felt like confirmation to
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my heart on what the Lord is going to
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speak in this situation. So it's a
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unique scripture and a unique message
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and a unique revelation the Lord showed
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me as we were traveling this past week
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but Daniel chapter number 3 start with
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verse number 1
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if you will and when you get there say I
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got it.
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All right if you hadn't got it by now
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you a slow turner. Can I get a amen?
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We're going to we're going to do some
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Bible quiz in a little bit.
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Nebuchadnezzar the king made a gold made
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an image of gold whose height was 60
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cubits and its width six cubits and he
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set it in the plain of Dura in the
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province of Babylon. Now skip down to
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verse number 4. The Bible says then a
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herald cried aloud to you it is
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commanded oh peoples nations languages
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that at the time you hear the sound of
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the horn flute harp lyre psaltery and
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symphony with all kinds of music you
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shall fall down and worship the gold
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image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set
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up and whoever does not fall down and
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worship shall be cast immediately into
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the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
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Now let's skip down to verse number 17
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and this is where we're going to preach
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from today. He said that Shadrach
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Meshach and Abednego looked at him and
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if you don't know the story you can go
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back and read it is quite a beautiful
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story of the grace of God. I will I'll
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run through it in just a moment but he
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said this if this is the case talking
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about if we're going to go to the fiery
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furnace for not bowing down our God whom
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we serve is able to deliver us from the
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burning fiery furnace.
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And watch this and he will deliver us
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not just from the fiery furnace but from
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your hand oh king.
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But I love what verse number 18 says
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because this is a complexity to our
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faith
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but if not
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WE WANT TO PREACH ABOUT OH GOD DELIVER
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US BUT NOBODY WANTS TO PREACH about if
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you don't.
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If my God doesn't let it be known to you
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oh king.
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I'm tearing up cuz I feel the power of
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God in this
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that we do not serve your gods
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nor will we worship the gold image which
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you have set up.
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I feel the word of the Lord over this
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house today
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and the word for you and the word for me
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and the word for this house and those
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that are watching by live stream now
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is this while you're waiting
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God is working.
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Look at your neighbor and tell them
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while I'm waiting
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oh you you doing like y'all that's
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Presbyterian style. Y'all going to have
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to help me out. We're going to have to
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shift to the organ in just a moment.
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Look at him and say while I'm waiting
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God is working.
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Father thank you for your word. Help me
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now in Jesus name I pray and everybody
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says amen and amen. You may be seated in
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the presence of the Lord this morning.
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While you're waiting God is
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working.
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Let's take a dive and go to work this
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morning into one of the most intense
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moments
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throughout all of history and all of
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scripture as we have recorded. You see
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here these three young men stand as
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servants of Daniel and servants of the
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king. These three young men stand in the
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shadow of a king's command across the
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nation that
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that looks like it's an impossibility to
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escape and probably everyone else out of
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fear for the king said oh if you're
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going to throw me in a furnace for not
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bowing down I
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happily bow down to this golden image
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but you see the names of these three
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wonderful young great men Shadrach
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Meshach and Abednego and you see the
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story progress and if you don't know
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this I'm going to give you a quick
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overview of the story. The king issued a
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decree amongst all the nations and all
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the people that at the sound of the
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music that came whenever they saw the
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golden image and they heard the sound of
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the music every person in the kingdom
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was required to bow down before a golden
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image or a false god that could not
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deliver them. And I want you to KNOW OUT
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OF EVERYBODY IN THE ENTIRE NATIONS
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people and tongue that were there only
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three men refused to bow down.
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Can I tell you that even IF YOU'RE THE
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ONLY PERSON THAT SAYS NO TO THE ENEMY?
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You better say no to the enemy.
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Come on somebody. Culture will demand
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for you to do certain things and culture
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will demand for you to bow down but I'm
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going to tell YOU THIS OUR GOD PAYS THE
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ULTIMATE price for us and if there's
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anybody that's deserving of our worship
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it is my king JESUS CHRIST. IT IS NOT
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THE WAYS of the world it's not the come
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on it's not the humanistic worship OF
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THIS WORLD BUT IT IS THE KING OF KINGS
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AND THE LORD of lords. His name is
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Jesus. Is anybody got a made up mind on
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this Sunday morning to say I WILL NOT
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BOW DOWN TO THE GODS OF THIS WORLD BUT I
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WILL ONLY BOW DOWN to one and his name
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is Jesus Christ. These three men were
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the only ones that refused to bow down
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BUT THE FACT IS THEY REFUSED TO BOW DOWN
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EVEN THOUGH THEY knew the consequence
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would be a furnace waiting on them on
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the other side. Many of us were good
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with serving God as long as there's no
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pushback. We're we're good with serving
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God in our western culture culture as
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long as it's the God of blessing AND NOT
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THE GOD of trials and fiery trials.
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We're good WITH IT AS LONG AS EVERY IF
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AS LONG AS I CAN FLOAT ON A CLOUD AND
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WEAR MY LITTLE
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my little angel diaper and I can go
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around and pick my heart then
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everything's good and well I'll serve
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God BUT WHEN THINGS START GOING WRONG WE
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AUTOMATICALLY LIKE TO TURN around and
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say God this has got to be your fault
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but can I TELL YOU SOMETIMES WE HAVE to
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go through pressures of life and
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sometimes we have to go through trials
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and and things that don't MAKE SENSE BUT
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THAT DOES NOT CHANGE HOW good our God
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is. NO MATTER WHAT WE FACE AND NO MATTER
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WHAT WE GO THROUGH OUR GOD IS STILL GOOD
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and can somebody give God a little
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praise if you know THAT HE IS STILL GOOD
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IN SPITE OF WHAT YOU'VE HAD TO FACE.
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THE KING WHEN HE received report of
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these three young men not bowing down
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can I tell you he became furious the
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scripture said and began to be angered
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DEEP WITHIN AND NOT ONLY did he have in
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his mind that I'm going to throw these
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three Hebrew boys into the fire which by
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the way the real name was not Shadrach
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Meshach and Abednego. If you go back
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their name got changed by the culture
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that was around them and you I don't
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have time to get there but you can read
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that but the king was so angry THAT HE
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NOT ONLY DECIDED TO THROW them in the
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fiery furnace but he gave instructions
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to the people who were tending the
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furnace AND SAID DON'T LEAVE IT THE SAME
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way it is but HEAT IT UP SEVEN TIMES
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HOTTER. Look at your neighbor and say
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SEVEN TIMES HOTTER.
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SEVEN TIMES HOTTER THAN NORMAL. CAN I
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TELL YOU WHEN YOU SEE THE NUMBER seven
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in the word of God and I want you to
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know just a few sentences later somebody
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more powerful than the enemy is about to
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show up. Come on anybody thankful there
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right now that even though the enemy
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throwing SHADE IN MY LIFE EVEN THOUGH IT
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MAY FEEL CRAZY I GOT THE NUMBER SEVEN ON
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IT AND THAT GOD IS ABOUT TO SHOW UP IN
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THE MIDST OF MY SITUATION. The Bible
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says that the flames were so intense
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that the soldiers who threw these three
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Hebrew boys in were killed immediately
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burned up by the fire and the heat WAS
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THERE AND YET BEFORE THEY WERE THROWN IN
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THE FIRE I WANT YOU TO SEE THE THE
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BEAUTIFUL PART OF WHAT HAPPENED. THEY
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MADE ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL
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DECLARATIONS OF faith that the entire
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Bible records facing a situation of
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certain death. They looked at the king
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in Daniel 3:17 AND SAID OUR GOD WHOM WE
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SERVE IS ABLE TO DELIVER us from THE
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BURNING FIERY FURNACE AND HE WILL
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DELIVER US FROM YOUR hand oh king. I
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want you TO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS FAITH
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THIS IS FAITH FOR SOMETHING BELIEVING
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THAT GOD IS ABLE to bring deliverance TO
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THEIR LIFE. FAITH THAT BELIEVES THAT GOD
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IS NOT A WEAK GOD THAT GOD IS NOT A DEAD
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GOD THAT GOD IS NOT A DISCONNECTED GOD
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BUT FAITH TO BELIEVE THAT OUR GOD IS
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ENGAGED IN EVERYTHING that we face and
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HE IS A GOD WHO'S NOT WEAK TO BE ABLE TO
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DELIVER AND HE'S NOT DISTANT AND
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UNCONNECTED WHERE HE CANNOT INTERVENE
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BUT I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND THAT'S THE
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KIND OF GOD THAT THEY BELIEVED IN AND
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YOU HAVE THAT SAME KIND OF GOD WHO CAN
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DELIVER TODAY. I KNOW IT MAY LOOK
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INSURMOUNTABLE AND I MAY I KNOW IT MAY
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LOOK CRAZY AND THAT DOCTOR'S REPORT
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LOOKS ABSOLUTELY CRAZY TO YOUR LIFE AND
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YOU'RE READING IT NOT UNDERSTANDING WHY
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CANCER HAS COME BACK TO MY BODY AND WHY
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MY BODY IS BREAKING DOWN BUT I WANT TO
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TELL YOU WE STILL SERVE A GOD WHO IS
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ABLE TO BRING DELIVERANCE WHO'S ABLE TO
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BRING BREAKTHROUGH WHO'S ABLE TO BRING
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HEALING. HE'S NOT TOO SHORT THAT HE
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CANNOT REACH OUT. HE IS ABLE TO MEET THE
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NEED INSIDE OF YOUR LIFE. Can you say
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amen?
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He is a God who's able to deliver and a
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God that CAN INTERVENE, BUT THEN THEY
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SAY SOMETHING even deeper beyond the
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statement of faith.
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They look at the king in the eye and
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they say THESE THREE WORDS, BUT if not.
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Look at YOUR NEIGHBOR SAY, BUT
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IF NOT.
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OH, YEAH. That neighbor didn't receive
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that very well. Look at the other one
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and tell him say, BUT IF NOT.
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BUT IF NOT,
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I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND THERE'S CERTAIN
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LIMITATIONS THAT WE'RE GOING TO PUT ON
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YOUR power over OUR LIFE.
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YOU SAY THAT YOU'RE GOING TO THROW US IN
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THE FIERY FURNACE. NOW, WE DECLARE OUR
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GOD CAN deliver us. YOU SEE THAT PICTURE
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BEAUTIFULLY ON THE CROSS WHEN JESUS WAS
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HANGING. THE BIBLE SAYS HE COULD HAVE
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CALLED FOR legions of angels to come
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down AND REMOVE HIM. IT WASN'T THAT GOD
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COULD NOT DELIVER HIM, BUT HE KNEW HIS
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PURPOSE IN LIFE WAS TO WALK THROUGH THE
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TRIAL THAT HE HAD IN FRONT OF HIM. NOT
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BECAUSE HE WANTED TO DIE, BECAUSE HE
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KNEW THAT IF HE DIDN'T, YOU AND I WOULD
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BE LOST THIS MORNING AND UNDONE. BUT I'M
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THANKFUL THAT JESUS DIDN'T GO THE EASY
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ROUTE, but he said I'M GOING TO GIVE MY
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LIFE TO THE VERY LAST DROP OF BLOOD, SO
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THERE'S PEOPLE AT MILLENNIAL ASSEMBLY
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THIS MORNING THAT WOULD HAVE HOPE THAT
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NO MATTER WHAT THE ENEMY THROWS AT THEM,
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THAT I AM ABLE TO DELIVER THEM. I'M ABLE
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TO BRING THEM BECAUSE HE BROKE THE POWER
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OF DEATH, HELL AND THE GRAVE, AND HE IS
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STILL A DELIVERING GOD TODAY. IS ANYBODY
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THANKFUL THAT HE'S ABLE TO DELIVER, HE'S
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ABLE TO SET FREE, HE'S ABLE TO BREAK
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BONDAGES, HE'S ABLE TO BREAK ADDICTION,
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HE'S ABLE TO BREAK YOU FREE FROM EVERY
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CHAIN THAT THE ENEMY BROUGHT against
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your life.
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BECAUSE THE BLOOD CAN DELIVER YOU AND I.
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IT CAN SET US FREE. BUT THEY WERE SAYING
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TO HIM, WE KNOW WE SERVE THAT GOD AND HE
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CAN DO IT, BUT IF HE CHOOSES NOT TO.
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EVEN IF GOD DOES NOT DELIVER US THE WAY
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THAT WE EXPECTED HIM TO, we will not
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bow down.
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Can I tell you that is real faith IN
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GOD?
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THAT'S WHERE YOUR FAITH
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HITS THE THE RUBBER MEETS THE ROAD, so
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to speak.
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CUZ I CAN BELIEVE THAT GOD'S ABLE AND I
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CAN be in the clouds all day. AND AGAIN,
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I BELIEVE WE SERVE A GOD OF MIRACLES AND
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HE CAN do the extreme and he can do
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things that look impossible TO US, BUT
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EVEN WHEN IT DOESN'T turn out like I
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want it to, is my faith in God still
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intact?
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Or am I viewing him as a sugar daddy?
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Hello, somebody.
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Cuz I'll be honest with you.
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Kind of makes me sick to my stomach to
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think about, but a lot of the Western
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church, they serve God for what he can
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do for them
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rather than serving him because he is a
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holy God.
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Come on.
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I know this is not popular preaching and
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I I'm sorry that I'm not got you all
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stirred up and we're going crazy yet.
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We'll get there maybe, but I want you to
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understand if your faith in God is not
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solid, then I'm telling you the
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circumstances and the craziness of life
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will it will absolutely derail you when
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everything goes to chaos. But if you
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have faith in God and everything goes to
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chaos around you and everything does not
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turn out the way that you thought it
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would, then you can still stand there
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and say, I know in whom I have believed
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and I'm persuaded that he is able to
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keep me. HE MAY NOT GIVE ME EVERYTHING
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THAT I WANT IN THE MOMENT, but he's able
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TO KEEP ME. HE'S ABLE TO KEEP THIS
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RELATIONSHIP FROM BEING TARNISHED. HE'S
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ABLE TO KEEP THIS THIS CONNECTION FROM
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BEING BROKEN BY THE ENEMY. I DON'T KNOW
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ABOUT YOU, BUT I'M THANKFUL THAT OUR GOD
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IS ABLE TO DO all of these things.
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That is faith in God.
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Faith for deliverance
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BELIEVES IN GOD'S POWER TO SHOW UP.
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Watch this. BUT FAITH IN GOD TRUSTS HIS
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CHARACTER EVEN WHEN deliverance doesn't
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look the way that we imagined.
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EVEN WHEN THEY DID the right thing,
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let me let me let me zero this in cuz a
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lot of times we see people in the Bible
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and we say, hey, they're being punished
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because they did something wrong. A lot
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of times the trial the fire the fiery
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trials and the situations and the
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circumstances they find theirself in,
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can I tell you it's not cuz they did
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something wrong, it's because they did
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something right.
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So a lot of times we connect, hey, I
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made a bad decision. Now, there are
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times that we self-sabotage.
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Come on. There are times that we
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self-sabotage, but there are also times
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that we choose to stand for
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righteousness and we get persecuted
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because of it.
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SO I DON'T WANT YOU I DON'T WANT TO
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PAINT THIS FLOWERY GOSPEL THAT YOU'RE
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GOING to make a stand for Jesus this
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next week AND IT'S GOING TO BE PERFECT.
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NO, I'M NOT SAYING THE ENEMY'S NOT GOING
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TO PUSH BACK, BUT WHAT I AM saying is
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that WHEN HE DOES PUSH BACK, YOU GOT
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SOMEBODY FIGHTING FOR YOU.
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WOO, COME ON. I'M THANKFUL THIS MORNING
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THAT I'M NOT HAVING TO WALK THIS BABY
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OUT BY MYSELF. I'M THANKFUL THAT I'VE
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GOT A GOD WHO WILL STICK CLOSER THAN A
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BROTHER. HE SAID HE'S THE SAME
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YESTERDAY, TODAY AND TOMORROW. IS THERE
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ANYBODY THAT WOULD GIVE GOD A LITTLE
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PRAISE RIGHT NOW THAT HE WILL NOT LEAVE
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YOU, HE WILL NOT FORSAKE YOU. COME ON.
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HE WILL NOT LEAVE YOU ABANDONED. HE WILL
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NOT LEAVE YOU IN THAT FIERY TRIAL BY
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YOURSELF, BUT HE'LL WALK WITH ME, HE'LL
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TALK WITH ME, HE'LL CALL ME HIS. OH, 1 2
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3, GIVE HIM PRAISE IN THE HOUSE.
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WHILE I'M WAITING, GOD
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is
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working.
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Even
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when they did the right thing,
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these men
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were thrown
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into
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the fire.
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But something powerful happened
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whenever they got thrown into that
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furnace.
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The king
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took a moment,
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looked in.
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I I don't know what was happening there.
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He must have known his guards were going
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to die. He didn't even say, oh boy, my
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my people died.
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He wasn't concerned with them.
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He's probably thinking, okay, everybody
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back up.
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Everybody back up a little bit. He said
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he said, I'm looking in. HE SAID, DIDN'T
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WE THROW THREE PEOPLE IN THE FIRE?
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THAT THAT I THOUGHT WAIT, SHADRACH,
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MESHACH,
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I thought Y'ALL SAID ONLY THREE PEOPLE
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DIDN'T BOW DOWN. WE THREW THREE PEOPLE
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IN THE FIRE. HE SAID, BUT LOOK, THERE'S
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FOUR PEOPLE IN THE FIRE.
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AND HE SAID, NOT ONLY ARE THERE FOUR
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PEOPLE IN THE FIRE, BUT THEY ARE LOOSE
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AND THEY ARE WALKING AROUND IN THE FIRE.
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And then he said, I'm going TO TAKE IT
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ONE STEP FURTHER THAN THAT. HE SAID, I
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MAY NOT RECOGNIZE THIS PERSON BEFORE. I
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DIDN'T RECOGNIZE HIS POWER BEFORE. HE
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SAID IF HIS OWN GOD THAT EVERYBODY WOULD
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BOW DOWN, BUT CAN I TELL YOU WHEN GOD
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SHOWS UP IN DELIVERANCE AND POWER, THE
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ENEMY HAS TO TAKE NOTICE AND RECOGNIZE
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WHO YOUR GOD IS. HE LOOKED AT HIM AND
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SAID, I SEE FOUR AND THE FOURTH MAN
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LOOKS LIKE THE SON OF GOD. I'M GOING TO
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TELL YOU, HE'LL SHOW UP IN THE MIDST OF
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YOUR TROUBLE.
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HE WILL SHOW UP IN THE MIDST OF YOUR
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BATTLE. HAS ANYBODY SEEN HIM COME? IF
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YOU SEEN JESUS SHOW UP, IF YOU SEEN GOD
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SHOW UP, I DARE YOU TO JUMP TO YOUR FEET
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AND GIVE GOD ABOUT 20 SECONDS OF PRAISE
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FOR THE FACT THAT HE'S NOT GOING TO
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LEAVE ME. HE'LL BE WITH ME IN THE MIDDLE
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OF MY STRUGGLE AND MY BATTLE.
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HALLELUJAH.
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A FOURTH MAN IN THE FIRE.
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FOURTH MAN IN THE FIRE.
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GOD'S PRESENCE
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SHOWED UP IN THE place of intense
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pressure.
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You say, pastor, I've got some things of
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intense pressure this next week. If
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you'll have faith in God, he will show
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up in the pressure.
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Come on.
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If all you're looking for is him to come
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in and rescue you and and and and just
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turn everything upside down, let me tell
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you that is a skewed view of who God IS
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CUZ THAT THAT EXES OUT THE RELATIONSHIP
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SIDE THAT HE IS STILL GOOD NO MATTER
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WHAT HAPPENS. BUT IF YOU HAVE FAITH THAT
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HE'S ABLE TO BRING YOU THROUGH, HE WILL
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SHOW UP IN THE PLACE OF PRESSURE.
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And what looked like destruction,
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it became a refining
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not just for the three that were in the
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fire,
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but for the entire nation.
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Come on.
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You say, why am I going through what I'm
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going through? It's not just for you.
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That fiery trial you're going through is
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so your family can see you step up and
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say God is still good even though I'm
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going through it.
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Come on, somebody.
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That that that this that that discourse
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that doctor gave you and you felt like
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it would last eternity telling you all
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your numbers are out of whack and all
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that stuff and you heard cancer and you
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heard diabetes
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and you heard clogged arteries all those
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different things. You're sitting there
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saying, I don't know how I'm going to
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make it through this. Can I tell you
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that fiery trial is not just for you. It
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is for somebody else around you to look
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and see that God is able to deliver them
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and if God is able to bring them through
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and he's faithful to them, he will be
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faithful to me.
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So watch this. It became a refining fire
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just like gold in the fire. The trial
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wasn't there to destroy them. It was
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there to purify them.
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They had to trust that God was working
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even when the evidence seemed to say the
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opposite.
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Everything they could see was
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destruction, but heaven was working a
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refining fire in their life.
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I want you to understand,
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not only did it affect them,
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it affected the whole nation to the tune
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you can go back and read this for
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yourself. But I want to get in this next
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part. But the king stood up and said,
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listen,
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this is the real God, basically.
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And if anybody talks bad about this God,
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guess what? You're going to be
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destroyed. Come on, somebody. So the
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tables turned and we can preach there,
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but that's not where the Lord has landed
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me today. Heaven was doing a refining.
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And this leads us to an important
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theological understanding about faith
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and trials in our life. And there are
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two kinds of faith operating in the life
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of a believer right now. Number one is
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faith for something. Somebody say faith
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for something.
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And this is literally faith that
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believes God deliverance, for provision,
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for breakthrough, for miracles, for
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tangible evidence that God is showing up
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in the midst of their trial.
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It's faith for something. How many of
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you ever had faith for something? All
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right, this is that's not a trick
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question. This is this real.
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It's okay.
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You've had faith. You you believe that
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God is going to take your bank account
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from like the red numbers to the black
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numbers. Can I get a amen?
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Oh, come on. Y'all act like y'all saints
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in here. Come on.
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Adjust your halo.
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Hopefully, I'm not the only one who's
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been in the negative before. Come on,
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somebody.
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Say, I'M BELIEVING I'M BELIEVING,
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PASTOR, FOR THE DOCTOR'S REPORT TO TURN
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AROUND. I'm believing for I have faith
-
for a miracle.
-
I HAVE FAITH FOR MY CHILDREN THAT
-
THEY'RE GOING TO TURN around and come to
-
God. I HAVE I HAVE FAITH FOR AND THIS IS
-
WHERE I'M AT, EVEN FOR OUR CHURCH. I
-
HAVE FAITH FOR EXPANSION. I HAVE FAITH
-
THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO REACH
-
MORE PEOPLE WITH THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST. I
-
HAVE FAITH FOR ALL THESE THINGS, AND
-
THAT IS A GOOD THING, BUT IT IS VERY
-
LIMITED IN ITS SCOPE BECAUSE WE CAN HAVE
-
FAITH FOR SOMETHING, BUT THE OTHER SIDE
-
OF THAT FAITH IS WE HAVE FAITH IN GOD.
-
FAITH FOR SOMETHING IS GOOD, BUT FAITH
-
IN GOD IS MORE SOLID.
-
Come on, somebody.
-
THAT MEANS LIKE THIS, EVEN IF THE ANSWER
-
DOESN'T LOOK LIKE I EXPECTED IT, EVEN IF
-
THE FIRE GETS HOTTER, EVEN IF THE
-
TIMELINE STRETCHES LONGER, I STILL TRUST
-
IN HIM.
-
SAY, WELL, I THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO
-
happen by this time. We're not in
-
charge.
-
Come on.
-
Can we just be real this morning? I'm
-
not I'm not TRYING TO BE UPSET OR TRY TO
-
PUT YOU ON BLAST, BUT I WANT YOU TO
-
UNDERSTAND THERE WILL BE TIMES IN YOUR
-
LIFE IT DOESN'T TURN OUT LIKE YOU
-
THOUGHT, AND IF YOUR FAITH IS ONLY FOR
-
SOMETHING, YOU WILL FALTER AND YOU WILL
-
CRUMBLE, BUT IF YOUR FAITH FIRST IS IN
-
GOD, THEN IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT THE
-
OUTCOME IS CUZ YOU'RE GOING TO SAY GOD
-
KNOWS BETTER THAN I KNOW.
-
COME ON.
-
I'll be honest, I used to feel this way
-
about Chick-fil-A.
-
I had so much faith in Chick-fil-A, I
-
didn't even check my bag before I left
-
the drive-thru.
-
Hello.
-
Something has faltered in my faith.
-
When you get home, 20 minutes away, and
-
you look and my chicken sandwich ain't
-
in that bag.
-
Next time, I will hold up the line and
-
say is all my food in this bag. Right?
-
You know I'm talking about. How many of
-
you have that I I ain't going to say it.
-
I love Chick-fil-A. Chick-fil-A, I want
-
you, but it's Sunday. Come on, somebody.
-
So, we have faith in it because the
-
consistency was there for a very long
-
time,
-
and I felt like number one, it's the
-
Lord's chicken, we know that's good, but
-
then I know I don't have to worry about
-
it cuz they're going to get my they're
-
going to get my my order right. The
-
accuracy is going to be there. But the
-
moment they started GETTING MY ORDER
-
WRONG,
-
I had to double back and say, I got
-
check this thing before I leave cuz my
-
faith has waned in Chick-fil-A.
-
I still love it. I'll still eat it
-
because I love it. And my kids love it.
-
But can I tell you that you can look
-
back over your life, and if you're real
-
honest, your faith in God has never been
-
faltered by his ability to deliver.
-
Come on.
-
I Many times when our faith is
-
faltering, it's because we have stepped
-
out and self-sabotaged ourselves, and
-
then we try to put it back on God, and
-
God's like, hey, I'm the same yesterday,
-
today, AND FOREVER. I'M STILL THE SAME
-
God that delivered you back when you
-
were 15 years old, and now that you're
-
40, I can still do it, and when you get
-
to 60, I can still HE WILL NEVER CHANGE.
-
SO, HERE'S THE THING, OUR FAITH IN GOD
-
HAS TO BE SOLID BECAUSE HE WILL not
-
fail.
-
They sang about that this morning. Y'ALL
-
THEY HAD NO IDEA WHAT I WAS GOING TO
-
PREACH ABOUT. Y'ALL JUST KEPT SINGING
-
about faith. I was I leaned over Pastor
-
Scott, I said, hey, listen, it's on
-
today. It's fixing to get good today.
-
So, I'm going to tell you, YOUR FAITH IN
-
GOD HAS TO BE SOLID IN WHERE YOU ARE.
-
NOW, WATCH THIS, BOTH TYPES OF FAITH ARE
-
ABSOLUTELY necessary because when the
-
two rhythms work together, SOMETHING
-
POWERFUL HAPPENS. It produces spiritual
-
maturity in our lives.
-
Now, watch this, James chapter 1, verse
James 1 chapter mention
-
number 4, says, let patience or
-
endurance have its perfect work that you
-
may be perfect and complete, lacking
-
nothing. Patience or endurance, it
-
completes you and I in our faith. But
-
watch this, impatience uproots what
-
obedience has planted in our life.
-
WE TRY TO OUTSTEP GOD AND SAY, WELL, I
-
I'VE BEEN WAITING ON YOU, BUT YOU AIN'T
-
MOVED, SO HERE WE GO. THAT'S DANGEROUS.
-
HOLD BACK AND WAIT ON GOD TO MOVE.
-
THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH WAITING IN
-
THE MOMENT BECAUSE WHEN YOU WAIT FOR
-
GOD, HE HAS TIME TO WORK AND DO WHAT HE
-
WANTS TO DO IN YOUR life
-
and get everybody else ready to receive,
-
too.
-
Now, watch this, we produce that
-
spiritual maturity,
-
but patience is not being passive.
-
Watch this, patience is not weakness in
-
our life. PATIENCE IS CONFIDENCE THAT
-
GOD IS WORKING EVEN when you cannot see
-
it.
-
Come on.
-
How many say, Pastor, I am having some
-
patience right now. Come on. I I want to
-
know who I'm preaching to. All right, I
-
got three people that I'm preaching to
-
today. Come on. How many say, I'm
-
waiting on God to do some stuff. I'm
-
waiting on God to move in my life. I'm
-
waiting on God to shift some things cuz
-
patience IS CONFIDENCE THAT GOD is
-
working even when I cannot see what he's
-
doing. SO, WE HAVE TO HAVE ENDURANCE
-
THAT EVEN THOUGH I DON'T SEE THE ANSWER,
-
I know God's working it out.
-
This past week, we we flew several
-
times. We flew from Pensacola to
-
Dallas, and then Dallas to Colorado
-
Springs, and on the very first flight,
-
we were taxiing out on the runway or
-
getting ready to taxi out on the runway,
-
and y'all know if you've flown before,
-
you know the stewardess will get up or
-
the flight attendants get up and they
-
start going through their safety
-
procedures like, hey, here's the here's
-
the exit wings. If you sit there, you
-
got responsibility. I don't ever want to
-
pick that. I want no responsibility on a
-
plane. Come on, somebody. I ain't
-
helping nobody else. Just get me off
-
that sucker if something goes wrong.
-
But they're they're going through the
-
whole thing. Check this, you know, the
-
the you know, flotation devices your
-
seat, pick it up if we fall in the water
-
or whatever, all those different things.
-
And so, they get to this point and they
-
grab this oxygen mask.
-
And they start, you know, like showing
-
it and twisting it and saying, in the
-
event of an emergency in the cabin,
-
whatever, pressurizes, I would have I
-
really wasn't paying attention. I was
-
trying to find a good movie on my phone.
-
Just don't hurt me.
-
And so, she began to do that, and then I
-
heard one of them say that one statement
-
that really caught my attention. I
-
started paying attention and said,
-
whenever the oxygen mask comes down,
-
before you help somebody else, put your
-
mask on first.
-
I said, well, that's pretty good. That's
-
probably good for us because it's
-
impossible for us to help somebody when
-
we haven't been there.
-
Come on. That's not what I'm preaching.
-
But then, she followed up by secondary
-
statement that really caught my
-
attention because at that point I was
-
listening, and I felt the Holy Spirit
-
nudge me and say, this is what I want
-
you to preach about when you get back.
-
And I said, okay, you're going to have
-
to help me out. But she said, basically
-
she said, when you put the mask on and
-
you tighten it, if you look down in the
-
little baggy where the oxygen is
-
supposed to flow through, she said, if
-
the if the bag is not inflated, don't
-
worry, the oxygen is still flowing.
-
I said I said, all right, Holy Spirit, I
-
hear what you're saying. Cuz I started
-
thinking about that. She said, put the
-
oxygen mask on, secure it around your
-
nose and your mouth, and if the bag
-
doesn't inflate, don't worry, the oxygen
-
is still flowing. In other words, just
-
because you can't see it, doesn't mean
-
it's not working.
-
Come on, somebody. And I begin to hear
-
the Holy Spirit say to my life, and in
-
the moments where the Holy Spirit SPOKE
-
TO ME, I BEGIN TO HEAR THIS IN my spirit
-
for some people that were coming IN
-
TODAY, THAT WHILE YOU'RE WAITING, GOD IS
-
WORKING. YOU MAY NOT SEE EVERYTHING
-
THAT'S GOING ON. YOU MAY NOT SEE
-
PROGRESS. YOU MAY NOT UNDERSTAND, BUT I
-
WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND, JUST BECAUSE YOU
-
DON'T SEE MOVEMENT, JUST BECAUSE YOU
-
DON'T YOU HAVEN'T SEEN GOD MOVING IN
-
YOUR LIFE, DOESN'T MEAN THAT HE'S NOT
-
MOVING. JUST BECAUSE YOU DON'T SEE
-
PROGRESS, DOESN'T MEAN GOD ISN'T
-
PROCESSING SOMETHING IN YOUR LIFE OR
-
AROUND YOUR LIFE. JUST BECAUSE THE
-
EVIDENCE LOOKS QUIET, DOESN'T MEAN THE
-
SYSTEM ISN'T ACTIVE. I'M TELLING YOU, IF
-
I HAD THAT OXYGEN MASK ON AND SHE DIDN'T
-
TELL ME THAT, AND I DIDN'T SEE IT
-
INFLATING, I WOULD BE FREAKING OUT
-
SAYING NOTHING IS HAPPENING. I NEED
-
OXYGEN. GIVE ME YOUR MASK. I'LL TAKE NO.
-
BUT SHE SAID, I WANT YOU TO KNOW, EVEN
-
IF YOU DON'T SEE IT WORKING, IT IS
-
FLOWING IN YOUR LIFE, AND I WANT TO TELL
-
YOU IN THIS HOUSE, GOD SENT ME HERE THIS
-
MORNING TO LET YOU KNOW, YOU MAY NOT SEE
-
THE PROGRESS YOU WANT, AND IT MAY NOT
-
LOOK PERFECT RIGHT NOW, BUT WHILE YOU'RE
-
WAITING ON THIS THING TO WORK OUT, GOD
-
IS WORKING ON YOUR BEHALF. HE IS
-
SHIFTING THINGS. HE IS TURNING THINGS.
-
AND I WANT TO KNOW, IS THERE ANYBODY
-
THAT WOULD SAY, I'M THANKFUL THAT HE'S
-
TURNING THINGS IN MY LIFE EVEN WHEN I DO
-
NOT SEE IT, HE is working.
-
Patience is or endurance is NOT A THEORY
-
BECAUSE ENDURANCE AND PATIENCE SHOWS UP
-
IN REAL LIFE. IT SHOWS up in your
-
family.
-
Sometimes your family members who are
-
not growing spiritually at the same rate
-
as you, you look at THEM AND SAY, WHY
-
ARE THEY NOT GETTING THIS? PATIENCE
-
SAYS, GOD IS STILL WORKING ON their
-
story.
-
Come on, somebody. In your
-
relationships, listen to me, single
-
folks IN THE HOUSE. SOMETIMES WE RUSH
-
INTO THINGS THAT GOD IS STILL PREPARING,
-
AND WE ARE WE are trying to push THE
-
ARTICLE AND PUSH THAT, BUT PATIENCE
-
TRUST GOD'S PREPARATION IS MORE
-
important than our pace in life.
-
IN YOUR CALLING, JUST BECAUSE GOD HAS
-
CALLED YOU, DOES NOT MEAN you're
-
immediately ready to do what God called
-
you to do.
-
I've met some folks like this before.
-
They say, well, I got called, so I got
-
to go right now.
-
Give me that microphone. I want the
-
pulpit right now.
-
And when you don't give it to them, they
-
disappear.
-
Hello, somebody.
-
Nobody wants to help me preach right
-
there.
-
But if we if you allow me, David was
-
anointed a long time before he was
-
appointed king.
-
He had to endure some junk. Can I get a
-
amen?
-
His father figure, HIS HIS KING SAUL
-
TRIED to kill him many times and put him
-
through the wringer and all these
-
different things went on AND HE WAS
-
GLORIFIED AND then he was diminished and
-
he was on the run and had people abandon
-
him. All throughout HIS LIFE HIS OWN SON
-
TRIED TO LEAD a rebellion against him.
-
Come on, I'm going TO TELL YOU IF THAT'S
-
WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT, SOME PEOPLE SAY
-
I DON'T WANT NOTHING TO DO WITH THAT,
-
BUT IF YOU'LL JUST LET GOD WORK SOME
-
THINGS OUT IN YOUR LIFE, ENDURANCE
-
ALLOWS THE PROCESS TO PREPARE WHAT THE
-
PROMISE REQUIRES OF YOU IN THE END.
-
If you're willing TO GO THROUGH THE
-
PROCESS, GOD WILL PREPARE YOU TO DO WHAT
-
HE'S CALLED you to do. Scripture remind
-
us reminds US RATHER OF GOD'S HEART FOR
-
OUR FUTURE IN JEREMIAH 29:11, "For I
-
know the thoughts that I THINK TOWARD
-
YOU, THOUGHTS of peace and not of evil
-
to give you a hope and an expected end."
-
Many people read that and they think it
-
was all cushy when Jeremiah wrote this
-
thing, but can I tell you it was a rough
-
time. It was written in one of the most
-
darkest history or darkest moments in
-
history rather and around 597
-
BC, the empire of Babylon
-
invaded Jerusalem and deported thousands
-
of Jews to Babylon. They deported
-
skilled workers, leaders, priests,
-
prophets and parts of the royal family
-
and they were taken hundreds of miles
-
away and forced to live in a pagan
-
empire under a foreign king. Jeremiah
-
29, a letter written by the prophet
-
Jeremiah from Jerusalem was to those
-
that were captives already living in
-
Babylon. THEY WEREN'T SITTING BACK
-
SIPPING LEMONADE ON THE BEACH. Can I get
-
an amen? They weren't people that were
-
in A BEAUTIFUL SO THIS VERSE IS NOT A
-
RANDOM PROMISE, but I want you to know
-
it's a message to A PEOPLE WHO FELT LIKE
-
THEIR FUTURE HAD BEEN DESTROYED. AT THIS
-
TIME SEVERAL FALSE PROPHETS WERE COMING
-
UP AROUND THEM when they were in exile
-
saying, "Don't worry, the exile will end
-
very soon." And they they claimed the
-
captivity would only last for 2 years,
-
but along came THE PROPHET JEREMIAH WHO
-
DECLARED THE TRUTH ABOUT THE MESSAGE
-
FROM GOD AND SAID THE EXILE WOULD LAST
-
70 years instead of 2 years.
-
Come on. SOME PEOPLE WILL COME BY AND
-
TRY TO TALK YOU OUT OF ENDURING, BUT I'M
-
GOING TO TELL YOU THIS, JEREMIAH HAD IT
-
RIGHT. HE LOOKED at them and said it's
-
going to LAST 70 YEARS. THIS MEANT THAT
-
MOST OF THE ADULTS THAT WERE HEARING THE
-
MESSAGE IN BABYLON WOULD DIE BEFORE THEY
-
EVEN SAW THE PROMISE.
-
CAN YOU IMAGINE HEARING THESE PEOPLE ON
-
THIS SIDE SAY, "OH, HOLD ON FOR A LITTLE
-
LONGER, 2 MORE YEARS." BUT THEN HERE
-
COMES JEREMIAH SAYING, "NO, NOT 2, 70."
-
And we always quote the scripture at
-
graduations and all this stuff and we
-
feel like it's all cushy cushy, but can
-
I tell you there was a lot of crap they
-
had to endure at the beginning to get to
-
the end.
-
Come on somebody.
-
It's just the truth. THEY WERE IN THAT
-
MOMENT THEY HEARD IT AND REALIZED 70
-
YEARS MEANS I'M NOT GOING TO SEE THE
-
PROMISE ON THE OTHER SIDE.
-
Instead of promising an immediate
-
miracle, God told them to settle in and
-
live faithfully where they were.
-
Just in verse number 11, before verse
-
number 11, God instructed them in
-
Jeremiah 29 around 5 6 and 7 right
-
there. He said to build houses, plant
-
gardens, marry and raise families, seek
-
the peace of Babylon and pray for the
-
city where they were exiled and in
-
bondage. This is shocking.
-
CUZ WE WANT THE DELIVERANCE GOD, BUT HE
-
WAS SAYING, "I CAN DELIVER YOU, BUT
-
RIGHT NOW YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO BE
-
FAITHFUL and have faith in me."
-
Watch this. God was telling them, "YOUR
-
SEASON HERE IS NOT WASTED. I'M STILL
-
working even though you're in exile."
-
THIS IS EXACTLY WHY JEREMIAH 29:11 IS
-
POWERFUL AND I'VE GOT A WORD FOR
-
SOMEBODY THIS MORNING. YOUR SEASON OF
-
WAITING WILL NOT BE WASTED.
-
OH, COME ON. I got three people that are
-
with me this morning, but I want to
-
speak that one more time. Your season OF
-
WAITING WILL NOT BE WASTED. THE THINGS
-
YOU'VE BEEN WALKING THROUGH and the the
-
determination you've had to have, IT
-
WILL NOT BE WASTED IN THE NAME of Jesus
-
and I want you to understand he said, "I
-
know the thoughts I think toward you
-
SAYS THE LORD, THOUGHTS OF PEACE and not
-
OF EVIL TO GIVE you a future AND A
-
HOPE." GOD WAS SAYING TO THEM THAT EVEN
-
THOUGH YOUR PRESENT LOOKS BROKEN, YOUR
-
FUTURE IS STILL SECURE IN ME. I WANT YOU
-
TO UNDERSTAND THESE WORDS WERE NOT
-
SPOKEN TO PEOPLE SITTING IN BLESSING. IT
-
WAS SPOKEN TO PEOPLE THAT WERE IN
-
BONDAGE IN BABYLON AND EVEN THERE GOD
-
SAID, "I STILL HAVE A FUTURE EVEN THOUGH
-
YOU'RE GOING TO ENDURE some things."
-
So I want to encourage somebody this
-
morning that season of of waiting that
-
you're in,
-
it will not be wasted by our heavenly
-
Father.
-
So look at your neighbor say, "Have
-
faith in God."
-
Have faith in God. I want my team to
-
come and prepare to help me close this
-
morning.
-
We have a mandate
-
from the Lord
-
to display patience
-
to be people that are displaying
-
patience and that requires for us to
-
have confidence in God's plan.
-
And claiming confidence in God's plan
-
requires practicing patience
-
or endurance in our everyday life.
-
That means tomorrow morning when you
-
wake up
-
and you get that random phone call where
-
everything falls apart,
-
you can step back and you can say, "God,
-
you are still good."
-
Come on. This is the kind of faith that
-
I want to instill in you, not faith that
-
when that phone call comes, my entire
-
life crumbles and it falls apart. No, do
-
not let the enemy do that TO YOU. YOUR
-
GOD IS STRONGER THAN ANY OF THAT. HAVE
-
FAITH IN GOD THAT HE IS GOING TO BRING
-
YOU THROUGH EVERYTHING THAT COMES TO
-
YOUR LIFE.
-
Some people look at you and this is how
-
they'll do.
-
When you go through things like that and
-
you just got the most ridiculous I heard
-
a preacher say one time, I think it was
-
TD Jakes that was interviewing another
-
pastor and he was talking about how that
-
when he went on a trip with his family
-
one time, he got a phone call from his
-
administrator from his church. His
-
administrator was just freaking out and
-
just going crazy and just like, "Listen,
-
you got to COME BACK RIGHT NOW. YOU GOT
-
YOU GOT TO GET HERE. THE CHURCH IS
-
LITERALLY ON FIRE."
-
LIKE LITERALLY, LIKE NOT LIKE HOLY Ghost
-
fire. It was like literally on fire
-
fire.
-
And he was like, "YOU GOT TO GET BACK
-
HERE." And he was he was with Bishop
-
Jakes at that point and Bishop's like,
-
"Listen, I GOT I'LL GET YOU ON THIS
-
FLIGHT. I GOT TO DO THIS." HE said he
-
said, "Hold up." He said, "Pass the
-
grapes."
-
They were sitting at lunch and HE SAID,
-
"WHAT? PASS THE GRAPES? NO, WE GOT TO
-
GET YOU BACK. YOU GOT TO GO FIX THAT."
-
HE SAID, "NO." HE SAID, "Pass me the
-
grapes."
-
And he grabbed a grape, he ate it.
-
I can't stand I can't stand people that
-
smack. Can I get a Can I get a witness?
-
Come on.
-
And I just did that to all y'all. I'm so
-
sorry.
-
I'm being an instigator this morning.
-
He sat there, he chewed that grape up.
-
And he said he said, "No, I'm good."
-
He said, "My God, this did not catch him
-
by surprise."
-
And Jakes is in there saying, "Well,
-
hold on a second. Wait a second. YOU YOU
-
MEAN YOU'RE YOU'RE NOT GOING TO JUMP GET
-
DOWN?" HE SAID HE SAID, "WHAT CAN I DO
-
ANYWAYS? I'm not the fire department."
-
He said, "My God told me don't nobody
-
got hurt, nobody's in the building, it's
-
fine, it's under control. Pass me the
-
grapes."
-
And from there on out Bishop adopted
-
that that statement that when something
-
went wrong and something went crazy, he
-
said, "You know what? I have enough
-
faith in God that I'll say pass the
-
grapes."
-
Cuz listen, if we over dramatize
-
everything, then we are playing into the
-
enemy's hand
-
to control our emotions, to control our
-
stability to the point that we will
-
eventually, IF WE'RE NOT CAREFUL, WE
-
WILL LOSE FAITH IN GOD AND PUT IT IN
-
OURSELF TO RESOLVE the problems that are
-
in our life.
-
BUT ALL GOD IS WAITING ON YOU TO DO IS
-
SAY, "I TRUST YOU EVEN THOUGH I CAN'T
-
TRACE YOU RIGHT NOW. I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S
-
GOING ON, I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING.
-
I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR SO LONG, I'VE BEEN
-
WAITING FOR MY MIRACLE, BUT GOD, I
-
CHOOSE TO TRUST YOU." AND IF I CAN GET
-
ANYBODY IN THE HOUSE THIS MORNING THAT
-
WOULD SAY, "PASTOR, I MAY HAVE WENT
-
THROUGH SOME STUFF, I MAY BE GOING
-
THROUGH SOME STUFF." AND I GOT SOME GOOD
-
NEWS FOR YOU. IF YOU LIVE FOR GOD LONG
-
ENOUGH, YOU'RE GOING TO FACE SOME TRIALS
-
AND YOU'RE GOING TO FACE SOME FURNACES
-
OF YOUR LIFE, BUT YOU GOT TO MAKE UP IN
-
YOUR MIND RIGHT NOW. I WANT YOU TO PASS
-
THE GRAPES MY WAY CUZ I TRUST IN GOD
-
MORE THAN ANYTHING THE ENEMY CAN DO. IS
-
THERE ANYBODY THAT WILL SAY, "I'M READY
-
FOR SOMEBODY TO PASS THE GRAPES. I'VE
-
GOT FAITH IN MY GOD." 1 2 3, I DARE YOU
-
TO JUMP TO YOUR FEET AND GIVE GOD SOME
-
PRAISE IN THE HOUSE.
-
OH, COME ON SOMEBODY. GIVE GOD PRAISE
-
FOR THE FACT THAT WE'VE GOT FAITH IN
-
HIM.
-
JUST REMAIN STANDING with me.
-
So when people look at you
-
and they say
-
they say, "Hey,
-
you seem really calm right now."
-
You can respond with them some respond
-
to them rather with something a little
-
deeper.
-
And you can say, "I'm not calm.
-
I'm confident."
-
Cuz I'm not talking about overriding
-
emotions. There are things we go through
-
where it is traumatizing
-
and and it is it's hard to process at
-
times,
-
but somewhere in the midst of that
-
initial
-
fight or flight moment,
-
something deeper on the inside of us has
-
to override the emotions of life and
-
say, "This did not catch God by surprise
-
and I cannot abandon ship right now and
-
lose my faith in him even though
-
everything around me is falling apart. I
-
AM CONFIDENT that he is able to keep
-
that which I've committed to him
-
against that day."
-
That goes for my family. I can trust God
-
with my children.
-
Come on. I will not lose my mind when
-
the enemy tries to mess with my kids.
-
What I will do is I will plead the blood
-
and say, "Enemy, that is the territory
-
of my family and that is the territory
-
of the kingdom of God. You cannot touch
-
them."
-
Wow,
-
I'm waiting,
-
God
-
is working.
-
The greatest display of patience and
-
endurance in history,
-
it wasn't at the DMV. Can I get an amen?
-
But the greatest display of endurance
-
was on a cross
-
on the hill of Calvary.
-
Where a man named Jesus Christ
-
could have called down legions of angels
-
and said, "Get me out of here.
-
I'm done. I don't want to endure this
-
anymore."
-
But can I tell you what is Isaiah
-
recorded 53 verse number seven says, "He
-
was oppressed and he was afflicted yet
-
he opened not his mouth."
-
He endured. He was led as a lamb to the
-
slaughter. HE KEPT SILENT BECAUSE HE
-
KNEW THIS IS why God brought me to this
-
earth.
-
And I'm going to endure it so that in
-
2026,
-
whatever day of the week, month, year it
-
is, I don't I know it's 2026, March, I'm
-
going to tell you 15th,
-
that he would endure that cross so that
-
you could have the power to overcome
-
this world.
-
Cuz what the enemy wants is for you to
-
fall prey to every trick and every trap
-
he throws at you. But when you have
-
faith in God, you have more power than
-
the enemy wants you to know.
-
You have more power to overcome the
-
things of darkness. You have power to
-
overcome sin.
-
You have power to become the bride of
-
Christ in that moment and say, "I'm not
-
going to throw in the towel and give up,
-
but I'm going to let God be the God of
-
my life."
-
So I look around this room and there's
-
many of you that I I know I know your
-
situations and I look at you and I see
-
faith in God all over you.
-
I see faith in God all over your life
-
and every decision that you made. I see
-
you enduring like a good soldier. I see
-
you giving God glory in every situation,
-
but I've also seen you have faith for
-
things and God has showed up and has
-
been powerful. I'm not saying abandon
-
that. You have faith for greater things.
-
We will have faith for greater things in
-
this house, but it has to start with
-
having faith in God no matter what the
-
outcome looks like.
-
So I want to let people know in this
-
house. You may say, "Pastor, I'm here
-
this morning and I've been asking God to
-
bring a resolution. I've been asking God
-
to bring things to light. I've been
-
asking God to
-
to to to bring an answer to my life."
-
Can I tell you there's other people in
-
here that have endured and God showed up
-
for them.
-
You're not in this thing by yourself.
-
You say, "Well, I feel like I'm isolated
-
on an island. I'm the only one
-
enduring." No, you're not.
-
You're looking at a preacher this
-
morning. You're looking at a family this
-
morning that we're having to endure some
-
things, but can I tell you that I know
-
God is good in spite of what we've got
-
to go through.
-
I'm not here preaching TO YOU ABOUT
-
FAITH THIS MORNING JUST CUZ IT'S
-
SOMETHING THAT PULLED UP ON THE GOOGLE
-
SITE OR WHATEVER. IT'S NOT SOME SERMONS
-
ARE US THING. THIS IS FAITH IN GOD
-
BECAUSE I'VE GOT TO HAVE FAITH IN GOD.
-
I'VE GOT TO KNOW THAT HE'S ABLE AND I'VE
-
SEEN HIM DO IT BEFORE.
-
And because I've seen him do it before,
-
Dexter, I know he'll do it again and
-
again and again. Can anybody thank God
-
for again and again AND AGAIN? I DARE
-
YOU. CAN WE JUST TAKE A MOMENT AND
-
PRAISE GOD FOR AN AGAIN AND AGAIN AND
-
AGAIN SHOWING UP TIME AFTER TIME AFTER
-
TIME MOMENT AFTER MOMENT TRIAL AFTER
-
TRIAL HE HAS BEEN FAITHFUL TO ME.
-
Cuz while you're waiting,
-
God is working.
-
Psalm declares it over 36 times in one
-
of the chapters.
-
Says his mercy
-
endures
-
forever.
-
His mercy
-
endures
-
forever. So today with every head bowed,
-
every eye closed,
-
nobody moving, please please honor this
-
moment.
-
And please honor the moment all the way
-
to the end cuz we want to receive our
-
missions offering at the end as well for
-
anybody that feels led to give.
-
But I'm going to tell you this today.
-
You're in this place. You say, "Pastor,
-
I have been waiting on God to show up in
-
my life and he hadn't made it yet, but I
-
feel my faith is getting a little bit
-
weak.
-
And I don't want to walk out of here and
-
throw in the towel and jump off the
-
ship, but I want to walk out of here
-
saying I have a renewed faith in God
-
today that if he can bring my pastor
-
through, he can bring me through.
-
And if he can walk with my pastor, he
-
can walk with me. If he can walk with
-
these families in this house that have
-
seen his hand move, he can walk with
-
me."
-
Do you say I need renewed faith today?
-
Or maybe today you need to start your
-
relationship with the Lord. This is a
-
great day to do it.
-
You've heard what God is doing all over
-
the world and you've heard what God is
-
doing in this house. So today I want to
-
tell you if you need God to renew your
-
faith or you need to start a
-
relationship with him. Let me tell you
-
it's the best decision you'll ever make
-
in your life.
-
Cuz Jesus loves you so stinking much.
-
Who, he loves you so much that he gave
-
his only son. The Lord gave his only son
-
Jesus Christ to die for your sins.
-
He didn't stop there, but he rose from
-
the dead to give you power over sin and
-
power over the enemy. So if you say I
-
need prayer in one of those two areas, I
-
want you to shoot your hand up and say
-
pray for me today. I need I need renewed
-
faith. I need to start a relationship
-
with the Lord. Today is my day. I want
-
to make sure I'm right with the Lord.
-
Ready? 1 2 3, raise that hand all over
-
this house. Come on, hands are going up.
-
Hands are going up.
-
Hallelujah. Hallelujah.