When Life's Dark times come

Turn with me this morning in your Bibles to Psalm 71.

Does everyone have an outline?

Everybody have an outline?

Okay?

Because I want you to take these outlines starting last week.

What happens when you're in this series and what happens when your life falls apart?

And last week we started out with what happens when disruptive moments come into your life.

Well, today we're going to be looking at Psalm 71.

And the title of the message is When Life's Dark Times Come.

And we know not if they're coming, but when they're coming.

But they're coming.

And one of the things that I really want us to understand, never doubt God, in the darkness, and I really believe this, never doubt in the darkness what God has promised us in the light.

Now that's important.

Never doubt in the darkness what God has promised us in the light.

Because Satan is going to do everything he can to bring fear into our lives in these dark times.

When Christians go through difficult times in their lives, they often forget who God is and who they are in Christ.

And Satan does everything he can to get us to think that way.

So, Psalm 71, it's not ascribed to a particular author, but we believe strongly it is David.

And here's why, because we know David wrote Psalm 69, Psalm 70.

And Psalm 69, 70, 71, carry the theme, and it's a great theme.

And the theme is, save me, save me.

The theme common to all these three Psalms, and Psalm 72, is then described to David's son.

So we feel strongly that David is writing to Solomon, his son, in these three Psalms, saying, I am giving you some principles that will help you go through the dark times of your life and your ministry.

And I said, Wow, is that not awesome?

It really is.

And so today, the primary theme, I want you to see it right up front, in this psalm, is verse 14, and notice what it says.

Here it is.

But I will hope continually.

Say that with me.

I will hope continually.

That is the major theme that runs through Psalms 71.

That I will hope continually, regardless of the circumstances and the situation.

Most scholars, again, like I said, believe that Psalm 71 was written by David.

Now, David, during this situation, had already gone through an unbelievable trying time with Absalon that had tried to take over his kingdom and literally kicked David out of his own kingdom, his own son did.

And then you remember the tragedy there.

Absalom ends up getting killed for trying to do all that he did to his dad and to God's ministry.

You don't want to mess with God's ministry, folks.

You just don't want to do it.

So now David's getting ready.

He's an old man during this writing.

He's older.

And he's getting ready to kind of transfer the power to Solomon.

Well, there's another son that tries to do to Solomon what Absalom tried to do to David.

He tries to usurp the authority so that he will become the king next in line instead of Solomon.

So that is the context of this psalm as we get ready to look at it.

And it is powerful.

So the first thing, regardless, though I really believe of the name of the author of the psalm, we do know this about this psalm.

And the man that wrote the psalm, which we believe to be David, he was thoroughly familiar with the ways and the words of God.

Why?

The psalm only has 24 verses, but within these verses are found, are you ready?

50 quotations from or allusion to other psalms.

It is a compilation of truths about God's deliverance of his saints during times of trouble.

So you want to put a start by Psalm 769 through 71 because next time you're thrown into the furnace, you want to read through these three Psalms over and over again for the encouragement and comfort that we're going to find.

Number one, the first thing I want us to look at this morning in our outline is when life dark, when life's darkest times come to us, what do we do?

First of all, let's look at number one, the reality of trials in the believer's life.

Notice what it says.

It's not the absence, let me tell what I'm learning, still learning, and I've been through major trials in my own life.

And Susan and I together, too.

Now, what's this?

It's not the absence of these dark days that are going to come.

It's how we respond to these dark days that matters.

That's very important.

Because they're coming.

And this is what this Psalm is all about.

And this is what I think David is conveying to Solomon, his young son.

It's the response to the suffering that makes Christians unique and different.

Believers are not exempt from trials in life.

In fact, Peter said, if you remember when we're going through Peter, what did he say?

Count it not strange concerning the fiery trials that are going to come your way.

1 Peter 4.12.

So we know that.

And Paul said, Thou therefore endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

2 Timothy 2.3.

So let's look at these trials.

The writer, Psalm 71, right here, is rehearsing in his own words some of the reasons that we suffer in life.

Number A, trials come to us because of, what's this, ungodly foes.

Look at verse 4.

Look at verse 4.

This is good.

And he says in Psalm 71, verse 4, Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel men.

Psalms 71:4

Wow.

Is that not powerful?

Is that not powerful?

What is he saying?

What he's saying right here is that, hey, the wicked, the unrighteous, and cruel men are going to oppose you.

They're opposing the psalmist right now.

They're coming at David with everything that God.

Now, I love the word cruel there.

You know what it means?

It's Hamatz.

Hamats.

It's the Hebrew word, and it means, hey, to be embittered.

It means to be grieved.

It means to be oppressed.

It means to be ruthless.

It means to be sour.

In other words, those kind of people are going to come at you in your walk as you're trying to be like Christ, walk like Christ, have a ministry for Christ, they're going to attack you.

They're going to try to stop you.

They're going to try to unsurp your ministry, your authority, your home, your life, your hey, they're going to try to destroy everything you've got because that's what Satan does.

And they're bitter about it.

You ever been around a bitter person?

Oh my goodness.

Oh my goodness.

What does a bitter person do?

He sours everything around them.

Isn't that amazing?

That's what the word means, too.

Just a thought.

But that's exactly what happened.

So, what we see here, that, and here's the thing.

When someone is opposing you or your ministry or us, it is easy for the opposition to grow as they convince others to oppose you as well.

Hey, why?

Because they just attract those type of people.

Isn't it amazing that birds of a feather isn't it amazing?

You find one bitter person, next week you'll see three bitter people.

Next week you'll see six.

It's amazing how they find people that think the way they do, have the same attitude they do.

You know what I used to love to do at Liberty University?

When I would find a group of students, and I I taught a class of a thousand.

So uh, and I could always tell the bitter ones, you know what I'd do?

I'd go get right in the middle of them.

And I'd start saying, Jesus is what?

Jesus is what?

And then I'd start talking to them.

I'd say, What are you bit about?

And then they'd start giving me a list of all the negatives about liberty.

I'd say, well, let me challenge you to do one thing.

Why don't you go over, and I wouldn't call, I'm not calling names, the secular universities within 50 mile radius of here, and spend a week there, and then come back and talk to me.

I only have one or two do that.

But let me tell you, when they came back, they said, Dr.

Lovett, I promise you we won't say another word about Liberty University.

But what I'm saying is, folks, that's why we have, hey, trials is because of ungodly, hey, people trying to, hey, undermine everything we're doing.

Notice the second thing.

B.

Trials, hey, they come because of an uncertain future.

Look at verse 9.

Look at verse 9.

Boy, this is good.

In verse 9, it says, Cast me not off in the time of old age.

Forsake me not when my strength fails.

In other words, he's saying, and now my old age, don't set me aside, don't abandon me when my strength is failing.

As we get older, we kind of have those fears sometimes, do we not?

For us that are at least 50 and well, let's say 60 and older.

Amen.

I mean, you start thinking that way.

So we see right here the uncertainty of the future.

And the older we get, the infirmities, the sickness, the lack of mobility, and the ability to care for oneself, all these things.

Satan starts throwing at you.

You're getting old.

You can't be used anymore.

I've just made up my mind, I'm not getting old.

I'm getting wiser.

I'm not getting old.

And I'm doing everything I can to prevent from getting old.

And I'm doing everything I can to tell my body, but sometimes my body's not listening.

My mind's got it.

I'm not old.

But my body sometimes aches a little bit.

But what I'm saying, folks, is that's what Satan does.

Don't miss it.

He does.

Why does cancer strike people?

Why does illness come on people?

Why does accidents happen?

Why, why, why, why?

Remember we dealt with that first.

I said, this is a foundation last week.

We have a lot of whys, and I said, forget asking the whys and ask what.

It's the what.

What are you teaching me through this?

Because God wants to teach us through these dark times.

That's the key.

Now look at the third thing.

Verses 10 through 13.

Trials, we have trials because of unfaithful friends.

Now, this is the one that's going to get you.

Look at this.

Verse 7 says, I am as a wonder unto many, but thou art my strong refuge.

In other words, he says, My life is an example to many because you have been my strength and my protection.

Verse 8, let my mouth be filled with thy praise and with thy honor all the day.

Verse 9, cast me not off in the time of old age, forsake me not when my strength faileth.

And then he goes on, for my enemies speak against me.

Now watch.

And they that lay wait for my soul take counsel together.

Oh my, there they are.

There's those sour gossiping people trying to undo everything that God's called you to do, or the ministry that he's called you to do, or the home he's called you to build, saying, God hath forsaken him.

Persecute and take him, for there is none to deliver him now.

You know what he's saying here?

Hey, in other words, David's old.

He doesn't have the same strength, he doesn't have the same army around him anymore, or he doesn't have the same power, the same influence anymore.

Now's the time to make a move.

Wow.

Have you not seen that time and time again?

And so that's what he's saying.

And then verse 13, bring disgrace and destruction on my accusers.

David says, humate and shame those who want to harm me.

Then David starts praying.

But we see unfaithful friends.

Now wait, here's what we know.

Here's where it gets really tough.

If we know this is Adonijah trying to usurp the position of Solomon, that means it's an intimate relationship with family members going on trying to usurp authority of their dad, David.

It doesn't get any worse than the people you love and the people that you've had unbelievable passion for turn against you.

And we've all experienced it.

That's what happens in a divorce.

Two people that passionately were in love one time or another now hate each other.

They get bitter toward each other.

They sour the whole situation.

Am I right?

Come on, help me here.

But remember where it's coming from.

Satan.

Kill, steal, destroy.

That's where you gotta realize.

But we see it.

David's crying out.

He's telling Solomon.

You're gonna have these from within.

Listen to what Jesus said.

A man's foe shall be them of his own household.

Matthew 10, 36.

How many of you have been in churches?

You've seen this.

Literally.

A family.

And then all of a sudden there's a group, and they get more bitter and more bitter and more bitter and start gossiping and fighting.

And next thing you know, you got a church split.

David's saying, be aware from within.

The unfaithful friends.

Look at D.

Trials because of an unequal father, though.

Woo-hoo! I love this.

Look at verse 19.

Verse 20.

Thy righteousness.

Now David said, but you don't have to worry because you've got an unequal father.

You've got a father that cares.

Thy righteousness also, he says, and I love this.

He says, Thy righteousness also, O God, is very high.

Who has done great things?

Oh God, who is like unto thee?

In other words, you have done such wonderful things.

Who can compare with you, O God?

Then verse 20, thou which hast showed me great and sore troubles.

In other words, you have allowed me to suffer much hardship, but you will restore my life again and lift me back up from the depths of the earth.

And then you will restore me to even greater.

Verse 21, honor and comfort me once again.

Woo! Wow.

He's encouraging Solomon, and I'm encouraging us.

I don't care what you're going through, I don't care how belittle you feel or how beaten down you feel, God's still God.

And he's on your side, and I've read the last chapter, and we win.

And he'll lift you up, he'll comfort you.

He'll never leave you comfortless.

He's there.

He's there.

The Lord loves loves us.

Oh God, who is like you?

Verse 19.

Oh God, who is like you?

Say that with me, church.

Oh God, who is like you?

Wow.

Which brings me to the second point.

Wow.

Man, this is good.

This is so, so good.

Not only do we see, I put a little star here for me, the reality of our trials in the believers' life, but now watch the results of trials in the believers' life.

A number of things are happening here.

And a number of things with David, and a number of things happened with us when we experienced trials in our lives.

When I was told my wife was dead.

We'd only been in Tuscaloosa for two weeks.

I'm in the emergency room, and the doctor comes out and he said, Mr.

Lovett.

And I said, Yes.

And I jumped up, and the first thing I said, please tell me she's okay.

And the doctor said, I'm sorry to tell you.

Your wife's dead.

And I I went hysterical.

No! No! No! No! God wouldn't do this! I was so upset they had to give me a set of.

The feelings of fear, uncertainty.

A little seven, eight-year-old boy, brand new church.

How can I pastor a church without a wife?

How can I raise a son without a wife that loved me and had the same vision of ministry?

All that's just swarming through my heart and my mind.

There is no God.

If there's a God, he wouldn't let this happen.

I said it.

Not ashamed of it.

You never have to worry about what your pastor's thinking.

I'll tell you.

Truth.

I'm very transparent.

Even when I was president of the temple, they didn't have to worry about what I was thinking.

But the feelings of fear are contrasted by the feelings and fact.

Key word fact of faith.

If your faith is real, those feelings will be overtaken by faith.

And two hours later, after I was awakened, laying across my bed, and I had taken my Bible and thrown it against the wall, saying there's no God, the Bible had fallen open, and when I woke up, I was laying face down, and there it was in red, highlighted Romans 8.28.

There it was.

Now imagine me throwing that Bible against the wall and it being open to Romans 8.28.

Now that's just a coincidence, isn't it?

That's what the weirdos would say.

But I know it was a fact.

And I read it, and the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart and said, either that's true, or it's not.

And I said, No, Father, it's true.

So get up, get in the shower, and go to work.

And when I was in that shower, weeping my eyes out, praising the Lord.

Started praising me.

Lord, I praise you.

Lord, I praise you.

I don't understand, but I praise you.

Lord, come on.

Mr.

and Eric and all.

He said, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.

Philippians 4.13, I can do all things through Christ which strengthened me.

Hebrews 13, 5, I'll never leave thee nor forsake me.

Psalms 34, 17, the righteous cry, and the Lord hears and delivers them out of the trouble.

He said, You're okay.

I got this.

And I said, but what about what about Becky?

That was my wife's first day.

My wife.

He said, Don't worry about her.

You got the ministry.

She got the prize.

She got the crown.

That was it.

From that day on, I came out of that day.

A new man.

A new man with a vision to press towards the mark for the prize of the high calling of God through Christ Jesus.

And I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.

And 45 years later, I'm I don't know.

In the 40s somewhere.

Well, no.

I started in youth ministry when I was 19 years old.

Yeah.

So y'all figure it up.

I don't know.

All right, but now watch this.

But then God gave me Susan a year later.

Tell me God's grace is not sufficient.

Tell me God's plan's not sufficient.

You see what I'm saying?

But here we see what David's saying and crying out.

He's saying, we've got an unequal father, so hang in there.

He'll see it through it.

Number two.

The results of trials in the believer's life.

God's not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and love and a sound mind.

2 Timothy 1.7.

Peace I live with you, my peace I give unto you, not as the world gives.

Give I unto you.

Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

John 14, 27.

The book, the book.

So letter A.

Look, here's the feelings.

Man, this is going to really show you where you are.

Have you ever going, when you're going through a trial or a disruption?

Have you ever said, one, I don't understand.

We all say that.

But other people don't understand.

How many times have you said that?

They just don't understand.

Well, David understood that.

Because he had already been going through several when he's writing this.

Between the Bathsheba, the Absalom, all kind of stuff.

If you go read his biography, David.

Now watch.

So here's what he says.

The results of these uninterrupted moments, these dark moments in our life, there's a feeling of vulnerability.

Look at verse 7.

Is that not true?

Look at what he says in verse 7.

I am as a wonder unto many, but thou art my strong refuge.

In other words, he's saying, and it's so true, men especially become very vulnerable to that which they have no control over, because we've had, you know, most of us have a few decades planned out.

Most of us, I want to do this, I want to be this, and by this time I want to have this, and by this time I want to.

We've all been there.

By the time I'm 50, I want to retire.

Some of you have had that privilege.

But what am I saying?

Well we've got it all planned out, and then all of a sudden, bam! That disruptive moment, that dark hour, turns your world upside down, turns your life upside down, and you just feel like there's nothing I can do.

I'm so vulnerable.

What happened?

Am I the only one who feels that way sometimes?

Are you with me?

Man, that's good.

We can't fix it anymore.

See, we men are fixers.

Your wife doesn't want you to fix everything, guys.

What they want is us to listen.

Can I really get an amen, ladies?

Susan Filey said, I don't need you to fix it, just listen.

Well, don't tell me if you don't want me to fix it, because bless God, I'm ready to fix it.

There's a problem, fix it.

And I go after it.

I'm a bulldog.

Why?

Because I want to get it fixed.

Why?

Because I'm in charge.

Here's the real reason.

So when you're no longer in charge and you can't fix it, you're vulnerable.

The psalmist seems to have been experienced that same vulnerability.

Look at verse 7.

He states that he had become a wonder to many, meaning that people were watching him to see how he was going to react to this situation.

Folks, I'm telling you, you're on display.

Especially if you're a Christian.

Every major trial you go through, and you claim to be a Christian, you wear that Jesus' awesome bracelet, people are watching you.

Wonder how he's gonna let's see if Pastor Danny's gonna live up to his preaching now.

He can preach it now, can he live it?

We were playing pickleball the other day and we were playing in Hiawassee, and we man, we're getting at it.

And I'm I'm a competitive person.

If you're gonna play me in something, bring you lunch.

Because we're gonna be there till I win.

And they turned and they said, he doesn't play pickleball like a preacher.

I don't know what that meant.

I guess I'm supposed to pray between each hit.

I don't know.

Oh, let them win.

Uh that's not happening.

Now, now, then Susan made this profound statement.

I I started laughing.

I turned.

I didn't want them to see me that I was listening.

Susan said, well, I don't care how he plays long as he lives it.

Folks, you are a walking billboard for Jesus.

Did you know that?

You really are, if you're a Christian.

Now, if you're a silent Christian, now my question to you, are you really a Christian?

A real Christian can't keep quiet.

Because they know the unequal Father.

The unequal father.

Nothing like him, I can't help, but bless the Lord, oh my soul, and all that's within me.

Bless the Lord daily.

I'm not ashamed of the gospel.

Look at verse 2 and 9.

We see B, the feeling of insecurity.

Deliver me in thy righteousness, cause me to escape, incline the ear unto me, and save me.

And then he says, look at verse 9.

Verse 9 he says, cast me not off in the time of my old age.

Forsake me not when my strength faileth.

In other words, we're insecure.

We don't know what to do.

We're scared.

Most older people get this way as we get older.

Fixed incomes.

All the problems that come with older aging.

But I got good news for us.

I think about all my mentors.

Most of them are all dead but one, Dr.

Hawkins, and we got to see him a few days ago.

I mean, you start thinking about your fixed income, your fixed situation, people you love, your loved ones are dying, people you grew up with are dying.

And you start getting, oh, oh, feelings of insecurity.

What is needed when we feel insecure?

Something secure.

And the author says, look what he says.

God is that source of security.

Look at verse 3.

He's my strong refuge.

He's my rock.

He's my fortress.

So when all the things that once provided security for you begin to fade away, God is still a source and He's still our rock.

So instead of getting worried and vulnerable and insecure, just get up in the morning and say, This is the day the Lord has made.

I'm going to rejoice.

God, I'm yours.

And I'm casting all my care upon you because you care for me.

1 Peter 5, 7.

Can I get an Amen, Church?

And then verse 12, there's the feeling of dependency.

Look at it.

See.

One of the great characteristics of strong people is their self-reliance and their independence.

They make their own decisions, chart their own course.

But now something's happening.

Look at verse 12.

Hey, they can't do that anymore.

Then David cries out, Oh my God.

Notice what he says.

Make haste to help me.

In other words, come right now.

I need you right now.

You can pray that way, church.

I need you right now.

When you get that, hey, when they tell you, I hate to tell you that you got cancer.

Everybody hates that word.

I understand that.

But I got good news.

You can pray right now.

Lord, I need you right now.

Make haste.

Help me.

I don't want to feel insecure.

I don't want to feel frightened.

I don't want to be afraid to die.

Lord, Lord, I'm a Christian and I know I hang on to your word.

All things work together.

We know, we know, we know.

Next time something, when you go through that moment and you go back to, you put this outline, you take it, you put it right where you can get right to it.

Because when you get a bad, bad prognosis, or you get a bad phone call or whatever, you pull this out because you know all these feelings are about to start taking place.

But you know you can go to Psalm 71 and you can start reading.

Make haste now, Lord.

Don't let this insecurity.

Lord, I'm depending on you.

I'm not depending on me.

I'm not depending on the doctors.

I'm depending on you.

Thank God for the doctors.

But I'm depending on you.

And then look at verse 12, too.

Not only is there the feeling of dependency, but there's the feeling of emergency.

Whoa, is that not good?

Somebody say that's good, preacher.

Emergency now.

I need you now, Lord.

I know, I know, I know you, you know, in the rapture and all that, I'm, hey, Lord, I, I, either rapture me now or come be with me now.

Amen.

I need your presence now.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, when they were thrown in the fire furnace, they needed his presence now.

When Daniel was in the lions then, he needed his presence then.

Amen.

He's there.

Be careful for nothing.

Thank you, Lord.

But in everything, give thanks.

In everything.

Say it with me.

In everything.

Even in those disrupted moments, those dark moments.

When you are weak, he is strong.

Be careful to nothing but everything by thanks and prayers and making your requests known.

And then he says, the peace of God that passes all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4, 6 and 8.

We're not sufficient in ourselves.

But our sufficiency is in Him.

2 Corinthians 3, 5.

Woo! That's good.

That's good.

Brings me to my last point.

The reality of the trials in the believer's life, the results of the trials in the believer's life, then the response to trials in the believer's life.

You know, we are lacking a theology for adversity in the contemporary church.

We really are.

Now we have a great theology for prosperity.

We have a great theology for the prosperity gospel.

But we, when's the last time you heard a theology for adversity?

Think about that.

Think about that church.

But we have it right here.

We really do.

We have the theology for prosperity down pat, but sooner or later our prosperity will give way to adversity every time.

And if we don't have a theology final, our theology finally tuned when the adversity comes and it comes unexpected, unannounced, uncharted, unplanned.

And it eventually comes to everyone.

This is good as we close.

A.

Remember the character of God.

Woo! Can I get an amen?

Remember the character of God in thee, O Lord, verses 1 through 3.

Do I put my trust?

Let me never be put to confusion or ashamed.

Deliver me in thy righteousness and cause me to escape.

Incline thy ear and to me.

I've got an intimate relationship.

You're talking to me through your word, I'm talking to you in prayer, and save me.

Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort every day.

Thou hast given thy commandment to save me, for thou art my rock and my fortress.

That not good?

When you're in the middle of trials, everyone will have an opinion or a suggestion or a remedy.

And if they are from people that you trust, then you ought to listen.

But if not, just remember the greatest advice and the greatest person that's going to help you is God Himself.

And his word will never fade away, never return void.

Isaiah 55, 11.

I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way that thy shall go.

I will guide thee with my hand.

Psalms 32.8.

That's good.

B.

Look at B.

How do we respond?

Remember the character of God, but also review the compassion of God.

This is good.

Look at verses again, 4 through 6.

Deliver me, O God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the hand of the unrighteous, cruel men, for thou art my hope, O Lord God, thou art my trust from my youth.

Hey, you know what he's saying?

Hey, he's saying, just look back.

I have carried you all these times.

Even from your mother's wound, I knew you.

And you are fearfully and wonderfully made.

Marvelous are thy works.

Psalms 139, 14.

I've got this.

I know.

I've got a purpose for this.

Man, that's good.

The goodness of God.

The goodness of God.

The compassion of God.

And then look at verse 17.

What he says about his compassion.

He says, Oh God, thou hast taught me from my youth.

From my youth, you are taught me.

Remember what we said?

One of these disruptive moments and dark times come?

For God to what?

Educate us and teach us.

He said, From my youth, you have taught me.

In other words, everything you have allowed me to grow up through has been for a purpose.

To teach me to be like you.

Is that not good?

Wow.

You mean even my infirmities?

Absolutely.

Even my trials?

Absolutely.

Even my sickness?

Absolutely.

Even me losing my job?

Absolutely.

Absolutely.

And then notice C, rejoice in the celebration to God.

Oh, verse 6, verse 8, verses 14 through 15.

We've already read them, verses 22 through 24.

David praised God for faithfulness and goodness.

There he was pouring out his heart because of his affliction.

He was enduring and yet woven throughout all the words of pain and affliction was words of praise.

And remember what I told you?

It wasn't until I read Romans 8.28 and I got in the shower and I started thanking him and praising him, even though I was crushed that I had the peace of God that came over me.

You gotta praise him.

Whenever you go through a trial, God will give you a verse.

He'll give you a song.

You know why I love coming to church?

You know why you come to church?

Now listen, oh man, this is good.

People that miss church miss a blessing.

And let me tell you why.

You come to church and you sit here and you go into Sunday school and you get fed, you get loved on, you get prayed for, you get people put their arms around you, hug you, love you, tell you they love you.

But let me tell you, when you come into this thing and Benji leads us in worship, and we just praise him and praise him, and then your pastor or our pastors teach you the word of God, the truth, his love letter to us, then we are preparing all of us, we are getting prepared.

I call worship a pep rally for Jesus.

Because we, you remember what pep rally is for to get you excited to go play the best football game you could play?

Give it all you got.

Well, what these worship times and feeding times do for us, it puts on the armor of God.

We come in and we take the shield of faith, we take the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God, the helmet of salvation, the sandals of of truth and peace.

And now we go back out into the world, our ministry, our platform where God has placed us.

And remember at the very beginning we said Satan's gonna be attacking, the afflictions are coming, the gossip is all that jump's coming.

You're gonna be attacked from every side, from even inside, your loved ones.

It's all coming.

Well, guess what?

It's because then Satan can't take you out because you and I know how to respond.

We get, we throw our sandals with those spikes, and that's what the soldiers saying, and we say, boom, boom.

We just start fighting.

Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, and we don't go down.

Or if we go down, bless God, we get right back up.

We don't quit until it's your time to go home.

And when it's your time to go home, and you've stood, and when you've done all you can do.

You said well done.

That's what I'm looking for.

Well done.

How good and faithful servant.

Enter into the joy of the Lord.

That's good.

Anything worth having's worth working for.

There's no free lunch.

Young people, look at me.

I was witnessing.

Coming back, delivering my two grandkids.

We stopped at Chick-fil-A at Udoua.

And there was a guy going around with a clipboard.

And he's asking them questions about their service.

So I said, hmm.

I'm going to interview him.

I said, hey, I want to be interviewed.

Oh, you do?

Yeah, come on over.

He swallowed hook, line, and sinker.

Susan was going to get some more diet lemonade.

I said, are you uh reviewing services here for Chick-fil-A?

Oh yeah.

I said, do you oh yeah, I do it for McDonald's, Burger King.

I said, well, I just got one question.

Is the service at Chick-fil-A head and shoulders above all the other services in all these other fast food restaurants?

He said, no, not head and shoulders.

Galaxies.

And he called a few names and I won't name them.

He said, I won't, I told him I'm not going back and even interviewing there.

Because they cussed me out.

Or you know what the first thing they ask when he says, Will you do an interview?

Talking about employees and customers.

What you gonna give me?

I'm gonna give you what you earn.

Nothing.

I said, so the service is way better.

Oh, absolutely.

I said, Well, I've got a question.

You know why their service is so much better?

He said, he kind of grinned.

He says, I know where you're going.

I said, You're right.

His name was uh Brenner.

Pardon?

Uh the guy named Troy Kathy.

Nobody knows that's not what I said.

He said, I said, Do you know why?

And he smiled, and I said, Yeah, you know why, don't you?

I said, Because they're a Christian organization.

And they know what it means to be a servant compared to be a taker.

They're givers, not takers.

My pleasure.

May I help you?

When's it last?

If I better, I'm gonna no, no, no, I'm not gonna do that.

You know what I do when I walk in those places and they do me that they don't some like I gotta wait on you.

No, you know what I do?

This is the day the Lord has made.

I'm gonna rejoice and be glad in it.

Darling, you can help me.

I just need this and this.

And boy, isn't it a beautiful day.

I guess so.

And then I turned around and asked him, did he know Jesus as his Lord and Satan?

He did.

But folks, that's what I'm talking about.

We have an unequal, if you didn't get any point in this message under that subpoint, we have an unequal God.

Can I get an amen?

An unequal God.

And he's on your side.

In fact, he's more than on your side.

He's in you through the person of the Holy Spirit of God.

And you ought to have a spell at least once a day, maybe three or four times a day, giving him all the glory and praise that he so rightly deserves because you're breathing.

And when somebody has a negative, you give a positive.

Amen.

Don't give me a negative, because you're gonna get shot at with my Bible verses.

Woo! Humble things, humble things from living for.

I'm coming back.

This is the name of the Lord and made that will rejoice and be glad in it.

Rejoice always.

Hey, sing unto the glory of the Lord.

They think I'm on something.

Let's say you have too much coffee.

I said, No, I gotta, I got, I don't drink coffee.

I drink the new wine.

I drink the Holy Spirit.

Right, right.

The word of God.

The word of God can't get in you without giving, and you've got to get some relief.

Hey, it's gotta come out.

If it goes in, it's gotta come out.

Peter said, I can't help but speak the things that I've seen and heard.

Acts 4.20.

All right, let me wrap it up.

Rejoice in the celebration to God and the last two things.

Renew your consecration to God.

Verse 18.

Isn't that awesome?

Look at what he says.

Now also when I am old and gray-headed, oh God, forsake me not until I have showed thy strength in this generation and thy power to everyone that has come.

You know what he said?

Even in my old age, I'm not gonna quit preaching, I'm not gonna quit witnessing, I'm not gonna quit playing, I'm not gonna quit singing.

I'm gonna go.

One of my heart's desires, one of my main ministries, other than my ministry with us as a church, is I want my grandchildren to understand that they can get saved and have a relationship with an unequal God.

That's why we try to spend as much time with them as we can.

You with me, church?

And then the last thing, verse 21, reclaim your confidence in God and the future.

Look at what he says.

Thou shalt increase my greatness and comfort me on every side.

Is that not fabulous?

Is that not fabulous?

Folks, you've got confidence.

That he's going to increase our greatness on every side and what he means, our witness, our ministry on every side.

Carolyn had a heartbeat for us to take pennies and dimes and quarters to feed the children.

And now look what that vision and heartbeat that she had has done with pennies and nickels and quarters.

Get you a jar, fill it up with all your coins, and give it to the ministry.

That's what you do.

Hey, ours was about$30.

Don't get a little jar, get a big jar, get a quart jar.

Amen.

We've got a lot of problems going on right now.

And what I mean by problems, let me rephrase that.

We got a lot of trials going on right now in our church.

God had laid on my heart way back in May when I was getting ready to, knowing that I was going to take my July month off, heavily that we needed to understand why people are when the world, when your world's turned upside down, why and how and what.

So that when what does happen, we can understand and we can stand and not allow Satan to take us out.

Amen.

Amen.

You know what everybody told me when my wife died in my arms two weeks into ministry?

I just graduated from seminary.

I could have walked away and no one would have thought bad of me.

I would have been justified.

They told me that.

Fact, some of my dearest friends, one of my mentors said, I thought you were going to quit.

Oh, did I think about it?

Yeah, I threw my Bible against the wall and said, There is no God.

Yeah, I thought about it.

Have I thought about it since?

Yeah.

When Sister Fluffy Head just won't go away?

Yeah, I thought about it.

And Deacon Potato Head, ladies.

Yeah.

Have I asked why?

Oh, absolutely.

Instead of asking what I should what.

But let me tell you this.

Listen to me, young people, I'm going to help you.

The older I've gotten in the Lord, and the more mature I've gotten in the Lord.

I don't ask why anymore.

I ask what.

What are you going to teach me, Lord?

What do I need to learn?

It's not my brother, nor my sister.

It's not Sister Fluffy Head and Deacon Potato Head.

But it's me, O Lord, standing in the way.

It's me.

Yeah, but you, no, there are no buttons.

It's you.

When God brings something unexpected in your life, it's about you.

He wants to deal.

Yeah, but no?

No?

Hey, don't you think, Johnny, that God can deal with you too?

I don't have to blame Johnny.

I don't have to blame John or Clay.

I have to evaluate me.

I have to look in with me.

And I don't like what I see sometimes.

It's ugly.

It's selfish.

And it's all about me.

And then the Holy Spirit says, not I, but Christ.

Galatians 2 20.

It's about Him showing me to be more like Him.

And that's really what I want.

Nothing more.

Nothing less.

But to be like Him.