We Know!

Welcome to this week's message from the church at Chelsea Westover.

Our core values are vibrant worship, intimate fellowship, fulfilling service, and clear biblical truth.

We pray that this message changes your life.

Let's tune in to today's message and see what God has in store for you.

In Romans chapter 11, if you read my blog this week, I was sharing in a concise way what God has taught me through many, many years.

Romans 11 · chapter mention

When I lost my wife, Eric's mother, at age 28.

She died in my arms with asthma attack.

We had just graduated from seminary, been in Tuscaloosa for two weeks at Open Door Baptist Church, and on New Year's Day, at 8.30 in the morning, no, excuse me, 6.30 in the morning, my wife went on to be with Jesus in my arms.

Being an ex-paramedic, I did everything humanly possible to save her life.

Dr.

Nevin Allwine was there as I did the CPR and tried to revive her.

But it was not God's will.

I struggled for two days saying there can't be a God.

There is no God.

How would a God do this?

So a young man that just graduated and his wife had worked so hard to put him through seminary.

All these things.

Even took my Bible and threw it against the wall.

Said, there is no God.

You've never heard this part of my story.

But today you need to hear it.

I passed out.

I had gotten a phone call from one of my mentors that's in heaven with David up there, Dr.

Jerry Falwell.

And he said, Danny, I don't know what you're going through.

I cannot ever relate with that.

But I do know this: if God's called you there, stay and build a great church.

And we did.

God did.

But when I woke up, after I'd passed out on there, giving me some pretty strong medicine.

I woke up, my Bible was right here, laying open, just like that.

To Romans, and it had highlighted.

Romans 8, 28.

And we know that all things work together for good.

To them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose.

And the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart immediately and said, either that's real or it's not.

But if it's real, you're gonna be okay.

I got up, got in the shower, and I was weeping like a baby, and the Holy Spirit showed up.

I mean, it was as clear he, now I I didn't see Caspar the ghost.

I didn't see a person, but I felt him.

I knew he was there because he was in my heart, and I knew he was speaking directly to me.

And he said, Your wife, your wife, because she I kept saying she had worked so hard to put me through school.

The Holy Spirit said, You got the degree, but she got the crown.

I had a Holy Ghost fit, Pentecostal fit.

By the way, I'm part Pentecostal if you hadn't figured that out yet.

And I came out of that shower, a new man.

And after that, Romans 8.28, he took me to Romans 11.

And I want you to see this.

Jason, if we can throw that up.

And he says in Romans 11, 33, O the depths of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God, how unsearchable are his judgments and his ways past finding out.

For who hath known the mind of the Lord, or who hath been his counselor?

No person, he's saying, can grasp God's plan.

It's not feasible.

We can't do it.

In fact, he says that his plan includes his wisdom, his knowledge, and his judgments.

In other words, he already knows everything.

And then look at what he says.

Or who has first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again.

For of him and through him and to him are all things to whom be glory forever and ever.

He says, no person can earn God's gift.

And then the last thing he says, God alone is the source and the channel and the end of all things.

And you know what the Holy Spirit taught me that morning in my bedroom?

It's okay.

You don't have to ask me why.

It's okay to ask me, but I'm in charge.

I'm handling it.

It's okay.

Christy, it's okay.

I don't understand why he took your the love of your life.

And my best friend I've ever had.

I don't understand it.

Benji, I don't know why he took your dad.

And your best friend.

But Benji, Christy, I do know this.

All we know, all things work together for good.

I don't know how we can see the good right now.

And I'm gonna tell you something we may, I never, and I still hadn't seen the good about Eric's mother being taken that morning.

I don't understand that.

One day we may, but I got news for you.

I used to think, well, when I get to heaven, hey, I'll know.

But let me tell you something.

It won't matter.

It won't matter.

We will know as he knows.

And guess what?

We'll see them all again.

And isn't it amazing?

You think you love somebody now, you ain't seen love yet.

When you get to heaven, we're all gonna love each other so much there's not even marriage.

That means you're gonna love, we're gonna love each other more than we love our mates right now.

And you explain that one.

Amen.

So today, we're gonna ask Benji to share what he shared at the funeral yesterday about his dad.

And then you're gonna hear from David himself.

And then I'm gonna preach the message from Romans 8 28.

As I walk this great unknown, questions come and questions go.

Was there purpose for the pain?

Did I cry these tears in vain?

I don't want to live in fear.

I want to trust that you are dealing.

Trust your great beast, both triumph and tragedy.

You are with me and you let go.

Dad was born on December 17th, 1955, in Siliconga, Alabama.

His father was never able to read or write and was a carpenter by trade.

He passed away in 1997.

His mother was a hardworking woman in the hospital arena who passed away in February of this year.

Dad had one brother who went to be with Jesus shortly after he was born.

He has one brother, Terry, and two sisters, Teresa and Denise, still living today.

Dad did not grow up in a Christian home.

And at the age of 15 years old, through an invite of a basketball coach, yes, he loved the game of basketball, he attended a conference at church and accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior.

When he graduated high school, he moved into management at Morrison's cafeteria and was promoted several times with several city moves.

He met a young, beautiful woman named Christy Gail Houghton.

And they then married in 1977.

In 1979, they had their first son.

That would be me.

And then almost two years later, my brother Brady was born.

In 1983, Morrison's cafeteria moved us to Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

And as I told you yesterday, it's very difficult for Auburn fans to live in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

I knew that was coming.

So in 1984, Morrisons wanted to move us again, but this time something was different.

They had found a church that was dynamic and biblically based and wanted to stay there in Tuscaloosa at Open Door.

Dad quit his job without knowing the next step, but he placed his foundation on the verse Pastor Danny just mentioned, choose you, excuse me, for we know the plans I have for you.

Romans 8, 28.

Shortly thereafter, God opened a door, and Dad was blessed with being invited into partnership into SurfPro by a wonderful man named Barry Bowen.

You see, SurfPro was just the platform for the ministry that he wanted to do.

It was simply the platform.

His life verse for our family was Joshua 24, 15, which says, Choose you this day whom you will serve, for as me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

Brady and I are so blessed to have Christian parents whose foundation was the platform in which we all have our faith in Christ Jesus.

As Pastor Danny mentioned earlier, growing up around our house was very competitive.

I'll never forget the day.

I'll never forget when Dad would call us outside for a game of basketball.

And I remember just a few times he wanted to play Brady and I against himself.

And we'd say, Dad, you sure you want to do this?

He would look at us with that grin on his face and say, Of course I do.

I'm in it to win it.

And a winner he was, and always a positive thought process.

In 2000, by way of tragic accident to Barry, his partner, we had to move here to Birmingham to start our journey in a whole new arena.

In the year of 2007, Brady and I were blessed to become business partners with mom and dad.

He began teaching us what it means to serve our community, our SurvePro franchises, and our employees.

He also taught us not only business values, but life lessons and how to set our foundation on things that really matter, which is Christ alone.

In 2009, Dad had a lifelong dream to start a church.

That dream became a reality, as you guys know, in 2012.

He was so excited, and I'll never forget it.

And I was honored and asked to be the worship pastor and really didn't want to do it.

And today I'm so glad I did.

So glad I did.

It was not only to worship Jesus, but I got to spend these last five years with my dad.

Take a listen at this journey to the church plant.

The lyrics of the psalm says something like this Lord.

Dad has been able to share Christ through this platform and make a huge impact across the country and even the world.

This past January of 2017, our ServePro founder Ted Isaacson passed away.

Although it was tragic, it was so fitting that this year of 2017 was the 50-year history of SurvePro Industries.

I remember Dad calling me and he was so excited that he had been asked to speak.

You see, Dad had a dream to be an entrepreneur, and with Ted Isaacson's help, his dream became a reality.

I'm reminded in the Bible, in Psalms 116, verse 15, the Bible says precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of one of his faithful servants.

Psalms 116:15

As I think of Ted Isaac's, I think of a man of great vision, of courage, and solid, steady leadership.

He was one that always inspired me with his down-to-earth common sense wisdom and advice.

He was the one that because of his dreams that might even have a chance to become a reality.

It was Ted that taught us all how to how to even dream at all.

For that I'll always be thankful and grateful.

Because of what Ted did, my dream of business ownership became a reality.

Because of what Ted did, my wife Christy's dream of being able to stay home and raise our boys and work from home became a reality.

Because of what Ted did, our boys, our dream of our boys coming to work with us and being partners became a reality.

And their dream of business ownership became a reality as well.

Because of what Ted did, my dream and Christy's dream of one day planting a church, because of Cerebro became a reality four years ago.

As a result, and because of what Ted did, my desire, Christy's desire to one day help my mom and her failing health to come live with us became a reality this year ten months ago.

Let there be no doubt that what God did through Ted and Doris to start server and changed my family tree and thousands across this great land in Canada, and I submit to you thousands to come.

He was instrumental in creating a system that this old country boy from Alabama could follow and execute to a level of success that could not have been done on my own.

It goes without saying that he created an opportunity for us to build a net worth on our balances that is simply amazing to the business community where I come from.

Matter of fact, the Bible says in Matthew 16, 26, what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul?

I'm reminded of what the old evangelist said to remind us of how to do this.

He says this.

What is the gospel according to you?

When I find myself in these situations, I find great encouragement in the scripture and this chapter in the chapter.

He makes me lie down and leaves me in the house and water.

He leaves me in the house of righteousness or his name.

Even though I walk in the valley, I will be no evil.

You are with me, and you're rod and your shadow and cover me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies, and you'll anoint my head with oil, and my cup overflows.

You heard him mention his mother, as we all know, Granny, and the blessing of her living with him for almost a year.

He had no idea that just a few weeks after that, he would be burying her.

He cherished every moment.

And it was 99 days later that he would meet Jesus and all his loved ones.

Life is short.

Make sure you cherish every moment with your family, even starting now.

You know, I wasn't gonna share this, but I'm gonna share it anyway.

Yesterday, actually, uh Friday.

We had some friends up from Montgomery.

And her name is Joe Hancock.

She is a dynamic prayer warrior.

Dynamic prayer warrior.

Matter of fact, she had called for a fast for my dad starting tomorrow and ending this coming.

Actually, it was this past week.

Sorry.

Last Monday to last Thursday.

And of course he passed away Monday morning.

But she was telling us a story, and she said that God woke her up Monday morning at 2 45 a.m.

She had to use the restroom.

But she woke up, she walked into the restroom, and she stood in front of the mirror before she went to the bathroom.

And she said, Dad's face flashed in front of her eyes.

And she asked herself, why?

I don't understand why you would take this man.

Why did you not let him complete his life?

And instantly, she said, God told him, God told her.

I did.

See, what she didn't know is he had just passed away seven minutes prior to that.

And if you know anything about completion, seven is completion.

Also, she didn't know till she was talking with us last Friday that he had lived seven more years after he was first diagnosed the first time.

Yeah, I'm telling you, I was weeping like a baby.

But in the end, he was complete.

He completed.

So in closing, I'll never forget arriving to the hospital on that Friday, June the 2nd.

See, it was meant for me to have to be there that weekend.

I had just relieved Carrie.

He had been there for about seven to nine days taking care of dad with mom.

I walked into the room, and the first thing dad said to me wasn't, I love you.

It wasn't, hey Bench, how you doing?

His first words to me were, Bench, I'm fighting hard for us.

I'm fighting hard.

Always positive, always positive.

And his next words sent me back to my childhood.

He said, Bench, I'm in it to win it.

I'm in it to win it.

He did.

He brought back so many memories as a child, and I'm so thankful for all the years that we had with him.

On Sunday, June the 4th, as we told him our goodbyes here on earth, and we told him we loved him.

And the last time he told us he loved us, I told him he fought hard and I was proud of him.

This verse sums it up best.

2 Timothy 4 7.

I have fought a good fight.

I finished the course.

I've kept the faith.

Dad, I'm proud of you for fighting.

Now you've won.

You won.

We have received hundreds and hundreds of text messages, emails, phone calls, Facebook posts about how dad touched their life in some form or fashion.

And many who said they accepted Christ through his life and testimony, even in his own office, accepted Christ.

Many have asked how we're doing, and the only thing I can tell you is that, as you heard in the song earlier, our hope is not in the things of this world.

Our hope is in eternity after this life.

Dad had a huge influence on both my brother and I receiving Christ because of Jesus Christ.

We have hope.

And you can too.

Dad, I know you're watching down on us and probably helping Jesus with some kind of meeting or organizing a meal with Granny.

And you're worshiping.

We know you're worshiping right at the feet of Jesus.

I want to tell you thank you for all you did to help prepare me and my brother and my mom.

We love you forever.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I'm waiting.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Romans eight twenty-eight.

What I want to do this morning.

I've had this a long time.

No, usually I have my little book and you have an outline.

Now you can and you need to on the back list the four.

No.

Yeah.

Hey, hey, that's that's just an introduction.

That ain't what God will give you along the way.

Amen.

I have kept this outline for so long, I'm still surprised it's there.

I had Kathy Hutcheson, who we had about 60 members from Open Door all there yesterday at the funeral.

And Kathy came up to me and she said, Pastor Daniel never, never know that you had come back to Open Door after you had left and you preached Romans 8.28.

And I wrote those four points down in my Bible.

And a week later, a week later, my son was killed on a four-wheeler.

And I took those four points and I read them over and over and over again.

And how it took me through my son's death.

I want you to write them down.

If you write in your Bible, I want you to write them in your Bible.

Because I'm gonna tell you, you're gonna need this.

Some of you may need it right now.

But I can promise you, you're gonna need it.

Because every time I've been in these situations, I pull this piece of paper out.

And I just read it to myself.

Nobody else can read.

It's my handwriting.

Nobody but me and the Lord and the Holy Spirit.

But on this side is for you that are in the ministry, it's good to have Ty here today.

Sure good.

When he worked with us a couple of summers, we'd talk about the Greek, and when he was out visiting women, we were always talking about scripture.

Well, see, this side is the exergetical work of the Romans 8.28.

That side is what God taught me through that.

And it says the words we know.

Now the words there we know, the word know is Ada.

And it means that you can be assured of.

It means you can be certain of.

In other words, this is not a mistake.

Let me repeat that.

This is not a mistake.

Can I get an amen?

What he is saying there, that what has happened is not a mistake.

That's good.

It's not a mistake.

God's in charge.

Did God make it happen?

Absolutely not.

Did God allow it to happen?

Absolutely.

Why?

Because we're going to see he's got a purpose.

But I want you to understand that.

That starts right there.

In other words, what he's saying is you can be assured that Christ rules over all things.

Can I get an amen?

You can be sure of that.

Now, it definitely took us by surprise.

But it didn't take God by surprise.

Now listen to me, Christian.

Listen to me.

Nothing takes God by surprise in your life.

Okay?

That's good teaching.

He works all things out for good.

For hey, in behalf of his dear children.

Now notice the next words.

The words work together.

That's a pretty tough Greek word to pronounce.

See if I can do it.

Soonergi.

So Nergii.

And here's what it means: it means to create and eliminate.

In other words, there's some things he creates for his purpose, and sometimes he eliminates things for his purpose.

Okay?

That's good.

Makes you understand a little bit better.

Then he says it means to place and to replace.

In other words, sometimes he places things to, hey, fulfill his purpose.

Sometimes he takes things away to fulfill his purpose.

Man, that's good.

He connects and groups.

He intermingles.

He shapes.

Hey, he presses, he stretches, he moves, he operates, he controls, he guides, he arranges and influences.

In other words, the things that happen, he has a purpose for it influencing his agenda.

Man, that's so good.

And then work together is in what we call the present action, which means that all things are continually working together for our good.

It's not a once action, it's a continual action.

Everything, all things that happen to we Christians are happening for our good.

Even though it's bad, it's for our good.

Now that is unbelievable truth.

And then the third word, which means the word good.

Agathos.

And you know what it means?

It means ultimate good.

Ultimate good.

See, right now, it's not good that David's gone.

In our fleshly thinking, in our fleshly emotions, it's not good.

Not good.

I mean, in my mind, God brought me to help David start this church.

And now he's gone.

And he knows how much I hate administration.

We're gonna talk about that one when I get up there.

Unbelievable.

But it's happened ultimately for our good.

Now, how do we know that?

Because that's what the word says.

Can I get an amen?

I don't understand it, I don't feel like it, I don't want it, but I believe it.

It's for our good.

Ultimate.

And I really do believe that.

Let me tell you what I believe when I was working on this.

Going back through it.

I don't know how, what, when, I do know where.

Here, that his death is gonna help take this church to the next level.

I believe that with all my heart.

Now that means a lot of us have got to step up to the plate.

Some of you, hey, you know, we have a tendency, if somebody else is doing it, we'll sit back and let them do it.

But we've got we've got to step to the plate now.

I don't think any of us had any idea how much David did around here.

Every time you came in, the reason this place was clean, everything looked immaculate, boom, boom, boom.

He made sure it was that way.

There's a lot that he did.

He administrated the whole thing.

So for me, how does this seem to be ultimately good?

To me, it sounds like a headache for me.

And I told him I didn't want that and already done that, ain't gonna do that.

Well, I I guess that's I'm gonna have to recant that a little bit.

Amen?

But it's ultimately for our good.

Now, here's what God taught me many years ago.

Title of the message Do all things work for our good.

That's it.

Do all things work for our good?

And then put outside of that question in big letters, yes.

Yes.

God has a two-fold purpose and plan for our life.

This is what he's taught me after 35 years of going through major tragedies in my own life and this being one of them.

And if you haven't faced a major tragedy, let me help you.

You will.

For our good, for his glory.

That is God's twofold purpose.

It is God's great promise and God's great secret to the Christian.

Romans 8.28 here gives us hope and refuge in time of confusion.

Right now we're confused.

You say, well, no, I'm not.

Yes, you are, because you don't understand it.

There's not one of us here that understands why David Wilson was taken at age 61, a man that was doing so much good compared to a lot of people that do no good.

That's run through your mind.

It's run through mine.

Oh, I struggled with that at the very beginning.

But you know what?

I had to go back here.

Ultimate good.

Ultimate good.

I had to come back to God's word.

Hope and refuge in time of confusion and need.

Remember this.

1 Corinthians 4, 30, is it 4?

Let me look.

14 33.

1 Corinthians 14, 33.

God is not the author of confusion, but of peace to all the church saints.

So when you're confused right now, God's not in that.

That's nothing but Satan.

Can I get an amen?

That's nothing but Satan.

Trying to confuse you, trying to discourage, and you know why?

If he can confuse you, he can discourage you.

And if he can discourage you, he can cause you to quit.

Or give up.

Or decide you're going to sit on the sideline and watch.

I've always had a short tendency when I would get hurt and not understand something or not think that God ought to done something the way I thought he ought to do it.

Nobody else thinks that way, I'm sure.

Well, what?

Then, God, you just do it.

I'll just sit back and let you do it.

And you know what it says?

Go ahead.

If you want to, you're the ones going to, hey, miss out.

You're the one, you're the one that's going to miss out on the blessing.

And by the way, you can't do that.

I've called you.

That's disobedience.

And you'll pay the consequences.

See, as a child of God, you really don't have a choice.

Oh, you have a choice.

But you'll suffer the consequences if you don't do it his way.

There is only one way.

And his way is the right way.

Amen?

Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life.

No man can come unto the Father except by me.

John 14, 6.

But then after you get saved, that's, hey, that's that's justification.

Then you've got to do it his way in the process of sanctification.

So notice there are four factors related to this great promise, this great secret.

Number one, write it down.

First of all, it's private.

Said private?

Yeah.

Notice the words we know.

We, the pronoun we.

Look at the pronoun we.

Yes, we know.

This verse is not intended to be understood by the world.

This verse is not intended to be understood by lost folks.

Or carnal Christians, even.

It's not intended to.

Because it's not spiritually discerned.

You with me?

If you went to 1 Corinthians, and I'm not going to take you there, but you need to read it.

1 Corinthians chapter 2, verses 10 through 16, talks about that, hey, man does not know as God's knows.

1 Corinthians 2:10–16

How can we have the mind of Christ?

Because what?

The things of Christ are spiritually discerned.

It's the Spirit of God that reveals the things of God to the heart of man.

And so he says, that's why you don't understand.

Because carnality doesn't understand spirituality.

So it's very plain in 1 Corinthians chapter 2, verses 10 through 16.

1 Corinthians 2:10–16

And even in Romans 3, the one of the chapters we use to win people to Christ, he says, none, no people understand, none seek after God.

Romans 3.11.

And then there's another powerful verse in 2 Timothy 3.7.

He says, We're always, hey, reading and we're ever learning, but never able to come to the truth.

Why?

Because we don't have the Spirit of God living in us.

People read the Bible all the time and say, Pastor Danny, I don't understand the Bible.

You know what my first thought is, and I have to be careful?

Well, that just tells me you don't have the Holy Spirit living in your heart.

Or if you do, you've quenched and grieved him.

Because it's the Holy Spirit who's our teacher and who's our revealer to our hearts.

Is that not good?

So we see this verse is not intended to be understood by the lost of the world.

To the world, in 1 Corinthians 2 10 through 16, you know what it they say to the world or to a lost person, it's hey, foolishness.

It's folly.

No sense whatsoever.

This verse only applies to true believers.

The lost person or the world, hey, has no hopeful explanation to a sudden death, sudden sickness, and I wrote this down, sudden sickness, hey, or sudden tragedies are various setbacks in life.

They have no hope, no answer.

None whatsoever.

See, you a lot of people don't have an answer to why God took David, allowed David to be taken.

We do.

Because why do we have hope?

Ready?

Say it with me.

We know, come on, say it.

We know.

We know that all things work to our ultimate good.

Now, do we know how that's gonna work itself out?

Absolutely not.

Do we know five years from now how the streams of this action's gonna take place in Benji's life, in Brady's life, in Christie's life, in the church history's life, in my life?

No, but we trust God because he will guide us every step of the way.

Amen.

We trust him.

We trust him.

We know.

So it's private.

That's just for me and you.

Can I get an amen?

It's just for the same people so that we don't lose our minds.

Amen.

That's it.

Because if I started allowing Satan to confuse me and cause me to start thinking the other way, I could lose my mind.

And I'll tell you what it does, it really works on a lot of folks that are not as mature as they need to be or not growing as they should be.

And you know what it does?

It really makes them quit God.

Well, first of all, you know what, dude?

They quit the church.

And you know why they quit the church?

Because it represents God.

So in reality, when you quit going to church, and I know, and then here's what we say.

Well, I can worship by myself.

I don't have to be in a church to worship God.

Well, let me just ask you: go ahead and be a disobedient to God.

Because he says, not forsaking the assembling of yourselves.

My question is, how can you be a be worship God when you're not being obedient to God?

I've never figured that one out.

Hello.

Let me tell you what David said.

You heard all those great things.

Do you know what he told me time and time again?

I'll never forget it.

He said, he said, Danny, do you realize every major decision in my life, my family for my family, my business was made from a word arema from God in church?

In church.

Church is important.

Somebody, can the whole church say, preacher, that's good?

Thank you.

Because it is good.

It is good.

Am I singing?

Hey, God thought that was real good.

Amen.

Thank you, Lord.

I needed that.

They were looking at me like I'm crazy.

Number two.

God.

Number one, it is private.

And we know.

Ada.

We understand.

We are for sure.

It's for our ultimate good.

But number two, it is helpful.

Useful.

Another Greek word, I mean another synonym of valuable.

Things work together for good.

This is one of the most comforting thoughts in all the scripture to me when tragedies come.

Things that happen in life have a way of working together for our good.

Now the word work together means to cooperate together for our good.

In other words, these things are constructive for us.

There's weaknesses in our life that we need to face, and sometimes we will not face those weaknesses until a tragedy comes and we have to.

Amen.

Starting together.

But we know.

We know.

And when Christy's there at nights and and and and waking up thinking that it's he's a dream and David's right there, and I know I've been there.

Hey, the only thing's gonna get her through it is she knows.

She knows.

She knows.

We know.

It's helpful.

Work together.

How many events which may have have you may have thought like right now we're thinking at the time were disastrous.

Actually, in the end, it worked out for our good.

Have you ever thought about that?

We've had people call Tabbit and say, Well, what's what we're gonna do now in the church?

Is church just gonna fall apart?

I got news for you.

If this is God's church, it ain't gonna fall apart.

Now, if it's David's church, my church, the council's church, bless God, let it fall apart.

You remember what the disciples had that same pity party?

Lord, do you understand everyone?

What's gonna happen?

And he ran to the Galeo, the great teacher, and said, Oh, oh, this is problem in the church.

And Galeo said, Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.

If it is of God, it can't be stopped.

If it is of man, it needs to fall.

Amen.

Folks, the church, hey, it's God's church, and you're God's people.

When tragedies come, we step in the gap.

Some of you, you've been sitting here and you're enjoying it, and you've got gifts that we don't know about, and you're just now you God's gonna speak to your heart and you're gonna say, Hey, play's already come to me, and the council's already come to me and said, We know David filled a big void, but we're here to help any way we can.

Why?

We know we know.

And I'm gonna pass the ministration as quick as I can.

We know.

We know.

Yeah.

I know what my job, I know my, I know my what have my job, my strengths.

I just preach and love people, lead thee, that's what I do.

Done that other.

We do.

We do.

Everybody.

We know.

Be the church.

It's helpful.

It's helpful.

Things work together.

Listen, hey, God was not taking, hey, things that happened to us are not by act.

I wrote this to myself, put a star.

They're not by accident, nor are they by a blind chance.

No.

Not at all.

However, oh, I love this part.

It does mean that God can take our mistakes, our messes, and turn them into triumphs.

Amen?

He can take our messes, our mistakes, and turn them into triumphs.

Don't, and first thing happens when you really blow it.

Satan says, it's over, you're through.

See?

That's a lie right out of the pits of hell.

You're never through if God's on your side.

And if you're a Christian, you're never through.

You get back up.

You get back up.

And I'm going to end with that.

Really?

When we know.

Now watch.

Doesn't mean everything that happens is good.

What's happened is not good.

It is not good for Christie.

It's not good for the boys.

It's not good for me.

It's not good for you.

It's not good.

But we know that ultimately it will be good.

And I got news for you.

Let me go ahead and help you.

David, as much as he loves love, and that's what he called her.

Hey, as much as he loves me, and no, and let me tell you how I know he's laughing in heaven.

And by the way, he would not want to come back.

I've already asked him.

He said, no, I'm not coming back.

You can come up here.

Amen.

Amen.

But now listen.

He is laughing.

Let me tell you what happened to me when he died.

This is funny.

I'm sitting there.

I had the best time just me and him and Susan.

I talked to him, held his hand for hours.

I was telling him everything.

We had done together and the joy and the And how I was going to miss him.

I wouldn't have taken anything from being with him when he died.

I knew God was going to let me do that.

And I thought to myself, he made so he loved.

I always lose my keys.

Or my phone.

He used to so laugh.

Put it in the book.

Put it in the book.

He said, we need to write a book about all the times you've lost your keys and phone.

Well, after we Susan woke me up and said, I think David's gone.

Went over and checked his bulk and his heart, and I knew he was gone.

And I just looked up and said, I know you're home.

Called the nurse.

Call Benji first.

And Brady.

And I needed to go get Brady.

So I get in the car.

Everybody's coming on back to the hospital.

I get in the car and go get Brady.

And on the way, I said, well, first I need to fill up a gas.

I'm going to empty.

We'll get a cup of coffee there at the station.

Well, it wasn't open yet.

So anyway, I was filling up.

Brady went and tried to get coffee, came back.

Well, I put my phone up on the gas tank.

So we take off and go back to the hospital.

Phone's still on the gas tank.

About that time I said, Where's my phone?

I said, must have left it in the cars.

Come on, Susan.

So I don't know why you were with me to go back to the car.

You just wanted to go with me.

You knew I was in a mown world, I guess.

But went to the car, dim a little phone, thing on my watch to make it beep.

It's not in there.

I said, but I know exactly where it is.

Get in the car, let's go.

Hope somebody hadn't stolen it.

Sure enough, I pull in the.

And it was right around the corner station.

And it's 4 o'clock, 4 30 in the morning.

But there was a car in front of me.

So praise the Lord they didn't stop at that tank.

I might have gotten the phone.

But anyway, I grabbed the phone and the first thing she'll tell you, I started laughing.

Laughing.

I said, I know David right now is saying, Lord, who in the world you gonna have down there to help my pastor?

He I meant he is lost his phone.

I hadn't been gone 30 minutes and lost his phone.

So we had a good laugh.

We had a good laugh.

We really did.

But to understand that, we don't understand that.

But this I do.

Not all things that happen are good.

When you lose a job, you financially uh have a bad streak and sickness and death, disappointments, difficulties, defeats, and on and on.

We don't understand, but are you ready?

We know.

These are for our ultimate good.

Brings me to number three.

It is private, it is helpful, and number three, it is complete.

Absolute, all-inclusive.

All things work together for good.

Can I really believe this?

Can you really believe this?

I wrote this question to me.

You gotta remember many years ago.

Had the apostle Paul said this, some things, or many things, or even most things, it could have been a little easier to believe.

Couldn't it?

But see, that would have given us a way out.

Yeah, it would have.

But we can't.

And that's why God doesn't let you understand it.

Because then you'd take credit for it.

I'd take credit for it.

Or I'd say I figured it out.

Or I know.

No.

Doesn't work that way.

You know what?

The best example.

But we know all things.

All things included unfair things.

Listen to me.

See, right now I think this is unfair.

I believe David dying at 61 years old, leaving Christy a widow, leaving the boys, not getting to see his grandkids grow up, all that.

I think that's unfair.

Does anybody agree with me?

That's unfair.

That's unfair.

So how do I deal with that?

You ready?

We know.

That's the only way you can deal with it.

What about Joseph?

Thirteen years in prison.

His God had said he was going to be the chosen one.

His brothers got jealous.

Hey, they they beat him up, threw him in a pit, sold him, hey, sold him to the slave say uh uh traitors, they took him to Egypt, put him on a block, sold him into Potiphar's house, went to jail for 13 years.

Is that fair?

A man that was serving God, is that fair?

Hey, I know a lot of Christians say, well, he's sure messed up.

I wonder what sin he committed to have to have all this happen.

Hey, I got news for you.

He didn't.

It was God's ultimate plan for him.

Ultimate what?

Good.

Now you say, how in the world could that be ultimately good?

I'll tell you how.

If Joseph had not been thrown in the pit, he would have never been, hey, taken to Egypt by the slave traders.

Had he never been taken to Egypt, hey, by the slave traders, he had never been put on the block to be sold as a slave.

Had he never been put on the block to be sold as a slave, he would have never been bought by Potiford.

Had he never been bought by Potiford, he would have never become a servant in Potiford's house.

Had he never become a servant in Potiphar's house, he would have never been falsely accused.

Had he never been falsely accused by Potiphar's wife, he would have never been thrown in prison.

Had he never been thrown in prison, he'd have never met the baker and the butler.

Had he never met the baker and butler, he would have never interpreted their dreams.

And if he had never interpreted their dreams, he'd have never been taken to Pharaoh to interpret his dreams.

And if he had never been taken to Pharaoh to interpret his dreams, he would have never, hey, had he been delivered into Pharaoh's court as the second in command and delivered Egypt and Israel from the structure.

Oh my friends, when it looks like you're going down, you're going up.

Are you hearing me?

When it looks like you're going down, you're going up.

Hey, whoo! He went from the pit to the palace overnight.

He went from a pauper to a prince overnight.

He went from powerlessness to powerfulness overnight.

Thank you, Lord.

When it looks like you're going down, you're going up.

Amen.

You're going up.

Why?

We know it's for our ultimate good.

One more.

I'm tired.

I'm glad I'm in halfway decent shape.

Preaching like I'm 30.

I like it.

Well, I'm not much older.

Sarah gave me the best compliment I've had in a long time.

I said, you know, David died 61 and I'm 63.

She said, but you sure don't act it.

Is that good?

Yeah.

For me it was good.

Number four.

It's provisional.

And what does that mean?

It's restricted and it's dependent on a couple of things.

Now, for this to be applicable in our lives as Christians, watch this.

In fact, let me tell you what happens.

The majority of people, when asked to quote Romans 8.28, here's what they say.

All things work together for good.

That's what they say.

If you do that, you've missed the whole purpose of the verse.

You've missed it.

Because remember, we know.

That's that surety.

That's that confidence.

That we believe in what God said.

And if you leave off the last part, you've left off the provisional principles for God to work in your life everything out for your ultimate good.

So don't miss this.

And we know that all things work together for good to them that are ready.

Love God and are called.

One, you gotta be called.

Amen.

That's a calling to salvation, and it's also a calling to service, justification and sanctification.

God called you to salvation so that you would serve as an ambassador for Christ.

Amen.

So there's a calling here of salvation and service.

See, if you're hey, if you're not saved, this doesn't apply to you.

It won't work.

You can try to make it work, it won't work.

No, it doesn't fit.

Or if you're saved and you're not serving, guess what?

Not gonna work.

In fact, hey, what's gonna work is conviction and trials and tribulations to get you back to where you're supposed to be.

That's one of the reasons storms come when you're out of the will of God for the Christian.

That's Jonah.

That's Jonah.

I'm not going to Nineveh, okay.

You're not going to Nineveh?

There you go.

If you don't want to go to Nineveh, you're going to ride in the belly of a whale for three days and three nights.

After, hey, let me ask, let me tell you something.

If you had to ride three days and three nights in the belly of a big fish, so we believe it could be a whale or whatever, what I do know it was a big fish.

That's what the Hebrew word there means.

Big fish.

Hey, I guarantee you, you you ride around in those gastric juices with all the other fish flogging around and hitting you in the head, yeah, you you'll repent pretty quick.

Jonah did.

Amen.

So here it is, folks.

Listen to me.

One, you got to be called, salvation service, to those according to, hey, that love God, that are called according to what?

His purpose.

Now watch out.

Watch how beautiful this verse is.

He calls you to salvation.

Then he calls you to service.

Now watch.

Why?

He's got a purpose for you.

David Wilson fulfilled his purpose.

I don't understand why.

And I think it was a little short, God.

I'm going to be honest in front of everybody.

I just think it was.

And I know you're telling me that I'll understand, or you'll, I don't know if you're telling me you understand, but you're just saying, I know what you want me to say.

I know.

And I do.

We know.

But David, when he fulfilled his service in his generation, he died.

Acts 13.

And I have prayed that all my ministry.

Lord, when my ministry's over, I want to go to be with you.

Well, his ministry was over here.

That's not over, but it was.

In fact, I'm it God, you know why I'm thinking God took him?

Because he looked.

I think God really's got something planning in heaven that really needed a ministrator like David Wilson.

So whatever y'all planning, I can't wait to get in on it.

Amen?

And I know what else he's doing.

He's working on me and Susan, a mansion next to y'all's.

You know what he told me while we were in Houston?

Susan's, we're talking about, we live next to each other in Tuscaloosa.

And then when we moved here, David and Christy bought the lot next across the street, and they built a house right across the street.

That's just how close we've been all these years.

And so David, Susan mentioned something to David.

No, about us living, and David said to Susan, he says, Well, if it is my time, he says, when I get to heaven, I'll see what I can do about working out your mansion next hours.

I'm counting on that.

I'm counting on that.

I want to close with this.

I wrote it up in the corner years ago.

Here's two assurances in both corners.

One, God works things out for those who love him.

Did you hear me?

God works things out for those who love him.

And by the way, you can't say you love him just in word.

Can I get an amen?

That's not gonna get it.

You gotta show, hey, my what does he say?

Thank you, Lord.

1 John is it?

3.18, 418.

My little children, let us not love in word, hey, or in tongue.

But in what?

Deed and in truth.

That's what it says.

In action.

And by the way, the love here is an action verb.

Do something.

And then the second thing, God's purposes will be fulfilled.

Let me give you those two assurances again.

God works things out for those who love him.

And number two, God's purpose is to be fulfilled in your life.

That should be your ultimate goal.

Not my will, but thy will be done.

Not I, but Christ.

Galatians 2.20.

Not I, but Christ.

And then here's four things God gave me that week after my wife died.

Are you ready?

One, we can know these four things.

Our failures are temporary.

The righteous fall seven times, but they get back up.

Proverbs 24, 16.

Our failures are temporary.

Number two, God works all things for our good.

Romans 8.28.

Works all things for our good.

Number three, God will meet our needs.

We talked about that in the prayer.

God will meet our needs.

Philippians 4.19, my God shall supply all your needs according to his riches and glory through Christ Jesus.

And then number four, God has better things in store for you than you do.

Woo! Jeremiah, here it is.

Isaiah 29:11

29 verse 11.

Thoughts that I think toward you.

They're thoughts of peace and not evil.

Hey, to give you a future and a hope.

What a message.

Not from the preacher, but from the word.

What a message God has given to us in this time, in this place, in this hour.

We know all things.

We're together for good to them who love God and are called according to His purpose.

Thanks again for tuning into this week's message.

We pray that your life has been changed.

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Send us an email at office at the church at CW.com.

We hope you have a wonderful day and again, God bless you.