Commit Your Ways

And these are things we can do when days are not going well, when days are evil.

Ephesians 6 verse 13 says that you may, 6, 13, the second part says that you may be able

Ephesians 6:13

to withstand in the evil day and having done all to stand firm.

So these are ways we can apply when things aren't going well.

When you are having a rough day, and a rough day can be hostility, a rough day can be persecution,

a rough day can be wrong decisions or choices you made that have found you in trouble, a

rough day can be obstacles, a rough day can be overwhelming circumstances, a rough day

can be delays in things that are happening where you're praying and nothing is happening,

a rough day can be sickness, a rough day can be danger.

All these are rough days.

We call them rough days, the Bible calls them evil days.

So where do we start?

The first thing we do guys is trust in the Lord.

And I know that sounds terribly simple, but here's the thing, Psalm 20 verse 7, I love

Psalms 20:7

that verse, some trust in chariots, some trust in horses, but we trust in the name of the

Lord our God.

So let's put I there and show we.

Some trust in chariots, some trust in horses, but I trust in the name of the Lord my God.

Guys, the opposite of faith, and I've said this before, and this is so important, the

opposite of faith is not doubt, is not doubt.

The opposite of faith is, may you never forget this guys, may I never forget it, the opposite

of faith is not doubt, the opposite of faith is self-reliance.

The opposite of faith is not doubt, the opposite of faith is self-reliance.

This is what prevents us from walking on water.

The opposite of faith is not doubt, the opposite of faith is self-reliance.

That's why Psalm 20 verse 7 says, some trust in chariots, some trust in horses, because

Psalms 20:7

surely when you go to war, those are the things that you can be reliant on.

You've taught these horses how to war, you've built chariots that can decimate the opposition,

That's where self-reliance comes in.

Doubt is more along the lines of questions like, how is God going to work this out?

And if he doesn't work it out, then what happens?

Or he didn't do it last time, so what's the guarantee that if I pray that it'll happen

this time?

Or he's all powerful, why can't he solve this anyways?

Why isn't God just stepping in and changing the situation?

Why couldn't he prevent it?

Or why does God allow these circumstances?

Or why is it taking so long, he can do this in a second?

Doubt is questioning the ability of God, but the opposite of faith is self-reliance.

Doubt is questioning the ability of God, but the opposite of faith is self-reliance.

Guys, no one is immune to doubt.

No one is immune to doubt.

Everybody at some stage begins to doubt.

And what we do with doubt is we try to feel better.

So when there's a lot of doubt, we try to do things that'll make us feel better, as

in Google an answer or go to somebody who will say exactly what you want.

That's how we deal with doubt.

So today when I was leaving from Wimbledon to Heathrow, I'm trying to ask somebody who

can assure me that don't worry, you'll get there in time.

And I want them to say it again and again, that if you take A3 and M25, you will get

there in time.

Don't worry, the traffic will be fine.

Ah, we've gotten there in 45 minutes, you should be able to get there too.

And then I'm reading what God had said on the phone before I left and he said, I am

with you.

That's not where I went.

I went to the experts who control all the cars on the roads.

There's no such expert, eh?

So whenever you're in doubt, don't try to feel better.

Whenever you're in doubt, go back to faith through the word.

Whenever you're in doubt, go back to faith through the word.

Whenever you're in doubt, go back to faith through the word.

Because there's only one way to go back to faith.

And it's through the word.

Faith comes by?

Yeah.

Any questions on this before we move on?

Bible is full of stories of self-reliance.

Where did Saul go when things weren't working out and he couldn't hear God?

To the witch of Endo.

Where did Abraham go when he couldn't have a baby?

To Hagar.

Where did King Asa go when his wound was not being healed?

To a physician.

Where did Abraham go when there was a famine in Egypt?

Sorry, where did Abraham go when there was a famine in the Ur of Chaldees?

To Egypt, where he thought he would find provision.

Didn't find any provision there.

Bible is full of self-reliant stories.

Even Abraham, the father of faith, did this.

Any questions on this?

Comes strong against self-reliance, eh?

That's our problem.

Especially in the culture that we live in.

Self-reliance is a greater problem.

Doubt is second, surprisingly.

You would think doubt is first, but doubt is second.

Because boy do we get a regular dosage of the word on TV or in church or through some

way or the other.

But what we don't have is opposition against self-reliance.

Okay, the next one, if you have no questions.

Anything you want to add to it?

Trust in the law.

The second one was, do good.

Continuation of the verse.

Do good.

Guys, Romans 12-21, I learned it when I first became a Christian.

And it was a song.

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Do not be overcome by evil.

Do good.

Anyways, the point being, Romans 12-21 says, do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil

with good.

Whenever you're in crisis, you'll find that somehow the enemy has a tendency to set up

traps where you're overcome by evil.

And what I mean by evil is anger, irritation, malice, shame, pride, fretting.

And David recognizes this.

What's happening here is this is the time when you really need to be reliant on God

and not doubt and walk in faith.

And you may well be able to do that.

So why not slow the process down by preventing you from walking in good, but instead having

you caught up in evil?

And so you'll find in the middle of a crisis, you find yourself angry, malicious, proud,

fretting, not addressed, bitter, resentful, traps that are set and we walk right into

it.

And then you're worse off than when you began.

And now you think it's not true.

But now you actually think that God's not going to come through for you anyways, because

now you're in a cesspool of your own making.

God operates best in cesspools.

That's why you got saved.

But that's how we think, eh?

And it's very hard to overcome when you're anxious, angry, irritated, intimidated.

In fact, you're giving the enemy more to work with than the Holy Spirit.

When you're angry, irritated, irritated, malicious, proud, shamed, you're giving the

enemy more to work with.

You're giving more hate to build.

I wish that was true for everybody, Gisela.

I wish that was true.

Yeah, but I wish that was true for everybody, yeah.

True, I agree.

But I wish that was true for everybody all the time.

And it is not, unfortunately.

True.

True.

Any questions on that one?

Do good.

Beautiful psalm, eh?

Verse 21.

Beautiful word.

First, trust in the Lord.

Second, make sure you do good.

It's one of the easiest ways to keep building and give the Holy Spirit more ammo to you.

Do good.

And guys, recognize it as a ploy of the enemy next time it happens.

That's the first step.

Next time it happens, recognize it as, oh shucks, I know what's happening.

And know that your father works well in sex pools.

I remember once, I was going on a trip and had a really bad day that day before I stepped

on the plane.

And wasn't feeling very holy.

And I'm thinking to myself, this sure ain't the way I want to go on a trip.

And I'm saying, Father, really sorry about it, but not feeling like God was responding.

And then there was this bottle of water that was kept in front of the seat.

And it had this Hindi word on it, which simply said, Naya, N-A-Y-A.

It's a brand of water.

And Naya in Hindi means new.

And I'm reading Naya and immediately one simple word comes to mind.

My mercies are new every morning.

Lamentations 3.25.

It's the strangest place to find the verse like this.

Every other verse in Lamentations is actually lamentable.

Except this one word.

And it says, my mercies are new every morning.

I'm reading that thinking, all right, Father, I know I had a really bad day, messed up big time.

I don't feel very holy right now.

But your mercies are new every morning.

And I start again.

He works well in cesspools, especially the ones you create.

Next one.

Dwell in the land.

Dwell in the land.

That's what David says next.

What he's trying to say there, guys, is there's a tendency not to persevere when things get rough.

So we start looking for safer and better places or a quick shortcut to whatever we want.

And David says, no, you need to persevere so that when you've done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.

Hebrews 10.36.

You need to persevere so that when you've done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.

We have a tendency to look for safer and better places.

Remember the guy, Eli Melek?

No, you don't.

Don't worry.

He wasn't all that famous.

But he was Ruth's husband's father.

A time of famine.

Where does he go?

He lives in Bethlehem.

What's the meaning of Bethlehem?

House of bread.

Where does he go?

He goes to the land of Moab.

And Moab is a land that is barren, that is fatherless.

He leaves the house of bread to go to the land of Moab so that he can be fed.

He dies there.

His sons die there.

And now he's got Ruth and Orpah, two daughters-in-law.

Orpah decides to leave.

Ruth comes along with Naomi.

Ruth was a Moabite, and yet the ancestor of Jesus Christ from a physical point of view.

The point being, when things get bad, stick with the plan.

Stick with what God has already said.

Stick with it.

Stick with it.

Yeah?

Could it be that there's a temple by God somewhere?

Where a man is talking about in today's book would not be there.

Could it be that there's a temple by God somewhere?

Could be.

Perhaps another way of looking at it is that whatever man may mess up and mean for even evil,

God has the ability to orchestrate and make right.

So perhaps that will accommodate both what you're saying and perhaps that he wasn't sent by God.

Because he is able to orchestrate.

That's his whole orchestration thing.

He's able to take everything and bring it together.

Yeah.

I mean Joseph was sent to Egypt, but it wasn't sent the way he was supposed to be sent.

It was a wicked, wicked scheme that God kept interrupting.

Yeah.

So, guys, where the Spirit of the Lord is, is the most prosperous and the most dangerous place to live.

Where the Spirit of the Lord is, is the most prosperous and the most dangerous place to live.

Prosperous for you, dangerous for the enemy.

Where the Spirit of the Lord is, is the most prosperous place to live and the most dangerous place to live.

As in, it's most prosperous for you, most dangerous for the enemy.

We have a tendency sometimes to abandon ship and run to a place of safety when things don't work out well.

Stick with it, persevere, and you will be surprised at how dwelling in the land is advantageous if God has said, do not move.

This happened in the Bible, eh?

God said, listen, he says to Israel, Babylon is coming, but do not leave this place.

It's a king called Zedekiah.

And he says to Zedekiah through prophets, do not leave this place.

They will come, they will ravage this place, they'll put up siege mounts, they will take the city, but you don't leave.

Because after they've taken the city, they'll treat you well.

But Israel wouldn't listen.

Chapters dedicated to that.

Or, when he tells them to go into Canaan, they don't.

And then when he tells them to stay put, they do.

Get vanquished.

Dwell in the land.

Sometimes a change of location is not good enough because a change of thinking hasn't happened.

A change of location does not necessarily mean a change of thinking.

All it means is you move geography.

It's the same thing with repentance.

An outward act is not repentance.

Something has to happen inside.

Recently, I was talking to a guy who isn't having a decent life, so he decided to step down from worship leading.

And initially I thought, wow, what a noble action.

And then I realized that's the easiest thing to do.

Change your location.

Just outwardly say, I don't feel I'm worthy to lead worship.

That is so touching.

But before that happens, let the pastor discipline you in that and say, hey, Chris, you can't play the keys anymore because you need to be disciplined or something like that.

Let the pastor do that.

You need a change inside so that you don't have to step down.

The stepping down thing is very easy, guys.

Wives really dislike it when husbands come and say, sorry, but there's no change of heart.

Husbands really dislike it too, just so you know.

Dwell in the land.

Any questions?

We'll go for 10 minutes more and then I'll stop the show.

Any questions?

When you dwell in the land, make sure you feed on its faithfulness.

When you dwell in the land, make sure you feed on its faithfulness.

As in, father, it's really difficult.

Things are not working out.

I've got five days left.

Nothing is happening.

I trusted you.

But guess what, father?

I'll go back to the world and I'll feed on your faithfulness.

And I won't hang out with people who will lament and tell me how things didn't work out for them.

If they can't walk in faith, I refuse to walk in their faithlessness.

I won't have them mollycoddle me and tell me all the things I need to hear to tickle my ears and make me feel good

because faith is not about feeling good.

Faith is about moving from doubt to faith through the word.

And I refuse to associate myself with people who don't do that.

Because Jesus, you did that too.

You took three people with you to raise that girl who was dead and you sent all the mourners out

because you didn't want unbelief in that room.

You only wanted people who were willing to walk with you and trust you

and trust that you are able to raise that which is dead.

That's how it works, guys.

Doesn't matter whether the person is from Acts 29 or from some other greater church.

If they're not walking in faith, for that period of time, let them be.

Christian mollycoddling is so prevalent.

Oh, really? Oh, sister, I'll be praying for you.

Got to stop all this.

Comes in the name of compassion, but it's not true.

Compassion that lacks truth is not compassion.

Let's go on to 5.35, six minutes more.

Next one. Guys, delight in the Lord.

Delight in the Lord.

I don't know how David got so much in four verses, man.

Guy must have been really inspired when he was writing this song.

Delight in the Lord.

Guys, when days are rough, there is nothing as powerful as having your heart aligned with the controller of the universe.

When days are rough, there is nothing as powerful as aligning your heart with the controller of the universe.

Hey, if tomorrow is going to be rough and it began tonight,

get up tomorrow and make sure that you are totally into the controller of the universe.

It is the strongest antidote.

It really bothers the enemy that he's worked so hard to set you up and you're not being set up.

Just remember that.

I've read this line before.

All the great men, this is not my quote, because I don't know too many great men and women, but someone quoted this.

All the great, except for Dawn and Jeevan, there are no other great men and women I know.

All the great men and women I have ever known all had one thing in common.

What was that?

They had faith.

Kind of.

I wish I knew who quoted this.

All the great men and women I have ever known all had one thing in common.

They all lived like much loved children.

They all lived like much loved children.

What a beautiful sentence.

They all lived like much loved children.

When you live like that, it's very hard to shake you.

It's very hard to shake you, man.

Guys, when I go through difficult circumstances, my immediate question is,

Father, can I see your heart on this?

Can I see your heart on this?

On what I'm going through?

Can I see your heart on what I'm going through?

Because if I can see that, then I can adjust my way of thinking and I can jump into your desire.

Whenever I go through difficult times, the first thing I do is,

Father, please, can I see your heart on what I'm going through?

Can I see what you're thinking, what your heart is towards me,

so that I can adjust my thinking and jump into your desire?

Then it doesn't matter if it prolongs a little, but I just feel safe.

Because now, there's that song, right?

I keep falling in love with Jesus and the verse goes,

In your arms I feel protected, in your arms never disconnected,

in your arms I feel protected.

It's the best place I could ever, ever be.

Let me put it this way, guys.

Clinical depression aside, if you find delighting in the Lord difficult,

it may not just be a circumstance, but a character of weakness or a stronghold

that is unable to see or relish the Father as good.

Let me say that again.

Clinical depression aside, clinical depression aside,

if you find delighting in the Lord difficult,

it may not just be your circumstances,

it may be a character weakness or stronghold

that is unable to see or relish the Father as good.

And it's great to know that, eh, because if I have a character weakness,

I can work on it.

I have character weaknesses.

My mom can give you a long list.

I have only two or three weaknesses, but she thinks I have a few more.

But it's great if I know I have a character weakness.

Now I can work on it, man.

I can begin to work on it.

How?

Next week.

Two minutes more.

Next one is, commit your ways to the Lord.

Commit your ways to the Lord.

The commit is to hand over.

It's this sincere hands-free action

where I'm saying, okay, oh God, I actually hand this over to you.

I may take it back again, but if I take it back again, I'll hand it over to you again.

We may do it 40 times, but I'll keep handing it back to you.

Why? Because I'm confident that the steps of a righteous man are ordered by God.

So every time I hand something over to you, oh God,

and I take it back, I'll hand it back again.

Because the steps of a righteous man are ordered by God.

And I keep handing it back, to keep taking it back.

So it goes on.

And that's where you get to where you need to go.

And you find that as you do this on a regular basis, you take it back less often.

Because when you get more confident with somebody's ability to handle things,

it becomes easier, man.

It becomes easier.

So don't plan without God.

The only thing that will keep you from the possibility of worrying

is to bring God into the greatest factor of your planning.

How to stop worrying about something?

Bring God into that factor of your planning.

Bring God in as how?

Father, I'm going to hand it over to you.

And every time I take it back, I'll hand it over to you again.

Bring God into it.

Hey, he's very protective, very possessive.

Proud of every time you hand something over to him.

Loves your reckless dependence on him.

Loves your reliance on him.

Doesn't get put off when you take things back.

Keeps standing there with open arms, saying,

Hey, I'm going to hand it over to you again.

He loves it.

And it is impossible for a God like him to ever, ever turn back on anybody

who makes an attempt to commit things to him and plan with him.

Even if it be such a tiny effort, oh man, he magnifies it this much.

This is his nature.

What can he do?

Don't plan taking into account all the evil and the wrong that could happen.

Don't plan taking into account all the evil and the wrong things that could happen.

Plan with God in mind, not with a rainy day in mind.

When we plan with a rainy day in mind or all the things that could go wrong,

we become very controlling.

This could go wrong.

This could go wrong.

Everything has to now be controlled.

You just shake it and it undoes whatever you need to do.

Now press undo.

If you can see it, you cannot see it.

Then, just press the start.

Yeah, very good.

Very good.

I still think it's stuck on 535, so just one more point.

Rest in the Lord.

Rest in the Lord.

Rest in the Lord.

Now, guys, sometimes when you see the sign, you must be thinking,

oh, it means just be peaceful in the Lord.

No, no, no, no, no.

Rest in the Lord is to, not pretend, is to in the middle of enemy territory,

realize that God has set up a banqueting table for you.

And that if you sit at that table, His protective hospitality is on you.

Rest is the clearest and the strongest indication

that what God is saying or doing is working perfectly.

And I don't need to add or tinker with it.

Rest in the Lord.

Father, so today you want me to go to London.

What about tomorrow?

Can't hear nothing.

Rest in the Lord.

Don't tinker with it.

Chiara, don't worry if you can't find it for four days.

Rest in the Lord.

Don't tinker with what God is doing.

He's doing a perfect job anyways.

Satan's intent is to draw me out of rest into insecurity so that I start flailing.

They say that when a swimmer is drowning,

the lifeguard usually goes from behind him.

Because if you go straight at him, the guy will drown you too.

So they go from behind.

And if the guy really starts kicking about first,

there's only two choices, go under and pull him down or knock him out.

Well, you'll save him and then he'll sue you.

So the best thing is to pull him down.

And then when he stops struggling, you take him in.

Rest is this place that Satan hates.

He hates it when Christians are at rest.

So what does he do?

He tries to bring in ways where he can draw you out of rest into insecurity and flailing.

And boy is he successful at that.

And what is the one tactic he uses?

He only has one tactic, intimidation.

Only one thing, intimidation.

That he has free rein to do, guys.

He has free rein to intimidate.

He does not have free rein to attack, but he has free rein to intimidate.

How does he intimidate?

Through experts, through Google, through your past circumstances,

through what happened, through the fear of repetition,

through what you read, through what you see on TV, through all the...

You know, every medicine that helps you grow hair

also gives people diarrhea and nosebleeds and things that last for six hours.

So, guys, intimidation is the only tactic he can freely use.

And he uses that to get us out of rest.

It is such a stark ploy that we fall for every time.

I'm so tired of falling for that.

His intent is to lure me out to go for shortcuts to get the end goal.

Hey, Jesus, why don't... I can see how hungry you are.

Why don't you turn these stones into bread?

And you have the power to.

And the last one is wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.

Wait how?

Don't wait like this.

This is not godly waiting.

This is resigned expectation.

This is not waiting.

Farhan?

I didn't hear it.

This is not waiting.

Waiting has neck stretched out, craned anticipation.

I don't know, shut. Where is she? Where is she? Where is she?

Ah, there she is.

I was looking for my mom.

So wait with eager expectation, your neck craned out.

And remember guys, delay is not denial.

Delay is not denial.

And so when things are delayed, keep catching the little foxes that spoil your vineyard.

And tie their tails together.

And set their tails on fire.

And send them back into their enemies' fields like Samson did.

Delay is not denial.

Whenever things are delayed, ask God, what's delaying it?

Catch those little foxes, man.

For evil doers shall be cut off.

But those who wait on the Lord shall inherit the earth.

Evil doers shall be cut off.

But those that wait on the Lord shall inherit the earth.

Have you noticed in all these seven verses, there's no mention of, oh, go up against Satan.

There's no spiritual warfare here.

There's no attack the devil.

None of these have attacked the devil.

None of these have attacked the devil.

Everything here has to do with God.

And you walk in your inheritance.

God is for you.

God is for you.

God is for you.

Bless you guys.

Thank you for staying.

Oh no, you have no reason not to stay awake.

Thank you for staying a little longer.

We will have young adults on Thursday at 7 p.m.

If you need prayer, feel free to come up for prayer.

Otherwise...