Participants: Pr. Debleaire Snell
Series Code: AOT
Program Code: AOT000077
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00:11 Welcome to Anchors Of Truth from Oakwood University
00:16 in Huntsville, Alabama. 00:17 When The End Is Just The Beginning, 00:19 with Pastor Debleaire Snell. 00:25 Good evening and welcome to Oakwood University. 00:28 You know, it occurs to me, reading the Word of God, 00:31 Paul, in his letter to the Corinthian church, 00:36 tried to convey two fairly dissimilar ideas. 00:40 He talked about foolishness, and he also talked about preaching. 00:44 And perhaps it was because of a cosmopolitan nature of 00:47 the Corinthian church and the people that were coming in 00:50 that he tried to bring these two ideas together. 00:53 And of course, the touchstone of his message is found in 00:56 1 Corinthians 1:21, where he says, it pleased God 01:01 that through the foolishness of the message preached 01:04 men and women would be saved. 01:07 Through the foolishness of the message preached. 01:10 And I was thinking about that, because as it has pleased 01:13 the Holy Spirit and us to be in this place, 01:17 in ruminating on the message last night 01:21 and anticipating the message tonight, it occurs to me 01:24 that an argument could be made that a whole lot of foolishness 01:28 went on in here on last evening. 01:31 Amen. 01:33 And we're going to anticipate more foolishness tonight. 01:36 And on tomorrow night and on Sabbath. 01:39 It is my pleasure. 01:40 My name is C.A. Murray. 01:41 I'm the Production Manager for 01:43 Three Angels Broadcasting Network. 01:44 And it is indeed my privilege and pleasure to welcome you 01:48 to night number two of our Anchors Of Truth series. 01:52 We are so very, very pleased and excited to be on the campus of 01:57 Oakwood University. 01:58 I almost wanted to say Oakwood College, because 02:00 that's what it was when I and Ms. Ratliff 02:02 were here many, many years ago. 02:04 But it is now Oakwood University. 02:06 And we are at the university church, 02:08 and so very, very happy and please to be here. 02:12 We anticipate a wonderful message this evening. 02:16 Our preacher is Pastor Debleaire Snell. 02:18 I talked with him just a little bit. 02:19 He is a 1999 graduate of this fine institution. 02:23 A 2001 graduate with his MDiv at Andrews University, 02:26 and is now the senior pastor of the 02:28 First Seventh-day Adventist Church 02:30 here in Huntsville, Alabama. 02:33 And has distinguished himself as a strong preacher of the Word. 02:37 He is the husband of one wife, praise the Lord. 02:40 Her name is Gianna. 02:41 And the father of one son. His name is Jadon. 02:44 2.5 exuberant years. 02:48 Can the church say amen? 02:50 And he will come to us from the Word. 02:52 His title, the title for his message this evening is, 02:56 When The End Is Just The Beginning. 03:00 An intriguing title. 03:02 And we expect much from the man of God this very night. 03:05 Behind me sits an extremely lovely group of young people. 03:09 These are good looking young people. 03:11 And if they sing as good as they look, 03:15 we are in for a treat this evening. 03:16 This is the University Choir. 03:19 Also a fine group of young people here at 03:22 Oakwood University. 03:23 And they are going to be singing, We Are Surrounded. 03:28 Dr. Ferdinand is doing a very, very fine job with this group, 03:31 and of course with the Aeolians. 03:34 I'm going to ask just now for our chaplain... 03:38 And I want to get her name right. 03:41 My eyes are playing with me here. 03:45 Kimberly. Yes, Kimberly. 03:48 Come, please, and bring us to the throne of grace 03:51 and the presence of the Lord. 03:53 And then we'll have our choir. 03:57 Let us bow our heads as we pray. 04:01 Dear heavenly Father, we thank You so much for the 04:06 privilege of today. 04:08 We thank You for the opportunity to come together in Your house 04:12 and to hear a word from You. 04:14 Father God, dwell with us, be with us, bless this speaker. 04:19 Father God, may everything said and done and sung here 04:23 tonight give You honor and praise and glory. 04:27 We thank You. We invite You. 04:29 In Jesus' precious holy name we pray, amen. 04:35 We were given to understand in talking with Dr. Pollard earlier 04:38 today that there are four chaplains at Oakwood University. 04:43 And I think that bespeaks the emphasis put on the 04:45 spiritual life of the young people here at this 04:48 very fine institution. 04:49 We will hear now the University Choir. 04:51 And then the next voice you will hear will be that of our pastor, 04:55 our friend, Pastor Debleaire Snell. 05:11 We are surrounded 05:16 by a great cloud of witnesses, 05:23 looking on, encouraging us 05:27 to do the will of the Lord. 05:34 We are surrounded 05:38 by a great cloud of witnesses. 05:45 Let us stand worthy 05:49 and be faithful to God's call. 06:10 We must not grow weary 06:16 doing what is right; 06:21 as we run with joy the race, 06:26 we must run with all our might. 06:32 We must lay all earthly things aside 06:38 that would hold us down. 06:42 We must claim the victory 06:47 if we would win the crown. 07:01 We are surrounded 07:05 by a great cloud of witnesses, 07:12 looking on, encouraging us 07:16 to do the will of the Lord. 07:23 We are surrounded 07:28 by a great cloud of witnesses. 07:35 Let us stand worthy 07:39 and be faithful to God's call. 07:54 Amen. 08:25 Can the church of the living God say amen? 08:27 God has been real, real good. You ought to say hallelujah. 08:30 If you serve a mighty God, let's just put our hands together and 08:32 give Jesus a great big hand clap of praise this evening. 08:39 I don't know about you, but I was excited to hear the Word, 08:42 and just have an opportunity to be in the house 08:44 of the Lord one more time. 08:46 Can you say amen? 08:47 I do just want to say a special word of thanks to Dr. Pollard, 08:50 our president, to Pastor Murray for those very kind words of 08:54 introduction, and for Dr. Byrd, a very fine pastor of this 08:57 amazing church right here at Oakwood. 08:59 And we extend a very special welcome to all of our viewers 09:02 from across the world. 09:03 We welcome you right here to Huntsville, Alabama. 09:05 Let's give then a good Huntsville welcome. 09:06 Can you say amen tonight? 09:13 Tonight, we want to jump right on into the Word of God. 09:15 Is that alright? 09:17 And so, we would ask that you will go with me 09:19 in your Bibles to the book of Daniel chapter 3. 09:22 The book of Daniel chapter 3, and we'll begin together at 09:25 verse number 1. 09:26 And we will kind of skip around until we get to the conclusion 09:30 of our sermonic text tonight. 09:31 Daniel chapter 3, and we're going to look together 09:34 at verse number 1, as we continue in our 09:38 Anchors Of Truth series. 09:40 And we're grateful for this amazing thing, 09:42 The Battle Is The Lord's. 09:45 And I believe that to be a knowledge that is imperative 09:49 for us, especially as a people preparing for the coming 09:52 of the Lord, who shall shortly endure a time of trouble. 09:56 Daniel chapter 3, looking together at verse number 1. 10:00 Again, when you have it, let me hear you say amen. 10:03 A familiar story to many of us. 10:05 The Bible says, "Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, 10:10 whose height was sixty cubits and its width six cubits. 10:15 And he set it up in the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. 10:19 And King Nebuchadnezzar sent word to gather together 10:22 the satraps, the administrators, the governors, the counselors, 10:26 the treasurers, the judges, and the magistrates, 10:29 and all the officials of the provinces, to come to the 10:32 dedication of the image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 10:37 So the satraps, the administrators, 10:39 the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, 10:42 the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces 10:46 gathered together for the dedication of the image 10:49 that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up; 10:51 and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 10:56 Then a herald cried aloud, 'To you it is commanded, 11:00 O peoples, nations, and languages, that at the 11:03 time you hear the sound of the horn, the flute, 11:06 the harp, the lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with 11:10 all kinds of music, you shall fall down and...'" What? 11:14 "...worship the gold image that 11:16 King Nebuchadnezzar has set up... 11:18 ...and who does not fall down and worship shall be 11:21 cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace." 11:25 Then the Bible says in verse 8, "Therefore at that time certain 11:29 Chaldeans came forward and accused the Jews. 11:33 And they spoke and said to King Nebuchadnezzar, 11:36 'O king, live forever. 11:39 You, O king, have made a decree that everyone who 11:42 hears the sound of the horn, the flute, the harp, the lyre, 11:47 and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, 11:53 shall fall down and worship the golden image; 11:57 and whoever does not fall and worship shall be cast 12:00 into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. 12:03 There are certain Jews whom you have set over the affairs 12:06 of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, 12:10 and Abed-Nego; these men, O king, have not 12:13 paid due regard to you. 12:14 They do not serve your gods nor worship the golden image 12:18 which you have set up.'" 12:21 Then in verse 14, the Bible says, "Nebuchadnezzar spoke, 12:24 saying unto them, 'Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, 12:27 and Abed-Nego, that you do not serve my gods 12:32 or worship the golden image which I have set up? 12:37 Now if you are ready at the time you hear the sound of the 12:41 the horn, the flute, the harp, the lyre, and psaltery, 12:45 in symphony with all kinds of music, and you fall down 12:49 and worship the image which I have made, good. 12:53 But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately 12:58 into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. 13:01 And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?' 13:07 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, 13:11 'O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you 13:14 in this matter. 13:15 If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to 13:22 deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will 13:26 deliver us from your hand, O king. 13:29 But if not...'" 13:32 Are there any "if not" believers in the house of God tonight? 13:36 "But even if not," the Word of God says, 13:41 "'let it be known to you O king, that we do not serve your gods, 13:45 nor will we worship the golden image which you have set up.' 13:48 Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury, and the expression on his 13:51 face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. 13:56 And he spoke and commanded them to heat the furnace 13:59 seven times more than it was usually heated. 14:03 And he commanded certain mighty men of valor who were 14:06 in the army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, 14:09 and cast them into the burning fiery furnace. 14:13 Then these men were bound in their coats, their trousers, 14:16 their turbans, and their other garments, and were cast 14:19 into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. 14:22 Therefore, because the king's command was urgent, 14:25 and the furnace exceedingly hot, the flame of the fire killed 14:28 those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego." 14:33 Then the Bible says in verse 24, "Then King Nebuchadnezzar 14:37 was astonished; and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his 14:42 counselors, 'Did we not cast three men bound 14:47 into the midst of the fire?' 14:49 And they answered and said to the king, 'True, O king.' 14:53 'Look!' he answered, 'I see four men loose, in the fire; 14:59 and they are not hurt. 15:01 And the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.'" 15:07 Tonight, saints, I want to tell you what to do 15:11 when the music stops. 15:14 What to do when the music stops. 15:15 Let us pray together. 15:21 Father, in this moment I lower myself 15:26 that You might be exalted. 15:29 I pray that in the hearing of Your Word, 15:33 that faith might be multiplied exponentially, 15:37 that we might be prepared to endure the times of testing 15:40 that are to come. 15:42 And so, Lord, we pray that You would permit Your goodness 15:45 to pass before us and allow us to behold as much of You 15:49 as our eyes can stand to bear. 15:51 And I pray, Lord, that You would hide me in the shadow 15:54 of the cross that Jesus alone might be seen, 15:57 that Christ alone might be heard, 15:59 and that Christ alone be praised. 16:01 We pray this in the blessed name of Jesus. 16:03 Let those that believe say together, "amen." 16:07 And amen. 16:09 Most of us have probably never heard the name, Rachel Scott. 16:15 She was a young lady from Littleton, Colorado 16:18 where she attended Columbine High School. 16:21 Many of us remember Columbine. 16:24 Rachel was active in her church youth group. 16:27 She was a member of her church choir. 16:31 She was a leader of a school prayer band. 16:34 But most of all, Rachel was a bona fide believer. 16:39 You see, she went to school on April 20, 1999 like it was 16:43 any other day. 16:44 She ate lunch with her friends, she attended her classes, 16:49 she exchanged notes with her friends. 16:51 It started out like any other day. 16:54 She had no idea of the choices she would suddenly have to make. 17:00 You see, the night before, two of her classmates 17:03 spent time in a dark basement. 17:05 Instructed by Satan, Eric Harris and Dylon Klebold 17:10 planned war against teenage believers. 17:13 With heavy metal driving them to their extremes, 17:17 they sawed off shotguns, built bombs, 17:20 and loaded their assault weapons. 17:23 Their plan; to kill over 500 people and gun down 17:27 anybody who professed the name of Jesus. 17:31 The next day, they entered the school; shooting and killing 17:34 twelve people and wounding 34 others. 17:39 They would seek out those that they knew to be Christians 17:42 and they would gun them down on the spot. 17:45 Eventually, they reached the place where Rachel was 17:48 eating lunch with her friends. 17:50 They approached her with malice in their hearts 17:53 and rifles in their hands. 17:56 They invited all of those that professed Jesus 17:59 to stand up to their feet. 18:02 And Rachel was the first one to stand up. 18:05 They placed the gun right on the temple of her head 18:09 as they made the hostile inquiry, 18:12 "Do you believe in Jesus?" 18:15 With a bullet just inches from her brain 18:18 and tears streaming down her face, she responded 18:22 in a resounding, "Yes, I believe." 18:26 Heaven watched with great anticipation, 18:29 hell watched with strange eagerness, 18:31 and her friends watched with great sadness, 18:34 as the contents of her brain were splattered 18:37 across the sidewalk. 18:39 Cut down in her prime because of her belief in Jesus. 18:44 And as a nation, we collectively mourn this tragic loss of life. 18:48 And in the aftermath, it was interesting to hear what 18:51 the commentators said. 18:53 Some said they couldn't understand why she 18:55 couldn't just be still. 18:57 Some said she'd still be alive if she had just kept silent. 19:02 But I want to suggest tonight that there was a reason 19:05 she couldn't be still. 19:06 There was a reason she couldn't be silent. 19:09 You see, when God has done something for you, 19:12 when you have tasted and seen that the Lord is good, 19:16 when God has been your bridge over troubled water, 19:20 you can't be still, you can't keep silent. 19:24 You've got to tell somebody about what God has done for you. 19:28 See, understand, David said, "I will tell of Thy testimonies 19:32 and not be ashamed." 19:34 Jeremiah says, "It's like having fire shut up in my bones, 19:39 and I just can't keep it to myself." 19:41 Paul says, "I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ. 19:46 For it is the power of God unto salvation." 19:49 And so, beloved, I don't cry for young Rachel tonight. 19:52 Because if I've got to go, I want to go in Jesus. 19:55 Can you say amen? 19:57 And I believe, beloved, that if you're not willing to 19:59 die for something, then you don't have anything to live for. 20:03 Is there a witness in this place? 20:05 Understand, the Word of God says, "Blessed are they that 20:07 die in the Lord, for their works do follow them." 20:11 And so, if I've got to die, don't let it be 20:14 because cancer is eating away at my bones. 20:16 If I've got to die, don't let it be because I ran my mouth 20:20 at the wrong person. 20:21 Paul says that, "To live is Christ. 20:24 But even if I die, is gain." 20:26 So even if I die in the Lord, my wife can still rejoice 20:31 because we believe in the power of the resurrection. 20:34 See, friends of mine, I believe we're on the 20:37 precipice of eternity. 20:38 Can you say amen? 20:40 I believe we're on the verge of hearing the 20:42 sound of the trumpet. 20:44 I believe we're going to hear the shout of the archangel. 20:46 I believe we're going to see death go hide in the corner. 20:50 We're going to see the grave call 911. 20:53 We're going to see hell go into witness protection. 20:57 We're going to watch the sky recede as a scroll 21:00 as Jesus comes to receive us as His own. 21:03 Can you say amen today? 21:06 And so, go with me if you will to the book of Daniel chapter 2 21:09 and verse 47, as we get into the Word of God tonight. 21:13 The Bible says that, "The king answered Daniel and said, 21:16 'Truly your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings, 21:22 and a revealer of secrets, since He was able 21:26 to reveal this secret.'" 21:28 Now, there are some particular issues in Nebuchadnezzar's life 21:32 that lead to his downfall. 21:35 And one of Nebuchadnezzar's first problems is that 21:38 he does not make praise a discipline. 21:40 Can you say amen? 21:41 You see, one of the things about Nebuchadnezzar 21:44 is that, in chapter 2, God had given to him a dream that 21:48 he could not recall, neither was he able to interpret. 21:52 And through the prophetic ministry of Daniel, 21:55 God was able to help him recall the dream, 21:58 and also give him the interpretation of the dream. 22:02 And Nebuchadnezzar does a stark contrast. 22:05 For when he sees the impotence of his astrologers and his 22:09 deities, and he compares it with the power of Jehovah 22:12 manifest in Daniel, he declares this shout of praise that, 22:17 "Your God is the God of gods, and the King of all kings." 22:21 But in chapter 3, we find him allowing idolatry to 22:25 creep back into his life. 22:27 In fact, Ellen White says that as he sees to praise 22:31 and honor Jehovah, idolatry began to slowly 22:35 creep back into his heart. 22:37 And there is a striking deducement that can be made. 22:40 That as praise begins to go down, 22:43 idolatry begins to increase. 22:46 And so, the cure for idolatry is a life of perpetual 22:51 worship and praise. 22:52 Let the redeemed say amen. 22:54 And understand that when I talk about praise tonight, 22:57 I'm not talking about just a corporate shout of praise 23:00 or some random eruption of the soul. 23:03 How many of us know that praise is threefold? 23:05 Come on and say amen. 23:07 First of all, praise is the acknowledgement 23:09 that there is a God who is greater than I. 23:11 Second, praise is the complete abandonment of self. 23:15 And third, praise is acknowledging 23:18 that every good and perfect gift comes from God. 23:21 What do you say? 23:22 And so, praise is the practice of taking my eyes off of myself 23:27 and locking my eyes on Jesus. 23:29 Come on and say amen. 23:30 And there are some of us like Nebuchadnezzar 23:32 that have become situational worshippers. 23:35 Where we become subject to idolatry because we've 23:40 not made praise a discipline. 23:42 Am I making sense to you tonight? 23:43 You see, there are certain types of situational worshippers. 23:46 The first type of situational worshipper is what I call, 23:50 an environmental worshipper. 23:52 See, this is the kind of person who moves from church to church, 23:55 and fellowship to fellowship, and broadcast to broadcast, 23:59 because they're waiting for the right climate 24:02 where they can praise God. 24:03 See, these are the kind of folk who say, 24:05 "I can't praise God in this church because 24:07 it's not loud enough." 24:09 "They don't have the right kind of music." 24:10 "They don't really say amen." 24:12 Others say, "I can't praise God in that church 24:15 because they're too loud over there." 24:17 Some say, "I can't praise God in this place 24:20 because they look at you funny when you say amen." 24:23 But folk, if somebody looking at you funny 24:25 is going to stop you from praising the Lord, 24:27 you don't really love Him tonight. 24:29 Come on and say amen. 24:30 In other words, I don't need a certain environment to praise. 24:34 All I've got to do is think of the goodness of Jesus. 24:38 Is there a witness in this room tonight? 24:40 In other words, I don't take my praise cues from nobody else. 24:44 I don't need to see nobody else lift up a holy hand. 24:47 I don't need to hear anybody else say amen. 24:50 I don't have to wait for you to stand to get up on my feet. 24:53 All I've got to do is think about where God 24:56 has brought me from. 24:58 Are you hearing the word of God tonight? 25:00 Listen, beloved, listen. 25:01 If you were in my office with me, 25:03 sometimes you'd see a praise party just me and Jesus. 25:06 I'll praise Him in a quiet church. 25:09 I'll give Him glory in a loud church. 25:11 If you pull up next to me at a red light, you might see a show. 25:14 Are you hearing me today? 25:16 Because God has been that good to His people. 25:19 You've got folk comment, "I can't praise God 25:21 because it's too quiet." 25:23 And you've got others saying, "I can't praise God 25:24 in that church because it's too loud." 25:26 Folk, if you let some drums run you out of the church, 25:29 what are you going to do when we're in prison for the faith 25:32 and in the catacombs and the caverns for the faith? 25:35 And if you can't praise Him in a little noise down here, 25:39 what are you going to do when we get to heaven? 25:41 Come on and say amen. 25:43 Listen, I've read the book of Revelation and I don't think 25:45 we're going to whisper when we get to the other side. 25:48 I think we're going to sing, we're going to shout, 25:50 we might do a little sanctified electric slide. 25:53 Oh, you're not with me in this room. 25:55 We're going to give Him mega praise when we 25:58 get to the other side. 25:59 Let the redeemed say amen today. 26:02 The second type of situational worshipper 26:05 is what I call, a circumstantial worshipper. 26:08 This is the type of person that will give God mega praise 26:11 as long as they have the job, 26:14 and as long as they're getting the raise. 26:16 And as long as she's got a man, she'll praise Him 26:19 to the highest. 26:21 But as soon as the paycheck is a little late, 26:23 and as soon as the money is a little low, 26:26 and as soon as somebody walks out of their life, 26:29 their praise suddenly goes silent. 26:31 Do you know that kind of person? 26:33 And one of the problems is, the basis of worship 26:36 is not who God is. 26:38 The basis of worship is what God is doing. 26:41 And understand, that's why through the prophet Micah, 26:45 God revealed Himself as the God who changes not. 26:49 So that if God was worthy on yesterday, 26:51 then guess what? 26:53 God is still worthy on today. 26:56 See, and that's why we've got to understand that praise 26:59 is not just a spontaneous thing. 27:01 But praise is a discipline. 27:03 Can you say amen? 27:04 Do you realize that it takes discipline to say "thank you" 27:07 in hard times. 27:09 It's a discipline to say "thank you" in poverty. 27:11 It's a discipline to say "thank you" in loneliness. 27:15 It's a discipline to say "thank you" when you're unemployed. 27:18 You see, the discipline of gratitude is being able to 27:22 simplify in my collapsing world and just say, "Lord, I want to 27:27 thank You that on this day, I'm going to be seen 27:30 and not viewed." 27:32 "I just want to thank You, Lord, that my bed has not become 27:36 my cooling board." 27:37 "Lord, I just want to thank You for the clothes on my back, 27:41 and the shoes on my feet, and the roof over my head." 27:45 Maybe somebody forgot to say "thank You" this week 27:49 and you just want to take a few moments and say, 27:51 "Lord, I thank You for the great things You have done." 27:57 Com on and say amen tonight. 27:59 Third type of worshipper is a forgetful worshipper. 28:03 You see, one of the things that happens with the people of God 28:06 is that we don't do a good job of documenting and recounting 28:10 the mighty acts of God in our life. 28:13 In Scripture times, they would establish an alter as a reminder 28:17 of the great things that Jehovah had done. 28:20 And it's amazing that sometimes the present trial will kind of 28:25 cause us to forget about everything that God has 28:28 done in the past. 28:30 And I love what Ellen White says. 28:32 She says we have nothing to fear for the future 28:35 lest we forget the way that God has led us in the past. 28:40 And the fact is, beloved, I believe there are some 28:42 believers in this room that have enough of a history with God 28:47 where when you look back over your life, you've got a 28:49 mountain of evidence. 28:51 You've got a history of opened doors. 28:53 You've got a history of God's provision. 28:55 You've got a history of God's healing. 28:58 You've got a history of God's deliverance. 29:00 You don't have to be afraid of this moment 29:03 when you remember where God has brought you from. 29:06 Can the church say amen tonight? 29:08 So go back with me, if you will, to Daniel chapter 3 29:11 and verse number 1. 29:12 Let's get a little deeper into this thing. 29:14 Daniel chapter 3 and verse number 1. 29:17 When you have it, let me hear you say amen. 29:19 The Bible says, "Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, 29:23 whose height was sixty cubits and its width six cubits. 29:27 And he set it up in the plain of Dura, 29:29 in the province of Babylon." 29:32 The second problem with Nebuchadnezzar 29:34 is that he picks a fight with providence. 29:37 Remember in Daniel chapter 2, God had given Nebuchadnezzar 29:42 a dream of an image that was comprised of 29:45 many different metals. 29:47 It had a head of gold. 29:49 It had chest and arms of silver. 29:51 It had a belly and thigh of bronze. 29:54 It had legs of iron. 29:56 And the feet were a mixture of iron and clay. 29:59 And he calls upon Daniel to give him the interpretation 30:03 of the dream. 30:04 And what Daniel communicates to Nebuchadnezzar 30:07 is that the purpose of the dream is to describe 30:10 God's rulership in the earth. 30:12 And so he describes to Nebuchadnezzar that, 30:15 "You O king, represent the head of Gold. 30:18 But eventually, your kingdom will be succeeded by some 30:22 inferior kingdoms that represent the inferior metals 30:27 that go from chest down to the toe." 30:29 So eventually there's going to come a time where the 30:32 head of gold is going to be replaced by the 30:35 chest and arms of silver, which represent the 30:37 Medes and the Persians. 30:39 And that the chest and arms of silver would be subdued by the 30:42 belly and thighs of brass, which represents the Greeks. 30:45 And then the Greeks would be subdued by the Romans, 30:48 which represents the legs of iron. 30:50 And that the feet of iron and clay would be a symbol of the 30:54 divided provinces of Europe that would never come together. 30:57 Then he tells Nebuchadnezzar, at the end of the dream 31:00 that there's going to come a stone cut out of the mountain 31:04 from without hands that's going to strike the foot of 31:07 the image, break it into a million pieces, 31:10 and it will be carried away like chaff. 31:12 And that same stone is going to grow into a mighty mountain, 31:16 and it's going to last forever. 31:17 And it is a symbol that God would establish His 31:20 eternal kingdom that would have no end. 31:24 And the message to Nebuchadnezzar 31:26 was that God sets up kingdoms, and God tears them down, 31:30 and God oversees the affairs of the entire universe. 31:34 And let me pause to say, I know there's a lot of consternation 31:37 about what's going to happen in the White House right now. 31:40 But I need you to know, it doesn't matter which guy 31:42 you're rooting for, or what party you're pulling for, 31:45 understand the invisible hand of province is going to establish 31:49 who He establishes. 31:50 And He's going to will what He wills. 31:52 Can you say amen? 31:54 But understand that when Nebuchadnezzar 31:56 erects the image, he does not erect it 31:59 as he saw it in the dream. 32:01 He erects it and overlays it with gold from head down to toe 32:06 as a symbol that the head of gold, Babylon, 32:09 its rulership would continue down to the end of time. 32:14 In other words, he's saying to God, "I am rejecting 32:17 Your prophecy." 32:18 And when he overlays the statue in gold, 32:21 it's a symbol that his kingdom will have no end. 32:26 Now let me pause to say this, beloved. 32:28 Be careful about trying to fight for what God is trying to end. 32:32 Oh, you're not with me in this room today. 32:35 You see, the bottom line is that there are some of us 32:37 who are fighting for some things that God is trying to end. 32:41 You see, there are some of us fighting for some relationships 32:44 that God is trying to end. 32:47 And some of us are fighting for some habits 32:50 that God is trying to end. 32:52 And some of us are holding on to some dispositions 32:55 that God is trying to end. 32:57 And when you hold on to those things that God is attempting 33:01 to end, you place yourself at variance with the 33:05 very providence of God. 33:06 Are you hearing me today? 33:08 And the problem with the people of God is that we have not 33:11 really learned how to yield to God's providential 33:14 leading in our lives. 33:15 We choose to take our own paths and order our own steps and 33:20 go our own ways, instead of permitting God's leadership 33:24 to direct our paths. 33:26 And the people that struggle with providence are going to 33:29 be people that struggle with the issue of control. 33:32 How many of us realize that control is 33:35 an illusion of the devil? 33:36 That even when you think you're in control, that it is 33:40 the hand of the Almighty that is guarding your steps. 33:43 Are you hearing me tonight? 33:45 In fact, the Bible says, in a man's heart he plans his course 33:49 but it is the Lord that determines his steps. 33:52 I remember when my son, who is two and a half now, 33:55 when he was first learning how to walk, what I would do is, 33:57 I would just kind of take him by both of his hands 34:00 and I would just kind of walk his little feet around. 34:02 And there would be times when he would want to go in the street, 34:05 and I would kind of redirect him and go to another place. 34:08 And there'd be times where he would head to a dangerous spot, 34:11 and I would redirect him and go to another direction. 34:14 And there would be times where he would be so tickled 34:17 because his feet were moving. 34:18 He thought that he was actually directing his steps. 34:21 But he didn't realize that it was the hand of his daddy 34:24 that was leading him where he needed to go. 34:27 And let me just say this; 34:29 just because your feet were moving when you got where 34:31 you are doesn't mean that the hand of the Lord... 34:34 No, you're not with me. 34:35 Let me preach to this side. 34:37 Just because your feet were moving when you got the degree 34:40 doesn't mean that the hand of the Lord didn't take you there. 34:43 Just because your feet were moving when you moved in 34:46 the gated neighborhood doesn't mean the hand of the Lord 34:49 didn't bring you there. 34:51 It is the hand of the Lord that guides and directs us. 34:55 What do you say? 34:56 The problem is, many times we want to kind of 34:59 choose our own steps. 35:00 We want to choose our life according to our scale, 35:03 our convenience, our comfort, and our preference. 35:07 But how many of us know that to live a life of providence, 35:10 is to be willing to accept interruptions and unforeseens 35:14 and inconveniences, and God constantly pushing me 35:18 outside of my comfort zone. 35:20 There are some of us that obey our GPS better than we obey God. 35:27 So that when the GPS says, "Go left," we go left. 35:29 When the GPS says, "Go right," we go right. 35:32 But when the Spirit of God moves upon us to go in a 35:35 certain direction, we've got all kinds of attitudes and opinions 35:38 and options that we want to put on the table. 35:41 But we've got to learn not to be like the salmon 35:44 that is swimming against the current. 35:46 But we've got to learn how to flow with the current 35:48 of providence so that His will might be played out. 35:51 Are you hearing the word of God tonight? 35:53 You know, one of the things when I was a grad student 35:55 in Michigan, one guy found out that I was from Florida 35:58 and that I didn't really know how to drive 36:00 in real cold weather. 36:01 And so one of the things he said is, you've got to always 36:04 be mindful of what they call, black ice. 36:07 Where it will look okay, but you'll start sliding suddenly. 36:11 And one of the things he said is that when you begin to 36:13 kind of slide, you've got to disregard 36:16 all your natural instincts. 36:18 He said, when you slide, you've got to resist the temptation 36:20 to slam on the brakes. 36:22 He said, when you begin to slide in that way, 36:25 if you begin to turn back the opposite way, 36:27 it's just going to make you spiral out of control. 36:30 And so he said, when you begin to slide in a certain direction, 36:34 don't turn in the opposite way. 36:36 You've just got to turn into the slide. 36:38 Oh, you didn't catch that thing today. 36:40 He said, when you turn into the slide, 36:43 you simply get the power to regain your traction. 36:46 And there are times when God is leading us and it feels like 36:49 He's got us sliding out of control. 36:52 But you don't need to try to turn opposite of the slide. 36:55 You just need to agree with the slide, 36:57 to turn into where God is leading you. 37:00 And the hand of the Lord will take you where you need to go. 37:05 Can the church say amen? 37:07 So here, the Word of God in Daniel chapter 3 37:10 and verse number 5. 37:11 The Bible says, "...that at the time you hear the sound 37:14 of the horn, the flute, the harp, the lyre, and psaltery, 37:21 in symphony with all kinds of music, you shall fall down 37:25 and worship the gold image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up." 37:30 There are certain thing I like about these three Hebrew men 37:33 that I believe to be are worthy. 37:35 One of the things I like about these gentlemen 37:38 is that they knew how to adjust to the culture 37:41 without adopting the culture. 37:44 Now you've got to understand that Babylon's game was this; 37:47 Babylon's game wasn't just out right intimidation. 37:50 Babylon's whole game was to create a process of assimilation 37:55 so that when Babylon rolled into your city and they took you 37:59 by siege, they didn't just annihilate everybody in sight. 38:03 But they would study the strength of every culture. 38:06 And whatever that strength was, they would add it 38:08 to their own culture. 38:10 And that's how the three Hebrew men got there. 38:13 So that they would take the best and brightest of each 38:15 nation and put their energies to use in the kingdom of Babylon. 38:20 And so what would happen is, once you finally got to Babylon, 38:23 they would take you through a process of assimilation 38:26 where they would strip you of your personal 38:28 and spiritual identity. 38:30 The first thing that they did to try and create assimilation 38:33 is they would change the way that you looked. 38:36 So that when you came to Babylon, you would have to 38:38 wear a Babylonian headdress and you would have to put on 38:42 Babylonian garments, and you would have to have 38:44 Babylonian carvings put in your flesh. 38:48 And what would happen after so long of looking at yourself 38:51 in Babylonian garb and looking at yourself in somebody 38:56 else's garments, eventually you forgot where you came from. 39:00 And let me just kind of pause and say this tonight. 39:02 I don't want to get into skirt lengths 39:04 and things of that nature. 39:06 But I still believe that a child of God ought to 39:08 look like a child of God. 39:10 I still believe that when you look upon a Christian, 39:13 even if it's not in the brand name, there is something 39:17 on the countenance of a believer that distinguishes them 39:21 as a child of the most high God. 39:23 Come on and say amen. 39:24 The second thing that they would do when they were trying to 39:27 bring about this process of assimilation is they would 39:29 begin to change your name. 39:32 You see, the name; Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, 39:35 were not their original names. 39:37 Their original names were Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. 39:40 Their original names represented their connection with Jehovah. 39:44 The name Hananiah meant, "Jehovah favored;" 39:47 was changed to Shadrach, which meant, "the king is the son." 39:52 The name Mishael meant, "who is like God;" 39:55 was changed to Meshach, "the goddess of the earth." 40:00 The name Azariah, which meant, "Jehovah helps," 40:03 was changed to Abed-Nego, which meant, 40:05 "servant of shining fire;" a Babylonian god of fire. 40:10 And the belief was that after being called by a 40:13 Babylonian name long enough, eventually you would forget 40:17 what your real identity was. 40:20 And let me pause to say this; 40:21 be careful about the names you answer to tonight. 40:26 See, one of the problems with the church is, we've been 40:28 answering to the slave name too long. 40:30 It's amazing where you'll go into certain urban barber shops, 40:33 and if you walk up to a brother and say, 40:35 "What's up, child of God?" he'll look at you crazy. 40:37 But you walk up to the same man and say, "What's up, pimp?" 40:40 he'll dap you up. 40:42 It's because we've answered to the slave name too long. 40:46 But even this test with the image was an ultimate 40:51 process in assimilation. 40:52 You see, at the dedication of the image, the statement 40:56 was given that when you hear the sound of the horn, 40:59 the flute, the harp, the lyre, and psaltery, 41:03 when you hear them in symphony with all other types of music, 41:08 then you're going to bow down and worship. 41:11 Understand, when you hear those assortment of instruments; 41:14 the horn, the flute, the harp, the lyre, and psaltery; 41:18 when you hear those parallels, what does it make you think of? 41:22 It makes you think of the last fifty divisions 41:25 of the book of Psalms. 41:26 Oh, you're not with me tonight. 41:28 In other words, Israel had a particular way of worship. 41:32 They had a particular sound that they made. 41:35 And scholars say that when those particular assortment of 41:39 instruments were played in unison, they rendered what was 41:43 known as the Israelite sound or praise. 41:46 It was something that was distinct and unique 41:49 that marked them as God's children in the earth. 41:53 And when you hear this group of instruments 41:56 played in symphony with Babylonian instruments, 41:59 it was Nebuchadnezzar trying to combine idol worship 42:03 with the praise of Jehovah. 42:06 In other words, what you have here is the ultimate merger 42:10 of world and church. 42:12 You're not with me tonight. 42:13 In other words, this thing was like the first annual BET awards 42:18 where on the stage you'll have Conya and Jay-Z and Lil Wayne 42:23 and Nicki Minaj on the same stage with Kirt Franklin, 42:27 Yolanda Adams, and Mary Mary. 42:29 And there isn't any tension. 42:31 They all stand together under the banner of unity. 42:39 And see, friend of mine, this is why the king gets so upset 42:42 when they refuse to worship. 42:44 Because he thought he was including them in the party. 42:48 And there comes a time when as the children of God, 42:50 we can no longer adapt to the culture, 42:52 we can no longer adjust to the culture. 42:54 There comes a time when we've got to stand up and be distinct 42:58 and be unique and be the men and women 43:01 that God has called us to be. 43:03 Are you hearing me today? 43:04 You don't believe me. 43:06 Go to the book of John chapter 15 and verse number 19. 43:08 John chapter 15 and verse number 19. 43:12 Hear ye the word of the Lord. 43:13 John chapter 15 and verse number 19. 43:17 When you have it let me hear you say amen. 43:20 John chapter 15 and verse number 19. 43:23 The Bible says, "If you were of the world, 43:25 the world would love you as its own. 43:28 Yet because you are not of the world, I have chosen you 43:33 out of the world; therefore the world is going to hate you." 43:38 In other words, we've got to regain our distinctiveness. 43:42 We've got to regain our peculiarity. 43:44 We've got to come to the point where we stop being ashamed 43:47 to say, it's not okay for a Christian to smoke, 43:50 and it's not okay for a Christian to drink 43:52 even a little wine, it's not okay for a Christian 43:55 to live together unmarried. 43:57 Just because we've adjusted to it doesn't mean it's okay. 44:02 You know, this is funny, I remember one time 44:04 when my son was just a little bit younger. 44:08 You know, I remember one day I was changing one of his diapers 44:10 and it was one of those messy ones. 44:12 And I remember changing the diaper. 44:14 And I didn't go take it right out right away. 44:16 I just like of left it on the side of the table. 44:19 And it's funny how it was offensive at first. 44:23 But kind of the longer I stayed in the room with it, 44:28 after a while I just couldn't really even smell it no more. 44:31 And so, after being in this room with this diaper 44:34 just paying off for like two hours, eventually my wife 44:37 came into the room and was like, "What in the world 44:39 is going on in here?" 44:41 But the problem was, I got use to it. 44:44 And let me just say this to the church; 44:46 just because you got use to it doesn't mean 44:48 it doesn't stink anymore. 44:56 Are you hearing the word of God tonight? 44:58 So check this thing out, man. 45:00 The day of truth has finally come. 45:02 You've got to see this amazing spectacle now that is 45:05 going on in Babylon in preparation for the 45:09 dedication of the image. 45:10 Man, you've got to see this thing where the lawn has been 45:13 freshly manicured and they have erected new waterfalls 45:17 all over the place. 45:18 There is a homecoming feeling in the air. 45:21 It is a Babylonian alumni weekend where all the 45:25 descendents of Babylon come back for this weekend in the 45:28 fanciest chariots with the tightest rims on the chariot. 45:31 You've got to see them when they roll up in Babylon now. 45:34 There are ticket scalpers that are beginning to 45:36 drive up the prices. 45:38 The closer they get to the dedication of the image, 45:40 there are image t-shirts and image programs, 45:43 and image bulletins that are being handed out. 45:46 There is tailgating and beer drinking 45:48 in the lobby outside of the stadium 45:51 where the image is going to take place. 45:53 There are streams of confetti that are being 45:55 poured out in the air. 45:57 There is a sense of anticipation that echoes 46:00 in the market square. 46:01 And all of a sudden now, you can see Nebuchadnezzar 46:04 beginning to walk into the parade as he leads 46:07 on his iron chariot. 46:08 I can see him walking now. 46:10 He's got a little swagger in his step. 46:11 He's got a little rock with that thing. 46:13 And he's got a little lean with that thing. 46:15 And as he moves toward his elevated throne, 46:18 they throw palm branches at his feet. 46:21 As he marches to his elevated station, 46:23 and as he begins to sit down on his royal throne, 46:28 all of a sudden the music begins. 46:31 And so all of a sudden somebody begins to take out some maracas 46:34 and they begin to shake those things. 46:36 And as they shake the maracas, everybody of Latin descent 46:39 falls down to the ground. 46:41 And then somebody begins to take out some bagpipes 46:44 and they begin to blow. 46:46 And everybody of Anglo descent begins to falls 46:48 down to the ground. 46:49 And then all of a sudden somebody breaks out 46:51 a ruan, which is a Chinese guitar. 46:54 And everybody of Asian descent falls down to the ground. 46:57 And then somebody begins to beat some of those hand drums. 47:00 And some of those always moving dark people 47:02 begin to fall down to the ground. 47:04 And then they begin to play the sound 47:08 of the harp, the lyre, the horn, the flute, 47:11 in symphony with all kinds of music. 47:13 And all the Hebrews fall down to the ground. 47:16 And you've got to see this thing as Nebuchadnezzar 47:18 looks down upon the plain of Dura. 47:21 And everybody hitting the dusty terrain has caused 47:24 a cloud of dust to begin to move up from the air 47:28 so that he can no longer see the bodies. 47:30 And all of a sudden, as the beams of light begin to 47:32 burst through, all of a sudden everybody is 47:35 laid down on the ground. 47:36 And with everybody laying prostrate, there are still 47:39 three men, there are still three men that are still standing. 47:46 And in our minds, we've always seen them standing together, 47:50 one, two, three, as a band of brothers. 47:52 But understand, they worked in three different provinces. 47:55 So on one side you've got Shadrach, 47:57 and another side you've got Meshach, 47:59 and on the other side you've got Abed-Nego. 48:02 And understand, they are standing single in their 48:05 conviction, but united in their purpose. 48:08 And they've decided that if don't nobody else stand, 48:12 I'm going to still stand. 48:14 If Shadrach falls, if Meshach falls, 48:17 I will still stand for the Lord. 48:21 Let me say to somebody, eventually you reach a place 48:23 where you won't always have somebody to pat you on the back. 48:26 You've got to stand even if you have got to stand by yourself. 48:30 So I see this thing now. 48:31 It's getting good to me all of a sudden. 48:33 Where now you can see this thing when they begin to report 48:36 this thing to Nebuchadnezzar. 48:37 Nebuchadnezzar calls them in and says, 48:39 "Listen, is this really the truth? 48:40 Is this really how this thing went down? 48:42 They're like, "Listen king, do what you've got to do. 48:44 When you go for yours, we're going to go for ours. 48:46 Our God who we serve is able to deliver us. 48:48 But even if not, we're going to bless His name. 48:51 We're going to honor Him. 48:52 We're going to give Him the glory. 48:54 We only know One that is worthy, and His name is Jehovah." 48:58 And so all of a sudden, Nebuchadnezzar, 49:00 he isn't going to be played. 49:01 He can't be fronted in such a situation. 49:02 This is his day. 49:04 He's got to prove his might and his integrity and his strength. 49:06 And so the Bible says that he gets some men to 49:09 bind them up hand and foot. 49:10 And he tosses them into the fire. 49:13 But then he makes a mistake. 49:15 He says, "Not only do you toss them in, light it up 49:18 seven times hotter than normal." 49:22 Now he probably would have been okay if he would have just 49:25 said heat it six times hotter. 49:32 He probably could have got away with it 49:35 if he said heat it eight times hotter. 49:38 He probably would have been straight if he said 49:40 nine times hotter. 49:42 But when he said heat it seven times hotter, 49:46 all of a sudden Jehovah said, "Oh, oh, oh, oh." 49:54 See, he didn't realize that the number seven 49:57 is God's number of perfect deliverance. 50:01 Are you hearing the word of God tonight? 50:03 So when God hears the number seven, He says, 50:07 "I was just going to let them go down as martyrs." 50:09 But when he says seven, he challenges Jehovah 50:12 to a personal fight. 50:14 You're not with me in this room. 50:15 So all of a sudden now, you realize that the number seven... 50:18 In the Old Testament, Naaman went down to dip. 50:20 And he dipped six times and nothing happened. 50:22 But when he dipped that seventh time, 50:24 healing came to his flesh. 50:26 In the book of Joshua, they marched around the wall 50:28 six days, but on the seventh day, they marched 50:30 around seven times. 50:31 And on the seventh time, the walls came tumbling down. 50:34 Then the Lord worked on six days, but on the seventh day 50:37 He allowed the rest to come. 50:39 And so when he says seven, God basically forces 50:42 Nebuchadnezzar to say an intercessory prayer 50:46 on behalf of His children. 50:48 It's amazing how those who want to curse you, 50:51 God will make them bless. 50:55 God will make them bless you. 50:57 He'll make them pray for you. 51:00 So all of a sudden now, Nebuchadnezzar; 51:03 the Lord is like, "Oh no, he's done went too far." 51:06 God is like, "He's done did it now." 51:08 So He says, "I've got to show up for My children now." 51:10 And so all of sudden now, God is getting ready to 51:12 show up in this thing. 51:14 So God looks to one of those angels. 51:15 He says, "Listen, two winged angel, how long would it 51:18 take you to get down there and see about My children?" 51:21 So the two winged angel said, "Listen Lord, 51:23 I can get there in about five and a half minutes." 51:26 The Angel of the Lord said, "No, that's too long, angel. 51:28 Let me go and find one of them six wing angels." 51:30 With two they cover their feet, with two they cover their face, 51:33 and with two they still fly. 51:35 So He says, "Six wing cherub, how long would it 51:38 take you to get down there and see about My children?" 51:40 Six wing angel said, "Master, I can get there in about 51:42 two and a half minutes." 51:44 And then the Lord said, "Man, that's too long. 51:46 I need somebody. Gabriel, come up here. 51:50 Gabriel, how long would it take you to go down there 51:54 and see about My children?" 51:56 Gabriel says, "Master, I think I can break my old record. 51:58 I can get down there in about 90 seconds." 52:01 Then the Lord says, "No, that's too long." 52:03 So then the Lord looks to His right hand and says, 52:05 "Jesus." 52:21 "Jesus. 52:23 Where are You at?" 52:25 And all of a sudden, He hears a voice from down south. 52:28 And He hears the voice of His Son saying, 52:31 "Master, I'm already there." 52:36 "I'm already there." 52:39 You might think you're by yourself, you might not 52:41 be able to see Him, you may not be able to sense Him, 52:45 but I need you to know, He's already there. 52:49 Are you hearing the word of God tonight? 52:54 So this thing is amazing, for Jesus now shows up. 52:57 So all of a sudden, Nebuchadnezzar 52:59 gets up in that thing. 53:02 He goes up to that thing and looks at it. 53:11 "Hand me my glasses. 53:13 Bro, didn't we see three? 53:16 Didn't we put three in there?" 53:18 He says, "Listen, I see four men loose. 53:22 And the fourth is like the Son of God." 53:26 Now my questioning becomes, how does he know who Jesus is? 53:32 He's a pagan king. 53:34 He doesn't even know Jehovah. 53:35 Let alone, how does he know who Jesus is? 53:38 Servant of the Lord said that these three Hebrew boy 53:41 worthies, along with Daniel, while they were in the 53:44 province of Babylon they acted with such integrity, 53:47 such scruples, such character, they walked so much like Jesus, 53:52 they talked so much like Jesus, they lived so much like Jesus, 53:56 they loved so much like Jesus, that when the king saw Him 54:00 face to face, he already knew who He was. 54:06 And do you realize, the only Jesus some people will ever see 54:10 is the Jesus they see in you and the Jesus that they see in me. 54:20 See, God has got you behind enemy lines for a reason. 54:24 He's got you there, not just so that you suffer persecution. 54:27 But to be a light and to be an example, to be a witness 54:30 of godliness, to declare the praises of Him that has 54:32 called you out of darkness and into this marvelous light. 54:35 And understand that the extent of your witness 54:37 cannot just be dropping a tract on somebody's desk, 54:40 or announcing to the world that you're vegetarian, 54:42 but to literally live out the character of Jesus Christ 54:46 in a fallen world. 54:48 You know, the reason most people feel like they can't 54:53 live a holy life is because they haven't ever seen it done. 55:00 They've seen forms, they've seen versions, 55:05 they've seen it in church, but not at home. 55:09 And it is why the world believes that Jesus is not real. 55:12 And it's funny how, you know, Nebuchadnezzar also says, 55:15 "I see four," but they're also loose. 55:20 So now, we have this picture in our minds 55:22 of the three Hebrew men in their with Jesus 55:24 like in the air conditioning. 55:29 But what God does is, a fire that was meant to consume, 55:34 what God does is He simply tailors that thing 55:37 and He narrows the heat so that the only parts 55:41 of them that it touches... 55:43 It touches them. 55:44 Oh, you didn't catch that. 55:46 The fire does touch them. 55:48 But what it touches is those things that were binding them. 55:54 And what God is saying to somebody tonight is, 55:56 "Yea, I'm going to put you in the furnace, 55:59 but I'm going to tailor the heat like a seamstress 56:02 taking your measurements and figuring out your inseam 56:06 and your waist and your chest." 56:08 And He says, "I'm going to tailor this trial 56:10 so that the heat of the affliction, you're going to 56:12 feel the waves, and you will feel the rise 56:14 of temperature in the room. 56:16 But the only thing that it's designed to destroy 56:19 are those things in life that are keeping you bound up, 56:24 and keeping you from being the man or woman 56:26 God has called you to be." 56:27 I don't know about you, but I want to live free. 56:29 I want to live holy. 56:30 I want to trust that God can do all things. 56:33 I don't want to live life as a slave. 56:35 But I know that my God can do exceedingly 56:37 and abundantly above all you can ask or think. 56:39 How many of us believe God's word tonight? 56:42 If you believe God's word, let me have you stand 56:43 to your feet this evening. 56:46 Please stand to your feet as we get ready to pray. 56:48 What I simply stopped by to let the church know tonight 56:50 is that we're going to endure some times of testing. 56:53 We're going to go through it. 56:55 We're going to be pushed to the very brink of our existence. 56:58 We're going to be pushed to the point where we're going to 56:59 see the travail of our souls, and we'll even witness 57:02 the pains of death. 57:03 And there is going to be such a time of trouble 57:05 that she says, there are times where you anticipate something 57:07 so much and it not be as bad as you thought it was going to be. 57:11 But no matter how much we anticipate it, 57:13 it's still going to be worse. 57:16 But the good news is, our God is able to deliver. 57:18 Father in heaven, we ask, Lord, that you would give us 57:21 a fortified faith, a new courage, 57:24 a new strength, that we might be prepared for the times 57:28 of testing to come. 57:29 We pray this in Jesus' name. 57:31 Let the redeemed say amen. 57:33 Let the redeemed shout hallelujah 57:34 as we close this service. |
Revised 2014-12-17