Sermon #S007 - Unrealistic
Requirements (PART 2)
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Welcome to the Breath Of Life
television broadcast. In today's
episode we will pick up from
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part 2 of the message titled
"Unrealistic Requirements" by
Pastor Debleaire Snell. Lets go
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the word Of God. Pastor Snell:
I need you to get that on the
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journey of faith, every now and
then, God is going to send or
make some unrealistic
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requirements of you. Now, I want
that to be clear that these
requirements are designed to
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stretch you. These requirements
are designed to grow you. These
requirements won't always feel
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comfortable. The reason you need
to know this is because if you
don't understand this,
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the requirements that God makes
will sometimes feel unrealistic.
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As he sometimes, in
order to grow your faith,
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one of the first things God
requires is for you to go back
to the place where your faith
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failed last. Notice now that the
Bible says that he had to force.
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Your version may say constrain
or compel them to get into the
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boat. The reason Matthew lays it
out that way is because he has
to send them against their
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expressed will. In other words,
he is requiring them to get in
the boat even though they do not
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want to go and see. There are
two reasons they don't want to
go. Number one, as we stated,
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they see this as a missed
opportunity. The second reason
they don't want to get in the
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boat is because they remember
what happened last time. They
went on a boat at night. Are you
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all with me? Do you remember
what happened the last time they
were there on the Lake of
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Galilee? Jesus was there in the
boat asleep. Understand that
after a night of toil and
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stress, they get to a point
where they are so frustrated and
they are so depleted that they
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cry out to Jesus and say,
"Master, don't you care that we
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perish?" I need you to remember
something. Notice that after
their night of toil, that after
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Jesus calms the storm, notice
that he doesn't just rebuked the
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wind. He then rebukes the
disciples and says, "How is it
that you are afraid?
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Why is it that
you have no faith?"
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In other words, saints, his
assessment is that there is a
deficit in their faith.
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If this was to be a midterm,
they've got an F on their
midterm of belief. I need you to
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understand, beloved, that ever
since that time, they got a
little bit more cautious every
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time they got into a boat. In
other words, they are watching
the elements closely every time
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they go out to see. Understand
that this requirement to get in
a boat, especially at night, is
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very triggering for the
disciples. In other words, not
only do they have to get in the
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boat at night, this time, Jesus
is not even with them in the
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boat. I need you to know that
there is a cocktail of fearful
emotions that is running through
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them as Jesus puts them in the
in the boat. As Jesus puts them
in the in the boat,
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you got to be clear that they
are watching the elements the
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entire time, so that just in
case things go left, they can go
right back to the shore.
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They are at a place on the
journey where their eyes well up
with tears as they see the spot
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where Jesus usually sits being
empty. They're anxious as they
push away from the shore and
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Jesus gets further and further
away. That panic is heightened
when they can no longer even see
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the shore. God makes them face
the situation that they wanted
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to avoid the most. In other
words, beloved, I need you to
understand something. They're
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asking the question to
themselves. Why does Jesus keep
putting us in boats at night
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time? Why does Jesus keep
sending us through the same
thing? It's unfair that God
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would put us in the same
predicament repeatedly. But one
of the things I need somebody to
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get is the only time God makes
you face. Something repeatedly
is if that thing is critical to
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your destiny. Let me take my
time. You all a little slow
today. Remember that their
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mission is to take the gospel to
the world, but they can't take
the gospel to the world on camel
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or on donkey. Every now and
then, they're going to have to
get in a boat and travel through
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some rough weather. Jesus knows
that in order for them to master
the storms after He's gone,
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He's got to teach them to master
some storms while He's still
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here. In order for them to be
ready after He leaves, He's got
to make sure that they're
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prepared before He goes.
Understand that this consistent
test is not punishment. It is
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preparation. He makes them face
what they have feared the most.
Have you ever wondered, saints,
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why you just can't get
away from certain things?
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Have you ever wondered why you
just can't get away from certain
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types of people? Students, have
you ever wondered why you can't
avoid taking a certain class?
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Have you ever wondered why
no matter how hard you try,
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there are certain tensions that
follow you from church to
church, from school to school,
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and from marriage to marriage?
No matter how much you try to
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pray it down, no matter how much
you try to rebuke it in Jesus
name, it still follows you
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wherever you go. Why? Because
repeated tests are an indication
of where your faith is
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consistently failing. Are
you hearing me today, Saints?
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Some of us fear financial lack.
That's why you're always in a
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financial test. Some of us fear
not being in control, and we're
always in situations where we
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are not in control. Some of us
are always trying to escape and
trying to get into the easiest
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path. That's why God keeps you
on a path that is filled with
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resistance. I need you to
understand the reason that
you're tested so repeatedly.
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It's because God is so
committed to your salvation,
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that He refuses to allow you to
be underdeveloped in any area of
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your life. God is saying, "I'm
going to keep building you. I'm
going to keep developing you.
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I'm going to make sure that your
steadfast and that your
character is lacking in no
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area." Every now and then,
God is going to require you to
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repeat a class. Every now and
then God is going to require you
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to retest again. What I'm
praying that somebody is getting
is that a retest is simply a
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demonstration of grace. In other
words, when God retest you, it's
because God says there's
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something in you we're saving.
When he retest you, it's an
endorsement of who you're going
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to become. When God retest you,
it's because you're worth too
much to give up on. When he
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retest you, it's because he's
not satisfied with the first
outcome. He wants to send
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another test as another chance
and another opportunity for you
to be able to thrive where you
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failed the last last time.
Are you all hearing me today,
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saints? [Congregation: Amen]
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Okay. Some of you all know that
that I teach part time here at
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the university. My interns will
tell you that Pastor Snell tries
to be a teacher filled with some
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grace. What happens is, every
now and then, I may give an exam
or a test. If the class is not
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ready, sometimes, their lack of
readiness shows up on the
scores, and a number of them
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will have failed the test. I
need you to know that because I
love them and because I believe
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in them, I don't let the failing
grade set. What I do is I allow
them to take the test over. In
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other words, friends, I need you
to know I don't ask the same
questions in the same way,
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but I test them on
the same content matter.
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The good news for somebody is
that when I give them the second
test and the grade is better the
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second go-around, I need you to
know that I don't average the
failing grade with the passing
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grade. What I do is I just throw
out the first test all together,
so that all that stands is the
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one where they passed. The only
thing that's recorded is the
time that got it right.
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Is there anybody that's thankful
that even though you failed some
tests along the way,
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that God send a retest and He
doesn't average the two grades
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together. He throws out the
first one, so that the only
thing that's recorded is the one
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you got right, and there is no
record of you ever failing or
falling. There's only a record
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of you triumphing in Jesus. Are
you hearing me today, saints?
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Second thing or second
unrealistic requirement is this,
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saints. As Jesus is trying to
get you to a place where your
inner world doesn't reflect your
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outer world, I'm
going to say this gently
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and cautiously as I'll tell you
the truth that I have not been
delivered to this point yet.
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Too often, what's happening
inside of us is mirroring or
reflecting what's happening
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outside of us. Too often, our
outer circumstances are
dictating who we are and where
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we are on the inside. One of the
things that you're going to see
in the text is that God is
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wanting to get us to a place
where our inner world and our
outer circumstances are
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sometimes unequally yoked. The
disciples are out there in the
water. Are you all still with
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me, church? [Congregation: Yes]
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Wouldn't it be so cool if the
storm showed up right when they
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left the shore? But no, faith
doesn't work that way. Listen,
listen. They are watching.
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They are paying attention to the
weather. I mean, if there was
just a little bit of breeze,
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they would have did a
U-turn right there in the water.
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I need you to be clear that the
storm doesn't start when they're
close to the shore where they
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depart. The storm doesn't show
up when they are almost at the
shore where they are going.
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The storm doesn't show up until
they are too far to go back and
until it's too far for them to
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get there. The storm doesn't
show up until they're in a place
of vulnerability. Are you
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hearing me today, saints? The
thing about the storm is that
the storm doesn't even operate
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with rhythm. Every now and then
you'll have a storm where the
waves move with a certain rhythm
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that allows you to balance
yourself. But get that this
storm is so volatile and it is
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so topsy-turvy, that in the
darkness of night, they don't
really know which way they're
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going to be turned from one
second to the next. It's amazing
because they get to the place
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where the Bible says that they
toil all night, and they get to
the place where they're about to
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give themselves up to death.
They have reached the place
where their hope is completely
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depleted. Right when they have
nothing else to give, here comes
Jesus walking on the water in
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the fourth watch of the night. I
need you all to see and notice
what happens, friends of mine,
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because I need you to notice
what Jesus speaks to. In other
words, Jesus doesn't speak to
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the storm. Jesus speaks to the
disciples. Notice, He makes an
unrealistic requirement. They
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are in a boat, and about to die.
Their strength is all gone.
Notice what Jesus requires. He
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says, "Don't be afraid. It's
me." In fact, He adds to the
requirement. He says, "Be of
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good cheer!" In other words, He
is saying to them that even
though your outer world is in
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chaos, your inner
world ought to be stable.
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[Congregation: Cheering]
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Notice that Jesus is standing
out there. He doesn't stop it
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from raining. He doesn't stop it
from storming. He doesn't put
storm to calm down. He tells the
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people to calm down. He doesn't
speak peace to the storm. He
speaks peace to the disciples.
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He doesn't tell the storm to
settle down. He tells the
disciples to settle down.
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The reason that Jesus does not
stop the storm right away is He
knows that storms don't always
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end quickly. In other words, how
many of us know that, sometimes,
the storms lasts all night long?
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Sometimes, the storm is all week
long. Sometimes, the storm is
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all month long. Sometimes, the
storm can be all year long.
Guess when the storm last a long
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time? God wants us to know that
before the storm gets calm,
there can be some calm inside of
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you. Oh, where you all at?
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In other words, He wants you to
get to a place where your outer
world does not feel like your
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inner world. Are you all hearing
me today, church? He does not
change that outward thing right
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away. He wants them to change
their inner world right away.
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A part of passing the test is
when you get to a place where
your outer world and your inner
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world are not always congruent.
Friends of mine, let me say it
this way, because God is not
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expecting you to be stoic. Come
on and say Amen. He's not
expecting you to function like a
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robot. He understands that in
our humanity, we are going to
live through all the whole
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gambit of human emotions. He
knows that there's going to be a
time to laugh, and there's going
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to be a time to cry. He says
that there's going to be a time
for peace, and there's going to
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be a time for war. But he knows
that, sometimes, the outer
circumstance that doesn't have
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to dictate our inner peace. He
says, "I can be angry, but guess
what? I don't have to sin." Are
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you all with me today Church?
Let me share with you a fun
fact. Do you know what the most
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often repeated command in the
Bible is? The most often
repeated command, it is not to
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keep the Sabbath. Oh God, where
you all at today, church? I need
to go out of town. You all don't
00:16:10.73\00:16:17.94
want this word today. It is not
to not steal or to not kill it.
The most repeated command is not
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to take off your makeup. Do you
realize that 365 times in the
Bible? The Bible says, "Fear
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not." [Congregation: Cheering]
00:16:28.28\00:16:30.29
Do you realize that 365 times,
the Bible says, "Fear not." 365
times, the Bible says, "Don't be
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afraid." The reason that God put
it in the Bible 365 times or you
00:16:37.76\00:16:46.17
all didn't get it. The reason
God said, "Don't be afraid." 365
times is that no matter what day
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of the year, something tried to
trouble your mind or take away
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your peace. God had a brand new
command to settle you and
whatever you're dealing with.
00:16:58.08\00:17:05.15
[Congregation: Clapping]
00:17:05.19\00:17:07.86
God is looking for some people
whose inner world doesn't agree
with the outer world.
00:17:07.89\00:17:15.53
He needs some people that are
going to be a contradiction. Did
you notice, friends of mine,
00:17:15.56\00:17:23.24
that Daniel was a contradiction?
Are you all with me, church?
00:17:23.27\00:17:26.94
Do you remember when the writing
of the decree got sign? You
know, your boy Daniel didn't
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have no panic attack. He didn't
have to calm. No fast. The Bible
says that he just went in front
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of the window and prayed three
times like he had always done.
Are you all with me?
00:17:37.79\00:17:42.02
Do you realize that when the
three Hebrew boys found out that
they were going to the furnace,
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they function like a
contradiction. They said, "O
King, our God is able to deliver
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us, but even if not, we will not
bow down to your gods or worship
the image that you have set up."
00:17:53.23\00:17:59.67
Remember when Paul and Silas
went to jail? They function like
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a contradiction. They weren't in
there having a pity party. The
Bible says that they prayed and
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sang praises unto God. They
didn't need an Ambien because
they had rest in Jesus Christ.
00:18:11.12\00:18:15.82
Is there anybody that
understands that we have peace
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in Jesus Christ? It is why Job
function as a contradiction,
that when the devil took his
00:18:21.36\00:18:28.47
money, the devil took his stuff,
and the devil took his kids, his
inner world and his outer world
00:18:28.50\00:18:32.87
did not match. The Bible says
that he shaved his head. He tore
his clothes. He fell down to his
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face. The Bible says that he
worship. Is there anybody that
knows that sometimes you got to
00:18:38.41\00:18:45.49
weep while your worship? You got
to cry while your praise you.
You recognize that there is a
00:18:45.52\00:18:54.03
contradiction because God is
good, even when everything is
00:18:54.10\00:18:56.36
bad. The command to be a
contradiction is constant.
00:18:56.40\00:18:59.03
It is why James says, "Count
it all joy when you fall into
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diverse." Why? Because the
trying of your faith worketh
what? Patience. It is why Jesus
00:19:06.88\00:19:16.25
says, "Blessed are you." Anybody
who want to be blessed? When men
shall revile you, persecute you,
00:19:16.28\00:19:21.69
and say all manner of evil
against you falsely, it is why
Paul says that this light
00:19:21.72\00:19:26.70
affliction, which is but for a
moment worketh for us and
exceeding an eternal weight in
00:19:26.73\00:19:32.27
glory. Are you all hearing what
I'm saying today? It is why the
Bible in Philippians says,
00:19:32.30\00:19:36.04
"Don't be anxious about
anything." Oh, where are the
00:19:36.07\00:19:44.58
church a today? The Bible says
don't be anxious about anything.
It says don't be anxious about
00:19:44.61\00:19:50.92
your bills. It says don't be
anxious about your kids. It's
saying don't be anxious about
00:19:50.95\00:19:56.26
the medical diagnosis. It says
don't be anxious about the rent.
Don't be anxious about the
00:19:56.29\00:20:00.66
dissertation. Don't be anxious
about your enemies. The Bible
says, "In everything, with
00:20:00.70\00:20:08.47
prayer and supplication, with
thanksgiving, let your request
be made known unto God and the
00:20:08.50\00:20:18.91
peace which passes all
understanding." In other words,
I need you to understand
00:20:18.95\00:20:27.86
something about this piece. It
passes understanding. In other
words, this peace cannot be
00:20:27.89\00:20:36.40
realistic. This is the kind of
peace that most folks look at
you funny. This is the kind of
00:20:36.43\00:20:40.67
peace that make people think
you're high. This is the kind of
peace that made people think
00:20:40.70\00:20:44.07
you're drunk. The reason they
think you lost your mind is
because you're not responding
00:20:44.11\00:20:51.55
according to your circumstance.
The reason they don't understand
it is because they never had it.
00:20:51.58\00:20:56.08
Is there anybody in this
room that's been kept by Jesus,
00:20:56.12\00:21:00.66
and when folks thought that you
were going to lose your mind,
they were coming by to check on
00:21:00.69\00:21:07.86
you. They were coming to see if
you had gone crazy. They thought
you were going to have a noose
00:21:07.93\00:21:13.87
around your neck. They didn't
understand how you were crazy.
They didn't understand why you
00:21:13.90\00:21:19.17
were worshipping. They don't
understand how you can come to
church. Because this peace we
00:21:19.21\00:21:25.45
have, the world can't give it
and the world can't take it
away. The unbelieving can't even
00:21:25.48\00:21:35.66
understand it. Are you
all hearing me today, saints?
00:21:35.69\00:21:39.13
[Congregation: Cheering]
00:21:39.16\00:21:41.46
I need you all to understand
that this kind of peace I'm
talking about here,
00:21:41.50\00:21:46.13
you only get this kind of peace
when you got some history with
00:21:46.17\00:21:51.97
Jesus. [Congregation: Amen]
00:21:52.01\00:21:54.31
When you've just seen Him do it
so many times, that you can
start tripping over stuff
00:21:54.34\00:22:00.98
because you know your God is
able to bring it to pass. Are
you all with me today, saints?
00:22:01.02\00:22:05.39
Do you know who I believe the
coolest person on the planet is?
00:22:05.42\00:22:13.50
It ain't Snoop.
[Congregation: Laughing]
00:22:13.53\00:22:15.60
It ain't LeBron. The coolest cat
on the planet is an older
believer who have been walking
00:22:15.63\00:22:26.44
with God a long time. Now, watch
this. Notice I didn't say an
older person. I didn't say
00:22:26.47\00:22:36.58
somebody that's been in the
church a long time. I said an
older believer who's been
00:22:36.62\00:22:42.12
walking with Jesus a long time.
I'm privileged as a pastor to
watch, study and imitate older
00:22:42.16\00:22:48.26
believers. One of the things
I've learned about older
believers is they learned not to
00:22:48.30\00:22:56.04
waste their worry. In other
words, they've just seen God do
it so much. They've seen God pay
00:22:56.07\00:23:04.15
the bills too many times. They
walked out of the hospital room
on too many occasions. They've
00:23:04.18\00:23:11.39
seen God help their kids get
through school. They've been
over so many mountains. Come out
00:23:11.42\00:23:17.89
of so many valleys. They've seen
God come through right on time.
That the craziest situation in
00:23:17.93\00:23:26.50
the world, they just chill and
watch. It's crazy because some
of you all know that before we
00:23:26.53\00:23:32.14
had a three kids, my wife and I
had four miscarriages before we
had our first one. It's funny
00:23:32.17\00:23:38.71
because we were around some
older believers who they would
just be like, "Pastor Snell,
00:23:38.75\00:23:43.45
it's going to be alright. God is
going to bless you with some
kids." Now, "It's crazy. Malcolm
00:23:43.49\00:23:49.32
because I would be tripping."
I'm like, "How can you say that
with such certainty?" In fact,
00:23:49.36\00:23:55.13
it almost felt dismissive, like
they just wanted to change the
nature of the conversation, but
00:23:55.16\00:24:03.27
I'm realizing that they have
lived long enough, that they
simply knew how the story was
00:24:03.30\00:24:07.38
going to end. They were simply
speaking of faith that I didn't
have at the time. Are you all
00:24:07.41\00:24:09.41
hearing what I'm saying?
[Congregation: Amen] I'm a
little older than some of my
00:24:09.44\00:24:12.38
younger brothers in ministry. I
got a young man who's in the
ministry. He was in all kind of
00:24:12.41\00:24:15.02
knots a couple of weeks ago
because somebody says something
bad about him on social media
00:24:15.05\00:24:20.32
after his sermon. It's funny. I
sounded just like one of those
older folk. I was like,
00:24:20.36\00:24:27.83
"Brother, you are going to be
strong. You are going to make
it." He just didn't know what to
00:24:27.86\00:24:31.53
say. He was crossing. He can't
believe the members would say
00:24:31.57\00:24:33.77
that. The reason I'm speaking
like this is I've just had it
done so many times.
00:24:33.80\00:24:38.97
That ain't going to disrupt not
one second of my sleep. Are you
all hearing what I'm saying?
00:24:39.01\00:24:46.25
When you've got history, your
faith is easily accessible. Let
me say to you all on this side.
00:24:46.28\00:24:56.16
When you've got history,
it makes your faith easily
00:24:56.19\00:25:03.16
accessible. Anybody ever, like
on your web browser on your
computer, whenever you visit a
00:25:03.20\00:25:10.97
website consistently, what
happens is that website gets
recorded in your history? At a
00:25:11.01\00:25:16.04
point, you ain't even got to try
hard to get to it because it's
00:25:16.08\00:25:20.02
in your history. It becomes
easily accessible. Are you all
00:25:20.05\00:25:23.52
not with me Because I visit the
Oakwood Church website a lot, as
soon as I put in O-A,
00:25:23.55\00:25:30.36
the website is accessible
because it's in my history. Yall
still didn't get it.
00:25:30.39\00:25:36.16
Because I visit ESPN a lot, as
soon as I put in E-S, the
P-N.com, automatically shows up.
00:25:36.20\00:25:43.94
It becomes accessible because
it's in my history. You all sit
00:25:43.97\00:25:47.74
and get it. Because I visit
South Central website a lot, as
soon as I put S-O-U, the whole
00:25:47.78\00:25:53.98
thing comes up. It becomes
accessible because it's in my
00:25:54.02\00:25:56.85
history. Now, the reason it
stays in my history and becomes
accessible is because I visited
00:25:56.89\00:26:03.93
so often. You all didn't get it.
How many of us know that if you
visit Jesus a lot, it gets
00:26:03.96\00:26:12.87
stored in your history and as
soon as you type in J-E, the
miracle shows up. You ain't even
00:26:12.90\00:26:23.75
got to get the S-U-S. Because
it's in your history. Because
you saw Him so much. You've
00:26:23.78\00:26:30.65
walked with Him so much. You've
talked with Him so much. You
spent so much time with Him,
00:26:30.69\00:26:38.46
that your faith is accessible,
because you got history. Do I
have seven folks that's got a
00:26:38.49\00:26:47.24
history of Him paying the bills?
You got a history of Him getting
your kids through school. You
00:26:47.27\00:26:54.38
got a history of Him preserving
your marriage. You got a history
of Him coming through right on
00:26:54.41\00:27:02.02
time. You got a history often
making a way out of no way. If
you got some history, give God
00:27:02.05\00:27:08.49
praise in this place.
[Congregation: Cheering]
00:27:08.52\00:27:09.89
Are you hearing the word?
00:27:09.92\00:27:16.13
(Breath of Life Music)
00:27:16.16\00:27:43.26
In a world that's constantly
changing, it's a blessing to
know that there is a living
00:27:43.29\00:27:48.86
hope. His name is Jesus. On
Sunday, April 17, in conjunction
with the Interfaith Broadcasting
00:27:48.90\00:27:56.81
Commision we invite you to view
"A Living Hope" our Easter
television series, which will be
00:27:56.84\00:28:04.71
shown nationally on ABC
Television affiliates across the
United States. A Living Hope
00:28:04.75\00:28:11.82
will feature an Easter message
by Pastor Debleaire Snell. Our
special musical guests will be
00:28:11.85\00:28:20.50
Grammy award winning artist Cece
Winans, along with SELAH, and
violinist Patrick Bogui. For
00:28:20.53\00:28:28.44
broadcast cities,stations and
times of 'A Living Hope" please
visit breathoflife.tv or give us
00:28:28.47\00:28:32.97
a call at (256) 929-6460 [End]
00:28:33.01\00:28:48.02