Sermon #S030 - It's
Hard Being Chosen - (Part 2)
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Welcome to the Breath of Life
Television Ministries broadcast
with Pastor Debleaire Snell!
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In today's episode, Pastor Snell
will share Part Two of the
dynamic message titled: “It's
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Hard Being Chosen.” Now, let's
go deeper into the Word of God.
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Pastor Snell: And see, one of
the things I need somebody to
understand about the journey of
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faith is this, is that God is
wanting somebody to understand
that it's okay if you don't know
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all the details. And see, this
is the principle that somebody's
going to collapse on the journey
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of faith if you've got to
operate with all the details.
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And it's funny because there are
some of us that operate in a
certain state of panic because
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man, we need to be able to see
how everything is going to work
out. We are men logistically
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astute people. We like to see
how things are going to reach
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their conclusion. And even
though that may work well for
you and create advantage for you
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on your job or in your
profession, sometimes it may
actually work against you in the
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realm of faith. Because
sometimes not only is God going
to permit mystery, sometimes,
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God is going to require mystery.
Sometimes God is going to
require some unknowns, which
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require us to exercise full
trust and dependence on him. And
see, this is why friends of
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mine, you've got to be able to
live with some mystery because
living without mystery always
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leads to a certain consequence.
Because when I'm unwilling to
live with mystery, what happens
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is, whenever there is a detailed
gap, I'll fill it in with my own
conclusion. Whenever God allows
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there to be a gap in the
details, if I'm unwilling to
live with mystery, I will begin
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to fill in the gaps with an
ending of my own making. Are
you're all hearing me today,
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friends? And I need somebody to
get that some of the greatest
errors in your life are the
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result of you trying to fill in
a gap because you are unwilling
to live with a season of not
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knowing. In other words, I mean,
look at this thing in the
scripture. In other words, Sarah
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had a detailed gap where it was
not clear where she was going to
have a baby. And what she did is
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she filled in the gap and she
sent Haggar over to Abraham's
tent. And what happens is she
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unleashes a civil war in her own
house because she will not live
with a season of mystery.
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Remember that Jacob and his
mother refused to live with a
detailed gap. It was not clear
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how God was going to give the
birthright over to Jacob and
they secured it through
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trickery. And as a result, they
didn't realize that when Jacob
left home, he would never see
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his mother alive again. Because
it always ends up in failure
when you feel in the blanks
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without God [Congregation: Yes].
And see what I'm saying to
somebody today is that there's
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somebody that's dealing, that's
facing some detailed gaps in the
near future. There are some that
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are having some detailed gaps
next semester. You don't know
how you're going to get in
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school or what the major is
going to be. There are some that
have detailed gaps about a
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spouse because you don't see any
real potential on the horizon.
There is somebody facing a
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detailed gap financially. You
don't know how you're going to
make it to the end of the year.
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There is somebody facing a
detailed gap medically, as you
are dealing with a potential
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deadly medical prognosis. There
is somebody dealing with a
detailed gap relationally
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because you don't know who your
friends are and who your ally
enemies are. But what I need
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somebody to know is don't feel
the gap with the details of your
own making. You've got to stand
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still and let God be God over
your life [Congregation: Amen].
In other words, friends of mind,
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see, you'll always be
uncomfortable with detailed
gaps. If you feel like you got
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to be responsible for yourself.
Help me holy Spirit. See how
many of us know, that your
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well-being is not your
responsibility? Let me preach to
you're all on this side. Do you
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realize that your well-being
isn't your responsibility, it's
actually God's responsibility.
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[Congregation: Amen] See, the
reason we fret and worry so much
is that we operate under the
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false narrative that I've got to
make it happen. That is all on
me. That is my job, that if I
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don't do it, it won't get done.
But how many of us know that we
are children of God and children
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are not responsible for
themselves? Children are the
responsibility of the parents
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that bear them. Oh, are you're
all hearing me today? The reason
you are uncomfortable with
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mystery is because you think
that it's your job to figure it
out. But how many of us know
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that while you are trying to
figure it out, God has already
worked it out, that God knows
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you are his responsibility.
[Congregation: Amen] May I share
a couple of weeks tonight. I
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mean it's like when my family
and I go to a restaurant. It's
crazy man because like man,
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we'll go into a restaurant and
you know how your kids are
sometimes man, they're not going
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to just man go cheap on the
menu. What they going to do is
they going to order big on the
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menu. It's crazy. It's crazy.
Sometimes man they going to be
ordering drinks and desserts.
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Sometimes I be like, man, we
going to order one drink and we
going to pass that all around.
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Come on and say amen.
[Congregation: Amen] And it's
crazy because like when we go to
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a restaurant, man, they ordering
big. But I need you to know
ain't nobody tripping about
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who's going to pay.
[Congregation: Laughing] Ain't
nobody looking for they wallet.
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Ain't nobody looking for a debit
card because children operate
under the assumption that if
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daddy brought me here,
[Congregation: Amen] then daddy
must got to pay the bill.
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And what I'm saying to somebody
is you need to know your God's
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responsibility. I want to
encourage somebody stop ordering
small, [Congregation: Amen]
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start ordering big, and stop
looking at your wallet. Stop
looking at your credit score.
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Stop looking at your bank
account and know that if God
brought you, then God has got
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the bill paid for. And the tip,
let the church say amen out
there today. [Congregation:
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Amen] Are you all hearing this
word? [Congregation: Amen] And
see, watch this. I need somebody
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to get this. God doesn't give
details. God gives assurances.
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In other words, he listens. He
doesn't tell them how long
they're going to be there.
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He doesn't say, man, this is
how much you're going to need to
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survive. But what he tells them
is just stay there till I call
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you back here. In other words,
he's giving them the assurance
that even though I didn't give
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you the details for how long I'm
giving you the assurance, that's
all going to make it back. In
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other words, I need somebody to
get friends of mine. That what
God does is he doesn't give us
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all the details, but he's given
you some assurances that should
remove some of the stress out of
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your life experience. Are you
all hearing me today? And let me
just, you know, tell the truth
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man. I would always rather have
the details. But the more I'm
living past the fail, I'm coming
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to the conclusion that details
don't build faith assurances do.
See, even if God doesn't give me
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the when, the where, the how.
And he certainly does not give
the why. I don't really need
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those particulars. All I need to
know is that God is going to be
with me. Are you all hearing me
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today, friends? [Congregation:
Amen] And what I'm saying to
somebody today is that we are
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getting all bogged down, all
tied up in knots because we are
acting as if we're rutterless
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because we don't have details.
You may not have the details,
but guess what? You've got some
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assurances in Christ. See I need
somebody to be reminded that you
may not have all the details for
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how you're going to make it
through financially in 2023.
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But I've got this assurance that
my God shall supply all my needs
according to his riches in
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glory. [Congregation: Amen]
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You may not have all the details
for how you're going to overcome
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the enemies, but you've got the
assurance that no weapon formed
against you shall be permitted
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to prosper. And every tone
that rises in judgment shall be
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condemned. You might not have
all the details for how you're
going to manage the stressful
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situation, but I've got the
assurance that he'll keep me in
perfect peace as long as my mind
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stays upon him. I don't have all
the details for how I'll work
through every conundrum,
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but I've got the assurance that
all things work together for
them that love the Lord and are
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called according to his purpose.
You may not have all the details
for how you'll make it through
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the difficulties and but you've
got the assurance that even you
are going to grow weary and
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young men so utterly fall, but
they that way upon the Lord
shall renew their strength.
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They'll mount up with wings as
eagles. They'll run and not be
weary walking, not faint. I
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don't have the details about
when Jesus is going to come, but
I've got an assurance that he
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that shall come, will come and
he will not tarry, I don't need
all the details because I've got
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blessed assurance. Do I got
seven folk that know you've got
blessed assurance in Christ.
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Blessed assurance, Jesus is
mine. Oh, one of the fortes of
glory, divine air of salvation,
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purchase of God, born of his
spirit and washed of his blood.
This is my story. This is my
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song praising my Savior all the
day long. I don't need the
details because he's giving me
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assurance. [Congregation: Amen]
Are you hearing me today,
friends? Now notice church what
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I said and what I did not say.
Notice I said he doesn't give
you the details. I didn't say he
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wasn't detailed. Okay. Notice I
said he doesn't give you the
details. I didn't say that God
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is not detailed. How many of us
know God is not some random
emotional-like being that's
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responding to life as it
unfolds? Do you realize that God
doesn't wake up today and make
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up his mind about what he's
going to? God made up his mind
one time in eternity.
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[Congregation: Amen] Oh God no.
No. God only made up his mind
one time and everything that has
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played out is the unfolding of
the one time God made up his
mind. Because God doesn't need
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backup plans. He doesn't need
contingency plans. He doesn't
need a plan B if it doesn't work
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out because everything God says
is going to cause us to triumph.
[Congregation: Amen] So what are
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you talking about, Pastor? So, I
need to know, he doesn't give
them the details about how
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they're going to make it in
Egypt because God is detailed.
So he's already supplied it. He
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didn't give them the details
that they were going to go to
Egypt, but he didn't give them
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the detail that the wise men
were going to come. Oh, God. He
didn't give them the detail that
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these cats was going to come
from the east and notice that
when they come they don't come
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empty-handed. [Congregation:
Amen] They come in with gifts of
frankincense, myrrh and bars of
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gold where you at church. Do you
realize that the way they
survived in Egypt was because
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God saw the decree before it
happened. [Congregation: Amen]
God sent the provision before
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they knew they needed it. God
put it under their disposal so
that the problem had been
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supplied before the problem even
arose because God is a God that
is detailed [Congregation: Amen]
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so that there is no problem you
face that catches God by
surprise. See, the problem is we
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think the need hasn't been
supplied. Sometimes the need
just hadn't been revealed. See,
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we say, man, God seen the
provision as if somehow God is
late. Oh, God. Do you realize
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that God ain't got to send
nothing? It's already sent.
[Congregation: Amen] You just
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need to say, Lord, show me where
is at. Somebody needs to go home
and look under a tree in a
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closet in the trunk. Check the
mailbox because God is an
on-time God. [Congregation:
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Amen] He might not come when you
want him, but he'll be there
right on time. He's an on-time
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God. [Congregation: Amen] Yes he
is. Are you're all hearing me
today? [Congregation: Amen] See
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I need somebody to understand
this trait about the character
of God. You see, God is the
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first engineer God knows the end
from the beginning and the
beginning from the end. Oh, God.
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And every need you have is on
his calendar. Okay, so you all
don't believe it, can we go to
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the word no. Let's go to the
bottom of Matthew six in verse
25 and put our finger in Job 38.
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Can we just spend a little
minute in the book for a second?
Matthew chapter six and verse
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25. When you get there, let me
hear you say amen. Matthew
chapter six and verse 25. As I
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said, he doesn't give you the
details, but that doesn't mean
God is not detailed. Matthew six
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and verse 25, when you get
there, say, Pastor, I'm here.
Matthew chapter six and verse
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25, notice what the word says.
See it stand up on the screen.
You got to open up your Bibles.
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Matthew six and verse 25. So
listen to Jesus speaking, look
at what he says. Therefore I say
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to you, do not worry about...
Open the scripture saints, do
not worry about your life, what
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you will eat or what you will
drink, nor about your body. What
you will put on is not life more
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than food in the body, more than
clothing. Look at the birds of
the air. They neither soul nor
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reap nor gather into Barnes. In
other words, they're saying the
birds don't punch or clock
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[Congregation: Amen] yet your
heavenly Father feeds them. Are
you not much more valuable than
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they and which of you by
worrying can add a cubit to his
stature? So then why do you
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worry about clothing? Are you
all hearing this church? Why are
you worried about clothing?
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Consider, watching this. The
lilies of the field, how they
grow. They neither toil nor spin
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yet I say to you that even
Solomon and all of his glory was
not arrayed like one of these.
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Now God so close the glad grass
of the field, which is today and
tomorrow is thrown into oven,
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will he not so much more cloth
you Oh ye of little faith. Are
you all hearing this today?
00:16:51.61\00:16:58.68
[Congregation: Yes] In other
words, what he's saying to us is
that I'm a God of detail. Some
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of us still haven't seen it. Go
over with me in your Bible to
Job chapter 38, Job chapter 38.
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We'll rejoice in it in just a
moment. Job chapter 38. This is
where then God listens to Job's
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complaint and then God
eventually responds with these
questions. Job chapter 38 and
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verse number 34. When you get
there, let me hear you say amen.
Job chapter 38 and verse number
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four [Congregation: Amen] hear
the word of the Lord. Job 8 38
and verse 34. This is God
00:17:42.09\00:17:48.46
speaking. These are the
questions that he is asking to
the unbelieving and distrusting
00:17:48.50\00:17:54.00
amongst us. He says, where were
you when I laid the foundations
of the earth? Tell me if you
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understand who determined its
measurements. In other words,
God measured it before he
00:18:00.54\00:18:08.22
established it. Surely you know
who stretched the line upon it
or what were its foundations
00:18:08.25\00:18:15.92
fastened to or who laid the
cornerstone when the morning
stars sang together and all the
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sons of God shouted for joy or
who shut the sea with its doors
when it bursts forth and issued
00:18:21.76\00:18:31.07
from the womb. When I made the
clouds, it's garment and a thick
darkness, its swaddling ban.
00:18:31.11\00:18:36.34
When I fixed my limit for it and
set the bars and the doors when
I said this far, you may come
00:18:36.38\00:18:42.85
[Congregation: Amen] but no
further. And here your proud
waves must stop. Have you
00:18:42.88\00:18:48.59
commanded the morning since your
days began and caused the dawn
to know its place? Verse 19. He
00:18:48.62\00:18:55.86
says, where is the way of the
dwelling of light and darkness?
Where is its place that you may
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know to take its territory that
you may know the path to its
home? Do you know it because you
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were born then or because the
number of your days is great?
Have you entered the treasury of
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snow? Oh God, or have you seen
the treasury of hail, which if
you have reserved for the time
00:19:16.62\00:19:22.16
of trouble for the day of
battling war, by what way is
light diffused or the east wind
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scattered over the earth and who
has divided the channel for the
overflowing water of the path
00:19:29.26\00:19:31.33
for the thunder bolt to cause a
to rain on land where there is
no one a wilderness in which
00:19:31.37\00:19:36.74
there is no man. In verse 29, he
says, from whose womb comes the
ice and the frost of heaven, who
00:19:36.77\00:19:43.21
gives it birth? The water's
hardened like stone in the
surface of the deepest frozen,
00:19:43.24\00:19:47.45
can you bind the cluster of
pleiades or loose the belt of
Orion? Some of you're all still
00:19:47.48\00:19:53.52
acting brand new. Verse 33, he
says, do you know of the
ordinances of heaven? Can you
00:19:53.56\00:19:54.76
set their dominions over the
earth? Can you lift up your
voice to the clouds that an
00:19:54.79\00:19:57.23
abundance of water may cover
you? Can you send out lightnings
that they may go and say, here
00:19:57.26\00:20:09.97
we are. Or who has put wisdom in
the mind or given understanding
to the heart? [Congregation:
00:20:10.01\00:20:19.88
Yeah] In other words, God is
trying to teach us something,
friends. He's trying to help us
00:20:19.91\00:20:30.16
understand that even though I
don't give you the details, I'm
still a God of detail. In other
00:20:30.19\00:20:40.60
words, he's saying the sea has
boundaries because I'm a God of
detail. The sparrows don't
00:20:40.64\00:20:48.91
starve because I'm a God of
detail. That the lilies get
clothed because I'm a God of
00:20:48.94\00:20:51.25
detail that the sun is on a
schedule because I'm a God of
detail. That the seasons are on
00:20:51.28\00:20:56.58
a timer because I'm a God of
detail. That gravity weighs us
down, but it doesn't crush us
00:20:56.62\00:21:02.99
because I'm a God of detail. The
sun doesn't burn because his
lift has been measured because
00:21:03.02\00:21:10.67
he's a God of detail. When the
earthquakes, it doesn't collapse
because it's been fastened on
00:21:10.70\00:21:18.71
the cornerstone because it was
put there by a God of detail.
Rivers flow because he's a God
00:21:18.74\00:21:29.65
of detail. Light travels because
he's a God of detail. The rain
is on schedule because he's a
00:21:29.68\00:21:39.49
God of detail. Dew falls on the
plants because he's a God of
detail. Ice freezes because he's
00:21:39.53\00:21:41.66
a God of detail. Darkness comes
on time because he's a God of
detail. Do you realize the
00:21:41.70\00:21:50.41
functions of your brain reflect
a God of detail, that when a
baby is born is because he's a
00:21:50.44\00:22:02.85
God of detail, that every
breathe comes from a God of
detail. Some of us still missed
00:22:02.88\00:22:14.83
our shout. God is saying that if
I was detailed over the sky, if
I'm detailed over the lilies, if
00:22:14.83\00:22:19.70
I'm detailed over the cosmos,
won't I be detailed about
supplying every need that you
00:22:19.73\00:22:28.54
will ever have because I am the
God of the details. Are you all
hearing me today, friends? See,
00:22:28.58\00:22:39.35
if God got his eye on the
sparrow. If he knows when they
have to eat. Does he know when
00:22:39.39\00:22:54.04
you have to eat? And see,
somebody needs to know that just
because he hadn't given us all
00:22:54.07\00:23:01.84
the details doesn't mean that
he's not a God of detail. The
third thing, man, I'm done is
00:23:01.88\00:23:12.42
this, I need somebody to get it.
When you're chosen, you've got
to handle closed doors with
00:23:12.45\00:23:21.60
grace. Now, I need you to kind
of understand why there is no
room for Joseph and Mary in the
00:23:21.63\00:23:30.61
in. Like they go to Hotel Bobby
after hotel, after hotel and
everywhere they go, the door is
00:23:30.64\00:23:38.05
closed. But remember when you
read Mark's Luke's version, the
Bible says that everybody has to
00:23:38.08\00:23:41.75
come to be registered in their
own city. Okay, you're not
asking the right question. The
00:23:41.78\00:23:49.59
question you should be asking is
if they're from Bethlehem, why
are they even looking for
00:23:49.62\00:23:57.93
hotels? But because of the shame
of how Mary gets pregnant, they
have such shame connected to
00:23:57.97\00:24:05.21
their wedding, that the folk
that are their flesh and blood
relatives have already said,
00:24:05.24\00:24:15.52
don't even come over here. In
other words, the doors are
closed at the cousin's house.
00:24:15.55\00:24:16.75
The door is closed at their
uncle's house. The door is
closed at their parents' house.
00:24:16.79\00:24:18.99
The door is closed at their
grandma's house. The door is
closed when they go to the
00:24:19.02\00:24:27.30
ramada, the door is closed at
Motel six. The door is closed at
the west end. You know they're
00:24:27.30\00:24:37.34
in trouble. The door is closed
at Howard Johnson. But I need
you to understand that God even
00:24:37.37\00:24:49.38
has purpose in close doors.
[Congregation: Amen] See you're
not going to rejoice. But see,
00:24:49.42\00:24:52.99
sometimes we think when we're
chosen, every door is just
supposed to open for us. But
00:24:53.02\00:25:00.86
because you are chosen, he
closes doors that provide no
benefit. See, as much as Joseph
00:25:00.90\00:25:08.54
and Mary would want the doors to
be open, there is a reason those
doors are closed. See, remember,
00:25:08.57\00:25:13.48
God is a God of detail. He
doesn't see what's happening as
it's happening. He sees what's
00:25:13.51\00:25:20.25
going to happen before it
happens. So God knows that the
announcement that the Savior is
00:25:20.28\00:25:28.19
born is going to spook Herod.
That Herod is going to send
forth a genocide, that he's
00:25:28.22\00:25:33.83
going to send a manhunt
throughout the whole city and
search to kill all the babies
00:25:33.86\00:25:39.63
that are two years old and
under. But there is a reason
that God would not let them go
00:25:39.67\00:25:45.61
to their mother or to their
grandmother or to a hotel. He
sends them inside of a manger.
00:25:45.64\00:25:56.52
Why? Because when the soldiers
go through town, they go to
mama's house, and they are going
00:25:56.55\00:26:05.29
to go to daddy's house. They're
going to go to grandma's house,
they're going to go to the
00:26:05.33\00:26:12.80
Western. They're going to go to
the Howard Johnson, they're
going to go to the Motel six.
00:26:12.83\00:26:15.00
They're going to go in every
room. They're going to go in
every house. They're going to
00:26:15.04\00:26:20.41
look under every rock. They're
going to look everywhere. But
the manger [Congregation: Amen]
00:26:20.44\00:26:26.75
In other words, they didn't
realize that their rejection was
for their protection. Oh, God.
00:26:26.78\00:26:28.82
[Congregation: Amen] And
sometimes God closes doors. It's
not for your rejection. It's
00:26:28.85\00:26:35.42
because he saw what was behind
the door. He saw what was
waiting for you [Congregation:
00:26:35.46\00:26:41.73
Yes] and kept it closed. Are you
all hearing me today?
[Congregation: Yes, sir] See,
00:26:41.76\00:26:50.84
sometimes the rejection is for
your protection. [Congregation:
Amen] So guess what? God closed
00:26:50.87\00:26:59.75
all the doors. Because guess
what? When you checked into a
hotel and you paid, guess what?
00:26:59.78\00:27:02.22
You had to sign a book.
[Congregation: Yeah] You had to
sign a registry. So when they go
00:27:02.25\00:27:11.33
check all the books, there ain't
no record of Mary & Joseph.
[Congregation: Laughing] No
00:27:11.36\00:27:20.90
record of a pregnant woman
because God closed the right
doors. And see what I'm saying
00:27:20.94\00:27:29.31
to somebody today is that
sometimes God closed certain
doors so that at the point there
00:27:29.34\00:27:36.95
would be no record of you. So he
didn't let you join that job. He
didn't let you marry that
00:27:36.99\00:27:46.70
person. He didn't let you into
that frat. But he left one door
open. He says, I am the way, the
00:27:46.73\00:27:48.56
truth, and the life. If any man
comes by me, I need you to know.
He'll find the way in. But
00:27:48.60\00:28:32.81
because you went through the
open door, that is Christ, and
you got washed in his blood,
00:28:32.84\00:28:47.86