(Breath of Life Theme Music)
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Sermon #S033 -
"Let It Go" - (Part 1)
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Pastor Snell. Exodus chapter 14,
and we're going to begin
together at verse number one.
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When you get there,
say, pastor, I'm here.
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[Congregation: Pastor I'm here.]
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Exodus chapter 14 and verse
number one. The Bible says,
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now the Lord spoke to Moses
saying speak to the children of
Israel that they may turn
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and camp before Pi Hahiroth
between Migdol and the sea
opposite of Baal Zephon.
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And you shall camp before it by
the sea. For Pharaoh will say of
the children of Israel,
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they are bewildered by the land,
the wilderness has closed them
in. Then I will harden Pharaoh's
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heart so that he will pursue
them and I will gain honor over
Pharaoh and over his army that
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the Egyptians may know that I am
the Lord. And they did so. And
now it was told to the king of
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Egypt that the people had fled
and the heart of Pharaoh and his
servants was turned against the
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people. And they said, why have
we done this that we have let
Israel go from serving us?
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So he made ready his chariot
and took the people with him.
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Also, he took 600 choice
chariots and all the chariots of
Egypt with captains over every
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one of them. And the Lord
hardened the heart of Pharaoh,
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king of Egypt. And he pursued
the children of Israel and the
children of Israel went out with
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boldness today, saints, for a
little while I want to talk to
you under the subject, let it
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go. Turn to your neighbor
real quick. Say stop holding on.
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[Congregation: Stop holding on.]
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Pastor Snell: Just let it go.
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[Congregation: Just let it go.]
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Pastor Snell: Turn to the other
neighbor say don't hold on too
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tight. [Congregation:
Don't hold on too tight.]
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Pastor Snell: Just let it,
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[Congregation: Just let it,]
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Pastor Snell: Just let him,
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[Congregation: Just let him.]
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Pastor Snell: Just let her.
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[Congregation: Just let her.]
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Just let them. Yo y'all might
quiet. Just let it go. Just let
it go. let's look to the Lord
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together. Father we need
a special anointing today.
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[Congregation: Yes],
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I'm praying that
faith would be multiplied
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because some still don't even
have the resolve to believe that
they're on the verge of
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something. So Lord, may we study
your word more than we study our
circumstance. And so Father,
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I'm praying today, Lord, that
whatever is binding, whatever is
yorking, whatever is fastening
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itself to our hearts today, Lord
would you lose us? But more than
that, would you teach us to lose
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it? So hide me in the shadows of
the cross that Jesus alone might
be seen, that Christ alone will
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be heard. And at the end of our
time together, may Jesus alone
be praised. We ask this in the
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name of him who is altogether
lovely. It is in the name of
Jesus that we pray. Let God's
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people say together, Amen and
Amen. You may be seated in the
house of the Lord. Again,
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talking to you under the subject
today, let it go. In our text
today we have two entities that
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need to learn the blessing of
release. We have Pharaoh who
refuses to let go of the
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children of Israel and we have
the children of Israel who in
many ways refuse to let go of
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their time in Egypt. And it's
amazing because Pharaoh loses
everything that he has trying to
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hold on to them. And in the
wilderness they suffer the
chastening of God, trying to
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hold on to the time in Egypt.
And the truth is that they would
actually be better off without
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each other. In other words, they
would prosper individually, but
they are cursed when they try to
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bring it back together. And can
we agree that there comes a time
when certain partnerships get to
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a place where we're better off
without each other? Sometimes,
young people, you're better off
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just being friends. Sometimes on
the job, it's better to be
coworkers instead of trying to
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be buddies.There are certain
friendships that need to be
repaired but there are some that
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just need to be let go and you
learn to keep it moving. But the
larger motif is that both suffer
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because they're trying to hold
on when the blessing is actually
in letting go. For some of us,
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like Israel, when you are on the
verge of something new, you
won't be able to embrace it
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until you let go of what is old.
And there are some that need to
let go of some form or hurt.
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There are some that need to let
go of the way it was. There are
some that need to let go of our
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bitterness. There are some that
need to let go of unfruitful
habits. There are some that need
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to let go of the sketch you had
in your head. And I need
somebody to understand that for
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this year, the blessing is not
going to be in what you restore,
collect or rebuild. But for
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some, the blessing is going to
be in what you release and let
go of. And can I say, today
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saints, that when you are on the
verge of something in order to
sense God's new thing, you've
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got to be able to recognize
where God is moving right now.
Can you say amen? And so go back
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with me if you don't mind to
Exodus chapter 14 and verse
number three, as we unpack
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today's word together. Exodus 14
in verse three. When you get
there, let me hear you say amen,
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[Congregation: Amen] Here God
speaking to Moses says this, for
Pharaoh will say of the children
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of Israel, they are bewildered
by the land and the wilderness
has closed them in. In other
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words, friends, I need you to
get that. Today's message has
some critical lessons about how
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to maneuver in seasons of
transition. But the first thing
it teaches friends is that when
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you are on the verge of
something, you ought to be
prepared to be underestimated.
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Let me say it again. That when
you're on the verge of
something, you ought to prepare
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to be underestimated. Now, I'm
not sure if you notice that what
we just read was not a quote
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from Pharaoh. It was actually
God giving insight about
Pharaoh's mentality toward the
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people of God. In other words,
Pharaoh would operate under the
assumption that Israel would not
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have the skill or the competence
or the savvy to be able to
survive on the road they were
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about to take. In other words,
they impart underestimate them
and they underestimate God,
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which is what compels them to go
and pursue God's people. In
other words, Pharaoh doesn't
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endorse their progress. He's not
confident about their chances.
He literally believes that the
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journey is too big for them. And
low-key Pharaoh thinks that if
they don't just turn around and
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go home, he's just going to get
in the chariots and recollect
them and bring them back.
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And God's word to Moses in this
moment is that you've got to
prepare to be underestimated.
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And God's word and warning to
the church today is don't expect
endorsement from your former
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associations.
[Congregation: Amen.]
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In other words, this is the
rainbow word for somebody today
because the reason that some get
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stuck on the verge or we get
talked out of being on the verge
is we think that our movement is
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contingent upon the endorsement
of certain people. In other
words, for some, the proof that
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we're on the verge of something
is a statement of confidence
from this person. It is an
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endorsement from that group. It
is convictions from that
individual. And God is saying to
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somebody on the front end of
this year's journey that you
should be prepared to be
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underestimated, especially by
those who know you the best. And
see this is why friends Jesus
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said that a prophet would be
without honor in his own country
and even in his own house
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because there is something about
when folk get familiar with you
that they can see your flaws but
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they can't see your potential.
They get so used to seeing how
what you do that they can't see
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what God is doing in you. And
that's why when somebody makes
it big and somebody breaks
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ground, the most surprised folk
are actually the ones that are
around them every day.
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And under words that like
Pharaoh, some are going
underestimate, they're going to
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think the road you are on is too
big. They're going to think that
you are being unrealistic.
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They're going to think that you
are not counting the cause.
They're actually sitting back
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and waiting for you to fail.
They don't think that you know
what you are doing. And the
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reason this is critical is
because there are some that
allowed themselves to be talked
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off of the verge because we hold
people's opinions too highly. In
other words, I need you to get
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that Pharaoh ruled over them
with whip and with chain. But
there are some contemporary
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pharaohs that rule over you with
opinion endorsement and
perception. Y'all mighty quiet
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today. You, see friends of mine.
I want you to be clear that it's
good to seek godly counsel.
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It is critical to have a
spiritual sounding board,
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but you'll never ever get off of
the verge if you put people's
opinion above God's purposes.
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In other words, you
will never have any peace.
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You'll never have any freedom
you will never be able to
overcome until you get to a
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place where you don't care what
other folk have to say about
what God has for you. And see,
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let me be clear that the crime
is not that they have a strong
opinion. The crime is that
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you've become beholden to it.
The crime is the amount of
weight or stock that you put
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into what they have to say. In
fact, the truth is there are
some of us today that our
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perception even of ourselves is
just a compilation of other
people's opinions. In other
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words, there are some students
that don't think they can pass
the class unless somebody says
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they're able to pass it. There
are some that don't think that
we are good looking unless
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somebody says it. There are some
that repeat certain behaviors on
Facebook because that's the one
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that got the most likes last
time. In fact, what some believe
about church is based upon what
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they heard somebody say on
Facebook. In fact, some hate
some people not because they've
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done something to you but you
are taking on somebody's anger
and carrying out somebody else's
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rage. And see the problem of
allowing other people's opinion
to make you is that if their
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opinion can make you, then guess
what? Their opinion can break
you. And see my word to somebody
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today is to not allow somebody's
opinion to overwhelm and define
you. Are y'all hearing the
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pastor today? In fact, friends,
I'll tell you that a part of my
job is dealing with people that
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have an inflated view of how
much their opinion should matter
to me. In fact, you would be
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surprised how many folk just
really believe that I ought to
adjust to everything they
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suggest and do. And let me be
clear that my goal is not to get
to a place where I don't care
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what anybody thinks because
that's not realistic. I just
can't allow what they think to
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ultimately supplant God's
purposes. Are y'all hearing me
today? In other words, young
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folk don't sit around and wait
for somebody to tell you that
you're cute. You ought wake up
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like David and say, I am
fearfully and wonderfully made.
You ought to say like Ephesians
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2, that I am God's masterpiece.
Don't wait on somebody to tell
you that you are smart. James
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says "if any man lack wisdom,
let them ask of God who gives to
all men freely." Don't wait for
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somebody else to tell you you
can do it. Philippians says I
can do all things through Christ
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who gives me the strength. Stop
waiting on somebody to say I've
got your back. The Bible says,
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no weapon formed against you
shall be able to prosper. And
every tongue that rises in
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judgment, God will condemn stop
waiting on them to tell you that
God has a plan for you. God
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already said I know the plans
that I have for you says the
Lord. Plans to prosper you and
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not to harm you. Plans to give
you a future and a hope. And
what I'm saying to the church
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today is never allow their
opinion to supplant God's
purposes. Okay? It's crazy
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Malcolm, I remember a few years
back, there was somebody who
kind of called themselves
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telling me off about some things
that I should do. And, it's
crazy because I think they could
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sense that I wasn't really
taking it to heart like they
wanted. And they said, well
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pastor, are you processing what
I'm saying? I said, no, I'm not
processing it. Cause we don't
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bank at the same location. What?
What do you mean pastor? You
know how it is when somebody
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writes you a check. If they
don't bank at the same bank you
bank at, then guess what? It
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can't process right away. It's
going to take 48 hours in order
for it to go through. But if we
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bank at the same location, then
I can receive the deposit right
away. In other words, if I'm
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banking with Jehovah and you not
banking with him, I'm not trying
to process your deposit. It'll
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take a few days and maybe I'll
get back with you. Are you
hearing me today? And see
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friends of mine I want somebody
to get this that that part of
his underestimation of them
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actually has to do with an
overinflation of himself. In
other words, the reason he
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thinks they can't make it is
Pharaoh actually believes they
can't make it without him. In
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other words, remember they don't
just have gods in Egypt. The
belief was that Pharaoh himself
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was a God that he was the rising
and setting sun. And see, just
like the nature of any abusive
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relationship, Pharaoh has abused
them and he's made them
dependent upon him. And he's
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operating under the assumption
that I have fed them and I have
housed them. In fact, Pharaoh
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doesn't even believe that they
should want to leave Egypt. In
fact, he's mad at Moses because
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he thinks Moses has agitated
folk who are happy like it was.
But see, there's some folk
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friends that will confuse their
role in your life. Are y'all
hearing me today? See, sometimes
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temporarily God will use some
people as a conduit and
sometimes they begin thinking
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they are your source. In other
words, sometimes God uses them
temporarily and he sends
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employment through them and he
sends friendship through them
and he says companionship
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through them. And because it
comes through them, they begin
to think it comes from them. And
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they think that if they will
hold it, that you can't make it
without them. Are y'all here in
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the pastor today? And see,
remember, God's in stated
purpose for bringing them out of
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Egypt. He says, I need you to
let them go so that they can
come out and sacrifice unto me
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and worship me. In other words,
I want them to know who their
source actually is. And he's
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trying to let Pharaoh know that
they were a people before Egypt
and they'll be a people after
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Egypt. Y'all didn't get that.
He's saying they were okay
before they met you and they
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going to be okay after you,
y'all not with me today. And
see, I need you to know the
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reason you are not going to be
endorsed by all, some of your
former associations is they
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believe that their opinions have
shaped you. They believe that
their favors have sustained you.
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They believe that their
companionship defines you and
they believe that you owe some
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allegiances and that you
can't make it without them.
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But how many of us know that a
part of your 2023 journey is to
come to the place where you
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realize you can make it without
them and they realize that you
can move on with your life?
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And see, God is saying just as
he said to Pharaoh that they
were mine before they went to
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Egypt and their mine after they
leave Egypt. And God's word to
somebody today is that God was
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with you before you got the job.
And God will take care of you
after you leave the job.
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In other words, you are special
before you became they, friend.
And you'll be all right once
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they start throwing you shade.
You was a good man before she
broke up with you. And guess
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what, you going to be straight
even after she's gone. And God's
word to somebody today, is stop
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looking over your shoulder.
Don't look back from where you
came. Don't go back to yesterday
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because God is going to keep you
in the days and months to come.
Are y'all hearing the word
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today? And see, this is why some
of us cannot be so nervous about
changing friend circles
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or changing romantic circles
because how many of us know that
sometimes God even strengthens
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you with a break?
[Congregation: Yes.]
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Okay. Can I talk to the doctors?
00:19:46.15\00:19:48.25
Anybody ever kind of heard the
old saying that sometimes a bone
gets stronger after it breaks?
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In other words, what happens
when a bone breaks they callous
forms and when it's mending,
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the body will send extra
deposits of calcium so that at
the breakpoint is stronger than
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before it got broken. Y'all not
hearing the pastor today. In
other words, God is trying to
00:20:09.50\00:20:15.51
break some things in your life,
but the break isn't going to
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make you weaker. God is going to
send some deposits your way so
that you going to come out
00:20:18.38\00:20:27.76
stronger than the way you went
into that thing. Are y'all
hearing me today friends? The
00:20:27.79\00:20:38.03
word says to us here in verse
number four, the Bible says here
in verse four. So then the Bible
00:20:38.07\00:20:45.21
says, I will harden Pharaoh's
heart so that he will pursue
them and I will gain honor over
00:20:45.24\00:20:52.28
Pharaoh and over all his army
that the Egyptians may know that
I am the Lord. In other words,
00:20:52.31\00:21:02.32
friends, the second thing I need
you to understand today,
friends, is that your trials
00:21:02.36\00:21:07.00
don't define you. Your trials
just reveal you. [Congregation:
00:21:07.03\00:21:09.63
Yes] Now this text on a surface
reading, it bothers the mind
00:21:09.66\00:21:15.54
because it actually looks like
God tempers with the agency of
free will and violates Pharaoh's
00:21:15.57\00:21:25.61
conscious and wheels evil out of
him so that he can bring
destruction upon him.
00:21:25.65\00:21:32.49
And see there are some of us
that hold a Calvinist view of
God that suggests in part that
00:21:32.52\00:21:39.89
we are not totally free, but
that God dictates the constructs
00:21:39.93\00:21:43.37
of the heart. There are some
that literally believe that God
wheels for some to be lost and
00:21:43.40\00:21:51.51
is God that wheels for others to
be saved. There are some that
literally believe that God
00:21:51.54\00:21:57.18
willed for Judas to betray Jesus
and that God willed Pharaoh into
being just to destroy him in
00:21:57.21\00:22:03.02
this season. But how many of us
know that none of us were born
just to be destroyed? See, y'all
00:22:03.05\00:22:11.66
not here with me yet. But see, I
need you to know it goes that
ideology against the very
00:22:11.69\00:22:17.07
character of God. Because
remember in John 3:16, can I
give you some Bible today that
00:22:17.10\00:22:23.67
John 3:16 says, for God, so love
the world that he gave his only
begotten son that whosoever
00:22:23.71\00:22:33.92
believes would not perish but
have everlasting life. Remember
in 1'st John 1:5 the Bible says
00:22:33.95\00:22:42.89
that God is light. And in him
there is no darkness at all.
Remember James 1 says that when
00:22:42.92\00:22:52.50
you are tempted, don't say that
I was tempted by God because God
cannot be tempted with evil, nor
00:22:52.53\00:22:55.97
does God tempt any man. In other
words, I need you to understand
that the one area where God
00:22:56.00\00:23:06.55
never trespasses is he never
trespasses with conscious or
free will. [Congregation: Amen]
00:23:06.58\00:23:08.68
So the word here for harden in
the Hebrew, it is the word
kazak, which literally means to
00:23:08.72\00:23:16.66
firm or to stiffen, or in one
definition it means to reveal.
Okay? So when God says I'm going
00:23:16.69\00:23:27.20
to harden Pharaoh's heart,
Marie, he is not speaking to
intent. He's describing to Moses
00:23:27.24\00:23:34.94
what the result is going to be,
based upon the appeals of his
spirit to his heart. Are y'all
00:23:34.98\00:23:40.48
with me today? In other words,
he's saying to Moses that I'm
going to send my spirit to make
00:23:40.52\00:23:45.75
appeals to Pharaoh, but because
of the substance that his heart
contains, my appeals are
00:23:45.79\00:23:54.20
actually going to harden him.
And what he is saying to Moses
is don't prepare for a truce.
00:23:54.23\00:23:58.93
Don't prepare for a white flag
that even my appeal of love is
going to show up in a hard
00:23:58.97\00:24:06.57
heart. And he's going to refuse
to let the people go, are y'all
00:24:06.61\00:24:10.98
with me today? Because see, I
need you to know that God never
forced the will, but God only
00:24:11.01\00:24:19.09
appeals to the will in loving
kindness. The scripture says,
have I drummed the, in fact,
00:24:19.12\00:24:23.63
when you read Psalm 95, I need
you to know that God does not
harden the heart. God said to
00:24:23.66\00:24:29.76
Israel as it is said today,
if you hear my voice harden not
00:24:29.80\00:24:34.47
your heart. So I need you to
understand that so many of the
outcomes don't necessarily
00:24:34.50\00:24:41.84
reflect God's plan. It actually
reflects the content of your
spirit. In other words, the same
00:24:41.88\00:24:51.32
way I put ice on this hot tray,
I need you to know that the same
heat melts the ice, but that
00:24:51.35\00:25:01.53
same heat hardens
clay. [Congregation: Amen.]
00:25:01.56\00:25:04.97
In other words, it's the same
stimuli, but it is the content
that determines what happens to
00:25:05.00\00:25:13.68
it. And what I'm saying is that
a sanctified heart gets melted
by the appeals of the spirit,
00:25:13.71\00:25:19.98
but an unconverted heart
literally becomes hardened by
the appeal of the spirit.
00:25:20.02\00:25:25.85
And so that's why in the same
service, the spirit can be
moving in this service
00:25:25.89\00:25:31.49
and moving in this preacher and
somebody's getting happy and
somebody's watching their clock.
00:25:31.53\00:25:37.33
And it ain't got nothing to do
with me. It's about what's
happening inside of you.
00:25:37.37\00:25:41.87
It's why some will come down for
the appeal and some will act
like God ain't said nothing to
00:25:41.90\00:25:48.71
them. It's because of what's
happening inside of you. There
are some whose faith is going to
00:25:48.74\00:25:54.95
reach another level and some's
faith is going stay on the same
plane because of what's
00:25:54.98\00:26:00.32
happening inside of you.
And what I'm saying to somebody
00:26:00.36\00:26:03.76
today is, Lord, make me like ice
instead of being like clay so
that I can be molded by the
00:26:03.79\00:26:12.67
dictates of your spirit. Thank
you so much for joining us for
the Breath of Life Television
00:26:12.70\00:26:20.64
Ministries broadcast with Pastor
Debleaire Snell! We hope and
pray that you have been blessed
00:26:20.68\00:26:29.22
by this second message in the
sermon series entitled “On The
Verge of Something.” Join us
00:26:29.25\00:26:36.22
next week for Part Two of the
message entitled “Let it Go.”
You don't want to miss it!
00:26:36.26\00:26:40.80
Depending on where you are in
life, there are many things that
represent hope. In the Bible, a
00:26:40.83\00:26:46.00
dove or an olive branch are seen
as symbols of hope. If you plant
something in the ground and it
00:26:46.03\00:26:49.24
begins to sprout, that tiny
green leaf peeking above the
soil can be seen as a symbol of
00:26:49.27\00:26:54.94
hope. But I must confess that
one of the greatest symbols of
hope is the cross. While some
00:26:54.98\00:27:03.32
may see the cross as a symbol of
death, I know that I'm hopeful.
When I think about the cross
00:27:03.35\00:27:11.59
where our Jesus died. Friends,
when I see the cross, I know
that my present circumstances
00:27:11.63\00:27:16.40
are not permanent ones. When I
see the cross, I know that no
matter how crazy the world may
00:27:16.43\00:27:23.47
be, there is a promise that I
can look forward to when I see
the cross. I know that Christ,
00:27:23.51\00:27:32.38
return is sure. This Easter
Sunday. Join us as we talk about
a living hope, the son of God.
00:27:32.41\00:27:42.46
NBC in collaboration with the
Interfaith Broadcasting
Commission will present an
00:27:42.49\00:27:48.50
Easter special entitled A Living
Hope, featuring Grammy
Award-winning gospel artist C.C.
00:27:48.53\00:27:53.87
Winans, along with Dove
Award-winning artists, Selah and
violinist Patrick Bogie. And
00:27:53.90\00:28:10.79
I'll share a message of hope.
Tune in for some good music and
encouraging work and the promise
00:28:10.82\00:28:33.84
of a living hope. (Breath
of Life Theme Music) [End]
00:28:33.88\00:28:48.89