Sermon #S034 - "Be Cafeful About
Saying I Told You So" - (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 continue part two of the
powerful Message entitled:
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“Be Careful Saying I Told You
So.” Now, let's go to the Word
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of God. Pastor Snell: Let me
just pause saints and give this
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quick qualifier so that you know
quickly how to discern those who
are for you and those who are
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against you. I need you to
understand this about spiritual
people, is that spiritual people
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don't walk around
saying, I told you so.
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[ Congregation: Amen.]
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Okay. See, spiritual folk are
not invested in their opinion.
They're invested in a person.
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And see, when I'm walking around
in the anointing, even when what
I say comes to pass, I don't
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follow it up with a boast. I
don't follow it up with a brag.
I just learned how to be still
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and let the Holy Spirit do its
divine and unseen work. Are you
hearing me today? In other
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words, those that are under the
anointing don't say, I told you
so. They say, this is what we
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need to do next. Oh, it's quiet.
I must be preaching to some I
told you so folk in this house,
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you all, I'm going to stay right
here for minute. See, sometimes
I told you so is not helpful
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because it adds no productivity
to the conversation. In other
words, friends, don't allow the
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discernment that God gave you
when you are right to cause you
to actually lose the person. You
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see, there is a season to give
warning, but there is never a
season to say, I told you so.
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Because even if you're correct
about what you said, you got to
make sure that you are
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productive to the point where
you don't mess up the
relationship. Are you all
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hearing what I'm
saying? [ Congregation: Amen.]
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See, anointed folk don't just
say, I told you so. They say,
this is what we got to do next.
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So that when your child gets
pregnant, that's not the time to
say, I told you. Guess what?
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See five months, that baby is
coming, whether you keep saying,
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I told you or so or not, we got
to figure out what we going to
do next in the Lord.
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In other words, when the young
person fails, instead of saying,
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I told you so, you need to tell
them how the Lord helped you
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when you failed. And you can
help them know what they need to
get ready to do next.
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When somebody gets sick, don't
sit around and say, I told you
so, that you should have ate
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right and you should
have drunk all that stuff.
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You ought to talk to them about
the balm that is in Gilead and
let them know that there is
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still a physician there.
Understand that when somebody's
life collapses, don't walk
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around saying, I told you so,
that you ought to been coming to
church and you should have been
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in the Bible. You ought to let
them know that their help comes
from the Lord, the one who makes
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heaven and earth. In other
words, when that person's
partner walks out the door, it's
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not time to say, I told you so.
It's time to say I'm going to
stand with you even when nobody
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else does. [
Congregation: Amen. Clapping]
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And see, the problem is
sometimes you got to be willing
to lose the battle, my God, so
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that you can win the war. But
sometimes we'll sacrifice the
war to win our little petty ego
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battles because we are invested
in being right more than we are
invested in their success.
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And see friends, you cannot
prioritize your opinion above a
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person. You've got to keep their
well-being at the head of the
conversation. Are you all with
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me today friends? [
Congregation: Amen.]
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And see, one of the things I
want to just encourage somebody
today who's dealing with
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somebody who's saying, I told
you so, be careful not to move
because of a premature I told
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you so. They're literally
telling Moses, I told you Moses
that we should not have left. I
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told you Moses, we would be
better off in Egypt. But see,
because Moses has enough
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discernment to stand still. See,
because he doesn't move based
upon what they said, he
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literally allows their I told
you so to become a lie because
he waited on God. He didn't move
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according to the dictates of
men. Are you all hearing me
today? And see, I need you to
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understand the difference. See,
I'm not against spiritual
counsel, what I'm against is
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putting what people say above
what God says. So I need you to
know that when they're saying,
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it's an opinion. But when God
says it, it's a prophecy. When
they say it, it is just an
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opinion that carries no weight.
But when God speaks, it is a
prophecy that must come to pass
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no matter what it looks like
today, no matter how much money
is in the bank, no matter how
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much money you owe the school,
no matter how many enemies are
against you. I need you to know
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that if you stand still in God,
you'll see the salvation of the
Lord. [ Congregation: Amen.]
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Now and see this thing I need to
understand about I told you so
people, they're not evil people,
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Louis, they just
limited. [ Congregation: Amen.]
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They're not bad, Lamont, they
just can't see anything beyond
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what is right now. In other
words, for an I told you so
person, what they do is they sit
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back and they essentially exalt
caution above faith. And they're
one of those very cautious
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people that will never move
until they see everything fall
in place, until they see
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everything settled just right.
They'll never move until they
can see everything come together
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and as a result an I told you so
person never fails. The reason
they never fail is because they
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never try anything. See, I need
you to understand this about the
journey of faith to all the I
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told you so folk. I need you to
understand you can't wait for
everything to be still and
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everything to settle. Sometimes
you got to move while God is
still moving. I need you to
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understand this about providence
is that providence ain't going
to wait on you. Ooh, it is crazy
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Dekes. I remember probably maybe
a couple months ago, I was
travelling through the airport
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late at night. And you know how
in the airport they have these
little mobile walkways that are
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like escalators, but they're on
the ground and when you step on
them, they'll actually help you
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to get where you're going
further than if you are just
walking on two feet. And so
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Mark, as I'm walking up on the
walkway, there is an older
gentleman who is from outside of
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the states and he just stops in
front of the walkway and he does
not move. And so, man, I wait
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for him for a minute, but he
just stays in front of the
walkway and doesn't move. And so
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I say, sir, is there a problem?
Can I help you on the walkway?
He says, no, nothing is wrong,
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I'm just waiting for it to stop.
[ Congregation: Laughing] I had
to let him know that it's not
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going to stop and wait for you.
You going have to move while t's
still moving. And see, I need
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somebody to get that providence
is like the walkway. It's not
going to stop and wait for you.
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You got to move while it's still
moving. But how many of us know
that if you just take one step
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on the walkway, it's going to
carry you the rest of the way.
And if you just take one step in
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God, God is going to carry you
the rest of the way. But he's
not going to wait on you in
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order to be still. Are you all
hearing me today friends? [
Congregation: Preach.]
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The word says to us here in
verse number 13, and Moses said
to the people, do not be afraid.
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So since I need you to get
this moment, this is the word to
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somebody today. Listen, maybe
I'm going the scenic route just
to tell somebody, don't be
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scared. [
Congregation: Right. Clapping]
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Play the appeal. No, I'm just
kidding, not doing it again.
Thursday is teaching us is that
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no matter what, don't be afraid.
Have you ever noticed friends
that in this moment of chaos and
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panic, poor Moses is as cool as
the other side of the pillow?
Listen, things could not be
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worse in this particular
occasion. Listen, he can
literally hear the roar of the
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Red Sea in front of him. He's
walled in on both sides and
literally death is coming toward
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him aimed with sword and with
spear and accompanied by
chariot. And it's crazy
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because Moses, man, is not irked
by anything that is happening by
the circumstances that are going
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around him. He just, man, looks
at the people and says, listen
man, don't be scared, don't
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start tripping. He literally
says to the people in a moment
which seems to suggest that fear
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is warranted, he says to
them, guys, don't be afraid.
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[ Congregation: Amen.]
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Now, I need you to know that as
impressed as I am with Moses in
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this moment, I am wrestling with
what Moses says in this moment.
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Because the tension I'm dealing
with in my brain is I'm trying
to figure out is fearlessness in
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that moment actually attainable?
In other words, I'm one of those
people that when I read the
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scriptures, I don't want to just
be impressed with what they did.
It's not meaningful unless I can
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implement it in my own life. In
other words, for me, the
scriptures are not Sabbath
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entertainment. It's got to have
real time consequence or else it
ain't really got no value me.
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That's just how I am. And see, I
need you to get friends that
this situation literally cannot
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be more tense or more fearful.
Listen, Pharaoh is not, man,
around the block. He is not
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three days away. He is within
sight and is crazy because the
scripture say that Moses issues
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the command before he tells them
to run for it. He says, don't be
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afraid. And friends, have you
noticed friends of mine that in
the scriptures there are
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actually 365 times where the
Bible actually says some version
of the phrase, do not fear or
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don't be afraid, 365 times the
word says, don't fear, don't be
afraid. As as if God is saying,
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once for every day of the year,
stop walking around with anxiety
and fear. God has said, if I'm
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on your side, stop being
afraid. [ Congregation: Amen.]
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I'm trying to figure out is this
a real thing? Because doesn't
the Bible say be anxious for
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nothing? It doesn't give any
exemptions. The scripture gives
no exemptions. It doesn't say
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just don't be anxious about most
things, but here are few things
that you can go ahead and panic
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about. Notice in Psalm 23, David
says, yea, though I walk through
the valley of the shadow of
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death, he says, I will fear no
evil. Notice that Jesus says,
man, in this world you going to
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have tribulation, but fear not
because I have overcome the
world. And I guess what I'm
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trying to figure out, saints of
God, aren't these Bible verses
just empty calories? Are they
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wise sayings? Or is there a
power in God that we've just yet
to tap into? Because remember
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friends, I told you that God
will never tell you to do
something that he has not
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empowered you to do. Now the
reason this is critical, because
in our minds there are certain
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fears that are justified. There
are certain things that warrant
some anxiety. There are certain
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things that warrant some panic.
In other words, stay with the
pastor, shouldn't I be afraid,
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man, if there is an eviction
notice on my door? Shouldn't I
be a little afraid if the doctor
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says it may be cancer? Shouldn't
I have fear if I've miscarried
before and I'm pregnant this
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time? Shouldn't I be afraid if
my enemies are greater than my
allies? And I guess the question
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to us today is, man, let me just
say it this way, I think fear
should be your natural reaction.
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It is an understandable
reaction, but it's not an
acceptable reaction. Can I push
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a little bit further? Can I
suggest, saints, that we've got
to mature to a place in Christ
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where there is no fear that is
acceptable to a son or daughter
of the most high God? In other
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words, to be afraid may be my
natural reaction, but it
shouldn't be my lasting
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reaction. I need us to
understand this about fear. One
of the things I need somebody to
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get is that your level of fear
is going to be directly
proportionate to your level of
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focus. So I need you to see in
this moment literally what
happens. Remember when they
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leave Egypt, when they're
marching toward the sea, where
are they focusing? As they march
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through the wilderness, they're
looking up at the cloud which
represents the visible
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representation of God. The
entire time of this journey
where they have some courage and
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they have some resolve, it is
because the entire time they are
looking up at God in the cloud.
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But understand what happens in
this moment, when Pharaoh's army
starts charging toward them,
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what happens is they stop
looking at the cloud and they
begin looking at Pharaoh's army.
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I need you to be clear. The
problem is not just that they
visibly or optically notice
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Pharaoh's army. The issue is
that they turn their whole
attention away from God and they
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turn their entire attention to
Pharaoh and the danger that is
headed their way. And see, I
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need you to understand the
difference between Moses and the
people is this, it is not that
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Moses has a different
circumstance or consequence. In
other words, if God does not
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come through, Moses is going to
die the same death that the
people are about to die. The
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only difference between their
posture is their focus. Whereas
the people are looking at
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Pharaoh and Moses is looking
unto God. What I'm saying today,
friends, is that we've got to
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get to a place where we learn
how to keep our mind stayed upon
Jesus Christ. It is why the
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scripture say, I will lift up
mine eyes to the hills from
where cometh my help for my help
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cometh from God, the God who
made heaven and earth. Are you
all with me today, friends? So
00:16:08.96\00:16:15.44
can we go to the scriptures? You
all don't believe. Let's go to
Psalm 34 in verse 18, Psalm the
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34th division in verse 18, I'm
almost done. Psalm the 34th
division and the 18th chapter.
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When you get there, let me hear
you say amen. Psalm 34 and verse
number 18. When you get there
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say, pastor, I'm here. [
Congregation: I'm here.] Psalm
34 in verse 18, look at what the
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scriptures teach. The Bible
says, the Lord is what? Near to
those who have a broken heart
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and he saves such as our
contrite in spirit. Did you all
catch this rinse? The Bible says
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that the Lord is near to the
broken hearted. In other words,
in the moments where you see the
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travail of your soul, where
there is a crush in your spirit,
when you cannot see any way, it
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feels like God could not be
further away. The promise of God
is that, man, when you can't
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feel him, that's when God is the
closest. Okay? Some of us still
don't believe, go open your
00:17:10.53\00:17:17.53
Bibles. Isaiah chapter 41.
Isaiah 41 in verse number 10,
let's stay in the book for a
00:17:17.57\00:17:22.30
minute. Isaiah chapter 41 and
verse number 10, hear the word
of the Lord today. Isaiah
00:17:22.34\00:17:24.57
chapter 41 in verse number 10,
when you get there say, pastor,
I'm here. [ Congregation: I'm
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here.] Isaiah chapter 41 in
verse 10, look at what the Bible
says. Isaiah 41 verse 10. The
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Bible says, fear not. Oh, Jesus.
Why shouldn't I be afraid? Fear
not for I am with you, be not
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dismayed for I am your God. I
will strengthen you. Yes, I will
help you. I will uphold you with
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the right hand of my
righteousness. Did you all catch
this today friends? See, I need
00:18:03.88\00:18:11.89
you to understand one of the
reasons that a believer is
maturing constant motion to the
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place where no fear is
acceptable is because we have a
devout conviction that no matter
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where I am, God is still there.
That I am never alone, but that
Christ is with me every single
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step of the way. Are you all
with me today friends? Go with
me to Isaiah chapter 26 in verse
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three. Isaiah chapter 26 and
verse number three, when you get
there, let me hear you say amen.
00:18:35.54\00:18:36.48
Isaiah chapter 26 and verse
three, write this promise down.
Isaiah 26 and verse three, when
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you get there say, pastor, I'm
here. [ Congregation: I'm here.]
This is the key to perfect peace
00:18:38.85\00:18:49.42
in Christ. God says, you will
keep him in perfect peace who
got a lot of money in the bank.
00:18:49.46\00:18:54.30
You'll keep him in perfect peace
that gets promoted on his job
every other month. He says,
00:18:54.36\00:18:59.30
you'll keep him in perfect peace
that's got a whole lot of
friends and no enemies. God
00:18:59.33\00:19:07.48
says, your key to perfect peace
is when you keep your mind
stayed upon him. Which is why we
00:19:07.51\00:19:11.81
said friends that the level of
your faith or peace is going to
be in proportion with where you
00:19:11.85\00:19:17.75
keep your focus. You see
friends, the great discipline of
faith is to stop turning and
00:19:17.79\00:19:25.63
focusing on Pharaoh, but
to keep your focus on Jehovah.
00:19:25.66\00:19:29.46
[ Congregation: Amen.]
00:19:29.50\00:19:31.20
It's crazy, man. I remember my
oldest son, he's 12 now. I
remember when he was a baby,
00:19:31.23\00:19:35.70
he would be a really good
sleeping child when we were at
00:19:35.74\00:19:38.84
home. But whenever we would go
to a hotel or whenever we would
go and visit somebody like my
00:19:38.87\00:19:44.45
parents, what would happen is he
would get over stimulated by
different variables in the room
00:19:44.48\00:19:49.55
and he would struggle to fall
asleep because he would be so
busy looking around at all of
00:19:49.58\00:19:56.22
the different stimuli and things
that were different. It's rough
because when that baby can't
00:19:56.26\00:20:00.13
sleep, guess what? The parents
don't get to sleep either. So
what I did after a little while,
00:20:00.16\00:20:07.60
brother Frieder, is I literally
grabbed him and I put him right
here in the cradle of my arm and
00:20:07.64\00:20:14.04
I palmed the back of his head.
What I did when I grabbed the
back of his head, I wouldn't let
00:20:14.08\00:20:19.65
him look all around at
everything. I would stiffen his
head so all that he could do was
00:20:19.68\00:20:25.39
look into the face of his daddy.
The more he just looked into the
face of his daddy, the sooner
00:20:25.42\00:20:33.40
those big watery eyes just fell
asleep. He found his peace when
he stopped looking at everything
00:20:33.43\00:20:40.67
that was around him and just
started looking at his daddy.
Where you all at today church?
00:20:40.70\00:20:42.67
See, the reason we ain't got no
fear is we spend so much time
looking all around at who don't
00:20:42.70\00:20:49.78
like us? We are looking all
around at the symptoms to the
illness. We're looking all
00:20:49.81\00:20:57.05
around at the problem. We are
looking all around at the
circumstance, we're looking all
00:20:57.09\00:21:02.92
around at the boss. And God is
saying, let me hold you in my
hand and look into the eyes of
00:21:02.96\00:21:09.86
your daddy. And as long as
you've got your eyes on him,
you'll find your rest and your
00:21:09.90\00:21:19.61
peace. Are you all
hearing the word today friends?
00:21:19.64\00:21:22.18
[ Congregation: Hallelujah.]
00:21:22.21\00:21:24.28
It's so crazy. God says through
Moses first thing, don't be
afraid. Second thing he says,
00:21:24.31\00:21:38.83
Abby, is be still. Now watch
this, I need you to know that
the only thing harder for them
00:21:38.86\00:21:45.03
to hear Moses say, then don't be
afraid. It's for Moses to tell
them, don't move. See, and it's
00:21:45.07\00:21:58.35
showing us friends, the danger
of moving prematurely. Army is
coming against them, the roar of
00:21:58.38\00:22:02.82
the water is in the background.
Do you realize that in this
moment they got three basic
00:22:02.85\00:22:14.93
human instincts? Either for
flight, to fight, or submit. And
Moses says, in this moment, I
00:22:14.93\00:22:22.54
want you to fight every natural
instinct you have. He says, I
want you to fight the instinct
00:22:22.57\00:22:27.04
to run away from this problem. I
want you to fight the instinct
to pick up a sledge hammer and
00:22:27.08\00:22:32.11
fight your way out of the
problem. I want you to fight the
instinct to submit to it. I want
00:22:32.15\00:22:42.49
you to be still and see the
salvation of the Lord. Now, one
of the reasons, it is very hard
00:22:42.52\00:22:47.76
for the people to be still in
this moment because every
natural agency within us says,
00:22:47.76\00:22:54.80
listen man, when I'm about to
die, man, I'm going to throw
aside all principle. I'm about
00:22:54.84\00:22:59.71
to lay aside all ideology. Man,
I either got to run, I just got
to yield. I'm going to preserve
00:22:59.74\00:23:07.05
my life at all costs. But the
reason Moses is saying to them
be still is because their steps
00:23:07.08\00:23:13.89
have been ordered by God. See,
this is going to require mega
faith. Everybody going to shout
00:23:13.92\00:23:25.33
on this. He's saying, I need you
to be still because God has you
right where you are supposed to
00:23:25.37\00:23:27.50
be. [ Congregation: Amen.
Clapping] He's saying, I need
you all to be still, keep
00:23:27.54\00:23:41.35
letting Pharaoh come because I
got Pharaoh right where I want
him. He's saying if you start
00:23:41.38\00:23:46.82
moving, you going to mess up the
whole plan. See, the problem is
some saw the Red Sea as an
00:23:46.86\00:23:54.86
escape route. God wanted the Red
Sea as a battle plan. So if they
leave the Red Sea, then guess
00:23:54.93\00:23:59.40
what? They mess up the plan that
God put in place to deliver them
from the Egyptians permanently.
00:23:59.43\00:24:07.14
And see, this is the
difficult part to accept.
00:24:07.18\00:24:10.11
It's hard to accept that I'm
where God wants me to be,
especially if I'm in a place
00:24:10.15\00:24:18.42
where I don't want to be. [
Congregation: Hallelujah. Praise
00:24:18.45\00:24:21.36
God.] Ooh, Jesus. Is it possible
that God wants you in that job
with them people you don't like?
00:24:21.39\00:24:34.07
Is it possible, students, that
God forced you into that class
with the professor you've been
00:24:34.10\00:24:41.81
trying to avoid? Is it possible
that God wants you right here
with a big bill and no money in
00:24:41.84\00:24:48.92
your bank account? Is it
possible that the tensions of
the marriage are exactly what
00:24:48.95\00:24:56.89
God has ordered for the
production and development of
your character? Is it possible
00:24:56.93\00:25:03.43
that God could have answered the
prayer and opened the door, but
he wanted to teach you through
00:25:03.47\00:25:07.50
some things through a season of
waiting? And I guess what
somebody needs to pray before
00:25:07.54\00:25:12.77
you say, Lord, get me out of
this. You ought to say, Lord,
what do you want me to get out
00:25:12.81\00:25:17.45
of this? In other words, I need
you to know that you can't just
believe that your steps are
00:25:17.48\00:25:24.39
ordered by God when things are
going well, how many of us know
that he doesn't just order our
00:25:24.42\00:25:32.46
steps, he orders our stops, he
orders our delays, he orders our
detours. He is in control of
00:25:32.49\00:25:36.46
every aspect of my life. And
friends, faith is not just
getting to a place where I
00:25:36.50\00:25:42.07
praise God when the door opens
and I praise him when the sea
opens up and I praise him when
00:25:42.10\00:25:46.51
the army gets drowned, it is
getting to a place where I
praise God no matter the
00:25:46.54\00:25:52.81
circumstance I face. It is where
I get to the place where I say,
I'm going to bless the Lord at
00:25:52.85\00:25:58.99
all times and his praise shall
continually be in my mouth. My
soul will make its boasts in the
00:25:59.02\00:26:05.66
Lord. The humble shall hear
thereof and be glad. Oh Oakwood,
will you magnify the Lord with
00:26:05.69\00:26:16.57
me and let us exalt his name
together? It is a place of
praise that says, I know how to
00:26:16.60\00:26:22.94
abound and I know how to be a
base, but no matter what the
circumstance, I'm going to learn
00:26:22.98\00:26:27.02
to be content. It's being like
Paul, I won't just praise him at
noon, but I'll praise him at
00:26:27.05\00:26:32.29
midnight. I'll praise him when I
got money. I'll praise him when
I ain't got no money. I'll
00:26:32.32\00:26:38.46
praise him when I feel good.
I'll praise him when I got
sickness in my body. I'll praise
00:26:38.49\00:26:43.67
him when I got a job. And you
can praise him when you are
unemployed. You can praise him
00:26:43.70\00:26:49.07
when you are alive and you can
praise him in the hospital and
you can praise him even on the
00:26:49.10\00:26:55.48
way to the grave. Why would you
praise him on the way to the
grave? Because if I die in him,
00:26:55.51\00:27:11.46
I'm on the verge of being raised
in him. And do I have at least
seven or eight folk that say,
00:27:11.49\00:27:20.54
Lord, I'm going to give you
unconditional praise? I'm not
tying it to a circumstance, not
00:27:20.57\00:27:28.08
tying it to a situation. I'm
tying my praise to your
faithfulness. Are you all
00:27:28.11\00:27:34.35
hearing me today
friends? [ Congregation: Yes.]
00:27:34.38\00:27:35.68
(Breath of Life Theme Music)
00:27:35.72\00:28:37.75
[End]
00:28:37.78\00:28:52.79