Sermon #S038 -
Conncect The Dots - (Part 1)
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Pastor Snell: And so friends as
we get ready to go into the
word, I want to invite all those
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who are online if you would do
your work. All of our digital
disciples,all of our electronic
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evangilist, even if your under
the android annoiting If you're
on Facebook, hit that share
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button a few times. If you're on
YouTube, copy that link, and
send it over to somebody else so
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that they might be blessed as
well. We're excited today,
friends, that we begin a new
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series entitled The Pivot. And
over the course of the next
several weeks, we're going to be
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talking about how to adjust to
divine detour. We're going to be
talking about how God brings
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good out of very bad situations,
and this is designed to help us
really grow in our faith
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experience and lay hold on
divine omnipotence. And so, as
we go to the word, I invite you
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to stand to your feet as we go
to the scriptures today. And I'm
going to invite you to go with
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me in your Bibles to the book of
Acts chapter 16. And I'm going
to read more than perhaps I
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should, but I want to provide
context for those who are not as
familiar with the story today.
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Acts chapter 16, and we're going
to begin together at verse
number 6. And if you don't mind,
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just encourage your neighbor.
Turn to your neighbor real
quick, give them a fist bump,
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let them know I'm glad to see
you in the house today.
[Congregation: Hallelujah].
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Amen. Turn to the other side,
give the neighbor a little bump
as well. Let them know I'm glad
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to see you also. [Congregation:
Hallelujah]. Amen and amen. And
if you're home, do it to the
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person sitting next to you on
the couch. Let them know you're
glad to see them as well. Acts
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chapter 16 and verse number 6,
when you get there, let me hear
you say Amen. And again, I'm
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going to read a good bit today,
but we'll settle on a small
portion. Acts 16 and verse 6,
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the Bible says, now when they
had gone throughout Phrygia and
the region of Galatia, they were
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forbidden by the Holy Spirit to
preach the word in Asia. And
after they were come to Mysia,
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they assayed to go into
Bithynia: but the Spirit did not
permit them. So passing by
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Mysia, they came to Troas, and a
vision appeared to Paul in the
night. A man of Macedonia stood
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and pleaded with them, saying,
come over to Macedonia and help
us. Now after he had seen the
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vision, immediately we sought to
go to Macedonia, concluding that
the Lord had called us to preach
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the gospel to them. Therefore
sailing from Troas, we ran a
straight course to Samothracia
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and the next day to Neapolis
and, from there, to Philippi,
which is the foremost city in
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that part of Macedonia, a
colony. And we stayed in the
city for some days, and on the
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Sabbath day, we went out of the
city to the riverside when
prayer was customarily made, and
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we sat down and spoke to the
women who met there. Now, a
certain woman named Lydia heard
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us, and she was a seller of
purple from the city of
Thyatira, who worshiped God. And
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the Lord opened her heart to
heed the things spoken by Paul.
And when she and her household
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were baptized, she begged us,
saying, "If you have judged me
to be faithful to the Lord, come
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to my house and stay." So she
persuaded us. And now it
happened, as we went to prayer,
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that a certain slave girl, with
a spirit of divination, met us,
who brought her masters much
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profit by fortune-telling. Then
the Bible says, this girl
followed Paul and us and cried
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out, saying, "These men are the
servants of the Most High God,
who proclaim to us the way of
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salvation." And this she did for
many days. But Paul, greatly
annoyed, turned and said to the
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Spirit, "I command you in the
name of Jesus Christ to come out
of her." And he came out that
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very hour. But when her masters
saw that their hope of profit
was gone, they seized Paul and
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Silas and dragged them into the
marketplace and to the
authorities. And they brought
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them to the magistrates and
said, "These men, being Jews,
exceedingly trouble our city;
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and they teach customs which are
not lawful for us as Romans to
receive and to observe." Then
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the multitude rose up together
against them, and the
magistrates tore off their
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clothes and commanded them to be
beaten with rods. Verse 25, but
at midnight, Paul and Silas were
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praying and singing hymns to
God, and the prisoners were
listening to them, and suddenly,
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there was a great earthquake, so
that the foundations of the
prison were shaken, and
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immediately all the doors were
opened, and everyone's chains
were loosed. And the keeper of
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the prison, awaking from sleep
and seeing the prison doors
open, supposing the prisoners
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had fled, drew his sword and was
about to kill himself, but Paul
called with a loud voice,
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saying, "Do yourself no harm,
for we are all here." Then he
called for a light and ran in
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and fell down before Paul and
Silas, and he brought them out
and said, "Sirs, what must I do
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to be saved?" And they said,
"Believe in the Lord Jesus
Christ, and you will be saved,
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you and your what?" Household.
Then they spoke the word of the
Lord to him and to all who were
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in his house, and he took them
the same hour of the night and
washed their stripes. And
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immediately, he and all his
family were what? Baptized. But
again, I want just to read for
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emphasis verse number 6 because
this is where we will rest. The
Bible says that when they had
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gone through Phrygia and the
region of Galatia, they were
forbidden by the Holy Ghost. Are
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you all catching this, church?
No, Are you all catching this?
They were forbidden to preach
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the word in Asia, and after they
came to Mysia, they tried to go
into Bithynia, but the Spirit
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did not permit them. Today's
saints, for a little while, I
want to talk to you under the
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subject, Connect The Dots. Let's
pray together. Father, we pray
for a distinct and special
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visitation of your Spirit.
Father, I pray that you would
give us as much of your Spirit
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as our hearts can contain. And
so, Father, you are working in
somebody's life in a way that
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they cannot comprehend. So,
Lord, I'm praying that matters
would be settled, that clarity
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would be granted, and that the
voice of the Spirit would be
more pronounced in our hearing
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today. Lord, would you hide me
in the shadows of the cross that
Jesus alone might be seen, that
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Christ alone would be heard? And
at the end of our time together,
may Jesus alone be praised. We
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ask this in the name of Him, who
is altogether lovely. It is in
the name of Jesus that we pray.
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Let those that believe say
together amen and amen. You may
be seated in the house of the
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Lord. We'll just allow a few
more seconds for those to come
in and be seated; again, talking
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to you today under the subject,
Connecting or Connect The Dots.
Friends, most people are in a
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fight that they cannot win
because we are mostly led by our
desires. We cause our preference
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to wind up in a constant fight
with divine Providence. And as a
result, we suffer many defeats
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and griefs and sorrows because
we write our plans in pen and we
write God's plan in pencil. And
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sometimes, the assumption is
that spiritual strength is seen
in how rigid we are when the
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truth is that sometimes
spiritual strength is seen in
how flexible we are. And the
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point of this entire series is
that all of us, at some point,
are going to have to pivot or
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adjust from the plan we
initially made. There are times
when we will have to pivot
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because of a divine detour, and
there are some that will have to
pivot, as the kids say, because
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life is lifing. There are some
that have to pivot because of a
divorce. There are some that had
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to pivot because of a death.
There are some that have to
pivot because of a pregnancy,
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and some have to pivot because
of a divine opportunity. And the
thing I need somebody to get
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that is that it is ultimately
biblical to have to pivot.
Remember, in Proverbs chapter
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16, the Bible says that in a
man's heart, he plans his
course, but it is the Lord that
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determines his steps. In
Proverbs chapter 19, the Bible
says many are the plans in a
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man's heart, but it is the
purposes of the Lord that
prevail. And the truth is that
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your boy Moses was cool keeping
sheep in Midian, but he had to
pivot when God confronted him at
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the burning bush. Remember that
Saul was comfortable persecuting
the church, but he had to pivot
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when God knocked him off of his
high horse. Remember that Gideon
was comfortable on the threshing
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floor, but he had to pivot when
God called him into leadership.
The apostles were comfortable in
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the fishing business, but they
had to pivot when God called
them to be fishers of men.
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Remember, Rahab only knew life
in Jericho, but she had to pivot
when God gave her a divine
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opportunity. And what we'll
learn from our texts today is
that sometimes even the
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intentions of the most spiritual
people are not in harmony with
the divine plan, and somebody is
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not necessarily called to make a
pivot today. But what God is
calling us to is an elasticity
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in our thinking, a dexterity in
our faith to not be so committed
to any circumstance so that when
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God calls, we have room in our
minds to adjust and pivot to the
place where God is calling us.
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And see, the thing I need
somebody to know about faith is
that faith doesn't always
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operate like concrete. Sometimes
it functions like clay so that
you can be molded and shaped
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after a divine purpose. Are you
with me today? And is there
anybody that can testify that
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some of the greatest blessings
in your life are the result of a
detour or a pivot? In fact, this
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is my testimony. It's crazy
growing up in Tallahassee, Mayan
Boyd; I will always plan to go
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to Florida State or Florida A&M
University. I remember it was my
senior year; I had gotten
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accepted into both schools; I
was going to study English and
maybe teach or go to law school.
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And I remember I was near the
point of graduation when some
folks started talking to our
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family about attending Oakwood.
I wasn't trying to hear it
because I didn't know anybody
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there who was my age, but I
remember we got invited to come
to alumni weekend about 4 weeks
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before I was supposed to
graduate. And I came here at a
sign of a pivot, and when I came
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over University Drive and saw
the hills in the background, I
just began to sense a divine
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move in my life. And it's crazy
because we began praying about
it, but we were not sure if we
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had the money. In fact, I didn't
apply until the month of July.
But I need you to know that we
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stepped out in faith, and by the
time I got here in August, we
had the money, I had the
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financial aid, I had a dorm
room, and God blessed me to get
in school. And I guess what I'm
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saying is, is that it wasn't
until the end of my freshman
year that I fully embraced my
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call to the ministry, and it was
because I pivoted that I found
my calling. It was because I
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pivoted that I met my wife. It
was because I pivoted that I
found South Central. It was
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because I pivoted 20 years ago
that I'm your pastor in this
church today. And what I'm
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saying to somebody is that
sometimes the blessing is not
always the way you see it.
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Sometimes you get the greatest
blessing when you adjust to the
detour that God put in your
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life. Are you hearing me today,
friends? And so, let's go back
to this word and unpack it a
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little bit further as we look to
the scriptures. Acts chapter 16
and verse 6, the Bible says when
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they had gone throughout Phrygia
and the region of Galatia, they
were forbidden by the Holy
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Spirit to preach the word in
Asia. And after they were come
to Mysia, they assayed to go
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into Bithynia: but the Bible
says that the Spirit would not
permit them. Now, friends, I
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need you to get that there four
simple lessons that I want to
espouse as we begin this
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teaching series. And the first
thing this teaches us is that in
order to pivot, you've got to
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have a strong spiritual antenna.
[Congregation: Clapping]. And in
other words, friends, you've got
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to have a connection that
operates in real-time that lets
you know when God is telling you
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to move, when God is telling you
to be still, and when God is
telling you to pivot or adjust
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your path. And see, this story
personifies it as much as any
story in the scripture because
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here, we find Paul on a mission
for Jesus Christ. And you've got
to understand that Paul eats the
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mission, he breathes the
mission, he sleeps the mission,
and they have intended that
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they're going to go over into
Asia, but the Bible says that
the Spirit forbid them to go.
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And so they pivot Dave, and they
look to go into Bithynia, and
the Bible says that the Spirit
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would not permit them to go and
preach. Now, I need you to get
this saint because this is
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relevant for the church that
when they plan to go to Asia,
their intentions are noble, and
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their aspirations are good. In
other words, they're not going
over to Asia to turn up; they're
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not going down to Galatia to try
to club; they're not showing up
in Asia to try to hurt nobody.
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They're actually going with good
intentions and aims. But what
this is showing, church, is that
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the blessings of God don't fall
on good intentions. The
blessings of God fall on His
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instruction. Let me say to you
all on this side; God doesn't
bless good intentions; God
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blesses those that follow his
instruction. And see, there's a
larger idea for our
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consideration because the Holy
Spirit does not just keep you
from doing wrong; the Holy
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Spirit keeps you from doing
right at the wrong time.
[Congregation: Clapping. Amen].
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Oh God, see, we think the Holy
Spirit just keeps you from doing
the wrong thing, but God will
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keep you from doing the right
thing in the wrong place. And
see, there are some that are
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somewhat frustrated because,
man, your intentions for your
moves are good. You are not
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trying to be messy, you are not
trying to be sloppy, and you're
wondering why good intentions
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are not coming to pass. And then
the question you've got to ask
are my good intentions ordained
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intentions? Are my good motives
sanctioned by God? Because you
can be doing the right thing in
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the wrong place or at the wrong
time. In other words, young
people, it is right for you to
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want to be married, but guess
what? It's got to be at the
right time, and it's got to be
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to the right person. You all
might be quiet today.
[Congregation: Amen]. It is good
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for you to want to invest in a
home, but it's got to be the
right home and in the right
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market. It is good for you to
want to start the business, but
it's got to be in the ordained
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season and with the ordained
partners. It is good for you to
want to be a witness for Jesus,
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but God has got to aim you with
the right people who have an
appetite to receive what God has
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put in your heart. Are you all
with me today? And see, I need
you to note, friends of mine,
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that the apostles will wind up
going to all of these regions
eventually, but what God would
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do is he would withhold them
until the hearts of the people
were right. He would not let
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them go until the hearts of the
folk were ready to receive it.
And what I need you to know,
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friends, is that sometimes when
it feels like God is
withstanding you, it is simply
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because God is fascinating your
circumstances. He is preparing
your predicaments. He might be
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making it ready, or God might be
making you ready for what he has
in store for you. You are all
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not with me today. In other
words, I need you to know that
God has a particular job for
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you, but sometimes God will put
you on hold so He can remove the
boss that's going to persecute
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you and he can remove the
co-workers that are going to
sabotage you. [Congregation:
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Amen]. There are times when you
wanted to close on a house this
year, but God put you on ice
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until the interest rates fall a
year from now, and you can get
more houses for your money. You
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all don't believe in here today.
There are some of us that are
mad because we couldn't get into
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a certain class this semester
when God held you back because
your husband or wife is going to
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be in that class next semester.
And what I'm saying to somebody
today is you've got to believe
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the promise of Psalm 84 in verse
11. The Bible says that God is
our son and our shield, and he
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will withhold no good thing from
those who walk uprightly. Do I
have at least seven folks that
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believe that if God withholds
it, then it is not for you? If
God withholds it, then it is not
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a good thing. [Congregation:
Amen]. In other words, the only
thing that God withholds are
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things that will damage you are
things that are not ready for
you. [Congregation: Amen]. See,
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sometimes God is withholding not
because he's saying no, he's
saying it's just not ready yet.
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Are you all with your boy today?
Let me say it this way, in my
house, man, my daughter, man;
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she is into this baking thing.
She is infatuated with it. My
girl is making cupcakes and
00:21:47.84\00:21:55.11
cakes of all types and sorts.
And it's crazy because, man, we
are this space. Well, we know a
00:21:55.14\00:22:01.85
little better now, but when she
first started baking, as soon as
the cake came out of the oven,
00:22:01.88\00:22:09.69
me and her brothers were like,
yo, let's go ahead and cut that
thing right now. But what she
00:22:09.72\00:22:16.13
would do, she would say, Daddy
and brother, you got to wait; we
got to let it cool before we ice
00:22:16.16\00:22:22.80
it; we've got to let it cool
before we cut it. And it's crazy
because if you cut it as soon as
00:22:22.84\00:22:28.31
it comes out of the oven, it's
kind of fragile; it'll begin to
crumble. So sometimes you got to
00:22:28.34\00:22:30.08
let it sit for a little bit
because when you let it sit, it
comes together. [Congregation:
00:22:30.11\00:22:33.28
Amen]. When you let it sit, it
gets dense. When you let it
heat, it can sit. It can
00:22:33.31\00:22:38.12
withstand the cutting process.
And to us, we think she's
withholding when the truth is
00:22:38.15\00:22:43.49
she's just preparing.
[Congregation: Amen]. And can I
suggest to somebody you think
00:22:43.53\00:22:52.50
God is withholding when God is
just preparing what he's
ultimately ordained for you Are
00:22:52.53\00:23:02.31
you hearing me today?
[Congregation: Amen]. And see,
my larger point, body of Christ,
00:23:02.34\00:23:09.32
is that you've got to have an
active spiritual antenna. And
see, notice, man; the Bible says
00:23:09.35\00:23:17.66
that listen, they are ready to
go and preach. And the Bible
says he forbids in one instance,
00:23:17.69\00:23:23.93
then they turn to go to
Bithynia, and the Bible says
that he would not permit them to
00:23:23.97\00:23:30.04
go in another instance. Now see,
the problem is when we read
this, we always assume that
00:23:30.07\00:23:33.41
there is some type of theophany,
that there is a burning bush
that God speaks in an audible
00:23:33.44\00:23:39.88
voice to let them know they are
going in the wrong direction.
But most scholars believe that
00:23:39.91\00:23:47.79
what happens is an example of
what they call thought
inspiration, where God does not
00:23:47.82\00:23:59.07
show up with a trumpet or a
burning bush, but God speaks to
them through the still, small
00:23:59.10\00:24:07.58
voice of the Holy Ghosts. Are
you all with me today?
[Congregation: Amen]. So I need
00:24:07.61\00:24:16.82
you to get this thing because
everybody in the convoy, they
are ready to go, man, they done
00:24:16.85\00:24:24.93
got themselves all worked up
about preaching a gospel over in
Asia. They are beginning to pack
00:24:24.96\00:24:28.40
their supplies and put all of
their tools on the donkey. And
as they begin to set out on
00:24:28.43\00:24:34.40
their mission, I don't know what
they see, I don't know if Paul
and Luke notice it at the same
00:24:34.44\00:24:36.67
time, but as they move forward,
they can sense something holding
them. And it's crazy because the
00:24:36.71\00:24:44.18
conviction starts out small, but
it waxes greater, so much so
that they say the Spirit forbid
00:24:44.21\00:24:48.92
them from going. And so it's
crazy because now they stop in
their tracks, and they pivot,
00:24:48.95\00:24:55.26
and they get ready to aim over
in the land of Bithynia. But the
Bible literally says that the
00:24:55.29\00:25:00.86
Spirit would not permit them to
go. And see friends of mine, I
need you to know that sometimes
00:25:00.90\00:25:05.43
God is not going shout;
sometimes God is not going to
show up with a wet ground and a
00:25:05.47\00:25:11.47
dry fleece or a dry fleece and a
wet ground. Sometimes you've got
to have living spiritual
00:25:11.51\00:25:18.61
faculties so that when God
whispers your name, and God
gives you a prompting, and God
00:25:18.65\00:25:24.09
shows up, you can recognize that
it's Jehovah talking. Are you
all with me today? And see
00:25:24.12\00:25:31.53
friends of mine, high belief;
this is why you've got to have
an active spiritual antenna in a
00:25:31.56\00:25:38.17
world with conflicting
frequencies and conflicting
opinions and conflicting voices
00:25:38.20\00:25:42.94
and conflicting emotions. You've
got an antenna that can find the
reception of God and say, I know
00:25:42.97\00:25:49.88
that's him talking to me. And
let me just say this, especially
to the young amongst us; I
00:25:49.91\00:25:56.12
believe that your primary
antenna is the scriptures. All
right, let me say it to the old
00:25:56.15\00:25:59.59
folks because you all seem like
you all don't believe either. I
believe that the primary
00:25:59.62\00:26:02.02
spiritual antenna is the word of
the living God. Are you all with
me today? [Congregation: Amen].
00:26:02.06\00:26:07.73
You see, the scriptures, my
friend, are a revelation of His
Will. They are the primary
00:26:07.76\00:26:15.54
expression of the mind of God.
It gives us immovable principles
to the Will of God. And see, one
00:26:15.57\00:26:22.98
of the things I like about the
word is that the word settles
certain mass matters. The word
00:26:23.01\00:26:31.85
keeps me from having to think.
The word keeps me from being in
conflict. And the thing about
00:26:31.89\00:26:41.30
the word is that it's not going
to change based on who's reading
it. And in other words, the
00:26:41.33\00:26:49.67
reason I'm saying this is
because we operate too confused
and too conflicted about things
00:26:49.70\00:26:56.41
that the Lord has already spoken
about. In other words, there'll
be folk who come, and they'll be
00:26:56.44\00:27:02.92
like, pastor, I'm praying about
whether or not I need to forgive
that person. And I'm thinking,
00:27:02.95\00:27:07.12
you ain't got to pray about
that; the word has already been
spoken on this matter. The word
00:27:07.16\00:27:13.13
says forgive as I have forgiven
you. In fact, the word says,
don't even let the sun go down
00:27:13.16\00:27:20.37
while you are angry. There's
somebody saying, pastor, I'm
praying about whether or not I
00:27:20.40\00:27:27.38
should get with this person who
does not go to church. But the
word has already spoken on that
00:27:27.41\00:27:33.52
matter because if they're not in
church or even if they're in
church, but not in the Spirit,
00:27:33.55\00:27:34.72
[crosstalk], the word says be
not unequally yolked with
unbelievers because there is no
00:27:34.75\00:27:36.95
fellowship between light and
darkness. [Congregation: Amen].
Why are you praying about
00:27:36.99\00:27:43.96
whether or not to take a job on
the Sabbath? The word has
already spoken. The Bible says
00:27:43.99\00:27:51.37
in it; thou shall not do any
work. Some of us are praying
about whether or not we should
00:27:51.40\00:28:15.06
divorce; the word has been
spoken. Except it is for marital
infidelity; oh, you all might be
00:28:15.09\00:28:38.11
quiet in here. I'm going to
stand on the word whether you
get mad or not, unless it is for
00:28:38.15\00:28:53.16