#S084 - “A Different
Kind Of Praise” (Part 1)
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So do me a favor and
stand to your feet as we go
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to the scriptures today,
as we get into God's word.
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Grateful to see
some of our guests
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and visitors who
are visiting us from
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across town and out of town.
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If you're visiting us from
from out of town this week,
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would you raise your
hands so we can see you today?
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Can we put our hands
together for all of our guests?
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Again, welcome. God bless you.
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And we pray that you have a rich
experience here with us today.
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I want to invite you to
go with me and your Bibles
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to the book of Second
Corinthians, chapter 12,
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second Corinthians,
chapter 12, and verse one again.
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When to just give regards,
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my good friend, Pastor
Nixon and Nixon family visiting
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from the Ephesus
Church in New York City
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and grateful to have Mrs.
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Brown and members of the
Johnson family here with us.
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God bless you
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and my good friend, Chaplain
Mein Hill there in the back.
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God bless you, my friend.
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Bless you as well, along with
some whom I have not caught.
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God bless you.
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Second Corinthians Chapter 12.
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And we're going to look
together at verse number
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one, second Corinthians
12 and verse number one.
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Anybody got a
praise on your lips today?
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All right.
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Second
Corinthians 12 and verse one.
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And when you get there,
just say, Pastor, I'm there.
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Second
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Corinthians 12
and verse number one.
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And I want you to really give
careful attention to the things
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that the apostle describes
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to us today, because
I believe they have life
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and meaning for us
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as we maneuver through
life's trials and adversity.
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Second one
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Corinthians 12 in verse
one again when you get there,
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just pastor there.
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All right.
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Listen to what he says.
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He says it is doubtless
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not profitable for me
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to do what to boast.
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I will come to visions
and revelations of the law.
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I know a man in
Christ who 14 years ago,
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whether in the
body I do not know,
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or whether out of
the body I do not know.
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God knows such a one was
caught up to the third heaven.
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And I know such a
man, whether in the body
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or out of the
body, I do not know.
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God knows how.
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He was caught up in paradise
and heard inexpressible words
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which are not lawful for a
man to utter of such a one.
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I will boast yet of myself.
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I will not boast,
except in my infirmities,
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for though I might desire
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to what I have
a desire to boast.
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I will not be a fool,
for I will speak the truth,
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but I refrain, lest
anyone should think of me above
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what he has seen of me
or what he hears from me.
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And this is the sermon verse
seven through ten and less.
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I should be
exalted above measure
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by the abundance
of the revelations,
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a thorn in the flesh
was given me a messenger
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of Satan, the buffet me
lest I be exalted above measure
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considered considered
concerning this thing.
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I pleaded with
the Lord three times
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that it might
depart from me, and He said
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unto me, as he is
saying to some here today,
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My grace is sufficient for you.
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My strength is me
perfect in weakness.
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Therefore, most gladly, I would
rather boast in my infirmities
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that the power of
Christ may rest upon me.
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Watch this verse in.
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Therefore, I take
pleasure. In what?
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No, no.
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Are you all catching this?
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He says I take pleasure
in one infirmities in what?
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In what?
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In what?
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In what?
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For Christ's sake.
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For when I am weak,
then I am strong today.
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Say, I want to
talk to you for a little
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while under the subject.
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A different kind of phrase.
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A different kind of praise.
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Let us look to the
Lord together in prayer.
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Father, again, in
this little while,
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would you please see much?
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Lord, there's a limited
amount of time we have together.
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But I'm praying that you
give us truth that is eternal.
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And so we're
praying that the Spirit
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would reign so
heavily upon this service
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that it would literally smother
all rivaling principalities.
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So, Lord, would you
please hide me in the shadows
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of the cross that
Christ alone might be seen,
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that Christ
alone would be heard,
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and at the end of our time
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together, let
Jesus alone be praised.
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Bless us.
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To this end,
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we ask in the
mighty name of Jesus,
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let them that
love him, say together.
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Amen.
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Any man you may be
seated in the house of the Labor
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again talking to
you today on the subject
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of a different kind of phrase.
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You know, friends,
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there are two classes of people
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who give praise to
God in the body of Christ.
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First, there are those
who give transactional praise.
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And the second group are those
who give relational praise.
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Those whose
worship is transactional.
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They praise God for things.
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But those whose
worship is relational,
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they praise God through things.
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And both classes
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can be spiritually
alive, maturing and abounding.
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But there is an
inconsistency in the lives
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of those who give
God transactional praise,
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because they will only praise
God when things are going well.
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So they praise
God for the new job,
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and they will praise
God for the new house,
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and they will
praise God for good health,
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and they will praise
God for the scholarship.
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But the problem is
that there is going to be
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an inconsistency
in their praise, for
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they only praise him
according to the season
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they are in and friends.
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There must be a maturity in
the journey because sometimes
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that type of praise reads like
the reading on an EKG machine
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where it is filled with
high peaks and very low valleys.
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And the problem
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is their praise mirrors
what's in their bank account,
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their praise mirrors, how
they feel when they wake up
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in the morning,
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their praise mirrors, how people
may be speaking about them.
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And the only thing the
devil loves more than no
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praise is fluctuating praise
where it is high in one season
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and invisible in the next,
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and what the person
that gives transactional
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praise needs to recognize
is that there are going to be
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seasons of life.
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Am I preaching to anybody today?
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In fact,
Solomon says it this way
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that they're going to
be seasons where you laugh
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and they're going to
be times for you to mourn.
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They're going to be times
where things are being built up.
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And they're going to be times
where things are being torn
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down.
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In fact, Jesus
says that I'm going
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to send the son to rise
on the evil and the good
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and I'm going to send rain
on the just and the unjust.
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And the word to somebody today
is you've got to get to a place
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where you give God a
praise for all seasons.
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Are you with me?
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Church and see where those
that have a relation of praise.
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This is where we want to leave.
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And it's not that
this type of person
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does not get
touched by discouragement.
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It is not that these
types of believers don't endure
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real pain.
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It is not that they
don't get overwhelmed by life.
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But because there is
a relationship with God,
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there is an abiding trust
that evens out their praise.
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It stabilizes their homage.
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And it makes
consistent their homage to God.
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In other words,
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when you have a
relationship with God,
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you give him a
different kind of praise
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because it is not emitting
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from a season of comfort, it
emits from the goodness of God.
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Is there anybody that
knows that relational worship
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is different than
church and liturgy?
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This is the type of praise
that Jobe gives when he loses
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all of his livelihood and
his kids, and he opens his
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mouth to say, The Lord
gives and the Lord takes away.
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But blessed be
the name of the Lord.
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This is the type of
praise that David gives
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when he suffered the
slings and arrows of life.
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And yet he says, I
will bless the Lord at all
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times and his praise
continually be in my mouth.
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This is the type of
worship described by Paul
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when from a Philippi in
jail, he says to the Saints,
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to rejoice in the Lord always.
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And again, I say, rejoice.
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And I don't know
about you, saints.
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I don't want to just
give God transactional praise.
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That may be the starting point,
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but I want to get
to something deeper.
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I want a faith that can praise
God in the middle of the storm.
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I want a faith that can praise
God when there is no money
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in the bank.
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I want a faith
that can praise God
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when folk don't
speak well about me.
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In fact, I don't want to wait
to things get better to praise
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God because I believe
that from the rising of the sun
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to the going down of the
Saint, that the name of the Lord
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is to be praise.
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And I just need to know, do
I have at least seven saints
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that can testify
that God has been so good
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that you ought to give
him and all season's kind
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of praise today?
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Let me say it this way.
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I remember Malcolm back in
September with Breath of Life.
00:10:32.76\00:10:36.23
We went on a cruise
to the Mediterranean,
00:10:36.26\00:10:38.83
and when we got to Turkey,
they took us to a leather shop
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where we got to shop for leather
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coats and garments of that sort.
00:10:44.87\00:10:47.08
And I remember trying on
a particular type of leather
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jacket, and the salesman
said, Sir, that's a good choice.
00:10:50.45\00:10:54.32
He says, that's an
all weather type of coat.
00:10:55.32\00:10:57.55
And I said, How
can it be all weather?
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It is a dark colored coat
and it has a heaviness to it.
00:11:01.26\00:11:03.63
He says, Open up the
inside and look at the inside.
00:11:04.76\00:11:07.66
And the inside
had a bright color.
00:11:08.50\00:11:10.40
So he said,
Sir, it's reversible,
00:11:11.23\00:11:13.37
so that in the
winter you can wear dark,
00:11:14.30\00:11:16.44
but in the spring it goes right.
00:11:16.47\00:11:18.64
But I said it still
feels a little heavy.
00:11:19.57\00:11:21.21
And he said, Sir, remember that
this leather is made of lamb.
00:11:22.44\00:11:25.88
Same.
00:11:25.91\00:11:26.78
And the lamb skin
operates different,
00:11:26.82\00:11:29.62
so that when it's on the inside
it keeps you from the cold.
00:11:30.82\00:11:34.09
But when you reverse it,
00:11:34.66\00:11:35.72
it operates like the
insulation on your house
00:11:35.76\00:11:38.73
and it keeps the heat
from wearing you down.
00:11:39.73\00:11:41.63
And the word to somebody
today is that you've got to have
00:11:42.83\00:11:45.40
a reversible
phrase that can praise.
00:11:45.43\00:11:48.50
And when things are well
and you can turn it inside out
00:11:48.54\00:11:52.27
and praise them
when things are not well.
00:11:53.24\00:11:54.81
But the good news is that
when you're covered by the lamb,
00:11:55.98\00:11:58.68
he can insulate
you from any season.
00:11:59.55\00:12:01.95
And when you're
covered in the lamb,
00:12:02.75\00:12:04.29
you can praise
them in the winter.
00:12:05.12\00:12:06.59
You can praise
them in the summer.
00:12:07.42\00:12:08.92
There is no season
where you cannot praise God
00:12:09.96\00:12:12.69
when you're covered by the lamb.
00:12:13.40\00:12:14.76
Are you with me today? Church.
00:12:14.83\00:12:16.97
And so, friends, as we go
back to second Corinthians 12,
00:12:17.00\00:12:19.97
give me a little leeway
as we develop this thought.
00:12:21.10\00:12:24.04
You see this little Perich speak
00:12:24.74\00:12:26.41
is filled with
conviction and spiritual truth.
00:12:26.44\00:12:29.78
And the first thing
it teaches us, friends,
00:12:30.75\00:12:32.85
is that the most dangerous
of all sins is the sin of pride.
00:12:34.12\00:12:38.72
In fact, friends, when
you look at your Bible,
00:12:39.92\00:12:42.49
when you look at the scenes
that are warned against the ones
00:12:43.69\00:12:46.23
that are warned against the
most, it is not fornication.
00:12:46.26\00:12:49.90
It is not Sabbath breaking.
00:12:50.57\00:12:52.27
It is not coveting
your nature, your neighbor.
00:12:53.23\00:12:55.60
But the sin
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we are warned against
the most is the sin of pride.
00:12:57.14\00:13:00.44
And when you look
00:13:00.94\00:13:01.98
at the scripture, the
admonitions against pride,
00:13:02.01\00:13:04.65
they are not subtle and gentle,
but they are scathing and
00:13:04.68\00:13:08.75
elevating in nature.
00:13:10.09\00:13:11.85
In fact, in James
four, six, the Bible says God
00:13:11.89\00:13:16.06
opposes the proud, but he
gives grace to the humble.
00:13:16.09\00:13:20.70
In Proverbs 11, the
Bible says When pride comes,
00:13:21.66\00:13:24.87
then comes disgrace.
00:13:25.40\00:13:26.87
But with humility comes wisdom.
00:13:26.90\00:13:29.54
In Proverbs 1680, the
Bible says Pride goes before
00:13:30.57\00:13:35.31
destruction in a
hearty spirit before a fall.
00:13:35.34\00:13:39.41
In fact, Proverbs six
eight says that a proud
00:13:40.45\00:13:43.35
look is at
abomination under God.
00:13:43.39\00:13:46.82
In fact, said for his God hates
pride so much that he says,
00:13:48.02\00:13:51.73
When I see a proud
look and elitist better
00:13:51.76\00:13:56.87
than you stank face, expressing
00:13:56.90\00:13:59.77
it is an abomination unto me.
00:14:00.54\00:14:02.94
I hear me today
and see the reason
00:14:02.97\00:14:06.84
that you got to
understand that God hates pride
00:14:07.88\00:14:10.35
is that when He sees
pride on your face, it's
00:14:11.35\00:14:13.58
the same expression Lucifer had
before he put him out of glory.
00:14:13.62\00:14:18.32
And he. Friends, I
need you to get that.
00:14:19.19\00:14:20.99
The reason things
fail is because of pride.
00:14:21.02\00:14:24.93
The reason that marriage is
collapse is because of pride.
00:14:26.16\00:14:29.16
The reason we forfeit
favor is because of pride.
00:14:30.23\00:14:33.90
The reason potential
never becomes reality
00:14:34.87\00:14:37.07
is because we
carry too much pride.
00:14:37.94\00:14:39.81
Are we clear that
pride is the original sin?
00:14:40.74\00:14:43.75
And there was an interesting
correlation in France
00:14:44.85\00:14:47.38
before between pride and praise.
00:14:48.08\00:14:50.72
In fact, friends, when
you look at your Bible,
00:14:51.75\00:14:53.89
the Bible talks
about how in the beginning
00:14:53.92\00:14:56.62
how Lucifer was
the covering cherub.
00:14:57.49\00:15:00.10
Are you with me today? Church.
00:15:00.13\00:15:01.70
In other words, Lucifer was
the Stephen Manders of heaven
00:15:01.73\00:15:05.43
that helped lead the
people into the worship
00:15:06.43\00:15:09.34
of the King of Kings
and the Lord of Lords.
00:15:09.37\00:15:12.61
But the Bible says
00:15:13.11\00:15:14.18
that its heart became
proud because of his beauty,
00:15:14.21\00:15:18.25
that he was corrupted
by reason of his splendor,
00:15:19.31\00:15:22.42
that he was
perfect in all of his ways
00:15:23.32\00:15:25.45
until iniquity or
pride was found in him.
00:15:26.35\00:15:29.16
And because of pride,
00:15:29.72\00:15:31.39
Lucifer was no longer
willing to lead worship.
00:15:31.43\00:15:34.76
Lucifer wanted
to receive worship
00:15:35.60\00:15:37.87
and noticed that the
more pride he gathered,
00:15:38.80\00:15:41.50
the less praise
he began to give.
00:15:42.34\00:15:44.47
And the reason that God
hates pride is the more pride
00:15:44.51\00:15:48.48
we collect, the less
pride praise we give to God.
00:15:48.51\00:15:51.98
Let me say it again.
00:15:52.75\00:15:53.72
The more pride we
have, the less praise we get.
00:15:53.75\00:15:58.29
In fact, friends,
00:15:58.79\00:15:59.89
the reason that some of
us have no boast in the Lord,
00:15:59.92\00:16:03.46
the reason that there
is no praise on our lips,
00:16:04.43\00:16:06.80
the reason our hands are
too heavy to lift in glory
00:16:07.86\00:16:11.03
is because we are
saddled with too much pride.
00:16:12.07\00:16:14.57
All mighty quiet.
00:16:14.60\00:16:15.40
But I'm a stand on it today.
00:16:15.44\00:16:17.04
In fact, there are some who say
the reason I don't be praised
00:16:17.07\00:16:20.51
is because I'm a little
conservative in my expression.
00:16:21.68\00:16:23.81
And for some, that is the case.
00:16:24.51\00:16:26.05
But the reason that some of us
00:16:26.08\00:16:27.78
don't have no praise is
because we've got too much pride
00:16:27.82\00:16:31.75
and too much composure and
too much concern about what
00:16:32.85\00:16:36.26
somebody is going to say
about our worship of God.
00:16:36.29\00:16:39.86
And the reason I know you
like it is I see you shout
00:16:40.96\00:16:43.57
when the cowboys are playing.
00:16:43.60\00:16:45.57
I see you dance when
your Yankees are on top.
00:16:45.60\00:16:48.77
And some of y'all
won't move in church.
00:16:49.70\00:16:51.31
But let a little Luther
Vandross start playing and all
00:16:52.47\00:16:54.81
kind of rhythm gets in
your conservative bones.
00:16:54.84\00:16:58.05
Are you gonna hear me today?
00:16:58.71\00:16:59.75
And see?
00:17:00.78\00:17:01.18
See, the problem
00:17:01.22\00:17:02.35
is, the more pride you
have, the less praise you give.
00:17:02.38\00:17:05.79
And this is the crazy thing.
00:17:06.45\00:17:08.02
Most pride.
00:17:08.06\00:17:09.02
All of it is unwarranted.
00:17:09.06\00:17:11.13
How many of us
know that? We get proud?
00:17:12.06\00:17:13.66
All of the things that God
has accomplished in our lives.
00:17:13.70\00:17:16.93
In fact, the Word says
that Lucifer became proud
00:17:18.00\00:17:20.17
because of his beauty.
00:17:20.74\00:17:21.87
But his beauty was
given to him by God.
00:17:21.90\00:17:24.61
And it's crazy
00:17:25.61\00:17:26.68
because some of us get
pride over how cute we are.
00:17:26.71\00:17:29.24
Yeah, yeah, you
got some cuteness.
00:17:30.08\00:17:31.71
But that cuteness came from God.
00:17:31.75\00:17:33.85
Some of us to get pride
all over the job that we were.
00:17:35.02\00:17:37.79
But how many of
us know promotion
00:17:38.55\00:17:39.89
does not come from
the East or the West?
00:17:39.92\00:17:42.06
But promotion comes from God.
00:17:42.76\00:17:44.39
Some of us who get proud
over how much money we make.
00:17:45.56\00:17:47.66
But the Bible says it is God
00:17:48.30\00:17:49.56
that gives the
power to get wealth.
00:17:49.60\00:17:51.83
Some of us get proud
about how spiritual we are.
00:17:51.87\00:17:55.24
But the Bible says it
is God that works in you.
00:17:56.20\00:17:58.47
But the will and do
of his got pleasure.
00:17:59.41\00:18:01.54
Some of us get from because
of the gift that we have.
00:18:02.68\00:18:05.18
But the Bible says
every good and perfect gift
00:18:06.21\00:18:08.78
comes from above.
00:18:09.28\00:18:10.82
And I just need to know,
is there anybody that knows
00:18:10.85\00:18:13.72
that if there is anything
good that comes from our lives,
00:18:14.92\00:18:18.19
it is because of God's
goodness operating on our side.
00:18:19.29\00:18:24.40
And see, this is the
crazy thing about pride,
00:18:26.10\00:18:28.54
because for most sense,
00:18:29.10\00:18:30.51
you've got to confess
and look to God for help.
00:18:30.54\00:18:33.54
But pride is the one
thing that God addresses
00:18:34.54\00:18:37.08
in voluntarily or
without your consent.
00:18:37.11\00:18:40.12
God says, I've
got to regulate pride
00:18:40.98\00:18:43.75
to keep them from getting so far
00:18:44.45\00:18:46.79
that they get beyond my reach.
00:18:47.49\00:18:50.29
Now, some of y'all are listening
to this and say, Pastor,
00:18:51.73\00:18:54.73
I'm hearing you on pride,
00:18:54.76\00:18:56.90
but what does that
have to do with Paul story?
00:18:57.93\00:19:00.24
Because if you don't
understand the danger of pride,
00:19:01.30\00:19:04.84
then you won't understand
the placement of the form.
00:19:05.97\00:19:08.58
So back with me,
if you don't mind.
00:19:10.01\00:19:11.45
Second Corinthians
Chapter 12 and verse seven.
00:19:11.48\00:19:13.55
Look at what Paul
says with his own words.
00:19:14.52\00:19:16.55
And he says, Unless
00:19:17.09\00:19:18.85
I sit, be exalted above measure.
00:19:19.82\00:19:23.53
By the abundance of revelations,
a thorn in the flesh
00:19:23.56\00:19:28.10
was given me a
messenger of Satan to buffet me
00:19:28.13\00:19:32.80
less I be exalted
00:19:33.30\00:19:35.80
above measure did not
get sent to the church.
00:19:35.84\00:19:38.64
Notice reigns the why of
the thorn that Paul references.
00:19:39.77\00:19:43.88
He says essentially this
thorn, y'all quiet today.
00:19:44.91\00:19:47.98
Church was given
to me to help reckon
00:19:48.02\00:19:52.95
lay the pride that
gets me gets me in trouble.
00:19:52.99\00:19:56.69
And truth is friends
that if you read the writings
00:19:57.79\00:20:00.53
of Paul in their entirety,
what becomes clear is that there
00:20:00.56\00:20:05.20
is a hubris that is
always there on the verge.
00:20:05.23\00:20:09.57
But he restrains it
because God has giving him
00:20:10.61\00:20:13.17
a regulating element.
00:20:13.74\00:20:15.11
In fact, earlier in
the chapter he says, Man,
00:20:15.14\00:20:18.35
my desire is to boast
about my own goodness.
00:20:18.38\00:20:22.65
But I've learned
not to be a fool.
00:20:23.49\00:20:25.19
And see, I love this because
Paul here is making it clear
00:20:26.39\00:20:29.99
that this thorn is not
punishment, it's protection.
00:20:31.09\00:20:34.13
Okay, see?
00:20:35.80\00:20:37.90
See, see, Paul
here is giving a level
00:20:38.80\00:20:41.17
of transparency that is
edifying for the body of Christ,
00:20:41.20\00:20:45.57
because Paul says,
Man, this pride thing
00:20:46.44\00:20:48.64
is so sinister and imperceptible
00:20:49.34\00:20:51.81
that without the help of
God, I would be a slave to it.
00:20:53.01\00:20:56.62
I don't with me today, church.
00:20:57.32\00:20:58.49
Now, now I need you to get
why this Pakistan is necessary
00:20:58.52\00:21:02.59
for the apostle Paul has lived
00:21:03.29\00:21:05.69
an extraordinary life.
00:21:06.26\00:21:08.63
Do you realize that
the hand of the Lord
00:21:09.56\00:21:11.40
is upon Him in such a
way that when he speaks, Mr.
00:21:12.50\00:21:15.47
Brown, his words
don't just entertain those
00:21:15.50\00:21:19.11
that are already
persuaded, but he has a wisdom
00:21:19.14\00:21:22.81
that draws the hardest sinners
over into this marvelous light.
00:21:24.05\00:21:27.85
Do you realize that Paul
apparatus with such force
00:21:28.95\00:21:31.62
that demons
literally give deference
00:21:32.49\00:21:34.79
to him for one
double say, Jesus.
00:21:34.82\00:21:38.03
I know and Paul, I know.
00:21:38.06\00:21:40.73
But who are you?
00:21:41.13\00:21:42.50
Do you realize that
the anointing is so thick
00:21:42.53\00:21:45.53
that they take Paul's sweat
rag from his work and the aprons
00:21:46.74\00:21:50.01
from his tent, making, and
they drop them on the sick.
00:21:50.04\00:21:53.71
And when his sweat rag
touches the sick, that tumors
00:21:54.84\00:21:57.35
get displaced and the
cripple get up and walk
00:21:57.38\00:22:00.58
that poor yaks
around so anointed
00:22:01.42\00:22:03.45
that they would take the
sick and lay them in the street.
00:22:04.69\00:22:07.12
And when Paul walked by
and his shadow fell upon them,
00:22:08.29\00:22:11.26
the sick would get made well
00:22:11.29\00:22:13.29
and the infirmed
would get made whole.
00:22:14.10\00:22:15.80
In fact, Paul is so
tough that snakes bite him
00:22:16.83\00:22:19.77
and he shakes it off
as if nothing happens.
00:22:20.74\00:22:22.64
He survives
00:22:23.04\00:22:24.11
ship wrecks and lashes
that should have taken his life.
00:22:24.14\00:22:27.54
And the Bible says that
when he sleeps at night,
00:22:28.54\00:22:31.08
the cosmos opens and
God gives him revelations
00:22:32.05\00:22:35.42
that are so abundant
that it cannot be expressed
00:22:36.48\00:22:39.42
with human words.
00:22:39.92\00:22:40.89
And see.
00:22:40.92\00:22:42.09
The problem with that, Paul
admits, is that the hand of God
00:22:42.12\00:22:45.53
works strongly
with such consistency
00:22:46.39\00:22:48.93
that sometimes
it's hard to tell what
00:22:49.83\00:22:52.00
me and what's God.
00:22:52.50\00:22:55.50
And so Paul literally says to
00:22:56.84\00:22:59.01
help me know the
difference, God has given me
00:22:59.04\00:23:05.91
a thorn in the
flesh to afflict me.
00:23:06.75\00:23:10.29
Whenever my
pride begins to swell.
00:23:11.12\00:23:13.25
So. So, again, I need you
to get that the thorn is not
00:23:14.36\00:23:17.06
punishment, it's regulation.
00:23:17.09\00:23:19.13
See, the thorn is like
a spiritual thermostat.
00:23:20.16\00:23:22.66
I go with within a church.
00:23:22.70\00:23:24.17
You know, we some
of us are old enough
00:23:24.20\00:23:26.20
to remember those
window units in your house,
00:23:26.23\00:23:28.94
and it only had two settings on
00:23:29.64\00:23:31.64
and off. Come on
and say a minute.
00:23:32.84\00:23:34.84
But now we have thermostats.
00:23:34.88\00:23:36.95
And the beauty of a
thermostat is what it does
00:23:36.98\00:23:39.11
is it regulates the
temperature in your house
00:23:40.15\00:23:42.28
so that when you want it to
not get warmer than 70 degrees,
00:23:43.49\00:23:46.79
guess what?
00:23:47.19\00:23:47.92
The unit is
going to be stationary
00:23:47.96\00:23:50.06
as long as it's at
68, it's going to be cold.
00:23:51.09\00:23:53.19
As long as it's at 69,
it's not going to go to work.
00:23:54.30\00:23:56.53
But as soon as the
temperature gives above 70,
00:23:57.57\00:23:59.63
it's going to kick in
00:24:00.27\00:24:01.44
and regulate a temperature
that's getting out of control.
00:24:01.47\00:24:04.97
And see,
00:24:06.27\00:24:07.14
sometimes God is
your pride thermostat
00:24:07.18\00:24:10.15
so that as long as you
walk in humility, your straits,
00:24:11.31\00:24:14.52
but once it reaches
a certain threshold,
00:24:15.45\00:24:17.59
God says, let me step here.
00:24:17.62\00:24:20.86
So there are a couple of things
I want to say about this storm
00:24:20.89\00:24:23.09
before I take my seat.
00:24:23.12\00:24:24.33
The first thing
you need to notice
00:24:24.36\00:24:25.73
is that the thorn is immovable,
so this has to be friends.
00:24:25.76\00:24:32.87
A unique frustration
for this particular apostle.
00:24:32.90\00:24:35.64
In fact,
00:24:35.94\00:24:37.07
the Bible says that Paul
is given a thorn in the what?
00:24:37.11\00:24:40.68
He has given a
thorn in the flesh, Bobby
00:24:41.61\00:24:43.88
which means it is
a medical predicament
00:24:44.81\00:24:47.38
that actually
disrupts the movements of this.
00:24:47.42\00:24:50.49
Apostle Now we are not told
what this particular thorn is,
00:24:50.52\00:24:54.66
but there are some
00:24:55.16\00:24:56.06
that believe that
Paul suffers from migraines
00:24:56.09\00:24:58.66
that would disable
him from time to time.
00:24:59.59\00:25:01.46
Some believe that his thorn was
Caesar's and that he suffered
00:25:02.70\00:25:05.57
from epilepsy.
00:25:05.60\00:25:06.94
Many believe
00:25:06.97\00:25:08.17
that after he lost his sight
on the day of his conversion,
00:25:08.20\00:25:11.71
that his sight would
leave him in Caesar's.
00:25:12.67\00:25:14.51
In fact, in
Galatians six and verse 11,
00:25:15.44\00:25:17.61
the Bible says that Paul
says, I write you using very
00:25:18.75\00:25:21.92
large letters, which suggests
a challenge with his eyesight,
00:25:21.95\00:25:26.89
but understand that
we are not told what
00:25:27.82\00:25:29.62
type of thorn our condition
it is because it is irrelevant.
00:25:30.83\00:25:33.86
The one thing we need to note
00:25:34.56\00:25:35.76
is that the thorn won't
be removed, not even by God.
00:25:35.80\00:25:39.70
And it's uncomfortable
because he wants it gone.
00:25:41.00\00:25:43.54
It's so difficult because
it hinders him in seasons
00:25:44.67\00:25:46.81
and he develops after a while
an appreciation for the thorn.
00:25:48.08\00:25:51.31
After a while.
00:25:51.75\00:25:52.81
Jessica He comes to have
some value for this thorn
00:25:52.85\00:25:55.85
because he
00:25:56.22\00:25:57.35
realizes that this thorn
is not necessarily punishment.
00:25:57.39\00:26:00.72
It is actually a
spiritual failsafe.
00:26:01.59\00:26:03.69
It is actually
the last boundary.
00:26:04.49\00:26:06.66
It is actually
the last restriction
00:26:07.50\00:26:09.20
that keeps him
from getting so proud
00:26:10.07\00:26:11.80
that he becomes
disqualified from God,
00:26:12.70\00:26:14.57
that when his pride
begins to swell, that's
00:26:15.70\00:26:18.41
when the thorn kicks in.
00:26:18.44\00:26:20.18
When he starts to
get a little high minded,
00:26:20.21\00:26:22.21
when he starts to become
praising, are praiseworthy
00:26:23.31\00:26:25.58
about himself, when he
begins to lose that sense
00:26:25.61\00:26:28.85
of where his help comes from,
that that thorn, what it does
00:26:30.12\00:26:32.99
is it pricks him back
into a dependent posture
00:26:33.02\00:26:36.12
and see Paul comes
to a place where he sees
00:26:37.13\00:26:40.36
the goodness of God
not in what is removed,
00:26:40.40\00:26:44.47
but he sees the goodness of God
and what God allows to remain.
00:26:45.70\00:26:49.74
Okay, let me say it again.
00:26:50.47\00:26:52.31
See, the goodness
of God is not just
00:26:52.34\00:26:53.84
and what he
takes out of your life.
00:26:53.88\00:26:57.81
Sometimes God is good
00:26:57.85\00:26:59.51
by the affliction he
lets remain in your life.
00:26:59.55\00:27:02.42
Well, I ain't got no
mature saints in here today.
00:27:03.52\00:27:05.09
So you see.
00:27:05.12\00:27:06.32
See, God is not a good father
if he takes every hard thing
00:27:06.35\00:27:09.59
out of your life.
00:27:09.62\00:27:10.76
But he's a good father
00:27:10.79\00:27:11.96
because he has measured
the tension that remains,
00:27:11.99\00:27:15.83
especially if he's going to push
you toward the Kingdom of God.
00:27:17.07\00:27:20.20
Thank you for joining
us for the Breath of Life
00:27:21.94\00:27:24.47
Television Ministries Broadcasts
with Pastor Debleaire Snell.
00:27:24.51\00:27:28.68
We hope and pray
00:27:28.71\00:27:30.15
that you have been blessed
by this powerful message.
00:27:30.18\00:27:33.11
Join us next week for
part two of the message, “A
00:27:34.25\00:27:37.35
Different Kind Of
Praise” You don't want to
00:27:37.39\00:27:41.19
miss it.
00:27:41.22\00:27:42.12