Hallelujah how many's been to him and he answered you prayer when you got there
Where could we go?
There's nowhere else to go but to the Lord
And when you get there, you know that he already understands what's going on in your life
Amen
And he's got the answer for you
Nothing better than the answer. Amen
Thank you so much for being in the house or give this group a wonderful hand today
They have led us into the presence of the Lord
Hallelujah
Amen amen if you have your Bibles returning with me to the book of Hebrews
But
Neighbors are kind I like that verse I love them everyone
We get along sweet accord
But when my soul needs a man from above
Where
Could I go?
But to the Lord you can get a loaf of bread you can get some flour you can get some salt
You get some sugar. You might even get some gas for the lawnmower next door
But when you need manna
There's only one place to get it
Amen
Seeking a refuge have you ever needed a refuge that place of safety to retreat to
Where could I go but to the Lord
Oh, tell me now where could I go? Oh
Where could I go? Oh
Where could I go?
Seeking a refuge for my soul
Oh needing a friend to save me in the end
Where could I go but to the Lord?
Amen we're going to the word right now if I keep playing I'll keep singing and she knows that and they gouge me
Like I'm gonna let that slide
Amen
Hebrews chapter 4 if you're visiting with us today, thank you so much for choosing to worship
at Hopewell Church of God
And we trust and pray that you'll be blessed if you've not already been blessed before you leave today
That you will have met the Lord and encountered his beautiful spirit. Amen
And also in case I get wound up and forget when we dismiss in about an hour or so
You if you'll go out that door to my left
At the welcome center we have something special for you. So please stop by there. We want to bless you
Hebrews chapter 4 looking at verse 9
There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God
For he that is entered into his wrist. He also hath ceased from his own works as
God did from his
Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest
lest any man fail after the same example of unbelief
For the Word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword
piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and of the joints and the marrow and is a
deserner of the thoughts and intents of the heart
Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight
But all things are naked and open unto the eyes of him
With whom we have to do
Seeing then that we have a great high priest that is passed into the heavens Jesus the Son of God
Let us hold fast our profession for we have not in high priest
Which cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities but was in all points tempted like as we are yet
Without sin
Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace
That we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in the time of need
Simple thought this morning. What do you say now?
What do you say now father? I love you and I thank you. I thank you for those in this room beautiful congregation this morning
and Lord believing in your sovereignty I truly know that we're not here by accident or we just made a
I think I'll go today moment, but I think we're assembled under the sovereign hand of your will
That we may hear what thus saith the Lord
Speak to the hearts and minds of those in this room today
And when we leave may we leave with the encouragement of your spirit and the enriching grace of your word
In our heart and in our life
Do you be praised forever in Christ's name? That's her said amen ask your neighbor. What do you say now?
I would say it doesn't escape your knowledge that we are living in an age of advanced technology
So advanced that you hold within your hand maybe not right at the moment until we get the access available and you can reconnect
But you hold in your hand the access to the world and we're working on getting you access to the world
I hate some of you be unplugged but we working on it. We're gonna get you reconnected
But you hold in your hand access to the world communication is all but instantaneous
There was a day in your life when you didn't have the phone on you it was hanging on the wall
Amen before answering machines. How many remember that when they just had to keep on calling till you answer?
Isn't that lovely people would absolutely have to go into some asylum somewhere if they had to wait a day or two before you answered their call
Because if it's two to three minutes, there's a panic go on we're pushing the panic button. Why you answer my call? Well, I didn't want to
Hello
Hello, now see if this really gets going today whoa
We get in that sort of shape I hit the mute button we get in that sort of shape
If we're not communicating we're not answering communication
But when we think about how this works in our lives and what we say really doesn't matter
The power of words in our culture today words shape and define our lives you realize that words reveal the faith that really is in your heart
Your words our speech our confession reveal what's within the inside of us
Words can direct our lives and others as well
Words can destroy us and others as well our words display who we are and what's in our hearts in spite of ourselves
In spite of our best action your mouth will give you up hello
Our words can delight others but also our words can dishonor others
James 3 says about the tongue we put bits and horses mouth ships are turned about with a very small helm
It's a little member that most great things it's a fire a world of iniquity we're talking about the tongue and it cannot be tamed it defiles the whole body
The tongue can no man tame it is an unruly evil full of deadly poison
We bless God and we curse man all with the same tongue so our words do matter
One man said the tongue is in a wet place and is subject to slip
Wooo
Proverbs 1821 says death and life are in the power of the tongue and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof
The power of confession the confession of faith is in reference to something that can can make or break our lives
There's power in your confession of faith there's power in your confessions of doubt
That stir disbelief in our heart and in our lives
What we speak is a testimony to what we truly believe and what we live out in our lives confession dispels confusion
Luke 645 a good man out of the good treasure of his own heart bringing forth that which is good and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart
Bringing forth that which is evil for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks
When we read in our text today, you'll see the author actually personalizing this letter as the spirit is moving up on him
He says seeing then that we have such a great high priest. He's passed through the heavens
Jesus the son of God. Let us see how he's entering in you. You see the power of his own confession
Let us hold fast our confession for we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses
But was in all points tempted yet as we are as we are he's taking ownership his confession yet
He was without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain
Mercy and find grace to help in the time of need there is an ownership our confession brings about an ownership
This comes together and it causes our faith to either be released or our doubt to be released
But whatever is in your heart, whatever is in your life your life aligns with your heart
A man's evil heart is made manifest by the life that he lives before man and before God
A man's righteous heart is made manifest before the life that he lives before man and before God
It's your heart that tells on you and it's your mouth that shouts it aloud. Oh Lord help our mouth
I'm trying to get off the bad stuff and get over to the good stuff, but you got to have both to get to the good
Because we have to understand that our confession what we say really does matter what you speak in life really does matter
What you say to each other really does matter what you say in public really does matter
I read another article just this morning. How many remember ain't your mama with the syrup bottle in the pancake mix?
I read her story again this morning how that a council culture has almost erased a super success story
A woman that was born a slave but left this world wealthy and fully successful with the respect of people all around her
But because of a culture in which we live that doesn't know what to speak and how to speak when confessions are made
All they can see is the negative and they never look far enough to see the positive at what's going on
They couldn't see the life change. They didn't see the success all they saw was a derogatory
But that's not what God had meant for that woman's life success came into her life
So words do matter and in our culture today if you begin to speak for that which is right and which is upright
And before humanity and before God you have to be careful because words will begin to be spoken against you
And they'll try to counsel you but you know they've been trying to cancel out God his son for over 2,000 years
And they're not going to be able to do it because I'm telling you his confession toward humanity for God's soul of the world
That he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life
It's an indictment hanging over humanity and we can't get out from under it because he has confessed us before God our heavenly father
Scripture gives instruction concerning our speech and our tongue
Proverbs 15 and 4 says the tongue that brings healing is a tree of life. Isn't that beautiful?
The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit
Oh how many times? How many times have you seen people speak words to other people or maybe even yourself and it just crushes your will
Crushes your spirit over children people just so derogatory speaking to children that they crush their will through words
It's a form of verbal abuse we can be abusive with our words and verbiage
Psalm 19 and 14 hear what the psalm says let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight
Now that's a mouthful
Let the words of my mouth right let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart he knows what you're thinking
He knows what you're meditating on not only what we think we keep a secret from God you don't keep no secret from God
Already read it to you we're as naked before him there is no covering
Everything about us is open before him he sees into the depth of your heart and he also hears every word that is mumbled or muttered from our lips
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight oh lord my strength and my redeemer
Again in 141 and 3 the psalm says set a watch oh here's something we ought to do reminded myself again when I read this
Oh Lord set a watch set a watch oh lord before my mouth and keep the door of my lips oh my my my I need two angels on guard at all times
Amen because I'm dangerous sometimes I'm dangerous to tell the truth I'm dangerous to aggravate I'm dangerous to pester and I need them back on point
I need some angels back on point oh lord set a guard over my mouth and over my lips set that guard because see if in my mind
I'm before the Lord saying Lord keep the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart and would you just close my mouth
Give them charge to just before I mess up I think some of mine have been on vacation or something
I know they were last week or they wouldn't let me say what I said
They don't need to take a vacation when I'm under the anointing because the abundance of the heart speaks come on somebody
Matthew 12 36 37 but I say unto you that every idle word boy this ought to rock our world that every idle word that men shall speak
Are you hearing this they shall not maybe not possibly it might come up at judgment day no that's not what these are I think red letters
This is what the Lord is saying but I say unto you that every idle word that men shall speak they shall give an account thereof in the day of judgment
For by thy words thou shalt be justified and by thy words thou shalt be condemned
That's pretty tough stuff that's pretty hardcore isn't it you're going to stand up before God and give an account for what you say what you say now
You see that right there it is right there it is you wonder what's that got to do with anything right there it is what you say now
Romans 10 and 8 but what saith it the word is nigh thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart that is the word of faith which we speak
You see I showed you the left hand so I could show you the right hand it isn't all negative all of our confession isn't negative
Because you'll also stand and give an account for every righteous word that you proclaim
Hallelujah hey man so now if you're with me you probably just had a thought go through your mind get the guards back at the door of my mouth
Hello get them back Lord put them over and let them watch over my lip and let them watch over my mouth because I know that I'll have to stand before you
Every idle every jest every word off color every comment that we shouldn't be making we're going to give an account for
Oh yeah not maybe not possibly but I think we settle that the word is shall you can't escape it we're going to stand before God one day
But thankfully you'll also be able to stand before him for the words of faith that you proclaim and the confession of faith that goes forth out of your mouth
Hallelujah with those sacrifices of praise that come from your lip you'll also stand and I'm hoping that the scales balance out heavy on that side
We'll have to give some account because I know that we've not all spoken truly and rightly and justly and all the words and the speech that's come
And idle things have come out of it I know we'll have to give an account hallelujah but I'm hoping that I can get the scale tipped my way
I don't want to be condemned but I'm hoping I've got some righteous speech on the other side of the scale of God's grace and justice
That my praise has come up before him that my prayers have come up before him and he's heard the words and the confession of my speech
And that my lips are purified oh Lord let us be like Isaiah take that call and cleanse our lips
What do you say now
Think about this there is a reaction when faith and confession merge
There is a reaction when faith and confession merge
Reaction a response to a stimulus a provocation a motivation
The reciprocal action of two things acting together are you getting this a reciprocal action of two things acting it's synergy
My God I feel the Lord is moaning
When two things come together there's a reciprocal action that's going to happen there's something that's going to take place
It's an opposition to change at times a political change or desire to return to a formal condition or a system
It's a response indicating a person's feelings or emotional attitude that's what reactions are that's what reaction means so there is a reaction
There is a reaction when faith and confession merge together there's a centrifugal force that begins to take over
Oh come on when faith is coupled with confession because see faith is something that's got to be heard
It's something that is given every man is received a measure of faith but there's also a building force to your faith
Faith cometh by hearing and hearing cometh by the word of God hallelujah and so now what I'm doing is putting my faith in the confession of the word of God
And when my faith merges with his word oh Lord there is something happening there is a centrifugal force that begins to take place
There's something reciprocal that begins to happen there's a motivation in my soul there's a provocation in my heart because my faith is merged in his word
And when that happens there's a confession that comes out of me my God is able to do all that I need or ask him to
Something happens when my faith and confession merge with his word
This reaction that happens when I'm weak I become strong
When I sin I can find repentance remission and cleansing
We have an advocate with the Father Christ Jesus the righteous what do we need him for?
The first part of that verse says if any man sins
What are you saying? I'm saying if the scale is tilting too far the other way you got time to turn it
You got time why? Because we have an advocate we have that go between we have that one who stands on our behalf
Hallelujah you read through the book of Hebrews and you're going to find how much better Christ is than all the sacrificial system of the old covenant
It just over and over Christ is better Christ is better Christ is better Christ is better Christ is better that is the confession to the believer today
Christ is better Christ is better Christ is better and when my faith collides when it merges there is a reaction that happens
So when the stimulus is crisis for the believer the reaction comes through a response of faith
When the stimulus in our life is crisis crisis comes amen for we the believer the correct response is a confession of faith
Which engages the reaction from heaven it's not an earthly reaction that I'm looking for it's a heavenly reaction
Amen yeah it's something above you it's something beyond myself amen because when crisis comes in evidently all the earthly systems have failed us
Hello somehow another the financial system when financial crisis come in has failed us or we wouldn't be in crisis
Somewhere along the line a physician is unable to cure my body with their knowledge and the expense gift that God has gifted to them
And the abilities that he's gifted to them somehow for some reason the medical system has failed us and crisis enters in
But that's okay because we have an advocate hallelujah we have an advocate my God shall supply all of your need according to his riches in glory
By where you at Bible readers Christ Jesus not by Democrat not by Republican but by Christ Jesus
Has somebody asked me one time after I'd gotten old enough to know the difference between who was running our country
They said well can you notice the difference financially when a Democrat or Republican office I said no not really
They look at you funny well why not I said well they're not in control of my finances I'm sorry
I mean really they're not I'm more blessed now than I've ever been and it's increased deadly over the decades of my life
Because I don't put my trust in the systems of man it's in his heavenly system and one thing I know if I'm making my due deposits
What is that if I'm paying my tithe I don't worry about anything else I do not worry about anything else if I'm tithing
No it's on him it ain't on me are you hearing me it's on him he said prove me in Malachi 3
Put my word to the test you go ahead and pay it and see if I won't do for you what I promise and I'll go even beyond that
I'll open up some glorified windows in heaven and I'll pour blessings out on you that you cannot contain
So I come to that conclusion a long time ago and my confession was that the Lord will supply all of my need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus
His system has never failed this system has failed me how so I've stood right in the middle of bankruptcy court
Most embarrassing day of my life as a man the inability to provide working every day sat in there and listened to some of the things that the people were filing over
And I'm sitting here scratching my head and I said we ain't got no diamonds they're filing over diamonds they bought diamonds and never made a payment on five six eight ten thousand dollar diamond ring never made a payment
And I'm sitting here scratching my head and I said Lord I've been working every day I got a double wide trailer and an 89 S10 and we were so broke when I bought it I bought it without the bumper because I didn't want to pay the 200 bucks for it I got one for a hundred at the junkyard
Come on somebody
It wasn't no it wasn't no Cadillac like mama driving now it was an 89 stripped down mat no carpet roll up window S10
To get me back and forth across the mountain to work why because I really didn't want to drive the 82 chevette that she was driving
Come on now somebody been there you may be there now well hold on keep doing what you're supposed to be doing I thought Lord I paid tithe I don't know how we got here but here we are
So Lord I paid my tithe and here I am bankrupt of course I couldn't help it that Gerald fell off the top banister rail and cracked his skull on a rock after me telling him not to I could not help it that our three year old daughter Lauren had climbed up on the counter got a glass bowl while I was going to work fall jumps or falls we really don't know what happened but the glass broke nearly six feet and I was going to break it
while I was going to break it I was going to break it and see if there was any fall jumps or falls we really don't know what happened but the glass broke nearly severed her hand off of her arm it looked like Freddy Krueger had a sleepover at our house when I got there bloodshot plum up to the ceiling
and rolling
I'm on see
Guard was on track today.
He working overtime.
I started to say duck middle section, it's going to the back.
The devil knows how he can really get to me.
You know he knows how he can get to you too.
Well he's trying to get to me but not today.
I'm serious, I get home, this bloodshot plumb up to the ceiling.
It took the ambulance 45 minutes to get to our house.
Severed the arteries in her wrist, should have bled out in 7 minutes.
But God's good.
He's faithful.
Amen.
She's still got a hand today.
The devil tries to tell you that these things are out of your control
but they're in his control, they're in God's control.
Not his, not yours, they're in his control.
Jessica, our eldest daughter, had her tonsils taken out.
How many of you have heard if the scabs get peeled off they can bleed to death?
How many of you have heard that?
Anybody ever know what anybody that happened to?
We had a little boy up the road from our church that that had happened to.
He died after the scabs come off of his tonsils and he bled to death.
So here we are putting carpet down in the church one night
and here comes Jessica who had just had her tonsils and adenoids taken out
10 days earlier.
Just blood just flowing.
Just, I mean, those carterized vessels had come open
and she's just spewing blood.
We're 30 minutes from the nearest butcher shop.
I almost said hospital but we were 30 minutes from the nearest butcher shop
and I'm not even going to tell you where that was at.
We get there and they said we can't help you, just blood, just spewing.
Buckets of it, just spewing.
It took an hour and a half to get that little, what was that,
that little caravan, little Dodge caravan across all the way to T.C. Thompson's.
We go in, blood's all over everybody.
Blood's going everywhere and Jessica asks me, daddy, am I going to die?
Now I want you to know something, you're helpless when you have to look at
when your children say, honey, I don't know.
You like to be the big man of faith.
You preach in that gospel every Sunday and you like to look at it and say,
no, bless God, you're not going to.
But I was scared right up the road.
One had already passed from the same thing.
I was frightened.
Honey, I don't know, but the Lord knows.
Let's go.
Our confessions matter.
When Christ has come your way, God is on your side.
Amen.
When our confession is that of faith, when he's the one and it merges together
with his word, then that word begins to take over in our life.
And we can understand Romans 1, 16 even the better.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God
unto salvation.
You want to know how you can live a righteous life?
It's the power of God, the gospel of Jesus Christ, that sin purging, sin cleansing,
agent of Jesus Christ, precious blood.
That's how you can do it and you begin to make your confession in the power of
Christ that's working in you and his precious blood that's washed over you.
And do your diligence to serve him.
I'm not ashamed.
For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith as it is
written, the just shall live by faith.
Hebrews 11 and 6, without faith it's impossible to please God.
Mark 11, 22, have faith in God.
Mark 9, 23, all things are possible to them that believe.
Hebrews 11 and 1, now faith is the substance of things hoped for and the
evidence of things not seen.
What do you say now?
Here's some catchphrases of faith.
Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible and receives the impossible.
A little faith will bring your soul to heaven.
I like this one.
A great faith will bring heaven to your soul.
And I have over the last 35, 40 years figured that one out and that was one of
the truest statements.
A little faith will bring your soul to heaven, but a great faith will bring a
little heaven to your soul.
Oh, my Lord, how many don't need a little great faith today to get a little
heaven down here in your soul?
And that is what happens when there's the merging of confession and faith.
A little heaven comes to meet you because you're living in accordance and by the
power of his word and his word encourages and riches and empowers your
life and heaven comes down.
I have to resist making wisecracks here, but I'll say it and move on.
Faith, like a muscle, grows stronger with exercise.
And unfortunately, the devil sees fit that you have a workout session about
every day.
Mama got it, Brian.
You heard that?
What about that?
That's pretty good, isn't it?
The enemy will see fit that you have a workout every day.
And if that, how many is fighting the devil about every day?
Well, you all look like the Hulk by now.
Come on.
I mean, you're winning, you're here.
What you say now?
I'm talking about spiritually.
I'm not, I know I don't look like no Hulk.
I'm talking about on the inside.
Faith grows.
Faith is the outstretched hand of the soul taking what Christ has to offer.
Think about that.
Faith is the outstretched hand of the soul taking what Christ has to offer.
What does he have to offer?
We read about rest.
When you read into that, you go back up into the end of chapter three, you're
going to see that they're talking about the rest that God promised when the
children of Israel got into the promised land.
And he was also the author in referencing the seventh day rest that the Lord
took after creation.
But now what he was talking about is a different kind of rest.
There's a rest that you can enter into that has nothing to do with the
promised land.
It has nothing to do with a day of the week.
But what it has to do with your rest in Christ.
So let us therefore, why do you think he said, let us therefore hold fast to
our confession, the confession of our faith?
Why?
Because that's where your rest is.
Well, how do you say that?
Because Jesus said, my Lord, come unto me, all you that are laboring and are
heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
That's the rest.
That's the rest that he's referring to.
It's not a day.
Hallelujah.
It's not a promise.
It is Christ himself.
Come unto me if you're laboring.
Come unto me if you're heavy laden, I will give you rest.
What do you say now?
Hey.
Unfortunately, we don't always confess faith.
Sometimes we confess doubt.
Now, look here.
You can complain to God if your confession is doubt.
He don't respond to doubt.
His response to doubt is not positive.
If you don't believe me, do it on your own is what he says.
But if you believe me, I got you.
I need a little book chapter on that.
Well, I'm glad.
I need a little book chapter to make it all a line, don't we?
Let's see how this works.
Numbers 1333.
And there we saw giants.
How many coming together with me now?
You know what we're talking about.
And there we saw the giants.
Just a little sidebar.
Where they saw the giants was where the rest of the promise was.
How would I throw that in there?
There we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come from the giants.
And look here.
This is this wonderful confession.
We were in our own side as grasshoppers.
And so we were in their side.
Whoo-hoo.
God's going to get right behind that.
Because what you have done is just insulted him.
Because he said, I'm going to go before you.
Isn't that what he told them?
So basically, he tells Joshua, as I was with Moses, so will I be with you.
And what he said to Moses was that not no man is going to be able to stand before you
and resist you because I am with you.
So what they said is we don't care.
Here's our confession.
Well, we look like grasshoppers in front of us.
It's called grasshopperitis, and it's still a disease in the church world today.
Because we see ourselves as what we may perceive the enemy to see us.
Well, I could take you 40 some odd years later where when the enemy saw them from the walls of Jericho,
it wasn't grasshoppers they saw coming.
They were in fear because they knew that Jehovah was with them.
They shut up the gates.
They locked the doors.
But here they are confessing, we are like grasshoppers in our own eyes.
And so we were in theirs also.
No, that is a confession of faith.
Where they should have been was with Joshua and Caleb.
And said, my God, let's go.
It's there.
I used to preach it like this.
Those 10 spies, every one of them came back slurping grape juice off their chin.
Huh?
Grapes as big as plums, a land flowing with milk and honey.
If that promise was true, and they couldn't deny that because they,
they slurping juice.
Hello.
I can see them choking over grape seed.
We can't do it.
Spitting out grape seeds.
That's the way we are.
Oh, God, I can't do it.
Tripping over his promises.
Oh, God, I can't make it.
Refusing the promise of his word.
Not having faith in him who declares because I am in you, you can do all things.
We're saying, nope, nope, you can't do this.
Hey, I'll give you this.
You put the stars up and they not all fail.
I'll give you this, God, the earth's still spinning.
It's not stopped yet, but you can't fix my problem.
Would you look at the comparison of your problem into the creation of the world?
I'm telling you right now, they can't kill you and eat you.
Are you hearing me?
It's not that bad.
It just depends on your confession.
That's a negative confession.
We're like grasshoppers.
We're in our response and confession should be with 1 Samuel 17 47.
And all this assembly shall know that the Lord save not with sword and spear.
Are you with me?
What story are we talking about?
Who are we talking about?
David and Goliath.
Thank you, Sir Gideon.
For the battle, listen now, is the Lord's.
And he will give you into our hands.
Now, you see the difference.
He's got a giant.
He's looking at Goliath in the Valley of Elah blowing every day smoke in the air,
cursing God, cursing the people of God.
And it took the shepherd boy with the anointing of a king to show up with some bread
and cheese to get his hackles all raised up.
He heard Goliath.
I don't know if he saw him first, but I know he heard him.
How many has ever heard something that just kind of makes you just, that's what happened to David.
He's talking to his eldest brother.
I've come from the house with lunch and then he hears it.
What?
What is that?
Who is that?
And his brother gets all tore up because here's little David.
Oh, so small.
Hello.
What song says I'm I'm on it today, folks.
I'm sorry.
It's just rolling far from last week.
I'm so let me enjoy it.
It's just rolling.
And so he hears the indignation and the confession from Goliath.
And it didn't coincide with a confession in his heart because he had already stood before Samuel
and the horn had been uncorked and the oil had already been applied and the anointing had already descended.
I'm talking to some anointed people in the house today.
Oh, because the horn of heaven has been uncorked and the glory of God, the Holy Ghost has been pouring out.
And David said, Who is this uncircumcised?
What do you say now?
Well, you just come up here and show up.
You back to the house where Saul here's shepherd boy will know where the king's at work.
I need to see Saul.
Somebody take me to the king because somewhere in that little boy's mind was him thinking one day
that crown is mine and I'm going to start defending it right now.
Somebody needs to get it in your heart.
One of these days, the crown is yours.
And you got to start to you got to start defending it right now.
You know, there's a crown.
Paul told us there was a crown for a good fight, tip the faith, finish the course.
It's been laid out in front of me.
Henceforth, there's laid up for me a crown of righteous.
But hey, it's not just for me.
It's for all those that believe it.
Everybody gonna get crown.
We've all got to have something to offer.
We're going to leave here with nothing.
We've got to have something to offer him.
So when he gives you that crown and we cast it at his feet.
Well, Daniel 3, 16, 18, shatter at me shack in the bed to go answered and said, answered and said, answered and said to the king.
Oh, we can answer.
We're not careful to answer the in this matter.
This passage of scripture has come up for the last two or three, four weeks.
If it be so, our God, whom we serve, is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace.
If it's so, and he will now.
Now look at the difference.
And he will deliver us out of your hand, whether it be by death or by life.
Oh, King, after today, it's going to be over one way or the other.
And the sooner it's OK with you that it's OK one way or the other, the firmer the grasp you get hold of your confession.
And when it really don't matter, hey, you still got faith.
Oh, King, but if not, it's one of my favorite lines of scripture.
But if not, I'm on water's parallel redneck this for you.
But if you don't, you better know right now that I ain't going to bow.
We ain't going to bow to your gods.
It ain't going to happen today, tomorrow, next week, next month.
We're not giving up. We're not giving in.
We're not quitting, nor will we worship that 10 10 you got sticking up in the sky.
It ain't going to happen.
Nope. You can set it up and we'll stand here till it rots down.
It'll rain enough for the feet of clay to bring it down anyway.
See, that'd be the only way a redneck would look at it.
What's going to rain and feet going to fall? All of it's coming down.
Hello.
Have you seen some things that are so simple, smart people just can't figure it out.
I love it when it gets to happen to me.
When I get around smart folk and I get a good idea, I think, huh?
They're going to have to listen to me this time.
I even got one for Travis the other day.
Don't let a plumb and he's scratching his head.
We got to figure out how to get this plumbing through here.
And I said, I got an idea.
I said, let's go that way.
He said, I think that'll work.
And he made it work yesterday or Friday.
What is the day? What day? Sunday, Friday.
The Lord is on your side.
It's in accordance to your confession.
It's how you it's how you respond, how you react to the crisis that come and stimulate you.
Is your response going to be that by faith? Is your confession going to be God is able?
Is your confession going to be but if he doesn't, that's all right, too.
I'll figure it out. He'll help me figure it out.
We're going to make it. But one thing's not going to happen.
Some people need to get this in their mind.
You got to get this settled before you can receive anything from God.
You have to be fully persuaded that he's able to keep that which you've committed unto him
against that day, the day of temptation, the day of evil.
What have I committed? Your soul, yourself.
Quit being so million mouthed and wimpy and want to quit and go back to your sin
just because crisis comes your way.
You have to be persuaded.
You know, if you really stop and think about it, what is sin ever got you anyway?
Oh, I had a good time really puking your guts inside out.
That was fun.
I think that was the reason I never took a drink.
I was close one time. I was close.
We were sitting downtown, sitting on tailgate in the middle of Dunlap,
right downtown with some friends, you know.
And I had one good friend. I was little then. I wouldn't like this.
You understand? I was little then.
But I could be mean because I wasn't fully persuaded yet.
Matter of fact, I was back slid. That makes it even worse.
And so a good friend got in my face and was going to make me drink.
He made two mistakes.
One, he got in my face. Two, he thought he could make me do anything.
Because I'm the type, you can stomp me in the parking lot, but you'll know I have been there.
Hello?
I've took more than one whipping, but I've handed out a few.
Hello?
So, and just a few minutes he was out of my face.
But I was tempted. But I looked to my left,
and a boy we called, efficiently, Tudor, was sitting on tailgate like this.
And then he just fell over.
Thumped his head and rolled over and went to puking his guts out.
I said, no, that's not for me.
That's not fun.
Hello?
And how the devil contempt us is that he thinks that we can get that few moments of escape.
But can I tell you, when your stomach's done chucking, your head's finished hurting,
and your eyes are back to white,
you realize, boy, that didn't help a thing.
I mean, matter of fact, you're not sure that you didn't make it worse.
Until somebody comes to tell you exactly what happened.
Am I right? I've never had one of those encounters, but I've seen a bunch of them.
And couldn't wait until they were in the right mind so I could tell them how stupid they were.
That's the kind of friend I was.
Our confession.
Confessions matter.
You stand, I'll quit.
We're not even going to touch this page.
But I'll tell you what's on it.
It's going to take them a minute to get up here.
Confession creates atmospheres where God can work.
Or they'll create an atmosphere that ties the hand of God.
Because God will not move past your doubt to do it for you.
He won't.
2 Kings 4, 26, you know the story of the Shunammite woman.
What happened to the son that was the promise to her?
You know that her confession, it is well.
When the servant said, how's your husband? It is well.
How is it with thee? It is well.
How is it with thy son?
It shall be well.
Oh, do you see? It wasn't well when she left the house.
The boy was dead in the prophet's room.
But it's going to be all right.
That's her confession.
Job's confession, I know that my Redeemer lives.
Abraham's confession, my son God will provide for himself
the lamb for the burnt offering.
John 11, 25, Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection and the life,
he that believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.
Matthew 16, 16, Peter confessed thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
Romans 10, 9 says, if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus,
and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead,
thou shalt be saved.
Paul's confession, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
John the Revelator confessed in 11, 15, as he would record the confession of the angel.
And the seventh angel sounded, and there were great voices in heaven saying,
the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ,
and he shall reign forever and ever.
Father, I love you today.
Thank you so much for your word.
Thank you so much for the help of your anointing.
So what do we say now?
I pray, Lord, that we could say with the psalmist in 91, 2,
I will say of the Lord, he is of my refuge and my fortress and my God in him will I trust.
Maybe there's some today that need to confess with the prodigal son of Luke 15,
I will arise and go to my father's house and will say unto him,
Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee.
But mostly I would dare say that we should have the confession of Psalm 107.
Father, hear our confession.
Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy.
What do you say now?
Is your situation in life the crisis that you may be facing?
Maybe you're like the father that brought his son to the disciples and they couldn't help his son.
But when Jesus comes to town, he takes him before the Lord himself.
He said your disciples couldn't do anything for him.
There's an evil spirit that takes hold of him and tries to throw him in the fire, tries to drown him in the water.
Then Jesus said, well, I love the father's confession first.
He said if thou can do anything, if there's just anything you can do, I'll take it.
Father, do you believe?
And the father's confession was a confession of faith.
Listen, I believe, but help my unbelief.
If he hadn't believed, he wouldn't have been there.
If he hadn't believed, he wouldn't have stayed until Jesus got there.
And he got his answer.
How many of you might need an answer this morning?
Come on, anybody?
Got some things going on?
The enemy's fighting.
There's a standing surely on your confession of faith.
If you want prayer, need prayer, I'd love to pray with you and pray for you this morning.
If it'd make your way forward, pray before we leave here today.