WEBVTT 00:00:01.679 --> 00:00:04.599 The psalmist declared, Bless the Lord, O my soul. 00:00:05.000 --> 00:00:08.800 Bless the Lord. And forget not all of his benefits. 00:00:10.400 --> 00:00:15.439 Mine iniquities he's removed. That's enough right 00:00:15.439 --> 00:00:19.100 there. But the benefits, it's not a benefit. 00:00:19.260 --> 00:00:27.160 It's plural. The goodness of God. Amen. Job 42. 00:00:29.449 --> 00:00:35.030 Verse 10. And the Lord turned the captivity of 00:00:35.030 --> 00:00:39.729 Job when he prayed for his friends. Also the 00:00:39.729 --> 00:00:43.789 Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. 00:00:45.130 --> 00:00:50.170 Then came there unto him all his brethren and 00:00:50.170 --> 00:00:54.210 all his sisters and all they that had been of 00:00:54.210 --> 00:00:58.689 his acquaintance before. And did eat bread with 00:00:58.689 --> 00:01:04.170 him in his house. And they bemoaned him. And 00:01:04.170 --> 00:01:09.049 comforted him over all the evil. Now understand 00:01:09.049 --> 00:01:12.430 what's going on here. It's trial. That the Lord 00:01:12.430 --> 00:01:17.189 had brought upon him. Every man also gave him 00:01:17.189 --> 00:01:20.969 a piece of money. And every one an earring of 00:01:20.969 --> 00:01:24.629 gold. So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job 00:01:24.629 --> 00:01:28.900 more than his beginning. For he had 14 ,000 sheep, 00:01:29.099 --> 00:01:33.599 6 ,000 camels, 1 ,000 yoke of oxen, and 1 ,000 00:01:33.599 --> 00:01:37.939 she -donkeys. He had also seven sons and three 00:01:37.939 --> 00:01:40.819 daughters. And he called the name of the first, 00:01:40.939 --> 00:01:45.280 Jemima, that of the second, Keziah, and the name 00:01:45.280 --> 00:01:49.180 of the third, Kirin -hapush. And in all the land 00:01:49.180 --> 00:01:52.719 were no women found so fair as the daughters 00:01:52.719 --> 00:01:55.579 of Job. And their father gave them inheritance 00:01:55.579 --> 00:02:00.019 among their brethren. After this lived Job 140 00:02:00.019 --> 00:02:04.400 years and saw his sons and his sons' sons, even 00:02:04.400 --> 00:02:09.259 four generations. So Job died, being old and 00:02:09.259 --> 00:02:13.520 full of days. For the next, I don't know, hour 00:02:13.520 --> 00:02:15.080 and a half or so, I want to preach to you on 00:02:15.080 --> 00:02:18.699 a thought. I give myself that much time. If I 00:02:18.699 --> 00:02:22.919 stop earlier, you're blessed. On a simple thought. 00:02:24.439 --> 00:02:30.259 Your comeback will overtake your setback. Well, 00:02:30.400 --> 00:02:34.319 hallelujah. Your comeback will overtake your 00:02:34.319 --> 00:02:39.259 setback. Again, we're still strolling through 00:02:39.259 --> 00:02:44.259 the archives. This was preached in the previous 00:02:44.259 --> 00:02:51.219 millennia. I'm getting old. The Lord is faithful. 00:02:52.019 --> 00:02:54.240 I'll pray for you. You pray for me, and we'll 00:02:54.240 --> 00:02:57.000 meet in the middle. Father, we love you. Thank 00:02:57.000 --> 00:02:58.639 you so much for your goodness and your mercy. 00:02:59.479 --> 00:03:03.620 What a wonderful atmosphere in this house today. 00:03:04.479 --> 00:03:08.729 You are here, Lord. Your presence is here. We 00:03:08.729 --> 00:03:11.169 have lifted our voices. We have worshipped you 00:03:11.169 --> 00:03:14.189 in spirit and in truth. And Lord, the spirit 00:03:14.189 --> 00:03:16.909 that causes it to be easy to preach, let it loose 00:03:16.909 --> 00:03:20.150 in this house. Let your anointing fill this place 00:03:20.150 --> 00:03:23.530 at even a greater level. For you are here. Let 00:03:23.530 --> 00:03:26.569 your glory reign among us, Lord, today. That 00:03:26.569 --> 00:03:28.870 when we leave here, Lord, we will know that we 00:03:28.870 --> 00:03:34.229 have been in your presence. We that have ears, 00:03:34.289 --> 00:03:36.729 may we hear as the spirit speaks to the church. 00:03:37.289 --> 00:03:40.889 In this latter day. In Jesus holy and mighty 00:03:40.889 --> 00:03:44.270 name. We ask and the church says. Amen. Just 00:03:44.270 --> 00:03:47.550 tell your neighbor you're on your comeback. You're 00:03:47.550 --> 00:03:52.449 on your comeback. There used to be a statement. 00:03:52.569 --> 00:03:57.030 And it's probably still out there. It was a phrase. 00:03:57.629 --> 00:03:59.590 You can sit down baby. I'm going to preach to 00:03:59.590 --> 00:04:03.069 you. You don't want to stand up this long. There 00:04:03.069 --> 00:04:05.110 was a phrase. You don't have to cut them eyes 00:04:05.110 --> 00:04:11.110 like that. Just help me. When old head goes sideways 00:04:11.110 --> 00:04:14.569 and get that eyebrow pick up, that's serious 00:04:14.569 --> 00:04:19.149 business. Sorry about that. Didn't mean to call 00:04:19.149 --> 00:04:34.250 you out. I love you. There's a phrase that was 00:04:34.250 --> 00:04:39.660 stated, I'm set. I'm set for good. Maybe you've 00:04:39.660 --> 00:04:42.759 uttered those words at one time. Everything's 00:04:42.759 --> 00:04:47.639 going really well. The plan is working and whatever 00:04:47.639 --> 00:04:50.740 you set out on, you've got there and it's all 00:04:50.740 --> 00:04:55.819 good. Set for good. But how many knows that that's 00:04:55.819 --> 00:05:00.560 just for a day or so? Amen. If we're not careful, 00:05:00.779 --> 00:05:04.040 this phrase sometimes means that we've gotten 00:05:04.040 --> 00:05:06.480 to a point where we find ourselves stationary. 00:05:06.560 --> 00:05:10.480 I'm set. anchored, ready to not be moved anymore. 00:05:11.399 --> 00:05:15.519 Too many times there's a variation to this statement 00:05:15.519 --> 00:05:18.000 and this term and this phrase, and instead of 00:05:18.000 --> 00:05:21.860 being set for good, sometimes we suffer a setback. 00:05:21.980 --> 00:05:26.360 Has anybody ever suffered a setback? When we 00:05:26.360 --> 00:05:30.220 look at Job's story, that is probably one of 00:05:30.220 --> 00:05:33.529 the major, if not the most major setbacks. of 00:05:33.529 --> 00:05:36.129 any person that I've ever known or ever read 00:05:36.129 --> 00:05:39.850 about because of all that happened in his life. 00:05:40.009 --> 00:05:43.170 And we understand that it wasn't God that caused 00:05:43.170 --> 00:05:47.290 the evil, amen, but it was God who permitted 00:05:47.290 --> 00:05:52.949 the evil one to test Job's life and faith. If 00:05:52.949 --> 00:05:55.610 you remember the story early on in Job's life, 00:05:56.120 --> 00:06:00.120 The angels in heaven are in a staff meeting with 00:06:00.120 --> 00:06:03.819 God, and the devil presents himself before God. 00:06:04.220 --> 00:06:08.139 And it was not that the devil asked permission 00:06:08.139 --> 00:06:13.220 to come against Job. It was that God asked the 00:06:13.220 --> 00:06:18.689 devil, have you considered my servant Job? And 00:06:18.689 --> 00:06:22.069 to reply, yes, I've considered him, but I can't 00:06:22.069 --> 00:06:24.689 even get at him. You've got a hedge wrapped around 00:06:24.689 --> 00:06:27.449 him. You've got protection. There's no way that 00:06:27.449 --> 00:06:30.569 I can. Isn't that wonderful to know that God 00:06:30.569 --> 00:06:34.589 has the ability to raise up a hedge and the devil 00:06:34.589 --> 00:06:37.350 can't. He's got better sense to even try because 00:06:37.350 --> 00:06:40.610 he knows I can't get to him. But I'll tell you 00:06:40.610 --> 00:06:42.769 one thing. If you didn't have him protected, 00:06:42.870 --> 00:06:45.910 I think I could cause him to curse you and just 00:06:45.910 --> 00:06:48.399 turn away from you. God says, well. I think I 00:06:48.399 --> 00:06:50.720 know the character of my servant better than 00:06:50.720 --> 00:06:53.019 you. I'll tell you what I'm going to do. I'm 00:06:53.019 --> 00:06:55.139 going to let the wall down a little bit, and 00:06:55.139 --> 00:06:57.939 you have access to him, but here's where the 00:06:57.939 --> 00:07:01.720 line is. My Lord, don't you, look, even though 00:07:01.720 --> 00:07:04.740 God permits the enemy maybe to come against you 00:07:04.740 --> 00:07:07.720 and try your faith, but aren't you glad that 00:07:07.720 --> 00:07:11.420 he draws a line in the sand already, and there's 00:07:11.420 --> 00:07:14.100 a marker where the devil can't cross? Aren't 00:07:14.100 --> 00:07:16.480 you glad to know that God can build a hedge, 00:07:17.040 --> 00:07:19.720 can't even get close, but if he allows him to 00:07:19.720 --> 00:07:22.399 get close, there's a line that he cannot cross. 00:07:22.620 --> 00:07:24.600 I'm here to tell you that ought to build your 00:07:24.600 --> 00:07:27.319 faith right there. If nothing else, you may feel 00:07:27.319 --> 00:07:29.480 like you're under attack right now, but no, there's 00:07:29.480 --> 00:07:32.120 a line that the devil cannot cross. You can touch 00:07:32.120 --> 00:07:34.740 everything the man's on. You can take all of 00:07:34.740 --> 00:07:36.839 his possessions. You can do everything, but his 00:07:36.839 --> 00:07:40.500 life belongs to me, and it's not yours, and you 00:07:40.500 --> 00:07:43.579 can't take it. Hallelujah. You need to know today 00:07:43.579 --> 00:07:46.629 by faith that a setback may enter. into your 00:07:46.629 --> 00:07:50.110 life. But God has a line drawn in the sand at 00:07:50.110 --> 00:07:53.029 the debarker where your setback has to stop. 00:07:53.189 --> 00:07:56.029 And I'm grateful to know that the Lord is on 00:07:56.029 --> 00:08:04.649 my side. Setbacks are times of hardship. They're 00:08:04.649 --> 00:08:07.980 times of loss. They're times of causing... We 00:08:07.980 --> 00:08:11.399 as people sometimes want to give up. We just 00:08:11.399 --> 00:08:13.680 want to stop. We just want to say it's over. 00:08:13.759 --> 00:08:17.060 It's done. This is where I quit. But you can't 00:08:17.060 --> 00:08:19.279 quit. You cannot quit. What are you going to 00:08:19.279 --> 00:08:21.990 quit for? Well, you're going to quit too. There's 00:08:21.990 --> 00:08:24.170 nothing any better than God's grace that will 00:08:24.170 --> 00:08:26.449 give you sufficiency of every day of your life. 00:08:26.589 --> 00:08:28.649 What is there to quit to? What is there to quit 00:08:28.649 --> 00:08:31.970 for? To go back into sin? Really? You want to 00:08:31.970 --> 00:08:34.909 go back out and do that mess again and get down 00:08:34.909 --> 00:08:37.190 in the pit that he pulled you out of? Really? 00:08:37.750 --> 00:08:40.809 That's better? You wake up puking your guts out. 00:08:40.870 --> 00:08:42.389 You don't even know where you're at. You're in 00:08:42.389 --> 00:08:44.809 a gutter somewhere, and you really think that's 00:08:44.809 --> 00:08:47.610 better than God's sufficient grace entering into 00:08:47.610 --> 00:08:50.110 your life? Yes, it may be hard. Yes, it may be 00:08:50.110 --> 00:08:51.639 hard. It may be difficult, but I can tell you 00:08:51.639 --> 00:08:54.039 one thing. It can be a whole lot worse with God 00:08:54.039 --> 00:08:57.620 on your side who can be against you. Amen. Well, 00:08:57.820 --> 00:09:00.039 you say, well, Job's life proves that things 00:09:00.039 --> 00:09:02.679 can get difficult. Yes, there's loss that enters 00:09:02.679 --> 00:09:04.879 your life. Yes, there's hardship that enters 00:09:04.879 --> 00:09:08.080 your life. Sickness may enter your life. But 00:09:08.080 --> 00:09:11.320 the thing about it is God has a line drawn that 00:09:11.320 --> 00:09:13.840 the enemy cannot cross and sickness cannot cross 00:09:13.840 --> 00:09:16.539 unless he permits it to do. I know the Bible 00:09:16.539 --> 00:09:18.779 declares there's a sickness unto death, but every 00:09:18.779 --> 00:09:22.320 sickness. does not result in death. You may feel 00:09:22.320 --> 00:09:24.279 like you're about to die. You may feel like you're 00:09:24.279 --> 00:09:26.360 about to leave this world, but the mighty hand 00:09:26.360 --> 00:09:30.039 of God will swoop down on the deathbed and raise 00:09:30.039 --> 00:09:33.399 up. Or the mighty hand of God will swoop down 00:09:33.399 --> 00:09:36.679 and bring a redeemed soul unto himself. Nevertheless, 00:09:37.019 --> 00:09:40.000 it is God who raises us up. When the setbacks 00:09:40.000 --> 00:09:44.620 occur in our lives, we have to maintain our faith 00:09:44.620 --> 00:09:51.960 in God. We who are serving God, you can look 00:09:51.960 --> 00:09:54.600 for setbacks in your life because the enemy will 00:09:54.600 --> 00:09:59.679 test and try and tempt your faith. But understand 00:09:59.679 --> 00:10:04.960 that setbacks are merely setups. Setbacks are 00:10:04.960 --> 00:10:08.399 merely setups. Setups for what? Your next encounter 00:10:08.399 --> 00:10:11.720 with God. Your next revelation from His Word. 00:10:11.940 --> 00:10:15.240 The next touch of His mighty hand. It's a setup 00:10:15.240 --> 00:10:17.940 because, look, God's not going to leave you down. 00:10:18.509 --> 00:10:20.490 Are you hearing me? God's not going to leave 00:10:20.490 --> 00:10:22.950 you down. He's going to pick you up. He's going 00:10:22.950 --> 00:10:25.929 to raise you up. I don't know. I tried to find 00:10:25.929 --> 00:10:28.549 what scholars would say about the length of time 00:10:28.549 --> 00:10:31.629 of Job's trial. It had to be several months most 00:10:31.629 --> 00:10:34.970 likely, possibly up to a year, or it could have 00:10:34.970 --> 00:10:36.909 been sooner, or it could have been longer when 00:10:36.909 --> 00:10:39.870 you read. We know travel takes a while, and how 00:10:39.870 --> 00:10:42.289 long did it take those three wonderful friends 00:10:42.289 --> 00:10:45.090 of Job to get there and stare at him for seven 00:10:45.090 --> 00:10:48.879 days over a fire and never say a word? That's 00:10:48.879 --> 00:10:51.200 what we need, amen? When we're in a setback, 00:10:51.220 --> 00:10:53.139 we need people that are supposed to care for 00:10:53.139 --> 00:10:55.460 us and love for us, and all they want to do is 00:10:55.460 --> 00:10:57.720 look at you. And then when they finally open 00:10:57.720 --> 00:11:02.179 their mouth, it's like, what'd you do? What sin 00:11:02.179 --> 00:11:04.960 did you commit? Well, you don't have to commit 00:11:04.960 --> 00:11:10.350 sin to have a setback. Hello? It could be that 00:11:10.350 --> 00:11:12.529 you're faithfully serving. You're giving every 00:11:12.529 --> 00:11:14.529 week. You're tithing. You're giving, offering. 00:11:14.730 --> 00:11:16.970 You're serving. It could just be that you're 00:11:16.970 --> 00:11:20.149 being faithful to God and the trial has come 00:11:20.149 --> 00:11:23.830 to see if you will set off and not just set back. 00:11:23.950 --> 00:11:27.509 But God is still on the throne of eternity. And 00:11:27.509 --> 00:11:30.070 when setbacks enter into our lives, there must 00:11:30.070 --> 00:11:32.570 be a determination in our heart that we're not 00:11:32.570 --> 00:11:34.330 going to give up. We're not going to quit. We're 00:11:34.330 --> 00:11:37.570 not going to turn around because setbacks are 00:11:37.570 --> 00:11:41.019 setups. for a revelation, for a blessing, so 00:11:41.019 --> 00:11:45.340 that he, God, can move closer and move us closer 00:11:45.340 --> 00:11:48.320 to his purpose and divine plan for our life. 00:11:48.419 --> 00:11:50.559 You do know, according to Jeremiah, that God 00:11:50.559 --> 00:11:54.860 has a plan for you. I know the plans that I have 00:11:54.860 --> 00:11:57.740 for you, saith the Lord. They are good and not 00:11:57.740 --> 00:12:01.159 evil, and they have a hope with an expected end. 00:12:01.320 --> 00:12:03.440 What does that mean? I've got a plan for you, 00:12:03.480 --> 00:12:05.840 and this setback is not going to deter the divine 00:12:05.840 --> 00:12:08.480 plan that I have for you. So there must be determination 00:12:08.480 --> 00:12:11.580 in your heart, mind, soul, and all of your being 00:12:11.580 --> 00:12:14.740 to keep on keeping on, keep on trusting God. 00:12:14.940 --> 00:12:17.779 You may find yourself as a Job. You may find 00:12:17.779 --> 00:12:20.200 yourself sitting in ashes and pot shreds and 00:12:20.200 --> 00:12:23.480 scraping boils. and sores and scabs off, letting 00:12:23.480 --> 00:12:26.340 dogs try to lick your wounds to bring some kind 00:12:26.340 --> 00:12:29.500 of ease in your life. But know this, even though 00:12:29.500 --> 00:12:31.700 you may be going through hardship, doesn't mean 00:12:31.700 --> 00:12:34.200 that God has forgotten you. Doesn't mean that 00:12:34.200 --> 00:12:36.820 God has forsaken you. But what it does mean is 00:12:36.820 --> 00:12:40.820 that every single day that you wake up, God supplies 00:12:40.820 --> 00:12:43.899 the sufficiency of his grace to enable you to 00:12:43.899 --> 00:12:47.559 endure the trial that you're in. And can I tell 00:12:47.559 --> 00:12:50.659 you, it's more than just enduring. You can do 00:12:50.659 --> 00:12:53.529 something. so with joy unspeakable and filled 00:12:53.529 --> 00:12:57.049 with his glory and knowing that this day will 00:12:57.049 --> 00:12:59.870 pass and another day will pass. But one thing 00:12:59.870 --> 00:13:02.809 I know, heaven and earth may even pass, but the 00:13:02.809 --> 00:13:05.929 word of the living God is declared forever. And 00:13:05.929 --> 00:13:08.769 he said, though he slay me, Job said, yet will 00:13:08.769 --> 00:13:12.269 I serve him. Hallelujah. When the time comes 00:13:12.269 --> 00:13:14.389 and you're down and you're out and you're set 00:13:14.389 --> 00:13:17.549 back, let the grace of God empower you, instill 00:13:17.549 --> 00:13:20.870 within you, and put a hope in you. your setback 00:13:20.870 --> 00:13:23.690 is not going to take you out, but your setback 00:13:23.690 --> 00:13:32.730 is setting your comeback will be greater. So 00:13:32.730 --> 00:13:37.429 as we are being set up for God's divine will 00:13:37.429 --> 00:13:41.250 and purpose to be fulfilled in our life, we must 00:13:41.250 --> 00:13:46.629 do so in believing and knowing that God is in 00:13:46.629 --> 00:13:53.279 control. And that we are trusting him without 00:13:53.279 --> 00:13:57.419 reservation. Do you trust him when you get set 00:13:57.419 --> 00:14:01.860 back? I need to trust him more when a setback 00:14:01.860 --> 00:14:05.259 comes. Amen. But see, in our human nature, we 00:14:05.259 --> 00:14:10.379 puff up, pout up, and whine. Don't we? That's 00:14:10.379 --> 00:14:12.460 just our nature. That's just the way we are. 00:14:13.279 --> 00:14:17.340 It's the fallen nature of our flesh. But shouldn't 00:14:17.340 --> 00:14:20.759 it be so for the born again, blood bought, sanctified, 00:14:20.960 --> 00:14:24.460 Holy Ghost filled child of the living God? Should 00:14:24.460 --> 00:14:27.299 it be even so that when we are set back that 00:14:27.299 --> 00:14:30.139 we understand that the set back is the set up 00:14:30.139 --> 00:14:33.240 and God is going to reveal himself in some way, 00:14:33.279 --> 00:14:35.919 some form and fashion and we ought to let our 00:14:35.919 --> 00:14:38.740 hope be residing in him that we believe him and 00:14:38.740 --> 00:14:41.039 we trust him without reservation. The psalmist 00:14:41.039 --> 00:14:44.279 said in 37, 23 through 5, the steps of a good 00:14:44.279 --> 00:14:47.210 man are ordered by the Lord. and he delighteth 00:14:47.210 --> 00:14:51.289 in his glory. Amen. Though he fall, he shall 00:14:51.289 --> 00:14:54.470 not be utterly cast down, for the Lord upholdeth 00:14:54.470 --> 00:14:57.309 him with his right hand. I have been young and 00:14:57.309 --> 00:15:00.330 now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous 00:15:00.330 --> 00:15:03.409 forsaken, nor his seed begging for bread. We 00:15:03.409 --> 00:15:06.750 know in Hebrews 11 and 6, amen, that it is impossible 00:15:06.750 --> 00:15:10.129 without faith to please God. But we know without 00:15:10.129 --> 00:15:12.889 it, it's the impossibility. But for those that 00:15:12.889 --> 00:15:15.789 come unto God, they must believe that he... and 00:15:15.789 --> 00:15:18.629 that he is the rewarder of those who diligently 00:15:18.629 --> 00:15:21.289 seek him. When you're in your setback, you cannot 00:15:21.289 --> 00:15:24.570 allow your faith to be off -put and put off in 00:15:24.570 --> 00:15:27.929 setback, but let your faith rise. Let your trust 00:15:27.929 --> 00:15:32.049 arise in God. Why? Because now, now faith is 00:15:32.049 --> 00:15:34.110 the substance of things hoped for, and it is 00:15:34.110 --> 00:15:36.950 the evidence of things not seen. And faith cometh 00:15:36.950 --> 00:15:39.490 by hearing, and hearing comes by the declaration 00:15:39.490 --> 00:15:43.049 of the word of the living God. In other words, 00:15:43.049 --> 00:15:46.620 if God said it, Then apply it to your life. You've 00:15:46.620 --> 00:15:49.559 got to keep on believing and trusting through 00:15:49.559 --> 00:15:58.360 the setback. Faith is knowing what you believe. 00:16:01.580 --> 00:16:09.600 Knowing is founded in the mind. So you've got 00:16:09.600 --> 00:16:17.129 to have your mind made up. You've got to have 00:16:17.129 --> 00:16:25.789 your mind made up. I mean, 38 years ago when 00:16:25.789 --> 00:16:29.809 I proposed to Sister Kathy and she said, yeah. 00:16:31.230 --> 00:16:33.970 No, that ain't what she said. I was on one knee, 00:16:34.110 --> 00:16:42.570 had her hand. I said, will you marry me? She 00:16:42.570 --> 00:16:51.940 looked through me and said, I guess. I said, 00:16:51.960 --> 00:17:00.120 you guess. Okay, we've been on a guess for 38 00:17:00.120 --> 00:17:09.559 years. But I know, right? It's in our knowing. 00:17:10.670 --> 00:17:13.089 knowing that God cares, knowing that God loves, 00:17:13.130 --> 00:17:16.250 and you have to be committed in your mind. And 00:17:16.250 --> 00:17:17.650 if you're sitting in here, and I know some of 00:17:17.650 --> 00:17:19.069 you ain't got a whole lot to play with, but I'm 00:17:19.069 --> 00:17:25.029 going to help you. I know some of you are, you 00:17:25.029 --> 00:17:29.529 know, struggling with the capacity to get a grip. 00:17:31.990 --> 00:17:35.490 A setback will do that to you, won't it? A setback 00:17:35.490 --> 00:17:38.940 will have your head spinning, won't it? And you 00:17:38.940 --> 00:17:42.180 can't make up your mind when your head is spinning. 00:17:42.640 --> 00:17:45.970 Are you hearing me? You can't make up your mind 00:17:45.970 --> 00:17:47.849 when the devil's done slapped you and you're 00:17:47.849 --> 00:17:50.390 laying flat on your back and your head's going 00:17:50.390 --> 00:17:52.769 around and stars are in your eye. You've got 00:17:52.769 --> 00:17:55.170 to have your mind made up when he draws his hand 00:17:55.170 --> 00:17:57.930 back that no matter how bad this hurts, no matter 00:17:57.930 --> 00:18:00.710 what kind of condition it puts me in, I have 00:18:00.710 --> 00:18:03.190 my mind made up. You've got to be like an apostle 00:18:03.190 --> 00:18:06.950 Paul who said, I am persuaded that he is able 00:18:06.950 --> 00:18:09.829 to keep that which I've committed unto him against 00:18:09.829 --> 00:18:12.529 that day. There must be a persuasion in your 00:18:12.529 --> 00:18:16.119 life. middle into your mind. You know the reason 00:18:16.119 --> 00:18:18.440 half the people backslide is because they didn't 00:18:18.440 --> 00:18:20.420 have their mind made up to leave sin to start 00:18:20.420 --> 00:18:23.339 with. Let me tell you on that seventh dip, actually 00:18:23.339 --> 00:18:25.660 it was on the fifth dip I'd made up my mind when 00:18:25.660 --> 00:18:28.700 I had that fifth baptism. Amen. That's when I 00:18:28.700 --> 00:18:31.220 made up my mind I'm not going back anymore. I'm 00:18:31.220 --> 00:18:34.200 done with it. I'm done with sin. I'm done with 00:18:34.200 --> 00:18:36.240 the world. I'm done with it all and I turned 00:18:36.240 --> 00:18:39.000 my back on it and I had my mind made up. Come 00:18:39.000 --> 00:18:42.440 what may I've had my mind made up and what I 00:18:42.440 --> 00:18:44.009 went to tell you a while ago when I got lost 00:18:44.009 --> 00:18:46.450 in her eyes about having your mind made up and 00:18:46.450 --> 00:18:48.829 committed for the future. There's a word that 00:18:48.829 --> 00:18:51.210 we said would never enter into our relationship 00:18:51.210 --> 00:18:54.170 and it starts with a D and we've never uttered 00:18:54.170 --> 00:18:56.690 it since and it has never been spoken in our 00:18:56.690 --> 00:18:59.329 home and it never will be spoken in our home. 00:18:59.349 --> 00:19:02.369 Why? Because I had my mind made up. My heart 00:19:02.369 --> 00:19:04.849 was captivated. This was the woman I was going 00:19:04.849 --> 00:19:07.369 to live the rest of my life with come hell or 00:19:07.369 --> 00:19:10.170 high water and I told her two things that will 00:19:10.170 --> 00:19:13.529 never happen in our home. One, that word be spoken 00:19:13.529 --> 00:19:21.890 to you ever go home to your mama just stay now 00:19:21.890 --> 00:19:34.049 this was BSC backslidden before Christ BSBC that's 00:19:34.049 --> 00:19:38.150 me right then I know and I meant everywhere you 00:19:38.150 --> 00:19:41.990 asked her I meant what I said if you go Don't 00:19:41.990 --> 00:19:43.930 bother coming back, and I'm not coming after 00:19:43.930 --> 00:19:50.730 you. Hello? She never left, and I ain't had to 00:19:50.730 --> 00:19:56.029 try to break my word and go get her. Oh, Lord. 00:19:58.450 --> 00:20:01.710 You got to have your mind made up going in. You 00:20:01.710 --> 00:20:03.769 got to have your mind made up that your sins 00:20:03.769 --> 00:20:06.710 have been forgiven you. And there's no other 00:20:06.710 --> 00:20:08.930 help and no other hope for your life. That even 00:20:08.930 --> 00:20:12.230 though you have been set back, God has a comeback 00:20:12.230 --> 00:20:14.890 ordered for your life. None greater than what 00:20:14.890 --> 00:20:18.069 we've read here in the scripture with Joe's rendition 00:20:18.069 --> 00:20:20.690 of his trial. But with a made up mind, you'll 00:20:20.690 --> 00:20:23.670 have in 2 Corinthians 7, 7, you'll have a fervent 00:20:23.670 --> 00:20:26.289 mind. 2 Corinthians 8, 12, you'll have a willing 00:20:26.289 --> 00:20:28.190 mind. That's part of the problem with a lot of 00:20:28.190 --> 00:20:29.769 people today. They don't have a willing mind. 00:20:29.950 --> 00:20:32.089 Their mind's not. willing to follow. Their mind's 00:20:32.089 --> 00:20:34.130 not willing to quit. Their mind's not willing 00:20:34.130 --> 00:20:36.250 to give up on the world and turn their back on 00:20:36.250 --> 00:20:39.390 it and turn toward their gaze, a risen Savior 00:20:39.390 --> 00:20:41.589 who is the help and the hope and the deliverance 00:20:41.589 --> 00:20:43.549 of their life. They don't have a willing mind. 00:20:43.750 --> 00:20:46.890 Their mind is too set with the world. In 2 Corinthians 00:20:46.890 --> 00:20:49.730 8, 19, you've got to have a ready mind. In Ephesians 00:20:49.730 --> 00:20:53.670 4, 23, you have to be renewed in the spirit of 00:20:53.670 --> 00:20:56.430 your mind. Philippians 4 and 2, you have to have 00:20:56.430 --> 00:21:00.130 the same mind, the mind of Christ. Amen. In Colossians, 00:21:00.109 --> 00:21:03.170 Colossians 2 .18, you have to do away with a 00:21:03.170 --> 00:21:05.970 fleshly mind. In Colossians 3 .12, you have to 00:21:05.970 --> 00:21:08.690 have the humbleness of mind. 2 Thessalonians 00:21:08.690 --> 00:21:13.309 2 and 2, be not soon shaken in your mind. You 00:21:13.309 --> 00:21:15.910 cannot be shaken to give up and turn your whole 00:21:15.910 --> 00:21:18.410 loose on the grace that is sufficient for your 00:21:18.410 --> 00:21:21.890 life. You've got to have your mind made up. In 00:21:21.890 --> 00:21:24.750 2 Timothy 1 .7, you know it declares the soundness 00:21:24.750 --> 00:21:27.950 of mind. Why? Because you have not been given 00:21:27.950 --> 00:21:31.240 the spirit of fear. but of power and of love 00:21:31.240 --> 00:21:34.680 and the soundness and the sureness and the firmness 00:21:34.680 --> 00:21:37.920 of your mind. God has transformed your way of 00:21:37.920 --> 00:21:40.440 thinking. Don't turn back on it. Don't give up 00:21:40.440 --> 00:21:43.180 on it. Your comeback will overtake your setback. 00:21:43.299 --> 00:21:45.980 Don't give the devil the satisfaction that you're 00:21:45.980 --> 00:21:47.900 going to give up and quit and turn around. There 00:21:47.900 --> 00:21:50.480 is no give up. There is no turning around. There 00:21:50.480 --> 00:21:53.779 is no going back. My God before me, the cross 00:21:53.779 --> 00:21:56.559 is there and I'm marching over, marching forward. 00:21:56.640 --> 00:21:59.869 Don't quit. Don't give up. Don't get weak in 00:21:59.869 --> 00:22:11.130 your mind. So as believers, it's our responsibility 00:22:11.130 --> 00:22:19.730 to not allow the setback to determine the outcome. 00:22:21.869 --> 00:22:27.650 We do this by refusing to submit to the thing 00:22:28.710 --> 00:22:32.650 Satan brings against us. It's right here in your 00:22:32.650 --> 00:22:36.990 mind. You've got to get a grip on it. You've 00:22:36.990 --> 00:22:40.410 got to get set in it. And you have to refuse 00:22:40.410 --> 00:22:43.490 the thing that the enemy brings against you. 00:22:44.789 --> 00:22:48.250 You have to refuse to be identified with the 00:22:48.250 --> 00:22:50.390 label that the enemy is trying to place on you. 00:22:50.730 --> 00:22:54.170 Hebrews 11, 24. By faith, are you hearing me? 00:22:54.210 --> 00:22:56.710 You see where we're at? By faith, I'm talking 00:22:56.710 --> 00:22:59.430 about knowing, trusting, believing. By faith, 00:22:59.430 --> 00:23:03.690 Moses, when he was come to years, refused to 00:23:03.690 --> 00:23:07.410 be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. What 00:23:07.410 --> 00:23:09.769 are you saying? I am saying there is a refusal 00:23:09.769 --> 00:23:12.369 when there's an innate understanding of who you 00:23:12.369 --> 00:23:15.410 are, and it has had nothing to do with the label 00:23:15.410 --> 00:23:17.809 that the enemy's trying to put on you. It took 00:23:17.809 --> 00:23:20.519 Moses quite a while. It took him. some trials, 00:23:20.559 --> 00:23:23.000 some tribulation. But when the time fully come, 00:23:23.200 --> 00:23:25.779 when it was get down to business, he refused 00:23:25.779 --> 00:23:29.660 to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. Well, 00:23:29.720 --> 00:23:32.559 why did he do that? Because he was not Pharaoh's 00:23:32.559 --> 00:23:35.960 daughter's son. He was the son of promise. He 00:23:35.960 --> 00:23:38.500 was the deliverer who was sent to get the people 00:23:38.500 --> 00:23:41.180 out. Hallelujah. And when the time come and he 00:23:41.180 --> 00:23:44.180 understood, when Moses finally got it down and 00:23:44.180 --> 00:23:46.119 he knew that he knew that he knew, or you could 00:23:46.119 --> 00:23:48.700 say, I know that I know that I know that I know 00:23:48.700 --> 00:23:51.579 that. It is God who's called me and set me and 00:23:51.579 --> 00:23:55.519 ordained my steps. I am not Pharaoh's daughter 00:23:55.519 --> 00:23:57.940 because Pharaoh was the enemy of God's people, 00:23:58.099 --> 00:24:01.460 and I will refuse to be identified with the enemy 00:24:01.460 --> 00:24:03.819 of God's people. When he came of age, you've 00:24:03.819 --> 00:24:05.819 got to get of age. You've got to get your faith 00:24:05.819 --> 00:24:08.619 up to where you know who you believe. Isn't that 00:24:08.619 --> 00:24:11.660 what Paul said? I know in whom I have believed. 00:24:11.839 --> 00:24:14.680 I know in whom I have believed and whom I have 00:24:14.680 --> 00:24:18.430 trusted and the setbacks of life. God, I'm not 00:24:18.430 --> 00:24:21.049 going to be derailed because I know the comeback 00:24:21.049 --> 00:24:24.589 trail is grand and great and glorious. It's difficult. 00:24:24.710 --> 00:24:27.670 It's hard. It's trouble. But I know the sufficiency 00:24:27.670 --> 00:24:30.210 of his grace and the power of the Holy Ghost 00:24:30.210 --> 00:24:33.089 is going to meet me every day. He enables me 00:24:33.089 --> 00:24:45.900 to overcome. Reject the labels. Tried to call 00:24:45.900 --> 00:24:49.279 Moses Pharaoh's daughter. What's he try to call 00:24:49.279 --> 00:25:01.059 you? Depressed? Lonely? Hopeless? What's he try 00:25:01.059 --> 00:25:07.380 to label you with? Useless? Unloved? What's he 00:25:07.380 --> 00:25:10.200 try to put on you? Doesn't matter what he tries 00:25:10.200 --> 00:25:11.980 to put on you. Refuse it because that's not who 00:25:11.980 --> 00:25:19.660 you are. Well, let me just say, take the labels 00:25:19.660 --> 00:25:26.720 of Christ. You are joint heirs. We are joint 00:25:26.720 --> 00:25:30.440 heirs. What's that mean? We get what big brothers 00:25:30.440 --> 00:25:37.420 got. You are forgiven. If you've been to Calvary 00:25:37.420 --> 00:25:39.420 and you've confessed your sin and you've invited 00:25:39.420 --> 00:25:41.700 Christ into your heart, you are forgiven. It 00:25:41.700 --> 00:25:42.960 doesn't matter what the devil tries to tell you. 00:25:42.980 --> 00:25:44.940 Well, look what you've done. That was what I'd 00:25:44.940 --> 00:25:46.859 done, but look what I'm doing. It makes, there's 00:25:46.859 --> 00:25:49.000 a big difference. What you've done, once you've 00:25:49.000 --> 00:25:51.839 been to Calvary, man, there may be some repercussions 00:25:51.839 --> 00:25:54.619 of sin that you have to deal with, but one repercussion 00:25:54.619 --> 00:25:57.099 of sin you will not have to deal with is the 00:25:57.099 --> 00:26:00.599 judgment of Almighty God because your sins have 00:26:00.599 --> 00:26:04.920 been forgiven. Hallelujah. I know how the devil 00:26:04.920 --> 00:26:07.160 works with condemnation. He begins to work in 00:26:07.160 --> 00:26:08.880 your mind. He said, you done this. You can't 00:26:08.880 --> 00:26:11.079 do that. You can't be this. You can't. Yes, I 00:26:11.079 --> 00:26:14.210 can. Why? Because the I am. tells me who I am. 00:26:14.230 --> 00:26:17.670 The I am tells me who I am. That's why he's declared 00:26:17.670 --> 00:26:20.750 to me I am a royal priesthood. I am a chosen 00:26:20.750 --> 00:26:24.869 generation. I am a peculiar type of person. I 00:26:24.869 --> 00:26:28.049 am righteous. I am holy. I am who he declares 00:26:28.049 --> 00:26:30.750 that I am, a joint heir, a son of the living 00:26:30.750 --> 00:26:35.210 God, adopted, engrafted into the wonderful family 00:26:35.210 --> 00:26:43.009 whereby I cry, I have a father. Now, What do 00:26:43.009 --> 00:26:48.430 you want to be? Depressed? Get your mind made 00:26:48.430 --> 00:26:53.869 up. Get your head out of the darkness. It's a 00:26:53.869 --> 00:26:57.369 choice, you know. Get off the couch. Get your 00:26:57.369 --> 00:26:59.609 head out among the pillow at noon and get out 00:26:59.609 --> 00:27:10.369 of the bed. Unless you work nights, she'll sleep 00:27:10.369 --> 00:27:23.039 till 2. But if not, get out to bed. A made up 00:27:23.039 --> 00:27:31.279 mind will get up. I better get along. Refuse 00:27:31.279 --> 00:27:35.740 to label. Your comeback will overtake your setback. 00:27:37.359 --> 00:27:39.859 Don't be identified with how the enemy identifies 00:27:39.859 --> 00:27:45.720 you. Secondly. to know, and this is how we overcome, 00:27:46.039 --> 00:27:49.859 and we keep our mind made up, and we make it 00:27:49.859 --> 00:27:55.140 through the comeback. Do not allow Satan to get 00:27:55.140 --> 00:28:00.960 a hold on you. In Genesis 39 and 7 and 8, it's 00:28:00.960 --> 00:28:05.619 the story of Joseph. You know, he had a setback. 00:28:07.140 --> 00:28:11.400 Huh? Joseph had a setback, didn't he? He was 00:28:11.400 --> 00:28:15.859 daddy's favorite little boy. He had a robe Daddy 00:28:15.859 --> 00:28:19.599 made just for him. Many colors. Gave it to him. 00:28:19.660 --> 00:28:23.279 He's the dreamer, right? But he was also the 00:28:23.279 --> 00:28:25.960 chosen one out of that bunch of knotheads to 00:28:25.960 --> 00:28:30.319 deliver everybody. Huh? How do you know there's 00:28:30.319 --> 00:28:33.200 knotheads? Hey, let's kill him. It's their brother. 00:28:34.200 --> 00:28:37.000 Well, we can't kill him. Daddy ever finds out. 00:28:38.039 --> 00:28:43.220 None of us will get any goats. About all they 00:28:43.220 --> 00:28:47.500 had was goats, cows, sheep, donkeys, camel or 00:28:47.500 --> 00:28:52.880 two. We won't get anything. Well, let's throw 00:28:52.880 --> 00:28:54.799 him in a hole or something. He's walking around 00:28:54.799 --> 00:29:00.000 telling these dreams he's having. We'll show 00:29:00.000 --> 00:29:04.000 him. So here comes little Joseph, whistling his 00:29:04.000 --> 00:29:05.960 little tune. Brothers are working, they're out, 00:29:06.019 --> 00:29:09.220 and he's just lollygagging with his pretty coat. 00:29:10.599 --> 00:29:14.319 They take hold of him. They beat him nigh unto 00:29:14.319 --> 00:29:18.880 death. So much so, they'd taken his coat and 00:29:18.880 --> 00:29:20.740 dipped it in some animal's blood and took it 00:29:20.740 --> 00:29:24.000 to dad. Let me show you how the mind works. Let 00:29:24.000 --> 00:29:25.460 me show you how the enemy will get a hold of 00:29:25.460 --> 00:29:35.440 you. Isaac sees the coat, and he plays out the 00:29:35.440 --> 00:29:39.500 last scene in his mind. Surely a wild beast. 00:29:41.609 --> 00:29:45.410 That's destroyed my little boy Joseph. And he 00:29:45.410 --> 00:29:48.450 let the scene play out in his mind. They didn't 00:29:48.450 --> 00:29:51.829 have to do anything. He played it out. He wrote 00:29:51.829 --> 00:29:54.630 the end of the story himself. You ain't going 00:29:54.630 --> 00:29:57.210 to make me preach that, are you? There's too 00:29:57.210 --> 00:29:59.309 many of y 'all got your pen and quill in hand 00:29:59.309 --> 00:30:00.890 and you're sitting in front of the ink fountain 00:30:00.890 --> 00:30:03.789 and you're writing your own end. Oh, because 00:30:03.789 --> 00:30:06.650 you've had a setback. You've had a setback, and 00:30:06.650 --> 00:30:09.369 so you're trying to see how. We always imagine 00:30:09.369 --> 00:30:12.769 the worst, don't we? Don't we? We always imagine 00:30:12.769 --> 00:30:14.569 the worst, and when you get there, there's nothing 00:30:14.569 --> 00:30:16.170 like you imagine. You say, oh, it's not as bad 00:30:16.170 --> 00:30:18.869 as I thought it was going to be. Do I have to 00:30:18.869 --> 00:30:21.150 tell you that God is on your side? It's never 00:30:21.150 --> 00:30:22.890 going to be as bad as you think it's going to 00:30:22.890 --> 00:30:25.569 be because his favor is working in your life. 00:30:25.769 --> 00:30:28.329 Yes, he got through in the pit. Yes, he got sold 00:30:28.329 --> 00:30:31.390 into slavery. Yes, in this story that I've read 00:30:31.390 --> 00:30:34.430 to you here, here in 39, yes, he was accused. 00:30:34.960 --> 00:30:38.299 of trying to take advantage of his boss's wife. 00:30:38.519 --> 00:30:41.599 But notice what he did. When she took hold of 00:30:41.599 --> 00:30:45.589 him, he left another coat. boy, but just like 00:30:45.589 --> 00:30:47.630 some of your young 'uns, he's left coats laying 00:30:47.630 --> 00:30:50.410 everywhere. He left a coat there. He left it. 00:30:50.470 --> 00:30:53.849 Why? Because he ran from the very influence that 00:30:53.849 --> 00:30:56.309 the enemy was trying to get a hold of him with. 00:30:56.410 --> 00:30:58.930 I'm here to tell somebody this morning, you're 00:30:58.930 --> 00:31:00.950 lollygagging around where the devil's got you 00:31:00.950 --> 00:31:04.190 playing way too long. It's time you get out of 00:31:04.190 --> 00:31:07.089 dodge. You can't play with sin. You can't play 00:31:07.089 --> 00:31:09.849 around. Are you hearing me this morning? You 00:31:09.849 --> 00:31:12.589 cannot play around with sin. Do not allow the 00:31:12.589 --> 00:31:18.109 devil to get another hoe. on you. Son, that right 00:31:18.109 --> 00:31:20.170 there is pretty good preaching, even if I did 00:31:20.170 --> 00:31:25.210 do it. I'm telling you, too many of us are too 00:31:25.210 --> 00:31:29.009 wishy -washy in our mind and in our faith. You 00:31:29.009 --> 00:31:35.970 can't have God and the world. Bitter and sweet 00:31:35.970 --> 00:31:41.690 water cannot come out of the same fountain. If 00:31:41.690 --> 00:31:45.230 that's you, wash your mouth out. Straighten up. 00:31:46.970 --> 00:31:51.390 Boy, howdy, our preacher's on it today. Get away 00:31:51.390 --> 00:31:55.730 from the sin that so easily besets you. What's 00:31:55.730 --> 00:32:02.589 that mean? Sets you back. Lay aside the weight. 00:32:03.230 --> 00:32:05.470 Some of you trying to drag the weight all the 00:32:05.470 --> 00:32:08.089 way to Calvary. You can't do it, honey. You can't 00:32:08.089 --> 00:32:15.940 have your sin weight and the cross too. Yeah, 00:32:15.980 --> 00:32:18.079 you, you, uh -uh, uh -uh, uh -uh. You're going 00:32:18.079 --> 00:32:21.359 to have one or the other one. And you always 00:32:21.359 --> 00:32:24.859 know what straddling the fence does. Tears the 00:32:24.859 --> 00:32:28.359 seat out of your britches. That's it. That's 00:32:28.359 --> 00:32:38.980 all. I just had a flashback of said occasion. 00:32:42.579 --> 00:32:53.240 Got a second? I'll tell you. 35, 40 in my iron 00:32:53.240 --> 00:33:00.420 eye. We took the kids to school one morning. 00:33:01.660 --> 00:33:04.400 And we had our camouflage on. It just so happened 00:33:04.400 --> 00:33:07.400 to be Brother David turkey season. Hallelujah. 00:33:07.680 --> 00:33:12.680 God's good. And the Lord had so fit that even 00:33:12.680 --> 00:33:14.779 in the wilderness, when you think you're in a 00:33:14.779 --> 00:33:18.140 wilderness, a good place to hunt is in the wilderness. 00:33:19.400 --> 00:33:22.880 So. In the middle of a season, a pastoral season, 00:33:23.240 --> 00:33:26.099 the Lord put me in one of the most populated 00:33:26.099 --> 00:33:29.400 counties in this state for turkeys. And oh, what 00:33:29.400 --> 00:33:34.160 joy. Oh, what joy. So we took the kids to school 00:33:34.160 --> 00:33:36.440 one morning. Sister Kathy used to go run the 00:33:36.440 --> 00:33:39.240 ridges with me. And we're driving down the road 00:33:39.240 --> 00:33:44.680 back out in the country. And just across this 00:33:44.680 --> 00:33:51.789 here fence stood what I call a magnum. He had 00:33:51.789 --> 00:33:56.109 red, white, and blue. And instantly, stop in 00:33:56.109 --> 00:33:58.730 the middle of the road. I'm thinking, how can 00:33:58.730 --> 00:34:02.970 I get to him? Unless you hunt, you have no clue 00:34:02.970 --> 00:34:06.170 what I'm saying, but just know this. Getting 00:34:06.170 --> 00:34:08.929 there was half the battle. So there's a trailer 00:34:08.929 --> 00:34:11.469 right on the side of the road. So we went back 00:34:11.469 --> 00:34:14.710 up and pulled down in there. And I beat on the 00:34:14.710 --> 00:34:17.289 door. It's early now. Here comes this lady to 00:34:17.289 --> 00:34:19.579 the door. It's back when they still used the 00:34:19.579 --> 00:34:22.260 curlers, you know, the steam rollers. She had 00:34:22.260 --> 00:34:25.840 them up. And so I point toward the truck. I said, 00:34:25.880 --> 00:34:28.480 ma 'am, there's a big turkey right over there, 00:34:28.519 --> 00:34:33.880 and I'd like to get my wife over there. You use 00:34:33.880 --> 00:34:37.280 whatever you can, kids. It don't matter. I said, 00:34:37.300 --> 00:34:41.320 I'd like to get my wife over there. I said, would 00:34:41.320 --> 00:34:44.590 you mind if I cross? You right here and go up 00:34:44.590 --> 00:34:46.050 there. He's just on the other side of that fence. 00:34:46.130 --> 00:34:48.570 She said, why sure, honey. It's all right. Y 00:34:48.570 --> 00:34:51.050 'all go on ahead and shut the door. So I run 00:34:51.050 --> 00:34:53.429 to the truck and get all the paraphernalia you 00:34:53.429 --> 00:34:56.570 need. So here we go. And I'm crossing this fence. 00:34:57.309 --> 00:35:00.010 And I've got one leg on the other side, barbed 00:35:00.010 --> 00:35:02.210 wire, three -strand. And I'm holding it down 00:35:02.210 --> 00:35:04.690 and doing one of these. And I look out my right 00:35:04.690 --> 00:35:07.250 eye, David, and there he stands. It ain't 20 00:35:07.250 --> 00:35:10.010 yards. And I'm doing this. And I'm reaching for 00:35:10.010 --> 00:35:12.809 Kathy to get my gun. Standing at that fence. 00:35:12.869 --> 00:35:14.869 She hands me my gun, and I'm a -weebling and 00:35:14.869 --> 00:35:16.949 wobbling and just hit it just right. Oh, there 00:35:16.949 --> 00:35:18.789 he rolled, flopping feathers going everywhere. 00:35:18.949 --> 00:35:21.670 So there's some blessing that may happen on a 00:35:21.670 --> 00:35:24.610 straddle fence, but not in sin. That's not going 00:35:24.610 --> 00:35:26.130 to help you. Turkey hunting, you might get by 00:35:26.130 --> 00:35:28.559 with it. But in sin, you'll not get by with it. 00:35:28.599 --> 00:35:31.000 I did tear the inside of my British legs out, 00:35:31.079 --> 00:35:33.139 and she had to patch that up. But other than 00:35:33.139 --> 00:35:34.920 that, no life was lost other than the turkey. 00:35:36.079 --> 00:35:37.619 But I'm here to tell you it'll be a different 00:35:37.619 --> 00:35:41.099 story. If you think that you can straddle the 00:35:41.099 --> 00:35:44.719 fence with sin and come to church and do your 00:35:44.719 --> 00:35:47.739 thing and then listen to me preach and you laugh 00:35:47.739 --> 00:35:50.219 and juggle at my funny little stories and miss 00:35:50.219 --> 00:35:51.940 the whole principle of the point I'm trying to 00:35:51.940 --> 00:35:55.019 tell you, you cannot mess around with sin and 00:35:55.019 --> 00:35:58.400 make it to heaven. Thus the reason the word declares, 00:35:58.420 --> 00:36:02.460 lay aside the weight and the sin that so easily 00:36:02.460 --> 00:36:05.340 besets you. And then he says, having your eyes 00:36:05.340 --> 00:36:10.380 fixated on Jesus who is the author. You cannot 00:36:10.380 --> 00:36:13.480 look at Jesus and focus on the world at the same 00:36:13.480 --> 00:36:15.820 time. You've got to get your mind made up and 00:36:15.820 --> 00:36:25.260 your gaze set. Run from sin. Do not give in to 00:36:25.260 --> 00:36:28.460 the pressure. In the middle of your setback, 00:36:28.500 --> 00:36:35.119 do not give in to the pressure to quit. Job was 00:36:35.119 --> 00:36:43.150 pressured. To give in. To give up. I'll have 00:36:43.150 --> 00:36:45.469 to apologize to Sister Jobe one of these days. 00:36:46.909 --> 00:36:51.269 I used to give her a hard time. Until I began 00:36:51.269 --> 00:36:53.670 to understand the pain she was going through. 00:36:54.969 --> 00:37:00.730 Huh? Her old man sat in the gate. Richest man 00:37:00.730 --> 00:37:04.909 in all the east. They had a beautiful family. 00:37:05.010 --> 00:37:09.539 Ten children. And then all this calamity of their 00:37:09.539 --> 00:37:13.940 setback, all those children died at the very 00:37:13.940 --> 00:37:20.159 same moment in the same building. Devastated. 00:37:21.000 --> 00:37:27.639 Right? You carry these young 'uns. They're part 00:37:27.639 --> 00:37:31.920 of you. That's the reason us dads, it's easier 00:37:31.920 --> 00:37:35.000 for us to have that tough love. We didn't carry 00:37:35.000 --> 00:37:39.539 them. They didn't kick our ribs blue from the 00:37:39.539 --> 00:37:45.159 inside out. That was you. When all this is going 00:37:45.159 --> 00:37:49.239 on, she's ready to just give up. But you can't 00:37:49.239 --> 00:37:54.500 quit. You can't give up. You can't give in. You 00:37:54.500 --> 00:37:56.579 can't give in to the pressure. Shadrach, Meshach, 00:37:56.619 --> 00:37:58.639 and Abednego, Daniel 3, 15 through 20, you know 00:37:58.639 --> 00:38:01.400 that story. The king's before him says, I'm going 00:38:01.400 --> 00:38:03.380 to play the song one more time, and you're going 00:38:03.380 --> 00:38:06.019 to bow. If you don't bow, they're already throwing 00:38:06.019 --> 00:38:07.599 wood in the furnace, and I'm going to heat it 00:38:07.599 --> 00:38:09.920 up seven times hotter than it's ever been. In 00:38:09.920 --> 00:38:11.340 other words, you're going to die when you get 00:38:11.340 --> 00:38:13.659 to the door, boys. You're going to bow when the 00:38:13.659 --> 00:38:16.500 music plays. Let me tell you something. Don't 00:38:16.500 --> 00:38:18.039 give in to the pressure when the devil starts 00:38:18.039 --> 00:38:21.019 playing his tune. Amen. Don't dance to his fiddle. 00:38:21.059 --> 00:38:23.699 Don't dance to his tune. You do not have to give 00:38:23.699 --> 00:38:25.860 in to the peer pressure. Well, pastor, you don't 00:38:25.860 --> 00:38:28.539 know what it may cause me. It'll cause you grief 00:38:28.539 --> 00:38:31.260 if you give in. And what they declared was this. 00:38:31.480 --> 00:38:34.360 They said, we do not care. answer you in this 00:38:34.360 --> 00:38:37.420 manner or this matter. Here's the thing. Our 00:38:37.420 --> 00:38:41.360 God is able. Our God is able to deliver us out 00:38:41.360 --> 00:38:44.059 of your hand, but then they make this wonderful 00:38:44.059 --> 00:38:46.780 power. powerful declaration of faith, and they 00:38:46.780 --> 00:38:50.440 declared to the king, but if not, but if he does, 00:38:50.559 --> 00:38:55.099 great. If he don't, we are still resolved in 00:38:55.099 --> 00:38:58.860 our faith, and we will not bow. So, oh, king, 00:38:59.039 --> 00:39:01.800 you go ahead and just do your best and take your 00:39:01.800 --> 00:39:04.139 best shot. If we leave, we're still going to 00:39:04.139 --> 00:39:07.480 leave on God's side, and we will refuse your 00:39:07.480 --> 00:39:09.679 order today. And what did they do? They struck 00:39:09.679 --> 00:39:12.000 up the band, and the music played, and they stood 00:39:12.000 --> 00:39:15.400 resolute and resolved. The king was so angry. 00:39:15.539 --> 00:39:19.420 He was so angry that they dared refuse his order. 00:39:19.559 --> 00:39:22.079 And he said, throw them in. And so they take 00:39:22.079 --> 00:39:24.059 them by the arms. They bind them up and they 00:39:24.059 --> 00:39:26.440 threw them in. And the old boy that opened the 00:39:26.440 --> 00:39:29.380 door fell over dead from the heat blast. And 00:39:29.380 --> 00:39:32.940 they themselves walked on in. What are you saying? 00:39:33.039 --> 00:39:36.480 My God, when you refuse and the devil, he may 00:39:36.480 --> 00:39:39.639 fall by you, but you walk on in because the declaration 00:39:39.639 --> 00:39:42.460 of the word of God for you is this. You'll walk 00:39:42.460 --> 00:39:45.300 through the fire. and you shall not be burned. 00:39:45.460 --> 00:39:47.920 If it's a river, he said, you'll go through the 00:39:47.920 --> 00:39:50.840 flood and the waters will not overtake you because 00:39:50.840 --> 00:39:53.519 I'm going to make a new way. I'll make a highway 00:39:53.519 --> 00:40:09.840 even for you. Don't give in. After you got your 00:40:09.840 --> 00:40:15.460 mind made up. and you've been set back, and you're 00:40:15.460 --> 00:40:17.239 resolute, and you're still going, you're still 00:40:17.239 --> 00:40:20.420 trusting, you're still believing, then don't 00:40:20.420 --> 00:40:26.320 allow the devil to rob you of your praise. Huh? 00:40:27.599 --> 00:40:29.280 Remember what Jesus told them about fasting? 00:40:29.360 --> 00:40:31.199 He said, wash your face. Don't go out like you're 00:40:31.199 --> 00:40:33.800 just all, oh, and don't go tell them, oh, I've 00:40:33.800 --> 00:40:40.230 been fasting for 20 minutes. It's 1130 and you 00:40:40.230 --> 00:40:42.409 started at 7. My Lord, I'm about to go down. 00:40:43.869 --> 00:40:46.550 It's almost lunch. What's the matter with you? 00:40:47.590 --> 00:40:50.510 I'm fasting. No, no, no, no. You might as well 00:40:50.510 --> 00:40:51.969 go ahead and eat the hamburger, the bologna. 00:40:52.750 --> 00:40:54.989 You done let the cat out of the bag. It's over 00:40:54.989 --> 00:40:58.949 with. Huh? Don't let your countenance be that. 00:40:59.030 --> 00:41:01.949 Pick up your countenance. Put a little smile 00:41:01.949 --> 00:41:03.929 on your face. Why? Because you may need grace 00:41:03.929 --> 00:41:07.780 to make it to supper. Hello? Push that plate 00:41:07.780 --> 00:41:11.039 on back. Do your diligence, but do not allow 00:41:11.039 --> 00:41:13.679 the enemy to rob you of your praise. A powerful 00:41:13.679 --> 00:41:16.860 story of a setback was old David. You remember 00:41:16.860 --> 00:41:18.519 when he went and got the Ark of the Covenant 00:41:18.519 --> 00:41:20.980 from Obed -Edom's house, right? And they're on 00:41:20.980 --> 00:41:22.699 their way back. David thought he was doing a 00:41:22.699 --> 00:41:25.500 good thing. He built a brand new cart. He got 00:41:25.500 --> 00:41:27.820 a cow that had never been yoked up, and he got 00:41:27.820 --> 00:41:29.900 them in there. And they're bringing the Ark of 00:41:29.900 --> 00:41:31.760 the Covenant, and he's shouting. That'll even 00:41:31.760 --> 00:41:37.079 let you know you can shout out of order. You 00:41:37.079 --> 00:41:41.460 can shout out of order. Woo! That's a sermon 00:41:41.460 --> 00:41:44.179 for another day. But they're shouting. They're 00:41:44.179 --> 00:41:46.480 bringing the Ark of the Covenant back. The old 00:41:46.480 --> 00:41:49.000 cow runs over a rock in the road of all places 00:41:49.000 --> 00:41:50.579 over there in that part of the country around 00:41:50.579 --> 00:41:53.019 Jerusalem. A rock was in the road. He hits it. 00:41:53.039 --> 00:41:55.900 The Ark teeters. And the old boy, as I reached 00:41:55.900 --> 00:41:59.880 up to stabilize the presence of God, and when 00:41:59.880 --> 00:42:02.699 he'd done so, God struck him dead, and he fell 00:42:02.699 --> 00:42:05.599 off the wagon. Right there is where they stopped. 00:42:05.760 --> 00:42:08.460 Right there is where they parked the Ark. Right 00:42:08.460 --> 00:42:10.960 there. And David went and discovered the right 00:42:10.960 --> 00:42:13.679 way to do it. Discovered the right, what do we 00:42:13.679 --> 00:42:16.340 got to do? You got to get some golden stabs and 00:42:16.340 --> 00:42:18.780 you got to get some priests. Hallelujah. And 00:42:18.780 --> 00:42:20.840 they got to bear the presence of the Lord. My 00:42:20.840 --> 00:42:23.480 God, I'm feeling one coming on. You got to bear 00:42:23.480 --> 00:42:25.460 the presence of the Lord upon your shoulder. 00:42:25.619 --> 00:42:28.559 Can I tell somebody you are a royal priesthood 00:42:28.559 --> 00:42:30.960 in the house today? And if you want the presence 00:42:30.960 --> 00:42:33.260 of the Lord in this house, then I want you to 00:42:33.260 --> 00:42:36.400 bear your shoulder up and bring it in. And they 00:42:36.400 --> 00:42:39.159 stopped every few feet and they offered up bullock 00:42:39.159 --> 00:42:41.480 and they offered up burnt offerings all the way 00:42:41.480 --> 00:42:43.610 into the house. the city. And David took off 00:42:43.610 --> 00:42:46.829 his kingly robe. He laid his crown aside and 00:42:46.829 --> 00:42:49.710 he danced before the Lord. The Bible says that 00:42:49.710 --> 00:42:53.170 he did so and worshiped undignified. And when 00:42:53.170 --> 00:42:56.409 he gets in, he's got a cross -eyed woman looking 00:42:56.409 --> 00:42:59.150 at him out the window, the daughter of King Saul. 00:42:59.369 --> 00:43:02.690 Have you ever stopped to think why Saul gave 00:43:02.690 --> 00:43:06.730 her to be married to David? Because he knew that 00:43:06.730 --> 00:43:10.269 McCall had the same heart of disobedience and 00:43:10.269 --> 00:43:13.710 rebellion that he did and wanted to dilute David's 00:43:13.710 --> 00:43:16.289 faith, but they did not fully understand that 00:43:16.289 --> 00:43:19.650 David had his mind made up. He was the harpist 00:43:19.650 --> 00:43:22.130 and the psalmist of Israel. He was the one in 00:43:22.130 --> 00:43:25.469 whom was birthed the songs of glory and Zion, 00:43:25.610 --> 00:43:28.750 and he danced and he shouted, and she said, you've 00:43:28.750 --> 00:43:31.530 made a fool of yourself today. That's all right, 00:43:31.530 --> 00:43:33.989 woman. Watch me tomorrow. I'm going to dance 00:43:33.989 --> 00:43:36.530 before the Lord. If you think I was undignified 00:43:36.530 --> 00:43:39.230 today, honey, you ain't seen nothing yet, for 00:43:39.230 --> 00:43:44.119 I know. I know him. Wouldn't that have been a 00:43:44.119 --> 00:43:45.760 good place for him to look her right now and 00:43:45.760 --> 00:43:48.460 say, the Lord is my shepherd and I shall not 00:43:48.460 --> 00:43:52.139 want. Hallelujah. And he rejoiced. Do not allow 00:43:52.139 --> 00:43:54.920 the devil to rob you of your praise in the middle 00:43:54.920 --> 00:44:03.619 of your setback. Somehow, sometime, you have 00:44:03.619 --> 00:44:08.909 to praise your way out of the valley. Especially 00:44:08.909 --> 00:44:15.489 if you've got your mind made up. Don't let grief 00:44:15.489 --> 00:44:25.349 and sorrow well out the joy of the Lord. Blessed 00:44:25.349 --> 00:44:32.090 are those who mourn, for they shall. Isn't that 00:44:32.090 --> 00:44:38.309 beautiful? And all them little beatitudes. Blessed 00:44:38.309 --> 00:44:46.449 are those that mourn, for they shall be comforted. 00:44:47.789 --> 00:44:52.150 Isn't that powerful? Nowhere in that book does 00:44:52.150 --> 00:44:57.389 it say for you and I not to mourn. Matter of 00:44:57.389 --> 00:45:01.750 fact, we're encouraged to do so. But not in so 00:45:01.750 --> 00:45:04.989 in allowing the grief to rob us of the joy that 00:45:04.989 --> 00:45:11.639 we have because we... shall be comforted. Paul 00:45:11.639 --> 00:45:16.400 told young Timothy, he said this, we don't mourn 00:45:16.400 --> 00:45:20.219 as those who have no hope. We mourn differently. 00:45:21.239 --> 00:45:25.079 But you see, we mourn, but we do so differently 00:45:25.079 --> 00:45:30.360 because we have a hope. We have a hope. You have 00:45:30.360 --> 00:45:34.400 a hope. Matter of fact, Paul told Timothy again, 00:45:34.420 --> 00:45:41.369 he said, Jesus Christ, which is our hope. Wow. 00:45:43.210 --> 00:45:49.829 You have hope. Setbacks come in life. Hardships, 00:45:49.829 --> 00:45:54.610 trials, tribulations enter into our lives. But 00:45:54.610 --> 00:45:58.690 God is faithful. And if you're in the middle 00:45:58.690 --> 00:46:02.030 of one of those right now, hold on. Don't quit. 00:46:03.230 --> 00:46:08.389 Don't get mad. Let resolve and resolution stand 00:46:08.389 --> 00:46:12.090 in your heart. Knowing that God understands it. 00:46:13.090 --> 00:46:17.070 And that God knows the pathway that you take. 00:46:18.909 --> 00:46:21.530 I almost forgot. You stand while I turn. I'm 00:46:21.530 --> 00:46:27.530 going to read this one to you. One of my favorite 00:46:27.530 --> 00:46:30.809 of the Old Testament prophets. One of the minor 00:46:30.809 --> 00:46:34.010 prophets. One of my favorite verses is in Micah 00:46:34.010 --> 00:46:41.110 7. Verse 7 says, therefore I will look unto the 00:46:41.110 --> 00:46:44.610 Lord. I will wait for the God of my salvation. 00:46:44.610 --> 00:46:52.510 My God will hear me. Rejoice not against me, 00:46:52.670 --> 00:46:59.150 O mine enemy. When I fall, not if, are you hearing 00:46:59.150 --> 00:47:07.360 it? Not if, possibly. When I fall. I shall arise. 00:47:10.780 --> 00:47:17.480 When I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light 00:47:17.480 --> 00:47:22.619 unto me. It's not a matter of if trouble comes, 00:47:22.739 --> 00:47:29.719 it's when it gets to you. Setbacks are coming. 00:47:33.840 --> 00:47:36.320 Because it's the trials of our faith that works 00:47:36.320 --> 00:47:42.840 patience. And that patience works in our lives 00:47:42.840 --> 00:47:45.559 so that we are diligently waiting for the Lord. 00:47:47.579 --> 00:47:51.159 Joyfully so. Now, I know every circumstance in 00:47:51.159 --> 00:47:56.320 life does not bring happiness. I know that. I 00:47:56.320 --> 00:48:01.400 know this. But it's not the circumstances in 00:48:01.400 --> 00:48:10.940 life. That reassure me. What reassures me is 00:48:10.940 --> 00:48:16.280 knowing that God has not forsaken me. And he 00:48:16.280 --> 00:48:19.800 hasn't forgotten me. Now I know what the devil 00:48:19.800 --> 00:48:22.099 tries to make us feel. I know how he tries to 00:48:22.099 --> 00:48:25.099 make us think. I know all the deceptive works 00:48:25.099 --> 00:48:27.900 and the lies and the plots. I know how he does 00:48:27.900 --> 00:48:33.570 that. But if you've already resolved in your 00:48:33.570 --> 00:48:37.230 mind and your mind is made up, he's just wasting 00:48:37.230 --> 00:48:43.630 his breath. Because you know that through it 00:48:43.630 --> 00:48:45.750 all, God's going to do something great in your 00:48:45.750 --> 00:48:50.090 life. And your comeback will be like that of 00:48:50.090 --> 00:48:52.929 Job's. Job's, he was really blessed, wasn't he? 00:48:54.150 --> 00:48:56.469 He received a double portion of everything that 00:48:56.469 --> 00:48:59.510 he had. You know what I'm wondering? I'm reading 00:48:59.510 --> 00:49:02.900 that. And I'm thinking, well, where were y 'all 00:49:02.900 --> 00:49:04.639 at for a few months? You want to bring him an 00:49:04.639 --> 00:49:10.199 offering now? Now that he's back on track, now 00:49:10.199 --> 00:49:12.000 that everything's good and here y 'all showing 00:49:12.000 --> 00:49:15.360 up for picnic, you want to give him an offering? 00:49:15.480 --> 00:49:17.280 You want to give him a gold earring of honors? 00:49:20.300 --> 00:49:23.780 Where were you just a few months ago when he's 00:49:23.780 --> 00:49:25.699 sitting in the ashes and the dog's trying to 00:49:25.699 --> 00:49:29.460 give him? Here's the thing, folks. It doesn't 00:49:29.460 --> 00:49:33.599 matter where people are. It matters that God 00:49:33.599 --> 00:49:38.079 is seated in the ashes with you. Because when 00:49:38.079 --> 00:49:40.239 it's all said and done, he's the only one that 00:49:40.239 --> 00:49:44.380 can change anything about our situation. Father, 00:49:44.500 --> 00:49:46.179 I love you today. I thank you so much. Help me, 00:49:46.199 --> 00:49:47.860 Lord, to wind this down. Help me to bring this 00:49:47.860 --> 00:49:52.760 to a close today. I've said a lot of things this 00:49:52.760 --> 00:49:56.159 morning. All I know to tell you is this, is if 00:49:56.159 --> 00:49:59.119 the Lord has spoken to you about some situation, 00:49:59.119 --> 00:50:02.280 some dilemma, some trial, and he's just reaffirmed 00:50:02.280 --> 00:50:05.340 his presence to you today, that he knows where 00:50:05.340 --> 00:50:07.400 you are, he knows your plight, he knows your 00:50:07.400 --> 00:50:11.440 trouble, he knows your trial, he knows the fire 00:50:11.440 --> 00:50:13.619 that you're about to enter into or the flood 00:50:13.619 --> 00:50:15.739 that you're coming out of, he knows because he's 00:50:15.739 --> 00:50:19.960 there with you. Your setback is not meant to 00:50:19.960 --> 00:50:28.349 take you out. It's meant to set you up for God's 00:50:28.349 --> 00:50:32.329 grace and God's goodness. Say, Pastor, that's 00:50:32.329 --> 00:50:35.610 me. The Lord spoke to my heart this morning for 00:50:35.610 --> 00:50:39.670 reassurance. If you need prayer this morning, 00:50:39.730 --> 00:50:41.429 I want you to make your way to one side of this 00:50:41.429 --> 00:50:44.210 baptistry or the other. I want to pray for you 00:50:44.210 --> 00:50:46.849 today if you need it.