WEBVTT 00:00:00.639 --> 00:00:03.020 A song carries a lot of weight when you begin 00:00:03.020 --> 00:00:07.080 sickness. No more parting lyrics. No more sorrow. 00:00:07.240 --> 00:00:10.119 No more pain. No more sickness. No more parting. 00:00:10.859 --> 00:00:15.320 All the things that weigh heavy on the soul of 00:00:15.320 --> 00:00:18.339 the believer today. And many of us in this room 00:00:18.339 --> 00:00:21.780 are under that weight. You're feeling that burden. 00:00:22.640 --> 00:00:26.679 One of those effects of life. Life has effects, 00:00:26.940 --> 00:00:29.839 doesn't it? Amen. Thank you for being in the 00:00:29.839 --> 00:00:34.759 house of the Lord today. So glad you've come 00:00:34.759 --> 00:00:37.280 to experience the goodness of the Lord, and I'm 00:00:37.280 --> 00:00:40.840 looking forward to it myself. Chapter 4, Philippians. 00:00:42.719 --> 00:00:45.899 This letter written by an imprisoned apostle, 00:00:46.240 --> 00:00:53.979 filled with joy and expectation. Amen. Chapter 00:00:53.979 --> 00:00:58.689 4, verse 6. Well, we might as well read 4. Let's 00:00:58.689 --> 00:01:00.789 start there. Rejoice in the Lord always, and 00:01:00.789 --> 00:01:05.189 again I say rejoice. Let your moderation be known 00:01:05.189 --> 00:01:09.989 unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful 00:01:09.989 --> 00:01:13.530 for nothing, but in everything by prayer and 00:01:13.530 --> 00:01:16.950 supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests 00:01:16.950 --> 00:01:20.750 be made known unto God, and the peace of God, 00:01:20.790 --> 00:01:25.939 oh, which passes all understanding. Shall keep 00:01:25.939 --> 00:01:32.500 your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. I 00:01:32.500 --> 00:01:36.000 want to just kindly do one of those in that couple 00:01:36.000 --> 00:01:38.939 verses right there. Just settle into it. And 00:01:38.939 --> 00:01:41.000 see what the Lord has to say to us right here 00:01:41.000 --> 00:01:44.340 today. And the thought I'm going to be preaching 00:01:44.340 --> 00:01:48.319 on to you. Put it up there on the screen. I want 00:01:48.319 --> 00:01:50.859 to read this to you. What's around the corner? 00:01:52.799 --> 00:01:58.010 Faith. for the future. What's around the corner? 00:01:58.209 --> 00:02:02.069 That's a lot of what the apostle is instructing 00:02:02.069 --> 00:02:04.450 the church at Philippi. You don't know what's 00:02:04.450 --> 00:02:07.489 around the corner, but here's what you got to 00:02:07.489 --> 00:02:10.629 do, and here's how you're going to make it. I 00:02:10.629 --> 00:02:12.509 mean, if we could see around the corner, wouldn't 00:02:12.509 --> 00:02:15.770 life be a whole lot more simple? But we can. 00:02:16.189 --> 00:02:17.969 I'll pray for you if you pray for me, and we'll 00:02:17.969 --> 00:02:20.310 get out of here before we're one. Father, we 00:02:20.310 --> 00:02:22.030 love you. We thank you for your goodness and 00:02:22.030 --> 00:02:25.719 your mercy. Or maybe not. Holy Ghost, have your 00:02:25.719 --> 00:02:28.680 way in this house. Touching every heart and every 00:02:28.680 --> 00:02:31.500 mind. Let our ears be open to hear what the Spirit's 00:02:31.500 --> 00:02:34.419 saying to the church today. For we know that 00:02:34.419 --> 00:02:38.360 the dilemma of life, we all are facing something. 00:02:39.219 --> 00:02:41.900 And I know that you understand that, sweet Lord, 00:02:42.000 --> 00:02:44.800 because of the encouragement that the Spirit 00:02:44.800 --> 00:02:48.639 gave last week. That you are with us and to trust 00:02:48.639 --> 00:02:51.659 you. So help me today, Lord, to continue that 00:02:51.659 --> 00:02:55.060 thought. what's around the corner, faith for 00:02:55.060 --> 00:02:57.360 the future. In Jesus' name, the church said, 00:02:57.539 --> 00:03:05.620 amen. You can be seated. It is true if we could 00:03:05.620 --> 00:03:10.740 know, or let me say this. I'm going to say it 00:03:10.740 --> 00:03:14.819 is true, but it may not be true. But we think 00:03:14.819 --> 00:03:17.879 that it is true. If we just knew what was coming, 00:03:18.099 --> 00:03:22.009 we would be better prepared for it. If we actually 00:03:22.009 --> 00:03:25.310 knew what Thursday holds right here on Sunday, 00:03:25.370 --> 00:03:28.250 if we knew some type of trouble was going to 00:03:28.250 --> 00:03:31.370 meet us on Thursday, that we could prepare for 00:03:31.370 --> 00:03:34.110 it. Well, that's just not the way we operate. 00:03:34.689 --> 00:03:38.949 I mean, Jesus told us 2 ,000 years ago what was 00:03:38.949 --> 00:03:41.030 coming, and we still act like it's a big surprise. 00:03:42.030 --> 00:03:44.650 Hello? It's like... Duh, why is this happening? 00:03:44.729 --> 00:03:47.069 Well, he said it was going to happen a long time 00:03:47.069 --> 00:03:49.849 ago to get ready and get prepared for it. And 00:03:49.849 --> 00:03:52.889 that's what the apostle is telling this church 00:03:52.889 --> 00:03:55.449 at Philippi, these believers. And to you and 00:03:55.449 --> 00:03:58.669 I this very day, rejoice in the Lord. And again, 00:03:58.710 --> 00:04:02.969 I say rejoice, always, always rejoice. And that's 00:04:02.969 --> 00:04:05.129 been a part of our focus on worship this morning. 00:04:05.689 --> 00:04:07.969 On the mountains, I'm going to worship. In the 00:04:07.969 --> 00:04:09.870 valley, I'm going to worship. Why? Because he's 00:04:09.870 --> 00:04:11.449 the God of the mountains just like he is the 00:04:11.449 --> 00:04:13.800 God of the valley. and the ridges in between 00:04:13.800 --> 00:04:16.779 mountains and valleys, and just the pathway of 00:04:16.779 --> 00:04:19.339 life. And there's so many unprecedented things 00:04:19.339 --> 00:04:23.040 going on around us. We are truly living, I believe 00:04:23.040 --> 00:04:25.439 fully with all my heart, we are living in the 00:04:25.439 --> 00:04:29.519 last days. Amen. Just because of the way that 00:04:29.519 --> 00:04:32.279 the Scripture unfolds and the things that I'm 00:04:32.279 --> 00:04:35.199 seeing with my own two eyes, that just leads 00:04:35.199 --> 00:04:37.879 me to believe, amen, that we are living in the 00:04:37.879 --> 00:04:40.589 last days. But how long those days last? With 00:04:40.589 --> 00:04:44.230 God, time is of no consequence. It's just only 00:04:44.230 --> 00:04:47.560 a matter to me and you. Right? Time has no consequence 00:04:47.560 --> 00:04:50.500 with God. When his will is fulfilled, then all 00:04:50.500 --> 00:04:52.899 the sequence of events that have been laid out 00:04:52.899 --> 00:04:56.980 will come to pass. Amen? But when we start to 00:04:56.980 --> 00:04:59.180 look around today, if you were to do, don't do 00:04:59.180 --> 00:05:01.339 it now, do it later. But if you were to just 00:05:01.339 --> 00:05:05.939 do a little research and hit on the interweb 00:05:05.939 --> 00:05:07.920 there and hit the Google, she'll tell you how 00:05:07.920 --> 00:05:10.120 many earthquakes has happened in the last 24 00:05:10.120 --> 00:05:14.389 hours. And those are the signs of the end time, 00:05:14.490 --> 00:05:16.250 and they just keep getting more and more and 00:05:16.250 --> 00:05:18.310 increasing and increasing. These are some of 00:05:18.310 --> 00:05:20.149 the signs. The earth is moaning and groaning, 00:05:20.170 --> 00:05:22.850 waiting for her day of redemption, amen, waiting 00:05:22.850 --> 00:05:26.149 for again to be in the perfect image of her creation. 00:05:26.490 --> 00:05:29.810 But sin has affected everything. It has infected 00:05:29.810 --> 00:05:33.269 all of creation, the earth, the world, and everything 00:05:33.269 --> 00:05:35.670 on it and everything in it has been affected 00:05:35.670 --> 00:05:38.449 by sin. But there is a day coming, and what a 00:05:38.449 --> 00:05:41.009 day. That grand and glorious day is going. to 00:05:41.009 --> 00:05:43.910 be when all of these unprecedented events, I 00:05:43.910 --> 00:05:45.389 don't know why we think they're unprecedented. 00:05:45.470 --> 00:05:47.449 It's actually because they are happening and 00:05:47.449 --> 00:05:50.709 not just warned. But we've had the warning. We've 00:05:50.709 --> 00:05:52.550 had the encouragement. We've had the knowledge 00:05:52.550 --> 00:05:54.769 to know, hey, the day of the Lord. This is real, 00:05:54.910 --> 00:05:58.529 folks. Jesus was truly the Son of God. If folks 00:05:58.529 --> 00:06:00.529 ain't figured it out now, they may never get 00:06:00.529 --> 00:06:03.050 it. But there will be a day that they fully understand 00:06:03.050 --> 00:06:06.930 that like the Roman soldiers that were put on 00:06:06.930 --> 00:06:09.829 guard when the stone rose. Surely, oh, when he 00:06:09.829 --> 00:06:12.170 died that day, when they pierced him, surely 00:06:12.170 --> 00:06:15.610 this was the Son of God. And we had no clue. 00:06:15.730 --> 00:06:18.470 He is who he said he was. Why? Because the darkness. 00:06:18.670 --> 00:06:20.910 swept over, and the earth's quaking because of 00:06:20.910 --> 00:06:23.769 his voice. And truly, this is the Son of God. 00:06:23.889 --> 00:06:26.829 Then the stone rose, and everything he said came 00:06:26.829 --> 00:06:31.680 to be. Amen. why we think they're so unprecedented. 00:06:31.720 --> 00:06:35.100 All of Matthew 24 and Daniel and Revelation, 00:06:35.420 --> 00:06:37.939 all that stuff's going to come to pass. So, you 00:06:37.939 --> 00:06:40.500 know, just be prepared, amen, and be ready for 00:06:40.500 --> 00:06:42.540 it. But all the things that are happening in 00:06:42.540 --> 00:06:45.579 crisis that arise in our life, the words of today 00:06:45.579 --> 00:06:49.620 usher in reality that truly life is difficult 00:06:49.620 --> 00:06:52.519 and it grows more difficult. But for the child 00:06:52.519 --> 00:06:56.459 of God, there is, amen, there is a relief in 00:06:56.459 --> 00:06:59.220 the midst of the reality. And when we can't see, 00:06:59.240 --> 00:07:02.100 see around the corner, we know who is holding 00:07:02.100 --> 00:07:05.699 around the corner. God awaits you and I are there. 00:07:05.800 --> 00:07:08.779 Amen. He is waiting at that point. Whatever corner 00:07:08.779 --> 00:07:11.420 of life twists for you, God is already there 00:07:11.420 --> 00:07:13.879 waiting for you. Not only is he there waiting 00:07:13.879 --> 00:07:16.300 for you, he's walking with you as you approach 00:07:16.300 --> 00:07:19.519 every single day. I don't know about you, but 00:07:19.519 --> 00:07:21.959 it really excites me to know that God is waiting, 00:07:22.019 --> 00:07:24.399 but yet God is with me. There is no place in 00:07:24.399 --> 00:07:28.839 time where God is not. My Lord. That ought to 00:07:28.839 --> 00:07:31.860 cause somebody who's looking at the reality of 00:07:31.860 --> 00:07:34.939 natural events and give you a hope that carries 00:07:34.939 --> 00:07:38.019 you into the future with faith, trusting, and 00:07:38.019 --> 00:07:40.319 knowing that no matter what's around, it does 00:07:40.319 --> 00:07:43.660 not matter what's around the corner. God is around 00:07:43.660 --> 00:07:45.959 the corner. It doesn't matter the crisis of life. 00:07:46.019 --> 00:07:48.439 It doesn't matter the events of life. Just trust 00:07:48.439 --> 00:07:53.600 in God. And all the crisis that is going on and 00:07:53.600 --> 00:07:57.279 all the things that the church is having to function 00:07:57.279 --> 00:08:00.199 in and to work around and how we make our way 00:08:00.199 --> 00:08:03.120 through the realm of the normal and just the 00:08:03.120 --> 00:08:06.060 events of life. When we think about this passage, 00:08:06.160 --> 00:08:09.319 it's really a command for us, but one that is 00:08:09.319 --> 00:08:12.620 very difficult to obey at times. It's difficult 00:08:12.620 --> 00:08:15.600 to rejoice always because you don't always feel 00:08:15.600 --> 00:08:18.360 like rejoicing. But I don't know who needs this 00:08:18.360 --> 00:08:21.160 this morning, but take it from me. You're rejoicing. 00:08:21.199 --> 00:08:24.139 the Lord in the Lord and to the Lord has nothing 00:08:24.139 --> 00:08:27.019 to do with how you feel. It matters about who 00:08:27.019 --> 00:08:30.220 he is. It has nothing to do with how I feel. 00:08:30.279 --> 00:08:33.100 There's days I know that you feel like me. I 00:08:33.100 --> 00:08:35.340 really don't feel like rejoicing in the Lord. 00:08:35.419 --> 00:08:37.960 But when I begin to rejoice in the Lord and the 00:08:37.960 --> 00:08:40.279 help of the Lord shows up and the grace of the 00:08:40.279 --> 00:08:43.220 Lord enters my life, it puts a smile on my face 00:08:43.220 --> 00:08:45.659 that no matter the crisis or what's awaiting 00:08:45.659 --> 00:08:48.639 me around the next bend of life, I know God's 00:08:48.639 --> 00:08:51.029 going to be there. So I rejoice. Oh, that don't 00:08:51.029 --> 00:08:53.190 mean I don't pray because I follow the example. 00:08:53.470 --> 00:08:56.210 Oh, but I try not to be anxious for anything. 00:08:56.470 --> 00:08:59.610 I try not to worry and fret. But sometimes it's 00:08:59.610 --> 00:09:02.370 just a fact and the reality of my humanity and 00:09:02.370 --> 00:09:04.750 the fallen nature that I'm trying to be lifted 00:09:04.750 --> 00:09:08.370 in by his grace. I worry anyway and I fret anyway. 00:09:08.529 --> 00:09:11.570 But I have found when I begin to rejoice, there's 00:09:11.570 --> 00:09:14.490 no room for worry. There's no place for fretting. 00:09:14.509 --> 00:09:17.009 There's no place for doubt. Because when I begin 00:09:17.009 --> 00:09:19.470 to rejoice in the Lord and I call out on his 00:09:19.470 --> 00:09:22.129 name, name. His help shows up like he's moving 00:09:22.129 --> 00:09:25.269 on my life this very second. And when my help 00:09:25.269 --> 00:09:28.350 shows up, the encouragement shows up and it gives 00:09:28.350 --> 00:09:31.330 me the grace and the strength. That's how we 00:09:31.330 --> 00:09:41.009 go around every corner of life. So, faith for 00:09:41.009 --> 00:09:45.169 the future. We don't know what's around the corners, 00:09:45.309 --> 00:09:52.740 but we take faith into every turn. Hello? We 00:09:52.740 --> 00:09:56.740 take faith into every turn. Why? Because first 00:09:56.740 --> 00:10:02.519 of all, we face the future with the facts. And 00:10:02.519 --> 00:10:08.379 the fact is we have confidence in God. Confidence 00:10:08.379 --> 00:10:12.519 for the believer equals to the assurance that 00:10:12.519 --> 00:10:16.100 we have in every promise that is made. And that 00:10:16.100 --> 00:10:19.240 assurance is based upon the promise of his word. 00:10:20.190 --> 00:10:24.509 Amen? Now, it gives us a little bit of ground 00:10:24.509 --> 00:10:26.769 to stand on when we know exactly what confidence 00:10:26.769 --> 00:10:31.529 means. It's a feeling of trust, but it's more 00:10:31.529 --> 00:10:35.929 than that. It's a feeling of reliability, but 00:10:35.929 --> 00:10:38.509 it's more that you have confidence. There was 00:10:38.509 --> 00:10:41.750 a day when I didn't have, but today I've got 00:10:41.750 --> 00:10:44.210 confidence when I go out this morning and I crawl 00:10:44.210 --> 00:10:47.950 up in that old Jimmy Dale C and I turn the switch, 00:10:48.169 --> 00:10:51.690 it's going to crank. It's going to take me where 00:10:51.690 --> 00:10:54.549 I need to go. I have full confidence. There's 00:10:54.549 --> 00:10:57.190 been a day that I've got in vehicles that I've 00:10:57.190 --> 00:10:58.990 owned that I turned the switch and didn't have 00:10:58.990 --> 00:11:00.830 a lot of confidence anything was about to happen. 00:11:01.870 --> 00:11:03.950 I'll show you where my confidence lied in those 00:11:03.950 --> 00:11:07.330 days. I always parked on a hill with a scotch. 00:11:07.350 --> 00:11:10.049 How many knows what a scotch is? I always had 00:11:10.049 --> 00:11:11.909 a scotch in the back of that old piece of junk 00:11:11.909 --> 00:11:15.179 I drove, and I always parked on a slant. And 00:11:15.179 --> 00:11:17.580 I put the scotch under the wheel. And when you're 00:11:17.580 --> 00:11:20.179 by yourself, it's quite a trick to knock the 00:11:20.179 --> 00:11:22.679 scotch, get the scotch in the truck and get her 00:11:22.679 --> 00:11:25.259 farred. But if you do it three or four times, 00:11:25.580 --> 00:11:28.840 you kindly get good at it, amen. And all you 00:11:28.840 --> 00:11:31.019 need and all that old truck needed was just a 00:11:31.019 --> 00:11:33.580 little bit of nudge. Put her up in second, pop 00:11:33.580 --> 00:11:37.799 that clutch. And I had confidence when I got 00:11:37.799 --> 00:11:40.059 her to turn over that I'd get to where I was. 00:11:40.179 --> 00:11:42.179 It wasn't about getting there. It was about getting 00:11:42.179 --> 00:11:44.789 started. And that's the way it is. every day 00:11:44.789 --> 00:11:46.789 of your life. It ain't about what's around the 00:11:46.789 --> 00:11:49.570 corner. It's about getting up today and getting 00:11:49.570 --> 00:11:54.230 started. And I've got full confidence in the 00:11:54.230 --> 00:11:57.889 grace and the glory of God that enables me and 00:11:57.889 --> 00:12:05.269 strengthens me. Well, hallelujah. Some of you 00:12:05.269 --> 00:12:07.870 have never had an experience with a manual shift. 00:12:11.970 --> 00:12:16.070 You need to get one. Need to introduce each year 00:12:16.070 --> 00:12:22.690 into what a manual shift is. In the floor, anywhere 00:12:22.690 --> 00:12:26.649 you can get them. Clutch it. Sometimes you got 00:12:26.649 --> 00:12:28.529 to do that in life. You just got to clutch it. 00:12:31.870 --> 00:12:33.870 Remember being so poor, couldn't afford gas, 00:12:33.929 --> 00:12:35.529 so you stopped at the top of the mountain, you 00:12:35.529 --> 00:12:38.450 clutched her and throwed her up in neutral and 00:12:38.450 --> 00:12:44.629 let her roll, baby. Save gas. I'd even cut the 00:12:44.629 --> 00:12:47.289 thing off because I had confidence when I got 00:12:47.289 --> 00:12:49.789 toward the bottom. In third, I could pop the 00:12:49.789 --> 00:12:52.370 clutch with the switch on. We'd go on down the 00:12:52.370 --> 00:12:55.409 road. Oh, pastor, you're just saying that stuff. 00:12:55.549 --> 00:12:58.889 As God is my witness, I stand before you today 00:12:58.889 --> 00:13:02.470 and affirm the tale I just told you. Yeah, I've 00:13:02.470 --> 00:13:14.179 done it. It brings a new measure of faith. We 00:13:14.179 --> 00:13:16.740 face the future and what's around the corner 00:13:16.740 --> 00:13:20.980 with confidence. Moses in his closing address 00:13:20.980 --> 00:13:25.059 in Deuteronomy 31 to God's people says this, 00:13:25.100 --> 00:13:28.460 and the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee, 00:13:28.620 --> 00:13:35.159 he will be with you. Look where the onus is at. 00:13:35.240 --> 00:13:37.419 It's not Joshua who's going to be stepping up. 00:13:37.700 --> 00:13:41.000 I'm obviously not going. Moses is saying my trip 00:13:41.000 --> 00:13:45.710 ends here today. He will not fail thee, neither 00:13:45.710 --> 00:13:49.870 forsake thee, fear not, neither be dismayed. 00:13:49.950 --> 00:13:53.789 Now that word dismayed means discouraged, demoralized, 00:13:53.889 --> 00:13:59.690 downcast, depressed, perturbed, discombobulated, 00:13:59.830 --> 00:14:04.269 whatever you want. It means don't get dissed 00:14:04.269 --> 00:14:11.539 in any way. Don't get kicked out of joint. Don't 00:14:11.539 --> 00:14:14.519 be dismayed. God has made a promise. And he made 00:14:14.519 --> 00:14:17.899 it and reassured it after Moses is dead. In Joshua 00:14:17.899 --> 00:14:21.179 1, the man of God, Joshua, the minister that 00:14:21.179 --> 00:14:24.019 washed the hands of Moses, the man of God, God 00:14:24.019 --> 00:14:26.659 appeared to him and said, as I was with Moses, 00:14:26.820 --> 00:14:30.200 so will I be with you. And he said, be strong 00:14:30.200 --> 00:14:34.480 and courageous. Be strong and courageous. Amen. 00:14:34.500 --> 00:14:37.220 Because you have this confidence. If I was with 00:14:37.220 --> 00:14:39.919 Moses, I'm going to be with you. Somebody needs 00:14:39.919 --> 00:14:42.960 to hear that. morning. There are no respecter 00:14:42.960 --> 00:14:45.120 of a person in the kingdom of heaven. There's 00:14:45.120 --> 00:14:48.000 no big eyes or little you. I know people's pride 00:14:48.000 --> 00:14:50.919 lift them up. But you're no lower down than I 00:14:50.919 --> 00:14:53.980 am. And I'm no higher up than you are. We are 00:14:53.980 --> 00:14:57.940 all in the same position. He's no respecter. 00:14:58.019 --> 00:15:00.980 And if he's with you, then he's with me. And 00:15:00.980 --> 00:15:04.120 if he's with me, then he's with you. He's with 00:15:04.120 --> 00:15:07.320 us all. My God, take confidence in knowing God 00:15:07.320 --> 00:15:22.879 is with you. Don't be discombobulated. Just because 00:15:22.879 --> 00:15:24.580 you get around the corner and there's something 00:15:24.580 --> 00:15:33.500 there. Man, Cameron had his first little run 00:15:33.500 --> 00:15:37.940 with the ditch the other day. As a new driver, 00:15:38.100 --> 00:15:43.789 everybody's got to go in one at some point. He 00:15:43.789 --> 00:15:45.950 swerved amidst some living creature in the road 00:15:45.950 --> 00:15:50.389 and ended up in my ditch. And I had failed to 00:15:50.389 --> 00:15:53.309 give him the instruction that I gave his aunt, 00:15:53.429 --> 00:15:56.970 uncle, and mama. And so I gave it to him the 00:15:56.970 --> 00:16:02.289 other day. I said, we don't swerve. You break. 00:16:02.529 --> 00:16:05.750 You don't lock it up. You break. I said, we don't 00:16:05.750 --> 00:16:09.830 swerve for snakes, possums, rabbits, coons, squirrels, 00:16:09.850 --> 00:16:16.129 deer. Maybe a cow, depending on how big. Or a 00:16:16.129 --> 00:16:21.289 horse if they're running up and down. But don't 00:16:21.289 --> 00:16:24.950 swerve. I said, I hate it. I've squashed them 00:16:24.950 --> 00:16:30.769 in this world, but I am not. Hit no ditch. You 00:16:30.769 --> 00:16:32.570 got time for one little funny tale, I'll tell 00:16:32.570 --> 00:16:34.809 you. Don't take this out of my preaching time. 00:16:36.669 --> 00:16:43.000 I had been to a dentist in Nashville. Now, God's 00:16:43.000 --> 00:16:46.019 good. He provides, right? But this goes back 00:16:46.019 --> 00:16:47.879 to some of that support time that you couldn't 00:16:47.879 --> 00:16:50.620 go to the real dentist. You know what I'm saying? 00:16:51.779 --> 00:16:55.000 Our little old church we pastored, there was 00:16:55.000 --> 00:16:56.919 19 when we went there, and it was up to about 00:16:56.919 --> 00:17:00.100 45 or 50 by this time. But, man, I had to go 00:17:00.100 --> 00:17:02.840 to the dentist. And the health department, Spencer, 00:17:03.080 --> 00:17:05.319 Tennessee, had done some dental work. But what 00:17:05.319 --> 00:17:07.559 I had to do, now, look, people, you don't want 00:17:07.559 --> 00:17:10.779 to go to the health department, Spencer. Let 00:17:10.779 --> 00:17:14.799 me know where Spencer's at. That's not where 00:17:14.799 --> 00:17:18.200 you want to go for dental work. But when you've 00:17:18.200 --> 00:17:20.079 got confidence in God, you get an appointment 00:17:20.079 --> 00:17:25.640 that's free anywhere you can get it. Hello? So 00:17:25.640 --> 00:17:32.359 they referred me to the dental school in Nashville. 00:17:33.859 --> 00:17:41.750 Yeah, you're right. So on my way back, I was 00:17:41.750 --> 00:17:43.529 in some more kind of hurting, you know what I'm 00:17:43.529 --> 00:17:46.809 saying? And we're just real close to the house, 00:17:46.849 --> 00:17:50.430 and somebody's dog. Now, I know there's a lot 00:17:50.430 --> 00:17:53.369 of dog lovers, but I don't swerve for dogs. I'm 00:17:53.369 --> 00:17:56.289 sorry. Mine or anybody else's. I'm not putting 00:17:56.289 --> 00:17:58.289 myself or anybody with me in that kind of danger. 00:17:59.369 --> 00:18:03.109 You do you. Take the ditch. You do you. But anyway, 00:18:03.390 --> 00:18:05.589 I mean, I'm hurting. I'm just trying to get home 00:18:05.589 --> 00:18:08.349 and take some of that pain medicine they give 00:18:08.349 --> 00:18:11.630 me. And I was within two miles of the parsonage. 00:18:12.130 --> 00:18:14.730 And I'm leaned over, got one hand on the wheel, 00:18:14.849 --> 00:18:18.869 holding my jaw like this. And one of the neighbor's 00:18:18.869 --> 00:18:22.930 dogs come out. And son, I thunk rolled that thing. 00:18:23.049 --> 00:18:29.650 It went, yeah. And I'm sorry. Just, I'm me. So, 00:18:29.650 --> 00:18:33.589 and this is not on my preach time. So, I go on 00:18:33.589 --> 00:18:37.990 by, right? And I have to pass a church member's 00:18:37.990 --> 00:18:42.630 house. To get to mine. And they heard it. And 00:18:42.630 --> 00:18:47.109 saw it. And they didn't recognize my truck. So 00:18:47.109 --> 00:18:49.089 when I went by. And they flipped me off. It made 00:18:49.089 --> 00:18:59.630 me mad. So. In the painful state that I was in. 00:18:59.750 --> 00:19:03.730 I hit my driveway. And did a big Yui. And went 00:19:03.730 --> 00:19:10.559 back. Pulled in. And I said excuse me. I saw 00:19:10.559 --> 00:19:14.920 the wave, and I told them, I don't break for 00:19:14.920 --> 00:19:20.099 dogs. Get the thing out the road. Now back to 00:19:20.099 --> 00:19:25.720 preaching. That's just purely had to get it off 00:19:25.720 --> 00:19:29.980 of my mind because it just popped up, and it's 00:19:29.980 --> 00:19:33.000 a point. Cameron, we don't swerve for critters. 00:19:36.859 --> 00:19:42.829 We don't take ditches. For critters. So when 00:19:42.829 --> 00:19:45.069 you get discombobulated, there's two more points, 00:19:45.089 --> 00:20:46.700 by the way. Now then, how'd you like to be sound 00:20:46.700 --> 00:20:49.400 man up here in front of y 'all? He was shaking, 00:20:49.460 --> 00:20:50.660 trying to put them batteries in. He never has 00:20:50.660 --> 00:20:54.440 that much trouble putting the battery in. He 00:20:54.440 --> 00:21:02.180 said, Lord, help us. Woo! Confidence for what's 00:21:02.180 --> 00:21:05.440 around the corner. We don't become discombobulated 00:21:05.440 --> 00:21:09.210 because God is on our side. His word is already 00:21:09.210 --> 00:21:11.430 the confidence that we have. The promise that 00:21:11.430 --> 00:21:13.750 he's given is already belonging to you and I. 00:21:13.990 --> 00:21:17.109 I will go with you. Moses said, he's going. He's 00:21:17.109 --> 00:21:18.589 going to do this. He's going to do that. Not 00:21:18.589 --> 00:21:21.730 me. He, he, he. In reference to God and to God 00:21:21.730 --> 00:21:25.289 alone. And do not be fearful and do not be dismayed. 00:21:25.390 --> 00:21:28.309 Again, discouraged, demoralized. Sometimes there's 00:21:28.309 --> 00:21:29.990 things that are around the corner that actually 00:21:29.990 --> 00:21:34.269 demoralize us. It sucks all of the life out of 00:21:34.269 --> 00:21:37.150 you. Amen. Every ounce of faith seemingly gets 00:21:37.150 --> 00:21:40.549 drained. at one crisis that you don't see coming 00:21:40.549 --> 00:21:43.690 and you get around a corner and you get blindsided 00:21:43.690 --> 00:21:46.829 by it. Proverbs 3, 26 declares, For the Lord 00:21:46.829 --> 00:21:49.990 shall be thy confidence and shall keep your foot 00:21:49.990 --> 00:21:53.470 from being taken. The reason that Paul in this 00:21:53.470 --> 00:21:55.950 Philippian jail could be an encouragement to 00:21:55.950 --> 00:21:58.390 those who are around him and whom this letter 00:21:58.390 --> 00:22:00.730 is addressed is because he can declare to be 00:22:00.730 --> 00:22:03.490 anxious for nothing in reference to 1 and 6 of 00:22:03.490 --> 00:22:05.609 that earlier letter that he's written here in 00:22:05.609 --> 00:22:08.559 chapter 1. confident of this very thing that 00:22:08.559 --> 00:22:10.779 he which hath begun a good work in you will perform 00:22:10.779 --> 00:22:13.500 it until the day of Jesus Christ. That's the 00:22:13.500 --> 00:22:15.880 reason he could tell them to be anxious for nothing 00:22:15.880 --> 00:22:19.059 but to pray and to rejoice always and that's 00:22:19.059 --> 00:22:21.400 the reason a little bit later on he could declare 00:22:21.400 --> 00:22:23.880 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens 00:22:23.880 --> 00:22:26.220 me. The reason he can say all of that is because 00:22:26.220 --> 00:22:28.740 in the sixth verse of the first chapter he says 00:22:28.740 --> 00:22:31.440 this is my confidence that he that begun a good 00:22:31.440 --> 00:22:34.059 work in me is able to complete it. Somebody needs 00:22:34.059 --> 00:22:36.829 to hear that today. Let all hell come. down around 00:22:36.829 --> 00:22:39.829 you and come down on you and rise up in front 00:22:39.829 --> 00:22:42.910 of you. It does not matter because you are able 00:22:42.910 --> 00:22:45.509 to have the same confidence that he that begun 00:22:45.509 --> 00:22:50.450 a good work in you is also able to complete it. 00:22:50.529 --> 00:22:54.150 See, we forget who we serve because of the crisis 00:22:54.150 --> 00:22:57.359 of life. We get demoralized. we get diminished 00:22:57.359 --> 00:23:00.279 in our faith and we can't even hardly pray but 00:23:00.279 --> 00:23:03.180 if we can find a way to rejoice in the midst 00:23:03.180 --> 00:23:05.440 of the valleys in the midst of the darkness and 00:23:05.440 --> 00:23:08.079 not be worrisome and fearsome and be anxious 00:23:08.079 --> 00:23:10.859 but just trust in him the confidence that he 00:23:10.859 --> 00:23:13.460 gives he's not brought you this far to leave 00:23:13.460 --> 00:23:20.400 you I mean I don't know what we think sometimes 00:23:20.400 --> 00:23:23.519 I think we start believing the lie that gets 00:23:23.519 --> 00:23:26.160 fed to us from the enemy Oh, God don't love you. 00:23:28.980 --> 00:23:32.940 I mean, I don't understand you. I don't understand 00:23:32.940 --> 00:23:35.359 myself if I begin to believe that. I don't understand 00:23:35.359 --> 00:23:40.220 that. I know better than that. The devil's the 00:23:40.220 --> 00:23:46.759 liar, not God. He doesn't even possess the ability 00:23:46.759 --> 00:23:52.160 to lie. And he said that he wouldn't leave me. 00:23:53.069 --> 00:23:57.450 He's told you he will not forsake you. He has 00:23:57.450 --> 00:24:00.670 declared to us all that I will go with you even 00:24:00.670 --> 00:24:06.039 all the way to the end of the age. Either he 00:24:06.039 --> 00:24:08.839 is God's son who was raised from the dead and 00:24:08.839 --> 00:24:12.160 his promises are sure or he's not. And if he 00:24:12.160 --> 00:24:15.099 is, as we've already discussed that he is, and 00:24:15.099 --> 00:24:17.519 that being that he is, then let your confidence 00:24:17.519 --> 00:24:20.660 be in him. He saved you. He redeemed you. He 00:24:20.660 --> 00:24:23.660 will not forsake you. Yes, you may have to walk 00:24:23.660 --> 00:24:25.880 through some dark times. Yes, you may have to 00:24:25.880 --> 00:24:28.079 fight your way through the wilderness. Yes, there's 00:24:28.079 --> 00:24:30.299 a devil waiting around every corner that needs 00:24:30.299 --> 00:24:33.039 slapped in the mouth and told to get behind you. 00:24:33.119 --> 00:24:36.240 Every which way you go. It is there, but rejoice 00:24:36.240 --> 00:24:40.539 because greater is he that's in you than he that 00:24:40.539 --> 00:24:44.279 is in this world. Let your confidence be in him. 00:24:45.539 --> 00:24:51.720 You face the future with confidence. See, part 00:24:51.720 --> 00:24:53.980 of our problem with confidence is God because 00:24:53.980 --> 00:24:56.720 most of us don't have enough confidence in ourself. 00:25:01.339 --> 00:25:03.680 Oh, I know how we think about ourselves sometimes. 00:25:06.410 --> 00:25:12.849 Oh, I'm not worthy. Well, yes, you are. Well, 00:25:12.869 --> 00:25:16.029 I'm nothing. No, you're not. You're something. 00:25:18.309 --> 00:25:23.230 You're someone. Well, who am I, pastor? For God 00:25:23.230 --> 00:25:27.369 so loved the world. I've already told you he's 00:25:27.369 --> 00:25:30.750 not a respecter. If he died for me, he died for 00:25:30.750 --> 00:25:36.980 you. Get a little more self -assurance. In the 00:25:36.980 --> 00:25:40.019 confidence that you have knowing farewell that 00:25:40.019 --> 00:25:43.119 it's not your strength but his that enables you 00:25:43.119 --> 00:25:47.599 to go every day. Therefore rejoice. While we 00:25:47.599 --> 00:25:51.380 are often overwhelmed with frustration, doubt, 00:25:51.759 --> 00:25:56.319 fear, the church should take comfort in knowing 00:25:56.319 --> 00:26:02.400 1 John 5, 14 and this is the confidence that 00:26:02.400 --> 00:26:06.339 we have in him. If we ask anything according 00:26:06.339 --> 00:26:13.500 to his will, he hears us. Now, be careful with 00:26:13.500 --> 00:26:17.859 how you pray and what you ask for. About 87 .6 00:26:17.859 --> 00:26:21.700 % of what we ask for is not his will. So don't 00:26:21.700 --> 00:26:24.400 get discombobulated, disjointed when you don't 00:26:24.400 --> 00:26:29.779 get it. Because the correlation is his will. 00:26:33.319 --> 00:26:35.380 And his will is different than mine and yours. 00:26:36.519 --> 00:26:42.799 You have a will for your own life. I will that 00:26:42.799 --> 00:26:47.380 I have everything I want. Poof. God says, no. 00:26:48.819 --> 00:26:54.420 But I'll supply you need. Part of our problem 00:26:54.420 --> 00:26:56.740 is what we want most of the time ain't what we 00:26:56.740 --> 00:27:00.819 need. Moving right along. You look around the 00:27:00.819 --> 00:27:04.859 corner and you face. The future with, it ain't 00:27:04.859 --> 00:27:08.619 even 12. You face the future with that courage 00:27:08.619 --> 00:27:13.519 that we discussed already. Paul had more than 00:27:13.519 --> 00:27:17.380 one crisis in his life. He turned a blind corner 00:27:17.380 --> 00:27:21.299 more than one time, didn't he? But he was more 00:27:21.299 --> 00:27:25.220 than just able to cope. Sometimes we just try 00:27:25.220 --> 00:27:30.240 to cope. You know, the Holy Ghost is not just 00:27:30.240 --> 00:27:37.480 a coping mechanism. My Lord. But it's that peace 00:27:37.480 --> 00:27:40.220 that passes all understanding is how we cope. 00:27:40.740 --> 00:27:44.140 That's your coping mechanism. He's already provided 00:27:44.140 --> 00:27:48.960 it for you. It's that hope that we have in him. 00:27:49.609 --> 00:27:52.390 The confidence that I have in him, that's how 00:27:52.390 --> 00:27:55.549 I cope. The power of the Holy Ghost enables me 00:27:55.549 --> 00:28:00.029 to be victorious, not just cope. And somebody 00:28:00.029 --> 00:28:02.730 needs to rise up and do more than just cope with 00:28:02.730 --> 00:28:05.230 your crisis. You need to rise up and take the 00:28:05.230 --> 00:28:07.490 authority that's been given to you as a blood 00:28:07.490 --> 00:28:09.869 -bought, born -again, hopefully spirit -filled 00:28:09.869 --> 00:28:13.190 child of God and exercise the authority and the 00:28:13.190 --> 00:28:16.309 power that he's given you to claim the victory 00:28:16.309 --> 00:28:26.039 that he's already won. Verse 20, chapter 1 there, 00:28:26.140 --> 00:28:28.420 it said, According to my earnest expectation 00:28:28.420 --> 00:28:34.119 and my hope, with all boldness, Christ shall 00:28:34.119 --> 00:28:40.980 be magnified in my body. How are we at doing 00:28:40.980 --> 00:28:45.640 some of that stuff? Or we got the hee -haw syndrome, 00:28:45.880 --> 00:28:50.619 woe is me, um, despair. If it wasn't for bad 00:28:50.619 --> 00:28:52.700 luck, I'd have no luck at all. I don't have luck. 00:28:53.259 --> 00:28:55.779 I'm sorry. And neither do you. You can believe 00:28:55.779 --> 00:28:58.920 all you want to in a look. Got nothing to do 00:28:58.920 --> 00:29:02.559 with luck. It has all to do with the two forces 00:29:02.559 --> 00:29:07.319 that are trying to invade your life. That's what 00:29:07.319 --> 00:29:09.240 it's all about. You either got the devil coming 00:29:09.240 --> 00:29:12.460 against you or God going for you. And matter 00:29:12.460 --> 00:29:14.880 of fact, both of those happen in your life simultaneously 00:29:14.880 --> 00:29:20.640 daily. The old adage is true. If the devil ain't 00:29:20.640 --> 00:29:22.420 after you, he's already got you. And so you don't 00:29:22.420 --> 00:29:31.160 have to mess with you. So if there's one thing 00:29:31.160 --> 00:29:35.420 I'm assured of, he don't have me. Because he 00:29:35.420 --> 00:29:39.380 sure don't leave me alone. He's relentless in 00:29:39.380 --> 00:29:44.750 his pursuit. Amen. And somebody said, well, once 00:29:44.750 --> 00:29:47.049 you get saved, you don't have to face the devil 00:29:47.049 --> 00:29:49.369 anymore. I said, what salvation do you have? 00:29:51.190 --> 00:29:53.920 That ain't the one I signed up and got. That's 00:29:53.920 --> 00:29:56.240 not the one I've stepped into. That's not the 00:29:56.240 --> 00:29:58.619 Christ that I've accepted. That's not the sin 00:29:58.619 --> 00:30:00.880 that's been purged from my life. This relationship 00:30:00.880 --> 00:30:03.940 that I have puts a target on my back. Why? Because 00:30:03.940 --> 00:30:06.220 the devil knows his end, and he wants everyone 00:30:06.220 --> 00:30:08.799 else to join him in that end, and therefore he 00:30:08.799 --> 00:30:11.779 does everything that he can to see that you follow 00:30:11.779 --> 00:30:17.819 him in that pursuit. Man, wouldn't it be nice 00:30:17.819 --> 00:30:21.400 if he's that way? One little trip to the altar. 00:30:23.339 --> 00:30:30.779 You good? It's a straight road, no corners. Road 00:30:30.779 --> 00:30:37.299 I'm traveling, the book says it's narrow. And 00:30:37.299 --> 00:30:39.599 few there be that find it. Probably like the 00:30:39.599 --> 00:30:43.740 tail of the dragon. That's the road I'm on. That's 00:30:43.740 --> 00:30:45.740 the one I'm riding in life. Whoa, there's another 00:30:45.740 --> 00:30:48.559 curve. Whoa, there's another curve. When's this 00:30:48.559 --> 00:30:54.460 thing going straight now? 11 miles ahead. When's 00:30:54.460 --> 00:30:56.119 this life going to get straight? When's things 00:30:56.119 --> 00:30:59.640 going to get easier? What a day that will be 00:30:59.640 --> 00:31:03.160 when my Jesus eyes. That's when it's going to 00:31:03.160 --> 00:31:05.079 get simpler. That's when it's going to get easier. 00:31:05.200 --> 00:31:08.180 But what I have learned as I condition my faith 00:31:08.180 --> 00:31:11.140 for the future, my faith in God leads me every 00:31:11.140 --> 00:31:13.259 time I turn around a corner, I look down and 00:31:13.259 --> 00:31:18.359 say, oh, it's you again. I don't get so discombobulated 00:31:18.359 --> 00:31:22.079 as I used to. It's a little harder for him to 00:31:22.079 --> 00:31:26.779 demoralize me now than before. Huh? Yeah, I'm 00:31:26.779 --> 00:31:31.779 thinking, my God. What else? Hello? Come on, 00:31:31.819 --> 00:31:38.640 somebody. What else? What else? I have confidence 00:31:38.640 --> 00:31:42.579 in whatever the else may end up being, that God 00:31:42.579 --> 00:31:46.119 will not forsake me in that either. 2 Timothy 00:31:46.119 --> 00:31:50.809 2 .16, and at first answer, this is Paul. writing 00:31:50.809 --> 00:31:52.910 to the young evangelist, the young Pastor Timothy, 00:31:53.109 --> 00:31:59.490 that son of the faith, at my first answer, no 00:31:59.490 --> 00:32:06.390 man stood with me, but all men forsook me. I 00:32:06.390 --> 00:32:10.190 pray God that it may not be laid to their charge. 00:32:12.109 --> 00:32:14.269 Paul's finally made it through one of those trials 00:32:14.269 --> 00:32:17.589 and to one of those trials, but he had no supporters 00:32:17.589 --> 00:32:23.779 with him. Nobody went to trial with him. No one 00:32:23.779 --> 00:32:26.920 stood by him and affirmed his testimony in Christ 00:32:26.920 --> 00:32:31.440 being the Son of God. He didn't see that coming 00:32:31.440 --> 00:32:34.420 around the corner. Or he wouldn't have written 00:32:34.420 --> 00:32:38.039 this just this way to Timothy. Timothy, I got 00:32:38.039 --> 00:32:43.220 there and I was all alone. Come on now. Have 00:32:43.220 --> 00:32:45.259 you ever showed up there and you thought you'd 00:32:45.259 --> 00:32:47.660 have some help? You thought somebody said, well, 00:32:47.660 --> 00:32:50.460 I'll be there. I'll be there. What time? And 00:32:50.460 --> 00:32:55.319 you get there, and it's you. Huh? Paul said, 00:32:55.400 --> 00:32:59.619 Timothy, when I got there, I had no one stood 00:32:59.619 --> 00:33:03.700 with me. And I pray that God, these evidently 00:33:03.700 --> 00:33:07.579 were some good old faithful brothers. Because 00:33:07.579 --> 00:33:09.740 he's praying for them. I pray God don't hold 00:33:09.740 --> 00:33:12.859 it to their charge. My Lord, I'm praying that 00:33:12.859 --> 00:33:15.519 same prayer, Lord. I hope you don't hold my negligence 00:33:15.519 --> 00:33:22.019 somewhere along the way against me. But it wasn't 00:33:22.019 --> 00:33:23.980 a man he needed around that corner. Look at this, 00:33:24.000 --> 00:33:29.380 verse 17. Notwithstanding. You can read one of 00:33:29.380 --> 00:33:31.319 them new versions if you want to, but I just 00:33:31.319 --> 00:33:35.460 like this old stuff right here. Notwithstanding. 00:33:36.910 --> 00:33:42.309 The Lord stood with me and he strengthened me. 00:33:44.130 --> 00:33:47.960 Look, what does that mean? There comes a point 00:33:47.960 --> 00:33:49.980 in life when you turn so many corners and there's 00:33:49.980 --> 00:33:52.180 so many obstacles and the enemy faces you in 00:33:52.180 --> 00:33:54.660 so many of them. It comes a point when you really 00:33:54.660 --> 00:33:57.000 don't care if anybody stands with you because 00:33:57.000 --> 00:33:59.500 you know God's going to be with you. I hope he 00:33:59.500 --> 00:34:02.039 don't hold it to their charge. Notwithstanding, 00:34:02.039 --> 00:34:05.720 I still was not by myself. The Lord stood by 00:34:05.720 --> 00:34:09.360 me. Come on, my God. The next crisis of your 00:34:09.360 --> 00:34:12.159 life, if you've got that confidence, the Lord. 00:34:12.360 --> 00:34:15.280 And what do you do? You take great courage. All 00:34:15.280 --> 00:34:18.010 of a sudden, You get your backbone back. You 00:34:18.010 --> 00:34:20.409 get your shoulders up. Why? Because you know 00:34:20.409 --> 00:34:23.110 that your God's bigger than they got. And he's 00:34:23.110 --> 00:34:26.829 standing with you. He's on your side. Amen. And 00:34:26.829 --> 00:34:31.989 you know that you're not. The Lord stood with 00:34:31.989 --> 00:34:43.449 me. And he strengthened. Courage. Isaiah 41 .10, 00:34:43.590 --> 00:34:45.530 fear thou not. I'm just trying to give us some 00:34:45.530 --> 00:34:48.590 courage. Fear thou not, for I am with thee. This 00:34:48.590 --> 00:34:52.570 is the Lord speaking. Be not dismayed. Don't 00:34:52.570 --> 00:34:55.829 make me go through that list again. For I am 00:34:55.829 --> 00:35:00.809 thy God. I will strengthen thee. Yes, I will 00:35:00.809 --> 00:35:06.670 help thee. I will uphold thee with the right 00:35:06.670 --> 00:35:12.539 hand of my righteousness. Psalm 31, 24. Be of 00:35:12.539 --> 00:35:15.719 good courage. He shall strengthen your heart. 00:35:16.199 --> 00:35:18.460 All you that hope in the Lord. How many is hoping 00:35:18.460 --> 00:35:21.000 in the Lord this morning? Be of good courage. 00:35:22.380 --> 00:35:25.699 Psalm 27, 14. Wait on the Lord. Be of good courage. 00:35:26.079 --> 00:35:30.219 And he shall strengthen thine heart. Wait, I 00:35:30.219 --> 00:35:32.119 say, on the Lord. Sometimes that's what we need. 00:35:32.179 --> 00:35:33.780 We need that peace that passes all understanding 00:35:33.780 --> 00:35:36.500 to strengthen our heart so that we can continue 00:35:36.500 --> 00:35:42.530 to wait on the Lord. Because the old songwriter 00:35:42.530 --> 00:35:48.349 penned it right. He's always on time. He may 00:35:48.349 --> 00:35:52.150 not come when you want him to, but he'll always 00:35:52.150 --> 00:35:58.010 be on time. My Lord, he's never late. He's never 00:35:58.010 --> 00:36:04.610 early. He shows up right when you need him. So 00:36:04.610 --> 00:36:09.469 don't panic. Don't be dismayed in all that that 00:36:09.469 --> 00:36:16.699 entails. You face what's around the corner with 00:36:16.699 --> 00:36:20.019 the faith for the future. You have to diminish 00:36:20.019 --> 00:36:26.940 fear. Okay? You can't let fear reign in your 00:36:26.940 --> 00:36:31.920 life. Are you hearing me? Well, how do I do that? 00:36:31.960 --> 00:36:35.659 Well, get in your Bible. Do your little word 00:36:35.659 --> 00:36:43.440 search. Be not afraid. Fear not. In any way you 00:36:43.440 --> 00:36:45.869 can. Type it in. You're going to come up with 00:36:45.869 --> 00:36:48.250 it. In the King James Version, you'll come up 00:36:48.250 --> 00:36:54.210 with 365 correlating verses that will encourage 00:36:54.210 --> 00:36:58.269 you not to be afraid. What's that matter? That's 00:36:58.269 --> 00:37:01.369 one for every day. And you don't even have to 00:37:01.369 --> 00:37:07.909 do a do -overs except on leap year. Pick your 00:37:07.909 --> 00:37:10.269 favorite and read it on the 29th of February 00:37:10.269 --> 00:37:19.269 every seven years. The Lord did that on purpose. 00:37:21.630 --> 00:37:25.769 It was intentional. It wasn't a typo. It's not 00:37:25.769 --> 00:37:30.170 an error. He wanted you to know that every day 00:37:30.170 --> 00:37:33.070 that you live, you don't have to be afraid. You 00:37:33.070 --> 00:37:39.769 don't have to live in fear. Rational fear. Fear 00:37:39.769 --> 00:37:41.710 is something that presents clear and present 00:37:41.710 --> 00:37:46.690 danger. There are those things out there. That's 00:37:46.690 --> 00:37:51.530 rational, right? It's real. Irrational fear. 00:37:52.190 --> 00:37:55.469 It's a type of fear that individuals experience 00:37:55.469 --> 00:38:01.610 that really have no necessary basis behind it. 00:38:03.969 --> 00:38:11.800 Like being afraid of me. There's folks that won't 00:38:11.800 --> 00:38:15.139 even approach me. They'll go through a mediary. 00:38:17.820 --> 00:38:19.760 I said, why didn't they just come? Well, they 00:38:19.760 --> 00:38:28.300 was afraid to. Lord, I'm your pastor. I'm not 00:38:28.300 --> 00:38:32.599 going to kill you, skin you, and eat you. Come 00:38:32.599 --> 00:38:37.280 by and talk to me. Share your heart. Some answers 00:38:37.280 --> 00:38:39.260 you may like, some you may not. Now, if that's 00:38:39.260 --> 00:38:40.920 what you're afraid of, then just keep going through 00:38:40.920 --> 00:38:50.960 your mediator. But it is an irrational fear. 00:38:53.239 --> 00:39:00.539 Now, my children, for them it was rational. Imagine 00:39:00.539 --> 00:39:05.550 the fear. It's the fear that you feel when you're 00:39:05.550 --> 00:39:09.210 thinking of something in the future that worries 00:39:09.210 --> 00:39:18.050 or scares you. And the odds are very slim that 00:39:18.050 --> 00:39:21.949 it actually comes to pass anyway. We imagine 00:39:21.949 --> 00:39:29.250 things. And we make Mount Everest out of molehills. 00:39:29.550 --> 00:39:31.329 How many of you have ever stepped on a molehill 00:39:31.329 --> 00:39:41.739 in the yard? Kind of sinks down, don't it? Somehow 00:39:41.739 --> 00:39:45.119 in the crisis of life, you have to refuse to 00:39:45.119 --> 00:39:53.219 allow it to paralyze you. Fear halts faith, feeds 00:39:53.219 --> 00:39:56.800 doubt, resists by all means necessary the urge 00:39:56.800 --> 00:40:00.900 to panic, but have a calculated response through 00:40:00.900 --> 00:40:04.400 faith. to everything that you get coming around 00:40:04.400 --> 00:40:10.219 the corner. Psalm is said in 56 and 3, what time 00:40:10.219 --> 00:40:14.599 I am afraid, I will trust in thee. That's those 00:40:14.599 --> 00:40:20.260 rational moments. But you don't panic. You trust 00:40:20.260 --> 00:40:25.699 in the Lord. You take courage in the Lord. You 00:40:25.699 --> 00:40:32.719 have confidence in the Lord. It doesn't mean 00:40:32.719 --> 00:40:34.900 that negative things won't happen in our life. 00:40:35.340 --> 00:40:38.480 It means when they do, that God will be there 00:40:38.480 --> 00:40:43.539 with us and for us. Doesn't always mean that 00:40:43.539 --> 00:40:45.300 he's going to do it the way you tell him to do 00:40:45.300 --> 00:40:50.139 it. But it does mean that his will will be fulfilled 00:40:50.139 --> 00:40:53.800 in our life. You do realize that's what prayer 00:40:53.800 --> 00:40:58.980 is. It's not changing God, it's bending our will 00:40:58.980 --> 00:41:10.730 to his. God has promised faith for the future 00:41:10.730 --> 00:41:14.929 of his people. Jeremiah 29 and 11, For I know 00:41:14.929 --> 00:41:16.690 the thoughts that I think towards you, saith 00:41:16.690 --> 00:41:21.769 the Lord, thoughts of peace, not of evil, to 00:41:21.769 --> 00:41:24.570 give you an expected end. God has an expectation 00:41:24.570 --> 00:41:27.789 for you. Paul had an earnest expectation that 00:41:27.789 --> 00:41:31.190 we read just a while ago in Philippians 1. He 00:41:31.190 --> 00:41:33.969 had an expectation of the work that God began 00:41:33.969 --> 00:41:39.409 in him. He was able. To complete it. We have 00:41:39.409 --> 00:41:46.289 this. This understanding. This expected end. 00:41:48.730 --> 00:41:51.730 In case you haven't read it, it's a big city. 00:41:53.230 --> 00:41:59.789 It's coming down. It has beautiful walls. Gate 00:41:59.789 --> 00:42:05.070 of Pearl. There's no light in that city. For 00:42:05.070 --> 00:42:14.090 Jesus is going to be there. Take confidence in 00:42:14.090 --> 00:42:20.409 that. Take courage in that. Sing the old hymn, 00:42:20.530 --> 00:42:23.570 I shall not be moved. Like a tree planted by 00:42:23.570 --> 00:42:25.329 the water, I shall not be moved. Stand with me, 00:42:25.349 --> 00:42:30.210 I'm going to quit. Jeremiah 33 and 3, Brother 00:42:30.210 --> 00:42:33.829 Ken's favorite verse. His life verse. Call unto 00:42:33.829 --> 00:42:35.489 me and I will answer thee and show thee great 00:42:35.489 --> 00:42:39.619 and mighty things which thou knowest not. As 00:42:39.619 --> 00:42:41.920 believers, as children of God, we turn to the 00:42:41.920 --> 00:42:46.099 word of God for our take on the future and the 00:42:46.099 --> 00:42:50.239 expectation that we have. God has promised us 00:42:50.239 --> 00:42:56.179 a future based on the return of his son. John 00:42:56.179 --> 00:42:59.300 14, let not your hearts be troubled. Jesus speaking, 00:42:59.400 --> 00:43:02.500 it's in red. You believe in God, believe also 00:43:02.500 --> 00:43:04.559 in me, for in my Father's house there are many 00:43:04.559 --> 00:43:08.280 mansions. And I'm going to prepare a place for 00:43:08.280 --> 00:43:15.320 you that where I am there you may be also. That's 00:43:15.320 --> 00:43:25.539 what I'm expecting. Nothing less. Amen? My expectation 00:43:25.539 --> 00:43:28.719 is that there is a robe of righteousness that 00:43:28.719 --> 00:43:32.960 he'll put on me. That's my expectation. I don't 00:43:32.960 --> 00:43:34.480 know about you, but when I go somewhere, if it's 00:43:34.480 --> 00:43:35.980 on a menu and it's supposed to come with it, 00:43:36.000 --> 00:43:41.719 I want it. Hello? You advertise that. I want 00:43:41.719 --> 00:43:44.719 that. I may not eat it, but I'm paying for it. 00:43:46.920 --> 00:43:52.619 Hello? No, it's not hold the pickles or hold 00:43:52.619 --> 00:43:54.280 the onion. Somebody else might want the onion. 00:43:54.360 --> 00:44:06.750 Put it on the side. Paid for an onion. It's the 00:44:06.750 --> 00:44:11.030 future. I don't know what's around the next corner 00:44:11.030 --> 00:44:16.449 of life's road that we're traveling. You don't 00:44:16.449 --> 00:44:21.909 either. But I'm not going to be in fear of taking 00:44:21.909 --> 00:44:27.630 the turn. Don't be afraid to go around the corner. 00:44:30.889 --> 00:44:33.610 Because one sure thing awaits you around the 00:44:33.610 --> 00:44:36.360 corner, and that's God. Child of God, he's there 00:44:36.360 --> 00:44:43.440 waiting on you. Just get on around there. Hebrews 00:44:43.440 --> 00:44:46.039 11 and 7, by faith Noah being warned. This is 00:44:46.039 --> 00:44:51.099 where that rational fear comes in. Being warned 00:44:51.099 --> 00:44:54.099 of God of things not seen as yet moved with fear. 00:44:55.400 --> 00:44:59.659 Revere all reverence. Prepared an ark for the 00:44:59.659 --> 00:45:06.730 saving of his family. Matthew 8, 26, and he said 00:45:06.730 --> 00:45:10.190 unto them, why are you fearful? Oh, you have 00:45:10.190 --> 00:45:13.030 little faith. And I'm about to tell you why they 00:45:13.030 --> 00:45:16.610 were fearful. Then he arose and rebuked the winds 00:45:16.610 --> 00:45:23.889 and the sea. And there was a great calm. For 00:45:23.889 --> 00:45:26.130 them, what they were seeing was very rational. 00:45:28.550 --> 00:45:31.150 They were fishermen. They knew what high waves 00:45:31.150 --> 00:45:36.550 would do to their little boat. But they hadn't 00:45:36.550 --> 00:45:39.070 fully comprehended the confidence they could 00:45:39.070 --> 00:45:40.849 have in the man that was in the boat with them. 00:45:42.530 --> 00:45:45.670 But let me tell you something. If he's in your 00:45:45.670 --> 00:45:48.070 boat and you feel like you're about to go down 00:45:48.070 --> 00:45:51.349 and only one time he stands up and rebukes it 00:45:51.349 --> 00:45:53.730 and it calms, honey, you good from every storm 00:45:53.730 --> 00:45:59.829 after that. He's with me. Why are you so fearful? 00:46:01.889 --> 00:46:04.670 That would be an irrational fear with Jesus in 00:46:04.670 --> 00:46:12.219 the boat. Because he created the waves and the 00:46:12.219 --> 00:46:18.760 winds. And as fierce as it was before, it was 00:46:18.760 --> 00:46:24.900 even more calm when he said, be still. I mean, 00:46:24.920 --> 00:46:31.260 the sail quit flopping. And probably for their 00:46:31.260 --> 00:46:39.510 doubt, they had to paddle ashore. It was calm. 00:46:39.650 --> 00:46:44.389 There was no wind. One of my favorite phrases 00:46:44.389 --> 00:46:51.190 of scripture, and it shall come to pass. That's 00:46:51.190 --> 00:46:54.849 one of my favorite. It may not seem like it now, 00:46:54.989 --> 00:47:02.369 but this too shall pass. As you minimize fear, 00:47:02.530 --> 00:47:06.000 diminish fear, maximize your faith. One man said, 00:47:06.079 --> 00:47:08.360 faith is not faith until it's all you're holding 00:47:08.360 --> 00:47:13.559 on to. C .S. Lewis said, faith is holding on 00:47:13.559 --> 00:47:17.860 to something your reason has accepted in spite 00:47:17.860 --> 00:47:22.760 of your changing moods. That'll have to sink 00:47:22.760 --> 00:47:26.300 in. You'll have to think about that one. Faith 00:47:26.300 --> 00:47:28.659 is the next step you take after reason forsakes 00:47:28.659 --> 00:47:40.139 you. Huh? That was my quote there. Jude 1 .20 00:47:40.139 --> 00:47:43.119 says, But you, beloved, building up yourselves 00:47:43.119 --> 00:47:47.119 on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy 00:47:47.119 --> 00:47:53.739 Ghost. Strengthen yourself. Romans 1 .17, The 00:47:53.739 --> 00:47:57.460 just shall live by faith. 10, 17, faith cometh 00:47:57.460 --> 00:47:59.400 by hearing, hearing by the word of God. Hebrews 00:47:59.400 --> 00:48:01.960 11, 1, now faith is a substance of things hoped 00:48:01.960 --> 00:48:05.139 for and the evidence of things not seen. Luke 00:48:05.139 --> 00:48:08.500 18, 27, the things which are impossible with 00:48:08.500 --> 00:48:12.079 men are possible with God, which leads you to 00:48:12.079 --> 00:48:14.820 the sixth verse in that 11th chapter of Hebrews. 00:48:15.500 --> 00:48:18.199 Without faith it is impossible to please him, 00:48:18.280 --> 00:48:20.539 for he that cometh to God must believe that he 00:48:20.539 --> 00:48:25.590 is and that he is a rewarder of them. That diligently 00:48:25.590 --> 00:48:30.969 seek him. You don't know what's around the corner. 00:48:31.050 --> 00:48:33.889 Bring the lily belt and come right on down. Sister 00:48:33.889 --> 00:48:37.809 Dolores, come stand in. What was that little 00:48:37.809 --> 00:48:40.710 fella's name? Tatum. I can't get a hold of that. 00:48:40.789 --> 00:48:45.590 Little eight -month -old. They found a, how big 00:48:45.590 --> 00:48:51.070 was it? About the size of an orange. Found a... 00:48:52.519 --> 00:48:56.699 Tumor in it, a little eight -month -old. Neuroblastoma. 00:48:57.900 --> 00:48:59.960 So they're trying to figure out exactly where 00:48:59.960 --> 00:49:06.019 that's at. Little Lily's got some surgery coming 00:49:06.019 --> 00:49:09.900 up here in a few days. Amen. We're going to pray 00:49:09.900 --> 00:49:13.019 for her. I think the Lord's already doing the 00:49:13.019 --> 00:49:16.599 work. She's already doing more than they said 00:49:16.599 --> 00:49:20.420 she's supposed to be doing. Hey, baby. So God's 00:49:20.420 --> 00:49:26.510 at work. Now, for the rest of you, if you've 00:49:26.510 --> 00:49:29.110 turned a corner and you've just got blindsided 00:49:29.110 --> 00:49:31.690 and you need help today and the Lord's helped 00:49:31.690 --> 00:49:33.630 you with his word, come on down. I just want 00:49:33.630 --> 00:49:36.949 to pray over you. I want to pray for you. It 00:49:36.949 --> 00:49:38.389 doesn't matter what's going on in your life. 00:49:38.809 --> 00:49:41.630 It doesn't matter how small, insignificant it 00:49:41.630 --> 00:49:44.230 may seem that you think to others, but it has 00:49:44.230 --> 00:49:46.590 become a mountain before you because the enemy 00:49:46.590 --> 00:49:49.230 has caused it to rise up.