WEBVTT 00:00:00.360 --> 00:00:02.600 If you have your Bible, I'm going to invite you 00:00:02.600 --> 00:00:07.120 in a moment. I am beginning a couple of weeks 00:00:07.120 --> 00:00:13.480 series called Battles That Build Us. Battles 00:00:13.480 --> 00:00:16.440 That Build Us. And this series will show us how 00:00:16.440 --> 00:00:20.719 God uses the battles we face to form and shape 00:00:20.719 --> 00:00:24.699 us into the people that he's called us to become. 00:00:25.019 --> 00:00:28.579 And I want to read today out of Genesis chapter 00:00:28.579 --> 00:00:34.590 25. And verse 21, to begin this series, battles 00:00:34.590 --> 00:00:41.009 that build us. Here it says, now Isaac pleaded 00:00:41.009 --> 00:00:46.549 with the Lord for his wife because she was barren. 00:00:47.909 --> 00:00:55.390 And the Lord granted his plea. And Rebekah, his 00:00:55.390 --> 00:01:00.399 wife, conceived. But the children struggled together 00:01:00.399 --> 00:01:07.180 within her. And she said, if all is well, why 00:01:07.180 --> 00:01:13.980 am I like this? If all is well, why am I like 00:01:13.980 --> 00:01:17.799 this? So she went to inquire of the Lord. And 00:01:17.799 --> 00:01:22.500 the Lord said to her, two nations are in your 00:01:22.500 --> 00:01:34.900 womb. Two peoples shall be separated from. Today 00:01:34.900 --> 00:01:38.280 I'm going to speak on the thought, the war within. 00:01:38.719 --> 00:01:41.400 Let us pray. Father, I thank you for your word. 00:01:41.439 --> 00:01:43.840 I thank you for your presence, God, that fills 00:01:43.840 --> 00:01:48.579 this place. Surely you were waiting for us before 00:01:48.579 --> 00:01:52.280 we ever got here. And now, God, after we have 00:01:52.280 --> 00:01:56.620 lifted our hands, sang our songs. We are ready 00:01:56.620 --> 00:02:00.560 to hear your word. And I pray that in these few 00:02:00.560 --> 00:02:03.140 moments that we have together, God, that we receive 00:02:03.140 --> 00:02:07.340 more than information, but that we receive revelation 00:02:07.340 --> 00:02:12.520 that leads to transformation. God, I pray for 00:02:12.520 --> 00:02:16.060 an anointing to rest upon each and every heart. 00:02:16.520 --> 00:02:21.500 Give us an ear to hear what the Spirit is saying 00:02:21.500 --> 00:02:25.789 to the church. Not what man, but what the anointing 00:02:25.789 --> 00:02:29.229 is speaking to the church, God, that we might 00:02:29.229 --> 00:02:33.870 be edified and strengthened and motivated and 00:02:33.870 --> 00:02:37.750 encouraged in the name of Jesus. God, we pray 00:02:37.750 --> 00:02:41.050 and we ask this right now in Jesus' name. Somebody 00:02:41.050 --> 00:02:45.030 say in Jesus' name. Amen. God bless you. You 00:02:45.030 --> 00:02:52.750 may be seated today. I am perplexed. I find this 00:02:52.750 --> 00:03:02.250 perplexing question that Rebecca asked to be 00:03:02.250 --> 00:03:08.330 one that is one of those types of questions that 00:03:08.330 --> 00:03:14.629 has captured my attention. It really highlights 00:03:14.629 --> 00:03:22.819 something that we all... Go through at times. 00:03:24.659 --> 00:03:30.939 The question was. If all is well. Why am I like 00:03:30.939 --> 00:03:40.020 this? If all is well. Why am I like this? It's 00:03:40.020 --> 00:03:44.180 an interesting question. It's. A bit of a contradiction 00:03:44.180 --> 00:03:50.199 of terms. Here is this. Woman who is pregnant. 00:03:51.050 --> 00:03:56.590 With child expecting to bring into the world 00:03:56.590 --> 00:04:01.710 something that is joyful. This is supposed to 00:04:01.710 --> 00:04:04.949 be a happy time. This is supposed to be a joyful 00:04:04.949 --> 00:04:09.129 time. This is supposed to be a moment where families 00:04:09.129 --> 00:04:15.389 begin to plan and dream and think about what 00:04:15.389 --> 00:04:19.250 their future is going to be like. This is a special 00:04:19.250 --> 00:04:23.889 time. One that I, as a father, as a parent, remember 00:04:23.889 --> 00:04:28.029 quite well. Before our children were born, when 00:04:28.029 --> 00:04:31.550 my wife was expecting. And just, you know, all 00:04:31.550 --> 00:04:33.430 the things that go through your mind when you 00:04:33.430 --> 00:04:37.670 think about what that next phase of your life 00:04:37.670 --> 00:04:40.529 is going to be like. You parents in here today, 00:04:40.629 --> 00:04:45.569 you can remember that same time as well. And 00:04:45.569 --> 00:04:51.709 for Rebecca, I think... Probably for the beginning 00:04:51.709 --> 00:04:54.410 of her pregnancy, that's what it was. It was 00:04:54.410 --> 00:05:00.730 joyful. It was the husband and wife talking about 00:05:00.730 --> 00:05:03.569 all the good things that are going to come. That 00:05:03.569 --> 00:05:07.430 God had answered a prayer and done something 00:05:07.430 --> 00:05:12.629 that only He can do. And so this was supposed 00:05:12.629 --> 00:05:18.250 to be a high that she was to ride in her life. 00:05:18.949 --> 00:05:21.410 But in the midst of that high, in the midst of 00:05:21.410 --> 00:05:28.490 positive talk and positive vibes, in the midst 00:05:28.490 --> 00:05:32.610 of all of that, something started to shift and 00:05:32.610 --> 00:05:38.350 change in her that she wasn't expecting. Something 00:05:38.350 --> 00:05:43.589 didn't feel quite right. Despite all of the baby 00:05:43.589 --> 00:05:48.490 talk, despite all of the... The planning and 00:05:48.490 --> 00:05:53.449 trying to pick a name and trying to think about 00:05:53.449 --> 00:05:57.470 what color his or her eye is going to be. And 00:05:57.470 --> 00:06:03.209 all of these fascinating things that these soon 00:06:03.209 --> 00:06:06.310 -to -be parents are talking about. Something 00:06:06.310 --> 00:06:10.089 didn't quite fit right and things started to 00:06:10.089 --> 00:06:14.250 shift. And all of a sudden she found herself. 00:06:15.629 --> 00:06:18.810 Dealing with an internal struggle. And sometimes 00:06:18.810 --> 00:06:23.230 we face the same perplexing question that Rebecca 00:06:23.230 --> 00:06:27.649 faced when she said, if all is well, why am I 00:06:27.649 --> 00:06:32.050 like this? If I'm saved, why am I struggling? 00:06:33.250 --> 00:06:40.050 Amen, somebody. If I'm in His will, then can 00:06:40.050 --> 00:06:44.310 somebody tell me why is this so hard? If I'm 00:06:44.310 --> 00:06:47.959 blessed, then why do I feel anxious? Why do I 00:06:47.959 --> 00:06:54.459 feel broken? Why am I confused? If I'm in his 00:06:54.459 --> 00:06:58.319 hands, if things were supposed to get better, 00:06:58.360 --> 00:07:03.720 then why am I like this? And I really began to 00:07:03.720 --> 00:07:07.560 look at that question, really began to look closer 00:07:07.560 --> 00:07:12.500 at these words. If all is well, if everything 00:07:12.500 --> 00:07:16.560 is supposed to be better, then why am I like 00:07:16.560 --> 00:07:21.060 this? These contradictions occur when our feelings 00:07:21.060 --> 00:07:26.420 contradict or conflict with our true standing 00:07:26.420 --> 00:07:31.379 in God. The thing about feelings is that they 00:07:31.379 --> 00:07:34.939 can change from day to day. The way you feel 00:07:34.939 --> 00:07:37.360 today is going to be different than how you might 00:07:37.360 --> 00:07:42.199 feel tomorrow. And while a feeling might indicate 00:07:42.199 --> 00:07:46.310 to you in the moment, report to you in the moment 00:07:46.310 --> 00:07:48.529 what is happening in your body or in your mind, 00:07:48.610 --> 00:07:51.009 we've got to be careful that we don't give our 00:07:51.009 --> 00:07:55.029 feelings more weight than they deserve. And allow 00:07:55.029 --> 00:07:58.790 them to declare something over our life that 00:07:58.790 --> 00:08:02.629 is not consistent with what God told us about 00:08:02.629 --> 00:08:07.009 who we are. You know that your feelings could 00:08:07.009 --> 00:08:13.040 lie to you. Amen, somebody. The Bible teaches 00:08:13.040 --> 00:08:16.939 us about the heart and how deceptive it can be. 00:08:17.899 --> 00:08:22.540 The heart is deceptive, right? Who can know it? 00:08:23.480 --> 00:08:27.079 Deceitful above all things. It cannot be trusted 00:08:27.079 --> 00:08:29.339 at times. But there are moments and there are 00:08:29.339 --> 00:08:36.159 times that our feelings will accurately or realistically 00:08:36.159 --> 00:08:41.269 tell us that something is indeed wrong. Because 00:08:41.269 --> 00:08:44.889 for Rebecca, what she was feeling was not necessarily 00:08:44.889 --> 00:08:48.629 a lie. There was something going on in her life. 00:08:48.730 --> 00:08:52.509 There was a question that was unanswered. There 00:08:52.509 --> 00:08:56.029 was a struggle that she was dealing with. And 00:08:56.029 --> 00:09:01.529 it shows us, she shows us that when there is 00:09:01.529 --> 00:09:04.029 a struggle within you that you cannot explain 00:09:04.029 --> 00:09:07.950 and there seems to be a contradiction from what 00:09:07.950 --> 00:09:12.179 you feel versus... What you believe. What you 00:09:12.179 --> 00:09:16.539 feel versus what God's word says about your life 00:09:16.539 --> 00:09:19.960 and his plans for you. What you feel versus what 00:09:19.960 --> 00:09:24.320 word has been declared over you. She shows us 00:09:24.320 --> 00:09:30.299 that help is only a prayer away. Let us rewind 00:09:30.299 --> 00:09:32.639 a bit to understand the back story of this moment. 00:09:32.860 --> 00:09:37.679 Rebecca's story began like a fairy tale. From 00:09:37.679 --> 00:09:40.559 a young woman drawing water. at a distant well 00:09:40.559 --> 00:09:46.220 to being swept to the arms of a man whose name 00:09:46.220 --> 00:09:51.659 literally means God laughs or laughter. Her life 00:09:51.659 --> 00:09:55.200 was swept from the background to the forefront 00:09:55.200 --> 00:09:58.860 of Scripture overnight. This is not exactly the 00:09:58.860 --> 00:10:02.700 life that she thought she was going to live, 00:10:02.740 --> 00:10:06.279 maybe as a young girl growing up, but from one 00:10:06.279 --> 00:10:09.929 moment to the next, she found herself In the 00:10:09.929 --> 00:10:13.509 midst of God's story with his people that began 00:10:13.509 --> 00:10:17.129 with Abraham. Found herself married to a covenant 00:10:17.129 --> 00:10:21.629 family. But dreams of starting a family and continuing 00:10:21.629 --> 00:10:25.669 that legacy were soon dashed by the painful reality 00:10:25.669 --> 00:10:31.190 of infertility. But thank God that her husband 00:10:31.190 --> 00:10:37.230 was a praying man. A God -fearing man. A miracle 00:10:37.230 --> 00:10:42.080 child himself. Who went before the Lord and pleaded 00:10:42.080 --> 00:10:47.139 to God to do the impossible again. Because Isaac 00:10:47.139 --> 00:10:51.399 himself was the product of a miracle. Whose own 00:10:51.399 --> 00:10:54.740 mother was not able to bear children. He was 00:10:54.740 --> 00:10:57.200 able to go to God with a certain amount of confidence. 00:10:58.139 --> 00:11:01.960 Amount of trust and belief. The same God who 00:11:01.960 --> 00:11:06.679 had allowed his mom to birth him could do that 00:11:06.679 --> 00:11:11.210 for his wife. That's a powerful thing. When you 00:11:11.210 --> 00:11:14.049 see God do something in your life, you're able 00:11:14.049 --> 00:11:16.690 to go to God again and say, God, I believe that 00:11:16.690 --> 00:11:21.029 if you did it before, you can do it again. Amen. 00:11:22.070 --> 00:11:25.649 If you healed my mama, you can heal me. If you 00:11:25.649 --> 00:11:28.629 healed my brother, you can heal me. If you did 00:11:28.629 --> 00:11:30.470 it for them, you can do it. If you did it for 00:11:30.470 --> 00:11:32.850 that family, you can do it for my family. Why? 00:11:32.950 --> 00:11:36.049 Because you're the same God. And we know that 00:11:36.049 --> 00:11:40.120 you do not change. Yesterday, today, and forever. 00:11:40.299 --> 00:11:44.799 Why don't you give God a praise for that? God 00:11:44.799 --> 00:11:50.100 doesn't change. So they run into a bit of a problem 00:11:50.100 --> 00:11:52.080 in the early stages of their marriage. They find 00:11:52.080 --> 00:11:57.360 out that she cannot conceive. And there are no 00:11:57.360 --> 00:11:59.919 tests you can go to. There is no modern science 00:11:59.919 --> 00:12:02.620 at that time. So they're left to wonder, what's 00:12:02.620 --> 00:12:05.919 going on? So even from the onset, there is this. 00:12:06.240 --> 00:12:09.539 trouble brewing in the family. Uh -oh. We're 00:12:09.539 --> 00:12:12.779 supposed to carry a legacy and now we seem to 00:12:12.779 --> 00:12:16.639 be at a point where we seem to run into an impossibility. 00:12:17.419 --> 00:12:21.679 It seems as if though the dream that we're supposed 00:12:21.679 --> 00:12:26.720 to experience has become a nightmare. But he 00:12:26.720 --> 00:12:31.379 goes into prayer and he pleads before God. I 00:12:31.379 --> 00:12:34.840 don't know if he got on his knees or if he laid 00:12:34.840 --> 00:12:37.440 prostrate with his face to the ground. But I 00:12:37.440 --> 00:12:39.519 can assure you that he prayed with everything 00:12:39.519 --> 00:12:43.580 that he had. I mean, he realized everything is 00:12:43.580 --> 00:12:47.500 on the line here. You know, God made a promise. 00:12:47.580 --> 00:12:50.340 And what are we going to do now? So he prays 00:12:50.340 --> 00:12:54.379 with everything that he has. And so God answers. 00:12:54.919 --> 00:12:59.759 Praise God. He finds out that his wife is expecting. 00:13:00.789 --> 00:13:03.070 And before you know it, there's probably a little 00:13:03.070 --> 00:13:06.210 kicking going on in the womb. Hey, something 00:13:06.210 --> 00:13:10.149 is happening. And so we see God already moving 00:13:10.149 --> 00:13:15.529 and working in their life, and things seem to 00:13:15.529 --> 00:13:21.029 be working out okay. And in the process of all 00:13:21.029 --> 00:13:24.429 of that, Isaac's thinking, hey, God did it. You 00:13:24.429 --> 00:13:26.950 know, going to work every day, coming home, thinking, 00:13:26.990 --> 00:13:31.019 man, you know, I'm living the dream now. Everything 00:13:31.019 --> 00:13:35.659 is good. Everything is great. You know, I can't 00:13:35.659 --> 00:13:39.100 complain. Got a happy wife. You know they say 00:13:39.100 --> 00:13:42.879 happy wife, happy? Some of you men who are not 00:13:42.879 --> 00:13:44.580 married, you don't know that, but some of us 00:13:44.580 --> 00:13:49.120 who are, we know. Happy spouse, happy house. 00:13:51.259 --> 00:13:53.899 You think I got a happy wife? Everything is good, 00:13:54.059 --> 00:13:59.740 you know? House is nice. Everything is working 00:13:59.740 --> 00:14:02.700 out. We're blessed. Money in the bank. 401K, 00:14:02.820 --> 00:14:05.440 man. The stock is up. I mean, things are, he's 00:14:05.440 --> 00:14:08.379 riding a wave of success now. Feeling good about 00:14:08.379 --> 00:14:12.139 himself. And then one day, maybe after a hard 00:14:12.139 --> 00:14:14.720 day's work, he comes in and he sees that look 00:14:14.720 --> 00:14:17.299 on his wife's face. Uh -oh. I know that look. 00:14:18.759 --> 00:14:22.220 He's thinking, what did I do? Uh -oh. Something 00:14:22.220 --> 00:14:24.620 on the honey -do list that I missed or what happened? 00:14:24.840 --> 00:14:27.639 You know, he sees that look on and he knows something 00:14:27.639 --> 00:14:31.879 is wrong. And sure enough, maybe over dinner, 00:14:32.059 --> 00:14:34.759 maybe at night or laying in bed, he says, I got 00:14:34.759 --> 00:14:37.700 to tell you. I've been wanting to tell you, honey. 00:14:37.879 --> 00:14:39.899 I've been wanting to tell you. But you've been 00:14:39.899 --> 00:14:42.559 in such a good mood lately. I didn't want to 00:14:42.559 --> 00:14:44.450 rain on you. I didn't want to, but. But I got 00:14:44.450 --> 00:14:47.470 to be honest with you, Isaac. I got to tell you, 00:14:47.470 --> 00:14:51.230 like it is. I waited. I thought it was just a 00:14:51.230 --> 00:14:53.110 little thing. I thought maybe it was just a little 00:14:53.110 --> 00:14:56.429 funk I was in. I thought, you know, it was the 00:14:56.429 --> 00:14:58.710 menudo that I ate last night. I don't know what 00:14:58.710 --> 00:15:03.490 it was. Hallelujah. You know, I'm not sure. I 00:15:03.490 --> 00:15:05.230 thought maybe I just had an upset stomach. I 00:15:05.230 --> 00:15:08.750 took the Pepto -Bismol, you know. But it's not 00:15:08.750 --> 00:15:11.149 going away. I got to tell you, there's a problem 00:15:11.149 --> 00:15:15.419 internally. Something is not right. Something 00:15:15.419 --> 00:15:17.720 is wrong. And I would imagine that the two of 00:15:17.720 --> 00:15:19.639 them looked at each other with puzzlement. And 00:15:19.639 --> 00:15:22.059 Isaac looked at Rebecca. And Rebecca looked at 00:15:22.059 --> 00:15:24.360 Isaac and said, wait a minute. This was not in 00:15:24.360 --> 00:15:27.299 our five -year plan. This wasn't supposed to 00:15:27.299 --> 00:15:29.419 happen. How many of you have ever had that happen 00:15:29.419 --> 00:15:31.159 to you? You said, wait a minute. Something unexpected. 00:15:31.600 --> 00:15:34.620 Something that was not on your radar physically, 00:15:35.000 --> 00:15:37.899 spiritually, emotionally, financially. You said, 00:15:37.919 --> 00:15:40.159 wait a minute. This wasn't supposed to happen. 00:15:40.679 --> 00:15:45.610 Hello, somebody. This is not how it's supposed 00:15:45.610 --> 00:15:48.830 to go. Wait a minute. This is not what we talked 00:15:48.830 --> 00:15:53.009 about. I thought you were pregnant and things 00:15:53.009 --> 00:15:54.789 are supposed to get better from here on out. 00:15:54.889 --> 00:15:57.529 And we got the job, so everything is supposed 00:15:57.529 --> 00:16:00.799 to be good. Hello? And we got the house, and 00:16:00.799 --> 00:16:03.000 we're supposed to be happy, and we've got the 00:16:03.000 --> 00:16:04.960 family we always wanted, and we're supposed to 00:16:04.960 --> 00:16:07.360 be in good spirits, and we got the new car, and 00:16:07.360 --> 00:16:10.220 we got the promo. And now you're telling me there's 00:16:10.220 --> 00:16:12.340 a problem. This is, wait a minute. This is not 00:16:12.340 --> 00:16:15.220 supposed to happen. What do you mean there's 00:16:15.220 --> 00:16:18.419 a struggle inside of you? What do you mean? Something 00:16:18.419 --> 00:16:23.919 is not right. And she tells him, there's a struggle. 00:16:24.940 --> 00:16:28.720 There's a struggle inside. And I can't imagine 00:16:28.720 --> 00:16:32.679 what now Rebecca is feeling because now she has 00:16:32.679 --> 00:16:36.480 conceived and she's pregnant, but she's realizing 00:16:36.480 --> 00:16:38.799 something. Number one, let me just, got a couple 00:16:38.799 --> 00:16:41.200 points for you today, is that the promise does 00:16:41.200 --> 00:16:46.429 not exempt you from the conflict. Oh, she's realizing 00:16:46.429 --> 00:16:49.809 something that every believer must realize in 00:16:49.809 --> 00:16:52.210 their walk with the Lord, that just because God 00:16:52.210 --> 00:16:54.509 makes a promise in your life, just because God 00:16:54.509 --> 00:16:57.629 speaks a word into your heart and speaks a word 00:16:57.629 --> 00:17:00.190 over your life prophetically, just because God's 00:17:00.190 --> 00:17:02.129 got a purpose, God has anointed you, God has 00:17:02.129 --> 00:17:04.849 called you, does not exempt us from the conflict 00:17:04.849 --> 00:17:09.130 of life. And sometimes we think that the will 00:17:09.130 --> 00:17:13.380 of God will always feel smooth. But many times, 00:17:13.519 --> 00:17:16.579 can I be real with you today? The favor of God 00:17:16.579 --> 00:17:21.940 brings us into unexpected conflict. And so you 00:17:21.940 --> 00:17:24.940 don't have to battle. It's just realizing that 00:17:24.940 --> 00:17:29.599 answered prayers are not solely designed to make 00:17:29.599 --> 00:17:33.759 your life easier. I don't care who told you what 00:17:33.759 --> 00:17:36.740 or what. I'm here to tell you that not every 00:17:36.740 --> 00:17:39.680 answered prayer is going to make your life easier. 00:17:41.259 --> 00:17:43.099 You ever heard the saying, be careful what you 00:17:43.099 --> 00:17:47.980 ask for? Oh, if I was the boss, this is how I 00:17:47.980 --> 00:17:50.099 would run the place. Oh, really? And God makes 00:17:50.099 --> 00:17:51.640 you the boss, and all of a sudden, you're like, 00:17:51.740 --> 00:17:56.920 man, what was I? What did I get myself into? 00:18:00.359 --> 00:18:02.420 That doesn't mean that that was the wrong thing, 00:18:02.420 --> 00:18:04.920 the wrong opportunity. What we got to remember, 00:18:05.119 --> 00:18:07.539 and for those of you that are looking at those 00:18:07.539 --> 00:18:10.339 next stages of life, marriage, children, you 00:18:10.339 --> 00:18:13.220 say, hey. Everything's going to be great. It 00:18:13.220 --> 00:18:15.519 can be and it will. God's going to bless you. 00:18:15.619 --> 00:18:18.220 But don't think for one moment that just because 00:18:18.220 --> 00:18:20.440 God blessed you, just because there's a promise, 00:18:20.619 --> 00:18:22.420 just because there's something good God's doing, 00:18:22.500 --> 00:18:28.299 it exempts you from conflict. Amen, somebody. 00:18:31.559 --> 00:18:33.500 Because then you get married and then you realize 00:18:33.500 --> 00:18:35.640 you didn't just marry her, you married her family. 00:18:37.880 --> 00:18:41.140 And you married her. Her weird, you know, cousin 00:18:41.140 --> 00:18:47.299 that likes to show up unannounced. This is not 00:18:47.299 --> 00:18:53.339 what I signed up for. Hello, somebody. You know? 00:18:54.339 --> 00:18:57.730 It wasn't supposed to be like this. You know, 00:18:57.769 --> 00:19:00.309 if I ever get, if they ever give me, if pastor 00:19:00.309 --> 00:19:03.130 ever gives me the mic, my God, the glory of God 00:19:03.130 --> 00:19:04.710 is going to come down. I'm going to show this 00:19:04.710 --> 00:19:06.789 church what praise looks like. Amen. So you get 00:19:06.789 --> 00:19:08.609 up there and you finally get your solo, right? 00:19:08.690 --> 00:19:12.829 And then your voice screeches. And you're like, 00:19:12.970 --> 00:19:18.329 oh, wait a minute. I'm human. Or more is asked 00:19:18.329 --> 00:19:20.789 of you than what you, and then you start to doubt 00:19:20.789 --> 00:19:24.829 yourself. You finally get the opportunity. You 00:19:24.829 --> 00:19:27.049 know, just put me in. I'm willing to serve. I'm 00:19:27.049 --> 00:19:29.849 willing to do it. And then once you start serving, 00:19:29.930 --> 00:19:32.940 working, doing. Then come the doubts and then 00:19:32.940 --> 00:19:35.299 come the questions. I wonder if I'm really called. 00:19:35.420 --> 00:19:38.579 I wonder if God made a mistake. And all of this 00:19:38.579 --> 00:19:41.019 conflict starts to happen. And so half the battle 00:19:41.019 --> 00:19:43.779 is understanding that these things do come. And 00:19:43.779 --> 00:19:45.400 they are a part of the process. And they are 00:19:45.400 --> 00:19:48.339 part of God working through our lives. But the 00:19:48.339 --> 00:19:51.799 conflict is not always an indication that something 00:19:51.799 --> 00:19:54.819 is wrong. It's an indication that God is forming 00:19:54.819 --> 00:19:58.460 something powerful in your life. And you simply 00:19:58.460 --> 00:20:01.569 have to trust God through that process. And realize 00:20:01.569 --> 00:20:04.130 that just because there's a bit of an issue, 00:20:04.230 --> 00:20:05.950 just because there's some conflict, just because 00:20:05.950 --> 00:20:09.690 there's some predicament you find yourself in, 00:20:09.809 --> 00:20:12.829 some challenges and struggles, doesn't mean that 00:20:12.829 --> 00:20:15.190 God has forgotten about you. Doesn't mean that 00:20:15.190 --> 00:20:17.869 God has abandoned you. Doesn't mean that you're 00:20:17.869 --> 00:20:20.089 no longer needed. Doesn't mean that there's not 00:20:20.089 --> 00:20:22.829 a promise over your life. It simply means that 00:20:22.829 --> 00:20:25.210 God is forming something in you, and it's not 00:20:25.210 --> 00:20:31.200 always going to be easy. Initially, the presence 00:20:31.200 --> 00:20:34.579 of conflict and struggle starts to cause us to 00:20:34.579 --> 00:20:40.119 doubt ourselves and what God is doing. We start 00:20:40.119 --> 00:20:42.200 doubting God's love. God, I thought you loved 00:20:42.200 --> 00:20:46.299 me. Why would you let me go through this? Why 00:20:46.299 --> 00:20:48.779 would you allow this to happen? God, I thought 00:20:48.779 --> 00:20:52.700 it was favored. I thought you had called me. 00:20:53.920 --> 00:20:57.819 Why are you allowing this? If all is well, why 00:20:57.819 --> 00:21:02.009 am I? like this. She couldn't make sense of it. 00:21:03.390 --> 00:21:07.890 God had reversed her infertility. But now the 00:21:07.890 --> 00:21:11.869 very promise she carried was producing a struggle 00:21:11.869 --> 00:21:16.849 that she could not explain. Our questions are 00:21:16.849 --> 00:21:20.789 similar to those of Rebecca's. We say, God, why 00:21:20.789 --> 00:21:27.059 am I not? Why am I unhappy? I've got this. I've 00:21:27.059 --> 00:21:29.140 got that. I've got everything. You're supposed 00:21:29.140 --> 00:21:32.339 to need to be happy. And why am I still? Why 00:21:32.339 --> 00:21:37.460 is it not enough? Hello? You get that? He said, 00:21:37.500 --> 00:21:39.680 if I just get mad, I'm going to be happy. If 00:21:39.680 --> 00:21:45.240 I just buy that. Why is it not enough? Why is 00:21:45.240 --> 00:21:49.359 my health failing me? Finally got money in the 00:21:49.359 --> 00:21:52.059 bank. Finally can go on. Finally could take the 00:21:52.059 --> 00:21:54.680 trip I've always wanted, but now I've got, my 00:21:54.680 --> 00:21:59.569 health won't let me go. my health failing me? 00:21:59.609 --> 00:22:03.170 If all is well, then why am I like this? Why 00:22:03.170 --> 00:22:06.470 am I conflicted? Why am I confused or worried? 00:22:06.650 --> 00:22:09.329 You might even say like David did, my God, my 00:22:09.329 --> 00:22:12.349 God, why have you forsaken me? I've come to tell 00:22:12.349 --> 00:22:15.369 you God has not forsaken you. God has not left 00:22:15.369 --> 00:22:18.349 you. God has not abandoned you. But that struggle 00:22:18.349 --> 00:22:21.029 is not the proof that God has left you. It's 00:22:21.029 --> 00:22:23.569 proof that something has been formed in you and 00:22:23.569 --> 00:22:26.049 you've just got to be a little patient and go 00:22:26.049 --> 00:22:31.950 through the discomfort. Don't abort. Don't give 00:22:31.950 --> 00:22:33.789 up on what God told you. So I'm going to give 00:22:33.789 --> 00:22:36.150 God a hand of praise today. Amen. Hallelujah. 00:22:40.390 --> 00:22:45.549 I need to encourage you today. It's proof that 00:22:45.549 --> 00:22:49.470 the conflict, the conflict within points to a 00:22:49.470 --> 00:22:52.829 greater purpose. There's a greater purpose that 00:22:52.829 --> 00:22:57.710 God has. There's a greater purpose that God is 00:22:57.710 --> 00:22:59.710 working in our life. Rebecca thought it was just 00:22:59.710 --> 00:23:03.329 a pregnancy issue at first. Huh? She thought, 00:23:03.430 --> 00:23:08.630 wow, you know, that it was merely physical. But 00:23:08.630 --> 00:23:11.329 it was actually a struggle over the purpose that 00:23:11.329 --> 00:23:15.230 she was carrying. The Lord told her this. He 00:23:15.230 --> 00:23:24.009 said, two nations are in your womb. Rebecca, 00:23:24.109 --> 00:23:26.829 this is not just a normal complication that you're 00:23:26.829 --> 00:23:31.809 experiencing. This is not just the normal changes 00:23:31.809 --> 00:23:35.589 that a body goes through, that a pregnant mother's 00:23:35.589 --> 00:23:39.650 body would go through, being with child. There's 00:23:39.650 --> 00:23:42.410 more to it than that. This is not just physical. 00:23:42.470 --> 00:23:47.869 There are not just two babies in you. There are 00:23:47.869 --> 00:23:53.940 two nations in you. What does a nation represent? 00:23:54.240 --> 00:23:57.420 A nation represents an identity. It represents 00:23:57.420 --> 00:24:02.480 a culture. It represents a people. And so God 00:24:02.480 --> 00:24:05.240 is telling you, what you're feeling, that conflict 00:24:05.240 --> 00:24:09.740 you're feeling, emotionally, mentally, the battle 00:24:09.740 --> 00:24:11.880 that you're in right now, Rebecca, is because 00:24:11.880 --> 00:24:15.599 there are two opposing identities. There are 00:24:15.599 --> 00:24:18.940 two opposing forces in your life that are trying 00:24:18.940 --> 00:24:22.490 to pull in one. directs like a tug of war in 00:24:22.490 --> 00:24:26.829 opposite directions. Historically, Rebekah was 00:24:26.829 --> 00:24:29.990 carrying two sons who would become two nations, 00:24:30.349 --> 00:24:33.990 Jacob, the nation of Israel, and Esau, the nation 00:24:33.990 --> 00:24:38.390 of Edom. And spiritually, if I can break this 00:24:38.390 --> 00:24:40.170 down for you in the time that I have remaining, 00:24:40.269 --> 00:24:42.930 I won't be much longer, but this is a teaching 00:24:42.930 --> 00:24:44.769 part of this that I want you to understand. It 00:24:44.769 --> 00:24:47.269 gives us a picture of the inner conflict that 00:24:47.269 --> 00:24:50.930 every believer faces, the war. Within us all. 00:24:51.809 --> 00:24:55.750 The war between the old nature and the new nature. 00:24:57.289 --> 00:25:02.769 Esau, the firstborn of the twins. He came out 00:25:02.769 --> 00:25:05.650 first. That makes him the firstborn. Can represent 00:25:05.650 --> 00:25:11.430 the natural man. Our first birth. Thank you. 00:25:11.529 --> 00:25:16.509 Our first birth. Our flesh. The old nature that 00:25:16.509 --> 00:25:19.839 we inherited through sin. As David said, I was 00:25:19.839 --> 00:25:24.900 born in sin and shaped in iniquity. That's our 00:25:24.900 --> 00:25:29.880 sin nature that we inherited from Adam. Jacob, 00:25:29.940 --> 00:25:33.319 the second son, represents the spiritual man, 00:25:33.519 --> 00:25:37.460 the new birth, the new nature, the life that 00:25:37.460 --> 00:25:39.859 we receive in Christ. The Bible says if anyone 00:25:39.859 --> 00:25:44.299 is in Christ, he is a new creation. Amen? All 00:25:44.299 --> 00:25:46.880 things have passed away and behold, all things 00:25:46.880 --> 00:25:55.180 have become new. So within this is a picture 00:25:55.180 --> 00:25:58.519 of the spiritual conflict, the conflict that 00:25:58.519 --> 00:26:02.180 we go through in our lives as we are seeking 00:26:02.180 --> 00:26:06.140 to do the will of God. As God is forming us and 00:26:06.140 --> 00:26:10.359 making us and building us, there is this conflict 00:26:10.359 --> 00:26:14.880 within us. Just like it was within Rebecca. Two 00:26:14.880 --> 00:26:18.680 natures competing against one another. What kind 00:26:18.680 --> 00:26:22.759 of a struggle is it? It's a fight between the 00:26:22.759 --> 00:26:26.339 flesh and the spirit. Amen. Between the old man 00:26:26.339 --> 00:26:29.799 and the new man. Between who you used to be and 00:26:29.799 --> 00:26:33.759 who God called you to be. The Apostle Paul illuminates 00:26:33.759 --> 00:26:37.940 this conflict of his own when he writes in Galatians 00:26:37.940 --> 00:26:42.700 5 and 16. Walk in the spirit. And you shall not 00:26:42.700 --> 00:26:46.359 fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh 00:26:46.359 --> 00:26:48.740 lusts against the spirit and the spirit against 00:26:48.740 --> 00:26:52.880 the flesh. And these are contrary to one another. 00:26:53.039 --> 00:26:55.839 So that you do not do the things that you wish. 00:26:55.940 --> 00:26:59.279 Paul is telling us that there is two natures. 00:26:59.279 --> 00:27:03.410 That there's a battle, a war within us. That 00:27:03.410 --> 00:27:06.650 there's a war between the spirit and the flesh. 00:27:06.730 --> 00:27:08.809 And one is pulling you this way and one is pulling 00:27:08.809 --> 00:27:11.769 you the other way. And the spirit is willing, 00:27:11.930 --> 00:27:18.109 but the flesh is weak. This explains the conflict 00:27:18.109 --> 00:27:21.130 that is happening sometimes in our life. It's 00:27:21.130 --> 00:27:24.089 a struggle over your destiny in God. It's a struggle 00:27:24.089 --> 00:27:27.009 over who God is calling you to be. It's a struggle 00:27:27.009 --> 00:27:33.099 over your purpose in this life. This struggle 00:27:33.099 --> 00:27:35.460 points to a greater purpose. Furthermore, Paul 00:27:35.460 --> 00:27:39.079 wrote of his own internal war in Romans 7 and 00:27:39.079 --> 00:27:43.619 21. Watch what he says about his own struggle. 00:27:44.559 --> 00:28:01.599 He says, Huh? But I see another law in my members, 00:28:01.680 --> 00:28:03.519 warring against the law of my mind, bringing 00:28:03.519 --> 00:28:08.279 me into captivity to the law of sin, which is 00:28:08.279 --> 00:28:13.759 in my members. Notice what Paul, the Apostle 00:28:13.759 --> 00:28:17.079 Paul, says about this eternal war. He says, I 00:28:17.079 --> 00:28:22.180 find a law that evil is present with me. Think 00:28:22.180 --> 00:28:24.579 of this. Paul is saying, no matter what I try 00:28:24.579 --> 00:28:27.930 to do, evil is present with me. I've got this 00:28:27.930 --> 00:28:32.160 evil twin that's with me everywhere I go. Yeah, 00:28:32.200 --> 00:28:34.059 I'm trying to do the will of God. I'm trying 00:28:34.059 --> 00:28:36.279 to delight. I delight in the law of God. I'm 00:28:36.279 --> 00:28:39.500 reading my word. I'm in prayer. I'm trying to 00:28:39.500 --> 00:28:42.700 feed my spiritual man. But no matter how hard 00:28:42.700 --> 00:28:45.900 I try, I've still got this other law. I've still 00:28:45.900 --> 00:28:48.700 got this other force in my life that is warring 00:28:48.700 --> 00:28:52.200 against my mind and trying to drag me down and 00:28:52.200 --> 00:28:55.559 conflict and muddy the waters and confuse me 00:28:55.559 --> 00:28:59.660 and disrupt me and discourage me. And then he 00:28:59.660 --> 00:29:02.500 says, look, it's bringing me. to captivity. This 00:29:02.500 --> 00:29:06.039 is the Apostle Paul here. Amen. One of the greatest 00:29:06.039 --> 00:29:09.180 Christians to ever live. He's telling us what 00:29:09.180 --> 00:29:11.799 some of us are afraid to admit about our own 00:29:11.799 --> 00:29:18.160 relationship with God is that I struggle. I pray 00:29:18.160 --> 00:29:22.359 and I still get tempted. I fast and I still doubt. 00:29:22.579 --> 00:29:32.650 I worship and yet evil is present with me. another 00:29:32.650 --> 00:29:35.650 moment he lays it all out there he bears his 00:29:35.650 --> 00:29:40.529 soul to us and he says what especially if you're 00:29:40.529 --> 00:29:43.789 in leadership god forbid uh those of us in ministry 00:29:43.789 --> 00:29:47.269 or leaders uh uh preachers of the word be this 00:29:47.269 --> 00:29:52.349 transparent to say hey evil is with me and he 00:29:52.349 --> 00:29:56.089 is so wrecked by this that he writes in the next 00:29:56.089 --> 00:30:24.119 verse 24 he said oh wretched man And the next 00:30:24.119 --> 00:30:27.059 day you got to pick me up off the floor. One 00:30:27.059 --> 00:30:30.519 day I feel like a conqueror. And the next day 00:30:30.519 --> 00:30:34.019 I feel like a loser. One day I've got it made. 00:30:34.279 --> 00:30:37.400 And I'm doing good. And the next day I don't 00:30:37.400 --> 00:30:39.940 know if I can even make it to church on Sunday. 00:30:40.119 --> 00:30:43.339 But I've come to tell you that nothing is wrong 00:30:43.339 --> 00:30:47.660 with you. But it's a fight. And the devil is 00:30:47.660 --> 00:30:54.450 doing everything he can to destroy you. jesus 00:30:54.450 --> 00:30:58.829 christ our lord i've come to encourage you that 00:30:58.829 --> 00:31:02.250 there is hope in jesus that there is strength 00:31:02.250 --> 00:31:06.430 in jesus that there is a future in jesus somebody 00:31:06.430 --> 00:31:13.549 give god some praise today oh hallelujah hallelujah 00:31:13.549 --> 00:31:19.490 hallelujah god as i close listen i i i thought 00:31:19.490 --> 00:31:24.759 about so deeply what paul Right. Paul puts language 00:31:24.759 --> 00:31:28.779 to the struggle that Rebecca was feeling many 00:31:28.779 --> 00:31:33.059 generations before. He puts language to it. He 00:31:33.059 --> 00:31:36.400 gives it language. All Rebecca said was, you 00:31:36.400 --> 00:31:38.980 know, if I'm well, then like, why am I like this? 00:31:39.380 --> 00:31:41.619 You know, why can't I just be settled? You know, 00:31:41.640 --> 00:31:44.059 why can't I just be free? Why can't I just be 00:31:44.059 --> 00:31:47.720 happy? And, you know, why am I like this? But 00:31:47.720 --> 00:31:50.799 Paul takes it a step further. He gives us a New 00:31:50.799 --> 00:31:53.289 Testament revelation. And he's telling us that 00:31:53.289 --> 00:31:56.009 it's not so strange. And you're not a spiritual 00:31:56.009 --> 00:31:59.410 oddball. And you're not a spiritual misfit. And 00:31:59.410 --> 00:32:03.230 you're not abnormal. No, it is very normal for 00:32:03.230 --> 00:32:07.309 us to experience this. And to be conflicted within 00:32:07.309 --> 00:32:10.269 ourselves. And just kind of go like, I don't 00:32:10.269 --> 00:32:12.910 know, like, oh, wretched man that I am. What's 00:32:12.910 --> 00:32:16.089 going to happen to me? What can I do? Am I a 00:32:16.089 --> 00:32:21.710 lost cause? Am I a throwaway? Am I fired from 00:32:21.710 --> 00:32:25.670 the team? Am I just supposed to figure it out 00:32:25.670 --> 00:32:29.950 on my own? Am I left to my own devices? What 00:32:29.950 --> 00:32:34.190 am I to do? Am I cursed? You know, do I just 00:32:34.190 --> 00:32:37.190 go to the corner somewhere? What do I do? Do 00:32:37.190 --> 00:32:42.609 I cry? Do I laugh? What do I do? But he says, 00:32:42.670 --> 00:32:45.630 I thank God. He said, because through Christ 00:32:45.630 --> 00:32:50.299 Jesus, my Lord, God understands exactly where 00:32:50.299 --> 00:32:53.200 you are today. But do you know, as you stand 00:32:53.200 --> 00:32:56.259 with me this afternoon, this is what God wants 00:32:56.259 --> 00:32:59.680 you to do. He wants you to do like Rebecca when 00:32:59.680 --> 00:33:02.599 Rebecca didn't know what to do. And she said, 00:33:02.700 --> 00:33:07.339 if all is well, why am I like this? The Bible 00:33:07.339 --> 00:33:11.559 says that she inquired of the Lord. God is saying, 00:33:11.640 --> 00:33:13.819 you may not get the answer that you want all 00:33:13.819 --> 00:33:18.779 the time. Life may not get easier for you overnight. 00:33:19.339 --> 00:33:23.279 But if you hear me today, church, the secret 00:33:23.279 --> 00:33:26.220 to getting through these difficult times, the 00:33:26.220 --> 00:33:29.200 secret to surviving those moments of confliction, 00:33:29.380 --> 00:33:32.359 those moments of affliction, those moments of 00:33:32.359 --> 00:33:34.980 struggle and doubt and confusion and worry and 00:33:34.980 --> 00:33:37.779 anxiety, the secret to getting through all of 00:33:37.779 --> 00:33:40.559 that is learning how to go to the Lord in prayer 00:33:40.559 --> 00:33:43.700 and laying it all down. I feel the Holy Ghost 00:33:43.700 --> 00:33:46.359 and laying it all down at the altar and say, 00:33:46.440 --> 00:33:49.490 God, I messed up. God. God, here I am again. 00:33:49.670 --> 00:33:52.450 I don't have it all together, God. I haven't 00:33:52.450 --> 00:33:55.049 figured it out, God. I'm a work in progress, 00:33:55.230 --> 00:33:58.130 God. My faith is still under construction, Lord. 00:33:58.309 --> 00:34:01.089 But, Lord, I know that you receive me as I am. 00:34:01.349 --> 00:34:04.109 So I'm coming to you with my doubt. Come on, 00:34:04.109 --> 00:34:07.349 somebody. I'm coming to you with my worry, with 00:34:07.349 --> 00:34:11.190 my confusion, with my doubt, with my frustration. 00:34:11.489 --> 00:34:14.630 And I'm leaning at the altar, God. And I'm saying, 00:34:14.690 --> 00:34:17.750 here I am again. Is there somebody in the house? 00:34:17.840 --> 00:34:21.300 of God today that can come to an altar and say, 00:34:21.380 --> 00:34:24.599 God, I don't got it all together, but here I 00:34:24.599 --> 00:34:32.219 am. I inquire of you, God. God, you don't got 00:34:32.219 --> 00:34:36.099 to take all of it away, but give me a revelation, 00:34:36.219 --> 00:34:41.900 God. Show me, God. Show me what it's all about. 00:34:42.280 --> 00:34:47.969 Show me why. Why, God? Give me a picture, Lord. 00:34:48.289 --> 00:34:55.630 Give me strength. Give me hope. Give me. I wonder 00:34:55.630 --> 00:34:59.329 if there's somebody here today. You need to inquire 00:34:59.329 --> 00:35:10.989 of the Lord. Oh, God. Somebody needs to inquire 00:35:10.989 --> 00:35:13.519 of the Lord right now. David said there's one 00:35:13.519 --> 00:35:15.340 thing that I have a desire to the Lord and that 00:35:15.340 --> 00:35:17.900 will I seek that I may dwell in the house of 00:35:17.900 --> 00:35:20.420 the Lord all the days of my life to behold the 00:35:20.420 --> 00:35:27.969 beauty of the Lord and to inquire. inquire to 00:35:27.969 --> 00:35:31.550 inquire to inquire oh i wonder if there's somebody 00:35:31.550 --> 00:35:35.210 that can inquire today oh somebody that can inquire 00:35:35.210 --> 00:35:38.789 to the lord i need to inquire of him god i've 00:35:38.789 --> 00:35:40.809 got to talk to you today come on why don't you 00:35:40.809 --> 00:35:43.110 talk to him right now god i've got to talk to 00:35:43.110 --> 00:35:47.250 you today oh i gotta inquire of you today lord 00:35:47.250 --> 00:35:53.030 i gotta inquire of you today god i gotta inquire 00:35:53.289 --> 00:35:56.349 I got to inquire. I need to inquire. And we need 00:35:56.349 --> 00:35:59.389 to teach this generation how to inquire. We got 00:35:59.389 --> 00:36:02.389 to teach this generation how to inquire. Oh, 00:36:02.449 --> 00:36:05.429 I'm going to read it again. This is what David 00:36:05.429 --> 00:36:09.489 said in Psalm 27 and verse 4. He said, One thing 00:36:09.489 --> 00:36:12.289 have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek, 00:36:12.369 --> 00:36:14.969 that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all 00:36:14.969 --> 00:36:18.130 the days of my life, to behold the beauty of 00:36:18.130 --> 00:36:22.940 the Lord and to inquire in his temple. You see, 00:36:22.960 --> 00:36:25.519 some of us, we're always praying just for an 00:36:25.519 --> 00:36:27.739 answer. We're always praying, God, just take 00:36:27.739 --> 00:36:29.699 the pain away. We're always praying, God, just 00:36:29.699 --> 00:36:31.960 remove the mountain. But what do you do when 00:36:31.960 --> 00:36:34.380 God doesn't move it? What do you do when you're 00:36:34.380 --> 00:36:36.739 still in pain? What do you do when you still 00:36:36.739 --> 00:36:39.340 got problems? What do you do when you still got 00:36:39.340 --> 00:36:42.619 situations? I'll tell you what you do. You don't 00:36:42.619 --> 00:36:45.019 give up. That's what you don't do. You don't 00:36:45.019 --> 00:36:47.920 walk away. You don't throw in the towel. You 00:36:47.920 --> 00:36:50.659 don't say, forget it. It's not worth it. You've 00:36:50.659 --> 00:36:53.559 got to learn how to. inquire of the Lord and 00:36:53.559 --> 00:36:56.800 say, God, if you're not going to remove it, at 00:36:56.800 --> 00:36:59.739 least show me why God is here.