WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.940 Sister Duckie, take your Bibles, turn with me 00:00:02.940 --> 00:00:05.660 to the book of Proverbs chapter number 17. Proverbs 00:00:05.660 --> 00:00:08.419 chapter number 17, oh, this is gonna be helpful 00:00:08.419 --> 00:00:12.500 tonight. Very, very, very, very, very helpful. 00:00:12.859 --> 00:00:15.160 helpful to me. I know it's going to be helpful 00:00:15.160 --> 00:00:18.260 to many of you. We went on the Minute Boys camping 00:00:18.260 --> 00:00:21.559 trip and I got up there and I was encouraging 00:00:21.559 --> 00:00:24.500 the men, a proverb a day, a proverb a day will 00:00:24.500 --> 00:00:27.899 help you in a great way. And I explained my process, 00:00:27.899 --> 00:00:31.039 you know, on the 17th you read Proverbs chapter 00:00:31.039 --> 00:00:33.960 17. On the 16th of the month you read Proverbs 00:00:33.960 --> 00:00:36.579 chapter number 16. And one thing I have recently 00:00:36.579 --> 00:00:40.039 done is before I read the proverb a day, I asked 00:00:40.039 --> 00:00:43.670 the Lord, I said, Lord, Give me something in 00:00:43.670 --> 00:00:47.409 here that I can use today. I need something. 00:00:47.549 --> 00:00:49.530 I know I'm gonna go through life. I'm gonna go 00:00:49.530 --> 00:00:52.789 through difficulties today. I need wisdom today. 00:00:53.350 --> 00:00:56.649 I need wisdom, oh, but I need wisdom today. Yesterday, 00:00:56.990 --> 00:00:59.009 oh my, I was reading the Proverbs today, Proverbs 00:00:59.009 --> 00:01:03.310 chapter 16, and I got to Proverbs 16 verse 32. 00:01:03.450 --> 00:01:08.010 He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty. 00:01:08.359 --> 00:01:13.700 and he that ruleth his spirit, then he that taketh 00:01:13.700 --> 00:01:17.319 the city, ruleth spirit. So that was my verse 00:01:17.319 --> 00:01:21.120 for yesterday. Yesterday I had a verse, and I 00:01:21.120 --> 00:01:23.260 knew that probably the Lord's gonna do something 00:01:23.260 --> 00:01:26.540 for me, but yesterday afternoon, I got a phone 00:01:26.540 --> 00:01:29.659 call, and I answered the phone. This is Pastor 00:01:29.659 --> 00:01:32.299 Matt Nettis. I'm Chesapeake Baptist Church. And 00:01:32.299 --> 00:01:36.819 it was a man from India, a pastor from India. 00:01:37.159 --> 00:01:41.019 And if you ever have phone calls from India or 00:01:41.019 --> 00:01:44.200 across the world, it comes in and go. It's like 00:01:44.200 --> 00:01:47.879 it's there and then it's not there. And it's 00:01:47.879 --> 00:01:50.959 there and it's not there. And it's there. And 00:01:50.959 --> 00:01:53.939 the conversation, I'm trying my best to listen 00:01:53.939 --> 00:01:58.159 to this pastor from India. He's Indian. It's 00:01:58.159 --> 00:02:01.599 broken English. I'm trying to understand. But 00:02:01.599 --> 00:02:05.859 as the conversation went, I struggled very mildly 00:02:05.859 --> 00:02:08.280 and I kept saying, I'm sorry, I didn't understand 00:02:08.280 --> 00:02:11.780 what you said. And the guy was very excited that 00:02:11.780 --> 00:02:16.060 he actually was talking to me. And so, you know, 00:02:16.240 --> 00:02:19.500 15 minutes into there, it was just, I felt bad 00:02:19.500 --> 00:02:21.639 because I kept saying, I can't understand you. 00:02:21.699 --> 00:02:24.919 You cut off. And eventually I said, could you 00:02:24.919 --> 00:02:28.800 send me an email? I'll give you my email. You 00:02:28.800 --> 00:02:31.819 send me what you're talking about. And he broke 00:02:31.819 --> 00:02:35.759 and said, okay. And so I spelled my last name, 00:02:36.259 --> 00:02:47.219 N -E -T -T -E -S -H, but it cut in and out. And 00:02:47.219 --> 00:02:50.379 so he came back and he started spelling it S 00:02:50.379 --> 00:02:54.979 -H -I -N. And I'm like, no, no, no, no, no, no. 00:02:55.300 --> 00:02:58.759 And I'm going through, I think I told him 10 00:02:58.759 --> 00:03:01.699 times my email and he still had it wrong. So 00:03:01.699 --> 00:03:05.780 finally I said, can I just have your email address? 00:03:06.199 --> 00:03:09.120 And it was like 15 minutes. Now, I don't know 00:03:09.120 --> 00:03:12.060 about you, but the situation was frustrating. 00:03:12.139 --> 00:03:13.840 You ever been through a frustrating situation? 00:03:13.860 --> 00:03:17.240 Anybody else okay? And during that conversation, 00:03:17.800 --> 00:03:22.460 I know God wanted me to be Christ -like, treat 00:03:22.460 --> 00:03:26.400 this man from India with respect, with kindness, 00:03:26.979 --> 00:03:30.419 not to get flustered right there, but I was struggling. 00:03:30.729 --> 00:03:33.810 But the proverb they, he that ruleeth his spirit, 00:03:34.150 --> 00:03:36.870 then he that taketh a city right there. And I 00:03:36.870 --> 00:03:39.669 remember that proverb today, and I was able to 00:03:39.669 --> 00:03:42.490 rule and really be able to control my spirit 00:03:42.490 --> 00:03:45.110 as I talked to him. That proverb helped me in 00:03:45.110 --> 00:03:48.189 a great way. Okay, okay. So you get to today. 00:03:48.750 --> 00:03:51.810 Today is Proverbs chapter 17. I began to read 00:03:51.810 --> 00:03:54.050 the proverb and before I read it I said, God. 00:03:54.300 --> 00:03:58.460 Give me something here today that I can use. 00:03:58.780 --> 00:04:02.340 And I got to Proverbs chapter number 17, verse 00:04:02.340 --> 00:04:06.020 27. And as you're there, if you'll stand with 00:04:06.020 --> 00:04:10.379 me for the reading of God's word. Proverbs chapter 00:04:10.379 --> 00:04:14.039 17, verse 27. And we'll read verses 27 and 28 00:04:14.039 --> 00:04:16.639 together. Ready? Let's read them together. He 00:04:16.639 --> 00:04:20.430 that hath knowledge spareth his words. and a 00:04:20.430 --> 00:04:23.269 man of understanding is of an excellent spirit. 00:04:23.350 --> 00:04:25.930 Stop right there real quick. He that hath knowledge 00:04:25.930 --> 00:04:28.389 spareth his words. I know some of you said, praise 00:04:28.389 --> 00:04:31.230 God, that means it's a short sermon today. I 00:04:31.230 --> 00:04:33.329 could see it in your eyes. No, that's not the 00:04:33.329 --> 00:04:35.170 phrase. That's not the phrase. That's not the 00:04:35.170 --> 00:04:36.970 phrase. But we'll read it again. Let's read that 00:04:36.970 --> 00:04:40.310 verse again. He that hath knowledge spareth his 00:04:40.310 --> 00:04:44.149 words and a man of understanding is of an excellent 00:04:44.149 --> 00:04:47.879 spirit. Verse 28. even a fool when he holdeth 00:04:47.879 --> 00:04:51.319 this peace is counted wise, and he that shutteth 00:04:51.319 --> 00:04:54.540 his lips is esteemed a man of understanding." 00:04:54.540 --> 00:04:58.439 And that last little bit, an excellent spirit, 00:04:58.600 --> 00:05:02.379 an excellent spirit. And I said, okay, that's 00:05:02.379 --> 00:05:05.420 the verse for today. Today, I wanna make sure 00:05:05.420 --> 00:05:10.579 that I have an excellent spirit. So early in 00:05:10.579 --> 00:05:12.540 the morning, and I got up at a little bit after 00:05:12.540 --> 00:05:15.139 five this morning, read that, started studying 00:05:15.139 --> 00:05:16.759 that and thinking, I said, man, that's not only 00:05:16.759 --> 00:05:19.319 good for me, that's really good for the church. 00:05:19.600 --> 00:05:24.180 The wisdom of an excellent spirit, the wisdom 00:05:24.180 --> 00:05:27.399 of an excellent, I need it. Trust me, we all 00:05:27.399 --> 00:05:29.459 need it. Before we go any further, let's go to 00:05:29.459 --> 00:05:31.019 the Lord in prayer. Dear Father in heaven, we 00:05:31.019 --> 00:05:34.240 love you. And it's a good truth, I needed this 00:05:34.240 --> 00:05:37.379 today. And boy, I know without a doubt, many 00:05:37.379 --> 00:05:39.870 of the people here, are in need of this, Lord. 00:05:39.910 --> 00:05:41.589 I pray that you help us to think about that word 00:05:41.589 --> 00:05:44.550 excellent. We work at that and think about that 00:05:44.550 --> 00:05:48.550 word spirit. We put them together and Lord, then 00:05:48.550 --> 00:05:51.129 we make some decisions in our life. I pray that 00:05:51.129 --> 00:05:54.149 you help me, help us all to decrease, help us 00:05:54.149 --> 00:05:56.670 all to have years to hear and please guide us 00:05:56.670 --> 00:05:59.350 and direct us in Jesus' name, amen. You may be 00:05:59.350 --> 00:06:02.949 seated. An excellent spirit, say that with me. 00:06:03.209 --> 00:06:06.149 An excellent spirit. Now, an excellent spirit, 00:06:06.350 --> 00:06:09.639 what is the word? excellent means. What does 00:06:09.639 --> 00:06:14.220 the word excellent mean? Excellent is above common, 00:06:14.839 --> 00:06:18.120 better than ordinary, and you could say of great 00:06:18.120 --> 00:06:20.819 worth. So the word excellent means better than 00:06:20.819 --> 00:06:23.819 common. It describes something that stands out 00:06:23.819 --> 00:06:27.879 because of a quality or worth. It's above common, 00:06:28.439 --> 00:06:31.779 better than ordinary. Okay, amen? Better than 00:06:31.779 --> 00:06:35.250 ordinary, excellent, went to the store. week 00:06:35.250 --> 00:06:38.350 and a half ago two weeks ago and went in there 00:06:38.350 --> 00:06:44.310 and I found these wagyu hamburgers they were 00:06:44.310 --> 00:06:46.649 just hamburgers and they were discounted they 00:06:46.649 --> 00:06:48.689 were it was great and I said wagyu hamburger 00:06:48.689 --> 00:06:52.129 this is great and fried my wife fried them up 00:06:52.129 --> 00:06:54.449 and I don't know if you ever had a wagyu burger 00:06:54.449 --> 00:06:58.569 but a wagyu it's a special breed of cow Some 00:06:58.569 --> 00:07:01.689 would say that that cow has been massaged. I 00:07:01.689 --> 00:07:05.769 think it's a myth. But that wagyu has a higher 00:07:05.769 --> 00:07:09.209 quality of beef known for its rich flavoring, 00:07:09.389 --> 00:07:12.189 marbling. And I wouldn't know, but man alive. 00:07:12.290 --> 00:07:16.069 I ate that wagyu burger. Glory be to God. Hallelujah. 00:07:16.629 --> 00:07:19.069 Another word for that would be excellent. It 00:07:19.069 --> 00:07:22.509 was above ordinary, better than ordinary, above 00:07:22.509 --> 00:07:26.110 common wagyu burger. Glory be to God. Hallelujah. 00:07:26.350 --> 00:07:28.470 Somebody say amen. I'll move on. Okay, good, 00:07:28.569 --> 00:07:31.050 good. Excellent, above common. Now, we get to 00:07:31.050 --> 00:07:34.490 think about this, an excellent spirit. And think 00:07:34.490 --> 00:07:37.069 about that word spirit. Say spirit with me. Spirit. 00:07:37.389 --> 00:07:42.389 The word spirit has to do with your inner attitude. 00:07:42.990 --> 00:07:46.230 Okay, your inner attitude. We might say somebody 00:07:46.230 --> 00:07:49.649 when you're around them, he has a good spirit. 00:07:49.970 --> 00:07:52.470 And what we're saying is he has a good inner 00:07:52.470 --> 00:07:56.189 attitude. By the way, she said the right thing. 00:07:56.399 --> 00:07:59.720 but she did it in the wrong spirit. You ever 00:07:59.720 --> 00:08:01.540 heard that? She said the right thing. Sometimes 00:08:01.540 --> 00:08:04.399 you can say the right thing, but you have a bad 00:08:04.399 --> 00:08:08.100 inner spirit or bad attitude about it, bad spirit 00:08:08.100 --> 00:08:10.500 about it. You ever heard this? This home has 00:08:10.500 --> 00:08:13.920 a sweet spirit in that home, or the church, Chesapeake 00:08:13.920 --> 00:08:17.360 Baptist, has a good spirit about it. What we're 00:08:17.360 --> 00:08:19.560 saying is that the word spirit has to do with 00:08:19.560 --> 00:08:23.560 your inner attitude. And it's not just about 00:08:23.560 --> 00:08:26.660 what we do outwardly. Boy, it's about what's 00:08:26.660 --> 00:08:28.959 going on inwardly. The spirit is something that 00:08:28.959 --> 00:08:32.379 happens inward. An excellent spirit. Spirit is 00:08:32.379 --> 00:08:34.519 the inward attitude that shapes how a person 00:08:34.519 --> 00:08:39.120 thinks, how he speaks, how he reacts, how he 00:08:39.120 --> 00:08:41.820 carries himself or she carries himself. And the 00:08:41.820 --> 00:08:43.580 inner condition, by the way, the inner condition 00:08:43.580 --> 00:08:46.919 of you eventually comes out. and it shows in 00:08:46.919 --> 00:08:49.460 how we speak and the way we act and the way we 00:08:49.460 --> 00:08:51.980 respond. So you put those two together, an excellent 00:08:51.980 --> 00:08:56.360 spirit, it's an above common, better than ordinary 00:08:56.360 --> 00:08:59.720 inner attitude that shapes how we think, speak, 00:09:00.100 --> 00:09:02.700 react, and respond. So an excellent spirit, think 00:09:02.700 --> 00:09:06.100 about it, an excellent spirit is above common, 00:09:06.259 --> 00:09:10.549 it's better than ordinary, it's wagoo. Why goo? 00:09:11.210 --> 00:09:14.169 Inward attitude that shapes how we think, speak, 00:09:14.629 --> 00:09:17.210 act. Notice in that, look at Proverbs chapter 00:09:17.210 --> 00:09:22.730 17 verse 27, he that hath knowledge spareth his 00:09:22.730 --> 00:09:27.490 words. And a man of understanding is of an excellent 00:09:27.490 --> 00:09:30.750 spirit. A man of understanding, even a fool when 00:09:30.750 --> 00:09:33.850 he holdeth his peace is counted wise, and he 00:09:33.850 --> 00:09:37.570 that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding. 00:09:37.759 --> 00:09:40.419 So right away, the Bible connects an excellent 00:09:40.419 --> 00:09:43.960 spirit with understanding, with restraint and 00:09:43.960 --> 00:09:47.220 wisdom. So the wisdom of an excellent spirit. 00:09:47.519 --> 00:09:50.220 We're not talking about somebody who is naturally 00:09:50.220 --> 00:09:52.919 outgoing. So when we say excellent spirit, it's 00:09:52.919 --> 00:09:56.620 not talking about, well, he has a big personality 00:09:56.620 --> 00:09:59.320 or somebody who's impressive or somebody who's 00:09:59.320 --> 00:10:02.179 polished, educated, or talented. It's not talking 00:10:02.179 --> 00:10:04.840 about it. It's talking the inward person. No 00:10:04.840 --> 00:10:08.690 matter your personality, you have an or an extraordinary, 00:10:09.110 --> 00:10:12.649 not an ordinary, above ordinary attitude. The 00:10:12.649 --> 00:10:15.389 husband, a husband ought to have an excellent 00:10:15.389 --> 00:10:19.970 spirit. A wife should have an excellent spirit. 00:10:20.570 --> 00:10:23.940 A pastor should have an excellent spirit. A teenager 00:10:23.940 --> 00:10:27.519 should have an excellent spirit. A Sunday school 00:10:27.519 --> 00:10:29.519 teacher ought to have an excellent spirit. A 00:10:29.519 --> 00:10:32.700 servant of God, a Christian ought to have an 00:10:32.700 --> 00:10:35.379 excellent spirit. Now, I remember reading an 00:10:35.379 --> 00:10:40.000 autobiography of a preacher from really the 1960s 00:10:40.000 --> 00:10:43.840 and 70s, 80s. And I remember his autobiography. 00:10:44.000 --> 00:10:47.139 He read the Bible through every month, like cover 00:10:47.139 --> 00:10:49.440 to cover. And you read about this man. He had 00:10:49.440 --> 00:10:53.429 a church in Florida. and very knowledgeable. 00:10:54.169 --> 00:10:56.529 But if you ever read any of the books that he 00:10:56.529 --> 00:10:57.990 wrote, he wrote a lot of books, but you read 00:10:57.990 --> 00:11:03.169 the books, he was known for being a Bible knowledge, 00:11:03.269 --> 00:11:06.629 but he had a conference. And the conference was 00:11:06.629 --> 00:11:11.470 called the Bad Attitude Baptist Conference. And 00:11:11.470 --> 00:11:14.909 so he had truth, but he didn't have an excellent 00:11:14.909 --> 00:11:18.570 spirit. And what would show from that is his 00:11:18.570 --> 00:11:21.779 two divorces. got divorced from his wife, first 00:11:21.779 --> 00:11:25.100 wife, his second wife right there, and had problem 00:11:25.100 --> 00:11:28.159 with his people skills. He may have had truth, 00:11:28.519 --> 00:11:31.139 but he did not have an excellent spirit. So what 00:11:31.139 --> 00:11:34.039 kind of spirit do we have? What kind of spirit 00:11:34.039 --> 00:11:37.259 do you have? Think about this church. What kind 00:11:37.259 --> 00:11:40.039 of spirit does this church have? Out in public, 00:11:40.220 --> 00:11:42.240 what type of spirit do we have? Do we have a 00:11:42.240 --> 00:11:45.740 spirit that is, you begin to think about it like 00:11:45.740 --> 00:11:50.019 I said, above common, better in order, an inward 00:11:50.019 --> 00:11:52.500 attitude that shapes how we think, speak, act, 00:11:52.500 --> 00:11:55.000 and respond? Now, go with me to the book of Daniel, 00:11:55.100 --> 00:11:58.440 if you will. Daniel chapter number five. Daniel 00:11:58.440 --> 00:12:00.460 chapter number five. Okay, as you're turning 00:12:00.460 --> 00:12:06.309 to Daniel chapter five. All church, I want to 00:12:06.309 --> 00:12:09.769 have an excellent spirit. I want to have wisdom 00:12:09.769 --> 00:12:13.470 and understanding where my attitude, yes, I have 00:12:13.470 --> 00:12:17.169 the truth. I have the truth. I want to have a 00:12:17.169 --> 00:12:20.490 good attitude. I want to have a good spirit inside 00:12:20.490 --> 00:12:23.940 of me with the way I say things. how I respond 00:12:23.940 --> 00:12:28.679 to things, and my everyday interpersonal relationships 00:12:28.679 --> 00:12:31.279 right there. Daniel chapter number five. Oh, 00:12:31.279 --> 00:12:35.759 this is absolutely an amazing truth. Look at 00:12:35.759 --> 00:12:38.879 verse number one. Belshazzar the king made a 00:12:38.879 --> 00:12:41.440 great feast to a thousand of his lords and drank 00:12:41.440 --> 00:12:44.039 wine before the thousand. Okay, remember this 00:12:44.039 --> 00:12:47.019 is the Babylonian captivity. Daniel was carried 00:12:47.019 --> 00:12:51.759 off into captivity and he's serving King Belshazzar. 00:12:51.799 --> 00:12:55.179 Verse three. then brought the golden vessels 00:12:55.179 --> 00:12:57.200 that were taken out of the temple of the house 00:12:57.200 --> 00:13:00.419 of God, which was at Jerusalem. So they take 00:13:00.419 --> 00:13:05.539 the golden vessels that they had robbed from 00:13:05.539 --> 00:13:08.220 the temple in Jerusalem that they brought to 00:13:08.220 --> 00:13:10.720 Babylon. Look at verse number four. They drank 00:13:10.720 --> 00:13:16.639 wine and praised the gods of gold. That's wicked. 00:13:17.480 --> 00:13:19.080 We say that, amen, that's wicked. You understand, 00:13:19.100 --> 00:13:21.730 that's not good. Look at verse number five. in 00:13:21.730 --> 00:13:25.909 the same hour came forth fingers, fingers of 00:13:25.909 --> 00:13:30.090 a man's hand and wrote over against the candlestick 00:13:30.090 --> 00:13:32.809 above upon the plaster of the wall of the king's 00:13:32.809 --> 00:13:35.429 palace. Okay, verse six. Then the king's countenance 00:13:35.429 --> 00:13:38.889 was changed and his thoughts troubled him. Now 00:13:38.889 --> 00:13:42.129 watch this, verse six. So that the joints of 00:13:42.129 --> 00:13:46.289 his loins were loosed and his knees smote one 00:13:46.289 --> 00:13:52.149 against another. I can't do it, but I just imagine 00:13:52.149 --> 00:13:55.389 Belshazzar, ah! I just wish I could do that. 00:13:55.509 --> 00:13:57.450 Some of you will show me how to do that after 00:13:57.450 --> 00:13:59.909 the service right there, but he was scared half 00:13:59.909 --> 00:14:02.690 to death. This hand came out. Look at verse number 00:14:02.690 --> 00:14:05.690 eight. Then came in all the king's wise men, 00:14:05.789 --> 00:14:08.110 but they could not read the writing. Okay, verse 00:14:08.110 --> 00:14:11.210 nine. Then was King Belshazzar greatly troubled. 00:14:11.509 --> 00:14:14.450 Okay, verse 10. Now the queen by reason of the 00:14:14.450 --> 00:14:16.850 words of the king and his lords came into the 00:14:16.850 --> 00:14:20.440 banquet house and the king spake. And look at 00:14:20.440 --> 00:14:25.059 verse 12, for as much as an excellent spirit, 00:14:25.059 --> 00:14:29.120 verse 12, for as much as an excellent spirit, 00:14:29.200 --> 00:14:33.600 for as much as on what? And knowledge and understanding, 00:14:33.799 --> 00:14:37.799 interpreting. She's talking about Daniel. She 00:14:37.799 --> 00:14:41.100 says, I know somebody can help you. It's just 00:14:41.100 --> 00:14:45.379 Daniel. He has an excellent spirit. He has knowledge 00:14:45.379 --> 00:14:49.049 and understanding right there. Daniel. had above 00:14:49.049 --> 00:14:52.730 common, better than ordinary, inward attitude 00:14:52.730 --> 00:14:56.169 that shaped how he thought, how he spoke, how 00:14:56.169 --> 00:14:59.129 he reacted, how he responded. This is vitally 00:14:59.129 --> 00:15:02.370 important. He wasn't in a good situation. He 00:15:02.370 --> 00:15:07.289 was in a faraway land, in captivity, in a pagan 00:15:07.289 --> 00:15:11.570 land with wickedness all around him, yet he had 00:15:11.570 --> 00:15:15.159 an excellent spirit. Next chapter, look at chapter 00:15:15.159 --> 00:15:17.240 number six. This is a little bit later, Daniel 00:15:17.240 --> 00:15:24.440 the lion's den. I'll just, verse number three, 00:15:24.440 --> 00:15:27.639 just go to three. Then this Daniel was preferred 00:15:27.639 --> 00:15:31.980 above the presidents and princes. Why? Because 00:15:31.980 --> 00:15:38.220 on what? An excellent spirit was in him. And 00:15:38.220 --> 00:15:40.500 so Daniel, once again, he carried on with that 00:15:40.500 --> 00:15:43.730 above. Common better than ordinary inward attitude 00:15:43.730 --> 00:15:45.909 that shaped how he thought how he spoke how he 00:15:45.909 --> 00:15:48.230 reacted how he responded He wasn't he wasn't 00:15:48.230 --> 00:15:51.129 merely promoted because he was gifted and talented 00:15:51.129 --> 00:15:53.690 He was preferred because he had an excellence 00:15:53.690 --> 00:15:57.889 or something about Daniel that was different. 00:15:58.190 --> 00:16:01.789 What was different an excellent spirit? It wasn't 00:16:01.789 --> 00:16:05.539 that he was I believe he was gifted but it was 00:16:05.539 --> 00:16:08.360 an excellent spirit. How he reacted, how he responded. 00:16:08.700 --> 00:16:11.860 This is the story of the Daniel and the lion's 00:16:11.860 --> 00:16:13.860 den. You remember a little bit later you'll see 00:16:13.860 --> 00:16:16.919 that he gets rejected, you might say. What does 00:16:16.919 --> 00:16:19.799 he do? He goes to the Lord in prayer. It's an 00:16:19.799 --> 00:16:21.960 amazing thing. Daniel had something better than 00:16:21.960 --> 00:16:24.159 Taled. He had an excellent spirit. And what I 00:16:24.159 --> 00:16:27.779 want to say, young folks. young teenagers, young 00:16:27.779 --> 00:16:32.059 ladies, young married couples. Oh, one thing 00:16:32.059 --> 00:16:34.720 that'll help you in a great way is to learn to 00:16:34.720 --> 00:16:37.740 have an excellent spirit. Your circumstance, 00:16:37.879 --> 00:16:41.759 we worry so much about our circumstances, but 00:16:41.759 --> 00:16:45.620 a excellent spirit will help you in any circumstances 00:16:45.620 --> 00:16:47.919 you go through. And so, I wanna go through this. 00:16:47.960 --> 00:16:49.980 Go to Daniel chapter one, real quick. Daniel 00:16:49.980 --> 00:16:53.539 chapter one. Wanna show you a couple of things. 00:16:54.539 --> 00:16:57.179 Daniel shows what an excellent spirit looks like 00:16:57.179 --> 00:16:58.960 in real life. So I want to just go through a 00:16:58.960 --> 00:17:01.679 little bit about the life of Daniel and show 00:17:01.679 --> 00:17:03.460 you what an excellent spirit looks like. Look 00:17:03.460 --> 00:17:07.259 at verse number eight. But Daniel purposed in 00:17:07.259 --> 00:17:10.559 his heart that he would not defile himself with 00:17:10.559 --> 00:17:13.480 a portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine 00:17:13.480 --> 00:17:19.160 which he drank. Okay. Ah, yowzers. This is challenging. 00:17:20.720 --> 00:17:24.180 One thing that he did, he purposed in his heart 00:17:24.359 --> 00:17:27.119 He had an excellent spirit. He was told to do 00:17:27.119 --> 00:17:29.519 something that was against his Bible -believing 00:17:29.519 --> 00:17:33.740 Christianity, his convictions, okay? But God 00:17:33.740 --> 00:17:36.900 tells us that the excellent spirit, he had these 00:17:36.900 --> 00:17:40.579 Bible -believing convictions, but the way he 00:17:40.579 --> 00:17:43.400 handled himself with people was wise. It wasn't 00:17:43.400 --> 00:17:46.400 with a bad attitude. You understand the difference? 00:17:46.740 --> 00:17:50.660 I have my convictions. And by the way, convictions 00:17:50.660 --> 00:17:53.099 are good. Bible -believing convictions are great. 00:17:53.579 --> 00:17:56.619 but so often Bible -believing Christians have 00:17:56.619 --> 00:17:59.980 a bad attitude with their convictions. And so 00:17:59.980 --> 00:18:02.799 we have to have the balance of Bible -believing 00:18:02.799 --> 00:18:05.920 Christianity convictions, but we have to have 00:18:05.920 --> 00:18:09.039 it with the right spirit, an excellent spirit. 00:18:09.740 --> 00:18:12.319 Convictions are not wrong. Bible -believing Christianity 00:18:12.319 --> 00:18:17.700 is right, but sometimes we have such a bad attitude 00:18:17.700 --> 00:18:21.000 in our Bible -believing convictions, and it's 00:18:21.000 --> 00:18:24.759 wrong. So keep the convictions. Don't change 00:18:24.759 --> 00:18:28.079 the conviction. Never change the Bible belief. 00:18:28.119 --> 00:18:30.740 By the way, just quick reference, I'm not gonna 00:18:30.740 --> 00:18:34.519 lie. Christianity is changing a whole lot. A 00:18:34.519 --> 00:18:38.259 lot, a lot. Just say amen. But the Bible hasn't. 00:18:38.900 --> 00:18:42.180 So we're Bible believers. So the world may change. 00:18:43.409 --> 00:18:46.130 Worldly Christianity is constantly changing, 00:18:46.470 --> 00:18:48.869 but we Bible believers, and really in our church, 00:18:48.930 --> 00:18:51.930 there's probably a couple areas that people get 00:18:51.930 --> 00:18:53.849 out of whack about. First of all, the King James 00:18:53.849 --> 00:18:56.049 Bible. Well, the King James Bible's the word 00:18:56.049 --> 00:18:59.690 of God, and I'm not changing away from that. 00:18:59.829 --> 00:19:01.589 Now, I'm gonna have a good attitude, I'm gonna 00:19:01.589 --> 00:19:04.089 understand, but I just believe the King James 00:19:04.089 --> 00:19:09.109 Bible's the word of God. Music, music, wow, wow, 00:19:09.210 --> 00:19:12.089 wow, music is very influential. I wrote a book. 00:19:12.349 --> 00:19:15.569 two years ago, and I never published it, but 00:19:15.569 --> 00:19:18.450 a book on the history of music, biblical Christianity, 00:19:19.009 --> 00:19:21.349 and I don't need to work on it, but why we use 00:19:21.349 --> 00:19:23.309 the type of music we use here at the church, 00:19:23.509 --> 00:19:27.230 and wow, so few people even understand that issue 00:19:27.230 --> 00:19:30.250 today. Now, people come in every Sunday and they're 00:19:30.250 --> 00:19:32.309 like, whoa, where did this church come from? 00:19:32.529 --> 00:19:35.210 And they're speaking typically of the music that 00:19:35.210 --> 00:19:37.230 we use in the church, psalms, hymns, spiritual 00:19:37.230 --> 00:19:40.869 songs. Now, we're gonna keep those. It's a biblical 00:19:40.869 --> 00:19:43.549 conviction. but I'm going to have a good attitude 00:19:43.549 --> 00:19:48.019 and excellent spirit with that. Modesty and dress, 00:19:48.420 --> 00:19:51.099 holy meckles. You wanna get people wound up and 00:19:51.099 --> 00:19:53.880 you start talking about gender distinction and 00:19:53.880 --> 00:19:56.619 people really get out of whack. Now I'm not changing 00:19:56.619 --> 00:19:58.740 from that. I believe that God made a woman a 00:19:58.740 --> 00:20:00.700 woman and a man a man. I believe that with all 00:20:00.700 --> 00:20:02.960 my heart. I understand the world is different 00:20:02.960 --> 00:20:06.200 today. But the world, man alive, they accept 00:20:06.200 --> 00:20:09.619 homosexuality, transgenderism, they accept a 00:20:09.619 --> 00:20:11.500 whole lot of things. I'm gonna stick to the Bible 00:20:11.500 --> 00:20:13.220 beliefs that men ought to be men and women ought 00:20:13.220 --> 00:20:16.279 to be women. but I'm also gonna have an excellent 00:20:16.279 --> 00:20:18.980 spirit about that. And so there's the balance. 00:20:19.039 --> 00:20:22.759 Don't kick out the convictions, but have an excellent 00:20:22.759 --> 00:20:25.559 spirit inside of those convictions. Now, go on, 00:20:25.640 --> 00:20:27.859 if you will, with me to Daniel chapter number 00:20:27.859 --> 00:20:31.299 two. Look with me at verse number 30. I'm gonna 00:20:31.299 --> 00:20:33.960 go to fourth gear. That means I'm speeding up. 00:20:34.259 --> 00:20:37.980 But as for me, the secret. Now, he interpreted 00:20:37.980 --> 00:20:41.099 a dream. But as for me, Daniel says, but as for 00:20:41.099 --> 00:20:46.319 me, this secret. is not revealed to me for any 00:20:46.319 --> 00:20:50.559 wisdom that I have, more than any living, but 00:20:50.559 --> 00:20:54.279 for their sakes. That shall make known the interpretation 00:20:54.279 --> 00:20:56.859 of the King, and that thou mightest know the 00:20:56.859 --> 00:20:59.240 thoughts of thy heart. Now, if you follow along 00:20:59.240 --> 00:21:04.299 with me right there, Daniel was humble. What 00:21:04.299 --> 00:21:07.160 an excellent spirit in his response right there. 00:21:07.319 --> 00:21:10.650 Had nothing to, he didn't have pride. He wasn't 00:21:10.650 --> 00:21:13.730 haughty right there. When God revealed Nebuchadnezzar's 00:21:13.730 --> 00:21:16.490 dream to Daniel, Daniel didn't strut around and 00:21:16.490 --> 00:21:18.970 act like he was something special. He gave God 00:21:18.970 --> 00:21:22.470 the glory. And an excellent spirit is not living 00:21:22.470 --> 00:21:24.750 for himself. He's living for the glory of God. 00:21:24.990 --> 00:21:27.809 In other words, an excellent spirit, we have 00:21:27.809 --> 00:21:30.609 to realize our flesh desires the credit. Our 00:21:30.609 --> 00:21:34.049 flesh wants recognition. Our flesh wants applause. 00:21:34.549 --> 00:21:37.109 And the flesh wants people to know how much we 00:21:37.109 --> 00:21:40.220 know and how much I did. but an excellent spirit, 00:21:40.380 --> 00:21:45.099 hey listen to God, be the glory. You understand 00:21:45.099 --> 00:21:46.700 that that's important? Okay, go to this next 00:21:46.700 --> 00:21:48.599 one if you will. Go to Daniel chapter six again. 00:21:48.660 --> 00:21:52.119 Daniel chapter six, and remember it talks about 00:21:52.119 --> 00:21:54.859 an excellent spirit in verse number three, but 00:21:54.859 --> 00:21:56.500 verse number four is chapter six, verse four. 00:21:56.859 --> 00:21:59.799 Then the presidents and princes sought to find 00:21:59.799 --> 00:22:02.500 occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom, 00:22:02.700 --> 00:22:06.720 but they could find none occasion nor fault for 00:22:06.720 --> 00:22:10.599 as much as he was faithful. He was what? Neither 00:22:10.599 --> 00:22:12.940 was there any error or fault found in him. And 00:22:12.940 --> 00:22:15.660 what is that? That's a testimony. The enemies 00:22:15.660 --> 00:22:17.700 looked for, you might say dirt, but they couldn't 00:22:17.700 --> 00:22:20.599 find anything. Why? He was faithfully at a testimony. 00:22:21.039 --> 00:22:25.200 An excellent spirit is not looking to be lazy 00:22:25.200 --> 00:22:28.039 or dishonest or inconsistent, but an excellent 00:22:28.039 --> 00:22:30.440 spirit, whether somebody's watching or somebody's 00:22:30.440 --> 00:22:32.519 not watching, they know the Lord's watching and 00:22:32.519 --> 00:22:33.920 they're gonna have an excellent spirit because 00:22:33.920 --> 00:22:37.339 it's the right thing. And I wanna encourage us. 00:22:37.470 --> 00:22:40.589 not just have a public persona of an excellent 00:22:40.589 --> 00:22:43.509 spirit, but let's go home and have an excellent 00:22:43.509 --> 00:22:45.730 spirit. Let's have an excellent spirit when we 00:22:45.730 --> 00:22:47.910 wake up. Let's have an excellent spirit when 00:22:47.910 --> 00:22:50.470 we get that phone call from the man in India. 00:22:52.569 --> 00:22:55.269 That's a hard one, but let's try our best to 00:22:55.269 --> 00:22:58.549 have an excellent spirit. Oh, boy, let's move 00:22:58.549 --> 00:23:00.829 on. Verse number 10, chapter six, verse number 00:23:00.829 --> 00:23:04.650 10. Now when Daniel knew that the writing was 00:23:04.650 --> 00:23:08.220 signed, He went into his house and his windows 00:23:08.220 --> 00:23:11.099 being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he 00:23:11.099 --> 00:23:15.859 kneeled upon his knees three times a day and 00:23:15.859 --> 00:23:21.619 prayed. And you know, this is important. He's 00:23:21.619 --> 00:23:24.400 in a predicament. You pray, you die. Basically 00:23:24.400 --> 00:23:26.059 what it was. We're gonna throw you in the lion's 00:23:26.059 --> 00:23:29.859 den. But his life was based on just doing right, 00:23:29.900 --> 00:23:33.599 an excellent spirit. And he didn't rely on his 00:23:33.599 --> 00:23:36.890 circumstances. He relied on the Lord, and that's 00:23:36.890 --> 00:23:38.970 what prayer is. God, you're gonna have to do 00:23:38.970 --> 00:23:41.390 something. Lord, you're my only hope, and he 00:23:41.390 --> 00:23:44.109 prayed to the Lord. An excellent spirit in Daniel 00:23:44.109 --> 00:23:48.450 came from a consistent walk with God. Okay, go 00:23:48.450 --> 00:23:50.750 back to chapter number 17, Proverbs chapter 17. 00:23:50.809 --> 00:23:56.230 I'm going to fifth gear now, and wow. Remember, 00:23:56.390 --> 00:24:00.150 an excellent spirit. It's above common, better 00:24:00.150 --> 00:24:03.670 than ordinary, inward attitude, an inward attitude 00:24:03.670 --> 00:24:07.470 that comes out. It shapes how we think, how we 00:24:07.470 --> 00:24:10.690 speak, how we react, how we respond. You ever 00:24:10.690 --> 00:24:13.410 been there? I've had trouble with an excellent 00:24:13.410 --> 00:24:16.650 spirit in my life. Anybody else ever struggle 00:24:16.650 --> 00:24:20.089 with that? I play basketball. And it's, I don't 00:24:20.089 --> 00:24:23.950 know, it's something about basketball. And I've 00:24:23.950 --> 00:24:26.769 really worked on it. I think I've done good overall 00:24:26.769 --> 00:24:30.569 since last Thanksgiving. Now, that's good for 00:24:30.569 --> 00:24:32.730 me. It's been a life -long struggle, but I've 00:24:32.730 --> 00:24:34.710 been really working on my attitude. I've been 00:24:34.710 --> 00:24:37.369 working on my excellent spirit, but it's a struggle. 00:24:38.890 --> 00:24:41.109 And boy, it gets lonely up here. It gets very 00:24:41.109 --> 00:24:43.430 lonely up here. It gets lonely right here. Okay, 00:24:43.450 --> 00:24:47.710 here we go. Proverbs 17, he that hath knowledge 00:24:47.710 --> 00:24:54.049 spareth his words. Verse 28, even a fool, when 00:24:54.049 --> 00:24:58.119 he holdeth his peace, is counted wise. and he 00:24:58.119 --> 00:25:00.519 that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding. 00:25:00.819 --> 00:25:02.819 So, he that hath knowledge spareth his word. 00:25:03.640 --> 00:25:07.000 Doesn't mean a knowledgeable man, okay, think 00:25:07.000 --> 00:25:10.259 about it like this. A knowledgeable man, somebody 00:25:10.259 --> 00:25:12.339 who has knowledge, that's what it says, he that 00:25:12.339 --> 00:25:16.660 hath knowledge, somebody who has knowledge, knowledge, 00:25:16.940 --> 00:25:20.160 okay? Sometimes people have knowledge, but does 00:25:20.160 --> 00:25:22.480 not mean you have to say everything you know. 00:25:23.660 --> 00:25:26.579 Okay, you have knowledge, but sometimes you don't 00:25:26.579 --> 00:25:29.880 have to say it. You don't always have to give 00:25:29.880 --> 00:25:33.019 your opinion. You don't always have to win the 00:25:33.019 --> 00:25:35.660 argument. You don't always have to correct every 00:25:35.660 --> 00:25:38.079 detail. You don't always have to have the lost 00:25:38.079 --> 00:25:41.799 word. And an excellent spirit has the wisdom 00:25:41.799 --> 00:25:46.579 to be very careful with his words. And so holdeth 00:25:46.579 --> 00:25:49.319 his peace, verse 28. He that shutteth his lips. 00:25:49.539 --> 00:25:52.660 Sometimes the wisest thing you can say is nothing. 00:25:53.359 --> 00:25:56.920 Okay, sometimes silence, you think silence is 00:25:56.920 --> 00:26:02.019 not weakness. Silence is often wisdom. And there 00:26:02.019 --> 00:26:05.680 are times when speaking's right, yes. Correction 00:26:05.680 --> 00:26:08.460 is needed, truth needs to be declared. But there's 00:26:08.460 --> 00:26:11.619 a time an excellent spirit knows that not every 00:26:11.619 --> 00:26:14.119 thought needs to be, you could say, a sentence. 00:26:14.180 --> 00:26:15.940 Now, I'm gonna go through there as you mark these 00:26:15.940 --> 00:26:19.319 down. Proverbs 29 verse 10 says, a fool uttereth 00:26:19.319 --> 00:26:23.019 all his mind, but a wise man keepeth it in till 00:26:23.019 --> 00:26:25.640 afterwards. A fool just lays it out, well, it's 00:26:25.640 --> 00:26:28.299 on my mind. Whatever comes out of my mind, I'm 00:26:28.299 --> 00:26:31.960 just gonna say it out is. But a wise man puts 00:26:31.960 --> 00:26:35.480 the brakes on. He has rule over himself. He knows 00:26:35.480 --> 00:26:37.779 how to wait. He knows how to pray. He knows how 00:26:37.779 --> 00:26:41.119 to be patient. He knows how to think before he 00:26:41.119 --> 00:26:44.500 speaks. And that's part of an excellent spirit, 00:26:44.759 --> 00:26:48.079 okay? Let's work on this. Before I speak, think 00:26:48.079 --> 00:26:50.619 about this, before I speak, I gotta say, is it 00:26:50.619 --> 00:26:54.339 true? Is this necessary? Is this the right time? 00:26:54.660 --> 00:26:57.440 Is this the right spirit? Is this what God would 00:26:57.440 --> 00:27:00.740 have me to say? And so sometimes an excellent 00:27:00.740 --> 00:27:04.579 spirit is being careful with your words. And 00:27:04.579 --> 00:27:07.519 am I speaking because God wants me to or because 00:27:07.519 --> 00:27:12.539 my flesh wants me to? Now this is a very, I don't 00:27:12.539 --> 00:27:15.980 even like using the word real sermon for me because 00:27:15.980 --> 00:27:23.599 it is something I have to work on. Anybody else? 00:27:24.279 --> 00:27:26.839 Okay, please, I mean, this is getting lonely 00:27:26.839 --> 00:27:29.660 up here. I need some help right here. Okay, an 00:27:29.660 --> 00:27:32.680 excellent spirit. An excellent spirit is different. 00:27:33.900 --> 00:27:36.680 Just don't turn there. Ecclesiastes chapter seven, 00:27:36.759 --> 00:27:40.759 verse nine. There's the word, be not hasty in 00:27:40.759 --> 00:27:44.960 thy spirit to be angry. Don't be hasty in the 00:27:44.960 --> 00:27:49.059 inward spirit, the inward attitude to have an 00:27:49.059 --> 00:27:52.009 angry spirit. The Bible shows us that people 00:27:52.009 --> 00:27:55.369 have the wrong spirit in them sometimes. A hasty 00:27:55.369 --> 00:27:57.170 spirit, you might say. Some people are quick 00:27:57.170 --> 00:28:00.650 to anger. And they don't take much to set them 00:28:00.650 --> 00:28:03.630 off. You know, it's a look or a comment. And 00:28:03.630 --> 00:28:06.150 recently, my family, we watched, I think, 30 00:28:06.150 --> 00:28:10.609 minutes of road, not rage necessarily, but road 00:28:10.609 --> 00:28:13.849 accidents. And you watch some of those accidents 00:28:13.849 --> 00:28:16.130 with this one guy on the highway. And it's got 00:28:16.130 --> 00:28:20.509 the dash cam. And this person comes up. and just 00:28:20.509 --> 00:28:22.690 rams the person right in front of him on purpose. 00:28:22.990 --> 00:28:25.490 And he's like drives by and he's shaking, he's 00:28:25.490 --> 00:28:28.609 angry. And I think that was brother, who was 00:28:28.609 --> 00:28:30.329 that? Hey brother Frank, you shouldn't have done 00:28:30.329 --> 00:28:32.890 that. You shouldn't have done that. You shouldn't 00:28:32.890 --> 00:28:35.410 have done that, I think it was wrong. But it 00:28:35.410 --> 00:28:37.990 doesn't take much. So hasty in spirit, but an 00:28:37.990 --> 00:28:40.049 excellent spirit is not easily stirred. Okay, 00:28:40.049 --> 00:28:42.950 Proverbs 16 verse 18. Pride goeth before destruction, 00:28:43.470 --> 00:28:46.809 and a haughty spirit, haughty spirit, say haughty. 00:28:47.920 --> 00:28:51.500 Haughty. Haughty is sort of prideful. And you 00:28:51.500 --> 00:28:53.960 look at pride. Pride says, I deserve better. 00:28:54.279 --> 00:28:56.480 I should have been recognized. Nobody's gonna 00:28:56.480 --> 00:28:59.400 tell me what to do. I'm always right. They do 00:28:59.400 --> 00:29:02.119 not appreciate me. But an excellent spirit, an 00:29:02.119 --> 00:29:04.119 excellent spirit's different. An excellent spirit 00:29:04.119 --> 00:29:06.980 can serve without being seen. An excellent spirit 00:29:06.980 --> 00:29:10.579 can be corrected without falling apart. An excellent 00:29:10.579 --> 00:29:13.099 spirit can rejoice when somebody else is blessed. 00:29:13.559 --> 00:29:15.819 And an excellent spirit can give God the glory 00:29:15.819 --> 00:29:19.240 he deserves. So Proverbs 25 verse 28, he that 00:29:19.240 --> 00:29:23.670 hath no rule over his own. Spirit, he that hath 00:29:23.670 --> 00:29:27.670 no rule, he that hath no rule over his own spirit, 00:29:27.910 --> 00:29:30.390 his inward self, his inward out, is like a city 00:29:30.390 --> 00:29:32.250 that is broken down without walls. Back in the 00:29:32.250 --> 00:29:36.009 day, a city without walls, woo, man alive. They 00:29:36.009 --> 00:29:40.190 could be attacked and plundered by the enemy, 00:29:40.549 --> 00:29:43.150 but with no rule over your own spirit. Well, 00:29:43.150 --> 00:29:45.470 that's just the way I am. I fly off the handle. 00:29:45.670 --> 00:29:47.609 Well, okay, you can do that, but you don't have 00:29:47.609 --> 00:29:49.730 an excellent spirit. You have no rule over your 00:29:49.730 --> 00:29:51.970 own spirit. And so it's a powerful picture. And 00:29:51.970 --> 00:29:53.789 God says that somebody who does not rule his 00:29:53.789 --> 00:29:57.130 own spirit is like that city. You know, don't 00:29:57.130 --> 00:29:59.569 allow, okay, look at this. Hebrews chapter 12 00:29:59.569 --> 00:30:04.049 verse 15 says like this, looking diligently, 00:30:04.529 --> 00:30:08.349 lest any man fail of the grace of God, lest any 00:30:08.349 --> 00:30:11.829 root of bitterness. And there's a bitter spirit. 00:30:12.250 --> 00:30:14.230 You ever have somebody that's inside their inward 00:30:14.230 --> 00:30:17.750 spirit is not excellent, but they're bitter. 00:30:18.009 --> 00:30:20.789 and somebody poisoned them, or they were poisoned 00:30:20.789 --> 00:30:23.410 at one time, their spirit, and everything that 00:30:23.410 --> 00:30:27.250 comes out, they have a hard time with trust, 00:30:27.349 --> 00:30:28.829 and they have a hard time with attitude, and 00:30:28.829 --> 00:30:30.470 they have a hard time with this. There's a bitter 00:30:30.470 --> 00:30:33.789 spirit about them, and it's not a great way to 00:30:33.789 --> 00:30:36.390 live. Bitterness, by the way, I don't wanna skip 00:30:36.390 --> 00:30:38.970 over this, but bitterness, if you get bitter, 00:30:39.490 --> 00:30:43.029 bitter, it changes how you hear preaching. It 00:30:43.029 --> 00:30:46.309 changes how you view people. Bitterness changes 00:30:46.309 --> 00:30:50.009 how you respond to leadership. Bitterness changes 00:30:50.009 --> 00:30:52.630 how you treat your family. Bitterness changes 00:30:52.630 --> 00:30:56.710 the spirit of your home. By the way, pastors 00:30:56.710 --> 00:30:59.150 get bitter. They get angry and all of a sudden 00:30:59.150 --> 00:31:01.329 all these people are preaching at you. They get 00:31:01.329 --> 00:31:04.109 angry at the people that are out there and he 00:31:04.109 --> 00:31:06.069 begins to think everybody out there hates the 00:31:06.069 --> 00:31:07.890 preacher. And boy, have you ever met a bitter 00:31:07.890 --> 00:31:11.910 pastor? It's a miserable, bitter wife or a bitter 00:31:11.910 --> 00:31:15.670 husband, and it's death. It's death. But have 00:31:15.670 --> 00:31:17.690 an excellent spirit, amen. Okay, this is the 00:31:17.690 --> 00:31:19.309 end of it. How can I have an excellent spirit? 00:31:19.930 --> 00:31:23.670 Ask that. Okay, this is really quick. This is 00:31:23.670 --> 00:31:28.269 seventh gear, okay? Walk with God. Walk with 00:31:28.269 --> 00:31:31.150 God. Daniel prayed as he did a four time. He 00:31:31.150 --> 00:31:33.390 had to walk with God. So one thing that'll help 00:31:33.390 --> 00:31:34.690 you have an extra spirit, make sure you walk 00:31:34.690 --> 00:31:38.029 with God. Have a walk with God. Go to God. But 00:31:38.029 --> 00:31:40.069 one thing that'll help your bitterness, the Lord's 00:31:40.069 --> 00:31:44.289 Prayer, forgive us our debts. Forgive us, Lord, 00:31:44.390 --> 00:31:47.769 forgive me. Forgive us our debts and we forgive 00:31:47.769 --> 00:31:51.970 our debtors. A day doesn't go by without forgiving 00:31:51.970 --> 00:31:53.890 people who've wronged you. The answer is not 00:31:53.890 --> 00:31:56.130 to get rid of people that wrong you. The answer 00:31:56.130 --> 00:31:58.720 is us forgiving them. Not allowing that bitterness 00:31:58.720 --> 00:32:01.359 inside of us. Okay, rule your mouth. He that 00:32:01.359 --> 00:32:04.240 hath knowledge spareth his word. So walk with 00:32:04.240 --> 00:32:08.000 God. Learn to rule your mouth. Stay humble, only 00:32:08.000 --> 00:32:11.619 by pride cometh contention. Number four, be faithful 00:32:11.619 --> 00:32:15.960 in the little things. Daniel's enemies couldn't 00:32:15.960 --> 00:32:19.180 find a fault with him. So be faithful to the 00:32:19.180 --> 00:32:22.980 little things. Be on time. Keep your word. Just 00:32:22.980 --> 00:32:27.019 do your job. Serve without drama. Be kind at 00:32:27.019 --> 00:32:30.500 home. Be honest in business. Be faithful in church. 00:32:31.000 --> 00:32:35.220 Do right, even if nobody claps. God sees little 00:32:35.220 --> 00:32:38.220 things. Then number five, respond right when 00:32:38.220 --> 00:32:41.099 you're under pressure. When you're under pressure, 00:32:41.140 --> 00:32:43.660 you ever get under pressure? Okay, how many of 00:32:43.660 --> 00:32:46.640 you ever get pressured? Okay, I hope so. I get 00:32:46.640 --> 00:32:51.539 pressure, pressure, pressure, pressure. You're 00:32:51.539 --> 00:32:55.339 a councilman for the wonderful city of Chesapeake. 00:32:55.440 --> 00:33:00.960 No pressure. None whatsoever. But inside the 00:33:00.960 --> 00:33:04.180 pressure, if you're controlled by God, you can 00:33:04.180 --> 00:33:06.059 have an excellent spirit. You should have an 00:33:06.059 --> 00:33:08.779 excellent spirit. You represent the king. Mom, 00:33:08.980 --> 00:33:11.519 mom, have an excellent spirit. Dad, have an excellent 00:33:11.519 --> 00:33:14.140 spirit. Now here's the thought. What are you 00:33:14.140 --> 00:33:17.220 gonna choose? There are some here this evening 00:33:17.220 --> 00:33:19.599 that you have an excellent spirit. Praise God. 00:33:19.700 --> 00:33:24.599 I believe probably, in that section, 90 % of 00:33:24.599 --> 00:33:29.619 you. This section right here, 92%. Let me see 00:33:29.619 --> 00:33:37.799 right here, 99%. Ugh. Okay, there's hope, though. 00:33:37.799 --> 00:33:39.480 There's hope. There's hope, bro. But we'll get 00:33:39.480 --> 00:33:41.519 it right. But if you have an excellent, keep 00:33:41.519 --> 00:33:44.400 going. But if you struggle with that, I wanna 00:33:44.400 --> 00:33:48.299 beg you, go to God in prayer and think about 00:33:48.299 --> 00:33:51.799 it. Say, God, help me to have an excellent, above 00:33:51.799 --> 00:33:55.869 -ordinary inner attitude. that affects how I 00:33:55.869 --> 00:34:01.309 respond, how I talk, how I interact with people, 00:34:01.509 --> 00:34:05.950 help me to have an excellent spirit. And by the 00:34:05.950 --> 00:34:10.750 way, seek and ye shall find. God wants you to 00:34:10.750 --> 00:34:14.510 have it and boy, you can have an excellent spirit. 00:34:14.610 --> 00:34:17.130 Dear Father in heaven, we love you. It's hot 00:34:17.130 --> 00:34:21.510 in here tonight. I thank you for the attentiveness 00:34:21.510 --> 00:34:24.659 of your people. And I pray, I have no doubt, 00:34:25.099 --> 00:34:28.659 I needed the reminder, Lord. And I pray that 00:34:28.659 --> 00:34:32.219 you help me to be a father that has an excellent 00:34:32.219 --> 00:34:34.239 spirit, a husband that has an excellent spirit, 00:34:34.619 --> 00:34:36.880 a pastor that has an excellent spirit, just a 00:34:36.880 --> 00:34:39.019 Christian, an everyday Christian that has an 00:34:39.019 --> 00:34:41.539 excellent spirit. And I pray that you help somebody 00:34:41.539 --> 00:34:43.860 here without a doubt, there are some that have 00:34:43.860 --> 00:34:46.579 been struggling and have even struggled today. 00:34:47.219 --> 00:34:49.739 Help them to not live that way, help them to 00:34:49.739 --> 00:34:52.179 learn to walk with you. helping to learn to give 00:34:52.179 --> 00:34:54.920 you the glory, helping to learn that they can 00:34:54.920 --> 00:34:56.780 have an excellent spirit where they can control 00:34:56.780 --> 00:34:59.480 what they say and give them wisdom in doing so. 00:34:59.579 --> 00:35:02.280 We love you. Thank you for today. In Jesus' name, 00:35:02.500 --> 00:35:03.760 amen. Stand with me if you will.