SPEAKER_01: Daniel chapter 4 and Acts chapter 12.
SPEAKER_01: Good to have you here tonight.
SPEAKER_01: I'm going to give you the negative first and give you the positive second.
SPEAKER_01: Look at Daniel chapter 4.
SPEAKER_01: And let me give you a uh, if you would, a lead-in to this message.
SPEAKER_01: Daniel chapter 4, and you'll you'll think you'll know the direction, but we're going to switch it opposite just in the middle.
SPEAKER_01: Daniel chapter 4.
SPEAKER_01: And uh notice, if you would, in uh in Daniel chapter 4, there's a there's a king in here that gets a little bit lifted up.
SPEAKER_01: Daniel chapter 4, and look verse 28.
SPEAKER_01: All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar.
SPEAKER_01: At the end of twelve months, he walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon.
SPEAKER_01: The king spake and said, Is not this great Babylon that, what's the next little word?
SPEAKER_01: You ought to underline that because he made a terrible statement there, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of what's that next little word?
SPEAKER_01: My power, for the honor of my majesty.
SPEAKER_01: That's a that's a that's a terribly tragic statement, which he's gonna find out later.
SPEAKER_01: I'll guarantee you he wishes he would have never said that, although the end result of what God did changed his mind about how great he was.
SPEAKER_01: Amen?
SPEAKER_01: He says, Is not this grabylon that I have built for the house of the kingdom of by the might of my power for the honor of my majesty?
SPEAKER_01: You know, in Isaiah, Satan, uh the the anointed cherub in the covered, had a problem with talking about what he was going to do.
SPEAKER_01: And here Nebuchadnezzar gets a hold of that, and look at verse 31.
SPEAKER_01: While the word was in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven saying, Oh King Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken, the kingdom is departed from thee.
SPEAKER_01: And they shall drive thee from men, and you shall be a hippie.
SPEAKER_01: And thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, see, a hippie.
SPEAKER_01: They shall make thee to eat grass.
SPEAKER_01: That's a hippie, as oxen.
SPEAKER_01: And seven times shall pass over thee until thou know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, who giveth it to whomsoever he will.
SPEAKER_01: Now you know the Bible says this that pride goeth before what?
SPEAKER_01: A fallen haughty spirit before destruction.
SPEAKER_01: The idea here is someone that's lifted up in pride, God has a way of humbling, or if he can't humble him, he takes care of him in a different way.
SPEAKER_01: Look at Acts, if you would, chapter 12.
SPEAKER_01: Acts, chapter 12.
SPEAKER_01: Now, Nebuchadnezzar was humbled, and if you read the story at the end, he exalted and praised the Most High, and he came to his senses.
SPEAKER_01: Amen.
SPEAKER_01: But he had to go out and get eagle's feathers for a while, like hare and claws and all kinds of things, and eat like an ox.
SPEAKER_01: And God showed him who was controlling what was going on in his kingdom.
SPEAKER_01: Acts chapter 12.
SPEAKER_01: There are times, I think, when God says, Well, I don't know if I'm going to be able to, I know I won't be able to get through this, and so I just take care of this one another way.
SPEAKER_01: Look at Acts chapter 12 and notice verse 20.
SPEAKER_01: And Herod was highly displeased with them of Tyre and Sidon.
SPEAKER_01: But they came with one accord to him, and having made Blastoise the king's chamberlain, their friend, desired peace because their country was nourished by the king's country.
SPEAKER_01: And upon a set day, Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne and made an oration unto them.
SPEAKER_01: And the people gave a shout.
SPEAKER_01: It was in the script, amen.
SPEAKER_01: You're supposed to shout after the king gave this oration, saying, It is not, it is the voice of a God and not of a man.
SPEAKER_01: Now I guess God was just done with Herod.
SPEAKER_01: Verse 23.
SPEAKER_01: And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him.
SPEAKER_01: Because he gave not God the glory.
SPEAKER_01: And he was eaten of what?
SPEAKER_01: What a way to go, amen.
SPEAKER_01: And gave up the ghost.
SPEAKER_01: The idea here is Herod was lifted up into thinking he was something that he wasn't, and God took care of him.
SPEAKER_01: Now God took care of Nebuchadnezzar one way, he took care of Herod another way.
SPEAKER_01: Look if you would at 2 Chronicles 26.
SPEAKER_01: I'm going to tell you, it's dangerous to be lifted up in the wrong way.
SPEAKER_01: It's dangerous to be lifted up in the wrong way.
SPEAKER_01: 2 Chronicles 26.
SPEAKER_01: Lifted up in pride, thinking that we have done anything.
SPEAKER_01: Without God's help, without God's blessing, without God's power.
SPEAKER_01: And everybody knows that, but I want to show you something in just a moment.
SPEAKER_01: Look at 2 Chronicles 26.
SPEAKER_01: If you know the story, Uzziah here is the king.
SPEAKER_01: He's a king for 52 years in Jerusalem.
SPEAKER_01: And boy, I tell you what, verse 7, the Bible says of 2 Chronicles 26, God helps him.
SPEAKER_01: And he builds towers and he builds many wells and he has much cattle and his vineyards do very, very well, and there's inventions and everything.
SPEAKER_01: In verse 15, it talks about the towers and the arrows that are shot and the stones that are made.
SPEAKER_01: And God marvelously helped him.
SPEAKER_01: But look at verse 16.
SPEAKER_01: But when he was what?
SPEAKER_01: Strong.
SPEAKER_01: His heart was, say it.
SPEAKER_01: Everybody say it, his heart was what?
SPEAKER_01: Lifted up to his what?
SPEAKER_01: Destruction.
SPEAKER_01: Just mark it down beside your verse there.
SPEAKER_01: It was pride.
SPEAKER_01: He was lifted up to his destruction, for he transgressed against the Lord his God.
SPEAKER_01: The Bible says that he goes into the temple of God and he begins to burn incense, but he knew, or I'm sorry, the priest was the only one supposed to burn incense.
SPEAKER_01: And when he comes in, verse 17, Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him fourscore priests of the Lord.
SPEAKER_01: Eighty men follow him in.
SPEAKER_01: They were valiant men.
SPEAKER_01: And they withstood Uzziah the king and said unto him, It appartaineth not unto thee, Uzziah, to burn incense unto the Lord.
SPEAKER_01: But to the priests, the sons of Aaron, that are consecrated to burn incense.
SPEAKER_01: Go out of the sanctuary, for thou hast trespassed.
SPEAKER_01: Hey, that's pretty point blank.
SPEAKER_01: Go out of here.
SPEAKER_01: You're not supposed to be in here burning the incense, king.
SPEAKER_01: You're sinning, neither shall it be for thine honor from the Lord God.
SPEAKER_01: Verse 19, look at it.
SPEAKER_01: His heart's lifted up.
SPEAKER_01: Then Uzziah was wroth, he was angry, and had a censer in his hands to burn incense, and while he was wroth with the priests, the leprosy even rose up in his forehead before the priests in the house of the Lord from beside the incense altar.
SPEAKER_01: You say, where'd the leprosy come from?
SPEAKER_01: It came straight from God, amen.
SPEAKER_01: Because his heart was lifted up, and God was displeased with this pride in there.
SPEAKER_01: Verse 20.
SPEAKER_01: And Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked upon him, and behold, he was leprous in his forehead, and they thrust him out from thence.
SPEAKER_01: Yea, himself hasted also to go out.
SPEAKER_01: Good move, Uzziah, amen.
SPEAKER_01: Because the Lord had smitten him.
SPEAKER_01: And Uzziah the king was a leper unto the day of his death.
SPEAKER_01: What we've just read is three accounts.
SPEAKER_01: Nebuchadnezzar was lifted up.
SPEAKER_01: But he got right later, but God had to deal with him.
SPEAKER_01: Herod was lifted up, and God smote him, and here Uzziah was lifted up.
SPEAKER_01: His own pride caused this leprosy, and his leprosy was there unto the day of death.
SPEAKER_01: So there's a kind of lifting up that is dangerous.
SPEAKER_01: Now look if you would at 2 Chronicles.
SPEAKER_01: 2 Chronicles, you're right there, chapter 17.
SPEAKER_01: 2 Chronicles, chapter 17.
SPEAKER_01: A little verse here that bears our attention.
SPEAKER_01: Look at verse 1.
SPEAKER_01: Jehoshaphat, his son reigned, and his stead has strengthened himself against Israel.
SPEAKER_01: Goes on down to say he placed garrisons and talks a little bit about how he walked in the first ways of his father David in verse 3.
SPEAKER_01: It says he sought the Lord God of his father and walked in his commandments, and not after the doings of Israel, talking specifically about Ahab.
SPEAKER_01: Verse 5.
SPEAKER_01: Therefore the Lord established the kingdom in his hand.
SPEAKER_01: And all Judah brought to Jehoshaphat's presence.
SPEAKER_01: And he had riches and honor in abundance.
SPEAKER_01: I want you to see verse 6.
SPEAKER_01: Would you underline a little phrase there, a little statement?
SPEAKER_01: And his heart was what?
SPEAKER_01: Wait a minute.
SPEAKER_01: Don't stop there because it's not a heart being lifted up like Nebuchadnezzar's was, or like if you would, uh Uzziah's was, or like Herod's was.
SPEAKER_01: His heart was lifted up in the ways of the Lord.
SPEAKER_01: I don't know how you view that statement, but I put out when I read that and studied a little bit, I put out to the side of my Bible confidence.
SPEAKER_01: There's a difference, brethren, between confidence and pride.
SPEAKER_01: Let me say it again.
SPEAKER_01: There's a difference in being lifted up in the ways of the Lord and being lifted up in self.
SPEAKER_01: Lifted up in self is pride.
SPEAKER_01: And God resisteth the proud.
SPEAKER_01: He giveth grace to the humble.
SPEAKER_01: But here's Jehosaphat, who's lifted up in the ways of the Lord.
SPEAKER_01: There's nothing wrong with saying, I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
SPEAKER_01: That's confidence, amen.
SPEAKER_01: And I don't know about you today, but as I study the Bible, I see the Holy Spirit putting some statements in this book of men whose hearts were lifted up in the ways of the Lord, and I just want to show you some of them tonight.
SPEAKER_01: Look at Numbers chapter 13.
SPEAKER_01: Numbers chapter 13 and Judges chapter 7.
SPEAKER_01: Now we can get downtrodden.
SPEAKER_01: Numbers 13, are you turning there?
SPEAKER_01: And Judges chapter 7.
SPEAKER_01: We can get downtrodden and depressed and say, you know, I can't do anything for God.
SPEAKER_01: I think if we read our Bible, humility is one thing.
SPEAKER_01: Humility takes away pride.
SPEAKER_01: But we ought to not lose our confidence in what God can do through us.
SPEAKER_01: Look at Numbers chapter 13 and Judges chapter 7.
SPEAKER_01: And by the way, remember the Holy Spirit wrote this book and put this in here for our admonition.
SPEAKER_01: Numbers chapter 13.
SPEAKER_01: Every once in a while you could have some failures in your life and some shortcomings and some falterings.
SPEAKER_01: And please look up here.
SPEAKER_01: There are times you just make big mistakes.
SPEAKER_01: I've made some big mistakes.
SPEAKER_01: I've made some mistakes this year.
SPEAKER_01: And sometimes God has to come back and say, learn from your mistakes, but don't lose your confidence.
SPEAKER_01: Don't lose your confidence in me.
SPEAKER_01: Look at Numbers chapter 13.
SPEAKER_01: And I just read you one verse as we go through.
SPEAKER_01: Look at verse 30.
SPEAKER_01: Verse 30.
SPEAKER_01: And Caleb stilled the people before Moses and said, Let us go up at once and possess us.
SPEAKER_01: Here's a man who was lifted up in the ways of the Lord.
SPEAKER_01: Look what he says.
SPEAKER_01: For we are well able to overcome it.
SPEAKER_01: Mark it down, brethren.
SPEAKER_01: That's confidence.
SPEAKER_01: That's confidence in what God can do.
SPEAKER_01: That's confidence that God can do it.
SPEAKER_01: Because the next thing they're said, the men are saying, No, we can't go up.
SPEAKER_01: Caleb was lifted up in the ways of the Lord and said, You don't, you, we got to look at God's ways here.
SPEAKER_01: God can cause us to overcome this, and we are well able to go up and conquer.
SPEAKER_01: Look if you would at Judges chapter 7.
SPEAKER_01: Judges chapter 7.
SPEAKER_01: And I'm trying to preach this with a little energy tonight.
SPEAKER_01: You may say, well, you know, I'm just kind of going through the summer.
SPEAKER_01: Brethren, I don't know about you, but there are times when we do some things and go through some things where God has to say, hey, get your confidence back again.
SPEAKER_01: Get your confidence in what I can do through you again.
SPEAKER_01: I've got more for you to do.
SPEAKER_01: I'm going to take you through a new paradigm.
SPEAKER_01: I've got more for you to plan in your life and get a greater confidence in what I can do through you and with you.
SPEAKER_01: Look at Judges chapter 7.
SPEAKER_01: This is Gideon.
SPEAKER_01: Look at his little statement in verse 15.
SPEAKER_01: And it was so when Gideon heard the telling of the dream and the interpretations thereof that he worshiped and returned into the host of Israel and said what?
SPEAKER_01: Say it.
SPEAKER_01: Everybody say it.
SPEAKER_01: What?
SPEAKER_01: Arise.
SPEAKER_01: It's a vote of confidence here.
SPEAKER_01: He's confident what God's going to do.
SPEAKER_01: For the Lord hath delivered into your hand the host of Midian.
SPEAKER_01: Please.
SPEAKER_01: His heart was lifted up in the ways of the Lord.
SPEAKER_01: Where's your heart tonight?
SPEAKER_01: If it's lifted up in pride, God's going to humble us.
SPEAKER_01: But there's nothing wrong with saying it's not pride, it's confidence.
SPEAKER_01: We ought to have some confidence when we go soul winning.
SPEAKER_01: We ought to have some confidence when we teach Sunday school.
SPEAKER_01: We ought to have some confidence out there in the business world that God's going to bless what we're doing.
SPEAKER_01: Yes, we're going to make some mistakes.
SPEAKER_01: Yes, God's going to chasten us once in a while.
SPEAKER_01: Brother, we ought to have confidence as Christians and get in our hearts and say, you know what?
SPEAKER_01: It's not over with yet.
SPEAKER_01: I'm not done with it yet.
SPEAKER_01: Or eyes, God's going to do something yet in my life.
SPEAKER_01: Look, if you would at uh Moses, I'm sorry, Exodus chapter 8.
SPEAKER_01: Stay with me.
SPEAKER_01: Exodus chapter 8.
SPEAKER_01: And also, would you pick up Acts chapter 4?
SPEAKER_01: Exodus chapter 8 and Acts chapter 4.
SPEAKER_01: Remember, the Holy Spirit wrote this for our admonition.
SPEAKER_01: Exodus chapter 8 and Acts chapter 4.
SPEAKER_01: Well, I don't know.
SPEAKER_01: I don't know if God could ever use me.
SPEAKER_01: Look at me.
SPEAKER_01: Boy, when he saved me, he didn't get much.
SPEAKER_01: And I don't know.
SPEAKER_01: I don't think God ever wants to use me.
SPEAKER_01: I I wonder if he even likes me.
SPEAKER_01: Oh, honey, God wants to use you.
SPEAKER_01: Oh, I don't know.
SPEAKER_01: He uses other men, but I don't think he wants to use me.
SPEAKER_01: Oh, yes, yes, yes, he does, honey.
SPEAKER_01: He really does.
SPEAKER_01: He can use you.
SPEAKER_01: You you got a you got a lot of things going for you.
SPEAKER_01: No.
SPEAKER_01: I'm just nothing.
SPEAKER_01: I'm just I'm just nothing.
SPEAKER_01: Here, let me help you, man.
SPEAKER_00: Now knock it off!
SPEAKER_01: Look if you would at Exodus chapter 8.
SPEAKER_01: Where's the confidence of reading your Bible and seeing God can do?
SPEAKER_01: Exodus chapter 8.
SPEAKER_01: If you know the story very well, there's some heavy duty negotiations going on here.
SPEAKER_01: And Moses is dealing with the head of state.
SPEAKER_01: And look if you would at chapter 8, and notice if you would, verse 25.
SPEAKER_01: Pharaoh called for Moses and for Aaron and said, Go, ye sacrifice to your God in the land.
SPEAKER_01: And Moses said, it is not meet so to do.
SPEAKER_01: You know what Moses says?
SPEAKER_01: No, we're not going to stay here and sacrifice Pharaoh.
SPEAKER_01: That's confidence.
SPEAKER_01: For we shall sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians to the Lord our God.
SPEAKER_01: Lo, shall we sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians before your eyes, and will they not stone us?
SPEAKER_01: No, no, no, Pharaoh, here's what we're gonna do.
SPEAKER_01: We're telling you what we're going to do.
SPEAKER_01: We will go three days' journey into the wilderness and sacrifice the Lord our God as he shall command us.
SPEAKER_01: You know what he's saying?
SPEAKER_01: We're not listening to you, Pharaoh.
SPEAKER_01: We are listening to God.
SPEAKER_01: You know what that is?
SPEAKER_01: Confidence.
SPEAKER_01: That's being lifted up in the ways of the Lord and taking control and doing what God wants him to do.
SPEAKER_01: Look if you would at chapter 10.
SPEAKER_01: Chapter 10.
SPEAKER_01: And notice if you would, verse 8.
SPEAKER_01: Chapter 10 and verse 8.
SPEAKER_01: And Moses and Aaron were brought again unto Pharaoh.
SPEAKER_01: And he said unto them, Go, serve the Lord your God.
SPEAKER_01: But but now he's asked them a question, Who are they that shall go?
SPEAKER_01: And Moses said, We will go with our young and with our old, with our sons and with our daughters, with our flocks and with our herds, until we go.
SPEAKER_01: Or will we go?
SPEAKER_01: For we must hold a feast unto the Lord.
SPEAKER_01: Pharaoh said, Who's going to go?
SPEAKER_01: And Moses said, Lock, stock, barrel, everything that breathes, that's ours is going with us.
SPEAKER_01: And you don't know, but some of yours is going with us too.
SPEAKER_01: Amen.
SPEAKER_01: The idea here is Moses has some confidence built up.
SPEAKER_01: He didn't start that way, but God built that confidence up.
SPEAKER_01: He started at a burning bush, and God worked on him, and he got some confidence, but it wasn't pride.
SPEAKER_01: The Bible says that Moses was a meek man, the meekest of all, if you would, but God gave him some confidence that he could do the job.
SPEAKER_01: Look at verse 24, if you would, verse 24.
SPEAKER_01: And Pharaoh called unto Moses and said, Go, ye, serve the Lord.
SPEAKER_01: Only let your flocks and your herds be stayed.
SPEAKER_01: Let your little ones also go with you.
SPEAKER_01: And Moses said, Thou must give us also sacrifices and burnt offerings that we may sacrifice unto the Lord our God.
SPEAKER_01: Our cattle also shall go with us.
SPEAKER_01: There shall not an hoof be left behind.
SPEAKER_01: For therefore or thereof must we take to serve the Lord our God, and we must know, and we know not that what we must serve the Lord until we come hither.
SPEAKER_01: You know what he says?
SPEAKER_01: There's not a hoof stay in here, Pharaoh.
SPEAKER_01: We're all gone out, and you're not stopping us.
SPEAKER_01: Please look up here.
SPEAKER_01: It's not pride, it's confidence.
SPEAKER_01: His heart is lifted up in the ways of the Lord.
SPEAKER_01: Somebody says, How do you get that?
SPEAKER_00: You study your Bible, you obey the Holy Spirit, and when we make mistakes, we let him chastise us, we let him see what we do wrong, we we accept him, we don't get depressed too long, and we come back out of it and say, God can use me again.
SPEAKER_01: Look if you would a little bit further and look at Acts chapter 4.
SPEAKER_01: Acts chapter 4.
SPEAKER_01: The Holy Spirit is not a mealy-mouthed individual.
SPEAKER_01: Acts chapter 4.
SPEAKER_01: Yes, he's a God of comfort.
SPEAKER_01: Yes, he's a God of concern.
SPEAKER_01: Yes, he's a God of tears, but he's also a God that knows what's going on and what he's going to do.
SPEAKER_01: Look at Acts chapter 4.
SPEAKER_01: Look if you would at verse number 19.
SPEAKER_01: Verse number 19.
SPEAKER_01: Are you getting the message tonight?
SPEAKER_01: Verse 19.
SPEAKER_01: But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than in God judge ye.
SPEAKER_01: For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.
SPEAKER_01: So when they had further threatened them, they let them go.
SPEAKER_01: What?
SPEAKER_01: Because they wouldn't bow down to them, saying, You can't do what you're doing.
SPEAKER_01: You can't open your mouth on the streets, you can't open your mouth in the prisons, you can't open your mouth at work, you can't open your mouth.
SPEAKER_01: They said, Hey, you know what we're going to do?
SPEAKER_01: Look what he says in chapter 5.
SPEAKER_01: Chapter 5, and look at verse 27.
SPEAKER_01: And when they had brought them, verse 27 of chapter 5, they set them before the council.
SPEAKER_01: And the high priest asked them, saying, Did not we straightly command you that you should not teach in his name?
SPEAKER_01: Behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine.
SPEAKER_01: And then tend to bring this man's blood upon us.
SPEAKER_01: Verse 29.
SPEAKER_01: Peter, then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than man.
SPEAKER_01: You know what they said?
SPEAKER_01: Their hearts was lifted up in the way of the Lord, and they told them, Don't go out and speak that stuff anymore.
SPEAKER_01: Don't go out and tell them that this Jesus was crucified for us, and now he's risen or by us and now he's risen from the dead.
SPEAKER_00: Don't go out and spread that about us.
SPEAKER_00: Don't go out and preach him anymore.
SPEAKER_00: Don't go out and beg the doctrine upon him anymore.
SPEAKER_00: And they said, you know what?
SPEAKER_00: We're not listening to you.
SPEAKER_00: We're listening to God, and we're going to obey him more than we're going to obey you.
SPEAKER_00: Look up here.
SPEAKER_00: That's confidence.
SPEAKER_00: That's hearts lifted up in the ways of the Lord.
SPEAKER_00: I'm asking you tonight, is your heart still lifted up in the ways of God?
SPEAKER_01: That blew it.
SPEAKER_01: Man, I messed up.
SPEAKER_01: Oh man.
SPEAKER_01: Oh boy, and everybody knows.
SPEAKER_01: Oh boy.
SPEAKER_01: Oh, what are they gonna think?
SPEAKER_01: What are they gonna think?
SPEAKER_01: Oh man.
SPEAKER_01: Oh, I'm there.
SPEAKER_01: Let's see.
SPEAKER_01: Where can I go?
SPEAKER_01: Uh yeah, let's see.
SPEAKER_01: Where do you direct me to go, God?
SPEAKER_01: I know I gotta leave here.
SPEAKER_01: I gotta get out of here.
SPEAKER_01: They know that I'm weak.
SPEAKER_01: They know that I made mistakes.
SPEAKER_01: Oh man.
SPEAKER_01: Let's see.
SPEAKER_01: Oh God, lead me now.
SPEAKER_01: I know you're leading me to somewhere else.
SPEAKER_01: Oh God, lead me somewhere.
SPEAKER_01: I can't I can't face this anymore, God.
SPEAKER_01: Oh God, lead lead thy servant somewhere.
SPEAKER_01: I know you have a place of refuge for me from this great uh antagonism directed toward me.
SPEAKER_00: Nobody said a word.
SPEAKER_01: You're allowed to make mistakes here.
SPEAKER_01: I lost the confidence of my wife.
SPEAKER_01: I've made some mistakes.
SPEAKER_01: Ma'am, let me help you out.
SPEAKER_01: If you've got a husband that never makes mistakes, let's go out to the lake and watch him walk on water.
SPEAKER_01: He's gonna make some.
SPEAKER_01: And man, when you make them, don't try to.
SPEAKER_01: Well, honey, it really wasn't my fault, you know.
SPEAKER_01: It was honey, I blew it.
SPEAKER_01: But I read a lot of in the Bible, and I've been in my Bible a lot, and I see a lot of other guys that have blown it in here, and I think God's grace will supply and be sufficient and everything.
SPEAKER_01: You know, uh honey, I blew it financially.
SPEAKER_01: I really did.
SPEAKER_01: I I went out and got that thing and we didn't need it.
SPEAKER_01: But you know what I was reading the other day?
SPEAKER_01: There was a king that hired some mercenaries, and he spent a lot of money on them and everything, and and God came to him through a prophet and said, You know what?
SPEAKER_01: You're doing wrong, big boy.
SPEAKER_01: Uh you get rid of them.
SPEAKER_01: And and the and the king said, What about the money?
SPEAKER_01: And honey, what he said in that Bible was God is able to supply much more than this.
SPEAKER_01: So I just want you to know I blew it.
SPEAKER_01: But God will take care of us.
SPEAKER_01: That'll work.
SPEAKER_01: Some confidence in what we're doing.
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, we have our ups and downs, but brother, we shouldn't walk down and every once in a while stick our head out of the water to see what's going on in the world.
SPEAKER_01: Look, if you were a little bit further, and it gets a little bit more pointed as we go on.
SPEAKER_01: Look at Daniel 3.
SPEAKER_01: Daniel 3.
SPEAKER_01: Now, let me remind you of something.
SPEAKER_01: The same Holy Spirit that speaks of love and mercy and gentleness also speaks in this way of confidence.
SPEAKER_01: Would you agree?
SPEAKER_01: I'm not reading anything in here.
SPEAKER_01: I'm just reading his words.
SPEAKER_01: Daniel chapter 3.
SPEAKER_01: And notice also if you would pick up Ezra chapter 4.
SPEAKER_01: Daniel 3 and Ezra chapter 4.
SPEAKER_01: I was asked the other day, Pastor Fisher, when you preach, it seems like you use a lot of scriptures.
SPEAKER_01: I said, man, you know why?
SPEAKER_01: I can't remember jokes.
SPEAKER_01: Now, some guys are good at it.
SPEAKER_01: I mean, they do a great job with using humor to keep people's attention.
SPEAKER_01: I'm not against that.
SPEAKER_01: Man, you tell me a joke one day, I forgot it the next.
SPEAKER_01: I'm just not good at it.
SPEAKER_01: I'm not saying, hey, Brother Turner got up here, and man, I tell you what, he used humor in the right way, and it was great.
SPEAKER_01: Man, I remember, I'll never forget, uh, new New Life, New Life.
SPEAKER_01: New man.
SPEAKER_01: I mean, it was tremendous.
SPEAKER_01: But I'm not good at that kind of stuff.
SPEAKER_01: Uh so I've decided the best thing for me to do while I preach is just use scriptures.
SPEAKER_01: Amen.
SPEAKER_01: Daniel chapter 3.
SPEAKER_01: Watch this now.
SPEAKER_01: And uh Nebuchadnezzar here is down on Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego for not worshiping his gods and not falling down when the music was played.
SPEAKER_01: And uh they're getting ready to cast him in the midst of the burning fiery furnace, but watch their heart lifted up in the ways of the Lord.
SPEAKER_01: Verse 16.
SPEAKER_01: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this manner.
SPEAKER_01: You know what that is, brethren?
SPEAKER_01: Mark it down.
SPEAKER_01: That's confidence.
SPEAKER_01: They know where they stand with God, and they know what they're doing is right.
SPEAKER_01: Verse 17, if, if, if it be so, our God, whom we serve, is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.
SPEAKER_01: But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the gold image which thou hast set up.
SPEAKER_01: You know what they're saying?
SPEAKER_01: We're not careful in what we're saying to you.
SPEAKER_01: If God can help us out of the furnace, fine.
SPEAKER_01: But if we go in the furnace and die, we're not gonna do what you told us to do and worship those dumb little idols.
SPEAKER_01: It's confidence.
SPEAKER_01: It's taking a stand, it's commitment.
SPEAKER_01: How's your confidence in God tonight?
SPEAKER_01: Better yet, let me ask this, brethren.
SPEAKER_01: How's our faith in God?
SPEAKER_01: How's our knowledge of God?
SPEAKER_01: Hey, uh, are you a leader of a ministry in this church?
SPEAKER_01: I hope when you lead your ministry, whatever it might be, that you don't get up before them when you when you teach them or have your meetings or or or or organize them and murmur and complain about things going on in the church.
SPEAKER_01: Now, if you have to voice a little bit of complaint here and there, go to the people that it pertained to.
SPEAKER_01: But I'm gonna tell you something as a leader, you get up and and and mealy mouth and grub around and this ministry over here, this church over here.
SPEAKER_01: I don't know why we don't get this, and that and that sooner or later you're wondering, where are all my followers?
SPEAKER_00: You know what?
SPEAKER_00: They don't want to hear it!
SPEAKER_01: You know what they want to hear?
SPEAKER_01: We've got this going on, we're marching forward, we're gonna take care of that problem, we'll take care of that situation.
SPEAKER_01: God's gonna do something here, let's keep going for God.
SPEAKER_01: I've decided a long time ago that church messages are not gonna be a time when I get up and complain to you.
SPEAKER_01: You hear enough of that down at your work.
SPEAKER_01: You hear enough of that in the military.
SPEAKER_01: Amen?
SPEAKER_01: I mean, if we've got a situation to take care of it, we'll take care of it.
SPEAKER_01: But I'm not gonna stand up here and tell you how tough it is.
SPEAKER_01: Although it is tough sometimes, amen?
SPEAKER_01: Oh no, it's never tough.
SPEAKER_01: Oh, come on.
SPEAKER_01: Once in a while it gets a little tough.
SPEAKER_01: Once in a while, dealing with this situation by faith, it gets a little tough.
SPEAKER_01: But we don't have to live that way because as we read this thing, our hearts need to be lifted up in the ways of God.
SPEAKER_01: Look, if you would, a little bit further with me, and look at Ezra, the book of Ezra, chapter 4.
SPEAKER_01: Are you getting it tonight?
SPEAKER_01: You see, the Holy Spirit of God is comforting.
SPEAKER_01: Uh, the Holy Spirit of God is sensitive.
SPEAKER_01: But I'll tell you what, the Holy Spirit of God marches forward and causes people to conquer and march forward.
SPEAKER_01: Look at Ezra chapter 4.
SPEAKER_01: Verse 1.
SPEAKER_01: Now, when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity builded the temple unto the Lord God of Israel, then they came to Zerubabel, to the chief of the fathers, and said unto them, Let us build with you.
SPEAKER_01: For we seek your God as you do.
SPEAKER_01: And right at the side I wrote Kumbaya.
SPEAKER_01: You could also write ecumenical or whatever you want to write in there.
SPEAKER_01: That's what's going on here.
SPEAKER_01: Let us build with you.
SPEAKER_01: For we seek your God as you do.
SPEAKER_01: We do sacrifices unto him since the days of Ezra Hadan, king of Asur, which brought us up hither.
SPEAKER_01: You know, it's like somebody saying, Well, we believe in God.
SPEAKER_01: Why don't you join with us?
SPEAKER_01: We believe in Jesus Christ.
SPEAKER_01: Why do you have all these doctrinal differences?
unknown: Come on, come on, preacher.
unknown: Come on, preacher.
SPEAKER_01: Let us build with you.
SPEAKER_01: Wait a minute, verse 3.
SPEAKER_01: But uh Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the rest of the chief of the fathers of Israel said unto them, Ye have nothing to do with us.
SPEAKER_01: You've got to underline that, because that's the Holy Spirit that wrote that down there.
SPEAKER_01: Ye have nothing to do with us to build a house unto our God.
SPEAKER_01: But we ourselves together will build unto the Lord God of Israel.
SPEAKER_01: Listen to me, wait a minute.
SPEAKER_01: He's not being arrogant.
SPEAKER_01: He may be listening tonight and say, you know what?
SPEAKER_01: I've just been coming to this church a little while.
SPEAKER_01: Just seems like that message was a little arrogant.
SPEAKER_01: No, there's a difference between arrogant and confidence.
SPEAKER_01: I don't know.
SPEAKER_01: I don't think he was being absurd here.
SPEAKER_01: I think these leaders were assured that what God wanted them to do, and they decided, hey, listen, God has given us this job to do, and we're going to do it without you.
SPEAKER_01: But we ourselves together build unto the Lord God of Israel.
SPEAKER_01: Don't take this wrong.
SPEAKER_01: As far as I know, we've never gone outside of the church to ask for anybody else's money.
SPEAKER_01: We're not planning on it.
SPEAKER_01: Those that do, I don't have a problem with that.
SPEAKER_01: But brethren, you know what it seems like to me if if God's going to do it, then he'll do it miraculously through a way that we don't ever seek or ask, or he'll do it using us.
SPEAKER_01: I get letters in the mail constantly.
SPEAKER_01: We need this money, we need that money, we need this money, we need that money.
SPEAKER_01: And every once in a while, if I if I think it's something real and I pray about it and God just won't let it go or something, we might send them a little bit.
SPEAKER_01: So I'm not against that per se, otherwise I wouldn't participate.
SPEAKER_01: But I think there comes a point in time where it's better just for the people that are at the church to get down and fast and pray and say, God help us.
SPEAKER_01: And God, we have confidence that you can do that.
SPEAKER_01: So they said, No, no, they're not going to have anything to do with us.
SPEAKER_01: And by the way, please look up here.
SPEAKER_01: We're not the only church in town, we're not the only church doing right.
SPEAKER_01: But God makes the local church to be indigenous, autonomous, self-sufficient, and self-supporting.
SPEAKER_01: Now, if somebody says, What if someone comes up and says it's God's will and our church has decided to give you$100,000?
SPEAKER_01: I'd say, Amen.
SPEAKER_01: Glory to God, hallelujah.
SPEAKER_01: We'll take it.
SPEAKER_01: If it was the right church and God was really in it.
SPEAKER_01: But if the Mormons came along and offered us two million, we wouldn't take it.
SPEAKER_01: Amen.
SPEAKER_01: Look a little bit further with me.
SPEAKER_01: Look at 1 Samuel 17.
SPEAKER_01: 1 Samuel 17, almost to the end of the scriptures.
SPEAKER_01: 1 Samuel 17.
SPEAKER_01: You getting it?
SPEAKER_01: There needs to be some confidence, and our heart needs to be lifted up in the ways of the Lord.
SPEAKER_01: And let's do this.
SPEAKER_01: 1 Samuel 17.
SPEAKER_01: Let me cut out a couple scriptures watching your attendance tonight or attentiveness.
SPEAKER_01: And look at also pick up Romans 8.
SPEAKER_01: 1 Samuel 17 and Romans chapter 8.
SPEAKER_01: It's not pride.
SPEAKER_01: It's confidence.
SPEAKER_01: 1 Samuel 17.
SPEAKER_01: If you were in the morning services, I wish you would sometime next week grab a hold of the message if you were working in one of our ministries.
SPEAKER_01: A message I just put on it called Five Stones.
SPEAKER_01: I think you'll get something from it.
SPEAKER_01: Well, look what David said when he was talking to Goliath.
SPEAKER_01: 1 Samuel 17.
SPEAKER_01: And brethren, the Holy Spirit wrote this.
SPEAKER_01: This is a man after God's own heart speaking.
SPEAKER_01: Look at verse 46.
SPEAKER_01: Let's back up to verse 45.
SPEAKER_01: Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword and with a spear and with a shield.
SPEAKER_01: But I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel who thou hast defiled.
SPEAKER_01: This day.
SPEAKER_01: Hey Goliath, this day, David's heart was lifted up in the waves of God.
SPEAKER_01: This day, where the Lord deliver thee into mine hand.
SPEAKER_01: And I will smite thee and take thine head from thee.
SPEAKER_01: And I will give it to the carcasses of the host of the Philistines this day, unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.
SPEAKER_01: Listen now.
SPEAKER_01: Some mambi-pambi type of person who hasn't read the Bible very much and just thinks God's just altogether, you know, just lovey dovey.
SPEAKER_01: And God is the God of love, but may I say God hates sin.
SPEAKER_01: Somebody that you run into at some gay march when you're passing out tracts that says that how can you be this way?
SPEAKER_01: I don't like, I don't think your spirits, right?
SPEAKER_01: And I've run into them so many times, you know, they call you fundamentalists, and then they say you don't have any love and you don't have any compassion.
SPEAKER_00: Here's David saying, Hey, Goliath, this day I'm gonna take your head off.
SPEAKER_01: Well, I don't know if God's that way.
SPEAKER_01: May I say this to you?
SPEAKER_01: God's gentle, God is kind, God is compassionate, God is comforting, God is sensitive, God is caring, God is a God of love.
SPEAKER_01: Amen.
SPEAKER_01: Jesus wept, but he also took a whip and drove out the money changers that were merchandising off the people.
SPEAKER_01: Same God.
SPEAKER_01: Same God that wept over Jerusalem, you would have seen him with a whip saying, get out!
SPEAKER_00: Get out! My house is a house of prayer! Get out!
SPEAKER_01: Well, you know, if we put this message on television, we might not get much money.
SPEAKER_01: Probably get a lot of letters from Christians who say, I don't like your spirit.
SPEAKER_01: You seem a little arrogant to me.
SPEAKER_01: Looks like to me that God wants us to establish some confidence in what we're doing for Him.
SPEAKER_01: Look at Romans 8.
SPEAKER_01: Romans 8.
SPEAKER_01: You say, well, you know what?
SPEAKER_01: I I don't know.
SPEAKER_01: I don't like this message.
SPEAKER_01: I I like it more when there's when you're sensitive.
SPEAKER_01: When you're when you're when you're Scott, shut up.
SPEAKER_01: When you're sensitive.
SPEAKER_01: Oh, oh, I didn't like that.
SPEAKER_01: Oh, you just seem like you were you're not in the spirit tonight.
SPEAKER_01: Now wait a minute, wait a minute, hold it, hold it.
SPEAKER_01: Everybody's got a different personality, and there are times I stand up and preach, and you you you hang around ten years and you'll see me once in a while cry and and compassion, and I am.
SPEAKER_01: But you know what?
SPEAKER_01: There are times after you've been through a few things that God says, all right, get that church getting ready to go.
SPEAKER_01: Set that battle in a ray, get that attitude right.
SPEAKER_01: We're coming up to the fall.
SPEAKER_01: It's times when the kings go forth to battle.
SPEAKER_01: Get that church's attitude starting to go and and and and and just a little bit starting to get the gears rolling.
SPEAKER_01: Somebody over hears something and says, Amen, that's right, preacher.
SPEAKER_01: And somebody says, ooh.
SPEAKER_01: I like their spirit.
SPEAKER_01: I raise my voice up a little bit and shout or something, and the men of the church and some of the ladies, amen.
SPEAKER_01: I don't know.
SPEAKER_01: I just don't like that spirit.
SPEAKER_01: I don't feel comfortable.
SPEAKER_01: That same person goes to the baseball game and screams and yells and hollers and somebody spills beer on them when they hit the home run in the bottom of the knife, and they just go, woo! At least we get excited about the right stuff.
SPEAKER_01: Amen?
SPEAKER_01: I've got no problem with getting excited at the ball game, but if someone gets excited at church, don't condemn them in your heart.
SPEAKER_01: Now, if it gets in the flesh, we'll tone it down.
SPEAKER_01: Amen?
SPEAKER_01: Romans chapter 8.
SPEAKER_01: Oh, by the way, there's nothing wrong with someone who's getting fed, just sits there and weeps.
SPEAKER_01: That'll work.
SPEAKER_01: There are times that I go to camp meetings and say, man, at camp meetings, you must just be one of those guys that just hows and showers, shouts, and runs the bases and all that.
SPEAKER_01: No, not me.
SPEAKER_01: I just sit there.
SPEAKER_01: Sometimes I cry and sometimes I weep.
SPEAKER_01: Every once in a while I say, Amen.
SPEAKER_01: I save my voice for preaching, amen.
SPEAKER_01: Romans chapter 8.
SPEAKER_01: Verse 37, the Holy Spirit wrote this.
SPEAKER_01: Nay, in all these things, now wait a minute, what things?
SPEAKER_01: Verse 35, who shall separate us from the love of Christ?
SPEAKER_01: Shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword?
SPEAKER_01: And by the way, write down Job's troubles.
SPEAKER_01: Because if there ever would have been a man that should have been getting mad and bitter at God, Job was the guy after all these things were taken from them and his children and everything that he had, and he was sitting there in an ash heap, just in boils.
SPEAKER_01: If anything would have separated from God, he would have been separated, but he didn't separate, he kept his integrity.
SPEAKER_01: Why is God letting this all happen to me?
SPEAKER_01: Because God is God and He can do what He wants.
SPEAKER_01: Verse 36, that is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long.
SPEAKER_01: We are counted as sheep for the slaughter.
SPEAKER_01: Nay! In all these things, what things?
SPEAKER_01: Tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, sword, and all these things, we are more than conquerors.
SPEAKER_01: Through him that loveth us.
SPEAKER_01: Now you know what we need to do?
SPEAKER_01: We need to live somewhat that way.
SPEAKER_01: I'm talking about driving home tonight in the car.
SPEAKER_01: If something didn't go right at church, you know what?
SPEAKER_01: You can do one of two things.
SPEAKER_01: You can focus on that which went wrong, or you can focus on that which went right.
SPEAKER_01: I mean, you can get in the car and before you get home the joy's robbed.
SPEAKER_01: The critical spirit is there.
SPEAKER_01: Or you can get in there and say, man! Wasn't that good tonight?
SPEAKER_01: Well, I don't know.
SPEAKER_01: I don't know.
SPEAKER_01: Did you hear him say that to Scott?
SPEAKER_01: Did you hear what he said to Scott?
SPEAKER_01: I don't think he should have said that.
SPEAKER_01: I mean, a five-second comment.
SPEAKER_01: And 15 minutes of preaching thrown out the window.
SPEAKER_01: I like Scott.
SPEAKER_01: He shouldn't have rebuked him that way.
SPEAKER_01: Scott, stand up.
SPEAKER_01: Now sit down! I just wanted to give you something to talk about, amen?
SPEAKER_01: I'm just kidding.
SPEAKER_01: Don't focus on the things that go wrong.
SPEAKER_01: Sooner or later, you'll you you will you will get your attitude to where you won't want to be in church.
SPEAKER_01: Scott and I are friends.
SPEAKER_01: I'll call him up later.
SPEAKER_01: Say, Scott, I'm sorry.
SPEAKER_01: What'd he say?
SPEAKER_01: I'm leaving.
SPEAKER_01: Could your wife stay?
SPEAKER_01: How's that?
SPEAKER_01: That's pretty good, amen.
SPEAKER_01: Stay with me.
SPEAKER_01: Hey, if you don't know, we're a church family.
SPEAKER_01: Family jokes around the table once in a while.
SPEAKER_01: We're more than conquerors through him that loved us.
SPEAKER_01: Brethren, uh, I don't know what you've been through in the last three months, four months, six months, year.
SPEAKER_01: I don't know what kind of summer you're having.
SPEAKER_01: I don't know how your walk is with God.
SPEAKER_01: But please look up here.
SPEAKER_01: If you get into this place, oh man, I'm losing it, man.
SPEAKER_01: I just don't want to.
SPEAKER_01: I don't know.
SPEAKER_01: It doesn't seem like anybody cares like they used to.
SPEAKER_01: You know, nobody used to get together with that guy.
SPEAKER_01: Man, he doesn't care about me anymore, you know.
SPEAKER_01: He used to do that.
SPEAKER_01: Man, he's so busy with stuff now.
SPEAKER_01: He doesn't have any time for me.
SPEAKER_01: Well, honey, people like you.
SPEAKER_01: No, no, nobody down there likes me anymore.
SPEAKER_01: You know.
SPEAKER_01: You know, I'm just, you know, they're all spiritual.
SPEAKER_01: And I'm not, I'm not spiritual.
SPEAKER_01: You know.
SPEAKER_01: Can I help you again?
SPEAKER_01: And I'm not saying there aren't times when we're a little down, we're a little depressed, but don't live that way.
SPEAKER_01: Read this Bible more, study this Bible more, and let it let it adjust our spirit and then our attitude.
SPEAKER_01: I believe the Holy Spirit is a spirit, please look up here, that causes us to go forth and conquer.
SPEAKER_01: Well, I went out so winning and it didn't go well.
SPEAKER_01: Well, that's gonna happen.
SPEAKER_01: Well, I did something for the Lord and it didn't go the way I expected to.
SPEAKER_01: Well, welcome to the battle.
SPEAKER_01: Well, it seems like every time you guys do something, it goes right.
SPEAKER_01: Huh?
SPEAKER_01: Man.
SPEAKER_01: Are you kidding?
SPEAKER_01: Well well what mistakes have you made recently?
SPEAKER_01: You made plenty.
SPEAKER_01: Well tell me.
SPEAKER_01: That's none of your business.
SPEAKER_01: How if it affects the church, I'll tell you.
SPEAKER_01: I'll just tell you, man, I did this and I blew it and I'm sorry and but that isn't just because you lose a battle doesn't mean you lost the war.
SPEAKER_01: It's just a battle.
SPEAKER_01: Our chronological calendar of our church is such that we just finished our prison revival, and thanks so much for having a conquering spirit.
SPEAKER_01: And by that I mean to go forth and take the gospel into the prison and be a part of that.
SPEAKER_01: Our deaf revival is just around the corner.
SPEAKER_01: Starts August 14th, and we need to have a confident spirit that God's going to do something in the deaf revival.
SPEAKER_01: Some of y'all need to jump in through prayer.
SPEAKER_01: Then just after that, August 19th, our school starts.
SPEAKER_01: Christian school and homeschoolers will be starting up probably soon after that.
SPEAKER_01: The week after that, the 26th, our Bible Institute starts.
SPEAKER_01: I hope some of you all would get those catalogs back there.
SPEAKER_01: Brother Jordan said our Bible institute, and also we have it called adult education, and by that we mean take a class.
SPEAKER_01: You don't have to take the whole institute and plan on graduating, but take a class.
SPEAKER_01: Ladies, if your husband will let you, or if you if you have the opportunity, take a class.
SPEAKER_01: Jump into Mrs.
SPEAKER_01: Jordan's class or one of the other classes.
SPEAKER_01: Look at the catalog and see what might be there.
SPEAKER_01: Why?
SPEAKER_01: To grow in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
SPEAKER_01: Just after our Bible Institute starts up, we come into the month of September.
SPEAKER_01: Now listen to me.
SPEAKER_01: This year's just a little bit different for those of you who've been here in previous years.
SPEAKER_01: Typically in September, we would start getting geared up for what we call bus days.
SPEAKER_01: And the bus days is the big bus push that usually would culminate in the middle of October or so.
SPEAKER_01: And there'll probably be some bus promotions this year, but it won't be bus days this year in the fall, please.
SPEAKER_01: The bus days will begin again in spring.
SPEAKER_01: And we've planned on that, and we we have it all planned out and everything, and we're working on it.
SPEAKER_01: So there won't be, if you would, like last year, the big bus days like we've had in the past, but that doesn't mean the bus ministry won't have some promotions.
SPEAKER_01: Amen.
SPEAKER_01: Say, oh, how discouraging.
SPEAKER_01: No, we're regrouping and we're reorganizing and we're getting buses ready and we're getting uh captains ready and we're asking for more space and we're we're organizing so the next bus days we have we can do even more.
SPEAKER_01: Amen.
SPEAKER_01: It sounds like we're going backwards in the bus ministry.
SPEAKER_01: Are you crazy?
SPEAKER_01: We're pushing forward, amen.
SPEAKER_01: But the bus days will not happen in the fall this year.
SPEAKER_01: The bus days will happen in the spring.
SPEAKER_01: So in September, what we're gonna start gearing up for, just so you know, is uh in November we'll have our regular Thanksgiving, and we'll also have at that time a friend day.
SPEAKER_01: So Thanksgiving will be not just the military, we want you to bring some friends.
SPEAKER_01: Say, where are we gonna put them?
SPEAKER_01: It'll be Sunday morning.
SPEAKER_01: We'll uh do like we did last year on that couple of weeks before Thanksgiving, and we'll try to pack this place out with people who need to hear the gospel.
SPEAKER_01: Amen.
SPEAKER_01: How many years are we gonna do that?
SPEAKER_01: Until everybody's saved.
SPEAKER_01: Because hell is still enlarging ourselves.
SPEAKER_01: And God's purpose and cause is still that sinners would not perish.
SPEAKER_01: Is there not a cause?
SPEAKER_01: Uh also in in the month of September, uh, Brother Trieber and Brother Glendie Hamilton will be coming back here.
SPEAKER_01: And we'll have a meeting, amen.
SPEAKER_01: Somebody says, is that a what kind of meeting is it?
SPEAKER_01: I mean, it's just a meeting, amen.
SPEAKER_01: It's a, you mean a meeting?
SPEAKER_01: No, a meeting.
SPEAKER_01: In the month of October, uh, David Gibbs is coming in.
SPEAKER_01: You know, Brother Gibbs.
SPEAKER_01: And we're going to give you some good preaching along the way.
SPEAKER_01: And then we come to Thanksgiving time and that big push, and then just uh a few weeks after that, as we come into Christmas, the uh holiday cantata, last year extremely well done and successful.
SPEAKER_01: So the holiday cantata, which brings us to the first theater.
SPEAKER_01: Please look up here.
SPEAKER_01: We need to be more in conquers.
SPEAKER_01: We need to know that God is still able to use us, and I leave you with this thought.
SPEAKER_01: Our heart needs to be lifted up in the ways of the Lord.
SPEAKER_01: Not in our own ways so much, and not in ourselves.
SPEAKER_01: No, that's prime.
SPEAKER_01: And God will humble us.
SPEAKER_01: But our heart needs to be confident by faith that God can use us in our church and in our ministries and in the different support ministries, if you would, for lack of better terminology.
SPEAKER_01: And I hope our leaders here, I hope you're not looking and thinking about quitting.
SPEAKER_01: It doesn't matter what capacity you are.
SPEAKER_01: You say, well, you know, I've just been kind of looking at it and, you know, maybe, maybe, maybe God's done with me.
SPEAKER_01: Maybe, oh, you know, God can get get somebody else better than me.
SPEAKER_01: And he probably could.
SPEAKER_01: I've thought that before.
SPEAKER_01: And I know he could get a better pastor than me.
SPEAKER_01: There's no doubt in my heart.
SPEAKER_01: But he won't let me out of it.
SPEAKER_01: Oh, God, you could get a better pastor than me.
SPEAKER_01: I can't do it.
SPEAKER_01: I'm not good in this area, and I'm not good in that area.
SPEAKER_01: God, there's a guy, he's really good in that area, and I why don't you get somebody else in here that could just lead the people better?
SPEAKER_01: Huh?
SPEAKER_01: No, I'm not telling you what to do.
SPEAKER_01: Yes, sir.
SPEAKER_01: I got a bad attitude, yes, sir.
SPEAKER_01: Get my head up off the ground, yes, sir.
SPEAKER_01: Don't lift it up in pride, but just know that I can do it through it.
SPEAKER_01: Tonight, ma'am, sir, our children are watching us.
SPEAKER_01: Our teen group has swollen and grown to where I think probably we're over a hundred now.
SPEAKER_01: And all the different teen groups, whether it be Spanish or our bus, those that drive in.
SPEAKER_01: They're all church.
SPEAKER_01: And they're watching us.
SPEAKER_01: Being humble is one thing.
SPEAKER_01: Being depressed is another thing.
SPEAKER_01: Not being arrogant, but being confident.
SPEAKER_01: Not being brash, but being bold.
SPEAKER_01: Because when the filling of the Holy Spirit comes, it brings with it boldness.
SPEAKER_01: Well, I don't think I can go out and witness.
SPEAKER_01: Well, let's get filled with the Holy Spirit of God again so we can.
SPEAKER_01: When they were filled with the Holy Spirit of God in the book of Acts, they spake the word of God with boldness.
SPEAKER_01: Maybe what some of us need to do tonight is ask God to fill us again with His Holy Spirit.
SPEAKER_01: Yes, it's a spirit of comfort and gentleness.
SPEAKER_01: Yes, it's a spirit of sensitivity and humility.
SPEAKER_01: But the Holy Spirit is also a spirit that says, go forth and conquer.
SPEAKER_01: Go forth and witness.
SPEAKER_01: Go forth and start new ministries.
SPEAKER_01: Go forth and build your business and give to the church.
SPEAKER_00: Go forth with that idea and build your business and go forth and excel and get that money and give the missions.
SPEAKER_01: Once in a while our spirit just needs to be healed.
SPEAKER_01: And I don't take anything away from that time period.
SPEAKER_01: But after the time of healing in the bomb of Gilead, it's time to get up and go do.
SPEAKER_01: And be something for Lord Jesus Christ.
SPEAKER_01: Not lifted up, not proud, not I am somebody, but through him, I can still do all things that he wants me to do.
SPEAKER_01: I'm more than a conqueror through him.
SPEAKER_01: God, give me a spirit that is confident to go out and do your work again.
SPEAKER_01: Or to go to the next level and be what you want me to be.
SPEAKER_01: Let's all stand tonight.
SPEAKER_01: Don't leave.
SPEAKER_01: It's a quarter till eight.
SPEAKER_01: Don't get up and leave.
SPEAKER_01: Don't go get a drink, please.
SPEAKER_01: A little courtesy right now.
SPEAKER_01: We'll dismiss in just a moment.
SPEAKER_01: Brother Fisher, I've made some mistakes.
SPEAKER_01: You know, I've I've made some bad judgment calls.
SPEAKER_01: I don't think much of myself.
SPEAKER_01: And I understand all that.
SPEAKER_01: But tonight, maybe an infilling of the Holy Spirit to say, Lord, I want to be lifted up in the ways of you.
SPEAKER_01: I want to be lifted up the way Gideon was in his mind when he said, Arise.
SPEAKER_01: I want to be lifted up like Caleb was when he said, We be well able.
SPEAKER_01: I want to be lifted up like Moses when he withstood and said, No, we're going to do this as God commanded us.
SPEAKER_01: And Peter, who said, No, this is this is we're going to be bold in our witness.
SPEAKER_01: I want to be lifted up like in the book of Ezra, when those leaders said, No, no, we can do it.
SPEAKER_01: I want to be lifted up in your ways.
SPEAKER_01: And tonight, please fill me with your Holy Spirit.
SPEAKER_01: That my household, whether it's just me or those around me or family or whatever, that we have the right attitude and right spirit and confidence.
SPEAKER_01: Not just the positive and living in a false, fake world, but please look up here.
SPEAKER_01: In reality, that God can.
SPEAKER_01: And God is able and still willing to use us.
SPEAKER_01: And I understand he's not getting much, but he does much, which is little.