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When God Says No: Dealing With Unanswered Prayers

January 31, 2017

27:32

Bil Cornelius

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When God Says No: Dealing With Unanswered Prayers

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- Bil Cornelius: What's
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the motive behind the growth?
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What's the motive behind
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the income you want?
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What's the motive behind
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the promotion you want?
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What's the motive behind
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the house you want?
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There's nothing wrong
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with having stuff,
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it's when the stuff has you.
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Nothing wrong with having
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position, it's when you make
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the position about you.
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There's nothing wrong with
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having influence or affluence,
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it's when the influence
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and affluence is all about you.
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Are we willing to say,
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"Lord, I wanna honor you
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with everything I have"?
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And when you do that God says,
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"Then I'll give you more
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- Bil: You are the church
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- Bil: Welcome.
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Great to have you here today.
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You know, we all have unanswered
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prayer requests.
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We all have things we've been
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asking God to do for years and
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the Lord just seems to be either
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saying no or not answering.
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So, what do you do?
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How do you deal
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with unanswered prayer?
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We all that have in our lives.
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And so, I wanna talk about
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that today.
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I think it's a reality
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we all face.
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Pull out your notes,
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if you would.
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As you do that, let's say our
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mission statement together.
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Our job is to do what?
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It's to take as many people to
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heaven--I like to hear you guys
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finish it out.
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Good job.
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Good job.
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Give yourself a hand right now
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for knowing what we're
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all about.
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Glad you guys are here again.
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Thanks for joining us today.
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Thanks for being a part
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of Church Unlimited.
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I heard about this mom,
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she was resting on the couch
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and she heard her young son yell
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at her from the backyard.
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He said, "Mom, what would you
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rather have, me break my arm
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falling from a tree
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or tear open my Sunday slacks?"
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She's like, "Well, I guess
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I'd pray that you wouldn't
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break your arm."
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And he said, "Your prayers
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have been answered."
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Sometimes things don't always
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work out like we want, right?
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Sometimes we pray for things
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that happen that don't happen.
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We pray for something not
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to happen that does.
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And so, those are realities
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that we all face in our lives.
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And, you know,
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I'm making light of it,
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but the truth is there may be
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something you've been asking
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for for a long time.
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You're like, "God, would you
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just come through in this
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area of my life?"
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And it just hasn't happened
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yet and that can be a having
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frustrating thing to think,
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"Lord, are you just telling me
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no or are you just not
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answering me?
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What's the deal, God?
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I just wanna know.
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I wanna stay faithful to you
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but, Lord, it's just tough when
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I'm not getting the answer
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I'm looking for."
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All of us face this in our lives
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at some time or another.
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So, let's take a look at some
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Scripture today and learn what
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we can do and how to deal
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with unanswered prayer.
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Look at 1 John chapter 5,
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verse 14.
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It says this,
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"This is the confidence we have
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in approaching God:
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that if we ask anything
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according to his will,
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he will hear us.
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And if we know that he hears
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us, whatever we ask, we know
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that we have what we asked for
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of him."
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And so, it says here,
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"Whatever you ask for according
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to his will."
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Did you catch that?
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Would you underline that?
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Because that's
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a pretty big little clause
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there, right?
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And so God says,
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"I wanna give you a yes,
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but it just has to be my will.
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It just has to be something that
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I want for your life, you know?"
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Just like I can't--prayers are
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just not automatically answered.
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I can't just say,
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"Lord, do this," and just poof,
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it happens.
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If God said yes to every prayer
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request we ever prayed, that
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would be a dangerous weapon,
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right?
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Someone cuts you off in traffic,
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"Smite them, Lord."
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You know what I mean?
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Sometimes we don't get what
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we want because it's just not
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God's will.
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And so, you have to be willing
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to understand that it
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has to be in his will.
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Look what the Scripture
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goes on to say.
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It says in Jonah chapter 4.
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This is Jonah because he prayed,
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"God, please do not deliver
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those people."
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Right, 'cause said, "Jonah,
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I'm gonna send you here
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and I want you to preach
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my truth to them so that
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they would know me, and I would
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forgive them and restore them."
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And Jonah's like,
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"No, I'm not gonna pray that.
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I'm not gonna preach that.
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I don't like those people.
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I don't want them
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to be forgiven.
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I don't want them
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to be blessed."
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And so, he tried to go
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completely against the Lord and
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the Lord chastised him for that.
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Look at the Scripture.
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It says in Jonah 4, verse 2,
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"So he complained to the Lord
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about it:
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'Didn't I say before I left home
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that you would do this, Lord?
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That is why I ran away
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to Tarshish!
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I knew that you are a merciful
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and compassionate God.'"
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I love how he's saying He's
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like, "I knew you were merciful
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and compassionate," right?
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He's saying it like it's
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a bad thing, right?
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"I knew that you are a merciful
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and compassionate God,
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slow to get angry
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and filled with unfailing love.
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You are eager to turn back
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from destroying people.
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Just kill me now, Lord!
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I'd rather be dead than alive
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if what I predicted
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will not happen."
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So, Jonah was a bitter guy.
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He was very bitter
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and he was like,
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"Lord, if you're not gonna kill
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them, then kill me."
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Wow.
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Isn't that funny?
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Bitterness is like that, right?
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Bitterness is when--if you're
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bitter or unforgiving towards
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someone, it's like you're taking
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poison and expecting them
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to die from it.
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Doesn't work like that.
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And so, what happens he's like,
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"Lord, just smite them.
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Just kill them.
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Just take them out.
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I can't stand them."
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God says, "But I love them,
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Jonah.
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They're my creation just like
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I love you.
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And so no, Jonah, I'm not gonna
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answer your prayer request.
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I'm not gonna do it.
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That is not my will."
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God's will is to bless them,
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to touch their lives, to change
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them, to see them receive him.
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And so, that was his will.
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And so, number one God
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says, "No," if it's not
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his will.
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It's really pretty simple.
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Sometimes we say,
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"Oh, the Lord hasn't answered
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my prayer request."
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Well, maybe he hasn't but maybe
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the Lord's answer is "No."
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Maybe God did answer your
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request, you just don't like
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the answer.
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Does anyone have kids in here
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like mine that will ask
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for something, I say, "No"
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and then they ask 60 more times
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in row after that?
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And so, I'm like, "I don't think
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I stuttered when I said, 'No'
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the first time.
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I don't know,
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how many times--how much
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time you wanna waste on this?"
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And I've had to teach my kids
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it's like, "If you will focus
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instead of on the "no," gave you
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on the hundreds of "yeses"
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that are potential for me to say
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if you'll just ask something
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different, right?"
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"I want to stay the night
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at someone's house,
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so and so's house."
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"No."
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"I wanna stay at--please, Dad."
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"No.
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My no's not gonna change, but
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there are a hundred things
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you can ask me for
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and I'd say 'Yes.'"
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"Wanna go to the movies?"
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"Yes."
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"Wanna go, you know,
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to the skating rink?"
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"Yes."
00:05:44.040 --> 00:05:44.200
"You wanna go bowling?"
00:05:44.200 --> 00:05:45.060
"Yes."
00:05:45.060 --> 00:05:45.210
"You wanna go out and do this?"
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"Yes."
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"You want to go to this
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person's house?"
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"Yes."
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"That person's--"
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"No, my no's not gonna change
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in that area because there's
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things I see that you don't
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see."
00:05:53.080 --> 00:05:54.190
Anybody relate to this?
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Parents, you know what
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I'm talking about?
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So, sometimes we have to be
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willing to receive God's "No"
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because we just have to trust
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that he knows best.
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I mean, how many times people
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take a job, "Oh Lord,
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I want this job."
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And the Lord's like, "That's
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gonna involve compromise.
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It's not what I want
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for your life."
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"Oh, come on.
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Oh Lord, it'll be fine."
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And then we ask God to bless it.
00:06:10.240 --> 00:06:11.290
We're in the middle of a mess.
00:06:11.290 --> 00:06:13.260
And God's like, "You've entered
00:06:13.260 --> 00:06:15.150
a territory that I am not
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obligated to bless.
00:06:16.230 --> 00:06:17.120
I did not begin that.
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I'm not obligated to finish it."
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So, sometimes when we don't
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listen to the "no's", oh man, we
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create big messes in our lives.
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Now, the God that we serve
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is a God of grace
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and he'll help you get out
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of that mess, but again that's
00:06:33.110 --> 00:06:35.290
probably gonna be messy
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'cause it was a mess you got in.
00:06:37.150 --> 00:06:40.030
So, we have to--we want to
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listen to the "no" on the front
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end otherwise it gets
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really bad.
00:06:42.260 --> 00:06:44.010
Then the "no's" aren't from God,
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then it starts to come from
00:06:45.020 --> 00:06:45.200
you going, "No.
00:06:45.200 --> 00:06:48.200
This is not what I wanted
00:06:48.200 --> 00:06:49.150
to happen."
00:06:49.150 --> 00:06:50.250
God says, "I didn't want it
00:06:50.250 --> 00:06:51.200
to happen either."
00:06:51.200 --> 00:06:53.150
So, we can't ignore
00:06:53.150 --> 00:06:54.060
God's "no's."
00:06:54.060 --> 00:06:55.000
He has a purpose.
00:06:55.000 --> 00:06:55.160
He has a reason even
00:06:55.160 --> 00:06:56.060
for the "no's"
00:06:56.060 --> 00:06:56.220
and so we have to trust that.
00:06:56.220 --> 00:06:57.130
So, when God says "no,"
00:06:57.130 --> 00:06:58.160
if it's not in his will,
00:06:58.160 --> 00:06:59.100
we need to listen to that.
00:06:59.100 --> 00:07:00.200
It's a good thing.
00:07:00.200 --> 00:07:01.070
Look at James 4, verse 3,
00:07:01.070 --> 00:07:03.130
"Even when you do ask,
00:07:03.130 --> 00:07:04.120
you don't get it because your
00:07:04.120 --> 00:07:05.260
whole aim is wrong, you want
00:07:05.260 --> 00:07:07.260
only what will give
00:07:07.260 --> 00:07:09.010
you pleasure."
00:07:09.010 --> 00:07:10.090
Well, we all want what gives
00:07:10.090 --> 00:07:10.280
us pleasure, right?
00:07:10.280 --> 00:07:12.020
I mean, that's pretty normal
00:07:12.020 --> 00:07:13.060
but if that's all we want,
00:07:13.060 --> 00:07:15.030
that's a problem.
00:07:15.030 --> 00:07:15.290
So, God's not trying to say
00:07:15.290 --> 00:07:16.200
pleasure's bad.
00:07:16.200 --> 00:07:18.030
He created pleasure.
00:07:18.030 --> 00:07:18.260
There's nothing wrong
00:07:18.260 --> 00:07:19.110
with pleasure.
00:07:19.110 --> 00:07:19.290
It's when our lives become
00:07:19.290 --> 00:07:21.060
about pleasure only, that's
00:07:21.060 --> 00:07:23.210
when the problem comes in.
00:07:23.210 --> 00:07:24.260
Look at Psalm 66, verse 18.
00:07:24.260 --> 00:07:26.180
David said this, "If I had not
00:07:26.180 --> 00:07:28.080
confessed the sin in my heart,
00:07:28.080 --> 00:07:30.010
the Lord would not have
00:07:30.010 --> 00:07:31.010
listened.
00:07:31.010 --> 00:07:32.010
But God did listen!
00:07:32.010 --> 00:07:32.260
He paid attention to my prayer.
00:07:32.260 --> 00:07:34.100
Praise God, who did not ignore
00:07:34.100 --> 00:07:35.110
my prayer or withdraw
00:07:35.110 --> 00:07:36.130
his unfailing love from me."
00:07:36.150 --> 00:07:39.150
And so he said, "You know what?
00:07:39.150 --> 00:07:40.180
Because I got my heart right,
00:07:40.180 --> 00:07:41.110
God, you answered my prayer."
00:07:41.110 --> 00:07:44.000
But don't expect God to answer
00:07:44.000 --> 00:07:45.100
your prayer if your heart's
00:07:45.100 --> 00:07:46.210
not right.
00:07:46.210 --> 00:07:47.080
Here's what that means,
00:07:47.080 --> 00:07:48.020
you may be praying for something
00:07:48.020 --> 00:07:49.170
that God is not saying yes to,
00:07:49.170 --> 00:07:51.210
not because it's a bad thing
00:07:51.210 --> 00:07:53.180
but because God's saying,
00:07:53.180 --> 00:07:54.130
"I can't give that to you yet
00:07:54.130 --> 00:07:55.230
'cause your heart's not right."
00:07:55.230 --> 00:07:58.040
So, it may be like,
00:07:58.040 --> 00:07:58.200
"Yeah, sure,
00:07:58.200 --> 00:07:59.140
I'd love to bless you with
00:07:59.140 --> 00:08:00.060
that relationship but if you're
00:08:00.060 --> 00:08:01.210
not right spiritually,
00:08:01.210 --> 00:08:03.040
you'll mess that up."
00:08:03.040 --> 00:08:05.090
It's like, there's nothing that
00:08:05.090 --> 00:08:06.180
I own--that my wife
00:08:06.180 --> 00:08:08.110
and I own that we would
00:08:08.110 --> 00:08:09.060
not give our children.
00:08:09.060 --> 00:08:10.220
The only thing that keeps us
00:08:10.220 --> 00:08:12.050
from giving everything we own
00:08:12.050 --> 00:08:13.040
to our children one day
00:08:13.050 --> 00:08:16.050
is maturity.
00:08:16.050 --> 00:08:18.050
Do they have the maturity
00:08:18.050 --> 00:08:19.290
to handle it?
00:08:19.290 --> 00:08:21.040
I know of a couple who came
00:08:21.040 --> 00:08:21.230
to us years ago and said,
00:08:21.230 --> 00:08:22.140
"Pastor, we want to make
00:08:22.210 --> 00:08:25.210
the church,
00:08:25.210 --> 00:08:26.220
as well as other organizations,
00:08:26.220 --> 00:08:27.230
a part of our will."
00:08:27.230 --> 00:08:29.190
I was like, "Okay, wow,
00:08:29.190 --> 00:08:30.220
that's really nice.
00:08:30.220 --> 00:08:31.100
Thank you."
00:08:31.100 --> 00:08:31.280
People occasionally do that.
00:08:31.280 --> 00:08:32.240
I said, "That's amazing.
00:08:32.240 --> 00:08:34.280
Thank you very much."
00:08:34.280 --> 00:08:35.260
And they happen to have millions
00:08:35.260 --> 00:08:37.000
of dollars and they said,
00:08:37.000 --> 00:08:38.180
"We wanna include--"
00:08:38.180 --> 00:08:39.160
I said, "Are you gonna do
00:08:39.160 --> 00:08:40.060
something for your children?"
00:08:40.060 --> 00:08:41.060
And they said, "We're not."
00:08:41.060 --> 00:08:43.090
I said, "Oh wow, really?
00:08:43.090 --> 00:08:44.260
Why?
00:08:44.260 --> 00:08:45.260
Can I ask why?"
00:08:45.260 --> 00:08:46.280
They said, "We'd love
00:08:46.280 --> 00:08:47.190
to tell you why.
00:08:47.190 --> 00:08:48.120
It's just so sad but we know
00:08:48.120 --> 00:08:49.270
what they would do with it
00:08:49.270 --> 00:08:51.240
and we know we can't trust them
00:08:51.240 --> 00:08:52.220
with it because of some
00:08:52.220 --> 00:08:54.170
of the habits they have."
00:08:54.170 --> 00:08:56.120
In this particular case,
00:08:56.120 --> 00:08:57.100
they knew that they would excess
00:08:57.100 --> 00:08:58.120
themselves to death,
00:08:58.120 --> 00:09:00.020
literally to death because some
00:09:00.020 --> 00:09:01.270
of their habits.
00:09:01.270 --> 00:09:02.190
I thought, wow, here are parents
00:09:02.190 --> 00:09:04.020
that want to bless their kids,
00:09:04.020 --> 00:09:05.090
they just can't.
00:09:05.090 --> 00:09:08.010
Their kids became unblessable
00:09:08.010 --> 00:09:10.240
from those who love them
00:09:10.240 --> 00:09:11.200
the most in the whole world.
00:09:11.200 --> 00:09:13.220
I wonder if God's like that
00:09:13.220 --> 00:09:14.140
with us sometimes.
00:09:14.140 --> 00:09:15.070
I wonder if the Lord's like,
00:09:15.070 --> 00:09:15.260
"I'd love to bless you
00:09:15.260 --> 00:09:16.210
with this, but you gotta prove
00:09:16.210 --> 00:09:18.170
faithful."
00:09:18.170 --> 00:09:19.130
You know, the average spends
00:09:19.130 --> 00:09:20.120
about 10% more than they earn
00:09:20.120 --> 00:09:21.210
annually which means if you earn
00:09:21.210 --> 00:09:24.010
more, you'll get yourself
00:09:24.010 --> 00:09:24.240
in more trouble, you'll be more
00:09:24.240 --> 00:09:27.230
indebted, more creditors calling
00:09:28.060 --> 00:09:31.060
rather than less until you learn
00:09:31.060 --> 00:09:32.190
to control it.
00:09:32.190 --> 00:09:33.100
So, God may be saying,
00:09:33.100 --> 00:09:34.050
"I'd love to bless you with this
00:09:34.050 --> 00:09:36.160
but you have
00:09:36.160 --> 00:09:37.020
to become blessable.
00:09:37.020 --> 00:09:38.120
Be faithful with what I give
00:09:38.120 --> 00:09:39.140
you and I'll give you more."
00:09:39.140 --> 00:09:40.080
When the last time you honored
00:09:40.080 --> 00:09:41.110
God with a tithe?
00:09:41.110 --> 00:09:42.260
When's the last time you honored
00:09:42.260 --> 00:09:43.250
your own future with savings?
00:09:43.260 --> 00:09:46.260
When's the last time you honored
00:09:46.260 --> 00:09:47.270
your children by being stable
00:09:47.270 --> 00:09:49.100
in your spending and realizing
00:09:49.100 --> 00:09:50.280
that the good thing is not
00:09:50.280 --> 00:09:52.000
to always go to the mall
00:09:52.000 --> 00:09:53.090
but to realize, "Wait a minute,
00:09:53.090 --> 00:09:54.080
wait a minute, I need to pull
00:09:54.080 --> 00:09:54.290
back and have something
00:09:54.290 --> 00:09:56.010
if some--Johnny breaks his arm,
00:09:56.010 --> 00:09:57.110
are we ready for that?
00:09:57.110 --> 00:09:58.200
If Sally needs braces,
00:09:58.200 --> 00:09:59.200
are we ready for that?"
00:09:59.200 --> 00:10:00.110
In other words like, "Lord,
00:10:00.110 --> 00:10:01.110
I wanna be faithful with what
00:10:01.110 --> 00:10:02.180
you've given me."
00:10:02.180 --> 00:10:03.120
And God says, "If you'll do
00:10:03.120 --> 00:10:03.290
that, I'll give you more."
00:10:04.050 --> 00:10:07.050
So, it could be that God's not
00:10:07.050 --> 00:10:08.000
saying no, he's saying, "I've
00:10:08.000 --> 00:10:10.030
said 'Yes' but your actions are
00:10:10.030 --> 00:10:12.060
actually saying no to me being
00:10:12.060 --> 00:10:13.240
able to give this to you."
00:10:13.240 --> 00:10:16.220
It could be that God
00:10:16.220 --> 00:10:17.080
wants to give it.
00:10:17.080 --> 00:10:19.080
We have to have
00:10:19.080 --> 00:10:19.240
the right motive.
00:10:19.240 --> 00:10:20.100
We have to the right heart.
00:10:20.100 --> 00:10:20.290
We have to be ready for it.
00:10:20.290 --> 00:10:22.110
And so, number two,
00:10:22.110 --> 00:10:22.270
God says "no" if we have
00:10:22.270 --> 00:10:24.000
the wrong motives
00:10:24.000 --> 00:10:24.250
or unconfessed sin.
00:10:24.250 --> 00:10:26.220
What that means is we're not
00:10:26.220 --> 00:10:27.090
ready, means we're not ready
00:10:27.090 --> 00:10:29.160
at that point and so we have
00:10:29.160 --> 00:10:30.160
to be ready.
00:10:30.160 --> 00:10:31.010
I've had pastors call me up,
00:10:31.010 --> 00:10:32.090
"Pastor, would you help
00:10:32.090 --> 00:10:33.230
me grow my ministry,
00:10:33.230 --> 00:10:36.000
help me grow my church?
00:10:36.000 --> 00:10:36.180
Just show me how we can
00:10:36.180 --> 00:10:37.140
reach more people for Christ."
00:10:37.140 --> 00:10:38.200
And I begin to go through some
00:10:38.200 --> 00:10:39.080
basic things that you can do
00:10:39.080 --> 00:10:40.290
to minister to people,
00:10:40.290 --> 00:10:41.180
to reach people,
00:10:41.180 --> 00:10:42.100
that kind of stuff.
00:10:42.100 --> 00:10:43.000
But that's not what I'm talking
00:10:43.000 --> 00:10:43.210
about.
00:10:43.210 --> 00:10:44.080
I say, "Tell me, why do you
00:10:44.080 --> 00:10:44.280
wanna grow the church?
00:10:44.280 --> 00:10:45.130
What makes you interested in
00:10:45.130 --> 00:10:46.030
growing your church?"
00:10:46.030 --> 00:10:47.000
And oftentimes they'll begin to
00:10:47.000 --> 00:10:48.210
tell me that things that frankly
00:10:48.210 --> 00:10:50.070
begin to rub me the wrong way.
00:10:50.070 --> 00:10:51.110
And I'll finally just say,
00:10:51.110 --> 00:10:52.000
"You know, I'm not sure if God
00:10:52.000 --> 00:10:53.030
wants to grow your church."
00:10:53.030 --> 00:10:54.040
"What?
00:10:54.040 --> 00:10:54.290
I'm sure God does."
00:10:54.290 --> 00:10:55.190
And so, "Yeah, but I hear you
00:10:55.190 --> 00:10:57.050
being more interested
00:10:57.050 --> 00:10:58.160
in becoming a big name
00:10:58.160 --> 00:11:00.140
or a bigshot than reaching
00:11:00.140 --> 00:11:02.210
lost people.
00:11:02.210 --> 00:11:04.250
Which one's this about?"
00:11:04.250 --> 00:11:07.060
'Cause you can be doing
00:11:07.060 --> 00:11:07.240
something really right
00:11:07.240 --> 00:11:08.290
and have the wrong motive
00:11:08.290 --> 00:11:09.250
and God won't bless that.
00:11:09.250 --> 00:11:11.250
I mean, yes,
00:11:11.250 --> 00:11:12.110
it's the church--does God
00:11:12.110 --> 00:11:13.150
want his churches to grow?
00:11:13.150 --> 00:11:14.050
Of course, but is this about
00:11:14.050 --> 00:11:15.050
your name or is this about
00:11:15.050 --> 00:11:17.140
the Lord?
00:11:17.140 --> 00:11:19.180
Last time I checked,
00:11:19.180 --> 00:11:20.120
we're supposed to lift up
00:11:20.120 --> 00:11:21.150
the name of Jesus
00:11:21.150 --> 00:11:22.180
and he'll draw men unto him,
00:11:22.180 --> 00:11:23.190
not lift up our names.
00:11:23.190 --> 00:11:25.210
It's Jesus that we lift up.
00:11:25.210 --> 00:11:27.120
So, what's it about?
00:11:27.120 --> 00:11:28.190
What's the purpose?
00:11:28.190 --> 00:11:29.100
What's the motive behind
00:11:29.100 --> 00:11:30.110
the growth?
00:11:30.110 --> 00:11:30.270
What's the motive behind
00:11:30.270 --> 00:11:31.240
the income you want?
00:11:31.240 --> 00:11:32.160
What's the motive behind
00:11:32.160 --> 00:11:33.060
the promotion you want?
00:11:33.060 --> 00:11:34.000
What's the motive behind
00:11:34.000 --> 00:11:34.210
the house you want?
00:11:34.210 --> 00:11:35.140
What's the motive?
00:11:35.140 --> 00:11:36.060
There's nothing wrong
00:11:36.060 --> 00:11:36.240
with having stuff,
00:11:36.240 --> 00:11:37.140
it's when the stuff has you.
00:11:37.140 --> 00:11:38.140
There's nothing wrong with
00:11:38.140 --> 00:11:39.070
having position, it's when you
00:11:39.070 --> 00:11:40.120
make the position about you.
00:11:40.120 --> 00:11:41.150
And there's nothing wrong with
00:11:41.150 --> 00:11:42.040
having influence or affluence,
00:11:42.040 --> 00:11:43.060
it's when the influence
00:11:43.060 --> 00:11:43.290
and affluence is all about you.
00:11:43.290 --> 00:11:45.040
Are we willing to say,
00:11:45.040 --> 00:11:45.260
"Lord, I wanna honor you with
00:11:45.260 --> 00:11:46.220
everything I have?"
00:11:46.220 --> 00:11:47.110
And when you do that God says,
00:11:47.110 --> 00:11:48.010
"Then I'll give you more 'cause
00:11:48.010 --> 00:11:49.250
you make it about me."
00:11:49.250 --> 00:11:51.270
God does wanna bless you.
00:11:51.270 --> 00:11:53.290
He does.
00:11:53.290 --> 00:11:54.150
And there's nothing wrong with
00:11:54.150 --> 00:11:55.030
enjoying what God has given you.
00:11:55.030 --> 00:11:57.010
You just have to have
00:11:57.010 --> 00:11:57.230
the right motives.
00:11:57.230 --> 00:11:58.150
Check out the next Scripture.
00:11:58.150 --> 00:11:59.060
It says in Matthew 26,
00:11:59.060 --> 00:12:00.090
verse 39--this is interesting.
00:12:00.090 --> 00:12:01.120
Jesus actually prays a prayer
00:12:01.120 --> 00:12:04.010
that God says "No" to.
00:12:04.010 --> 00:12:05.200
Kind of shocking, isn't it?
00:12:05.200 --> 00:12:06.170
Like, what?
00:12:06.170 --> 00:12:08.020
Jesus communicates something
00:12:08.020 --> 00:12:09.070
to God and God says,
00:12:09.070 --> 00:12:10.090
"That's not what I'm gonna do."
00:12:10.090 --> 00:12:11.110
So, he actually has a request
00:12:11.110 --> 00:12:13.110
outside of the Father's will.
00:12:13.110 --> 00:12:16.090
It's kind of surprising.
00:12:16.090 --> 00:12:16.250
"Well, hold on, hold on.
00:12:16.250 --> 00:12:17.190
Does that mean Jesus sinned?"
00:12:17.190 --> 00:12:19.070
No.
00:12:19.070 --> 00:12:20.120
Jesus was fully God
00:12:20.120 --> 00:12:22.250
and fully man.
00:12:22.250 --> 00:12:24.280
That means this, that means
00:12:24.280 --> 00:12:25.240
that he had, as a man,
00:12:25.240 --> 00:12:27.240
the capacity to sin,
00:12:27.240 --> 00:12:28.170
but he wouldn't.
00:12:28.170 --> 00:12:30.050
Just like you and I,
00:12:30.050 --> 00:12:31.190
once we receive Jesus Christ
00:12:31.190 --> 00:12:32.190
as our Lord and Savior,
00:12:32.190 --> 00:12:33.150
we have God within us, right?
00:12:33.150 --> 00:12:36.150
Which means we're still fully
00:12:36.150 --> 00:12:37.100
man or woman, right?
00:12:37.100 --> 00:12:38.200
We're still fully human, right?
00:12:38.200 --> 00:12:40.210
But we also have the God
00:12:40.210 --> 00:12:41.110
particle in us too.
00:12:41.110 --> 00:12:42.160
We also have God within us with
00:12:42.160 --> 00:12:43.260
the Holy Spirit, which means we
00:12:43.260 --> 00:12:45.160
have the capacity to be sinless
00:12:45.160 --> 00:12:47.180
but we won't, right?
00:12:47.180 --> 00:12:49.140
But we will sin.
00:12:49.140 --> 00:12:50.250
Jesus had the capacity
00:12:50.250 --> 00:12:51.230
to sin but he wouldn't.
00:12:51.230 --> 00:12:53.230
We have the capacity
00:12:53.230 --> 00:12:54.110
to be sinless, but we won't.
00:12:54.110 --> 00:12:56.250
And so, Jesus at this moment,
00:12:56.250 --> 00:12:58.140
shows his humanity and actually
00:12:58.140 --> 00:13:00.080
says, "Lord, if there's any way
00:13:00.080 --> 00:13:02.270
I can get out of this, I'd like
00:13:02.270 --> 00:13:04.200
to do that but I want your will
00:13:04.200 --> 00:13:06.180
to be done."
00:13:06.180 --> 00:13:07.190
Look at this prayer.
00:13:07.190 --> 00:13:08.050
This is very interesting,
00:13:08.050 --> 00:13:08.210
Matthew, chapter 26.
00:13:08.210 --> 00:13:10.210
He says in verse 39,
00:13:10.210 --> 00:13:11.090
"He went on a little farther
00:13:11.090 --> 00:13:12.280
and bowed with his face
00:13:12.280 --> 00:13:13.250
to the ground, praying,
00:13:13.250 --> 00:13:14.210
'My Father!
00:13:14.210 --> 00:13:15.240
If it is possible,
00:13:15.240 --> 00:13:16.190
let this cup of suffering
00:13:16.190 --> 00:13:17.260
be taken away from me.
00:13:17.260 --> 00:13:19.040
Yet I want your will to be done,
00:13:19.040 --> 00:13:20.120
not mine.'"
00:13:20.120 --> 00:13:21.250
So, Jesus self-corrects during
00:13:21.250 --> 00:13:23.280
the prayer.
00:13:23.280 --> 00:13:24.150
"Lord, I really don't wanna
00:13:24.150 --> 00:13:25.110
go through all this
00:13:25.110 --> 00:13:27.270
but I know it's your will."
00:13:27.270 --> 00:13:29.270
So, he submits
00:13:29.270 --> 00:13:31.030
to the Father's will.
00:13:31.030 --> 00:13:32.040
Thank the Lord, right?
00:13:32.040 --> 00:13:32.190
'Cause if we wouldn't have done
00:13:32.190 --> 00:13:33.230
that, we wouldn't have
00:13:33.230 --> 00:13:34.090
salvation.
00:13:34.090 --> 00:13:35.210
So, he submits to the Father's
00:13:35.210 --> 00:13:37.040
will at this moment.
00:13:37.040 --> 00:13:38.170
Can I tell you something?
00:13:38.170 --> 00:13:39.090
Sometimes doing the wrong thing
00:13:39.090 --> 00:13:40.200
is also the painful thing.
00:13:40.200 --> 00:13:43.020
If you ever had to confront
00:13:43.020 --> 00:13:43.240
someone, you know what
00:13:43.240 --> 00:13:44.150
I'm talking about.
00:13:44.150 --> 00:13:45.250
You know it's the right thing,
00:13:45.250 --> 00:13:46.190
but you know they're
00:13:46.190 --> 00:13:47.050
not gonna accept it.
00:13:47.050 --> 00:13:48.260
You know it's gonna be a mess.
00:13:48.260 --> 00:13:49.250
You know it's gonna be difficult
00:13:49.250 --> 00:13:50.160
but it's still the right thing
00:13:50.160 --> 00:13:52.160
and you have to just trust
00:13:52.160 --> 00:13:53.030
the Lord and just do
00:13:53.030 --> 00:13:53.240
the right thing anyways.
00:13:53.240 --> 00:13:54.130
You just have to honor God.
00:13:54.130 --> 00:13:55.010
Sometimes doing the right thing
00:13:55.010 --> 00:13:56.140
is difficult but it doesn't make
00:13:56.140 --> 00:13:58.150
it, you know, somehow change
00:13:58.150 --> 00:14:00.290
it from right to wrong.
00:14:00.290 --> 00:14:01.230
It's like, you know,
00:14:01.230 --> 00:14:02.290
"I wanna tell my boss off,
00:14:02.290 --> 00:14:03.280
but I know it's the right thing
00:14:03.280 --> 00:14:05.010
for me not to do that.
00:14:05.010 --> 00:14:06.220
I wanna not forgive someone
00:14:06.220 --> 00:14:07.240
who really hurt me, you know
00:14:07.240 --> 00:14:09.020
probably hurt me again,
00:14:09.020 --> 00:14:10.090
but I know it's God's will for
00:14:10.090 --> 00:14:10.290
me to forgive 'em," right?
00:14:10.290 --> 00:14:12.230
So, doing the right thing can
00:14:12.230 --> 00:14:14.240
sometimes also be a difficult
00:14:14.240 --> 00:14:16.190
thing to do.
00:14:16.190 --> 00:14:18.250
The bottom line is is that we
00:14:18.250 --> 00:14:21.080
have to trust that the Lord
00:14:21.080 --> 00:14:22.070
knows best.
00:14:22.070 --> 00:14:23.040
Look at 1 Corinthians 13,
00:14:23.040 --> 00:14:25.150
"For we know only in part and
00:14:25.150 --> 00:14:27.170
we prophecy only in part,
00:14:27.170 --> 00:14:29.110
but when the complete comes,
00:14:29.110 --> 00:14:30.220
the partial will come to an end.
00:14:30.220 --> 00:14:32.080
For now we see in a mirror
00:14:32.080 --> 00:14:33.260
dimly, but then we will see
00:14:33.260 --> 00:14:35.160
face to face.
00:14:35.160 --> 00:14:36.070
Now I know only in part.
00:14:36.070 --> 00:14:37.230
Then I will know fully even
00:14:37.230 --> 00:14:39.030
as I am fully known."
00:14:39.030 --> 00:14:40.040
The Apostle Paul is saying,
00:14:40.040 --> 00:14:41.050
"You know what?
00:14:41.050 --> 00:14:41.250
I only know part
00:14:41.250 --> 00:14:42.160
of the story now.
00:14:42.160 --> 00:14:43.120
I don't know the whole deal
00:14:43.120 --> 00:14:44.130
because I'm not in heaven.
00:14:44.130 --> 00:14:45.270
I don't have the mind of God
00:14:45.270 --> 00:14:46.220
so I only see what I see.
00:14:46.220 --> 00:14:49.100
So, there's just some things
00:14:49.100 --> 00:14:50.070
I'm not gonna understand."
00:14:50.070 --> 00:14:51.270
God is sometimes gonna not
00:14:51.270 --> 00:14:53.070
answer your prayer and you don't
00:14:53.070 --> 00:14:54.140
know why you and may not know
00:14:54.140 --> 00:14:55.220
why till you go to heaven.
00:14:55.220 --> 00:14:57.060
And that's very difficult
00:14:57.060 --> 00:14:58.070
and I understand how painful
00:14:58.080 --> 00:15:01.100
that can be.
00:15:01.100 --> 00:15:02.220
I don't have some answers
00:15:02.220 --> 00:15:04.000
to the things I'd love to have
00:15:04.000 --> 00:15:04.200
some answers to.
00:15:04.200 --> 00:15:05.140
I mean, I remember years ago
00:15:05.140 --> 00:15:06.060
praying, "Lord, why'd I have
00:15:06.060 --> 00:15:06.230
to lose my first child?"
00:15:06.230 --> 00:15:09.080
I don't have any good reason
00:15:09.080 --> 00:15:10.050
for that.
00:15:10.050 --> 00:15:10.210
I can't find anything
00:15:10.210 --> 00:15:11.090
in the Bible that tells me why
00:15:11.090 --> 00:15:12.000
that was necessary.
00:15:12.000 --> 00:15:14.200
I just have to believe,
00:15:14.200 --> 00:15:15.050
"God, you're a good God
00:15:15.050 --> 00:15:17.050
and I'm gonna meet that child
00:15:17.050 --> 00:15:17.240
one day in heaven."
00:15:17.240 --> 00:15:20.100
And that's what I hold on to.
00:15:20.100 --> 00:15:21.030
That's my hope, right?
00:15:21.030 --> 00:15:23.080
[congregation applauding]
00:15:23.080 --> 00:15:25.130
There's some things we just
00:15:25.130 --> 00:15:26.010
don't have good answers to,
00:15:26.010 --> 00:15:27.190
that we're not gonna have
00:15:27.190 --> 00:15:28.140
good answers to.
00:15:28.140 --> 00:15:29.000
"Why I'd they have to leave me?
00:15:29.000 --> 00:15:30.110
Why'd this person have
00:15:30.110 --> 00:15:31.030
to hurt me?
00:15:31.030 --> 00:15:31.190
Why did I have to go through
00:15:31.190 --> 00:15:32.060
this," right?
00:15:32.060 --> 00:15:34.250
And some of those "why"
00:15:34.250 --> 00:15:36.010
questions, we need to have a
00:15:36.010 --> 00:15:36.290
little "why" filed in our mind.
00:15:36.290 --> 00:15:38.140
We just file those away
00:15:38.140 --> 00:15:39.040
and we say, "Lord,
00:15:39.040 --> 00:15:40.080
I'm gonna be faithful to you.
00:15:40.080 --> 00:15:41.060
I don't understand why this
00:15:41.060 --> 00:15:42.040
happened, but you know what,
00:15:42.040 --> 00:15:44.000
Lord?
00:15:44.000 --> 00:15:44.290
I'm gonna put that in my "why"
00:15:44.290 --> 00:15:45.230
file and when day when I'm in
00:15:45.230 --> 00:15:46.230
heaven, I'll get to ask you
00:15:46.230 --> 00:15:48.050
and you'll get to answer.
00:15:48.050 --> 00:15:50.100
But until then, Lord,
00:15:50.100 --> 00:15:51.120
I'm just gonna trust in you."
00:15:51.120 --> 00:15:53.040
I don't know the why.
00:15:53.040 --> 00:15:54.070
I don't understand why.
00:15:54.070 --> 00:15:55.030
I don't know why there has to be
00:15:55.030 --> 00:15:56.210
crazy people around the world
00:15:56.210 --> 00:15:57.200
to kill each other.
00:15:57.200 --> 00:15:58.130
I don't know why.
00:15:58.130 --> 00:15:59.170
I don't know why there's
00:15:59.170 --> 00:16:00.070
terrorism.
00:16:00.070 --> 00:16:00.270
I wish I had a great answer
00:16:00.270 --> 00:16:01.190
for that, right?
00:16:01.190 --> 00:16:02.210
I don't know why bad things
00:16:02.210 --> 00:16:03.250
happen.
00:16:03.250 --> 00:16:05.030
I don't know why there's
00:16:05.030 --> 00:16:05.180
sickness and disease.
00:16:05.180 --> 00:16:06.080
I don't know why there's
00:16:06.080 --> 00:16:07.000
earthquakes and famine,
00:16:07.000 --> 00:16:09.070
but I just have to trust that
00:16:09.070 --> 00:16:09.250
the Lord is still good
00:16:09.250 --> 00:16:11.290
and just trust in him.
00:16:11.290 --> 00:16:12.150
And so, even when we don't have
00:16:12.150 --> 00:16:13.070
a good reason why,
00:16:13.070 --> 00:16:15.070
we need to do this,
00:16:15.070 --> 00:16:16.060
number three, believe that God
00:16:16.060 --> 00:16:17.030
knows best because he has
00:16:17.030 --> 00:16:18.130
the complete picture.
00:16:18.130 --> 00:16:20.210
Believe that God knows best
00:16:20.210 --> 00:16:21.190
because he really does have
00:16:21.190 --> 00:16:23.180
the complete picture.
00:16:23.180 --> 00:16:26.180
So, we just have to trust
00:16:26.180 --> 00:16:27.080
in the Lord.
00:16:27.080 --> 00:16:29.080
I love this prayer request.
00:16:29.080 --> 00:16:29.250
Someone--this prayer, someone
00:16:29.250 --> 00:16:30.290
prayed this one time,
00:16:30.290 --> 00:16:33.000
"Lord, today so far I've done
00:16:33.000 --> 00:16:35.020
all right.
00:16:35.020 --> 00:16:35.250
I haven't gossiped.
00:16:35.250 --> 00:16:36.180
I haven't lost my temper.
00:16:36.180 --> 00:16:37.260
I haven't been greedy, grumpy,
00:16:37.260 --> 00:16:39.000
nasty, selfish, or
00:16:39.000 --> 00:16:39.240
overindulgent.
00:16:39.240 --> 00:16:40.290
I'm really glad about that
00:16:40.290 --> 00:16:41.210
but in a few minutes,
00:16:41.210 --> 00:16:43.010
God, I'm gonna get out of bed,
00:16:43.010 --> 00:16:44.070
then I'm gonna need your help."
00:16:45.160 --> 00:16:48.160
How many guys here can relate
00:16:48.160 --> 00:16:49.040
to that prayer, right?
00:16:49.040 --> 00:16:51.210
We do need to seek the Lord
00:16:51.210 --> 00:16:52.170
because honestly just being
00:16:52.170 --> 00:16:53.270
in prayer makes us do better,
00:16:53.270 --> 00:16:55.260
doesn't it?
00:16:55.260 --> 00:16:56.180
Just being in a continual
00:16:56.180 --> 00:16:57.190
attitude of prayer helps me
00:16:57.190 --> 00:16:59.070
be a better person,
00:16:59.070 --> 00:17:00.170
just seeking the Lord like that.
00:17:00.170 --> 00:17:02.170
Look at the next Scripture.
00:17:02.170 --> 00:17:03.040
It says
00:17:03.040 --> 00:17:03.210
in 2 Corinthians 12, verse 7.
00:17:03.210 --> 00:17:06.100
This is the Apostle Paul
00:17:06.100 --> 00:17:06.270
speaking.
00:17:06.270 --> 00:17:07.170
I love his honesty here.
00:17:07.170 --> 00:17:08.240
He says, "To keep me from
00:17:08.240 --> 00:17:10.080
becoming proud--"
00:17:10.080 --> 00:17:11.110
So apparently, he already had an
00:17:11.110 --> 00:17:12.070
answer for why on this one.
00:17:12.070 --> 00:17:14.210
He says, "To keep me from
00:17:14.210 --> 00:17:15.130
becoming proud, I was given
00:17:15.130 --> 00:17:16.200
a thorn in my flesh,
00:17:16.200 --> 00:17:18.190
a messenger from Satan
00:17:18.190 --> 00:17:20.050
to torment me and keep me
00:17:20.050 --> 00:17:21.150
from becoming proud.
00:17:21.150 --> 00:17:22.180
Three different times I begged
00:17:22.180 --> 00:17:23.230
the Lord to take it away.
00:17:23.230 --> 00:17:24.280
Each time he said,
00:17:24.280 --> 00:17:25.190
'My grace is all you need.
00:17:25.190 --> 00:17:26.270
My power works best
00:17:26.270 --> 00:17:28.050
in weakness.'"
00:17:28.050 --> 00:17:29.280
So, the Apostle Paul is praying
00:17:29.280 --> 00:17:31.060
this prayer, "Lord, would you
00:17:31.060 --> 00:17:31.240
please remove this thorn
00:17:31.240 --> 00:17:32.220
in my side?
00:17:32.220 --> 00:17:33.070
It really hurts, God.
00:17:33.070 --> 00:17:34.060
Could you remove it?"
00:17:34.060 --> 00:17:35.010
And God says, "You know I could,
00:17:35.010 --> 00:17:37.200
but I'm not going to.
00:17:37.200 --> 00:17:39.020
The answer is 'No.'"
00:17:39.020 --> 00:17:40.190
Now, we don't know if it was
00:17:40.190 --> 00:17:41.220
physically a thorn.
00:17:41.220 --> 00:17:42.280
Many theologians believe that
00:17:42.280 --> 00:17:44.010
literally it was a thorn like
00:17:44.010 --> 00:17:45.140
he may have been running
00:17:45.140 --> 00:17:46.010
through some, you know,
00:17:46.010 --> 00:17:47.110
terrain at some point.
00:17:47.110 --> 00:17:48.110
There's been a big ole nasty
00:17:48.110 --> 00:17:49.230
thorn and bam it lodged in him.
00:17:49.230 --> 00:17:51.180
It went in so deep that
00:17:51.180 --> 00:17:53.000
the doctor he went to or someone
00:17:53.000 --> 00:17:54.230
else said, "You know what?
00:17:54.230 --> 00:17:55.270
To get that out,
00:17:55.270 --> 00:17:56.190
it's gonna be far worse.
00:17:56.190 --> 00:17:57.200
We're just gonna leave it in,"
00:17:57.200 --> 00:17:59.040
right?
00:17:59.040 --> 00:17:59.240
I have friends
00:17:59.240 --> 00:18:00.260
that are in the military
00:18:00.260 --> 00:18:02.150
and also friends that have been
00:18:02.150 --> 00:18:04.240
police officers that literally
00:18:04.240 --> 00:18:06.090
have shrapnel or even bullets
00:18:06.090 --> 00:18:08.020
lodged in their body
00:18:08.020 --> 00:18:09.210
that the doctor said,
00:18:09.210 --> 00:18:10.080
"Honestly, it's easier just
00:18:10.080 --> 00:18:11.100
to keep it in you than to pull
00:18:11.100 --> 00:18:12.240
it out would be more damaging."
00:18:12.240 --> 00:18:14.060
And so, they deal with the pain
00:18:14.060 --> 00:18:15.010
of that, right?
00:18:15.010 --> 00:18:16.260
And so, the Apostle Paul
00:18:16.260 --> 00:18:17.160
physically could have had
00:18:17.160 --> 00:18:18.160
a thorn in his side
00:18:18.160 --> 00:18:20.050
or maybe he had some kind
00:18:20.050 --> 00:18:21.210
of internal bleeding
00:18:21.210 --> 00:18:22.080
and he called it a thorn.
00:18:22.080 --> 00:18:23.240
Maybe he had some kind of issue
00:18:23.240 --> 00:18:24.230
that he was dealing with.
00:18:24.230 --> 00:18:26.090
We don't really know.
00:18:26.090 --> 00:18:27.240
Maybe as some theologians argue
00:18:27.240 --> 00:18:30.020
that maybe it wasn't a thorn,
00:18:30.020 --> 00:18:31.060
a literal thorn, but there was
00:18:31.060 --> 00:18:32.080
something in his life.
00:18:32.080 --> 00:18:32.270
Maybe he had a temper problem.
00:18:32.270 --> 00:18:34.140
Maybe he just really struggled
00:18:34.140 --> 00:18:35.090
with--
00:18:35.090 --> 00:18:35.280
"Oh Lord, I just--I'm so tired
00:18:35.280 --> 00:18:36.180
of struggling with lust.
00:18:36.180 --> 00:18:37.050
I wish you'd poke my eyes out,
00:18:37.050 --> 00:18:37.270
God.
00:18:37.270 --> 00:18:38.210
I'm just so tired of this."
00:18:38.210 --> 00:18:40.070
Maybe that was it for him.
00:18:40.070 --> 00:18:41.140
I mean, a lot of men think that,
00:18:41.140 --> 00:18:42.180
speculate that because he was
00:18:42.180 --> 00:18:43.150
a man and many men struggle
00:18:43.150 --> 00:18:44.110
with that.
00:18:44.110 --> 00:18:46.110
Maybe the thorn in his side
00:18:46.110 --> 00:18:47.090
was a relationship he had
00:18:47.090 --> 00:18:48.190
with someone.
00:18:48.190 --> 00:18:49.240
You ever had to forgive someone
00:18:49.240 --> 00:18:50.140
but you knew that the next week
00:18:50.140 --> 00:18:51.260
they're gonna hurt ya again?
00:18:51.260 --> 00:18:53.240
"The problem is they're still
00:18:53.240 --> 00:18:54.120
in my life is that the moment
00:18:54.120 --> 00:18:55.160
I forgive them, then they go do
00:18:55.160 --> 00:18:56.070
something stupid again
00:18:56.070 --> 00:18:57.090
and make me mad again.
00:18:57.090 --> 00:18:58.040
I gotta forgive 'em again,"
00:18:58.040 --> 00:18:58.270
right?
00:18:58.270 --> 00:19:00.090
Maybe that was it for
00:19:00.090 --> 00:19:00.250
the Apostle Paul.
00:19:00.250 --> 00:19:01.110
We're not sure but there was
00:19:01.110 --> 00:19:02.000
something that just God said,
00:19:02.000 --> 00:19:03.030
"I'm not removing that."
00:19:03.030 --> 00:19:05.060
He was basically saying,
00:19:05.060 --> 00:19:06.030
"Paul, you're a better man with
00:19:06.030 --> 00:19:08.070
that struggle than you are
00:19:08.070 --> 00:19:10.070
without it."
00:19:10.070 --> 00:19:11.260
Years ago, I had to go through
00:19:11.260 --> 00:19:12.190
back surgery 2 years
00:19:12.190 --> 00:19:14.170
in a row actually.
00:19:14.170 --> 00:19:15.070
I had two surgeries back
00:19:15.070 --> 00:19:16.000
to back.
00:19:16.000 --> 00:19:17.100
And my back is a little better.
00:19:17.100 --> 00:19:19.060
I mean, it was just
00:19:19.060 --> 00:19:20.160
excruciating pain.
00:19:20.160 --> 00:19:21.030
I could hardly even move.
00:19:21.030 --> 00:19:22.110
And so, now I have movement,
00:19:22.110 --> 00:19:23.110
thank God.
00:19:23.110 --> 00:19:24.230
But I wanna tell you that after
00:19:24.230 --> 00:19:25.290
my surgery was done I talked
00:19:25.290 --> 00:19:26.260
to my doctor and said, "So,
00:19:26.260 --> 00:19:27.180
tell me where my limitation is."
00:19:27.180 --> 00:19:28.270
And he said, "Just any--you can
00:19:28.270 --> 00:19:30.110
do pretty much anything you
00:19:30.110 --> 00:19:30.290
wanna do, just don't run."
00:19:30.290 --> 00:19:32.080
I was like, "Don't run?"
00:19:32.080 --> 00:19:34.080
He's like, "Yup, no more running
00:19:34.080 --> 00:19:34.290
for you."
00:19:34.290 --> 00:19:36.070
I was like, "I can't run?"
00:19:36.070 --> 00:19:36.270
He goes, "Well, you can but
00:19:36.270 --> 00:19:38.080
you're probably gonna end up
00:19:38.080 --> 00:19:39.040
having surgery again if you do."
00:19:39.040 --> 00:19:40.260
So, he was saying in a nice way,
00:19:40.260 --> 00:19:41.210
"Look, your back is not what
00:19:41.210 --> 00:19:42.160
it was."
00:19:42.160 --> 00:19:44.050
And so, you know,
00:19:44.050 --> 00:19:44.250
I've just kind of lived with
00:19:44.250 --> 00:19:45.220
that reality for about
00:19:45.220 --> 00:19:46.130
the last 10 to 15 years now
00:19:46.130 --> 00:19:47.130
that I don't run.
00:19:47.130 --> 00:19:49.140
It's kind of frustrating.
00:19:49.140 --> 00:19:50.130
I mean, I can run a little bit,
00:19:50.130 --> 00:19:51.210
but not much.
00:19:51.210 --> 00:19:53.010
Any kind of bouncing--you know,
00:19:53.010 --> 00:19:54.120
my basketball game is pretty
00:19:54.120 --> 00:19:55.140
much over, of course,
00:19:55.140 --> 00:19:56.050
some would argue
00:19:56.050 --> 00:19:56.210
my basketball game was over
00:19:56.210 --> 00:19:57.100
from the beginning anyways.
00:19:57.110 --> 00:20:00.110
But I can't really play ball
00:20:00.110 --> 00:20:01.060
much.
00:20:01.060 --> 00:20:01.220
I just--when I play with
00:20:01.220 --> 00:20:02.120
my boys or my daughter,
00:20:02.120 --> 00:20:03.190
I'm kind of slow moving around.
00:20:03.190 --> 00:20:04.210
I have fun but I can't really
00:20:04.210 --> 00:20:05.180
run around.
00:20:05.180 --> 00:20:06.080
I just kind of stay right
00:20:06.080 --> 00:20:06.290
under the basket.
00:20:06.290 --> 00:20:08.000
That's all I can do, you know?
00:20:08.000 --> 00:20:09.170
I am officially all time
00:20:09.170 --> 00:20:10.140
quarterback now when we play
00:20:10.140 --> 00:20:11.220
football with my family
00:20:11.220 --> 00:20:13.110
because I can't run, right?
00:20:13.110 --> 00:20:14.250
I just have sit there
00:20:14.250 --> 00:20:15.130
and throw the ball, right?
00:20:15.130 --> 00:20:16.180
And so, the point is is that
00:20:16.180 --> 00:20:17.230
there are some limitations.
00:20:17.230 --> 00:20:19.020
And I'd love to just--I mean, I
00:20:19.020 --> 00:20:20.160
believe God's a God of healing.
00:20:20.160 --> 00:20:21.260
He can heal my back.
00:20:21.260 --> 00:20:22.190
I have asked him to heal my back
00:20:22.190 --> 00:20:23.250
many times.
00:20:23.250 --> 00:20:24.170
"Lord, would you just heal me?"
00:20:24.170 --> 00:20:26.090
I've had people pray over me
00:20:26.090 --> 00:20:27.070
for healing and I still have
00:20:27.070 --> 00:20:30.040
my back pain.
00:20:30.040 --> 00:20:31.260
And about once or twice a week,
00:20:31.260 --> 00:20:32.250
I've gotta take some medicine
00:20:32.250 --> 00:20:34.050
and just chill out 'cause
00:20:34.050 --> 00:20:35.040
my back just hurts, you know?
00:20:35.040 --> 00:20:36.140
And I try to work out regularly,
00:20:36.140 --> 00:20:37.140
but I regularly have to cancel
00:20:37.140 --> 00:20:38.100
workouts because my back hurts
00:20:38.100 --> 00:20:39.200
so bad.
00:20:39.200 --> 00:20:41.050
And so, you know what?
00:20:41.050 --> 00:20:42.020
I prayed, "Lord, would you just
00:20:42.020 --> 00:20:42.270
remove this?"
00:20:42.270 --> 00:20:43.130
And for whatever reason,
00:20:43.130 --> 00:20:44.250
God must believe I'm a better
00:20:44.250 --> 00:20:46.210
Bil with a hurt back than
00:20:46.210 --> 00:20:48.250
without it.
00:20:48.250 --> 00:20:50.160
It's okay.
00:20:50.160 --> 00:20:51.020
You know, Jacob wrestled with
00:20:51.020 --> 00:20:52.100
God and an angel of the Lord--an
00:20:52.100 --> 00:20:54.090
angel touched his hip socket
00:20:54.090 --> 00:20:56.240
and knocks it out of joint.
00:20:56.240 --> 00:20:57.210
And apparently,
00:20:57.210 --> 00:20:59.050
Jacob was better.
00:20:59.050 --> 00:21:00.050
He changed his name to Israel
00:21:00.050 --> 00:21:01.050
but apparently he led better
00:21:01.050 --> 00:21:02.270
with a limp than he did
00:21:02.270 --> 00:21:04.120
with full health.
00:21:04.120 --> 00:21:06.130
So, I wonder if there's some
00:21:06.130 --> 00:21:07.050
things we're asking God to
00:21:07.050 --> 00:21:08.120
remove from our life
00:21:08.120 --> 00:21:09.090
that God's saying,
00:21:09.090 --> 00:21:10.000
"If I remove that thing from
00:21:10.000 --> 00:21:11.090
your life, you wouldn't be
00:21:11.090 --> 00:21:12.040
praying to me."
00:21:12.040 --> 00:21:14.170
The very thing we're asking God
00:21:14.170 --> 00:21:15.120
to remove is the very thing
00:21:15.120 --> 00:21:16.120
making us more like his Son.
00:21:16.120 --> 00:21:19.100
Could it be that God says,
00:21:19.100 --> 00:21:20.280
"If you had everything you ever
00:21:20.280 --> 00:21:21.260
wanted and got every prayer
00:21:21.260 --> 00:21:23.170
request you ever needed,
00:21:23.170 --> 00:21:24.260
then you would never depend
00:21:24.260 --> 00:21:25.270
upon the Lord"?
00:21:25.270 --> 00:21:28.100
So, the strength about your
00:21:28.100 --> 00:21:30.000
weakness is that it causes you
00:21:30.000 --> 00:21:32.030
to depend upon God.
00:21:32.030 --> 00:21:34.190
The strength about dealing with
00:21:34.190 --> 00:21:36.030
an overactive temper, or lust,
00:21:36.030 --> 00:21:39.020
or anger, or maybe you're
00:21:39.020 --> 00:21:40.130
tempted by some kind of alcohol
00:21:40.130 --> 00:21:42.070
or drug on a regular basis
00:21:42.070 --> 00:21:43.070
and it makes you pray
00:21:43.070 --> 00:21:44.060
and stay away from certain
00:21:44.060 --> 00:21:44.280
places and certain people.
00:21:44.280 --> 00:21:46.020
Maybe that's actually
00:21:46.020 --> 00:21:46.250
the strength of your life rather
00:21:46.250 --> 00:21:48.200
than the very weakness
00:21:48.200 --> 00:21:49.230
of your life.
00:21:49.230 --> 00:21:51.110
I mean, the Apostle Paul's
00:21:51.110 --> 00:21:51.270
the one who said,
00:21:51.270 --> 00:21:52.210
"Where I am weak, he is strong."
00:21:52.210 --> 00:21:55.090
So, maybe that actually
00:21:55.090 --> 00:21:55.240
strengthens you to
00:21:55.240 --> 00:21:57.030
become a better you.
00:21:57.030 --> 00:21:58.040
Romans 8:28 says this, "And we
00:21:58.040 --> 00:21:59.150
know that in all things--"
00:21:59.150 --> 00:22:01.130
Doesn't say all good things.
00:22:01.130 --> 00:22:02.120
It says, "all things."
00:22:02.120 --> 00:22:04.040
God works for the good of those
00:22:04.040 --> 00:22:05.280
who love him, who have been
00:22:05.280 --> 00:22:06.280
called according to his purpose.
00:22:06.280 --> 00:22:08.080
For those God foreknew he also
00:22:08.080 --> 00:22:10.030
predestined to be conformed
00:22:10.030 --> 00:22:11.150
to the image of his Son."
00:22:11.150 --> 00:22:13.000
So, isn't it interesting that
00:22:13.000 --> 00:22:13.280
in the same sentence God says,
00:22:13.280 --> 00:22:16.260
"I work through all things,
00:22:16.260 --> 00:22:17.230
even bad things."
00:22:17.230 --> 00:22:19.020
Then he says,
00:22:19.020 --> 00:22:19.190
"And what does it ultimately do?
00:22:19.190 --> 00:22:21.020
It helps conform you to be
00:22:21.020 --> 00:22:21.270
like my Son."
00:22:21.270 --> 00:22:23.090
So, you and I are more like
00:22:23.090 --> 00:22:24.210
Jesus because of difficulties
00:22:24.290 --> 00:22:27.290
than we are because
00:22:27.290 --> 00:22:28.140
of good times.
00:22:28.140 --> 00:22:29.120
Is that not true?
00:22:29.120 --> 00:22:30.170
Isn't it the hard times that
00:22:30.170 --> 00:22:31.250
shape your character, right?
00:22:31.250 --> 00:22:33.050
This is why every parent has
00:22:33.050 --> 00:22:34.070
that lecture for the--for your
00:22:34.070 --> 00:22:35.040
kids, you know?
00:22:35.040 --> 00:22:35.280
You're like, "When I was your
00:22:35.280 --> 00:22:36.270
age, I had to walk uphill both
00:22:36.270 --> 00:22:38.040
ways to school in snow
00:22:38.040 --> 00:22:39.100
on broken glass barefooted."
00:22:39.100 --> 00:22:40.240
You know, that was like some
00:22:40.240 --> 00:22:41.120
horrible story about--you know,
00:22:41.120 --> 00:22:42.220
right?
00:22:42.220 --> 00:22:43.280
And our kids are like rollin'
00:22:43.280 --> 00:22:44.260
their eyes like,
00:22:44.260 --> 00:22:45.190
"Give me a break."
00:22:45.190 --> 00:22:46.050
You know, but trust me, kids,
00:22:46.050 --> 00:22:47.080
you're gonna grow up one day
00:22:47.080 --> 00:22:48.010
and you'll be telling some story
00:22:48.010 --> 00:22:48.200
to your kids.
00:22:48.200 --> 00:22:49.090
You're like, "I remember back in
00:22:49.090 --> 00:22:50.090
the day, we had to actually type
00:22:50.090 --> 00:22:51.130
on our phone ourselves.
00:22:51.130 --> 00:22:52.090
It was horrible."
00:22:53.260 --> 00:22:56.260
Rather than,, you know,
00:22:56.260 --> 00:22:57.190
have your phone do everything
00:22:57.190 --> 00:22:58.080
for you, you know?
00:22:58.080 --> 00:22:59.080
The point is is that, you know,
00:22:59.080 --> 00:23:00.080
we all have that, "You know, oh,
00:23:00.080 --> 00:23:01.230
you know--"
00:23:01.230 --> 00:23:02.200
And what we're saying
00:23:02.200 --> 00:23:03.100
is we're saying that,
00:23:03.100 --> 00:23:04.050
"The fact that I didn't have
00:23:04.050 --> 00:23:05.100
everything I wanted built
00:23:05.100 --> 00:23:07.100
my character.
00:23:07.100 --> 00:23:09.200
The fact that we don't have
00:23:09.200 --> 00:23:10.070
everything that we want makes
00:23:10.070 --> 00:23:13.040
us better people,
00:23:13.040 --> 00:23:14.190
makes us compassionate,
00:23:14.190 --> 00:23:16.050
makes us very caring."
00:23:16.050 --> 00:23:17.280
It really does.
00:23:17.280 --> 00:23:19.220
I can't even calculate
00:23:19.220 --> 00:23:21.190
the amount of times I've been
00:23:21.190 --> 00:23:22.070
on my back in pain that I just
00:23:22.070 --> 00:23:23.190
looked up to the heavens
00:23:23.190 --> 00:23:24.210
and said,
00:23:24.210 --> 00:23:25.070
"Lord, here I am again.
00:23:25.070 --> 00:23:27.160
What do you have for me today?"
00:23:27.160 --> 00:23:30.150
'Cause my back pain has slowed
00:23:30.150 --> 00:23:31.080
me down, which has slowed me
00:23:31.080 --> 00:23:33.160
down just enough to speed me up
00:23:33.210 --> 00:23:36.210
'cause it causes me to seek
00:23:36.210 --> 00:23:37.110
the Lord.
00:23:37.110 --> 00:23:38.170
So, I guess maybe I'm just gonna
00:23:38.170 --> 00:23:40.120
stop and take a moment to
00:23:40.120 --> 00:23:41.140
publicly say, "Thank you, God,
00:23:41.140 --> 00:23:42.250
for my back pain 'cause
00:23:42.250 --> 00:23:45.010
it's probably made me
00:23:45.010 --> 00:23:45.250
a better pastor.
00:23:45.250 --> 00:23:46.210
I know it's made me a better
00:23:46.210 --> 00:23:47.080
husband and father."
00:23:47.080 --> 00:23:49.190
And so, the truth is that
00:23:49.190 --> 00:23:50.110
sometimes our difficulties are a
00:23:50.110 --> 00:23:51.090
good thing, as painful as it is.
00:23:52.100 --> 00:23:55.100
John 15, this is what it causes
00:23:55.100 --> 00:23:56.260
us to do.
00:23:56.260 --> 00:23:58.020
"If you remain in Me
00:23:58.020 --> 00:23:58.240
and my words remain in you,
00:23:58.240 --> 00:24:00.160
ask whatever you wish
00:24:00.160 --> 00:24:01.220
and it will be done for you.
00:24:01.220 --> 00:24:02.270
This is my to my Father's glory
00:24:02.270 --> 00:24:04.080
that you bear much fruit."
00:24:04.080 --> 00:24:05.060
Bear much fruit means get
00:24:05.060 --> 00:24:06.120
results but not just results
00:24:06.120 --> 00:24:08.160
but spiritual results.
00:24:08.160 --> 00:24:10.270
So, you may be top sales,
00:24:10.270 --> 00:24:11.270
but when's the last time you
00:24:11.270 --> 00:24:12.230
ministered to someone you
00:24:12.230 --> 00:24:14.000
were selling something to?
00:24:14.000 --> 00:24:15.270
So, he wants you not just
00:24:15.270 --> 00:24:16.150
to have results.
00:24:16.150 --> 00:24:17.020
He wants you to have
00:24:17.020 --> 00:24:17.180
spiritual results.
00:24:17.180 --> 00:24:18.070
"Showing yourselves to be
00:24:18.070 --> 00:24:19.020
my disciples."
00:24:19.020 --> 00:24:20.190
Number four, let your unanswered
00:24:20.190 --> 00:24:21.280
prayer teach you to remain
00:24:21.280 --> 00:24:23.120
in him.
00:24:23.120 --> 00:24:25.080
Your unanswered prayer should
00:24:25.080 --> 00:24:26.040
teach you and me to remain
00:24:26.040 --> 00:24:28.210
in the Lord.
00:24:28.210 --> 00:24:29.060
Say, "Lord, I haven't had this
00:24:29.060 --> 00:24:30.060
answered yet, but God,
00:24:30.060 --> 00:24:30.270
I'm just gonna continue to seek
00:24:30.270 --> 00:24:31.210
you and walk with you,
00:24:31.210 --> 00:24:33.100
and pray with you,
00:24:33.100 --> 00:24:34.020
and just--Lord, you know what
00:24:34.020 --> 00:24:35.070
we need."
00:24:35.070 --> 00:24:36.080
You know, I have a big need
00:24:36.080 --> 00:24:36.280
in my life right now.
00:24:36.280 --> 00:24:38.120
I've been praying like crazy,
00:24:38.120 --> 00:24:39.090
"Lord, would you just show me
00:24:39.090 --> 00:24:40.020
what to do about this is this
00:24:40.020 --> 00:24:41.020
and I just ask you to provide
00:24:41.020 --> 00:24:42.030
for this."
00:24:42.030 --> 00:24:43.040
And if I didn't have that big
00:24:43.040 --> 00:24:44.000
need, I wouldn't be praying
00:24:44.000 --> 00:24:45.140
like I'm praying.
00:24:45.140 --> 00:24:47.080
So, the needs in our lives cause
00:24:47.080 --> 00:24:48.280
us to depend upon the Lord more,
00:24:48.280 --> 00:24:51.130
that's the strength of those
00:24:51.130 --> 00:24:53.110
needs that we all have
00:24:53.110 --> 00:24:55.210
in our lives.
00:24:55.210 --> 00:24:57.160
Maybe God right now is just
00:24:57.160 --> 00:24:58.270
speaking to you saying,
00:24:58.270 --> 00:24:59.220
"You know what?"
00:24:59.220 --> 00:25:01.150
Maybe he's saying,
00:25:01.150 --> 00:25:02.040
"I haven't given you a 'yes'
00:25:02.040 --> 00:25:03.180
yet in that area because there's
00:25:03.180 --> 00:25:05.180
an area you haven't given me
00:25:05.180 --> 00:25:07.110
a 'yes' yet."
00:25:07.110 --> 00:25:09.260
Maybe God's saying,
00:25:09.260 --> 00:25:10.240
"That area of your life you keep
00:25:10.240 --> 00:25:12.000
holding back.
00:25:12.000 --> 00:25:12.270
You're upset that I've said 'no'
00:25:12.270 --> 00:25:15.010
in some areas of your life
00:25:15.010 --> 00:25:15.240
or it's gone unanswered.
00:25:15.240 --> 00:25:17.270
You haven't gotten the answer
00:25:17.270 --> 00:25:18.230
you want."
00:25:18.230 --> 00:25:20.000
But the Lord may be saying,
00:25:20.000 --> 00:25:20.180
"But I keep making a request
00:25:20.180 --> 00:25:21.240
of you to give me this area
00:25:21.240 --> 00:25:24.050
of your life or that area
00:25:24.050 --> 00:25:24.270
of your life,
00:25:24.270 --> 00:25:26.070
to take a hard look at the sin
00:25:26.070 --> 00:25:27.220
and to make a change.
00:25:27.220 --> 00:25:29.230
And you keep saying 'no' to me,
00:25:29.230 --> 00:25:30.210
then you get offended
00:25:30.210 --> 00:25:31.130
if I say 'no' to you?"
00:25:31.170 --> 00:25:34.170
Maybe God's saying,
00:25:34.170 --> 00:25:35.110
"You're focused on my 'no,'"
00:25:35.110 --> 00:25:37.060
and the Lord's saying,
00:25:37.060 --> 00:25:37.290
"I'm focused on your 'no.'"
00:25:37.290 --> 00:25:40.200
What area of your life is God
00:25:40.200 --> 00:25:41.260
saying, "Time to work on you,
00:25:41.270 --> 00:25:44.270
[music]
00:25:50.040 --> 00:25:53.040
- Bil: Hey, thanks so much
00:25:53.040 --> 00:25:53.210
for watching the program today.
00:25:53.210 --> 00:25:55.110
I've got a question for you.
00:25:55.110 --> 00:25:56.260
Have you asked Jesus Christ
00:25:56.260 --> 00:25:58.010
to be your Lord and Savior?
00:25:58.010 --> 00:26:00.040
Have you prayed a simple prayer
00:26:00.040 --> 00:26:01.210
that guarantees that you
00:26:01.210 --> 00:26:03.090
will go to heaven
00:26:03.090 --> 00:26:04.070
because you know Jesus?
00:26:04.070 --> 00:26:06.060
Would you pray this prayer
00:26:06.060 --> 00:26:06.250
with me right now?
00:26:06.250 --> 00:26:08.010
You can just say this out loud.
00:26:08.010 --> 00:26:09.010
You can say, "Dear Jesus,
00:26:09.010 --> 00:26:10.190
I realize I need you.
00:26:10.190 --> 00:26:12.160
I believe you died on the cross
00:26:12.160 --> 00:26:13.220
for me to pay the price
00:26:13.220 --> 00:26:15.030
for my sins and I believe you
00:26:15.030 --> 00:26:16.240
rose again.
00:26:16.240 --> 00:26:17.270
Please come into my heart,
00:26:17.270 --> 00:26:19.100
be my Lord and be my Savior.
00:26:19.100 --> 00:26:21.240
Thank you, Jesus, for saving me.
00:26:21.240 --> 00:26:24.080
- announcer: All of us have
00:26:27.160 --> 00:26:28.030
someone in our lives who
00:26:28.030 --> 00:26:29.090
drives us crazy.
00:26:29.090 --> 00:26:30.270
In his new DVD message,
00:26:30.270 --> 00:26:32.270
Pastor Bil teaches us how
00:26:32.270 --> 00:26:34.030
to deal with the difficult
00:26:34.030 --> 00:26:35.020
people in our lives.
00:26:35.020 --> 00:26:37.210
- Bil Cornelius: These are
00:26:37.210 --> 00:26:38.080
the kind of people that everyone
00:26:38.080 --> 00:26:38.270
else avoids in your office,
00:26:38.270 --> 00:26:40.180
everyone else avoids at church,
00:26:40.180 --> 00:26:41.240
everyone else avoids in your
00:26:41.240 --> 00:26:42.150
small group, everyone else
00:26:42.150 --> 00:26:43.250
avoids them at your family
00:26:43.250 --> 00:26:45.170
reunion but instead of avoiding
00:26:45.170 --> 00:26:46.240
them, we need to be like Jesus
00:26:46.240 --> 00:26:48.030
- announcer: As a thank you for
00:26:50.040 --> 00:26:50.230
your gift of any amount
00:26:50.230 --> 00:26:52.060
to Bil Cornelius Ministries,
00:26:52.060 --> 00:26:54.020
we would like to send you a copy
00:26:54.020 --> 00:26:55.140
of "You Drive Me Crazy:
00:26:55.140 --> 00:26:57.070
Dealing With Difficult People."
00:26:57.090 --> 00:27:00.110
For a gift of $40 or more,
00:27:00.110 --> 00:27:02.120
you can receive the complete
00:27:02.120 --> 00:27:03.110
series of "You Drive Me Crazy,"
00:27:03.110 --> 00:27:05.140
which includes
00:27:05.140 --> 00:27:06.040
To request your copy of
00:27:10.130 --> 00:27:11.060
"Dealing With Difficult People"
00:27:11.060 --> 00:27:13.060
or to request the entire
00:27:13.060 --> 00:27:14.120
"You Drive Me Crazy"
00:27:14.120 --> 00:27:15.110
series, call 855-357-4422
00:27:17.020 --> 00:27:20.020

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When God Says No: Dealing With Unanswered Prayers

When God Says No: Dealing With Unanswered Prayers

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When God Says No: Dealing With Unanswered Prayers

When God Says No: Dealing With Unanswered Prayers

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