God's Work of Preparation

Lord we're grateful for your many blessings and we thank you Lord that you're willing to come and meet with us wherever we are and that you said you would not leave us alone that you would not leave us as orphans you would come to us and we're grateful for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in our life and the revelation of Jesus Christ and wherever we go we can be in your presence open the scriptures to us and help us to receive that which we need to sustain us for this morning in Jesus name you know the children of Israel were in bondage for 400 plus years in the wilderness and they cried out to the Lord I don't know how long they were crying but they were crying a long time the Lord raised up a deliverer in Moses but before Moses was ready to walk in the purpose and call of God he had to be made into a man of God that could lead from a heart of humility and weakness from a young age Moses began to realize that he was special God had saved his life that the Lord had a purpose and a call of God that he would be God's deliverer raised in Pharaoh's household trained in all the education and the knowledge and wisdom mighty warrior had all the best fitness training and all these things he could see how God would use this in his life to prepare him to be a mighty leader but in the process of time he saw his brethren suffering while he was prospering and it says that he chose to walk away from the passing pleasures of Egypt and all of that blessing and all that preparation education and training as a man of war a warrior mighty warrior as a prince in Egypt to associate with his brothers in their suffering to fellowship with them in their sufferings to be identified as a Hebrew and he took it in his hands when he saw an Egyptian beating up one of his brothers to straighten things out he got involved and at the time it seemed good to him but the Lord was allowing it for a purpose to get him out of there and send him to the wilderness for training wilderness training doesn't seem like training it seems like a lonely place but this is the place where God works on our character Abraham left the place where he was comfortable in his father's house to go to a place he didn't know and as he was sojourning he came into the famine he came into difficult times and he himself ended up going to Egypt for help when things got so bad he didn't hear the voice of God he didn't ask maybe and the Lord had to bring him out of that place even it's prophesied of Jesus that Jesus went to Egypt with his parents when he was a small baby and to fulfill a prophecy that says out of Egypt that called my son it seems as though we find ourselves in a place of worldliness a place where we want to do something for God but we're gonna do it on our own strength and what we can all do for God I remember being a young man in the Lord I was gonna be great things for God I could build houses I could build townhouses I could build high-rise apartment sites and I thought what now if Jesus helps me what can I all accomplish but God doesn't share his glory with man sometimes we think that we're gonna do something great for God but God wants to do something great for us and it's in taking us through difficult things that's where he shapes our character in making a man of God he did the same with David Saul he elevated and gave the people a king after their own heart when he started he was humble but when you give a man authority and power it gets to his head it can get to our head our head can get swollen soon as God starts using us and we realize God's called us soon as the anointing oil hits our head and we realize we're the guy and then Saul started taking decisions apart from the will of God he didn't wait for the man of God to come the Prophet Samuel to tell him what to do next to offer the sacrifice he became hasty and impatient this is what the wilderness journey is all about to work patience in us that we wait before we speak that we wait before we act that we wait before we run the scripture says they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up with wings as eagles they shall run and not grow weary they shall walk and not faint had Moses when he took matters in his own hands he killed the Egyptian to rescue his brother the next day he buried the Egyptian and two brothers were fighting and he tried to solve that also and they said are you gonna kill us like you killed the Egyptian yesterday and fear came in because he knew that the Pharaoh would would find out now word would spread and he ran for his life to seek to save his life the one who was ready to be God's deliverer ran away from the problem he was a runner but that's not the way he stayed going through the dealings I like the way brother Warnock used to say he called it the cocoon of his dealings in changing us from a carnal man to a spiritual man from an impatient man to a patient man from an angry man to a gentleman from a selfish man to a sacrificial man the Holy Spirit is in the business of working character in us whether Old Testament or New Testament he was preparing Moses to be faithful in all his house even as Jesus Christ when he came became faithful in all his house you know what salvation can come in an instant in a moment you can get a new nature and a new heart in an instant in a moment but building character takes time and God is in the business of working on our character so that we can become useful to him when Jesus was on the earth he knew from 12 years old that he was there for purpose he knew from 12 years old that Joseph wasn't his father that God was his father and when his parents went back after the feast to where they were there and they realized Jesus was not among them maybe they had sojourned for a couple of days or any they realized Jesus wasn't in the company as they were heading back to their hometown and they had to go back and search for him and they found him in the temple and they were distraught son why have you done this to us he said I had to be about my father's business he understood welcome he understood that he had a purpose and a call of God in his life but he didn't say I'm sorry mom and dad I'm staying he subjected himself to his parents and he went with them and he continued to grow in wisdom knowledge and stature in the ways of the Spirit some 18 more years he subjected himself until he began his ministry we don't know where he was but he did not rush ahead another 18 years from he realized the call at 12 years old till 30 years old when the Holy Spirit spoke to him the father spoke to him he knew the voice he said now's the time many of us God does something in our life we realize we're called we have a gift and what do we do we want to have the preeminence we want to have the first rank we want to do something great for God and all the while God wants to do something great for us the making of a man or a woman of God we'll share something from 2nd Samuel chapter 7 David was a man after God's own heart after Saul had rushed ahead and became proud he was originally humble he had all the qualities he was head and shoulders above the rest he had the stature he had the humility had everything going for him but he didn't have the character there was no time they begged for a king and so they got one in haste it wasn't God's plan but they begged for one and they got a and it got them into trouble and because he had been elevated so quickly he went from being humble to becoming proud and we see near the end he's building a monument unto himself and he's wanting the people's approval and he's wanting the people to to praise him to give him adoration and honor and these things caused him to have misguided discernment and his obedience wasn't wholehearted so Samuel had said you need to wipe out this I think it was the Amalekites I'm not sure exactly and you got to destroy all the animals everything the king annihilate them because of things that they have done was a group of people there who won't read it for the sake of time and he kept the best animals to make a sacrifice to the Lord he paraded that King around like a trophy to show that he was someone great and that what he had accomplished when the victory was the Lord's and when challenged when Samuel said what is this bleeding of sheep and lowering of oxen that I hear he's he just still holding to his deception that he has obeyed he did everything but he hadn't fully obeyed and when you you don't fully obey the convictions you obey most things you just don't obey some of the Word of God then it counts to God as a zero you think you might get a 90% if you're in university you got a 90% you'd be among the top of the class you would think yourself man I've really done a great thing here but to God if it's not 100% obedience it's a zero and then he says finally admits okay I sinned but this is not repentance okay I said but what does the but say come with me we're gonna make a sacrifice honor me now in front of the people stand behind me let the people know that God is still with me and this is in our flesh we we compromise and we're so concerned about our name and our reputation what people think about us rather than God's name his reputation and what what he stands for and who he is and his name gets blasphemed among the heathen because of us because of the way we conduct ourselves and believe me people watch there are people watching you call yourself a Christian they're watching and you might do 90% right but as soon as you compromise they say yeah you're the same as us building a monument unto himself and Saul says no Samuel said no I'm leaving God is sorry that he made you king and he grabs his robe and he tears Samuels robe and he says the Lord's torn the kingdom from you and given it to someone who's better and from that day Samuel didn't see him anymore and he went and he listened to the voice of God and he said I want you to go to the house of Jesse I'm gonna anoint a new king Samuel still there's all still stayed in the office for many many years without the presence of God and it says in that passage in 1st Samuel chapter 15 it says right after that that the spirit of the Lord which he had an anointing to be king departed from Saul and a distressing spirit a tormenting spirit from the Lord came on him and Samuel said to him to obey is better than sacrifice he was talking about this nice sacrifice he was going to make for the Lord the Lord desires obedience it's better than sacrifice and to heed to listen to to what God says in his word rather than the fat of rams for rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft and stubbornness like iniquity and idolatry it's like idol worship it's a worship of step self I'm gonna do it my way that's idolatry self-worship I don't care what you say I'm gonna I believe differently that's rebellion you're working with Satan he calls it witchcraft oh I got a 90% I did I guess I killed all the people I I killed all the animals I just kept the best for the Lord no no you deceived yourself you did it for yourself you wanted honor well the piece I did it because I feared the people you are more concerned of what the people think than what God thinks Samuel goes to Jesse's house he says I'm gonna show you who to anoint and Jesse brings out his sons and parades them in front of Sam and he sees the eldest Eliab oh he looks a lot like Saul he's got the build he's got the look Samuel at first glance said surely the Lord's anointed right before me he was getting excited and God spoke to him and he says I've rejected him what you rejected him why why would you reject him he fits the role he's got the build look at his character he's strong it he's the head of the family look at him you just look how he carries himself no I've rejected him because the Lord doesn't look at the outward appearance he don't see how you see Samuel he sees the heart oh okay so here they come and Jesse parades all his sons in front of him one by one they come and the Lord rejects them all Sam is there like I know I heard from the Lord can you imagine do you have any more sons well yeah there is one more the youngest small and ruddy and good-looking heart of a lion where is he wasn't even worthy to be called to the to the to the party to the gathering to the to the event the big event in all of Israel this is the big event that Israel doesn't even know about we'll get him because I can't go forward backward I can't go sideways until this matter is settled God sent me here okay we'll get him how long you think that took we don't know we don't know how far he was he didn't have a quad to go pick him up and bring him here he comes he's out tending the sheep looking after the lambs taking care of the flock he had the heart after God that's what Jesus tells Peter after he goes fishing and catches nothing and then he gives him a catch of 153 large fish but the nets aren't tearing and he says to him Simon Peter do you love me more than these do you love the Lord more than the blessings of God in your life maybe you have like us nine beautiful healthy children do you love the Lord more than these maybe you have a fancy house and a nice car good job do you love the Lord more than those maybe you're commercial fishermen you're very successful you're not ready to give up your career to follow the Lord wholehearted when he's called you do you love him more than that Peter had just finished denying the Lord denied the Lord three times the rooster crowed he wept bitterly after he said not only am I willing to go to prison with you but I'm also willing to die for you you might think you have it in your DNA to to stand with Christ until everything that can be shaken starts shaking and you run like a little girl to hide behind a corner because God is the one who gives us the ability to stand let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall he's able to give us grace that no temptation should overtake us except those things that are common to man like we need to breathe we need to drink fluids eventually we need to eat and God is faithful he will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we are able and with every temptation he'll give compensating grace to overcome he'll give compensating power for the position or for the situation Peter do you love me more than these use the word agape Lord you know I have affection for you when we look at our version it says love me love me but in the Greek he uses a different word agape love sacrificial love love where you lay your life down for someone kind of love do you love me like that Peter more than these all this blessing I gave you all these fish this big catch it's gonna take care of you for a while Lord you know I have affection for you phileo that's the word he used not agape he said feed my sheep he had poured into Peter and the other 11 one of them was a devil and hung himself because he betrayed the Lord the others denied him he poured into them for three something years walked with them was with them every day preparing them for the purpose in the call of God when they would receive the Holy Spirit and they would become new men in Christ he asked him a second time Peter do you love me more than these do you agape agape love sacrificial love me Peter said it again Lord you know I have affection for you he said take care of my lambs I'm concerned about my sheep and my lambs you're concerned about making money I'm concerned about my inheritance for whom I died yes of a third time Peter is very sad when he asked him a third time he said Peter do you phileo love me the same word that Peter was using do you have strong affection for me said Lord you know I have strong affection for you and he said you take care of the flock you tend the flock see this was the heart of David he had been taking care of the sheep he had been laying his life down for the lambs he had risked his life for the flock this is why God called him here comes David now the Lord confirms to Samuel he's the one he gets out his horn of oil and he pours the oil over his head kind of like he poured the oil on Aaron over his head to perhaps his beard he was maybe young we didn't have a beard but down to the cloak and to the ground the anointing never touches flesh when we're young in the Lord we have lots of zeal in the flesh and the spirit they get mixed you've seen it with young brothers they're very zealous and then maybe they have a word from the Lord and then you know that they just add to it and pride creeps in there this is not right the anointing never touches the flesh if the Lord gives you a word if it's one sentence you say that don't say more if people come and say what's the word of the Lord if the Lord doesn't give you a word you full stop don't say anything we're not trying to bring fire down there were priests who were trying to bring fire down with the sons of Korah and the fan in rebellion and 250 priests of Levi held profane fire before the Lord and lightning came out and lit them all up and killed them all and he said this Aaron you don't weep for your sons and you don't weep for them because he said by them who come near me I must be regarded as holy we cannot light our own fires and try to make something happen before the Lord we need the genuine only judgment will come so David he's anointed king but he doesn't become king overnight because God wants to work on his character he sees the heart but he wants to work on his character so out to the field he goes after it's all said and done he goes back to going ten sheep natural animals his brothers go to war Saul calls them all there's a battle happening the Philistines have have drawn up in battle array they need bodies they the brothers go David's the youngest he's looking out for sheep dad says listen bring some provisions for your brothers look out for them brings cheese and some provisions and and they hear the champion of the Philistines shouting across the valley David says who is this uncircumcised Philistine speaking about my god like this he got stirred right up and his brothers especially Eli of the oldest he's jealous he's angry bitter with his brother he said who did you leave those few sheep with you know it's not in the number it's in being faithful with what God has entrusted if your faith with little and trust you with more it's not the number when you go to church don't start counting the numbers how many attend Sunday school how many are sitting in the choir how many are sitting in the pews that's the first question people ask oh you guys have a home fellowship how many matters not how many brothers acts says it's the quality it's not the quantity maybe they come out of some some cheap factory out of China and it's going to break as soon as you start using it it's not the core that the quantity but the quality of the members Jesus poured into 12 not 1200 if Jesus poured into 12 and in my lifetime I pour into 15 then the prophecy is fulfilled greater works than these shall you do in my name we want to do great things for God and it came into David's heart that he wanted to do great things for God his brothers mocked him and he said I'll go after that that giant and I'll take his head Hugh the king heard of it called him Saul called him he was too scared to go against the champion the guy was a coward David had a heart of a lion he said well what's your story he said you know what I want to tell you something God is with me and there was a time when a lion came out of the woods and grabbed one of my sheep and I went after it and I grabbed it by the beard and I killed it with my own hands and another time a bear came and grabbed one of the lambs and I took off after it and I killed it as well and he said the same way God was with me to kill the lion and the bear he'll be with me to kill the Goliath David had faith in his God and he had seen God back him up he put him on all this armor and he could hardly walk it was so heavy he said I haven't tested these I can't go with this so he went to the brook and he took five smooth stones put him in a shepherd's bag with a sling and there he goes to confront the giant and the giant laughs Goliath laughs at him he says you send a little kid to come and fight with me he's I'm gonna rip that guy apart you know what David said my God whom you mock is gonna put your head in my hand today and the giant just ran at him charged at him what David did he ran at him too and he took one of the stones of those five smooth stones out of his shepherd's bag into his sling and it's kind of a spiritual thing because these stones he refers to us in the New Covenant as living stones lively stones rejected indeed by men but chosen by God and precious stones have to be built together when God builds his house stone upon stone he lays a foundation with just Christ and he says you are being built up into a spiritual house knit together fit together when you get into the river of God the Holy Spirit is working among brothers so you know what dealing with our pride and our egos and our selfishness and all this stuff so we become smooth all the rough places like John Baptist said will be made smooth it says also gifts you can kind of take it a little further and it says he's given some to be apostles some prophets some evangelists some pastors some teachers five in the making of a man of God he equips us for ministry and he took a stone out of his bag and you say well which one did he choose and the answer is it matters not because they're all ready to fulfill the purpose and call of God he put that one stone in there he had been trained he didn't just get lucky he had been using that sling for many many years he'd been training with his slingshot he'd been target shooting doing practice he was ready for the task but God had to give the victory and that stone sunk into his forehead and he dropped him and he ran after him grabbed Goliath's own spear and took him his word then people started singing songs about him his father-in-law threw a javelin at him he married his daughter and then Jonathan said you got to get out of here he had made a covenant with Saul's son and he had to run away and hide in the mountains for many many years and Saul couldn't find him he searched for him for many years Saul couldn't find him but you know who found him 400 men who couldn't get along in society they were in debt they couldn't manage money they were social misfits they had no place in Israel Saul couldn't find him with 3,000 men but these worthless rogues found him in the cave or wherever he was and he took them in just like he took care of the sheep he took care of those worthless men and he turned them into mighty men of valor these 400 men became David's mighty men he discipled them he trained them he taught them this is the way God worked different than Saul how he prepared Samuel now we said we're gonna read from 2nd Samuel chapter 7 verse 1 now it came to pass when King David eventually becomes king over Israel he is dwelling in his house and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies all around him and he wants to give you rest from all the enemies all around you and not specifically people you want to give you rest from anxiety and worry discouragement lust anger bitterness unforgiveness he wants to bring rest to our souls Jesus said come to me all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest but there's a prerequisite take my yoke upon you and learn of me you have to yoke yourself to do things his way if you want to be useful to him and learn of me just as David taught his men and they became mighty men we have to be taught by the Lord through his word through teaching discipleship through mentoring and the king said to Nathan the Prophet see now I dwell in a nice house of cedar but the ark of God dwells inside tent curtains and David was feeling guilty I think he had built himself a nice place and here the ark of God is inside this tent that God had originally asked to be created that's where he wanted to dwell in in an ark in a tent you know that's a picture of Paul says in this tent we groan being burdened you are God's house and you are God's tent heaven is his throne and the earth is his footstool where's the house that someone is going to build for him and where is the place of his rest he wants to live in our hearts this is the home he wants we become his footstool you're not looking for a fancy house made by man he's looking for us to humble ourselves so that he can make us a house to make us like Christ like the verse from us my son's wedding from Ecclesiastes he will make everything beautiful in this time it takes time to make everything beautiful he's not in a rush we're in a rush he's always on time Nathan said to the king do whatever is in your heart you want to build not a house seems good to me verse four but it happened that night that the word of the Lord came to Nathan saying go and tell my servant David thus says the Lord would you build a house for me to dwell in for I have not dwelt in a house since the time I brought the children of Israel up from Egypt even to this day but I have moved about in a tent and in a tabernacle God's desire was to be with his people even as Jesus was with the twelve wherever I moved with all the children of Israel I have I ever spoken a word to anyone from the tribes of Israel whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel saying why have you not build me a house of cedar I've never wanted a house made by man said no longer will you worship me in temples made by man you are the temple of God you are God's house you are God's building if anyone defiles the temples as God will destroy him which temple you are he also says don't be unequally yoked with unbelievers what fellowship is righteousness with lawlessness what communion has Christ with Belial what agreement has the temple of God with idols you are the temple of God as God has said I will dwell in them I will walk among them I will be their God and you should be my people these are the promises but there's a condition come out from among the worldly people and be separate says the Lord don't touch unclean things and I'll receive you and you will be a father I'll be a father to you and you will be my sons and daughters says the Lord Almighty you want him to be a father to you then you're gonna have to separate from your old friends from your old life from the ungodly influences you're gonna have to clear out your old life so that he can fill you so that he can make you a house he said whenever I moved about verse 7 I never spoke to anyone about a house of cedar verse 8 now therefore thus says my thus says the Lord to my servant David I took you from the sheepfold from following the sheep and I made you a ruler over my people Israel you were a little small kid that no one had any use in but I saw you there and I saw your heart and I built your character and I changed your character to make you the kind of leader that cares for people a man after God's own heart to care for his own people I raised you up and I have been with you wherever you have gone and Jesus will be with us wherever we go to cut off all your enemies from before you and I have made you a great name like the name of the great men who are on the earth and moreover I will appoint a place for my people Israel and I will plant them that they may dwell in a place of their own and move no more nor shall the sons of wickedness oppress them anymore as previously since the time that I commanded judges over my people Israel and caused you to rest from all your enemies also the Lord tells you that he will make you David a house I don't want a house God said I want to make you a house well we always think naturally oh he's gonna he's gonna bless me with money she can bless me more things no he's gonna bless you with an inheritance and a heritage because David he wanted to have his children and his children's children follow the Lord he had his mistakes and he made his sins the Lord had mercy on him he gives him some more promises when your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers I will set up your seed after you who will come from your own body I will establish his kingdom he shall build a house for my name and I will establish his throne forever and ever and we can say he's talking about Solomon but I'm gonna tell you he's not he's talking about Jesus when blind Bartimaeus is standing on the corner son of David have mercy on me David's humbled he says you've spoken of your servant many things in the generation to come how you're gonna establish and make me a house he said oh you'll always have a man sitting on the throne from your seed it's not a waste of time to invest in God it's not useless to serve God as they said in Malachi we've cleansed our hands in vain we walked around as mourners it's not useless the Lord is not slack concerning his promises he will cause his seed to last and endure for a thousand generations to those who love me and keep my work but to those who rebel he will punish to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me because those who would hate the Lord they pretend obedience but their punishment is forever but then you'll remember after three or four generations that there was someone who loved the Lord and then they'll get back on track to a thousand generations to those who love him and obey his word you can't say you love the Lord without obeying his word you're a liar it says he who says I know him from 1st John chapter 2 in verse 5 and doesn't obey the Word of God is a liar and the truth's not in him but he obeys his word truly the love of God is perfected in him now the question is will you let God make you a house will you allow him to work on your character will you be obedient to the convictions in the call so that he can shape you into a man of God or a woman of God he didn't say oh well that was just for David or that was just for Moses Moses after 40 years he emerged ready when he said I have no strength left it's in our weakness that he is strong it's in our frailty and in our inability that he can show his power for his strength is perfected through our weakness and when we are weak and needy and humble and little in our own eyes he can be glorified for his name's sake not for your name not to make you a name to make him a name because his name's been blasphemed among the heathen because in times past and I used to do this you go and you're out here and you're out there and then you're a Christian and you're doing the thing same things the worldly people are doing and but you never deny the Lord but you're doing exactly the same things or worse than what the others are doing his name is blasphemed among the heathen because of us but now he's going to turn that around he's going to take our heart of stone our rebellion and our pride and he's going to give us a heart transplant he's going to give us a heart of flesh one that can feel when you start to feel conviction that you never felt before because your heart has been hardened through the deceitfulness of sin then you're going to start to be obedient he will cause you to walk in his precepts says then you'll loathe the things that you've done this is Ezekiel 36 you'll loathe the things that you've done because he's just going to take us in that state and he's just going to transform us for his namesake new heart new spirit humble yourself and prepare your field for rain let him break up the fallow ground that's in your heart you have to ask him you have to give him your will you have to surrender your will you see really that's all that we have to give you know we have a small box in the corner sometimes people have come to church to feel a little guilty they're not right with the Lord to put a little money in there God don't want your money he wants your heart if he has your heart he has your money he doesn't want a burnt offering or a sacrifice he doesn't delight in burnt offering and sacrifice all just write a little check make God happy how he wants obedience to obey is better than sacrifice surrender your will to him that's all you have to give and let him work and when he convicts you surrender it again and obey surrender it again and obey and trust him in the process this is faith faith is the evidence of things hoped for it's the substance of that which is not seen and he'll begin to turn the ship around you know these big cruise liners these big freighters they don't turn quick they don't turn easy it takes some time as much as it depends on you you start making some good choices in your life and your life will start to turn around for the Lord and all of a sudden he'll meet you there like the prodigal son he had a change of heart he had a turnaround he said you know what I'm gonna do he said look at me here I just at the end of myself you're wanting to eat what the pigs are eating here what's happened to me the servants in my father's house have it far better I know what I'll do I'm gonna humble myself I'm gonna say father I've sinned against heaven and against you I'm not worthy to be called a son make me like one of your servants I blew it I'm gonna go home and he started the journey to go home that's humbling himself this is what I'll do he hadn't done it yet but he was on the way to do it God was watching for his son how many days every single day he was watching for him he didn't chase after him he was waiting for his heart to turn and he was watching for him every single day because he loves his son while the son was a long way off he didn't make him come all the way back he met him part way the son humbles himself he fell on his father's neck and the father kissed him and he hugged him and he said father I've sinned against heaven and against you I don't know make me like one of your servants I'm not worthy to be called a son and you know what happens he takes out the family ring I'm sure he pawned it pawned it for for maybe a meal and he puts the family ring on his finger you're my son for this son of mine was dead and he's back the son of mine was lost he's been found he took the robe he didn't have old dirty robe that he soured up while he was Pete feeding hogs or whatever he was out with his party and with his buddies no he'd lost that left it somewhere he brought one with him put the family robe on him you know this robe is he says he's given us the garment of salvation and the robe of righteousness that boy lost his righteousness when he was horsing around in the world and he clothed him with the righteousness of Christ and you know what it takes time for your character to change but like the woman at the well your testimony can start today he'd give him a set of sandals for his feet feet shod with the preparation of the gospel ready to go and say you know what I did this but my father had mercy on me I want to tell you about my father he's the best testify when he does this for you testify don't be ashamed of him tell everyone what Jesus did for you I was lost but now I'm found come and meet a man who told me everything about my life could this be the Christ come and see if you're not right with the Lord this morning there's opportunity to get right between you and him you can humble yourself and he'll meet you when the heart is sincere in letting go and letting God that's the only prerequisite letting go of all not knowing where you're going but trusting him trust in the Lord with all your heart and don't lean on your own understanding because the devil is flooding your head with all kinds of things and reason and backup plans and in all your ways acknowledge him and he will direct your steps your path he's gonna turn it around he's gonna be a father to you and you are gonna be his sons and daughters says the Lord Almighty because God cannot lie it's impossible for him to lie let God be true and every man a liar and if you've been waiting for something some promise of God it hasn't happened yet keep waiting and if it's not from God don't get mad at him about it maybe someone had a word for you or prophecy and it wasn't from the Lord God cannot lie I believe the scripture it says teach a child in the way that he should go or she should go and when they are older and they come to their senses they'll return to the Lord because he promises if we've taught him right to follow the Lord then the Lord will draw them back to himself and make everything beautiful in this I believe him because he can't lie and he's good in Jesus name Amen now we have a testimony from a sister