Transcription
If it is your custom, which it is, for us to stand for the word of God, let's do so at this time. I want to summon your senses and invite your intellect to the book of Isaiah. The book of Isaiah, chapter number 40. Isaiah chapter 40 and uh I want to begin reading at verse number 27. Isaiah chapter number 40. Again at verse number 27, your Bible should read, "Why are you saying, "Oh Jacob, and speaking, O Israel, my way is hid from the Lord, and my judgment is passed over from my God." Have you not known? Have you not heard that the everlasting God, the Lord, the creator of the ends of the earth, does not faint, neither is weary? There is no searching of his understanding. He gives power to the faint, and to them that have no might, he increases strength. Even the youth shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall. But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings as eagles. They shall run and not be weary. And they shall walk and not faint."
I want to tag this text. It's worth the wait. Would you look at somebody or at least two people around you and tell them neighbor, it's worth the wait.
Recently, my wife and I were traveling back from John's Creek, Georgia, and uh we were unfamiliar with how to get back to Warner Robbins on our own. So, we input our home address into the GPS system in my vehicle. And um to our surprise, we were delayed on the journey because we encountered an accident, and the accident caused a traffic delay and brought us to a complete standstill for some time. So, um, my wife and I, very candidly, we both suffer from impatience. And uh, so my wife started to uh, look up alternative routes to try to get home, to get us moving. And to our surprise, the voice of the GPS came back and said, "Stay on this route because it is the fastest route still to get to your destination." That message resonated with us because we have never heard anybody say that waiting was the fastest route. I've been alive 47 years now and I've never heard anybody say that waiting is the fastest route. We began to process that message, Gary, because it was interesting that staying still and not moving is still the fastest route to your destination. We began to process that because what that global voice said to us was that if we were to consider other routes, Eddie Sanders, the other routes would get us moving, but they would take us so far out of the way, I can't get no help here. They would take us so far out of the way that we would actually be longer trying to move faster. I don't know who I'm preaching to in here, but but God's word to you already at the onset of this message is you can't hurry God. You just got to wait. You got to trust and give him time. No matter how long it takes, 'cause He's a God. You can't hurry. He'll be there. Don't you worry. He may not come when you want Him, but He's always on time. I don't know who I'm preaching to in here, but God's word to you is waiting is the fastest route. I I know you, I know you're impatient like me and my wife, and you're ready to be on ready, set, go. But God says, "Wait that thing out." I I know you're tired of waiting. Tired of standing still. Tired of being stagnant, stuck, and staying, but wait that thing out. Waiting is the fastest route. I know somebody in front of you has caused you to be delayed, but wait that thing out. Waiting is the fastest route. I I know there are people in front of you who don't want to move at your pace and pulse, but you wait that thing out. God knows what's best for your stalwardness, and He is working out your pace and progress. All you got to do is wait that thing out, and you'll discover that waiting is the fastest route.
Such is the discipline discovered in the discourse of Isaiah chapter number 40. This is arguably the most unique writing of the Nai scriptures, the prophetic scriptures, because the book of Isaiah, ladies and gentlemen, is a miniature resemblance of the entire Bible. The entire Bible has 66 books. Isaiah has 66 chapters. The entire Bible is a compilation of two covenants, old and new. The book of Isaiah is actually split into two thematic thrusts. The first 39 chapters cover judgment and indictment. The second 27 chapters cover redemption and comfort. The first 39 chapters look like the Old Testament. The remaining 27 chapters look like the New Testament. It is out of the mouth of one prophet that he speaks both condemnation and comfort. Just as God speaks Old Testament condemnation and New Testament comfort in this one book, ladies and gentlemen, this is a snapshot of the entire Bible. As a matter of fact, it is as though Willie Reigns that Isaiah somehow became the vocal version and the physical articulation of God's burden himself. That God is struggling with man's sin but got enough love in Him to still have comfort for the sinner. That I, that Isaiah has become this manifestation of God's burden. He articulates the very burden of God who is struggling with a disobedient people but yet in covenant with the people who are disobedient. Isaiah thus, ladies and gentlemen, is the the voice, the articulation of divine burden. His ministry lasted 50 years during the time that the Assyrian uh empire had taken over and sieged Israel and Judah for their plethora of sins. And here we see the the the book pivots. Uh it ver the first 39 chapters talk about judgment and indictment. But the opening verse of chapter 40 is the pivot of the entire ver chapter. And when we read verse one of chapter 40, here's how it reads: "Comfort ye my people. Tell Jerusalem that her sins have been pardoned." But while they have been forgiven, watch this. They're going to be in captivity for a while. And they're going to have to wait that thing out. Uh thus thus but but it feels as though to the people that this is a problem because if you tell me I've been forgiven, then my circumstances ought to change with my forgiveness. God has yet a plan sometimes to keep us in some things long enough for us to learn some lessons. Because ladies and gentlemen, here's what you all and I need to accept. You learn lessons in limitations that you've missed in liberties. Preaching here, Tolen. Lord, when your liberties have been afforded to you, you tend to step outside of the boundaries. But when your limitations have been imposed, you start to learn lessons that in in limitations that you should have got in liberties. Might I tell you, He He forgives them, but He's got some lessons for them to learn. And it's learning in the context of waiting. Listen to their complaint, ladies and gentlemen. They say in verse 27, if you got a Bible and can read it, they've got two interrogative complaints about God. Listen what they say. They said, "God, my way is hidden from you." It suggests that that that their plight and their path and their concerns are invisible and unseen to God. Then they say that uh our judgment, the word there translates their case or their concerns are passed over from their God. Term there means that their case and concern is fading out of God's view. It is as though God is ignoring their challenges. As though He is blind to their concerns, as though He is unconcerned about what they're concerned about. And ladies and gentlemen, let's not let's not judge them too fast because sometimes life can feel like that. Life can feel like God does not care about what you care about, as is as though God can see you struggling and won't do anything. I'm I I don't I don't really care if you won't say amen. And I'll speak for those who are in a silent struggle with the sovereign because there are those of us who are living well, and then there are those of us who are living as best we can, waiting on God to change some things. And you're sitting back saying, "God, how long? Oh God, what do I need to do to change the circumstances? Or what do I need to do to get You to move on my behalf? Or what do I need to do to get You to even speak to me concerning this situation?" Well, ladies and gentlemen, I thought we would uh look into the passage because the passage provides some revelation about their interrogation of God. They feel like God has become blind to their challenges. But there is some insight there because if you got a Bible and can read it, verse 27 gives us some insight as to why they feel that way. The question for the question is, what leads you to believe or what has led you to believe that God has become blind to your challenges? It's tucked away in verse 27 because when we read the verse uh the writer of the book of Isaiah identified these people under two different names. In verse 27 he calls them Jacob and Israel, which are the aliases of the one and self-same person from Genesis chapter 32. This man named Jacob had a nocturnal wrestling match with an unknown angel. And the outcome of the nocturnal wrestling match was that the man named Jacob had his name changed to Israel. And that word means a prince with God. Jacob means a trickster, a suppler, one who trips up the hill. So he was always busy tripping up people at the feet. But after he wrestled with God and somewhat lost, uh God moved him to the head to be a prince. And Israel now became the name by which God's people would be identified. So if that's the case, Isaiah, you should only be calling them Israel, but you called them Jacob and Esau. You call them Jacob and Esau. Maybe maybe that's the problem of why you're struggling with God because you are a people who are not singular in your allegiance to God. That while you are in covenant with God as Israel, you are in conflict with God as Jacob. I've talked to myself 'cause you don't want to testify. Some days you feel like Israel, and other days you feel like Jacob. Other days, some days you're like, "God, thank You." And other days you're like, "God, really? Can I talk to the real people who testify that just because you're in church don't mean you're feeling Israel today? There are some among us who are feeling Jacob. But the problem is you are always going to struggle with God and see something wrong with God when you yourself are not singular with God. It becomes a challenge, ladies and gentlemen, to see God right from a double-mindedness. The Bible says that a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways. It's hard to see God singularly or even correctly when you don't know whether you're in conflict with God or whether you're in covenant with God. It's hard to see God right when you can't stay single with God. Some days you feel like Jacob. Other days you feel like Israel. It is the accurate reflection of these people who are in covenant with God but yet in conflict with God. And it's hard to see God right when you're not singular in your allegiance to Him. It's also hard to see God right when you are sinful in your activities against God. Chapters 1 through 39 tell us uh brethren that that that one of the indictments against Israel was that they they had several, they were rebellious, they were they were they were hypocritical, they were assimilating themselves to foreign gods, which means the big one is they were guilty of idolatry. They were assimilating themselves to foreign gods and therefore accepting foreign governments. Ladies and gentlemen, isn't that interesting? You're questioning if God is treating you wrong when you have cheated on Him with other gods. I can't get no help here. So, you automatically think God is doing you wrong 'cause you're doing Him wrong already. Do I have any help in here? I it's it's hard to see God right when you're already actively involved in sin. As a matter of fact, it's hard for you to shout today if you ain't already cleared up your sin from this week 'cause you brought your sin into the sanctuary and you want somebody to clean up your mess. No, no, no, no, no. Ladies and gentlemen, if my people who are called by my name would humble themselves AND PRAY AND SEEK MY FACE AND TURN FROM their wicked ways, THEN BEFORE YOU START SHOUTING, YOU NEED TO SAY, "LORD, CREATE IN me a CLEAN HEART AND RENEW THE RIGHT SPIRIT IN ME CUZ I CAN'T SEE YOU CLEARLY AS LONG AS I'M SOAKED IN MY OWN SIN." Worship ought to always begin with not "Lord, can I?" but "Lord, forgive me." Have I got any help in here? Worship ought to always start with "God, create in me a clean heart SO I CAN WORSHIP YOU CLEARLY AND PURELY." So naturally, you think God has abandoned you 'cause you've already walked away from God. Can I tell you something, ladies and gentlemen? A thief always thinks somebody's going to steal from them. I can't get no help in this room. A THIEF IS ALWAYS LOOKING OVER THEIR BACK CUZ YOU'VE DONE OTHER PEOPLE WRONG EXPECTING FOR SOMEBODY GOING TO DO YOU WRONG at some point. It's hard to see God right when you're sinful in your activities and you're not singular in your allegiance. It's hard to see God right when you're struggling in your own adversities before God. The nature and number of their challenges are starting to compile. I wish I could tell you church that life will just give you one problem at a time. But if I told you that, that would be the biggest lie I could tell you. Life typically does not let you deal with one thing at a time. Life typically lets you deal with about two or three or four things at one time, and the compilation and the and the and the collection of the challenges start to weigh you down. Have I got any help here? Listen to what they're dealing with. They're dealing with the attack of the Assyrians. They're dealing with feeling like God abandoned them. They're dealing with the the guilt and weight of their own sin. They're dealing with trying to assimilate to other nations. And now it has burdened them. And listen at their their their complaint. "Hey God, do You see me? God, don't You see me over here struggling? What are You doing?" It's hard to see God when your struggles are starting to add up. But you got to be careful with that, ladies and gentlemen, because the only reason why they're asking the question about God's fidelity is because they are struggling with their own fidelity to God. And now they have had challenges where their choices have now ended up with bad consequences. And now they want to blame God. See, I I knew you weren't going to say nothing. Now they want to blame God for their bad choices. And now the consequences have set in. It is the picture, y'all, of them expecting God to always do them right when they have violated their covenant with Him. Then before you look at them crazy, we need to evaluate ourselves. 'Cause that's how some of us are. We want God to always be right to us while we mistreat Him. It is the picture, Lenine, of somebody shacking up with SATAN AND EXPECTING GOD TO pay the rent. I just said something and YOU MISSED IT. YOU ALWAYS WANT TO DO WRONG, BUT WANT GOD TO MEET ALL YOUR NEEDS, PAY ALL YOUR BILLS, WHEN YOU DONE JACKED UP WITH SATAN AND WANT GOD TO PAY THE RENT. The devil IS A LIE. GOD IN HIS HOLINESS HAS TO HOLD US ACCOUNTABLE EVEN WHILE HE LOVES US FOR THE BAD CHOICES THAT WE'VE MADE. Don't nobody want to say nothing on that side over there. Look how they looking at me. Let me talk to these PEOPLE OVER HERE. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, GOD ISN'T JUST A RIGHTEOUS GOD. HE EXPECTS US TO BE RIGHTEOUS TOWARDS HIM.
And here ladies and gentlemen, here ladies and gentlemen, is where the text turns. Y'all ready? Here's where the text turns. Isaiah says, "Your issue with God is rooted in your ignorance of God. WHY YOU THINK GOD CAN'T SEE IS BECAUSE YOU'RE IGNORANT OF THE CHARACTER OF GOD. IF YOU KNEW THE CHARACTER OF GOD, IT'S IMPOSSIBLE FOR HIM TO BE BLIND. SO SINCE YOU DON'T KNOW THE CHARACTER OF GOD, LET ME BE PROPHET/THEOLOGIAN AND EDUCATE YOU ON THE CHARACTER OF GOD. HAST THOU NOT KNOWN? HAST THOU NOT HEARD THAT THE EVERLASTING GOD, PAUL'S THERE? He said, "Let me give YOU A LITTLE LITTLE CLASS ON THE THEOLOGY OF GOD." CUZ IF YOU GOT THE RIGHT THEOLOGY OF GOD UP THERE, YOU CAN SEE STRAIGHT DOWN HERE. Come here. He says that God is everlasting. Let church say everlasting. Everlasting. I'm about to run on this point. I I get happy just talking about God. HE SAID, "GOD IS EVERLASTING." CAN I TELL YOU WHAT THAT MEANS? It means THAT GOD IS NOT BOUND BY TIME. AND BECAUSE HE'S NOT BOUND BY TIME, HE CAN RUN TIME on his time. He is everlasting. HE IS NOT SUBJECT TO TEMPORAL DEFINITION. HE ALWAYS WAS, HE IS, AND WILL BE CUZ HE'S ALWAYS IN THE PRESENT TENSE REALITY. HE NEVER WAS. HE JUST WAS ACCORDING TO YOUR VIEW. CUZ SOMEBODY WHO IS EVERLASTING DOES NOT IS NOT LIMITED TO TIME TENSES. HE'S NOT PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE. HE JUST ALWAYS IS. HE'S EVERLASTING. HE SITS OUTSIDE OF TIME. SO HE CAN RUN TIME ON HIS TIME. He said that ain't ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT GOD. HE SAID THAT GOD IS THE CREATOR OF the ends OF THE EARTH. NOT ONLY IS HE A GOD OVER TIME, HE'S GOD OVER SPACE. Come here, CHURCH. GOD SET THE ends of the earth. WHICH MEANS THAT GOD SET THE BOUNDARIES OF SPACE. AND NOBODY WHO SETS THE BOUNDARIES OF SPACE CAN BE LOCKED into the boundaries. Still ain't feeling me. YOU CAN'T BE LOCKED INTO SOME BOUNDARIES YOU SET. You got TO FIRST EXIST OUTSIDE THE BOUNDARIES IN ORDER TO SET THE BOUNDARIES. Y'all still AIN'T FEELING ME? THE MAN WHO MADE THE COMPUTER DOES NOT LIVE IN THE COMPUTER. He's able to MAKE IT CUZ HE EXISTS OUTSIDE OF IT. AND HE'S ABLE TO ESTABLISH IT CUZ HE LIVES OUTSIDE OF IT. SO HE IS THE GOD OVER TIME AND GOD OVER SPACE. The third thing he SAYS ABOUT GOD IS THAT HE GIVES POWER TO THE FAINT AND THOSE THAT HAVE THAT ARE WEARY, HE INCREASES STRENGTH. SO HE'S A GIVER OF POWER AND STRENGTH, WHICH MEANS HE'S THE GOD OVER FORCE. PREACH, Pastor Morgan. HE'S THE GOD OVER TIME, SPACE, AND FORCE. WHICH MEANS THAT THERE IS NOTHING GOD CAN'T SEE, THAT HE CAN'T OVERWHELM, AND THAT HE CAN'T OVERPOWER. HE HAS TO EXIST OUTSIDE OF IT IN ORDER TO RUN IT. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, GOD SITS OUTSIDE THE WORLD EVEN THOUGH HE IS IMMANENT IN THE WORLD. SO HE CAN RUN THE WORLD CUZ HE IS NOT LIMITED BY TIME AND SPACE. SINCE YOU DON'T KNOW HOW TO GET HAPPY, ISRAEL TELLS THE PEOPLE THAT WHATEVER YOUR PROBLEM IS, THERE IS NO SITUATION THAT SITS OUTSIDE OF TIME, SPACE, AND FORCE FOR GOD TO RUN. THAT WHATEVER YOUR PROBLEM IS, HE GOT TO SEE IT CUZ HE'S OVER IT. HE'S GOT TO RUN IT CUZ HE GOT POWER. AND HE'S GOT TO PUSH IT CUZ HE GIVE YOU POWER TO DEAL WITH IT. THERE IS NO SITUATION OUTSIDE OF GOD'S ABILITY TO RUN CUZ HE'S THE GOD OVER TIME, SPACE, AND FORCE. NOW, LET ME ASK YOU A QUESTION. HAVE YOU ANY MOUNTAINS YOU CAN'T TUNNEL THROUGH? AND HAVE YOU ANY RIVERS YOU CAN'T CROSS? GOD SPECIALIZES IN THINGS THAT SEEM IMPOSSIBLE. AND HE CAN DO WHAT NO OTHER POWER, HOLY GHOST POWER CAN DO. CUZ HE SITS OUTSIDE OF YOUR PROBLEM. He runs time 'cause He ain't locked to it. HE DEFINES SPACE CUZ HE'S BIGGER THAN IT. AND HE DEFINES POWER CUZ HE GOT ALL OF IT. I can't get no help in here. TELL SOMEBODY, "GOD CAN DO ANYTHING." They didn't get happy. TELL THEM GOD CAN DO ANYTHING. IT'S NOT POSSIBLE FOR HIM TO BE BLIND TO YOUR PROBLEM CUZ HE RUNS TIME, SPACE, AND FORCE. I need you to encourage somebody and tell them neighbor, neighbor. I say look at your neighbor and tell them neighbor, neighbor, God sees it. God sees it. Whoever's sick in the hospital, He sees him. I AIN'T GOT TO send him there. He sees him. WHATEVER YOUR FINANCIAL CHALLENGE IS, HE SEES IT. I AIN'T REALLY GOT TO ASK HIM TO PRAY ABOUT IT. HE ALREADY KNOWS. WHATEVER YOU DEALING WITH, WHATEVER YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO, GOD GOT POWER OVER IT. HE SITS OUTSIDE OF IT SO HE CAN RUN IT. HE EXISTS OUTSIDE OF IT SO HE CAN ESTABLISH IT. LOOK AT SOMEBODY TELL THEM, "GOD SEES IT."
So your issue with God is based on your ignorance of God. Y'all ain't hearing me. The more you LEARN ABOUT GOD, the more you can sleep at night. The MORE YOU LEARN ABOUT GOD, the more your hair going to stop falling out. The MORE YOU LEARN ABOUT GOD, the more you GOING TO GET OFF THEM EMOTION PILLS. Anybody grateful that when you learn about God, you can trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not to your own understanding, but in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will, and I got happy already. I SAID HE WILL DIRECT YOUR PATH.
So you struggling with God 'cause you're ignorant of the character of God. He got the whole world. That's one of the greatest theological statements of our lives. He got the whole world in His hand. He got the little bitty babies in His hand. We sing a song in church. All in His hand. I put it all in His hand. There is no situation that is outside of God's ability to impact it 'cause He runs time, space, and force. Isaiah just wasn't a prophet. He was a theologian and schooled them on what they didn't know about God. He said, "NOW THAT YOU NOW THAT YOU GOT THAT, CAN I HELP YOU? Uh here is the HERE IS THE REALITY OF THE THEOLOGY." Come here. He said, he said, "Come here." He He is the everlasting God, the creator of the ends of the earth, and he is the giver of strength and power. But in him being him, THERE WILL COME A TIME THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE EXPECTED TO STAND are going to fall. I I didn't make that up. Y'all got a Bible? HE SAYS, "IN LIGHT OF GOD'S POWER, EVEN the youth shall faint, and the young men shall utterly fall. Look at that, church. It didn't say the youth shall faint. It said even the youth. SUGGESTING THAT THIS generation that IS FULL OF STRENGTH and vigor and energy, EVEN THOSE WHO ARE EXPECTED TO stand are going to fall. They shouldn't fall. They got energy. They got life. THEY GOT VIGOR. THEY GOT DREAMS. THEY GOT GOALS. THEY GOT STRENGTH. THEY'RE STILL DEVELOPING. HE SAYS EVEN THEY ARE GOING TO FALL. Ladies and gentlemen, I know you don't want to say amen to this, but we have lived in a season where FOLK WHO WE THOUGHT WAS GOING TO STAND THROUGH THE SEASON DIDN'T. I knew you weren't going to say nothing. THIS HAS BEEN A TESTING time that FOLK WHO WE THOUGHT WERE STRONG IN THE FAITH. I can't get no help in this church now. FOLK WHO WE THOUGHT WERE PILLARS OF EXEMPLARY CONVICTION TO GOD. WILL NOW GO EVERYWHERE BUT CHURCH. THESE ARE THOSE WHO WERE NOT expected to fall. THE YOUTH SHOULDN'T FALL. BUT GOD'S REALITY STILL DOES NOT TRUMP THE CHOICES WE'VE MADE. BECAUSE THERE WILL BE A FALL BECAUSE OF THE CONSEQUENCES OF OUR CHOICES. Sometimes as a good parent, you don't stop the consequences. You got to let that child feel the consequences. SOMETIME YOUR CHILD GOT TO FEEL THE CONSEQUENCES OF THEIR CHOICES. CUZ IF THEY DON'T FEEL THE CONSEQUENCES OF THEIR CHOICES, THEY'LL NEVER LEARN FROM THEIR CHOICES. THE YOUTH'S THE ONES THAT WERE EXPECTED TO STAND are going to fall. But those who are going to make it through, you got one job. Wait. Here it is. He's given us a reality, but he's also given us a resolve. HERE IT IS. BUT THEY THAT WAIT, MOTHER, they don't know how to get happy. So me and you going to get happy all by ourselves. Y'all missed it. IF YOU GOT THE ABILITY TO WAIT, THAT MEANS YOU SURVIVED THE FALL. THERE ARE THOSE WHO ARE FALLING, BUT IF YOU CAN WAIT ON THE LORD, THE FACT THAT YOU CAN WAIT SAYS YOU HAVEN'T FAILED. OKAY, Y'ALL DON'T KNOW HOW TO GET HAPPY. I need you to tap your neighbor on the shoulder. Tap on the shoulder and tell them neighbor, you got to hear this point. Everybody look this way. They that wait. The original Hebrew of this word wait is the Hebrew word quava. Let the church say quava. I just made you Hebrew scholars real quick. Let the church say quava. QUAVA DOES NOT mean that waiting is exclusively a temporal event. That's what it means in English. BUT WILLIE DANIEL IN THE HEBREW quava means TO TIE TOGETHER BY TWISTING. Let the church say quava. To the Hebrew mind, WAITING MEANS WHILE YOU WERE DELAYED, YOU DIDN'T FALL APART. BUT EVERY TIME YOU FELT LIKE GIVING UP, YOU TIED YOURSELF TOGETHER. EVERY TIME YOU FELT LIKE CUSSING SOMEBODY OUT, YOU DIDN'T LET YOURSELF FALL APART. EVERY TIME YOU FELT LIKE GIVING IN TO DEPRESSION AND SUICIDE, YOU DIDN'T FALL APART. YOU KEPT IT TOGETHER. DO I GOT ABOUT 20 PEOPLE I MAKE NUMBER 21 THAT SAID, "NEIGHBOR, I'M IN QUA. I'M KEEPING THAT THING TOGETHER UNTIL GOD GIVE ME A BREAKTHROUGH. ANYBODY GRATEFUL THAT WHILE YOU'RE WAITING, YOU DIDN'T FALL APART? TOUCH TWO PEOPLE AND TELL THEM GUAVA. TELL THEM NEIGHBOR DON'T FALL APART WHILE YOU WAITING ON GOD. BUT THEY THAT KEEP IT TOGETHER, THEY THAT DON'T FALL APART WHILE YOU'RE WAITING ON GOD SHALL RENEW THEIR STRENGTH. Touch two people. Tell them keep it together. KEEP IT TOGETHER. TELL THEM KEEP IT TOGETHER. DON'T YOU FALL APART WHILE YOU'RE WAITING ON GOD'S. Keep it together. DON'T YOU THROW IN THE TOWEL. KEEP IT TOGETHER. IF THE ROPE GETS THIN, TWIST IT AGAIN. HOLD ON TO GOD'S UH UNCHANGING HAND. WAITING MEANS I DIDN'T FALL APART WHILE I WAS WAITING ON GOD. I'm waiting on the quaba people to THANK HIM THAT HE LETTING YOU KEEP IT TOGETHER. You was ready to SLIT YOUR WRIST, BUT YOU KEPT IT TOGETHER. YOU WAS READY TO throw in the towel, BUT YOU KEPT IT TOGETHER. YOU WAS READY TO GO FIGHT SOMEBODY, BUT YOU KEPT IT TOGETHER. YOU WAS READY TO GIVE UP ON SCHOOL, BUT YOU KEPT IT TOGETHER. YOU WERE READY TO WALK AWAY FROM YOUR JOB, UH, BUT YOU KEPT IT TOGETHER. YOU AIN'T OUT OF IT YET, BUT THANKS GOD, YOU ARE KEEPING IT TOGETHER, AND YOU'RE NOT FALLING APART. They that keep it together. THEY THAT QUAVA, THEY THAT DON'T FALL APART WHILE YOU'RE WAITING ON GOD. HERE'S THE GOOD NEWS. HERE'S WHY IT'S WORTH THE WAIT. They shall renew their strength. All right, here it is, church. Here's why waiting is worth it. 'Cause waiting is making you weak so God can make you strong. You should probably write that down CUZ GOD MADE SOME OF Y'ALL WAIT 'cause He's tired of competing with your strength. I just THE REASON WHY HE'S TIRED OF COMPETING WITH YOUR STRENGTH CUZ YOUR STRENGTH IS IN THE WAY OF HIS STRENGTH. CUZ HIS STRENGTH IS MADE PERFECT. NOT IN YOUR STRENGTH, BUT IN YOUR WEAKNESS. AND MAYBE SOME OF Y'ALL ARE TOO STRONG. THAT'S WHY GOD HAS JUST LET YOU BE TO YOURSELF. Cuz God is not going to compete with your strength. He going to step in when you're weak AND EXCHANGE YOUR WEAKNESS FOR HIS STRENGTH. I've been talking to get to this one point. That's the renewal and the resolve. But here's the recovery. That's three points right there. Willie probably should write that down. It's sweet, man. They going to mount up with wings as eagles. That's accelerate. That's elevation. They going to mount up with wings as eagles. That's elevation. They going to run and not get weary. That's acceleration. THEY GOING TO WALK AND NOT FAINT. CHERYL, that's continuation. I'mma try this one more time 'cause you missed it. They going to mount up with wings as eagles. ON THE OTHER SIDE OF WAITING, IF YOU WAIT IT OUT, GOD GOING TO PUT YOU ON A HIGHER level if you just wait THAT THING OUT. TAP SOMEBODY AND TELL THEM, "WAIT THAT THING OUT." When God gets done waiting on you to wait on Him, when He gets done, He going to lift you to a higher place than you were while you were waiting. That's elevation. HE SAYS, "ARE YOU GOING TO RUN AND NOT BE WEARY?" That's acceleration. THAT MEANS GOD GOING TO SPEED you up. But see, y'all don't know how to get happy 'cause Bri, he says in his third thing, YOU GOING TO WALK AND NOT FAINT. That's continuation. You missed it, SO I I'll shout myself. If you wait God out, HE'S NOT JUST GOING TO SPEED YOU UP, HE GOING TO SLOW YOU DOWN. Cuz some of y'all DON'T NEED NO MORE SPEED. THE REASON WHY YOU STRESSED OUT RIGHT NOW IS CUZ YOU LIVING TOO FAST. AND GOD SAYS, IF YOU WAIT THIS THING OUT, ALL THE STUFF THAT'S STRESSING YOU, I'M GETTING READY TO SLOW YOU DOWN. CUZ IF YOU GOT A BIBLE AND CAN READ IT, THE PACE OF THE RECOVERY IS GRADUALLY TO SLOW YOU DOWN. IT'S GOING FROM WINGS TO WALKING. CUZ WHAT GOD NEEDS TO DO TO SOME OF US IS NOT SPEED US UP, SLOW YOU DOWN. You too busy in sin. Got to slow down. You too BUSY BEING A BUSYBODY. You got to slow down. YOU TOO BUSY BEING STRESSED OUT ABOUT STUFF THAT AIN'T GOT NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU AND OUT OF YOUR CONTROL. Got to slow down. YOU TOO BUSY TRYING TO FIGHT SOMEBODY ON YOUR JOB CUZ YOU WANT THEIR JOB AND THEIR MONEY WHEN YOU ALREADY KNOW YOU AIN'T WORTH IT. Got to slow down. YOU TOO BUSY WANT WHAT BELONGS TO SOMEBODY ELSE AND DON'T ACCEPT WHAT GOD GAVE TO YOU. SLOW DOWN. PREACH TOL AND MORGAN. Tell your neighbor it's time for you to slow down. While you want God to speed you up, He's really trying to slow you down. And if you slow down, watch this. Here comes the joke, y'all. If you slow down, Wilford, He'll speed you up. They missed it. So, let me shout myself. Uh, I'm done. Thank y'all for letting me share this little Easter speech. Uh, couple weeks ago, me and my wife were invited to a birthday dinner for one of the staff of our church. And, uh, we went to this little spot in Mon. Never been there before. Uh but it was a party of nine of us at this little spot in Mon, staff of our church for the birthday celebration. And uh we went in there and we had reservations at a certain time. But but our host told us when we got there two things. He said, "Man, listen. Typically in this place, you have to wait another hour or so even after your reservations because they're that busy. He said the second thing is there's a larger crowd ahead of us. There's a larger party ahead of us." We sitting there waiting and waiting and waiting 'cause he had already put in my mind that don't pay no attention to the reservation. You going to sit here and wait another hour. He gets up, goes to the counter, says something we DON'T KNOW, COMES BACK TO THE COUNTER, COMES BACK TO WHERE WE WERE SITTING AND SAYS, "Hey y'all, they about to seat us." Amen. It ain't been an hour. Well, what happened is the larger party in front of us got up and left. So, you were sped up sooner 'cause you waited. GOOD NIGHT. MAY THE LORD GOD BLESS YOU REAL GOOD. BUT MIGHT I TELL YOU SOMETIMES, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, IF YOU WAIT THAT THING OUT, HE'LL MOVE YOU UP SOONER THAN WHAT YOU EXPECT IF YOU JUST WAIT THAT THING OUT. TELL SOMEBODY, WAIT IT OUT, AND GOD WILL MOVE YOU SOONER. CUZ SOMETIMES WAITING IS THE FASTEST WAY. LOOK AT SOMEBODY, TELL THEM, "WAITING IS THE FASTEST WAY."
Church, and it's the CAN I TELL YOU WHY GOD WILL MAKE YOU WAIT? GOD WILL MAKE YOU WAIT to show you that He is not on your schedule. You are on His schedule and He going to do it in due time. But here's the GOOD NEWS. BE NOT weary in welldoing. Yeah. But in due season you shall reap, Lord, if you faint not. Y'all excuse me. I feel LIKE PREACHING TODAY. GRAB YOUR NEIGHBOR BY THE HAND AND TELL THEM, "NEIGHBOR, WAIT THAT THING OUT. NEIGHBOR, WAIT THAT THING OUT." IF YOU WAIT, GOD WILL YEAH, I SAID GOD WILL MOVE YOU FORWARD. AND I GOT A WITNESS HERE. LOOK AT SOMEBODY AND TELL THEM NEIGHBOR, sometimes you got to TALK TO YOURSELF JUST LIKE David did. David said, "Be encouraged and wait, I SAY, ON THE LORD. BE OF GOOD CHEER. WAIT, I SAY ON THE LORD." Psalms 40. Verse number one says, "I waited patiently for the Lord AND HE INCLINED HIS EAR AND HEARD MY CRY. HE LIFTED ME up out of a horrible PIT AND PLACED MY FEET on a rock. Not only did He place my feet on a rock, but He put in me a new song and He established my going and many shall see it and give God praise." And I got a witness here. Neighbor, the wait is worth it. CUZ IF YOU WAIT ON HIM, he will I SAID HE WILL he will accelerate you. NOW PUT YOUR ARM AROUND SOMEBODY AND TELL THEM NEIGHBOR, you got to be one of the quava members. I said, "Tell them, neighbor, you got TO BE A QUAVA MEMBER. YOU GOT to hold it together until God puts it together." Y'all slept on that. I said you got to hold it together until God puts it together. What does that mean? It means that YOU'RE NOT FALLING APART, BUT YOU GOING TO HANG IN THERE. Anybody glad THAT GOD GIVEN you the power to qualify? Anybody grateful THAT GOD DIDN'T LET YOU FALL APART? BUT BY HIS GRACE, he still got you IN YOUR RIGHT MIND. BY HIS GRACE, you haven't KILLED YOURSELF YET. BY his grace, you've been waiting on Him to do something powerful. But anybody glad THAT WHILE YOU'RE WAITING on the NIGHT YET, GOD GOT HIS HAND on you IN THE RIGHT NOW Y'ALL SLEPT on that. I SAID WHILE YOU'RE WAITING on the NOT YET, GOD GOT his hand on you IN THE RIGHT NOW. AND SO THAT means you CAN'T WAIT UNTIL THE BATTLE IS OVER. You got to praise Him in THE RIGHT NOW. ANYBODY GLAD THAT GOD GOT YOU IN the right now. If you're IN THE RIGHT NOW, ALL YOU GOT to do is wait on God. This same prophet. This same prophet was the eagle-eyed prophet who looked into the future but was talking about the past. Y'all slept on that. This same prophet says that they that wait upon the Lord is in capital letters in that verse which means it was referring to Jehovah. He who was is and will be well. The verse says he's the everlasting God, the Lord, the creator of the ends of the earth. IF Y'ALL GOT A BIBLE, it was somebody specific that he was referring to. IT WAS THAT BABY THAT HE PROPHESIED ABOUT IN ISAIAH CHAPTER number seven. He said, "BEHOLD, A VIRGIN SHALL CONCEIVE AND HIS NAME SHALL be called wonderful counselor, THE EVERLASTING FATHER." Y'all sleep on that. the prince of peace. He who was is and will BE SHOWED UP THROUGH THAT virgin 'cause they've BEEN WAITING ON THAT VIRGIN. SHE SHOWED UP AND TOLD EVERYBODY, "MY BABY IS CONCEIVED OF THE HOLY GHOST." THAT BABY was born at 2 years old. They took him in the TEMPLE AND HE IMPRESSED the doctors AND THE LAWYERS. AT 12 YEARS OLD, HE DISAPPEARED INTO OBSCURITY. But 18 years later at THE AGE OF 30, HE POPPED BACK UP BECAUSE JOHN SAID, "I'M JUST A FORERUNNER OF HIM THAT'S COMING AFTER ME." I feel like preaching. Tell your neighbor, "Neighbor, we've been waiting ON HIM." BUT ONE FRIDAY HE SHOWED UP AT CALVAR'S HILL AT THE AGE OF 33. ONE FRIDAY WE'VE BEEN WAITING ON HIM, BUT HE SHOWED UP TO GIVE US REDEMPTION. ANYBODY GLAD THAT HE SHOWED UP, BUT WE HAD TO WAIT THREE MORE DAYS FOR HIM TO SHOW BACK UP ON SUNDAY MORNING. HE GOT UP WITH ALL POWER IN HIS HAND. BUT AFTER THAT, WE HAD TO WAIT ANOTHER 50 DAYS FOR THE HOLY GHOST TO COME AT PENTECOST. ANYBODY IN HERE GOT THE HOLY GHOST? BUT THAT CAME. BUT NOW WE STILL GOT TO WAIT BECAUSE PAUL SAID ONE DAY THE LORD SHALL DESCEND FROM HEAVEN WITH A SHOUT AND THE TRUMPET SHALL SOUND AND THE DEAD IN CHRIST SHALL RISE AND THOSE OF US THAT REMAIN SHALL BE CAUGHT UP TOGETHER WITH HIM TO MEET HIM IN THE TELL YOUR NEIGHBOR, "NEIGHBOR, THE WEIGHT IS WORTH IT. YOUR STRENGTH IS GOING TO BE RENEWED. YOUR CHILD, LORD have mercy. YOUR CHILD IS GOING TO BE RENEWED. ANYBODY GLAD YOU GOT YOUR STRENGTH BACK? ANYBODY THANKFUL THAT IT WAS worth the wait? IF YOU'RE GLAD AND YOU KNOW IT, OPEN YOUR MOUTH ON THIS SUNDAY MORNING AND GIVE HIM PRAISE. WOO! I FEEL LIKE PREACHING. TELL SOMEBODY, "NEIGHBOR, I'VE BEEN WAITING, BUT MY JOY IS HERE NOW. LET EVERYTHING I SAID LET EVERYTHING THAT'S GOT YOUR JOY THAT'S GOT YOUR STRENGTH give him glory. WOW. WOW. WOW. Look at somebody. TELL THEM, "NEIGHBOR, I GOT MY STRENGTH." If you GOT STRENGTH, YOU OUGHT TO HAVE SOUND IN YOUR VOICE. If you got strength, YOU OUGHT TO HAVE SOUND IN YOUR VOICE. NOW LET everything I said let everything that's got strength in your voice open YOUR MOUTH AS LOUD AS YOU CAN and show the DEVIL I STILL GOT MY STRENGTH. OPEN YOUR MOUTH AND GIVE HIM PRAISE. YEAH. Give it praise if you got TO YEAH. YEAH. WE'RE THE PEOPLE THAT'S GOT STRENGTH. WE'RE the people that's got strength. They that wait, they that wait, would you do me a favor? Put your hand on somebody's shoulder and just start praying for them that they keep it together. I said JUST START PRAYING for them that they keep it together. while they waiting on God. I want you to pray for your sister or your brother THAT THEY DON'T FALL APART WHILE THEY WAITING on God. Come on. Come on. Tell them you got to keep it together. Tell them you got to keep it together. You got to keep You got to keep it together. You got to keep it together. Hallelujah. Somebody praise HIM THAT YOU AIN'T FELL APART YET. I SAID SOMEBODY PRAISING THAT YOU HAVEN'T FELL APART YET. TESTIFY TO SOMEBODY. TELL THE NEIGHBOR HE keeping You DON'T KNOW LIKE I KNOW I was keeping you together. Glory to God. Every hand lifted. Every hand lifted. Every hand lifted. Every hand lifted. Every hand lifted. Every hand lifted. Somebody in here the right now is holding you up from the not yet. But here's the blessing. You still alive in the right now. And because you're still alive in the right now, God has one request for you. Wait. God says, "I know I'm delaying you, but I know why I'm delaying you. I'm delaying you cuz you don't run me. I run you. I'm not on your schedule. You on my schedule. And so I got to make you wait to show you who's in charge. But I'mma also make you wait 'cause you need to learn something about me. But the third reason why I'm going to make you wait is because you never knew that waiting is still the fastest route." Ladies and gentlemen, God is not always a right now God. God is sometime a wait on me God. He don't always move in the right now. He moves in the wait a minute. I got something for you to learn, something for you to know. I want you to get closer to me while you're waiting. Because I care more about our relationship than your destiny. I care more about you being close to me than about where I'm taking you. Cuz I don't want you to go there and miss me. The trip for the children of Israel should have taken three days, but it took 40 years because God was giving them time to get to know Him. And the best way to get to know God is to see God provide in the wilderness. Yeah. I didn't get you out 'cause you asked to get out. I get you out. I got you out because I had a covenant with your father. I'm the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. But when I take you through this wilderness, I'm not just going to be your daddy's God. Yes, sir. I'm going to be your God. You won't be walking around talking about, you know, my daddy did this. No, you got your own testimony with God. Father, in the name of the Lord Jesus, I pray for my brother or sister whom You have in a holding pattern. You got them delayed, but you don't have them denied. So give them the strength now to hold it together until You move in the direction that You'd have them to go. Give them strength to hold it together and not fall apart until You move in their lives. You got us on different schedules and different agendas, but God, give us the strength to hold it together until You move. Thank You, Lord, that on the other side of this waiting is renewal of strength and recovery in Jesus name. Amen. Somebody thank God for what's on the other side. I said somebody thank God for what's on the other side of your waiting.