WEBVTT - Have No Fear, God Is Here, Part 2 0:00:00.040 --> 0:00:03.000 We focus in on what's happening now. God focuses in 0:00:03.000 --> 0:00:06.880 on what happened back then. Why? Because God takes us 0:00:06.880 --> 0:00:11.920 back so we can see history to comprehend our destiny. 0:00:11.920 --> 0:00:15.160 Because what he told us about what shall be. He 0:00:15.160 --> 0:00:18.320 made the promise in history about our destiny. 0:00:24.960 --> 0:00:28.160 This is treasure truth with pastor and author James Ford Jr, 0:00:28.200 --> 0:00:31.360 senior pastor of Christ Bible Church in Chicago. I'm Steve Heller. 0:00:31.400 --> 0:00:34.040 Glad that you're with us as we continue a message. 0:00:34.280 --> 0:00:38.000 Have no fear. God is here. And pastor, as you 0:00:38.000 --> 0:00:42.400 pointed out, God so often may focus in on what 0:00:42.400 --> 0:00:46.279 happened back then. But what is that back then that 0:00:46.280 --> 0:00:47.400 you were talking about? 0:00:47.440 --> 0:00:52.480 Well, it's what God has done in the past. So 0:00:52.520 --> 0:00:55.120 in the text that we're going to study, he goes 0:00:55.120 --> 0:00:58.280 back and tells Israel, you've been in trouble before. Yeah. 0:00:58.320 --> 0:01:01.320 And so, I mean, you've lost a job before. you've 0:01:01.320 --> 0:01:04.880 been sick, before you've had problems in your marriage, before 0:01:05.280 --> 0:01:08.480 your children have acted up before, and so on and 0:01:08.520 --> 0:01:12.440 on it goes. And what he wants us to realise. 0:01:12.600 --> 0:01:14.480 If I did it for you back then, I can 0:01:14.480 --> 0:01:18.160 do it for you now. And so anything that God 0:01:18.200 --> 0:01:23.039 has done, God can do anything that God can do, 0:01:23.200 --> 0:01:27.039 God will do. All we have to do is know 0:01:27.040 --> 0:01:29.200 that he wants to do it for us. And then 0:01:29.200 --> 0:01:32.680 we stand on what God has said. And so I 0:01:32.680 --> 0:01:36.479 know I've been without job. I've been, you know, we've 0:01:36.480 --> 0:01:39.679 had problems in our marriage and all that. And man 0:01:39.680 --> 0:01:43.679 Lord has just worked things out. And so you, you 0:01:43.720 --> 0:01:48.720 learn to trust him based on what he's already done. 0:01:48.720 --> 0:01:51.360 So you're looking back and saying God proved faithful then 0:01:51.560 --> 0:01:52.480 I'm not going to doubt him now. 0:01:52.520 --> 0:01:55.480 Oh yeah. Well, scriptures even pointed out here's what here's 0:01:55.480 --> 0:01:59.000 what the scriptures say. How then shall he freely give 0:01:59.000 --> 0:02:02.720 us all things who have given unto us his son. 0:02:03.040 --> 0:02:05.920 So it's an argument from the lesser to the greater. 0:02:06.080 --> 0:02:09.320 You know, this little thing that you're asking for is 0:02:09.320 --> 0:02:11.880 not as great as my son. So if I gave 0:02:11.880 --> 0:02:15.720 you the best of heaven, then what's the rest of it? 0:02:15.760 --> 0:02:19.239 And I think, you know, we look back. He saved 0:02:19.240 --> 0:02:26.280 our souls from eternal damnation. What could be worse than that? Nothing. 0:02:26.480 --> 0:02:26.880 Yeah. 0:02:27.440 --> 0:02:31.560 To burn in hell for all of eternity. Now we 0:02:31.560 --> 0:02:36.200 need something here in the temporal that's going to fade away. 0:02:36.680 --> 0:02:37.880 You see, argument. 0:02:38.160 --> 0:02:41.760 And very logical. Makes a lot of sense when we're 0:02:41.760 --> 0:02:44.320 able to slow down and think about that rationally and 0:02:44.320 --> 0:02:49.240 be reminded of that truth. But sometimes, while we're looking 0:02:49.240 --> 0:02:53.600 back and seeing, okay, God was faithful there, I still 0:02:53.600 --> 0:02:57.960 have this overwhelming mountain that I'm looking towards. I've got 0:02:58.000 --> 0:03:00.560 to walk through this pain somehow. What would you say 0:03:00.560 --> 0:03:03.190 to the person who finds himself in that spot today 0:03:03.230 --> 0:03:05.709 who says, man, I know God did some cool things 0:03:05.710 --> 0:03:07.830 for me back then, and I think he's going to 0:03:07.830 --> 0:03:10.230 do something for me in the future. But man, I 0:03:10.270 --> 0:03:11.630 don't see how he's going to do this. How do 0:03:11.630 --> 0:03:12.710 I wait in that? 0:03:12.750 --> 0:03:15.030 Well, I hate to get the Bible in this, but 0:03:15.070 --> 0:03:18.590 now a word from our sponsor. Trust in the Lord 0:03:18.590 --> 0:03:21.989 with all your heart. Lean not to your own understanding. 0:03:22.190 --> 0:03:26.989 In all your ways acknowledge him and he will direct 0:03:26.990 --> 0:03:31.429 your path. Proverbs three five and six. Say no more. 0:03:31.470 --> 0:03:32.550 Enough has been said. 0:03:32.590 --> 0:03:35.710 Well, with that, let's open our Bibles to Isaiah chapter 0:03:35.710 --> 0:03:40.190 43 as we continue a message. Have no fear. God 0:03:40.190 --> 0:03:42.230 is here. Here is Pastor Ford. 0:03:42.670 --> 0:03:45.110 He says, listen, Israel is. 0:03:45.110 --> 0:03:45.670 Moaning and. 0:03:45.670 --> 0:03:47.950 Groaning because they're in the storm. He's making them walk. 0:03:47.950 --> 0:03:51.150 And he says, let me tell you something in four chapters. 0:03:51.190 --> 0:03:55.390 Fear not, fear not, fear not. Fear not fear. What is. 0:03:55.390 --> 0:04:01.070 Seven? God's number for perfection or completion. He said it 0:04:01.070 --> 0:04:03.550 seven times so that you will know. I don't care 0:04:03.550 --> 0:04:08.310 what your fear is. Don't be scared. Don't be scared. 0:04:08.590 --> 0:04:11.190 He's saying I'm not a fair weather friend. I'm a 0:04:11.190 --> 0:04:15.190 friend that sticks closer than a brother. This passage is pregnant. 0:04:15.230 --> 0:04:17.110 You know I'm a teacher. Let me just drop it. 0:04:17.110 --> 0:04:18.990 I ain't going to push it, as my friend Romeo 0:04:19.029 --> 0:04:26.029 would say. Historically, it refers to God's deliverance from Egypt. Literally, 0:04:26.150 --> 0:04:31.950 it refers to the Babylonian captivity. Deliverance. Prophetically, it refers 0:04:31.950 --> 0:04:35.029 to the Great Tribulation, when God fulfills all the rest 0:04:35.029 --> 0:04:39.510 of the promises that he made to Israel. Ultimately, it 0:04:39.510 --> 0:04:46.350 focuses on the deliverance of Jesus Christ as our kinsman Redeemer. Typically, 0:04:46.350 --> 0:04:50.750 it points to the church, and principally and practically it's 0:04:50.750 --> 0:04:54.710 a great passage for dealing with our fears. So in 0:04:54.710 --> 0:04:58.029 Isaiah 40 he says, listen, you have foes, you have fears, 0:04:58.029 --> 0:05:01.029 you have fights. So he's telling us this that your 0:05:01.029 --> 0:05:05.470 storms are going to take on three entities. People, passions 0:05:05.470 --> 0:05:09.870 and problems. And then seven times. Fear not, fear not. 0:05:09.910 --> 0:05:13.310 God says, you know what fear is? What is it? 0:05:13.350 --> 0:05:19.070 False evidence appearing real. That's what fear is. As a 0:05:19.070 --> 0:05:21.430 matter of fact, the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King Junior 0:05:21.430 --> 0:05:23.430 said it this way when he was asked, why do 0:05:23.430 --> 0:05:25.750 you keep going out? Aren't you afraid somebody's going to 0:05:25.750 --> 0:05:28.590 kill you? He said, ultimately, I think I will. Uh, 0:05:28.630 --> 0:05:32.430 be be martyred. But he said this. He said fear 0:05:33.630 --> 0:05:38.789 knocked at the door. Faith answered. Nobody was there. Oh, 0:05:38.790 --> 0:05:42.590 I love that. Yeah. Fear knocked at the door, faith answered. 0:05:42.589 --> 0:05:45.790 Wasn't nobody there? And so we need to know that 0:05:45.790 --> 0:05:47.510 we don't need to be afraid. Now there are seven 0:05:47.510 --> 0:05:50.830 reasons and seven verses. Here they are. Verse one. He says, 0:05:50.830 --> 0:05:52.990 you don't need to be afraid because you're the property 0:05:52.990 --> 0:05:55.350 of God. Uh, verse two, you don't need to be 0:05:55.350 --> 0:05:58.710 afraid because of the protection from God. Uh, you don't 0:05:58.710 --> 0:06:01.150 need to be afraid. Verse three, because of the person 0:06:01.150 --> 0:06:03.550 of God, you don't need to be afraid. Verse four, 0:06:03.550 --> 0:06:07.150 because of the passion or the love of God. Verse five. 0:06:07.190 --> 0:06:09.790 You don't need to be afraid because of the presence 0:06:09.790 --> 0:06:13.230 of God. Verse six, you don't need to be afraid 0:06:13.230 --> 0:06:16.430 because of the promises of God. In verse seven. You 0:06:16.430 --> 0:06:19.630 don't need to be afraid because of the purposes of God. 0:06:19.630 --> 0:06:21.990 Notice what he says. First of all, verse one. Let 0:06:21.990 --> 0:06:23.830 me tell you why you don't have to be scared 0:06:23.830 --> 0:06:26.789 because you're my property. Now. Now get this, this text. 0:06:26.830 --> 0:06:30.510 Now notice what God does. God goes back to the 0:06:30.510 --> 0:06:35.669 beginning and he takes them from the present to the past. Now, 0:06:35.670 --> 0:06:38.510 this is unusual. Now we just studied the passage where, 0:06:38.510 --> 0:06:41.990 remember when Peter fell and he said to him in 0:06:41.990 --> 0:06:44.750 verse 30 of Luke 22, he said, you're going to 0:06:44.790 --> 0:06:48.430 sit on thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel. Then 0:06:48.430 --> 0:06:51.310 verse 31, you're going to deny me. Now why did 0:06:51.310 --> 0:06:53.630 he tell him that he was going to sit on 0:06:53.630 --> 0:06:55.150 the throne before he told him he was going to 0:06:55.150 --> 0:06:57.710 deny him, because God didn't want him to focus in 0:06:57.710 --> 0:06:59.670 on what is he wanted him to focus in on. 0:06:59.670 --> 0:07:02.110 What shall be he saying? Here's what shall be. Let 0:07:02.110 --> 0:07:04.390 me tell you that first you're going to sit on thrones. 0:07:04.430 --> 0:07:06.989 Now here's what it is you're going to deny me. Now, 0:07:06.990 --> 0:07:09.430 why do that? Because if I tell you what you 0:07:09.430 --> 0:07:12.910 shall be, then you understand that what is shall not 0:07:12.910 --> 0:07:15.790 cancel out what shall be, so that you won't focus 0:07:15.790 --> 0:07:19.350 in on what is. You'll walk through it. You'll. You'll 0:07:19.390 --> 0:07:23.150 endure it because you want to get to what shall be. 0:07:23.390 --> 0:07:25.390 And so that's what we need to do. But this 0:07:25.390 --> 0:07:29.110 is different. He's telling them go back and see what was. 0:07:29.990 --> 0:07:33.150 Now let me show you what is. Now, whenever you 0:07:33.150 --> 0:07:35.670 get in a place where you gotta walk through, you 0:07:35.710 --> 0:07:38.990 gotta look back and see what was. So you'll be 0:07:38.990 --> 0:07:41.550 able to deal with what is. You say, pastor, I 0:07:41.550 --> 0:07:43.790 still don't understand it. Okay, then let me come and 0:07:43.790 --> 0:07:46.190 get you. Because I went to public school too. We 0:07:46.190 --> 0:07:49.270 focus in on what's happening now. God, focus in on 0:07:49.270 --> 0:07:53.870 what happened back then. Why? Because God takes us back 0:07:53.870 --> 0:07:59.110 so we can see history to comprehend our destiny. Because 0:07:59.110 --> 0:08:02.670 what he told us about what shall be. He made 0:08:02.670 --> 0:08:07.150 the promise in history about our destiny. Let me say 0:08:07.150 --> 0:08:09.590 it another way. Let me say it another way, that 0:08:09.590 --> 0:08:13.310 God takes us back to history so he can share 0:08:13.310 --> 0:08:18.670 his eternal purpose and counsel for our destiny. Okay, let's 0:08:18.670 --> 0:08:20.750 take three vignettes I'm going to show you. Turn to 0:08:20.750 --> 0:08:25.910 Mark four. Mark 435. Mark 435. Now they're in a storm. 0:08:26.630 --> 0:08:29.750 And we remember this storm. We studied it before. And 0:08:29.750 --> 0:08:32.110 in verse 35, what's he say at the end of 0:08:32.110 --> 0:08:33.870 the verse? Somebody say it out real loud. Read it 0:08:33.870 --> 0:08:36.829 nice and loud. What's what's what? Jesus say what's read letters. 0:08:39.070 --> 0:08:42.150 Let us pass over unto the other side. Then what 0:08:42.150 --> 0:08:45.830 do they say at the end of verse 38? What 0:08:45.830 --> 0:08:49.469 do they say at the end of verse 38? Master 0:08:49.710 --> 0:08:53.510 cares thou not that we perish? Wait a minute, wait 0:08:53.510 --> 0:08:58.030 a minute. Jesus told them in the past, now they're 0:08:58.030 --> 0:09:01.339 in the present storm. What did they forget? What Jesus 0:09:01.340 --> 0:09:05.140 told them? What did he tell them? Let us go 0:09:05.740 --> 0:09:08.180 unto the other side. He didn't say, let's go in 0:09:08.220 --> 0:09:10.860 the middle of the Sea of Galilee and drown. No, 0:09:10.860 --> 0:09:14.020 he said, my divine purpose and decree is that we 0:09:14.020 --> 0:09:16.980 are going to the other side. Two things they are 0:09:16.980 --> 0:09:21.580 informed and they are involved. And Jesus is there. He 0:09:21.580 --> 0:09:24.500 said he didn't say let you. He said, let us. 0:09:24.900 --> 0:09:26.980 We're all going to make it over to the other side. 0:09:26.980 --> 0:09:29.020 But you see what happened in the storm. They got 0:09:29.020 --> 0:09:32.540 all upset. They forgot about what was, and they were 0:09:32.540 --> 0:09:35.819 focusing in on what is. And Jesus was asleep on 0:09:35.820 --> 0:09:40.740 the boat because he said what was right. Amen. Amen. 0:09:41.540 --> 0:09:43.540 You say, you say, well, what what are you trying 0:09:43.540 --> 0:09:45.780 to get to Pastor Ford? Would you get to it? Okay. 0:09:45.820 --> 0:09:49.660 I will, I will after these other two vignettes, write 0:09:49.660 --> 0:09:54.180 down Matthew 1532. In Matthew 1532, there are 4000 people 0:09:54.179 --> 0:10:00.380 who need to be fed. And uh, Jesus said, uh, hey, 0:10:00.380 --> 0:10:03.940 you guys feed em. And they said, where are we 0:10:03.940 --> 0:10:07.020 going to get food for all these people? Now, what happened? 0:10:07.020 --> 0:10:11.220 One chapter before. About two weeks earlier, Jesus took a 0:10:11.220 --> 0:10:15.220 little boy's Happy Meal. Lunch. He took some sardines and 0:10:15.220 --> 0:10:19.900 Ritz crackers and fed 5000 men, not counting the women 0:10:19.900 --> 0:10:24.099 and children. So most theologians say 14 to 20,000 people 0:10:24.340 --> 0:10:28.500 with some crackers and some sardines. And what did he 0:10:28.500 --> 0:10:31.819 say to them? Don't you remember? Wait a minute. He 0:10:31.860 --> 0:10:36.740 didn't get it. This is only 4000. I fed 5000. 0:10:36.740 --> 0:10:39.500 And the problem is, you didn't go back and see 0:10:39.500 --> 0:10:42.020 what was so that you could know. I could deal 0:10:42.020 --> 0:10:42.900 with what is. 0:10:44.740 --> 0:10:46.939 Did you follow all that? Don't worry. We'll get back 0:10:46.940 --> 0:10:49.540 to this teaching in just a moment. You're listening to 0:10:49.580 --> 0:10:52.900 Treasure Truth in a message called have no fear. God 0:10:52.940 --> 0:10:56.380 is here. And if you miss any of the broadcasts 0:10:56.380 --> 0:10:59.300 in this short little series, come to our website, listen online, 0:10:59.300 --> 0:11:02.420 or stop by Treasure Truth Radio. You can stream the 0:11:02.420 --> 0:11:05.300 program through your computer or mobile device. You can download 0:11:05.300 --> 0:11:07.900 the MP3 for free, or you can order a copy 0:11:07.900 --> 0:11:12.020 of this program on CD. Again our website, treasure truth Radio. 0:11:13.100 --> 0:11:15.180 Back to the message. Here's Pastor Ford. 0:11:15.660 --> 0:11:17.620 It's okay. I'm coming to get you now. I'm coming 0:11:17.620 --> 0:11:19.100 to get you now. Oh, no. No, I'm gonna give 0:11:19.100 --> 0:11:22.780 you another vignette. It's David. It's David. David comes. He's 0:11:22.780 --> 0:11:25.179 got to be about 17, but he's under 20. We 0:11:25.179 --> 0:11:28.780 know that. He comes up and a Goliath just came out. Alright. 0:11:28.780 --> 0:11:31.740 It's on like neck bones. Who who who want to 0:11:31.740 --> 0:11:34.900 deal with me? Nine foot seven. The armor that he 0:11:34.940 --> 0:11:40.860 carries weighs £135. The armor. And he says, alright, it's 0:11:40.860 --> 0:11:44.500 on like neck bone. Who want to take me on? All, all, 0:11:44.540 --> 0:11:48.460 all soldiers are are are afraid. Saul's hiding in officer's club. 0:11:48.820 --> 0:11:54.660 And David says, who is this uncircumcised Philistine? Now, let 0:11:54.660 --> 0:11:56.900 me just say this. This ain't even on my notes. 0:11:58.100 --> 0:12:02.100 They start hating on Ignoring him. And I said to myself, 0:12:02.100 --> 0:12:05.300 why are they hating on him? Let me tell you why. 0:12:05.300 --> 0:12:08.780 They were hating on him because he was attempting to 0:12:08.780 --> 0:12:11.740 do what they were afraid to do. Alright. And there 0:12:11.740 --> 0:12:15.820 are some people, Pastor Greene, who they don't want you 0:12:15.820 --> 0:12:21.220 to do it because they couldn't do it. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. 0:12:22.460 --> 0:12:25.780 So the best way they can feel good about themselves 0:12:26.020 --> 0:12:30.420 is to hold you back from what you said. You 0:12:30.420 --> 0:12:33.780 could do that. They said they can do that. They 0:12:33.780 --> 0:12:38.820 didn't do. And so they were saying he too big 0:12:38.820 --> 0:12:41.180 to hit. And David said he too big to miss. 0:12:41.980 --> 0:12:44.860 That's right. And what what did he do? He went back. 0:12:45.140 --> 0:12:46.860 He said I'm just a shepherd boy. But let me 0:12:46.860 --> 0:12:50.740 tell y'all something. Uh, I remember when a lion had 0:12:50.740 --> 0:12:54.540 a lamb in his mouth. I grabbed him by the beard, 0:12:54.580 --> 0:12:58.179 killed him, and took that lamb. That was God's power 0:12:58.179 --> 0:13:00.940 that did that. He said, then a bear came up 0:13:00.940 --> 0:13:04.300 on me and grabbed one. I took a club and 0:13:04.300 --> 0:13:09.540 beat him to death. So God, he's saying, he's saying, 0:13:09.540 --> 0:13:13.219 he's saying. Your problem is you're looking at your problem. 0:13:13.340 --> 0:13:15.980 You need to look at your God. You need to 0:13:15.980 --> 0:13:19.980 understand that your God is bigger than your problem. Why 0:13:19.980 --> 0:13:22.619 are you trying to figure it out? God doesn't already 0:13:22.620 --> 0:13:27.100 worked it out. Why don't we let God do it? Oh, 0:13:27.100 --> 0:13:29.179 you know what? You know it. You know it. You're 0:13:29.179 --> 0:13:32.140 talking about, uh. I'm without a job. Didn't he get 0:13:32.140 --> 0:13:34.820 you that job? Then what makes you think he can't 0:13:34.820 --> 0:13:39.420 get you another job? Yeah, yeah. Come on, come on. 0:13:39.420 --> 0:13:44.700 All the sisters say my last man wasn't my last man. 0:13:45.420 --> 0:13:49.220 All the brothers say my last woman was my last woman. 0:13:49.740 --> 0:13:51.740 Now everybody that's married should have kept their mouth shut 0:13:53.340 --> 0:13:59.339 like Brother Dave did. Yeah, but you get what I'm saying. Now, 0:13:59.340 --> 0:14:03.900 notice what he does. He based it on relationship. In 0:14:03.900 --> 0:14:07.220 other words, God got you one. He healed your body 0:14:07.220 --> 0:14:10.179 before he could do it. Now. God got you a 0:14:10.179 --> 0:14:13.260 house before he can get you another one after the foreclosure. 0:14:13.300 --> 0:14:15.580 God got you a job. He can get you another job. 0:14:15.580 --> 0:14:17.660 He can get you another boo. He can get you 0:14:17.660 --> 0:14:22.540 another whatever. That's his whole point. Look back where I 0:14:22.540 --> 0:14:29.340 brought you. You were nothing. I made you something so 0:14:29.340 --> 0:14:34.620 that you can make me your everything. That's what he's saying. 0:14:34.740 --> 0:14:38.540 So notice what he says. It's based on relationship I 0:14:38.580 --> 0:14:42.180 created you, formed you, redeemed you. You are mine. Now 0:14:42.180 --> 0:14:44.380 get this. Let me talk about these three words real quick. 0:14:44.380 --> 0:14:47.380 Just real quick. He says I created you. That's the 0:14:47.380 --> 0:14:51.900 word bara. It is when he created creation. It's called 0:14:51.900 --> 0:14:56.020 ex nihilo. Creation. Say ex nihilo. Now you know some Latin. 0:14:56.020 --> 0:14:59.340 It means out of nothing. So God says I created 0:14:59.450 --> 0:15:02.610 you who were nothing and made you into something. Now 0:15:02.610 --> 0:15:06.650 I should be your everything. Then he says, I formed 0:15:06.650 --> 0:15:08.730 you now. Now, Brother Dave, get up and turn around 0:15:08.730 --> 0:15:11.450 and show everybody that Hebrew word form one of my 0:15:11.450 --> 0:15:14.690 favorite words in all of Hebrew. Come on. What's that 0:15:14.690 --> 0:15:21.970 word mean? Yeah, it says that he saw the man. Boom! 0:15:22.210 --> 0:15:27.810 Put us together. Bam bam bam bam. But it says 0:15:27.810 --> 0:15:37.250 he saw the woman. It literally means to shape with 0:15:37.290 --> 0:15:42.130 a specific purpose in mind. He looking at at at 0:15:42.130 --> 0:15:45.970 Adam that he's put in divine anasthesia. And he says, 0:15:45.970 --> 0:15:49.010 here's what he says. Literally the the fort ize it. 0:15:49.170 --> 0:16:04.730 Contemporize it. Uh, translation I'm going to hook this brother up. Yeah. Amen. Amen. Amen. Yes, sir. Now, now, 0:16:04.730 --> 0:16:07.570 here's why I did that. Okay. Get this. Do you 0:16:07.570 --> 0:16:12.490 know what that means? He's telling them everything that happened 0:16:12.490 --> 0:16:16.890 to you. God allowed it for a purpose. Alright, now 0:16:16.970 --> 0:16:19.530 wait a minute. Wait a minute. You. You're. Rape! Murder. 0:16:19.810 --> 0:16:22.050 I didn't say he did it because he didn't do it. 0:16:22.370 --> 0:16:25.170 The devil did it. Yeah. No, no no, God does 0:16:25.170 --> 0:16:28.930 not do evil. James 113. But he does allow it. Why? 0:16:28.930 --> 0:16:33.170 Because he's sovereign. So everything that happens, God allowed it. 0:16:33.210 --> 0:16:35.690 He has a purpose. And we need to go through 0:16:35.690 --> 0:16:39.250 the pain trying to find the purpose. Why God? Or 0:16:39.250 --> 0:16:42.170 what are you trying to do in this situation? Now 0:16:42.170 --> 0:16:44.250 get this. Let me. Let me show you real quick. 0:16:44.290 --> 0:16:47.810 Use myself as an example. I have two boys. They 0:16:47.810 --> 0:16:52.210 got nine kids, and both of my boys take care 0:16:52.210 --> 0:16:57.890 of their children. And, uh, I began to say, okay, God. What? 0:16:57.890 --> 0:17:00.650 What's the outcome of this thing? because one of the 0:17:00.650 --> 0:17:04.370 things that that I really grew very belligerent about is 0:17:04.369 --> 0:17:07.090 that I didn't have a dad. In hindsight, I, I, 0:17:07.090 --> 0:17:08.889 I share some of that stuff with you. Uh, you 0:17:08.890 --> 0:17:10.570 know how I beat up a guy who had his 0:17:10.570 --> 0:17:14.250 father at the parent teacher meeting and and don't know why? 0:17:14.369 --> 0:17:17.010 And then later on, I realize it's because his dad 0:17:17.010 --> 0:17:18.889 was always there for him, and I didn't have one. 0:17:18.890 --> 0:17:20.770 And I was jealous of the fact that he had 0:17:20.770 --> 0:17:25.610 a father, and I didn't. And, uh, I began to say, okay, 0:17:25.609 --> 0:17:29.250 look at what God did. Because I didn't have a father, 0:17:29.850 --> 0:17:32.369 because I didn't have a father. I got saved because 0:17:32.369 --> 0:17:35.090 my oldest son became the catalyst to my salvation. When 0:17:35.090 --> 0:17:37.490 my wife said to me, okay, what about Jay? And 0:17:37.490 --> 0:17:40.410 I had said I'd never abandon my children. Now, here 0:17:40.410 --> 0:17:42.290 I was, getting ready to do the same thing to 0:17:42.330 --> 0:17:44.490 my son that my dad did to me, and God 0:17:44.490 --> 0:17:46.490 used it to bring me under conviction and to bring 0:17:46.490 --> 0:17:48.850 us to Jesus Christ, both on the same night. 0:17:49.170 --> 0:17:50.649 Wow. Amen. Amen. 0:17:50.970 --> 0:17:53.330 And then I raised my boys, and I was with them. 0:17:53.330 --> 0:17:55.010 And and she she didn't have to go to school. 0:17:55.010 --> 0:17:57.250 I went to school, and she didn't have to do any. 0:17:57.290 --> 0:18:01.609 I did, I did, I did, I did it and 0:18:01.810 --> 0:18:03.890 I was telling my boys, I said, you know what? 0:18:03.890 --> 0:18:10.810 I really admire you as fathers. You guys are good fathers. And, uh, 0:18:10.850 --> 0:18:13.450 my youngest baby boy, y'all know it. It ain't no 0:18:13.450 --> 0:18:17.050 secret he got four baby mama. And then he finally 0:18:17.050 --> 0:18:19.609 got his life together and said, I'm going to marry 0:18:19.609 --> 0:18:24.250 the one I love. But all through coming up, even 0:18:24.250 --> 0:18:27.330 when he didn't have a job, he borrowed money to 0:18:27.369 --> 0:18:30.410 make sure his children were taken care of. And I 0:18:30.410 --> 0:18:33.490 said to him, I said, I said, I admire you 0:18:33.490 --> 0:18:35.369 because you went to school, you went to. And he 0:18:35.369 --> 0:18:37.450 wrote me a letter that brought me to tears. Every 0:18:37.490 --> 0:18:39.729 time I read it, it reduces me to tears. And 0:18:39.730 --> 0:18:42.570 he just basically said, dad, you always telling me I'm 0:18:42.609 --> 0:18:45.369 such a wonderful father. He said, dad, the bottom line 0:18:45.369 --> 0:18:48.290 is the reason I'm a wonderful father and the reason 0:18:48.290 --> 0:18:50.450 I went to school with all of my children because 0:18:50.450 --> 0:18:53.410 you came to school for us. The reason why I 0:18:53.450 --> 0:18:56.050 do what I do is because of the example that 0:18:56.050 --> 0:18:58.650 you set as a father, and then he would always 0:18:58.650 --> 0:19:02.450 put a caveat. He said he said dad and and 0:19:02.450 --> 0:19:05.210 always both of them have said to me, and it 0:19:05.210 --> 0:19:11.010 always just I, I am asking God, make me as 0:19:11.010 --> 0:19:17.170 much man as my father. And I go back and 0:19:17.170 --> 0:19:19.770 I have to say, in the midst of everything, I 0:19:19.810 --> 0:19:22.330 give thanks. I hated the fact that I didn't have 0:19:22.330 --> 0:19:25.330 a father. I wanted a father so bad that every 0:19:25.330 --> 0:19:27.729 man that would show me attention, I would cling to 0:19:27.730 --> 0:19:29.730 him like he was my father. And they would say. 0:19:29.730 --> 0:19:31.050 Would you leave me alone? 0:19:34.410 --> 0:19:38.730 And now I realize that the lack of a father 0:19:39.290 --> 0:19:44.130 spurred me on to salvation and to be a good father. 0:19:44.530 --> 0:19:48.889 And now I see my children loving their children like 0:19:48.890 --> 0:19:49.930 I love them. 0:19:50.050 --> 0:19:50.609 Yeah. 0:19:51.490 --> 0:19:54.090 I don't know what you're going through. I don't know 0:19:54.090 --> 0:19:58.090 who this is for. I just came to tell you. 0:19:58.530 --> 0:20:01.810 All things work together for good to those who love 0:20:01.810 --> 0:20:05.050 the Lord and those who are the called according to it. 0:20:05.090 --> 0:20:08.010 You going through it right now? You don't think that 0:20:08.010 --> 0:20:11.889 God is with you, but God hasn't abandoned you because 0:20:11.890 --> 0:20:15.450 even when you don't walk faithful with him, he says, 0:20:15.450 --> 0:20:19.409 yet I remain faithful. I will never leave you nor 0:20:19.410 --> 0:20:23.369 forsake you. Lord, I'm with you always, even until the 0:20:23.369 --> 0:20:27.450 end of the age. Thank God, thank God, thank God. 0:20:31.050 --> 0:20:36.850 Thank God. For somebody who loves me with an ever 0:20:37.050 --> 0:20:41.330 telling them I'm with you. I'm there with you I 0:20:41.369 --> 0:20:43.250 formed you. Now I know what you're thinking. Why does 0:20:43.250 --> 0:20:47.450 he use Jacob in Israel? It's very simple. Jacob is 0:20:47.450 --> 0:20:50.810 his old name. Israel is his new name. Jacob is 0:20:50.810 --> 0:20:54.130 his name. Under justification. He needs to be saved. But 0:20:54.130 --> 0:20:57.050 how many know? Just being saved is not it? You 0:20:57.050 --> 0:21:00.560 gotta surrender. And so Israel is the name of surrender. 0:21:00.560 --> 0:21:04.280 So remember what happened? Uh, he wrestled with God all night, 0:21:04.480 --> 0:21:07.760 and and everybody thought, hey, you walking with a limp? 0:21:07.880 --> 0:21:11.440 And he's saying, no, that's not my limp. That's my pimp. 0:21:12.680 --> 0:21:16.360 It's the battle that you want to lose. Yeah, it's 0:21:16.359 --> 0:21:20.320 the battle where he broke my stubborn will and I 0:21:20.359 --> 0:21:24.240 submitted to him. And so this just means the transition 0:21:24.240 --> 0:21:27.000 has been made. Now, I'm not perfect, but the transition 0:21:27.000 --> 0:21:31.280 has been made. I've moved from justification to sanctification. And 0:21:31.280 --> 0:21:35.359 so this pimp is a symbol of the fact I 0:21:35.359 --> 0:21:38.840 wrestled with God and lost. He broke my will like 0:21:38.840 --> 0:21:41.920 he broke my limb. And he gave me a limp 0:21:42.280 --> 0:21:48.520 so that I would always remember that God is in control. 0:21:51.480 --> 0:21:54.439 So it's your reminder that God is in control. Do 0:21:54.440 --> 0:21:56.520 you have one? We'd love to hear about that. You 0:21:56.520 --> 0:21:58.679 can simply fill out the contact form when you come 0:21:58.680 --> 0:22:03.440 to our website, Treasure Truth Radio. Well, Pastor Ford has 0:22:03.440 --> 0:22:06.920 called today's message have no fear. God is here and 0:22:06.920 --> 0:22:09.119 you can listen to this broadcast again or order a 0:22:09.119 --> 0:22:14.320 copy on CD. When you come to treasure Truth Radio. Well, pastor, 0:22:14.600 --> 0:22:17.360 you're back in the studio for a moment with me here. And, uh, 0:22:17.400 --> 0:22:19.600 one of the things that we often will mention on 0:22:19.600 --> 0:22:23.480 this program is we need listeners financial help so that 0:22:23.480 --> 0:22:26.280 we can continue to bring the Bible teaching that listeners 0:22:26.280 --> 0:22:29.440 can on being there. Because as God's Word goes out, 0:22:29.440 --> 0:22:32.040 we know it doesn't return void. People are being encouraged 0:22:32.040 --> 0:22:35.080 and people are growing through what they hear. And frankly, 0:22:35.080 --> 0:22:35.880 we need help. 0:22:36.040 --> 0:22:38.680 Yes, we do. And you know, the good thing about 0:22:38.680 --> 0:22:42.400 listening to Moody Radio is you're going to get consistent 0:22:42.720 --> 0:22:48.040 Bible teaching. You're going to get expository messages that are 0:22:48.040 --> 0:22:51.000 rightly divided. The Bible tells us that we are to study, 0:22:51.000 --> 0:22:53.560 to show ourselves approved unto God, a workman that needeth 0:22:53.560 --> 0:22:56.639 not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 0:22:56.640 --> 0:23:00.320 The words rightly divided, is one word in the Greek, 0:23:00.440 --> 0:23:03.840 and it literally means to cut on the line. And 0:23:03.840 --> 0:23:07.920 so we're cutting on the line. What a tremendous way 0:23:07.920 --> 0:23:10.840 to grow. Well, I need to grow. Sure. And you 0:23:10.840 --> 0:23:15.080 know what? Not only am I on the Moody Network, 0:23:15.200 --> 0:23:20.280 I listen to the Moody Network. I love Chuck Swindoll 0:23:20.280 --> 0:23:24.200 and David Jeremiah and Michael Rolnick and the land and 0:23:24.200 --> 0:23:28.280 the book. 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