1 00:00:01,520 --> 00:00:04,080 Speaker 1: Hey, this is Stephen Ferdick. I'm the pastor of Elevation 2 00:00:04,320 --> 00:00:06,560 Speaker 1: Church and this is our podcast. I wanted to thank 3 00:00:06,600 --> 00:00:09,920 Speaker 1: you for joining us today. Hope this inspires you. Hope 4 00:00:09,920 --> 00:00:11,959 Speaker 1: it builds your faith. Hope it gives your perspective to 5 00:00:12,000 --> 00:00:14,680 Speaker 1: see God is moving in your life. Enjoy the message 6 00:00:17,560 --> 00:00:20,200 Speaker 1: today I want to share with you in this part 7 00:00:20,239 --> 00:00:26,320 Speaker 1: two on the subject of pivotal decisions. Pivotal decisions, I'm 8 00:00:26,360 --> 00:00:29,360 Speaker 1: going to Judges thirteen. I don't know if I'll get 9 00:00:29,400 --> 00:00:32,599 Speaker 1: there in the next few minutes. So if you don't 10 00:00:32,640 --> 00:00:35,239 Speaker 1: know where Judge is in is in the Bible, you're 11 00:00:35,280 --> 00:00:37,640 Speaker 1: gonna have a good head start. If you prefer to 12 00:00:37,720 --> 00:00:40,920 Speaker 1: just look at the screen, that's okay too. But I wonder, 13 00:00:40,960 --> 00:00:44,720 Speaker 1: as I get started, how many of you right now 14 00:00:45,440 --> 00:00:49,680 Speaker 1: are in the middle of making a big decision for 15 00:00:49,720 --> 00:00:52,320 Speaker 1: your life. Would you raise your hand if you're in 16 00:00:52,360 --> 00:00:55,280 Speaker 1: the middle of making a big decision for your life 17 00:00:55,320 --> 00:00:59,320 Speaker 1: and keep it up, keep it up. So what are 18 00:00:59,360 --> 00:01:04,160 Speaker 1: you gonna do? How are you gonna You're gonna do 19 00:01:04,240 --> 00:01:08,800 Speaker 1: like pros and cons or you're gonna like flip a 20 00:01:08,800 --> 00:01:12,679 Speaker 1: coin if it comes to that, you gotta plan for this. 21 00:01:12,720 --> 00:01:15,120 Speaker 1: You're gonna you're gonna do, like, ask a lot of 22 00:01:15,120 --> 00:01:17,440 Speaker 1: people till somebody tells you what you want to hear, like, 23 00:01:17,440 --> 00:01:20,119 Speaker 1: like we all do you know? Just keep asking people 24 00:01:20,200 --> 00:01:21,760 Speaker 1: till you get the answer that you wanted so they 25 00:01:21,760 --> 00:01:23,639 Speaker 1: can confirm the thing that you were gonna do all along. Anyway, 26 00:01:23,640 --> 00:01:26,200 Speaker 1: now you wasted everybody's time just asking them stuff that 27 00:01:26,240 --> 00:01:28,600 Speaker 1: you already knew what you were gonna do. We're you 28 00:01:28,640 --> 00:01:33,600 Speaker 1: gonna do? You're gonna like, uh, just stress, eat and 29 00:01:33,640 --> 00:01:35,520 Speaker 1: put it off to the last minute. That's always a 30 00:01:35,560 --> 00:01:38,320 Speaker 1: good plan. I like that. I like to just watch 31 00:01:38,400 --> 00:01:41,959 Speaker 1: Netflix instead personally, put it off to the last minute, 32 00:01:42,040 --> 00:01:46,120 Speaker 1: and then make the decision when the pressure's on. The 33 00:01:46,160 --> 00:01:50,080 Speaker 1: crazy thing is when I say that a big decision. 34 00:01:51,200 --> 00:01:54,360 Speaker 1: A lot of the decisions that you make, you don't 35 00:01:54,400 --> 00:01:59,440 Speaker 1: know if they're big or not when you're making them. 36 00:01:59,600 --> 00:02:02,640 Speaker 1: This is why I need God so much, because not 37 00:02:02,680 --> 00:02:05,920 Speaker 1: only can I not make the big decisions right without him, 38 00:02:06,360 --> 00:02:09,239 Speaker 1: but I don't even know which ones are big unless 39 00:02:09,240 --> 00:02:14,760 Speaker 1: he tells me. Because you know, big decisions, we get 40 00:02:14,760 --> 00:02:19,360 Speaker 1: caught up where we're gonna get married. That's me and 41 00:02:19,400 --> 00:02:22,920 Speaker 1: Holly spent so many weeks thinking about that, like the 42 00:02:22,919 --> 00:02:25,280 Speaker 1: big decision of where we were going to have our wedding. 43 00:02:25,680 --> 00:02:31,240 Speaker 1: You know what, it didn't really matter as much as 44 00:02:31,600 --> 00:02:34,320 Speaker 1: some other things. What was important about our marriage was like, 45 00:02:34,720 --> 00:02:37,919 Speaker 1: how are we going to resolve conflict? Y'all don't want 46 00:02:37,919 --> 00:02:40,600 Speaker 1: to talk to me today. Y'all were singing so good, 47 00:02:40,600 --> 00:02:42,440 Speaker 1: and then I started preaching and y'all went to sleep. 48 00:02:44,800 --> 00:02:48,080 Speaker 1: And the big decisions, you know, it's not always the 49 00:02:48,120 --> 00:02:50,920 Speaker 1: ones that you think are big. And that's why I 50 00:02:50,919 --> 00:02:55,920 Speaker 1: prefer the term pivotal decisions, because a big decision is 51 00:02:55,960 --> 00:02:58,840 Speaker 1: not necessarily what city you're going to live in. That's 52 00:02:58,880 --> 00:03:01,600 Speaker 1: a big one, I get it. But a bigger decision 53 00:03:01,639 --> 00:03:04,400 Speaker 1: for us was what church are we going to go to? 54 00:03:05,200 --> 00:03:07,560 Speaker 1: Because out of the church that we attended, that's where 55 00:03:07,600 --> 00:03:11,040 Speaker 1: we made the relationships that were really instrumental, and the 56 00:03:11,080 --> 00:03:13,239 Speaker 1: will of God was accomplished in our life, not by 57 00:03:13,639 --> 00:03:16,000 Speaker 1: just what city we lived in. But and it's funny 58 00:03:16,000 --> 00:03:18,799 Speaker 1: how people will move for a job, or they'll move 59 00:03:18,840 --> 00:03:21,919 Speaker 1: for a school, but they'll put church at the bottom 60 00:03:21,960 --> 00:03:24,000 Speaker 1: of the list and then kind of find one. But 61 00:03:24,080 --> 00:03:26,680 Speaker 1: I think the pivotal things are sometimes not what we 62 00:03:26,800 --> 00:03:32,320 Speaker 1: consider to be the big things, and that's that's confusing pivotal, 63 00:03:33,160 --> 00:03:35,640 Speaker 1: you know what I mean? Like, I guess because it's 64 00:03:35,680 --> 00:03:37,480 Speaker 1: All Star weekend. I don't play basketball. I don't even 65 00:03:37,520 --> 00:03:39,760 Speaker 1: really like basketball. I was always terrible at it. I 66 00:03:39,800 --> 00:03:43,840 Speaker 1: wrestled a little bit, played a little baseball. But when 67 00:03:43,880 --> 00:03:47,120 Speaker 1: I watched basketball, I always see them pivot. I always 68 00:03:47,120 --> 00:03:51,360 Speaker 1: see that their ability to pass and you know, without traveling, 69 00:03:51,400 --> 00:03:54,840 Speaker 1: without getting called, it's all from this foot that they 70 00:03:54,880 --> 00:03:57,000 Speaker 1: pivot on. And I'm not going to demonstrate it for you, 71 00:03:57,040 --> 00:03:59,400 Speaker 1: because again I'm not very athletic, but when I watch 72 00:03:59,400 --> 00:04:03,680 Speaker 1: them pivot, I notice like, well, that's pretty important. And 73 00:04:03,720 --> 00:04:06,520 Speaker 1: the only way that they can pivot is if they're planted. 74 00:04:07,240 --> 00:04:10,200 Speaker 1: Now I'm going to preach that in about twenty eight minutes, 75 00:04:10,480 --> 00:04:14,360 Speaker 1: but hang on, I'm coming to judges thirteen. And I 76 00:04:14,520 --> 00:04:17,479 Speaker 1: notice that, you know, pivoting is not only for athletes. 77 00:04:17,520 --> 00:04:22,320 Speaker 1: It's also for politicians. And I'll be honest with you. 78 00:04:22,480 --> 00:04:24,920 Speaker 1: As a preacher, I get it because sometimes you get 79 00:04:24,960 --> 00:04:30,840 Speaker 1: asked the weirdest questions, the weirdest, most unanswerable, most non 80 00:04:30,960 --> 00:04:33,960 Speaker 1: germane questions. I'll sometimes be doing a Q and A 81 00:04:34,120 --> 00:04:36,520 Speaker 1: or something and someone will ask me, you know what 82 00:04:36,680 --> 00:04:39,240 Speaker 1: kind of horse is Jesus coming back on? And there's 83 00:04:39,320 --> 00:04:42,440 Speaker 1: really no way to answer that without making them look 84 00:04:42,560 --> 00:04:45,279 Speaker 1: dumb or you know, because it is a dumb question. 85 00:04:45,440 --> 00:04:49,240 Speaker 1: But I love people and the sheep, and so I'm like, 86 00:04:49,960 --> 00:04:53,320 Speaker 1: I'm like, well, you know, that's a great question. And 87 00:04:53,400 --> 00:04:56,120 Speaker 1: regardless of what horse he comes on, I think what's 88 00:04:56,160 --> 00:04:58,360 Speaker 1: important is that we have a sense of urgency. See 89 00:04:58,360 --> 00:05:03,920 Speaker 1: how I just and now you don't feel dumb, and 90 00:05:04,000 --> 00:05:06,320 Speaker 1: I don't have to answer your question, and so we 91 00:05:06,400 --> 00:05:10,920 Speaker 1: all win because I know how to pivot. Touch. Somebody say, 92 00:05:10,960 --> 00:05:15,640 Speaker 1: the power is in the pivot. Let's go to Judges thirteen. 93 00:05:15,680 --> 00:05:18,679 Speaker 1: Are you ready? Because you got some big decisions you're making, 94 00:05:18,839 --> 00:05:20,960 Speaker 1: and then you've got some decisions that you don't think 95 00:05:20,960 --> 00:05:24,559 Speaker 1: are very big, but they're pivotal, Like how you start 96 00:05:24,600 --> 00:05:27,400 Speaker 1: your day. That's not a big decision, but it's pivotal 97 00:05:28,480 --> 00:05:32,400 Speaker 1: because how you start your day watch, it's a directional decision. 98 00:05:32,520 --> 00:05:39,159 Speaker 1: Watch watch me. It's directional. So I'm not watch watch, watch, 99 00:05:39,360 --> 00:05:43,480 Speaker 1: I'm not moving much. It's not a big move. I'm 100 00:05:43,520 --> 00:05:47,080 Speaker 1: still standing where I was. But I get a completely 101 00:05:47,120 --> 00:05:55,560 Speaker 1: different perspective when I pivot. The Lord has really been 102 00:05:55,560 --> 00:05:58,000 Speaker 1: speaking to me. I can tell you want them to 103 00:05:58,000 --> 00:06:02,520 Speaker 1: speak to you too, And it means that sometimes it's 104 00:06:02,680 --> 00:06:09,200 Speaker 1: the small moves that set the direction, the small moves 105 00:06:09,720 --> 00:06:13,919 Speaker 1: that set the direction. And frankly, a lot of the 106 00:06:13,920 --> 00:06:17,240 Speaker 1: biggest things about your life will be decided outside of 107 00:06:17,240 --> 00:06:21,719 Speaker 1: your volition and will. Anyway, God is so much bigger 108 00:06:22,800 --> 00:06:27,960 Speaker 1: than your decisions. I know you're very successful in your business, 109 00:06:28,560 --> 00:06:32,000 Speaker 1: but you and I both know that the culmination of 110 00:06:32,040 --> 00:06:33,920 Speaker 1: everything that happened to you was bigger than you just 111 00:06:34,040 --> 00:06:39,400 Speaker 1: made good decisions. I mean, because honestly, you made some 112 00:06:39,440 --> 00:06:42,240 Speaker 1: really bad ones too, And even if you didn't, even 113 00:06:42,279 --> 00:06:44,400 Speaker 1: if you only made good decisions, you wouldn't have know, 114 00:06:44,440 --> 00:06:46,599 Speaker 1: You wouldn't even had the opportunity to make those decisions 115 00:06:46,720 --> 00:06:51,120 Speaker 1: if God didn't position you where He positioned you. God 116 00:06:51,160 --> 00:06:54,920 Speaker 1: is bigger than my bad decisions. You know. It's not 117 00:06:55,120 --> 00:06:58,160 Speaker 1: like God is just a synonym for good decisions. You know, 118 00:06:58,720 --> 00:07:00,919 Speaker 1: being in the will of God the will of God. 119 00:07:01,240 --> 00:07:02,960 Speaker 1: And I want to ask you this question, is your 120 00:07:03,080 --> 00:07:06,640 Speaker 1: view of the will of God big enough to accommodate 121 00:07:07,279 --> 00:07:10,680 Speaker 1: even your bad decisions? And that's what I wanted to 122 00:07:10,720 --> 00:07:14,680 Speaker 1: look at. Judges thirteen is a passage of Scripture that 123 00:07:14,760 --> 00:07:18,080 Speaker 1: you've never heard a single sermon on before. I polled 124 00:07:18,080 --> 00:07:20,760 Speaker 1: at least thirty people this week. None of them had 125 00:07:20,920 --> 00:07:23,160 Speaker 1: heard it, and all of them went to vacation Bible 126 00:07:23,160 --> 00:07:25,560 Speaker 1: School and grew up going to Wednesday night church. So 127 00:07:25,600 --> 00:07:28,280 Speaker 1: if they didn't hear it, you didn't either. But the 128 00:07:28,320 --> 00:07:31,360 Speaker 1: Bible says in Judges thirteen, verse one, remember in a 129 00:07:31,440 --> 00:07:35,120 Speaker 1: pivotal time for the nation of Israel, A pivotal time 130 00:07:35,200 --> 00:07:40,120 Speaker 1: because they were in a cycle of sin, judgment and deliverance, 131 00:07:40,680 --> 00:07:45,120 Speaker 1: a pivotal time because they didn't have a king, and 132 00:07:44,280 --> 00:07:47,760 Speaker 1: they didn't really want God to be their king, so 133 00:07:47,880 --> 00:07:50,800 Speaker 1: God would keep having to raise up different people to 134 00:07:50,920 --> 00:07:53,600 Speaker 1: lead them and deliver them from the hands of their enemies, 135 00:07:53,640 --> 00:07:57,680 Speaker 1: the Canaanites and Parasites, and Hittites, and the Philistines, the 136 00:07:57,680 --> 00:08:00,560 Speaker 1: Phoenician people who were good at metal working, so they 137 00:08:00,560 --> 00:08:02,080 Speaker 1: always had a lot of weapons, and they were moving 138 00:08:02,160 --> 00:08:04,040 Speaker 1: in on the coast, and they were ruling them, but 139 00:08:04,760 --> 00:08:07,480 Speaker 1: very loosely. Now this is the pivotal moment for the 140 00:08:07,600 --> 00:08:10,960 Speaker 1: nation of Israel, and the Bible says again, the Israelites 141 00:08:10,960 --> 00:08:13,240 Speaker 1: did evil in the eyes of the Lord, so the 142 00:08:13,280 --> 00:08:18,240 Speaker 1: Lord delivered them into the hands of the Philistines. Stop. 143 00:08:19,560 --> 00:08:23,920 Speaker 1: You always hear about God delivering us out of things, 144 00:08:25,080 --> 00:08:30,120 Speaker 1: But here your Bible says that God delivered them into 145 00:08:30,480 --> 00:08:33,679 Speaker 1: the hands of an enemy and used their enemy. I 146 00:08:33,720 --> 00:08:35,920 Speaker 1: don't know if your theology is about to break wide 147 00:08:35,960 --> 00:08:37,880 Speaker 1: open and something's going to fall out on the floor. 148 00:08:38,000 --> 00:08:40,120 Speaker 1: Let's get the ushers ready in case your brain just 149 00:08:40,200 --> 00:08:42,840 Speaker 1: melts right there. But God didn't deliver them out of 150 00:08:42,920 --> 00:08:46,480 Speaker 1: the hands of their enemies. But the same God who 151 00:08:46,520 --> 00:08:48,480 Speaker 1: is able to deliver you out of the hands of 152 00:08:48,520 --> 00:08:51,480 Speaker 1: your enemies. The Bible says that at least the perspective 153 00:08:51,480 --> 00:08:54,080 Speaker 1: of the writer Samuel was, who we preached about last week, 154 00:08:54,200 --> 00:08:58,040 Speaker 1: that God delivered them into the hands of their enemies. 155 00:08:59,360 --> 00:09:02,960 Speaker 1: That's interesting to me. I don't have a category for that. 156 00:09:04,000 --> 00:09:07,560 Speaker 1: But God is bigger than my categories. I'm learning that. 157 00:09:08,400 --> 00:09:12,120 Speaker 1: I'm learning that. So he did it for forty years, 158 00:09:12,120 --> 00:09:14,680 Speaker 1: and a certain man of Zorah named Manoah from the 159 00:09:14,720 --> 00:09:17,800 Speaker 1: clan of the Danites, had a wife who was childless, 160 00:09:18,480 --> 00:09:24,640 Speaker 1: unable to give birth. Remember that barrenness in antiquity was 161 00:09:25,000 --> 00:09:28,240 Speaker 1: a signal or a sign of the displeasure of God. 162 00:09:28,280 --> 00:09:30,720 Speaker 1: It didn't mean the displeasure of God, but they perceived 163 00:09:30,760 --> 00:09:32,720 Speaker 1: it to mean that, so it brought with it a 164 00:09:32,760 --> 00:09:36,640 Speaker 1: great stigma. A certain man of Zora named Manoah, from 165 00:09:36,640 --> 00:09:38,600 Speaker 1: the clan of the Danites, had a wife who was childless, 166 00:09:38,640 --> 00:09:42,040 Speaker 1: unable to give birth. The Angel of the Lord appeared 167 00:09:42,080 --> 00:09:47,280 Speaker 1: to her and said, you are barren and childless, but 168 00:09:47,400 --> 00:09:52,120 Speaker 1: you are going to become pregnant and give birth to 169 00:09:52,200 --> 00:09:56,920 Speaker 1: a son. Now see to it that you drink no 170 00:09:57,040 --> 00:10:00,000 Speaker 1: wine or other fermented drink, and that you do not 171 00:10:00,120 --> 00:10:02,840 Speaker 1: eat anything unclean. You will become pregnant and have a 172 00:10:02,920 --> 00:10:07,320 Speaker 1: son whose head is never to be touched by a razor. 173 00:10:07,760 --> 00:10:09,720 Speaker 1: And my dad was a barber, so that verse offends 174 00:10:09,720 --> 00:10:11,319 Speaker 1: me because it would have taken money out of my 175 00:10:11,360 --> 00:10:15,200 Speaker 1: family's pocket. But anyway, because here's the reason. The boy 176 00:10:15,280 --> 00:10:18,320 Speaker 1: is to be a Nazarite. And the Nazarites don't cut 177 00:10:18,320 --> 00:10:22,600 Speaker 1: their hair, they don't drink alcohol, they don't touch anything dead, 178 00:10:23,640 --> 00:10:25,520 Speaker 1: as the basics of being a Nazarite. In case you 179 00:10:25,520 --> 00:10:28,240 Speaker 1: were thinking about doing it, that's what you would do 180 00:10:28,320 --> 00:10:31,760 Speaker 1: if you were going to be a Nazarie. He is 181 00:10:31,800 --> 00:10:36,320 Speaker 1: to be dedicated to God from the womb. He will 182 00:10:36,320 --> 00:10:40,040 Speaker 1: take the lead in delivering Israel from the hands of 183 00:10:40,040 --> 00:10:42,839 Speaker 1: the Philistines, which God delivered them into so that he 184 00:10:42,880 --> 00:10:44,720 Speaker 1: could deliver them from what was in them that caused 185 00:10:44,760 --> 00:10:46,400 Speaker 1: them to get in this cycle to begin with. And 186 00:10:46,480 --> 00:10:49,320 Speaker 1: he's going to use this child to deliver them out. 187 00:10:50,760 --> 00:10:52,920 Speaker 1: I love your word, Lord, thank you for thank you 188 00:10:52,960 --> 00:10:55,280 Speaker 1: for what you're showing me. Now, now this is where 189 00:10:55,320 --> 00:10:58,600 Speaker 1: it gets really, really, really good, because then everybody say, 190 00:10:58,600 --> 00:11:03,280 Speaker 1: then a woman whose name we don't know, who's talking 191 00:11:03,480 --> 00:11:07,600 Speaker 1: to a man whose name isn't given. These unnamed people 192 00:11:07,880 --> 00:11:10,760 Speaker 1: have a conversation, and the woman went to her husband 193 00:11:10,800 --> 00:11:15,000 Speaker 1: and told him a man of God came to me. 194 00:11:16,840 --> 00:11:21,760 Speaker 1: He looked like an angel of God. Very awesome. I'm 195 00:11:21,760 --> 00:11:26,480 Speaker 1: gonna be like, hold up, a man come and talking 196 00:11:26,520 --> 00:11:31,320 Speaker 1: to my wife anyway, you know, because he didn't have 197 00:11:31,360 --> 00:11:35,920 Speaker 1: wings or heart how we think God shows up. She's like, 198 00:11:35,960 --> 00:11:37,960 Speaker 1: I think it was maybe like an angel. It was 199 00:11:38,040 --> 00:11:39,719 Speaker 1: kind of you know, because that's how it is when 200 00:11:39,800 --> 00:11:41,760 Speaker 1: you hear from God. It's kind of like, I think 201 00:11:41,800 --> 00:11:44,319 Speaker 1: this might be this maybe God. I don't know. I 202 00:11:44,320 --> 00:11:45,880 Speaker 1: mean it like it looked like I felt like it 203 00:11:45,880 --> 00:11:47,360 Speaker 1: was different. I don't know, it's just different. I don't know. 204 00:11:47,400 --> 00:11:50,400 Speaker 1: I'm not sure. And she's telling her husband because it's 205 00:11:50,400 --> 00:11:54,559 Speaker 1: always revealed in the context of relationship. I didn't ask 206 00:11:54,640 --> 00:11:57,400 Speaker 1: him where he came from. He didn't tell me his name, 207 00:11:58,600 --> 00:12:06,199 Speaker 1: but he said to me, you will become pregnant. Uh huh. 208 00:12:06,320 --> 00:12:11,079 Speaker 1: So this awesome looking man came to my wife and said, 209 00:12:11,120 --> 00:12:14,320 Speaker 1: what I love the Bible. Though I love the Bible, 210 00:12:15,559 --> 00:12:17,920 Speaker 1: he said, you will be pregnant to have a son. Now, 211 00:12:18,000 --> 00:12:20,440 Speaker 1: then drink no wine or other firm men to drink, 212 00:12:20,440 --> 00:12:22,560 Speaker 1: and do not eat anything unclean, because the boy will 213 00:12:22,559 --> 00:12:25,199 Speaker 1: be a Nazarite of God from the womb until the 214 00:12:25,240 --> 00:12:30,480 Speaker 1: day of his death. Then Manoah name means resting place. 215 00:12:31,200 --> 00:12:36,400 Speaker 1: Prayed to the Lord. Pardon your servant, Lord. I don't 216 00:12:36,400 --> 00:12:38,040 Speaker 1: mean to bother you. I know you got a universe 217 00:12:38,080 --> 00:12:42,160 Speaker 1: to run and all that. I beg you. Let the 218 00:12:42,200 --> 00:12:45,720 Speaker 1: man of God you sent to us because I didn't 219 00:12:45,720 --> 00:12:49,200 Speaker 1: get to see him. Let him come again, if you 220 00:12:49,200 --> 00:12:53,440 Speaker 1: could just send him back for a few minutes. I 221 00:12:53,520 --> 00:12:56,360 Speaker 1: got a few questions I need to ask him. I 222 00:12:56,400 --> 00:12:59,600 Speaker 1: need him to teach us how to bring up the 223 00:12:59,600 --> 00:13:02,960 Speaker 1: boy who is to be born. So I need you 224 00:13:03,000 --> 00:13:05,079 Speaker 1: to speak to me, because you know how you need 225 00:13:05,120 --> 00:13:07,920 Speaker 1: God to speak to you and show you how I 226 00:13:07,960 --> 00:13:10,280 Speaker 1: want to talk about the plan. That's the first thing 227 00:13:10,320 --> 00:13:13,960 Speaker 1: I want to mention is the plan, because I understand 228 00:13:14,000 --> 00:13:16,680 Speaker 1: that God wants to use me, but I need to 229 00:13:16,720 --> 00:13:19,319 Speaker 1: know what that's going to look like. You understand. I 230 00:13:19,960 --> 00:13:23,360 Speaker 1: need some details. I need some specifics. I need some 231 00:13:23,440 --> 00:13:27,800 Speaker 1: marching orders. I need some dates some times, some instructions. 232 00:13:27,960 --> 00:13:31,280 Speaker 1: So please Lord, if it's not too much trouble, send 233 00:13:31,280 --> 00:13:34,160 Speaker 1: that guy back. And he said we were going to 234 00:13:34,240 --> 00:13:36,000 Speaker 1: have a son that was going to like change the 235 00:13:36,040 --> 00:13:39,360 Speaker 1: world and stuff. But I need to hear it for myself, 236 00:13:39,400 --> 00:13:43,800 Speaker 1: and I need to know the plan. Any planners in 237 00:13:43,840 --> 00:13:48,120 Speaker 1: the house, any planners, any planners, any planners, Thank God 238 00:13:48,160 --> 00:13:51,800 Speaker 1: for you, Thank God for you, because all the people 239 00:13:51,840 --> 00:13:53,760 Speaker 1: without their hand up, they always come late and make 240 00:13:53,800 --> 00:13:55,839 Speaker 1: the worship leaders lead to the first two rows and 241 00:13:55,960 --> 00:13:58,199 Speaker 1: is empty and they come crawling in the last minute. 242 00:13:58,240 --> 00:13:59,600 Speaker 1: But I don't hate you in the back, but I'm 243 00:13:59,600 --> 00:14:02,240 Speaker 1: just saying, thank God for the planners. But it can 244 00:14:02,320 --> 00:14:04,920 Speaker 1: become a problem. And I'm gonna show you why. I'm 245 00:14:04,920 --> 00:14:07,320 Speaker 1: gonna sho you why. He said, we need to know 246 00:14:07,440 --> 00:14:09,560 Speaker 1: the plan if it's going to be this big thing. 247 00:14:09,920 --> 00:14:12,240 Speaker 1: You know, if you gave us this promise, I need 248 00:14:12,240 --> 00:14:14,880 Speaker 1: to know the plan, because without a plan, the promise 249 00:14:14,960 --> 00:14:18,840 Speaker 1: is just abstract rhetoric. Without the plan, I can know 250 00:14:18,880 --> 00:14:20,960 Speaker 1: God has for me. He wants to use me. I'm 251 00:14:21,000 --> 00:14:23,640 Speaker 1: spread the gospel and all that sounds good, but just 252 00:14:23,680 --> 00:14:26,360 Speaker 1: send him back. If I could get five minutes with 253 00:14:26,440 --> 00:14:30,480 Speaker 1: this awesome looking man who was talking to my wife 254 00:14:30,600 --> 00:14:34,280 Speaker 1: and told her she was about to get pregnant, I 255 00:14:34,360 --> 00:14:37,680 Speaker 1: need to know the plan now. I love the next phrase, 256 00:14:37,760 --> 00:14:44,200 Speaker 1: God heard Manoah. God heard Manoah, and interesting that the 257 00:14:44,240 --> 00:14:47,400 Speaker 1: woman wasn't praying to get pregnant when the angel said 258 00:14:47,440 --> 00:14:50,560 Speaker 1: it was going to happen. I don't know if she 259 00:14:50,600 --> 00:14:52,040 Speaker 1: gave up. I don't know if she did pray. I 260 00:14:52,080 --> 00:14:53,440 Speaker 1: don't know if she didn't pray. Bible doesn't say it 261 00:14:53,480 --> 00:14:57,280 Speaker 1: doesn't matter. And then Manoah's begging God to show up 262 00:14:57,320 --> 00:15:00,000 Speaker 1: and speak to him. You know, God initiates, we respond. 263 00:15:00,200 --> 00:15:04,800 Speaker 1: God initiates, we respond. But God heard Manoah. And when 264 00:15:05,280 --> 00:15:10,040 Speaker 1: when Manoah prayed, God didn't say figure it out yourself 265 00:15:10,320 --> 00:15:15,840 Speaker 1: and trust me. Instead, he obliged Manoah's need for more information. 266 00:15:18,280 --> 00:15:20,360 Speaker 1: Let the person next to you know something real quick. 267 00:15:20,880 --> 00:15:23,320 Speaker 1: And it might sound cocky, but tell him anyway, it's 268 00:15:23,360 --> 00:15:30,600 Speaker 1: truth say. He hears me. God hears me. He hears 269 00:15:30,640 --> 00:15:34,840 Speaker 1: me better than Siri and Alexa. He hears me. He 270 00:15:34,840 --> 00:15:38,840 Speaker 1: hears me, He knows my voice. He likes when I 271 00:15:38,880 --> 00:15:42,200 Speaker 1: call him, When I say help, he says yes before 272 00:15:42,240 --> 00:15:45,200 Speaker 1: I can even get out my mouth. He hears me. 273 00:15:46,520 --> 00:15:51,080 Speaker 1: He hears my groans where words don't come. He hears me. 274 00:15:51,920 --> 00:15:55,040 Speaker 1: He hears my heart and the secret petitions of things 275 00:15:55,040 --> 00:15:58,360 Speaker 1: that people don't know that I'm dealing with. He hears me. 276 00:15:59,400 --> 00:16:01,840 Speaker 1: He hears the unspoken. Did you go to youth group 277 00:16:01,880 --> 00:16:04,360 Speaker 1: and we used to say? I have an unspoken He 278 00:16:04,360 --> 00:16:07,680 Speaker 1: hears what I don't say, He hears what's behind what 279 00:16:07,800 --> 00:16:11,440 Speaker 1: I said that's really driving the behavior. He hears me. 280 00:16:11,960 --> 00:16:15,320 Speaker 1: He hears my secret frustration that I don't say around people, 281 00:16:15,480 --> 00:16:17,760 Speaker 1: because if I told him how frustrated I was, it 282 00:16:17,800 --> 00:16:22,000 Speaker 1: would scare him. But he hears me. He hears me 283 00:16:22,080 --> 00:16:24,680 Speaker 1: when I sing to him, when I tell him worthy 284 00:16:24,840 --> 00:16:27,760 Speaker 1: is the Lamb of God, he hears me. I know 285 00:16:27,840 --> 00:16:30,160 Speaker 1: there's better singers than me, and I know I don't 286 00:16:30,200 --> 00:16:33,360 Speaker 1: always sing on key, but he hears me. When I 287 00:16:33,440 --> 00:16:37,040 Speaker 1: sing thank you Jesus, he hears me. It blesses his 288 00:16:37,200 --> 00:16:43,680 Speaker 1: heart to hear me, and the angel of God came 289 00:16:43,720 --> 00:16:46,320 Speaker 1: again to the woman. Wait wait, wait, wait, wait to 290 00:16:46,360 --> 00:16:51,360 Speaker 1: the woman, Manoah asked for the visit, and this angel 291 00:16:51,440 --> 00:16:55,120 Speaker 1: is back out talking to his what because God is 292 00:16:55,240 --> 00:16:57,560 Speaker 1: not going to do it like you want him to 293 00:16:57,600 --> 00:17:04,840 Speaker 1: do it. He's gonna want to see will you trust him? 294 00:17:05,000 --> 00:17:06,680 Speaker 1: So the angel God came again to the woman while 295 00:17:06,680 --> 00:17:08,440 Speaker 1: she was out in the field, but her husband, Manoah, 296 00:17:08,480 --> 00:17:11,719 Speaker 1: was not with her. No. Woman hurried to tell her husband, 297 00:17:12,840 --> 00:17:16,720 Speaker 1: he's here the man who appeared to me the other day. 298 00:17:16,800 --> 00:17:20,840 Speaker 1: Manoah got up and followed his wife, and when he 299 00:17:20,920 --> 00:17:23,440 Speaker 1: came to the man, he said, are you the man 300 00:17:24,520 --> 00:17:27,600 Speaker 1: who talked to my wife? Hold on, let me change 301 00:17:27,600 --> 00:17:35,560 Speaker 1: Manoah's accent. Are you the man who talked to my wife? 302 00:17:34,840 --> 00:17:38,840 Speaker 1: She said? An awesome looking man came and said that 303 00:17:38,960 --> 00:17:43,520 Speaker 1: she was gonna be pregnant? Was that you? Angel said? 304 00:17:43,560 --> 00:17:49,240 Speaker 1: I am so, Manoah asked him. When your words are fulfilled, 305 00:17:51,280 --> 00:17:52,760 Speaker 1: I don't doubt you're going to do it. I just 306 00:17:52,800 --> 00:17:56,000 Speaker 1: need to know the plan. What is to be the 307 00:17:56,080 --> 00:17:58,720 Speaker 1: rule that governs the boy's life and work? How do 308 00:17:58,760 --> 00:18:02,720 Speaker 1: we do this? How do we do this. We're in 309 00:18:02,720 --> 00:18:05,520 Speaker 1: a meeting this week about the church, and I know 310 00:18:05,560 --> 00:18:07,760 Speaker 1: what I want to see, but I don't know the 311 00:18:07,800 --> 00:18:11,400 Speaker 1: plan for it. And so a lot of times when 312 00:18:11,440 --> 00:18:13,119 Speaker 1: I get in that mode, I start trying to like 313 00:18:14,040 --> 00:18:18,000 Speaker 1: tweak stuff, and I start trying to manipulate stuff. I 314 00:18:18,000 --> 00:18:19,800 Speaker 1: know you don't do this, but I'm a control freak, 315 00:18:20,200 --> 00:18:21,640 Speaker 1: and so I'll be like, well, we could do this, 316 00:18:21,640 --> 00:18:23,280 Speaker 1: this and this, and it's all good. It's all good. 317 00:18:23,359 --> 00:18:25,800 Speaker 1: But I want you to watch what the Angel does 318 00:18:26,960 --> 00:18:30,800 Speaker 1: instead of giving Manoah the plan, which is what he 319 00:18:30,840 --> 00:18:33,000 Speaker 1: asked for, what do we do with this boy that 320 00:18:33,040 --> 00:18:34,440 Speaker 1: you said is going to be born that's going to 321 00:18:34,480 --> 00:18:36,240 Speaker 1: do something great? What do I do with this calling? 322 00:18:36,280 --> 00:18:38,119 Speaker 1: What do I do in this situation? I need to 323 00:18:38,160 --> 00:18:40,240 Speaker 1: know the plan. I need to know the details. I 324 00:18:40,280 --> 00:18:44,800 Speaker 1: need to know the agenda. And the Bible says that 325 00:18:44,880 --> 00:18:53,359 Speaker 1: the Angel verse thirteen answered your wife. So now the 326 00:18:53,440 --> 00:19:02,280 Speaker 1: Angel pivots from what Manoah asked to what he needed 327 00:19:02,800 --> 00:19:07,680 Speaker 1: to know right now. Now, sometimes when you pray to God, 328 00:19:08,880 --> 00:19:12,080 Speaker 1: he's going to pivot, and you're gonna be like, I 329 00:19:12,119 --> 00:19:15,239 Speaker 1: need the plan, but God will pivot. I mean, this 330 00:19:15,359 --> 00:19:20,320 Speaker 1: angel would have made a great politician or preacher or 331 00:19:20,400 --> 00:19:22,720 Speaker 1: basketball player. He could have been in the All Star 332 00:19:22,840 --> 00:19:25,520 Speaker 1: Game because watch how quick he pivots. We need to 333 00:19:25,520 --> 00:19:26,880 Speaker 1: know what to do when the boys moorn, what we're 334 00:19:26,880 --> 00:19:30,919 Speaker 1: gonna do? How many times? You know, Manoa's full of questions? 335 00:19:31,000 --> 00:19:32,520 Speaker 1: Right of course he is. Do we need to put 336 00:19:32,560 --> 00:19:33,919 Speaker 1: him in a special school? Do we need to get 337 00:19:33,960 --> 00:19:35,480 Speaker 1: him a tutor? Do we need to see some karate? 338 00:19:35,560 --> 00:19:37,480 Speaker 1: Do we need to see some jujitsu? You know? Should 339 00:19:37,480 --> 00:19:39,119 Speaker 1: we be straight? Should we what do we do? How 340 00:19:39,200 --> 00:19:41,160 Speaker 1: do me do it? And the angel says, just tell 341 00:19:41,160 --> 00:19:43,480 Speaker 1: your wife right now, don't drink anything or eat anything unclean. 342 00:19:43,520 --> 00:19:45,080 Speaker 1: That's all you need to know right now. The pivot 343 00:19:46,880 --> 00:19:50,000 Speaker 1: from what you think you need to know to what 344 00:19:50,040 --> 00:19:54,480 Speaker 1: you really need to know. And God, just watch his footwork. See, 345 00:19:54,520 --> 00:19:56,680 Speaker 1: we always want to see God's hand, but sometimes you 346 00:19:56,720 --> 00:19:59,920 Speaker 1: gotta watch his feet because sometimes he wants to set 347 00:20:00,400 --> 00:20:03,280 Speaker 1: a different direction to say, you're not even looking at 348 00:20:03,280 --> 00:20:05,520 Speaker 1: the right side of this. Watch the pivot, and when 349 00:20:05,520 --> 00:20:07,399 Speaker 1: he pivots, you got to be quick to go with 350 00:20:07,520 --> 00:20:09,560 Speaker 1: him and say, God, I don't want your hand, I 351 00:20:09,600 --> 00:20:11,920 Speaker 1: want your face, I want to know you, I want 352 00:20:11,960 --> 00:20:14,200 Speaker 1: to seek you, I want to see you. I want 353 00:20:14,200 --> 00:20:16,480 Speaker 1: to feel you. I want to know you. I want 354 00:20:16,480 --> 00:20:23,080 Speaker 1: to have you. I want to I want to understand 355 00:20:23,880 --> 00:20:27,359 Speaker 1: what you know I need to understand. And I wonder, 356 00:20:27,600 --> 00:20:30,400 Speaker 1: is God trying to pivot your prayer life? Is God 357 00:20:30,440 --> 00:20:33,719 Speaker 1: trying to pivot? You're strategizing. Is God trying to pivot 358 00:20:33,960 --> 00:20:37,040 Speaker 1: because you're always trying to look for him in logic, 359 00:20:37,400 --> 00:20:40,000 Speaker 1: You're always trying to look for him in analysis and 360 00:20:40,080 --> 00:20:43,280 Speaker 1: in calculation. But God is spirit and you can't get 361 00:20:43,280 --> 00:20:46,480 Speaker 1: the spirit through strategy. You've got to come to God 362 00:20:46,920 --> 00:20:50,479 Speaker 1: like this. You've got to come to God with open arms, 363 00:20:50,720 --> 00:21:02,240 Speaker 1: open hands, and an open heart. Pivot it. It's funny 364 00:21:02,240 --> 00:21:06,000 Speaker 1: thing about a pivot though it's a small move, but 365 00:21:06,080 --> 00:21:11,600 Speaker 1: it sets a completely different direction. Ma, Noah, you can't 366 00:21:11,680 --> 00:21:17,359 Speaker 1: handle the plan right now. You can't. My word is 367 00:21:17,400 --> 00:21:20,760 Speaker 1: a lamp unto your feet, a light into your path. 368 00:21:21,560 --> 00:21:24,840 Speaker 1: Funny thing about pivot. I've been doing this all week, 369 00:21:24,920 --> 00:21:28,320 Speaker 1: just studying this sermon. It's trying to get God to 370 00:21:28,359 --> 00:21:31,280 Speaker 1: show me different ways to see situations and to see 371 00:21:31,320 --> 00:21:32,840 Speaker 1: his will. And what I think is this will. What 372 00:21:32,880 --> 00:21:34,800 Speaker 1: I thought was his will, and I thought he was 373 00:21:34,840 --> 00:21:37,720 Speaker 1: always doing this, But sometimes he's doing that and they 374 00:21:37,760 --> 00:21:41,159 Speaker 1: get this promises this is from the Lord. You know, 375 00:21:42,160 --> 00:21:45,520 Speaker 1: he didn't realize that at first, but he starts to sense. 376 00:21:47,119 --> 00:21:53,960 Speaker 1: He starts to sense that this may be God. This 377 00:21:54,040 --> 00:21:57,359 Speaker 1: may be God, because's too big to be anything I 378 00:21:57,400 --> 00:22:00,840 Speaker 1: could do. I have a plan for it, I don't 379 00:22:00,840 --> 00:22:03,159 Speaker 1: have a context for it. I don't know. This may 380 00:22:03,160 --> 00:22:09,919 Speaker 1: be God. This is the Lord. This is from the Lord. 381 00:22:11,000 --> 00:22:15,240 Speaker 1: This gift set that I have, this talent, this child 382 00:22:15,560 --> 00:22:19,560 Speaker 1: that I'm raising, this is from the Lord. Somebody say 383 00:22:19,640 --> 00:22:24,200 Speaker 1: this is from the Lord. And so since it's from 384 00:22:24,240 --> 00:22:28,040 Speaker 1: the Lord, then I need him to show me how 385 00:22:28,040 --> 00:22:32,000 Speaker 1: to do it. But sometimes he won't answer the question 386 00:22:32,600 --> 00:22:35,680 Speaker 1: that I ask. Instead, he will give me the wisdom 387 00:22:35,800 --> 00:22:43,919 Speaker 1: that I need because he knows a better question. My 388 00:22:43,960 --> 00:22:47,760 Speaker 1: faith is not a formula, and I'm not good at 389 00:22:47,760 --> 00:22:51,359 Speaker 1: pivoting with my feet. I don't do it a lot, 390 00:22:52,000 --> 00:22:54,000 Speaker 1: so I had to practice it and I'm still not 391 00:22:54,119 --> 00:22:57,920 Speaker 1: very good at it. But I want to get good 392 00:22:57,960 --> 00:23:02,639 Speaker 1: at it with my faith. I want to learn to pivot. 393 00:23:03,920 --> 00:23:07,159 Speaker 1: And this is where it happens for Manah and his wife. 394 00:23:08,080 --> 00:23:09,639 Speaker 1: And you're gonna see it in the text. It's just 395 00:23:09,640 --> 00:23:11,600 Speaker 1: gonna blow up when you see it. It's gonna help 396 00:23:11,640 --> 00:23:14,919 Speaker 1: you understand why you've been trying to classify everything in 397 00:23:14,960 --> 00:23:17,120 Speaker 1: your life. You know, this is good and this is bad, 398 00:23:17,119 --> 00:23:18,720 Speaker 1: and this is God and this is the devil, and 399 00:23:18,760 --> 00:23:20,480 Speaker 1: this is it and this is that, and you keep 400 00:23:20,480 --> 00:23:23,320 Speaker 1: trying to do that, but it doesn't work. And here's why, 401 00:23:24,520 --> 00:23:28,480 Speaker 1: he said. Manoah said to the angel, we would like 402 00:23:28,520 --> 00:23:30,920 Speaker 1: you to stay until we prepare a young goat for you. 403 00:23:31,840 --> 00:23:35,159 Speaker 1: We want to cook you a goat. I make a 404 00:23:35,200 --> 00:23:39,080 Speaker 1: delicious goat kebab, and I'll like you to stay and 405 00:23:39,119 --> 00:23:42,000 Speaker 1: eat it because this hospitality is appropriate and we appreciate 406 00:23:42,040 --> 00:23:44,120 Speaker 1: you coming by to encourage us. So stay, We're gonna 407 00:23:44,119 --> 00:23:46,240 Speaker 1: do it and appreciate the worst and the Angel of 408 00:23:46,280 --> 00:23:48,600 Speaker 1: the Law replot. Even though you detain me, I will 409 00:23:48,640 --> 00:23:50,600 Speaker 1: not eat any of your food. I'm not gonna do 410 00:23:50,600 --> 00:23:54,520 Speaker 1: it your way. You're dealing with God now, so you're 411 00:23:54,560 --> 00:23:56,160 Speaker 1: not gonna do it like you do it with humans. 412 00:23:56,160 --> 00:23:58,200 Speaker 1: It's gonna be different. It's gonna be different, different terms. 413 00:23:58,240 --> 00:24:00,360 Speaker 1: It's gonna be a whole different thing this time. It's 414 00:24:00,400 --> 00:24:01,639 Speaker 1: not going to be all up here and what you 415 00:24:01,680 --> 00:24:03,159 Speaker 1: think you should do. It's going to have to come 416 00:24:03,160 --> 00:24:05,920 Speaker 1: from a different place. This is the pivot. This is 417 00:24:05,960 --> 00:24:10,240 Speaker 1: the pivot. And he said, but if you prepare a 418 00:24:10,280 --> 00:24:12,439 Speaker 1: burnt offering, offer it to the Lord. See the pivot. 419 00:24:13,080 --> 00:24:16,560 Speaker 1: It's not about this. It's about this. And I wonder 420 00:24:16,560 --> 00:24:19,080 Speaker 1: if we would start deflecting some of the stuff in 421 00:24:19,119 --> 00:24:21,480 Speaker 1: our life and say, you know, this is from the Lord. 422 00:24:21,920 --> 00:24:24,720 Speaker 1: This is not from me. So I need God to 423 00:24:24,800 --> 00:24:27,919 Speaker 1: do it through me. I cannot do it by myself. 424 00:24:28,920 --> 00:24:31,800 Speaker 1: This is from the Lord. Somebody shop, this is from 425 00:24:31,800 --> 00:24:34,639 Speaker 1: the Lord. This is from the Lord. But if you 426 00:24:34,640 --> 00:24:36,560 Speaker 1: prepare a burn offering, offer it to the Lord. I 427 00:24:36,600 --> 00:24:39,520 Speaker 1: love this in parentheses. Manoah did not realize it was 428 00:24:39,560 --> 00:24:44,679 Speaker 1: the Angel of the Lord. Maybe and maybe. And then 429 00:24:44,720 --> 00:24:47,080 Speaker 1: Manoah inquired of the Angel of the Lord, what's your name? 430 00:24:47,119 --> 00:24:48,719 Speaker 1: So we may honor your any word comes true? And 431 00:24:48,760 --> 00:24:51,439 Speaker 1: he replied, this most annointed verse I've read in the 432 00:24:51,520 --> 00:24:55,760 Speaker 1: last five years. Why do you ask my name? It 433 00:24:55,880 --> 00:25:03,720 Speaker 1: is beyond understanding. That's the pivot. That's where you find God, 434 00:25:05,000 --> 00:25:10,720 Speaker 1: beyond what you can understand. And so everything you can 435 00:25:10,800 --> 00:25:15,320 Speaker 1: name that's not God. Everything you can explain that's not God. 436 00:25:16,359 --> 00:25:18,280 Speaker 1: Everything you can figure out on your own, and you 437 00:25:18,320 --> 00:25:19,639 Speaker 1: can make it work and you can do it. It 438 00:25:19,680 --> 00:25:23,160 Speaker 1: worked for a little while. But everything you can't name, 439 00:25:23,280 --> 00:25:26,399 Speaker 1: that's God. And we've been looking for a name for God. 440 00:25:26,440 --> 00:25:28,399 Speaker 1: That's why we need so many And that's why he 441 00:25:28,440 --> 00:25:30,679 Speaker 1: had to tell Moses in a very special way. I 442 00:25:30,720 --> 00:25:33,720 Speaker 1: am because I need to leave room for you to 443 00:25:33,760 --> 00:25:36,760 Speaker 1: know that when you get past the point of your 444 00:25:36,800 --> 00:25:41,160 Speaker 1: ability to reconcile your situation, when you get beyond your 445 00:25:41,200 --> 00:25:44,720 Speaker 1: ability to work it out, that's where I am. That's 446 00:25:44,760 --> 00:25:48,760 Speaker 1: where I live. That's where I dwell, in the mystery, 447 00:25:49,000 --> 00:25:54,760 Speaker 1: in the uncertainty, in the tension, beyond your understanding. And 448 00:25:54,840 --> 00:25:58,600 Speaker 1: we keep trying to find God in our logic, but 449 00:25:58,680 --> 00:26:03,240 Speaker 1: he is not found with logic. He is beyond your logic. 450 00:26:05,520 --> 00:26:08,119 Speaker 1: The Manoah took a young goat and together with the 451 00:26:08,119 --> 00:26:11,320 Speaker 1: grain offering, and sacrificed it on a rock to the Lord. 452 00:26:11,920 --> 00:26:14,200 Speaker 1: And since the word came from the Lord, I'm gonna 453 00:26:14,200 --> 00:26:17,119 Speaker 1: make the offering to the Lord. And since my breath 454 00:26:17,200 --> 00:26:19,199 Speaker 1: came from the Lord, I'm gonna offer it back to 455 00:26:19,240 --> 00:26:22,320 Speaker 1: the Lord. And since this situation came from the Lord, 456 00:26:22,520 --> 00:26:25,040 Speaker 1: I'm gonna need the Lord to deal with it. I 457 00:26:25,080 --> 00:26:28,480 Speaker 1: can't do it on my own. And the Lord did 458 00:26:28,600 --> 00:26:32,159 Speaker 1: something amazing. While Manoah and his wife watched as the 459 00:26:32,240 --> 00:26:34,600 Speaker 1: flame blazed up from the altar toward the heaven, the 460 00:26:34,680 --> 00:26:37,119 Speaker 1: Angel of the Lord ascended in the flame. He was 461 00:26:37,200 --> 00:26:40,000 Speaker 1: not found in the logic. He was found in the flame, 462 00:26:44,000 --> 00:26:47,320 Speaker 1: not in figuring it out, but in the fire of 463 00:26:47,440 --> 00:26:50,720 Speaker 1: sacrifice and needing God. That's where you're gonna find him. 464 00:26:50,840 --> 00:26:53,000 Speaker 1: That's where you're gonna get it. That's where you're gonna 465 00:26:53,080 --> 00:26:59,080 Speaker 1: unlock it. That's where it'll be unleashed. I wish I 466 00:26:59,080 --> 00:27:03,160 Speaker 1: could preach about Jesus for thirty seconds right now, because see, 467 00:27:03,280 --> 00:27:07,240 Speaker 1: all my hope is in his blood, all my faith 468 00:27:07,320 --> 00:27:13,200 Speaker 1: is in his cross, all my righteousness is in his sacrifice. 469 00:27:14,359 --> 00:27:19,320 Speaker 1: And when the flames went off, the revelation came through 470 00:27:21,040 --> 00:27:26,040 Speaker 1: and he was like he was like Mineau was like, uh, 471 00:27:26,400 --> 00:27:31,840 Speaker 1: I think we just saw God. Because when the Angel 472 00:27:31,840 --> 00:27:33,480 Speaker 1: of the Lord did not show himself again verse twenty 473 00:27:33,480 --> 00:27:34,879 Speaker 1: one to know and his wife, Manau realized that it 474 00:27:34,880 --> 00:27:37,280 Speaker 1: was an Angel of the Lord. We're gonna die. He 475 00:27:37,320 --> 00:27:39,159 Speaker 1: said to his wife, we've seen God. But his wife answered, 476 00:27:39,359 --> 00:27:43,040 Speaker 1: if he meant to kill us, if God was out 477 00:27:43,080 --> 00:27:48,119 Speaker 1: to get you, you'd be God. That's how I know 478 00:27:48,280 --> 00:27:51,680 Speaker 1: he still has mercy for my mistakes, because I already 479 00:27:51,720 --> 00:27:54,959 Speaker 1: made enough. If he was gonna squash me for screwing up, 480 00:27:55,359 --> 00:28:02,320 Speaker 1: I'd be a bug on this stage. The Lord meant 481 00:28:02,359 --> 00:28:04,199 Speaker 1: to kill us, he would have done it. He wouldn't 482 00:28:04,240 --> 00:28:06,679 Speaker 1: accepted the offering. He would he would he would have 483 00:28:06,680 --> 00:28:10,040 Speaker 1: wiped this out. He wouldn't have shown us all these things. 484 00:28:10,200 --> 00:28:11,959 Speaker 1: He wouldn't have shown you all these things. He wouldn't 485 00:28:11,960 --> 00:28:13,760 Speaker 1: have seen you through all these things. Look at all 486 00:28:13,800 --> 00:28:16,359 Speaker 1: he's shown you. Look at how many times you were 487 00:28:16,400 --> 00:28:19,000 Speaker 1: off the path and somehow he got you back. Look 488 00:28:19,000 --> 00:28:20,760 Speaker 1: at all the times you were going this way, and 489 00:28:20,840 --> 00:28:23,640 Speaker 1: something just you know, he just turned stuff around. I mean, 490 00:28:23,960 --> 00:28:26,160 Speaker 1: just like you couldn't do it, and you were making 491 00:28:26,200 --> 00:28:28,680 Speaker 1: all these plans for it. But it was the pivot 492 00:28:28,720 --> 00:28:35,280 Speaker 1: that brought you back. And the woman gave birth twenty 493 00:28:35,280 --> 00:28:37,320 Speaker 1: four to a boy. Oh, I forgot to tell you 494 00:28:37,400 --> 00:28:42,240 Speaker 1: this and named him Samson. I forgot to tell you 495 00:28:43,680 --> 00:28:46,560 Speaker 1: it got the haircut. You remember, because we always want 496 00:28:46,600 --> 00:28:53,840 Speaker 1: to remember people by their worst decisions. But Samson, the 497 00:28:53,920 --> 00:28:56,720 Speaker 1: strong one who was bench pressing three oh five and 498 00:28:56,800 --> 00:29:01,720 Speaker 1: seventh grade Samson, this is how it started. And a 499 00:29:01,720 --> 00:29:03,480 Speaker 1: lot of people didn't know that because all they ever 500 00:29:03,520 --> 00:29:07,280 Speaker 1: saw was his head in Delilah's lap. But it was decisions. 501 00:29:07,280 --> 00:29:10,840 Speaker 1: It was decisions. It was decisions. And you have a destiny, 502 00:29:10,920 --> 00:29:14,000 Speaker 1: but you get to make decisions. And God is sovereign, 503 00:29:14,640 --> 00:29:19,960 Speaker 1: but you're responsible. And so how you process your desires 504 00:29:19,960 --> 00:29:24,960 Speaker 1: and your decisions right now is really critical. So she 505 00:29:25,680 --> 00:29:29,560 Speaker 1: has a baby. She names him Samson, and the Lord 506 00:29:30,240 --> 00:29:38,720 Speaker 1: blessed him. Grew biceps, triceps, laps and belts, and about 507 00:29:38,720 --> 00:29:42,320 Speaker 1: all the names of the quadriceps, cap muscles. It's about 508 00:29:42,320 --> 00:29:46,200 Speaker 1: all I know. And the Lord blessed them. In the 509 00:29:46,240 --> 00:29:49,200 Speaker 1: spirit of the Lord began to stir him. While he 510 00:29:49,280 --> 00:29:52,480 Speaker 1: was in man, I pronounced that wrong. He was in 511 00:29:52,520 --> 00:30:03,320 Speaker 1: this place. Now he's growing up, going good, and God's 512 00:30:03,360 --> 00:30:10,040 Speaker 1: hand is on this boy's life. He's a. He's a. 513 00:30:10,200 --> 00:30:14,720 Speaker 1: He's a he's a star football player. He's uh. He 514 00:30:14,800 --> 00:30:18,000 Speaker 1: learned to ride his bike at the age of three. 515 00:30:19,360 --> 00:30:26,240 Speaker 1: Good things have happened. Then the pivot, then the pivot. 516 00:30:26,640 --> 00:30:30,280 Speaker 1: Now if you just if you just watch my feet 517 00:30:30,360 --> 00:30:32,360 Speaker 1: and don't think about it, you go like, well, what's 518 00:30:32,400 --> 00:30:35,600 Speaker 1: the big deal about the pivot, We'll see you don't 519 00:30:35,640 --> 00:30:40,040 Speaker 1: really know how big the move is until you walk 520 00:30:40,040 --> 00:30:43,680 Speaker 1: it out. Because if I walk this way and if 521 00:30:43,720 --> 00:30:47,480 Speaker 1: I kept walking that way, it would be a different 522 00:30:47,960 --> 00:30:51,440 Speaker 1: completely if I but but if I if I walk 523 00:30:51,520 --> 00:30:57,760 Speaker 1: this way and all I did was this, it's a 524 00:30:57,800 --> 00:31:02,760 Speaker 1: small move, but it sets the direction. And that's what's 525 00:31:02,760 --> 00:31:05,200 Speaker 1: happening in your life. When you decide, like how to 526 00:31:05,200 --> 00:31:07,840 Speaker 1: speak to people, When you decide, like whether or not 527 00:31:07,880 --> 00:31:10,680 Speaker 1: you're gonna whether you're gonna come back next weekend to church. 528 00:31:10,840 --> 00:31:15,360 Speaker 1: It's a small decision, but it sets a direction. When 529 00:31:15,400 --> 00:31:17,880 Speaker 1: you decide, am I gonna tie and put God first? Oh? Yeah, 530 00:31:17,920 --> 00:31:19,600 Speaker 1: I'm gonna put tithe in in the sermons series. I'm 531 00:31:19,600 --> 00:31:21,520 Speaker 1: gonna put it in because it's a decision. It is 532 00:31:21,560 --> 00:31:23,160 Speaker 1: the will of God for you to put Him first. 533 00:31:23,360 --> 00:31:25,400 Speaker 1: And when you decide like I'm gonna do that, it 534 00:31:25,520 --> 00:31:29,560 Speaker 1: sets a direction to seek God first. When you decide, 535 00:31:29,600 --> 00:31:32,440 Speaker 1: like you know what, I'm I'm gonna text my I'm 536 00:31:32,480 --> 00:31:35,040 Speaker 1: gonna text my wife. I'm gonna text her and tell 537 00:31:35,040 --> 00:31:36,400 Speaker 1: her I'm gonna be home at a certain time and 538 00:31:36,440 --> 00:31:38,200 Speaker 1: I'm actually gonna be home at that time. It's a 539 00:31:38,200 --> 00:31:41,280 Speaker 1: little decision, but it sets a direction. Because when you 540 00:31:41,320 --> 00:31:43,360 Speaker 1: set a direction, you know I can count on you, 541 00:31:43,560 --> 00:31:45,360 Speaker 1: and you're gonna do it. When you show up and 542 00:31:45,400 --> 00:31:47,880 Speaker 1: eat with your family. That's not a big decision. We 543 00:31:47,920 --> 00:31:51,160 Speaker 1: want big decisions, big things from God. No, No, it's 544 00:31:51,200 --> 00:31:54,600 Speaker 1: the pivotal decisions. It's just it's the little things that 545 00:31:54,640 --> 00:31:57,840 Speaker 1: you do that set the direction for your day and 546 00:31:58,000 --> 00:32:03,800 Speaker 1: for your decade and even for generations to come. Now, 547 00:32:04,440 --> 00:32:09,200 Speaker 1: it's all going good until one day. Chapter fourteen, verse 548 00:32:09,200 --> 00:32:15,280 Speaker 1: one says that Samson pivoted and went down to Timna. 549 00:32:16,240 --> 00:32:20,400 Speaker 1: Went down to Timnah, not very far from where he 550 00:32:20,520 --> 00:32:24,320 Speaker 1: was living at the time. But when he got there, 551 00:32:25,320 --> 00:32:29,320 Speaker 1: he saw a young Philistine woman who was he supposed 552 00:32:29,360 --> 00:32:33,720 Speaker 1: to deliver his people from. So now he's in love 553 00:32:33,800 --> 00:32:40,680 Speaker 1: with what he's called to defeat, and he has a desire. 554 00:32:41,600 --> 00:32:44,680 Speaker 1: Have you got some desires that don't look anything like 555 00:32:44,720 --> 00:32:46,920 Speaker 1: Bible verses? Just at least one or two I do. 556 00:32:49,880 --> 00:32:53,120 Speaker 1: He saw this young woman. This is not Delilah. That's 557 00:32:53,160 --> 00:32:55,320 Speaker 1: the only woman we ever talked about in Samson's life, 558 00:32:55,360 --> 00:32:58,959 Speaker 1: you know, the combed his hair and set him up 559 00:32:59,000 --> 00:33:03,480 Speaker 1: and got his eyes gouged out. That's in chapter sixteen. 560 00:33:03,480 --> 00:33:06,400 Speaker 1: We're not even close to that yet. This is just 561 00:33:06,480 --> 00:33:10,000 Speaker 1: his This is just his pivotal moment. Some of you 562 00:33:10,040 --> 00:33:13,400 Speaker 1: are in a pivotal moment right now, deciding things. And 563 00:33:14,040 --> 00:33:17,520 Speaker 1: he came back and said to his father and mother 564 00:33:17,600 --> 00:33:19,680 Speaker 1: verse too, I have seen a philistine woman. Oh, by 565 00:33:19,720 --> 00:33:21,960 Speaker 1: the way, The key verse in the Book of Judges 566 00:33:22,040 --> 00:33:25,000 Speaker 1: says many many different times, I don't know how many, 567 00:33:25,200 --> 00:33:27,440 Speaker 1: but it says at least three times they did what 568 00:33:27,640 --> 00:33:30,480 Speaker 1: was right in their own eyes. And so Samson says, 569 00:33:30,680 --> 00:33:35,800 Speaker 1: I saw with my senses. I saw my senses, my feelings, 570 00:33:35,800 --> 00:33:39,280 Speaker 1: my emotions. I saw a philistine woman in Timda. Now 571 00:33:39,360 --> 00:33:43,560 Speaker 1: dinner for me is my wife. And his father and 572 00:33:43,640 --> 00:33:47,480 Speaker 1: mother replied, I think heartbreaking. This is he's on the path, 573 00:33:47,520 --> 00:33:50,080 Speaker 1: he's growing, he's being blessed, spirit of the Lord stirring him. Oh, 574 00:33:50,160 --> 00:33:52,480 Speaker 1: it's just like I thought it was gonna be. You know, 575 00:33:52,680 --> 00:33:55,360 Speaker 1: I graduated college, I got the job, I did the thing, 576 00:33:55,440 --> 00:33:58,640 Speaker 1: and then all of a sudden, life will just pivot 577 00:33:58,680 --> 00:34:04,000 Speaker 1: on you. And the kid was so cute, so cute 578 00:34:05,560 --> 00:34:14,040 Speaker 1: until they started saying words, so cute until they start 579 00:34:14,080 --> 00:34:17,399 Speaker 1: saying mine. You know, not just with children, but things 580 00:34:17,400 --> 00:34:19,120 Speaker 1: in our life that just all of a suddenly is 581 00:34:19,120 --> 00:34:21,279 Speaker 1: headed this way, is headed this way. Just like I said, Oh, 582 00:34:21,360 --> 00:34:23,279 Speaker 1: trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not 583 00:34:23,320 --> 00:34:26,080 Speaker 1: on your own understanding. I hear you Proverbs three five 584 00:34:26,120 --> 00:34:28,880 Speaker 1: and six. In all your ways, acknowledge him. And you know, 585 00:34:28,960 --> 00:34:31,640 Speaker 1: I didn't drink the for a minute, drink like the 586 00:34:31,680 --> 00:34:33,880 Speaker 1: angel said, and I didn't eat the unclean food and 587 00:34:33,920 --> 00:34:35,839 Speaker 1: so and he's doing right. And all of a sudden, 588 00:34:35,880 --> 00:34:39,200 Speaker 1: Samson said, I saw something in tim whoa come back. 589 00:34:39,640 --> 00:34:43,919 Speaker 1: And now now watch this. The destiny of the nation 590 00:34:44,920 --> 00:34:50,840 Speaker 1: is threatened by Sampson's bad decision. And the parents are like, please, 591 00:34:51,440 --> 00:34:55,040 Speaker 1: please make a better decision. Please quit hanging out with 592 00:34:55,080 --> 00:34:58,919 Speaker 1: those friends. Please. I'm telling you it's dangerous. I'm telling 593 00:34:58,920 --> 00:35:02,719 Speaker 1: you it's wrong. Because the Philistines were known for child's sacrifice, 594 00:35:03,080 --> 00:35:06,759 Speaker 1: the Philistines were known for worshiping other gods. The Philistines 595 00:35:06,800 --> 00:35:11,719 Speaker 1: were known for very abusive practices that were contrary to 596 00:35:11,840 --> 00:35:14,400 Speaker 1: the word of God. And his father and mother replied, 597 00:35:14,760 --> 00:35:18,120 Speaker 1: isn't there an acceptable woman among your relatives or among 598 00:35:18,200 --> 00:35:22,920 Speaker 1: all our people. Must you go to the uncircumcised Philistines 599 00:35:22,960 --> 00:35:29,640 Speaker 1: to get a wife. Bus Sampson had already made his decision, 600 00:35:32,560 --> 00:35:36,000 Speaker 1: and now this child, I'm just thinking as a parent 601 00:35:36,400 --> 00:35:42,960 Speaker 1: who had so much promise, so much potential, needs a haircut. 602 00:35:43,000 --> 00:35:50,440 Speaker 1: But even that's intentional. Now he's making the dumbest decision 603 00:35:50,480 --> 00:35:54,600 Speaker 1: he could possibly make, to run too what he's supposed 604 00:35:54,640 --> 00:35:59,600 Speaker 1: to be delivering the people from and they can't convince him. Now, 605 00:36:00,360 --> 00:36:02,319 Speaker 1: this is where it gets tricky, because it's hard enough 606 00:36:02,320 --> 00:36:07,320 Speaker 1: to make your own good decisions, but then you start, 607 00:36:07,640 --> 00:36:10,719 Speaker 1: you start throwing in the decisions that other people make 608 00:36:12,040 --> 00:36:15,640 Speaker 1: that you can't affect or control no matter how hard 609 00:36:15,680 --> 00:36:20,759 Speaker 1: you try. And everybody who writes parenting books, I want 610 00:36:20,760 --> 00:36:22,440 Speaker 1: to give them just one bad kid and see what 611 00:36:22,520 --> 00:36:24,840 Speaker 1: they still write it the same way, because all this 612 00:36:25,040 --> 00:36:27,719 Speaker 1: seven ways to raise your kid with the you know 613 00:36:27,760 --> 00:36:30,160 Speaker 1: from the Book of Ruth whatever, I'll give you one 614 00:36:30,239 --> 00:36:33,120 Speaker 1: demon child with a strong will, and you will burn 615 00:36:33,200 --> 00:36:35,480 Speaker 1: your own book. Get out of my face, because some 616 00:36:35,520 --> 00:36:44,320 Speaker 1: stuff you can't control. Hello, he was determined, he was determined, 617 00:36:44,400 --> 00:36:48,359 Speaker 1: he was already he was already gone. So they went 618 00:36:48,400 --> 00:36:50,640 Speaker 1: with him. 619 00:36:50,760 --> 00:36:54,440 Speaker 2: And this is the pivotal moment of my message. This 620 00:36:54,680 --> 00:36:58,000 Speaker 2: is this is the part God showed me that got 621 00:36:58,040 --> 00:37:02,680 Speaker 2: me so excited, because everyone in here knows what it 622 00:37:02,800 --> 00:37:05,600 Speaker 2: is to have the plan that you made right in 623 00:37:05,640 --> 00:37:08,320 Speaker 2: your head, the model that you had that doesn't match 624 00:37:08,360 --> 00:37:10,920 Speaker 2: the life that you're living. And now, all of a sudden, 625 00:37:11,280 --> 00:37:16,440 Speaker 2: Samson whose name means son, Samson who's radiant, Samson who's blessed, 626 00:37:16,760 --> 00:37:20,480 Speaker 2: Samson who's strong, Samson who carries the expectation of the 627 00:37:20,520 --> 00:37:23,440 Speaker 2: deliverance of the nation on his shoulders. 628 00:37:23,080 --> 00:37:25,279 Speaker 1: Is making a dumb decision. And it doesn't have to 629 00:37:25,320 --> 00:37:27,440 Speaker 1: be a kid, and it doesn't have to be a spouse, 630 00:37:27,640 --> 00:37:29,640 Speaker 1: it doesn't have to be a relationship at all. You 631 00:37:29,719 --> 00:37:33,160 Speaker 1: are going to go into some situations in your life 632 00:37:33,280 --> 00:37:36,480 Speaker 1: that you will pray about, plead about, and plan about, 633 00:37:36,719 --> 00:37:38,600 Speaker 1: and none of it will work, and you will be 634 00:37:38,680 --> 00:37:41,719 Speaker 1: faced with the question, now what do I do? I 635 00:37:41,760 --> 00:37:47,040 Speaker 1: want to suggest that when this happens, that you consider 636 00:37:48,200 --> 00:37:54,759 Speaker 1: the parentheses. There's a little thing that Samuel will put 637 00:37:54,800 --> 00:38:00,440 Speaker 1: into the record. And he was writing this record long 638 00:38:00,600 --> 00:38:05,760 Speaker 1: after the events had happened, and all Sampson's parents knew 639 00:38:05,840 --> 00:38:09,400 Speaker 1: us this is trouble. If he marries her, it's going 640 00:38:09,480 --> 00:38:12,239 Speaker 1: to lead to all kinds of clashing values if he 641 00:38:12,360 --> 00:38:14,520 Speaker 1: goes through with this, because that's all we know when 642 00:38:14,560 --> 00:38:19,279 Speaker 1: we're in it is our plan. But watch how the 643 00:38:19,680 --> 00:38:23,919 Speaker 1: text pivots with a parenthetical insert. Have you studied any 644 00:38:23,920 --> 00:38:27,320 Speaker 1: grammar books lately? The parentheses is when you want to 645 00:38:27,360 --> 00:38:30,760 Speaker 1: put something in the sentence, but the sentence makes sense 646 00:38:30,800 --> 00:38:34,040 Speaker 1: without it, but you add it in to give additional 647 00:38:34,080 --> 00:38:37,279 Speaker 1: information that might be helpful to the person reading it, 648 00:38:37,600 --> 00:38:41,200 Speaker 1: but the sentence would make sense without it, but the parentheses. 649 00:38:42,160 --> 00:38:45,959 Speaker 1: In Judges, chapter fourteen, verse four, says his parents did 650 00:38:46,040 --> 00:38:52,960 Speaker 1: not know that this was from the Lord. They knew 651 00:38:53,080 --> 00:38:57,799 Speaker 1: Sampson was from the Lord because the Angel spoke it 652 00:38:58,400 --> 00:39:01,560 Speaker 1: and her wound was barren, So the only way it 653 00:39:01,600 --> 00:39:04,520 Speaker 1: could have happened was that it was from the Lord. 654 00:39:05,080 --> 00:39:08,200 Speaker 1: But now they've got to look at a disappointment. Look, 655 00:39:08,320 --> 00:39:10,800 Speaker 1: it's no problem to look at your gifts, your blessings, 656 00:39:10,800 --> 00:39:13,000 Speaker 1: and your strengths and say, this is from the Lord. 657 00:39:13,200 --> 00:39:16,080 Speaker 1: I praise you for another day, how great and mighty 658 00:39:16,160 --> 00:39:18,880 Speaker 1: you are, and I lift your name on high. But 659 00:39:19,160 --> 00:39:23,480 Speaker 1: this this, have you ever had to walk through a 660 00:39:23,520 --> 00:39:27,680 Speaker 1: situation where you thought, really, God, this like I didn't 661 00:39:27,719 --> 00:39:30,640 Speaker 1: drink any wine and I didn't eat any unclean foods, 662 00:39:30,640 --> 00:39:33,439 Speaker 1: and I did everything the Angel told me, And now 663 00:39:33,520 --> 00:39:36,320 Speaker 1: this You're really gonna let this break out of my life? 664 00:39:36,440 --> 00:39:39,760 Speaker 1: And the author said, yeah, this was from the Lord 665 00:39:40,560 --> 00:39:44,800 Speaker 1: because he was seeking an occasion. The Hebrew really means 666 00:39:44,920 --> 00:39:47,600 Speaker 1: he was picking a fight. God wanted to set his 667 00:39:47,719 --> 00:39:51,080 Speaker 1: people free from the Phoenicians, from the Philistines, and he 668 00:39:51,200 --> 00:39:53,239 Speaker 1: was gonna do it. But he wanted to do it 669 00:39:53,480 --> 00:39:56,240 Speaker 1: not through a good decision, but through a bad decision. 670 00:39:56,480 --> 00:39:59,759 Speaker 1: So watch what he does. Because he's sovereign and almighty, 671 00:40:00,040 --> 00:40:03,160 Speaker 1: and the Lord is his name, and he is beyond understanding, 672 00:40:03,360 --> 00:40:06,160 Speaker 1: and his ways no man can fathom. Watch what he does. 673 00:40:06,440 --> 00:40:11,839 Speaker 1: He uses Samson's dumb decision to deliver a nation. Now, 674 00:40:11,920 --> 00:40:14,560 Speaker 1: if he did that for Samson. 675 00:40:14,760 --> 00:40:27,560 Speaker 3: Won't he do it for you? Won't he use this too? 676 00:40:28,600 --> 00:40:31,080 Speaker 1: The more things that I can look at my life 677 00:40:31,680 --> 00:40:36,360 Speaker 1: and say, this is from the Lord. Look he didn't 678 00:40:36,400 --> 00:40:38,640 Speaker 1: give me my verse again, verse four. It's so good, 679 00:40:38,840 --> 00:40:41,359 Speaker 1: and it's in parentheses because the sentence will make sense 680 00:40:41,400 --> 00:40:43,279 Speaker 1: without it, but your life will not make sense without this. 681 00:40:45,600 --> 00:40:48,359 Speaker 1: Trying to make sense of it, you need to put 682 00:40:48,360 --> 00:40:52,279 Speaker 1: a parenthesis on it and be like, there's something that 683 00:40:52,320 --> 00:40:57,759 Speaker 1: the author knows that I don't know of yet. And 684 00:40:57,800 --> 00:41:02,680 Speaker 1: he who began I'm looking for, whoever God gave me 685 00:41:02,760 --> 00:41:04,840 Speaker 1: this sermon? For because it couldn't have just been me. 686 00:41:06,280 --> 00:41:09,600 Speaker 1: Touch somebody say, put a purpose on it. Put a 687 00:41:09,640 --> 00:41:14,759 Speaker 1: purpose on it, because when you find yourself beyond your understanding, 688 00:41:15,080 --> 00:41:17,880 Speaker 1: you gotta pivot to the purpose. God. I don't like 689 00:41:17,960 --> 00:41:20,759 Speaker 1: this right now. I don't get this right now. I 690 00:41:20,800 --> 00:41:24,440 Speaker 1: can't explain this right now. I can't rationalize it right now. 691 00:41:24,800 --> 00:41:27,719 Speaker 1: But if you've started it, you'll finish it. There is 692 00:41:27,880 --> 00:41:31,560 Speaker 1: power in the pivot, there is power in praise, and 693 00:41:31,600 --> 00:41:37,520 Speaker 1: there is a purpose in your situation. There's a purpose 694 00:41:37,560 --> 00:41:41,480 Speaker 1: in it. There's a purpose in it. God's trying to 695 00:41:41,520 --> 00:41:43,799 Speaker 1: pick a fight with the devil, and he wants to 696 00:41:43,840 --> 00:41:47,200 Speaker 1: break some things free and shut some things down and 697 00:41:47,320 --> 00:41:50,319 Speaker 1: get some things through. And he's gonna use this to 698 00:41:50,880 --> 00:41:56,120 Speaker 1: This is from the Lord. I'm making a decision right now, 699 00:41:56,239 --> 00:41:59,640 Speaker 1: a pivotal decision. I'm gonna turn from facing this and 700 00:41:59,719 --> 00:42:03,600 Speaker 1: I'm I'm gonna turn from what I don't understand to 701 00:42:03,719 --> 00:42:07,000 Speaker 1: the God who, according to the mystery of his will, 702 00:42:07,200 --> 00:42:11,000 Speaker 1: has predestined, according to his good pleasure, that all things 703 00:42:11,040 --> 00:42:14,879 Speaker 1: work together for his purpose. I'm serving the God who 704 00:42:14,880 --> 00:42:17,680 Speaker 1: could take an instrument of death called a Roman cross, 705 00:42:18,000 --> 00:42:20,160 Speaker 1: hang on it and then get down in the ground 706 00:42:20,360 --> 00:42:24,080 Speaker 1: and come forward talking about I am resurrection power and 707 00:42:24,160 --> 00:42:26,680 Speaker 1: I have the keys of death, hell and the grave. 708 00:42:31,960 --> 00:42:34,760 Speaker 1: I hear the spirit of God saying, put a purpose 709 00:42:34,800 --> 00:42:37,279 Speaker 1: on it. I know you're going through some pain, and 710 00:42:37,320 --> 00:42:39,480 Speaker 1: I know your past was kind of rough and you 711 00:42:39,640 --> 00:42:45,799 Speaker 1: made a lot of mistakes. But put a purpose on it. God, 712 00:42:46,760 --> 00:42:51,080 Speaker 1: would you use even the dumb stuff that I did 713 00:42:52,719 --> 00:42:58,120 Speaker 1: to deliver your purpose. This is bigger than me. This 714 00:42:58,200 --> 00:43:00,480 Speaker 1: is bigger than what I feel right now. This is 715 00:43:00,480 --> 00:43:03,320 Speaker 1: bigger than what my mind can fathom. This is bigger 716 00:43:03,320 --> 00:43:06,759 Speaker 1: than what my heart can know. This is bigger than 717 00:43:06,760 --> 00:43:09,760 Speaker 1: my senses. This is bigger than my This is bigger 718 00:43:09,800 --> 00:43:12,640 Speaker 1: than this setback. This is this is bigger, This is bigger. 719 00:43:12,640 --> 00:43:15,640 Speaker 1: This is bigger. He called me, he chose me, and 720 00:43:15,680 --> 00:43:20,680 Speaker 1: I'm going to trust him that this is from the Lord. 721 00:43:22,239 --> 00:43:25,719 Speaker 1: With a parenthetical insert, the NIV Translation Committee decided to 722 00:43:25,800 --> 00:43:29,160 Speaker 1: let us know that there are some things that don't 723 00:43:29,200 --> 00:43:34,600 Speaker 1: make sense in your life, but the parentheses, that's where 724 00:43:34,680 --> 00:43:37,600 Speaker 1: you see the purpose. You just got to pivot and 725 00:43:37,640 --> 00:43:39,400 Speaker 1: trust that is there even when you can't fill it 726 00:43:39,440 --> 00:43:44,319 Speaker 1: in yet. I don't have to explain why people in 727 00:43:44,360 --> 00:43:48,319 Speaker 1: this room had children die husbands that left them addictions 728 00:43:48,320 --> 00:43:50,200 Speaker 1: that were passed on to them. I'm not talking about 729 00:43:50,200 --> 00:43:52,440 Speaker 1: whether God did that or not. We know that humans 730 00:43:52,480 --> 00:43:57,960 Speaker 1: make decisions, but God is a bigger god then you've 731 00:43:57,960 --> 00:44:00,800 Speaker 1: given him credit for. And he's above every human decision. 732 00:44:00,840 --> 00:44:08,879 Speaker 1: God is bigger than human decisions. And if Samson didn't 733 00:44:08,920 --> 00:44:13,839 Speaker 1: marry that woman, the one that he wasn't supposed to marry, yeah, 734 00:44:13,840 --> 00:44:15,799 Speaker 1: I know it's crazy because we teach like, if you 735 00:44:15,840 --> 00:44:18,440 Speaker 1: make good choices, God can use your life. I'm saying 736 00:44:19,120 --> 00:44:23,760 Speaker 1: this too us from the Lord. He was looking for something. 737 00:44:25,200 --> 00:44:28,719 Speaker 1: He's looking for something that he can work through, and 738 00:44:28,760 --> 00:44:33,480 Speaker 1: he'll even use the dumb stuff. Because if he didn't 739 00:44:33,520 --> 00:44:36,880 Speaker 1: marry this woman right when he was going down to 740 00:44:37,120 --> 00:44:39,719 Speaker 1: get her and to pay the dowry for her with 741 00:44:39,840 --> 00:44:42,880 Speaker 1: his parents and killed the lion and ripped the lion apart, 742 00:44:43,160 --> 00:44:45,600 Speaker 1: and then came back by after he came back for 743 00:44:45,680 --> 00:44:48,120 Speaker 1: the wedding and saw honey in the lion's carcass and 744 00:44:48,160 --> 00:44:49,879 Speaker 1: gave the honey, which he wasn't supposed to do because 745 00:44:49,880 --> 00:44:51,840 Speaker 1: he wasn't supposed touch anything dead, and gave it to 746 00:44:51,880 --> 00:44:54,120 Speaker 1: his parents, licked some, and then went to the wedding 747 00:44:54,200 --> 00:44:56,359 Speaker 1: and sat around the table with thirty boys talking about 748 00:44:56,400 --> 00:44:57,680 Speaker 1: I got a riddle for you. Out of the strong 749 00:44:57,880 --> 00:44:59,319 Speaker 1: came something to eat, and out of the eater came 750 00:44:59,360 --> 00:45:00,920 Speaker 1: something to eating. Out of came something swee. If you 751 00:45:00,920 --> 00:45:03,440 Speaker 1: can solve my riddle, I'll give you thirty sets of 752 00:45:03,480 --> 00:45:05,799 Speaker 1: Linden clothing. But if you can't solve it, you're gonna 753 00:45:05,840 --> 00:45:07,560 Speaker 1: get me thirty sets of clothing. And the boys got 754 00:45:07,600 --> 00:45:09,319 Speaker 1: to his wife and they were like, tell us the riddle, 755 00:45:09,400 --> 00:45:11,040 Speaker 1: or we're gonna kill your whole family. And then she 756 00:45:11,160 --> 00:45:13,000 Speaker 1: was like, tell me the riddle, Sampson, tell me the riddle. 757 00:45:13,040 --> 00:45:14,239 Speaker 1: And then he said, oh, okay, well I'll tell it 758 00:45:14,320 --> 00:45:15,440 Speaker 1: to you, but don't tell it to them. But then 759 00:45:15,480 --> 00:45:16,839 Speaker 1: she told it to them, and then they solved the riddle, 760 00:45:16,880 --> 00:45:18,360 Speaker 1: and then he had to he had to go to 761 00:45:18,360 --> 00:45:20,440 Speaker 1: Ashaakt to kill thirty men and beat him up and 762 00:45:20,480 --> 00:45:21,960 Speaker 1: kill him to take their clothes to bring them back 763 00:45:22,040 --> 00:45:24,120 Speaker 1: because of his dumb decision. But that's what set him 764 00:45:24,120 --> 00:45:25,920 Speaker 1: on a course to be able to be able to 765 00:45:25,920 --> 00:45:28,040 Speaker 1: have an opportunity to then go back home. And after 766 00:45:28,040 --> 00:45:29,360 Speaker 1: the wedding, he went back home and he was so 767 00:45:29,440 --> 00:45:31,359 Speaker 1: mad at his wife for betraying him that he went 768 00:45:31,400 --> 00:45:32,759 Speaker 1: back home and didn't even stay with her, and by 769 00:45:32,800 --> 00:45:34,400 Speaker 1: the time he got back, she had been married to 770 00:45:34,440 --> 00:45:37,120 Speaker 1: another man because his father in law betrayed him, because 771 00:45:37,120 --> 00:45:38,520 Speaker 1: he figured, you never want to marry her now after 772 00:45:38,560 --> 00:45:39,840 Speaker 1: what she did to you. But he came back and 773 00:45:39,880 --> 00:45:41,680 Speaker 1: got so mad that he took three hundred foxes and 774 00:45:41,680 --> 00:45:43,640 Speaker 1: tied their tails together in pairs, lit them on fire, 775 00:45:43,680 --> 00:45:45,520 Speaker 1: sent them loose in the Philistine fields, and when they 776 00:45:45,560 --> 00:45:47,640 Speaker 1: tore up the fields, the Philistines were mad. But Samson 777 00:45:47,719 --> 00:45:49,799 Speaker 1: killed them because he was strong. Now, he never would 778 00:45:49,800 --> 00:45:51,759 Speaker 1: have killed them if they hadn't hurt him, and he 779 00:45:51,800 --> 00:45:53,719 Speaker 1: never would have been hurt by them if he hadn't 780 00:45:53,719 --> 00:45:56,640 Speaker 1: made the wrong decision. And so it goes to show 781 00:45:56,840 --> 00:45:59,080 Speaker 1: that God is using everything. If he never would have 782 00:45:59,080 --> 00:46:00,600 Speaker 1: set the foxes loose, I never want to come to 783 00:46:00,640 --> 00:46:02,480 Speaker 1: Judah and tied him up and tried to deliver them 784 00:46:02,560 --> 00:46:04,080 Speaker 1: so we can break them free and kill a thousand 785 00:46:04,080 --> 00:46:05,839 Speaker 1: of them with the job one of a donkey. If 786 00:46:05,880 --> 00:46:07,440 Speaker 1: it never would have happened the way it happened, it 787 00:46:07,440 --> 00:46:10,440 Speaker 1: couldn't be what it is. So stop looking at what 788 00:46:10,600 --> 00:46:13,720 Speaker 1: it was and ask God what he wants it to be. 789 00:46:14,040 --> 00:46:18,960 Speaker 1: God wants to use the dumb stuff too. You can't 790 00:46:18,960 --> 00:46:25,200 Speaker 1: control it anyway. The spirit of the Lord is on you. 791 00:46:26,120 --> 00:46:28,840 Speaker 1: The spirit of the Lord is on you. If the 792 00:46:28,880 --> 00:46:31,799 Speaker 1: lion comes to attack you, he will give you the 793 00:46:31,880 --> 00:46:34,319 Speaker 1: ability to rip it open because the spirit of the 794 00:46:34,320 --> 00:46:41,040 Speaker 1: Lord is on And it's a pivotal decision that you 795 00:46:41,160 --> 00:46:47,759 Speaker 1: make when you find yourself in these disappointing situations where 796 00:46:47,760 --> 00:46:51,360 Speaker 1: it seems like you can't win. Whether I'm going to 797 00:46:51,400 --> 00:46:54,640 Speaker 1: believe that there is a bigger picture, or if I'm 798 00:46:54,680 --> 00:46:57,120 Speaker 1: going to minimize God's presence to the level of my 799 00:46:57,239 --> 00:47:06,080 Speaker 1: understanding right here, right now, Let's turn it around. Let's 800 00:47:06,160 --> 00:47:09,840 Speaker 1: turn it around, and instead of trying to tell God 801 00:47:09,880 --> 00:47:13,080 Speaker 1: what's best for us, and instead of trying to do 802 00:47:13,160 --> 00:47:16,719 Speaker 1: what's right in our own eyes, let's turn it around. 803 00:47:17,880 --> 00:47:20,319 Speaker 1: Instead of groveling in the guilt of things that are 804 00:47:20,360 --> 00:47:25,160 Speaker 1: already over, I'm telling you God uses the weirdest things 805 00:47:25,239 --> 00:47:32,440 Speaker 1: about you. God uses that big nose that you hate 806 00:47:32,640 --> 00:47:36,040 Speaker 1: and that little habit that you have. He uses that 807 00:47:37,000 --> 00:47:39,040 Speaker 1: because when he delivers you from it, you could be 808 00:47:39,080 --> 00:47:41,719 Speaker 1: a testimony and He's going to use that too. This 809 00:47:42,200 --> 00:47:47,000 Speaker 1: is from the Lord. How I don't know. I don't 810 00:47:47,040 --> 00:47:51,200 Speaker 1: know a plan. But when I don't know the plan, 811 00:47:51,239 --> 00:47:55,759 Speaker 1: I pivot to the purpose. And he's working it all in. 812 00:47:57,320 --> 00:47:59,959 Speaker 1: He's working it all in. God, help me make better 813 00:48:00,040 --> 00:48:03,919 Speaker 1: decisions in the future. But use the dumb stuff too. 814 00:48:05,719 --> 00:48:08,160 Speaker 1: That's maybe the best prayer I ever pray. God, use 815 00:48:08,239 --> 00:48:13,160 Speaker 1: the dumb stuff too. Father, I bless and honor your 816 00:48:13,160 --> 00:48:18,799 Speaker 1: great name today, as together your people offer you the 817 00:48:18,840 --> 00:48:25,080 Speaker 1: reverence of our attention and our affection. I don't know 818 00:48:25,080 --> 00:48:28,120 Speaker 1: what they did. I don't know what was done to them. 819 00:48:28,880 --> 00:48:30,960 Speaker 1: I don't know what they can't control. That's going down 820 00:48:31,000 --> 00:48:34,920 Speaker 1: to Timna today to make a dumb decision. I declare 821 00:48:34,960 --> 00:48:38,640 Speaker 1: over their life that this is from the Lord. Even 822 00:48:38,680 --> 00:48:43,120 Speaker 1: if you didn't cause it, there is nothing you can't 823 00:48:43,200 --> 00:48:52,560 Speaker 1: use with everyone standing, no one moving. You can pivot 824 00:48:52,560 --> 00:49:00,239 Speaker 1: when you're planted. You can pivot when you're planted. When 825 00:49:00,280 --> 00:49:06,400 Speaker 1: you know that he spoke it, you could be assured 826 00:49:06,400 --> 00:49:10,560 Speaker 1: he will perform it. God's trying to turn your attention 827 00:49:12,719 --> 00:49:21,880 Speaker 1: to something greater than your pain, greater than your insecurity. 828 00:49:22,040 --> 00:49:24,160 Speaker 1: This is from the Lord. It's easy to say that 829 00:49:24,200 --> 00:49:29,399 Speaker 1: when you're holding Samson, harder to say when you can't 830 00:49:29,440 --> 00:49:33,799 Speaker 1: control him. But Samuel will put it in parentheses to 831 00:49:33,880 --> 00:49:37,280 Speaker 1: let us know this is what makes life make sense, 832 00:49:37,360 --> 00:49:41,680 Speaker 1: that this is from the Lord. There's something bigger. I 833 00:49:41,760 --> 00:49:44,359 Speaker 1: can't tell you what it is right now, but his 834 00:49:44,480 --> 00:49:51,520 Speaker 1: name is beyond understanding. Father, Thank you for your sweet 835 00:49:51,520 --> 00:49:55,279 Speaker 1: holy spirit that gently reminds us of your love and 836 00:49:55,320 --> 00:50:00,920 Speaker 1: compassion and concern for us. Now that in this moment 837 00:50:00,960 --> 00:50:05,319 Speaker 1: you would administer the gifts of healing, the portion of 838 00:50:05,400 --> 00:50:12,239 Speaker 1: joy that belongs to your children but has often been robbed. Well, 839 00:50:12,239 --> 00:50:15,839 Speaker 1: come against the thief now who has come to cause 840 00:50:15,880 --> 00:50:18,640 Speaker 1: them to face in the wrong direction. We turn our 841 00:50:18,640 --> 00:50:23,319 Speaker 1: eyes on you. Thank you for joining us. Special thanks 842 00:50:23,320 --> 00:50:25,920 Speaker 1: to those of you who give generously to this ministry. 843 00:50:26,239 --> 00:50:29,200 Speaker 1: Is because of you that this ministry is possible. You 844 00:50:29,200 --> 00:50:31,680 Speaker 1: can click the link in the description to give now, 845 00:50:32,200 --> 00:50:36,040 Speaker 1: or visit Elevationchurch dot org slash podcast for more information 846 00:50:36,600 --> 00:50:39,719 Speaker 1: and if you enjoyed the podcast, you can subscribe. You 847 00:50:39,760 --> 00:50:41,799 Speaker 1: can share it with your friends. You can click the 848 00:50:41,840 --> 00:50:44,120 Speaker 1: share button, take a screenshot and share it on your 849 00:50:44,120 --> 00:50:47,120 Speaker 1: social stories and tag us at Elevation Church. Thanks again 850 00:50:47,160 --> 00:50:53,279 Speaker 1: for listening. God bless you