WEBVTT - This May Be Plan C 0:00:01.520 --> 0:00:02.800 Hey, this is Stephen Ferdick. 0:00:02.840 --> 0:00:05.840 I'm the pastor of Elevation Church and this is our podcast. 0:00:05.880 --> 0:00:08.320 I wanted to thank you for joining us today. Hope 0:00:08.320 --> 0:00:11.040 this inspires you. Hope it builds your faith. Hope it 0:00:11.039 --> 0:00:13.080 gives your perspective to see God is moving. 0:00:12.920 --> 0:00:13.440 In your life. 0:00:13.840 --> 0:00:14.680 Enjoy the message. 0:00:17.920 --> 0:00:20.360 I was looking back on the sermons that I preached 0:00:20.360 --> 0:00:22.759 to you this year, just really trying to put in 0:00:22.840 --> 0:00:25.919 context what the Lord has spoken and remember some of 0:00:25.960 --> 0:00:29.120 the things that he shared with us. And it was 0:00:29.200 --> 0:00:32.040 just powerful for me to remember the times that we've 0:00:32.080 --> 0:00:33.479 shared together in his presence. 0:00:34.320 --> 0:00:37.559 I did a series called Cold, I did a series 0:00:37.600 --> 0:00:41.200 called That's What I Thought. I did a series called 0:00:42.520 --> 0:00:44.000 same Lies, New Loops. Thank you. 0:00:44.040 --> 0:00:52.400 I already forgot that one, And yeah, that's what you 0:00:52.440 --> 0:00:53.000 think about that? 0:00:53.200 --> 0:00:55.400 Huh. 0:00:55.480 --> 0:01:00.000 Indeed, that must mean the Lord wanted to send you 0:01:00.160 --> 0:01:01.440 a score update. 0:01:02.640 --> 0:01:04.200 To let you know that no matter. 0:01:04.000 --> 0:01:05.959 How far down you are in the fourth quarter of 0:01:06.000 --> 0:01:07.240 twenty twenty five. 0:01:10.000 --> 0:01:14.640 Touch somebody and say I feel a comeback. Come on, 0:01:14.720 --> 0:01:17.120 it's the last quarter of the year. But God can 0:01:17.200 --> 0:01:19.760 do anything. Look at your neighbors, say da da da 0:01:19.840 --> 0:01:24.679 da da da. Sometimes you gotta tell the devil Da 0:01:25.120 --> 0:01:25.440 da da. 0:01:25.440 --> 0:01:32.000 Da Philippians, chapter three, verse ten. Thank you to all 0:01:32.040 --> 0:01:34.880 of our campus pastors who preached so beautifully last week. 0:01:35.440 --> 0:01:37.720 Thank you for leading, thank you for shepherd, and thank you. 0:01:37.720 --> 0:01:41.600 For sharing for the people of God. Making sure you're 0:01:41.600 --> 0:01:46.320 still standing. It's good for your circulation. Philippians, chapter three, 0:01:46.400 --> 0:01:54.280 verse ten. I can't speak for you, but I. 0:01:53.400 --> 0:01:55.800 Want to know Christ. I do. 0:01:57.720 --> 0:02:00.640 I want to know Christ, yes to the power of 0:02:00.680 --> 0:02:04.520 his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him 0:02:04.520 --> 0:02:09.400 in his death, and so somehow love that word. It 0:02:09.480 --> 0:02:12.200 means I'm more focused on the person than the plan. 0:02:13.520 --> 0:02:17.440 I want to know Christ so that somehow, however, he 0:02:17.520 --> 0:02:19.160 chooses to do it. And that's what we're going to 0:02:19.200 --> 0:02:22.560 talk about today, by the way, So somehow I can 0:02:22.600 --> 0:02:26.560 attain to the resurrection from the dead. Now this part 0:02:26.600 --> 0:02:29.959 is important, not that I've already obtained all this. 0:02:30.960 --> 0:02:34.560 Or have already arrived at my goal. Wearn't your neighbor, 0:02:34.600 --> 0:02:39.120 I'm not there yet, Yeah, tell him? I might. I might. 0:02:39.320 --> 0:02:41.279 I might cuss you out leaving the parking. 0:02:41.000 --> 0:02:44.320 Lot today if the Lord doesn't do a work because 0:02:44.320 --> 0:02:45.160 I'm not there yet. 0:02:46.680 --> 0:02:48.320 I don't want to. But as possible. 0:02:49.760 --> 0:02:56.160 If the traffic's real bad, if you drive stupid, all right, focus, 0:02:57.440 --> 0:02:58.639 I should read the whole verse again. 0:02:58.680 --> 0:02:59.320 I messed it up. 0:02:59.320 --> 0:03:01.880 Not that I have already obtained all this or have 0:03:01.919 --> 0:03:05.560 already arrived at my goal. But I press on to 0:03:05.680 --> 0:03:09.680 take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold 0:03:09.960 --> 0:03:13.200 of me. Beautiful brothers and sisters. I do not consider 0:03:13.240 --> 0:03:16.160 myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing 0:03:16.280 --> 0:03:21.160 I do. Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what 0:03:21.320 --> 0:03:25.440 is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win 0:03:25.480 --> 0:03:28.840 the prize for which God has called me heavenward in 0:03:28.960 --> 0:03:29.880 Christ Jesus. 0:03:30.320 --> 0:03:35.000 Give the Lord praise for his word. Now. Exodus chapter 0:03:35.160 --> 0:03:39.920 number thirteen for our Old Testament demonstration. 0:03:40.160 --> 0:03:45.960 Exodus chapter thirteen, verse seventeen says this, when Pharaoh let 0:03:45.960 --> 0:03:49.280 the people go, God did not lead them on the 0:03:49.400 --> 0:03:53.920 road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter, for 0:03:54.120 --> 0:03:58.360 God said, if they face war, they might change their 0:03:58.400 --> 0:04:00.640 minds and return to Egypt. 0:04:01.520 --> 0:04:06.520 So God led the people around by the desert road 0:04:06.640 --> 0:04:07.880 toward the Red Sea. 0:04:08.640 --> 0:04:12.560 The Israelites went up out of Egypt ready for battle. 0:04:13.160 --> 0:04:15.160 Now, I want you to sit down in this order. 0:04:15.200 --> 0:04:18.479 Okay, if you are at one of our physical locations today. 0:04:18.480 --> 0:04:20.680 Play along. If you're online, just raise your hand in 0:04:20.720 --> 0:04:24.320 the chat or something like that. If everything went the 0:04:24.320 --> 0:04:27.840 way you planned it this year, and you are exactly 0:04:28.000 --> 0:04:30.360 where you intended to be in every area of your 0:04:30.360 --> 0:04:32.440 life at the end of this year. When you started 0:04:32.440 --> 0:04:34.560 the year, you planned it, and right now. 0:04:34.520 --> 0:04:36.640 You possess it. You may be seated. 0:04:38.720 --> 0:04:41.640 Because we want to look at who to hire to 0:04:41.680 --> 0:04:45.560 be our therapist or our coach or pray for because. 0:04:45.279 --> 0:04:50.240 You're a liar, but everybody else that had a plan 0:04:50.320 --> 0:04:53.080 A and then a plan B. 0:04:55.400 --> 0:04:56.960 I want you to look at your neighbor and tell 0:04:56.960 --> 0:04:57.960 them my title, because I think. 0:04:57.880 --> 0:04:59.279 The whole church is still standing. 0:05:00.520 --> 0:05:03.799 Tell him this must be my plan. 0:05:04.000 --> 0:05:10.120 See. Hey, you may be seated. Plan see. 0:05:10.360 --> 0:05:12.640 That's what I'm calling the message, Chris, this must be 0:05:13.800 --> 0:05:17.320 my plan see, and we'll talk a little bit about 0:05:17.320 --> 0:05:20.880 what that means in just a moment. There was an 0:05:20.920 --> 0:05:25.880 apocalyptic fog in the air as we drove to church today. 0:05:27.480 --> 0:05:29.839 Abby and I were driving into church and I looked 0:05:29.839 --> 0:05:32.440 at her and said, this is kind of freaky. 0:05:33.680 --> 0:05:35.279 She said, I know, but it's kind of cool. 0:05:36.360 --> 0:05:38.680 We were listening to a song that we just recorded 0:05:38.839 --> 0:05:40.279 you don't have it yet, you will soon. 0:05:40.320 --> 0:05:41.360 It's called so be It. 0:05:42.320 --> 0:05:44.919 And as I was saying this to her, the voice 0:05:44.920 --> 0:05:47.159 of the lead vocalist on our song called so be 0:05:47.240 --> 0:05:49.880 It said, like a thief in the night, he'll returned 0:05:49.920 --> 0:05:53.120 for his bride. Even so, Jesus come, Jesus come, split 0:05:53.160 --> 0:05:53.800 the skies. 0:05:54.320 --> 0:05:55.279 So be it God. 0:05:56.080 --> 0:05:57.760 And I looked at Abby and said, wouldn't it be 0:05:57.839 --> 0:06:01.680 wild if while we're listening into that, Jesus just came 0:06:01.720 --> 0:06:04.360 back on. It's like six in the morning. She's rolling 0:06:04.360 --> 0:06:06.599 her eyes at me and stuff. But I looked at her. 0:06:06.640 --> 0:06:08.920 I'm just messing with her. I said, would you be ready? 0:06:09.960 --> 0:06:12.840 And she said, uh, not really, I've got some work 0:06:12.839 --> 0:06:13.359 to do. 0:06:13.760 --> 0:06:16.440 Just keeping it honest. Like I wouldn't want him to 0:06:16.480 --> 0:06:17.880 come exactly right now. 0:06:18.600 --> 0:06:20.640 I don't know what's going on in young Abbey's life 0:06:20.680 --> 0:06:21.840 that she needs to repent of. 0:06:22.440 --> 0:06:29.960 Y'all pray for her as well. When the Israelites left Egypt, 0:06:30.040 --> 0:06:30.800 the Bible us. 0:06:30.760 --> 0:06:32.960 As an interesting phrase, and I call your attention to 0:06:33.000 --> 0:06:37.320 it once again as we bring these two amazing, amazing 0:06:37.360 --> 0:06:41.640 scriptures together today. One is located out of four hundred 0:06:41.720 --> 0:06:44.200 years of slavery, where God set his people free, and 0:06:44.240 --> 0:06:47.760 one is located in a prison cell where an apostle 0:06:47.839 --> 0:06:50.239 is being held captive for his obedience to God. 0:06:50.680 --> 0:06:51.839 Let me set this up, Okay. 0:06:52.120 --> 0:06:55.400 The richness of it is the second scripture I read you, 0:06:55.400 --> 0:07:00.400 they're coming out of captivity, and the first sure I 0:07:00.520 --> 0:07:04.720 read you, he is still in captivity. But I think 0:07:04.760 --> 0:07:07.840 there is a thread that will help us evaluate where 0:07:07.839 --> 0:07:11.120 we are, where we wanted to be, the plan we had, 0:07:11.760 --> 0:07:15.120 and what God actually did while we were making our plans, 0:07:15.440 --> 0:07:23.679 which was laugh. The Egyptians had held God's people captive 0:07:23.720 --> 0:07:26.640 to the point that they cried out to God. 0:07:27.840 --> 0:07:29.920 And I want to speak this sermon in three different 0:07:29.920 --> 0:07:30.680 stages today. 0:07:30.760 --> 0:07:34.600 One I want to talk about the crying, the crying, 0:07:35.520 --> 0:07:40.160 and then I want to talk about the crossing, the crossing. 0:07:40.520 --> 0:07:42.400 Why aren't you writing down the points? What if there's 0:07:42.440 --> 0:07:43.440 a pop quiz on this? 0:07:44.320 --> 0:07:46.200 What if the devil tries to beat you up next 0:07:46.200 --> 0:07:47.880 week and you need to go back and refer to this, 0:07:48.000 --> 0:07:53.680 write it down. The crying, the crossing, and then the covering. 0:07:54.960 --> 0:07:56.760 Those three things that I want to talk to you 0:07:56.760 --> 0:08:00.640 about today. They cried out to go Godd, it says 0:08:00.680 --> 0:08:02.600 in Exodus chapter three, verse seven. 0:08:02.800 --> 0:08:05.240 This is not for the screen, but just listen to 0:08:05.280 --> 0:08:05.840 it real quick. 0:08:06.600 --> 0:08:09.800 When the Lord appeared to Moses, he said, I've come 0:08:09.880 --> 0:08:13.920 down because I'm concerned about my people. I have seen 0:08:14.000 --> 0:08:16.360 the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard 0:08:16.400 --> 0:08:21.440 them crying out. I have devices all over my house 0:08:21.600 --> 0:08:24.120 that listen to me. I know they listen to me 0:08:24.240 --> 0:08:26.520 because I talk about a restaurant and it shows up 0:08:26.600 --> 0:08:30.360 on my phone without being typed in. I'm thankful that 0:08:30.440 --> 0:08:33.120 the Lord listens to me as well, and that he 0:08:33.200 --> 0:08:36.560 puts things in my path in response to the prayers 0:08:36.600 --> 0:08:40.000 that I pray. Have you ever noticed that God will 0:08:40.000 --> 0:08:43.120 put something in your path in response to the prayer 0:08:43.120 --> 0:08:43.720 that you prayed. 0:08:44.880 --> 0:08:47.040 God won't always pick you up and carry you where 0:08:47.080 --> 0:08:50.000 you need to go, but he'll put something in your path. 0:08:50.720 --> 0:08:52.040 I believe for somebody right now. 0:08:52.080 --> 0:08:54.840 God put this message in your algorithm because he's putting 0:08:54.920 --> 0:08:58.120 something in your path. You almost tripped over this video, 0:08:58.160 --> 0:09:00.439 didn't you. You didn't even want to see a forty 0:09:00.440 --> 0:09:02.400 five year old middle aged man in a black hoodie 0:09:02.400 --> 0:09:03.199 with a Bible open. 0:09:03.480 --> 0:09:05.560 You were looking for something much more entertaining. 0:09:05.600 --> 0:09:08.880 But God puts something in your path because he knows 0:09:08.920 --> 0:09:10.800 about the things that you're going through, and he wanted 0:09:10.800 --> 0:09:13.400 you to accidentally trip over this video. 0:09:13.520 --> 0:09:15.920 It's not the algorithm. It's the anointing of the. 0:09:15.840 --> 0:09:18.200 God who loves you so much and called you from 0:09:18.240 --> 0:09:20.560 an early age that he would put this message in 0:09:20.640 --> 0:09:21.640 your path at this time. 0:09:21.679 --> 0:09:22.680 Oh, it's not an accident. 0:09:22.679 --> 0:09:24.840 Don't switch it off, don't mute it, don't scroll past it, 0:09:24.880 --> 0:09:26.800 don't fast forward till I really start going good. I'm 0:09:26.840 --> 0:09:30.200 going right now to tell you that often God will 0:09:30.240 --> 0:09:33.679 answer your prayer by putting something in your path, and 0:09:33.760 --> 0:09:35.880 we praise him when he does. We praise him when 0:09:35.880 --> 0:09:40.000 he does. We praise him when he does. Now, it's 0:09:40.040 --> 0:09:42.160 not luck. It was the Lord. The Lord put that 0:09:42.200 --> 0:09:46.360 in my path. It wasn't happenstance. It wasn't coincidence. Stop 0:09:46.520 --> 0:09:50.600 blaming coincidence for God's work. You see what I'm saying. 0:09:50.880 --> 0:09:53.440 When you call it coincidence, you diminish the divine. 0:09:53.480 --> 0:09:55.760 It was God that put it in your path. 0:09:56.480 --> 0:09:59.439 God puts things in our path in response to our prayers. 0:10:00.000 --> 0:10:01.640 We are not aware of the things that He puts 0:10:01.679 --> 0:10:04.040 in our path, and answer to our prayers, we will 0:10:04.080 --> 0:10:06.120 trip right over what he put in front of us, 0:10:06.400 --> 0:10:10.120 trying to get to what we think we wanted. I said, 0:10:10.160 --> 0:10:13.760 you can trip right in front of what God put Well, 0:10:13.800 --> 0:10:16.720 I said that wrong. You can trip over what God 0:10:16.760 --> 0:10:19.960 put right in front of you, trying to get where 0:10:19.960 --> 0:10:21.959 you think you need to be, or trying to get 0:10:22.000 --> 0:10:25.120 to what you think you want it. Paul said, I 0:10:25.120 --> 0:10:28.880 want to know Christ. I'm clear about the outcome. I 0:10:28.920 --> 0:10:31.560 want to draw closer to him. If I have to 0:10:31.600 --> 0:10:34.000 suffer to get to know him. I would rather suffer 0:10:34.120 --> 0:10:38.320 and know him than succeed and forget him. I would 0:10:38.360 --> 0:10:41.719 rather go through something hard and have him than to 0:10:41.800 --> 0:10:44.360 be far from him and everybody else think my life 0:10:44.400 --> 0:10:48.720 is wonderful. I would rather have Christ. I would rather 0:10:48.800 --> 0:10:52.480 have him. I don't want to miss him on the 0:10:52.480 --> 0:10:56.319 way to it. And it's so important that you understand 0:10:56.400 --> 0:10:59.920 whatever you're going through in your life that God hears 0:11:00.800 --> 0:11:01.880 your Christ. 0:11:02.280 --> 0:11:04.240 What do we mean when we say that, Well, let 0:11:04.280 --> 0:11:05.120 me break it down for you. 0:11:05.160 --> 0:11:09.000 And I can't exactly explain this to you, but when 0:11:09.000 --> 0:11:10.960 I describe it, the Holy Spirit will. 0:11:10.840 --> 0:11:13.120 Help you to know what I'm talking about. 0:11:13.480 --> 0:11:17.199 Sometimes God answers your prayer by putting something in your 0:11:17.280 --> 0:11:20.600 path that looks like what you prayed for that happens. 0:11:21.840 --> 0:11:23.440 But today I want to talk with you for a 0:11:23.480 --> 0:11:30.080 little bit about when God sends a problem in answer 0:11:30.679 --> 0:11:40.800 to a prayer. Sometimes God will send a problem in 0:11:40.960 --> 0:11:42.640 answer to a prayer. 0:11:43.480 --> 0:11:45.360 The example that I'm thinking about in my. 0:11:45.400 --> 0:11:48.120 Life right now is too personal to share with you, 0:11:49.320 --> 0:11:53.760 But I just recently prayed about something and then a 0:11:53.840 --> 0:11:57.400 problem arose and I didn't see the connection between the 0:11:57.440 --> 0:12:00.840 two at the time, but the Lord didn't showed me. 0:12:01.559 --> 0:12:04.800 You know, that problem that you are now praying for 0:12:04.880 --> 0:12:09.040 me to remove from your life. That problem that you're 0:12:09.080 --> 0:12:13.560 praying for me to remove, I sent to answer the 0:12:13.640 --> 0:12:14.720 last prayer you prayed. 0:12:16.320 --> 0:12:19.640 I don't know if this is clear or not. It's 0:12:19.720 --> 0:12:21.440 like I asked God. 0:12:21.280 --> 0:12:24.640 To do something in my life and then something happened 0:12:24.679 --> 0:12:27.520 that did not resemble what I asked God to do, 0:12:28.440 --> 0:12:30.040 and so I'm like, oh God, I got to get 0:12:30.120 --> 0:12:32.840 rid of this problem, so you can answer this prayer. 0:12:33.520 --> 0:12:36.800 Right I'm praying about this, here comes the problem. I'm like, oh, God, 0:12:36.880 --> 0:12:39.240 take this problem out and answer the prayer. And the 0:12:39.280 --> 0:12:43.600 Lord's like, I just did, but I did it different. 0:12:45.040 --> 0:12:48.320 I did it different, and so now the answer doesn't 0:12:48.320 --> 0:12:50.760 resemble the prayer. So you are too blind to see 0:12:51.520 --> 0:12:53.600 that the thing that you're continuing to pray for me 0:12:53.640 --> 0:12:55.120 to take away is the thing that I sent to 0:12:55.160 --> 0:12:57.000 answer the prayer that you were praying to begin with. 0:12:57.559 --> 0:12:59.559 I know it's not very clear. Let me try to 0:12:59.559 --> 0:13:02.920 make it clear from the Bible. In Exodus chapter thirteen, 0:13:03.280 --> 0:13:07.880 God's people are coming out of Egyptian slavery. God answered 0:13:08.040 --> 0:13:11.480 their prayer. He sent Moses to get them out of slavery. 0:13:11.760 --> 0:13:14.280 But they're not just concerned with coming out of Egypt, 0:13:14.360 --> 0:13:16.320 because where will they go from Egypt. 0:13:16.640 --> 0:13:18.960 I have to have somewhere to live. I have to 0:13:19.000 --> 0:13:20.920 have some type of soil to cultivate. 0:13:21.200 --> 0:13:24.280 I have to have some type of agriculture by which. 0:13:24.120 --> 0:13:26.400 I can partner with the earth so that our babies 0:13:26.440 --> 0:13:26.880 can eat. 0:13:27.240 --> 0:13:29.640 I have to have some kind of formation. I have 0:13:29.720 --> 0:13:32.640 to have some sort of government. And God is always 0:13:32.679 --> 0:13:36.160 taking you out of something, bringing you into something, taking 0:13:36.160 --> 0:13:39.160 you out of something, bringing you into something, taking you 0:13:39.240 --> 0:13:41.800 out of something, and bringing you into something. And the 0:13:41.800 --> 0:13:47.160 Bible says something very powerful in Exodus chapter thirteen, verse seventeen, 0:13:47.600 --> 0:13:53.720 when Pharaoh let the people go. What's interesting about that 0:13:54.960 --> 0:13:59.040 God knew that although Pharaoh had let his people go 0:13:59.679 --> 0:14:01.040 with just ten plagues. 0:14:02.200 --> 0:14:05.400 His people had still not let Pharaoh go. 0:14:11.080 --> 0:14:15.760 In an amazing that it only took God ten plagues. 0:14:15.800 --> 0:14:18.080 I know that's a lot, but it's only ten. 0:14:18.640 --> 0:14:22.760 It only took God ten plagues to get Pharaoh to 0:14:22.840 --> 0:14:24.960 let his people go. Now, Pharaoh didn't let them go quickly. 0:14:25.080 --> 0:14:27.720 The enemy will never let you go quickly, not if 0:14:27.720 --> 0:14:31.920 you're gifted. Why would he Why would he let you 0:14:32.000 --> 0:14:34.840 go quickly? Why would he release his grip on you? 0:14:35.240 --> 0:14:38.320 Why would he allow you to forgive without feeling bitterness? 0:14:38.640 --> 0:14:41.440 Why would he give up your services? Why would he 0:14:41.560 --> 0:14:44.480 let you go easily? He knows what you're capable of, 0:14:44.520 --> 0:14:46.440 if you ever get liberated. 0:14:46.200 --> 0:14:47.320 Why would he let you go? 0:14:47.560 --> 0:14:50.360 Come on, somebody in New York shout, The reason the 0:14:50.400 --> 0:14:54.080 devil is squeezing you is because there's something he sees 0:14:54.160 --> 0:14:57.080 in you that if you ever get free, if you 0:14:57.160 --> 0:15:00.800 ever get loose, if you ever shake this off, if 0:15:00.840 --> 0:15:01.440 you ever. 0:15:01.240 --> 0:15:03.760 Get out of here, if I ever get out of 0:15:03.800 --> 0:15:06.920 this place, if I ever get out of this mindset, 0:15:07.320 --> 0:15:11.920 I'm gonna do something for God. Somebody shout, God has 0:15:12.000 --> 0:15:16.600 something for me. God's got something for you. 0:15:17.120 --> 0:15:20.440 That's what the attack means that's what the enemy is 0:15:20.480 --> 0:15:21.320 fighting you over. 0:15:21.640 --> 0:15:25.320 God's got something for you. And isn't it. 0:15:25.280 --> 0:15:29.960 Amazing that although it only took ten plagues for God 0:15:30.000 --> 0:15:33.440 to get Pharaoh to let his people go, it took 0:15:33.560 --> 0:15:37.360 forty years of wilderness wandering for God to get his 0:15:37.480 --> 0:15:44.720 people to let Pharaoh go. Relief is easy. Freedom is 0:15:44.760 --> 0:15:50.920 a process I felt annointed to teach today. Let's don't 0:15:50.960 --> 0:15:54.120 worry about all three points. Let's just talk about crying 0:15:54.240 --> 0:15:57.680 real quick. What if you are crying about something that 0:15:57.760 --> 0:16:00.440 God is using, that God is trying to use. 0:16:00.680 --> 0:16:02.280 What if you are crying. 0:16:01.920 --> 0:16:04.440 About something right now and the Lord is saying, those 0:16:04.480 --> 0:16:07.360 who's so in tears will reap with joy. See you 0:16:07.400 --> 0:16:10.040 think those tears are wasted, They're not wasted their water 0:16:10.360 --> 0:16:13.240 They are watering a harvest that you can't see right now. 0:16:13.640 --> 0:16:15.840 So some of you, God puts something in your life. 0:16:15.880 --> 0:16:19.560 It's a great challenge. It's a terrible situation. It's a 0:16:19.600 --> 0:16:23.360 horrible situation. It's about as bad as being at a 0:16:23.400 --> 0:16:24.800 red sea. 0:16:25.280 --> 0:16:28.480 Look at this scripture. The Bible says God could have 0:16:28.520 --> 0:16:34.960 taken them a short way, but he didn't. And this 0:16:35.080 --> 0:16:36.080 is really the challenge. 0:16:36.160 --> 0:16:39.800 Right when God could but he doesn't look at the 0:16:39.840 --> 0:16:43.720 scripture again. He led the people around by the desert 0:16:43.800 --> 0:16:50.080 road toward the Red Sea. The Israelites went up out 0:16:50.120 --> 0:16:53.920 of Egypt ready for battle. 0:16:55.280 --> 0:16:57.120 So now I'm confused. Work with me. 0:16:58.280 --> 0:17:02.440 If they were ready for battle eighteen, then why in 0:17:02.520 --> 0:17:06.800 verse seventeen say does God say if they face war, 0:17:07.520 --> 0:17:10.960 they might change their minds and return to Egypt. God 0:17:11.000 --> 0:17:13.960 is the only one who really knows when you're ready. Wow. 0:17:16.720 --> 0:17:20.280 God is the only one who really knows what's in you. 0:17:21.359 --> 0:17:23.920 So God is the only one who can fully determine 0:17:23.920 --> 0:17:26.040 what to take you through and win because He's the 0:17:26.040 --> 0:17:29.280 only one who knows what's really in you. There is 0:17:29.320 --> 0:17:31.800 a powerful thing that happens when I begin to decide 0:17:31.800 --> 0:17:34.639 in my life that God has me where he wants me, 0:17:36.200 --> 0:17:38.480 even if it was caused by an attack of the enemy. 0:17:38.520 --> 0:17:39.840 God has me where he wants me. 0:17:40.240 --> 0:17:42.760 Now, what would it look like if, at the end 0:17:42.760 --> 0:17:44.440 of this year, because I'm trying to help you, as 0:17:44.440 --> 0:17:47.000 you reflect and as you expect and as you accept 0:17:47.000 --> 0:17:48.520 and you do all the things that we have to 0:17:48.520 --> 0:17:50.399 do at this time of the year, what would it 0:17:50.440 --> 0:17:53.160 look like for you to have the kind of empathy 0:17:53.680 --> 0:17:58.480 for yourself and trust in God to realize that even 0:17:58.520 --> 0:18:01.919 if it's taking you a little little longer than you 0:18:02.000 --> 0:18:06.040 expected it to take you, watch this. You're still going 0:18:06.240 --> 0:18:13.159 to get there. Tell your neighbor You're still going to 0:18:13.240 --> 0:18:16.840 get there. Maybe that's what we'll call the message when 0:18:16.840 --> 0:18:19.199 we put it online. Because I know you're running a 0:18:19.240 --> 0:18:21.399 little late. I know you got a little bit of 0:18:21.440 --> 0:18:24.040 a limp. I know you're not looking as fresh as 0:18:24.040 --> 0:18:26.399 you were when you started out the journey. I know 0:18:26.480 --> 0:18:29.960 it's not exactly the right time. But you're still gonna 0:18:30.000 --> 0:18:32.240 get there. Tell them again and say it with faith. 0:18:32.280 --> 0:18:36.080 You're still going to get there. You're still gonna get there. 0:18:36.400 --> 0:18:39.960 And it might have some detours along the way, and 0:18:40.040 --> 0:18:43.080 it might have some disappointments along the way, and you 0:18:43.160 --> 0:18:45.440 might not get there with who you thought was going 0:18:45.480 --> 0:18:47.680 to be. Not everybody that started on the road trip 0:18:47.720 --> 0:18:49.360 is going to be in the car when you pull up. 0:18:49.720 --> 0:18:53.720 But you're still going to get there. You understand what 0:18:53.760 --> 0:18:57.040 I'm saying. You might not get through it all unscathed 0:18:57.040 --> 0:18:57.880 and unscarred. 0:18:58.240 --> 0:19:00.520 You might have to show a few of your wound us. 0:19:00.320 --> 0:19:03.560 And your scars along the way to encourage somebody else. 0:19:03.920 --> 0:19:08.520 But You're still going to get there. The tears will 0:19:08.520 --> 0:19:12.159 not stop you. The trials will not stop you. The 0:19:12.320 --> 0:19:15.360 trauma will not stop you. The traffic will. 0:19:15.200 --> 0:19:16.000 Not stop you. 0:19:16.440 --> 0:19:19.720 It will not stop you. Your boss will not stop you. 0:19:20.040 --> 0:19:23.000 The economy will not stop you. The weather will not 0:19:23.160 --> 0:19:23.639 stop you. 0:19:24.040 --> 0:19:26.719 That's why I like a day where the fog is out, 0:19:26.880 --> 0:19:29.159 because there was somebody who got up and saw the 0:19:29.200 --> 0:19:32.800 weather was bad, and Charlotte but said, I still gotta 0:19:32.840 --> 0:19:35.840 get there. And I'm looking for a few rough riders 0:19:35.880 --> 0:19:39.320 in the house today who say, come hell or high water, 0:19:39.840 --> 0:19:44.840 come wind, come rain, come storm, come set back, come difficulty, 0:19:44.920 --> 0:19:48.040 come depression. Now shove your neighbor and testify. 0:19:48.160 --> 0:19:52.960 Say I'm still gonna get there. I'm still gonna get there. 0:19:54.160 --> 0:19:58.560 Don't cancel my reservation. I'm still gonna get there. Don't 0:19:58.560 --> 0:20:02.200 give my ticket away. I'm still gonna get there. Don't 0:20:02.240 --> 0:20:03.560 give away my seat. 0:20:03.280 --> 0:20:06.720 At the table. I'm still gonna get there. I'm not 0:20:06.800 --> 0:20:10.080 gonna be on the fast bus, but I'm still gonna 0:20:10.080 --> 0:20:10.560 get there. 0:20:11.040 --> 0:20:14.720 I'm not the valedictorian, but I intend to grant away. 0:20:15.200 --> 0:20:16.760 I'm still gonna get there. 0:20:17.200 --> 0:20:19.679 I might not do it like she did it, but 0:20:19.840 --> 0:20:20.720 I'm still. 0:20:20.480 --> 0:20:21.320 Gonna get there. 0:20:21.720 --> 0:20:24.800 I might not have the right shoes on, but I'm 0:20:24.880 --> 0:20:26.120 still gonna get there. 0:20:26.560 --> 0:20:28.360 I might have a story. 0:20:27.960 --> 0:20:33.479 To tell, but I've tell my story how I've overcome. 0:20:34.920 --> 0:20:38.520 High five three people say, just get there, Just get there, 0:20:39.040 --> 0:20:40.840 Just get there, Just get there. 0:20:41.480 --> 0:20:45.200 Wipe your deers and drive, wipe your deers and walk, 0:20:45.680 --> 0:20:48.440 wipe your tears and lift your hands. 0:20:48.680 --> 0:20:50.240 I'm still gonna get there. 0:20:50.800 --> 0:20:53.360 I would have despair had I not. 0:20:53.480 --> 0:20:55.800 Believe that, I would see. 0:20:55.760 --> 0:21:02.119 What shi of the Lord? 0:21:04.359 --> 0:21:08.320 So, Moses, why are we going this way? Can't we 0:21:08.359 --> 0:21:13.280 go the straight way? And see there's a difference between 0:21:13.440 --> 0:21:19.879 the straight way and the right way. 0:21:21.320 --> 0:21:22.159 This is plan A. 0:21:24.640 --> 0:21:29.600 This is plan A, and this is plan B. This 0:21:30.480 --> 0:21:31.080 is plan C. 0:21:35.600 --> 0:21:36.000 Watch me. 0:21:38.920 --> 0:21:39.040 This. 0:21:39.320 --> 0:21:45.480