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Series Code: BOLS
Program Code: BOLS000012S
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00:09 Sermon #S007 - Unrealistic Requirements (PART 2)
00:20 Welcome to the Breath Of Life television broadcast. In today's episode we will pick up from part 2 00:27 of the message titled "Unrealistic Requirements" by Pastor Debleaire Snell. Lets go the word Of God. 00:37 Pastor Snell: I need you to get that on the journey of faith, 00:42 every now and then, God is going to send or make some unrealistic requirements of you. 00:52 Now, I want that to be clear that these requirements are designed to stretch you. 00:58 These requirements are designed to grow you. These requirements won't always feel comfortable. 01:07 The reason you need to know this is because if you don't understand this, 01:11 the requirements that God makes will sometimes feel unrealistic. 01:18 As he sometimes, in order to grow your faith, 01:20 one of the first things God requires is for you to go back to the place where your faith failed last. 01:29 Notice now that the Bible says that he had to force. 01:32 Your version may say constrain or compel them to get into the boat. 01:38 The reason Matthew lays it out that way is because he has to send them against their expressed will. 01:44 In other words, he is requiring them to get in the boat even though they do not want to go and see. 01:52 There are two reasons they don't want to go. Number one, as we stated, they see this as a missed opportunity. 01:57 The second reason they don't want to get in the boat is because they remember what happened last time. 02:06 They went on a boat at night. Are you all with me? 02:10 Do you remember what happened the last time they were there on the Lake of Galilee? 02:16 Jesus was there in the boat asleep. Understand that after a night of toil and stress, 02:25 they get to a point where they are so frustrated and they are so depleted that they cry out to Jesus and say, 02:33 "Master, don't you care that we perish?" 02:37 I need you to remember something. Notice that after their night of toil, that after Jesus calms the storm, 02:46 notice that he doesn't just rebuked the wind. 02:50 He then rebukes the disciples and says, "How is it that you are afraid? 02:56 Why is it that you have no faith?" 03:00 In other words, saints, his assessment is that there is a deficit in their faith. 03:08 If this was to be a midterm, they've got an F on their midterm of belief. I need you to understand, 03:16 beloved, that ever since that time, they got a little bit more cautious every time they got into a boat. 03:27 In other words, they are watching the elements closely every time they go out to see. 03:33 Understand that this requirement to get in a boat, especially at night, is very triggering for the disciples. 03:40 In other words, not only do they have to get in the boat at night, this time, 03:45 Jesus is not even with them in the boat. 03:49 I need you to know that there is a cocktail of fearful emotions that is running through them as Jesus puts 03:56 them in the in the boat. As Jesus puts them in the in the boat, 03:59 you got to be clear that they are watching the elements the entire time, 04:02 so that just in case things go left, they can go right back to the shore. 04:08 They are at a place on the journey where their eyes well up with tears as they see the spot where Jesus usually 04:17 sits being empty. They're anxious as they push away from the shore and Jesus gets further and further away. 04:26 That panic is heightened when they can no longer even see the shore. 04:30 God makes them face the situation that they wanted to avoid the most. 04:39 In other words, beloved, I need you to understand something. They're asking the question to themselves. 04:44 Why does Jesus keep putting us in boats at night time? Why does Jesus keep sending us through the same thing? 04:53 It's unfair that God would put us in the same predicament repeatedly. 04:58 But one of the things I need somebody to get is the only time God makes you face. 05:03 Something repeatedly is if that thing is critical to your destiny. Let me take my time. 05:10 You all a little slow today. Remember that their mission is to take the gospel to the world, 05:18 but they can't take the gospel to the world on camel or on donkey. Every now and then, 05:25 they're going to have to get in a boat and travel through some rough weather. 05:30 Jesus knows that in order for them to master the storms after He's gone, 05:36 He's got to teach them to master some storms while He's still here. 05:40 In order for them to be ready after He leaves, He's got to make sure that they're prepared before He goes. 05:46 Understand that this consistent test is not punishment. It is preparation. 05:53 He makes them face what they have feared the most. Have you ever wondered, saints, 06:00 why you just can't get away from certain things? 06:06 Have you ever wondered why you just can't get away from certain types of people? 06:12 Students, have you ever wondered why you can't avoid taking a certain class? 06:17 Have you ever wondered why no matter how hard you try, 06:21 there are certain tensions that follow you from church to church, from school to school, 06:26 and from marriage to marriage? No matter how much you try to pray it down, 06:30 no matter how much you try to rebuke it in Jesus name, it still follows you wherever you go. 06:36 Why? Because repeated tests are an indication of where your faith is consistently failing. 06:42 Are you hearing me today, Saints? 06:45 Some of us fear financial lack. That's why you're always in a financial test. 06:54 Some of us fear not being in control, and we're always in situations where we are not in control. 07:02 Some of us are always trying to escape and trying to get into the easiest path. 07:07 That's why God keeps you on a path that is filled with resistance. 07:11 I need you to understand the reason that you're tested so repeatedly. 07:16 It's because God is so committed to your salvation, 07:19 that He refuses to allow you to be underdeveloped in any area of your life. 07:25 God is saying, "I'm going to keep building you. I'm going to keep developing you. 07:30 I'm going to make sure that your steadfast and that your character is lacking in no area." 07:38 Every now and then, God is going to require you to repeat a class. 07:45 Every now and then God is going to require you to retest again. 07:49 What I'm praying that somebody is getting is that a retest is simply a demonstration of grace. 07:58 In other words, when God retest you, it's because God says there's something in you we're saving. 08:05 When he retest you, it's an endorsement of who you're going to become. When God retest you, 08:11 it's because you're worth too much to give up on. When he retest you, 08:15 it's because he's not satisfied with the first outcome. He wants to send another test as another chance 08:22 and another opportunity for you to be able to thrive where you failed the last last time. 08:28 Are you all hearing me today, saints? 08:29 [Congregation: Amen] 08:30 Okay. Some of you all know that that I teach part time here at the university. 08:34 My interns will tell you that Pastor Snell tries to be a teacher filled with some grace. 08:42 What happens is, every now and then, I may give an exam or a test. If the class is not ready, sometimes, 08:51 their lack of readiness shows up on the scores, and a number of them will have failed the test. 08:58 I need you to know that because I love them and because I believe in them, I don't let the failing grade set. 09:05 What I do is I allow them to take the test over. In other words, friends, 09:10 I need you to know I don't ask the same questions in the same way, 09:14 but I test them on the same content matter. 09:17 The good news for somebody is that when I give them the second test and the grade is better the second go-around, 09:24 I need you to know that I don't average the failing grade with the passing grade. 09:29 What I do is I just throw out the first test all together, so that all that stands is the one where they passed. 09:37 The only thing that's recorded is the time that got it right. 09:41 Is there anybody that's thankful that even though you failed some tests along the way, 09:46 that God send a retest and He doesn't average the two grades together. 09:51 He throws out the first one, so that the only thing that's recorded is the one you got right, 09:57 and there is no record of you ever failing or falling. There's only a record of you triumphing in Jesus. 10:06 Are you hearing me today, saints? 10:10 Second thing or second unrealistic requirement is this, saints. 10:14 As Jesus is trying to get you to a place where your inner world doesn't reflect your outer world, 10:23 I'm going to say this gently 10:24 and cautiously as I'll tell you the truth that I have not been delivered to this point yet. 10:30 Too often, what's happening inside of us is mirroring or reflecting what's happening outside of us. 10:40 Too often, our outer circumstances are dictating who we are and where we are on the inside. 10:47 One of the things that you're going to see in the text is that God is wanting to get us to a place where our 10:53 inner world and our outer circumstances are sometimes unequally yoked. 11:00 The disciples are out there in the water. Are you all still with me, church? 11:05 [Congregation: Yes] 11:06 Wouldn't it be so cool if the storm showed up right when they left the shore? 11:12 But no, faith doesn't work that way. Listen, listen. They are watching. 11:18 They are paying attention to the weather. I mean, if there was just a little bit of breeze, 11:22 they would have did a U-turn right there in the water. 11:25 I need you to be clear that the storm doesn't start when they're close to the shore where they depart. 11:32 The storm doesn't show up when they are almost at the shore where they are going. 11:38 The storm doesn't show up until they are too far to go back and until it's too far for them to get there. 11:46 The storm doesn't show up until they're in a place of vulnerability. Are you hearing me today, saints? 11:52 The thing about the storm is that the storm doesn't even operate with rhythm. 11:59 Every now and then you'll have a storm where the waves move with a certain rhythm that allows you to balance 12:05 yourself. But get that this storm is so volatile and it is so topsy-turvy, that in the darkness of night, 12:11 they don't really know which way they're going to be turned from one second to the next. 12:17 It's amazing because they get to the place where the Bible says that they toil all night, 12:22 and they get to the place where they're about to give themselves up to death. 12:27 They have reached the place where their hope is completely depleted. Right when they have nothing else to give, 12:34 here comes Jesus walking on the water in the fourth watch of the night. 12:43 I need you all to see and notice what happens, friends of mine, 12:47 because I need you to notice what Jesus speaks to. In other words, Jesus doesn't speak to the storm. 13:01 Jesus speaks to the disciples. Notice, He makes an unrealistic requirement. They are in a boat, and about to die. 13:12 Their strength is all gone. Notice what Jesus requires. He says, "Don't be afraid. It's me." 13:22 In fact, He adds to the requirement. He says, "Be of good cheer!" 13:29 In other words, He is saying to them that even though your outer world is in chaos, 13:36 your inner world ought to be stable. 13:39 [Congregation: Cheering] 13:41 Notice that Jesus is standing out there. He doesn't stop it from raining. 13:47 He doesn't stop it from storming. He doesn't put storm to calm down. He tells the people to calm down. 13:57 He doesn't speak peace to the storm. He speaks peace to the disciples. He doesn't tell the storm to settle down. 14:05 He tells the disciples to settle down. 14:08 The reason that Jesus does not stop the storm right away is He knows that storms don't always end quickly. 14:19 In other words, how many of us know that, sometimes, the storms lasts all night long? 14:25 Sometimes, the storm is all week long. Sometimes, the storm is all month long. 14:32 Sometimes, the storm can be all year long. Guess when the storm last a long time? 14:39 God wants us to know that before the storm gets calm, there can be some calm inside of you. 14:47 Oh, where you all at? 14:49 In other words, He wants you to get to a place where your outer world does not feel like your inner world. 14:55 Are you all hearing me today, church? He does not change that outward thing right away. 15:03 He wants them to change their inner world right away. 15:06 A part of passing the test is when you get to a place where your outer world and your inner world are not 15:13 always congruent. Friends of mine, let me say it this way, because God is not expecting you to be stoic. 15:20 Come on and say Amen. He's not expecting you to function like a robot. He understands that in our humanity, 15:27 we are going to live through all the whole gambit of human emotions. 15:32 He knows that there's going to be a time to laugh, and there's going to be a time to cry. 15:36 He says that there's going to be a time for peace, and there's going to be a time for war. 15:40 But he knows that, sometimes, the outer circumstance that doesn't have to dictate our inner peace. 15:46 He says, "I can be angry, but guess what? I don't have to sin." Are you all with me today Church? 15:51 Let me share with you a fun fact. Do you know what the most often repeated command in the Bible is? 16:04 The most often repeated command, it is not to keep the Sabbath. Oh God, where you all at today, church? 16:10 I need to go out of town. You all don't want this word today. It is not to not steal or to not kill it. 16:17 The most repeated command is not to take off your makeup. Do you realize that 365 times in the Bible? 16:25 The Bible says, "Fear not." 16:28 [Congregation: Cheering] 16:30 Do you realize that 365 times, the Bible says, "Fear not." 365 times, the Bible says, "Don't be afraid." 16:37 The reason that God put it in the Bible 365 times or you all didn't get it. 16:46 The reason God said, "Don't be afraid." 365 times is that no matter what day of the year, 16:53 something tried to trouble your mind or take away your peace. 16:58 God had a brand new command to settle you and whatever you're dealing with. 17:05 [Congregation: Clapping] 17:07 God is looking for some people whose inner world doesn't agree with the outer world. 17:15 He needs some people that are going to be a contradiction. Did you notice, friends of mine, 17:23 that Daniel was a contradiction? Are you all with me, church? 17:26 Do you remember when the writing of the decree got sign? You know, your boy Daniel didn't have no panic attack. 17:33 He didn't have to calm. No fast. The Bible says that he just went in front of the window 17:37 and prayed three times like he had always done. Are you all with me? 17:42 Do you realize that when the three Hebrew boys found out that they were going to the furnace, 17:47 they function like a contradiction. They said, "O King, our God is able to deliver us, 17:53 but even if not, we will not bow down to your gods or worship the image that you have set up." 17:59 Remember when Paul and Silas went to jail? They function like a contradiction. 18:04 They weren't in there having a pity party. The Bible says that they prayed and sang praises unto God. 18:11 They didn't need an Ambien because they had rest in Jesus Christ. 18:15 Is there anybody that understands that we have peace in Jesus Christ? 18:21 It is why Job function as a contradiction, that when the devil took his money, the devil took his stuff, 18:28 and the devil took his kids, his inner world and his outer world did not match. 18:32 The Bible says that he shaved his head. He tore his clothes. He fell down to his face. 18:38 The Bible says that he worship. Is there anybody that knows that sometimes you got to weep while your worship? 18:45 You got to cry while your praise you. You recognize that there is a contradiction because God is good, 18:54 even when everything is bad. 18:56 The command to be a contradiction is constant. 18:59 It is why James says, "Count it all joy when you fall into diverse." 19:06 Why? Because the trying of your faith worketh what? Patience. It is why Jesus says, "Blessed are you." 19:16 Anybody who want to be blessed? When men shall revile you, persecute you, 19:21 and say all manner of evil against you falsely, it is why Paul says that this light affliction, 19:26 which is but for a moment worketh for us and exceeding an eternal weight in glory. 19:32 Are you all hearing what I'm saying today? It is why the Bible in Philippians says, 19:36 "Don't be anxious about anything." Oh, where are the church a today? 19:44 The Bible says don't be anxious about anything. It says don't be anxious about your bills. 19:50 It says don't be anxious about your kids. It's saying don't be anxious about the medical diagnosis. 19:56 It says don't be anxious about the rent. Don't be anxious about the dissertation. 20:00 Don't be anxious about your enemies. The Bible says, "In everything, with prayer and supplication, 20:08 with thanksgiving, let your request be made known unto God and the peace which passes all understanding." 20:18 In other words, I need you to understand something about this piece. It passes understanding. 20:27 In other words, this peace cannot be realistic. This is the kind of peace that most folks look at you funny. 20:36 This is the kind of peace that make people think you're high. 20:40 This is the kind of peace that made people think you're drunk. 20:44 The reason they think you lost your mind is because you're not responding according to your circumstance. 20:51 The reason they don't understand it is because they never had it. 20:56 Is there anybody in this room that's been kept by Jesus, 21:00 and when folks thought that you were going to lose your mind, they were coming by to check on you. 21:07 They were coming to see if you had gone crazy. They thought you were going to have a noose around your neck. 21:13 They didn't understand how you were crazy. They didn't understand why you were worshipping. 21:19 They don't understand how you can come to church. Because this peace we have, 21:25 the world can't give it and the world can't take it away. The unbelieving can't even understand it. 21:35 Are you all hearing me today, saints? 21:39 [Congregation: Cheering] 21:41 I need you all to understand that this kind of peace I'm talking about here, 21:46 you only get this kind of peace when you got some history with Jesus. 21:52 [Congregation: Amen] 21:54 When you've just seen Him do it so many times, that you can start tripping over stuff 22:01 because you know your God is able to bring it to pass. Are you all with me today, saints? 22:05 Do you know who I believe the coolest person on the planet is? It ain't Snoop. 22:13 [Congregation: Laughing] 22:15 It ain't LeBron. The coolest cat on the planet is an older believer who have been walking with God a long time. 22:26 Now, watch this. Notice I didn't say an older person. I didn't say somebody that's been in the church a long time. 22:36 I said an older believer who's been walking with Jesus a long time. 22:42 I'm privileged as a pastor to watch, study and imitate older believers. 22:48 One of the things I've learned about older believers is they learned not to waste their worry. 22:56 In other words, they've just seen God do it so much. They've seen God pay the bills too many times. 23:04 They walked out of the hospital room on too many occasions. They've seen God help their kids get through school. 23:11 They've been over so many mountains. Come out of so many valleys. They've seen God come through right on time. 23:17 That the craziest situation in the world, they just chill and watch. 23:26 It's crazy because some of you all know that before we had a three kids, my wife and I had four miscarriages 23:32 before we had our first one. It's funny because we were around some older believers who they would just be like, 23:38 "Pastor Snell, it's going to be alright. God is going to bless you with some kids." 23:43 Now, "It's crazy. Malcolm because I would be tripping." I'm like, "How can you say that with such certainty?" 23:49 In fact, it almost felt dismissive, like they just wanted to change the nature of the conversation, 23:55 but I'm realizing that they have lived long enough, that they simply knew how the story was going to end. 24:03 They were simply speaking of faith that I didn't have at the time. Are you all hearing what I'm saying? 24:07 [Congregation: Amen] 24:09 I'm a little older than some of my younger brothers in ministry. I got a young man who's in the ministry. 24:12 He was in all kind of knots a couple of weeks ago 24:15 because somebody says something bad about him on social media after his sermon. 24:20 It's funny. I sounded just like one of those older folk. I was like, "Brother, you are going to be strong. 24:27 You are going to make it." He just didn't know what to say. He was crossing. 24:31 He can't believe the members would say that. 24:33 The reason I'm speaking like this is I've just had it done so many times. 24:39 That ain't going to disrupt not one second of my sleep. Are you all hearing what I'm saying? 24:46 When you've got history, your faith is easily accessible. Let me say to you all on this side. 24:56 When you've got history, it makes your faith easily accessible. 25:03 Anybody ever, like on your web browser on your computer, whenever you visit a website consistently, 25:11 what happens is that website gets recorded in your history? At a point, 25:16 you ain't even got to try hard to get to it because it's in your history. 25:20 It becomes easily accessible. Are you all not with me 25:23 Because I visit the Oakwood Church website a lot, as soon as I put in O-A, 25:30 the website is accessible because it's in my history. Yall still didn't get it. 25:36 Because I visit ESPN a lot, as soon as I put in E-S, the P-N.com, automatically shows up. 25:43 It becomes accessible because it's in my history. You all sit and get it. 25:47 Because I visit South Central website a lot, as soon as I put S-O-U, the whole thing comes up. 25:54 It becomes accessible because it's in my history. 25:56 Now, the reason it stays in my history and becomes accessible is because I visited so often. 26:03 You all didn't get it. How many of us know that if you visit Jesus a lot, it gets stored in your history 26:12 and as soon as you type in J-E, the miracle shows up. You ain't even got to get the S-U-S. 26:23 Because it's in your history. Because you saw Him so much. You've walked with Him so much. 26:30 You've talked with Him so much. You spent so much time with Him, that your faith is accessible, 26:38 because you got history. Do I have seven folks that's got a history of Him paying the bills? 26:47 You got a history of Him getting your kids through school. You got a history of Him preserving your marriage. 26:54 You got a history of Him coming through right on time. You got a history often making a way out of no way. 27:02 If you got some history, give God praise in this place. 27:08 [Congregation: Cheering] 27:09 Are you hearing the word? 27:16 (Breath of Life Music) 27:43 In a world that's constantly changing, it's a blessing to know that there is a living hope. 27:48 His name is Jesus. On Sunday, April 17, in conjunction with the Interfaith Broadcasting Commision we invite you to 27:56 view "A Living Hope" our Easter television series, which will be shown nationally on ABC Television affiliates 28:04 across the United States. A Living Hope will feature an Easter message by Pastor Debleaire Snell. Our special 28:11 musical guests will be Grammy award winning artist Cece Winans, along with SELAH, and violinist Patrick Bogui. 28:20 For broadcast cities,stations and times of 'A Living Hope" please visit breathoflife.tv or give us a call 28:28 at (256) 929-6460 28:33 [End] |
Revised 2022-04-18