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Series Code: BOLS
Program Code: BOLS000020S
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00:06 Sermon #S011 - (Is Your Preference Greater Than Your Faith? - Part 2)
00:19 Pastor Snell: We've been in a series entitled Get Unrealistic. 00:23 And we've been talking about how the power of faith releases us from life's limitations. 00:28 Last week, we gave you message, one of a sermon series entitled Is Your Faith Greater Than Your Preference? 00:37 Listen, we all have preferences a way we want to see things done 00:41 but sometimes the way God moves does not align with our preference. 00:46 So, I want to encourage you to make sure you get the second half of this word today. 00:50 Is going to transform your life. It's going to grow your faith. So go ahead and get comfortable. 00:55 Get settled right there in the word. As we go into part two. Is your faith greater than your preference? 01:03 Pastor Snell: Now, again, I said it's not wrong to have a preference. 01:08 But see, you got to be careful about how you apply that preference. Because if your preference is too strong, 01:16 it will lead you away from your source. 01:21 You see, there's a fundamental idea that you've got to digest as we look at the story of the healing of Naamon. 01:31 And the idea is found in what we read in Isaiah, chapter 55, where God says, "My thoughts are not your thoughts, 01:43 and my ways are not your ways. And as the heavens are higher than the earth, 01:53 so are my thoughts above your thoughts." Are you all hearing me, Church? 01:59 And He says, "My ways are above your ways." 02:04 Now, the reason that's critical, Saints, is because God looks at the world from a different vantage point. 02:14 God is never going to do a thing the way you think it ought to be done. 02:20 [Congregation: applause] 02:22 And see, this is why you've got to monitor your preference, because your preference, 02:28 if you're not careful, will lead you away from your Source. What are you talking about, 02:33 Pastor? Notice what we just read when we looked at the scripture. 02:37 What did the little girl tell Naaman? She says, "If you go see the prophet in Israel, 02:46 he will heal you of your leprosy." But by the time the dialogues, this thing out with the King, 02:53 he doesn't go and see the man of God. He makes a beeline to see the king of Israel who is so shaken 03:03 because he has no power to accomplish what has been requested. 03:09 And it is crazy, Saints, you see, the problem with Naaman is he doesn't want to heal the spiritual, 03:16 he wants something a little more transactional. So what did they do? So, do they load Naaman up? 03:28 This is good, Saints. And I want to stay here too long, but something just-- see, just hit me beautifully. 03:35 So they load Naaman up with some silver and some shekels of gold, 03:40 and ten very sharp Syrian outfits to present as an offering to the king of Israel. 03:48 Now, I need you to know that even the offering that is presented, it reveals the greatness of the love of God. 04:01 So, he sends him silver and he sends him gold and he sends some outfits, 04:08 and he says, "I'm going to bargain with those in order to save Naaman's life." 04:15 Now, I need you to understand that the king doesn't empty the vault for Naaman. 04:24 He sends a limited supply for Naaman. So, if the king of Israel says, "This isn't going to cut it, 04:33 then Naaman is going to have to fill the rest of the debt himself." Are you all did get it? 04:40 If the offering is not enough, then guess what? Naaman is going to die. 04:46 Because what the king says is that "I can't empty my vault for you. I can't give everything for you. 04:54 I can only give a limited supply in order to save you." 04:59 Is there anybody that's thankful that when our King saw a need to save our lives, 05:05 that he didn't send a limited supply? Oh, but I rejoice today that our King emptied the vault. 05:14 He didn't leave anything in savings. He didn't say, "I need to keep something for next week," 05:20 but he gave the best gift to make sure that the ransom would be paid. 05:26 Is there anybody that's thankful that our King didn't send an offering, 05:30 but our King become the offering? For he that knew no sin became sin, 05:37 that we might become the righteousness of God. 05:41 In other words, Naaman's king gave a number that could be quantified, 05:46 but our King paid a price that could not be counted, 05:50 for we were not redeemed with corruptible things such as silver and gold, but with the precious blood... 05:58 [Congregation: shouting] 06:00 ...of Jesus Christ. And see, that's why Romans 5 says that "If he gave us his son, 06:07 won't he also give us all things?" And that's why faith doesn't begin at your bank account, 06:14 it begins at the cross. 06:17 [Congregation: applause] 06:18 Because of what He already gave. So if He paid your sin debt, won't he pay your school debt? 06:25 If He paid your sin price, won't He pay the price on your car? In other words, 06:31 I don't have to worry about what is going to give, all I got to do is reflect on what He already gave. 06:39 And because He emptied the vault, I know that there is no good thing that he will withhold from his children. 06:52 Are you all hear me today, Saints? 06:54 [Congregation: [applause] Amen!] 06:57 So, Naaman and his crew, they roll into the king's palace with military formalism and pageantry. 07:09 Are you hearing me? And this thing has a stately element to it. In one bag, he's got silver, 07:16 and in the other bag, he's got gold, and then he's got a bunch of nice outfits. 07:21 And see, I need you to understand what is happening here. See, God told him to go and see the prophet. 07:31 His source of healing is going to be spiritual. But see, the problem is, he wants a healing that is transactional. 07:39 See, Naaman, what he's done is he's referred to the previous experience. 07:46 See how this is normally supposed to do is you set up a bargain. 07:52 He wants to barter for his own life. In other words, he wants to be a part of a transaction, 08:00 he wants to be a part of the exchange. And it's crazy because like they come, 08:05 I mean, the king is glad for the silver? He's turned up about the goal? 08:13 He's on fleek with the outfits? I looked that up. 08:20 [Congregation: laughing] 08:23 [chuckles] But he is shocked out of his mind when he reads the requirements. 08:29 Why? Because he does not have the capacity to do what the king of Syria is requesting him to do. 08:39 And see, the problem is not with the kings impotence, 08:42 the problem is that Naaman's preference has led him away from his Source. 08:48 And see, sometimes, Friends of mine, 08:50 our rigid preference will lead us away from the source or the format that God wants to use to bless us. 08:57 And see, the problem is, our preference is for God to do it in a particular way, but sometimes, 09:04 providence demands that God do it in another way. 09:08 And see, the problem with our preference is that our preference is just based upon our need, 09:14 but God's process is designed to facilitate your salvation. 09:20 So some of us are so loyal to our preference that we will forfeit the miracle source. 09:30 So, God has said to somebody, you're going to find your spouse in church, 09:35 but your preference is to look for them online. God is said to somebody, 09:43 you're calling is this, but your preference is in another career. 09:49 God has said, my call for you is to gather in person in my name, 09:54 but your preference has become the stay-at-home and watch on the internet. 10:00 God has called some of us to come down and be baptized, 10:04 but your preference is to come down and ask for a special prayer. 10:08 For some of us, our destiny is going to be here at Oakwood University, 10:13 but your preference is to follow the crowd into a state school. 10:16 And what the story of Naaman teaches us, is that sometimes, 10:20 it's possible to preference your way right outside of the miracle that God has in store for your life. 10:31 [Congregation: applause] 10:32 And see, this is the crazy question because people ask me all the time. 10:35 They say, "Pastor, why doesn't God do miracles in the way that He used to do miracles? 10:41 Why isn't God willing to do supernatural acts anymore?" And the question I'm asking for the church, 10:47 is there a lack of willingness on God's behalf, or is there a lack of obedience on our behalf? 10:55 Is the issue that God has closed His hands, or is the problem that we have close our ears, 11:01 so that when God says, "Go here to be blessed," we go here because it aligns with our preference? 11:11 Are you hearing me today, Saints? 11:15 So the word says here in verse number 9, you all tired, Church? 11:18 [Congregation: No.] 11:19 The Bible says, "Then Naaman went with his horses and chariots, 11:23 and he stood at the door of Elijah's house. And Elijah sent a messenger to him, saying, 11:28 'Go and wash in the Jordan 7 times, and your flesh shall be restored to you and be clean.'" 11:32 And watch this. Are you all with me? Stay in the word. The Bible says-- Listen. 11:36 Please, Saints, don't miss it. "Naaman became furious, and he went away." Indeed, 11:45 he said to himself. He said, "I said to myself, 'He will surely come out to me and stand 11:51 and call on the name of the Lord, his God, and wave his hand all over the place and heal me of my leprosy. 11:56 Are not the Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? 12:02 Could I not wash in them and be clean?'" And watch as the Bible says, "So he turned..." 12:07 [Congregation: Indistinctive talk] 12:08 Oh where the church at?. "He turned and went away in a rage." 12:17 Now, Naaman was about to bounce. Did you all catch this, Church? 12:24 Now, the last thing I need to understand, it's okay to form an expectation that God is going to do it, 12:31 but you should not try to predict how God is going to do it. 12:36 [Congregation: applause] 12:39 Okay, okay. So, I need you all to get that this whole thing is very bothersome to Naaman. 12:50 This is not how he saw this thing going down. I want to be clear that God, through the Prophet Elijah, 13:00 He does this in a way to drive all the hubris, He does it in a way to drive all the pride, 13:09 He does this in a way to drive all the arrogance out of Naaman. 13:16 Because what God is after is not a restoration of the body, 13:21 what God is trying to facilitate is a regeneration of his soul. 13:29 So, this is a whole process of Naaman having to lower himself. 13:37 So, like I said, remember, Naaman, he didn't want spiritual healing, 13:44 he wanted municipal healing, he wanted a civil heal him. But everything that's a part of this process, 13:53 requires him to lower himself. So he wanted to interact with the king. But you remember now, 14:00 Naaman is pagan in his beliefs, and he is elitist in his thinking, 14:04 so understand that he looks on a prophet the same way you and I look on a fortune teller. I think. 14:14 [Congregation: laughing] 14:16 [chuckles] Some of you all are looking like, "What you mean?" I saw one last week [laughing]. 14:24 But in order to move from the king to go into the prophet, he's got to lower himself. 14:32 The prophet doesn't come to the Royal Court. He's got to go to the prophet in his house. 14:38 And again, he's got a lower himself. And when he shows up at the prophet's house, 14:44 Naaman is used to people coming out and bowing down and kneeling to him, 14:49 but now, Naaman has to climb down off of his exalted stead, and physically, he has to lower himself. 14:57 He's used to people coming out and saluting him. "Yes, Sir," and "No, Sir," 15:01 but now, he's got to go hat in hand and he's got a knock on the prophet's door. 15:05 And understand that the prophet is so disrespectful. He shows no deference for his badges, 15:12 his citations, his accommodations. He doesn't even go out and talk to him in person. 15:18 He just sends out a servant to go and tell Naaman "Wash in the Jordan 7 times." 15:28 And watch this, Church. The word says that he became furious. But I need you to think about why he gets so mad. 15:42 He doesn't get mad because the prophet said no. He doesn't get mad because the prophet said, "I won't do it." 15:51 He doesn't get too mad because the prophet says, "I ain't got nothing for you." 15:55 See, I would be mad if the prophet said, "Man, you go somewhere else." I would be in a rage if the Prophet say, 16:00 "I can't do anything for you." I would be mad if the prophet say, "Come back tomorrow." 16:04 But the reason Naaman gets upset is simply because he had a preference for how it was going to be done, 16:11 and the way it was going to be done did not aline with his preference. 16:18 See, Naaman had created this rigid detailed narrative in his mind about how God was supposed to do this thing. 16:29 First, he had a primary preference that he was going to go and he was going to engage in a trade and barter, 16:35 a buy and sell with the king. But when that doesn't happen, he develops a secondary preference, 16:41 that when I get to the prophet's house, he articulates it with his voice, that he's going to come out to me. 16:47 He literally has this scenario in his mind where I'm going to go into the prophet's house, 16:52 I'm going to sit across from him at his dinner table, I'm going to leverage him with gifts 16:57 and clothes,we're going to drink a few glasses of wine, I'm going to charm him with some of my war stories, 17:04 I'm going to impress him with one of my exploits and battle, and once we begin to function like peers, 17:10 he's going to come out and he's going to wave his hands. He's going to do a little dance. 17:14 He's going to say a little prayer. And all of a sudden, I'm going to get better. 17:19 He even did develop a third preference. When he says, "Go wash in the Jordan," 17:24 he says, "Listen, aren't the rivers in Damascus better than the Jordan?" 17:30 And it's crazy, the reason he wants those rivers is not just because they're cleaner, 17:35 I learned that around the rivers in Damascus, the Abana and Pharpar, 17:40 they literally have gardens that were erected in the image of the foreign gods that Naaman was used to. 17:47 And what God is setting up friends 17:49 He's setting up a situation where this healing is not going to be a result of his skill, 17:55 it ain't going to be about his bargaining power. 17:58 God is not going to do it in a way where baal or astaroth can get the glory. 18:02 God is going to do it in such a way that when Naaman gets his healing, 18:07 the only thing he'll be able to say is that if it had not been for the Lord who is on my side, 18:18 that would be nothing I could do. Are you all hearing me, Saints? 18:22 [Congregation: applause] 18:23 So, God says, "I'm not going to let it be with your bargaining. I'm not going to be about, 18:26 let it be about your gifts." Why? Because the one thing God will never share is his glory. 18:35 Oh where the church at today? See, I need you to understand that God will share everything with mankind, 18:43 except the glory. Where are you all at? He'll share His provision. He'll share His protection. 18:52 He'll share His Spirit. He'll send His son. 18:56 But the one thing He'll never give is He'll never give the glory to your situation. 19:02 He'll never give the glory to your skill. He says, "All the glory has to belong to me." 19:08 And the reason that God will never share the glory is he wants you to have the testimony of VaShawn Mitchell 19:16 that says, "I searched all over, couldn't find nobody. Look high and low, still couldn't find nobody." 19:26 He wants you to say there's nobody greater. I said, "Nobody greater." There's nobody greater than Him. 19:35 And the reason he doesn't share the glory is that the glory is a compass and a directional sign for salvation. 19:46 So, whoever gets the glory, the assumption is that's the one that saves. 19:52 So he says, "Your bargaining can't get the glory, or you'll think your bargaining can save you. 19:59 The pools in Damascus can't get the glory, or you'll think they saved you. 20:04 Your garments and your gifts can't get the glory, or you'll think they saved you." 20:09 But God has said, "I'm going to do it in a way that doesn't facilitate your ego. 20:14 It's not going to allow you to be impressed with yourself. You're not going to be able to pat yourself on the back. 20:19 " But is there anybody that doesn't have a preference about how God does it, 20:24 but you want to say like the old song, "Any way you bless me, Lord, I'll be satisfied." 20:32 Do I have seven saints that'll say, "Any way you heal me, I'll be satisfied. Any way you employ me, 20:40 I'll be satisfied. Any way you get me married, I'll be satisfied. However you save my children, I'll be satisfied. 20:51 However you send the Holy Ghost, I'll be satisfied. I'm throwing away my preference, I'm balling up my narrative. 20:59 God, however you do it, I'll be satisfied."? 21:06 [Congregation: applause] 21:09 And, you know, Saints, you know why some of us don't get any miracles? It's because we ain't desperate enough. 21:22 What do you mean, Pastor? I'm beside myself reading, like, I've read this story a hundred times. 21:30 But like, it's just, your boy Naaman. See, if the first star of the story was the little girl, 21:35 the other side of the story was the servant that kept Naaman from walking away. 21:44 Your boy Naaman was like, "I'm out." He just did like this to his miracle. 21:51 He's like, "I'm out of here." But thank God for the servant. That's a, "Boy, what's wrong with you? 22:00 You acted like you got another option. You're acting like you got another choice." 22:08 And see, the reason we won't persevere, is we still got some other options that have got to be exhausting. 22:15 You've got some other things that have got to collapse. 22:19 You've got some other things you're depending on that have got a fail you. 22:23 So when they fail, when those friends betray you, when those folks ain't there for you, 22:29 it is in the faultiness of man that you come to know the faithfulness of God. 22:35 See, we ain't desperate enough. So that if you only pray five minutes, and it doesn't happen to them five minutes, 22:47 and you go to something, it is because you ain't desperate enough. 22:51 If you only give a faithful time and offering just that one moment, that one month, 22:54 you ain't desperate enough. Because see, there's some other stuff that's got to fail you. 23:01 So that's you learn how to depend on the God who never fails. 23:07 [Congregation: applause] 23:10 Listen. I'm done. But see, there's a reason that God can't let Naaman be a part of the process. 23:17 Because I need you to understand, Friends of mine, that this is not about the healing of a body. 23:21 See, all God has got to do is snap His fingers or speak a word and he will be healed. 23:27 But God is trying to facilitate something way greater. He's got a condition that he can't heal. 23:38 He can't buy his way out of it. He can't work his way out of it. He can't self-improve his way out of it. 23:46 It's got to be the work of God alone. Are you all hear me, Saints? 23:51 [Congregation: Yes.] 23:53 And he is trying to show us something that we got a condition, too. No, it ain't on your skin, 24:01 but it's on every portion of the inside of you. And the only way you're going to overcome it, 24:08 Friends of mine, you can't talk your way out of it, you can't work your way out of your condition, 24:15 you can't give your way out of your condition, it is the work of God alone in your life. 24:23 [Congregation: Yes. [applause] 24:25 So he says, "Go and wash in the Jordan river seven times." And it's crazy because I think when he does this, 24:31 he literally combines two miracles. So, think about the Jordan river, what happened there? Remember, 24:40 God opened up the Jordan. Remember that Jordan was the last barrier to the promised land. 24:51 And there was a reason God opened up the Jordan so that God's people would know they have access to the promised 25:00 land whenever they go there. And so, he sends this leper that can't clean himself and can't fix himself 25:07 and can't improve himself to the Jordan because when he's in the Jordan, 25:12 it's a reminder that he's got access to the promised land. 25:17 But remember, on the other side of the Jordan was a city called Jericho, 25:22 and then they had marched around Jericho seven times. And then they had to go seven times on the seventh day. 25:30 And on the seventh time, guess what? The walls came tumbling down. So, guess what? 25:37 It didn't happen the first time or the second time, there was nothing that changed until they went around 25:44 and they can find rest, until they did it the seventh time. So, guess what? 25:51 He's in the water that represents access, but then there's got to be perseverance 25:57 because he goes down one time, it's still there. Two times, it's still there. 26:02 Three times, it's still there. Four times, it's still there. But guess what? 26:07 As he's watching, he's looking at Jericho. Five times, it's still there. 26:12 Six times, it's still there. And just like the walls came tumbling down, 26:18 after the 7th time, when it comes up out of the water, the seventh time, 26:24 all the scales start falling off his arms and all of the scores begin to fall off and he's able to find his rest. 26:34 After the perfect number seven. And God is saying to somebody today that I want you to pass through the waters, 26:42 that I'll let you know you've got access to the promised land and I want you to start keeping my seventh-day Sabbath, 26:49 which is a reminder that when you rest in me, everything that binds you and hold you and keeps you 26:56 it's all going to come tumbling down when you find your rest in Him. 27:03 And so, Friends of mine, I need you to understand that there's nothing wrong with having a preference. 27:11 But see, the question for somebody today, have you gotten to a place where your preference is so rigid, 27:18 that your preference is actually greater than your faith, to where 27:22 because it's not happening the way you thought it was going to happen, 27:26 or it's not coming as soon as you thought it was going to come, 27:30 or because God didn't start the business 27:33 or help you close on the house or get you married in the way you thought it was going to happen? 27:37 You got to get to a place where you recognize, "Lord, I'm cool. Your thoughts are not my thoughts. 27:46 And your ways are not my ways. And I believe for you to do it, but I'm not going to try to dictate how you do it." 27:56 And I'm just at a place where I just say, "Lord, any way you bless me, I'll be satisfied." 28:02 [Congregation: applause] 28:03 (Breath of Life Theme Music) 28:28 Pastor Snell: Breath of Life is so exciting to be preaching the gospel this summer in the Queen City in Charlotte, 28:35 North Carolina, 28:36 From July the 10th through July, the 23rd, we are going to be preaching the gospel 28:40 and the Trinity Worship Center. 28:42 We'll be blessed in song by gospel recording artist Kirk Carr and the Kirk Carr Singers. 28:48 We'll meet each night at 7 p.m., with the exception of Tuesday and Thursday night. 28:53 For more information, go to our website at breathoflife.tv. 28:58 [End] |
Revised 2022-06-07