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Series Code: BOLS
Program Code: BOLS000125S
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00:06 #S065_What To Do When Opportunity Knocks (Part 2)
00:19 Welcome to the Breath of Life 00:21 Television Ministries broadcast with Pastor Debleaire Snell.. 00:27 In today's episode, Pastor Snell will continue part 00:30 two of the powerful message titled 00:34 What to Do When Opportunity Knock.. 00:39 Now let's go deeper 00:41 into the Word of God. 00:45 And so the Bible says here in Nehemiah chapter 00:46 two and verse one, the Bible says, 00:48 and it came to pass in the month of Nisan in the 20th year. 00:52 King Artaxerxes explains when wine was before him 00:54 that I took the wine and gave it to the king. 00:56 Now, I had never been sat in his presence before. 01:00 Therefore, the king said to me, 01:01 Why is your face sad since you are not sick? 01:04 Since this, this is nothing but sorrow of the heart. 01:07 So I became dreadfully afraid 01:10 and said to the king, may the King live forever. 01:12 Why should my face not be sad when the city of my father's 01:16 tombs lies and waits and its gates are burned with fire? 01:21 Then the king said to me, What is it that you request? 01:27 Okay, 01:29 the second thing this teaches us church 01:31 is that sometimes things don't break differently 01:35 until you're at your breaking point. 01:38 Okay. 01:39 Nehemiah is so obsessed with this mission 01:43 that is on his heart, is on his mind. 01:47 And after a while, it begins driving his energy. 01:51 In fact, Nehemiah is so heavily burdened for his people that it 01:54 unwittingly begins to show up outwardly on his countenance. 02:00 Now, it's crazy because even near my notices 02:02 that the king has never seen him sad before. 02:06 Now there are some folk who believe 02:07 that Nehemiah pretends to be sad in order to get the attention 02:11 of the king. 02:13 But that's not necessary, really, how he's moving. 02:16 Sadness is not just his disposition. 02:19 At this point, sadness is his posture. 02:22 Because I need you to understand this kind of contextual thing. 02:25 Because if you sat before the King, 02:28 I needed to be clear that you could never show up 02:29 before the king like you didn't want to be there. 02:33 The only thing in the light makes clear that was permitted 02:36 before the king was this buoyant joyfulness. 02:40 It's expressiveness about having the opportunity 02:44 to serve in the presence of the King. 02:46 In fact, 02:48 if you came before the king with a sorrowful disposition, 02:52 it would be met with suspicion and treated as an act 02:55 of treason, 02:56 especially because of what Nehemiah does as his occupation. 03:00 He is the cup bearer for the king. 03:03 In other words, near 03:04 his job is not just to bring food and drink. 03:08 You realize what Nehemiah has to do. 03:09 It's because 03:10 there are so many assassination attempts against the king. 03:14 That vote would try to poison his food 03:17 and Nehemiah would have to sample it first 03:20 to make sure that if anything went down, 03:23 it would not hurt the king. 03:24 It would hurt Nehemiah. 03:25 But if Nehemiah 03:26 is somehow acting like he don't want to be there, 03:30 they're going to interpret it 03:31 as something being wrong with the food. 03:34 And Nehemiah suffer the consequences. 03:38 And it's crazy because man, this thing is so bad on Nehemiah 03:41 that it is showing up on his spirit. 03:44 And so the king tells me what's wrong with you, 03:46 seeing that you are not sick. 03:47 This is nothing but sorrow of heart. 03:50 And the Bible says that Nehemiah became even afraid 03:54 to say what was wrong with him, 03:57 because if he's serving the government of Persia, 04:01 he can announce to his boss that my heart is all the way 04:03 over in Jerusalem. That's right. 04:06 So he thinks about it and he kind of weighs and vacillates 04:10 about whether or not he should even say anything. 04:11 But what is happening, man, 04:12 is that Nehemiah so is so overwhelmed. 04:16 It is so burdened for the freedom 04:17 and the rebuilding of his city that eventually Nehemiah begins 04:21 to pour out his heart. 04:22 He says, How is it that I can be anything but sad, 04:26 knowing that my people are scattered, 04:27 that the city is in ruins, 04:29 and that the gates are burned with fire? 04:33 And as Nehemiah begins to talk, he begins to unload his soul. 04:36 He begins to relieve himself of this burden. 04:39 He begins to share all of the sorrows 04:41 that have showed up on his person. 04:43 And immediately after Nehemiah says that 04:47 there is a fear and a regret. 04:50 Maybe I've said too much. 04:53 There's a part of him that say, maybe 04:55 I should have kept it to myself. 04:57 There's a part of him that's thinking maybe 04:58 I should not have articulated 05:00 because he realizes 05:02 that it is wrong for somebody that is supposed to be 05:05 a Persian patriarch 05:06 to be talking about what's happening in Jerusalem. 05:10 But God is so good and he's given Nehemiah such favor 05:13 that when he pours out his heart 05:15 about what's wrong in Jerusalem, 05:17 the king does not act toward him with aggression and judgment. 05:21 But the King opens up 05:22 in his mouth and says, What can I do to assess? 05:27 Are you here? Me, friends? 05:29 And what I need you to get beloved, 05:31 is the juxtaposition of circumstances and sorrow. 05:36 I need you to know that at the moment 05:39 when Nehemiah is at his lowest 05:42 is when God gets ready to take things to their highest. 05:47 It is when Nehemiah is at his bottom 05:50 that God gets ready to take it to the top. 05:53 It is when Nehemiah is at his breaking point that the 05:56 opportunity finally begins to break in a different fashion. 06:01 And I simply want to say to somebody 06:03 who is at their breaking point today that you don't 06:07 you let your breaking point break you, 06:09 because sometimes the 06:11 opportunity does not break 06:14 until you are at your breaking point. 06:18 Oh, this is going to help somebody today 06:21 because there is somebody that's on the verge of giving up. 06:25 There is somebody on the verge of going back the way they came. 06:29 There is somebody that is nearing their breaking point. 06:33 But I need you to know that sometimes the breaking point is 06:35 just evidence that the breakthrough is on the way. 06:40 So, so so let's look back in the scripture. 06:44 Remember, there is a woman who is at her breaking point. 06:47 She has an issue of blood. 06:48 She has run out of money. 06:50 She has run out of medicine. 06:52 She has run out of physician. 06:54 But she's made it up in her mind that if I can just touch the 06:58 him of his garments, I know I can be made whole 07:02 and things begin to break. 07:03 When she was at her breaking point. 07:07 Remember, Hannah was at her breaking point. 07:10 She was so heavily burdened that Eli thought she was drunk. 07:14 But because she prayed at her breaking point, 07:17 Eli was able to prophesy 07:18 that this same time next year you are going to bear a son. 07:23 Because things break through 07:24 when you get to your breaking point. 07:27 I need you to see Elijah at his breaking point 07:31 where he defeated the prophets of Bel 07:33 and he thought the battle was over. 07:34 But Jezebel continued her pursuit 07:38 and he got under a juniper tree and just longed for death. 07:42 But that's when God showed up and gave him encouragement. 07:45 He got his breakthrough at his breaking point. 07:48 Remember Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane? 07:50 He was at his breaking point as he sweat great drops of blood. 07:56 And it was at his breaking point that the angel showed up to 07:58 strengthen harm. 08:02 See, sometimes friends you won't see the breakthrough 08:05 until you're willing to get to your breaking point. 08:08 Now, the reason some of us never experience 08:11 miracle, the reason we never see breakthrough is because 08:16 we start fidgeting before we get to the breaking point. 08:20 So I need you to realize there's a difference between 08:23 your perceived breaking point and your actual breaking point. 08:30 So your breaking point is much further down the line 08:32 than what your emotions are telling you right now. 08:36 And this is the word to somebody today when you're up the river 08:39 without a paddle, when you're right in that place 08:44 between a rock and a hard place, when you're out there 08:46 between the devil and the deep blue sea, 08:49 there is going to be something that has to break. 08:52 But it won't be a child of God. 08:54 I need you to know the circumstance 08:56 is going to break. 08:56 The situation is going to break. 09:00 But guess what? Is not going to break your resolve. 09:02 It's not going to break your faith 09:04 that God has already measured you and predetermined 09:07 that you're going to make it through to the other side. 09:11 So the King requests in verse number four, 09:14 he said to me, What do you requests? 09:19 13 Is teacher strength. 09:21 Is that the greatest gift you can ever receive? 09:24 Is not position but influence. 09:31 See for Nehemiah is probably one of several. 09:36 Cup bearers. 09:36 Are you all still in church? 09:38 In other words, I need to get that. 09:39 This is not the kind of job you want to apply for. 09:45 There is a short life expectancy 09:49 for those who operate in this particular occupation. 09:53 That's why there are several cup bearers, in fact, because 09:57 there are so many assassination attempts against the king, 09:59 those who want to create 10:00 political coups and insurrections, 10:02 they try to get at him through their food. 10:04 So there is an assumption that after a while Nehemiah 10:07 is going to be replaced anyway, just a matter of time 10:11 before Nehemiah is off the scene. 10:14 In other words, 10:15 Nehemiah should not have very much value to the king, 10:20 but God has given Nehemiah such favor with the King 10:24 that the relationship is not just functional. 10:27 It is not just transactional. 10:30 God has given him an influence with the King that allows him 10:34 in this providential moment to create a different outcome. 10:39 All the way back home in Jerusalem. 10:44 And this is the key. 10:45 Nehemiah didn't have the crown. 10:50 He didn't have the throne. 10:54 He didn't have the position. 10:56 But this is the blessing. 10:58 Nehemiah had the influence. 11:02 See, Nehemiah wasn't the head, but he was the net that turn 11:06 the head. You are not with me today. 11:08 Church and see, I need us to get. 11:11 Because there are some of us 11:11 that can be so small in our thinking 11:14 that we think God is only good when we get the position. 11:17 But how many of us know that the power 11:19 is not in the position? 11:20 The power is in having the influence. 11:24 Because people have position. 11:26 They've got a lead. 11:28 They've got a plateau. 11:29 So that when you have a position, 11:32 you've got to operate within a certain jurisdiction. 11:35 But how many of us know 11:36 that when you have influence, there is no lead? 11:38 You don't just operate within a certain jurisdiction. 11:41 You can influence any space at any time 11:44 with any group of people. 11:45 When God gives you the favor of influence 11:51 and see, sometimes we can be so busy 11:53 cursing our position 11:57 that we're blind to the fact 11:58 that God has positioned us to influence 12:02 people for His glory. 12:09 So that name means wife. 12:13 Servant girl didn't have the greatest position, 12:17 but when a name got leprosy, 12:21 she had been positioned by God to serve the man's wife 12:25 and God use her influence 12:28 so that no man would get introduced to the God of Elijah. 12:32 Y'all with me today? Church. 12:33 Remember when Joseph was in Egypt? 12:35 He never had the position, but God gave him influence 12:39 with part of her. 12:40 He gave him influence with the keeper of the jail. 12:44 He had influence of the butler and the baker. 12:47 So that by the time Joseph is in prison 12:50 and the king needs somebody to interpret the dream. 12:53 Joseph has influence that reaches all the way 12:55 from the prison 12:57 that when Daniel 12:58 and the three Hebrew 12:59 boys got to Babylon, they came in as position of slaves, 13:04 but God gave them influence with King Nebuchadnezzar 13:06 and with Darius. 13:08 And because they had influence, both kings introduced laws 13:12 that no one would worship any God except for Daniel 13:15 and the three Hebrews God, 13:17 because sometimes 13:18 God doesn't position you where you want to be, 13:22 but he positions you for your witness 13:24 so you can influence people in the direction of God. 13:27 There 13:29 are you hear me today 13:32 and see some of us make the mistake of assuming 13:33 that influence is the result of position. 13:37 I need you to understand that the greatest form of favor favor 13:40 it is not position, it is influence. 13:41 And what most of us fail to realize 13:43 is that the position or the title, it always finds 13:47 the person that has the influence 13:50 are you hear me today, friends? 13:53 That needs to be clear. 13:54 Like, you know, our senators and congressmen don't run 13:58 the country. 14:00 It's the lobbyists that have the influence 14:03 that determine all of our outcomes. 14:05 They are with me today. 14:05 Friends 14:07 like Donald Trump 14:07 hadn't been 14:08 president for three years, but he still has a young man. 14:11 When I talk about that today, he still has influence 14:15 over a lot of the things that are happening here. 14:17 What I'm saying, like real talk. 14:19 Michael Jordan has not played ball for 30 years, 14:23 but kids that have never seen 14:24 him play are still paying $300 for his shoes 14:29 because even though he doesn't 14:30 have the position, he has the influence. 14:34 Because you go never be set apart by your position. 14:38 What sets you apart is the influence that God gives you. 14:42 Oh, so you may 14:44 have the position as a teacher, 14:47 but it's not going to be your position that makes kids 14:49 learn 14:51 is going to be your influence with the kids 14:53 that help them learn. 14:55 In other words, 14:56 you may have the position of a parent 14:58 and that will make them honor 14:59 you while they are in your house. 15:01 But it's not unless you have influence with them 15:05 that keeps them honoring you when they no longer live 15:06 underneath your roof. 15:08 There are some of us that have position of husband 15:12 and head of the home, but because some of us have lost 15:14 influence, our wives listen to everybody but us. 15:19 There are some that have the position of head of the team, 15:23 but because you don't have influence, 15:25 the rest of the team takes their cues from somebody else. 15:28 You may have the position of a position 15:31 that allows you to diagnose and to prescribe, 15:35 but it is your influence with the patient that helps them 15:38 begin to change their habits and their ways. 15:41 And what I'm saying to somebody today 15:42 is that we need to change our prayer 15:45 instead of praying for our position. 15:46 Instead of praying for promotion, 15:48 we have to be praying, God, give me influence. 15:51 You have to be praying. 15:52 Give me influence with my kids. 15:54 Give me influence with my coworkers. 15:57 Give me influence in this community. 15:59 Give me influence in the church. 16:01 I don't need a title. 16:02 I don't need an office. I don't need a badge. 16:05 I don't need a degree. 16:06 God, just give me influence 16:11 to be able 16:12 to move people in your direction for your glory. 16:16 So I want to say this 16:18 because you get influence in very simple ways. 16:22 Do you realize that just being a caring person 16:26 gives you influence? 16:28 Are you hear what I'm saying? 16:31 I mean I mean, just when you're a caring person, 16:34 when you go the extra mile, when you take the time to care 16:36 and you take the time to dot the I's and cross the t's, 16:39 I don't hear what I'm saying to the church. 16:41 There are certain people that cook with ingredients. 16:44 There are some folks who cook with love. 16:45 Come on and say, man, 16:47 you ever heard of 16:48 so somebody they didn't put their foot in it. 16:50 They put their heart into that soufflé 16:53 because caring gives you influence. 16:56 I have some a couple guys, one that works on my car, 16:58 another one that does some work on my house. 17:00 And every now I'm their man, they're just checking in. 17:02 They go the extra mile to make sure things are done right. 17:06 They go beyond the scope of their responsibility 17:08 and guess what, man? 17:09 Whenever I know that somebody needs 17:11 some work done on their car or their house, 17:14 I'm gonna use my influence 17:14 to drive them in their direction. Why? 17:17 Because not. 17:18 They're just not just good at what they do, 17:19 but they care about what they're doing. 17:22 I mean, there is something about a nurse that cares. 17:26 Can I get a witness out there today? 17:27 I mean, that just has that touch and that bedside manner 17:32 that says, I'm concerned about your outcome. 17:35 I see. 17:36 Sometimes just caring gives you favor with people. 17:39 And that's what I want to say really quickly, 17:41 that in this church 17:42 where we have to deal 17:43 with young people in high school and college, 17:45 and let me just give you this bit of advice, 17:46 because sometimes we correct because we care. 17:51 But you got to show you care before you start correcting. 17:57 No, no, no, no, no, no, no. 17:58 See, see, I need you to do the correcting, 18:01 but never let your correcting be preceded by your caring 18:04 and your concern. 18:06 Do you realize that God gives you influence 18:07 when you're just good at what you do? 18:09 Come on and say mentions God gives you influence, 18:11 not because you know the right person. 18:13 You scratch their back so they scratch yours. 18:15 You've got to align up with the right friend. 18:17 Just be good at what you do 18:18 and people will imitate you and ask you for advice. 18:22 So I need you to know that, folks, 18:23 that's always giving advice without being asked for it. 18:26 Are people that don't do nothing. 18:27 Well. 18:30 But when you do something well, you ain't got to dish out 18:32 unsolicited advice. 18:34 People going to seek out your counsel and your direction. 18:37 They're going to 18:38 imitate the things that you do on a routine and regular basis. 18:40 Are Hear what I'm saying today, friends 18:42 and what you want to pray for friends is not just 18:44 that God gives you title and position. 18:46 You want to pray that God gives you influence. 18:49 So the word say is here in verse number four. 18:52 Then the King said to me, What do you request? 18:56 So he says, So I prayed to the God of heaven. 19:02 Did your kids at church. 19:04 All right. 19:06 So don't just pray for God to open the door. 19:11 You got to pray when God opens the door. 19:14 See, I need to revisit something that we talked about for 19:16 just a second last week. 19:18 Remember, we said that 19:19 that prayer ought to always precede your actions. 19:24 But the fourth thing today is that prayer needs 19:26 to accompany your actions. 19:30 Okay, you see, this 19:31 opportunity comes without announcement. 19:35 The opportunity does not RSVP. 19:38 The opportunity does not call ahead. 19:41 The opportunity does not announce that it is coming. 19:45 It comes upon Nehemiah with a certain degree of surprise 19:49 and understand he is already anxious 19:50 and there is some trepidation 19:52 about how it is that he has to report but 19:54 plan or answer the king in this manner. 19:58 And so what Nehemiah takes the time to do is 20:01 to pray before he responds, 20:06 because if he asks 20:07 too little, then the job will not be completed. 20:13 If he asks to stay too long or too much, 20:16 that he may incur the wrath of the king. 20:19 So before Nehemiah starts jabbering, 20:24 he starts petitioning 20:26 the Lord as to what He is to say, 20:30 and I need somebody to get me friends. 20:31 That demeanor in this moment 20:33 does not make a spectacle of himself. 20:36 He is not there in the King's Court. 20:37 He doesn't fall on his face and start praying 20:41 when he's a king is waiting on a reply. 20:44 What's happening is that while there is an outward conversation 20:47 with the king, 20:48 there is an inward conversation with the King of Kings. 20:53 So I need you to understand that prayer should not 20:56 just be your practice. It ought to be your posture. 21:01 See, friends, let me say it this way. 21:03 There are times where I have my private prayer with God. 21:06 But how many of us understand, Joe, that your whole day 21:11 ought to be an atmosphere of heaven, where 21:13 there is an ongoing conversation with you and the most high. 21:18 I am a preacher in a church today. 21:20 That's what the Bible says, 21:21 that we ought to pray without ceasing. 21:25 And one of the things I'm realizing 21:26 is that the older I get, 21:27 the more I need to be praying in all things 21:30 and throughout all things. 21:32 I'm just at a place where, when I'm in a counseling 21:35 session, I'm praying as I'm processing. 21:40 There are times where, as I'm preaching this sermon, I'm 21:41 praying for strength, for God to make things clear. 21:45 There are times 21:46 when I'm in board meetings and business meetings, 21:48 I've got to be asking the Lord for help 21:51 before I have hard conversations with my spouse. 21:54 I've got to pray for God to guide my tongue. 21:57 When kids ask me questions about what they should do, I'm 22:00 praying while I'm still processing 22:03 and what I'm saying to the Church of the Living God 22:06 is that there ought not ever be a time 22:08 where you're just operating in your own strength. 22:11 Remember, there is a way 22:12 that seems right to a man, but the end is the way of death. 22:17 So you ought to be praying while you give the lecture. 22:20 You ought to pray while you're taking the exam. 22:23 You ought to pray while you're having the hard conversation. 22:26 You ought to pray while they're not paying attention. 22:29 You don't just pray before it happens. 22:32 You ought to pray while it happens 22:34 and while you're here. 22:35 You ought to pray after 22:38 it happens. 22:40 And this is really what I want to say. 22:42 Friends of mine, we got to get to a place 22:45 where prayer is not this sporadic activity. 22:49 Prayer ought to be your atmosphere. 22:56 So you pray before you move. 22:59 You're praying while you're move. 23:02 And you prayed after you move. 23:04 So that prayer and the spirit of praise 23:09 is not something that happens once a week, 23:13 but prayer is a portable atmosphere that follows me. 23:18 Wherever I go, I hear me today. 23:21 Church I'm going to date myself when I say this. 23:25 Anybody remember this old school Charlie Brown character 23:28 named Pig Pan? 23:30 Not now, y'all remember Pig Pen on the Charlie Brown character. 23:34 He was this dirty kid. 23:36 And whenever he went somewhere 23:38 that was just this spirit of dirt 23:41 that was in front of him, it was around him 23:45 and it was behind him because dirt was in his atmosphere. 23:50 And can I suggest that when you don't have a prayer 23:52 for atmosphere, you have a dirty atmosphere? 23:56 And when I'm saying that somebody today 23:58 is that your atmosphere ought to be one of prayer 24:02 where prayer precedes you, it accompanies you, 24:06 and it follows you wherever you go, because you pray 24:08 before all things, in all things and during all things. 24:12 And you praise God 24:16 once those things come to pass. 24:20 And it's crazy because God gives him such immense favor. 24:23 Friends, that God blesses Nehemiah 24:28 with three critical things. 24:29 He gives Nehemiah access. 24:32 He gives him letters of commendation 24:35 that allows him to 24:37 go into places where he wouldn't normally be able to go. 24:40 That need, you know, friends that when God blesses 24:42 you would favor. 24:43 One of the things he gives you is access. 24:45 Are you hearing the pastor today? 24:47 I need you to know that when God causes you 24:49 to rise on the high places of the Earth, 24:52 He'll put you in rooms with people that you never, ever 24:54 thought possible. 24:55 He'll put you in positions 24:57 that are beyond your highest goal or or ambition. 25:02 God will put you in rooms and places where you can 25:04 influence kings and people for His glory. 25:08 But not only does God give Him access, He gives him resources. 25:11 He says, I'm going to give you a letter 25:12 so that they give you enough timber. What's this? 25:15 Not just to build the house of God, 25:17 but to build the house 25:18 you live in while you're there doing the work. 25:23 So that does what Nehemiah doesn't have to go and beg 25:26 for the approval of the king keeper of the forest, though 25:30 he's already been 25:31 given resources by the king of the entire land. 25:35 And not only does God 25:36 give him resources and access, he gives him a security detail 25:41 so that nobody can mess 25:43 with Nehemiah even when he goes in enemy terrain. 25:48 I need somebody to know that not only will God give you access, 25:52 not only will He give you resources, he will give you 25:54 an invisible convoy of security detail. 26:00 The angelic host will accompany you no matter where you go. 26:04 And it doesn't matter 26:05 what weapons are formed against you and won't be 26:09 permitted to prosper because the Angel of the Lord 26:15 is encamped about you 26:17 at all times. 26:21 It's graduation season 26:23 and I want to say congrats to all of our recent graduates. 26:27 And though we're thankful for how God is blessing you, 26:29 the only problem is that we ask 18 or 19 year olds 26:34 to make decisions that affect the rest of their lives. 26:37 That's why I'm inviting you to join me for our 26:40 first ever Breath of life decision day. 26:43 It's a one day online conference on July the seventh. 26:47 I'm going to be joined by a number of individuals. 26:50 They're going to help 26:51 our young people make decisions about their future. 26:54 We're going to be discussing things like How to discover 26:57 your calling doesn't HBCU put me out of this advantage? 27:02 When do I need to pivot changing schools or majors 27:05 or how to dream big? 27:08 It's going to be held on July the seventh from 10 a.m. 27:11 to 2:00 pm. 27:12 It's a free conference, 27:14 but we don't just want the kids to come. 27:16 We want the parents to come so that we can make these decisions 27:20 with God's tutelage as a village. 27:24 So again, that's going to be July the seventh from 10 a.m. 27:26 to 2:00 pm. 27:27 I need you to know it's going to be a great time of learning. 27:30 You're going to be equipped. 27:31 You're going to be given some tools 27:33 to make sure 27:33 that you land at the right place 27:35 and that you make the right choice. 27:37 I look forward to seeing you soon on decision day. |
Revised 2024-06-20