The God Connection | Senior Pastor Kenneth Carpenter

If you have your Bibles, stand with me and turn to the book of Romans, chapter number 15. And we begin reading at verse number three of Romans chapter 15:3. And then if you want to just go ahead and go to 2 Kings chapter 6 and verse number eight, you want to hold that. We're going to we're going to deal for a few moments on 2 Kings 6 and 8. So good to see you in the house of the Lord as I've said this morning. And I was looking over the schedule of who was singing and I couldn't come up. There was just the uh the initial uh L. It said L or L or. And I was sitting at the house. I was trying to figure out who is L or and I went through the ores and none of them. Is this a Lana? Who is an or right? And uh that's a few days old, but Lana or did the special singing for us today and we rejoice with um with them Jared and Lana as just a few days ago they stood on this very platform and we're joined together in holy matrimony. We're happy we're happy for them. So we're happy today to have the Sanders with us. This is Sister Flannry's mom and dad. And uh they've come down to Miraville to do some babysitting with Magnolia. And uh we're so glad to have them. They said we're going to we're going to sit in the back with Magnolia today. So we we we know the interpretation of that, don't we? So we're we're so glad. We are so thankful to have them here. Are you in Romans 15 and3? Romans 15 and3. For even Christ pleased not himself, but as it is written, the reproaches of them that reproach thee fell on me. Verse four, for whatsoever things were written a four time were written for our learning. Now he's Paul is referring to the Old Testament. For whatsoever things were written before time were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. How many knows that we go in our Christian walk from victory to victory, right? Do you know what's in between victory and victory? Worship. When God hasn't given you the victory, you always have the option to worship. >> And I promise you, prayer and worship will help you get to your next victory >> faster than anything else. I'm going to tell you what prayer prayer and worship is like. It's like taking your children on a long road trip and they keep saying, "Are we there yet? Are we there?" You know, you're you're you're nowhere near there. But you know what you say to them? Why don't you take a nap and it'll help it go by faster? Can I tell anybody in this room today, if you're in between victory to victory, why don't you pray with me right now? And why don't you worship with me right now? >> And I promise you, we'll get there a lot faster >> if we'll praise and worship. Father, in the name of Jesus today, Lord, I ask you to move upon us, Lord. Lord, I thank you for these people that have come to your house this morning. Lord, I thank you, God, for their love and their devotion. Lord, I thank you for the people that worshiped and praised you and created a climate for God, you to do miracles this morning. Lord, bless the word, God. Bless the word that I'm going to attempt to give today. Let it find a lodging place in someone's heart. Lord, let it grow in someone's heart today. In Jesus wonderful name, we all pray. Amen. Amen. Put your Bible down. Put your hands together. Give the Lord a hand of praise for what you're going to receive. Come on, go ahead and give him a give him a praise for what you're going to receive. I'm going to receive today the word of God. For a title today, and thank you, brother Dale McBrroom, for the graphics this morning, but for a title today, I want to minister on the God connection. The God connection. You see, when Paul in the early church for a few centuries, when Paul would preach or Paul would teach, what he had as a Bible was 39 books of the Old Testament. He had the Old Testament. And the Old Testament, hear me now, is just as anointed as the New Testament. >> It is just as anointed as the New Testament. And it's there. It's there for a reason. I shudder. I've had people send me clips of renowned theologians or so-called theologians that have gotten up and said, "We don't go to the Old Testament anymore." That was fulfilled. And the Old Testament is not for of the church today. How wrong that individual is. Paul tells us in Romans 15 and3, Paul explains the reason that we have the Old Testament. As a matter of fact, Paul lets the Old Testament validate He lets the Old Testament validate who Jesus Christ is. He lets the Old Testament validate the ways of a Christian. And then he even he even used what Jesus said or what was said about Jesus in Psalms 39 that the reproaches of the people would fall upon him. And then in verse number four, if you'd be so kind and place that back on the screen, he says, "For whatsoever things were written before time," in other words, Old Testament were written for our everybody say our >> for our learning. It's it's written for our learning. It's just not history. It's it's it's history that has a meaning for us for our learning. Well, what are we supposed to learn from the Old Testament? That through patience and comfort of scriptures, we might have hope. How many realize how important hope is? >> Hope is so important to us. I'm going to tell you what I'm going to liken hope to. Hope is like breathing. How important is breathing? Well, if you stop breathing, you're going to pass out. you stop breathing. People that are dead, the Bible says the dead praise not the Lord. The Bible said, "Let everything that have breath praise the Lord." And so, you know what hope is? Hope is my breath that I breathe. Hope is what I what I stand in the dark valley and what I breathe in to know that as I read these stories in the Old Testament, as I read these stories in the Old Testament, that just as these stories were true then, these stories have a meaning for us now. Well, let's just jump over to Second Kings chapter 6 and let's read one of these stories in reference to the God connection. It says in verse number 8 of chapter 6, then the king of Syria wared again against Israel and took counsel with his servants, saying, "In such and such a place shall be my camp." Now, what the king of Israel or what the king of Syria, the enemy of Israel did, the enemy of Israel, the enemy of Israel got his military together and said, "I want you to set ambushments over the land against the armies or the people of Israel. I want you to surprise them. I want there to be ambushments. I want I want you to come upon them before they realize Israel realizes." So this is what the king this is what he did. The Bible says in verse number nine and the man of God sent unto the king of Israel saying beware that thou pass not such a place for thither the Syrians are come down. Now let me take that verse nine the man of God and let me tell you something. Look at the man of God. what the man of God speaks here in this story as my God connection. As my God connection. I'm not alone. I have a God connection. But the man of God sent to the king of Israel and he said, "Don't go to that place. Don't camp. The enem is going to be there. They're laying a snare for you. They're laying a trap for you. They're going to be there. So So don't go that. Don't don't don't go that place." Verse 9, the man of God sent unto the king of Israel, saying, Beware that thou pass not such a place, for thither are the Syrians come down. And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him, and warned him of, and saved himself there, not once nor twice. In other words, it was many times. Think about this, brother John. many times, oh king of Syria, the enemy of God's people, set out ambushments, set out, I'm going to I'm going to have a troop waiting on them on on this hill, and I'm going to have a troop waiting on them over here in this valley, and I'm going to have a troop waiting over on them over by the water. And every time the king of Syria would have his war plans, the God connection came and the king would hear, "Don't go here." And it said that they were saved from the ambushments not once nor twice which means it's just an innumerable just several times this happened. So now let's travel on in the story because remember these things are written for our learning. Verse 11. Therefore the heart of the king of Syria was sore troubled. That means he was really mad for this thing. And he called the servants and said unto them, "Will ye not show me which of us is for the king of Israel?" What's he saying? He says, "We got a spy in this room." Said, "Dave, somebody in this room, somebody in this room is a spy." Now, if it happens once, Israel's lucky. If it happens twice, Israel's real lucky. But boys, this has been several times that we have planned an ambushment in Israel. Israel doesn't come down that way. So evidently, there's got to be a spy. There's got to be a spy in this room. Verse 12. And one of his servants said,"None, my lord, oh king, but Elisha the prophet that is in Israel, tellth the king of Israel, the words that thou speakest in thy bed chamber." Somebody spoke up and said, "Ain't no spies here. Ain't none of us a spy." Said, "I'm going to tell you where your your issues at. I'm going tell you where your problem lies. Is that God connection that Israel has. Israel's got a God connection. And Israel, I said, and then and then he went as so far to say this. He said, "Oh, king, this God connection, Elisha, this God connection called Elisha, he knows what you say in your bedroom." So, it's a it's it's it's a God connection. So, what did the king of Syria do? Verse 13. And he said, "Go and spy where he is that I may send and fetch him." Now, that wasn't that that wasn't going to reward him. And it was told him, saying, "Behold, he's in Dothan." They said, "You go find out where that God connection's at. You go find out where he's at." They came back and they said, "He's in he's in Dothan, this city." Therefore sent he thither, follow it closely, verse 14, horses and chariots and a what kind of host? >> A great host. And they came by what? And can pass the city about. Isn't it amazing? When the enemy wants to move on us, he always has to come by night. They went to sleep that evening. Sun set. Just another day. Beautiful God connection. Got Elisha here with us. But in the night, in the night, the enemy moved in with a great host. And the Bible said they can pass the city of Doofan. They completely they completely surrounded they completely surrounded the city of Doofan completely surrounded that city and verse 15. And when the servant of the man of God and you know I'd kind of liken that to you and I you know our God is our connection. If there's anything special about us, it's it it's got to be our God. >> I don't want to get in a competition with the world about talent. I don't even want to get in competition with other churches about talent because it's not about talent. >> It's about our God connection. >> There could be bigger churches, but they better have a God connection. >> There could be more beautiful buildings, but they better have a God connection. For without a God connection, we're nothing more than sounding brass in a tinkling symbol. Today, I'm glad to have a God connection today. I'm glad to be worshiping the Lord in spirit and in truth. For the Father seeketh such to worship him. >> Somebody say, "Amen." And when the servant of the man of God, that's us, was risen early and gone forth, behold, a host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, which is Elisha, "Alas, my master, how shall we do?" That word alas there is the greatest word of deep despair. It's the greatest word of deep despair. When when something has happened in your life that's unimaginable, when something has happened in your life that's that was just terrible, you would cry out, "Alas, alas. I mean I'm in deep despair. Alas, I'm I'm hopeless." So when that when that servant boy, which like you and I wake up that next morning and probably was going down to the well to get some water or what have you, he looked up and he said, "Uh-oh. Uh uhoh, there's the Syrians. There's their horses. There's their chariots. There's their shields. There's their men. There they are. And there is there an exit out of this city? Do we have an exit out of Dothan?" Why? They're completely surrounded us. They've completely surrounded. There is no exit. Can I tell us all something today to be of good cheer? There's always an exit >> when you have a God connection. >> When you have a God connection, hear me now. If God be for us, who can be against us? But you see, this servant boy was only able to see what he could see with his natural eyesight. Syrians, horses, chariots, soldiers, Syrians, men all the way around, north, south, east, and west. We are completely surrounded. We are completely surrounded. How did they get there? They got there in the night. In the night. Uh, let me read to you now. Now hold your place at 2 Kings and just let me read you read to you these scriptures. Let me read to you these scriptures. Proverbs chapter 3 verse number 24. When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid. Yay, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet. Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked when it cometh. For the Lord shall be thy confidence and shall keep thy foot from being taken. Psalms 91 and verse number five. Somebody say amen. >> Psalms 91. Please hear this today. Psalms 91:5. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night, nor for the arrow that flieth by day, nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness, nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. Look at the two periods of time. He talks about the night and the day. He talks about the night and the day. Do you know what he's saying here? Things you don't see coming and things that are the possibility of happening. Things you don't see coming. Went to bed. The skies was blue. I went to bed. But when I woke up in the morning through the night, the enemy moved in. How many have found your self in a place to where you just had to say, "I didn't see that coming. I I I sure didn't see that coming. I didn't see that sickness coming. I didn't see that family problem coming. I didn't see that factory shutting down coming. I didn't see a lot of things coming." You ever been there and you just had to say, "I didn't see that coming." >> But how many of you been at things and you say, "Well, I was afraid of that. I was afraid that was going to come. I I I I fear you know Job if Job had one fault flaw. Do you know that before Job lost everything his health, his wealth and his children? Do you know that he feared losing his health, wealth, and children? Because the Bible plainly says Job said when he lost it all, he said that which I feared has greatly come upon me. In other words, he he had the fear. So there are things there are things that we say, I didn't see that coming. where there were things you would say I was I was I was afraid of that. So when this this young boy steps out and see the mountains filled with Assyrians, he goes into his God connection. He goes into his God connection. You see, blessed are the people that know where to go when trouble strikes their lives. You see, sometimes we get deceived to believe that we need a break from God when trouble comes. If there's ever been a time you need God, it's when trouble comes. You don't need to stay home from church when trouble comes. You need to add some more church to your calendar when when when trouble comes. Thank you for that astounding hand clap offering today of thank you for that. But if if if you don't start responding to it, I don't know I don't know if you believe it or not. I'm telling you, I have seen more people lose out with God because trouble came and they decided to take a break on God. Well, I'm just going I'm just going to get out of this position. I'm just going to get out of this. I'm going to sit down out of the choir. I'm going to do all this. That's not what you need to do. When trouble comes, you need to get to your God connection. When that boy looked and said, "Alas," he said, "It's time for me to go to my God connection. I need to get inside this house and I need to go to my God connection." Now, back to Second Kings, chapter number six. Chapter number six. And let's see, where did I end there? Somebody verse did I end it at verse 15? Verse 15. And when the servant of the man of God was risen early and gone forth, behold, a host can pass the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, "Alas, my master, how shall we do?" Now listen to what the God connection said. Verse 16. And he answered, "Fear not, for they that be with us are more than be with them." Now these things are written for who's learning >> our learning. So now I'm going to learn something from this. It's not what I can see with my natural eyesight that's important. >> It's what I need to see by the eye of faith that's going to get me through. Now, can you see maybe there's a possibility here? There's a possibility. There's a possibility that when his God connection said, "Well, what are you saying I ask for? There's more with us than is with them." I wonder if that servant boy didn't start going one two one two 45 4006 47 48 one two Can I tell you there's going to be times that your God connection is going to say things to you that you don't understand >> but you got to trust your God connection. >> You got to trust in God. He said, "Don't What are you What are you What are you worried about? What are you saying I last about?" He said, "There's more with us than be with them." Look at verse 17. And Elijah prayed. Can I tell you, isn't it wonderful how different we can see things after we've had a good season of prayer? >> Can I get a witness in this house today? Isn't it Isn't it amazing how different we can see things after we've had a good season of prayer? Anybody want to join my club today? I have stumbled into the prayer room at time. I have my knees my knees have buckled under the burdens that I've been carrying at times. But oh, if I can get to the prayer room, >> if I can just get to a place of prayer, it's slow. It starts out slow, but I begin to say, "Oh, God, I really need your help. Oh, God, I really need you to help me. I can't explain it. Put it under a microscope. You can't see it. It can't be put in a test tube and scientifically proved or disproved." But something happens in prayer. My burdens get lighter. My my my burdens get lighter. I you say, "Yeah, somebody called during prayer and said God answered." No, that didn't happen. I had the same burdens that was waiting for me on the outside of the prayer room that I took to the prayer room. But there's just something, church, buy into prayer, believe in prayer, practice prayer. There's something about when you feel like you're surrounded. There's just something about there's just something about prayer. Verse 17. And Elisha prayed and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha. Oh, that's what I want to see. I don't want to see what the enemy moved in in the night. Because anytime the enemy Oh, yes. Anytime the enemy makes a move on you, guess whose eye is upon you. >> God's eye is upon you. And when the enemy makes a move against you, God makes a move against the enemy. When the enemy started moving in with their chariots by night, keep the wheels quiet. Don't let the chains cling. We got to surprise them in the morning. when they did surprise Israel, they didn't surprise God. Because God looked down and said, "That's my man down there. That's my people down there. That's my daughter down there. That's my son down there." And look at how the enemy is moving chariots around. And God be to say to an innumerable number of angels, "Get your chariots. Get your angels." And they're angels of fire. They've come from my presence. And what the enemy couldn't see and what the young boy couldn't see until the man of God prayed, he had to have his eyes opened up. And when his eyes opened up, he saw the mountains up behind. You see, I'm going to look beyond what my enemy's done, and I'm going to see what God is doing. I'm going to look beyond. Let me say it again. I'm going to look beyond what the enem is doing. And I'm going to see what God's doing. I'm going to see what God's Stop talking about how what the enemy is doing in your life. If God has allowed the enemy to come in, it's for a purpose. You're going to be stronger. You're going to be wiser. You're going to come out more bold. God, listen, Job, keep walking through your trial and test because you're going to end up with twice as many children and twice as many livestock. You're going to end up with all of this. How many want to be a part of that? >> I want my eyes open up. I was shouting to that song this morning. Shout like he did it. Dance like he did it. Praise like he did it. You know that's that could be past tense or future tense is either how you want to look at it. But you do know that he that did it is the doer of it. >> I said he that did it is the doer of it. And so he looked and he saw the mountains full. He saw the mountains full of chariots of angels. And this let me tell you the rest of the story. It's not a part of my message today, but I'll just tell you the rest of the story. Here come the Syrians down. Here come the Syrians down to get a hold of the God connection. Here come the Assyrians down to get a hold of Elisha. The Bible says that Elisha prayed again. Elisha prayed again. You It's amazing. It's amazing. Your prayers can take on different types. Sometimes we're praying for God to open people's eyes and other times we're praying against the enemy. That's right. That's spiritual warfare. I do believe in spiritual warfare. I believe there's a devil that wants to damn all of us to hell. Believe there's a demon, demonic spirit that wants to get a hold of all of our lives. But you know what? Greater is he >> that is in me and you than he that is in the world. Devil, you ain't going to have my marriage. Devil, you're not going to have my joy. Devil, you're not going to have my peace. Devil, you're not going to have my family. Devil, you just take your hands off my daughter. You take your hands off, my son. I I know they're they're they're a little cold right now. I know they're a little distant right now with you, but I'm going to put some fire in my prayer. I'm going to keep on praying. And then over time, I'm going to watch my family get rekindled. I'm going I'm going to watch my family. I'm talking about having a God connection. Take your hands off my family. >> Well, here they come down from the mountains. Here they come down from the mountains. And Elisha stepped out. And Elisha prayed again. And he said, "Oh, God smite them with blindness, and God smoked them with blindness, and they're as blind. I won't say as a bat. I I don't know how blind a bat is, but as blind as a bat. It's like being as poor as Job's turkey. I as blind as a blind as a bat." And now here they are blind. And Elisha steps right up to him and says, "Uh, this is not the place. This Is this not what you're looking for? Is this not the place? They're not blind. That's all. All them soldiers. They're blind. He said, "This not the place." So, come on. I'll show you where we going to go. And he walked them right in to the city of Samaria, the city of Israel. He walked them right in the city walls. The armies of Israel surrounded them. And he walked them right in. And the Lord, he said, "Lord, open their eyes." And they opened their eyes. Can you imagine how terrified they were when they opened their eyes and they were inside the city of Samaria and there was Israelite soldiers all around and the king come up and said, "Shall we kill him?" He said, "No, you're not going to kill him." Said, "Would you kill somebody you took captive in battle?" Said, "No, you ain't going to kill them." You going to feed them? You going to give them something to drink? You give them something to eat. You going to feed them. And do you know that Satan uses people just like God uses people? >> Let me say it again. Satan uses people just like God uses people. >> When God uses people, it's not the person, it's the God in the person. >> It's the dual nature, >> right? It's the dual nature. It's the God in the person. That's why you can't ever take glory for something God did because he won't do any more for you. because he said the glory belongs to me. >> And then he said, "No flesh will glory in my presence." So if God does something through you, you need to give God the glory because if you ever take the glory and start believing you're all of that, you know, you're just you're just the the you're just the bomb. You know, God's going to say, "All right, the next time I'm not going to do anything for you." So let me say it again. Just like God uses people, Satan uses people. And what we have to understand, we have to put a difference between the Satan and the person. >> Because sometimes we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers. I don't need to make an enemy out of somebody that Satan is using. >> What I need to do is show them the love of God. feed them. Give them drink. We say, "Well, how how's that applicable? They're not they don't even coming around me. They don't even want to come around me. They're saying all these kind of things. Can you pray? Serve them up a big bowl of prayer. Serve them a cool drink of prayer. Pray for them. Ask God to touch them." And guess what? If we would go on and read the scripture, they fed them. Well, fed them. Well, let me still go on. Let me go all the way down. I don't know if I sent it to the the I don't know if I sent it to them or not. Um, go on down. Um, verse 23 of the same chapter. And he prepared great provision for them. And when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away. Listen to this. And they went to their master. So the bands of s of Syria came no more into the land of Israel. They fed them and they sent them away and is As Syrians attacked them no more. Don't you want to make a friend out of your enemy? >> Don't you would Would Wouldn't you love to see people that that would have delighted to hear that you had a terrible car wreck and you lost your job and all kind of woe? Come. Wouldn't you like to see God take those same people and turn them around to where through the kindness you showed to them, they now become your friend. Some of you looking at me like a mule eating briars through a picketed fence this morning. I'm glad God has his eye on us today. I'm glad we have a God connection today. I'm glad we have a God connection today. I feel for Hagar in the Bible. You know, Hagar didn't ask for the trouble that she endured. Hagar didn't ask for that trouble that she endured. She was evidently purchased by Abram and Sarah when they were in Egypt. She was purchased to be a servant to Sarahi. She She was purchased to be a maid for Sarahi. She She didn't ask for that. She She was purchased. She didn't ask for it. Sarah got weak in faith and didn't want to wait on God. Remember, these things are written for what now? >> Who's learning? >> She got weak and didn't want to wait on God. And so, she came up with a plan that Abram, her husband, would change the relationship from a maid to marriage and that there would be children brought into that union through Hagar. And so, Abram, Abram obeyed. Abram listened to her. Abram changed her status, Hagar's status from a maid to a wife. And um then when Abram had a relation with her and Hagar Hagar got got pregnant, uh the trouble came. The trouble the trouble came and Hagar Hagar evidently if she's got a fault if she's got a fault Hagar probably it might have went something like this u hey Hagar uh go get me some water do this do that and Hagar may have said wait a man I'm equal with you I'm and that that she was she was married one of Abram's wives and >> >> Sarah in Genesis 16 um in in Genesis 16 verse number 7 is what we'll read. Sarah began to abuse her and treat her harshly. She began to abuse her and treat her harshly. Now again again Hagar didn't ask for this. You ever had to endure things you didn't ask for? You ever just had to endure things that you you didn't you didn't ask for them. You just came and she's enduring this and she had enough. She just had enough. She just left. She's walked out of the home and matter of fact she was going back to Egypt. She was going back to Egypt and um pregnant with Abraham's child. She's going back to Egypt. And in Genesis 16:7, it said, "And the angel of the Lord found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shure," that's the way to back to Egypt. And the angel said, "Hagar, Sarah's maid, whence camest thou? And whether wilt thou go?" She said, "I flee from the face of my mistress Seri." You you you know when we start making decisions about our lives, whether it's based on mistreatment, whatever it is, hardship, the angel asked her a good question. He said, "Where have you come from?" And where are you going? Where have you come from? And where are you going? Verse nine. And the angel of the Lord said unto her, "Return to thy mistress and submit thyself unto her hands." The angel of the Lord said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly. It shall not be numbered for multitude. The angel of the Lord said unto her, Behold, thou art child, and shall bear a son, and shall call his name Ishmael, because the Lord hath heard thy affliction. He will be a wild man. His hand will be against every man, and every man's hand will be against him, and she and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren. And she called the name of the Lord that spake unto her. She called the name of the Lord that spake unto her. Look at verse 13. And she called the name of the Lord that spake unto her. Thou God seeest me. Thou God seeest me. For she said, "Have I also here looked after him that seeth me?" I don't know about you, but I find a lot of comfort to know that God sees me. I find a lot of comfort trying to seek after God. But my great comfort comes when I know that God sees me. I want to tell all you beautiful saints of God in this building today. I want to tell every one of us in this building today, God sees you, sis. You hear your pastor this morning, God sees you. God's got his hand on you. God sees you. Even when we can't perceive and understand, and we wish things had went different, and we wish things hadn't turned out the way they are, I've come on this Sunday morning to tell somebody in this room, God sees you. God sees you. And the greatest thing that'll take you through fires, floods, disasters, and all will be the fact, honey, God sees what we're doing this morning. God sees what we're doing. God sees that we lift our hands and we lift our voices and we give him praise. She said, "I am seeing. I am looking after those that God sees." You see later on later on Hagar would once again have to leave. She went back and submitted to Sarah. But a few years later, possibly 10 to 13 years later. Ishmael was 10 to 13 years old when Isaac was born. When Isaac was being weaned, Sarah looked out and saw Ishmael mocking Isaac. And Sarah said, "I've had enough. send her away and send the son send the son away. She's so in despair. She's so in despair. And in Genesis 21:14, it said, "And Abram rose up early in the morning, took bread, bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away. And she departed and wandered in the wilderness of Bershea. And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under a shrub. She went and sat down over against him a good way off, even as a bow shot. For she said, "Let me not see the death of the child." And she set over against him, and lifted up her voice and wept. Now look at this. She'd been sent away. She got a young child in her arms. Abraham gave her a bottle of water to survive. In other words, I believe Abraham was saying, "Get back to Egypt. Your your chances you your your chances are you you need you need to get back. You need to get back to Egypt is where you need to get back to." And she wandered in the wilderness and ran out of water. She knew death would soon come. And she took Ishmael and she placed him under a bush, the shade, all the comfort she could get. And she went about a bow shot. I don't know how many hundred feet she went because she said, "I I can't hear the death. I can't see the death of my child." What? What deep despair? What deep despair that she's in? And she lifted up her voice. Verse 16. And she began to weep. Look at verse 17. Who's this written for today? And I know I keep reminding you, but you got to be reminded of this. Who's this written for? Our learning. And God heard the voice of the lad. And the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said, "What alleith thee, Hagar? Fear not, for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is. Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand, for I will make of him a great nation." Now, here's what I want to use today. Get your mind off of e evil Ishmael. Get your mind off of out of the will of God. There was a promise in Ishmael. There was a promise in Ishmael. He was going to become a mighty nation. He was going to become great. Although although he is he would be a wild man, he would be a thorn in the sight of the Israelites, God still had a promise inside of him. So if I could use that today in this message to say God hears the promises that he has made. God has made unto you and I exceedingly great and precious promises. And when we are at the end of our rope and we are at the end and we've thrown our promise under a bush and we've said, "I don't want to see it die. I'm going to go about a bow shot." There is a God in heaven. When that baby, when that lad, when that Ishmael started crying out, the Bible said, "And God heard the voice of the lad." Can I tell you today, he hears his promise. I will never leave you nor ever forsake you. I am with you always. I will not fear what man. Well, I wish somebody wake up to the promises of of God. God hears those promises. exceeding abundantly above all that we can think and or has, shake yourself today. If you're in the valley of despair, if you're in the valley of darkness, there is a God that says, "I hear my promises I have for you." Come on, give him praise right now. Lift up your voice and give him praise right now. I hear it. I hear it. Go get a hold of the child. Arise. Verse 18. Arise. Lift up the child. Lift up the promise. Lift up the promise. Hold him in thine hand. For I will make of him a great nation. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. We're out of water, God. The reason I throw him under the bush, I didn't have any water. The water was spent in the in what Abraham and gave me. The water was spent. Wait a minute. God, we don't have any water. Lift up the promise. I don't have any water. But wait a minute. Verse 19. And again, can I be repetitious with you this morning to the part of probably about being irritant to you? Who's it written for? Verse 19. Why don't we read the first five words of that together out loud? And >> and God opened her eyes. Can I tell you something? Just like the servants eyes got opened not to the Syrians that surrounded them but to the angels of fire that was above them. God opened her eyes. And when God opened her eyes, she saw a well of water and she went and filled the bottle with water and gave the lad drink. Can I tell you today, God opened our eyes that we could see the well in this church. God open our eyes. Some of you stumbled in here this morning. Some of you been going through trials and tests and you wonder how long the night, how long is this going to last? My prayer is for you on this Sunday morning that God would open your eyes and you would see there's there's a whale of water down here. There's a whale in my praise. There's a whale in my shout. There's a whale in my worship. There's a whale of springing water that's coming up. >> >> Can I give us one more example? Somebody mistreated. She couldn't help it. I tend I tend to lean to the theological conclusion that Leah was not an attracted woman. Please, anybody named Leah here? You're beautiful. You say, "Hey, you say that if you're here today and you got the Holy Ghost, the Bible said he'll beautify the meek with salvation." >> You're beautiful. So, let's just just get that off the table right now. You don't have to line up and tell me today, "Hey, my name's Leah and I Okay. All right. She wasn't born with the best looks, but her sister Rachel, she is like Sister Carpenter. She is drop dead gorgeous." I'm going to tell you something. I'm like that fella said the other day. He said, "I've never played chess, but I can recognize a queen when I see her." Amen. She'd drop dead gorgeous. All right. So, when that boy came walking on the farm called Jacob, Jacob wasn't attracted to Leah. He was attracted to Rachel. And you know how the story goes. and had a daddy that deceived and and in the darkness of the night when Rachel should have went in the tent, he slipped Leah into the tent and Jacob married Leah. It was a marriage and Jacob honored the marriage and and and but God God said um Leo was despised and Jacob spent all of his time well obviously not all of his time but I'm sorry just won't be correct you know he spent some time with Leah because Genesis 29 and verse 31 one says, "And when the Lord saw that Leah was hated, look at that. And when the Lord saw you, you you don't you don't have to tell God you're hated." You don't have to tell God you're hated. He already knows that. And when the Lord saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb. But Rachel was barren. Leah conceived and bare a son. She called his name Reuben. Why are you gonna call him Ruben? For she said, "Surely the Lord hath what? Looked upon my affliction. And now therefore my husband will love me." She said, "She got pregnant and the baby came." And Rachel wasn't pregnant. And when the baby came, she said, "Call his name Reuben." Why you want to call him Reuben? Cuz the Lord's been looking at me. The Lord's been looking at me and therefore I've got Listen, I know he spends most of his time over in Rachel's tent, but boy, this baby's going to be a game changer. He going to he going to want to come over to this tent and see my little little Reuben here. Well, no sooner than Reuben, no sooner than Reuben. Um, and Brother Osborne can really go into detail here, and I'm not going to go into detail, but he can really go into detail here. Um, you know, Jacob comes over. Well, let me go a little Osborne on you here. Uh, Jacob comes over to see his son Reuben and and oh, Rachel's put I mean Leah's put the best dress and the best uh Chanel number five or whatever it's called. And and there she is. Well, read between the lines. Verse number 33. and she conceived again and bare a son and said, "Because the Lord hath heard that I was hated, he hath therefore given me this son also." And she called his name Simeon. She said, "Not only do I have a God that's looking at me, I have a God that hears me. I I've got a God looking at me and I've got a God that hears me." Now, Jacob's got two sons to come. And that's why we have verse 34. And she conceives again and bear a son and said, "Now this time will my husband be joined unto me because I have borne him three sons. Therefore was his name called Levi." That means to be joined to said now I got three of them. So he going to be spending a whole lot of time over here. That's at least three days out of the year of birthdays. I'm He going to be spending a whole and I'll call his name. I'll call his name Levi. Well, it must have worked. Look at verse 35 and somebody say the first four words of verse 35. She conceived again. Bear a son. And she said, "Now will I what? >> Praise the Lord." Therefore, she called his name Judah and left Mary. Can I tell you something, friend? We ought to go through that same cycle in our prayers. We ought to have a Reuben. God sees us. We ought to have a Simeon. God hears us. We ought to have a Levi. God has joined us. And when we get all these put together, just throw your head back. Lift up your voice. Begin to praise and give God the glory. You might be in the valley this morning. It may be dark. You may be broke. You may be single. You may be you may be in a terrible relationship right now, but in between that mountain of victory and that mountain of victory, you need to get up and begin to praise and worship the Lord. The sun is going to shine again. The things are going to turn around again. They're not going to stay the way they're going to stay because Come on, stand with me today. Is that all the praise we can give him this morning? >> Come on. Is that all the praise you can give him this morning? Come on. Is that all the praise? >> I believe God will work for people who praise him. I believe that God will work for people who praise him. >> I'm glad to have my God connection this morning. >> Our musicians and singers are coming. I I said I'm glad to have our God connection today. 2 Chronicles 16:9. Would you please look at this today? 2 Chronicles 16:9. For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show himself strong in the behalf of those who whose heart is perfect toward him. It wasn't good enough to say it once. God say it again in Zechariah 4 verse number 10. Who have despised the day of small things. See, here's the problem. Here is the problem. Some people have a diminished opinion and view of praise and worship. >> You think praise and worship is for us weak-minded people, us less than you people. That's true. And you despise the day of small things. You look down, well, I just don't believe it. I just don't believe it takes all that. I I don't believe it takes all that. I I I I just believe that's just a little bit. I just believe that's just a little bit too much. It's not for your sporting event. >> It's not for your entertainment. >> It's not whole church is going at our place. We're, you know, we we we we have long sermons and long church. You have long football games, too. >> You have long you have long vacations, too. You spend long long time on the beach. It's been a long time. You know, please don't diminish praise and worship. >> Cuz if there's ever thing that can move you from one mountain to the next is not not the sound of your worship, but who sees you worshiping, >> who sees you praising. See, it's not I I better praise God so pastor don't get upset with me. You've missed the whole thing. You need to praise God because there's a God looking down and saying, >> >> Look at him. Look at her. He's got his hands up. She's got her hands up. She's praising me. She She don't care what anybody around her is thinking. >> For who hath despised the day of small things? For they shall rejoice and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel. Who's with the seven? They are the eyes of the Lord which run to and fro through the whole earth. >> >> Look at that. His eyes. Oh, his eyes are running up and down this place today. But up and down. He He did He just running up and down. Who can I show myself strong to? Who could I show here? Here they are at First Apostolic Church this morning. They're half their number because a marriage retreat and and and and who's going to step out and be one of the first to come down to the altar and begin to say, "Jesus, I love you. Jesus, this message was just for me. Jesus, this was just for me this morning. I praise you. I I magnify you, God. I glorify you, God. It was just for me. It's my God connection today. Oh, thank you for responding. Thank you for responding. Thank you for responding. Come on, begin to give him praise right now. Oh God, I worship you right now. >> Oh God, I magnify you. You're my God connection. You're my hope. You're my healer. You're my You're my everything. You're my all and all. I can't make it without you. I can't breathe without you. I can't walk without you. I can't think without you. I can't make decisions without you, God. Amen. Wait a minute. Would you move down? It hard to believe. I'm going to ask you to move closer to the altar and make room for others coming right now. But will you step closer so everybody else can get in here real good? That God doesn't care about you. >> That God doesn't care about you. >> That God doesn't care about you. >> That God doesn't care about you. Wait, wait a minute. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Listen to the word today. Who's these things written for? He said, "An insignificant bird called a sparrow." It takes a bunch of them. You got to get a bunch of them put together to have any value. You got to have a bunch of them put together to have any value at all. And the value that you get a bunch of them together, the value is not very much. And Jesus said that sparrow when that sparrow falls from the air and dies and lands, I take notice of that. But here's what he said. Are you not much of more value than the sparrow? See, that that's a trick of the enemy to get you to think God doesn't care about you. And you're one of eight something billion people on the earth today. That's a lie. That's a lie. That's a lie. His eye is upon you, >> brother Stemit. They're in a boat one night. Jesus stayed on the mountain praying. They got in a boat and they're rowing to the other side, but a storm of wind came and they thought they were going to die. But the Bible says, "And he saw them rowing against the wind." He saw the fear and the panic. He saw the fear and the panic. He saw them rushing about that vessel. Tie this down. Get this here. We're going to go down. Look at the next wave coming in. we're going to go down. And he saw them and he came unto them walking on the waves. But that's not why I've told this story. Here's why I've told it because I don't understand it, but I think I do. And it simply says, "And he would have passed them by. Yes. Yes. >> He got close enough, brother Denver, for them to see him. But he would have passed them by had they not been to crying out, had they not lost all their pride. Who cares about the rope? We're going to drown. Who cares about the front of this boat? We're going to drown. Who cares about the direction we're going? We're going to drown. And when you get your eyes off of trying to control your vessel and get it on him and begin to cry out to him, >> you hear me this morning? You hear me this morning? You know what he did this morning? He woke your pastor up in the middle of the night. Oh, yes, he did. He woke you pastor up in the middle of night and he dropped this thought in my mind. He dropped this thought because I've been trying to eat protein. Scripture, you know, there's a lot of people there's a lot of people that that they're protein- minded. I I need to get a meal high in protein. And I thought, you know, when people are eating things high in protein to help them healthwise, how about some high protein uh scripture? And I got a bunch of high protein scripture that I I'm just doing. One is I will never leave you nor ever forsake you. That's high protein. And I'll tell you another high protein scripture. I tell you another high protein scripture. Rejoice not against me, enemy, when I fall, for I shall arise. I tell you another protein scripture. He will break the weapons that are formed against you. I got them all. I got them all written. I got them all written. Got them all written down. But can I tell you something? God dropped the Sister Glenn in my mouth early this morning. Maybe about 3:30 in the morning. I w I I just I just woke up and I be I get bit God my God connection. My God connection. And I I'd been studying earlier in the week about the story of the Syrian and all that. But he began to tell me this message is going to be for somebody today. But here it is. This is the crucial moment in this whole service. The crucial moment. He gave you a message to say, "I've walked by. I've walked by you." But you'll leave here in the same shape you are in if you don't learn how to cry out to him and begin to worship him. >> Because that's when he enters your vessel. And that's when the wind ceases and that's when you see him as a mighty God. Come on right now. Can we do more than just know he's walking by? Can we begin to worship? Can we begin to praise him this morning? Can we begin to worship and praise him right now?