A Messy Miracle | Dr. Dharius Daniels

[Music] what's up everybody Darius Daniels here and I want to say thank you for watching this message I'm excited about all the value I believe God's gonna add to your life because of it and I want to personally invite you to join us at any of our worship locations you know we have campuses in New Jersey that I speak at live every Sunday and we just recently launched a campus in Orlando Florida that address that time is on the screen I'm in New Jersey Sunday during the day and I'm in Orlando Sunday nights I got a busy Sunday but join us at either campus I'd love to meet you and hug you and say what's up to you and if you're in Los Angeles we have an extension site that's a satellite worship experience out there and so we love to see you enjoy this message take care y'all talk back to me today are we good yes okay all right so there's a part of the Christmas story found in the Gospel of Luke so is the good news about Jesus from the perspective of Luke Luke chapter 2 verse 6 we're gonna reverse his 6 and 7 the scriptures will be on the screen for those of you who don't have a Bible with you or on your device and this is what it says it says while they were there the time came for the baby to be born and she gave birth to her firstborn a son she wrapped him in clothes placed him in a manger because there was no guest room available for them want to talk from this subject in our time together today a messy miracle a messy miracle we don't do the touch your neighbor thing here I don't at least so don't you know don't worry I'm not about to start but I yes yeah I've done that enough to last me a lifetime some preachers touch your neighbor unto death like they touching me too much so but I want you to do I do want you to say this out loud with some enthusiasm say some miracles are messy family we're coming to the conclusion of a season on the liturgical Christian calendar known as the Advent season that specific term may or may not be familiar to you depending on the religious tradition you've been exposed to or a part of but the word Advent has roots in a Latin word Adventists and the word means coming there for the Advent season is a season in which believers celebrate the birth or the coming of our Christ it is an intentional space in the calendar year where we are encouraged and admonished to be intentionally appreciative not for the gifts under the tree but for the gift that would ultimately hang on one because when Jesus came there was more than a baby in the manger hope was in that manger healing was in that manger a counselor was in that manger a comforter was in that manger a deliverer was in that manger a provider was in that manger and all of us have needed or will need him to be most if not all of those things to us and if you have not gotten to a state or a season in life where you have needed him to be that keep on living if you have not met Jesus the counselor there will be a situation where you will need him to talk you into acting soundly and rationally is there anyone in here anyone watching me that can admit that Jesus has had to talk you into some things and talk you out of some things also and so I concur with the communication of the prophet Isaiah he's a wonderful counselor because when I talked to him I always know I'm talking to someone who has my best interests at heart my secrets are safe with him my identity is secure in him when I come to him I know I am coming to a non-judgmental being who will accept me as I am while simultaneously challenging me to become who I need to be I'm glad he was born and so it is important to be grateful to express gratitude not just to feel gratitude but to express gratitude and the word the Scriptures use to describe expressed gratitude is praised we are encouraged to do it we are admonished to do it it is a relational principle God is teaching us he's teaching us how to properly manage relationships by demonstrating gratitude toward those who've been generous to us he is teaching us a psychological principle called mindfulness because praise requires that you take your mind off the negative and put it on the positive it's therapeutic it is a divine brainwashing it cleanses the brain and the mind from negative and toxic patterns of thinking it's important to be grateful it's important that this season be a season of celebration however I would contend that the Advent season for the believer should be more than a season of celebration come here it should also be a time of Education that the Advent season is a season wherein God intends to do more than excite us he intends to educate us there are some different things that God wants to teach us about himself during this season one of them is foundational it is consequential it is catalytic it is necessary and it is the foundation upon which the Christmas story rests and that is the birth of Jesus the Incarnation is an indication of God's ingenuity every time we think about the Christmas story it should remind us that God is a God of ingenuity ingenuity it means to be inventive that if it does not exist I will it into existence that if there is no previous pattern or precedent for it I am not limited to the cognitive creation of others if it doesn't exist I'll make it exist myself if I can't find what I need how created here it is here it is here it is some of you may not have heard it that way maybe you heard it this way he's a way maker that term speaks to his ingenuity it means there isn't a way but just because there isn't a way doesn't mean he won't make away [Applause] he invents it if you need it and you don't have it and no one else possesses it he'll invent it are you hearing what I'm saying it means he's inventive it means he's clever and it means he's creative when he events when he invents he he creates something that did not exist previously when he is creative watch what he does when he is creative he takes something that exists and does something new with it he takes the old thing and does a new thing so if you're crossing the Red Sea and waters in your way he gets created and it makes water apart so that you can walk through on dry ground he's creative and if you were honestly out of your life you can admit you should acquiesce you should agree without arguing that God has been invented that God has been clever and that God has been creative because there are times where you find yourself in states and situations and you're wondering how in the world did God pull this off I didn't anticipate this I didn't see this but look at God he's been inventive he's been creative he's been clever he's smart and this is seen this is seen in a demonstrable way in the birth of Jesus here it is let's press our logic a little bit here because the Christmas story is not just founded on the fact that Jesus was born the Christmas story is founded or rests on the foundation of the way he was born the Scriptures teach that he was born to a virgin God how did you pull that off that is inventive that is clever that is creative the Incarnation is an incredible expression of the ingenuity of God God how did you do that and I'm not naive to think everyone in this room believes literally in the virgin birth it for some of you it's a metaphor for some of you it's a folktale and I'm not judging your position or perspective what I am saying is don't allow the details of the story to cause you to miss the message and the meaning of the story you may not be at a place in your logic where I am where I believe in the virgin birth okay you may not be there yet you may not be headed in that direction okay okay me I I have a different I have a different logical flow of reasoning right I believe the questions you ask the terms of the conclusions you come to so if you ask can a woman have a man have a child without interaction with a man then to some degree you're gonna that's going to bring you to a conclusion of no but if you ask the question God told Abraham to ask and that is is there anything too hard for God it is if you take the approach of the theologian John Calvin who says there is special revelation and natural revelation and you can look at the natural revelation and the natural revelation is an apologetic it's a revelation of the reality of God there's somebody through their son in the sky and it's just hanging there with no strings attached now if you throw me up there I'm coming back down but somehow this son just stays right there and it's close enough to warm the earth it's far enough away that we don't get consumed somebody knew what they were doing and if they can pull that off it is if you can fix the s UN surely you can figure out the s oh and so I believe that somehow God pulled this off but even if you don't I do but even if you don't don't allow the mess the details of the story to cause you to miss the message of the story because here's the message what God did in principle with Mary God commits to do in principle would you you know I said in principle not in practice not meaning meaning he won't do the exact same thing so what he did in principle with Mary he commits to do in principle with you that ought to excite you about Christmas what he did for her he'll do for me he did it for her not just for her he did it for me see what would it God do he empowered her to deliver something you ready that would deliver her did you hear what I just said changed I said he empowered her to deliver something that'll deliver her and could it be that thing that's in your heart that thing that you're imagining could it be the thing that God wants you to deliver it's gonna be the thing that's gonna deliver you what he did in principle for her he commits to do in principle for us what do you mean pass Adair's here it is Mary was able to give birth skipping steps are you getting this she was able to give birth skip her steps she's a virgin so there's a step she skipped [Applause] which means God knows how to get you the same thing a different way that there are some steps on this hair to take to get it that you might not have to take did you hear what I said that God knows how to accelerate the process and put you where you need to be without requiring you to go through everything everybody else had to go through to get there God will switch up the process for you and you'll find yourself with the same thing they have not having to go through what they had to go through to get it and I don't know who this is for maybe it has prophetic implications but could it be that God's getting ready to skip steps could it be that he hadn't done what you're expecting him to do yet because it's not going to take him as long as you think he is going to take to do it could it be I started with him earlier because it was going to take them longer but I'm starting with you now because it's not going to take you as long as it took him because I am going to help you skip some steps I'm going to accelerate the process got me what he did in in principle for Mary he commits to do to us not only did she experience acceleration she accomplished the birthing of this miracle don't miss this family without Joseph's assistance [Applause] God did it without Joseph Joseph represents whatever you think you have to have to do what God's calling you to do Mary shows us that God will do it without yo Joseph Joseph played a role but not the role and sometimes we can be disappointed when God did send us what you think you need and you're like God what's up with this how come you hadn't sent me Joseph and God's like it's because I'm gonna do it without it I'm gonna do this without the degree i'ma do this without the resources you think you need resources when resources are simply a medium of exchange I'm going to give you favor with the one you exchange them with so you don't need the resources there's some things you think you need you don't need because I might do it without it and if you don't have it you don't need it God knows how to get you what you need because he's inventive he's clever and he's creative the family that this is this is this is the impact of the Incarnation listen to what the theologian Karl Bart says he says the Incarnation was a creative act of divine omnipotence in which the will and the work of man in the form of a human father is completely excluded from the basis and beginning of the human existence of the Son of God it was being replaced by a divine act which is supremely unlike human action which might arise in that connection and don't miss this and in that way the Incarnation can be characterized as an inconceivable act of grace an inconceivable act of grace this is inconceivable unexplainable can't even understand it it's an act of grace I don't deserve it but grace delivered it anyway is there anybody here that can look back over your life and say you know what that was an in conceivable act of grace I didn't deserve that let me come here let me go to this side you say you don't know what I didn't deserve that that was a in conceivable at of grace wait a minute I made that decision that should have turned out much worse than it did but somehow God kept me even when I was wrong that's an inconceivable act of grace I shouldn't have responded that way I could have wrecked some things but God performed an in conceivable act of grace a miracle a miracle is it's when God makes something happen that couldn't happen shouldn't happen and wouldn't happen unless he made it happen it shouldn't happen grace wouldn't happen omnipotence couldn't happen omniscience unless he made it happen gosh I'll make it happen the incarnation challenges us to superior levels of reasoning Christmas challenges us to return to childlike faith not where we're not Eve but where the reasoning of the human mind is expanded to believe that God will resort to unconventional means to do for his people what needs to be done it reminds us that God is so committed to his people that even if he has to suspend or break natural laws or rules that he put in place he will do so just to make sure his will and purpose for his people is experienced a miracle miracles do a few things in Scripture number one of miracles are God's Way of making provision for his people wherever there's a miracle you see divine provision being made for human need it is God's Way of saying I will not allow anything to inhibit me from making sure my people receive what they need to carry out what they've been called in Commission to carry out number two this is interesting miracles are God's Way of proving his power John called them signs because they authenticate at Jesus as the Messiah y'all following me here now when God proves his power he doesn't prove to the doubter he proves it to the believer he's not some narcissist who's sitting around saying well let me prove to you that I am Who I am no he proves his power to believers in the present because believers need to be convinced of their power in the future he says you don't believe I'm away maker but you're going to need to know him away maker in 2019 so let me prove it to you in 2018 let me set up a lion and a bear like situation so that when your Goliath comes in the future I've already proved to you that I'm with you because when you're fighting Goliath you cannot be wandering here from which you when David walked upon the lyre that was a man that was convinced God had already proved himself David said you delivered me from the lion and the bear and the same God that delivered me from the lion and the bear is the same guy that's gonna deliver this Phyllis thing in to my hands and I just felt this this is not in my notes it just came to my mind I believe it's a text message a deal from heaven and the word is for you you got proof I said you got proof you got roof that he'll come through you have proof that he'll make a way you have proof that he will not leave you out to dry you have proof that he is more faithful what are you worrying about when you got proof when you have proof or something your swag is different people are talking and you know you said no receipts you just smiled you say oh yeah really and when the enemy tries to make you doubt and when the enemy tries to make you call into question the reality of God's goodness you just got to sit back and say I got receipts 2018 God proved his power to me I have receipts I got receipts it's so this is so important right because when you have proof proof evicts desperation from the heart of a believer because whenever desperation walks in wisdom walks out and you don't want to make decisions when you're intoxicated with desperation desperation is intoxicating it'll make you sign some things accept some things because you're under the influence of desperation and then once you sober up you will look at what you signed what you committed to let me go to this side because they may keep it real over here who you married [Applause] and you will look and you will say what [Music] what did I just I needed money so bad I say it yes and I like I'm six one and you five three it's too much ain't it no no it should be because if there's one place you should have a right to expect truth it should be the church if there's one place that should give it to you in love but unfiltered it should be judged with the news you're gonna get spin with coworkers it's gonna be office politics if your supervisor you're in those that are under your leadership have to measure how honest they're gonna be because they don't want to affect their employment but when you come to God's house you should have an expectation that whoever speaking from this platform is at least going to be giving me to the best of their ability truth and some of that truths gonna make me say wow and some of that troops gonna make me say I'll but I need it both and we don't talk about this enough there are people who make long-term decisions based on temporary seasons of desperation I know I'm telling the truth and I have seen nothing do you hear me I've seen nothing derail a destiny like a bad relationship nothing nothing it's the place where the enemy has a stronghold some people are never gonna be strung out on drugs they're never gonna succumb to any kind of addictions they don't have those tendencies they got boundary setups but I've seen the most brilliant people in the world make the most irrational decisions in the area of relationships because the enemy uses nothing like relationships and the person who's desperate can't see they options nobody mad but the devil and I'm glad he man I'm coming up to this stronghold today I'm glad he's mad nothing nothing it's us I'm preaching to somebody this is setup you bout to give up your whole purpose for some company [Applause] about though out is religion out there oh gods kept you you bet throw all this away let me this not a single let me move on because and number three let me give you number three I'm good on my time here I got a minute 59 seconds here it is miracles are God's way of accomplishing his agenda look look at me look at me you don't get a miracle because you won't won you get a miracle because God needs one God works miracles when what you want matches what he means now are y'all here this is so important I felt like this thought came to my mind I believe the Holy Spirit gave it to me this week and it was like this it was like Darius I will never ask you for anything in exchange for something inferior did you hear me darris I'll never actually for anything in exchange for something inferior so if I actually to give me something it's because what you're gonna receive in exchange it's far superior to what I'm asking you for I'm not going to take from you and give you something inferior are you all ready what does this have to do with agendas because one of the things people have to be willing to do to position themselves for a miracle is release your agenda see I know we live in a cultural age help me Holy Spirit to say this with tact but I know we live in a cultural age where everybody is telling you to go after your dreams that only applies to summer you that applies to those of you who not be elect but those of you who are the elect picked chosen the hand of God is on your life there's a purpose for which you were born those of you who are part of that group that tribe that remnant there's somebody else who has a dream for your life besides you and that was created in your mother's womb before I formed you in your mother's womb I knew you God said I got a purpose in mind and everybody's telling you to go after your dream but sometimes yours and mine doesn't match and are you willing to lay down yours if I were to win after my dreams I'd have been in a courtroom not a church I want to know parts of pastoral ministry I grew up as a preacher's kid that wasn't cool people had all these more expectations of me I'm like I'm not my daddy he a preacher not me I'm going to the prong okay let me talk to the RIP when I wanna hit I'm going to the prom prom right yeah I'm not going to that problem I want to go to the prom prom the real problem I'm 16 I want to go to the prom prom is this too much for y'all go to the bra moral expectations of me we were struggling you know my parent my dad worked hard did what he could but man we were struggling in any time we'd get anything people say dumb stuff like the church about that this great upstanding man guy I went to college my first year having to borrow books I couldn't even afford books I was like no we we can keep that I've got my letter except this level two letter to Princeton framed and I have it framed not because it's prints I have it framed because of the date except this letter reads April something 2001 I graduated from college May 2001 I didn't get accepted till April cuz that's how late I waited to apply I was in the second semester of my senior year fighting that long because I did not want to do this let me go to the river [Applause] I did not want to do this cuz everybody's making you think God's job is to underwrite what you want to do what kind of Christmas message is this that God's job is to finance and support your dreams he says no I have a dream and whenever they come into conflict you got to go to your gardener Gethsemane and say if it be possible remove this cup from me but nevertheless not my will but your will be done I'm so glad I gave him my plan come here I'm living my best life one time I was having a coaching session with somebody and I was trying to help them sort through a decision and ask them at that time the Powerball was super harm done here the Powerball was super high and I'm like if you won the Powerball what would you do and they told me I was like well that's what's in your heart I'll say now ask me what I would do they asked me I said I'd go to church Sunday and preach so if I wanted I'd be at church Sunday cuz this is what I do but I had to and all and whenever when I miracles just started when I gave it up he's just and if I were tried to go my way I wouldn't win my way without God's blessing but when I gave up that agenda miracles just started having provision favor God opportunities I skip steps most people got out of seminary and started pastor I was pastoring in seminary I skipped steps when I gave up my Judah God's blowing my mind he's blowing my mind [Applause] [Music] I'm telling you I couldn't imagine cuz I keep it up some of you you're at that tension point where you got to give it up I'm done I got here but it was this is a miracle but it was messy [Music] marries engaged God say I'm gonna get you pregnant she's like no I'm engaged to the man of my dreams I gotta go tell him I'm pregnant and God did it fellas don't say not look at me because she's looking at you just look at me I got you trust me just look at me doc straight ahead don't blink no blinker oh why you blinking so hard whew don't say anything how many of you bros would have stayed don't say that's messy he's like nah I don't that's not how the Bible says he he thought in his heart he considered putting her away privately he's like I don't want to embarrass her but I don't want this I didn't sign up for this and she's thinking I signed up to have my baby like this then they have to go to Bethlehem for census right and she's nine months pregnant I'm assuming and she realized she's getting ready to have the baby so they try to find a hotel all the rooms are booked up and stay running to this innkeeper who says I got a place out here with the animals you can stay there she's got to be thinking this is not the way I envisioned giving birth to my first baby dismissing this she gave birth she had to wrap the baby in clothes and she placed the baby in a manger and I'm from the country but I didn't realize how uninformed about the country I am so I had to look up manger to realize what exactly was this cuz all these years I thought it was I didn't know what I thought it was but I didn't think it was what it is it's a feeding trough so if some animals ate hay they would put the hay in the manger and the animals would eat the hay out of she had to put a baby in that that's messy [Music] because sometimes to get the miracle you got to live through the stitch of the mess [Music] some marriages are messy before they're beautiful some business ventures they're messy some careers are messy some paths are messy doors close close close close is messy but you could get the miracle if you can survive the stench of the mess thank you Father [Music] you hear me family maybe there's a message in the messiness Jesus is full of grace and truth maybe this is a powerful picture of how grace shows up the messy places maybe it's a picture of a principle to us that where you start out doesn't determine how you end up if you can live through a mess everything that ends up miraculous in one season it's missing in another and mirrors got to be thinking if I'm following the master it shouldn't be messy but right where she was and they moved around the wise man found her she didn't find them they found it they followed the star and they found her and they came and they worshiped which is affirmation and they opened up their gifts which is income [Music] it found her because she wouldn't leave the mess you might be in a messy place today but the Christmas story reminds us that where you start out does not determine how you end up and who you start out being does not determine who you end up becoming do you believe that so I'm gonna pray a prayer over you very specifically and I'm telling you I'm praying for to stir your faith to receive and believe for this I'm praying that God will give you might for the mess you need might you need resilience you need stick-to-itiveness all over this room so we celebrate Christmas I'm gonna pray this over you some of your watching me online if you drive and keep your hands on the wheel but if you are not I want to encourage you as a sign of your receptivity and as a sign of the lifting of your heart if you watching me wherever you are you can just lift your hands if you're tired tell them if you're tired tell him [Music] I'm tired I'm wore out I'm worn down I have a fight left [Music] Jesus [Music] now father you told us to be strong in you and in the power of your might I pray for your might spiritual stamina and strength beyond us release to us by the holy spirit may yet overtake and overshadow us now and may we be strengthened in the middle of the mess glory for the father who is fighting to see his children strength for the mother that is struggling to raise them without support strength I pray for might for the entreprenuer strength for the pressure the up seizes the down season's strength for the dreamchaser and the Waterwalker strength for the church planter strength for the husband strength for the wife strength for the teenager that's trying their best to live according to Kingdom principles they are lonely and isolated our pray for strength to stand the might of God be released to them I pray may this be their Christmas miracle in Jesus [Music] [Music] is he your miracle happened now you Marik old can have but now you me right now [Music] the Lord the evidence is all around [Music] spirit of the mirror--come is happening right now it's happening right now you may recall this it's happening right now you're bearing college [Music] you're very cause it's happening right now I know it's it's a messy but [Music] Americans [Music] thank you so much for watching this message I hope it encouraged you and added value to your life there are two things I'm gonna ask you to do number one if this bless you and add a value to you I'm gonna ask that you share it email it to someone text it to someone you've received and I want you to give in addition to that if you have not subscribed to this channel just press that subscribe button so that you can be in the know about all the content that we're going to release I can't leave without saying thank you to our change partners they're people who partner with us from all over the world support and so into the work that God's doing here if you want to become one you can find out more about that on our website take care see you next time

Channel: Dharius Daniels TV

Views: 90,581

Rating: 4.8975978 out of 5

Keywords: dharius Daniels, change church, td jakes, Steven furtick, ed young, John gray, carl lentz, rich wilkerson jr, chad veach, jamal bryant, dave ramsey, gary vee, tony gaskins, henry cloud, john maxwell, michan carter, pastor matthew stevenson, joel osteen, criag groeschel, pastor chris hodges, toure roberts, sarah jakes roberts, vous church, pastor mike todd, erwin mcmanus

Id: NpBZmEHRa0Q

Length: 47min 35sec (2855 seconds)

Published: Thu Dec 27 2018