Dr. Dharius Daniels - Spiritual Renewal 2019 | Night 1

how about a spiritual renewal night one praise in this place I want to pray before I begin my heart's really been stirred in a unique way this year for that I've recommitted myself to kind of intensify that area of my life not just consistency not just improving the consistency but improving the intensity [Applause] as James says the effectual fervent prayers of the righteous accomplished much and every great man in Scripture was not just great in the execution of their gift they were great in the discipline of prayer when we work we work when we pray God works [Applause] and so father we thank you that your ear is leaning in this direction that you are sitting on the edge of your seat in anticipation to answer the prayers of your people we come confidently boldly to your throne of grace knowing that we can obtain mercy and grace to help in the time of need father we know that you know our needs before we ask but are asking is an expression of our dependency we need you tonight your word says times of refreshing come from the Lord and we pray that these three days will be days of refreshing of renewal of revival of resurrection of hope and joy and peace and purpose and destiny and calling and focus we thank you in advance for all that you're going to do I give you praise for the gift of your scriptures the blueprint to our best life I thank you for the presence of the Holy Spirit that empowers us to do what we could not do on our own so help me to teach help us to receive have your way in this place we ask this in the incredible amazing name of Jesus if you love him and if you agree with this prayer give him one more hand clap of praise at every campus praise Him in Lafayette presume at Broussard praise Him in Old Town praise Him in Midtown praise Him in New Iberia let everything that has breath praise the Lord you can be seated as you can tell I'm excited to be here tonight and it's my privilege to be among family honor honor and gratitude and appreciation great admiration for pastors Jacob and Michelle the the campus pastors just to all of you I'm excited to be here and to share what's on my heart and so there's a story I want to read a brief part of found in the Gospel of John the fifth chapter beginning at the fifth verse I'm going to be reading this from the New International Version so if you'd like to follow along I'm going to encourage you to turn there or for most of us click your way there if not follow along on the screens verse five says one who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years when Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time he asked him do you want to get well sir the invalid replied I have no one to help me in the pool when the water is stirred what I'm trying to get in someone else goes down ahead of me then jesus said to him get up pick up your mat and walk at once the man was cured he picked up his mat and walked and the day on which this took place was a Sabbath this ends the reading of God's Word I want to talk from this subject and hopefully this subject is a sentiment you can relate to I want to talk from this subject tonight I don't feel like it y'all got it yeah I don't I don't feel like it there are a number of appropriate words that are often used to describe the fruit of God's work in the life of a believer words like justification and sanctification and redemption and regeneration before the purpose of our time together tonight I think there is one simple word that adequately summarizes and describes the fruit of God's work in the life of a believer and that word is a word called better wherever there is divine involvement there will ultimately be automatic improvement when God gets involved where God gets involved God makes it better it may not initially look better it may not initially feel better it may not initially seem better but God never works in completely he does however work incrementally so if it is not better he is not finished because when he gets finished it will be better when he gets ahold of a mind that mind gets better when he gets ahold of a heart that heart gets better when he gets ahold of emotions emotions get better when he gets ahold of a relationship that relationship gets better because wherever there is divine involvement there will automatically be improvement it is his intention to improve he is obsessed with improving and whenever he is involved the in game and the in goal will be improvement when he fixes it he's fixing it and when he breaks it he's fixing it he's always improving when he shows us what's wrong he's not showing us what's wrong just to show us what's wrong he's showing us what's wrong because he has every intention to aid and assist us in making it right he doesn't show you what's wrong to condemn you it shows you what's wrong to show you what he intends to fix and so when you see things that are broken you can have a pity party or you can have a praise party when you realize and recognize that our God will not leave it broken he makes the broken hole the weak strong the sick well God is a God that is obsessed with improvement [Applause] however it's important to understand that although this is God's intention this is not always our experience each year at the beginning of the year most many if not all of us are hoping for believing for releasing faith for better but God's intentions are not always our experiences and there are a number of reasons for this reality but for the purpose of our time together today I just want to highlight one there are times when things that could be better don't actually become better because we don't feel like it pass odorous what do you mean the answers in this story here in the Gospel of John we get exposed to this encounter that Jesus has right hearing in the Gospel of John at this place the Scriptures call Bethesda it's interesting because Jesus is just journeying about his business and he decides out of all places to go to this place called Bethesda it's interesting the detail John gives us about this place called Bethesda this place called Bethesda is a place that had a sheep gate on the other side of the sheep gate was a pool covering the pool were was a porch and the porch was upheld by five pillars there was a sheep gate on the other side of the sheep gate there's a pool covering the pool there's a porch the porches of held by five pillars there was a sheep gate and on the other side of the Sheep gate there was a pool covering the pool was a porch the porch was upheld by five pillars you had to go through a sheep gate to get to the pool this pool that was covered by five porches the port the porch the pool that was covered by a porch that was upheld by five pillars you couldn't get to the pool without going through the gate it was only one gate it was a gate for sheep and when you got through the gate you got access to the pool but you can't get to the pool unless you go through the gate and this pool was covered by a portion that was upheld by five pillars a sheep gate with a pool a pool with a porch a porch of hell with five pillars and this place was called Bethesda which is the synthesis of two words Beth meaning house place rights so you have this this gate with a pool this pool covered by a porch the porch of Hell by five pillars at a place called Bethesda Bethesda means house or place of grace so in order to get into the house or place of grace there's only one way that you could come in it's the Sheep gate and once you come through the Sheep gate you get access to a pool this will of living water and it is covered by a porch that is upheld by five pillars it's a metaphor for the church Jesus is the gate the way the truth and the light the pool is the Holy Spirit that we get access to and the five pillars that cover the pool of the apostle prophet evangelist pastor and teacher jesus walks in to bethesda and there were a bunch of people there who weren't getting better they were in an environment that exists not just for consolation not just for comfort but they were in an environment that existed for improvement but they were not getting better John says there were people there first of all who were blind what does that mean for us metaphorically it means that there were people there who were living life with no vision a visionless existence spiritual blindness and when people can't see it's easy for them to get lost blind but in Bethesda there were people there the Bible says that were lame did not have the full activity of their limbs it speaks to being in Bethesda but not reaching ones redemptive potential where things that could work don't work the way that they could work it says that people were there who were paralyzed this speaks to people who feel like they're in seasons when time is moving but they are time is moving but resources aren't time is moving but relationships are time is moving but my heart isn't time is moving but my head isn't they are in an environment of improvement but they are experiencing limited improvement it's interesting that John says nothing to us about their morality so let's give them the benefit of the doubt and assume they were more wrong so they were moral they were righteous but still experiencing limited improvement why because they were waiting or something to happen that this one man tells Jesus about they were waiting for this one time of year where an angel would come down and stir the water in hopes of whoever got in first would be healed of whatever ailment that they were dealing with it was interesting because there's no record of this reality in Scripture some say it was some oral tradition that was passed down it's a metaphor for practicing superstitious spirituality waiting for something magical to come and zap my life and automatically improve every area effortlessly we know this is the case because when Jesus walks into this place out of all the people he could engage with he walks up to this one man who had been in this condition for 38 years we don't know what the condition was but we know the condition left him in mobile he couldn't move and Jesus out of everyone he could have talked to I mean to get to this man he had to walk around others and he walks to this man who had been in this condition 38 years listen to this and he asks them he acts him this question it seems illogical it seems insensitive he acts a man who's been wanting to get better for 38 years do you want to be may well come on Jesus what kind of question is that it's a feeling question it's a it's a feeling question it's a question of desire say do you want to be made well he comes and asked a man who has a physical condition a feeling question he didn't ask him have you tried to be made well or do you know how to be made well he asked him do you want to be made well it's a feeling question and I'm wondering why Jesus would ask that kind of question until I saw Jesus's activity you see Jesus I believe that's this kind of question because he is teaching you and I something could it be that he is about to give this man some instruction and what this man does what the instruction is going to determine if he changes his condition so this man is going to have to make a decision but Jesus knows I can't give you this instruction until I deal with your emotions because your emotions are going to determine whether or not you follow this instruction could it be that Jesus is teaching us that it is our feelings and not always our faith that drives our decisions could it be could it be that Jesus is about to give this man some instruction that upon first hearing is going to sound unreasonable to this man Jesus is about to axe this man excuse me tell this man to do something he hadn't done in 38 years he's going to tell this man to do something that this man thinks is impossible he's going to tell this man to do something that most people would think is theological he's gonna tell a man who's laying on a bed or a mat take up your mat and walk and this man is probably thinking if I could do that don't you think I would have done it by now he's showing us that there will be times where God's instruction evokes some emotion and how we handle the emotion is going to determine the decision that we make and our decisions are going to determine our condition you see when God gives us instruction like Jesus gave this man it evokes some emotion when God says love your enemies you feel something when God says forgive seven times 70 you feel something when God says I want you to give me the Isaac you want to keep you feel something when God says Abraham I want you to get away from what's familiar to you and I want you to go to a place I'm getting ready to show you I want you to come out of the comfortable to the uncomfortable I want you to come out of the familiar to the unfamiliar I want you to come out of what's known to the unknown when God starts saying stuff like that you feel something naman felt something when the Prophet told him to dip Esther felt something when Mordecai told her to go before the king Jonah felt something when God told him to go to Nineveh and Jonah let his feelings drive his decision and not his faith are you following me here so so could it be when we look at some of our conditions that some things may not have changed because we don't feel like it could it be that some people are chronically taken advantage of and used not because everyone is exploitive but because they don't feel like setting boundaries could it be that some are overwhelmed and overcommitted because they don't feel like dealing with the backlash of setting limitations could it be that Jesus knew that this man's condition created some emotion in him because if you've ever wanted something to change for a long time and it hasn't it creates some emotions and I know a spiritual renewal and we're full of fire and we're full of fervor and we're full of faith but I believe there are some people at all of these campuses that are honest enough to say it may not have been 38 years but there are some conditions and some situations and some circumstances that I've been hoping for praying about and believing with change that have not changed what do we do when we fast and pray and it doesn't change what do we do when we plan and strategize and it doesn't change what do we do when every year I say this is my year and it's not I think this is one of the reasons that John lets us in on how long this man was in this condition because of some things that have it changed are going to change it means you and I have to make a decision who we believe is sovereign who do you believe has the last say who do you believe has the last word if the length of my situation has the final say then you're saying that God is not sovereign but the length of my issue is but could it be the Bible lets us know that this took place for 38 years because God wants you and me to know that it does not matter how long this situation has been a certain way your history does not determine your destiny and your past does not determine your future because your God is a change specialist and could it be that 2019 is actually the year where God is going to come into your Bethesda and walk right up to your situation and say to you if you're ready I'm ready if you got the faith I got the power if you got the hope I got the help if you believe you can achieve because all things are possible to those who believe time has a way of taking the fight out of faith you see I've learned that there are several types of faith but but but two types are incredibly important there's something called strong faith that's how big you can believe but then there's something called loan faith that's how long you can believe and the Scriptures teach at least James says that God does not test our faith with the enormity of the obstacle God tests our faith with the leaf of the weight the Bible says that the testing of our faith produces patience it means that God does not just test my faith with trials God tests my faith with time it's not how big I can believe it's how long can I believe when it seems like believing isn't working and I want to know is there anyone right here in Lafayette anyone and Bruce are anyone in Oh tell anyone at new iberia anyone here honest enough to say I know what it's like to suffer from faith fatigue anyone honest enough you do know God can handle your honesty right you do know there are times where we're engaging with God and gods like we don't we're gonna talk about what we really need to talk about you can't hide what you're feeling from me I know your thoughts from afar off I know your thoughts before they become thoughts when are we gonna talk about faith fatigue that sometimes when it's been 38 years 38 years watch this of exposure to others getting what they're believing for and you watch them get in the pool getting what they're believing for and each year you don't Oh what does that do to faith I want to tell you that if 2019 is going to be different then 2018 we need more than strong faith we need long we need long faith we need faith that even after 38 years of it not working faith that shows up the 39th this man would have missed out on his miracle if he did not have the perseverance and the patience to show up one more time and I don't know who this is for but I want to tell you maybe all you need to do is just keep showing up one more year because you serve a God long no faith is long faith and when it's been long you feel something feelings buried alive don't die you don't have to acknowledge them but they're there and more often than not what people don't realize is that it's their feelings that are driving their decisions 38 years it's a long time so Jesus walks up to this man he says do you want to be made whole and this man begins to give excuses that Jesus ignores because just because the excuses are true that doesn't mean that's the reason so somehow someway Jesus ignores these excuses and he tells this man to take up your bed and walk take up your bed and walk take up your bed and walk and this man that was full of excuses in one moment takes up his bed and walks in the next moment because God will always underwrite with assistance whatever he instructs you to do if he tells you to do it it's because he knows there's potential on the inside of you to execute what he commands if he says it it's possible and you may not think it's possible but you don't know you like he knows you only the creator of a thing knows what's in a thing and if God says it's in you it's in you if God says you can do it you can do it if God says it's possible it is possible are you hearing me so this man takes up his bed and walks and the Bible says it was the Sabbath day it was the Sabbath day and they were not allowed to carry anything on that day Jesus could have just told them get up and leave but Jesus told him I want you to carry what's been carrying you yeah I want you to hold the thing that's been holding you I want you to hold your testimony yeah I want there to be tangible evidence of the transformation that I brought forth in your life because that transformation is going to be the catalyst for a conversation because as he was carrying that bed he ran into some Pharisees who said what are you doing carrying that bed what did Jesus do Jesus reintroduced this man to a new way of practicing and old religion he says I know historically and traditionally you've done it this way but but I want you to carry this bed and when jesus walks in when this man walks into these Pharisees who start engaging him about carrying this bed you know what this man said they said you shouldn't do that this man said well the one who healed me told me to carry it meaning I tried religion your way and it only got me morality but not transformation Jesus promised me more than morality he said the thief comes but to steal kill and destroy but I've come that you might have life and that you might have it to the for he wants to fill your tank with joy and with peace and with hope and with focus and that only comes if you'll allow him to teach you some new things in a new year this man had to be willing to break up with a way of practicing his religion that was not working for him some assumptions that were not accurate and he was only able to do that by hacking his feelings and I'm sure there were several things emotionally several emotional hurdles that he had to jump to move from where he was to where God wanted him to be but I see three that scream out at me loudly in the description I just want to share them with you as I prepare to wrap up tonight one of the first emotional hurdles this man obviously had to jump over was discouragement from disappointment he kept coming for 38 years trying to address an issue that was never addressed so not only is he dealing with his physical condition now he's dealing with the emotional trauma associated with hoping for something that you don't get over and over and over again and when the heart starts enduring that kind of emotional trauma Denyce bog says that the heart forms hard places stones it becomes callous it doesn't it doesn't allow itself to feel a certain way because I don't want to deal with the pain of being disappointed again so I will lower my expectations and tame my faith and not believe for God's best cuz I rather settle and not be disappointed than believe big and not get it and I want to ask you a question and I feel comfortable in asking this we're family I'm family where have you settled what prayers have you stopped praying why have you stopped praying them where have you tamed your prayers where have you tamed your faith where have you stopped believing and the question that I have to ask is wherever it is the question is why and I bet wherever there is present discouragement there's been some previous disappointment and until the disappointment in the past this dealt with you can never believe that way God intends for you to believe in the future but I tell you what this man teaches us something this man teaches us that what has not happened in your past does not determine what can happen in your future after 38 years of ups and downs God changed what this man thought was unchangeable because this man just kept showing up and I don't know who this is for but I want to tell you in 2019 just keep showing up show up to church show up to groups show up to prayer just keep showing up because healing comes when you keep showing up do you understand what I'm saying the enemy never sends pain just to inflict pain he sends pain because he wants the pain to become paralysis he doesn't win if you hurt he wins if you stop did you hear what I just said he doesn't win if you hurt he wins if you quit he wins if you stop moving he wins if you decide to have a pity party instead of progressing and I want to encourage you tonight don't stop don't quit don't allow the pain from the past to block God's best in the future okay I got a rep up um the second emotional hurdle he had to deal with was anger from the absence of assistance notice when Jesus says do you want to be made well this man says I don't have anyone to help me he says other people get in first because I don't have anyone to help me so he had to watch other people have help he didn't have and I want to tell you it was true for him and it may be true for you there are some things you probably had to do for yourself that you shouldn't have there are some things you had to carry alone that you probably shouldn't have and I'm sure this made this man upset angry from the absence of assistance and he had to deal with the fact that although he needed help he didn't have help and this is interesting because for things to change this man had to come to the realization that if God by his very nature is a helper if he didn't give you that kind of help it's because he saw something in you that you didn't see in yourself and it's it is as if God is saying I gave that to them they have they got what you didn't get because you have what they don't have they needed that help but I knew inside of you was a resilient wheel that would not quit I knew inside of you was someone who refused to sit and settle I knew inside of you was someone who would figure out a way to make it happen and sometimes you're so busy we are so busy looking at what God did not give us that we don't see what God has already given us and that everything we need to do what needs to be done is on the inside of us you're stronger than you think you're wiser than you think you're smarter than you think he will never withhold from you what you need and if you don't have it yet you don't need it yet because God will figure out a way to get you healed without the pool they needed the pool but this man didn't they needed a push but this man didn't could it be God's going to do it for you a different kind of way if you believe that come on and pause for a minute and let's just thank God we don't have to be angry and last but not least this man had to overcome the hurdle of misery over missed moments misery over miss moments for 38 years I don't know if he had a family but for 38 years he couldn't play catch with his son for 38 years he couldn't go to his daughter's rehearsals recitals I don't know if it's I don't know if he I don't know if his daughter got married but if she did he couldn't walk her down the aisle see he got healed but he couldn't get 38 years back and you know what keeps us stuck sometimes in our present it's the misery over Miss moments in the past you see this man had misery about a condition he couldn't control but sometimes it's worse when we have miss moments over things we could control and we look back and we say God if you would give me that season of my life again time we should have spent with people that we didn't spend things we took for granted that we should have taken for granted choices that we made that made the road harder [Music] and there is nothing that can torture you in the present like the mistakes of the past it's torture this is one of the reasons the enemy is called the accuser of the Brethren maybe it's not just accusing us before God maybe it's accusing us to us [Music] miss momma's time you can't get back sometimes that'll keep you stuck but this man somehow was able to get over that hurdle you know why because maybe he realized that the only way to get over a trouble pass is to create an amazing future listen to me let me explain you what I mean there's a story in the Gospel of Genesis about a man named Joseph went through traumatic family situations the Bible says he gets married in Egypt and he gives birth to two children one's named Ephraim the others named Manasseh and he named Manasseh Manasseh and said this I'm calling you Manasseh because you have made me forget all the pain of my father's house here's a lesson there's something you can give birth to in your present that is so beautiful so blissful so joyous that the joy of your present overrides the pain of the past and you'll be able to stand and look back at that season and say that enemy meant it for evil but God meant it for my good it's not over it's not over it's not and so you may say peso darris how do I change my feelings I don't know how to tell you to change your feelings but I know how to tell you to hack your feelings you may not feel like moving but you don't feel like staying either you may not feel like living but you don't feel like dying here you may not feel like changing things but you don't feel like staying the same God has done too much invest it too greatly and the best for your life is yet so we you don't feel like moving forward say I don't feel like staying sad I don't feel like staying low either I don't feel like staying broken because God wants to help me walk again Lord Jesus I pray that what happened for this man in John 5 what happened for us this year I thank you that where there's been 38 years or 38 days we will walk again because we feel like it in Jesus name

Channel: Our Savior's Church Lafayette Campus

Views: 54,073

Rating: 4.8070631 out of 5

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Id: iDGTNz79PGU

Length: 45min 21sec (2721 seconds)

Published: Tue Jan 15 2019