Walk This Way | Dr. Dharius Daniels

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'd love to see you enjoy this message it's called level up University take care on the level you are yeah so so that could just be like the church antics and the things that people say to kind of evoke and they draw emotion out of a crowd or that can be a declaration of faith for you that you embrace as a truth for your life so I'm gonna say it again last year can be the last year you lived on the level you've been living on yeah Exodus 14 verse 21 says this then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea and all that night the Lord drove back to sea with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land the waters were divided and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground with a wall of water on their right and on their left I want to talk from this subject I know I'm in the right room I'm at the right church this change church so I think you're gonna flow with this I will talk from this subject walk this way walk this way in 1986 some of you were not born a rap group Run DMC performed a cover of a song originally recorded by a rock group called Aerosmith the title of the track was Walk This Way this song experienced unique extraordinary and somewhat ubiquitous success because it simultaneously charted on hip hop and rock charts and although this song is not religious in nature or in its origin I do believe there's a message in the music for those of us who are in this space today and family that the message I believe that can be taken away from such a classic expression of artistic genius and brilliance is simply this the way we walk determines the way we live the way we walk determines the way we live you see walking in Scripture is a metaphor for decision-making you know the Bible says that the steps of a good man or woman are ordered orchestrated guided by the Lord that's dope in there because steps are systematic in sequential patterns of movement that get you from one point to another your steps must be systematic left-right and they must be sequential one foot in front of another and if you do it systematically and sequentially you will end up in places you wouldn't have end up in because you've made a decision to walk there and so our steps are our decisions because God wants to order guide lead influence our decisions so we make them systematically and so that we make them sequentially and when we do that he allows us to step into places we would not have stepped into if we didn't let him order our steps and I want to know if I ought that this room are there any authentic and honest individuals who are in this place who will say you know I could use a little ordering when it comes to my decision-making I could use some some influence why because my requests for assistance in my decision-making is not a declaration of my own incompetence but it is a revelation of human limitation is some things I don't know I can only see today I can't see tomorrow I can see to the hill I can't see over the hill I can see to the corner I can't see around the corner I can see how he or she is acting today I can't see how they're gonna act when I put a ring on it so I need somebody who knows all things sees all things can control all things to help me make decisions in my today that will help me in my tomorrow do I have a witness in the house I need God to order my steps because I don't want to gamble with consequential decisions am I making sense family yeah God wants to wants to order our steps and when we allow him to order an influence in orchestrate our steps were able to step into seasons and spaces that were not attainable without his influence where often were often reminded of them of a dominant metaphor the Scriptures used to describe God that metaphor is a shepherd right in Psalms 23 David calls him that David says the Lord is my shepherd and of course a shepherd has various roles and responsibilities but the primary one is to lead and God is the shepherd who wants to lead us and I promise you if you allow him to lead you he will lead you to green pastures how many ones green pastures yep it speaks to God's ability to lead you to spaces and places of satisfaction not dry grass not brown grass but green grass satisfaction that reaches beyond the stomach the satisfaction that goes to your soul when your soul is satisfied if we allow the Lord to be our Shepherd he'll lead us to green pastures listen to this and to steal Wallace not turbulent waters not wavy waters but still waters but do you know how God leads us he leads us about influencing our decisions this is important it is imperative to living life as God intended I cannot change my seasons until I change my decisions every decision is pregnant with the potential to produce a season a season altering decision awaits every single person in this place and space and God wants to lead our life by influencing our decisions and I believe he does so in the words of Run DMC by telling us walked this way well what why well walk this way why would he say walk this way unless there are other ways to walk when he says walk this way it is the equivalent of him saying allow me to be the dominant influence when it comes to the decisions that you make there will be other influences but when you are influenced by anything else last week we talked about feelings when you're influenced by anything else evaluate them and then determine whether or not you need to allow me to overrule it walk this way he says walk this way because there are other ways to walk and we might be tempted to walk those other ways deceived into walking those other ways and we are warned against this by the writer of Proverbs in proverbs chapter 14 proverbs which is wisdom literate or the writer says in verse 12 there is a way that appears it seems to be right but in the end it leads to death this is scary it is startling it is unnerving this is interesting because the writer is suggesting that sometimes I don't know that a way is the wrong way until something that could have lived died because the text says in the end in the end it leads to death not at the beginning at least to death not in the middle at least to death but in the end it leads to death which means sometimes it takes time in order for an individual to experience a revelation that lets them see this isn't the right way so there's some joy that dies they could have lived there's some focus that dies that could have lived some relationships that die that could have live and Jesus Jesus Jesus wants us to walk this way because he doesn't want us to find out everything is the wrong way by experiencing a life filled with metaphorical and proverbial funerals in other words even though experience is often the most effective teacher it is not God's preferred teacher God's preferred method a preferred method of teaching his instruction he wants to teach us through the word on the front end so that we have faith on what he says on the front end so that we don't have to learn everything the hard way on the back end and I don't know about you but I'm in a season where I don't want to waste any time having to learn something through experience that I could have learned through instruction I don't have years to waste I don't have night time to get knives out of my bag I want to learn things on the front end and God expresses his desire to influence us by telling us on the front end this is a conversation he has with his people in the book of Deuteronomy chapter 30 verse 12 he says verse 19 he says this day are called the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death blessings and curses and he tells them walked this way are y'all here today he tells them walk this way he says I'm putting options before you telling you the end game of these options one leads to curse death destruction what does that mean it means one is a route that is absent of divine intervention when he says cursed there doesn't mean kicks which everything's going to go bad no it means so a route that is cursed in Scripture is a route that is absent of divine intervention God says if I'm not in it it's doomed for destruction it may not blow up now but it will blow up and it may not fall apart now but it will fall apart and that is not to say that even when you follow my instruction your boat won't fall apart Paul but when you when I am on the route with you and when you have taken the route I've called you to even if the boat falls apart I'll get you to shore on broken pieces I want to know is there anybody in this place that's honest enough to admit that God kept you together even when things were falling apart decisions decisions decisions decisions decisions decisions decisions decisions they are so important that the Bible that God put a whole section in the Bible called wisdom literate or a whole section of the Bible is dedicated to wisdom it is so important that the writer says it is the principle thing it is the foundational thing maybe after you've experienced regeneration your life must be built upon the foundation of wisdom it's so important though it costs you all you have get a wisdom go after it more than you go after anything else get up early for it stay up late for it go to school for listen to podcast for it read books for it ask questions for it but refuse to live a life without it because when wisdom walks out struggle walks in when wisdom walks out destruction walks in when the wisdom walks out the enemy walks in wisdom is a wall that protects you from the unnecessary onslaught of the enemy someone save decisions decisions and you don't you don't have to respond it's a question intended for your reflection but the question is can you look at some seasons in your life and honestly admit this wasn't the enemy this wasn't the devil this was decisions so then if God is going to lead me to the next level if he's going to improve my life he's going to do so by improving my decisions we must walk this way and the decisions impact destiny and destiny impacts decisions and our text here in Exodus chapter 14 is an example of what I'm articulating this text exposes us to the experience of a people group called Israel these people have been subjected to Egyptian slavery and captivity for over 400 years but they're God's people they're they're his beloved they are the apple of his eye they are the fruit of his room they are the consequence of his creation he loves them he's invested in them he's committed to them even when he even when they're wrong he makes a decision that he's still going to be right there with him with them and and the Scriptures communicate that after 400 years of Egyptian captivity they begin to cry out to God because there's nothing like pressure to perfect a prayer life sometimes sometimes when we're saying things that never been worse gods like yeah but this prayer has never been better they cry out to God and they ask for deliverance God does not even talk back to them he starts talking to a man named Moses so they're asking for deliverance he starts talking to the deliverer they're asking for deliverance he starts talking to the deliverer they're asking God for deliverance God starts talking to the deliverer they're talking to God God didn't talk back to them God starts talking to the answer see just because God's not talking to you about the problem doesn't mean God's not talking to the answer just because he's not letting you in on and me in on what he's doing doesn't mean he's not doing something just because God is silent doesn't mean he is not working I want to tell you while you're asleep he's working while you're sitting here he's working orchestrating arranging moving things according to the counsel of his home wheel he never sleeps nor does he slumber and the Bible says that he speaks to Moses and Moses has to go to a people and make an announcement to them that your season of settling is coming to an end this is interesting because they knew they wanted out but they didn't know where they knew they wanted an exit but they didn't know where they needed to make an entrance and God sends a man with a word and the word gives them a revelation that you are living in a way that is inconsistent with God's intention for your life do you want to make an exodus out of an Egypt that has been holding you hostage don't miss this for generations that's what that's what we can pour from these 400 years of captivity it is generational you can see it in families you can see it in people groups you can see it in certain regions generational issues and hindrances and obstacles that keep people from experiencing the reality of God's best and this holy announcement created a holy agitation that's one of the things that revelation will do it'll create agitation it's like God I was doing good until you told me I could have it now that you told me that I can have it I want it yeah I wanna and now that I cannot have what I want I'm dealing with the degree of discomfort and frustration not realizing that frustrations on God's payroll God uses frustration as fuel to propel you from where you are to where he wants you to be frustration is the indication you no longer belong on the level you've been living on and if God did not frustrate you in an area it wouldn't motivate you to move out of better into best to move out of good integrate to move out of one level into a nother level can I hear a yes in the house this is this is this is interesting Moses makes this announcement he reveals to them that your present condition is not God's eternal intention and Israel gets convinced and all of a sudden they're ready to make they're ready to make an exit and it was what's what's what's interesting is this knot that they get to make an exit but the story reveals the way they made an exit they had to walk out now I'm about to show you in a minute when Pharaoh chase them Pharaoh rolled out on chariots but they had to walk while someone else is rolling have you ever felt like you walking when other people are rolling are you feeling like have you ever felt like why did God just give me legs but he gave them horses and chariots they they they they have to walk out and I'm wondering okay god you're doing all of this parting red seas stuff and you're turning wet stuff in the dry stuff you're turning mud they could have slowed them down into dry land that allows them to move quickly you're turning mud in the dry land because mud leaves tracks and then walking through the Red Sea is a metaphor of salvation and baptism and the regenerative work of the Holy Spirit and so when they walk out of mud and you bring mud into another place you bring tracks and tracks are evidence of where you've been so when it was dry ground they did not leave any tracks it was God's Way of washing away the evidence of your past because there are some people that couldn't even believe they wouldn't even believe some of the things that you have walked through and it's because God has so worked in our life that there are no tracks there's no evidence of previous seasons their walk they had to walk out I mean he did all of that so he could have carried them out he could have like blew them how he could have sent a cloud they could have rolled out on a cloud right but he made them walk out because here it is it speaks to the importance of our participation in God's plan for our life that it doesn't matter what announcement he makes whether or not we experience what he bounces is tied to whether or not we act so we can announce level up all year long but until we act on what has been announced there will not be an experience they decided to walk out they made a decision to walk out they allowed God to order their steps and this is interesting right because as they walk out the Bible says Pharaoh begin to chase them which represents how persistent our past can be am I at the right service is there anyone here that's honest enough to say my past keeps stalking me I know I know I know you're reformed and you regenerated but I want you to know that there are still some things you have not forgotten how to do and given the right set of circumstances let him who thinks he stands take heed unless he falls Pharaoh comes behind them and they become unnerved they become concerned because here it is they made a decision to allow God to influence their decisions and they still ran into opposition so this is what they did so Kay God because there are three ways you can live life or y'all ready for this are y'all all right on time y'all good okay are we here okay three ways you can live like cultures way which is the dominant way that most people in the culture you're a part of do certain things cultures way some of us depending on our religious heritage we might say the world's way follow me y'all ready for this then the second way is the churches which which is a mixture of the way God wants it done and the way we think he wants it done which is church which is a mixture of God's intention and our flawed interpretation of that intention then you have the Kings Way which is the way Jesus himself actually did it and taught us to do it I'm about to mess some of you up I hope you still love me after I say this cultures way is bad but the church's way can be worse let me explain to you I said that because culture many and culture don't see their way as sacred that's why it's unstable that's why Jesus calls living life that way in Matthew 7 he calls it building your life on sand because it shifts and it changes whatever is popular today whatever's popular tomorrow it's tossed to and fro by everywhere of doctrine right it changes this is involved one season this is involved another season it's it's it's held loosely what's dangerous about learning something the wrong way in church is that you treat something that's inaccurate like it's sacred so it becomes that much more difficult to pry the grips of your hand off of that truth because you feel like to let go of it is to let go of what God said when the truth of the matter is it is letting go of your interpretation of what God said which is probably not your interpretation it is probably the rotation of a tradition a tribe a denomination of people group that was handed down to you and you accepted that interpretation without any personal investigation are you here and so there are people who think God hates people that he doesn't hate because of their interpretation there there are people who will get incredibly upset I mean like you have violated God if you don't do communion on first Sunday you did not get that from the Bible now it is nothing wrong with observing that practice I'm just telling you you got that from your traditional upbringing which is not wrong but you can't treat it like this love your neighbor as yourself it's too much anything this it's too much right it can I can i push the envelope a little further okay in church they will tell you they were interpret this was this what they were interpret they were interpret it's better to marry than to burn ass get married fast even if it means you marry wrong so you won't do wrong just hurry up in marriage wait a minute I'm getting ready to be with somebody for the rest of my whole life and you want me that is an interpretation Paul when he writes that he writes telling people I wish you were as I am more disciplined he says the route answer is your discipline but if you cannot are unable to be disciplined with the right one then is better to marry that one than to burn you don't marry random this is y'all I guess the snows outside and y'all just don't want to hear me today I believe I'm teaching the truth of God's Word [Applause] interpretation it's worse these people will fight you about what they misunderstood whoa whoa will rebuke you see this is why this is important to live with a pistol more logical humility right especially you're part of church like this is so putting epistemological humility it means that even when you assume is something you investigate what a question not with a statement because the statement could be a judgement if you're not informed why we all do more for the community here that's a judgment but it could be what do we do for the community and then when you get that question answered it may change a statement you would have made if it wasn't for you know him is this good do you know how you know you know that's what causes a lot of relational trouble when people make judgmental statements statements of judgment instead of asking questions why you don't talk to me why are you so quiet it's like yeah I've been to the doctor he told me something I'm trying to figure out how to tell you as opposed to why you were talking about you don't talk anymore as opposed to I notice you're more quiet is everything okay see the difference positive relationships it applies and leadership Plaza and business why you sisters I noticed that sir sir sir is everything okay is there a reason now the reasons there may not be an excuse but is there one all right I'm out of time somebody to come play cuz they don't need more I mean I was feeling good - I'm a novice so I want to share this with you now because Israel has to work through all these dynamics and so they're making their exit out of Egypt Pharaoh comes behind them right and all of a sudden they say we need to go back to Egypt the very season they ask God to get them out of is the very thing they want to go back to why would they do that two possible reasons number one they were in love with what was killing them okay I feel real right here y'all here okay yeah um is possible to love what's killing you not number two a possible reason they would say that is because they had selective memory about Egypt the enemy will influence our minds to the degree that we only remember how light reels of positive things about a terrible season and will be out of Egypt on the edge of the Red Sea Sam well you know it really wasn't that bad you start reminiscing like oh yeah you remember when that happened and you remember when that happened and it's selective memory right cuz it'll be it'll be a highlight reel of ten great nights ten great days when it was ten bad years but but Israel has to stand on the edge of that red sea and they're unnerved and so as Moses Moses said God Israel says Moses what we're going to do Moses looked at them and say God got this God said Lord what are we going to do all the parents should have said any man and the Lord said to Moses this stand still and you'll see the salvation of the Lord this is are y'all ready for this this is crazy because sometimes you have to decide you have to make a decision to do nothing especially when you're used to doing something all the time sometimes with a child you got to make a decision like the father the prodigal son to step back so all I can do is pray sometimes you got to put your best foot forward try pray like it depends on God and work like it depends on you and then you got to step back and say now I just gotta stand still because I'm responsible for obedience God is responsible for outcomes that's how freewill and the sovereignty of God exist simultaneously I am responsible for my obedience God is responsible for the outcome I make the decision God controls what happens stand still this is interesting though because they only stand still for a short period of time then God tells Moses all right what's that in your hand stretch out your hand raise up your staff and the waters parted and then it was time to go see doing nothing is only divine when you're doing nothing as long as he says do nothing see some people are standing still then God does say stand still or some people are still standing still after God has said it's time to move and God made water a wall did you hear me the Bible says all that night God calls a wind to blow and the wind made the water a wall the wall was not created instantaneously the law was created overnight there are times where you have to wait for God to make the water a wall but if you wait he will turn the thing that was blocking you into the thing that blocks for you he will turn the thing that was blocking you into the thing that blocks for you he will turn the water into a wall and it was a wall and they walked through on dry ground [Music] when that water parted it was God's Way of saying walk this way you're gonna have to let me influence your decision walk walk this way and if you're gonna stay Ramsey says if we're gonna live like no one else we got to live like no one else and if we're gonna if we're gonna walk this way there are three things I have to leave you in I grew up Baptist you got to get three you got to get three number one have you gonna walk his way his way is a way of learning it's a way of learning does that make sense so the ways God takes me are not just intended to get me somewhere they're also intended to teach me some things there were some things that Israel learned about God by walking that way that they would not have learned any other way and I want to let you know that God's going to get you where he intends to get you but the route he is taking you is not just intended to get you somewhere it's to teach you some things it's to show you some things about you and show you some things about him that you would not have learned had you not been that way and I am Telling You that the way that is scaring you today that is making you nervous today it's going to be the way that you look back and say you know what that was the university of the next level that was the second semester of my freshman year God taught me some things through that season somebody say yes if I'm telling the truth it's a way of learning but number two are you all ready for this it's a way of loneliness we often look at we often look at hope we often look at the amount of people that left Egypt Israel we don't consider the amount of people that stand only the Hebrews left everyone else stayed so comparatively speaking to walk into their future they had to walk away from people they've been around their whole life doing things his way he becomes it can be a lonely way if you do marriage like couple cup if you do marriage like culture it'll be always easy to find friends but when you do marriage the King's way sometimes that's lonely y'all follow me here some of you especially those you that are younger you got a lot of people around you they're trying to find themselves and you focus and your question is are you going to delay your progress because you're addicted to the company of people who are not in a season where you share the same appetite does that make sense if I'm trying to go forward I I don't need you romanticizing what was back for me oh you remember we know I don't want to go back I don't want it's a way of loneliness that make sense man when you're when you're in achiever and you're and you want to fulfill God's best for your life and you want to talk about it you want to talk about dreams not just the latest television show you want to talk about dreams you don't want to you don't want to look at somebody else building their life you want to build your own that's a lonely way it means living counter culturally and that means living through a season of awkwardness a person's advancement is tied to their ability to live to a season of awkwardness [Music] I could take you out throughout scripture to show you david in the sheep field alone Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane alone Gideon in the winepress alone Moses by the burning bush alone because difference makers are different it's a lonely way and God will send you the right people at the right time when you stay on the right path all right I preached real long today but y'all when y'all don't say Amen it'd make me preach along I'm kidding that is not your father last but not least number three it's a long way somebody say a long way [Music] I must be willing to wait to see results the Bible says we follow after those who through faith and patience inherit the promises of God it takes faith and patience to inherit the presence the promises of God I must be willing to walk and have a commitment to say Lord before I get it I'll say it's taking too long but when I get it I'll say it's right on time listen to me I am so glad that God did not give me things that I wanted when I thought I was ready for them so glad it felt like it was so long and then when it happened I saw no this was not so long this was right on time do you hear me family some stuff I thought I was gifted enough for my shoulders were not broad enough to carry my soul was not healthy enough to handle I promise you whatever you ain't know when you kid glory to God David said I waited patiently for the Lord he turned to me and he heard my cry I came to tell you if you await God will turn if you await God will turn if you will wait God will turn he turned to me and he heard my cry are you here so today on the second Sunday of the new year hear the word of God for us God's saying walk this way do it my way come out of culture into church come out of church into Kingdom [Music] walk walk this way they hold grudges in culture and in church in Kingdom we love our enemies and walk this way [Music] they stay angry forever in culture and sometimes in church in the kingdom we do not let let the Sun go down on our wrath [Music] hallelujah am I making sense in the culture and culture they prop themselves up to go up and sometimes in church they prop themselves up to go up but in the kingdom we humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God and believing that he will exalt us in due time follow me walk this way [Music] so father I pray right now for those in this room those watching right now for grace to go for revelation to know and for discipline to stay the way you want to take us I thank you hallelujah that you will order our steps in this year and that this will make history for us as the the season where our decisions lined up with our destiny I thank you we're going to another level in Jesus name Amen [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: 59,297

Rating: 4.9202518 out of 5

Keywords: dharius Daniels, change church, td jakes, Steven furtick, ed young, John gray, carl lentz, levi lusko, pastor matthew stevenson, chad veach, joel osteen, toure roberts, michan carter, ron carpenter, rich wilkerson jr, vous church, bill hybels, henry cloud, john maxwell, dave ramsey, gary vee, tony gaskins, jamal bryant, cthagod, pastor mike todd, Eric Thomas, Les Brown

Id: NBiYNWMcMsQ

Length: 48min 23sec (2903 seconds)

Published: Mon Jan 14 2019