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we are going to another level today
this is week 3 of a series that we are
calling planted not buried has anybody
been helped by this series so far
anybody ok so so there is a lot of
people that are really getting um really
transformed is the word I want to use by
understanding that under doesn’t mean
over that if if God plants you in a
place if you’re in seed form um many
times because we’re uncomfortable it’s
dark it’s hard it’s frustrating we think
that maybe God’s not here like maybe
this is the time where I need to uproot
and do something else has anybody ever
felt like maybe I need to do something
else come on like it like but many times
it’s not that we need to do something
else it’s that we need to grow roots
where we are and be able to become who
God’s created us to be and I know this
is not a popular message in church
because everybody wants they
breakthrough in 60 seconds and everybody
wants to go to the next level in their
career in their relationship and all
those things right now but I’ve started
to study
God is not rushed like like we can have
a timetable but whatever he won’t stop
it is gonna happen in the end and so
what ends up happening is a lot of us
are so tired and worn out because we’re
trying to speed up a process that
already had a set time and so what I
wanted to encourage everybody is that if
you are under pressure undervalued
you’re under-qualified this is how you
feel you may be underdeveloped you pay
may be under attack in an area of your
life if you’re under it does not mean
it’s over and somebody’s faith needs to
be encouraged because the place that God
has you planted is the place the enemy
has convinced you you should die in
because a burial and a planting look
very similar it’s dark it’s lonely it
has a lot of pressure on me and so a lot
of people are like well I guess this is
it
I guess God doesn’t have a plan for me I
guess I spent all this money coming to
this college and it was
ever gonna work out anyway I guess I put
all my my chips into that relationship
and it wasn’t gonna work out anyway I
guess I guess I guess I guess and we
keep guessing when God is saying you
don’t have to guess when you’re with me
I have a plan everybody say your plan
and Jeremiah 29:11 he tells us he has a
plan to prosper us not to harm us to
give us a hope in a future but will we
be willing to stay in the same place to
see that plan come to pass and most of
us are so ready for our next that we
negate our now or that was good we’re so
ready for our next that we negate now
and after you get through now and you go
to your next you get discontent with
that like I remember when I was making
$8 an hour and it was just enough and
then like when I got the promotion I was
making $12 an hour
and it was just enough and the promotion
kept going but it always left me feeling
like I only had barely enough it’s
because the money could change the the
the the promotion’s could change the
levels can change but if I don’t change
you can make millions of dollar and it
still just be just enough and God is
saying would you allow me to plant you
somewhere long enough that you could
blossom and to who I’ve created you to
be and that’s coming from Psalms chapter
1 verse 3 which is our anchor scripture
and I want everybody to look at it this
is what God wants our relationship as we
mature to look like with him every
person in here it says they’re like
trees planted everybody shot at me
planted along the riverbanks
watch this they’re bearing fruit in each
season their leaves never wither and
they prosper in all they do somebody
signed me up like that’s what I want my
life my family to look like but you can
never become a tree if you don’t stay
planted look at this picture real quick
and I want you to understand this
because many of us cannot identify where
we are I know everybody wants to be at
the end
oh I’m blooming Lord look at me so
fruitful
most of us got steel working under the
surface and I want to show you this
picture because a lot of us if we’re in
these first four categories think it’s
nothing but do you see how much God is
doing under these seats do you see how
much God is doing under the surface
building our character building our life
building our stuff before anybody will
understand he’s doing a lot under and
until we recognize this as a church we
despised the season that God is using to
make us we negate that in and then we
start not trusting and going back and
being frustrated in allowing
distractions in and try to try to uproot
ourselves so we can be seen be number
little see we can’t even eat from you
yet we can’t even receive from you will
you stay planted everybody shot at me
planted like like when you stay planted
then God can do something in your life
that one day people will eat from and so
my encouragement to you today is to be
able no matter what comes to say in the
place that God can build you that God
can raise you up not you raise you up
now you network not you do that God can
make your name great that God can give
you the connections the ideas the
restoration that you need and so today
as we move forward in this because I
know there’s a lot of people in here
that you feel under you feel underground
like nobody values you like you’re not
notice you feel unqualified underpaid
there’s all this stuff I’m gonna start
over the next few weeks talking about
what to do when you’re under because I
think that a lot of us don’t know what
to do when attacks come we don’t know
what to do when issues aren’t going the
right way for us and and and and today
um I want to talk about what to do when
we’re under fire because a lot of us are
under fire and and we don’t even realize
it like there are attacks there are
shots being fired for our destiny for
our purpose a lot of us are under
criticism and scrutiny by ourselves by
family members by people that we are
trying to to impress
by society by culture and and most of us
don’t know what to do when we’re under
fire and today I want to give us some
practical keys of what we can do when
we’re under fire because honestly most
of us have one reaction like like just
think about it in the natural like if
somebody started shooting somewhere
nobody’s trying to figure out where it’s
coming from like like if somebody’s
under fire everybody is ducking running
hiding like that’s what we know to do
but I’ve started to realize in the word
that many times when God places men and
women of God under fire he asked him to
stand and let him protect him and now
this is this is one of those for me
that’s frustrating because if I’m not in
control I don’t know how to do it and I
don’t know if I’m the only one but I
like to be in control of my environment
anybody else like to be in control look
you won’t even let nobody touch the
radio in your car you you want to be in
control of everything and that’s what
living this Christian life is it’s
relinquishing control and being
dependent on God and so many times when
we come under fire when things are
coming our way
when criticism is coming our way when
opposition is coming our way when
something is coming against our life we
run we duck we hide God I know you can
provide but I’ll see you so I’m gonna
hide behind my insecurity got a God I
know you said you’d use me but I’m gonna
go ahead and run to a relationship that
makes me feel secure for a minute oh
come on and maybe God wants us to learn
how to stand how to stay planted how to
just say you know what no matter what
comes no matter the opposition no matter
what’s trying to take me out God is my
defender he is my protector he is for me
I’m not moving
and and so I just need us to see that
how God wants us to stand as he wants us
to be planted and under fire that’s the
title of today’s message planted and
under fire
and I want to look at three guys who
were literally planted firm in their
faith had a word from God knew what God
had called them to but they came under
fire literally and some of you know this
story in Daniel chapter 3 and I want you
to look at it in a brand new way today
to see if God can show you some things
that that when your marriage is under
fire because some of your marriages are
under fire right now some of your
families are under fire some of your
plans are under fire some people’s
finances are under fire right now
some people’s emotions are under fire
seems like the enemy just attacks your
emotions day after day after day no
stability no trust everything is under
fire your health is under fire your
career is under fire even this one your
self-esteem is under fire he used to be
so confident and who God made you to be
but things in life has just come to hit
you and now you you’ll be swayed by
anything that looks better than what
you’re in right now but today I want us
to learn how to be planted and under
fire Shadrach Meshach and a big Negro
that’s why people you can laugh I said
it okay it’s okay everybody
but that’s what I call them it’s a
bendigo but in my mind he’s a big negro
and what ended up happening is these
young men were we’re in a time period
where the King Nebuchadnezzar had had
made a golden statue nine feet tall and
they said they made a decree any time
the the horns or the Liars or the
trumpets sound everybody needs to bow
and worship this Idol and so Shadrach
Meshach and Abednego had already seen
God work in their life at such a level
that they said no matter what culture
does no matter what all my peers do no
matter what’s happening in the companies
nationwide no matter what’s happened in
other people’s family we’re not gonna
bow and it was so cool when I started
reading this story in Daniel and you can
the whole chapter because I got a
paraphrase some of it so that we can get
through it in the time but it was so
cool that Shadrach Meshach and Abednego
they were a belong group they were a
community like they had been through
stuff together and done life together
and I just want to stop and thank
everybody who’s getting who’s been apart
or joined a small group we had over 650
of you joined belong groups in the past
two weeks so you can give it up this is
my challenge is for everybody who has
not found community godly community not
people you just hang with internal wit
not those people but I’m talking about
people that will push you into your
destiny you need that cuz these dudes
were able to defy the entire nation cuz
they had a deep-rooted relationship with
God instructions from him and they would
not bow and the crazy thing about this
story as we read it and we’re gonna pick
this story up in verse 14 there was some
snitches and these snitches they saw
that Shadrach Meshach and Abednego were
not bowing and they said King there are
some people that won’t bow and I know
that’s how they sound to me and I know
that you said that when they bow if they
didn’t they would be thrown into the
furnace get them and um and so the King
calls for them look what happens in this
scenario verse 14 Nebuchadnezzar said to
them is it true
Shadrach Meshach and Abednego that you
refuse to serve my gods or to worship
the gold statue I set up I will give you
I’m a reasonable guy so I will give you
one more chance it’s funny the areas in
our life that we’re trying to take a
stand against the enemy always gives us
one more chance to bow I just want you
to think like if you’re trying to live
an honest life he gives you another
chance to lie if you’re trying to live
in purity
how convenient after you get baptized
does the thirsty thought that used to no
excuse me
the person who used to really like you
show up and start working at your job
like we ain’t never been around each
other ever and now you want to show up
here it’s because the enemy will always
give you another opportunity to bow and
so many of us we’re taking the
opportunities to come off of what God
has said some of you have given you an
instruction to serve somewhere others of
you he told you to write a book or
others of you and and and so now he told
you to write a book take a less paying
job but now a higher paying job is
offered and you’re like God I did write
on my dream board that I didn’t want to
live in a penthouse and God said will
you obey me even if it means that you
don’t have what you want right now but
there will always be an opportunity to
bow and the King presents another
opportunity to to these three guys said
I’m gonna give you another chance to bow
and worship the statue I’ve made but if
you refuse you will be thrown
immediately into the blazing furnace and
then what God he try to get kind of
prideful and then what God will be able
to rescue you from my power it’s just
funny because these three young men took
a stand for something that God had
placed on their heart but they that they
weren’t going to bow and what they did
is the first thing you’re gonna have to
do and I’m gonna have to do when we’re
planted under fire we have to abandon
our bow like many of you have a bow on
reserve let me let me help you um if
you’re trying to live a life of
integrity there will always be a
situation that will be more convenient
than living Integris that you can bow
and be like everybody else like like
when you’re trying to not have sex
before you’re married there will always
be a situation that you can do what
culture says you can do what everybody
even all your friends and family have
done and you
can bow but what God is challenging all
of us to do when we are under fire is to
take a stand and see I want you to
realize what they did is that everybody
was already standing but then there came
a sound a time a place where everybody
said well everybody else is valuing less
Val and instead of bowing they stood
still and my question to you is what are
you standing for and what are you
standing on see because so many of the
church are weak back as soon as somebody
says something about us or as soon as
somebody says well it’s that’s too much
that’s religious no no no this is the
Word of God and God has done something
in me that is making me take a
flat-footed stand against everything
everybody else is doing and I’m going to
stand still and I won’t bow and see this
is the crazy thing about it most of us
want to act like that but we weak cuz I
know I’m gonna be very very very clear
because if somebody starts praying in a
public place you’re a believer and you
start acting like oh my god no I’ve seen
it I’ve seen the same people up here
selling and dancing in the rain it’s the
same people who when God asked them to
go talk to that boss and invite them to
church you automatically get sick you
can’t when God asked you to start
getting up in the morning in praying in
your office place come come ten minutes
early and just walk around and not yeah
not that don’t get thrown out of your
job but just walk around touch every
desk take a stand and start creating
Kingdom borders and parameters for
what’s gonna like and we won’t take a
stand God tells us to go bless a single
mother or bless somebody we won’t take a
stand why why won’t we take and I say he
said because they haven’t abandoned
their bow there they’re leaving a bow on
reserve because it may come a time where
they’re gonna have to do like everybody
else’s
trust in me it may be a time when I told
them to stand firm that they can’t stand
and they’re gonna do what everybody else
does and and and bow and all I’m saying
to you today is that if you’re under
fire if things are coming at you and you
don’t understand why today it’s time for
you to get confident and take a stand
you know what everybody else is
beginning to do this and do that but I’m
going to trust in the word of God and
I’m gonna take a stand other people
aren’t coming to church and other people
are having multiple relationships
outside of marriage I’m going to take a
stand and I’m gonna live for purity some
of you need to take a stand for your
family some of you need to take a stand
that you’re not going to be impoverished
the rest of your life that you’re going
to land stewardship and you’re gonna
honor that somebody needs to take a
stand somebody say I’m gonna take a
stand
you can’t take a stand but still have
your bow so I think we need to do like
Shadrach Meshach and Abednego and just
make a decision I’m not gonna bow can I
be very transparent today Oh God
this week I had an opportunity to bow in
my past life before Christ oh if I saw
something that I wanted and I felt like
I couldn’t get in trouble for taking it
I still it just Boop
yeah god bless you ha ha how are you and
that was something that I crucified and
I want to be real in here I crucified
that put that on the cross I haven’t
thought about still in any years what
we’re doing some work on our house right
now and just crazy out of the blue like
random stuff started happening and we
lost before they call them burner plates
I don’t know if you’ve ever seen it on a
stove it’s the little black things that
that sit over it and the fire comes
around it and on that for some reason we
lost our burner flames like ok lingo we
haven’t been able to eat or cook no eggs
this week or do anything cuz the burner
plates was gone and they we couldn’t do
it else like I’m gonna go to Home Depot
and get some burner place then Oh God
burner plates at Home Depot they don’t
got burner plates at Lowe’s I go to an
appliance store
have a burner plates there I went to
another appliance store there were two
hundred and ninety eight dollars for
four burner plates I said we not eating
not happening nobody’s eaten in this
house all week and we did but all I’m
telling you I was like I’m not paying
two hundred ninety eight dollars for
these little pieces I was frustrated and
so I went into another appliance store
and I saw our exact stove sitting on
display can I be real I went over to
went over to the stuff some of my
accomplices we used to steal you already
know Lord Jesus the Lord is trying to
help us in here today lord help us come
closer to cross I have never paid
attention to burner plates I’m looking
at the stainless steel I’m looking at
the mechanism the electronic the only
thing I saw miss stove I walked over to
it I’m not gonna lie I touched them I
picked one oh my god I look how
accessible look how look how easy Lord
it would be and you ain’t never heard
nobody called nobody to go to jail for
burner play I can see it now pastor in
jail and at that moment where I was
about to take them y’all the Holy Spirit
said on the inside of me he said is this
worth the blessing like like like is you
bowing is you doing this right now
worth what I’m doing that transformation
Church is it but not now you can take
them but is it worth what I’m doing in
your marriage if you bow right now and
and there’s somebody undoubtably that
has stolen burner plate super 4 but God
was saying Michael I need you to take a
stand you said you would be a man of
integrity if it costs four dollars or
four hundred dollars it don’t matter
I’ll give you the money I’ll supply
every one of your knee
but will you bow or will you stand and
I’m coming to challenge every person
under the sound of my voice when you get
under attack it is not time to bow you
need to abandon your bow and says for me
in my house we’re gonna serve the Lord
if everybody else leaves God if
everybody else starts selling this is
everybody else starts doing this we will
stand firm and we won’t bow somebody say
I won’t bow you didn’t even say it like
you mean it somebody said I won’t bow
and the crazy thing about it is you only
bow to things that are idols see they
were bowing to something that had been
constructed and created and you said
well I’m bound to no golden statue no no
no but you may be bowing to another idol
that you’ve put in your life like money
your back you’ll bow when the price is
right oh yeah I’m coming for you today
you or maybe somebody else is a success
like if you think this will help you be
successful you give up your integrity
you’ll give up your relationship with
God you’ll give up people who have stood
with you and the good time about you let
them all go if you think this bout some
of us have made other things idols some
of us have made our children idols some
of us have made our families I all I’m
saying sometimes like what’s an idol
pass the mic on our heart there’s a
throne and somebody sits on the throne
of your heart if money sits there if
fame sits there if people’s opinion sits
there that’ll be the thing that you
worship and Idol can’t be an idol unless
it’s worshipped and many of us are
bowing to things that are not God what
we’re bowing to things that do not bring
us to the place that God has called us
to be and all I’m challenging you to do
and I know one spending a minute on this
point because so many believers have
have kept their bow so close that you’re
just waiting on an opportunity and if
the right person calls and tell you
it’ll never be seen it’ll never be um
nobody will ever know you would just bow
in a second but God’s saying I want
somebody that will have integrity not
somebody that just doesn’t when
everybody else can see nobody would have
seen me steal those plates but it would
affected everything that everybody does
see all I’m telling you it’s a time for
us our private prayers to become public
stances because if you don’t stand for
what you really believe in God for when
people don’t like it our bow is real
close and if you’re going to stand when
you’re under fire you have to abandon
your bow I know you’ve been dodging
difficulty and I know it seems it seems
like you’ve just been assaulted by
adversity and you are just trying to
survive the struggle but I’m telling you
that what God has for you is worth you
letting him do it and you not trying to
make it happen yourself so I know you’re
under fire I know there’s pressure
coming I know that you’re trying to I’m
35 and I’m not married and I don’t have
my degree and I don’t know what’s gonna
happen God’s gonna work it out
he’s gonna stand with you he’s gonna be
your Vindicator but you cannot bow and
that’s what Shadrach Meshach and
Abednego did said I will give you a
chance to bow who’s gonna rescue and
this is the crazy thing about it these
dudes were so gangster that that they
did they did one of the dopest things in
the world look at first Corinthians
chapter 15 58 I want you to understand
this because somebody really needs to
stand firm it says therefore my dear
brothers and sister stand firm let
nothing move you always give yourself
fully to the work of the Lord because
you know that’s your labor your standing
your doing what nobody else is doing is
not in vain I wanted to encourage you
that when you stand even when you’re
under fire it’s not in God sees it he
stands with you he’s applauding it and
he’s going to use it to be a testimony
to so many other people but don’t come
up rooted don’t pull out don’t don’t not
stay planted because of what you are
feeling and you’re experiencing now now
listen
the king of
the entire country is singling out these
three dudes he brings them in and look
what they say if you’re under attack I
want you to do point number two I want
you to talk trash to the enemy like
anybody who’s ever been real good at
sports you know a fundamental part of
all sports is trash talking and and the
crazy thing about it is when you’re not
that good on the team if you have
somebody good on the team
you can talk trash that you can’t even
back up like no no no seriously like if
Michael Jordan’s on your team you don’t
gotta be good you can be like a hi look
at y’all scrubs you’re not even gonna
play but two minutes in the game but I
can talk because of who’s on my side it
seems like Shadrach Meshach and Abednego
knew who was on their side because they
stood in the face of the king in the
face of adversity in the face of being
buried what they say I love do look at
verse 16 Shadrach Meshach and Abednego
reply own a b-boy crazy its own as we
got about are we gonna get burned we do
not need to defend ourselves before you
what how often do you look at your
opposition and say I don’t even need to
play defense I’m sure you don’t I don’t
even have to defend myself because you
never have to defend something that’s
already defended when God is your
defender when he goes before you as he’s
fighting for you you don’t have to try
to convince her but I’m a really good
guy and you should like me and you
shouldn’t forget all that I don’t got to
defend myself to you you’ll see it when
it’s over yo you’ll be oh come on you’ll
be able to understand that God was doing
a work and the enemy tries to get us in
the details of trying to make everybody
understand our entire process and
they’ll never understand it until this
finish and so many of us need to stop
trying to prove what God is saying is
true and just stand he told me I would
speak to the nations I got three people
in front of me
no when we started this church it was
less than 350 people that were coming
and God told me that we were supposed to
build a multi-ethnic multi-generational
multi implying a multi-campus church we
were none of those things and people
left they left guess what I did I stood
I wasn’t going God they told me white
people wouldn’t come to north Tulsa they
told me that y’all here they told they
told me all kinds of stuff and I had the
option never mind we’ll just be that
rowdy black church
no no that’s easy to do if I didn’t feel
that God had given me something to stand
on my question is what is God given you
to stand on what are you standing for
what are you standing on because it does
not matter who or what comes and what
they say if you have a stand think God
says abandon your bow and talk trash to
the enemy and I love this because they
begin to talk trash and look what they
were saying they may have been scared
they may have been fearful I mean their
lives were on the line this wasn’t like
bat bowel or go home this was bow or die
okay but they never confirmed with their
mouth their fear they only confirmed
their faith it’s not to say the fear
wasn’t there they just didn’t confirm it
with their mouth because I think they
understood that life and death was in
the power of the do you understand that
some of y’all go around talking about
I’ll just be broke for the next year
you go around saying I guess God’s plan
for me is to be single you might be
single but you better keep your mouth
shut
except agreeing with what God says and
the faith that you want to see and so
many of us cloak keeping it real and we
speak the curse that we don’t want to
see into existence uh I’m just telling
it how it is you’re telling it how you
want it to be
and so what we have to do is allow our
faith to agree with what’s coming out of
our mouth and so then they get even more
gangster with it verse 17 if we are
thrown into the blazing furnace the God
whom we serve is able to save us and I
can just see Shadrach Meshach and
Abednego and Bendigo sitting there and
one of them says it and all those like
Oh like like you know if somebody’s like
okay anyway y’all you some of y’all been
there but this is what this is what I
want you to see look at it when you’re
planted and under fire you focus on
God’s ability not your capability see
they weren’t saying if if this happens
we gonna get ourselves out of it they
wasn’t that stupid cuz they knew they
didn’t have the ability but they were
putting all the trust and they were
putting all of the the weight back on
God if we do get thrown in the furnace
the God that we serve that means there’s
a relationship there he’s mighty to save
us look at Zephaniah 3:17 for the Lord
our God is living among you and he is
mighty to save a mighty Savior he will
take delight in you with gladness with
love he will calm all your fears
somebody needs to hear this because
you’re so scared of what may happen and
the opposition that’s coming and God
saying don’t worry about that I will
save you I will stand with you I will
calm all your fears I just need you to
stand and I think I need you to get that
bow out of your life I need you to stop
conforming I need you to talk trash in
faith to the enemy and I need you to
focus on me focus on my abilities don’t
focus on your deficiencies and you not
being qualified he said I am working
best in your weakness my strength is
made perfect when you are deficient and
we have to believe that or we bow and
this is what they said no no no we’re
gonna focus on God’s capabilities and
their saving was connected to their
serving who they served was the one who
they saved I’m not telling you who to
serve but I serve God because I know
that he has the power to save me
my question is whatever you’re serving
serving money sex lust people whoever’s
on the throne of your heart you better
believe they need to have the power to
save you because if not when when the
fire comes when you’re under fire when
you’re under attack when you’re at the
last bit of your finances when your
family is not all cohesive they’re
nowhere to be found can’t save you when
you’re depressed
it only can medicate you but it can’t
save you did you hear what I’m saying
but but we have to be and put our trust
and stand on something that’s solid and
now gangster scripture alert the
probably the most gangster scripture in
the Bible
Daniel 3:18 he said he will rescue us
from your power he said but even if he
doesn’t I mean that’s something that you
gotta walk away on like like their faith
in God under fire under pressure under
attack was so steadfast that they said
God has the ability to save us but even
if he does it I’m a servant even if he
doesn’t I must still love him
even if he doesn’t and so many of us
we’re ready to bow for convenience we’re
ready to uproot because it’s
uncomfortable and God’s giving us a
picture the Shadrach Meshach and
Abednego then I think some people who
will stand who will speak in faith to
their enemies whether the some of your
marriages are under fire right now you
need to stand in declare our marriage
will succeed our marriage will be
healthy our marriage will be able to be
a testimony even though we’re sleeping
in separate houses right now I’m gonna
tell devil you thought you had me you
thought you were gonna take my family
out see some of y’all don’t even know
you used to talk so much trash when you
didn’t know Jesus
and now with the greatest on your team
the one who defeated death hell and the
grave we’re quiet it’s time for us to
believe again and this is real for me
the saint no message like what you got
to do is what they did they said even if
he doesn’t we want to make it clear to
you let me I know yeah I know you foggy
because you got the glasses on let me
make it clear to you
we will never serve your gods in essence
what they said we will never bow we will
never worship the gold statue that you
set up my next point is very simple when
you were planted under fire you choose
obedience over outcomes these dudes had
literally stopped caring about what
would happen to them and just said I’m
gonna be obedient and many of us want
the outcome so bad and we’ll do it if
God promises pinky promises with a
cherry on top come on let’s be honest
that will do we’ll do our part if you
promise to do your part but the Bible
doesn’t say we walk by promises it says
we walk by faith and there’s a place in
you that you’re gonna have to stand and
you’re gonna have to come to a place to
say you know what I’m gonna obey God
when everybody’s bowing even if I don’t
get the outcome I want even if the
relationship is not restored i’ma stand
and obey God
even if I’d never become a millionaire
I’m going to stand and obey God even if
the marriage never is reconciled my
faith is fixed I’m under fire but I will
stand I’m under pressure but I’m not
gonna die here and see a lot of you are
like okay Pastor Mike that’s great but
you don’t understand I’m I’m I’m living
this right now
this is not this is not a cute message
for you many of you guys know some of
you have been praying and we thank you
for that but but our son me and my wife
son MJ he’s three years old and he has
autism and he hasn’t spoken a word yet
he three years old he does not talk and
every day the enemy tries to get me to
bow gods so good you’re helping millions
of people all over the world and he
can’t do this for your son you’re
praying and seeing people come together
see I’m telling you that what I’m
talking about is that is that is not
something based on does this feel good
or am i no no no every day when we go to
therapy and we stand and we pray my
faith is God I know you can heal my son
I’ve seen you deliver people from cancer
I’ve seen you do it but my stance is
even if you don’t ah i’ma stand and I’ma
be obedient I must stand and I’m a so I
feel the presence of God I’m gonna stand
and I’m gonna declare what you say
I won’t let my fear come out of my mouth
I did I’ll serve you
[Applause]
[Music]
my faith is not built on the outcome I
must stand and be obedient nobody else
comes to the church nobody else listens
and my son never says a word as for me
in my house we will serve the Lord and
all up encouraging you is don’t don’t
give up hope you better believe every
day I’m believing for a miracle
I can’t wait to stand up here and
declare what God has done in MJ’s lie I
cannot wait but I will not be paralyzed
in this moment because I don’t have a
guarantee I’m gonna stand when everybody
else would bow and I’m gonna declare the
goodness of our God even if it cost me
everything and so many people in this
room we’ve been so quick to bow if we
come under fire for God’s challenging
you today abandon your bow and commit
and choose obedience over the outcome
long story short
Nebuchadnezzar gives best I’m sorry some
of y’all don’t say that in church I do
he gets mad the Bible even says his face
got distorted he was so mad and he got
so frustrated that he turned the fire up
seven times hotter so more fire more
people talking about you more more knows
ya got what I’m saying turns it up they
bring the best Boy Scouts to tie them up
cuz Boy Scouts know how to tie a knot
boy I never take Boy Scouts my Nasus
just be slippin but the boys cowboy woo
they brought the best Boy Scouts to tie
them knot and they throw them in the
furnace and I want you to understand
that that when they throw them in the
furnace the things you got to understand
when you’re under attack
is that they weren’t alone that when you
go through the fire you have to
understand that you’re not alone Psalms
I think 139 says it like this is that um
whether you make your bed in heaven or
you make your Bell bed in the grave or
in hell I’m there with you some of you
need to understand that the fire you’re
under right now you are not alone God is
with you and when God is with you
everything changes Nebuchadnezzar he
says hello hey guys didn’t we throw
three people in there like yes our youth
are weak we definitely threw people in
there it was 3 it was like can we tie
them up good yes sir I have my Boy Scout
dying notch right here yes we did sir
yes we did well I see four and the last
one looks like a god oh I’m trying to
tell you that they can turn the fire up
but God is standing with you they can
come against you but God is standing
with you it literally says that it was
so hot that the people who through her
men died but how can I go through it and
then look the king calls for him hey I
was just can Shadrach Meshach and
Abednego come out here isn’t it funny
how the same people who throw you into
situations will be the same people who
needs you
oh they’ll lead you at some point if you
last
if you don’t bow out if you don’t give
in and so my last thing if you’re under
fire you need to not you need to not run
from the flames you you you don’t need
to to go away from the flames you need
to allow God to use those flames you
need to allow God to build you in that
environment um put it on the screen for
me Larry like I want you to understand
that if you don’t fight the flames
God will build your faith in the flames
and I bet Shadrach Meshach and Abednego
when they got thrown in was like this is
it
it’s been real guys we’re about to die
together it’s been a good run and then
they got in it and God’s plan wasn’t to
just save him out of it it was to keep
him through it and literally when they
came out it would have been a lesser
miracle if they would have got thrown in
and God just magically took him out or
stopped the fire like if he would have
just extinguished the fire it would have
been a lesser miracle Oh spirit fire
extinguisher Shh come out be saved the
fire was still going when they came out
[Music]
like like they they didn’t they didn’t
get the fire extinguished they walked
through the fire they made it out of the
divorce
they made it how Oh come on somebody
they still had their right mind even
though they went through bankruptcy
their kids their kids went crazy but
then came the price they walked
everybody safe through and it was more
of a miracle because the fire the
remembrance of it was still blazing but
the Bible says they came out and
everybody was like cuz he said they
didn’t even smell like what they had
been through I need somebody rejoice
right now cuz God if you don’t battle
it’s gonna allow you to come through
this fire and you not don’t smell like
what you but you not don’t smell like
divorce you gonna smell like purity do
not go smell
here what I’m saying to you many of you
look and smell like what you’ve been
through because you’ve bound but God’s
challenging you today stand up yeah
somebody got it see and this is the
crazy thing about when you stand now
it’s cool to stand because everybody did
it but my sister stood when she felt the
instruction come to her and if I would
have never said anything and told
everybody else to sit everybody just sit
down everybody sit down everybody said
Oh for real sit up so now everybody for
us to stand up now now I want you to see
what happened that see some of you are
still sitting others of you are still
standing now don’t stand now I want to
prove a point that some of us have to
have group and committee approval to do
what God has asked us to do others of us
see what God has asked someone to do and
something on the inside of you says
that’s me too
and even when everybody else is saying
cuz y’all I could have had you stand the
entire service and some of you would
have gotten tired and sat down but God
says it may be awkward what’s your name
sweetheart
Courtney everybody look at Courtney
right now everybody watching online
everybody look accordance it’s like oh
my god the problem is Courtney is that
for your rest of your life when you’re
standing you’re easier to see and so
people will always look at you what God
calls you to do something that they have
chosen not to but when you stand look
around there are people that are
standing with you and you don’t have to
have everybody to take a stand for God
if the entire if the entire village
would have done this everybody stand now
now everybody saying if the entire
village would have done this they could
have knocked down the
golden statue instead they bowed to it
all I’m asking you stay playing it don’t
uproot because you’re under fire
let God protect you speak in faith to
your enemy whatever it is allow the
flames to build your faith let God bring
you through that thing let him get glory
cuz he’s not gonna stop the fire he’s
just gonna take you through it and look
at this first 30 you can read it for
yourself
the King declares after seeing this
miracle y’all they know of the God
except the God that these people served
matter of fact if y’all serve we’ll talk
bad about any other God and you talk are
you talking bad about their God you
gonna get killed and then he literally
said I’m going to promote these three to
the highest level that they can be
promoted
not because they bowed because they
lasted I’m encouraged some of you the
tree that God is gonna bring up out of
you is not gonna be because you were the
best seed it’s gonna be because you
lasted the season change that when
everybody else was withering up and
dying and leaving God you stayed you
kept going to the belong group you kept
serving and today I want you to see that
you’re planted and under fire can we
give God some praise in this boy
[Applause]