Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow | part 1 (Pastor Jeff Shipley)

Daniel in Historical Context and the Question of Fulfilled Prophecy

Now I want you to pay attention it wasn't anything in Israel wasn't their military.

It's kind of.

One of my favorite things to preach about is The history that can be found so easily in Scripture. It's amazing how God has been there since the beginning of time to unfold his plan. That we could be converted sitting right here look at that my gosh.

It's like a pack of cockroaches man. Look at them good gracious. Man, it's like a herd. They just keep going. And there's more coming. That's right we got a bunch of pregnant people pregnant women pregnant women.

Yeah, it's it's that's kind of redundant isn't it? We have started Last Wednesday. One of the best questions we've ever gotten on Wednesday for those you don't know on Wednesday. We take questions. It doesn't matter what the questions is it can be.

I hate God. I don't think he's real. Prove it. We're like all right. Let's strap it on it can be questions. Like I don't understand how God can love me if this and we'll take any question Whatsoever and we'll answer it.

Well one of the questions that was asked was this. Can you take Old Testament prophecy and carry it throughout history and show its fulfillment now? I added the Understanding to that with this caveat.

I will show you the fulfillment of that not just biblically. But historically as well now I know for most of you people in Witten you're going to go watch the same thing. I get that. Okay, I get that.

But we're talking with a bunch of heathens that actually think there's Bible science and world science and Bible history and world history guys. In the time space and matter of human existence only one thing happened at one time in one place.

And so that's what we're doing. Well when we started that I decided what the heck man. We'll just do Daniel chapter 1 2 3 4 5 all the way through 12 in the next 5 Sundays so that you'll get an overall view of The book of Daniel now also what's really cool about Daniel is that you have time stamps.

And if you read in Daniel chapter 1 verse 1 it says the third year of Jehoiakim now you have to understand we know exactly when that is not just from the biblical Chronology, but also from the Babylonian Chronicles and for all of you that are too smart for your own good and too.

School-for-school. You can get on a little plane right now fly to the British Museum in London and look at this thing in real life. It talks about the the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem. So there are extra biblical accounts of this the prior the historian.

He was not a Christian the historian Josephus writes about Daniel and the time frame of Daniel and all about that so we have a great time stamp now this year. That this is referring to is 605 BC 605 BC and there was a great battle and you can of course check this on your little phone.

There was a great battle that changed world history at this time. It was called the Battle of Carcamash and we're going to get into that not this week. But next week a little bit more this time frame is the same time frame that Confucius and the Buddha were alive and began their teachings.

This is the same time period that the Acropolis and Athens was being built. This is all during that world period in history and you have to understand that this period King David is gone Solomon's gone and Israel split in a civil war into two different nations Israel in the north and the kingdom of Judah in the south and they were fighting fighting fighting.

Well, there was this kingdom name of Syria and they took over Israel. They took over Israel and then Babylon Defeated Assyria and Babylon came and in 605 BC. They won at the Battle of Carcamash and after chasing the Egyptians down they came back up hit Jerusalem Attacked it and took away a lot of the best people and that's what's recorded here in Daniel chapter 1.

Some of those people that were taken away were Shadrach Meshach Shadrach Meshach Abednego and Daniel they were carried away as captive and taken to Babylon now just for your future edification. I want you to look and you remember the world powers once again.

This is validated throughout any logical person Assyria Babylon Persia Greece and Rome and one of the ways I remember that is a B P G R. That's how I remember it. That's that's how my little brain works.

And so that'll help you remember it as well. Now here's the cool thing about Dave Daniel when he was captured. He was about a 14 or 15 year old kid about 14 or 15 years old. And what's so cool about him is he lived in Susa.

The Historical Setting of Daniel and the Babylonian Conquest

Oh, let me go back. Let me go back. This is a picture of the of the city of Susa in Iran today as it exists today it was a real place and those are the ruins of it, but anyways Daniel served four different kings from two empires.

He served Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar of Babylon or more proper neo Babylon and then he served Darius and Cyrus of Persia and so in those twelve chapters of Daniel you have about 70 years of history from Daniel's perspective and prophecy about what's going to come and Daniel.

Daniel's prophecies are Absolutely amazing. In fact, the smartest man who ever lived besides Solomon was a guy called sir Isaac Newton and he of course is the father of Newtonian physics. He said of the Prophet Daniel that his writings were so complete and so accurate only a fool could discard them.

It's amazing what Daniel did so today I want to talk to you about Daniel chapter 1 and I want to talk to you about the idea of Compromise. I want you to look at your own life for just a second. Just just for a second.

I want to ask you where have you compromised your faith? I can look at my life and I can I mean there's some glaring red. You screwed up son. There are some glaring you messed up bad. But there are some also some things that I've got to dig at a little bit to come to that same conclusion.

Maybe some of y 'all in here are shacking up. Some of y 'all are shacking up with someone special. Guys shacking it ain't hacking it according to the Word of God. Okay, and the Word of God is really clear about this.

It says it is good for a man not to touch a woman. It doesn't mean Like touch, you know what it means. All right, we're all past the sixth grade in here, right? You know what that means and remember ladies and gentlemen men are visually stimulated women are Physically touch.

I always tell husbands talk touch in time. Those are the three things you need to do with your wife talk touch in time. There'll be a happy camper. Okay, by the way, brother Brandon's going to be covering that in the marriage class that he's starting.

I'm very excited about it. So we're going to talk about Compromise that a Christian should not compromise now. Let's look at our text right here and looks let's look at the plan of the world. To compromise God's people starting in verse 3.

Then the king commanded this dude His chief eunuch to bring some of the people of Israel in other words some of the people they had captured both of the royal family of Israel and of the nobility use without blemish of good appearance and skillful in all wisdom and endowed with knowledge understanding learning and Competent to stand in the king's palace and to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldean.

The king assigned to them a daily portion of the food that the king ate and of the wine that he drank. They were to be educated for three years and at the end of that time they were to stand before the king.

Daniel Was taken as a captive, but he was not taken as a prisoner. He was taken to go to the University of Babylon. Now you might say hey, that's great. He won the scholarship. He is a Guggenheim fellow.

He won that Rhodes Scholarship, but that's not exactly how it happened. Let me explain to you the plan of compromise. You see the world is going to give you something. But take more than you can pay. The world is going to give you Promises and your lust of your flesh and the pride of your life are going to have you make a plan.

That your soul cannot cash. You are going to be set up for failure. Ladies and gentlemen look what they were given number one. They were given the best of the best of the best. They were given bread and water.

They were given the food at the king's table. They were given steak and pork chop well. They were Jews so no pork chops. But they were that day sat there and had the best of anything. The compromise plan is this the first thing the world wants to do is it wants to change your identity?

If you call yourself a Christian it wants to change your identity if you read this scripture. It says very clearly that when these Jews got there if you look at verse 6 I'm sorry verse 7 and the chief of the eunuchs gave them names Daniel.

He called Balthazar Hania he called Shadrach Mishael. He called Meshach and Azariah. He called a Bendigo. Let me ask you a question. How many of y 'all have ever heard of Meshach? How many of you have ever heard of a Bendigo.

It worked. We in the church actually call them by their Babylonian change names. We know them from little Bible stories way down here. Even God's people call them by the identity that they were changed to.

How many of y 'all in here black? How many of you in here are? Mexicans. And speak Mexican eat. How many of you in here? I'm sorry brown pride. Huh? Come on. Yeah. Here are Republicans baby, come on. Yeah.

Come on Democrats our Nancy Pelosi fans, right? Say that too loud. What's your identity? Is it really your skin color? Is it really a political party? What is your original identity gave to you at the conversion of Jesus Christ.

How many of y 'all in here Baptist. Who who cares. Do you realize when I talk to people about the Lord, you know, the first answer I get I go to Bellevue. I Like to talk to you about Jesus. Oh, thank you.

I go to Bellevue. I This morning Guys the world wants to change your identity and they want to split and divide the people of God. And they do it through idiotic means like race and politics and all this stuff.

We're so busy listening to the lies of the world to divide us. We don't hear God say you are one people to be in one accord. Walking together in fellowship and in love. We get so jacked up over stuff that don't matter.

You know why because the world has a plan to compromise your calling. Look what else they do. They want to have them get free education. If you've been watching the news past week or two. It's amazing on the college campuses of the United States of America.

America Palestinian folk. And named Palestinian ain't never been to Palestine. They have no idea what even the heck's going on over there. Some other dope-smoking liberal sandal-wearing idiot said we're oppressing people and then every other.

Have you ever noticed that all these rallies? It's some 20 year old female with a shrill voice going. I'm sorry. Oh my god. Can y 'all find someone a little bit more palatable, you know? Good gosh. Well, I mean, you know, baby take a my doll and sit down for a minute and let's have an intellectual conversation.

On what the heck you're screaming about. No, I don't know. Listen to me. Listen to me you people's. You people's that are letting everyone else, but you educate your children. Do not be shocked and surprised when they're 15 16 17 18 20 22 years old.

And you have no idea what happens. You see the educational system here in America wants to brainwash your child. Today you say pastor. That's ridiculous. Really? Really you go campus in America today to be in the end crowd.

You have to hate what is righteous you have to hate this country. You have to hate law and order or you're a weird person. Oh Pastor you're exaggerating. You ain't been to many college campuses, dude.

You ain't. Guys, that's what's going on here. The same plan Satan had 6 ,000 years ago. It's the same plan. He has today. He doesn't sit there and attack you with a pitchfork or with drugs. I always hate when people say so he was attacking me with alcohol.

No, that's your drunk. But wanting alcohol what he does is he? Attacks your pride and sense of identity and your rights the minute you start talking about why I've got a right to do that. That's that rebellion coming up out of you that you don't want anybody telling you what to do now.

Let me tell you ladies. You have a guy like that I'm telling you right now your children will be in rebellion and you will be divorced. You young girls. Oh, he looked good. He looked good. I know he might be beautiful with a smooth bald head and a manly physique like me.

Okay. He might tell you all the things. Listen. I got it a plus in this you go to six one six. You go to the antenna club you get all the places Carrie Stanley used to go Nickel beer night. Carrie was there.

You could saddle up next to some chick after three beers and sit there and start saying things like this. Wow. Wow, you understand me. Yeah, I I just I feel this connection with you. Johnny's over there laughing.

You wrote this didn't you. I learned this from Johnny Armand. No, I've never had it's just like this and They'll abuse you. They'll treat you like garbage and the more they treat you like garbage the more you're attracted to him.

You know why. Because you've been compromised and that's all you think you're worth. That's all you think you're worth. But God Who is rich in his grace and mercy has called you to be adopted in the singularity of a family and identity in Christ?

Jesus and in Christ Jesus you are never less than. Because the price that was paid for you is immeasurable. That is the blood of God's Son Jesus Christ. Stop being compromised and understand that the universal and complete Symbiotic plan that is presented no matter where you go had to have one author and that author is Satan himself.

It's the same plan that's been going on. It is not is not a mistake that it's universal. But the same plan that was defeated in the Garden of Eden at the cross of Calvary. It's the same plan that can be defeated in your life.

It can be crushed on the heel of Christ. There is a plan to compromise. But I want you to also understand this if you look at verse 1 and 2 it says this in The third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah Nebuchadnezzar now read carefully king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it.

Oh, no. It's red alert time. Captain Kirk put on full shields verse 2 and the Lord Gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into the hand into his hand and some of the vessels of the house of God. You want to know the other compromise that's getting God's children is we forget who's in charge?

We really do now this November. I'm gonna vote. And I ain't gonna tell you who I'm voting for but I ain't voting for no abortion loving godless pig. I'm not now. It looks like the other guy I've got to vote for.

He is not number one on my fan list to be just real quiet. In fact, I think he's a disgusting human being. But I ain't gonna vote for no godless pig who is for putting babies in. Burning them alive in their mother's uteruses and then sucking them out with a shop vac.

Okay. Oh, I'm sorry. Did that defend some of y 'all? Take a baby aspirin go watch the silent scream on YouTube come back and talk to me. Let me say it again the silent scream. Just go watch it. It's actually an ultrasound of an abortion if you have any questions on what an abortion is.

This will clear it up for you pretty quick fast in a hurry. Whoever becomes president in November. Does not alter or change God's plan at all and I'll let you in on a secret God ordained it. If Joe Biden is elected president, I'm gonna say As God wills and you know what?

I'm gonna do. I'm gonna do the same thing on November 7th that I did on November November 9th that I did on November 8th, and you know what's gonna matter to me in the eternal nature of things. Absolutely, nothing because God is in total control.

It says and he gave Judah into his hand, but now listen to this church. You Southern Baptists pay attention you Pentecostals speak in tongues, but you Baptists listen up. And God also gave the vessels of the house of God over 30 years of pastoring and preaching 30 years it has amazed me about this how people have more respect for a building and a Sanctuary than they do the holiness of God.

Oh. They ain't gonna mind gossiping lying hating being vindictive. Causing cliques in the church, but Oh God if someone doesn't wear a suit a tie a dress or God forbid has a hat on in church. Oh. It's just all let's get all up in arms you understand what God says here.

God let the Holy of Holies be desecrated in that temple. God allowed that Sanctifiers and all of it's nothing but loot and put into a heathen God's temple. And you know what God did the same thing he was gonna do before it happened.

You know why. Because God should be the center of our attention. Not a church building or religion not how that person is dressed. But where is that person going to spend an eternity if you are concerned about that person's soul.

Then quit worrying about what they look like and invest all the people who are in this room. Who's hurting who needs an atta boy who needs a hey son you might want to think about doing this. How much of your personal time are you willing to put on the altar of Jesus Christ as a sweet?

Incense to him to invest in somebody else's life. Man, it's a pain in the butt. It is I ain't gonna lie to you. It's a pain when they call you and God still call you with no questions at all. Hey pastor.

Yeah. Justin used to do this when he was younger. Oh my god. He still does every once in a while. Yeah, I remember Justin. He was like this. He couldn't under he couldn't decide whether he was going to be gay or whether he was going to be a redneck.

He just vacillated his identity changed every other week. Now he's a cop and he's both but anyways Justin would walk up to me. He'd go. Hey pastor. Hey pastor. Hey pastor. Yes, Justin. He was like 17 18.

Now son you grown into a full-size man. It's amazing. He didn't really want to ask a question. You know what he wanted to do get my attention and Spend time talking with me. It's a pain in the butt. It is yeah, I'm not trying to be mean.

Y 'all know what I'm talking about. No, I just want to sit in my recliner and be left alone. Right or I want to go out in my shop and work or I want to do anything. That is of what I want to do instead of what God called me to do.

But can we be real that's the compromise that we've been trapped into. Where our identity our wants and our needs supersede what God has called us to do. Man, do you really think? You really think it's gonna matter on judgment day how much your money made or what your bonus was or what your job was.

What? Your stupid skin color was what you called yourself. Are you gonna hear well done now good and faithful servant because you refuse to compromise to the world standards or to your own lusts. That's what God's gonna say well done for.

A Resolve to Resist the World and Submit to God

Second thing not only is there a plan to compromise. Ladies and gentlemen, there needs to be a resolve in your life. There needs to be a resolve to resist. Guys, if there is a resistance it ain't from Antifa if there is a real eternal both spiritual physical and intellectual resistance that absolutely Incorporates the trichotomy of human nature.

It is a resistance to the world and an absolute Submission to God that is the biggest Reality in this world today, and I want you to see how Daniel did it now if you look here in verse 8. It says this but Daniel Resolved and I'll be honest with the ESV left out a couple of really important words.

It should say but Daniel resolved in his heart that he would not defile himself. With the king's food or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself.

Just if we could for a second. I want you to turn with me to John chapter 17. John chapter 17 just for a second. I won't take too much of your time. John chapter 17 verses 14 through 17. Jesus about to go to the cross and before he does he prays over his disciples.

And this is a small part of his prayer for his people. I have given them your word and The world has hated them because they are not of the world. Just as I am NOT of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.

They are not of the world just as I am NOT of the world sanctify them in your truth. Your word is truth. You know what? We got to do church if we want to quit compromising and start resisting. We got a man up a little bit.

I'm just gonna be honest with you. We got to get a little bit tougher. How many I mean seriously. I saw a meme on the Facebook thing and it was so perfect. It said McDonald's can screw up your order 372 times and you'll keep going back.

One thing happens to you in church and you leave for the rest of your life. We got to get a little tougher man. Because there are some of you gonna split the gates of hell wide open because it's something that happened to you Ten years ago in some stupid church.

You see what you're doing is you're making a plan to fail. Rather than a plan to succeed because you're submitting to your feelings as you are God. Rather than submitting yourself to the holiness of God.

Look what Jesus prayed here. He said this God. I don't want you to take them out of the mess. I Don't want them to be gone. I want you to give them the strength to walk through the mess. See. You want to resist.

You got to be here to resist. You got to be in the fight to fight. When I coach fighters I said I'll sit there and there are these two young guys and it's funny to watch they'll sit in there like yeah.

You put them in the ring and they're like this and they'll walk around each other for like 45 seconds. You know, why are they scared? They scared. They're afraid to throw the first punch. They want to have a conversation rather than a fight.

Christians. Let me tell you something. Conversation time was over. It was over when Jesus Christ get up out of the grave and said go ye therefore. You see conversation times over Obedience time to go and preach the message of Christ.

That is what we need to be doing now in that plan to resist. It's got to be first a resolve in your heart. You've got to mentally and spiritually decide before an action takes place if you're just walking around.

Waiting for God to lead you somewhere. Look, man, look. Hold on a second. Hold on. I got one right here. Here we go here. If you want to feel lead here is a nine millimeter 117 grains of lead. Come up here and feel lead and stop ever using that term again in the church.

There is no feeling lead with God's people. God said Go well, I'm. I'm going to church. I'm giving money. I read my daily bread every day. I'm just waiting for God to give me directions. Now you're apathetic.

You're apathetic. You're kind of wanting excuses rather than obedience. God said what baby? You check him. That's exactly right. You check in boxes. You ain't really looking for a plan to resist. You're looking for a way to get out of it.

Same thing with fighters. There are some guys that don't want to be in there and they want to be in there long enough just to say they did It and look respectful even if they lose. That ain't a way to win.

That's not a plan to resist. The only way we win is by lifting up Christ. Now. Here's how we do it church. Notice what Daniel did. Daniel got together four or five guys. He got them together. Found a couple of Navy SEALs that were in prison with them that were in that University of Babylon.

He said okay. Here's what we're gonna do. We're gonna make some zip guns and some shanks and Then what we're gonna do is we're gonna wait for the guards to pass by. We're gonna give them take their weapons and.

No, man, that's what Daniel did. He walked up to the guy in charge and he said, excuse me, sir. Um, I don't mind you changed my name because that's not my identity. Anyways, I don't mind that you changed my living conditions because I'm just a visitor here.

I've got my home in the kingdom of God, but here's the problem I got you are commanding me to do something that doesn't violate my customs. They didn't violate my my heritage. It violates the Word of God and that's why I gotta draw the line.

But here's how Daniel fought. He simply said could we come to a mutual understanding? I'm not asking you to be a right-wing Republican. I'm not asking you to bow down to me and to serve me. I'm not being some entitled person that everything's got to revolve around me.

Here's what I'm just simply asking. Could I worship my God and be obedient to my God and can you let me do this? By eating the food that God commanded me to eat and a guy said. You understand you die.

I die the king will kill me. He ain't gonna kill you. He gonna kill me. You're like, mr. Knight and shining armor. You're gonna learn you already know the Hebrew language. You're gonna learn the Chaldean language.

You're gonna be an interpreter and strengthen what he's already conquered. He can't lose you. I can't speak no Hebrew ease. Daniel said look man, let's do this because he got told no once so what he did is.

He came up with another plan. Tell you what. And he didn't say it. But he said this. I believe in my God so much that even it defies the laws of physics and logic. I believe my God will honor what I stand for him for.

So here's what I want you to do. I don't want to eat any more the king's food. I don't want to drink no wine. You give me this is for Ed Lindsey. You give me vegetables and Water and in ten days, we will look better than those people.

Vegetables and water now you sit there and say well, yeah vegetables really healthy guys. You start a broccoli diet today. Okay, you should look. I weigh about 175, okay. Okay, we're gonna have to work on the whole laughter thing and where to do it, you know, I weigh 279.

That's how much I weigh now. I could start eating broccoli tomorrow. For the next ten days. I ain't gonna gain no weight. Okay, it's not going to happen. I don't drink anything but water and broccoli or cucumbers or carrots.

I ain't gaining no weight. Okay, I'm all lose weight. This was not a and I've heard Christians talk about this is God's will that we don't eat meat. Really? I what his word said when I showed up on the beach.

Jesus was having a stinking fish fry, right? This was supernatural see they vegetables and water for ten days and they gained weight. They looked healthier understand. This was a miracle of God. The unit goes dad gum y 'all look better than the mother boys.

And so he kept sitting there you see Daniel's plan to resist was not an armed resistance. It was something of respect and Christians is something we got to get back to the Word of God tells us to live at peace with all men as much as possible as Much as possible.

I am to obey the laws of man until they violate the laws of God. Resisting this world doesn't mean that you go by 30 acres in Fayette County and start homesteading with an AR -15. Because you know the North Koreans in the US are together and they're gonna start air-dropping people out of the sky.

Not saying that you shouldn't on a our fit. I'm just saying. You know guys we got more people putting more effort and money Into prepping for the end of the world than the real arrival of Jesus Christ.

Guys I ain't scared of the end of the world. That's just the finish line for me, baby. Bring it bring it on. We see our plan of resistance. We start thinking in the flesh rather than thinking in the Holy Spirit.

And then I want you to understand this. No matter what Daniel was facing his allegiance. No matter they changed his name changed his education changed everything about him. His allegiance was still God.

God’s Sovereign Plan, Testing, and the Gift of Wisdom

I want to tell y 'all a story there was a guy named George Shultz some of you my age and older may remember him. He was the Secretary of State under Ronald Reagan. God that was a president. Y 'all are too young most of you but he was stud Ronnie Reagan.

Reagan was the president. Charles Shultz was the Secretary of State and he was in charge of Ambassadors other countries and here's what he would do. Let's say like they assigned Lee to well. Yeah, ginger Ireland.

Okay, they would bring Lee in and George Shultz sit there and go. There's a globe. I want you to point to the country. I want you to point to your country. And so the guys would go up spin around he'd point to Ireland, you know.

Like if Paul came in as an ambassador Paul would point to Texas right different countries. Well, there was this one guy Who was made an ambassador and he walked in George Shultz office and George Shultz did to him said find your country on the map and he was actually going to England and The guy spun the map until the United States was sitting here and he was like, that's my country.

He's like no, but you're going as an ambassador. I'm here to represent this country. This is my home. This is where my allegiance to no matter where I go. Daniel was the same way. It didn't matter where he was living with the circumstances He was living under his first allegiance was to God and the Word of God that God had set up.

I want to ask you what's your plan to resist this stuff last thing? There's a pan plan to compromise you there's a resolve to resist. But I want you to understand this. God also has a plan. God also has a plan and that plan of his is absolutely sovereign.

Look at verse 9 and God gave Daniel favor and Compassion in sight of the chief of the eunuchs in verse 12. It says test your servants guys. Are you afraid to get tested? How many of you are so scared of the other shoe to drop.

You're walking on a tightrope and you don't want to step out? Because something might change. You've gotten into that comfortable rut where you feel like all the plates are spinning and you're in control guys, that's a dangerous place to be because God has a tendency to make you grow by going or Back in the game.

You found out again. You think you're in control and you have what you have because of your greatness or your control? That obsessive compulsive thing where you're like, okay, okay, okay. You're constantly in anxiety and fear of the other shoe following losing it all guys.

It ain't the shoe you got to worry about. You obey God and trust in him. Blessings will be there beyond your capabilities or control. Daniel sits there and he sits there and he goes verse 17 read verse 17.

It says for this as for these for you Shadrach Meshach. God gave them learning and skill in all literature in wisdom and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. It's amazing. Marty Wilson Told me this story a long time ago young fella.

And his dad had an asphalt business and his dad got. Was it a backhoe or front end loader or something? I don't remember what it was. We got this new piece of equipment. Marty never seen it and this is for YouTube.

Okay? Kids when we were younger we were poor. We learned how to do stuff because we couldn't afford anybody else to do it. So we had to figure it out without YouTube nowadays, you know Samantha Dillon changed out a manifold on a 350 Chevy with a YouTube, right?

So Marty's sitting there and Dad says you're driving this thing and Marty was like, oh my goodness. He a little nervous a little nervous and he was sitting there going. I hope I can drive this as good as pastor Jeff.

If you didn't believe that go ask Marty the story. And Marty said this now, this is kind of childish and Marty Marty prayed. And he said God give me the wisdom and the understanding to be able to do this next day.

He went out and like he'd been driving at 20 years. Now you could say well He just a good old boy redneck and guys that ain't in people's DNA. Okay, I can run a trout line skin a buck that wasn't in my DNA.

God supernaturally gave him an ability above and beyond that which he had right. They already were educated. It says in verse 17 because of their obedience God gave them greater understanding greater.

Guys, how much more do you want? You want a plan of God to come up in your life? Understand this it's gonna cause you to have to do more than what you're doing. Sitting in church is not ministry y 'all.

It's not. What are you involved in? Who are you helping and guys some of you could be like Daniel now watch. Some of y 'all could be sitting there and the plan of God is greatness, but you're sitting there.

You're bitter with God. I'm looking at a couple of you guys right now. You're bitter with God. Because God abandoned you to a foreign country. And you ain't done nothing wrong. God ruined your life. God won't answer your prayers.

You sit there and say I didn't have no choice in the matter and this bad thing happened to me. I got divorced. My son is in rebellion. Whatever it is and instead of looking at God's sovereign plan and having faith and hope in him and Embracing that and moving forward and seeing the greater blessing that God gives you sit stuck in neutral complaining about where yet I'm gonna give you a plan for success and it's part of the plan to resist.

Part of the thing that you've got to resist the most is yourself. It's hard. You think resisting cocaine is hard? I Beat that 30 years ago. You know what? I still fight every day. Is Jeff God. Jeff has to be God and and guys I'm gonna be honest with you if all you people would just follow me and do everything I say to do your lives would be great.