EXCESSIVE TALKING ABOUT THE WRONG THINGS, IS POSSIBLY
ONE OF OUR BIGGEST PROBLEMS.
LET ME SAY IT AGAIN.
EXCESSIVE TALKING ABOUT WRONG THINGS, IS POSSIBLY ONE
OF OUR BIGGEST PROBLEMS.
IT'S ALL RIGHT TO VENT A LITTLE BIT IF YOU'RE HURTING, OR YOU'RE
GOING THROUGH SOMETHIN', OR TELL SOMEBODY TO ASK
'EM TO PRAY FOR YOU.
BUT TO TALK ABOUT IT, JUST TO BE TALKING ABOUT IT,
ALL IT DOES IS JUST KEEP YOU FOCUSED ON IT.
AND THE MORE YOU FOCUS ON IT, THE BIGGER IT BECOMES.
HERE'S A WONDERFUL STORY ABOUT JESUS.
MARK 5:35 AND 36, "WHILE HE WAS STILL SPEAKING, THERE CAME SOME
FROM THE RULER'S HOUSE, WHO SAID [TO JAIRUS],
YOUR DAUGHTER HAS DIED." NOW, JAIRUS WAS A MAN WHO
WENT TO JESUS AND SAID, "MY DAUGHTER IS VERY ILL,
WOULD YOU COME AND HEAL HER?" AND JESUS WAS ALWAYS WILLING
TO HELP PEOPLE.
HE ALWAYS STOPPED WHAT HE WAS DOING.
HE WAS VERY INTERRUPTABLE.
AND SO, HE SAID, "YES, HE WOULD GO TO JAIRUS' HOUSE,
AND HEAL THE GIRL." AND WHILE THEY WERE
ON THEIR WAY, SOME PEOPLE CAME
AND SAID, "WELL, IT'S TOO LATE, THERE'S NO NEED TO GO.
THE GIRL HAS DIED.
DON'T BOTHER AND DISTRESS THE TEACHER ANY FURTHER."
NOW, LISTEN TO THIS, "OVERHEARING BUT IGNORING
WHAT THEY SAID, JESUS SAID TO THE RULER OF THE SYNAGOGUE."
SO, JESUS HEARD WHAT THEY SAID, BUT IT SAYS HE,
"IGNORED WHAT THEY SAID." SO, IT MIGHT SOUND FUNNY
TO SAY THIS, AND I DON'T MEAN IN A WRONG WAY,
BUT HOW ABOUT IF YOU JUST IGNORE YOUR PROBLEM?
HOW ABOUT IF YOU JUST IGNORE THAT BAD REPORT THAT YOU GOT?
OR MAYBE YOU HEARD ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF A LAY OFF
AT WORK?
WELL, DON'T FOCUS ON THAT, AND JUST KEEP TALKIN', TALKIN',
TALKIN', TALKIN' ABOUT IT.
JUST PRAY AND THEN JUST LET IT GO AND TRUST GOD THAT
HE'LL TAKE CARE OF YOU.
"OVERHEARING BUT IGNORING WHAT THEY SAID, JESUS SAID
TO THE RULER OF THE SYNAGOGUE, 'DO NOT BE SEIZED WITH ALARM
AND STRUCK WITH FEAR; JUST KEEP ON BELIEVING.'"
WELL, THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS, WE CAN DO IF WE DON'T
KNOW WHAT TO DO, IS JUST KEEP ON BELIEVING.
YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY WERE WAITING
TO SEE WHAT WAS GONNA HAPPEN WITH LAZARUS,
AFTER HE HAD DIED AND THEY WENT TO JESUS AND SAID,
"OH, LAZARUS IS DEAD." AND JESUS KNEW THAT HE WAS DEAD,
HE'D HEARD ABOUT IT FOUR DAYS PRIOR TO THAT.
BUT HE DIDN'T GO AND DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
AND THEY WERE LIKE, "LORD, IF YOU WOULD'VE JUST
COME, HE WOULDN'T HAVE DIED." AND JESUS TOLD 'EM NOT
TO WORRY ABOUT IT, THAT HE WOULD GO
AND TAKE CARE OF IT.
AND THEY SAID, "WELL, LORD, BY NOW, HE STINKS."
THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN DO NOW, HE'S BEEN DEAD FOUR DAYS.
THERE'S AN OFFENSIVE ODOR COMIN' FROM THAT TOMB.
AND JESUS SAID, "DID I NOT TELL YOU THAT IF YOU WOULD
ONLY BELIEVE YOU WOULD SEE THE GLORY OF GOD?"
THAT'S IN JOHN 11:40.
I LOVE THAT.
WHAT CAN YOU DO WHEN YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO?
BELIEVE.
BELIEVE THAT EVEN THOUGH YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO,
GOD DOES.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S SO MANY THINGS GOING ON IN OUR
WORLD TODAY THAT ARE CONFUSING AND PERPLEXING.
AND SO MANY PEOPLE WONDER, "WELL WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN?
WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO?" AND YOU KNOW WHAT?
I DON'T KNOW.
PEOPLE HAVE A TENDENCY TO ASK PEOPLE LIKE ME,
EXPECTING TO GET AN ANSWER.
BUT I DON'T KNOW, BUT I DO KNOW GOD.
AND I KNOW HE LOVES US.
AND I KNOW THAT HE KNOWS WHAT TO DO.
AND SO, EVEN IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO, AS LONG AS YOU KNOW
THE PERSON, WHO DOES KNOW WHAT TO DO, YOU'RE STILL
IN VERY GOOD CONDITION.
"ONLY BELIEVE AND YOU WILL SEE THE GLORY OF GOD."
SOME OF YOU HAVE FOCUSED, ON YOUR PROBLEM FOR SO MUCH,
THAT YOU JUST KINDA LOST YOUR FAITH.
AND YOU NEED TO GO BACK TO JUST TRUSTING GOD.
AND I BELIEVE IN SAYING THINGS OUT LOUD.
I THINK IT REINFORCES THEM IN OUR LIFE.
AND YOU CAN SAY OUT LOUD, "LORD, I BELIEVE THAT YOU'RE
GONNA DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS SITUATION.
I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ELSE TO DO LORD,
BUT I KNOW I CAN BELIEVE.
SO, I PUT MY TRUST IN YOU." HEBREWS 12:2 SAYS,
"LOOKING AWAY [FROM ALL THAT WILL DISTRACT] UNTO JESUS."
SEE, IF YOU LOOK AT YOUR PROBLEM TOO MUCH THEN
IT DISTRACTS YOU FROM JESUS.
"LOOKING AWAY [FROM ALL THAT WILL DISTRACT] UNTO JESUS,
WHO IS THE LEADER AND THE SOURCE OF OUR FAITH [GIVING THE FIRST
INCENTIVE FOR OUR BELIEF] AND IS ALSO ITS FINISHER
[BRINGING IT, TO MATURITY AND PERFECTION]."
LOOKING AWAY FROM ALL THE PROBLEMS IN THE WORLD THAT
WILL DISTRACT YOU FROM JESUS BECAUSE HE IS THE AUTHOR
AND THE FINISHER OF OUR FAITH.
GOD HAS STARTED SOMETHING GOOD IN YOUR LIFE,
AND HE WILL FINISH IT, IF YOU KEEP YOUR EYES ON HIM.
AND I KNOW SOME OF YOU HAVE SOME VERY PRESSING PROBLEMS.
MAYBE, YOU'VE HAD A VERY BAD REPORT FROM THE DOCTOR.
AND THE DEVIL IS JUST SCREAMING IN YOUR EAR, "THERE'S JUST
NO WAY, THERE'S NO WAY, THERE'S NO WAY."
WELL, JESUS IS THE WAY.
HE SAID, "I AM THE WAY, I AM THE TRUTH,
AND I AM THE LIFE.
NO MAN COMES TO THE FATHER BUT BY ME."
AND YOU KNOW WHAT?
WHEN NOBODY ELSE IS ON YOUR SIDE, JESUS IS ON YOUR SIDE.
AND YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO MAKE IT THROUGH THIS
PROBLEM THAT YOU HAVE.
YOU ARE STRONGER THAN YOU THINK.
AND YOU HAVE WISDOM.
WISDOM IS YOUR GIFT FROM GOD THROUGH JESUS CHRIST.
AND GOD WILL SHOW YOU WHAT TO DO, OR HE WILL DO IT FOR YOU,
ONE OF THE TWO.
"HE, FOR THE JOY [OF OBTAINING THE PRIZE] THAT WAS SET BEFORE
HIM, ENDURED THE CROSS, DESPISING AND IGNORING THE
SHAME, AND IS NOW SEATED AT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE THRONE
OF GOD." WELL, JESUS DESPISED WHAT HE HAD
TO GO THROUGH.
IT WAS SHAMEFUL.
HE TOOK ALL OF OUR SIN UPON HIMSELF.
I CAN'T EVEN IMAGINE HOW AWFUL, THAT HAD TO BE FOR HIM--
HOW HE SUFFERED.
AND WE SHOULD BE SO THANKFUL, EVERY DAY OF OUR LIFE,
FOR WHAT JESUS DID FOR US.
BUT HE SAID HE DID IT-- HE ENDURED IT FOR THE JOY
OF THE PRIZE, THAT WAS GONNA COME LATER ON IN HIS LIFE.
AND NOW HE'S ENJOYING THAT PRIZE.
HE IS RIGHT NOW, RIGHT THIS MOMENT,
WHILE WE TALK, SEATED AT THE RIGHT HAND
OF THE FATHER IN HEAVEN.
SATAN USES PAIN AND PROBLEMS, TO DISTRACT US FROM WHAT OUR
MAIN THEME IN LIFE SHOULD BE, AND THAT'S JESUS.
NOW, LET'S TALK ABOUT MEDITATION.
THAT'S NOT JUST A WORD THAT FALSE RELIGIONS USE,
OR SOMETHING THAT'S BAD.
WE HEAR ABOUT MEDITATING AND THINK, "OH, THAT'S NOT GOOD."
WELL, YOU KNOW, THAT'S JUST A PLOT FROM THE DEVIL,
TO KEEP PEOPLE FROM DOING IT.
GOD WAS THE FIRST ONE THAT SAID TO MEDITATE.
AND HE SAID TO, "MEDITATE ON HIS WORD, DAY AND NIGHT,"
THAT YOU MIGHT KNOW IT, AND SEE IT, AND THEN DO IT.
THE MORE YOU MEDITATE ON THE WORD OF GOD,
THE MORE LIKELY YOU ARE TO HAVE THE STRENGTH,
TO DO WHAT THE WORD SAYS.
BUT NO, WHAT DOES SATAN WANT US TO DO?
HE WANTS US TO MEDITATE ON OUR PROBLEMS.
YOU KNOW, THE WORD 'MEDITATE' JUST LITERALLY MEAN TO ROLL
SOMETHING OVER, AND OVER, AND OVER IN YOUR MIND.
WELL, THAT'S WHAT WORRYING IS.
SO, IF YOU KNOW HOW TO WORRY, YOU KNOW HOW TO MEDITATE.
NOW, ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS, INSTEAD OF ROLLING YOUR PROBLEM
OVER AND OVER IN YOUR MIND AND THINKING, "WHAT AM I GONNA DO?
WHAT AM I GONNNA DO?" DO THAT WITH THE WORD OF GOD.
TAKE ANY SECTION OF THE WORD OF GOD.
LIKE, MAYBE, PROVERBS 3:5-7, "TRUST IN THE LORD WITH ALL
YOUR HEART AND MIND, AND LEAN NOT TO YOUR OWN
UNDERSTANDING, IN ALL YOUR WAYS ACKNOWLEDGE HIM, AND HE WILL
DIRECT YOUR PATH.
BE NOT WISE IN YOUR OWN EYES." I LOVE THAT.
IT'S ALMOST LIKE-- LIKE, I LOVE VERSE SEVEN,
"BE NOT WISE IN YOUR OWN EYES." IT'S LIKE, YOU'RE REALLY NOT
SMART ENOUGH TO RUN YOUR OWN LIFE, SO JUST STOP TRYING
TO FIGURE EVERYTHING OUT AND PUT YOUR TRUST IN GOD.
BOY, I TELL YOU, REASONING CAN GET YOU IN DEEP, DEEP TROUBLE.
THE MORE YOU TRY TO REASON THINGS OUT,
THE MORE CONFUSED YOU GET.
AND EVEN WHEN GOD IS TRYING TO GIVE YOU AN ANSWER
TO YOUR PROBLEM, YOU CAN'T DISCERN IT OR HEAR
WHAT HE'S SAYING BECAUSE YOU'RE, TOO BUSY WORRYING.
THE BIBLE TEACHES US TO MEDITATE ON GOD'S WORD, ON HIS WORKS,
AND ON OUR CALLING, AND OUR DUTIES.
YOU KNOW, HERE IN THE STUDIO, TODAY, I'VE DONE THREE
TEACHINGS, FOR THREE DAYS OF TV.
AND I PUT ALL THREE OF THESE MESSAGES TOGETHER,
AND PUT IT ON MY COMPUTER, AND I LOST TWO OF THEM.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT I DID.
I DO WEIRD THINGS SOMETIMES.
I TYPE REALLY FAST.
AND SO, SOMETIMES I HIT BUTTONS, I DON'T KNOW I HIT,
AND HIGHLIGHT THINGS.
AND THEN, HIT ANOTHER WRONG BUTTON, WIPE EVERYTHING OUT,
AND CAN'T GET IT BACK.
AND YOU KNOW, THAT'S VERY DISAPPOINTING WHEN YOU DO THAT.
BECAUSE THAT PROBABLY REPRESENTED, I DON'T KNOW,
MAYBE, FOUR HOURS OF WORK.
WELL, THEN I HAD TO DO 'EM ALL OVER.
AND SO, THEN, I HAD THE THREE MESSAGES, AND I STUDIED
THEM YESTERDAY.
AND I GOT UP EARLY THIS MORNING, AND I STUDIED THEM AGAIN
THIS MORNING.
AND IN BETWEEN EACH TEACHING, I WOULD SIT IN THE LITTLE
GREEN ROOM HERE, AND I WOULD GO OVER IT TO COME
OUT AND SHARE IT WITH YOU AGAIN.
SO, I MEDITATED ON THESE MESSAGES OVER, AND OVER,
AND OVER.
I HAVE PREACHED THESE TO MYSELF, OVER, AND OVER, AND OVER,
SO, I CAN COME AND PREACH THEM TO YOU.
WHAT I SHARE WITH YOU, WOULDN'T HAVE ANY POWER ON IT,
IF I JUST GOT UP AND GRAB SOMETHING THAT MAYBE I'VE TAUGHT
SOMETIME, AND CAME IN HERE AND JUST TRIED TO DELIVER IT.
THE MORE YOU MEDITATE ON SOMETHING, THE BETTER
YOU'RE GONNA BE AT IT.
AND IF YOU WANNA REALLY BE GOOD AT SOMETHING,
THEN MEDITATE ON IT.
IF YOU WANNA BE REALLY GOOD AT HAVING PROBLEMS,
THEN JUST WORRY ABOUT 'EM ALL THE TIME.
BUT IF YOU WANNA BE REALLY GOOD AT ENJOYING YOUR LIFE,
THEN MEDITATE ON THE FACT THAT THERE ARE OVER 7,000 PROMISES
IN THE WORD OF GOD, OF GOOD THINGS THAT GOD WILL DO FOR YOU,
IF YOU WILL ONLY BELIEVE.