December 26, 2010

• In a Time Like This by Darrell Hayes

  Darrell taught Bible study both services on Sunday 11/21/10. I combined the notes to give the fullest message possible.

  Nothing takes God by surprise. God is not divided about our situation.  He knows the end of the story before the story becomes the end of the story.

  He said that we need to encourage ourselves in the Lord at a time like this.  

  1 Samuel 30:6 Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.

  David was on the run from King Saul who was trying to kill him.  He was at this time removed from the Kingdom and hiding, surrounded by enemies.

  Psalm 23:5a You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;…

  God has a purpose beyond what we see for ourselves.  

  Not go into battle with David against Saul, for Saul might flip the script and turn against us.

  Saul got upset when the women sang Saul killed his 1000′s and David his 10,000′s

  When things are going good, and we are in the highlights, people celebrate and encourage us.  But when things go bad, where is your encouragement?  The people deserted David.

  What if on the way home you receive a phone call that your wife, children and possessions are being taken away?  Will you still praise God?  What do we do when everything important is taken away?  How does or faith hold up in that situation?

  David and his mighty men were in the wilderness fighting, and when they got back they found out that their wives, children and possessions were taken by the enemy.  They were so defeated in spirit that they did not have strength. The men under David were contemplating stoning David.

  You were once preaching, and now they want to stone you.  First the people are blessed by your gift, then when something goes west, they speak bad about you.

  What do you really believe in a time like this?  How do I give thanks in all things, believing all things work together for good  when everything that happens to me is not good?  Suicide, addiction to drugs pregnancy out of wedlock, tough circumstances.  In times like this what do we really believe?  The media is filled with bad news.  We are living in perilous times.  The week that Darrell spoke two women were found stabbed and put in garbage bags.  In Pakistan women are being stoned to death for supposedly blaspheming Islam.

  What do we say to people in that situation?  Where is our faith?

  John 16:31-33 Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

  You are not helpless.

  Romans 8:37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 

  1 John 4:4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

  God is greater than our circumstance. God is greater than our fear.  The Spirit of God turns situations against your enemy.  God defeats the spirit of antichrist.

  You have to have your own relationship with God.  You have to know God for yourself.

  When circumstances challenge us, when people turn against us, when all hell is breaking loose, we have to go to the secret place.

  Psalm 91:1-2   He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust.” 

  David went to that secret place.  Even though his men were thinking of stoning him, David said that he knew that His help comes from the Lord.  He stregthend Himself in the Lord.

  Pastor can’t call everybody to make sure they are ok.  We need to be able to encourage ourselves.

  God gives you something that can sustain you, even if you are facing the situation alone.

  Isaiah 61:3d The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; 

  Is faith what comes out when you are under pressure?

  2 Corinthians 10:4-6  For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.

  The enemy attacks are not always about us. Bad things can happen even when you are doing the right thing.  The attacks against David and his men built their assurance in God.  God protects His own.

  The king tried to get Balaam to curse God’s people and Balaam told the King that he could not curse what God had blessed.

  Things happen.  Just because you are saved doesn’t mean that you will never have challenges.  When things happen they get our attention. The enemy knows what he does and he does it well.  The enemy knows our weak places and attacks those.

  lucifer wants to be like God.  He said the five “I’s”

  Isaiah 14:13-14 For you have said in your heart:  ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’ 

  All of satan’s attempts to kill us are against the knowledge o God.  The enemy keeps us fuzzy, sick, down and out.  

  The Lord says:

  Exodus 15:26c For I am the LORD who heals you.

  Psalm 50:10-11  For every beast of the forest is Mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills.  I know all the birds of the mountains, and the wild beasts of the field are Mine. 

  Matthew 17:24-27  When they had come to Capernaum, those who received the temple tax came to Peter and said, “Does your Teacher not pay the temple tax?” 
  He said, “Yes.”  And when he had come into the house, Jesus anticipated him, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth take customs or taxes, from their sons or from strangers?”  Peter said to Him, “From strangers.”  Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are free.  Nevertheless, lest we offend them, go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take the fish that comes up first. And when you have opened its mouth, you will find a piece of money; take that and give it to them for Me and you.”

  Jesus was able to get from a fish the tax money.

  Things that would be issues for us are not issues for Him.  Jesus did not attack those who attacked him.  He went to the source, the source was his God.

  When there are challenges, we need to encourage ourselves in the Lord.

  Darrell shared with us that he was once in prison, and without the help of God he would not be here.  He was supposed to be in prison 40 years, but God had other plans.  Jesus understands where we are at.  He was deserted, hung up on the cross naked and shamed.  Darrell shared that there were times when people deserted him and he felt alone. But he did not give up hope.  He would pace his cell and sing songs like, “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so.”  And other songs.  He prayed and said Scripture out loud.   Scripture like Joel 2:25 So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the crawling locust, the consuming locust, and the chewing locust, My great army which I sent among you.   Words of encouragement and testimony.  God is not ashamed of you.  Darrell’s hope is based on Jesus blood and righteousness.  

  In the lowest of times God can make things happen. Keep faith in God, even if you don’t feel your prayers are answered.  

  Circumstances don’t have to be alright before its alright.  That’s where faith comes in.

  Genesis 13:14-15  And the LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him: “Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are—northward, southward, eastward, and westward; for all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever. 

  God told Darrell, “If you can look beyond the place where you are, I can take you beyond the place where you are.”  Whatever happened Darrell sought a Word from the Lord.  Pursue them and overtake them.  

  Darrell said that you keep praying the Word of God knowing that Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done.  When they reject you, shake it off.  Darrell made a deal with the Lord.  He prayed “Lord, if you make me free inside and I can be happy with a smile on my face every day, I’ll do the 40 years.  If you make me free inside, I’ll be free in this place.”  King Solomon was permitted to ask God for anything – instead of riches and power, Solomon asked for wisdom.  God gave Solomon wisdom and all the other things added on to that.

  Because Darrell was willing to stay in prison and be happy there, worshipping God, the doors ultimately opened for him.

  Whatever difficulty you are facing is nothing too hard for God.  Darrell was sitting in a cell and could only see a hill in the distance through the bars and wires.  He kept singing, “It’s already alright in my heart.”

  Matthew 10:14 And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet.

  The Word has an answer for every situation.  All will work together for good, even Darrell’s prison sentence.  Jehosephat was surrounded by the enemy with no place to run.  He needed an answer for God.  He got a Word of the Lord and that changed the situation.  Jehosephat put the praisers in front of the army to go into battle and the enemy went into confusion and destroyed itself.  2 Chronicles 20:18-22  And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem bowed before the LORD, worshiping the LORD.  Then the Levites of the children of the Kohathites and of the children of the Korahites stood up to praise the LORD God of Israel with voices loud and high. So they rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the LORD your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.” And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the LORD, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying:  “Praise the LORD, for His mercy endures forever.” Now when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated.

  Even when God shows up late He’s on time.

  Psalm 121:1-2  I will lift up my eyes to the hills— from whence comes my help?  My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth. 

  Although Darrell’s circumstance was that He was in prison, he knew God, the Alpha and Omega, and even in prison, Darrell sang praises to God.  Paul and Silas sang praises, and got freed.  Darrell kept singing songs of deliverance,

  Psalm 23 is based on a song.  

  He sang and danced to the Lord.

  Psalm 150:1-6  Praise the LORD!  Praise God in His sanctuary; praise Him in His mighty firmament!  Praise Him for His mighty acts; praise Him according to His excellent greatness! Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet; praise Him with the lute and harp! Praise Him with the timbrel and dance; praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes!  Praise Him with loud cymbals; praise Him with clashing cymbals!  Let everything that has breath praise the LORD.  Praise the LORD!

  When God is in the mix no situation is impossible.

  Habakkuk 3:17-19  Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines; though the labor of the olive may fail, and the fields yield no food; though the flock may be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls— yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The LORD God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer’s feet, and He will make me walk on my high hills. 

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