Faith and Pleasing God
It’s impossible to please God without faith.“It’s impossible to please God without faith.”Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, for the evidence of things not seen.”Three things known for sure:Saved“I know I’m saved, for one, because I was there when it happened.”Jesus Christ is coming back.“Jesus Christ is coming back one day. He’s not going to leave me sitting here.”God is God Almighty.“I know God is God Almighty, and there is no one greater than He.”Jesus Christ died on the cross for remission of sins, connecting man’s hands and God’s hand.“His Son, Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ come, and He died upon a cross where we would have remissions of sins…He connected our man’s hands and God’s hand back together.”The Example of the Hebrew Children
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to bow down to Nebuchadnezzar’s golden image.They declared that God could deliver them from the fiery furnace, but even if He didn’t, they still wouldn’t worship other gods.“If it be so, our God, whom we serve, is able to deliver us from the burning, fiery furnace, and He will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve the gods nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.”They were thrown into the furnace, but God saved them.“God pulled through and showed up.”They had a faith that is hard to understand.“Faith that I don’t understand.”Abraham’s Faith
Abraham demonstrated faith through obedience and waiting on God.“He had faith because he did exactly what God told him to do. He had faith, obedience, and he waited on God.”God told Abraham to go to a place he would later receive as an inheritance, and Abraham obeyed without knowing where he was going.“By faith, Abraham, when he was called to go out into the place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed and he went out not knowing whither he went.”We often want things done immediately, but it’s God’s timing that matters.“We want things done immediately…It ain’t our time. It’s God’s time.”If God doesn’t give us what we ask for, we likely didn’t need it.“If He don’t give it to us, then we didn’t need it anyway.”Abraham likely told Sarah not to drive the tent stakes too deep, expecting to move soon.“I bet old Abraham told Sarah many times, don’t you drive in tent stakes too deep. We ain’t going to be here long.”Enoch and Elijah
Enoch was translated and did not see death because he pleased God.“Enoch was translated that he should not see death and was not found, because God had translated him; for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.”Elijah also did not experience death.“Elijah didn’t see it either.”Sometimes pleasing God, sometimes not.“Sometimes I please God, sometimes I don’t. I’m a failure.”God is big and doesn’t fit in a pocket.“My God don’t fit in my back pocket. He don’t fit in my front pocket. He don’t fit in a single leader. My God is big.”Avoid pity parties and remember the gift of eternal life.“Some Christians, they get on that pity party. Oh, poor old me. Poor old you, nothing. You’ve got the greatest thing that God ever gives. That’s the gift of eternal life.”The world will be destroyed by fire, but believers will go home.“I know one day this world’s going to be destroyed by fire and I ain’t going to be here because I’m in preparation to go home.”Tired of the filth of the world and the mistreatment of women and children.“I’m getting tired of seeing the filth of this world…I’m getting tired of seeing of women and children being mistreated and being abused.”Sick and tired of the devil running wild.“I’m sick and tired of the devil running wild and doing what he thinks he wants to do.”Salvation and Faith
In the beginning, the Word was God.“In the beginning, the Word was God and the Word was with God.”Salvation comes through repentance and believing.“I’m going to get there one day through repentance and through believing.”Confess with your mouth and believe in your heart to be saved.“Thou confess with thy mouth and believe in thy heart and thou shalt be saved.”Belief that Jesus Christ died on Calvary and rose on the third day.“I believe that Jesus Christ went to Calvary and died on the cross and God rose him on the third day.”The story of the woman with the issue of blood:She believed that touching the hem of Jesus’ garment would heal her.“If I could just touch the hem of His gums, I’d be made whole.”She had spent all she had trying to heal.“She had spent all she had just to heal and nobody could heal her.”Relating this to personal conviction and seeing Jesus from the outside.“God took me back to that day when I was being, when God was dealing with me. I was on the outside of the church looking in. I was looking at Jesus on the inside.”Touching the hem of His garment leads to the mercy seat.“If you touch the hem of that garment, he said, he’ll meet you at the mercy seat.”Sarah’s Faith
Sarah received strength to conceive and deliver a child past her age because she judged God faithful.“Through faith also Sarah herself received strength to conceive seed and was delivered of a child when she was past age because she judged him faithfully who had promised.”God promised Abraham a son, and Sarah laughed, but God’s promise prevailed.“He promised Abraham a son. And Sarah was behind the door or the tent or whatever and she giggled…Just because she was in years, if God says it can be done, it can be done.”If God says it will be done, it will be done, regardless of circumstances.“If God says it’s going to be done, you can count on it’s going to be done whether you like it or not.”Analogy to lost people seeking escape in alcohol:Even if they get drunk, Jesus Christ is still coming.“You go to that old beer joint and you get drunk…Jesus Christ is still coming. It don’t matter how drunk you get, it don’t matter what you drink, you ain’t going to stop it.”Moses and Noah
Moses led the Israelites through the Red Sea by faith.“By faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land, which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned.”Moses initially made excuses, saying he couldn’t speak plainly, but God told him to go.“Moses, now Moses was one of those that had a pity party in the beginning. He said, I can’t talk plain.”God told Moses to raise his staff and parted the sea.“He told him to raise our staff. He parted that sea.”Noah built the ark by faith, warned of things not yet seen.“By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house.”Noah preached for 120 years and built the ark according to God’s instructions.“Noah preached for 120 years…God told him how to build it, the measurements to build it, what wood to use. He told him how to do it.”Comparison to people mocking the church.“Could you imagine how many people drive by this church every Sunday morning? What do they do in a barren-ack church? They’re a-molking and they’re a-golfing because they don’t understand.”Abraham’s Tested Faith
Abraham was tested when God told him to sacrifice his son.“By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac.”Abraham was willing to sacrifice Isaac because God told him to.“By faith though, he was going to kill his son and sacrifice his son to God because God told him to.”How much faith do you have?“So I asked you, how much faith have you got?”God talked to and walked with Abraham.“God talked to them. He walked with them. They knew who he was.”Peter’s Faith
Peter walked on water towards Jesus but began to sink when he lost focus and saw the wind.“Peter was walking Jesus…Jesus told him, come on. I was on the water. Peter said, come…He took His eyes off of Him. There was a boisterous wind coming.”Jesus said, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”“He said, you have little faith. Why do you believe?”Steadfastness and Obedience
The disciples died for their faith because they knew the truth about Jesus.“His disciples died. They died because they walked with Jesus. They seen the miracles that He done.”They could have denied their faith to save themselves, but they didn’t.“They could have said, No, I don’t believe in it. And they wouldn’t have killed him. But they couldn’t do that because they knew the truth.”We must be steadfast, obedient, and wait on God.“We’ve got to stay steadfast. We’ve got to be obedient. We’ve got to wait on God.”It’s about what God wants, not what we want.“It ain’t what we want, folks. It’s what God wants.”Personal Testimony and God’s Provision
Moses was the only one who complained about not being able to talk plainly.“Moses, from my understanding, is the only one that, you know, I can’t talk plain.”Personal experience with stuttering and being called to preach.“Anybody knows anything about me? I’ve stuttered my whole life really bad when I was growing up in school. God called me to preach. I said, Justin, this ain’t going to work.”God took away the stutter.“God did exactly what He said He would do.”Despite nervousness, faith in God’s presence remains strong.“When I first started to preach and I was scared to death, I still am. I get nervous, but I don’t show it. But I know God’s going to show up. My faith is that strong.”It’s about God, not the preacher.“It ain’t about me. It ain’t about any other preacher or pastor. It’s about God.”Imagine being told to pack up and move without knowing where you’re going.“Could you imagine somebody coming up with a God-telling? Greg, pack up and move. I’m going to send you over here. If you’re not knowing where you’re going, don’t know nothing, preach the message one time for God, God, He provides.”Faith is essential to please God.“Folks, we’ve got to have faith. Faith is where it’s at. I read it to you. It’s impossible to please God without faith.”Enoch and Elijah pleased God so much they didn’t have to face death.“He must have really pleased God because he didn’t have to go through death. He was translated out of here. Elijah, out of here. They didn’t have to face death.”Faith comes from prayer, reading the Word, and knowing there is no other God.“Prayer, reading the Word of God, and knowing that there is no other God.”Anything put before God becomes a god.“You put anything before God and that’s your God.”The War Between Spirit and Flesh
The spirit and flesh are at war, like two dogs fighting.“The spirit that’s in you and the flesh war. It’s like two dogs fighting.”The one you feed the most takes over.“How do you know which one takes over? The one you feed the most.”Feeding the Holy Spirit leads to submission of the flesh.“You feed that Holy Spirit, you feel that Spirit that God saved, it’s going to take over. It’s going to put that flesh under submission.”Feeding the flesh leads to trouble with God and chastisement.“If you feed the flesh of this world, the flesh is going to take over. Then you’re going to get in trouble with God because then you’re going to do stuff that you ain’t supposed to be doing. Then chastisement comes.”Know who you are serving and talking to in prayer.“You’ve got to know who you’re serving. You’ve got to know who you’re talking to when you’re praying.”The devil can appear as an angel of light.“The devil can make his self into an angel of light.”God will never tell you not to read the Bible, go to church, or pray.“God will never tell you, don’t you read that Bible. Don’t you go to church. Don’t you pray to me. That’s the devil telling you, don’t you do that.”Personal Salvation Experience
Being asked to come to a saint played a big part in getting saved.“Greg, that night, that you was a big part of me getting saved, but you asked me to come to that saint.”The devil tried to discourage giving in to confession.“The devil said, you better not give up, or they’re going to watch you. They’re going to see you. They’re going to know it’s you.”God dealt with for four years before finally breaking down.“God dealt with me for four years. God held me for four years. But that night, God broke me down like a 12-gauge chuck.”Heart and spirit were broken, and Christ was accepted.“My heart was broken. My spirit was broken. And I accepted Christ.”The more you read the Bible, the stronger you get.“The more I read, the stronger you get.”God takes new Christians through steps, not directly to the top.“God’s going to take you through steps…God ain’t going to take a new Christian and put him directly on top. He’s not ready.”Everyone should be able to share their testimony.“If you’re one of those that you can’t tell somebody how to get saved, it’s a problem.”Testimony is powerful.“You’ve got the most powerful thing you could ever have and that’s your testimony.”Sharing testimony with a coworker led to visible goosebumps and potential church attendance.“There was a guy at work today, a buddy of mine, ask me. Tell me how you got called to preach. I told him. You can see the goosebumps on that boy’s arm…He’ll be coming to church for too long.”The Importance of Faith and Prayer
Without faith, it’s impossible to please God.“Without that faith, it’s impossible to please God.”Know who you are serving and talking to in prayer.“You’ve got to know who you’re serving. And when you get down to pray, you’ve got to know who you’re talking to.”The devil tries to interfere with prayer.“Don’t you think the devil ain’t on the other side of you trying to break it all? I said, I don’t need to pray that. You don’t need to ask for that.”Example of praying for a reliable truck:Prayed for a way to make it to preach without breaking down.“Lord, would somebody call me and preach? I said, I just want to be able to make it down and make it back home.”God provided a new truck with a low interest rate.“God, if it is your will for me to have that vehicle where I can make it back and forth to church and go to where you have me to preach at, I said, I would appreciate it…God blessed me with it.”The truck is used primarily for church and preaching.“That’s what I use it for. Takes me to work every now and then, but mostly it hauls us to church. And wherever I go to preach at, that’s what it’s used for.”God’s Provision in Difficult Times
Story of a blue and white Ford truck breaking down on the way to work:Truck broke down at 2 AM, and had to walk in the dark.“I was going to work one morning at 2 o’clock…I had this gas. It broke down on me right down here…I said I’m not going to be able to make it today. My car, my trailer’s broke down.”Prayed for light to see the road and avoid getting hit by cars.“Lord, I said, I can’t see. I said, it’s dark. I said, if you can make a way where I can see just enough to get through that dark spell there where nobody won’t hit me.”The moon shone on the road, providing enough light to see.“I had my head down and I was walking. And I looked up. And I’m going to tell you what I seen. I seen the moon. I shot it on that road right there. To where I could see.”A coworker turned around and gave a ride home.“Greg was coming out at that time he turned around and came back asked me what happened took me home.”God’s big act was sending Jesus Christ.“He did one big thing and his loving son, Jesus Christ, was born into flesh by a virgin conceived by the Holy Spirit into this world for the remissions of our sins.”The Old Testament is the school teacher for Jesus.“The Old Testament is the school teacher for Jesus because he was telling us that there’s one coming.”Jesus is coming back.“He’s coming back, folks.”Don’t lose faith if prayers haven’t been answered.“If you are doubting God just because you’ve prayed for something and you’ve not got it or you’ve not seen anything, don’t you lose your faith on God.”God knows where you are and what you need.“He ain’t forgot you. He knows where you are. He knows what you need.”Wait on God like Abraham did.“Do like Abraham did. Wait on Him.”
