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Hallelujah. [cheering] [applause] >> Hallelujah. >> Amen.

Good morning. >> The Lord is good. >> God is great >> and greatly to be praised.

>> Welcome to this beautiful 8:30 service this morning. Does anybody really know what time it is? I am so confused.

>> Well, I'm glad you're here today. What a beautiful congregation. The Lord has something in store for every one of us.

Let's ask him now for that thing that he has designed just for you and me this very day. Our God and Father, we are humbled that you would let us stand in your presence. We are honored that you would call us sons and daughters.

We are thankful that we get to live with you for eternity. And I am happy this morning, Lord, to be with these precious brothers and sisters. This is what church is all about.

I ask you now that as we have raised our hands and hearts in praise to you, the beautiful music, the truth in every song, may we now apply it to our hearts as we hear your word today. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

>> Amen. >> And everybody said, "Amen." >> Amen. >> Smile at somebody on the way down.

Anybody ever had a weak moment? >> Flip your hand up. >> Weak.

Has anybody here ever doubted God? >> Not so many hands went up. You don't want to admit it.

Try it again. Have you ever doubted God? >> Yes.

I've been pondering a scripture this week and it may have been for a very personal or selfish reason and it's an odd scripture and I found it in Mark chapter 4 as I read once again about the time that Jesus told his disciples to get into a boat and said let us cross over to the other side. When the boat was away from the shore, other little boats were with him. The Bible says, "A great windstorm arose and the waves beat into the boat so that it was already filling." That means water is in the boat.

But he Jesus was in the stern asleep on a pillow. asleep on a pillow. And they awoke him and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?" Have you ever asked God that?

I have. Lord, do you not care, Lord? How can you watch this go on and on and not do something?

Lord, do you do you not see the damage that's being done to the children? Do you not see all of the hurt that's going on? Lord, do you not care?

Do you not care that we're perishing? What a question to ask the Lord. The Lord then arose and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Peace, be still." And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

But he said to them, "Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?" Now, I'm going to tell you this morning, I'm on their side. I'm taking up for the disciples this morning.

He asked them why they had no faith, but they had never seen him calm a storm before. They had never been in that situation. And he's asking them, "Why are you doubting now?" He's asleep in the stern.

I've often wondered. Now, if you're visiting, I just I'm just really honest about Christianity in the faith. I've often wondered in my own life, did the Lord just drop off to sleep?

Did does he not see what's going on right here? Sometimes I'm disturbed with the Lord and I'm upset with the Lord because nothing seems to work, the praying, the crying, the quoting of scripture, the claiming of promises and nothing seems to work. Lord, are you asleep?

Lord, do you care? How is it that you have no faith? I turned over to the very same in the very same book and I found this passage where a man brought his child to Jesus who had a demon spirit working in him and he brought his child to see Christ but couldn't get to him.

So took the child to the apostles and they couldn't do a thing. Jesus heard them discussing it and said to the disciples, "What are you discussing with them?" One in the crowd answered and said, "Teacher, I brought you my son who has a mute spirit. It seizes him.

It throws him down. It he foams at the mouth. He nashes his teeth.

He becomes rigid. and I ask your apostles to cast it out. But they could not.

He answered him and said, "Oh faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to me." They brought him to him.

And when he saw him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth. Jesus said, "How long has this been going on?" And the father said from childhood and often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.

If you can do anything, help us. Show some compassion. Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes." And there it is.

If If, but what if I can't? What if I'm so weary and welloing? What if I'm so tired, so discouraged that I can't muster the faith?

There's no doubt in my mind that in this crowd today and watching tens of thousands watching online that while some of you were enjoying the music, you were clapping, you were waving your hands, it was all forced. You didn't feel a thing. It's just what you're supposed to do.

You read that you're supposed to give thanks and everything and bless the Lord at all times. So, you did it. But way down deep inside, you are discouraged and yes, maybe even disappointed that something has not happened yet.

Something hasn't happened by now. And you've done all you know to do. You talked about it as as though it were already done.

You exhibited that kind of faith, but nothing has changed. If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes. Okay?

Immediately, immediately the father of the child, listen, cried out and said with tears, get a picture of that. He cried out and tears were streaming down his face AND HE SAID, "LORD, I BELIEVE. Help my unbelief.

>> I identify with that guy. I can't figure this out. I can't explain it.

I believe, but I doubt at the same time. I believe God is able. I told you several weeks ago, I have to get up or wake up in the middle of the night and I have to make declarations.

God is on the throne. Jesus is Lord. I am saved.

I am filled with the spirit. Just to fight off the anxiety at times. I know the feeling of knowing God can, but that he hasn't.

I KNOW THAT GOD is able to do exceeding abundantly above we all we can ask or think according to the power that works within us. BUT I ALSO KNOW what it is to get another disappointment, another phone call, another letter, another letd down, another heartbreaker. I know all of that.

So, I know what this man felt when he said, "Lord, I'm struggling here because I know that you're Jesus, but I'm struggling to know if if you can help me." Folks, let's not criticize this man too much. With all of my heart, I believe all things work together for good to them that love God, who are the called according to his purpose. I know it.

I've read it. I memorize the verses. I know God is working all things together for his glory and my good.

But sometimes I just sit and doubt and wonder why not. And I want to tell you something, brothers and sisters. Faith is not about being perfect.

It's about being honest. And I know too many people who go around pretending something isn't real. They say, "I'm not sick." And they're dying.

I know that they say, "I I will not I will not admit that my wife is sick or this problem exists." It doesn't. It doesn't cuz by faith it doesn't exist. But let me tell you something that is not faith at all.

>> Folks, you can't fake faith. >> Faith says I know God can. God is able.

But faith also says I need help. >> At this stage in my life, I need divine help. I need the Lord to touch me.

He needs to increase my faith. That's what the disciples asked for one time. Lord, increase our faith because they realized that even though Jesus had called them to disciplehip and apostilhip, he just didn't seem to fit the mold of the messianic promise.

So, they would go back and forth. Jesus, we believe you, but Jesus, why don't you do something? Let me just say it one more time.

You can't fake faith. I've done that before. Let me tell this little story again to We may have a few who've never heard it.

I was born with a a chronic respiratory condition. My whole life I've not been able to breathe. And I've been on all kinds of medicine.

You name it, I have blown it or swallowed it. I have been to all of them. I've been to the doctors and I've been to the faith healers under the tents and the sawdust.

I've had oil poured on my head and healing claimed by everybody around me, but nothing worked. Sandra and I were married. We moved to Charlotte.

And when we first started this church, we heard about a well, it was a little faith conference. Faith conference. I I got Sandra and took Dennis and his wife Brenda and we went to this little faith conference and this guy was hyping everybody up.

Uh you don't have to be sick and if YOU WANT TO SHOW GOD that you have faith, you can throw your medicine away. Man, he had me so pumped. I was high.

I couldn't wait to get home. We lived in an apartment. We had not been here that long.

We lived in an upstairs apartment. And if you go to our bedroom and open the window, there's a dumpster right under it. I walked back to my cabinets.

I said, "Sandra, I'm healed in Jesus' name. Bless God. I claim it." And I grabbed all that medicine and walked over to the window and just flung it down in the dumpster.

Closed that window and said, "Hallelujah to God. I'm healed by faith. About an hour later, I was in that dumpster sucking wind, trying to breathe, trying to find the right M.

I did it all. And I learned right then and there, you cannot fake faith. You cannot force God.

>> You don't have to prove to God if you have faith. >> God knows everything about you. And God sees all about you.

And God knows when your faith is growing. And he knows when it is weak. He knows when you have great faith and he knows when you're struggling with your faith.

But God does not get upset with people that ask him why. He does not abandon people who think that he has gone to sleep in the stern. He doesn't whip his children for asking, "Do you not care about us?" He knows that we are but dust.

He knows that we are flesh and blood in a fallen world fighting an enemy in sick bodies in fleshy bodies. He understands ALL OF THAT. SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO walk around in condemnation because you can't quote all the right scriptures or because some miracle hasn't happened yet.

Your father is still on THE THRONE AND GOD KNOWS WHAT YOU need and God will bring it at his appointed time. [applause] Here's the thing about God. He just loves his children.

We still think he's like our daddies sometime that he's fickle, but he loves you all the time. And he loves you when you're right. Let me go ahead and preach.

And he loves you when you're wrong. He loves you when you're weak. He loves YOU WHEN YOU'RE STRONG.

YOU CAN'T DISAPPOINT GOD. HE SAVED YOU. HE BOUGHT YOU.

HE OWNS YOU. HE LOVES YOU. JESUS LOVES HIS CHILDREN.

[applause] When that rich young ruler, I think I preached about it last week. The rich young ruler came up to Jesus and Jesus said, "You've done everything you're supposed to do. Try this.

Go sell everything that you have and give it to the poor." The Bible says the young man walked away sad because he was very rich. But the next verse says, "And Jesus loved him." Jesus wasn't mad at him because he walked away. Jesus did not curse or condemn him because he walked away.

JESUS LOVED HIM. And I want to tell you, Jesus loves you. WHETHER YOU'RE STRONG THIS MORNING OR WEAK, whether you BELIEVE IT OR YOU DON'T, Jesus loves you this morning, you can rest assured and shout hallelujah to THE FACT THAT GOD IS GOING TO ANSWER PRAYER.

I DON'T KNOW HOW, I DON'T KNOW WHEN, BUT GOD WILL ANSWER PRAYER. [applause] if you know how to pray. And knowing how to pray doesn't mean that you always believe you're going to get what you want.

>> The greatest prayer warrior ever was Jesus. And Jesus prayed, "Father, if it's possible, let this cup pass. Let me bypass the cross.

If there's any other way, I prefer not to be crucified. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours be done." Let me tell you now, in case there's a visitor, I've been at this church 48 and a2 years. I cannot count the people I've buried that thought they would be healed or whose relatives thought they would be healed.

I cannot count the people who thought that a marriage would be reconciled, but it wasn't. I'm just being real this morning. You can't live way up here and and dream things into existence.

You have to put your feet on the ground and walk with Jesus. Couple of years ago, I preached the message along these lines. And I mentioned a woman in this church whose husband left her for another woman.

But she said, "I believe God's going to bring him back. I believe it. I know it." Well, God didn't because the man, as I said, ran off with another woman, got married, started another life, totally gone.

Does that mean she prayed a miss? Does it mean she didn't have faith? No, brothers and sisters, it means stuff happens.

>> Did you get me? stuff happens. As I stand here, and I said this at the 8:30 service, behind me in the choir are five situations.

Five, I don't know how these people deal with this. To me, it looks bleak. To me, it looks sad and hopeless.

I can only imagine how they feel in their situation. They can tell you right now, they believed for better things, but the better things have not happened yet. So, what I came to give you today was an honest assessment of what it means to be a believer.

Sometimes it seems like God is deaf or asleep or does not care. But I can tell you from experience, but more importantly from scripture, >> God does everything after the counsel of his own will >> and he does it with you in mind. [clears throat] His glory is first, but with you in mind.

And at some point, I don't know when it is, God's going to show you his glory. And if I didn't believe that, I would walk out of this pullpit and never come up here again. So, here's what I would like to do today.

I know there are people who have probably said deep down inside, "Lord, do you not care? Lord, are you asleep? This would be a great time on this Sunday morning for somebody to just agree with you in prayer.

In fact, I'm going to ask council members, you know what to do. Come on up with your wives. They're going to gather across the front.

Years ago, they used to call this body ministry. body ministry. Meaning, we're not just here to preach and sing.

We're here to pray for one another, lay hands on one another, believe with one another. So, these that are coming down are here to pray with you. Is there anybody that would want to walk down here and say, "I've had some doubts and I need some help with my faith." Come ahead right now.

I need some help with my faith. Help my [music] unbelief. families.

>> [snorts] >> You heard about Jesus when he was in the boat and you heard about Jesus [music] having a conversation with a man whose son was not well. But I want us to read about the Jesus who's sitting on a throne of victory and glory [music] right now. They're going to put this on the screen.

Revelation chapter 4. The whole church. Join me and let's read together.

After these things, I looked and behold a door [music] standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, "Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this." Immediately I was [music] in the spirit. Behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne, and he who sat there was like a jasper, and a sardia stone in appearance.

And there was a rainbow around the throne in appearance like an emerald. Around the throne were 24 thrones. And on the thrones I saw 24 elders sitting clothed in white robes.

And they had crowns on their heads. And from the throne proceeded lightnings voices. Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God.

Before the throne there was a sea of glass like crystal. And in the midst of the throne and around the throne were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back. The first living creature was like a lion.

The second living creature like a calf. The third living creature had face like a man. And the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle.

Living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying, "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come." Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne who lives forever and ever, the 24 elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, "You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created created all things and by your will they exist and were created. Hallelujah.

>> Give God praise this morning. [applause] Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah.