Don't Ignore The Warnings

0:00:00.440 --> 0:00:02.160 Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. 0:00:02.240 --> 0:00:05.279 Thanks for listening to our podcast and thanks for supporting 0:00:05.280 --> 0:00:08.240 the ministry. If you enjoy today's message, why don't you 0:00:08.280 --> 0:00:11.039 be a blessing and share it with a friend, reappreciate 0:00:11.119 --> 0:00:13.800 you and pray for God's very best in your life. 0:00:14.000 --> 0:00:14.720 God bless you. 0:00:14.840 --> 0:00:17.120 It's great to be with you today, and I hope 0:00:17.160 --> 0:00:19.720 you'll stay connected with us during the week through our 0:00:19.760 --> 0:00:23.640 daily podcast, our YouTube channel, social media, and you can 0:00:23.680 --> 0:00:26.079 come visit us in person. We'd love to have you 0:00:26.200 --> 0:00:28.840 be a part of one of our services. I'd like 0:00:28.880 --> 0:00:31.360 to start with something funny, and I heard about these 0:00:31.400 --> 0:00:34.680 three aspiring psychiatrists. 0:00:33.920 --> 0:00:36.000 William, Julie, and Bubba. 0:00:36.720 --> 0:00:40.599 They were taking their first test on emotional extremes. The 0:00:40.640 --> 0:00:44.519 professor asked William, what is the opposite of sadness? He 0:00:44.600 --> 0:00:49.000 replied happiness. The professor asked Julie what is the opposite 0:00:49.040 --> 0:00:49.760 of depression? 0:00:50.120 --> 0:00:51.920 She replied joy. 0:00:52.040 --> 0:00:55.640 The professor asked Bubba what is the opposite of woe? 0:00:55.680 --> 0:00:56.240 Woe? 0:00:57.120 --> 0:00:59.840 Bubba looked kind of puzzled, and after a long pause, 0:01:00.040 --> 0:01:04.120 he replied, giddy up. All right, y'all say it like 0:01:04.160 --> 0:01:07.440 you mean it. This is my Bible. I am what 0:01:07.520 --> 0:01:10.280 it says I am. I have what it says I have. 0:01:10.760 --> 0:01:13.400 I can do what it says I can do. Today 0:01:13.440 --> 0:01:16.920 I will be talked the word of God. I boldly confess. 0:01:17.360 --> 0:01:20.839 My mind is alert, my heart is receptive. I will 0:01:20.880 --> 0:01:24.840 never be the same. In Jesus' name, God bless you. 0:01:25.760 --> 0:01:28.400 I want to talk to you today about don't ignore 0:01:28.480 --> 0:01:32.119 the warnings. God can see things that we can't see. 0:01:32.600 --> 0:01:34.959 He knows what's going to happen long before we do. 0:01:35.760 --> 0:01:38.399 There are traps the enemy has set to try to 0:01:38.480 --> 0:01:41.800 hinder us and cause us trouble. There are paths that 0:01:41.880 --> 0:01:44.559 look good to us, but they end in frustration. 0:01:45.560 --> 0:01:46.920 We look on the surface and. 0:01:46.880 --> 0:01:50.360 Think this person seems fine, but God knows what their 0:01:50.400 --> 0:01:54.640 motives are. He knows hidden agendas. Well, this business deal 0:01:54.680 --> 0:01:58.480 seems exciting, this new door that opened, But God knows 0:01:58.520 --> 0:02:01.560 where the dead ends are, things that would waste our time. 0:02:02.280 --> 0:02:05.920 Before we get off course, before we make a major mistake, 0:02:06.360 --> 0:02:08.400 God will always give us a warning. 0:02:09.040 --> 0:02:11.840 In your spirit. There will be an unrest. 0:02:11.600 --> 0:02:16.000 And uneasiness, like an alarm is going off saying, don't 0:02:16.000 --> 0:02:16.320 do that. 0:02:16.919 --> 0:02:18.440 Something is not right. 0:02:18.600 --> 0:02:21.800 Stay away from that person, don't take that deal. It 0:02:21.840 --> 0:02:24.480 may not make sense to us. But you have to 0:02:24.520 --> 0:02:28.040 trust that God has your best interest at heart. He 0:02:28.080 --> 0:02:31.480 wouldn't be warning you if there was not danger up ahead. 0:02:32.280 --> 0:02:35.239 His warnings are not about limiting you, keeping you from 0:02:35.240 --> 0:02:37.239 your dreams, taking something away. 0:02:37.880 --> 0:02:38.960 It's about protection. 0:02:39.480 --> 0:02:42.919 It's about avoiding heartache and staying on the best path. 0:02:43.639 --> 0:02:46.200 You have to be sensitive to what you're feeling on 0:02:46.280 --> 0:02:51.400 the inside. Don't override the unrest, don't go against that uneasiness. 0:02:51.720 --> 0:02:53.120 That's God speaking to you. 0:02:53.600 --> 0:02:56.880 It's a still small voice, not in your mind but 0:02:57.000 --> 0:03:00.920 in your spirit. But sometimes we feel the easiness. The 0:03:01.000 --> 0:03:04.760 alarm is going off, but we keep overriding it. You 0:03:04.800 --> 0:03:07.680 hear that whisper. You need to treat your spouse better. 0:03:08.200 --> 0:03:11.919 Quit saying condescending things. You need to take care of yourself. 0:03:12.080 --> 0:03:14.840 Quit eating so much, jun quit staying up so late 0:03:14.880 --> 0:03:19.000 watching TV. You feel that unrest, that nudging that you 0:03:19.080 --> 0:03:22.239 need to change. See God said in Psalms, I will 0:03:22.280 --> 0:03:25.399 guide you along the best path for your life. That's 0:03:25.440 --> 0:03:28.480 the promise. God is going to guide you. But the 0:03:28.520 --> 0:03:31.800 next verse is the key. Don't be like a senseless 0:03:31.919 --> 0:03:34.960 mule and have to have a bit and bridle to 0:03:35.040 --> 0:03:38.640 stay under control. God is saying, I'm going to guide you. 0:03:39.240 --> 0:03:43.400 Don't be stubborn, don't ignore my warnings. Don't keep turning 0:03:43.440 --> 0:03:47.240 off the alarm. You know what happens even in the natural. 0:03:47.560 --> 0:03:49.960 If you hear the alarm in the morning and you 0:03:50.040 --> 0:03:52.920 hit the snooze button, fall back asleep, goes off in 0:03:52.960 --> 0:03:55.800 ten minutes, and wait, you up, you hit snooze. 0:03:55.400 --> 0:03:56.840 Again, fall back asleep. 0:03:57.560 --> 0:04:00.360 If you do that long enough, you'll get to where 0:04:00.360 --> 0:04:01.800 you don't hear the alarm. 0:04:02.120 --> 0:04:03.600 It doesn't wake you up anymore. 0:04:03.960 --> 0:04:08.000 You become desynthesized to it. It's not that the alarm 0:04:08.080 --> 0:04:11.800 stop working, it's that you train yourself to ignore it. 0:04:12.440 --> 0:04:15.960 In the same way, every time you override the unrest, 0:04:16.480 --> 0:04:18.880 you go against what you're feeling. They go, oh, I 0:04:18.920 --> 0:04:22.080 can handle it, you all, it's fine, I'm gonna be careful. 0:04:22.279 --> 0:04:25.440 I'll deal with it later. You're hitting the snooze button. 0:04:26.000 --> 0:04:29.480 The alarm is becoming less and less effective. You can 0:04:29.520 --> 0:04:31.560 get to the point where you don't hear it at all. 0:04:32.240 --> 0:04:35.279 It's not that God is not speaking, it's that you've 0:04:35.320 --> 0:04:39.880 ignored the warning so long the alarm doesn't have any effectiveness. 0:04:40.680 --> 0:04:44.760 There's a lot of unnecessary pain we go through unnecessary 0:04:44.880 --> 0:04:48.720 hurt and disappointment. Because we're not sensitive to what God 0:04:48.800 --> 0:04:52.800 is saying, we override what we're feeling. Now. The beauty 0:04:52.880 --> 0:04:55.039 is God knows how to work all things for good. 0:04:55.440 --> 0:04:58.279 He can still turn it around, but it's much better 0:04:58.360 --> 0:05:02.040 to avoid it in the first place. Are their warnings 0:05:02.160 --> 0:05:05.599 God is giving you, but you're ignoring. Are there things 0:05:05.640 --> 0:05:07.919 you know you need to change but you keep putting 0:05:08.000 --> 0:05:11.920 it off. God is not trying to punish you, delay you, 0:05:12.040 --> 0:05:12.520 limit you. 0:05:13.080 --> 0:05:14.120 It's to protect you. 0:05:14.839 --> 0:05:18.599 He can see things you can't see. He knows what's coming. 0:05:19.120 --> 0:05:21.800 If we'll pay attention, we can avoid a lot of 0:05:21.839 --> 0:05:22.919 heartache and trouble. 0:05:23.600 --> 0:05:25.160 This is what happened with Noah. 0:05:25.520 --> 0:05:30.400 Hebrews eleven says, by faith, Noah being warned by God 0:05:30.839 --> 0:05:34.839 of things not yet seen, moved with holy fear. 0:05:34.920 --> 0:05:35.840 And built in art. 0:05:36.440 --> 0:05:39.840 Noah was going along fine, had a great family, blessed 0:05:39.839 --> 0:05:44.360 in his business. But something was coming that he couldn't see. 0:05:44.440 --> 0:05:46.960 He had no way of knowing danger was up ahead, 0:05:47.320 --> 0:05:49.400 that there was going to be a flood. It had 0:05:49.440 --> 0:05:50.120 never rained. 0:05:50.640 --> 0:05:54.120 They had no concept of water flooding and causing problems, 0:05:54.680 --> 0:05:58.240 no technology to forecast weather predict storms. 0:05:58.720 --> 0:05:59.919 This was totally foreign. 0:06:00.800 --> 0:06:05.080 But God knows everything that's coming, the storms, the traps, 0:06:05.320 --> 0:06:09.360 the trouble, the people with wrong motives, the opportunities that 0:06:09.400 --> 0:06:12.160 look good but are dead ends. He's not going to 0:06:12.240 --> 0:06:15.920 let you walk into danger without giving you warnings. That 0:06:16.000 --> 0:06:19.560 alarm will go off, that uneasiness will you know you 0:06:19.680 --> 0:06:20.680 need to be careful. 0:06:21.520 --> 0:06:22.880 Noah could have dismissed it. 0:06:23.520 --> 0:06:27.160 There was no visible evidence that rain was coming, no clouds, 0:06:27.240 --> 0:06:29.480 no thunder. I'm sure he thought, man, I must have 0:06:29.520 --> 0:06:31.520 heard God wrong. This is far out. 0:06:31.800 --> 0:06:35.560 No, he moved with holy fear and built in art. 0:06:36.240 --> 0:06:39.599 He had such a reverence for God, such a trust 0:06:39.839 --> 0:06:43.360 that he acted on what he heard. Holy fear is 0:06:43.440 --> 0:06:47.080 knowing that God is protecting you from something that could. 0:06:46.839 --> 0:06:49.200 Cause heartache, that could set you back. 0:06:49.640 --> 0:06:51.719 No one knew if he didn't heed that warning, that 0:06:52.240 --> 0:06:54.280 he and his family were in jeopardy. 0:06:54.720 --> 0:06:57.560 And this wasn't a light task. It took one hundred 0:06:57.680 --> 0:06:59.560 and twenty years to build the art. 0:07:00.040 --> 0:07:02.760 You can imagine the people that came by and made fun. 0:07:02.880 --> 0:07:06.000 There's that crazy guy building a boat in the middle 0:07:06.000 --> 0:07:09.240 of the desert. But Noah had a secret. He had 0:07:09.240 --> 0:07:12.920 been warned of things not yet seen. People couldn't see it, 0:07:13.240 --> 0:07:16.600 The experts couldn't see it, the weather men couldn't forecast it. 0:07:16.920 --> 0:07:19.840 But God saw it. He knows what's coming. 0:07:20.760 --> 0:07:24.240 Had Noah ignored that warning, we wouldn't be talking about him. 0:07:24.840 --> 0:07:27.960 Because he obeyed. It saved him and his family. 0:07:28.600 --> 0:07:31.320 Some warnings, if you'll act on them and do what 0:07:31.440 --> 0:07:34.239 you know God's telling you to do, it'll not only 0:07:34.280 --> 0:07:37.840 save you, but it'll save your children. It'll impact your 0:07:37.920 --> 0:07:42.800 family and future generations. My prayer is that when we 0:07:42.840 --> 0:07:46.320 hear the alarm, we do like Noah and move with 0:07:46.400 --> 0:07:50.480 holy fear. We don't take it lightly. We don't dismiss it. 0:07:51.040 --> 0:07:54.760 Maybe I'll deal with it later. I don't see anything wrong, Joe, 0:07:54.880 --> 0:07:58.600 what's this hurting? No, we have such respect and such 0:07:58.720 --> 0:08:02.040 confidence in what God is keeping us from that we 0:08:02.120 --> 0:08:04.280 don't delay, We don't play around. 0:08:04.840 --> 0:08:06.000 We have a holy fear. 0:08:06.360 --> 0:08:09.640 It's a knowing that even though I may not understand this, 0:08:09.840 --> 0:08:11.240 God is keeping me from. 0:08:11.200 --> 0:08:12.440 Trouble and heartache. 0:08:13.280 --> 0:08:15.640 He didn't have to warn us. He could have let 0:08:15.720 --> 0:08:19.840 us do our own thing. Thought, good luck, big flood's coming. Sorry, 0:08:19.840 --> 0:08:23.840 it's gonna be devastating, But in his mercy, he's watching 0:08:23.880 --> 0:08:27.920 over us. Guiding us down the best path, warning us 0:08:27.920 --> 0:08:33.000 of floods, famines, dead ends. Let's be know us. He 0:08:33.120 --> 0:08:36.679 listened to the warnings. He obeyed what God told him 0:08:36.679 --> 0:08:37.040 to do. 0:08:37.840 --> 0:08:38.480 Here's the key. 0:08:39.120 --> 0:08:42.800 Ignoring warnings doesn't make the danger disappear. 0:08:43.520 --> 0:08:46.400 It just means you're not prepared for it. No one 0:08:46.440 --> 0:08:47.920 could have said I'm not gonna build a boat. 0:08:48.120 --> 0:08:51.679 Life is good. That wouldn't have stopped the flood. He 0:08:51.720 --> 0:08:54.160 just wouldn't have had a way out. When you feel 0:08:54.160 --> 0:08:57.360 these warnings, it's for your own good to keep you 0:08:57.440 --> 0:09:02.400 from unnecessary trouble. Be something big. You just hear that 0:09:02.480 --> 0:09:05.280 still small voice telling you. Don't go to lunch with 0:09:05.320 --> 0:09:08.600 that person, don't text with them all day, don't let 0:09:08.679 --> 0:09:12.000 them get close your mind. Your reasoning says, why not? 0:09:12.160 --> 0:09:15.280 I like them? They're fun. Are you going to hit 0:09:15.280 --> 0:09:18.959 the snooze button, ignore the warning, do what you want? 0:09:19.480 --> 0:09:21.880 Or are you going to take heed and obey what 0:09:21.920 --> 0:09:25.400 you're feeling. God is not trying to limit you. He's 0:09:25.440 --> 0:09:29.480 wanting to protect you. He can see what you can't see. 0:09:29.600 --> 0:09:34.480 He knows people's motives. Sometimes there are hidden agendas that 0:09:34.559 --> 0:09:37.120 person that wants to get close to you so. 0:09:37.000 --> 0:09:38.280 They can take from you. 0:09:38.840 --> 0:09:41.280 They don't care about you, They care about what you 0:09:41.320 --> 0:09:44.440 can do for them. People are not always who they 0:09:44.480 --> 0:09:47.960 say they are. We see the outside and what they present, 0:09:48.400 --> 0:09:51.679 but God sees the motives. He knows what they're really 0:09:51.800 --> 0:09:56.320 up to. When you understand the alarms, the unrest, the 0:09:56.360 --> 0:10:00.000 warnings are for your good. That is God protecting you. 0:10:00.480 --> 0:10:01.760 That it's not a negative thing. 0:10:01.920 --> 0:10:04.720 You're grateful you want to obey. 0:10:04.800 --> 0:10:07.640 You know that's God watching over you and keeping you 0:10:07.720 --> 0:10:11.280 on the best path. Years ago, Victoria and I came 0:10:11.320 --> 0:10:15.200 across this business opportunity that seems so great. It's like 0:10:15.200 --> 0:10:17.960 a once in a lifetime chance. And the man we 0:10:18.000 --> 0:10:20.839 would partner with was a good Christian man, love God, 0:10:21.000 --> 0:10:23.679 loved the ministry. I was in my twenties and it 0:10:23.760 --> 0:10:25.800 fell into our lap and I knew. 0:10:25.600 --> 0:10:27.199 It was the hand of God. 0:10:27.360 --> 0:10:30.760 We proceeded with great excitement and enthusiasm, and it was 0:10:30.840 --> 0:10:32.760 in the cake a couple of years to get it 0:10:32.800 --> 0:10:35.480 all going. And during the six months that we were 0:10:35.920 --> 0:10:39.679 drawing up the contracts, I begin to feel this uneasiness, 0:10:39.880 --> 0:10:43.440 this unrest, but I wanted it so badly I pushed 0:10:43.480 --> 0:10:46.400 it down. I thought, that's just my nerves. When I 0:10:46.440 --> 0:10:49.400 saw facts and figures that didn't look good. I would 0:10:49.400 --> 0:10:51.960 discount it and think that's not gonna bother us. 0:10:52.120 --> 0:10:54.800 We'll be the exception. Over and over. 0:10:55.320 --> 0:10:58.320 I'd hear that still small voice saying, Joe, this is 0:10:58.360 --> 0:10:59.280 not what it looks like. 0:11:00.000 --> 0:11:02.240 I know all the facts. I kept ignoring it. 0:11:02.679 --> 0:11:05.640 At one point, even my father said, Joel, I don't 0:11:05.640 --> 0:11:07.000 know if I feel good about this. 0:11:07.240 --> 0:11:09.520 Are you sure it's a great idea, I. 0:11:09.480 --> 0:11:13.160 Said, Daddy, I am so sure. This is an amazing opportunity. 0:11:13.480 --> 0:11:15.920 There were all these warnings, but if you get. 0:11:15.840 --> 0:11:18.840 So set on having it your way, you're only going 0:11:18.920 --> 0:11:21.280 to be happy if you do what you want. Then 0:11:21.320 --> 0:11:25.120 you'll keep pushing that alarm down and keep ignoring the warnings. 0:11:25.720 --> 0:11:28.320 We ended up getting the business going, but it was 0:11:28.400 --> 0:11:31.120 never what it was promised to be, never took off. 0:11:31.640 --> 0:11:34.280 There were things we didn't know until we got it 0:11:34.400 --> 0:11:38.440 running that would limit us and cause it to not flourish. 0:11:38.679 --> 0:11:41.439 Now God ended up making it all work out, but 0:11:41.480 --> 0:11:44.560 the fact is it was a lot of trouble, a 0:11:44.559 --> 0:11:49.000 lot of heartache that was unnecessary. I could have avoided 0:11:49.040 --> 0:11:52.840 that if I had simply listened to the still small voice, 0:11:53.360 --> 0:11:56.160 if I'd not been so stubborn. I thought what I 0:11:56.240 --> 0:11:58.960 was feeling would limit me, that it was keeping me 0:11:59.040 --> 0:12:02.280 from my dreams. But now I realized it was trying 0:12:02.280 --> 0:12:05.440 to protect me and keep me from wasting my time. 0:12:06.200 --> 0:12:09.439 I've learned now to listen to the warnings. I don't go. 0:12:09.480 --> 0:12:12.800 Against what I feel on the inside. God has your 0:12:12.880 --> 0:12:16.520 best interest at heart. He's not trying to hold you back. 0:12:16.840 --> 0:12:20.280 He's guiding you down the best path for your life. 0:12:20.440 --> 0:12:21.920 You can't see what's up ahead. 0:12:22.520 --> 0:12:25.600 You don't know what's coming, the dead ends, the detours, 0:12:25.640 --> 0:12:28.200 the floods. I didn't know that was going to be 0:12:28.240 --> 0:12:31.280 a bust, that they weren't telling me all the facts. 0:12:32.000 --> 0:12:34.719 But life with Noah. God will warn you of. 0:12:34.760 --> 0:12:39.320 Things you can't see. He'll whisper to your spirit. Be careful, 0:12:39.920 --> 0:12:44.360 go slow, watch out. Maybe a feeling, not even a voice, 0:12:44.400 --> 0:12:48.520 but an uneasiness where you know it's not right. Instead 0:12:48.520 --> 0:12:51.880 of ignoring it, having to have our way, let's have 0:12:51.960 --> 0:12:52.920 that holy fear. 0:12:53.480 --> 0:12:57.040 We don't delay. I'll do it later. We're not stubborn. 0:12:57.360 --> 0:12:58.760 I don't want to change. 0:12:59.080 --> 0:13:01.600 We don't take it long. Nightly play around with our 0:13:01.640 --> 0:13:06.480 destiny light Noah. We obey when we don't understand. We 0:13:06.600 --> 0:13:10.320 trust when it doesn't make sense, we recognize God is 0:13:10.400 --> 0:13:15.640 protecting us and keeping us from unnecessary trouble and heartache. 0:13:15.760 --> 0:13:20.040 On April tenth, nineteen twelve, the Titanic set off for 0:13:20.120 --> 0:13:24.520 its maiden voyage. Was the largest moving object ever built 0:13:24.559 --> 0:13:28.079 by humans. It wasn't just a ship, it was a statement, 0:13:28.720 --> 0:13:33.280 three football feels long, a swimming pool, grand staircases. 0:13:33.880 --> 0:13:35.600 Over one hundred and ten years ago. 0:13:36.200 --> 0:13:41.040 It was described as the safest ship ever built, unsinkable 0:13:41.520 --> 0:13:45.880 and engineering marvel. Over two thousand people on board, and 0:13:45.960 --> 0:13:49.040 so many celebrities and world leaders there to be a 0:13:49.040 --> 0:13:52.960 part of history. But four days into the journey, the 0:13:53.040 --> 0:13:58.240 captain of the Titanic received multiple messages from other ships 0:13:58.280 --> 0:14:00.000 saying there was danger up ahead. 0:14:00.559 --> 0:14:01.760 There were icebergs. 0:14:02.080 --> 0:14:06.920 To proceed with caution, or to take another route. Another 0:14:07.040 --> 0:14:10.360 lord ship traveling that same path stopped and wouldn't go 0:14:10.400 --> 0:14:11.679 any further, but. 0:14:11.720 --> 0:14:12.720 Not the Titanic. 0:14:13.320 --> 0:14:17.040 The captain got the warning after warning after warning, but 0:14:17.120 --> 0:14:20.480 he thought, we're the Titanic. They've never seen a ship 0:14:20.600 --> 0:14:24.960 like us. We're too advanced, too strong, and too important 0:14:25.040 --> 0:14:28.400 to slow down. The whole world was watching, all these 0:14:28.440 --> 0:14:32.280 celebrities and leaders the captain thought, I'm not gonna stop, 0:14:32.720 --> 0:14:33.280 and I'm. 0:14:33.080 --> 0:14:36.160 Certainly not gonna turn around. What would people think of me? 0:14:36.840 --> 0:14:38.800 Changing course? Would seem weak. 0:14:39.360 --> 0:14:43.240 He was hearing the alarms, other ships were sending messages, 0:14:43.680 --> 0:14:47.880 but he wouldn't listen. When the ship hit these huge icebergs, 0:14:48.040 --> 0:14:52.200 the unthinkable happened, began to sink, and fifteen hundred people 0:14:52.320 --> 0:14:53.320 lost their lives. 0:14:53.920 --> 0:14:58.440 One message of the Titanic is don't ignore warnings. Don't 0:14:58.480 --> 0:15:00.280 think you're too invincible to say think. 0:15:01.200 --> 0:15:04.840 Don't let pride and what people will think cause you 0:15:04.960 --> 0:15:08.960 to sell into icebergs and miss your destiny. Be willing 0:15:09.000 --> 0:15:11.600 to change, Be willing to stop and turn around. 0:15:12.520 --> 0:15:15.960 Listen to those warnings. They're not there to restrict you, 0:15:16.600 --> 0:15:17.520 to control you. 0:15:17.960 --> 0:15:20.920 They're there to keep you from sinking, from getting into 0:15:20.960 --> 0:15:23.480 things that are going to pull you down. Had the 0:15:23.520 --> 0:15:27.000 captain had more humility, had he been willing to change 0:15:27.080 --> 0:15:30.560 course to listen to others, this would have been a 0:15:30.560 --> 0:15:31.440 different outcome. 0:15:32.120 --> 0:15:35.240 Unlike the Titanic, it's not too late for us. 0:15:35.520 --> 0:15:38.400 There's still time for you to make a coarse correction, 0:15:39.120 --> 0:15:41.880 to heed the warnings, to listen to what God is 0:15:41.920 --> 0:15:42.600 saying to you. 0:15:43.200 --> 0:15:44.520 Don't be too proud. 0:15:45.160 --> 0:15:47.360 Well, Joel, I know I need to bite my tongue, 0:15:47.800 --> 0:15:50.240 not be condescending, not be argumented. 0:15:50.760 --> 0:15:52.000 Those are icebergs. 0:15:52.560 --> 0:15:56.760 They can sink you, they can ruin relationships. That's why 0:15:56.800 --> 0:15:59.800 you feel that unrest. Now you may have pushed it 0:15:59.840 --> 0:16:02.720 down in a long time, it's not as loud, but 0:16:02.720 --> 0:16:04.560 there's still danger up ahead. 0:16:05.280 --> 0:16:07.880 Why don't you heed that warning? Why don't you have 0:16:07.960 --> 0:16:09.000 some holy fear? 0:16:09.760 --> 0:16:13.240 Recognize that God is trying to protect you from trouble 0:16:13.400 --> 0:16:17.600 and heartache. But sometimes we think we're like the Titanic. 0:16:18.000 --> 0:16:18.920 We're invincible. 0:16:19.480 --> 0:16:23.760 We're so strong discipline, we'd never compromise or let. 0:16:23.640 --> 0:16:24.400 Our guard down. 0:16:24.840 --> 0:16:28.520 But the scripture says, be careful when you stand lest 0:16:28.560 --> 0:16:29.160 you fall. 0:16:29.640 --> 0:16:31.160 You have to walk in humility. 0:16:31.800 --> 0:16:33.920 Don't be a no at all where you can't take 0:16:33.920 --> 0:16:38.320 any advice. You don't have any weaknesses. It's always someone 0:16:38.320 --> 0:16:41.760 else that's a problem. That was the captain of the Titanic. 0:16:42.400 --> 0:16:43.520 Your boats are lesser. 0:16:44.040 --> 0:16:45.160 You don't have what I have. 0:16:45.520 --> 0:16:48.440 I'm not impacted by the icebergs. I don't have to 0:16:48.560 --> 0:16:52.120 change course. In other words, I don't have to forgive. 0:16:52.880 --> 0:16:55.320 I don't have to deal with this temper, this addiction, 0:16:55.800 --> 0:16:57.880 or it's okay for me to hang around this person 0:16:58.000 --> 0:16:59.320 that I don't feel good about. 0:17:00.000 --> 0:17:02.800 Problem is, those things can sink your ship. 0:17:03.760 --> 0:17:06.439 You would think the captain of the Titanic, with so 0:17:06.480 --> 0:17:11.000 many lives on board, would put down his pride and listen. 0:17:10.720 --> 0:17:14.920 To the warnings. But he was careless. He wasn't responsible. 0:17:15.320 --> 0:17:17.440 I would like to think if I got that warning 0:17:17.920 --> 0:17:20.560 there were icebergs up ahead, and I had a ship 0:17:20.600 --> 0:17:23.840 full of people, I would have some holy fear. I 0:17:23.880 --> 0:17:26.680 would say to the other boats, thank you for letting 0:17:26.720 --> 0:17:30.920 me know. That's critical information that can keep us from tragedy. 0:17:31.680 --> 0:17:35.760 Sometimes we discount the warning like that captain. We're careless, 0:17:36.240 --> 0:17:37.520 we don't take it seriously. 0:17:38.119 --> 0:17:39.800 We let pride blind us. 0:17:40.840 --> 0:17:43.919 When you hear that warning, that still small voice, be 0:17:44.040 --> 0:17:48.359 quick to obey. That's God keeping you from unnecessary trouble. 0:17:49.320 --> 0:17:51.320 When Jesus was about to be born. 0:17:51.600 --> 0:17:56.040 King Herod heard the news that was prophesied this baby 0:17:56.080 --> 0:17:59.639 would be the Messiah, the king of the Jews. Herod 0:17:59.680 --> 0:18:03.760 was and afraid that he would lose power and respect 0:18:04.000 --> 0:18:07.720 among the people. These three wise men came from Afar 0:18:07.880 --> 0:18:11.520 to bring gifts to Jesus, and they stopped by Jerusalem 0:18:11.560 --> 0:18:14.840 looking for him. When Herod found out, he called them 0:18:14.840 --> 0:18:17.720 into the palace and questioned what they knew about this 0:18:17.880 --> 0:18:21.600 baby when they first saw the star. He told them 0:18:21.600 --> 0:18:25.320 in verse eight, go to Bethlehem search for Jesus, and 0:18:25.359 --> 0:18:28.680 when you find him, come back and tell me so I. 0:18:28.640 --> 0:18:32.560 Can worship him too. The truth is Herod didn't want 0:18:32.600 --> 0:18:35.400 to worship Jesus. He wanted to kill Jesus. 0:18:35.760 --> 0:18:39.080 He was threatened by all the reports. Well, the wise 0:18:39.119 --> 0:18:42.240 men didn't know this. They'd never met Herod, only heard 0:18:42.240 --> 0:18:45.280 of him. I'm sure they thought, yeah, as soon as 0:18:45.280 --> 0:18:47.200 we find him, we'll come back and. 0:18:47.200 --> 0:18:47.760 Let you know. 0:18:48.720 --> 0:18:52.840 But God knows what people's motives are. Herod was saying 0:18:52.920 --> 0:18:56.919 one thing, but his intentions were something else. He was 0:18:56.960 --> 0:19:00.639 trying to trick them into giving away Jesus' location so 0:19:00.800 --> 0:19:03.439 he could put an end to him. Every voice that 0:19:03.560 --> 0:19:07.119 sounds sincere doesn't have your best interests at. 0:19:06.960 --> 0:19:10.720 Heart, God knows how to protect you. He'll whisper to 0:19:10.800 --> 0:19:11.360 your spirit. 0:19:11.560 --> 0:19:14.880 Beware they sound good, but they're not who they say 0:19:14.880 --> 0:19:18.560 they are. They're friendly, they say the right things, but 0:19:18.640 --> 0:19:20.600 they have hidden agendas. 0:19:21.119 --> 0:19:23.760 If you'll listen to the warnings, God will keep you 0:19:23.840 --> 0:19:24.439 from trouble. 0:19:25.280 --> 0:19:28.760 These wise men went to Bethlehem and found baby Jesus. 0:19:29.080 --> 0:19:32.560 They presented their gifts and worshiped him. They were about 0:19:32.600 --> 0:19:35.560 to go back and tell Herod the good news, but 0:19:35.600 --> 0:19:39.080 the scripture says they were warned in a dream to 0:19:39.200 --> 0:19:42.440 not go back to Jerusalem, but to return to their 0:19:42.480 --> 0:19:46.760 country by another route. Look At how God protects us 0:19:46.800 --> 0:19:50.040 and keeps us on the best path. Herod seemed like 0:19:50.080 --> 0:19:54.440 a friend. He was helpful, gracious. They didn't know any better. 0:19:55.000 --> 0:19:57.840 But when they woke up from that dream after hearing 0:19:57.840 --> 0:20:01.480 that warning, they had a holy fear. They acted on 0:20:01.600 --> 0:20:05.080 what God was telling them and went back a different route. 0:20:05.480 --> 0:20:09.000 When Herod found out, he was furious his true intentions 0:20:09.040 --> 0:20:09.480 came out. 0:20:10.040 --> 0:20:13.400 He issued to decree that all the Hebrew male babies 0:20:13.440 --> 0:20:17.119 two years old and under would be killed. One moment, 0:20:17.160 --> 0:20:20.360 Herod was saying, I want to worship this child. Wise men, 0:20:20.400 --> 0:20:23.640 you're my friends. The next moment he's trying to kill 0:20:23.680 --> 0:20:27.440 them all. There are dangers up ahead that we can't see, 0:20:27.920 --> 0:20:31.600 people we meet that have hidden agendas, Floods that are 0:20:31.640 --> 0:20:35.240 coming we don't know to prepare for. But like God 0:20:35.240 --> 0:20:38.040 did for these wise men, like he did for Noah, 0:20:38.320 --> 0:20:41.040 He's going to warn you of things up ahead that 0:20:41.080 --> 0:20:41.720 you don't know. 0:20:42.600 --> 0:20:42.800 Now. 0:20:42.840 --> 0:20:46.480 Pay attention to what you're feeling, don't override it, don't 0:20:46.520 --> 0:20:47.240 reason it out. 0:20:47.240 --> 0:20:50.240 Ah, this doesn't make sense. The wise men could have thought, 0:20:50.640 --> 0:20:52.320 we don't want to go back the long way. 0:20:52.960 --> 0:20:55.600 It's not going to hurt to go through Jerusalem. Herod 0:20:55.760 --> 0:21:00.600 likes us. No, Herod was two faced. He had hidden agenda. 0:21:00.720 --> 0:21:04.159 God will protect you from two faced people, people that 0:21:04.200 --> 0:21:07.280 act like they like you, but really it's just the opposite. 0:21:07.560 --> 0:21:10.080 They say one thing with their words, but in their 0:21:10.119 --> 0:21:14.560 heart is something different. Is God warning you about something 0:21:14.600 --> 0:21:17.879 you're not acting on. Do you hear that still small 0:21:17.960 --> 0:21:18.640 voice but you. 0:21:18.640 --> 0:21:19.600 Keep putting it off. 0:21:20.320 --> 0:21:23.879 There's danger up ahead that God's trying to keep you from. 0:21:24.200 --> 0:21:28.720 There's trouble and heartache. You can avoid icebergs. 0:21:28.040 --> 0:21:30.520 That don't have to sink your ship, but you have 0:21:30.600 --> 0:21:34.680 to heed the warning. Had that holy fear, that reverence, 0:21:34.960 --> 0:21:38.240 knowing that the creator of the universe cares so much 0:21:38.240 --> 0:21:42.520 about you that he's giving you this inside information what 0:21:42.680 --> 0:21:45.480 you can't see up ahead. He's going to protect you 0:21:45.920 --> 0:21:48.919 and keep you on the best path for your life. 0:21:49.040 --> 0:21:52.000 I have a friend that's very successful. It's married to 0:21:52.040 --> 0:21:56.280 a beautiful woman, two children. But at one point he 0:21:56.320 --> 0:21:59.520 and his wife weren't getting along. They still loved each other, 0:21:59.560 --> 0:22:03.920 but there were petty things they were letting come between them, arguing, 0:22:04.640 --> 0:22:08.320 being short, unfriendly. In the big picture, it was nothing, 0:22:08.960 --> 0:22:11.719 but this man let it get down in him and 0:22:11.760 --> 0:22:13.040 it changed who he was. 0:22:13.760 --> 0:22:16.440 He quit treating her the way he knew he should. 0:22:16.880 --> 0:22:21.120 Not giving her time, not being kind, respectful. This went 0:22:21.119 --> 0:22:24.760 on for several months, just contention and strife, and they 0:22:24.840 --> 0:22:28.000 started to grow apart. One night he had a dream, 0:22:28.119 --> 0:22:31.880 and in this dream he saw his wife with another man. 0:22:32.600 --> 0:22:36.200 They were laughing and having fun, so happy and friendly. 0:22:37.080 --> 0:22:40.000 It was as vivid and real as could be, and 0:22:40.040 --> 0:22:43.240 he woke up in a cold sweat. He said, Joel, 0:22:43.359 --> 0:22:46.560 I heard God saying to me, if you don't change 0:22:46.720 --> 0:22:49.639 and start treating her right, you're going to lose what 0:22:49.760 --> 0:22:53.080 I've given you. It was like a holy fear came 0:22:53.119 --> 0:22:55.720 over him. He knew he was at a critical point. 0:22:56.520 --> 0:23:00.840 That day he started treating her better, being kind and respectful, 0:23:01.040 --> 0:23:04.880 having fun, doing things with the family. Today they're as 0:23:04.920 --> 0:23:09.080 happy and fulfilled as can be. God will always give 0:23:09.160 --> 0:23:13.000 us warnings. The question is are we listening, Are we 0:23:13.119 --> 0:23:17.760 making changes, doing like Noah, building our art like the 0:23:17.800 --> 0:23:21.240 wise men, going back a different way, or are we 0:23:21.320 --> 0:23:26.440 stubborn pushing it down too Busy Mary gave birth to Jesus. 0:23:26.760 --> 0:23:27.640 They're in the stable. 0:23:28.400 --> 0:23:31.840 The shepherds came to worship, and they left, and the 0:23:31.880 --> 0:23:34.680 wise men gave their gifts, and they went on their way. 0:23:35.680 --> 0:23:40.640 After all the excitement and celebration seemed so peaceful, so calm, 0:23:40.880 --> 0:23:44.920 they could finally relax. But the scripture says an angel 0:23:45.080 --> 0:23:48.480 appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, get up, 0:23:49.080 --> 0:23:52.160 take your child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, 0:23:52.520 --> 0:23:53.480 for Herod. 0:23:53.280 --> 0:23:54.560 Is going to try to kill him. 0:23:55.640 --> 0:23:58.720 Joseph went out, didn't see any soldiers, didn't hear of 0:23:58.760 --> 0:24:02.000 any trouble, nothing look wrong. He could have thought, this 0:24:02.040 --> 0:24:05.480 doesn't make sense. We're tired, we just had a baby. 0:24:05.680 --> 0:24:08.840 We don't want to travel. But the next verse says 0:24:09.280 --> 0:24:13.040 Joseph got up that same night and left for Egypt. 0:24:13.920 --> 0:24:17.040 He heard the warning and didn't even wait till morning. 0:24:17.920 --> 0:24:21.040 God give us that kind of obedience, Help us to 0:24:21.080 --> 0:24:23.760 have that kind of holy fear, that when we hear 0:24:23.840 --> 0:24:28.040 the still small voice, when we feel the unrest that 0:24:28.200 --> 0:24:29.680 knowing to make a change. 0:24:29.840 --> 0:24:30.960 We don't question it. 0:24:31.480 --> 0:24:36.280 We don't debate it, negotiate maybe later, nor just do it. 0:24:36.880 --> 0:24:40.480 God is protecting you from what you can't see. There's 0:24:40.600 --> 0:24:45.480 harm and trouble that you can avoid. Don't delay, don't 0:24:45.520 --> 0:24:51.600 talk yourself out of it. Obedience brings protection. Ignoring warnings 0:24:52.000 --> 0:24:53.720 bring unnecessary trouble. 0:24:54.560 --> 0:24:56.040 Maybe God is dealing with you. 0:24:56.000 --> 0:24:59.600 About something that you keep putting off. You hear the alarm, 0:24:59.640 --> 0:25:02.800 but you keep hitting this snooze button. Not now, I 0:25:02.840 --> 0:25:06.119 don't feel like it. Don't be a Joseph. This is 0:25:06.200 --> 0:25:10.160 the time to take action, to make changes so God 0:25:10.200 --> 0:25:11.879 can keep you on the best path. 0:25:12.520 --> 0:25:14.879 Don't be stubborn. I've learned. 0:25:14.960 --> 0:25:18.640 God will always get his way, but sometimes we take 0:25:18.680 --> 0:25:22.880 the long route. We make it much more difficult. When 0:25:22.960 --> 0:25:26.960 he whispers, stay away from that person. Treat your spouse better, 0:25:27.480 --> 0:25:30.320 go to bed or earner, get more rest. Don't be 0:25:30.440 --> 0:25:31.959 like the captain of the Titanic. 0:25:32.680 --> 0:25:35.320 Hear the warnings and think it's not gonna affect me. 0:25:36.240 --> 0:25:39.400 I can make it through these icebergs. Don't fool yourself. 0:25:40.400 --> 0:25:43.879 God wouldn't be warning you if there wasn't danger up ahead. 0:25:44.359 --> 0:25:47.520 If it wasn't going to bring trouble. Here's the good news. 0:25:47.800 --> 0:25:50.919 You can make a coarse correction. You can be a 0:25:51.040 --> 0:25:54.200 Joseph and do it now. You can be a Noah 0:25:54.320 --> 0:25:57.840 and have a holy fear to obey what God's telling you. 0:25:58.440 --> 0:26:01.480 This is how you avoid unknown necessary difficulties. 0:26:01.840 --> 0:26:04.480 Now do your part, don't ignore the warnings. 0:26:04.640 --> 0:26:07.680 If you'll do this, I will believe and declare God 0:26:07.760 --> 0:26:09.960 is going to protect you and keep you. 0:26:10.000 --> 0:26:11.119 On the best path. 0:26:11.520 --> 0:26:16.880 You will have inside information to avoid unnecessary heartache and trouble, 0:26:17.119 --> 0:26:20.320 and you will live the life of victory that belongs 0:26:20.400 --> 0:26:22.640 to you in Jesus' name. 0:26:23.240 --> 0:26:25.480 If you receive it, Can you say amen? 0:26:26.520 --> 0:26:29.320 I'd like to give you an opportunity to make Jesus 0:26:29.359 --> 0:26:30.520 the Lord of your life. 0:26:30.680 --> 0:26:31.679 Wouldn't you pray with me? 0:26:32.400 --> 0:26:35.720 Just say, Lord, Jesus, I repent of my sins. 0:26:36.320 --> 0:26:40.080 Come into my heart. I make you my Lord and savior. 0:26:40.840 --> 0:26:43.280 If you've prayed that simple prayer, we believe you got 0:26:43.280 --> 0:26:45.880 born again, and we'd love to send you some free 0:26:45.880 --> 0:26:48.600 information on your new walk with the Lord. You can 0:26:48.640 --> 0:26:51.640 text the number on the screen or go to the website. 0:26:51.840 --> 0:26:54.480 But I hope you'll get into a good Bible based 0:26:54.560 --> 0:27:00.600 church and keep God first place. We all go through 0:27:00.600 --> 0:27:03.960 disappointments and things that are not fair, but God sees 0:27:04.000 --> 0:27:07.399 every hurt, every injustice, and He's promised to pay you 0:27:07.560 --> 0:27:10.160 back for the unfair things. Now, I love to send 0:27:10.160 --> 0:27:13.440 you my new resource, Double for your Trouble. It's filled 0:27:13.440 --> 0:27:16.760 with inspiration. Help you stay in faith and not get 0:27:16.760 --> 0:27:18.159 bitter and think why me? 0:27:18.840 --> 0:27:19.000 Now? 0:27:19.040 --> 0:27:22.000 That setback may have been painful, but the fact is 0:27:22.200 --> 0:27:24.840 it sets you up for Double. God will make the 0:27:25.000 --> 0:27:28.080 enemy pay and bring you out better than you were before. 0:27:28.880 --> 0:27:31.840 This ministry is reaching people around the world with the 0:27:31.920 --> 0:27:34.640 message of hope, and as our way of saying thank 0:27:34.680 --> 0:27:37.200 you for your gift of any amount, we would like 0:27:37.280 --> 0:27:39.720 to send you a copy of Double for your Trouble, 0:27:39.960 --> 0:27:44.000 A daily guide for restoration. This thirty one day spiral 0:27:44.040 --> 0:27:48.240 bound resource is an invitation into healing, restoration, and the 0:27:48.280 --> 0:27:52.080 abundant life God has promised. Whether you're walking through a 0:27:52.119 --> 0:27:55.959 season of loss, believing for a breakthrough, or simply looking 0:27:56.000 --> 0:27:59.400 for a deeper connection with God, this guide is designed 0:27:59.440 --> 0:28:03.840 to help you reflect, realign, and rebuild day by day. 0:28:04.520 --> 0:28:10.600 Receive your copy and know that whatever you're facing today grief, loss, uncertainty, 0:28:10.680 --> 0:28:14.720 it doesn't define your future. Choose to trust God. He 0:28:14.840 --> 0:28:18.600 sees you, He cares deeply, and He is the God 0:28:18.640 --> 0:28:20.000 who restores Double. 0:28:20.600 --> 0:28:23.679 None of us like difficulties. But if you'll stay in faith, 0:28:23.840 --> 0:28:26.760 you won't come out the same. You'll come out with Double. 0:28:27.359 --> 0:28:30.159 Niktoy and I pray for you and your family every day. 0:28:30.440 --> 0:28:33.760 Thank you for your prayers and support. Your donations are 0:28:33.760 --> 0:28:37.080 bringing hope to people around the world. Special thank you 0:28:37.160 --> 0:28:39.720 to our Champion of Hope partners for all you do 0:28:39.840 --> 0:28:41.440 to make the ministry possible. 0:28:41.800 --> 0:28:44.000 Until we see you again next week, May the Lord 0:28:44.000 --> 0:28:45.480 bless you and keep you. 0:28:46.360 --> 0:28:49.440 Be sure to request your copy of Double for Your Trouble, 0:28:49.640 --> 0:28:53.520 available this month by simply visiting us at Joelostein dot 0:28:53.520 --> 0:28:57.120 com or call eight eight eight five six seven Joel. 0:28:57.680 --> 0:29:01.080 You can also receive God's Got You Restoration Duo. 0:29:01.560 --> 0:29:02.520 This book is a. 0:29:02.480 --> 0:29:06.040 Powerful reminder that no matter what you face, you are 0:29:06.120 --> 0:29:09.560 not alone. God's got you and he will never let 0:29:09.560 --> 0:29:13.160 you go. In addition to these two inspiration books, you 0:29:13.200 --> 0:29:17.440 can also receive the Double Portion Restoration Bible Collection. This 0:29:17.560 --> 0:29:21.520 beautifully curated collection brings together the restoring of Hope of 0:29:21.640 --> 0:29:25.040 Double for Your Trouble and the comforting reassurance of God's 0:29:25.080 --> 0:29:28.800 got you. Paired with a stunning CSB Thin Line Bible 0:29:29.000 --> 0:29:32.960 Digital Study Edition in camel Swaye's soft leather touch, this 0:29:33.080 --> 0:29:37.360 elegant Bible offers a rich, immersive study experience an enduring 0:29:37.400 --> 0:29:41.840 companion as you lean into God's promises of renewal and restoration. 0:29:42.560 --> 0:29:46.360 Let these resources strengthen your faith, study your heart, and 0:29:46.440 --> 0:29:50.360 remind you each day that God is restoring, bleeding, and 0:29:50.440 --> 0:29:54.400 working double on your behalf. You can request these inspiring 0:29:54.480 --> 0:29:58.120 resources by calling eight eight eight five six seven Joel 0:29:58.440 --> 0:30:01.320 or logging on to joel'st today. 0:30:02.280 --> 0:30:04.760 If you've never been to Lakewood, we have a great 0:30:04.840 --> 0:30:06.120 opportunity to come. 0:30:06.400 --> 0:30:08.360 We call it Homecoming Weekend. 0:30:08.840 --> 0:30:11.280 We'd love to meet you and your family and you 0:30:11.320 --> 0:30:14.080 can see the building and attend one of the services. 0:30:14.320 --> 0:30:16.000 It's a great time to be a part of the 0:30:16.080 --> 0:30:20.320 Lakewood family. Looking forward to seeing you at Homecoming Weekend.