Dharius Daniels - Are You Listening?

Luke chapter 5, beginning at verse number one, says: One day, as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around him, listening to the Word of God. He saw at the water’s edge two boats, one belonging to Simon, and he asked him to push out a little from the shore. Do you see that? Do you see that? Okay, so he asked Simon to push out a little from the shore. Well, I’m confused. What just happened? Did I skip a verse? Yes? No? Maybe so? I did? I’m sorry, everybody is looking at me like, «Okay, I skipped a verse. My bad, I’m sorry.» He saw at the water’s edge two boats left there by two fishermen—oh, this is important—who were washing their nets, which means they think they’re done fishing. Then the text says he got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. He sat down in the boat and taught the people from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, «Listen, put out deep into the water and let down your nets for a catch.» Simon answered, «Master, we worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything, but because you say so, I’ll let down the nets.» When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. This ends this particular part of the passage I want to read for today’s preaching presentation. I want to talk from this subject—here it is. This is a thought I want us to think around, and it’s a question: Are you listening? Family, I possess something in my pocket that I believe is pertinent to today’s preachment. I possess something in my pocket that would not normally be possessed by a preacher at all, or, secondly, not possessed by a preacher in the pulpit. Do you want to know what I possess in my pocket? I hold in my hand some dice. I want you to inwardly and silently reflect on what comes to your mind when you see these. Somebody say «hey.» For some, it causes them to revisit stages, seasons, and activities engaged in cities like Atlantic City or Vegas. For others, it reminds them of uncles, cousins, brothers—specific people in your family—over in a corner at the family reunion, fellowshipping with one another. But I believe these dice are really salient for my sermon in a different way. These dice, for me, represent the way the enemy wants us to make decisions when it comes to marriage. He wants us to roll the dice when it comes to: «Should I start or stop? Should I sign or not? Should I continue or should I pause?» He wants us to roll the dice because he understands how consequential our decisions are. He knows that our decisions are destiny determinants. Everybody say «destiny.» Come on, say it like you have one—say «destiny.» When I say «destiny, ” I mean God’s preferred future for you. You do know God has a future he prefers for you. I’m referring to God’s intended end for your life. I’m referring to God’s place, a potential for you—that’s what I mean when I say „destiny.“ But you do know you can’t roll your way into destiny; you must walk your way into destiny. The Bible says in Psalms 37:24 that the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord. The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord—that’s what David said. Though he may stumble—listen to this—he will not fall. Don’t y’all mess with me this morning! He may stumble, but he won’t fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand. Whoa! Did you hear me? He says even when God is ordering your steps, you may step into some stumbling seasons, but when you begin to fall, God knows how to catch you in a way so that your fall does not create permanent injury. Is there anybody in here who can look back over your life and say, „I’ve made some steps that could have been catastrophic? I’ve made some steps that could have cut me off from experiencing God’s best for my life.“ But it hurt me, but it didn’t kill me. God, did you hear what I just said? It hurt me, but it didn’t kill me. It slowed me down, but it didn’t stop me. I got bruised, I got battered, I got cut, but I’m still here because even when I started to fall, God caught me and didn’t allow my steps to sabotage my future. I don’t know who I’m preaching to in the house today, but keep on stepping! The steps of a good man are ordered—you can’t roll your way into destiny. You can roll your way into a room, you can roll your way into a meeting, you can roll your way into a connection, but you can’t roll your way into destiny; you must walk into destiny. You must step. And what do I mean when I say „step“? What are steps in the Bible? What is that? Because I can step; I can walk and walk in circles. Consider this: just because I’m moving doesn’t mean I’m moving. Yeah, yeah. Listen to this! When the Bible refers to steps, what are steps? Steps are systematic and sequential acts of movement that take me from one place to the next.