Dharius Daniels - I'm Not Moving

During these uncertain and unstable times, there’s a script I want to read from Luke chapter 15, beginning at verse 17. It is a parable, a fictitious story that Jesus tells in order to get a true point across, and this is what he says in Luke 15:17: «When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare? And here I am, starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him, „Father, I’ve sinned against heaven and you. I’m no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants."' So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him. He ran to his son, threw his arms around him, and kissed him.» This ends the reading of God’s Word. This is the second installment in our series, «Stay in the House,» so I want to talk from this subject. This is our affirmation, our confession, and our declaration. Here it is: I’m not moving. I would tell you to high-five your neighbor, but keep some social distancing and just high-five them in your heart, telling them, «I’m not moving.»

Family, I’d like to begin our time together by introducing some of you and reminding others of you about a principle called the principle of the place. Pastor, what does that mean? The principle simply suggests that my welfare and my well-being are not just determined by who I am, but they are equally impacted by where I am. In other words, place matters. We see the priority of place in the creation narrative. What’s that? That’s the story in the book of Genesis that details how God actually created the world. The Bible says very clearly, when you look at the sequence of events, God spent five days—whether that’s literal or metaphorical—creating the place and one day creating the people. Don’t miss it! The human species was not created until the sixth day, but God spent the first five days creating the world because he knew that their welfare and their well-being were not just contingent upon who they were, but also affected by where they were. He knew that if the human species was going to function the way he created it to function, it needed to be in the right place.

You see, he didn’t create fish and then create water; he created water and then created fish. He didn’t create birds and then create the sky; he created the sky and then he created the birds. He didn’t create animals and then create earth; he created earth and then created animals. Because he knew in order for his creation to function the way he intended, it had to be in the right place. And when you get this revelation, you make sure that you become stewards and strategic about where you go and where you end up. Because when you know who you are, you recognize you can’t just go anywhere, because some things are not good for your soul, some places are not good for your spirit, and some places were good for where you were, but they’re not good for where you’re going. Who am I preaching to on this Sunday morning? Don’t miss this! It’s the principle of the place. Your welfare and your well-being are not just defined by who you are; they are equally impacted by where you are. And God knows how to put you in the right environment to get the best out of you.

Now, I didn’t do a lot of fishing when I grew up, but I knew people who did, and I recognized something: certain fish need certain kinds of water to survive. God knows what kind of fish you and I are, and he knows what kind of water we need to survive. Don’t miss this! When God places us in the right environment, it is our responsibility to stay in the house. Pastor, fish have water, birds have the sky—what is the environment that I’ve been called and created to survive and thrive in? He put fish in water; he put birds in the sky. Are y’all ready for this? Yeah, and he put humanity in Eden. I wish I could come through that camera and high-five one of you right now. Did you hear what I just said? He put fish in water, he put birds in the sky, but he put humanity in Eden. What does Eden represent? Eden is more than a garden; Eden represents unbroken communion and fellowship in God’s presence.

See, you function best when you’re in God’s presence. Your emotions function better when you’re in God’s presence. Somebody ought to be honest enough to admit, «I needed this Sunday service right now,» because I hadn’t been in the best of moods all week. That’s because your emotions are better in God’s presence. Your mind is better in God’s presence because you’ve been created to thrive in God’s presence. The enemy knows this, and he does absolutely everything he can to keep you out of the place that God knows you can thrive in. You think better in Eden; you’re more optimistic in Eden; you’re stronger in Eden. You can fight off things in Eden that you can’t fight off when you’re outside of Eden. Come on and talk to me! I said you can fight off things in Eden that you can’t fight off outside of Eden. See, many of us are fighting way more than a…