Dharius Daniels - Good Grief

All right, listen up, man. We are in a series called «Bounce Back Season.» I want to read one verse of scripture; this is sermon number two in the series. I want to read one verse found in John, chapter 11. John, chapter 11, verse 35. We’re going to read one verse, family. This is what it says: verse 35 says these two words: «Jesus wept.» I want to talk from this subject in our time together: Good grief. Good grief. Let’s not play any games. Let’s not prolong the point I’m trying to make through this preaching presentation. Let’s get right to it this Sunday. Here it is: I want to leap into this lesson by introducing some of you to this axiom. Here it is for my notetakers: You cannot receive what is coming to you in the future if you are still chasing what left you in the past. Did you hear what I just said? You cannot receive what is coming to you in the future if you are still chasing what left you in the past. You see, this axiom may not be explicitly stated in scripture, but it is definitely aligned with scripture, family. All throughout scripture, we have instances and examples of God encouraging people not to keep revisiting what they cannot revise. I’m going to say that one more time: all throughout scripture, we see instances and examples of God encouraging people not to keep revisiting what they cannot revise. It’s because I believe our heavenly Father understands that the intent of our ultimate enemy, Satan, is to get us obsessed with what we cannot alter. The energy we exert in living in regret becomes an enemy. We do not have to orchestrate a recovery because you cannot receive what is coming to you in the future if you are still chasing what left you in the past. Is this not what we see in the life of a kingmaker named Samuel, who was responsible for selecting the first king of Israel, named Saul? Saul did not manage and steward his selection properly and wisely, so God decides to replace him with a man named David. But Samuel, who selected King Saul, is emotionally attached to his past, which is what Saul represents. The Bible says in 1 Samuel 16, verse 1, that God comes to Samuel and says, «How long will you mourn for Saul since I have rejected him?» How long are you going to keep reveling? How long are you going to keep focusing? How long are you going to be mentally obsessed with something that I’m not going to change? Your tears don’t make me backpedal on a decision that I made in your best interest. Your crying is not going to change my mind because I am God enough not just to look at your now but to look at your next. And when I look at your next, I say I’d rather have you cry a little bit now so that you don’t have to cry a whole lot later. Saul, He asks, «How long will you mourn?» Even the Apostle Paul, in the book of Philippians, says in Philippians 3, «Brothers and sisters, I do not count myself yet to have apprehended, but this one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. I press toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.» When he says this, watch this: when he says «forgetting,» he’s not saying he doesn’t remember; he’s saying he refuses to be controlled. Because you cannot receive what’s coming to you in your future if you’re obsessed and chasing what left you in your past. I think this is so pertinent to this preaching series on bouncing back. Are you hearing what I’m saying? Because bouncing back assumes the inevitable, and that is that everybody’s going to have setbacks. But what I want you to know is that not all setbacks are the same. They’re different types of setbacks. There are relational setbacks, financial setbacks, spiritual setbacks, and professional setbacks. But one of the most consequential setbacks is emotional setbacks. Are you hearing what I’m saying? These kinds of setbacks are unique because the enemy understands that the emotional part of your bounce back is the catalytic part of your bounce back. It means, gosh, it means that if you don’t get that right, you can’t get anything else right. Are you hearing what I’m saying? The enemy knows that if he can get you emotionally, you’ll never be able to recover financially. If he can get you emotionally, you won’t recover relationally, because if you’re still set back emotionally, you don’t have the emotional resilience to put in the work that will be required to bounce back in other areas. This is why I’m trying to tell somebody I want you to see that Satan is strategic. I want you to see that the attacks on your life have been intentional. The devil’s been after your heart because he knows that if he can weaken you emotionally, you won’t have the resilience to bounce back in any other area. Yep, it’s one thing to be educated on the work you’re supposed to do; it’s another thing to have the energy to do the work. It’s one thing to know you should do the work; it’s another thing to have the emotional energy to actually do it. Setbacks can set you back in ways that are beyond what you can see. There is an example of this found right here in the Gospel of John, in our foundational passage here in John, chapter 11. Jesus, through his example, offers some insight on what I’m attempting to articulate.