Dharius Daniels - Have Your Way

John chapter number 9, verse 1 says, «As he went along, he saw a man who was blind from birth.» His disciples asked him, «Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?» Jesus said, «Neither this man nor his parents sinned.» This clause right here messed me up this afternoon, but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. «As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming when no one can work.» «Hold on, Jesus, that doesn’t make sense.» In verse three, you’re talking about him; in verse four, you start talking about you. Unless you’re losing your train of thought and you’re intellectually all over the place, there is some connection between what you said in verse three and what you’re saying in verse four. Do y’all follow me? But you want to use his life to show them something about you. «While I’m in the world, I am the light of the world.» After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. «Go,» he told him, «wash in the pool of Siloam.» This word, «Siloam,» means «sent.» So the man went, washed, and came home seeing. His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, «Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?» Some claimed he was; others said, «No, he only looks like him.» But he himself said, «I am the man.» So they asked, «How then were your eyes opened?» He said, «The man they called Jesus made some mud, put it on my eyes, and told me to go to Siloam and wash.» So I went, I washed, and then I could see.

I want to talk from this subject during our time together; it’s very simple, it’s old school, we’ve heard our spiritual ancestors articulate it, but it’s still relevant right now. Here’s the topic of today’s teaching: «Have Your Way.» As we begin to swim in this sermonic stream today, I want to remind some and inform others that there are a number of words often used to describe the nature and character of God. We throw around terms like «omniscience,» which speaks to God’s ability to see or know everything. The prophet says, «You know my thoughts from afar off,» so before my thoughts become a thought, you see what I’m about to start thinking before I think it. For that reason, I should be open, honest, and transparent with you because you already have an accurate understanding of what I’m really feeling; you’re the all-knowing God. There are words thrown around like «immutable.» That’s what the writer of Hebrews says; it means unchanging—same yesterday, today, and forevermore. «You were a healer, you are a healer, you will be a healer; you were a waymaker, you are a waymaker, you will be a waymaker; you were a door opener, you are a door opener, you will be a door opener.» You exist with what Dr. Kenneth Alma calls an eternal «is-ness.» You never were; you already are what you will be. You just are. Jesus said, «Before Abraham was, I am.» Don’t ever talk about what God used to be because there is no «used to be» in God; he just is.

Let me put it the way my friend puts it: if he did it before—where’s my church? I said, let me put it the way my friend put it: if he did it before, he can do it again. Same God right now, same God back then. I want to pause and remind somebody facing a dilemma, dealing with some devastation, or facing some discouragement. Do you remember what he did for you in 2013? Do you remember the door he opened in 2015? Do you remember when the pandemic happened and you didn’t know how you were going to survive? But somehow, someway, God kept the pieces of your life together. He wants to remind you, I’m that same God, and since I’m that same God, you owe me at least that same praise. Okay, y’all listen to me. I know we’re familiar with the term «back pay»; we need to adopt the term «back praise.» God, there’s some work you did in the past that I never compensated you for with my praise. So right here at Change Night, I’ve got to pause in 2022 and thank you for what you did over the last two years. What you’re doing—just getting a little back praise. While you’re clapping—just giving him a little back praise. While you’re leaping—just give him a little back praise. While you’re making so much noise—just giving a little back praise. You don’t know what happened these past two years; you don’t know what he brought me from. This is just a little back praise. You’re immutable and omnipotent, but there’s one term that has become uniquely popular, based on the name Abraham gave, not necessarily to God, but to a specific place where God uniquely provided for him, and it’s a word named «Jehovah Jireh.» All right, guys, I’m preaching, and I’m cold. Now, if I’m preaching, I know I’m supposed to be hot, with all these lights on me. Let’s see if we can fix that. I’m preaching; the Holy Ghost is fire, not air. That’s what the Holy Ghost is—an all-consuming fire. But back to my Jehovah Jireh, which Abraham named the place because he got a revelation that the Lord will provide. In other words, he meets needs, right? But I saw something that I think we need to discuss: that God is not only a need meter; he’s a need assessor. Did you hear what I just said? He said, «I don’t just meet needs; I assess needs.»