Dharius Daniels - I'm Trying to See Something

Let’s begin our time of reading today with Mark chapter 4, verse 35. We are in part something—not sure what part this is—7654321. As Minister DJ Khaled would say, it’s another one, another one. Faith University, Mark 4:35 says, «That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, 'Let’s go over to the other side.'» Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along just as he was in the boat, and there were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said, «Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?» He got up, rebuked the wind, and said to the waves, «Quiet! Be still!» Then the wind died down, and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, «Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?» They were terrified and asked each other, «Who is this? Who is this that even the wind and the waves obey him?»

I want to title this text, «I’m Trying to See Something.» Some time ago, I was hanging out with a friend of mine in one of my favorite areas in Orlando, the Windermere, Florida area. As we were engaging in conversation, he randomly asked me a question about a specific store in a place called The Grove. He said, «Darius, have you heard of Jeremiah’s?» I replied, «I know about Jeremiah’s. I mean, I see it all the time; I’m familiar with Jeremiah’s.» He said, «Well, have you experienced Jeremiah’s difference?» I said, «Well, no, I mean, I saw it; it looks kind of like a water ice place. And you know, bro, I’m from Jersey, so we have Rita’s. Once you’ve had Rita’s and once you get Philly water ice, you don’t want any other water ice.» He said, «Dee, when we’re done here, just walk over with me to Jeremiah’s.» I said, «Okay, man, I’m going to go see what you’re talking about.»

So we walked over to Jeremiah’s, and I saw the menu and the plethora of options available. I noticed the complexity of the concoctions they had created. I’m talking about gelato, sorbet, and water ice all mixed into one. I started seeing the vast array of fruity flavors that were available for those of us who wanted to passionately partake in this pleasurable, delicious, delectable delight called Jeremiah’s. Something in my spirit told me to mix it together; don’t settle for singular when God wants to give you double. I said, «Give me that cotton candy and mix it with the Kiwi Tropica.» Because I followed my spirit and mixed that cotton candy with the Kiwi Tropica, after one bite, I looked at my brother, and the scripture penned by the psalmist came to my heart: «O taste and see that the Lord is good.» Now, I don’t want any other water ice except Jeremiah’s. I didn’t know another level existed until I got exposed to it. I thought what I had experienced with Rita’s was the ultimate expression of pleasure when it came to that dessert.

But just because I didn’t know another level existed didn’t mean that another level wasn’t possible. Once I got exposed to that new level, I could never be unexposed to it. So now, what I called great, I call good. It was great in one season because that was all I was exposed to, but once I got exposed to something different—something that, at least in my opinion, was better for me—what I called great in one season, I look back at and call good now. My exposure wasn’t informational; my exposure was experiential. See, I knew about Jeremiah’s; I knew what Jeremiah’s offered, but that was informational, not experiential. When I transitioned from informational knowledge to experiential knowledge, it exposed me to a degree and dimension of satisfaction and pleasure that I didn’t know was possible until I got exposed to it.

Now you’re wondering, what does Jeremiah’s have to do with Jesus? I am telling you that it is possible to be living with informational knowledge. As a matter of fact, this was Jesus’s primary critique of a group of religious leaders called the Pharisees. They had informational knowledge. If you said, «God is good, ” they would say, „All the time.“ If you said, „All the time, ” they would say, „God is good.“ If you said, „He’s a doctor in a sick room, ” they would say, „He’s a lawyer in a courtroom.“ If you said, „He’s the lily of the valley, ” they would respond, „He’s a will in the middle of the wheel.“ They knew about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; they knew about Daniel in the lion’s den. They had informational knowledge, but they were lacking the experiential. So when God is attempting to groom and grow us into better and the best versions of ourselves, part of what he does is orchestrate a transition for you to experience your Jeremiah’s. You loved the Rita’s version of your Christianity until you had a taste of Jeremiah’s. He orchestrates situations that transition us from informational to experiential.

Let me tell you something: experiential learning is the most effective, but it is also the least comfortable. Okay, I’ll say that one more time: experiential knowledge is the most effective.