Dharius Daniels - You Did It to Yourself

Genesis chapter 3, verse 6 says, «When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate it. The eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.» I want to talk about this subject in this first lesson of the self-sabotage series. Here it is: I did it to myself. If it’s tight but right, clap your hands in anticipation of God’s word! I did it to myself. As we begin our time together, family, I’d like to present a phrase that was penned by a prophet named Hosea. It’s a phrase that may be familiar to some but new to others, and the phrase is simply this: «My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge.» I often frame it this way: Ignorance is expensive. Whatever area I am ignorant in is an area I will suffer in. In other words, I cannot have a good life if I’m living it based on bad information. I’m going to say that one more time: I cannot have a good life if I’m living it based on bad information. This is why it is key, critical, and consequential to vet and be selective about who and what we allow to influence the way that we’re living our lives. Whoever has our ear has our future. Therefore, family, I think it’s imperative and consequential that we build our lives on the most reliable source of information that exists, and that is the Bible. It is the most important book you will ever read, and it is the most consequential book that you will ever read. It is the owner’s manual for the human species; it’s the cheat code for the game of life. It is the blueprint to God’s best. Therefore, if I’m going to allow any source of information to influence how I live—mentally, relationally, ethically, financially, and professionally—it should be the most reliable source of information on earth, and that is the Bible. Somebody say yes! However, in order to do so, we must not only be exposed to it regularly; we need to interpret it rightly. Listen to this: The word of God is only God’s word when it’s accurately interpreted. Dr. Dares, what does this mean? It means if someone consciously or unconsciously misinterprets and misrepresents God’s word, that’s no longer God’s word; that’s their interpretation. Did you hear what I just said? God only commits to perform, to complete, to back up what He says—not what we think He meant. I am suggesting that an underemphasis of this has contributed to much frustration within the confines of the Christian church because a lot of what we have heard has not necessarily been God’s word, but our historic, traditional, denominational, ideological, and national interpretations of that word. If I’m making sense, say yes. So then, it means if I am going to allow the most reliable source of information on earth to guide and govern my life, my decisions, my steps, and my choices, it means I must not only develop the skill of reading it regularly, but I also need to know how to interpret it accurately. Do you not know how the Bible has been used to keep people in bondage and not in freedom? Do you know people use the Bible to justify the subjugation of women? Do you not know that people misquoted Scripture and used things called the doctrine or the curse of Ham to suggest that if you had more melanin in your skin, you were actually cursed, and as a result of being cursed, you were inferior to other races? Do you not know how people have used Scripture to make others feel they have to subject themselves to abuse and allow others to exploit, dehumanize, and belittle them because the Bible says to turn the other cheek? We need, are y’all all right today? We need to do more than read it regularly; we need to interpret it rightly. This is what one spiritual leader in the New Testament, Paul, said to one of his mentees, Timothy. He said this: «Study to show yourself approved, a workman that needs not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.» That’s what he says. He says, «Study.» Don’t just pray; study so that when you stand up before people, you’re presenting something that’s accurate and not just inspirational. Because if you give them inspiration without accuracy, they’re going to end up in frustration. They’re going to keep doing the things you told them to do in a state of inspiration, but because it’s not accurate, it’s not going to work, and it’s going to lead to frustration. They’ve turned around three times, and nothing has turned around. They’ve high-fived their neighbor seven times—the number of completion—and stuff is still incomplete. They’ve thrown a dollar and hollered, and mana didn’t fall from the sky. They named it, claimed it, blabbed it, grabbed it, called it, and hauled it, and it still hasn’t come into their life. So today, I’m almost done. I want to give you a principle of biblical interpretation; it’s something we call the principle of first mention. Somebody say «first mention.» It’s okay if it has to…