Dharius Daniels - I Didn't Think It Would Take This Long

I want to talk about this subject and our time together. I hope you feel like talking back to the preacher today. Here’s the topic of today’s teaching. I didn’t think it would take this long; somebody clap your hands if you believe God’s speaking to you already. I didn’t think it would take this long. Family, today marks an important day on the Christian liturgical calendar; today marks the beginning of what we call the Advent season. The word Advent comes from the Latin word «Adventus,» and it simply means «coming.» Everybody say «coming.» Therefore, the Advent season is a time when people of faith engage in intentional appreciation and celebration for the coming of Jesus. The Easter season is when we celebrate Him getting up, but the Advent season is when we celebrate Him coming down. I want to interrupt this introduction today and announce that we should be uniquely appreciative of the Advent season because it reminds us that He is not just the God who came; He is the God who comes. You will not properly appreciate His coming unless you have been in a season where you felt like He was going. I know many of you in this room and watching online often feel uniquely intimate and close with God—you know He’s always near and dear to you. However, some of us have gone through seasons of life where we felt like Jesus stretched out on a proverbial cross, crying, «My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?» In other words, some of us have gone through seasons where cognitively we know God is there, but experientially we wonder, «God, where are You?» I know You see what’s happening; where are You? I know You know the thoughts that are coming up; where are You? I know You see what they’re doing to me; where are You? Is there anybody honest enough to admit there have been times when you’ve wondered, «Where are You?» But the Advent season is a time that reminds us that God is not just Elohim, which means God; He is Emmanuel, which means God with us. He isn’t the God who came; He’s the God who comes. He’s the God who exists only in the present tense. So when Moses asks Him to identify Himself, He doesn’t say, «I was, ” and He doesn’t say, „I will be.“ He says, „I am.“ I am what I am. Jesus said, „Before Abraham was, I am.“ He is the God that didn’t just show up; He’s the God that shows up. The Incarnation is a revelation that He will keep showing up; He can’t help but show up—it’s in His nature. David said, „If I make my bed in hell, He will find me there.“ Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were in the fiery furnace, and He showed up. Daniel was in the Lion’s Den, and He showed up. Moses was in front of the Red Sea with the Pharaoh’s army behind him, and He showed up. Jesus was in the grave for three days, and He showed up. If He showed up for Daniel, if He showed up for the Hebrew boys, if He showed up for Moses, if He showed up for Jesus, He will show up for you. I want to pause and talk to somebody dealing with emotional angst, anxiety, concern, consternation, worry, and wonder. I have a word for you: if God didn’t keep you out, it’s because God is on His way in. Church, talk back to me! I said if God doesn’t keep you out of it, it means God’s gonna get in there with you. Is that not what happened with the Hebrew boys? Nebuchadnezzar looked into the furnace and said, „Didn’t we put three men in there?“ They said, „Yes, you did.“ He said, „But I see four, and the fourth one looks like the Son of God!“ Is there anybody that can look back over your life and say, „God didn’t keep me out of it, but He jumped in there with me?“ He is not just the God who came; He’s the God who comes, and I’ve got two words for you: He’s coming. I know you’re hurting, but He’s coming. I know you’re confused, but He’s coming. I know you’re sad, but He’s coming. I know your heart’s broken, but He’s coming. The Advent season is a time of intentional appreciation. I don’t even have time to deal with that; we’re going to talk about that next week because sometimes appreciation has to be intentional. It becomes a discipline, not a feeling. David said, „I command my soul to bless the Lord.“ So this is a season where we should be intentionally appreciative. But, I can’t stop at just celebrating that there was an Advent; we wouldn’t be faithful to our calling as a church. I wouldn’t be faithful to my calling as a pastor because the fact that He came is inspiring, and we need inspiration. The fact that He came is encouraging; we need encouragement. As a matter of fact, the Bible says in Hebrews 3:13 that we should encourage one another daily. So, encouragement is essential; it’s not incorrect. But if that’s all you do, it’s incomplete. You see, the name of our church is not „Encouragement Church,“ even though I hope you feel encouraged. But we’re not just called to inspiration; we’re also called to transformation. So because we’re called to transformation, we can’t just stop at the fact that Jesus came…