Thriving Through What Tried to Throw Me Off | Luke 4:29-30

There is an exegetical invitation I want to extend to you. I do my best. I pray that you accept. You've been invited to fellowship with me in the Gospel of Saint Luke, 4th chapter. Gospel of Saint Luke. Do my best today. I'mma do an old preaching or singing trick. And, uh, you know, whenever you've been a little sick, you always make sure the people know that you've been sick. That way, if I bomb up here Y'all say, well, he been sick all week, so Lord help him. St. Luke chapter number 4, go down to verse number 29. Very strange passage this morning. Luke 4, verse 29. Word of God reads, they got up, drove Jesus out of town, brought him to the edge of the hill that their town was built on, intending to hurl him over the cliff. But he passed through and went on about his way. You may be seated. They planned on driving Jesus out of town. He took him to the edge. They planned on throwing him over the cliff, but Jesus just went straight through and went on about his way. For just a few moments, if you help me preach this morning, I want to wrestle from the subject driving through What tried to throw me off. All right, thriving through what tried to throw me off. That was a game which I was fond of as a young lad, called it Simon Says. This timeless classic of a game, Simon Says. I love to— when it was my turn to finally be Simon, because when you're Simon, what you say goes. And if Simon said walk, you kept walking until Simon says stop walking. When Simon says begin taking steps, somebody else will try to tell you stop walking. But if you know how to play the game right, you don't stop walking because somebody said stop walking. But the only reason that one would have to stop walking is if Simon, who told you to start, if that same Simon tells you to stop. Translated, if you ain't Simon and you didn't start me, then you can't tell me when I need to stop. Come here, child of God.

There are some things that God has started in our life.

There are some blessings that God has initiated in your life, and the devil in hell is mad about it. And the devil is trying to throw all types of attack against you He has all type of people who plotting against you. He's even tried to get you to plot against yourself. But the good news today is that God is the one who started you. And if God has started something in your life, then God is the only one who can stop something in your life.

Is there a witness in the house this morning who can look back over your life and look at all of the things that the devil is trying to stop in your life. But the devil couldn't stop it because the devil didn't start it. But I know who started this in my life, the one who spoke out into nothing and the whole earth came into existence. I know who started this in my life, the one when they went to the Red Sea, who parted the Red Sea and they walked through on dry ground. I know who started this in my life, the one who who took 2 fish and 5 loaves of bread and fed a multitude of 5,000, not counting women and children. I know who started this in my life, the one who, when I was down to my last dime and didn't know how I was gonna make it, but he provided for me anyway. And you think I'm gonna let someone, some young man or some woman, stop what God is doing in my life? But they ain't got no devil, no heaven, no hell to put me in. But I know who my hope is in. I know who my trust is in. And I believe by faith that if God keeps waking me up in the morning, then God will provide every last one of my needs. You ain't gotta like it. You ain't gotta agree with it. You ain't gotta motion a second. But as long as God is on the throne, then everything that God wants me to have, I shall have. You can get mad all you want to. You don't have to post my— on social media. You don't have to like my post. You don't have to love my post, but God still blesses me anyway. You don't have to advocate for me. You don't have to vote for me, but God is still on my side. You don't have to like me. You don't have to play with my ball. You don't have to play with my bat. You don't have to come to my party, but as long as God, who is Alpha and Omega, beginning and the end has his hands on me, then look forward to the future because God is on your side. Lord, I wish I was a preacher this morning because if I was a preacher this morning, I'll let you know that don't you let somebody who didn't start in your life stop you from what God has for you.

That's, that's really why trying to sneak and preach Jesus in Luke 4 just preached his own sermon. He's in a synagogue, he opened up the Bible and said that I've come to heal the sick and those who are lost. And he teaches these in the synagogue, these Pharisees. He's talking about himself. And then he goes on to make the Pharisees mad because he pretty much says that y'all Pharisees ain't gonna get him, but there are some lost souls who will get it. And they got hot with Jesus because Jesus was preaching a sermon about himself. And when Jesus preached this sermon about himself They got mad, running to the edge of town, and they tried to throw Jesus off of the cliff. Jesus somehow, Jesus some way went through those who tried to throw him off. He went through the attack. He did not stop the attack from coming, but Jesus says that since my life will not end like this, since I got more people to bless, since my life is in the hands of God, no matter what you try to do to me, my life is not in your hand.

And that's why I came to let somebody know today that you are confirmed by God based upon what you keep on going through. And is there anybody in the house today who can testify that I know that I can get through anything that comes my way because the devil doesn't control my destiny? And if I keep on making it through, that means that God is taking me to something else. Did I hit your neighborhood yet? If God keeps on taking you through the mess, that means God is taking you to some victory. If God keeps on bringing you through the sickness, that means God is taking you to a breakthrough. If God keeps on bringing you through depression, God is taking you to a place of joy. If God keeps on bringing you through sadness, that means he's taking you to a place of deliverance. And don't let what you go through make you think that God ain't taking you to— preaching here with your chocolate self, boy. Don't you let what you go through make you forget that God is taking you to. Is there anybody going to this morning who you know that God is taking you to some places? He's taking you to victory. He's taking you to breakthrough because God keeps on letting you come through.

Gavin O'Hams, you preaching too long. You brought the luggage. Unpack it homiletically and get up 167. Yes sir, here I go. This text teaches us about problematic affirmation, huh? Problematic affirmation. It's the problem that Jesus faced in the text that actually affirmed who he is. He just taught a lesson about who he is and who he's called to be. And after he did that, the right people had the wrong response, and what looked like rejection was actually revelation. What are you talking about, son? It was who did not agree with Jesus who helped Jesus prove who he was.

And what I'm trying to tell you is that sometimes rejection, drama, and strife in your life is the revelation you need to let you know whose side you're on. Uh-huh.

See, these Pharisees showed their hand, but thanks be to God, them showing their hand really proved that Jesus was who he said he was.

Is there anybody in the house today who's been going through different types of attacks from the enemy? Is there anybody who, you know, the devil been trying you all week long? You know, the devil been trying to turn up the heat in your life. He been trying to irritate you with one thing or another. But let me tell you something today: if the devil has been trying you, congratulations, because that means that you are on God's side. When they keep on talking about you, tell God thank you, because it lets me know that I am a child of God. I got more enemies now than I ever had. That means I must be headed somewhere where God wants me to be. And I'm getting to the point in my life when I'm starting to appreciate people with mess. I'm starting to appreciate the drama because the more drama you try to start in my life, the more the Spirit of God comes out on side of me.

It's problematic affirmation. That I really now know who's in me based on who's against me. So, so when you hear some mess, it must mean that God is on my side.

If the devil keeps trying to distract me, that means that God must be taking me somewhere. You come too far to quit now.

God has blessed you too much.

Now don't you let the rejection, don't you let the mess, don't you let the problems make you think that you are in the wrong situation. But you got the right God who, when people may come against you, he's going to be right there on your side. You've been trying to go closer with God, now you got sickness in your body. You've been trying to be a better Christian Now you got lies coming up against you. It seems like everywhere you turn is something new every day. But let me tell you something: pick your head up, put your chest out, and say, God, I know you brought me here and I know you can keep me.

It's problematic affirmation. Their response of rejection really proved that Jesus was who he said he was. Don't you know that in aerodynamics, when planes fly, you know, you probably thought that airplanes just naturally have the ability to just lift up in the sky. That's partially correct, but really, according to aerodynamics, what makes planes lift up higher— guess what? It's resistance. That when planes are in the sky, what makes a plane go higher is that there is pressure in the air that's pushing against the plane. But you know the plane has been built right, that when the more the pressure hits the plane, the higher the plane goes in the sky.

Who am I talking to in the house today? Who are you, you airplane child of God? The more the devil tried to put pressure, the The higher you get, the more anointing comes in your life, the more your prayer life increases, because God has built you to go higher with the pressure.

It's problematic affirmation. Gavin, you're still preaching too long. There you go, that's what I want to hear. Take your time, Pastor. This text also teaches us about a passive automobile. All right, uh, at the time of the text, Jesus and the synagogue was in Nazareth. That's his hometown. But the problem with Jesus's hometown of Nazareth is that they really failed to see Jesus for his messianic title. They continually discredited Jesus, and they referred to him, ain't this the carpenter's boy, this Joseph boy here. How does he speak with such authority? And Jesus was not able to perform miracles in his hometown because of their lack of faith. Now they're in Nazareth. The problem with being in Nazareth is that even though Jesus was from Nazareth, Nazareth always rejected Jesus. And since Nazareth rejected Jesus, Jesus was not able to perform miracles in Nazareth like he could in Capernaum. Now let's read that again with that knowledge in mind. I try to set that up. They ran Jesus out of town. They ran Jesus— listen to me, I'm talking slow— they ran Jesus out of the town that did not like him. In other words, while you thought you was running me out, you was really running me to preach.

Gavin R. Camps, PhD. You think you getting me out the way, but you're really putting me in the way of my breakthrough.

Through.

Who am I talking to today? People trying to throw you out of the club. People don't want to be your friend no more. They don't want to deal with you no more. But what they are really doing is running you to the place of where God really wants you to be. I ain't about to be running behind you. I ain't about to be crying behind you.

Run me out.

Try to get rid of me, talk about me, delete my number. All you doing is taking me right to where God wants me to be. I think God talking to somebody today because you've been crying, they don't want to have nothing to do with me, I don't have the people I need, I don't have the connections I need. Oh well. Let God run you to what's for you.

You can't run out a child of God.

You can only run a child of God to, because goodness and mercy follows me everywhere I go. And everywhere I go, I run into a miracle. Everywhere I go, I run into a healing. Everywhere I go, I run into provision because God's hand is on me. He leads me, he guides me. When men and women forsake me, he's right there taking me to where I want to be.

And you think they running you out? They running you too. I can hear Jesus now. And you know what?

I didn't really want to be in Nazareth no way. Yeah, I really don't like y'all like that no way because y'all refuse to see me right.

Run me out. And when God has his hand on his children. He knows how to get you to the proper place where God can have his way in your life. You know what this text teaches me is that here is what true favor is. True favor— I worked on this all week long. Please like it. Okay, let me make sure my forehead ain't sweating when I say this. Come on, here's what favor is. Favor is when God uses unfavorable situations to do you a favor. Nope. I'm gonna say it again because y'all gonna like this. Here's what favor is.

Favor is when God takes unfavorable situations and use the unfavorable to do you a favor.

Uh-huh. Acting like I ain't preaching up here.

How many of you ever had some unfavorable situations in your life? And by the time God got through working with that thing, you realize that God is true to his word. They try to set you up, the doctor gave up, and now I know for a fact who my healer is. It wasn't my medicine, it wasn't my diet. I know that I really have a God who's on my side because he took an unfavorable situation and made it work work in my favor. All things work together for the good of them. What things, Gary? Those things that irritate me, those things you've been stressing about, those things that got you hot as fire, those things that got you stressing, those things that ain't letting you sleep, those things are working for your good.

He takes— oh Lord, I wish I could preach this morning. He takes unfavorable situations and makes those situations do your favor. I hear Hawaii talking to me. Y'all want to know what Hawaii got to say? Hawaii told me to tell y'all, y'all love how beautiful I am. I'm the prettiest state in these here United States of America. I'm the latest state, but I'm the prettiest. Hawaii says, I know who I am, I know my worth, I know that I'm a pretty beautiful state. Who wouldn't want to come visit me?

I got beautiful trees, I got beautiful water, and if your pastor wasn't married and his wife wasn't here He'll tell you about the beautiful women there, but I ain't gonna—

I ain't gonna talk about that. I love Hawaii, but Hawaii is saying something to me. Y'all see how pretty I am now, but y'all don't know how I got started.

Ask me how.

Hawaii got started. Thank you, because I'm relieved. Hawaii, this island, got started over years and years of horrible volcanoes. Oh, aren't volcanoes scary? All the fire, all the turmoil, all the damage that can happen.

From a volcano, but somehow, some way, all that fire, all that destruction, all them volcanoes, those things work together and made a beautiful place that you see right now. Who am I talking to? You going through hell in your life right now. You got a volcano in your finances, you got a volcano in your body, you got a volcano in your relationships, but God's gonna take that thing and work it together, and you're gonna come out looking better.

Well, I'm trying not to preach long. I hear 167 calling my name. Can I see if I can sneak out, sneak out of here and go get my nap? This text teaches us lastly that really opposition only has partial allowance. Has partial allowance. I can tell I got a jacket on there because I'm sweating. They took Jesus to the edge of a cliff. That's a miracle that shouted me, because why did y'all have to take him to the edge of a cliff?

Y'all want to know why?

Because that's as far as they could go.

You big and bad Pharisees, take me beyond the cliff, but what you trying to take me to, you better be scared of that same trap too.

Lord have mercy. I can see them now. Well, it's about as far as we can go. We mad at you, Jesus, but we, we better just try to throw you over because we ain't going as far as we can go.

And that's somebody's word of prophecy, that things in life are trying to come against you, but it only can go so far. It's only so far God gonna let it go. It's only so far it's able to go because it only has partial allowance.

And here is the trick. Here's the trick. How many of y'all believe y'all got the power of God inside you? You better believe it.

Really, if they would have thrown Jesus over, Jesus still would have been good.

But he still went away. Translated: when you have the power of God, you can always do more to the enemy. Than the enemy can do to you.

Because as long as you got God's power, as long as you can say our Father, as long as you can access a word, as long as you got something on the inside of you, you can always do more to the enemy than what he can do to you.

Because he only has partial allowance. I see something in this text. I had to say I got to preach it. You know why Jesus didn't let them throw him down from a hill? Jesus says there's no victory in me getting to a hill and letting y'all throw me down. It's too early for me to come to an end.

Lord, I wish I could put this thing in E-flat.

And come to an hill and have an end.

Y'all want to get me on the hill and throw me down, but wait a few more chapters, I'm gonna get back on the hill. But this time they gonna lift me up, and this time when I'm on the hill, I'm gonna let them lift me up. And when they lift me up, I'll draw all men unto me. Is there anybody who's been drawn because he got lifted up on the hill? Is there anybody who used to be, but because he went to the hill and got lifted up, now you have eternal life. And Jesus says that I'm gonna let you not have the victory now because I'm gonna have the last victory on the hill. When they nail me in the hands, they think they beat me. When they put the crown of thorns around my head, they think they beating me. When they pierce me in the side, they think they beating me. When they put me in the borrowed tomb, they thought they had the last word. But early, I said early, I said early Sunday morning, I got out of that grave with all power in my hands, and I'm still given power today.

Thrive through it, child of God. Thrive through it. It's trying to throw you off, but you thrive through it.

You can try to take me to the edge, it's always a way out.

Even at the edge, put the pepper in your mouth, son. Even at the edge, there is always a way out. There was no way Jesus should have escaped this, but that's just who he is. That's just who he is. He didn't have to disappear, he just walked straight through them. And that's my word for you today: walk through it. Walk through it. Walk through it. We all for Jesus today.