279: David Little - Exhortation: Depending on God

Automatically transcribed. Accuracy is good but not perfect, and words are sometimes wrong. Trust the audio over the text.

1. 0:13

   Welcome to good Chris Elfion talks. I’m Levi. And I’m Chris. And I’m Brian. Thank you for joining us this week. On this podcast, we select one talk a week to help us get the Bible in our Daily News feed. We post a new episode at the start. Of each week with a short intro beforehand to kind of set the stage for. The talk you’re about to listen to. And now, let’s talk more about this week’s talk. Hello, this is Brother Chris.

2. 0:53

   For this week, we’re listening to an exhortation that was given by. Brother David Little. Last July of 2023 that he gave. At their Verdugo hills, Ecclesia this. Exhortation was one that he mentions at the beginning of his. Exhort he was. Working on writing earlier in the the month of June, but the last Sunday that he was working on it was. Actually, the day.

3. 1:15

   Before he would then. Have a heart attack. Which makes this exhortation even more poignant for him, and the topic in particular especially impactful for him. In The Expectation, Brother David is looking at the willingness that we sometimes slip into in our own lives. To try to solve the problems we face. On our own, rather than relying on God, and often times turning to God for strength or guidance can be the last.

4. 1:45

   Choice that we. Will make until. All else has failed us. He is reminding us that. God should be our. First choice. And without going into. Greater detail about what he talks about because I want. You to hear it from him. I think this is a excellent reminder to us, and I know I found it to be a reminder to myself as well, because sometimes we can be too caught up in the day-to-day things to be instead focused on trying to solve things the way that we normally would in. Day-to-day life.

5. 2:18

   I will make mention that he. Talks about a. Hymn that was sung before the exhortation that was Hymn 137 and that he particularly enjoys that. Favorite. His favorite? Verses from there based on Psalm 3 and looking at verse. Five. So I wanted to mention. Both the hymns in that particular reading, in case you wanted to read through the hymn or that passage in Psalms or even listen to the hymn itself on a pre recorded way.

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   Because I think both of them are an excellent a base and a reminder for us to be the encouragement as we take on our walk. I know we at. Verdugo feel especially blessed to have Brother David to be part of our ecclesial family and I am. Incredibly thankful that he was willing to.

7. 3:01

   Share this exhort as a very. Personal topic for him, but I had multiple. People at the. Ecclesia and also some folks that listen to some of the recordings of Verdugo recommend it. After they heard it. And he was gracious enough to. Allow us to share. It with everyone here and I hope that you find it to be just as encouraging and uplifting as.

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   Those of us that heard it live or have previously. Listened to a recording. Did as well. I’m also especially thankful to God for watching over brother David during last year when he had his heart attack. That they were able to act on it quickly at the hospital where he works. And that he has been able to make a full recovery. So with that, I will now turn you over. To brother David Little for his expectation that he gave at Verdugo Hills last July.

9. 3:46

   Entitled depending on God. Good morning everyone. The medication sometimes messes with my voice, so bear with me sometime. Normally when I know that I’m going to be speaking, I start thinking about the subject I want to go over probably about a month before. SO I’ll look at the readings and if that doesn’t inspire me, I’ll probably think of something that maybe that I’m struggling with because my theory on that is if I’m having a problem, maybe somebody else is having the same problem.

10. 4:23

    I was scheduled for to do this expectation on June 18th, but I traded with Russ because he asked me to. And the reason I’m mentioning this is because this subject and that hymn that we sung this morning I chose before I had that heart attack. I used our on that Sunday before I used our quiet time here that we do to write the outline of this expectation. With that said, it’s story time.

11. 5:01

    When I was in elementary school, I would normally take the bus to school and to and from school. I think it was probably maybe kindergarten first grade. It was pretty early on in life, and one morning I remember that I had some doctor’s appointments, so my mom drove me to the doctor’s appointment and then she dropped me off at school.

12. 5:31

    Now I have a very logical mind, and probably why I work well with computers is because computers are quite logical. And when they’re not, that’s when I go, hey, you’re not being logical, and I try to figure out why. So since Mom dropped me off, Mom would be picking me up. So I stood outside the school after school and I’d let the bus go and I waited for mom and mom didn’t show up.

13. 6:02

    So me being me, I walked home. Now according to Google Maps, it’s was a it’s a 2.66 mile walk and would take somebody about 45 minutes to walk in. And I got home because I knew the way, you know, because I’m pay attention to where I’m going. And I’m, I’m pretty good at that, you know, if I’ve been somewhere, I can get back to it usually. So I walk into the house and I I see my mom and she says you’re early because I beat the bus home. And the reason for that is because my stop was second to the last.

14. 6:47

    So it went up into the hills of Monrovia and then back down and then got there and I told her that I walked home and she did not believe me. It’s the walk didn’t seem that long, but I guess if you’re, you know, in elementary school, it probably was pretty long. But that kind of started my my independent streak. Fast forward a little bit to when I was about 10 years old. That’s when we got our first microwave and Mom showed us how to properly cook a hot dog, you know, poke it so it doesn’t explode and put it in there.

15. 7:33

    We already learned how to do those TV dinners where, you know, you have to unfold part of the that aluminum, put them in and that. But then we’re also taught how to do our own laundry. And the reasons for this was because Mom was going to nursing school and wouldn’t have time for us anymore. So we had to take care of ourselves. Each of us received a key to the house, so we became part of that generation known as latchkey kids. So a lot of times we get home from school, probably later on, probably junior high, almost high, and we come home and there’ll be nobody home.

16. 8:21

    It’ll be just us kids, so we, you know, take care of ourselves. Maybe dad could home or mom often worked overnight or Anyway, that’s one thing. I guess you can say that probably is the goal of any parent. I’m not a parent, so I can’t really have a true idea of this, but you want your kids to be independent at some point. Some parents can probably not be that way, but I’m pretty sure that most parents want their kids to be independent on and on their own.

17. 9:01

    So because of this, I’ve become very independent, so I rely pretty much on myself. I live by myself. I haven’t had to, haven’t had to go home for lack of not having support. Once I moved out, I did move back in after my dad passed, but that was because mom needed my support. So when the pandemic hit, nothing really changed for me. Because I work at a hospital, I still went to the hospital every day because the computers will break down and you have to be there for a lot of the work that I do. And staying home was not a big deal because I like to tell my friend a lot.

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    My good friend, I tell her I’m a hermit, so it wasn’t a big deal for me to, you know, to be at my apartment and not leave. Sometimes I don’t leave for the weekend at all.

19. 10:07

    And I’m pretty good at you know I can keep myself entertained. So I I it’s not that I don’t. I do enjoy being around people. I have my collegiate family here, which is great. I still have my brother and sister. My parents have you know been gone for a while. I have a second family. You may know them the riches, they’ve kind of adopt me. They invite me for holidays and stuff, and they’re really good friends to me.

20. 10:40

    And like I said, they’re they’re like a second family. So this is where my struggle comes in. If I’m this independent, if we are this independent, how do we become dependent on God? Well, I’d like to start out this journey by looking at something we really don’t have control over, but we maybe just think about it because it it hinders us. So when you turn over to Romans Chapter 7, and we’re just going to read about 10 verses here, So Romans Chapter 7, starting at verse 15.

21. 11:27

    And I’m reading from the ESV to to the end of the chapter. For I do not understand my own actions, for I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now, if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, and that is good. So now it’s no longer that I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.

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    For I know that nothing good dwells in me that is my flesh. For I have desire to do what is right, but not the the ability to carry it out. For I do not the good I I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God in my inner being, but I see my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am, who will deliver to me from this body of death, thanks be to God, through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then I myself serve the law of God with my mind. With my flesh, I serve the law of sin. I hope that I was able to emphasize my points there. Did you count how many times that pronoun I was in there? It’s quite a bit.

23. 13:20

    Does this describe you? We do like to beat ourselves up quite a bit. Or maybe it’s just me, But this can become a hindrance for us because maybe we focus too much on Romans 7 and saying, oh this is me, I’m the chief Sinner, as Paul says, and we beat ourselves up. But we forget a lot of things and we forget the next chapter, and this is the next chapter that we need to focus on.

24. 13:56

    Romans 8 verse one. There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Now, speaker once said that Romans 8 is an apology for Romans 7, and I love that. So let’s look at a couple of other references and say that we really shouldn’t be beating ourselves up on on these things. So our first one is going to be first. John chapter 2, verse 20 and 29.

25. 14:36

    And now little children abide in him, so that when he appears we have may have confidence and not shrink from him and the shame of his coming. We know that he is righteous, may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness may be born of him. And now the important parts of that is that we are practice seeking righteousness.

26. 15:01

    Now we have some musicians in here. We know musicians practice. But the reason you practice is to not make mistakes. But you still make mistakes. So you keep practicing and you keep practicing so you’re not making those mistakes anymore. And that’s what we’re doing. We, we’re our own worst critics when it comes to that.

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    So you may slip up and that is fine as long as you keep practicing. Turn over just one chapter to 1st John 321. And this is also related back to Romans 7. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God. So don’t let your heart condemn you. We are fallible creatures, so when things like this happen,

28. 16:01

    talk to God and move on and don’t dwell on it. And that’s what Romans 7 kind of says, that Paul is dwelling on us. So we can always we always remember that we can go for God, for the help, for forgiveness when we inadvertently sin. Of course of course we should avoid intentionally sinning continuing in first John there in first John 4 verse 13. And and this is an important one, because it’s also part of the prayer and John 17 By this we know that we abide in Him and He and us, because He has given us of His Spirit. And flip over to John 17/21/20 and 21 we have We see that in his prayer He asks do not ask for these only, but for those who will believe in me through their word that they may be all in one, just as you Father are in me and I am in you. That they may also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sinned on Me.

29. 17:12

    So keeping these things in mind, let’s do some things. Let’s look at some things that can help us become more dependent on God rather than ourselves. So the 1st and most important one is humility, to become humble. It’s probably one of the most difficult ones for us to accomplish, because if you say to yourself that you’re a humble person, you’re not.

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    I’m going to step into some difficult train, so bear with me if I should stumble. There is one verse that I’ve chosen, and I’ve recited this for several, several years and modified it to be kind of a call and an answer. Turn to Psalm 3, Psalm 3, verse five.

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    I lay down and slept. I woke again for the Lord sustained sustained me. If during the day I only managed to pray for my meals, I will say this before I go to sleep. I’m laying down to sleep, but I’ll wake if you sustain me. And when I wake up in the morning, I recite the verse.

32. 18:49

    I lay down and slept. I woke again because you sustained me. I said this on June 4th, the night before my heart attack. It is not lost on me that I quite possibly would have just not woken up and just pass through the night. However, I believe I woke up because the Lord sustained me. I lay down and slept.

33. 19:29

    I woke again, for the Lord sustained me Fully. Depending on God involves letting go of the power that you have and seeking humility before God. You must recognize the proper position and recognize who God is and that He alone creates, maintains, and upholds all things. Consider Revelation 4, verse 10 and 11. 24 elders fell down before him.

34. 20:16

    He was seated on the throne and worshiped him who lives forever and ever. They cast down their crowns before the throne, saying, Worthy Are you or our God to receive glory and honor and power? For you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created. As we become more dependent on God, we must grow to trust His word.

35. 20:47

    We tend to put our trust in worldly measures, and with the problem that we sorry, we tend to put our trust in worldly measures. The problem with that is that we resort to depending on God when those measures fail. That God is a backup to whatever problem we need to overcome, we’re told in Ephesians 320. Now to him was able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think according to the power at work within us. In order to grow stronger and build dependence on God, we have to spend time daily in His word.

36. 21:44

    We have our daily Bible readings. However, if you can’t quite get through the readings, maybe it’s March and we’re in Leviticus. I suggest something that a brother Peter said. There are 31 proverbs, so pick the date and go. For example, today is the 9th. Read Proverbs 9 but always read something. Every day we have our little walking group and we get a passive for a day to think on and ponder as we walk.

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    As long as you do something, don’t skip it at all. There are two great books that help us when we walk the Psalms and the Proverbs. Appropriately, one follows the other from songs. We learn specifically to praise God, to worship Him for His goodness, strength, and majesty. By this means we look outward toward God.

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    From the Proverbs we learn to match our praise with performance. We look inwards. We let we see ourselves as we really are feeble and prone to error. We learn of the rules that we must follow to please God, practical requirements of the truth for daily performance. We learn what is required in putting to death the works of the flesh, the dying to sin as Christ did, of living to God as Christ did.

39. 23:35

    When it comes to depending on God, it’s it’s turning the focus from ourselves back to God. Time with the Lord in prayer does just that. We draw nearer to our Heavenly Father, bow before him, asking for help and living fully dependent on him. And he should do that for everything, not just praying for the meals of the day.

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    Not just praying for something that maybe you need, Maybe just a prayer of praise. Pray for other people. I find that’s the best type of prayer because you’re looking outward. Remember things that have happened to you in the past. Listen in stillness.

41. 24:41

    Look for his response and his rescue. Be encouraged by his strength in prayer. We return his greatness, power, and unusual love. Who draws in to learn that there’s no safer place than in full dependence of God? Remember in times past when you depended on God and relied on His strength? Write those Write those things down, and then you can return those in praise intentionally look for ways that God has come through for you. Praise recognizes God for who He is and when we can praise his very nature.

42. 25:39

    We can take an example from Daniel after God to get gave to him the mystery of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. Daniel Two verse 20 Daniel answered and said blessed be the name of God forever and ever. To him belong wisdom and might. He changed his times and seasons. He removes kings and sets up kings.

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    He gives wisdom to the wise, and knowledge to those who have understanding. He reveals deep and hidden things. He knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with it with him. To you, O God of my Father’s, I give thanks and praise. For you have given me wisdom and might, and have now made known to Me What we ask of you, for you have made known to us the King’s manner. We know that God’s ways is not necessarily our ways, but little by little we can surrender our moments to Him. We will grow to depend on Him more and more. We will grow to waver, to not waver and believing in God’s promises and know with absolute assurance that He’ll come through for us.

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    There are benefits to depending on God. Just run through some verses here. Psalm 2510. All the paths of the Lord are steadfast, are steadfast love and faithfulness for those who keep His covenant and His testimonies. God will guide us to His unfailing love. But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength.

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    For they mount, for shall they shall mount up with wings like Eagles. They shall run and not be worried. They shall walk and not faint. God will renew our strength. Do not be anxious for about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with Thanksgiving, let your let your request be made known to God, and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

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    God will envelope this with this peace, so that your faith may not rest in wisdom of men, but in the power of God. Our faith will be deepened. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain. Our hope is anchored, so we have come here this morning around this table to remember the sacrifice that Jesus gave, that we may have life.

47. 28:49

    And we know from John 5, verse 30 that Jesus says I can do nothing of my own. And as I hear, I judge my judgement is dust because I seek not my own will, but the will of him who sent me. All that he could do, He could only do because he was dependent on God.

48. 29:11

    And I often wonder about that prayer that he says in the garden and the cup that could be removed from him. And we look for a little further down at Luke 22 and being in agony, he prayed more earnestly. His sweat become like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

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    I wonder if that was just the fear of what was going to happen. I mean he has resurrected people before so he knows that that power is there. And I wonder that he because of the temptation and he refused Satan that the OR the the temptation to you know create bread from these rocks or you know you can have power over these kingdoms that he wouldn’t use any power to maybe relieve some of the pain that he was about to endure.

50. 30:19

    The and and Mark We read that the chief priests and the scribes mocked him, saying just for that he saved others. But a him himself cannot save and if he were to save himself, that would defeat the entire purpose. He was only to be saved by God, but he had to walk through that valley of death first. I like to think that it was the dying part that he didn’t want to experience.

51. 30:57

    And I I can understand that because I have often said that I’m I’m not afraid of death, I’m afraid of dying. So while I sat in that emergency room, I had a lot of time to ponder a few things. I had said a prayer to get me to the ER safely. I had said a prayer for the care team that I know would be handling me and past God bless their hands. The remarkable thing is that I was calm the entire time. I wasn’t nervous.

52. 31:36

    I wasn’t in a state of panic because I realized one thing and you’re probably not going to like this statement. I was fine with either outcome. Either. I would be able to continue to serve God here or I just beat beat the rest of you to the Kingdom. I’ve often said that I don’t fear death, I fear dying and epiphany that I had is that death, death doesn’t really exist for us. What is always said when somebody passes away in the truth, their next waking moment is the resurrection. So that’s what I like to say to you. Don’t think of it as death, think of it as a resurrection when that time comes.

53. 32:43

    That being said, even though I was fine with either outcome, my third prayer as I was being wheeled in the operating room was a request to stick around. Jesus was dependent on God to raise him from the grave. I believe this sacrifice changed that for believers, and it brings a peace upon us, because death is no longer an issue. If we have the resurrection, death has become a footnote, appropriately described as a sting it would be for us like stepping through a door.

54. 33:31

    So with that hymn this morning, Father, I ask all my that all my life may be or ruled by thee, because I depend on you. The changes then that surely come I shall not fear to see, because I trust you, ask thee for a steadfast vine, intent on pleasing thee, because not my will, but yours.

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56. 34:31

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57. 34:54

    And here one that. You think we should share? Please tell us about it. You can send a suggestion using the Contact Us tab on our website or message us on any of our social media accounts. Thank you for listening. God bless and talk to you next week.