99 Is Not Too Late I Robert Madu I Social Dallas

Before we jump into today's message, we wanted to take just a moment and personally thank you for being a part of our social global family. - Yes, we are standing in the future home of social Dallas. Demolition has officially started, and every day we're getting closer to making the space a place where thousands of people will encounter Jesus for years to come. - And if these messages have encouraged you, strengthen your faith, or helped you grow in any way, would you partner with us? Your generosity helps us continue sharing messages like the one you're about to watch, and helps us build a permanent home when lives will be changed forever. - To support the Amos Home Campaign, visit socialdallas.com/give and select Amos Home in the Giving Options, or you can text the word "give" to 469-715-3755. - Whether it's a one-time gift or becoming a recurring partner, every gift makes impact, and every dollar moves dirt. - Thank you for believing in what God is doing through social Dallas. - Here's today's message. - I'm telling you, if you come to church, you're like, "Well, I ain't saying so much." You ain't going like heaven, fam.

(laughing) Just letting you know right now, ain't gonna be no preaching in heaven. It would just be us giving glory and honor to the great one, his name is Jesus. So, are you glad you're here today? You like who you worshiped next to? When they sing an on-key or off-key? (laughing) I'm asking 'cause I check. I sure do. I mean, if they're in my hands, be like, "Oh, they can say it." Sometimes I'm like, "Oh, they shouldn't." Lips think for the Lord now, I'm playing. Hey, I'm so glad that you're here. I wanna thank God for our social global family that's watching right now from around the world. Come on, social global, we love you. Let us know in the chats where you're watching from. I'd like to shout out City, shout out Atlanta, shout out Los Angeles, shout out London, shout out foreign Texas. Somebody send me an email and say, "You shouted out foreign and I'm moving to foreign." And gonna start coming to social Dallas. So you never go. So today's gonna be a good day. You look good. You look like you have confident trust in our God.

Come on, if you're new to social, that is our word for this year. Come on, we're gonna have confident trust in the Lord. And so we remind ourselves every single Sunday with our verse of the year. We have declared this verse every single Sunday of 2025. So we may as well do it again today. Come on, y'all ready? He said Hebrews chapter 10 verses 35 to 37. Remember, you don't go till I say. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So... Remember the great reward it brings you. Patient endurance is what you need now so that you will continue to do God's will. Then you will receive all that He has promised for in just a little while, the coming one will come and not delay. Anybody believe it? He's coming. (upbeat music) And if you're just tuning in, come on, we are in a series called... Name tags, y'all do pay attention. Come on, name tags. This is week three of our series. We've been looking at the names of God. How many of you know our God has over 60 names in scripture that show us His character, that show us His nature.

And we've been saying this whole series, if you got a need, He has a name. And how many ready to get another name today? You get another name today? Last week, we got Yahweh. He's a covenant keeping God. And today, I want to look at Genesis chapter 17, Genesis 17, and I want to look at verses one through five. Genesis 17, starting in verse number one, and we'll land in verse number five. I'm not gonna wait too long 'cause if you can't find Genesis, help us, Lord, I'm playing. Genesis 17, starting at verse number one, and it says, "When Abram was 99 years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, I am God Almighty. Walk before me faithfully and be blameless. Then I will make my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers. Abram fell face down and God said, No longer will you be called Abram, your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. Can you say amen? Well, it's verse one for me. When Abram was 99 years old, the Lord appeared to Him. Who knew God can still show up at 99? I've tell you, I feel this thing. I preached it to myself already today. I want to tag a title to this text and just talk to you from this simple thought. 99 is not too late. You didn't feel like I needed you to feel it. 99 is not too late. I preach this message today for somebody who's received a promise from God. And maybe you haven't seen it come to pass yet. And the enemy has been loud in your ear saying it's too late. God should have done it earlier this year. God should have done it last year. No, no, no. If you still got a pulse, God still has a purpose and a plan for your life. I don't care if you're 99. 99.

Well, it's not too late. Look at your neighbor say, I know this word for you. I know this word is for you. 99 is not too late. Let's pray. It's going to be a long prayer. Bear with me. God speak today. Amen. You may be seated in the presence of the Lord. 99 is not too late. Social fam, last week, my first-born daughter celebrated her 12th birthday. Everly a dare would do. Y'all clap and pray. Pray for me. She celebrated her 12th birthday. I cannot believe I have a 12-year-old baby girl. And she came up to me before her birthday and she said, Dan, I want to have a party and I want to have the party at our house. And I said, of course you can have the party at our house. Because she's kind of wired like me. I thought it was going to be a party with just a few people, just a little small, intimate party. I soon found out that it was not just a few friends. It was the entire sixth-grade class. Oh, yes. Whole sixth-grade class, all the girls showed up to our house for her party. And there they were having a good time. Popcorn everywhere. Fray a sky playing in the background. And I was watching the joy on my daughter's face. And that's when it hit me. It hit me that whenever you are younger, you can't wait for the next number. Come on. Anybody remember that feeling? That feeling of looking forward to your birthday. Because every birthday was like a doorway to a new opportunity, to a new possibility. You loved your birthdays when you were growing up. Because it was understanding that a restriction was about to be released off of you. And you're about to step into something new. Come on, some of y'all too old to remember. But you remember nine? Remember you were not about to turn 10? Remember how hype you were? You're like, I'll never be a single digit another day of my life. About to be 10. 10, remember that? Remember when you were 12, about to turn 13? You would tell me, I'm 12 and a half. That's when you're young. That's young people. So young be like, I'm 60 and a half. 12, about to turn 13. Couldn't wait to be a teenager. Remember 16? Getting ready to turn 16? I can't wait to drive. I'm going to be 16. They should let 16-year-olds be Uber drivers. Come on. Because can't nobody wait to drive you somewhere like a 16-year-old just got paid license. Remember 18? I'm grown now. I can vote. I'm an adult. Remember 21? Yeah, 21. I'm 21. I can walk straight up to the counter with no condemnation, pull out my ID, and I can finally rent a car. What do you think I was about to say? Don't tell all yourself. I'll tell you one age from me, 25. I remember 25. I couldn't wait to turn 25 because I started traveling and preaching in my 20s. And I loved when I turned 25 because at 25,

guess what? They stopped charging you that extra fee at the rental place. At $25 adds up per day. I couldn't wait to turn 25, which never made sense to me. 24, you unreliable. Oh, 25. Now you responsible. Take the fee off. But when you're younger, every single number was a feeling of a new door somewhere along the way, new numbers stop feeling like open doors and start feeling like deadlines that you missed. Can we tell the truth? Now, instead of saying things like, "When I get to this age, I finally get to blank." Now you start saying stuff like, "I thought I would have done that by now. I thought I would be married by now. I thought I would have some kids by now. I thought by now I would finally be in the career that I dreamed of. I thought by now I would finally have this amount in my bank account. Man, I thought by now the dream that God put in my heart. So long ago, I would actually be walking into it. Does anybody know what it's like to be getting older? And sometimes age doesn't make you feel old. It just makes you feel late. All of a sudden, the number is putting pressure on your expectations. And if you're not careful, you can start allowing the number to tell you what is still possible. You'll start allowing a number to let you know whether or not you should be at a certain place in life. And y'all, this is what drew me to our text today in Genesis chapter 17, verse number one. It begins chapter 17 by letting us know when Abram was 99 years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, "I am God Almighty." When Abraham was a 99, God showed up.

When Abram was a howl, I need you to feel that 99, 99 years old, God is still showing up to you at 99. I don't care how old you are today. How many know 99 is old enough for you to say, "It's too late for God to do that." 99 is one of those ages that you can start hanging some stuff up at 99. At 99, you are not on the edge on the precipice of something new. Come on, at 99, you're shutting some things down. 99 years old, I did my research, according to the CDC, the average age of an American male today, life expectancy is 77 years old. Ladies, you only got that much more. 81 for ladies. But Abraham is 99. 99 is one of those ages where you say, "It's too late for that." Come on, at 99, you ain't talking about, I think I'm going to try out for the NFL at 99. No, I think I'm going to run my first marathon at 91. You better sit down at 99. You ain't running the marathon. I think I'll pick up pickleball at 99. No, no, no, there's a whole list of things. But I'll tell you a thing, you put it at the top of the list. You should not be trying to have a child at 99. Not having a child should not be at the top of your list at 99. This must be changing diapers at 99. At 99, you might need your diaper change. Come on, somebody. At 99, what are we talking about? You can't be helping a toddler walk at 99.

Not somebody need to be helping you walk at 99. That's one of the reasons I'm nice to my kids. Amen, because it's going to reverse. And I need you to take care of me. Come on, I helped you walk. You better help me walk. Ed, you feed me. 99, this is where Abram is. He's 99 years old. 99 is too late. It's way too late, unless you're dealing with God Almighty. Oh yeah, 99 is too late, unless it depends on your strength and not God's. It's too late if the outcome is limited to your ability. It's too late if your body gets the final say. But how many thankful today that God can give you a revelation at the place of your limitation and let you know it's not too late? I can still do it. Your limitation is not my limitation. Just because you failed, it doesn't mean that I'm not faithful. Is there anybody thankful today that with God, 99? Come on, somebody, it's still not too late. 99 is not too late. It brings me into our text today and before we go deep into this, we have to get context on the number and the name that we get in Genesis 17. Because Abram's story does not begin with him being 99. Nor does it start in Genesis chapter 17. His story, if you back that thing up biblically, it starts in Genesis chapter 11. That's where his story really starts. And I think it's intriguing to know that because one of the things I've often told you is that the Bible is not just the collection of all these random stories that don't relate to each other.

How many know the Bible is one complete story? It is one story. And I find it intriguing that Abram's story is not the same. And before his name is even mentioned, we find out something happening in Genesis 11. Humanity at the time has gotten together and started building a tower. They're in unity to build a tower to reach the heavens. They're trying to get to God and everybody's getting together to build a tower to God. Look at what it says in Genesis 11 verse four. They people say, come let us build ourselves a city with the tower that reaches to the heavens. So that, here it is, we may make a name for ourselves. Ooh, talk about a text that has to be in the name tag series because all the way from Genesis, humanity has had this inner propensity to do whatever we can in our own tower to make a name for ourselves. We've always had this inner thing that says, let me make myself great. Let me make myself known. Let me elevate myself. They wanted to make a name for themselves. Human desire is to make a name for ourselves. So I find it intriguing at Babel, they're saying, let us make our name great. And then you turn the page in Genesis chapter 12 and God says to Abraham, I will make your name great. You just missed it, hear me.

Did you see the contrast? Genesis 11, let us make our name great. Genesis 12, God says, I will make your name great, Abraham. In other words, Babel is what happens when you try to make a name for yourself. But Abraham is what happens when you let God make your name great. Oh, I want to preach that in here today. I'm thankful that God doesn't mind your name being great. He says, don't just try to do it in your own strength. Let me make your name great. Oh, pay me, trust me, and I'll make your name great. But I'm not making your name great just for you. I want to make your name great so somebody can look at you and say, only God could have done that. Only God could have opened up that door. I know her, only God could have got her in that position. I know him, he is ratchet. Only God could have done that. Is there anybody in here that knows that it's only by the grace of God that you are where you are? 'Cause he knows how to make your name great so that you'll ultimately give glory to him. God says, Abraham, I'm gonna make your name great. Look up at the stars, that's how I'm gonna make your descendants. Look at the sand, that's how I'm gonna make your descendants. And I'm not just doing it for you.

I'm doing it to bring glory to my name. Abraham, I'm gonna make you great. But before God tells Abraham that he's gonna do all this great stuff for him, he has a commandment for him essentially. Say, Abraham, don't get it twisted. You're about to blow up. Everybody gonna know you. But I need you to do something first. And this is a big Greek word, actually it's Hebrew word. You gotta go do a big word study on it. Say, Abraham, before any of that happens, I need you to do something for me. Ready? Here's the word. Go. Yeah. Abraham, this is my first commandment for you. Go. Get out of town. I need you to leave your country, your people, your father's household, and go to a land that I will show you. You've got to go. Somebody say go. Say it with your chest, say go. Often when God speaks to you, the first thing he's gonna tell you is to, you don't like that. You don't like that 'cause some of us want to stay stuck

where we are, but when God shows up, He will often tell you, go. I have noticed this pattern as I peruse the pages of scripture that the call of God often requires a move from you. The call of God often requires a move from you. We're always asking God to move. God, please move in my life. God, please move in my family. Oh God, you sit in my bank of town, you sit in my fishing farm. Please move in my finances. God, please move in my situation, but sometimes God has already spoken, and the next move is yours. You ain't waiting on God, He is waiting on you. He will always say move. A revelation of God requires movement, not stagnation. I could go throughout the entire Bible. How many were here last week? Okay, all right, come on, you came back. Amen, remember we talked about Moses last week? Moses is out there watching stanky sheep, and there's a burning bush, and God speaks to him. What does he say? Now, go and tell Pharaoh to let my people go. We have a God that will send you somewhere. When he calls you, he tells you to go. Look at the prophet Isaiah. When he gets a revelation of God,

his cry is, here I am, Lord. Send me wherever you want me to go, I'll go. Look at Peter, remember that day, Jesus encounters him. It says, throw your nets on the other side, and all of a sudden he gets more fish than he knows what to do, but he doesn't start a new fishing business, and he doesn't start expanding his company. He leaves that behind to follow Jesus because he will often tell you to. it's something you move on. Because sometimes before God can show you what is next, He has to get you to leave what is now. And let's be honest, it's hard for us to leave. Anybody got leaving problems? You ain't got to raise your hands, I know you do. Because, Hemmett, we love what's familiar. Oh, we love what's familiar. We love what we know. We love what's comfortable. This thing that blew my mind constantly since I started pastor, this is what blew my mind. I found that people will stay in a church they don't like, in a relationship they don't like, in a job they hate. Not because they're faithful, but because it's familiar. They would rather be miserable in what's familiar than to be uncertain in what's unknown. People will be in, I'm telling my church they don't like. And they'll be talking about the church the whole time they showing up. I can't stand that social balance too big.

It's too many people, I don't even like to pastor. I don't even like, I don't even like, I'm not a fan. They won't be. And you'll be looking at them like, "Well, why don't you go?" Well, all my friends go to this church. They'll be in a job, they can't stand. I can't stand my book, I can't stand this job. Why don't you? Well, I got to get paid, isn't it funny? Complaining about a relationship that God told you should have been over a long time ago. But we'll stand at why? Because we want what's familiar. Ooh, that was too heavy for some of y'all. Let me make it nicer, okay. How many have you been coming to social since we've been at Texas Trust Theater? Can I see your hand since we've been in here? Ooh, that's a lot of y'all come on. Ooh, can I tell you something I know about you because we love what we know? I'm almost willing to bet anything that if you've been coming for a minute, you come in and you sit in the same section in the same area. I'm telling you, somebody got to add it to today because you came in and saw somebody in your seat. They're like, couldn't even lift up your hands to y'all way, talking about, don't you know? This is for us.

We get familiar, same service, same section, same seat. This is my place. It is humanity just to get stuck in what's familiar and often God is saying, I got something new for you and I need you to go. If I'm gonna do something new in your life, you got to leave what's familiar. Somebody shall go. Yes, God is a God that'll say, go. Two-thirds of God's name is, ooh. Some y'all get that tomorrow, go, go. Because following God will eventually require you to go somewhere you've never been, to leave something you've always known or watch this, become somebody you've never been before. Some y'all have actually perfected the art of leaving in the name of God. You met that person, ooh God told me to go, this your 30th church since you've been in Dallas. Something the spirit, you know how you turn up your nose, get real spiritual, someone's off. Something's off that, every place you go. So sometimes God didn't really call you to go, you just need to stay there and grow. But hear me, I know in my own life, sometimes the easiest place to leave is a geographical location. Sometimes God won't call you, just leave geography, he'll call you to leave a mentality. He will call you to leave immaturity

and let you know you cannot function in the next level that I have for you if you're gonna carry that old mentality, that old immaturity, that old way of thinking, I'm telling you what I know. Ah, sometimes I'd rather move places than to leave immaturity. But this thing has called me to grow. In many ways, I didn't even realize I needed to grow. You know how hard that is? When God says, "Leave that behind." That's not who I've called you to be. You know how hard it is when you are wired to be petty? And God said, "Leave that behind." I need you to grow up, I need you. You know what frustrating is? To know you've helped people and know you've been there for them and know you showed up for them and then know they talking about you all the while and then you see them and God says, "Go over there and say hi, be the bigger person." And you got to walk over there and say, "Hey, "how are you?" Sometimes, I don't want to leave that place. I'd rather stay. But God says, "No Abraham, "for where I'm taking you, I need you to leave." How old was he when he had to leave? I think you've got to understand his numbers to understand his life.

Let's look at it, Genesis chapter 12, verse number four. It says, "So Abraham went, as the Lord had told him, "and lot went with him. "Abram was, how long? "75 years old when he set out from Huron. "Whoo, he was 75. at 75, God promises to make him a great nation. At 75, God says, "I will bless you." At 75, God says, "I will make your name great." At 75, watch this, God asked him to leave what is familiar for a place that he would show him. I want to help some of y'all today that need God to outline every single detail for you and give you a picture-perfect 10-year plan about what the next step is, you ain't going to get it and you will be stuck waiting on it. This is why he's called the Father of Faith because faith requires leaving what's familiar and just stepping out on a word from God. Oh, come on Father Abraham had many sons, many sons had Father Abraham. He did not have a map, he did not have a destination. God said, "I will show you," and he did it at 75. Did y'all put that on the screen? Put 75, I want you to see that, that's a big number because he went at 75. Hear me, God's calling you to go and you don't have to leave perfectly because Abraham watched this, he left, he did not leave perfectly. Watch this, it's in that little phrase that says, "And a lot went with him." Abraham got the word, "Leave your father's household, leave your country, leave your family." And he left but it said that a lot went with him. Y'all, a lot is his nephew. God said, "Leave your family." Last time I checked a nephew is, what is this dude doing with you in the car Abraham? A lot went with him back in the day. I used to preach a message just on this thought right here. I called it, "You got a lot to get rid of." Yeah, because some of us step into places and we're obedient but then we bring people along with us that never were supposed to go on the journey. Then we're confused why our disobedience is causing drama when God said, "I never ordained or authorized them to go with you." Oh, preach, Robert Medu in the first place. Why is Lot in the car when God said, "Leave your family behind?" You've studied the family tree in Genesis 11. I think you get some empathy as to why Lot gets in the car with Abraham. The Bible feels the need to let us know that Lot lost his father at a young age. So here you have Lot who never had a father, the pain of not having your father. The Bible feels the need to let us know that. That need meets Abraham or let's keep it in the

text. Abraham, which by the way means exalted father. So every time they called them, they said, "Come here exalted father. How are you doing exalted father?" You know how frustrating it is to be called something that you don't see in your own life. God, how are you calling me blessed and my money is funny and my change is strange and I don't see it. How are you saying I'm the head and not the tail and every single opportunity that should be opening for me in this season of life is not opening. Every time they called his name, it was a painful reminder. I don't have a son yet I'm called exalted father. So you got Abraham with a need and a longing for a son and Lot with a need and longing for a father. No wonder he took him with him. All that the people that get in the car with us because they are meeting a need in our lives. But just because they are meeting a need does not mean that God ordained for them to go with you. Oh, I don't know who this is for today, but you got to look at some lots in your life and say I love you but I got to leave. I love you but God has greater for me. I love you but I've got to obey God. They had to separate sometimes the people you leave aren't even evil. It's just that they can't go with you into the next place. Oh, come on. It'd be easy if every person God told you to leave behind was the evil person their head was spinning around like the exorcist and the eyes were red and they're like it'd be easy to leave. They're like, oh, yo, fam, God's calling me to leave. No, no, your head can keep spinning. I'm just saying I can't be connected. What do you do when the person God tells you to leave behind is actually somebody you care about and they're actually fulfilling a need in your life that God says I want you to leave it because I want to fulfill that for you. I want you to trust me and that's when you've got to look at them and understand that sometimes you've got to let go. even if it kills you to let it go. So he leaves Lot behind to step into what God has for him. But here's what I want you to remember. What age is he? - Five. - Seven. - 75, Abraham goes and the promise is given. He steps out, he trusts God. Now, I would love the Bible. If at 75 he gets the promise and at 75 he gets the baby.

Wouldn't that be amazing? I can preach that all day. Trust God, we serve an Amazon Prime God. If you click it, he can get it to you at less than 24 hours. I preach that all day. That ain't what happened. 75 he gets the promise. Does he get a child at 75? No. He goes from 75, watch this. To the next number, don't miss it. 86, yeah. Put that on the screen. I wish I could see my preaching brain. I was gonna have them bring out some birthday candles and put a big 86 to let on with each number. 'Cause this is a big number for Abraham's life. 75 he gets the promise. But then we get to 86, 86. Anybody in here you work in the restaurant industry, come on, yeah. Y'all know 86, 86 is when you ran out of something. 86 that order, we ain't got it, 86 it. In fact, I think sometimes 86 can even be when you go to a restaurant and you order something and it'll look good on the menu, but then they bring it out to you. You're like, oh no, uh-uh. This don't work, 86 this, send it back.

By the way, there's two types of people in this room. (laughs) Two types of people, some of you that are like PT, okay? She order something, she don't like it. Comes to the table, guess what? She gonna sit through that thing. She even lied to the waiter, you know? Is everything okay? Oh no, it's crying. I don't know, no, no, I'm allergic, but I'm not scraping off, I'm not scraping off. She's more safe than me. I don't do that. I'm gonna send it back. 86 this, I don't want to, no, no, no, no, no. I thought it looked better on paper. I'm sorry, no, no, no. Y'all fooled me on the TikTok real, uh-uh. Never mind, send it back, I know, I know. I know I ordered it, send it back, 86 it. Don't you wish that life had an 86 button that you could send some stuff back? I didn't know when I got in this relationship, you're gonna leave me down this back. 86, send it back. I didn't know this child was gonna come out like this. 86, I have not slept in five years. Send it back, don't you wish. Life had an 86 button, life does not have an 86 button. Hear me, there are some things in life,

you can't send back. And this is where Abraham and his wife, Sarah, come to this point in their life. I want you to see it in the text. It's in chapter 16 of Genesis, verses 15 and 16. And it says, so Hagar gave Abram a son, and Abram named him Ishmael. Abraham was. How old? 86 when Ishmael was born. Now I don't wanna assume that everybody in this room graduated from Sunday school, and you know this story. But if you know this story right here, you understand what happened when Hagar and Abram have a son, and at 86 Ishmael is born. This is a turning point in Abram's life, 'cause I want you to see this. He can't send this mistake back. He can't change this thing. Abram at this point in his life had already been promised descendants. God had told him, and air is gonna come from you, but here's the problem, years kept passing by. And Sarah is not able to conceive. So Genesis 16 opens with Sarah, looking at a promise from God, and then looking at a reality that does not seem to match. Anybody know what it's like to look at a promise from God, but to look at your reality, and it's not matching up, and this is where waiting gets dangerous.

Waiting gets dangerous, because when God takes longer than you expected, you can start trying to figure out how to make what God said happen. Come on, here's somebody. Has God ever taken so long for a promise to come to pass that you start telling yourself, "Maybe y'all ain't need some help. "Maybe he needs me to help him. "Speed this thing up a little bit, "cause I've been waiting 13 years, "and it's not happening. Yeah, flesh illonians has a scripture. God helps those who help themselves. That ain't in the Bible. It's when you feel like you have to start helping the promise of God. So watch how they think they should help God. This is crazy, but it's in your Bible. Sarah says, "Abraham, it's not happening. We're not having a child. But I got this servant Hagar. Maybe she initiates the idea. Maybe if you sleep with her and she gets pregnant, we can help the promise of God come to pass." She initiated it. Now, ladies, I see you right now. Turn your next and let me tell you what I'm not about to do. But understand, in that culture and in that time period, this was not ridiculous. It was a cultural norm.

Isn't that interesting that a cultural norm can be so opposite and antithetical to the kingdom and the way God wants to do something? In that time period, it was not out of the ordinary for a woman who could not conceive to have a servant give birth and watch this ain't no artificial in simulation. Is Abraham going into 10? Hello. Noticing the text, "Abraham does not reject her idea." I'm in the Bible. He's like, "Well, if you, if you so so, I'll be all right. You think?" It seems like it's funny until all of a sudden, Ishmael is born because they tried to produce the plan of God in their own strength and now drama is occurring. What do you do when you tried to help the plan of God and you made a mistake? What did you do when your impatience made you make a decision that you are going to regret for the rest of your life? Ishmael is born. Now, let's be clear, Ishmael is not the mistake. Ishmael, the child, is not the mistake. I feel the need to tell somebody who might find himself in this situation today. Hear me. The child was not the mistake. Ishmael is not the mistake. I'll prove it in the text. Tell me why God says, "I'm still going to bless Ishmael. I still got a plan for Ishmael. I still see Ishmael and I still see Hagar. The child was not the mistake. The mistake was trying to accomplish the plan of God in your own strength.

The mistake is trying to produce something with your flesh that can only be done in the spirit." That was the mistake. Ishmael was not the mistake. The problem is when you try to produce what God has promised. Now you can play and make it sound real spiritual. So watch this. He's 86. God hasn't said a word to him. Here's Ishmael. And he's convinced himself, him and Sarah, maybe this was God's plan. Maybe this was the way. Have you ever looked back at a mistake and tried to rationalize it in your own mind? That maybe this was God's plan. 86 is where it leaves us. Watch this until he turns the page. You got to turn the page from Genesis 16 to Genesis chapter 17 and turn the page right when you think that Abraham and Sarah have made the biggest mistake of their life and it is completely over for them. And the promise of God can't come to pass. Watch this. All you'll do is turn the page to Genesis chapter 17. And God has a new word for Abraham in Genesis 16. I don't know who this message is for today, but I feel like God told me to tell you, you got to turn the page. Some of you have been stuck on a chapter where you failed. You've been stuck on a chapter where you messed up and you keep playing it over and over again in your mind saying, how can I be so stupid? How can I have done that? And God said, that might have been a bad chapter, but it is not your life.

Is there anybody thankful today that we serve a God that doesn't let you be defined by a bad chapter? You got to turn the page. Turn the page reminds me that God is the author and the finisher of my faith. I'm not going to be stuck in this chapter. Somebody say, turn the page. Why are you meditating on a chapter? that's when you get Genesis chapter 17. When you turn the page and look at what God says, God doesn't show up and say, "Abraham, you messed up at 86. I can't believe you did that." That's not what God says. Here's what he says, "When Abraham was 99 years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, 'I am God Almighty.' Abraham, I know you messed up, but guess what, I am still God Almighty. Abraham, I know you thought that last chapter was gonna kill you, but guess what? It's a new chapter. I know you're 99, I am God Almighty. Abraham, I know you think that you're out of place of limitation, but I'm about to give you a revelation of who I am, I am God Almighty. I feel like somebody in here. If you could just have the faith to turn the page, God's gonna reveal to you, I am the Lord God Almighty. I may as well give it to you. Do you know what that means? El Shaddai, when he turns the page,

he's giving him a new name tag that even though you had a limitation at 99, it's not too late. I am El Shaddai, I am the God Almighty. When you got weakness, I ain't got weakness. It begins with my strength. I wish somebody would get on your feet and give God praise like you know, he is El Shaddai. He is the all-sufficient one. He is the God that has no ending. He is the God that is the alpha and the omega. I might have reached my limitations, but he didn't reach his, he is El Shaddai. Somebody shout, "El Shaddai." Whoo, you need that name. You need that name. El Shaddai, God Almighty. This is the first time God reveals this name to humanity. El Shaddai, God Almighty. And he reveals it at what age? 99. Ooh, you would think he would reveal El Shaddai at 25. But at 25, you're too arrogant. And you think it's your strength and your youth and your vitality. But often God has to get you to 99. He's got to get you to the place where your might ends so he can show you how strong his might is. 99. 99, hear me today.

It's not too late. Sometimes he's got to get you to the place of your strength ending. So he can reveal, "Hi, El Shaddai, the mighty one." That word, that name tag appears. Don't miss it, 48 times in your Bible. God flexes El Shaddai, all sufficient one El Shaddai. It shows up more in the book of Job than any other book in the Bible. Come on, somebody, a book where a man could not even understand why in the world he was going through what he was going through. And he calls out, "Watch this to El Shaddai." I don't understand this and I'm at my weakest. So I got to call El Shaddai. Somebody is facing something right now and I came to tell you it is a job for El Shaddai. It is a job for El Shaddai. If your strength is ending, call on El Shaddai. If you feel like you've got no more breath in you, call on El Shaddai. He is the mighty one. He is the all sufficient one. I'm El Shaddai, when your strength ends, I'll show you my strength. I wish Abraham would have started shouting and giving God praise as soon as he revealed El Shaddai. No, he just like you and me. He still didn't see how. He's like, God, how?

At 99, Sarah's 90. Sarah gets the word from God and she laughs. So for real, 90, I'm gonna have a child. Okay, she laughs and look at God. He still has grace, even for them that don't believe at this point. Look at his goodness, he lets them know. In verse 17, verse 21, "But my covenant will be confirmed with Isaac." Watch this, who will be born to you and Sarah about this time when? What time? So you mean to tell me God at 75, you gave me the promise. At 86, I still don't see the promise come to pass. So my impatience makes me help you and gets me in a situation that complicates your promise 'cause I got a son named Ishmael. And then you show up at 99 to let me know that you are El Shaddai, God Almighty. And you still don't give me a son at 99. You're saying this time next year, what's gonna happen next year? That means I'm turning 100. absolutely because I'm a God that'll keep it 100 I'm the God that'll call you at 75 I'm the God that even when your mistake complicated my promise your mistake does not make my word for it I'm still gonna show up at 99 and I'll get you to 100 and show y'all now sit on why you keep putting them numbers on the screen because somebody needs to know

that when the numbers are stacked against you there's a name that's working for you did you hear what I just said when the numbers are stacked against you there is a name that's working for you and this else should I y'all I am preaching this message from theory today I'm preaching this from the valley I have never in my entire adult life been faced with numbers that is so much bigger than me with stuff I didn't go to school and prepare for they told me how to preach and teach me how to do building plans and understand everything is up to code I got numbers that are bigger than me I got so much demand that I sometimes step up here on Sunday and go God I don't know how I can balance it all how do I lead my family and how do I show up at the football game and the volleyball game and still preach a word and lead the staff I don't got enough straight for that and I'm learning I'm not supposed to because I have else should die it's not my strength it's when the numbers are stacked against you you got to rely on the name they all should die when I said we hit be bad and I was close today I feel like I'm not just preaching to myself I feel like I'm preaching to somebody who's at ninety-nine messed up at eighty-six got a promise at seventy-five and you don't know how it's gonna end we can shout because we know how Abraham story ends but can you imagine being Abram but God reveals himself else should I watch this head just about I still close not only does he reveal himself as else should I he changes his name he goes from Abram exalted father to Abraham father of many nations when he doesn't even have the promise son yet because God will declare it over your life before you ever receive the promise and I love it because the Bible is teaching us that before Abraham got his new name God revealed his name to him which lets me know I don't find myself by looking at myself I must have an encounter with else should I when you encounter God he will reveal to you your name but the moment you keep trying to make a name for yourself you will end up just like they did at the tower of Babel confused he is else should I but you must respond heads about I was a close today I need to know who I came for if you're here today and you'd be so honored to say

APR I feel like I'm at 99 I feel like it's too late and today I need strength actually scratch that I need to let go and rely on El Shaddai what you're facing is a job for El Shaddai but here today and you'd be so honored to say I I've even told myself it's too late but I need the strength of El Shaddai the almighty sufficient goddess that she would you lift up your hand all over this place today thank you God hands are going up all over this room I'm so grateful because I don't know what your 99 is but El Shaddai does call it on that Just like Job did. Almighty God, I need you. Father, I thank you for strength, even right now that is coming to your people. Thank you that if we have a need, you have a name, and you reveal yourself as the Almighty One. Thank you that our limitation is not your limitation, that often our limitation is the beginning of your revelation of how strong you are. Thank you, God. It's still about, I'll still close if you're here today, and you've never taken the first step, which is to say, "Jesus, my life is yours." Notice Abraham left his father's household first, had an encounter with Yahweh, left the idolatry, he was raised in to follow the one true God. That is the first step, is to surrender your life to him. So it heads about, and I was close today, if you're here and you say, "Hey, PR." I've never surrendered my life to Jesus. Today's the day, I need to give him everything. I need to leave my idols. I need to leave the things that I've exalted above his name.

I gotta leave the things that I've been trusting on, and depending on, and follow him. And I don't have to have all the answers. That's why he's the father of faith. All I need is a word. He says, "If you call on my name, you will be saved." So it heads about, and I'm just close. If it's one person, trust me, your word that Abraham was one man, and look at the ramifications of his decision to follow Yahweh. If that's you and say, "PR," include me in this closing prayer, I need to give Jesus my life today. Would you lift up your hand high enough, and long enough to where I can see it? Thank you, I see that hand. I see that hand, thank you, thank you for responding. I see that hand. Anybody else, hands are going up all over this place today. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, God, anybody else. He's a covenant keeping God. It's not too late, hear me, it's not too late. I don't care what you've done. You don't get yourself together to come to God. He's a savior. You come to him as you are, anybody else. Thank you, God. I want us to pray this prayer as one big family. We're all gonna say it,

but especially those of you who responded. Would you say this from your heart? Say, "Jesus, I need you." Lord, thank you, that for every need you have a name. And Lord, I need you. I cannot save myself. I need a savior. Jesus, I believe that you lived the life that I was supposed to live. You died the death, that I was supposed to die. Took my place, so my response is to give you everything. Forgive me of my sins. Make me brand new from this moment forward. I am walking with you, wherever you lead. Thank you, Yahweh, you keep your promise. Thank you, El Shaddai, you are mighty, even when I'm weak. So I thank you that because of your grace and your strength, it's never too late in Jesus' name. Come on, somebody say amen and give God. Give El Shaddai. Come on, the greatest hand clap of praise today. Come on, you can do better than that, but you give El Shaddai our mighty God, our powerful God, our everlasting God. Come on, somebody, give him the praise that he's worthy of today. Hear me, we're about to have an official dismissal. Just hold on one second, nobody move, nobody get hurt. Pastor Josh is gonna come and give us some more direction, but I pastorally want to beg.

I'll use a King James word, beseech you. If you just prayed that prayer, the best next step, especially with next Sunday coming around, is for you to register and get baptized and go public with your faith. Y'all, next Sunday we are having one service and then we are going to that parking lot and hundreds of people are gonna go down in that water and the old them is staying down there and the new them is stepping out of that water with the public declaration, their faith in Jesus. So please, please, please register so you can attend the baptism class. If you've been walking with God and you hadn't gotten baptized, what are you waiting for? Jesus got baptized. You need to obey the Scriptures and be baptized at will. So that's my commercial for you today. Make sure you register, it's gonna be an amazing.