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One of the most widely read French fabulists, not fabulous in terms of flair or style, the

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word fabulist I just learned last week, the word fabulist means a person who writes or

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tells fables.

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One of the most widely read French fabulists of the 17th century named Jean de la Fontaine

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said, we often meet our destiny on the road we take to avoid it.

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We often meet our destiny on the road we take to avoid it.

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Of all the apostles of our Lord, none seems to be better known than Simon Peter.

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He is conspicuous in the New Testament, in the Gospel narratives, in the first 10 chapters

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of the Acts of the Holy Spirit through the apostle Peter is on almost every page.

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And in his own epistolaries of first and second Peter, he has been prominent in church history

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and remains to this day among the most fascinating of the band of 12 who surrounded Jesus during

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his earthly ministry.

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But we must not allow our familiarity with Peter to obviate anything in the nature of

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a detailed reference of the Lord Jesus dealing with how he called Peter.

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My prayer for us this morning, Lily Grove and those of us who are watching online, my

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prayer for us this morning is that we not become so preoccupied with the life and the

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calling of one Simon Peter that we miss the one who called him and his method of calling

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each of us.

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The meeting between Jesus and Peter is marked by a divine intensity.

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Jesus is depicted as looking directly at Peter.

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The word for look in the text is the heiress active participle imblepo, the Greek word

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imblepo, which means to absolutely discern clearly with one glance.

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It is the same understanding gaze as John the Baptist directed at Jesus.

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Just as John the Baptist knew by supernatural means the character and destiny of Jesus,

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so also Jesus just had to look at Peter and he knew his character and destiny.

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After one good look at Simon, miraculously told this man being led to him what he would

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become.

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Thus in a double way Jesus tells Peter who he is and who he will become in a display

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of divine omniscience.

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The asignation of the new name Peter to the old man Simon is not a prediction but rather

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a declaration.

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Simon does not have something in him that Jesus wants to bring out, but because of grace

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there's something he's lacking that Jesus wants to put in.

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The focus is less on what this name change means for Peter than on Jesus who knows thoroughly

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and not only sees into us but he calls us and he makes us what we are not yet.

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The concept of a name in the ancient world was not merely a label but the character

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of a person and the giving of a new name was an assertion of the authority of the giver.

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Peter appears in all the gospels as anything but what his name means.

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He's impulsive, he's volatile, and he's unreliable.

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He had an impetuous character and his impetuousity often led him to making wrong choices.

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But when Jesus renamed him from Simon to Peter by saying you shall be called it is the future

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tense passive voice indicative mood.

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Simon is who you are now but Peter is who you will become in the future.

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And don't judge people by what they are now because once God gets his hand on somebody

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I wish I had one or two believers here.

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Don't look at me for what I am right now.

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I am in the process of becoming.

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The German philosopher Immanuel Kant one of the central enlightenment thinkers of the

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late 18th century gives a definition of personality which posits that we have the union and the

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welding of intellect, emotion, and volition.

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That word volition means your will.

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To discover how Simon Peter and by extension every one of us here this morning can outlive

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our lives.

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Let us discover the essential truth concerning Peter and Jesus calling of him through these

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three aspects of his personality.

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Jesus said you will be Simon.

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You will be Peter.

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Simon that's who you are now but you will be Peter.

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Simon is who you are today.

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Simon is your personality right now.

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Simon is your character right now.

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Simon is your mistakes, your blemishes, your past right now but you will be called Peter.

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Petra movable stone.

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You will be.

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That has something to do with Simon and your and my intellect.

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I want to call Peter this morning a fisherman philosopher.

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This fisherman philosopher Simon Peter was a man of intellectual capacity as he seemed

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quite simply in the fact that the record says that Peter asked more questions than all of

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the other disciples combined.

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In John chapter six when Jesus started talking about eating his flesh and drinking his blood

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and the crowd started walking away so fast that Jesus turned to them and said will you

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also go away.

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It was Simon Peter who raised the question to whom shall we go.

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You have the words of eternal life.

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When they were wrestling with forgiveness how many times should I forgive my brother

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who sins against me.

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It was Simon Peter who raises the question to Jesus how many times do you expect me to

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forgive.

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Seven times and Jesus said seven times seventy times.

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When Jesus was in the garden of Gethsemane and they came to betray him Simon drew his

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sword and said who is it coming here to betray my Lord.

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Simon was always asking the right questions because God is not intimidated by questions.

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Simon wanted to know Simon was not only intellectual as a follower you will be but the Bible says

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he called him.

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He moves from you will be intellectually Simon to he called him because he's now emotional

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Peter.

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When Simon Peter first met Jesus it horrified him so much to see how holy Jesus is and how

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wicked he is.

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The scripture says Simon said to Jesus depart from me for I am a wicked man.

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Many of us are so proud and arrogant and full of ourselves in worship that we measure ourselves

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by other people.

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But I want to admonish you this morning by saying to you that when you try to measure

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against another person you're using the wrong ruler.

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If you want to see how big you really are if you want to see how holy you really are

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if you want to see how righteous you really are stand up next to Jesus.

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And like Simon Peter you will have to declare depart from me oh Lord for I am a wicked man.

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Before Peter made that assertion Isaiah said the same thing in Isaiah chapter six.

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It was in the year and King Uzziah died.

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I need one or two Bible readers here.

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I saw also the Lord high and lifted up.

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His train filled the temple.

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The house was filled with smoke.

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The doorposts moved.

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The doorposts shouted inanimate dead wooden objects came up out of the floor in the presence

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of the living God.

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And some of you have not opened your mouth yet.

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You have not said amen.

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You have not clap your hands.

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You have not smiled at anybody.

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If wooden objects can shout in the presence of God if God woke you up this morning.

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Now if you didn't come here to praise God just get up and leave right now.

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But if you came here to tell God thank you for all you have already done for me.

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I don't need nothing this morning.

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I want to thank you for what I already have.

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I already have health and strength.

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I already have my right mind.

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I already have food on my table.

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Then Isaiah said I saw some seraphim.

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Some burning ones who flew around the temple.

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God's presence was so holy.

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God's righteousness was so indefatigable.

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God's goodness was so present that angels covered their face.

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They covered their feet and with two wings they did fly.

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Then he said one of them took some live coal from off the altar and touched my lips.

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Because Isaiah said when I saw that beatific vision he said what Peter said when he saw

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Jesus.

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God's will is me.

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For I am undone.

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I'm a man of unclean lips and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips.

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The church is not for perfect people.

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The church is for folk who have been forgiven.

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Have I got a witness here?

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The church is not for folk who are overly righteous.

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The church is for folk who know that if it had not been for the Lord who is on my side.

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It was Peter.

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In an emotional outburst when the arresting party came to the garden to arrest Jesus.

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In an emotional outburst Peter said Lord I will lay down my life for you.

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Jesus said get behind me.

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Because before the rooster crows.

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Before the sun comes up.

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You will have denied me three times.

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Before morning you will act like you don't even know me.

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And then when they arrested Jesus and brought him to Herod and the pilot Peter was outside

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warming his hands at the wrong fire.

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And a young girl saw him and said weren't you with them?

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Peter said I don't know the man.

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She said oh yes you look like one of them.

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Peter said girl you better go on now.

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I don't know who you're talking about.

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She said your speech is betraying you and Peter became Simon again.

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Somebody gonna get that in a minute.

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Because all it takes is the right set of circumstances and Simon gonna come out of each and every

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one of us in here this month.

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They just got to get on your last nerve.

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Somebody ought to help me preach here.

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Simon might come out on your job.

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Simon might come out if they mess up your order at lunch.

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Simon might come out if your husband get on your nerves.

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You don't know when Simon is going to pop up.

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Peter started cussing and said I never met this man.

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And the Bible says immediately the rooster crawled.

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And one more time I don't want you to miss this.

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The same look Jesus gave him when he called him was the same look Jesus gave him when

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Peter betrayed him.

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And when Peter looked into the pure eyes of Jesus and he recognized his betrayal in another

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emotional outburst he wept bitterly.

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The only folk who can help me right here in the sermon is somebody who has wept over

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your past.

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And some decisions you wish you hadn't made.

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I wish I had one or two more witnesses here.

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If you could go back and undo some stuff in your life you would undo it this morning

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because it was the biggest mistake you ever made and for that reason you wept bitterly.

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Right now I need some people who messed up since you've been saved.

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I'm not talking about the way back there when you were in the world.

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I'm not talking about when you were on the streets.

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I'm talking about since you've been in church.

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You have disappointed God in so many ways.

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Well let me raise my hand first.

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And I need one or two more other witnesses who can help me testify that if God had called

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me in that moment I would be ashamed in the day of judgment.

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But mercy, grace, goodness, he looked beyond my foolishness.

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He looked at Jesus and Jesus looked at him and he wept.

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Because Jesus had already told it.

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One desires to have you that he may sift you like wheat.

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But he says Peter I've already prayed for you.

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Not that your flesh but that your faith fail not.

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Brothers and sisters I'm testifying now my flesh has failed.

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But my faith looks up to thee the Lamb of Calvary.

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He called him.

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You will be called.

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Finally you are Peter.

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Intellect, emotion, let's move finally to volition.

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Look at the prophetic progression.

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You will be.

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He called him.

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You are.

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Peter was a man of tremendous willpower because it took willpower to do what Peter did.

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The Bible says he left all to follow Jesus.

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Peter had a lucrative fishing business.

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He was a professional fisherman.

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He made his livelihood with his brother Andrew fishing.

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Peter was a skilled professional adept fisherman.

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But in one instant he volitionally by strife of his will left it all to follow Jesus.

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Not only that it was Peter when there was a storm on the sea of Galilee.

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And it was four o'clock in the morning and Jesus came walking on the water.

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The disciples were terrified with fear because the water was taking their little vessel.

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It was Peter who said, Lord, if that's you, be it me to come walk on the water.

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Jesus said, come on.

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Now he didn't walk along.

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He didn't walk far.

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But when was the last time you walked on water?

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There's some boat people in here this morning.

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Some boat people in here this morning talking about you ain't got no business out there

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on the water trying to walk on.

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You ain't nobody ever walked on the water.

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Well, I'm gonna walk on it today.

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That's what Peter said to them because Peter said, it's safer on the water with Jesus than

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inside the boat without it.

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And if you are willing to take a risk this morning, if you are willing to get out of

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your comfort zone this morning and come walk on the water, watch Jesus hold you up.

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He didn't walk long, but he walked.

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He didn't walk far, but he walked.

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It was Peter when they came to arrest Jesus who took out his knife.

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Yeah, you need some church folk who ain't scared.

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Peter said, now I didn't know it was gonna be this kind of situation.

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He takes out his knife and cuts off not just a soldier's ear, but the ear of the soldier

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of the high priest.

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Because Peter said, ain't nobody gonna break off in here like that.

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No, it's about to be a situation.

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If y'all think you're gonna arrest Jesus, it's gonna be some consequences and repercussion.

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Jesus said, Pete, put up your sword because the man that lives by the sword shall die

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by the sword.

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It's not about cussing nobody out.

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It's not about cutting nobody up.

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If you just stay with God and let the Lord fight your battle, the folk who thought you'd

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never make it, gonna have to watch you going up because he prepares a table before you

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in the very presence of your enemies and anoints your head with oil so that your cup

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is just running over.

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I need somebody here this morning whose cup is running over to help me testify that you

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didn't have to pull nobody down.

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You didn't have to undermine nobody to get a position.

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You didn't have to stab nobody in the back to get a head.

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You just put your head down and trust it in the living God because when you can't stand

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life, fall on your knees and God will see you through.

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Is there anybody here?

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I said is there anybody here?

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Had somebody try to stop your forward progress but God just became the wind beneath your

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wing.

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I'm through.

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I'm finished.

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I'm gonna be out your way in a minute.

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But this last word and I'm through.

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All geologists, all geologists agree that all it takes to make a rock is pressure and time.

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All it takes to make a rock is pressure and time.

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If you give Peter enough time and don't criticize him cutting nobody, don't criticize him cussing

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in the garden.

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Don't criticize him sinking when he walked on the water.

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Don't criticize him saying he was gonna do one thing and did something else.

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If you give Peter enough time, he will go from Simon weeping in the dark of night after

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his bitter betrayal to the writer of these words.

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Let it be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy

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have begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the

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dead to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fated not away reserved in heaven

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for you who are kept by the power of God through faith under salvation ready to be revealed

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in the last time.

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All it takes to make a rock is pressure and time.

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All it takes to make a Christian is pressure.

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And time.

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You gonna help me close this, won't you?

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The scripture said it is good for me that I had been afflicted.

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Pressure and time.

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The scripture says we know that all things work together for good.

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Pressure and time.

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The bible says we are pressed on every side yet not in despair.

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Pressure and time.

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Persecuted but not forsaken.

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Cast down but not destroyed.

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Pressure and time.

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I need a witness this morning who's been under some pressure.

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You've been squeezed in some situation and it looked like you couldn't move because you

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were pressed.

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You were under pressure but then God gave you some time.

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You came to work under pressure.

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You came to church under pressure.

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You went to lunch under pressure.

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You sat down and laughed with friends under pressure.

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You looked like things were going well but inside you were under pressure.

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But here you are this morning after enough time has passed.

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You've looked back over your life and you can testify this morning through it all.

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Through it all.

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I've learned to trust in Jesus.

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I've learned to trust in God.

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I wish I had a witness here who's been under some pressure in your life.

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If your enemies have put you under pressure, God specializes.

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If your health has you under pressure, God is a doctor.

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If your problems have you under pressure, God is a bridge over troubled water.

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If your family has you under pressure, Jesus is a friend who sticks closer to you.

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Then your own brother.

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If life has you under pressure, he will make a way out of no way.

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You gonna help me close this, won't you?

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The old folk in my church at home used to sing it like this.

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Trials dark on every hand.

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And we cannot understand all the ways God will lead us to that blessed promised land.

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He'll guide us with his eye and we will follow till we die.

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We will understand it better.

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Buy and buy, buy and buy.

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When the morning comes, buy and buy.

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When the saints of God are gathered home, we'll tell the story.

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We'll tell the story.

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I said we'll tell the story.

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I'm not gonna wait until I get home.

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I'm gonna start telling the story right now.

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He's a way maker.

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He's a problem solver.

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He's a burdened barrow.

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He's a friend in trouble.

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He's a heavy load sharer.

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Is there a witness here this morning that God will see you through?

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If you are under pressure, give God some time.

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Watch what God does.

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If you give him enough time in the fullness of time, a baby was born in Bethlehem.

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If you give God enough time, a baby was born in Bethlehem.

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If you give God enough time, some wise men will come from the east with gold, frankincense

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and myrrh.

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Give God enough time, that baby will grow to become a man.

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He will heal the sick, give sight to the blind, make the lame walk, make the dumb to speak.

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Give God enough time, he'll go to a cross and die on a Friday.

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And it looks like the pressure is more than God himself could handle.

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Give God enough time, he stayed there all night Friday.

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But that's not enough time.

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He stayed there all day Saturday.

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But that's still not enough time.

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He stayed there all night Friday night.

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But that's still not enough time.

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Sunday morning, Jesus came out of the grave.

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Whoever you are this morning, if you're under pressure, it's not enough time to give up.

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God will show up.

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God will come to your rescue.

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00:36:26,920 --> 00:36:28,920
Won't He do it?

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00:36:28,920 --> 00:36:29,920
Won't He do it?

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00:36:29,920 --> 00:36:32,200
Why don't you look at somebody?

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You don't know what they're going through.

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You don't know what kind of pressure they're under.

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You don't know what their situation calls for.

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Why don't you tell somebody?

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Come on, use your preaching voice.

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Come on, help me preach to them.

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Tell your neighbor this morning, be not dismayed.

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Whatever.

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Be tired.

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God will.

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God will take care of you.

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God will open a door for you.

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God will turn it around for you.

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00:37:20,920 --> 00:37:21,920
God will.

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00:37:21,920 --> 00:37:23,920
Won't He do it?

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00:37:23,920 --> 00:37:25,920
Won't He do it?

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00:37:25,920 --> 00:37:32,920
If you're not ashamed to testify, say, yeah, yeah, I'm no evil.

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Yes, He will.

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00:37:35,920 --> 00:37:38,920
Yes, He will.

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00:37:38,920 --> 00:37:41,920
Yes, He will.

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00:37:41,920 --> 00:37:44,920
Yes, He will.

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00:37:44,920 --> 00:37:47,920
Yes, He will.

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00:37:47,920 --> 00:37:50,920
Yes, He will.

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00:37:50,920 --> 00:37:53,920
Yes, He will.

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Yes, He will.

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00:37:56,920 --> 00:37:58,920
Yes, He will.

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00:37:58,920 --> 00:38:01,920
Yes, He will.

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00:38:01,920 --> 00:38:03,920
Yes, He will.

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00:38:03,920 --> 00:38:05,920
Yes, He will.

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00:38:05,920 --> 00:38:07,920
Yes, He will.

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00:38:07,920 --> 00:38:09,920
Yes, He will.

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I've watched God do it.

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I've seen the lightning flash.

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I've heard the thunder roll.

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I've felt sin breakers dash.

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Tried to conquer my soul.

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But I have the voice of Jesus telling me, still fight on.

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He promised.

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He promised.

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Have I got a witness?

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He promised.

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I know He's our own.