1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:20,120 I want to begin a series of sermons this morning entitled Handling God's Dark Room. 2 00:00:20,120 --> 00:00:40,000 Since the fall of Adam in the Garden of Eden, mankind has been tempted to think more highly 3 00:00:40,000 --> 00:00:47,280 of himself than he ought to think. 4 00:00:47,280 --> 00:00:56,240 Shakespeare has this notion in the monologue in Hamlet when he writes, what a piece of 5 00:00:56,240 --> 00:00:59,640 work is man? 6 00:00:59,640 --> 00:01:13,240 How noble in reason, how infinite in faculty, in form and moving, how express and admirable, 7 00:01:13,240 --> 00:01:21,720 in action how like an angel, in apprehension how like a god. 8 00:01:21,720 --> 00:01:30,760 The beauty of the world, the paragon of animals, and yet to me what is this quintessence of 9 00:01:30,760 --> 00:01:33,640 dust? 10 00:01:33,640 --> 00:01:46,400 The Victorian-era British poet William Ernest Hensley's last line in his famous poem Invictus 11 00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:55,120 writes, it matters not how straight the gate, how charged with punishments the scroll, I 12 00:01:55,120 --> 00:02:02,880 am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul. 13 00:02:02,880 --> 00:02:11,360 This morning I want to strike all of the aforementioned as the rubbish that it is. 14 00:02:11,360 --> 00:02:25,560 It's impersonal idealism, it's secular humanism, it's evolutionary naturalism, wanton hedonism, 15 00:02:25,560 --> 00:02:29,480 and uniform atheism. 16 00:02:29,480 --> 00:02:35,560 Here is what the Bible says in Genesis chapter 6, verse 5 and 6 about who we really are. 17 00:02:35,560 --> 00:02:45,160 And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every imagination 18 00:02:45,160 --> 00:02:52,880 of the thought of his heart was only evil continually. 19 00:02:52,880 --> 00:03:04,080 And it repented the Lord that he made man on the earth and it grieved him and his heart. 20 00:03:04,080 --> 00:03:13,040 Although the flood is the single greatest judgment ever to hit the planet earth, COVID-19 21 00:03:13,040 --> 00:03:22,520 not withstanding, it was also God's greatest type of foreshadowing of salvation because 22 00:03:22,520 --> 00:03:32,360 it leads directly to Calvary and Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection for the forgiveness 23 00:03:32,360 --> 00:03:35,160 of our sins. 24 00:03:35,160 --> 00:03:40,840 But with great dispatch, brothers and sisters, I want to impress upon our hearts this morning 25 00:03:40,840 --> 00:03:49,280 that before God can deliver us, he must first develop us. 26 00:03:49,280 --> 00:03:57,560 Before God can deliver us, he must first develop us. 27 00:03:57,560 --> 00:04:09,120 Film that is exposed to light is ruined, thus it must be developed in a dark room. 28 00:04:09,120 --> 00:04:17,320 The reason God may have some or all of us in a dark room is best described by Dr. Rick 29 00:04:17,320 --> 00:04:24,200 Warren, the retired pastor of Saddleback Church in California of purpose driven life fame. 30 00:04:24,200 --> 00:04:31,360 Dr. Rick Warren says, trouble comes in our lives for one of three reasons. 31 00:04:31,360 --> 00:04:40,480 God wants to protect us from it or God wants to prepare us for it or he wants to develop 32 00:04:40,480 --> 00:04:43,600 us in it. 33 00:04:43,600 --> 00:04:52,520 Dark rooms are because God wants to protect us from trouble, prepare us for trouble or 34 00:04:52,520 --> 00:04:56,920 develop us in trouble. 35 00:04:56,920 --> 00:05:04,040 Let us look this morning with fresh eyes at this old story to learn the lessons of the 36 00:05:04,040 --> 00:05:14,120 sinfulness of man and the grace of God and how God through a dark room saved the whole 37 00:05:14,120 --> 00:05:24,120 earth because one man believed and it was accounted under him as righteousness. 38 00:05:24,120 --> 00:05:30,080 As a sidebar this morning, brothers and sisters, I read the passage from the King James Version 39 00:05:30,080 --> 00:05:37,000 because other translations I think get it wrong when they say God said to Noah, go 40 00:05:37,000 --> 00:05:39,360 into the ark. 41 00:05:39,360 --> 00:05:46,600 I believe an accurate translation is in the King James when God says to Noah, come thou 42 00:05:46,600 --> 00:05:50,600 and all thy house into the ark. 43 00:05:50,600 --> 00:06:01,640 The word come is used some 1,972 times in the Bible, Genesis chapter 7 verse 1 being 44 00:06:01,640 --> 00:06:03,440 the first. 45 00:06:03,440 --> 00:06:08,720 It is both a command and an invitation. 46 00:06:08,720 --> 00:06:15,840 Even though this invitation was given thousands of years ago, God is still inviting people 47 00:06:15,840 --> 00:06:23,680 to enter the ark of safety, but before Noah and his family could be saved, they had to 48 00:06:23,680 --> 00:06:27,160 come in. 49 00:06:27,160 --> 00:06:33,480 He built the ark, but building the ark couldn't save him. 50 00:06:33,480 --> 00:06:36,320 He had to come in. 51 00:06:36,320 --> 00:06:43,680 We built Leningroth church, but building a church won't save you. 52 00:06:43,680 --> 00:06:45,760 You got to come in. 53 00:06:45,760 --> 00:06:52,400 Not only do you have to come into the church, but you got to come into Christ because you 54 00:06:52,400 --> 00:06:58,760 can be in church and never be in Christ. 55 00:06:58,760 --> 00:07:05,760 But if any man be in Christ, I wish I had a Bible reader. 56 00:07:05,760 --> 00:07:08,080 He's a new creation. 57 00:07:08,080 --> 00:07:12,760 All things are passed away. 58 00:07:12,760 --> 00:07:18,440 Behold, all things are become new. 59 00:07:18,440 --> 00:07:21,360 Walk with me around the text. 60 00:07:21,360 --> 00:07:30,560 In this dark room is sanctuary, sanctuary. 61 00:07:30,560 --> 00:07:42,240 The ark must have been an unusual and impressive site as it sat in an ancient field. 62 00:07:42,240 --> 00:07:45,800 It was built in Mesopotamia. 63 00:07:45,800 --> 00:08:00,280 It was a wooden ship 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high. 64 00:08:00,280 --> 00:08:10,400 Built by Noah and his three sons who worked on it 120 years. 65 00:08:10,400 --> 00:08:22,920 While building the ark, he preached his message that a torrential rain and a terrible flood 66 00:08:22,920 --> 00:08:27,480 was coming upon the earth. 67 00:08:27,480 --> 00:08:32,600 Surely people thought Noah and his family was crazy. 68 00:08:32,600 --> 00:08:36,920 After all, it had never rained on the earth. 69 00:08:36,920 --> 00:08:39,840 They'd never heard thunder. 70 00:08:39,840 --> 00:08:43,240 They'd never seen a clap of lightning. 71 00:08:43,240 --> 00:08:52,520 They'd never even heard of a storm because God watered the earth with a miss. 72 00:08:52,520 --> 00:08:59,360 But brothers and sisters, the ark was to be a sanctuary against a storm of wrath that 73 00:08:59,360 --> 00:09:07,960 was brewing against the sin and evil on the earth because the ark looked strange and unusual 74 00:09:07,960 --> 00:09:16,400 in a place that you would not expect to see an ark. 75 00:09:16,400 --> 00:09:25,640 This church looks strange in this community. 76 00:09:25,640 --> 00:09:33,720 With all of the urban blight around us, with all of the drugs being sold in our neighborhood, 77 00:09:33,720 --> 00:09:38,600 with all of the broken down cars and yards and broken windows and houses and people with 78 00:09:38,600 --> 00:09:43,640 no jobs and people with no schedules, poor people in this community. 79 00:09:43,640 --> 00:09:49,800 This community looks run down and people are leaving and running away because of the urban 80 00:09:49,800 --> 00:09:52,320 trouble in the neighborhood. 81 00:09:52,320 --> 00:09:58,520 This church looks unusual. 82 00:09:58,520 --> 00:10:05,560 People thought I'd perhaps believe that we were crazy for putting all of this money in 83 00:10:05,560 --> 00:10:12,240 a church in a run down community. 84 00:10:12,240 --> 00:10:24,000 But the place that the church belongs is in a run down community because when life turns 85 00:10:24,000 --> 00:10:30,360 on them on the outside, that's sanctuary on the inside. 86 00:10:30,360 --> 00:10:39,000 And we need a church in the community for people to run to to find sanctuary in times 87 00:10:39,000 --> 00:10:45,360 of crisis. 88 00:10:45,360 --> 00:10:53,200 People pass by this church and think that it's a city of Houston building. 89 00:10:53,200 --> 00:10:57,160 And some who are curious will turn in and ask, what kind of building is this? 90 00:10:57,160 --> 00:10:58,880 Is this the city of Houston? 91 00:10:58,880 --> 00:11:01,040 Build this building. 92 00:11:01,040 --> 00:11:14,400 And I hasten to say, I rush to tell them, black people built this building. 93 00:11:14,400 --> 00:11:15,960 Christian people built this building. 94 00:11:15,960 --> 00:11:22,120 Not to show off to the community, not to be anything but a sanctuary. 95 00:11:22,120 --> 00:11:29,960 Now people can run in times of crisis because if we let the church be the church, God will 96 00:11:29,960 --> 00:11:35,360 send men and women, boys and girls who are lost and on their way to hell to come to this 97 00:11:35,360 --> 00:11:38,200 place that looks unusual in this spot. 98 00:11:38,200 --> 00:11:47,480 But where else would you put a church but in a poor community? 99 00:11:47,480 --> 00:11:50,680 You ever thought about this? 100 00:11:50,680 --> 00:11:58,480 They don't ever say it's too many clubs in the community. 101 00:11:58,480 --> 00:12:02,920 They don't ever say it's too many gambling houses in the community. 102 00:12:02,920 --> 00:12:04,640 It's a church on every corner. 103 00:12:04,640 --> 00:12:10,120 It's a joint on every corner. 104 00:12:10,120 --> 00:12:12,000 Talk back to me if you can. 105 00:12:12,000 --> 00:12:14,160 It's a crack house on every corner. 106 00:12:14,160 --> 00:12:18,320 Why can't there be a church on every corner? 107 00:12:18,320 --> 00:12:22,280 We don't have enough churches for all the sin that's going on in Houston. 108 00:12:22,280 --> 00:12:29,960 There is no center shortage, so we need a sanctuary to capture those who are on their 109 00:12:29,960 --> 00:12:36,280 way to hell. 110 00:12:36,280 --> 00:12:48,680 Genesis at chapter six and verse number eight says, but Noah found grace in the eyes of 111 00:12:48,680 --> 00:12:50,920 the Lord. 112 00:12:50,920 --> 00:12:59,800 One man among all the men on the earth was still walking in the ways of God. 113 00:12:59,800 --> 00:13:11,760 Noah was not a sinless man, but his faith was in God, and God counted him righteous 114 00:13:11,760 --> 00:13:15,600 on the basis of his faith. 115 00:13:15,600 --> 00:13:29,520 You can never say you believe in God unless you obey God, because what belief is, is motivation 116 00:13:29,520 --> 00:13:32,800 to obedience. 117 00:13:32,800 --> 00:13:34,760 Now listen to me, beloved. 118 00:13:34,760 --> 00:13:41,880 You are free to adopt any religion you choose. 119 00:13:41,880 --> 00:13:51,760 You can follow any plan you wish, believe in a doctrine you want, and follow any teacher 120 00:13:51,760 --> 00:13:53,880 you like. 121 00:13:53,880 --> 00:14:03,520 And if you want to be saved from the wrath to come, you must receive Jesus Christ as 122 00:14:03,520 --> 00:14:05,880 your Lord and Savior. 123 00:14:05,880 --> 00:14:07,880 Yes? 124 00:14:07,880 --> 00:14:16,480 It sounds like a narrow plan, because it is a narrow plan. 125 00:14:16,480 --> 00:14:23,040 Acts chapter 16 and verse 31 says, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be 126 00:14:23,040 --> 00:14:28,600 saved and your household. 127 00:14:28,600 --> 00:14:36,160 Ephesians chapter two and verse 18 says, for through him we both have access by one spirit 128 00:14:36,160 --> 00:14:38,560 unto the Father. 129 00:14:38,560 --> 00:14:46,240 First John chapter five and verse 12 says, he that has the Son of God has life, but he 130 00:14:46,240 --> 00:14:55,160 that hath not the Son hath not life, and the wrath of God abided upon him. 131 00:14:55,160 --> 00:14:59,680 The ark was a sanctuary. 132 00:14:59,680 --> 00:15:06,240 But not only do we see sanctuary in this ark, in this dark room that Noah is in, we also 133 00:15:06,240 --> 00:15:09,240 see secondly sovereignty. 134 00:15:09,240 --> 00:15:13,280 Now brothers and sisters hear me as a hurry. 135 00:15:13,280 --> 00:15:17,800 The ark was not Noah's idea. 136 00:15:17,800 --> 00:15:21,480 He built it, but it wasn't his idea. 137 00:15:21,480 --> 00:15:24,840 It was God's idea. 138 00:15:24,840 --> 00:15:33,040 The one word that made the difference in Noah's life, the one word that makes the difference 139 00:15:33,040 --> 00:15:43,200 in my life and in your life is the word grace. 140 00:15:43,200 --> 00:15:54,840 Because he was a sinner, Noah still deserved nothing from God but judgment and damnation. 141 00:15:54,840 --> 00:16:04,720 But God reached into Noah's darkness and extended grace to Noah, but Noah found grace 142 00:16:04,720 --> 00:16:06,800 in the eyes of the Lord. 143 00:16:06,800 --> 00:16:15,320 Perfect, precious, powerful grace. 144 00:16:15,320 --> 00:16:24,480 If you are saved today, you are saved because God extended his grace and you graciously 145 00:16:24,480 --> 00:16:27,800 accepted his extension. 146 00:16:27,800 --> 00:16:35,640 We did not come to him on our own because the very faith we needed to believe had to 147 00:16:35,640 --> 00:16:38,640 come from him. 148 00:16:38,640 --> 00:16:41,320 Can I run that by you one more time? 149 00:16:41,320 --> 00:16:49,400 The very faith we needed to believe, we had to go get it from him. 150 00:16:49,400 --> 00:16:53,680 Let me see if I can make that and make sense. 151 00:16:53,680 --> 00:17:02,480 When my daughter was a poor college student and a little less poor adult, a poor college 152 00:17:02,480 --> 00:17:12,360 student but a little less poor adult, when she wanted to buy me a Father's Day gift or 153 00:17:12,360 --> 00:17:21,280 a birthday gift, she called and said, Daddy, I'm going to come buy and get some money so 154 00:17:21,280 --> 00:17:26,200 I can go buy you a gift. 155 00:17:26,200 --> 00:17:28,920 She was a broke college student. 156 00:17:28,920 --> 00:17:30,680 She meant well. 157 00:17:30,680 --> 00:17:33,000 She wanted to please me. 158 00:17:33,000 --> 00:17:40,120 So she said, I'm going to come by and get some money to go buy you a gift. 159 00:17:40,120 --> 00:17:41,240 She wanted to make me happy. 160 00:17:41,240 --> 00:17:43,240 She wanted to please me. 161 00:17:43,240 --> 00:17:44,680 She wanted to make me smile. 162 00:17:44,680 --> 00:17:53,040 But the only way she could please me, she had to come to me to get from me what she 163 00:17:53,040 --> 00:17:59,040 needed to go buy me a gift. 164 00:17:59,040 --> 00:18:01,200 She didn't have any money. 165 00:18:01,200 --> 00:18:06,320 So she said, Daddy, I want to buy you a Father's Day present, but I got to come by to get some 166 00:18:06,320 --> 00:18:10,360 money from you so I can buy you a gift. 167 00:18:10,360 --> 00:18:15,880 She wanted to please me, but she did not have the financial wherewithal to please me. 168 00:18:15,880 --> 00:18:21,280 A broke college student, bankrupt, had nothing, but she said, I want to give you a Father's 169 00:18:21,280 --> 00:18:22,280 Day gift. 170 00:18:22,280 --> 00:18:23,280 I want to please you. 171 00:18:23,280 --> 00:18:29,000 I want to make you smile so she would come get from me what she needed to go buy us a 172 00:18:29,000 --> 00:18:32,400 gift or something for me. 173 00:18:32,400 --> 00:18:35,400 Can I help somebody here? 174 00:18:35,400 --> 00:18:46,360 Without faith, it's impossible to please God, for you must first believe that he is and 175 00:18:46,360 --> 00:18:51,440 that he's a rewarder of them who diligently seek him. 176 00:18:51,440 --> 00:18:59,000 You got to go get from him what you need to please him. 177 00:18:59,000 --> 00:19:02,120 I wish I had somebody to help me preach it. 178 00:19:02,120 --> 00:19:05,200 You ain't here because you're so holy. 179 00:19:05,200 --> 00:19:10,240 You not here because you got a large print Bible and a cross around your ankle all around 180 00:19:10,240 --> 00:19:11,240 your neck. 181 00:19:11,240 --> 00:19:19,720 The very faith you needed to come to church, God had to give it to you. 182 00:19:19,720 --> 00:19:25,280 If you was left by yourself, you would be in hell this morning. 183 00:19:25,280 --> 00:19:32,040 We would be held bound this morning if the faith we needed to come to Christ didn't come 184 00:19:32,040 --> 00:19:40,720 from Christ. 185 00:19:40,720 --> 00:19:54,920 You're saved because God looked beyond our dead, darkened, deceived, doomed condition 186 00:19:54,920 --> 00:20:01,320 and he reached out to us by his grace. 187 00:20:01,320 --> 00:20:04,200 I want to confess this morning. 188 00:20:04,200 --> 00:20:11,360 You are looking at the chief of sinners. 189 00:20:11,360 --> 00:20:14,520 I'm a crook. 190 00:20:14,520 --> 00:20:25,280 I'm a wretch undone and left to myself if I'm in a room by myself. 191 00:20:25,280 --> 00:20:29,080 I'm in bad company. 192 00:20:29,080 --> 00:20:32,720 I am a sinner. 193 00:20:32,720 --> 00:20:35,240 In the hallelujah. 194 00:20:35,240 --> 00:20:41,040 I'm saved by his grace. 195 00:20:41,040 --> 00:20:43,560 By the grace of God. 196 00:20:43,560 --> 00:20:45,920 I wish I had somebody else here. 197 00:20:45,920 --> 00:20:51,000 I need two or three other crooks in here this morning who know that if you in a room by 198 00:20:51,000 --> 00:20:57,320 yourself, you in bad company, I need somebody here who knows that if the Lord had not rescued 199 00:20:57,320 --> 00:21:04,200 you, if the Lord had not taken you off the streets, took you up and turned you around. 200 00:21:04,200 --> 00:21:09,520 If the Lord had not changed your heart and changed your life and changed your mind, you 201 00:21:09,520 --> 00:21:18,440 looking good this morning, but we should have seen you 15 years ago. 202 00:21:18,440 --> 00:21:23,560 Somebody here who has been delivered saved by grace. 203 00:21:23,560 --> 00:21:26,320 Stop acting like you made it by yourself. 204 00:21:26,320 --> 00:21:38,960 It was nobody. 205 00:21:38,960 --> 00:21:42,480 I don't want to holler right here. 206 00:21:42,480 --> 00:21:46,080 I'm not ready to holler yet. 207 00:21:46,080 --> 00:21:50,680 I got more sermon than I got time. 208 00:21:50,680 --> 00:21:56,280 So let me cut across the field and tell us that in that arc is not only sanctuary, but 209 00:21:56,280 --> 00:22:06,520 sanctuary and that arc is not only sovereignty, but in that arc is security. 210 00:22:06,520 --> 00:22:16,280 Now the reason I read it to us from the King James version is because God did not say, 211 00:22:16,280 --> 00:22:24,440 go into the arc and I'll be watching you. 212 00:22:24,440 --> 00:22:38,760 He said, come into the arc and I'll be with you. 213 00:22:38,760 --> 00:22:41,160 He did not say, go in. 214 00:22:41,160 --> 00:22:43,920 I'm watching you. 215 00:22:43,920 --> 00:22:46,640 He said, come in. 216 00:22:46,640 --> 00:22:50,600 I'm waiting on you. 217 00:22:50,600 --> 00:23:07,280 Listen, sisters, God was in the arc with no ability because the safety was not in no arc. 218 00:23:07,280 --> 00:23:17,960 The safety was God in the arc. 219 00:23:17,960 --> 00:23:33,000 The Bible says this arc that Noah built had one door, one window, and three stories. 220 00:23:33,000 --> 00:23:47,840 450 feet long, 75 feet high, 45 feet wide, one door, one window, three stories. 221 00:23:47,840 --> 00:24:02,560 One door, meaning there's only one way in. 222 00:24:02,560 --> 00:24:09,920 One window, you got to look up. 223 00:24:09,920 --> 00:24:20,040 Three stories because salvation is the plan of God executed by the Son of God, kept perfect 224 00:24:20,040 --> 00:24:25,960 by the Spirit of God. 225 00:24:25,960 --> 00:24:35,880 I was so low down that it took the Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost to say, I need another 226 00:24:35,880 --> 00:24:41,640 crook here this morning to help me testify that no school teacher or principal could 227 00:24:41,640 --> 00:24:45,800 save me, no money or college could save me. 228 00:24:45,800 --> 00:24:57,600 I needed the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. 229 00:24:57,600 --> 00:25:00,840 The Father thought about my salvation. 230 00:25:00,840 --> 00:25:09,920 The Son executes my salvation and the Spirit keeps me safe. 231 00:25:09,920 --> 00:25:17,200 Here it is. 232 00:25:17,200 --> 00:25:19,560 I'm through. 233 00:25:19,560 --> 00:25:23,400 I'm getting ready to holler, brother. 234 00:25:23,400 --> 00:25:29,960 God shuttered me. 235 00:25:29,960 --> 00:25:33,240 He controlled the door. 236 00:25:33,240 --> 00:25:40,360 And he determined who went in and who stayed in. 237 00:25:40,360 --> 00:25:47,680 Ephesians 4 and 30 says we are sealed until the day of redemption. 238 00:25:47,680 --> 00:25:58,960 The Bible says Noah built the ark and the ark rested with Noah and his family inside 239 00:25:58,960 --> 00:26:08,080 two animals of every kind seven days before it started flooding. 240 00:26:08,080 --> 00:26:11,400 People laughing. 241 00:26:11,400 --> 00:26:15,080 People walking by shaking their head. 242 00:26:15,080 --> 00:26:20,320 Hooranor, what a fool. 243 00:26:20,320 --> 00:26:26,680 How crazy he is to get in this wooden box. 244 00:26:26,680 --> 00:26:32,200 What a fool he is to be in this place. 245 00:26:32,200 --> 00:26:42,120 But then the Niagara's of heaven opened up. 246 00:26:42,120 --> 00:26:49,800 And not only did rain fall, but oceans overflow. 247 00:26:49,800 --> 00:26:56,560 Rivers and streams came out of their banks because waters came down and waters rose up 248 00:26:56,560 --> 00:27:03,800 because it was a supernatural event. 249 00:27:03,800 --> 00:27:18,280 It is recorded that the flood rose 22,000 feet higher than Mount Everest. 250 00:27:18,280 --> 00:27:23,560 But like my nephew said, check this out. 251 00:27:23,560 --> 00:27:33,920 The higher the water rose, the higher the ark rose. 252 00:27:33,920 --> 00:27:44,680 When you are in Christ, the higher the flood waters in your life, the higher you rise to 253 00:27:44,680 --> 00:27:48,160 new heights. 254 00:27:48,160 --> 00:27:51,160 Somebody ought to help me preach it. 255 00:27:51,160 --> 00:27:56,880 Because you and others around you can't understand how you keep rising with all the stuff going 256 00:27:56,880 --> 00:28:03,000 on in your life, with all the flood in your life, with all the rain in your life. 257 00:28:03,000 --> 00:28:04,960 You are in Christ. 258 00:28:04,960 --> 00:28:14,640 And since you're in Christ, when the waters go up, you go up. 259 00:28:14,640 --> 00:28:17,960 I'm trying to quit here. 260 00:28:17,960 --> 00:28:23,800 But you went up when you got divorced. 261 00:28:23,800 --> 00:28:28,320 You went up when you lost your job. 262 00:28:28,320 --> 00:28:32,400 You went up when you got out of the hospital. 263 00:28:32,400 --> 00:28:37,000 You went up when your enemies thought they had you trapped. 264 00:28:37,000 --> 00:28:41,440 Frap not yourself because of evil doers. 265 00:28:41,440 --> 00:28:44,560 Don't be envious against the workers of iniquity. 266 00:28:44,560 --> 00:28:52,040 They shall soon be cut off like grass. 267 00:28:52,040 --> 00:28:56,600 I'm through. 268 00:28:56,600 --> 00:29:04,520 The higher the water went, the higher the ark rose. 269 00:29:04,520 --> 00:29:11,440 Because Romans chapter five and verse 20 said, but where sin abounded, grace didn't much 270 00:29:11,440 --> 00:29:16,120 more abound. 271 00:29:16,120 --> 00:29:18,680 I'm really through now. 272 00:29:18,680 --> 00:29:20,880 I can't say it but six times. 273 00:29:20,880 --> 00:29:26,960 Because you don't think I'm lying if I said the seventh time. 274 00:29:26,960 --> 00:29:31,320 The ark was made of gopher wood. 275 00:29:31,320 --> 00:29:34,760 Gopher wood is cypress. 276 00:29:34,760 --> 00:29:39,840 Almost indestructible wood. 277 00:29:39,840 --> 00:29:47,160 In fact they had to cut trees down to build the ark. 278 00:29:47,160 --> 00:29:52,680 Wood is a type of humanity in the Scriptures. 279 00:29:52,680 --> 00:30:00,760 And in order for the ark to be built, wood had to be cut down. 280 00:30:00,760 --> 00:30:09,200 In order for you and I to be saved, they had to cut some wood down. 281 00:30:09,200 --> 00:30:17,960 And make a cross on a hill called Calvary. 282 00:30:17,960 --> 00:30:25,240 After the ark was built, it was covered with pitch. 283 00:30:25,240 --> 00:30:33,080 That word pitch is translated in Scripture as atonement. 284 00:30:33,080 --> 00:30:40,120 The word pitch in the Bible literally means covering. 285 00:30:40,120 --> 00:30:50,320 The ark was built, but in order for it to float, it had to be pitched. 286 00:30:50,320 --> 00:30:55,120 It had to be atonement. 287 00:30:55,120 --> 00:31:05,520 You and I are saved by the blood of Jesus because his blood is pitch. 288 00:31:05,520 --> 00:31:08,600 It covers us. 289 00:31:08,600 --> 00:31:11,840 I wish I had one or two more witnesses. 290 00:31:11,840 --> 00:31:20,520 While we slept last night, there was a blood mark over our door. 291 00:31:20,520 --> 00:31:26,840 And you got up this morning because you are pitch. 292 00:31:26,840 --> 00:31:30,160 Not because you teach Sunday school. 293 00:31:30,160 --> 00:31:33,360 Not because you are a tither. 294 00:31:33,360 --> 00:31:37,480 Not because you're speaking tongues in your prayer time. 295 00:31:37,480 --> 00:31:41,920 But because his blood covers you. 296 00:31:41,920 --> 00:31:44,320 You gonna help me close this, won't you? 297 00:31:44,320 --> 00:31:52,440 Brothers and sisters, the ark was big enough to hold all who desired to enter in. 298 00:31:52,440 --> 00:32:02,760 Jesus is big enough to hold everybody who wants to come in to his safety. 299 00:32:02,760 --> 00:32:06,480 The ark was not shaped like a boat. 300 00:32:06,480 --> 00:32:11,000 It was made like a floating coffin. 301 00:32:11,000 --> 00:32:17,920 Meaning if Noah and his family was going to get in, they had to die to everything that 302 00:32:17,920 --> 00:32:20,520 was outside. 303 00:32:20,520 --> 00:32:30,600 If you gonna get in Christ this morning, you gonna have to die to everything that is outside. 304 00:32:30,600 --> 00:32:32,920 You gonna help me finish this, won't you? 305 00:32:32,920 --> 00:32:44,320 The ark came to rest on the 17th day of the 7th month of the Hebrew calendar. 306 00:32:44,320 --> 00:32:47,600 You might think that that's insignificant. 307 00:32:47,600 --> 00:32:53,280 But the 7th month is when the Passover takes place. 308 00:32:53,280 --> 00:33:02,880 Jesus died as they were offering the Passover on the 14th day of the 7th month. 309 00:33:02,880 --> 00:33:07,120 He was raised three days later. 310 00:33:07,120 --> 00:33:10,520 The 17th day of the month. 311 00:33:10,520 --> 00:33:16,840 He died on the 14th day of the 7th month. 312 00:33:16,840 --> 00:33:21,800 Stayed in the grave three long days. 313 00:33:21,800 --> 00:33:26,600 But on the third day, he came out of the grave. 314 00:33:26,600 --> 00:33:36,680 The 17th plus three is 17, meaning that just like the ark rested, everybody who comes to 315 00:33:36,680 --> 00:33:42,760 Christ can find rest in him. 316 00:33:42,760 --> 00:33:48,680 Come to Jesus while you have a chance. 317 00:33:48,680 --> 00:33:53,960 Find the Lord while he may yet be found. 318 00:33:53,960 --> 00:33:56,280 You gonna help me close this, won't you? 319 00:33:56,280 --> 00:33:58,720 I'm through right here now. 320 00:33:58,720 --> 00:34:01,640 But nor built that ship. 321 00:34:01,640 --> 00:34:06,840 And he and his whole family got on board that ark. 322 00:34:06,840 --> 00:34:15,440 Now I understand that many of you here at Lily Grove love going on cruises. 323 00:34:15,440 --> 00:34:18,280 Carnival cruises. 324 00:34:18,280 --> 00:34:20,160 Disney cruises. 325 00:34:20,160 --> 00:34:22,960 You like getting on these ships. 326 00:34:22,960 --> 00:34:23,960 God bless you. 327 00:34:23,960 --> 00:34:25,480 I appreciate that for you. 328 00:34:25,480 --> 00:34:27,320 I hope you have a good time. 329 00:34:27,320 --> 00:34:29,960 They'll never get me on one of those ships. 330 00:34:29,960 --> 00:34:36,320 They'd have to dope me up real good with cocaine to get me on one of those ships. 331 00:34:36,320 --> 00:34:39,120 My family says you'll never know you're on the ship. 332 00:34:39,120 --> 00:34:41,240 I said, can I drive home? 333 00:34:41,240 --> 00:34:45,040 They said, no fool, you can't drive home. 334 00:34:45,040 --> 00:34:47,960 I said, well I don't know that I'm on a ship. 335 00:34:47,960 --> 00:34:50,840 I'm not getting on no carnival cruise. 336 00:34:50,840 --> 00:34:53,720 I understand there are casinos on the cruise. 337 00:34:53,720 --> 00:34:56,600 There are nice restaurants on the cruise. 338 00:34:56,600 --> 00:35:01,200 There are suites and beautiful state rooms on the cruise. 339 00:35:01,200 --> 00:35:05,360 You can have dinner with the captain on the cruise. 340 00:35:05,360 --> 00:35:06,360 Carnival cruises. 341 00:35:06,360 --> 00:35:12,440 Right here in Galveston you can get on a cruise whenever you feel like it. 342 00:35:12,440 --> 00:35:14,920 A carnival cruise is one. 343 00:35:14,920 --> 00:35:17,400 A Disney cruise is another. 344 00:35:17,400 --> 00:35:20,160 A princess cruise is one. 345 00:35:20,160 --> 00:35:23,960 You can go for seven days or 14 days. 346 00:35:23,960 --> 00:35:28,000 However long you want to spend on the ship. 347 00:35:28,000 --> 00:35:30,960 There are casinos on the ship. 348 00:35:30,960 --> 00:35:33,720 State rooms on the ship. 349 00:35:33,720 --> 00:35:35,440 Suites on the ship. 350 00:35:35,440 --> 00:35:39,200 You can dine with the captain on the ship. 351 00:35:39,200 --> 00:35:41,200 Carnival cruises. 352 00:35:41,200 --> 00:35:43,240 Disney cruises. 353 00:35:43,240 --> 00:35:44,240 Princess cruises. 354 00:35:44,240 --> 00:35:45,240 Have a good time. 355 00:35:45,240 --> 00:35:46,240 I ain't going. 356 00:35:46,240 --> 00:35:48,960 I don't care how much they cost. 357 00:35:48,960 --> 00:35:52,040 I don't care what you do to get me on there. 358 00:35:52,040 --> 00:35:54,920 You can have anybody you want singing on the cruise. 359 00:35:54,920 --> 00:35:57,680 I ain't going on no ship. 360 00:35:57,680 --> 00:36:00,720 They say Reverend you don't know you're on the water. 361 00:36:00,720 --> 00:36:02,480 I say can I drive home? 362 00:36:02,480 --> 00:36:06,120 It's an awful you can't drive home. 363 00:36:06,120 --> 00:36:09,160 I said then I don't know I'm on a ship. 364 00:36:09,160 --> 00:36:11,760 There's state rooms on the ship. 365 00:36:11,760 --> 00:36:13,920 There's suites on the ship. 366 00:36:13,920 --> 00:36:16,360 There are casinos and restaurants. 367 00:36:16,360 --> 00:36:24,120 You can dine with the captain for seven days or 14 days on a carnival cruise. 368 00:36:24,120 --> 00:36:26,240 On a princess cruise. 369 00:36:26,240 --> 00:36:28,560 On a Disney cruise. 370 00:36:28,560 --> 00:36:33,200 Seven days for one or 14 days for another. 371 00:36:33,200 --> 00:36:35,840 But the thing about a carnival cruise. 372 00:36:35,840 --> 00:36:38,520 The thing about a Disney cruise. 373 00:36:38,520 --> 00:36:44,760 The thing about a princess cruise is when the cruise is over you got to get over that 374 00:36:44,760 --> 00:36:46,440 ship. 375 00:36:46,440 --> 00:36:49,480 I don't care if you had dinner with the captain. 376 00:36:49,480 --> 00:36:52,480 I don't care what you did at the casino. 377 00:36:52,480 --> 00:36:55,720 I don't care what restaurants you ate at. 378 00:36:55,720 --> 00:37:00,840 When the cruise is over you have to disembark. 379 00:37:00,840 --> 00:37:03,480 I'm not getting on no cruise. 380 00:37:03,480 --> 00:37:06,000 They say you won't know you're on the water. 381 00:37:06,000 --> 00:37:08,360 I say can I drive home? 382 00:37:08,360 --> 00:37:13,680 They say no I'm on the water. 383 00:37:13,680 --> 00:37:16,560 I'm not getting on a carnival cruise. 384 00:37:16,560 --> 00:37:19,360 I'm not getting on a princess cruise. 385 00:37:19,360 --> 00:37:22,120 I'm not getting on a Disney cruise. 386 00:37:22,120 --> 00:37:31,120 But there is another ship that I got on one Wednesday down in Eunice, Louisiana. 387 00:37:31,120 --> 00:37:36,400 There's the old ship of Zion. 388 00:37:36,400 --> 00:37:41,560 She has landed many a thousand. 389 00:37:41,560 --> 00:37:46,360 She will land many more. 390 00:37:46,360 --> 00:37:51,760 And once you get on this ship you can sit down with the captain. 391 00:37:51,760 --> 00:37:53,560 King Jesus. 392 00:37:53,560 --> 00:38:04,960 King Jesus is our captain. 393 00:38:04,960 --> 00:38:07,280 You better get on board. 394 00:38:07,280 --> 00:38:09,960 I know it's not a Disney cruise. 395 00:38:09,960 --> 00:38:12,600 I know it's not a princess cruise. 396 00:38:12,600 --> 00:38:15,360 I know it's not a carnival cruise. 397 00:38:15,360 --> 00:38:17,480 But it's the old ship of Zion. 398 00:38:17,480 --> 00:38:22,960 Ain't no danger in the water. 399 00:38:22,960 --> 00:38:27,400 King Jesus is the captain. 400 00:38:27,400 --> 00:38:30,400 Is there anybody here? 401 00:38:30,400 --> 00:38:32,400 Got on board. 402 00:38:32,400 --> 00:38:34,440 Why don't you grab somebody? 403 00:38:34,440 --> 00:38:38,400 Tell them I'm on board. 404 00:38:38,400 --> 00:38:45,400 King Jesus is my captain. 405 00:38:45,400 --> 00:38:47,920 He died. 406 00:38:47,920 --> 00:38:50,920 Didn't he die? 407 00:38:50,920 --> 00:38:56,560 But Sunday morning he got up. 408 00:38:56,560 --> 00:39:00,360 Didn't he get up with all power? 409 00:39:00,360 --> 00:39:10,360 I know he's alright. 410 00:39:10,360 --> 00:39:20,360 I know he's alright. 411 00:39:20,360 --> 00:39:36,360 He walks with me. 412 00:39:36,360 --> 00:39:38,360 He talks with me. 413 00:39:38,360 --> 00:39:43,360 He tells me I am his own. 414 00:39:43,360 --> 00:39:46,360 And the joy. 415 00:39:46,360 --> 00:39:48,360 Joy. 416 00:39:48,360 --> 00:39:53,360 Do you have joy? 417 00:39:53,360 --> 00:39:57,360 This joy that I have. 418 00:39:57,360 --> 00:40:00,360 The world didn't give it. 419 00:40:00,360 --> 00:40:02,360 The world can't take it away. 420 00:40:02,360 --> 00:40:04,360 Have you tried it? 421 00:40:04,360 --> 00:40:07,360 Won't he fix it for you? 422 00:40:07,360 --> 00:40:09,360 Thank you. 423 00:40:09,360 --> 00:40:11,360 Thank you. 424 00:40:11,360 --> 00:40:13,360 Thank you. 425 00:40:13,360 --> 00:40:15,360 Thank you, Jesus. 426 00:40:15,360 --> 00:40:17,360 Thank you, Jesus. 427 00:40:17,360 --> 00:40:19,360 Thank you, Jesus. 428 00:40:19,360 --> 00:40:21,360 Thank you, Jesus. 429 00:40:21,360 --> 00:40:23,360 Thank you, Jesus. 430 00:40:23,360 --> 00:40:25,360 Thank you, Jesus. 431 00:40:25,360 --> 00:40:53,360 I know he's alright.