Thank you for listening to this message from Life House Church.
Good morning church.
Clap your hands on the house of the Lord this morning.
It's great to see you.
It's great to be here with you all on this morning.
My name is Desmond Wellington as mentioned before and my wife and I, my wife Keisha is
here this morning and also with her, her sister came in last night from St. Louis.
Yes, and this is Jackie, Auntie Jackie, the kids call her Auntie Jackie and they talk about
her every single day.
And so they are so thrilled to have their Auntie Jackie with them on this week and we're
so excited to have you with us.
But we've been here now in Pennsylvania for the last couple of months since January actually
and we're getting acclimated and getting to know families across this great state and
being able to go to the various churches and visit with the pastors, youth pastors, our
students and aren't you proud of our students in this house?
Come on, put your hands together for them.
Leading in worship, doing their presentations, letting their gifts and talents just shine
for the Lord.
And I believe there's no greater place for our students to be than in the house of the
Lord.
Come on somebody say amen.
Let me honor also Pastor Kip.
I know that you're at the other campus this morning and to all of our friends and families
there at that gathering, we want to say we love you and thank you Pastor Kip and Pastor
Dixie for allowing me to be here this morning to share this sacred desk and also want to
honor Dr. Bell in the house and Sister Bell, God bless you.
We love you.
Could you put your hands together for them on this morning?
Amen.
Bring you also greetings from Bishop Witter and also Sister Lethe, God bless you.
Send greetings from them on this morning.
Let me just visit with you for a few minutes before I get into the word of God from Mark
chapter two, but on the slides, on the screen you will see a few different slides there
with some information.
All of this information is on the table right here.
Why do we share this information with you?
So that you and your family can continue to be a part of what's going on within the youth
department within our great state.
I want to say thank you to Life House, a great supporter of the various ministries in the
youth department as we partner with the various youth pastors and this partnering with Pastor
Andrew here and Alicia, we just thank God for them as they serve as well.
But we do have our junior talent coming up.
We're excited about that.
We're children ages seven through 11 will be displaying their gifts and talents to the
Lord.
We have some gifted children across this great state and we're excited about that.
Alongside that, we also have our golf tournament and the golfers out there this morning.
All right.
So we need your help.
We need your help.
We're going to be investing in our youth.
All the funds from our golf tournament will go towards our youth camp coming up this summer.
And so it's going to be an exciting time.
I'm going to be playing as well.
And hopefully I won't say four, four.
You know, I won't say that.
Yeah.
By the way, if you're not familiar with golf, that means that the ball is coming at you.
So get out of the way.
Yeah.
And then also we do have our orphan run for all this church is so involved in a lot of
different missions within the department.
And so that's coming up as well.
And I want to say thank you again to Life House for being a part of that throughout the years.
And did you know as a potential YWA that Life House has been in our top 20 percent of our
churches across the denomination, even here within Pennsylvania in your given.
And so thank you.
Thank you for being a part of that.
Yes.
We have several different youth rallies taking place.
Why do we do this?
We want to provide an atmosphere for our students and families to come together, to sharpen
each other, to be discipled, to hear God's word and to know that they have a purpose
and a destiny from God.
And so we have these various youth rallies.
We just had one last week.
Yeah.
A week before last in Philly area.
And then we do have a few more coming up and you'll see those as well.
And then also I mentioned youth camp earlier.
Please get your children to youth camp this year.
This year we believe in God to do something mighty and powerful.
Our theme is battle ready.
And now more than ever, we know that we have to position not only ourselves, but our children,
our students to be battle ready emotionally, mentally, spiritually.
Why?
Because there is an adversary.
There's an adversary who's opposing the plan of God, who's trying to oppose the plan of
God in their lives.
But I believe that if we strategically, strategically prepare ourselves, putting on the whole armor
of God, we will walk in victory.
Somebody say amen.
Well, enough of all the commercials.
Let's go to the word of God on this morning.
Mark chapter two.
If you have your Bibles, your tablets or your phones, let's go to Mark chapter two and start
in verse number one.
Let's read from the word of God this morning.
And again, he entered Capernaum after some days and it was heard that he was in the house.
Who was in the house?
Jesus was in the house.
And by the way, I'm one of those guys that you can talk back to, okay.
In worship.
So feel free to just interact.
All right.
And immediately many gathered together so that there was no longer room to receive them.
And even near the door.
And he preached the word to them.
How many of you know that it's still the word of God that will make a difference?
It is still the word of God that will make a difference in our lives.
So he preached the word to them.
Then they came to him bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men.
How many men?
Here's what the word of God continues to say.
After they brought him to Jesus and when they could not come near him because of the crowd,
they uncovered the roof.
They were bold.
They uncovered the roof where he was.
So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying.
And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, son, your sins are forgiven
you.
For the next few minutes, I want to speak to us on the subject breakthrough, breakthrough.
Father, today, thank you that you're with us in this house.
You're also God with our gathering who is watching online.
Thank you so much, Lord, for your presence.
For wherever your presence is, there is joy.
Wherever your presence is, there can be miracles.
Wherever your presence is, God, there will be breakthrough in our lives.
And so this morning, as we open our hearts and our ears to you, speak clearly by your
power in Jesus' name and the church say, amen.
In this world, we are facing various challenges.
There's no doubt about it.
And even in our families, we face challenges.
Matter of fact, the very moment that we said yes to Jesus, we now enlist in a spiritual
battle.
But the good news today is that the spiritual battle that we engage in, we're not in that
by ourselves.
We have an ally.
The Bible tells us this, that this ally in Colossians chapter two and verse 15, he himself
as disarmed principalities and powers.
Did you hear that?
Jesus himself disarmed principalities and powers and he made a public spectacle of them,
triumphant over them by the power of the cross.
That's a good place to say thank you, Jesus.
He's the ally that's on our side.
But make no mistake about it, as I alluded to earlier, that there is an adversary.
There is an adversary, the Bible describe him as a roaring lion.
Is it all right if I hear a roar this morning?
Ah, that's weak.
Come on, let me hear a roar.
Oh, that's a little bit better.
These guys on this side are like, no, we're in church, we can't do that.
Of course you can.
But the Bible says that he's like a roaring lion.
He's not a lion, but he's like a roaring lion trying to scare us.
Sometimes he may place situations in our life to scare us, but we don't have to be scared.
We don't have to panic.
Why?
Because we have an ally who has overcome.
Matter of fact, he said this in John chapter 16 and verse 33, speaking to his disciples,
he said, in this world, we will have trouble.
But he said, I'm telling you this so that you can still have peace in me.
Be of good cheer.
Why?
I have overcome.
Oh, hallelujah.
I'm glad this morning that my Jesus has overcome.
And the very second that I said yes to him, I'm walking in victory.
I am an overcomer.
I'm not defeated.
There's only one defeated foe, and that is the enemy himself.
So here it is in Mark chapter two, Jesus returned to Capernaum.
He returned to Capernaum where his ministry began.
By the way, as I'm speaking, you may pick up an accent.
I'm Jamaican.
Everybody say, Wa-Gwan.
You're Jamaican now.
One more time.
Wa-Gwan.
All right.
Yeah.
And that simply means what's going on?
How are you?
But Jesus returned.
Yeah, man, I hear it.
Jesus returned to Capernaum.
And in Capernaum was a place where various miracles took place.
Matter of fact, wherever Jesus went, great things happen.
And as a matter of fact, he's in this house this morning and great things are going to
take place.
Is there anybody who expect that today?
But as Jesus performed various miracles, he returned now to Capernaum.
But Capernaum still had a problem.
In Capernaum, they valued the miracles over the message.
In Capernaum, they also wanted the spectacular more than they wanted the Savior.
In Capernaum, they wanted to be blessed but not believe.
In Capernaum, they were exposed to the gospel yet they excluded themselves from the gospel.
The gospel was not penetrating their lives.
Don't you know this morning that Jesus sent the good news of the gospel to transform us?
But listen to this this morning.
The gospel transform us to love the unlovable.
The gospel transform us to leave sin behind.
The gospel transform us to let go of some things and yes, to let go of some people.
Hmm.
Oh yeah.
To stop going to some places that we used to go to.
Doing things that we used to do.
Because therefore if anyone is in Christ, he or she is a new person.
All things are passed away.
And that is our mandate.
And in this season, the mandate of the church is to point others to the cross.
Why?
Because the cross makes a difference.
They thought they could have nailed Jesus and kept him there.
But I'm glad that three days later, my God, they put him in a tomb but he rose up again
with all power in his hands.
And guess what, ladies and gentlemen, the same power that raised Jesus from the dead,
my Bible tells me that it's the same power that lives in you and me.
That's why we are victorious.
Oh glory.
The enemy will have us to think sometimes that you're defeated.
The circumstances that you face.
The challenges that you're seeing.
He will have you to see the things right there in front of you and believe that, oh, the
walls are caving in on this side, that side, this side.
What am I going to do?
And I'm here to let you know that you can have a breakthrough because of Calvary.
Glory to God.
And yes, you will face those challenges.
But you're not facing it by yourself.
You're facing it with hope.
You're facing it with the promises of God.
And God will never break his promise.
His word is still true.
His promises are still yes and amen.
How do I know I lived it?
My wife and I married 17 years now.
Praise God.
But it took us 12 years before we had our first child.
Doctors after doctors, things were good.
But you know what we did in the meantime?
We never stopped praising.
We never stopped trusting.
We never stopped believing God's word.
Why?
Because he has spoken his word over us and we kept on believing.
There are going to be times where in your waiting season, you cannot stop worshiping.
You cannot stop giving.
You cannot stop trusting.
Why?
Because in that waiting season, God is actively at work behind the scenes.
He's working on your behalf so that you can have a testimony.
Why?
For his glory.
Hallelujah.
The cross sometimes may seem like foolishness to those who don't believe.
Matter of fact, the Bible tells us that, 1 Corinthians chapter 1 and verse 18, for the
message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing.
But for those who are being saved, it is a power of God.
I'm thankful for the cross because the cross reminds me that while I was still in my sins,
Jesus died for me.
Over 2000 years ago, yes, I wasn't there, but I believe he did.
Oh, I wasn't there when they put the spear in his side, but I believe he did.
And I thank God that he did.
Why?
Because anyone who comes to him must believe.
Hallelujah.
So the cross reminds me that no matter how down you may be sometimes, Jesus will raise
you up.
He will raise you.
He will strengthen you.
Oh, hallelujah.
In our text, he returned to Capernaum, but this time he returned to a certain house.
And in that house, he was preaching.
Noise on the street was that Jesus was there.
And guess what he's doing?
He's preaching.
Oh, isn't that a good rumor to have that in your house, the word is being proclaimed?
Oh, isn't that a good rumor to have that in our church, the word is being preached and
Jesus is there.
You know, oftentimes the world gravitates towards negativity.
The world, they retweet fake news and foolishness and falsehoods.
We don't often see a lot of retweeting of scriptures.
We don't often see a lot of retweeting of praise reports.
We don't often see a lot of retweeting of testimonies.
But if we change the tide and we begin to retweet and post what God is doing because
he is doing great things, he's not done, he's still at work.
Is there anybody with a testimony?
Somebody say amen.
So here it is.
He was in the house.
That's a good rumor to have.
Jesus is in the house.
Matter of fact, Jesus is not a secret that we should keep to ourselves.
He's savior of the world.
For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believe in
him should not perish but have everlasting life.
I am one of those whosoever.
We used to grow up, you know, as I was growing up in Jamaica, they used to sing this song,
if salvation was a thing that money could buy, the rich would have it and the poor would
die.
I am one of those whosoever.
I'm glad this morning that salvation is a free gift.
I'm glad that Jesus paid the price for me.
I'm glad that he laid down his life for me.
And all he wants me to do now is say, hey, if you want to break through, you got to believe
that Jesus can do it.
And in our gospel here, in our lesson, we saw where Jesus was in the house, crowds were
coming.
Sometimes I don't like crowds.
I'm from New York and, oh, and my wife reminded me the other day as we were traveling through
some different areas and she's like, oh, I wouldn't live here.
It's just so crowded.
But this crowd that was with Jesus was a good situation because we want that.
Why is that?
Because in every crowd, there is somebody who is in need of a touch from the master.
In every crowd, there are questions that only Jesus can answer.
In every crowd, there is someone who is broken and wounded and feeling afraid where Jesus
can rescue and heal.
I like that kind of crowd.
In every crowd, there's somebody who is grieving, going through.
If we're honest with ourselves, there may be some in our crowd this morning who may
be struggling, struggling with fear, doubt, guilt, and shame.
In every crowd, there may be somebody struggling with pornography, somebody struggling with
identity crisis, somebody struggling with physically, emotionally, mentally, and even
spiritually.
But in every crowd, I thank God that in this crowd, Jesus is here and he's here to give
us a breakthrough.
Hallelujah.
Every crowd, there's somebody who feels as though they're at the end of the rope, ready
to throw in the towel.
But no, this is not the season to throw in the towel.
Oh no, this is not the season to quit.
This is not the season to give up.
You keep pressing, press towards the mark of the prize of the high calling in Jesus
Christ.
You keep worshiping.
You keep serving.
You keep trusting Jesus for his faithful and true.
Oh, hallelujah.
So if you're going to experience breakthrough, there it is.
If you're taking notes, believe that Jesus can.
Believe that Jesus can.
Man in our story this morning from Mark chapter two crippled, broken, wounded, but he had
some friends around him.
Just perhaps of walk by.
But these friends, they believed that Jesus can meet him at his point of need.
I'm here to remind you, Jesus can meet you at your point of need.
Is there anything too hard for him to do?
No.
Oh, hallelujah.
He specializes in all things.
He is greater.
He is stronger.
He is my, he is Jesus.
Somebody say Jesus.
They brought the certain man.
This man didn't have a name.
It kind of tells me that it could be any of us.
Certain men.
Could not walk.
Could not move.
He's confined to a stretcher.
Unable to enter.
He was stuck.
And sometimes that's what the enemy wants us to believe that we are stuck and that there's
no way out.
But my God, he's a way maker.
My God is a promise keeper.
And you don't have to stay stuck in your situation.
You just call the name of Jesus.
Because at the name of Jesus, every knee will bow.
Oh, hallelujah.
Sometimes the enemy will cause us to feel like we're stuck in our past.
Stuck in the problems that we face.
Have you ever feel stuck in even shame?
But Jesus as far as the East is from, I've removed, come on, I've removed.
I've removed.
East and West, they'll never meet.
So I'm here to let somebody know that you can walk in the promises of God, where your
past is erased by the blood of Jesus Christ.
It does not mean that it did not happen.
But what it means is that you are restored.
You are healed by the power of Jesus.
Sometimes we may feel crippled by fear, depression, but today we bind in the name of Jesus.
We plead the blood of Jesus over hearts and minds.
Fear is not welcome anymore.
Depression is not welcome anymore.
In the name of Jesus, doubt is not welcome anymore.
Oh, we ask you, Jesus, to tear down every stronghold.
Believe that Jesus can.
Secondly, not only should we believe that Jesus can, we're expecting a breakthrough,
but we have to bring others to Jesus.
Bring others to Jesus.
Look at the text.
Verse number three, then they came to him bringing a paralytic who was carried by four
men.
In this season, Jesus is coming back.
We know that for sure, but in this season, we must bring others to him.
He is the way, the truth and the life.
He is the answer for the world.
We have to bring others so we cannot forget the ones that are away from God.
We must find them and fight for them and bring them to the master.
Bring them to the savior.
Hallelujah.
Because here's why, because we are part of God's mission to bring a breakthrough in their
lives.
These four men, they had no names, no titles mentioned.
Why?
Because it wasn't about them.
As you go to find others and to bring them and introduce them to Jesus, it's not about
you.
Oh, look what I did.
Oh, I brought 10 people to church.
Oh, no, no, no.
It's all about Jesus.
It's all about the love of Jesus.
I'm glad that it's not about me.
I'm glad it's about him.
I'm glad that he wants all the glory.
Come on somebody.
But bring those who are weak, bring those who are tired.
You notice this?
They brought the man.
In other words, they went and they picked him up.
How do I know they picked him up?
They carried him.
He was crippled.
There are some today who perhaps are weak, wounded, can't come in by themselves.
We got to go and get them.
Jesus has saved us and strengthened us.
Matter of fact, there may be some in here this morning.
You may be wounded.
There's a Jesus in this house this morning who is ready to give you a breakthrough of
healing.
Hallelujah.
But they went and they got him.
Jesus, over 2000 years ago, oh man, he picked us up through the power of the cross.
He picked us up.
Love lifted me.
And I was sinking deep in sin, far from the peaceful shore.
The master steps in.
He is the one who's lifting us up.
I'm glad about it this morning.
You are not by yourself.
Jesus, the savior, is wrapping his arms around you.
He's stretching his arms out to you.
And he said, come unto me, all who are weary and heavy laden.
And he said, I will give you rest.
I'm glad for the invitation this morning from the savior.
Thank you, Jesus.
But these guys, they had no title because it wasn't about them.
But guess what?
They also sacrificed their time.
They could have just kept going.
But no, they sacrificed their time.
And the Bible doesn't really say how heavy this guy was or how light he was.
But they took the time to pick him up.
Right?
Sometimes we're going to have to sacrifice our time.
Again, it's not about you.
It's about Jesus.
So sometimes we're going to have to sacrifice some things and say, oh, I got to go talk
to that person.
I got to go get that one.
Why?
Because God is greater.
God is bigger.
He's able.
He's available.
And yes, he can.
I don't know if they sacrificed the time.
But also they understand the importance of the time.
Jesus is coming back, church family.
Jesus is coming back.
And because of that awareness, we can't waste time not telling others about Jesus.
That's why the enemy is so actively right now, active, attacking our families.
The Bible tells us in Revelations that he's fully aware that his time is short.
So he's angry.
So yeah, he's going to throw some doubt.
He's going to toss some identity issues.
He's going to toss some depression.
But the blood of Jesus, the blood of Jesus, the blood of Jesus, we have to realize the
urgency of the time that we have to remind somebody that yes, Jesus loves you.
Yes, Jesus is for you, is not against you.
Yes, Jesus is available to you.
There's an urgency of his return.
They also took some risk.
They took some risk.
The Bible says that they got there and there's no room for them to get through the door.
That tells me something else.
That sometimes when they come, they won't come the normal way that we expect them to
come.
They may not look like you.
They may not talk like you.
They may not walk like you.
They may not sound like you.
But let them come because when they come, they will hear the word of God.
And faith comes by hearing and hearing by the...
Oh, hallelujah.
Let them come.
If they're weak, let them come.
If they're tired, let them come.
Come if you're thirsty.
Come, why?
Because they're coming even because of the cross.
They're coming.
These guys, they had to push away some obstacles and push away some oppositions.
Wait a minute.
How's Jesus doing this?
Those churchy folk.
Why is Jesus doing?
Why are they coming?
Because they need the Savior.
All of sin and falling short of the glory of God.
All.
But Jesus Christ is for all.
They push around and push past the obstacles and to climb up to the roof, took the risk,
busted through so that they could get that one person to Jesus.
Why you think they did that? because that person mattered.
That person was not defined by his circumstance.
That person didn't have to stay the way that he is because there's somebody greater who
can lift him out of his situation.
He mattered.
My brothers and sisters, people around us matter.
They matter.
You matter.
Every person in this house, you matter.
Matter of fact, just look at your neighbor and say, you're not a mistake.
Oh yeah.
Yeah.
Come on, talk to the other person and say, you're not a mistake.
I can hear you online.
You're not a mistake, but you are a miracle.
You are a miracle.
You have purpose on your life and your mess doesn't have to stop you from receiving the
miracle of Jesus.
Hallelujah.
So here it is as I'm getting ready to close and the musicians can come, not only did they
pick him up, brought him to where Jesus was.
I like the fact that they didn't fuss.
They didn't fuss about, Ooh, I want to be in front.
Oh, no, no, let me get his legs.
Oh no, let me get his hands.
They didn't fuss about who's going to be in front or who's going to be in the back.
All they wanted to do was to get him to the savior.
Oh, hallelujah.
They kept their eyes on the mission, the mission for a breakthrough.
They kept their eyes on the savior.
Jesus is there and we've got to get him there.
I don't, I'm not going to worry about what's going on, but we have got to get him there.
We have to bring people to Jesus.
Isaiah 35 and verse three, strengthen the hands of the feeble, steady the knees that
gives way.
Speaking to us as a church, well, we are part of the mission to go and get them.
Not only should we believe that Jesus can, but we also ought to bring others to Jesus
and then be determined to never give up, be determined to never give up.
They got there crowded, but they knew he needed help.
I'm glad that Jesus never gave up on us.
I'm glad that he won't give up on us.
Students, Jesus will never give up on you.
Dads, Jesus will never give up on you.
Moms, not going to happen.
Jesus is not going to give up on you.
Don't give up the fight.
They were determined to never give up.
But watch this, after they got him there, Jesus then said, I saw your faith.
And then he responded to the man who was crippled and he said, son, your sins are forgiven.
Fathers on named man now have identity in Christ.
Son, your sins are forgiven.
Oh, hallelujah.
I'm glad that Jesus calls us sons and daughters.
I'm glad that we belong to him.
We don't have to struggle with our identity.
We know who we are.
He defines us, not the world.
He already tells us who we are.
We have been bought with a price.
Before we were born, he knew us, set us apart, calls us by name, position us for destiny
in him.
Thank you, God.
But notice Jesus said, son, your sins are forgiven.
Wait a minute.
Then we just bring in a guy who was crippled.
What about his legs?
The greatest concern for Jesus was not his legs, but his heart.
Because if Jesus can fix his heart, he can then walk in order.
Oh, hallelujah.
His soul is more important.
I thank God for that because as we open our hearts to Jesus, he's transforming us and
then everything else will fall into place.
Oh, hallelujah.
That's why we have to guard our hearts.
Because out of it flows the wellspring of life.
So here it is again.
He spoke, Jesus spoke to the man, says, rise up, rise up.
This man has been down for some time, perhaps talked about.
Jesus says, rise up, pick your head up.
Rise up and walk.
The Bible says in verse number 12, as he stepped out in the presence of everyone, they saw
him.
They were amazed.
We don't have to be surprised of what God can do and what God will do.
Just expect and know that he's going to do it.
We believe his word.
He's a keeper.
He's a promise keeper of his word.
He walked out.
They were amazed, but they didn't stop there.
They glorify God.
They became worshipers.
We don't have to wait for the miracle to worship, but we can worship God because we know who
he is.
We know what he has in store.
Eyes have not seen nor hears have heard what the father has in store for those who love
him and for those who are called by his name.
You have not seen the greatest days yet in your family.
There's greater.
This church has not seen the greatest days yet.
Why?
Because Jesus has more in store.
You haven't seen the greatest days yet in your youth.
There's more.
And I'm glad about it because eyes have not seen nor hears have heard what he has in store.
There is more that he has for us.
So what does he want us to do?
He want us to continue to believe that he can.
He want us to continue to believe his word.
He want us to continue to be a worshiper because worship invites his presence and wherever
his presence is breakthroughs will take place.
And in the house of the Lord this morning.
Thank you for tuning in to this message from Life House Church.
We pray that you were impacted powerfully by this message.
If you have been personally affected by our ministry and you would like to partner with
us as we love God, love people every day, visit our website at www.lifehousecog.com.