WEBVTT 00:00:09.880 --> 00:00:12.300 Thank you for listening to this message from 00:00:12.300 --> 00:00:19.019 Lifehouse Church. What an honor to be here this 00:00:19.019 --> 00:00:22.019 morning. I'm going to ask you if you'll stand 00:00:22.019 --> 00:00:24.460 with me for the reading of the word. And as we 00:00:24.460 --> 00:00:27.800 get ready to get into that, it is an honor to 00:00:27.800 --> 00:00:31.879 be here with you today. And just come out of 00:00:31.879 --> 00:00:34.280 a great leadership retreat for our state, for 00:00:34.280 --> 00:00:37.649 our pastors, our elected boards. Pastor Kip not 00:00:37.649 --> 00:00:41.070 feeling well and said, hey, can you be at Lifehouse 00:00:41.070 --> 00:00:43.170 Sunday morning and preach? And the reason I'm 00:00:43.170 --> 00:00:45.149 able to be here is because my wife put me under 00:00:45.149 --> 00:00:47.729 strict orders before we left for this retreat. 00:00:47.829 --> 00:00:50.750 She said, I have purposely scheduled this Sunday 00:00:50.750 --> 00:00:53.609 off so that we can come to Lifehouse Church. 00:00:54.210 --> 00:00:56.729 And she said, so don't schedule with anybody. 00:00:57.189 --> 00:01:00.850 Even if God says do it, don't do it. Don't schedule 00:01:00.850 --> 00:01:04.650 with anybody. But it is an honor to be here. 00:01:04.730 --> 00:01:06.909 We would be here anyway because we love this 00:01:06.909 --> 00:01:09.750 church. And I'm so honored to be here with our 00:01:09.750 --> 00:01:13.209 dear friends, Pastor Kip and Dixie. They're not 00:01:13.209 --> 00:01:16.269 just colleagues, but have become some of our 00:01:16.269 --> 00:01:18.689 closest friends in this state. And they're not 00:01:18.689 --> 00:01:21.370 just pastors at this church. They're great leaders 00:01:21.370 --> 00:01:23.170 in our state. And I think it would only be fitting 00:01:23.170 --> 00:01:24.829 if we put our hands together for them and let 00:01:24.829 --> 00:01:27.049 them know how much we love them and appreciate 00:01:27.049 --> 00:01:32.060 them. Pastor Alyssa and Ryan, I cannot say enough 00:01:32.060 --> 00:01:35.859 good about them. My youngest son, Bentley, is 00:01:35.859 --> 00:01:38.930 in the youth group here. And I want to say the 00:01:38.930 --> 00:01:41.989 transition here from Arizona has been the smoothest 00:01:41.989 --> 00:01:44.150 transition we've ever had as much as we've moved 00:01:44.150 --> 00:01:47.750 because of this place, not only this church, 00:01:47.750 --> 00:01:50.590 but this school. My son is a student here at 00:01:50.590 --> 00:01:52.250 this school, and I just want to thank all of 00:01:52.250 --> 00:01:54.189 the faculty at this school that attend this church, 00:01:54.269 --> 00:01:57.769 the great job that you guys do. And last but 00:01:57.769 --> 00:01:59.950 certainly not least, I want to say this about 00:01:59.950 --> 00:02:03.849 someone else. The light of Lifehouse Church doesn't 00:02:03.849 --> 00:02:07.709 stop. at this door or at this building, but on 00:02:07.709 --> 00:02:10.590 Derbyshire drive, sister Bobby, who was our neighbor, 00:02:10.770 --> 00:02:15.310 love her so much. And she has become, amen. Let's 00:02:15.310 --> 00:02:18.870 give her a hand. You know, she does really, she 00:02:18.870 --> 00:02:21.409 represents the culture of this church and she 00:02:21.409 --> 00:02:25.849 represents Christ, not just here, but where she 00:02:25.849 --> 00:02:30.110 lives. And Abigail and I cannot say enough good 00:02:30.110 --> 00:02:31.669 about sister Bobby. In fact, the other day, her 00:02:31.669 --> 00:02:33.590 name come up and Abigail said this, she said, 00:02:33.979 --> 00:02:37.659 It would make my life harder if Bobby moved or 00:02:37.659 --> 00:02:40.360 we moved. That's the impact that she's had on 00:02:40.360 --> 00:02:42.159 our life. So we love her and we love each and 00:02:42.159 --> 00:02:44.120 every one of you. It's so good to be here with 00:02:44.120 --> 00:02:48.759 you this morning. In John chapter 11, 25, when 00:02:48.759 --> 00:02:52.460 Pastor Kip had mentioned being here this morning, 00:02:52.500 --> 00:02:54.860 I'm in the process of, I'm on the home stretch 00:02:54.860 --> 00:02:58.680 of finishing a new book for our... for our publisher. 00:02:58.879 --> 00:03:01.159 And so these things that I'm going to be sharing 00:03:01.159 --> 00:03:02.900 this morning, they're things I'm writing about. 00:03:03.000 --> 00:03:07.240 I'm passionate about it. And I'm trying to not 00:03:07.240 --> 00:03:09.539 get totally into Christmas because I don't know 00:03:09.539 --> 00:03:11.280 what Pastor Kip's plan is. And I don't want to 00:03:11.280 --> 00:03:13.240 overstep him as pastor. I want to give him the 00:03:13.240 --> 00:03:15.560 opportunity to share those things. So if you'll 00:03:15.560 --> 00:03:17.580 allow me to, I want to kind of dance around it 00:03:17.580 --> 00:03:23.479 a little bit. In John 11, 25, Jesus says unto 00:03:23.479 --> 00:03:28.039 her, I am the resurrection and the life. He that 00:03:28.039 --> 00:03:31.360 believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall 00:03:31.360 --> 00:03:35.599 he live. And he that liveth shall never die. 00:03:36.039 --> 00:03:38.919 Ladies and gentlemen, we are entering into the 00:03:38.919 --> 00:03:42.919 season of miracles. The greatest miracle that 00:03:42.919 --> 00:03:45.740 we've ever thought of was the incarnation of 00:03:45.740 --> 00:03:48.580 our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. And what we 00:03:48.580 --> 00:03:52.460 find in this season is that God can birth a miracle 00:03:52.460 --> 00:03:56.280 in the most unusual places. When he came, he 00:03:56.280 --> 00:03:58.580 didn't come to Cairo, Egypt, or the great commercial 00:03:58.580 --> 00:04:00.939 centers of the world, but he came to a barn, 00:04:01.080 --> 00:04:04.840 to a hay manger. And God can birth a miracle 00:04:04.840 --> 00:04:08.020 in the most unusual places. And I want to talk 00:04:08.020 --> 00:04:10.039 to you briefly this morning on this subject I've 00:04:10.039 --> 00:04:14.219 entitled, A Miracle in the Graveyard. A Miracle 00:04:14.219 --> 00:04:16.319 in the Graveyard. Pray with me and for me. Father, 00:04:16.439 --> 00:04:19.300 I thank you for this opportunity to be here today. 00:04:19.360 --> 00:04:22.870 I do not count this a light privilege. I'm honored 00:04:22.870 --> 00:04:25.529 to stand before this great congregation thanking 00:04:25.529 --> 00:04:29.009 you not only for what you have done, but what 00:04:29.009 --> 00:04:32.110 you're doing. God, as we look back over the last 00:04:32.110 --> 00:04:34.670 few years at this church and we see its humble 00:04:34.670 --> 00:04:37.790 beginnings in a skating rink and to the former 00:04:37.790 --> 00:04:40.470 property and now to this beautiful building we're 00:04:40.470 --> 00:04:44.170 in today. Father, all of us can truly say, look 00:04:44.170 --> 00:04:47.350 at what the Lord has done. God, we thank you 00:04:47.350 --> 00:04:49.110 for what you're doing in this church. I'm asking 00:04:49.110 --> 00:04:51.310 you to anoint me in spite of me, in spite of 00:04:51.310 --> 00:04:53.329 my past, in spite of all those things that make 00:04:53.329 --> 00:04:55.930 me human. But anoint me to deliver, thus saith 00:04:55.930 --> 00:04:57.930 the Lord. Not only anoint me to deliver, but 00:04:57.930 --> 00:04:59.649 God, I pray you would anoint your people to receive. 00:05:00.009 --> 00:05:02.610 And today we declare it's not by might, not by 00:05:02.610 --> 00:05:04.629 power, but it's by your spirit, says the Lord. 00:05:04.709 --> 00:05:07.529 In Jesus' name, amen. Will you give Jesus a hand 00:05:07.529 --> 00:05:11.529 as you're seated this morning? Let's give this 00:05:11.529 --> 00:05:13.649 worship team a hand too, man. You guys have got 00:05:13.649 --> 00:05:18.670 amazing worship. I want to talk to you briefly 00:05:18.670 --> 00:05:20.709 on this subject that I've entitled A Miracle 00:05:20.709 --> 00:05:23.410 in the Graveyard. And I want to start off by 00:05:23.410 --> 00:05:27.970 saying probably my favorite scripture in the 00:05:27.970 --> 00:05:32.050 Bible for me personally is Psalms 91. And if 00:05:32.050 --> 00:05:33.889 we were to take time and go around the congregation 00:05:33.889 --> 00:05:36.350 and we were to ask, what is your favorite scripture? 00:05:36.509 --> 00:05:38.610 We would get a lot of scriptures because all 00:05:38.610 --> 00:05:40.990 of us tend to connect to that scripture, that 00:05:40.990 --> 00:05:44.089 word that we got from the Lord that brought us 00:05:44.089 --> 00:05:46.949 through a time of difficulty that many of us 00:05:46.949 --> 00:05:48.949 should have never made it through. And for me, 00:05:48.970 --> 00:05:51.550 it's Psalms 91. And in Psalms 91, it has two 00:05:51.550 --> 00:05:55.370 parts. Part one, he that dwelleth in the secret 00:05:55.370 --> 00:06:00.449 place of the most high God. Part two, shall abide. 00:06:01.160 --> 00:06:04.699 under the shadow of the Almighty. And as I begin 00:06:04.699 --> 00:06:07.100 to read this scripture, I can feel the heartbeat 00:06:07.100 --> 00:06:09.680 of David, not just in this specific scripture, 00:06:09.899 --> 00:06:12.540 but in all of his writings. For it was David 00:06:12.540 --> 00:06:14.779 that said, as the deer panted for the water, 00:06:14.839 --> 00:06:18.540 so my soul longeth after thee. It was David that 00:06:18.540 --> 00:06:20.980 said, one thing that I will seek after is that 00:06:20.980 --> 00:06:23.139 I would dwell in the house of the Lord all the 00:06:23.139 --> 00:06:25.100 days of my life, that I would behold the beauty 00:06:25.100 --> 00:06:27.939 of the Lord and inquire in his temple. It was 00:06:27.939 --> 00:06:30.360 David that said, Lord, create in me a clean heart 00:06:30.360 --> 00:06:33.939 and renew within me a right spirit. It was David 00:06:33.939 --> 00:06:37.220 that the Bible said had a heart after. God's 00:06:37.220 --> 00:06:39.600 own heart. And the reason he uses the word after 00:06:39.600 --> 00:06:41.540 here is because he wants you this morning at 00:06:41.540 --> 00:06:43.879 Lifehouse Church to understand the context of 00:06:43.879 --> 00:06:46.500 the word. He does not use the word after in the 00:06:46.500 --> 00:06:49.500 context of being similar as or in the likeness 00:06:49.500 --> 00:06:52.139 of, but he uses the word after in the context 00:06:52.139 --> 00:06:55.040 that he is in pursuit of. His heart is after 00:06:55.040 --> 00:06:58.680 me. His heart is pursuing me. His heart is chasing 00:06:58.680 --> 00:07:01.040 me. Ladies and gentlemen, it was David's very 00:07:01.040 --> 00:07:03.800 pursuit of God that allowed him to find the heartbeat 00:07:03.800 --> 00:07:07.050 of God. It was David's pursuit of God that allowed 00:07:07.050 --> 00:07:10.569 him to find the pulse of God. And if you're going 00:07:10.569 --> 00:07:13.470 to take the pulse of anything, you got to be 00:07:13.470 --> 00:07:16.629 close enough to reach out and to touch it. If 00:07:16.629 --> 00:07:18.470 you work in the medical field or you know somebody 00:07:18.470 --> 00:07:20.949 that does, you understand you can't take somebody's 00:07:20.949 --> 00:07:23.850 pulse from across the room. You can't take someone's 00:07:23.850 --> 00:07:26.189 pulse by long distance or by correspondence. 00:07:26.209 --> 00:07:28.790 But if you're going to take the pulse of anything, 00:07:29.069 --> 00:07:32.170 you have to be close enough to reach out and 00:07:32.170 --> 00:07:34.860 to touch it. We love to sing that old gospel 00:07:34.860 --> 00:07:39.420 song, he touched me. Oh, he touched me. But can 00:07:39.420 --> 00:07:41.459 I ask you a question in this Christmas season? 00:07:41.860 --> 00:07:45.100 When's the last time you reached out to touch 00:07:45.100 --> 00:07:47.949 him? What's so powerful about the story of the 00:07:47.949 --> 00:07:50.610 woman with the issue of blood is that she pushed 00:07:50.610 --> 00:07:52.990 her way through the trouble and pushed her way 00:07:52.990 --> 00:07:56.189 through the problem and overcame all the obstacles 00:07:56.189 --> 00:07:59.629 just to touch the hem of his garment. And the 00:07:59.629 --> 00:08:02.629 moment that she touches the hem of Jesus' garment, 00:08:02.750 --> 00:08:05.370 Jesus stops everything that he's doing and he 00:08:05.370 --> 00:08:08.209 says, who just touched me? Peter said, it must 00:08:08.209 --> 00:08:10.769 be this multitude that surrounds you. And Jesus 00:08:10.769 --> 00:08:13.730 said, no, no, no. Someone just touched me individually 00:08:13.730 --> 00:08:17.410 because I feel it. I feel virtue has gone out 00:08:17.410 --> 00:08:19.709 of me. I want to ask you a question. When's the 00:08:19.709 --> 00:08:22.209 last time that you pushed your way through the 00:08:22.209 --> 00:08:24.769 problem and all the drama and all the sickness 00:08:24.769 --> 00:08:28.129 and all the issue just to reach out and touch 00:08:28.129 --> 00:08:31.050 the hem of his garment? Because I want you to 00:08:31.050 --> 00:08:32.750 understand this morning the thing that stands 00:08:32.750 --> 00:08:37.789 in between you and Jesus. You and a healing, 00:08:38.090 --> 00:08:41.309 you and a breakthrough, you and a miracle is 00:08:41.309 --> 00:08:44.809 a multitude, a multitude of problems, a multitude 00:08:44.809 --> 00:08:47.610 of issues, a multitude of bills, a multitude 00:08:47.610 --> 00:08:50.610 of devils. Hear me, anytime you get close to 00:08:50.610 --> 00:08:53.110 touching Jesus. There will always be a multitude. 00:08:53.450 --> 00:08:56.070 There will always be pushback. There will always 00:08:56.070 --> 00:08:58.649 be a restrictive force. I would challenge you 00:08:58.649 --> 00:09:00.950 this morning to understand that the greatest 00:09:00.950 --> 00:09:04.230 opposition you will ever face is when your miracle 00:09:04.230 --> 00:09:08.230 is within your reach. Everybody knew Jesus had 00:09:08.230 --> 00:09:11.090 come to town. Why? Because there was a multitude. 00:09:11.629 --> 00:09:14.570 What am I saying? I'm saying when Jesus shows 00:09:14.570 --> 00:09:18.639 up, get ready for problems. Have you ever thought 00:09:18.639 --> 00:09:20.899 about what would happen if Jesus showed up to 00:09:20.899 --> 00:09:22.940 church this morning? And I'm not just talking 00:09:22.940 --> 00:09:25.659 about Lifehouse Church or even the Church of 00:09:25.659 --> 00:09:27.779 God of Pennsylvania. I'm talking about the Church 00:09:27.779 --> 00:09:30.639 of America, the Church of the world. Have you 00:09:30.639 --> 00:09:32.740 ever considered what would happen if Jesus showed 00:09:32.740 --> 00:09:35.059 up to church this morning? We'd have to stop 00:09:35.059 --> 00:09:38.460 Jesus at the door and say, now Jesus, there's 00:09:38.460 --> 00:09:40.360 some things that you really need to know before 00:09:40.360 --> 00:09:43.659 you go in there this morning. We'd have to explain 00:09:43.659 --> 00:09:47.120 to Jesus what an usher is. We would have to explain 00:09:47.120 --> 00:09:50.200 to Jesus what a trustee is. Sister Dixie, we 00:09:50.200 --> 00:09:53.620 would have to tell Jesus, now Jesus, I know it's 00:09:53.620 --> 00:09:55.639 going to feel personal, and I know it's going 00:09:55.639 --> 00:09:57.259 to hurt your feelings, and I know it's going 00:09:57.259 --> 00:09:59.559 to make you cry, but it's not personal, but you 00:09:59.559 --> 00:10:01.120 need to understand that when you go in there 00:10:01.120 --> 00:10:03.279 this morning, there's going to be some people 00:10:03.279 --> 00:10:05.500 who are going to be upset at the other people 00:10:05.500 --> 00:10:07.460 because they think they praise you too loud. 00:10:09.840 --> 00:10:12.750 Now Jesus, I know it feels personal. And I know 00:10:12.750 --> 00:10:14.830 it hurts your feelings, but you need to understand 00:10:14.830 --> 00:10:16.549 there's going to be some people in there. It's 00:10:16.549 --> 00:10:18.549 not personal, but there's going to be some people 00:10:18.549 --> 00:10:20.210 in there and they're going to get frustrated 00:10:20.210 --> 00:10:22.409 at the other people because they don't like the 00:10:22.409 --> 00:10:24.490 songs that they're singing about you because 00:10:24.490 --> 00:10:26.330 they have come to a place that they worship, 00:10:26.389 --> 00:10:28.269 worship rather than worshiping the king that 00:10:28.269 --> 00:10:29.929 they're singing about. Have you ever thought 00:10:29.929 --> 00:10:32.549 about what would happen if Jesus come to church? 00:10:33.230 --> 00:10:37.029 If Jesus showed up to church? I want to tell 00:10:37.029 --> 00:10:39.950 you something. We talk about revival and we say, 00:10:39.990 --> 00:10:42.750 Lord, send a revival. And I think all of us would 00:10:42.750 --> 00:10:45.850 agree, we would love to have a revival. We sing 00:10:45.850 --> 00:10:48.269 songs like, send it on down, Lord, send it on 00:10:48.269 --> 00:10:49.750 down, Lord, let the Holy Ghost come on down. 00:10:49.809 --> 00:10:52.070 But I don't think we truly understand what a 00:10:52.070 --> 00:10:54.690 real revival is. Because when we talk about real 00:10:54.690 --> 00:10:57.690 revival or a visitation of Jesus, if you will, 00:10:57.789 --> 00:11:00.870 a visitation of Jesus and a real revival is not 00:11:00.870 --> 00:11:03.789 just about overflowing offering plates. It's 00:11:03.789 --> 00:11:06.090 not just about crowded parking lots or your name 00:11:06.090 --> 00:11:09.850 in lights or a big paycheck or a Facebook book 00:11:09.850 --> 00:11:13.389 tour. But a real revival is about drug addicts 00:11:13.389 --> 00:11:15.929 and prostitutes and alcoholics coming down to 00:11:15.929 --> 00:11:19.169 an altar and being washed in the blood of Jesus 00:11:19.169 --> 00:11:21.549 Christ. Is there anybody that still believes 00:11:21.549 --> 00:11:24.750 that there's power, power, wonder -working power 00:11:24.750 --> 00:11:28.870 in the precious blood of the Lamb? And that is 00:11:28.870 --> 00:11:32.129 my prayer today is that God would just visit 00:11:32.129 --> 00:11:36.259 us. One more time. Ladies and gentlemen, I'm 00:11:36.259 --> 00:11:38.259 beginning to find out in my own life that most 00:11:38.259 --> 00:11:40.240 people don't want anything bad enough from God 00:11:40.240 --> 00:11:42.879 to get it. They casually hope that it happens. 00:11:43.019 --> 00:11:45.419 And if it don't conveniently come to pass and 00:11:45.419 --> 00:11:47.200 just run them over out in the road like a bus 00:11:47.200 --> 00:11:50.159 or fall in on top of them, they say, well, I 00:11:50.159 --> 00:11:52.620 guess it wasn't meant for me to have it. But 00:11:52.620 --> 00:11:54.740 Abigail and I are starting to find out in our 00:11:54.740 --> 00:11:58.299 own life that if I'm going to get what God has 00:11:58.299 --> 00:12:01.679 for me, I got to be willing. To push my way through 00:12:01.679 --> 00:12:03.879 the crowd and push my way through the problem 00:12:03.879 --> 00:12:06.259 and overcome the obstacles and make it up in 00:12:06.259 --> 00:12:09.279 my mind that I'm not going to stop until I touch 00:12:09.279 --> 00:12:12.340 Jesus. I'm going to touch him if they talk about 00:12:12.340 --> 00:12:15.279 me. I'm going to touch him if they roll their 00:12:15.279 --> 00:12:18.360 eyes. I'm going to touch him if they try to reject 00:12:18.360 --> 00:12:20.399 me. And even if they push me away and even if 00:12:20.399 --> 00:12:22.600 they hold me back, I have made it up in my mind. 00:12:23.360 --> 00:12:25.940 At this service here at Lifehouse Church that 00:12:25.940 --> 00:12:29.440 I'm not going to stop until I touch Jesus. If 00:12:29.440 --> 00:12:31.820 I have to push my way through the crowd, if I 00:12:31.820 --> 00:12:34.279 have to get down on my knees and crawl, and even 00:12:34.279 --> 00:12:36.700 if I wrinkle my sport coat, and even if you mess 00:12:36.700 --> 00:12:39.220 up your hair and run your eyeliner, there's got 00:12:39.220 --> 00:12:41.620 to be something down on the inside of you that 00:12:41.620 --> 00:12:45.399 goes off that says, I refuse to walk out of here 00:12:45.399 --> 00:12:48.279 with the same issue I walked in here with. I 00:12:48.279 --> 00:12:50.820 will not take no for an answer this morning. 00:12:50.980 --> 00:12:54.600 I will not be denied. I refuse to walk out of 00:12:54.600 --> 00:12:57.539 here the same way that I came in. You've been 00:12:57.539 --> 00:13:00.059 through too much. You don't have time to play 00:13:00.059 --> 00:13:03.120 games. And it's time to reach out and touch the 00:13:03.120 --> 00:13:06.240 hymn of the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. 00:13:06.399 --> 00:13:08.799 And I've made it up in my mind. Let's give God 00:13:08.799 --> 00:13:12.039 praise. I'm not going to stop until I touch Jesus. 00:13:12.620 --> 00:13:14.879 I'm going to touch him. I'm going to touch him 00:13:14.879 --> 00:13:16.899 until the devil takes his hand off my children. 00:13:17.379 --> 00:13:19.659 I'm going to touch him until he shuts every meth 00:13:19.659 --> 00:13:22.879 lab down in the city. We have got to make it 00:13:22.879 --> 00:13:26.440 up in our minds as a church that we are not going 00:13:26.440 --> 00:13:29.679 to stop until we touch Jesus. The Bible says 00:13:29.679 --> 00:13:32.299 we are all members of the body of Christ. And 00:13:32.299 --> 00:13:34.600 as members, we make up the body. And as Christians, 00:13:34.700 --> 00:13:37.279 we are part of the body. And having said that, 00:13:37.320 --> 00:13:41.179 my wife and I have raised three boys. How many 00:13:41.179 --> 00:13:43.059 of y 'all know raising boys is different than 00:13:43.059 --> 00:13:48.500 raising girls? Oh, yes. And Abigail comes from 00:13:48.500 --> 00:13:51.299 a family of two other girls. She has one sister 00:13:51.299 --> 00:13:54.419 10 years older, one sister 8 years older. And 00:13:54.419 --> 00:13:57.360 if you meet Abigail's mother, her mother is like 00:13:57.360 --> 00:14:01.279 Miss Manners. And so when my boys come along, 00:14:01.480 --> 00:14:05.539 Abigail's mother did not have the mental wherewithal 00:14:05.539 --> 00:14:09.600 to be prepared for three boys. And Pastor Kip, 00:14:09.600 --> 00:14:11.720 we've had to have some very deep theological 00:14:11.720 --> 00:14:14.960 discussions with Sister Barbara. Discussions 00:14:14.960 --> 00:14:22.299 like, it may be gross, but it's not a sin. It's 00:14:22.299 --> 00:14:25.460 just gross, but it's not a sin. And the only 00:14:25.460 --> 00:14:27.299 way I know how to describe this, if I were to 00:14:27.299 --> 00:14:31.259 describe Abigail's childhood, her childhood was 00:14:31.259 --> 00:14:33.940 like an episode of The Little House on the Prairie. 00:14:35.220 --> 00:14:37.559 When my boys come along, it was like an episode 00:14:37.559 --> 00:14:41.299 of Cops. Complete with the bad boys, what you 00:14:41.299 --> 00:14:45.840 gonna do? And raising boys is different than 00:14:45.840 --> 00:14:47.379 raising girls, so I can't speak for girls, but 00:14:47.379 --> 00:14:49.240 I know for boys, one of the most hilarious things 00:14:49.240 --> 00:14:51.120 in raising boys is when they got old enough to 00:14:51.120 --> 00:14:55.100 discover their bodies. And as good parents, Abigail 00:14:55.100 --> 00:14:57.960 and I had to teach our boys that there are parts 00:14:57.960 --> 00:15:00.559 of the body that are public and that there are 00:15:00.559 --> 00:15:03.600 parts of the body that are private. And when 00:15:03.600 --> 00:15:06.059 you get those two things mixed up, you got problems. 00:15:08.059 --> 00:15:10.840 Ladies and gentlemen, what's so powerful about 00:15:10.840 --> 00:15:13.240 the story of the woman with the issue of blood, 00:15:13.299 --> 00:15:15.820 if I can be transparent, is that her issue is 00:15:15.820 --> 00:15:19.259 coming from a private place. Her issue is coming 00:15:19.259 --> 00:15:22.500 from a secret place. And although she is injured 00:15:22.500 --> 00:15:27.120 and wounded in secret, she is bearing the ramifications 00:15:27.120 --> 00:15:30.659 in public. Let me ask you a question this morning. 00:15:30.700 --> 00:15:34.299 What do you do? when you've been wounded in secret 00:15:34.299 --> 00:15:38.820 places. The secret place is a place of vulnerability. 00:15:39.360 --> 00:15:42.299 It is a place of transparency, and that's why 00:15:42.299 --> 00:15:45.639 we have to be careful who we allow into the secret 00:15:45.639 --> 00:15:48.700 places of our lives. For example, many of you, 00:15:48.740 --> 00:15:51.340 your secret place in your home is your bedroom. 00:15:51.960 --> 00:15:54.799 That's why if you show up to my house, well, 00:15:54.820 --> 00:15:56.120 it ain't my house, it's your house, the Church 00:15:56.120 --> 00:15:58.340 of God State Parsonage on Derbyshire Drive. If 00:15:58.340 --> 00:16:02.289 you show up to your house, To our house, the 00:16:02.289 --> 00:16:04.389 first thing that my wife is going to say is close 00:16:04.389 --> 00:16:08.090 the bedroom door. Don't act like y 'all don't 00:16:08.090 --> 00:16:11.950 know what I'm talking about. Because it's a secret 00:16:11.950 --> 00:16:15.629 place and there are those things in the secret 00:16:15.629 --> 00:16:19.529 place that we don't want everyone to see. Can 00:16:19.529 --> 00:16:22.870 I be transparent this morning? There can be some 00:16:22.870 --> 00:16:26.250 messy stuff in the secret place. Let me say that 00:16:26.250 --> 00:16:30.639 again. There can be some messy stuff. In the 00:16:30.639 --> 00:16:33.059 secret place. In fact, I would suggest to you 00:16:33.059 --> 00:16:34.940 this morning, my brothers and sisters, that we 00:16:34.940 --> 00:16:38.600 are defined by the secret places of our lives. 00:16:38.940 --> 00:16:42.360 If you want to know how someone's house looks 00:16:42.360 --> 00:16:45.039 most of the time, just peek in their bedroom 00:16:45.039 --> 00:16:48.960 some of the time. Because see, we will clean 00:16:48.960 --> 00:16:52.759 and we will prepare and we will manicure those 00:16:52.759 --> 00:16:55.980 places that we know we're going to give you access 00:16:55.980 --> 00:16:59.299 to. But that's not who we really are, is it? 00:17:00.149 --> 00:17:02.149 Now, I know some of y 'all, y 'all have come 00:17:02.149 --> 00:17:04.250 to church this morning and you're looking for 00:17:04.250 --> 00:17:07.970 a word, a life -changing word, a word of revelation 00:17:07.970 --> 00:17:10.210 that's going to change your mind. The good news 00:17:10.210 --> 00:17:12.529 is I've come with it. Are you ready? Here it 00:17:12.529 --> 00:17:15.390 comes. Wait for it. Stay off Facebook for one 00:17:15.390 --> 00:17:20.730 week. Now, listen, I've got to be honest. I'm 00:17:20.730 --> 00:17:23.660 not a Facebook hater. We use it in our office. 00:17:23.700 --> 00:17:26.460 It's probably the greatest evangelistic tool 00:17:26.460 --> 00:17:29.920 of our generation. But the problem comes when 00:17:29.920 --> 00:17:33.660 some of you get on Facebook and you come off 00:17:33.660 --> 00:17:35.960 of Facebook more depressed than you went on Facebook 00:17:35.960 --> 00:17:38.319 because you see those pictures of those other 00:17:38.319 --> 00:17:41.440 families. And you know who they are. They've 00:17:41.440 --> 00:17:45.819 got like 19 kids and they're all dressed in white. 00:17:46.619 --> 00:17:50.480 They're barefooted, clean. Their hair's combed. 00:17:50.759 --> 00:17:52.819 They're all sitting on a log out in the middle 00:17:52.819 --> 00:17:56.680 of the wilderness, smiling, acting like they 00:17:56.680 --> 00:18:00.700 love each other. And you think it would take 00:18:00.700 --> 00:18:05.079 me 47 tries to get my kids to act right long 00:18:05.079 --> 00:18:08.079 enough to get that one picture. But what you 00:18:08.079 --> 00:18:11.660 don't understand is it took them 47 tries. But 00:18:11.660 --> 00:18:15.339 you only see what they allow you to see. because 00:18:15.339 --> 00:18:18.700 we will clean and we will manicure those places 00:18:18.700 --> 00:18:20.740 that we know that you're going to have access 00:18:20.740 --> 00:18:22.880 to. Now, I realize this morning that there may 00:18:22.880 --> 00:18:25.160 be a small group of people here that this does 00:18:25.160 --> 00:18:27.500 not apply to you, and you have got the victory 00:18:27.500 --> 00:18:30.660 over this, and I'm happy for you. I thank God 00:18:30.660 --> 00:18:33.480 for you because these are the people that you 00:18:33.480 --> 00:18:36.660 can show up to their house unannounced, and their 00:18:36.660 --> 00:18:39.579 house can look like it got hit by a Category 00:18:39.579 --> 00:18:42.599 5 hurricane. And they will just open up the door 00:18:42.599 --> 00:18:44.619 and say, well, come on in if you can get in. 00:18:46.359 --> 00:18:50.599 But for the rest of us, we'd like you to call 00:18:50.599 --> 00:18:55.299 first. Now listen, everybody in this building 00:18:55.299 --> 00:18:58.519 under the sound of my voice, you have my permission. 00:18:59.319 --> 00:19:01.539 To tell all your friends, all your family, all 00:19:01.539 --> 00:19:04.200 your co -workers that you have a beautiful second 00:19:04.200 --> 00:19:08.900 home, a timeshare, a vacation home at the golf 00:19:08.900 --> 00:19:12.700 course right there on Derbyshire Drive. You are 00:19:12.700 --> 00:19:17.779 welcome to come see me anytime. But I need you 00:19:17.779 --> 00:19:20.819 to call me first before you come. Because see, 00:19:20.920 --> 00:19:23.220 I'm not married to a woman that has the mental 00:19:23.220 --> 00:19:25.460 wherewithal if y 'all all show up at the same 00:19:25.460 --> 00:19:29.099 time unannounced. Because I don't know how it 00:19:29.099 --> 00:19:32.680 is at your house, but at our house, when we know 00:19:32.680 --> 00:19:34.980 we got people coming over, honey, there is a 00:19:34.980 --> 00:19:39.180 militaristic drill that goes into place. We start 00:19:39.180 --> 00:19:42.019 picking up the living room. I bet we have 40 00:19:42.019 --> 00:19:44.380 blankets in the living room, probably 20 pillows 00:19:44.380 --> 00:19:45.900 like we're afraid we're going to freeze to death. 00:19:46.039 --> 00:19:47.960 And we start picking up the blankets and picking 00:19:47.960 --> 00:19:50.640 up the pillows and we throw cocoa in the bathtub 00:19:50.640 --> 00:19:53.599 and we give the poodle a bath. And in the final 00:19:53.599 --> 00:19:56.460 moments, right before you come, the last thing 00:19:56.460 --> 00:20:00.059 that my wife is going to say is close the bedroom 00:20:00.059 --> 00:20:04.039 door, even if it is clean. Because it's a secret 00:20:04.039 --> 00:20:06.680 place and we have to be careful who we allow 00:20:06.680 --> 00:20:09.759 into the secret places of our lives. You change 00:20:09.759 --> 00:20:13.119 your clothes in your bedroom. You sleep in your 00:20:13.119 --> 00:20:16.079 bedroom. And that's why it's important that we 00:20:16.079 --> 00:20:20.160 be extremely careful who we allow into our secret 00:20:20.160 --> 00:20:23.480 places. Ladies and gentlemen, I want to tell 00:20:23.480 --> 00:20:25.539 you today there are people in this Christmas 00:20:25.539 --> 00:20:28.839 season who are setting in churches all over the 00:20:28.839 --> 00:20:32.190 United States of America. and the world for that 00:20:32.190 --> 00:20:34.750 matter, who have had their entire life turned 00:20:34.750 --> 00:20:37.009 upside down because they left a wrong person 00:20:37.009 --> 00:20:41.150 in a secret place. Secret place is a place of 00:20:41.150 --> 00:20:43.609 vulnerability. It's a place of transparency. 00:20:45.150 --> 00:20:48.049 Life's greatest tragedies come from being wounded 00:20:48.049 --> 00:20:51.410 in secret places. What do you do when you have 00:20:51.410 --> 00:20:55.410 been wounded in a secret place? What do you do 00:20:55.410 --> 00:20:57.789 when you've been injured in a place no one can 00:20:57.789 --> 00:21:01.220 see? I mean, it's one thing if you get injured 00:21:01.220 --> 00:21:05.180 in here, if you're hurt in here, if you're injured 00:21:05.180 --> 00:21:08.660 in here, Pastor Kip, the staff, we're going to 00:21:08.660 --> 00:21:11.200 call 911. We're going to get you the help, the 00:21:11.200 --> 00:21:15.099 support that you need. But what do you do when 00:21:15.099 --> 00:21:17.920 you've been wounded behind closed doors and you've 00:21:17.920 --> 00:21:21.099 been wounded in secret places and there's a feeling 00:21:21.099 --> 00:21:25.220 of isolation and a feeling of anxiety and fear 00:21:25.220 --> 00:21:29.250 that help may never come? And even if it does, 00:21:29.470 --> 00:21:32.529 it'll probably show up and be four days late. 00:21:33.009 --> 00:21:36.410 This is what's going on in John chapter 11. Lazarus 00:21:36.410 --> 00:21:38.789 has died. He's been dead for four days when Jesus 00:21:38.789 --> 00:21:41.890 comes strolling right back into town. The moment 00:21:41.890 --> 00:21:44.089 that Mary and Martha saw Jesus coming in the 00:21:44.089 --> 00:21:45.829 distance, their first words to him were not, 00:21:45.849 --> 00:21:48.589 it's so good to see you, Jesus. Their first words 00:21:48.589 --> 00:21:52.109 to him is, Jesus, we missed you. The first words 00:21:52.109 --> 00:21:54.349 out of their mouth to Jesus was not, tell us 00:21:54.349 --> 00:21:56.470 about the wonderful things that have been accomplished 00:21:56.470 --> 00:21:59.099 in the kingdom. The first words out of their 00:21:59.099 --> 00:22:02.500 mouth were, if you would have been here. Anybody 00:22:02.500 --> 00:22:05.380 besides me ever heard that one? If you would 00:22:05.380 --> 00:22:08.680 have been here, my brother would not have died. 00:22:10.700 --> 00:22:13.980 And Jesus looks at her and said, your brother 00:22:13.980 --> 00:22:17.359 will rise again. And with an attitude, she puts 00:22:17.359 --> 00:22:20.880 her finger up and says, duh, I know he'll rise 00:22:20.880 --> 00:22:26.910 again at the resurrection. But even in her tears 00:22:26.910 --> 00:22:30.430 and even in her sorrow, she still had enough 00:22:30.430 --> 00:22:35.269 faith to say, but I know that even now, even 00:22:35.269 --> 00:22:41.089 now, even now you still have the power to do 00:22:41.089 --> 00:22:43.390 what you said that you were going to do. Can 00:22:43.390 --> 00:22:46.970 I tell you, there is an even now anointing this 00:22:46.970 --> 00:22:50.970 morning at Lifehouse Church. Even now, even after 00:22:50.970 --> 00:22:55.210 the funeral, even after the divorce. Even after 00:22:55.210 --> 00:22:59.109 the addiction, even after the betrayal, he still 00:22:59.109 --> 00:23:02.769 has the power to do what he said he was going 00:23:02.769 --> 00:23:05.549 to do. He said, your brother will rise again. 00:23:05.829 --> 00:23:07.750 She said, I know he's going to rise again at 00:23:07.750 --> 00:23:10.170 the resurrection. And he said, I am the resurrection 00:23:10.170 --> 00:23:13.150 and the life. He that believeth in me, though 00:23:13.150 --> 00:23:16.049 he were dead, yet shall he live. And Pastor Kip, 00:23:16.130 --> 00:23:18.630 it's right here that Jesus does something extraordinary. 00:23:20.609 --> 00:23:24.960 He says, take me by the hand. take me to the 00:23:24.960 --> 00:23:29.880 place that you buried your brother take me to 00:23:29.880 --> 00:23:33.240 the place that you buried your dreams take me 00:23:33.240 --> 00:23:36.440 to the place that you buried your career take 00:23:36.440 --> 00:23:38.740 me to the place that you buried your marriage 00:23:38.740 --> 00:23:42.759 take me to the place that you buried your brother 00:23:42.759 --> 00:23:46.420 take me to the place that you gave up on your 00:23:46.420 --> 00:23:50.180 children take me to the place that you gave up 00:23:50.180 --> 00:23:53.789 on your ministry Take me to the place that you 00:23:53.789 --> 00:23:58.009 got weary in well -doing. Take me to the place 00:23:58.009 --> 00:24:01.549 that you buried your brother. Take me to the 00:24:01.549 --> 00:24:04.589 place that you don't want to go back to, the 00:24:04.589 --> 00:24:08.569 place of hurt, the place of pain, the place of 00:24:08.569 --> 00:24:11.529 betrayal that you have buried in the graveyard 00:24:11.529 --> 00:24:14.630 of your past, the place of anxiety where your 00:24:14.630 --> 00:24:17.369 nights have been consumed with anxiety and your 00:24:17.369 --> 00:24:21.680 days with depression. Take me to the place that 00:24:21.680 --> 00:24:25.559 your faith gave up. Take me to the place of the 00:24:25.559 --> 00:24:28.059 what if. Well, what if this happens? And what 00:24:28.059 --> 00:24:29.759 if that happens? And what if what happened to 00:24:29.759 --> 00:24:31.940 my mama happens to me? And what if what happened 00:24:31.940 --> 00:24:34.200 to my daddy happens to me? And let me take you 00:24:34.200 --> 00:24:37.079 to the place of the what is, my plan, my purpose, 00:24:37.259 --> 00:24:40.759 and my agenda for your life. Take me to the place 00:24:40.759 --> 00:24:45.940 where you have become a spectator when you used 00:24:45.940 --> 00:24:49.779 to be a participator. Take me. to the place. 00:24:53.559 --> 00:24:56.799 Take me to the place, Shea Hughes, where it's 00:24:56.799 --> 00:25:00.500 become more about the church of the Lord than 00:25:00.500 --> 00:25:03.920 the Lord of the church. Take me to the place 00:25:03.920 --> 00:25:07.140 where it's become more about the work of the 00:25:07.140 --> 00:25:11.160 Lord than the Lord of the work. Take me to the 00:25:11.160 --> 00:25:13.000 place where it's become more about the house 00:25:13.000 --> 00:25:15.299 of the Lord than the Lord of the house. He said, 00:25:15.339 --> 00:25:17.619 if you'll take me there, I'll heal it. If you'll 00:25:17.619 --> 00:25:20.319 take me there, I'll resurrect it. If you'll take 00:25:20.319 --> 00:25:22.700 me there, I'll turn the light on. If you'll take 00:25:22.700 --> 00:25:25.740 me there, I'll speak life to the dead places. 00:25:25.819 --> 00:25:27.859 What he was saying was, Mary and Martha, what 00:25:27.859 --> 00:25:30.900 you don't understand is that there is a miracle 00:25:30.900 --> 00:25:33.839 in the middle of that graveyard, and I'm getting 00:25:33.839 --> 00:25:37.569 ready to bring life. to the dead places. Psalms 00:25:37.569 --> 00:25:41.049 27 says, the Lord is my light and my salvation. 00:25:41.470 --> 00:25:44.630 Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of 00:25:44.630 --> 00:25:48.089 my life. In whom shall I be afraid? When the 00:25:48.089 --> 00:25:51.390 wicked, even my foes, my enemies came upon me 00:25:51.390 --> 00:25:53.910 to eat my flesh, they stumbled and they fell. 00:25:54.029 --> 00:25:57.970 Though a host should rise against me, my heart 00:25:57.970 --> 00:26:00.940 will not. fear. Though war may rise, and I'm 00:26:00.940 --> 00:26:03.500 sorry, I'm emotional about this because I'm living 00:26:03.500 --> 00:26:05.960 it right now. Though war may rise against me, 00:26:06.000 --> 00:26:08.440 in this will I be confident. One thing that I 00:26:08.440 --> 00:26:10.700 have desired of the Lord that I will seek after 00:26:10.700 --> 00:26:13.000 is that I would dwell in the house of the Lord 00:26:13.000 --> 00:26:15.680 all the days of my life, that I would behold 00:26:15.680 --> 00:26:18.640 the beauty of the Lord and inquire in his temple. 00:26:18.700 --> 00:26:21.380 For in the time of trouble, he shall hide me 00:26:21.380 --> 00:26:24.180 in his tabernacle. In the secret place will he 00:26:24.180 --> 00:26:27.359 hide me. He shall set my feet on a rock and now 00:26:27.359 --> 00:26:30.079 shall my head be lifted up amongst mine enemies 00:26:30.079 --> 00:26:32.619 who were gathered against me round about and 00:26:32.619 --> 00:26:36.339 I will offer in his tabernacle praises. I will 00:26:36.339 --> 00:26:41.220 sing praises. Yes, I will sing praises unto the 00:26:41.220 --> 00:26:43.200 Lord. Now listen, I don't know about you this 00:26:43.200 --> 00:26:45.319 morning, but I didn't come to church to show 00:26:45.319 --> 00:26:48.180 off my new outfit. Lord knows I didn't come to 00:26:48.180 --> 00:26:50.980 pass out business cards, but I come to lift up 00:26:50.980 --> 00:26:54.180 my hands and praise the King of Kings and the 00:26:54.180 --> 00:26:58.200 Lord of Lords all my life. He has been faithful 00:26:58.200 --> 00:27:03.819 all my life. He has been so, so good. I'm going 00:27:03.819 --> 00:27:05.940 to praise him in the good times. I'm going to 00:27:05.940 --> 00:27:08.259 praise him in the bad times. I'm going to praise 00:27:08.259 --> 00:27:10.559 him in the middle of the storm because David 00:27:10.559 --> 00:27:14.279 said, he that dwelleth in the secret place of 00:27:14.279 --> 00:27:19.799 the most high God. And the devil is here this 00:27:19.799 --> 00:27:23.980 morning. Can I tell you that the devil don't 00:27:23.980 --> 00:27:28.009 miss church? As a matter of fact, Satan has perfect 00:27:28.009 --> 00:27:31.890 church attendance. Did you know that if God in 00:27:31.890 --> 00:27:34.809 his sovereignty in eternity should decide, I'm 00:27:34.809 --> 00:27:37.250 going to give an award for perfect church attendance, 00:27:37.549 --> 00:27:40.390 Lucifer is going to be cast into the lake of 00:27:40.390 --> 00:27:42.549 fire with a gold medal wrapped around his neck 00:27:42.549 --> 00:27:45.670 because he's here as the accuser of the brethren. 00:27:45.750 --> 00:27:47.789 In fact, he's sitting right back here, and if 00:27:47.789 --> 00:27:49.950 you will allow me to, I'd like to come back here 00:27:49.950 --> 00:27:52.549 and grab a seat with you guys. He's sitting right 00:27:52.549 --> 00:27:56.380 back here, and he's saying, you mean... I need 00:27:56.380 --> 00:27:58.779 you to help me with something. You mean you're 00:27:58.779 --> 00:28:01.559 going to come in here and sing these songs like 00:28:01.559 --> 00:28:05.599 all my life he has been faithful after that report 00:28:05.599 --> 00:28:10.660 you got from the doctor? Really? You mean you're 00:28:10.660 --> 00:28:13.539 going to lift up your hands and say he's been 00:28:13.539 --> 00:28:17.059 so, so good after what's been happening with 00:28:17.059 --> 00:28:21.170 your children? Really? You're going to lift up 00:28:21.170 --> 00:28:23.609 your hands and sing all these Christmas carols 00:28:23.609 --> 00:28:27.069 lifting up the king of the seasons after what 00:28:27.069 --> 00:28:31.730 happened in your finances? Really? You're going 00:28:31.730 --> 00:28:35.430 to sing, I will sing of the goodness of God after 00:28:35.430 --> 00:28:37.910 what you went through in your childhood? Really? 00:28:38.809 --> 00:28:42.799 Yeah. Yeah, devil, I'm going to praise him. I'm 00:28:42.799 --> 00:28:45.519 going to praise him. Job said, though he slay 00:28:45.519 --> 00:28:48.299 me, yet will I worship him. And I'm going to 00:28:48.299 --> 00:28:50.160 tell you something else, devil. I'm not just 00:28:50.160 --> 00:28:52.299 praising him about the secret place. I'm praising 00:28:52.299 --> 00:28:54.779 him in the secret place. I'm not just praising 00:28:54.779 --> 00:28:57.319 him for the secret place. I'm praising him in 00:28:57.319 --> 00:28:59.460 the midst of the secret place because I know 00:28:59.460 --> 00:29:02.099 in this Christmas season, in the middle of the 00:29:02.099 --> 00:29:04.759 secret place, I still got the second part of 00:29:04.759 --> 00:29:07.140 that verse left. And if you're sitting next to 00:29:07.140 --> 00:29:09.460 somebody that's going through a tough time right 00:29:09.460 --> 00:29:11.559 now, look over and tell them you still got the 00:29:11.559 --> 00:29:14.069 second. part of that verse left. And the second 00:29:14.069 --> 00:29:19.609 part says, shall abide, shall abide, shall abide. 00:29:19.809 --> 00:29:20.970 And the devil's saying, you mean you're going 00:29:20.970 --> 00:29:23.009 to come into life house church and lift up your 00:29:23.009 --> 00:29:25.509 hands and give God praise? Yeah, devil, I'm going 00:29:25.509 --> 00:29:27.789 to praise him this morning. I'm going to praise 00:29:27.789 --> 00:29:30.089 him if I want to, because I know what's coming 00:29:30.089 --> 00:29:33.190 next. I know what's about to overtake me. He 00:29:33.190 --> 00:29:36.089 that dwelleth in the secret place of the most 00:29:36.089 --> 00:29:39.769 high God shall abide under the shadow of the 00:29:39.769 --> 00:29:42.559 almighty. And I'm going to ask the music to come. 00:29:42.579 --> 00:29:44.359 I'm moving quick. I'm landing the plane right 00:29:44.359 --> 00:29:47.119 now. Remember the Bible says, blessed is he that 00:29:47.119 --> 00:29:48.980 is short -winded for he shall be asked to return. 00:29:49.180 --> 00:29:54.799 Amen. Selah. And Mary and Martha said, okay, 00:29:54.819 --> 00:29:59.640 Jesus, if you really want to go, we'll take you 00:29:59.640 --> 00:30:03.279 there. But Jesus, you need to understand that 00:30:03.279 --> 00:30:10.359 Lazarus died of COVID -19. As a matter of fact, 00:30:10.359 --> 00:30:14.619 we had to quarantine him in a tomb. We put him 00:30:14.619 --> 00:30:17.839 in a secret place and we found the biggest stone 00:30:17.839 --> 00:30:20.460 that we could find and we sealed the entrance 00:30:20.460 --> 00:30:23.559 because Jesus, we can't afford to get this. And 00:30:23.559 --> 00:30:25.440 Jesus, you can't get this either because you're 00:30:25.440 --> 00:30:27.420 the son of God, you're the word made flesh and 00:30:27.420 --> 00:30:29.740 you got a work to do and you're too busy to be 00:30:29.740 --> 00:30:33.559 sick right now. And it don't matter anyway, Jesus, 00:30:33.680 --> 00:30:40.339 because by now he stinks. As the music begins 00:30:40.339 --> 00:30:42.680 to play, I don't know about you, but I'm so thankful 00:30:42.680 --> 00:30:49.039 that we serve a God of second chances. A God 00:30:49.039 --> 00:30:53.079 that's not afraid to get his hands dirty and 00:30:53.079 --> 00:30:57.119 reach down in the mud and the muck and the mire 00:30:57.119 --> 00:31:01.220 to save a wretch like me. Because let me tell 00:31:01.220 --> 00:31:04.750 you something, I didn't always do. what I'm doing 00:31:04.750 --> 00:31:07.109 right now my whole life. Can I be transparent? 00:31:07.490 --> 00:31:09.430 Abigail and I have never been leaders on a white 00:31:09.430 --> 00:31:11.890 horse on a hill. I haven't been saved all my 00:31:11.890 --> 00:31:15.130 life. And I don't know if anybody in here can 00:31:15.130 --> 00:31:17.230 identify with this, but man, there's some of 00:31:17.230 --> 00:31:19.029 us in here, we're just thankful that the Holy 00:31:19.029 --> 00:31:21.369 Ghost drove the car when we were no shape to 00:31:21.369 --> 00:31:25.230 do it by ourself. Truly all my life has been 00:31:25.230 --> 00:31:29.970 faithful. And if it had not been for the goodness 00:31:29.970 --> 00:31:36.849 of God, and Jesus said, And they rolled the stone 00:31:36.849 --> 00:31:39.869 away from the place that the dead was slain. 00:31:40.789 --> 00:31:43.309 And I've come to tell you today, as we get ready 00:31:43.309 --> 00:31:46.109 to pray, that that stone that's been keeping 00:31:46.109 --> 00:31:50.710 you captive in that tomb, that stone that's been 00:31:50.710 --> 00:31:54.910 blocking your doorway to success, that stone 00:31:54.910 --> 00:31:59.730 that's been blocking your pathway to opportunity, 00:32:00.009 --> 00:32:03.150 that stone that's been keeping God out of your 00:32:03.150 --> 00:32:06.500 secret places, getting ready to shake, Rattle 00:32:06.500 --> 00:32:09.920 and roll under the anointing of the Holy Ghost. 00:32:10.200 --> 00:32:15.220 And today, the master, the creator, the Alpha 00:32:15.220 --> 00:32:18.279 and Omega is calling you by your name. And he's 00:32:18.279 --> 00:32:23.400 saying, Lazarus, come forth. And the reason God 00:32:23.400 --> 00:32:25.799 had to call him by his name, you know why Jesus 00:32:25.799 --> 00:32:28.059 had to call him by his name? Because if Jesus 00:32:28.059 --> 00:32:29.880 had walked up in that graveyard and just said, 00:32:29.900 --> 00:32:31.740 come forth, everybody in the whole graveyard 00:32:31.740 --> 00:32:37.480 would have got up. God wants you to know he knows 00:32:37.480 --> 00:32:42.220 your name. He knows exactly where you are. And 00:32:42.220 --> 00:32:44.960 that's why you don't have to worry about somebody 00:32:44.960 --> 00:32:49.059 taking something away from you that God destined 00:32:49.059 --> 00:32:52.609 you to have. They can't take your title. They 00:32:52.609 --> 00:32:55.569 can't take your job. They can't take your promotion. 00:32:55.890 --> 00:32:58.970 And he's calling you by your name. And he's saying, 00:32:59.069 --> 00:33:02.470 Lazarus, come forth. Listen, I don't care if 00:33:02.470 --> 00:33:04.390 you're wrapped up in an addiction. I don't care 00:33:04.390 --> 00:33:05.890 if you're on drugs. I don't care if you're an 00:33:05.890 --> 00:33:08.269 alcoholic. I don't care if you're depressed or 00:33:08.269 --> 00:33:11.049 have anxiety. When he calls you by your name, 00:33:11.150 --> 00:33:13.309 you've got to come out of that mess in the name 00:33:13.309 --> 00:33:21.450 of Jesus. He says, Lazarus, come forth. And right 00:33:21.450 --> 00:33:26.880 here, Lazarus comes walking out. He steps out 00:33:26.880 --> 00:33:34.700 of the tomb. And Jesus steps in. Is there anybody 00:33:34.700 --> 00:33:38.180 in here besides me? And I know Abigail and I 00:33:38.180 --> 00:33:40.579 are radical. I get that. We're probably more 00:33:40.579 --> 00:33:42.240 radical than most people. We've been through 00:33:42.240 --> 00:33:45.259 a lot. But is there anybody here besides me that's 00:33:45.259 --> 00:33:49.980 ever had God just step in? You didn't know how 00:33:49.980 --> 00:33:52.289 you were going to pay the bill? You got a bad 00:33:52.289 --> 00:33:56.190 report from the doctor. Your kids were on their 00:33:56.190 --> 00:34:00.450 way to a devil's hell, but God stepped in. And 00:34:00.450 --> 00:34:02.450 that's why I've got to praise him here this morning. 00:34:02.509 --> 00:34:04.809 I don't care if you laugh at me, roll your eyes, 00:34:04.990 --> 00:34:08.090 stare at me, or call me a fool. When I look back 00:34:08.090 --> 00:34:10.889 from where he's brought me from, and I think 00:34:10.889 --> 00:34:14.449 of the goodness of Jesus and all that he's done 00:34:14.449 --> 00:34:16.949 for me. And if you're sitting next to somebody 00:34:16.949 --> 00:34:19.530 that they've never been through anything, you 00:34:19.530 --> 00:34:21.920 would be okay this morning. But I want to warn 00:34:21.920 --> 00:34:23.699 you that if you're sitting next to somebody that's 00:34:23.699 --> 00:34:26.539 ever had God step in, honey, they're liable to 00:34:26.539 --> 00:34:29.340 jump up and lift their hands and shout their 00:34:29.340 --> 00:34:32.199 shoe heels off at the drop of a hat and drop 00:34:32.199 --> 00:34:34.840 their own hat to do it. Because when I think 00:34:34.840 --> 00:34:38.159 of the goodness of Jesus and all that he's done 00:34:38.159 --> 00:34:41.039 for me, I should have lost my marriage, but he 00:34:41.039 --> 00:34:45.739 stepped in. I should have lost my accounts, but 00:34:45.739 --> 00:34:48.460 he stepped in. The devil thought that he had 00:34:48.460 --> 00:34:55.579 me, but God. And here comes Lazarus walking out 00:34:55.579 --> 00:34:57.639 of the tomb. And I'm stopping right here in conclusion. 00:34:59.960 --> 00:35:03.500 What we understand is that this is the second 00:35:03.500 --> 00:35:07.980 to the last miracle before the crucifixion. Technically, 00:35:07.980 --> 00:35:10.300 the last miracle being the healing of the soldier's 00:35:10.300 --> 00:35:12.219 ear in the garden that night when Peter lost 00:35:12.219 --> 00:35:15.739 his mind, okay? But this is the second to the 00:35:15.739 --> 00:35:18.500 last miracle. When Jesus performs this miracle, 00:35:18.639 --> 00:35:23.500 he is days away from the crucifixion. And so 00:35:23.500 --> 00:35:29.840 when he calls Lazarus out of the tomb, he knew 00:35:29.840 --> 00:35:32.300 he was getting ready to step inside the tomb. 00:35:33.280 --> 00:35:36.000 He knew, ladies and gentlemen, when he was calling 00:35:36.000 --> 00:35:40.219 Lazarus out, he was getting ready to step in. 00:35:41.860 --> 00:35:44.199 And I believe that's when he said, Lazarus, me 00:35:44.199 --> 00:35:47.960 and you getting ready to change places. You're 00:35:47.960 --> 00:35:50.679 coming out and I'm getting ready to step in. 00:35:51.789 --> 00:35:54.070 I'm getting ready to step into your secret place. 00:35:54.849 --> 00:35:56.909 I'm getting ready to step into your childhood. 00:35:57.550 --> 00:36:00.389 I'm about to step into those places of betrayal 00:36:00.389 --> 00:36:03.190 and hurt. I'm getting ready to step into those 00:36:03.190 --> 00:36:05.909 places that you don't ever wanna go back to again. 00:36:06.070 --> 00:36:09.570 He said, Lazarus, I'm gonna take your place. 00:36:09.789 --> 00:36:11.809 Will you stand with me this morning? I don't 00:36:11.809 --> 00:36:15.090 know about you, but I'm so thankful for a God 00:36:15.090 --> 00:36:19.159 that took our place. I'm so thankful for a God 00:36:19.159 --> 00:36:22.579 that stepped in to the secret places of our lives 00:36:22.579 --> 00:36:25.920 and said, you don't ever have to be worried about 00:36:25.920 --> 00:36:28.440 going back to that place ever again. He said, 00:36:28.480 --> 00:36:30.039 because I've already been there and done that. 00:36:30.179 --> 00:36:32.659 I've already got the victory over it. That's 00:36:32.659 --> 00:36:36.159 why the Bible says, he that dwelleth in the secret 00:36:36.159 --> 00:36:39.900 place of the most high God shall abide under 00:36:39.900 --> 00:36:44.500 the shadow. You can't have a shadow if you're 00:36:44.500 --> 00:36:49.570 in there all by yourself. The fact there's a 00:36:49.570 --> 00:36:52.909 shadow means something is standing beside you. 00:36:53.590 --> 00:36:57.849 Something is standing with you. God sent me here 00:36:57.849 --> 00:37:01.150 this morning to tell somebody that there is a 00:37:01.150 --> 00:37:05.090 miracle in the place of death. There is a miracle 00:37:05.090 --> 00:37:11.889 in the graveyard. Can I tell you, God has a way 00:37:11.889 --> 00:37:16.730 of taking us back to the places we were hurt 00:37:16.730 --> 00:37:23.630 the worst. to use us the most. Would you agree 00:37:23.630 --> 00:37:26.389 with me today that Jesus is really Alpha and 00:37:26.389 --> 00:37:29.750 Omega? Would you agree that he knoweth the number 00:37:29.750 --> 00:37:32.949 of stars and calleth them by their name? Would 00:37:32.949 --> 00:37:35.170 you agree that he is the beginning and the end? 00:37:36.210 --> 00:37:38.909 So would you also agree that he knew where Lazarus 00:37:38.909 --> 00:37:44.650 was? Jesus don't need Siri. Jesus knew exactly 00:37:44.650 --> 00:37:49.539 where Lazarus was. It wasn't about Mary and Martha 00:37:49.539 --> 00:37:56.699 taking him. It was about him taking them back 00:37:56.699 --> 00:38:02.900 to the place of their worst tragedy to show them 00:38:02.900 --> 00:38:05.559 his glory like they had never seen it before. 00:38:06.679 --> 00:38:11.400 We're getting ready to pray. And in my younger 00:38:11.400 --> 00:38:15.539 years, I had an idea. opportunity to travel around 00:38:15.539 --> 00:38:17.380 and do a lot of preaching and one of my very 00:38:17.380 --> 00:38:19.280 close friends that was a spiritual mother it 00:38:19.280 --> 00:38:21.280 was a lady by the name of Tina Sadler and if 00:38:21.280 --> 00:38:23.519 you follow gospel music you know who she is but 00:38:23.519 --> 00:38:25.900 she's probably one of the most prolific gospel 00:38:25.900 --> 00:38:29.039 songwriters of our generation with the Gaithers 00:38:29.039 --> 00:38:31.820 and I would go preach and she would go with me 00:38:31.820 --> 00:38:35.760 and sing and she wrote that song isn't it great 00:38:35.760 --> 00:38:40.139 when he's four days late but he's still right 00:38:40.139 --> 00:38:44.510 on time and can I tell you it may seem like All 00:38:44.510 --> 00:38:47.570 hope is lost. And it may seem like he's never 00:38:47.570 --> 00:38:50.570 going to show up. And it may seem like it's the 00:38:50.570 --> 00:38:53.869 end. And the devil told you it was never going 00:38:53.869 --> 00:38:56.849 to happen. Just when you thought that he was 00:38:56.849 --> 00:39:01.269 right. Jesus shows up. Because he is the healer. 00:39:01.730 --> 00:39:05.119 And he's able to speak life. into the dead places. 00:39:05.719 --> 00:39:07.659 Pastor, with your permission, I'd like to pray 00:39:07.659 --> 00:39:09.539 this morning, and I want to make sure that I 00:39:09.539 --> 00:39:11.820 flow into the guidelines and the rules of the 00:39:11.820 --> 00:39:13.320 house, but if there's a prayer team, I'm going 00:39:13.320 --> 00:39:15.500 to ask you guys, if you will, to come to the 00:39:15.500 --> 00:39:16.960 front. Abigail, I'm going to ask you to join 00:39:16.960 --> 00:39:19.219 me, and Pastor Kip and Dixie, if you guys will 00:39:19.219 --> 00:39:21.179 come, and whoever's on the prayer team, if you'll 00:39:21.179 --> 00:39:26.480 come. I'd like to have an opportunity to pray 00:39:26.480 --> 00:39:29.019 with you this morning. I know this might be a 00:39:29.019 --> 00:39:31.889 little bit different. But I want you to understand 00:39:31.889 --> 00:39:35.030 as we enter into this season of miracles, a season 00:39:35.030 --> 00:39:38.190 of Christmas, that the greatest miracle of all 00:39:38.190 --> 00:39:42.289 is Jesus Christ stepping off of his throne and 00:39:42.289 --> 00:39:45.630 coming and being born out of the womb of a woman. 00:39:45.829 --> 00:39:47.710 I told our leaders this weekend, there have been 00:39:47.710 --> 00:39:49.469 many children that have grown up to be great 00:39:49.469 --> 00:39:52.750 kings, but only one king come to be a child, 00:39:52.929 --> 00:39:56.849 and his name is Jesus Christ. And it really doesn't 00:39:56.849 --> 00:39:59.949 matter what you need this morning. It doesn't 00:39:59.949 --> 00:40:02.710 matter what your need is. The Bible says he is 00:40:02.710 --> 00:40:06.829 able to supply all of our needs according to 00:40:06.829 --> 00:40:10.309 his riches and glory. And maybe you're here and 00:40:10.309 --> 00:40:13.349 maybe you feel like Mary and Martha. And you've 00:40:13.349 --> 00:40:16.429 been praying and it's been four days. And it 00:40:16.429 --> 00:40:18.989 don't look like it's ever going to happen. I 00:40:18.989 --> 00:40:22.570 want to tell you Jesus is on the way. He's the 00:40:22.570 --> 00:40:26.010 only one that can show up four days late and 00:40:26.010 --> 00:40:28.980 still be right on time. Maybe you're here and 00:40:28.980 --> 00:40:31.579 you feel like Lazarus and you feel like this 00:40:31.579 --> 00:40:35.000 tomb has become your new norm. Maybe it's a tomb 00:40:35.000 --> 00:40:39.340 of financial depression. Could be mental depression. 00:40:39.920 --> 00:40:41.699 Could be something that you've been struggling 00:40:41.699 --> 00:40:44.280 with for a little while. But I'm telling you, 00:40:44.360 --> 00:40:47.480 he's about to roll the stone away. Here's the 00:40:47.480 --> 00:40:50.599 good news. He's not waiting for you to come to 00:40:50.599 --> 00:40:53.579 him. I come from the old church like Miss Dixie 00:40:53.579 --> 00:40:56.559 and Pastor Kip and, you know, in the old church. 00:40:57.179 --> 00:40:58.960 Dixie, I don't know if you guys had that here, 00:40:59.099 --> 00:41:00.780 but I know in our church, the old timers would 00:41:00.780 --> 00:41:03.300 stand up and they would say, I just want to thank 00:41:03.300 --> 00:41:05.420 God because I remember the night that I found 00:41:05.420 --> 00:41:08.679 Jesus. And while I understand the heart in which 00:41:08.679 --> 00:41:10.900 they said it and it blessed me, the truth of 00:41:10.900 --> 00:41:15.320 the matter is you didn't find him. He found you. 00:41:16.280 --> 00:41:19.800 We were the one that was lost. Remember? He's 00:41:19.800 --> 00:41:23.820 come to where you're at. And he's not only come 00:41:23.820 --> 00:41:26.239 to where you're at. He's calling you by your 00:41:26.239 --> 00:41:31.280 name. He's saying, come forth. Come forth. Come 00:41:31.280 --> 00:41:33.739 out into the light. Your greatest days are not 00:41:33.739 --> 00:41:37.880 behind you, but the best is yet to come. God 00:41:37.880 --> 00:41:40.320 sent me here to tell somebody, you will be happy 00:41:40.320 --> 00:41:44.739 again. You're going to be happy again. Weeping 00:41:44.739 --> 00:41:48.480 may endure for the night, but joy is coming. 00:42:00.139 --> 00:42:03.400 message from Lifehouse Church. We pray that you 00:42:03.400 --> 00:42:06.500 were impacted powerfully by this message. If 00:42:06.500 --> 00:42:08.960 you have been personally affected by our ministry 00:42:08.960 --> 00:42:11.699 and you would like to partner with us as we love 00:42:11.699 --> 00:42:14.820 God, love people every day, visit our website 00:42:14.820 --> 00:42:15.260 at