1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:11,840 Oh, mercy, mercy. 2 00:00:11,840 --> 00:00:18,040 I had a flashback about five years ago, a little earlier. 3 00:00:18,040 --> 00:00:22,480 I leaned over and told Sister Cathy, I said, boy, we come a long way. 4 00:00:22,480 --> 00:00:23,480 Woo! 5 00:00:23,480 --> 00:00:27,560 We've come a long way. 6 00:00:27,560 --> 00:00:30,440 Hallelujah! 7 00:00:30,440 --> 00:00:35,240 The Spirit of the Lord's in his house, isn't he? 8 00:00:35,240 --> 00:00:44,520 As much as I'd like for us just to keep on singing, I better preach to you a little while. 9 00:00:44,520 --> 00:00:47,900 Amen? 10 00:00:47,900 --> 00:00:53,320 See the bright light shine. 11 00:00:53,320 --> 00:00:56,320 Right? 12 00:00:56,320 --> 00:00:58,040 The Lord's good. 13 00:00:58,040 --> 00:01:03,960 If you've got your Bibles with you, I hope you do, or at least you've got the U-version 14 00:01:03,960 --> 00:01:05,960 Bible app. 15 00:01:05,960 --> 00:01:10,600 If you've got that, we're going to look. 16 00:01:10,600 --> 00:01:16,240 John chapter four, we're going back there this morning, and then we'll touch on Matthew 17 00:01:16,240 --> 00:01:26,920 nine as well. 18 00:01:26,920 --> 00:01:31,360 Well, hallelujah. 19 00:01:31,360 --> 00:01:39,520 I didn't know Brother David could get that high. 20 00:01:39,520 --> 00:01:41,880 I kind of had to look around to see who was hitting that note. 21 00:01:41,880 --> 00:01:49,720 I thought, that's Brother David. 22 00:01:49,720 --> 00:01:54,320 There is a combination quartet in here. 23 00:01:54,320 --> 00:01:59,040 If he can hit that tenor note, Brother David can hit the low note. 24 00:01:59,040 --> 00:02:00,640 I've heard him do it. 25 00:02:00,640 --> 00:02:04,640 So Brother Brian can carry the lead. 26 00:02:04,640 --> 00:02:08,440 Just got to have one more, and I think we can make it happen. 27 00:02:08,440 --> 00:02:14,640 Get him to practice a little bit, and we might hear a good little couple renditions of a 28 00:02:14,640 --> 00:02:20,440 good Southern gospel quartet. 29 00:02:20,440 --> 00:02:26,000 Amen? 30 00:02:26,000 --> 00:02:37,640 John chapter four, beginning at verse 34. 31 00:02:37,640 --> 00:02:39,400 Thank you for being in the house of the Lord today. 32 00:02:39,400 --> 00:02:44,080 If you're visiting with us, if you hadn't got scared and left by now, you're probably 33 00:02:44,080 --> 00:02:48,640 going to make it the rest of the way. 34 00:02:48,640 --> 00:02:52,200 We just worship the Lord in spirit and in truth, and we're so honored that you're here 35 00:02:52,200 --> 00:02:54,000 with us today. 36 00:02:54,000 --> 00:02:56,520 Amen to you. 37 00:02:56,520 --> 00:02:59,240 You could have been a lot of places today, but you chose hope well. 38 00:02:59,240 --> 00:03:06,320 So as pastor, I thank you this morning for your choice to worship with us today. 39 00:03:06,320 --> 00:03:13,960 John records in the 34th verse of the fourth chapter, Jesus said unto them, my meat is 40 00:03:13,960 --> 00:03:20,400 to do the will of him that sent me and to finish his work. 41 00:03:20,400 --> 00:03:23,680 Say not ye, there yet four months and then cometh harvest. 42 00:03:23,680 --> 00:03:28,840 Behold, I say unto you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields for they are white 43 00:03:28,840 --> 00:03:31,320 already to harvest. 44 00:03:31,320 --> 00:03:40,120 And he that reapeth, receives wages and gathereth fruit unto life eternal that both he that 45 00:03:40,120 --> 00:03:46,280 soweth and he that reapeth, they may rejoice together. 46 00:03:46,280 --> 00:03:48,120 And herein is that saying true. 47 00:03:48,120 --> 00:03:49,280 One saw with another reapeth. 48 00:03:49,280 --> 00:03:54,560 I sent you to reap that where on you bestowed no labor. 49 00:03:54,560 --> 00:03:57,120 Other men labored. 50 00:03:57,120 --> 00:03:59,320 You are entered into their labors. 51 00:03:59,320 --> 00:04:05,920 Matthew nine verse 35 reads and Jesus went about all the cities and villages teaching 52 00:04:05,920 --> 00:04:09,680 in their synagogues and preaching the gospel. 53 00:04:09,680 --> 00:04:17,160 So I say the gospel, preaching the gospel of the kingdom and healing every sickness 54 00:04:17,160 --> 00:04:20,080 and every disease among the people. 55 00:04:20,080 --> 00:04:26,100 But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them because they were 56 00:04:26,100 --> 00:04:32,120 fainted were scattered abroad as sheep having no shepherd. 57 00:04:32,120 --> 00:04:41,920 Then Jesus said to his disciples, the harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few. 58 00:04:41,920 --> 00:04:48,120 Pray you therefore, the Lord of the harvest that he will send forth laborers into his 59 00:04:48,120 --> 00:04:50,920 harvest. 60 00:04:50,920 --> 00:04:55,120 Back on that thought, we're going to be on it for another week or two probably. 61 00:04:55,120 --> 00:04:59,000 It's now. 62 00:04:59,000 --> 00:05:00,560 We're in the middle of it. 63 00:05:00,560 --> 00:05:03,880 We're standing in the middle of the harvest. 64 00:05:03,880 --> 00:05:09,240 It's his harvest and we are the called laborers to that harvest. 65 00:05:09,240 --> 00:05:10,240 Amen. 66 00:05:10,240 --> 00:05:14,200 Father, I love you this morning. 67 00:05:14,200 --> 00:05:17,000 Thank you for your goodness, your mercy, your grace. 68 00:05:17,000 --> 00:05:21,880 I pray God that you continue to have your way in our hearts and minds today for I know 69 00:05:21,880 --> 00:05:28,200 that none of us are here by accident, but we're here because our steps are ordered. 70 00:05:28,200 --> 00:05:29,800 You assigned us here this morning. 71 00:05:29,800 --> 00:05:31,560 So here we are. 72 00:05:31,560 --> 00:05:33,680 So speak to us today. 73 00:05:33,680 --> 00:05:40,880 Let your word echo in our hearts and may we be enriched and strengthened according to 74 00:05:40,880 --> 00:05:43,600 your word. 75 00:05:43,600 --> 00:05:49,160 And Lord, we'll be quick to praise you for you are good and your mercy endures forever. 76 00:05:49,160 --> 00:05:57,920 And the church said, Amen, tell your neighbor it's harvest time. 77 00:05:57,920 --> 00:06:03,080 Last week as we began this, this particular series, you know, it's a it's coming off 78 00:06:03,080 --> 00:06:07,040 of the church of God general assembly. 79 00:06:07,040 --> 00:06:13,120 And this was the message that was laid upon the heart of our newly elected general overseer. 80 00:06:13,120 --> 00:06:20,680 And he he along with the executive committee preached this message on that Friday night. 81 00:06:20,680 --> 00:06:25,920 And as customary, I just try to bring back the heart of that word. 82 00:06:25,920 --> 00:06:30,320 I think it's a word from our pastor across the board. 83 00:06:30,320 --> 00:06:36,000 What the Lord had laid upon his heart for the church in the next coming years as he 84 00:06:36,000 --> 00:06:41,280 leads us toward reaping the harvest and gathering in the harvest. 85 00:06:41,280 --> 00:06:43,640 And what does that mean for the whole Church of God? 86 00:06:43,640 --> 00:06:46,680 And I think it has a lot to say to us. 87 00:06:46,680 --> 00:06:54,160 I think we are more healthy now as a church than we've been in many, many a year. 88 00:06:54,160 --> 00:06:55,440 Amen. 89 00:06:55,440 --> 00:06:58,060 We're spiritually healthy. 90 00:06:58,060 --> 00:07:01,280 We're not perfect by any stretch of the imagination. 91 00:07:01,280 --> 00:07:03,200 Well, how do you say that? 92 00:07:03,200 --> 00:07:06,800 Well, I'm your pastor and I am not perfect. 93 00:07:06,800 --> 00:07:10,360 So right up front, we got that mark against us. 94 00:07:10,360 --> 00:07:14,000 But what we have going for us is that God is on our side. 95 00:07:14,000 --> 00:07:15,480 Amen. 96 00:07:15,480 --> 00:07:21,520 And the error that we try to make, we try to make on the benefit of his goodness. 97 00:07:21,520 --> 00:07:25,720 And as we begin to strive and move forward, we have to know that in in our day, there 98 00:07:25,720 --> 00:07:32,800 are there are many misunderstandings concerning the Christian life. 99 00:07:32,800 --> 00:07:37,960 If you go to any Christian bookstore, you'll find shelves lined with books that that talk 100 00:07:37,960 --> 00:07:44,240 about how to make the Christian life easier and how to make it more palatable for the 101 00:07:44,240 --> 00:07:47,480 world that is around us and acceptable to the world. 102 00:07:47,480 --> 00:07:53,320 Well, I'm just here to tell you the church is countercultural. 103 00:07:53,320 --> 00:07:54,320 We're not to blend in. 104 00:07:54,320 --> 00:08:00,560 We're not to look like act like talk like smell like all the other adjectives that you 105 00:08:00,560 --> 00:08:02,080 can put together. 106 00:08:02,080 --> 00:08:06,720 We are countercultural and we are not to be accepted. 107 00:08:06,720 --> 00:08:12,040 Matter of fact, we can take Christ himself who would tell us the world hated me. 108 00:08:12,040 --> 00:08:16,200 And if you're loving me like you're supposed to, they're really not going to get along 109 00:08:16,200 --> 00:08:18,080 with you too well either. 110 00:08:18,080 --> 00:08:22,160 Matter of fact, his words is they're going to hate you too. 111 00:08:22,160 --> 00:08:23,160 Why? 112 00:08:23,160 --> 00:08:30,280 Because my in your very presence rubs them the wrong way. 113 00:08:30,280 --> 00:08:36,920 Just by virtue of you showing up being a blood bought born again, sin forgiven Christian 114 00:08:36,920 --> 00:08:41,720 child of God, just by you showing up, it rubs them backwards. 115 00:08:41,720 --> 00:08:44,120 It's like petting a cat walking the wrong way. 116 00:08:44,120 --> 00:08:48,200 How many of you got cats? 117 00:08:48,200 --> 00:08:49,200 It won't hurt them. 118 00:08:49,200 --> 00:08:50,200 Try it. 119 00:08:50,200 --> 00:08:51,200 Next time he comes by, I want to rub on your leg. 120 00:08:51,200 --> 00:08:52,200 Just rub his hair backwards. 121 00:08:52,200 --> 00:08:56,160 He ain't gonna have it. 122 00:08:56,160 --> 00:09:01,280 Instead of from his head back toward his tail, start his tail and go toward his head. 123 00:09:01,280 --> 00:09:02,280 You don't like that. 124 00:09:02,280 --> 00:09:04,360 That's the way the world is. 125 00:09:04,360 --> 00:09:06,920 When you and I show up, it's just a rub. 126 00:09:06,920 --> 00:09:08,720 It's a backwards rub. 127 00:09:08,720 --> 00:09:10,800 It just, it doesn't sit well. 128 00:09:10,800 --> 00:09:11,800 Why? 129 00:09:11,800 --> 00:09:15,700 Because you've got joy in your life where they're just dealing with misery. 130 00:09:15,700 --> 00:09:18,600 You got hope in your life when they're just trying to figure out what they're going to 131 00:09:18,600 --> 00:09:19,600 do tomorrow. 132 00:09:19,600 --> 00:09:23,640 They may be going to come cut your power off tomorrow, but you can do it with a smile. 133 00:09:23,640 --> 00:09:24,640 Why? 134 00:09:24,640 --> 00:09:27,520 Because we trust in God, my savior. 135 00:09:27,520 --> 00:09:28,520 We trust in him. 136 00:09:28,520 --> 00:09:32,360 I may have to go with a candle and read my Bible with a candle for a day or two, but 137 00:09:32,360 --> 00:09:33,360 I know this. 138 00:09:33,360 --> 00:09:34,720 He's not going to forsake me. 139 00:09:34,720 --> 00:09:36,200 He's not going to leave me behind. 140 00:09:36,200 --> 00:09:37,200 Amen. 141 00:09:37,200 --> 00:09:38,200 He's going to care for me. 142 00:09:38,200 --> 00:09:41,240 We're in this countercultural world. 143 00:09:41,240 --> 00:09:45,080 We're not out to be, I'm not out to be accepted and neither should you. 144 00:09:45,080 --> 00:09:50,200 When we enter into a harvest that is already around us, it's not a fact of about being 145 00:09:50,200 --> 00:09:51,280 accepted. 146 00:09:51,280 --> 00:09:52,280 We understand it. 147 00:09:52,280 --> 00:09:57,720 We are the church and the church is a rub against society because we stand against everything 148 00:09:57,720 --> 00:09:59,280 that the world is for. 149 00:09:59,280 --> 00:10:03,200 It's the old good versus evil, light versus darkness analogy. 150 00:10:03,200 --> 00:10:04,200 You are the light. 151 00:10:04,200 --> 00:10:06,420 Isn't that not what Jesus said concerning you? 152 00:10:06,420 --> 00:10:10,200 You are the light of the world and you can't hide your light under a bushel. 153 00:10:10,200 --> 00:10:14,420 Have you ever seen someone you know who is trying their best to live a Christian life 154 00:10:14,420 --> 00:10:19,440 and they don't know you're watching them and you see them enter into the opposite crowd? 155 00:10:19,440 --> 00:10:20,440 They enter into the dark. 156 00:10:20,440 --> 00:10:23,760 Have you ever seen them try to, well, I'm just going to kind of blend in here today. 157 00:10:23,760 --> 00:10:25,200 I don't want to stand out too bad. 158 00:10:25,200 --> 00:10:29,600 Well, can I tell you baskets got cracks in them no matter how tight they're woven and 159 00:10:29,600 --> 00:10:30,600 in the darkness. 160 00:10:30,600 --> 00:10:32,680 You can't hide your light under a bushel. 161 00:10:32,680 --> 00:10:35,200 It's going to shine through anyway. 162 00:10:35,200 --> 00:10:39,280 I just love to watch people try to blend and knowing you can't blend in right there, you 163 00:10:39,280 --> 00:10:41,120 outshine all that mess. 164 00:10:41,120 --> 00:10:46,600 You might as well just go ahead and let the love of Jesus shine and just let it illuminate 165 00:10:46,600 --> 00:10:47,840 everybody around you. 166 00:10:47,840 --> 00:10:49,000 You can't hide it. 167 00:10:49,000 --> 00:10:50,520 You can't hide the love of God. 168 00:10:50,520 --> 00:10:54,280 Oh, I don't want to offend people sometimes with my joy that I have. 169 00:10:54,280 --> 00:10:55,360 Oh, don't get me wrong. 170 00:10:55,360 --> 00:10:59,120 We fight our battles and we're going to get over to that here just a little while. 171 00:10:59,120 --> 00:11:02,840 We have our battles, but I can go into battle with a smile on my face. 172 00:11:02,840 --> 00:11:08,480 I can go in with my hackles raised up at the devil, but yet I know that I am the victor. 173 00:11:08,480 --> 00:11:09,480 Hallelujah. 174 00:11:09,480 --> 00:11:10,480 And so are you. 175 00:11:10,480 --> 00:11:12,120 You can't hide your light. 176 00:11:12,120 --> 00:11:13,300 It's going to shine through. 177 00:11:13,300 --> 00:11:14,800 So we are the church. 178 00:11:14,800 --> 00:11:15,960 We talked about the church. 179 00:11:15,960 --> 00:11:20,120 We talked about being the church and going that we have a mandate. 180 00:11:20,120 --> 00:11:23,880 It's in Matthew 28 and that mandate is to go into all the world. 181 00:11:23,880 --> 00:11:28,080 It means as you're going, when you go to the soccer field, when you go to the grocery store, 182 00:11:28,080 --> 00:11:33,160 when you go wherever you go, as you are going, we are to illuminate the path that is around 183 00:11:33,160 --> 00:11:38,960 us and let the light of the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ shine into those lives who 184 00:11:38,960 --> 00:11:40,400 are in misery. 185 00:11:40,400 --> 00:11:41,920 And they feel so hopeless. 186 00:11:41,920 --> 00:11:48,000 They put on the facade of happiness, but they're not happy because the joy of the Lord is absent. 187 00:11:48,000 --> 00:11:54,120 Can I tell you, you can only know true happiness when you understand the true joy of the Lord 188 00:11:54,120 --> 00:12:00,040 and you draw deep of Isaiah's well when he declares, I draw from the well of salvation 189 00:12:00,040 --> 00:12:03,200 because you know that it's the good hand of God. 190 00:12:03,200 --> 00:12:05,320 And this is the worst. 191 00:12:05,320 --> 00:12:09,720 This is the worst that you'll ever have to endure. 192 00:12:09,720 --> 00:12:12,760 Somebody, you need to make yourself a note. 193 00:12:12,760 --> 00:12:16,480 This is as bad as it gets for me. 194 00:12:16,480 --> 00:12:17,480 Hello? 195 00:12:17,480 --> 00:12:23,000 Hear me, child of God, whatever happens to you here, how the enemy comes against you 196 00:12:23,000 --> 00:12:27,800 here, this is as bad as it's going to get. 197 00:12:27,800 --> 00:12:31,200 It gets better from here for the child of God. 198 00:12:31,200 --> 00:12:33,360 So as we go, that's what we go with. 199 00:12:33,360 --> 00:12:39,400 We go with the hope of Jesus Christ and so we're the church and so we go as the church. 200 00:12:39,400 --> 00:12:41,840 And as the church goes, we preach. 201 00:12:41,840 --> 00:12:42,840 Hallelujah. 202 00:12:42,840 --> 00:12:46,800 Here's where we're going to put down our roots just a little bit. 203 00:12:46,800 --> 00:12:49,440 We are a preaching church. 204 00:12:49,440 --> 00:12:54,920 The church of God has always been noted for its preachers throughout time. 205 00:12:54,920 --> 00:12:55,920 Amen. 206 00:12:55,920 --> 00:12:58,800 We've had good singing, but we've always had great preaching. 207 00:12:58,800 --> 00:12:59,800 Amen. 208 00:12:59,800 --> 00:13:00,800 You go all the way back. 209 00:13:00,800 --> 00:13:01,800 A.J. 210 00:13:01,800 --> 00:13:02,800 Thomason was a great preacher. 211 00:13:02,800 --> 00:13:06,240 You begin to make your way forward and Wade Horton was a great preacher. 212 00:13:06,240 --> 00:13:07,240 Amen. 213 00:13:07,240 --> 00:13:11,560 And the way forward, the prince of Pentecostal preachers, amen, was Brother Hughes. 214 00:13:11,560 --> 00:13:16,680 Brother Ray, there is no greater Pentecostal preacher than Ray Hughes and the movement 215 00:13:16,680 --> 00:13:21,440 of the church of God and probably never will be cut from one mold used of God. 216 00:13:21,440 --> 00:13:26,840 We had, I can, my mind begins to think about preachers of old and I think about John Nichols 217 00:13:26,840 --> 00:13:27,840 was a good preacher. 218 00:13:27,840 --> 00:13:28,840 I think about T.L. 219 00:13:28,840 --> 00:13:29,840 Lowry. 220 00:13:29,840 --> 00:13:31,140 T.L. Lowry was a great preacher. 221 00:13:31,140 --> 00:13:32,140 You think about others. 222 00:13:32,140 --> 00:13:35,440 Orville Hagan was a great preacher and they keep coming on. 223 00:13:35,440 --> 00:13:39,760 Our former general overseer now, who is our state overseer, Tim Hill, is a modern day 224 00:13:39,760 --> 00:13:40,760 great preacher. 225 00:13:40,760 --> 00:13:42,440 He's a preacher of the gospel. 226 00:13:42,440 --> 00:13:46,480 Mark Williams is a great preacher of the gospel and you got stuck with me. 227 00:13:46,480 --> 00:13:47,480 Hallelujah. 228 00:13:47,480 --> 00:13:49,920 But I do my best to preach the gospel. 229 00:13:49,920 --> 00:13:50,920 Amen. 230 00:13:50,920 --> 00:13:53,040 We are a preaching church. 231 00:13:53,040 --> 00:13:55,720 That's what I've always heard when I was growing up. 232 00:13:55,720 --> 00:14:00,400 Even the pastor running about 20 on the backside of the hill over there up a holler. 233 00:14:00,400 --> 00:14:03,000 The preacher would preach the paint off the wall. 234 00:14:03,000 --> 00:14:04,000 Why? 235 00:14:04,000 --> 00:14:08,000 Because preachers are anointed with the power of the Holy Ghost. 236 00:14:08,000 --> 00:14:13,400 We are a preaching church and that is what we are mandated to do. 237 00:14:13,400 --> 00:14:15,000 We are mandated to preach. 238 00:14:15,000 --> 00:14:17,840 So when we have that mandate, where does that lead us? 239 00:14:17,840 --> 00:14:22,920 The first thing is we preach the gospel. 240 00:14:22,920 --> 00:14:25,480 We preach the gospel. 241 00:14:25,480 --> 00:14:28,160 Romans 1, 15 through 16. 242 00:14:28,160 --> 00:14:36,040 Paul would say this, so as much as is in me is I am ready to preach. 243 00:14:36,040 --> 00:14:38,880 My Lord, Paul said, I'm ready to preach. 244 00:14:38,880 --> 00:14:40,680 I'm ready to preach the gospel. 245 00:14:40,680 --> 00:14:41,920 Not anything else. 246 00:14:41,920 --> 00:14:46,280 I'm ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. 247 00:14:46,280 --> 00:14:48,480 For I am not ashamed. 248 00:14:48,480 --> 00:14:50,680 Oh, I love this verse. 249 00:14:50,680 --> 00:14:57,880 I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation. 250 00:14:57,880 --> 00:14:59,360 Aren't you glad of that? 251 00:14:59,360 --> 00:15:02,380 To everyone that believes. 252 00:15:02,380 --> 00:15:06,400 We cannot be ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ. 253 00:15:06,400 --> 00:15:12,080 The gospel goes all the way back to Jesus' baptism in Jordan and John's preaching before 254 00:15:12,080 --> 00:15:13,480 that baptism. 255 00:15:13,480 --> 00:15:14,980 John came on the scene. 256 00:15:14,980 --> 00:15:19,640 He was out in the wilderness desert side and he was preaching the gospel. 257 00:15:19,640 --> 00:15:21,180 And the gospel is this. 258 00:15:21,180 --> 00:15:24,280 Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. 259 00:15:24,280 --> 00:15:26,520 And John is preaching and baptizing. 260 00:15:26,520 --> 00:15:28,480 He's at Jordan one day. 261 00:15:28,480 --> 00:15:34,640 And John chapter one, he looks up and looks on Jesus who's making his way toward the Jordan. 262 00:15:34,640 --> 00:15:38,200 And here is the declaration that John the Baptist would give. 263 00:15:38,200 --> 00:15:43,600 Behold the lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world. 264 00:15:43,600 --> 00:15:46,840 And so the gospel is now being proclaimed. 265 00:15:46,840 --> 00:15:49,160 What did we read in our text in Matthew nine? 266 00:15:49,160 --> 00:15:55,600 Jesus goes about their synagogues teaching and preaching the gospel of the kingdom. 267 00:15:55,600 --> 00:15:57,280 That is the gospel of the kingdom. 268 00:15:57,280 --> 00:16:00,360 The kingdom of heaven is at hand. 269 00:16:00,360 --> 00:16:06,160 That he is the Christ the Redeemer, the one, the Messiah who is the bridge to gap between 270 00:16:06,160 --> 00:16:08,600 humanity and that ever-loving father. 271 00:16:08,600 --> 00:16:15,020 The gospel is the good news that Jesus is who the father sent him to be. 272 00:16:15,020 --> 00:16:17,940 He is the son and the only begotten. 273 00:16:17,940 --> 00:16:21,840 That is the good news of the gospel. 274 00:16:21,840 --> 00:16:25,840 So that's what we preach. 275 00:16:25,840 --> 00:16:32,280 And the church has to be careful that we don't get away from the gospel. 276 00:16:32,280 --> 00:16:35,360 Seven steps to this, twelve ways to that. 277 00:16:35,360 --> 00:16:40,800 It may be helpful, but it's not the gospel. 278 00:16:40,800 --> 00:16:43,640 That's not going to deliver a man's soul. 279 00:16:43,640 --> 00:16:50,400 It'll give him some tools to make it through life, but it's not going to deliver his soul. 280 00:16:50,400 --> 00:16:53,640 When you tell a man there's twelve ways to this, and here's number thirteen. 281 00:16:53,640 --> 00:16:57,680 Without Jesus, the other twelve are going to leave you all alone. 282 00:16:57,680 --> 00:17:01,240 But if you've got Jesus, the other twelve are going to help you make it through life. 283 00:17:01,240 --> 00:17:02,240 Hallelujah. 284 00:17:02,240 --> 00:17:05,600 Here's five ways for this, but let me tell you number six. 285 00:17:05,600 --> 00:17:10,360 You can walk out those five, but if you've got Jesus in step one, step two, step three, 286 00:17:10,360 --> 00:17:13,420 step four, step five, and everything's going to be all right. 287 00:17:13,420 --> 00:17:17,040 They can tell you how to have a prosperous and good marriage, and I can tell you how 288 00:17:17,040 --> 00:17:22,360 to get along, but without Jesus, it isn't going to be what God had ordained it to be. 289 00:17:22,360 --> 00:17:27,880 But when you've got Jesus right in the middle, and the two have become one, and the one, 290 00:17:27,880 --> 00:17:32,080 the one effort, and the one desire, and the one heart, it's to know Christ and Christ 291 00:17:32,080 --> 00:17:36,360 alone, then you're going to know truly what love really is. 292 00:17:36,360 --> 00:17:37,360 Love will repent. 293 00:17:37,360 --> 00:17:39,240 Love doesn't hold itself up high. 294 00:17:39,240 --> 00:17:41,320 Love bends town. 295 00:17:41,320 --> 00:17:47,200 I'll tell you all those things, but without Jesus, you've just got a relationship, and 296 00:17:47,200 --> 00:17:53,320 you better hope it best you don't have any rubs in it. 297 00:17:53,320 --> 00:17:55,920 Amen? 298 00:17:55,920 --> 00:18:08,600 But with Jesus, you can still rub the cat backwards, and he'll make the hair lay down. 299 00:18:08,600 --> 00:18:11,300 It's the gospel. 300 00:18:11,300 --> 00:18:12,720 It's the good news of Jesus Christ. 301 00:18:12,720 --> 00:18:17,520 John would say in one of the smaller letters, he would go on to tell you this. 302 00:18:17,520 --> 00:18:24,600 He would say that we have an advocate with the Father, and Christ Jesus is his name. 303 00:18:24,600 --> 00:18:29,400 He will let you know that if a man sins, that advocate is there to cleanse us. 304 00:18:29,400 --> 00:18:34,800 He will let you know that if we are faithful and just to confess our sins, that he is faithful 305 00:18:34,800 --> 00:18:39,320 and just to cleanse us of our sins, and not only that, but all unrighteousness. 306 00:18:39,320 --> 00:18:40,480 Amen? 307 00:18:40,480 --> 00:18:41,480 It's the gospel. 308 00:18:41,480 --> 00:18:42,920 I tried to do it on my own. 309 00:18:42,920 --> 00:18:46,800 How many of you tried to live as good as you possibly could, but good was not found in 310 00:18:46,800 --> 00:18:47,800 you? 311 00:18:47,800 --> 00:18:51,440 There's no good in you until Christ resides upon the throne of our heart. 312 00:18:51,440 --> 00:18:54,320 So we preach, and what we preach is the gospel. 313 00:18:54,320 --> 00:18:57,720 And the reason we preach the gospel is how we preach it. 314 00:18:57,720 --> 00:18:59,720 It's the how we preach the gospel. 315 00:18:59,720 --> 00:19:03,720 There's only one way that we can preach it, and Isaiah begins to tell us about it a little 316 00:19:03,720 --> 00:19:06,460 more plainly in 61 in verse 1. 317 00:19:06,460 --> 00:19:11,080 Look what he says, the spirit of the Lord is upon me because the spirit of the Lord 318 00:19:11,080 --> 00:19:17,160 God is upon me because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek. 319 00:19:17,160 --> 00:19:19,880 He hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted. 320 00:19:19,880 --> 00:19:20,960 Amen? 321 00:19:20,960 --> 00:19:26,120 And to proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison doors to them that 322 00:19:26,120 --> 00:19:32,240 are bound, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord and the day of vengeance of our 323 00:19:32,240 --> 00:19:34,640 God to comfort them that mourn. 324 00:19:34,640 --> 00:19:36,240 And here's how we're preaching. 325 00:19:36,240 --> 00:19:39,600 You're preaching under the anointing of the spirit of the Lord. 326 00:19:39,600 --> 00:19:44,760 You can make your way to Luke 418, and Jesus quotes the prophet Isaiah when he stood in 327 00:19:44,760 --> 00:19:46,000 the temple that day. 328 00:19:46,000 --> 00:19:51,320 They handed him the scroll to read, and he unrolled it in Isaiah 61, and he began to 329 00:19:51,320 --> 00:19:57,340 read the spirit of the Lord is upon me, and he's anointed me to preach the gospel. 330 00:19:57,340 --> 00:20:01,600 He's anointed me to lay hands upon the sick and see that they recover, opening of the 331 00:20:01,600 --> 00:20:07,120 eyes of them that are blinded and the bruised to be healed and those who are held captive 332 00:20:07,120 --> 00:20:12,040 to be set free and to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. 333 00:20:12,040 --> 00:20:13,760 And it was the year of his walking. 334 00:20:13,760 --> 00:20:17,120 It was a year of his being, the acceptable year. 335 00:20:17,120 --> 00:20:19,160 But look what Isaiah continued to say. 336 00:20:19,160 --> 00:20:22,880 We preach under the anointing and we preach for purpose and a reason. 337 00:20:22,880 --> 00:20:26,800 He said to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion. 338 00:20:26,800 --> 00:20:33,440 It's an appointment to preach unto those that mourn in Zion, to proclaim good news to those 339 00:20:33,440 --> 00:20:39,520 who are mourning in the land, to preach and to proclaim the slept the Lord to those who 340 00:20:39,520 --> 00:20:42,160 mourn. 341 00:20:42,160 --> 00:20:51,880 To give them beauty for ashes. 342 00:20:51,880 --> 00:20:54,780 This is what he's preaching. 343 00:20:54,780 --> 00:20:58,120 To them beauty for ashes. 344 00:20:58,120 --> 00:21:01,840 The oil of joy for mourning. 345 00:21:01,840 --> 00:21:07,820 The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. 346 00:21:07,820 --> 00:21:10,480 That they, who? 347 00:21:10,480 --> 00:21:19,120 Those people, the mourning, the heavy, those who are feeling as though they need some beauty 348 00:21:19,120 --> 00:21:27,880 in their life, to them, unto those that they may be called trees of righteousness, the 349 00:21:27,880 --> 00:21:34,240 planting of the Lord that he might be glorified. 350 00:21:34,240 --> 00:21:39,040 Hear me today, we have been anointed to preach and proclaim to you the acceptable year of 351 00:21:39,040 --> 00:21:40,040 the Lord. 352 00:21:40,040 --> 00:21:44,840 And in that acceptable year that you accept this, there's beauty for your ashes. 353 00:21:44,840 --> 00:21:49,640 There's oil for your mourning and there's a garment of praise for the spirit of your 354 00:21:49,640 --> 00:21:50,640 heaviness. 355 00:21:50,640 --> 00:21:54,800 If you're feeling heavy this morning, let me just tell you, lift up those hands and 356 00:21:54,800 --> 00:21:56,360 glorify God. 357 00:21:56,360 --> 00:22:01,520 If you're feeling heavy in heart, soul and mind, there is a garment that you put on. 358 00:22:01,520 --> 00:22:04,920 And I'm telling you, you've got to go to the closet and dig it out of the back and find 359 00:22:04,920 --> 00:22:09,760 it because if you're feeling heavy, the only thing for your heaviness is the lightness 360 00:22:09,760 --> 00:22:10,760 of your praise. 361 00:22:10,760 --> 00:22:13,000 It's a garment that doesn't weigh. 362 00:22:13,000 --> 00:22:18,520 It's a garment that you don't even feel because the more you praise him, the lighter you feel. 363 00:22:18,520 --> 00:22:23,360 The more you praise him, the more the burden of your soul rolls away. 364 00:22:23,360 --> 00:22:29,960 There is a garment of praise for a spirit of heaviness. 365 00:22:29,960 --> 00:22:32,840 There's the oil of joy. 366 00:22:32,840 --> 00:22:39,320 Some of you need an oil bath. 367 00:22:39,320 --> 00:22:40,320 You know what's a new thing? 368 00:22:40,320 --> 00:22:42,320 Well, not so new, but it's out there. 369 00:22:42,320 --> 00:22:51,080 These scented oils get you some frankincense and a little myrrh. 370 00:22:51,080 --> 00:22:58,880 Put your praise on and watch yourself be bathed in the oil of joy because I'm telling you, 371 00:22:58,880 --> 00:23:03,880 you can't remind yourself of how good God is and keep on mourning. 372 00:23:03,880 --> 00:23:09,160 You can't rejoice in his goodness and his faithfulness and still feel heavy. 373 00:23:09,160 --> 00:23:13,880 Somehow, someway, you'll praise your way out of it and there's going to be beauty come 374 00:23:13,880 --> 00:23:15,600 out of the ashes of your life. 375 00:23:15,600 --> 00:23:20,520 My God, you're going to rise up out of the ashes with a cloak of praise and a garment 376 00:23:20,520 --> 00:23:32,120 that glorifies God and he will saturate you, soak you, bathe you in the oil of joy. 377 00:23:32,120 --> 00:23:34,040 Oil soaks in, doesn't it? 378 00:23:34,040 --> 00:23:36,800 Well, he's wanting to soak in you. 379 00:23:36,800 --> 00:23:41,480 He's wanting to get something that'll soak on the inside of you. 380 00:23:41,480 --> 00:23:42,480 Amen? 381 00:23:42,480 --> 00:23:47,400 Isaiah said, and it's the spirit of the Lord that brings this about because the Lord has 382 00:23:47,400 --> 00:23:51,320 anointed me. 383 00:23:51,320 --> 00:23:53,640 Jesus said, the spirit of the Lord is on me. 384 00:23:53,640 --> 00:23:56,320 He is the Lord. 385 00:23:56,320 --> 00:23:59,800 Well, hallelujah. 386 00:23:59,800 --> 00:24:05,520 And here's what I've come for. 387 00:24:05,520 --> 00:24:07,600 I've come to preach. 388 00:24:07,600 --> 00:24:09,680 My Lord didn't preach. 389 00:24:09,680 --> 00:24:11,360 He got up on the side of the mountain. 390 00:24:11,360 --> 00:24:18,320 We hear that sermon of the Beatitudes delivered, that Mount Olivet discourse and he begins to 391 00:24:18,320 --> 00:24:22,280 tell you how you ought to live as a preacher. 392 00:24:22,280 --> 00:24:27,040 He begins to declare to us his goodness and his power, right? 393 00:24:27,040 --> 00:24:28,040 He said, what did he tell him? 394 00:24:28,040 --> 00:24:32,600 He said, I've been sent and so I'm sending you. 395 00:24:32,600 --> 00:24:34,800 And as you go, here's what you're going to do. 396 00:24:34,800 --> 00:24:39,480 I want you to lay hands on the sick and I want to see them recover. 397 00:24:39,480 --> 00:24:40,480 Why? 398 00:24:40,480 --> 00:24:46,040 Because I've anointed you and because of that anointing, I'm sending you and you can cast 399 00:24:46,040 --> 00:24:47,960 out devils in my name. 400 00:24:47,960 --> 00:24:48,960 Hallelujah. 401 00:24:48,960 --> 00:24:51,440 Just for a bonus purposes. 402 00:24:51,440 --> 00:24:54,880 When the devil begins or shows up, use the authority of my name. 403 00:24:54,880 --> 00:24:55,880 It's not you. 404 00:24:55,880 --> 00:24:56,880 It's not me. 405 00:24:56,880 --> 00:24:57,880 It's not the church. 406 00:24:57,880 --> 00:25:00,360 It's not any other thing than Jesus Christ. 407 00:25:00,360 --> 00:25:01,360 Why? 408 00:25:01,360 --> 00:25:04,160 Because every devil in hell's in fear and trembles. 409 00:25:04,160 --> 00:25:07,120 They believe they believe that he is. 410 00:25:07,120 --> 00:25:09,360 They know that he is not just believing. 411 00:25:09,360 --> 00:25:11,120 They know he's the son of God. 412 00:25:11,120 --> 00:25:19,760 They know he's a king who's going to soon return and take authority over everything. 413 00:25:19,760 --> 00:25:24,120 So we preach. 414 00:25:24,120 --> 00:25:25,120 We preach hope. 415 00:25:25,120 --> 00:25:26,760 We preach help. 416 00:25:26,760 --> 00:25:28,240 We preach repent. 417 00:25:28,240 --> 00:25:30,600 We preach rejoice. 418 00:25:30,600 --> 00:25:31,600 We preach pray. 419 00:25:31,600 --> 00:25:35,600 We preach sing. 420 00:25:35,600 --> 00:25:38,400 We preach. 421 00:25:38,400 --> 00:25:39,400 We preach truth. 422 00:25:39,400 --> 00:25:41,120 We preach the gospel. 423 00:25:41,120 --> 00:25:43,960 We preach the say of the Lord. 424 00:25:43,960 --> 00:25:44,960 And why do we do it? 425 00:25:44,960 --> 00:25:45,960 Second Corinthians 2, 1 through 5. 426 00:25:45,960 --> 00:25:48,960 Throw that one up, brother. 427 00:25:48,960 --> 00:25:55,880 Second Corinthians 1, 2 verse 1 through 5. 428 00:25:55,880 --> 00:25:58,880 Look at that real quick. 429 00:25:58,880 --> 00:26:04,440 Second Corinthians 2, 1 through 5. 430 00:26:04,440 --> 00:26:13,440 This is why we're doing it. 431 00:26:13,440 --> 00:26:22,640 That wasn't it. 432 00:26:22,640 --> 00:26:28,120 I wrote it down wrong. 433 00:26:28,120 --> 00:26:31,160 First Corinthians, not second. 434 00:26:31,160 --> 00:26:34,400 Second Corinthians coming up in a minute. 435 00:26:34,400 --> 00:26:35,400 This is why we do it. 436 00:26:35,400 --> 00:26:37,800 This is why I get up here every week. 437 00:26:37,800 --> 00:26:42,120 This is why I do it. 438 00:26:42,120 --> 00:26:46,160 Paul said, and I, brethren, when I come to you, came not with an excellency of speech 439 00:26:46,160 --> 00:26:52,120 or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. 440 00:26:52,120 --> 00:26:59,440 For I determined not to know anything among you save Jesus Christ and him crucified, the 441 00:26:59,440 --> 00:27:01,360 gospel. 442 00:27:01,360 --> 00:27:04,120 All right? 443 00:27:04,120 --> 00:27:08,280 And I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. 444 00:27:08,280 --> 00:27:18,480 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration 445 00:27:18,480 --> 00:27:20,720 of the spirit and of power. 446 00:27:20,720 --> 00:27:26,000 Look, right here's the key, verse 5, that your faith should not stand in the wisdom 447 00:27:26,000 --> 00:27:29,600 of men, but in the power of God. 448 00:27:29,600 --> 00:27:31,240 That's why. 449 00:27:31,240 --> 00:27:33,680 That's why we preach. 450 00:27:33,680 --> 00:27:38,560 You know, there's some eloquent orators out there, right? 451 00:27:38,560 --> 00:27:43,680 There's some guys that can really, they really preach pretty. 452 00:27:43,680 --> 00:27:44,720 It sounds really good. 453 00:27:44,720 --> 00:27:48,280 You're not listening to one of them guys. 454 00:27:48,280 --> 00:27:51,480 You're listening to one of these Paul clones. 455 00:27:51,480 --> 00:27:56,020 You're listening to the guy that may throw in a little theology, but yet he may back 456 00:27:56,020 --> 00:28:00,800 it up with a little redneck lingo. 457 00:28:00,800 --> 00:28:06,080 Redneck lingo is parables for people that I know. 458 00:28:06,080 --> 00:28:07,080 That's all it is. 459 00:28:07,080 --> 00:28:08,920 Petting the cat backwards. 460 00:28:08,920 --> 00:28:13,120 Some of you go, oh yeah, I've done that. 461 00:28:13,120 --> 00:28:14,120 Point made. 462 00:28:14,120 --> 00:28:19,160 The rest of you, I have to explain a little different. 463 00:28:19,160 --> 00:28:22,360 Some of you got that point when it came across, but for you cat people, you know, no, the 464 00:28:22,360 --> 00:28:23,840 cat don't like that. 465 00:28:23,840 --> 00:28:30,040 Paul said, I didn't come with the excellency of speech. 466 00:28:30,040 --> 00:28:36,120 What I came with is some demonstration of the spirit. 467 00:28:36,120 --> 00:28:37,120 Why? 468 00:28:37,120 --> 00:28:44,680 Because I had my own encounter on Damascus road when I struck off my ride, struck blind 469 00:28:44,680 --> 00:28:52,360 for days until a no named preacher came by. 470 00:28:52,360 --> 00:28:55,520 And when he touched me, the scales fell off. 471 00:28:55,520 --> 00:29:04,160 But in my blinded state, I had a conversation with the Lord who called me by my name and 472 00:29:04,160 --> 00:29:07,200 sent me on my straight pathway. 473 00:29:07,200 --> 00:29:12,240 And I'm coming to you when I was there, I was a little meeker, I was a little milder, 474 00:29:12,240 --> 00:29:16,640 but I'm riding to you with all the boldness and the strength and the authority that I 475 00:29:16,640 --> 00:29:17,640 can muster. 476 00:29:17,640 --> 00:29:20,280 And I didn't come with enticing words of menswear. 477 00:29:20,280 --> 00:29:24,960 I didn't try to come with the knowledge and the education that I have as a Pharisee of 478 00:29:24,960 --> 00:29:25,960 the Pharisees. 479 00:29:25,960 --> 00:29:28,360 I can dissect the law with you anyway. 480 00:29:28,360 --> 00:29:32,900 You want it dissected, but what I come with is so that you know I preach through the power 481 00:29:32,900 --> 00:29:38,520 and the anointing of the spirit and the spirits moving among you so that your faith would 482 00:29:38,520 --> 00:29:42,560 not be in men, but in the power of God. 483 00:29:42,560 --> 00:29:46,560 That's why I preach that the power of God is made available to you. 484 00:29:46,560 --> 00:29:51,960 And I proclaim his power to you because the spirit of the Lord is able to demonstrate 485 00:29:51,960 --> 00:29:55,000 to you his authority, his power. 486 00:29:55,000 --> 00:29:59,440 That's why Paul said we preach. 487 00:29:59,440 --> 00:30:03,280 I can make it sound good, but good doesn't get it done. 488 00:30:03,280 --> 00:30:08,240 It's the power of God working in your life. 489 00:30:08,240 --> 00:30:17,340 How many just by a straw pole has ever known for sure the power of God worked in your life? 490 00:30:17,340 --> 00:30:19,940 You don't need any other convincing, do you? 491 00:30:19,940 --> 00:30:23,400 So me try to come up here and eloquently try to explain something else to you, you go and 492 00:30:23,400 --> 00:30:29,400 say, no, the cat don't know what he's talking about. 493 00:30:29,400 --> 00:30:37,120 You come a day late and $20 too short to try to convince me that God's power isn't real 494 00:30:37,120 --> 00:30:41,760 and he isn't demonstrating that power in the day in which we live. 495 00:30:41,760 --> 00:30:44,720 I've heard too many testimony. 496 00:30:44,720 --> 00:30:49,120 I've seen God do too much stuff for you to try to convince me otherwise. 497 00:30:49,120 --> 00:30:50,120 That's what Paul said. 498 00:30:50,120 --> 00:30:54,480 I was convinced nobody persecuted the church any more than I did. 499 00:30:54,480 --> 00:30:56,360 I was holding their coats today. 500 00:30:56,360 --> 00:30:58,320 They stoned Stephen to death. 501 00:30:58,320 --> 00:31:01,320 Matter of fact, I consented to that. 502 00:31:01,320 --> 00:31:06,480 I had the authority to do that. 503 00:31:06,480 --> 00:31:08,000 I saw a little statement yesterday. 504 00:31:08,000 --> 00:31:10,960 I sent somebody, I don't remember who I sent it to. 505 00:31:10,960 --> 00:31:17,960 Said Paul was probably the only person that entered into the heavens through the cheers 506 00:31:17,960 --> 00:31:20,480 of those he martyred. 507 00:31:20,480 --> 00:31:27,240 Oh, that's heavy right there. 508 00:31:27,240 --> 00:31:36,520 Entered into heaven through the cheers of those and whom he martyred. 509 00:31:36,520 --> 00:31:38,920 Standing ovation for Paul. 510 00:31:38,920 --> 00:31:40,000 I guess they may just saw it. 511 00:31:40,000 --> 00:31:46,280 He just got me here a little quicker and I would have had to. 512 00:31:46,280 --> 00:31:49,020 So we preach. 513 00:31:49,020 --> 00:31:52,920 We preach because you need to know the power of God is available for your situation in 514 00:31:52,920 --> 00:31:55,400 crisis. 515 00:31:55,400 --> 00:32:00,000 We preach because the gospel is the only hope for lost humanity. 516 00:32:00,000 --> 00:32:02,640 That's why we preach. 517 00:32:02,640 --> 00:32:03,640 And we're a preaching movement. 518 00:32:03,640 --> 00:32:05,920 We're a preaching church. 519 00:32:05,920 --> 00:32:06,920 That's why we preach. 520 00:32:06,920 --> 00:32:15,200 And so I'm going to end on this last one right here. 521 00:32:15,200 --> 00:32:18,400 The subject of our preaching. 522 00:32:18,400 --> 00:32:24,080 We preach victory. 523 00:32:24,080 --> 00:32:25,080 We preach victory. 524 00:32:25,080 --> 00:32:27,320 We preach victory to you. 525 00:32:27,320 --> 00:32:28,320 You are the victor. 526 00:32:28,320 --> 00:32:34,240 Like I've told you already, this is as bad as it gets and you're still the victor in 527 00:32:34,240 --> 00:32:36,600 it right now. 528 00:32:36,600 --> 00:32:37,740 You are the victor. 529 00:32:37,740 --> 00:32:39,160 You are the victorious one. 530 00:32:39,160 --> 00:32:40,160 Why? 531 00:32:40,160 --> 00:32:42,380 Because Christ is the victor. 532 00:32:42,380 --> 00:32:50,500 And it's Christ in you, which is the hope of glory. 533 00:32:50,500 --> 00:32:53,440 So we preach victory. 534 00:32:53,440 --> 00:32:57,320 We preach what Jesus said in this world, you shall have tribulation. 535 00:32:57,320 --> 00:33:01,240 I'm not one of these guys who's going to tell you this is going to be hunky dory because 536 00:33:01,240 --> 00:33:05,320 it's not. 537 00:33:05,320 --> 00:33:10,120 You better buckle down the hatches and you better know what you believe. 538 00:33:10,120 --> 00:33:17,120 I don't know if you can tell it or not, but there's been an open season, a bull's eye 539 00:33:17,120 --> 00:33:22,840 in the spirit realm set on our church. 540 00:33:22,840 --> 00:33:27,520 It excites me. 541 00:33:27,520 --> 00:33:36,920 We've made the devil M-A-D. The devil is mad. 542 00:33:36,920 --> 00:33:40,920 So he's, it ain't a whole lot to clap about because when you make the devil mad, that 543 00:33:40,920 --> 00:33:46,480 means somebody got to show up and smack him in the mouth. 544 00:33:46,480 --> 00:33:53,160 So that's not real enticing, it's not real elegant, but it's still the fact. 545 00:33:53,160 --> 00:34:00,080 When you stir him up, you got to have enough in you to put him in flight. 546 00:34:00,080 --> 00:34:05,200 When we humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, he exalts us in due season. 547 00:34:05,200 --> 00:34:09,480 And if we draw nigh to him, he'll draw nigh to us. 548 00:34:09,480 --> 00:34:14,920 And let me tell you something, it doesn't matter how mad the devil gets because if God's 549 00:34:14,920 --> 00:34:19,120 getting close to you, he's getting further away. 550 00:34:19,120 --> 00:34:24,920 If God's getting close to you, the devil can't stay where the glory and the power and the 551 00:34:24,920 --> 00:34:26,560 presence of God is. 552 00:34:26,560 --> 00:34:29,560 You got to resist him with everything's within you. 553 00:34:29,560 --> 00:34:32,080 You got to stand against him and draw nigh. 554 00:34:32,080 --> 00:34:33,080 You got to get near. 555 00:34:33,080 --> 00:34:37,260 And it's difficult to get near when you're trying to beat the devil off with a stick 556 00:34:37,260 --> 00:34:38,480 at the same time. 557 00:34:38,480 --> 00:34:40,920 But as you humble yourself, God, I need you. 558 00:34:40,920 --> 00:34:42,520 God, I've got to have you. 559 00:34:42,520 --> 00:34:46,240 In the day of my trouble, the Lord heard me and he showed up. 560 00:34:46,240 --> 00:34:49,360 I cried unto the Lord and he heard my cry. 561 00:34:49,360 --> 00:34:53,240 We're proclaiming victory in spite of the battle. 562 00:34:53,240 --> 00:34:55,880 It's victory in spite of the crisis. 563 00:34:55,880 --> 00:34:58,480 You're victorious in spite of your trouble. 564 00:34:58,480 --> 00:35:02,440 You're victorious in spite of your sickness. 565 00:35:02,440 --> 00:35:09,720 You're victorious in spite of everyone that stands against you. 566 00:35:09,720 --> 00:35:15,000 We preach victory. 567 00:35:15,000 --> 00:35:19,640 Ephesians 6, Paul put it this way. 568 00:35:19,640 --> 00:35:24,320 Finally, finally, somebody say that one, finally. 569 00:35:24,320 --> 00:35:35,480 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. 570 00:35:35,480 --> 00:35:39,920 It seems to me like Paul's figured something out along the way. 571 00:35:39,920 --> 00:35:40,920 Hello? 572 00:35:40,920 --> 00:35:44,920 Sounds to me like he's talking about God's power quite a bit. 573 00:35:44,920 --> 00:35:49,280 He's talking, it sounds to me like he knows it's God's power that has sustained him through 574 00:35:49,280 --> 00:35:51,280 his troubles. 575 00:35:51,280 --> 00:35:55,800 Forever stoned that he had stoned somebody else with, he laid in the middle of a road 576 00:35:55,800 --> 00:35:58,240 and was stoned as well. 577 00:35:58,240 --> 00:36:03,240 For every one that he commanded to be beaten three times, he was beaten at the post. 578 00:36:03,240 --> 00:36:06,440 Thirty-nine save one stripe three different times. 579 00:36:06,440 --> 00:36:09,000 It all come back to him. 580 00:36:09,000 --> 00:36:12,800 He had to endure, but he was enduring it differently now. 581 00:36:12,800 --> 00:36:17,160 He said, I've been left in the deep three days and nights, but he said, I've also was 582 00:36:17,160 --> 00:36:20,760 called up into the third heaven. 583 00:36:20,760 --> 00:36:22,480 It's about having victory. 584 00:36:22,480 --> 00:36:24,720 It's about knowing that you are victorious. 585 00:36:24,720 --> 00:36:29,160 Finally, when you've done everything you can do, when you had done all you can do, put 586 00:36:29,160 --> 00:36:34,800 on the whole armor of God that you might be able to stand against the wiles, the trickery, 587 00:36:34,800 --> 00:36:37,520 the deceit, the deception of the devil. 588 00:36:37,520 --> 00:36:45,120 For we hear me somebody, we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against powers, principalities 589 00:36:45,120 --> 00:36:50,880 and against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in 590 00:36:50,880 --> 00:36:54,360 high places. 591 00:36:54,360 --> 00:36:55,600 This is what we preach. 592 00:36:55,600 --> 00:36:56,600 Wherefore? 593 00:36:56,600 --> 00:37:10,440 Take unto you the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day 594 00:37:10,440 --> 00:37:17,620 and having done all to stand, stand anyway. 595 00:37:17,620 --> 00:37:20,000 Keep on standing. 596 00:37:20,000 --> 00:37:21,000 Keep on standing. 597 00:37:21,000 --> 00:37:28,240 When you've done everything in your power to stand, keep on standing, stand anyway. 598 00:37:28,240 --> 00:37:30,060 This is what we're preaching. 599 00:37:30,060 --> 00:37:31,060 Stand anyway. 600 00:37:31,060 --> 00:37:33,640 Having your loins gird about. 601 00:37:33,640 --> 00:37:35,800 Listen to it. 602 00:37:35,800 --> 00:37:38,340 Having your loins gird about. 603 00:37:38,340 --> 00:37:39,600 Stand there. 604 00:37:39,600 --> 00:37:41,920 Gird it up with truth. 605 00:37:41,920 --> 00:37:44,320 That's why we preach the word. 606 00:37:44,320 --> 00:37:46,780 The word of God is truth. 607 00:37:46,780 --> 00:37:49,160 The word of God is truth. 608 00:37:49,160 --> 00:37:55,440 And faith comes by hearing, and hearing comes by the word of the living God. 609 00:37:55,440 --> 00:38:00,040 Your faith is built in the middle of your trial when you're standing against all odds 610 00:38:00,040 --> 00:38:01,600 to keep on standing. 611 00:38:01,600 --> 00:38:06,800 When the enemy comes in like a flood, there's a standard, there's a pole, there's a stalwart 612 00:38:06,800 --> 00:38:12,800 that rises up in your presence, and it's the word of God who will turn away all of the 613 00:38:12,800 --> 00:38:14,280 wickedness of the enemy. 614 00:38:14,280 --> 00:38:20,860 When you stand firm, you stand whole. 615 00:38:20,860 --> 00:38:26,640 Having on the breastplate of righteousness, your feet shod with the preparation of the 616 00:38:26,640 --> 00:38:28,860 gospel of peace. 617 00:38:28,860 --> 00:38:33,680 That's why we preach the gospel, because it's peace. 618 00:38:33,680 --> 00:38:41,600 My Lord, and above all, taking the shield of faith. 619 00:38:41,600 --> 00:38:48,200 Bear with, you shall, not maybe, not possibly, if it's your turn, no. 620 00:38:48,200 --> 00:39:00,120 You shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked and take the helmet of 621 00:39:00,120 --> 00:39:07,240 salvation, the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God. 622 00:39:07,240 --> 00:39:14,160 Watching always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit, my Lord, you've got to have 623 00:39:14,160 --> 00:39:23,400 the spirit in you to pray in the spirit. 624 00:39:23,400 --> 00:39:29,720 And watching therein, too, with all perseverance and supplication for all saints. 625 00:39:29,720 --> 00:39:35,520 So that's what we preach, victory. 626 00:39:35,520 --> 00:39:42,600 Now, 2 Corinthians 10, verse four says this, three declares, for though we walk in the 627 00:39:42,600 --> 00:39:52,120 flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 628 00:39:52,120 --> 00:40:03,080 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but they are mighty through God. 629 00:40:03,080 --> 00:40:16,680 Spirit to the pulling down of strongholds, casting down imaginations and every high thing 630 00:40:16,680 --> 00:40:27,840 that exalts itself against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought 631 00:40:27,840 --> 00:40:31,960 to the obedience of Christ. 632 00:40:31,960 --> 00:40:35,440 We preach victory. 633 00:40:35,440 --> 00:40:39,040 For though we walk in the flesh, your feet hurt, your back hurts, your neck hurts, your 634 00:40:39,040 --> 00:40:45,960 knees hurt, your head hurts, your ears hurt, if you got teeth, they hurt. 635 00:40:45,960 --> 00:40:53,620 If you don't, your gums are sore because your dentures don't fit right. 636 00:40:53,620 --> 00:41:02,520 We walk in the flesh, but we don't war after the flesh. 637 00:41:02,520 --> 00:41:10,160 Too many of us would be in the infirmary somewhere if this was a flesh thing, trying to get healed 638 00:41:10,160 --> 00:41:14,360 up enough to get in, but that's not how we fight. 639 00:41:14,360 --> 00:41:20,760 My feet can hurt and I can still wage war. 640 00:41:20,760 --> 00:41:25,160 I may have sat down, but I'm sitting down with my helmet on. 641 00:41:25,160 --> 00:41:33,680 I still got my sword in my hand. 642 00:41:33,680 --> 00:41:37,960 I got my shield, my faith, my God. 643 00:41:37,960 --> 00:41:43,080 If you don't have anything, if you drop the others along the way, if you drop your helmet, 644 00:41:43,080 --> 00:41:50,680 you still hold your shield over your head. 645 00:41:50,680 --> 00:41:56,440 I've seen too many gladiator movies to not know that your shield can be a very strong 646 00:41:56,440 --> 00:42:06,440 offensive weapon when your sword's got knocked out of your hand. 647 00:42:06,440 --> 00:42:11,040 You got that faith, your helmet's not far away. 648 00:42:11,040 --> 00:42:17,760 If you got faith, you're walking with your feet prepared. 649 00:42:17,760 --> 00:42:21,200 If you got faith, righteousness is upon your chest. 650 00:42:21,200 --> 00:42:26,080 It's your breastplate. 651 00:42:26,080 --> 00:42:36,840 Thanks be unto God who give us us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 652 00:42:36,840 --> 00:42:44,360 He causes us to be victorious. 653 00:42:44,360 --> 00:42:50,560 So we preach victory. 654 00:42:50,560 --> 00:42:56,040 They may leave anyway, but you're victorious. 655 00:42:56,040 --> 00:43:04,480 They may never apologize, but you're victorious. 656 00:43:04,480 --> 00:43:09,160 Bank may actually come and get that car that you couldn't afford and you bought it anyway, 657 00:43:09,160 --> 00:43:17,040 but you're victorious. 658 00:43:17,040 --> 00:43:20,080 See the enemy can't take your soul. 659 00:43:20,080 --> 00:43:26,760 You can surrender it, but he can't take it. 660 00:43:26,760 --> 00:43:32,120 That's the reason we've been instructed, why do you have fear of men? 661 00:43:32,120 --> 00:43:34,840 What can man do? 662 00:43:34,840 --> 00:43:38,000 All he can do is destroy the body. 663 00:43:38,000 --> 00:43:45,600 He can't destroy the soul, but our fear, revere, and all should be of him who can destroy both 664 00:43:45,600 --> 00:43:49,400 body and soul. 665 00:43:49,400 --> 00:43:50,700 You're victorious. 666 00:43:50,700 --> 00:43:53,880 You may feel like a modern day Job. 667 00:43:53,880 --> 00:44:04,080 If it can go wrong, it has gone wrong, but you're still standing. 668 00:44:04,080 --> 00:44:10,080 I don't know how I would encounter and I don't know how I would respond to the comforters 669 00:44:10,080 --> 00:44:14,320 that came to comfort brother Job, his friends. 670 00:44:14,320 --> 00:44:15,320 You've got friends like that. 671 00:44:15,320 --> 00:44:17,920 I've got friends like Job had friends. 672 00:44:17,920 --> 00:44:18,920 You're sitting there. 673 00:44:18,920 --> 00:44:19,920 You've had to shave your head. 674 00:44:19,920 --> 00:44:22,200 You got sores all over you. 675 00:44:22,200 --> 00:44:27,240 You're taking broken pot sherds and scraping the scabs off to let the infection run out. 676 00:44:27,240 --> 00:44:29,320 You're miserable. 677 00:44:29,320 --> 00:44:31,000 Your children are gone. 678 00:44:31,000 --> 00:44:33,020 All of your wealth is gone. 679 00:44:33,020 --> 00:44:35,480 Your wife is in such a state of despair. 680 00:44:35,480 --> 00:44:40,800 She wants you and her together to curse God and give up and leave this world. 681 00:44:40,800 --> 00:44:46,840 Your friends start showing up thinking, okay, I'm going to get a little encouragement. 682 00:44:46,840 --> 00:44:47,840 Stand with me this morning. 683 00:44:47,840 --> 00:44:48,840 Go ahead, stand with me. 684 00:44:48,840 --> 00:44:49,840 I'm going to quit right here. 685 00:44:49,840 --> 00:44:52,200 Thinking, I'm going to get a little encouragement. 686 00:44:52,200 --> 00:44:53,800 My friends have come. 687 00:44:53,800 --> 00:45:00,560 One of them sat and looked at him for seven days and did him say, hey Job, how you doing? 688 00:45:00,560 --> 00:45:07,800 Pulled up to the campfire, sat down, looked at the man and never said a word. 689 00:45:07,800 --> 00:45:13,440 I'm like, dude. 690 00:45:13,440 --> 00:45:17,240 Another comes by and says, what'd you do Job? 691 00:45:17,240 --> 00:45:19,880 What have you done? 692 00:45:19,880 --> 00:45:23,620 How have you sinned against God, Job? 693 00:45:23,620 --> 00:45:25,680 What did you do? 694 00:45:25,680 --> 00:45:28,680 For all of this to come against you, you had to have done something. 695 00:45:28,680 --> 00:45:35,440 Job said, I hadn't done anything. 696 00:45:35,440 --> 00:45:36,840 That may be how you feel. 697 00:45:36,840 --> 00:45:39,400 I've not done anything. 698 00:45:39,400 --> 00:45:41,880 I'm just loving on the Lord. 699 00:45:41,880 --> 00:45:46,960 See, that's the only thing the enemy can come against you with. 700 00:45:46,960 --> 00:45:54,000 He can come against you physically, mentally, emotionally. 701 00:45:54,000 --> 00:46:03,880 He can take your finances away, but he can't touch your faith. 702 00:46:03,880 --> 00:46:05,920 He can't touch your faith. 703 00:46:05,920 --> 00:46:10,600 How many is in a battle? 704 00:46:10,600 --> 00:46:11,720 That's why I'm preaching victory. 705 00:46:11,720 --> 00:46:14,000 Come on down here, warriors. 706 00:46:14,000 --> 00:46:15,500 Come on. 707 00:46:15,500 --> 00:46:18,040 Come on. 708 00:46:18,040 --> 00:46:19,040 Come on, warriors. 709 00:46:19,040 --> 00:46:20,040 You good right there, sister. 710 00:46:20,040 --> 00:46:21,040 Oh yeah, come on. 711 00:46:21,040 --> 00:46:24,160 You good right there, sister. 712 00:46:24,160 --> 00:46:25,560 Oh yeah, sit down there and you'll see. 713 00:46:25,560 --> 00:46:30,520 We may have you hold your feet up and push you around a victory lap. 714 00:46:30,520 --> 00:46:31,520 Come on, where you at? 715 00:46:31,520 --> 00:46:35,520 How many in a battle? 716 00:46:35,520 --> 00:46:39,240 The enemy's trying to destroy you. 717 00:46:39,240 --> 00:46:45,560 Trying to take everything you've got. 718 00:46:45,560 --> 00:46:48,560 Where you at? 719 00:46:48,560 --> 00:46:54,600 He doesn't fool around, made me mad now. 720 00:46:54,600 --> 00:47:01,640 Devil doesn't make me mad. 721 00:47:01,640 --> 00:47:06,680 I'm tired of fooling with him. 722 00:47:06,680 --> 00:47:09,920 I wish he'd just sit there and look and keep his mouth shut, but that ain't what he's been 723 00:47:09,920 --> 00:47:14,560 doing to me. 724 00:47:14,560 --> 00:47:17,920 One of my favorite scriptures one day. 725 00:47:17,920 --> 00:47:26,760 One day when he's wrapped in that chain, he's going to be shut up. 726 00:47:26,760 --> 00:47:29,040 He's going to be shut up for a thousand years. 727 00:47:29,040 --> 00:47:32,040 We ain't going to listen to him. 728 00:47:32,040 --> 00:47:38,640 We're going to have to fool with him. 729 00:47:38,640 --> 00:47:40,040 We're victorious today. 730 00:47:40,040 --> 00:47:41,040 Anybody else? 731 00:47:41,040 --> 00:47:43,960 Care to admit it, you're in a battle. 732 00:47:43,960 --> 00:47:44,960 You're in a battle. 733 00:47:44,960 --> 00:47:45,960 Come on down. 734 00:47:45,960 --> 00:47:49,000 The rest of us are going to need you to pray over us. 735 00:47:49,000 --> 00:47:53,560 Those of you come and just stand if you're full of faith, come and y'all scoot up just 736 00:47:53,560 --> 00:47:55,440 about a half a step. 737 00:47:55,440 --> 00:47:56,440 Give some of them room. 738 00:47:56,440 --> 00:47:57,440 They may actually pray for us. 739 00:47:57,440 --> 00:48:01,080 We need some folks to pray for us this morning. 740 00:48:01,080 --> 00:48:05,520 Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus we come today. 741 00:48:05,520 --> 00:48:08,960 We are victorious. 742 00:48:08,960 --> 00:48:13,000 Greater are you that's in us than he that's in this world. 743 00:48:13,000 --> 00:48:16,600 We are victorious. 744 00:48:16,600 --> 00:48:17,600 We are the victor. 745 00:48:17,600 --> 00:48:43,440 Thanks be unto God.