WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:09.560 Glory when we meet. You're in the sky. Hallelujah. 00:00:09.560 --> 00:00:13.419 Give the Lord good praise in his house. Amen. 00:00:16.120 --> 00:00:20.199 Seems that now I almost see all the saintly dead. 00:00:20.800 --> 00:00:25.039 Oh, rising for that jubilee that is just ahead. 00:00:25.280 --> 00:00:29.179 Oh, in the twinkling of an eye, change with them 00:00:29.179 --> 00:00:32.659 to be. Well, all the living saints shall rise 00:00:32.659 --> 00:00:36.679 to that jubilee. Well, what a day I'll sing. 00:00:37.020 --> 00:00:44.799 Oh, what a day when we all shall rise. Oh, what 00:00:44.799 --> 00:01:02.380 a day when we meet. It's going to happen. It's 00:01:02.380 --> 00:01:08.260 going to happen. Amen. It's going to happen. 00:01:08.400 --> 00:01:11.900 If you have your Bibles, turn with me to Mark's 00:01:11.900 --> 00:01:16.739 Gospel, the second chapter. Mark chapter 2. Again, 00:01:16.819 --> 00:01:20.420 it is so good to see you here today. And if you 00:01:20.420 --> 00:01:22.620 are visiting with us, I trust that you've already 00:01:22.620 --> 00:01:24.620 encountered the presence of the Lord through 00:01:24.620 --> 00:01:28.010 your worship. For we know according to his word 00:01:28.010 --> 00:01:30.450 that he inhabits and dwells within the praises 00:01:30.450 --> 00:01:36.969 of his people. Amen. And in case I'm not in the 00:01:36.969 --> 00:01:40.329 right frame of mind later, when you leave today, 00:01:40.469 --> 00:01:42.890 if you're visiting with us, if you'll go out 00:01:42.890 --> 00:01:44.769 those doors to the left or just kindly circle 00:01:44.769 --> 00:01:46.469 around in the foyer, there'll be a beautiful 00:01:46.469 --> 00:01:48.590 smiling face waiting for you. Have something 00:01:48.590 --> 00:01:51.569 special to give you and to let you know how much 00:01:51.569 --> 00:01:54.409 we appreciate your visit with us today. Amen. 00:01:56.280 --> 00:02:02.219 Amen. Mark's Gospel, chapter 2. We'll start at 00:02:02.219 --> 00:02:12.300 verse 1. And again, I like that. And again, he 00:02:12.300 --> 00:02:17.659 entered into Capernaum after some days, and it 00:02:17.659 --> 00:02:25.939 was noised that he was in the house. And straightway 00:02:25.939 --> 00:02:29.759 many were gathered together, insomuch that there 00:02:29.759 --> 00:02:34.900 was no room to receive them, no, not so much 00:02:34.900 --> 00:02:39.919 as about the door. And he preached the word unto 00:02:39.919 --> 00:02:46.539 them. And they come unto him, bringing one sick 00:02:46.539 --> 00:02:52.789 of the palsy, which was born of four. And when 00:02:52.789 --> 00:02:56.310 they could not come nigh unto him for the press, 00:02:56.689 --> 00:03:00.469 they uncovered the roof where he was. And when 00:03:00.469 --> 00:03:04.469 they had broken it up, they let down the bed 00:03:04.469 --> 00:03:09.430 wherein the sick of the palsy lay. And when Jesus 00:03:09.430 --> 00:03:12.150 saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the 00:03:12.150 --> 00:03:16.729 palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee. That's 00:03:16.729 --> 00:03:18.409 odd. That wasn't what they let him down there 00:03:18.409 --> 00:03:23.139 for. But there were certain of the scribes sitting 00:03:23.139 --> 00:03:26.919 there and reasoning in their hearts, why does 00:03:26.919 --> 00:03:31.139 this man thus speak blasphemies? Who can forgive 00:03:31.139 --> 00:03:36.120 sins but God only? And immediately when Jesus 00:03:36.120 --> 00:03:39.879 perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned 00:03:39.879 --> 00:03:44.060 within themselves, he said unto them, why reason 00:03:44.060 --> 00:03:48.439 you these things in your hearts? Whether is it 00:03:48.439 --> 00:03:52.930 easier? To say to the sick of the palsy, thy 00:03:52.930 --> 00:03:57.569 sins be forgiven thee. Or to say, arise and take 00:03:57.569 --> 00:04:02.069 up thy bed and walk. But that you may know that 00:04:02.069 --> 00:04:05.030 the Son of Man hath power on the earth to forgive 00:04:05.030 --> 00:04:08.909 sins. He said to the sick of the palsy, I say 00:04:08.909 --> 00:04:13.990 unto thee, arise and take up thy bed and go thy 00:04:13.990 --> 00:04:20.529 way into thine house. And immediately. He arose, 00:04:20.889 --> 00:04:27.410 took up the bed, and went forth before them all, 00:04:27.649 --> 00:04:32.509 insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified 00:04:32.509 --> 00:04:37.350 God, saying, We never, water's parallel on this 00:04:37.350 --> 00:04:39.089 last sentence, we've never seen it like this 00:04:39.089 --> 00:04:46.629 before. We never saw it on this fashion. We've 00:04:46.629 --> 00:04:52.569 never seen anything like this. Amen. Just for 00:04:52.569 --> 00:04:54.250 a little while today, with the help of the Lord, 00:04:54.389 --> 00:04:59.250 I want to preach on the thought that He makes 00:04:59.250 --> 00:05:03.129 the difference. He makes the difference. Amen. 00:05:03.170 --> 00:05:05.029 If you'll pray for me, I'll pray for you, and 00:05:05.029 --> 00:05:07.709 hopefully we'll leave here together stirred by 00:05:07.709 --> 00:05:10.889 the Word of God. Amen. Father, we love you. We 00:05:10.889 --> 00:05:14.930 thank you. Lord's so dependent upon you today. 00:05:16.310 --> 00:05:18.930 And that spirit that makes it easy to preach, 00:05:19.110 --> 00:05:22.389 Lord, let it... be in this house today. Lord, 00:05:22.490 --> 00:05:27.290 as I stir the unction within myself, I ask God, 00:05:27.410 --> 00:05:31.829 let your hand rest upon me. I yield my voice 00:05:31.829 --> 00:05:37.310 and myself today. Lord, speak to your people. 00:05:37.370 --> 00:05:42.990 Let your word radiate in our hearts and that 00:05:42.990 --> 00:05:46.870 we truly leave this place encouraged, encouraged, 00:05:47.110 --> 00:05:52.139 lifted up. And we will praise you for it. In 00:05:52.139 --> 00:05:56.040 Jesus' mighty name. Amen, amen. Tell your neighbor, 00:05:56.180 --> 00:06:03.360 he really does make a difference. He really, 00:06:03.379 --> 00:06:10.519 really does. There are times in life that it 00:06:10.519 --> 00:06:14.779 seems as though we're spinning our wheels and 00:06:14.779 --> 00:06:20.310 getting nowhere. And in those moments, we begin 00:06:20.310 --> 00:06:22.689 to wonder and question within ourselves, well, 00:06:22.810 --> 00:06:27.730 what are we supposed to do now? The age in which 00:06:27.730 --> 00:06:36.430 we live, we feel that we must be busy all the 00:06:36.430 --> 00:06:41.649 time doing something. We're restless. We become 00:06:41.649 --> 00:06:46.790 easily bored. Our culture is a culture which 00:06:46.790 --> 00:06:51.310 craves entertainment. It just craves action. 00:06:52.649 --> 00:06:58.310 And we wonder why so many are stressed beyond 00:06:58.310 --> 00:07:07.110 the max. We wonder why we are not satisfied and 00:07:07.110 --> 00:07:11.689 become so overwhelmed with the everyday occurrence 00:07:11.689 --> 00:07:18.069 of life itself. Something we have to understand, 00:07:18.410 --> 00:07:26.990 it's not church that changes lives. It's not 00:07:26.990 --> 00:07:34.370 the church that changes lives. Only Christ can 00:07:34.370 --> 00:07:41.050 change lives. Only Christ, his presence, can 00:07:41.050 --> 00:07:44.990 make a difference in current everyday events. 00:07:46.189 --> 00:07:48.970 And in the crisis and the chaos and the dilemma 00:07:48.970 --> 00:07:54.550 and the boredom of life. Only Christ can alter 00:07:54.550 --> 00:07:59.509 those things. His presence makes a difference. 00:08:00.730 --> 00:08:03.589 Throughout the Bible, we read, we see everywhere 00:08:03.589 --> 00:08:05.449 that Christ showed up, there was a difference 00:08:05.449 --> 00:08:08.910 when he left. Amen. Either the devil's left screaming, 00:08:09.029 --> 00:08:11.949 you know. Somebody left healed. Somebody left 00:08:11.949 --> 00:08:16.639 mad. Pharisees would get mad. They'd get so infuriated 00:08:16.639 --> 00:08:18.899 because they didn't know how to deal with the 00:08:18.899 --> 00:08:21.639 rationale of his answer, and it wasn't what they 00:08:21.639 --> 00:08:24.420 wanted to hear, so they would become very angry, 00:08:24.519 --> 00:08:27.420 intolerant with him, plotting, trying to take 00:08:27.420 --> 00:08:31.199 his life from the very beginning stages. As we 00:08:31.199 --> 00:08:33.840 begin our text today in this second chapter, 00:08:33.919 --> 00:08:37.620 it says, and again he entered into Capernaum. 00:08:37.940 --> 00:08:40.980 So if he's entered again, he had to show up one 00:08:40.980 --> 00:08:43.690 time before. Right? He's had to have already 00:08:43.690 --> 00:08:46.629 been there. If again, he's coming back. Wouldn't 00:08:46.629 --> 00:08:51.149 it be wonderful if the presence of the Lord would 00:08:51.149 --> 00:08:55.889 come back again and visit his church? Well, I 00:08:55.889 --> 00:08:57.570 just felt that one. Wouldn't it be wonderful 00:08:57.570 --> 00:09:00.490 again that if the presence of the Lord would 00:09:00.490 --> 00:09:04.799 have preeminence in our culture? in our nation, 00:09:04.899 --> 00:09:07.899 in this country, wouldn't it be a wonderful thing 00:09:07.899 --> 00:09:12.259 to know that Jesus, his presence again was in 00:09:12.259 --> 00:09:15.580 his house and where he is, great things happen. 00:09:15.799 --> 00:09:18.519 Wouldn't it be wonderful if he just showed up 00:09:18.519 --> 00:09:20.799 again? Wouldn't it be wonderful? How many of 00:09:20.799 --> 00:09:23.019 you remember the first time you encountered the 00:09:23.019 --> 00:09:25.700 Lord and you repented and that burden and that 00:09:25.700 --> 00:09:28.419 weight of sin lifted off and you just took a 00:09:28.419 --> 00:09:30.620 deep breath like you'd never taken a breath before? 00:09:30.679 --> 00:09:34.610 I remember that very vividly. how freely my breath 00:09:34.610 --> 00:09:38.409 came when the weight and the burden of sin was 00:09:38.409 --> 00:09:41.309 lifted off of my soul. It was just like, whoa, 00:09:41.529 --> 00:09:44.370 it's a brand new day. Amen? I remember leading 00:09:44.370 --> 00:09:46.990 a truck driver to the Lord one time out on a 00:09:46.990 --> 00:09:48.809 mountain, out by a pond. I didn't know if I was 00:09:48.809 --> 00:09:51.190 going to get shot or what. This old boy called 00:09:51.190 --> 00:09:53.490 me. I ended up going out and meeting him. And 00:09:53.490 --> 00:09:55.870 we're standing at a picnic table by his farm 00:09:55.870 --> 00:09:58.669 pond. And he was reading the scripture and just 00:09:58.669 --> 00:10:00.850 could not get a grip on it. I said, you're not 00:10:00.850 --> 00:10:02.529 going to get a grip on it. And he looked at me. 00:10:02.509 --> 00:10:04.029 me say, well, why? I said, because you can't 00:10:04.029 --> 00:10:06.610 understand what it's saying until there's a transformation 00:10:06.610 --> 00:10:09.090 in your life. Well, how do I get that? I said, 00:10:09.129 --> 00:10:11.470 well, you repent. Let him to the Lord right there, 00:10:11.509 --> 00:10:13.669 and I'll never forget. When he opened his eyes, 00:10:13.690 --> 00:10:15.769 he began to look around. He said, man, how green 00:10:15.769 --> 00:10:18.970 the grass is. I just smiled. I said, yes, it's 00:10:18.970 --> 00:10:22.110 very green. And he began to relate the nature 00:10:22.110 --> 00:10:24.169 that's going on, like he had never heard it or 00:10:24.169 --> 00:10:26.909 seen it before. I said, now you can read it and 00:10:26.909 --> 00:10:29.110 get a grip on it, son. And we talked for about 00:10:29.110 --> 00:10:31.710 an hour. When we began to understand that he 00:10:31.720 --> 00:10:35.960 His presence makes a difference. Again, he entered 00:10:35.960 --> 00:10:38.460 into Capernaum. The first time he's there, he's 00:10:38.460 --> 00:10:40.779 fresh out of the wilderness. He's fresh out of 00:10:40.779 --> 00:10:43.379 an anointing with the Holy Ghost. He's come out. 00:10:43.419 --> 00:10:45.299 He's come into town. He goes straight to the 00:10:45.299 --> 00:10:47.480 church house. And the first thing he encounters 00:10:47.480 --> 00:10:50.840 is an old boy with an unclean spirit in him. 00:10:50.860 --> 00:10:52.679 And he casts that thing out right there in church. 00:10:52.879 --> 00:10:56.340 And the marvel begins. Their minds are already 00:10:56.340 --> 00:11:00.019 blown. And he goes from there into Simon's house 00:11:00.019 --> 00:11:01.980 and his mother -in -law. is sick and he heals 00:11:01.980 --> 00:11:04.360 her and she just starts serving around that. 00:11:04.460 --> 00:11:07.139 So from the get -go, from the moment he enters 00:11:07.139 --> 00:11:09.899 into ministry, there's some marvelous things 00:11:09.899 --> 00:11:12.340 going on. And he's talking with the disciples. 00:11:12.419 --> 00:11:14.159 He said, hey, we need to go to some of these 00:11:14.159 --> 00:11:16.600 other towns around us for that's the reason that 00:11:16.600 --> 00:11:19.019 I've come, that I'd go around and spread the 00:11:19.019 --> 00:11:21.879 gospel, preach the gospel, preach the kingdom 00:11:21.879 --> 00:11:25.139 of God, amen, preach repentance and deliver and 00:11:25.139 --> 00:11:28.100 heal, amen. And so he goes about doing that. 00:11:28.159 --> 00:11:30.320 And after they've been gone for a few days, certain 00:11:30.320 --> 00:11:34.179 days, he comes back again to Capernaum and he 00:11:34.179 --> 00:11:37.639 enters into the house. And now here's where things 00:11:37.639 --> 00:11:41.980 begin to get exciting. When Jesus shows up, when 00:11:41.980 --> 00:11:45.340 his presence is in the house, things begin to 00:11:45.340 --> 00:11:48.700 happen. He begins to teach. He begins to preach 00:11:48.700 --> 00:11:53.899 to them the word. We need more than social security 00:11:53.899 --> 00:11:57.399 today. We need more than more insurance. We need 00:11:57.399 --> 00:12:01.490 more than this. We need more than social ministries 00:12:01.490 --> 00:12:05.029 going on. We need more of the presence of God 00:12:05.029 --> 00:12:07.750 in this house. We need more than welfare. People 00:12:07.750 --> 00:12:10.970 need more than just help and assistance. They 00:12:10.970 --> 00:12:13.690 need transformation. And the only way that they're 00:12:13.690 --> 00:12:16.470 going to receive transformation is that the church 00:12:16.470 --> 00:12:20.809 again invites the presence of Jesus back into 00:12:20.809 --> 00:12:24.830 the house and he begins to show up again. Because 00:12:24.830 --> 00:12:27.409 I'm declaring to you today where the presence 00:12:27.409 --> 00:12:30.590 of the Lord is. There is liberty, and there is 00:12:30.590 --> 00:12:33.570 liberty that is found by those who are bound, 00:12:33.769 --> 00:12:36.649 those who need a helping hand, those who need 00:12:36.649 --> 00:12:39.029 a touch, those who need deliverance, those who 00:12:39.029 --> 00:12:41.490 need peace of mind, those who need healing in 00:12:41.490 --> 00:12:43.750 their body. When the presence of Jesus shows 00:12:43.750 --> 00:12:46.590 up, things begin to happen. And you can always 00:12:46.590 --> 00:12:50.129 tell when Jesus is in the house. Why? Because 00:12:50.129 --> 00:12:53.590 folks begin to show up. It's not the, I got it 00:12:53.590 --> 00:12:56.169 all together, folks. It's not the folks that's 00:12:56.169 --> 00:13:00.259 just fine. But it's the hungry people that begin 00:13:00.259 --> 00:13:02.399 to show up. It's the hurting people that start 00:13:02.399 --> 00:13:05.039 to show up. It's the poor folk who need lifted 00:13:05.039 --> 00:13:07.299 up that begin to show up. It's the sick folk 00:13:07.299 --> 00:13:09.539 who begin to come through the door. It's the 00:13:09.539 --> 00:13:12.620 messed up folk, amen. It's the emotionally disturbed. 00:13:12.919 --> 00:13:15.139 It's the depressed folks. It's the oppressed 00:13:15.139 --> 00:13:18.340 folks that begin to show up. Why? Because there's 00:13:18.340 --> 00:13:21.320 an echoing that's going out. There's a proclamation 00:13:21.320 --> 00:13:24.759 that's being sent around that Jesus is over there. 00:13:24.879 --> 00:13:28.240 And if you go in there. You'll not leave like 00:13:28.240 --> 00:13:31.700 you go in. There is a change agent. There's a 00:13:31.700 --> 00:13:34.419 transformation that'll take place. He'll lift 00:13:34.419 --> 00:13:37.120 you up if you're down. He'll heal you if you're 00:13:37.120 --> 00:13:39.460 sick. He'll give you peace of mind if you're 00:13:39.460 --> 00:13:42.720 tormented. He'll help you if you're broke. Hallelujah. 00:13:42.960 --> 00:13:45.820 He'll be the one who'll provide a way. When Jesus 00:13:45.820 --> 00:13:48.639 starts showing up and things start happening, 00:13:48.779 --> 00:13:51.639 people begin to get excited and they begin to 00:13:51.639 --> 00:13:54.960 show up. That's what this house is. That's what 00:13:54.960 --> 00:13:58.019 this place is. It's like the pool of Siloam. 00:13:58.139 --> 00:14:00.840 It's where the sick come. It's where the hurting 00:14:00.840 --> 00:14:03.960 show up. And why? Because we don't all have it 00:14:03.960 --> 00:14:06.759 together. But I need to get it together. And 00:14:06.759 --> 00:14:09.600 I need a little help getting it together. I can't 00:14:09.600 --> 00:14:12.360 carry the load alone. And I need someone to help 00:14:12.360 --> 00:14:15.879 carry my burden. I want him to show up again. 00:14:29.129 --> 00:14:31.669 So many folk have a picture of Jesus in their 00:14:31.669 --> 00:14:36.149 house. How many of you got one of those? Come 00:14:36.149 --> 00:14:38.210 on, it's not a trick question. How many of you 00:14:38.210 --> 00:14:40.269 got some pictures of Jesus hanging around the 00:14:40.269 --> 00:14:42.450 house? I'm going to give you a little secret. 00:14:42.570 --> 00:14:51.809 That ain't him. That ain't him. If he's white, 00:14:51.970 --> 00:15:00.509 throw it out. Just go ahead and get shed of it. 00:15:00.549 --> 00:15:04.629 It's not sacrilegious because it ain't him. It 00:15:04.629 --> 00:15:07.730 ain't him. We don't have those in the house. 00:15:10.070 --> 00:15:13.529 What? No, I don't have an accurate picture, so 00:15:13.529 --> 00:15:22.049 why would I want a fake? Well, it just reminds 00:15:22.049 --> 00:15:25.330 me. Well, hang a cross on the wall. That's a 00:15:25.330 --> 00:15:29.210 more accurate image. Lord, I've just got all 00:15:29.210 --> 00:15:33.009 in somebody's Wheaties this morning. I started 00:15:33.009 --> 00:15:34.889 feeling my hips show up and somebody just run 00:15:34.889 --> 00:15:38.169 him out. I can't believe he's saying that. Well, 00:15:38.190 --> 00:15:40.210 I'm saying it. I'm telling you, that's not him. 00:15:41.350 --> 00:15:47.570 They were no Polaroids in the year of our Lord. 00:15:48.830 --> 00:15:52.289 They don't have an accurate image. And the best 00:15:52.289 --> 00:15:55.090 that we can come up with in our own mind ain't 00:15:55.090 --> 00:16:00.220 him. Have you seen some of the mosaics? Those 00:16:00.220 --> 00:16:04.559 little chips of porcelain and tile? They got 00:16:04.559 --> 00:16:08.759 him all twisted up. And they were a whole lot 00:16:08.759 --> 00:16:12.820 closer to his time than us. That ain't him either. 00:16:14.539 --> 00:16:17.419 So, discard your pictures and put a picture of 00:16:17.419 --> 00:16:20.580 your family on the wall. And close your mind. 00:16:21.610 --> 00:16:25.350 Your eyes and begin to imagine what he may look 00:16:25.350 --> 00:16:28.129 like. And the best you can come up with in your 00:16:28.129 --> 00:16:31.230 mind still isn't going to come close to the glorious 00:16:31.230 --> 00:16:36.299 image of God. Amen. Hallelujah. So what we need, 00:16:36.399 --> 00:16:38.879 I don't need a picture. I need his presence. 00:16:38.960 --> 00:16:41.460 Amen. Because his presence begins to declare 00:16:41.460 --> 00:16:44.620 his glory. And when his presence is in here, 00:16:44.759 --> 00:16:46.840 I don't care what he looks like. It's not going 00:16:46.840 --> 00:16:49.399 to matter to me. It's not going to have one iota 00:16:49.399 --> 00:16:51.659 because I'm not going to be looking for his face. 00:16:51.700 --> 00:16:54.000 I'll be looking for his brow. Amen. I'm not going 00:16:54.000 --> 00:16:55.899 to be looking at the color of his eyes. I'm going 00:16:55.899 --> 00:16:58.080 to be looking for the nail pierced hands that 00:16:58.080 --> 00:17:01.870 I may identify. He is the one who died. for my 00:17:01.870 --> 00:17:04.569 wretched soul, and he is the one who has redeemed 00:17:04.569 --> 00:17:06.849 me, and he's the one that's picked me up. He's 00:17:06.849 --> 00:17:08.849 the one that's carried me all of these years. 00:17:08.930 --> 00:17:12.210 It is his grace that has enabled me to go from 00:17:12.210 --> 00:17:15.170 day to day. Hallelujah. I need his presence. 00:17:15.250 --> 00:17:22.049 He makes the difference. It was noise. Somebody 00:17:22.049 --> 00:17:25.490 went around telling everybody in town, hey, hey, 00:17:25.630 --> 00:17:33.930 that guy's back. that tore church up here a while 00:17:33.930 --> 00:17:37.470 back. You know, the one that cast that devil 00:17:37.470 --> 00:17:41.670 out of that old boy. Oh, he's back, yeah. Where 00:17:41.670 --> 00:17:46.009 at? He's down at that house. Let's go see. Let's 00:17:46.009 --> 00:17:50.269 go see what's going on. Let's go get a determination 00:17:50.269 --> 00:17:53.990 for ourselves. It was noise. He's in the house. 00:17:54.009 --> 00:17:58.569 There's something to talk about. Amen? We don't 00:17:58.569 --> 00:18:01.859 have to. We don't have to redevelop strategy 00:18:01.859 --> 00:18:07.599 for church growth. I gave that up a long time 00:18:07.599 --> 00:18:11.940 ago. I gave up strategy for church growth many, 00:18:12.079 --> 00:18:16.039 many years ago. And I developed this strategy. 00:18:16.119 --> 00:18:20.960 If I can just preach Jesus. Amen? If somebody 00:18:20.960 --> 00:18:23.539 can just get touched, if somebody can just get 00:18:23.539 --> 00:18:26.299 healed, if some folks can just get saved, if 00:18:26.299 --> 00:18:28.740 somebody could get the baptism of the Holy Ghost, 00:18:28.900 --> 00:18:31.319 if somebody could get sanctified and their life 00:18:31.319 --> 00:18:34.000 changed and other people begin to see it and 00:18:34.000 --> 00:18:36.480 they get excited enough to know, hey, you need 00:18:36.480 --> 00:18:39.299 to show up over there at that church. Why? Man, 00:18:39.339 --> 00:18:42.019 there's some stuff going on you. won't believe 00:18:42.019 --> 00:18:44.200 it. That guy they've got preaching down there 00:18:44.200 --> 00:18:47.579 is loud. He spits. He gets down there among the 00:18:47.579 --> 00:18:50.019 people some of the time. He may even jump up 00:18:50.019 --> 00:18:52.220 in a chair. You just never know what's going 00:18:52.220 --> 00:18:54.759 to happen. Well, what is he saying? He's preaching 00:18:54.759 --> 00:18:58.299 the word. Amen. Because when you find out that's 00:18:58.299 --> 00:19:01.660 exactly what Jesus was doing when they come to 00:19:01.660 --> 00:19:04.079 the house and they could not get in because of 00:19:04.079 --> 00:19:07.559 the crowd. Not so much as even right at the door. 00:19:07.640 --> 00:19:10.829 You couldn't get in to stand at the door. A man 00:19:10.829 --> 00:19:13.730 to see what was going on. And while he is there, 00:19:13.890 --> 00:19:17.650 the Bible declares in our text that he was preaching 00:19:17.650 --> 00:19:21.289 the word to them. What word was he preaching? 00:19:21.470 --> 00:19:23.630 Well, I don't know. He could have been Isaiah 00:19:23.630 --> 00:19:27.230 61 when he began to tell them, the spirit of 00:19:27.230 --> 00:19:30.130 the Lord is upon me for he's anointed me to preach 00:19:30.130 --> 00:19:33.509 the gospel. He's anointed me to preach the good 00:19:33.509 --> 00:19:36.690 news. What? That the blind are going to be healed. 00:19:36.829 --> 00:19:39.250 That the dead are going to be raised. That the 00:19:39.250 --> 00:19:40.380 lame are going to be raised. going to walk, the 00:19:40.380 --> 00:19:42.799 dumb going to talk, the deaf going to hear, and 00:19:42.799 --> 00:19:45.539 those who are bruised are going to be bound up, 00:19:45.660 --> 00:19:48.200 and those who are in captivity are going to be 00:19:48.200 --> 00:19:50.519 set free. He could have been preaching that to 00:19:50.519 --> 00:19:52.420 them. Oh, he could have went back a few chapters 00:19:52.420 --> 00:19:54.519 earlier. He could have made his way to Isaiah 00:19:54.519 --> 00:19:58.180 9 and begin to tell them his name shall be called 00:19:58.180 --> 00:20:01.920 Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God. He could have 00:20:01.920 --> 00:20:04.839 went back to Genesis and begin to declare that 00:20:04.839 --> 00:20:07.279 the heel of the woman's going to bruise the head 00:20:07.279 --> 00:20:10.140 of the serpent. He could have preached it. He 00:20:10.140 --> 00:20:12.319 could have declared in Noah's heart. He could 00:20:12.319 --> 00:20:18.680 have told him that I am the ark. He just preached 00:20:18.680 --> 00:20:25.599 the word. That's all you got to do. That's all 00:20:25.599 --> 00:20:29.220 you got to do. Declare what's in the book. It's 00:20:29.220 --> 00:20:37.819 enough. He could have hit Isaiah 53 and foretold 00:20:37.819 --> 00:20:40.920 of his own death to them. But it's early on. 00:20:42.339 --> 00:20:45.980 He hasn't got that far yet. He's just getting 00:20:45.980 --> 00:20:52.539 started. He could have preached to them about 00:20:52.539 --> 00:20:55.599 being the ancient of days. The rose of Sharon, 00:20:55.759 --> 00:20:57.759 the lily of the I am, the lily. Couldn't you 00:20:57.759 --> 00:21:01.799 tell? I don't know what he preached. He had a 00:21:01.799 --> 00:21:06.670 lot of material. That he could have used. Straightway 00:21:06.670 --> 00:21:08.650 many gathered together. There was no room to 00:21:08.650 --> 00:21:12.130 get in the house. When the house is filled with 00:21:12.130 --> 00:21:15.069 his presence. The house will begin to fill up 00:21:15.069 --> 00:21:18.049 with hungry people. I don't need another pat 00:21:18.049 --> 00:21:23.750 me on the back story. Hello. I don't need another. 00:21:24.630 --> 00:21:30.049 I need to be stirred. Amen. I guess it's because 00:21:30.049 --> 00:21:32.009 that's the way I come in this thing. And I guess 00:21:32.009 --> 00:21:34.529 it will be the way I go out. I need somebody 00:21:34.529 --> 00:21:38.049 to stand and declare to me, thus saith the word 00:21:38.049 --> 00:21:40.849 of the Lord. I need somebody. I'm sure Jesus 00:21:40.849 --> 00:21:43.349 told them you need to repent for the kingdom 00:21:43.349 --> 00:21:46.349 of heaven is at hand. There's no way to the Father 00:21:46.349 --> 00:21:49.009 unless you're coming through me. I am that way. 00:21:49.109 --> 00:21:52.309 I'm sure he declared to them. If he preached 00:21:52.309 --> 00:21:55.309 to them the word and the gospel, then I'm sure 00:21:55.309 --> 00:21:58.349 he preached to them their need to accept himself 00:21:58.349 --> 00:22:01.710 as their Lord and personal Savior. I guarantee 00:22:01.710 --> 00:22:04.369 there's no other way in. There's no other way. 00:22:04.470 --> 00:22:07.990 There's no bypass. There's no express pass line. 00:22:11.279 --> 00:22:14.700 You go through him or you don't go. Plain and 00:22:14.700 --> 00:22:19.079 simple. He preached to them his word. It may 00:22:19.079 --> 00:22:21.259 sound old fashioned to a lot of folks. Amen. 00:22:21.380 --> 00:22:23.299 The house was filled with those hungry people. 00:22:23.900 --> 00:22:26.680 It may look ridiculous sometimes the way we preach 00:22:26.680 --> 00:22:29.420 it, but the Word declares that He has chosen 00:22:29.420 --> 00:22:32.240 that through preaching that man becomes saved, 00:22:32.299 --> 00:22:34.640 and He has declared that it's through the foolishness 00:22:34.640 --> 00:22:37.000 of preaching that this happens. Why do you say 00:22:37.000 --> 00:22:39.619 foolishness? Because some of us preachers can 00:22:39.619 --> 00:22:42.119 kind of act a little foolish in the declaration 00:22:42.119 --> 00:22:45.140 of His Word, but He's happy with it. Why? Because 00:22:45.140 --> 00:22:47.839 He knows we are surrendered and yielded, and 00:22:47.839 --> 00:22:50.140 He can say crow like a rooster, and I have tried 00:22:50.140 --> 00:22:52.720 to crow like a rooster to make a point, to get 00:22:52.720 --> 00:22:55.200 a point. a cross somehow to reach someone, you 00:22:55.200 --> 00:22:57.200 say, well, that's silly. I know it is, but it 00:22:57.200 --> 00:23:00.380 touched somebody. Amen? And that's all there 00:23:00.380 --> 00:23:04.000 is to know about this. When we prepare, we declare, 00:23:04.240 --> 00:23:07.000 thus saith the Lord. And the declaration of the 00:23:07.000 --> 00:23:09.779 Lord is the liberating power that goes forth 00:23:09.779 --> 00:23:13.019 when the word is proclaimed. It is the word that 00:23:13.019 --> 00:23:16.839 liberates because he is the living word and his 00:23:16.839 --> 00:23:26.539 presence goes where his words declared. Faith 00:23:26.539 --> 00:23:28.619 comes only by hearing and hearing by the word 00:23:28.619 --> 00:23:34.000 of God. So he's preached the word. They're crowded 00:23:34.000 --> 00:23:39.980 in the house. They came unto him, bringing one 00:23:39.980 --> 00:23:45.460 sick of the palsy, which was born of four. We 00:23:45.460 --> 00:23:47.839 got a paralyzed man being carried by four friends, 00:23:48.059 --> 00:23:52.220 making their way to the house. Why? Because it 00:23:52.220 --> 00:23:57.109 had been noised. It had been declared that that 00:23:57.109 --> 00:23:59.029 guy's back over there to cast the devils out. 00:23:59.990 --> 00:24:03.589 He's back in the house. If we can just get our 00:24:03.589 --> 00:24:10.630 friend there. See, there's faith in the declaration 00:24:10.630 --> 00:24:14.450 already before an act is ever lived out. If we 00:24:14.450 --> 00:24:17.799 can get him there, you got four fellas. that 00:24:17.799 --> 00:24:21.440 take up a paralyzed man, palsy. This condition 00:24:21.440 --> 00:24:26.160 of palsy somehow has separated the response between 00:24:26.160 --> 00:24:28.579 the brain and the body. The man's thinking right. 00:24:28.740 --> 00:24:30.859 He's thinking very clearly. Everything's going 00:24:30.859 --> 00:24:33.259 fine, but there's a disconnect between his brain 00:24:33.259 --> 00:24:35.779 and his body. My Lord, isn't there a lot of that 00:24:35.779 --> 00:24:38.589 going on these days? There's a disconnect. There's 00:24:38.589 --> 00:24:42.230 a palsy in man spiritually, and many are suffering 00:24:42.230 --> 00:24:45.130 from a physical condition of palsy. There's a 00:24:45.130 --> 00:24:47.829 separation somewhere. So these four men say, 00:24:48.009 --> 00:24:50.569 if he can cast the devil out of a man, if he 00:24:50.569 --> 00:24:53.309 can heal Peter's mother -in -law's fever, and 00:24:53.309 --> 00:24:55.349 if he can do these other things that we, oh, 00:24:55.390 --> 00:24:57.369 there's a leprous man that got healed, amen? 00:24:57.849 --> 00:25:01.170 He healed a leprous man, and he went out. Jesus 00:25:01.170 --> 00:25:03.269 told him to keep it quiet, just kind of hold 00:25:03.269 --> 00:25:05.670 it down. Go and show yourself to the priest. 00:25:05.849 --> 00:25:08.559 Offer up. what the law of Moses declares for 00:25:08.559 --> 00:25:10.619 you to offer, and just try to kind of keep it 00:25:10.619 --> 00:25:13.240 down. No, look here. If I was a leper and got 00:25:13.240 --> 00:25:15.019 healed, you're not going to tell me to keep it 00:25:15.019 --> 00:25:18.099 down either. I'm sorry, Lord, but here is one 00:25:18.099 --> 00:25:21.559 point of disobedience. I cannot keep this to 00:25:21.559 --> 00:25:24.859 myself. This is what you have done for me. I 00:25:24.859 --> 00:25:28.599 was a leper doomed to death and ostracized from 00:25:28.599 --> 00:25:31.180 society, but you have cleansed me, and you have 00:25:31.180 --> 00:25:33.740 healed me, and everybody's going to know who 00:25:33.740 --> 00:25:36.980 it is that has done it. went out and told everybody, 00:25:37.220 --> 00:25:39.539 hey, Jesus healed me. I was a leper, but look, 00:25:39.660 --> 00:25:42.680 look, my sores are gone, my ears back, the end 00:25:42.680 --> 00:25:45.940 of my nose. He put it back on my face. Look at 00:25:45.940 --> 00:25:48.740 me, look at me, look at me. I am healed way before 00:25:48.740 --> 00:25:51.480 he ever got to church. He told everybody who 00:25:51.480 --> 00:25:54.480 would listen, and fame is spread out, and now 00:25:54.480 --> 00:25:57.180 he's come back to town, and he's in that house 00:25:57.180 --> 00:25:59.539 over there. Those four could have maybe known 00:25:59.539 --> 00:26:02.460 the leper, and oh, if he healed him, if we can 00:26:02.460 --> 00:26:05.000 get old Bob in the house, I think he'll touch 00:26:05.000 --> 00:26:07.839 him. And they get there and they can't get in 00:26:07.839 --> 00:26:11.039 because the house is already full. His presence 00:26:11.039 --> 00:26:19.720 has already been. How can we get in? They begin 00:26:19.720 --> 00:26:23.180 to sing the old hymn. I will not be denied. No, 00:26:23.279 --> 00:26:27.500 I will not be denied. Go on the roof and make 00:26:27.500 --> 00:26:30.920 a hole. I will not be denied. I made that verse 00:26:30.920 --> 00:26:43.410 up. Sounded good, though. That's what they did. 00:26:45.190 --> 00:26:49.329 They made their way onto the roof, and they tore 00:26:49.329 --> 00:26:53.529 a hole in it. Many of us suffer from conditions 00:26:53.529 --> 00:26:59.990 of paralysis of faith, of emotion. We suffer 00:26:59.990 --> 00:27:03.470 from paralysis in many different ways. We all 00:27:03.470 --> 00:27:09.119 suffered from the paralysis of sin. Hello? We 00:27:09.119 --> 00:27:12.079 all suffered from that. Somewhere or another, 00:27:12.180 --> 00:27:16.339 we're all like this man in a condition. There's 00:27:16.339 --> 00:27:20.740 something that we cannot do for ourselves. You 00:27:20.740 --> 00:27:23.240 may be sitting in here this morning thinking, 00:27:23.259 --> 00:27:25.079 I wish you'd hurry up for one. But secondly, 00:27:25.240 --> 00:27:31.519 I'm just getting started, so hang on. You may 00:27:31.519 --> 00:27:33.759 have something going on in your life that you 00:27:33.759 --> 00:27:38.839 are powerless to reverse. You can't do it. You 00:27:38.839 --> 00:27:41.559 may have all of your right faculties, but you 00:27:41.559 --> 00:27:45.160 still cannot alter the event that's taking place. 00:27:45.460 --> 00:27:47.799 That's what was going on with this man. He could 00:27:47.799 --> 00:27:51.059 not change his condition. He couldn't even get 00:27:51.059 --> 00:27:53.839 up and go do anything about it. He had to be 00:27:53.839 --> 00:27:57.480 taken by friends so that he may find some help 00:27:57.480 --> 00:28:00.799 and some relief. So I don't know what it is that 00:28:00.799 --> 00:28:03.680 may be going on in our lives, but sometimes there 00:28:03.680 --> 00:28:06.119 are those things that we are powerless. to remove 00:28:06.119 --> 00:28:10.039 on our own. But thank God, hallelujah, we don't 00:28:10.039 --> 00:28:12.500 have to do it on our own. Just like I declared 00:28:12.500 --> 00:28:16.539 to you earlier, he is able. His presence makes 00:28:16.539 --> 00:28:19.599 all the difference in the world. Thank God that 00:28:19.599 --> 00:28:22.240 that man had four friends who had enough confidence 00:28:22.240 --> 00:28:25.779 in Jesus for him. If we can get him in there, 00:28:25.920 --> 00:28:29.119 we can get him healed. The Lord will touch him. 00:28:29.299 --> 00:28:32.319 Amen. So they go to the rooftop, and after they 00:28:32.319 --> 00:28:35.460 broke through, my God, God, you've got to have 00:28:35.460 --> 00:28:38.339 a determination. It's not just easy to get up 00:28:38.339 --> 00:28:40.640 there. Then you've got to break your way through. 00:28:40.980 --> 00:28:43.319 Sometimes you've got to push your way through 00:28:43.319 --> 00:28:46.339 the press when you get in the house in order. 00:28:46.440 --> 00:28:48.740 They couldn't get in, but they made their way. 00:28:48.819 --> 00:28:57.920 I've got to get in his presence. That's the reason 00:28:57.920 --> 00:29:03.140 that just church, check in the box, doesn't do. 00:29:03.849 --> 00:29:07.910 Anybody any good? Just to get up and say, well, 00:29:07.930 --> 00:29:11.490 I went. No, I don't get up just to say I went. 00:29:12.490 --> 00:29:15.349 I don't preach just to say, well, I gave a little 00:29:15.349 --> 00:29:21.309 homily out there. No, I preach for effect. I 00:29:21.309 --> 00:29:23.769 declare, thus saith the Lord, for the power of 00:29:23.769 --> 00:29:26.910 the effect of the declaration. Because I have 00:29:26.910 --> 00:29:30.519 faith in Jesus. I have faith in his presence 00:29:30.519 --> 00:29:34.880 because there's too many documented testimonies 00:29:34.880 --> 00:29:38.299 declaring what he can do. You never know what 00:29:38.299 --> 00:29:40.700 service that you're going to push your way into 00:29:40.700 --> 00:29:43.559 that you have to take the roof off of the situation 00:29:43.559 --> 00:29:46.359 that's going on in your life and push your way 00:29:46.359 --> 00:29:49.579 through and make your way in to his presence. 00:29:49.660 --> 00:29:51.559 You've got to get through the doubters. You've 00:29:51.559 --> 00:29:53.440 got to get through the fingernail clippers. You've 00:29:53.440 --> 00:29:55.319 got to get through the checkbook balancers. Come 00:29:55.319 --> 00:29:57.319 on. You've got to make your way through the baby 00:29:57.319 --> 00:29:59.680 players. Are you hearing me? You've got to make 00:29:59.680 --> 00:30:02.380 your way past the board and the humdrum who's 00:30:02.380 --> 00:30:05.140 sitting two rows over and three rows back. You've 00:30:05.140 --> 00:30:08.220 got to push your way into his. Because everybody 00:30:08.220 --> 00:30:14.339 that comes in isn't driven by desire to be in 00:30:14.339 --> 00:30:50.950 his presence. what I just said not wrong those 00:30:50.950 --> 00:30:54.910 of us who know his power to save and heal and 00:30:54.910 --> 00:31:00.430 to deliver should now be actively involved in 00:31:00.430 --> 00:31:03.450 reaching those who are still bound still oppressed 00:31:03.450 --> 00:31:07.680 still sick still afflicted still lost And do 00:31:07.680 --> 00:31:11.359 all that we can do to bring them into his presence. 00:31:12.420 --> 00:31:15.579 That is if we have enough faith and trust in 00:31:15.579 --> 00:31:17.559 the declaration of the word that's being preached 00:31:17.559 --> 00:31:20.400 in the house. That we know if they'll come his 00:31:20.400 --> 00:31:23.339 presence is going to show up. And if they can 00:31:23.339 --> 00:31:26.019 get past everything. That's why it's so important 00:31:26.019 --> 00:31:29.180 that we be reverent in church. Amen. I'm not 00:31:29.180 --> 00:31:32.539 talking stoic and silent. I'm talking about reverent 00:31:32.539 --> 00:31:35.240 because you never know what hell someone's living 00:31:35.240 --> 00:31:37.480 in on the row in front of you or the row behind 00:31:37.480 --> 00:31:40.019 you. Are you hearing me? People live through 00:31:40.019 --> 00:31:43.440 hell every week. The devil is out to steal, kill, 00:31:43.619 --> 00:31:46.160 and to destroy. And he's tormenting the minds 00:31:46.160 --> 00:31:48.359 of the people who are coming in, who are being 00:31:48.359 --> 00:31:51.400 thrown in because of his presence. Because somebody 00:31:51.400 --> 00:31:54.880 said that the word's going out over there. Man, 00:31:55.160 --> 00:31:57.700 we're really having church. The Spirit of the 00:31:57.700 --> 00:32:00.890 Lord. is showing up at Hopewell. Man, you ought 00:32:00.890 --> 00:32:03.109 to come and go to church with us. And so it's 00:32:03.109 --> 00:32:06.269 important because we never know who comes through 00:32:06.269 --> 00:32:08.789 the doors who are suffering from a condition 00:32:08.789 --> 00:32:11.809 of some type of palsy that has them stricken 00:32:11.809 --> 00:32:15.109 and paralyzed so that they can't even move. They 00:32:15.109 --> 00:32:17.630 can't even hardly go about. And yet they got 00:32:17.630 --> 00:32:21.150 enough strength to come because you were excited 00:32:21.150 --> 00:32:23.450 enough to tell them. And they made their way 00:32:23.450 --> 00:32:26.789 in. And my Lord, let's not let it be a disappointment. 00:32:27.400 --> 00:32:30.500 they get into the house, that his presence is 00:32:30.500 --> 00:32:42.359 here. You never know what doctor's visit somebody's 00:32:42.359 --> 00:32:51.579 had this past week. We never know what devastating 00:32:51.579 --> 00:32:55.839 news someone may have got. They may have a whiter 00:32:55.839 --> 00:32:58.339 smile because they got a good report. Not every 00:32:58.339 --> 00:33:04.799 report is bad. Right? Sometimes we get that affirmating 00:33:04.799 --> 00:33:08.660 report that says the Lord is at work. And so 00:33:08.660 --> 00:33:11.380 we ought to be the ones shouting the loudest. 00:33:12.180 --> 00:33:21.599 Woo! I got a good report. We ought to be excited. 00:33:24.170 --> 00:33:26.089 We ought to be trying to get others in the house. 00:33:27.849 --> 00:33:30.109 Just by a point of curiosity, how many of you 00:33:30.109 --> 00:33:33.309 know today without a doubt that Jesus has touched 00:33:33.309 --> 00:33:37.829 you in some direct, specific way? You know it. 00:33:38.250 --> 00:33:41.910 Where you at? You know it. You know if it hadn't 00:33:41.910 --> 00:33:43.930 been for Jesus and his presence, it would just 00:33:43.930 --> 00:33:48.470 be too late. We know it. And if you know it, 00:33:48.490 --> 00:33:51.960 my Lord, and he's done that for you. And we look 00:33:51.960 --> 00:33:53.819 around the room and we see how many others that 00:33:53.819 --> 00:33:56.079 he's done it for. Why can't he do it for the 00:33:56.079 --> 00:33:57.819 ones who couldn't or didn't raise their hand? 00:33:58.519 --> 00:34:01.079 Amen. He can. Why can't he do it for those that 00:34:01.079 --> 00:34:03.660 we come in contact with who share with us? If 00:34:03.660 --> 00:34:06.339 we'll just give them a minute or two in conversation, 00:34:06.640 --> 00:34:08.940 it won't take somebody long. They're looking 00:34:08.940 --> 00:34:11.340 for somewhere to vent. They're looking for somewhere 00:34:11.340 --> 00:34:13.980 that they can find help. They're looking for 00:34:13.980 --> 00:34:16.320 someone who will give them hope. And my Lord, 00:34:16.420 --> 00:34:19.079 you and I are bound up and wrapped in help and 00:34:19.079 --> 00:34:22.219 hope. Amen. You and I have it. And you can share 00:34:22.219 --> 00:34:24.300 it with them when you tell them, Jesus, he is 00:34:24.300 --> 00:34:27.179 your answer. And we can call on him right now. 00:34:27.980 --> 00:34:35.320 I want you to come and worship with me. When 00:34:35.320 --> 00:34:41.099 they couldn't come near for the press. Do you 00:34:41.099 --> 00:34:42.579 know there's some things that you're not going 00:34:42.579 --> 00:34:47.179 to get without fighting for? There are some things 00:34:47.179 --> 00:34:51.320 that won't come without pressing in. There's 00:34:51.320 --> 00:34:54.340 some bondages. There's some habits, addictions, 00:34:54.380 --> 00:34:57.480 lust of your flesh. Sicknesses and diseases, 00:34:57.480 --> 00:35:01.460 strongholds of the mind that aren't going to 00:35:01.460 --> 00:35:06.579 change until we're willing to press. Somebody 00:35:06.579 --> 00:35:08.460 said one time, if it's worth having, then it's 00:35:08.460 --> 00:35:11.800 worth fighting for. And if it works that way 00:35:11.800 --> 00:35:14.880 in the house of God, then I guess Matthew 11 00:35:14.880 --> 00:35:18.460 and 12 kind of pens it right. The kingdom of 00:35:18.460 --> 00:35:21.739 heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take 00:35:21.739 --> 00:35:25.190 it by force. I guess Paul had it right when he 00:35:25.190 --> 00:35:28.710 was telling the church at Corinth, for though 00:35:28.710 --> 00:35:30.710 we walk in the flesh, we don't war after the 00:35:30.710 --> 00:35:35.710 flesh. Amen? I guess Paul had it right when he 00:35:35.710 --> 00:35:37.590 was talking to the church in Ephesus. He said, 00:35:37.630 --> 00:35:39.550 when you haven't done all you can do to stand. 00:35:40.170 --> 00:35:44.630 He said, stand therefore, having put on the whole 00:35:44.630 --> 00:35:50.050 armor of God. If you need armor, then that means 00:35:50.050 --> 00:35:53.380 there's a fight about to take place. My Lord, 00:35:53.559 --> 00:35:59.400 there's a battle about to go down. Amen. I despise 00:35:59.400 --> 00:36:03.980 everything about the devil. Do you know how uncomfortable 00:36:03.980 --> 00:36:09.280 it is sleeping in your armor? I don't take it 00:36:09.280 --> 00:36:16.340 off. I don't lay my armor aside. Hallelujah. 00:36:16.500 --> 00:36:19.360 I don't take off my helmet of salvation. Why? 00:36:19.460 --> 00:36:22.440 Because I need it in my dreams. Amen. I need 00:36:22.440 --> 00:36:26.860 my mind protected by the presence of God. I need 00:36:26.860 --> 00:36:29.820 my mind saturated with the Word of God that when 00:36:29.820 --> 00:36:33.460 I lay me down to sleep and I pray the Lord my 00:36:33.460 --> 00:36:37.039 soul to keep, I know that it's not just a children's 00:36:37.039 --> 00:36:40.219 nursery rhyme prayer. I can lay down and say 00:36:40.219 --> 00:36:44.280 now, Lord, I pray my soul to keep. And if my 00:36:44.280 --> 00:36:47.300 life leaves, me in my last breath in my sleep. 00:36:47.440 --> 00:36:50.880 My soul is the most important thing. Hallelujah. 00:36:51.099 --> 00:36:54.579 And if the Lord is the keeper of my soul, then 00:36:54.579 --> 00:36:58.099 I can lay down and have a peaceful night's rest. 00:36:58.179 --> 00:37:01.599 You can have a peaceful night's rest regardless 00:37:01.599 --> 00:37:18.200 of what your bladder does to you. Yep. Regardless, 00:37:18.200 --> 00:37:20.900 those catnaps in between, those trips to the 00:37:20.900 --> 00:37:26.400 bathroom can garner you more rest than not waking 00:37:26.400 --> 00:37:37.119 up till the morning. If he who keeps you. Isn't 00:37:37.119 --> 00:37:40.960 it wonderful to know his presence is real? They 00:37:40.960 --> 00:37:44.280 couldn't get in for the press. There was a day 00:37:44.280 --> 00:37:46.800 that news came to Jesus about a good dear friend 00:37:46.800 --> 00:37:51.460 of his, Lazarus. The friend whom he loved grew 00:37:51.460 --> 00:37:58.719 sick and had died. He got word before Lazarus 00:37:58.719 --> 00:38:07.059 died. And the scripture says he tarried. Now 00:38:07.059 --> 00:38:09.539 I know if you're like me, don't wait around, 00:38:09.800 --> 00:38:16.659 Lord. If you're coming, come on. Huh? If you're 00:38:16.659 --> 00:38:18.420 going to come anyway, I just assume you come 00:38:18.420 --> 00:38:23.039 on. Amen. If you're going to show up, I just 00:38:23.039 --> 00:38:25.440 assume you show up on day one. It's day four. 00:38:27.559 --> 00:38:29.940 So he and his disciples, he's telling them, hey, 00:38:30.039 --> 00:38:34.159 I got word our buddy's sick and he's sleeping. 00:38:35.699 --> 00:38:37.840 I said, well, Lord, if he's resting, it's good 00:38:37.840 --> 00:38:39.260 for you to rest when you're sick. He said, no, 00:38:39.280 --> 00:38:42.789 you don't understand, boys, he dead. Well, we 00:38:42.789 --> 00:38:47.429 need to get on over. We'll get there. Been a 00:38:47.429 --> 00:38:49.590 long day. I preached hard today. I'm going to 00:38:49.590 --> 00:38:56.510 rest. We'll go tomorrow. Well, he shows up four 00:38:56.510 --> 00:39:02.769 days later. But I'm telling you, he makes the 00:39:02.769 --> 00:39:05.469 difference. That's the whole point of all this. 00:39:05.809 --> 00:39:09.489 When he shows up, he makes the difference. Now, 00:39:09.489 --> 00:39:13.070 here comes Sister Martha running out. who's had 00:39:13.070 --> 00:39:17.670 a few encounters with Jesus. Martha, Martha. 00:39:18.210 --> 00:39:21.070 She said, Lord, now she's trying to change her 00:39:21.070 --> 00:39:27.750 ways. Lord, I know that if you'd been here, you 00:39:27.750 --> 00:39:29.429 would have healed him and he wouldn't have died. 00:39:29.550 --> 00:39:32.590 I know it. So she's proclaiming her faith, right? 00:39:34.550 --> 00:39:39.750 Martha. I'm the resurrection and life. So she's 00:39:39.750 --> 00:39:42.280 going to. She's going to double up on this faith 00:39:42.280 --> 00:39:44.300 thing. She'd been paying attention. When she 00:39:44.300 --> 00:39:47.019 finally sat down with Mary at his feet, she was 00:39:47.019 --> 00:39:50.079 paying attention. Oh, I know that he's going 00:39:50.079 --> 00:39:53.820 to live again. Martha, you're still not getting 00:39:53.820 --> 00:40:04.420 it, honey. I am. The resurrection. And now she's 00:40:04.420 --> 00:40:08.320 starting to scratch her head. Where did y 'all? 00:40:08.750 --> 00:40:11.869 Where's his stone at? Where's his marker? You 00:40:11.869 --> 00:40:13.530 ever gone to the graveyard and you try to find 00:40:13.530 --> 00:40:16.349 a loved one or a friend and you have to ask the 00:40:16.349 --> 00:40:19.469 caretaker, where's section so -and -so, right? 00:40:20.010 --> 00:40:23.389 Where's their marker? If a family member tells 00:40:23.389 --> 00:40:26.250 you, well, we finally got Grandma's marker and 00:40:26.250 --> 00:40:28.869 we put it up last week, you want to go see Granny's 00:40:28.869 --> 00:40:31.809 marker. Well, where's it at? Well, it's third 00:40:31.809 --> 00:40:34.929 row down, four rows back toward the end. What's 00:40:34.929 --> 00:40:38.829 it look like? Well, we got granny a nice black 00:40:38.829 --> 00:40:42.969 granite stone. And it's really pretty. You can't 00:40:42.969 --> 00:40:46.010 miss it. When you get over there and there's 00:40:46.010 --> 00:40:52.889 five black granite. Where did you lay him? Well, 00:40:52.889 --> 00:40:57.969 he's over here. Well, let's go. Well, Lord. And 00:40:57.969 --> 00:41:00.909 then here Martha shows up. The real Martha shows 00:41:00.909 --> 00:41:04.429 up. Well, Lord, it's been four days. He's stinking 00:41:04.429 --> 00:41:12.789 now. Where'd that faith go? What happened to 00:41:12.789 --> 00:41:14.989 Martha's faith? All of a sudden, Lord, if you'd 00:41:14.989 --> 00:41:16.530 have been here, he would not have died. Hallelujah. 00:41:16.769 --> 00:41:20.269 Is it like if he didn't show up when you wanted 00:41:20.269 --> 00:41:22.710 him, he can't still turn around what you need? 00:41:22.969 --> 00:41:25.150 I mean, is that what? Tell what the deal is, 00:41:25.210 --> 00:41:26.570 and he goes a little bit further, saying, you 00:41:26.570 --> 00:41:28.030 know, there's a resurrection coming. Oh, I know 00:41:28.030 --> 00:41:29.309 it's going to live again, the resurrection. I 00:41:29.309 --> 00:41:30.949 know what's going to happen. You're still not 00:41:30.949 --> 00:41:34.030 getting this. I am able. Where's the stone? Roll 00:41:34.030 --> 00:41:36.610 the stone away. Lord, the boy stinks. He's been 00:41:36.610 --> 00:41:39.510 four days. And you know his spirit only hangs 00:41:39.510 --> 00:41:42.550 around by tradition three days. He done gone. 00:41:42.789 --> 00:41:45.829 The boy's gone. There's no hope bringing him 00:41:45.829 --> 00:41:51.639 back. Just get the rock out the way. Some of 00:41:51.639 --> 00:41:53.940 you have got stones rolled up and he's trying 00:41:53.940 --> 00:41:56.599 to do some stuff in your life and you won't move 00:41:56.599 --> 00:42:01.280 the rock. Where's the issue? Well, Lord, you 00:42:01.280 --> 00:42:03.159 know it's too late now. My Lord, I've done had 00:42:03.159 --> 00:42:08.659 to live through it. Done had to deal with it. 00:42:08.980 --> 00:42:11.719 Why fool with it now? Oh, my Lord, I'm preaching 00:42:11.719 --> 00:42:15.920 to somebody. Why change it now? We've done greed. 00:42:16.079 --> 00:42:21.510 We've done paid the mourners off. You know, they 00:42:21.510 --> 00:42:25.730 hired them. I love, we ain't got time. What time 00:42:25.730 --> 00:42:29.929 is it? Is it really? You watching me, ain't you, 00:42:29.949 --> 00:42:38.869 Camo? Grandson got me on the clock. So you want 00:42:38.869 --> 00:42:45.750 me to hurry? Now what you gonna say? Huh? Huh. 00:42:47.389 --> 00:42:51.760 Where was I at? We got stones in front of situations 00:42:51.760 --> 00:42:55.619 and issues that we refuse to move. What are you 00:42:55.619 --> 00:42:58.809 saying? They had to break their way in to gain 00:42:58.809 --> 00:43:01.369 access. Sometimes you've got to roll some things 00:43:01.369 --> 00:43:04.889 out of the way to grant him access. My God, I'm 00:43:04.889 --> 00:43:07.269 preaching to you now. Some of you got your own 00:43:07.269 --> 00:43:10.050 stones rolled up, and you think because he didn't 00:43:10.050 --> 00:43:12.230 do it when you thought you needed it done that 00:43:12.230 --> 00:43:15.130 he can't do it now. I'm here to tell you, it 00:43:15.130 --> 00:43:17.869 doesn't matter if it's one day late, two day 00:43:17.869 --> 00:43:20.010 late, three day late, four day late. It doesn't 00:43:20.010 --> 00:43:22.949 matter when, but when his presence shows up, 00:43:23.070 --> 00:43:26.730 he says, roll the stone away. the thing out of 00:43:26.730 --> 00:43:29.230 the way. When he declares a word to you and you 00:43:29.230 --> 00:43:31.809 show up and he shows up and you're together and 00:43:31.809 --> 00:43:34.230 he says, if you'll get it out of the way, I'll 00:43:34.230 --> 00:43:40.530 deal with it. He don't want to know about your 00:43:40.530 --> 00:43:42.409 faith. He don't want to know that you understand 00:43:42.409 --> 00:43:47.070 theology. Eschatology, he don't want to know 00:43:47.070 --> 00:43:49.550 that you were listening on rapture course day. 00:43:49.789 --> 00:43:52.429 He wants you to get the stone out of the way. 00:43:52.570 --> 00:43:58.250 Get the obstruction out of the way. My Lord. 00:44:01.489 --> 00:44:03.670 Do you know there's three more points to this? 00:44:04.989 --> 00:44:08.550 We'll never get it today. You got to get it out 00:44:08.550 --> 00:44:13.989 of the way. You got to roll it out of the way. 00:44:17.440 --> 00:44:20.699 Just move the stone. I'll take care of the rest. 00:44:20.840 --> 00:44:25.659 That's what he said. Just give it to me. I'll 00:44:25.659 --> 00:44:32.179 take care of it. I'll take care of it. Then we 00:44:32.179 --> 00:44:35.739 hear that declaration. Blasters come forth. That's 00:44:35.739 --> 00:44:44.760 not what happened. He lifted up his voice. I've 00:44:44.760 --> 00:44:46.880 heard it said, you know, he could not just declare 00:44:46.880 --> 00:44:50.480 come forth. I don't know how many flat spots 00:44:50.480 --> 00:44:53.699 was in the cave that he was put in. But if he'd 00:44:53.699 --> 00:44:56.139 have just said come forth when access was granted, 00:44:56.219 --> 00:45:02.619 everybody in there would have come out. So he 00:45:02.619 --> 00:45:13.510 had to be specific. Lazarus, come forth. I preached 00:45:13.510 --> 00:45:20.230 this before and I love it. Somebody in the mummy 00:45:20.230 --> 00:45:29.030 wrap lane didn't wrap his feet tight. They give 00:45:29.030 --> 00:45:34.989 old Lazarus a little wiggle room. They didn't 00:45:34.989 --> 00:45:39.769 have him just bound up tight. The one at the 00:45:39.769 --> 00:45:43.630 feet kind of let down on the job. Burial wrap. 00:45:45.730 --> 00:45:55.630 They give him just enough room to come out. Lazarus, 00:45:55.650 --> 00:46:14.739 come forth. I can hear him in there. off of me. 00:46:16.739 --> 00:46:18.800 He hadn't been there long enough for it to start 00:46:18.800 --> 00:46:24.019 to rot. Hello? It don't been four days. He couldn't 00:46:24.019 --> 00:46:28.639 rip it. He couldn't hulk out on it. But he made 00:46:28.639 --> 00:46:34.820 his way out. And man, do you know if you just 00:46:34.820 --> 00:46:36.760 give him access, doesn't matter how bound you 00:46:36.760 --> 00:46:38.360 feel like you are, you got enough room to get 00:46:38.360 --> 00:46:45.059 to him. You got enough wiggle to get to him. 00:46:46.360 --> 00:46:49.179 Doesn't matter how bound up and how tightly you 00:46:49.179 --> 00:46:52.760 feel like you're wound. If he calls, you start 00:46:52.760 --> 00:46:57.920 making your way. It'll get easier. It'll get 00:46:57.920 --> 00:47:08.340 easier as you go. You have to press through some 00:47:08.340 --> 00:47:12.340 things. Don't have time to preach to the woman. 00:47:13.159 --> 00:47:16.679 With the issue of blood. She came up behind in 00:47:16.679 --> 00:47:20.780 the crowd. The press. She had to push her way 00:47:20.780 --> 00:47:22.739 in. You know, sometimes you've got to keep enough 00:47:22.739 --> 00:47:26.559 faith to get you in. But once you get in, he 00:47:26.559 --> 00:47:32.639 takes over. Once you get in his presence, he 00:47:32.639 --> 00:47:38.059 does the rest. Right? But you've got to have 00:47:38.059 --> 00:47:40.820 enough faith to get there. You've got to have 00:47:40.820 --> 00:47:43.800 enough trust and confidence. They uncovered the 00:47:43.800 --> 00:47:45.659 roof. When they uncovered the roof, they let 00:47:45.659 --> 00:47:51.420 the bed down. There's a principle in our faith. 00:47:54.059 --> 00:47:59.480 What goes up first must go down. The way up is 00:47:59.480 --> 00:48:04.219 down. How so, pastor? We humble ourselves under 00:48:04.219 --> 00:48:10.219 the mighty hand of God. Why? So that he may exalt 00:48:10.219 --> 00:48:16.849 us, lift us up. In due season. We humble ourselves. 00:48:20.250 --> 00:48:22.809 Because there is an anointing that will never 00:48:22.809 --> 00:48:30.030 accompany the proud. The self -assured. The self 00:48:30.030 --> 00:48:33.289 -sufficient. There's an anointing that will never 00:48:33.289 --> 00:48:38.110 come to those who refuse to go down. Down to 00:48:38.110 --> 00:48:41.769 self. Into self -denial, down to submission, 00:48:42.030 --> 00:48:45.449 down in obedience, down in humility. We have 00:48:45.449 --> 00:48:51.250 to be obedient as Naaman. Naaman was angry when 00:48:51.250 --> 00:48:54.010 he received the instruction from the prophet. 00:48:54.429 --> 00:48:57.070 He wanted the man of God to come out and do some 00:48:57.070 --> 00:48:59.150 big whoopity -woo over him, and he didn't do 00:48:59.150 --> 00:49:01.309 it. He sent his servant out and said, get yourself 00:49:01.309 --> 00:49:03.530 to Jordan and dip seven times and everything 00:49:03.530 --> 00:49:09.300 will be fine. Mad. Left kicking rocks. But he 00:49:09.300 --> 00:49:17.380 went. He had to go down. Where did Jeremiah go? 00:49:17.480 --> 00:49:21.420 He went down to the potter's house. And he saw 00:49:21.420 --> 00:49:25.659 work upon the wheel. David went down into the 00:49:25.659 --> 00:49:32.139 valley of Elah and faced his giant. But he's 00:49:32.139 --> 00:49:38.699 elevated as king of Israel. The way up. It's 00:49:38.699 --> 00:49:47.019 down. So they let him down into the Lord's presence. 00:49:49.760 --> 00:49:58.679 And he hears your sins be forgiven. Tears everybody 00:49:58.679 --> 00:50:01.219 in the room up. Stand with me. I'm going to wind 00:50:01.219 --> 00:50:02.940 it down. I won't make you stand long if you're 00:50:02.940 --> 00:50:04.579 on your feet. But if you're sitting, we're good 00:50:04.579 --> 00:50:10.630 for another 15. So stand. I'll feel sorry for 00:50:10.630 --> 00:50:13.090 you if you're standing. And I want to keep you 00:50:13.090 --> 00:50:28.489 12. But sin is the first issue. It's the first 00:50:28.489 --> 00:50:37.170 issue of priority in our lives. It has to be 00:50:37.170 --> 00:50:44.019 taken care of. First. What's that mean? If you've 00:50:44.019 --> 00:50:46.519 not repented of your sins, you have to repent 00:50:46.519 --> 00:50:54.300 first. You have to accept Christ as Savior before 00:50:54.300 --> 00:51:04.239 accessing Him as healer. Deliverer. Provider. 00:51:07.469 --> 00:51:11.530 So sin is the first issue. And Jesus wanted them 00:51:11.530 --> 00:51:15.889 to know that. Oh, you're speaking blasphemies. 00:51:15.909 --> 00:51:18.750 There's nobody can forgive sin but God. And he 00:51:18.750 --> 00:51:21.570 wasn't blaspheming. He was making a point to 00:51:21.570 --> 00:51:24.250 let them know who he was right up at the beginning 00:51:24.250 --> 00:51:30.730 of this thing. And he understands the conversation 00:51:30.730 --> 00:51:33.510 because he knows their thoughts. You need to 00:51:33.510 --> 00:51:36.539 go through and study in the New Testament. How 00:51:36.539 --> 00:51:40.239 many times that the word declares and he discerned 00:51:40.239 --> 00:51:43.559 their thoughts and he knew. He knew what everybody 00:51:43.559 --> 00:51:48.659 was thinking all the time. Can't hide anything 00:51:48.659 --> 00:51:55.139 from him. You, me, we can't hide anything from 00:51:55.139 --> 00:52:03.460 him. He knows. He knows. So he said to them, 00:52:03.500 --> 00:52:07.139 so that you know that I am who I am. Proclaim 00:52:07.139 --> 00:52:10.199 to be, which is easier, to say to this man your 00:52:10.199 --> 00:52:14.400 sins are forgiven or to say to him, rise, take 00:52:14.400 --> 00:52:17.559 up your bed and walk. But so that you know that 00:52:17.559 --> 00:52:21.219 I can do both, I'm going to prove this to you. 00:52:22.559 --> 00:52:30.940 He said, arise. Arise. Get up from your lower 00:52:30.940 --> 00:52:36.340 estate to a vertical estate. Do you realize the 00:52:36.340 --> 00:52:39.780 prodigal son had to have a declaration in his 00:52:39.780 --> 00:52:43.599 mind before he went? He saw the whole journey 00:52:43.599 --> 00:52:49.239 from the pig pen. He said, dad's servants has 00:52:49.239 --> 00:52:53.159 got it better than this. He said, I will arise 00:52:53.159 --> 00:52:59.659 and go to my father's house. He charted out the 00:52:59.659 --> 00:53:02.579 whole journey. He knew when he got there, dad 00:53:02.579 --> 00:53:07.320 would accept him too. You got to know that he'll 00:53:07.320 --> 00:53:10.900 accept you. You got to make your own self -declaration. 00:53:11.619 --> 00:53:13.860 You got to stand up in your mind. You got to 00:53:13.860 --> 00:53:16.280 stand up in your thinking. You got to stand up 00:53:16.280 --> 00:53:19.659 out of your depressed state and condition. You 00:53:19.659 --> 00:53:22.559 got to stand up in your emotions. You have to 00:53:22.559 --> 00:53:30.800 make a personal declaration. I will arise. Take 00:53:30.800 --> 00:53:35.519 the roof off. Move the stone out of the way, 00:53:35.539 --> 00:53:38.280 whatever your obstacle is, whatever's restricting 00:53:38.280 --> 00:53:42.199 you from allowing him access. And if it's sin 00:53:42.199 --> 00:53:45.280 in your life, that's got to be taken care of. 00:53:46.739 --> 00:53:53.820 You have to repent and accept Christ first. Too 00:53:53.820 --> 00:53:56.800 many people want his blessings without his lordship, 00:53:56.800 --> 00:54:01.460 but you don't get it. You don't get the blessing 00:54:01.460 --> 00:54:05.900 without his being Lord of your life. And you 00:54:05.900 --> 00:54:09.739 don't have that without confessing that you are 00:54:09.739 --> 00:54:13.719 a sinner and you need him to save you from yourself. 00:54:15.599 --> 00:54:23.179 Wow. So sin's got to be took care of first. But 00:54:23.179 --> 00:54:29.000 so that you know he's able to do both. Arise, 00:54:29.000 --> 00:54:33.400 take up your bed and walk. And they were all 00:54:33.400 --> 00:54:40.960 blown away. Never seen anything like this in 00:54:40.960 --> 00:54:48.059 all of my days. So, could they deny that the 00:54:48.059 --> 00:54:54.619 man's sins were forgiven? I don't think so. Because 00:54:54.619 --> 00:54:58.050 they could not deny. That he got up and walked 00:54:58.050 --> 00:55:02.449 out. So that you know the first is done. I'm 00:55:02.449 --> 00:55:10.070 going to do the second. Just to prove it. Father 00:55:10.070 --> 00:55:10.789 I love you today.