WEBVTT 00:00:00.830 --> 00:00:04.389 Hallelujah. While they continue to pray, if you 00:00:04.389 --> 00:00:06.790 have your Bible, turn with me to Luke's gospel. 00:00:09.109 --> 00:00:12.490 Amen. We can pray and preach all at the same 00:00:12.490 --> 00:00:18.829 time. Amen. Aren't you glad there's an altar 00:00:18.829 --> 00:00:22.910 that you can approach when you're in need? Amen. 00:00:24.969 --> 00:00:28.910 As you're turning to Luke, that fourth chapter. 00:00:30.600 --> 00:00:32.799 There are milestones in life that are worthy 00:00:32.799 --> 00:00:37.719 of celebration. Amen. We have two such celebrations 00:00:37.719 --> 00:00:41.380 that are worthy this week. Today, Sister Jean 00:00:41.380 --> 00:00:45.119 Westmoreland's birthday. Amen. We celebrate her 00:00:45.119 --> 00:00:49.299 with that. I'm going to step out on a limb because 00:00:49.299 --> 00:00:53.619 at some point it's celebration. Today is her 00:00:53.619 --> 00:01:01.640 89th birthday. Amen. Come Tuesday. Sister Gwen 00:01:01.640 --> 00:01:04.980 Goins will be celebrating her 90th birthday. 00:01:05.439 --> 00:01:12.319 Amen? You say, won't that kill the spirit? If 00:01:12.319 --> 00:01:14.420 it does, it needed knocked in the head, number 00:01:14.420 --> 00:01:20.439 one. Because what you see are testimonies of 00:01:20.439 --> 00:01:24.359 the faithfulness of God. While one is here seeking 00:01:24.359 --> 00:01:29.849 help and a touch, you have two standing. With 00:01:29.849 --> 00:01:33.969 celebrations of God's faithfulness over decades. 00:01:34.870 --> 00:01:40.969 God is good. God is faithful. He's mighty. He's 00:01:40.969 --> 00:01:46.290 merciful. Amen? He is God. Amen. Let's read. 00:01:46.650 --> 00:01:50.590 Y 'all keep praying. Y 'all doing fine. Luke's 00:01:50.590 --> 00:01:59.670 Gospel, 4th chapter, verse 14. Jesus returned 00:01:59.670 --> 00:02:04.269 in the power of the Spirit into Galilee. And 00:02:04.269 --> 00:02:08.229 there went out a fame of him through all the 00:02:08.229 --> 00:02:13.310 region round about. And he taught in their synagogues, 00:02:13.310 --> 00:02:19.009 being glorified of all. And he came to Nazareth 00:02:19.009 --> 00:02:22.729 where he had been brought up. And as his custom 00:02:22.729 --> 00:02:25.530 was, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath 00:02:25.530 --> 00:02:30.469 day, and he stood up forward to read. And there 00:02:30.469 --> 00:02:32.370 he was delivered, and there was delivered unto 00:02:32.370 --> 00:02:34.590 him the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when 00:02:34.590 --> 00:02:38.409 he had opened the book, he found the place where 00:02:38.409 --> 00:02:41.509 it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon 00:02:41.509 --> 00:02:44.650 me, because he hath anointed me to preach the 00:02:44.650 --> 00:02:49.110 gospel to the poor. He hath sent me to heal the 00:02:49.110 --> 00:02:53.379 brokenhearted. To preach deliverance to the captives 00:02:53.379 --> 00:02:56.740 and recovery of sight to the blind. To set at 00:02:56.740 --> 00:03:01.180 liberty them that are bruised. To preach the 00:03:01.180 --> 00:03:08.740 acceptable year of the Lord. Now, we're going 00:03:08.740 --> 00:03:13.780 to visit Psalm 22 shortly. But what I want to 00:03:13.780 --> 00:03:15.780 preach to you this morning is on this thought. 00:03:16.780 --> 00:03:23.250 When all is said and done. When all is said and 00:03:23.250 --> 00:03:26.509 done. Amen. I'll pray for you. You pray for me. 00:03:26.569 --> 00:03:29.030 Father, we love you. Thank you for your goodness. 00:03:29.210 --> 00:03:32.210 Thank you for your mercy. Thank you for the power 00:03:32.210 --> 00:03:35.930 of your word, Lord, and the nearness of your 00:03:35.930 --> 00:03:40.069 spirit today. Lord, you are in the house. Your 00:03:40.069 --> 00:03:43.710 presence is here ever so near. Now, Father, as 00:03:43.710 --> 00:03:46.030 we pray one for another, I pray that we hear 00:03:46.030 --> 00:03:49.229 what the spirits say to the church. I ask God 00:03:49.229 --> 00:03:51.889 that you would help me with that liberty. that 00:03:51.889 --> 00:03:54.789 makes it easy to preach and to proclaim. Where 00:03:54.789 --> 00:03:56.569 the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty, 00:03:56.650 --> 00:03:58.849 and we've proclaimed your presence here. So, 00:03:58.870 --> 00:04:01.789 Lord, let that freedom and anointing and the 00:04:01.789 --> 00:04:05.849 unction flow today as we declare what thus saith 00:04:05.849 --> 00:04:08.650 the Lord. And we'll be quick to praise you for 00:04:08.650 --> 00:04:11.590 it all in Christ's lovely, holy, mighty name. 00:04:12.210 --> 00:04:15.750 And the church said, amen and amen. When all 00:04:15.750 --> 00:04:24.050 is said and done. Life at its best is difficult. 00:04:26.069 --> 00:04:31.769 Prior to the events of our text this morning, 00:04:31.870 --> 00:04:37.550 there's a lot of things already happened in Jesus' 00:04:37.750 --> 00:04:43.009 life here at the beginning of his ministry. John 00:04:43.009 --> 00:04:46.430 would record early in the first chapter, Behold 00:04:46.430 --> 00:04:48.990 the Lamb of God which takes away the sins of 00:04:48.990 --> 00:04:55.660 the world. As Jesus is being baptized, the Spirit 00:04:55.660 --> 00:04:58.660 in the form like as a dove descended on him, 00:04:58.680 --> 00:05:02.540 and the Father speaks from heaven and declares, 00:05:02.759 --> 00:05:07.459 this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. 00:05:10.379 --> 00:05:13.920 But on the heels of this experience of baptism, 00:05:14.259 --> 00:05:23.990 Jesus... is led by the Spirit into a wilderness. 00:05:27.750 --> 00:05:31.750 And during this 40 days and nights that he's 00:05:31.750 --> 00:05:37.110 in this wilderness, the enemy is trying to appeal 00:05:37.110 --> 00:05:41.850 to him in every way, shape, form, fashion. He's 00:05:41.850 --> 00:05:44.670 testing and trying and tempting his humanity. 00:05:46.670 --> 00:05:49.589 He's trying, testing, and tempting his authority. 00:05:50.850 --> 00:05:56.629 He's trying, testing, tempting his deity. He 00:05:56.629 --> 00:05:59.870 is attacking him in every way, shape, form, and 00:05:59.870 --> 00:06:06.310 fashion. And so as he makes his way out of this 00:06:06.310 --> 00:06:10.990 wilderness, there is a return. The declaration 00:06:10.990 --> 00:06:14.329 of freedom from the wilderness is, it is written. 00:06:15.689 --> 00:06:19.769 It is written. Now, you may find your own self 00:06:19.769 --> 00:06:22.870 wandering in a maze in a wilderness of life. 00:06:24.329 --> 00:06:28.149 Sometimes, if you're aware spiritually, you know 00:06:28.149 --> 00:06:32.990 that the Spirit leads you. Amen? Now, He doesn't 00:06:32.990 --> 00:06:36.930 always lead us through the rose garden. The Spirit 00:06:36.930 --> 00:06:41.110 leads us into the wilderness at times because 00:06:41.110 --> 00:06:44.629 it's in the wilderness where our faith is really... 00:06:44.800 --> 00:06:50.160 Your faith is tempted. Your faith is tried. And 00:06:50.160 --> 00:06:52.839 when we come through all of those victorious 00:06:52.839 --> 00:06:56.759 in Christ, when it's all said and done, the victory 00:06:56.759 --> 00:07:02.579 belongs to us through Jesus Christ. And that 00:07:02.579 --> 00:07:05.360 victory is solidified in this declaration of 00:07:05.360 --> 00:07:11.839 Luke 4. The passage I read to you is my life 00:07:11.839 --> 00:07:15.459 verse. How many of you, you have some scripture 00:07:15.459 --> 00:07:19.939 that anytime, every time, all the time, those 00:07:19.939 --> 00:07:22.399 are the ones you go to. You've got that go to. 00:07:42.860 --> 00:07:50.399 We won't have that problem next week. As I was 00:07:50.399 --> 00:07:56.579 saying, you just witnessed my humanity. Tested, 00:07:56.579 --> 00:08:03.819 tempted, tried. Thankfully, you're all here, 00:08:03.920 --> 00:08:10.069 and I passed the sanctification test. Had that 00:08:10.069 --> 00:08:12.589 happened with you not here, I'd be in an altar 00:08:12.589 --> 00:08:17.569 praying, Lord, forgive me, for I had just sinned. 00:08:19.990 --> 00:08:22.769 I'd have lost my temper. Self -control would 00:08:22.769 --> 00:08:29.949 have went by the wayside. Back to, you know, 00:08:29.949 --> 00:08:32.289 the Lord really has something good in store for 00:08:32.289 --> 00:08:36.289 us this morning. Or all of the struggle, the 00:08:36.289 --> 00:08:41.759 pain, the anguish. We wouldn't be dealing with 00:08:41.759 --> 00:08:44.840 it. Isn't it good to know that you're at a place 00:08:44.840 --> 00:08:46.840 that doesn't set all your anguish, your pain, 00:08:46.919 --> 00:08:50.299 and life just aside? Amen. Isn't it good to know 00:08:50.299 --> 00:08:52.559 you don't have a prima donna behind a pulpit 00:08:52.559 --> 00:08:55.259 but yet gets his feet dirty in life as well? 00:08:55.379 --> 00:08:58.799 Who's tempted, who's tested, who's tried? Amen. 00:08:58.840 --> 00:09:01.519 But who overcomes by the same grace that you 00:09:01.519 --> 00:09:05.279 overcome by? Amen. Isn't it good to know that 00:09:05.279 --> 00:09:08.059 your pastor loses his temper from time to time 00:09:08.059 --> 00:09:12.159 and it just makes you feel better? When you sin, 00:09:12.279 --> 00:09:18.139 it makes me feel better about mine. Makes me 00:09:18.139 --> 00:09:25.600 able to preach easier. Somebody's thinking, you 00:09:25.600 --> 00:09:28.580 sin? Well, not these egregious things, but yes, 00:09:28.600 --> 00:09:32.200 I miss the mark from time to time. That's the 00:09:32.200 --> 00:09:34.860 reason I bleed the blood every day. The blood 00:09:34.860 --> 00:09:39.580 that we just sung about every day. My Lord. There's 00:09:39.580 --> 00:09:41.799 only one sinless man, and I just read to you 00:09:41.799 --> 00:09:49.279 about his encounter. All confidence. If you're 00:09:49.279 --> 00:09:53.179 visiting today, hang in here. Give us one more 00:09:53.179 --> 00:10:01.259 shot. Please. Humanity, authority, and the deity. 00:10:01.899 --> 00:10:07.450 We got bugs crawling everything. My Lord. Jesus, 00:10:07.470 --> 00:10:10.450 who was the Word of God, the incarnate Son of 00:10:10.450 --> 00:10:13.509 the living God, God himself had his encounter 00:10:13.509 --> 00:10:16.539 with the enemy in the wilderness. He was led 00:10:16.539 --> 00:10:19.960 there by the Spirit. He was empowered through 00:10:19.960 --> 00:10:22.519 the Spirit because the Spirit had just sat upon 00:10:22.519 --> 00:10:25.500 him. Amen. It wasn't a little dove. It sat on 00:10:25.500 --> 00:10:29.080 him. The Spirit sat on him like a dove would 00:10:29.080 --> 00:10:31.620 have. Are you following me? Like he came and 00:10:31.620 --> 00:10:34.120 lit. The Spirit of the Lord in the wilderness 00:10:34.120 --> 00:10:37.139 before he gets there has already equipped him 00:10:37.139 --> 00:10:39.639 and already empowered. You say, well, he's the 00:10:39.639 --> 00:10:42.320 Son of God. But that quickening for all to know, 00:10:42.460 --> 00:10:45.039 that power, the Spirit of God descending on him. 00:10:45.129 --> 00:10:48.409 and the Father of heaven saying, this is my son. 00:10:48.730 --> 00:10:52.070 I'm pleased with him. In another place it will 00:10:52.070 --> 00:10:54.269 be recorded that this is my beloved son in whom 00:10:54.269 --> 00:10:57.929 I'm well pleased. Hear ye him. Hear what he has 00:10:57.929 --> 00:11:00.149 to declare. And that's what I want to talk to 00:11:00.149 --> 00:11:03.110 us about this morning is exactly what he has 00:11:03.110 --> 00:11:06.190 to declare in our life. The Lord makes a declaration 00:11:06.190 --> 00:11:09.830 over and into our lives. And when these trials 00:11:09.830 --> 00:11:12.070 and temptations and these wilderness situations 00:11:12.070 --> 00:11:16.830 arrive, me great hope to know when it's all said 00:11:16.830 --> 00:11:20.409 and done that he began with a declaration of 00:11:20.409 --> 00:11:23.809 my deliverance. He decreed it from the very beginning 00:11:23.809 --> 00:11:26.769 giving me hope that no matter what comes into 00:11:26.769 --> 00:11:30.990 my life that I can call upon him and he will 00:11:30.990 --> 00:11:34.549 answer. It is written. Amen. We have to remember 00:11:34.549 --> 00:11:37.889 what John says in John 1. He is the Logos. In 00:11:37.889 --> 00:11:40.490 the beginning was the Word. Amen. He's the Rhema 00:11:40.490 --> 00:11:43.370 and the Word was made flesh and he dwelt among 00:11:43.559 --> 00:11:46.860 us and we hear from heaven whenever trial comes, 00:11:47.019 --> 00:11:49.179 whenever the enemy arises, when he approaches 00:11:49.179 --> 00:11:52.460 and when affliction comes upon our body. We always 00:11:52.460 --> 00:11:54.899 know that we have a place to where we can go. 00:11:55.059 --> 00:11:58.460 We have one on whom we can call and know that 00:11:58.460 --> 00:12:02.500 God will deliver us in our hour and time and 00:12:02.500 --> 00:12:06.320 moments of need. Jesus has come out of Jordan. 00:12:06.399 --> 00:12:09.559 He's come through 40 days in the wilderness and 00:12:09.559 --> 00:12:12.860 now he's making his way back toward home. He's 00:12:12.860 --> 00:12:15.940 coming back toward Nazareth. And Jesus returned. 00:12:16.120 --> 00:12:18.279 And I want us to look at something here in that 00:12:18.279 --> 00:12:21.340 14th verse. Take really quick note of it. And 00:12:21.340 --> 00:12:25.320 Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit. Did 00:12:25.320 --> 00:12:27.960 you read that? And Jesus returned in the power 00:12:27.960 --> 00:12:30.659 of the Spirit into Galilee. And there went out 00:12:30.659 --> 00:12:33.519 a fame of him through all of the region round 00:12:33.519 --> 00:12:35.960 about. And he taught in their synagogues, being 00:12:35.960 --> 00:12:38.659 glorified of all. Now, what I want us to take 00:12:38.659 --> 00:12:41.539 note of in that 14th verse is this. Yes, you 00:12:41.539 --> 00:12:43.299 get dreams. Driven in the wilderness. Yes you 00:12:43.299 --> 00:12:46.000 meet the enemy out there. Yes you get weakened. 00:12:46.120 --> 00:12:48.539 You get attacked. You get ridiculed. You get 00:12:48.539 --> 00:12:50.759 all of that. But can I tell you. You can come 00:12:50.759 --> 00:12:53.740 out the same way you went in. Jesus come out 00:12:53.740 --> 00:12:56.600 in the same power. Of the same spirit that just 00:12:56.600 --> 00:12:59.659 sat on him. And took him in. He came out of his 00:12:59.659 --> 00:13:01.960 wilderness experience. With the same authority. 00:13:02.200 --> 00:13:04.799 With the same power. And the spirit of God still 00:13:04.799 --> 00:13:06.980 upon his life. Well what does that mean for me 00:13:06.980 --> 00:13:09.919 pastor? Whatever wilderness you feel like you're 00:13:09.919 --> 00:13:13.450 in. Whatever. The enemy is coming against you 00:13:13.450 --> 00:13:16.289 with. My God, there's a declaration that's been 00:13:16.289 --> 00:13:19.529 made. Jesus has already spoken. It has already 00:13:19.529 --> 00:13:22.669 been written. And you will not be defeated in 00:13:22.669 --> 00:13:25.370 it. So if you will not be defeated, please do 00:13:25.370 --> 00:13:32.889 not surrender. Hallelujah. Do not surrender. 00:13:35.009 --> 00:13:38.990 He comes back. He makes his way to church. Isn't 00:13:38.990 --> 00:13:45.269 that a novel place to go? Thank you for being 00:13:45.269 --> 00:13:46.909 in the house of the Lord today. Let's pray for 00:13:46.909 --> 00:13:50.090 all those that are out today. Some are sick. 00:13:51.769 --> 00:13:55.230 Amen. Some are on vacation. And there are others 00:13:55.230 --> 00:14:02.250 just lazy. So just pray for them. Amen. Jesus 00:14:02.250 --> 00:14:07.179 made his way as it was his custom. as he often 00:14:07.179 --> 00:14:09.539 did. He went in, and he said, I'm going to read 00:14:09.539 --> 00:14:11.659 today. I looked into a little bit of that. That 00:14:11.659 --> 00:14:14.179 was the custom. The men could go in, and they 00:14:14.179 --> 00:14:17.960 could request, and the synagogue leader would 00:14:17.960 --> 00:14:21.039 bring over the scroll, and they would read, and 00:14:21.039 --> 00:14:23.639 they could stand, and most of the time, after 00:14:23.639 --> 00:14:25.860 they read, they would be seated to teach, but 00:14:25.860 --> 00:14:29.220 he just kept standing there. There's something 00:14:29.220 --> 00:14:32.019 of, oh, Lord, there's little innuendos in all 00:14:32.019 --> 00:14:33.600 of the scripture. You just have to read them, 00:14:33.620 --> 00:14:36.639 and it's like, I wonder, Just real quickly, has 00:14:36.639 --> 00:14:39.440 anybody ever cracked and eaten a hickory nut? 00:14:40.820 --> 00:14:43.419 Anybody ever cracked one? That is the hardest. 00:14:44.420 --> 00:14:48.039 meat to get out of a shell. It's harder than 00:14:48.039 --> 00:14:51.399 a black walnut to get, but they are the best 00:14:51.399 --> 00:14:54.960 tasting thing in the woods. Amen. It's hard to 00:14:54.960 --> 00:14:56.820 get it out. And it's those little nuggets. Sometimes 00:14:56.820 --> 00:14:58.820 you got to crack them and you got to get them 00:14:58.820 --> 00:15:00.720 out. And when we begin to say, I looked into 00:15:00.720 --> 00:15:03.580 that, Jesus came in and instead of reading from 00:15:03.580 --> 00:15:06.820 this text and sitting down to discuss it, he 00:15:06.820 --> 00:15:09.500 stands there with them. And he says, today, this 00:15:09.500 --> 00:15:13.279 scripture is fulfilled in your hearing today. 00:15:13.840 --> 00:15:16.820 what the prophet Isaiah said some nearly 800 00:15:16.820 --> 00:15:21.220 years ago has come to pass in your hearing. And 00:15:21.220 --> 00:15:24.419 what he said changed my life when I've got a 00:15:24.419 --> 00:15:26.919 hold of this text right here. What it has said 00:15:26.919 --> 00:15:30.919 has really verified all that was in and what 00:15:30.919 --> 00:15:33.740 God was calling me to do in my life. When Jesus 00:15:33.740 --> 00:15:36.860 began to declare in his own town as it was his 00:15:36.860 --> 00:15:39.379 own custom and they delivered him the book of 00:15:39.379 --> 00:15:42.059 Isaiah and when he opened and he began to read 00:15:42.059 --> 00:15:44.529 he found the place where it was written. You 00:15:44.529 --> 00:15:46.330 know why he found it? Because that's the spot 00:15:46.330 --> 00:15:51.269 he was looking for. My God. Amen. That's the 00:15:51.269 --> 00:15:53.710 place he was looking for. He was looking for 00:15:53.710 --> 00:15:56.649 this particular text so that he could read it. 00:15:56.710 --> 00:15:58.809 And he began to unroll. It's not a book like 00:15:58.809 --> 00:16:01.629 you and I have with pages. It's a scroll. I can 00:16:01.629 --> 00:16:04.250 just see time taken as he's sitting there unrolling 00:16:04.250 --> 00:16:06.610 and rolling, unrolling and rolling. Then he said, 00:16:06.669 --> 00:16:09.110 here it is. This is where I wanted to get. This 00:16:09.110 --> 00:16:11.710 is the text I wanted to read. And then he began 00:16:11.710 --> 00:16:14.350 to read. to them in their hearing. The spirit 00:16:14.350 --> 00:16:18.350 of the Lord is upon me. Amen. My God, the spirit 00:16:18.350 --> 00:16:21.370 of the Lord is upon me because he hath anointed 00:16:21.370 --> 00:16:24.549 me to preach the gospel to the poor. When we 00:16:24.549 --> 00:16:27.289 begin to think about all that can transpire in 00:16:27.289 --> 00:16:29.669 our life and in this world and the chaos that 00:16:29.669 --> 00:16:32.110 goes on in it and the hell that comes against 00:16:32.110 --> 00:16:35.250 you from time to time, I need to know that there's 00:16:35.250 --> 00:16:37.970 a spirit of the Lord that can come upon me as 00:16:37.970 --> 00:16:40.529 well. Amen. I need to know that there's a hope 00:16:40.529 --> 00:16:42.960 that I can run to. There's a power that I can 00:16:42.960 --> 00:16:45.580 lean on and a strength that I can draw from. 00:16:45.720 --> 00:16:48.179 Why? Because I don't know. Matter of fact, I 00:16:48.179 --> 00:16:50.779 do know. I know I'm not enough to face up the 00:16:50.779 --> 00:16:53.940 enemy. I know I'm not enough to resist all the 00:16:53.940 --> 00:16:56.179 temptation without the Spirit of the Lord being 00:16:56.179 --> 00:16:58.860 on me. I know I can't withstand all of the attacks 00:16:58.860 --> 00:17:01.320 in myself without the Spirit of the Lord being 00:17:01.320 --> 00:17:04.700 upon me. And so here Jesus enters in. Out of 00:17:04.700 --> 00:17:06.640 the wilderness, he comes back to his hometown, 00:17:06.640 --> 00:17:09.539 and things are different. It's not the same Jesus 00:17:09.539 --> 00:17:11.980 that went into the wilderness. Oh, we know that 00:17:11.980 --> 00:17:15.140 he is, but there's a difference now as he begins 00:17:15.140 --> 00:17:18.140 to make this declaration. He was Joseph's son. 00:17:18.259 --> 00:17:20.839 He was the carpenter's boy. He was Mary's boy. 00:17:21.039 --> 00:17:24.299 Yes, he done some things around a wedding and 00:17:24.299 --> 00:17:26.859 some other things, but there's about to be a 00:17:26.859 --> 00:17:29.140 declaration. There's something that is about 00:17:29.140 --> 00:17:33.599 to shift in the world known of that day. Jesus 00:17:33.599 --> 00:17:37.880 has now stated his purpose, his theology, and 00:17:37.880 --> 00:17:40.200 his mission. The Spirit of the Lord. Lord is 00:17:40.200 --> 00:17:43.619 upon me and he has anointed me to preach the 00:17:43.619 --> 00:17:46.940 gospel to the poor. Somebody needs to hear it 00:17:46.940 --> 00:17:50.539 today. There is a declaration when all is said 00:17:50.539 --> 00:17:53.720 and done, Jesus came to the poor. He came for 00:17:53.720 --> 00:17:57.480 the poor, not just financially poor. He came 00:17:57.480 --> 00:18:00.180 for the spiritually poor. He come from all of 00:18:00.180 --> 00:18:02.839 us who were impoverished in our spirit, which 00:18:02.839 --> 00:18:06.339 by the way is everyone that draws a breath of 00:18:06.339 --> 00:18:08.900 oxygen. When you come in, you come into this 00:18:08.900 --> 00:18:11.210 world. world poor. You come into this world deprived. 00:18:11.710 --> 00:18:14.769 Why? Because we are deprived of the living spirit 00:18:14.769 --> 00:18:18.589 of God within us. Amen. But it's because of Christ's 00:18:18.589 --> 00:18:22.190 work at Calvary soon to follow this day that 00:18:22.190 --> 00:18:24.470 would bring about a fulfillment so that you and 00:18:24.470 --> 00:18:26.769 I will know that the spirit of the Lord was upon 00:18:26.769 --> 00:18:30.089 him and he anointed him to preach the good news. 00:18:30.309 --> 00:18:34.349 This evangelistic message to the poor, not only 00:18:34.349 --> 00:18:38.089 the broke, not only the disgusted, but to those 00:18:38.089 --> 00:18:40.490 who who were impoverished within their own self. 00:18:40.750 --> 00:18:44.369 Amen. He came to deliver the poor in heart, and 00:18:44.369 --> 00:18:47.509 he came with an authority. He came with an anointing. 00:18:47.529 --> 00:18:50.650 Why? Because the spirit of the Lord is upon me. 00:18:50.769 --> 00:18:53.950 He came that he may declare to the spiritually 00:18:53.950 --> 00:18:57.569 deficient that there is life in him. My God, 00:18:57.769 --> 00:19:00.150 somebody needs to hear it this morning. There 00:19:00.150 --> 00:19:03.470 is life in him. I know the enemy's coming against 00:19:03.470 --> 00:19:06.029 you. I know he's trying to squeeze the very life 00:19:06.029 --> 00:19:08.480 out of you, but I'm here. declare to you today, 00:19:08.640 --> 00:19:12.019 the Spirit of the Lord will instill new life 00:19:12.019 --> 00:19:23.920 in you. His qualification, the Spirit's on him. 00:19:24.539 --> 00:19:29.019 The Father has spoken over him. Commissioned 00:19:29.019 --> 00:19:33.819 by the anointing. They were familiar with the 00:19:33.819 --> 00:19:37.970 anointing. When he began to speak about anointing, 00:19:37.970 --> 00:19:41.529 they were familiar. They understood that the 00:19:41.529 --> 00:19:43.190 Spirit of the Lord would set upon the prophets 00:19:43.190 --> 00:19:46.410 of old. Many of them actually acknowledged that 00:19:46.410 --> 00:19:48.450 the Spirit of the Lord was upon John the Baptist 00:19:48.450 --> 00:19:53.130 as he's preaching in the wilderness. This word 00:19:53.130 --> 00:19:56.990 of repentance. The message is, I'm not the one, 00:19:56.990 --> 00:19:59.690 but the one that's coming after me, I'm not worthy. 00:20:00.650 --> 00:20:03.509 To latch his shoes. He's coming. I'm not him. 00:20:03.809 --> 00:20:05.930 I'm just the forerunner. I'm coming out here 00:20:05.930 --> 00:20:08.390 in the wilderness. Look where he's at. My God. 00:20:09.210 --> 00:20:11.789 You ought to know there's a word being declared 00:20:11.789 --> 00:20:14.789 in your wilderness. He's in the wilderness. And 00:20:14.789 --> 00:20:16.970 they begin to ask, and Jesus said, what do you 00:20:16.970 --> 00:20:19.109 think you went out there to see, a reed shaking 00:20:19.109 --> 00:20:21.970 in the wind? No, you went out there to see an 00:20:21.970 --> 00:20:26.109 old -time anointed prophet of God. He's wearing 00:20:26.109 --> 00:20:28.769 camel hair. He's eating locusts and wild honey, 00:20:28.890 --> 00:20:31.549 and he's telling you to get right or get left 00:20:31.549 --> 00:20:34.730 behind. And he's preaching to you, and his declaration 00:20:34.730 --> 00:20:37.670 to you was this, as I approach the Jordan to 00:20:37.670 --> 00:20:39.809 be subject to the Lord, the word of the father. 00:20:39.970 --> 00:20:42.430 And he said, behold, the lamb of God, which takes 00:20:42.430 --> 00:20:45.410 away the sin of the world. Amen. It's understanding 00:20:45.410 --> 00:20:48.950 that he is that one. That is his qualification. 00:20:49.029 --> 00:20:52.490 That is his commandment. He is the last of the 00:20:52.490 --> 00:21:01.670 last. He said, so spiritual only knowing me to 00:21:01.670 --> 00:21:07.730 preach the gospel to the poor. So he's preaching 00:21:07.730 --> 00:21:11.369 to the spiritually deficient. And then he begins 00:21:11.369 --> 00:21:15.829 to move forward with a statement to the spiritually 00:21:15.829 --> 00:21:22.490 desperate. The spiritually desperate. I come 00:21:22.490 --> 00:21:26.029 to preach the gospel to the poor. He hath sent 00:21:26.029 --> 00:21:31.910 me to heal the brokenhearted. Amen. Have you 00:21:31.910 --> 00:21:35.200 ever been brokenhearted? I love to see these 00:21:35.200 --> 00:21:37.559 young people with that first love gets broke. 00:21:38.740 --> 00:21:40.720 You say, you love to see that? Well, sure I do. 00:21:40.799 --> 00:21:42.059 Let's be honest. They're honest. They're real. 00:21:43.180 --> 00:21:46.900 Amen. A lot of folks don't realize that there's 00:21:46.900 --> 00:21:48.759 heartache in this world until your heart gets 00:21:48.759 --> 00:21:55.440 truly broken. Amen. Jesus has come to heal the 00:21:55.440 --> 00:21:59.240 brokenhearted, those who are crushed, those who 00:21:59.240 --> 00:22:02.400 are wounded, those who are deeply hurt. Amen. 00:22:03.359 --> 00:22:05.299 He comes to those who are weeping. You know, 00:22:05.319 --> 00:22:07.400 when your heart's broke, that's a good sign to 00:22:07.400 --> 00:22:11.119 see. Tears begin to flow. Why? Because we hurt 00:22:11.119 --> 00:22:14.319 on the inside. Body's fine, fingers and toes, 00:22:14.539 --> 00:22:17.279 everything's good. But my heart's hurting. I 00:22:17.279 --> 00:22:19.980 hurt on the inside. It's a deep hurt. It's a 00:22:19.980 --> 00:22:22.500 deep pain. And don't you know the father's heart 00:22:22.500 --> 00:22:24.660 was broken when Adam and Eve sinned in the garden? 00:22:24.839 --> 00:22:27.720 Don't you know when he had to turn his face away 00:22:27.720 --> 00:22:30.039 in about a three -year span of time after this 00:22:30.039 --> 00:22:32.019 occurrence when the father couldn't look upon 00:22:32.019 --> 00:22:35.180 the sin that the son was about to bear and he 00:22:35.180 --> 00:22:37.359 had to turn his face from him? Don't you know 00:22:37.359 --> 00:22:40.079 his heart was broken? Don't you know he was crushed? 00:22:40.279 --> 00:22:43.019 Don't you know he was wounded? But I want us 00:22:43.019 --> 00:22:45.339 to know something today. Jesus has come anointed. 00:22:45.420 --> 00:22:48.000 to be a heart mender. You're going to be okay. 00:22:48.259 --> 00:22:50.440 You're going to be all right. Look, if I can 00:22:50.440 --> 00:22:53.359 assure you of one thing, it's this. People are 00:22:53.359 --> 00:22:56.839 going to disappoint you. If you stick around 00:22:56.839 --> 00:22:59.460 here long enough, most likely in some way, shape, 00:22:59.480 --> 00:23:02.380 form, or fashion, I'm going to disappoint you. 00:23:02.440 --> 00:23:05.619 Why? Because we're human and we're not perfect. 00:23:05.799 --> 00:23:09.519 Amen. But what I am thankful of is the one who 00:23:09.519 --> 00:23:12.920 is divine. Amen. The incarnate, the son of the 00:23:12.920 --> 00:23:15.779 living God, the one who who faced the triune 00:23:15.779 --> 00:23:18.960 difference of attack in that wilderness against 00:23:18.960 --> 00:23:22.039 his deity, his authority, and his humanity. But 00:23:22.039 --> 00:23:24.200 yet he came forth with the written word spoken 00:23:24.200 --> 00:23:27.019 and defeated the enemy there in that wilderness. 00:23:27.220 --> 00:23:29.599 It makes me happy to know that when my heart 00:23:29.599 --> 00:23:32.599 is broken and when I'm crushed and I'm wounded 00:23:32.599 --> 00:23:35.079 deep and people have hurt me and people have 00:23:35.079 --> 00:23:38.359 walked away, it sure makes me happy to know and 00:23:38.359 --> 00:23:41.819 glad to know that he has already come and he's 00:23:41.819 --> 00:23:46.269 declared over my desperate, We get desperate. 00:23:47.069 --> 00:23:51.730 Luke 8, we see Jairus. whose daughter was very 00:23:51.730 --> 00:23:53.769 sick, and he makes his way to the Lord. You know 00:23:53.769 --> 00:23:56.230 the story, how the woman with the issue of blood 00:23:56.230 --> 00:23:59.150 intervenes as he's got Jesus on his way home. 00:23:59.490 --> 00:24:01.950 Doesn't it seem like that way sometimes? Doesn't 00:24:01.950 --> 00:24:05.069 it seem like your answer is almost here, and 00:24:05.069 --> 00:24:06.890 it's almost come to pass, and you've let your 00:24:06.890 --> 00:24:09.190 guard down just a little. You've got Jesus by 00:24:09.190 --> 00:24:11.529 the hand, and he's on the way to your house to 00:24:11.529 --> 00:24:14.269 take care of your problem, but then somehow there's 00:24:14.269 --> 00:24:16.670 an interruption. Have you ever felt spiritually 00:24:16.670 --> 00:24:19.470 interrupted? You felt like you were on your way. 00:24:19.849 --> 00:24:22.329 Things were going hunky -dory, so to speak. But 00:24:22.329 --> 00:24:25.150 then all of a sudden, the wheels fall off. You're 00:24:25.150 --> 00:24:27.430 in a mud hole. You're caught back down in a rut. 00:24:27.549 --> 00:24:29.970 And it doesn't seem like Jesus is going with 00:24:29.970 --> 00:24:33.190 you because he has been delayed. This woman with 00:24:33.190 --> 00:24:35.609 the issue of blood, her faith reached out and 00:24:35.609 --> 00:24:38.490 touched him. And he stopped to take care of her 00:24:38.490 --> 00:24:43.539 issue. My God. Woo! Why does that make you so 00:24:43.539 --> 00:24:46.839 happy? Because that next time it may be me with 00:24:46.839 --> 00:24:49.660 the issue that I stop the progression. The next 00:24:49.660 --> 00:24:52.420 time it may be you stopping and he'll take care 00:24:52.420 --> 00:24:55.319 of your issue. I'm so glad to know that when 00:24:55.319 --> 00:24:58.119 I'm desperate, I can hear him say, weep not. 00:24:58.220 --> 00:25:00.839 He told J .I., weep not. It's going to be all 00:25:00.839 --> 00:25:03.480 right. On the road, when he meets that widow 00:25:03.480 --> 00:25:07.579 of Nain and her son is dead and he touches the 00:25:07.579 --> 00:25:10.420 bear and he rises up, he looks at mama and says, 00:25:10.519 --> 00:25:14.339 weep not. Amen, I'm so glad. When you're brokenhearted 00:25:14.339 --> 00:25:17.759 and you're ringing out inside, he can look at 00:25:17.759 --> 00:25:24.099 you and say, weep not. Why? Because he's been 00:25:24.099 --> 00:25:35.200 anointed to do it. We get desperate in our heartbrokenness. 00:25:36.599 --> 00:25:46.539 We become desperate. Psalm 147 says, He healeth 00:25:46.539 --> 00:25:51.920 the broken in heart and bindeth up their wounds. 00:25:53.920 --> 00:25:57.859 So if you're broken hearted, he's going to heal 00:25:57.859 --> 00:26:04.180 you. Why? Because he said it's why he came. Psalm 00:26:04.180 --> 00:26:08.859 3418, The Lord is nigh unto them that are of 00:26:08.859 --> 00:26:15.759 a broken heart. And he saveth such as be of a 00:26:15.759 --> 00:26:19.819 contrite spirit. What's contrite mean? It means 00:26:19.819 --> 00:26:23.660 crushed ground to powder. It means you feel like 00:26:23.660 --> 00:26:27.599 you have no more formal existence. That you feel 00:26:27.599 --> 00:26:31.240 almost you've been ground away. Contrite. You're 00:26:31.240 --> 00:26:33.720 broken. So what does he come to do? He comes 00:26:33.720 --> 00:26:38.220 to save them folk. Amen. He comes to save the 00:26:38.220 --> 00:26:40.539 brokenhearted, and he comes to renew the spirit 00:26:40.539 --> 00:26:43.140 of the one who feels like he has been crushed. 00:26:43.220 --> 00:26:47.700 He saveth such as of a contrite spirit. My God, 00:26:47.799 --> 00:26:50.140 you feel low today. I don't know who I'm preaching 00:26:50.140 --> 00:26:52.079 to, but I know the Lord's got somebody's attention 00:26:52.079 --> 00:26:54.480 this morning. You feel like you're broken down. 00:26:54.759 --> 00:26:57.240 You're more than broken. You feel like you're 00:26:57.240 --> 00:26:59.440 crushed, and you've been ground up. Have you 00:26:59.440 --> 00:27:01.799 ever felt like minced meat before? It's like 00:27:01.799 --> 00:27:04.740 potted meat. There's no other setting on the 00:27:04.740 --> 00:27:06.750 ground. grinder that you can go through and get 00:27:06.750 --> 00:27:09.950 any finer ground than what you are. Amen. That's 00:27:09.950 --> 00:27:12.730 the way we feel sometimes. We feel like life 00:27:12.730 --> 00:27:15.529 has chewed us up and spit us out. But I'm here 00:27:15.529 --> 00:27:18.210 to tell you today, when it's all said and done, 00:27:18.369 --> 00:27:21.009 when the devil gets done with you, he has been 00:27:21.009 --> 00:27:28.210 set anointed to come into your brokenness. He 00:27:28.210 --> 00:27:31.470 comes into your brokenness and he saves you. 00:27:41.680 --> 00:27:46.380 He has a decree for the spiritually distressed. 00:27:49.799 --> 00:27:54.400 He says he's come to do some things here. Come 00:27:54.400 --> 00:27:56.859 to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance 00:27:56.859 --> 00:28:03.400 to the captives. Now, it's good to know that 00:28:03.400 --> 00:28:07.720 we have a deliverer. And he's come to set us 00:28:07.720 --> 00:28:11.660 free. Freedom from the captivity of sin's bondage. 00:28:12.819 --> 00:28:15.400 Amen. You don't have to let sin rule over your 00:28:15.400 --> 00:28:17.539 life. You say, well, Pastor, you was talking 00:28:17.539 --> 00:28:20.599 like you did. No, it doesn't rule over my life. 00:28:21.680 --> 00:28:25.000 Amen. Sin doesn't reign dominant in my life. 00:28:25.059 --> 00:28:29.069 Grace does. The righteousness of God reigns dominant 00:28:29.069 --> 00:28:32.269 in my life. But I'm here to tell somebody, as 00:28:32.269 --> 00:28:34.569 long as you're in this flesh, sanctification 00:28:34.569 --> 00:28:38.710 does not remove the ability to sin. It just gives 00:28:38.710 --> 00:28:41.650 you the sense to know when you do. Amen. You've 00:28:41.650 --> 00:28:44.710 been separated. And thankfully, because of the 00:28:44.710 --> 00:28:47.529 work of God's sanctifying grace and the washing 00:28:47.529 --> 00:28:50.210 and the renewing of his word in my life, I no 00:28:50.210 --> 00:28:53.250 longer have a will to continue to sin. I know 00:28:53.250 --> 00:28:55.690 when I miss the mark and it breaks my heart. 00:28:56.269 --> 00:28:58.569 I do. I don't know about you. When you lose it 00:28:58.569 --> 00:29:00.660 all of a sudden and when you come back. to yourself. 00:29:00.759 --> 00:29:03.579 You say, oh God, what have I done? What did I 00:29:03.579 --> 00:29:05.660 say? I shouldn't have been so mean. I shouldn't 00:29:05.660 --> 00:29:07.279 have been so contrary. I shouldn't have this 00:29:07.279 --> 00:29:09.220 or I shouldn't have that. Amen. And the spirit 00:29:09.220 --> 00:29:11.259 quickens your heart. How do you take care of 00:29:11.259 --> 00:29:13.200 that, pastor? I look straight up to heaven and 00:29:13.200 --> 00:29:15.880 say, Father, forgive me. I sinned. I should have 00:29:15.880 --> 00:29:18.000 kept my mouth shut. I shouldn't have been so 00:29:18.000 --> 00:29:20.119 hateful. I shouldn't have been so ill. I shouldn't 00:29:20.119 --> 00:29:22.400 have been this. Forgive me and cleanse me. And 00:29:22.400 --> 00:29:24.940 you know what he does? He does exactly what I've 00:29:24.940 --> 00:29:27.339 asked him to do. Why? Because the book declares, 00:29:27.440 --> 00:29:30.279 the Bible says it. If we faithful and just to 00:29:30.279 --> 00:29:32.680 confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive 00:29:32.680 --> 00:29:35.859 us and to cleanse us of all of our sins and unrighteousness 00:29:35.859 --> 00:29:42.779 and so I lean upon that when I'm in distress 00:29:42.779 --> 00:29:50.140 knowing that the thief cometh not but to steal 00:29:50.140 --> 00:29:55.720 to kill and to destroy but that Christ said he 00:29:55.720 --> 00:30:00.940 has come to give you life and it More abundantly. 00:30:02.039 --> 00:30:04.900 In your distress, there is the abundance of the 00:30:04.900 --> 00:30:09.759 life that we have and live in Christ. Enabled 00:30:09.759 --> 00:30:20.099 by the power of the Holy Ghost. Amen. He's only 00:30:20.099 --> 00:30:25.599 out to destroy. Paul wrote to that church. Of 00:30:25.599 --> 00:30:27.980 Galatians 5 .1, he says, Stand fast, therefore, 00:30:28.119 --> 00:30:30.599 in the liberty by which Christ hath made us free, 00:30:30.799 --> 00:30:33.819 and do not be entangled again with a yoke of 00:30:33.819 --> 00:30:36.900 bondage. The author of Hebrews would say, Let 00:30:36.900 --> 00:30:38.819 us lay aside every weight and sin that doth so 00:30:38.819 --> 00:30:42.299 easily beset us. Amen. Running out that race 00:30:42.299 --> 00:30:45.140 with patience, looking unto Jesus, who is the 00:30:45.140 --> 00:30:48.640 author and the finisher of our faith. Knowing 00:30:48.640 --> 00:30:50.380 good and well the declaration that Paul would 00:30:50.380 --> 00:30:52.339 make that he that had begun a good work in you 00:30:52.339 --> 00:30:56.140 is also able to complete it. What are you saying, 00:30:56.140 --> 00:30:58.599 pastor? Amen. We're only perfect through his 00:30:58.599 --> 00:31:01.599 grace and by his grace. We are only perfected 00:31:01.599 --> 00:31:03.900 because of the work of righteousness that works 00:31:03.900 --> 00:31:05.900 in and through our life. And when you get in 00:31:05.900 --> 00:31:08.359 distress or when you are desperate for a move 00:31:08.359 --> 00:31:11.220 of God or your heart is so broken and you feel 00:31:11.220 --> 00:31:14.640 poor in spirit again, like you're away from God, 00:31:14.700 --> 00:31:16.799 all you got to do is call upon him. Why? Because 00:31:16.799 --> 00:31:19.480 he comes. He comes to those who call upon him. 00:31:21.940 --> 00:31:24.660 What does desperation look like? What does distress 00:31:24.660 --> 00:31:30.279 look like? It looks like Psalm 22. My God, my 00:31:30.279 --> 00:31:34.140 God, why hast thou forsaken me? Why art thou 00:31:34.140 --> 00:31:39.059 so far from helping me? And from the words of 00:31:39.059 --> 00:31:42.500 my roaring, he's letting the heavens know that 00:31:42.500 --> 00:31:46.680 he's in pain. David's letting God know that he's 00:31:46.680 --> 00:31:49.569 in anguish and that he's hurting. And he's pouring 00:31:49.569 --> 00:31:53.430 himself out to God. His desperation is going 00:31:53.430 --> 00:31:56.690 before God. His brokenheartedness, he's broken. 00:31:56.849 --> 00:31:59.390 Amen. He's broken. He's pouring out himself. 00:31:59.589 --> 00:32:02.869 He's desperate. He's in a situation of distress. 00:32:03.109 --> 00:32:05.930 He said, oh, my God, I cry in the daytime, but 00:32:05.930 --> 00:32:08.950 thou hearest not. And in the night season am 00:32:08.950 --> 00:32:15.269 not silent, but thou art holy. Oh, thou that 00:32:15.269 --> 00:32:18.710 inhabitest the praises of Israel. We see a man 00:32:18.710 --> 00:32:21.670 after God's own heart. Amen. We see a man whom 00:32:21.670 --> 00:32:25.130 God has chosen and that God had the prophet anoint. 00:32:25.309 --> 00:32:28.609 Amen. With the oil that run down his head and 00:32:28.609 --> 00:32:31.529 puddled up on the ground. We see a boy that was 00:32:31.529 --> 00:32:34.190 made into a king. We see a shepherd that was 00:32:34.190 --> 00:32:36.910 turned into the shepherd of God's people. We 00:32:36.910 --> 00:32:39.589 see an imperfect individual who fell upon the 00:32:39.589 --> 00:32:42.609 grace of God. Psalm 51 is one of the most powerful 00:32:42.609 --> 00:32:45.829 utterances that I have ever read and that you 00:32:45.829 --> 00:32:48.690 can read in Scripture. This same man calls out 00:32:48.690 --> 00:32:52.009 to God because of a sin in his life. And he asked 00:32:52.009 --> 00:32:54.630 God, don't take your spirit from me. Don't take 00:32:54.630 --> 00:32:56.970 the joy and the well of your salvation from me. 00:32:57.049 --> 00:32:59.690 But he repented before God. And he said, take 00:32:59.690 --> 00:33:02.750 some hyssop and dip it in some blood. And cleanse 00:33:02.750 --> 00:33:05.990 me and purge me and purify me. I'm before you, 00:33:06.049 --> 00:33:08.210 oh God. That's what it looks like to be human. 00:33:08.410 --> 00:33:10.690 That's what it looks like to be a child of God. 00:33:10.869 --> 00:33:12.869 That's what it looks like to seek after God. 00:33:13.069 --> 00:33:15.609 Knowing that in our mistake, he still comes and 00:33:15.609 --> 00:33:19.240 aids the brokenhearted. He still arrives in emergency 00:33:19.240 --> 00:33:22.259 situations when you're in desperation and you're 00:33:22.259 --> 00:33:30.160 in full distress mode. But it also comes from 00:33:30.160 --> 00:33:35.839 a realization of knowing who he is. See, that's 00:33:35.839 --> 00:33:38.099 why this Luke 4 is so important to me. I know 00:33:38.099 --> 00:33:42.500 who Jesus is. This morning as I was getting ready 00:33:42.500 --> 00:33:46.059 and getting Kathy's breakfast ready, A thought 00:33:46.059 --> 00:33:49.519 come to my mind. I posed the question to her. 00:33:50.859 --> 00:33:54.440 I said, is it better to know where you're going 00:33:54.440 --> 00:33:58.599 or is it better to know where you have been? 00:33:59.720 --> 00:34:03.420 And she just kind of looked at me. She said, 00:34:03.500 --> 00:34:08.840 I don't know. I said, that's a philosophical 00:34:08.840 --> 00:34:11.179 question that I think is worthy of every child 00:34:11.179 --> 00:34:14.610 of God to ponder. Do you want to know where you're 00:34:14.610 --> 00:34:19.469 going or where you have been? And as we're milling 00:34:19.469 --> 00:34:21.769 around the house there, doing all the chores 00:34:21.769 --> 00:34:24.170 and whatnot, I looked at her and I said, you 00:34:24.170 --> 00:34:26.130 know, I think I'm glad I know where I've been. 00:34:29.769 --> 00:34:34.489 Because I know where he told me I'm going. But 00:34:34.489 --> 00:34:38.469 because I know where I have been. You hear me? 00:34:38.510 --> 00:34:40.489 You know where you've been. Nobody else knows 00:34:40.489 --> 00:34:43.000 where you've been. God does. But you and God 00:34:43.000 --> 00:34:45.659 alone, even your closest confidant, doesn't know 00:34:45.659 --> 00:34:47.239 where you've been, doesn't know the wilderness 00:34:47.239 --> 00:34:50.079 pathways that you've made yourself down, doesn't 00:34:50.079 --> 00:34:52.199 know when you've been desperate and in distress. 00:34:52.400 --> 00:34:54.820 They don't know. Why? Because we're private. 00:34:54.920 --> 00:35:01.900 We don't tell everything. But God knows. My God, 00:35:01.920 --> 00:35:04.119 my God, why have you forsaken me? I've prayed 00:35:04.119 --> 00:35:06.800 all day and you ain't heard me. And I've not 00:35:06.800 --> 00:35:10.480 been quiet at night either. I've kept the neighbors 00:35:10.480 --> 00:35:18.719 up in the tent next door. I've roared my complaint 00:35:18.719 --> 00:35:20.760 before you. And he goes on down there to tell 00:35:20.760 --> 00:35:22.380 God what's going on in his life. I feel like 00:35:22.380 --> 00:35:25.360 I'm surrounded by bulls. And then he clarifies 00:35:25.360 --> 00:35:27.639 to make his point a little more clear. By the 00:35:27.639 --> 00:35:31.440 bulls of Bashan. Looked that up a little bit, 00:35:31.460 --> 00:35:33.199 done a little reading. I said, oh, that's why 00:35:33.199 --> 00:35:39.579 I doubled up on the bull comment. They're flourishing 00:35:39.579 --> 00:35:42.800 in that Golan height area. And those cattle are 00:35:42.800 --> 00:35:44.659 getting more to eat. They're getting more protein 00:35:44.659 --> 00:35:48.219 and they grow larger. And the bulls of Bashan 00:35:48.219 --> 00:35:52.559 are the largest bulls of Israel. And bulls in 00:35:52.559 --> 00:35:56.599 the wild can kind of get a little mean. Here 00:35:56.599 --> 00:36:00.059 is the man of God saying, I feel like I'm surrounded. 00:36:00.679 --> 00:36:02.780 God, I've complained. Now, this is where we get 00:36:02.780 --> 00:36:05.159 to. I've complained to you all day, and I've 00:36:05.159 --> 00:36:08.219 complained all night. I've cried. I've hollered. 00:36:08.239 --> 00:36:11.679 I've yelled. I've roared. I feel like I'm surrounded. 00:36:12.179 --> 00:36:14.860 Dogs are all around me. The bulls have shone. 00:36:15.099 --> 00:36:18.039 My enemies are set against me. I don't know what. 00:36:18.039 --> 00:36:20.880 Is that not distress? And you can't tell me that 00:36:20.880 --> 00:36:23.300 there's not days in your life that you don't 00:36:23.300 --> 00:36:26.400 feel exactly that way. I've been there, my Lord. 00:36:26.480 --> 00:36:29.000 Lived there half the time, it seems like, when 00:36:29.000 --> 00:36:31.219 I call on God. and it doesn't seem like he answers. 00:36:31.360 --> 00:36:33.400 But if you make your way all the way, I ain't 00:36:33.400 --> 00:36:35.420 got time to get into all of it, but you go all 00:36:35.420 --> 00:36:38.079 the way to the last verse of Psalm 22 and he 00:36:38.079 --> 00:36:43.179 says this, the very last words of Psalm 22. They 00:36:43.179 --> 00:36:46.019 shall come and shall declare this, his righteousness 00:36:46.019 --> 00:36:50.800 unto a people that shall be born. This is a messianic 00:36:50.800 --> 00:36:55.699 Psalm. Christ would quote verse one from Calvary 00:36:55.699 --> 00:37:04.989 himself. that he hath done this. In the between 00:37:04.989 --> 00:37:08.210 from this cry of forsakenness, you see that he 00:37:08.210 --> 00:37:10.650 begins to trust in the God who delivered him. 00:37:11.480 --> 00:37:15.019 He goes out and he tells all about his problem 00:37:15.019 --> 00:37:19.260 and how he feels. Amen. When you read Psalm 22, 00:37:19.480 --> 00:37:21.420 you hear from a man who just really tells it 00:37:21.420 --> 00:37:23.820 like it is. He's not hiding. He's not keeping 00:37:23.820 --> 00:37:25.940 anything back because he knows God already knows. 00:37:26.119 --> 00:37:28.619 And he pours his heart out to God about his situation. 00:37:28.860 --> 00:37:31.579 And he asks God. And then when he gets to the 00:37:31.579 --> 00:37:35.079 end of it, he says, he's already done this. He's 00:37:35.079 --> 00:37:37.699 got this. He'll bring me victory. He'll take 00:37:37.699 --> 00:37:39.940 over. He's got it. He's got it in his hand. That's 00:37:39.940 --> 00:37:43.079 the reason he would say, my soul thou cast down. 00:37:43.929 --> 00:37:47.429 Thou in God. And his declaration is this. Oh, 00:37:47.429 --> 00:37:50.289 God. Right in the middle. Realization hits him. 00:37:50.349 --> 00:37:52.429 Right in the middle of his complaint. He says, 00:37:52.530 --> 00:37:56.909 Thou art holy who inhabitest the praises of Israel. 00:37:57.190 --> 00:37:59.510 All of a sudden, he begins to declare the beauty 00:37:59.510 --> 00:38:02.449 of God over the darkness of his distress and 00:38:02.449 --> 00:38:06.409 his depression and his heartbrokenness. He begins 00:38:06.409 --> 00:38:09.570 to declare the beauty of God. Somebody here today, 00:38:09.710 --> 00:38:12.010 you need to get right in the middle of your midnight 00:38:12.010 --> 00:38:14.679 hour and just. Look up to heaven and say, God, 00:38:14.679 --> 00:38:17.659 thou art holy. Not just separated, not just set 00:38:17.659 --> 00:38:20.460 apart, but the beauty of your holiness, my God, 00:38:20.579 --> 00:38:23.139 illuminates the darkness in which I'm living. 00:38:23.320 --> 00:38:26.559 And know that in my distress, in my desperation, 00:38:26.840 --> 00:38:30.300 in my brokenheartedness, already the Spirit has 00:38:30.300 --> 00:38:37.860 done been dispatched. Your answer. Hang on. Hang 00:38:37.860 --> 00:38:40.380 on. Stand fast in that liberty. Lay aside every 00:38:40.380 --> 00:38:43.639 weight. He moves into that spiritual darkness 00:38:43.639 --> 00:38:45.900 that we live in. He says that he's come to give 00:38:45.900 --> 00:38:51.420 sight to the blind. Sight, the recovery of sight 00:38:51.420 --> 00:38:55.599 to the blind. Have you lost your sight? If you 00:38:55.599 --> 00:38:57.500 can't see where you're going, just stop and turn 00:38:57.500 --> 00:39:02.139 around and look at where you've been. The reason 00:39:02.139 --> 00:39:08.260 that statement is so stirring to me, I mean, 00:39:08.280 --> 00:39:12.929 I stirred myself this morning. I thought about 00:39:12.929 --> 00:39:16.309 that. But I know what he's already brought me 00:39:16.309 --> 00:39:21.269 through. Are you hearing me? I know what that 00:39:21.269 --> 00:39:24.130 anointing has already meant for my life to this 00:39:24.130 --> 00:39:31.409 point. So really, really, honestly, is what's 00:39:31.409 --> 00:39:37.210 ahead important? Is knowing what's up there really 00:39:37.210 --> 00:39:41.989 all that important? No. No, I'm that peanut character 00:39:41.989 --> 00:39:47.050 cartooned. Lucy talked to Charlie Brown and tells 00:39:47.050 --> 00:39:50.190 him about them deck chairs on the cruise ship. 00:39:50.389 --> 00:39:53.090 Have you ever noticed how some people set up 00:39:53.090 --> 00:39:57.269 their deck chair? How many of you are cruisers? 00:39:57.349 --> 00:40:00.489 I know there's some cruisers in here. Don't admit 00:40:00.489 --> 00:40:05.670 it. I wouldn't either. I've been one time. And 00:40:05.670 --> 00:40:08.730 the way I set my chairs, not even the two that 00:40:08.730 --> 00:40:12.440 I'm about to share with you. Some people set 00:40:12.440 --> 00:40:14.559 their chair forward to see where the ship's going. 00:40:15.659 --> 00:40:17.780 Others return their chair toward the rear to 00:40:17.780 --> 00:40:20.320 see where they have been. Pastor Cliff turned 00:40:20.320 --> 00:40:22.519 his side way to look out where no man has been. 00:40:28.019 --> 00:40:30.199 That's the kind of guy I am. I'm looking sideways. 00:40:30.360 --> 00:40:32.099 Folks are looking up. Folks are looking back. 00:40:32.139 --> 00:40:37.619 I'm looking yonder. What's over there? Sometimes 00:40:37.619 --> 00:40:41.150 in life, knowing what's ahead. will only discourage 00:40:41.150 --> 00:40:45.909 you more. Why do you say that? Because in this 00:40:45.909 --> 00:40:50.440 world you shall have tribulation. So what I need 00:40:50.440 --> 00:40:52.260 to do is just spiritually look behind and ask 00:40:52.260 --> 00:40:54.739 the Lord to open my blindness that I may see 00:40:54.739 --> 00:40:58.320 clearly to all that he has done for me. And then 00:40:58.320 --> 00:41:01.199 I declare as the psalmist, thou art holy. And 00:41:01.199 --> 00:41:04.559 in the midst of my darkest hour, thou art holy. 00:41:04.820 --> 00:41:07.039 Why? I've told you just a few weeks ago, you 00:41:07.039 --> 00:41:09.840 can't worship him. You can't praise him. You 00:41:09.840 --> 00:41:13.179 can't laud him and glorify him without his presence 00:41:13.179 --> 00:41:15.719 coming to where you are. And just think about 00:41:15.719 --> 00:41:18.420 that for a moment. If you can't feel him and 00:41:18.420 --> 00:41:20.309 you feel like, The enemy's got you separated 00:41:20.309 --> 00:41:22.909 from him. In your wilderness or in your dark 00:41:22.909 --> 00:41:25.929 time, in the dark hour, if you'll just make enough 00:41:25.929 --> 00:41:29.150 strength to praise him and holy his name and 00:41:29.150 --> 00:41:33.369 glorify him, he will come to where you are. And 00:41:33.369 --> 00:41:35.909 the beauty of his presence. There's beauty for 00:41:35.909 --> 00:41:43.869 ashes. There's the awe of joy. And there's a 00:41:43.869 --> 00:41:47.889 garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. 00:41:52.809 --> 00:41:55.150 He made a declaration for the spiritually devastated. 00:41:56.469 --> 00:41:59.190 You give me four minutes, it just turned to 12 00:41:59.190 --> 00:42:01.469 .11. You give me four minutes, I'll quit at 12 00:42:01.469 --> 00:42:09.550 .15. Light in the darkness to the spiritually 00:42:09.550 --> 00:42:12.469 devastated. He said he will set them at liberty, 00:42:12.489 --> 00:42:18.630 those who are bruised. That bruising is an oppression. 00:42:20.230 --> 00:42:22.369 You know what a bruise is? It ain't just hardly 00:42:22.369 --> 00:42:28.309 broken, right? Them deep bruises. You know, you've 00:42:28.309 --> 00:42:30.170 had the little one that just kind of, it's a 00:42:30.170 --> 00:42:32.989 little sore on the surface, but that deep bruise. 00:42:33.889 --> 00:42:36.150 Think about this, man. Set at liberty those who 00:42:36.150 --> 00:42:43.809 are bruised. At liberty. Didn't break the skin. 00:42:45.690 --> 00:42:47.670 Didn't have to have stitches. How many have ever 00:42:47.670 --> 00:42:58.179 kicked a trailer hitch? When you're down here 00:42:58.179 --> 00:43:05.900 like this saying, God, help me. Oh! You want 00:43:05.900 --> 00:43:09.820 to roll around. And then you get up and it's 00:43:09.820 --> 00:43:12.440 like this for about a week. And say, what's wrong 00:43:12.440 --> 00:43:15.179 with your leg? And then you pull that up and 00:43:15.179 --> 00:43:20.679 that big old purple place is there. That deep 00:43:20.679 --> 00:43:25.239 bruise. Some of you, the enemies hit you so hard. 00:43:26.789 --> 00:43:29.349 You've been already down squalling, but two, 00:43:29.409 --> 00:43:32.550 two, three, four weeks later, you're still feeling 00:43:32.550 --> 00:43:36.170 the effects of it. But Jesus said, I'm anointed 00:43:36.170 --> 00:43:39.510 to take care of that. I've been anointed. I've 00:43:39.510 --> 00:43:41.449 been sinned. I've been dispatched from heaven. 00:43:41.510 --> 00:43:44.329 The Father has sent me to take care of that. 00:43:44.909 --> 00:43:48.010 You hear me this morning. He has sent here to 00:43:48.010 --> 00:43:51.449 take care of that for you. Stay with me. I'm 00:43:51.449 --> 00:44:01.550 going to quit. Emotional bruises. The Spirit 00:44:01.550 --> 00:44:03.889 of God is able to not just treat the symptom, 00:44:03.989 --> 00:44:08.750 but able to take care of the disease, the pain, 00:44:08.809 --> 00:44:16.630 the depth of it. When all is said and done, He 00:44:16.630 --> 00:44:28.259 makes this final decree. I come to preach. The 00:44:28.259 --> 00:44:35.000 acceptable year of the Lord. And I can just in 00:44:35.000 --> 00:44:39.079 my mind in that old dusty synagogue, I see him 00:44:39.079 --> 00:44:40.980 start rolling up. He didn't have far to roll 00:44:40.980 --> 00:44:43.320 because that's 61 in the way we divide it. So 00:44:43.320 --> 00:44:45.579 it's down toward the end of the roll. And he 00:44:45.579 --> 00:44:47.619 just rolled it right back up, handed it back 00:44:47.619 --> 00:44:49.539 over to the leader of the synagogue. And he said, 00:44:49.579 --> 00:44:55.019 today in your hearing, this scripture has come 00:44:55.019 --> 00:45:02.039 to pass. I'm the man. I am he. I don't know about 00:45:02.039 --> 00:45:03.960 you, but sometimes I think about the restraint 00:45:03.960 --> 00:45:06.880 of the Lord. How did he restrain himself in his 00:45:06.880 --> 00:45:09.860 holiness? How did he restrain himself in the 00:45:09.860 --> 00:45:12.559 awe of his power? There were days that he just 00:45:12.559 --> 00:45:14.800 couldn't restrain himself, and so he just walks 00:45:14.800 --> 00:45:16.780 down the shore of Galilee and just keeps on walking. 00:45:18.380 --> 00:45:25.650 Oh, I'm on the water. Who's looking? Only the 00:45:25.650 --> 00:45:27.630 12 in the ship that feels like they're going 00:45:27.630 --> 00:45:35.670 back. There are times that he can restrain his 00:45:35.670 --> 00:45:39.949 divinity. He saw that poor widow woman and knowing 00:45:39.949 --> 00:45:42.190 she was by herself and needed that son to take 00:45:42.190 --> 00:45:45.590 care of her. And so as they're scrouching around 00:45:45.590 --> 00:45:49.130 the tight pathways coming around that city of 00:45:49.130 --> 00:45:54.090 Nain, they just stop the bear and say, get up. 00:45:56.079 --> 00:45:59.260 Mama's crying. Have you ever found yourself sometimes 00:45:59.260 --> 00:46:02.679 so overwhelmed that you can't even see the miracle 00:46:02.679 --> 00:46:06.840 that's happened to you? Mama, weep not. Get that 00:46:06.840 --> 00:46:10.159 boy down and go feed him. There are times that 00:46:10.159 --> 00:46:13.900 he could not restrain himself, even urged by 00:46:13.900 --> 00:46:19.639 his mother at that wedding of Cana of Galilee. 00:46:21.980 --> 00:46:24.719 She looks at him and says, son, my friends are... 00:46:24.889 --> 00:46:27.190 They're being embarrassed right here. It's bad. 00:46:29.329 --> 00:46:30.989 And he looks at me, Mama, what do you want me 00:46:30.989 --> 00:46:37.349 to do about it? I could just say, my mama, you 00:46:37.349 --> 00:46:38.829 open your mouth like that again, I'm going to 00:46:38.829 --> 00:46:44.889 show you, son. She never said another word to 00:46:44.889 --> 00:46:48.010 him. She turned and looked at the servant and 00:46:48.010 --> 00:46:53.380 said, whatever he says, just do it. She knew 00:46:53.380 --> 00:46:54.760 he was going to do something wild because she 00:46:54.760 --> 00:46:58.599 asked him to. And what boy ain't going to try 00:46:58.599 --> 00:47:01.340 to do something his mama asked him to do? He 00:47:01.340 --> 00:47:04.760 couldn't restrain himself. When it's all said 00:47:04.760 --> 00:47:11.300 and done, folks, in the looking back at this 00:47:11.300 --> 00:47:17.980 journey we call life, it's tough. It's hard. 00:47:19.000 --> 00:47:23.199 It stinks from time to time. But you know, in 00:47:23.199 --> 00:47:28.019 the midst of that, there's a fragrance that can 00:47:28.019 --> 00:47:35.800 come in. And it's the aroma of the Rose of Sharon. 00:47:38.139 --> 00:47:45.380 Sweet perfume that can enter in to the most devastating, 00:47:45.639 --> 00:47:52.000 rotten time of life. And he just comes in. Father, 00:47:52.059 --> 00:47:53.800 I love you today. Thank you so much for your 00:47:53.800 --> 00:47:58.840 goodness. I thank you for your word. I thank 00:47:58.840 --> 00:48:01.760 you most of all for your help today, Lord. I 00:48:01.760 --> 00:48:06.199 felt your help. No wonder the enemy was fighting 00:48:06.199 --> 00:48:10.079 us so hard. Didn't want us to hear the help, 00:48:10.159 --> 00:48:13.920 the anointed. No wonder there was such excruciating 00:48:13.920 --> 00:48:17.079 pain in the house today because the enemy didn't 00:48:17.079 --> 00:48:18.860 want us to know that there's healing and there's 00:48:18.860 --> 00:48:25.960 help. No wonder there's emotional distress, deep 00:48:25.960 --> 00:48:33.780 emotional spiritual bruises. I admit to you this 00:48:33.780 --> 00:48:35.619 morning, I don't know how to go about this altar 00:48:35.619 --> 00:48:37.619 call today. I don't know how to extend this invitation 00:48:37.619 --> 00:48:40.940 to you. Because I know, if we're all honest, 00:48:41.159 --> 00:48:45.440 I hit all of us somewhere along the way. Every 00:48:45.440 --> 00:48:49.099 single one of us. That's what's so good about 00:48:49.099 --> 00:48:55.260 the Word. For every situation that we think may 00:48:55.260 --> 00:48:58.000 be so unique, every time that we're crying as 00:48:58.000 --> 00:49:00.340 the psalmist, why have you forsaken me? I've 00:49:00.340 --> 00:49:02.159 prayed all day and you ain't heard a word I've 00:49:02.159 --> 00:49:07.860 said. Yes, he has. His ear is turned earthward 00:49:07.860 --> 00:49:10.980 and he hears the cries of his people. He hears 00:49:10.980 --> 00:49:14.900 every one of them. We just have to be patient 00:49:14.900 --> 00:49:19.579 and wait on the Lord to move. If you need prayer 00:49:19.579 --> 00:49:25.579 this morning. If you need a touch from the Lord, 00:49:25.619 --> 00:49:28.260 would you just lift your hand today? Just raise 00:49:28.260 --> 00:49:29.860 your hands. If you need to come down, come on 00:49:29.860 --> 00:49:30.519 down this morning.