WEBVTT

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I encourage you, listen intently. He has a great

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message. Would you welcome Pastor Dan this morning?

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I see somebody must have hit this thing pretty

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hard. It cracked that. That's really impressive.

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Is that Pastor Brad? Is he slamming on this thing?

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It kind of happens. I probably won't do that.

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But I could, and that would be nice to finish

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the job for you guys and get a new one going

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for the other one. I want to open up just by

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saying thank you to Pastor Jennifer and Pastor

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Brad and Pastor Kenny and Pastor Ron. I don't

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know if they call you Pastor, but I would. If

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I was me, I would call you Pastor Ron, so I will.

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I want to thank you for your welcoming that you've

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given to me. I tell you, I'm just so excited

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for you guys to get to that new building. Can

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I hear an amen? For all of you to be together

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will be a kick in the pants for you. You'll really

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enjoy that. I don't know, what time is your service

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going to be when you have it all one service?

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All day. All day. That'll be great. All day.

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From the rising of the sun to the set going down

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of the sand. There's an old song. Hey, I'm really

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glad to be here. I had a reasonably good time

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the first service because I just panicked in

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the middle or right toward the end because I

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realized I'm not only going to not get to my

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points, I'm not going to get to very many of

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them at all. And so I just kind of, I kind of

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went toward the end there. So the poor people

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there blessed me and they thanked me for preaching.

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And it's a good word, and I hope to bring it

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to you in a way that you can grasp it and understand

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it. I have a word for your church and for you

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in particular, some of you, in getting ready

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for this service. One of the things that I do

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this with our own church, and I know Pastor Brad

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does it, but she doesn't really pray about this

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service and who's going to be there. And I was

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up in my office, and a scripture came to me.

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If you'll turn to Hebrews chapter 13, verse 5.

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And I'll turn there also. And most often you

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hear it in the context of, you know, when people

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converse about this, you know, somebody's died

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or they're going through a difficult time and

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people say, you know, he'll never leave you nor

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forsake you. But I want you to notice this. It

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says, make sure your character is free from the

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love of money, being content with what you have.

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For he himself has said, I will never desert

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you. nor will I ever forsake you. And by the

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way, I read out of the New American Standard

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Bible. I've always found in doing the New American

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Standard that people will read some of the version,

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and they'll say, now what that's saying is, and

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it's what my Bible says. So I like New American

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Standard for that. It's very good. I don't have

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to look at a parallel version. Anyway, I want

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you to notice the context there. It's about money.

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And the word for you, and there's some of you

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specifically in here, that the Lord wants to

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communicate this to you, and you came here, and

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this is the one thing for sure you've got to

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get. That when Jesus says, I will never leave

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you nor forsake you, he means that in your finances.

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I want you to understand, if you don't get anything

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else today, get that. I want to tell you personally,

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I know that from personal experience, that I

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had accrued debt. And I was tormented by accruing

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the debt, and it was very difficult on me, and

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I didn't tell my wife the half of it. And it

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was really difficult. I couldn't sleep. I was

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like, how am I going to get out of this? And

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one day I repented. And I repented of not only

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being in debt, but of not telling my wife of

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what I had done. Now, I'm a pastor, and I'm just

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telling you straight out. It happens to normal

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people like you and me. all the time, and it

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can happen to pastors. It happens to, because

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I'm normal, sort of. But the reason I'm telling

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you this is because the Lord wanted to give you

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hope that you would come to a place where you

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can offload the secrecy and you can upload his

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grace. Once I confessed. and repented of this,

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and read this scripture in context, and came

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to understand it, I began to praise it, not just

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pray it. I began to pray this scripture and praise

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it. And I began to thank God. And within a short

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amount of time, this massive amount of debt was

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gone. And I wish I could explain it to you how

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it happened. I just know it's kind of like I

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was blind, but now I can see and I don't know

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how that happened. You understand? It's inexplicable.

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I can't tell you how it happened. I could tell

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you the phases it happened in, but the debt disappeared

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so fast, and I understood, I understand in my

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spirit now, and God wants you to understand because

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some of you are really afraid and you're tormented

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by financial questions and issues. Some of you

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have plenty of money. You're worried you won't

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have enough in retirement or whatever. I've met

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people like that. I'm not one of them. I don't

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worry myself about it. It's like he will never

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leave me nor forsake me. I know that now. He

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will never do that. Don't fret about money. So

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that's for you. And I can pray for you right

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now if you're not intimidated by me standing

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up here and you being there. And it doesn't bother

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you to say something. Would you just raise your

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hand and say, I would like prayer right now.

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All right. Praise God. I went through Financial

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Peace University. I will tell you, it's a wonderful,

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wonderful experience. Great thing. But the grace

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that I got from Jesus to the grace that I want

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to tell you, it's the beginning of a new day

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for you today. I'm going to pray for you and

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a miracle is going to happen. A miracle is happening

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right now in the spirit. You're going to sleep.

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You're going to have enough. You'll be a giver

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again. Repent. Repent today. Repent and God is

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going to prove himself to you today. Repent of

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your worrying. Repent of your fretting. Repent

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of your secrecy. Repent of those things. There's

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a miracle happening. Father, in the name of Jesus,

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I thank you that for this house, You will never

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leave this house nor forsake this house. There

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will always be enough. I thank you for the people

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in this house who are covered by this house.

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That the grace is even extended and brought in

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in greater portion to you because you're in this

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house. And the grace that is upon this house

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for prosperity is being, I tell you, that's a

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word of the Lord for somebody right now. You

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can feel it in your spirit. You can feel it in

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your gut right now. That the grace, there's an

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actual commodity called grace and it's coming

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into your body right now. And you're knowing

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that this thing is done, it's over, your prayers

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are answered. So Father, in the name of Jesus,

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because of this grace, bring it greatly upon

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these people and cause them to experience, not

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just think about and hope about and theorize

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about, but to experience the fact that you'll

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never leave us and you'll never forsake us in

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our finances. You will always be there and there

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will always be enough. You demonstrated that

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with the loaves and the fishes. You demonstrated

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that with the lepers in the Old Testament, Lord.

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You fed thousands. You take care of people. With

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you, there is never any lack. And I thank you,

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Lord, that you are our provider, Jehovah Jireh,

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in Jesus' name. Amen. Now, if you believe that,

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would you just raise your hand? Praise God. Let's

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clap and praise the Lord for that. My church

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is meeting right now, so I'm going to pretend

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like you're my church, and I'm just going to

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preach like you're my people, because you remind

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me of my people, and they're good people. I love

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your church, I love your people, and I'm really

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grateful for them. I'm grateful for the youth

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group that came down and helped our church do

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a lot of landscaping and some wainscoting and

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painting, and I'm grateful for Pastor Brad for

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loving me and really taking me into his family

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and caring about me and his staff. I really appreciate

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Pastor Jennifer and all the staff. They've been

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very, very encouraging to me. So I'm renaming

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this. Here's the deal. I couldn't even clap my

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hands together. That was just really bad. There

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you go. I can do that. But go ahead and bring

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up the first slide. I get to see it back here.

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You get to see it there. We're going to talk

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about authentic Christianity. and what authenticity

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is. But I want you to think of it, especially

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if you'll just turn to Galatians 3, chapter 1.

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We're going to look all the way through Galatians

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today. And you're going to get something. Somewhere

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in here, there's going to be something you're

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going to go, that was for me. Because the book

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is replete with wonderful passages. But in chapter

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3, I want you to notice how Paul addresses these

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people. Verse 1. He says, you foolish Galatians,

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who has cast a spell on you? Who has bewitched

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you? And I was thinking about it as worship was

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going on. And I tell you, it just was such a

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wonderful. I love, I just love the worship here.

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I just, it's wonderful. I just crave it and enjoy

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it. And I enjoy our church also. It's really

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neat to come here and be part of this. But in

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the middle of worship, I just thought, this is

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really a message about that. God saying, I want

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you back. I want the real you back. I want the

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authentic person that I saved to come back. That's

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what this message is all about. And Paul is saying

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to these people, he said, somebody cast a spell

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on you. It's like a witch came in. in, you know,

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bubble, bubble, toil and trouble, you know, and

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just kind of wave their little magic wand. And

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all of a sudden, the people that used to be one

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way are now another way. And they've totally

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changed. Do you ever had that experience when

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at a family reunion or a family gathering or

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a gathering with friends or where at one point,

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you know, this friend or that family used to

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be this way. And now you go in, it feels kind

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of hard. It feels kind of difficult. And they're

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not there now. They're not with you. There's

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that kind of feeling. the other guy back. You

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were more fun that way. My wife said that to

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me a few years ago. Seriously, she did. She said,

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you know, you used to really laugh a lot. You

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don't laugh very much anymore. I want that laughing

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one guy. I want him back. And so I brought him

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back for an encore. Yeah, baby. He's back. He's

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back. Well, the problem that was happening with

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the Galatians is that They had some people come

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in, and after Paul preached the gospel, in fact,

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read this in chapter 1. You just got to see this,

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okay? And I'm going to do the best I can to be

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expeditious, but you got to see this. Verse 6,

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I am amazed. This is a passionate letter Paul

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is writing. He uses super words, you know, big

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words, or not necessarily big words, but words

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that are impactful and passionate. He said, I'm

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amazed. I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting

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him who called you by the grace of Christ for

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a different gospel. And then he goes on, well,

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just keep reading here, which in reality is not

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another, only there are some who are disturbing

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you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.

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But even if we or an angel from heaven should

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preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have

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preached to you, he is to be accursed. As we

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have said before, so I say again now, if any

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man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to

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what you received, he is to be accursed. And

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he's just passionate about this. He says, whoever's

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doing this to you, whoever's doing this, I want

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them to be under a curse. I want them to be cut

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off because they're ruining you. They've taken

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you captive and you don't even know it. You're

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bewitched. You're under a spell. And that's exactly

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the nature of this issue that they're under.

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They are caught up in this issue of not knowing

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what happened to them. And Paul is trying to

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say, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, wake up, wake

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up. What's going on with you? You guys are totally

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different than you once were. Who did this to

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you? They had become just pictures of what they

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used to be, but they weren't what they were supposed

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to be. They had lost their authenticity. They

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had been free, and now they weren't free. They

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had been full of love, joy, peace, patience,

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kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness,

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and self -control. And now they were full of

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two areas. They were full of the law and they

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were full of the flesh. And they had deserted

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the initial gospel that Paul brought to them.

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It's just like if I came here in a month and

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worship began to happen and everybody sat in

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their seats. And just look like robots. And the

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worship team is passionately delivering the best

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worship they can. I mean, I would be concerned.

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And it's what's happening with Paul. He's like,

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what happened to you guys? Who messed with you?

00:15:09.639 --> 00:15:13.419
You know, I've been around only a few. But I've

00:15:13.419 --> 00:15:15.679
been around some situations where people have

00:15:15.679 --> 00:15:18.919
been abused. I've been around them before they

00:15:18.919 --> 00:15:21.379
were abused, and I was around them after they

00:15:21.379 --> 00:15:24.919
got abused. And I didn't know that it had happened,

00:15:25.039 --> 00:15:28.340
but I knew something had happened. They were

00:15:28.340 --> 00:15:31.960
totally different. They were totally changed.

00:15:33.059 --> 00:15:34.899
And that's what's happening with Paul. He says,

00:15:35.000 --> 00:15:37.320
somebody changed you. Somebody messed with you.

00:15:38.899 --> 00:15:41.059
And I'm really upset about it. Because you used

00:15:41.059 --> 00:15:43.879
to be happy. You're not happy anymore. You used

00:15:43.879 --> 00:15:47.320
to have joy. There's no joy anymore. He used

00:15:47.320 --> 00:15:50.740
to have peace, and look at you now. Look at you.

00:15:51.080 --> 00:15:54.879
He said, if I get a hold of them, and he, listen,

00:15:54.940 --> 00:15:57.620
in no uncertain language, later on in this epistle,

00:15:57.759 --> 00:16:01.059
he says, he said, I wish that they would be mutilated

00:16:01.059 --> 00:16:05.460
themselves. Because that's what he's saying.

00:16:05.580 --> 00:16:07.620
He's saying, I am sick of these people doing

00:16:07.620 --> 00:16:15.740
this to you. And here's what he did to them.

00:16:15.960 --> 00:16:19.580
Look at this. They lost their authenticity. And

00:16:19.580 --> 00:16:23.399
it's like he said, come back! Come back! The

00:16:23.399 --> 00:16:24.940
first thing they lost, if you look at chapter

00:16:24.940 --> 00:16:32.480
2, verse 12. I'll start with verse 11. But when

00:16:32.480 --> 00:16:34.899
Cephas, or Peter, came to Antioch, I opposed

00:16:34.899 --> 00:16:37.600
him to his face because he stood condemned. This

00:16:37.600 --> 00:16:40.820
is Peter. Peter's problems didn't stop after

00:16:40.820 --> 00:16:44.100
Jesus rose from the dead. You understand? Peter

00:16:44.100 --> 00:16:46.100
was still Peter. You are still you. You're going

00:16:46.100 --> 00:16:49.419
to have problems. It doesn't mean as soon as

00:16:49.419 --> 00:16:51.500
you get saved, it's like Pastor Frank Damasio

00:16:51.500 --> 00:16:53.000
said many years ago, he said it would be really

00:16:53.000 --> 00:16:56.399
nice if we could just take people, get them saved,

00:16:56.440 --> 00:16:58.980
bring them to a baptismal, put them underwater

00:16:58.980 --> 00:17:00.620
and shoot them in the head and send them to heaven

00:17:00.620 --> 00:17:02.179
because then you wouldn't have to deal with them

00:17:02.179 --> 00:17:10.700
anymore. Wouldn't it be nice to not ever sin

00:17:10.700 --> 00:17:13.890
again? Wouldn't it be nice to not go in debt?

00:17:14.250 --> 00:17:17.410
Wouldn't it be nice to not be immoral? Wouldn't

00:17:17.410 --> 00:17:19.809
it be nice to not have had that divorce? Wouldn't

00:17:19.809 --> 00:17:23.369
it be nice to live a life clean and free and

00:17:23.369 --> 00:17:25.450
pure? And well, Peter had trouble too, just like

00:17:25.450 --> 00:17:30.190
you. And basically Paul's saying, Peter, man,

00:17:30.269 --> 00:17:34.529
I want you back. Look at what he says. He says,

00:17:34.589 --> 00:17:36.390
when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to

00:17:36.390 --> 00:17:38.809
his face because he stood condemned. For prior

00:17:38.809 --> 00:17:40.849
to the coming of certain men from James, he used

00:17:40.849 --> 00:17:44.410
to eat with the Gentiles. But when they came,

00:17:44.569 --> 00:17:46.529
he began to withdraw and hold himself aloof,

00:17:46.569 --> 00:17:49.250
fearing the party of the circumcision. The rest

00:17:49.250 --> 00:17:51.369
of the Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, with

00:17:51.369 --> 00:17:53.970
the result, see, hypocrisy as being less than

00:17:53.970 --> 00:17:59.029
what you say you are. Hypo, less, cooler, colder,

00:17:59.150 --> 00:18:03.650
out underneath, less. He was less than what he

00:18:03.650 --> 00:18:07.829
said. He was a hypocrite. You know what I'm talking

00:18:07.829 --> 00:18:11.869
about. It only took two days to take the 20 children

00:18:11.869 --> 00:18:17.430
TV show off the air. And the number one word

00:18:17.430 --> 00:18:23.789
was hypocrite. And Paul is saying, you're a hypocrite,

00:18:23.789 --> 00:18:26.529
man. But he didn't do it in private. He did it

00:18:26.529 --> 00:18:29.869
right in front of God and everybody. Here's what

00:18:29.869 --> 00:18:33.309
happens. He began to withdraw and hold himself

00:18:33.309 --> 00:18:36.250
aloof, fearing the party of the circumcision.

00:18:36.349 --> 00:18:38.289
The rest of the Jews joined him in hypocrisy

00:18:38.289 --> 00:18:40.089
with the result that even Barnabas was carried

00:18:40.089 --> 00:18:43.049
away by their hypocrisy. But when I saw that

00:18:43.049 --> 00:18:44.710
they were not straightforward about the truth

00:18:44.710 --> 00:18:47.250
of the gospel, I said to Peter, or Cephas, in

00:18:47.250 --> 00:18:49.789
the presence of all, if you, being a Jew, live

00:18:49.789 --> 00:18:52.609
like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, how

00:18:52.609 --> 00:18:55.049
is it that you compel the Gentiles to live like

00:18:55.049 --> 00:19:00.849
Jews? I want to... Here's what happened. Group

00:19:00.849 --> 00:19:02.990
of people come. Paul and Peter are together.

00:19:03.349 --> 00:19:05.670
And as soon as these people come, Peter leaves

00:19:05.670 --> 00:19:07.990
Paul and goes and hangs out with these people.

00:19:08.569 --> 00:19:15.430
Because he's intimidated. Peter is intimidated.

00:19:17.750 --> 00:19:20.930
You think it can't happen to you? Well, I'll

00:19:20.930 --> 00:19:23.670
tell you this. You know that you're not authentic

00:19:23.670 --> 00:19:29.359
when somebody else owns you. It's one of the

00:19:29.359 --> 00:19:32.019
main themes of Galatians. He says it was for

00:19:32.019 --> 00:19:37.200
freedom that Christ set you free. You are not

00:19:37.200 --> 00:19:41.539
free when you are living your life and the first

00:19:41.539 --> 00:19:43.759
thing as you make your decisions or get up to

00:19:43.759 --> 00:19:45.680
do something in your life, the first thing that

00:19:45.680 --> 00:19:48.579
goes through your mind in your life is what will

00:19:48.579 --> 00:19:52.559
they think? I should go check with them first

00:19:52.559 --> 00:19:54.640
before I do this. And there's nothing wrong with

00:19:54.640 --> 00:19:56.000
going and getting some wisdom and stuff like

00:19:56.000 --> 00:19:59.460
that. But if... There is a control situation

00:19:59.460 --> 00:20:02.900
here where you're living your life in intimidation.

00:20:02.940 --> 00:20:06.339
Now, listen, when you're owned by somebody, it's

00:20:06.339 --> 00:20:09.039
like in basketball. It used to be it is a bad

00:20:09.039 --> 00:20:11.039
term if you're the guy that's being referenced.

00:20:11.319 --> 00:20:14.579
But in basketball, if somebody says about you

00:20:14.579 --> 00:20:17.700
that Michael Jordan owns you, that's really bad.

00:20:18.920 --> 00:20:20.980
That means whenever you guard him, he knows he

00:20:20.980 --> 00:20:23.500
can take you anytime. Stephen Curry, it's the

00:20:23.500 --> 00:20:26.700
same idea. And they say it about him. He owns

00:20:26.700 --> 00:20:28.559
people. Well, I want to tell you, in this realm,

00:20:28.759 --> 00:20:30.920
when you're owned by people, it's really bad.

00:20:31.799 --> 00:20:35.180
Because they have your number, and they can dial

00:20:35.180 --> 00:20:38.500
at any time and take you off track. And here

00:20:38.500 --> 00:20:42.519
is a guy who is the head of the church, and he

00:20:42.519 --> 00:20:45.579
is intimidated by these people. But you know

00:20:45.579 --> 00:20:48.420
what? Many people are just like that. That's

00:20:48.420 --> 00:20:51.640
what the whole big bullying thing is about. Because

00:20:51.640 --> 00:20:54.720
kids take a different route to school to not

00:20:54.720 --> 00:20:56.920
get bullied for their money on the way to school.

00:20:57.019 --> 00:20:59.279
Or they get down to a hallway and they go down

00:20:59.279 --> 00:21:00.960
a different hallway because there's that kid

00:21:00.960 --> 00:21:02.700
there, that lady there, that girl there, that

00:21:02.700 --> 00:21:04.440
teacher there, whatever. And they don't want

00:21:04.440 --> 00:21:07.579
to be intimidated. It's on their mind. They are

00:21:07.579 --> 00:21:10.259
owned. They're slaves to their intimidation and

00:21:10.259 --> 00:21:13.069
their fear. There's people who are in here right

00:21:13.069 --> 00:21:18.630
now that you are enslaved to unforgiveness. Somebody

00:21:18.630 --> 00:21:21.950
else owns you. You're fine until they come in

00:21:21.950 --> 00:21:24.769
the room. You're fine until you think, no, I'm

00:21:24.769 --> 00:21:27.589
not going to go there. I can't go to their house

00:21:27.589 --> 00:21:29.630
because, no, no, don't want to say anything.

00:21:30.430 --> 00:21:34.109
They own you. They're living in your mind. They're

00:21:34.109 --> 00:21:36.829
taking rent or they're taking a place and not

00:21:36.829 --> 00:21:40.769
paying any rent. They own you. And that is a

00:21:40.769 --> 00:21:43.069
bad thing. Now, some of you know exactly what

00:21:43.069 --> 00:21:44.609
I'm talking about. I know the Lord's speaking

00:21:44.609 --> 00:21:47.170
to some people. He spoke to me when I read this.

00:21:48.410 --> 00:21:55.609
He said, this is you, my friend. And outwardly,

00:21:55.609 --> 00:21:57.930
like Peter, you're the head. You're the guy.

00:21:58.130 --> 00:22:00.690
You're the leader. You're doing everything. But

00:22:00.690 --> 00:22:04.410
inwardly, you're afraid. Everybody else thinks

00:22:04.410 --> 00:22:07.720
you're great. But you're intimidated. And the

00:22:07.720 --> 00:22:09.940
only way to rescue this guy, this is Paul saying

00:22:09.940 --> 00:22:15.880
to Peter, Peter, I want you back. He says, you're

00:22:15.880 --> 00:22:18.759
standing condemned right now in the position

00:22:18.759 --> 00:22:21.400
that you are in. You are condemned and don't

00:22:21.400 --> 00:22:23.700
you know it. That's exactly how he was. He was

00:22:23.700 --> 00:22:28.920
condemned in the position that he was. So I want

00:22:28.920 --> 00:22:31.720
to encourage you, if you want to become authentic,

00:22:32.039 --> 00:22:37.509
offload that. Father, in the name of Jesus, right

00:22:37.509 --> 00:22:40.009
now I pray. I just feel your Holy Spirit here

00:22:40.009 --> 00:22:41.890
right now. I thank you that you're moving on

00:22:41.890 --> 00:22:44.589
people and you're encouraging us, Lord. We want

00:22:44.589 --> 00:22:48.490
to be free. We want to wake up happy. We want

00:22:48.490 --> 00:22:50.470
to wake up without other people's faces on our

00:22:50.470 --> 00:22:52.769
minds. You know, my God, how am I going to handle

00:22:52.769 --> 00:22:58.269
that? Lord, in the name of Jesus, I just breathe

00:22:58.269 --> 00:23:01.349
a breath of fresh air to these people right now

00:23:01.349 --> 00:23:04.440
in the name of Jesus. Freedom. It was for freedom

00:23:04.440 --> 00:23:07.539
that Christ set you free. Don't subject yourself

00:23:07.539 --> 00:23:11.539
to a yoke of bondage again. In the name of Jesus,

00:23:11.740 --> 00:23:16.839
you are free! In the name of Jesus. Hallelujah.

00:23:17.220 --> 00:23:21.900
Forgive. If you are in unforgiveness, and listen,

00:23:22.039 --> 00:23:25.259
some people are just in bondage to their stupid

00:23:25.259 --> 00:23:28.859
mistakes. You did something stupid and you won't

00:23:28.859 --> 00:23:31.599
try something again because you're a slave to

00:23:31.599 --> 00:23:35.900
that mistake. That mistake owns you. And you're

00:23:35.900 --> 00:23:38.640
afraid to step out and do anything adventurous

00:23:38.640 --> 00:23:41.900
again or anything by faith again because you

00:23:41.900 --> 00:23:44.220
just did something. You said something, you did

00:23:44.220 --> 00:23:46.980
something stupid, went someplace stupid. Listen,

00:23:47.059 --> 00:23:51.039
it's over. It's over. You can't live in the past,

00:23:51.140 --> 00:24:05.150
so why let it own you? You know that you're not

00:24:05.150 --> 00:24:08.390
authentic when you try to rebuild what you once

00:24:08.390 --> 00:24:13.869
destroyed. When you become a Christian, you leave

00:24:13.869 --> 00:24:15.869
things behind. Now, I'm going to tell you my

00:24:15.869 --> 00:24:17.990
story real quickly. When I became a Christian,

00:24:18.049 --> 00:24:21.150
I had a whole bunch of albums, and not nearly

00:24:21.150 --> 00:24:23.009
as many as probably many of you, but for you

00:24:23.009 --> 00:24:25.789
young people, albums were these big things that

00:24:25.789 --> 00:24:31.650
they ran at 33 RPM on your turntable. You tried

00:24:31.650 --> 00:24:34.190
to get a Bose turntable and cut the hissing and

00:24:34.190 --> 00:24:36.430
the crackling and all that stuff. Those were

00:24:36.430 --> 00:24:43.490
really cool. I liked my albums. I was, I know

00:24:43.490 --> 00:24:49.529
this is like totally weird, but I was a Grand

00:24:49.529 --> 00:24:53.869
Funk Railroad fan. Three Dog Night. Come on,

00:24:53.869 --> 00:24:55.529
a Creedence Fairwater Revolve. You know what

00:24:55.529 --> 00:24:58.890
I'm talking about. Hey, I want to tell you something.

00:24:59.009 --> 00:25:01.150
The other day I was just, I was YouTubing some

00:25:01.150 --> 00:25:03.470
stuff from T .D. Jakes and just watching him.

00:25:03.569 --> 00:25:05.829
And off to the right I saw this picture of a

00:25:05.829 --> 00:25:09.710
Three Dog Night singer. I went, I wonder whatever

00:25:09.710 --> 00:25:12.490
happened to him. So I Wikipedia'd him. And I

00:25:12.490 --> 00:25:15.009
didn't even know his name. There were three singers

00:25:15.009 --> 00:25:17.289
for Three Dog Night. I didn't even know that.

00:25:18.930 --> 00:25:23.269
Anyway, this guy got hooked on heroin in 1971.

00:25:23.390 --> 00:25:25.329
He was still part of the band until 75. His last

00:25:25.329 --> 00:25:29.380
name was Negros, I think. And he went into rehab

00:25:29.380 --> 00:25:36.160
30 times. You want to talk about slavery. Heroin

00:25:36.160 --> 00:25:41.119
is a mean master. Drugs are a mean master. They

00:25:41.119 --> 00:25:44.940
treat you nice for a minute. And then they bring

00:25:44.940 --> 00:25:50.200
you into pain the rest of the time. And 30 times

00:25:50.200 --> 00:25:56.849
he went into rehab. Never got free until he gave

00:25:56.849 --> 00:26:01.049
his life to Christ. And he never went back to

00:26:01.049 --> 00:26:04.009
drugs again. That's what that says. I hope it's

00:26:04.009 --> 00:26:05.849
up to date and it's current. I hope he's doing

00:26:05.849 --> 00:26:09.490
well. But I used to have all those albums. And

00:26:09.490 --> 00:26:13.069
when I became a Christian, I know this is extreme

00:26:13.069 --> 00:26:18.230
for some of you, but I took all my albums and

00:26:18.230 --> 00:26:21.950
I burnt them. I just, and it wasn't, listen,

00:26:21.990 --> 00:26:26.890
I had carpenters and I burnt them too. I had

00:26:26.890 --> 00:26:31.190
101 strings. I just offloaded my stuff, man.

00:26:31.809 --> 00:26:36.049
And here's why. Jesus got a hold of my heart.

00:26:36.690 --> 00:26:40.789
And I knew that if I had that stuff around, I

00:26:40.789 --> 00:26:43.150
would be pulled into the emotion of that music,

00:26:43.369 --> 00:26:45.589
be pulled into the words of the music, and that

00:26:45.589 --> 00:26:47.269
stuff would start going through my mind again.

00:26:48.720 --> 00:26:52.779
And I know that it would re -engage me. And I

00:26:52.779 --> 00:26:54.740
didn't want to rebuild what I had just destroyed.

00:26:56.799 --> 00:26:58.980
Now, for you it may be something different. But

00:26:58.980 --> 00:27:01.519
for me, I had to get rid of that. Because I come

00:27:01.519 --> 00:27:03.920
from a family of rock and roll people. And my

00:27:03.920 --> 00:27:05.859
brothers were drummers in rock and roll bands.

00:27:06.599 --> 00:27:10.160
And didn't have a lot around the house. We had

00:27:10.160 --> 00:27:12.059
drugs around the house with my older brother

00:27:12.059 --> 00:27:14.500
and stuff like that. I never personally ever

00:27:14.500 --> 00:27:17.240
did drugs. I did alcohol and I repented of that

00:27:17.240 --> 00:27:23.859
and got out of that. But step back. Okay. So

00:27:23.859 --> 00:27:30.920
I had to offload that. But I want to tell you,

00:27:31.000 --> 00:27:36.720
it always tries to creep back in. And it's like

00:27:36.720 --> 00:27:41.839
kryptonite to me. I know, wow, three dog night

00:27:41.839 --> 00:27:44.140
and kryptonite in one sermon. This is just amazing.

00:27:44.680 --> 00:27:48.599
But what happens is that when it gets in there,

00:27:48.700 --> 00:27:52.519
it makes me take a trip down memory lane. And

00:27:52.519 --> 00:27:54.599
I start thinking of, I remember that girl. She

00:27:54.599 --> 00:27:56.500
was really a nice girl. I went out with her for

00:27:56.500 --> 00:27:58.559
a little while. And pretty soon I'm just done.

00:27:58.619 --> 00:28:01.279
And it's like I'm rebuilding something I destroyed.

00:28:03.059 --> 00:28:07.519
Why would I do that? My life belongs to Jesus

00:28:07.519 --> 00:28:10.500
Christ. It belongs to him, and he's my boss.

00:28:11.460 --> 00:28:15.400
And I couldn't... Listen, some of you, this is

00:28:15.400 --> 00:28:18.779
the message. This is the part of it. You want

00:28:18.779 --> 00:28:20.299
to serve Christ, but you want to have your other

00:28:20.299 --> 00:28:25.160
stuff. You can't do both. It just does not work.

00:28:25.319 --> 00:28:27.640
It's like straddling a fence. You really get

00:28:27.640 --> 00:28:38.279
hurt. You don't... rebuild what you destroyed.

00:28:38.559 --> 00:28:40.680
That's what Paul is saying. Why would I rebuild?

00:28:40.880 --> 00:28:43.240
Why would I go back to Judaism and rebuild all

00:28:43.240 --> 00:28:47.779
that stuff? I belong to Christ now. And he was

00:28:47.779 --> 00:28:51.059
one of the great Jewish thinkers of his time.

00:28:52.220 --> 00:29:03.599
Amazing guy. Thank you, Jesus. Father, I just

00:29:03.599 --> 00:29:06.819
pray for people right now in this room. who are

00:29:06.819 --> 00:29:11.279
struggling with old habits and old things that

00:29:11.279 --> 00:29:13.079
have come back and knocked on their door and

00:29:13.079 --> 00:29:16.359
said, I want in again. Old ways of thinking,

00:29:16.619 --> 00:29:23.400
old bad habits, old things that brought them

00:29:23.400 --> 00:29:26.819
down and caused them to go down paths that they

00:29:26.819 --> 00:29:31.640
just even probably don't want to remember. But

00:29:31.640 --> 00:29:33.819
I pray right now in the name of Jesus. Lord,

00:29:33.920 --> 00:29:36.400
I can just hear Paul's voice in my own heart

00:29:36.400 --> 00:29:41.279
saying, I want you back. Who bewitched you? Please,

00:29:41.279 --> 00:29:45.099
don't go down that road. Lord, I just ask in

00:29:45.099 --> 00:29:47.319
Jesus' name that that voice of the Holy Spirit

00:29:47.319 --> 00:29:50.039
would speak deep in people's hearts who have

00:29:50.039 --> 00:29:53.019
been tempted now to leave their life with Christ

00:29:53.019 --> 00:29:58.839
and go back. Go back to old things. In Jesus'

00:29:59.000 --> 00:30:02.190
name, amen. Now, you know you're not authentic

00:30:02.190 --> 00:30:05.869
if you'll look at chapter 3, verse 3. We'll start

00:30:05.869 --> 00:30:08.130
with verse 1. It says, You foolish Galatians,

00:30:08.130 --> 00:30:11.349
who has bewitched you before whose eyes Jesus

00:30:11.349 --> 00:30:14.869
Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? This

00:30:14.869 --> 00:30:16.549
is the only thing I want to find out from you.

00:30:17.210 --> 00:30:19.829
Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law

00:30:19.829 --> 00:30:23.329
or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish,

00:30:23.509 --> 00:30:25.630
having begun by the Spirit, are you now being

00:30:25.630 --> 00:30:29.019
perfected in the flesh? Now, the application

00:30:29.019 --> 00:30:32.140
is, as many people as there are in here, there's

00:30:32.140 --> 00:30:34.920
an application for you. But I just want to tell

00:30:34.920 --> 00:30:39.559
you a quick thing about my application. I would

00:30:39.559 --> 00:30:42.880
get a revelation of a certain thing from the

00:30:42.880 --> 00:30:47.079
Lord, and I just had this tendency, I just call

00:30:47.079 --> 00:30:50.660
it running ahead. I'd have this tendency of telling

00:30:50.660 --> 00:30:55.970
the Lord how it should happen. And how this thing

00:30:55.970 --> 00:30:58.410
should take place. And I would manufacture and

00:30:58.410 --> 00:31:00.230
I would think my way through. And there's nothing

00:31:00.230 --> 00:31:05.829
wrong with thinking. Hello. Please, please agree

00:31:05.829 --> 00:31:08.930
with me. Oh, we don't think here. Oh, we don't.

00:31:09.009 --> 00:31:11.250
You can do the thinking. We don't do the thinking.

00:31:11.349 --> 00:31:17.130
You do that. Golly, we don't do that here. Please,

00:31:17.210 --> 00:31:22.190
think. Think with me. I know. I'm not making

00:31:22.190 --> 00:31:25.509
fun of you. I'm making fun of me. You scared

00:31:25.509 --> 00:31:32.450
me there for a minute. Stop it. I want you back.

00:31:38.069 --> 00:31:41.869
That's Paul. But I would try to make things happen

00:31:41.869 --> 00:31:45.329
the way that I thought that the Lord was saying

00:31:45.329 --> 00:31:48.230
for them to happen. And it frustrated my wife

00:31:48.230 --> 00:31:53.930
to no end. She'd agree with the premise of...

00:31:54.000 --> 00:31:57.799
What I thought I was supposed to do. She would

00:31:57.799 --> 00:31:59.579
agree with that. But she would say, listen, can

00:31:59.579 --> 00:32:01.539
we talk about this? I said, no, I know what I'm

00:32:01.539 --> 00:32:03.480
going to do. Here I have this thing figured out

00:32:03.480 --> 00:32:05.720
and this and that. And I would run with all my

00:32:05.720 --> 00:32:07.660
energy as fast as I could, as hard as I could

00:32:07.660 --> 00:32:12.680
in that direction. And pretty soon it's... And

00:32:12.680 --> 00:32:18.180
I just found out I was running by myself. As

00:32:18.180 --> 00:32:22.279
I started, I got something from the Lord. But...

00:32:22.490 --> 00:32:26.549
I ran with my ideas. I want to tell you something

00:32:26.549 --> 00:32:32.769
about Kenny Smith, and I won't say too much in

00:32:32.769 --> 00:32:35.049
the sense of I don't want to expand on this too

00:32:35.049 --> 00:32:37.690
far, but I want to say one of the things that

00:32:37.690 --> 00:32:39.809
I've learned in my life, and you are blessed

00:32:39.809 --> 00:32:47.750
to have him here. Kenny is a guy who wants one

00:32:47.750 --> 00:32:53.420
thing only. He wants what God wants. And he's

00:32:53.420 --> 00:32:57.119
willing to wait for it. And he's willing to stop.

00:32:57.160 --> 00:33:00.740
He doesn't do the Saul thing of trying to make

00:33:00.740 --> 00:33:04.039
something happen. He doesn't start in the spirit

00:33:04.039 --> 00:33:06.299
and then be completed in the flesh. Kenny has

00:33:06.299 --> 00:33:10.660
a heart for the spirit. And he wants to be completed

00:33:10.660 --> 00:33:12.700
in the spirit. He wants the whole thing. So who

00:33:12.700 --> 00:33:15.779
gets the glory then? God gets all the glory.

00:33:15.839 --> 00:33:17.920
Not you because you finished in the flesh and

00:33:17.920 --> 00:33:21.380
all of a sudden it became about you. This is

00:33:21.380 --> 00:33:24.500
all about Him. So having started in the Spirit,

00:33:24.640 --> 00:33:28.299
let's finish in the Spirit. Let's keep our attitudes

00:33:28.299 --> 00:33:30.700
right. Let's let the Holy Spirit speak to us

00:33:30.700 --> 00:33:34.339
during the process. Can I hear an amen? Some

00:33:34.339 --> 00:33:36.660
people get going, they just radically go down

00:33:36.660 --> 00:33:38.960
a thing and it's like they never stop to listen

00:33:38.960 --> 00:33:41.140
to say if God has something to say about that

00:33:41.140 --> 00:33:45.279
next step. You started well, you're not finishing

00:33:45.279 --> 00:33:48.779
well. And Paul is saying, please. You started

00:33:48.779 --> 00:33:52.859
in the Spirit, but now you're just like, I'm

00:33:52.859 --> 00:33:54.700
waving my hand in front of your face and you're

00:33:54.700 --> 00:33:57.460
not there. The light's on, but nobody's home.

00:33:58.099 --> 00:34:01.460
What happened to you guys? You used to want the

00:34:01.460 --> 00:34:05.299
Holy Spirit and now you don't. Now you've got

00:34:05.299 --> 00:34:12.880
it figured out. Thank you, Jesus. Would you turn

00:34:12.880 --> 00:34:19.639
to chapter 4, verses 9 and 10? Because it's such

00:34:19.639 --> 00:34:23.659
a passionate gospel, and I really have always

00:34:23.659 --> 00:34:29.139
loved the Apostle Paul, I cut my teeth on Watchman

00:34:29.139 --> 00:34:31.619
Nee. How many ever read Watchman Nee's stuff?

00:34:32.639 --> 00:34:35.179
I cut my teeth on his stuff, and I'm telling

00:34:35.179 --> 00:34:38.639
you, he's a Pauline passage guy, and I just love

00:34:38.639 --> 00:34:41.900
Watchman Nee. Watchman Nee was a great evangelist

00:34:41.900 --> 00:34:46.000
and teacher from China. And he was eventually

00:34:46.000 --> 00:34:49.159
subdued by the Chinese. But he kept writing books

00:34:49.159 --> 00:34:51.519
and getting books out. And people would remember

00:34:51.519 --> 00:34:54.539
his stuff or have recorded his stuff. And they

00:34:54.539 --> 00:34:56.159
finally cut his tongue out because they found

00:34:56.159 --> 00:34:59.400
out he was relaying messages from prison to people.

00:34:59.440 --> 00:35:00.860
They cut his tongue out and eventually killed

00:35:00.860 --> 00:35:06.380
him in 1973. But he was just a profound guy.

00:35:06.519 --> 00:35:13.219
And his passion for, for instance, the Book of

00:35:13.219 --> 00:35:16.920
Romans. It has just lit a fire in me. I just

00:35:16.920 --> 00:35:20.579
love. And it made me love the Apostle Paul. But

00:35:20.579 --> 00:35:23.019
you know what it made me do more than that? Or

00:35:23.019 --> 00:35:25.840
along with that, it made me love the passion

00:35:25.840 --> 00:35:28.219
of the Apostle Paul. You have that passion in

00:35:28.219 --> 00:35:35.599
this church. You have passion of leaders who

00:35:35.599 --> 00:35:40.460
will come to you if you're not all there. You

00:35:40.460 --> 00:35:42.579
have the passion of people who care enough to

00:35:42.579 --> 00:35:45.500
stand up to you in public. Just like Paul did

00:35:45.500 --> 00:35:48.139
to Peter and say, listen, you're not authentic.

00:35:48.739 --> 00:35:52.739
You are being phony right now. And praise God

00:35:52.739 --> 00:35:54.659
for that. You have people that care about you

00:35:54.659 --> 00:35:57.179
enough to stop and say, listen, come back. We

00:35:57.179 --> 00:36:08.280
want you back. Thank you, Jesus. But now that

00:36:08.280 --> 00:36:10.599
you have come to know God, don't you love this?

00:36:11.559 --> 00:36:14.880
Look at this verse. I mean, this is like so wonderful.

00:36:15.659 --> 00:36:18.539
Verse 9. But now that you have come to know God,

00:36:18.579 --> 00:36:20.260
and Paul, it's like he goes, oh, just a minute,

00:36:20.320 --> 00:36:24.420
or rather to be known by him. Isn't that beautiful?

00:36:25.019 --> 00:36:29.460
I just love that. How is it that you turn back

00:36:29.460 --> 00:36:33.019
to the weak and worthless elemental things in

00:36:33.019 --> 00:36:36.739
which you desire to be enslaved all over again?

00:36:37.210 --> 00:36:40.190
You observe days and months and seasons and years.

00:36:40.449 --> 00:36:43.809
I am afraid for you that perhaps I have labored

00:36:43.809 --> 00:36:48.670
over you in vain. Now, I took that and I said,

00:36:48.670 --> 00:36:51.269
how can that just be brought in today? I just,

00:36:51.309 --> 00:36:53.750
you know, these people are specifically speaking

00:36:53.750 --> 00:36:56.030
about new moons and Sabbaths and everything else

00:36:56.030 --> 00:36:59.750
like that. But in our Christian vernacular or

00:36:59.750 --> 00:37:03.690
our Christian experience, it's very comparable.

00:37:04.250 --> 00:37:08.289
to the idea that we succumb so much to calendars

00:37:08.289 --> 00:37:13.389
and to meetings and to writing things out and

00:37:13.389 --> 00:37:15.849
getting them all set. It's the same thing as

00:37:15.849 --> 00:37:17.949
starting in the spirit and finishing in the flesh.

00:37:18.110 --> 00:37:19.809
It's like we're going to, you know, it's what

00:37:19.809 --> 00:37:22.389
James says. Why do you say you're going to go

00:37:22.389 --> 00:37:25.630
such and such a place tomorrow? Why don't you

00:37:25.630 --> 00:37:29.150
say if it's God's will, we'll go to this place

00:37:29.150 --> 00:37:32.570
tomorrow. But we're just like arrogant people.

00:37:33.659 --> 00:37:35.500
We're going to tell God we're going to do all

00:37:35.500 --> 00:37:36.860
this. We're going to do all that. And the Bible

00:37:36.860 --> 00:37:39.159
says man makes his plans. But a lot of times

00:37:39.159 --> 00:37:42.500
they don't finish the verse. But the Lord directs

00:37:42.500 --> 00:37:45.099
his steps. Here we are, a bunch of people who

00:37:45.099 --> 00:37:46.760
are consumed by our days and our months. And

00:37:46.760 --> 00:37:48.840
we get our calendar, our annual, sometimes three

00:37:48.840 --> 00:37:50.800
-year or five -year calendar out. And we mark

00:37:50.800 --> 00:37:52.360
it all off. This is what we're going to do. And

00:37:52.360 --> 00:37:54.420
by this time, this is going to be done. And all

00:37:54.420 --> 00:37:56.420
that stuff happens. And it's like God is saying,

00:37:56.500 --> 00:38:00.380
please stop. I want you back. I didn't set all

00:38:00.380 --> 00:38:04.500
those plans up. You did. Would you listen to

00:38:04.500 --> 00:38:05.880
me? And there's nothing wrong with planning,

00:38:06.000 --> 00:38:07.980
but if you don't listen to the Lord in the midst

00:38:07.980 --> 00:38:11.380
of your planning, you are saying, we know what

00:38:11.380 --> 00:38:13.840
God wants in our future, and we're not going

00:38:13.840 --> 00:38:16.159
to ask him anymore after we set this calendar.

00:38:21.780 --> 00:38:24.519
You have to be honest with the whole passage.

00:38:24.639 --> 00:38:26.719
If you go through Galatians and you skip ones

00:38:26.719 --> 00:38:30.039
that you don't like, I don't like that part.

00:38:32.219 --> 00:38:34.360
That's what they're doing now. It's like I talked

00:38:34.360 --> 00:38:37.480
to a pastor in our area and he said, yeah, we're

00:38:37.480 --> 00:38:40.400
getting rid of the Pauline epistles out of the

00:38:40.400 --> 00:38:45.579
Bible. I said, what? Are you serious? Oh, yeah.

00:38:46.780 --> 00:38:54.280
They're written by a man. I was like, we don't

00:38:54.280 --> 00:38:59.340
like those parts. So I want to encourage you.

00:38:59.690 --> 00:39:02.449
You guys have so much going on. And I say this,

00:39:02.570 --> 00:39:04.210
Pastor Brad's going to listen to the message.

00:39:04.309 --> 00:39:05.889
And I just want to encourage you, Pastor Brad

00:39:05.889 --> 00:39:08.769
and Pastor Jennifer, everybody else, you know

00:39:08.769 --> 00:39:13.210
this. It's because you are spirit -led. But each,

00:39:13.369 --> 00:39:15.869
you know, every day is a gift from God. Amen?

00:39:16.550 --> 00:39:18.590
And we want to treat it like that, that it's

00:39:18.590 --> 00:39:22.210
something special. And honor the Lord by seeking

00:39:22.210 --> 00:39:25.889
him continually. And I don't think that's an

00:39:25.889 --> 00:39:30.010
offense to our Christian calendars. I just think

00:39:30.010 --> 00:39:32.250
we have to have the Spirit in our calendars.

00:39:32.250 --> 00:39:35.949
Amen? I say that to myself, too. I'm not just

00:39:35.949 --> 00:39:38.750
preaching to you. I'm speaking to the choir member

00:39:38.750 --> 00:39:43.369
here. All right. Go ahead and bring up the next.

00:39:44.670 --> 00:39:48.449
Thank you very much. You know you're not authentic

00:39:48.449 --> 00:39:53.929
when men own you, part two. I want you to look

00:39:53.929 --> 00:39:59.969
at chapter four, verse 17, would you? We're going

00:39:59.969 --> 00:40:02.309
to look at just a couple more of these, and then

00:40:02.309 --> 00:40:07.070
I'm going to finish up here. It says, they eagerly

00:40:07.070 --> 00:40:09.630
seek you, not commendably, but they wish to shut

00:40:09.630 --> 00:40:12.050
you out so that you will seek them. I want you

00:40:12.050 --> 00:40:16.690
to remember this verse. When people come and

00:40:16.690 --> 00:40:21.389
your mind is consumed by what they think in terms

00:40:21.389 --> 00:40:24.409
of you can't move without them and they own you,

00:40:24.550 --> 00:40:30.250
then it's time to stop. They may not even intend

00:40:30.250 --> 00:40:35.550
it that way. But in this instance, these people

00:40:35.550 --> 00:40:39.610
were seeking to take these people, to shut them

00:40:39.610 --> 00:40:43.010
out from the freedom that they had, and make

00:40:43.010 --> 00:40:46.809
them seek them as their fathers in the Lord.

00:40:47.190 --> 00:40:50.809
And Paul would have none of it. They're after

00:40:50.809 --> 00:40:53.130
you, but they want you so that you will go after

00:40:53.130 --> 00:40:56.840
them, that you'll seek their advice. And Paul

00:40:56.840 --> 00:40:59.360
is upset. Now listen, he's writing this letter

00:40:59.360 --> 00:41:03.360
from a distance. He's not there anymore. So he's

00:41:03.360 --> 00:41:06.739
not that kind of guy. He's not the kind of guy

00:41:06.739 --> 00:41:11.159
that is sitting there minutely watching every

00:41:11.159 --> 00:41:13.500
single step that they make and trying to make

00:41:13.500 --> 00:41:15.960
sure they do everything right and micromanaging

00:41:15.960 --> 00:41:18.099
their lives and telling them this. Paul is not

00:41:18.099 --> 00:41:20.920
that kind of guy. He set up the church in Galatia

00:41:20.920 --> 00:41:23.730
and then he released it. To the people who were

00:41:23.730 --> 00:41:26.230
in charge in Galatia. He was totally free and

00:41:26.230 --> 00:41:28.849
he left them free. And then to see their leaders

00:41:28.849 --> 00:41:33.269
and their people become slaves was too much for

00:41:33.269 --> 00:41:35.050
him. He's like, man, what happened to you people?

00:41:35.130 --> 00:41:40.489
I want you back. Now, whenever these people come

00:41:40.489 --> 00:41:42.130
in the room, your head's all turning. You're

00:41:42.130 --> 00:41:43.809
looking at them. You're not looking at me. I

00:41:43.809 --> 00:41:45.710
say something to you, you turn around and look

00:41:45.710 --> 00:41:48.929
at them. Like, shall we listen to Paul? And he

00:41:48.929 --> 00:41:51.269
even says in Galatians, he says, have I become

00:41:51.269 --> 00:41:57.719
your enemy? Basically, he said, I brought you

00:41:57.719 --> 00:42:00.539
to the Lord. Why are you treating me this way?

00:42:02.159 --> 00:42:04.219
I am not your enemy. And listen, there are people

00:42:04.219 --> 00:42:07.019
in here who want you to succeed in Jesus Christ.

00:42:07.440 --> 00:42:13.199
They're not your enemy. These people wanted people's

00:42:13.199 --> 00:42:15.139
attention to go to them. It wasn't a good thing.

00:42:16.079 --> 00:42:25.530
And look at chapter 6, I believe. Verse 13. This

00:42:25.530 --> 00:42:31.190
is when people own you. Part three. For those

00:42:31.190 --> 00:42:33.449
who are circumcised do not even keep the law

00:42:33.449 --> 00:42:36.289
themselves, but they desire to have you circumcised

00:42:36.289 --> 00:42:40.150
so that they may boast in your flesh. They don't

00:42:40.150 --> 00:42:41.769
really care about you. They just want a notch

00:42:41.769 --> 00:42:46.449
on their belt. They want to celebrate that you're

00:42:46.449 --> 00:42:48.409
part of their group. Remember what it said about

00:42:48.409 --> 00:42:50.929
the Pharisees and the Sadducees? It says, you'll

00:42:50.929 --> 00:42:53.670
go over land and sea. You'll go mile after mile

00:42:53.670 --> 00:42:56.050
after mile to get one convert. And then when

00:42:56.050 --> 00:42:57.929
you turn around, you make him twice as son of

00:42:57.929 --> 00:43:03.269
hell as you are. For the Pharisees and the Sadducees,

00:43:03.329 --> 00:43:07.630
it wasn't about reaching people for God. It was

00:43:07.630 --> 00:43:10.630
about getting someone to sign up to their side.

00:43:10.949 --> 00:43:13.090
It had nothing to do with God. It had something

00:43:13.090 --> 00:43:17.030
to do with getting people to be with them. And

00:43:17.030 --> 00:43:19.849
that is not God. It's not the Lord. And you know

00:43:19.849 --> 00:43:22.349
you're not authentic when you're trying to serve

00:43:22.349 --> 00:43:24.809
people that only want you for what you can do

00:43:24.809 --> 00:43:34.130
for them. That's abusive. It's wrong. John F.

00:43:34.150 --> 00:43:39.429
Kennedy had it right, didn't he? Ask not what

00:43:39.429 --> 00:43:41.829
your country could do for you. but rather what

00:43:41.829 --> 00:43:43.869
you can do for your country. That's basically

00:43:43.869 --> 00:43:47.909
Paul's thing. I'm not after you for me. I'm after

00:43:47.909 --> 00:43:49.670
you for the kingdom of God so that you would

00:43:49.670 --> 00:44:04.730
honor the Lord. Thank you, Jesus. You can look

00:44:04.730 --> 00:44:06.880
up... These other verses, they're very wonderful.

00:44:07.139 --> 00:44:10.199
Chapter 5, verse 4. Chapter 5, verse 15. Chapter

00:44:10.199 --> 00:44:14.980
5, verse 15 is, to me, the ultimate verse that

00:44:14.980 --> 00:44:17.619
tells you what happens when you become a slave

00:44:17.619 --> 00:44:19.440
of somebody else and when you live under the

00:44:19.440 --> 00:44:21.440
law and legalism. When you become a legalistic

00:44:21.440 --> 00:44:26.420
person, you become a mean person. And you begin

00:44:26.420 --> 00:44:29.719
to bite and devour one another and you cause

00:44:29.719 --> 00:44:33.389
other people to live in misery. All you want

00:44:33.389 --> 00:44:36.170
is not shared life. You want shared misery when

00:44:36.170 --> 00:44:38.610
you're in legalism. That's all you want. You

00:44:38.610 --> 00:44:41.110
want somebody to sit with you and share the pain.

00:44:42.989 --> 00:44:47.389
And that's not right. How would you like to live

00:44:47.389 --> 00:44:51.530
with a legalistic person? Well, that bed's not

00:44:51.530 --> 00:44:55.110
made exactly right. Now, did you put the cup

00:44:55.110 --> 00:44:57.929
back on the back of the sink or to the right

00:44:57.929 --> 00:45:00.010
of the sink? Now, where did I tell you to put

00:45:00.010 --> 00:45:03.980
it? Honey, your belt's not cinched up that one

00:45:03.980 --> 00:45:08.480
more loop. I mean, how would you like to live

00:45:08.480 --> 00:45:10.320
with that? I mean, it just would be miserable.

00:45:10.599 --> 00:45:13.300
And these people were biting and devouring one

00:45:13.300 --> 00:45:16.880
another. He says, hey, be careful. Hello. If

00:45:16.880 --> 00:45:18.559
you're biting and devouring each other, you might

00:45:18.559 --> 00:45:21.179
also eat each other. So why don't you just stop

00:45:21.179 --> 00:45:24.539
that? That's not helping you. Churches that become

00:45:24.539 --> 00:45:28.579
legalistic are really mean churches. And it's

00:45:28.579 --> 00:45:31.059
nothing against the people who are in them. It's

00:45:31.059 --> 00:45:32.679
just that they need to get rid of that spirit.

00:45:35.019 --> 00:45:37.639
When people in the world think you hate them,

00:45:37.780 --> 00:45:43.320
you might take a look in the mirror and find

00:45:43.320 --> 00:45:47.559
out why they're thinking that. How did you get

00:45:47.559 --> 00:45:49.820
saved? You didn't get saved by somebody pointing

00:45:49.820 --> 00:45:53.219
the finger at you and telling you what a screwed

00:45:53.219 --> 00:45:55.659
up person you were and what a worthless loser

00:45:55.659 --> 00:45:59.320
you were. I would imagine most everybody, am

00:45:59.320 --> 00:46:01.400
I right? Did most people come to Christ because

00:46:01.400 --> 00:46:04.480
somebody loved you and cared about you and encouraged

00:46:04.480 --> 00:46:06.780
you and tried to show you who Jesus was? Am I

00:46:06.780 --> 00:46:11.900
right? Most people know they're sinners. It's

00:46:11.900 --> 00:46:16.360
not a mystery to anybody. You're mostly sinners.

00:46:16.500 --> 00:46:21.800
Are you guys tracking with me here? I'm going

00:46:21.800 --> 00:46:27.329
to do two more things. I'm going to look at chapter

00:46:27.329 --> 00:46:35.989
6 verse 12 and it says those who desire to make

00:46:35.989 --> 00:46:38.449
a good showing in the flesh try to compel you

00:46:38.449 --> 00:46:40.710
to be circumcised simply so that they will not

00:46:40.710 --> 00:46:45.610
be persecuted for the cross of Christ. It's the

00:46:45.610 --> 00:46:48.400
Galatian At the beginning, Paul says, I have

00:46:48.400 --> 00:46:50.059
been crucified with Christ. It's no longer I

00:46:50.059 --> 00:46:51.900
who live, but Christ lives in me. In the life

00:46:51.900 --> 00:46:53.539
that I now live in the flesh, I live by faith

00:46:53.539 --> 00:46:55.039
in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself

00:46:55.039 --> 00:46:58.199
up for me. He's all about the cross. Paul is

00:46:58.199 --> 00:47:00.039
all about the cross, about Jesus dying on the

00:47:00.039 --> 00:47:03.840
cross, about living by the grace that was dispensed

00:47:03.840 --> 00:47:06.280
by the cross. He's all about the freedom that

00:47:06.280 --> 00:47:08.739
the cross bought and all that stuff. And now

00:47:08.739 --> 00:47:11.420
he's saying, these people, here's what's happening.

00:47:12.920 --> 00:47:17.739
You're getting circumcised. so that you guys

00:47:17.739 --> 00:47:21.260
won't get persecuted for the cross. That's what's

00:47:21.260 --> 00:47:24.099
happening. They are circumventing the cross and

00:47:24.099 --> 00:47:28.460
making it easier so that you don't have to abide

00:47:28.460 --> 00:47:30.619
or at least acknowledge that you're a Christian

00:47:30.619 --> 00:47:36.199
and that it was the cross. That's all they want

00:47:36.199 --> 00:47:38.280
from you. They don't want it. They're tired of

00:47:38.280 --> 00:47:39.719
being persecuted. How many of you know Paul was

00:47:39.719 --> 00:47:43.579
persecuted? Everywhere he went, they tried to

00:47:43.579 --> 00:47:46.849
stone him to death. They tried lashes. He was

00:47:46.849 --> 00:47:49.769
shipwrecked. He was beaten with rods a number

00:47:49.769 --> 00:47:52.030
of times. It just goes on. The list is incredible

00:47:52.030 --> 00:47:56.309
what he went through for you and me. But they

00:47:56.309 --> 00:47:58.190
didn't want that. It's like, we saw what happened

00:47:58.190 --> 00:48:00.170
to Paul, so let's kind of get the cross out of

00:48:00.170 --> 00:48:01.769
there. And that's the same thing that's happening

00:48:01.769 --> 00:48:03.889
in today's Christianity, is they're offloading

00:48:03.889 --> 00:48:08.170
the cross. And that's not a straw man argument.

00:48:08.769 --> 00:48:12.389
There are people who have made the cross as of

00:48:12.389 --> 00:48:16.579
no importance. And it's not right. If you're

00:48:16.579 --> 00:48:18.500
going to serve Jesus Christ, one of the greatest

00:48:18.500 --> 00:48:25.800
things you can do is embrace the cross. All right,

00:48:25.880 --> 00:48:27.380
I'm going to finish with this. These are just

00:48:27.380 --> 00:48:31.460
some personal words to me as I, or to you from

00:48:31.460 --> 00:48:34.900
my heart. I want you to go back to chapter four.

00:48:35.559 --> 00:48:51.210
I want to tell you about your church. We read

00:48:51.210 --> 00:48:53.349
this before, but I just want you to see it. Galatians

00:48:53.349 --> 00:48:55.469
is such a beautiful letter, and he's just trying

00:48:55.469 --> 00:48:59.409
to say, and I want to say to you here, I think

00:48:59.409 --> 00:49:01.750
there's some people who've been living intimidated

00:49:01.750 --> 00:49:13.869
lives, used to have joy, peace, and you're not

00:49:13.869 --> 00:49:20.639
there. You're just not free anymore. I mean,

00:49:20.659 --> 00:49:23.280
you used to come up and worship. Now somebody

00:49:23.280 --> 00:49:25.019
almost would have to drag you up there and flap

00:49:25.019 --> 00:49:27.820
your arms around for you to... You understand

00:49:27.820 --> 00:49:31.519
what I'm saying? And it's like, and I don't mean

00:49:31.519 --> 00:49:34.860
to denigrate you, but I think there's a couple

00:49:34.860 --> 00:49:40.159
here at least. You are feeling dead inside. I

00:49:40.159 --> 00:49:43.019
hope it's not true, but I just feel that's a

00:49:43.019 --> 00:49:46.039
word of the Lord that you're saying. My Christianity

00:49:46.039 --> 00:50:05.039
is not alive. I am not free. He says here, verse

00:50:05.039 --> 00:50:07.519
15, he says, where then is that sense of blessing

00:50:07.519 --> 00:50:13.599
you had? For I bear you witness. Paul was having

00:50:13.599 --> 00:50:16.760
trouble with his eyes. That's what the indication

00:50:16.760 --> 00:50:21.860
is anyway. I bear you witness that if possible

00:50:21.860 --> 00:50:23.860
you would have plucked out your eyes and given

00:50:23.860 --> 00:50:27.139
them to me. Where is that sense of blessing you

00:50:27.139 --> 00:50:32.139
had? What happened? I want that church back.

00:50:32.679 --> 00:50:36.119
I want the church that's passionate. I want the

00:50:36.119 --> 00:50:39.380
church that loves people. I want that church

00:50:39.380 --> 00:50:43.980
back. Said about the little girl in the lunchroom,

00:50:44.139 --> 00:50:52.980
very poignant, very true. So he says, so have

00:50:52.980 --> 00:50:56.760
I become your enemy by telling you the truth?

00:50:58.280 --> 00:51:02.039
They eagerly seek you, not commendably, but they

00:51:02.039 --> 00:51:04.539
wish to shut you out so that you will seek them.

00:51:05.260 --> 00:51:07.780
You remember what Jesus said? He talked to the

00:51:07.780 --> 00:51:10.880
lawyers one time and he said, you know, You have

00:51:10.880 --> 00:51:15.320
the key to the door of knowledge. You don't go

00:51:15.320 --> 00:51:21.440
in and you don't open it for anybody else. And

00:51:21.440 --> 00:51:23.239
he was brutal to those people. The only thing

00:51:23.239 --> 00:51:25.420
they could understand was that brutality to their

00:51:25.420 --> 00:51:29.579
minds and their souls. And Paul is saying, these

00:51:29.579 --> 00:51:32.539
people want to shut you out. These people want

00:51:32.539 --> 00:51:35.699
to keep you from your freedom. They want to keep

00:51:35.699 --> 00:51:37.460
you from the joy of the Lord. Love, joy, peace,

00:51:37.559 --> 00:51:39.380
patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness,

00:51:39.420 --> 00:51:41.300
self -control. They want to keep you from that

00:51:41.300 --> 00:51:43.400
fruit. They want to keep you from the Spirit.

00:51:44.059 --> 00:51:46.860
And I'm trying to bring this back. It's like

00:51:46.860 --> 00:51:49.340
they lost all attachment to the Holy Spirit.

00:51:50.159 --> 00:51:52.099
And he said, these people are trying to shut

00:51:52.099 --> 00:51:54.440
you out. But I want to tell you, you have a church

00:51:54.440 --> 00:51:58.619
that's trying to let you in. You have people

00:51:58.619 --> 00:52:18.300
that, listen, Frank DiMaggio let me in. I'll

00:52:18.300 --> 00:52:29.199
be there in just a second. Pastor Brad, let me

00:52:29.199 --> 00:52:44.099
in. The church doesn't need more people trying

00:52:44.099 --> 00:52:48.769
to keep people out. We don't need more people

00:52:48.769 --> 00:52:51.269
trying to shut off, cut off relationships and

00:52:51.269 --> 00:52:55.429
hurt people. We don't need more people captive

00:52:55.429 --> 00:52:57.989
in bondage and in slavery to other people's opinions.

00:52:58.789 --> 00:53:03.630
We need freedom. It's kind of like that blue

00:53:03.630 --> 00:53:09.010
-faced Mel Gibson. Freedom! Amen! That's what

00:53:09.010 --> 00:53:11.510
I want. You know what? I appreciate that movie

00:53:11.510 --> 00:53:13.090
for a number of reasons. One of the things, he

00:53:13.090 --> 00:53:16.500
was free to die. He was free to give his life.

00:53:16.760 --> 00:53:18.460
And there's so many Christians that aren't even

00:53:18.460 --> 00:53:21.719
free to live, much less die for Christ. They're

00:53:21.719 --> 00:53:24.420
so caught up in their own bondages and slaveries.

00:53:24.500 --> 00:53:27.260
And Paul said it was for freedom. It's like he's

00:53:27.260 --> 00:53:29.079
looking at me and says, man, it was for freedom.

00:53:29.239 --> 00:53:31.960
You were set free. What happened to you? You're

00:53:31.960 --> 00:53:35.840
not free anymore. And you have people in here

00:53:35.840 --> 00:53:42.559
that are opening wide the door. We need people

00:53:42.559 --> 00:53:45.599
who will open the doors. And this is a good way

00:53:45.599 --> 00:53:48.840
to start, is put your arms out like this the

00:53:48.840 --> 00:53:51.000
next time you are struggling with somebody, and

00:53:51.000 --> 00:53:55.420
it means I really want to hug you. And they have

00:53:55.420 --> 00:54:02.860
a choice. Amen? The church needs freedom. You

00:54:02.860 --> 00:54:06.420
have it here. You have people that are opening

00:54:06.420 --> 00:54:09.179
the doors, but you also have people that are

00:54:09.179 --> 00:54:12.139
burying things. I want you to finish up with

00:54:12.139 --> 00:54:22.989
this. Chapter 6. Brethren, I need a Kleenex.

00:54:23.050 --> 00:54:33.510
Oh, here it is. I got it. Whoops. It's not free.

00:54:41.900 --> 00:54:46.079
I'm so proud to know the people here and everything

00:54:46.079 --> 00:54:48.360
that they've done. But let's finish this up here.

00:54:49.199 --> 00:54:51.960
If anyone is caught in a trespass, you who are

00:54:51.960 --> 00:54:57.159
spiritual, condemn the hell out of them. Point

00:54:57.159 --> 00:54:59.019
your finger at them. Make them feel miserable.

00:55:00.360 --> 00:55:03.760
Absolutely obliterate them with your words. Tear

00:55:03.760 --> 00:55:06.059
them up. And then when they're down, kick them.

00:55:06.380 --> 00:55:08.079
Don't just kick them. Kick them in the head.

00:55:09.579 --> 00:55:11.239
Don't just kick them in the head. Make them bleed.

00:55:11.380 --> 00:55:14.659
Shut their eyes. Make them miserable. Make them

00:55:14.659 --> 00:55:49.980
want to come to church next Sunday. Restore.

00:55:49.980 --> 00:55:58.019
And be gentle about it. Look to yourself. You

00:55:58.019 --> 00:56:04.380
struggle too. Bear, look at this, bear one another's

00:56:04.380 --> 00:56:07.659
burdens. You think Paul's mean to these people?

00:56:07.719 --> 00:56:11.559
I don't think so at all. He's trying to pull

00:56:11.559 --> 00:56:14.820
them back to who they are. This is who you were.

00:56:16.400 --> 00:56:21.000
You loved each other. Bear one another's burdens.

00:56:23.380 --> 00:56:28.539
And thus fulfill the law of Christ. If anyone

00:56:28.539 --> 00:56:30.760
thinks he is something when he is nothing, he

00:56:30.760 --> 00:56:36.400
is deceived. But each one must examine his own

00:56:36.400 --> 00:56:39.739
work. Now look at this. And first you're going

00:56:39.739 --> 00:56:41.420
to bear one another's burdens. But I want you

00:56:41.420 --> 00:56:44.440
to know, that's how you must help other people

00:56:44.440 --> 00:56:49.690
to get to Christ. You must do that. It's a gospel

00:56:49.690 --> 00:56:52.969
imperative. We're not to shut them out. We're

00:56:52.969 --> 00:56:55.150
to open the doors for them. And we're to bear.

00:56:56.329 --> 00:57:00.969
And it says right here, it says, and then, let's

00:57:00.969 --> 00:57:02.989
see, but each one must examine his own work and

00:57:02.989 --> 00:57:05.489
then he will have reason for boasting in regard

00:57:05.489 --> 00:57:07.889
to himself alone and not in regard to another.

00:57:08.349 --> 00:57:14.210
For each one will bear your own load. You can

00:57:14.210 --> 00:57:16.190
get as much help as you can, but I want to tell

00:57:16.190 --> 00:57:19.730
you, Please don't be a slave to blaming other

00:57:19.730 --> 00:57:23.530
people for your situation. That's one of the

00:57:23.530 --> 00:57:30.130
worst situations of not being authentic, is blaming

00:57:30.130 --> 00:57:32.730
everybody else. And Paul says that. He says,

00:57:32.889 --> 00:57:36.369
no matter what you think, in the end, you're

00:57:36.369 --> 00:57:39.349
not going to be able to blame that bully. You're

00:57:39.349 --> 00:57:40.849
not going to be able to blame that husband or

00:57:40.849 --> 00:57:43.349
their wife or that boss or that co -laborer.

00:57:43.429 --> 00:57:45.250
You're not going to be able to blame that guy

00:57:45.250 --> 00:57:47.820
that was driving the car. You're going to bear

00:57:47.820 --> 00:57:52.340
your own load. But while we can, we can help

00:57:52.340 --> 00:58:02.139
each other. And look at this. The last verse.

00:58:02.840 --> 00:58:08.099
He says, this is Paul. He says, from now on,

00:58:08.159 --> 00:58:13.500
let no one cause trouble for me. For I bear on

00:58:13.500 --> 00:58:17.199
my body the brand marks of Jesus. I want you

00:58:17.199 --> 00:58:19.340
to notice he does not, every other place in the

00:58:19.340 --> 00:58:22.480
gospels or the epistles, he says, Lord Jesus

00:58:22.480 --> 00:58:26.980
Christ, Christ Jesus, Jesus Christ. This is,

00:58:27.039 --> 00:58:29.039
I think, one of the only places where he says

00:58:29.039 --> 00:58:34.300
only the name Jesus. And he's referring, in my

00:58:34.300 --> 00:58:40.659
opinion, he's referring to the welts, the peeled

00:58:40.659 --> 00:58:47.719
back, the hands, the head. Paul is saying, don't

00:58:47.719 --> 00:58:54.980
pick on me. I bear on my body the very same things

00:58:54.980 --> 00:58:57.360
that Jesus went through. I know what I'm talking

00:58:57.360 --> 00:59:03.119
about. I want to ask you, as we close, are you

00:59:03.119 --> 00:59:11.380
willing to offload hypocrisy and inauthenticity

00:59:11.380 --> 00:59:21.329
and really Serve Jesus. And take the risk. Because

00:59:21.329 --> 00:59:25.150
you guys are risk takers. This church is a risk

00:59:25.150 --> 00:59:29.369
taking church. And that's the Lord saying that

00:59:29.369 --> 00:59:32.309
to you. That's who you are. You're a risk taking

00:59:32.309 --> 00:59:38.789
church. Are you willing to risk it all? And have

00:59:38.789 --> 00:59:41.429
the possibility that you would bear on your bodies.

00:59:43.009 --> 00:59:53.309
The brand marks of Jesus. I want to. I want to

00:59:53.309 --> 01:00:02.949
serve Jesus. I want to love you. I want this

01:00:02.949 --> 01:00:06.809
to be a joyous place. And there are some in this

01:00:06.809 --> 01:00:09.630
room Jesus is saying to you, I want you back.

01:00:12.809 --> 01:00:14.289
And you can come back. Would you stand with me?

01:00:24.309 --> 01:00:27.250
I always ask my wife to please pray for me that

01:00:27.250 --> 01:00:30.909
I won't cry. Gee, I didn't ask her that today.

01:00:33.090 --> 01:00:38.329
But I feel the love of Jesus here. And if you're...

01:00:38.329 --> 01:00:40.789
There's an old song that Andre Crouch... wrote

01:00:40.789 --> 01:00:42.809
many years ago. He said, I'm coming home, dear

01:00:42.809 --> 01:00:47.809
Lord. I'm coming home, dear Lord. I'm sorry I

01:00:47.809 --> 01:00:54.030
wandered away so far. And if you are, if this

01:00:54.030 --> 01:00:55.829
message spoke to you and you're saying, you know

01:00:55.829 --> 01:01:01.710
what? That's me, doggone it. There's some young

01:01:01.710 --> 01:01:03.809
men in here, the Lord has called you and you

01:01:03.809 --> 01:01:05.869
just kind of turn it sideways to that call now

01:01:05.869 --> 01:01:07.289
because you don't necessarily, you might want

01:01:07.289 --> 01:01:08.510
to hear it with one ear, but you don't want to

01:01:08.510 --> 01:01:12.210
hear it with both ears. And you're not authentic.

01:01:14.690 --> 01:01:19.550
Why would you turn your back on Jesus? There's

01:01:19.550 --> 01:01:22.250
others who have been intimidated. And it's just

01:01:22.250 --> 01:01:25.429
time to be done with that, man. Let's let it

01:01:25.429 --> 01:01:27.789
go, man. Let those people be those people. But

01:01:27.789 --> 01:01:31.190
you be you. I like you. Nobody can be you but

01:01:31.190 --> 01:01:42.170
you. So if you would like prayer, I know that

01:01:42.170 --> 01:01:44.010
many of these people will be up here and they'll

01:01:44.010 --> 01:01:46.909
pray with me. But I'll stay until the praying

01:01:46.909 --> 01:01:50.670
is done. But this is a wonderful, wonderful church.

01:01:51.769 --> 01:01:56.070
And you should keep it that way. Don't muck it

01:01:56.070 --> 01:02:01.630
up. Stay in grace. Stay in faith and walk in

01:02:01.630 --> 01:02:06.869
the Spirit. Father, in Jesus' name, Lord, as

01:02:06.869 --> 01:02:11.190
people come forward this morning. I thank you

01:02:11.190 --> 01:02:25.789
for your love. Thank you for your cross. I am

01:02:25.789 --> 01:02:33.550
not ashamed of the cross. Lord, we pray in Jesus'

01:02:33.650 --> 01:02:36.590
name that you would help us maintain authenticity,

01:02:36.989 --> 01:02:39.480
that you would help us to be real. to people

01:02:39.480 --> 01:02:46.219
out in the world. People who have no clue. I

01:02:46.219 --> 01:02:48.159
just pray for that. And I pray for Life Bible

01:02:48.159 --> 01:02:53.159
Fellowship, Lord, right now in Jesus' name. That,

01:02:53.219 --> 01:02:55.920
Lord, the anointing that you've placed on this

01:02:55.920 --> 01:03:00.760
place would only expand. That it would embrace

01:03:00.760 --> 01:03:04.360
a community. It would embrace a county. It would

01:03:04.360 --> 01:03:07.460
embrace a state. It would embrace our nation.

01:03:09.099 --> 01:03:13.539
We love you, Jesus. We just choose to be real,

01:03:13.579 --> 01:03:16.360
and we just thank you for helping us today. In

01:03:16.360 --> 01:03:20.219
Jesus' name, amen. If you would like prayer,

01:03:20.380 --> 01:03:25.360
I would love to pray for you. Please come forward.

01:03:25.559 --> 01:03:33.639
We'll do it. Wasn't that a great word from Pastor

01:03:33.639 --> 01:03:41.780
Dan? As you're coming forward, I'm going to just

01:03:41.780 --> 01:03:44.000
pray a blessing over you guys. I'll let you know

01:03:44.000 --> 01:03:47.619
there is, I got to serve under Pastor Dan for,

01:03:47.639 --> 01:03:51.380
oh, the last 12 or 13 years before he released

01:03:51.380 --> 01:03:54.460
me to come here. And if there was ever an authentic

01:03:54.460 --> 01:03:58.280
man with an authentic anointing, it's Pastor

01:03:58.280 --> 01:04:01.199
Dan. So why don't you extend your hand towards

01:04:01.199 --> 01:04:02.679
him. We're going to pray a blessing and then

01:04:02.679 --> 01:04:05.519
we'll release you. Father, in Jesus' name. Lord,

01:04:05.539 --> 01:04:07.559
we just praise you for the timely word, Lord,

01:04:07.659 --> 01:04:10.159
the word from your heart to this body. Lord,

01:04:10.199 --> 01:04:13.179
we receive it, Lord. And I just pray a blessing

01:04:13.179 --> 01:04:16.039
over Pastor Dan, over his wife Patty, over his

01:04:16.039 --> 01:04:18.980
church in Azalea, Lord, in Jesus' name. Lord,

01:04:19.019 --> 01:04:21.880
I pray a refreshing, a renewing as he leaves.

01:04:21.980 --> 01:04:24.900
Lord, send him home with even a fresh word, fresh

01:04:24.900 --> 01:04:27.059
vision stirring. Father, we thank you for the

01:04:27.059 --> 01:04:30.780
28 years he's put in that place, Lord. And we

01:04:30.780 --> 01:04:34.000
declare that these... This next season will be

01:04:34.000 --> 01:04:36.159
the best. Father, in Jesus' name, and Lord, I

01:04:36.159 --> 01:04:38.420
pray now over this body, Lord, I pray that you

01:04:38.420 --> 01:04:40.679
would help us to go and be a light and share

01:04:40.679 --> 01:04:43.840
life everywhere we go. In Jesus' name, amen.

01:04:45.000 --> 01:04:47.619
You guys be blessed. Have a great rest of your

01:04:47.619 --> 01:05:02.860
holiday weekend. go to www .lifebiblechurch .org

01:05:02.860 --> 01:05:06.940
or call us at 541 -995 -8282.