Participants: Carlton P. Byrd
Series Code: BOL
Program Code: BOL000001
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00:01 (Music) ♪ Jesus is worthy ♪
00:12 ♪ oh yes he's worthy ♪ ♪Worthy of all.♪ 00:18 ♪all the praise♪ Hello, my name is 00:24 Dr. Carlton Byrd and I'm the senior pastor 00:26 of the Berean Seventh-day Adventist Church here in 00:28 Atlanta, Georgia, the home of the Breath of Life 00:31 television ministry. 00:32 And we want to welcome those who are watching our broadcast 00:36 today, and we do hope that you are blessed by the 00:39 spoken Word today. 00:41 With that in mind, I'm excited about the Word of God. 00:44 Anybody else excited about the Word of God? 00:46 Are you excited about the Word of God? 00:48 Let me hear you say amen. 00:49 Praise be to God. 00:50 If you're excited about the Word of God, I want you to 00:52 repeat after me. 00:53 Say, if it's in the Word, it deserves to be heard. 00:57 Now that you've said that, take your Bibles, everybody 01:01 hold your Bibles up. 01:02 Come on, everybody hold your Bibles up, and repeat after me 01:04 and say, if it's in the Word, it deserves to be heard. 01:09 Praise be to God. 01:11 I'm a Bible preacher and I'm coming straight from the Word 01:15 of God, because I believe we ought to know what we believe, 01:18 know why we believe it, and know where it's found. 01:21 Do I have a witness in this place? 01:22 And if we are going to preach the Word of God, we must 01:28 preach what thus saith the Lord. 01:30 Come on, say Amen. 01:31 And so with that in mind, I want you to take your Bibles, 01:32 go with me to the book of First John. 01:35 What book, everybody? 01:36 Go with me to the book of First John, and we're going to 01:39 1 John 5:7. 01:43 If you have it, let me hear you say Amen. 01:53 Amen, all right. 01:54 1 John 5:7. 01:56 And the Word of God says to us, let's read it together: 01:59 "For there are three that bear record in heaven: the Father, 02:04 the Word and the Holy Ghost, and these three are"what? 02:08 "one."Let's read it one more time together, everybody. 02:12 One more time. 02:13 "For there are three that bear record in heaven: the Father, 02:17 the Word and the Holy Ghost, and these three are one." 02:22 Let's bow our heads. 02:23 Father, we thank you so much for the privilege that is ours 02:26 to worship you right now. 02:28 We thank you, Lord, for your Word, sharper than any 02:30 two-edged sword. 02:33 Now, God, we ask that you be with us as we open 02:35 up your Word. 02:36 Give us clarity of mind, give us receptivity of heart, 02:39 and God, may your Holy Ghost 02:40 move in this place. 02:42 And at the appropriate time, where, oh God, you appeal 02:45 to thy people, may they respond to your voice. 02:49 In the name of Jesus we pray, begging for forgiveness of 02:52 sin, let everyone say Amen, and Amen. 02:55 For there are three that bear record in heaven: the Father, 02:59 whom, everybody? 03:01 The Father. 03:02 The Word. 03:03 Whom, everybody? 03:03 The Word. 03:04 And the what? 03:05 Holy Ghost. 03:06 They are three in one. 03:07 Now, today we want to talk about the God complex. 03:11 Everybody say the God complex. 03:12 Come on, say it like you mean it. 03:14 Say the God complex. 03:15 The God complex. 03:17 Now, a God complex is a term that is used to describe an 03:22 individual who believes that they can accomplish more than 03:26 is humanly possible, or they have the opinion that they are 03:31 automatically above everybody else, and particularly those 03:35 who disagree with them. 03:37 In short, a person with a God complex believes 03:42 they know it all. 03:45 Everybody say know it all. 03:46 Come on, say it like you mean it. 03:48 Say know it all. 03:49 They've got the answers, they've got the solutions, 03:53 they've got the remedy, they have the way out. 03:56 Now, when you're on your sickbed of affliction, God 04:01 complex says, I have the ability to heal you. 04:05 When you're in a court of law, God complex says, I can get 04:11 you out and win this case. 04:13 A person who is said to have a God complex does not believe 04:18 he or she is God, but acts so arrogantly that he might as 04:23 well believe he or she is God or appointed to 04:26 do work for God. 04:27 But I'm here to let you know, it is blasphemy to think, for 04:33 a human being to think that he or she is God. 04:38 Our scripture text is very clear. 04:40 There is but one God, the Father, the Son, 04:45 and the Holy Ghost, and they are three in 04:49 what, everybody? 04:50 God is immortal, which believes God can't die. 04:55 God's all powerful. 04:56 God's all knowledgeable. 04:58 God is ever present. 05:00 God is infinite and beyond human comprehension. 05:04 Whatever God says, whatever God speaks, whatever God 05:09 declares, it is done. 05:13 God is God. 05:16 The buck stops with him. 05:19 He is CEO of the universe. 05:22 He's the King of kings, and he's the Lord of lords. 05:29 He is God, and beside him, there is none other. 05:31 You didn't vote him in, and you can't vote him out. 05:34 He's God by himself. 05:36 God does what he wants to do when he wants to do it, where 05:39 he wants to do it, how he wants to do it, and he doesn't 05:43 have to ask you or me for permission to do it. 05:45 He's God. Genesis 1:1 says, "In the beginning."In the what, 05:50 everybody? 05:51 "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." 05:55 So that means God created us. 05:57 God made us. 05:59 God does not need us. 06:02 God is God all by himself. 06:05 Independent of all human agency and assistance. 06:08 God has the power to do and go any and everywhere, any and 06:14 everything, without us. 06:15 There are those who claim, say that God has no hands 06:19 but our hands. 06:20 But the fact is, God made our hands without our hands. 06:24 God made us without our help. 06:27 God is sovereign. 06:29 God does not need help from anybody else. 06:32 And so the Bible says in Genesis 1:1, 06:35 "In the beginning, " what, everybody? God. 06:38 Come on, in the beginning what? 06:40 God says, I am the beginning. 06:41 God says, I am the end. 06:44 God says, I am the first. 06:46 God says, I am the last. 06:49 God says, I can't show you my beginning because 06:52 I never had a beginning. 06:53 God says, I never had a mama. 06:56 I never had a daddy. 06:58 I am the Creator of Life. 07:00 God says, nobody made me. 07:04 Nobody moved me into position. 07:06 God says, I am God. 07:09 In the beginning, God. 07:13 So you know what that tells me? 07:15 Before there was an angel, before there was an alligator, 07:18 amphibian or ape. 07:20 In the beginning, God. 07:21 Before there was a sun, a moon or stars. 07:26 In the beginning, God. 07:28 Before there was a man, a woman, a whale, water or wind, 07:34 in the beginning, God. 07:35 Before there was a day, a week, a month, or a year, in 07:40 the beginning, God. 07:41 Before there was anybody there to sing God a song. 07:44 Pray a prayer to God or give God a praise. 07:49 In the beginning, it was God. 07:53 In fact, God exists outside of time, outside of eternity. 07:58 Because God is timeless. 07:59 God made you and me and God made time for you and me so we 08:04 could number our days. 08:05 But God existed before the evening and the morning 08:11 were the first day. 08:12 In the beginning, what, everybody? God! 08:15 In the beginning, God. 08:16 So what does that mean? 08:17 God, then, is the beginner of the beginning. 08:21 He is the beginner in Whom the beginning began. 08:25 He is the beginner before the beginning was begun. 08:28 He is the beginning who did not begin to be. 08:31 He did not start because he had nowhere to start from. 08:35 He does not stop because he has no finish line. 08:38 He is older than time, but yet he's younger than future. 08:43 He is what he was, he was what he is, and what he was and is, 08:48 he will always be. 08:50 (applause) God was always here, has always been here, 08:57 always been here, will be here, always is, 09:01 always was, why? 09:03 Because he's God. 09:04 Do I have a witness in this place? 09:05 But our complex today, our complex in the God complex, 09:13 is not really man thinking he's God. 09:17 Our complex in the God complex is not so much the 09:21 sovereignty of God. 09:23 Our complex in the God complex is not so much, 09:26 is God timeless? 09:28 Our complex in the God complex is humanity believing, 09:33 understanding, knowing, acknowledging and accepting 09:37 that there is one God. 09:41 Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. 09:46 A unity of three co-eternal persons. 09:51 Our scripture text, 1 John 5:7: 09:54 "For there are three that bear record in heaven: the 10:00 Father, the Word, the Holy Ghost, and these three are 10:04 one."This is a God complex. 10:09 For how in our finite mind can we comprehend that the 10:15 infinite Father, Son and Holy Ghost are three in one? 10:21 Not three different Gods, but one God. 10:26 This is a complex because any mathematician will tell you 10:31 that one plus one plus one equals three, 10:35 not one equals three. 10:38 This is a God complex, for how were the Father, the Son and 10:43 the Holy Ghost all active agents at creation speaking 10:47 something out of nothing? 10:49 This is a complex. 10:52 A God complex. 10:54 For how can that be? 10:56 How can three be one? 11:00 Because God said so. 11:03 Now go with me in your Bibles, go with me to 11:05 the book of Genesis. 11:06 What book did I say, everybody? 11:07 And we're going to Genesis, chapter one. 11:10 Let's go back to the beginning. 11:12 Genesis, chapter one, and we're going to verse 26. 11:17 Genesis, chapter one, and Genesis 1:26, the Bible says, 11:19 "And God said."Who said, everybody? 11:20 Come on, who said, everybody? 11:21 God said. 11:22 And God said, let what? 11:25 Us. 11:26 Let whom, everybody? 11:27 Us. 11:28 Make whom? 11:28 Man. 11:29 In our own what? 11:30 Image. 11:31 After our own what? 11:32 Likeness. 11:33 Again, and God said, let whom? 11:34 Us. 11:35 Make what? 11:36 Man. 11:37 In our own what? 11:37 In our own what? 11:39 Likeness. 11:40 Now, understand, the Bible does not say that God said, 11:42 and let me make man. 11:44 The Bible says that God said, and let what? 11:48 Us. 11:49 Make what? 11:50 Man. 11:50 Pointing to the fact that there are three in one. 11:54 The Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. 11:57 Are you hearing what I'm saying? 11:58 Go on to Genesis, chapter 3. 11:59 Genesis chapter what, everybody? 12:01 And go with me to verse 22. 12:04 Genesis 3:22, when referring to Adam, after his fall in the 12:11 garden, God said in Genesis 3:22, "And the Lord God said, 12:18 behold, the man is become as one of"what? 12:24 One of us. 12:24 One of what? 12:25 Us. 12:25 The man is become as one of us. 12:28 Notice, the Bible does not say that the man has become 12:31 one as me. 12:33 The Bible is clear that man has become as one of us. 12:39 Three in one. 12:43 Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. 12:45 Let's go to another example. 12:46 Turn with me to Genesis, chapter 11. 12:47 Genesis chapter what, everybody? 12:49 And we're going to verse 7. 12:51 Genesis 11:7. 12:54 When Israel sought to build a tower to reach heaven and 13:04 called this tower the Tower of Babel, it was God who said 13:07 something in Genesis 11:7. 13:10 If you have it, let me hear you say Amen. 13:12 The Word of God says in Genesis 11:7, Go to, 13:18 let what? Us. 13:21 Come on, let whom? 13:23 Us. 13:23 Let us go where? 13:24 Down. 13:26 Let us go down, and there compound their language, that 13:29 they might not understand one another's speech. 13:31 Again, the word is us. 13:34 The word is what, everybody? 13:34 Us. 13:35 Let us go down, pointing again to the Father, the Son and the 13:41 Holy Ghost. 13:43 They are three in one. 13:45 Well, preacher, that's Old Testament. 13:49 That's Old Testament. 13:50 Preacher, give me some New Testament. 13:53 Well, let me just say this first of all. 13:55 The Bible, cover to cover, Genesis to Revelation, is 13:58 inspired by God. 13:59 Come on, say Amen. 14:00 The Old Testament does not contradict the New, and the 14:04 New doesn't contradict the Old. 14:05 Are you hearing what I'm saying? 14:07 But let's go to the New Testament. 14:09 Go with me to the book of John. 14:10 What book, everybody? 14:11 John. 14:11 John, chapter 1, verse 1. 14:15 Let's get some New Testament. 14:17 They are three in one. 14:19 John 1:1, the Word of God says in John 1:1, the Word says, in 14:30 the, what? 14:32 Beginning. 14:33 Was the what? 14:33 Word. 14:34 And the Word was with whom? 14:35 God. 14:36 And the word was whom, everybody? 14:38 God. 14:39 In the beginning was the what? 14:40 Word. 14:41 The same that was in the beginning with God, all things 14:45 were made by what? 14:46 Him. 14:47 And without him was not anything made that was made. 14:50 Go down to verse 14. 14:51 John 1:14. 14:55 The Bible is very clear that the Word became what? 14:58 Flesh. 15:02 The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, that we beheld 15:04 his glory. 15:04 Hallelujah, somebody. 15:05 The glory as of the only begotten of the Father. 15:08 Full of grace and full of what? Truth. 15:11 Jesus, then, the Son, is God. 15:17 Jesus, the Son, is the Word that became flesh. 15:23 Dwelt among us. 15:25 We beheld his glory, full of grace and truth. 15:30 But then don't forget about the Holy Ghost. 15:32 The Holy Ghost is also God, and the Holy Ghost was an 15:37 active agent at creation. 15:39 Genesis 1:1 says, In the beginning, whom, everybody? 15:42 God created the heavens and the what? Earth. 15:45 Verse 2 says, And the earth was without form and void. 15:50 Darkness was upon the face of the deep. 15:52 And the Spirit of God, oh, hallelujah, somebody. 15:58 The Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters, and 16:04 God said, Let there be what? 16:08 Light, and there was what, everybody? 16:12 There is but one God. 16:13 Father, Son, Holy Ghost. 16:16 A unity of three co-eternal persons. 16:20 No complex, just God. 16:23 No mystery, just God. 16:26 No misunderstanding. 16:28 Just God. 16:30 The Godhead is not one in person, but God is one in 16:34 purpose, mind and character. 16:37 The Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. 16:40 They each have a function, but they are all working to bring 16:45 about our salvation. 16:47 The Father acts as the source, the Son acts as the mediator, 16:53 the Holy Ghost acts as the applier. 16:56 Remember, God the Father gave the Son. 17:00 For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten 17:04 Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not what? 17:08 Perish, but have everlasting what? Life. 17:12 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the 17:15 world, but that the world through him might be saved. 17:17 The Father sent the Son. 17:20 But you will remember, the Son sent the Holy Ghost. 17:24 Because after he died, Jesus on Calvary, he rose from the 17:30 grave, and just before his ascension back to heaven, the 17:34 Son, Jesus, comforted his disciples by promising to send 17:39 the Holy Ghost. 17:41 John 15:26, Jesus said, "But when the Comforter 17:46 is come, who I will send unto you in the name 17:49 of the Father, even the spirit of truth which 17:52 proceedeth from the Father, he shall" what? 17:56 "Testify. "You remember the baptism of Jesus, the Son. 18:02 They're all at work. 18:02 God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Ghost, all at 18:06 work in baptism. 18:07 You will remember Matthew 3 teaches that it was the Father 18:10 who said at Jesus' baptism, "This is my beloved Son, in 18:14 whom I am well pleased."It was the Son who gave himself 18:19 to be baptized. 18:21 And then the Holy Ghost anointed Jesus the Son, by 18:25 descending upon Jesus in the form of a dove. 18:28 The Bible can go on and on and tell us about how they are 18:31 three in one. 18:33 The gospel commission tells us, "Go ye therefore. 18:36 Teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the 18:40 Father, and the"what? 18:42 "Son, and the"what? 18:43 "Holy Ghost."We can go to the apostolic benediction of 18:47 II Corinthians 13:13. 18:49 It talks about three in one. 18:51 It says, "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of 18:57 the Father, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you 19:02 all."They are three in one. 19:06 Now, let's talk about the Father. 19:09 Specifically, let's talk about God the Father. 19:14 God the eternal Father. 19:16 He is the source, creator, sustainer. 19:20 He's sovereign, he's holy, he's just, he's merciful, slow 19:26 to anger, of great kindness. 19:28 Let's give you some characteristics about God. 19:30 Characteristic number one, God the Father is a God of mercy. 19:34 Thank you, Jesus, for being a God of mercy. 19:38 Exodus 34 teaches that the Lord is merciful. 19:43 He's gracious. 19:46 He's longsuffering. 19:48 He's abounding in goodness and in truth. 19:49 But then not only is God a God of mercy, God is a 19:53 God of covenants. 19:56 Which means God doesn't break the commitment 20:00 he makes with us. 20:01 God is a God of covenants. 20:02 What do I mean? 20:03 In Genesis 8, God gave Noah assurance of regular seasons. 20:07 And in Genesis 9 he gave assurance, another covenant, 20:11 that there would never be a worldwide flood again. 20:13 He said it wouldn't be water but fire, next time. 20:18 But not only is God a God of covenant, God is a 20:21 God of redemption. 20:22 As the God of the Exodus, God miraculously led a nation of 20:29 slaves to freedom. 20:30 God redeemed the chosen of Israel from the fiery hand of 20:34 mean old Pharaoh. 20:36 But not only is God a God of redemption; God is a 20:39 God of refuge. 20:41 Because the Psalmist says, "God is our refuge and 20:46 strength, a very present help in time of trouble."God is 20:52 also a God of sustenance. 20:55 Whatever I need, God will give it to me. 20:57 Cast your burden on the Lord. 21:00 The Lord shall sustain you. 21:03 He will never permit the righteous to be moved. 21:06 For God is also a God of trust. 21:08 Psalm 62:8: "Trust in him at all times. 21:13 Pour out your heart before him."God is a refuge for us. 21:19 But not only do I like that; God is also 21:22 a God of forgiveness. 21:24 All of us have sinned, all of us have come short of the 21:31 glory of God. 21:33 After his sins of adultery and murder, David said in 21:36 Psalm 51, "God have mercy on me, 21:39 according to your loving kindness, according to the 21:43 multitude of your tender mercies,"he said, "blot out 21:46 my transgressions."God is also a God of faithfulness. 21:51 Lamentations 3:22-23 says, "It is of the Lord's 21:59 mercies that we are not consumed. 22:01 Great is thy faithfulness. 22:03 They are new every morning." 22:07 Not only that, I like this one: God is a God of 22:12 protection. 22:13 Psalm 1:21, when I need some protection I go there. 22:17 Psalm 1:21, "He that watches over Israel neither 22:22 slumbers nor sleeps. 22:25 The Lord is your keeper, the Lord is your shade upon 22:29 your right hand. 22:31 The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. 22:36 He shall preserve thy soul even forevermore, my help 22:41 comes from the Lord."Let me tell you this: Unless your 22:52 help comes from God, unless the Lord is your God, unless 22:57 the Lord is your keeper you will not be kept. 23:01 Who is it that draws blood flowing through your veins? 23:08 Who is it that keeps your brain alive? 23:15 Who is it that keeps your lungs functioning? 23:17 Who is it that keeps unseen microbes from attacking your 23:20 body and eating away at your internal organs? 23:22 If you don't know who it is, if you haven't found out who it 23:29 is, let me tell you who it is. 23:33 The Lord is your keeper. 23:36 The Lord is your protection on every side. 23:40 There's a built-in security system that cannot be 23:44 destroyed by massive evil. 23:46 There's a built-in security system that can't be breached 23:51 by human hands. 23:52 He's God, and God is my protector. 23:56 If you've been kept in this life, if you've been saved in 24:00 trouble, if you've been rescued from the edge of 24:03 death, it's not the U.S. 24:06 military, it's not the city police, it's not your home 24:12 security system, but understand, it's because of a 24:15 God who watches over Israel and he neither 24:20 slumbers nor sleeps. 24:24 Do I have a witness in this place? 24:25 But number two, let me tell you about God, 24:30 the eternal Son. 24:32 God the Son became incarnate in Jesus Christ. 24:38 In other words, let me tell you about my Jesus. 24:43 Jesus, sweetest name I know. 24:47 Jesus, I have to tell it wherever I go. 24:50 Jesus, born of a woman, rocked in a cow's eating trough. 24:56 Jesus, wrapped in swaddling clothes, baptized 25:01 in the muddy Jordan. 25:02 Jesus preached a gospel message, healed thousands 25:07 upon thousands. 25:09 Jesus, condemned by the government, put out of the 25:13 organized church. 25:15 Jesus, crucified on trumped-up charges, died on a cruel 25:21 cross, conquered death, hell, and the grave. 25:25 Rose on the third appointed day. 25:30 Ascended back to heaven, and one day he's coming back for 25:34 you and for me. 25:35 I would like to thank you very much for tuning in to the 25:37 Breath of Life telecast today. 25:39 I do hope that you were blessed by the word from 25:42 God today. 25:43 I would like to take this opportunity to invite you to 25:47 become a partner of the Breath of life ministry. 25:49 That's right, you may give a 25:52 tax deductible donation and partner with us as we seek to 25:55 give hope and peace of mind to the dying world in 25:59 which we live. 26:00 To contact us, feel free to give us a call at 26:03 877-BOL-Offer or feel free to write us at the address 26:15 shown on the screen. 26:17 Finally, you can reach us by logging on to our web site at 26:20 WWW.Breathoflife.TV Again thank you very much for tuning 26:28 in today and we want to thank you in advance for partnering 26:31 with our Ministry. 26:33 May God continue to bless you The Desire of ages The 26:39 life story of the greatest spiritual leader the world 26:42 has ever known, Jesus Christ. 26:45 Desire of Ages goes in depth into events surrounding the 26:49 life of Jesus, giving you more meaning and a clearer 26:52 picture of His impact on the world and on those who choose 26:55 to follow him even to this day. 26:58 In these uncertain times, Desire of Ages gives direction 27:01 for all who seek it. 27:02 The book answers hard questions confronting us all. 27:05 It examines basic spiritual truths, gives hope and 27:09 encouragement for tomorrow and brings you face to face 27:11 with the Savior. 27:13 Get to know Him like never before. 27:14 Desire of Ages has been acclaimed by many to be 27:17 the most significant and deeply spiritual story of the life 27:21 of Christ ever written. 27:22 It is rich with wisdom and compassion, written by the 27:26 most translated woman writer in the entire history 27:28 of literature - Ellen White. 27:30 Just call our toll-free number, 877-BOL-OFFER, that's 27:38 877-265-6333 and ask for your copy of Desire of Ages. 27:46 This book is yours for a gift of five dollars or more or you 27:50 may write to Breath of Life, Box 340, Newbury Park, CA 27:56 91319. The Desire of Ages, it's the greatest 28:02 story ever told in a whole new light. 28:05 This is a God Complex In The beginning, It was God 28:15 God is our refugee and strength A very present help in 28:22 time of trouble. |
Revised 2015-02-06