Participants: Carlton P. Byrd
Series Code: BOL
Program Code: BOL000083
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00:04 ♪ (Theme Song) ♪ ♪ Jesus is worthy ♪
00:10 ♪ oh yes, he's worthy ♪ ♪ worthy of all... ♪ 00:17 ♪ all the praise... ♪ The Pharisees and the scribes 00:23 are grumbling and saying to one another, 00:26 this man welcomes sinners and eats with them. 00:30 Because you see, the Pharisees had strict 00:34 regulations about how they would keep away from sinners. 00:38 They were not to entrust money to them or have business 00:41 dealings with them. 00:42 They were not to trust them with a secret. 00:45 They were not to give their daughter away in marriage 00:48 to any of their sons. 00:50 They were not to invite them as guests or be their guests. 00:53 But Jesus eats with them, openly fellowships with them, 01:00 and Jesus receives them. 01:03 Notice in the text that the Pharisees do not 01:12 openly confront Jesus. 01:15 They talk behind his back. 01:20 Interestingly, that they would do this 01:22 because in other scenarios, like Jesus healing 01:25 on the Sabbath day, if they felt Jesus 01:28 was directly disobeying one of their traditions, 01:31 they would try to openly call him out on it. 01:34 But when he was just doing things they didn't like, 01:38 rather than speak directly to him they grumbled among 01:44 themselves behind his back. 01:48 Let me tell you something, people like that are dangerous. 01:51 Say what you want to say, but one of the toughest things 01:56 in life is to deal with folk that smile in your face, 02:01 but are constantly stabbing you in your back. 02:04 Do I have a witness in this place? 02:07 It's not always the folk on the outside that you 02:11 have to worry about, but it's the phoney, 02:14 pretentious folk on the inside that you have to be 02:19 careful with. 02:20 You all don't hear what I'm saying. 02:22 I've never heard a drunk person talk about another 02:26 drunk person. 02:27 Their attitude is, I'm drunk, 02:36 you're drunk, so we just all drunk. 02:39 Are you hearing what I'm saying? 02:41 Verse 1 of the Bible says, then drew near unto him all 02:48 the publicans and sinners, all the publicans and whom, 02:51 everybody? 02:52 Sinners to him. 02:53 Now, the verb in this text, 02:56 drew near, is imperfect in nature. 03:01 Meaning it is repeated acts. 03:04 In other words, the tax collectors 03:07 and the sinners were continuously 03:10 coming to Jesus. 03:12 So regardless of how much the Pharisees 03:15 and scribes tried to stop it, the people kept coming 03:19 to Jesus. 03:20 Let that be a lesson for somebody today. 03:24 Folk can stop a lot of things but folk can't stop 03:28 the move of God. 03:30 Folk can't stop the move of the Holy Ghost. 03:34 They can't stop the move of Jesus. 03:37 God will do what he wants, when he wants, 03:42 where he wants, how he wants and he doesn't 03:45 have to ask you or me for permission 03:48 to do what he wants. 03:50 The Bible says that all the publicans 03:55 and sinners came to hear Jesus while the Pharisees 04:00 and scribes murmured against Jesus for receiving and eating 04:05 with sinners. 04:06 While Jesus didn't approve of their actions, 04:11 the Bible teaches that Jesus did receive them socially 04:16 and ate with them for the purpose of bringing 04:18 them to repentance and salvation. 04:21 Ellen White clearly says in "My Life Today, 04:24 she says that Jesus was social to save. 04:32 Yes, she says, 04:35 Jesus rebuked intemperance, self-indulgence and folly, 04:40 yet she says he was social in his nature. 04:44 He accepted invitations to dine with the learned 04:49 and the noble as well as the poor and afflicted. 04:52 She says, social power sanctified by the Spirit 04:57 of Christ must be improved in bringing souls to 05:02 Jesus Christ. 05:05 But our problem is, too often we're so isolated 05:08 and insulated, we don't want to minister 05:11 to anybody but ourselves. 05:14 We sing what we want, we teach what we want, 05:18 we preach what we want and we don't care 05:21 about the people down the street 05:23 from our churches. 05:24 Are you hearing what I'm saying? 05:26 We're incestual 05:31 and the fruit of incest is always something retarded. 05:36 And we have retarded ministries and churches 05:40 because we care more about ministering 05:43 to ourselves than ministering to the one on 05:47 the street corner. 05:49 I wish I had a witness in this place. 05:54 But Ellen White says, Christ's method alone 05:57 will give true success to reaching people. 06:01 The Savior mingled with them as one who desired their good. 06:06 He showed sympathy for them, ministered to their needs, 06:11 won their confidence and then he bade them, 06:16 "Follow me." 06:17 Jesus was social to save. 06:20 But the scribes and the Pharisees 06:23 thought they were too righteous to associate 06:27 with sinners, too "boojey" to hang 06:29 with the broke. 06:31 But let me tell you something, don't you ever think that you 06:33 are better than somebody else. 06:36 Don't you ever think that you are more righteous 06:39 than somebody else. 06:41 Apart from Christ, you and I are just as lost 06:44 as those tax collectors and sinners of Israel, 06:50 just as lost as that man drinking Jack Daniels, 06:55 just as lost as that drug dealer 06:58 on that corner. 06:58 Just as lost as that liar, that fornicator, 07:02 that adulterer, that gossiper, 07:04 that stealer, that cheater, 07:06 that deceiver, that mess-maker, 07:08 all have sinned, come short of the glory 07:14 of God. 07:14 If it weren't for the blood of Jesus, 07:18 I would be lost. 07:22 The ground is level at the cross. 07:25 So before I go any further, I rebuke every foul, 07:30 pretentious, pompous, 07:33 conceited, Satanic superior spirit 07:38 in this place. 07:39 The devil is alive. 07:43 In this first parable, Jesus uses the metaphor 07:50 of one sheep being lost from the fold of 100. 07:53 He says, 99. 07:55 Everybody say 99. 07:56 Just won't do. 07:58 Why did he use this metaphor to illustrate the importance 08:02 of saving the lost? 08:04 Number one, he uses this metaphor 08:07 of the lost sheep because sheep aren't 08:10 the smartest animals in the world. 08:13 As a result they are constantly getting into 08:17 terrible situations. 08:18 Let me tell you something. 08:19 Sometimes we are not the smartest people 08:24 in the world and we find ourselves getting into 08:29 some terrible situations. 08:31 We make bad decisions, make bad choices, 08:36 say bad things and while we deserve death, 08:40 while we deserve gloom, while we deserve destruction, 08:44 I'm so grateful that God blocks it, 08:47 and God won't let us fall. 08:49 Hallelujah, somebody. 08:51 The angels of the Lord encampeth round about them 08:55 that fear him. 08:56 Number two, sheep are defenseless. 09:01 Lions have teeth, bears have claws, 09:08 snakes have fangs, cheetahs have speed, 09:14 rams have horns, porcupines have quills, 09:19 dogs have a bark and skunks have a scent. 09:26 But not sheep. 09:30 They have absolutely no means of protecting themselves 09:35 from danger. 09:36 If a sheep is attacked, the sheep is helpless. 09:41 We're the same way. 09:43 There is no way we can protect ourselves against 09:47 the attack of Satan. 09:49 We need someone else to protect us, 09:53 someone else to defend us, someone else to guard us, 09:59 someone else to shield us, someone else to shelter us, 10:03 someone else to safeguard us and that someone is Jesus. 10:08 Jesus be a fence all around me every day. 10:13 Put on the layers of the whole armor of God that he may be 10:20 able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 10:25 The Lord is my rock. 10:28 In him we hide. 10:30 A shelter in the time of storm. 10:33 Number three, sheep need direction. 10:35 If a sheep wanders from the rest of the flock 10:43 it will have a hard time, if not impossible time, 10:47 finding its way back. 10:49 Sheep have no sense of direction. 10:53 Sheep are not like horses or dogs 10:59 who can find their way back home. 11:04 Sheep could never find their way home on their own. 11:08 So it is with those who wander from the Lord. 11:13 There is simply no sense of spiritual direction 11:17 in their life. 11:19 They cannot find their way to the Lord by themselves, 11:24 but they need a shepherd. 11:27 But then, number four. 11:29 Sheep are not responsible for getting themselves home. 11:33 The sheep is powerless to find its way back to the flock. 11:38 If the shepherd waited for the sheep 11:42 to return to its own, then it would die 11:45 in the wilderness. 11:47 So instead of waiting, the shepherd goes after 11:50 the sheep, because getting the sheep back 11:53 home is the responsibility of the shepherd. 11:56 The lost sheep was not able to find its way back home. 12:02 Everything depended on the searching 12:04 of the shepherd. 12:05 The shepherd feels bad about losing the sheep and will 12:09 search until he finds it. 12:12 It is his responsibility. 12:13 No trouble, no sacrifice, 12:15 no suffering is too great to find the lost sheep and bring 12:20 it back. 12:21 Ninety-nine won't do. 12:23 You've got to get 100. 12:25 Somebody's going to get this in a minute.- The same is true 12:30 with salvation. 12:31 Lost sheep do not find Jesus. 12:34 They are not able. 12:36 Everything depends on Jesus who is seeking the sheep. 12:41 Lost people do not make the first move to Jesus. 12:44 It's the Good Shepherd that makes the first move 12:47 towards lost sheep. 12:48 He comes looking for us. 12:50 He finds us. 12:51 That's why Jesus said, my sheep hear my voice 12:56 and they follow me. 12:58 And what I love about the Lord is that the Lord will search 13:04 for us, wherever we are, 13:07 until he finds us. 13:09 The Lord doesn't give up, thank you, 13:12 Jesus, after a few minutes, 13:14 after a few months or even after a few years of searching. 13:18 But Jesus stays on the job until the lost sheep is found. 13:23 That's why he's not the God of a second chance. 13:27 I hear folk say all the time, he's the God 13:29 of a second chance. 13:30 No, no, 13:32 no. 13:33 He's not just the God of a second chance, 13:35 but he's the God of a chance after chance after chance, 13:39 after chance, after chance. 13:42 And I don't know about you, but I'm so glad today that 13:46 Jesus didn't give up on me. 13:48 I'm glad that Jesus keeps coming for me. 13:51 I'm glad that he keeps looking, 13:54 he keeps calling, he keeps knocking, 13:56 he keeps waiting for me. 13:58 Is there anybody in this place who's happy that you serve 14:02 a God that keeps coming back for you? 14:10 And then, after the sheep is saved, 14:14 the sheep finds itself resting on the shoulders 14:22 of the shepherd. 14:23 Hallelujah, somebody. 14:25 Let me break this down because somebody's still 14:27 not getting it. 14:28 Look at verse 5 again. 14:29 Luke 15:5: And when he has found it, 14:35 when he has found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, 14:40 rejoicing. 14:42 Oh, you all still don't get it. 14:44 Let me break this down. 14:45 When Jesus speaks of the shepherd 14:47 gently laying the sheep on his shoulders in this text, 14:51 what is meant by this is that back in the day when the sheep 14:56 would wander from the fold and the shepherd would find it, 15:01 the shepherd would actually break the legs of the sheep 15:05 and then he would carry the sheep on his 15:08 shoulders until the legs would heal. 15:11 Now, this sounds cruel, 15:13 but it actually wasn't, for when a shepherd 15:15 would do this, he was actually taking full 15:18 responsibility for the needs of the sheep. 15:20 He would now have to take care of the sheep, 15:24 feeding it, watering it and other 15:26 necessities because the sheep couldn't care for itself. 15:29 Breaking the sheep's legs, maybe somebody got it, 15:32 breaking the sheep's legs may seem cruel to us, 15:36 but it actually the shepherd protecting the sheep from 15:39 its tendency to stray because he knows the dangers 15:43 of the wilderness. 15:45 And once, help me, 15:47 Holy Ghost, once the sheep's legs 15:50 would heal, the sheep has now learned 15:53 how to stay close to the shepherd 15:58 so that he will never stray again. 16:02 Sometimes, when we stray, 16:06 sometimes when we're lost and God finds us, 16:12 God has to break our legs, God has to put us down 16:19 on our backs, God has to allow us to go 16:23 through affliction even after he's found us to get us to 16:27 learn that we have to solely depend on him. 16:31 You all don't hear what I'm saying. 16:34 God knows the dangers of the wilderness. 16:37 So he has to break us in order to carry us. 16:43 In the process, thank you, 16:45 Jesus, our legs mend, 16:47 our legs heal and we have now learned how to stay close 16:52 to the Shepherd so we will never stray again. 16:56 So, God, 16:58 if you have to break me, break me. 17:02 God, if you have to chastise me, 17:05 chastise me. 17:07 God, if you have to rebuke me, 17:09 rebuke me, because any way you bless me 17:13 I'll be satisfied. 17:15 Any way you have to save me, I'll be satisfied. 17:20 Any way you have to deliver me, 17:23 I'll be satisfied. 17:24 Any way you have to rescue me, I'll be satisfied. 17:30 Any way you have to redeem me, I'll be satisfied. 17:38 Let me break this down to tell you something. 17:41 The plan of redemption, thank you, 17:44 Jesus, was in place long before 17:47 the foundation of the world. 17:48 Before you were even thought of, 17:51 the Good Shepherd had a plan. 17:52 You all don't hear what I'm saying. 17:53 Before there was a beginning, there was a Good Shepherd. 17:57 John 1:1 says, in the beginning was the Word 18:01 and the Word was with God and the Word was God 18:04 and the Word became flesh. 18:09 The Word, Jesus, 18:12 the Good Shepherd is from the beginning. 18:15 In fact, he is the beginner 18:17 of the beginning. 18:20 He is the beginning in whom the beginning was begun. 18:21 He is the beginning who did not begin to be, 18:24 because he did not start because he had nowhere 18:27 to come from. 18:28 He is not stopped because he has no boundary lines. 18:31 He is older than time, yet younger than future. 18:34 He is what he was, he was what he is, 18:37 and what he was and is he will always be. 18:39 Jesus was always here, always been here, 18:48 always was, always is. 18:51 Even before Abraham was, he said, 18:56 I am. 18:59 What do we have here? 19:01 Jesus who was born 2,000 years after Abraham, 19:06 yet he said he was before Abraham. 19:10 Jesus, who was David's son 19:13 was also David's Lord. 19:15 Jesus, who was Abraham's seed was 19:19 also Abraham's Savior. 19:20 Jesus, who created flesh, 19:23 became flesh. 19:24 When God reversed the beginning, 19:27 when he took a motherless woman from the body of a man 19:30 in creation but then took a fatherless man from the body 19:36 of a woman in redemption. 19:40 He's the God Man. 19:42 Two natures in one personality. 19:44 Protected the interests of heaven with his divinity 19:47 but looked down for the interests of earth 19:49 in his humanity. 19:50 In his divinity he is God's way to man, 19:53 but in his humanity he is man's way right back 19:56 on up to God. 19:57 Two natures harmonize, but never completely blended. 19:59 Can I talk about Jesus? 20:01 He got tired as man, but as God he said, 20:04 come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will 20:07 give you rest. 20:08 As man he got hungry, but as God he fed the hungry 20:12 with two fish and five loaves of bread. 20:14 As man he prayed, but as God he answers prayer. 20:18 As man he got thirsty, but as God he said, 20:21 drink of fountains of living water that 20:23 shall never run dry. 20:24 As man he wanted companionship, 20:27 but as God he had to tread the winepress alone 20:31 As man he wept at Lazarus' grave, 20:35 but as God he resurrected Lazarus from the grave. 20:41 Jesus is the Good Shepherd. 20:45 Ninety-nine for Jesus just won't do. 20:49 He has to go after that one lost sheep. 20:55 And so, today, 20:57 who are the lost? 20:59 Who are the lost in the North Pacific Union? 21:03 The drug addicts? 21:06 The alcoholics? 21:07 The fornicators? 21:10 The adulterers? 21:11 The perverse? 21:12 The thief? 21:13 The mentally deranged, the schizophrenic? 21:16 The psychic, psycho? 21:18 The compulsive fanatics? 21:19 The crazy, people who've had some kind 21:22 of breakdown or something? 21:24 People who have lost their way because of a bad decision 21:30 or a bad relationship? 21:32 Who are the lost? 21:33 In God's eyes we're all lost. 21:36 Isaiah 63:6 says, All like sheep 21:39 have gone astray. 21:41 Who are the lost? 21:43 All of us are the lost. 21:46 The word lost is the same word used in the word 21:51 perish in John 3:16. 21:53 For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten 21:57 son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish 22:00 but have everlasting what, everybody? 22:02 (Aud: Life.) John 3:16 could easily be translated that 22:08 whosoever believes in his should not be lost, 22:14 but have everlasting life. 22:16 Who are the lost? 22:19 All of us are the lost. 22:23 But I'm so glad that Jesus came looking for me. 22:30 I'm so glad that troubles don't last always, 22:36 that Jesus came looking for me. 22:40 Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved 22:45 a wretch like me. 22:48 I once was lost but now I'm found, 22:53 was blind--I said, was blind--I said, 22:58 was blind--but now I see. 23:01 Let me tell you something. 23:02 I'm a miracle today. 23:03 You're a miracle today. 23:05 You and I, we've been lost but we're a miracle 23:10 of mercy, a miracle of grace, 23:12 a miracle of favor. 23:14 It's a miracle that somebody is even here today, 23:18 that the Good Shepherd went and found you. 23:22 Somebody knows what I'm talking about. 23:25 You could be anywhere, you could be dead, 23:28 you could be strung out, you could be in jail, 23:31 you could be suicidal, you could have lost your mind, 23:35 but thank God, you're here, 23:37 and because you're here, oh, I'm ready now, 23:41 come on, Wayne, because you're here, 23:43 you've got a right to praise him. 23:46 I said, you've got a right 23:48 to praise him. 23:50 Anybody been through what you've been through, 23:53 they would have lost their mind. 23:55 You've got a right to praise him. 23:58 Let me tell you all something. 24:01 I don't need everybody, I just need 50 radical folks 24:04 that don't mind what folk are going to say about them, 24:09 that don't mind how folk are going to look at them, 24:11 who don't mind praising the Lord. 24:13 If the Lord has done something for you, 24:15 you ought to say something. 24:16 If the Lord went out and found you, 24:18 you ought to say something. 24:19 If the Lord has built a bridge over troubled water, 24:22 you ought to say something. 24:24 Let the redeemed of the Lord say so. 24:32 If it had not been for the Lord on my side, 24:42 so praise the Lord. 24:44 I said, praise the Lord. 24:46 Don't get tired, praise the Lord. 24:48 Praise God in his sanctuary. 24:49 Praise him in the firmament of his power. 24:51 Praise him for his mighty acts. 24:54 Praise him according to his excellent greatness. 24:56 Praise him with the sound of the trumpets. 24:59 Praise him with the psaltery and the harp. 25:02 Praise him with the timbrel and the dance. 25:04 Praise him with the stringed instruments and organ. 25:07 Praise him with the loud cymbals. 25:09 Praise him with the high sounding cymbal. 25:12 Let every thing, let every thing, 25:16 let every thing that has breath praise ye the lord 25:25 PB: Thank you very much for tuning in and watching Breath 25:29 of Life today. 25:30 We do hope that you were blessed by our ministry and 25:34 that we gave a healing word in a hurting world. 25:37 In order for Breath of Life to continue ministering, 25:40 we need you. 25:42 We need your prayers. 25:43 We need your support. 25:44 We want you to know that any and all donations, 25:47 small or great, they are sincerely welcome and 25:50 appreciated. 25:51 To contact us or to make your donation, 25:54 please feel free to give us a call at 877-BOL-OFFER. 26:00 Or you may write to us at Breath of Life, 26:09 P.O. 26:10 Box 340, Newbury Park, 26:18 CA 91319. 26:20 Feel free to log onto our web site at www.breathoflife.tv. 26:29 "The Desire of Ages, the life story of the greatest 26:32 spiritual leader the world has ever known, 26:35 Jesus Christ. 26:37 "Desire of Ages" goes in depth into events surrounding 26:39 the life of Jesus, giving you more meaning 26:42 and a clearer picture of his impact on the world 26:45 and on those who choose to follow him even to this day. 26:48 In these uncertain times "Desire of Ages" gives 26:52 direction for all who seek it. 26:53 The book answers hard questions confronting us all. 26:56 It examines basic spiritual truths, 26:59 gives hope and encouragement for tomorrow and brings you 27:02 face to face with the savior. 27:03 get to know him like never before. 27:06 "Desire of Ages" has been acclaimed by many to be 27:09 the most significant and deeply spiritual story of the life 27:12 of christ ever written It is rich with wisdom 27:16 and compassion written by the most translated 27:18 woman writer in the entire history of literature 27:20 Ellen White. 27:22 Just call our toll-free number, 27:26 877-BOL-OFFER. 27:29 That's 877-265-6333 and ask for your copy of "Desire of 27:37 Ages." This book is yours for a gift of $5 or more. 27:41 Or you may write to Breath of Life, 27:43 Box 340, Newbury Park, California 91319. 27:50 "The Desire of Ages"... 27:52 it's the greatest story ever told in a whole new light. 27:55 PB: Regardless of how much the Pharisees and scribes 28:00 tried to stop it, the people kept 28:04 coming to Jesus. 28:06 there is no way we can protect ourselves from the attacks 28:11 of satan. 28:13 We need someone else to protect us. 28:17 I am so glad that Jesus didn't give up on me. 28:22 I'm glad that Jesus keeps coming back for me. |
Revised 2015-02-06