? [Theme music] ?
? Jesus is worthy ?
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? oh yes, he's worthy
? ? worthy of all... ?
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? all the praise... ?
Pastor Byrd: The Bible says
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chapter 9, verse number 1,
"And Saul, yet breathing out
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threatenings and
slaughter against the disciples
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of the Lord, went unto the
high priest, And desired of him
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letters to Damascus to the
synagogues, that if he found
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any of this way,
whether they were men or women,
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he might bring them
bound unto Jerusalem.
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And as he journeyed,
he came near Damascus:
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and suddenly," the Bible
says, "there shined round about
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him a light from heaven:
And he fell to the earth,
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and heard a voice saying unto
him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest
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thou me?
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And he said, Who art thou, Lord?
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And the Lord said, I am
Jesus whomhou persecutest:
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it is hard for thee to
kick against the pricks.
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And he trembling and
astonished said, Lord,
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what wilt thou have me to do?
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And the Lord said unto him,
Arise, and go into the city,
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and it shall be told
thee what thou must do.
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And the men which journeyed
with him stood speechless,
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hearing a voice,
but seeing no man.
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And Saul arose from the
earth; and when his eyes
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were opened, he saw no
man: but they led him by
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the hand, and
brought him into Damascus.
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And he was three days
without sight, and neither
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did eat nor drink.
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And there was a certain
disciple at Damascus, named
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Ananias; and to him said
the Lord in a vision, Ananias.
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And he said,
Behold, I am here, Lord.
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And the Lord said unto
him, Arise, and go into
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the street which is
called Straight, and enquire
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in the house of Judas for
one called Saul, of Tarsus: for,
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behold, he prayeth, And hath
seen in a vision a man named
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Ananias coming in, and
putting his hand on him, that he
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might receive his sight.
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Then Ananias answered, Lord,
I have heard by many of this
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man, how much evil he hath
done to thy saints at Jerusalem:
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And here he hath authority
from the chief priests to bind
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all that call on thy name.
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But the Lord said unto him,
Go thy way: for he is a chosen
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vessel unto me, to bear
my name before the Gentiles,
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and kings, and the children
of Israel: For I will shew him
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how great things he must
suffer for my name's sake.
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And Ananias went his way,
and entered into the house;
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and putting his hands on him
said, Brother Saul, the Lord,
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even Jesus, that appeared
unto thee in the way as thou
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camest, hath sent me,
that thou mightest receive
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thy sight, and be
filled with the Holy Ghost.
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And immediately there fell
from his eyes as it had been
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scales: and he received
sight forthwith, and arose,
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and was baptized.
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Today our subject is
entitled "Road Construction."
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Father God, for the
next couple of moments
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breathe the power of
your Holy Ghost in this place.
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God, speak to us, and when
the time comes for individuals
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to give their lives to
thee, move by your power
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and by your spirit.
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Forgive us of our sins we
pray, in the name of Jesus.
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Let everyone say Amen.
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And Amen.
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If you're like me, you
hate road construction.
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When I'm trying to get
somewhere, I don't like
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being stopped or
having to slow down.
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In fact, when I first
got married, almost 16 years
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ago, then we started
having children, my wife and our
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daughters hated riding
with me because I believe
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that when we go from one place
to another place we don't stop.
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I hate to slow down.
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I want to get where I'm going,
and I want to get there fast.
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Do I have a
witness in this place?
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But if you're
traveling and you run into road
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construction, it can be
one of the most frustrating
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things in your drive,
because you're unexpectedly
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delayed from
what you want to do.
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Road construction is a pain.
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Road construction
is not a quick fix.
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A road that is under
construction for three
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months seems like it's under
construction for three years.
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And then the part we
see doesn't even include
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the behind-the-scenes
planning and preparation that
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took place before the
actual road construction began.
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So although road
construction is good
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in the long term, if
you're like me, we hate it
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in the short term.
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But then, if we didn't
have road construction,
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we'd still be driving on
the same roads, doing the same
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things all in the same way.
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Road construction, it
betters you, it grows you,
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it protects you, and in
some cases it saves you.
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Today let me remind
you of the Apostle Paul.
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Paul is no stranger to us
because Paul is responsible
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for most of the New Testament
theology that we have today.
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Nearly half of the New
Testament books were written by
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the Apostle Paul.
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It was Paul who taught
us that all things work
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together for good to
them who love the Lord.
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It was Paul who taught
us that the wages of sin
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is death, but the gift of
God is eternal life in Jesus
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Christ our Lord.
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It was Paul who taught
us that I can do all things
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through Christ,
which strengthens me.
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I like the Apostle
Paul because Paul teaches us
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the truth about
the state of the dead.
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Paul says, "Behold, beloved,
one day we shall not all
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sleep, but we shall
be changed, in a moment,
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in the twinkling of an eye.
00:07:01.93\00:07:03.63
For the Lord Himself
shall descend from heaven with
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a shout, with the voice of
the archangel and the trump
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of God, and the dead in Christ
shall rise first." Paul taught
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us that nothing shall separate
us from the love of God.
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It was Paul, even in
his death, when he was being
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stoned, when he was left
for dead, he got up and he
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started preaching again.
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Even Paul, when he
was dying, he was still
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preaching, and Paul was
able to say those famous lines:
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"The time of my
departure is at hand.
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I have fought the good fight.
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I have kept the faith.
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And now is laid up for me
a crown of righteousness."
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Today, where would we
be without Brother Paul?
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We get excited when we think
about Paul, but Paul wasn't
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always Paul.
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Paul wasn't always
the model Christian.
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Paul wasn't always
the sanctified saint.
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Paul wasn't always
the dynamic preacher
00:08:00.80\00:08:02.83
or the prolific writer.
00:08:02.83\00:08:04.00
Paul was a bully.
00:08:04.00\00:08:05.50
Paul was a tormenter.
00:08:05.50\00:08:09.10
Paul was an intimidator.
00:08:09.10\00:08:11.20
Paul was a Christian killer.
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Paul was a terrorist
against Christianity.
00:08:14.30\00:08:17.53
That's what Paul was.
00:08:17.53\00:08:19.70
But somebody knows
today that it's not so much
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about your past, but
it's all about your future.
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Somebody knows that I may
not be all that I should be,
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but praise God, I'm
not what I used to be.
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Lesson number one for us
today, don't you forget that
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we serve a God who believes
in giving people another chance.
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People who've messed
up, God will give them
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a second chance.
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But what I love about
God, I say it all the time,
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he doesn't just give us
another chance, but Lamentations
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says, "Morning by morning,
new mercies I see." Which
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means we can't
reduce God to one mercy.
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Lamentations
mentions mercy in plurality.
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Mercies.
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Which means, friends
of mine, it's not that God
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is giving you just a second
chance, but somebody knows
00:09:04.03\00:09:08.56
God is giving you chance
after chance after chance.
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His mercies are
new every morning.
00:09:14.13\00:09:18.00
Praise God,
somebody, for God's mercies.
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Mercy woke you up this morning.
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Mercy let you have
something to eat this morning.
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Mercy kept your heart
beating while you were
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sleeping all night long.
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Mercy kept you from getting
in a car wreck on the way
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to church.
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Somebody ought
to say mercy today.
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In fact, if you read
those stories in the Bible,
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you'll find that a thread of
mercy runs through scripture.
00:09:41.76\00:09:44.83
Adam, Noah, Abraham,
Isaac, Moses, David, Rahab,
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Peter, Paul.
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Adam sinned in the Garden
of Eden, but God covered him.
00:09:49.10\00:09:51.10
Noah got drunk
but God sobered him.
00:09:51.10\00:09:53.10
Jacob tricked his
father, but God forgave him.
00:09:53.10\00:09:55.20
Moses murdered a
man, but God called him.
00:09:55.20\00:10:00.26
David slept with a woman
who wasn't his wife, but God
00:10:00.26\00:10:02.73
redeemed him.
00:10:02.73\00:10:03.96
Rahab slept with every man
she could get her hands on,
00:10:03.96\00:10:06.36
but God cleansed her.
00:10:06.36\00:10:08.23
Peter denied the Lord not
once, not twice, but three
00:10:08.23\00:10:10.86
times, but God used him.
00:10:10.86\00:10:12.23
Paul was persecuting
Christians, but God blinded
00:10:12.23\00:10:15.96
him and then God saved him.
00:10:15.96\00:10:17.83
I've learn that God
often uses the last, the lost,
00:10:17.83\00:10:20.33
the least, the unlucky
and the left out, which means
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God can use you
and God can use me.
00:10:22.90\00:10:25.26
We think God is always
looking for perfect people.
00:10:25.26\00:10:27.26
But God also
uses imperfect people.
00:10:27.26\00:10:30.26
I said it a couple of weeks ago.
00:10:30.26\00:10:32.26
The best preachers in
the world are the ones who've
00:10:32.26\00:10:34.26
been through something.
00:10:34.26\00:10:35.40
The best singers in the
world are the ones who have
00:10:35.40\00:10:38.53
been through something.
00:10:38.53\00:10:40.16
Because they don't
preach like others.
00:10:40.16\00:10:42.56
They don't sing like others.
00:10:42.56\00:10:45.00
There's an anointing
that runs through their body,
00:10:45.00\00:10:47.96
because they know if it
had not been for the Lord on
00:10:47.96\00:10:51.80
their side, where would they be?
00:10:51.80\00:10:54.06
They know that if God
had not rescued them out
00:10:54.06\00:10:56.80
of the clutches of Satan, they
know that if God had not saved
00:10:56.80\00:11:00.53
them from that relationship,
that habit, that addiction,
00:11:00.53\00:11:02.86
they know that if God
had not extended his grace
00:11:02.86\00:11:05.53
and mercy, they
wouldn't be here today.
00:11:05.53\00:11:07.73
Do I have a
witness in this place?
00:11:07.73\00:11:09.73
Saul is on his way to Damascus.
00:11:09.73\00:11:13.56
But on his way he runs
into road construction.
00:11:13.56\00:11:21.06
Road construction
that delays him, but road
00:11:21.06\00:11:25.43
construction that delivers him.
00:11:25.43\00:11:28.16
Road construction
that stalls him, but road
00:11:28.16\00:11:32.23
construction that saves him.
00:11:32.23\00:11:35.06
Saul, as he was known
then, was going down to Damascus
00:11:35.06\00:11:41.96
to kill some Christians,
when he was interrupted by
00:11:41.96\00:11:45.96
a force that he had
never encountered before.
00:11:45.96\00:11:49.60
On the road to Damascus,
Paul saw a great light that
00:11:49.60\00:11:55.13
paralyzed him,
knocked him to the ground.
00:11:55.13\00:11:57.70
Not knowing what or who it
was, he said, "Who is this?"
00:11:57.70\00:12:03.03
The voice said, "This is
Jesus, whom thou persecutest.
00:12:03.03\00:12:07.56
It is hard for me to kick
against the pricks." Let me say
00:12:07.56\00:12:13.20
this right here,
throw this in, next lesson.
00:12:13.20\00:12:15.50
Nobody up in here is so big
that God can't bring you down.
00:12:15.50\00:12:19.43
Giants do fall.
00:12:19.43\00:12:21.73
The bigger they are,
the harder they fall.
00:12:21.73\00:12:27.26
What goes up must come down.
00:12:27.26\00:12:31.33
Too many of us walk around
with the big head, thinking
00:12:31.33\00:12:35.23
we're all that.
00:12:35.23\00:12:36.23
But don't you forget
where your blessings come from.
00:12:36.23\00:12:38.80
God gave you that car.
00:12:38.80\00:12:41.30
God gave you that house.
00:12:41.30\00:12:43.76
God gave you that degree.
00:12:43.76\00:12:46.46
God gave you that job.
00:12:46.46\00:12:48.20
God gave you that husband,
that wife, those children.
00:12:48.20\00:12:50.86
It was God and not you.
00:12:50.86\00:12:52.60
And you better know the Lord.
00:12:52.60\00:12:54.60
And just as the Lord
gives, the Lord can take away.
00:12:56.03\00:12:58.30
Do I have a
witness in this place?
00:12:58.30\00:13:00.36
Now, the road for this
construction was not I-65.
00:13:00.36\00:13:06.90
It was not 565.
00:13:06.90\00:13:10.13
I was not University
Drive, Adventist Boulevard,
00:13:10.13\00:13:12.66
Sparkman-Jordan
Lane, or the Parkway.
00:13:12.66\00:13:15.96
There was no concrete.
00:13:15.96\00:13:18.56
There was no asphalt.
00:13:18.56\00:13:21.10
There were no gas stations
to the left, no Burger Kings
00:13:21.10\00:13:24.90
to the right, no
McDonald's up the road,
00:13:24.90\00:13:27.83
no grocery stores.
00:13:27.83\00:13:29.20
Just a dusty, dry,
dirty, barren road that had
00:13:29.20\00:13:32.60
to be walked and not driven.
00:13:32.60\00:13:34.96
Christians were fleeing
to Damascus to seek refuge
00:13:34.96\00:13:39.33
from persecution.
00:13:39.33\00:13:40.76
They were running from trouble.
00:13:40.76\00:13:43.13
They were running from mess.
00:13:43.13\00:13:44.83
And let me say
this, next lesson.
00:13:44.83\00:13:47.20
I feel it is only
fitting that we celebrate these
00:13:47.20\00:13:49.93
Christians.
00:13:49.93\00:13:51.50
These are the people
ought to be admired if not
00:13:51.50\00:13:54.23
for anything else, they
were running from trouble.
00:13:54.23\00:13:57.66
They were running from mess.
00:13:57.66\00:14:00.30
They were
running from confusion.
00:14:00.30\00:14:02.70
How many so-called
Christians today love
00:14:02.70\00:14:05.56
running not from
trouble, but they love running
00:14:05.56\00:14:07.90
to trouble.
00:14:07.90\00:14:08.90
They love running to
mess, love running to confusion.
00:14:08.90\00:14:11.13
They love it.
00:14:11.13\00:14:12.43
Go looking for it.
00:14:12.43\00:14:13.96
Can't help it.
00:14:13.96\00:14:15.10
They will do whatever
they can do to be present
00:14:15.10\00:14:17.10
whenever and wherever
voices are being raised,
00:14:17.10\00:14:19.10
doors are being slammed,
fingers are being pointed,
00:14:19.10\00:14:21.43
and gossip is being spread.
00:14:21.43\00:14:22.96
But these New Testament
Christians were running from
00:14:22.96\00:14:26.00
trouble, running from
mess, running from Saul.
00:14:26.00\00:14:30.53
Saul of Tarsus.
00:14:30.53\00:14:32.60
A Roman citizen by
birth, but a Jew by descent.
00:14:32.60\00:14:35.26
Saul, regarded by
the rabbis as a young man
00:14:35.26\00:14:39.06
of great promise.
00:14:39.06\00:14:40.26
Saul, elevated to membership
in the Sanhedrin, placing
00:14:40.26\00:14:43.66
him in a position of power.
00:14:43.66\00:14:45.40
Saul, who had taken a
prominent place in the trial
00:14:45.40\00:14:48.96
conviction of
Stephen, claiming that Stephen
00:14:48.96\00:14:51.23
was a blasphemer and that
the Christ whom he had spoken
00:14:51.23\00:14:53.83
of was nothing but an imposter.
00:14:53.83\00:14:55.53
Saul, because of his education
and because of his prejudices;
00:14:55.53\00:15:00.53
Saul, because of his
respect for his former teachers;
00:15:00.53\00:15:04.26
Saul, because of his
pride and his popularity;
00:15:04.26\00:15:07.93
Saul who became
bitter in his opposition to
00:15:07.93\00:15:11.10
the doctrines taught by
the disciples of Jesus Christ,
00:15:11.10\00:15:13.90
became active in
causing holy men and women
00:15:13.90\00:15:17.03
to be dragged before
tribal courts, where some
00:15:17.03\00:15:20.13
were condemned to prison,
others sentenced to death,
00:15:20.13\00:15:23.13
solely because of
their faith in Jesus Christ.
00:15:23.13\00:15:25.26
It was Saul.
00:15:25.26\00:15:27.73
Then I like what
the Bible says in Acts,
00:15:27.73\00:15:29.73
chapter 8, verse number 4.
00:15:29.73\00:15:32.20
The Bible says that those
who were driven from Jerusalem
00:15:32.20\00:15:38.96
by this persecution,
they went everywhere preaching
00:15:38.96\00:15:43.43
the word of God.
00:15:43.43\00:15:44.43
They weren't scared of Saul.
00:15:44.43\00:15:45.56
They weren't stopped, I
should say, because of Saul
00:15:45.56\00:15:48.83
or anybody else.
00:15:48.83\00:15:54.30
They continued to
preach, they continued to teach,
00:15:54.30\00:15:57.66
and they continued
to spread the Gospel.
00:15:57.66\00:16:01.50
And the funny thing
is that the more they
00:16:01.50\00:16:04.76
were persecuted,
the more they preached.
00:16:04.76\00:16:08.06
The more they
preached, the more they grew.
00:16:08.06\00:16:13.30
Let that be a
lesson for us today.
00:16:13.30\00:16:16.23
Anytime the people of
God are afflicted, anytime
00:16:16.23\00:16:20.10
the people of God
are persecuted, they more
00:16:20.10\00:16:22.80
they're afflicted,
the more they grow.
00:16:22.80\00:16:26.23
You see, you would
think that we would grow best
00:16:26.23\00:16:30.96
when things are going well.
00:16:30.96\00:16:33.13
But that's not
necessarily true all the time.
00:16:33.13\00:16:35.86
When God wants you to
grow, God will send an enemy
00:16:35.86\00:16:40.40
to afflict you.
00:16:40.40\00:16:42.03
Let me say that one more time.
00:16:42.03\00:16:43.96
When God wants you to
grow, God will send somebody
00:16:43.96\00:16:48.63
to afflict you.
00:16:48.63\00:16:51.20
That's why when you see the
enemy coming, somebody ought
00:16:51.20\00:16:54.43
to get ready to rejoice,
because that means something
00:16:54.43\00:16:57.53
is about to happen
in somebody's life.
00:16:57.53\00:16:59.70
You all don't
hear what I'm saying.
00:16:59.70\00:17:01.76
Let me tell you this.
00:17:01.76\00:17:02.76
The church shouts
at the wrong time.
00:17:02.76\00:17:05.90
We shout when we
come out of trouble.
00:17:05.90\00:17:09.63
But you ought to shout
when you go in trouble because
00:17:09.63\00:17:13.13
some way, somehow, the
more the enemy afflicts you,
00:17:13.13\00:17:17.33
the more you grow in God.
00:17:17.33\00:17:18.66
That's why the Bible
says it's good that you were
00:17:18.66\00:17:22.66
afflicted, because you
wouldn't have grown to what
00:17:22.66\00:17:25.26
you've grown to if you
hadn't gone through what you
00:17:25.26\00:17:27.56
went through.
00:17:27.56\00:17:28.86
Let me illustrate.
00:17:28.86\00:17:29.86
Somebody's stillot getting it.
00:17:29.86\00:17:31.86
Let me loosen you
up just a little bit.
00:17:31.86\00:17:33.86
Growing up as a boy in
my home, we had chores.
00:17:33.86\00:17:37.80
Anybody know what
I'm talking about?
00:17:37.80\00:17:42.63
And we used to get
allowance for doing chores.
00:17:42.63\00:17:48.33
Vacuuming, dusting, washing
dishes, cleaning our rooms.
00:17:48.33\00:17:56.36
Somebody knows
what I'm talking about.
00:17:56.36\00:17:59.53
And let me throw this in.
00:17:59.53\00:18:01.30
We got an
allowance in the later years,
00:18:01.30\00:18:03.30
but in the early years I had
to do all that, and I didn't get
00:18:03.30\00:18:06.76
an allowance.
00:18:06.76\00:18:08.23
My daddy believed that
if you ate, you had to work.
00:18:08.23\00:18:12.46
Do I have a
witness in this place?
00:18:12.46\00:18:14.83
So my brother, my sister
and I, we rotated on who washed
00:18:14.83\00:18:20.63
the dishes, who cleaned
the bathrooms, who vacuumed
00:18:20.63\00:18:25.40
the floors.
00:18:25.40\00:18:26.60
And I'll be honest today, I
don't understand young people
00:18:26.60\00:18:29.70
today who grow up and
don't clean their rooms,
00:18:29.70\00:18:31.70
who don't do
dishes, who don't vacuum.
00:18:31.70\00:18:33.70
You all don't like it, but
I'm going to tell it anyhow.
00:18:33.70\00:18:36.70
They expect Mama and
Daddy to do all the work.
00:18:36.70\00:18:38.70
Let me tell you something:
you better make them work.
00:18:38.70\00:18:40.93
You're hurting them and
you're not helping them when
00:18:40.93\00:18:43.93
you give them everything
and they don't have to work
00:18:43.93\00:18:45.93
for it.
00:18:45.93\00:18:46.93
Even in college, I understand
some of the students today,
00:18:46.93\00:18:49.50
I know they ain't
going to like this,
00:18:49.50\00:18:51.76
I'm going to stay it anyhow:
I don't understand students
00:18:51.76\00:18:54.23
who don't want to work.
00:18:54.23\00:18:55.23
Now, if there are no
jobs, that's one thing.
00:18:55.23\00:18:57.93
But if you don't want
to work, that's a problem.
00:18:57.93\00:18:59.93
Let me tell you, young
people, when you come to Oakwood
00:18:59.93\00:19:02.00
there are four things you do.
00:19:02.00\00:19:03.00
You study, you eat, you
go to church, and you work.
00:19:03.00\00:19:09.43
When I came to
Oakwood I did four things.
00:19:09.43\00:19:11.43
I studied, I ate, I
came to church, and I worked.
00:19:11.43\00:19:15.86
Those are four keys to success.
00:19:15.86\00:19:17.36
Remember that, now.
00:19:17.36\00:19:18.76
But growing up in
my home, we had chores.
00:19:18.76\00:19:23.56
And on Fridays, one
of the things we had
00:19:23.56\00:19:26.40
to do was wash the
cars, plural, so the cars
00:19:26.40\00:19:31.40
would be ready for Sabbath.
00:19:31.40\00:19:35.13
And my daddy would make
sure we washed the car, because
00:19:35.13\00:19:39.20
he was from the old
school that he said a hard head
00:19:39.20\00:19:41.56
made a soft bottom.
00:19:41.56\00:19:42.56
Somebody knows
what I'm talking about.
00:19:42.56\00:19:44.96
And so we were
the Byrd car wash.
00:19:44.96\00:19:52.33
Anybody know what
I'm talking about?
00:19:52.33\00:19:54.33
We didn't go to the car
wash for somebody else to wash
00:19:54.33\00:19:58.63
the car.
00:19:58.63\00:20:00.06
We washed the cars.
00:20:00.06\00:20:03.23
We didn't have a lawn care
service to come cut our grass.
00:20:03.23\00:20:08.36
We cut the grass.
00:20:08.36\00:20:11.03
We were the Byrd Lawn Service.
00:20:11.03\00:20:16.26
And so we had to wash the cars.
00:20:16.26\00:20:18.26
Now, we had a water
hose, but we didn't always have
00:20:18.26\00:20:23.36
a nozzle on the hose.
00:20:23.36\00:20:26.33
Either we had broken it,
we lost it, or we dropped
00:20:26.33\00:20:30.63
it somewhere, so we didn't
always have a nozzle, but we
00:20:30.63\00:20:34.50
still had to wash the car.
00:20:34.50\00:20:37.43
So when we got ready
to rinse the car, we had
00:20:37.43\00:20:42.50
to squeeze the water hose.
00:20:42.50\00:20:45.53
Somebody knows
what I'm talking about.
00:20:45.53\00:20:47.56
To increase the water
pressure, to make the water
00:20:47.56\00:20:52.23
shoot out so we
could rinse the car.
00:20:52.23\00:20:55.83
And the more you'd
afflict the hose, the more you'd
00:20:55.83\00:21:01.63
squeeze the hose, the
more pressure you applied
00:21:01.63\00:21:06.66
to the hose, the
further the water would shoot.
00:21:06.66\00:21:11.00
Somebody's going to
get this in a minute.
00:21:11.00\00:21:13.00
The more you'd
afflict the hose, the further
00:21:13.00\00:21:16.76
the water would shoot out.
00:21:16.76\00:21:18.43
That's why I don't
understand the devil.
00:21:18.43\00:21:21.76
Because the more he squeezes
me, the more I shoot out,
00:21:21.76\00:21:27.33
the more he pressures
me, the more I shoot out.
00:21:27.33\00:21:32.53
If the devil had any
sense, he wouldn't squeeze me
00:21:32.53\00:21:36.03
like this, because when
you squeeze me like this,
00:21:36.03\00:21:38.53
that just means I'm going
to shoot a little further.
00:21:38.53\00:21:42.26
Today I don't know
who I'm talking to.
00:21:42.26\00:21:44.96
But there's somebody up in
this place, you are up under
00:21:44.96\00:21:49.43
attack right now.
00:21:49.43\00:21:50.73
And the enemy thought
that he was going to kill you.
00:21:50.73\00:21:54.83
But isn't it
strange, friends of mine,
00:21:54.83\00:21:57.53
that the more the
enemy afflicts you,
00:21:57.53\00:22:00.40
the more that you
grow, the more that pressure
00:22:00.40\00:22:03.93
is applied to your
life, the more you grow.
00:22:03.93\00:22:07.36
What the devil means for
evil, God means for good.
00:22:07.36\00:22:11.40
And let me throw this in.
00:22:11.40\00:22:13.36
Talking about God's word
and God's church and God's
00:22:13.36\00:22:15.36
people growing.
00:22:15.36\00:22:16.36
Don't think that the
work of God cannot go on
00:22:16.36\00:22:18.36
without you.
00:22:18.36\00:22:19.36
Some of us think we
can stop the work of God.
00:22:19.36\00:22:21.36
That's going on in
the church right now.
00:22:21.36\00:22:23.93
They're trying to
stop the work of God.
00:22:23.93\00:22:27.30
We think we can stop the
progress of God's church.
00:22:27.30\00:22:31.50
The church needs me.
00:22:31.50\00:22:33.30
The church is not
going to make it without me.
00:22:33.30\00:22:35.96
Let me tell you something.
00:22:35.96\00:22:37.00
The cemetery is full of
folk who thought the church
00:22:37.00\00:22:39.46
couldn't make it without them.
00:22:39.46\00:22:41.46
The work of God will
always triumph and prevail.
00:22:41.46\00:22:43.80
God's word will always stand.
00:22:43.80\00:22:46.63
God's truth still marches on.
00:22:46.63\00:22:48.93
I've never seen the
righteous forsaken nor his seed
00:22:48.93\00:22:53.23
begging bread.
00:22:53.23\00:22:54.23
If it be of God,
can't nobody overthrow it.
00:22:54.23\00:22:58.06
If God be for us,
who can be against us?
00:22:58.06\00:23:01.93
And this gospel of the
kingdom shall be preached into
00:23:01.93\00:23:05.20
all the world, as a
witness until all nations,
00:23:05.20\00:23:07.56
and then shall the end come.
00:23:07.56\00:23:09.70
Saul is on that Damascus road.
00:23:09.70\00:23:13.23
Going to
persecute some Christians.
00:23:13.23\00:23:15.63
Saul desired to persecute
the Christians so much,
00:23:15.63\00:23:17.76
the Bible says that
literally he breathed the arrest
00:23:17.76\00:23:21.20
and slaughter of the Christians.
00:23:21.20\00:23:23.20
He could smell
persecution a mile away.
00:23:23.20\00:23:25.56
By any means necessary,
Paul was willing to go
00:23:25.56\00:23:27.86
to extreme limits to stamp out
the hated Christian teachings.
00:23:27.86\00:23:30.96
He didn't care if the church
folks or Christians were male
00:23:30.96\00:23:34.36
or female.
00:23:34.36\00:23:35.36
He didn't care if
they were rich or poor.
00:23:35.36\00:23:38.36
He didn't care if
they were black or white.
00:23:38.36\00:23:40.36
The Bible says he
just wanted to bind them up
00:23:40.36\00:23:42.50
and take them back to Jerusalem.
00:23:42.50\00:23:44.50
But, the Bible says,
that as he neared Damascus,
00:23:44.50\00:23:50.00
at about noonday, God planned
road construction, as Saul
00:23:50.00\00:23:58.96
and his entourage looked
over the city of Damascus.
00:23:58.96\00:24:07.30
The Bible says that suddenly
there shined round about him
00:24:07.30\00:24:12.93
a light from heaven.
00:24:12.93\00:24:15.83
Blinded and bewildered,
Saul fell to the ground.
00:24:15.83\00:24:20.03
What did Saul see?
00:24:20.03\00:24:22.63
Why did Saul fall?
00:24:22.63\00:24:24.20
Saul hears a voice.
00:24:24.20\00:24:26.13
"Saul, Saul, why persecuteth
thou me?" "Who art thou,
00:24:26.13\00:24:30.80
Lord?" "I'm Jesus, whom thou
persecuteth." Saul now is made
00:24:30.80\00:24:38.06
to see what his teacher Gamalial
in Acts, chapter five said,
00:24:38.06\00:24:41.63
that to persecute the
church was to persecute Jesus.
00:24:41.63\00:24:48.23
To persecute Jesus
was to fight against God.
00:24:48.23\00:24:51.36
No man, none of us,
have seen God at any time.
00:24:51.36\00:24:55.66
It is further
written that no one can look
00:24:55.66\00:24:57.66
upon God's face and live.
00:24:57.66\00:25:00.66
And so therefore Paul
said in Colossians 1:15
00:25:00.66\00:25:03.46
that Jesus, being the
express image of the Father,
00:25:03.46\00:25:07.03
is the visible
image of the visible God.
00:25:07.03\00:25:09.46
Which means if you
would know what God is like,
00:25:09.46\00:25:15.63
look at Jesus.
00:25:15.63\00:25:17.60
If you want to know God,
you must first know Jesus.
00:25:17.60\00:25:22.73
If you would have the
grace of God, seek Jesus.
00:25:22.73\00:25:28.30
If you want the love of
God, you've got to love Jesus.
00:25:28.30\00:25:32.76
If you would have the blessings
of God, you gotta tell Jesus.
00:25:32.76\00:25:37.60
If you want to know
the will of God, you've got
00:25:37.60\00:25:40.56
to tell Jesus.
00:25:40.56\00:25:41.76
And if you want to live
with God, then you've got
00:25:41.76\00:25:45.63
to live in Jesus.
00:25:45.63\00:25:47.40
For what the
Father is, the Son is.
00:25:47.40\00:25:50.23
What the Father
does, the Son does.
00:25:50.23\00:25:52.40
What the Father decrees,
the Son decrees, and what
00:25:52.40\00:25:55.30
the Father
wills, the Son executes.
00:25:55.30\00:25:58.63
Saul, why are
you persecuting me?
00:25:58.63\00:26:03.66
Saul replies, "Lord, what
would thou have me to do?"
00:26:05.10\00:26:11.40
>: The Breath of Life gift
offer this week is "Surprised
00:26:11.40\00:26:15.03
By Love" by pastor
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00:26:15.03\00:26:17.16
Elizabeth Vierra Talbot.
00:26:17.16\00:26:19.23
Find out how people in
the Bible were surprised by
00:26:19.23\00:26:21.23
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The deceitful serpent
and the Pharisees were
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surprised.
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It surprised the
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angels.
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And God's surprises of love
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Journey with Elizabeth
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"Surprised By Love" is yours
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That's 877-265-6333.
00:26:49.70\00:26:53.96
Please have your credit
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00:26:58.06\00:27:01.36
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Be encouraged and
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PB: Thank you very much
for tuning in and watching
00:27:12.03\00:27:15.20
Breath of Life today.
00:27:15.20\00:27:16.20
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00:27:16.20\00:27:19.70
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00:27:19.70\00:27:24.33
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00:27:37.83\00:27:40.83
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00:27:40.83\00:27:45.50
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00:27:52.30\00:27:57.66
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00:28:02.00\00:28:07.23
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00:28:07.23\00:28:14.16
PB: Anytime the people of
God are afflicted, anytime
00:28:14.16\00:28:17.20
the people of God
are persecuted, they more
00:28:17.20\00:28:20.26
they're afflicted,
the more they grow.
00:28:20.26\00:28:24.53
The work of God will
always triumph and prevail.
00:28:24.53\00:28:26.93
God's word will always stand.
00:28:26.93\00:28:28.06
God's truth still marches on.
00:28:28.06\00:28:29.60