Participants: Carlton P. Byrd
Series Code: BOL
Program Code: BOL000134
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00:01 ♪ [Theme music] ♪ ♪ Jesus is worthy ♪
00:11 ♪ oh yes, he's worthy ♪ ♪ worthy of all... ♪ 00:18 ♪ all the praise... ♪ Pastor Byrd: The Bible says 00:25 chapter 9, verse number 1, "And Saul, yet breathing out 00:37 threatenings and slaughter against the disciples 00:40 of the Lord, went unto the high priest, And desired of him 00:46 letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found 00:52 any of this way, whether they were men or women, 00:55 he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. 01:00 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: 01:05 and suddenly," the Bible says, "there shined round about 01:08 him a light from heaven: And he fell to the earth, 01:14 and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest 01:19 thou me? 01:21 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? 01:27 And the Lord said, I am Jesus whomhou persecutest: 01:29 it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. 01:32 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, 01:37 what wilt thou have me to do? 01:39 And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, 01:42 and it shall be told thee what thou must do. 01:45 And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, 01:50 hearing a voice, but seeing no man. 01:55 And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes 01:57 were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by 01:59 the hand, and brought him into Damascus. 02:03 And he was three days without sight, and neither 02:05 did eat nor drink. 02:06 And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named 02:11 Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. 02:16 And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord. 02:19 And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into 02:24 the street which is called Straight, and enquire 02:29 in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, 02:33 behold, he prayeth, And hath seen in a vision a man named 02:39 Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he 02:42 might receive his sight. 02:43 Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this 02:47 man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem: 02:53 And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind 02:58 all that call on thy name. 03:00 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen 03:07 vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, 03:10 and kings, and the children of Israel: For I will shew him 03:13 how great things he must suffer for my name's sake. 03:16 And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; 03:21 and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, 03:24 even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou 03:30 camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive 03:34 thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. 03:38 And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been 03:43 scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, 03:51 and was baptized. 03:56 Today our subject is entitled "Road Construction." 04:03 Father God, for the next couple of moments 04:05 breathe the power of your Holy Ghost in this place. 04:08 God, speak to us, and when the time comes for individuals 04:11 to give their lives to thee, move by your power 04:13 and by your spirit. 04:15 Forgive us of our sins we pray, in the name of Jesus. 04:18 Let everyone say Amen. 04:20 And Amen. 04:24 If you're like me, you hate road construction. 04:30 When I'm trying to get somewhere, I don't like 04:34 being stopped or having to slow down. 04:37 In fact, when I first got married, almost 16 years 04:41 ago, then we started having children, my wife and our 04:45 daughters hated riding with me because I believe 04:48 that when we go from one place to another place we don't stop. 04:53 I hate to slow down. 04:56 I want to get where I'm going, and I want to get there fast. 05:01 Do I have a witness in this place? 05:04 But if you're traveling and you run into road 05:07 construction, it can be one of the most frustrating 05:11 things in your drive, because you're unexpectedly 05:15 delayed from what you want to do. 05:18 Road construction is a pain. 05:21 Road construction is not a quick fix. 05:26 A road that is under construction for three 05:28 months seems like it's under construction for three years. 05:33 And then the part we see doesn't even include 05:36 the behind-the-scenes planning and preparation that 05:39 took place before the actual road construction began. 05:44 So although road construction is good 05:47 in the long term, if you're like me, we hate it 05:51 in the short term. 05:52 But then, if we didn't have road construction, 05:57 we'd still be driving on the same roads, doing the same 06:01 things all in the same way. 06:03 Road construction, it betters you, it grows you, 06:09 it protects you, and in some cases it saves you. 06:14 Today let me remind you of the Apostle Paul. 06:18 Paul is no stranger to us because Paul is responsible 06:22 for most of the New Testament theology that we have today. 06:26 Nearly half of the New Testament books were written by 06:29 the Apostle Paul. 06:30 It was Paul who taught us that all things work 06:33 together for good to them who love the Lord. 06:36 It was Paul who taught us that the wages of sin 06:38 is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus 06:41 Christ our Lord. 06:42 It was Paul who taught us that I can do all things 06:47 through Christ, which strengthens me. 06:49 I like the Apostle Paul because Paul teaches us 06:51 the truth about the state of the dead. 06:54 Paul says, "Behold, beloved, one day we shall not all 06:58 sleep, but we shall be changed, in a moment, 07:01 in the twinkling of an eye. 07:03 For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with 07:06 a shout, with the voice of the archangel and the trump 07:09 of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first." Paul taught 07:12 us that nothing shall separate us from the love of God. 07:16 It was Paul, even in his death, when he was being 07:19 stoned, when he was left for dead, he got up and he 07:22 started preaching again. 07:23 Even Paul, when he was dying, he was still 07:27 preaching, and Paul was able to say those famous lines: 07:30 "The time of my departure is at hand. 07:33 I have fought the good fight. 07:37 I have kept the faith. 07:40 And now is laid up for me a crown of righteousness." 07:43 Today, where would we be without Brother Paul? 07:48 We get excited when we think about Paul, but Paul wasn't 07:51 always Paul. 07:53 Paul wasn't always the model Christian. 07:56 Paul wasn't always the sanctified saint. 08:00 Paul wasn't always the dynamic preacher 08:02 or the prolific writer. 08:04 Paul was a bully. 08:05 Paul was a tormenter. 08:09 Paul was an intimidator. 08:11 Paul was a Christian killer. 08:14 Paul was a terrorist against Christianity. 08:17 That's what Paul was. 08:19 But somebody knows today that it's not so much 08:23 about your past, but it's all about your future. 08:26 Somebody knows that I may not be all that I should be, 08:30 but praise God, I'm not what I used to be. 08:33 Lesson number one for us today, don't you forget that 08:36 we serve a God who believes in giving people another chance. 08:41 People who've messed up, God will give them 08:43 a second chance. 08:44 But what I love about God, I say it all the time, 08:46 he doesn't just give us another chance, but Lamentations 08:49 says, "Morning by morning, new mercies I see." Which 08:53 means we can't reduce God to one mercy. 08:56 Lamentations mentions mercy in plurality. 08:59 Mercies. 09:01 Which means, friends of mine, it's not that God 09:04 is giving you just a second chance, but somebody knows 09:08 God is giving you chance after chance after chance. 09:14 His mercies are new every morning. 09:18 Praise God, somebody, for God's mercies. 09:22 Mercy woke you up this morning. 09:25 Mercy let you have something to eat this morning. 09:28 Mercy kept your heart beating while you were 09:31 sleeping all night long. 09:32 Mercy kept you from getting in a car wreck on the way 09:36 to church. 09:37 Somebody ought to say mercy today. 09:39 In fact, if you read those stories in the Bible, 09:41 you'll find that a thread of mercy runs through scripture. 09:44 Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Moses, David, Rahab, 09:48 Peter, Paul. 09:49 Adam sinned in the Garden of Eden, but God covered him. 09:51 Noah got drunk but God sobered him. 09:53 Jacob tricked his father, but God forgave him. 09:55 Moses murdered a man, but God called him. 10:00 David slept with a woman who wasn't his wife, but God 10:02 redeemed him. 10:03 Rahab slept with every man she could get her hands on, 10:06 but God cleansed her. 10:08 Peter denied the Lord not once, not twice, but three 10:10 times, but God used him. 10:12 Paul was persecuting Christians, but God blinded 10:15 him and then God saved him. 10:17 I've learn that God often uses the last, the lost, 10:20 the least, the unlucky and the left out, which means 10:22 God can use you and God can use me. 10:25 We think God is always looking for perfect people. 10:27 But God also uses imperfect people. 10:30 I said it a couple of weeks ago. 10:32 The best preachers in the world are the ones who've 10:34 been through something. 10:35 The best singers in the world are the ones who have 10:38 been through something. 10:40 Because they don't preach like others. 10:42 They don't sing like others. 10:45 There's an anointing that runs through their body, 10:47 because they know if it had not been for the Lord on 10:51 their side, where would they be? 10:54 They know that if God had not rescued them out 10:56 of the clutches of Satan, they know that if God had not saved 11:00 them from that relationship, that habit, that addiction, 11:02 they know that if God had not extended his grace 11:05 and mercy, they wouldn't be here today. 11:07 Do I have a witness in this place? 11:09 Saul is on his way to Damascus. 11:13 But on his way he runs into road construction. 11:21 Road construction that delays him, but road 11:25 construction that delivers him. 11:28 Road construction that stalls him, but road 11:32 construction that saves him. 11:35 Saul, as he was known then, was going down to Damascus 11:41 to kill some Christians, when he was interrupted by 11:45 a force that he had never encountered before. 11:49 On the road to Damascus, Paul saw a great light that 11:55 paralyzed him, knocked him to the ground. 11:57 Not knowing what or who it was, he said, "Who is this?" 12:03 The voice said, "This is Jesus, whom thou persecutest. 12:07 It is hard for me to kick against the pricks." Let me say 12:13 this right here, throw this in, next lesson. 12:15 Nobody up in here is so big that God can't bring you down. 12:19 Giants do fall. 12:21 The bigger they are, the harder they fall. 12:27 What goes up must come down. 12:31 Too many of us walk around with the big head, thinking 12:35 we're all that. 12:36 But don't you forget where your blessings come from. 12:38 God gave you that car. 12:41 God gave you that house. 12:43 God gave you that degree. 12:46 God gave you that job. 12:48 God gave you that husband, that wife, those children. 12:50 It was God and not you. 12:52 And you better know the Lord. 12:56 And just as the Lord gives, the Lord can take away. 12:58 Do I have a witness in this place? 13:00 Now, the road for this construction was not I-65. 13:06 It was not 565. 13:10 I was not University Drive, Adventist Boulevard, 13:12 Sparkman-Jordan Lane, or the Parkway. 13:15 There was no concrete. 13:18 There was no asphalt. 13:21 There were no gas stations to the left, no Burger Kings 13:24 to the right, no McDonald's up the road, 13:27 no grocery stores. 13:29 Just a dusty, dry, dirty, barren road that had 13:32 to be walked and not driven. 13:34 Christians were fleeing to Damascus to seek refuge 13:39 from persecution. 13:40 They were running from trouble. 13:43 They were running from mess. 13:44 And let me say this, next lesson. 13:47 I feel it is only fitting that we celebrate these 13:49 Christians. 13:51 These are the people ought to be admired if not 13:54 for anything else, they were running from trouble. 13:57 They were running from mess. 14:00 They were running from confusion. 14:02 How many so-called Christians today love 14:05 running not from trouble, but they love running 14:07 to trouble. 14:08 They love running to mess, love running to confusion. 14:11 They love it. 14:12 Go looking for it. 14:13 Can't help it. 14:15 They will do whatever they can do to be present 14:17 whenever and wherever voices are being raised, 14:19 doors are being slammed, fingers are being pointed, 14:21 and gossip is being spread. 14:22 But these New Testament Christians were running from 14:26 trouble, running from mess, running from Saul. 14:30 Saul of Tarsus. 14:32 A Roman citizen by birth, but a Jew by descent. 14:35 Saul, regarded by the rabbis as a young man 14:39 of great promise. 14:40 Saul, elevated to membership in the Sanhedrin, placing 14:43 him in a position of power. 14:45 Saul, who had taken a prominent place in the trial 14:48 conviction of Stephen, claiming that Stephen 14:51 was a blasphemer and that the Christ whom he had spoken 14:53 of was nothing but an imposter. 14:55 Saul, because of his education and because of his prejudices; 15:00 Saul, because of his respect for his former teachers; 15:04 Saul, because of his pride and his popularity; 15:07 Saul who became bitter in his opposition to 15:11 the doctrines taught by the disciples of Jesus Christ, 15:13 became active in causing holy men and women 15:17 to be dragged before tribal courts, where some 15:20 were condemned to prison, others sentenced to death, 15:23 solely because of their faith in Jesus Christ. 15:25 It was Saul. 15:27 Then I like what the Bible says in Acts, 15:29 chapter 8, verse number 4. 15:32 The Bible says that those who were driven from Jerusalem 15:38 by this persecution, they went everywhere preaching 15:43 the word of God. 15:44 They weren't scared of Saul. 15:45 They weren't stopped, I should say, because of Saul 15:48 or anybody else. 15:54 They continued to preach, they continued to teach, 15:57 and they continued to spread the Gospel. 16:01 And the funny thing is that the more they 16:04 were persecuted, the more they preached. 16:08 The more they preached, the more they grew. 16:13 Let that be a lesson for us today. 16:16 Anytime the people of God are afflicted, anytime 16:20 the people of God are persecuted, they more 16:22 they're afflicted, the more they grow. 16:26 You see, you would think that we would grow best 16:30 when things are going well. 16:33 But that's not necessarily true all the time. 16:35 When God wants you to grow, God will send an enemy 16:40 to afflict you. 16:42 Let me say that one more time. 16:43 When God wants you to grow, God will send somebody 16:48 to afflict you. 16:51 That's why when you see the enemy coming, somebody ought 16:54 to get ready to rejoice, because that means something 16:57 is about to happen in somebody's life. 16:59 You all don't hear what I'm saying. 17:01 Let me tell you this. 17:02 The church shouts at the wrong time. 17:05 We shout when we come out of trouble. 17:09 But you ought to shout when you go in trouble because 17:13 some way, somehow, the more the enemy afflicts you, 17:17 the more you grow in God. 17:18 That's why the Bible says it's good that you were 17:22 afflicted, because you wouldn't have grown to what 17:25 you've grown to if you hadn't gone through what you 17:27 went through. 17:28 Let me illustrate. 17:29 Somebody's stillot getting it. 17:31 Let me loosen you up just a little bit. 17:33 Growing up as a boy in my home, we had chores. 17:37 Anybody know what I'm talking about? 17:42 And we used to get allowance for doing chores. 17:48 Vacuuming, dusting, washing dishes, cleaning our rooms. 17:56 Somebody knows what I'm talking about. 17:59 And let me throw this in. 18:01 We got an allowance in the later years, 18:03 but in the early years I had to do all that, and I didn't get 18:06 an allowance. 18:08 My daddy believed that if you ate, you had to work. 18:12 Do I have a witness in this place? 18:14 So my brother, my sister and I, we rotated on who washed 18:20 the dishes, who cleaned the bathrooms, who vacuumed 18:25 the floors. 18:26 And I'll be honest today, I don't understand young people 18:29 today who grow up and don't clean their rooms, 18:31 who don't do dishes, who don't vacuum. 18:33 You all don't like it, but I'm going to tell it anyhow. 18:36 They expect Mama and Daddy to do all the work. 18:38 Let me tell you something: you better make them work. 18:40 You're hurting them and you're not helping them when 18:43 you give them everything and they don't have to work 18:45 for it. 18:46 Even in college, I understand some of the students today, 18:49 I know they ain't going to like this, 18:51 I'm going to stay it anyhow: I don't understand students 18:54 who don't want to work. 18:55 Now, if there are no jobs, that's one thing. 18:57 But if you don't want to work, that's a problem. 18:59 Let me tell you, young people, when you come to Oakwood 19:02 there are four things you do. 19:03 You study, you eat, you go to church, and you work. 19:09 When I came to Oakwood I did four things. 19:11 I studied, I ate, I came to church, and I worked. 19:15 Those are four keys to success. 19:17 Remember that, now. 19:18 But growing up in my home, we had chores. 19:23 And on Fridays, one of the things we had 19:26 to do was wash the cars, plural, so the cars 19:31 would be ready for Sabbath. 19:35 And my daddy would make sure we washed the car, because 19:39 he was from the old school that he said a hard head 19:41 made a soft bottom. 19:42 Somebody knows what I'm talking about. 19:44 And so we were the Byrd car wash. 19:52 Anybody know what I'm talking about? 19:54 We didn't go to the car wash for somebody else to wash 19:58 the car. 20:00 We washed the cars. 20:03 We didn't have a lawn care service to come cut our grass. 20:08 We cut the grass. 20:11 We were the Byrd Lawn Service. 20:16 And so we had to wash the cars. 20:18 Now, we had a water hose, but we didn't always have 20:23 a nozzle on the hose. 20:26 Either we had broken it, we lost it, or we dropped 20:30 it somewhere, so we didn't always have a nozzle, but we 20:34 still had to wash the car. 20:37 So when we got ready to rinse the car, we had 20:42 to squeeze the water hose. 20:45 Somebody knows what I'm talking about. 20:47 To increase the water pressure, to make the water 20:52 shoot out so we could rinse the car. 20:55 And the more you'd afflict the hose, the more you'd 21:01 squeeze the hose, the more pressure you applied 21:06 to the hose, the further the water would shoot. 21:11 Somebody's going to get this in a minute. 21:13 The more you'd afflict the hose, the further 21:16 the water would shoot out. 21:18 That's why I don't understand the devil. 21:21 Because the more he squeezes me, the more I shoot out, 21:27 the more he pressures me, the more I shoot out. 21:32 If the devil had any sense, he wouldn't squeeze me 21:36 like this, because when you squeeze me like this, 21:38 that just means I'm going to shoot a little further. 21:42 Today I don't know who I'm talking to. 21:44 But there's somebody up in this place, you are up under 21:49 attack right now. 21:50 And the enemy thought that he was going to kill you. 21:54 But isn't it strange, friends of mine, 21:57 that the more the enemy afflicts you, 22:00 the more that you grow, the more that pressure 22:03 is applied to your life, the more you grow. 22:07 What the devil means for evil, God means for good. 22:11 And let me throw this in. 22:13 Talking about God's word and God's church and God's 22:15 people growing. 22:16 Don't think that the work of God cannot go on 22:18 without you. 22:19 Some of us think we can stop the work of God. 22:21 That's going on in the church right now. 22:23 They're trying to stop the work of God. 22:27 We think we can stop the progress of God's church. 22:31 The church needs me. 22:33 The church is not going to make it without me. 22:35 Let me tell you something. 22:37 The cemetery is full of folk who thought the church 22:39 couldn't make it without them. 22:41 The work of God will always triumph and prevail. 22:43 God's word will always stand. 22:46 God's truth still marches on. 22:48 I've never seen the righteous forsaken nor his seed 22:53 begging bread. 22:54 If it be of God, can't nobody overthrow it. 22:58 If God be for us, who can be against us? 23:01 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached into 23:05 all the world, as a witness until all nations, 23:07 and then shall the end come. 23:09 Saul is on that Damascus road. 23:13 Going to persecute some Christians. 23:15 Saul desired to persecute the Christians so much, 23:17 the Bible says that literally he breathed the arrest 23:21 and slaughter of the Christians. 23:23 He could smell persecution a mile away. 23:25 By any means necessary, Paul was willing to go 23:27 to extreme limits to stamp out the hated Christian teachings. 23:30 He didn't care if the church folks or Christians were male 23:34 or female. 23:35 He didn't care if they were rich or poor. 23:38 He didn't care if they were black or white. 23:40 The Bible says he just wanted to bind them up 23:42 and take them back to Jerusalem. 23:44 But, the Bible says, that as he neared Damascus, 23:50 at about noonday, God planned road construction, as Saul 23:58 and his entourage looked over the city of Damascus. 24:07 The Bible says that suddenly there shined round about him 24:12 a light from heaven. 24:15 Blinded and bewildered, Saul fell to the ground. 24:20 What did Saul see? 24:22 Why did Saul fall? 24:24 Saul hears a voice. 24:26 "Saul, Saul, why persecuteth thou me?" "Who art thou, 24:30 Lord?" "I'm Jesus, whom thou persecuteth." Saul now is made 24:38 to see what his teacher Gamalial in Acts, chapter five said, 24:41 that to persecute the church was to persecute Jesus. 24:48 To persecute Jesus was to fight against God. 24:51 No man, none of us, have seen God at any time. 24:55 It is further written that no one can look 24:57 upon God's face and live. 25:00 And so therefore Paul said in Colossians 1:15 25:03 that Jesus, being the express image of the Father, 25:07 is the visible image of the visible God. 25:09 Which means if you would know what God is like, 25:15 look at Jesus. 25:17 If you want to know God, you must first know Jesus. 25:22 If you would have the grace of God, seek Jesus. 25:28 If you want the love of God, you've got to love Jesus. 25:32 If you would have the blessings of God, you gotta tell Jesus. 25:37 If you want to know the will of God, you've got 25:40 to tell Jesus. 25:41 And if you want to live with God, then you've got 25:45 to live in Jesus. 25:47 For what the Father is, the Son is. 25:50 What the Father does, the Son does. 25:52 What the Father decrees, the Son decrees, and what 25:55 the Father wills, the Son executes. 25:58 Saul, why are you persecuting me? 26:05 Saul replies, "Lord, what would thou have me to do?" 26:11 >: The Breath of Life gift offer this week is "Surprised 26:15 By Love" by pastor and international speaker 26:17 Elizabeth Vierra Talbot. 26:19 Find out how people in the Bible were surprised by 26:21 God's love. 26:22 Adam and Eve were surprised. 26:23 The deceitful serpent and the Pharisees were 26:25 surprised. 26:26 It surprised the disciples and even the heavenly 26:29 angels. 26:30 And God's surprises of love continue all around us today. 26:33 Journey with Elizabeth as you get a fresh view 26:35 of the greatest story ever told, from the kidnapping of God's 26:40 children to the rescuers, from the ransom 26:43 to the reunion. 26:44 "Surprised By Love" is yours for a gift of $5.00 or more. 26:47 Just call our toll-free number, 877-BOL-OFFER. 26:49 That's 877-265-6333. 26:53 Please have your credit card ready when you call. 26:55 Or you may write to us to request your copy. 26:58 Just send your check to Breath of Life, P.O. Box 340, 27:01 Newbury Park, California 91319. 27:04 Get your copy of "Surprised By Love" today. 27:07 Be encouraged and touched by the unexpected rescue 27:10 of God's children. 27:12 PB: Thank you very much for tuning in and watching 27:15 Breath of Life today. 27:16 We do hope that you were blessed by our ministry 27:19 and that we gave a healing word in a hurting world. 27:24 In order for Breath of Life to continue ministry, 27:26 we need you. 27:27 We need your prayers, we need your support. 27:30 We want you to know that any and all donations, small 27:33 or great, they are sincerely welcomed and appreciated. 27:37 To contact us or to make your donation, please feel 27:40 free to give us a call at 877-BOL-OFFER. 27:45 That's 877-BOL-OFFER. 27:52 Or you may write to us at Breath of Life, P.O. Box 340, 27:57 Newbury Park, California 91319. 28:02 P.O. Box 340, Newbury Park, California 91319. 28:07 Or log onto our web site at www.breathoflife.tv. 28:14 PB: Anytime the people of God are afflicted, anytime 28:17 the people of God are persecuted, they more 28:20 they're afflicted, the more they grow. 28:24 The work of God will always triumph and prevail. 28:26 God's word will always stand. 28:28 God's truth still marches on. |
Revised 2015-02-06