Participants: Carlton P. Byrd
Series Code: BOL
Program Code: BOL000135
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00:01 ♪ (Theme Song) ♪ ♪ Jesus is worthy ♪
00:08 ♪ oh yes, he's worthy ♪ ♪ worthy of all... ♪ 00:16 ♪ all the praise... ♪ Pastor Byrd: Saul of Tarsus. 00:24 A Roman citizen by birth, but a Jew by descent. 00:26 Saul, regarded by the rabbis as a young man 00:30 of great promise. 00:31 Saul, elevated to membership in the Sanhedrin, placing 00:35 him in a position of power. 00:36 Saul, who had taken a prominent place in the trial 00:40 conviction of Stephen, claiming that Stephen 00:42 was a blasphemer and that the Christ whom he had spoken 00:45 of was nothing but an imposter. 00:47 Saul, because of his education and because of his prejudices; 00:51 Saul, because of his respect for his former teachers; 00:55 Saul, because of his pride and his popularity; 00:59 Saul who became bitter in his opposition 01:02 to the doctrines taught by the disciples of Jesus Christ, 01:05 became active in causing holy men and women 01:08 to be dragged before tribal courts, where some 01:11 were condemned to prison, others sentenced to death, 01:14 solely because of their faith in Jesus Christ. 01:16 It was Saul. 01:19 Then I like what the Bible says in Acts, chapter 8, 01:22 verse number 4. 01:24 The Bible says that those who were driven from 01:28 Jerusalem by this persecution, they went everywhere 01:34 preaching the word of God. 01:35 They weren't scared of Saul. 01:37 They weren't stopped, I should say, because of Saul 01:40 or anybody else. 01:45 They continued to preach, they continued to teach, 01:49 and they continued to spread the Gospel. 01:52 And the funny thing is that the more they were 01:56 persecuted, the more they preached. 01:59 The more they preached, the more they grew. 02:04 Let that be a lesson for us today. 02:07 Anytime the people of God are afflicted, anytime 02:11 the people of God are persecuted, they more they're 02:14 afflicted, the more they grow. 02:17 You see, you would think that we would grow best when 02:22 things are going well. 02:24 But that's not necessarily true all the time. 02:27 When God wants you to grow, God will send an enemy 02:31 to afflict you. 02:33 Let me say that one more time. 02:35 When God wants you to grow, God will send somebody 02:40 to afflict you. 02:42 That's why when you see the enemy coming, somebody ought 02:45 to get ready to rejoice, because that means something 02:49 is about to happen in somebody's life. 02:51 You all don't hear what I'm saying. 02:53 Let me tell you this. 02:54 The church shouts at the wrong time. 02:57 We shout when we come out of trouble. 03:00 But you ought to shout when you go in trouble because 03:04 some way, somehow, the more the enemy afflicts you, 03:08 the more you grow in God. 03:10 That's why the Bible says it's good that you were 03:14 afflicted, because you wouldn't have grown to what you've 03:16 grown to if you hadn't gone through what you 03:19 went through. 03:20 Let me illustrate. 03:21 Somebody's still not getting it. 03:23 Let me loosen you up just a little bit. 03:25 Growing up as a boy in my home, we had chores. 03:30 Anybody know what I'm talking about? 03:34 And we used to get allowance for doing chores. 03:39 Vacuuming, dusting, washing dishes, cleaning our rooms. 03:47 Somebody knows what I'm talking about. 03:51 And let me throw this in. 03:52 We got an allowance in the later years, 03:54 but in the early years I had to do all that, and I didn't get 03:57 an allowance. 03:59 My daddy believed that if you ate, you had to work. 04:03 Do I have a witness in this place? 04:06 So my brother, my sister and I, we rotated on who washed 04:12 the dishes, who cleaned the bathrooms, who vacuumed 04:16 the floors. 04:18 And I'll be honest today, I don't understand young 04:20 people today who grow up and don't clean their rooms, 04:23 who don't do dishes, who don't vacuum. 04:25 You all don't like it, but I'm going to tell it anyhow. 04:28 They expect Mama and Daddy to do all the work. 04:30 Let me tell you something: you better make them work. 04:32 You're hurting them and you're not helping them when 04:35 you give them everything and they don't have to work 04:37 for it. 04:38 Even in college, I understand some of 04:40 the students today, I know they ain't going to like this, 04:43 I'm going to stay it anyhow: I don't understand students 04:45 who don't want to work. 04:46 Now, if there are no jobs, that's one thing. 04:49 But if you don't want to work, that's a problem. 04:51 Let me tell you, young people, when you come 04:53 to Oakwood there are four things you do. 04:55 You study, you eat, you go to church, and you work. 05:00 When I came to Oakwood I did four things. 05:02 I studied, I ate, I came to church, and I worked. 05:07 Those are four keys to success. 05:09 Remember that, now. 05:10 But growing up in my home, we had chores. 05:15 And on Fridays, one of the things we had 05:18 to do was wash the cars, plural, so the cars would be ready 05:23 for Sabbath. 05:26 And my daddy would make sure we washed the car, because 05:30 he was from the old school that he said a hard head 05:33 made a soft bottom. 05:34 Somebody knows what I'm talking about. 05:36 And so we were the Byrd car wash. 05:43 Anybody know what I'm talking about? 05:45 We didn't go to the car wash for somebody else to wash 05:50 the car. 05:51 We washed the cars. 05:54 We didn't have a lawn care service to come cut our 05:58 grass. 06:00 We cut the grass. 06:03 We were the Byrd Lawn Service. 06:08 And so we had to wash the cars. 06:10 Now, we had a water hose, but we didn't always have 06:14 a nozzle on the hose. 06:17 Either we had broken it, we lost it, or we dropped it 06:22 somewhere, so we didn't always have a nozzle, but we still 06:25 had to wash the car. 06:29 So when we got ready to rinse the car, we had 06:34 to squeeze the water hose. 06:37 Somebody knows what I'm talking about. 06:39 To increase the water pressure, to make the water 06:43 shoot out so we could rinse the car. 06:47 And the more you'd afflict the hose, the more you'd 06:53 squeeze the hose, the more pressure you applied 06:58 to the hose, the further the water would shoot. 07:02 Somebody's going to get this in a minute. 07:04 The more you'd afflict the hose, the further the water 07:08 would shoot out. 07:10 That's why I don't understand the devil. 07:13 Because the more he squeezes me, the more I shoot out, 07:18 the more he pressures me, the more I shoot out. 07:24 If the devil had any sense, he wouldn't squeeze me like 07:27 this, because when you squeeze me like this, 07:30 that just means I'm going to shoot a little further. 07:33 Today I don't know who I'm talking to. 07:36 But there's somebody up in this place, you are up under 07:41 attack right now. 07:42 And the enemy thought that he was going to kill you. 07:46 But isn't it strange, friends of mine, that 07:49 the more the enemy afflicts you, the more that you grow, 07:53 the more that pressure is applied to your life, 07:57 the more you grow. 07:58 What the devil means for evil, God means for good. 08:02 And let me throw this in. 08:04 Talking about God's word and God's church and God's 08:06 people growing. 08:07 Don't think that the work of God cannot go on without 08:09 you. 08:10 Some of us think we can stop the work of God. 08:12 That's going on in the church right now. 08:15 They're trying to stop the work of God. 08:18 We think we can stop the progress of God's church. 08:23 The church needs me. 08:24 The church is not going to make it without me. 08:27 Let me tell you something. 08:28 The cemetery is full of folk who thought the church 08:31 couldn't make it without them. 08:33 The work of God will always triumph and prevail. 08:35 God's word will always stand. 08:38 God's truth still marches on. 08:41 I've never seen the righteous forsaken 08:43 nor his seed begging bread. 08:45 If it be of God, can't nobody overthrow it. 08:49 If God be for us, who can be against us? 08:53 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached into all 08:56 the world, as a witness until all nations, 08:59 and then shall the end come. 09:01 Saul is on that Damascus road. 09:04 Going to persecute some Christians. 09:07 Saul desired to persecute the Christians so much, 09:09 the Bible says that literally he breathed the arrest 09:12 and slaughter of the Christians. 09:14 He could smell persecution a mile away. 09:17 By any means necessary, Paul was willing to go 09:19 to extreme limits to stamp out the hated 09:21 Christian teachings. 09:22 He didn't care if the church folks or Christians were 09:25 male or female. 09:26 He didn't care if they were rich or poor. 09:29 He didn't care if they were black or white. 09:31 The Bible says he just wanted to bind them up 09:34 and take them back to Jerusalem. 09:36 But, the Bible says, that as he neared Damascus, at about 09:44 noonday, God planned road construction, as Saul 09:50 and his entourage looked over the city of Damascus. 09:58 The Bible says that suddenly there shined round about 10:04 him a light from heaven. 10:07 Blinded and bewildered, Saul fell to the ground. 10:11 What did Saul see? 10:14 Why did Saul fall? 10:15 Saul hears a voice. 10:17 "Saul, Saul, why persecuteth thou me?" "Who art thou, 10:22 Lord?" "I'm Jesus, whom thou persecuteth." Saul now 10:29 is made to see what his teacher Gamalial in Acts, chapter five 10:32 said, that to persecute the church was to persecute 10:39 Jesus. 10:40 To persecute Jesus was to fight against God. 10:42 No man, none of us, have seen God at any time. 10:47 It is further written that no one can look upon God's 10:49 face and live. 10:52 And so therefore Paul said in Colossians 1:15 10:54 that Jesus, being the express image of the Father, 10:58 is the visible image of the visible God. 11:00 Which means if you would know what God is like, 11:07 look at Jesus. 11:09 If you want to know God, you must first know Jesus. 11:14 If you would have the grace of God, seek Jesus. 11:19 If you want the love of God, you've got to love Jesus. 11:24 If you would have the blessings of God, 11:26 you gotta tell Jesus. 11:29 If you want to know the will of God, you've got to tell 11:32 Jesus. 11:33 And if you want to live with God, then you've got 11:37 to live in Jesus. 11:38 For what the Father is, the Son is. 11:41 What the Father does, the Son does. 11:43 What the Father decrees, the Son decrees, and what 11:46 the Father wills, the Son executes. 11:50 Saul, why are you persecuting me? 11:56 Saul replies, Lord, what would thou have me to do? 12:02 Lord, what do you want from me? 12:09 I've done it my way for so long, and now I know that my 12:16 way was wrong. 12:19 Candor makes me comment here that at least Paul 12:22 acknowledged he was wrong. 12:25 How many of us do wrong, plan wrong, are wrong, 12:32 and aren't scared of the consequences 12:34 of our wrong? 12:36 Some of us would rather die than say we were wrong. 12:41 At least Paul said, I was wrong. 12:46 What wilt thou have me to do? 12:51 Jesus says, Get up. 12:58 Now, any time Jesus wants you to do something and 13:00 he wants you to do it right away, he says, get up. 13:06 He told the man at the pool of Bethesda, quit talking 13:10 about what you don't have, claim what you do have, 13:12 and get up. 13:14 Saul, get up. 13:16 Go into the city and it will be told to you what you 13:25 should do. 13:26 Now, I could preach a whole other sermon on following 13:29 God's direction, but that would take too much time. 13:33 I could preach a whole other sermon on what happens when 13:35 Paul gets to the city and the importance of walking 13:38 in the will of God, but that would take too much time. 13:40 I could preach a whole other sermon on the fact that when 13:43 Paul got to Damascus, he was blind for three days, 13:45 the Christians thought he was faking, so they refused 13:48 to give him sympathy. 13:49 I could preach on how the unconverted Jews whom Paul 13:56 planned to join in persecuting the Christians, 13:58 they didn't even want Paul to tell his story. 14:03 I could preach how God changed his name from Saul 14:07 to Paul, and how he became the greatest writer 14:10 of the New Testament. 14:12 I could preach all of that. 14:14 But I'm here to preach road construction, so I've got 14:16 two points to tell you, and then I'm going to sit down. 14:19 Number one, when you have a spiritual road construction, 14:27 you will be brought directly into the presence of God. 14:33 And God will stop you, so God can save you. 14:40 God will blind you so that God might bless you. 14:46 God will delay you so that God can deliver you. 14:51 I've learned in my life that delay is not denial. 14:56 Delay is not God withholding his blessings. 15:00 Delay is not no, delay is just not just right now. 15:07 Somebody today, you're on your Damascus road. 15:14 God has stopped you dead in your tracks. 15:19 You can't move forward, you can't move backward, 15:26 you can't move sideways. 15:29 You can't do anything because God has stopped you. 15:34 You were doing a bunch of nonsense, you were doing 15:38 some foolishness in your life, you were doing your 15:42 own thing, and God had to stop you so that God 15:46 could save you. 15:47 Sometimes God has to knock you down. 15:53 You wonder why sometimes we get sick? 15:55 You wonder sometimes why we lose our jobs? 15:59 Why we lose loved ones? 16:00 Because sometimes God has to allow us to get knocked down 16:04 where all we can do is look up. 16:08 Sometimes we gotta fail a class. 16:11 Sometimes we gotta fail a test. 16:14 So that we're knocked down so that all we do is look up. 16:18 Sometimes God has to get your attention. 16:22 God has to blind you. 16:25 Sometimes God has to cripple you. 16:27 Sometimes God has to put you in a hospital bed. 16:30 Sometimes God has to allow you to hit rock bottom. 16:33 Sometimes you gotta lose a loved one, lose a job, 16:36 lose a house, lose a car. 16:37 Sometimes you even gotta lose a marriage. 16:40 But in order for God to bring you into God's 16:42 presence, God has to knock you down. 16:45 But Lord, if that's how you have to save me, God, 16:52 if that's how you have to deliver me, God, if that's 16:55 how you have to fix me, any way you bless me, 17:00 I'll be satisfied. 17:02 Because in your presence there's fullness of joy. 17:07 And at your right hand there are pleasures forevermore. 17:12 So God, if you have to reconstruct me on this 17:15 journey, on this road, make me over again. 17:19 God, if you've got to rebuild me, make me over 17:22 again. 17:23 God, if you have to patch me up, make me over again. 17:27 God, if you have to fill the potholes in my life, God, 17:34 make me over again. 17:36 I've gotta be in your presence. 17:39 And when you come into the presence of God, you'll have 17:42 an encounter with Jesus and never be the same again. 17:44 Number two, everybody can learn something from 17:55 somebody. 17:56 Let me say that again. 18:01 Everybody can learn 18:04 something from somebody. 18:09 Paul saw a light, it blinded him on the road. 18:13 The men who saw him said God commanded him to go 18:18 to Straight street, to get some instruction. 18:25 God then appears to a man named Ananias, and in vision 18:31 he tells Ananias that he's in need of him. 18:35 Ananias is also instructed to go to Straight street 18:38 in Damascus, put his hands on Saul so Saul could receive 18:42 his sight. 18:43 God performed the work of revelation and conviction, 18:46 but now Saul-listen to me good-is in a condition 18:50 to learn from somebody who God had ordained to teach 18:53 his truth. 18:56 Now, at first Ananias is scared to see Saul, 19:02 because Ananias remembers Saul back then. 19:05 And when you remember somebody from back then, 19:08 it's hard to believe who they are now in God. 19:15 Moral failure has easy recall. 19:20 We hold people accountable for stuff they did 20 years 19:26 ago. 19:27 God instructs Ananias to instruct Saul. 19:32 But what if Saul had said, I'm not going to see anybody? 19:40 What if Saul had said, I can't learn anything from him. 19:53 What if Saul had said, I know what I need to know, 19:57 and I don't need to know anything else? 19:59 What if Saul had said, I'm who I am and I'm not 20:02 changing for anybody? 20:05 What if he would have blocked his blessing 20:11 and missed out on what God had in store for his life? 20:15 Everybody can learn something from somebody. 20:25 Women can learn something from men, and men can learn 20:32 something from women. 20:36 Children can learn from their parents, and parents 20:41 can learn something from their children. 20:46 The young can learn from the old, and the old can 20:51 also learn from the young, because everybody can learn 20:55 something from somebody. 20:59 Sometimes we think that we've got it all together, 21:02 and we don't need to hear from somebody else, 21:04 but everybody can learn from somebody. 21:05 Obedience to the voice of God, the Bible says, 21:07 and Ananias goes to the house of Judas, lays hands on Saul, 21:11 and says, "Brother Saul," the Bible said that, 21:14 "Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared 21:21 unto me in the way as thou camest, he hath sent me, 21:24 that thou mightest receive thy sight and be filled 21:28 with the Holy Ghost." 21:29 And immediately, the Bible says, "there fell from his eyes, 21:33 as if it had been scales, he received his sight, 21:37 arose and was baptized." Now, as I close, when the Holy Ghost 21:45 comes on you, you will know it and you will never 21:51 be the same again. 21:52 Somebody says, how do I know I've got the Holy Ghost? 21:55 You will know if you've got the Holy Ghost. 21:58 Saul was not the same. 22:01 His name was changed to Paul. 22:03 He preached with Holy Ghost power. 22:06 He wrote with Holy Ghost power. 22:08 He lived with Holy Ghost power. 22:10 Praise God for road construction. 22:13 Somebody knows what I'm talking about. 22:16 I've just seen Jesus and I'll never be the same 22:19 again. 22:20 He stood at my door and knocked. 22:24 When I opened the door, he came in. 22:28 He communed with me. 22:31 Then after road construction you gotta go and you gotta 22:38 tell somebody what God has done for you. 22:47 [music] That's why I get happy sometimes. 22:50 That's why I cry sometimes. 22:57 That's why I shout sometimes. 23:03 That's why I clap my hands sometimes, and I lift 23:08 my hands sometimes. 23:09 That's why I nod sometimes. 23:13 That's why I praise the Lord, because the Lord 23:17 had done something in my life. 23:20 I was blind but now I see. 23:26 I was lost but now I'm found. 23:33 And I will never be the same again. 23:35 This is why every time Paul got the chance he told 23:40 of his Damascus road experience. 23:42 Every time he got up to defend the gospel on Sabbath 23:45 morning, he told them what the Lord had done for him. 23:48 Every time he could say a word, he said a word 23:52 for the Lord. 23:54 I can do all things through Christ. 23:56 I know in whom I have believed. 23:58 I beseech you brother, by the mercies of God, 24:00 present your bodies a living sacrifice. 24:03 For we know that if our earthly house of this 24:05 tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, 24:10 an house not made with hands, eternal 24:12 in the heavens. 24:13 He was able to say, I let nothing separate me 24:16 from the love of God. 24:18 I know that I've been released from the fetters 24:20 of sin. 24:21 I know I am no longer separated from God. 24:26 I know that Jesus is the center of my joy. 24:30 I know he's the rock of my salvation. 24:35 I know he's the wheel in the middle of a wheel. 24:38 I know that he picked me up, turned me around, placed my 24:44 feet on solid ground. 24:45 I know I was blind, but thank God I can see. 24:48 Paul was able to say, therefore, if any man 24:50 be in Christ, he is a new creature. 24:54 Old things are passed away. 24:58 All things become new. 24:59 I am a citizen of God's kingdom, and I've got rights, 25:05 and I'm going to claim those rights. 25:12 I was sinking deep in sin, far from the peaceful shore. 25:14 I was sinking deep in sin, far from the peaceful shore, 25:18 very deeply stained within, sinking to rise no more. 25:24 But the Master of the sea, heard my despairing cry, 25:31 from the waters lifted me, now safe am I. 25:41 I know I've been changed. 25:43 I know I've been changed, and I know I've been changed 25:52 because the angels in heaven, they chime my name. 26:00 I've just seen Jesus, and I will never be the same 26:09 again. 26:11 >: The Breath of Life gift offer this week is 26:13 "Surprised By Love" by pastor and international 26:15 speaker Elizabeth Vierra Talbot. 26:18 Find out how people in the Bible were surprised 26:20 by God's love. 26:21 Adam and Eve were surprised. 26:22 The deceitful serpent and the Pharisees 26:24 were surprised. 26:25 It surprised the disciples and even the heavenly 26:28 angels. 26:29 And God's surprises of love continue all around us 26:31 today. 26:32 Journey with Elizabeth as you get a fresh view 26:34 of the greatest story ever told, from the kidnapping of God's 26:39 children to the rescuers, from the ransom 26:42 to the reunion. 26:43 "Surprised By Love" is yours for a gift of $5.00 or more. 26:45 Just call our toll-free number, 877-BOL-OFFER. 26:47 That's 877-265-6333. 26:52 Please have your credit card ready when you call. 26:54 Or you may write to us to request your copy. 26:56 Just send your check to Breath of Life, P.O. Box 340, 27:00 Newbury Park, California 91319. 27:03 Get your copy of "Surprised By Love" today. 27:06 Be encouraged and touched by the unexpected rescue 27:09 of God's children. 27:12 PB: Thank you very much for tuning in and watching 27:14 Breath of Life today. 27:15 We do hope that you were blessed by our ministry 27:18 and that we gave a healing word in a hurting world. 27:23 In order for Breath of Life to continue ministry, 27:25 we need you. 27:26 We need your prayers, we need your support. 27:29 We want you to know that any and all donations, small 27:32 or great, they are sincerely welcomed and appreciated. 27:36 To contact us or to make your donation, please feel free 27:39 to give us a call at 877-BOL-OFFER. 27:44 That's 877-BOL-OFFER. 27:51 Or you may write to us at Breath of Life, P.O. Box 340, 27:56 Newbury Park, California 91319. 28:00 P.O. Box 340, Newbury Park, California 91319. 28:06 Or log onto our web site at www.breathoflife.tv. 28:08 PB: Anytime the people of God are afflicted, 28:15 anytime the people of God are persecuted, they more 28:19 they're afflicted, the more they grow. 28:21 The work of God will always triumph and prevail. 28:26 God's word will always stand. 28:26 God's truth still marches on. |
Revised 2015-02-06