Breath of Life
Ministries Presents:
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Sermon B589  "It's Not How
You Start, But How You Finish"
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(Breath of Life Theme Music)
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Pastor Byrd:  And one of
the Pharisees desired him that
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he would eat with him and
he went unto the Pharisee's,
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what, everybody?  And
sat down to eat with him.
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And, behold, a woman in
the city, Lord have mercy,
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a woman in the city which
was a what?  Aud:  Sinner.
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PB:  When she knew that Jesus
sat at meat in the Pharisee's
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house, brought an alabaster
box of what, everybody?
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And stood at his
feet behind him weeping,
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and began to wash
his feet with tears.
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And then wiped them
with the hairs of her
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head and kissed
his feet and anointed
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them with the ointment.
 Now, when the Pharisee,
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which had bidden him, saw
it, he spake within himself,
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saying, “This man, if he
were a prophet, would have
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known who and what manner
of woman this is that toucheth
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him,” for she is a
what, everybody? She's a what,
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everybody? Aud.:  Sinner.   
PB: Amazingly, he sees all this,
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but under his breath
he says this.  And Jesus,
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he heard him, ha-ha, he
answered and said unto him,
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“Simon, I have
somewhat to say unto thee.”
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In other words, Jesus
said, I got something for you.
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Come on, say Amen.  And
he said, “Master, say on.”
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“There was a certain
creditor, which had two debtors,
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one owing five hundred
pence, and the other fifty.
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And when they had
nothing to pay, he frankly
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forgave them both.
 Tell me therefore,
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which of them
will love him most?”
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Simon answered and
said, “I suppose that he,
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to whom he forgave
most.”  And he said unto him,
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“Thou has rightly judged.”
 And he turned to the woman,
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and said unto Simon, “Seest
thou this” what, everybody?
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Come on, seest thou this what?
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And “I entered into thine house,
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thou gavest me no
water for my feet:
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but she hath
washed my feet with tears,
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and wiped them with
the hairs of her head.
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Thou gavest me no
kiss:  but this woman since
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the time I came in hath
not ceased to kiss my feet.
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My head with oil
thou didst not anoint:
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but this woman hath
anointed my feet with ointment.
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Wherefore I say unto
thee, her sins, which are many,
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are forgiven,:
for she loved much:”
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She loved how, everybody? 
“But to whom little is forgiven,
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the same loveth
little.  And he said unto her,
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Thy sins are forgiven. 
And they that sat at meat
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with him began to
say within themselves,
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Who is this that
forgiveth sins also?
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And he said to the
woman, Thy faith hath
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saved thee; go in peace.”
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I just stopped by
on this last Sabbath of
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the year to tell you,
it's not how you start,
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but how you
finish.  Come on, say Amen.
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Father, in the name
of Jesus and through the
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intercession of the Holy Ghost,
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come by Oakwood
today.  God, help us
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to understand
it's not how we start,
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but how we
finish.  So, God, we want
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to finish strong
today.  May your Spirit
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move in this place
and when the appeal
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time comes, blow our
minds.  And by the power
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of your Holy Ghost
forgive me of my sins,
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hide me behind your
cross.  Give me clarity
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of thought, your
people receptivity of heart.
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In the name of Jesus we pray.
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Let everybody say Amen and Amen.
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It's not how you
start, but how you finish.
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All right.  So a
little boy once shared
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a riddle with his
father.  He said, Daddy,
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if there are three
frogs sitting on a limb
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hanging over a pool
and one of the frogs
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decides to jump,
how many frogs are left
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on the limb? 
What's the answer? And the
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father replied, two. 
No, Dad, the son said.
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Listen to me
carefully.  There are three
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frogs on the limb. 
And one decides to jump.
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How many frogs are
left?  The father says, oh,
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I get it, if one decides
to jump the others would too,
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so there are
none left.  No, Daddy.
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There are, like
many of you have said,
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still three
frogs left on the limb.
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The first frog
only decided to jump.
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He didn't jump,
but he decided to jump.
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Today, as we approach
this, the end of 2017,
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my question to
you is, are you still
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sitting on the
limb?  Maybe you decided
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at the beginning
of 2017 to jump in the
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deep with God, but
here we are 12 months
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later and you're
still sitting on the limb.
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Oh, you don't know
what I'm talking about.
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Let me call the
role.  You started off the
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year trying to lose
weight, but it hasn't happened.
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You still on the
limb.  You went to school
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to take a class
hoping to get a better job.
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But it hasn't happened. 
You trying to break a habit,
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but it hasn't
happened.  You began this year
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saying you were going
to read the Bible through
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from Genesis to Revelation.
 You were going to go
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to prayer meeting,
go to Sabbath school,
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deepen your relationship
with the Lord and now
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we're at the end of
the year and you didn't
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get past Exodus, you
stopped going to prayer meeting,
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you don't go to
Sabbath school, let alone study
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a Sabbath school
lesson, and your relationship
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with the Lord is either
where it's always been or worse.
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Can I give you
some good news today?
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It's not about how you
start, but it's about how
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you finish.  Are you
hearing what I'm saying?
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Now, if you don't believe
me, ask some sports fans.
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Ask the Atlanta
Falcons, who blew a 28 to 3
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lead against the Patriots
in last year's Superbowl,
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losing 34 to 28 in overtime.
It's not how you start,
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but how you finish. 
Ask that race car in the
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Indy 500 that was
leading the race the entire
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way only to run out
of gas in the final lap.
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It's not how you
start, but how you finish.
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But let's move from
the secular and let's
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go to the spiritual.  The
Apostle Paul hated Christians,
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tortured Christians,
tormented Christians.
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But God turned his life
around on that Damascus road.
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He became the most prolific
writer of the New Testament,
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preached and won thousands to
Christ.  It's not how you start,
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but how you finish.  What
about that thief on the cross?
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A criminal, a crook, a convict,
but in his final hours he said,
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Lord, remember me.  Remember me
when you come in your kingdom.
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What did Jesus say, “Today thou
shall be with me in paradise.”
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It's not how you start,
but how you, what everybody?
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Aud.:  Finish.  PB: 
So, I've got some good news.
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Somebody's still on the
limb. It's December 30th
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and we've got two days
left in 2017 and you're
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still on the limb.  And
we've got two days left,
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but I just stopped by
to tell you it's not how
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you start, but how you finish.
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Now, one of the greatest
of biblical illustrations
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about finishing
strong is in Luke, Chapter 7.
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Luke, Chapter what,
everybody? Now, we just read it.
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Meet Simon in this text
today. Simon is a Pharisee.
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Simon is a what,
everybody? Pharisee.
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And Pharisees as
you know were religious.
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In fact, Pharisees
had spent their entire
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lives being religious.
 They were so religious
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that they forgot God's
law was rooted in love.
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The first four
commandments are love for God.
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The final six commandments
are love for our fellow man.
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Are you hearing what I'm saying?
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But the Pharisees
were so strict in their
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understanding of
keeping God's Sabbath Day holy,
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for example, they say
that because the Old Testament
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said that the Holy of
Holies was to be situated
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two thousand cubits or
one thousand yards away
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from the nearest
structure or building,
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they created a law
stating that on the Sabbath
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people could only
walk one thousand yards.
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And anything and more than
that would be considered work.
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They thought you showed
your love for God by not
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keeping the Sabbath
holy--not by keeping the
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Sabbath holy, but
by not walking more
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than one thousand
yards.  I think about this and
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I ask myself, isn't it
amazing how some people can
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start loving God, but
then get so caught up and
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locked up into a
religious system of rules and
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regulations that they
leave God's grace and mercy
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at the door?  That's what
happened to the Pharisees.
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They had the right
intentions, but they went
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about it in the wrong
way.  Now, be careful of
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some church folk.  Let
me say that one more time.
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Be careful of some
church folk. Remember,
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we have rules for
which we have no Scriptures.
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We have all kinds of
ideas and concepts of what
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is appropriate and
inappropriate and we kill people
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over things we later
find out were not that deep.
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Be careful of church
folk. Simon invites Jesus to
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his home for dinner. 
Now, there's something a bit
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unusual about this invitation
because when it came to
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Jesus and the Pharisees
it was more of a butting of
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heads than a meeting of
the minds.  So what's the point
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of having Jesus in your
house when your religion stops
00:09:38.67\00:09:42.14
you from appreciating the
Jesus that you have access to?
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Yes, Simon could
bring Jesus in his house,
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but he didn't know
what to do with Jesus once
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Jesus was in the house.
 Maybe he feels that God
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should appreciate the
fact that he took time out
00:09:56.89\00:10:00.10
for Him because some of
us are so important that
00:10:00.13\00:10:03.20
if we give God Sabbath,
God forbid we come out on
00:10:03.23\00:10:06.37
a Wednesday night.
 Because after all,
00:10:06.40\00:10:09.50
we feel that all of
heaven should stand at attention
00:10:09.54\00:10:11.57
because we made time
for God, who by the way woke
00:10:11.61\00:10:14.28
you up this morning. 
Who, by the way, put breath
00:10:14.31\00:10:16.78
in your body,
started you on your way,
00:10:16.81\00:10:18.68
put food on your
table, clothing on your back,
00:10:18.71\00:10:20.58
and makes your heart beat
even when you're sleeping.
00:10:20.62\00:10:23.12
But yet, look at us.  You
give God what you want to,
00:10:23.15\00:10:27.26
when you want to, how
you want to, if you want to,
00:10:27.29\00:10:28.89
because some of us are
more important in our own
00:10:28.92\00:10:31.36
minds than God
Himself.  Preach, Pastor Byrd.
00:10:31.39\00:10:34.30
But not only that.  In
Jewish culture it was normal
00:10:34.36\00:10:39.00
to have family and
friends over to your house like
00:10:39.03\00:10:41.84
we do at the holidays when
someone important was there.
00:10:41.87\00:10:44.84
So, because Jesus had
come over to their home,
00:10:44.87\00:10:46.88
to the
Pharisee's house for dinner,
00:10:46.91\00:10:48.71
Simon's house for dinner,
and because Jesus was important,
00:10:48.74\00:10:51.38
do I have a witness in
this place, a large crowd
00:10:51.41\00:10:54.62
gathered to hear
what Jesus had to say.
00:10:54.65\00:10:57.72
And it's into this
important, sadiddy,
00:10:57.75\00:11:02.86
righteous, pious,
sanctimonious, holier-than-thou
00:11:02.89\00:11:11.80
environment that
according to the Bible a sinful
00:11:11.83\00:11:16.37
woman of the city, aka, a
prostitute, comes into the
00:11:16.40\00:11:23.81
house. Now, let's
understand what we read.
00:11:23.85\00:11:25.51
Remember, a Pharisee
has spent all of his life
00:11:25.55\00:11:29.35
being steeped in the
legalities, the laws,
00:11:29.38\00:11:32.22
what was appropriate
and what was inappropriate.
00:11:32.25\00:11:34.56
Pharisees knew the rules.
 They knew the regulations.
00:11:34.59\00:11:37.93
They knew the rituals. 
They knew the ceremonies.
00:11:37.96\00:11:40.36
They saw God through
the lens of legalism,
00:11:40.40\00:11:43.63
because we all see
God through something.
00:11:43.67\00:11:46.47
And so they
approached their relationship
00:11:46.50\00:11:49.57
with God on the
basis of their commitment
00:11:49.60\00:11:51.54
to religion, not
their love for Him.
00:11:51.57\00:11:53.64
The thought was,
the more you kept the
00:11:53.68\00:11:55.38
law the closer you were to God.
00:11:55.41\00:11:57.35
The Pharisees were disciplined.
00:11:57.38\00:11:58.61
They were trained,
they were committed,
00:11:58.65\00:11:59.71
they were moral
people, they were clean people,
00:11:59.75\00:12:01.08
they were a holy
people.  They didn't touch
00:12:01.12\00:12:03.22
certain things.  They
did not eat certain things.
00:12:03.25\00:12:06.52
They didn't go certain places.
00:12:06.55\00:12:07.76
They kept the Sabbath
holy. They kept the Law.
00:12:07.79\00:12:11.43
And don't get it twisted. 
Don't misunderstand me today.
00:12:11.46\00:12:14.46
There's nothing wrong
with keeping God's Law.
00:12:14.50\00:12:17.30
We're supposed
to keep God's Law,
00:12:17.33\00:12:19.33
but it must be
motivated by love.
00:12:19.37\00:12:21.50
Jesus said, if ye what? 
Love me, keep my commandments.
00:12:21.54\00:12:25.61
If we say we love God
like we say we love God,
00:12:25.64\00:12:28.48
keeping God's laws
should not be a problem.
00:12:28.51\00:12:31.15
In fact, I don't keep
God's Law to be saved.
00:12:31.18\00:12:36.15
I keep God's Law
because I'm already saved.
00:12:36.18\00:12:39.92
Are you hearing
what I'm saying? I said,
00:12:39.95\00:12:41.96
I don't keep
God's Law to be saved.
00:12:41.99\00:12:44.39
I keep God's Law
because I'm already saved.
00:12:44.43\00:12:46.96
I love me some Jesus.
 Before the foundation
00:12:47.00\00:12:50.03
of this world, God
already had a plan of
00:12:50.07\00:12:52.30
salvation in
place for Carlton Byrd.
00:12:52.33\00:12:55.60
Jesus died for me.
 Jesus rose for me.
00:12:55.64\00:12:59.87
Jesus is coming back to get me.
00:12:59.91\00:13:03.21
And no devil in
hell can stop Jesus
00:13:03.24\00:13:06.92
from coming to
get me.  Oh, how I
00:13:06.95\00:13:08.28
love Jesus,
because He first loved me.
00:13:08.32\00:13:11.29
But the Bible says
Simon was a Pharisee.
00:13:11.32\00:13:14.56
He was a what,
everybody?  Aud.: Pharisee.
00:13:14.59\00:13:16.26
PB:  He was a what,
everybody? Aud.:  Pharisee.
00:13:16.29\00:13:17.79
PB:  And it was
appropriate that if
00:13:17.83\00:13:19.13
Jesus were a man
of God He should have
00:13:19.16\00:13:20.76
been with Simon, but
not with a prostitute.
00:13:20.80\00:13:25.37
But my question in this text is,
00:13:25.40\00:13:27.87
if the Pharisee
is supposed to be so
00:13:27.90\00:13:30.51
holy and she's a
prostitute, how did the women-
00:13:30.54\00:13:33.81
-woman get to the
house in the first place?
00:13:33.84\00:13:36.51
What's she doing at the
house in the first place?
00:13:36.54\00:13:39.98
Be ye sure your
sin will find you out.
00:13:40.02\00:13:44.05
What's she doing
there in the first place?
00:13:44.09\00:13:45.65
How did she know the
address? She's not holy.
00:13:45.69\00:13:49.46
You all don't
hear what I'm saying.
00:13:49.49\00:13:51.26
She's not pure. 
She's not righteous.
00:13:51.29\00:13:52.73
She's been around the block.
00:13:52.76\00:13:54.50
She's messed up so
bad that people knew
00:13:54.56\00:13:56.93
her by what she
did and not her name.
00:13:56.97\00:13:59.67
Where did she come
from in the first place?
00:13:59.70\00:14:03.64
How dare she come up
and mess up our nice,
00:14:03.67\00:14:09.31
pretty church? 
Our clean, holy church,
00:14:09.34\00:14:14.68
with her ankle
bracelets, her rings.
00:14:14.72\00:14:18.15
I know it's getting
quiet.  Her tattoos.
00:14:18.19\00:14:21.12
Her urban seductive disposition.
00:14:21.16\00:14:24.89
Who is she to walk
up in Oakwood looking
00:14:24.93\00:14:27.23
like that?  How
dare she put her foot
00:14:27.23\00:14:30.30
in our church?  Can I
put a kickstand right here?
00:14:30.33\00:14:34.97
I've learned in
these 23 years as a
00:14:35.00\00:14:37.41
pastor-evangelist
list that some people
00:14:37.44\00:14:39.91
like the idea of evangelism.
00:14:39.94\00:14:41.98
They like the
concept of evangelism.
00:14:42.01\00:14:44.58
They give money to
support evangelism,
00:14:44.61\00:14:47.02
but don't mess up
our pretty church with
00:14:47.05\00:14:49.32
your sinful ways. 
That's just like some
00:14:49.35\00:14:51.75
folk in the church. 
They want to keep the
00:14:51.79\00:14:53.82
people out who need
the church the most.
00:14:53.86\00:14:56.56
But this woman,
she goes in this house,
00:14:56.59\00:15:02.36
into this
atmosphere, against all odds,
00:15:02.40\00:15:05.80
because it's
sometimes hard to get to God
00:15:05.83\00:15:08.44
because of God's
people.  I wish I had time.
00:15:08.47\00:15:10.34
She comes up behind
Jesus.  She knows that
00:15:10.37\00:15:16.18
according to the
customs of the times,
00:15:16.21\00:15:17.81
she knows that
according to customs of
00:15:17.85\00:15:19.68
Scripture and
standards of religion she
00:15:19.71\00:15:22.22
shouldn't be in
the room, but she's in
00:15:22.25\00:15:24.35
the room anyway. 
The Bible says that tears
00:15:24.39\00:15:28.42
begin to fall out
of her eyes. They begin
00:15:28.46\00:15:32.73
to fall--Alleluia--they
begin to fall on Jesus.
00:15:32.76\00:15:36.77
Now, she doesn't seek His face.
00:15:36.80\00:15:39.03
She doesn't seek His hand.
00:15:39.07\00:15:40.54
She's not trying
to get a blessing.
00:15:40.57\00:15:42.37
She's not trying
to seek His favor.
00:15:42.40\00:15:44.34
All she wants is to
get in His presence.
00:15:44.37\00:15:47.58
Somebody knows in
His presence there's
00:15:47.61\00:15:50.95
fullness of joy, at
His right hand there
00:15:50.98\00:15:54.45
are pleasures for evermore.
00:15:54.48\00:15:56.32
She falls down at His feet.
00:15:56.35\00:15:58.69
And he feels the warm sensation
00:15:58.72\00:16:02.92
of her tears at His feet.
00:16:02.96\00:16:05.39
Let me break
this down. Somebody's
00:16:05.43\00:16:07.50
still not getting
this.  Have you ever
00:16:07.56\00:16:10.47
walked in a room
and walked up in a
00:16:10.50\00:16:14.54
room where you know you
were being talked about?
00:16:14.57\00:16:17.01
Aud.:  Yes, yes. 
PB:  I have. I mean.
00:16:17.04\00:16:23.18
Have you ever,
you know how we are,
00:16:23.21\00:16:24.78
people talking about you.
00:16:24.81\00:16:25.98
They hear you
walk up, happy Sabbath.
00:16:26.01\00:16:27.62
Eh  Have you ever
walked up to a group
00:16:27.65\00:16:33.25
of people who you knew
were talking about you?
00:16:33.29\00:16:36.56
Have you ever
walked into the room,
00:16:36.59\00:16:38.69
and you can feel the tension.
00:16:38.73\00:16:40.43
You can feel the malice.
00:16:40.46\00:16:42.46
You can cut the
tension with a knife,
00:16:42.50\00:16:43.97
the strife and
hatefulness towards you.
00:16:44.00\00:16:46.27
It's enough to
make you turn around
00:16:46.30\00:16:48.70
and walk out of that room.
00:16:48.74\00:16:51.64
But something
pushed this woman over
00:16:51.67\00:16:56.41
the top of hatred.  She said,
00:16:56.44\00:16:58.78
hate me if you
want to, but I came to
00:16:58.81\00:17:03.12
see Jesus. 
Jesus, Jesus, down at His
00:17:03.15\00:17:08.99
feet she begins to
fall.  I just want to
00:17:09.02\00:17:12.13
know on this the final Sabbath,
00:17:12.16\00:17:13.80
can a sinner fall
at the feet of Jesus?
00:17:13.83\00:17:16.83
Can a sinner come
down the aisle in Oakwood
00:17:16.87\00:17:19.80
in front of all you
church folk, in front
00:17:19.83\00:17:22.90
of all you educated
folk, in front of all
00:17:22.94\00:17:25.77
you big people and
say, if it had not been
00:17:25.81\00:17:29.14
for the Lord on my
side.  Simon is standing
00:17:29.18\00:17:38.05
in the corner. 
He's turning up his nose.
00:17:38.09\00:17:41.92
He's rolling his eyes.
 He's hissing his teeth.
00:17:41.96\00:17:46.76
And he says, if
Jesus were such a prophet
00:17:46.80\00:17:50.50
He should have known
she was a prostitute and
00:17:50.53\00:17:54.84
He wouldn't have
touched her. But you
00:17:54.87\00:17:57.01
know what I love
is, the Bible says,
00:17:57.04\00:17:58.44
let's read the
whole Bible, that the
00:17:58.47\00:18:00.31
foolish heart
doesn't seem to understand
00:18:00.34\00:18:02.44
that Jesus is all
knowing. Which means,
00:18:02.48\00:18:05.68
Jesus knew the
woman was coming before
00:18:05.71\00:18:08.78
the woman even
knocked on the door.
00:18:08.82\00:18:10.65
You all don't
hear what I'm saying.
00:18:10.69\00:18:12.15
You see, Jesus
didn't come and sacrifice
00:18:12.19\00:18:16.42
His life and die
on Calvary just for
00:18:16.46\00:18:18.59
the important, holy
people. Because I've
00:18:18.63\00:18:22.86
learned in my
experience, growing up as
00:18:22.90\00:18:24.67
a kid and as an
adult now, people who
00:18:24.70\00:18:27.14
perceive
themselves to be holy are
00:18:27.17\00:18:29.17
never great worshippers.
When you think you holy,
00:18:29.20\00:18:34.44
you not a good
worshipper.  But when you've
00:18:34.48\00:18:37.65
been through it,
when you've been through,
00:18:37.68\00:18:40.95
are you hearing what I'm saying?
00:18:40.98\00:18:42.58
When you've been
drug through it and
00:18:42.62\00:18:45.25
you come and you
say, I will lift up
00:18:45.29\00:18:46.86
mine eyes onto the
hills from which cometh
00:18:46.89\00:18:49.22
my help, my help
comes from the Lord.
00:18:49.26\00:18:51.23
When you've gone
through it and you say,
00:18:51.26\00:18:53.33
we have this hope.
 When you've been to
00:18:53.36\00:18:57.97
an earthly hell and
back, when you've slept
00:18:58.00\00:19:01.47
around and fooled
around, you've messed
00:19:01.50\00:19:03.84
around and played
around, should have been
00:19:03.87\00:19:06.17
in jail, should have been dead.
00:19:06.21\00:19:08.44
Should have been
strung out somewhere.
00:19:08.48\00:19:11.01
Should have been
broke, broke, bankrupt,
00:19:11.05\00:19:13.78
and unemployed. 
Should have been in the
00:19:13.82\00:19:15.55
hospital on your
death bed, but somehow God,
00:19:15.58\00:19:18.62
God in His mercy,
God in His wisdom let you
00:19:18.65\00:19:23.53
have another chance,
it will make you praise
00:19:23.56\00:19:26.73
God like you just
don't care and you get in
00:19:26.76\00:19:30.43
church and you'll
say, S.O.S., scoot over,
00:19:30.47\00:19:33.87
son, because I will
bless the Lord at all times
00:19:33.90\00:19:38.24
and His praise shall
continually be in my mouth.
00:19:38.27\00:19:41.98
Oh, come and magnify
the Lord with me and let
00:19:42.01\00:19:44.61
us exalt His name
together. Jesus says, hold up,
00:19:44.65\00:19:50.22
Brother Simon.  Let me
tell you something, Simon.
00:19:50.25\00:19:55.32
There were two men who
were in debt to a banker.
00:19:55.36\00:19:59.63
One owed five
hundred.  How much, everybody?
00:19:59.66\00:20:03.13
And the other owed
fifty.  How much, everybody?
00:20:03.16\00:20:06.07
Now, neither of
them, Jesus says,
00:20:06.10\00:20:08.70
had the money to pay the banker.
00:20:08.74\00:20:13.07
But what the banker did was,
00:20:13.11\00:20:15.84
he cancelled
both of their debts.
00:20:15.88\00:20:19.55
So he says,
which of the two do you
00:20:19.58\00:20:22.62
think is more
grateful?  Simon says,
00:20:22.65\00:20:27.02
the man who owed
five hundred dollars.
00:20:27.06\00:20:30.43
The man who was
forgiven the most.
00:20:30.46\00:20:33.29
Jesus says, you're right.  Now,
00:20:33.33\00:20:37.90
since thou this
woman.  You all don't
00:20:37.93\00:20:45.01
hear what I'm
saying.  Of course,
00:20:45.04\00:20:47.04
Simon sees her
because Simon is not blind.
00:20:47.08\00:20:51.15
But Jesus knows
that sometimes people
00:20:51.18\00:20:55.05
can see you, but
still not know you,
00:20:55.08\00:20:57.75
because we sit up
in church and act holy,
00:20:57.79\00:21:00.59
but everyone has
a past and has done
00:21:00.62\00:21:03.22
something in the
dark.  Do I have a
00:21:03.26\00:21:05.06
witness in this
place?  Jesus said,
00:21:05.09\00:21:07.83
seeth thou this woman?  He says,
00:21:07.86\00:21:12.17
I came to your
house, but you provided
00:21:12.20\00:21:15.14
no water for my feet.
 But this woman rained
00:21:15.17\00:21:18.44
down tears on my feet
and dried them with her hair.
00:21:18.47\00:21:23.21
But you gave me no
greeting, but from the
00:21:23.24\00:21:27.68
time I arrived in your house,
00:21:27.72\00:21:29.55
she hasn't quit kissing my feet.
00:21:29.58\00:21:32.49
You provided nothing
for my freshening up,
00:21:32.52\00:21:35.29
but this woman has soothed
my feet with her perfume.
00:21:35.32\00:21:39.39
She was forgiven
for many, many, many,
00:21:39.43\00:21:42.43
many sins and she
is very, very grateful.
00:21:42.46\00:21:45.47
But Jesus says, when
the forgiveness is little,
00:21:45.50\00:21:49.17
the gratitude is
little. Somebody says,
00:21:49.20\00:21:55.44
Pastor Byrd, what's
Jesus talking about?
00:21:55.48\00:21:57.61
Jesus was telling
Simon that those who really
00:21:57.65\00:21:59.55
understand their need
for forgiveness are the
00:21:59.58\00:22:01.52
ones who demonstrate
the most loving gratitude.
00:22:01.55\00:22:03.75
But then, the flip of
that, Jesus was also telling
00:22:03.79\00:22:07.16
Simon that the reason
he was expressing so little
00:22:07.19\00:22:09.22
love is because he
didn't realize his need for
00:22:09.26\00:22:12.96
forgiveness. Well, somebody
might say like Pastor Byrd.
00:22:12.99\00:22:16.36
I know what
Jesus has done for me.
00:22:16.40\00:22:22.14
[Applause]  PB: 
He loosed my shackles
00:22:22.17\00:22:26.34
and He set me free.  Oh, boy,
00:22:26.37\00:22:30.91
you can be cute all you want.
00:22:30.95\00:22:33.82
You can sit up
in here like a lump
00:22:33.85\00:22:35.92
on a log all you
want, but if the Lord
00:22:35.95\00:22:38.85
has done something
for you, if the Lord
00:22:38.89\00:22:42.22
has brought you
through 2017, if you're still
00:22:42.26\00:22:46.16
above ground and
there's a roof over your head,
00:22:46.19\00:22:50.47
somebody ought to say something.
00:22:50.50\00:22:53.40
Who cares what
people say. Somebody ought
00:22:53.44\00:22:58.64
to say something.  Who
cares how folk look at you.
00:22:58.67\00:23:01.88
Somebody ought to
say something. Who cares
00:23:01.91\00:23:06.41
if folk talk about
your past. Somebody ought
00:23:06.45\00:23:10.29
to say something.  If
redeemed by the Lord, say so.
00:23:10.32\00:23:14.69
When God's been good to ya,
you ought to show some sign.
00:23:14.72\00:23:18.79
God's been good to me. 
I can't keep it to myself.
00:23:18.83\00:23:23.03
I've got to tell somebody.
 Make a joyful noise unto
00:23:23.06\00:23:26.77
the Lord all ye lands. 
Serve the Lord with gladness,
00:23:26.80\00:23:31.11
come before His
presence. We're singing.
00:23:31.14\00:23:37.45
You see, He loved me
when I was unlovable.
00:23:37.48\00:23:43.28
He didn't wait for
me to get right until He
00:23:43.32\00:23:46.72
started loving me.  He loved me
00:23:46.76\00:23:49.16
when I wouldn't do right.
00:23:49.19\00:23:50.79
He loved you when
you were acting up.
00:23:50.83\00:23:53.76
He loved you when
you were shacking up.
00:23:53.80\00:23:56.80
He loved you when
you were shootin' up.
00:23:56.83\00:23:59.87
He loved.  He stopped
the car from crashing.
00:23:59.90\00:24:02.07
He stopped the
cancer from spreading.
00:24:02.10\00:24:04.91
He stopped you from dying.
00:24:04.94\00:24:07.31
He stopped you
from being destroyed.
00:24:07.34\00:24:10.48
He stopped your
marriage from divorce.
00:24:10.51\00:24:13.31
And if none of you
all will praise Him,
00:24:13.35\00:24:16.12
I will praise Him by myself.
00:24:16.15\00:24:20.99
Praise Him in the
morning, praise Him
00:24:21.02\00:24:24.06
in the noon day, praise
Him in the midnight hour.
00:24:24.09\00:24:27.66
Praise Him when
the sun goes down,
00:24:27.66\00:24:30.37
from the rising of
the sun to the going
00:24:30.40\00:24:33.40
down of the same, the
Lord is worthy to be what,
00:24:33.44\00:24:36.64
everybody?  I'm done.
But I've got one more point.
00:24:36.67\00:24:44.75
And this is the point
that struck me in this text.
00:24:44.78\00:24:47.65
I've read this all my
life and this is the point
00:24:47.68\00:24:49.32
that struck out for me
this week.  There are two
00:24:49.35\00:24:52.85
kinds of sin and two
kinds of sinners in the text.
00:24:52.89\00:24:58.56
Let me say that again.
 There are two kinds of
00:24:58.59\00:25:03.77
sin and two kinds of
sinners in this text.
00:25:03.80\00:25:09.80
Now, the Bible says that
all, how much, everybody?
00:25:09.84\00:25:13.74
How much,
everybody?  All have sinned and
00:25:13.78\00:25:16.61
come short of the
glory of whom, everybody?
00:25:16.64\00:25:18.38
But in our finite
minds, listen to me,
00:25:18.41\00:25:22.52
we tend to separate sin and
sinners into different camps.
00:25:22.55\00:25:27.69
Reprobate sin and sinners and
respectable sins and sinners.
00:25:27.72\00:25:36.73
I wish I had a
witness in this place.
00:25:36.77\00:25:39.63
You see, we see this
played out in this text.
00:25:39.67\00:25:43.34
In the Pharisee's
life and lifestyle, in the
00:25:43.37\00:25:45.61
prostitute's life and
lifestyle. But reality is,
00:25:45.64\00:25:48.44
it really doesn't
matter if we're a good sinner
00:25:48.48\00:25:50.71
or a bad sinner,
sin is still sin and the
00:25:50.75\00:25:54.18
Bible says the wages
of sin is what, everybody?
00:25:54.22\00:25:56.28
Death.  What Simon and
many people fail to realize
00:25:56.32\00:26:02.72
and understand is that
living according to what
00:26:02.76\00:26:05.09
society or religion
says doesn't mean a person
00:26:05.13\00:26:08.23
is right with God. 
Because what good is
00:26:08.26\00:26:12.53
the law if you don't have love?
00:26:12.57\00:26:14.84
What good is
religion is you don't
00:26:14.87\00:26:17.27
have a
relationship?  Somebody still
00:26:17.31\00:26:20.94
not getting this.  Let
me illustrate one more time.
00:26:20.98\00:26:23.51
Let me use
volcanoes as an example.
00:26:23.55\00:26:25.75
Some volcanoes
blow their tops. Wow.
00:26:25.78\00:26:30.85
Some volcanoes
just kind of leak out.
00:26:30.89\00:26:33.79
And while
they're both different,
00:26:33.82\00:26:36.06
they're different
volcanoes, they both
00:26:36.09\00:26:37.89
have lava flows. 
Inside volcanoes there
00:26:37.93\00:26:42.46
is a crust covering
a massive lava lake.
00:26:42.50\00:26:46.13
Some of the crusts
are thick and strong,
00:26:46.17\00:26:48.20
keeping the lava
inside, but sometimes
00:26:48.24\00:26:50.41
cracks appear and
the lava leaks out.
00:26:50.44\00:26:53.74
And then there are
those volcanoes where
00:26:53.78\00:26:57.81
the crusts are thin
and with one good shake,
00:26:57.85\00:27:02.12
the whole thing
blows up.  The Pharisee
00:27:02.15\00:27:06.52
and the
prostitute are like these two
00:27:06.55\00:27:09.09
different
volcanoes.  They both have
00:27:09.12\00:27:11.26
within them,
inside of them, a molten
00:27:11.29\00:27:14.00
lava of sin. 
One's just more obvious
00:27:14.00\00:27:18.53
than the other. 
While on the outside
00:27:18.57\00:27:22.17
Simon and this
woman seem as different
00:27:22.20\00:27:24.54
as night as day.  On the inside,
00:27:24.57\00:27:26.88
they're both the
same, because the
00:27:26.91\00:27:29.38
sin nature that
resides within both
00:27:29.41\00:27:31.61
of them needs to be forgiven.
00:27:31.65\00:27:34.18
Jesus wants to
forgive the reprobate
00:27:34.22\00:27:38.85
sinner and the sin and
the respectable sinner,
00:27:38.89\00:27:43.26
sinner and sin. 
But to be forgiven,
00:27:43.29\00:27:47.03
we've got to
humbly come to Him and
00:27:47.10\00:27:52.23
ask in faith, like
the woman, that our
00:27:52.27\00:27:55.70
sins be forgiven whether
reprobate or respectable.
00:27:55.74\00:28:01.81
"Thank you very
much for tuning into this
00:28:01.84\00:28:04.51
week's Breath of Life Broadcast.
00:28:04.55\00:28:06.72
We hope and pray
that you have been blessed
00:28:06.75\00:28:08.55
by Dr. Byrd's
inspirational message.
00:28:08.58\00:28:11.02
If you would like
to hear this sermon in
00:28:11.05\00:28:12.49
its entirety, please
feel free to visit us at
00:28:12.52\00:28:15.46
www.breathoflife.tv or
call us at 256.929.6460.
00:28:15.49\00:28:25.40
Again, thank you
very much for joining us,
00:28:25.43\00:28:27.87
and please tune in
next week for another
00:28:27.90\00:28:30.21
END
00:28:30.24\00:28:45.25