Breath Of Life
Ministries Presents:
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B590 "It's Now or Never"
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PB:"Go ye therefore,
and teach all nations,
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baptizing them in
the name of the Father,
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and of the Son,
and of the Holy Ghost:
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Teaching them to
observe all things whatsoever
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I have commanded you: and, lo,
I am with you"--what, everybody?
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Aud.:  Always.  PB:  "Even
unto the end of the world."
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I'm gonna challenge you
today: It's now or never.
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It's now or never.
Father, bless us now, O God,
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as we preach Your
Word today. We need You.
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We need the power of
Your Holy Spirit, so Lord,
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I know I have
something prepared, but I need,
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want and desire Your
Holy Ghost to speak and have
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its way today. So,
Lord, do what You do,
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and we'll stand back and
say, Look what God has done.
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Forgive us of our sins,
and at the appeal time move,
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we pray. In Jesus' name.
Let everyone say amen. And Amen.
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It's now or never.
When we come to a new year,
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we often talk about
what God is going to do.
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But today I'm not worried
about what God is gonna do;
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I know what God is
gonna do. Today I want to
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talk to you about
what you're gonna do.
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Are you hearing
what I'm saying? You see,
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in 2017, funeral cars
ran every day. In 2017,
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funeral homes had
services every day.
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Grave diggers dug
every day. But God--but God!-
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-in His grace and
His mercy has allowed us
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to still be here
today. And let me remind you:
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Most of us know that
we're not here because
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of our own goodness.
But I believe somebody
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knows we're here
because of God's goodness.
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And one of the
reasons God has left us on
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this earth for
another year is because God
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is trying to save
us.  [Aud. reaction]
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PB:  For some of us, if
we had experienced death
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in 2017, we wouldn't
be saved; we'd be lost.
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Now somebody
should've shouted right there.
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I tell you, we
shout at the wrong time.
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Somebody should've
shouted on the fact
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that you've got another
year to work on yourself.
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[Aud. reaction]  PB: 
That you've got another
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year to get your
temper under control.
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That you've got
another year to get your
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mouth under control.
That you've got another
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year to get your
attitude under control,
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get that addiction
that keeps pulling you
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down under control.
You've got another year
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to be the husband that
God has called you to be.
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Another year to be
the wife that God has
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called you to be.
You've got another year,
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somebody, to get
your son back, get your
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daughter back,
get those kids back,
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pull your family together.
You've got another year-
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-and it's now or never.
Now, you don't have time
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to worry about
what's happening in somebody
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else's house; you've got
too much work in your own house.
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[Aud. reaction]  PB: 
To worry about what's going
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on in somebody else's house. Do
I have a witness in this place?
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[Aud. reaction]   PB: 
You've got another year
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to man up and stop
blaming other people for the
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stuff that you did,
that caused you to be where
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you are today. It's
nobody else's fault but yours.
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Do I have a witness in
this place? It's now or never.
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But not only that, let
me give you another reason
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today why God has chosen
to leave us on this earth.
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You see, we've got one
more year to not only be saved;
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we've got one more year
to tell somebody else that
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they can be saved. Got another
year to tell your family,
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your friends, your
coworkers, your neighbors,
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your loved ones that
you serve a risen Savior;
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that you serve an
awesome God; that you serve a
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company keeper, a cancer
killer, a problem solver.
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Another year to tell somebody
that God is a heart fixer.
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You've got one more year.
And that's why the text says Go,
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ye therefore, teach all
nations. Baptize them in
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the name of the Father,
the Son, and the Holy Ghost,
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teaching them to
observe all things whatsoever I
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have commanded you; and
lo, I am with you always,
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even until the end of the world.
You see, many times in life,
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I find that we sit back
and put the responsibility
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of redemption, rescue,
salvation, and deliverance
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all on God. And we sit
back passively and watch
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and turn everything
over to God and miss out on
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what God expects from
us. But if we're gonna be
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effective in this
world, we must take action.
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Yes, God blesses what
you do, but you've got to
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take action. And it's
against this backdrop that
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this text speaks to us
today. Now, we often read
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the gospel Commission
and the closing verses of
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Matthew 28, but we
don't read the first verses of
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Matthew 28 in order
to get the context of the
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closing verses. But
Matthew 28--if you look at
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it carefully--it begins by
telling us about two women.
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How many women,
everybody? Aud.: Two.
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PB:  How many women,
everybody? Aud.:  Two.
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PB:  Two women:
Mary Magdalene and the
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other Mary, which
means Matthew has his own
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version of Mary Mary. I wish
I had a witness in this place.
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[Aud. reaction]  PB: 
Mary and Mary went to the
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tomb where they had
laid the body of Jesus.
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The Bible says in
Matthew 28, verse number 2,
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if you look at it,
"And, behold, there was a
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great earthquake." A
great what, everybody?
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Aud.:  [indiscernible]
 PB: "For the angel of
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the Lord descended
from heaven, and came and
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rolled back the stone from
the door, and sat upon it."
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Now, friends of mine, if
you read the Bible correctly
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and you let the Bible
speak for itself, you will
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discover surrounding
Jesus' death, burial and
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resurrection, in all of
the four gospels--Matthew,
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Mark, Luke and John--you will
discover three major things.
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Number one, you will discover
that Jesus died on Friday;
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that He was crucified
on Friday, the sixth day of
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the week, and
that's the preparation day.
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Number two, you will
discover that it's on the
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seventh day of the
week, the Sabbath, that His
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body lay resting in the
grave, which means He was
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obedient to His law even
in death. Then number three,
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early Sunday morning,
Easter Sunday, the first day
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of the week, Jesus rose
with all power in His hands.
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But not only that, if you
study the context surrounding
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Jesus' death, burial and
resurrection in all of the
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gospels, you will also notice
that when Joseph--everybody say
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"Joseph." Aud.:  Joseph. 
PB:  Joseph was the undertaker,
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according to
Matthew 27:59 through 61.
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He had taken the
body of Jesus, wrapped it
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in clean linen, laid
it in his own new tomb,
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rolled a great stone
to the door of the tomb,
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and then departed.
Who was there? These same
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two women. Mary Mary.
Mary Magdalene and the
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other Mary. Mary Mary.
Mary and Mary were at the cross,
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in Matthew 28:56. Mary
and Mary were at the tomb
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in Matthew 28, verse
61. Mary and Mary were
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the last ones at the
crucifixion, and Mary
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and Mary were the first
ones at the resurrection.
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Now, in Matthew
chapter 27, verse 60,
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Mary Mary saw Joseph
roll the great stone in
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front of the
tomb. Listen to me good.
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But in Matthew 28:2,
they saw an angel roll
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away the stone from the
tomb. Let me repeat that,
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somebody didn't get
that. Joseph rolled a stone
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in front of the tomb, the
undertaker, in Matthew 27.
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But an angel rolled the
stone away from the tomb,
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in Matthew 28.
Somebody's still not getting it.
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Let me try it this
way: It took a man to roll
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the stone in front of
the tomb, but it took a
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miracle to roll the
stone away from the tomb.
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Mary Mary walked up on
an earthquake, an angel,
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and an announcement, and
in verse 6 of Matthew 28,
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the angel makes an announcement.
Look at it. It says,
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"He is not here; for he is
risen." He is what, everybody:
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Aud.:  Risen.  PB:
 Risen. Stop there;
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that's the first
sentence. He is not here;
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but he has what,
everybody? Aud.:  Risen.
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PB:  Now, the next
sentence in verse 6 gives
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us a powerful
picture of the way God works.
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Don't miss it,
because most of the times we
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miss this picture,
trying to get to the end
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of the story, because
we want to see how the
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story ends, but we
miss out on the lessons
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in the story. The next
sentence in verse 6 says,
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"Come, see the place where
the Lord"--what, everybody?
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Lay. Come see the place
where the Lord, what, everybody?
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Aud.:  Lay. PB:  Now,
understand, the word "lay"
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in this text is in the
past tense. It's not the
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present tense but the
past tense, which means the
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text doesn't say "lays"; the
text doesn't say "is laying";
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but the text says
"lay." Past tense. Somebody's
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gonna get this in a
minute. The angel, which is
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Greek for "aggelos,"
which means "messenger."
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So then the angel is
nothing more than a messenger,
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which means the announcement
is simply a message.
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So the messenger gives
the message that the miracle
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has already taken place.
Past tense. Y'all don't get it.
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Mary and Mary didn't see
Jesus raised from the dead.
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God had already done
that. Which means, the miracle
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had already taken place.
You see, the way God works
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most miracles, I've
learned, in our lives is just
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like that. We don't
see what God is doing.
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But God just lets us
see what He's already done.
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[Aud. reaction]  We
don't see how God is working,
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but God just lets us see
He has already worked it out.
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I wish I had a witness
in this place. Let me try
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it this way: We don't
see where the cancer went.
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We just know the cancer
is gone. We don't see where
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the money came from.
We just know the car note
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has been paid, the
house note has been paid,
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the tuition has been paid.
We don't see how the food came;
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we just know there's food
on the table. We don't see
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the new house, we don't
see the new Family Life Center.
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We just know we're
standing on new carpet.
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[Aud. reaction]  PB: 
We're standing on new tile.
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We're looking at
fresh-painted walls,
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and holding the
keys in our hands.
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We don't see how God is working.
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We just know God has
already worked it out.
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[Aud. reaction]  PB: 
Mary and Mary didn't see
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God raise Jesus from
the dead, but God let them
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see how He had already
raised Jesus from the dead,
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which means the angel
didn't roll the stone away
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in order for Jesus to get
out. Let me say that again.
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The angel didn't roll
the stone away in order
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for Jesus to get out.
The angel rolled the stone
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away in order for
the women to see in.
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[Aud. reaction]  PB: 
God was letting them see
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what God had already
done. That should make
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somebody shout right
there. And when you look
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back over your life,
and you think things over,
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what you will find
out is that those places
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where there were miraculous
moments in your journey,
00:12:31.61\00:12:34.72
you really didn't
see what God was doing.
00:12:34.75\00:12:37.12
You really didn't see
how God was ___ somehow.
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When you look
back over your life,
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you can see that the
Lord has already done.
00:12:43.96\00:12:45.89
When you look
back over your life,
00:12:45.93\00:12:46.93
you will see that God
already worked it out.
00:12:46.96\00:12:49.56
When you look back,
you will see that God has
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already worked a
miracle. When you look back,
00:13:02.94\00:13:05.25
you're able to
say, If it had not been
00:13:05.28\00:13:07.25
for the Lord on my
side-- [Aud. reaction]
00:13:07.28\00:13:09.32
PB:  --what you
have, you would never had.
00:13:09.35\00:13:13.52
What happened never
would have happened.
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The miracle in your
life would have never
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taken place, and
where you are now has only
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been made possible because
of what God has already done.
00:13:21.40\00:13:24.17
[Aud. reaction]  PB: 
The angel rolled away the
00:13:24.20\00:13:29.37
stone for Mary and Mary to
see what God had already done.
00:13:29.40\00:13:36.04
The angel rolled away
the stone for Mary and Mary
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to see that God had
already worked a miracle.
00:13:40.88\00:13:45.15
Now, the
earthquake wasn't a miracle.
00:13:45.19\00:13:49.02
The earthquake was a
molecular disturbance
00:13:49.06\00:13:52.13
caused by the breaking
in of a heavenly messenger.
00:13:52.16\00:13:54.93
The messenger wasn't
a miracle. The messenger
00:13:54.96\00:13:58.57
was simply coming with
a message and making an
00:13:58.60\00:14:00.60
announcement about
a miracle that God had
00:14:00.64\00:14:02.37
already performed.
Don't get confused today and
00:14:02.40\00:14:05.77
start thinking that the
messengers are the miracle.
00:14:05.81\00:14:08.61
Don't just fixated on
the messenger and you forget
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about the message. The
messenger is not the miracle.
00:14:12.21\00:14:16.45
The messenger is bringing
the message about the miracle.
00:14:16.48\00:14:19.22
Now, the rolling away of
the stone is not the miracle,
00:14:19.25\00:14:22.99
either. It's just the
means by which God lets you
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and me see evidence of
the miracle that God has
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already worked. You see,
the meaning of the message
00:14:29.70\00:14:32.30
that God's messengers
bring is that God is rolling
00:14:32.33\00:14:35.54
away the stones in
your life. [Aud. reaction]
00:14:35.57\00:14:38.11
PB:  God is letting you
see evidence of the miracles
00:14:38.14\00:14:41.24
that God has already
made in your life. Let me tell
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you something, friends
of mine. I was reading a
00:14:45.18\00:14:46.68
story this week. God
didn't get Jesus up to show
00:14:46.72\00:14:49.52
you how bad He is.
God got Jesus up for you.
00:14:49.55\00:14:54.92
God worked a miracle
for you. God rolled away
00:14:54.96\00:14:58.96
the stone so you
can see what God has
00:14:58.99\00:15:01.93
already done for
you.  [Aud. reaction]
00:15:01.96\00:15:04.03
PB:  The women, early
that resurrection morning,
00:15:04.07\00:15:07.07
walked up on a
messenger with the message about
00:15:07.10\00:15:09.44
a miracle that God had
already worked on their behalf.
00:15:09.47\00:15:12.64
And when you come here on
Sabbath morning to Oakwood;
00:15:12.67\00:15:15.41
when you come to commune
with the Lord and be with God,
00:15:15.44\00:15:18.98
all I try to as God's
messenger is to try to bring
00:15:19.01\00:15:22.98
you a message about a
miracle that God has already
00:15:23.02\00:15:27.06
worked on your behalf. God
has already healed your body.
00:15:27.09\00:15:33.06
God has already put
money in your pocket.
00:15:33.09\00:15:36.53
God has already
secured a job for you.
00:15:36.56\00:15:40.00
To that student
that's here early:
00:15:40.04\00:15:41.90
God has already
financially cleared you.
00:15:41.94\00:15:45.01
God has already
closed on a house for you.
00:15:45.04\00:15:48.58
God has already
mended your marriage.
00:15:48.61\00:15:51.51
God has already saved
your son, saved your daughter,
00:15:51.55\00:15:55.02
saved your
grandson and granddaughter.
00:15:55.05\00:15:57.09
God has already
rolled the stone away and
00:15:57.12\00:16:00.59
worked a miracle on your behalf,
00:16:00.62\00:16:02.39
but unfortunately
we don't realize it.
00:16:02.42\00:16:04.76
Because we're more
interested in preserving
00:16:04.79\00:16:07.60
the message that
we've made instead of
00:16:07.60\00:16:09.40
embracing the
miracle God has worked.
00:16:09.43\00:16:12.27
[Aud. reaction]  PB:
 But stop missing the
00:16:12.30\00:16:15.14
miracle because you're
too fixated on the mess.
00:16:15.17\00:16:17.71
The message that God's
messengers bring are this:
00:16:17.74\00:16:22.31
God is rolling away
the stone. God is getting
00:16:22.34\00:16:26.48
those things out of
the way that keep us from
00:16:26.51\00:16:28.98
seeing the evidence of
the miracle that God has
00:16:29.02\00:16:31.42
already worked on our
behalf. God sent Jesus for you.
00:16:31.45\00:16:35.56
God raised Jesus for
you. God is sending Jesus
00:16:35.59\00:16:40.70
back to get you.
Death doesn't stop the
00:16:40.73\00:16:45.37
message of God. Death doesn't
stop the miracles of God,
00:16:45.40\00:16:49.34
and death can't
stop the mission of God.
00:16:49.37\00:16:53.38
When you hear the
message of God and when
00:16:53.41\00:16:55.98
you experience
the miracles of God,
00:16:56.01\00:16:58.05
it's now time to
pursue the mission of God.
00:16:58.08\00:17:01.48
But before we get
to the mission of God,
00:17:01.52\00:17:03.69
in Matthew 28 towards
the end, after Mary and
00:17:03.72\00:17:06.86
Mary have received
the message from God and
00:17:06.89\00:17:08.76
experienced the
miracle of God, it's important
00:17:08.79\00:17:10.33
to note that they
followed the angel's or the
00:17:10.36\00:17:13.16
messenger's instruction
to go to the disciples,
00:17:13.19\00:17:16.26
that tell them that
Jesus had risen from the dead.
00:17:16.30\00:17:19.87
Now, you know the
story. Quickly, as they run and
00:17:19.90\00:17:22.74
go tell the disciples
what the angel told them,
00:17:22.77\00:17:24.77
Jesus suddenly
appears in front of them.
00:17:24.81\00:17:29.14
Somebody knows
He's an on-time God.
00:17:29.18\00:17:31.58
I wish I had time to
talk about the fact that
00:17:31.61\00:17:34.65
when you hear the
message of God, experience
00:17:34.68\00:17:36.28
the miracles of God, and
go do the mission of God,
00:17:36.32\00:17:38.29
Jesus will meet you.
Mary and Mary see Jesus,
00:17:38.32\00:17:44.76
and they fall down,
the Bible says, and they
00:17:44.79\00:17:47.23
begin to worship Him.
Because when you get in
00:17:47.30\00:17:49.96
the presence of God, all
you can do is worship Him.
00:17:50.00\00:17:52.70
When they worshiped
him--if you look at verse 10.
00:17:52.73\00:17:55.64
Look at it carefully.
Look at all the nuances
00:17:55.67\00:17:57.37
of the text--when
they worshiped Him,
00:17:57.41\00:17:59.71
verse 10 says He spoke to them.
00:17:59.74\00:18:02.41
What is that
lesson for us today?
00:18:02.44\00:18:04.21
Somebody knows that
when you worship Him,
00:18:04.25\00:18:06.28
that God will speak to
you. When you worship Him,
00:18:06.31\00:18:10.55
He'll speak through
a sermon. He'll speak
00:18:10.59\00:18:13.05
through a song. He'll
speak through a Scripture.
00:18:13.09\00:18:15.69
He'll speak through
silence. He'll speak
00:18:15.72\00:18:17.89
through prayer.
Whenever you worship God,
00:18:17.93\00:18:20.20
God will speak. 
Jesus speaks to Mary Mary,
00:18:20.23\00:18:24.90
and He says in
verse 10, don't be afraid.
00:18:24.93\00:18:28.77
Go tell your
brothers to go to Galilee and
00:18:28.80\00:18:31.54
I'll meet 'em
there. As Mary and Mary,
00:18:31.57\00:18:33.61
they obey Jesus,
and they leave there,
00:18:33.64\00:18:36.64
because after the
Lord speaks, it's time
00:18:36.68\00:18:38.31
to do what the
Lord says. Do I have a
00:18:38.35\00:18:40.02
witness in this
place?  The temple police,
00:18:40.05\00:18:42.65
who had been
guarding the tomb, run to
00:18:42.68\00:18:44.85
the chief priest
to tell him that Jesus
00:18:44.89\00:18:46.76
is not in the
tomb. So what happens?
00:18:46.79\00:18:49.66
A meeting of all
of the Jewish leaders
00:18:49.69\00:18:51.16
is now called, and
they decide to bribe
00:18:51.19\00:18:53.46
the temple police
to say that they were
00:18:53.50\00:18:56.10
all asleep, and
Jesus came during the
00:18:56.13\00:18:57.77
night and took
the body of Jesus.
00:18:57.80\00:18:59.53
The leaders told the
police, if the governor
00:18:59.57\00:19:02.20
asks what happened to
Jesus or where Jesus is,
00:19:02.24\00:19:05.31
don't worry. We'll
stick up for you and
00:19:05.34\00:19:06.94
everything will be
all right. So the police,
00:19:06.98\00:19:09.64
fearful for their
lives, accept the bribe and
00:19:09.68\00:19:12.88
they say what
they're supposed to say.
00:19:12.91\00:19:14.95
They say what
they are told to say.
00:19:14.98\00:19:16.82
The text says, if you
read it when you go home,
00:19:16.85\00:19:18.85
that this lie was
commonly reported among the
00:19:18.89\00:19:21.99
Jews until this day.
Which meant that for several
00:19:22.02\00:19:25.16
centuries, this false
account of the empty tomb
00:19:25.19\00:19:28.00
appeared in Jewish and
pagan attacks on Christianity.
00:19:28.03\00:19:31.90
But I believe I've got
a witness in this place
00:19:31.93\00:19:34.57
that knows no devil in
hell can stop the purposes
00:19:34.60\00:19:37.31
of God, that a lie
cannot live. I wish I had time.
00:19:37.34\00:19:40.54
Jesus meets the disciples
in Galilee on the mountain
00:19:40.58\00:19:44.61
where He told them
there He would be, and then
00:19:44.65\00:19:46.31
He gives them the
great gospel Commission.
00:19:46.35\00:19:49.12
Go, ye therefore,
teach all nations, baptize
00:19:49.15\00:19:55.06
them in the name of
the Father, Son, and the
00:19:55.09\00:19:59.69
Holy Ghost. The
message was heard. The miracle
00:19:59.73\00:20:03.63
was seen. And now it's
time to execute the mission.
00:20:03.67\00:20:09.54
Fast forward 2,000
years. We've heard the message;
00:20:09.57\00:20:14.88
we've seen the
miracle. And now it's time to
00:20:14.91\00:20:19.98
execute the mission.
It's time to go. I don't
00:20:20.02\00:20:26.39
know how to preach--God
says don't worry about
00:20:26.42\00:20:28.82
that--just go. I can't
sing--don't worry about that.
00:20:28.86\00:20:34.13
Just go. I don't come
from the right family-
00:20:34.20\00:20:38.00
-don't worry about
that. Just go. I don't have
00:20:38.03\00:20:41.47
too much money. Don't
worry about that, just go.
00:20:41.50\00:20:45.17
I've got a bad past.
Don't worry about that, just go.
00:20:45.21\00:20:49.98
I haven't been in the
Adventist church all my life.
00:20:50.01\00:20:53.11
Don't worry about
that, just go. I don't have a
00:20:53.15\00:20:56.32
college degree, a graduate
degree, a terminal degree.
00:20:56.35\00:20:59.19
Quit talking about what
you don't have. Use what
00:20:59.22\00:21:03.09
you do have, and just
go. Rather than concentrate
00:21:03.12\00:21:08.03
on the wrong thing,
you've got to concentrate on
00:21:08.06\00:21:10.53
the right thing. Just go!
 Let me tell you something.
00:21:10.57\00:21:14.27
You've got to get to a
point where you can see it,
00:21:14.30\00:21:18.04
say it, and then you
seize it. I said you've got
00:21:18.07\00:21:24.71
to get to a point where
you see it, say it, and you
00:21:24.75\00:21:30.22
learn to seize it.
Seizing it means I claim it
00:21:30.25\00:21:33.82
before it's even in
my hand. [Aud. reaction]
00:21:33.86\00:21:36.12
PB:  Oh, that makes me
want to shout right there,
00:21:36.16\00:21:39.03
because whenever God
has told me something,
00:21:39.06\00:21:42.03
and whenever I begin to
speak that thing in existence,
00:21:42.06\00:21:45.57
I can make claim on it
even before it gets in my hand.
00:21:45.60\00:21:49.34
Oh, Pastor Byrd, what
you talking about? You will
00:21:49.37\00:21:53.38
remember. We started the Family
Life Center project before
00:21:53.41\00:21:57.35
we got the pledged
donations. Before we got the
00:21:57.38\00:22:02.25
pledged donation from
Irving Johnson. We had
00:22:02.28\00:22:04.25
already started
saying we were gonna build a
00:22:04.29\00:22:07.29
Family Life Center.
Before he came through,
00:22:07.32\00:22:09.69
God had already shown
up. Don't wait till the
00:22:09.72\00:22:14.23
battle's over. You
can shout now. But the
00:22:14.30\00:22:18.43
reason why some of
us can't seize what God
00:22:18.47\00:22:20.64
has for us is because we
speak ourselves out of it.
00:22:20.67\00:22:24.57
The power of life and
death is in the tongue.
00:22:24.61\00:22:28.08
You've got to learn
how to see it, say it,
00:22:28.11\00:22:31.98
and seize it. 
Everybody say it. Say "see it."
00:22:32.01\00:22:35.55
Aud.:  See it. PB: 
Come on, say "say it."
00:22:35.58\00:22:38.62
Aud.:  Say it. 
PB:  Say "seize it."
00:22:38.65\00:22:40.56
Aud.:  Seize it.  PB: 
I'm talking about that job.
00:22:40.59\00:22:42.32
Ha ha. You've gotta say
it, you've gotta see it,
00:22:42.36\00:22:45.86
you gotta seize it. I'm
talking about somebody's degree.
00:22:45.89\00:22:49.80
You've got to see
it, you've got to say it,
00:22:49.83\00:22:53.97
you've got to sei--I'm
talking about breakthrough.
00:22:54.00\00:22:55.87
You've got to see it,
you've got to say it, you've
00:22:55.90\00:23:00.54
got to sei--healing for
your body. You've got to see it,
00:23:00.58\00:23:04.65
you've got to say it,
you've got to seize it.
00:23:04.68\00:23:08.28
[Aud. reaction] PB: 
Deliverance from that habit.
00:23:08.32\00:23:10.02
You've got to see
it, you've got to say it,
00:23:10.05\00:23:14.72
you've got to seize it.
Tuition for your account.
00:23:14.76\00:23:18.19
You've got to see it,
say it, seize it. Debt free.
00:23:18.23\00:23:24.60
You've got to see
it, say it, seize it.
00:23:24.63\00:23:30.67
The Family Life
Center. You've got to see it,
00:23:30.71\00:23:34.44
you've got to say it,
you've got to seize it.
00:23:34.48\00:23:38.95
The three angels
messages, going to the uttermost
00:23:38.98\00:23:42.32
parts of the earth. You've
got to see it, say it, seize it.
00:23:42.35\00:23:50.39
[Aud. reaction]  PB:  Open
up your mouth and say something.
00:23:50.43\00:23:54.00
[Aud. reaction]  PB: 
That's why some of y'all never
00:23:54.00\00:23:55.56
going to get the miracle,
because you never say anything.
00:23:55.60\00:23:58.50
But you've got to see it, say
it, seize--execute the mission.
00:23:58.53\00:24:04.64
The world's not getting any
better. Time is short. Hell is
00:24:04.67\00:24:10.18
hot. Death is sure. North
Korea's president says he can
00:24:10.21\00:24:16.12
push a button, and with the
press of a button he'll take out
the whole United States.
00:24:16.15\00:24:20.42
The United States declares
Jerusalem the capital of a
00:24:20.46\00:24:23.56
country he's not even president
of. Some parts of Puerto Rico
00:24:23.59\00:24:27.60
are still in the dark. You've
gotta execute the mission.
00:24:27.60\00:24:33.50
The time is out for
putting on an outside show
00:24:33.54\00:24:37.01
for an unfriendly world.
Time's out for doing things
00:24:37.04\00:24:40.94
we've always done. Time
out for insular, insulated,
00:24:40.98\00:24:45.21
incestual ministry that
reaches nobody but ourselves.
00:24:45.25\00:24:49.15
You hear me say it all
the time: You can have an
00:24:49.18\00:24:52.09
incestual ministry. All you
do is minister to each other.
00:24:52.12\00:24:54.62
The fruit of incest is
always something retarded.
00:24:54.66\00:24:58.13
You've got retarded
churches 'cause we minister only
00:24:58.16\00:25:00.63
to each other, not
going out and carrying out the
00:25:00.66\00:25:02.86
gospel
Commission.  [Aud. reaction]
00:25:02.90\00:25:05.20
PB:  It's now or
never. If not us, who?
00:25:05.23\00:25:09.40
If not now, when?
People are different now.
00:25:09.44\00:25:13.54
People are different,
tired of centralized structures.
00:25:13.58\00:25:17.08
Tired of
revelation without relevance.
00:25:17.11\00:25:19.85
Tired of religion
without relationship.
00:25:19.88\00:25:23.35
Tired of fake, phony,
plastic, comatose ministry.
00:25:23.39\00:25:28.22
Tired of coming to church
getting beat up in the pulpit.
00:25:28.26\00:25:31.09
Tired of coming to
church getting hollered at.
00:25:31.13\00:25:33.56
Tired of seeing the
emphasis of policy placed
00:25:33.60\00:25:35.73
over the needs of
people. It's now or never.
00:25:35.76\00:25:39.63
Let me testify one
minute on this first Sabbath
00:25:39.67\00:25:41.70
of the new year. One of
the great problems we have-
00:25:41.74\00:25:44.24
-listen to me--one of the
great problems we have today
00:25:44.27\00:25:47.91
is that many preachers'
vision is limited to the church.
00:25:47.94\00:25:52.25
They think that God sent them
to the church and not to city.
00:25:52.28\00:25:58.55
Y'all don't hear what I'm
saying. But when God sends
00:25:58.59\00:26:01.79
a great voice, it's
bigger than a congregation.
00:26:01.82\00:26:06.59
A great voice will turn
a city around, as Jonah.
00:26:06.63\00:26:10.57
A great voice turns
around a nation, turns around
00:26:10.60\00:26:13.74
a generation. Some
people think that God sent me to
00:26:13.77\00:26:16.97
this congregation, and
I'm supposed to take care of
00:26:17.01\00:26:20.08
this congregation. Maintenance.
But that's a myopic thought,
00:26:20.11\00:26:24.78
because when God sends
you to pastor, He sends you to
00:26:24.81\00:26:28.92
pastor the whole city. He wants
you to affect the entire area.
00:26:28.95\00:26:34.26
[Aud. reaction]  PB: 
That's why our ministry must
00:26:34.29\00:26:36.62
extend beyond the four
walls of the church. If we're
00:26:36.66\00:26:39.96
serious about Jesus'
coming, we oughta act like it.
00:26:40.00\00:26:43.47
In fact, whether
you're a preacher or not,
00:26:43.50\00:26:45.87
God sent you to your own
job, Monday through Friday,
00:26:45.90\00:26:49.07
to affect the entire
job you're working on.
00:26:49.10\00:26:52.11
God didn't just
send you to that job to
00:26:52.14\00:26:54.14
make money, because
God can give you money
00:26:54.18\00:26:56.18
without the job. I wish I
had a witness in this place.
00:26:56.21\00:26:58.38
[Aud. reaction] PB:  But
you're on assignment there,
00:26:58.41\00:27:01.18
and it doesn't mean
that you walk all day
00:27:01.22\00:27:03.22
with Bible in hand,
Ellen White books in your hand,
00:27:03.25\00:27:05.52
Sabbath school
lesson in hand, because it's
00:27:05.55\00:27:07.46
not in the way that
you live, it's the way
00:27:07.49\00:27:08.82
that you love,
because it's not always in
00:27:08.86\00:27:11.43
what you say but in what you do.
00:27:11.46\00:27:14.36
[Aud. reaction]  PB:
 I told the people at
00:27:14.36\00:27:17.63
a different
meeting Wednesday night,
00:27:17.67\00:27:19.90
as a church we have
done a good job with worship.
00:27:19.93\00:27:23.47
I ain't just
talking about Oakwood,
00:27:23.51\00:27:25.61
I'm talking about
the collective Church.
00:27:25.64\00:27:27.54
You can go anywhere
in the United States,
00:27:27.58\00:27:29.01
anywhere across this
globe on a Sabbath morning
00:27:29.04\00:27:30.88
and you will find an
Adventist church worshiping.
00:27:30.91\00:27:33.52
And they will have
Sabbath school and will read
00:27:33.55\00:27:35.85
out of all the same
Sabbath school lessons.
00:27:35.88\00:27:38.15
We'll have a decent
sermon, decent music,
00:27:38.19\00:27:40.32
we have mastered that.
But I'ma tell you where
00:27:40.36\00:27:42.89
we've got to
improve. We must include,
00:27:42.92\00:27:45.29
improve in ministry.
We've got to improve in service.
00:27:45.33\00:27:49.70
They will know we are
Christians by our love.
00:27:49.73\00:27:52.63
The greatest sermon
ever preached is the one
00:27:52.67\00:27:54.94
that is lived. We've
got other churches in
00:27:54.97\00:27:56.84
this city; they have
good worship. We've got
00:27:56.87\00:27:59.27
good worship just like them,
00:27:59.31\00:28:01.04
"Thank you very
much for tuning into this
00:28:01.08\00:28:03.14
week's Breath of Life Broadcast.
00:28:03.18\00:28:04.98
We hope and pray
that you have been blessed
00:28:05.01\00:28:07.18
by Dr. Byrd's
inspirational message.
00:28:07.22\00:28:09.65
If you would like
to hear this sermon in
00:28:09.68\00:28:11.52
its entirety, please
feel free to visit us at
00:28:11.55\00:28:14.36
www.breathoflife.tv or
call us at 256.929.6460.
00:28:14.39\00:28:23.73
Again, thank you
very much for joining us,
00:28:23.77\00:28:27.40
- END -
00:28:27.44\00:28:42.45