BREATH OF LIFE
MINISTRIES PRESENTS:
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SERMON 591
"Restoration is for Real"
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[BREATH OF LIFE THEME MUSIC]
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PB: John chapter
8, verse number 1.
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The Word of God
says in John 8:1, "
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Jesus went unto the
mount of"--what, everybody?
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Aud.: Olives.  PB:
Come on, He went unto the
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mount of what,
everybody?  Aud.: Olives.
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PB: "And early in
the morning he came again
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into the temple, and all
the people came unto him;
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and he sat down,
and taught them. And the
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scribes and
Pharisees brought unto him a
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woman taken in
adultery; and when they
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had set her in the
midst, they say unto him,
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Master, this woman
was taken in adultery,
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in the very act. Now
Moses in the law commanded us,
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that such should be
stoned: but what sayest thou?
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This they said,
tempting him, that they
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might have to accuse
him. But Jesus stooped down."
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[Aud. reaction]  PB:
"Stooped down, and with his
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finger wrote on the
ground, as though he heard
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them not. So when
they continued asking him,
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he lifted up
himself, and said unto them,
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He that is without"--
what, everybody?  Aud.: Sin.
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PB: "Among you, let him
[first] cast a stone at her.
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Again he stooped down,
and wrote on the ground.
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And they which heard
it, being convicted by
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their own
conscience, went out one by one,
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beginning at the"--what,
everybody?  Aud.: Eldest.
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PB: "Even unto the last:
and Jesus was left alone,
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and the woman
standing in the midst.
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When Jesus had
lifted up himself,
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and saw none but the
woman, he said unto her,
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Woman, where are
those thine accusers?
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hath no man
condemned thee? She said,
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No man, Lord. And
Jesus said unto her,
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Neither do I condemn
thee: go, and sin no more."
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Today, restoration is for real.
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Aud.: Hallelujah!  PB:
Restoration is for real.
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Let me begin by
telling you today and reminding
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you that the devil
is not your friend.
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[Aud. reaction] 
PB: Young people,
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the devil is not
your friend. Older folk,
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the devil is not
your friend. The devil is
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your enemy, and
the devil wants you to
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play the motion picture
of your past continuously.
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[Aud. reaction]  PB:
Your past is designed
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to keep you down.
Keep you where, everybody?
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Aud.: Down.  PB:
Keep you where you are.
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But if you press
forward in the name of Jesus,
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I'm a witness
that God already has
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prepared your future in a
way that'll blow your mind.
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[Aud. reaction] 
PB: You see, the devil
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can't stop God from
working on your behalf.
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The only thing that
can stop God from working
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on you is you. And the
devil will want to make
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you think, my friends,
that you are powerless.
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He will make you
want to believe that you
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can't change your
past. He wants you to
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believe that you
can't change certain aspects
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of your life. But
in the name of Jesus--
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[Aud. reaction]  PB:
--the devil is a liar.
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The devil has always
told lies and has not
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changed. He told your
mama lies, your daddy lies,
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your grandmamma
lies, your granddaddy lies,
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and he's telling you
lies. He's the father of lies.
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Are you hearing what
I'm saying? But I want
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somebody to know today
that you are not powerless.
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You are powerful. You
are stronger than you think,
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because while the
devil has some power,
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your power is
greater than the devil's.
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Because my Bible
says "Greater is he that
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is in you than he
that is in the world."
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And a
mathematician will tell you,
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if there is a
greater than, there must be
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less than. And
because God is greater
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than the devil
and God lives in me,
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then under the
power of God I have more
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power than the enemy in-a-me.
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So as we move
into this new year,
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somebody oughta get
ready because God is
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about to do something
powerful in somebody's life.
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[Aud. reaction]  PB:
Doors are about to open
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for somebody like
they've never opened before.
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What should have taken
you years to accomplish
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is about to happen and
come to pass. Aud.: Hallelujah!
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PB: A dream is
about to come to pass.
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Y'all don't
hear what I'm saying.
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A promise is
about to be fulfilled.
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A question is
about to be answered.
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A problem for
somebody is about to be solved.
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Your negatives are
about to turn into positives.
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You're about to
enter into what I call
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God's miracle
zone.  Aud.: Hallelujah!
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PB: Because the
reality is, back in 2017
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the devil should've
taken you out when he
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had the chance,
because God is about to
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restore things in
your life that the devil
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could have and should
destroyed. I like what
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the Bible says, that
God says "I will restore
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to you the years that
the locusts have taken."
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[Aud. reaction] 
PB: That the canker-
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-oh, I wish I had a
church in this place-
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-that the caterpillar,
that the palmer worm
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hath taken away. So
whatever you've been going
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through, whatever
you've been dealing with,
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whatever you've been
facing, whatever last year,
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last month and last week
negatively brought you, it's
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over. [Aud. reaction]  PB: It's
over. Everybody say "it's over."
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Aud.: It's over.  PB:
God is gonna restore you,
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and I believe I've got
in this place a witness
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that knows
restoration is for real. Aw,
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you're still looking at
me like I've lost my mind.
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Last night could've
been worse, but we're here.
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[Aud. reaction]  PB:
Somebody shoulda been dead,
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but you're here.
Somebody should've been in
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the hospital, but
you're here. Somebody should've
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been strung out
somewhere, but you're here.
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Somebody should've
been in divorce court,
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but you're here.
Someone should not even be
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in college, but you're
here. Why? God is real,
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and restoration is for
real. Aud.: Hallelujah!
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PB: Go with me now back
to the test, John chapter 8.
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I love this story
because it teaches us that no
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sinner has gone too
far. It teaches us that no
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one's guilt is too
deep. It teaches us that no
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one is beyond the
reach of God's grace.
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Are you hearing
what I'm saying? The text
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begins by saying
"It's very early in the"-
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-what, everybody?
Morning. It's very early
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in the what,
everybody?  Aud.: Morning.
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PB: Very early in the morning.
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Jesus is sitting
in the temple. Stop!
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That means Jesus
went to Sabbath school.
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Come on, say amen. It's
very early in the morning,
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and Jesus is
sitting in the temple.
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A crowd has
gathered around Him as He's
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teaching the Word
of God, when all of a
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sudden the scribes
and the Pharisees bring
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a woman that they've
caught in the very act
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of adultery. Now
let's stop there. Caught in
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the very act of adultery.
Not accused, not alleged,
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but caught in the
very act of adultery.
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Which means they
had to be watching,
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for how else
would they have known.
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Are you hearing what
I'm saying? Because back
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in the day, in order
for a charge of adultery
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to be made,
eyewitnesses were necessary.
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So these perverted
peeping toms set this thing up.
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Pornography didn't
just begin. Are you hearing
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what I'm saying
everybody? Maybe they picked a
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ladies' man that was
able to influence another
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man's wife to have this
affair. Maybe they followed
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this couple around, saw
them eat, saw them drink,
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saw them go to the
hotel, and they waited for a
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few minutes and watched them
and then busted down the door.
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Maybe then they threw
the sheets off, grabbed her,
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drug her out of bed and
left him. And I say "left him,"
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because the Bible never
mentions them dragging him
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before Jesus like they
drug her. [Aud. reaction]
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PB: The Bible
never mentions the man.
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That's a double
standard. That's not fair.
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I wish I had a
church in this place.
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[Aud. reaction]  PB:
It takes two to tango.
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One of the
biggest problems I had in
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growing up in the
church was when a young
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lady became pregnant.
She always got punished
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because there was
evidence. Y'all don't hear
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what I'm saying,
but what about the man?
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[Aud. reaction]  PB:
He was just as guilty.
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Are you hearing
what I'm saying? But the
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scribes and the
Pharisees aren't really
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interested in the
man. In fact, the man
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may have been one of
them. [Aud. reaction]
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PB: I was studying
this text this week.
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I got to my
theories. It may have been him.
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The man was
irrelevant. They weren't trying
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to promote righteousness.
The text says they
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were trying to entrap
Jesus. Think about it.
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The Pharisees
could've brought the woman to
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Jesus without
exposing her publicly.
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But they bring her,
in front of everybody,
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to get an audience
because she's nothing but
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a pawn in their
plan. They don't care about
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the woman either,
they're trying to get at Jesus.
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Look at verse number 4. The
Word of God says in verse 4,
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"They say unto him,
Master"--they say what,
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everybody? Aud.: Master. 
PB: "This woman was taken in
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adultery, in the very
act." Verse 5, "Now Moses"-
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-you know church folk,
we love to quote Scripture
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when it's convenient.
We have rules, however,
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for which we have no
Scriptures. I wish we had time.
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"Now Moses in the law commanded
us, that such should be"-
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-what, everybody?
Stoned. "But what sayest thou?"
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Now, before we look at Jesus's
response to this question,
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here this woman is, probably
wrapped up only in a sheet,
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standing in front of
all these church folk,
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which is sometimes
one of the worst places to
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be especially when
you've messed up. Do I have
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a witness in this
place? And then they start
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quoting Scripture. The
Bible says, in Leviticus 20,
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in Deuteronomy 22, that
anyone caught in the act of
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adultery should be
stoned to death. More than that,
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if you study the Bible,
you will recognize biblical
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history says that
married women were supposed to
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be strangled. If the woman
was the daughter of a priest,
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if she were a PK, she
was to be burned to death.
00:10:23.55\00:10:28.29
But again, where's the
man? Both were supposed to
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die if they engaged
in adultery. Adultery,
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let me throw this in,
was and is still a sin.
00:10:38.47\00:10:42.84
[Aud. reaction]  PB: Now
I know you don't like it,
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but I'ma preach it
anyhow. I'll clap my hands but
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the Word of God is
true. Are you hearing
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what I'm saying? The
music may come and I may
00:10:48.78\00:10:50.58
clap a little bit, but
God's Word still holds true.
00:10:50.61\00:10:52.91
Are you hearing what I'm
saying? I know this story
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is a picture of God's grace,
but don't get this twisted.
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Adultery is sin. We can
whitewash it all we want
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and call it an affair, but
adultery is what, everybody?
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Aud.: Sin.  PB: And
listen to me, as horrible
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as adultery is, it is no
worse in the sight of God
00:11:11.03\00:11:13.60
than any other
sin.  [Aud. reaction]
00:11:13.64\00:11:16.64
PB: You see, we try to
categorize sins and make
00:11:16.67\00:11:18.41
one sin worse than
another. These are white sins,
00:11:18.44\00:11:20.84
these are black
sins, these are red sins.
00:11:20.88\00:11:22.54
But sin is sin. All sin
is evil in the sight of God.
00:11:22.58\00:11:27.25
Are you hearing me? But
let me say this--and I gotta
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throw this in--while
sin is sin, some sins carry
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greater consequences
than others.  [Aud. reaction]
00:11:32.59\00:11:35.52
PB: What do I mean? Adultery
can destroy your marriage,
00:11:35.56\00:11:39.36
destroy somebody else's
marriage, destroy your children.
00:11:39.39\00:11:42.50
You might get a sexually
transmitted disease or a
00:11:42.53\00:11:44.93
multitude of other
things can happen in comparison
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to somebody stealing a piece
of candy from a grocery store.
00:11:46.63\00:11:50.54
Are you hearing what I'm
saying, it's getting quiet now.
00:11:50.57\00:11:52.87
That's all
right.  [Aud. reaction]
00:11:52.91\00:11:54.28
PB: I love you anyhow
and I know you love me.
00:11:54.31\00:11:55.84
Come on, say amen. But
while these sins are worlds
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apart and while they
carry different consequences
00:11:58.61\00:12:01.65
if the sinner is caught, in
God's eyes they are both sins.
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Which means then, each
of us is as guilty as the
00:12:07.99\00:12:14.00
adulteress woman. Y'all
don't hear what I'm saying.
00:12:14.03\00:12:16.50
But I'm so glad that I
serve a God that hates sin but
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loves the sinner. I'm so
glad today that the wages of
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sin is death, but the
gift of God is eternal life
00:12:26.61\00:12:29.34
through Jesus Christ our
Lord. I'm so glad today that
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if any man be in
Christ, he's a new creature.
00:12:32.85\00:12:35.05
Old things are passed
away, all things become new.
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I'm so glad that if
we confess our sins He is
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faithful and just to
forgive us of our sins
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and cleanse us from
all unrighteousness.
00:12:44.46\00:12:46.23
Let me tell you
something in the name of Jesus:
00:12:46.26\00:12:49.20
Don't you let Satan
ruin your day by reminding
00:12:49.23\00:12:52.70
you of the sins of
your past. God said He
00:12:52.73\00:12:56.00
would forgive us.
God said He would cleanse
00:12:56.04\00:12:58.41
us of our sins
if we confess them.
00:12:58.44\00:13:00.54
And think about it.
It makes no sense that
00:13:00.58\00:13:02.71
our God would be
faithful to forgive us from
00:13:02.74\00:13:04.98
our sins and then
later remind us of our sins.
00:13:05.01\00:13:08.48
[Aud. reaction] PB:
Restoration is for real.
00:13:08.52\00:13:13.42
But back to the
Pharisees--let me hurry up
00:13:13.46\00:13:15.62
so I can sit down. The law says,
00:13:15.66\00:13:18.99
stone adulterers.
Jesus, what do you say?
00:13:19.03\00:13:26.74
But the purpose of their
question was not to learn.
00:13:26.77\00:13:30.81
They knew the
answer to the question.
00:13:30.84\00:13:34.44
They knew what the Bible said.
00:13:34.48\00:13:36.28
Their purpose was to trap Jesus.
00:13:36.31\00:13:38.45
Because think
about it. If Jesus said,
00:13:38.48\00:13:40.42
don't stone her,
then they could accuse
00:13:40.45\00:13:42.62
Him of going
against the law, which would
00:13:42.65\00:13:44.65
have turned the Jews
against Him. If Jesus said,
00:13:44.69\00:13:47.32
Go ahead and stone her,
then they could report him,
00:13:47.36\00:13:50.19
to the Roman officials,
since the Romans didn't
00:13:50.23\00:13:52.99
allow the Jews to
carry out capital punishment.
00:13:53.03\00:13:56.00
So either way, Jesus will
be labeled as a law breaker.
00:13:56.03\00:14:01.27
So the Pharisees, they
think they have Jesus cornered.
00:14:01.30\00:14:05.67
They thought He was
doomed no matter what He said.
00:14:05.71\00:14:09.44
They thought that there
was no way out for Jesus.
00:14:09.48\00:14:13.31
That was their
problem, they thought.
00:14:13.35\00:14:16.65
Finally, they had Him.
Check mate. Oh, but Jesus.
00:14:16.69\00:14:24.59
Jesus, somebody
knows, He knows what to do.
00:14:24.63\00:14:28.56
Jesus keeps His
cool. He does not answer
00:14:28.60\00:14:32.70
their question
directly. He knows it's a trap,
00:14:32.73\00:14:36.34
so He uses His wisdom
and He flips the script.
00:14:36.37\00:14:40.21
He doesn't talk. The
Bible says He stoops down,
00:14:40.24\00:14:43.71
and He begins to write.
For those Bible scholars
00:14:43.75\00:14:46.58
out there, ironically
this is the only time where
00:14:46.61\00:14:49.15
it's recorded in Scripture
that Jesus writes something.
00:14:49.18\00:14:52.65
But not only that, it's
the only time in Scripture
00:14:52.69\00:14:56.22
where Jesus wrote, and then
we don't know what He wrote.
00:14:56.26\00:14:59.56
[Aud. reaction] PB: Are
you hearing what I'm saying?
00:14:59.59\00:15:02.03
Now, while there have
been different suggestions
00:15:02.06\00:15:04.47
and eisegesis, and
theories about what He wrote,
00:15:04.50\00:15:07.74
the most logical
explanation for me comes from
00:15:07.77\00:15:10.37
the meaning behind
the Greek word used here,
00:15:10.41\00:15:12.61
"wrote." Everybody
say "wrote." Aud.: Wrote.
00:15:12.64\00:15:15.38
PB: All right, the
Greek word here is katagaphen.
00:15:15.41\00:15:19.15
Everybody say "kata." 
Aud.: Kata.  PB: Gaphen.
00:15:19.18\00:15:21.88
Aud.: Gaphen. PB: Which is
taken from two Greek words,
00:15:21.92\00:15:23.79
"kata," which means
against, and "gaphen,"
00:15:23.82\00:15:27.19
which means to
write. Kata means against;
00:15:27.22\00:15:31.46
gaphen means to what,
everybody? Write. Therefore,
00:15:31.49\00:15:35.73
we merge these words,
katagaphen, means to write
00:15:35.76\00:15:39.00
down a record against
somebody. Which means, Jesus,
00:15:39.03\00:15:44.51
knowing what the
Pharisees were up to and knowing
00:15:44.54\00:15:47.54
what was in their
hearts, writes down a record
00:15:47.58\00:15:51.48
against them. In other
words, He begins listing
00:15:51.51\00:15:55.32
their sins. Y'all
don't hear what I'm saying.
00:15:55.35\00:15:57.62
But the Bible says that
when Jesus started writing,
00:15:57.65\00:16:01.19
the Pharisees kept
pressing Him. Now they shoulda
00:16:01.22\00:16:04.79
been quiet. They should've
hushed up. But they kept
00:16:04.83\00:16:08.86
talking and digging
greater holes for themselves.
00:16:08.90\00:16:11.60
That's like some of
us. Sometimes we need to
00:16:11.63\00:16:13.47
leave stuff alone. Sometimes
we need to hush our mouths.
00:16:13.50\00:16:17.34
But we keep running
our mouth, keep talking,
00:16:17.37\00:16:19.44
and what happens is
the situation gets worse
00:16:19.47\00:16:21.38
before it gets better. 
So Jesus stops His writing.
00:16:21.41\00:16:26.72
First He stoops, then He stands.
00:16:26.75\00:16:31.19
That's a whole
sermon right there.
00:16:31.22\00:16:32.52
He stoops, then He
stands. I wish I had time.
00:16:32.55\00:16:35.56
[Aud. reaction]  PB:
Jesus now stands up and
00:16:35.59\00:16:38.93
makes the bold
statement that flips the script
00:16:38.96\00:16:41.70
and puts their own
statement back on them.
00:16:41.73\00:16:45.10
"If any one of you
is without sin, let him
00:16:45.13\00:16:52.51
be the first to
throw a stone at her."
00:16:52.54\00:16:57.48
And then after He
stoops, stands, He stoops again.
00:16:57.51\00:17:01.35
Now, He starts
writing again, and the Greek
00:17:01.38\00:17:04.92
word used here is
[anamartho] which means the
00:17:04.95\00:17:09.02
same kind of sin.
Which means then, if Jesus
00:17:09.06\00:17:14.46
was writing down
their sins, it more than
00:17:14.50\00:17:17.70
likely included
adultery, because anamartho
00:17:17.73\00:17:21.24
meant the same kind
of sin. Oh, y'all don't
00:17:21.27\00:17:25.34
hear what I'm
saying. So when Jesus said,
00:17:25.37\00:17:27.88
He who is without
sin cast the first stone,
00:17:27.91\00:17:31.28
He's referring to
what He has written.
00:17:31.31\00:17:33.95
Somebody's not getting
this. Let me help somebody else.
00:17:33.98\00:17:36.45
In other words, what
Jesus is saying is this:
00:17:36.48\00:17:38.79
Whoever is not
guilty of these sins that
00:17:38.82\00:17:42.46
I've written down
can cast the first stone.
00:17:42.49\00:17:45.43
So if you want to
stone her, go on ahead.
00:17:45.46\00:17:47.96
Because by the law,
this punishment is just
00:17:47.96\00:17:50.70
for her actions. But if
you do stone her to death,
00:17:50.73\00:17:54.24
get in line.
Ha.  [Aud. reaction]
00:17:54.27\00:17:57.54
PB: You're next--y'all
don't hear what I'm saying-
00:17:57.57\00:18:00.84
-because you've
committed the same sin!
00:18:00.88\00:18:05.11
Jesus held up one
mirror for each stone,
00:18:05.15\00:18:10.82
and suddenly sin
had a different face.
00:18:10.85\00:18:14.06
All of a sudden, stones
start falling to the ground.
00:18:14.09\00:18:19.36
Now, Jesus didn't go--I
love this--Jesus didn't go
00:18:19.39\00:18:23.63
against the law. He
wasn't saying the woman didn't
00:18:23.67\00:18:26.53
deserve to be put to
death, but He used this
00:18:26.57\00:18:29.17
opportunity to highlight
the Pharisees' hypocrisy.
00:18:29.20\00:18:33.21
And because, friends
of mine, of their own sins
00:18:33.24\00:18:35.48
their trap backfired. They
dropped their stones and left.
00:18:35.51\00:18:40.25
That's why be ye sure your
own sins will find you out.
00:18:40.28\00:18:43.62
The same gallows that you
hang for somebody else might
00:18:43.65\00:18:47.32
be the same gallows
you're hung from. Are you
00:18:47.36\00:18:49.56
hearing what I'm
saying?  The Bible says the
00:18:49.59\00:18:51.66
older ones to the
youngest ones until nobody was
00:18:51.69\00:18:54.10
left but Jesus and the
woman. Jesus sent 'em packing.
00:18:54.13\00:19:01.47
Why? Because the same
truth that made them think
00:19:01.50\00:19:07.88
they had the right to
attack somebody else was
00:19:07.91\00:19:11.48
the same truth that stopped
them dead in their tracks.
00:19:11.51\00:19:16.02
Jesus agreed that what
they had said was true,
00:19:16.05\00:19:19.05
but He also made it
clear that if these were
00:19:19.09\00:19:21.12
the rules they wanted
to play by, then those
00:19:21.16\00:19:23.49
same rules applied to
them.  You see, friends
00:19:23.53\00:19:26.83
of mine, if we tell the
truth and shame the devil,
00:19:26.86\00:19:28.36
we often use truth as a
weapon to destroy somebody else.
00:19:28.40\00:19:32.50
But when you're done
destroying them, you're next.
00:19:32.53\00:19:35.84
Are you hearing what
I'm saying? The Pharisees
00:19:35.87\00:19:37.94
wanted to condemn the
woman for her, for truth.
00:19:37.97\00:19:40.51
But once they realized
that the truth didn't just
00:19:40.54\00:19:42.98
condemn her but it also
condemned them, they were out.
00:19:43.01\00:19:46.61
And that's just like us.
When we see somebody else
00:19:46.65\00:19:49.58
make a mistake, we're
quick to throw truth at them.
00:19:49.62\00:19:52.75
But when we're the ones
that make mistakes, we want
00:19:52.79\00:19:55.49
people to offer us
grace. After all, if adultery is
00:19:55.52\00:20:01.76
punishable by death,
how many people in our world
00:20:01.80\00:20:04.80
would be dead right now?
If adultery were punishable
00:20:04.83\00:20:09.97
by death, how many
people in this church would be
00:20:10.01\00:20:14.11
dead right now? I know
y'all don't wanna say amen.
00:20:14.14\00:20:16.44
Hallelujah anyhow. Make
sure you're not pointing
00:20:16.48\00:20:19.61
your finger at
somebody else. Three fingers are
00:20:19.65\00:20:22.58
pointing right back at
you. Make sure before you
00:20:22.62\00:20:25.89
talk about somebody
else that you're not living
00:20:25.92\00:20:28.62
in a glass house. Make
sure you don't have skeletons
00:20:28.66\00:20:31.33
in your own closet. Judge
not that ye be not judged.
00:20:31.36\00:20:35.00
You're talking about the
speck in somebody else's eye,
00:20:35.03\00:20:37.87
but you've got a speck
in your own eye, because one
00:20:37.90\00:20:40.80
day you can be up
and the next day down.
00:20:40.84\00:20:43.37
[Aud. reaction] 
PB: You can be up today,
00:20:43.41\00:20:46.14
and one phone call and
everything just completely
00:20:46.17\00:20:50.05
goes down. One
email, one letter, one note,
00:20:50.08\00:20:54.75
and everything you
thought could count on,
00:20:54.78\00:20:56.38
you could count on,
falls apart. And that's
00:20:56.42\00:20:58.42
why you ought not be
arrogant. That's why you
00:20:58.45\00:21:01.06
ought not get the big
heads. That's why your
00:21:01.09\00:21:04.29
nose ought not be so high
in the air that if it rained,
00:21:04.33\00:21:06.93
you'd drown. Don't
look down on somebody else,
00:21:06.96\00:21:10.90
because you're just
one choice, one decision,
00:21:10.93\00:21:15.34
one mistake, one action,
one step away from trouble.
00:21:15.37\00:21:21.41
One step, and it's not
me, it's you. One step,
00:21:21.44\00:21:24.95
it's not my child,
it's your child. One step,
00:21:24.98\00:21:27.52
it's not my
daughter, it's your daughter.
00:21:27.55\00:21:29.32
One step, it's not my
marriage, it's your marriage.
00:21:29.35\00:21:31.75
And so you ought not
rejoice when you see somebody
00:21:31.79\00:21:34.96
else in trouble, because
what happened to them can
00:21:34.99\00:21:37.86
happen to you.  I've
seen it all my life. One step,
00:21:37.89\00:21:42.83
and the doctor becomes
the patent and the patient
00:21:42.86\00:21:45.07
becomes the doctor.
One step, and the employer
00:21:45.10\00:21:47.44
becomes the employee
and the employee becomes
00:21:47.47\00:21:50.24
the employer. One
step, the teacher becomes the
00:21:50.27\00:21:52.14
principal and the
principal becomes the teacher.
00:21:52.17\00:21:53.84
In church work, one
step, the president becomes
00:21:53.88\00:21:56.48
a pastor and the
pastor becomes the president.
00:21:56.51\00:21:58.48
Now, people like to
stop reading the story here.
00:21:58.51\00:22:05.79
They stop at verse 9.
They don't like to read verses
00:22:05.82\00:22:10.06
10 and 11. Think about
it. They don't want 10 and 11,
00:22:10.09\00:22:13.29
because their
takeaway is nobody is perfect,
00:22:13.33\00:22:17.13
so don't throw
stones. We all make mistakes,
00:22:17.17\00:22:21.87
so don't judge me.
But Jesus isn't done.
00:22:21.90\00:22:28.61
The text is not
finished. Restoration for the
00:22:28.64\00:22:34.45
woman has to take
place.  Okay, so now the crowd
00:22:34.48\00:22:38.89
is gone and it's
just Jesus and the woman
00:22:38.92\00:22:43.12
standing there.
And in verse number 10,
00:22:43.16\00:22:46.13
Jesus asks the lady, "Woman,
where are thine accusers?
00:22:46.16\00:22:54.27
Hath no man condemned
thee?" She says, "No man, Lord."
00:22:54.30\00:23:01.81
So Jesus says to her,
"Neither do I condemn thee.
00:23:01.84\00:23:08.22
Go, and sin no
more." Hallelujah, somebody.
00:23:08.25\00:23:14.46
[Aud. reaction]  PB: The
one person who is qualified
00:23:14.49\00:23:17.99
to condemn her doesn't.
The one person who could've
00:23:18.03\00:23:22.30
picked up a stone and
thrown it at her doesn't.
00:23:22.33\00:23:25.77
That's called
grace.  [Aud. reaction]
00:23:25.80\00:23:29.54
PB: Everybody say
"grace." Aud.: Grace.
00:23:29.57\00:23:31.41
PB: Grace is getting
what you need and not what
00:23:31.44\00:23:33.94
you deserve. Are you
hearing what I'm saying?
00:23:33.98\00:23:35.81
The Pharisees
condemned her and said she was
00:23:35.84\00:23:38.88
worthy of death, but
Jesus saw somebody who was
00:23:38.91\00:23:41.42
worthy of His love. He
saw somebody worth saving.
00:23:41.45\00:23:45.62
Because Jesus didn't
see this woman as she was,
00:23:45.65\00:23:49.42
He saw her as
what she could become.
00:23:49.46\00:23:51.23
And I'm so glad that
Jesus doesn't see us like
00:23:51.26\00:23:55.30
we see ourselves. Aren't
you glad that Jesus doesn't
00:23:55.33\00:23:59.57
see you like you see
yourself? But Jesus sees us as
00:23:59.60\00:24:03.67
what we can become.
Jesus took a wicked woman,
00:24:03.71\00:24:07.58
a godless woman, a
carnal, sinful woman,
00:24:07.61\00:24:10.95
and He turned her into a
saint. And somebody knows,
00:24:10.98\00:24:15.02
you have the same
testimony, that He changed you
00:24:15.05\00:24:19.09
from a sinner to a saint;
from a convict to a Christian;
00:24:19.12\00:24:26.39
from a drunkard to a
deacon; from an alcoholic to
00:24:26.43\00:24:31.47
an Adventist; from
a mess to a miracle.
00:24:31.50\00:24:35.37
He can turn your life
around. He can change you.
00:24:35.40\00:24:40.21
He can restore you. He
can restore your situation.
00:24:40.24\00:24:44.08
He can erase your past so
you can walk in your future.
00:24:44.11\00:24:47.48
Keep on believing, keep on
trusting, keep on fighting.
00:24:47.52\00:24:51.85
The race is not given to
the swift or to the strong,
00:24:51.89\00:24:55.06
but to the one that
endures. [Aud. reaction]
00:24:55.09\00:24:57.69
PB: Until the end. Let
me try this one more way.
00:24:57.73\00:25:03.20
Somebody's still not
getting this. Do you remember,
00:25:03.23\00:25:05.43
my friends--you're
Bible people--that when the
00:25:05.47\00:25:07.67
children of Israel
came to the Red Sea,
00:25:07.70\00:25:10.21
they needed to cross
over. You remember that?
00:25:10.24\00:25:13.61
They needed to
cross over the Red Sea.
00:25:13.64\00:25:15.88
Water was in front of
them, the Egyptians were
00:25:15.91\00:25:19.31
behind them, chasing
them. Y'all don't hear what
00:25:19.35\00:25:21.98
I'm saying. Egypt,
in this illustration,
00:25:22.02\00:25:24.59
represents sin.
Represents what, everybody?
00:25:24.62\00:25:26.92
Aud.: Sin.  PB:
It's where you came from.
00:25:26.96\00:25:28.96
It's your past, and they're
trying to escape their past,
00:25:28.99\00:25:32.33
and they're standing
out there but they can't
00:25:32.36\00:25:34.60
get into their
future because their past is
00:25:34.63\00:25:36.53
chasing them. Have
you ever felt that you
00:25:36.56\00:25:41.80
really can't be
who you want to be,
00:25:41.84\00:25:43.47
because who you used
to be is chasing you?
00:25:43.51\00:25:46.21
[Aud. reaction]  PB:
You used to be an alcoholic,
00:25:46.24\00:25:50.21
but it's chasing you.
You used to be a smoker,
00:25:50.25\00:25:54.52
but it's chasing you.
You used to be a substance
00:25:54.55\00:25:58.22
abuser, but it's chasing
you. You used to be a womanizer,
00:25:58.25\00:26:02.42
but it's chasing you.
You used to be a gossip,
00:26:02.46\00:26:06.39
but it's chasing you. You
used to be a fault finder,
00:26:06.43\00:26:10.17
but it's chasing you. You
used to be a finger pointer,
00:26:10.20\00:26:13.74
but it's chasing you.
You can't get away from it,
00:26:13.77\00:26:16.74
you've run as far as
you can run. You've run to
00:26:16.77\00:26:20.01
a dead-end stop,
and there you are,
00:26:20.04\00:26:22.01
and you can hear your
past coming to get ya.
00:26:22.04\00:26:24.55
[Aud. reaction]  PB:
I'm coming to get ya.
00:26:24.58\00:26:27.28
I'm coming to get ya.
You always hear it when
00:26:27.32\00:26:30.55
it gets close to get
ya. I'm coming to get ya.
00:26:30.59\00:26:32.95
You've been real good,
you haven't told anybody
00:26:32.99\00:26:35.32
off in six months.
You haven't cussed anybody
00:26:35.36\00:26:39.89
out in a year.
Come on, tell the truth,
00:26:39.93\00:26:41.73
shame the devil. But
then you're in the grocery
00:26:41.76\00:26:43.80
line at Walmart or Publix,
and somebody cuts you off,
00:26:43.83\00:26:47.87
and all of a
sudden you start to hear,
00:26:47.90\00:26:49.87
"I'm coming to get
ya. I'm coming to get ya.
00:26:49.90\00:26:52.04
I'm coming to get
ya!" You say, if she says
00:26:52.07\00:26:55.74
one more thing to
me, if she bumps me with
00:26:55.78\00:26:58.58
that cart one more
time, she'd better not
00:26:58.61\00:27:01.25
say a thing.
"I'm coming to get ya.
00:27:01.28\00:27:03.39
I'm coming to get
ya." And so it is with
00:27:03.42\00:27:06.92
whatever it is you're
trying to get away from,
00:27:06.96\00:27:09.49
it's always coming
to get ya. You got your
00:27:09.52\00:27:14.50
credit all cleaned up.
And now they're sending
00:27:14.56\00:27:17.40
you credit cards, and
there you are in the mall.
00:27:17.43\00:27:20.64
There you are at Bridge
Street. And you're about
00:27:20.67\00:27:24.04
to do it again.
"I'm coming to get ya.
00:27:24.07\00:27:25.84
I'm coming to get
ya." You can't even afford
00:27:25.87\00:27:28.24
Ralph Lauren. You
can't even afford Polo,
00:27:28.28\00:27:30.21
but you're
trying to get St. John.
00:27:30.25\00:27:32.15
"I'm coming to get
ya. I'm coming to get ya."
00:27:32.18\00:27:34.38
[Aud. reaction] 
PB: And you say, God,
00:27:34.42\00:27:37.59
how can I escape? And God says,
00:27:37.62\00:27:42.42
What's in your
hand? I won't let anything
00:27:42.46\00:27:46.26
pursue you that I haven't
empowered you to overcome.
00:27:46.29\00:27:49.26
[Aud. reaction]  PB: God
says, I don't have to move
00:27:49.30\00:27:53.44
from heaven. I've already
put the answer in your hand.
00:27:53.47\00:27:57.74
The answer is
already at your disposal.
00:27:57.77\00:28:01.64
"Thank you very
much for tuning into this
00:28:01.68\00:28:04.21
week's Breath of Life Broadcast.
00:28:04.25\00:28:05.98
We hope and pray
that you have been blessed
00:28:06.01\00:28:08.15
by Dr. Byrd's
inspirational message.
00:28:08.18\00:28:10.52
If you would like
to hear this sermon in
00:28:10.55\00:28:12.49
its entirety, please
feel free to visit us at
00:28:12.52\00:28:14.89
www.breathoflife.tv or
call us at 256.929.6460.
00:28:14.92\00:28:25.30
[END]
00:28:25.33\00:28:40.35