Breath of Life
Ministries Presents:
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Sermon #B617 - Why Church?
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PB: Matthew 16:18, one
verse. Jesus himself speaking,
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Matthew 16:18. The Word says,
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"And I say unto
thee that thou art Peter.
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" Everybody say
"Peter." Aud.: Peter.
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PB: "and upon this
rock I will build my"--what?
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Aud.: Church. PB:
"And the gates of"--what?
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Aud.: Hell. PB: "Shall
not prevail against it.
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" All right, so
last week was why God?
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This week is Why
church? Father, bless us.
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Speak to Your people,
young and young at heart,
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speak to them today.
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We be careful to give
You the praise, the honor,
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and the glory. Thank You,
God, for this opportunity.
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May there become activity by
the power of Your Holy Spirit.
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It's in the name of Jesus
we pray, begging that, Lord, at
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appeal time You will do
Your work. In Jesus' name. Amen.
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All right, quickly,
remember. We're living in a
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post-Christian. Everybody
say "post-Christian." Aud.:
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Post-Christian. PB: Come
on, say it like you mean it. Say
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"post-Christian." Aud.: Post
Christian. PB: We're living in a
Post-Christian society.
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Remember that, now. Which
means, we're living in a world
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where the influence of
Christianity is declining by the
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minute. Post-Christian means
we're living in a world where
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people say there are no moral
absolutes. No ethical givens, no
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outright truth. Remember,
post-Christian means your truth
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is your truth, my truth is
my truth. But even with that,
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last week we
established that there is a God.
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[Aud. reaction]
PB: Creation proves it.
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Nature proves it, and
the life of Jesus proves it.
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The text we used was
"In the"--what? "Beginning.
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"In the what,
everybody? Aud.: Beginning.
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PB: "God created the
heavens and the"--what?
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Aud.: Earth. PB: Now,
that's what Genesis 1:1 says,
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but remember, Genesis
1:26 says "And God said,
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"Let us make man. In our
own image, after our likeness."
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"Then we go to the New
Testament, and John 1:1 says,
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"In the beginning was the
Word." The Word was with Whom"?
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Aud.: God. PB:
"And the Word was Whom"?
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Aud.: God. PB: Then verse
14 says that "the Word became
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flesh. "So we study
that yes, there is a God.
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For those that want to
refute that, my response is,
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only God could create food
out of thin air with two fish
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and five loaves of bread.
Only God could walk on water.
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Only God could turn
water into wedding punch.
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Only God could command
a raging storm to stop.
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Only God could command demons
to be hurled into the sea.
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[Aud. reaction] PB: There is
a God because there's nothing
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that makes sense in
the universe without Him.
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There is a God because
He has revealed Himself
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in the person of Jesus Christ.
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There is a God because
Jesus lived, Jesus died,
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and Jesus rose again.
Buddha didn't do that.
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Confucius didn't do
that. Muhammad didn't do that.
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Scientists can't explain that.
Atheists can't explain that.
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Agnostics can't
explain that. There is a God.
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How do you explain
something out of nothing?
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How do you
explain a worldwide flood?
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How do you explain
that a donkey could talk?
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That an axe head could float?
That the sun could stand still?
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How do you explain how a Red
Sea can become a dry highway?
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How do three men stand in
a fiery furnace and not get
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burned? How does a man lay down
his life and then take it up
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again? There is a God.
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So we know there is a God
but the question now asks,
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why church? Why go to church?
I hear people say all the time,
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I believe in God but why
do I have to go to church?
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After all, church is
not a safe place anymore.
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Kids have been messed up
for the rest of their lives
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because a priest,
somebody they trusted,
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somebody they thought
was safe, molested them.
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Why church? All
they want is your money.
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We thought we were through
with Restoration 40, part 1.
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Now we've got Restoration
40, part 2. Why church?
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It's too long. They sing.
They sing. And they still sing.
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Why church? All they do is
preach damnation and hell and
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judge ya. Why church?
It's filled with hypocrites.
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Why church? They
only care about numbers.
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Why church? The
people are fake. Why church?
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Today I don't know if you
have your heads under a rock,
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or if you're in
never never-land,
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but we're at a critical juncture
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in our world on the
importance of going to church.
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And while most statistics
say that 40 percent of Americans
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attend church regularly, the
posters at Huffington Post say
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that's not true. In
fact, Huffington Post says that
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less than 20 percent of
Americans regularly attend
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church. In fact,
the only American--
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average American
only comes to church
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three times in his life.
Number one, when he is born,
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he comes to be
dedicated at church.
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Number two, when he is married,
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he walks down the
aisle of the church.
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Number three,
when he dies, he is
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in a casket in
front of the church.
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So then people come to church
three times in their lives,
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when they're hatched,
matched, and dispatched.
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[Aud. reaction]
PB: But why church?
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This question is
particularly being asked a lot
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by our young people.
By Millennials. They say,
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I can find my own way to
God. I don't need the church.
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Why church? I can
watch it on the Internet.
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I can watch it on my phone.
I can watch it on television.
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After all, Pastor Byrd is
Breath of Life. That's TV,
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so I can watch it
on TV. Why church?
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I don't feel like dressing up.
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Why church? I don't
feel like being hollered at.
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Why church? I'm sleepy,
I'm tired, it's raining.
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I can stay in the dorm,
in my apartment, in my house.
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Why church? It's not
relevant. Why church?
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Church, we're living in
a different world today.
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People are different now.
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People are tired of
centralized structures.
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People are tired of
revelation without relevance.
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People are tired of
religion without relationship.
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People are tired of
plastic, fake, phony, lifeless,
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flat, comatose
ministry. [Aud. reaction]
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PB: People are
tired of coming to church
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and getting beat
up in the pulpit,
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to get beat up
about what you have on;
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to get beat up about
what you're not doing.
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People are tired of fighting.
People won't fight you anymore.
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Nobody wants to be
in a church at war.
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They fight all
week on their jobs.
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They're not
coming to church for war,
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so they vote with their feet.
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People are tired of
seeing emphasis placed
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on policy over
the needs of people.
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People are tired of
being able to come to church
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where they can share
their burdens and problems,
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but they can't do it
simply because they're afraid of
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what other folk might say about
them after they come clean.
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People are getting tired
of judgmental, legalistic,
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finger-pointing, fault-finding,
holier-than-thou attitudes.
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People are tired
of folk putting on
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an outside show for
an unfriendly world.
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It's like the
familiar story of the woman
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who was pulled
over by the police.
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A man was being tailgated
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by a stressed-out
woman on a busy street.
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Suddenly they're
traveling on the street
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and the light turns yellow,
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and just in front of
him, he does the right thing.
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He stops at the light, even
though he could have probably
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beaten the light if he had
placed his pedal to the metal
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and accelerated
through the intersection.
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Somebody knows
what I'm talking about.
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Come on, say amen. But the
tailgating woman who's behind
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him is furious
because he stopped.
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So she honks her horn.
She screams in frustration
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because she missed her chance
to get through the intersection
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and all the while
she drops her cell phone
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and her makeup at the same time.
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So, while the
lady is in mid-rant,
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calling him
everything but a child of God,
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she hears a tap on the window.
She looks up in her window,
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in the face of a very
serious police officer.
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The officer orders her to
exit the car with her hands up.
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He takes her to the police
station where she is searched,
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fingerprinted, photographed,
and placed in a holding cell.
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The woman is more furious.
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She now shouts
some four-letter words,
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words you all don't know.
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Come on, say amen. Aud.: Amen.
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PB: She gives the
officer a few choice words.
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After a couple of hours,
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another policeman
approaches the woman
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and he opens her cell door.
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She's escorted back to
the booking desk where the
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original arresting officer was
waiting with her personal items.
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He says, "Ma'am, I'm sorry
for that mistake. But you see,
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I pulled up behind you.
And I pulled up behind your car
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while you were
blowing your horn,
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flipping off the
guy in front of you,
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cussing like a sailor,
and as I looked at your car,
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I looked at your back bumper,
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and your bumper had
a sticker that said,
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"What would Jesus
do?" [Aud. reaction]
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PB: I then saw the "Follow
me to church" bumper sticker.
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I saw the chrome-plated
Christian fish emblem on the
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trunk. So naturally, I just
assumed you had stolen the car.
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[Aud. reaction] PB:
People are tired of folk who
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say one thing but do
another. [Aud. reaction]
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PB: People want a real,
authentic, genuine experience in
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Jesus, with real, authentic,
genuine followers of Jesus.
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Do I have a witness in
this place? [Aud. reaction]
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PB: And so, the cry of why
church is getting louder and
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louder. Why church is becoming
more popular and popular.
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But in the name of Jesus, the
Lord told me to tell somebody
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that the church is
still the apple of God's eye.
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[Aud. reaction] PB: Ellen
White, I still believe in her,
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says that it is still
God's appointed agency for
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the salvation of men,
women, boys, and girls.
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And so in these
perilous days in which we live,
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where atheism,
agnosticism, postmodernism,
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and even racism are
increasing by the minute,
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I must stand in this
pulpit. I must preach today
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and give you five
reasons for why church.
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It may not be popular,
but you can't be popular
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and prophetic at the same time.
00:12:01.45\00:12:04.25
And so this is for
the young and the old.
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Why church, Pastor Byrd? Number
one, God started the church.
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[Aud. reaction] PB: Matthew
16:18, understand, we just read
00:12:16.00\00:12:18.73
it. Jesus said, "I say
unto thee, thou art Peter,
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and upon this rock I
will build my church.
00:12:21.37\00:12:22.97
And the gates of"--what,
everybody? Aud.: Hell.
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PB: Hell. "Shall not prevail
against it." Now, don't miss
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this, because a lot
of people read this text
00:12:27.78\00:12:29.58
and they take this
text out of its context.
00:12:29.61\00:12:32.51
Now understand,
Catholics will use
00:12:32.55\00:12:35.02
this text as the
foundation for their church.
00:12:35.05\00:12:38.55
I am not hating on Catholics,
00:12:38.59\00:12:40.56
because I don't have to minimize
somebody else to maximize
00:12:40.59\00:12:44.23
myself. I'm speaking to
the institution of the Roman
00:12:44.26\00:12:48.33
Catholic church. It sees itself
as the extension of the New
00:12:48.36\00:12:53.27
Testament church. So you
have New Testament church
00:12:53.30\00:12:54.87
then you have
Roman Catholic church.
00:12:54.90\00:12:57.04
Why? Because they believe
Peter was their first pope.
00:12:57.07\00:13:02.11
They believe Peter was their
first pope based on this text,
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Matthew 16:18. "And I say
unto thee, That thou art Peter,
00:13:05.38\00:13:08.28
and upon this rock I
will build my church;
00:13:08.32\00:13:10.52
and the gates of hell
shall not prevail against it.
00:13:10.55\00:13:12.69
"So, they believe Peter is
the first pope. Petros, Peter.
00:13:12.72\00:13:18.59
Rock. But they got it wrong.
00:13:18.63\00:13:21.73
Jesus is not saying
in the text that Peter,
00:13:21.76\00:13:25.87
Petros, is the rock on
which the church was founded.
00:13:25.90\00:13:29.94
But Jesus is saying that
the church is built on Him.
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The Rock, Christ Jesus.
That's why we sing that hymn,
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"On Christ the
solid rock, I stand.
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All other
ground is sinking sand.
00:13:43.59\00:13:45.72
"And so, what Jesus
is saying in the text is,
00:13:45.75\00:13:48.26
I establish the church
on Myself. The Living Rock.
00:13:48.29\00:13:53.66
The church was not
built upon human wisdom,
00:13:53.70\00:13:56.40
not on sinful human beings.
00:13:56.43\00:13:59.07
The church was not
built on mortal flesh,
00:13:59.10\00:14:01.47
but the church was
built on the Rock, Jesus,
00:14:01.50\00:14:03.77
and because the church
has been built on the Rock,
00:14:03.81\00:14:06.37
Christ Jesus, the church
has stood the test of time.
00:14:06.41\00:14:10.45
God's church--let me tell
somebody--was here before you
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were born, and God's church,
unless Jesus comes in your
00:14:14.95\00:14:18.79
lifetime, is gonna be here
when you die. In other words,
00:14:18.82\00:14:22.29
the church was here
before you got here,
00:14:22.32\00:14:24.76
and the church is gonna
be here after you leave here.
00:14:24.79\00:14:27.60
[Aud. reaction]
00:14:27.66\00:14:28.83
PB: We got some folk that say
they can't make it without me.
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The church won't make it without
me. It will die without me.
00:14:32.10\00:14:34.57
Don't be a
legend in your own mind.
00:14:34.60\00:14:38.87
The cemetery is
full of folk who thought
00:14:38.91\00:14:40.98
the church wouldn't
make it without them.
00:14:41.01\00:14:43.14
This is God's church!
God started His church,
00:14:43.18\00:14:48.02
and God's truth still moves on.
00:14:48.05\00:14:50.99
The church is
ecclesia, God's called out.
00:14:51.02\00:14:54.72
God's not gonna let what He's
started, what He's called out,
00:14:54.76\00:15:00.50
to fail. Number two. Why
church? Because God said so.
00:15:00.53\00:15:06.84
Aud.: That's right. PB: And
if God said it, that settles it.
00:15:06.87\00:15:12.97
Adam and Eve. God, why
can't we eat of the fruit
00:15:13.01\00:15:16.28
of all the trees that re in
the Garden? Because I said so.
00:15:16.31\00:15:21.75
Why do we have to bring a
lamb, a sheep, a goat, without
00:15:21.78\00:15:26.45
blemish, to be an offering?
Why can't we bring fruits, nuts,
00:15:26.49\00:15:29.29
grains, and
vegetables? Because I said so.
00:15:29.32\00:15:32.83
Noah: Why must we build
an ark? Because I said so.
00:15:32.86\00:15:36.77
Why must--Moses says--
00:15:36.80\00:15:38.33
I stretch my rod across
the Red Sea? Because I said so.
00:15:38.37\00:15:42.24
Why--Gideon says--
00:15:42.27\00:15:43.71
do I have to reduce my army
to 300 men? Because I said so.
00:15:43.74\00:15:47.54
Why can't--Samson--I cut
my hair? 'Cause I said so.
00:15:47.58\00:15:52.28
Why do I have to keep the
Sabbath? 'Cause I said so.
00:15:52.31\00:15:56.75
Why do I have to return tithe
and offering? 'Cause I said so.
00:15:56.79\00:16:01.82
Why do I have to go to
Oakwood? [Aud. reaction]
00:16:01.86\00:16:06.90
PB: Because I said so. But
let me bowl down somebody else's
00:16:06.93\00:16:10.87
lane. Why do I have to work
at Oakwood? Because I said so.
00:16:10.90\00:16:19.61
Why do I have to go to
church? Because I said so.
00:16:19.64\00:16:25.21
Hebrews 10:25 is clear. "Let
us not forsake the assembling
00:16:25.25\00:16:30.12
of ourselves together,
as the manner of some is;
00:16:30.15\00:16:32.79
but exhorting one
another: and so much the more,
00:16:32.82\00:16:35.12
as ye see the day of
Jesus coming fast approaching.
00:16:35.16\00:16:37.73
"In other words, God is
saying, you gotta go to church.
00:16:37.76\00:16:39.49
And you gotta go to
church even that much more
00:16:39.53\00:16:41.50
as I'm getting ready to come.
00:16:41.53\00:16:44.10
Now, God is sovereign.
God can do what He wants,
00:16:44.13\00:16:48.77
when He wants, where
He wants, how He wants,
00:16:48.80\00:16:52.64
and He doesn't have
to ask you or me for
00:16:52.67\00:16:54.28
permission to do it if He wants.
00:16:54.31\00:16:56.28
He's God. If God told you
do something, you gotta do it.
00:16:56.31\00:17:00.82
Quit asking all the
questions why, just do it.
00:17:00.85\00:17:03.42
God told you to obey Him. Do it.
00:17:03.45\00:17:05.55
God told you to
go to church. Do it.
00:17:05.59\00:17:07.56
And God is not a God who says
do as I say and not as I do.
00:17:07.59\00:17:12.26
[Aud. reaction]
00:17:12.29\00:17:15.40
PB: God told us to go to church
because God went to church
00:17:15.43\00:17:21.67
Himself. [Aud. reaction] PB:
If you look at Luke chapter 4,
00:17:21.70\00:17:24.51
verse 16, the Bible says that it
was Jesus' custom on the Sabbath
00:17:24.54\00:17:28.81
day to go into the church,
to go into the synagogue,
00:17:28.84\00:17:31.65
and read the Scriptures.
00:17:31.68\00:17:33.05
Are you hearing what
I'm saying? [Aud. reaction]
00:17:33.08\00:17:34.55
PB: Now lest you think
that this is just a ploy
00:17:34.58\00:17:36.38
to get people to come
to church, let me be clear.
00:17:36.42\00:17:39.42
Because I don't anyone
to misunderstand me today.
00:17:39.45\00:17:42.92
You don't have to go to
church to be a Christian.
00:17:42.96\00:17:47.50
'Cause there's a whole lot
of folk that come to church
00:17:47.56\00:17:49.03
but they ain't Christians.
00:17:49.06\00:17:49.90
I wish I had
time. [Aud. reaction]
00:17:49.93\00:17:53.54
PB: But you do have to go to
church to be obedient to God.
00:17:53.57\00:17:58.74
Are you hearing what
I'm saying, everybody?
00:17:58.77\00:18:00.61
[Aud. reaction] PB:
One day in seven, God has,
00:18:00.64\00:18:02.58
has set God's standard
for His people to assemble,
00:18:02.61\00:18:05.21
so going to church is
not just a good suggestion.
00:18:05.25\00:18:08.88
It's God's will for His people.
00:18:08.92\00:18:10.25
God didn't call us to
gather and worship to burden us,
00:18:10.29\00:18:12.82
but He called us to
worship Him to bless us.
00:18:12.85\00:18:15.96
We should count it a joy to be
blessed by God, in God's church.
00:18:15.99\00:18:19.96
Look at it now, beginning of the
semester, everybody in church.
00:18:20.00\00:18:23.06
Wait until we get down
to October and November.
00:18:23.10\00:18:25.73
[Aud. reaction] PB:
And what troubles me is,
00:18:25.77\00:18:28.94
think about all of the
underground churches in other
00:18:28.97\00:18:31.94
countries who only wish they
could go to church and worship
00:18:31.97\00:18:34.68
like we do. [Aud. reaction]
00:18:34.71\00:18:36.04
PB: There's a story about a
man who was explaining how his
00:18:36.08\00:18:38.75
church, in his church,
the people had to sing hymns--
00:18:38.78\00:18:41.05
he was in China--no
louder than a whisper
00:18:41.08\00:18:43.32
because they were
scared they'd be discovered;
00:18:43.35\00:18:46.25
because if they were discovered,
it would mean physical abuse.
00:18:46.29\00:18:49.32
Their children and
possessions would be seized
00:18:49.36\00:18:51.33
and they would be in prison.
00:18:51.36\00:18:52.69
But even in the face of all
this fear, they still gathered
00:18:52.73\00:18:57.07
together. How much more should
we, who have the pleasure, the
00:18:57.10\00:19:03.84
privilege, of worshiping and
meeting openly, in a palatial
00:19:03.87\00:19:09.91
church, cushioned pews, nice Taj
Mahal restrooms, air condition,
00:19:09.94\00:19:18.62
the Aeolians, video screens,
microphones, pipe organ,
00:19:18.65\00:19:27.96
Hammond organ, grand piano,
keyboards, the preaching of the
00:19:28.00\00:19:32.80
Word. How much more should we
come to church? Why church?
Because God said so.
00:19:32.83\00:19:41.98
Number three. I'm
almost done. Why church?
00:19:42.01\00:19:47.28
Worshiping God together
is powerful. [Aud. reaction]
00:19:47.32\00:19:52.99
PB: Now look at verse 25
again, Hebrews chapter 10.
00:19:53.02\00:19:55.12
It says not only
should we worship together,
00:19:55.16\00:19:56.73
but we should exhort one
another. That we ought to
encourage one another.
00:19:56.76\00:20:01.33
There is something powerful,
something powerful about
00:20:01.36\00:20:05.73
gathering together with other
believers to worship. Jesus
00:20:05.77\00:20:09.90
said, wherever there are two
or three gathered in My name,
00:20:09.94\00:20:13.14
I will be in the midst.
And let the records show,
00:20:13.17\00:20:16.88
I may have 2, 3,000
now, but my ministry started
00:20:16.91\00:20:19.45
--you all know my
story--with 2 members.
00:20:19.48\00:20:22.15
But wherever there are two or
three gathered, God was in the
00:20:22.18\00:20:25.09
midst. Hallelujah! As humans,
we were created to be relational
00:20:25.12\00:20:29.32
beings. God never
meant for a man to be alone.
00:20:29.36\00:20:31.26
In the Garden, God,
when He created Adam,
00:20:31.29\00:20:33.53
He said it is not good
that man should be alone,
00:20:33.56\00:20:36.73
so He created Eve. We're
relational. That's why we talk.
00:20:36.77\00:20:43.94
We're relational. That's
why we smile. We're relational.
00:20:43.97\00:20:49.24
That's why we hug, that's why
we cry. We're relational beings.
00:20:49.28\00:20:53.28
All of us long for community
and connection with others.
00:20:53.31\00:20:56.69
The Internet is convenient,
but the Internet doesn't take
00:20:56.72\00:21:00.92
the place of
coming into God's house.
00:21:00.96\00:21:03.12
[Aud. reaction] PB: Television
is nice, please watch me.
00:21:03.16\00:21:09.16
But it doesn't take the
place of coming together
00:21:09.20\00:21:12.57
and feeling the power of the
Holy Ghost that's in the room.
00:21:12.60\00:21:17.14
Podcasts are wonderful additions
to our spiritual lives,
00:21:17.17\00:21:20.51
but they don't take the
place of coming together
00:21:20.54\00:21:22.74
in consistent Christian
community through the church.
00:21:22.78\00:21:25.71
We grow more together than
we do alone. I listen to people,
00:21:25.75\00:21:32.75
'cause people tell me
all kinda stuff. Okay?
00:21:32.79\00:21:36.73
Pastor Byrd, we need
to have two services.
00:21:36.76\00:21:40.60
One service for the young people
and one service for the adults.
00:21:40.63\00:21:46.33
And I always say, no. I say
no. and they say, well, why?
00:21:46.37\00:21:51.61
I say if it gets to the point
where we go to two services,
00:21:51.64\00:21:54.64
we're gonna have
two identical services.
00:21:54.68\00:21:56.71
Why? Because there is
something that the young people
00:21:56.75\00:21:59.38
glean from the older
people, when we're all together.
00:21:59.41\00:22:04.05
And there is something
that the older people glean from
00:22:04.09\00:22:07.89
the younger people
when we're all together.
00:22:07.92\00:22:10.76
We grow more
together than we do alone.
00:22:10.79\00:22:15.43
The church does not mean a
single individual lone ranger
00:22:15.46\00:22:19.57
Christian, just coming
for Christian duties and never
00:22:19.60\00:22:21.90
gathering together to worship
with other believers. The church
00:22:21.94\00:22:25.07
is community. It's worshiping
with others, praying with
others, hurting with others,
00:22:25.11\00:22:28.01
serving others, being
involved in the lives of others,
00:22:28.04\00:22:31.08
and this is
biblical and historical
00:22:31.11\00:22:33.65
because the first
followers of Jesus did this.
00:22:33.68\00:22:36.95
They would get together
to worship God. Together.
00:22:36.99\00:22:40.99
Paul's letters were sent to all
those New Testament communities
00:22:41.02\00:22:44.56
that gathered in
cities so they could read
00:22:44.59\00:22:47.60
the letters in worship together.
00:22:47.60\00:22:50.20
Church means getting
together with other believers,
00:22:50.23\00:22:54.74
worshiping God together,
reading Scriptures together,
00:22:54.77\00:22:58.97
encouraging one
another, together.
00:22:59.01\00:23:02.08
Somebody's still not getting
this. Let me try it this way.
00:23:02.11\00:23:05.01
Proverbs 27:17 says, "Iron
sharpens"--what? Aud.: Iron.
00:23:05.05\00:23:09.58
PB: Iron. "So a man sharpeneth
the countenance of his friends.
00:23:09.62\00:23:13.32
"Somebody knows that
when iron rubs against iron,
00:23:13.36\00:23:18.59
not only does it become sharper,
but when iron rubs against iron,
00:23:18.63\00:23:23.90
there are also, it causes
sparks. Y'all don't hear what
00:23:23.93\00:23:29.87
I'm saying. When iron is rubbed
together, something ignites.
Something flickers.
00:23:29.90\00:23:36.64
When iron is rubbed
with iron, a fire is started.
00:23:36.68\00:23:41.75
Oh, I wish I had a
witness in this place.
00:23:41.78\00:23:44.52
[Aud. reaction] PB: When
I hear the Aeolians sing,
00:23:44.55\00:23:47.89
it ignites something within me.
00:23:47.92\00:23:51.19
When I hear a testimony, it
causes sparks to fly in my soul.
00:23:51.23\00:23:57.50
When I hear Sister Marva
or Sister Dorothy, my church
00:23:57.53\00:24:02.00
ladies, when I hear them
shouting in church, I get fired
00:24:02.04\00:24:06.11
up. When I hear John Stoddard
playing that organ, and we sing
00:24:06.14\00:24:11.31
Marching to Zion, something
is triggered in my spirit. Iron
00:24:11.35\00:24:19.89
sharpens iron. Finally, number
five. Why church? Church is
preparation place for paradise.
00:24:19.92\00:24:28.76
Church is preparation for
what we gonna do when we get to
00:24:28.80\00:24:34.04
heaven. Y'all don't hear
what I'm saying. [Aud. reaction]
00:24:34.07\00:24:35.70
In Isaiah 66, the Bible
says "It shall come from past,
00:24:35.74\00:24:40.04
from one moon to another moon,
from one Sabbath to another
00:24:40.08\00:24:44.15
Sabbath, shall all flesh come
to worship before me, saith the
00:24:44.18\00:24:49.08
Lord. "When we get to heaven,
we're gonna worship and we're
00:24:49.12\00:24:59.43
gonna praise God. I'm gonna
praise God like I've lost my
00:24:59.46\00:25:04.57
mind. When I get to heaven, I'm
not gonna be worried about who
00:25:04.60\00:25:08.60
else is there. Some
people, they get to heaven,
00:25:08.64\00:25:09.74
they thought they would
be there won't be there,
00:25:09.77\00:25:11.87
and those you thought would be
there won't and wouldn't will,
00:25:11.91\00:25:15.24
but I'm here to let you
know, when I get to heaven,
00:25:15.28\00:25:18.41
I'm just gonna be
happy that I'm there.
00:25:18.45\00:25:20.72
Do I have a
witness in this place?
00:25:20.75\00:25:22.58
Let me tell you--I'm about to
sit down--but I love to preach.
00:25:22.62\00:25:25.55
I love church. I love
hymns, I love anthems,
00:25:25.59\00:25:29.42
I love gospel, I love it all.
00:25:29.46\00:25:31.83
I love to sing. Y'all see
me, they put a camera on me,
00:25:31.86\00:25:34.46
just as demonstrative
in praise and worship,
00:25:34.46\00:25:36.80
I'm just as
demonstrative on a hymn.
00:25:36.83\00:25:39.90
When we were singing today,
Marching to Zion, my soul got
00:25:39.93\00:25:44.01
happy. I love church. I love
to say amen. I love to shout.
00:25:44.04\00:25:50.68
But I've learned, we gotta learn
how to shout at the right time.
00:25:50.71\00:25:56.08
It's good to have your prayers
answered and have the things
00:25:56.12\00:26:00.32
that make your life pleasing
and comfortable. That's good.
00:26:00.36\00:26:04.53
But shouting time is
when we talk about eternity.
00:26:04.56\00:26:09.43
Do I have a
witness in this place?
00:26:09.46\00:26:11.80
[Aud. reaction] PB: Shoes on
your feet, crazy socks on your
00:26:11.83\00:26:19.61
legs, a roof over your head,
money in your pocket. That's
00:26:19.64\00:26:25.65
good. We need
them, and they're great.
00:26:25.68\00:26:27.92
But these are just
common things in life.
00:26:27.95\00:26:30.92
So don't let these
things get you too excited.
00:26:30.95\00:26:35.39
But when you
hear about eternity,
00:26:35.42\00:26:38.09
that through Jesus Christ you're
gonna live with Him forever.
00:26:38.13\00:26:42.80
That we're gonna have church
all day long, all night long,
00:26:42.83\00:26:49.37
that's time to shout! No
more sickness, no more pain.
00:26:49.40\00:26:55.24
That's shouting time! No
more cancer, no more high blood
00:26:55.28\00:27:00.42
pressure. That's shouting time!
No more death, no more dying, no
00:27:00.45\00:27:05.95
more disease. That's shouting
time! No more house note. No
00:27:05.99\00:27:10.63
more car note. That's shouting
time! Mansion with your name on
00:27:10.66\00:27:14.36
it. That's shouting
time! Sit at the welcome table.
00:27:14.36\00:27:17.93
That's shouting time!
00:27:17.97\00:27:19.50
Feast on milk and
honey. That's shouting time!
00:27:19.53\00:27:23.34
Sing that never gets
tired. That's shouting time!
00:27:23.37\00:27:27.18
Put on my long white
robe. That's shouting time!
00:27:27.21\00:27:31.01
Eat grits with
Jesus. That's shouting time!
00:27:31.05\00:27:34.92
Eat rice and peas
with Jesus! [music]
00:27:34.95\00:27:43.12
>: Thank you very
much for tuning in to
00:27:43.16\00:27:45.03
this week's
Breath of Life broadcast.
00:27:45.06\00:27:47.36
We hope and pray
that you've been blessed
00:27:47.40\00:27:49.36
by Dr. Byrd's
inspirational message.
00:27:49.40\00:27:52.07
If you would like to hear
this sermon in its entirety,
00:27:52.10\00:27:54.44
please feel free to visit
us at www.breathoflife.tv.
00:27:54.47\00:28:00.34
Or, call us at (256) 929-6460.
00:28:00.38\00:28:06.15
[END]
00:28:06.18\00:28:21.16