(Breath of Life Theme Music)
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Sermon #B644 - Revive
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Byrd: Matthew 13:1 says.
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Matthew 13:1, the Word says,
"The same day Jesus went out of
the house, and sat by the sea
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side. Great multitudes were
gathered together unto him, so
that he went into a ship,
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and sat; and the whole
multitude stood on the shore.
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And he spake many things unto
them in parables, saying,
Behold, a sower went forth to
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sow; And when he sowed, some
seeds fell by the way side, and
the fowls came and devoured them
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up: Some fell upon stony places,
where they had not much earth:
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and forthwith they sprung up,
because they had no deepness of
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earth: And when the sun was up,
they were scorched; and because
they had no root, they withered
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away. And some fell among
thorns; and the thorns sprung
up, and choked them:
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But other fell into good
ground, brought forth fruit,
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some a hundredfold, some
sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. Who
hath ears to hear, let him
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hear." I skipped down to verse
18 for the interpretation. "Hear
ye therefore the parable of the
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sower. When any one heareth the
word of the kingdom, and
understandeth it not, then
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cometh the wicked one, and
catcheth away that which was
sown in his heart. This is he
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which received seed by the way
side. But he that received the
seed into stony places, the same
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is he that heareth the word, and
anon with joy receiveth it; Yet
hath he not root in himself, but
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dureth for a while: for when
tribulation or persecution
ariseth because of the word, by
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and by he is offended. He also
that received seed among the
thorns is he that heareth the
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word; and the care of this
world, and the deceitfulness of
riches, choke the word, and he
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becometh unfruitful. But he that
received seed into the good
ground is he that heareth the
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word, and understandeth it;
which also beareth fruit, and
bringeth forth, some an
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hundredfold, some
sixty, some thirty." Revive.
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Our text records the parable
of the sower, and in case you
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didn't know this parable in that
Jesus talks about how important
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God's word is. The fact that we
need a revival. But we don't
need any old revival.
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Jesus is saying, we need a
revival in the Word of God.
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Now, what's interesting
about this parable is that
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it's one of the few parables
that Jesus doesn't let us try to
figure out its meaning.
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Jesus shares the parable of the
sower and he tells us what it
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means so there's no question as
to what he's trying to tell us.
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In this parable, Jesus says,
there's a sower who goes out to
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sow seed. As he throws seeds on
the ground, the seeds fall on
four different types of soil.
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The seed represents the Bible.
Represents somewhat everybody?
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And the four different types of
soil represent the different
types of hearers to the Word of
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God. In soil type number one,
the farmer throws seeds on the
soil but the birds come by and
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eat them up. In soil number two,
the farmer throws seeds on rocks
and the seeds spring up
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but then the sun cuts them down.
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In soil number three, the farmer
throws seeds on soil among
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thorns but the thorns spring
up and choked the seeds out.
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But then in soil number four,
the farmer throws seed on good
soil. When the seed falls, it
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grows. It develops and
it produces a great harvest.
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In this parable, Jesus is asking
all of us, what kind of soil are
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you? The first soil, we're
dealing with way side seed.
Everybody say way side seed.
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Jesus said the seed is thrown on
the ground but because people
had walked on the ground so
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much, the ground has become hard
and because of the hardness of
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the ground, the seed has no
opportunity to develop, no
opportunity to grow, no
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opportunity to take root. And
so, after the seeds fall by the
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way side, the birds represented
by the devil come by and eat
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them up. Somebody is not getting
it, let me try it this way.
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When I was a little
boy growing up in Florida,
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my parents just always tell me,
"Don't walk on the grass. Walk
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on the sidewalk because if you
walk on the grass, you're going
to beat a path on the ground
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and the more you walk on the
ground, the more the ground is
going to become hard
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and the more the ground becomes
hard, the more likely the grass
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won't grow because the soil
has been beaten down so much.
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It's no longer good for
production." Jesus is saying,
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there are some of us whose
hearts are like hard rock soil.
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We have allowed negative
influences to walk in our lives
so much that our lives are
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hardened to God. So when the
seed, when the Word of God falls
on the ground, it's like
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concrete. It doesn't take root.
It doesn't grow. It doesn't
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develop. It just lays on the top
and it's just a matter of time
before Satan comes along
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and picks the word right up
from the heart of the believer.
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When the seed of the word is
spoken, people hear it but
they're not changed by it.
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They don't listen to
what the Word is saying.
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They don't get excited about the
Word. They are writing notes
when the Word of God is
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preached. They're texting when
the Word of God is preached.
They're Twitting when the Word
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of God is preached. They're
Instagramming, SnapChatting, or
Facebooking when the Word of God
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is preached. It wasn't that the
Word wasn't good. It's not that
the Word wasn't powerful.
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It's not that the Word was bad
but because they don't study the
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Word. They're not moved by the
Word. They don't get excited by
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the Word. They don't
appreciate the Word of God.
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They don't listen to the Word of
God and because they don't
listen to the Word of God,
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the devil steals the very thing
in the Word that would've gotten
them their victory in a time of
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need. I understand how you folk
come to church week after week
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and never change. I understand
how people can hear the Word and
read the Word and still, no
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change. But the Word of God
is more than just being read.
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The Word's purpose is not just
for you to have more
intellectual and academic
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insight into the Scriptures. The
Word of God is suppose to change
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you. How can a person read God's
Word every week and still not be
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changed? Walking out of church
talking about, "Wooh! The Word
was good! The Word was real.
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God spoke, the
preacher preached."
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And then you go out the door and
you're doing the same things
you've been doing your entire
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life. Thinking the Word was for
somebody else, everybody else
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but you. But it's time to
get serious about the Word.
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People don't know the Word. Our
children don't know the Word.
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It's too much playing when
it comes to the Word of God.
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Too many folks want the Word to
suit them, to appease them, to
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placate them. I go to some
places and preach across the
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world and some folks can't
appreciate the Word that has
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substance to it. It has been
funny. Pleasure preacher
preaches that makes you feel
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good. Cotton candy preaching big
and sweet on the outside, hollow
and empty on the inside.
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But to tell somebody, "Don't
give me your feel good." "Don't
give me your opinion."
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"Don't give me your preference
but give me the unadulterated
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Word of God." In the day and age
we live, we don't have time to
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play preaching. But the text
also says number two. It says
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rocky soil. Everybody say rocky
soil. In this soil, the farmer
throws seeds on rocks.
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The rocks are thrown on there
and the seeds spring up but the
sun cuts the seeds down.
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In this scenario, the person
has no deep roots. They hear the
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Word of God. When they hear it,
they're excited, they're
energetic. They say amen, they
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shout Hallelujah. They get
excited. They hear the Word of
God and spread joy but because
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they have no roots, as soon as
trouble comes, as soon as the
trial comes, they're looking for
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a way out. The Gospel
appeals to their emotions.
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The singers sing, you jump up,
you get excited and you're quick
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to respond but when the hype
wears off, when the excitement
goes away, so does the Gospel.
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They accepted seeing what
seems to be good at the moment
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but they fail to count
the cost of discipleship.
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You see, I've learned in my
life, discipleship costs you
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something. Discipleship means
you're taking up your cross and
you're following Jesus.
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There's a relationship between
discipleship and obedience.
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You can't claim to be a disciple
of Christ and not obey Jesus
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Christ. Jesus said in John 8:31,
"If ye continue in my word, then
are ye my disciples,"
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which means discipleship is tied
to your obedience to the word of
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God. Anybody talking about that
they are disciples but they're
disobeying God's word,
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they are not a
disciple. [Congregation: Amen]
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Jesus says, "And ye shall know
the truth, and the truth shall
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set you free." Which means
there's a relationship between
obedience and being set free.
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Discipleship then begets
obedience, and obedience begets
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freedom. This leads me to the
following statement: Every
disciple is free but every
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church member isn't. Church
membership doesn't always mean
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true discipleship because there
are a lot of people who have
their names on the roll
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but you don't know what
it means to be free in Jesus.
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That's why you come to
church bound. You come to church
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enslaved. You come to church
chained up, tied up, worried
about what people think.
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Worried about what people say.
'Do I look nice enough? Did I
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say amen too loud? Am I supposed
to clap? Am I supposed to be
quiet?' You come to church
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bound. Church membership does
not always mean true
discipleship because when you
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are a disciple, you are obedient
and when you're obedient, you're
free. [Congregation: Clapping]
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But when you decide to follow
Jesus, although you're free in
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Jesus, I am a witness that it's
going to cost you something.
You're going to cry sometimes.
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You're going to hurt sometimes.
You're going to be disappointed
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sometimes. In this rocky soil
type, Jesus is telling us that
there are some people
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who enthusiastically hear the
Word of God. They say, "Amen."
They say, "Hallelujah."
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They say, "Praise Jesus."
They say, "Thank you, Jesus!"
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They hear the Word
but in the name of Jesus,
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don't make a mistake of
substituting emotional reaction
for spiritual depth.
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[Congregation: Amen.] Obedience
is not and praise to God is not
about our feelings.
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[Congregation: Amen.] You can't
go by your feelings. If I went
by my feelings, I won't be
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standing up here right now. You
can't go by your feelings
because some days you're not
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going to feel like it. Some days
you're not going to feel like
preaching. You're not going to
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feel like teaching. You're
not going to feel like singing.
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Some days you're not going to
feel like coming to church but
in the name of Jesus,
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I rebuke the devil and I will
bless the Lord at all times.
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His praise shall continually be
in my mouth. Jesus didn't go to
Calvary because he felt like it.
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I love the Lord. I won't take
that back. He's been good to me.
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We need a revival of
the Word. I'm almost done.
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Point number three, thorny
soil. Everybody say thorny soil.
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Now, the thorny person grows but
not all growth is good growth.
This growth is not vegetation.
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This growth is weeds and
according to verse 22 in the
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text, this, "the weeds are the
cares of this world and the
deceitfulness of riches."
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And when these weeds take root
in your life, they choke God's
Word out of your heart.
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Thorny soil Christians are
captivated by the world and the
things of the world.
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They work hard for money. Now I
don't condemn that because if
you don't work, you don't eat.
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Do I have a
witness to this place?
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But when you work so much that
you can't go to church because
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you're tired, you can't go
to Sabbath school because you're
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worn out, you can't go to prayer
meeting because you're sleepy,
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you don't read your
bible because you're exhausted,
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you kneel down to pray and you
fall asleep on your knees. Has
that happened to anybody?
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That has happened to me but it's
because you're so busy with the
cares of this world,
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the Word of God is
being choked out of your life.
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But not only the cares of
the world, the deceitfulness of
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riches. Don't get it twisted.
I'm not saying that there's
anything evil about being
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wealthy. There are a lot
of people who are wealthy and
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godly. I'm also not saying that
there is anything inherently
virtuous about being poor
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because a lot of people think
that the poorer you are, the
more spiritual you are.
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Just because you're poor doesn't
mean you're spiritual. There's a
lot of wicked poor folk.
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Are you hearing what I'm saying?
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I know a lot of poor people who
are ungodly just like I know a
lot of rich people who are
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ungodly. Are you hearing what
I'm saying? What Jesus is trying
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to tell us is, that when wealth
becomes your major objective
where you overlook God, then you
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have a problem. Read your Bible.
The Bible does not say that
money is the root of all evil.
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The Bible says the love of
money is the root of all evil.
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Let's keep it real.
[Congregant: Clapping]
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If some of us had a lot of
money, we wouldn't be able to
handle it. Tell the truth, shame
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the devil. Some of you know that
if you have a lot of money,
forget speaking to other people.
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You wouldn't even be
able to speak to yourself.
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Your nose would be so high in
the air that if it rained, you'd
drown. Can God trust you with
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more? Because the deceitfulness
of riches will make you forget
where your help comes from.
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You see, your help is not in
Dillards. Your help is not in
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Belks. Your help is not
in Hugo Boss or Tom Fords
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but I will lift up my eyes into
the hills from where cometh my
help, my help comes from the
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Lord. Don't you let the
deceitfulness of riches make you
forget where your help comes
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from. God has blessed some of
you with a little of something
but don't forget where it all
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came from. Where your faith is
no longer in God but your faith
is in what you have
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because how you handle
what you have right now,
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would've had determined how you
handle what God can bless you
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with. If you can't hand handle
$10,000 now, then how are you
goona handle $10 million later?
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I don't want to make this a
stewardship sermon but if you
had more, could God trust you
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with more? Because it's not
based on what you have but who
has you. You all hear what I'm
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saying? If you can give God 10
cents out of every dollar now,
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then how can God trust you
to give $100 out of $1,000?
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We live in a highly
materialistic society. Folks are
always trying to keep up with
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somebody else. We buy things to
impress people we don't know to
keep up with people we don't
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like. Young people, don't you
come here to Oakwood, trying to
keep up with somebody else?
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You're here to get a college
education. And your time in
college is a temporary state of
00:16:23.35\00:16:30.75
poverty. Listen to me, young
people, you got enough debt with
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student loans. Don't pile on
more debt with credit cards. Are
you hearing what I'm saying?
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Credit cards are
for need, not wants.
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Know the difference because the
deceitfulness of riches is like
a weed that will choke you out.
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Don't get so caught up
in the cares of this world,
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and the deceitfulness of
riches in the name of Jesus,
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I can't explain to
you the goodness of God.
00:16:52.54\00:16:58.18
I can't explain to you
how God does what He does.
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I can't explain to you
today how God stretches $1.
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Pastor Byrd always
couldn't drive like he drives.
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Pastor Byrd couldn't
always dress like he dresses.
00:17:12.99\00:17:15.93
I remember those early days in
ministry on one salary, my wife,
myself, our children.
00:17:15.96\00:17:23.51
One salary, are you
hearing what I'm saying?
00:17:23.54\00:17:25.71
But God says, "If you honor me,
I'll honor you." Are you hearing
00:17:25.74\00:17:30.71
what I'm saying? I'm talking
about 10 + 10. God says, He will
open the windows of heaven,
00:17:30.75\00:17:38.12
and pour you out a blessing,
that there shall not be room
enough to receive it.
00:17:38.15\00:17:42.99
When I think of the goodness of
Jesus and all He's done for me,
my soul cries out Hallelujah.
00:17:43.02\00:17:51.57
Somebody knows what I'm talking
about because God delivered
somebody from foreclosure.
00:17:51.60\00:17:56.20
God delivered somebody from
being out on the street. God
paid somebody's rent in this
00:17:56.24\00:18:01.18
place today. God paid somebody's
car note in this place, and if
God hasn't done it yet for you,
00:18:01.21\00:18:07.48
just keep on living. Because it
is no secret what God can't do,
what He's done for others He'll
00:18:07.52\00:18:12.55
do for you. Every once in a
while, something will happen in
00:18:12.59\00:18:16.49
your life. Where your degree
can't think you out. Your
charisma and charm can't talk
00:18:16.52\00:18:21.96
you out. Your money can't buy
you out. Your family can't bail
00:18:22.00\00:18:26.50
you out. God has to say, "Step
back because I'm stepping in."
Somebody knows he's Jehovah
00:18:26.53\00:18:33.54
Jireh, my provider. Don't let
the deceitfulness of riches
choke the word of God out of
00:18:33.58\00:18:38.78
you. God is still on the throne.
He sits high, and He looks low.
God is still on the throne.
00:18:38.81\00:18:45.35
He may not come when you want
Him, but He's always right on
00:18:45.39\00:18:49.16
time. God is still on the
throne. Delay is not denial.
00:18:49.19\00:18:55.70
Better learn how to trust in
the Lord, with all your heart.
00:18:55.73\00:18:59.20
Lean not to your
own understanding
00:18:59.23\00:19:00.77
In all thy ways acknowledge him,
and he shall direct thy paths."
00:19:00.80\00:19:03.27
I once was young, but now I'm
old, but I've never seen the
righteous forsaken,
00:19:03.30\00:19:06.81
nor His seed begging bread from
the rising of the sun to the
going down to the same.
00:19:06.84\00:19:10.45
The Lord is worthy to be
praised. We need a revival and
it's a revival in the Word of
00:19:10.48\00:19:17.95
God. But then there's soil type
number four, I'm almost done.
00:19:17.99\00:19:21.02
The farmer throws seed on good
soil and then the seed falls,
00:19:21.06\00:19:26.09
and then it grows and develops,
it germinates and produces a
good great harvest.
00:19:26.13\00:19:29.53
I don't know about you but I
want to grow. I said, I want to
00:19:29.56\00:19:34.84
grow. Stagnation is not
something I want to be a part
of. God has not called Carlton
00:19:34.87\00:19:40.71
Byrd. I don't know what He
called you to but God has not
called me to maintenance
00:19:40.74\00:19:45.28
ministry. God has not
called me to stagnant ministry.
00:19:45.31\00:19:48.38
God has not called me to isolate
a ministry where we minister to
nobody but ourselves.
00:19:48.42\00:19:54.29
I've been an Adventist all my
life; Adventist born, Adventist
00:19:54.32\00:19:58.96
breed I'll be Adventist dead,
thank God for the Adventist
00:19:58.99\00:20:02.03
church. I'm a fifth generation
Adventist, you know it,
paternally and maternally.
00:20:02.06\00:20:06.23
You are not out Adventist me.
I've eat more grillers than you,
00:20:06.27\00:20:09.67
more dinner roast than you,
had more haystacks than you.
00:20:09.70\00:20:12.84
You are not Adventist out
Adventist me. But for too long,
we've ministered to ourselves.
00:20:12.87\00:20:20.15
We preach to ourselves. We teach
to ourselves, preaching what we
want, singing what we want.
00:20:20.18\00:20:27.52
I say it all the time, we
have an ancestral ministry.
00:20:27.56\00:20:30.73
I'm not talking about Oakwood,
I'm talking about everywhere.
00:20:30.76\00:20:33.50
The fruit of incest is
always something retarded.
00:20:33.53\00:20:36.93
We've got retarded churches
because we care more about
ourselves than we do about
00:20:36.97\00:20:44.47
reaching the lost. Jesus said,
"Go ye therefore, teach all
00:20:44.51\00:20:48.48
nations." Folks are tired of
revelation without relevance."
00:20:48.51\00:20:53.48
I believe I've got some
Bible-believing folks in this
00:20:53.52\00:20:57.45
place, that you're
living by the Word of God.
00:20:57.49\00:21:00.79
That you know you would have
been dead had it not been for
00:21:00.82\00:21:05.03
God. That you would have been at
a hospital room had you not been
trusting God's promises in His
00:21:05.06\00:21:09.80
Word. That you would have been
strung out somewhere if it had
not been for the Word.
00:21:09.83\00:21:13.70
That you would have been locked
up in somebody's jail if it had
not been for the Word.
00:21:13.74\00:21:18.17
That you would still be in the
Student Accounts line if it had
not been for the Word.
00:21:18.21\00:21:23.41
That you would have lost your
mind had it not been for the
00:21:23.45\00:21:28.72
Word of God. But God says, "If
you just follow my words, when
you follow my Word,
00:21:28.75\00:21:33.96
I'll give you thirty
folds, sixty fold, 100 fold.
00:21:33.99\00:21:39.69
Your latter will always
be greater than your past.
00:21:39.73\00:21:43.23
When the devil
reminds you of your past,
00:21:43.26\00:21:45.17
you remind him of his future
because God is gonna bless
somebody thirty fold,
00:21:45.20\00:21:49.97
sixty fold and 100 fold.
Restore, renew and give me a
revival in the Word of God.
00:21:50.01\00:21:57.48
I'm not talking about any of
your word, but I'm now talking
about the living Word of God.
00:21:57.51\00:22:01.95
In the beginning was the
Word and the Word was with God,
00:22:01.98\00:22:05.79
and the Word was God
but the Word became flesh.
00:22:05.82\00:22:09.69
Jesus became the living Word for
me. Jesus went to Calvary to
save a wretch like you and me.
00:22:09.72\00:22:16.90
They hung Him high, they
stretched Him wide, He hung his
head, for me He died.
00:22:16.93\00:22:21.27
But that's not how the story
ends. In three days, He rose
00:22:21.30\00:22:25.97
again. Anybody wants Jesus
today. Anybody wants a living
00:22:26.01\00:22:30.81
Word today. Anybody wants to be
revived today, restored,
renewed, revived. Anybody wants
00:22:30.85\00:22:38.25
Jesus today. He's bigger than
your problems, bigger than your
circumstances, bigger than your
00:22:38.29\00:22:43.79
situation, bigger than people,
bigger than your enemies, bigger
than your fears, bigger than
00:22:43.83\00:22:49.30
your bills. He's bigger than
your tuition. My God is so big.
He's all so strong and mighty.
00:22:49.33\00:22:55.24
There's nothing my God cannot
do. [music] [Congregation:
00:22:55.27\00:23:02.01
applause] We
need revival. Revival.
00:23:02.04\00:23:11.85
Seed is thrown on wayward soil,
00:23:11.89\00:23:17.53
rocky soil, thorny soil.
00:23:17.56\00:23:24.13
But if I want to
revive on the Word of God,
00:23:24.17\00:23:25.97
I've gotta ask God to
throw some seed in my soil
00:23:26.00\00:23:29.94
and my soil has
got to be good soil.
00:23:29.97\00:23:33.01
And He promised me that
He'll give me thirty fold,
00:23:33.04\00:23:38.95
sixty fold,
00:23:38.98\00:23:42.22
100 fold.
00:23:42.25\00:23:47.26
And if He doesn't
give me anything else,
00:23:47.29\00:23:53.29
He's already given me enough.
00:23:53.33\00:24:04.81
Any Homeletician will tell you,
00:24:04.84\00:24:11.58
always in at the cross.
00:24:11.61\00:24:18.09
Any preacher worth their
salt will always tell you,
00:24:18.12\00:24:22.36
end at the cross.
00:24:22.39\00:24:27.86
If Jesus, the living
Word doesn't do another thing,
00:24:27.86\00:24:34.40
2000 years ago, He did
enough. [Congregation: applause]
00:24:34.44\00:24:40.08
He hung on the cross,
00:24:40.11\00:24:48.08
and His blood
00:24:48.12\00:24:52.52
is available for you today.
00:24:52.55\00:24:59.96
You may have
been a wayward soul,
00:25:00.06\00:25:04.27
a rocky soul, a thorny soul,
00:25:04.30\00:25:13.07
but His blood,
00:25:13.11\00:25:16.91
His blood flowed for you.
00:25:16.95\00:25:25.65
And if you just trust
Him, you trust His word.
00:25:25.69\00:25:30.19
He has promised that He
will give you thirty fold,
00:25:30.23\00:25:36.43
sixty fold, and you
might just get 100 fold.
00:25:36.46\00:25:45.87
We need to be
restored, renewed, and revived.
00:25:45.91\00:25:50.51
Byrd: [singing] Jesus went
00:25:50.55\00:25:51.85
Choir: [singing]
Jesus went, To Calvary
00:25:51.88\00:25:56.58
To save a wretch like you and me
00:25:56.62\00:26:02.36
That's Love, that's love
00:26:02.39\00:26:10.20
Byrd: [singing] He did not do
it , He could have set Himself
00:26:10.23\00:26:15.17
free. Jesus Choir:
[singing] Jesus went, To Calvary
00:26:15.20\00:26:20.81
To save a wretch like you and me
00:26:20.84\00:26:25.75
That's Love, that's love.
00:26:25.78\00:26:34.99
Byrd: [singing]
They hung Him high...
00:26:35.02\00:26:37.86
Thank you very much for tuning
in to this week's Breath of Life
00:26:37.89\00:26:42.23
broadcast. We hope and pray that
you've been blessed by Dr.
Byrd's inspirational message.
00:26:42.26\00:26:46.77
If you would like to hear
this sermon in its entirety,
00:26:46.80\00:26:49.34
please feel free to visit
us at www.breathoflife.tv.
00:26:49.37\00:26:55.04
Or, call us at (256) 929-646
00:26:55.08\00:27:03.49
[END]
00:27:03.52\00:27:07.39
Social justice is embedded
in Breath of Life's commitment
00:27:07.42\00:27:13.19
to carry this wonderful
gospel of Jesus Christ.
00:27:13.23\00:27:17.27
I believe in social justice.
I believe in equality of all
00:27:17.30\00:27:25.07
people. And I also believe that
Jesus died and His blood was
spilt for all of us.
00:27:25.11\00:27:32.98
With that in mind, I've had the
privilege most recently of
authoring a sharing book
00:27:33.01\00:27:41.89
entitled Free. I want to
encourage you to secure your
copy of this sharing book, Free.
00:27:41.92\00:27:48.50
Which shares how Jesus is
the ultimate freedom fighter
00:27:48.53\00:27:54.80
and that we, His
people, should all be free.
00:27:54.84\00:27:59.47
www.breathoflife.tv
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