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Series Code: BOL
Program Code: BOL000654S
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00:01 (Breath of Life Theme Music)
00:07 Sermon #B654-The End is better than the beginning 00:20 Dr. Byrd: If you will take your bibles and let's go to the Book of Psalms 00:24 and we're going to go to Psalm 107, when I won't keep you long today, Psalm 107. 00:30 But I will warn you, the Holy Ghost gets loose, you know what happens? 00:35 I see I'm trying to be mindful of time, one member say, pastor of the church is good. 00:39 I don't mind saying in church, Amen. But that was just one person that wouldn't everybody. 00:44 All right, so let's go quickly to Psalm 107 and let's go to verse number 15. 00:51 Psalm 107 and let's go to verse number 15, Psalm 107 and verse number 15. 00:59 If you haven't let me hear you say, Amen. [Congregation: Amen] 01:02 The Word of God says in verse 15, “Oh, that men would praise the whom everybody, 01:08 would praise the Lord, for his goodness, and for this wonderful works to the children of men. 01:15 For he hath broken the gates of brass and cut the bars of iron and sunder, 01:18 fools because of transgression and because of their iniquities are afflicted, 01:24 their soul abhorreth all manner of meat and they draw near unto the gates of death, 01:29 then they cry unto the Lord and their trouble. He saved them out of their distresses. 01:36 He sent His word and healed them. He delivered them from their destructions. 01:42 Oh, that men would praise the Lord for His goodness 01:51 and for His wonderful works to the children of men.” 01:56 Today, I just want to spend a little time on the subject. 01:58 The end is better than the beginning. The end is better than the beginning. 02:03 Father, God bless us now as we go into your word. 02:06 Speak because of your servants here then God at the appeal time, do what you do. 02:11 May Holy Spirit flow full and free. Speak your word to your people. 02:16 Somebody needs this today God. So, speak and I'll pray. 02:19 Hide behind your cross, forgive me of my sins is not about me but Lord is all about you. 02:24 We pray this prayer in the name of Jesus. Let all those who love Him say Amen. Amen. 02:29 The end is better than the beginning. It's hard to believe it. 02:35 But we've come to the end of 2019, the end of another year in about 83 hours from now. 02:44 2019 will be history. It will be done. 02:48 Now, for some of us if we pulled the church today 2019 was an awesome year for somebody. 02:55 You graduated from high school, graduated from college, got a new job, 03:01 got a new hot car, got a new house, somebody got married, 03:06 somebody had a child, somebody got engaged, somebody's getting married, 03:11 but somebody's got a man. [Congregation: laughing] 03:15 Somebody's got a woman, somebody, you were healed from a disease, 03:21 somebody you retired and you realize in retirement you have more money now in retirement 03:28 than when you were working. 2019 for somebody was a good year. 03:35 Do I have a witness in this place? 03:37 But then on the flip side, 2019 for somebody was a rough year. 03:44 You lost your job, you lost your house, you lost your car, your marriage fell apart, 03:56 your relationship went back, you failed school, you lost a husband, 04:02 your wife passed away, you lost a parent, you lost a child, 04:10 you were diagnosed this year with a debilitating disease, you missed an opportunity, 04:17 you broke a resolution, you made a mistake 04:22 and now you're saying if I had to do it all over again, I would do it differently. 04:30 If 2019 was bad to you, don't dwell on it. Don't dwell on the past. The past is the past. 04:45 There's nothing you can do to change the past. 04:51 Yes, the past shapes our lives but the past and life was not meant to be lived in the past. 05:00 You can't live in the past but I believe somebody knows you can live in the present. 05:06 So today I just came for old fashioned church today. 05:11 I want to encourage somebody that you ought to praise God today in the present 05:18 for bringing you safely to the end of another year 05:24 because the end is always better than the beginning. 05:30 Oh, somebody doesn't hear me. I said in spite of what the devil has been doing to you, 05:37 in spite of what the devil has been doing to you in 2019 05:40 God has been good to somebody in this place. God kept you when the bottom fell out. 05:47 God made a way out of no way. 05:50 God healed you when they said there was nothing else that can be done. 05:54 You lost your job but you're here today. Broken relationship but you're here today. 06:01 Divorced but you're here today. Death in your family but you're here today. 06:08 You failed a class but you're here today. Locked up but you're here today. 06:15 Strung out but you're here today. Suicidal but you're here today 06:19 and I just want to know on this the final Sabbath of 2019 in the present, in your current, 06:26 in your right now can you praise the Lord?[Congregation: Amen] 06:30 You ought to tell somebody. If you only knew what I've been through, 06:35 if you only knew what God brought me through, 06:38 if you really understood what I've been through this past year, 06:41 my praise would make sense to you right now. 2019 was rough but God brought me through. 06:51 And I'm encouraged today 06:53 because I just believe that my end is going to be better than my beginning. 06:59 That my ladder is going to be greater than my former. 07:02 Is anybody understanding what I'm talking about? 07:04 Because through all that I went through, God still kept me. 07:11 When I think of the goodness of Jesus and when I think of God's mercy, 07:15 when I think of his keeping power over this year I'm reminded of Psalm 107. 07:20 I'm reminded of David Psalm and testimony of God's redemptive power. 07:26 “Oh, that men would praise the Lord, for his goodness, 07:33 and his wonderful works to the children of men.” 07:36 Now, four times in this psalm, David says this and each time he says this, 07:42 he's telling us where God found his people when he saved his people. 07:47 That's the word for somebody that God will find you. 07:51 Then God will save you where he finds you. Oh, you don't know what I'm talking about. 07:57 God found somebody in the crack house, but he saved them. God found somebody in the outhouse, 08:04 but he saved them. God found somebody in the bankruptcy house, but God saves that. 08:11 God found somebody in the house of doubt and depression, but God then saved you. 08:16 God will find you where you are 08:18 and then God will save you all that men would praise the Lord, 08:24 for his goodness, his wonderful works to the children, man. 08:28 Now, many theologians believe that David, 08:30 this psalm was probably written after Israel had been delivered from their bondage in Assyria 08:34 and Babylon. Then in this psalm, they are reminded of the consequences of their sins 08:39 and they are reminded of the grace that God showed them, and forgiving them a better sins, 08:44 and then he restores them. They are also reminded that God is faithful. God is what everybody? 08:50 God is what everybody? God is faithful to hear and then to restore those who call on him. 08:56 When you look at Psalm 107, Psalm 107 verses 1 through 7 are the introduction, 09:02 verses 8 through 14 are the first testimony and I say testimony 09:07 because in the introduction in verse 3, David says, “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so.” 09:12 Then in verses 15 through 20, which we read, we have the second testimony. 09:16 Then in verses 21 through 30, we have the third testimony. 09:19 Then in verses 31 through 43, we have the fourth and final testimony. 09:23 Now, I can't preach every testimony today, but I'll just preach one. 09:27 Is that all right everybody? So, I've chosen testimony number 2. 09:31 Now, over this year, somebody ought to praise the Lord because God protected you. 09:41 He protected you from your transgressions. He protected you from your iniquities. 09:47 He protected you from your indiscretions, your misdeeds, your lapses in judgment. 09:58 Now, don't sit there and act like you don't know what I'm talking about. 10:02 Don't you sit there and act like you haven't done anything in your past. 10:05 One of the blessings by Oakwood church a lot of people who went to school here retired and 10:09 come back here and people we remember you when. Come on, say Amen. 10:13 Don't act like and sit there like your past is perfect. Because I believe, 10:19 I've got a witness in this place that can say I can't believe I did that 10:25 or I can't believe I said that. 10:27 David admits that in his own life, he engaged in what was foolish. 10:32 But he says, “All that men would praise the Lord, for his goodness 10:39 and his wonderful works to the children of men.” 10:42 He says, “Let me tell you how good God has been.” So he begins there in verse 15. 10:47 Then he goes to verse 16 and it says, “He had broken the gates of brass 10:52 and he had cut the bars of iron in Sunder.” 10:55 Now, what he's really saying is, I've gotten myself in trouble over my life, 10:59 but God broke the chains. 11:02 God delivered me out of my trouble out of the mess that I caused in my own life. 11:06 But then he continues in verse number 17, he says, 11:09 “The fools because of their transgressions and because of their iniquities, 11:14 the fools are afflicted.” In other words, I hurt myself because I did some foolish stuff. 11:20 I was so caught up in foolish stuff that my soul went after any and everything. 11:25 When I was going after any and everything I ended up coming very close to the gates of death. 11:30 Anybody ever been close to death? Anybody been close to death in 2019? 11:35 But look at what the Word of God says in verse 19. 11:39 David says, “I cried until the Lord in my trouble 11:43 because that's when I really cry when I'm in trouble. God saved me out of my distress.” 11:51 David said, “God sent His Word to heal me and deliver me from my destruction.” 12:00 Now that's shouting news. Shouting news because wherever your transgressions lead you, 12:07 God didn't let them kill you. God didn't let them mess with your family. 12:13 God didn't let him mess with your finances, mess with your destiny. 12:17 Isn't it good to know that there is no depth that you can go to 12:21 that God can't save you out of? 12:25 There's no situation that you can get yourself into that God cannot hear you 12:28 that when you call them the Lord in trouble, God will save you out of trouble. 12:31 That's why I don't know how some people can come to church 52 weeks 12:36 and sit up in here like they all that 12:38 and then some in the bag of chips when you know what you used to be. 12:43 God still thank you, Jesus, answered your prayer. 12:48 God didn't let, what should have taken you out, take you out. 12:55 God did not let what should have killed you, kill you. I don't know who I'm talking to today. 13:01 But under the authority of the Holy Ghost, when you look back over your life, not just 2019, 13:09 but when you look back over your entire life at the stuff you used to do, 13:14 and you're just mad at yourself now because you do it, did it, 13:17 and the truth is your past can wound you. 13:22 But the good news is in verse 20. David says, “Even though my past left me in bad shape, 13:29 God sent His word to heal me.” I love to sing. I love to hear testimonies. 13:41 I love to have prayer in church. I love to shake hands in church 13:47 but I also need the Word of God. 13:51 I'm trying to help somebody understand that David says 13:55 that even though your past messed you up, even though 2019 may have messed you up, 14:02 God has sent His word to heal you. 14:06 Even though you felt like one day this year you don't have anything to live for. 14:11 Even though you felt like you didn't have anything to offer God, 14:13 God reminded you by sending your word when you need to heal your mind, heal your soul, 14:19 heal your body. God has a way of giving you a word just when you need it. 14:25 Do I have a witness in this place? 14:28 Has anybody ever gone to their bible to open up to read the Word of God 14:31 and you will open up at a certain chapter and a certain verse 14:34 and God will give you just what you need, just when you need to have a witness in this place? 14:40 Just when you thought you had messed up and lost all second chance, God gave somebody a word. 14:47 He took you to Luke chapter 15. You read about a prodigal son, who had messed up 14:54 but God showed you a father in the distance and said bring my best robe. 15:00 Kill the fatted calf, my son was lost 15:04 and is now found when the spirit of guilt comes upon you. God will give you a word. 15:11 He will show you in Romans chapter 8 that there is there, for now, 15:14 no condemnation to those who are in Christ who walk not after the flesh, 15:18 but now after the spirit. God will take it to second Corinthians 5:17, 15:23 “If any man be in Christ, he's a new creature, old things are passed away. 15:27 Old things become due.” God will take you to First Corinthians 10:13, 15:31 “No temptation taking you but such as is common to man 15:35 but God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted about that you're able. 15:39 But well with the temptation make a way of escape, that he may be able to bear it.” 15:46 God will take you to first John 1:9, 15:50 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins 15:54 and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” God will take you to John 3:16, 15:58 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son 16:02 that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” 16:05 Somebody knows God will give you a word to heal you because God will look beyond your faults 16:11 and He will see and supply your needs.[Congregation: Amen] 16:17 Somebody ought to praise Him today.[Congregation: Amen] 16:20 Because in spite of all that you were caught up and God didn't let it take you out. 16:25 Somebody knows that if God had not been patient with you, 16:29 you wouldn't be here today look at all sanctimonious. Looking all good. 16:34 Somebody knows if it had not been the grace of God, you would not be here today. 16:39 I'm almost done. Somebody had to overcome an addiction but you here. 16:45 Somebody had overcome depression but you're here. 16:49 Somebody had to overcome abuse and misuse but you're here. 16:53 Somebody in 2019 you had to overcome the loss of a loved one, 16:56 but you're here and until you lose somebody close to you, 17:00 you really don't understand what people go through. 17:03 Somebody had to overcome a bad relationship but you're here. 17:09 I know you act like it's not you. 17:13 But all I need are two or three witnesses.[Congregation: Amen] 17:20 That know that God kept you. That's why when you praise God, 17:27 you don't have time to be cute. You don't have time to worry about how your hair looks. 17:33 You don't have time to worry about how your shoes look. You just don't give God some glory. 17:39 You can say to yourself, 17:40 I can't believe that God loves me like he does.[Congregation: applause] 17:53 There's nothing you can do that to stop God from loving you. 17:59 The text says, “God protected me from my transgressions.” 18:05 Verse 17, “God protected me from my iniquities.” Verse 17, “God protected me from me.” 18:17 Verse 17, “I cried to the Lord and He saved me.” 18:24 Verse 19, “He sent his word and He delivered me.” 18:32 Verse 20, “That's why I praise Him like I do, oh that man would praise the Lord.” 18:40 Verse 21, that's a word for somebody. We remind of where the Lord found us 18:50 and how he delivered us from our terrible condition. 18:54 Because he has moved in power on our behalf, we are challenged to praise Him 19:02 because the same God who delivered us in the past 19:06 is the same God who would deliver us in the presence. 19:09 The same God who brought us through 2019 is the same God that will be with us today. 19:13 I want someone to know today that 2019 may have been rough, 19:20 but God protected you from your transgressions. He protected you from your iniquities. 19:27 You cry on to him, somebody in the midnight hour, you cry out to Him and He saved you. 19:34 Then he said his words and He delivered to me because now of your experiences, 19:41 because of your challenges, because of your transgressions, 19:45 you are now better for it than you were before.[Congregation: applause] 19:50 So now, your ending is going to be better than your beginning. 19:58 Ecclesiastes, 7:8 says, “Better is the end of a thing than the beginning there off.” 20:07 Psalm 30 verse 5 says, “Weeping may endure for nights but joy comes in the morning time.” 20:14 But after the sun, the rain, after the rain the sun will shine again 20:19 that understanding behind every dark cloud there's a silver lining, 20:23 that your ladder will be greater than your past, 20:26 that your ending is going to be better than your beginning. 20:29 Let me remind you, this world is not our final home. 20:35 Everything on this Earth has been corrupted by sin. 20:40 But one day, God's going to redeem his creation and He's going to redeem us. 20:50 Paradise that was lost will be regained. 20:55 John says, “It's going to be a new heaven and a new Earth.” 21:01 God is going to wipe away all tears from our eyes. 21:07 He said there's going to be no more death, no more dying, no more crying, no more sickness, 21:12 no more pain, no more wheelchairs, no more walking canes, no more cancer, no more arthritis, 21:18 no more high blood pressure, no more pills, no more. 21:21 God says, “I'm going to make all things new.” 21:26 That the end is going to be better than the beginning. 21:33 I don't know about you all. But I'm looking forward to my new home, 21:39 because the end is going to be better than the beginning. I'm looking forward to that city, 21:48 the New Jerusalem, the holy city. 12 gates to the city. Three gates to the north, 21:58 three gates to the south, three gates to east, three gates to the west. 22:02 The walls are made of Jasper, the streets are made of purest gold. 22:08 We will sail on a sea of glass. With the lion is going to play with the lamb. 22:14 I'm looking forward to that city. 22:17 Because my ending, it's going to be better than my beginning. 22:23 I can shout now, because I've been through it in 2019. 22:30 But I'm encouraged that God's got a better ending for me. 22:36 Somebody, you've been through it, but God's got a better ending for you. 22:46 Let's close with a lesson from God's creation of how a butterfly transforms. 22:57 A man watched a wiggling cocoon. 23:02 After about an hour, there was a split on the bottom of the cocoon. 23:13 After about another hour, the butterfly's abdomen was now half free. 23:23 After another hour, the butterfly was still only have free. So the man got some scissors. 23:35 He cuts that cocoon to free, what he thought, would be the butterfly free from torture. 23:47 But the butterfly never took flight and the butterfly died a few hours, few days later. 23:58 What's the lesson Pastor Byrd? 24:02 Butterflies, I said Pastor Lynch, need the struggle to stimulate their wings 24:13 and make them strong, you all don't hear what I'm saying. 24:17 In order to fly, butterflies, you all hear what I'm saying, they have to struggle a bit. 24:27 In order for us to fly, God has to allow us to struggle a little bit. 24:36 In order for this bird to fly, God has said allow me to struggle a bit. 24:44 In order for you to fly, God has to let you struggle a little bit. 24:50 Praise God, that in 2019 some of us had to struggle a bit because we have to fly, 25:02 but our end is going to be better than our beginning. 25:09 Consider it all God when you encounter various trials and tribulations 25:16 that testing of your fate produces endurance. 25:22 Today, let me be clear. [Congregation: Amen] 25:28 I need you to understand the converse, yes, your beginning doesn't have to be your ending. 25:39 But in order for your ending to be better than your beginning, you got to love Jesus, 25:49 you got to obey Jesus, you got to follow Jesus, 25:54 you got to accept Him as your personal savior. You can't just say up here, 25:57 “Oh, praise God. Praise the Lord. I struggled, for now, I can fly.” You can't just say, 26:02 “Oh well, my ending is going to be better than my beginning.” No, there's a condition. 26:10 You got to choose Jesus and you got to mean it. You got to follow the Lord and mean it's. 26:22 Condition, if you love me then keep my commandments, my transgressions, my iniquities. 26:38 They had me down. But I cried unto the Lord. He heard me. Then He gave a word that healed me. 26:52 Now, I'm better for it. So, now at the end of 2019, 26:59 I can shout and say oh, that men would praise the Lord for His goodness. 27:08 Now, when I was going through it, it wouldn't good. But I'm better for it. 27:15 Oh, that men, that praise the Lord for his goodness, 27:19 for his wonderful works to the children of men. Let's stand, it's time to go home. 27:27 Everybody stands on your feet. It's God's time now. 27:31 Thank you very much for tuning in to this week's Breath of Life broadcast. 27:35 We hope and pray that you've been blessed by Dr. Byrd's inspirational message. 27:40 If you would like to hear this sermon in its entirety, 27:42 please feel free to visit us at www.breathoflife.tv. 27:48 Or, call us at (256) 929-6460. 27:55 [End] |
Revised 2020-01-05