Sermon #S005 -
Know Your Worth (Part 2)
00:00:08.40\00:00:19.78
Pastor Snell: Hello everyone,
I'm Pastor Debleaire Snell.
Excited to bring the gospel of
00:00:19.81\00:00:26.09
Jesus Christ right there to your
living room. last week we gave
you the fisrt installmentof a
00:00:26.12\00:00:32.13
message entitled :"Know Your
Worth". It' Blessed my soul and
I'm praying it blessed yours as
00:00:32.16\00:00:38.73
well. This week installment #2
of the message entitled "Know
Your Worth". Get settled, get
00:00:38.77\00:00:44.84
comfortable, get ready for God's
word! Pastor Snell: The third
thing this story teaches us,
00:00:44.87\00:00:47.68
friends of mine, is that good
shepherds do not get offended by
your spots. A good shepherd
00:00:47.71\00:01:01.59
doesn't assess less
value because you have got some
00:01:01.62\00:01:05.73
blemishes. You realize in this
story Jacob is a type or symbol
00:01:05.76\00:01:13.54
of Jesus and that the flock
becomes a type or symbol of the
00:01:13.57\00:01:18.51
church. They are looking at this
and saying, "Pastor, I do not
see Jesus or the church anywhere
00:01:18.54\00:01:23.88
in this." Understand that the
white sheep or the ones with no
spots in a culture where the
00:01:23.91\00:01:32.72
sacrifice could not have any
blemishes, these were the sheep
of a premium. In other words,
00:01:32.75\00:01:39.89
these speckled, freckled, and
spotted sheep had a whole lot
00:01:39.93\00:01:44.47
less value, which is why Laban
was so quick to agree to the
00:01:44.50\00:01:50.17
covenants. Because he knows that
these spotted sheep are worth
00:01:50.21\00:01:54.01
nothing, these spotted sheep
are not going to earn any money.
00:01:54.04\00:01:57.05
No one is going to pay for these
sheep that have blemishes,
spots, and freckles,
00:01:57.08\00:02:02.62
but understand that Jacob, who
is a forerunner of Jesus Christ,
00:02:02.65\00:02:07.69
literally says, "I will take the
sheep that nobody else wants."
00:02:07.72\00:02:16.23
He says, "Give me the ones with
the spots. Give me the ones with
00:02:16.26\00:02:22.30
the stains. Give me the ones
with the streaks." They might
not fit your herd or your pen,
00:02:22.34\00:02:28.68
but I have room for them in my
pen." Jacob foreshadows that
Jesus who says, "All that come
00:02:28.71\00:02:38.25
unto me, I will, in no wise,
cast them out." How many of us
know that we, like sheep, have
00:02:38.29\00:02:44.86
gone astray? We have turned each
one to his way, and the Lord has
laid on him the iniquity of us
00:02:44.89\00:02:52.93
all. In other words, we serve
the Good Shepherd that looks
beyond our faults,and he sees
00:02:52.97\00:03:00.64
our needs and allows us to
receive adoption. Whereby, we
cry, Abba Father. So, the sheep
00:03:00.68\00:03:11.65
that did not qualify, the
ones that had freckles, streaks,
00:03:11.69\00:03:25.03
spots, blemishes. It is funny
because the ones that had
freckles and spots were like
00:03:25.07\00:03:32.64
these tiny little spots. There
would be on the face or the body
00:03:32.67\00:03:35.21
of the sheep. But then those
that had spots would have large
spots that would cover maybe a
00:03:35.24\00:03:43.79
quarter or a third of the
sheep's body. So you had some
with tiny spots, and you had
00:03:43.82\00:03:53.16
some with big spots. But did you
notice whether your spots were
small or whether they were big,
00:03:53.19\00:04:00.14
you are all put in the
same sheep pen? In other words,
00:04:00.17\00:04:07.21
the ones with smaller spots we
are not deemed more worthy than
the ones with big spots.
00:04:07.24\00:04:14.28
If you had spots, you
were still deemed unworthy and
00:04:14.32\00:04:22.06
unprofitable. Now, the reason I
am saying this is that sometimes
00:04:22.09\00:04:26.16
in the church, we think our tiny
Adventist spots make us worth
more than those who have bigger
00:04:26.19\00:04:37.91
spots. How many of us know that
there are no levels of sin.
There is no level of salvation.
00:04:37.94\00:04:43.75
If you have got any spots
anywhere in your life, it means
00:04:43.78\00:04:49.52
you are unworthy.
You are not deserving.
00:04:49.55\00:04:51.62
Even your little vegetarian
spots put you in the same state
as those that have been in the
00:04:51.65\00:05:03.00
world their whole life. Are you
all hearing what I am saying?
So, stop trying to create a tear
00:05:03.03\00:05:13.24
of iniquity. How many of us know
that we are all sinners saved by
God's amazing grace?
00:05:13.27\00:05:20.25
Hallelujah. "Pastor Steve, what
did we do?" We want to create a
00:05:20.28\00:05:30.83
tier of sin. So, the street
woman uses her mouth for her
profession, but you use your
00:05:30.86\00:05:40.54
mouth for gossip. The brother
out there robs the liquor store,
but you come to church and rob
00:05:40.57\00:05:47.48
God. Yes, stay with me. Yes, he
committed adultery on his wife,
but you cheat on God with
00:05:47.51\00:05:59.49
Instagram and Facebook. She got
a nose ring and an earring, but
you got a big old shiny brooch
00:05:59.52\00:06:05.63
on your jacket. Come on. They
put it in their ears. You put
yours on your clothes. Am I
00:06:05.66\00:06:13.57
telling the truth? I dare to
somebody today. No believer in
the church, if you look around
00:06:13.60\00:06:19.67
and it looks like there is
nobody who got spots but you, I
need you to know we all got
00:06:19.71\00:06:25.25
spots. I am just better at
hiding them than everybody else.
00:06:25.28\00:06:33.79
The larger point I want to make
is that we have got to get to a
place where we embrace everybody
00:06:33.82\00:06:40.76
that comes through the doors no
matter what type of spots they
have on their life.
00:06:40.80\00:06:46.23
The Bible says, "My house shall
be called a house of prayer for
00:06:46.27\00:06:52.74
all people. We only rejoice over
transfer growth. When a
persuaded person comes from one
00:06:52.77\00:07:06.62
church to another church, that
is not what makes Jesus rejoice.
The Bible says there is joy in
00:07:06.65\00:07:16.63
heaven whenever a sinner
repents. What makes heaven
rejoice is when the Father
00:07:16.67\00:07:24.14
leaves the 99 and finds one of
the sheep that strayed. We have
got to create a church culture
00:07:24.17\00:07:30.28
that is going welcome all
people, that is going to receive
all people, that is going to
00:07:30.31\00:07:34.45
love all people. How many of us
know you do not have to have a
degree to be a member of this
00:07:34.48\00:07:38.99
church? You do not have to have
a doctorate to have a place in
the household of God.
00:07:39.02\00:07:43.12
How many of us know that your
degrees do not make you
anything? It is your anointing.
00:07:43.16\00:07:48.13
It is your calling. It is the
fact that you are a child of the
highest God that brings you
00:07:48.16\00:07:58.21
value. Are you
hearing me today, saints?
00:07:58.24\00:07:59.87
The last thing I am going to say
00:07:59.91\00:08:02.31
before I take my seat is that
sometimes what you study
determines what you are going to
00:08:02.34\00:08:13.19
produce. It is a little quiet in
here. We used to teach principle
in church that we do not talk
00:08:13.22\00:08:23.50
about anymore. We used to teach
that by beholding, you become
00:08:23.53\00:08:31.71
changed. Nothing illustrates
this more than Jacob's actions
after he strikes a deal with
00:08:31.74\00:08:39.98
Laban. They come to an
agreement. He says, "Okay.
Listen, Laban. I will take all
00:08:40.02\00:08:47.89
the spotted and freckled sheep.
You keep all these sheep without
blemishes or spots. You keep all
00:08:47.92\00:08:53.40
the white ones." And they
literally put a three-day
journey between both flocks to
00:08:53.43\00:08:59.00
create a lot of distance between
Laban's perfect flock and
Jacob's spotted flock.
00:08:59.03\00:09:05.47
The reason that they do not want
them to be together is they do
not want them to begin mating
00:09:05.51\00:09:13.05
with each other. The belief is
that if spotted sheep mated with
perfect sheep, it would
00:09:13.08\00:09:22.86
reproduce more blemishes. So,
Jacob agrees and says, "Okay,
let us put three days journey
00:09:22.89\00:09:31.40
between my flock and yours."
Now. I need you to understand
that Jacob, under the direction
00:09:31.43\00:09:36.91
of God, does not just
create a scientific experiment.
00:09:36.94\00:09:40.21
The hand of the Lord produces
something that biology itself is
00:09:40.24\00:09:46.11
not able to yield. So Jacob does
something crazy. He is got a
bunch of sheep that are white,
00:09:46.15\00:09:53.29
without blemish. They have no
spots or streaks. But notice
what Jacob does. He takes the
00:09:53.32\00:09:59.39
green poplar tree, which is not
necessarily green in color. I am
talking about its moisture and
00:09:59.43\00:10:04.03
its newness. What he does is
strip it so that the inside of
the tree is exposed. He takes
00:10:04.07\00:10:11.34
the almond tree or the Hazel
tree, and he begins to put
strips in them, strips, spots,
00:10:11.37\00:10:19.71
and streaks in the rods of the
trees, then he puts them in the
watering bucket where the sheep
00:10:19.75\00:10:30.09
comes. So that when the sheep
come to drink, all they see are
spots, streaks, and freckles.
00:10:30.13\00:10:36.80
You all did not catch that. So
that these sheep that do not
have spots, streaks, speckles,
00:10:36.83\00:10:46.94
whenever they go to drink, all
they see is spots, streaks, and
speckles. In fact, he said it
00:10:46.98\00:10:56.75
even when they were in heat, he
put them by the watering hole so
that once they start mating,
00:10:56.79\00:11:04.89
they are looking at spots,
streaks, and speckles, so that
the perfect sheep do not produce
00:11:04.93\00:11:11.30
according to biology. They
produce according to
observation. Jacob understood in
00:11:11.33\00:11:20.08
order to dictate what they
became. He had to dictate what
00:11:20.11\00:11:24.75
they beheld. I am saying to the
body of Christ that the enemy of
the flock knows that in order to
00:11:24.78\00:11:34.22
dictate what you become, He is
got to dictate what you
consistently behold.
00:11:34.26\00:11:42.70
Some of us are in spotty
marriages because all we study
are spotty marriages.
00:11:42.73\00:11:52.31
You are not studying the woman
of Proverbs 31. You are studying
The Real Housewives of Atlanta
00:11:52.34\00:12:05.85
and wondering why your house
is falling apart. Some of us got
00:12:05.89\00:12:10.06
spotty grades because we were
hanging out with spotty friends.
Some of us got spotty language
00:12:10.09\00:12:20.44
because we are listening to
spotty music. I told you all I
was going to get quiet up in
00:12:20.47\00:12:31.61
here. The reason some of us got
spotty doctrine is that you are
listening to every conspiracy on
00:12:31.65\00:12:39.32
YouTube or Facebook, on the
internet instead of studying the
word of the living God.
00:12:39.35\00:12:47.86
It is crazy. Some of us
literally come to conclusions
about doctrine in the comment
00:12:47.93\00:12:57.37
section on Facebook. And we are
wondering why we are being led
astray. We have been called to
00:12:57.41\00:13:07.98
follow the lamb, but we function
like goats because we are not
studying Him. We spend too much
00:13:08.02\00:13:19.63
time observing them. What I am
saying to the Church of the
Living God is we have got to get
00:13:19.66\00:13:25.03
to a place. Come on. I am
closing. We begin to make Christ
our obsession where we make his
00:13:25.07\00:13:34.91
character the steadfast study of
our lives. We are studying and
00:13:34.94\00:13:38.15
beholding Jesus, our primary
motif each and every day when we
get to a place where we spend
00:13:38.18\00:13:48.12
less time imitating the culture,
studying the culture, keeping up
with the Kardashians, following
00:13:48.16\00:13:54.40
the trends of the world. And we
have got to get back to a place
where we learn how to look unto
00:13:54.46\00:14:02.40
Jesus, who is the Author
and the Finisher of our faith.
00:14:02.44\00:14:04.94
What I am saying to somebody
today is we found ourselves in
some spotty situations.
00:14:04.97\00:14:11.25
We find ourselves in some spotty
predicaments. And a lot of
times, what we are producing in
00:14:11.28\00:14:19.39
character, producing in
behavior, producing in function,
is simply a reflection of what
00:14:19.42\00:14:26.80
we are observing each and every
day. We got to get back to a
place where you are keeping your
00:14:26.83\00:14:36.40
eyes on Jesus. I just want to
say to the spotted flock today.
The good news is that we serve a
00:14:36.44\00:14:44.55
Good Shepherd. We serve a Good
Shepherd who is not offended by
00:14:44.58\00:14:48.65
your blemishes. We serve a Good
Shepherd that does not devalue
you because you have got some
00:14:48.68\00:14:54.72
stains on your record. We serve
the Good Shepherd who says, come
now and let us reason together,
00:14:54.76\00:15:01.40
though your sins be a scarlet, I
will make them white like snow.
Though they are red like
00:15:01.43\00:15:05.17
crimson, I will make
them white like wool,
00:15:05.20\00:15:07.74
and I just need to know if I
have got at least four or five
people that are willing to say,
00:15:07.77\00:15:12.64
Lord, I Thank you. That even
though I have got some spots,
even though I have got some
00:15:12.67\00:15:17.65
blemishes, even though I have
fallen short of your glory, I am
thankful Lord that we are sin
00:15:17.68\00:15:24.19
abounds. Grace does much more
abound. So, right now, praise
Him as we are going to sing a
00:15:24.22\00:15:32.43
minister to the spotted,
minister to those with streaks,
minister to those with some
00:15:32.46\00:15:39.20
flaws online, to those in the
house. Then we are going to come
back, and I am going to invite
00:15:39.23\00:15:55.45
you to decide for our Lord and
Savior, Jesus Christ. Singer: We
fall down, but we get up. We
00:15:55.48\00:16:07.96
fall down, but we get up. We
fall down, but we get up, for a
saint is just a sinner who fell
00:16:07.96\00:16:30.99
down and got up. We fall down,
but we get up. We fall down, but
we get up. We fall down, but we
00:16:31.02\00:16:48.07
get up, for a saint is just a
sinner who fell down and got up.
We fall down, but we get up. We
00:16:48.10\00:17:14.00
fall down, but we get up. We
fall down, but we get up, for a
saint is just a sinner who fell
00:17:14.03\00:17:38.85
down and got up. We fall down,
but we get up. We fall down, but
we get up. We fall down,
00:17:38.89\00:17:52.73
but we get up, for a saint is
just a sinner who fell down and
00:17:52.77\00:18:53.33
got up. Singer: Just back
up. But you will get it back up.
00:18:53.36\00:19:51.85
Snell: Right now, you stand it
to your feet as we prepare to
close today's service.
00:19:51.89\00:19:57.36
I want to make a very direct
appeal today. I want to talk to
00:19:57.39\00:20:06.30
that person, those persons
who feel like your spots, your
00:20:06.33\00:20:19.18
blemishes, the stains on your
record have somehow disqualified
you for fellowship with the
00:20:19.21\00:20:27.22
Savior. But I need somebody
to know that no matter what you
00:20:27.26\00:20:32.13
have beheld then, no matter what
it has caused you to produce,
your streaks do not offend Him
00:20:32.16\00:20:39.93
because you serve the Lamb of
God that had no blemish in Him.
He is able to remove every
00:20:39.97\00:20:47.54
streak, every stain, everything
that offends from your life so
that, as believers,
00:20:47.58\00:20:52.45
we are able to stand before
Christ as if we have never ever
00:20:52.48\00:21:01.22
sinned. So, if there is somebody
today that has been overwhelmed
00:21:01.26\00:21:05.83
with guilt, if there is somebody
today who consistently beats
00:21:05.86\00:21:09.96
themself up because you got
spots or because you thought you
would be further along by now,
00:21:10.00\00:21:12.97
or because you have not yet been
able to overcome, I need you to
understand, friends of mine,
00:21:13.00\00:21:17.97
that our God is able
to keep you from falling.
00:21:18.01\00:21:21.18
I need you to know that He is
also able to present you
faultless before the throne with
00:21:21.21\00:21:29.85
exceeding joy even before you
are faultless. You are presented
00:21:29.88\00:21:36.46
faultless. Salvation is not your
work for God. Salvation is God's
work for you. It is work done on
00:21:36.49\00:21:46.80
your behalf. I need you to know
that salvation is always put in
the context of a gift. It is not
00:21:46.84\00:21:52.51
warranted. It is not deserved,
and it is not earned. It is
simply accepted by faith.
00:21:52.54\00:21:57.15
So if there is somebody in the
building, in the balcony, God is
saying, "I am not offended by
00:21:57.18\00:22:03.69
your spots. But what I am going
to do is I want to trade you. If
you enter and follow me, give me
00:22:03.72\00:22:19.00
your spots, and I will give you
my profession. Let us make an
00:22:19.03\00:22:25.04
exchange. I will take your
wretchedness in exchange for my
00:22:25.07\00:22:29.51
righteousness." He is not
waiting for you to get to a
certain level. He says, "You can
00:22:29.54\00:22:35.65
be a part of the bargain right
now. Let us make a deal." But
you have just gotta be willing
00:22:35.68\00:22:43.69
to acknowledge, I cannot save
myself, cannot improve myself,
cannot better myself. I am
00:22:43.73\00:22:49.76
simply going to take Christ at
his word. So today, if you hear
Jesus says, let us make a deal
00:22:49.80\00:22:56.20
to remission all of your sins.
You want to go all the way in a
committed relationship with him.
00:22:56.24\00:23:02.14
You want to begin serving Jesus
Christ, and you signify. You
enter into the body of Christ
00:23:02.18\00:23:07.68
through baptism. And through
baptism, all of your iniquities
are washed away. And the
00:23:07.72\00:23:14.39
exchange takes place where He
gives you His righteousness, and
He takes away every spot, every
00:23:14.42\00:23:18.93
streak, every freckle. So today,
you want to make it up in your
mind to say, I want to be a part
00:23:18.96\00:23:22.26
of the family of God. I want to
be a part of the body of Christ.
If that is your desire today,
00:23:22.30\00:23:26.30
I invite you to come on down to
the front. Come and give me your
00:23:26.33\00:23:29.54
hand and give Jesus
Christ your heart today.
00:23:29.57\00:23:31.67
I need you to know serving God
is the best decision you will
ever make. God bless you today,
00:23:31.71\00:23:35.51
my sisters. Praise God.
00:23:35.54\00:23:37.21
Is there somebody else today who
wants to decide to start
following after Jesus Christ?
00:23:37.25\00:23:44.45
If you are on the balcony, you
can come. If you are on the
floor, you can come.
00:23:44.49\00:23:47.66
If you are in your mother's
room, you can come. I need you
to know that today,
00:23:47.69\00:23:51.39
Jesus wants you to enter into a
relationship, not just a
religion, but the invitation is
00:23:51.43\00:23:58.93
yours today. So whether you are
a little child, maybe you are a
teenager, perhaps you are a
00:23:58.97\00:24:03.44
young adult, perhaps you are
somebody that has been around
00:24:03.47\00:24:06.54
religious things, but it is
just never taken root like every
00:24:06.57\00:24:09.88
promising. All the things you
hear preached have never become
your lived reality because you
00:24:09.91\00:24:16.99
never fully surrendered. How
many of us want to be in the
center of His will today? Do you
00:24:17.02\00:24:20.52
want to function in excellence?
Do you want your excellence to
be a witness today?
00:24:20.56\00:24:22.89
Right now, we are praying.
And even as I am praying,
00:24:22.92\00:24:25.53
you can come on down to the
front to make your decision
known to follow after Jesus
00:24:25.56\00:24:30.10
Christ and become a disciple of
the Lord and Savior. Father, in
the name of Jesus Christ,
00:24:30.13\00:24:35.70
we come before you boldly
because that is the way you
00:24:35.74\00:24:38.21
invite us to come, Lord. We
offer up this prayer, knowing
that there is nothing too hard
00:24:38.24\00:24:43.11
for you. I want to first pray
for these sons and daughters
that have come down to say. I
00:24:43.14\00:24:48.28
want to be baptized. I want to
join the Church of the Living
God. My prayer for them right
00:24:48.32\00:24:54.92
now is that they would
experience, they would be
immersed, they would just be
00:24:54.96\00:25:03.53
overwhelmed by your amazing
Amazing Grace. I pray that any
sense of condemnation would lose
00:25:03.57\00:25:09.64
its hold and that they would
experience a newness of life
that commences right now.
00:25:09.67\00:25:18.75
Father, we pray
that as a community,
00:25:18.78\00:25:21.95
we are praying that the Covenant
of Abraham would be upon the
Seventh-day Adventist Church,
00:25:21.98\00:25:27.26
not just so that we
could stand and be distinct.
00:25:27.29\00:25:30.29
We are praying that the blessing
of the Lord upon this church
would overflow into offices,
00:25:30.33\00:25:35.66
classrooms, and hospital rooms,
that the excellence would be a
witness to those who do not
00:25:35.70\00:25:43.30
believe. Father, I am praying
that you will begin
transitioning some people who
00:25:43.34\00:25:49.51
know their worth, that someone
would transition out of
unhealthy relationships,
00:25:49.54\00:25:53.01
that somewhat transition
from just being an employee,
00:25:53.05\00:25:55.92
that they would transition from
just using their gifts to better
00:25:55.95\00:26:00.22
somebody else. But may they be
able to create some streams by
which they better their own
00:26:00.26\00:26:07.10
homes. Lord, we do not want to
be selfish. We want to be good
00:26:07.13\00:26:11.07
stewards. And as you increase
us, we do not see money as the
00:26:11.10\00:26:15.80
end, but we recognize that it is
a vehicle that we are to put in
service to grow your kingdom.
00:26:15.84\00:26:24.65
So, Lord, bless your people.
Lord, would you bless your
people? Would you make us the
00:26:24.68\00:26:36.69
head and not the tail? Would you
make us above and not beneath?
May we be lenders and not
00:26:36.73\00:26:42.76
borrowers. May we not have to go
hand to hand and chase after
this but may the blessings of
00:26:42.80\00:26:50.21
the Lord come upon us and
overtake us as we obey your
command and follow all the
00:26:50.24\00:26:57.45
statutes that you have given us
to do. So, Lord, would you bless
those in the building?
00:26:57.48\00:27:00.05
Would you pronounce supernatural
blessings to those who watch
00:27:00.08\00:27:05.02
online? May you give us a
supernatural favor that allows
there to be a witness that
00:27:05.05\00:27:14.96
creates an opportunity for us to
tell your story, to tell the
story of Jesus Christ. Would you
00:27:15.00\00:27:20.54
bless and keep us? Anoint us as
only you can. We pray this in
the name of Jesus. Let the
00:27:20.57\00:27:28.78
blessed people of God say, Amen.
Let the people of God put their
hands together and praise for
00:27:28.81\00:27:33.38
the great God who does all
things. Well. For those of you
who came down, would you follow
00:27:33.42\00:27:37.95
Sister Mortan? She is going to
pray with you and give you some
direction in the next steps of
00:27:37.99\00:27:41.59
discipleship. Let us put our
hands together for those who
responded to the appeal today.
00:27:41.62\00:27:45.13
You may be seated in
the house of the Lord.
00:27:45.16\00:27:48.66
(Breath of Life Theme Music)
00:27:48.70\00:28:13.49
(MUSIC)
00:28:13.52\00:28:15.59
Pastor Snell: Hi, I'm Debleaire
Snell. Have you ever been in a
place where as soon as you
00:28:15.62\00:28:19.36
started believing big, praying
big and thinking big someone
told you that you need to be
00:28:19.39\00:28:26.57
more realistic? It was
unrealistic for Jesus to say
00:28:26.60\00:28:29.07
I'm going to lay down my life
and in three days I'm going to
pick it back up again.
00:28:29.10\00:28:33.58
I want to encouarge you to put
down your commonly held beliefs
00:28:33.61\00:28:37.41
and it's time for
us to "Get Unrealistic"
00:28:37.45\00:28:43.82
[END]
00:28:43.85\00:28:58.83