Sermon #S008 - Faith
Isn't Invisible (Part 2)
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Welcome to the Breath of Life
Television Ministries broadcast!
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In the previous episode, we
learned that having unrealistic
faith requires complete trust in
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God. We will continue learning
about what that looks like
through Part Two of the message
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entitled: “Faith Isn't
Invisible” by Pastor Debleaire
Snell. Let's go to the Word of
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God. Pastor Snell: I need
somebody to get that there is a
devastating consequence to
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presumption. When God allows
presumptive behaviors to fail,
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the purpose of the failure is
actually designed to teach you
to not move ahead of His Word.
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Are you all still with me?
Sometimes, our takeaway is not
that we shouldn't move ahead of
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his Word. What happens is the
consequences of presumption
create some deficits,
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but the problem is we try to
withdraw from our faith account
to cover the deficits that
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presumption creates. In other
Words, I suffer some wounds
because of presumption, but I
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try to borrow from my faith in
order to heal it. The issue is
we lose so much in presumption,
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that now, we ain't got no
courage when it's time to walk
in faith. The crazy thing about
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it, friends of mine, is that
instead of distrusting
ourselves, when it's time to
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operate in faith, we then began
begin to distrust God. Because
most of us don't have the
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humility to say, "Lord, you
didn't tell me to do that. We
don't have the humility to say,
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"This was my idea, not Yours."
We don't have the humility to
say, "I moved ahead of you."
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What we try to do is
spiritualize and rationalize our
failures. What we do is we drag
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God down with us when the truth
is that it was us that moved
ahead of the hand of God. Are
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you all with me today, saints?
This is the crazy thing about
it, church. You all going to get
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quiet. It's okay. I'm going to
stand in hear this today. Ain't
that amazing how our fallen
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nature gives us courage for
everything, but faith? You all
are going to get mad when I say
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this. Ain't that amazing how
your flesh will give you courage
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to try weed. Oh, you
all are going to get quiet.
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Ain't that amazing how your
flesh will give you the courage
to sit in front of a stranger
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with a needle and tattoo your
body up from head to toe? Come
on. It takes courage.
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Come on and say, "Amen." I mean,
ain't that amazing how your
flesh will give you the courage
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to lay down with a stranger?
Your flesh will give you the
courage to fight somebody in a
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bar. Your flesh will give
you courage to get a vaping pen.
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Isn't that amazing how we have
so much courage when we're
walking with the devil,
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but we ain't got no courage
when it's time for us to start
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walking in faith. The problem is
that we use so much courage for
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the world, that we ain't got no
courage when it's time to stand
on the Word of the living God.
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Are you all hearing what I'm
saying to you all today, saints?
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The problem is we have borrowed
so much faith and emptied it
into presumption that,
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now, we ain't got no surplus
when it's time to operate
according to what God said.
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What happens is we get in a
relationship with God and what
happens is that relationship
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suffers because of what happened
in our previous relationships.
Anybody ever knew somebody
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that... Ain't it that. Anybody
ever been somebody that was in a
relationship with a lying,
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manipulating, abusive man or
woman? Ain't it crazy how you
give so much of yourself to that
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lying, cheating, abusive man or
woman, that it did affects the
next relationship you get into?
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Okay. You all go brand-new on me
today. Okay. You are like it
ain't never been you, right?
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Help me, Holy Ghost. It's crazy
because you got lied to so much
over there. They didn't keep
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their promises over there. They
abused you over there. So even
when you get a good man or a
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good woman, guess what? You're
checking their emails. You're
scrolling through their text
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messages. You're smelling their
clothes when they ain't around.
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In other Words, what happens
is because you gave so much to
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them, you distrust the
person that you're in a good
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relationship with. You all
didn't catch it. In other Words,
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you bring those deficits from
the last relationship into a
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good relationship. The problem
is when we were in relationship
with the world, the world lied
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to us. The world manipulated us.
The world abused us. Now, you
got a good man in Jesus,
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but the problem is, now, you're
questioning Him because the
devil didn't keep His Word.
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Where are you all at today,
church? Is there anybody that
knows that God is saying,
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"Don't bring my Word into
suspicion because you trusted
yourself too much in the past."
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Is there anybody that knows that
the bridegroom is going to keep
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his Word? The Word says that he
cannot lie, that he cannot
change his mind. The Word says
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he cannot fail. So don't bring
the baggage from presumption
into the relationship that's
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based on faith. Are you all
hearing the world today?Third
thing this teaches, friends of
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mine, is that real faith is not
experimental. Are you all tired?
You might as well get your
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second wind. I'm going to be
here. Come on and say, "Amen."
One of the things I like about
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Peter is that when Peter steps
out onto the water... You know
what I like about Peter? It's
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that Peter didn't reach out and
try to test the water. He didn't
try to see if the water can hold
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him. The thing I like about
Peter is that first step is a
step of conviction.
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When Peter gets out of there, he
doesn't try to test the water.
He puts all his weight on the
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water. Now, friends of mine, I
don't know if that's so much of
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credit to Peter. It may some of
it be a credit to Jesus. Why do
you say that, Pastor?
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As I look through this story for
the last two weeks, I keep
trying to figure out,
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Pastor McCoy, why Jesus
doesn't just stop the storm.
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One of the reasons I believe
that Jesus doesn't stop the
storm is because if the water
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was calm, Peter might have tried
to test the water. Remember,
Peter is not looking at calm
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water. Peter's looking at water
that looks like this. Oh, you
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all didn't get it. In other
Words, if the water was too
calm, he might have tried to
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test the water. But because the
boat is being rocked to and
front, because the water is so
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hostile, because the water is so
volatile, it essentially creates
a scenario where he can't test
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the water. In other words, it's
so volatile, that he ain't got
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no choice, but to just put all
his weight on the water and
trust what God said.
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In other words, friends of mine,
Peter is in such a situation
that he ain't got time to
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experiment. He's
got to commit to it.
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Why am I saying that?
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Because there's some there's
some language in the vernacular
of the church that's got to
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change. The problem is we've
gotten too comfortable with this
experimental religion. Even if
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it's wrong, we say it to try to
help people get across the line.
We say stuff like "Why don't you
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give God a try?" In other Words,
what we're giving them
permission to do is to test the
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water. How many of us understand
that it ain't going to never
work as long as you're trying
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God. It ain't going to work
until you commit to God. The
reason you've never moved from
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faith to miracle is because
you're testing the water.
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I need you to know this kind of
stuff doesn't happen until you
put everything you got into the
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hands of Jesus. Some of us have
the temerity to say, "I'm going
to test the water."
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The problem with testing the
water is basically saying, "God,
I don't think you're worthy,
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so I need you to audition for
me. I'm going to walk with you
as long as you're proving
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yourself. "How many of us know
that in this relationship,
there's only one that's got to
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prove themselves, and it ain't
Jehovah. Are you all hearing
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what I'm saying? The problem
with an experimental approach to
God is that you stay with it as
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long as everything goes like
your want. But God is not
looking for experimental
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believers that come up with a
hypothesis. He is looking for
some folks that have a
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commitment to Jesus who will
say, "I'm going to walk with
You, God. Come hell or high
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water. Come up, come down. Come
winter, spring, summer, or fall.
Come sunshine or rain. I'm not
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going to change my mind about
You, Jesus. The problem is we
say, "Just go ahead and try
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giving your tithes and
offering." That means you're
only going to do it as long as
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you're getting an abundant
return. How many cheerful givers
know that every and then, it's
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going to be lean in the land,
but God is still going to be
faithful? In other Words, young
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people, it's, right now, we've
told you why don't you try
abstinence. No, that's only
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going to work until you get
lonely. Am I preaching to
anybody? Or until they call at
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the right time? Are you all
hearing what I'm saying? When we
say, "Why won't you try prayer"
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No, you can't experiment. Jesus
says, "I wish that all men would
learn how to pray and not
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faint." They're going to be some
things, friends of mine, where
you've got to commit yourself to
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it until God sees you through
it. Are you all hearing what I'm
saying? This is crazy. I'm
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blessed. You all heard me kind
of share my testimony. We've
been blessed with three kids,
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but I need you to understand
that before that, we had gone to
a place where we had lost one
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child in miscarriage. We thought
to ourselves and to every life,
some rain must fall. We got our
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faith back up. And then, we
believe the game. My wife got
pregnant, and then she lost
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another child in miscarriage. I
said, "Okay, this is our test.
We're going to handle it like a
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champ." We get our faith back
up. Then we lost another child
in miscarriage. By this time, I
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need you to understand that I'm
preaching a faith that I'm not
necessarily sure that I have.
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One of the things that we
learned through this experience
is that, sometimes, if your
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prayer is based upon an
experiment, as soon as the
experiment doesn't go the way
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you want it to go, then guess
what? You give up on your
petition. I need you to know
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that we learn how to persevere
in prayer. Is there anybody in
the room that's been praying for
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the same thing for a month?
You've been praying for a couple
of months. You've been praying
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for about a year. Anybody who
have been praying for some
children for about 10 years? I
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want to encourage you today.
Don't give up on your petition
right now. I got three miracle
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babies sitting right here on the
second row of the church as a
reminder that He might not come
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when you want him,but guess
what? He'll be there right on
time. You've got to learn how to
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hold on to your petition. Fourth
thing this teaches us. I'm
almost done. Not yet, but I'm
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almost. Come on. Friends of
mine, I like this because what I
need you to get about real faith
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is real faith is sustained by
the Word. What did I say,
church? Real faith is sustained
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by the Word of God. Now, I don't
know if we really understand the
miracle that takes place on the
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lake that night. Matthew says
Jesus came walking to them on
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the water. Now, I need you to
get that this is simply an
eyewitness account.
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This is not inspired scripture.
Matthew is in the middle of a
storm. It's dark outside.
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He came to get the full picture.
He's just giving you his best
description or what he sees.
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One scholar, Malcolm, says
something that blew my mind.
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He says what Jesus does here is
simply a reset of what He did at
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creation. Remember the Bible
says, in the beginning, God
created the heavens and the
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earth and that the earth was
dark and void, and without form,
and how the spirit of God
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hovered above the water. No, you
all didn't get it. The Bible
says that the Spirit hovered
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above the water. Understand that
the spirit that hovered above
the water wasn't necessarily the
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Holy Spirit. It was Jesus
without a body. In the
beginning, Jesus hovered above
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the water. How do I know it was
Jesus? John says, "In the
beginning was the Word, and the
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Word was with God, and the Word
was God." The Word became flesh
and the Word dwelt amongst us.
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Jesus simply does, with the
body, what He did at creation
without a body. I don't believe
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that Jesus is walking on water.
I believe Jesus hovers above the
water, so that when Jesus speaks
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the Word, the Word then settle
beneath the waves. The Word
hovers above the water just like
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it did at creation. I don't even
believe Peter's feet get wet.
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What do you mean, Pastor?
Because when Jesus says "Come",
He wasn't walking on the water.
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He was walking on the Words
of Jesus Christ. It is the Word
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that sustains him. It's the Word
that holds him up. It's the Word
that gives him balance.
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It is the Word that keeps
him. Watch this, all saints,
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that the Words of Jesus become
Peter's bridge over troubled
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water. Hallelujah.
[Congregation: Clapping]
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Pastor Snell: Watch this. I
still don't think we get it
because the Word is mobile.
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Every time Peter makes a step,
he's held by the Word. But the
Word don't stay behind Peter.
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Every time his foot moves, the
Word gets in front of it, and
his foot lands on the Words.
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Every time he raises his foot,
the Word moves and it lands on
the Words. Every time he raises
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it, the Word moves
and it lands on the Words.
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Have you ever wondered why
certain folk never sink? Because
no matter where they are,
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as long as they stand on the
Word, the Word is going to hold
them up. Watch this.
00:17:36.62\00:17:47.76
It's going to get a little good.
Guess what? Jesus doesn't even
speak a whole paragraph.
00:17:47.83\00:18:06.78
He doesn't even speak a
polysyllabic word. He speaks a
single-syllable word
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and He has sustained by one word
"Come." If come is able to hold
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him in the storm, how much more
power will be there if Jesus
added a little bit more to the
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word "Come"? Did you notice,
saints, that some of the best
promises in the Word start with
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the word "Come". To all the
sinners, He says, "Come now, and
let us reason together. Though
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your sins be as scarlet, I'll
make them white like snow."
Remember, he says, "All that
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come unto me, I will in no wise
cast them out." It is why the
spirit and the bride say, "Come,
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let him that is first, come." It
is why Jesus says, "Come unto me
all ye who labor and are heavy
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laden, and I will give you
rest." It is why Acts 1:8 says,
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"You shall receive power when
the Holy Spirit shall come upon
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you." But you realize that the
best promise in the Word begins
with the word "Come" because he
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says, "Behold. I come quickly.
My reward is with Me to give to
every man according to his
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Words." He says, "I've go to go.
I will come again and receive
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you unto myself." Is there
anybody that's worn out by the
war in Ukraine? You're tired of
00:20:00.50\00:20:09.14
coronavirus. You're sick and
tired of police brutality. Can I
encourage you? Don't cast away
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your faith? Why? Because my
Jesus is going to come with
clouds. He's going to come with
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power. He's going to come with
interruption. He's going to come
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with immortality. Don't stand on
the news. Don't stand on the
stock market. Don't stand on the
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job report. Don't test the
waters. Stand on the Word, on
Christ the solid rock. I stand,I
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said,all others. I said all
others. I said all others.Ground
is taking stand. Somebody say
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yes. Say yes! On Christ the
solid rock, I stand. All other
ground is sinking sand.
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Hallelujah.
[Congregation: Clapping]
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Choir Leader: How many believe
that on Christ the solid rock we
stand. All other ground is
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sinking sand. [Band Playing]
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Hallelujah. Let's sing this
together to Him. It just says,
"My hope is built." Come on.
00:21:42.73\00:21:48.44
Sing it out. My
hope... Choir: My hope...
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Choir Leader: Is
built. Hallelujah.
00:21:51.71\00:21:52.74
Choir: ... is built...
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Choir Leader: On
nothing less. Hallelujah.
00:21:55.61\00:21:56.58
Choir: ... on nothing less.
00:21:56.61\00:22:03.42
Choir Leader: It
says, "Then, Jesus."
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Choir: Then Jesus.
00:22:04.95\00:22:11.76
Choir Leader:
And righteousness...
00:22:11.79\00:22:13.50
Choir: And righteousness.
00:22:13.53\00:22:20.77
Choir Leader: It says, "I dare."
00:22:20.80\00:22:21.57
Choir: I dare...
00:22:21.60\00:22:23.71
Choir Leader: It
says, "I dare not trust."
00:22:23.74\00:22:25.14
Choir: ... not trust.
00:22:25.17\00:22:27.78
Choir Leader:
The sweetest frame.
00:22:27.81\00:22:29.14
Choir: The sweetest
frame. But wholly...
00:22:29.18\00:22:39.99
Choir Leader: Wholly...
00:22:40.02\00:22:41.06
Choir: Wholly...
00:22:41.09\00:22:43.26
Choir Leader: On Jesus' name.
00:22:43.29\00:22:45.23
Choir: On Jesus' name.
00:22:45.26\00:22:49.83
Choir Leader: Hallelujah. Let's
pick it up right here, so "On
Christ." Sing it up.
00:22:49.86\00:22:52.43
Choir: On Christ...
00:22:52.47\00:22:56.47
Choir Leader: The solid rock...
00:22:56.50\00:22:57.47
Choir: The solid rock.
00:22:57.51\00:23:03.75
Choir Leader: The
solid rock, I stand.
00:23:03.78\00:23:06.31
Choir: I stand.
All other ground is...
00:23:06.35\00:23:18.56
Choir Leader: Is sinking sand...
00:23:18.59\00:23:20.40
Choir: ... sinking sand.
00:23:20.43\00:23:23.97
Choir Leader: On Christ...
00:23:24.00\00:23:25.13
Choir: On Christ...
00:23:25.17\00:23:28.54
Choir Leader: The solid
rock. The solid rock I stand.
00:23:28.57\00:23:33.27
Choir: The solid
rock I stand. All...
00:23:33.31\00:23:40.88
Choir Leader:
All other ground...
00:23:40.92\00:23:45.12
Choir: ... other ground is...
00:23:45.15\00:23:50.36
Choir Leader: Is sinking sand...
00:23:50.39\00:23:53.26
Choir: ... sinking sand.
00:23:53.29\00:23:55.66
Choir Leader: On Christ...
00:23:55.70\00:23:56.90
Choir: On Christ the solid rock.
00:23:56.93\00:24:07.24
Choir Leader: I stand...
00:24:07.28\00:24:08.58
Choir: I stand. On
all other ground...
00:24:08.61\00:24:19.72
Choir Leader: Sinking sand.
00:24:19.75\00:24:20.86
Choir: ... is sinking sand.
00:24:20.89\00:24:27.50
Choir Leader: On Christ.
00:24:27.50\00:24:28.83
Choir: On Christ the
solid rock I stand. All...
00:24:28.86\00:24:47.22
Choir Leader: All other ground.
00:24:47.25\00:24:48.48
Choir: ... other ground is...
00:24:48.52\00:24:53.46
Choir Leader: Is sinking sand.
00:24:53.49\00:24:56.46
Choir: ... sinking sand.
00:24:56.49\00:24:59.53
Choir Leader: On Christ.
00:24:59.56\00:25:00.63
Choir: On Christ...
00:25:00.66\00:25:04.23
Choir Leader: The solid rock.
00:25:04.27\00:25:05.40
Choir: ... the solid rock...
00:25:05.43\00:25:10.11
Choir Leader: The rock I stand.
00:25:10.14\00:25:12.47
Choir: ... I stand. All...
00:25:12.51\00:25:18.25
Choir Leader: All other ground.
00:25:18.28\00:25:20.65
Choir: ... other
ground is sinking sand.
00:25:20.68\00:25:31.79
Choir Leader: Is sinking
sand. Hallelujah. Sing it.
00:25:31.83\00:25:40.34
Choir: Is sinking sand.
00:25:40.37\00:25:47.34
[Congregation: Clapping]
00:25:47.38\00:25:48.84
(Breath of Life Music)
00:25:48.88\00:28:40.25
[End]
00:28:40.28\00:28:55.26