Sermon #S037 -
Level Up- (Part 1)
00:00:06.37\00:00:19.95
Snell: Isaiah
Chapter 40, and Verse 4.
00:00:19.98\00:00:23.45
When you get there, let me hear
you say, Amen. Isaiah Chapter
00:00:23.49\00:00:30.79
40, and Verse 4. What is being
described here is the work of
the Messiah and the influence of
00:00:30.83\00:00:37.00
the Messiah. Isaiah 14 Verse 4,
when you get there, just say
Amen. The Bible says that when
00:00:37.03\00:00:46.88
he comes every valley shall be
exalted and every mountain and
hill brought low. The crooked
00:00:46.91\00:00:54.85
places shall be made straight,
and the rough places smooth. And
the glory of the Lord shall be
00:00:54.88\00:01:03.69
revealed, and all flesh shall
see it together for the mouth of
the Lord has spoken it. I want
00:01:03.73\00:01:12.10
you to go with me over to Luke
Chapter 6. We'll look together
at Verse 12. St. Luke Chapter 6.
00:01:12.13\00:01:17.27
We're going to look together at
Verse 12. When you get there,
let me hear you say Amen. St.
00:01:17.31\00:01:32.15
Luke Chapter 6, and Verse 12.
over there in the New Testament.
When you get there say, Pastor,
00:01:32.19\00:01:42.76
I'm here. The Bible says, now it
came to pass in those days when
he, referring to Jesus, went out
00:01:42.80\00:01:53.81
to the mountain to pray. And he
continued, how long? All night
in prayer to God. And when it
00:01:53.84\00:02:05.52
was day he called his disciples
to himself. And from them, he
chose 12 whom he also named
00:02:05.55\00:02:14.20
Apostles, Simon whom he also
named Peter, Andrew his brother,
James and John, Philip and
00:02:14.20\00:02:20.84
Bartholomew, Matthew and Thomas,
James the son of Alphaeus, and
Simon called the Zealot, Judas
00:02:20.87\00:02:32.65
the son of James, and Judas
Iscariot who also became a
traitor. And he came down with
00:02:32.68\00:02:40.36
them and stood on a level place
with a crowd and all of his
disciples and a great multitude
00:02:40.39\00:02:48.73
of all people from Judea,
Jerusalem, and from the sea
coasts of Tyre and Sidon who
00:02:48.76\00:02:50.10
came to hear him and be healed
of their diseases, as well as
those who are tormented with
00:02:50.13\00:02:54.64
unclean spirits The Bible says,
and they were what?
[Congregation: Healed] And they
00:02:54.67\00:03:03.95
were healed, and the whole
multitude sought to touch him,
for power went out from him, and
00:03:03.98\00:03:10.62
he healed most of them. He
healed many of them. Bible says
he healed them all. But I just
00:03:10.65\00:03:16.62
want to read for emphasis Verse
17. The Bible says, And he came
down with them and stood on a
00:03:16.66\00:03:23.53
level place. Today, saints, I
want to talk to you for a little
while under the subject, Level
00:03:23.57\00:03:24.67
Up. Turn to your neighbor, say
level up. [Congregation: Level
up] Turn to the other neighbors
00:03:24.70\00:03:26.63
and say, level up.
[Congregation: Level up.]
00:03:26.67\00:03:28.57
Some, you're looking like you
already know what that means.
It's okay. It just means you're
00:03:28.60\00:03:31.44
saved. Come on and save it.
Let's look to the Lord together.
Father, we pray for a rare
00:03:31.47\00:03:44.72
visitation of your spirit. Lord,
don't just give anointing to
preach the word. Lord, would you
00:03:44.75\00:03:53.06
give us the anointing we need to
receive and act on the word. I'm
praying once again that in the
00:03:53.09\00:04:01.70
hearing of the word that Faith
would just be multiplied in a
supreme type of way. Hide me In
00:04:01.74\00:04:07.78
the shadows of the cross, that
Jesus alone might be seen that
Christ alone would be heard and
00:04:07.81\00:04:15.55
at the end of our time together,
may Jesus alone be praised. We
ask this in the name of Jesus,
00:04:15.58\00:04:18.09
our Lord. Let those who believe
say together, Amen.
[Congregation: Amen]
00:04:18.12\00:04:19.35
You may be seated in the house
of the Lord. You know, friends,
00:04:19.39\00:04:29.83
one of the prophesied works of
the Messiah was to bring equity
where there was inequity.
00:04:29.86\00:04:39.77
One of his jobs was to bring
justice where there was
injustice. This is what Isaiah
00:04:39.81\00:04:50.32
prophesied in Chapter 40, where
he said, every mountain shall be
brought low, and every valley
00:04:50.35\00:05:04.30
shall be filled. That the
crooked places will be made
straight, and the rough places
00:05:04.33\00:05:14.48
will be made smooth.
Essentially, that's a
theologically deep way of saying
00:05:14.51\00:05:23.62
that when the Messiah came, he
would change the moral and
social topography of the culture
00:05:23.65\00:05:32.96
to put everybody on the same
level. His influence would
change society in such a way
00:05:32.99\00:05:42.27
that no group was supposed to
have advantage or superiority
over the next. No group was to
00:05:42.30\00:05:47.04
have an economic advantage. None
was to have an academic
advantage. None was to have a
00:05:47.08\00:05:54.75
religious advantage. One of the
goals of the Messiah was to make
the ground all level. Whenever
00:05:54.78\00:06:02.89
friends you see your culture or
a belief system operating with
social caste, financial
00:06:02.92\00:06:10.17
hierarchy or uneven access it is
a culture that is operating
outside of the expressed will of
00:06:10.20\00:06:17.41
Jesus Christ. But the good news
for us today, is that, in Jesus
there is no caste system, there
00:06:17.44\00:06:23.95
is no hierarchy. Is there
anybody grateful that Jesus is
not a respecter of persons?
00:06:23.98\00:06:30.82
There are no big I's and small
U's, there is no greater than or
less than. But at the foot of
00:06:30.85\00:06:35.82
the cross, the ground is all
level. I just need somebody to
know that when it feels like
00:06:35.86\00:06:43.90
certain privileges are benefits
are outside of your reach, when
there are certain things that
00:06:43.93\00:06:50.11
have been placed outside of your
ability to receive it, I need
you to know that we serve a God
00:06:50.14\00:06:55.88
that levels the playing field so
that no blessing is outside of
the reach of those who love him.
00:06:55.91\00:07:04.32
I need you to know that even if
God has yet to level the playing
field, he'll be the ladder that
00:07:04.35\00:07:11.19
elevates you to get what you
stand in need of . You're not
with me yet. I know, there in my
00:07:11.23\00:07:12.86
house we have a pantry and you
got pantry in your house. The
pantry has several levels or
00:07:12.89\00:07:21.80
shelves. Because my kids are
different sizes and different
ages, the heavy things are on
00:07:21.84\00:07:30.58
the bottom but the snacks and
the sweets are on the top. The
issue is that the younger two
00:07:30.61\00:07:39.12
can't reach the things on the
top, and sometimes the older son
will get it and won't care
00:07:39.15\00:07:46.09
nothing about the younger two.
What we decided to do was to get
a little stepladder in the
00:07:46.13\00:07:52.03
pantry so that those who are on
the bottom can reach all the way
up to the top. What I need
00:07:52.07\00:07:54.34
somebody to know is that when
certain privileges are outside
of your reach, Jesus becomes
00:07:54.37\00:08:01.91
Jacob's ladder. He becomes your
footstool that makes you able to
reach anything that's outside of
00:08:01.94\00:08:07.62
your reach, so that you go
lacking no good thing in the
Lord. If you're with me, let me
00:08:07.65\00:08:14.79
hear you say, Amen.
[Congregation: Amen.] Go back
with me in your Bibles to Luke
00:08:14.82\00:08:19.13
Chapter 6. I'm going to read for
emphasis Verses 12 and 19. Luke
6, and Verse 12, and Verse 19.
00:08:19.16\00:08:26.47
When you get back there, let me
hear you say, Amen. The Bible
says, Now, it came to pass in
00:08:26.50\00:08:34.64
those days that he went out to
the mountain, to do what? To
pray. And he continued all night
00:08:34.68\00:08:41.55
to prayer into God. And Verse 19
says that the whole multitude
sought to touch him for power
00:08:41.58\00:08:47.22
went out from him and he healed
them all. You see friends, our
text today has great spiritual
00:08:47.26\00:08:54.73
value for the believer because
the first thing it teaches us is
that our problem is not the size
00:08:54.73\00:09:04.74
of our load. The problem is that
we don't have the capacity to be
able to bear it. Let me see it
00:09:04.77\00:09:09.74
again. Your problem is not the
size of your load, the issue is
that you don't have the capacity
00:09:09.78\00:09:20.12
to bear it. The two verses that
we read may seem detached in
terms of sequence but they are
00:09:20.16\00:09:27.03
married in terms of concept. In
fact, one verse is actually the
cause, and the other verse is
00:09:27.10\00:09:36.04
ultimately the effect. We read
in Verse 12 that Jesus spent all
night in prayer, which was the
00:09:36.07\00:09:41.54
cause, and Verse 19 says the
power went out of him and he
healed them all which was the
00:09:41.58\00:09:51.42
effect. The mistake that we make
about the ministry of Jesus is
that we assume that Christ's
00:09:51.45\00:09:59.63
power was genetic. We make the
mistake of assuming that Jesus
was just born that way. But I
00:09:59.66\00:10:09.24
need somebody to know that
Christ was as dependent upon the
power of God as you and I are
00:10:09.27\00:10:16.51
supposed to be. In other words,
he had no access to the father
that you and I don't have access
00:10:16.54\00:10:25.05
to. In other words, if Christ
does not receive it the night
before, then he does not have
00:10:25.09\00:10:34.56
the ability to give it the next
day. In other words, Christ can
only give publicly what he has
00:10:34.60\00:10:38.20
received from God privately.
Understand there is something
powerful that happens when he
00:10:38.23\00:10:48.28
spends the whole night in
prayer, as he calls on the name
of his father, his burdens are
00:10:48.31\00:10:58.22
lifted. His soul is replenished.
His spirit is restored. Divine
instructions become clearer and
00:10:58.25\00:11:04.56
he gets a fresh hold on divine
omnipotence. It's amazing
friends that Jesus spends so
00:11:04.59\00:11:10.10
much time in prayer that he
literally reaches a spiritual
saturation point. In fact, man,
00:11:10.13\00:11:19.31
Ellen White says that he was so
filled with the Holy Ghost that
his humanity could not contain
00:11:19.34\00:11:20.84
his divinity. I just need to
know, do I have at least seven
folks that want to be so filled
00:11:20.88\00:11:24.58
with the Holy Ghost, that you
just reach a spiritual
saturation point. In fact,
00:11:24.61\00:11:30.15
Malcolm, I want to be so filled
with the Holy Ghost that if a
mosquito bit my arm he be like,
00:11:30.19\00:11:39.06
"Dog, there's power in the
blood." [Congregation: chanting]
Are you hearing what I'm saying
00:11:39.09\00:11:48.57
today? I need you to get
something friends, because the
reason that the issues were
00:11:48.60\00:11:57.28
never greater than his capacity
was because he always got from
God more than what his
00:11:57.31\00:12:05.49
assignment was going to take
from him. Are y'all with me
today and see? I need somebody
00:12:05.52\00:12:15.30
to know that a powerful prayer
life, what it does is it
increases your personal
00:12:15.33\00:12:24.47
capacity. The problem is too
often, we're intimidated as soon
as we wake up. We are
00:12:24.51\00:12:32.48
overwhelmed by what might happen
in the day. We're already
stressed up about the things
00:12:32.51\00:12:41.99
that might come to pass. The
reason we're not ready for today
is because we've not replenished
00:12:42.02\00:12:51.00
what yesterday took from us.
Does anybody realize that the
interactions of each day, that
00:12:51.03\00:12:59.44
it's subtract something from
you. Each day it withdraws
something from you. In other
00:12:59.47\00:13:03.88
words, if you're a professor,
each lecture takes something
from you. If you're a doctor,
00:13:03.91\00:13:09.05
each surgery subtracts something
from you. If you're a mechanic,
each job withdrawals something
00:13:09.08\00:13:16.12
from you. If you're a counselor,
each session withdrawal
something from you. If you're a
00:13:16.16\00:13:23.93
mommy, by the time your children
call your name 500 times, you
have nothing left by the end of
00:13:23.97\00:13:31.54
the day. But again, the issue is
not that we've got too much to
do, he issue is that we don't
00:13:31.57\00:13:39.85
have the capacity to bear it.
Friends, I need you to know that
when you're in a living
00:13:39.88\00:13:47.99
connection with Christ, what he
will do is he will enlarge your
capacity with a church at today.
00:13:48.02\00:13:54.30
I need you to know friends, that
you need to be refueled in all
phases. Are y'all with me today,
00:13:54.36\00:14:00.10
Church? You need to get enough
sleep for the refueling of the
body. You need to take vacations
00:14:00.14\00:14:04.97
for the renewing of the mind,
but in order to get your soul
filled you got to call on the
00:14:05.01\00:14:10.68
name of the Lord in the secret
place. I need somebody to know
that there is no substitute for
00:14:10.71\00:14:16.38
soul hunger. Are y'all with the
Pastor today? I'll need you to
know that when your soul is
00:14:16.42\00:14:22.86
tired that there is no agency
outside of Christ that's able to
revive it. In other words, when
00:14:22.89\00:14:31.57
your soul is tired, you can take
10 naps and you'll still wake up
tired. When your soul is tired,
00:14:31.60\00:14:41.71
you can come back from vacation
and the burden is still there.
You can go to yoga and as soon
00:14:41.74\00:14:51.22
as it's done, the stress is
right back on you. You can get a
massage and as soon as it's
00:14:51.25\00:14:55.12
finished, guess what, you're
still in the same place. The
problem is we're trying to
00:14:55.16\00:14:57.66
refuel spiritually with earthly
things and there is nothing that
can bring completeness outside
00:14:57.69\00:15:05.87
of connection with Jehovah.
There is somebody hearing this
and saying, Pastor, I got so
00:15:05.90\00:15:09.84
much going on, I'm too busy to
pray, my load is too large. I
need you to know the more busy
00:15:09.87\00:15:15.51
you are the more you need to be
calling on the name of God. In
other words, the greater your
00:15:15.54\00:15:21.28
load, the more significant your
prayer life ought to be. The
problem with some of us today is
00:15:21.32\00:15:24.22
that our problems are wireless,
but our prayer life is dial-up.
[Congregation: chanting] In
00:15:24.25\00:15:30.86
other words, you've got wireless
stresses, but we've got a
dial-up prayer life. Anybody old
00:15:30.89\00:15:35.46
enough to remember dial-up
internet? It took a long time
for you to get logged-on. The
00:15:35.50\00:15:43.44
issue is that if you've got
wireless problems that travel
with you wherever you go, you
00:15:43.47\00:15:55.88
can't be tied to a landline,
you've got to have such a
connection with God. You've got
00:15:55.92\00:16:00.52
to have a Google Fiber prayer
life. Do I have a witness with
you today that you've some pipes
00:16:00.56\00:16:12.20
that go beneath the surface that
enlarge your bandwidth, so that
you're able to maintain your
00:16:12.23\00:16:18.47
hold on Jehovah. Are you with me
today, friends? The word says
here in Luke Chapter 6 and verse
00:16:18.51\00:16:26.68
17. The Bible says, And he came
down with them and stood on a
level place with a crowd of
00:16:26.72\00:16:35.76
disciples and the great
multitude of people from Judea,
Jerusalem and from the sea
00:16:35.79\00:16:43.77
coasts of Tyre and Sidon. The
second thing that our story
teaches us today is that we
00:16:43.80\00:16:48.94
serve a Christ who makes himself
accessible. Listen, the word
says friends, that he comes down
00:16:48.97\00:16:52.54
from the mountain where he was
praying and he brings his
disciples and he joins the
00:16:52.57\00:16:59.15
multitude, the scripture says,
on a level place. In other
words, he tells his disciples
00:16:59.18\00:17:05.12
we've spent enough time in the
mountaintop. But when it's time
to go to work, we've got to go
00:17:05.15\00:17:11.69
down to a level place. He said
to his disciples, you can't stay
on the mountaintop forever. At
00:17:11.73\00:17:20.10
some point we've got to go where
the people are in a level place.
Are you not with me? He's saying
00:17:20.14\00:17:26.61
we can't stay in Sabbath worship
forever. At some point you got
to go down to a level place in
00:17:26.64\00:17:33.08
order to get the work done. Are
y'all with me? I need you to
know friends of mine, I'm at a
00:17:33.11\00:17:37.22
place where men, I just don't
love the works that Jesus does.
I'm at a place where I just like
00:17:37.25\00:17:46.90
the way that Jesus moves. One of
the things that Jesus does, when
he comes down to a level place
00:17:46.93\00:17:49.33
is he is showing that there is
no elitism in Christ. In other
words, you notice that the
00:17:49.36\00:17:51.50
disciples always wanted to
sequester Jesus away. He wanted
to keep him from everybody else,
00:17:51.53\00:17:58.61
but Jesus says, we can't hang up
here together. We've got to go
down to where the people
00:17:58.64\00:18:06.41
actually are. I need you to know
that the act of going down to a
level place is significant
00:18:06.45\00:18:10.79
because if he stays in the
mountaintop, only the whole can
reach him. [Congregation:
00:18:10.82\00:18:15.72
chanting] In other words, if he
stays in the mountaintop then
broken folk can't access him. If
00:18:15.76\00:18:25.23
he stays in the mountaintop, if
you've got problems with your
leg, you can't get to him, if
00:18:25.27\00:18:35.34
you're blind, you can't get to
him in the mountaintop, if
you've got trouble breathing,
00:18:35.38\00:18:41.55
you can't get to him in the
mountaintop, if you're carrying
a crippled person you can't
00:18:41.58\00:18:48.82
reach him in the mountaintop.
But the miracle of the story is
that when crippled people
00:18:48.86\00:18:53.86
couldn't reach, guess what, my
Jesus came down to where they
were. I need you to get that
00:18:53.90\00:19:05.11
coming down to the level place,
is simply a living parable of
the Incarnation of Jesus. How
00:19:05.14\00:19:07.08
many of us know that we serve a
God that when we couldn't reach
him, guess what, he says, I'm
00:19:07.11\00:19:15.75
going to come down to the level
place where you are. He says
you're too crippled to reach me
00:19:15.78\00:19:20.19
in heaven. You're too blind to
reach me in heaven, you're too
broken to reach me in heaven.
00:19:20.22\00:19:26.66
But can anybody rejoice that
when we couldn't reach God, I'm
thankful that God came down to
00:19:26.70\00:19:34.60
meet us exactly where we were.
Are y'all hear me today,
friends? I need you to
00:19:34.64\00:19:38.74
understand that the salvation
narrative is never about a
people that reaches up to God.
00:19:38.77\00:19:48.25
The Salvation narrative is about
a God that came down to be close
to his people. In other words, I
00:19:48.28\00:19:50.29
need us to know that it doesn't
matter if you've been religious
all your life, you are not here
00:19:50.32\00:19:52.35
today because you just had this
natural affection for God. The
Bible says that we love him
00:19:52.39\00:19:59.59
because he first loved us. Are
y'all with me today? One of the
things that makes his priesthood
00:19:59.63\00:20:06.90
superior to the old covenant
priesthood is that the Bible in
Hebrew says that we have a
00:20:06.94\00:20:13.44
priest that has been touched.
[Congregation: chanting] With
the feeling of our infirmities,
00:20:13.48\00:20:15.28
he has been tempted in like
points as we are and yet he was
without sin. What makes Christ a
00:20:15.31\00:20:20.02
better priest is that there is
no detachment between him and
his people. In other words, the
00:20:20.05\00:20:26.49
thing I love about Christ is he
doesn't minister down Christ
ministers over. [Congregation:
00:20:26.52\00:20:31.76
chanting and clapping] I need
you to understand that there are
certain things that don't mean a
00:20:31.79\00:20:38.87
whole lot to us but am I telling
the truth that the Old Testament
priesthood, the priests were
00:20:38.90\00:20:43.94
somewhat detached from the
people. In other words, the
priest lived over in Jericho,
00:20:43.97\00:20:48.74
but the people live down in
Jerusalem. You can just roll up
on the priest if you had
00:20:48.78\00:20:56.75
sickness and disease because
Levitical laws made you unclean
and you can have access to him
00:20:56.79\00:21:05.23
dependent upon your particular
condition. But the good news
about Jesus is that he done
00:21:05.26\00:21:13.87
refute our condition. He takes
on our condition and he steps
down into our mess and the
00:21:13.90\00:21:20.08
reason he knows how to judge is
because he's been where you
already are. Listen, real talk.
00:21:20.11\00:21:26.85
I remember when I was in grad
school at Andrews and I was
there in Michigan. What happened
00:21:26.88\00:21:34.36
is, for a couple years I had got
about three tickets in about a
year span and on that third
00:21:34.39\00:21:41.70
ticket I could not afford to get
another one. All's going to lose
points from my license. Even
00:21:41.73\00:21:50.24
though I was guilty, I was
speeding, I decided let me go to
court and let's just see what
00:21:50.27\00:21:55.68
happens. I go to court and I
wait to see what's going to
happen. The judge asked me what
00:21:55.71\00:22:04.05
happens and why am I contesting.
I say listen, I didn't intend to
speed, but when I was driving
00:22:04.09\00:22:09.99
down such and such street, I was
going down a hill and it was the
incline that calls me to
00:22:10.03\00:22:16.50
accelerate. She stopped me in
mid-sentence, and she began to
finish my story. She said, yeah,
00:22:16.53\00:22:18.27
and when you got to such a such
street, guess what, the police
was there waiting for you. I
00:22:18.30\00:22:22.64
say, Yes, ma'am. How do you
know? She says, I've been down
that same street. She says, I
00:22:22.67\00:22:27.61
start accelerating at that same
hill, and I got a ticket when
the cop was waiting there for
00:22:27.64\00:22:31.45
me. She says that they shouldn't
even do that because it's the
hill that makes you speed up.
00:22:31.48\00:22:33.31
She says, I'm going to go ahead
and throw out your citation
[Congregation: chanting and
00:22:33.35\00:22:37.89
clapping] Because I've already
been there and had it happen to
me or you'll miss your palette
00:22:37.92\00:22:43.09
today. In other words, the
reason you don't have to face
the judgment with fear is
00:22:43.12\00:22:48.90
because you serve a judge that's
been there and done that.
[Congregation: clapping] He
00:22:48.93\00:22:55.20
says, man I can be merciful when
you want to slap those folks
because I've been there too. He
00:22:55.24\00:23:01.98
says, I can be kind when you get
discouraged because I've been
there too. Is there anybody
00:23:02.01\00:23:12.75
grateful that you serve a savior
that can relate, that's been
there and done that and can
00:23:12.79\00:23:21.30
guide you through where you
already are. Friends of mine, I
love the beauty of Christ, is
00:23:21.33\00:23:27.17
that He makes himself
accessible. I love that Jesus
makes himself reachable. I love
00:23:27.20\00:23:29.70
that Jesus puts himself on a
level place. Can I just say this
to the body of Christ, not just
00:23:29.74\00:23:39.71
here, but throughout, Jesus has
put himself on a level place and
because he's put himself on a
00:23:39.75\00:23:50.39
level place, stop try and put
him back on a hill.
[Congregation: chanting] The
00:23:50.43\00:23:58.13
problem with some of us is we
teach the gospel in such a way
that we add all of these
00:23:58.17\00:24:06.34
regulations to what God has
already said. In so doing, we
make salvation hard to reach and
00:24:06.37\00:24:11.71
we make it exclusive
specifically to the elite of our
time. In other words, the beauty
00:24:11.75\00:24:20.39
of the Gospel is its simplicity,
but the problem with religion is
its complexity. I need you to
00:24:20.42\00:24:27.96
know that in good Adventism our
Salvation is simple but in bad
Adventism salvation gets too
00:24:27.96\00:24:35.20
hard. Are y'all hear me today?
For many of us sitting here
today we talk about salvation.
00:24:35.24\00:24:41.88
It's just a list of do's and
don'ts that make the salvation
exclusive for the elite and it
00:24:41.91\00:24:46.31
cannot be accessed by all. But
one of the things I believe is
that we've got to put certain
00:24:46.35\00:24:53.25
words even out of our spiritual
vernacular because what it does
is it puts Jesus back on a hill
00:24:53.29\00:24:58.43
and makes it hard for the common
man to reach him. What do you
mean Pastor? There are certain
00:24:58.46\00:25:07.54
things we ought to stop saying,
you ought to stop saying that in
order to get saved, you've got
00:25:07.57\00:25:15.18
to get right with God. How many
of us have heard that growing up
in church it seemed like it was
00:25:15.21\00:25:22.38
on you to get it done, but how
many of us know that you don't
have to get right with God in
00:25:22.42\00:25:28.52
order to get saved. That it is
God that saves you apart from
any deed or any doing or any
00:25:28.56\00:25:32.59
work. It is the work of God in
us. Are y'all hear me today,
fiends? In fact, the problem is
00:25:32.63\00:25:41.94
that when most of us talk to an
unbeliever about salvation, we
start with a list of things that
00:25:41.97\00:25:49.84
need to be done instead of
beliefs that need to be claimed.
In other words, if an unbeliever
00:25:49.88\00:25:58.85
asked you what it means to be
saved, you would tell them, you
got to stop eating this, and you
00:25:58.89\00:26:06.86
got to stop going there, and
you've got to stop wearing this.
What we actually in theology say
00:26:06.90\00:26:17.64
is that we are saved by grace.
But in practice, we actually
believe we're saved by our
00:26:17.67\00:26:21.48
works. What I'm saying to
somebody today is that Jesus put
salvation on a level place.
00:26:21.51\00:26:28.75
Don't try to put him back on a
hill. Y'all, not with me? In
other words because he went to
00:26:28.78\00:26:38.09
the hill, salvation is on a
level place, and because it's on
a level place, don't try to put
00:26:38.13\00:26:45.90
him back on a hill. Y'all not
with me? Because he's already
going to the hill. The work is
00:26:45.93\00:26:52.04
already done. Remember on a
hill, far away, lead an ole'
rugged cross the emblem of
00:26:52.07\00:26:58.68
suffering and shame, so that
friends, I'm not saved by what I
do, I am saved by what I
00:26:58.71\00:27:02.42
believe. Thank you so much for
joining us for the Breath of
Life Television Ministries
00:27:02.45\00:27:09.49
broadcast with Pastor Debleaire
Snell! We hope and pray that you
have been blessed by this sixth
00:27:09.52\00:27:17.27
message in the sermon series
entitled “On The Verge of
Something.” Join us next week
00:27:17.30\00:27:23.71
for Part Two of the message
entitled “Level Up.” You don't
want to miss it! For the past 49
00:27:23.74\00:27:29.88
years, Breath of life has been
presenting the Gospel of Jesus
Christ. From a contemporary
00:27:29.91\00:27:40.69
urban perspective, in 2023, we
plan to grow our reach. And your
donations are what help make
00:27:40.72\00:27:55.97
that possible. This year, our
major goal is to launch our
Breath of Life weekly broadcast
00:27:56.00\00:28:04.98
into five new cities. In
addition, we're excited to
introduce our new Breath of Life
00:28:05.01\00:28:09.58
Kids platform with original
content created with your little
ones in mind. We'll continue
00:28:09.62\00:28:17.86
with innovative programming,
dynamic preaching, and sharing
the gospel through evangelistic
00:28:17.89\00:28:39.81
campaigns. Here are the five
ways that you can give. You can
give online at Breath of
00:28:39.85\00:28:54.83