#S066 - Stay Out Of The Comment Section (Part 2) 00:00:04.23\00:00:09.50 Welcome to the Breath of Life 00:00:20.15\00:00:21.65 Television Ministries broadcast with Pastor Debleaire Snell. 00:00:21.68\00:00:25.62 In today's episode, Pastor Snell will continue part 00:00:26.69\00:00:29.19 two of the powerful message titled 00:00:29.22\00:00:31.89 Stay out of the comments section. 00:00:32.63\00:00:34.86 Now let's go deeper into the Word of God. 00:00:35.80\00:00:40.54 So the words this was here in verse number six. 00:00:41.57\00:00:43.87 I promise I'm not going to take you long. 00:00:43.91\00:00:45.51 The Bible says So we built the wall 00:00:45.54\00:00:47.51 and the entire wall was joined together. 00:00:47.54\00:00:49.61 Watch this. 00:00:50.01\00:00:51.21 Up to half of its height for the people had a mind to work. 00:00:51.25\00:00:55.12 And now it happened. 00:00:55.65\00:00:56.48 That same bullet to buy up the Arabs 00:00:56.52\00:00:59.12 and the Ammonites and the Exodus. 00:00:59.15\00:01:01.06 Heard that the walls of Jerusalem were being restored 00:01:01.09\00:01:05.26 and that the what gaps were beginning to be closed. 00:01:06.36\00:01:09.56 And then they became what? 00:01:10.20\00:01:11.50 Very angry. 00:01:12.67\00:01:13.64 Second thing really quickly you got to know 00:01:13.67\00:01:15.37 is that you've got to be intentional 00:01:15.40\00:01:17.57 about closing your gaps. 00:01:18.14\00:01:23.18 The friends I need you to take note 00:01:23.21\00:01:25.58 of when this conspiracy begins 00:01:26.28\00:01:28.92 to reach its peak or its zenith. 00:01:28.95\00:01:31.49 So I need you to notice. See? See. 00:01:32.25\00:01:34.02 What happened is 00:01:34.06\00:01:34.82 the flow 00:01:34.86\00:01:36.09 is beginning to take shape and it is beginning to take form. 00:01:36.12\00:01:39.03 Like they have progressed to the point where the wall 00:01:40.20\00:01:42.10 has reached half of its ultimate height. 00:01:42.13\00:01:45.17 God is doing a work to the point where the wall is almost 00:01:46.30\00:01:49.14 reached the entirety of the circumference of the city. 00:01:49.17\00:01:52.87 But notice reads when the attack shows up 00:01:53.74\00:01:56.21 is when they're on the verge of closing. 00:01:57.15\00:01:59.38 The gaps in the wall. 00:01:59.41\00:02:01.82 In other words, church, 00:02:01.85\00:02:02.82 because the gates have yet to be installed, 00:02:02.85\00:02:06.35 there are some strategic or structural vulnerabilities 00:02:07.52\00:02:10.73 in the wall because it doesn't matter how tall the wall. 00:02:11.93\00:02:14.10 It doesn't matter how immense the wall. 00:02:15.00\00:02:16.53 It doesn't matter how great the stones are. 00:02:17.53\00:02:19.40 Wall can always be breached if it has gaps in it. 00:02:19.43\00:02:23.41 And I need you to understand the timing 00:02:25.27\00:02:27.54 of their attack illustrates a more powerful truth. 00:02:28.64\00:02:31.25 Because some of us are heavy in the building process. 00:02:32.38\00:02:34.72 God is causing your rebuilding to go well. 00:02:35.68\00:02:37.99 He is causing certain things to begin to take form. 00:02:39.09\00:02:41.79 And I need you to know that some of the greatest attacks 00:02:42.99\00:02:45.23 are going to come before you close the gaps in your wall, 00:02:46.36\00:02:50.83 because the enemy knows 00:02:50.87\00:02:52.10 that once those gaps get close to where the church hit today, 00:02:52.13\00:02:55.10 that he can't 00:02:55.77\00:02:56.87 stand anything against you but your most vulnerable. 00:02:56.91\00:03:00.28 If you allow gaps to remain in your spiritual walls. 00:03:00.31\00:03:05.81 See, this is important because there's somebody 00:03:06.78\00:03:08.38 your spiritual walls are beginning to take forth. 00:03:09.45\00:03:11.22 You are in the building process. 00:03:11.92\00:03:13.46 It is beginning to get halfway to its heights. 00:03:13.49\00:03:16.02 But because some of us only pray every now and then, 00:03:17.16\00:03:19.33 you've got some gaps 00:03:20.90\00:03:22.46 that makes your wall reachable down the line. 00:03:22.50\00:03:25.50 There are some of us that are have a growing appetite for God. 00:03:26.74\00:03:30.04 You're beginning to grow and come to church, 00:03:30.97\00:03:32.74 consume, consuming online. 00:03:33.38\00:03:34.61 But the problem is that because you don't know what to believe, 00:03:34.64\00:03:37.61 you create some gaps 00:03:39.05\00:03:40.78 and allow yourself to be made vulnerable toward deception. 00:03:40.82\00:03:44.72 Down the line. 00:03:44.75\00:03:45.69 There are some students 00:03:45.72\00:03:46.55 that are building well academically. 00:03:46.59\00:03:48.92 You are putting forth more effort, 00:03:49.76\00:03:50.83 but there are some gaps in your process. 00:03:50.86\00:03:53.40 So much so that you study. 00:03:54.20\00:03:55.76 Always when people are around you don't edit 00:03:55.80\00:03:59.23 or second look over your work before you turn it all in. 00:03:59.27\00:04:02.50 The problem is that some of us write the same way we talk, 00:04:03.74\00:04:05.91 and because there are some academic gaps, 00:04:06.88\00:04:09.14 our process can be contaminated. 00:04:10.21\00:04:13.05 There are some marriages that are going strong. 00:04:14.02\00:04:15.65 You've made it up in your mind to stay together. 00:04:16.72\00:04:18.02 You've decided we're going to work that thing out. 00:04:19.12\00:04:20.69 But because some husbands and wives are not controlling 00:04:21.89\00:04:24.53 what's coming through our portals, 00:04:25.36\00:04:26.96 some of us are going to get divorced on Instagram. 00:04:28.66\00:04:31.17 Y'all not hear me today? 00:04:31.20\00:04:32.97 Y'all go left 00:04:33.00\00:04:34.10 password protection and have y'all in front of a judge. 00:04:34.14\00:04:36.67 I'm going to tell the truth today. 00:04:36.71\00:04:38.74 And the problem is we're allowing some gaps 00:04:38.77\00:04:41.48 in the marriage to keep us from becoming 00:04:41.51\00:04:44.88 everything that God has called us to become. 00:04:45.81\00:04:48.35 And what I'm simply wanting to say to somebody today, 00:04:49.52\00:04:51.45 it doesn't matter how strong your gates, 00:04:52.39\00:04:54.16 it doesn't matter how powerful your design, 00:04:55.12\00:04:56.86 it doesn't matter how immense the architecture. 00:04:57.93\00:04:59.83 You can always be defeated as long as you have gaps 00:05:00.96\00:05:03.63 that the enemy is able to penetrate in your life. 00:05:05.27\00:05:07.74 You hear me today, friends? 00:05:08.40\00:05:09.54 Third thing we find today here is in verse number ten. 00:05:09.57\00:05:11.91 I told you, I'm not going to take long. 00:05:11.94\00:05:13.44 The Bible says. 00:05:13.48\00:05:14.58 Then Judah said, The strength of the laborers is failing 00:05:14.61\00:05:19.95 and there is so much rubbish 00:05:20.78\00:05:23.32 that we are unable to build the wall. 00:05:24.35\00:05:29.52 Everything I need somebody to get 00:05:29.56\00:05:31.83 is that there's going to come a time inevitably 00:05:31.86\00:05:34.73 where it feels like it's too much. 00:05:35.56\00:05:41.37 Now, friends, there are multiple tensions 00:05:41.40\00:05:45.47 that begin to converge at the same time. 00:05:46.41\00:05:49.71 Are you all still with the pastor today? 00:05:50.65\00:05:52.68 So first there is the enormity of the task, 00:05:53.65\00:05:56.15 the actual physical labor of trying to rebuild 00:05:57.19\00:06:00.66 this mammoth structure around the entirety of the city. 00:06:00.69\00:06:04.86 But do you realize that there is an added tension 00:06:05.96\00:06:08.66 because of the harassment of Sand Ballard and his team? 00:06:09.86\00:06:13.00 Now remember, Saints, 00:06:13.57\00:06:14.50 that the people are not living in Jerusalem 00:06:14.54\00:06:17.54 at that time. 00:06:17.57\00:06:18.77 They are scattered 00:06:18.81\00:06:19.74 in the surrounding villages and countries. 00:06:19.77\00:06:22.51 And so they literally have to walk through a gamut of derision 00:06:23.75\00:06:26.75 each day just to get to the work site. 00:06:26.78\00:06:30.39 And the enormity of the task is made 00:06:31.25\00:06:33.62 greater by the mental intimidation 00:06:33.66\00:06:36.49 that is provided by Sand Ballard and his peers and friends. 00:06:37.66\00:06:41.00 I need you to get that. 00:06:41.03\00:06:42.56 It is more than intentional that the spirit 00:06:42.60\00:06:46.70 of discouragement falls on the Tribe of Judah. 00:06:46.74\00:06:50.81 Okay, so one of the things you got to remember, Prince, 00:06:51.97\00:06:56.68 is that God had six 00:06:57.21\00:06:58.88 at least some of them understand his truth, 00:06:58.91\00:07:00.42 that because God is with them, there is no enemy 00:07:00.45\00:07:05.69 that can defeat them from the outside 00:07:05.72\00:07:07.99 because God is on their side. 00:07:11.83\00:07:14.36 There is no real threat from those outside of the wall. 00:07:15.46\00:07:19.37 The only thing that can 00:07:19.40\00:07:21.04 defeat them is division in their own ranks. 00:07:21.07\00:07:24.57 And I just need to say 00:07:25.37\00:07:26.54 this to the church that there is no persecution 00:07:26.57\00:07:30.45 or power, that freedom from without that can hurt us. 00:07:30.48\00:07:34.28 The only thing that can hurt us is division from the inside. 00:07:35.48\00:07:38.72 In other words, when the enemy can turn black saints 00:07:39.85\00:07:42.42 against white saints and southern against Oakwood, 00:07:42.46\00:07:45.96 and this church against that church, 00:07:45.99\00:07:48.26 I need you to know 00:07:48.30\00:07:49.10 we're not growing enough 00:07:49.13\00:07:50.47 in order the enemy to stir up persecution. 00:07:50.50\00:07:53.03 But if he can keep us fighting against one another, 00:07:54.17\00:07:59.04 he can keep the walls from being rebuilt. 00:07:59.07\00:08:01.68 Now, my 00:08:02.84\00:08:03.68 friends, I need you to get this, because 00:08:03.71\00:08:06.15 God's said to Abraham, 00:08:07.38\00:08:10.05 I'm going to make of you a great nation. 00:08:11.05\00:08:13.66 And in you. 00:08:15.19\00:08:16.62 So all the nations of the earth be blessed. 00:08:16.66\00:08:19.76 So I understand when Abraham says, 00:08:20.60\00:08:22.43 I got this to Abraham, that all of the nations of the earth 00:08:23.63\00:08:25.80 are going to be blessed through you. 00:08:25.83\00:08:27.54 That was not just talking about the supremacy of Abraham, see, 00:08:27.57\00:08:31.74 it was an announcement about Jesus 00:08:32.57\00:08:35.08 and understand the reason 00:08:36.44\00:08:38.55 that discouragement settles upon Judah. 00:08:39.48\00:08:41.78 It's a preemptive attack against Jesus. Who? 00:08:42.72\00:08:45.92 Yo, yo, yo, not hear me today. See? 00:08:46.72\00:08:48.69 Understand friends of mine that. 00:08:49.39\00:08:50.43 That because of the captivity, Abraham seeds are 00:08:50.46\00:08:54.46 scattered among all of the foreign nation. 00:08:55.36\00:08:57.43 In other words, 00:08:57.87\00:08:58.93 they are not centralized in the area of Jerusalem. 00:08:58.97\00:09:02.34 But what happens is that if they do not finish 00:09:03.37\00:09:05.31 building the wall, what happens is that Abraham C 00:09:05.34\00:09:09.01 remains assimilated into a bunch of different cultures, so much 00:09:10.25\00:09:14.12 so that his seed gets diluted and guess what? 00:09:14.15\00:09:18.05 The tribe of Judah's ancestry gets corrupted. 00:09:19.09\00:09:21.96 And guess what? Jesus cannot come. 00:09:22.72\00:09:24.46 Do you realize that in the 00:09:25.73\00:09:27.13 12 tribes there were two tribes that have a little more say? 00:09:27.20\00:09:30.27 Levi, because they were the priests 00:09:31.13\00:09:32.60 and Judah, because they were the tribe of the Kings. 00:09:33.74\00:09:36.20 Remember that David came from Judah, and guess what? 00:09:37.34\00:09:40.18 Jesus would come from Judah. 00:09:40.21\00:09:42.28 And the reason the enemy tries to discourage Judah 00:09:43.38\00:09:45.88 is because it is a pre century attack to try to keep 00:09:47.02\00:09:50.25 Jesus from coming through the line of Judah. 00:09:50.29\00:09:53.72 I see friends of mine. 00:09:54.69\00:09:55.62 I need somebody to understand this 00:09:55.66\00:09:57.53 about the difficulty that you may sometimes face. 00:09:57.56\00:10:00.46 I need you to realize that sometimes 00:10:01.30\00:10:02.63 it is those difficulties of life that actually create 00:10:03.70\00:10:06.90 Christ likeness in you. 00:10:06.94\00:10:09.17 It is those hardships that produce 00:10:10.61\00:10:12.94 the character of the presence of Jesus in your life. 00:10:12.97\00:10:16.61 And so that sometimes 00:10:16.64\00:10:17.98 when the enemy tries to discourage you 00:10:18.01\00:10:20.02 and make you give up on the building process, it's 00:10:21.12\00:10:23.35 because that process is going to produce a Christ likeness 00:10:23.39\00:10:26.96 that cannot be achieved through any other mechanism in life, 00:10:28.16\00:10:30.86 so that if God 00:10:31.86\00:10:32.89 short circuits the trial, guess what? 00:10:32.93\00:10:35.86 It's short circuits the Jesus that's gonna come 00:10:35.90\00:10:38.97 through. It's 00:10:39.00\00:10:40.90 say, I need somebody to understand this, that trials 00:10:42.27\00:10:45.41 don't just produce stress, they produce 00:10:45.44\00:10:48.61 Jesus in you. 00:10:48.64\00:10:51.75 Oh, God, count it. 00:10:51.78\00:10:55.48 Oh, Joy. 00:10:55.52\00:10:58.15 When you fall into diverse trials 00:10:58.99\00:11:01.09 for the trying of your faith work of what? 00:11:02.06\00:11:04.86 Patience. 00:11:04.89\00:11:06.09 In other words, I need somebody to understand that that God is 00:11:06.13\00:11:09.50 an efficient Savior who does not waste your time. 00:11:09.53\00:11:12.70 He does not waste your efforts. 00:11:13.40\00:11:14.84 And one of my favorite writers, Rick Warren, 00:11:14.87\00:11:16.64 says that God never waste a hurt 00:11:16.67\00:11:18.84 so that if God 00:11:21.34\00:11:22.41 permits it, it has purpose. 00:11:22.44\00:11:24.98 Oh, God, I need somebody 00:11:25.95\00:11:28.48 to understand that everything you go through 00:11:28.52\00:11:31.52 is going to develop something in you 00:11:32.39\00:11:35.09 that cannot be achieved through any other mechanism. 00:11:36.22\00:11:39.19 And I'll be first to testify that 00:11:40.03\00:11:42.13 I never like the trial in real time. 00:11:42.16\00:11:45.47 I only can celebrate what it produces in other words, 00:11:46.53\00:11:50.14 without the hardship, without the pain, 00:11:50.17\00:11:53.27 you cannot become who God has ordained you to be. 00:11:54.31\00:11:56.44 In fact, let me just say it this way. 00:11:57.31\00:11:58.51 Anybody in this room exercise a workout? 00:11:58.55\00:12:00.68 If you do, raise your hand real quick. 00:12:00.72\00:12:02.22 All right, now you exercise. 00:12:02.25\00:12:03.99 But you know what? Exercises 00:12:04.02\00:12:05.75 in a nothing 00:12:07.26\00:12:08.09 but voluntary suffering. 00:12:08.12\00:12:11.53 No, no, that's what it's voluntary suffering. 00:12:12.53\00:12:14.86 In fact, some of y'all pay people called trainers. 00:12:15.96\00:12:18.33 Oh, God. 00:12:18.87\00:12:20.30 Y'all pay trainers to help you suffer 00:12:20.34\00:12:22.90 or y'all still ain't got it. 00:12:23.57\00:12:25.01 And the reason you go through voluntary suffering 00:12:25.04\00:12:28.61 is because you believe and what it produces. 00:12:29.61\00:12:31.55 In other words, you believe in the 00:12:33.31\00:12:35.72 that you believe and the biceps and you believe and the triceps 00:12:35.75\00:12:39.72 and you believe your dress is going to fit by love 00:12:39.75\00:12:42.19 that weekend because you believe in what it produces. 00:12:43.26\00:12:45.73 You're willing to suffer for the perfection of the body. 00:12:46.86\00:12:49.33 But how many of us want the perfection of the character 00:12:50.47\00:12:52.80 and the perfection of the soul that's a willing to go through a 00:12:54.04\00:12:56.97 and suffering so that my character 00:12:57.81\00:13:01.38 can be perfect. 00:13:03.48\00:13:05.61 Y'all hear me today, friends 00:13:06.28\00:13:08.15 of friends. 00:13:09.38\00:13:09.78 When you build 00:13:09.82\00:13:11.15 that, when inevitably come a time 00:13:11.99\00:13:14.66 where it's going to feel like is too much. 00:13:15.82\00:13:18.33 Tell the truth. 00:13:19.83\00:13:20.50 You wanted to give up before. 00:13:20.53\00:13:24.73 I love young church people. 00:13:24.77\00:13:26.53 You've wanted to give up some before. 00:13:26.57\00:13:28.00 Come on, now. 00:13:28.04\00:13:28.97 You have wanted to throw in the towel. 00:13:29.80\00:13:31.47 You have wanted to go back the way that you came. 00:13:32.54\00:13:34.91 You see, the witness of faith is not just about what you avoid. 00:13:36.14\00:13:39.38 It's about what you survive. 00:13:40.05\00:13:41.92 The witness of faith is when the devil has hit you 00:13:43.02\00:13:46.65 with every combination in his bad. 00:13:46.69\00:13:50.09 But after you gather yourself, you stand up on 00:13:51.13\00:13:54.86 the two feet that Christ gives you 00:13:54.93\00:13:57.47 and you let the devil know I'm still here. 00:13:59.43\00:14:03.20 Oh, God, I'm on it. 00:14:03.74\00:14:07.41 I want some more. 00:14:07.44\00:14:08.78 I are here in this thing today. 00:14:08.81\00:14:12.71 There going to be some times 00:14:12.75\00:14:14.42 when you're going through it in the building process 00:14:14.45\00:14:16.62 and you're trying to build spiritually, 00:14:16.65\00:14:18.09 you're trying to build the marriage, 00:14:18.12\00:14:19.19 you're trying to 00:14:19.22\00:14:20.42 rebuild your health, you're trying to rebuild financially, 00:14:20.46\00:14:22.02 you're trying to rebuild socially. 00:14:22.06\00:14:23.39 You're trying to rebuild your emotional and mental wellness. 00:14:23.43\00:14:26.53 There's going to come a time where 00:14:27.36\00:14:28.70 as soon as you think you're making progress, 00:14:28.73\00:14:30.77 the further 00:14:31.17\00:14:32.17 along you get, the further way the finish line 00:14:32.20\00:14:33.70 is going to appear. 00:14:33.74\00:14:34.70 And then sometimes you look at where you are 00:14:34.74\00:14:36.81 and where you want to be, and you don't get to a place 00:14:36.84\00:14:39.07 where you just feel like, man, the work is too much. 00:14:39.11\00:14:42.88 I just need to go back the way in which I came. 00:14:42.91\00:14:45.55 I want to say this 00:14:46.95\00:14:48.35 to somebody spiritually, because watch this notice. 00:14:48.38\00:14:51.89 Oh, it's it, right? 00:14:52.42\00:14:54.19 Notice when they get ready to give up 00:14:54.22\00:14:56.73 when the wall is halfway 00:14:56.76\00:14:59.39 finished. 00:14:59.43\00:15:03.97 Do you realize that finishing the wall halfway 00:15:04.00\00:15:07.44 should have actually been a cause for rejoicing 00:15:08.50\00:15:11.94 and celebration in the camp? 00:15:12.61\00:15:14.84 They should have been running laps around the wall 00:15:15.94\00:15:18.55 because of God can build it halfway. 00:15:19.41\00:15:23.99 It was proof that God can build it the rest of the way. 00:15:24.02\00:15:27.82 But I need you to understand, friends, that faith 00:15:28.92\00:15:31.29 is not so much about what you see. 00:15:32.13\00:15:34.20 It's about the perspective and how you see what you see. 00:15:35.36\00:15:38.83 You see. 00:15:39.73\00:15:40.10 The problem, 00:15:40.14\00:15:41.34 friends of mine is, is when they're rebuilding this wall, 00:15:41.37\00:15:43.87 they look at it halfway and they just like, man, 00:15:44.87\00:15:47.78 oh, snap, we got a long way to go. 00:15:47.81\00:15:52.95 We got 00:15:54.95\00:15:55.82 more than half of the work to be done. 00:15:55.85\00:15:57.85 And guess what the gates have yet to be installed. 00:15:58.95\00:16:01.66 But I need you to understand 00:16:02.32\00:16:03.63 that they get overwhelmed friends 00:16:03.66\00:16:05.76 because they're looking at the finish line 00:16:06.66\00:16:09.76 instead of looking at the starting line. 00:16:10.70\00:16:12.83 Okay. 00:16:13.44\00:16:14.34 Instead of saying we're only halfway there, 00:16:15.34\00:16:18.77 they should have been shouting we halfway there. 00:16:19.84\00:16:22.11 In other words, like if they had just taken a moment 00:16:23.18\00:16:26.28 to look back about 30 days when they first started, guess what? 00:16:27.55\00:16:32.02 They would be reminded that the whole city was in ruins, 00:16:32.05\00:16:36.12 that the walls were torn down, that the gates were burned 00:16:37.33\00:16:40.40 with fire, and if they had just remembered 00:16:40.43\00:16:43.26 from whence God had brought them, 00:16:44.10\00:16:45.80 the halfway point would be the proof of the evidence 00:16:46.94\00:16:49.64 that God is going to take us the rest of the way. 00:16:50.71\00:16:52.84 And I want to say 00:16:54.38\00:16:55.38 this to the person who is discouraged spiritually, 00:16:55.41\00:16:57.61 because I need you to know that, as Paul says and Philippians, 00:16:58.85\00:17:01.22 that you've got 00:17:01.65\00:17:02.75 to look forward to the prize that is set before you. 00:17:02.78\00:17:04.92 But I do want to encourage you 00:17:05.62\00:17:06.72 that you've got to look both forward and backwards. 00:17:06.76\00:17:08.99 You've got to look at where you are supposed to end up. 00:17:09.02\00:17:11.99 But sometimes in order to get the courage to go on, 00:17:13.09\00:17:15.50 you've got to look back at where you first started. 00:17:16.63\00:17:20.17 Okay. 00:17:20.20\00:17:20.94 See, some of us get overwhelmed 00:17:21.64\00:17:23.81 because we look at ourselves and we look at Jesus 00:17:24.87\00:17:27.98 and we think, man, we've got so far to go. 00:17:28.88\00:17:30.75 But the one thing I need to say is never get discouraged 00:17:31.88\00:17:35.32 by the goal. 00:17:35.35\00:17:38.42 The goal is to be like Jesus. 00:17:38.45\00:17:40.42 I also with me now, the reason you don't have to be discouraged 00:17:40.46\00:17:44.06 by the goal or the standard is because it's not 00:17:44.09\00:17:47.30 a competition. 00:17:47.36\00:17:50.37 In other words, 00:17:50.40\00:17:51.53 I'm not trying to compete with the righteousness of Christ 00:17:51.57\00:17:54.74 because my righteousness is not earned. 00:17:55.57\00:17:57.71 It's borrowed in other words, somebody to get 00:17:57.74\00:18:01.68 you need to stop saying God is saving me. 00:18:02.58\00:18:07.35 When you talk about your salvation, you ought to talk 00:18:08.48\00:18:11.15 in the past tense. 00:18:11.19\00:18:13.02 Oh, God. 00:18:13.05\00:18:13.86 Let me push you all on this side. 00:18:13.89\00:18:15.62 God is not saved me. 00:18:15.66\00:18:17.93 I'm already say 00:18:18.53\00:18:20.36 I'm already ready in heaven. 00:18:21.30\00:18:24.87 My work is complete and my record is expunged. 00:18:24.90\00:18:29.30 But what's happening in real time is sanctification. 00:18:30.44\00:18:33.14 And see, that's why you don't have to worry about 00:18:34.24\00:18:36.18 how many floors you have in your life. Why? 00:18:37.08\00:18:38.78 Because sanctification is not the work of a moment. 00:18:38.81\00:18:42.58 It is not the work of a day. 00:18:43.25\00:18:44.82 It is not the work of a year. 00:18:45.52\00:18:47.12 It is a lifetime work that is not done until the trumpet blast 00:18:47.16\00:18:52.49 and the sky recedes like a scroll and other words. 00:18:53.60\00:18:56.40 Christ is going to be working on you 00:18:56.43\00:19:00.04 until the day He appears with you today. 00:19:00.97\00:19:03.51 Friends. 00:19:03.54\00:19:04.34 Oh, friends. 00:19:05.81\00:19:07.11 I would encourage you 00:19:07.14\00:19:08.78 to not spend so much time looking at your finish line 00:19:08.81\00:19:11.65 and to spend 00:19:12.71\00:19:13.82 a little bit more time looking at your starting line. 00:19:13.85\00:19:17.39 See, I need some works. 00:19:17.42\00:19:20.29 Religion oriented slave, 00:19:20.32\00:19:23.12 who is 00:19:24.89\00:19:25.39 70, who has no joy, 00:19:25.43\00:19:29.63 who overcomes nothing, 00:19:30.47\00:19:32.47 who has never been liberated by the power of the spirit, 00:19:32.50\00:19:36.10 who is trying to earn their way into the Kingdom of God. 00:19:36.14\00:19:40.21 And you spend more time looking at your flaws 00:19:41.18\00:19:44.11 than you do at His perfection. 00:19:44.81\00:19:46.82 I want to say that as you keep on building, don't 00:19:47.88\00:19:50.69 spend so much time looking at how far you have to go. 00:19:50.72\00:19:54.32 You need to spend more time studying where God has brought 00:19:55.56\00:19:58.13 you from. 00:19:58.16\00:19:59.29 Oh, do I have at least eight people in the room 00:20:00.33\00:20:02.50 that can testify 00:20:03.57\00:20:05.73 that God has brought you 00:20:05.77\00:20:07.80 a mighty, mighty, 00:20:08.44\00:20:11.24 mighty long way? 00:20:11.27\00:20:13.71 And this is going to feel like a crazy praise. 00:20:13.74\00:20:17.85 But but if you only smoke 00:20:19.18\00:20:21.08 two packs a day, you ought to praise him. 00:20:21.12\00:20:24.09 Cause we used to smoke seven packs a day. 00:20:24.12\00:20:26.55 Oh, I know. Y'all gonna get mad at this, 00:20:27.49\00:20:28.96 man, man. 00:20:30.09\00:20:31.29 Maybe if you only curse when you get mad, you out of prison 00:20:31.33\00:20:34.13 because you used to curse when you are mad or happy. 00:20:35.26\00:20:37.90 And you ought to praise him. 00:20:38.70\00:20:41.14 Oh, don't get mad because it took you seven years 00:20:41.17\00:20:44.14 to graduate. 00:20:44.17\00:20:45.87 If Jesus delays his coming in 30 years, that alumni 00:20:45.91\00:20:49.78 ain't nobody going to be counting. 00:20:50.55\00:20:51.75 How many years it took you to graduate. 00:20:51.78\00:20:54.68 We just going to be shouting cause you graduated. 00:20:54.72\00:20:57.32 Oh, maybe you only come to church once a month. 00:20:58.32\00:21:01.66 Hey, praise him. 00:21:02.09\00:21:03.12 There was a time where months went by 00:21:03.16\00:21:05.59 and you only showed up on Easter Sabbath or Sunday. 00:21:06.63\00:21:09.33 Maybe you only pray three times a week, but 00:21:10.27\00:21:13.00 there's three times more a week than you used to pray. 00:21:13.03\00:21:15.77 And what I'm saying to somebody is never get arrogant 00:21:16.91\00:21:19.57 because of progress, never pat yourself on the back 00:21:19.61\00:21:22.88 because of progress, but let progress be your fuel 00:21:22.91\00:21:26.68 because he which has begun a good work in you. 00:21:27.72\00:21:30.42 So continue it 00:21:31.32\00:21:32.95 until the day of Jesus. 00:21:33.96\00:21:36.26 Can somebody testify like the old thanks? 00:21:37.19\00:21:39.93 I'm not all that I ought to be 00:21:40.73\00:21:42.83 high, but I'm better than what I used to be. 00:21:44.00\00:21:47.30 Can somebody testify? 00:21:48.44\00:21:50.07 He ain't done with me yet. 00:21:50.11\00:21:52.97 Oh, but 00:21:53.01\00:21:54.11 can you praise him that he's still at work in your life? 00:21:54.14\00:21:57.85 And it does not yet appear what we shall be. 00:21:58.78\00:22:02.78 But the promise is that when he shall appear, 00:22:03.82\00:22:06.02 we shall be like him and see him like he is. 00:22:06.96\00:22:10.53 And guess what? 00:22:11.13\00:22:12.26 If you don't give up on God, God won't give up on you. 00:22:12.29\00:22:16.40 Somebody praise him for the progress. 00:22:17.30\00:22:20.97 Praise Him. 00:22:21.00\00:22:21.77 That's you. Pray a little bit more. 00:22:21.80\00:22:24.04 Just study a little bit more. 00:22:24.07\00:22:26.54 You forgive a little bit more, man. 00:22:26.57\00:22:29.58 You don't curse your hump too hard. 00:22:29.61\00:22:31.45 Come on now. 00:22:31.48\00:22:32.88 Praise him for how he's going you 00:22:32.91\00:22:35.25 in your life. 00:22:35.68\00:22:40.82 Listen, I remember I was first learning how to swim, 00:22:40.86\00:22:44.19 and I was, you know, used to be in there 00:22:45.13\00:22:46.56 in this Halloween where I could stand up. 00:22:46.59\00:22:48.40 But I remember the first time they put me over in the deep end 00:22:48.43\00:22:50.90 and you had to swim all the way across. 00:22:51.77\00:22:53.37 And I remember that I got about halfway in the water 00:22:53.40\00:22:57.14 and then all of a sudden, man, I got freaked out 00:22:58.21\00:22:59.84 because I realized I was halfway in the deep end, man. 00:22:59.87\00:23:04.58 And I got so discouraged by how far I had to go. 00:23:05.58\00:23:07.92 Then I got paralyzed and I just start pedaling where I was. 00:23:07.95\00:23:11.25 And it's crazy 00:23:11.69\00:23:12.79 because I look back to try to go back the way I came, 00:23:12.82\00:23:16.46 but the lifeguard began to shout that you're right there 00:23:17.59\00:23:20.60 in the middle 00:23:20.63\00:23:21.26 is going to take you 00:23:23.03\00:23:23.97 just as much energy to go back 00:23:24.00\00:23:26.27 as it would be if you just went forward. 00:23:27.80\00:23:30.37 But I'm so scared that I'm dog paddling 00:23:31.31\00:23:33.88 because I'm looking at how far I have to go. 00:23:33.91\00:23:36.61 And guess what? 00:23:36.64\00:23:37.28 I'm losing energy 00:23:37.31\00:23:40.68 by just studying how far I have to go. 00:23:40.72\00:23:44.29 And he says, If you came half the way, 00:23:45.19\00:23:49.96 he's saying you can make it the rest of the way. 00:23:49.99\00:23:53.06 And I remember the one thing 00:23:53.73\00:23:55.10 the lifeguard did is he didn't make it easy for me. 00:23:55.13\00:23:58.60 He didn't pull me out of the deep end. 00:23:59.50\00:24:01.50 But because he was a good lifeguard, 00:24:02.37\00:24:04.07 what he did was he jumped in the pool next to me 00:24:05.07\00:24:07.44 and he says, Let's swim it together. 00:24:08.24\00:24:10.41 And together we go, get to the other side. 00:24:11.38\00:24:14.08 Y'all missed it. 00:24:14.12\00:24:14.92 Jesus 00:24:15.98\00:24:16.65 sees you at the halfway point. 00:24:16.69\00:24:19.45 He said it'll take too much strength to go back. 00:24:19.49\00:24:22.39 If I brought you this far, 00:24:23.16\00:24:25.39 I'll take you the rest of the way. 00:24:25.43\00:24:27.86 But can anybody praise that 00:24:27.86\00:24:30.37 Jesus doesn't just tell you to go to the other? 00:24:30.40\00:24:33.10 But our lifeguard jumped down and Golgotha 00:24:34.07\00:24:37.11 jumped down in Nazareth 00:24:38.14\00:24:40.38 and said, I'll swim with you 00:24:40.41\00:24:42.61 and we'll get to the other side together. 00:24:43.51\00:24:46.48 Praise him for the lifeguard. 00:24:47.38\00:24:49.55 That is Jesus Christ. 00:24:50.42\00:24:53.96 They met him in. 00:24:53.99\00:24:55.32 And listen, I just stopped by 00:24:56.02\00:24:58.86 to let some struggling 00:24:58.89\00:25:01.90 person in their faith 00:25:01.93\00:25:04.17 struggling in your morality, 00:25:04.83\00:25:06.50 struggling with your convictions. 00:25:06.53\00:25:08.57 You make it one step forward and you take two steps back. 00:25:08.60\00:25:11.17 I just want to remind you that nobody gets it 00:25:12.21\00:25:14.91 right on the first take. 00:25:14.94\00:25:16.21 I don't want you to be impressed by this 00:25:17.85\00:25:19.08 suit, this title, this oration, or the fact that I'm here. 00:25:19.11\00:25:22.92 I need you to know I'm just a person that kept making takes. 00:25:22.95\00:25:27.09 That's it, Lord. 00:25:28.46\00:25:29.26 I'm going to put my hand in your hand. 00:25:29.29\00:25:31.53 And I told God, even here in 1998, 00:25:31.56\00:25:35.53 I'm going to put my hand in your hand. 00:25:36.36\00:25:37.90 And like Jacob, I won't let you go 00:25:37.93\00:25:40.40 until you bless me. 00:25:42.20\00:25:45.71 I want to curse. 00:25:45.74\00:25:46.44 I'm so overwhelmed. 00:25:46.47\00:25:48.58 It feels like giving up. 00:25:48.61\00:25:50.51 I want to go back the way you came. 00:25:51.38\00:25:53.01 That he's brought you too far in nature, 00:25:53.05\00:25:55.58 God, to say to somebody, Don't go back. 00:25:55.62\00:25:57.72 I want you to move ahead. 00:25:58.65\00:26:01.12 I want you to know the blessing is in front of you. 00:26:01.16\00:26:03.53 It is not in the way that you came and he that 00:26:04.56\00:26:07.46 has begun. The good work in 00:26:08.10\00:26:09.10 is going to 00:26:10.27\00:26:11.17 continue until the day of Jesus Christ. 00:26:11.20\00:26:14.70 What's good family? 00:26:14.74\00:26:16.07 Did you think the revolution is over now? 00:26:16.10\00:26:18.91 We're just getting started. 00:26:18.94\00:26:20.81 Earlier this year, 00:26:20.84\00:26:22.04 we made the decision that we're not going to make any excuses 00:26:22.08\00:26:25.28 for poor, 00:26:25.65\00:26:26.82 spiritual or physical health at this leg of the journey. 00:26:26.85\00:26:29.78 We're not going to make any excuses 00:26:30.65\00:26:32.09 for not paying attention to our mental and emotional wealth. 00:26:32.12\00:26:35.69 I want to invite you to join me on a two week mental 00:26:36.76\00:26:40.00 health revival from July the seventh to the 19th. 00:26:40.03\00:26:44.37 We're going to be pouring into God's people 00:26:44.40\00:26:47.00 so that they will be able 00:26:47.64\00:26:48.47 to prosper in their mental wellness. 00:26:48.50\00:26:50.54 I'm going to be joined 00:26:51.11\00:26:52.01 by a number 00:26:52.04\00:26:53.14 of mental health professionals, life coaches and pastors 00:26:53.17\00:26:56.51 that are going to equip us with some very powerful tools 00:26:57.71\00:27:00.28 from July the seventh through the 19th, each Sunday 00:27:01.42\00:27:03.79 at eight and Monday through Friday at six, 00:27:03.82\00:27:06.99 we're going to be learning how to deal with 00:27:07.96\00:27:08.72 things like guilt, 00:27:08.76\00:27:10.23 how to manage our stress, how to stay in balance, 00:27:10.26\00:27:13.90 and how to deal with difficult people. 00:27:13.93\00:27:16.20 Each morning 00:27:16.60\00:27:17.37 you're going to get a spiritual word 00:27:17.40\00:27:19.43 and then you're going to be led in some miracle conversations 00:27:19.47\00:27:23.24 that are going to leave you better 00:27:24.01\00:27:25.07 than when you first started. 00:27:25.11\00:27:27.14 So go ahead and mark 00:27:27.18\00:27:28.28 the calendar, save the date July 7th through the 19 00:27:28.31\00:27:31.65 Sundays at eight, Monday through Friday at 6am. 00:27:32.61\00:27:36.02 I need you to know that we're going to gather hope 00:27:36.05\00:27:38.65 you're going to be equipped and encouraged as we continue 00:27:39.89\00:27:42.29 the journey of becoming ExcuseLess 00:27:42.32\00:27:49.16 (Breath of Life Music) 00:28:05.05\00:28:23.10