#S072 - Lost & Found (Part 1)
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So do me a favor.
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Stand to your feet as we
go to the scriptures today.
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I won't invite you to go with
me to the Book of Saint Luke,
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chapter 15.
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Saint Luke, Chapter 15.
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And we'll begin
together at verse number one.
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And then I will pick
up our excuse this series
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for the final few weeks
after we get back from camp,
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meeting Luke, chapter
15 and verse number one.
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When you get there,
let me hear you say Amen.
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Luke Chapter 15 and verse one.
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And we will be brief today
for in fact, the sermon truly
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is in our sacraments.
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Luke 15 In verse one, you get
there, say, Pastor, I'm there.
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The Bible says,
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when all the tax collectors
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and the
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sinners drew near to hear him
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and the Pharisees and
describes complaint, say,
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this man receives
sinners and eats with them.
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Oh no, Jesus is my kind of guy.
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I love me some Jesus, man.
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I so so he spoke
this parable to them
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say what man of you
having a hundred sheep,
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if he loses one of them does not
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leave the 99 in the
wilderness and go after the one
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which is lost until he what
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the job catch that
he keeps on looking
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until he finds it.
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Then the word says,
and when he found it,
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he lays it on his
shoulders, rejoicing.
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And when he comes home,
he calls together his friends
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and neighbors, saying
to them, Rejoice with me,
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for I have found my
sheep, which was lost.
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I say unto you likewise
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that there will be more
joy in heaven over one sinner.
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Who what
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then?
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Over 99 just persons
who need no repentance
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for just a little
while under God's help.
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I want to talk to you
under the subject loss
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and found, lost and found.
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Let's pray together,
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Father, in this little home.
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Would you say much?
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Would you use the vehicle
of human words to communicate
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truths that are truly
too big for us to grasp?
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So, Lord, my prayer is
that your spirit would sit
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upon each word that
is spoken, and Lord,
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that you would guide
it into the heart of those
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that are hungry
to hear your truth.
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So, Lord, would you hide me
in the shadows of the cross that
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Jesus alone might be seen, that
Christ alone would be heard?
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And at the end of
our time together,
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let Jesus alone be praised.
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Bless us.
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To this end, we ask in
the wonderful name of Jesus,
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our Lord, let those who believe
say together, amen and amen.
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You may be seated in
the House of the Lord
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again, talking briefly
under the subject, lost
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and found,
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you know, church
adjacent to our church office.
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We have a very active lost
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and found center
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in that closet are
a number of umbrellas,
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notebooks, Bibles,
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airports and children's toys.
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In fact, most
things never go unclaimed
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because many people
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don't even realize they
left these things behind.
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But you can tell
what people value by
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what they return to claim,
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so that when people leave
cellular phones, iPads, car
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keys, they wait in the
office with a different energy.
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They search the
closet with a desperation.
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They walk up and down the
pews with meticulous detail.
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And if they find the last thing,
the level of their rejoicing
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is going to always be
commensurate with the price
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that they paid
for the lost object.
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So if the lost
item costs them nothing,
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they won't look very long.
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But if it costs them a
whole lot, there is a great
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deal of rejoicing
when they actually find it.
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And can I suggest that
we see what Christ values
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by what He
claimed to came to Earth
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to claim his sacrifice at
the cross shows that he pay
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top dollar
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in order to procure
our salvation, so that when
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we are lost friends,
heaven is not indifferent.
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But heaven grieves over
the loss of even one sinner,
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so that when the soul is
straying from God, angels
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go to work to
minister on our behalf,
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and the Holy Spirit
steers us in the direction
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of what is right.
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And when at least
one sinner repents.
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I need you to know all
of glory throws a party
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because heaven
rejoices whenever one that is
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lost found their
way in Jesus Christ.
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And I need somebody to
know today that you have value
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number one because of
the price that Jesus paid
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for your
redemption and because Jesus
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is coming again to
claim and receive you.
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And I need somebody to
know that you got value,
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not because of
how much you get paid.
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You got value
because of what was paid
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in order to claim yourselves.
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And can the church say man?
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And so quickly, I want to go
back to Luke 15 and verse one.
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I want you to see
this before I take my seat.
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The Bible says, then
all the tax collectors
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and the sinners drew
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near to him to hear him.
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You see, friends, our text today
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is completely swollen
with the motifs of God's love.
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But the first
thing it teaches us
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is that an authentic
witness does not repel sinners
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and authentic
witness draws them.
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Let me say it again that
that an authentic witness
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or a Christian
does not repel sinners.
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They actually drove them.
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And the reason this is critical,
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because at times
we struggle to know
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what it means to be peculiar
and separate from the world,
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while still
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being relatable enough to
reach and impact the world.
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In fact, many of us
have believed the idea
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that it is actually
righteousness or moral
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uprightness that
pushes people away from God.
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We think righteousness
actually pushes people away
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from the witness of faith.
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But in our text,
friends, we see a different type
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of spectacle
beginning to emerge.
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The Bible says that
tax collectors and sinners,
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the Bible says sinners drew
near to Jesus and understand
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friends that we are all
sinners by nature and practice.
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But this designation of sinners
means that they were sinners
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by profession, or that
they were visibly notorious
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for the sin
practices that were visible.
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So that you have the
worst kind of sinners
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getting close as
they can to Jesus.
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And I need somebody to
take notice that sinners
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were drawn to the sin less that
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that sinners were drawn
to the one who knew no same,
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the one in whom
there was no guile.
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He didn't chase sinners away.
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The sinless one
welcomed them in.
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You will not hear me today.
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In other words, His Holiness
does not offend sinners.
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His righteousness does
not intimidate sinners.
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His purity does
not condemn sinners.
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In fact, true righteousness
welcomes them and in fact,
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worth friends.
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If I'm reading the Bible
correctly, the Bible says
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that sinners drew near to Jesus.
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And in other words, friends.
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They didn't just hear
the sermon and go home.
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They spent volunteer time
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in the presence of
Jesus and see Beloved.
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There is for some a
disconnect of reality.
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Because if sinners love
Christ but sinners are afraid
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of his people,
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it means that we need
more Christ in our witness.
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You see, friends,
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this is a very
stunning chronicle
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because they didn't just
hear the sinners and repent,
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but understand that they
felt comfortable enough to eat
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with Jesus and
fellowship with Jesus
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and spend leisure time in
the presence of the Almighty.
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Now, to be clear,
Saints, I want you to know
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that they found no
endorsement of sin in Christ.
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In other words, he
did not participate
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with them in sin he
did not condone their sin.
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He did not make excuses for it.
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Because remember,
Jesus told the woman
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caught in adultery
to go and sing no more.
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He told the man healed
at the pool of Bethesda
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to stop sinning unless
something worse happened to you.
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In fact,
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every demonic spirit quivered
in the presence of the Savior.
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But I love what Ellen White says
in the book Desire of Angels.
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She begins to describe
the appeal that Jesus had
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to the most hardened sinner.
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She says the reason and
that sinners drew near to
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Christ is because in him
they saw a way of escape.
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In other words,
when they saw Jesus,
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they saw a more
excellent way to live.
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In other words,
saints hear me on this.
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The life of Jesus was a
road map to their wholeness.
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You see, friends, I
need you to hear me.
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Because Jesus approached
people differently than we do.
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In other words, Jesus did not
go around condemning bad habits
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because He knew that bad habits
were already condemning them.
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In other words,
he didn't go around
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beating up folk
because of bad behavior.
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Because bad behavior
was already beating them up.
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Y'all still missing it.
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He didn't go around condemning
errant practices because error
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in practices were
already destroying his people.
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And see, the problem with us
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is that we think that same
practices make people happy
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and we've got to
beat up the practice
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so they become
unhappy with the sin.
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But Jesus already knew that a
life of sin takes away your joy.
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It adds to your void.
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It disrupts your contentment.
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So he didn't have to
preach righteousness.
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He just showed them
the way to righteousness.
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He didn't have
to preach godliness.
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He just needed
to model godliness.
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And when they show a road
map to deliverance, guess what?
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They just jump in
line with what Jesus said.
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That's why Jesus says that
if you want to see the Father,
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you've got to go through me.
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For I am the way,
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the truth and the life.
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And see, this is the problem.
00:12:03.99\00:12:05.32
Y'all won't get
mad at me for a second.
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You see, the issue is in Jesus.
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They saw a way of escape.
00:12:10.13\00:12:11.66
But in us they see
their own reflection.
00:12:11.69\00:12:16.40
In other words, the
reason they loved him
00:12:17.57\00:12:20.80
was because they saw in his life
a way out of what they're in.
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But in some of us,
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they simply see a reflection
of where they already are.
00:12:27.21\00:12:30.91
And so
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let me just say this, beloved,
00:12:32.55\00:12:33.38
because sometimes
00:12:33.42\00:12:34.42
in the contemporary
church, they see a mirror
00:12:34.45\00:12:37.15
of their own
falling. This and hypocrisy.
00:12:38.12\00:12:39.82
You see, I need
somebody to know, number one,
00:12:40.76\00:12:42.36
that you will never
be able to win the world
00:12:43.36\00:12:45.39
while you're
reflecting the world.
00:12:45.43\00:12:49.20
Because see there,
these are movements
00:12:50.37\00:12:52.83
of become temporary church
00:12:52.87\00:12:54.37
to try to make the
church as secular as we can
00:12:54.40\00:12:57.81
in the name of being
relevant to the unchurched.
00:12:57.84\00:13:00.91
But I need you to know
00:13:01.48\00:13:02.68
that the world will never be won
by a veggie version of itself.
00:13:02.71\00:13:06.82
And let me just say, number two,
00:13:08.82\00:13:10.19
that if you are
joyless as a believer,
00:13:10.22\00:13:13.82
you discredit the very claims
and the power of the Gospel.
00:13:15.39\00:13:20.33
In other words,
00:13:20.76\00:13:21.60
if they ain't got
no joy in the world
00:13:21.63\00:13:24.30
and you ain't got
no joy in the church,
00:13:25.13\00:13:27.27
where y'all at today?
00:13:27.30\00:13:28.64
Why would I leave
World Sorrows to be church?
00:13:28.67\00:13:31.87
Pitiful way all that today.
00:13:31.91\00:13:33.88
In other words,
I need you to know
00:13:33.91\00:13:35.81
that there ought to
be more joy in the church
00:13:35.84\00:13:38.75
than in any club, any
casino, any strip joint.
00:13:39.78\00:13:43.55
There ought to be more
rejoicing among God's people
00:13:44.59\00:13:47.76
than there are for
the people of this world.
00:13:48.76\00:13:50.93
And see,
00:13:51.23\00:13:52.39
this is why you cannot just
ascribe to the theory of Christ.
00:13:52.43\00:13:55.50
You've got to embrace
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the reality of Christ,
because it is not the theory
00:13:57.17\00:13:59.80
that makes the
change. It's the reality.
00:13:59.83\00:14:02.04
Because I need
00:14:03.00\00:14:04.14
you to know that if the
divorce rate in the church
00:14:04.17\00:14:07.11
is the same as
it is in the world,
00:14:08.41\00:14:10.75
how are they going to
see a more excellent way
00:14:11.78\00:14:13.88
if we die of the same
cancers that they are?
00:14:14.88\00:14:17.52
You'll not hear me today.
00:14:17.55\00:14:19.25
How are they going to
see a more excellent way
00:14:19.29\00:14:21.76
if they pick it up
their kids from the same jail
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we get our from.
00:14:25.03\00:14:27.03
How are they going to
see a difference in the way
00:14:27.10\00:14:30.30
of the life of the believer?
00:14:30.33\00:14:31.93
You are hearing
me today, saints.
00:14:31.97\00:14:33.44
In other words, if in the
world they gossip outright
00:14:33.47\00:14:36.71
and you gossip
using prayer request, see,
00:14:37.64\00:14:42.81
they reach a place where enough
they don't see an escape route.
00:14:44.08\00:14:46.78
They see a mirror
00:14:46.82\00:14:48.12
and see.
00:14:49.22\00:14:50.02
This is what I
need you to understand.
00:14:50.05\00:14:51.15
That brokenness
identifies with brokenness,
00:14:51.19\00:14:54.32
but brokenness is
always drawn to wholeness.
00:14:55.32\00:14:57.56
I need somebody
to know that weakness
00:14:58.39\00:14:59.96
is going to always
be drawn to strength.
00:15:00.96\00:15:02.56
That void or emptiness is going
to always be drawn to fullness.
00:15:03.83\00:15:07.27
I need you to know
00:15:07.77\00:15:08.87
that bondage is going to
always be drawn to freedom.
00:15:08.90\00:15:12.07
But the question is,
are when they are around
00:15:13.01\00:15:15.28
us, are they drawn to
something in us that's different
00:15:15.31\00:15:19.11
than what's in them?
00:15:19.15\00:15:22.15
And see, some of us
have limited our witness
00:15:22.18\00:15:24.25
to things that can
only be seen with the eyes.
00:15:24.29\00:15:27.36
But see,
00:15:28.36\00:15:29.52
people are not just studying
what can be seen with the eyes,
00:15:29.56\00:15:31.66
so they notice that you
don't work on the Sabbath.
00:15:32.76\00:15:35.13
But they also notice
that on Monday morning
00:15:36.10\00:15:37.70
you come with the same bad
00:15:37.73\00:15:38.83
attitude that
everybody else on the job has.
00:15:38.87\00:15:41.44
They notice that you
don't wear ornamentation,
00:15:42.60\00:15:45.31
but they also
notice that you are missing
00:15:46.24\00:15:47.58
the ornament of joy,
humility and the Holy Ghost.
00:15:47.61\00:15:51.11
They notice what you
don't put in your mouth,
00:15:52.11\00:15:54.62
but they also notice what
comes spewing out of your mouth.
00:15:55.78\00:15:58.62
And I need you to know
that sometimes we do ourselves
00:15:59.75\00:16:02.22
a disservice because all we
have is the scripted witness.
00:16:02.26\00:16:07.50
We have the Theory of Christ,
but we are not displaying
00:16:08.66\00:16:10.93
the experience of Jesus Christ.
00:16:10.97\00:16:13.37
You see,
00:16:14.10\00:16:15.10
I need you to
understand, beloved, that people
00:16:15.14\00:16:16.27
will never be one to the truth.
00:16:16.30\00:16:17.77
My information
00:16:17.81\00:16:19.67
is not going to be one to
the truth by an experience
00:16:19.71\00:16:22.61
that is so real
and transformative
00:16:23.45\00:16:25.01
that they say, I need to get
what is operating inside of you.
00:16:26.21\00:16:28.95
I hear here in the
past of today church
00:16:28.98\00:16:31.02
this I remember
probably about eight
00:16:31.05\00:16:32.02
or nine years ago we
were looking for a car
00:16:32.05\00:16:34.06
at that particular
time and we're looking for
00:16:34.09\00:16:35.66
an SUV of a particular sort.
00:16:35.69\00:16:37.63
And I remember we went
to one particular car lot
00:16:37.66\00:16:39.79
and there was very a
very, very astute salesman.
00:16:40.86\00:16:42.73
He knew all of the details
and the facts about the car.
00:16:43.90\00:16:45.97
He was able to
read almost from memory
00:16:46.87\00:16:48.57
all of the specs on the car
00:16:49.24\00:16:50.51
about its gas economy
and about its fuel mileage
00:16:50.54\00:16:54.08
and the size of the tire
and the size of the engine.
00:16:54.11\00:16:58.05
And guess what?
00:16:58.08\00:16:58.88
He gave me all the
facts about the car
00:16:58.91\00:17:01.05
and a very
scripted yet accurate way.
00:17:01.88\00:17:04.19
And so as I continued my
search, I begin to meet another
00:17:05.32\00:17:08.02
salesman who began to
canvas on the same type of car.
00:17:08.06\00:17:11.49
But he didn't just
talk in a detailed way.
00:17:12.46\00:17:14.20
He began to talk in
an experiential way.
00:17:15.06\00:17:17.00
He began to say, You
can get three car seats
00:17:18.00\00:17:19.47
on the second row of that car.
00:17:20.17\00:17:21.50
He began to talk about exactly
00:17:21.54\00:17:23.44
how you open and
close the moonroof.
00:17:23.47\00:17:25.34
He began to talk about
00:17:25.37\00:17:26.47
the different things and
places you could go in the SUV.
00:17:26.51\00:17:30.05
And I began to ask,
00:17:30.58\00:17:31.75
How do you know that you can
get three car seats in the car?
00:17:31.78\00:17:34.75
How do you know it can handle
a certain type of terrain?
00:17:35.95\00:17:38.09
And he says, Listen, Mr.
00:17:38.65\00:17:39.62
Snell, I'm not just
telling you us on the seat.
00:17:39.65\00:17:42.26
He pointed over to the side
00:17:42.92\00:17:44.33
and said, I drive
one of these myself.
00:17:44.36\00:17:47.03
In other words, one
00:17:47.60\00:17:48.96
just had the script, the
other had the experience.
00:17:49.00\00:17:52.80
And what I'm saying is that some
only have the script of Jesus,
00:17:54.04\00:17:57.81
but do I have seven folk to
have the experience of Jesus?
00:17:57.84\00:18:02.71
Where are you
not just telling folk
00:18:03.58\00:18:05.25
what you heard
somebody else say?
00:18:05.28\00:18:07.32
You're not just telling
folk what you read in a book,
00:18:08.45\00:18:10.75
but your witness is
a first hand account
00:18:11.62\00:18:13.89
of what
00:18:15.02\00:18:15.86
God has done and
operated in your life.
00:18:15.89\00:18:18.86
Are you are hear
me today, friends.
00:18:19.73\00:18:21.20
Second thing that this
story teaches us, beloved,
00:18:21.23\00:18:23.50
is that a good
shepherd always keeps
00:18:24.30\00:18:27.04
count.
00:18:27.07\00:18:29.64
The Good Shepherd notices what
is happening with the sheep.
00:18:30.87\00:18:33.98
And it's funny because Jesus
asked the question, Which of you
00:18:35.18\00:18:36.98
having nine 100 sheep,
if you had one that was to
00:18:38.05\00:18:40.78
shrink, would
leave the 99 behind
00:18:40.82\00:18:43.75
and go in search of
the one until it was found.
00:18:44.82\00:18:47.72
But understand that
Jesus uses that number 100
00:18:48.69\00:18:51.46
with a theological and
economical intentionality.
00:18:52.53\00:18:55.63
Because essentially what
the Bible is saying is that
00:18:56.70\00:18:58.63
if a shepherd had 100 sheep,
00:18:58.67\00:19:02.00
he was a person of
some type of means.
00:19:02.90\00:19:05.97
In other words, if a
shepherd that are poorer
00:19:07.01\00:19:09.44
or lower in shepherd
would only have somewhere
00:19:10.48\00:19:12.15
between one and ten sheep,
that maybe the average flock
00:19:12.18\00:19:16.95
would be somewhere
between 20 and 25 sheep.
00:19:17.95\00:19:20.76
If you are doing pretty good,
you would have around 50 sheep,
00:19:21.99\00:19:24.76
but if you had a hundred,
you were in a completely
00:19:25.86\00:19:28.50
different tax bracket.
00:19:28.53\00:19:30.23
So that to lose one out
of five, it was going to
00:19:31.40\00:19:34.74
hurt the shepherd,
to lose one out of 20.
00:19:34.77\00:19:38.37
You are going to feel
a financial pinch to lose
00:19:39.44\00:19:41.34
one out of 50.
00:19:41.38\00:19:43.11
It affected your bottom line.
00:19:43.14\00:19:45.05
But if you had a
100 seat to lose one,
00:19:45.08\00:19:48.55
it meant it was
something you could survive.
00:19:48.58\00:19:51.15
So that the good shepherd
that goes after the one loss
00:19:52.32\00:19:55.89
out of 100 is not
functioning out of need.
00:19:56.79\00:19:59.59
He's functioning
out of concern and love.
00:20:00.46\00:20:02.46
I didn't catch that today.
00:20:03.63\00:20:05.10
In other words, the good sheep,
00:20:05.13\00:20:06.74
the shepherd that represents
Jesus didn't go after the loss
00:20:06.77\00:20:11.21
because it hurts his
satirical, logical bank account.
00:20:12.31\00:20:15.91
He goes simply
because he is in love
00:20:16.78\00:20:19.41
of even the one
that is left behind.
00:20:20.28\00:20:22.52
You hear me today?
00:20:23.02\00:20:23.28
Church
00:20:23.32\00:20:24.09
But there is an even
greater and powerful truth
00:20:25.12\00:20:26.59
that I'm going to push into
your life for just a moment.
00:20:26.62\00:20:28.76
Because in order to know
that you've lost one out of 100,
00:20:29.89\00:20:34.10
it means
somewhere along the line
00:20:34.86\00:20:36.50
the shepherd has
to be keeping count.
00:20:36.53\00:20:40.20
It means the good shepherd is
not just eyeballing the flock.
00:20:41.47\00:20:44.71
It means that he is
detailing the flock.
00:20:45.64\00:20:47.71
It means that he
is noticing the flock.
00:20:48.61\00:20:50.61
It means that within
the course of a given day,
00:20:51.61\00:20:54.02
as they march over and
around mountains or through
00:20:55.05\00:20:57.59
desert terrain or even if they
settle on a grassy table land,
00:20:58.85\00:21:02.62
it means that
several times a day
00:21:03.46\00:21:05.49
the Good
Shepherd is keeping count.
00:21:06.36\00:21:08.60
And that too, meaning everything
that happens with the flock
00:21:09.80\00:21:12.93
so that the Good
Shepherd is able to notice,
00:21:14.54\00:21:17.24
even if one of the sheep
has sprained our broken alarm.
00:21:18.41\00:21:21.41
The Good
Shepherd is able to notice
00:21:22.28\00:21:23.71
that even if one sheep is
infected by a tick or flea,
00:21:24.85\00:21:27.85
the Good Shepherd
notices when one is infested
00:21:28.88\00:21:31.79
and is dealing with
some type of malady. Why?
00:21:32.79\00:21:34.86
Because the Good Shepherd
pays attention to the details
00:21:36.02\00:21:38.93
of the flock and see friends.
00:21:38.96\00:21:41.96
This is a greater
and more powerful truth
00:21:42.00\00:21:44.83
than we recognize.
00:21:44.87\00:21:46.67
Because if a good shepherd heard
00:21:46.70\00:21:49.34
is counting
00:21:52.11\00:21:53.84
what is going
on with dumb sheep,
00:21:53.88\00:21:56.54
what do you think the
Good Shepherd is doing
00:21:57.78\00:22:01.32
as it relates to keeping count
00:22:02.02\00:22:04.29
of every particular
detail of your life?
00:22:05.22\00:22:08.32
You say friends of mine.
00:22:08.89\00:22:10.09
I need somebody to be aware
that the same way and earthly
00:22:10.13\00:22:14.56
shepherd is documenting
the affairs of the sheep.
00:22:14.56\00:22:17.90
I need you to know
that your father in heaven
00:22:18.90\00:22:21.17
is keeping count
00:22:22.30\00:22:23.94
of every matter
that touches your life.
00:22:23.97\00:22:28.84
In other words, I need
to say to somebody today
00:22:29.84\00:22:32.71
he feels overwhelmed
00:22:33.35\00:22:35.85
and unattended to
because you're encountering
00:22:36.89\00:22:40.02
circumstances
that seem to suggest
00:22:40.06\00:22:43.16
that God has left you
and that you are by yourself.
00:22:44.29\00:22:47.30
The promise of
Hebrews 13 five is this that
00:22:48.23\00:22:50.97
he will never leave
you nor forsake you.
00:22:51.00\00:22:57.07
And I want
somebody to understand
00:22:57.11\00:22:58.47
this about the
promise of God's presence.
00:22:58.51\00:23:00.71
How many of us know
that the presence of God
00:23:00.74\00:23:02.58
is not a feeling?
00:23:02.61\00:23:04.61
It's a guarantee.
00:23:04.65\00:23:06.68
I need you to know
that the Bible says
00:23:06.72\00:23:08.72
if I make my bed
in hell, he's there.
00:23:08.75\00:23:10.75
If I climb the stairs
of heaven, he is there.
00:23:11.69\00:23:13.56
That the eyes of the Lord.
00:23:14.19\00:23:14.99
Room two and four in the earth.
00:23:15.02\00:23:16.86
And I need you to
know that God is keeping
00:23:16.89\00:23:19.13
count of every
particular detail of your life.
00:23:19.16\00:23:22.16
You are here. Me today, saints.
00:23:22.86\00:23:23.87
I need you to know
00:23:23.90\00:23:25.03
that your life is so
attended to that Matthew Chapter
00:23:25.07\00:23:30.11
six says that your father knows
what things you have need of.
00:23:30.14\00:23:35.34
Before you even ask,
00:23:36.21\00:23:37.65
I need you to know
that you're so important
00:23:38.81\00:23:40.72
that Matthew ten, verse 26 says
00:23:40.75\00:23:43.55
that the hairs on your head
00:23:43.59\00:23:46.02
have been counted.
00:23:47.72\00:23:49.32
You are so special
to God that Psalm 56
00:23:49.36\00:23:52.36
and verse eight says that
he numbers your wandering.
00:23:53.50\00:23:55.93
He keeps your tears in a bottle.
00:23:56.63\00:23:58.53
And guess what?
00:23:58.97\00:24:00.07
You are so special to
God that he says he records
00:24:00.10\00:24:03.54
every tier that
falls from your eye
00:24:04.31\00:24:07.04
in his belt.
00:24:07.08\00:24:09.68
Are you hearing
this in a church?
00:24:10.48\00:24:12.61
I need somebody to understand
that God says that even when one
00:24:12.65\00:24:17.42
sparrow falls to the ground,
your heavenly Father takes note.
00:24:18.62\00:24:21.86
And that's why
the old him, right.
00:24:22.62\00:24:23.76
Was able to declare that
if his eye is on the sparrow,
00:24:23.79\00:24:28.96
you can know that
his eyes are upon you.
00:24:29.00\00:24:31.97
And I just need
somebody to know that feels like
00:24:32.97\00:24:35.24
you're overwhelmed
by circumstance and debt
00:24:35.27\00:24:37.71
and problems and enemies.
00:24:38.34\00:24:39.51
And you feel like
you're all by yourself.
00:24:39.54\00:24:41.61
I need you to know that
beyond the curtain of what
00:24:42.64\00:24:44.75
your eyes are able to
see is an invisible savior
00:24:44.78\00:24:47.95
who is so invested in
your life that he gave his own.
00:24:49.05\00:24:51.65
And He is aware of every detail
00:24:52.35\00:24:55.02
that presses upon your life.
00:24:56.19\00:24:58.43
So he's keeping count of
how much you owe your creditors.
00:24:59.56\00:25:01.33
He's keeping count of
how many enemies you have.
00:25:02.40\00:25:04.07
He's keeping count of how
many surgeries you've had.
00:25:05.20\00:25:06.80
He's keeping count of
every particular thing
00:25:07.74\00:25:09.44
that brings his back
six vexation into your soul.
00:25:09.47\00:25:12.21
And so I need you to know
00:25:12.84\00:25:13.98
the only reason you've
made it as far as you've made it
00:25:14.01\00:25:16.51
is because
somebody was keeping count.
00:25:17.35\00:25:20.32
Okay, can I.
00:25:20.35\00:25:21.92
Can I pull the
church for a minute?
00:25:21.95\00:25:24.19
Anybody ever been so broke?
00:25:24.22\00:25:25.89
You can pay attention.
00:25:25.92\00:25:28.32
And somehow a
check came in the mail.
00:25:28.36\00:25:31.59
Somehow somebody's
cash strapped right in time.
00:25:32.63\00:25:35.20
And the reason that
came when it did was
00:25:36.06\00:25:39.03
because somebody
was keeping count.
00:25:39.07\00:25:40.97
Oh, all locked in. Brand new.
00:25:41.00\00:25:42.57
Anybody ever been at the
end of one job or contract?
00:25:42.60\00:25:46.14
And when you got down to
the last week, guess what?
00:25:47.28\00:25:49.44
Another job or a
contract showed up.
00:25:49.48\00:25:51.98
And the reason that happened
00:25:52.65\00:25:54.02
was because
somebody was keeping count.
00:25:54.05\00:25:56.48
Thank you for joining
us for The Breath of Life
00:25:57.45\00:25:59.39
Television Ministries broadcast
with Pastor Debleaire Snell.
00:25:59.42\00:26:03.93
We hope and pray
00:26:03.96\00:26:05.09
that you have been blessed
00:26:05.13\00:26:06.46
by this fifth
message in the sermon series.
00:26:06.49\00:26:09.50
Excusless.
00:26:09.53\00:26:10.83
Join us next week for part two
of the message “Lost and Found”.
00:26:10.87\00:26:16.87
You don't want to miss.
00:26:17.44\00:26:19.71
Hello, I'm Pastor
00:26:19.74\00:26:21.71
Snell, speaker
director for The Breath of Life
00:26:21.74\00:26:24.21
Television Ministry.
00:26:24.25\00:26:25.61
This ministry was established
to take the gospel of Jesus
00:26:25.65\00:26:29.18
Christ throughout North
America and across the globe.
00:26:29.22\00:26:32.95
My goal is to make Jesus Christ
00:26:33.66\00:26:36.26
known through the
preaching of the word.
00:26:36.29\00:26:38.96
I need you to know that we
need your financial partnership
00:26:40.13\00:26:42.66
in order to make sure that the
Gospel can go into every hill,
00:26:43.93\00:26:47.57
into every rural county,
and into every inner city.
00:26:48.67\00:26:51.27
And we can only take the
gospel as far as the gifts
00:26:52.34\00:26:55.54
that you lend to us.
00:26:55.58\00:26:57.28
We thank you for your financial
partnership in the past,
00:26:57.31\00:27:00.72
and I'm asking that you continue
to be a financial partner
00:27:01.88\00:27:05.02
with this
ministry going forward.
00:27:05.82\00:27:07.36
Here are some ways you can give.
00:27:07.39\00:27:09.89
You can give online at
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00:27:09.92\00:27:14.00
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00:27:15.33\00:27:17.83
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00:27:20.77\00:27:22.90
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00:27:23.77\00:27:28.21
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00:27:36.65\00:27:39.22
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00:27:42.29\00:27:43.32
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00:27:43.36\00:27:46.13
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00:27:46.16\00:27:51.10
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00:27:52.07\00:27:55.04
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00:27:55.07\00:27:58.64
God bless you, and we
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00:27:59.74\00:28:14.82