I'm Free Indeed.
00:00:13.23\00:00:18.15
When Lemuel
Vega, was inmate here
00:00:18.18\00:00:20.66
in that particular house
right there so many decades ago.
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He had no idea how God was going
to use him and change his life.
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And now that Free Indeed
and Christmas Behind Bars
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have come back to this facility,
we have no idea how lives
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are going to be changed.
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We just know that when
you bring Christ into a place,
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into a life something happens.
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Lives are changed,
destinies are rearranged
00:00:41.91\00:00:45.08
and men become
free in Christ Jesus.
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Well, and I play in
the band and I started,
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I started taking lesson
here from a guy at rack,
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spending my
life as an introvert,
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anything than
being in front of people,
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I mean my first time
doing, I mean I was shaken,
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I almost passed
out, I was so scared
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and so I began and it
made me feel good about myself
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and it made me believe
the things were possible.
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I have an older brother
and served 20 plus years
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in prison and has many,
many more to go but I couldn't
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be prouder of him
because of the changes
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that had taken
place in his life,
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his faith he has put in Christ
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and the corporeal, the
real, the tangible difference
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that it's making in his life
and then watching him making
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that same difference
in other people's life.
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My childhood was very confusing.
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There was no stability.
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My mom remarried
several other times.
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I didn't feel
loved so, it was hard
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for me to accept love,
and it's hard for me to accept
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Gods love because I was
sort of raised where love
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was something you had to earn.
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You either had
to be straight A's
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or you got be great in
sports or some if you want
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any kind of positive attention.
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You had to do something
remarkable for anybody to notice
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you and I didn't
really tried that hard,
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I was just-I mean I
probably could have more,
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but I spent most of my childhood
day dreaming just escaping.
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Yeah, but when I really began
to see a change in David's life,
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in a really quick downward
and spiral was, you know,
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when he was
introduced to alcohol and drugs.
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The things that--he was
always a kind of a trouble kid.
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You know, just
never felt like he fit in.
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He had friends but you
know not a lot of friends
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and that sort of things and so,
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you know, he kind of struggled
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with some of that fitting in.
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But, you know, one
thing is that alcoholics
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and druggists everybody fits in.
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you know, if you got money
to buy, you're their buddy.
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And so immediately I
got all these buddies,
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I get all these
friends to get on,
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I'm totally accepted
and so he really began,
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really went head
over hills into the hole.
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You know, we are
talking early 70's
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so the end of the
drug culture and of course
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then the
inhibitions are just gone.
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There was a party going
on and my mom and my step dad
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were out of town and I
just, I didn't care anymore.
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I said, I just
like I was mad at God,
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you know, and I
started getting high
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and once I started
that, I mean I took
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to that like a fish to water.
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And before that I was
like, I would never drink
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and I was like Mr. Straight,
you know, just didn't do,
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I was in the
sports and working out
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in school and all that stuff.
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I just went to whole
hogged to other direction.
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Just like I don't
care about anything anymore
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and so when I finally, I
reached a point like after
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I got arrested I was in
jail, and I was planning suicide
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and I had money, so
I was buying all these,
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they wouldn't give me,
they know I was suicidal,
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my warden said, he's suicidal,
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I attempted suicide
a couple of time also,
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so they wouldn't give
me any antidepressants
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or any of that stuff.
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So I'm buying these
antidepressants from other guys,
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so I can sleep plus
I'm saving them all,
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my plan was I'm
going to go to sensing,
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I want to make my
statement, I'm gonna apologize
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for everything, then
I'm going to come back
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and life would be over
now, I won't feel any more pain.
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I mean I had cursed God out.
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Got mad, looked up at the sky
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and just cursed at
Him, told Him, I hated Him.
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I said kill me and stuff,
and doing all these crazy things
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and this guy-there was
this one person came in,
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he was different
than these other guys.
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A lot of guys, you
know, jailhouse religion
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and this one guy and
he was just different
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and he started
talking to me and I said look,
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I said I understand
what you are saying.
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I believe in what
you said, but I can't
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ask God to forgive me.
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I said, there
is no way He could,
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and even though God
kept giving me opportunities
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and I kept rejecting them.
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He kept showing me
mercy, He never gave up on me
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and I have
thanked Him so many times
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to say thank you Lord
for never giving up on me.
00:05:05.60\00:05:10.13
God never gives up on us.
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And no matter who you
are, what you have done.
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I know that every person has had
to have heard that voice inside.
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Who am I, that the
lord of all the earth
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Would care to know my name
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Would care to feel my hurt?
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Who am I, that the
bright and morning star
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Would choose to light the way
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For my ever wandering heart?
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Not because of who I am
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But because of what you've done
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Not because of what I've done
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But because of who you are
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I am a flower quickly fading
00:06:10.07\00:06:14.60
Here today and gone tomorrow
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A wave tossed in the ocean
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A vapor in the wind
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Still you hear
me when I'm calling
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Lord, you catch
me when I'm falling
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And you've told me who I am
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I am yours That's
right, that's right
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Hallelujah, Hallelujah.
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It seemed like there was
times and there was actually
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I can remember a time,
you know, God was always
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trying to break through
and like I said different times
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I would and there was
actually a time before
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I even got arrested,
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you know, while I was
going to end up doing that.
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And I would hear
God's word so clearly said,
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"Dave, you got
to stop, stop now."
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When I would hear I was
like... and it was so clear
00:07:07.61\00:07:11.55
and I just and I'd say,
man that's right, I got to.
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And then the next
day it would be like,
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right back in the same
thing but God never stopped.
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That's the thing that
amazed me about God is no matter
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how much I
rejected Him, every chance
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where I was in a
certain state of mind,
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where His voice can get
through and I could hear.
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He spoke to me
and He tried everyway
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to stop me to
make me turn this way,
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turn that way to
just, and you know,
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I look back at all those
times when I would only listen.
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If I would only
just, because He was right,
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He is always right.
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Who am I, that the
eyes that see my sins
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Would look on me with love
00:08:00.50\00:08:03.80
And watch me rise again?
00:08:03.83\00:08:09.45
Who am I, that the
voice who calmed the sea
00:08:09.48\00:08:15.33
Would call out through the rain
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And calm the storm in me
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Not because of who I am
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But because of what you've done
00:08:28.22\00:08:31.80
Not because of what I've done
00:08:31.83\00:08:35.50
But because of who you are
00:08:35.54\00:08:40.49
I am a flower quickly fading
00:08:40.52\00:08:44.75
Here today and gone tomorrow
00:08:44.78\00:08:48.81
A wave tossed in the ocean
00:08:48.84\00:08:52.56
A vapor in the wind
00:08:52.59\00:08:55.36
Still you hear
me when I'm calling
00:08:55.39\00:08:59.52
Lord, you catch
me when I'm falling
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And you've told me who I am
00:09:03.35\00:09:08.33
I am yours
00:09:08.36\00:09:12.46
The day my life changed,
00:09:20.12\00:09:23.71
it wasn't like I
went to all church
00:09:23.74\00:09:25.26
that the sinners pray and
do other things like people.
00:09:25.29\00:09:27.16
I just said, God
you really forgive me.
00:09:27.19\00:09:31.05
And there is a resounding yes,
00:09:31.08\00:09:32.55
and I heard His
voice so clear, Yes.
00:09:32.58\00:09:35.72
It's all he could wait
for me to do as you say,
00:09:35.75\00:09:37.50
can you really and
my life began to change,
00:09:37.53\00:09:41.31
you know, because I
realized God borrows
00:09:41.34\00:09:45.48
my mind because
after all I had is,
00:09:45.51\00:09:47.84
I'm still here for
you, I still love you,
00:09:47.87\00:09:50.68
that makes no sense
to me, no logic or sense.
00:09:50.71\00:09:56.27
Not because of who I am
00:09:56.30\00:09:59.89
But because of what you've done
00:09:59.92\00:10:03.55
Not because of what I've done
00:10:03.58\00:10:07.16
But because of who you are
00:10:07.19\00:10:11.49
I am a flower quickly fading
00:10:11.52\00:10:16.13
Here today and gone tomorrow
00:10:16.16\00:10:20.17
A wave tossed in the ocean
00:10:20.20\00:10:23.98
A vapor in the wind
00:10:24.01\00:10:26.56
Still you hear
me when I'm calling
00:10:26.59\00:10:30.29
Lord, you catch
me when I'm falling
00:10:30.32\00:10:34.63
And you've told me who I am
00:10:34.66\00:10:38.60
I am yours
00:10:39.78\00:10:41.45
I am a flower quickly fading
00:10:41.48\00:10:45.46
Here today and gone tomorrow
00:10:45.49\00:10:49.03
I am yours
00:11:08.81\00:11:12.57
I am yours
00:11:12.60\00:11:16.17
I am yours
00:11:16.20\00:11:19.73
I am yours
00:11:19.76\00:11:23.87
Whom shall I fear?
00:11:23.90\00:11:25.89
Whom shall I fear?
00:11:25.92\00:11:28.21
'Cause I am yours
00:11:28.24\00:11:31.61
Whom shall I fear?
00:11:31.64\00:11:33.21
Whom shall I fear?
00:11:33.24\00:11:34.82
'Cause I am yours
00:11:34.85\00:11:38.32
Whom shall I fear?
00:11:38.35\00:11:40.57
God is in my life
00:11:40.60\00:11:42.59
Jesus does it through me
00:11:42.62\00:11:44.18
Whom shall I fear?
00:11:44.21\00:11:45.87
Whom shall I fear?
00:11:45.90\00:11:47.06
'Cause I am yours
00:11:47.09\00:11:48.79
I am yours Hallelujah.
00:12:16.44\00:12:19.11
I don't know how
much time I have,
00:12:25.26\00:12:27.91
so I want to just
share a little secret text,
00:12:27.94\00:12:32.74
it's one of those
shouting kind of text
00:12:32.77\00:12:34.42
when you really understand it.
00:12:34.45\00:12:36.32
It doesn't look
like much of a text.
00:12:36.35\00:12:38.48
If you have a
Bible, go to Hebrews 11,
00:12:38.51\00:12:46.10
and I'm gonna start with
verse 40 then I'm gonna backup,
00:12:46.13\00:12:50.32
then I'm gonna go forward,
then I'll back up some more,
00:12:50.35\00:12:51.96
I'll go forward some more.
00:12:51.99\00:12:53.23
Hebrews 11:40, doesn't
look like much of a text,
00:12:53.26\00:12:58.76
till you play with
it just a little bit.
00:12:58.79\00:13:00.19
Let's pray Father God,
00:13:00.22\00:13:02.40
we need You to
speak to us again.
00:13:02.43\00:13:04.54
You spoke into us so eloquently
this morning through the music
00:13:04.57\00:13:08.86
and the testimonies but we
want You to speak to us just,
00:13:08.89\00:13:13.59
just one more time
and we promise Lord
00:13:13.62\00:13:17.70
that we will hear and we will
00:13:17.73\00:13:20.47
do in Jesus' name. Amen.
00:13:20.50\00:13:26.12
I'm-- well let's look
00:13:26.15\00:13:31.00
at verse 39, Hebrews 11:39. "
00:13:31.03\00:13:34.15
All these, having
obtained a good testimony,
00:13:34.18\00:13:38.58
I mean in the New
King James, through faith,
00:13:38.61\00:13:41.64
did not received the promise.
00:13:41.67\00:13:45.94
God having provided
something better for us,
00:13:45.97\00:13:50.31
that they should not be
made perfect apart from us."
00:13:50.34\00:13:55.41
It's a nice little text
till you realize where it sits.
00:13:55.44\00:14:01.09
Now let's go on to Chapter 12.
00:14:01.12\00:14:04.37
"Therefore we also,
since we are surrounded
00:14:04.40\00:14:07.90
by so great a
cloud of witnesses,
00:14:07.93\00:14:11.92
let us lay aside every weight,
00:14:11.95\00:14:13.88
and sin which so
easily ensnares us."
00:14:13.91\00:14:18.63
Now, you may have beset us,
depending upon your translation.
00:14:18.66\00:14:22.42
"And let us run with
patience or endurance
00:14:22.45\00:14:27.64
the race that is set before us."
00:14:27.67\00:14:31.19
Now, to get the context for
39 and 40 you got to back up,
00:14:31.22\00:14:35.51
so let's back up to verse 32
00:14:35.54\00:14:38.37
this how you study the
Bible, find the context.
00:14:38.40\00:14:44.82
So, Paul is
saying to the Hebrews
00:14:44.85\00:14:46.28
"And what more shall I say?
00:14:46.31\00:14:50.96
For the time would fail
me to tell you of Gedeon
00:14:50.99\00:14:53.50
and Barak and Samson
and Jephthah also of David,
00:14:53.53\00:14:56.40
and Samuel, and the prophets,
00:14:56.43\00:14:58.18
who through
faith subdued kingdoms,
00:14:58.21\00:15:02.43
worked righteousness,
obtained promises,
00:15:02.46\00:15:04.78
stopped the mouths of lions,
quenched the violence of fire,
00:15:04.81\00:15:08.43
escaped the edge of the sword,
00:15:08.46\00:15:10.02
out of weakness
were made strong,
00:15:10.05\00:15:11.88
became valiant in battle,
00:15:11.91\00:15:14.54
turned to flight
the armies of aliens.
00:15:14.57\00:15:17.17
Women received their
dead raised to life again.
00:15:17.20\00:15:19.55
Others tortured, not
accepting deliverance
00:15:19.58\00:15:22.11
that they might
obtain a better resurrection.
00:15:22.14\00:15:24.49
Still others had trial of
mocking and scourging, yes,
00:15:24.52\00:15:28.01
of chains and imprisonment."
00:15:28.04\00:15:29.67
This is tough
stuff they went through.
00:15:29.70\00:15:33.26
"They were stoned,
they were sawn in two,
00:15:33.29\00:15:37.70
were tempted, were
slain with the sword.
00:15:37.73\00:15:40.88
They wandered about n
sheepskins and goatskins,
00:15:40.91\00:15:43.99
being destitute, afflicted,
00:15:44.02\00:15:46.11
tormented of whom
the world was not worthy.
00:15:46.14\00:15:50.78
They wandered in
deserts and mountains,
00:15:55.71\00:15:57.56
in dens and caves of the earth.
00:15:57.59\00:16:00.06
And all these, having obtained
a good testimony through faith,
00:16:00.09\00:16:05.06
did not receive the promise."
00:16:05.09\00:16:07.98
Now what is the promise?
00:16:08.01\00:16:10.60
Well you got to
back up to verse 16.
00:16:10.63\00:16:16.85
Same Chapter Hebrew 11:16.
00:16:16.88\00:16:19.79
"But now they desire a better,
00:16:19.82\00:16:24.77
that is, a heavenly country.
00:16:24.81\00:16:28.45
Therefore God is not
ashamed to be called their God."
00:16:28.48\00:16:32.04
Now let's stop right there.
00:16:32.07\00:16:33.74
That nobody in here this
morning who is in here because
00:16:33.77\00:16:38.96
you stole paper clips
from your boss. Amen. Amen.
00:16:38.99\00:16:45.96
If you are in here, you are in
a maximum security institution
00:16:45.99\00:16:50.62
because you did
a little something
00:16:50.65\00:16:52.20
more than steal
paper clips, amen.
00:16:52.23\00:16:56.99
And yet God is saying,
00:16:57.02\00:17:00.32
I'm not ashamed of you.
00:17:00.35\00:17:05.21
Your family may be ashamed,
your friends may be ashamed
00:17:05.24\00:17:09.33
but God says, I'm not ashamed.
00:17:09.36\00:17:13.78
I'm not ashamed
we called you a God
00:17:13.81\00:17:16.44
because you are
not ashamed of me.
00:17:16.47\00:17:20.44
So I'm not ashamed of
you, in fact I love you,
00:17:20.47\00:17:24.88
because you are
not ashamed of me.
00:17:24.91\00:17:27.28
So, the promise
Christ says Revelation 22:12,
00:17:27.31\00:17:32.18
"Behold, I come quickly,
and My reward is with Me."
00:17:32.21\00:17:36.84
What's the reward?
00:17:36.87\00:17:38.06
Well, it's right here.
00:17:38.09\00:17:41.21
"For he, I'm in verse 16,
00:17:41.24\00:17:44.19
has prepared a city for them."
00:17:44.22\00:17:49.53
That's the promise.
00:17:49.56\00:17:51.97
The promise is eternal life
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
00:17:52.00\00:17:55.32
Now, go back to 11:1.
00:17:55.35\00:18:00.17
"Now faith is the
substance of things hoped for,
00:18:00.20\00:18:02.14
the evidence of things not seen.
00:18:02.17\00:18:05.36
For it the elders
obtained a good testimony."
00:18:05.39\00:18:08.20
Then you got what we
call the wall of faith,
00:18:08.23\00:18:11.08
the hall of faith, the
super hero list of faith.
00:18:11.11\00:18:15.34
"By faith Abel, I'm in verse
4, verse 5 "By faith Enoch."
00:18:15.37\00:18:21.61
Then that great text
"Without faith it is impossible
00:18:21.64\00:18:26.13
to please Him, for
he who comes to God
00:18:26.16\00:18:28.19
must believe one that He is,
and two that He is a rewarder
00:18:28.22\00:18:33.63
of those who
diligently seek Him."
00:18:33.66\00:18:35.33
So you need both,
first you got to believe
00:18:35.36\00:18:36.79
that when you fall in
your knees and talk to God,
00:18:36.82\00:18:39.71
there is somebody up there
on the other end of your prayer
00:18:39.74\00:18:42.54
who is listening for you.
00:18:42.57\00:18:45.16
Then you got to believe
not only does He hear you,
00:18:45.19\00:18:47.93
but that He
will honor and listen
00:18:47.96\00:18:50.34
to your prayers,
so you need both.
00:18:50.37\00:18:51.95
You got to believe that He
is and that He cares. Amen.
00:18:51.98\00:18:55.18
All righty.
Then, "By faith Noah,
00:18:55.21\00:18:59.70
By faith Abraham, By
faith I'm in verse 11 Sarah.
00:18:59.73\00:19:07.38
These all died in
faith, I'm in verse 13
00:19:07.41\00:19:10.79
not having
received the promise."
00:19:10.82\00:19:13.44
17, "By faith Abraham."
00:19:13.47\00:19:18.32
20, "By faith Isaac."
00:19:18.35\00:19:20.28
22, "By faith Joseph."
00:19:20.31\00:19:22.05
21 "By faith Jacob."
00:19:22.08\00:19:23.55
23, "By faith Moses."
00:19:23.58\00:19:28.16
It's going down,
going down, going down,
00:19:28.19\00:19:30.23
"By faith of rehab, by
faith the wall of Jericho,
00:19:30.26\00:19:34.20
by faith they
passed through Red Sea.
00:19:34.23\00:19:38.56
And then he says I talked
about that what more can I say?
00:19:38.59\00:19:41.87
These are great men
who have done great things.
00:19:41.90\00:19:45.03
Then comes this little text.
00:19:45.06\00:19:47.40
"All these, having obtained
a good testimony through faith,
00:19:47.43\00:19:52.42
did not receive the promise."
00:19:52.45\00:19:54.72
All of these
people, who did all of these
00:19:54.75\00:19:57.03
great things
didn't get the promise.
00:19:57.06\00:19:58.72
What's the promise?
00:19:58.75\00:20:00.19
Promise is
eternal life in heaven.
00:20:00.22\00:20:02.95
Now, here is the text
you need to underline 40.
00:20:02.98\00:20:07.25
"But God having provided
something better for us,
00:20:07.28\00:20:15.24
that they should not be
made perfect apart from us."
00:20:15.27\00:20:19.90
You note what that
little text is saying?
00:20:19.93\00:20:21.53
As good as Abraham,
Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Rehab,
00:20:21.56\00:20:26.71
as good as all of those were,
God has made you a promise.
00:20:26.74\00:20:31.80
They are not going to get
theirs before you get yours.
00:20:31.83\00:20:36.90
That's what that text is saying.
00:20:36.93\00:20:43.24
He is saying, look at how great
00:20:43.27\00:20:45.48
these people were,
look at all of the wonderful
00:20:45.51\00:20:48.58
stop lion's
jaws, defeated armies,
00:20:48.61\00:20:51.66
took down kings, did
great things for the Lord.
00:20:51.69\00:20:59.63
But here is your promise?
00:20:59.66\00:21:01.79
They are not going to get theirs
before you get yours. Amen.
00:21:01.82\00:21:06.48
God has provided,
that's how much God loves you
00:21:06.51\00:21:10.06
in Jesus all of
these haven't doubted
00:21:10.09\00:21:13.73
in their faith
didn't get in heaven.
00:21:13.76\00:21:15.82
So on today you get
yours they will get theirs
00:21:15.85\00:21:20.47
and not one day before.
00:21:20.50\00:21:22.41
Amen, that's
powerful, that's powerful.
00:21:22.44\00:21:26.48
That's God's
guarantee of His love for you.
00:21:26.51\00:21:30.78
You didn't sit in
anybody's lions' den.
00:21:30.81\00:21:35.27
Anybody been in a fiery
furnace, or sometimes you like
00:21:35.30\00:21:38.82
you're in a fiery furnace,
00:21:38.85\00:21:40.16
you know, but you
haven't been in a fiery furnace.
00:21:40.19\00:21:44.07
But Shadrach,
Meshach and Abednego,
00:21:44.10\00:21:46.97
while their real
names are Hananiah,
00:21:47.00\00:21:48.74
and Azariah and
Mishael, and Shadrach,
00:21:48.77\00:21:50.51
Meshach is a Chaldean name.
00:21:50.54\00:21:53.30
They are not going to get
their before you get yours.
00:21:53.33\00:21:56.11
God has provided
something better,
00:21:56.14\00:21:58.54
that we all going to
get it together. Amen.
00:21:58.57\00:22:02.83
That's how much God
respects your love for Him.
00:22:02.86\00:22:07.37
So Christ says, "If
your are not ashamed of me,
00:22:07.40\00:22:08.87
I'm not going to be ashamed
of you before My Father."
00:22:08.90\00:22:10.88
And then God
says, "I'm not going
00:22:10.91\00:22:11.94
to be ashamed to be your God."
00:22:11.97\00:22:14.98
I'll tell the
universe, those are my children.
00:22:15.01\00:22:19.11
They belong to me.
00:22:19.14\00:22:21.03
Now let me close with just a
sermon I heard a little story
00:22:21.06\00:22:24.78
I heard in the seminary
00:22:24.81\00:22:27.30
and I have carried
it all these years.
00:22:27.33\00:22:33.16
There was a farmer
who lived on a farm,
00:22:33.19\00:22:38.60
his wife had died,
00:22:38.63\00:22:40.45
children had
grown up, moved away.
00:22:40.48\00:22:42.54
So he had this fairly big farm,
00:22:42.57\00:22:45.84
lot of animals
but for some reason
00:22:45.87\00:22:48.93
he had a pet goat that
he just seemed to bond with.
00:22:48.96\00:22:56.14
He had a dog
and the dog was nice
00:22:56.17\00:22:58.05
but there is
something about this goat,
00:22:58.08\00:22:59.34
so he would leave
food at the back door
00:22:59.37\00:23:01.38
and everyday like
clock work at 4 o'clock
00:23:01.41\00:23:05.23
this goat would come,
00:23:05.26\00:23:06.96
eat food and it
was just the goat,
00:23:06.99\00:23:09.32
following him around and
helping him out on the farm,
00:23:09.35\00:23:11.69
he just, just
kind of like this goat.
00:23:11.72\00:23:15.78
He had a well on the farm
that had dried up and really
00:23:15.81\00:23:22.82
he needed to
fill it in with dirt.
00:23:22.85\00:23:26.20
But you know sometimes
you make a pledge to yourself,
00:23:26.23\00:23:28.04
I'm going to do it
but you never get around
00:23:28.07\00:23:29.71
to do in it so just
kind off sits there,
00:23:29.74\00:23:31.51
you know, year after
year kind of sits here.
00:23:31.54\00:23:33.25
He had fenced it
often, the sheep didn't stay
00:23:33.28\00:23:36.07
in their pasture, the
cow stayed in pasture,
00:23:36.10\00:23:38.06
but this goat had to
run in the farm and he said,
00:23:38.09\00:23:40.13
you know I need to fill
in that well because one day
00:23:40.16\00:23:44.20
this nosey goat, is
going to nose around
00:23:44.23\00:23:46.65
and fall on it, I
think hurt himself
00:23:46.68\00:23:48.19
and he meant to do
it but he never did it.
00:23:48.22\00:23:50.78
So, one day on a
weekend, he put the food out
00:23:50.81\00:23:53.46
there and 4
o'clock comes and no goat,
00:23:53.49\00:23:56.37
4:30, 5, 5:30,
quarter to 6, no goat.
00:23:56.40\00:23:59.77
He said, let me
go and look into,
00:23:59.80\00:24:00.83
so he looks all over
the farm can't find him.
00:24:00.86\00:24:03.32
And he says, now, let
me go look down this well,
00:24:03.35\00:24:09.84
just in case and sure enough
he shines his flashlight down
00:24:09.87\00:24:12.64
there at the bottom
of the well is the goat.
00:24:12.67\00:24:16.06
And he said, you
know, I should have,
00:24:16.09\00:24:18.08
I should have taken
care of that long ago.
00:24:18.11\00:24:22.02
So now he get his
tractor and he says,
00:24:22.05\00:24:24.58
this well would be his tomb,
00:24:24.61\00:24:27.74
I'll just bury it and do now
00:24:27.77\00:24:30.26
what I should
have done years ago.
00:24:30.29\00:24:33.50
So he turns on the
engine and he is beginning
00:24:33.53\00:24:36.16
to dump the dirt
down, but you know
00:24:36.19\00:24:37.85
the goat wasn't
dead, just had been stunned
00:24:37.88\00:24:42.81
by the depth of the fall.
00:24:42.84\00:24:49.34
So basically now he is
burying his pet goat alive,
00:24:49.37\00:24:55.44
but you know that goat
had been around humans a long,
00:24:55.47\00:24:57.66
that goat was no fool.
00:24:57.69\00:25:00.67
He knew a couple of things,
so every time a shovel full
00:25:00.70\00:25:05.93
of dirt came down, the
goat would shake it off
00:25:05.96\00:25:12.26
and pack it down. Amen.
00:25:12.29\00:25:18.78
He just shake it
off, pack it down,
00:25:18.81\00:25:23.39
and every time he shook
it off and packed it down,
00:25:23.42\00:25:27.42
he rose up a little higher.
00:25:27.45\00:25:32.53
It just shake it
off and pack it down,
00:25:32.56\00:25:35.75
rose up a little higher.
00:25:35.78\00:25:39.41
And after a while
he got up high enough
00:25:39.44\00:25:43.21
that he could be
heard and rescued. Amen.
00:25:43.24\00:25:48.80
Now, I taught about that story
from years ago in a seminary
00:25:48.83\00:25:53.60
because it's talking about goats
00:25:53.63\00:25:54.86
but it's really
respecting humans.
00:25:54.89\00:25:58.06
In your life you
go and meet people
00:25:58.09\00:26:03.04
who want to throw
dirt on your aspirations.
00:26:03.07\00:26:06.91
They gonna tell
you, you can't do it,
00:26:06.94\00:26:08.44
you're too old, you're too dumb,
00:26:08.47\00:26:11.67
you're too
black, you're too white,
00:26:11.70\00:26:13.28
you're too fat, you're too thin,
00:26:13.31\00:26:14.43
you're too stupid whatever.
00:26:14.46\00:26:17.82
Why should you carry around
00:26:17.85\00:26:19.74
the weight of
their disappointment?
00:26:19.77\00:26:24.09
Why should you be
saddled with their dirt?
00:26:24.12\00:26:27.92
When people try
to heap dirt on you,
00:26:27.95\00:26:29.55
shake it off, pack it down,
00:26:29.58\00:26:35.46
you rise up a
little higher. Amen.
00:26:35.49\00:26:37.48
Amen. I'll carry that dirt?
00:26:37.51\00:26:45.15
I'll carry that dirt?
00:26:46.92\00:26:49.43
Shake it off, pack it down
and you rise up a little higher,
00:26:49.46\00:26:55.67
you rise up in your
heart, you rise up in your mind,
00:26:55.70\00:26:59.21
you rise up in your
soul, and you get so high
00:26:59.24\00:27:03.94
all you can see is Jesus.
00:27:03.97\00:27:06.64
You can't see anybody
else, I say pause, pause it,
00:27:06.67\00:27:10.80
I'm determined to know nothing.
00:27:10.83\00:27:12.24
I don't want to know
your dirt say Jesus Christ
00:27:12.27\00:27:17.93
and him crucified. Amen.
00:27:17.96\00:27:22.36
So, when they tell you can't,
00:27:22.39\00:27:23.63
listen the next
time they tell you,
00:27:23.66\00:27:26.24
you can't tell
them, oh, yes I can.
00:27:26.27\00:27:30.20
The next time they tell
you that you won't yeah I will.
00:27:30.23\00:27:36.75
Amen. Shake if
off, pack it down,
00:27:36.78\00:27:40.51
and rise up a little
higher. God Bless you.
00:27:40.54\00:27:44.94
When Christmas Behind
Bars first partnered with 3ABN,
00:27:54.00\00:27:57.33
we never imagined the
blessing or the beauty that God
00:27:57.36\00:28:01.33
would bring out of this
endeavor working together
00:28:01.36\00:28:03.98
for the kingdom
of God, bringing hope
00:28:04.01\00:28:06.60
to our brothers and
sisters behind bars.
00:28:06.63\00:28:08.90
And now our brother
and sisters behind bars
00:28:08.93\00:28:11.16
are actually bringing
hope and encouragement
00:28:11.19\00:28:13.80
to our viewers around the world.
00:28:13.83\00:28:16.14
God bless you
and we look forward
00:28:16.17\00:28:18.88
to you partnering with
us, christmasbehindbars.org.
00:28:18.91\00:28:23.41
Blessing to you
until we meet again.
00:28:23.44\00:28:26.75