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In chains I was bound.

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I was a madman

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on the run.

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Through the hills I

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set me free.

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Oh,

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oh.

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Truth set me free.

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Oh.

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Oh. Truth

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Welcome to Tell the Truth, a weekly podcast

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about faith, current events, and life in general,

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brought to you from Mountain View Baptist Church

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live every Monday night at 6 PM CST.

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Thank you for joining us tonight.

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Each night this week, we will be live

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streaming our revival service here at Mountain View

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Baptist Church. The message each night will be

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brought by brother Alan Carr, senior pastor of

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Calvary Baptist Church in Lenoir, North Carolina.

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Pastor Carr is also an instructor at West

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Lenoir School of Ministry,

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teaching homiletics,

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life of Christ, and manuscript evidence.

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We appreciate brother Carr for traveling to Sylvania,

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Alabama to bring us our revival messages this

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week. Here's brother Carr.

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Alright.

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Good to be here again tonight.

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Appreciate the lord's grace and blessings,

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And I'm just thankful for

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a good singing tonight. How about that? It's

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a blessing, wasn't it?

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Appreciate the Lord ministering to us.

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And I was sitting there thinking about how

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many

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folk like this young man are

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in our churches

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around the country

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writing music

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and the wider world needs to hear it.

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Yeah, they do.

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But that's all in God's hands

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and I trust He'll figure that out.

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So

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I'm glad to be saved.

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How about you?

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I need to ask you to pray for

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my brother-in-law.

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His name is Allen Cable. He lives in

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Ada, Oklahoma,

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and he has a lot of serious health

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issues. And right now he's in the hospital

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with

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all kind of things. And I won't go

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into all of it, it's just a ton.

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But he is in desperate need of prayer

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tonight. My wife just texted me and I

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said I would have you 2 pray for

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him. So please do that. And also I

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need to get the time on here so

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I know what time it is because I

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thought,

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I'm kind of like, well, you may have

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heard about it. Little boy brought his friend

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to church

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and his friend had never been in church.

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So he had no idea

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what they did in church. So he was

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curious about everything.

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So they go in and sat down and

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then somebody gets up like Brother Mark and

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gets a songbook and says, we're going to

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stand and sing. And he said, what's that?

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He said, we're going to sing a song

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of praise to God. He said, okay.

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Then somebody started praying. He said, what is

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that about? He said, well, talking to God,

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you know, that's what we do here. Then

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they got some ushers and took up an

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offering. He said, well, what's that about? He

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said, well, what does that mean? He said,

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well, that means we're gonna take up money

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for the church and for the Lord's work,

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you know. Then the preacher gets up to

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preach and takes his watch off

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and lays it on the pulpit. Little boy

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said, what's that mean? He said, that don't

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mean nothing.

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And that's about the way it is. Right?

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Y'all been so patient this week with my

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preaching. Now I thought I would preach a

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short sermon tonight, but I realized I don't

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have any. So

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Acts chapter 9.

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Acts chapter 9.

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See

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I've been I've been at the church I

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pastor for 21 years. And typically I'm preaching

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through books of the bible there on Sunday

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mornings.

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And so my folk know that my sermons

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are like Legos.

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I mean, I can just unplug them anywhere

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and hook them back up the next service.

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And that's what I do. So I may

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prepare a sermon and it'll take me a

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month to preach it, but they're okay with

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that. You know, they're fine. So I have

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a lot of liberty, but when I go

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out to preach, I forget sometimes where I

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am. And,

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oh, God bless you. You're so good to

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me. I appreciate it. You've been so kind.

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But I do feel let me say this

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again. I don't want to take up too

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much preaching time talking. I want to use

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a minute, so I'm gonna use another couple

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of minutes here.

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It's easy to preach in this church.

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All right?

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And that tells me something.

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Anytime I go to a church where it's

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hard to preach, I know what's going on.

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I just preached in one of those last

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month.

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I preached in a Methodist church. Can you

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believe it?

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They invited me to preach

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and I went and preached and they were

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like the whole time.

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But,

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it was hard because they don't know what

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preaching is.

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But I come here and I preach and

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it's easy because you know what preaching is.

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That tells me you're getting preaching on a

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regular basis,

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and you are blessed.

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Sometime before you leave here tonight,

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you might want to slip around and tell

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your preacher how much you appreciate him preaching.

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I guarantee you he's not as long winded

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as I am.

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Tell him you appreciate him. Are you ready?

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Are you?

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Yeah.

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Yeah. Oh, well.

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I feel better.

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Get ready. We're gonna ring in the new

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new day tonight

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that I appreciate. As long as you He'd

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he'd what?

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He presses as long as you could. Does

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he really? Yes, he does. Good night. I'm

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just sitting and stretching it out then.

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That made me happy.

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But you ought to thank him for that

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and turn to page 100 in your wallet

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and help him out too. Amen. That'll be

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a blessing. All

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right. Let's turn to Acts chapter 9. Acts

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chapter number 9.

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This passage relates the conversion of Saul of

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Tarsus,

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better known as Paul the Apostle.

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And we're gonna talk about that for a

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few minutes.

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I wanna read verses 1 through 6, then

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drop down read verses 10 through 22. And

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yes, I intend to preach all of it.

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So hang on.

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Acts chapter 9

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verse number 1.

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The bible says, and Saul, yet breathing out

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threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the

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Lord,

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went under the high priest

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and desired of him letters to Damascus to

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the synagogues that if he found any of

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this way, whether they were men or women,

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he might bring them bound

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unto Jerusalem.

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And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus

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and suddenly there were, there there shined about

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him a light from heaven.

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And he fell to the earth

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and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul,

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Saul,

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why persecutest thou me?

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And he said, who art thou lord?

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And the lord said, I am Jesus whom

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thou persecutest.

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It is hard for thee to kick against

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the pricks.

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And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what

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wilt thou have me to do?

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And the lord said unto him, arise and

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go into the city

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and it shall be told thee

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what thou must do. Verse 10.

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And there was a certain disciple at Damascus

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named Ananias.

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And to him said the Lord in a

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vision, Ananias. And he said, behold

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I am here, Lord.

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And the Lord said unto him, arise and

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go into the street which is called straight

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and inquire in the house of Judas for

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one named Saul of Tarsus, for behold he

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prayeth.

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And he has seen in a vision a

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man named Ananias coming in and putting his

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hand on him that he might receive his

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sight.

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And Ananias said, Lord, I've heard many things

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of this man,

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how much evil he hath done to thy

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saints at Jerusalem

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and here he hath authority from the chief

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priest to bind all that call on thy

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name.

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But the lord said, go thy way

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for he is a chosen vessel unto me

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to bear my name before the Gentiles

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and kings and the children of Israel.

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For I will shew him how great things

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he must suffer

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for my name's sake.

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And Ananias went his way, entered into the

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house and putting his hands on him said,

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and I love this,

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brother Saul, isn't that good?

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Brother Saul,

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the Lord, even Jesus that appeared unto thee

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in the way as thou camest, has sent

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me that thou mightest receive thy sight and

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be filled with the Holy Ghost.

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And immediately there fell from his eyes as

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it had been scales and he received sight

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forthwith and arose and was baptized.

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And when he had received meat and was

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strengthened,

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then was Saul certain days with the disciples

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which were at Damascus.

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And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues,

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that he is the Son of God.

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But all that heard him were amazed and

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said, is this not he that destroyed them

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which called on this name in Jerusalem

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and came hither for that intent that he

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might bring them bound under the chief priests?

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But Saul increased the more in strength

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and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus

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proving

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that this is

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very Christ.

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Every time I read about the conversion

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of Paul,

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I stand amazed

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at the awesome and mighty grace of God.

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Because in Paul's conversion, I see how the

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Lord took a

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hard religious

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man like Saul of Tarsus,

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saved him by his grace,

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and transformed him into the

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apostle to the gentiles.

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And when I read about Saul of Tarsus,

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I come to understand there is hope

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for people like us.

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You see Saul was not a person most

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people would have identified as a candidate for

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useful

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service to the Lord Jesus.

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He was feared by the Christians.

277
00:10:24,575 --> 00:10:27,235
He did everything in his power to

278
00:10:27,615 --> 00:10:28,115
devastate

279
00:10:28,415 --> 00:10:28,915
Christianity.

280
00:10:29,934 --> 00:10:32,894
He wanted to destroy the very name of

281
00:10:32,894 --> 00:10:33,394
Jesus.

282
00:10:33,855 --> 00:10:36,654
He wanted to eliminate those who believed in

283
00:10:36,654 --> 00:10:37,154
Christ

284
00:10:37,539 --> 00:10:39,480
and he wanted to dismantle

285
00:10:40,740 --> 00:10:41,399
and destroy,

286
00:10:41,779 --> 00:10:43,799
demolish the faith and theology

287
00:10:44,419 --> 00:10:46,200
of the little Christian church.

288
00:10:47,139 --> 00:10:49,720
But in spite of his hatred for Jesus

289
00:10:50,580 --> 00:10:51,720
and for Christianity,

290
00:10:52,904 --> 00:10:54,764
God reached down in grace.

291
00:10:55,384 --> 00:10:57,245
He redeemed Saul of Tarsus

292
00:10:57,784 --> 00:10:59,084
from his sins,

293
00:10:59,865 --> 00:11:02,445
and God took Saul as he was,

294
00:11:03,225 --> 00:11:05,245
changed him by his power,

295
00:11:05,850 --> 00:11:07,389
gave him a new name,

296
00:11:07,850 --> 00:11:09,549
and God used him

297
00:11:09,929 --> 00:11:12,110
to literally alter the world.

298
00:11:12,970 --> 00:11:15,129
Our world would not be what it is

299
00:11:15,129 --> 00:11:15,629
today

300
00:11:16,250 --> 00:11:19,049
had it not been for a man named

301
00:11:19,049 --> 00:11:19,549
Paul.

302
00:11:20,794 --> 00:11:23,195
God used him to write 13 books of

303
00:11:23,195 --> 00:11:25,914
the new testament. 14, if you give him

304
00:11:25,914 --> 00:11:27,454
Hebrews, which I do.

305
00:11:27,995 --> 00:11:30,475
God used him to preach the gospel on

306
00:11:30,475 --> 00:11:31,375
3 continents.

307
00:11:32,075 --> 00:11:33,214
Paul was a missionary.

308
00:11:33,834 --> 00:11:35,054
He was an evangelist.

309
00:11:35,740 --> 00:11:38,139
He was a personal witness. He was a

310
00:11:38,139 --> 00:11:40,320
church planter. He was a pastor.

311
00:11:40,779 --> 00:11:42,559
He was a prisoner for Christ.

312
00:11:42,940 --> 00:11:44,000
He was a theologian,

313
00:11:44,540 --> 00:11:47,360
and in the end he was a martyr.

314
00:11:48,004 --> 00:11:49,384
And every conversion

315
00:11:49,764 --> 00:11:52,245
is a miracle of God's grace. It really

316
00:11:52,245 --> 00:11:55,605
is. And every one is of supreme value

317
00:11:55,605 --> 00:11:58,004
in the kingdom of God. And while all

318
00:11:58,004 --> 00:11:59,625
conversions are a blessing,

319
00:12:00,085 --> 00:12:02,585
some really are more fruitful than others.

320
00:12:03,230 --> 00:12:06,110
In Paul's case, God used him greatly during

321
00:12:06,110 --> 00:12:09,629
his life, but his ministry is still bearing

322
00:12:09,629 --> 00:12:10,529
fruit today.

323
00:12:11,149 --> 00:12:13,889
And even though Paul wrote his books 2000

324
00:12:14,029 --> 00:12:14,929
years ago,

325
00:12:15,404 --> 00:12:18,284
every day around the world millions of people

326
00:12:18,284 --> 00:12:20,065
are blessed by his writings.

327
00:12:20,605 --> 00:12:22,845
When they read Paul, they are challenged, they

328
00:12:22,845 --> 00:12:25,804
are fed, they are edified, and they are

329
00:12:25,804 --> 00:12:28,924
changed. And in fact, we're still talking about

330
00:12:28,924 --> 00:12:29,824
him today.

331
00:12:30,440 --> 00:12:32,779
As a writer of Hebrews said in Hebrews

332
00:12:32,919 --> 00:12:34,779
11:4, He being dead

333
00:12:35,159 --> 00:12:38,059
still speaks, and such is true with Paul.

334
00:12:39,080 --> 00:12:41,720
Now Paul had an impact on his world

335
00:12:41,720 --> 00:12:45,534
in his day, and 2000 years later God

336
00:12:45,534 --> 00:12:46,355
is still

337
00:12:46,894 --> 00:12:47,954
using Paul.

338
00:12:48,575 --> 00:12:50,975
But when we look at Paul, people like

339
00:12:50,975 --> 00:12:51,475
us,

340
00:12:52,014 --> 00:12:54,434
we may be tempted to think he was

341
00:12:54,735 --> 00:12:56,355
some kind of super saint.

342
00:12:57,089 --> 00:12:59,409
We may feel as if there's no way

343
00:12:59,409 --> 00:13:02,629
God could use us like he used Paul.

344
00:13:03,089 --> 00:13:06,049
Some sitting here tonight believe God cannot use

345
00:13:06,049 --> 00:13:07,589
you at all.

346
00:13:07,970 --> 00:13:09,909
We all feel inferior.

347
00:13:10,634 --> 00:13:13,675
We all feel unworthy to be used by

348
00:13:13,675 --> 00:13:14,175
God,

349
00:13:14,554 --> 00:13:16,735
but Jesus can take you

350
00:13:17,195 --> 00:13:19,835
and he can use you if you will

351
00:13:19,835 --> 00:13:20,654
make yourself

352
00:13:21,035 --> 00:13:22,654
available unto him.

353
00:13:23,490 --> 00:13:25,669
You see when God saves a soul,

354
00:13:26,370 --> 00:13:29,350
God takes that redeemed saint of God

355
00:13:29,970 --> 00:13:32,629
and he sets them apart for his use.

356
00:13:33,330 --> 00:13:34,230
He sanctifies

357
00:13:34,690 --> 00:13:35,190
them.

358
00:13:35,565 --> 00:13:38,445
He inhabits them. And then he puts them

359
00:13:38,445 --> 00:13:41,745
to work in his world, in his kingdom

360
00:13:41,965 --> 00:13:42,465
here.

361
00:13:42,845 --> 00:13:44,365
When we are saved, and I could give

362
00:13:44,365 --> 00:13:45,965
you scripture for all of this, but for

363
00:13:45,965 --> 00:13:47,345
sake of time I won't.

364
00:13:47,725 --> 00:13:50,304
When we are saved we become his

365
00:13:50,840 --> 00:13:51,340
possession.

366
00:13:52,360 --> 00:13:53,899
We become his

367
00:13:54,440 --> 00:13:54,940
temple.

368
00:13:55,800 --> 00:14:00,059
God washes us and justifies us and sanctifies

369
00:14:00,360 --> 00:14:00,860
us.

370
00:14:01,639 --> 00:14:03,500
We become according to Titus

371
00:14:03,879 --> 00:14:04,940
his peculiar

372
00:14:05,320 --> 00:14:05,820
treasure.

373
00:14:06,785 --> 00:14:09,125
Now peculiar doesn't mean weird,

374
00:14:09,985 --> 00:14:11,285
though all of you are.

375
00:14:12,945 --> 00:14:16,004
In fact I have determined in my 62

376
00:14:16,144 --> 00:14:19,024
years here that everybody in the world is

377
00:14:19,024 --> 00:14:20,165
weird but me.

378
00:14:21,129 --> 00:14:23,949
I'm the only normal one and everybody else

379
00:14:24,089 --> 00:14:25,470
is a bunch of weirdos.

380
00:14:26,009 --> 00:14:27,929
And you feel the same way too, don't

381
00:14:27,929 --> 00:14:31,230
you? But that word peculiar doesn't mean weird.

382
00:14:31,610 --> 00:14:34,429
It refers to a unique and personal

383
00:14:34,970 --> 00:14:35,470
possession.

384
00:14:36,245 --> 00:14:39,125
When God saves you, he saves you to

385
00:14:39,125 --> 00:14:42,164
be you and he intends to use you

386
00:14:42,164 --> 00:14:44,504
as you for the glory of God

387
00:14:44,884 --> 00:14:47,845
in his kingdom. In fact he saved us

388
00:14:47,845 --> 00:14:50,105
that we might bring him glory.

389
00:14:50,485 --> 00:14:52,620
That's why he did it. So I want

390
00:14:52,620 --> 00:14:54,460
to take a few minutes this evening, and

391
00:14:54,460 --> 00:14:56,080
I say that tongue in cheek,

392
00:14:56,620 --> 00:14:58,940
to look at the life of Paul the

393
00:14:58,940 --> 00:14:59,440
Apostle.

394
00:14:59,980 --> 00:15:01,740
And I want to show you some of

395
00:15:01,740 --> 00:15:02,559
the obstacles

396
00:15:03,259 --> 00:15:06,540
that stood in Paul's way, because he had

397
00:15:06,540 --> 00:15:07,759
problems too.

398
00:15:08,434 --> 00:15:10,595
And Paul may have wondered like you may

399
00:15:10,595 --> 00:15:11,095
wonder

400
00:15:11,475 --> 00:15:13,095
can God use someone

401
00:15:13,394 --> 00:15:14,215
like me?

402
00:15:14,674 --> 00:15:16,754
But I want you to see how God

403
00:15:16,754 --> 00:15:18,534
overcame every obstacle

404
00:15:19,075 --> 00:15:20,294
in Paul's life

405
00:15:20,759 --> 00:15:23,480
and he can overcome the obstacles in your

406
00:15:23,480 --> 00:15:24,779
life as well.

407
00:15:25,320 --> 00:15:27,899
So let me point out the obstacles grace

408
00:15:27,960 --> 00:15:28,460
overcomes

409
00:15:29,000 --> 00:15:31,740
in our lives to make us usable

410
00:15:32,360 --> 00:15:33,340
to the Lord.

411
00:15:33,720 --> 00:15:35,420
And no matter who you are,

412
00:15:36,014 --> 00:15:37,714
no matter where you've been,

413
00:15:38,174 --> 00:15:40,034
no matter what you've done,

414
00:15:40,654 --> 00:15:41,154
God

415
00:15:41,534 --> 00:15:42,034
can

416
00:15:42,414 --> 00:15:43,315
use you.

417
00:15:43,855 --> 00:15:45,855
Let me see if I can prove that

418
00:15:45,855 --> 00:15:46,355
tonight.

419
00:15:47,534 --> 00:15:49,475
So the first thing I'll point out

420
00:15:50,019 --> 00:15:52,200
in verse number 1 of Acts 9

421
00:15:52,820 --> 00:15:55,799
is that God's grace is greater

422
00:15:56,179 --> 00:15:57,639
than our sin.

423
00:15:58,500 --> 00:16:01,399
Now the Bible opens by telling us here

424
00:16:01,700 --> 00:16:04,120
that the soul of Tarsus was a

425
00:16:04,500 --> 00:16:05,480
bad dude.

426
00:16:06,074 --> 00:16:09,134
He's breathing out threatenings and slaughter

427
00:16:09,595 --> 00:16:12,634
against the disciples of the lord. He even

428
00:16:12,634 --> 00:16:15,434
has documents from the high priest that allows

429
00:16:15,434 --> 00:16:18,690
him to go into Damascus and arrest men

430
00:16:18,690 --> 00:16:21,029
and women and bring them back to Jerusalem

431
00:16:21,570 --> 00:16:22,470
for trial.

432
00:16:23,009 --> 00:16:26,450
In acts 2:4 when Paul is giving his

433
00:16:26,450 --> 00:16:28,790
testimony he said I persecuted

434
00:16:29,170 --> 00:16:29,910
this way

435
00:16:30,370 --> 00:16:31,509
unto the death.

436
00:16:32,414 --> 00:16:35,955
Delivering or rather binding and delivering into prison

437
00:16:36,014 --> 00:16:36,914
both men

438
00:16:37,375 --> 00:16:39,634
and women. So Paul is guilty

439
00:16:40,174 --> 00:16:41,235
of of arresting

440
00:16:41,615 --> 00:16:43,235
Christians. He's guilty

441
00:16:43,774 --> 00:16:46,034
of putting them to death.

442
00:16:46,919 --> 00:16:48,779
Again when he's giving his testimony

443
00:16:49,159 --> 00:16:50,299
in Acts 26:10,

444
00:16:50,759 --> 00:16:53,659
Paul says, many of the saints did I

445
00:16:53,720 --> 00:16:56,120
shut up in prison. And then he said,

446
00:16:56,120 --> 00:16:57,659
when they were put to death,

447
00:16:57,960 --> 00:16:59,339
I gave my voice

448
00:17:00,039 --> 00:17:01,019
against them.

449
00:17:01,995 --> 00:17:04,414
In his own personal testimony to Timothy,

450
00:17:04,795 --> 00:17:07,855
in 1st Timothy 113 Paul said

451
00:17:08,154 --> 00:17:09,375
he was a blasphemer,

452
00:17:10,234 --> 00:17:11,134
a persecutor,

453
00:17:11,914 --> 00:17:12,654
and injurious.

454
00:17:13,515 --> 00:17:14,734
He was a murderer

455
00:17:15,299 --> 00:17:17,000
and he was a rebel

456
00:17:17,299 --> 00:17:17,799
against

457
00:17:18,180 --> 00:17:18,680
God.

458
00:17:19,140 --> 00:17:21,559
He was in his own words

459
00:17:22,180 --> 00:17:23,960
the chief of sinners.

460
00:17:24,980 --> 00:17:26,200
Now as a Jew

461
00:17:26,900 --> 00:17:29,400
Paul had a great pedigree, did he not?

462
00:17:30,305 --> 00:17:32,884
In Philippians 3 he gives that pedigree.

463
00:17:33,424 --> 00:17:34,404
He was circumcised

464
00:17:34,865 --> 00:17:37,265
the 8th day. He was of the stock

465
00:17:37,265 --> 00:17:39,525
of Israel, the tribe of Benjamin,

466
00:17:39,904 --> 00:17:41,605
a Hebrew of the Hebrews,

467
00:17:42,160 --> 00:17:44,180
as touching the law, a Pharisee,

468
00:17:44,880 --> 00:17:45,940
concerning zeal,

469
00:17:46,319 --> 00:17:47,619
persecuting the church,

470
00:17:48,000 --> 00:17:49,779
which and touching the righteousness

471
00:17:50,160 --> 00:17:51,539
which is in the law,

472
00:17:52,000 --> 00:17:53,380
Paul said I

473
00:17:53,839 --> 00:17:54,740
was blameless.

474
00:17:55,359 --> 00:17:56,660
That's a big claim.

475
00:17:57,725 --> 00:17:59,805
Paul would have been the who's who of

476
00:17:59,805 --> 00:18:00,305
Jews

477
00:18:00,684 --> 00:18:01,825
in his day.

478
00:18:02,445 --> 00:18:05,565
Yet in his lost spiritual state you must

479
00:18:05,565 --> 00:18:06,065
understand

480
00:18:06,684 --> 00:18:07,744
that as religious

481
00:18:08,125 --> 00:18:09,240
as he was,

482
00:18:09,960 --> 00:18:11,500
Paul was as wicked

483
00:18:11,960 --> 00:18:14,759
as any person who has ever walked the

484
00:18:14,759 --> 00:18:15,259
face

485
00:18:15,799 --> 00:18:16,700
of the earth.

486
00:18:17,319 --> 00:18:20,140
He had much in his favor religiously,

487
00:18:21,160 --> 00:18:23,980
but he was still a sinner dead

488
00:18:24,525 --> 00:18:25,265
in trespasses

489
00:18:26,045 --> 00:18:26,945
and sins

490
00:18:27,484 --> 00:18:28,945
before he meets Jesus

491
00:18:29,484 --> 00:18:30,625
in our text.

492
00:18:31,565 --> 00:18:32,945
In fact, Acts 758

493
00:18:33,484 --> 00:18:36,625
says that Paul consented to the death

494
00:18:37,005 --> 00:18:37,664
of Stephen

495
00:18:38,149 --> 00:18:41,029
And he guarded the clothes he stoned that

496
00:18:41,029 --> 00:18:42,970
preaching deacon to death.

497
00:18:43,589 --> 00:18:45,289
He was a wicked man.

498
00:18:45,990 --> 00:18:47,210
But listen to this,

499
00:18:47,829 --> 00:18:50,569
his sin proved no obstacle

500
00:18:51,429 --> 00:18:52,970
to the grace of God.

501
00:18:54,115 --> 00:18:55,575
When God's grace

502
00:18:56,115 --> 00:18:58,375
touched the life of Saul of Tarsus,

503
00:18:58,994 --> 00:19:00,134
he was changed

504
00:19:00,595 --> 00:19:01,095
forever.

505
00:19:01,875 --> 00:19:03,575
And I'll tell you, your past

506
00:19:04,194 --> 00:19:07,734
is no obstacle to God using you.

507
00:19:08,220 --> 00:19:10,140
As I said a little bit ago, it

508
00:19:10,140 --> 00:19:11,920
doesn't matter where you've been,

509
00:19:12,299 --> 00:19:14,480
it doesn't matter what you've done,

510
00:19:14,779 --> 00:19:17,980
it doesn't matter what you've thought, it doesn't

511
00:19:17,980 --> 00:19:20,319
matter what's been done to you,

512
00:19:20,734 --> 00:19:22,755
Your past is no obstacle

513
00:19:23,295 --> 00:19:26,115
to your future in the Lord's service.

514
00:19:26,575 --> 00:19:27,394
It matters

515
00:19:27,695 --> 00:19:28,434
no longer.

516
00:19:28,894 --> 00:19:29,795
When Jesus

517
00:19:30,095 --> 00:19:31,475
died on the cross,

518
00:19:32,095 --> 00:19:34,914
all of our sins were laid upon him.

519
00:19:35,375 --> 00:19:35,875
Past,

520
00:19:36,369 --> 00:19:36,869
present

521
00:19:37,329 --> 00:19:38,150
and future.

522
00:19:38,529 --> 00:19:39,349
And Jesus

523
00:19:39,650 --> 00:19:40,150
died

524
00:19:40,529 --> 00:19:43,250
for every one of them. And when he

525
00:19:43,250 --> 00:19:44,069
saved you,

526
00:19:44,450 --> 00:19:46,230
you got a clean record.

527
00:19:46,609 --> 00:19:49,424
You got a fresh start. That's why the

528
00:19:49,424 --> 00:19:50,804
Bible calls salvation

529
00:19:51,585 --> 00:19:54,724
being born again. It is a new birth.

530
00:19:54,944 --> 00:19:57,345
There's a little 5 week old baby right

531
00:19:57,345 --> 00:19:59,825
back there. And when that baby came into

532
00:19:59,825 --> 00:20:03,044
this world, she had nothing against her.

533
00:20:03,380 --> 00:20:06,019
Brand new. She got a whole life to

534
00:20:06,019 --> 00:20:08,580
build her record. I had a whole life

535
00:20:08,580 --> 00:20:10,980
to build mine too. And I didn't build

536
00:20:10,980 --> 00:20:13,620
it very well. But praise God, the day

537
00:20:13,620 --> 00:20:14,279
the Lord

538
00:20:14,580 --> 00:20:17,640
saved my soul he washed it all away

539
00:20:17,924 --> 00:20:20,164
and he gave me a new start. And

540
00:20:20,164 --> 00:20:21,945
it's just like none of that

541
00:20:22,245 --> 00:20:23,865
ever happened. Amen.

542
00:20:24,725 --> 00:20:25,545
Fact is

543
00:20:27,045 --> 00:20:29,545
there's still some record of our sin.

544
00:20:30,509 --> 00:20:32,349
In fact I carry one of them with

545
00:20:32,349 --> 00:20:33,650
me. How about you?

546
00:20:34,830 --> 00:20:37,410
I can still remember things I wish

547
00:20:37,789 --> 00:20:38,769
I could forget.

548
00:20:39,470 --> 00:20:42,349
If I knew how to erase the tape

549
00:20:42,349 --> 00:20:43,009
I would.

550
00:20:43,390 --> 00:20:45,474
I bet I can't do it. And I'm

551
00:20:45,474 --> 00:20:48,034
ashamed of many things I've done in my

552
00:20:48,034 --> 00:20:50,755
life and I can't remember what I had

553
00:20:50,755 --> 00:20:52,134
for breakfast yesterday.

554
00:20:52,595 --> 00:20:54,835
I can remember the bad things I did

555
00:20:54,835 --> 00:20:57,474
before I met the Lord. I tear that

556
00:20:57,474 --> 00:20:58,774
record with me.

557
00:20:59,870 --> 00:21:01,090
Everybody I knew

558
00:21:01,470 --> 00:21:04,430
tears that record with them. You run into

559
00:21:04,430 --> 00:21:07,150
somebody and they'll say, well don't you remember

560
00:21:07,150 --> 00:21:09,090
weed? And I'm like, yeah I remember.

561
00:21:09,470 --> 00:21:11,870
I wish I didn't. I wish I could

562
00:21:11,870 --> 00:21:13,710
forget it, but then I get a chance

563
00:21:13,710 --> 00:21:16,045
to tell them I'm a new man now.

564
00:21:17,144 --> 00:21:18,125
Satan remembers

565
00:21:19,065 --> 00:21:21,884
and he don't mind coming by and reminding

566
00:21:22,025 --> 00:21:23,085
us, does he?

567
00:21:23,785 --> 00:21:26,444
And while I remember and old acquaintances

568
00:21:26,744 --> 00:21:27,244
remember

569
00:21:27,580 --> 00:21:29,039
and my family remembers

570
00:21:29,420 --> 00:21:32,700
and even Satan remembers, thank God that God

571
00:21:32,700 --> 00:21:35,600
in heaven has chosen not to remember

572
00:21:36,059 --> 00:21:39,039
my sin. And God does not have dementia.

573
00:21:39,740 --> 00:21:41,924
God does not have some kind of an

574
00:21:42,085 --> 00:21:43,384
of a memory impairment,

575
00:21:43,684 --> 00:21:45,765
but the bible says that when he saved

576
00:21:45,765 --> 00:21:48,805
us he put our sins as far behind

577
00:21:48,805 --> 00:21:50,965
his back as the east is from the

578
00:21:50,965 --> 00:21:54,025
west, and God has made a sovereign choice

579
00:21:54,349 --> 00:21:55,650
to remember them

580
00:21:56,269 --> 00:21:57,170
no more.

581
00:21:57,869 --> 00:21:59,730
And as far as God's concerned,

582
00:22:00,190 --> 00:22:03,570
if you're saved tonight, you have been justified.

583
00:22:04,269 --> 00:22:07,309
God has declared you right with him and

584
00:22:07,309 --> 00:22:10,335
nothing will ever change his mind.

585
00:22:11,515 --> 00:22:12,414
But you know,

586
00:22:13,035 --> 00:22:14,654
if you read your Bible

587
00:22:15,434 --> 00:22:18,234
every one of God's servants had a sin

588
00:22:18,234 --> 00:22:18,734
problem.

589
00:22:20,234 --> 00:22:21,535
But Simon Peter

590
00:22:22,390 --> 00:22:24,170
preached his greatest message

591
00:22:25,109 --> 00:22:26,970
and had his greatest ministry

592
00:22:27,990 --> 00:22:29,929
after he denied the Lord.

593
00:22:31,429 --> 00:22:32,329
Am I right?

594
00:22:33,429 --> 00:22:33,929
Moses

595
00:22:34,309 --> 00:22:35,369
was a murderer,

596
00:22:36,255 --> 00:22:38,195
but who can deny that God

597
00:22:38,575 --> 00:22:39,555
used him?

598
00:22:40,974 --> 00:22:41,474
David

599
00:22:41,775 --> 00:22:43,154
was an adulterer,

600
00:22:44,015 --> 00:22:44,755
a liar,

601
00:22:45,375 --> 00:22:46,355
and a murderer,

602
00:22:46,734 --> 00:22:49,315
but God still used him.

603
00:22:50,380 --> 00:22:52,319
Samson sinned against God

604
00:22:52,779 --> 00:22:54,539
and at the end of his life he

605
00:22:54,539 --> 00:22:56,079
he killed more Philistines

606
00:22:56,700 --> 00:22:58,880
than he had during his entire ministry.

607
00:22:59,900 --> 00:23:03,440
Abraham was a liar, but God used him.

608
00:23:03,740 --> 00:23:05,200
Jacob was a deceiver,

609
00:23:05,734 --> 00:23:07,275
but the lord transformed

610
00:23:07,575 --> 00:23:08,075
him

611
00:23:08,455 --> 00:23:09,914
and used him.

612
00:23:10,615 --> 00:23:13,515
I'm just saying God can take everybody here

613
00:23:13,734 --> 00:23:16,295
who's failed in the past and haven't we

614
00:23:16,295 --> 00:23:16,795
all?

615
00:23:17,575 --> 00:23:19,575
In fact I'll be just honest with you,

616
00:23:19,575 --> 00:23:20,555
brutally honest.

617
00:23:21,799 --> 00:23:24,279
I've probably done worse things since I've been

618
00:23:24,279 --> 00:23:26,380
saved than I did before I got saved.

619
00:23:27,960 --> 00:23:28,940
You know why?

620
00:23:30,039 --> 00:23:32,920
Everything I did before I met Jesus was

621
00:23:32,920 --> 00:23:34,059
done in ignorance.

622
00:23:35,565 --> 00:23:38,304
But everything I've done since I've known him

623
00:23:38,444 --> 00:23:41,265
has been done with my eyes wide open.

624
00:23:43,005 --> 00:23:45,105
Didn't have to do any of it,

625
00:23:45,804 --> 00:23:48,144
but I did it because I'm a fool

626
00:23:49,170 --> 00:23:50,710
and I paid the price.

627
00:23:51,330 --> 00:23:52,390
How about you?

628
00:23:53,330 --> 00:23:54,710
I've been to the woodshed.

629
00:23:55,730 --> 00:23:57,650
I've had the snot beaten out of me

630
00:23:57,650 --> 00:23:58,150
there.

631
00:23:58,529 --> 00:24:00,470
And I don't like God chastening,

632
00:24:01,105 --> 00:24:03,345
but I'm glad our God is a God

633
00:24:03,345 --> 00:24:05,825
of grace and mercy. And all he's got

634
00:24:05,825 --> 00:24:07,605
is a bunch of flawed vessels

635
00:24:07,984 --> 00:24:10,704
like us to use and your sin is

636
00:24:10,704 --> 00:24:11,605
no obstacle

637
00:24:11,984 --> 00:24:15,210
to God using you. Let me qualify that

638
00:24:15,369 --> 00:24:17,130
and say if you've got active sin in

639
00:24:17,130 --> 00:24:20,009
your life today, the recourse is to repent

640
00:24:20,009 --> 00:24:22,089
of it, lay it down and turn from

641
00:24:22,089 --> 00:24:24,809
it and let God use you. Don't just

642
00:24:24,809 --> 00:24:27,130
say, well that preacher said God could use

643
00:24:27,130 --> 00:24:29,210
me in spite of my sin and go

644
00:24:29,210 --> 00:24:31,664
out and sin like crazy. That's not what

645
00:24:31,664 --> 00:24:32,404
I'm saying.

646
00:24:32,705 --> 00:24:35,585
I'm saying God will use sinners who repent

647
00:24:35,585 --> 00:24:38,305
of their sins and turn from them and

648
00:24:38,305 --> 00:24:40,565
walk with him because his grace

649
00:24:41,025 --> 00:24:43,045
is greater than our sin.

650
00:24:44,785 --> 00:24:45,684
Number 2,

651
00:24:46,640 --> 00:24:48,339
God's grace is greater

652
00:24:48,720 --> 00:24:49,859
than our situation.

653
00:24:50,799 --> 00:24:52,659
In verse 2, what's Paul doing?

654
00:24:53,119 --> 00:24:54,819
He's on his way to Damascus.

655
00:24:55,519 --> 00:24:58,500
He's going to arrest Christians and he's gonna

656
00:24:58,559 --> 00:25:00,179
take them away to die.

657
00:25:00,924 --> 00:25:03,964
His heart is full of hatred and he

658
00:25:03,964 --> 00:25:05,904
wants nothing more than to destroy

659
00:25:06,285 --> 00:25:06,785
anyone

660
00:25:07,164 --> 00:25:07,904
and anything

661
00:25:08,205 --> 00:25:11,585
connected with the name of Jesus Christ.

662
00:25:12,365 --> 00:25:14,224
Yet in spite of all of that

663
00:25:14,970 --> 00:25:17,690
God was able to change Saul and use

664
00:25:17,690 --> 00:25:20,349
him for the glory of God. Now

665
00:25:20,730 --> 00:25:22,089
this is where it gets down to where

666
00:25:22,089 --> 00:25:22,750
we live,

667
00:25:23,529 --> 00:25:25,710
because he can do the same for us.

668
00:25:26,505 --> 00:25:28,664
He can take us in spite of all

669
00:25:28,664 --> 00:25:30,285
the baggage we carry,

670
00:25:30,904 --> 00:25:32,525
and he can use us.

671
00:25:33,065 --> 00:25:34,285
Now let's face it,

672
00:25:35,785 --> 00:25:37,085
everybody in here

673
00:25:37,785 --> 00:25:39,244
brings certain liabilities

674
00:25:39,625 --> 00:25:42,240
to the table, don't you? We all do.

675
00:25:42,779 --> 00:25:45,039
For some like me you have a wretched

676
00:25:45,099 --> 00:25:45,599
past.

677
00:25:46,619 --> 00:25:48,480
Some of you may lack

678
00:25:49,099 --> 00:25:49,599
education

679
00:25:49,900 --> 00:25:51,839
and feel like that holds you back.

680
00:25:52,460 --> 00:25:55,500
Some may have few resources, you don't have

681
00:25:55,500 --> 00:25:56,319
enough money

682
00:25:56,674 --> 00:25:58,515
for the month and you feel like that

683
00:25:58,515 --> 00:25:59,734
can hold you back.

684
00:26:00,434 --> 00:26:02,375
Some are weak in their faith.

685
00:26:02,994 --> 00:26:05,174
Some are timid and afraid.

686
00:26:06,115 --> 00:26:07,894
Some are, just to be honest,

687
00:26:08,275 --> 00:26:08,775
immature

688
00:26:09,634 --> 00:26:11,095
in the faith.

689
00:26:12,059 --> 00:26:13,440
Some are arrogant

690
00:26:13,980 --> 00:26:15,440
and filled with pride.

691
00:26:16,140 --> 00:26:17,440
And some find themselves

692
00:26:18,059 --> 00:26:18,960
in situations

693
00:26:19,339 --> 00:26:22,559
which they feel like make them unfit candidates

694
00:26:23,259 --> 00:26:25,500
for the use of God. But what if

695
00:26:25,500 --> 00:26:26,720
I were to tell you

696
00:26:27,404 --> 00:26:29,424
that God could take you regardless

697
00:26:29,725 --> 00:26:30,625
of the situation

698
00:26:31,005 --> 00:26:31,904
you are in

699
00:26:32,684 --> 00:26:35,585
and use you in spite of your limitation.

700
00:26:36,684 --> 00:26:38,225
God can change whatever

701
00:26:38,765 --> 00:26:40,144
needs to be changed

702
00:26:40,759 --> 00:26:44,039
so that you become usable to him. And

703
00:26:44,039 --> 00:26:46,920
the Bible again is filled with proof of

704
00:26:46,920 --> 00:26:49,740
this. I mean take Moses for example.

705
00:26:51,000 --> 00:26:53,019
He's 80 years old

706
00:26:53,644 --> 00:26:55,585
when the lord called him

707
00:26:56,044 --> 00:26:57,724
into ministry. Now if it had been me

708
00:26:57,724 --> 00:26:59,964
I'd have probably asked for two forms of,

709
00:27:00,444 --> 00:27:02,684
of of ID. Right? I don't wanna know

710
00:27:02,684 --> 00:27:05,264
for sure that's God, but God called Moses

711
00:27:05,579 --> 00:27:08,640
and he got busy at 80 years old.

712
00:27:08,700 --> 00:27:10,319
He had other problems too.

713
00:27:10,619 --> 00:27:12,940
He tells us in Exodus 4:10 that he

714
00:27:12,940 --> 00:27:16,960
was not an eloquent speaker. In Exodus 41

715
00:27:17,019 --> 00:27:19,565
he talks about how he's filled with fear.

716
00:27:19,625 --> 00:27:21,724
He was opposed to God's plan

717
00:27:22,184 --> 00:27:25,484
also Exodus chapter 13. You gonna send me

718
00:27:25,704 --> 00:27:28,365
back down there where I killed that guy.

719
00:27:28,585 --> 00:27:31,369
Pharaoh is looking for me. I'm terrified.

720
00:27:31,829 --> 00:27:34,070
Yet in spite of all of this God

721
00:27:34,070 --> 00:27:35,690
was able to use him.

722
00:27:36,789 --> 00:27:39,670
What about the Gadarene demoniac in Mark chapter

723
00:27:39,670 --> 00:27:41,750
5? Talk about a dude with a lot

724
00:27:41,750 --> 00:27:44,154
of marks against him. I mean here's a

725
00:27:44,154 --> 00:27:46,795
guy who lived in the tombs over there

726
00:27:46,795 --> 00:27:47,455
in Gadara.

727
00:27:48,154 --> 00:27:51,035
He was so full of demons and so

728
00:27:51,035 --> 00:27:52,015
out of control

729
00:27:52,315 --> 00:27:54,715
that they tried many times to chain him

730
00:27:54,715 --> 00:27:57,295
and bind him, but he broke the chains

731
00:27:57,390 --> 00:27:59,809
and he ran around naked in that cemetery

732
00:28:00,430 --> 00:28:03,009
acting like a wild man. But what happened?

733
00:28:03,309 --> 00:28:06,750
One day Jesus showed up and Jesus cast

734
00:28:06,750 --> 00:28:08,369
the demons out of him,

735
00:28:08,670 --> 00:28:11,070
sent them into a herd of pigs. They

736
00:28:11,070 --> 00:28:13,009
ran down in the river and died.

737
00:28:13,335 --> 00:28:15,894
God made devil ham that day and they

738
00:28:15,894 --> 00:28:17,974
came out the other side and I won't

739
00:28:17,974 --> 00:28:19,575
say what I was about to say. But

740
00:28:19,575 --> 00:28:20,634
at any rate,

741
00:28:21,494 --> 00:28:23,894
God changed him. One minute we see him

742
00:28:23,894 --> 00:28:26,054
a wild man and the next we see

743
00:28:26,054 --> 00:28:27,835
him sitting and clothed

744
00:28:28,269 --> 00:28:30,829
and in his right mind. And obviously he

745
00:28:30,829 --> 00:28:33,490
wants to go with Jesus, but Jesus says

746
00:28:33,789 --> 00:28:36,589
no you stay here and you go around

747
00:28:36,589 --> 00:28:39,089
to all the cities. He said Decapolis, that's

748
00:28:39,150 --> 00:28:41,954
10 cities that ring the northern side of

749
00:28:41,954 --> 00:28:44,115
the Sea of Galilee. He said go to

750
00:28:44,115 --> 00:28:45,335
those 10 cities

751
00:28:45,954 --> 00:28:48,294
and you go preach the gospel there.

752
00:28:49,075 --> 00:28:51,315
One of those cities is Bessin. I was

753
00:28:51,315 --> 00:28:53,875
there several years ago and you go down

754
00:28:53,875 --> 00:28:56,194
Bessin there's a wide boulevard and it's full

755
00:28:56,194 --> 00:28:59,039
of ruins. All this Roman and Greek architecture

756
00:28:59,659 --> 00:29:02,299
falling down everywhere. And as I walked down

757
00:29:02,299 --> 00:29:04,299
that main street, that would have been the

758
00:29:04,299 --> 00:29:07,500
main street in his day, I thought about

759
00:29:07,500 --> 00:29:09,519
that guy coming into that town,

760
00:29:09,819 --> 00:29:12,059
walking in there, and I wondered what that

761
00:29:12,059 --> 00:29:14,275
would have been like. Everybody knew who he

762
00:29:14,275 --> 00:29:17,394
was. He was a local legend. Everybody was

763
00:29:17,394 --> 00:29:19,875
afraid of him. Can you see mamas hiding

764
00:29:19,875 --> 00:29:20,535
their babies

765
00:29:20,914 --> 00:29:22,535
and folk closing their doors

766
00:29:22,835 --> 00:29:25,555
and pulling their curtains and throwing the locks

767
00:29:25,555 --> 00:29:27,519
on the door. But listen, when he came

768
00:29:27,519 --> 00:29:31,460
into town he wasn't wild, he wasn't raving,

769
00:29:31,599 --> 00:29:32,900
he wasn't a demon

770
00:29:33,359 --> 00:29:34,259
filled lunatic,

771
00:29:34,559 --> 00:29:37,140
but the bible says he was a creature

772
00:29:37,599 --> 00:29:38,500
of the gospel

773
00:29:38,960 --> 00:29:41,059
and God overcame his limitations

774
00:29:41,440 --> 00:29:41,924
and

775
00:29:42,244 --> 00:29:42,744
used

776
00:29:44,404 --> 00:29:46,345
him. And I'm gonna say to you, God,

777
00:29:47,285 --> 00:29:48,345
don't miss this,

778
00:29:49,365 --> 00:29:49,865
God

779
00:29:50,965 --> 00:29:52,825
was not caught off guard

780
00:29:53,924 --> 00:29:55,705
by your present circumstances.

781
00:29:57,119 --> 00:29:59,059
He knows what you are.

782
00:29:59,759 --> 00:30:01,460
He knows what's happening

783
00:30:01,920 --> 00:30:02,980
in your life.

784
00:30:03,519 --> 00:30:06,099
He knows everything you're going through,

785
00:30:06,559 --> 00:30:10,180
everything you're dealing with. He knows your past,

786
00:30:11,244 --> 00:30:13,265
but he can still use you

787
00:30:13,644 --> 00:30:14,704
for his glory.

788
00:30:15,404 --> 00:30:17,744
You simply have to believe that.

789
00:30:18,284 --> 00:30:20,525
And I think the secret to being used

790
00:30:20,525 --> 00:30:21,184
of God

791
00:30:21,804 --> 00:30:23,505
rests on 2 overriding

792
00:30:23,884 --> 00:30:24,384
principles.

793
00:30:25,299 --> 00:30:27,539
The first one is we must put Romans

794
00:30:27,539 --> 00:30:28,039
12:12

795
00:30:29,779 --> 00:30:31,640
into practice in our lives.

796
00:30:32,420 --> 00:30:34,759
Paul said I beseech you therefore, brethren,

797
00:30:35,619 --> 00:30:37,400
by the mercies of God,

798
00:30:38,125 --> 00:30:39,825
that you present your bodies

799
00:30:40,444 --> 00:30:41,105
a living

800
00:30:41,404 --> 00:30:41,904
sacrifice,

801
00:30:43,005 --> 00:30:43,505
holy,

802
00:30:44,125 --> 00:30:45,744
acceptable unto God,

803
00:30:46,125 --> 00:30:47,664
which is your reasonable

804
00:30:48,044 --> 00:30:48,544
service.

805
00:30:49,085 --> 00:30:52,204
In fact that word service translates the word

806
00:30:52,204 --> 00:30:54,840
that gives us our word liturgy. And what

807
00:30:54,840 --> 00:30:56,619
it means there literally is

808
00:30:56,920 --> 00:30:57,660
our worship.

809
00:30:58,039 --> 00:31:00,759
That is your reasonable worship. One of the

810
00:31:00,759 --> 00:31:04,279
greatest ways you worship God in your life

811
00:31:04,279 --> 00:31:05,660
is by giving yourself

812
00:31:06,039 --> 00:31:07,740
as a living sacrifice

813
00:31:08,505 --> 00:31:09,244
unto him.

814
00:31:09,945 --> 00:31:11,785
And then he said be not conformed to

815
00:31:11,785 --> 00:31:14,125
this world, we touched on this last line,

816
00:31:14,424 --> 00:31:16,825
but be you transformed by the renewing of

817
00:31:16,825 --> 00:31:17,565
your mind

818
00:31:18,105 --> 00:31:19,945
that you may prove what is that good

819
00:31:19,945 --> 00:31:20,684
and acceptable

820
00:31:21,144 --> 00:31:23,404
and perfect will of God. That's one principle.

821
00:31:24,119 --> 00:31:25,900
Give everything over to Jesus.

822
00:31:26,440 --> 00:31:28,380
Let him change you spiritually.

823
00:31:28,920 --> 00:31:30,779
Let him change you mentally,

824
00:31:31,319 --> 00:31:33,579
and he'll use you. The second is this,

825
00:31:34,920 --> 00:31:35,819
be faithful

826
00:31:36,359 --> 00:31:37,579
where you

827
00:31:37,880 --> 00:31:38,380
are.

828
00:31:39,924 --> 00:31:42,965
Jesus is telling a parable in Matthew 25

829
00:31:42,965 --> 00:31:43,785
and he said,

830
00:31:44,325 --> 00:31:46,744
a certain lord came and told his servant,

831
00:31:46,965 --> 00:31:49,785
he said well done good and faithful servant.

832
00:31:50,485 --> 00:31:52,904
Thou hast been faithful over a few things.

833
00:31:53,609 --> 00:31:55,630
I'll make thee ruler over

834
00:31:56,009 --> 00:31:57,069
many things.

835
00:31:57,609 --> 00:32:00,329
And the principle there is this, just grow

836
00:32:00,329 --> 00:32:01,630
where you plant it.

837
00:32:02,089 --> 00:32:02,910
Your circumstances

838
00:32:03,450 --> 00:32:04,750
may not be the best.

839
00:32:05,289 --> 00:32:06,109
Your situation

840
00:32:06,410 --> 00:32:07,950
may not seem conducive

841
00:32:08,455 --> 00:32:09,914
to God using you,

842
00:32:10,455 --> 00:32:13,335
but give the best you have right where

843
00:32:13,335 --> 00:32:14,075
you are

844
00:32:14,455 --> 00:32:16,154
and watch God expand

845
00:32:17,015 --> 00:32:18,715
your area of usefulness.

846
00:32:19,575 --> 00:32:21,335
There's a whole lot of folk, many at

847
00:32:21,335 --> 00:32:23,890
our church, maybe some here, who aren't very

848
00:32:23,890 --> 00:32:25,589
faithful to the house of God.

849
00:32:26,130 --> 00:32:29,009
That's the very zero ground right there. They

850
00:32:29,009 --> 00:32:30,470
should start right there

851
00:32:30,769 --> 00:32:33,250
at that point and build from it, but

852
00:32:33,250 --> 00:32:35,410
they don't see the need. I got a

853
00:32:35,410 --> 00:32:37,664
couple of preachers in my church and some

854
00:32:37,664 --> 00:32:39,505
of them don't see the need to be

855
00:32:39,505 --> 00:32:41,985
there every service and guess what? They don't

856
00:32:41,985 --> 00:32:42,805
get to preach.

857
00:32:43,825 --> 00:32:45,505
And I tell them why I don't use

858
00:32:45,505 --> 00:32:46,005
them.

859
00:32:46,384 --> 00:32:49,025
When you get faithful to church I'll let

860
00:32:49,025 --> 00:32:51,759
you stand up and preach. And I think

861
00:32:51,759 --> 00:32:54,720
that's reasonable, don't you? I mean that's the

862
00:32:54,720 --> 00:32:55,220
very

863
00:32:55,519 --> 00:32:56,900
least they can do.

864
00:32:57,359 --> 00:33:00,000
Start with that. You say well preacher I

865
00:33:00,000 --> 00:33:02,240
don't have enough money to serve God. Well

866
00:33:02,240 --> 00:33:04,880
how much money does it take to serve

867
00:33:04,880 --> 00:33:05,380
God?

868
00:33:06,055 --> 00:33:08,154
I don't have a penny in my pocket

869
00:33:08,375 --> 00:33:10,295
and I'm trying to do my little part

870
00:33:10,295 --> 00:33:12,615
tonight. I don't know if it takes if

871
00:33:12,615 --> 00:33:14,695
it takes a lot I should quit and

872
00:33:14,695 --> 00:33:16,795
go home because I ain't got none.

873
00:33:18,200 --> 00:33:19,259
You know what I mean?

874
00:33:20,359 --> 00:33:22,619
But I found out that my God,

875
00:33:23,880 --> 00:33:25,579
he holds the keys

876
00:33:26,039 --> 00:33:27,420
to heaven's pocketbook,

877
00:33:28,440 --> 00:33:30,140
and when I need it

878
00:33:30,519 --> 00:33:33,099
it comes in right on time.

879
00:33:34,255 --> 00:33:35,954
Don't let money be an excuse.

880
00:33:36,414 --> 00:33:38,515
Well preacher, I don't have any time.

881
00:33:38,894 --> 00:33:40,575
Well talk me about that now. I know

882
00:33:40,575 --> 00:33:43,454
about that burden. A lot of weeks I

883
00:33:43,454 --> 00:33:44,515
work 5 days,

884
00:33:45,134 --> 00:33:47,934
substitute teaching in public school, visit church members,

885
00:33:47,934 --> 00:33:50,390
prepare sermons, preach, and all the stuff a

886
00:33:50,390 --> 00:33:52,710
pastor has to do. You know what? It's

887
00:33:52,710 --> 00:33:53,369
a lot.

888
00:33:54,230 --> 00:33:56,970
And I still have time to play roadblocks

889
00:33:57,029 --> 00:33:57,930
with my granddaughter.

890
00:33:59,269 --> 00:34:01,829
I still have time to play Minecraft with

891
00:34:01,829 --> 00:34:02,650
my grandson.

892
00:34:03,375 --> 00:34:05,454
I still have time to hang out with

893
00:34:05,454 --> 00:34:06,115
my wife.

894
00:34:06,654 --> 00:34:08,755
You do what you want to do.

895
00:34:09,454 --> 00:34:11,934
And if you want to serve God there's

896
00:34:11,934 --> 00:34:13,795
plenty of time to do it.

897
00:34:14,094 --> 00:34:15,795
Just get at it

898
00:34:16,579 --> 00:34:19,000
and don't let anything hold you back.

899
00:34:19,699 --> 00:34:22,099
Regardless of your situation, if you want to

900
00:34:22,099 --> 00:34:22,599
be

901
00:34:23,460 --> 00:34:24,980
use of God, if you want to be

902
00:34:24,980 --> 00:34:25,880
God's servant,

903
00:34:27,059 --> 00:34:27,880
yield yourself

904
00:34:28,260 --> 00:34:29,880
baggage and all to him

905
00:34:30,565 --> 00:34:33,204
and watch him do great things with your

906
00:34:33,204 --> 00:34:33,704
life.

907
00:34:34,965 --> 00:34:36,744
Let me give you a third thought.

908
00:34:37,605 --> 00:34:39,385
God's grace is greater

909
00:34:39,765 --> 00:34:40,824
than our sin.

910
00:34:41,844 --> 00:34:44,824
God's grace is greater than our varied

911
00:34:45,125 --> 00:34:45,625
situations,

912
00:34:46,849 --> 00:34:49,489
And then God's grace is greater than our

913
00:34:49,489 --> 00:34:49,989
shortcomings.

914
00:34:50,530 --> 00:34:51,829
Look at verse 16.

915
00:34:55,969 --> 00:34:56,469
Verse

916
00:34:56,849 --> 00:34:58,610
well 11 through 16. I won't read all

917
00:34:58,610 --> 00:35:00,630
that again, but you know what happened. Right?

918
00:35:01,394 --> 00:35:01,894
Paul's

919
00:35:02,195 --> 00:35:02,695
blind.

920
00:35:02,994 --> 00:35:04,215
He goes to the town.

921
00:35:04,835 --> 00:35:07,554
God comes to Ananias. God says Ananias, go

922
00:35:07,554 --> 00:35:08,215
to Paul.

923
00:35:08,594 --> 00:35:10,375
Put your hands on him and heal him.

924
00:35:10,675 --> 00:35:12,914
I'm gonna use him. Ananias says, I can't

925
00:35:12,914 --> 00:35:15,079
do that. I know that guy.

926
00:35:15,539 --> 00:35:16,920
He's got a lot of problems.

927
00:35:17,300 --> 00:35:18,360
He's our enemy.

928
00:35:18,660 --> 00:35:20,660
He was afraid of him folks. That was

929
00:35:20,660 --> 00:35:23,700
the problem. He feared Paul and he was

930
00:35:23,700 --> 00:35:26,505
afraid to go down there, and yet in

931
00:35:26,505 --> 00:35:29,464
obedience to God he went and because he

932
00:35:29,464 --> 00:35:29,964
did,

933
00:35:30,824 --> 00:35:32,605
God overcame that.

934
00:35:33,065 --> 00:35:33,804
You see,

935
00:35:35,144 --> 00:35:36,764
many folk in the early church

936
00:35:37,704 --> 00:35:39,404
felt like Paul was the Terminator.

937
00:35:40,760 --> 00:35:42,519
He was the worst dude there was in

938
00:35:42,519 --> 00:35:43,659
that part of the world

939
00:35:44,039 --> 00:35:46,059
and they were terrified of him.

940
00:35:46,519 --> 00:35:49,099
Even the apostles didn't want to see Paul

941
00:35:49,400 --> 00:35:51,739
until Barnabas introduced him.

942
00:35:52,760 --> 00:35:56,085
Barnabas took him and Barnabas vouched for him

943
00:35:56,324 --> 00:35:58,724
and Barnabas brought him in. But you know

944
00:35:58,724 --> 00:36:00,344
God overcame that hurdle

945
00:36:01,284 --> 00:36:02,664
and God used him.

946
00:36:03,605 --> 00:36:05,784
And in spite of that slow start,

947
00:36:06,724 --> 00:36:08,905
Paul also had other issues.

948
00:36:09,204 --> 00:36:10,264
Did you know that?

949
00:36:10,969 --> 00:36:12,670
Listen to second Corinthians 10:10.

950
00:36:14,170 --> 00:36:16,889
It says for his letters, they say, are

951
00:36:16,889 --> 00:36:18,190
weighty and powerful,

952
00:36:18,889 --> 00:36:21,309
but his bodily presence is weak

953
00:36:22,089 --> 00:36:23,150
and his speech

954
00:36:24,010 --> 00:36:24,909
is contemptible.

955
00:36:26,184 --> 00:36:27,724
In second Corinthians 11:6

956
00:36:28,025 --> 00:36:28,924
Paul said,

957
00:36:29,704 --> 00:36:30,684
I'm rude

958
00:36:30,984 --> 00:36:31,804
in speech.

959
00:36:33,385 --> 00:36:34,764
In Galatians 4:13,

960
00:36:35,144 --> 00:36:37,545
Paul talks about how we preach through the

961
00:36:37,545 --> 00:36:38,045
infirmity

962
00:36:38,744 --> 00:36:39,724
of the spirit.

963
00:36:40,260 --> 00:36:41,239
Galatians 6:11

964
00:36:41,619 --> 00:36:44,019
gives us a clue when it says how

965
00:36:44,019 --> 00:36:46,739
large a letter I've written unto you with

966
00:36:46,739 --> 00:36:49,380
mine own hand. That doesn't mean Galatians is

967
00:36:49,380 --> 00:36:51,860
a big letter. It's only 6 chapters. It's

968
00:36:51,860 --> 00:36:54,420
very small. What it means is with big

969
00:36:54,420 --> 00:36:57,114
letters. It's a clue that Paul could not

970
00:36:57,114 --> 00:36:58,734
see very well.

971
00:36:59,514 --> 00:37:00,894
So here's what they said,

972
00:37:01,594 --> 00:37:02,974
Paul's got some hurdles.

973
00:37:03,355 --> 00:37:04,815
He can't see good,

974
00:37:05,434 --> 00:37:06,894
he's not a good speaker,

975
00:37:07,449 --> 00:37:08,670
He's pretty repulsive

976
00:37:09,130 --> 00:37:10,670
in his physical appearance.

977
00:37:11,130 --> 00:37:14,090
Bottom line is the Corinthians said, that dude

978
00:37:14,090 --> 00:37:16,190
is ugly and he can't preach.

979
00:37:17,130 --> 00:37:18,349
That's what they said.

980
00:37:18,650 --> 00:37:21,070
That's Paul the Apostle we're talking about.

981
00:37:21,625 --> 00:37:23,785
Paul was a good writer but he wasn't

982
00:37:23,785 --> 00:37:25,885
a good preacher apparently. I'm sorry,

983
00:37:26,184 --> 00:37:28,985
but apparently Paul just wasn't much to listen

984
00:37:28,985 --> 00:37:29,485
to.

985
00:37:29,785 --> 00:37:31,545
But did you know God used him in

986
00:37:31,545 --> 00:37:32,765
spite of his problems?

987
00:37:34,119 --> 00:37:35,159
Now here's what I want to say to

988
00:37:35,159 --> 00:37:35,659
you.

989
00:37:36,360 --> 00:37:38,539
If we get into the business

990
00:37:39,400 --> 00:37:40,940
of comparing ourselves

991
00:37:41,239 --> 00:37:42,139
with others,

992
00:37:43,079 --> 00:37:45,500
we are in for a rough ride.

993
00:37:46,775 --> 00:37:48,635
God did not save you

994
00:37:49,094 --> 00:37:50,635
to be a cheap imitation

995
00:37:51,094 --> 00:37:51,914
of anybody

996
00:37:52,295 --> 00:37:52,795
else.

997
00:37:53,655 --> 00:37:54,954
God saved you

998
00:37:55,255 --> 00:37:56,235
to be you.

999
00:37:57,094 --> 00:38:00,555
Fact is we all have personal characteristics

1000
00:38:01,579 --> 00:38:04,780
that seem to hinder us from being used

1001
00:38:04,780 --> 00:38:06,239
of God. Isn't that true?

1002
00:38:06,539 --> 00:38:09,179
But God can take what we view as

1003
00:38:09,179 --> 00:38:09,760
a liability

1004
00:38:10,539 --> 00:38:13,440
and God can turn it into a street.

1005
00:38:13,500 --> 00:38:16,675
I've got issues myself and doing what I'm

1006
00:38:16,675 --> 00:38:17,974
doing right now

1007
00:38:18,355 --> 00:38:19,094
is very

1008
00:38:19,474 --> 00:38:19,974
uncomfortable

1009
00:38:20,434 --> 00:38:22,534
to me because by nature

1010
00:38:23,155 --> 00:38:24,614
I am an introvert.

1011
00:38:25,875 --> 00:38:27,315
I've been staying with my mother and you

1012
00:38:27,315 --> 00:38:28,835
can ask her. I'm sat there for hours

1013
00:38:28,835 --> 00:38:30,054
and never say a word.

1014
00:38:31,440 --> 00:38:33,679
My wife and I can travel and she'll

1015
00:38:33,679 --> 00:38:35,039
want to talk and I have nothing to

1016
00:38:35,039 --> 00:38:37,280
talk about. And she'll say, what you wanna

1017
00:38:37,280 --> 00:38:39,300
talk about? I'm saying, you brought it up.

1018
00:38:40,159 --> 00:38:42,079
And she if she brings up something, we'll

1019
00:38:42,079 --> 00:38:43,460
talk about it. But I'm content

1020
00:38:43,839 --> 00:38:45,519
just to settle along with a book on

1021
00:38:45,519 --> 00:38:46,900
my lap and I'm happy.

1022
00:38:48,055 --> 00:38:48,954
And right now

1023
00:38:49,255 --> 00:38:51,574
I've got to go outside of my comfort

1024
00:38:51,574 --> 00:38:53,434
zone and be an extroverted

1025
00:38:53,735 --> 00:38:54,235
introvert

1026
00:38:54,695 --> 00:38:56,535
in order to preach the word of God.

1027
00:38:56,535 --> 00:38:57,675
That is a liability

1028
00:38:58,295 --> 00:39:00,855
in my life. Yes, I went around before

1029
00:39:00,855 --> 00:39:03,420
church tonight and shook hands because I think

1030
00:39:03,420 --> 00:39:05,659
that's the right thing to do. But do

1031
00:39:05,659 --> 00:39:07,739
you know how much I have to push

1032
00:39:07,739 --> 00:39:08,239
myself

1033
00:39:08,619 --> 00:39:10,859
to do stuff like that? I'd rather come

1034
00:39:10,859 --> 00:39:12,960
in and sit down and just be quiet

1035
00:39:13,019 --> 00:39:15,195
until it's time to get up here and

1036
00:39:15,195 --> 00:39:17,275
yell for an hour and then sit down

1037
00:39:17,275 --> 00:39:19,055
again, but I can't do that.

1038
00:39:20,235 --> 00:39:21,614
I've got to be an extroverted

1039
00:39:22,715 --> 00:39:23,215
introvert.

1040
00:39:23,914 --> 00:39:25,755
And I've got another problem that's a problem,

1041
00:39:25,755 --> 00:39:27,215
a real issue for me.

1042
00:39:28,059 --> 00:39:29,739
You might not believe this, but I have

1043
00:39:29,739 --> 00:39:31,839
a serious inferiority complex.

1044
00:39:33,099 --> 00:39:33,599
Serious.

1045
00:39:34,539 --> 00:39:36,159
That's why I hate, preacher.

1046
00:39:36,940 --> 00:39:38,960
I hate preaching in camp meetings

1047
00:39:40,175 --> 00:39:41,875
and and and bible conferences.

1048
00:39:42,655 --> 00:39:44,414
And I've preached them all across the country,

1049
00:39:44,414 --> 00:39:47,215
about 22 states. And I've preached 100 and

1050
00:39:47,215 --> 00:39:49,454
100 of these meetings, and my goodness you

1051
00:39:49,454 --> 00:39:51,375
go in there, they're gonna tell you, they

1052
00:39:51,375 --> 00:39:53,074
tell you, you're preaching tonight.

1053
00:39:53,375 --> 00:39:53,875
Okay.

1054
00:39:55,460 --> 00:39:57,380
Who am I preaching with? And they'll tell

1055
00:39:57,380 --> 00:39:59,079
you. And that's when the anxiety

1056
00:39:59,380 --> 00:39:59,880
starts.

1057
00:40:00,659 --> 00:40:02,839
Because I know the guy I'm preaching with

1058
00:40:03,059 --> 00:40:04,519
and he's a good preacher.

1059
00:40:04,900 --> 00:40:07,299
And so I'm thinking, oh man if I

1060
00:40:07,299 --> 00:40:09,219
gotta preach first and he'll do much better

1061
00:40:09,219 --> 00:40:11,394
than me, But but if he if he

1062
00:40:11,394 --> 00:40:13,474
preaches first then I'll never be able to

1063
00:40:13,954 --> 00:40:15,474
I'll be able never be able to match

1064
00:40:15,474 --> 00:40:17,574
what he did and it's a whole thing

1065
00:40:17,635 --> 00:40:18,694
all day long.

1066
00:40:20,355 --> 00:40:21,894
Because that's how I feel.

1067
00:40:23,230 --> 00:40:24,930
Could anybody relate to that?

1068
00:40:26,110 --> 00:40:27,250
I have an inferiority

1069
00:40:27,550 --> 00:40:30,110
complex of why God well, God does it

1070
00:40:30,110 --> 00:40:31,809
because he has a great sense of humor.

1071
00:40:32,750 --> 00:40:34,030
God says, you know I have to be

1072
00:40:34,030 --> 00:40:35,730
out front? I'm a put you out front.

1073
00:40:36,295 --> 00:40:37,414
You like to sit in the corner and

1074
00:40:37,414 --> 00:40:39,175
be quiet? You get to go to church

1075
00:40:39,175 --> 00:40:39,835
and yell.

1076
00:40:40,614 --> 00:40:42,074
Okay, thank you Lord.

1077
00:40:42,614 --> 00:40:44,235
But why does God do that?

1078
00:40:44,614 --> 00:40:47,255
Why does God choose people like us who

1079
00:40:47,255 --> 00:40:48,635
have all of these limitations

1080
00:40:49,015 --> 00:40:52,280
that seem like liabilities. Why does he do

1081
00:40:52,280 --> 00:40:54,119
that? He does it. My brother and I

1082
00:40:54,119 --> 00:40:55,880
were talking about it out there in the

1083
00:40:55,880 --> 00:40:59,160
parking lot before service. God hath chosen the

1084
00:40:59,160 --> 00:41:02,119
foolish things of the world to confound the

1085
00:41:02,119 --> 00:41:02,619
wise.

1086
00:41:03,000 --> 00:41:05,079
God has chosen the weak things of the

1087
00:41:05,079 --> 00:41:07,965
world to confound the things that are mighty,

1088
00:41:08,105 --> 00:41:10,824
and the base things of the world, and

1089
00:41:10,824 --> 00:41:13,485
things that are despised hath God chosen,

1090
00:41:13,945 --> 00:41:16,264
yea, and things that are not, to bring

1091
00:41:16,264 --> 00:41:18,744
them all the things that are. Why? That

1092
00:41:18,744 --> 00:41:19,644
no flesh

1093
00:41:21,210 --> 00:41:22,109
should glory

1094
00:41:22,969 --> 00:41:24,030
in his

1095
00:41:24,489 --> 00:41:24,989
presence.

1096
00:41:27,289 --> 00:41:28,429
See in my case,

1097
00:41:30,329 --> 00:41:32,650
I have no idea how to do what

1098
00:41:32,650 --> 00:41:33,869
I'm doing right now.

1099
00:41:34,250 --> 00:41:35,550
I don't know how to preach.

1100
00:41:36,135 --> 00:41:38,155
I never have learned. I don't know.

1101
00:41:38,855 --> 00:41:40,375
All I know is I kind of get

1102
00:41:40,375 --> 00:41:42,295
up here and I kind of surrender to

1103
00:41:42,295 --> 00:41:44,534
what God wants in the moment. And the

1104
00:41:44,534 --> 00:41:46,454
next thing I know I'm preaching and then

1105
00:41:46,454 --> 00:41:48,534
it's over and I'm sitting down again. I

1106
00:41:48,534 --> 00:41:49,914
never know how it happens.

1107
00:41:50,809 --> 00:41:52,889
It just does. And I'm glad it's that

1108
00:41:52,889 --> 00:41:54,969
way because if it were up to me,

1109
00:41:54,969 --> 00:41:57,070
I simply could not do it.

1110
00:41:57,530 --> 00:41:58,989
I'd be stressed out.

1111
00:41:59,690 --> 00:42:01,369
I would, man. I'd be in a I'd

1112
00:42:01,369 --> 00:42:02,429
be in a mess.

1113
00:42:03,714 --> 00:42:04,855
But god knew

1114
00:42:05,474 --> 00:42:06,775
that I was that way.

1115
00:42:07,554 --> 00:42:09,815
And so god said, I'm gonna do this

1116
00:42:10,514 --> 00:42:11,335
through you

1117
00:42:12,355 --> 00:42:13,974
so that I get the glory

1118
00:42:14,594 --> 00:42:15,655
and not you.

1119
00:42:17,150 --> 00:42:18,610
Now we've all met them

1120
00:42:19,469 --> 00:42:21,550
and I'm talking about those preachers who can

1121
00:42:21,550 --> 00:42:22,690
strut sitting down.

1122
00:42:23,869 --> 00:42:25,170
You ever met those guys?

1123
00:42:26,190 --> 00:42:28,930
They come swaggering into your service, you know,

1124
00:42:29,070 --> 00:42:30,750
and they act like they're the be all

1125
00:42:30,750 --> 00:42:32,769
and end all of all things holy

1126
00:42:33,125 --> 00:42:34,505
and all things preaching.

1127
00:42:34,885 --> 00:42:36,644
And a lot of times those guys don't

1128
00:42:36,644 --> 00:42:38,664
really have much to tell you, do they?

1129
00:42:39,364 --> 00:42:42,505
You know why? They're dependent on their ability.

1130
00:42:43,125 --> 00:42:44,585
They're depending upon

1131
00:42:44,885 --> 00:42:48,219
their oratory. They're depending upon their mind. They're

1132
00:42:48,219 --> 00:42:50,640
depending upon all of that when really

1133
00:42:51,660 --> 00:42:52,960
it's not about us.

1134
00:42:54,380 --> 00:42:55,519
It's about god.

1135
00:42:56,539 --> 00:42:58,140
Because I don't know what you think about

1136
00:42:58,140 --> 00:42:59,440
yourself, but you're foolish

1137
00:43:00,539 --> 00:43:01,440
and you're weak

1138
00:43:01,980 --> 00:43:03,039
and you're base.

1139
00:43:03,875 --> 00:43:04,775
You are despised.

1140
00:43:05,074 --> 00:43:06,855
You are a thing that is not.

1141
00:43:07,635 --> 00:43:10,135
But god takes all that little stuff,

1142
00:43:10,594 --> 00:43:12,594
that stuff that really is not good for

1143
00:43:12,594 --> 00:43:14,054
our self esteem to hear,

1144
00:43:14,434 --> 00:43:16,355
and he used that to take the steam

1145
00:43:16,355 --> 00:43:17,255
out of ourselves

1146
00:43:17,599 --> 00:43:19,119
so that in the end we will be

1147
00:43:19,119 --> 00:43:21,599
dependent upon him, and he can get the

1148
00:43:21,599 --> 00:43:23,860
glory of what from what we do.

1149
00:43:24,400 --> 00:43:26,480
We weren't talking about Moses, but it bears

1150
00:43:26,480 --> 00:43:28,719
repeating. He was 80 years old, and the

1151
00:43:28,719 --> 00:43:29,460
dude had

1152
00:43:30,159 --> 00:43:30,659
a

1153
00:43:31,199 --> 00:43:32,019
speech impediment.

1154
00:43:33,264 --> 00:43:35,425
He wasn't a good talker and God said

1155
00:43:35,425 --> 00:43:37,264
you're gonna go down there and you're gonna

1156
00:43:37,264 --> 00:43:39,744
tell pharaoh and Moses said no no no

1157
00:43:39,744 --> 00:43:41,605
no no no Lord I

1158
00:43:41,985 --> 00:43:44,644
can't do that. I can't talk.

1159
00:43:45,505 --> 00:43:47,900
God said chill out Moses. That's not exact

1160
00:43:47,900 --> 00:43:48,800
words, I'm paraphrasing.

1161
00:43:49,900 --> 00:43:51,119
Said chill out Moses,

1162
00:43:51,500 --> 00:43:54,059
your brother Aaron's coming and he's gonna go

1163
00:43:54,059 --> 00:43:56,700
with you and don't you worry about it.

1164
00:43:56,700 --> 00:43:58,619
He gonna get down there and do all

1165
00:43:58,619 --> 00:44:00,239
the talking for you.

1166
00:44:00,885 --> 00:44:02,565
But to get down to Egypt and guess

1167
00:44:02,565 --> 00:44:03,545
who does the talking?

1168
00:44:04,244 --> 00:44:05,625
Aaron don't say a word.

1169
00:44:06,244 --> 00:44:07,625
Moses says it all.

1170
00:44:08,324 --> 00:44:09,304
Isn't that amazing?

1171
00:44:10,644 --> 00:44:12,565
And all he had to do was say,

1172
00:44:12,565 --> 00:44:14,789
Lord, here I am letting me go. And

1173
00:44:14,789 --> 00:44:16,969
he went and God used him.

1174
00:44:18,230 --> 00:44:19,130
God used

1175
00:44:19,670 --> 00:44:22,730
a young Jewish girl named Esther to save

1176
00:44:22,789 --> 00:44:24,730
his people from slaughter.

1177
00:44:25,590 --> 00:44:27,050
God used a nobody

1178
00:44:27,429 --> 00:44:29,849
named David to be the greatest king

1179
00:44:30,275 --> 00:44:32,055
Israel ever had. God

1180
00:44:32,755 --> 00:44:34,614
used a beggar named Lazarus

1181
00:44:35,075 --> 00:44:37,394
laying at a gate full of sores to

1182
00:44:37,394 --> 00:44:37,894
teach,

1183
00:44:38,675 --> 00:44:41,235
to preach every day rather to a rich

1184
00:44:41,235 --> 00:44:44,010
man. And then there's the disciples. He used

1185
00:44:44,010 --> 00:44:46,349
these misfits, these dunderheads,

1186
00:44:46,809 --> 00:44:47,309
these

1187
00:44:47,610 --> 00:44:48,110
morons,

1188
00:44:48,489 --> 00:44:50,650
and he used them literally to turn the

1189
00:44:50,650 --> 00:44:53,070
world upside down for God.

1190
00:44:54,570 --> 00:44:57,210
But guess what, even Jesus had strikes against

1191
00:44:57,210 --> 00:44:57,710
him.

1192
00:44:58,755 --> 00:44:59,654
Do you know

1193
00:44:59,954 --> 00:45:00,454
that?

1194
00:45:01,554 --> 00:45:03,414
The Jews thought he was the illegitimate

1195
00:45:03,714 --> 00:45:05,255
child of a Roman soldier.

1196
00:45:07,074 --> 00:45:09,234
One day the Pharisees told him and I

1197
00:45:09,234 --> 00:45:11,714
believe it's in John 8. He said, we

1198
00:45:11,714 --> 00:45:13,130
be not born of fornication.

1199
00:45:13,589 --> 00:45:15,210
We know who our father is.

1200
00:45:15,989 --> 00:45:17,210
How do you like that?

1201
00:45:18,469 --> 00:45:20,329
They said, we know where you came from.

1202
00:45:22,469 --> 00:45:24,309
And some saw him as only being the

1203
00:45:24,309 --> 00:45:25,690
son of Mary and Joseph.

1204
00:45:27,094 --> 00:45:29,114
They said is this not Jesus

1205
00:45:29,654 --> 00:45:30,875
the son of Joseph

1206
00:45:31,574 --> 00:45:33,674
whose mother and father we know?

1207
00:45:34,775 --> 00:45:36,855
Nathaniel, when he met him, he heard he

1208
00:45:36,855 --> 00:45:39,014
was from Galilee and he said can any

1209
00:45:39,014 --> 00:45:40,954
good thing come out of Galilee?

1210
00:45:43,230 --> 00:45:46,289
And then later the pharisees and others said

1211
00:45:46,349 --> 00:45:48,449
shall Christ come out of Galilee?

1212
00:45:48,750 --> 00:45:51,010
Man, he had a lot of strikes

1213
00:45:51,710 --> 00:45:52,769
against him.

1214
00:45:53,789 --> 00:45:56,125
And the religious leaders of the day looked

1215
00:45:56,125 --> 00:45:57,805
at his preaching and listened to what he

1216
00:45:57,805 --> 00:46:00,704
had to say, and they said he hath

1217
00:46:01,085 --> 00:46:02,625
a devil, Baalzebub,

1218
00:46:03,085 --> 00:46:06,305
and by the power, the prince of devils

1219
00:46:06,445 --> 00:46:07,985
casteth he out demons.

1220
00:46:10,160 --> 00:46:12,019
Jesus had a lot against him

1221
00:46:12,800 --> 00:46:14,720
in the minds of others, and that's usually

1222
00:46:14,720 --> 00:46:15,700
where it's at.

1223
00:46:16,239 --> 00:46:18,720
But who can deny God used his life

1224
00:46:18,720 --> 00:46:19,220
more

1225
00:46:19,840 --> 00:46:21,760
than any other to bring glory to his

1226
00:46:21,760 --> 00:46:22,260
name?

1227
00:46:23,195 --> 00:46:24,574
So what I wanna tell you,

1228
00:46:25,114 --> 00:46:26,815
I'm trying to encourage you tonight.

1229
00:46:28,074 --> 00:46:29,614
No matter who you are,

1230
00:46:30,875 --> 00:46:32,815
no matter where you came from,

1231
00:46:33,594 --> 00:46:34,894
no matter the sinfulness

1232
00:46:35,355 --> 00:46:36,335
of your past,

1233
00:46:37,230 --> 00:46:39,650
no matter what problems you have,

1234
00:46:40,429 --> 00:46:42,449
no matter what strange personality

1235
00:46:42,829 --> 00:46:43,969
quirks you exhibit,

1236
00:46:44,670 --> 00:46:46,849
no matter what your level of education,

1237
00:46:47,710 --> 00:46:50,769
no matter how well others accept you,

1238
00:46:51,244 --> 00:46:53,985
God can and will use you

1239
00:46:54,844 --> 00:46:56,144
if you'll let him.

1240
00:46:57,324 --> 00:46:58,864
I've got my own problems.

1241
00:47:00,605 --> 00:47:01,585
How about you?

1242
00:47:02,684 --> 00:47:03,985
You do, don't you?

1243
00:47:04,619 --> 00:47:06,300
And if you're like me, you're just hoping

1244
00:47:06,300 --> 00:47:08,160
nobody finds out what they are.

1245
00:47:09,500 --> 00:47:10,000
Mhmm.

1246
00:47:10,619 --> 00:47:12,380
One of these days, someone's gonna wake up,

1247
00:47:12,380 --> 00:47:13,900
and they're gonna realize that I am a

1248
00:47:13,900 --> 00:47:15,599
total idiot and loser,

1249
00:47:16,300 --> 00:47:17,519
and I'm done preaching.

1250
00:47:18,059 --> 00:47:20,320
That's my fear every day of my life.

1251
00:47:20,914 --> 00:47:22,215
I try to be real

1252
00:47:22,835 --> 00:47:24,295
and I try to be myself

1253
00:47:24,914 --> 00:47:26,434
and I try to stay in the word

1254
00:47:26,434 --> 00:47:28,054
and I try to preach the book,

1255
00:47:28,355 --> 00:47:30,375
but I always feel like a phony.

1256
00:47:30,675 --> 00:47:31,894
You ever feel that way?

1257
00:47:32,594 --> 00:47:35,000
Now what am I doing here? Why am

1258
00:47:35,000 --> 00:47:35,980
I in Sylvania,

1259
00:47:36,359 --> 00:47:36,859
Alabama

1260
00:47:37,319 --> 00:47:40,039
on a Wednesday night preaching to a church

1261
00:47:40,039 --> 00:47:43,000
of godly people? Don't they know who I

1262
00:47:43,000 --> 00:47:43,500
am?

1263
00:47:44,199 --> 00:47:45,500
That's how I feel.

1264
00:47:47,025 --> 00:47:48,565
And I'm just be I'm just being

1265
00:47:48,944 --> 00:47:50,484
transparent with you. Okay?

1266
00:47:50,864 --> 00:47:52,404
I'm not making this up.

1267
00:47:52,704 --> 00:47:54,964
That's exactly how I feel. But you know,

1268
00:47:56,224 --> 00:47:58,464
god has all kinds of people in his

1269
00:47:58,464 --> 00:47:58,964
service.

1270
00:48:00,140 --> 00:48:01,900
Now let's just be honest. I gotta hurry

1271
00:48:01,900 --> 00:48:03,280
here, but let's just be honest.

1272
00:48:04,300 --> 00:48:05,680
Aren't preachers weird?

1273
00:48:07,180 --> 00:48:08,559
Don't listen. Don't listen.

1274
00:48:09,340 --> 00:48:10,860
What are you talking about? He's not paying

1275
00:48:10,860 --> 00:48:13,360
attention. But preachers are weird.

1276
00:48:14,094 --> 00:48:16,015
Have you ever met one that wasn't I'm

1277
00:48:16,015 --> 00:48:16,835
sorry, pastor.

1278
00:48:17,215 --> 00:48:18,815
I don't know you that well, but I

1279
00:48:18,815 --> 00:48:20,035
bet you're weird too.

1280
00:48:21,775 --> 00:48:23,555
We're a bunch of weirdos.

1281
00:48:25,375 --> 00:48:28,015
I mean, really. I know some that are

1282
00:48:28,015 --> 00:48:30,650
so strange. It's a wonder why in the

1283
00:48:30,650 --> 00:48:31,549
world anybody

1284
00:48:32,009 --> 00:48:34,329
would ever let them pastor a church. What

1285
00:48:34,329 --> 00:48:36,650
are you doing? That guy needs to be

1286
00:48:36,650 --> 00:48:38,269
in an asylum somewhere,

1287
00:48:39,449 --> 00:48:41,710
in a straight jacket, in a rubber room.

1288
00:48:42,409 --> 00:48:43,150
They're crazy.

1289
00:48:44,184 --> 00:48:45,005
They're weird,

1290
00:48:46,585 --> 00:48:48,444
and every preacher is different.

1291
00:48:49,385 --> 00:48:50,764
And ain't that good?

1292
00:48:51,704 --> 00:48:54,744
Aren't you glad that your pastor doesn't preach

1293
00:48:54,744 --> 00:48:56,940
like I do? Or that I don't preach

1294
00:48:56,940 --> 00:48:57,679
like him.

1295
00:48:57,980 --> 00:49:00,400
God uses our various idiosyncrasies,

1296
00:49:01,099 --> 00:49:03,519
those little differences in our personality

1297
00:49:04,059 --> 00:49:06,400
to use us in different ways.

1298
00:49:06,699 --> 00:49:09,099
Now where I'm at right now there used

1299
00:49:09,099 --> 00:49:11,340
to be after this long and they kind

1300
00:49:11,340 --> 00:49:12,695
of expect the unexpected.

1301
00:49:14,755 --> 00:49:16,515
I know they only come to see what

1302
00:49:16,515 --> 00:49:18,454
crazy thing I'm gonna say next.

1303
00:49:19,795 --> 00:49:21,094
And that's probably true.

1304
00:49:21,954 --> 00:49:23,655
But over the years I've met

1305
00:49:23,954 --> 00:49:25,414
some strange people.

1306
00:49:25,880 --> 00:49:27,559
Can I tell you a quick story about

1307
00:49:27,559 --> 00:49:29,420
one of the weirdest guys I ever met?

1308
00:49:29,800 --> 00:49:31,340
His name was Norman Tester.

1309
00:49:32,360 --> 00:49:34,599
Norman Tester, his wife's a member of our

1310
00:49:34,599 --> 00:49:36,840
church. He's still there. His mom and dad

1311
00:49:36,840 --> 00:49:40,184
remembers, some of his siblings remembers. And Norman

1312
00:49:40,184 --> 00:49:42,025
grew up in our church many many years

1313
00:49:42,025 --> 00:49:44,045
ago. But Norman was alcoholic.

1314
00:49:45,224 --> 00:49:47,785
And Norman was well he is a mean

1315
00:49:47,785 --> 00:49:49,325
drunk. Let's put it that way.

1316
00:49:49,785 --> 00:49:51,644
Fine guy when he is sober.

1317
00:49:52,160 --> 00:49:53,760
When he got liquor in him, he isn't

1318
00:49:53,760 --> 00:49:56,180
mean as a devil. He was so mean

1319
00:49:56,800 --> 00:49:59,119
that his wife, she wouldn't divorce him because

1320
00:49:59,119 --> 00:50:00,340
she still loved him,

1321
00:50:00,800 --> 00:50:02,480
but she wouldn't live in the same house

1322
00:50:02,480 --> 00:50:03,140
with him.

1323
00:50:04,000 --> 00:50:06,204
So they bought a little trailer and put

1324
00:50:06,204 --> 00:50:07,804
behind her house and he lived in the

1325
00:50:07,804 --> 00:50:08,304
backyard.

1326
00:50:09,085 --> 00:50:10,545
That's where Norman was.

1327
00:50:11,244 --> 00:50:13,184
One day an old preacher in our church

1328
00:50:14,605 --> 00:50:17,340
named brother Jim, brother Jim Price, he he

1329
00:50:17,340 --> 00:50:18,780
called me up he said what you doing?

1330
00:50:18,780 --> 00:50:20,880
You'd had to know Jim to appreciate this.

1331
00:50:22,380 --> 00:50:24,539
And brother Jim he's just raw man, he

1332
00:50:24,539 --> 00:50:26,480
was just as rough as a cop.

1333
00:50:27,340 --> 00:50:28,700
He said what are you doing? I said

1334
00:50:28,700 --> 00:50:30,539
well I'm not doing much. What's on your

1335
00:50:30,539 --> 00:50:32,155
mind? He said, I want you to go

1336
00:50:32,155 --> 00:50:33,434
with me. I said, where we going? He

1337
00:50:33,434 --> 00:50:36,394
said, we're gonna go see Norman Tester. I

1338
00:50:36,394 --> 00:50:37,614
thought, oh no.

1339
00:50:38,875 --> 00:50:39,934
Oh no.

1340
00:50:40,714 --> 00:50:42,574
I said, I'll be ready in 15 minutes,

1341
00:50:42,875 --> 00:50:44,094
I'll come get you.

1342
00:50:44,949 --> 00:50:46,010
We got him,

1343
00:50:46,789 --> 00:50:49,210
rolled up to Norman's trailer back there.

1344
00:50:49,910 --> 00:50:52,969
He goes to the front door, Jim does.

1345
00:50:53,110 --> 00:50:53,610
He

1346
00:50:53,910 --> 00:50:55,369
bing bing bing bing bing.

1347
00:50:55,989 --> 00:50:58,150
Norman comes out there and he says, what

1348
00:50:58,150 --> 00:50:59,130
do y'all want?

1349
00:51:00,135 --> 00:51:01,275
Jim said, Norman,

1350
00:51:01,815 --> 00:51:03,275
you know why we're here.

1351
00:51:03,894 --> 00:51:04,954
Just like that,

1352
00:51:05,414 --> 00:51:07,755
big old tears started running down Norman's face.

1353
00:51:08,295 --> 00:51:09,815
He said, I do. Come in. I want

1354
00:51:09,815 --> 00:51:10,554
to get saved.

1355
00:51:11,015 --> 00:51:11,515
Woah.

1356
00:51:12,099 --> 00:51:13,159
What in the world?

1357
00:51:13,539 --> 00:51:15,300
Then Norman got saved. He gave his heart

1358
00:51:15,300 --> 00:51:16,500
to the Lord. I had the privilege of

1359
00:51:16,500 --> 00:51:18,579
baptizing him. He joined our church. He was

1360
00:51:18,579 --> 00:51:20,500
there till he died, but not long after

1361
00:51:20,500 --> 00:51:23,239
Norman was saved he developed throat cancer

1362
00:51:23,940 --> 00:51:26,099
and had to take out his vocal cords

1363
00:51:26,099 --> 00:51:28,235
and had to take out his voice box,

1364
00:51:28,235 --> 00:51:30,394
and he breathed through that little tray cold

1365
00:51:30,394 --> 00:51:32,315
down here, you know. And they got him

1366
00:51:32,315 --> 00:51:33,675
a little thing he could put up there

1367
00:51:33,675 --> 00:51:34,795
and you could you could kind of make

1368
00:51:34,795 --> 00:51:36,555
out some stuff he said. But every now

1369
00:51:36,555 --> 00:51:38,235
and then he'd get brave, he'd put his

1370
00:51:38,235 --> 00:51:39,675
finger and try to say a word or

1371
00:51:39,675 --> 00:51:41,195
2. And he didn't have a tongue either,

1372
00:51:41,195 --> 00:51:42,869
so you never knew what he was gonna

1373
00:51:42,869 --> 00:51:45,349
get. Right? And you couldn't always understand everything

1374
00:51:45,349 --> 00:51:46,250
Norman said.

1375
00:51:47,510 --> 00:51:49,590
After that boy got saved he started coming

1376
00:51:49,590 --> 00:51:51,670
to church and man God had moved on

1377
00:51:51,670 --> 00:51:53,910
him in a service and he'd stand up

1378
00:51:53,910 --> 00:51:56,414
and praise God in his manner. And one

1379
00:51:56,414 --> 00:51:58,574
day out of the blue he popped that

1380
00:51:58,574 --> 00:52:00,494
finger over that hole and he said, I

1381
00:52:00,494 --> 00:52:03,375
want to thank God for saving me. And

1382
00:52:03,375 --> 00:52:05,394
you can understand everything he said.

1383
00:52:06,094 --> 00:52:07,474
He was an odd fellow,

1384
00:52:08,239 --> 00:52:09,699
but boy, God's good.

1385
00:52:10,239 --> 00:52:11,859
And God used that testimony

1386
00:52:12,880 --> 00:52:14,880
so many times in our church and even

1387
00:52:14,880 --> 00:52:15,380
now,

1388
00:52:15,679 --> 00:52:16,500
I miss

1389
00:52:17,119 --> 00:52:17,619
Norman.

1390
00:52:19,199 --> 00:52:21,539
Met a guy named Paul Cornett one time.

1391
00:52:22,344 --> 00:52:24,585
Paul Cornett was the prettiest man I ever

1392
00:52:24,585 --> 00:52:25,085
knew.

1393
00:52:25,785 --> 00:52:27,864
He'd traveled to meetings all over the country

1394
00:52:27,864 --> 00:52:29,465
and he didn't go to preach it, didn't

1395
00:52:29,465 --> 00:52:31,545
attend the services, he just went down to

1396
00:52:31,545 --> 00:52:32,045
pray.

1397
00:52:32,505 --> 00:52:34,105
He'd find him a place somewhere in his

1398
00:52:34,105 --> 00:52:36,585
Bible. He'd pray for hours and hours and

1399
00:52:36,585 --> 00:52:37,085
hours.

1400
00:52:37,739 --> 00:52:39,900
And God never blessed our church as much

1401
00:52:39,900 --> 00:52:41,659
as he did as when Paul Cornett went

1402
00:52:41,659 --> 00:52:42,159
there.

1403
00:52:42,539 --> 00:52:44,300
Of course, now Paul would get into church

1404
00:52:44,300 --> 00:52:46,480
service and he'd go a little bit crazy.

1405
00:52:46,699 --> 00:52:48,380
He'd shout a lot and run a lot

1406
00:52:48,380 --> 00:52:50,585
and carry on. I liked that too. He

1407
00:52:50,585 --> 00:52:53,484
was a weird guy. He developed liver cancer

1408
00:52:53,625 --> 00:52:55,864
and he was in the hospital dying. And

1409
00:52:55,864 --> 00:52:58,105
the morning he died, I went to see

1410
00:52:58,105 --> 00:52:59,625
him and I walked in and I said

1411
00:52:59,625 --> 00:53:01,704
brother Paul how are you? And he was

1412
00:53:01,704 --> 00:53:04,585
weeping because the pain was so bad. He

1413
00:53:04,585 --> 00:53:05,885
said oh preacher

1414
00:53:06,239 --> 00:53:08,960
it hurts it hurts it hurts. And we'd

1415
00:53:08,960 --> 00:53:11,360
pray. Then a nurse came in. He looked

1416
00:53:11,360 --> 00:53:13,440
up through his tears and he said honey

1417
00:53:13,440 --> 00:53:15,440
do you know Jesus? He said I'm getting

1418
00:53:15,440 --> 00:53:16,960
ready to go see him. Do you know

1419
00:53:16,960 --> 00:53:18,880
him? I want you to meet him too.

1420
00:53:18,880 --> 00:53:21,139
Still witnessing. I thought man

1421
00:53:21,594 --> 00:53:22,414
what a guy.

1422
00:53:22,715 --> 00:53:24,094
What a guy.

1423
00:53:24,954 --> 00:53:26,574
Takes all kinds, don't it?

1424
00:53:28,875 --> 00:53:29,855
Takes all kinds.

1425
00:53:31,594 --> 00:53:33,055
Why are you here tonight?

1426
00:53:34,409 --> 00:53:36,349
Are you here tonight to be entertained?

1427
00:53:37,690 --> 00:53:40,809
Are you here tonight just because, well, it's

1428
00:53:40,809 --> 00:53:44,010
Wednesday, preacher, and that's what we do on

1429
00:53:44,010 --> 00:53:44,510
Wednesday.

1430
00:53:46,385 --> 00:53:48,864
Are you here because you're sincere about serving

1431
00:53:48,864 --> 00:53:49,364
God,

1432
00:53:49,744 --> 00:53:51,284
but you're worried you can't?

1433
00:53:51,824 --> 00:53:53,204
Well, I'm telling you, you can.

1434
00:53:54,304 --> 00:53:56,005
All you need to do is be willing.

1435
00:53:57,105 --> 00:53:57,605
Just

1436
00:53:58,304 --> 00:53:58,804
be

1437
00:53:59,664 --> 00:54:00,164
willing.

1438
00:54:01,239 --> 00:54:02,840
You see, I've already talked about the fact

1439
00:54:02,840 --> 00:54:04,760
that I'm a little bit of an introvert

1440
00:54:04,760 --> 00:54:06,840
and I am. It may not appear that

1441
00:54:06,840 --> 00:54:09,000
way, but that's the truth. I am an

1442
00:54:09,000 --> 00:54:09,500
introvert.

1443
00:54:10,200 --> 00:54:12,140
And so I have trouble just making

1444
00:54:12,680 --> 00:54:14,220
conversation with strangers.

1445
00:54:15,554 --> 00:54:17,155
But do I do it? Yeah. I do

1446
00:54:17,155 --> 00:54:17,655
it

1447
00:54:18,034 --> 00:54:19,635
because there are people I meet who need

1448
00:54:19,635 --> 00:54:20,295
the Lord.

1449
00:54:20,835 --> 00:54:22,214
And so I talk to them

1450
00:54:22,835 --> 00:54:25,014
and I've learned to fake it pretty good.

1451
00:54:25,875 --> 00:54:27,655
I can actually carry on a conversation

1452
00:54:28,434 --> 00:54:30,135
with somebody I don't know.

1453
00:54:30,890 --> 00:54:32,570
Happened recently at Walmart. I was getting ready

1454
00:54:32,570 --> 00:54:33,849
to go somewhere to preach. It was about

1455
00:54:33,849 --> 00:54:35,690
4 in the morning. That's back when before

1456
00:54:35,690 --> 00:54:38,170
COVID, when Walmart was still open 24 hours,

1457
00:54:38,170 --> 00:54:39,930
you know. And I'm in there about 4

1458
00:54:39,930 --> 00:54:41,869
o'clock in the morning getting me some supplies,

1459
00:54:41,930 --> 00:54:43,610
getting ready to hit the road, you know,

1460
00:54:43,610 --> 00:54:45,230
stuff you gotta have for trips.

1461
00:54:45,885 --> 00:54:47,425
You gotta have Diet Sundrop.

1462
00:54:48,844 --> 00:54:49,985
Don't know what that is?

1463
00:54:50,445 --> 00:54:52,704
It's the elixir of the gods, my friend.

1464
00:54:53,405 --> 00:54:54,844
You gotta have that and then you gotta

1465
00:54:54,844 --> 00:54:56,065
have some pork rinds.

1466
00:54:56,525 --> 00:54:58,125
A few things like it. You gotta have

1467
00:54:58,125 --> 00:54:58,625
some

1468
00:54:59,085 --> 00:55:01,329
sausages. You gotta have some stuff. And some

1469
00:55:01,329 --> 00:55:02,530
in there are getting my stuff and I

1470
00:55:02,530 --> 00:55:03,889
walk up to the register to check out

1471
00:55:03,889 --> 00:55:05,170
and there's only one lady there, they didn't

1472
00:55:05,170 --> 00:55:07,329
have any self check back then. And she

1473
00:55:07,329 --> 00:55:08,949
was there and I could look on

1474
00:55:09,250 --> 00:55:11,489
her face, man, she was like, she's carrying

1475
00:55:11,489 --> 00:55:12,609
the weight of the world. I didn't know

1476
00:55:12,609 --> 00:55:14,289
her from Adam's house cat, but I said,

1477
00:55:14,289 --> 00:55:14,789
Ma'am,

1478
00:55:15,170 --> 00:55:16,150
are you okay?

1479
00:55:17,465 --> 00:55:19,885
She said, no. She started crying

1480
00:55:20,425 --> 00:55:22,585
and she laid the whole story out right

1481
00:55:22,585 --> 00:55:24,125
there at the register.

1482
00:55:24,824 --> 00:55:26,184
And I said, well, it's just me and

1483
00:55:26,184 --> 00:55:28,045
you and a few folk around here working.

1484
00:55:28,105 --> 00:55:29,864
I said, how about we just pray about

1485
00:55:29,864 --> 00:55:30,525
that together?

1486
00:55:31,070 --> 00:55:31,809
And we

1487
00:55:32,110 --> 00:55:34,190
did. And you get these opportunities, what do

1488
00:55:34,190 --> 00:55:36,130
you do with them? Just be open,

1489
00:55:36,429 --> 00:55:37,409
just be ready,

1490
00:55:37,710 --> 00:55:40,829
and take them. Step into it. Well I

1491
00:55:40,829 --> 00:55:42,989
know the gospel good enough. Have you experienced

1492
00:55:42,989 --> 00:55:43,650
the gospel?

1493
00:55:44,894 --> 00:55:46,574
Have you been saved by the grace of

1494
00:55:46,574 --> 00:55:47,074
God?

1495
00:55:47,614 --> 00:55:49,235
If you have, you know the gospel,

1496
00:55:49,614 --> 00:55:51,875
because you know what Jesus did for you.

1497
00:55:52,255 --> 00:55:53,695
And if he did it for you, I

1498
00:55:53,695 --> 00:55:56,034
promise you he'll do it for somebody else.

1499
00:55:56,974 --> 00:55:58,974
So what if you can't preach like somebody

1500
00:55:58,974 --> 00:55:59,474
else?

1501
00:56:00,130 --> 00:56:02,369
So what if you can't sing like someone

1502
00:56:02,369 --> 00:56:02,869
else?

1503
00:56:03,650 --> 00:56:06,130
So what if you can't do things in

1504
00:56:06,130 --> 00:56:09,250
church like other people can do? There's something

1505
00:56:09,250 --> 00:56:10,230
you can do.

1506
00:56:11,250 --> 00:56:12,789
There's some way to serve.

1507
00:56:13,655 --> 00:56:16,234
You'll find something that fits your natural bent

1508
00:56:16,614 --> 00:56:18,295
and you'll be the happiest you've ever been

1509
00:56:18,295 --> 00:56:19,114
in your life

1510
00:56:19,574 --> 00:56:21,675
doing what God called you to do.

1511
00:56:22,214 --> 00:56:23,734
So I'm gonna give you one more and

1512
00:56:23,734 --> 00:56:25,994
I'm done. I probably been done, hadn't

1513
00:56:26,719 --> 00:56:28,799
I? I've already been preaching 50 minutes. I

1514
00:56:28,799 --> 00:56:30,099
know what time it is.

1515
00:56:30,880 --> 00:56:32,420
Give me just a couple more.

1516
00:56:32,719 --> 00:56:34,319
My clock right there and it does mean

1517
00:56:34,319 --> 00:56:35,940
something to me though not much.

1518
00:56:37,280 --> 00:56:39,280
God's greater than your setbacks. His grace is

1519
00:56:39,280 --> 00:56:40,880
greater than your setbacks and I won't take

1520
00:56:40,880 --> 00:56:42,994
you to it. But you know 2nd Corinthians

1521
00:56:42,994 --> 00:56:44,914
12 over there 7 through 10 where Paul

1522
00:56:44,914 --> 00:56:47,094
talks about that thorn in the flesh,

1523
00:56:47,555 --> 00:56:49,235
he prays to God 3 times to take

1524
00:56:49,235 --> 00:56:51,255
it away and basically the Lord said, nope.

1525
00:56:51,715 --> 00:56:53,414
I like it better where it is.

1526
00:56:53,954 --> 00:56:55,954
He said, my grace though is sufficient for

1527
00:56:55,954 --> 00:56:56,454
you

1528
00:56:57,140 --> 00:56:58,360
because what'd he say?

1529
00:56:58,980 --> 00:57:01,140
He said, for my strength is made perfect

1530
00:57:01,140 --> 00:57:01,800
in what?

1531
00:57:02,660 --> 00:57:03,160
Weakness.

1532
00:57:04,340 --> 00:57:05,640
What was Paul's response?

1533
00:57:06,099 --> 00:57:08,599
His response was, therefore I take pleasure

1534
00:57:09,065 --> 00:57:09,885
in infirmities,

1535
00:57:10,425 --> 00:57:13,005
in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions,

1536
00:57:13,385 --> 00:57:15,625
in distresses for Christ's sake. For when I'm

1537
00:57:15,625 --> 00:57:17,864
weak, then am I strong. Paul said, I've

1538
00:57:17,864 --> 00:57:20,025
got this setback in my life. God won't

1539
00:57:20,025 --> 00:57:22,265
take it away. God left it here. So

1540
00:57:22,265 --> 00:57:23,785
what am I gonna do with it? I'm

1541
00:57:23,785 --> 00:57:26,099
gonna accept it and I'm gonna praise God

1542
00:57:26,099 --> 00:57:27,780
for it. Now I'm not that way really,

1543
00:57:27,780 --> 00:57:29,780
I'm trying. But I look down the road

1544
00:57:29,780 --> 00:57:32,099
and see trouble coming and I say oh

1545
00:57:32,099 --> 00:57:33,539
no. And I try to hit it off,

1546
00:57:33,539 --> 00:57:36,019
you know. Paul sees it coming. He says

1547
00:57:36,019 --> 00:57:36,519
hallelujah,

1548
00:57:36,905 --> 00:57:39,065
I'm about to get broken, because I'm gonna

1549
00:57:39,065 --> 00:57:40,605
get strong then.

1550
00:57:41,545 --> 00:57:43,144
Whole point of this, God doesn't want you

1551
00:57:43,144 --> 00:57:43,964
to be strong.

1552
00:57:45,864 --> 00:57:47,804
God's not looking for strong people.

1553
00:57:48,824 --> 00:57:50,925
God's not looking for smart people.

1554
00:57:51,750 --> 00:57:53,530
God's not looking for rich

1555
00:57:54,630 --> 00:57:57,050
people. God's not looking for people who have

1556
00:57:57,269 --> 00:57:58,969
earthly power and position,

1557
00:57:59,269 --> 00:57:59,769
prestige.

1558
00:58:00,949 --> 00:58:04,489
God is looking for broken people, humble people,

1559
00:58:04,869 --> 00:58:08,465
weak people, people who will submit everything to

1560
00:58:08,465 --> 00:58:08,965
Him

1561
00:58:09,505 --> 00:58:11,664
and God will use them. The Bible's full

1562
00:58:11,664 --> 00:58:14,465
of it. Hannah broken, God gave her a

1563
00:58:14,465 --> 00:58:15,845
son she gave him back.

1564
00:58:16,224 --> 00:58:16,724
Daniel

1565
00:58:17,025 --> 00:58:18,644
stood up to the will of a Babylonian

1566
00:58:18,945 --> 00:58:19,445
king.

1567
00:58:20,849 --> 00:58:23,329
Gideon, a man filled with fear, God used

1568
00:58:23,329 --> 00:58:25,030
him. How about Mary?

1569
00:58:25,970 --> 00:58:28,050
A teenage girl, God asked her to carry

1570
00:58:28,050 --> 00:58:30,309
the messiah in her virgin womb.

1571
00:58:30,930 --> 00:58:32,309
Imagine the reproach

1572
00:58:32,769 --> 00:58:35,090
she had to live with and yet she

1573
00:58:35,090 --> 00:58:35,829
did it.

1574
00:58:36,755 --> 00:58:37,974
And look what happened.

1575
00:58:39,074 --> 00:58:41,414
Don't ever think God can't use you,

1576
00:58:42,035 --> 00:58:43,414
because God specializes

1577
00:58:44,275 --> 00:58:45,974
in using little things.

1578
00:58:47,155 --> 00:58:49,474
He used a little baby to bring peace

1579
00:58:49,474 --> 00:58:50,215
to Abraham,

1580
00:58:50,829 --> 00:58:52,289
the name of the baby Isaac.

1581
00:58:53,230 --> 00:58:54,609
He used a little stick

1582
00:58:55,150 --> 00:58:56,989
in the hand of Moses to part the

1583
00:58:56,989 --> 00:58:57,730
Red Sea.

1584
00:58:58,829 --> 00:59:01,630
Used a little boy named David who slung

1585
00:59:01,630 --> 00:59:04,109
a little stone from a little sling and

1586
00:59:04,109 --> 00:59:05,650
defeated a big giant.

1587
00:59:06,755 --> 00:59:09,235
Used a little piece of bread called manna.

1588
00:59:09,235 --> 00:59:10,695
We heard about that tonight.

1589
00:59:10,994 --> 00:59:13,074
To feed the children of Israel. Used a

1590
00:59:13,074 --> 00:59:16,195
little leather mantle to part the Jordan river

1591
00:59:16,195 --> 00:59:16,934
for Elijah

1592
00:59:17,315 --> 00:59:18,055
and Elijah.

1593
00:59:18,449 --> 00:59:20,690
He used a little widow with a little

1594
00:59:20,690 --> 00:59:23,329
meal to feed the man of God during

1595
00:59:23,329 --> 00:59:25,809
a famine. He used a little jar of

1596
00:59:25,809 --> 00:59:28,929
ointment to bring glory to God. He used

1597
00:59:28,929 --> 00:59:31,409
a little girl named Mary and he used

1598
00:59:31,409 --> 00:59:33,664
a little cross on a little hill

1599
00:59:33,965 --> 00:59:36,465
outside of a little town called Jerusalem

1600
00:59:36,925 --> 00:59:38,864
to save the world. God

1601
00:59:39,164 --> 00:59:39,664
uses

1602
00:59:40,605 --> 00:59:41,505
little things.

1603
00:59:43,805 --> 00:59:45,265
Some of you battle depression.

1604
00:59:47,180 --> 00:59:49,820
I'm well aware of that. I've never had

1605
00:59:49,820 --> 00:59:51,420
it in my life. I don't think, but

1606
00:59:51,420 --> 00:59:52,460
it didn't know it. I guess I would

1607
00:59:52,460 --> 00:59:53,280
if I did.

1608
00:59:53,579 --> 00:59:55,680
My wife's battled it for years,

1609
00:59:56,300 --> 00:59:57,680
nearly 30 years.

1610
00:59:58,220 --> 01:00:00,800
Battle depression, some battle addiction,

1611
01:00:02,195 --> 01:00:04,135
some battle sexual sin,

1612
01:00:04,835 --> 01:00:06,054
some battle loneliness,

1613
01:00:07,155 --> 01:00:09,175
some battle feelings of inferiority,

1614
01:00:10,195 --> 01:00:11,414
some battle memories

1615
01:00:11,715 --> 01:00:14,215
of your past, some of you feel inadequate

1616
01:00:14,434 --> 01:00:15,735
for the Lord's work,

1617
01:00:16,139 --> 01:00:17,980
Some of you believe god can use the

1618
01:00:17,980 --> 01:00:19,119
others, but he can't

1619
01:00:19,659 --> 01:00:20,159
use

1620
01:00:21,019 --> 01:00:21,519
you.

1621
01:00:22,380 --> 01:00:24,239
What if I told you you were wrong?

1622
01:00:26,139 --> 01:00:27,359
Put him to the test

1623
01:00:28,204 --> 01:00:30,144
and see if he won't use you

1624
01:00:30,525 --> 01:00:31,985
for the glory of god.

1625
01:00:32,364 --> 01:00:32,864
So

1626
01:00:34,925 --> 01:00:35,985
we have a choice.

1627
01:00:37,724 --> 01:00:40,144
We can live in defeat and disobedience,

1628
01:00:41,480 --> 01:00:44,039
or we can take everything we are and

1629
01:00:44,039 --> 01:00:45,659
put it in the hand of God

1630
01:00:46,679 --> 01:00:48,619
and trust him to use us.

1631
01:00:49,960 --> 01:00:51,319
Can I tell you something to make you

1632
01:00:51,319 --> 01:00:52,779
feel better about your situation?

1633
01:00:54,125 --> 01:00:55,505
In Ephesians 2:10,

1634
01:00:55,885 --> 01:00:57,905
Paul said, for we are his workmanship,

1635
01:01:00,125 --> 01:01:02,704
created in Christ Jesus unto what?

1636
01:01:03,244 --> 01:01:03,984
Good works,

1637
01:01:04,764 --> 01:01:07,484
which God hath before ordained that we should

1638
01:01:07,484 --> 01:01:08,704
walk in them.

1639
01:01:09,769 --> 01:01:12,190
When God says you are his workmanship,

1640
01:01:13,769 --> 01:01:14,510
that translates

1641
01:01:14,809 --> 01:01:16,809
the word poi mei in the Greek. It

1642
01:01:16,809 --> 01:01:19,150
gives us our English word poem,

1643
01:01:19,769 --> 01:01:21,630
and it refers to an artist's

1644
01:01:22,329 --> 01:01:22,829
masterpiece.

1645
01:01:25,265 --> 01:01:26,324
Like Michelangelo's

1646
01:01:26,785 --> 01:01:28,724
Sistine Chapel, that kind of thing,

1647
01:01:29,105 --> 01:01:29,844
a masterpiece.

1648
01:01:31,744 --> 01:01:32,965
God says, you

1649
01:01:34,704 --> 01:01:36,164
you are my best work.

1650
01:01:36,960 --> 01:01:37,940
How you like

1651
01:01:38,239 --> 01:01:39,780
that? God says you

1652
01:01:40,320 --> 01:01:42,339
are the best thing I've ever made.

1653
01:01:43,440 --> 01:01:45,760
Whenever God made the world he saw it

1654
01:01:45,760 --> 01:01:46,579
was good.

1655
01:01:47,199 --> 01:01:49,359
And for 6 days, it's good, it's good,

1656
01:01:49,359 --> 01:01:50,320
it's good, it's good, it's good, it's good,

1657
01:01:50,320 --> 01:01:51,219
it's good.

1658
01:01:51,764 --> 01:01:54,164
Then when God saved you, he said, that's

1659
01:01:54,164 --> 01:01:54,664
it.

1660
01:01:55,204 --> 01:01:56,264
There's my masterpiece.

1661
01:01:57,525 --> 01:01:59,625
And every one of us is his masterpiece,

1662
01:02:00,644 --> 01:02:02,885
each in our own unique way. And God

1663
01:02:02,885 --> 01:02:05,464
did not save us to sequester us away

1664
01:02:05,525 --> 01:02:08,219
in our churches and hide us, But Paul

1665
01:02:08,219 --> 01:02:10,059
tells us in 2nd Corinthians 3 that we

1666
01:02:10,059 --> 01:02:11,119
are God's letters,

1667
01:02:12,139 --> 01:02:14,139
in which God writes a story of love

1668
01:02:14,139 --> 01:02:16,320
and grace to everybody who reads them.

1669
01:02:16,860 --> 01:02:18,539
So get out there and let somebody read

1670
01:02:18,539 --> 01:02:19,280
your letter.

1671
01:02:19,784 --> 01:02:21,545
Get to work in here and let somebody

1672
01:02:21,545 --> 01:02:22,444
read the letter.

1673
01:02:22,824 --> 01:02:25,784
And let somebody see what a masterpiece you

1674
01:02:25,784 --> 01:02:26,605
are, because

1675
01:02:26,984 --> 01:02:27,724
you are

1676
01:02:28,025 --> 01:02:28,764
a masterpiece,

1677
01:02:29,144 --> 01:02:31,005
a trophy of God's

1678
01:02:31,784 --> 01:02:32,284
grace.

1679
01:02:34,160 --> 01:02:36,099
And I'm done now, finally.

1680
01:02:38,000 --> 01:02:40,559
But my challenge to you as I prepare

1681
01:02:40,559 --> 01:02:41,539
to step down

1682
01:02:42,559 --> 01:02:44,980
is know this, god can use you

1683
01:02:46,505 --> 01:02:47,565
and God will

1684
01:02:48,025 --> 01:02:48,765
use you

1685
01:02:49,385 --> 01:02:50,844
if you yield to him.

1686
01:02:51,465 --> 01:02:53,405
So why don't you come before him,

1687
01:02:54,344 --> 01:02:55,805
yield yourself to him,

1688
01:02:56,425 --> 01:02:57,485
then get up

1689
01:02:58,510 --> 01:03:00,670
and watch him use you in greater ways

1690
01:03:00,670 --> 01:03:02,130
than you can imagine.

1691
01:03:04,510 --> 01:03:05,010
Amen?

1692
01:03:07,150 --> 01:03:09,230
If I told you all the things that

1693
01:03:09,230 --> 01:03:10,910
God has let me be involved in in

1694
01:03:10,910 --> 01:03:12,829
my my life and ministry since he saved

1695
01:03:12,829 --> 01:03:15,065
me, it'd blow your mind. It blows

1696
01:03:15,525 --> 01:03:17,684
mine. I'm not capable of any of it,

1697
01:03:17,684 --> 01:03:19,125
but I sure am glad to be a

1698
01:03:19,125 --> 01:03:21,625
part of it. I don't understand it,

1699
01:03:22,244 --> 01:03:23,464
but I like it.

1700
01:03:24,085 --> 01:03:26,405
I don't understand electricity either, but I ain't

1701
01:03:26,405 --> 01:03:27,764
gonna sit in the dark while I try

1702
01:03:27,764 --> 01:03:28,824
to figure it out.

1703
01:03:29,364 --> 01:03:30,105
Are you?

1704
01:03:31,650 --> 01:03:33,489
I don't know how a black cow eats

1705
01:03:33,489 --> 01:03:35,269
green grass and gives white milk,

1706
01:03:36,369 --> 01:03:38,050
but I ain't gonna stop eating ice cream

1707
01:03:38,050 --> 01:03:39,349
while I study on it.

1708
01:03:40,449 --> 01:03:42,050
And you shouldn't try to figure this out

1709
01:03:42,050 --> 01:03:43,809
either. Just yield yourself to God and see

1710
01:03:43,809 --> 01:03:45,109
what he can do. Amen?

1711
01:03:45,695 --> 01:03:46,195
Let's

1712
01:03:46,735 --> 01:03:48,574
pray. Father thank you for this church. I

1713
01:03:48,574 --> 01:03:50,735
appreciate these folks. They've been so kind to

1714
01:03:50,735 --> 01:03:52,574
me this week and I pray that you'd

1715
01:03:52,574 --> 01:03:54,735
continue to bless and use them. And father

1716
01:03:54,735 --> 01:03:56,755
teach them tonight that you have a place

1717
01:03:56,894 --> 01:03:58,735
and a plan for them in your work

1718
01:03:58,735 --> 01:04:00,880
in this world. Help them to find out

1719
01:04:00,880 --> 01:04:03,199
where they belong in your kingdom work and

1720
01:04:03,199 --> 01:04:05,280
get busy about doing the things that honor

1721
01:04:05,280 --> 01:04:07,360
you and build the kingdom. Thank you for

1722
01:04:07,360 --> 01:04:07,860
that.

1723
01:04:08,320 --> 01:04:11,119
Bless these pastors, bless everyone who's here, and

1724
01:04:11,119 --> 01:04:12,639
help us to do the right thing by

1725
01:04:12,639 --> 01:04:14,900
you tonight. We ask it in your name,

1726
01:04:15,244 --> 01:04:15,744
Amen.

1727
01:04:16,525 --> 01:04:17,585
Alright, brother.

1728
01:04:19,164 --> 01:04:19,824
I'm done.

1729
01:04:20,684 --> 01:04:22,704
Special thank you to Carter Pridemore,

1730
01:04:23,005 --> 01:04:25,025
Brian Harris, Waverly Henderson,

1731
01:04:25,405 --> 01:04:28,539
Tatum Harris Spears, and Josie Partain for our

1732
01:04:28,539 --> 01:04:30,480
theme song, Truth Set Me Free.

1733
01:04:30,859 --> 01:04:33,280
I've been Tyler Goza on production and audio.

1734
01:04:33,579 --> 01:04:35,659
We hope you can join us live next

1735
01:04:35,659 --> 01:04:38,139
Monday at 6 PM CST. Thank you for

1736
01:04:38,139 --> 01:04:38,639
listening.