1 00:00:00,360 --> 00:00:04,240 Welcome to the official podcast of Rock Hill Baptist Church 2 2 00:00:04,400 --> 00:00:07,480 where we are focused on glorifying God, spreading the 3 00:00:07,480 --> 00:00:11,840 gospel, and making disciples of Jesus Christ right here in the 4 00:00:11,840 --> 00:00:16,520 heart of Greenville, SC. Each week we bring you a life 5 00:00:16,520 --> 00:00:20,600 changing word from our Senior Pastor, Pastor Matthew D Long 6 00:00:20,600 --> 00:00:23,760 Junior, or one of our anointed guest speakers. 7 00:00:24,400 --> 00:00:27,920 We pray this message strengthens your faith, deepens your 8 00:00:27,920 --> 00:00:32,479 understanding, and empowers you to elevate in every area of your 9 00:00:32,479 --> 00:00:35,840 life. Let's join the service already 10 00:00:35,840 --> 00:00:50,050 in progress. Matthew chapter 27 and just a 11 00:00:50,050 --> 00:00:55,410 few verses for your hearing. Matthew Chapter 27 verse #45 12 00:00:58,360 --> 00:01:02,400 Thank you to our choir for singing and thank you for our 13 00:01:02,400 --> 00:01:04,160 church. I'm telling it's better when we 14 00:01:04,160 --> 00:01:07,520 do it together. I'm telling you thank you, thank 15 00:01:07,520 --> 00:01:11,040 you, thank you. Matthew chapter 27. 16 00:01:15,120 --> 00:01:16,920 Now I'm going to be very transparent with you. 17 00:01:16,920 --> 00:01:20,880 If you help me, I think I can do this in just about time. 18 00:01:20,960 --> 00:01:26,240 I feel like I can do this. No, I can't take my time today. 19 00:01:26,600 --> 00:01:31,320 I can't take it today. You right now, 'cause you 'cause 20 00:01:31,320 --> 00:01:34,480 you got to come back today at 4:00 and you got to bring a 21 00:01:34,480 --> 00:01:37,200 friend, cousin, and somebody. I'll bring them with you at 22 00:01:38,760 --> 00:01:40,880 4:00. You got to be back here four 23 00:01:40,880 --> 00:01:44,600 o'clock 4:00. That's what I'm talking about. 24 00:01:45,560 --> 00:01:49,520 Matthew chapter 27. Matthew chapter 27. 25 00:01:49,520 --> 00:01:56,000 And we want to lift, Let's see, 3 verses for your hearing. 26 00:01:57,200 --> 00:02:06,600 Verse #45 says now from the 6th hour, Matthew chapter 27, verse 27 00:02:06,600 --> 00:02:09,960 45. Now from the 6th hour there was 28 00:02:09,960 --> 00:02:13,440 darkness over all the land until the 9th hour. 29 00:02:14,080 --> 00:02:21,360 And about the 9th hour Jesus cried with a loud voice saying, 30 00:02:21,360 --> 00:02:30,280 Eli, Eli, Lama, Sabbathan, that is to say, my God, my God, thou 31 00:02:30,280 --> 00:02:33,080 hast thou forsaken me. One more verse and I'll be done. 32 00:02:34,000 --> 00:02:38,120 Some of them that stood there when they heard that said, this 33 00:02:38,120 --> 00:02:42,760 man, call it for Elijah, the word of God, for the people of 34 00:02:42,760 --> 00:02:47,920 God, thanks be unto God, you can have your seat in the Prince of 35 00:02:47,920 --> 00:02:49,720 the Lord. If you don't mind, help me out. 36 00:02:49,720 --> 00:02:53,640 Turn to your neighbor and say, hey, neighbor, are you OK? 37 00:02:56,320 --> 00:02:57,640 I'm right. I'm right. 38 00:02:57,720 --> 00:02:59,960 I'm right. Turn to the other neighbor real 39 00:02:59,960 --> 00:03:03,360 quick and say, hey, neighbor, are you OK? 40 00:03:04,480 --> 00:03:07,920 OK, make sure everybody all right, I'm right. 41 00:03:07,920 --> 00:03:09,760 I'm trying to hit this as fast I can. 42 00:03:10,280 --> 00:03:17,200 But Greg, I'm Greg. Greg, Greg, praise the Lord. 43 00:03:17,400 --> 00:03:20,040 Praise the Lord. If you don't mind, help me. 44 00:03:20,040 --> 00:03:23,440 Shout to your neighbor, my subject for today, and say, 45 00:03:23,440 --> 00:03:34,120 neighbor, the cost of elevation, the cost of elevation, the cost 46 00:03:34,120 --> 00:03:36,680 of elevation. But my dear brothers and 47 00:03:36,680 --> 00:03:40,080 sisters, we love to celebrate elevation. 48 00:03:42,240 --> 00:03:44,200 I guess you don't because you didn't say anything. 49 00:03:45,400 --> 00:03:48,800 My dear brothers and sisters, I find myself sometimes 50 00:03:48,800 --> 00:03:52,960 celebrating elevation. Y'all didn't talk to me, so I 51 00:03:52,960 --> 00:03:55,080 guess you didn't. You know, it was me and me all 52 00:03:55,080 --> 00:03:59,040 by myself. Everyone be honest. 53 00:03:59,040 --> 00:04:04,680 Sometimes we testify about it. But John, can you turn #1 just a 54 00:04:04,680 --> 00:04:08,560 slide down for me because I don't want it to get too, too 55 00:04:08,560 --> 00:04:13,960 hot when I when I lift it up. Oh, somebody got it on the 56 00:04:13,960 --> 00:04:15,360 reverb. Come on here, I hear you. 57 00:04:15,720 --> 00:04:20,839 Hey. Oh, praise him, my dear brothers 58 00:04:20,839 --> 00:04:23,760 and sisters, we love to celebrate elevation. 59 00:04:24,200 --> 00:04:29,680 I mean, we, we testify about it, we post about it, we we pray for 60 00:04:29,680 --> 00:04:34,400 it, we even sow into it and we say things like God is taking me 61 00:04:34,600 --> 00:04:38,840 to another level. You might even hear somebody say 62 00:04:38,840 --> 00:04:41,080 it. It's my season of increase. 63 00:04:42,480 --> 00:04:45,240 Others might say, you know, I'm just simply walking in my 64 00:04:45,240 --> 00:04:51,000 promotion and and this and there's absolutely nothing wrong 65 00:04:51,360 --> 00:04:54,880 with believing for more. But but but thank you. 66 00:04:54,880 --> 00:04:56,720 Praise the Lord. I know there's that cliffhanger 67 00:04:56,760 --> 00:05:01,000 like huh, but, but, but here is the caveat that we don't always 68 00:05:01,000 --> 00:05:04,200 talk about Deacon House. We don't like to talk about the 69 00:05:04,200 --> 00:05:10,240 price tag, huh? Because elevation, real 70 00:05:10,240 --> 00:05:14,440 elevation is not free. Thank you. 71 00:05:14,440 --> 00:05:17,680 I appreciate it. The truth of the matter is God 72 00:05:17,680 --> 00:05:23,640 may open the door, but you still have to pay for the hallway and 73 00:05:23,640 --> 00:05:31,320 sometimes it really is not in dollars and CENTS, cents, but it 74 00:05:31,320 --> 00:05:34,920 is then discomfort, decisions and in discipline. 75 00:05:36,160 --> 00:05:40,200 And if I can be transparent with you, sometimes it's even in deep 76 00:05:40,200 --> 00:05:45,680 pain because we find ourselves wanting the crown but not the 77 00:05:45,680 --> 00:05:52,040 cross, the platform but not the pressure, the oil but not the 78 00:05:52,040 --> 00:05:55,400 crushing. And the truth of the matter is, 79 00:05:55,400 --> 00:05:57,400 you don't get elevated without loss. 80 00:05:58,400 --> 00:06:00,800 You don't get elevated without tension. 81 00:06:01,600 --> 00:06:05,840 You don't get elevated without being stretched in places you 82 00:06:05,880 --> 00:06:10,240 thought you were settled. You don't get elevated without 83 00:06:10,240 --> 00:06:16,520 letting go of who you were so God can show you who you really 84 00:06:16,520 --> 00:06:20,360 are. I remember talking with someone 85 00:06:20,360 --> 00:06:24,400 who had just received a major promotion at work one time and 86 00:06:24,400 --> 00:06:27,920 they had the title change. They found themselves with more 87 00:06:27,920 --> 00:06:30,760 money, praises and glory. Hallelujah. 88 00:06:31,480 --> 00:06:34,800 They had that that parking spot. But you know, the little sign 89 00:06:36,720 --> 00:06:42,320 had the bigger office. From the outside, Sister Cheryl, 90 00:06:42,320 --> 00:06:45,440 it looked like a blessing. But. 91 00:06:45,440 --> 00:06:48,080 But in two months, in two months, they were miserable. 92 00:06:49,200 --> 00:06:52,920 They were exhausted. They even found themselves 93 00:06:53,200 --> 00:06:58,320 isolated and full of anxiety, carrying everybody's 94 00:06:58,320 --> 00:07:02,760 expectations. And nobody seemed to understand. 95 00:07:05,360 --> 00:07:09,600 They said to me, I didn't know this promotion would cost me so 96 00:07:09,600 --> 00:07:12,560 much peace. And I thought to myself, that's 97 00:07:12,560 --> 00:07:15,400 the part people don't, don't really, they don't really post 98 00:07:15,400 --> 00:07:21,720 on Facebook about that. That's the part that does not 99 00:07:21,720 --> 00:07:26,040 hit the Instagram Reel, the TikTok video or even the YouTube 100 00:07:26,040 --> 00:07:30,640 short. That's, that's, that's, that's 101 00:07:30,640 --> 00:07:35,480 what's happening when the platform comes really before the 102 00:07:35,480 --> 00:07:38,600 preparation. That's really what happens when 103 00:07:38,600 --> 00:07:42,680 the calling arrives. But the cost catches you off 104 00:07:42,680 --> 00:07:46,560 guard. If I can just be transparent, 105 00:07:46,560 --> 00:07:47,920 I'm going to get out my introduction. 106 00:07:47,920 --> 00:07:51,640 But elevation will excite you until it starts to expense you 107 00:07:54,440 --> 00:07:56,360 because God really doesn't promote talent. 108 00:07:56,360 --> 00:07:58,960 He promotes endurance through faithfulness. 109 00:08:00,960 --> 00:08:03,920 And if I can be honest, just a little bit more because I got 3 110 00:08:03,920 --> 00:08:06,360 movements and I got a little time, I need to get back to you 111 00:08:07,600 --> 00:08:12,000 that going higher sounds good, Sister Sherry, until you 112 00:08:12,000 --> 00:08:17,840 realize, Mother Gordine, that going higher means thinner air, 113 00:08:18,600 --> 00:08:24,080 fewer people, greater visibility, and more weight. 114 00:08:27,800 --> 00:08:32,480 So today I'm not just here to talk about rising up, elevating, 115 00:08:32,480 --> 00:08:37,000 moving up. I'm really here to show you that 116 00:08:37,000 --> 00:08:41,280 you might be like me, in between the black and white pages of the 117 00:08:41,280 --> 00:08:45,040 book before you, or the electronic device that which you 118 00:08:45,040 --> 00:08:48,600 may be reading from with a moment that you have become all 119 00:08:48,600 --> 00:08:53,040 too comfortable with, and that is Jesus on the cross. 120 00:08:54,640 --> 00:08:58,120 My dear brothers and sisters, I know it is very typical of me, 121 00:08:58,120 --> 00:09:01,680 to be honest, to preach Jesus on the cross around Easter because 122 00:09:01,680 --> 00:09:06,480 it's seasonal. But as I was in my devotional 123 00:09:06,480 --> 00:09:11,280 period and I was studying and looking and being, I found that 124 00:09:11,280 --> 00:09:16,880 in Matthew chapter 27 we find 3 movements that are worth 125 00:09:16,880 --> 00:09:20,760 exploring that really highlight the cost of elevation. 126 00:09:21,600 --> 00:09:26,120 You got your Bible open right? Matthew chapter 27 verse 45 127 00:09:26,120 --> 00:09:31,720 reads as such. Now from the 6th hour there was 128 00:09:31,800 --> 00:09:35,920 darkness over all the land until the 9th hour. 129 00:09:36,720 --> 00:09:39,120 Not your brothers and sisters. The very first thing this text 130 00:09:39,120 --> 00:09:43,560 teaches us about the cost of elevation is you have to deal 131 00:09:43,840 --> 00:09:49,440 with the shadows. You have to deal with the 132 00:09:49,440 --> 00:09:52,080 shadows. But please understand that 133 00:09:52,080 --> 00:09:56,680 before the cry, before the earthquake, before the veil was 134 00:09:56,680 --> 00:09:59,640 ripped and torn, there was a shadow. 135 00:10:01,240 --> 00:10:06,920 Glory to God. Three hours, 3 hours of 136 00:10:06,960 --> 00:10:16,120 complete, utter, total darkness. If if I can take it out of the 137 00:10:16,200 --> 00:10:22,760 the Roman time and put it into a more understandable moment for 138 00:10:22,760 --> 00:10:29,840 you that it was from 12 noon to about 3:00 PM the the brightest, 139 00:10:29,840 --> 00:10:38,280 the hottest part of the day. God pulled the shade and the sun 140 00:10:38,280 --> 00:10:45,120 stood still. The sky went silent and the land 141 00:10:45,120 --> 00:10:50,520 was left in unnatural, undeniable and uncomfortable 142 00:10:50,880 --> 00:10:55,840 darkness. Braylon, this wasn't night time. 143 00:10:56,640 --> 00:11:00,440 It was a divine interruption. TT two. 144 00:11:00,840 --> 00:11:02,880 Yeah, I thank you for reaching out to me this morning. 145 00:11:02,880 --> 00:11:06,320 This this wasn't the weather. It was a prophetic commentary 146 00:11:06,320 --> 00:11:10,200 from heaven. And for those who may just be a 147 00:11:10,200 --> 00:11:14,840 little extra online, the light didn't simply burn out. 148 00:11:15,920 --> 00:11:22,960 God blew it out. You do understand that shadows 149 00:11:22,960 --> 00:11:29,160 are created when something stands between the light and the 150 00:11:29,160 --> 00:11:33,640 object. It means light is still present, 151 00:11:35,360 --> 00:11:41,920 but it's being blocked. It means something is in the 152 00:11:41,920 --> 00:11:45,000 way. It means something has come 153 00:11:45,000 --> 00:11:49,600 between the source come here and the surface. 154 00:11:51,000 --> 00:11:55,640 So when the text says darkness fell over the land, it's not 155 00:11:55,640 --> 00:12:01,800 just pretty language for us to gloss and glaze over as we read 156 00:12:01,800 --> 00:12:05,920 our Bibles and sip on our coffee with our cream cheese Danish 157 00:12:08,520 --> 00:12:11,360 here. Here the text really is showing 158 00:12:11,360 --> 00:12:12,920 something that's quite prophetic. 159 00:12:13,640 --> 00:12:18,080 That the Lamb of God was standing between the light of 160 00:12:18,080 --> 00:12:25,720 heaven, the sins of man, and what it produced was a shadow 161 00:12:26,000 --> 00:12:29,920 that stretched across all of time. 162 00:12:31,600 --> 00:12:34,760 That the shadow of elevation is when your assignment gets in the 163 00:12:34,760 --> 00:12:39,640 way of your comfort, when you find yourself now in the 164 00:12:39,640 --> 00:12:42,680 discomfort of darkness. Are you in the room? 165 00:12:43,520 --> 00:12:46,280 Talk back to me. Have you ever, have you ever 166 00:12:46,280 --> 00:12:51,640 tried to move in the dark? Come on, I'm like, for real, you 167 00:12:51,640 --> 00:12:54,680 know, walk. Maybe even you was, you know, 168 00:12:54,680 --> 00:12:58,880 you, you was real bold. You try to run, come, come here 169 00:12:58,880 --> 00:13:00,720 because because you might have been like me, you might have 170 00:13:00,720 --> 00:13:03,800 tried to walk or run and then even try and reach for something 171 00:13:04,920 --> 00:13:07,960 without knowing where things really were. 172 00:13:09,920 --> 00:13:12,880 So if, if you had those experiences similar to mine, you 173 00:13:12,920 --> 00:13:15,240 might know what it's like to move in the dark. 174 00:13:15,240 --> 00:13:18,040 You you then recalibrate yourself. 175 00:13:18,920 --> 00:13:24,920 You you tell yourself, slow down, boy, and you shuffle you, 176 00:13:24,960 --> 00:13:28,200 you, you hesitate. You start guessing because 177 00:13:29,360 --> 00:13:35,400 everything in the dark now is uncertain, that there there's a 178 00:13:35,400 --> 00:13:43,200 fear of Deacon Hauser stubbing your toe for some, there's a 179 00:13:43,200 --> 00:13:48,080 fear of, of hitting your shin or even Braylon knocking something 180 00:13:48,120 --> 00:13:54,720 over. That there's, there's, there's, 181 00:13:54,720 --> 00:14:00,040 there's discomfort in darkness that there's, there's that fear 182 00:14:00,320 --> 00:14:06,280 in the darkness. And I think some of us, some of 183 00:14:06,280 --> 00:14:11,400 us know about that fear because the moment you move and it 184 00:14:11,400 --> 00:14:16,080 doesn't go the way you want it to move, you might just have to 185 00:14:16,080 --> 00:14:20,240 pay for one. Some of us still remember being 186 00:14:20,240 --> 00:14:25,000 a child calling out Mama because the room was too dark. 187 00:14:26,600 --> 00:14:29,720 Some of us remember sleeping with a little night light on. 188 00:14:30,800 --> 00:14:35,000 And a few of us still do, praise the Lord, because we we had 189 00:14:35,000 --> 00:14:41,760 associated darkness with danger. So now imagine in Matthew 190 00:14:41,760 --> 00:14:51,560 chapter 27, Jesus, he's not just hanging in pain, He's hanging in 191 00:14:51,560 --> 00:14:57,040 pitch black darkness. That this is not just a physical 192 00:14:57,040 --> 00:15:02,800 shadow, it's a spiritual shift. The Father God who had always 193 00:15:02,800 --> 00:15:11,480 been close, now I feel so far, far away that the visibility, 194 00:15:11,480 --> 00:15:21,760 the presence, the sense of of God's nearness gone, the word 195 00:15:21,760 --> 00:15:28,040 that became flesh is now wrapped in a silence that doesn't even 196 00:15:28,200 --> 00:15:32,720 make sense. And your Bible says for three 197 00:15:32,720 --> 00:15:40,840 hours he can't see his way out. For three hours, he doesn't even 198 00:15:40,920 --> 00:15:48,240 feel the father. For three hours, he just hangs 199 00:15:49,040 --> 00:15:52,040 in the dark. If I can give you a quick 200 00:15:52,040 --> 00:15:54,400 homological highlight for your notes, whether you're taking 201 00:15:54,560 --> 00:15:57,320 notes in person or you don't go back to the YouTube or the 202 00:15:57,560 --> 00:16:01,160 TikTok, the Instagram or the even the podcast and listen to 203 00:16:01,160 --> 00:16:02,480 this again. I want to let you know the 204 00:16:02,480 --> 00:16:03,760 evolution. I'm sorry. 205 00:16:03,920 --> 00:16:07,040 Elevation won't always give you clarity. 206 00:16:07,680 --> 00:16:14,560 It may actually find yourself or find you placed at a point 207 00:16:15,960 --> 00:16:19,600 filled with confusion. I know, I know. 208 00:16:19,920 --> 00:16:22,200 That was not a pretty one. That's not one that just rings 209 00:16:22,200 --> 00:16:23,960 on your ears. That's one you got to think 210 00:16:23,960 --> 00:16:28,080 about because you can be in purpose and still feel like 211 00:16:28,080 --> 00:16:31,520 you're in peril. And can I show you something 212 00:16:31,520 --> 00:16:33,200 else before I give you a good shout? 213 00:16:34,120 --> 00:16:36,240 Thank you, Shay. I think everybody got lost in 214 00:16:36,240 --> 00:16:40,120 the dark. The the revelation of this text 215 00:16:40,760 --> 00:16:48,160 is that God was in the dark. John I, I, I would toss you the 216 00:16:48,160 --> 00:16:51,400 mic because I really want to run right here. 217 00:16:53,960 --> 00:16:55,400 I got it. I got to stay on this time 218 00:16:55,880 --> 00:17:01,640 because the revelation is that in Exodus chapter 20 verse 21, 219 00:17:02,760 --> 00:17:07,920 Moses was drawn near to God. But where was God? 220 00:17:09,319 --> 00:17:12,920 He was in the thickness of what seemed to be dark. 221 00:17:15,920 --> 00:17:18,520 It it was a it was a burning fire that caught his attention, 222 00:17:18,720 --> 00:17:21,520 but God was in the fire. But he was really in the 223 00:17:21,520 --> 00:17:27,560 darkness of a king. First Kings 8 and 12, the text 224 00:17:27,560 --> 00:17:30,760 says the Lord said that he would dwell in thick darkness. 225 00:17:32,280 --> 00:17:35,960 Psalm 1811 says he made darkness his secret place. 226 00:17:38,560 --> 00:17:40,720 And my dear brothers and sisters, I'm going to let you 227 00:17:40,720 --> 00:17:44,120 know that you, you heard it, you heard it, you heard it said that 228 00:17:44,120 --> 00:17:48,640 God is light. But I also want to remind you 229 00:17:49,160 --> 00:17:52,440 that God also knows how to hide in the shadows. 230 00:17:54,080 --> 00:17:57,000 I think I got some witnesses that says, I know what it's like 231 00:17:57,000 --> 00:18:02,160 for God to hide in icy rooms. I know what it's like for God to 232 00:18:02,160 --> 00:18:05,120 hide in those ICU rooms that turn into journal rooms. 233 00:18:05,520 --> 00:18:08,720 I know what it's like for God to hide in grief sessions and 234 00:18:08,720 --> 00:18:11,760 therapy sessions. I know what it's like for God to 235 00:18:11,760 --> 00:18:15,200 hide in moments where you just absolutely feel like giving up. 236 00:18:16,520 --> 00:18:21,160 I know what it's like for God to hide in the silence and even to 237 00:18:21,160 --> 00:18:27,400 hide in the waiting. And Jesus here in your text, 238 00:18:27,400 --> 00:18:32,720 Matthew chapter 27, it's still on the cross, but he's no longer 239 00:18:32,720 --> 00:18:38,800 in the light. And the Father God is still 240 00:18:38,800 --> 00:18:45,040 working, but he's working, Brother Poseley, in the shadows. 241 00:18:47,000 --> 00:18:50,960 I think I better give you a quick little piece of wisdom, 242 00:18:50,960 --> 00:18:55,360 pastoral wisdom that that that you might not need to write this 243 00:18:55,440 --> 00:18:56,880 down. You might need to etch this one 244 00:18:56,880 --> 00:19:01,800 on, on the memory break of your memory Bank of your mind that it 245 00:19:01,800 --> 00:19:07,480 may not be rise to curse the dark because God might be closer 246 00:19:07,920 --> 00:19:17,000 than he's ever been. He might be closer than he's 247 00:19:17,000 --> 00:19:21,560 ever been, because the danger of the dark is not what's around 248 00:19:21,560 --> 00:19:24,600 you, it's what's beginning to rise within you. 249 00:19:27,960 --> 00:19:31,120 In the dark. In the dark, you have to deal 250 00:19:31,120 --> 00:19:35,440 with the unknown, and the unknown sometimes bubbles up as 251 00:19:35,440 --> 00:19:45,000 fear, as doubt, as anxiety, as confusion, as isolation. 252 00:19:46,040 --> 00:19:51,320 But you can't move too fast because you're in the dark. 253 00:19:53,120 --> 00:19:55,960 I'm going to let you know that the dark, the dark, the shadows 254 00:19:55,960 --> 00:20:01,920 is not punishment, it's process. And if you're if you're in the 255 00:20:01,920 --> 00:20:05,520 dark right now, the lights have gone out on what used to make 256 00:20:05,520 --> 00:20:06,840 sense. If you're fumbling through a 257 00:20:06,840 --> 00:20:10,440 season, you used to flow in, you're not dying, you're being 258 00:20:10,440 --> 00:20:14,920 developed, you're not being punished, you're being 259 00:20:14,920 --> 00:20:18,840 positioned. You're not in the tomb, you're 260 00:20:18,840 --> 00:20:22,960 in transition. The shadow of elevation means 261 00:20:22,960 --> 00:20:26,720 God is covering you while He completes you. 262 00:20:28,320 --> 00:20:35,200 Here we find ourselves now having to deal with the second 263 00:20:35,200 --> 00:20:39,720 movement of the text. Matthew chapter 27 verse 46 264 00:20:40,080 --> 00:20:45,800 says. And about the 9th hour Jesus 265 00:20:46,400 --> 00:20:57,200 cried with a loud voice saying ela ela lama sabatha, that is 266 00:20:57,200 --> 00:21:04,640 that what your Bible says? That is to say, my God, my God, 267 00:21:06,040 --> 00:21:15,840 why has thou forsaken me as I sip on this water? 268 00:21:17,600 --> 00:21:26,440 The second movement of this text is the strain of elevation, the 269 00:21:26,440 --> 00:21:32,120 strain of elevation. If the first cause of elevation 270 00:21:32,120 --> 00:21:34,800 was the shadow, the second is the strain. 271 00:21:35,800 --> 00:21:39,320 Because vow. Jesus is hanging in the dark. 272 00:21:40,760 --> 00:21:45,680 Jesus does something that should stop you, your cousin, your mom 273 00:21:45,680 --> 00:21:50,960 and him and the brother in the track, sister. 274 00:21:50,960 --> 00:21:59,080 Rather Jesus in the dark come in, your Bible says cries out. 275 00:22:03,240 --> 00:22:05,960 Deacon Meadows, you've been in this thing for a long time. 276 00:22:07,400 --> 00:22:09,440 You, you, you, you, you. You may be able to help me 277 00:22:09,520 --> 00:22:11,160 preach this a little better than I can. 278 00:22:12,600 --> 00:22:18,720 That the text here teaches us that Jesus crying out is not a 279 00:22:18,720 --> 00:22:23,320 whisper. Jesus crying out is is not a 280 00:22:23,320 --> 00:22:28,920 breathless mumble. Jesus crying out is not a secret 281 00:22:28,920 --> 00:22:33,320 text message. Jesus crying out is not just a 282 00:22:33,320 --> 00:22:38,320 casual conversation, Sister Jackie, but Jesus crying out is 283 00:22:38,320 --> 00:22:47,640 a loud, agonizing, almost general scream coming from a man 284 00:22:48,680 --> 00:22:58,440 that is suffocating to death. Now you got to understand that 285 00:22:58,440 --> 00:23:03,680 that old rugged cross. We like to sing about the old 286 00:23:03,680 --> 00:23:06,480 rugged cross. We we say it's the emblem of 287 00:23:06,520 --> 00:23:10,240 suffering and shame that that that rugged cross was a Roman 288 00:23:10,240 --> 00:23:14,840 cross. Deacon Davis and and the cross 289 00:23:15,080 --> 00:23:24,600 or crucifixion was design not just to kill, but it was 290 00:23:24,600 --> 00:23:26,880 designed to make you suffer slowly. 291 00:23:30,160 --> 00:23:35,520 The crucifixion crucifixion causes the arms of 1 to stretch 292 00:23:35,520 --> 00:23:43,880 out at full span almost went back to the gym in my mind you 293 00:23:43,880 --> 00:23:47,680 know when every time I stretch out a little bit more a little 294 00:23:47,680 --> 00:23:54,040 bit more ain't gotten them a little bit more that the cross 295 00:23:55,640 --> 00:24:05,400 caused Jesus to stretch completely out a full span, 296 00:24:06,720 --> 00:24:12,560 causing his lungs to collapse and to prevent natural breath. 297 00:24:14,120 --> 00:24:21,480 So for him Jesus to even inhale or to breathe, he would have to 298 00:24:21,840 --> 00:24:30,000 push himself up using his feet that have been pierced around 299 00:24:30,000 --> 00:24:41,160 the ankles bone with 9 inch nails while using his back that 300 00:24:41,160 --> 00:24:48,600 has been shredded from rips. Not just the belt that you had I 301 00:24:48,600 --> 00:24:50,760 had growing up. I'm talking about rips that 302 00:24:50,760 --> 00:24:55,200 were, that were filled with rocking with shards of glass. 303 00:24:57,520 --> 00:25:03,080 Rips that that had literally pulled the top and second layer 304 00:25:03,080 --> 00:25:12,920 of his skin until it exposed the veins here on the cross. 305 00:25:15,560 --> 00:25:23,760 That natural flesh of Jesus scraping against raw tree wood. 306 00:25:25,120 --> 00:25:32,400 Untreated wood finds himself speaking. 307 00:25:36,640 --> 00:25:41,880 He has to pull himself up every time just to breathe. 308 00:25:43,640 --> 00:25:52,160 Just a little push to get a little more air, pressing 309 00:25:52,160 --> 00:25:59,600 against pain while pushing through, suffocation of his lung 310 00:25:59,920 --> 00:26:04,080 being collapsed, potentially feeling with blood. 311 00:26:07,520 --> 00:26:13,360 He has to lift his weight while his nerves feel like they are 312 00:26:13,600 --> 00:26:21,480 burning and on fire. And your Bible, my Bible says 313 00:26:21,480 --> 00:26:30,320 through all of this, Jesus cries with a loud voice. 314 00:26:35,960 --> 00:26:38,280 But the pain should have silenced him. 315 00:26:39,480 --> 00:26:44,480 He still had something to say. Many brothers and sisters. 316 00:26:44,480 --> 00:26:49,320 This was not just effort. This was expensive because every 317 00:26:49,320 --> 00:26:56,960 word Jesus utters on this cross literally cost him come here, 318 00:26:57,760 --> 00:27:08,200 blood, oxygen and even agony. So if it was me, I would really 319 00:27:08,200 --> 00:27:11,520 ask Jesus why say. Anything at all. 320 00:27:14,120 --> 00:27:16,000 Why use your strength to say this? 321 00:27:17,920 --> 00:27:21,160 Let me get prophetic insight from Psalm 22 and one that says 322 00:27:21,760 --> 00:27:26,240 my God, my God that has thou forsaken me. 323 00:27:27,600 --> 00:27:31,160 Notice that Jesus wasn't just screaming in agony. 324 00:27:31,800 --> 00:27:37,600 He was quoting the scripture he was hanging from, from a cross. 325 00:27:38,240 --> 00:27:44,520 But he's preaching the Psalms. He's he's suffocating in pain. 326 00:27:44,520 --> 00:27:46,280 I can't hear you. Did y'all go to sleep? 327 00:27:47,320 --> 00:27:52,360 But he's still fulfilling purpose and prophecy even in 328 00:27:52,360 --> 00:27:55,360 suffering. Jesus didn't lose the word. 329 00:27:56,560 --> 00:28:06,040 The reality is He was the word. We'll let you know that this cry 330 00:28:07,400 --> 00:28:11,960 wasn't just about pain, glory to God, but this cry, Mother 331 00:28:11,960 --> 00:28:20,080 Gordine, was about presence. This was the first time in all 332 00:28:20,480 --> 00:28:28,560 of time, eternity, Braylon, where Jesus, the Son who had 333 00:28:28,600 --> 00:28:33,040 always been with the Father, now feels separation. 334 00:28:35,840 --> 00:28:45,080 He doesn't say Father and the text Deacon housing verse 46, he 335 00:28:45,080 --> 00:28:49,480 says, my God, I'm I'm nearing the corner. 336 00:28:49,480 --> 00:28:52,200 I think there's a there's an opening in the sky coming 337 00:28:53,040 --> 00:28:58,280 because in this moment, he's not just suffering physically, but 338 00:28:58,280 --> 00:29:07,520 he's suffering spiritually. He's not just carrying a cross. 339 00:29:09,760 --> 00:29:17,960 He's carrying every sin we've ever committed, every lie, every 340 00:29:17,960 --> 00:29:27,000 death, every betrayal, every addiction, every womb, every 341 00:29:27,080 --> 00:29:31,480 shameful secret, every generational curse. 342 00:29:32,440 --> 00:29:41,560 He's carrying all of this. I'm the one who knew no sin has 343 00:29:41,560 --> 00:29:47,720 become the embodiment of sin itself, and we know that sin 344 00:29:47,720 --> 00:29:50,680 separates. The second Corinthians chapter 5 345 00:29:50,680 --> 00:29:53,680 verse 21 says he who know no sin became sin for us that we might 346 00:29:53,680 --> 00:29:58,880 become the righteousness of God. This cry here, this strain was 347 00:29:58,960 --> 00:30:08,800 Jesus saying, God, I don't feel you anymore as Jesus saying I 348 00:30:08,800 --> 00:30:16,160 can't trace you. I can't hear you, sister 349 00:30:16,160 --> 00:30:26,480 Shirley, I can't see you as Jesus saying I can't sense you 350 00:30:27,720 --> 00:30:33,280 and it's breaking me. But but here's here's here's 351 00:30:33,280 --> 00:30:38,280 where it really begins to turn into text because even in Jesus 352 00:30:38,480 --> 00:30:43,520 deepest pain, even while he's suffocating, even while he's 353 00:30:43,520 --> 00:30:46,600 feeling forsaken. You ready? 354 00:30:47,760 --> 00:30:50,840 Thank you. I think I'm just going to preach 355 00:30:50,840 --> 00:30:54,080 to you since you want to talk to me even through all of this. 356 00:30:54,240 --> 00:31:00,800 Check this out. He still talks to God, but I can 357 00:31:00,800 --> 00:31:06,040 shout right now. He, he, he says, my God, my God, 358 00:31:07,960 --> 00:31:13,120 He doesn't curse him. He doesn't blame him. 359 00:31:14,680 --> 00:31:19,840 He doesn't abandoned him. Come here, he calls him. 360 00:31:21,800 --> 00:31:26,520 And that's the cry of every believer who's ever found 361 00:31:26,520 --> 00:31:32,880 himself in a spiritual strength. When it hurts, but you keep 362 00:31:32,880 --> 00:31:36,360 praying. When it's dark but you keep 363 00:31:36,360 --> 00:31:41,800 worshiping. When you feel forsaken but you 364 00:31:41,840 --> 00:31:53,240 find yourself still saying, My God, my God, because your pain 365 00:31:53,240 --> 00:32:00,000 doesn't cancel your position. You're still God's child, and 366 00:32:00,000 --> 00:32:04,800 the cry wasn't proof that God left, but it was simply proof 367 00:32:04,800 --> 00:32:10,120 that the Son still trusted God. I've got to get out of here now. 368 00:32:11,040 --> 00:32:13,520 I got one more point to give you here, my clothes. 369 00:32:14,360 --> 00:32:19,080 But I'm reminded of a story that there was a father. 370 00:32:20,360 --> 00:32:22,520 Who had took? His daughter to the hospital. 371 00:32:23,680 --> 00:32:29,520 The daughter found herself needing some surgery, so when 372 00:32:29,520 --> 00:32:34,320 they rolled her into the room. And the anesthesia begin to kick 373 00:32:34,320 --> 00:32:36,240 in. She begin to. 374 00:32:36,280 --> 00:32:39,640 Panic. And she begin to cry out. 375 00:32:39,640 --> 00:32:42,120 Daddy. Don't let them take me. 376 00:32:43,040 --> 00:32:45,880 She begin to say Daddy. Don't leave. 377 00:32:45,880 --> 00:32:51,800 Me and the father had. Tears in his eyes, but he was 378 00:32:51,800 --> 00:32:56,560 right there, even when she couldn't feel him anymore. 379 00:32:57,400 --> 00:33:02,000 She thought he was gone, but he was just outside. 380 00:33:02,000 --> 00:33:08,080 Of the room watching and weeping, waiting for his 381 00:33:08,080 --> 00:33:14,880 daughter to come through so he let her feel forsaken so she can 382 00:33:14,880 --> 00:33:21,760 receive her healing. And when she woke up, she was 383 00:33:21,800 --> 00:33:26,000 thin home. But if the the cry that reminded 384 00:33:26,000 --> 00:33:35,200 him, she, the daughter still believed that he was close. 385 00:33:36,280 --> 00:33:46,960 Because the cry does not mean he's absent but the crime it 386 00:33:47,040 --> 00:33:56,920 means that you still believe that you're God is listening. 387 00:33:57,080 --> 00:34:04,280 I better move on now to my Third Point here because the Bible 388 00:34:04,280 --> 00:34:15,360 says in Matthew chapter 27 verse #46 hand about the 9th hour 389 00:34:17,239 --> 00:34:25,400 Jesus cries on now cries. Wise with a loud voice, and as 390 00:34:25,440 --> 00:34:29,719 he cries with a loud voice, the Bible says he's heard. 391 00:34:31,000 --> 00:34:42,320 Saying Eli, Eli Lama subophany, that is my God, My God, why hast 392 00:34:42,440 --> 00:34:46,040 thou? Forsaken Me verse 47 is where I 393 00:34:46,040 --> 00:34:47,120 want to hang my. Hat. 394 00:34:47,880 --> 00:34:58,520 Because the Bible says. Some have them that stood there 395 00:35:00,000 --> 00:35:10,400 when they heard him said this man called for Elijah. 3rd 396 00:35:10,400 --> 00:35:18,360 movement worth exploring the cost of elevation is the 397 00:35:18,360 --> 00:35:29,120 scrutiny of elevation. Jesus is hanging up. 398 00:35:29,560 --> 00:35:38,720 Jesus is straightening. Jesus is suffering, and now 399 00:35:40,760 --> 00:35:47,440 after giving his all and now after pushing through the pain, 400 00:35:49,560 --> 00:35:55,120 now giving all he's got on the cross. 401 00:35:56,200 --> 00:36:02,560 Your Bible says he's being scrutinized and here on the. 402 00:36:02,560 --> 00:36:09,640 Text. We see Jesus crying for God, but 403 00:36:09,640 --> 00:36:16,840 the people thinking he's calling for Elijah, they mishear him, 404 00:36:17,840 --> 00:36:24,800 they misread him and they mocked the moment the Saint Jesus 405 00:36:25,720 --> 00:36:35,160 mother Gordine who raised the damn, the same Jesus that healed 406 00:36:36,040 --> 00:36:46,720 healed the sick, the same Jesus that feather hungry now has to 407 00:36:46,920 --> 00:36:55,040 deal with people misinterpreting his words. 408 00:36:56,320 --> 00:37:06,400 He's misheard and miss judged, and what he said was sacred, for 409 00:37:06,480 --> 00:37:16,680 what they heard was sarcasm. What he said was prophecy, but 410 00:37:16,680 --> 00:37:27,040 what they assumed was delusion. What he spoke was in power, but 411 00:37:27,040 --> 00:37:34,800 they dismissed him in panic. And here's the truth for every 412 00:37:34,800 --> 00:37:42,400 elevated person to understand the name is that the price of 413 00:37:42,480 --> 00:37:50,520 elevation includes being misquoted by people who were 414 00:37:50,520 --> 00:37:54,880 never called them to carry what you carry. 415 00:37:55,720 --> 00:37:59,840 I got to get out of here now, but help me wake your neighbor 416 00:37:59,840 --> 00:38:04,840 up and say, oh, I'm neighbor. No, I said say, oh, I'm 417 00:38:04,840 --> 00:38:09,920 neighbor. I want to remind you, this is 418 00:38:09,920 --> 00:38:17,840 your hip, the elevator. I want to remind you that God's 419 00:38:17,840 --> 00:38:24,920 not a man that he should lie neither the son of man that he 420 00:38:24,920 --> 00:38:34,640 should take it back or repent. If he's had it, it's if he's 421 00:38:34,640 --> 00:38:39,880 spoken, it's it's a done deal and I want. 422 00:38:41,480 --> 00:38:45,680 I'm sorry preaching fell on me, I want you to know. 423 00:38:46,640 --> 00:38:56,800 That your Savior and my Savior shows us that being elevated is 424 00:38:56,800 --> 00:39:00,440 going to cost you the whole of John. 425 00:39:01,200 --> 00:39:09,360 I want them to hear this part that sometimes God would elevate 426 00:39:09,360 --> 00:39:20,360 you and God would allow you to believe did high, but God will 427 00:39:20,360 --> 00:39:28,920 be sure that your crowd it's filled the distinctive person. 428 00:39:29,680 --> 00:39:33,480 Come on here. I gotta go for real. 429 00:39:34,240 --> 00:39:39,920 But look, in the crown, there's three types of people at the 430 00:39:39,920 --> 00:39:46,640 foot of the cross. Your Bible shows us that. 431 00:39:46,640 --> 00:39:53,600 There's hecklers at the cross. There's people who's going to 432 00:39:53,600 --> 00:39:54,920 mock you. Nothing. 433 00:39:55,880 --> 00:40:03,280 But look at this now. Your Bible shows us that at the 434 00:40:03,280 --> 00:40:07,200 foot of the cross. There's also adversaries. 435 00:40:07,920 --> 00:40:12,520 There's going to be people who plan against, show progress. 436 00:40:13,120 --> 00:40:19,120 He's on the cross. But look at Jesus trying to save 437 00:40:19,120 --> 00:40:24,280 the world. Look at God descending from his 438 00:40:24,280 --> 00:40:30,920 celestial throne now on a tree he created with his own mind, 439 00:40:31,640 --> 00:40:36,160 giving over the people he loves with all his heart. 440 00:40:36,840 --> 00:40:42,880 And if the crown, the third group of people be finding the 441 00:40:42,880 --> 00:40:54,520 text are silent advocates, those who believe but say nothing when 442 00:40:54,520 --> 00:41:01,840 it counts. And Jesus wasn't just pierced in 443 00:41:01,840 --> 00:41:09,880 his hands, mother, but Jesus was pierced by their opinions. 444 00:41:10,720 --> 00:41:19,480 In that same voice that once lifted up Hosanna, is the same 445 00:41:19,480 --> 00:41:26,360 voice that says, let's see if Elijah's going to save him. 446 00:41:26,360 --> 00:41:33,160 I'm going to remind you, in this world today, find yourself 447 00:41:34,000 --> 00:41:38,720 having some spectators who have no revelation. 448 00:41:39,320 --> 00:41:44,200 They may stand right there. They may listen right there, 449 00:41:44,920 --> 00:41:50,720 they may be present right there, but they'll be absent from the 450 00:41:50,720 --> 00:41:55,960 revelation. I'm so sorry, but the text 451 00:41:55,960 --> 00:42:03,360 teaches us that somebody can even be near the cross and still 452 00:42:03,400 --> 00:42:06,880 not know Christ. So don't get mad. 453 00:42:07,880 --> 00:42:15,320 Men define people in your crowd. Who may not go along with you. 454 00:42:16,040 --> 00:42:22,240 Don't get mad when you look in your cry and you find some 455 00:42:22,240 --> 00:42:29,560 people plotting your demise. But be like she's And whatever 456 00:42:31,360 --> 00:42:37,400 you do, stop. Come out the elevator plane. 457 00:42:38,480 --> 00:42:51,080 Stand in the safe house, 'cause he, that's really, that's him, 458 00:42:51,120 --> 00:42:57,960 the secret place, Him, the darkness, him, the strain him, 459 00:42:58,080 --> 00:43:07,400 the struggle, he that hides him, the name of the Lord shall be 460 00:43:07,400 --> 00:43:09,880 saved. I got to get out of here now, 461 00:43:10,840 --> 00:43:16,000 but I'm reminded of a group of people that was in the theater 462 00:43:16,000 --> 00:43:21,960 one time, and the whole time they saw some others scrolling 463 00:43:21,960 --> 00:43:25,320 on the phone while the movies being displayed. 464 00:43:25,840 --> 00:43:32,640 They laughed at the wrong part. They found themselves talking 465 00:43:32,640 --> 00:43:36,960 through the tension. And at the end of the movie, the 466 00:43:36,960 --> 00:43:41,640 group of people said to themselves, I didn't get the 467 00:43:41,640 --> 00:43:44,560 movie. And I'm going to let you know 468 00:43:45,160 --> 00:43:48,760 that there's always going to be some people who won't be with 469 00:43:48,760 --> 00:43:55,600 you who will simply miss it. But whatever you do, don't come 470 00:43:55,600 --> 00:44:00,720 down. Whatever you do, don't give up. 471 00:44:01,600 --> 00:44:07,560 Because the cost of elevation may be a shadow, but the cow. 472 00:44:09,440 --> 00:44:13,120 Is going to. Produce, the cost is the Jackie 473 00:44:13,840 --> 00:44:20,120 will give you a harvest, the cost Braylon will give you fruit 474 00:44:20,120 --> 00:44:24,640 and the shadow yields revelation. 475 00:44:25,480 --> 00:44:31,520 But also you must know you may have to pay the cost, the cost 476 00:44:31,520 --> 00:44:37,080 of strain, but the cost of strain is going to give you 477 00:44:38,080 --> 00:44:44,080 identification. You may even find yourself 478 00:44:45,040 --> 00:44:50,480 dealing with scrutiny. But I got to remember, I got to 479 00:44:50,480 --> 00:44:56,280 remind you that scrutiny is going to yield vindication 480 00:44:56,960 --> 00:45:06,440 because Jesus is on the cross. Jesus, it's paying the cost, and 481 00:45:06,440 --> 00:45:12,560 as he's paying the cross, the cost of elevation, It seemed as 482 00:45:12,560 --> 00:45:19,440 if it all was for not. It seemed as if this was just 483 00:45:19,440 --> 00:45:24,080 for nothing. It seemed as if this was just 484 00:45:24,080 --> 00:45:29,600 another man. It seemed it was another streak. 485 00:45:30,480 --> 00:45:35,840 It seemed as is it was just another man, just another 486 00:45:35,840 --> 00:45:42,440 person, just another pies time, just another thing, just another 487 00:45:42,480 --> 00:45:46,680 one. But I'm so glad that Jesus 488 00:45:46,680 --> 00:45:51,600 didn't just die, but Jesus was delivered. 489 00:45:52,760 --> 00:45:57,280 Yes, God, I hear you. He was delivered from an 490 00:45:57,320 --> 00:46:01,880 elevated place because the higher you got to go up, you'll 491 00:46:01,880 --> 00:46:05,800 find yourself going down deeper. And the Bible says he that I've 492 00:46:05,800 --> 00:46:10,880 said attended the question is where did he go? 493 00:46:11,520 --> 00:46:16,600 Because it seemed not sins Earth was already hell, but he had 494 00:46:16,600 --> 00:46:22,120 found himself found himself in hell for real. 495 00:46:22,760 --> 00:46:28,200 And there he found captives, cactus by sin, cactus by 496 00:46:28,200 --> 00:46:36,880 tradition, cactus by religion. And it's the blood Jesus pain on 497 00:46:36,920 --> 00:46:42,880 that all round across the cars held to get nervous. 498 00:46:43,600 --> 00:46:47,280 And Friday night seemed like another party. 499 00:46:48,280 --> 00:46:52,080 Saturday was just another casual brunch. 500 00:46:52,760 --> 00:46:57,560 But something happened. Something happened in the 501 00:46:57,560 --> 00:47:02,160 breaking up day. The jails of hell, they give 502 00:47:02,160 --> 00:47:07,560 them the ride on something happened between the breaking of 503 00:47:07,680 --> 00:47:15,440 day what seemed like was just for not on early Sunday morning. 504 00:47:17,000 --> 00:47:23,840 Jesus, it's vindicated 'cause he comes out of a borrowed. 505 00:47:23,840 --> 00:47:28,240 Place. Comes out of a borrowed 506 00:47:28,240 --> 00:47:30,640 location. Comes out. 507 00:47:31,720 --> 00:47:39,320 Comes out, comes out or just a stop on his journey. 508 00:47:39,880 --> 00:47:47,200 He comes down or what's only temporary, so he can now deliver 509 00:47:48,400 --> 00:47:59,520 Freedom, deliver liberty, deliver salvation to you and I. 510 00:48:00,320 --> 00:48:03,280 I've got to go now. I ain't never had to preach my 511 00:48:03,280 --> 00:48:07,600 anniversary, but I came to let you know, as the Lord was 512 00:48:07,600 --> 00:48:11,880 ministering to me this week while I was in Charlotte, that 513 00:48:11,880 --> 00:48:17,600 God hath not forgot his word concerning you. 514 00:48:18,200 --> 00:48:24,080 That God hath not from God what he said to you. 515 00:48:24,760 --> 00:48:30,520 That God has not been God, how he thinks about you. 516 00:48:31,240 --> 00:48:41,080 That God has not changed, changed His mind about you. 517 00:48:42,080 --> 00:48:51,160 And I came to give you a message straight from heaven that you 518 00:48:51,160 --> 00:48:56,280 gonna have to pay the cost of elevation. 519 00:48:57,040 --> 00:49:01,080 But don't be discouraged. Don't be dismayed. 520 00:49:01,840 --> 00:49:07,160 Just know that God won't fail you. 521 00:49:08,160 --> 00:49:15,520 God won't fail you. God won't fail you. 522 00:49:16,360 --> 00:49:23,280 So get out of your feelings. Get in faith because God, he's 523 00:49:23,280 --> 00:49:29,920 with you. And even if you have to go from 524 00:49:29,920 --> 00:49:37,200 the light to the dark, God is still with you. 525 00:49:37,240 --> 00:49:45,560 God is still holding you. God is still sustaining you. 526 00:49:46,320 --> 00:49:49,840 God, it's still providing for you. 527 00:49:50,400 --> 00:49:56,480 You might slow down, but just no, God won't fail you. 528 00:49:56,560 --> 00:50:08,440 God, God, God, God, God. He won't let you fall. 529 00:50:08,960 --> 00:50:19,720 He won't let you fall. He won't let you fall, God. 530 00:50:21,480 --> 00:50:31,120 God got too much invested in you for you to quit now, for you to 531 00:50:32,400 --> 00:50:38,480 let go now, for you to run out of gas now. 532 00:50:39,120 --> 00:50:44,840 So go, go on through with it because God's still with you. 533 00:50:45,640 --> 00:50:47,200 Help me out. Telling somebody, Say go with 534 00:50:47,200 --> 00:50:49,360 it, go through it because God's still with you. 535 00:50:49,360 --> 00:50:52,480 Oh no, no, no, no, no. I said go tell somebody God is 536 00:50:52,480 --> 00:50:55,280 still with you. I said tell somebody God is 537 00:50:55,280 --> 00:50:59,120 still with you. That's the wrong person. 538 00:50:59,120 --> 00:51:01,920 They didn't hear you. That's the wrong. 539 00:51:02,000 --> 00:51:04,480 Go find somebody else and say God is still with you. 540 00:51:05,520 --> 00:51:08,840 God is still with you. God is still with you. 541 00:51:09,680 --> 00:51:17,520 God is still with you. God, God, God is still with you. 542 00:51:18,200 --> 00:51:22,920 I'm sorry, it's my anniversary. I'm sorry he's still with you. 543 00:51:24,240 --> 00:51:27,840 So cry if you have to, but God's still with you. 544 00:51:28,520 --> 00:51:32,200 Screaming if you have to, but God is still with you. 545 00:51:33,000 --> 00:51:40,360 Rolling the floor if you have to, but God is still with you. 546 00:51:41,520 --> 00:51:49,160 A hero let you die, I said. Hero, the one who made the stars 547 00:51:49,160 --> 00:51:53,800 in the sky won't let you die. May not feel good. 548 00:51:54,440 --> 00:51:57,960 But. Hero let you die. 549 00:51:58,880 --> 00:52:04,560 Body may fail me, but God won't let me die. 550 00:52:06,280 --> 00:52:11,040 I got to stop. Hero, Hero, hero. 551 00:52:16,160 --> 00:52:18,440 I got to stop. I got to stop. 552 00:52:56,120 --> 00:53:03,800 He won't let you down. Sometimes we just read Jesus on 553 00:53:03,840 --> 00:53:10,080 the cross. He don't realize the layering of 554 00:53:10,120 --> 00:53:17,080 pain that is more than just snails in his eyes, heels in his 555 00:53:17,080 --> 00:53:21,080 feet, a crown of thorns and a spear in his side. 556 00:53:21,080 --> 00:53:24,400 Yeah, that's it. And it's also the people he was 557 00:53:24,400 --> 00:53:29,840 sent to love that is in the dark with him. 558 00:53:33,360 --> 00:53:41,880 And in the dark. In the dark, they start talking 559 00:53:41,880 --> 00:53:48,760 stupid. In the dark we already nervous. 560 00:53:48,760 --> 00:53:58,400 They're supposed to be light. Life's not supposed to be like 561 00:53:58,400 --> 00:53:59,600 this. At this moment. 562 00:54:01,560 --> 00:54:05,560 I'm in this moment, this season, this air, this epoch. 563 00:54:06,880 --> 00:54:12,800 It's dark. And Jesus is in. 564 00:54:14,400 --> 00:54:20,040 He's in agony that others see come here and he's got some 565 00:54:20,040 --> 00:54:22,880 internal wounds that no one can even understand. 566 00:54:31,360 --> 00:54:38,840 Some of us too found ourselves in a year where God gave us a 567 00:54:38,840 --> 00:54:46,040 prophetic word and said elevate. But here we are and he's saying, 568 00:54:47,160 --> 00:54:48,800 you know there is a cost to this. 569 00:54:54,980 --> 00:54:59,460 I've received the word and I forgot the scripture. 570 00:54:59,540 --> 00:55:04,360 Jesus says any builder before he builds anything first counts up 571 00:55:04,360 --> 00:55:15,840 the cost and sometimes we get so focused on what that is supposed 572 00:55:15,840 --> 00:55:19,000 to be. I don't know what your that is 573 00:55:20,480 --> 00:55:27,040 that we we don't factor in the different degrees of surrenders 574 00:55:27,080 --> 00:55:37,880 God requires of us. If Jesus would have given in to 575 00:55:37,920 --> 00:55:44,240 his environment, if Jesus would have given in to the pressures 576 00:55:45,000 --> 00:55:55,960 that he was under, if Jesus would have said I'm done with 577 00:55:55,960 --> 00:56:02,240 it. You and I will have no advocacy 578 00:56:02,360 --> 00:56:06,040 to God. We couldn't even talk to him. 579 00:56:10,080 --> 00:56:13,320 I can't talk about your righteousness, but I know my 580 00:56:13,320 --> 00:56:18,320 righteousness has a filthy rags. Then even on the day that I 581 00:56:18,320 --> 00:56:25,000 think I got everything right, God reminds me, no, some of your 582 00:56:25,000 --> 00:56:32,400 thoughts weren't right either. Even when I, when I, I've 583 00:56:32,400 --> 00:56:34,880 revised and proof read how I was going to say it, but I was going 584 00:56:34,880 --> 00:56:40,720 to say that he goes back and says, but your heart isn't right 585 00:56:42,120 --> 00:56:45,360 and your heart is talking through it all. 586 00:56:48,000 --> 00:56:49,760 I'm going to let you know because I hear the Lord right 587 00:56:49,760 --> 00:56:53,040 here, that there's some in here that have found their hearts 588 00:56:53,040 --> 00:57:00,080 grown cold. And it's not cold towards 589 00:57:00,080 --> 00:57:11,240 people, it's cold towards God because God gave me a cost and 590 00:57:11,240 --> 00:57:14,200 I'm paying for something. I'm trying to figure out Lord. 591 00:57:14,520 --> 00:57:16,400 I. Ain't got nothing else to pay 592 00:57:16,400 --> 00:57:24,800 with. I ain't got nothing else. 593 00:57:27,720 --> 00:57:33,520 But it keeps saying I want your yes, I want your Hallelujah, 594 00:57:35,120 --> 00:57:41,080 yeah, I want your money. Because you'll mess around and 595 00:57:41,280 --> 00:57:45,880 and be silly and find yourself with but only one shirt and 596 00:57:45,880 --> 00:57:47,320 start making that one shirt your got. 597 00:57:47,320 --> 00:57:55,160 I want that too. I'm telling you that as we are 598 00:57:55,160 --> 00:58:01,960 sitting here and I know I'm at my time on the Hebraic calendar, 599 00:58:01,960 --> 00:58:06,720 this time of year, I believe you're in the month of elude. 600 00:58:08,000 --> 00:58:11,760 The month of elude is a time of introspection. 601 00:58:13,720 --> 00:58:16,360 It is a time of looking into oneself. 602 00:58:18,480 --> 00:58:24,200 As you go to the fourth quarter, the the fourth quarter is always 603 00:58:24,200 --> 00:58:28,640 the first quarter on God's calendar, September. 604 00:58:29,160 --> 00:58:31,240 You're technically being a new Hebraic year. 605 00:58:31,240 --> 00:58:33,960 I don't want to get super deep on you, but I want to let you 606 00:58:33,960 --> 00:58:40,040 know that the timing of God brings us to this moment where 607 00:58:40,040 --> 00:58:43,600 God is saying, how will you finish? 608 00:58:47,960 --> 00:58:56,000 Will you finish strong or will you abandon even being in the 609 00:58:56,000 --> 00:59:00,480 race? The brothers and sisters, I feel 610 00:59:00,480 --> 00:59:04,520 like every week I'm either in a funeral, hearing about a 611 00:59:04,520 --> 00:59:08,080 funeral, sending greetings for a funeral. 612 00:59:10,920 --> 00:59:16,640 We are in a moment, God, I feel my gift kicking in that you're 613 00:59:16,800 --> 00:59:20,640 going to have to get serious about God. 614 00:59:25,200 --> 00:59:30,200 I'm for real that we, we got to be serious, not about 615 00:59:30,240 --> 00:59:33,600 personalities and we got to be serious about God. 616 00:59:37,680 --> 00:59:44,320 There is an enemy unleashed and he's roaring like a lion. 617 00:59:45,800 --> 00:59:53,720 He's not a lion, but the enemy is roaming our streets, roaming 618 00:59:53,760 --> 01:00:00,800 our workplaces, roaming in our houses, seeking whom he may 619 01:00:00,800 --> 01:00:07,280 devour. We're in the moment that we've 620 01:00:07,280 --> 01:00:12,400 got to be anchored in the Lord, not on the Lord, but in the 621 01:00:12,400 --> 01:00:17,840 Lord. Then I'm not going to be shaken. 622 01:00:19,160 --> 01:00:29,520 Lies and fallacies, untruths, half truths, but I'm going to be 623 01:00:29,520 --> 01:00:37,320 like Jesus that even on the cross all he has is Bible. 624 01:00:41,960 --> 01:00:43,720 That's all he had to save his Bible. 625 01:00:47,120 --> 01:00:49,840 This ain't your season to go back and forth, but people 626 01:00:50,280 --> 01:00:52,720 almost said wrong word ain't going back over. 627 01:00:54,360 --> 01:01:01,000 This ain't your season for that. Because it take too much to be 628 01:01:01,000 --> 01:01:08,160 in darkness and straining the straining to speak that if 629 01:01:08,160 --> 01:01:12,080 you're going to say something make it count, but make sure it 630 01:01:12,080 --> 01:01:16,040 ain't your words because your words are my words. 631 01:01:16,040 --> 01:01:19,600 They fall to the ground, but the Bible says the word of God shall 632 01:01:19,600 --> 01:01:26,240 not return back to him void but it real accomplished that which 633 01:01:26,240 --> 01:01:28,040 even set forth to do that's that scripture. 634 01:01:28,040 --> 01:01:32,320 That's the word that's the word. So it don't matter what you see 635 01:01:32,320 --> 01:01:37,760 or what you face right now you got to be steadfast unmovable. 636 01:01:38,840 --> 01:01:40,400 Come here. You know the scripture and the 637 01:01:40,400 --> 01:01:49,440 ring always abounding and the word of the Lord that your 638 01:01:49,440 --> 01:01:52,760 laborers may not be in vain. I'm going to let you know, don't 639 01:01:52,760 --> 01:01:57,320 lose at the end. I feel that so strong in this 640 01:01:57,320 --> 01:02:01,440 room. Don't lose in the end. 641 01:02:02,120 --> 01:02:04,840 Some of us been saved too long to go to hell because of some 642 01:02:04,840 --> 01:02:10,560 last minute decisions, huh? Clean your mouth out. 643 01:02:12,840 --> 01:02:15,080 I hear the Lord saying clean your mouth out. 644 01:02:20,320 --> 01:02:24,480 I'm telling you, the Bible says that hell enlarges. 645 01:02:24,520 --> 01:02:29,520 Its tense, huh? It enlarges because there are 646 01:02:29,520 --> 01:02:34,040 Saints that mess up at the end who should go to heaven. 647 01:02:34,400 --> 01:02:36,840 We go to the funeral and we preach them into heaven. 648 01:02:36,840 --> 01:02:39,560 But you know what we don't know? We don't because don't nobody 649 01:02:39,560 --> 01:02:45,360 know, but God, you going to look for them and then go see them 650 01:02:46,920 --> 01:02:48,920 because you know what? These moments where God is 651 01:02:48,920 --> 01:02:51,960 sending a word, you're not hearing a word because you're 652 01:02:51,960 --> 01:02:56,200 looking at a person. Good God, I hear you, Lord, just 653 01:02:56,200 --> 01:02:58,600 like Jesus on the cross. They said he called it for 654 01:02:58,600 --> 01:03:01,040 Elijah. He must call it for God. 655 01:03:06,200 --> 01:03:09,600 This message, I don't want you to take this as me ranting, 656 01:03:09,600 --> 01:03:12,360 giving you some some holy dispensation. 657 01:03:12,360 --> 01:03:15,040 No, this ain't fervor you need to take to your family. 658 01:03:16,680 --> 01:03:19,840 I can't get to your home like you can get to your home. 659 01:03:20,640 --> 01:03:22,400 You going to need to call some meetings. 660 01:03:22,960 --> 01:03:28,000 You can that text thread and we got to talk because I'm telling 661 01:03:28,000 --> 01:03:31,520 you there is something coming. I told you earlier the top of 662 01:03:31,520 --> 01:03:36,040 year, start growing your food. I gave you these words. 663 01:03:36,040 --> 01:03:39,240 Go back and look to YouTube. These prophetic moments I've 664 01:03:39,240 --> 01:03:42,760 had. I said, I see gold in 2025. 665 01:03:42,760 --> 01:03:45,120 There's gold everywhere. Those are, I said watch what you 666 01:03:45,120 --> 01:03:49,440 invest in. I gave you the word, I'm giving 667 01:03:49,440 --> 01:03:54,560 you another word from heaven. Call your family and tell them 668 01:03:54,560 --> 01:03:57,520 God is elevating us, but there's a cost that we're going to have 669 01:03:57,520 --> 01:04:00,160 to pay and that pay us some of that silliness. 670 01:04:00,160 --> 01:04:04,120 We got to let go, huh? Some of that we got to let go. 671 01:04:05,400 --> 01:04:08,880 We got to secure our family and anchor it in the Lord. 672 01:04:10,760 --> 01:04:12,920 We got to go back. Does everybody know how to pray? 673 01:04:13,680 --> 01:04:17,840 Come on, let's practice praying. Come on. 674 01:04:18,040 --> 01:04:21,520 I know it sounds mundane. It sounds simple, but we got to 675 01:04:21,520 --> 01:04:23,080 go back and say you. You not to. 676 01:04:23,160 --> 01:04:24,800 You not to say your prayers when you get up in the morning. 677 01:04:25,600 --> 01:04:27,640 You not to say your prayers when you at work. 678 01:04:27,960 --> 01:04:29,840 You not to say your prayers when you go to sleep. 679 01:04:30,280 --> 01:04:32,000 You not to say your prayers over your food. 680 01:04:32,680 --> 01:04:33,640 Come on, let's do it. Let's. 681 01:04:34,080 --> 01:04:39,960 It sounds silly, but it is the simple things that get us, get 682 01:04:39,960 --> 01:04:44,360 us messed up by the enemy. He ain't number a little guarded 683 01:04:44,360 --> 01:04:52,800 snake, that's all. Just a little guarded snake and 684 01:04:52,800 --> 01:04:55,120 he's Slytherin. And you, you getting all jacked 685 01:04:55,120 --> 01:04:59,000 up because it's dark outside, it's dark in your life. 686 01:04:59,520 --> 01:05:01,400 And he's thinking it's, it's a liar. 687 01:05:01,400 --> 01:05:05,720 It's a snake, little Caterpillar just going around. 688 01:05:10,520 --> 01:05:12,720 But that's what the enemy's doing in our lives for real. 689 01:05:14,200 --> 01:05:18,640 And we get we get caught up in fear and we lose reverence of 690 01:05:18,640 --> 01:05:21,000 God because we're like God, how you ain't keep me from this. 691 01:05:23,760 --> 01:05:27,040 And he said, no, I already told you I'll never leave you. 692 01:05:31,040 --> 01:05:34,640 He already, he said, I already told you, I always be there. 693 01:05:36,360 --> 01:05:37,720 Believe it. If I'm in the dark, listen, you 694 01:05:37,720 --> 01:05:39,560 may not know Jesus and the free partner of your sin. 695 01:05:39,920 --> 01:05:42,040 I'm going to pray this short prayer to me say, Lord Jesus, 696 01:05:42,760 --> 01:05:46,920 come into my heart, save me. I want to be saved. 697 01:05:48,000 --> 01:05:52,320 Lord Jesus, thank you for dying on the cross for me. 698 01:05:53,720 --> 01:05:58,600 Lord Jesus, thank you for rising out of the grave for me. 699 01:06:00,240 --> 01:06:07,240 Lord Jesus, thank you for coming again for me in Jesus name, 700 01:06:08,120 --> 01:06:10,360 Amen. Come and put those hands 701 01:06:10,360 --> 01:06:14,360 together, believe by faith, and so just receive Jesus into their 702 01:06:14,360 --> 01:06:16,640 life. Thank you for tuning in to the 703 01:06:16,640 --> 01:06:19,000 Rock Hill Baptist Church 2 Podcast. 704 01:06:19,640 --> 01:06:22,680 We pray today's message planted something in your spirit and 705 01:06:22,680 --> 01:06:26,160 gave you the strength to keep growing here at the Rock Hill 706 01:06:26,160 --> 01:06:29,280 Baptist Church 2. We're a growing church, and 707 01:06:29,280 --> 01:06:32,760 growth starts with one step. If you're ready to go deeper, 708 01:06:32,920 --> 01:06:39,200 visit us online at www.myrockhill2.org and click 709 01:06:39,200 --> 01:06:43,120 Next Steps to get connected, join a ministry, or give your 710 01:06:43,120 --> 01:06:46,800 life to Christ. Be sure to follow the podcast so 711 01:06:46,800 --> 01:06:50,200 you never miss a message and share this episode with someone 712 01:06:50,200 --> 01:06:53,720 you know is ready to grow too. And remember, no matter what 713 01:06:53,720 --> 01:06:56,520 comes your way, you were built to elevate. 714 01:06:57,320 --> 01:07:01,400 Until next time, walk in purpose, live in power, and grow 715 01:07:01,440 --> 01:07:02,280 in grace.