1 00:00:00,840 --> 00:00:05,200 Thank you Jesus Lord, your worthy Lord, your good, great 2 00:00:05,200 --> 00:00:08,080 and greatly to be praised. I feel you in this place 3 00:00:08,080 --> 00:00:10,240 tonight. Hallelujah. 4 00:00:10,240 --> 00:00:15,040 Hallelujah. He is a good God. 5 00:00:16,480 --> 00:00:18,760 Amen. You may be seated tonight. 6 00:00:18,840 --> 00:00:22,040 I won't keep you standing. I have a whenever I get going. 7 00:00:22,040 --> 00:00:28,400 I have a lengthy reading, so you're welcome, but thank you 8 00:00:28,400 --> 00:00:31,720 for your faithfulness to the House of the Lord tonight on 9 00:00:31,720 --> 00:00:38,120 this hot Sunday afternoon. Welcome to summer, ladies and 10 00:00:38,120 --> 00:00:41,200 gentlemen. We have officially made it, if 11 00:00:41,200 --> 00:00:43,800 that's what you want to say. We've made it. 12 00:00:44,640 --> 00:00:48,320 So if you were wanting it, you're welcome. 13 00:00:49,080 --> 00:00:54,120 If you're ready for fall or winter, I'm sorry, but it is 14 00:00:54,120 --> 00:01:00,000 what it is and here we are thankful to be here tonight. 15 00:01:01,040 --> 00:01:05,000 Love and appreciate pastor and his wife and and their family. 16 00:01:05,000 --> 00:01:08,120 Glad that they not only get to go to general ministry 17 00:01:08,120 --> 00:01:10,360 conference. I'm glad that they get to take 18 00:01:10,360 --> 00:01:15,520 some time, much needed time to be able to rest and and to spend 19 00:01:15,520 --> 00:01:17,560 time together. So I'm I'm thankful that they 20 00:01:17,560 --> 00:01:22,640 get to do that. I hope that GMC was, was 21 00:01:22,640 --> 00:01:26,440 energizing and, and, and good for them, but I hope this, this 22 00:01:26,440 --> 00:01:29,960 vacation is also just as energizing and good for them as 23 00:01:29,960 --> 00:01:33,520 well. Love and appreciate Bishop and 24 00:01:33,520 --> 00:01:35,520 his wife. I, I was joking, brother Malone, 25 00:01:35,520 --> 00:01:37,080 he was just like, well, you're in charge tonight. 26 00:01:37,080 --> 00:01:39,080 And I said no, I said, Bishop's in charge. 27 00:01:39,080 --> 00:01:43,600 He's got seniority. So, so I just, I just tap my tap 28 00:01:43,600 --> 00:01:47,720 my hat off to him and I just let him take it and love and 29 00:01:47,720 --> 00:01:50,640 appreciate them, everything that they do, everything that they 30 00:01:50,640 --> 00:01:55,760 are to this church. And I'm, I'm thankful for, for 31 00:01:55,760 --> 00:01:59,200 them in my life. I love and appreciate my 32 00:01:59,200 --> 00:02:01,720 parents. I am, I am sad that they are 33 00:02:01,720 --> 00:02:04,320 gone, but I'm glad that they are ministering the word of the 34 00:02:04,320 --> 00:02:08,080 Lord. I pray that it went well this 35 00:02:08,080 --> 00:02:13,320 afternoon and that they blessed people and I'm so thankful for 36 00:02:13,320 --> 00:02:18,880 my lovely wife and she is pregnant with our daughter and I 37 00:02:18,880 --> 00:02:23,240 am just so ecstatic. And I just can't, I just can't 38 00:02:23,240 --> 00:02:25,840 say enough about how, how excited we are. 39 00:02:26,960 --> 00:02:31,480 She she was talking about how close, close ish we are. 40 00:02:31,640 --> 00:02:34,760 You know, we're further along than we were before. 41 00:02:34,760 --> 00:02:39,440 And, and you know, just as as time rolls on, but she was also 42 00:02:39,440 --> 00:02:44,640 like, I don't know about another 3:00-ish months of this and it's 43 00:02:44,640 --> 00:02:48,040 supposed to get worse. And she's like, I don't know 44 00:02:48,040 --> 00:02:49,760 about this. And I was like, well, we 45 00:02:49,760 --> 00:02:51,520 committed now. So here we are. 46 00:02:52,800 --> 00:02:57,440 I'll support you any way I can, but we committed now, so love 47 00:02:57,440 --> 00:03:00,520 and appreciate her. If you have your Bibles, go 48 00:03:00,520 --> 00:03:02,360 ahead and turn with me to Job One. 49 00:03:03,440 --> 00:03:07,920 Job 1 and 13 tonight. Just a couple. 50 00:03:07,920 --> 00:03:12,080 Just to echo what Bishop said, we do have Wednesday night. 51 00:03:12,080 --> 00:03:15,800 We have brother Zach McGee will be here speaking. 52 00:03:15,800 --> 00:03:17,320 So make sure to be here for that. 53 00:03:17,320 --> 00:03:21,000 Be here because it's midweek. But looking forward to, to 54 00:03:21,000 --> 00:03:23,440 hearing him and what he has from the Lord. 55 00:03:25,160 --> 00:03:28,320 Friday we have from 7:00 to 10:00, we have game night. 56 00:03:28,320 --> 00:03:30,960 We had a great time last time. A bunch of laughs, a bunch of 57 00:03:30,960 --> 00:03:33,760 fun. So make sure to come be a part 58 00:03:33,760 --> 00:03:36,280 of that. If you would like to travel to 59 00:03:36,360 --> 00:03:43,080 the, the, the foothills of of Medora, then there is a rally at 60 00:03:43,080 --> 00:03:46,320 5:00 PM Eastern. Pastor David Scott will be 61 00:03:46,320 --> 00:03:49,400 preaching. So come be a part of that if you 62 00:03:49,400 --> 00:03:52,760 would like. And then Sunday, come Sunday, 63 00:03:52,880 --> 00:03:54,680 it's Sunday. Anyways, you should be here 64 00:03:54,760 --> 00:03:56,600 Sunday morning. We'll have one service. 65 00:03:56,600 --> 00:04:00,560 It is the Sunday school picnic. So please be a part of that. 66 00:04:00,560 --> 00:04:02,080 We will have Pastor Merrill Weir. 67 00:04:02,080 --> 00:04:04,520 He is. When you I say this, when you 68 00:04:04,520 --> 00:04:08,360 see him, just understand he is my friend. 69 00:04:08,360 --> 00:04:11,000 But when you see him, he's going to look older than someone. 70 00:04:11,000 --> 00:04:14,200 That would be my friend. And I say that and I hope he 71 00:04:14,200 --> 00:04:19,120 listens to this later. But he is my friend and I'm so 72 00:04:19,120 --> 00:04:20,640 glad that he is going to be here. 73 00:04:20,640 --> 00:04:24,360 You will be blessed. And so come and be a part of 74 00:04:24,360 --> 00:04:25,760 that. Be a part of the festivities. 75 00:04:25,760 --> 00:04:30,560 If you are a part of FAC and you are going to be a part of the 76 00:04:30,560 --> 00:04:33,680 festivities, I encourage you, please bring something. 77 00:04:33,680 --> 00:04:37,080 You know, go back, check, check the menu, check what needs to be 78 00:04:37,080 --> 00:04:38,640 filled. Please bring something if you're 79 00:04:38,640 --> 00:04:42,440 going to be a part and you are a part of the FAC family. 80 00:04:42,920 --> 00:04:44,320 But we're looking forward to a good week. 81 00:04:44,560 --> 00:04:46,160 Hey man, looking forward to a good week. 82 00:04:47,120 --> 00:04:53,200 So Job One, verse 13 we're coming upon Job here. 83 00:04:53,720 --> 00:04:57,840 And it says, and there was a day when his sons and his daughters 84 00:04:57,840 --> 00:05:01,680 were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house. 85 00:05:01,920 --> 00:05:06,160 And there came a messenger unto Job and said the oxen were 86 00:05:06,160 --> 00:05:08,920 plowing and the asses feeding beside them. 87 00:05:08,920 --> 00:05:13,640 And the the Sabians fell upon them and took them away. 88 00:05:13,640 --> 00:05:16,080 Yeah, they have slain the servants with the edge of the 89 00:05:16,080 --> 00:05:19,240 sword. And I only am escape alone to 90 00:05:19,240 --> 00:05:22,520 tell thee. While he was yet speaking, there 91 00:05:22,520 --> 00:05:26,360 came also another, and said, The fire of God has fallen from 92 00:05:26,360 --> 00:05:29,760 heaven, and hath burned up the sheep and the servants, and 93 00:05:29,760 --> 00:05:33,040 consumed them. And I only am escaped alone to 94 00:05:33,040 --> 00:05:35,760 tell thee. While he was yet speaking, there 95 00:05:35,760 --> 00:05:40,880 came also another, and said, The Chaldeans made out three bands, 96 00:05:40,880 --> 00:05:44,520 and fell upon the camels, and have carried them away, yeah, 97 00:05:44,520 --> 00:05:46,840 and slain the servants with the edge of the sword. 98 00:05:46,840 --> 00:05:50,480 And I only am escaped alone to tell thee. 99 00:05:50,680 --> 00:05:54,760 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, thy 100 00:05:54,760 --> 00:05:57,960 sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in 101 00:05:57,960 --> 00:06:00,360 their, in their eldest brother's house. 102 00:06:00,600 --> 00:06:04,040 And behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and 103 00:06:04,040 --> 00:06:07,720 smoke the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the 104 00:06:07,720 --> 00:06:12,840 young men, and they are dead. And I only am escaped alone to 105 00:06:12,840 --> 00:06:15,360 tell thee. You're seeing a pattern here. 106 00:06:15,560 --> 00:06:18,760 Then Job arose, and he rent his mantle. 107 00:06:18,760 --> 00:06:21,720 He shaved his head, and he fell, fell upon the ground, and 108 00:06:21,720 --> 00:06:26,360 worshipped, and said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and 109 00:06:26,360 --> 00:06:30,000 naked shall I return. Thither the Lord gave, and the 110 00:06:30,000 --> 00:06:34,200 Lord hath taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord. 111 00:06:34,200 --> 00:06:39,760 And in all this Job sinned not, nor charge God foolishly. 112 00:06:41,160 --> 00:06:45,880 So tonight I have a subject that I would like to reflect on and 113 00:06:45,880 --> 00:06:51,640 that is spared to save spared to save. 114 00:06:52,680 --> 00:06:58,080 This is different than what we would expect Job's story to 115 00:06:58,080 --> 00:07:00,520 maybe look at. And we've, we've heard it, we've 116 00:07:00,520 --> 00:07:03,120 heard it, It's been preached till people are blue in the face 117 00:07:03,120 --> 00:07:06,280 of the story of Job. And I do not, I do not downgrade 118 00:07:06,280 --> 00:07:08,840 that. We, we all preach and we reflect 119 00:07:08,840 --> 00:07:12,960 on the story of Job and, and it feels like at times that you 120 00:07:12,960 --> 00:07:15,600 know, oh, here we go again. We're, we're in job. 121 00:07:15,920 --> 00:07:18,040 Let's go for it. You know, we're, we're going to 122 00:07:18,040 --> 00:07:21,560 talk about how he, he endured till the end and all these 123 00:07:21,560 --> 00:07:24,560 different things. And but this today I hope to 124 00:07:24,560 --> 00:07:27,080 take you down and different understanding. 125 00:07:27,080 --> 00:07:31,560 I, I, I feel like over the past few years, I have adopted this 126 00:07:31,560 --> 00:07:34,920 kind of what if mentality that pastor has of look, trying to 127 00:07:34,920 --> 00:07:37,560 look at things in a different light and just trying to 128 00:07:37,560 --> 00:07:40,520 understand. I, I'm a, I'm a very when it 129 00:07:40,520 --> 00:07:43,680 comes to ideas. I'm a, I'm a perspectives and, 130 00:07:43,920 --> 00:07:46,320 and a different idea person when it comes to, well, what about 131 00:07:46,320 --> 00:07:47,280 this way? What about this way? 132 00:07:47,280 --> 00:07:49,920 What about this way? And so when it comes to 133 00:07:49,920 --> 00:07:53,560 scripture, I enjoy looking at it that way and understanding man, 134 00:07:53,560 --> 00:07:56,040 there's something may be powerful here. 135 00:07:56,480 --> 00:08:00,360 And so with with Job, something is happening here because he's 136 00:08:00,360 --> 00:08:04,320 not just suffering loss. There's if you if you read this 137 00:08:04,320 --> 00:08:07,680 scripture passage that we just read, there's a cadence to it. 138 00:08:08,160 --> 00:08:10,880 The oxen are gone, the donkeys are gone. 139 00:08:10,880 --> 00:08:14,560 Fire is falling, camels are taking his children are dead. 140 00:08:14,760 --> 00:08:18,640 And at one right after the other it says as one is speaking, 141 00:08:18,640 --> 00:08:24,000 another is coming to tell. And I only, and I only and I 142 00:08:24,000 --> 00:08:29,640 only have escaped to tell you I am alone after all these voices 143 00:08:29,640 --> 00:08:34,000 that have emerged. I only am escaped alone to tell 144 00:08:34,000 --> 00:08:38,480 thee. 1 servant is surviving every single time. 145 00:08:39,000 --> 00:08:41,360 Why is that? Well, one would assume, 146 00:08:41,360 --> 00:08:45,520 obviously you know, that someone has to tell Job, someone has to 147 00:08:45,520 --> 00:08:46,880 tell Job about it. But why? 148 00:08:47,080 --> 00:08:50,480 Why couldn't, why wouldn't there just be a destruction of all of 149 00:08:50,480 --> 00:08:53,480 the servants and then some random person eventually, you 150 00:08:53,480 --> 00:08:55,440 know, or Job finally comes across it. 151 00:08:55,800 --> 00:08:58,440 But there there had to be a witness. 152 00:08:58,840 --> 00:09:01,000 There was a witness. There was a servant that 153 00:09:01,000 --> 00:09:04,120 survived every time. And no matter how terrible a 154 00:09:04,120 --> 00:09:07,480 thing that happened, somebody made it out. 155 00:09:08,440 --> 00:09:12,600 Satan is consuming everything around Job, but there's still 156 00:09:12,600 --> 00:09:15,360 someone that escapes. It doesn't seem to make sense 157 00:09:15,360 --> 00:09:18,640 when we look at that because because the hedge had been 158 00:09:18,800 --> 00:09:20,760 lifted. If we look at that, we look 159 00:09:20,760 --> 00:09:25,080 earlier in the the 1st chapter of Job, Job 6 through 12, it 160 00:09:25,080 --> 00:09:28,160 says now there was a day when the sons of God came to the 161 00:09:28,160 --> 00:09:31,840 present present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came 162 00:09:31,840 --> 00:09:34,680 also among them. And the Lord said unto Satan, 163 00:09:34,680 --> 00:09:37,760 Whence comest thou? And Satan answered the Lord and 164 00:09:37,760 --> 00:09:42,280 said, from going to and fro in the earth and walking up and 165 00:09:42,280 --> 00:09:45,640 down it. And the Lord said to Satan, hast 166 00:09:45,640 --> 00:09:49,320 thou consider my servant Job? This is where we know that the 167 00:09:49,320 --> 00:09:53,680 Lord is offering Job as as a trial, because because Satan 168 00:09:53,680 --> 00:09:56,320 thinks, well, I got to find somebody and he's like, well, 169 00:09:56,320 --> 00:09:59,280 what about my God, Job? And so we have that. 170 00:09:59,280 --> 00:10:03,040 And he says that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect 171 00:10:03,040 --> 00:10:05,920 and upright man, one that feareth God, and a shoe with 172 00:10:05,920 --> 00:10:08,360 evil. And then Satan answered the Lord 173 00:10:08,440 --> 00:10:14,040 and said, doth Joe fear God for not has now made a hedge about 174 00:10:14,040 --> 00:10:17,560 him, about his house and about all that he hath on every side. 175 00:10:17,560 --> 00:10:20,840 He said you, you have him all protected and locked up. 176 00:10:21,080 --> 00:10:24,560 I can't do anything. I there's nothing I can do 177 00:10:24,560 --> 00:10:27,760 because he's all protected. And so the Lord lifts that 178 00:10:27,760 --> 00:10:29,960 hedge. He's so Satan went forth from 179 00:10:29,960 --> 00:10:33,600 the presence of the Lord in chapter 12 and he is going to go 180 00:10:33,840 --> 00:10:38,720 and take take Job everything that he has take him for what 181 00:10:38,720 --> 00:10:42,880 he's worth because the Lord has lifted lifted. 182 00:10:43,160 --> 00:10:47,560 It is just said save his life right Not you can have 183 00:10:47,560 --> 00:10:49,760 everything else but but he sets a boundary. 184 00:10:49,760 --> 00:10:52,320 He said you can't touch him, can't touch him. 185 00:10:52,680 --> 00:10:56,320 And we see that and we, we see, you know, sometimes I feel like 186 00:10:56,320 --> 00:10:58,360 we believe everything is being taken. 187 00:10:58,600 --> 00:11:00,520 Everything is being taken from us. 188 00:11:00,520 --> 00:11:03,840 And we, we ask God if he has forgotten about us. 189 00:11:03,840 --> 00:11:08,120 We feel like Job sometimes. And then he is preserving things 190 00:11:08,120 --> 00:11:10,920 in the middle of it, though that we don't even understand. 191 00:11:10,920 --> 00:11:13,760 Not everything is gone. Not everything is taken. 192 00:11:13,760 --> 00:11:17,320 Not everyone is taken. The servants that survived those 193 00:11:17,320 --> 00:11:21,400 disasters, they did not survive because they were lucky. 194 00:11:22,120 --> 00:11:26,440 They survived because they were given a task whether they knew 195 00:11:26,440 --> 00:11:29,640 it or not. Their task as a survivor was the 196 00:11:29,640 --> 00:11:32,280 first instinct was I need to go tell my master. 197 00:11:32,280 --> 00:11:36,480 I need to go tell Joe. And maybe, just maybe that's why 198 00:11:36,480 --> 00:11:41,160 you're standing here today. Maybe that's why it was them and 199 00:11:41,160 --> 00:11:43,760 not you. Why your prayer didn't stop the 200 00:11:43,760 --> 00:11:47,080 loss, but it preserved you. It didn't spare you to be a 201 00:11:47,080 --> 00:11:51,320 spectator, but he spared you. It was a sparing because you 202 00:11:51,480 --> 00:11:56,320 have something to say when we look at things that people 203 00:11:56,320 --> 00:11:59,160 having something to say bearing witness. 204 00:11:59,440 --> 00:12:02,320 Bearing witness. I know we look at Job and these 205 00:12:02,320 --> 00:12:03,720 are terrible things that happened. 206 00:12:03,720 --> 00:12:06,840 But if we reflect that and we talk about bearing witness, if 207 00:12:06,840 --> 00:12:12,400 we look in Mark 5 and 18, it says in when he Jesus come into 208 00:12:12,400 --> 00:12:16,360 the ship, and that he had there was Jesus in this moment, and He 209 00:12:16,360 --> 00:12:18,600 had come to the ship, that he had been possessed with the 210 00:12:18,600 --> 00:12:21,400 devil and prayed him that he might be with them. 211 00:12:21,840 --> 00:12:25,440 How be it Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home 212 00:12:25,440 --> 00:12:28,280 to thy friends. This is after the demoniac has 213 00:12:28,280 --> 00:12:31,680 been healed and the demons have been brought out. 214 00:12:31,800 --> 00:12:35,040 He says, Go home to thy friends and tell them how great things 215 00:12:35,040 --> 00:12:39,080 the Lord hath done for thee, and had hath compassion on thee. 216 00:12:39,440 --> 00:12:42,760 This demoniac after he was healed, the demons are out of 217 00:12:42,760 --> 00:12:44,960 him. He wanted to follow Jesus, but 218 00:12:45,000 --> 00:12:47,840 Jesus is saying, no, go tell her the great things. 219 00:12:48,080 --> 00:12:51,920 Go tell her I have spared you so that you would tell the great 220 00:12:51,920 --> 00:12:55,960 things. The man with those legions is 221 00:12:55,960 --> 00:13:00,200 set free and the man that was born blind, when we reflect on 222 00:13:00,200 --> 00:13:04,320 him and Jesus healed him. He was healed and to be a 223 00:13:04,320 --> 00:13:08,920 witness because his testimony was had more power when it goes 224 00:13:08,920 --> 00:13:12,800 back to the place where he was broken, right? 225 00:13:12,800 --> 00:13:15,880 Your testimony has a lot more power when you go back to the 226 00:13:15,880 --> 00:13:18,000 people that saw you when you were broken. 227 00:13:18,880 --> 00:13:21,680 When you see somebody off the street and they don't know you 228 00:13:21,680 --> 00:13:25,640 from Adam and you tell them the testimony and they haven't seen 229 00:13:25,640 --> 00:13:28,120 you when you were broken, it may not have the same weight. 230 00:13:28,400 --> 00:13:31,320 God willing it will. But when you go back to the 231 00:13:31,320 --> 00:13:33,880 place that you were broken, the people that saw you when you 232 00:13:33,880 --> 00:13:36,800 were broken, there's power because they knew that you were 233 00:13:36,800 --> 00:13:40,280 spared. And now here you are telling a 234 00:13:40,280 --> 00:13:43,320 testimony, telling a testimony when? 235 00:13:43,440 --> 00:13:46,960 When this man that says John 9 and a it says the neighbors 236 00:13:46,960 --> 00:13:49,080 therefore. And they had which before had 237 00:13:49,080 --> 00:13:54,680 seen him that he was blind and said, Is not this that he's he 238 00:13:54,680 --> 00:13:59,760 that sat and begged? Some said, this is he, others 239 00:13:59,760 --> 00:14:03,280 said he is like him, but he said, I am he. 240 00:14:03,560 --> 00:14:06,800 Therefore they said unto him, How were thine eyes opened? 241 00:14:07,200 --> 00:14:09,720 They knew they he, he was the one. 242 00:14:09,920 --> 00:14:11,440 He was the one. They knew. 243 00:14:11,640 --> 00:14:15,400 They knew in that place of brokenness He knew from a babe 244 00:14:15,400 --> 00:14:17,560 that he was blind. And he begged. 245 00:14:17,560 --> 00:14:20,880 And for years and years they knew that he was the blind 246 00:14:20,880 --> 00:14:24,320 beggar. He answered and said a man that 247 00:14:24,320 --> 00:14:28,160 is called Jesus made clay and anointed my line is and said 248 00:14:28,160 --> 00:14:32,800 unto me, go to the pool of Siloam and wash and I went and I 249 00:14:32,800 --> 00:14:37,080 washed and I received sight when he was questioned even with the 250 00:14:37,080 --> 00:14:41,880 Pharisees the Pharisees in Chapter 9 verse 24, it says then 251 00:14:41,880 --> 00:14:45,280 again called they the man that was blind and said unto him, 252 00:14:45,280 --> 00:14:49,520 give God the praise. We know that this man is a 253 00:14:49,520 --> 00:14:51,640 Sinner. You know, Oh, we give God the 254 00:14:51,640 --> 00:14:53,840 praise, but this guys, this guys a Sinner. 255 00:14:54,960 --> 00:14:59,320 And then he answered and said whether he'd be Sinner or no, I 256 00:14:59,320 --> 00:15:03,880 know not one thing. I know that whereas I was blind, 257 00:15:04,080 --> 00:15:09,360 now I see He was bearing witness. 258 00:15:09,560 --> 00:15:14,200 He was bearing witness just as those that were saved in the 259 00:15:14,200 --> 00:15:18,480 time frame of Job. They were bearing witness of 260 00:15:18,480 --> 00:15:22,240 things that they had seen these miracles. 261 00:15:22,240 --> 00:15:26,000 They were sent to bear witness of Jesus. 262 00:15:27,120 --> 00:15:33,520 And when we get when we get to Jesus in John 1135, you already 263 00:15:33,520 --> 00:15:37,600 may know it. Jesus wept nice and easy, short, 264 00:15:37,600 --> 00:15:41,240 short verse people. We always do it in the in the 265 00:15:41,520 --> 00:15:44,760 youth class and say John 1135 and we just see who says it 266 00:15:44,760 --> 00:15:47,080 first, right? Because it oh, Jesus wept. 267 00:15:48,320 --> 00:15:52,400 But in this verse, it carries weight when you look at it in 268 00:15:52,400 --> 00:15:55,800 different perspectives, right? We've we've looked at it and I 269 00:15:55,800 --> 00:15:59,520 think even pastor or maybe even sister McGee during their grief 270 00:15:59,520 --> 00:16:03,160 series talked about Jesus weeping and grieving when you 271 00:16:03,160 --> 00:16:07,000 look at it through that eyes. But but why is he weeping? 272 00:16:07,000 --> 00:16:10,320 We look at it many times. Why is Jesus weeping? 273 00:16:10,320 --> 00:16:17,440 He knows what he's about to do. I think, if you would indulge 274 00:16:17,440 --> 00:16:22,920 me, I think because even though he knew that the resurrection of 275 00:16:22,920 --> 00:16:27,600 Lazarus was coming, he still felt the weight of death and he 276 00:16:27,600 --> 00:16:29,960 still felt the sting of loss, right? 277 00:16:29,960 --> 00:16:33,640 We reflected on that before. But he still bore that burden of 278 00:16:33,640 --> 00:16:39,920 people that were unbelieving. And his tears weren't just for 279 00:16:39,920 --> 00:16:42,480 Lazarus. I don't think his tears were. 280 00:16:42,560 --> 00:16:45,040 They were for what was coming, right? 281 00:16:45,040 --> 00:16:49,080 Because this was the cumulation that the crescendo, if you will, 282 00:16:49,080 --> 00:16:53,880 of his earthly ministry. This was the nail in his hands, 283 00:16:53,880 --> 00:16:57,120 if you will, because this was what was going to get the people 284 00:16:57,120 --> 00:17:00,240 really fired up, if they weren't fired up already. 285 00:17:00,520 --> 00:17:03,920 They were ready to take care of Jesus after this. 286 00:17:03,920 --> 00:17:07,280 Because this is unacceptable, right? 287 00:17:07,280 --> 00:17:09,960 And so he is weeping. He is weeping. 288 00:17:10,000 --> 00:17:14,760 I think that for what is coming, because when he lays razz 289 00:17:14,760 --> 00:17:17,960 Lazarus, the religious leaders finally said, you know what, 290 00:17:17,960 --> 00:17:22,720 that's it, John 1153 says. Then from that day forth, they 291 00:17:22,720 --> 00:17:25,960 took counsel together to put him to death. 292 00:17:27,000 --> 00:17:28,920 Jesus knew that this would happen. 293 00:17:29,200 --> 00:17:33,680 He weeped, but he did it anyway. He wept and He walked forward 294 00:17:33,680 --> 00:17:37,760 and He lays raised Lazarus from the grave. 295 00:17:38,560 --> 00:17:43,000 Every miracle, every teaching, every step that He took, it was 296 00:17:43,000 --> 00:17:45,680 leading towards the cross. And He knew that. 297 00:17:45,880 --> 00:17:50,720 And He knew that at that moment in time, it was going to be a 298 00:17:50,720 --> 00:17:54,120 very, very quick thing after that moment. 299 00:17:54,280 --> 00:17:57,360 And this is all during Passover week. 300 00:17:57,800 --> 00:18:00,400 Right before Passover week is when this is happening. 301 00:18:00,400 --> 00:18:04,240 Just as the Israelites once placed the blood of lambs over 302 00:18:04,240 --> 00:18:09,520 their doors, God placed His own blood on the cross. 303 00:18:10,320 --> 00:18:15,480 See, He He was, just as in Exodus 11, it tells us about the 304 00:18:15,480 --> 00:18:19,240 plague that broke Pharaoh's will, the death of the first 305 00:18:19,240 --> 00:18:23,160 born, the only begotten of the Father. 306 00:18:23,360 --> 00:18:28,880 The first born was put upon the cross during Passover week. 307 00:18:29,200 --> 00:18:34,240 That is powerful enough because Jesus became that lamb, that 308 00:18:34,240 --> 00:18:39,040 perfect, spotless lamb. And 1st Corinthians 5, Evan says 309 00:18:39,040 --> 00:18:44,800 For even for even Christ, our Passover is sacrificed for us. 310 00:18:44,800 --> 00:18:47,280 He didn't get trapped in the Calvary. 311 00:18:47,280 --> 00:18:52,400 He walked willingly to Calvary. Every tear, every miracle, every 312 00:18:52,400 --> 00:18:55,720 moment of mystery was all a part of the plan. 313 00:18:57,520 --> 00:19:01,400 Why does that matter? Why talking about spared to 314 00:19:01,400 --> 00:19:02,880 save? Why does that matter? 315 00:19:02,880 --> 00:19:06,440 Because he decided in that moment he is weeping. 316 00:19:06,640 --> 00:19:08,440 I don't think he's just weeping for Lazar. 317 00:19:08,440 --> 00:19:12,040 I think he's weeping for you in that moment. 318 00:19:12,040 --> 00:19:14,680 I can see. I can just think about the fact 319 00:19:14,680 --> 00:19:17,480 that he is looking in and throughout time and he is seeing 320 00:19:17,480 --> 00:19:19,640 us. He is seeing our brokenness. 321 00:19:19,640 --> 00:19:23,000 He is seeing the things that we have gone through, our sin, and 322 00:19:23,000 --> 00:19:27,920 he is deciding within himself that this is a part of the plan. 323 00:19:28,440 --> 00:19:33,800 I'm going to spare them for them to help save others, right? 324 00:19:33,960 --> 00:19:37,800 Just as he said to Peter, you will be the rock and you will 325 00:19:37,800 --> 00:19:41,240 have the keys to the Kingdom. He was here to save. 326 00:19:41,880 --> 00:19:44,200 But it's kind of like a a pre save. 327 00:19:44,200 --> 00:19:48,280 It's a if you ever think of a reserved seat, right, People 328 00:19:48,280 --> 00:19:51,200 think, oh, I got the my ticket punched to to heaven. 329 00:19:51,360 --> 00:19:54,280 Well, you have to think it's a reserved seat because you have 330 00:19:54,280 --> 00:19:57,400 to get to the seat that's reserved. 331 00:19:58,960 --> 00:20:02,000 I'm, I'm telling you the the price was paid. 332 00:20:02,440 --> 00:20:06,680 You were spared to save. What that means is once you've 333 00:20:06,680 --> 00:20:11,160 been spared and you decide to actually take your heavenly seat 334 00:20:11,560 --> 00:20:16,520 in salvation and it's time to grab others, you've been spared 335 00:20:16,600 --> 00:20:19,360 to save. You've been spared to pull 336 00:20:19,360 --> 00:20:28,520 people out of the fire. Psalm 18 and seven 1/18/17 says 337 00:20:28,520 --> 00:20:31,840 I shall not die. He's speaking and he says, but I 338 00:20:31,960 --> 00:20:35,720 but live and declare the works of the Lord. 339 00:20:35,920 --> 00:20:41,040 If you have been spared, you have the greatest opportunity to 340 00:20:41,040 --> 00:20:44,080 speak of his goodness. You have the greatest 341 00:20:44,080 --> 00:20:47,880 opportunity because someone still needs to hear. 342 00:20:48,160 --> 00:20:53,840 Someone still needs to hear and sometimes, sometimes Romans at 343 00:20:53,840 --> 00:20:56,920 1014 says, now shall they hear without a preacher? 344 00:20:56,920 --> 00:21:00,120 Sometimes you need to look at yourself and say, I'm that 345 00:21:00,120 --> 00:21:02,920 preacher. I'm the one that needs to go and 346 00:21:02,920 --> 00:21:05,360 make sure that they hear. They hear the testimony. 347 00:21:05,360 --> 00:21:09,520 They hear of the goodness of God because I've been spared to help 348 00:21:09,520 --> 00:21:14,480 save. Proverbs 1130 says He that 349 00:21:14,480 --> 00:21:20,840 winneth souls is wise is wise. You didn't just survive, you 350 00:21:20,840 --> 00:21:24,160 were spared to save. I know, I know folks, that this 351 00:21:24,160 --> 00:21:27,760 is a simple a simple thing. I sat, I sat last night. 352 00:21:27,760 --> 00:21:34,120 I was I was scrolling on on Facebook and I see I see some 353 00:21:34,120 --> 00:21:38,320 news headlines and I am not one that I'm digging deep into news 354 00:21:38,320 --> 00:21:40,800 and everything like that. And I'm not trying to do any 355 00:21:40,800 --> 00:21:42,320 type of fear mongering or anything. 356 00:21:42,320 --> 00:21:43,800 Please understand my heart tonight. 357 00:21:44,280 --> 00:21:47,520 I just look at that and I look at the things that are going on 358 00:21:47,520 --> 00:21:49,760 around the world, right? Bishop talked about it this 359 00:21:49,760 --> 00:21:51,160 morning. Just just pray. 360 00:21:52,160 --> 00:21:57,720 But a heavy burden for for being spared to save. 361 00:21:58,640 --> 00:22:01,600 We have this opportunity. We have the opportunity of truth 362 00:22:02,080 --> 00:22:05,760 and we, we go throughout our jobs and, and our families and 363 00:22:05,760 --> 00:22:10,600 we encounter people on a daily basis and, and we go through the 364 00:22:10,600 --> 00:22:12,320 motions. We live life. 365 00:22:12,320 --> 00:22:15,520 And I understand that it can, it can get repetitive and things 366 00:22:15,520 --> 00:22:17,320 happen. And, and I'm not even saying 367 00:22:17,320 --> 00:22:20,160 that you haven't tried, but how hard have we tried? 368 00:22:20,760 --> 00:22:24,560 How hard have we tried? Just just as somebody that is 369 00:22:24,560 --> 00:22:27,640 that is drowning overboard and throwing a throwing a life 370 00:22:27,640 --> 00:22:30,920 preserver. How hard have we tried to save? 371 00:22:32,000 --> 00:22:34,640 We've been spared. We know the blessing that ad 372 00:22:34,640 --> 00:22:39,080 has, but how hard have we tried to pull someone out of the fire? 373 00:22:40,360 --> 00:22:43,960 Say you got a seat reserved. Let me help you find it. 374 00:22:46,080 --> 00:22:49,480 You're the servant who survived. Maybe you're the blind man who 375 00:22:49,480 --> 00:22:52,800 now sees the demoniac who got delivered. 376 00:22:52,800 --> 00:22:54,720 You're you're Lazarus. Lazarus. 377 00:22:54,720 --> 00:22:57,320 He didn't even have to necessarily preach anything. 378 00:22:57,320 --> 00:23:00,360 He was walking testimonial proof. 379 00:23:01,160 --> 00:23:03,920 Do not bury your voice and your witness. 380 00:23:03,920 --> 00:23:08,760 You have a story to tell. All of these examples, all of 381 00:23:08,760 --> 00:23:12,720 these examples are miracles. And by comparison, we wouldn't 382 00:23:12,720 --> 00:23:16,520 call those people who survived to tell Job that they weren't a 383 00:23:16,520 --> 00:23:19,320 miracle, but they they were. They were a miracle. 384 00:23:19,320 --> 00:23:22,200 The reason that you are still here, the reason the enemy still 385 00:23:22,200 --> 00:23:25,360 didn't finish the job, the reason that you made it through 386 00:23:25,360 --> 00:23:29,480 what should have crushed you is because the devil left a 387 00:23:29,480 --> 00:23:33,240 witness. Now let me let me make something 388 00:23:33,240 --> 00:23:35,280 very clear. The devil doesn't leave a 389 00:23:35,360 --> 00:23:40,600 witness because he wants to. He left the witness. 390 00:23:40,600 --> 00:23:43,440 If we reflect back to what happened with Job, when God 391 00:23:43,440 --> 00:23:47,080 offered up Job, he left the witness because he had to. 392 00:23:48,280 --> 00:23:50,920 And just the same, he would love to have your life. 393 00:23:50,920 --> 00:23:54,240 He would love to take your life. All of us, anyone that has 394 00:23:54,240 --> 00:23:57,800 truth, He would love to take all of our lives, but we have been 395 00:23:57,800 --> 00:24:04,480 spared and he he, we have a hedge about us and because of 396 00:24:04,480 --> 00:24:07,560 that we have an opportunity to save. 397 00:24:07,720 --> 00:24:10,840 We have an opportunity to grab souls with us. 398 00:24:10,840 --> 00:24:14,680 He does not like that. If he had his way and his will, 399 00:24:14,800 --> 00:24:19,560 he would take your life, but he does not have the opportunity. 400 00:24:19,840 --> 00:24:23,560 He does not have the choice. He had to leave a witness. 401 00:24:24,760 --> 00:24:28,040 There is that detail you have to understand. 402 00:24:28,040 --> 00:24:32,520 Because of that, you have power. We don't think about it, but we 403 00:24:32,520 --> 00:24:35,240 have power. The Bible says you have power. 404 00:24:35,240 --> 00:24:37,720 After that, the Holy Ghost has come upon you. 405 00:24:37,720 --> 00:24:43,400 You have power from on high, and you have to understand that 406 00:24:43,560 --> 00:24:47,200 because of God, we survived the attack. 407 00:24:47,400 --> 00:24:52,480 He tries, even though Satan tries to steal our praise, he 408 00:24:52,640 --> 00:24:58,080 does not have a foothold on us. Because of God, we walked away, 409 00:24:58,360 --> 00:25:02,600 but even Satan tried to convince us to bury our story. 410 00:25:02,600 --> 00:25:06,320 But I'm telling you your story is what's going to help people 411 00:25:06,560 --> 00:25:09,600 be saved. Your witness, your testimony is 412 00:25:09,600 --> 00:25:13,320 what's going to compel people, people and bring and pull on the 413 00:25:13,320 --> 00:25:16,880 hot strings of people that's going to help people bring 414 00:25:16,880 --> 00:25:23,800 themselves to God. Genesis 50 and 20, Joseph even 415 00:25:23,800 --> 00:25:28,440 says what you meant for evil, but God meant it for good. 416 00:25:29,360 --> 00:25:31,840 Joseph, he was the brother that made it out. 417 00:25:32,720 --> 00:25:36,840 He wasn't spared to live soft. He wasn't. 418 00:25:36,840 --> 00:25:41,280 He was positioned, though, to save lives, and that's exactly 419 00:25:41,440 --> 00:25:44,400 what he did. God doesn't just allow what you 420 00:25:44,400 --> 00:25:48,800 lost, He assigns purpose to what has been left. 421 00:25:49,280 --> 00:25:53,360 If you are a survivor, if you are a survivor, you have been 422 00:25:53,360 --> 00:25:57,400 spared for a reason. If you've been through loss and 423 00:25:57,400 --> 00:26:00,680 carried weight and wounds and stories that you, you, you are 424 00:26:00,720 --> 00:26:05,120 you find difficulty in telling, I'm encouraging you, you have 425 00:26:05,120 --> 00:26:09,160 been spared to save. Bring that to the forefront. 426 00:26:09,160 --> 00:26:11,640 Bring that testimony to the forefront. 427 00:26:11,920 --> 00:26:17,320 You will be surprised at how how powerful the testimony that you 428 00:26:17,320 --> 00:26:21,480 have been brought through, who have been spared from will be an 429 00:26:21,480 --> 00:26:25,480 encouragement to somebody else will be will be even a like to 430 00:26:25,480 --> 00:26:28,080 somebody that maybe maybe they have been hurt. 431 00:26:28,080 --> 00:26:30,880 Maybe they have gone through similar things that you have 432 00:26:30,880 --> 00:26:34,360 gone through and they see you. You've been brought out, you've 433 00:26:34,360 --> 00:26:37,680 been saved, you've been spared and they want that. 434 00:26:38,200 --> 00:26:43,360 Pull them, pull them. You are spared for that reason. 435 00:26:43,640 --> 00:26:48,680 I believe that reason was to save, not by your own power or 436 00:26:48,680 --> 00:26:51,680 strength, but by the power of the Lord. 437 00:26:51,680 --> 00:26:56,720 Were you spared? If you stand, my wife will come 438 00:26:56,720 --> 00:26:59,840 and play. If you have made it through the 439 00:26:59,840 --> 00:27:02,680 fire, if you're the only one left standing, if you've if 440 00:27:02,680 --> 00:27:07,320 you've got breath in your lungs but you have scars in a story, 441 00:27:07,760 --> 00:27:13,320 then I encourage you to take inventory on how can I go to the 442 00:27:13,320 --> 00:27:17,480 edge? Pull out my life raft, my life 443 00:27:17,480 --> 00:27:21,440 preserver, whatever you want to call it, and you're pulling 444 00:27:21,440 --> 00:27:24,480 people in. How can I grab the arms of 445 00:27:24,480 --> 00:27:29,160 people that are still still drowning, still looking for 446 00:27:29,160 --> 00:27:32,640 something, looking for truth. They're the the fields are wide 447 00:27:32,960 --> 00:27:36,200 for harvest. I believe that to be true 448 00:27:36,200 --> 00:27:38,720 because there's so there's so much more people that are 449 00:27:38,720 --> 00:27:43,040 desiring and looking into the word on their own right there. 450 00:27:43,040 --> 00:27:46,640 There has been that that thing for the longest time of just 451 00:27:46,640 --> 00:27:50,600 people just listening and not necessarily digging into the 452 00:27:50,600 --> 00:27:52,720 word. But I, I work with people. 453 00:27:52,720 --> 00:27:56,040 I work with people that don't don't necessarily believe what 454 00:27:56,040 --> 00:27:59,400 we believe, but they dig into the word and I just pray Lord 455 00:28:00,160 --> 00:28:05,320 send revelation, sin revelation because because not not 456 00:28:05,320 --> 00:28:08,840 necessarily that I even have to say, let's say it, the Lord, but 457 00:28:08,840 --> 00:28:12,520 as a witness giving my testimony, the things that God 458 00:28:12,520 --> 00:28:16,720 has done for me. I can tell them the goodness 459 00:28:16,720 --> 00:28:19,520 that he has spared me from the things that he has spared me 460 00:28:19,520 --> 00:28:23,120 from the goodness of God. And then they can look and say, 461 00:28:23,640 --> 00:28:26,080 what is it that they, what is it that he believes? 462 00:28:26,760 --> 00:28:30,520 What is it that what is it that that gets him so excited? 463 00:28:31,080 --> 00:28:36,000 What is it that that is different because these people 464 00:28:36,000 --> 00:28:40,520 are hungry and, and the more that things start to happen in 465 00:28:40,520 --> 00:28:43,880 our world, the more people are going to be looking for 466 00:28:43,880 --> 00:28:47,200 something, the more people are going to be looking for answers. 467 00:28:47,200 --> 00:28:51,040 And you have the answers. Question is, are you going to 468 00:28:51,040 --> 00:28:54,240 be, are you going to be like Peter and deny him? 469 00:28:54,800 --> 00:28:59,200 Are you going to step up? Are you going to step up and say 470 00:28:59,200 --> 00:29:03,520 this is what you need to do? Come, come with me, Come with 471 00:29:03,520 --> 00:29:05,440 me. I've been spared for this reason 472 00:29:05,440 --> 00:29:09,840 so that I could help you, so I could help pull you out. 473 00:29:10,080 --> 00:29:12,840 I know it's been dark. I know you've gone through 474 00:29:12,840 --> 00:29:16,640 things that that are inexplicable and unimaginable, 475 00:29:16,880 --> 00:29:19,480 but I'm telling you, I've been through some similar things. 476 00:29:19,480 --> 00:29:23,360 And he brought me out. He brought me out. 477 00:29:23,680 --> 00:29:27,680 You have been spared to save, spared to save. 478 00:29:27,680 --> 00:29:30,440 This altar is open tonight. I wonder if we could come 479 00:29:30,440 --> 00:29:36,080 tonight and ask God to challenge us, challenge us in our 480 00:29:36,080 --> 00:29:37,280 thinking. How? 481 00:29:37,520 --> 00:29:43,440 How can I help bring people out of drowning, bring people out of 482 00:29:43,440 --> 00:29:48,440 this world, bring people to the altar, bring people to God? 483 00:29:49,560 --> 00:29:54,000 Lord, am I doing everything that I can to help be a witness? 484 00:29:54,000 --> 00:29:57,000 Is my testimony going far enough? 485 00:29:57,000 --> 00:30:02,560 Am I not doing what I need to do I need to be a better witness? 486 00:30:02,560 --> 00:30:07,040 Do I need to exude more of my story, even if it feels 487 00:30:07,040 --> 00:30:09,360 uncomfortable and telling my story? 488 00:30:09,560 --> 00:30:12,200 Is it something that would be a benefit? 489 00:30:12,200 --> 00:30:15,320 Is it something that would be a witness that would that would 490 00:30:15,320 --> 00:30:19,480 draw people in and make people see your goodness, Make people 491 00:30:19,560 --> 00:30:25,240 see how wonderful it is to live a life walking with the Lord. 492 00:30:25,240 --> 00:30:30,360 I've been spared to save. I've been spared that I would be 493 00:30:30,360 --> 00:30:34,560 a conduit for your Kingdom. I've been spared that I would 494 00:30:34,800 --> 00:30:39,040 help people and be a body of believers, that we would help 495 00:30:39,040 --> 00:30:44,320 bring people out of the fire. Oh God, have your way. 496 00:30:45,960 --> 00:30:47,400 Oh, Jesus, Jesus.