1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:02,560 Hallelujah. Let's give testimony to the Lord 2 00:00:02,560 --> 00:00:06,880 right now and gratitude and appreciation for every time that 3 00:00:06,880 --> 00:00:11,520 he has shown up, every time that he has made himself present in 4 00:00:11,520 --> 00:00:14,760 some of our dire moments. Hallelujah. 5 00:00:15,080 --> 00:00:18,240 And he has been faithful. He's a faithful God. 6 00:00:18,720 --> 00:00:21,680 He's a faithful God. He doesn't always work on my 7 00:00:21,680 --> 00:00:25,560 timetable, but I've come to understand that his timetable is 8 00:00:25,600 --> 00:00:27,680 is perfect. Amen. 9 00:00:28,080 --> 00:00:32,159 Whenever I got to the end of my rope and he has been there, he 10 00:00:32,159 --> 00:00:34,800 has been there time and time again. 11 00:00:35,200 --> 00:00:38,960 Didn't know where to turn. All the options, there were none 12 00:00:38,960 --> 00:00:40,360 left. Amen. 13 00:00:40,360 --> 00:00:42,800 Sometimes it gets to where everything is subtracted away 14 00:00:42,800 --> 00:00:44,880 from us until he's the only thing left. 15 00:00:45,440 --> 00:00:47,320 Amen. And I love the Lord today. 16 00:00:47,560 --> 00:00:49,160 Hallelujah. We're glad to be in the House of 17 00:00:49,160 --> 00:00:52,000 the Lord this morning. We're grateful for the champion 18 00:00:52,000 --> 00:00:55,600 family being with us and helping us here on this weekend. 19 00:00:55,600 --> 00:00:57,680 You want to be coming back tonight? 20 00:00:57,680 --> 00:01:00,160 And brother champions going to be ministering the word of the 21 00:01:00,160 --> 00:01:03,640 Lord as well. This is like a absolute same 22 00:01:03,640 --> 00:01:05,600 scenario as last time they was with us. 23 00:01:05,840 --> 00:01:07,840 They're going to be here. They're going home for service. 24 00:01:07,840 --> 00:01:10,240 They're coming back. They've been in fair all this 25 00:01:10,240 --> 00:01:12,640 past week. It's just the way it lands. 26 00:01:12,640 --> 00:01:14,960 I think it has to do with shut down the Toyota. 27 00:01:14,960 --> 00:01:18,280 And when fair is for you, it all just comes together. 28 00:01:18,520 --> 00:01:23,720 And they've so graciously said they would do it again, come and 29 00:01:23,720 --> 00:01:26,920 be with us and we're grateful. Amen, for them doing so. 30 00:01:27,120 --> 00:01:29,800 As a matter of fact that their service today they're they're 31 00:01:29,800 --> 00:01:33,960 looking at having 5 people being baptized today in Jesus name, 32 00:01:35,480 --> 00:01:38,880 some kids and some backsliders if I understand right or 33 00:01:38,880 --> 00:01:41,880 grandchildren perhaps that is, but Amen. 34 00:01:41,880 --> 00:01:44,680 So we rejoice, Amen. Isn't that right? 35 00:01:45,080 --> 00:01:48,520 It's always excellent when there's another name that goes 36 00:01:48,520 --> 00:01:50,280 in that name that's above every name. 37 00:01:50,720 --> 00:01:53,720 Amen. In watery grave of baptism even, 38 00:01:53,720 --> 00:01:57,840 I'm going to be turning to the Second Kings chapter #7 and 39 00:01:58,440 --> 00:02:02,240 you'll just have to use these things here called your Bible 40 00:02:02,240 --> 00:02:04,720 today, all right? Amen. 41 00:02:04,720 --> 00:02:10,120 We are media short, all right? And so you can use your Bibles 42 00:02:10,120 --> 00:02:11,960 today. If you didn't bring the Bible 43 00:02:14,400 --> 00:02:17,840 set, someone who has one, pull it up on your phone. 44 00:02:18,360 --> 00:02:21,480 You probably memorized it, so you're OK Amen. 45 00:02:21,480 --> 00:02:25,760 Second Kings chapter #7 We're going to be again reading the 46 00:02:25,760 --> 00:02:28,680 verse #3 again, thank you to all the prayers the people gave. 47 00:02:28,680 --> 00:02:31,640 Her sister Brenda Wendell went there that morning. 48 00:02:31,640 --> 00:02:34,040 Her blood pressure was just just fine. 49 00:02:34,640 --> 00:02:37,080 It's like there is no elevation. Her blood pressure went in and 50 00:02:37,080 --> 00:02:39,360 she was here getting ready to face surgery. 51 00:02:39,360 --> 00:02:42,480 She's just good. And we prayed and she just like 52 00:02:42,560 --> 00:02:45,200 the Lord's going to go with me. That's what she, that's was her 53 00:02:45,200 --> 00:02:47,440 parting words. Lord's going to go with me. 54 00:02:47,800 --> 00:02:51,360 And he was, she was only on like bypass for like an hour and a 55 00:02:51,360 --> 00:02:53,000 half. But they did 4 within that 56 00:02:53,000 --> 00:02:57,000 amount of time. That's that's, that's a 57 00:02:57,000 --> 00:02:59,840 physician, yes, but that's a great physician as well. 58 00:03:00,560 --> 00:03:01,880 Amen. And we're thankful. 59 00:03:02,160 --> 00:03:10,280 We're thankful. Second Kings 7 starting with 60 00:03:10,280 --> 00:03:15,840 verse number verse #3 here the Bible says, and there were 4 61 00:03:15,840 --> 00:03:18,280 leprous men at the entering end of the gate. 62 00:03:19,040 --> 00:03:22,480 They said one to another, why sit we here until we die? 63 00:03:23,640 --> 00:03:26,800 If we say we will enter into the city, then the famine is in the 64 00:03:26,800 --> 00:03:32,280 city, and we shall die there. If we sit still here, we shall 65 00:03:32,440 --> 00:03:35,520 we die also. Now therefore, come, and let us 66 00:03:35,520 --> 00:03:37,760 fall into the host of the Syrians. 67 00:03:38,360 --> 00:03:41,480 They save us alive, we shall live, and if they kill us we 68 00:03:41,480 --> 00:03:46,080 shall but die. They rose up in the twilight to 69 00:03:46,080 --> 00:03:50,840 go into the camp of the Syrians, and when they were come to the 70 00:03:50,840 --> 00:03:55,000 uttermost part of the camp of Syria, behold there was no man 71 00:03:55,600 --> 00:03:57,840 there. For the Lord had made the host 72 00:03:57,840 --> 00:04:01,920 of the Syrians to hear a noise of Chariots and a noise of 73 00:04:01,920 --> 00:04:04,880 horses, even the noise of a great host. 74 00:04:05,320 --> 00:04:08,120 They said one to another load. The king of Israel had hired 75 00:04:08,120 --> 00:04:11,520 against us the kings of the Hittites and the kings of the 76 00:04:11,520 --> 00:04:15,920 Egyptians to come upon us. Wherefore they arose and fled in 77 00:04:15,920 --> 00:04:19,160 the twilight, left their tents and their horses and their 78 00:04:19,160 --> 00:04:22,360 asses, even the camp as it was, and fled for their life. 79 00:04:23,160 --> 00:04:26,160 When these lepers came to the uttermost part of the camp, they 80 00:04:26,160 --> 00:04:29,440 went into one tent, and did eat and drink, and carried thin 81 00:04:29,440 --> 00:04:32,880 silver and gold and rain, and went and hid it, and came again, 82 00:04:32,880 --> 00:04:37,000 and entered to another tent, and carried thins also, and went and 83 00:04:37,000 --> 00:04:41,120 hid it. Verse #4 says today here they 84 00:04:41,120 --> 00:04:43,760 were saying, We go in the city, we stay out here, either way we 85 00:04:43,760 --> 00:04:45,240 die. We go to the Syrians. 86 00:04:45,680 --> 00:04:47,280 Perhaps we will, perhaps we won't. 87 00:04:47,680 --> 00:04:52,160 The verbiage there in verse #4 is Let us fall the host of the 88 00:04:52,160 --> 00:04:54,520 Syrians. There's several other 89 00:04:54,520 --> 00:04:59,000 translations of the Scripture that also translate this verse. 90 00:04:59,000 --> 00:05:02,760 Many of them use a different word for the word fall of let us 91 00:05:02,760 --> 00:05:06,160 fall into the host. One where I read this, where I 92 00:05:06,160 --> 00:05:09,320 was inspired by this, was a contemporary English version 93 00:05:09,720 --> 00:05:13,520 this year says, so let's sneak over to the Syrian camp and 94 00:05:13,520 --> 00:05:17,440 surrender. So with the help of the Lord 95 00:05:17,440 --> 00:05:23,720 today I want to minister this the sound of surrender, the 96 00:05:23,720 --> 00:05:28,720 sound of surrender. Can you help me pray right now? 97 00:05:28,720 --> 00:05:34,080 Jesus God, we are in debt to you this morning God and we weigh 98 00:05:34,400 --> 00:05:37,280 Lord and lean heavenly Lord Jesus upon you. 99 00:05:37,680 --> 00:05:41,400 Bring every thought Lord into captivity today to the the 100 00:05:41,400 --> 00:05:45,840 obedience of Christ Jesus. Help us, O Lord God, to look at 101 00:05:45,840 --> 00:05:49,320 the scriptures, for in them are life God, even life God for our 102 00:05:49,320 --> 00:05:52,320 present day lives. I pray, O God, and minister, 103 00:05:52,320 --> 00:05:55,240 each and every individual, Lord, in this place today, God, 104 00:05:55,240 --> 00:05:58,480 encourage his strength in this God, Lord, by your word, and 105 00:05:58,480 --> 00:06:01,360 will not fail to thank you God for what you do. 106 00:06:01,360 --> 00:06:04,360 Lord, in this place this morning, in the lovely name of 107 00:06:04,440 --> 00:06:09,880 Jesus Christ, I pray Amen. In the church, say Amen, Amen. 108 00:06:09,880 --> 00:06:16,880 You may be seated today. In society today we have been 109 00:06:16,880 --> 00:06:19,480 conditioned. We've been conditioned to see 110 00:06:19,480 --> 00:06:25,120 the winners, winners as the victors, whether it was a 111 00:06:25,200 --> 00:06:29,440 struggle or whether it is a competition of some sort. 112 00:06:29,840 --> 00:06:32,440 We want to know who came out on top. 113 00:06:32,440 --> 00:06:36,320 People, people usually don't ask who lost. 114 00:06:36,320 --> 00:06:38,760 They always want to know who won. 115 00:06:38,760 --> 00:06:42,840 As a matter of fact, the idea of victory is is military and 116 00:06:42,840 --> 00:06:47,480 competitive at its at its core, and it implies that there's an 117 00:06:47,480 --> 00:06:49,760 opponent. It implies that there is a 118 00:06:49,760 --> 00:06:53,200 struggle and that there is also a triumph. 119 00:06:53,600 --> 00:06:58,200 Throughout scripture and even throughout history, victory is 120 00:06:58,200 --> 00:07:02,800 the anthem song that we sing. We OFT times rally around the 121 00:07:02,800 --> 00:07:08,840 stories such as David, a boy who defeats a giant and becomes then 122 00:07:08,840 --> 00:07:13,880 in scripture a national hero. We underscored the victory even 123 00:07:13,880 --> 00:07:17,800 at Jericho, we we again rally around that the people would 124 00:07:17,800 --> 00:07:21,720 give forth a shout on that seventh time on that 7th day and 125 00:07:21,720 --> 00:07:25,720 the walls would fall. And in the scripture history 126 00:07:25,720 --> 00:07:30,120 would be made outnumbered many times but never overpowered. 127 00:07:30,120 --> 00:07:34,480 You even read about how God gets the glory through Gideon's 128 00:07:34,480 --> 00:07:37,920 unlikely 300 men that he went to war. 129 00:07:38,320 --> 00:07:42,840 Amen with these are the stories in Scripture and also yet in 130 00:07:42,840 --> 00:07:47,400 history that inspire you and I. We preach about them and we get 131 00:07:47,400 --> 00:07:50,240 down hard on them and we sing songs. 132 00:07:50,240 --> 00:07:53,840 There's lyrics about them. People have written some of even 133 00:07:53,840 --> 00:07:57,360 named some of their sons after some of these characters because 134 00:07:57,360 --> 00:08:00,800 it marks, if you will, victory in the life of scripture. 135 00:08:01,120 --> 00:08:04,800 And the reason why we do this is because victory just resonates 136 00:08:04,800 --> 00:08:07,560 with us. It's it's what we desire, it's 137 00:08:07,560 --> 00:08:10,520 what we prefer, it's what our goals are. 138 00:08:10,520 --> 00:08:14,000 It's the rallying point and the springboard for any challenge 139 00:08:14,000 --> 00:08:17,000 that's coming to our life. That with hope and with the 140 00:08:17,000 --> 00:08:22,160 right attitude and tenacity that we will indeed be victorious. 141 00:08:22,400 --> 00:08:25,280 We're the best acquainted with victory even in our history. 142 00:08:25,600 --> 00:08:29,440 Amen of the world. The fall of the Berlin Wall 143 00:08:29,560 --> 00:08:33,120 pictures, a picture of triumph over communism. 144 00:08:33,120 --> 00:08:37,080 And though that was almost 36 years ago, there is footage 145 00:08:37,080 --> 00:08:40,240 still yet today of people breaking the wall and it's off 146 00:08:40,240 --> 00:08:45,400 time, still shown as a icon of hope and of freedom. 147 00:08:45,760 --> 00:08:50,560 Every 4th of July and in that 7th month we have fireworks and 148 00:08:50,560 --> 00:08:54,040 we'll sing patriotic songs and we're celebrating the 149 00:08:54,040 --> 00:08:58,160 anniversary of the 13 colonies that went to wrestle their 150 00:08:58,160 --> 00:09:01,080 independence from the British Empire. 151 00:09:01,080 --> 00:09:04,320 It's victory, so it doesn't matter if it it's the Red Sea 152 00:09:04,320 --> 00:09:07,640 crossing or if it's Normandy breach, or whether it's the 153 00:09:07,640 --> 00:09:11,160 Walls of Jericho or the Berlin Wall, whatever it may be, if 154 00:09:11,160 --> 00:09:15,480 it's David Stone that came from his sling or Martin Luther's 155 00:09:15,480 --> 00:09:19,040 dream that he spoke of on Capitol Hill. 156 00:09:19,400 --> 00:09:21,760 Amen. It is according to the record of 157 00:09:21,760 --> 00:09:24,880 history. Those who win that get the pin. 158 00:09:24,880 --> 00:09:30,080 They they say that history is written by the victors, and it 159 00:09:30,080 --> 00:09:33,480 is the victors and the victories that we commemorate. 160 00:09:33,880 --> 00:09:38,360 It's what we study, it's what we pass down to future generations. 161 00:09:38,360 --> 00:09:41,880 Even the Bible comes alongside us when it talks about even the 162 00:09:41,880 --> 00:09:44,880 victories of our Lord in Psalms 145. 163 00:09:45,080 --> 00:09:48,840 That these are the things that one generation shall praise to 164 00:09:48,840 --> 00:09:52,480 another and shall declare the mighty acts. 165 00:09:52,680 --> 00:09:57,720 The word victory originates from the Latin roots that mean to 166 00:09:57,720 --> 00:10:03,920 conquer, to overcome, and to subdue the famed brand that many 167 00:10:03,920 --> 00:10:07,920 of us even wear. Nike, means victory. 168 00:10:08,120 --> 00:10:11,200 It's the Greek name of the Greek goddess of victory. 169 00:10:11,200 --> 00:10:14,800 And thus for years we've been wearing our athletic shoes and 170 00:10:14,800 --> 00:10:18,520 other articles of clothing heralding, if you will, victory. 171 00:10:18,520 --> 00:10:20,640 We've let it hang from our key chains. 172 00:10:20,640 --> 00:10:23,480 We've put it as posters on our walls. 173 00:10:23,480 --> 00:10:28,760 Just VVVV is what we associate with greatness that we 174 00:10:28,760 --> 00:10:31,520 associate. Medals won with victory. 175 00:10:31,520 --> 00:10:33,480 Armies returning home. Victory. 176 00:10:33,560 --> 00:10:37,440 Victory flags raised on the proverbial heels of victory. 177 00:10:37,440 --> 00:10:41,000 Enemy silenced. All of that is our victory song. 178 00:10:41,160 --> 00:10:42,880 But the fact of the matter is this. 179 00:10:42,880 --> 00:10:46,160 No one lines up to take a picture with a statue of a 180 00:10:46,160 --> 00:10:52,000 surrendering soldier. No, because surrender feels much 181 00:10:52,080 --> 00:10:55,600 too much like quitting. It feels like defeat. 182 00:10:55,600 --> 00:10:59,360 It feels like loss. It it seems to be the very 183 00:10:59,360 --> 00:11:03,120 opposite of, or the antithesis of victory. 184 00:11:03,640 --> 00:11:06,440 Or is it? I believe that's why the story 185 00:11:06,440 --> 00:11:10,160 of Second Kings Chapter 7 catches us off guards to a 186 00:11:10,160 --> 00:11:12,960 certain degree. Because what we had here with 187 00:11:12,960 --> 00:11:17,200 these 4 lepers was not just initially 4 lepers that were 188 00:11:17,200 --> 00:11:21,800 marching to victory, but rather 4 lepers that were limping 189 00:11:21,800 --> 00:11:27,240 toward a surrender. The stir story of Triumph peers 190 00:11:27,400 --> 00:11:30,880 is a little stirring. And it's not too stirring though 191 00:11:30,880 --> 00:11:34,920 when it starts out with Once Upon the time there were 4 192 00:11:34,920 --> 00:11:39,240 leprous men came in that that doesn't make for a good story. 193 00:11:39,760 --> 00:11:43,760 The guys that are in this chapter are fighting against the 194 00:11:43,760 --> 00:11:46,640 incurable disease in their own bodies. 195 00:11:46,640 --> 00:11:50,280 Their their condition that they have does not make them good 196 00:11:50,280 --> 00:11:55,840 candidates for being a soldier. They have suffered from leprosy 197 00:11:56,120 --> 00:12:01,080 and several of them, if not most of them are probably already 198 00:12:01,080 --> 00:12:05,000 missing some of the extremities of their bodies. 199 00:12:05,000 --> 00:12:06,520 Just stay with me here a little while. 200 00:12:07,120 --> 00:12:12,160 Leprosy attacked the nerves, it led to a loss of sensation. 201 00:12:12,160 --> 00:12:17,600 Therefore, all the injuries such as cuts and burns and blisters 202 00:12:17,600 --> 00:12:22,840 would go unnoticed in their body and go untreated in their body 203 00:12:22,840 --> 00:12:26,760 which would then lead to further infection in their body. 204 00:12:26,760 --> 00:12:32,640 And so over time, fingers and toes became disfigured or even 205 00:12:32,640 --> 00:12:37,960 missing due to the infection and the tissue loss in their body. 206 00:12:37,960 --> 00:12:43,000 Their skin would become scaly and discolored and thickened, 207 00:12:43,000 --> 00:12:48,560 and sores and ulcers or lumps would form on their face and 208 00:12:48,560 --> 00:12:51,600 their hands and their feet and their ears. 209 00:12:51,600 --> 00:12:56,000 And these lesions were commonly open lesions that were oozing 210 00:12:56,000 --> 00:13:00,200 with liquid and pus. Cartilage in their nose and 211 00:13:00,200 --> 00:13:04,120 other facial structures of their face would begin to deteriorate 212 00:13:04,360 --> 00:13:08,160 and eventually collapse. Eyebrows and eyelashes would 213 00:13:08,160 --> 00:13:13,240 fall out as the nerves died. Muscle paralysis would set in, 214 00:13:13,240 --> 00:13:17,120 causing their hands to curl and claw like shakes. 215 00:13:17,120 --> 00:13:22,400 Their legs would weaken, leading them to a shuffle or a limp 216 00:13:22,400 --> 00:13:26,400 rather than a walk. And certainly not a regimented 217 00:13:26,400 --> 00:13:31,920 March on the way to a war. These four men outside of 218 00:13:31,920 --> 00:13:36,080 Samaria, isolated from any others, quarantined from any 219 00:13:36,080 --> 00:13:39,640 others, are not the picture of victory. 220 00:13:39,840 --> 00:13:44,720 There's nothing intimidated or triumphal about their torn 221 00:13:44,720 --> 00:13:49,600 clothes, or about their unkempt hair or about their claw like 222 00:13:49,600 --> 00:13:53,000 hand over their mouth crying out unclean, unclean. 223 00:13:53,080 --> 00:13:56,600 There's nothing victorious about these four men. 224 00:13:56,840 --> 00:14:00,400 Nike isn't there doing a photo shoot for their brand name. 225 00:14:00,400 --> 00:14:04,840 No one is using these 4 lepers as an emblem of hope. 226 00:14:05,000 --> 00:14:08,760 They're not the next story or encouraging words to the next 227 00:14:08,760 --> 00:14:12,560 generation about victory. Not these 4 leprous men. 228 00:14:13,880 --> 00:14:19,080 Their bodies are riddled with disease, and they're sitting at 229 00:14:19,080 --> 00:14:23,320 the city gate of a city who is under siege. 230 00:14:24,440 --> 00:14:28,280 The city's been cut off from supplies coming in or going out. 231 00:14:28,280 --> 00:14:31,840 There is no food or sources coming into the city. 232 00:14:31,840 --> 00:14:35,840 As a result, there is famine inside the city walls. 233 00:14:35,960 --> 00:14:39,720 You have famine inside the city. You have lepers sitting outside 234 00:14:39,720 --> 00:14:42,600 the city. These are not conditions 235 00:14:42,600 --> 00:14:47,720 favorable for victory. But after considering their 236 00:14:47,720 --> 00:14:53,440 options, the four lepers muster the strength of their deformed, 237 00:14:53,440 --> 00:14:59,960 deteriorating, weakened bodies to start to plod their way to 238 00:15:00,000 --> 00:15:04,000 the Syrian host, which had them under siege. 239 00:15:04,240 --> 00:15:06,720 They knew, and they begin to surmise. 240 00:15:06,920 --> 00:15:11,080 If we go into Samaria, our home will die. 241 00:15:11,240 --> 00:15:14,520 If we stay outside of the city, we'll die. 242 00:15:14,680 --> 00:15:18,160 But if we go to the Syrian camp, maybe we'll die. 243 00:15:18,320 --> 00:15:21,520 Maybe we won't die. And after reasoning all that, 244 00:15:21,520 --> 00:15:27,320 they looked at one another and said, why sit we here until we 245 00:15:27,320 --> 00:15:29,920 die? It's as though they finally came 246 00:15:29,920 --> 00:15:34,880 to a mindset and understanding, an epiphany, if you will, in 247 00:15:34,880 --> 00:15:37,520 their actions. Amen That you know what, there's 248 00:15:37,520 --> 00:15:40,520 no reason that we should try to self preserve. 249 00:15:40,760 --> 00:15:44,520 There's nothing here really that we got in our own selves that we 250 00:15:44,520 --> 00:15:47,720 ought to protect. A reality check was coming up on 251 00:15:47,720 --> 00:15:49,200 their life. You know what? 252 00:15:49,360 --> 00:15:54,200 We aren't doing anything because we might die, but being cautious 253 00:15:54,600 --> 00:15:58,520 and protective of what life we do have left is still death. 254 00:15:58,520 --> 00:16:03,160 And the Bible says, they said, why don't we just go and let us 255 00:16:03,160 --> 00:16:06,800 fall unto the host of the Syrians? 256 00:16:08,600 --> 00:16:12,240 But whenever they stated those words, as I've seen other places 257 00:16:12,240 --> 00:16:16,880 and translations and version versions of the Bible, they were 258 00:16:16,880 --> 00:16:21,240 basically saying this, why don't we surrender? 259 00:16:21,640 --> 00:16:25,160 They were resigned Amen to their weakness. 260 00:16:25,520 --> 00:16:28,080 They weren't coming Amen, with swords. 261 00:16:28,400 --> 00:16:30,440 They weren't coming with strategy. 262 00:16:30,680 --> 00:16:33,480 They weren't coming with strength that they had, but they 263 00:16:33,480 --> 00:16:35,440 came with this to the Syrian host. 264 00:16:35,680 --> 00:16:38,520 We're coming with the willingness, Amen, to surrender 265 00:16:39,360 --> 00:16:42,240 everything that we got. We're just going to leave the 266 00:16:42,320 --> 00:16:47,320 outcome of life or death in the hands of the one that has the 267 00:16:47,400 --> 00:16:54,280 outcome of life or death. So what shame in it was an act 268 00:16:54,800 --> 00:17:00,120 of desperation. Picture now these 4. 269 00:17:00,120 --> 00:17:10,599 Hobbling toward the Syrian camp 4 Now individuals, they know 270 00:17:10,599 --> 00:17:13,400 they're weak, they know they're desperate. 271 00:17:13,920 --> 00:17:18,240 They know odds are against them. But they decided I'm just going 272 00:17:18,240 --> 00:17:20,240 to surrender to my circumstances. 273 00:17:21,119 --> 00:17:24,280 I'm just going to surrender to what's happening right now and 274 00:17:24,280 --> 00:17:29,080 we're going to go forward and we're going to make our trip. 275 00:17:29,080 --> 00:17:31,920 It's going to be slow. It's going to take us some time. 276 00:17:32,240 --> 00:17:34,080 Oh, Joe over. There's going to be dragging his 277 00:17:34,080 --> 00:17:36,480 leg. But we're just going to go and 278 00:17:36,480 --> 00:17:44,800 see what God might do. And that's 4 leprous men. 279 00:17:45,920 --> 00:17:49,360 Hands may be all drawn up with disfigurement, dragging the 280 00:17:49,360 --> 00:17:52,800 foot, nose flat because the cartilage is gone. 281 00:17:53,120 --> 00:17:58,120 Scaly skin paralysis taking place in their muscles. 282 00:17:58,520 --> 00:18:01,800 Here they are. There's nobody in the country 283 00:18:02,000 --> 00:18:05,800 that would see those four dragon along in the sandy desert that 284 00:18:05,800 --> 00:18:07,600 would be intimidated by what they saw. 285 00:18:07,640 --> 00:18:12,920 But the Bible says as they made their way in their surrender, 286 00:18:13,240 --> 00:18:18,240 that what was heard in the Syrian camp was, as it were, a 287 00:18:18,240 --> 00:18:22,040 great army. They heard of many Chariots and 288 00:18:22,040 --> 00:18:26,160 they heard many horses and they heard what they thought was the 289 00:18:26,160 --> 00:18:28,840 great army. They thought somebody had 290 00:18:28,840 --> 00:18:33,200 ordered some mercenaries from the Hittites and the Egyptians 291 00:18:33,520 --> 00:18:38,040 to come against them. Because those 4 leprous men, 292 00:18:38,440 --> 00:18:41,720 their surrender sounded like an attack. 293 00:18:42,280 --> 00:18:49,080 Amen to the Syrian host. Come on, come on. 294 00:18:51,240 --> 00:18:54,400 Because you think your power maybe is in the sword that you 295 00:18:54,400 --> 00:18:56,520 wield. Hey, man, or in the shield that 296 00:18:56,520 --> 00:19:00,240 you have, or in your rallying voice of strong strength. 297 00:19:00,600 --> 00:19:04,400 But I've come to tell the First Apostolic Church on this Sunday 298 00:19:04,400 --> 00:19:08,160 morning that there's many times that the greatness of your 299 00:19:08,160 --> 00:19:11,400 strength is found in your surrender. 300 00:19:11,400 --> 00:19:19,200 Come on. Amen. 301 00:19:22,800 --> 00:19:27,080 They heard horses, they heard troops, they heard Chariots. 302 00:19:27,600 --> 00:19:32,360 They felt like they were under an ambush in so much the Bible 303 00:19:32,360 --> 00:19:36,240 says that they panic and they fled and they left everything 304 00:19:36,240 --> 00:19:41,560 behind, right where it was. Food, silver, gold, clothes. 305 00:19:41,760 --> 00:19:47,000 It was all there. You know what the amazing thing 306 00:19:47,000 --> 00:19:51,040 is, Tracy? These lepers were not Privy. 307 00:19:51,040 --> 00:19:54,760 They were not aware that they were a part of God's plan. 308 00:19:59,560 --> 00:20:04,320 According to verse four, Sister Trout, their intention was 309 00:20:04,320 --> 00:20:10,040 surrender, but the enemy camp heard an attack. 310 00:20:15,680 --> 00:20:20,120 What was just a limp toward surrender on the earth had 311 00:20:20,120 --> 00:20:23,240 become war in the years of the enemy. 312 00:20:23,560 --> 00:20:26,120 Hey, man, the very sound of surrender. 313 00:20:26,120 --> 00:20:29,440 Can I tell you? The very sound of four 314 00:20:29,680 --> 00:20:35,240 desperate, diseased men dragging themselves forward in surrender, 315 00:20:35,480 --> 00:20:40,560 amplified in heaven as a fear from fearsome assault against 316 00:20:40,560 --> 00:20:43,560 the adversary. Their surrender, even in the 317 00:20:43,560 --> 00:20:47,280 face of their weakness, sound sounded like an attack. 318 00:20:52,400 --> 00:20:58,840 Someone say Amen. So you have more power in your 319 00:20:58,840 --> 00:21:03,680 surrender than you do your strength. 320 00:21:10,120 --> 00:21:19,440 But we've been conditioned to only celebrate strong celebrate, 321 00:21:19,440 --> 00:21:23,880 if you will, what has the dynamic connection, direct 322 00:21:23,880 --> 00:21:26,960 connection of absolute victory in our eyes. 323 00:21:32,400 --> 00:21:36,360 The apostle Paul said this is in your Bible, 2nd Corinthians 12 324 00:21:36,760 --> 00:21:44,160 and 10. The apostle Paul said, when I am 325 00:21:45,400 --> 00:21:56,400 weak, then am I strong? How can you say that, Paul? 326 00:21:58,800 --> 00:22:03,160 Where's the reasoning behind that, Paul? 327 00:22:04,120 --> 00:22:06,440 But you must go back just a little bit on that verse. 328 00:22:07,240 --> 00:22:11,120 Paul said, I take everybody say pleasures. 329 00:22:12,600 --> 00:22:18,880 He says I take pleasures in infirmities and reproaches and 330 00:22:18,880 --> 00:22:24,800 necessities and persecutions and distresses for Christ sake, 331 00:22:25,240 --> 00:22:26,760 Paul. Still it seems like you're 332 00:22:26,760 --> 00:22:29,520 talking nonsense. Well, when you look at the word 333 00:22:29,520 --> 00:22:32,560 pleasure here in the Greek, in the New Testament, the word 334 00:22:32,560 --> 00:22:36,520 pleasure means to do willingly another word way. 335 00:22:36,520 --> 00:22:39,560 In other words, Paul saying I take pleasure in distress. 336 00:22:39,760 --> 00:22:44,080 He says I, I, I willingly give myself to it, that surrender. 337 00:22:44,240 --> 00:22:47,680 He says I'll willingly surrender to persecution. 338 00:22:47,920 --> 00:22:50,560 I'll willingly surrender to reproaches. 339 00:22:50,560 --> 00:22:53,200 I will. And since I surrender, he says, 340 00:22:53,200 --> 00:22:57,800 the power that comes is in my surrender, not my bulking it, 341 00:22:58,040 --> 00:23:01,360 not my fighting it, not me putting up my fist against it. 342 00:23:01,560 --> 00:23:05,560 But when I just surrender to the outcome who has all outcomes in 343 00:23:05,560 --> 00:23:10,840 his hands, he says when I am weak, then am I strong? 344 00:23:11,080 --> 00:23:14,920 There is a strength in your surrender. 345 00:23:20,520 --> 00:23:22,800 What are you saying? I'm saying don't try to fight 346 00:23:22,800 --> 00:23:25,120 it, don't try to distance yourself from it. 347 00:23:25,400 --> 00:23:29,160 Just take pleasure willingly, do willingly. 348 00:23:29,160 --> 00:23:33,160 Give surrender to all circumstances come what may. 349 00:23:33,360 --> 00:23:38,240 And somehow, some way, my surrender will sound like a 350 00:23:38,280 --> 00:23:45,680 defeat and an attack upon my adversary. 351 00:23:51,520 --> 00:23:56,960 Would be wrong this morning the label the Apostle Paul and those 352 00:23:56,960 --> 00:24:08,800 4 lepers as powerless. Powerlessness is a condition, 353 00:24:11,320 --> 00:24:18,280 but surrender is a decision. All right, that's good. 354 00:24:18,360 --> 00:24:23,760 Even powerless may lead somebody to surrender, but it isn't the 355 00:24:23,760 --> 00:24:30,760 same thing. Surrender is powerful because 356 00:24:30,760 --> 00:24:35,800 it's a voluntary choice to release control. 357 00:24:41,250 --> 00:24:43,850 Stay here outside the walls. My control. 358 00:24:44,730 --> 00:24:49,250 Go into the walls, my control going to the Syrians. 359 00:24:49,530 --> 00:24:53,960 I don't know the outcome, but I'm going to willingly just give 360 00:24:53,960 --> 00:24:58,600 myself. I'll have any control over this. 361 00:24:58,600 --> 00:25:02,000 I don't have any control over this. 362 00:25:02,680 --> 00:25:07,640 That's powerful because you released your ability of having 363 00:25:07,640 --> 00:25:12,000 any control, of having any say of being able to lean in on the 364 00:25:12,000 --> 00:25:14,840 situation you're giving up and giving over. 365 00:25:15,080 --> 00:25:19,240 And when you surrender, God's amplifying your surrender, God's 366 00:25:19,240 --> 00:25:22,880 amplifying that release. God's amplifying that release of 367 00:25:22,880 --> 00:25:26,600 control and saying, I want to make it sound like an attack. 368 00:25:31,360 --> 00:25:39,440 Someone say yes. Whenever you do that, whenever 369 00:25:39,440 --> 00:25:43,360 you surrender, whenever you give up, whenever your actions are 370 00:25:43,360 --> 00:25:47,000 saying God, it's you. I don't have nothing in this. 371 00:25:47,440 --> 00:25:50,880 I'm yielding my will. I'm yielding my plans, I'm 372 00:25:50,880 --> 00:25:54,200 yielding my control. When you're saying God, it is up 373 00:25:54,200 --> 00:25:56,080 to you. And when you're doing that with 374 00:25:56,080 --> 00:25:59,280 God in mind, that's not defeat. You know what that is? 375 00:25:59,440 --> 00:26:08,240 That's really worship. Come on, glory, that all that 376 00:26:08,240 --> 00:26:14,200 being all struck by who he is when you release your control 377 00:26:14,760 --> 00:26:16,400 and you're like it's hands off for me. 378 00:26:16,400 --> 00:26:21,200 It's just up to you God, then that means you have faith that 379 00:26:21,200 --> 00:26:25,040 whatever he does concerning the outcome will be what needs to be 380 00:26:25,040 --> 00:26:27,360 done. And if he doesn't take it away, 381 00:26:27,360 --> 00:26:30,320 maybe he'll take me through. That's worship. 382 00:26:30,480 --> 00:26:35,400 When you surrender, that's worship, and that is indeed a 383 00:26:35,400 --> 00:26:43,080 powerful. Amen. 384 00:26:43,080 --> 00:26:53,920 Amen. Someone say glory so we can live 385 00:26:53,920 --> 00:27:00,480 our days as though if we're not in control of the outcome, we 386 00:27:00,480 --> 00:27:04,760 don't have the wherewithal to go forward and be totally put 387 00:27:04,760 --> 00:27:09,640 together as we do with a strong voice of a rallying cry and a 388 00:27:09,640 --> 00:27:12,360 strong March with the stamping of our feet head in the 389 00:27:12,360 --> 00:27:15,200 direction of our adversary. Then it's just not going to be 390 00:27:15,200 --> 00:27:17,320 very good. It's not going to be it's not 391 00:27:17,320 --> 00:27:19,320 going to be victory. And we go with that type of 392 00:27:19,320 --> 00:27:22,200 attitude. We'll miss the very core of what 393 00:27:22,200 --> 00:27:25,320 our Bible all even centers around. 394 00:27:25,600 --> 00:27:29,160 Can I remind you this morning that the greatest history ever 395 00:27:29,160 --> 00:27:33,960 recorded of the grandest battle was written with indelible ink 396 00:27:33,960 --> 00:27:38,760 upon the pages of Scripture about a man that was mocked and 397 00:27:38,800 --> 00:27:45,000 beaten and pierced and flogged and crucified and mutilated 398 00:27:45,000 --> 00:27:49,520 beyond recognition? He triumphed uncontested with 399 00:27:49,520 --> 00:27:53,720 victory, not because he fought, not because he called down the 400 00:27:53,720 --> 00:27:57,960 Legion of Angels, not because he put his best legal defense in 401 00:27:57,960 --> 00:28:03,040 court, but because while his feet still clung to the dirt in 402 00:28:03,040 --> 00:28:05,560 the Garden of Gethsemane. Amen, He said. 403 00:28:05,760 --> 00:28:10,800 Not my but pine be done. That was surrender. 404 00:28:10,960 --> 00:28:15,280 That was surrender, and it made all the makings of an attack on 405 00:28:15,280 --> 00:28:17,800 the grandest Dale for hell in the world. 406 00:28:19,120 --> 00:28:29,160 Your savior. Your savior flexed his power 407 00:28:29,160 --> 00:28:42,680 through his surrender. Yeah, Pat, we know he had other 408 00:28:42,840 --> 00:28:47,920 opportunities, Amaya. I mean, when Judas and the band 409 00:28:47,920 --> 00:28:51,720 show up with their swords and their Spears and their clubs to 410 00:28:51,720 --> 00:28:54,840 the Garden of Gethsemane and he says, whom seek ye? 411 00:28:54,840 --> 00:28:59,760 He said with Jesus. And he said, I am he. 412 00:29:00,320 --> 00:29:03,320 Just those few words, they fell backward to the ground. 413 00:29:06,160 --> 00:29:10,800 So we know there was power in his voice, but that's not what 414 00:29:10,800 --> 00:29:14,080 he chose to exercise. He says, I'll show you one more 415 00:29:14,080 --> 00:29:16,280 powerful than that. What's that? 416 00:29:16,640 --> 00:29:20,600 Beat me, mock me. I'll give myself to it. 417 00:29:21,080 --> 00:29:24,600 I'll surrender to it. And through his surrender, Amen. 418 00:29:24,600 --> 00:29:28,800 Death, hail, the grave, and sin were conquered not through his 419 00:29:28,800 --> 00:29:31,920 fight per SE, but through his surrender. 420 00:29:45,360 --> 00:29:50,600 On Calvary, hanging there on that tree darkens, covering the 421 00:29:50,600 --> 00:29:53,000 earth from the 3rd to the 9th tower. 422 00:29:54,920 --> 00:29:58,720 But somewhere in that time spent there, the scripture denotes 423 00:29:59,440 --> 00:30:04,760 Speaking of Christ, and he cave up the ghost. 424 00:30:07,880 --> 00:30:12,080 They didn't take his life. He surrendered his life. 425 00:30:13,280 --> 00:30:22,600 And when he surrendered, the veil that was in the temple 426 00:30:23,760 --> 00:30:31,440 written twang from top and bottom by invisible hands of 427 00:30:31,440 --> 00:30:36,600 surrender. The earth, the quake, and the 428 00:30:36,600 --> 00:30:42,080 rocks were rent by the invisible hands of surrender. 429 00:30:42,440 --> 00:30:48,520 The graves of people just outside the city were opened by 430 00:30:48,520 --> 00:30:54,880 the invisible hand of surrender. It looked like surrender, but it 431 00:30:54,880 --> 00:31:02,880 was really an attack. Let's clap our hands right now 432 00:31:03,360 --> 00:31:06,480 and give some honor to the King of Kings today. 433 00:31:20,460 --> 00:31:27,740 Note John 10. Note John 10 and verse #18 the 434 00:31:27,740 --> 00:31:36,860 red letters of Jesus speaking. He says no man taketh it, yet He 435 00:31:36,860 --> 00:31:44,200 refers to is his life, since no man taketh it from me, but I lay 436 00:31:44,200 --> 00:31:51,520 it down of myself. Erica, Jessica, that surrender 437 00:31:52,120 --> 00:31:55,240 says I lay it down of myself. Look what he says. 438 00:31:55,720 --> 00:32:01,120 He says I have power. If I say power, I had power to 439 00:32:01,120 --> 00:32:03,800 lay it down and I have power to take it up. 440 00:32:04,600 --> 00:32:08,440 Take it again. Notice what Jesus is doing here. 441 00:32:09,280 --> 00:32:16,640 Jesus is calling His choice to lay down his life, His choice to 442 00:32:16,640 --> 00:32:20,680 surrender. He's calling that power, I have 443 00:32:20,680 --> 00:32:30,920 power, I have power, and it's coupled with his surrender. 444 00:32:34,040 --> 00:32:43,240 Those lepers appeared to hobble in the Syrian camp of their own 445 00:32:43,240 --> 00:32:49,400 volition, but there was really another power at work was the 446 00:32:49,400 --> 00:32:53,640 power of their surrender. Look at verse five. 447 00:32:53,640 --> 00:32:57,400 Once again, they come into that place and the Bible says, 448 00:32:58,320 --> 00:33:05,680 behold, there was no man there. There's no one to be found in 449 00:33:05,680 --> 00:33:08,560 the Syrian camp. Can we just stay here for a 450 00:33:08,560 --> 00:33:10,960 moment? But the whole while that they're 451 00:33:10,960 --> 00:33:15,760 making their journey from the gate of Samaria to Syria, they 452 00:33:15,760 --> 00:33:20,440 don't know what's happening. I think that's important. 453 00:33:21,560 --> 00:33:22,960 They don't know what's happening. 454 00:33:24,880 --> 00:33:29,280 And when they arrive, they can see that there has been 455 00:33:29,280 --> 00:33:33,960 occupancy here, enough indicators that someone has been 456 00:33:33,960 --> 00:33:35,680 here. If I can say it like this, the 457 00:33:35,680 --> 00:33:38,560 coves that the fire is still hot, someone's not left too long 458 00:33:38,560 --> 00:33:44,960 ago. This is not like someone's been 459 00:33:44,960 --> 00:33:48,440 gone from here for weeks, but someone has just left recently. 460 00:33:50,200 --> 00:33:53,560 Oh, God help me. And there's no one here. 461 00:33:53,760 --> 00:33:58,080 When you look at this and you go back to verse #5 the Bible says 462 00:33:58,440 --> 00:34:02,600 that that that they left. They left, they surrendered. 463 00:34:02,600 --> 00:34:06,600 When they did this, it says they rose up in the twilight. 464 00:34:06,600 --> 00:34:10,400 Everybody say twilight. They rose up in the twilight to 465 00:34:10,400 --> 00:34:14,600 go into the camp of the Syrians. It's interesting for me to 466 00:34:14,600 --> 00:34:18,120 denote that a little later in the same book here, same 467 00:34:18,120 --> 00:34:23,840 chapter, the Bible also says in verse #7 that the Syrians or the 468 00:34:23,840 --> 00:34:30,719 Syrian host, they arose and fled in the twilight and left their 469 00:34:30,719 --> 00:34:34,679 tents and their houses and their asses, even the camp as it was, 470 00:34:34,840 --> 00:34:37,159 and fled for life. You know what that tells me, 471 00:34:37,159 --> 00:34:39,480 Brother Reese? That whenever the boys finally 472 00:34:39,480 --> 00:34:43,080 got together, the consensus, I don't have no control over this. 473 00:34:43,239 --> 00:34:45,040 There's no sense in self preserving. 474 00:34:45,239 --> 00:34:47,360 And they looked at each other and said, why do we sit here? 475 00:34:47,520 --> 00:34:49,400 Why don't we go fall into the host? 476 00:34:49,560 --> 00:34:53,320 Why don't we go surrender? The moment they got up, the 477 00:34:53,320 --> 00:34:56,480 Syrians got up. The moment they started marching 478 00:34:56,480 --> 00:34:59,360 toward the camp, the Syrians started leaving the camp. 479 00:34:59,600 --> 00:35:03,400 That's how quick your surrender can sound like an attack to the 480 00:35:03,400 --> 00:35:05,680 adversary. It don't have to be a one day 481 00:35:05,680 --> 00:35:09,360 delay or a two week delay. The moment you totally 482 00:35:09,360 --> 00:35:12,080 surrender, it sounds like an attack. 483 00:35:12,280 --> 00:35:16,320 It sounds like horses and Chariots and a great army for an 484 00:35:16,320 --> 00:35:28,560 ambush upon your adversary. Yes, left everything 10s horses 485 00:35:28,560 --> 00:35:31,200 asses can just left the camp as it was. 486 00:35:37,990 --> 00:35:43,510 What competition really is it? I'm breathing hard folks. 487 00:35:43,510 --> 00:35:45,150 On Friday they thought I had pneumonia. 488 00:35:45,150 --> 00:35:47,750 OK or Thursday and so until right now this morning 489 00:35:47,750 --> 00:35:49,670 preaching, I'm still not all the way there. 490 00:35:52,030 --> 00:35:57,520 What competition are 4 leprous men against the Syrian Army? 491 00:35:58,280 --> 00:36:00,680 What competition are they for the champion? 492 00:36:02,000 --> 00:36:04,760 None. None. 493 00:36:07,760 --> 00:36:15,880 But neither is the Syrian Army nor any other army a match for 494 00:36:15,880 --> 00:36:25,800 surrendered lepers. Adversary, don't raise your 495 00:36:25,800 --> 00:36:31,160 voice too high because of the condition you see me in, because 496 00:36:31,160 --> 00:36:36,840 of the scabbing on my skin and the defigurement of my face and 497 00:36:36,840 --> 00:36:42,000 the wilting of my arms, because I still got one move and it's 498 00:36:42,000 --> 00:36:45,560 called my surrender and it Trump's my condition. 499 00:36:58,920 --> 00:37:01,680 It Trump's. It Trump's all that. 500 00:37:02,040 --> 00:37:03,520 Why? Because surrender. 501 00:37:03,520 --> 00:37:07,440 People don't care. Surrender people don't care. 502 00:37:08,160 --> 00:37:12,320 They don't have anything to lose because they've already made a 503 00:37:12,320 --> 00:37:15,480 choice. It's not their choice and it's 504 00:37:15,480 --> 00:37:20,360 liberating and it's freeing not to be in control and to 505 00:37:20,360 --> 00:37:24,520 relinquish that to someone else. What will be, what will be, and 506 00:37:24,520 --> 00:37:27,240 what will be isn't up to me. That's surrender. 507 00:37:27,240 --> 00:37:47,150 I want to talk about the power in 508 00:37:47,150 --> 00:37:50,630 a surrender. We must go backwards again then, 509 00:37:52,840 --> 00:37:57,120 for a little bit further background of the story in 510 00:37:57,120 --> 00:38:04,400 Second Kings chapter #6 because some Mary's under siege, there's 511 00:38:06,520 --> 00:38:11,320 a lot of uncustomary things happening because of the famine 512 00:38:11,800 --> 00:38:16,120 and because of the siege. A donkey's head for getting meat 513 00:38:16,120 --> 00:38:18,320 from it is at an exorbitant price. 514 00:38:19,520 --> 00:38:26,480 People are purchasing doves, dung or consumption. 515 00:38:27,960 --> 00:38:33,440 Mothers are agreeing one night to cook their child to eat, and 516 00:38:33,440 --> 00:38:36,920 the next night we'll cook my child to eat. 517 00:38:38,560 --> 00:38:42,640 It's not hopeful times. It's not victorious times. 518 00:38:43,360 --> 00:38:50,280 The King of Israel is perplexed. Nothing's changing, nothing's 519 00:38:50,280 --> 00:38:52,920 happening. Prices are too high to eat and 520 00:38:52,920 --> 00:38:55,480 there's not even much to eat. Even if there was anything to be 521 00:38:55,480 --> 00:39:00,040 sold, this is not good. He paid a visit to Elisha the 522 00:39:00,040 --> 00:39:04,040 prophet to discuss his concern in no uncertain terms. 523 00:39:04,040 --> 00:39:06,480 It's there in Scripture, but it's not my preaching element 524 00:39:06,480 --> 00:39:08,240 right now. But he talked to him about the 525 00:39:08,240 --> 00:39:11,360 siege and the famine, the drastic measures that the people 526 00:39:11,360 --> 00:39:13,240 were taking in the city because of all this. 527 00:39:13,240 --> 00:39:16,720 He spoke to this with Elisha. I like this. 528 00:39:17,720 --> 00:39:21,480 Elisha being the prophet, could look through the annals of time, 529 00:39:22,000 --> 00:39:24,400 God to give him the gift. He could look through the annals 530 00:39:24,400 --> 00:39:28,280 of time and see the outplay of the situation. 531 00:39:29,040 --> 00:39:34,040 And Elijah responded concerning this prophetic outlook of what 532 00:39:34,040 --> 00:39:36,400 was to come. And this is what Elijah 533 00:39:36,400 --> 00:39:38,280 essentially told the king of Israel. 534 00:39:38,680 --> 00:39:42,600 He said everything will change by tomorrow. 535 00:39:46,560 --> 00:39:48,200 No, no, no, you don't understand. 536 00:39:48,520 --> 00:39:51,600 We've been under siege for days, if not weeks. 537 00:39:52,000 --> 00:39:53,840 This, this didn't happen in a moment. 538 00:39:53,840 --> 00:39:57,400 We are not just in famine and at this place because this happened 539 00:39:57,400 --> 00:40:00,000 in 24 hours. This has been going on for a 540 00:40:00,000 --> 00:40:03,560 while and you're telling me everything's drastically going 541 00:40:03,560 --> 00:40:08,680 to be different by tomorrow? You're telling me in a 24 hour 542 00:40:08,680 --> 00:40:11,960 period of time? He said that the cost of food 543 00:40:12,200 --> 00:40:15,960 would drastically lower and decrease and they would have the 544 00:40:15,960 --> 00:40:18,600 ordinary. Staples that they were used to 545 00:40:18,600 --> 00:40:22,640 having in the city just in a short 24 hours. 546 00:40:23,000 --> 00:40:24,840 Amen. They would have it if not in 547 00:40:24,840 --> 00:40:28,080 abundance, but they for sure wouldn't be scarce concerning 548 00:40:28,080 --> 00:40:31,360 that. And by tomorrow in 24 hours. 549 00:40:31,520 --> 00:40:39,760 How in the world the Bible says in second King 7 verse #2 then 550 00:40:39,760 --> 00:40:45,920 the Lord whose hand the king of Israel leaned, there's a man 551 00:40:45,920 --> 00:40:49,000 there in the king of Israel is kind of leaning upon this man. 552 00:40:49,680 --> 00:40:51,800 There's no doubt he's somewhat emotionally destroyed. 553 00:40:52,200 --> 00:40:55,200 You know, you can be so, so much under the power of, of an 554 00:40:55,200 --> 00:40:57,760 emotional situation. It can affect you physically 555 00:40:59,240 --> 00:41:01,600 that you just don't have the energy or the wherewithal that 556 00:41:01,600 --> 00:41:03,520 seems like to go on and hold yourself on. 557 00:41:03,840 --> 00:41:07,840 He's leaning on somebody here. And the person whom he is 558 00:41:07,840 --> 00:41:15,560 leaning on answered Elisha and said, behold, that the Lord 559 00:41:15,800 --> 00:41:17,920 wouldn't make the windows in heaven. 560 00:41:18,360 --> 00:41:21,120 Might this thing be, you know what that was? 561 00:41:21,120 --> 00:41:26,000 It was the words of disbelief. It was the words of doubt. 562 00:41:26,800 --> 00:41:31,120 He's like, we live in the city. We know what's going on in the 563 00:41:31,120 --> 00:41:33,320 city. We know how long it's been going 564 00:41:33,320 --> 00:41:35,760 on in the city. And who are you to tell us it's 565 00:41:35,760 --> 00:41:39,080 going to change in 24 hours of time? 566 00:41:39,480 --> 00:41:41,960 He's skeptical. He's skeptical. 567 00:41:42,360 --> 00:41:45,120 He said the only way that this would be possible, as if the 568 00:41:45,120 --> 00:41:47,280 heavens were written, their windows were open. 569 00:41:47,640 --> 00:41:49,840 That's the only way that this would be. 570 00:41:52,040 --> 00:41:55,040 But folks, what this boils down to is this. 571 00:41:55,760 --> 00:42:01,560 It's the difference that one day can make, especially when 572 00:42:01,560 --> 00:42:08,880 someone in that day surrenders. Hallelujah, when they surrender 573 00:42:08,880 --> 00:42:12,000 to their circumstances, when they give whatever they got and 574 00:42:12,000 --> 00:42:14,960 release control to someone outside of their circumstances 575 00:42:14,960 --> 00:42:17,120 and conditions and they give it over to God. 576 00:42:17,360 --> 00:42:21,440 It's the difference of what 24 hours can mean when somebody 577 00:42:21,640 --> 00:42:23,120 surrenders. Amen. 578 00:42:23,120 --> 00:42:26,720 There is sometimes a coupling in scripture of the surrendering 579 00:42:26,720 --> 00:42:29,600 mentality. We see Abraham taking that only 580 00:42:29,600 --> 00:42:33,800 begotten son Isaac up on the Mount of Moriah and he 581 00:42:33,800 --> 00:42:38,320 surrendered the life of that boy there only to find rather than 582 00:42:38,320 --> 00:42:43,600 bringing a knife to his neck, there was a ram that's preserved 583 00:42:44,000 --> 00:42:47,720 and caught in the thicket. We read in scripture of dear O 584 00:42:47,720 --> 00:42:52,560 Hannah, who was barren for years and could not produce a child 585 00:42:52,840 --> 00:42:56,320 and went to the temple every year offering the prayers and 586 00:42:56,320 --> 00:43:00,680 sacrifices, that when she got in that posture, yes, God, I want a 587 00:43:00,680 --> 00:43:03,880 child, but I'll surrender that child to you. 588 00:43:04,400 --> 00:43:08,480 That God would give her the legacy of a man called Samuel, 589 00:43:08,640 --> 00:43:12,320 which the Bible says none of the words that that man spoke would 590 00:43:12,320 --> 00:43:14,960 fall to the ground. There's something about a 591 00:43:14,960 --> 00:43:18,760 surrender that it's Esther, though up to this time she tried 592 00:43:18,760 --> 00:43:21,200 to hide her identity of being a Jew. 593 00:43:21,400 --> 00:43:24,640 When she seen the situation, she said, I've not been into the 594 00:43:24,640 --> 00:43:28,400 king for 30 days. If I go, there's a good chance 595 00:43:28,400 --> 00:43:30,280 I'd die. But she says I'm going to 596 00:43:30,280 --> 00:43:33,480 surrender. If I perish, I'll perish. 597 00:43:33,880 --> 00:43:37,960 And it was to the saving and preserving of her people. 598 00:43:38,160 --> 00:43:46,680 It's a mate. It's amazing what surrender 599 00:43:46,680 --> 00:44:00,320 really sounds like Jehoshaphat. 600 00:44:01,800 --> 00:44:06,080 He's in a peculiar place. He's got any enemy armies 601 00:44:06,200 --> 00:44:08,800 against him. He's got the Moabites. 602 00:44:09,560 --> 00:44:13,720 He's got the Ammonites, He has other armies besides the 603 00:44:13,720 --> 00:44:17,800 Moabites in the Yemen heights that are breathing ferociously 604 00:44:18,240 --> 00:44:24,880 down his neck. You know what Jehoshaphat did in 605 00:44:24,880 --> 00:44:27,640 that scenario? He didn't try to walk the dog. 606 00:44:27,640 --> 00:44:31,640 He didn't try to put on a facade to hide what he was feeling and 607 00:44:31,640 --> 00:44:35,200 thinking. The Bible tells us in Second 608 00:44:35,200 --> 00:44:40,680 Chronicles 20 that he cried out and to the Lord and he said, for 609 00:44:40,680 --> 00:44:47,800 we have no might. Let me put it in this term, 610 00:44:48,160 --> 00:44:51,080 we're just like a bunch of lepers at a gate and we're 611 00:44:51,080 --> 00:44:56,440 deteriorating daily. We have no might, he said 612 00:44:56,440 --> 00:44:59,760 against this great company. We don't have the power to 613 00:44:59,760 --> 00:45:03,480 conquer the Ammonites. We don't have the power to 614 00:45:03,480 --> 00:45:06,480 conquer the Moabites or any others that are stacked up 615 00:45:06,520 --> 00:45:12,560 against us, he went on to say. Neither know we what to do. 616 00:45:15,200 --> 00:45:24,480 We don't know what to do, but our eyes are on you. 617 00:45:26,440 --> 00:45:29,760 I'm talking to someone here this morning that's in a position 618 00:45:30,120 --> 00:45:32,640 that you are swirled, if you will, by negativity. 619 00:45:32,880 --> 00:45:36,080 You are swirled by the adversary, you are swirled by 620 00:45:36,080 --> 00:45:39,640 negative reports, and you're standing in the position and 621 00:45:39,640 --> 00:45:41,160 you're just being honest with God. 622 00:45:41,160 --> 00:45:45,280 To say I don't have the power, I don't have the wherewithal, I 623 00:45:45,280 --> 00:45:48,160 don't have the answer. Everything is against me. 624 00:45:48,400 --> 00:45:51,240 I don't know what to do. I don't know where to turn. 625 00:45:51,600 --> 00:45:54,160 I can't go anywhere. I can't move forward. 626 00:45:54,320 --> 00:45:58,200 I can't move backward. But I say without reservation, 627 00:45:58,440 --> 00:46:02,000 my eyes are upon you. I surrender. 628 00:46:07,640 --> 00:46:15,840 I surrender. Remember, those words flowed out 629 00:46:15,840 --> 00:46:20,280 of the mouth of Jehoshaphat. There was a prophet there. 630 00:46:20,560 --> 00:46:23,120 His name escapes me right now. Let me see if I can find him. 631 00:46:23,480 --> 00:46:26,680 His name was Jahazel. Amen. 632 00:46:26,840 --> 00:46:30,360 Whenever the Jehoshaphat said he surrendered, you know what 633 00:46:30,360 --> 00:46:33,200 Jehoshel said? He said tomorrow. 634 00:46:36,560 --> 00:46:41,520 He said tomorrow ye shall not need to fight this battle. 635 00:46:42,640 --> 00:46:47,880 Stand still. Let's see the salvation of the 636 00:46:47,880 --> 00:46:51,200 Lord Jehoshaphat. Surrender. 637 00:46:51,560 --> 00:46:56,840 Release divine ambushments toward his adversary the next 638 00:47:08,080 --> 00:47:38,760 day. Your paddle cries in your 639 00:47:38,760 --> 00:47:41,280 surrender. Your paddle cries in your 640 00:47:41,280 --> 00:47:44,200 surrender, your powers in your surrender. 641 00:47:44,520 --> 00:47:47,520 Your tomorrow is in your surrender. 642 00:47:52,680 --> 00:48:47,120 Musicians can come today. None. 643 00:48:50,160 --> 00:48:51,240 You staying with me this morning. 644 00:49:10,800 --> 00:49:16,800 We've been taught that victory belongs to the strong. 645 00:49:19,040 --> 00:49:23,920 We've been taught that it only belongs to those who fight and 646 00:49:23,920 --> 00:49:29,840 conquer and overcome. Scripture teaches us that some 647 00:49:29,840 --> 00:49:37,880 of God's greatest victories begin with surrender. 4 lepers 648 00:49:38,480 --> 00:49:41,360 limping toward what they perhaps maybe thought was the end. 649 00:49:42,400 --> 00:49:46,720 And yet God Brother Fred turned it into a beginning for the 650 00:49:46,720 --> 00:49:50,120 nation of Israel. Their surrender shook an entire 651 00:49:50,120 --> 00:49:54,880 army bear, Weakness as it were, became their weapon. 652 00:49:59,680 --> 00:50:02,040 My question to you today, if we can just close our eyes right 653 00:50:02,040 --> 00:50:04,400 now. My question to you today is 654 00:50:04,400 --> 00:50:07,480 this. What if your next victory don't 655 00:50:07,480 --> 00:50:11,680 or won't come from fighting harder, but maybe from letting 656 00:50:11,680 --> 00:50:16,720 go? What if he's What if your 657 00:50:16,720 --> 00:50:19,240 adversary is not intimidated by your strength? 658 00:50:19,520 --> 00:50:24,400 What if he's really, though, terrified by your surrender? 659 00:50:27,280 --> 00:50:29,560 Because real power, it's not always seen in the glistening 660 00:50:29,560 --> 00:50:33,480 sword above your head. Sometimes it appears with both 661 00:50:33,480 --> 00:50:37,000 hands outstretched, palms open to heaven. 662 00:50:38,320 --> 00:50:49,360 Surrender and our message today. Jesus didn't win by resisting 663 00:50:49,360 --> 00:50:51,200 death. He won by laying down his life 664 00:50:51,200 --> 00:50:56,520 to death. And in that we are two. 665 00:50:56,680 --> 00:50:59,640 He's lived his life as an example for us, and so we got to 666 00:50:59,640 --> 00:51:02,040 follow that same path. That seems paradoxical, but 667 00:51:02,040 --> 00:51:03,560 that's the Kingdom of heaven, right? 668 00:51:03,840 --> 00:51:06,280 He that's going to be greatest must become least. 669 00:51:07,000 --> 00:51:10,160 It's the upside down Kingdom. He that desires to be first must 670 00:51:10,160 --> 00:51:12,840 be last. The servant is the master of 671 00:51:12,840 --> 00:51:21,480 all. Now follow that path. 672 00:51:22,080 --> 00:51:26,000 You may not be dying on the cross, but you might be inviting 673 00:51:26,000 --> 00:51:31,200 you to surrender control. Surrender your plans, surrender 674 00:51:31,200 --> 00:51:35,600 your fears and be in that same posture. 675 00:51:35,600 --> 00:51:41,360 Say God, not not my will, but yours be done. 676 00:51:42,440 --> 00:51:46,480 So my admonition to this group of people here today is go on 677 00:51:46,480 --> 00:51:48,920 and rise up and get up in your twilight. 678 00:51:50,080 --> 00:51:55,200 Limp forward with whatever energy you got to do so, and 679 00:51:55,200 --> 00:51:59,880 surrender. Because in essence, God isn't 680 00:51:59,880 --> 00:52:05,040 really waiting on you to win. He's waiting on you to give up 681 00:52:05,760 --> 00:52:17,320 winning on your own. So I just want to be one of 682 00:52:17,320 --> 00:52:20,400 those lepers today and look at my buddy and say, hey, why don't 683 00:52:20,400 --> 00:52:29,480 we sneak on over to the enemy's camp and surrender and let's 684 00:52:29,480 --> 00:52:34,600 just see of heaven makes it sound like an attack. 685 00:52:35,760 --> 00:52:38,960 This altar is open today. There's people sitting in this 686 00:52:38,960 --> 00:52:41,520 place today. You've been dealing with things 687 00:52:41,520 --> 00:52:45,200 that's intimidated you and you don't feel like you have any 688 00:52:45,360 --> 00:52:49,600 control, no power to change. And the fact of the matter is 689 00:52:49,840 --> 00:52:53,320 you don't. You don't have control, but you 690 00:52:53,320 --> 00:52:57,640 still have one tool in your arsenal, and it's surrendering 691 00:52:57,640 --> 00:53:00,600 the outcome. It's surrendering the results. 692 00:53:00,760 --> 00:53:05,080 It's surrendering the circumstances over to a God that 693 00:53:05,080 --> 00:53:10,560 will do justly and will do rightly and relinquishing it all 694 00:53:10,560 --> 00:53:15,280 into hands that are capable of taking care of whatever needs to 695 00:53:15,280 --> 00:53:19,560 be taken care of, both you and your circumstance. 696 00:53:21,000 --> 00:53:24,840 Ladies and gentlemen, I'm talking about the sound of your 697 00:53:24,840 --> 00:53:27,920 surrender. It could be, maybe it will be a 698 00:53:27,920 --> 00:53:30,960 little difficult, but it could be just a walk to the altar 699 00:53:30,960 --> 00:53:35,000 today that as you begin in your surrender, there is a walking 700 00:53:35,000 --> 00:53:39,360 way of the Host from their camp. Because all they can hear as 701 00:53:39,360 --> 00:53:42,560 you're walking those feeble steps, all they can hear is 702 00:53:42,560 --> 00:53:46,320 horses and Chariots and a mighty army. 703 00:53:46,480 --> 00:53:50,800 Because that's what your surrender sounds like to Theo. 704 00:53:52,440 --> 00:53:54,760 This altars open today. the Champions going to prepare a 705 00:53:54,760 --> 00:53:56,600 song. But we need to, we need to touch 706 00:53:56,600 --> 00:53:59,880 heaven right now. We need to come, Amen. 707 00:53:59,880 --> 00:54:02,640 And we just need to fall before the hands of God. 708 00:54:03,080 --> 00:54:06,360 We need to come and we need to release our life and our 709 00:54:06,360 --> 00:54:12,120 circumstances just in the hand of a noble God, Amen. 710 00:54:12,120 --> 00:54:18,480 In the hands of a God that's able to do, to perform, to act, 711 00:54:18,880 --> 00:54:21,760 Amen. To keep, to safeguard whatever's 712 00:54:21,760 --> 00:54:24,720 necessary in the matter at hand, Amen. 713 00:54:24,720 --> 00:54:32,360 Let the opposing team hear the sound of your surrender today. 714 00:54:33,080 --> 00:54:37,720 Halla Mama Shia. Hallelujah. 715 00:54:37,720 --> 00:54:39,360 Thank you. Come on, champions. 716 00:54:39,600 --> 00:54:42,560 Let's glorify God. Let's talk to him right now.