Full transcript
0:00Don't you love him this morning?
0:02[Applause]
0:03I'm still I'm still passionate about
0:06Jesus.
0:07>> He's the one thing that has never
0:09changed.
0:10>> Hallelujah.
0:12>> Life keeps changing.
0:14>> You'll know that as you live a little
0:16longer. You go through different stuff
0:18and different seasons and everything's
0:19changing. But the one constant in my
0:22life is Jesus.
0:24>> Jesus never changes. He's good. He was
0:28good yesterday. He's good today and
0:29he'll be faithful and good tomorrow.
0:32Hallelujah.
0:34Well, I wanted to preach another sermon,
0:36but uh I'm stirred up now and I got to
0:39go with this one. So,
0:42here I go. Open your Bibles with me
0:47to the book of 1st Samuel chapter 4.
0:521st Samuel chapter 4. Let me give you
0:55these as a gift and uh that'll clean my
0:59pull pit off. Thank you. Amen. Give
1:01Shawn a big hand. Good to have him all
1:03the way from the West Coast in the
1:05house.
1:07He leads worship out there and he's
1:09amazing. Appreciate all of our team. I
1:13just want to point out a couple of
1:14things real fast in 1st Samuel 4:1. Now,
1:18Israel went out to battle against the
1:19Philistines
1:22and encamped
1:24beside Ebenezer.
1:27And the Philistines encamped in Apek.
1:31Notice where this battle is taking place
1:34at a place called Ebenezer.
1:39Verse 21, I won't take time to read
1:41everything. Verse 10 tells that 30,000
1:45were killed. Another verse, I believe
1:47it's verse three or somewhere like that.
1:49Four maybe says that 4,000 were killed.
1:53A total of 34,000
1:55of Israel. They went to battle against
1:58the Philistines
2:00with the ark of the covenant and 34,000
2:03were killed.
2:05And uh there's a woman that's having a
2:08baby in verse 21 and she named the
2:10childcad, the glorious departed from
2:13Israel. Where did that happen at? at
2:15Ebenezer. The glory has departed from
2:19Israel because the ark has been
2:21captured. Verse 22, the glory has
2:23departed from Israel. The ark of God has
2:26been captured. Verse one of chapter 5,
2:30the Philistines took the ark of God and
2:32brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod.
2:37Again, I'm doing this to emphasize
2:39Ebenezer
2:41because it's everybody say Ebenezer.
2:43It's a good It's a good word. You know,
2:46when the Bible said um uh he made Adam a
2:50help make the word nezer is help in in
2:55in Hebrew and uh a helper. Ebenezer.
3:01Ebenezer.
3:02And I'll explain that in just a moment.
3:05But notice that was one of if not the
3:08worst one of the worst tragedies ever to
3:11hit Israel. And I'll go there in a
3:13minute. But now I want you to look in
3:16chapter 7. Uh what four chapters over,
3:19three chapters over. And uh I won't take
3:24time to read some things. I could you'll
3:26have to trust me that they're there, but
3:29um the scripture points out in verse 10,
3:34now Samuel was offering up burnt
3:36offerings and Philistines drew near to
3:39battle against Israel. But God, the Lord
3:43thundered with a loud thunder upon the
3:45Philistines that day and confused them,
3:48and they were overcome.
3:50And verse 12, then Samuel took a stone
3:55and set it up between Misbah and Sheen,
3:59and called its name Ebenezer,
4:04saying,
4:05and I love I love the King James on
4:08this, hitherto.
4:11I bet you hadn't used that word today.
4:13Hither. That's a old If you have, you're
4:16real old.
4:17That sounds like some old talk right
4:19there. Hither to and such and such. And
4:23uh hitherto.
4:26Everybody say this. Hither to
4:29>> hath the Lord
4:32helped us.
4:36I love that. I love that.
4:40Many times in the Bible, especially the
4:42book of Joshua,
4:44if a great person died or uh God did
4:48some miraculous
4:51thing at a particular place, if there
4:55was some commitment to God that was very
4:59special, like a covenant that was made
5:01with God, they would stack stones up.
5:05They would take a stone and they would
5:09build and up stones as memorials
5:14to be a silent witness
5:17that something miraculous happened in
5:21that place and in that spot. On such an
5:24occasion as Joshua 24, I believe it's
5:27the 27th verse, but it's in Joshua 24.
5:30And he said to all the people, Joshua,
5:34this stone, this is when they had
5:35crossed over, shall be a witness unto
5:39us, saying
5:42that this stone shall be a silent
5:45witness to remind Israel that the words
5:48of God were spoken over them. Behold,
5:51this stone shall be a witness unto us,
5:55for he hath heard all the words of the
5:57Lord, which he spoke to us.
6:00In other words, God spoke to us here. We
6:04know he spoke to us here and we are
6:06setting up. He He promised us some
6:08things here. And if this if these trees
6:12and the stuff around this spot could
6:14talk, you know, I thought about Free
6:17Chapel and all the words that have been
6:20spoken and all of the things that were
6:22promised way back for for for decades
6:26and how that if the walls could talk, if
6:31the walls could talk, they would they
6:33would have to say truly God has done
6:38everything he promised he would do.
6:42>> And when I think about the outreaches
6:45and the and the things that God is doing
6:48through the church now that is just
6:50common normal now to see breakthroughs,
6:56but it was all in prophecy form. But God
6:59spoke it
7:01>> through sometimes through sermons,
7:03sometimes through preachers, sometimes
7:05through prayer meetings, but God spoke
7:08it.
7:09And then the miracles came. And even
7:13your own house, if those walls could
7:16talk of the nights that you trembled and
7:18you cried and you prayed and you were
7:20hopeless and in despair and you didn't
7:23know what to do and you got a bad report
7:25and you walked the floor over that child
7:28or that son or that daughter and you I
7:30mean if the walls could talk but God has
7:33helped you through it all. Through it
7:36all. God was there
7:40through it all.
7:42Now, what is so miraculous about this
7:44story is in 1 Samuel chapter 4, after
7:48one of the most stunning defeats in all
7:51of the Bible, and I'm preaching today on
7:55the Ebenezer principle. The Ebenezer
7:58principle.
8:00Because after a stunning defeat, the
8:03Philistines
8:05were gathered and they decided to attack
8:09Israel at a place called Ebenezer.
8:12And they were highly successful.
8:15There were 34,000
8:17Israelites
8:19that were killed,
8:21soldiers that died in that battle. The
8:24battle between the Philistines and
8:26Israel has been going on for
8:29millenniums.
8:31And this time it looked like they would
8:34win. And they even stole the ark of the
8:38covenant,
8:40the symbol of God's presence.
8:44And the scripture said that the two sons
8:49of the high priest Huffnai and Phineas
8:53were evil and they were killed in the
8:57battle. Not only were they killed in the
8:59battle, but the text said, if you read
9:02it and you read it there in in 1st
9:04Samuel 4, that when the news came to the
9:07father's ears that his sons had been
9:10killed, he fell backwards in his chair,
9:13broke his neck. So, the father is dead.
9:18The sons are dead. One of the wives of
9:22the sons was pregnant, and she goes into
9:26labor. when she hears the news and as
9:30she is having the baby, she is dying.
9:34And before she leaves, she speaks up and
9:38she says, "Name this baby." She knows
9:41she's dying. And she says, "Name this
9:43baby Icabad. The glory has departed."
9:47And she dies. And that baby is born.
9:50Think about this. That baby is born and
9:54it does not have a grandfather. It does
9:57not have a father. It does not have a
10:00mother. This is important. It does not
10:02have a God. The God has even departed
10:06this the picture. God almighty is gone.
10:10The God in the box. He's not with us.
10:13This child has lost everything. It's the
10:17worst defeat. It's It's terrible. The
10:21glory has departed
10:25and Israel and the Philistines take the
10:28ark back to their town and set it up in
10:32their temple.
10:35And for seven months they kept it. And
10:38the longer they kept it, the more it
10:42tore them up, the more it defeated them.
10:45It kept knocking over their statue gods
10:48and breaking them into pieces.
10:50It kept afflicting them with disease
10:53after disease. I just want to throw this
10:56in. Israel's God is more than capable of
11:01defending himself.
11:04There is nobody or no power. There is
11:08nothing anybody can do to Israel without
11:12having to pass through God Almighty. And
11:16when you mess with Israel, you mess with
11:19God. That does not mean they're perfect.
11:21That does not mean everything they do is
11:23right. That does not mean it just means
11:26this battle's been going on a long time.
11:28And the Bible said God will bless those
11:31that bless Israel and God will curse
11:33those that curse Israel. And I don't
11:35care who you are and how smart you are.
11:38You will not beat God. He knows how to
11:43defend Israel. every time God will win.
11:48Shout amen somebody.
11:51That's why we we stand with Israel.
11:56>> Later when Samuel
12:02would
12:05would hear this news, he called a prayer
12:08meeting. I didn't have time to read it,
12:11but it's over in the seventh chapter.
12:15Now, while they're praying, I want you
12:17to listen to this.
12:20The Bible said that the Philistines
12:22loaded up the ark of the covenant and
12:24put it on a cart with an o with oxins
12:28and they pulled it without a driver
12:32and they took it all the way back to
12:34Israel.
12:35And when Samuel saw the ark of the
12:38covenant coming back, he falls down on
12:40the ground and he calls the nation to
12:43prayer and he makes all the people all
12:46across the nation bow down in the fields
12:49wherever they are. And they begin to
12:52repent of their sins.
12:55And after they repented of the sins,
12:58here comes the ark of the covenant right
13:00back. And suddenly he commands like
13:04Joshua of old that a large stone be
13:08brought and the stone be placed
13:13as a memorial to remind us. And he said
13:16the name of this stone will be Ebenezer.
13:21And he said from this point forward
13:23every time we look at this stone it will
13:27be a silent witness in our minds.
13:29Listen, listen. This is where I'm trying
13:31to go. This is what your testimony is
13:35supposed to be. See, the Bible said in
13:37Revelation 2, I believe it is, that
13:40we're overcomers, maybe three, that
13:42we're overcomers by the blood of the
13:45lamb. And 12, I was close. And and they
13:49overcame by the blood of the lamb. See,
13:52two was in there. And they overcame by
13:56the blood of the lamb. and the word of
14:00their testimony.
14:02>> You know what our word of testimony
14:04should be? It should be that stone.
14:08>> All I can tell you is this about my
14:10life.
14:12Hither to which means up to this point.
14:17One translation said right to this very
14:21moment.
14:22I love that because every time I walk up
14:25here, I say, "Do I have anything to
14:27say?" And the times that I'm not sure
14:31I've learned to do this, all I know is
14:34up to this point,
14:38>> the Lord has helped me.
14:40[Applause]
14:48And when Samuel set that memorial
14:51saying, "Hitherto, the Lord has helped
14:54us." You see, the exit of God's presence
15:00in the ark of the covenant
15:02was marked and memorialized by one word,
15:07Kabad.
15:08But the re-entry
15:11of God's presence into
15:14the people of God again was memorialized
15:18by one word, Ebenezer.
15:21Up to this point, the Lord has helped
15:25me. Ebenezer
15:28had been
15:30had been the greatest
15:33sight of deliver of defeat for Israel
15:36that they had faced.
15:39concerning their army up to that point.
15:4234,000
15:45killed in one battle. But God turned the
15:49same place that had been their greatest
15:53defeat into their greatest place of
15:57victory. And they set up a stone and
16:00said, "God has been here and up to this
16:04point." Say that. up to this point, up
16:08to this moment,
16:10encourage yourself. The Lord has helped
16:13me.
16:22Hitherto is classic old English that
16:25means up to now. One translation said
16:28right up to where we are right now.
16:30Another one said, "As far as we have
16:32come to this moment,
16:35God has helped us.
16:38That's our testimony.
16:40That's our confidence. That's the
16:42testimony of his church. Up until this
16:46moment, God has helped us. And I love
16:49the fact that, you know, uh that doesn't
16:52mean that we won't have any enemies
16:54anymore. That doesn't mean that they'd
16:57never fight a battle again. That didn't
16:59mean that they would not have perplexing
17:02circumstances and dark days and setbacks
17:05and all kinds of bad news. But my
17:09testimony and my response and the
17:11Ebenezer principle is no matter when
17:15when no matter I I can't really worry
17:18about tomorrow. All I can do is talk
17:20about God's faithfulness in the past.
17:23God's faithfulness right here, right
17:26now. cuz you're sitting here. Whether
17:28you wanted to be here or not, God
17:30brought you here. Cuz he made me some
17:32promises way back there. And he said,
17:34"If you'll keep preaching my word, I
17:38will never be able to build a building
17:40big enough to handle all the people."
17:41Hallelujah for that.
17:44Woo. And up to this point,
17:50>> the Lord has helped us.
17:55Don't forget your stone of help.
17:57Ebenezer literally means Ebenezer is
18:01stone of help.
18:05I don't know what you're facing. I don't
18:07know what's going on in your family. I
18:09don't know what's going on in your
18:11health. I don't know what is going on
18:13with your children. But all I've come to
18:15do is remind you of your testimony.
18:18remind you that God has memorials that
18:21he set up. He spoke over those children
18:24and some of them I held in my hands and
18:27I dedicated to the Lord right here in
18:30this spot. And hell doesn't have a
18:32chance against our almighty God. God is
18:37absolutely capable of defending you and
18:41your house.
18:42[Applause]
18:48Ebenezer
18:50hitherto
18:52up to this point, right up to this
18:54moment, the Lord has helped me. I don't
18:57know what's coming tomorrow. I didn't
18:59know the pandemic was coming when it
19:01came. I didn't know the war was going to
19:03break out in Russia. I don't know what's
19:05going to happen tomorrow. It might be
19:07crazy. It might be wonderful. All my
19:10testimony is going to be up to this
19:12point. The Lord has helped me. He has
19:18helped me. He is helping me. He will
19:21always help me. He won't put more on me
19:24than I'm able to bear. And I have a
19:26rock. And that rock is Jesus. And he is
19:30my Ebenezer,
19:32a present helper.
19:34in the time of trouble.
19:40Hallelujah.
19:42>> Hallelujah.
19:44He's our He's our right up to this point
19:48Lord who has helped. You should have
19:52been dead. You should have been killed.
19:55You you you shouldn't have what you
19:57have.
19:58>> You shouldn't be living like you're
20:00living.
20:01and you still sit there quiet. You you
20:04you you shouldn't have another chance.
20:07You shouldn't be in the job. You
20:09shouldn't get the open door. But God
20:11said, "I open it and no man can shut
20:13it." All I can tell you is right up to
20:16this moment, look how the Lord has
20:18provided. Look what the Lord has done.
20:22look back as a memorial and then
20:24declare, "All I know is up to this
20:28point, the Lord has helped me.
20:38No matter what I face,
20:42I said, no matter what I face,
20:49right up to now, I will not forget my
20:52stone of help.
20:54In the New Testament,
20:57it talks about another stone in Acts
21:00chapter 4 and verse 11. It says that he
21:03has set it not the stone rejected by the
21:07builders has become the chief
21:10cornerstone. And then it goes on to say,
21:13neither is there salvation in any other
21:17name under heaven given among men
21:21whereby we must be saved. Jesus,
21:26I I I don't I don't pray to Ebenezer
21:30stones.
21:31I have Jesus and he is my Ebenezer
21:36>> under the new covenant. I just remember
21:40the p the blood of the lamb and the word
21:42of my testimony in that rock solid
21:45foundation that I built my life on
21:49is up to this moment the Lord has helped
21:52me.
21:54>> Ephesians 2 and 19 puts it like this.
21:58It says that that we are built on the
22:01foundation of the apostles and the
22:04prophets. Ephesians 2:19 and 20. Jesus
22:08Christ himself being the chief
22:12cornerstone.
22:14>> Ain't that beautiful?
22:16>> Tell somebody, I've got a a stone of
22:19help.
22:21>> Jesus Christ.
22:25You see, we too have a place
22:29where our sins
22:32had caused us
22:35to see the glory of God depart from our
22:38life.
22:41And we were hopeless and we were
22:43helpless.
22:46But when we prayed and we repented like
22:49Samuel and Israel did, the glory came
22:52back.
22:54And Jesus Christ became our Ebenezer
22:57stone. We have a stone of hell. God took
23:01our punishment. God took our sins. God
23:05took our failures. And he put them on
23:07Calvar's heel.
23:09>> And I don't care what you face. He'll
23:12never leave you. And he'll never forsake
23:14you.
23:15>> And you need to go on and make a
23:17declaration. I can't promise you you
23:19won't go through the stuff, but I can
23:20promise you up to this point and up to
23:23this very moment that you're breathing,
23:25listening to me, wherever you are, the
23:28Lord has helped you. He held stuff back.
23:31He pushed devils back. He made a way
23:33where there was no way. He has helped
23:37you.
23:42Now, I want you to listen to this.
23:45I found a verse in 1 Chronicles 17 and
23:49verse 16.
23:52And David wanted to build God a house.
23:56And God said, "No, I'm not going to let
23:58you build me a house." He begged God,
24:01"Let me build you a house." And God
24:04said, "No, I'm going to let your son do
24:06it, but I'm not going to let you do it,
24:08but I'll build you a house." This is the
24:10kind of God we serve.
24:13He said, "I see your heart of wanting to
24:16do it, but you're so bloody. You killed
24:18thousands of men and you're so bloody."
24:20And that's what God told him that that
24:22that I see your heart, but I tell you
24:25what, you got such a good heart. God is
24:28not stingy. God said, "I I'm not going
24:31to let you build me a house, but thanks
24:33for wanting to build my house. Just your
24:36desire to want to build my house makes
24:38me want to really build your house. Cuz
24:40when you build my house, I'll build your
24:42house. When you bless my house, I'll
24:45bless your house. When you bring the
24:48tithe and the offering into my house,
24:50I'll open the window of heaven over your
24:52house. Didn't he say it? Shout on that
24:55like that's John 3:16. That's what he
24:59said.
25:02Now, now put my verse back up.
25:06And King David after God built him a
25:09house,
25:11King David came and sat before the Lord
25:15and said, "You ever had a moment like
25:18this?
25:20Who am I?"
25:25If you don't, you're so full of
25:26yourself, you've forgotten where you
25:28came from.
25:31Who am I?
25:34And what is I don't like that
25:36translation. I like the King J. That is
25:38the King James.
25:41In my Bible, it said, "Who am I and who
25:44is my family?"
25:47That's the New Version or whatever.
25:52That thou has brought No, go back. I
25:54like that one. My bad. Go back. That
25:57thou hast brought me hither too. There's
25:59that word again.
26:03David said, "I wanted to build you a
26:07house. You didn't let me." But then you
26:09turn around, a man with all the faults
26:12that I have, and who am I?
26:19>> Lord God, and what is my and who is my
26:23family that you have brought me to this
26:28place?
26:33That's how we ought to go around.
26:37>> Who am I?
26:39Who am I to get to sing in the choir?
26:42>> Who am I to get to work? Who am I to get
26:44to build the kingdom of God? Who am I to
26:47get a car like I have or drive or or
26:50have clothes? Who am I?
26:53>> Who am I that God would use me to raise
26:57somebody out of a dungeon and give them
26:59Jesus? Who am I to get to praise the
27:02Lord?
27:05Who am I to get to set at free chapel on
27:09Sunday morning in God's presence? Lord,
27:12out of all the millions of people you've
27:15been up to this point, you have helped
27:18me.
27:20I tell you, I'd rather have a good
27:21church than $10 million in the bank.
27:24That's the truth. I'd rather have a good
27:28church in my life where I know I can go
27:31and before I leave there, I'm going to
27:34feel God.
27:38>> I feel him right now. All I hear going
27:40off in me is who am I? Who am I? Who am
27:43I that a king would bleed and die for?
27:45Who am I? And who am I? Who is my family
27:48that God would call my family and use my
27:51family? Lord, I praise you up to this
27:54point. and you have helped me.
27:59>> You got to get out of the mlly grubs.
28:02You got to quit whining about everything
28:04that's wrong and get your eyes on all
28:07the stuff God has done and begin to
28:10praise him and set up a memorial. Well,
28:13I'm not going to worry about tomorrow.
28:14All I know is I've got strength for the
28:16day. I've got food for the day. I've got
28:19everything I need for today. And I'm
28:22gonna let God be God tomorrow.
28:25[Applause]
28:28I don't know who I'm preaching to, but
28:30you do.
28:33And you talk about building a house. I'm
28:35I'm done almost. I got two minutes. I'm
28:38going to take them both.
28:42But you talk about You talk about a a a
28:47house.
28:50He said in Jeremiah that when the
28:52Jeremiah 33:20 and 21, he said when the
28:56sun when you can stop the sun from
28:58shining and you can stop the moon and
29:00the stars
29:02from from moving in rotation, he said
29:05that's when you can tear down the house
29:08of David.
29:11Do you know why he said that? Who am I
29:15that you would build me and my family a
29:17house? Because in Matthew 1 and verse
29:20one, it begins with the book of the
29:24generations of Jesus Christ, the son of
29:29David.
29:35You don't know what God's doing even in
29:38generations from now. You just need to
29:41set up a memorial.
29:44And your response all week long needs to
29:46be when trouble tries to steal your joy
29:51or or panic or fear or worry about this
29:55that and the other just say all I know
29:57devil is up to this point hither to get
30:01go go go old testament English on him
30:04hither to
30:06that's a good cuss word hither to
30:12the Lord has helped me you Sorry, devil.
30:20>> My God, he has helped me. Little country
30:24boy from Eastern North Carolina can't
30:27have t butchers the English language
30:30every time he gets up here. English
30:33teachers are offended and leave and come
30:35back and leave and come back all the
30:37time.
30:43Oh, I feel like shouting up to this
30:46point.
30:49Who am I?
30:51He could have picked a whole lot better
30:54people than me.
30:57Who am I?
30:59[Music]
31:04I'm so glad that I'm not I didn't go out
31:08and buy a lottery ticket to win a
31:10billion dollars.
31:11[Music]
31:14Now, if you do win it, remember your
31:17boy.
31:19[Applause]
31:22More importantly, remember your church.
31:26That would be uh 58 million point
31:30something tithe if you take the instant
31:32payout.
31:35And some of you wouldn't do it if you
31:37had the 580 million.
31:41If God gave it to you today, you
31:43wouldn't write that check to the Lord.
31:45You know, I don't never preach about
31:47this stuff, but I'll get in your
31:48business since you're just looking at
31:49me.
31:51[Music]
31:55I know I would
31:58>> gladly, joyfully.
32:01>> I do. I will. I am. And I always will.
32:10Ain't giving to no church. I'm giving to
32:12God. Ain't giving to no preacher. I'm
32:15giving to God. God knows my heart.
32:24How'd I get on that? That was not the
32:26ending.
32:29But I'm so glad that up to this point
32:33all I look back I was thinking about
32:34this sermon all all the stuff I worried
32:38about all the stuff I stressed about all
32:40the stuff I got all
32:45all I had to do was just say Lord up to
32:48until this point
32:51every phase
32:53you have helped me
32:56you have helped me with my kids.
33:00They all grown.
33:03Every one of them went half crazy sooner
33:05or later
33:06except maybe one or two.
33:10Just crazy as a bat.
33:13But now they all love the Lord. Now
33:17every one of them are saved, filled with
33:19the Holy Ghost, serving Jesus, raising
33:22their families to honor God.
33:25[Applause]
33:27I should have said during the middle of
33:29all that hitherto, the Lord has helped
33:30us.
33:32>> He helped us when that one
33:36went to a party and got drunk.
33:39>> He helped us when that one did something
33:41crazy.
33:43You know what? The Holy Ghost dealt with
33:45every one of them.
33:48>> And in his time,
33:51>> they're coming home.
33:53They're turning back.
33:55they shall be saved. He's building your
33:59house a sure house. Oh, somebody shout
34:03up to this moment, this very moment, the
34:07Lord has helped me.
34:12So why should I worry now?
34:16>> Stand to your feet. You've been a great
34:19people to preach to. It's your fault I
34:21preached this sermon.
34:25I might preach my other one in the next
34:27service.
34:33>> But lift your hands up.
34:38Just say, "Who am I, Lord?
34:41>> My family."
34:44That you would honor us with your
34:46presence.
34:48You You turned day gone over in this
34:51house a long time ago.
34:54I mean, I I can have an Ebenezer because
34:57you turn you took the devil. He was
35:00lording over my house, and I've seen you
35:03break him to pieces.
35:08[Music]
35:10>> You're building us sure houses
35:13that will stand for eternity.
35:16And for that, we give you thanks.
35:20>> And for that, we give you praise.
35:23every head bowed and every eye closed.
35:27I feel like there are people who are
35:29going through things that are really,
35:31really something.
35:35And I know that when it's your doctor's
35:38report or your issue or your children or
35:42your marriage or whatever it is that
35:44you're going through, your business
35:49that is harder a little bit harder to
35:51get it. But when God brings you a
35:53specialized message like this, you need
35:56to step out on his word.
36:01And some of you even who've been bound
36:03in addictions and and the enemy's been
36:06dangling saying, "Come on back. Come on
36:09back. Come on back."
36:11You need to declare up to this very
36:14moment.
36:17I've been living in sobriety or I've
36:19I've said no to that life and that
36:21lifestyle. I'm done. The Lord has helped
36:24me and I'm going to get a renewal of my
36:27strength this morning.
36:30So, if you're in this room and you know
36:32this message is for you, I don't care if
36:35you're in the top balcony or the main
36:37floor, wherever you are at every campus,
36:39you would say, "Pastor, this is for me."
36:41Get out of your seat and step forward
36:43because here's what I feel like telling
36:45you. And I got to close with this last
36:47thought. I forgot. I wrote it down.
36:50First Samuel 11 and verse 9. This is a
36:54word from the Lord for somebody. This
36:57came to me this morning early.
37:01The prophet said, "Tomorrow by the time
37:05the sun be hot, you shall have help."
37:12>> And and when I thought of that verse, it
37:14came to me just as clearly. And the Lord
37:17said, "Notice when the timing is. By the
37:20time it gets hot, God sometimes lets
37:24stuff get hot."
37:26But he said, "I won't put more on you
37:28than you're able to bear. And by the
37:31time it gets hot, throw it up. You shall
37:37have
37:38help."
37:40He won't let it get so hot you can't
37:42take it.
37:44[Music]
37:56[Applause]
37:57[Music]
38:04Hey,
38:08[Applause]
38:11[Music]
38:11[Applause]
38:13hey, hey.
38:17[Music]
38:40[Music]
38:45[Applause]
38:46[Music]
38:57[Applause]
39:00[Music]
39:00[Applause]
39:02[Music]
39:06Hey.
39:10[Music]