Lazarus

We're gonna be in John chapter 11 John chapter 11, you know,

I'll tell you what I saw. I Saw trophies I Saw trophies that says first place

Jesus Christ sitting up here For guys, I know their testimonies and ain't none of you in this joint

Got a story that can't be matched by someone these dudes, you know Bill used to be an old blues player down on Beale Street Drinking whiskey smoking weed and being a godless woman eyes and heathen

And if you look at his face when he sings Something changed in him say

Matt used to be a in a satanic call cult, you know And he's up here singing praises to Jesus Ricky man.

He got two brain cells left And Both of them are praising

God, you know what I'm saying? Man, and then you got to understand little baby

Christian. I've watched that boy grow up We've been praying for that boy for a long time

It appears maybe That God's finally answering a heartfelt prayer that about 20 of his brothers in Christ been praying every week

And God can still do miracles can he Mmm, we're gonna talk about a little bit about that today in John 11

But what I want you to take away from this is sovereignty now last night

Brother Parker got in the ring and he was fighting six foot four

Tennessee Highway Patrolman, you know ninja army dude, whatever and When I saw the picture of the cat

I was like Mmm, he looked a little flabby. I Said man, he looked like Elmer's glue.

He needs to get out in the Sun a little bit, you know And I sat there and we've coached

Parker and I've seen the sweat the blood the pain I've seen him work and I knew

I just knew Parker was gonna trash this guy. I just knew it in my head

But I'm gonna be honest with you while we're out at that deer camp Brother Artie was sending.

What do you call it? The face videos, whatever. It's called the video the live thing yeah

FaceTime and I'll be honest when Parker's walking to the ring

I knew he was gonna win but I'm gonna be honest with you and coaches Evan at the same time

There's just a little bit of nervousness, you know I mean cuz Parker could you know?

Be Parker, right? He could trip. He could fall guy could get a lucky shot and I knew but I didn't know

I Want to tell you something today? I promise you I can look you in the eyeball and tell you this

In my heart right now. There is not a single doubt that if I drop dead I'm going home

And it has nothing to do with who I am It has nothing to do with idiot preachers and stupid churches and Idiotic religions that have never won one soul to Jesus Christ You see

I know that I know not because I get a paycheck or because I've been doing this 30 years

I have seen this for the last 30 years. I have seen people healed of cancer

I have seen drug addicts and drunks come to know Jesus Christ. I have seen marriages restored

I have seen God move in the lives in the hearts of people and you know

Why because there is no doubt when God is involved. He is in sovereign

He is absolutely immutable and whatever he said will happen

It's gonna happen. The question is are you going to be on the boat? Question is are you gonna be more in love with your religious attitude or your own self and your narcissistic?

Self -interest than you are in submitting something more powerful than you always love

I have never met a militant atheist yet who has not had major daddy issues

Never met one yet. I've never met one yet that actually Demonstrated the power of humility and I know from what

I speak Because I was an arrogant self -righteous pig back in the day

Anything that was authority I wanted nothing to do with if you want to know what's best for your life follow me around and I'll teach you

That's kind of how I rolled Man, but God's in the business of humbling before he's in the business of saving and you'll never ever

Understand the forgiveness of God without the repentance to God. Let's look with me

If you will in John chapter 11 now, I want to just point this out and I wrote in your notes of Subsequent Bible study for you this week, but I want to point out in 11 chapter 11 verse 1

I want you to note the wording of that first verse it says now a certain man was ill

Lazarus of Bethany now, what does that mean now? We could sit here and do the little stupid Baptist Bible story and talk about widdle wise with you know

You know the little cartoons curly hair blonde hair blue eyes ain't a white man anywhere in the

Bible but you know and he just sits there and he comes out a little stone and he's all shiny and little beams coming out of Your head, but what

God's Word is written specifically for a specific thing These are the exact same words the exact same

Greek context that hermeneutically is used in Luke Chapter 16 now you say to me

Why is that a big deal because in Luke 6 chapter 16, it says this there was a certain man named

Lazarus a different Lazarus who was in hell and It doesn't mean that metaphorically.

It doesn't mean that as a parable. This is not a parable what it means is we as God's people are emboldened to see the depths of hell and that which is awaits people who reject the

Exclusivity of Jesus Christ Luke 16 says this man is in torment

He is in absolute anguish and there ain't no parole there ain't no weekends

There ain't no heater in the van coming back home, man You're in it every day for all

Eternity guys. I want you. I did a little hermeneutical Lesson for you read it later

Maybe when you at home and you might get some Word of God other than just here look at verse 4

It says this but when Jesus heard that Lazarus was sick He said this this illness does not lead to death

It is for the glory of God so that the Son of Man may be glorified through it

Now watch this now Jesus loved Martha Mary I'm sorry loved

Martha and her sister and Lazarus said when he heard that Lazarus was ill

He stayed two days longer Just a couple of things there. Number one.

I Love the individualism of God's love You see God loves us

But he loves me. You see that Relationship I have with God is not based on some silly church.

It is a personal Relationship with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that I have with God every day

See, I don't come here and act like this on Sunday morning. I'm like this every day

You know why because I believe that I believe that I believe that I believe that I know and every day is a

Reaffirmation of that faith and belief and that's how you're sanctified and you get stronger the relationship and salvation

That I have was bought to me my Jesus Christ on an individual Level God loves me.

God found me God saved me now you might say in that self -centric Well when it comes to God's grace and God's love, let's praise his name for being self -centric to the individual to the individual

Who has been rejected to the individual whose mind has been screwed up by religion and philosophy and humanism

They're that individual who keeps going inside Theirselves to try to find the peace that always escapes them

Thank God that he individually reached down and picked you out of the mire as an individual no matter how bad you were

And he saved you for his glory Guys, you understand what it means to be saved

I ain't talking about walking down now and I see craps in your heart Lord and Savior I ain't talking about that Southern Baptist bullcrap.

I'm talking about where your life is Radically changed because you have truly individually

Personally been touched by the Holy Spirit of God, but now notice this Jesus is told

Lazarus a guy. He loves a guy. He loves is sick.

So what's the Bible say he does? All right, well

I need to go dry cleaners and got to put gas in the camel and I'm gonna hang out for a couple of days

You know what sovereignty is? sovereignty means over time now

I have always preached that God is outside of time, but Carrie Stanley and I came up with maybe a different way to look at this.

I was writing on my whiteboard I was explaining. I think it was Katrina Cook, but I was explaining to somebody some theology and doctrine and as that pin moved across that whiteboard that pin was

Dispensing dispensate. I haven't told the pastors about this Dispensing ink. I don't think

God is outside of time anymore. I think time is inside of God now I don't want to get too philosophical about this.

I'm just doing this for the pastors and the MIT students they still know I'm the superior pastor, but The idea is that time is irrelevant to God when

Jesus said I'm gonna stay two more days It wasn't a rush Have you ever seen a family try to get ready for church on a

Sunday morning Right. Justin tells me that he gets up. He gets

Luke and Owen dressed. He gets them fed He gets them ready to go. He reads their

Bible then he goes in and wakes up Candace, you know Makes her a cup of coffee and everything

Then they have to rush guys with God. There ain't no Russian You see God's Word is sovereign enough now look at this read with me in verse 7

Jesus says well We're gonna go there, but not yet Verse 7 says and after this the disciples said to him.

Let us go to our Jesus said let us go to Judea again The disciples said him rabbi the

Jews were just seeking to stone you and you're going there again If you've been here the last two weeks, you know what we're talking about Jesus in that awesome

Declaration in John chapter 8 where he uses those Greek words ego of me with the same words when

God Was talking to Moses and Moses goes who are you God and God said I am

I am Yahweh. I am that I am Jesus is sitting there four thousand years later after that all the

Jews around him and Jesus makes this statement when Abraham saw my Glory, he was glad and they sit there and go crackhead.

You ain't even 50 years old yet Crackheads in the Greek it's not in the English. You're not even 50 year old yet How did you see

Abraham and Jesus said before Abraham was I am? Then the very next time they said take up stones to kill

Jesus Jesus goes not yet boys And he's walking and the Jews are wanting to kill him people are chasing him

And he's walking out of the temple and there's a blind man sitting right there And what's

Jesus do he ain't worried about the power of men. He's not worried about vain threats.

He stops once again to an Individual and he heals him and the man can see we see in John chapter 10

Jesus is trying to explain the disciples. I am the Good Shepherd now

We get to John chapter 11 and Jesus is sitting there and in the midst of this

After he's walked out of the city He wants to go back to that region and the disciples are freaking out going no safety squirrel says don't go there

Jesus said I ain't studying no squirrel. I ain't worried about them Jews. I ain't worried about any of that you see because I am

Verse 14 as they were going there

They're walking the disciples are like why are we going out of our busy church schedule?

Going all the way to Bethany. There's a map on the front of your notes. It's right near Jerusalem about two miles east

Why are we going back to Jerusalem? And why are we going to Bethany? They're sick.

He's sick. He'll get over it. He'll take some Tamiflu. He's good to go Jesus said boys y 'all aren't standing verse 14, then

Jesus told them plainly Lazarus has died and for your sake I am glad that I was not there

So that you may believe let us go to him So Thomas the twin said to his fellow disciples.

Let us also go that we may die with him First of all,

Jesus just said, you know smile. Jesus loves you little hippie soft Emasculated man that so many churches put out there

He just said Jesus is dead and Jesus just said he's dead and they said he's dead Jesus goes

Yeah, man, I'm so glad that dude dead Now he just said I love Lazarus, but I'm glad he's dead

And so the disciples are like what but I want you to notice one disciple in particular.

He's called Thomas in the Greek He's also known as Didymus the word Didymus means twin now.

We're not sure What kind of twin this is the same doubting Thomas, you know put my hand to my side, you know

All that stuff for you non church people just hang with me We don't know why he was called the twin some think he had a twin brother

But others believe that he had a lot of the same resemblance as Jesus himself

So he was in a higher level, you know Because they didn't have bolo's back then that had you know,

DNA and fingerprints like I think that's that Jesus guy He kind of looks like him. Let's kill him We're not really sure why he called the twin, but he is the perfect example of the church today.

I See this so many times. Let me ask you a question. What ministry are you involved in?

Pastor Josiah just got up here and so perfectly said it you are here today Not to sing songs.

You're not here to warn. You know what you're here to do. You're here to get sharpened up the boys

Uh, where are them heathens are y 'all spread out all over the place y 'all's hair still looks good boys.

I'm proud of you We cut down a tree with a chainsaw and then they had to section and limit out with axes and You know

Liam Romo god bless his little heart had this log sitting down there and he had a pretty sharp axe when he started

I Think he hit the dirt about as many times as he hit the log and when we pulled the axe head up it was bent and the edge would look like this and So I got out of sharpening puck and I told the boys

Hey let me tell you teach you a secret if Every 25 30 strokes with an axe or a knife or a hatchet if you'll just take that honing stone

Just hit it a couple of times on both sides You'll actually be more efficient by taking the time to sharpening your saw

Here we see Jesus sitting there Thomas is sitting there and he's into a place where in his mind

There ain't no need to get sharpened because it's all over Church members you're here to serve each other

You're here this morning to get honed a little bit You're here to get sharpened up not to go save the world for the name of Jesus But to love each other sitting right here, you know, how are you doing

Tricia? You doing good? You doing good? Hey, you know

Tricia. Oh, that's right. You work with her. Yeah, Tricia How did you come to know the pleasantry of my theological teaching?

You've only been here a couple of three months So The Sandwich Maker Club went on a women's retreat and you and then you're here, huh?

Huh? Isn't it amazing That you don't have to have the theological depth of a scholar

To simply share the love in the invitation of Jesus Christ And you know what your act of kindness in grace to a lost and disenfranchised

Person is worth 2 ,000 sermons. Let me tell you me preaching up here is not ministry

I know a lot of pastors think it is this is not ministry singing in the stupid choir is not ministry you minister by Sacrificing something of yourself into implanting and giving and discipling to somebody else

Thomas didn't get all that Jesus said we're going back. Here's what Thomas did well

Let's go with him and die. Oh Man life's so hard.

Oh You ever know Christians like that? You know, you just every time you come up and talk to him.

It's a sad story, you know Oh, man, you know so -and -so isn't happy my dog died.

My boss fired me You know my cat sleeping with my dog It's some sort of country story or country song about how life is always horrible

Christian How can you be more? Victorious and an overcomer in the world.

It isn't that necessarily God needs to give you more You need to start recognizing and thanking

God for what you already got And when you start doing that you show a little maturity in a sanctification process

Maybe you will have the basis for God to bless you more and it ain't about some idiot preacher going

So in seed give money to the church ain't talking about that garbage. I don't care about your money What I'm talking about is faith you want to grow in your faith

Exercise your faith. That's how it goes. Now Thomas is sitting here and he's doubting a little bit

But you got to give the boy credit He thought he was going to die following Jesus and he may have been whining about it, but he went

He went Good Lord talking about whining y 'all should have been with them boys talking about how cold it was

Anyways, go to verse 21. I'm almost done kids verse 21 So Jesus goes on He gets there

Martha comes running up to him now watch what she says in verse 21 Martha said to Jesus Lord If you had been here

My brother would not have died But even now I know that whatever you ask from God God Will give to you praise him

Jesus said to her your brother will rise again Lord Lord, I know that I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.

Jesus says baby. I Am the resurrection in the life

He though if he dies and believes in me even though he's dead.

He will live again now watch this and then he asked Do you believe this verse 27?

She said to him? Yes, Lord I believe that you are the Christ the Son of God who is coming into this world just as You can hear it man.

You can hear it Skip to verse 32 now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him

She fell at his feet saying to him Lord if you had been here, my brother would not have died

When Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews who had also come with her weeping He was deeply moved in his spirit and troubled and he said where have you laid him?

They said to him Lord come and see verse 35 Jesus wept

Jesus is sovereign over time. He's sovereign over man's power. But let me tell some of y 'all in here today

He's also sovereign over your discouragement He's also sovereign over the problems that you're facing

Whether it is you got a nagging wife or a lazy husband rebellious kids job issues car issues or whatever issues you got

God is sovereign over all of them I know in your mind a starter for a 94

Nissan Sentra might be the biggest crisis You got your world right now

But I promise you God is not worried about your Nissan Sentra starter If he wants that car to run it gonna run no matter what else happens in this world

Now this is not something simple. I'm not equating these two chicks brothers dying

With a Nissan Sentra starter That's a little bit a little bit rougher, but I want to I want you to understand

That the Nissan Sentra starter ain't about to get raised in the dead, but the dead brother is Okay, watch this

Christians, I want you to lighten up on yourself just a little bit If you have heard a preacher tell you or another

Christian tell you this you're going through a hard time and some idiot Christian a preacher comes up to you and says

You just need more faith And they don't say faith. They say faith.

I want you to just sit there Say, thank you very much and walk away guys

Discouragement in God's children does not delete the fact that they're still

God's children If you're struggling with something in here, I got good news for you

There are 200 people in this room that are also struggling and it ain't just misery that loves company

It's also rejoicing at trials that love company The Word of God tells us that if any of you are sick or hurting go and tell it to the church confess your faults one to another that you may be

Y 'all want to look for healing it ain't in a sermon or fatball preacher. It ain't in fancy music

I promise you where it's going to be found is through the gift of the Holy Spirit Tabernacle again the hearts and minds of fellow brothers and sisters in Christ There is nothing more encouraging than a brother coming up to me putting his arm around me and going.

Hey, man I know this stinks. You got it. We can do this. We can do all things Through Christ which strengthens me go

FCA. All right, so watch this Confusion is not a lack of commitment

Discouragement does not have to be doubt by the way If having discouragement means you have no faith then

Jesus had no faith in the Garden of Gethsemane He knew that cross was coming.

What does it say? He was praying man. He was have anything ever bad happened to you

Some of you guys wishing for a negative test, you know, some of you other people's in here got some stress going you're like Oh dear

Jesus, please think about taking on the sin of the entire world and suffering crucifixion

Jesus Christ Sweating the drops of blood praying your

Discouragement is not necessary a lack of faith. Remember that quit beating yourself up Pull your shoulders back stick your chin out grab a brother and sister

Christ come down here and pray and I promise you this things Will start to look up and change now.

I want you to know this. I Am don't miss that this in that verse.

Don't miss that. I Am the resurrection verse 25 I am let me say it one more time.

I am the resurrection life understand this Jesus didn't have the needs or the powers or the skills for resurrection

He was the resurrection some people think well, you know, Jesus had a lot of power

Jesus is the power Jesus had a direct line to God. He didn't have a direct line to God He was

God and when he says I am the resurrection life he ain't talking about the Baptist Church Mormon Church Hindu Church Pentecostal or anything else the

Exclusivity of the name of Jesus Christ is how you can be set free And if you don't know that or you never experienced it, it's because you've been looking in churches

You've been looking in religion or your own vain philosophies instead of humbling yourself and seeing in the Word of God the truth of Jesus Christ last thing

Lazarus died It was very sad Everybody was sad

Except I want you to notice this Mmm verse 36, so the

Jews said Jesus is weeping So the Jews said see how he loved him But some of them said could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying

Then Jesus deeply moved again came to the tomb and it was a cave and a stone lay against it

Jesus said take away the stone Martha the sister of the dead man said to him

Lord by this time there will be an odor I love the King James Version. It actually says this

Lord. He stinketh There'll be an odor for he's been dead four days verse 40

Jesus said to her did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God So then they took away the stone and Jesus lifted up his eyes and said now

I want you to watch the camera check Up in here father. I thank you that you have heard me verse 42

But I know you always hear me But I say this on the account of the people standing around That they may believe that you sent me in other words

God. I've got the special education folks here Everybody around me rides a short bus

God. I am so thankful you hear me And I know that you know that I know that you know that you know that I know

That you always hear me, but I'm just saying this so everyone else around here will know that you and I are one

He went through all that Isn't it awesome the disciples now these guys had done miracles these guys had followed

Jesus all these many months and years But they still needed education Christians Jesus sit there and said this when he had said these things verse 43.

He cried out with a loud voice Lazarus Come out The man who had died came out

His hands and feet bound with linen strips in his face wrapped with a cloth and Jesus said to him

Unbind him and let it go now. I want you to understand two things about this number one back.

Then there was a Jewish Tradition that's not the right word. I'm looking for like a

Superstition a superstition in the Jewish life There was a superstition that if somebody died if you waited three days

They might come back to life, but on the fourth day. It's all over so there was this palpable

Expectation up until the third day are y 'all catching this Okay He might rise again

But on the fourth day now he dead he dead Jim ain't no bringing him back, right

Jesus said I'm gonna wait two more days So that everybody knows this man is dead

Then Jesus walked into that cemetery mmm that hole in the rock man bound by linen

Bound up some of y 'all are bound up in here every time I go camping I get bound up But I'm talking about another bound up Some of y 'all got bound up in your sins some of you men in here your pornography

You're WWW's Yeah, some of you are bound up with drugs or alcoholism

Some of y 'all are bound up with your insecurities and fears some of you Christians are bound up with your pride and self -righteousness

Say there's a lot of binding going on in here Jesus walked in that cemetery and he said

Lazarus and he says he used a loud voice that wasn't for Lazarus to hear that was for everyone else to hear right

Lazarus come forth and he had to say Lazarus because of Jesus the

Son of God The resurrection the Alpha the Omega the beginning in the end he that has life over death

If he had said come forth every grave in that cemetery would opened up and every soul would have walked out

Jesus said Lazarus come forth and the next thing Lazarus comes out and Jesus says this to the church

Church listen to me. I ain't talking about you ain't got tattoos. You don't smoke and drink therefore you're you know, you're good to go

I'm talking about the real Christians Okay, see when Jesus saved someone

I've never led anybody to Jesus That's the most idiotic thing I ever heard.

I led three people do you ain't let Jack dude if you let them they ain't saved

Okay But Jesus Christ when he saved someone then it becomes our job

Church to unwrap the things that have been binding them up. God gives us the power

They give us the permission and their humility and they're asking but church your hands will get dirty and let me tell you this

It will stink us You don't believe me go on a camping trip with 14 teenage boys, and there ain't no running water

It'd be a stinking up in there But they ain't the only ones

Guys, where are you this morning? Listen, where are you? After this and you can keep reading verses 45 through the rest of the chapter,

I'm just going to give you a synopsis After this People are going buck wild This isn't a

Bible story and what's harmonetically beautiful about this is the reaction and the narration of what's going on in the lives

Of other people in response to what Jesus Christ did in other words If this was just some literary story

Jesus raised this dude from the dead. Oh, wow But that's not what happens and it is the diversity of responses that gives validity

Logically to the story. Here's what I mean Some of the people it says believed

Guys, I've been I know everybody's about to have to go potty. Just hang on one second. Listen You just heard the

Word of God not because of me. I'm just one idiot showing other idiots where to find grace. Okay But you heard the

Word of God and If any time when you hear the Word of God, there's something in your heart saying whole crap, that's me or That's what

I need. That is the Holy Spirit of God. Not not some idiot pastor. That's the

Holy Spirit of God going Hey, I'm talking to you And when you hear that you have a couple of choices

Number one you can be like that first verse some people believed in him in Jesus But then it says this others

With their self -righteous suburban little preppy skepticism. I've got a great education

So I'm going to show off how smart I am by defying all truth and absolutes and I'm gonna build my own in your life

Stinks, but it's okay. I got to continue in this arrogance so I can still understand how important I am

Now some of you didn't get that but I promise you the people who were talking to you understood exactly what I just said

Sitting there and they said hey Come here guys. We got to have a meeting

We can't have this and look at what he says the high priests that the super pastors

We can't have this why because Rome will come in and Take our positions away now what's really cool historically in harmonetics is this guy

Caiaphas You can go to extra apocryphal writings in history and find out there was a guy named

Caiaphas who had been appointed by the Roman Emperor to be The chief priests there, but I don't want to freak freak you out with facts

I'll let you keep living your skepticism and denial. But anyways, they said we got to kill this man

But also I want you to know this if you go to John chapter 12 You know, they were planning to kill

Jesus, but you know what else they wanted to kill Lazarus We got to make that dude go away.

It was like the Sopranos man. We get this guy knows too much He was dead.

He's alive He's walking around giving Jesus validity that Jesus Christ has power over life and death

We got to go now Thank you for how arrogant that's got to be if pastor

Josiah dropped dead right now Oh, I would get him back so much before I pray for his resurrection

I would have everybody come tell a dad joke and nobody laugh and go. Hi, you're not funny but let's say

Pastor Josiah dropped dead right here Mickey Hall gets up and goes I got this one in the name of Jesus Christ Stand up and walk

Josiah popped back up Do you know how arrogant it would be

For someone in this room go. Yeah, I have the power to go back and kill him Are you on crack a man just walked up to a grave and said rise again

And your first response was try to kill him and the guy he resurrected Personally, I'm going

I ain't messing with that dude. Okay, I ain't messing with him. But here's what you don't understand

Arrogance will take you deeper into sin than you wanted to go Keep you longer to stay and destroy people around you at a rate exponentially greater than anything

You've experienced yourself. You're in rebellion towards God your children will be in rebellion towards you and the psychological world keeps throwing drugs and Philosophy at him and it nothing changes where men and women are trying to cut stuff off Because they're not happy With everything in the world given to them.

They're still not happy and we have entered an age where psychology where philosophy the medical community says

Cut your breasts off ladies. The reason you're not happy is because you're really a man

And everybody's like well, that makes sense. Are you that stupid? Have you lost your mind?

Yes, because our arrogance and rejecting God and the truth of his world will bring us to a place

Well, we have to accept foolishness the Word of God says they became wise in their own minds and then became fools

Where are you today? Where are you today? I don't care about your stupid church membership or when you pray to ask

Jesus in your heart or some other crap That's not found written in the Bible I'm asking you this if you died right now.

Would you be raised again to life? by the power of Jesus Christ or Would you go to hell forever?

Well pastor, I feel There is no hell. I'm not talking to you You're one of them specially need idiots that we pastor

Josiah will talk to you I'm talking about the people who actually heard the Word of God and felt the conviction of the

Holy Spirit today Are you a Christian? Are you a Christian and bound up?

Are you a Christian and tied down you need to pray and you need to do it publicly sitting here in that awkward?

Uncomfortability, that's what I hate that whole thing awkwardness Whoever came up with that phrase.

You're an idiot be awkward Embraced because you're relying on your feelings and your feelings are lying to you

The Word of God says if you confess me before men, I will confess you before the Father public

Understanding and declaration of Jesus Christ is my Lord is a part of that salvation process

Are you scared be scared if you ain't scared then it don't mean nothing to you, right?

Listen, if you're not a home sure you're saved come up here and talk if you are

Christian You're bound up in sin find you another Christian and you can't swing a dead cat in here without finding one

I don't care that you know him or not if they're a believer. Hey, man I need a believer to come pray with me.

They will snatch you up quick They look like mako sharks on a dead piece of tuna. Okay Come up here and pray

Come up right here and pray if you need to join a church and look I'm not interested in mega church

I got too many of you people already. Okay stressing me out It's cutting into my

John Wayne movie time. Okay, I don't care about all that. I ain't looking for a new jet

Obviously ain't looking for $1 ,200 suits. I ain't interested in any of that garbage.

Okay, I don't want to be one of them prosperity idiots All right. I've turned down three raises.

I don't need the money anymore. I'm good I got guns already gave me a place to hunt.

I'm good to go Okay Here's what I want and it's gonna sound selfish.

I Hope you don't go to hell but I Want to stand before my

God and Him go good job boy You did what

I sent you to do That's my motivation and I ain't playing You go and you leave and you die and you never come back here again.

I'm gonna sleep just as good as I did Well three nights ago Where are you today?

Where are you? You need to repent you need some help you need to be saved You need to join a church and get some accountability because people are gonna be all up in your business in here

And we are gonna be judging you. Yes Okay, if that makes you feel awkward or icky or uncomfortable take a baby aspirin go somewhere else

All right, but if you're ready to grow in Jesus Christ and be put to work come sign up I'm gonna ask you to stand with me and whatever you music dudes are gonna do come do it pastors come forward

Guys, if you're a believer in here, let's go to work and let's minister for the name of Jesus Christ.

You come as God leads What you just witnessed is why

I love this place It's not perfect. But I want you just listen to what

I'm about to say What you just heard was from a former Satanist a burnt -out hippie two of them and A young man, we've been praying for years for God to answer prayer and he's starting to do that At most buildings that people call churches

If Ricky Bell came up and said hey, I'd like to play Sunday He'd be laughed at and told to go sit in the back

Same with most of the others the whole purpose of church is

Not simply for you to come and learn about God if I were to ask you why do you come to church?

I bet most of you would say to learn about God No, it's to learn about God so you can use those tools give skills and talents to serve each other.

That's the whole purpose That's what you just heard was four men Using what

God has given them overcoming fears anxieties and a lot of maybe I shouldn't have agreed to this this week and phone calls

To me to serve in the way that they can that is the call Ladies and gentlemen, if you hear nothing else from God's Word today

Hear this that he has called you to serve the body with what he has gifted you to do.

Amen Pastor we're gonna be in John chapter 11

John chapter 11, you know, I'll tell you what I saw. I Saw trophies

I Saw trophies that says first place Jesus Christ sitting up here

For guys, I know their testimonies and ain't none of you in this joint Got a story that can't be matched by someone these dudes, you know

Bill used to be an old blues player down on Beale Street Drinking whiskey smoking weed and being a godless womanizing heathen

And if you look at his face when he sings Something changed in him say

Matt used to be a in a satanic call cult, you know And he's up here singing praises to Jesus Ricky man.

He got two brain cells left And both of them are praising

God, you know what I'm saying Man, and then you gotta understand little baby

Christian. I've watched that boy grow up We've been praying for that boy for a long time

It appears maybe That God's finally answering a heartfelt prayer that about 20 of his brothers in Christ been praying every week

Man, God can still do miracles, can't he? Mmm, we're gonna talk about a little bit about that today in John 11

But what I want you to take away from this is sovereignty Now last night

Brother Parker got in the ring And he was fighting six foot four

Tennessee Highway Patrolman, you know ninja army, dude, whatever and when

I saw the picture of the cat I was like Mmm, he looked a little flabby.

I Said man, he looked like Elmer's glue. He needs to get out in the Sun a little bit, you know And I sat there and we've coached

Parker and I've seen the sweat the blood the pain I've seen him work and I knew

I just knew Parker was gonna trash this guy I just knew it in my head, but I'm gonna be honest with you while we're out at that deer camp

Brother Artie was sending. What do you call it? The face videos, whatever. It's called the video the live thing yeah

FaceTime and I'll be honest when Parker's walking to the ring

I knew he was gonna win, but I'm gonna be honest with you and coaches Evan at the same time

There's just a little bit of nervousness, you know, I mean cuz Parker could you know?

Be Parker, right? He could trip he could fall guy could get a lucky shot and I knew but I didn't know

I Want to tell you something today, I Promise you I can look you in the eyeball and tell you this

In my heart right now. There is not a single doubt that if I drop dead, I'm going home

And it has nothing to do with who I am it has nothing to do with idiot preachers and stupid churches and Idiotic religions that have never won one soul to Jesus Christ You see

I know that I know not because I get a paycheck or because I've been doing this 30 years

I have seen this for the last 30 years. I have seen people healed of cancer

I have seen drug addicts and drunks come to know Jesus Christ. I have seen marriages restored

I have seen God move in the lives in the hearts of people and you know

Why because there is no doubt when God is involved. He is in sovereign

He is absolutely immutable and whatever he said will happen

It's gonna happen. The question is are you gonna be on the boat? Question is are you gonna be more in love with your religious attitude or your own self and your narcissistic?

Self -interest than you are in submitting something more powerful than you always love

I have never met a militant atheist yet Who has not had major daddy issues never met one yet.

I've never met one yet that actually Demonstrated the power of humility and I know from what

I speak Because I was an arrogant Self -righteous pig back in the day

Anything that was authority I wanted nothing to do with if you want to know what's best for your life

Follow me around and I'll teach you that's kind of how I rolled Man, but God's in the business of humbling before he's in the business of saving and you'll never ever

Understand the forgiveness of God without the repentance to God Let's look with me if you will in John chapter 11 now

I want to just point this out and I wrote in your notes of Subsequent Bible study for you this week, but I want to point out in 11 chapter 11 verse 1

I want you to note the wording of that first verse It says now a certain man was ill

Lazarus of Bethany now, what does that mean now? We could sit here and do the little stupid Baptist Bible story and talk about widdle wise with you know

You know the little cartoons curly hair blonde hair blue eyes ain't a white man anywhere in the

Bible But you know and he just sits there and he comes out a little stone and he's all shiny and little beams coming out of Your head but what

God's Word is written specifically for specific thing These are the exact same words the exact same

Greek context that hermeneutically is used in Luke chapter 16 now you say to me

Why is that a big deal because in Luke sex chapter 16? It says this there was a certain man named

Lazarus a different Lazarus who was in hell And it doesn't mean that metaphorically it doesn't mean that as a parable this is not a parable what it means is we as God's people are emboldened to see the depths of hell and that which is awaits people who reject the

Exclusivity of Jesus Christ Luke 16 says this man is in torment

He is in absolute anguish and there ain't no parole. There ain't no weekends

There ain't no heater in the van coming back home, man You're in it every day for all

Eternity guys. I want you. I did a little hermeneutical Lesson for you read it later

Maybe when you at home and you might get some Word of God other than just here look at verse 4

It says this but when Jesus heard that Lazarus was sick He said this this illness does not lead to death

It is for the glory of God so that the Son of Man may be glorified through it now watch this

Now Jesus loved Martha Mary I'm sorry loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus said when he heard that Lazarus was ill

He stayed two days longer Just a couple of things there number one.

I Love the individualism of God's love You see God loves us

But he loves me you see that Relationship I have with God is not based on some silly church.

It is a personal Relationship with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that I have with God every day

See, I don't come here and act like this on Sunday morning. I'm like this every day you know why because I believe that I believe that I believe that I believe that I know and every day is a

Reaffirmation of that faith and belief and that's how you're sanctified and you get stronger the relationship and salvation

That I have was bought to me my Jesus Christ on an individual Level God loves me.

God found me God saved me now. You might say isn't that self -centric? Well when it comes to God's grace and God's love

Let's praise his name for being self -centric to the individual to the individual who has been rejected

To the individual whose mind has been screwed up by religion and philosophy and humanism

They're that individual who keeps going inside Theirselves to try to find the peace that always escapes them

Thank God that he individually reached down and picked you out of the mire as an individual no matter how bad you were and he

Saved you for his glory Guys, you understand what it means to be saved I ain't talking about walking down now and I see

Christ in your heart Lord and Savior I ain't talking about that Southern Baptist bullcrap. I'm talking about where your life is radically changed because you have truly individually

Personally been touched by the Holy Spirit of God, but now notice this Jesus is told

Lazarus a guy he loves a guy. He loves is sick.

So what's the Bible say? He does I Well, I need to go dry cleaners and got to put gas in the camel and I'm gonna hang out for a couple of days

You know what sovereignty is? Sovereignty means over time now

I have always preached that God is outside of time, but Carrie Stanley and I came up with maybe a different way to look at this.

I was writing on my whiteboard I was explaining. I think it was Katrina Cook, but I was explaining to somebody some theology and doctrine and as that pen moved across that whiteboard that pen was

Dispensing dispensate. I haven't told the pastors about this Dispensing ink. I don't think

God is outside of time anymore. I think time is inside of God I don't want to get too philosophical about this.

I'm just doing this for the pastors and the MIT students they still know I'm the superior pastor, but the idea is that time is

Irrelevant to God when Jesus said I'm gonna stay two more days. It wasn't a rush

Have you ever seen a family try to get ready for church on a Sunday morning? Right Justin tells me that he gets up.

He gets Luke and Owen dressed He gets them fed. He gets them ready to go. He reads their

Bible. Then he goes in and wakes up Candace, you know Makes her a cup of coffee and everything

Didn't they have to rush guys, but God there ain't no Russian You see God's Word is sovereign enough now

Look at this read with me in verse 7 Jesus says what we're gonna go there, but not yet Verse 7 says and after this the disciples said to him let us go to or Jesus said let us go to Judea again

The disciples said him rabbi the Jews were just seeking to stone you and you're going there again

If you've been here the last two weeks, you know what we're talking about Jesus in that awesome

Declaration in John chapter 8 where he uses those Greek words ego of me

With the same words when God was talking to Moses and Moses goes who are you

God? And God said I am I am Yahweh. I am that I am

Jesus is sitting there 4 ,000 years later after that all the Jews around him and Jesus makes this statement when

Abraham saw my glory He was glad and they sit there and go crackhead.

You ain't even 50 years old yet Crackheads in the Greek it's not in the English. You're not even 50 year old yet How did you see

Abraham and Jesus said before Abraham was I am? Then the very next time they said take up stones to kill

Jesus Jesus goes not yet boys And he's walking and the Jews are wanting to kill him people are chasing him and he's walking out of the temple

And there's a blind man sitting right there And what's Jesus do he ain't worried about the power of men.

He's not worried about vain threats. He stops once again to an Individual and he heals him and the man can see we see in John chapter 10

Jesus is trying to explain the disciples I am the Good Shepherd now we get to John chapter 11 and Jesus is sitting there and in the midst of this

After he's walked out of the city He wants to go back to that region and the disciples are freaking out going no safety squirrel says don't go there

Jesus said I ain't studying no squirrel I ain't worried about them Jews. I ain't worried about any of that you see because I am

Verse 14 as they were going there

They're walking the disciples are like why are we going out of our busy church schedule?

Going all the way to Bethany. There's a map on the front of your notes. It's right near Jerusalem about two miles east

Why are we going back to Jerusalem and Why are we going to Bethany? They're sick.

He's sick. He'll get over it. He'll take some Tamiflu. He's good to go Jesus said boys y 'all are understanding verse 14 then

Jesus told them plainly Lazarus has died and for your sake I am glad that I was not there

So that you may believe let us go to him So Thomas the twins said to his fellow disciples, let us also go that we may die with him

First of all, Jesus just said, you know smile Jesus loves you little hippie soft

Emasculated man that so many churches put out there He just said

Jesus is dead and Jesus just said he's dead and they said he's dead Jesus goes Yeah, man, I'm so glad that dude dead now.

He just said I love Lazarus, but I'm glad he's dead And so the disciples are like what but I want you to notice one disciple in particular

He's called Thomas in the Greek. He's also known as Didymus the word Didymus means twin now

We're not sure what kind of twin this is the same doubting Thomas, you know put my hand to my side

You know all that stuff for you non church people. Just hang with me We don't know why he was called the twins

Some think he had a twin brother, but others believe that he had a lot of the same

Resemblance as Jesus himself So he was in a higher level, you know

Because they didn't have bolo's back then that had you know, DNA and fingerprints like I think that's that Jesus guy

He kind of looks like him. Let's kill him We're not really sure why he called the twin, but he is the perfect example of the church today.

I See this so many times. Let me ask you a question. What ministry are you involved in?

Pastor Josiah just got up here and so perfectly said it you are here today Not to sing songs.

You're not here to warn. You know what you're here to do. You're here to get sharpened up the boys

Where are them heathens are y 'all spread out all over the place y 'all's hair still looks good boys.

I'm proud of you We cut down a tree with a chainsaw and then they had to section and lemon out with axes and You know

Liam Romo. God bless his little heart had this log sitting down there and he had a pretty sharp axe when he started

I Think he hit the dirt about as many times as he hit the log

And when we pulled the axe head up, it was bent and the edge would look like this and So I got out of sharpening puck and I told the boys.

Hey, let me tell you teach you a secret If every 25 30 strokes with an axe or a knife or a hatchet if you'll just take that honing stone

Just hit it a couple of times on both sides. You'll actually be more efficient by taking the time to sharpening your saw

Here we see Jesus sitting there Thomas is sitting there and he's into a place where in his mind

There ain't no need to get sharpened because it's all over Church members you're here to serve each other

You're here this morning to get honed a little bit You're here to get sharpened up not to go save the world for the name of Jesus But to love each other sitting right here, you know, how are you doing?

Trisha? You doing good? You doing good? You know Trisha, oh, that's right you work with her.

Yeah, Trisha How did you come to know the pleasantry of my theological teaching? You've only been here a couple of three months

So the Sandwich Maker Club went on a women's retreat And you and then you're here, huh?

Huh? Isn't it amazing That you don't have to have the theological depth of a scholar to simply share the love in the invitation of Jesus Christ and you know what your act of kindness and grace to a lost and Disenfranchised person is worth 2 ,000 sermons.

Let me tell you me preaching up here is not ministry I know a lot of pastors think it is this is not ministry singing in the stupid choir is not ministry you minister by Sacrificing something of yourself into implanting and giving and discipling to somebody else

Thomas didn't get all that Jesus said we're going back. Here's what Thomas did well

Let's go with him and die. Oh Man life's so hard.

Oh You ever know Christians like that, you know, you just every time you come up and talk to him

It's a sad story, you know, oh man, you know, so -and -so isn't happy My dog died my boss fired me, you know my cat sleeping with my dog

It's some sort of country story or country song about how life is always horrible

Christian How can you be more victorious and an overcomer in the world?

It isn't that necessarily God needs to give you more you need to start Recognizing and thanking

God for what you already got and when you start doing that you show a little maturity in a sanctification

Process, maybe you will have the basis for God to bless you more And it ain't about some idiot preacher going so and see give money to the church ain't talking about that garbage

I don't care about your money. What I'm talking about is faith. You want to grow in your faith?

Exercise your faith, that's how it goes now Thomas is sitting here and he's doubting a little bit

But you got to give the boy credit He thought he was going to die

Following Jesus and he may have been whining about it, but he went He went

Good Lord talking about whining y 'all should have been with them boys talking about how cold it was. Anyways go to verse 21

I'm almost done kids verse 21 So Jesus goes on He gets there

Martha comes running up to him now watch what she says in verse 21 Martha said to Jesus Lord If you had been here

My brother would not have died But even now I know that whatever you ask from God God Will give to you praise him

Jesus said to her your brother will rise again Lord Lord, I know that I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.

Jesus says, baby. I Am the resurrection in the life

He though if he dies and believes in me, even though he's dead.

He will live again Now watch this and then he asked do you believe this verse 27?

She said to him? Yes, Lord I believe that you are the Christ the Son of God who was coming into this world just as You can hear it man.

You can hear it Skip to verse 32 now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him

She fell at his feet saying to him Lord if you had been here, my brother would not have died

When Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews who had also come with her weeping He was deeply moved in his spirit and troubled and he said where have you laid him?

They said to him Lord come and see verse 35 Jesus wept Jesus is sovereign over time.

He's sovereign over man's power. But let me tell some of y 'all in here today He's also sovereign over your discouragement

He's also sovereign over the problems that you're facing Whether it is you got a nagging wife or a lazy husband rebellious kids

Job issues car issues or whatever issues you got God is sovereign over all of them

I know in your mind a starter for a 94 Nissan Sentra might be the biggest crisis

You got your world right now But I promise you God is not worried about your Nissan Sentra starter

If he wants that car to run it gonna run no matter what else happens in this world

Now this is not something simple I'm not equating these two chicks brothers dying

With a Nissan Sentra starter That's a little bit a little bit rougher, but I want to I want you to understand

That the Nissan Sentra starter ain't about to get raised from the dead, but the dead brother is Okay, watch this

Christians I want you to lighten up on yourself just a little bit Hmm If you have heard a preacher tell you or another

Christian tell you this you're going through a hard time and some idiot Christian a preacher comes up to you and says

You just need more faith And they don't say faith. They say faith.

I want you to just sit there say thank you very much and walk away guys

Discouragement in God's children does not delete the fact that they're still

God's children If you're struggling with something in here, I got good news for you

There are 200 people in this room that are also struggling and it ain't just misery that loves company

It's also rejoicing at trials that love company the Word of God tells us that if any of you are sick or hurting

Go and tell it to the church confess your faults one to another that you may be

Y 'all want to look for healing it ain't in a sermon or fatball preacher. It ain't in fancy music

I promise you where it's going to be found is through the gift of the Holy Spirit Tabernacle again the hearts and minds of fellow brothers and sisters in Christ There is nothing more encouraging than a brother coming up to me putting his arm around me and going hey, man

I know this stinks you got it We can do this. We can do all things through Christ which strengthens me go

FCA. All right, so watch this Confusion is not a lack of commitment

Discouragement does not have to be doubt by the way if Having discouragement means you have no faith then

Jesus had no faith in the Garden of Gethsemane He knew that cross was coming.

What does it say? He was praying man. He was have anything ever bad happened to you

Some of you guys wishing for a negative test, you know, some of you other people's in here got some stress going you're like Oh dear

Jesus, please think about taking on the sin of the entire world and suffering crucifixion

Jesus Christ sweating the drops of blood praying your

Discouragement is not necessary a lack of faith. Remember that quit beating yourself up Pull your shoulders back stick your chin out grab a brother and sister

Christ come down here and pray and I promise you this things Will start to look up and change now.

I want you to know this. I Am don't miss that this in that verse don't miss that.

I am The resurrection verse 25. I am let me say it one more time.

I am the resurrection life Understand this Jesus didn't have the needs or the powers or the skills for resurrection

He was the resurrection some people think well, you know Jesus had a lot of power

Jesus is the power Jesus had a direct line to God. He didn't have a direct line to God He was

God and when he says I am the resurrection life Ain't talking about the Baptist Church Mormon Church Hindu Church Pentecostal or anything else the exclusivity of the name of Jesus Christ is how you can be set free

And if you don't know that or you never experienced it It's because you've been looking in churches

You've been looking in religion or your own vain philosophies instead of humbling yourself and seeing in the Word of God the truth of Jesus Christ last thing

Lazarus died It was very sad Everybody was sad

Except I want you to notice this Mmm verse 36, so the

Jews said Jesus is weeping So the Jews said see how he loved him But some of them said could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying

Then Jesus deeply moved again came to the tomb and it was a cave and a stone lay against it

Jesus said take away the stone Martha the sister of the dead man said to him

Lord by this time there will be an odor I love the King James Version. It actually says this

Lord. He stinketh There'll be an odor for he's been dead four days verse 40

Jesus said to her did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God So then they took away the stone and Jesus lifted up his eyes and said now

I want you to watch the camera check up in here father I thank you that you have heard me verse 42, but I know you always hear me

But I say this on the account of the people standing around That they may believe that you sent me in other words

God. I've got the special education folks here Everybody around me rides a short bus

God. I am so thankful you hear me And I know that you know that I know that you know that you know that I know

That you always hear me, but I'm just saying this so everyone else around here will know that you and I are one

He went through all that Isn't it awesome the disciples now these guys had done miracles these guys had followed

Jesus all these many months and years But they still needed education Christians Jesus sit there and said this when he had said these things verse 43.

He cried out with a loud voice Lazarus come out The man who had died came out

His hands and feet bound with linen strips and his face wrapped with a cloth and Jesus said to him

Unbind him and let it go now. I want you to understand two things about this number one back.

Then there was a Jewish Tradition that's not the right word. I'm looking for like a superstition a superstition in the

Jewish life There was a superstition that if somebody died if you waited three days

They might come back to life, but on the fourth day. It's all over so there was this palpable

Expectation up until the third day are y 'all catching this? Okay, he might rise again

But on the fourth day now he dead he dead Jim ain't no bringing him back, right?

Jesus said I'm gonna wait two more days So that everybody knows this man is dead

Then Jesus walked into that cemetery Hmm that hole in the rock man bound by linen

Bound up some of y 'all are bound up in here every time I go camping I get bound up But I'm talking about another bound up Some of y 'all got bound up in your sins some of you men in here your pornography

You're WWW's Yeah, some of you are bound up with drugs or alcoholism

Some of y 'all are bound up with your insecurities and fears. Some of you Christians are bound up with your pride and self -righteousness

So there's a lot of binding going on in here Jesus walked in that cemetery and he said

Lazarus and he says he used a loud voice that wasn't for Lazarus to hear that was for everyone else to hear right

Lazarus come forth and he had to say Lazarus because of Jesus the

Son of God The resurrection the Alpha the Omega the beginning in the end he that has life over death

If he had said come forth every grave in that cemetery would opened up and every soul would have walked out

Jesus said Lazarus come forth and the next thing Lazarus comes out and Jesus says this to the church

Church listen to me. I ain't talking about you ain't got tattoos. You don't smoke and drink. Therefore you're you know, you're good to go

I'm talking about the real Christians Okay, see when Jesus saves someone

I've never led anybody to Jesus That's the most idiotic thing I ever heard.

I led three people do you ain't let Jack dude if you let them they ain't saved

Okay But Jesus Christ when he saved someone then it becomes our job

Church to unwrap the things that have been binding them up. God gives us the power

They give us the permission and their humility and they're asking but church your hands will get dirty and let me tell you this

It will stink us You don't believe me go on a camping trip with 14 teenage boys, and there ain't no running water

It'd be a stinking up in there But they ain't the only ones

Guys, where are you this morning? Listen, where are you? After this and you can keep reading verses 45 through the rest of the chapter,

I'm just gonna give you a synopsis After this People are going buck wild This isn't a

Bible story and what's harmonetically beautiful about this is the reaction and the narration of what's going on in the lives

Of other people in response to what Jesus Christ did in other words If this was just some literary story

Jesus raised this dude from the dead. Oh, wow But that's not what happens and it is the diversity of responses that gives validity

Logically to the story. Here's what I mean Some of the people it says believed

Guys, I've been I know everybody's about to have to go potty. Just hang on one second. Listen You just heard the

Word of God not because of me. I'm just one idiot showing other idiots where to find grace, okay But you heard the

Word of God and if any time when you hear the Word of God There's something in your heart saying whole crap.

That's me or That's what I need. That is the Holy Spirit of God. Not not some idiot pastor.

That's the Holy Spirit of God going Hey, I'm talking to you And when you hear that you have a couple of choices

Number one you can be like that first verse some people believed in him in Jesus But then it says this others

With their self -righteous suburban little preppy skepticism. I've got a great education

So I'm going to show off how smart I am by defying all truth and absolutes and I'm going to build my own in your life

Stinks, but it's okay. I got to continue in this arrogance so I can still understand how important I am

Now some of you didn't get that but I promise you the people who were talking to you understood exactly what I just said Sitting there, and they said hey

Come here guys. We got to have a meeting We can't have this and look at what he says the high priests that the super pastors

We can't have this why because Rome will come in and Take our positions away now, what's really cool historically in harmonetics is this guy

Caiaphas You can go to extra apocryphal writings in history and find out there was a guy named

Caiaphas who had been appointed by the Roman Emperor to be The chief priests there, but I don't want to freak freak you out with facts

I'll let you keep living your skepticism and denial. But anyways, they said we got to kill this man

But also I want you to know this if you go to John chapter 12 You know, they were planning to kill

Jesus, but you know else they wanted to kill Lazarus We got to make that dude go away.

It was like the Sopranos man. We get this guy knows too much He was dead.

He's alive He's walking around giving Jesus validity that Jesus Christ has power over life and death

We got to go now Thank you for how arrogant that's got to be if pastor

Josiah dropped dead right now Oh, I would get him back so much before I pray for his resurrection

I would have everybody come tell a dad joke and nobody laugh and go hi. You're not funny but let's say

Pastor Josiah dropped dead right here. Mickey Hall gets up and goes I got this one in the name of Jesus Christ stand up and walk

Josiah pop back up Do you know how arrogant it would be

For someone in this room go. Yeah, I have the power to go back and kill him Are you on crack a man just walked up to a grave and said rise again?

And your first response was try to kill him and the guy he resurrected Personally, I'm going

I ain't messing with that dude. Okay, I ain't messing with him. But here's what you don't understand

Arrogance will take you deeper into sin than you wanted to go Keep you longer to stay and destroy people around you at a rate exponentially greater than anything

You've experienced yourself. You're in rebellion towards God your children will be in rebellion towards you and the psychological world keeps throwing drugs and Philosophy at him and it nothing changes where men and women are trying to cut stuff off Because they're not happy With everything in the world given to them.

They're still not happy and we have entered an age where psychology where philosophy the medical community says

Cut your breast off ladies. The reason you're not happy is because you're really a man

And everybody's like well that makes sense. Are you that stupid? Have you lost your mind?

Yes, because our arrogance and rejecting God And the truth of his world will bring us to a place

Well, we have to accept foolishness The Word of God says that he became wise in their own minds and then became fools

Where are you today? Where are you today? I don't care about your stupid church membership or when you pray to ask

Jesus in your heart or some other crap That's not found written in the Bible I'm asking you this if you died right now, would you be raised again to life?

By the power of Jesus Christ or would you go to hell forever? Well pastor,

I feel There is no hell. I'm not talking to you You're one of them specially need idiots that we pastor

Josiah will talk to you I'm talking about the people who actually heard the Word of God and felt the conviction of the

Holy Spirit today Are you a Christian? Are you a Christian and bound up?

Are you a Christian and tied down? You need to pray and you need to do it publicly sitting here in that awkward uncomfortability

That's what I hate that whole thing awkwardness Whoever came up with that phrase you're an idiot be awkward

Embrace because you're relying on your feelings and your feelings are lying to you The Word of God says if you confess me before men,

I will confess you before the Father public Understanding and declaration of Jesus Christ is my

Lord is a part of that salvation process Are you scared be scared if you ain't scared then it don't mean nothing to you

Right. Listen if you're not a home sure you're saved come up here and talk if you are

Christian You're bound up in sin find you another Christian and you can't swing a dead cat in here without finding one

I don't care that you know him or not if they're a believer. Hey, man I need a believer to come pray with me.

They will snatch you up quick They look like mako sharks on a dead piece of tuna. Okay Come up here and pray

Come up right here and pray if you need to join a church and look I'm not interested in mega church

I got too many of you people already. Okay stressing me out It's cutting into my

John Wayne movie time. Okay, I don't care about all that. I ain't looking for a new jet

Obviously ain't looking for $1 ,200 suits. I ain't interested in any of that garbage.

Okay, I don't want to be one of them prosperity idiots All right. I've turned down three raises.

I don't need the money anymore. I'm good I got guns already gave me a place to hunt.

I'm good to go Okay Here's what I want and it's gonna sound selfish.

I Hope you don't go to hell but I Want to stand before my

God and Him go good job boy You did what

I sent you to do That's my motivation and I ain't playing You go and you leave and you die and you never come back here again.

I'm gonna sleep just as good as I did Well three nights ago Where are you today?

Where are you? You need to repent you need some help you need to be saved You need to join a church and get some accountability because people gonna be all up in your business in here

And we are gonna be judging you. Yes Okay, if that makes you feel awkward or icky or uncomfortable take a baby aspirin go somewhere else

All right, but if you're ready to grow in Jesus Christ and be put to work come sign up I'm gonna ask you to stand with me and whatever you music dudes are gonna do come do it pastors come forward