Spring Up from Your Setbacks (2)
Notes
Transcript
They came to Jericho. As he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus stood still and said, “Call him here.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart; get up, he is calling you.” So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. Then Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man said to him, “My teacher, let me see again.” Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way.
Spring Up from your Set Backs
WE PRAISE THE LORD FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO GATHER AND WORSHIP HIM.....SEEKING TO HAVE OUR SPIRIT REVIVED.....OUR HEARTS ENCOURAGED.....AND OUR MINDS MATURED.....
I ENJOY REVIVALS.....BECAUSE ....IT’S DURING REVIVALS THAT WE ARE SEEKING TO BE REJUVENATED BY THE WORD OF GOD.....THE WORD REVIVAL MEANS THE ACT OR INSTANCE OF BEING REVIVED…A RENEWED ATTENTION TO OR INTEREST IN SOMETHING. ....A PERIOD OF RENEWED RELIGIOUS INTEREST....
IN OUR TEXT......I BELIEVE THAT WE SEE A GOOD EXAMPLE OF SPIRITUAL AND PHYSICAL REVIVAL.....A REVIVED FAITH........AND A REVIVED SENSE OF SIGHT.
LET US LOOK AT A MAN WHO GIVES US A GOOD EXAMPLE OF GETTING A RENEWED LEASE ON LIFE ……. BUT NOT ONLY DOES HE GIVE US AN EXAMPLE OF BEING REVIVED AND RENEWED.....BUT AS WE LOOK OVER OUR LIVES.....IT SHOULD HELP UP BE THANKFUL FOR THE MANY WAYS THAT THE LORD HAS BLESSED US…..
I BELIEVE THIS EVENING…..THAT MANY OF US CAN IDENTIFY AND RELATE WITH THIS MAN IN OUR TEXT…
HE IS AN EXAMPLE OF MANY OF US IN THE CHURCH WHO HAVE HAD TO TRUST AND DEPEND ON GOD…
TRUSTING AND DEPENDING ON GOD….WHEN IT SEEMS LIKE WE’RE UP AGAINST A WALL…..
WHEN WE FEEL STUCK….WITH NO WHERE TO TURN AND THERE IS
……SOME TYPE OF OBSTACLE... SOME TYPE OF DISADVANTAGE... OR HANG UP
THAT STANDS IN OUR WAY …..WHETHER PHYSICAL OR SPIRITUAL.…
AND…….
WHATEVER THAT HINDERANCE OR OBSTACLE THAT WE ARE FACED WITH………IT IS ALSO A FACT THAT GOD DOES NOT ALWAYS REMOVE THE HINDERANCE OR SET BACK THAT WE ARE FACED WITH……
AND IT IS OUR FAITH……THAT WE HAVE TO HOLD ON TO.
MOUNT ZION…..STAY WITH ME…..
WHETHER A SPIRITUAL OR PHYSICAL HANG-UP OR HINDERANCE……EVEN THOUGH THE LORD DOESN’T ALWAYS REMOVE IT……
HE DOES HOWEVER GIVE US THE ABILITY TO OVERCOME THEM...
HE GIVES US THE ABILITY TO SPRING UP FROM OUR SETBACKS...!
FIRST MOUNT ZION
I’VE LEARNED….IN MY 54 YEARS OF LIVING…. THAT YOU’VE GOT TO UNDERSTAND THE PAST…… IN ORDER TO APPRECIATE THE PRESENT...
AND…..TO FULLY APPRECIATE THIS TEXT….. WE MUST UNDERSTAND THE CONTEXT….AND THE CULTURE IN WHICH IT SETS...
FIRST OF ALL…….. WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT BEFORE THIS ENCOUNTER TAKES PLACE WITH BAR-TI-MAEUS ……. THIS IS DURING THE LAST DAYS OF JESUS’ MINISTRY... AND WE SEE IN THE PREVIOUS TEXT THAT…..
JESUS HAS BEEN TEACHING ON MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE…
HE BLESSES LITTLE CHILDREN AND TELLS US THAT OUR FAITH MUST BE LIKE THEM…IN ORDER TO INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN….
HE COUNSELS A RICH YOUNG RULER AND TELLS HIM THAT TO INHERIT ETERNAL LIFE….. HE MUST SELL ALL HIS POSSESSIONS AND FOLLOW HIM…
HE TEACHES THAT “WITH GOD ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE…”
JESUS THEN PREDICTS FOR THE THIRD TIME…. HIS DEATH AND RESURRECTION…
HE TEACHES US THAT THERE IS GREATNESS IN SERVING…….
AND NOW WE FIND JESUS…… COMING THROUGH JERICHO.
(V46) OUR TEXT TELLS US …….THAT AS THEY WERE LEAVING OUT OF JERICHO…… THERE WAS A BLIND MAN NAMED BARTIMAEUS...SITTING BY THE ROAD BEGGING……
BROTHERS AND SISTERS…….NOT ONLY HAVE I LEARNED THAT WE …..MUST ……UNDERSTAND THE PAST………..TO APPRECIATE THE FUTURE……
BUT I’VE ALSO LEARNED THAT WHEN YOU TRACE THE ETYMOLOGY OF A WORD….…… IN OTHER WORDS…… THE HISTORY OF A WORD……
ESPECIALLY WHEN DEALING WITH SCRIPTURE…..
IT GIVES YOU A BETTER PICTURE OF THE WHOLE ACCOUNT......
YOU SEE….
THE ETYMOLOGY OR HISTORY…..OF THE WORD JERICHO MEANS CURSED...
IT BECAME KNOWN AS THE ACCURSED PLACE BECAUSE WHEN JOSHUA CAPTURED IT…..WE SEE OVER IN JOSHUA 6:26 THE WORD OF GOD TELLS US
Joshua 6:26 (NRSV)
Joshua then pronounced this oath, saying,
“Cursed before the Lord be anyone who tries
to build this city—this Jericho!
At the cost of his firstborn he shall lay its foundation,
and at the cost of his youngest he shall set up its gates!”
…..HE CURSED IT.…..
SO HERE WE HAVE THIS CURSED CITY……AND JESUS IS COMING THROUGH IT….
AND I DON‘T KNOW ABOUT YOU SAINTS…..BUT
ISN’T IT GOOD TO KNOW THAT……
JESUS WILL GO PLACES THAT ARE CONSIDERED TO BE CURSED….
PAUSE
SO IN OUR TEXT……
.... AS HE WAS LEAVING JERICHO……HE MET A MAN NAMED BARTIMAEUS THAT LIVED THERE...!
AND WHAT WE FIND FROM OUR WORD STUDY…. YOU’LL FIND OUT THAT…..FROM THE NAME BAR-TI-MAEUS….
THAT
‘BAR,’ ……IS AN ARAMAIC PREFIX THAT MEANS ‘SON OF...’
SO….IN OTHER WORDS……HE WAS THE ‘SON OF’ TIMAEUS...
STAY WITH ME….. ALL OF THE BIBLE SCHOLARS IN HERE………..I’M GOING SOMEWHERE…..
THEREFORE …….WE CAN CONCLUDE THAT
BAR-TI-MAEUS WAS REALLY NOT HIS NAME...!
IT SIMPLY IDENTIFIES HIM WITH HIS FAMILY...
YOU SEE……..TIMAEUS IS HIS FATHER’S NAME...
BUT IF YOU DIG JUST A LITTLE FURTHER ……TO THE ROOT OF THE NAME TIMAEUS…..
YOU WILL FIND THAT THE HEBREW CONNOTATION OF THAT NAME MEANS UNCLEAN
TIM MAY……MEANS UNCLEAN….POLLUTED, NASTY, DIRTY, CORRUPT, FILTHY (YOU GET THE PICTURE)...
SO BAR-TI-MAEUS MEANS "THE SON OF THE UNCLEAN."
IN OTHER WORDS……HE’S THE SON OF A FILTHY MAN... THE SON OF THE CORRUPT MAN... THE SON OF THE MESSED-UP MAN...! AND HE LIVED IN THE CURSED CITY...! (TALK ABOUT BEING TORE UP FROM THE FLOOR UP)…..
SO HERE WE HAVE A MAN…
THE PLACE THAT HE LIVED WAS CURSED... HIS PEOPLE WERE NASTY... HE COULDN’T SEE…
AND TO TOP IT OFF……. AND ADD INSULT TO INJURY………. THE TEXT SAYS THAT HE WAS A BEGGAR…
HE WAS DEPENDENT... LIVING ON THE GENEROSITY OF OTHERS...! TELL SOMEBODY, “HE HAD SET BACKS...!”
I’M SURE SOME OF US CAN IDENTIFY WITH BARTIMAEUS HERE….
IN THE FACT …..JUST LIKE BARTIMAEUS WE ALL…… HAVE SOME SET BACKS IN LIFE… WE HAVE SOME PROBLEMS… WE HAVE SOME DIFFICULTIES…
BUT THE REAL TRAGEDY HERE IS SOMETIMES WE ALLOW OUR SET BACKS TO HOLD US BACK
WE ALSO HAVE THE TENDENCY TO MAJOR IN OUR SET BACKS… TO MAJOR IN OUR PROBLEMS... TO MAJOR IN OUR DIFFICULTIES… BUT I WANT TO SERVE NOTICE TODAY…
THAT YOU CAN SPRING UP FROM YOUR SET BACKS…....! YOU CAN DEFEAT YOUR DIFFICULTIES...!
YOU CAN MASTER YOUR MISFORTUNE...!
I BELIEVE THERE ARE THREE ISSUES IN THIS TEXT THAT WE NEED CONSIDER… IF WE ARE TO BE SUCCESSFUL ....TO SPRING UP FROM OUR SET BACKS...!
I BELIEVE THE TEXT ENCOURAGES US TO……
I. CONCENTRATE ON YOUR ABILITIES (V47)
THE REASON WE CAN’T RISE ABOVE OUR HANG-UPS SOMETIMES……IS BECAUSE WE GET SO FOCUSED ON OUR DEFICIENCIES…..
THAT WE IGNORE OUR ABILITIES…!
LOOK AT (V 47) Mark 10:47
When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
"AND WHEN HE HEARD THAT IT WAS JESUS…"
TELL SOMEBODY, "HE HEARD…!"
HE WAS BLIND, BUT HE WAS NOT DEAF…!
MOST OF US WOULD SPEND OUR TIME COMPLAINING ABOUT BEING BLIND, AND IGNORE THE FACT THAT WE COULD HEAR…! "
SO MANY PEOPLE WANT TO HAVE A PITY PARTY, AND MOAN AND GROAN ABOUT WHAT THEY DON’T HAVE......
BUT YOU BETTER THANK GOD FOR WHAT YOU DO HAVE…!
"CONCENTRATE ON YOUR ABILITIES…!" GOD HAS BLESSED YOU WITH ABILITIES.......
PAUSE
IT’S A SCIENTIFIC FACT THAT WHEN NATURE TAKES AWAY ONE SENSE…..
THE OTHERS WILL BECOME STRONGER TO MAINTAIN THE BALANCE…
YOU SEE……HE WAS BLIND… BUT HIS HEARING WAS QUICKENED AND HEIGHTENED…!
IN OTHER WORDS, WHATEVER IS MESSED UP IN YOUR LIFE, LOOK AROUND… BECAUSE GOD WILL COMPENSATE FOR THE MESS UP IN YOUR LIFE BY BALANCING YOU OUT IN OTHER AREAS…!
YOU SEE...... "HE COULDN’T SEE, BUT HE CAN HEAR…!"
(BUT LOOK AT THIS.…) NOT ONLY DID HE HEAR
BUT HEARD ……WHO IT WAS…! (V47 SAYS….HE HEARD IT WAS JESUS OF NAZARETH)
IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE FOR HIM TO SEE …..WHO IT WAS ……BECAUSE HE WAS BLIND …..BUT THE TEXT SAYS… (HE HEARD IT WAS JESUS OF NAZARETH)
NOW….. I WASN’T THERE……BUT I DON’T BELIEVE JESUS WAS PASSING THROUGH JERICHO….SHOUTING OUT WHO HE WAS……
WHICH MEANS THAT …….
NOT ONLY DID HE HAVE THE ABILITY TO HEAR….. BUT HE ALSO HAD SOCIAL SKILLS… HE KNEW HOW TO TALK…..AND ASKED SOME QUESTIONS
HE KNEW SOMETHING WAS HAPPENING BECAUSE HE HEARD NOISES, SO HE HAD TO ASK SOMEBODY WHAT WAS GOING ON…!
YOU SEE…..
ONE OF OUR BIGGEST PROBLEMS TODAY …… IS WE’RE NOT RISK TAKERS…
WE DON’T STEP OUT…ON FAITH!
THAT’S THE REASON WE STAY DEFEATED… BECAUSE WE LAY DOWN TOO QUICKLY, BUT YOU’VE GOT TO GET UP…!
IF YOU CAN’T SEE, TELL SOMEBODY, "HOLD MY HAND, LEAD ME…" BUT YOU’VE GOT TO GET UP…! DON’T’ LAY DOWN GET UP…!
MOST FOLKS WOULD RATHER LAY DOWN THAN TRY…!
BUT YOU’VE GOT TO RISE UP…! STOP MAKING EXCUSES…STOP BLAMING OTHERS… JUST GET UP…! CONCENTRATE ON YOUR ABILITIES…!
NOT ONLY COULD HE HEAR…… BUT HE COULD ALSO SPEAK…!
AFTER HE FOUND OUT WHAT WAS GOING ON…..AND JESUS WAS ON THE SCENE……. THE TEXT SAYS HE CRIED OUT AND SAID, "JESUS, SON OF DAVID, HAVE MERCY ON ME...!"
I CAN’T SEE YOU……. BUT I KNOW THAT YOU ARE AROUND… "
JESUS, SON OF DAVID, HAVE MERCY ON ME…!"
I LIVE IN THIS CURSED PLACE BUT…"JESUS, SON OF DAVID, HAVE MERCY ON ME…!"
MY FAMILY IS ALL JACKED UP BUT… I’M A BEGGAR BUT…"JESUS, SON OF DAVID, HAVE MERCY ON ME…!"
AND WHEN YOU’RE GOING THROUGH….
……YOU HAVE TO MAKE IT PERSONAL…..
I KNOW I’M NOT WORTHY TO STAND BEFORE YOU BUT… "JESUS, SON OF DAVID, HAVE MERCY ON ME…!"
I KNOW I HAVEN’T ALWAYS DONE YOUR WILL BUT… "JESUS, SON OF DAVID, HAVE MERCY ON ME…!"
I KNOW I DON’T LOVE EVERYBODY LIKE I’M SUPPOSE TO BUT…"JESUS, SON OF DAVID, HAVE MERCY ON ME…!"
I KNOW I DON’T ALWAYS TREAT MY NEIGHBOR RIGHT BUT… "JESUS, SON OF DAVID, HAVE MERCY ON ME…!"
I KNOW THAT I’VE MESSED UP.....BUT “JESUS, SON OF DAVID, HAVE MERCY ON ME!!”
DO I HAVE A WITNESS……
PAUSE
REMEMBER NOW, HE WAS BLIND…..BUT HE COULD HEAR AND SPEAK…. AND THE ONLY THING HE COULD DO TO GET JESUS’ ATTENTION WAS TO KEEP SAYING, "JESUS, SON OF DAVID, HAVE MERCY ON ME…!"
HE HAD TO MAKE ENOUGH NOISE SO THAT WHEREVER JESUS WAS, HE CAN FIND HIM…!
HE COULDN’T FIND JESUS, SO JESUS MUST FIND HIM… AND IN ORDER FOR JESUS TO FIND HIM, HE MUST CONTINUE TO CRY OUT, "JESUS, SON OF DAVID, HAVE MERCY ON ME…!""
WHAT I’M TRYING TO SAY FIRST MOUNT ZION....….. IS THAT WHENEVER YOU WANT SOMETHING FROM THE LORD,
SOMETIMES YOU’VE GOT TO LEARN HOW TO USE WHAT YOU HAVE…!
YOU’VE GOT TO LEARN HOW TO BE PERSISTENT…! IF YOU WANT TO ATTRACT THE ATTENTION OF HEAVEN… YOU’VE GOT TO HAVE THE INCLINATION TO ADMIT AND CONFESS YOUR SHORTCOMINGS…
"JESUS, SON OF DAVID, HAVE MERCY ON ME…!"
IF YOU WANT SPRING UP FROM YOUR SET BACKS THE FIRST THING THAT YOU HAVE TO DO IS CONCENTRATE ON YOUR ABILITIES…!
BUT THEN I BELIEVE THE TEXT GIVES US ANOTHER POINT WE LEARN FROM…….
LET ME SUGGEST THAT
II. QUIT LISTENING TO YOUR HATERS (V 48-49)
Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
(V48) THEY TOLD HIM TO SHUT UP…! BUT IF YOU WANT TO GET SOMETHING FROM GOD;
YOU’VE GOT TO LEARN HOW TO OVERCOME FOLKS…!
YOU’VE GOT TO LEARN HOW TO TURN A DEAF EAR… TO THE HATERS
HOW TO PUT ON BLINDERS WHEN IT COMES TO PUBLIC OPINION…
IF YOU DON’T OVERCOME SOME FOLK, YOU WILL NEVER GET TO YOUR DESTINATION…
YOU CAN’T GET STUCK AT THE BAR OF PUBLIC OPINION.
LISTEN FIRST MOUNT ZION......
IF BARTIMAEUS HAD LISTEN TO THE CROWD, HE’D STILL BE BLIND…
WE’VE GOT TO LEARN HOW TO QUIT LISTENING TO YOUR HATERS…!
ALSO NOTICE THAT THE TEXT SAYS.....”MANY STERNLY ORDERED HIM TO BE QUIET”.....YOUR VERSION MAY SAY..... "AND MANY WARNED HIM TO BE QUIET…"
THIS SUGGESTS TO US THAT SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT TOLD HIM TO SHUT UP WERE ….JESUS’ VERY OWN THE DISCIPLES (SEE V46)…
They came to Jericho. As he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside.
HE WAS MAKING A LOT OF NOISE CRYING OUT TO THE LORD… BUT THEY TOLD HIM "SHUT UP…!”
WHENEVER YOU ARE TRYING TO MOVE FORWARD IN THE THINGS OF GOD…
THERE ARE PEOPLE (EVEN CHURCH FOLK) TRYING TO SHUT YOU UP…
MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS…..WE’VE GOT TO LEARN HOW TO QUIT LISTENING TO OUR HATERS…!
YOU SEE THERE ARE OTHERS IN THE BIBLE THAT HAD HATERS....
DAVID HAD TO QUIT LISTENING TO HIS HATERS WHEN THIS AUTHORITY CAME INTO QUESTION…
ALL OF JERUSALEM SEEMED TO HAD TURNED THEIR BACK ON THE KING, BUT HE KEPT HIS HAND IN THE MASTER’S HAND… HE DIDN’T GET WRAPPED UP IN WHAT HIS HATERS WERE SAYING
HE HELD TO GOD’S UNCHANGING HAND…
NOAH KNEW SOMETHING ABOUT NOT LISTENING TO HATERS…….
EVERYBODY THOUGHT HE WAS A FOOL......BUILDING AN ARK ON DRY LAND.....
BUT HE OBEYED TO THE COMMANDMENT OF THE LORD…
PROVERBS 24:16 SAYS, "THE RIGHTEOUS MAN MAY FALL SEVEN TIMES AND RISE AGAIN, BUT THE WICKED MAN SHALL FALL ONCE AND LAY DOWN…"
FOLKS MAY TELL YOU TO SHUT UP…
BUT JUST KEEP ON GETTING UP….AND CRYING,
"JESUS, SON OF DAVID, HAVE MERCY ON ME…!”
YOU’VE GOT TO DO WHAT YOU’VE GOT TO DO…
IN ORDER TO GET THROUGH…!
WHEN FOLKS TELL YOU TO SHUT UP… YOU’VE GOT TO PRESS FORWARD… WHY…?
BECAUSE YOU’VE GOT SOMETHING TO GET FROM GOD... AND IN ORDER TO GET IT… SOMETIMES YOU’VE GOT TO BE PERSISTENT…!
THE ONLY WAY BARTIMAEUS COULD GET JESUS’ ATTENTION WAS BY CRYING OUT…
SOMETIMES THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN GET TO THE LORD IS BY PERSISTENT CRYING…!
YOU’VE GOT TO DO WHAT YOU’VE GOT TO DO… IN ORDER TO GET THROUGH…!
THE OTHER FOLKS COULD SEE, THEY DIDN’T NEED ANYTHING FROM GOD…
BUT IF YOU’VE GOT A NEED, YOU CAN’T HOLD YOUR PEACE…! THEY TOLD HIM TO SHUT UP… BUT HE CRIED, "JESUS, SON OF DAVID, HAVE MERCY ON ME…!"
PEOPLE MAY TELL YOU TO SHUT UP…BUT YOU’VE GOT TO KEEP ON CRYING… KEEP ON PRESSING… KEEP ON PUSHING……. UNTIL YOU GET YOUR BREAKTHROUGH…!
YOU’VE TO LEARN HOW TO PERSEVERE AND QUIT LISTENING TO YOUR HATERS
HERE WAS A BLIND MAN… FROM A CURSED CITY…WITH A MESSED UP FAMILY… AND HE WAS A BEGGAR… BUT BECAUSE HE QUIT LISTENING TO HIS HATERS…….HE WAS ABLE TO STOP JESUS…!
LOOK AT V49….
Jesus stood still and said, “Call him here.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart; get up, he is calling you.”
JESUS USED TO THE SAME PEOPLE WHO TOLD HIM TO SHUT UP, TO TELL HIM TO "CALL HIM HERE…!"
THE VERY PEOPLE WHO TRY TO SHUT YOU UP, WILL SUDDENLY TURN IN YOUR FAVOR… IF YOU PERSIST… IF YOU PRESS…
IF YOU CAN CONCENTRATE ON ABILITIES…AND QUIT LISTENING TO YOUR HATERS…
III. CAST AWAY WHAT KEEPS YOU BOUND (V 50-52)
(V50) FINALLY, IF YOU WANT TO SPRING UP FROM YOUR SETBACKS … YOU’VE GOT TO CAST AWAY WHAT KEEPS YOU BOUND…!
So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus.
YOU SEE……AS I SAID BEFORE…..IN ORDER TO APPRECIATE THE PRESENT…..YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THE PAST……..
IN ANCIENT TIMES THROUGHOUT THE MIDDLE EAST
BEGGARS WORE WHAT IS CALLED… A TUNIC MADE OF CAMEL’S HAIR…… AND IT WAS AN OUTER GARMENT……..USED AS PROTECTION FROM THE ELEMENTS…
WHEN THE BEGGARS WOULD SIT BY THE ROADSIDE…..
THEY WOULD COVER THEMSELVES WITH THE TUNIC
AND LET ME SUGGEST THAT…..
HE HAD THE TUNIC POSITIONED OVER HIS KNEES TO CATCH THE COINS….. THROWN HIS WAY AS HE BEGGED. THE TUNIC WAS HIS CRUTCH….IT WAS A DEPENDENCY ….. AND IT KEPT HIM BOUND.
(WATCH THIS…)
SO WHEN THEY TOLD BARTIMAEUS IN VERSE 49, "BE OF GOOD CHEER. RISE. HE IS CALLING YOU…" THE FIRST THING HE DID IN VERSE 50, WAS THROW OFF HIS CAMEL’S-TUNIC…! HE CASTED AWAY…WHAT KEPT HIM BOUND…….HE KNEW HE WASN’T GONNA NEED THAT OUTER GARMENT ANYMORE…
YOU SEE……
WHEN YOU TAKE OFF YOUR OUTER GARMENT, THE REAL YOU IS EXPOSED…
WHEN YOU TAKE OFF YOUR OUTER GARMENT, YOU’RE EXPOSED TO A ELEMENTS AND AILMENTS OF THIS WORLD…
WHEN YOU TAKE OFF YOUR OUTER GARMENT, EVERYBODY SEES EVERYTHING ABOUT YOU…
THAT MAY SEEM LIKE A BAD THING TO SOME, BUT ITS ACTUALLY GOOD NEWS…
YOU SEE WHEN YOU TAKE OFF YOUR OUTER GARMENT, THAT’S WHEN JESUS CAN REACH YOU…
WHEN YOU TAKE OFF YOUR OUTER GARMENT, THAT’S WHEN JESUS CAN HEAL YOU INFIRMITIES…
WHEN YOU TAKE OFF YOUR OUTER GARMENT, THAT’S WHEN JESUS CAN HELP YOU DEAL WITH YOUR SETBACKS…!
IF I CAN BE REAL WITH YOU….….WE DON’T EXPOSE OURSELVES TO JESUS…..WE DON’T PUT DOWN OUR PRIDE…..OUR EGOS…….AND LAY PROSTRATE BEFORE HIM…….EXPOSING OURSELVES…
DO I HAVE A WITNESS….
LET ME SEE IF I CAN BRING THIS TO THE 21ST CENTURY…..
YOU SEE WHEN MOST PEOPLE HAVE AN ILLNESS OR THEY’RE SICK….. THEY RUN TO THE DOCTOR…
BUT IF YOU CHECK THE CREDENTIALS OF A DOCTOR… YOU WILL DISCOVER THAT HE OR SHE IS SOMEONE WHO SPENT 8 YEARS LEARNING HOW TO PRACTICE MEDICINE…!
BUT WHEN YOU TAKE OFF YOUR OUTER GARMENT……CAST AWAY WHAT KEEPS YOU BOUND……. THAT’S WHEN JESUS CAN TOUCH YOU…
AND YOU’LL DISCOVER THAT HE’S MORE THAN A DOCTOR…
YOU’LL DISCOVER THAT HE’S A HEALER…!
YOU SEE THE DOCTOR CAN ONLY TREAT YOUR ILLNESS…
I’VE COME TO LET YOU KNOW GREATER GALILEE..
THAT JESUS CAN HEAL YOU… NOT JUST PHYSICALLY……BUT SPIRITUALLY AS WELL…! THERE’S POWER IN THE NAME OF JESUS…!
AND ……
WHEN MOST PEOPLE…..GET INTO TROUBLE WITH THE LAW... THEY RUN AND GET A LAWYER…
BUT IF YOU CHECK OUT THE CREDENTIALS OF A LAWYER…
YOU WILL DISCOVER THAT HE OR SHE IS SOMEONE THAT SPENT 4 YEARS IN LAW SCHOOL LEARNING HOW TO PRACTICE LAW…!
BUT WHEN YOU TAKE OFF YOUR OUTER GARMENT……CASTING AWAY WHAT KEEPS YOU BOUND……THAT’S WHEN JESUS CAN COME IN THE MIDST OF YOUR SITUATION AND CIRCUMSTANCE
AND YOU WILL DISCOVER THAT HE IS MORE THAN A LAWYER…
IN FACT….. JOHN SAYS THAT HE IS THE ADVOCATE… HE IS THE RIGHTEOUS ONE… THAT STANDS IN MY PLACE…!
I DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT I’M GOING TO CAST OFF MY OUTER GARMENT……CAST AWAY WHAT KEEPS ME BOUND….… TAKE OFF JACKET
I’M GOING TO OPEN MYSELF UP…SO THAT JESUS CAN HAVE HIS WAY…
I’M GOING TO SHOUT …“FATHER I STRETCH…!”
THERE’S NO OTHER HELP I KNOW….
BECAUSE WHEN I STRETCH… I KNOW JESUS WILL GRAB MY HAND …..
HE’S ABLE……RISE ABOVE YOUR HANG UPS
HE’S ABLE…..STEP OVER YOUR STUMBLING BLOCK
HE’S ABLE…..THE ALPHA AND OMEGA
HE’S ABLE……JEHOVAH JIREH.
HE’S ABLE……MY ROCK AND MY REFUGE
HE’S ABLE……THE AUTHOR AND FINISHER OF MY FAITH.
HE’S ABLE……THE WAY THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE
HE’S ABLE……THE BREAD OF LIFE
HE’S ABLE……..THE LIVING WATER……..
HE’S ABLE…… THE LION AND THE LAMB
HE’S ABLE……THE GREAT I AM
(step away from pulpit)
SPRING UP.....FROM YOUR SET BACKS....
SPRING UP....FROM YOUR SET BACKS.....
SPRING UP .....FROM YOUR SET BACKS....
YOU HAVE TO STEP OUT ON FAITH....AND TRUST THAT GOD IS ABLE...
SAY YEAH!!