The Iron Did Swim

Seen it all praise the Lord but Cindy is pregnant and number 11. Hey, some of you may not know but I'm just telling you how much longer do you have in your pregnancy?

In March, so rather quickly, I'm not sure but I think there's only like two or three in front of you. But praise the Lord if you're looking to be number 12, let me know and we'll put you on the docket and I'm telling you it will will just that we will rejoice with you also. I like kids. Can you tell that I like kids I encourage that Michelle has just slowed down thing. They don't need another kid. I'm like 10. I need a bunch of kid probably what they were like when they were kids and some of your life. I hope they're better than I was when I was a kid. I love kids. I think that it's a healthy environment when your church your in your city as having children. I think it's a beautiful thing to have kids bouncing around here. Now they if they were all like me God help us, but we do have another saying in the house. Zane Calderon he is a fine little Feller and I'm so proud of him. They've moved back Wendy Carlos. Would you stand up please? I know they've already introduced you but would you both stand up we are so honored so happy so blessed to have you home. So thank the Lord they have you didn't know they were they were pregnant and it had their children. I don't know, California. California okay. They had their children while they were gone, but that they had twins. They had two little babies name Hosea and Zayn and I don't know where you got that name Zane, but boy, I tell you what, you've tagged him down guys. You have tagged at child with a name that he will have to live down for the rest of his life praise the Lord for him, and you guys are honored to have you guys so thankful. If you have your Bibles with you. I want you to turn with me to a message that I preached as bad as many times and other other places. I preached to hear and Years Gone by so you might want to tell me Silently, but it's in second Kings chapter 6 and I'm tired of it before and the iron did swim or sink or swim or something of that nature. I preached and several different states that if I have an opportunity to go anywhere very many times. I pull this one out of the out of the cupboard in I think I enjoyed I like it because it speaks to me and I don't know if it's speak to you, but I hope it does in and so if you allow me to preach this message once again, and it's found in second Kings chapter 6 verse 1 you would would you please stand for the reading of the word of God 2nd Kings chapter 6 verse 1 if you found that and Would you say Amen? All right, it reads like this and the sons of the prophets sent to Elisha butthole. Now the place where we dwell with thee is too straight for us or too small for us. Let us go with Frazee and to Jordan and take things every man of beam. And let him make us a place there where we made well and he answered go you and one said be content. I pray thee and go with thy servants you saying that the Elijah and he answered I will go so he went with them and when they came to Jordan they cut down wood, but that's one was failing or cutting down a tree fell off into the water and he cried and said I last master or Lord for it was borrowed and a man of God said where where did any showed him the place? I need cut down the stick and he casted in theater and the iron the ax-head did swim. Therefore said he take it up to the he put out his hand and took it rather. Well, we're glad to have you here. I know you took a stumble. But what don't kill us makes us stronger and praise the Lord. I thank God that you hear what you asked. Blessings upon this message.

listen to the message this morning in the word of God is sharper than

God I'm so blessed.

Thank you, Jesus.

Amen. Amen. You may be seated. Well as you probably mention when's Last time I play chess.

09. Thank you.

Yeah three times.

Wow. Goodnotes, girl goodnotes all I got them, but I didn't get that you're missing, Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma and a few places in between. I just like this message. What can I say? What can I say? I like it it I just I think it's important that we understand that this was a place in Jericho high quality H2O come and bring that to me. Thanks. Sorry. You're a good man will almost feel fit.

Well, this was a this was Jericho and reason why they say it was because back in chapter 2 verse I think 5 and verse 5 chapter 2. It says that they were there at Jericho didn't say that this wasn't happening but they Manor stand of these two places where the same and so is that was Jericho and in the one that they they they had the sons of the prophets these these if you will preacher boys, these preacher boys were gathering together. They're going to Seminary if you will. I wouldn't call that then they were gathering together wanting to do the will of God. I wanted men together and to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ of God himself. So they bring the men together in and their Professor if you will Was Elijah and I don't know about you but that have been pretty snazzy to have your professor being Elijah or Elijah or Paul or some of that nature. That would be pretty pretty strong. I'm unfortunately don't know if we had in our secular world today many professors with that kind of criteria and resume. So we have these gentlemen here and they are in Elijah has been making the circuit and he he come back by Jericho and and his his school was there in and we see that they were it was it was growing and Elijah had been having an influence on the people around him. And I think that's important that we understand that we ought to have some influence and we ought to be able to gather people we ought to be able to have men and women around us that want to know what's going on in your life. And I want some of that. I like that that's that's good. That's that's powerful and if we have people running from us, and we've got a problem we need to ask ourselves. Why don't people want to know about the word of God? And so we see here Elijah if I say Elijah and Elisha. I've done that before but we see here that this story is a beautiful story when he gets to them. They tell them tell Elijah the place where we dwell with with the it's too straight or too small for us and not enough room beautiful problem 1/2. There's not enough room for the growth and I'm just telling you right now when we started building this building we thought that we had built us a nursery if those of you that remember the nursery over on the other side of town raise your hand if you remember that nurse a few of you do some of you remember been in there.

working not like maybe some of your I don't know.

But it was a it was a small little area over there. And when we we thought we had a ride let me how we said what we want this big old nursery and two sides for two kids two different ages brackets and boys going to have room for everything. No, no not anymore. Now Charlotte wants to take my office and give it to the kids. Let's give your office to the kids.

Too small too much growth a lot of things going on and I'm just excited about what was happening here today, but I don't know that that was a situation going on then they were gathering men of God and they wanted to learn from from the from this this great man of God named Elijah and what they had them build and they were meeting in with just simply too small. I understand that there's a need for growth and he said it was too small was just too little and and I liked it when he approached the man of God and and they said that it was too small and it was not a lot of quibble. Not a lot of a lot of back-and-forth there wasn't he was just pretty pretty sure and went straight to it. And then he said okay, let us go when we pray thee into Jordan and intake fence every man a bean and I thought to myself that we we step through this lesson here this message. It says let every man woman boy or girl no matter who you are. What take part and grow in the house of God. He said to take every take this every man. I've been another word a tree every person needs to find a tree every person needs to find a beam because of that time they were going to the river Jordan. They're going to chop down the street and they were going to build a bigger place to serve the Lord We're all going to go out and find them a tree that they were going to cut down human down take all the branches on it and make it a rough cut board beam. And that's what they were going to build is going to be much like a log house if you will and so this was what their job they had already told him. Everybody needs to be doing their part cutting down there be cutting down their tree and God was going to do something special by their own hands by their labor by what God is going to give them the talent and the resources they took to cut down their tree just they needed to find one. I'm so they took him to the place. They took them there and I believe it speaks to us that every one of us has a purpose. I don't know if you're a woodwind or you're cutting down trees or not. That's may not be the point here. But just even Wednesday night. I preached about that how many different types of gifts and how many different type of officers and how many different types of functions there were right here in the house of. The mini minutes. If not thousands of opportunities right here in our church else to do something for the kingdom of God. So every man take a bean is kind of important that not person not some people work not some people do it. Not just the rich not just the educated not just one gender not just one race, but everybody take a bean. Everybody get to work. Everybody do something for the kingdom of God. Because if we start saying only they can do it and only they should do it and only they're capable of doing it before you start giving it up and and and and dividing people look like that then only all of a sudden we become a church of clicks. We've become a church and only certain people can do it only the elders only the vist and only the talented and got permit only the rich can do this. No, I believe everybody needs to get them something. Take a beam get a tree and start chopping. And so I think that it starts out very inclusive not exclusive you want to know one of the Church of the United States of America want to know the problem a lot of churches there exclusive often times. If I drunk would walk through the door dressed like a drunk. Let me tell you what I dress like later. smelling like a drunk And some of you may not know what it smells like. Walking like a drunk some of you may not know what I'm drunk walk. Like I'll tell you later. If I were to walk through the door Sometimes some people some Churches someplace to look at them and say, maybe they wouldn't even say a word but their body language and their demeanor would say you're really not welcome here. We just assumed you go somewhere else. Why don't you go back to your people? Why don't you go back to the people that you hung out with if that is not the case with a drunk it certainly is with a drug addict. If it's not the drug addict it certainly with a man that has been unfaithful to his wife a woman that has been unfaithful the person that has had their children taken away or whatever might be the reason we might look down upon them and say what's wrong with you.

Why are you that way, but by the grace of God there goes I It's very easily very likely could have very easily been means if that was one of those people for I truly have.

issues have had him for all my life, but by the blood of the Lamb I covered them by the blood of the lamb and he has forgiven me for those.

Government take a beam. or if you're not Can I suggest to you that you're part of the problem not part of the solution?

Get to work. You busy.

You argue a lot less. You'll find a lot less you'll find a lot less prejudiced than yourself. When you start to work. He said every man get a beam every person take the inside every man of being let us make us a place. Let's go and build something that we could all enjoy what we've made you and he answered. Oh, yeah, that's a great idea of what to be a great idea of everybody got busy cleaning their own backyard instead of worrying about somebody else's backyard. Get the beam out of your own eye before you start working on the speck in somebody else's eye. When it be nice that we would look at ourselves before we would look at others and say maybe I could clean up the way I do things before I try to clean up everybody everybody else. He said they don't let's do that. But I do still at the House of Gold has been somewhat place to worship God and learn about God. He answered and verse 3 answered. He said in once a week until I pray thee and go with the servants and he answered I will go it is my opinion that Zane Brooks ought to be able to do if I'm going to tell you I ought to do it myself. If I tell you to do this or that I ought to make sure that I'm trying my level best to do it myself and I believe it would it be incumbent upon you today Father mother if you're telling your children not to do something, you might not all I want to do it yourself for truly. It is coming days and just I'm just telling you that it'll come up the kids are not dumb. They remember they see you think they don't see they see you doing it and then Parallel things that are probably the same same thing. Maybe not the same people maybe not the same a money, but it's the same thing what you do at work. They're doing at school. He won't want them to do it. But you do it yourself you tell you something Christian should never be cussing. No, no, no Christian should not be cussing.

So he said I'll go I love the example. I hope I may not be the greatest. But I hope that when I walk around town now there be a few people that don't like me. That's all right. It's okay, and it made you like me don't you been?

I'll be a few that don't like me but overall. I hope that I can be an example to everywhere and anywhere I go. That you wouldn't be ashamed and you wouldn't be afraid to mention my name in your job. And in your area that when my name is brought up. They may say he's crazy what that's okay that that is true that that is true and men so, you know, they may stay a few that but they'll probably hopefully unless you that one guy that says I never go to that church because he goes to the casino.

We're just say right now. I'm not going to the casino. Just so you know, imma get it. Imma get it and imma get it. And so he was an example here of all things that are holy. He said let's do this and I'll get involved and I will be a part of this and I will bless this first for said so we went with them he went with them you didn't just tell them to do it he went with them and when they came to to Jordan the River Jordan they cut down what they got the they got busy. They started cutting down wood. What is 1 as a person as an individual here we see him but as one was failing or cutting down a beam a tree the act it fell into the water is important this little Frasier they accept fell into the water now had it been like me. Overswinging in hitting the head or hitting the neck of the act and chopping away at the wrong piece of wood and I broke the handle. I'm done XP from experience cuz my dad never was a big fan of having to put new handles into the axe. So this portion here is is a beautiful thought it wouldn't have been. In the scriptures if this was just that he broke it this piece of scripture said that the axe head fell off. It was loose. The head the metal the axe head that went over the handle was loose and it had been loose for a while. You say well, I don't know how long it's been is loose a little while loose enough. To what was going on here is he was trying to swing and he was trying to do his job is trying to be a part of this with the axe head was loose and it fell off no big deal ordinarily ordinarily if your ass had felt falls off falls down on the ground. It don't go that 10-15 feet away. It's no big deal. You walk over if you pick it up and you put it back on your strength in the backup. You keep it from being loose and you go back to work but in some Mary just some family some situations. You probably can follow me where I'm going with this some things if they're loosey-goosey like to just tell you something. Sometimes they fall off and the damage is much much more than just a fallen off over here on the edge. It falls off into the abyss. It falls off two areas that we take now it takes great pains staking abilities to try to fix it again because all the parts are not there anymore. We're trying to fix our marriage. We're trying to fix our homes were trying to fix our children or trying to fix our finances were trying to fix our spiritual life. And all the parts are not there. Actually fell off it was loose it fell off. He was using it. He was he was cutting the wood and it fell off fell into the water. He was obviously close to the edge of the stream of the river shopping at the root of a tree and the axe head fell off because it was loose some reason. He started the job thinking it was okay to Go through life not having a tight handle a good grip. There are those people in if you allow me to say this, there are those people that want to try to have a good marriage. And they simply are not doing what I need to do to have a good marriage.

They're simply saying I'll go through life having a loose axe handle. I'll go through life. Hoping that it won't fall off. Hoping that everything will turn out. Okay, I'll get through this job and you might get through a job and you might get through a year your children might get on in high school. You might get on through retirement, but I want telling you right now. If you continue to chop, if you continue to live and continue to try to go through this with ineffective. Or or or MRSA? effective tools if you will we go through life and we think what it's going to be. Alright as if I hadn't had anything happened to her yet. I hadn't had this that I hadn't done that and had to do with it. Can I tell you that? That's the wrong thinking. You need some preventive maintenance. You need to do something before the problem happens many of you probably agree. I'm not said a little harsh. But before the young lady needs to develop some morals before the young man needs to develop morals. After they're in the backseat of a car, it's too late. They need to develop morals and I need to have Godly value about their body about the relationship with Jesus Christ before they get in the backseat. Because if that's the time you develop moral, it's probably too late.

I believe before you have issues before that, you need to check the ax handle. You need to check the way you do think you need to look are you working with effective good honest and holy Lifestyles. And so we look here and this man this person. He looked he was a sons of the prophet. He looked He was swinging the ax that the head was loose. Maybe your shopping would but eventually the head of the axe is going to fall off and pretty soon. It'll be done. Your day is over. There's no more cutting wood for you. You're going to look around and you're going to say.

He looks to the to Elijah. He looks he said that the axe fell into the water and he cried a last Master for it was bottled. He said this one wasn't even mine and it fell in the water and some of you probably already understand. They probably learn how to smell from put put different types of ingredients to make iron from the Egyptians. And so they were doing this for a long time ago. They understood they had access a long time, but that date was pretty valuable. I mean, I guess it would probably be his Bible or more valuable than maybe a chainsaw and so they have this and he said it fell into the water is his it wasn't even mine. I guarantee you right now might I make maybe a stretch here for the analogy. You're going to have to have something this far more than just borrowed in your life. You're going to have to have something far more than you got from your grandma. Or that you got from a pastor of yours going by or you got from your wife or you got from your mother that used to pray for you. You're going to have to have something far more than then that's just borrowed. It needs to be Personally Yours what I'm talkin about salvation. I'll walk with God. You cannot take your wife's walk with God and apply it to you. You have to have one of those your personal own self and so might I say that the reason why he was so concerned this until it's not even mine. I don't like I've lost this action is not even mine. It was borrow or what am I going to do now? That's the point in it when Trouble Comes and you ain't got something of your own would you ain't got the presence of God of your own? You ain't got the anointing of God on your offer. If you haven't got some some deep Abiding Faith in God when Trouble Comes your running around saying, I don't know what I'm going to do. What am I going to do? I can't find any home but can't find any John. Where am I at what to do my grandma somebody that can help me when realistically God has given all the help you need in the scriptures in the word of God in the face of God. You don't have to run away with you coming to me and telling me to pray for you. But can I tell you right now the real person you need to run to his God and run to him today?

call he said the last Lourdes magistrate was able to borrow. And he cried to him and the man of God how I should look to him and said where did it fall? Where was it? She walked him over to look at them young man, you said? Where did it fall? Where was it at? I don't know you've ever heard my point on this. I really feel like it's important. Because I think today for those people that find themselves. In in a cold and indifferent, maybe a bitter angry hard place. You're discouraged with life in your storage with everything. And it's and it's is an uphill drudgery battle to say the least.

You know what to do.

Someone says where fell it. Where did it stop? Because once about a time you were on fire for God. Once about a time you had a deep Abiding Faith the passion over some of you in this room. So that don't apply to me will praise God but most of us in this room find ourselves occasionally once in a while most of the time all the time.

Feeling very discouraged with life. And you don't know what to do. I don't know where to turn. But I asked you to this question. It was at one time that you love the Lord with such passion such Victorious passion. You was a zealot you was this before before all things that are holy. The very least very smallest the very small things in life. You will regret it.

You stood firm against it. You wouldn't do it not gonna stop not me.

And now things are not quite as strong as they once were. white astringent I asked you where did it fall off? What did it stop? Well, that's where it let that's where things started going bad. the exit fell off here you need to get back to the place where you understand that this place right here is where everything went downhill for everything went bad. that's where I Feliway, that's where I messed up. That's where my Mary just told my children. That's where I begin to use. That's where I begin to be addicted. That's where I begin the downhill spiral out of control with faith with with with now. I'm better now. I'm angry now. I'm jealous all the time. Now. I'm having problems with everybody now. I can't even be a nice.

You remember? For all of you have a different story. I promise you that.

But you remember that cataclysmic day.

You remember the most? Horrible David change the rest of your life. You remember it? Well. Might have been that you had one or two of them. I don't know. but you remember where you got shipped to your core? Remember when you got that phone call about your health or your children were taken away or your marriage split? You remember? It was tough. Maybe some people run to the Lord, but many people run to alternate helps.

Or they don't run it all. get in there bed and include all the covers over their head and I hope Did him just go away? No, it ain't going away. It was the most difficult time in your life and it shook you to your core. And you said it was far old.

I don't even know what to do. Now. It's just so difficult. I don't know how to get another step forward.

I need you to go back. Elijah said where did this happen? and I would probably

I wouldn't think that I'm speaking to a crowd that don't understand this. You can March me back to a Time. Things were so bad. something happened the change your life

it's aborted phone. The young man wants to come over here and he looked down and he said his fell off right here.

It happened right here. And I and I suggest you sir, ma'am that I believe with all my heart and I should say where did it fall and he showed in the place. You're going to have to get back to your place. But you can forgive. Were you can be forgiven? You can move forward in Christ Jesus until you find the place where it all went haywire. Until you get back to a place where you say this right here this time this moment in time was what? Hurt me the worst and I'm still trying to get over that. I'm still trying to find victory in that. I'm still trying to fight. I suggest you today, sir, ma'am. I'm not of a person that needs to go back and live in those days. That's not what I'm suggesting. I'm not a person that believes that you need to memorialize that time. But I am a person who believes that if you can't get past and if you can't get Beyond then you're going to have to say the Lord that I have to tell you. Where did it go bad at? Humanist have to say right here God. You're going to have to say Lord God. I need healing. I need to be fixed. I need restoration. I need reconciliation. I need you Lord to put the app said back on. Put me back in rock Fellowship put me back in a place that I need to be because without that I can't do any work. I can't be a good father a good mother or just the situation maybe took it completely changed in what it used to be but you still have an obligation. You still have an obligation to be a Christian and the best Christian that you possibly can be but many of us struggle even at the vet because we're so hurt and so mad so angry. We see that this story. This is where did it fall and he showed him the place. Can I tell you I believe with all my heart that most of us know. He walked him over there and said right here was the place. Did it all went bad? You may say well I have several of those places and you might. Maybe you need to deal with them instead of just trying to run from him. So I suggest you that you tell the Lord by here Lord God and other words. What is that saying? I confess my sins. I was swinging away with an ax that it was not properly attached. I was trying to swing away trying to do all that I do and all my business and all my efforts and all my things I was swinging away. I was chopping away and I knew

That it wasn't right. It was loose and it was getting looser all the time. I didn't ever think about stopping. Checking it and fixing it. I just said oh. Get through this I think. I'll be careful. I think. We need to go back and say Lord God. Would you please forgive me? Take him back to a place and say God I have yet to deal with this. I've yet to forgive. I'm yet to move forward because I'm certainly not got the ax head back on the axe handle yet. He said where did it fall? He showed him where it fell and he said cut any cut down a stick and the iron did swim. Some people have read. Some people said that he cut that stick down and he floated it underneath the ax head in the in the buoyancy of the wood block the axe head up. I've even heard that he took a stick and got it through the hole in the head and then he lifted it up. Listen, the scripture would not bear out that kind of violence misinterpretation of the word of God. This was a miracle as anything else has been see mankind wants to come up some reason why you can do this or do that to fix your marriage.

To fix your home to fix the alcoholic to fix those gossiping tongues. No bitter Hearts people would say if I could just do this or just be around the right person and I'm a big believer in that. Adults only you got to take it back to him. Why you this way? Anyhow, the Lord God that was a miracle that the axe head did swim. So I asked you this question. It was important. It was valuable. We got that. We got that understanding clear. I hope it's a very valuable piece of up of a tool.

My question is is the man that it was bald cuz he had choices. Did he not his choice was that he could have just don't nobody try to play it off. Like I don't know what happened it just why she shut my luggage out on the front porch. I don't know.

Yes, you do hot rod. Yes you do.

You could do that. You can make a choice or just say I'm going to just leave it down there. Hope nobody saw me walk away and say Hey, where's that at? Play it off like nothing. Nothing to see here.

or you can try to your savior your God. for forgiveness and mercy and help

you can say Lord God. I know I didn't do right. A shopping away with him or the match that was loose. How was it was my fault. I should have done that. I should have did this. I should have had a pretty ritual I could have I could have stopped this before was happening. But what he do now the exes off of head and it's in the water, it's if you What are you doing now? Are you sure you can deny everything and deflect and denying deflecting tonight? Until you actually believe in yourself.

But it does not change the fact. The acted is still in the water lost hopeless. It doesn't change the fact that you got issues. Problems that needs but I'll tell you today. The one that can make the action swim is Jesus Christ God almighty. He's the one that can fix your problems. Threw the stick in the illustration of the cross of Jesus Christ, no matter how large or small it always goes to the calvary. He said he threw it in and the app head did swim another words. It came floating to the top. Amazing to me but not any more amazing than the Red Sea splitting or the donkey talking are the three Hebrew children in the fiery furnace. No more amazing the action team up. Here's what I'm going to leave you with though. God provided the answer he provided the miracle the iron did swim. Therefore said he take it up to the

I'm still here today to tell you that if you want help. You're going to have to take it. I cannot tell you how many times I've done marital counseling emotional counseling whatever accounts.

I can't tell you how much I cancel. and when the end of the day and after my an hour or whatever time that I spent with a person I scratch my head I think will ultimately they're going to have to do it. We'll talk about it. We'll pray about it will even give you the illustrations examples and opportunities when it comes right down to it. You're going to have to take it. B I said there What is crying and whining about is right there in front of me? There was a miracle that has been had the accident swim. Is when they're right in front of you. Your job now is are you going to take it? Are you not? See, there's some people to say. Well, that's a nice try honey, but you still have offended me. Nice try sure you still Finding Me? The axe head is swimming right there in front of you. Are you going to pick it up? Or just walk away. Nothing to see here. Nothing to do here. I suggest to you today that there is those that might look at this and say what did you do? Well, seven tells it and he and he put out his hand and he took it. All was resolved. You think that it's all for hopeless need to be like to come today gets are you might think it's hopeless here today? I don't believe so all you have to do you must do this though when God provides and what God does something an amazing opportunity for you to to to see him fix things. It's important that we do God's will we when he provides it we take it. There's always a door Escape, he would not put on you more than you're able to pay him and with it. He said he would give you a way of Escape now that door that way that that opportunity may not be always easy may not always be popular in always be fun, but I believe I trust that is always going to be there. He said with all my heart, I believe that. He said where did it fall? I'm asking a question today. Where did it fall? Where did it go? What happened? What's going on in your life? And do you want help it? I'll head down in the last closed. Maybe God today is doing. something in your heart

Maybe God is speaking to souls here today. Maybe one or two that would say pastor. I have yet to get any help on that situation that I've been dealing with. taking back and say

I need you to create a miracle here in my life. I need the axe head swim. I need it to I need to go do something that I've never seen before a miracle. I need to forgive and I need to be forgiven. Maybe one would like to come. and say pastor I need salvation.

No heads.

new eyes body looking around maybe God is speaking to you. About going back to a time in your life that still holds great pain and great difficulty and you bring God and say God right? Here's where I I noticed that it's hurt me the worst.

That's you sure man. Would you simply slip up your hand and right back down and say brother's name pray for me. I remember time. Yeah. Yeah. I see that hand a member of time. Yes, ma'am. Remember a time that I was hurt. I need right now more than ever more than any time and to make things. right with God They've come to the Altar and you like to be a part of this prayer. I invite you to come down today and say Lord God. Here it is. This is where it fell off. This is where it turned bad for me as they begin to sing. Why don't you make your way down to this Altar and come and pray come and tell the Lord? Here it is Lord. Here it is.