UMBC AM SERVICE - DEC. 13, 2020
Even so good to be in the Lord's house today. I love that song that the lady sang and I don't know about you but man for me there's nothing better than you Lord. Amen. Amen. If you got your Bibles this morning, we're going to turn over to the third chapter of the Book of Genesis.
Just briefly. As you're turning I'm going to say this and I'm going to see it under the presumption that that we're going to try to halfway. Keep it as much of a surprise as we can. Some of you you you know, that sister Beth is leaving some of you don't sister best moving back up north with her family Sunday beer last service with us. So we do since we've got our Christmas party plan we're going to do it for afterward and he won't get her a card or something like that.
Feel free to I love having a boy around. Amen. The Lord knows just what we need to make us smile. Right when we needed a man, but for sure, we just want to give her our blessings in our love a man and I'ma say this and then I'm done. I'll be done talkin. I just want to remind you you got from the people teaching Sunday school prepare real hard every week whether they're going to have a classroom Fuller or even if they have nobody show up. They prefer just the same way. I just really want to encourage you to To give him a shot give him a chance and and and be blessed. Amen. Amen.
We're going to be over in the Book of Genesis.
I'll show you this before we read and
I would love to sing the garden I would have and I guess one day I will. And it's it. It may not be the exact same Garden. But but when you talk about the Beauty and the Splendor and the the absence of anything dark anything sinful, I mean it's it's going to be it and it's beautiful as the garden was.
There was a problem that that slithered its way in there with it like that. You know, God had told Adam and Eve that you got run of the whole place do with it what you want. Enjoy it you you got dominion over all the the animals and
Enjoy it. You said only thing I'm or ask you. He said if there's one tree over in the center of it and ask the tree of knowledge of Good and Evil. He said just don't needed that one. And I'm sure sure enough they're so much like us instead of focusing on everything they had. They just couldn't escape the thought of the one thing that wasn't supposed to have. And and next thing you know this beautiful garden this beautiful relationship this this this picturesque setting gets in trouble. God is dealing with the Betrayal of of Adam and Eve and unlike us and you say what do you mean like us where did Ben us we would have washed our hands right then and there over this whole notion of a relationship with Humanity.
We would have said you're kidding me right off the bat. This thing has fell apart and we probably would have said no way. But I I just I'm in all and I love the way God deals. When man can listless read this morning in the movie in the 14th verse?
of the third chapter
Did I say 21st?
3 okay. It's so nice to know I actually got it right this time. Not even say it wrong. I don't do that often. in the third chapter of the Book of Genesis in the 14th verse Zoos and the Lord God said unto the serpent. Because thou has done this. Thou Art cursed above all cattle and above every beast of the field a bone. Belly shalt thou go and just shout out to eat all the days of my life.
In this next verse really is where we want to read today and it and it gives you a little insight into God's heart right off the bat. He says and I will put enmity between thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed It shall bruise thy head and don't shout bruise. his heel father truly we love you today. We thank you so much Lord for your goodness for your grace for your mercy. And today Lord. We declare one more time that there's nothing better than you Lord. We sing and rejoice of the great love you have toward us Lord. We we are amazed at the unending mercy that flows for us each day. And I thank you Lord today for each one that's in your house. I thank you Father for each home for each individual and it's just my prayer this morning Lord that someway somehow lured our hearts might be moved that the Holy Ghost would indeed minister to us Lord that you give me the utterance Lord this morning to bring only the words that you want spoken and God that above all that we would be drawn ever so closer to you, too. Hey is my prayer Lord in the name of Jesus and the church says amen. Amen. And amen hallelujah. I tell you I realized today that you're you're you're like, my brother is December you're wearing the tie when you going to get on down to the Christmas message and we'll get there when we get there a man when we get in this reading this morning. We can sit here and I suppose we could spend all morning pointing fingers. I can guess we can spend all morning trying to do some fault-finding and was it a Eve's fault. Was it Adam's fault? Was it the Serpent's fault? Why do things have to happen the way they did in in in in why didn't God just sweep it under the rug or or or we can go on. The wise and the Warriors all day long, but the simple fact is is that a problem stuck its head up and it was a problem that damaged our relationship between God and not just Adam and Eve with you and I even today right on down through time. And I love what takes place you see a a a God that that just rolled out the red carpet amen for Humanity and basically and if this is a fence if I don't mean it offencive, but I'm just saying this figuratively basically got his Goodwill slapped in his face. That's basically what happened betrayal just like that. And so he he surveys this whole situation.
He looks at the serpent. Lisa from this day forward your life will always be a reflection of what's Happening. And then I'm old paraphrase. What he said when he said but I'm going to put enmity or I'm going to create a sense of being enemies between you and Mankind and I want you to know today your adversary friend is your enemy.
and
he said it because of this enemy status. Is going to play out like this.
You might bruise his heel.
and he did he said but he will bruise your head which means he will have the ultimate victory. sew in East Texas term God said I have a plan fell apart. He didn't wash his hands of August. He said I've got a plan. Now, I don't know about y'all, but for me whenever I think I have a plan just what I prefer that thing to unfold rather quickly. Right. I mean it's it's it's like popcorn 90 seconds and you reading let you got a microwave like mine to throw the breaker. So he takes his magical set of a bunch of stuff to keep that from happening and then it takes a minute 20 seconds, but you know that's pushing it. But they have a plan and God had a plan and that plan did not include washing his hands of mankind. now we can get only in God's word and
two chapters on over and Mankind has gotten out of hand again. God looks upon them in the imagination of their heart is evil continuously the wickedness is abounding in and he speaks to Moses and tells Moses. I'm sorry to know until June or what he wants done and he wants an ark built and I don't know about you. But I wonder if somewhere I can find in those four hundred plus days that that art was floating up on the water. If no, I did not want him. Is this his plan?
I don't know about Abraham as he journeyed. The word says that that he searched amen far land that flows with milk and honey. And Abraham had some great day is Abraham had some days. I'm hurt and and that is low as a moment. I sometimes wonder if he wondered. Is this your plan?
We could look at Joseph. the dreamer and man, did he dream that more dreams outside the box. I mean he dreams stuff that even even implied that his mother and father were going to bow down to him and his dad said something that ain't happening.
I mean his brothers hated it. Let's see him come in and say behold the dreamer coming in this bar. That's full of Life full of joy finds itself in the pit. on The Auction Block in the Potiphar's house in prison
But God has a plan.
Maybe the David. The David ran out.
through the valley looked at his countrymen who were setting their knees knocking because of their scared because
There's a guy that's 10 ft tall over there. It's one thing you ever met a gentle giant. You know, they're okay. It's bad when they're not gentle anymore this giant nothing gentle about him. He's not only bad enough to be cursed David and the Israelites. He's cursing God to
I know David sizes him up.
I'll take him on. And as he's running out on the battlefield and he picks up five smooth Stones. Stay with me this morning.
God is is this your plan?
Because quite frankly David running out there don't make a lot of sense. To the eye. into the mind
Maybe I went a little too quickly. Maybe I need to back up and go back down to Egypt.
Goth people have been down there 400 years.
and their slaves
and after 400 years they finally figured out how to pray. and in there praying to God to deliver my fake he testifies that I've heard of their afflictions and their and their prayers have came up and and I'm coming down to deliver all men and he goes looking for somebody to be his spokesman and he finds it. So Shepherd out on the backside of a desert who has a stuttering problem.
It is this your plan.
He steps up to the plate. He goes down to Egypt. stands before pharaoh the next thing you know Egypt turned into a war zone. People are dying by The Grove. And is this your plan?
You look up I mean from the heavens. It's raining fire and brimstone at one point in time. Is this your plan? Darkness for several days, and I'm not talking about Darkness like brother Robert priest on Sunday night, which was amazing and if you wouldn't hear you miss. I mean a a Darkness like like when you can't even see your hand in front of your face and is that for you flan? The cattles are the sheet the livestock across the countryside Dying by the thousands is it you said you had a plan?
Mankind full sicknesses disease balls. I mean it is you said you had a plan though.
They finally or let go out of Egypt when they they come down and to the Red Sea and the Red Sea in front of a mountain on the right Mountain on the left and Egyptian Army Out For Blood bearing down behind them nowhere to go. You said you had a plan.
And you saying earlier that he did because he turned water into a highway. Holly. Luyah stay focused brother.
For the next 40 years. They lived in a desert. Going in circles not because they were lost but because God was leading them.
You said you had a plan?
You see sometimes God's plan. I'm going to just say it to you and to me may not make a lot of sense.
No, that's not a comfortable thing for a preacher to say. But it's very truthful.
Daniel
you are a great man of God. What I was wondering if right when they open their mouth to that pit and you seen all them hungry lines in there. God is this your plan. I would have been praying real quick. Do we need a new plan? And I mean we need it quick. This plan a working I am allergic to tigers.
the three Hebrew children tell you what go King. Yeah.
When are we going to be careful? I will no answer you man. We worried about you or your furnace God we serve is able to deliver us. But if you don't you know, what we still there he is. Okay, you said okay Crank It Up 7 notches.
that wouldn't
her mom was Back to Life.
Amen, I tell you what, I'll take that sound any day of the week. What's troubling when you don't hear that?
God Has a plan. I do not always understand his plan. and most of the time
I've come to a place where I don't even question them about it. I just simply walk one step at a time. He said I know things fell apart in the garden, but I have a plan to fix this. And we wonder woman look at everything that you've gone through. Look at everything. The people went through look at all the suffering look at all the hurt look at all of them. Look at all of the above the waist. Look at me look at all the people that were involved in it while we can even look at that the Babylonian captivity of God's people and think wait a minute. Your people have been carried off into slavery. You said you had a plan and that would understand if you said that and it's so we get on down and roma. This is known as the quiet Years cuz it was no open Vision given and And everybody is waiting on a king.
And a little girl.
a teenager
Probably 14 maybe 15. That's engaged.
Is who he chooses?
He has a plan.
and when the time was fulfilled
she finds herself.
And a horse stable.
But you said you had a plan.
and when Herod wants to commit Mass genocide by slaughtering all of the little boys in the land. He sends an angel to Joseph by nitin and the angel says Get Up and Run. He grabs her and that baby and they take off of all places back down to Egypt.
But he has a plan.
And we fast-forward this thing.
We find.
We find a 33 year old weathered. burden bearing
full of love passionate gentle man
kneeling in a garden
and he's praying so hard. what the word says as he's as he sweating it the sweat look like great drops of blood just falling from him in
and he's praying about this plan.
Because he now that.
That bruise and is healed part is fixing to have.
And as he cries, when we praise we say Lord, is is that your plan?
they arrested him and the false Witnesses come up and distort the things that he said and In the mob is like a like a pack of wolves are piranhas on a Feeding Frenzy and in and we're scratching our heads. Is this your plan and when they time to the to the to the whipping post this cannot be your plan.
when they read back With some long spikes in begin Maryland into an Old Rugged Cross. Wait a minute. You said you had a plan look at the brutality and the next thing you know, the last thing I ever want to see how do you sequence breathe?
Joseph of Arimathea comes along and Nicodemus who come to the Lord by night. Hey, babe, for the body and they lay it in a tomb.
And two days later not three two days. Later.
We're so confused.
We look at this roller coaster down through history.
If people were up they were down they were happy. They were sad. They were victorious they were defeated. They were liberated. They were enslaved.
And now you're playing. has fallen through
the next morning
Asda ladies make their way
down to the garden
and they find the tomb empty.
Or let me let me let me go this chapter.
Miss Mary and Martha had made their way down there. And there's nobody to be found and they began crying. and all of a sudden
there's this angel that appeared. I mean man, he he looked like he had a bowl of shredded lightning for breakfast. I mean, he's bright. And they get told that good news, or I could go to this gospel. Let's let's go to this one instead. When the gardener comes up, that's the best one. That's go to that. When the gardener comes up to him and and she's crying.
He said why are you crying and she said we came to Lawrence the body in the body is not here. She said please tell me what you done with it in
You said Mary?
she Does roof rubonia? Or we can go to that other gospel where the ladies went down there and he said why are you looking for the living among the Dead? I mean we can go to all these places.
But I just simply would choose to say this. Is after all this time and after all they're hurt and Peters & Peters back at the room and he's hiding over the corner. I mean, he's broken his way because he turned his back on him and any sitting there and all of a sudden into this room the disciples come running in their life. Hey, we went down Cemetery. You ain't even going to believe this time. We got there and there was nobody there. The stone was rolled away and we seen an angel and Angel send the most amazing thing. You said ghost tell the disciples and Peter. Amen the go in the Galilee and he stops and he's like wait a minute.
Did he send go in a gallon now back up and said to come tell all of us and you? I don't know about you, but if I'm him after everything, I just did you you would even speak my name?
So I said all that.
to say this
when they got to the Garden at morning
God essentially Reminder to everybody and you and I today. I told you I had a plan.
I told you I had this thing worked out. And if I could paraphrase for him? He would probably say something along the lines of there was so many times that. That you thought I had a band in the plan. He probably would say there was so many times that that with your eyes it look like I had gave up on the plan and or that I had just decided I wasn't going to follow through with the plan. But I promise you he would say but I've never once wasn't committed to that plan. I never once was not committed to fixing this thing with me and you I never once gave up. Hope amen of us getting to that place. Amen and that moment where the relationship between you and I had been broken a man was not restored. And I'm so glad today. I know it's getting close to Christmas time and it and I know you you're you're wanting that that that manger and baby Jesus message, maybe next Sunday. Amen. You have to take that up with the Lord, but I'm so glad that day that God has reminded. Amen me every time that I look at that manger that I'm good. Keeping my promises. It may not be that microwave popcorn deal that you want. It might take days in Mighty might take years a man. But God is Not slack a mental cerning his promises. Amen. God is Not slack when it comes to give wording and I want to tell you today your life may be going up and down. It may seem like some days you are victorious, but other days you are defeated. It might seem like a men most of the time you feel broken, but I want you to know that that you have a God Amen that loves you a menu have 180 men who allow himself to hang Between Heaven and Earth. Amen that you might go free. If you haven't got any men that that does seem down through time. There's going to have to be something special Amen to fix this thing. That's broken between you and I not only did he see amen that it was but he even stepped on up to the plate and said not only knew I have a solution but glory be to God. I'll pay the price and leave the solution. Amen. I'm glad today that we have a covenant keeping God. I'm glad the day that we have a promise. Amen keeping God. I'm glad today. Amen that him keeping his promises a menhaden depending on whether not old brother rat infestation in the volume and allowed to come to pass a man. But he stays faithful. He stays true. He stays loyal and glory be to God in your life. He stays committed Hallelujah. Hey me and read something with me over in the book of Hebrews. Old Lane over everybody look at him and say he Brews. Yeah.
Y'all noticed it's always the preacher's kids y'all everybody didn't know that.
in the 6 chapter
of the book of Hebrews
When you get there safe God has a plan.
God has a plan.
In the 6 chapter of the book of Hebrews. We're going to read to versus enclosing verse 11.
He says I'm we desire that every one of you do show the same diligence to the full of surance of Hope. until the end Unto the end. That you be not slothful but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises. amen in God's plan for you. Is it you stay faithful? to the end
because that plan entails his desire that you inherit the reward Associated to the promise of eternal life. Wherever you're at on this road alive today. I don't know what got you to where you're at and I may not know what's going on there. But I know this God has a plan.
I love what he said y'all y'all y'all come on around I look what he said. He said I know the plans I have for you. They are plans of good and not evil. You know what? I think about Joseph and Joseph got betrayed and had so much wrong done to him. What the whole time it was happening. Just what Satan meant it for evil, but God meant it for good. You know, why Joseph if you don't stay loyal to my calling on your life, your whole family is going to perish.
Noah I've got a plan. In the saving of your family is involved on you moving with fear. about this plan For your life God hasn't looked I don't have a clue what it is.
I don't either I only know. we're it will eventually lead you.
and that is
a place
like no other that is a place. Well, there's no more sorrow. I love the idea. There's no more partying. Hi. I'm so tired of goodbyes.
No more pain.
but most of all
the Pinnacle is it will lead you ultimately this is so amazing.
That the plan is put in place. So very long ago in that Garden is a plan designed to lead you back to him.
That where he is. There you may be. also What's Diane this morning? I know where I'm going a little long, but that's okay cuz God has a plan.
You got a maid in your life today?
regardless of how huge that means going to Howard Hughes that need is regardless of how small that mean.
Jesus has called all men. And and I would I would choose this day of all the days of my life. I would choose today. Ask the Lord to meet that Niger. God has a blank it is a good and beautiful play no matter where you at no matter what's going on with you.
nipple piercing
never loved you anyway.
How about it for you? All he has a plan.