1 00:00:03,080 --> 00:00:05,300 This message is one of the Times Square 2 00:00:05,300 --> 00:00:06,480 Pulpit series. 3 00:00:07,080 --> 00:00:09,300 It was recorded in the sanctuary of Times 4 00:00:09,300 --> 00:00:11,960 Square Church in Manhattan, New York City. 5 00:00:12,640 --> 00:00:15,219 Other tapes are available by writing to World 6 00:00:15,219 --> 00:00:21,260 Challenge PO Box 260, Lindale, Texas 75771 or 7 00:00:21,260 --> 00:00:24,900 calling 214-963-8626. 8 00:00:25,800 --> 00:00:28,460 Many of these messages are copyrighted and you 9 00:00:28,460 --> 00:00:30,920 are welcome to make copies for free distribution 10 00:00:30,920 --> 00:00:31,840 to your friends. 11 00:00:33,080 --> 00:00:36,280 The Gospel of John, chapter 11. 12 00:00:37,620 --> 00:00:39,860 Very familiar, famous story. 13 00:00:41,690 --> 00:00:43,800 I want to talk to you tonight about 14 00:00:44,840 --> 00:00:48,520 getting ready for the next move of God. 15 00:00:49,600 --> 00:00:52,200 Getting ready for the next move of God. 16 00:00:56,960 --> 00:00:59,660 And John, chapter 11. 17 00:01:02,320 --> 00:01:04,440 I'll pick it up at verse 32. 18 00:01:05,280 --> 00:01:08,300 Therefore, when Mary came where Jesus was, she 19 00:01:08,300 --> 00:01:11,300 saw him and fell at his feet saying 20 00:01:11,300 --> 00:01:13,440 to him, Lord, if you had been here, 21 00:01:13,560 --> 00:01:15,360 my brother would not have died. 22 00:01:17,120 --> 00:01:19,920 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping and the 23 00:01:19,920 --> 00:01:22,620 Jews who came with her also weeping, he 24 00:01:22,620 --> 00:01:25,460 was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled. 25 00:01:26,160 --> 00:01:28,180 And he said, where have you laid him? 26 00:01:28,940 --> 00:01:30,980 And they said to him, come and see. 27 00:01:31,200 --> 00:01:32,180 Lord, come and see. 28 00:01:32,980 --> 00:01:34,140 And Jesus wept. 29 00:01:35,560 --> 00:01:38,340 And so the Jews were saying, behold, how 30 00:01:38,340 --> 00:01:39,160 he loved him. 31 00:01:40,300 --> 00:01:42,660 But some of them said, could not this 32 00:01:42,660 --> 00:01:45,120 man who opened the eyes of him who 33 00:01:45,120 --> 00:01:48,680 was blind have kept this man also from 34 00:01:48,680 --> 00:01:49,160 dying? 35 00:01:50,480 --> 00:01:54,400 Jesus therefore again, being deeply moved within, came 36 00:01:54,400 --> 00:01:55,140 to the tomb. 37 00:01:55,800 --> 00:01:57,980 Now it was a cave and a stone 38 00:01:57,980 --> 00:01:59,420 was lying against it. 39 00:02:00,120 --> 00:02:04,040 And Jesus said, remove the stone. 40 00:02:06,040 --> 00:02:08,400 And you see, you gotta remove the stone 41 00:02:08,400 --> 00:02:10,340 to get ready for the next move of 42 00:02:10,340 --> 00:02:10,700 God. 43 00:02:13,210 --> 00:02:14,170 Remove the stone. 44 00:02:14,590 --> 00:02:16,730 Martha, the sister of the deceased, said to 45 00:02:16,730 --> 00:02:19,530 him, Lord, by this time there will be 46 00:02:19,530 --> 00:02:21,670 a stench for he has been dead four 47 00:02:21,670 --> 00:02:22,170 days. 48 00:02:23,230 --> 00:02:25,990 Jesus said to her, did I not say 49 00:02:25,990 --> 00:02:30,790 to you if you believe, you will see 50 00:02:30,790 --> 00:02:32,170 the glory of God? 51 00:02:33,310 --> 00:02:36,950 And so they moved the stone. 52 00:02:40,800 --> 00:02:43,700 I believe, I hope you'll agree with this 53 00:02:43,700 --> 00:02:50,140 opening statement that God is up to something. 54 00:02:54,400 --> 00:02:59,480 As we view worldwide events at the end 55 00:02:59,480 --> 00:03:02,360 of 1989 and in the beginning of the 56 00:03:02,360 --> 00:03:04,860 decade of the 90s, it is very evident 57 00:03:04,860 --> 00:03:08,480 God is up to something. 58 00:03:11,020 --> 00:03:14,400 We are on the verge of some kind 59 00:03:14,400 --> 00:03:19,820 of prophetic door opener entering into the last 60 00:03:19,820 --> 00:03:22,060 days of the last days. 61 00:03:23,100 --> 00:03:26,980 I don't know exactly what the crumbling of 62 00:03:26,980 --> 00:03:28,340 communism means. 63 00:03:29,220 --> 00:03:32,020 You may have heard that in Russia they're 64 00:03:32,020 --> 00:03:38,360 about to vote a plurality of governments or 65 00:03:38,360 --> 00:03:39,440 parties. 66 00:03:39,960 --> 00:03:43,120 And so we've seen the crumbling of communism, 67 00:03:43,980 --> 00:03:48,120 the crushing of the Berlin Wall, the apparent 68 00:03:48,120 --> 00:03:53,920 reunification or steps toward the reuniting of two 69 00:03:53,920 --> 00:04:01,700 Germanys, and the Eastern European nations turning from 70 00:04:01,700 --> 00:04:05,900 communism and embracing a Western form of government 71 00:04:05,900 --> 00:04:06,760 or democracy. 72 00:04:07,880 --> 00:04:11,020 And I believe that it means something as 73 00:04:11,020 --> 00:04:14,880 far as the unfolding of God's plan for 74 00:04:14,880 --> 00:04:17,300 the nations and the end time. 75 00:04:18,220 --> 00:04:20,420 God is up to something. 76 00:04:23,560 --> 00:04:28,400 I believe also that the world spotlight will 77 00:04:28,400 --> 00:04:30,620 soon turn to Israel. 78 00:04:32,120 --> 00:04:35,940 Now the attention is on the demise of 79 00:04:35,940 --> 00:04:40,440 communism, but never take your eyes off of 80 00:04:40,440 --> 00:04:40,880 Israel. 81 00:04:42,080 --> 00:04:46,700 As goes Israel, so goes the ticking of 82 00:04:46,700 --> 00:04:48,500 God's prophetic clock. 83 00:04:51,190 --> 00:04:54,030 I do believe the events now in Europe 84 00:04:54,030 --> 00:04:58,230 and Russia has resulted in a number of 85 00:04:58,230 --> 00:05:00,750 seconds where it's ticking off what I like 86 00:05:00,750 --> 00:05:02,730 to call the prophetic clock. 87 00:05:04,070 --> 00:05:08,190 Now that clock probably is set now somewhere 88 00:05:08,190 --> 00:05:12,990 between 11.55 and 12 o'clock midnight. 89 00:05:16,190 --> 00:05:20,890 And when it strikes midnight, Christ is going 90 00:05:20,890 --> 00:05:21,630 to return. 91 00:05:23,410 --> 00:05:26,990 And it will no longer be p.m., 92 00:05:26,990 --> 00:05:31,390 it will be a.m. And do you 93 00:05:31,390 --> 00:05:33,230 know what a.m. means? 94 00:05:33,930 --> 00:05:36,830 We sing it here from the scripture, joy 95 00:05:36,830 --> 00:05:38,990 cometh in the morning. 96 00:05:43,050 --> 00:05:44,870 A.m. is the morning. 97 00:05:48,400 --> 00:05:54,780 And the morning refers to past midnight when 98 00:05:54,780 --> 00:05:58,360 we shall see Jesus face to face. 99 00:05:59,500 --> 00:06:01,740 And that's also the meaning of the word 100 00:06:01,740 --> 00:06:02,200 joy. 101 00:06:04,740 --> 00:06:06,880 As I said, no one can know for 102 00:06:06,880 --> 00:06:11,280 sure what current world events mean as to 103 00:06:11,280 --> 00:06:14,160 how close we are to the end, but 104 00:06:14,160 --> 00:06:16,040 we're very, very close. 105 00:06:16,560 --> 00:06:20,280 And I'm ready, very ready for God's next 106 00:06:20,280 --> 00:06:20,860 move. 107 00:06:23,200 --> 00:06:26,860 Now regardless of our inability to know the 108 00:06:26,860 --> 00:06:32,820 exact timetable of God's next prophetic move, and 109 00:06:32,820 --> 00:06:35,820 regardless of what the devil does in reaction 110 00:06:35,820 --> 00:06:38,160 to that move, and by the way, remember, 111 00:06:38,780 --> 00:06:41,360 God never reacts, he always acts. 112 00:06:41,800 --> 00:06:44,220 The devil has to react to what God 113 00:06:44,220 --> 00:06:44,660 acts. 114 00:06:46,860 --> 00:06:51,120 And regardless of how the devil reacts, one 115 00:06:51,120 --> 00:06:53,720 thing I know for sure, it's as one 116 00:06:53,720 --> 00:06:57,040 fellow said, I read the last chapter in 117 00:06:57,040 --> 00:06:58,520 the Bible, we win. 118 00:06:59,840 --> 00:07:00,980 We win. 119 00:07:03,380 --> 00:07:06,900 And actually Jesus wins, and if you're on 120 00:07:06,900 --> 00:07:10,860 his side, and if you're open to his 121 00:07:10,860 --> 00:07:13,340 move in your life, then he's gonna take 122 00:07:13,340 --> 00:07:14,920 you over the goal line with you. 123 00:07:14,960 --> 00:07:15,300 Hallelujah. 124 00:07:18,780 --> 00:07:22,580 My son told me the other day about 125 00:07:22,580 --> 00:07:25,980 a Christian song currently making the rounds, sung 126 00:07:25,980 --> 00:07:28,940 by a well-known Christian singer, and I 127 00:07:28,940 --> 00:07:29,940 thought it was interesting. 128 00:07:30,060 --> 00:07:31,120 He shared this with me. 129 00:07:32,000 --> 00:07:33,620 And he told me that it deals with 130 00:07:33,620 --> 00:07:36,360 a conversation between Satan and his demons. 131 00:07:38,900 --> 00:07:41,330 And the demons report that there is trouble 132 00:07:41,330 --> 00:07:42,050 in the land. 133 00:07:43,010 --> 00:07:46,290 And so Satan wants to know what it 134 00:07:46,290 --> 00:07:48,350 is, what's the cause of the trouble, and 135 00:07:48,350 --> 00:07:51,450 he says, is there trouble in our abortion 136 00:07:51,450 --> 00:07:51,950 clinics? 137 00:07:52,970 --> 00:07:55,710 And the demons said, no, that's all fine, 138 00:07:55,790 --> 00:07:58,130 we kill 4,000 unborn a day. 139 00:08:00,300 --> 00:08:02,740 And Satan says, is there something wrong with 140 00:08:02,740 --> 00:08:06,120 my pet project, television violence? 141 00:08:06,120 --> 00:08:08,880 And the demons said, no, no, we got 142 00:08:08,880 --> 00:08:11,360 that covered, from videos to cartoons. 143 00:08:14,830 --> 00:08:17,710 And Satan says, is there a disturbance in 144 00:08:17,710 --> 00:08:18,950 my false religions? 145 00:08:20,290 --> 00:08:22,930 And the devil says no, or the demons 146 00:08:22,930 --> 00:08:24,630 said no, business is booming. 147 00:08:26,290 --> 00:08:28,930 And so Satan wants to know, well, what's 148 00:08:28,930 --> 00:08:29,510 the problem? 149 00:08:30,450 --> 00:08:35,470 And the answer comes back, sir, the saints 150 00:08:35,470 --> 00:08:37,010 are on their knees praying. 151 00:08:37,010 --> 00:08:43,630 And then Satan says, well, it's time to 152 00:08:43,630 --> 00:08:46,410 launch my final, most vicious attack. 153 00:08:47,510 --> 00:08:50,470 I'll just remind the saints of their past, 154 00:08:51,030 --> 00:08:53,530 how they were liars and they were cheaters 155 00:08:53,530 --> 00:08:56,290 and they were manipulators and they were moochers. 156 00:08:57,810 --> 00:09:00,130 And the demons answered and said, but sir, 157 00:09:00,290 --> 00:09:03,370 you know what will happen if you remind 158 00:09:03,370 --> 00:09:04,710 saints of their past. 159 00:09:05,070 --> 00:09:07,030 And Satan says, and what is that? 160 00:09:07,770 --> 00:09:10,350 He said, if you remind the saints of 161 00:09:10,350 --> 00:09:12,950 their past, they're gonna remind you of your 162 00:09:12,950 --> 00:09:13,350 future. 163 00:09:25,300 --> 00:09:35,180 Yes, what a glorious future we have. 164 00:09:39,270 --> 00:09:40,850 Now, I bet you thought that this was 165 00:09:40,850 --> 00:09:41,950 gonna be a prophetic message. 166 00:09:44,010 --> 00:09:45,170 Well, you're wrong. 167 00:09:49,580 --> 00:09:52,080 You see, we must prepare, we must be 168 00:09:52,080 --> 00:09:57,040 prepared and prepare ourselves for our glorious future. 169 00:09:57,960 --> 00:10:01,600 The only way to be ready for God's 170 00:10:01,600 --> 00:10:05,120 next move in the church and in the 171 00:10:05,120 --> 00:10:07,860 world is to get ready for his next 172 00:10:07,860 --> 00:10:09,420 move in your own life. 173 00:10:09,940 --> 00:10:12,740 And that's what this message is all about. 174 00:10:13,860 --> 00:10:16,220 You see, we are to be a moving 175 00:10:16,220 --> 00:10:16,780 people. 176 00:10:17,800 --> 00:10:22,000 We must never be standing still or neutral 177 00:10:22,000 --> 00:10:24,100 or stationary in God. 178 00:10:24,100 --> 00:10:30,980 When Joshua told the children of Israel and 179 00:10:30,980 --> 00:10:33,120 what he told them applies to us. 180 00:10:33,220 --> 00:10:36,500 In Joshua 3.3, it says this, don't 181 00:10:36,500 --> 00:10:37,000 turn there. 182 00:10:37,160 --> 00:10:39,380 It says, when you see the ark of 183 00:10:39,380 --> 00:10:42,700 the covenant of the Lord your God, then 184 00:10:42,700 --> 00:10:45,300 you shall go after it. 185 00:10:46,900 --> 00:10:49,300 And a few verses later, it says, for 186 00:10:49,300 --> 00:10:52,340 you have not passed this way before. 187 00:10:52,340 --> 00:10:56,720 Now listen, if you've passed the way before, 188 00:10:57,000 --> 00:10:59,760 wherever you're passing right now, if you've passed 189 00:10:59,760 --> 00:11:03,160 that way before, it means you're going in 190 00:11:03,160 --> 00:11:03,540 circles. 191 00:11:04,900 --> 00:11:07,100 And the Lord doesn't want us to go 192 00:11:07,100 --> 00:11:07,680 in circles. 193 00:11:07,880 --> 00:11:10,940 He wants us continually to move on and 194 00:11:10,940 --> 00:11:11,460 forward. 195 00:11:12,740 --> 00:11:16,780 And whether you've been saved one day, one 196 00:11:16,780 --> 00:11:20,240 week, one month, one year or 30 years, 197 00:11:20,240 --> 00:11:21,540 get ready. 198 00:11:22,020 --> 00:11:25,640 Get ready for the next move of God 199 00:11:25,640 --> 00:11:26,660 in your life. 200 00:11:28,900 --> 00:11:33,080 We are either moving forward and onward or 201 00:11:33,080 --> 00:11:34,260 we're moving backwards. 202 00:11:36,420 --> 00:11:40,680 Proverbs 4.18 says, but the path of 203 00:11:40,680 --> 00:11:45,800 the just is as a shining light that 204 00:11:45,800 --> 00:11:47,940 shineth, and this is the part that I 205 00:11:47,940 --> 00:11:52,300 like, it shineth more and more unto the 206 00:11:52,300 --> 00:11:53,300 perfect day. 207 00:11:55,380 --> 00:11:58,040 And oh yes, it does shine more and 208 00:11:58,040 --> 00:12:01,820 more, but listen, unless you and I are 209 00:12:01,820 --> 00:12:04,560 walking in the light as he is in 210 00:12:04,560 --> 00:12:08,940 the light, we cannot be moving into the 211 00:12:08,940 --> 00:12:12,920 more and more and the unfolding of his 212 00:12:12,920 --> 00:12:16,500 revelation to us and in us. 213 00:12:16,500 --> 00:12:19,140 And that's what God wants. 214 00:12:19,220 --> 00:12:21,820 And oh, I don't know about you, but 215 00:12:21,820 --> 00:12:23,320 it makes it so exciting. 216 00:12:24,060 --> 00:12:25,460 I'm still moving on. 217 00:12:25,640 --> 00:12:28,360 I've been born and raised in the faith 218 00:12:28,360 --> 00:12:31,320 and in Pentecost, but I'm still moving on, 219 00:12:31,400 --> 00:12:32,260 praise God. 220 00:12:32,980 --> 00:12:35,320 The light shines more and more. 221 00:12:37,890 --> 00:12:40,050 Now let me take you to an example 222 00:12:40,050 --> 00:12:43,250 of how to get ready for the next 223 00:12:43,250 --> 00:12:44,850 move of God in your life. 224 00:12:45,970 --> 00:12:49,890 The story of Lazarus is a wonderful example 225 00:12:50,790 --> 00:12:52,970 of how to get ready for the next 226 00:12:52,970 --> 00:12:53,890 move of God. 227 00:12:55,150 --> 00:13:01,050 Now, if you want God to call forth 228 00:13:01,050 --> 00:13:06,750 his purposes in your life, as he called 229 00:13:06,750 --> 00:13:11,150 forth and brought forth Lazarus, if you want 230 00:13:11,150 --> 00:13:14,550 him to call forth his purposes in your 231 00:13:14,550 --> 00:13:19,030 life, then you must do what they did 232 00:13:19,030 --> 00:13:19,510 here. 233 00:13:20,230 --> 00:13:23,090 And that is to remove the stone. 234 00:13:24,490 --> 00:13:28,330 God's next move in our lives comes only 235 00:13:28,330 --> 00:13:30,790 if we remove the stone. 236 00:13:31,210 --> 00:13:33,790 And that's the very essence of my message. 237 00:13:35,130 --> 00:13:38,290 Now, there are some cast of characters in 238 00:13:38,290 --> 00:13:41,050 the story of Lazarus being raised from the 239 00:13:41,050 --> 00:13:41,390 dead. 240 00:13:42,670 --> 00:13:45,590 That need to be brought to our attention 241 00:13:45,590 --> 00:13:48,190 or at least I never really paid much 242 00:13:48,190 --> 00:13:49,490 attention to them before. 243 00:13:49,690 --> 00:13:51,870 I preached on Mary and I preached on 244 00:13:51,870 --> 00:13:55,910 Martha and their reaction to Lazarus' death and 245 00:13:55,910 --> 00:13:59,610 the reaction of the disciples, but I never 246 00:13:59,610 --> 00:14:03,890 focused in and saw this other secondary cast 247 00:14:03,890 --> 00:14:06,610 of characters because they're very interesting. 248 00:14:07,630 --> 00:14:11,870 Because there was a group of mourners friends, 249 00:14:12,470 --> 00:14:18,730 relatives, neighbors who came and made some comments 250 00:14:18,730 --> 00:14:21,770 when Jesus came on the scene and I 251 00:14:21,770 --> 00:14:23,930 read them to you in my scriptures tonight. 252 00:14:25,030 --> 00:14:28,370 And I see among them three types of 253 00:14:28,370 --> 00:14:28,810 people. 254 00:14:29,630 --> 00:14:33,690 Three people whom the Lord also addressed. 255 00:14:33,910 --> 00:14:36,430 When he said remove the stone, he was 256 00:14:36,430 --> 00:14:37,630 speaking to this group. 257 00:14:38,470 --> 00:14:41,230 And I classify them this way. 258 00:14:41,370 --> 00:14:42,790 There are three of them. 259 00:14:42,950 --> 00:14:45,410 One I call the realist. 260 00:14:45,990 --> 00:14:47,250 The realist. 261 00:14:48,090 --> 00:14:50,610 Second in the group was what I call 262 00:14:50,610 --> 00:14:51,550 the optimist. 263 00:14:52,230 --> 00:14:55,290 And the third is the pessimist. 264 00:14:56,370 --> 00:14:58,430 And you're gonna see, I want you to 265 00:14:58,430 --> 00:15:03,050 see within these three things certain characteristics in 266 00:15:03,050 --> 00:15:03,870 our own life. 267 00:15:04,430 --> 00:15:06,920 And the first one I call the realist. 268 00:15:07,860 --> 00:15:12,060 Now when Jesus came on the scene and 269 00:15:12,060 --> 00:15:14,280 he saw the depth of the grief and 270 00:15:14,280 --> 00:15:17,820 the flow of tears, look again at verse 271 00:15:17,820 --> 00:15:25,750 37 that he was deeply troubled or moved 272 00:15:25,750 --> 00:15:29,670 within, I think verse 33 it was and 273 00:15:29,670 --> 00:15:32,490 Jesus therefore saw her weeping and the Jews 274 00:15:32,490 --> 00:15:34,630 came with her also. 275 00:15:34,870 --> 00:15:37,990 He was deeply moved in spirit and was 276 00:15:37,990 --> 00:15:38,410 troubled. 277 00:15:42,000 --> 00:15:44,240 And the first group came to him and 278 00:15:44,240 --> 00:15:47,900 he said to them, he said, where have 279 00:15:47,900 --> 00:15:48,600 you laid him? 280 00:15:49,940 --> 00:15:52,760 And this first group answered back and said 281 00:15:52,760 --> 00:15:53,860 Lord come and see. 282 00:15:54,380 --> 00:15:55,160 Come and see. 283 00:15:56,280 --> 00:15:59,180 Now that group is what I call the 284 00:15:59,180 --> 00:15:59,760 realist. 285 00:16:01,060 --> 00:16:04,520 And the dictionary defines a realist as a 286 00:16:04,520 --> 00:16:08,900 person concerned with real things and practical matters 287 00:16:08,900 --> 00:16:12,480 rather than those that are imaginary or visionary. 288 00:16:15,190 --> 00:16:17,890 And so a realist is one who sees 289 00:16:17,890 --> 00:16:19,810 things as they really are. 290 00:16:21,330 --> 00:16:25,630 The optimist sees things as he would hope 291 00:16:25,630 --> 00:16:27,850 them to be or he always sees the 292 00:16:27,850 --> 00:16:29,030 best side of everything. 293 00:16:29,650 --> 00:16:33,290 And the pessimist, you know what the pessimist 294 00:16:33,290 --> 00:16:36,170 is, he always sees the worst in everything 295 00:16:36,170 --> 00:16:37,210 and in everybody. 296 00:16:37,210 --> 00:16:45,470 For example, if an optimist, a pessimist and 297 00:16:45,470 --> 00:16:49,630 a realist are riding in a car and 298 00:16:49,630 --> 00:16:51,950 the gas gauge is right in the middle, 299 00:16:55,250 --> 00:16:57,270 you know what the optimist says. 300 00:16:57,350 --> 00:16:58,850 He says well we're half full. 301 00:17:01,510 --> 00:17:04,849 The pessimist says we're half empty and probably 302 00:17:04,849 --> 00:17:06,770 the gauge doesn't work right. 303 00:17:08,210 --> 00:17:10,829 And so they argue back and forth as 304 00:17:10,829 --> 00:17:12,630 to what they're going to do. 305 00:17:12,630 --> 00:17:16,550 The realist speaks up and says hey, there's 306 00:17:16,550 --> 00:17:18,470 a station right up over here. 307 00:17:18,829 --> 00:17:20,450 Why don't we go and fill up so 308 00:17:20,450 --> 00:17:22,069 you two guys can go and shut up. 309 00:17:26,650 --> 00:17:29,190 In our family I'm usually the realist. 310 00:17:30,170 --> 00:17:32,890 I'm usually the realist except when we travel. 311 00:17:34,450 --> 00:17:37,970 When we travel, I hate to stop. 312 00:17:38,710 --> 00:17:40,770 I hate to stop to fuel the car 313 00:17:40,770 --> 00:17:42,110 or to fuel the stomach. 314 00:17:45,250 --> 00:17:49,550 And my wife becomes a realist and I 315 00:17:49,550 --> 00:17:54,730 become the optimist because whenever the tank comes 316 00:17:54,730 --> 00:17:56,510 on, the light comes on that says your 317 00:17:56,510 --> 00:17:58,490 tank is almost empty, I always tell my 318 00:17:58,490 --> 00:18:00,850 wife well there's at least two more gallons 319 00:18:00,850 --> 00:18:03,650 in there and I know a cheaper station 320 00:18:03,650 --> 00:18:04,290 up the way. 321 00:18:05,630 --> 00:18:08,210 And when lunch time comes, I say well 322 00:18:08,210 --> 00:18:12,410 we'll just go 20 more miles which becomes 323 00:18:12,410 --> 00:18:13,670 about 40 more miles. 324 00:18:17,120 --> 00:18:18,880 Now also I'm a realist when it comes 325 00:18:18,880 --> 00:18:19,300 to money. 326 00:18:19,400 --> 00:18:20,720 My wife is the optimist. 327 00:18:25,450 --> 00:18:28,270 You see when we pay the bills, I 328 00:18:28,270 --> 00:18:31,430 finish paying the bills at the end of 329 00:18:31,430 --> 00:18:33,870 the month and I have $100 left over, 330 00:18:34,370 --> 00:18:37,230 I say well let's save it. 331 00:18:37,810 --> 00:18:39,290 We'll put it in the bank and next 332 00:18:39,290 --> 00:18:42,510 month if we get another $100 we'll put 333 00:18:42,510 --> 00:18:45,950 that aside and month after that and year 334 00:18:45,950 --> 00:18:48,310 after year and I say honey, we'll have 335 00:18:48,310 --> 00:18:49,170 a little retirement. 336 00:18:50,350 --> 00:18:52,410 But you see my wife, she's the optimist. 337 00:18:52,870 --> 00:18:54,730 She says you're the one that's singing soon 338 00:18:54,730 --> 00:18:55,590 and very soon. 339 00:19:02,720 --> 00:19:04,300 Why leave it for the devil? 340 00:19:04,420 --> 00:19:05,260 Let's spend it. 341 00:19:17,230 --> 00:19:19,090 I knew I was going home alone tonight 342 00:19:19,090 --> 00:19:19,430 anyhow. 343 00:19:22,170 --> 00:19:23,690 My wife has to leave early. 344 00:19:27,160 --> 00:19:29,200 Well I don't happen to agree with my 345 00:19:29,200 --> 00:19:30,200 wife on that point. 346 00:19:31,600 --> 00:19:34,980 But when it comes to other problems and 347 00:19:34,980 --> 00:19:40,360 situations in our lives, sometimes being a realist 348 00:19:40,360 --> 00:19:44,260 is a hindrance to faith and this is 349 00:19:44,260 --> 00:19:46,920 a stone that needs to be removed and 350 00:19:46,920 --> 00:19:47,960 let me explain it. 351 00:19:49,260 --> 00:19:55,820 When the mourners at Lazarus, we could call 352 00:19:55,820 --> 00:20:01,500 it a wake, when the mourners said, Jesus 353 00:20:01,500 --> 00:20:03,540 said where have you laid him? 354 00:20:04,340 --> 00:20:06,220 And they said come and see. 355 00:20:06,540 --> 00:20:08,380 They were being very practical. 356 00:20:09,160 --> 00:20:12,360 They were being realist but they were not 357 00:20:12,360 --> 00:20:13,540 being men of faith. 358 00:20:14,300 --> 00:20:17,180 They were saying in essence come and see, 359 00:20:17,300 --> 00:20:18,560 come and see the grave. 360 00:20:19,340 --> 00:20:20,860 Come see for yourself. 361 00:20:21,280 --> 00:20:25,660 Lazarus is dead and they accepted the reality 362 00:20:25,660 --> 00:20:30,360 and finality of Lazarus' death and they apparently 363 00:20:30,360 --> 00:20:33,920 were inviting Jesus to come and to pay 364 00:20:33,920 --> 00:20:38,860 his last respects to a situation that was 365 00:20:38,860 --> 00:20:42,240 a closed case or a closed casket. 366 00:20:44,000 --> 00:20:46,060 But you see there is a lesson to 367 00:20:46,060 --> 00:20:47,500 be learned from this. 368 00:20:48,680 --> 00:20:54,220 Be careful how you view the sorrows in 369 00:20:54,220 --> 00:20:57,900 your life Be careful how you view the 370 00:20:57,900 --> 00:21:02,140 sadness or the sickness or the tragedy or 371 00:21:02,140 --> 00:21:05,940 the trials in your own life because you 372 00:21:05,940 --> 00:21:10,500 can take on a realist attitude, an acceptance 373 00:21:10,500 --> 00:21:14,320 attitude as it were a come and see 374 00:21:14,320 --> 00:21:19,360 attitude and this can become an attitude of 375 00:21:19,360 --> 00:21:24,920 self pity, of resignation, of acceptance and of 376 00:21:24,920 --> 00:21:30,280 finality and such realism can destroy your faith. 377 00:21:31,640 --> 00:21:34,220 Now you see there are times when we 378 00:21:34,220 --> 00:21:38,940 must be realistic and accept the finality of 379 00:21:38,940 --> 00:21:42,840 certain things but I believe that there are 380 00:21:42,840 --> 00:21:46,800 other times when we give in too soon 381 00:21:46,800 --> 00:21:49,140 to certain things. 382 00:21:49,280 --> 00:21:51,920 We give in too soon and we accept 383 00:21:51,920 --> 00:21:54,980 what God does not want us to accept 384 00:21:54,980 --> 00:21:58,090 and we close the door to a situation 385 00:21:58,260 --> 00:22:02,540 that God hasn't closed and he says remove 386 00:22:02,540 --> 00:22:07,020 that approach remove that attitude that's a stone 387 00:22:07,020 --> 00:22:10,740 you'll prevent me from moving in your life 388 00:22:10,740 --> 00:22:12,860 if you view things that way. 389 00:22:13,660 --> 00:22:18,780 When Jesus said remove the stone the realist 390 00:22:18,780 --> 00:22:22,700 was at the stone and Jesus spoke to 391 00:22:22,700 --> 00:22:27,100 him and he speaks to someone here tonight 392 00:22:27,100 --> 00:22:31,220 who has given in to self pity or 393 00:22:31,220 --> 00:22:34,080 you've given in to accepting a personal defeat 394 00:22:34,080 --> 00:22:37,440 and you've said it's all over and the 395 00:22:37,440 --> 00:22:40,200 Lord would say to you tonight remove that 396 00:22:40,200 --> 00:22:43,700 stone and get ready because I can enter 397 00:22:43,700 --> 00:22:46,360 in and I can move into that situation. 398 00:22:49,210 --> 00:22:51,850 You see the words come and see can 399 00:22:51,850 --> 00:22:53,990 mean Lord come and see what you did 400 00:22:53,990 --> 00:22:54,470 to me. 401 00:22:56,070 --> 00:22:58,550 Come and see Lord the mess that you 402 00:22:58,550 --> 00:23:00,030 made for me. 403 00:23:02,150 --> 00:23:05,230 In fact isn't that wasn't that Martha's attitude? 404 00:23:06,290 --> 00:23:08,350 Mary said Lord if you had been here 405 00:23:08,350 --> 00:23:09,250 you would have not died. 406 00:23:09,490 --> 00:23:11,850 I believe that was a statement of faith. 407 00:23:12,570 --> 00:23:14,650 Martha said the same thing but it wasn't 408 00:23:14,650 --> 00:23:15,150 faith. 409 00:23:17,170 --> 00:23:18,290 And so it is here. 410 00:23:18,690 --> 00:23:20,550 They say come and see and it can 411 00:23:20,550 --> 00:23:23,470 mean Lord see what you did to me. 412 00:23:24,050 --> 00:23:25,490 See how you failed me. 413 00:23:25,650 --> 00:23:26,570 See my plight. 414 00:23:27,730 --> 00:23:30,630 Some people go around wanting everybody else to 415 00:23:30,630 --> 00:23:33,930 come and see their tragedy or sorrow. 416 00:23:35,990 --> 00:23:38,950 Not so that somebody can pray for them 417 00:23:38,950 --> 00:23:41,370 but that so somebody can pity them. 418 00:23:41,370 --> 00:23:46,970 I remember when I was a little fella 419 00:23:46,970 --> 00:23:50,450 I got a real bad burn one time 420 00:23:50,450 --> 00:23:51,330 on my back. 421 00:23:52,730 --> 00:23:55,290 And so it was all bandaged up and 422 00:23:55,290 --> 00:23:58,350 everything and I remember I left my shirt 423 00:23:58,350 --> 00:23:58,710 off. 424 00:23:59,410 --> 00:24:01,150 I left my t-shirt off and I 425 00:24:01,150 --> 00:24:02,950 prayed it all around the neighborhood. 426 00:24:03,890 --> 00:24:06,770 And I wanted everybody to see I had 427 00:24:06,770 --> 00:24:07,570 a big burn. 428 00:24:08,270 --> 00:24:10,290 And I had a great big boo-boo 429 00:24:10,290 --> 00:24:13,190 and I wanted everybody to have pity on 430 00:24:13,190 --> 00:24:13,350 me. 431 00:24:13,630 --> 00:24:15,850 And finally the neighbor lady came to me 432 00:24:15,850 --> 00:24:18,630 and she said you're very proud of that 433 00:24:18,630 --> 00:24:19,110 aren't you? 434 00:24:21,010 --> 00:24:23,730 And even as a little fella I realized 435 00:24:23,730 --> 00:24:24,730 what I was doing. 436 00:24:25,210 --> 00:24:27,250 Have you ever seen people like that? 437 00:24:28,230 --> 00:24:30,030 Have you ever been a person like that? 438 00:24:30,410 --> 00:24:32,330 Going around look at my boo-boo. 439 00:24:32,530 --> 00:24:34,350 Look what's happened to me. 440 00:24:36,110 --> 00:24:38,950 And you see some people go around parading 441 00:24:38,950 --> 00:24:39,750 their hurts. 442 00:24:41,230 --> 00:24:44,090 Parading some so-called injustice. 443 00:24:45,530 --> 00:24:47,890 Parading around some little pet peeve. 444 00:24:50,210 --> 00:24:51,510 And you know when a man has a 445 00:24:51,510 --> 00:24:53,770 pet peeve it's remarkable how often he pets 446 00:24:53,770 --> 00:24:53,950 it. 447 00:24:59,800 --> 00:25:04,440 Remove the stone of self-pity so God 448 00:25:04,440 --> 00:25:08,160 can bring forth his purposes in your life 449 00:25:08,160 --> 00:25:11,720 so that he can take you on more 450 00:25:11,720 --> 00:25:14,580 and more towards his perfect will for you. 451 00:25:15,640 --> 00:25:19,540 You remember John was sulked under a withering 452 00:25:19,540 --> 00:25:20,060 gourd. 453 00:25:21,120 --> 00:25:23,840 Elijah was bitter under a juniper tree. 454 00:25:24,640 --> 00:25:27,080 Job complained on the ash pile. 455 00:25:28,100 --> 00:25:30,640 And each of them in their own way 456 00:25:31,420 --> 00:25:33,260 were having a pity party. 457 00:25:34,720 --> 00:25:36,200 And you know when you have a pity 458 00:25:36,200 --> 00:25:38,580 party there's only one party there. 459 00:25:39,420 --> 00:25:40,780 And that's yourself. 460 00:25:40,780 --> 00:25:43,840 And if anybody else is there if they're 461 00:25:43,840 --> 00:25:45,740 smart enough they'll get out of there as 462 00:25:45,740 --> 00:25:46,760 soon as they can. 463 00:25:48,260 --> 00:25:50,720 And that's, even men of God have had 464 00:25:50,720 --> 00:25:51,120 that. 465 00:25:51,920 --> 00:25:54,740 And pity parties have only one person at 466 00:25:54,740 --> 00:25:56,400 the party and it's the sulker. 467 00:25:57,300 --> 00:26:00,200 And while he sulks he says God you're 468 00:26:00,200 --> 00:26:01,660 not producing for me. 469 00:26:04,140 --> 00:26:05,580 But I want to tell you there's a 470 00:26:05,580 --> 00:26:06,900 cure for self-pity. 471 00:26:07,660 --> 00:26:09,800 And the cure for self-pity is the 472 00:26:09,800 --> 00:26:13,100 mind of Christ who emptied himself and took 473 00:26:13,100 --> 00:26:16,420 on the form of a servant wherefore God 474 00:26:16,420 --> 00:26:17,780 highly exalted him. 475 00:26:19,320 --> 00:26:22,840 In other words, get your eyes off of 476 00:26:22,840 --> 00:26:23,820 your situation. 477 00:26:24,640 --> 00:26:26,000 Get it off of that. 478 00:26:26,880 --> 00:26:29,760 Remove that stone of self-pity so that 479 00:26:29,760 --> 00:26:31,900 God can come through into your life. 480 00:26:34,450 --> 00:26:37,210 If you indulge in self-pity and the 481 00:26:37,210 --> 00:26:39,610 luxury of self-pity and see self-pity 482 00:26:39,610 --> 00:26:40,450 is a luxury. 483 00:26:40,450 --> 00:26:42,450 It's kind of a luxury. 484 00:26:43,230 --> 00:26:46,150 You know, I remember when I was a 485 00:26:46,150 --> 00:26:50,910 kid when I would get sick I'd get 486 00:26:50,910 --> 00:26:52,090 all kinds of attention. 487 00:26:53,330 --> 00:26:56,510 And then when I got better it was 488 00:26:56,510 --> 00:26:57,750 business as usual. 489 00:26:58,830 --> 00:27:01,410 And so you kind of wanted to linger 490 00:27:01,410 --> 00:27:04,370 on the sickness you know, for a while. 491 00:27:04,750 --> 00:27:07,250 And I've seen people, the reason they can't 492 00:27:07,250 --> 00:27:11,870 get healed is because their situation has been 493 00:27:11,870 --> 00:27:14,410 a means of saying come and see, come 494 00:27:14,410 --> 00:27:15,630 and see, come and see. 495 00:27:16,810 --> 00:27:18,670 And it becomes a focus. 496 00:27:19,610 --> 00:27:21,690 And if you indulge in self-pity and 497 00:27:21,690 --> 00:27:24,470 the luxury of self-pity it means that 498 00:27:24,470 --> 00:27:26,570 you have forgotten that you have been purged 499 00:27:26,570 --> 00:27:29,210 from your old sins and that you have 500 00:27:29,210 --> 00:27:31,750 put on a new man in accordance with 501 00:27:31,750 --> 00:27:33,470 the life of the Son of God in 502 00:27:33,470 --> 00:27:33,690 you. 503 00:27:36,500 --> 00:27:39,340 And so there is the realist at the 504 00:27:39,340 --> 00:27:39,720 tomb. 505 00:27:40,560 --> 00:27:44,300 And then secondly, I see the optimist in 506 00:27:44,300 --> 00:27:44,820 the crowd. 507 00:27:45,520 --> 00:27:47,120 Look at verse 35. 508 00:27:48,280 --> 00:27:49,600 It says, Jesus wept. 509 00:27:50,420 --> 00:27:52,780 And so the Jews were saying, behold how 510 00:27:52,780 --> 00:27:53,560 he loved him. 511 00:27:54,800 --> 00:27:58,280 Now the dictionary describes the optimist as one 512 00:27:58,280 --> 00:28:01,360 who takes the most hopeful or cheerful view 513 00:28:01,360 --> 00:28:06,580 of matters or expects the best possible outcome. 514 00:28:08,440 --> 00:28:10,600 And so here was a group seeing Jesus 515 00:28:11,220 --> 00:28:15,640 weeping over a very sad situation and they 516 00:28:15,640 --> 00:28:18,000 try to make the best of it and 517 00:28:18,000 --> 00:28:20,360 to see the best in everything and so 518 00:28:20,360 --> 00:28:24,120 they say, why my goodness Jesus must have 519 00:28:24,120 --> 00:28:25,680 loved him very, very much. 520 00:28:28,150 --> 00:28:32,130 You see, an optimist practices looking on the 521 00:28:32,130 --> 00:28:33,410 bright side of everything. 522 00:28:34,370 --> 00:28:37,490 He looks at life through rose-colored glasses. 523 00:28:38,490 --> 00:28:41,150 Everybody else sees the gauge half empty, he 524 00:28:41,150 --> 00:28:42,270 sees it half full. 525 00:28:43,030 --> 00:28:45,630 The economy may be bad, but he says 526 00:28:45,630 --> 00:28:46,510 it's only temporary. 527 00:28:47,690 --> 00:28:49,930 You tell the optimist you're sick, he says 528 00:28:49,930 --> 00:28:51,070 at least you're not dead. 529 00:28:58,870 --> 00:29:00,890 You tell him your car's broke down, he 530 00:29:00,890 --> 00:29:02,150 says you ought to be glad you got 531 00:29:02,150 --> 00:29:02,570 a car. 532 00:29:05,060 --> 00:29:07,320 You tell him you're losing your apartment, he 533 00:29:07,320 --> 00:29:09,420 says be glad you didn't lose your job. 534 00:29:11,810 --> 00:29:13,370 Ever know anybody like that? 535 00:29:15,770 --> 00:29:19,870 Now the trouble sometimes with the optimist is 536 00:29:19,870 --> 00:29:25,450 that he denies reality and he or she 537 00:29:25,450 --> 00:29:30,450 practices a lot of self-denying by living 538 00:29:30,450 --> 00:29:34,410 in an unreal world of self-made cheer, 539 00:29:35,030 --> 00:29:37,550 self-made brightness and false hope. 540 00:29:38,250 --> 00:29:41,150 And you see, that is often practiced in 541 00:29:41,150 --> 00:29:42,690 the church and among believers. 542 00:29:44,690 --> 00:29:49,870 Jesus spoke of those who look at the 543 00:29:49,870 --> 00:29:54,350 indications of the weather and they say, oh, 544 00:29:54,430 --> 00:29:55,950 it's going to be fair tomorrow. 545 00:29:57,430 --> 00:29:59,830 And this is what I call the fair 546 00:29:59,830 --> 00:30:00,790 weather Christian. 547 00:30:01,750 --> 00:30:04,530 Everything can be going wrong in their home, 548 00:30:05,230 --> 00:30:07,950 everything can be going wrong in their marriage, 549 00:30:08,470 --> 00:30:11,290 in their personal walk with God, things are 550 00:30:11,290 --> 00:30:15,110 out of order because there's sin, there's disorder, 551 00:30:15,270 --> 00:30:16,430 there's disobedience. 552 00:30:17,350 --> 00:30:19,830 But you ask them how they're doing, how 553 00:30:19,830 --> 00:30:20,350 are you doing? 554 00:30:20,430 --> 00:30:23,590 And they say, oh, everything's wonderful, everything's fine. 555 00:30:24,770 --> 00:30:26,710 But of course you know it's not. 556 00:30:27,650 --> 00:30:30,470 And storms are breaking out all around them 557 00:30:30,470 --> 00:30:32,590 and they say, oh, the weather is just 558 00:30:32,590 --> 00:30:33,150 beautiful. 559 00:30:36,710 --> 00:30:39,050 And these are the people who say, oh, 560 00:30:39,150 --> 00:30:40,810 I know that God loves me. 561 00:30:41,830 --> 00:30:44,630 And just like the Jews said, oh, look 562 00:30:44,630 --> 00:30:46,470 how Jesus loved Lazarus. 563 00:30:47,210 --> 00:30:50,610 Now it's true that he loved Lazarus and 564 00:30:50,610 --> 00:30:52,250 it's true that he loves you. 565 00:30:53,050 --> 00:30:56,270 But if you've got death inside of you, 566 00:30:56,890 --> 00:31:00,870 if you're living in sin, then Jesus loves 567 00:31:00,870 --> 00:31:01,290 you. 568 00:31:01,450 --> 00:31:04,350 But he does not love the condition of 569 00:31:04,350 --> 00:31:06,810 your soul any more than he loved the 570 00:31:06,810 --> 00:31:09,610 condition of Lazarus' body in the grave. 571 00:31:11,310 --> 00:31:13,370 And if you're to get ready for the 572 00:31:13,370 --> 00:31:17,050 next move of God in your life, you 573 00:31:17,050 --> 00:31:20,750 may need to remove a stone of denial 574 00:31:20,750 --> 00:31:25,390 and get real and get honest before God. 575 00:31:26,170 --> 00:31:31,710 And until you move that stone, until you 576 00:31:31,710 --> 00:31:35,430 get honest before God, he can't move in 577 00:31:35,430 --> 00:31:37,830 your life the way that he desires to. 578 00:31:40,530 --> 00:31:43,390 Turn to Matthew the 16th chapter, if you 579 00:31:43,390 --> 00:31:43,750 will. 580 00:31:44,690 --> 00:31:46,430 Matthew the 16th chapter. 581 00:31:48,010 --> 00:31:53,090 Here Jesus warns us about looking at the 582 00:31:53,090 --> 00:31:57,710 wrong signs in our life as proofs of 583 00:31:57,710 --> 00:31:58,330 his love. 584 00:31:59,410 --> 00:32:03,690 And there are people I see today in 585 00:32:03,690 --> 00:32:06,330 the church that are very typical of what 586 00:32:06,330 --> 00:32:10,190 Jesus talked about here in Matthew the 16th 587 00:32:10,190 --> 00:32:10,590 chapter. 588 00:32:11,870 --> 00:32:14,890 He answered and said unto them, when it 589 00:32:14,890 --> 00:32:17,330 is evening, ye say, it will be fair 590 00:32:17,330 --> 00:32:19,030 weather, for the sky is red. 591 00:32:20,670 --> 00:32:22,790 And in the morning it will be foul 592 00:32:22,790 --> 00:32:25,010 weather today, for the sky is red and 593 00:32:25,010 --> 00:32:25,370 lowering. 594 00:32:25,370 --> 00:32:29,330 O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face 595 00:32:29,330 --> 00:32:32,170 of the sky, but can you not discern 596 00:32:32,170 --> 00:32:33,730 the signs of the times? 597 00:32:34,650 --> 00:32:38,290 A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a 598 00:32:38,290 --> 00:32:38,690 sign. 599 00:32:41,230 --> 00:32:44,610 Do you know the sign that many in 600 00:32:44,610 --> 00:32:46,430 the church are following today? 601 00:32:47,430 --> 00:32:51,450 It's the sign of red sky at night, 602 00:32:51,970 --> 00:32:52,730 sailors delight. 603 00:32:54,230 --> 00:32:57,590 These are the Christians who believe that peace 604 00:32:57,590 --> 00:33:01,530 and prosperity is a sign of God's blessing 605 00:33:01,530 --> 00:33:02,450 and God's love. 606 00:33:04,010 --> 00:33:06,870 And so that's all they ever see. 607 00:33:07,270 --> 00:33:09,390 That's all they ever look for. 608 00:33:10,010 --> 00:33:12,970 And preachers tell them that the sky is 609 00:33:12,970 --> 00:33:13,350 red. 610 00:33:14,550 --> 00:33:15,830 The sky is the limit. 611 00:33:16,590 --> 00:33:19,030 You can have whatever you want from God, 612 00:33:19,110 --> 00:33:20,330 materially speaking. 613 00:33:21,350 --> 00:33:25,530 And every message and the only message some 614 00:33:25,530 --> 00:33:28,290 preachers preach is the red sky message. 615 00:33:28,810 --> 00:33:31,790 They tell people everything is all right. 616 00:33:32,510 --> 00:33:34,850 And they teach Christians to look for such 617 00:33:34,850 --> 00:33:37,270 signs, but they don't teach them to look 618 00:33:37,270 --> 00:33:38,050 for Jesus. 619 00:33:40,370 --> 00:33:42,810 Of optimism, but not of faith. 620 00:33:44,350 --> 00:33:46,810 And there is a great deal of difference 621 00:33:46,810 --> 00:33:50,850 between a man-made optimism and a God 622 00:33:50,850 --> 00:33:51,870 -given faith. 623 00:33:52,750 --> 00:33:55,730 And I'm seeing more and more that some 624 00:33:55,730 --> 00:34:00,310 of the so-called prosperity or faith preachers 625 00:34:00,310 --> 00:34:03,230 are not really faith preachers. 626 00:34:03,930 --> 00:34:06,590 They're mere success motivators. 627 00:34:07,110 --> 00:34:08,610 They're optimists. 628 00:34:08,750 --> 00:34:13,850 They're cheerleaders who are blinding the eyes of 629 00:34:13,850 --> 00:34:16,889 their followers to the fact that there may 630 00:34:16,889 --> 00:34:19,070 be a stone in front of their door 631 00:34:19,070 --> 00:34:23,610 and that Jesus will not come inside until 632 00:34:23,610 --> 00:34:28,409 that stone is removed and that the resurrected 633 00:34:28,409 --> 00:34:31,370 man can come forth out of their lives. 634 00:34:32,590 --> 00:34:36,090 Matthew 16, verse 4 says, an evil, adulterous 635 00:34:36,090 --> 00:34:38,810 generation seeks after a sign. 636 00:34:40,050 --> 00:34:42,989 He said, oh, yes, and a sign will 637 00:34:42,989 --> 00:34:43,810 be given it. 638 00:34:45,070 --> 00:34:47,909 Will not be given it except the sign 639 00:34:47,909 --> 00:34:48,449 of Jonah. 640 00:34:49,449 --> 00:34:52,670 And Jesus, of course, is referring to himself. 641 00:34:53,790 --> 00:34:56,190 Jonah is a type of Christ in that 642 00:34:56,190 --> 00:34:59,650 he was swallowed up, as in death, but 643 00:34:59,650 --> 00:35:01,070 he was also resurrected. 644 00:35:02,990 --> 00:35:05,190 And the only sign that we are to 645 00:35:05,190 --> 00:35:10,570 follow is Jesus, not your feelings, not self 646 00:35:10,570 --> 00:35:14,910 -made optimism, and certainly not the teachers or 647 00:35:14,910 --> 00:35:17,170 preachers who say all is well, all is 648 00:35:17,170 --> 00:35:17,550 well. 649 00:35:18,730 --> 00:35:22,470 They prophesy a fair weather, but they never 650 00:35:22,470 --> 00:35:25,090 ever tell you that you have to remove 651 00:35:25,090 --> 00:35:28,550 anything from your life, remove any stones before 652 00:35:28,550 --> 00:35:30,210 he can come into your heart. 653 00:35:33,130 --> 00:35:36,330 Look at verse 4, note verse 4, the 654 00:35:36,330 --> 00:35:37,230 last sentence. 655 00:35:38,330 --> 00:35:43,010 It says, and he left them and he 656 00:35:43,010 --> 00:35:43,770 went away. 657 00:35:44,990 --> 00:35:48,650 Oh, that strikes fear in my heart. 658 00:35:49,450 --> 00:35:52,470 I never want Jesus to leave me or 659 00:35:52,470 --> 00:35:57,550 depart because I'm not discerning a problem. 660 00:35:58,430 --> 00:36:02,250 I'm not seeing something within me that God 661 00:36:02,250 --> 00:36:06,270 wants to get at or deal with in 662 00:36:06,270 --> 00:36:08,830 order for him to bring about the next 663 00:36:08,830 --> 00:36:09,850 move in my life. 664 00:36:09,850 --> 00:36:13,850 I don't want to close him out so 665 00:36:13,850 --> 00:36:16,070 that he has to depart and move on. 666 00:36:19,000 --> 00:36:21,360 Now thirdly, note the pessimist. 667 00:36:22,200 --> 00:36:24,160 This is represented in Martha. 668 00:36:25,300 --> 00:36:28,420 However, she was probably not the only pessimist 669 00:36:28,420 --> 00:36:28,920 in the crowd. 670 00:36:29,160 --> 00:36:31,180 I believe she's a representative person. 671 00:36:32,240 --> 00:36:34,960 When Jesus said, remove the stone, listen to 672 00:36:34,960 --> 00:36:36,440 what her reaction is. 673 00:36:36,480 --> 00:36:39,880 She is aghast at the very thought of 674 00:36:39,880 --> 00:36:40,040 it. 675 00:36:40,040 --> 00:36:43,560 She says, Lord, by this time there will 676 00:36:43,560 --> 00:36:47,000 be a stench for he has been dead 677 00:36:47,000 --> 00:36:47,780 four days. 678 00:36:51,880 --> 00:36:55,800 Martha, you see, is the classical, typical pessimist. 679 00:36:56,700 --> 00:37:01,840 Now the dictionary defines pessimism as the tendency 680 00:37:01,840 --> 00:37:06,600 to expect misfortune or the worst outcome on 681 00:37:06,600 --> 00:37:07,700 any circumstances. 682 00:37:08,480 --> 00:37:11,540 The practice of looking at the dark side 683 00:37:11,540 --> 00:37:12,220 of things. 684 00:37:15,420 --> 00:37:17,800 And also, the pessimist is a complainer. 685 00:37:18,800 --> 00:37:21,860 In verse 21, Martha lets Jesus know how 686 00:37:21,860 --> 00:37:23,100 upset she is. 687 00:37:23,140 --> 00:37:25,200 She said, Lord, if you had been here, 688 00:37:25,380 --> 00:37:26,920 my brother would not have died. 689 00:37:30,750 --> 00:37:34,870 Now, when Jesus says, roll back the stone, 690 00:37:36,530 --> 00:37:40,410 Martha does not see that as a positive 691 00:37:40,410 --> 00:37:43,030 sign. 692 00:37:43,170 --> 00:37:45,530 She does not see that as something positive 693 00:37:45,530 --> 00:37:46,330 or hopeful. 694 00:37:46,930 --> 00:37:49,430 She sees and expects the worst. 695 00:37:50,510 --> 00:37:53,030 All she can think about is how it's 696 00:37:53,030 --> 00:37:53,750 going to smell. 697 00:37:55,750 --> 00:37:58,070 You see, this is a picture of the 698 00:37:58,070 --> 00:37:58,710 pessimist. 699 00:37:59,670 --> 00:38:01,590 This is a picture of how many people 700 00:38:01,590 --> 00:38:01,950 live. 701 00:38:01,950 --> 00:38:05,050 Life is very difficult. 702 00:38:05,410 --> 00:38:07,450 Life for the pessimist is very difficult. 703 00:38:08,470 --> 00:38:11,270 Not only do they see the dark side 704 00:38:11,270 --> 00:38:15,890 in everything and in everybody, for them, life, 705 00:38:16,070 --> 00:38:18,490 if you'll pardon the expression, life is a 706 00:38:18,490 --> 00:38:18,970 stinker. 707 00:38:20,330 --> 00:38:21,910 Life is a stench. 708 00:38:22,950 --> 00:38:26,130 This stinks and that stinks and he stinks 709 00:38:26,130 --> 00:38:29,630 and she stinks and everybody else, they see 710 00:38:29,630 --> 00:38:32,190 the worst, they smell the worst in everything 711 00:38:32,190 --> 00:38:32,970 and everybody. 712 00:38:36,640 --> 00:38:40,040 Now, do you know people that have that 713 00:38:40,040 --> 00:38:41,920 kind of attitude problem? 714 00:38:42,980 --> 00:38:46,240 You see, among non-Christians, it is called 715 00:38:46,240 --> 00:38:47,120 pessimism. 716 00:38:47,900 --> 00:38:50,780 Among Christians, it is called unbelief. 717 00:38:52,500 --> 00:38:55,400 We know it was unbelief in Martha because 718 00:38:55,400 --> 00:38:58,460 Jesus spoke directly to her and to her 719 00:38:58,460 --> 00:38:59,120 unbelief. 720 00:39:00,020 --> 00:39:04,600 In verse 40, Jesus said to her, Jesus 721 00:39:04,600 --> 00:39:14,560 said to her, Oh, that's 722 00:39:14,560 --> 00:39:17,520 another stone that has to be removed. 723 00:39:18,980 --> 00:39:20,520 The stone of unbelief. 724 00:39:21,820 --> 00:39:24,340 You see, it was not Lazarus that had 725 00:39:24,340 --> 00:39:25,060 a stench. 726 00:39:25,420 --> 00:39:26,500 It was Martha. 727 00:39:27,500 --> 00:39:31,340 If there's anything that turns God away, it's 728 00:39:31,340 --> 00:39:34,160 the smell of doubt and unbelief. 729 00:39:35,560 --> 00:39:42,080 Jesus said to Martha, He's referring back already. 730 00:39:42,860 --> 00:39:45,820 He had said previously to her, I am 731 00:39:45,820 --> 00:39:47,500 the resurrection and the life. 732 00:39:47,960 --> 00:39:50,740 He who believes in me shall live even 733 00:39:50,740 --> 00:39:53,680 if he dies and everyone who lives and 734 00:39:53,680 --> 00:39:55,280 believes in me shall never die. 735 00:39:55,280 --> 00:39:56,440 Do you believe this? 736 00:39:56,760 --> 00:39:58,520 And she said to him, Yes, Lord. 737 00:39:59,020 --> 00:40:01,600 I have believed that you are the Christ, 738 00:40:01,700 --> 00:40:03,540 the Son of God, even he who comes 739 00:40:03,540 --> 00:40:04,300 into the world. 740 00:40:05,500 --> 00:40:08,400 In other words, she makes a very theological 741 00:40:08,400 --> 00:40:09,160 statement. 742 00:40:10,540 --> 00:40:12,000 She said, Oh, yes. 743 00:40:12,080 --> 00:40:13,280 It's in our doctrine. 744 00:40:14,140 --> 00:40:15,260 It's in our creeds. 745 00:40:16,240 --> 00:40:18,440 But that's not what Jesus asked her. 746 00:40:19,180 --> 00:40:20,240 He asked her again. 747 00:40:20,320 --> 00:40:21,220 He comes again. 748 00:40:21,220 --> 00:40:25,280 And he said, I say to you again, 749 00:40:26,540 --> 00:40:28,460 did I not say to you, if you, 750 00:40:28,640 --> 00:40:32,940 Martha, believe, if you, Martha, believe today, today 751 00:40:32,940 --> 00:40:35,720 you shall see the glory of God. 752 00:40:37,100 --> 00:40:40,640 And I say to you tonight, just like 753 00:40:40,640 --> 00:40:44,660 Martha, do you stand before a tomb? 754 00:40:45,700 --> 00:40:49,520 Do you stand before a situation, pardon the 755 00:40:49,520 --> 00:40:54,200 expression, that stinks, that's not a very pleasant 756 00:40:54,200 --> 00:40:57,820 thing, something that has left a stench in 757 00:40:57,820 --> 00:40:58,620 your soul? 758 00:40:59,560 --> 00:41:02,200 Well, then the Lord has the same message 759 00:41:02,200 --> 00:41:04,980 tonight for you that he had for Martha, 760 00:41:05,320 --> 00:41:08,780 and it is this, if you believe, you 761 00:41:08,780 --> 00:41:11,480 shall see the glory of God. 762 00:41:11,560 --> 00:41:11,940 Hallelujah. 763 00:41:15,730 --> 00:41:18,510 Now, what happened when the stone was removed? 764 00:41:19,610 --> 00:41:24,070 Verse 41, that little line in my Bible 765 00:41:24,070 --> 00:41:28,910 that says, and so, and so they removed 766 00:41:28,910 --> 00:41:29,450 the stone. 767 00:41:29,550 --> 00:41:33,090 After all of their arguments, after all of 768 00:41:33,090 --> 00:41:35,230 their resistance, they removed it. 769 00:41:37,230 --> 00:41:40,610 And you see, when the stone of self 770 00:41:40,610 --> 00:41:45,950 -pity or the stone of self-assurance or 771 00:41:45,950 --> 00:41:50,330 false hope and unbelief is removed, God is 772 00:41:50,330 --> 00:41:53,250 able to take the next step in our 773 00:41:53,250 --> 00:41:53,890 lives. 774 00:41:55,210 --> 00:42:00,370 Do you know what God's next move in 775 00:42:00,370 --> 00:42:02,110 your life or what he wants it to 776 00:42:02,110 --> 00:42:04,150 be in your life? 777 00:42:05,170 --> 00:42:07,650 What he wants to do in and for 778 00:42:07,650 --> 00:42:08,730 every one of us? 779 00:42:09,830 --> 00:42:13,110 This is what I believe it is, and 780 00:42:13,110 --> 00:42:15,550 it's in this story, and I see myself 781 00:42:15,550 --> 00:42:16,450 in this story. 782 00:42:16,990 --> 00:42:20,070 I believe that he wants to bring forth 783 00:42:20,070 --> 00:42:21,130 a new man. 784 00:42:22,270 --> 00:42:24,950 He wants to bring forth a new man. 785 00:42:26,350 --> 00:42:28,990 Lazarus went into the grave a dead man. 786 00:42:29,370 --> 00:42:31,110 He came out a live man. 787 00:42:32,090 --> 00:42:34,590 He went in bound, but he came out 788 00:42:34,590 --> 00:42:35,090 free. 789 00:42:36,530 --> 00:42:40,190 And tonight, if you're here and you are 790 00:42:40,190 --> 00:42:46,010 dead in your trespasses and sins, then I 791 00:42:46,010 --> 00:42:49,390 want you to know that that stone, if 792 00:42:49,390 --> 00:42:54,370 it's drug addiction, if it's homosexuality, if it's 793 00:42:54,370 --> 00:43:00,250 lust, whatever your stone represents, if you will 794 00:43:00,250 --> 00:43:02,610 let him move it, if you say, yes, 795 00:43:02,750 --> 00:43:07,190 I want it moved, then Christ can call 796 00:43:07,190 --> 00:43:10,330 forth a new man out of your tomb. 797 00:43:10,450 --> 00:43:10,770 Hallelujah. 798 00:43:12,450 --> 00:43:15,690 That new man is called a new creature 799 00:43:15,690 --> 00:43:17,110 in Christ Jesus. 800 00:43:19,410 --> 00:43:23,970 But listen, the call to Lazarus is not 801 00:43:23,970 --> 00:43:25,810 just to the enslaved sinner. 802 00:43:26,250 --> 00:43:27,550 It's to all of us. 803 00:43:28,650 --> 00:43:32,410 At any stage of our spiritual walk, God 804 00:43:32,410 --> 00:43:37,270 is wanting to call forth a new work, 805 00:43:37,410 --> 00:43:41,310 a new thing, a new revelation, a new 806 00:43:41,310 --> 00:43:42,050 change. 807 00:43:42,150 --> 00:43:42,530 Hallelujah. 808 00:43:44,870 --> 00:43:47,430 2 Corinthians 3, 18. 809 00:43:48,530 --> 00:43:52,150 But it says, But we all, with open 810 00:43:52,150 --> 00:43:55,590 faith, beholding as in a mirror the glory 811 00:43:55,590 --> 00:43:56,390 of the Lord. 812 00:43:57,750 --> 00:44:00,970 Didn't Jesus say to Martha, If you believe, 813 00:44:01,230 --> 00:44:03,230 ye shall see the glory of God. 814 00:44:04,050 --> 00:44:07,150 And Paul says that glory is for us. 815 00:44:08,410 --> 00:44:11,110 Remove the stone so that the glory will 816 00:44:11,110 --> 00:44:14,230 go into the grave and Lazarus can come 817 00:44:14,230 --> 00:44:14,790 forth. 818 00:44:15,850 --> 00:44:18,790 And Paul says those who behold the glory 819 00:44:18,790 --> 00:44:22,850 are changed into the same image from glory 820 00:44:22,850 --> 00:44:25,810 to glory, even by the Spirit of the 821 00:44:25,810 --> 00:44:26,290 Lord. 822 00:44:27,930 --> 00:44:31,750 Another translation of the same verse goes like 823 00:44:31,750 --> 00:44:32,170 this. 824 00:44:32,790 --> 00:44:36,610 It says, We are transformed in ever, I 825 00:44:36,610 --> 00:44:37,170 like this. 826 00:44:37,810 --> 00:44:43,930 We are transformed in ever increasing splendor into 827 00:44:43,930 --> 00:44:44,970 his own image. 828 00:44:45,970 --> 00:44:49,430 And the transformation comes from the Lord who 829 00:44:49,430 --> 00:44:50,190 is the Spirit. 830 00:44:54,170 --> 00:44:58,430 We are a people who are constantly in 831 00:44:58,430 --> 00:44:59,090 process. 832 00:45:01,210 --> 00:45:05,570 I remember a young convert spoke to me 833 00:45:05,570 --> 00:45:07,150 as I was going out of the church 834 00:45:07,150 --> 00:45:07,690 one day. 835 00:45:08,510 --> 00:45:10,370 And I said, How you doing? 836 00:45:10,450 --> 00:45:14,230 He said, Well, he said, The Lord's really, 837 00:45:14,570 --> 00:45:15,430 really digging deep. 838 00:45:16,970 --> 00:45:19,450 He's really getting down at some things. 839 00:45:19,690 --> 00:45:21,310 He said, Does it ever stop? 840 00:45:22,650 --> 00:45:24,550 I said, No, it doesn't. 841 00:45:25,290 --> 00:45:26,790 It never stops. 842 00:45:27,390 --> 00:45:30,190 Oh, you know, it's a different degrees, but 843 00:45:30,190 --> 00:45:30,850 it never stops. 844 00:45:31,070 --> 00:45:32,770 Listen, we're always in process. 845 00:45:33,750 --> 00:45:38,090 Like the caterpillar turning into the butterfly, we're 846 00:45:38,090 --> 00:45:41,670 continually emerging from one level to the next, 847 00:45:41,930 --> 00:45:44,170 from one change to the next. 848 00:45:46,970 --> 00:45:47,830 Think of it tonight. 849 00:45:48,050 --> 00:45:51,430 Consider, consider where and what the Lord has 850 00:45:51,430 --> 00:45:53,130 already brought some of you from. 851 00:45:55,770 --> 00:45:59,210 The scriptures speak of what we once were. 852 00:45:59,210 --> 00:46:00,830 It uses terms like this. 853 00:46:00,970 --> 00:46:03,350 It calls us, it talks about the man 854 00:46:03,350 --> 00:46:04,070 of corruption. 855 00:46:05,190 --> 00:46:07,250 It talks about the wretched man. 856 00:46:07,750 --> 00:46:10,850 It talks about the unrighteous man, the vain 857 00:46:10,850 --> 00:46:14,530 man, the natural man, the defiled man. 858 00:46:15,890 --> 00:46:18,970 But you see, when you confess your sins 859 00:46:18,970 --> 00:46:22,170 and when you gave yourself to the Lord, 860 00:46:23,630 --> 00:46:28,330 Jesus interceded for you before the Father and 861 00:46:28,330 --> 00:46:31,230 a Lazarus began to come forth. 862 00:46:31,310 --> 00:46:31,650 Hallelujah. 863 00:46:33,050 --> 00:46:35,130 And who is this Lazarus? 864 00:46:35,950 --> 00:46:38,690 Listen to how the scriptures describes it. 865 00:46:38,770 --> 00:46:41,730 When old things pass away and behold, all 866 00:46:41,730 --> 00:46:42,790 things become new. 867 00:46:42,950 --> 00:46:44,470 Here's just a few examples. 868 00:46:45,230 --> 00:46:48,650 We go from being an old man to 869 00:46:48,650 --> 00:46:50,830 a new man or woman. 870 00:46:51,130 --> 00:46:53,630 We go from a dead man to a 871 00:46:53,630 --> 00:46:54,390 raised man. 872 00:46:54,390 --> 00:46:57,410 We go from a carnal man to a 873 00:46:57,410 --> 00:46:58,250 mature man. 874 00:46:58,810 --> 00:47:01,950 We go from an optimist to a man 875 00:47:01,950 --> 00:47:02,530 of faith. 876 00:47:03,310 --> 00:47:06,030 We go from being a double-minded man 877 00:47:06,030 --> 00:47:07,950 to singleness of heart. 878 00:47:08,870 --> 00:47:11,610 We go from living on the outward man 879 00:47:11,610 --> 00:47:14,830 to living by the inward man of which 880 00:47:14,830 --> 00:47:17,570 the inward man is renewed day by day. 881 00:47:18,310 --> 00:47:20,750 We go from a man of flesh to 882 00:47:20,750 --> 00:47:21,830 a man of the spirit. 883 00:47:21,830 --> 00:47:25,250 And the Lord is taking us from being 884 00:47:25,250 --> 00:47:28,850 a man or woman of little stature unto 885 00:47:28,850 --> 00:47:32,430 a perfect man, unto the measure of the 886 00:47:32,430 --> 00:47:34,690 stature of the fullness of Christ. 887 00:47:36,210 --> 00:47:38,930 Or what about putting off the old man 888 00:47:38,930 --> 00:47:42,710 which is corrupt according to the deceitful lust, 889 00:47:43,690 --> 00:47:46,490 a man whose conversation is ungodly. 890 00:47:46,970 --> 00:47:49,310 And we put that off so that ye 891 00:47:49,310 --> 00:47:51,990 can put on the new man which after 892 00:47:51,990 --> 00:47:55,750 God is created to righteousness and true holiness. 893 00:47:57,230 --> 00:47:59,990 Or some of you, he's taken you from 894 00:47:59,990 --> 00:48:04,390 being an angry man, an angry woman, and 895 00:48:04,390 --> 00:48:06,910 he's made you a gentle man and a 896 00:48:06,910 --> 00:48:08,290 gentle woman, hallelujah. 897 00:48:09,990 --> 00:48:14,070 I could go on and on describing the 898 00:48:14,070 --> 00:48:16,990 man of God that we are ever emerging 899 00:48:16,990 --> 00:48:17,630 into. 900 00:48:18,810 --> 00:48:22,650 Philippians 3.12 says, Not that I have 901 00:48:22,650 --> 00:48:25,590 already laid hold of it or that I 902 00:48:25,590 --> 00:48:29,270 am already perfect, but I am pressing on 903 00:48:29,270 --> 00:48:32,730 in hope of winning the mastery as Christ 904 00:48:32,730 --> 00:48:36,010 Jesus has won the mastery over me. 905 00:48:36,210 --> 00:48:36,650 Hallelujah. 906 00:48:39,350 --> 00:48:42,390 You see the Lord is calling forth a 907 00:48:42,390 --> 00:48:43,330 church today. 908 00:48:44,150 --> 00:48:48,170 He's calling forth a people without spot or 909 00:48:48,170 --> 00:48:48,590 wrinkle. 910 00:48:49,670 --> 00:48:51,930 And he wants you therefore to get ready 911 00:48:51,930 --> 00:48:54,050 for the next move of God in your 912 00:48:54,050 --> 00:48:54,530 life. 913 00:48:55,630 --> 00:49:00,290 And that means removing the stone so that 914 00:49:00,290 --> 00:49:04,170 he can take every spot, he can press 915 00:49:04,170 --> 00:49:05,970 out every wrinkle, hallelujah. 916 00:49:10,050 --> 00:49:12,150 It says, Put ye on the Lord Jesus 917 00:49:12,150 --> 00:49:12,810 Christ. 918 00:49:13,890 --> 00:49:16,750 And we are ever laying aside one garment 919 00:49:16,750 --> 00:49:19,350 and putting on a new one in Christ. 920 00:49:22,430 --> 00:49:24,150 One more verse and I'm going to close 921 00:49:24,150 --> 00:49:24,630 with this. 922 00:49:24,790 --> 00:49:26,790 Look at verse 44. 923 00:49:27,690 --> 00:49:28,730 Verse 44. 924 00:49:30,130 --> 00:49:31,070 And I close. 925 00:49:31,710 --> 00:49:32,790 Well, verse 43. 926 00:49:33,470 --> 00:49:35,110 And when he had said these things, he 927 00:49:35,110 --> 00:49:37,870 cried out with a loud voice, Lazarus, come 928 00:49:37,870 --> 00:49:38,310 forth. 929 00:49:40,590 --> 00:49:43,050 And not only has Lazarus come forth, but 930 00:49:43,050 --> 00:49:44,310 he keeps coming forth. 931 00:49:45,490 --> 00:49:48,310 And then it says, And he who had 932 00:49:48,310 --> 00:49:52,230 died came forth, bound hand and foot with 933 00:49:52,230 --> 00:49:55,490 wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with 934 00:49:55,490 --> 00:49:55,970 cloth. 935 00:49:56,350 --> 00:49:58,450 And Jesus said to them, Unbind him and 936 00:49:58,450 --> 00:49:59,070 let him go. 937 00:50:04,200 --> 00:50:07,140 I see that's what the Lord is doing 938 00:50:07,140 --> 00:50:07,860 in some of you. 939 00:50:08,020 --> 00:50:09,360 The Lord's unbinding you. 940 00:50:11,060 --> 00:50:12,840 In fact, he is continuing. 941 00:50:14,400 --> 00:50:18,660 He is continually unbinding the grave clothes of 942 00:50:18,660 --> 00:50:23,220 the old man, the man of sin, and 943 00:50:23,220 --> 00:50:24,620 perfecting the new man. 944 00:50:25,180 --> 00:50:27,960 This is a continual process. 945 00:50:29,560 --> 00:50:32,040 I look back over my life. 946 00:50:32,720 --> 00:50:35,220 I was thinking, praying about this today. 947 00:50:35,340 --> 00:50:37,740 I look back over my life, and I 948 00:50:37,740 --> 00:50:40,160 have left a trail of grave clothes. 949 00:50:41,920 --> 00:50:43,800 I've left a trail of them. 950 00:50:45,600 --> 00:50:48,580 Starting when I was about a teenager, and 951 00:50:48,580 --> 00:50:51,780 I guess for the last umpteen years or 952 00:50:51,780 --> 00:50:56,500 so, thirty-some years, whatever it is, the 953 00:50:56,500 --> 00:51:02,520 Lord has been unbinding me, loosing me from 954 00:51:02,520 --> 00:51:03,600 that old man. 955 00:51:04,420 --> 00:51:06,360 And he keeps unbinding me. 956 00:51:06,420 --> 00:51:07,960 He keeps unwrapping me. 957 00:51:09,460 --> 00:51:12,100 And you know what I believe, Brother Bob 958 00:51:12,100 --> 00:51:14,160 and Brother Jimmy, I believe there's a man 959 00:51:14,160 --> 00:51:15,600 of God down in here somewhere. 960 00:51:17,100 --> 00:51:20,200 I believe if I keep letting him unbind 961 00:51:20,200 --> 00:51:23,340 me, I'm going to finally get there, hallelujah. 962 00:51:23,720 --> 00:51:26,400 And he's going to keep unbinding us. 963 00:51:29,790 --> 00:51:32,410 Get ready, get ready for the next move 964 00:51:32,410 --> 00:51:34,030 of God in your life. 965 00:51:34,670 --> 00:51:36,830 He wants to unbind you and let you 966 00:51:36,830 --> 00:51:37,330 go. 967 00:51:38,750 --> 00:51:40,650 Have you ever got one of those gifts? 968 00:51:41,270 --> 00:51:43,690 You open it up, and it is a 969 00:51:43,690 --> 00:51:44,110 package. 970 00:51:45,490 --> 00:51:48,150 And you open that up, and in it 971 00:51:48,150 --> 00:51:49,230 is another package. 972 00:51:50,410 --> 00:51:52,530 And you open that up, and there's another, 973 00:51:52,630 --> 00:51:54,950 you know, you feel a little silly, and 974 00:51:54,950 --> 00:51:59,500 you get a little mad, and you keep 975 00:51:59,500 --> 00:52:01,460 going and keep going, and finally, you know, 976 00:52:01,540 --> 00:52:03,640 it's a great big box, but it's a 977 00:52:03,640 --> 00:52:04,460 very little thing. 978 00:52:05,780 --> 00:52:09,940 Ah, but listen, that's, I see, I see 979 00:52:09,940 --> 00:52:12,360 that's the process that I'm talking about. 980 00:52:12,740 --> 00:52:15,620 The Lord keeps opening, and he keeps, there's 981 00:52:15,620 --> 00:52:18,400 a gift inside there somewhere, hallelujah. 982 00:52:18,600 --> 00:52:21,420 And one day, one day, I'm going to 983 00:52:21,420 --> 00:52:22,560 be able to present it. 984 00:52:23,300 --> 00:52:25,460 One day, I want to be able to 985 00:52:25,460 --> 00:52:28,780 present a perfect man unto him. 986 00:52:29,960 --> 00:52:32,560 A man that walks, oh, I don't mean 987 00:52:32,560 --> 00:52:35,660 a sinless man, but I want to be 988 00:52:35,660 --> 00:52:38,380 that man who's living in the full stature 989 00:52:38,380 --> 00:52:39,720 of Christ, hallelujah. 990 00:52:41,500 --> 00:52:46,880 And you know, you know, when we, when 991 00:52:46,880 --> 00:52:48,640 this service is over, and you're all out 992 00:52:48,640 --> 00:52:52,000 of here, we have a crew that goes 993 00:52:52,000 --> 00:52:52,340 through here. 994 00:52:52,400 --> 00:52:54,700 I don't know when they do it, but 995 00:52:54,700 --> 00:52:55,360 they clean up. 996 00:52:55,880 --> 00:52:58,360 They clean up all the debris, and you 997 00:52:58,360 --> 00:52:59,660 know, thank God, I don't think we're a 998 00:52:59,660 --> 00:53:00,420 real dirty church. 999 00:53:00,500 --> 00:53:01,980 I haven't asked. 1000 00:53:02,940 --> 00:53:05,220 Oh, here's one of the ushers saying yes, 1001 00:53:05,340 --> 00:53:06,660 one of the workers saying yes. 1002 00:53:09,070 --> 00:53:10,830 And you know, they come through, and they 1003 00:53:10,830 --> 00:53:12,630 clean up all the paper and everything. 1004 00:53:13,190 --> 00:53:14,930 But you know something else that's beautiful? 1005 00:53:16,770 --> 00:53:20,290 I believe the Spirit comes through and picks 1006 00:53:20,290 --> 00:53:23,690 up all the grave clothes, all the grave 1007 00:53:23,690 --> 00:53:26,390 clothes that have been left behind, all the 1008 00:53:26,390 --> 00:53:29,370 things that God's dealing with, people who he's 1009 00:53:29,370 --> 00:53:31,950 liberating, people who he's changing, people who he's 1010 00:53:31,950 --> 00:53:34,810 saying yes, I'm speaking to you. 1011 00:53:34,890 --> 00:53:37,310 Lay down that hurt, lay down that attitude, 1012 00:53:37,310 --> 00:53:40,430 lay down that jealousy, lay that thing down. 1013 00:53:40,910 --> 00:53:44,910 God puts his focus on some other sin, 1014 00:53:45,310 --> 00:53:47,910 and especially around, oh, there must be a 1015 00:53:47,910 --> 00:53:49,030 stack of them at the altar. 1016 00:53:49,250 --> 00:53:51,150 He picks them all up, hallelujah. 1017 00:53:51,730 --> 00:53:53,390 This is a place to leave it. 1018 00:53:53,610 --> 00:53:56,430 He is unbinding us, glory to God. 1019 00:53:56,490 --> 00:53:57,550 That's the process. 1020 00:53:59,270 --> 00:54:01,430 Get ready for the next move of God 1021 00:54:01,430 --> 00:54:02,250 in your life. 1022 00:54:02,490 --> 00:54:05,130 There's some more clothes to come off, hallelujah. 1023 00:54:05,130 --> 00:54:09,570 Let go and let God have his way 1024 00:54:09,570 --> 00:54:10,730 in your life tonight. 1025 00:54:11,470 --> 00:54:12,510 Are you ready? 1026 00:54:12,630 --> 00:54:14,710 I don't know what God's saying to you, 1027 00:54:14,850 --> 00:54:17,770 but listen to me, I believe that he's 1028 00:54:17,770 --> 00:54:21,150 saying something to every single one from this 1029 00:54:21,150 --> 00:54:24,550 front row back to the last row, every 1030 00:54:24,550 --> 00:54:27,150 single individual, every one of you. 1031 00:54:28,250 --> 00:54:30,590 You're at some point of time in your 1032 00:54:30,590 --> 00:54:34,310 spiritual walk, and God may have done great, 1033 00:54:34,310 --> 00:54:38,970 marvelous victories for you, but whatever it is, 1034 00:54:39,030 --> 00:54:43,350 whatever stage you're at, he's not finished with 1035 00:54:43,350 --> 00:54:43,850 you yet. 1036 00:54:43,950 --> 00:54:45,750 He wants to open another package. 1037 00:54:46,030 --> 00:54:47,770 He wants to take off some more grave 1038 00:54:47,770 --> 00:54:51,170 clothes, and he wants a Lazarus to come 1039 00:54:51,170 --> 00:54:51,550 forth. 1040 00:54:51,790 --> 00:54:55,850 He wants to bring glory into your tomb, 1041 00:54:55,950 --> 00:54:58,510 as it were, and let a new Lazarus 1042 00:54:58,510 --> 00:54:59,330 come forth. 1043 00:55:00,070 --> 00:55:01,450 Will you let him do that tonight? 1044 00:55:01,570 --> 00:55:02,290 Praise the Lord. 1045 00:55:02,350 --> 00:55:03,330 Shall we stand together? 1046 00:55:03,330 --> 00:55:06,550 When you make great, great, tremendous promises to 1047 00:55:06,550 --> 00:55:10,510 the Lord and can't fulfill them, or other 1048 00:55:10,510 --> 00:55:13,530 times when you're ready to deny your faith, 1049 00:55:13,690 --> 00:55:15,310 the Lord doesn't want you to swing that 1050 00:55:15,310 --> 00:55:15,490 way. 1051 00:55:15,650 --> 00:55:17,370 He wants you to swing right in the 1052 00:55:17,370 --> 00:55:18,870 center of his will.