Break the Line!

Welcome to the official podcast of Rock Hill Baptist Church 2

where we are focused on glorifying God, spreading the

gospel, and making disciples of Jesus Christ right here in the

heart of Greenville, SC. Each week we bring you a life

changing word from our Senior Pastor, Pastor Matthew D Long

Junior, or one of our anointed guest speakers.

We pray this message strengthens your faith, deepens your

understanding, and empowers you to elevate in every area of your

life. Let's join the service already

in progress. We've come to give glory to his

name, the Luke chapter 1, Luke chapter 1, praise the Lord.

Luke 1 · chapter mention Luke 1 · chapter mention

Luke chapter one. I'm actually going to call your

attention to something I don't normally do.

We're going to be in two books. Hallelujah.

Luke chapter one. Start at verse 60 and then hold

your finger and jump over to John chapter 1.

John 1 · chapter mention

John chapter 1. They gonna see.

John 1 · chapter mention

We gonna see what the Lord does. Luke chapter 1, starting at

Luke 1 · chapter mention

verse 60. I'm gonna give you some time.

I know and then tricked you with this 122 books today.

Luke chapter one, verse 16, Luke chapter 1, then John

Luke 1 · chapter mention John 1 · chapter mention

chapter 1. Hey Mama, Luke chapter 1, then

Luke 1 · chapter mention

John chapter 1. I'll give you some time.

John 1 · chapter mention

Yes, thank you, Jesus. Hallelujah.

Glory to God. Thank you, Lord Jesus.

Nobody like you, Jesus, you're amazing, Lord Father, you're

magnificent. Glory to God.

Luke chapter 1 starting at verse #60 says and his mother answered

Luke 1 · chapter mention

and said, glory to God. Not so, but he shall be called

John. And they said unto her, There is

none of thy kindred that is called by this name.

And they made signs to his father how he would have, how he

would have him called, 63. And he asked for a writing

table, and wrote, saying, His name is John.

And they marvelled all, 64. And his mouth was opened

immediately, hereby say immediately.

And his tongue loosed, and he spake and praise God. 65 And

fear came on all that dwelt round about them.

And all these sayings were noise abroad throughout all the Hill

Country of Judea. Now let's flip over to John

chapter one verse #19 John chapter one verse #19 And if

you're driving, you probably going to find that it ain't too

far away. We just going to go one book on

over John chapter one verse #19 says And this is the record of

John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to

ask him, Who art thou? Verse 20 And he confessed, and

denied not, but confessed, I am not the Christ. 21 And they

asked them, What then art thou Elias?

And he answered, and said, I am not.

Art thou that prophet? And he answered No 22 Then said

they unto him. Who art thou?

That we may give an answer to them that sent us.

What sayest thou thyself? 23 He said, I am the voice of

one crying in the wilderness. Make straight the way of the

Lord, as said the prophet Isaiah, the word of God for the

people of God. Thanks be unto God as you take

your seed. Help me out.

Turn to your neighbor and say, Hey neighbor, are you OK?

Turn to another neighbor and say, Hey, neighbor, are you OK?

All right, All right. My dear brothers and sisters,

I'm going to preach from the thought this afternoon.

Break the line. Lord, I don't know what happened

to you. I thought you were still with

me. You was doing all that talking.

One more time, I'm going to preach from the thought.

Break the line. Break the line.

My dear brothers and sisters, when I was growing up, there was

this one kid in the neighborhood.

I'll call him Blake. Everybody like Blake, but he was

the kind of kid who didn't always follow the rules.

Now, now, if you grew up like me, there was nothing more

exciting at school than pizza day in the cafeteria.

Everybody knew the smell before you even made it through the

double doors. That cheesy greasy rectangle of

goodness with pepperoni or sausage.

And, and I don't, I don't know about you, but, but, but we had

sometimes that little square of chocolate cake on the side.

Or if you went to Dutch Fork in Irmo, SC, we had the uncooked,

the undercooked cookies and a little red and white paper

boats. Well, one particular Friday the

line was long. All my friends were way ahead of

me and I could see the lunch lady scooping out the last of

the good pieces of pizza. I started to panic and then I

saw a gap in the line. Nobody was paying attention.

So guess, guess who would slid right in between those two kids.

No, it wasn't Blake. It was me.

It was me. I got away.

I got away that day. But but but another Friday, this

same thing had occurred that nobody had said a word, but

somehow, somehow Blake this time found the gap and cut the line.

It was until one of the kids he had cut in line, cut in front of

realized begin to shout with a high pitched voice.

Hey, he skipped me. Suddenly the teacher on duty

spotted Blake and called them out.

Blake, go to the back of the line.

So, so my dear brothers and sisters, everybody really, they

really did, they saw this Deacon Davis, Deacon Glenn.

Some even laughed, and then and and Mother Gordina.

A few of them shook their heads as Blake made his way all the

way to the back of the line. That that day, that day, that

day that it happened to Blake stuck with me.

Because despite my little faith in getting the pizza I wanted,

it taught me something. You ready?

It taught me that breaking the line gets you notice, and

sometimes it'll get you in trouble.

But sometimes breaking the line is the only way to get to what's

waiting for you. Well, I am not advocating for

any kids to break the line at lunch tomorrow.

I am expressing that's where we find ourselves in between the

black and white pages of the book before you or the

electronic device from what you are reading from.

And Luke chapter 1, verses 60 to 65.

Luke 1:60–65

And your Bible introduces us to Elizabeth and Zechariah, two

individuals who are breaking the line, not a lunch line, but a

line of tradition. Everybody say tradition,

tradition. Everybody expected them to name

the baby after the pappy because that's how it has always been

done. But God, God, God has given them

a different word. God gave the word that the name

should be John. I know it's kind of early in my

preaching. I put a lot of time on the

clock, but sometimes you got to break the line to birth the

promise because if you don't, you're just up a disaster called

a tradition and forfeit the destiny God had with your name

on it. It's from this moment in

scripture we find 3 movements worth exploring together.

You ready? The very first movement in this

text worth exploring is that you have to deny the default to

declare destiny. I must say it again.

I know you're writing notes. I said you have to deny the

default to declare destiny. I'm gonna write it a third time.

I still see you writing You have to deny the default to declare

destiny. Check this out.

Luke chapter one verse #60 says And his mother answered and

said, Not so, but he shall be called John.

Verse 61 And they said unto her, There is none of thy kindred

that is called by this name. Verse 62 or Luke chapter 1 says,

Luke 1 · chapter mention

And they made signs to his father how he would have had him

to be called. And he asked for a writing table

and wrote, saying His name is John.

And they all marveled. The very first thing is you got

to defy the demand. You have to find the demand.

Elizabeth opens her mouth and says no, no, no, no, no, no, no,

no matter fact You got the King James.

It says not so she's not being polite.

She's rejecting the family and cultural pressure to keep

tradition alive at the expense of God's Word.

Hear me, my dear brothers and sisters.

Elizabeth is between 40 and 60 years old, and she had been

barren for decades. She had been called by her

condition. She had been labeled by her

liability. She had been known by her

inability. And in this moment, she refuses

to let the voices around her overpower the voice of God

within her. She refused.

She refused. She refused to let the voices

around her overpower the voice of God within her.

Even though the voices, the voices might have sounded

churchy, it didn't line up with God's order.

Even though sometimes the voices sounded spooky but had no

substance. She didn't allow her to

overpower her, even though the voices had sound that sounded

like the past but had no resemblance to the future.

She didn't allow it. She didn't allow it.

She didn't allow it to overpower the voice of God within her.

And minding brothers and sisters, when Elizabeth refuses

to follow the voice of tradition Sister Walker, the conversation

shifts from the mother to the father.

Ain't that interesting, huh? Look at this minding brothers

and sisters, I think I better get ahead and state the obvious.

You got to declare. I'm the definite.

You got to declare. You got to declare Zechariah,

who hasn't been able to speak since Luke chapter one, verse

20. Ben Gabriel, the Angel told him

he'll be silent until the promise came to pass.

He motions for a writing table and and he begins to write, but

he does not write his name. Ruby, you got your Bible open,

right? He does not write we're thinking

about, but he writes his name is John.

I'm going to tell you the truth. I struggled with this title

because I almost preached my name as John.

Because here, here he tells us in present sense, in a subtle

fact, that the name of the boy is John.

Ain't no questions about it. And it's in this moment

Zechariah's confession matched God's command.

But that's good to me. Verse 64 says his mouth was

open, his tongue loosed and he began to praise God.

Heaven didn't wait on a particular calendar date.

It waited on Zacharias confession.

Can I tell you something? Thank you for talking to me,

Deke. When your lips lined up with the

Lord's language shackles don't even stand a chance.

I think I better say that for myself.

I, I, I said, I said when your lips lined up with the Lord's

language shackles don't even stand a chance, Mind your

brothers and sister. He says his name is John.

His name is John. His name is John.

The name John in Hebrews, Johann and Johann.

And which means the Lord is gracious.

The Lord is gracious. Psalms 145 and eight says the

Lord is he's gracious, the Lord is John and full of compassion,

slow to anger and of great mercy.

My dear sister Shirley, every time this name John or Johann

and shows up in the Old Testament, we find that it is

doing a moment of divine turning.

I feel like preaching. I'm sorry, jump on board.

In First Chronicles chapter 3 verse 15 during Josiah's reform,

1 Chronicles 3:15

it was a moment of turning. In First Chronicles chapter 12

1 Chronicles 12 · chapter mention

and verse 12, it was a warrior warrior by the name of John who

was sent to help for a turning. Even in Ezra chapter 10 verse 6

Ezra 10:6

during a covenant renewal, it was a time of turning.

OK, you don't like that? Nehemiah chapter 12, verse 22

Nehemiah 12:22

and 23, during a national restoration became a time of

turning. Help me out.

Turn to your neighbor. Say neighbor, It's a time of

turning, a time of turning, time of turning.

And Elizabeth and Zechariah obeyed the Angel and named him

John. They weren't just picking a

name, but they were announcing. They were announcing a new, I

better say that again. They were announcing, hey, I

hear you, Lord. They were announcing a new

season of grace in Israel. If I can say it more plainly for

you and I in the room, Deacon Davis, they were announcing a

new grace for a new space. Let me give you a quick

homiletical highlight. When God shifts your season, He

sends the grace before He gives you the ground because every new

space demands a fresh supply from heaven.

And I'm and I'm and I'm. And I was a boy growing up at

1:27 Country Town Drive in Columbia, SC.

I found myself going to Crossroads Middle School.

Deacon, Deacon Glen, It's now called Crossroads Intermediate

School. I didn't take the bus at this

school. I walked Deacon House.

I walked to school and and right in front of our house next to

the Saint Andrew's Presbyterian Church on the hill at the edge

of the street were train tracks. Sister Shirley.

So every morning and evening I had to cross these train tracks.

The thing about these tracks was you couldn't see how far in

either direction because of the curves and the trees.

You never knew when the train train might come, but but I

learned real quick, if you waited until you saw the train,

you might be in trouble before you ever saw that.

You can feel the rails hum under your shoes.

Anybody know about that? You hear the little rumble

building in the ground, and then the whistle would blast through

the air and that was your sign not to panic, but to position

yourself. I'm preaching better than you

talking to me. If you only move when you see

it, you're already late. You got to respond.

Check this out when you sense it, you got to respond.

When you sense it, I better keep going.

I'm trying to give you some time back.

So we find ourselves now in the second movement of this text.

It's in John, John chapter one, verse 19 and 23, to which we

find ourselves. But it says here, who?

Who who, who are you? Who are you?

Who are you? John?

Chapter one verse 19 says, and this is the record of John.

OK, I'll make sure you still with me.

When the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask

him who are you? Verse 20 It says, And he

confessed, and denied not, but confessed, I am not the Christ.

Verse Verse. Verse 21.

Verse 21. And they asked them, What then

are you Elias, Elijah? And he said, I am not.

But they said, But art thou the prophet?

And he answered, no. Verse #22 Then said they unto

him, Who art thou, that we may give an answer to them that sent

us, What sayest thou thyself? Verse 23 and I think I'm going

to park right here. He said, I am the voice of one

crying in the wilderness. Make straight the way of the

Lord. I said the prophet Isaiah,

Isaiah, Isaiah. Here, the second movement of the

text is you got to declare the design before displaying the

delivery. I know that that one, that's a

little, that's a little. I, I said you got to, you got to

declare the design before displaying the delivery.

You got to display the the design by defining the duty

before John talks about what he does, he talks about what he's

not. Come here, scoot to the edge of

your seat. I don't want you to fall asleep

on me. I think we got a couple already,

he says. I'm not the main attraction, he

says. I'm the main announcement.

Come here. Isaiah chapter 40, verse three

Isaiah 40 · chapter mention

had already declared his role centuries earlier.

And John says that's me, that's my lane.

Come here. Can I give you a quick

homological highlight? Why you refocus yourself real

quick. I'm going to let you know that

if you want God's oil, don't chase another man's assignment.

You got to stay in the lane he crafted for your calling because

grace won't cover. But God didn't Commission.

Thank you for talking to Michelle.

I I know it's good baby let you know that that that you've got

to demonstrate the divine design and God's Kingdom.

The announcement always comes before the arrival come here

because I think I better prove it to you.

You got your Bible Genesis chapter one verse 3.

The Bible says and God said he said before there was have a

light. Deacon Glenn OK, how about

Ezekiel 37 and seven. There was a noise before the

bones had ever came together. I ain't gonna make you flip too

much, but remember this. On John 11 and 43, he calls out

Braylon Lazarus. Come forth before He ever comes

out. OK, Luke chapter one verse 13,

John's name was given before conception.

And then John chapter 1. John chapter one, verse 26.

John 1 · chapter mention

Among you stands one who do not know before Jesus was ever

revealed. That was Luke 1 and 13.

John's name was given because God declares the design before

He displays the delivery. I'm gonna say it one more time

to get into your spirit. I said God declares the design

before he displays the delivery. I feel the need to give it to

you a third time, Sister Sherry. I said God declares the design

before he displays the delivery. Doctor Travis Jennings says your

voice is the echo of your soul, the divine method, message and

melody that connects you to others.

I'm about to get out of here. John's voice wasn't just noise,

it was Heaven's method, message and melody.

Before God showed the vessel Jesus, who we see later on in

his public ministry, he sent the voice.

He sent the voice to get people in position, many brothers and

sisters. The voice comes before the

vessel because God uses sound to shape what he's about to feel.

That's why that's why I'm so incensed about your voice.

That's why I'm so crazed about how how much you don't use your

sound when becoming God's house, because the voice always comes

before the vessel. And God's just trying to use

your voice, my voice, to shape this space so that he can feel

it, so he can feel it. I better move on out of here.

I think I'm able to put some more time on the clock for you.

Is that all right for you? It's here we find ourselves in

the third movement of the text. The third movement of the text

is that you have to deliver with the time and direction.

You have to deliver with determined direction.

Let's let's read it again, a John chapter 1, but let's go to

John 1 · chapter mention

verse #23. He says, I am the voice of one

crying in the wilderness. Make straight the way of the

Lord, as said the prophet Isaiah.

I want to let you know that you got to declare boldly.

You got to declare boldly. Check this out because it's your

reason. Doctor Travis Jennings in his

book says every voice has a reason, the why for the what.

And before John ever lifted his voice, God had already written

his why into the scroll of eternity.

Sit up one more time before I get into my hoop.

I said. Before John ever lifted his

voice, God had already written his why into the scroll of

eternity. John's reason wasn't self

promotion, it was Kingdom preparation.

That's good. So Isaiah 40 and three had

already set John's purpose and stone centuries before he was

born. Come here because I don't think

you trust me. So I better read the scripture.

It says prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the

desert highway for I'm God. That meant his assignment was

not to entertain nor to impress, not to make people like him.

But it was clear that his purpose was to clear the pathway

for the king. And notice where God put him at.

He didn't put him in a palace, nor did he put him in the

temple. But Ben, Ben, Ben.

God had put him in a wilderness. The wilderness is a wild place.

That brings one back to the original design.

Yeah. And I'm so glad that the

wilderness may not have much of an audience, but it didn't

muffle his authority. I think I better get on out of

here now. See, some of us think that our

platform determines our power, but God shows us it's our

purpose that determines the power.

Because you can't measure boldness by the size of the

crowd, but you got to measure by the size of your obedience.

Come here, Jeremiah, I feel like preaching now.

And Jeremiah chapter one, verse 7, it's God who tells the man of

God. Say not I am only a child, for

thou shall go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever

I can. Mandy, Yeah, thou shalt speak.

Because boldness is not arrogance.

Boldness is confidence in the cover.

I better say it because I got lost in my mouth.

I said boldness is not arrogance.

Boldness is confidence in the caller.

And I just came on this second Sunday to remind the Saints of

God. Don't forget who called you.

Hang on, you may feel like life has a strong wave of pulling and

sucking out of you, but I just came here now to remind you,

Don't forget the one who created you before there ever was time.

Don't forget the one who had already envisioned you and had

you on his mind. Don't, don't, don't, don't.

Don't forget the one who has called you for such a time as

this, because now. Now, now is our time.

I'm reminded in the book of Acts chapter 4 and 13.

Acts 4 · chapter mention

I mean, the rulers were astonished at Peter and John's

boldness because they realized they had been with Jesus.

Boldness isn't just being loud, but it's being clear when the

world is confused. I like the writings of Howard

Thurman, the great theologian who said and there is something

in every one of us that waits and listens for the sound of the

genuine, he and ourselves, and that's the only true guide that

we ever will have. John had found the sound of the

genuine one in him, and that genuine sound was the voice of

God. He.

Yes, Sir, I'm sorry. He didn't live to the echo of

the culture. He lived to amplify the Kingdom.

And when you know your why, you won't get distracted chasing the

what's because the what's I have nothing to do with your calling.

When you know your reason, you won't need everybody's

recognition. Because you know why you keep

working when nobody's watching. I've got to get out of here for

real. I'm starting to eat up my time.

But I want to let you know that you got to deliver faithfully,

faithfully, the rhythm of your voice.

Because every voice has a rhythm.

Not the beat of the crowd's applause, but the cadence of the

caller's command. Young voice, he is not a random.

It's deliberate. It's a divine timing wrapped in

human breath. It's the rhythm of your voice

that must match the rhythm of God's heartbeat.

So John didn't let the culture dictate his tempo.

He didn't let criticism throw from off beat, too.

He wasn't dancing to the drum of the Sanhedrin.

Neither was he swaying to those of the synagogue.

But his rhythm, Deacon Glenn, was repentance.

His rhythm Deacon Hauser, was readiness.

His rhythm, Mother Gordine was righteousness and never retire.

We find John. Yeah, we find him in heaven.

Score. Delivering faithfully means you

don't skip measures. You don't improvise, Yes, God,

because the crowd looks bored. You don't water down the message

to make it palatable for people who don't even want to change.

But faithfulness is holding the note heaven gave you and to the

one who wrote the song says release it.

It's staying in your while the enemy tries to push you into the

wrong pitch. It's marching to the temple, the

temple of truth, when lies are trying to speed you up or slow

you down. This is why some people burn

out, because they're trying to keep up with a beat God never

gave them. They're exhausting themselves

chasing the the rhythm of relevance instead of the rhythm

of revelation. But when you're faithful to

God's rhythm, you'll find yourself refreshed even in the

wilderness. And your discount that the right

rhythm will sustain you when resources alone and results are

slow. Because faithful delivery is

about consistency. I think I better get on out of

here now. Grab your neighbor real quick.

Make sure you wake him up for me and say neighbor.

Faithful delivery is about consistency.

It's about waking up every day and tuning you're here to

heavens much alone. It's about clapping your life in

time, but God's yes and pause against up with his weight.

It's when you live like that, when your rhythm aligns with God

storms who won't throw you off. Haters.

Who won't stop your song and seasons?

Who won't silence your sound? Because the truth is, when you

keep God's rhythm, your voice, but carry Father, but He, it

would hit deeper and it'll last longer than anything the world

tries to manufacture. As I was writing this out, the

Lord gave me something else. Deacon Glenn, I don't even know

if I seen this before, but I want you to see that not only

must you make sure that you declare boldly the reason that

you deliver faithfully the rhythm, but you got to make sure

you direct intentionally the war.

Because every voice has a war. Yeah, not just one sound, but

every voice has substance. The war is the weighted word

that carries heaven's authority into the Earth's atmosphere.

John's warmth was not about echoing what the crowd wanted to

hear, but it was about declaring what Heaven had already decided.

I think I'm boring you. I better get out of here.

When the priests and Levites came asking who he was, he could

have inflated his profile and expanded his resume.

He could have exaggerated his role in this world, but instead

his war shipped away the confusion and pointed them to

Christ. His war was firm.

His war was focused. His war was freeing.

Did y'all go to sleep on me? I want to let let you know that

John's war was aimed. Every declaration had a

destination. Every word was a wave pushing

people toward the shore of salvation.

He broke the line of self importance, the line of

inherited tradition, the line of shallow expectation, because his

voice was on assignment. And here's the power.

A true war clears the way. It removes what blocks, and it

dismantles what distracts. Can I go higher now?

Now it redirects what's been misaligned.

The war doesn't compete with Jesus.

The war announces him. The war doesn't steal the

moment, but the roar sets the moment.

If you're going to break the line, you can't just be loud.

But you got to be laser focused. I've got to go for real now, but

you got to know your words have to carry weight, not for

applause, but for alignment. Lord, what happened to you?

I'm preaching harder than you. Looking for the student in the

room? You might be standing up for

somebody in your class for every professional in the room.

You might be refusing to bend the truth on the reports.

For everything you're saying in the room, you're right.

Might be telling the next generation I've.

Been through the fire and I've. Been through the flood?

But I felt even sin Breakers China conquer my.

Soul. But the Lord brought me out.

I got to get out of here now because you may not understand.

That. Your voice was never built to be

a destination. My voice is just a compass.

And. God plans a voice in the midst.

Of chaos. Support people back to Christ.

So when your. Reason fires your rhythm.

And your. Rhythm releases your roar.

The sound. You carry breaks the line.

Bypasses the noise. And the ashes saws into the

presence. I'm the Lord.

I gotta go now. But I remember one time I was at

the airport and. As I was dead.

Catching an early flight. The gate area.

Was crowded. Noise was everywhere.

People were talking, luggages was rolling, kids were crying

and. Boarding announcements were.

Coming all. Over the terminals and.

Simon Lehman Over the speaker, I heard a clear voice.

Saying Flight 237. To a Lima is not.

Boarding passengers. I didn't know the.

Person. Speaking, I couldn't even.

See them? But I knew the.

Voice wasn't talking for. Themselves, but they were.

Talking for the airline? How about to?

Go for real now. The one job.

Was to get people on the right plane.

Nobody capped for them, nobody took the picture, but every

person who heard and obeyed. Give it.

Up exactly where they were supposed to be.

And that's what John. Was not the pilot, but the

announcer, not the destination, but the direction, not the

vessel. Only the voice and when you

commit to delivering but the. Discernment Direction.

You don't. Need the spotlight?

You just need to make sure people get to Jesus.

That's all I came to say. Your voice still matters, your

assignment still has weight, and your obedience still has power

because of charm. Can.

Break the line. Of.

Tradition. If Elizabeth can break the line

of expectation, if Zach Ryan can break the line of silence, did

Shirley, Shirley, Shirley, by the power of the Holy Ghost, you

can break the line. That's.

Been holding you back. You can break the line that's

been holding you down. You can break the line that's

kept you in fear. You can break the line that's

kept you in sin. You can break the line that's

kept you in silence. And when you break the line.

You don't just move forward, but you elevate, you go high up, you

rise up, you step into a new grace for a new space.

God break back through. You break the line 'cause I am

John. Break the line because I am

John. Break the line because I am

John. Thank you for tuning in to the

Rock Hill Baptist Church 2 Podcast.

We pray today's message planted something in your spirit and

gave you the strength to keep growing here at the Rock Hill

Baptist Church 2. We're a growing church, and

growth starts with one step. If you're ready to go deeper,

visit us online at www.myrockhill2.org and click

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you know is ready to grow too. And remember, no matter what

comes your way, you were built to elevate.

Until next time, walk in purpose, live in power, and grow

in grace.