Sermon

Carry the Corner | Pastor Trev Evans

Koinonia Christian Center

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  1. Come on, grab your Bibles and let's get

  2. ready to make our confession. Whether

  3. that's a paper Bible,

  4. phone, tablet, whatever you have, y'all.

  5. I'm doing all I can to stay in this hat.

  6. Do you hear me?

  7. >> I'm going to do it as long as I can in

  8. Jesus name. Come on, hold it up. Let's

  9. make our confession. Let's say, "This is

  10. my Bible.

  11. >> This is my Bible.

  12. >> It is God's word.

  13. >> It reveals to me.

  14. >> It reveals to me

  15. >> God's will.

  16. >> Therefore,

  17. >> therefore,

  18. >> it's the final authority. authority

  19. >> to which I submit

  20. >> to settle all the issues

  21. >> settle all the issues

  22. >> of my life

  23. >> it is the standard

  24. >> is the standard

  25. >> of my conduct

  26. >> of my

  27. >> and the basis basis

  28. >> of all my expectations

  29. >> Come on shout it out I am

  30. >> I am

  31. >> what it says I am

  32. >> I possess

  33. >> what it says I possess

  34. >> what it says I pos

  35. >> and I can do

  36. >> I can do

  37. >> absolutely everything

  38. >> it says I can do

  39. >> I'm a believer

  40. >> not a doubter

  41. I'm a doer.

  42. >> I'm a doer.

  43. >> Not just a hearer.

  44. >> And my life

  45. >> my everyday life

  46. >> My everyday life

  47. >> is the better

  48. >> is the better.

  49. >> After having heard

  50. >> after heard

  51. >> the word of faith.

  52. >> The word of faith.

  53. >> Faith comes by hearing.

  54. >> Faith comes by hearing

  55. >> and hearing.

  56. >> And hearing by

  57. >> hearing

  58. >> the word of God.

  59. >> Word of God.

  60. >> Let's ride.

  61. >> Man, I'm so glad to see you in that

  62. chain. I just know. I know there's too

  63. many of us in here for me to be the only

  64. one.

  65. >> Amen.

  66. >> Yes, sir.

  67. All right. Yes, sir. God knows I love

  68. the sound team. Jesus.

  69. Listen, we going to Mark chapter 2. Mark

    Mark 2 chapter mention Mark 2 chapter mention

  70. chapter 2. Mark chapter 2. Those who do

    Mark 2 chapter mention

  71. not know, we are on our 40-day corporate

  72. fast. And this year, we are going to be

  73. in the book of Mark the entire time. And

  74. so, we are teaching every morning uh

  75. from the book of Mark. Y'all, let me

  76. pause for a second. Did Pastor Christie

  77. not teach her face off these past two

  78. days? Do you hear me?

  79. >> God almighty knows.

  80. Jesus, Lord have mercy. I called her. I

  81. said, "Listen, I know what the book

  82. said, but we might need one more day on

  83. solitude."

  84. >> My God.

  85. And so, we are in the book of Mark and

  86. uh it is incred. Buckle your seat belt

  87. cuz Pastor Shandelle going to be

  88. released this week.

  89. And we are in the book of Mark. And so

  90. today we are in the book. We're not

  91. deviating from that. Mark chapter 2

    Mark 2 chapter mention

  92. beginning at verse one. Let me let me

  93. read a couple verses. And it says,

  94. "And again he entered Capernaum.

  95. After some days and it was heard that he

  96. was in the house. Immediately many

  97. gathered together so that there was no

  98. longer room to receive them, not even

  99. near the door. And he preached the word

  100. to them. Then they came to him bringing

  101. a paralytic who was carried by four. And

  102. when they could not come near him

  103. because of the crowd, they uncovered the

  104. roof where he was. So when they had

  105. broken through, they let down the bed on

  106. which the paralytic was lying.

  107. Yeah. We want to talk from the subject

  108. today, carry the corner.

  109. >> Carry the corner. I'm not a touch your

  110. neighbor kind of preacher, but I need

  111. you to bump him this one time and bump

  112. him and tell him say, "Carry the

  113. corner."

  114. >> Carry the corner.

  115. >> As Pastor Sedette

  116. said in the video, we live in the most

  117. connected era in human history. Yet we

  118. are starving for true relationships.

  119. >> You can have a thousand friends online

  120. and not have four people that you can

  121. call when life gets hard.

  122. >> Loneliness isn't just a social trend. It

  123. is a spiritual weight crushing every

  124. generation in America. We are physically

  125. crowded but spiritually isolated.

  126. hiding our match behind filters and

  127. photos and busy calendars.

  128. According to the latest data, I got my

  129. own data. Pastor Sedette, let's ride

  130. from the US surgeon general. In 2026,

  131. the isolate this isolation is a national

  132. emergency

  133. >> among teens. 79% of Gen Z report feeling

  134. chronically lonely. the highest rate

  135. ever recorded.

  136. For those in their 20s and 30s, 70% of

  137. of these adults feel lonely even in a

  138. crowd,

  139. paralyzed by the high pressure of

  140. transitions, of career, of identity, and

  141. starting families. Middle-aged adults

  142. over 45 suffer from persistent

  143. loneliness that affects their physical

  144. health.

  145. And one in four adults over the age of

  146. 65 are socially isolated.

  147. A health risk, I mind you, that the

  148. surgeon general equates to smoking 15

  149. cigarettes per day.

  150. >> Catch this. That that level of

  151. loneliness impacts our seniors

  152. physically as if they were smoking 15

  153. cigarettes a day.

  154. You and I must understand that this

  155. isolation isn't just a social trend.

  156. It's a spiritual battleground.

  157. >> The enemy wants you isolated because a

  158. lone sheep is an easy target.

  159. >> My God.

  160. >> In our text in Mark chapter 2, Jesus had

    Mark 2 chapter mention

  161. just finished grally uh journeying

  162. through Galilee, healing lepers and

  163. confronting demons. As pastor Christie

  164. taught on yesterday, Jesus was trending.

  165. Everybody was talking about this healer.

  166. And when chapter 2 opens up with his

  167. return to Capernaum where he was living

  168. now, Capernaum was not a quiet village.

  169. It was a hightraic fishing hub known as

  170. Jesus's headquarters. This is where

  171. Jesus actually lived for a period of

  172. time. It was a melting pot of Roman

  173. soldiers, wealthy merchants, and tired

  174. laborers. Actually, the perfect place

  175. for a miracle to disrupt the status quo.

  176. In first century Capernaum, the house

  177. was the center of life with flat roofs

  178. made by timber and packed down with

  179. earth. As Jesus stood in this crowded

  180. home, the house was not just filled with

  181. expecting people, but also the cold

  182. scrutiny of religious leaders who had

  183. come to see if this healer was really

  184. who he said he was.

  185. >> Yeah. But Jesus did not come to perform

  186. for the religious crowd

  187. >> or to debate the critics. He came to

  188. meet the desperate need of individuals.

  189. They understood that when you are stuck

  190. in a state of total dependence, you your

  191. breakthrough is not a solo mission.

  192. >> When you are stuck in a state of

  193. stagnate, you need to understand that

  194. your breakthrough is not a solo mission.

  195. >> There are some things that you can do by

  196. yourself. But beloved, let me tell you,

  197. there are other things that you going to

  198. need some help.

  199. >> Amen.

  200. Ah this was not just the these guys were

  201. not just being helpful though this was a

  202. strategic heavy lifting kind of love.

  203. >> This brings us to the heartbeat of our

  204. message today. The call for all of us to

  205. carry the corner.

  206. >> When we talk about carrying the corner

  207. we are not just talking about being nice

  208. >> or being friendly.

  209. >> Amen.

  210. >> No. When we talk about carrying the

  211. corner, we said carrying the corner

  212. means, catch this, teaming up with the

  213. others, with others for a season to help

  214. lift someone's burden to Jesus,

  215. supporting them long enough for them to

  216. find healing and carry their own

  217. testimony.

  218. >> Boy, that is good. God almighty. Carry

  219. the corner means teaming up with others.

  220. YOU'RE NOT CARRYING it by yourself.

  221. >> This is teaming up with other people.

  222. THIS IS PARTLY WHY SOME OF YOU ARE WORN

  223. OUT IS BECAUSE YOU'RE carrying people.

  224. >> And God designed you to carry a corner.

  225. >> Oh Lord.

  226. >> Means teaming up with others for for a

  227. what?

  228. >> For what?

  229. >> FOR WHAT?

  230. >> NOT A LIFETIME.

  231. >> HE'S 35.

  232. HE OUGHT TO BE PAYING HIS OWN PHONE

  233. BILL.

  234. >> She 42.

  235. >> SHE SHOULD PAY HER OWN LIGHT BILL.

  236. >> YOU CARRY FOR HOW LONG?

  237. >> Your neighbor didn't want to say it, but

  238. it's for a season.

  239. >> FOR A SEASON. CATCH THIS. TO help lift

  240. someone's burdens. Where?

  241. >> To Jesus.

  242. >> I'm not carrying it just TO CARRY IT. MY

  243. CARRYING IT HAS a destination.

  244. HE SAID SOMEONE BURDENED TO to to

  245. someone's burden. Carrying that burden

  246. to Jesus. Wait a minute now. I'm not

  247. getting ready to have another blooper

  248. this week.

  249. It says it says means teaming up with

  250. others for a season to help lift

  251. someone's burden to Jesus. Catch this.

  252. Supporting them

  253. just long enough

  254. >> for them to do what? find healing and do

  255. what?

  256. >> Carry their own testimony. Boy, that is

  257. good to me.

  258. >> Understand something. It is the

  259. recognition that while one person might

  260. buckle under the weight of the mat, four

  261. people can march that mat straight to

  262. the feet of Jesus.

  263. >> God, which leads me right into our first

  264. point. Point number one is that

  265. cooperative faith got him moving.

  266. Cooperative faith got what kind of

  267. faith?

  268. >> Cooperative faith is what got him

  269. moving. There it is in verse three. It

  270. says, "Then they came to him

  271. >> bringing a paralytic who was carried by

  272. four." Understand something in the time

  273. of our text. Yes, Lord. Paralysis meant

  274. total dependency. Amen.

  275. >> Unfortunately, there were no

  276. wheelchairs.

  277. >> No special accommodations to aid those

  278. who were physically challenged.

  279. >> Their challenges were visible.

  280. >> You could see a person's paralysis by

  281. the mat that he or she carried.

  282. >> Yeah. Understand something. We too have

  283. those who face physical paralysis in our

  284. day. And thank God there are

  285. accommodations in place to help them

  286. navigate those physical challenges.

  287. >> However,

  288. today I am concerned not for those right

  289. now with physical challenges. I am

  290. concerned for those of us who are

  291. dealing with an unseen paralysis

  292. >> that often goes undetected.

  293. Ah, you might be walking through the

  294. grocery store, sitting in the sanctuary

  295. or clocking in every day at work, but

  296. internally

  297. >> you are on the mat.

  298. >> Ah, yeah. Because life has knocked the

  299. wind out of your soul.

  300. >> Yeah. You have the mobility to move, but

  301. you lack the momentum to live.

  302. >> Why? Because life has knocked the wind

  303. out of your soul. You can be on the mat

  304. of depression and grief where you have

  305. the legs to walk but not the will to

  306. move

  307. >> because OF A HEALTH CHALLENGE OR BECAUSE

  308. OF THE LOSS of a loved one. It can knock

  309. you down on the mat.

  310. >> Ah there's a mat of relational betrayal.

  311. >> Yeah. Because I know some of you ARE

  312. LISTENING TO ME now listening to me now

  313. and you have already shut your Bible.

  314. you have already closed your mind off

  315. because you HAVE HAD A PAST WHERE

  316. SOMEBODY'S BETRAYED YOU AND ANYTIME you

  317. hear TALK OF TALKING ABOUT CONNECTING

  318. WITH OTHERS and sharing you immediately

  319. shut it down.

  320. >> But you have to understand that that

  321. that that is a mat.

  322. >> Relational betrayal is a mat where the

  323. person who was supposed to CARRY YOUR

  324. CORNER IS THE one who dropped you.

  325. Let me tell you something. You need a

  326. circle to prove that Matt Carriers still

  327. exist.

  328. >> I DON'T NEED YOU. I CAN'T. NOW, YOU

  329. CANNOT BELIEVE THE LIE OF THE ENEMY INTO

  330. THINKING THAT EVERYBODY'S GOING TO DROP

  331. YOU. YES, SOME PEOPLE MAY HAVE DROPPED

  332. YOU. WE ARE HUMAN. BUT LET ME TELL YOU

  333. SOMETHING. EVERYBODY WON'T DROP YOU. The

  334. devil is A LIAR. EVERYBODY WON'T DROP

  335. YOU. EVERYBODY WON'T DROP YOU. EVERYBODY

  336. WON'T DROP YOU.

  337. >> I'M TRYING TO SLAY THAT DEVIL. EVERYBODY

  338. WON'T DROP YOU.

  339. >> AND YOU AND I CANNOT USE THAT AS a

  340. license to stay in isolation.

  341. >> There's the matter of depression and

  342. grief. There's the mat of relational

  343. betrayal. But there's also the mat of

  344. secret struggle.

  345. >> Talk, Holy Ghost.

  346. This is where shame and addiction makes

  347. you hide.

  348. >> This is perhaps the heaviest mat because

  349. it's the one we try to hide under nice

  350. clothes

  351. and smooth cars.

  352. >> Yeah. Whether it's a secret addict

  353. addiction like a struggle with

  354. pornography

  355. >> or a secret issue like a mountain of

  356. debt, if you allow it, shame will

  357. paralyze your soul.

  358. >> Woo.

  359. It will tell you that if you reveal your

  360. mat that people will stop walking with

  361. you.

  362. >> But I want to say it in consecutive

  363. weeks. Every week I stand on this stage

  364. and God gives me breath. I want to say

  365. it. IT'S TOO MANY OF US IN here

  366. >> for you to be the only one.

  367. They may not BE ABLE TO SEE YOUR MAT,

  368. BUT IF SOMEBODY ELSE HIDING THAT MAT UP

  369. UNDER THE CLOTHES,

  370. >> SOMEBODY ELSE

  371. >> TOOK THEIR MAT IN the boot. That's

  372. country for the trunk.

  373. >> But it's too many of us in HERE. I DON'T

  374. CARE WHAT KIND OF MAT YOU CARRYING.

  375. >> I DON'T CARE IF IT'S THE STRAIN OF A

  376. MARITAL RELATIONSHIP. THERE'S TOO MANY

  377. OF US IN here

  378. >> for you to be the only one. AND WHAT

  379. HAPPENS IS THE DEVIL LIKES TO SILENCE

  380. US.

  381. >> The Bible CALLS HIM THE PRINCE OF

  382. DARKNESS.

  383. >> And whatever we keep in darkness, he has

  384. dominion over. But if YOU EVER GET BOLD

  385. ENOUGH TO OPEN UP YOUR MOUTH AND LET

  386. SOMEBODY KNOW WHAT KIND OF MAT YOU ARE

  387. CARRYING,

  388. THE BIBLE SAYS IF WE WALK IN THE LIGHT

  389. >> AS HE IS IN THE LIGHT, THEN WE HAVE

  390. FELLOWSHIP WITH ONE OF YOU AND I DON'T

  391. HAVE FELLOWSHIP AND WE hiding

  392. >> talk Holy Ghost.

  393. >> YOU CAN COME IN HERE SUNDAY AFTER SUNDAY

  394. AND NEVER CONNECT WITH ANYBODY AND YOU

  395. ARE NOT HAVING FELLOWSHIP. NO MATTER HOW

  396. MANY TIMES I TELL YOU, TALK TO YOUR

  397. NEIGHBOR.

  398. >> YOU AND I DO NOT HAVE FELLOWSHIP UNTIL

  399. WE come into the light.

  400. >> Now, I'm not going to act like that's

  401. not scary,

  402. >> because it is.

  403. >> It's scary, but it's necessary.

  404. >> Because there's too many of us dying in

  405. isolation.

  406. >> I'm not talking about physically right

  407. now. I'm talking about emotionally.

  408. >> I'M TALKING ABOUT MENTALLY. I'M TALKING

  409. ABOUT SPIRITUALLY.

  410. >> You are coming TO CHURCH AND YOU LIFTING

  411. YOUR HANDS, BUT YOU DEAD ON THE INSIDE

  412. BECAUSE YOU CARRYING A MAT AND YOU ARE

  413. CARRIED IT BY YOURSELF.

  414. >> Talk Holy Ghost.

  415. >> You and I, can I tell you something? You

  416. and I were not made

  417. >> to do life alone.

  418. >> Cuz life be

  419. >> lifing.

  420. Oh,

  421. >> what? Life? No. Life be lifing.

  422. >> No. Like life be life be liing.

  423. >> Like life life.

  424. Life be what?

  425. >> Life be what?

  426. Life be lifing

  427. >> with health challenges

  428. >> and bills

  429. and and and

  430. children

  431. life be lifing

  432. AND UNDERSTAND SOMETHING MANY OF US ARE

  433. IN THIS BY OURSELVES.

  434. IT'S IT'S NOT THAT YOU DON'T HAVE PEOPLE

  435. YOU CAN CALL ON BECAUSE YOU HAVE PEOPLE

  436. IN YOUR LIFE WHO SAID IF YOU NEED me

  437. >> call me.

  438. >> BUT YOU AND I HAVE ALLOWED PRIDE

  439. >> TO MAKE US THINK THAT WE CAN HANDLE LIFE

  440. ON OUR OWN.

  441. >> BUT WHAT GOD HAS CALLED US TO do is to

  442. do this life inside of a group. See,

  443. hold this is what you need.

  444. Yeah. Thank you, Holy Ghost.

  445. You need to establish

  446. relationships.

  447. >> Catch this. Before you need them.

  448. >> That's right.

  449. >> YOU CAN'T CALL ME IN THE MIDDLE OF ME

  450. MID TUG AND WE AIN'T NEVER HAD A

  451. CONVERSATION. YOU WANT ME TO GET IN HERE

  452. WITH THIS ROPE? I DON'T KNOW YOU.

  453. WE GOT CIRCLES AFTER CIRCLES AFTER

  454. CIRCLES AFTER CIRCLES FOR WOMEN, SINGLE,

  455. MEN, AND MARRIED. YOU WON'T COME TO ANY

  456. OF THEM.

  457. >> AND THEN MAD BECAUSE YOU GOT THE ROPE BY

  458. YOURSELF.

  459. >> We have to establish relationships

  460. before we need them.

  461. >> Catch this. This is why

  462. >> so that when you call on help, you don't

  463. have to give a whole dissitation.

  464. WHEN I GET IN TROUBLE, all I need to

  465. say,

  466. I NEED SOME HELP,

  467. >> Y'ALL. I NEED SOME HELP. I need some

  468. help. I need SOME HELP. HEY. YES, SIR.

  469. OH, LISTEN TO ME.

  470. >> LIFE IS NOT TOO HARD. YOU JUST DOING IT

  471. BY YOURSELF.

  472. >> THE DEVIL AIN'T THAT TOUGH. YOU JUST

  473. DOING IT BY YOURSELF.

  474. >> THAT PROBLEM IS NOT INSURMOUNTABLE. YOU

  475. JUST TRYING TO DO IT BY YOURSELF.

  476. YOU CAN OVERCOME THAT LUST, BUT YOU'RE

  477. NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO IT BY

  478. YOURSELF.

  479. >> You got to call somebody.

  480. Thank you, Lord. Understand something.

  481. Your miracle is often found in the hands

  482. of the people holding your rope.

  483. >> Your miracle, YOU STANDING THERE WAITING

  484. ON GOD.

  485. >> And God said, "I've already answered

  486. your prayers.

  487. >> I sent it through people.

  488. >> God has always answered through people.

  489. It said good measure

  490. >> pressed down

  491. >> shaken together and running over

  492. >> that man talk Pastor Shandelle that man

  493. SHALL GIVE UNTO YOUR BOSOM.

  494. >> STOP STANDING OUTSIDE WITH YOUR POCKETS

  495. OPEN LIKE GOD THROWING MONEY OUT OF

  496. HEAVEN. HE'S NOT THROWING MONEY OUT OF

  497. HEAVEN. IT'S GOING TO COME THROUGH

  498. PEOPLE.

  499. Understand

  500. something. It was corporate faith

  501. that got him moving.

  502. >> IT WAS IT WAS THE FAITH OF OTHER PEOPLE

  503. COMING TOGETHER THAT GOT HIM MOVING.

  504. >> Oh my God.

  505. You have to realize that God often wraps

  506. his answers in the people he places

  507. around you.

  508. This is why you can't be This is why you

  509. can't be the last one here and the first

  510. one to leave.

  511. >> This This is This is why you This is why

  512. you need to serve somewhere in ministry.

  513. >> This is why you need to don't make

  514. excuses, but make plans to pull up on

  515. your Wednesday night of Cornelia

  516. circles.

  517. >> Oh, God. See, because what happens is

  518. you make no connections cuz the sun is

  519. shining.

  520. >> You make no You don't know. I don't know

  521. about them circles, right? Sit in a

  522. circle and talk.

  523. I don't think I feel like I don't feel

  524. like sitting on circle and talk.

  525. And that's cool until life hands you

  526. something

  527. >> that you can't solve by yourself.

  528. >> Until life hands you something OR

  529. RELATIONSHIP GOES DOWN. AND SEE WHAT

  530. HAPPENS IS OFTENTIMES in those circles,

  531. God uses other people to help us.

  532. >> I'm a witness. I already know what I'm

  533. talking about. Yeah. GOD WILL YOU GOD

  534. WILL SPEAK JUST AS GOOD through other

  535. people.

  536. >> He'll help you to REALIZE YOU THOUGHT

  537. YOU WERE THE ONLY ONE that went through

  538. that.

  539. >> You thought you were the only one going

  540. through that. And God will sit you in a

  541. group of people where somebody THAT WENT

  542. THROUGH THE SAME THING you went through.

  543. DIFFERENT NAME, DIFFERENT AMOUNT OF

  544. MONEY, same situation.

  545. >> My God.

  546. >> It was corporate faith

  547. >> that got them moving. They grabbed a

  548. corner

  549. and the It wasn't the paralyzed man

  550. faith at this point.

  551. >> It was their faith.

  552. >> It was the faith of the group.

  553. >> And so, thank you, Pastor Shandelle. Let

  554. me just say this. The four friends were

  555. only able to move the man because they

  556. could find the man.

  557. >> I love Pastor Shandelle. Yeah. The the

  558. the four friends were able to move the

  559. man because they were able to find the

  560. man. We often harbor resentment toward

  561. our community for not CARRYING OUR MAT,

  562. BUT we've been buried

  563. so deep in privacy.

  564. >> I know it just sit there. I'm going to

  565. BE DONE WHEN I get through. WE HAVE

  566. BURIED OUR MAT SO DEEP IN PRIVACY AND

  567. WE'RE MAD THAT NOBODY'S CALLING AND

  568. NOBODY'S REACHING OUT.

  569. >> GOD,

  570. >> YOU'VE BEEN PLAYING HIDE AND GO SEEK AND

  571. YOU MAD CUZ NOBODY HAS FOUND YOU.

  572. >> But they a they WERE ABLE TO CARRY HIM

  573. BECAUSE THEY COULD FIND HIM.

  574. >> My God. It was corporate faith that got

  575. him going.

  576. >> It was corporate faith that got him

  577. going. Number two, it was relentless

  578. faith that got him to Jesus.

  579. >> Come on, Bible. It was relentless faith

  580. that got him to corporate faith got him

  581. moving,

  582. >> but it was relentless faith that got him

  583. to Jesus.

  584. >> Yeah. Talk Bible. Verse four, it says,

  585. "When they could not come near him

  586. because of the crowd, they uncovered the

  587. roof where he was." Let me just stop

  588. right there. Oh, these notes ain't going

  589. to help me right now. Hold. Listen. They

  590. unc They They weren't moved by the

  591. crowd.

  592. >> They didn't let the crowd stop them.

  593. >> Catch this. They they didn't

  594. spiritualize inconvenience.

  595. >> THEY DIDN'T SPIRITUAL THEY DIDN'T GET

  596. the man there.

  597. They They didn't get the man there.

  598. Just let me carry the cop by myself for

  599. a little bit. They didn't carry the cop

  600. up there and they say, "Lord, they too

  601. many people.

  602. Jesus, what are they DOING GIVING AWAY

  603. FOOD? WHAT

  604. It must not be God's will today.

  605. >> They coming up and bringing him to

  606. Jesus. It's raining outside.

  607. It must not be I know I'm talking good

  608. today.

  609. >> It must not be the will of God today.

  610. Hey, must must I'm going to go back and

  611. online.

  612. >> They didn't spiritualize

  613. >> in. It was a resilient faith.

  614. >> See, corporate faith will get you

  615. moving.

  616. >> But it takes resilient faith to get to

  617. Jesus.

  618. >> LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING. YOU'RE NOT

  619. GOING TO GET YOU DO NOT be

  620. taken back

  621. when the enemy puts things in your in

  622. your path on your way to Jesus.

  623. There are some people that you are

  624. believing God for and WHEN YOU START

  625. PRAYING FOR THEM AND YOU PUT THEIR NAME

  626. on the board, IT LOOKS LIKE THEY GET

  627. WORSE.

  628. >> BUT THAT'S NOT THE TIME FOR US TO GIVE

  629. UP.

  630. >> THAT'S NOT THE TIME FOR US TO PUNK OUT.

  631. WE MUST HAVE RESILIENT FAITH.

  632. >> I WILL NOT ALLOW ANY CROWD TO KEEP ME

  633. FROM GETTING TO JESUS.

  634. They had a relentless kind of faith.

  635. They were resilient.

  636. >> They they Scott they they were they were

  637. resil. Thank you, Lord. God said

  638. their their their relentless faith

  639. had to do with their conviction about

  640. what Jesus could do.

  641. >> THEY WERE THIS WAS NOT this was not some

  642. casual kind of, oh, I think he can heal

  643. him.

  644. They had a conviction

  645. >> that Jesus is who he said HE WAS.

  646. >> THEY HAD A CONVICTION THAT IF I COULD

  647. JUST GET HIM TO JESUS. SEE, THAT'S WHAT

  648. THAT'S what I believe. We wouldn't be so

  649. easily pursu dissuaded

  650. >> if we had a strong conviction.

  651. >> WE WOULDN'T LET THE CROWD STOP US

  652. >> IF WE HAD A REAL CONVICTION. WE WOULDN'T

  653. LET INCONVENIENCE HINDER us if we HAD A

  654. REAL CONVICTION.

  655. >> WHEN I BELIEVE DOWN AND I KNOW DOWN IN

  656. MY SOUL THAT JESUS IS ABLE TO HEAL YOU,

  657. I DON'T CARE WHAT HAPPENED.

  658. >> I hear you, PASTOR TRACY. I DON'T CARE

  659. WHAT THEY SAY.

  660. >> I'M NOT GOING TO GIVE UP ON THE FIRST NO

  661. THEY GIVE ME

  662. >> BECAUSE I KNOW DOWN IN MY SOUL THAT

  663. JESUS IS THE ANSWER FOR WHATEVER THEY'RE

  664. FACING.

  665. OH, I HEAR YOU. YEAH, YOU TELL ME NO

  666. TODAY, BUT I'LL BE BACK.

  667. >> OH,

  668. I wish I had some women in here who used

  669. TO GO TO THE CLUB, AND THAT ONE

  670. INTERESTING GUY WOULD NEVER GIVE UP.

  671. BOY, you go TO THE CLUB LAST WEEK, HE'LL

  672. PULL UP ON YOU AND BUY YOU A DRINK, AND

  673. YOU'LL TELL HIM YOU'RE NOT INTERESTED.

  674. YOU THINK HE GONNA GIVE UP? NEXT WEEK.

  675. He be right there.

  676. >> Yes, sir.

  677. >> That's how some of you GOT THE HUSBAND

  678. YOU GOT RIGHT NOW. HE AIN'T GIVE UP.

  679. But God said we must have the same type

  680. of conviction

  681. >> that we won't let obstacles

  682. >> or the crowd

  683. >> or inconvenience

  684. stop us.

  685. >> They had relentless faith.

  686. >> Their faith was so relentless that the

  687. crowd didn't even deter them.

  688. The Bible said that when they came up

  689. and saw the crowd was there, they said,

  690. "Shoot, there's another way.

  691. >> Get that. Bring them upstairs."

  692. Upstairs.

  693. There's There's not a patio

  694. or access door.

  695. >> Upstairs. WHY WHY ARE WE GOING UPSTAIRS?

  696. Because when you have a conviction, sir,

  697. >> you don't let obstacles stop you.

  698. >> You search for opportunities.

  699. >> YOU DON'T LET OBSTACLES STOP YOU. The

  700. Bible said that they went up, took this

  701. joker. Catch this. They not joker. I'm

  702. sorry. That's my Aiden coming out.

  703. Bible says that when they could not come

  704. near him because of the crowd, they

  705. uncovered the roof

  706. >> where he was,

  707. >> they started breaking. This is not their

  708. house.

  709. >> They start breaking up the roof

  710. of A HOUSE THAT JESUS WAS STAYING IN.

  711. >> And understand something. JESUS DIDN'T

  712. GET MAD.

  713. >> Jesus didn't get upset.

  714. They found a way.

  715. >> We we talking about about about groups

  716. and and these kind of God is calling

  717. some of you to find a way to lead a life

  718. group.

  719. >> No, it's not it's not. You're going to

  720. have to make the time to lead a group.

  721. >> You got to find some OF YOU NEED TO FIND

  722. A way

  723. >> to make your way on these Wednesday

  724. night for corner circles.

  725. >> You got you got to you got to you got to

  726. move something. YOU GOT TO TEST

  727. SOMETHING UP. RIGHT.

  728. >> Oh yeah. Yeah. YOU CAN'T LET YOUR

  729. CROWDED SCHEDULE KEEP YOU FROM GETTING

  730. THERE. YOU GOING TO HAVE TO GO UP ON THE

  731. ROOF AND TEAR SOMETHING UP.

  732. >> Said they got on the roof. Catch this.

  733. And and it said, "So when they had

  734. broken through,

  735. this is what the Holy Ghost wouldn't let

  736. me get past." He said, "Every

  737. breakthrough is not for you.

  738. Every breakthrough IS NOT FOR YOU. GOD

  739. IS CALLING US to create a breakthrough

  740. for somebody else.

  741. >> GOD IS CALLING US TO CREATE a They DID

  742. ALL THIS WORK, NOT FOR THEMSELVES.

  743. >> THEY DID ALL OF THIS WORK AND CREATED A

  744. BREAKTHROUGH FOR SOMEBODY ELSE.

  745. >> This is Bible. You look in Acts where

  746. where the Bible said Paul and Silas

  747. prayed and sang praises.

  748. >> They were singing and singing praises.

  749. But the Bible said that all of the

  750. prisoners got loose.

  751. >> They were SINGING AND PRAISING GOD, BUT

  752. IT CREATED A BREAKTHROUGH FOR MORE THAN

  753. JUST THEM.

  754. >> CAN I TELL YOU THAT GOD WANTS US TO

  755. CREATE BREAKTHROUGHS NOT JUST FOR

  756. OURSELVES?

  757. They were relentless. Somebody shout

  758. relentless.

  759. >> Relentless.

  760. >> They were relentless.

  761. They were relentless. They didn't allow

  762. anything to keep them from moving and

  763. getting this man to Jesus because they

  764. had a conviction about Jesus's ability

  765. to heal them. Understand something.

  766. Community is not a spectator sport.

  767. >> Community is not a spectator sport.

  768. These guys got their hands dirty.

  769. >> Yes. to get this man to Jesus.

  770. >> Thank you, Lord.

  771. Understand something. We spend so much

  772. time praying for God to open doors for

  773. us.

  774. But the four friends in Capernaum

  775. reminded us that sometimes God is

  776. waiting for us to pick up a shovel

  777. and create an entrance for our neighbor.

  778. this can't can don't don't we know Jesus

  779. well enough so that at least one time we

  780. can come to church and praise for

  781. somebody else

  782. >> do we have enough Holy Ghost and enough

  783. relationship with God that we can

  784. rearrange our schedule and it's not for

  785. our benefit

  786. >> do do we at least know him well enough

  787. and have enough relationship with him

  788. and care enough about the people that's

  789. around us to pick up a corner.

  790. >> It's what God is calling us to do.

  791. >> Number one, it was cooperative faith

  792. that got him moving. Number two, it was

  793. relentless faith that got him to Jesus.

  794. Oh God. But then number three, it was

  795. transform transformational faith that

  796. carried car transformational faith

  797. allowed him to carry what used to carry

  798. him.

  799. >> Thank you, Lord.

  800. >> Transformational faith

  801. allowed this man to carry what used to

  802. carry him.

  803. >> It's it's right here in the text. It's

  804. right here. Look look at verse 10

  805. through 12. It says he said to the

  806. paralytic. Jesus starts talking to the

  807. paralytic. He said, "I say to you,

  808. arise,

  809. >> take up your bed,

  810. >> and go." Wait a minute. Now you asking

  811. me. Jesus has healed him. And now he's

  812. asking him to pick up and carry

  813. >> what used to carry him.

  814. >> This is what faith. This is

  815. transformational faith.

  816. JESUS TOLD HIM, "PICK UP YOUR bed

  817. >> and walk home. Walk past the people who

  818. doubted.

  819. >> WALK PAST THE PEOPLE WHO SAID YOU WOULD

  820. NEVER BE ANYTHING.

  821. >> WALK PAST THE PEOPLE WHO WALKED PAST YOU

  822. WHEN YOU WERE LAYING ON THE I I'M NOT

  823. TRYING TO BE THIS KIND OF

  824. CONFRONTATIONAL CHURCH, BUT YOU GOT TO

  825. SEE WHAT JESUS IS SAYING."

  826. >> YES, SIR.

  827. >> YES, SIR. That's right.

  828. >> SEE, BECAUSE SOMETIMES THERE'S SOME OF

  829. YOU OH, THANK YOU, HOLY GHOST. THERE'S

  830. SOME OF YOU WHO WILL NOT PICK UP YOUR

  831. mat

  832. >> because you're ashamed of your mat.

  833. >> JESUS COULD HAVE JUST HEALED HIM AND

  834. TOLD HOME.

  835. >> THAT'S RIGHT.

  836. >> But he didn't.

  837. >> He said, "Pick up the very thing

  838. >> that used to carry you.

  839. I delivered you from pornography.

  840. >> Don't act like you were never addicted.

  841. >> Pick up

  842. WHAT USED TO CARRY YOU.

  843. >> You you you you were a single mother

  844. and they told you you would never be

  845. anything.

  846. >> I know I'm preaching good right now. YOU

  847. WERE A SINGLE MOTHER AND THEY TOLD YOU

  848. THAT YOU WOULD NEVER BE anything

  849. >> and they EMBARRASSED YOU,

  850. >> STOP TALKING to you and it paralyzed you

  851. >> and Jesus comes and there corporate

  852. faith somebody gets around you see oh

  853. God

  854. the corporate faith comes around them

  855. get them moving then relentless faith

  856. get them to Jesus and Jesus heals them

  857. >> Jesus Jesus don't want you to leave that

  858. mat.

  859. >> Jesus wants you to take up that mat.

  860. >> As a single mother,

  861. >> not at Oh, thank you, Lord. Not so that

  862. you can go and tell people, "Ah, see

  863. what I mean? I ain't need you." No way.

  864. You see what the Lord had done for me?

  865. That ain't what this is.

  866. God deliver me. You see that?

  867. What is that?

  868. >> That that's THAT'S THAT'S NOT WHY GOD

  869. TOLD YOU TO GRAB YOUR MAT

  870. >> SO THAT YOU CAN TEASE OTHER PEOPLE.

  871. >> He told you to grab your mat

  872. >> so that you can show other people ABOUT

  873. HIS POWER.

  874. GOD GOD IS CALLING. HE'S SHIFTING OUR

  875. church

  876. >> to to to not not not shifting like we

  877. haven't always done but we have a we

  878. have an emphasis on

  879. making disciples

  880. >> to help people because our evangelism

  881. team and we are all a part of the

  882. evangelism team doing a great job and

  883. people getting saved

  884. >> but God is calling us to not just go get

  885. them but go make them. Yeah. Yeah.

  886. >> He's calling us as in scripture to go

  887. make disciples. And a part of the kind

  888. of groups that we're going to have is

  889. what we call disciplehip groups

  890. >> where we are going. Some of you have a

  891. strong relationship with God

  892. and you've taken up your mat and you're

  893. walking. Jesus don't want you to take up

  894. that mat to just show how powerful you

  895. are

  896. >> to how much you know about the Bible.

  897. He wants you to take that mat and go

  898. find somebody else.

  899. >> Who just got saved but don't know don't

  900. know

  901. >> Adam from Malachi.

  902. >> See many many Oh God. Thank you. Many of

  903. us are strong in areas.

  904. >> I'm going to say it now. Watch this.

  905. like like in the fast. I heard some of

  906. you, you saw the the the booklet and you

  907. opened it up and you saw the food

  908. restrictions and some people were like,

  909. I eat like that anyway.

  910. What is this?

  911. I know some people said that.

  912. My god. Supposed to be fasting. What is

  913. fasting? Supposed to eat like this

  914. anyway.

  915. read the Bible.

  916. >> You mean to tell me there's people

  917. that's not reading the Bible? I read my

  918. Bible every day.

  919. We should be making time for God, right?

  920. You haven't made time for God already.

  921. I make time for God every day.

  922. Can I tell you something? What you're

  923. doing? You're taking your mat and

  924. showing it off.

  925. >> Oh Lord, you showing off your mat like

  926. it's show and tell.

  927. >> Like you so great.

  928. BUT WHAT GOD HAS CALLED US TO DO IS TO

  929. TAKE UP OUR BED, CARRY OUR MAT TO HELP

  930. SOMEBODY ELSE.

  931. >> If the fast is easy for you, THEN FIND

  932. SOMEBODY WHO'S STRUGGLING AND HELP THEM.

  933. >> IF READING YOUR BIBLE IS EASY FOR YOU,

  934. FIND SOMEBODY WHO'S STRUGGLING WITH

  935. READING AND HELP THEM.

  936. >> That's right.

  937. >> He's called us to carry a corner.

  938. What am I singing? Any single mothers in

  939. here? This is on my heart to do. Single

  940. moms, stand up. I need four of you right

  941. quick. Four of you. Come here. Uh-huh.

  942. Come on. I just need four. One. That's

  943. Yep. Them two right there. Yep. Come on.

  944. Come on.

  945. One, two, three, four. Come on.

  946. Where the other single moms at? Stand

  947. up.

  948. Where they at? They in here. Y'all in

  949. here? Let me Oh yeah. Come here. You in

  950. the white shirt. Come here.

  951. >> Thank you, Holy Ghost.

  952. Lay right there. Lay on that mat. Lay on

  953. that mat. Lay right there on that mat.

  954. >> Yep. Lay down. I want y'all. Everybody

  955. get a corner.

  956. >> Make it happen. Make it happen. Make it

  957. happen. That's it. Make it happen.

  958. That's it. That's it. That's it. That's

  959. it. Come back this way. Come back this

  960. way. That's it. Make it happen.

  961. >> Uh-huh.

  962. Lay it down.

  963. >> Lay it down.

  964. >> Just stay right there. This is what God

  965. wants to do.

  966. >> I feel the power of God. This is what

  967. God wants to do.

  968. >> He wants to Yes, sir. Y'all know it. He

  969. wants you

  970. >> to grab a corner.

  971. >> That's so YOU CAN SHOW HOW POWERFUL YOU

  972. ARE.

  973. >> BUT THERE'S SOMEBODY WHO FEELS LIKE THEY

  974. CAN'T GET TO JESUS.

  975. THERE'S SOMEBODY WHO IS PARALYZED.

  976. >> It's not that they won't come.

  977. >> They can't come.

  978. >> OH, IT'S THEY CAN'T COME. They can't

  979. move.

  980. >> You and I CAN'T STAND BACK. BUT ALL

  981. SANCTIFIED SOMEBODY. WELL, WHY DON'T

  982. THEY JUST STOP? THEY CAN'T STOP.

  983. >> Why don't they JUST PUT THE PORNOGRAPHY

  984. DOWN? DON'T YOU THINK THEY TRIED?

  985. >> WHY DON'T YOU JUST STOP DRINKING? THEY

  986. TRIED. Won't you JUST STOP SMOKING? THEY

  987. TRIED.

  988. >> We were not made

  989. >> to do life alone.

  990. >> And God has called us.

  991. >> Do you hear me?

  992. >> GOD IS CALLING US TO CARRY a corner.

  993. >> And listen to me. Some of us, the

  994. carrying of the corner is stepping out

  995. to lead a life group.

  996. Amen.

  997. >> God is calling you to rearrange your

  998. schedule to lead a life group.

  999. >> Amen.

  1000. >> There's a mat that he has picked you up

  1001. from.

  1002. >> SOMETHING HE HAS BROUGHT YOU through

  1003. >> and now you need to help somebody else.

  1004. >> That's one. But catch this. The rest of

  1005. us are called to carry our corner. Hear

  1006. me

  1007. >> by all of us being a part of a group.

  1008. Life groups for corneria are not

  1009. optional.

  1010. >> We are a church of groups.

  1011. >> SOMEBODY SHOUT IT. WE ARE

  1012. >> WE ARE

  1013. >> a church

  1014. >> of groups.

  1015. >> That's good.

  1016. >> Because let me tell you something.

  1017. >> Today she's laying down

  1018. >> and they are carrying her. But when she

  1019. stays in this group, life will hand one

  1020. of them something and they will be on

  1021. the mat and then it'll be her time to

  1022. carry a corner.

  1023. >> God is calling us

  1024. >> to carry a corner.

  1025. >> Brother, for some that is getting more

  1026. connected in your church,

  1027. >> in your relationships.

  1028. Some of you have dropped your corner in

  1029. your marriage.

  1030. >> God said, "Pick it up.

  1031. >> Pick it up. That other person can't

  1032. carry it by themselves.

  1033. >> Pick up your corner."

  1034. >> God is calling all of us corneria

  1035. >> to pick up our corner in these groups.

  1036. >> We have a mission, a mandate from God

  1037. >> to have more than 100 life group

  1038. leaders. when we need them because we

  1039. don't want to put 20 people in a group

  1040. that keeps it from being small. And my

  1041. introverts, I'm looking out for you

  1042. because you're not going to talk in a

  1043. big group.

  1044. >> Thank you.

  1045. >> You want the intimacy of a small group.

  1046. >> And so the only way we can do that is by

  1047. having more group leaders so that we can

  1048. keep it small.

  1049. >> My prayer is that we will make a

  1050. commitment

  1051. to be a part of a group.

  1052. everybody.

  1053. >> And then for those that God is dealing

  1054. with your heart that you step forward to

  1055. lead a group and when we all do that,

  1056. we're carrying our corner. Let's pray.

  1057. >> Father, in Jesus name, y'all stay right

  1058. there. Father, in Jesus name, we thank

  1059. you for your goodness. We thank you for

  1060. your mercy. Hallelujah. Yes.

  1061. >> Father, we sense your presence right

  1062. now.

  1063. >> And we thank you

  1064. >> for your love.

  1065. >> Thank you for your grace.

  1066. >> Thank you for your mercy. Thank you,

  1067. Lord, for opening up the scriptures to

  1068. us to help us to see

  1069. >> that, Father, we were not made to do

  1070. life alone. But Lord, you have called us

  1071. to carry a corner. Lord, you have called

  1072. us to get up from that mat that's been

  1073. carrying us and for us to take it up

  1074. and to move forward into what it is you

  1075. called us to do.

  1076. Father, I pray

  1077. that as we hear your word, that we will

  1078. not just be hearers, but we will be

  1079. doers as well.

  1080. >> Get the glory out of our lives.

  1081. >> Is our prayer.

  1082. >> Use us, Lord.

  1083. Use us. Our storage is empty and we are

  1084. available to you.

  1085. >> We are available to you, Father. We

  1086. won't make excuses. We will not allow

  1087. the crowding of our schedules to deter

  1088. us. But Lord, we will make a way because

  1089. we have a conviction

  1090. that you are who you say you are. And if

  1091. we would do our part, you would do

  1092. yours. So, Father, we thank you for it

  1093. now in Jesus name.