Called To Carry | Pastor Brian Bullock

Luke chapter 5, verse 17 through 20.

Luke 5:17–20

If you don't have a Bible, please know in all of our lobbies, uh, because of the faithful giving of our tithers, uh, we are able to purchase Bibles so that if you need one, you can just grab one for free.

And uh, and so I want you to utilize that.

If you do not have a Bible, we will bring a Bible to you.

We got you.

Uh, but uh, if you are with a neighbor and they're shady and they don't want you to look on with them because they petty and all that, don't you worry.

I got the scripture right there on the screen, and uh, we'll just keep it pushing.

We're not gonna beg you to look at your Bible, you know what I'm saying?

Uh let's go to Luke chapter 5, verse 17 through 20.

Luke 5:17–20

And uh it says this on one of those days as he's with teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there.

I want you to remember that, because I'm gonna dress, I'm gonna address that.

Pharisees and teachers of the law.

Remember that they were sitting there, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem.

And the power of the Lord was with him to do what?

To do what?

Yeah, and behold, some men were bringing on a bed a man who was paralyzed, and they were seeking to bring him in and lay him before Jesus, but finding no way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the midst before Jesus.

And when he saw their faith, he said, Man, your sins are forgiven you.

The title of my message is called to carry.

Called to carry.

Now, I know I'm in North Carolina, that ain't the kind of carrier that I'm talking about.

Stick with me, called to carry.

By your heads, Father, open up our eyes and our ears that we may receive a word from you that will change and transform our lives forevermore.

Hide me behind your cross.

Let your voice be louder than mine.

In Jesus' name we pray.

Everybody say, Everybody say, Amen.

Come on, man.

Hill, called to carry.

I I know we're in church, uh, but I recognize everybody have not always been in church, and then there's some people here uh who are new to church, so so let's not pretend like we ain't never seen nothing outside of church before.

So I know we're in church.

It's Sunday, but just give me 30 seconds.

I'm just curious.

I'm just curious.

Uh, what's your favorite RB group?

Silk.

Wow.

That was random.

What's a silk song?

You can't sing none of them, Pastor.

I don't know.

I can't, I'm sure I know one.

I just can't think of a silk song.

But the fact y'all said silk, my god.

And what other RB group?

Jodice, forever my life.

She carries my baby.

Jodice, the most gospel singing RB group of all time.

Girl, get over here because don't you know?

You want Jesus in your life.

It's another RB group.

Who?

Boys to men.

Can we go back to the day I love what?

If you didn't play this, I'm in I'm from the 80s.

I was born in the 80s, but in the 90s, we used to call a girl and we would get her voicemail, and we would start, we would, can somebody tell me how to get girl.

I just want you to know I'm thinking about you.

I'm sorry for everything I did.

Back the way they used to be.

Somebody said new addition, new edition, new edition, that's that's that song they sing.

Let's say how'd it go?

If it is enough, yeah, I could have it.

Stay on my mind.

If it is enough, you know what I'm saying?

You know what I'm saying?

Come on now.

Anybody else RB group?

What is it?

I'll be sure.

Isn't that an artist?

Come on, man.

Come on, man.

What'd you say?

Jagged edge.

Me, me at the altar in your eyes.

Come on, look at somebody say, We ain't getting no younger.

All right, what's your favorite men here?

Uh uh, what's your favorite men here's sound like a group?

I was like, Menhill, anybody, uh uh, what's your favorite gospel group?

Walls group, the Clark Sisters.

The Clark is my living in vain.

You know what I'm saying?

Come on now.

What God's property, uh uh uh stomp.

Um people say stomp, hell yeah, make me wanna dance and stomp, yeah.

My brother says, stop, my auntie says, Stop, cousin say, stop, my buddy say, Keisha says, Stop, yeah, yeah.

Anybody remember groups like Cat and Spirituals, mighty clouds of joy, Jesus, power, Jesus, power, holy ghost power, but the talk about the power talk about the holy ghost power, Jesus power, we can power, but the butt the power hit the cut the power.

If you say anything, anybody know what they want the whinin's?

Ain't no need to worry what the night is gonna break.

Mid heel, y'all know that song?

It'll be all over in the morning.

Say then the morning morning, it'll be all over in the morning.

Man, that sounds good.

I gotta go back and listen to some of these songs.

Uh um, Pastor, where are we going with this?

Well, I was thinking about groups, and uh I was wondering why I don't see as many singing groups as I used to see back in the day.

Back in the day, we had all these groups, but when I look out today, I don't see as many groups today as I did back then.

So I went to Google and I asked Google, I said, Google, why aren't there as many singing groups today as there was years ago?

And Google said that because record labels have decided that solo artists are better to deal with.

Record labels have determined that groups are too much financial risk and that they are just too much to manage.

So they'd rather have a solo artist because a solo act has less financial risk and is easier to manage.

And I said the same thing is happening in the church.

In the church today, I don't see us living in groups as much as I saw when I was growing up.

When I was growing up, the church was a place where we grouped, where where we had relationship with each other, where we had connection.

Uh-uh, uh, they had something called, this old saying call it fellowship.

In fact, if you had a church, they would have something called a fellowship hall.

Wait, see me in five years.

When we get a building, you're gonna say, Pastor, where's the fellowship hall?

I'm gonna say it's in the parking lot.

Y'all go out there and fellowship, and then I go ahead and pre-raise God.

But but as I look out, I'm seeing that many people in your life, you want to be a solo act.

You Bobby Brown all over you.

You you want to be, you don't want new addition.

You want to be a solo artist, you want to have the mic for yourself.

I don't want to deal with the other band members.

I don't want to deal.

You are David Ruffin.

Come on out here.

You you are like, I ain't got time for no temptations, I ain't got time for everybody's problem, I ain't got time for everybody's stuff.

I I just want to do me min heel.

I just want to take care of me, and I just want to make sure I'm good.

Here's your problem.

That is not what the Bible is telling you to do.

The Bible does not endorse solo acts, the Bible endorses groups, Pastor.

So you gotta back that up with some scripture.

Let me back that thing on up.

Hebrews chapter 10, verse 24 and 25.

Hebrews 10:24

It says, And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some.

By the way, if the writer in Hebrews is writing this, it means that they were dealing with this back then.

So this is not a new church problem, it's not a union church problem.

Back then, they were saying some of you are in a habit of neglecting to meet together.

He said, But you got to get out of that habit so that you can encourage one another all the more as you see the day drawing near.

Let me give you another one.

There's people who say, Pastor, we got to go back to the early church because you guys have watered down the church, you have contaminated what God originated, you have taken the church and all these services and all these.

We got to go back to the heart of the early church.

Fine.

Let's go back to the early church.

Here's what it says about the early church Acts chapter 2, verse 42.

Acts 2:42

They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and uh and uh to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

You want to go back to the early church?

Let's go back.

The early church they gathered together corporately on one day in the temple, and then during the week they met from house to house, breaking bread, sharing all things in common.

What is that?

That was them grouping together.

Let's look at Ecclesiastes chapter 4, verse 9 through 10.

Ecclesiastes 4:9–10

It says, Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil.

For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow.

But woe, everybody say, Whoa, woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up.

I can do this all day, but time and time again, all throughout your Bible, it says it's not good for man to be alone.

All throughout your Bible, it says, Love your neighbor as you love yourself.

All throughout your Bible, it is telling you you are not a solo artist, you are part of a group, and you got to get into a group, you got to fellowship with other believers, you got to connect with other people because there's some stuff in your life that ain't gonna be fixed by yourself.

It's gotta be fixed in a community and connection with people.

Copy hands right there.

That's a good place just to say amen.

Even if you don't agree, just say amen anyway.

That's why I read Luke 5.

I read Luke 5 in here because when I see Luke 5, I see the importance of relationship, I see the importance of groups, circles, fellowship, and connection.

The scripture says in Luke 5 that Jesus is in the house and he's teaching in the house.

I would love to be there.

I don't know who your favorite preacher is, but I gotta hear one of Jesus' sermons.

I just need to hear the word, preach on the word.

You know what I'm saying?

And so and so Jesus is in there teaching, and the Bible says that that there are Pharisees that, first of all, there's a crowd there, but then it says that there are Pharisees and teachers of the law there.

Now, now let me let me school you on Pharisees and teachers of the law.

Pharisees don't like Jesus, they they can't stand Jesus, they think Jesus is walking around here thinking that he's got some authority he doesn't have, which means if they are there, they're not there because they agree with him, they are not there because they like him, they are there to size him up.

So while Jesus is in there teaching, they're like, I just I did that that don't sound right to me.

If do you see that in the Torah?

And uh, do you I don't see that in the Pentateuch?

And who does he think he is speaking that way?

And and what is this that he's talking about?

He's not one of us.

He who taught him, who who schooled him, who educated him, who who does he think he is?

Does he even notice the type of people that follow him?

They are there to size him up and to check him out.

But the Bible is clear that the power was on him to heal.

Y'all saw that?

Did y'all see that?

Did y'all see that?

The power was on him to heal.

But I got Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting in there and sizing them up who don't need to be healed.

Meanwhile, I got a paralyzed man who's sitting outside who can't get in because there's a crowd.

Which, by the way, let me just say this: just because there's a crowd in church, don't mean everybody's there for the same reason.

And what's really bothering me is I got people in the house that don't believe they need to be healed, they there just to just to size him up, just to see what he's doing.

Meanwhile, the people who need him are sitting outside trying their best to get in, but can't get in because somebody in there taking up a seat who don't even want to be here, and I'm trying to figure out how to get those people out here and get these people in here.

Unfortunately, y'all, can I step on toes and be petty?

Can I do can I do me?

Y'all just let me go.

Uh uh hear me.

Uh uh the same thing's happening in church today.

And it's not just union church, it's not a union church problem.

It's it's happening all over the country.

Uh, but but but there are people who came into church today, and because of the size of union church and because of the impact of union church, you just came to size us up.

You you came here and the whole time, you just you just I just want to see.

I've heard I've heard things about about this church, and I don't understand why everybody's going to this church, and who do they okay?

The service is way too short.

Okay, I just that service is too short.

They they don't really worship.

I saw smoke, haze in the house of God, and the preacher, he just tells jokes.

He thinks he's Kevin Hart.

He's not even that funny.

He's all he does is he didn't even read a scripture, he just gave them a motivation on speech and and so all the meanwhile that the people are in here just to size us up.

I got another group of paralyzed people who said, I heard there'd be people getting healed in that church, I heard there'd be people getting saved in that church.

I got a cousin that started going there, and my cousin hasn't been the same ever since they've been there.

And I wonder, I'm trying to get to a place where I can get the Pharisees.

I hear you, you came to check us out.

But I got paralyzed people trying to get in here and be careful when you criticize something that somebody else had to crawl their way in, somebody else had to con their way in, somebody else had to get here on their knees.

You may not think you need it, but somebody else does.

And I came to preach to the people who need Jesus.

Don't you ever let a Pharisee keep you away from Jesus, don't let a podcaster keep you from Jesus, don't let a comedian escape keep you from Jesus, don't let a preacher, don't let an influencer keep you from Jesus.

Don't you let nobody stop you from getting to Jesus.

Some people are in the room to inspect Jesus, but some people are in the room because I need Jesus.

And I'm telling you, if you need Jesus, don't let somebody inspecting Jesus make you miss what God's trying to do in your life.

I somebody tell me, uh, they were I was in RH.

What's RH?

It's a restaurant, the furniture store.

They got the restaurant at the top of the y'all been there before?

It's a great place.

Just check it out.

I'm sitting in a restaurant, and a lady walks up to me, I mean bold, and she said, She said, You're Pastor Bride.

I say inside here.

She said, I listen to your sermons every week.

I love the way you preach.

She said, but I'm just letting you know, I ain't never going to no church that's in a high school.

She said, So when y'all get y'all building, you call me and let me know.

I'll be right there, but I'm not going to no high school.

I said, ma'am, I respect that.

I said, we're doing the best we can.

I said, but don't ever let a room keep you away from God.

I said, Lady, if you need God, I promise you, don't let a room, and I came to preach to somebody who's sitting in a high school.

Don't let a tight chair keep you from God.

Don't let the paint on a wall keep you from God.

Don't let a bathroom that teenagers have been in all week keep you from God.

If there's healing in the room, if there's freedom in the room, if Jesus is in the room, it don't make no difference.

Because if Jesus is in a hotel, I'll be there.

If Jesus is in a middle school, I'll be there.

I just want to be in a room where he is.

Your problem is you don't know how much you need them.

So go ahead and mind your business.

I know how much I need them.

I'm paralyzed.

You don't know how paralyzed you are.

But when you have a marriage that's paralyzed, and when you got a thought life that's paralyzed, and when you got a body that's been paralyzed, and when you got a kid that's paralyzed, and when you got some stuff in your life that's paralyzed, I don't care where the room is.

Just show me, is he in there?

If he's in there, get me in there.

Because there's something in there that I need.

Can I talk like this?

Are we cool?

We good?

My wife met somebody a few weeks ago.

She met a lady in growth track.

And uh she asked the lady, she said, How long you been going to church?

She said I've been going out just for like a month or two.

She said, How you join the church?

She said, I love the church.

She said, How'd you hear about union?

She said, Well, it's an interesting story.

She said, I was on TikTok.

And she said, I watched a person who did a video that said, Whatever you do, don't go to union church.

She said, I watched this video, and the lady was like, Don't go to union church, and you know, there ain't nothing deep in there, and all they do is just a big old club up in there, and there's a club, and uh, and and and the lady said, she said, now she was telling us don't go to this church.

She said, but when I looked at her life, it didn't reflect the life of somebody I should be listening to.

She said, So I said, let me at least check it out and see what's going on.

She said, I came to this church, I ain't never left.

She said, My family go here, we done got saved, we done got baptized.

They said in growth track, they're about to serve.

Don't you ever let somebody who don't need what you need keep you from getting what God wants to do in your life?

It's just crazy to me.

And so, what I'm trying to get you to see is that you gotta get past all that.

All right, all right, let me get to my message.

I'm talking.

Let me get to the here's the sermon, man.

Here's the sermon.

The sermon is this.

I got a man who needs Jesus.

I got a man who wants to get to Jesus.

Here's the problem.

He can't get there by himself.

He can't get there by himself.

And so I need people who can pick up the paralyzed man and bring him to Jesus.

That is a picture of the church.

That's what we're doing.

There is a world, there are people who need Jesus, but they cannot get to him by themselves.

And we have decided that we are gonna become a group of people who help carry people to Jesus who desperately needs him.

That is the church.

That's what we're doing, that's what this is all uh about.

So let me give you a few things.

Men Hill, lean in right here.

Here are three quick things that you need to know.

Uh number one, you need somebody to carry you.

You need somebody to carry you.

Now, I didn't get no amens from nobody, uh, which means I gotta really spend time here uh to really put this.

Write it down.

If you write it, you remember it.

Uh you need somebody to carry you.

Nobody said amen.

So I gotta no, no, no, no, no, it's too late, it's too late, too late, it's too late.

I'm too late.

Look at a neighbor and say, you need somebody to carry you.

Minhill, no, Minhill, turn to somebody and say, You need somebody to carry you.

And can you do me a favor?

Keep looking at them, stare at them.

Just when you say it, stare at them, bring conviction.

Like, all right.

I don't care how saved you are, I don't care how much money you have, I don't care how many scriptures you know, everybody.

In here at some point in your life, you need somebody to carry you.

Your Jesus, the Jesus you worship, the Jesus you love, the Jesus of that Bible, before he was about to die, and he went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray.

He went to Peter, James, and John.

He said, Come with me.

They said, Where are we going?

He said, I just need you around while I pray.

And Jesus, dropping sweats of blood, went there to pray.

Matter of fact, he went to them and said they were falling asleep.

And he said, Can you just watch with me at least for one hour?

If Jesus needed some people around him to help carry him, in fact, even the cross, Jesus didn't carry that cross by himself.

At some point, a man had to come and help Jesus carry a cross.

If Jesus needed people to help him pray, if Jesus needed people to help him carry a cross, why do you think you're better than Jesus?

Who do you think you are?

So you're better than Jesus.

So oh, you don't know how saved.

I what do you mean?

Stop telling me how holy you are and how saved you are.

The reality of it is that Jesus needed someone to help carry the cross.

He needed someone by his side during his lowest moment.

But here it is, you you think you're better than Jesus.

I don't, I'm a solo artist.

I don't need nobody.

Hear me, being a loner is cool until life starts life.

And I I wish I had somebody in the room who said who knows life will life you.

You can't escape it.

Six figures don't don't escape it.

Eating your little kale, your little beet juice, whatever little routine you got, you you there is no avoiding life life.

You do know that.

You do know that.

Well, I don't eat, I know I wouldn't ever let a dead carcass in my that's fine.

There are people who die full of spinach and kale.

I'm just saying, life life.

Divorces happen, loss of job, loss of a loved one, okay?

Uh something going on in school, something traumatic takes place, an injury, stuff happens, and when stuff happens in your life, you're gonna wish you had some people to help carry you.

And hear me, everybody who's hanging with you ain't fit to carry you.

Because some of y'all got a crew that you laugh with, you love laughing.

Y'all laugh, woo! I mean laugh.

Oh, I love y'all, we laugh.

But sometimes the people I laugh with, they don't know how to handle when life starts hitting me and I'm not as happy as I usually am.

We ain't laughing right now.

When you're going through it, the jokes that were funny when everything was okay ain't funny when I'm going through it.

And right now I need some people to sit with me, but y'all so used to me giving jokes, and y'all so used to me making y'all laugh, but I ain't laughing right now.

I need somebody to pray with me.

Come on, some of you have people, some of you have people that you drink with.

We get together every Friday and we just sit at the bar and we and we just drink.

Let me tell you about your little drinking crew.

Your little drinking crew, I promise you, I am telling you, you gotta be careful.

I'm not, I'm not, I'm not, I'm not trying to make you uh hate every person or or see, I can't associate with nobody, but some of the stuff that makes us gather, that just because I'm gathering around you don't mean you can handle me when God is dealing with me or when the devil is attacking me.

And I need some people in my life who can't just sit at a bar and drink with me.

I need people in my life that when life starts life, you can throw a scripture at me that you know how to get me into the holiest of holies, that you know how to help me to pray.

And some of the people you drink with will not be there when you got to drink a cup of suffering.

See the cup of joy, they'll be there.

But when I gotta drink a cup of pain, when I gotta drink a cup of suffering, they ain't there for that drink.

Some of you got some smoking buddies, y'all just smoke, smoke, and just pass.

If it ain't fun unless my homie gets stuck.

Y'all just pop up, pass.

You vape, you're in the hookah lounge, you're at the cigar.

We just sit back and throw back and just smoke, and we hang out together, but at some point you're gonna need a crew that is anointed, that is holy, that is blessed, that can lead you to Jesus.

In fact, some of you got some people like that, you don't even like them.

I ain't you don't don't tell mama about what's going on.

All she's gonna do is say the joy of the Lord is your strength.

All she's gonna do is say no weapon for me.

And I ain't got time to hear that.

Don't, don't, don't, don't tell Joe, don't tell Joe.

Joe, all Joe's gonna do is send me another podcast trying to exp trying to get me.

He's gonna send me scriptures for the next week if I let him know.

Some of those people keep keep living.

You're gonna find that some of the people that you were avoiding that throwing scriptures at you, you're gonna wish they threw a scripture at you.

You're gonna say, Where's that person who knew how to pray?

Where's that person who knew how to get me to God?

Where was that person who sent me those scriptures?

Can you send me those scriptures again?

Because I think I need one right now.

I've been doing this for a long time.

I'm telling you right now, when life starts life, you don't call your drinking buddies, you don't call your laughing buddies, you don't call, you know, you call you call some of them church folk to say, Hey, can y'all help me out?

Because I'm dealing with something in my life.

You got to get to a space where you start thinking about, hey, who is helping to carry me?

When I see this, these these men, man, I want to meet these men who carry them.

I don't know if they got the man, I don't know if the man got them.

I don't know who set this up.

I just know four dudes are carrying somebody, and so you got to think about it.

You gotta say, man, who are these dudes?

What kind of guy?

This is so cool.

You need people in your life who will point you to Jesus.

You don't need nobody.

All your friends who point you to Sage, all your friends who who are pointing you to what uh uh the stars.

Well, you know, you know you are a Taurus, and you know that Taurus is you do know that this is what it says.

Oh, you're a Gemini?

Oh, that explains it.

No, that didn't explain nothing about my life.

I'm a new creation in Christ.

Old things have passed away.

Behold, all things are become new.

I have been born again.

So, whatever stars you are going by, I got a morning star that you need to look to because he's the one that I'm looking at right now.

You you need some people that can stay with you when it gets heavy.

Some of the people in your life, they they with you because you pay for everything.

They with you because you got the one apartment complex that we can hang out after 11 and not get kicked out.

And the moment you stop picking everybody up, and the moment you stop buying all the drinks, and the moment, in fact, some of you are saved, and you don't even know your friends keep you around because you're the designated driver for the night.

We know you're gonna be sober.

And I'm saying to you that you gotta get to a place where you start thinking, hey, who is helping to carry me in this season of my life?

You need people that will help fight for your freedom.

You you need people that will celebrate your progress.

The danger isn't falling, the danger is falling alone.

Proverbs chapter 17, 17 says a friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.

Proverbs 17 · chapter mention

I was raised during a time where if you was in a class and somebody did something stupid in the class, everybody got in trouble.

Everybody got in trouble.

If Tyrone threw a pencil at JJ, then the teacher would say, Oh, oh, oh, that's how y'all want to act?

And we say, No, no, no, y'all didn't act like that.

He used to act like that.

Fine, silent lunch for everybody.

We used to ride on a school bus where if one person threw something at the bus driver, the principal get on the bus.

This is how y'all want to behave.

This is how y'all act.

No, this ain't how we act.

That was Johnny.

Johnny's acting like that.

What did it make us do?

It made us responsible for Johnny.

It made us say, ah, Tyrone, act up in class.

I'm never getting in trouble.

That was called accountability.

And you need a life that's got some accountability in it.

When I do weddings, I just did a wedding.

This couple right here, can y'all can y'all stand up and wave?

How long y'all been married?

How long y'all been married now?

A week.

I married them a week ago.

Look at this couple, they got married a week ago.

Hey, you look happy, man, the way you used.

You look like you happy, my guy.

You look like, hey! Whenever I do a wedding, I I don't just address the bride and groom.

I talk to all the bridal party.

And I'm saying, hey, everybody who came in today, you cannot have a successful marriage without a successful community around it.

And I say, We are here because we're supposed to carry them.

And so I look at everybody and I say, here's a phrase that you need to learn for the rest of their marriage.

And the phrase is pray and go home.

Come on, everybody say, pray and go home.

So I tell them, hey, when the groom comes to you and says, Yo, man, I just don't understand, man.

She don't cook, she don't clean, she don't cook, she don't clean, she don't cook, she don't clean, she don't cook, she don't clean, she don't cook, she don't clean.

You're supposed to tell him, hey, pray and go home.

Go back to your wife and work that thing out.

When she comes to you and she's like, I just don't understand, and he leaves the toilet seat up, and it just socks everywhere.

And I just he sleeps with the TV on.

I never slept with the TV on.

He just likes to watch the TV.

You suppose say, Girl, I hear you, but you got to pray and you got to go home.

We're supposed to be carrying them.

We're supposed to be the referees to put them back in the ring to say, y'all got to get work this out.

He don't need nobody to say, Well, I told you not to marry her in the first place.

And you know, Michelle, she's still available.

No, come on, man, get out of here.

When I do uh a child dedication, child dedication is happening September 27th, September 27th, there's child dedication.

When I do child dedication, I do not just address the parents, I address the god parents.

All you people who come to take the pictures, all you people come to no, you're not here to take pictures.

You are here to say, we are going to help carry you as you carry this child.

You're supposed to be buying diapers, you're supposed to be babysitting, you're supposed to be saying, Hey, you need a night for a date night?

We got you.

You are not here just to take a nice picture, you are here to help carry them to help this child.

When I do a funeral, I'm looking at the funeral and I tell the family, you stay seated, and I'm looking at all these people who came.

Don't don't you dare go go in there, go get some chicken, and then go back home laughing and playing.

No, you ought to check in on this family.

You are here to say, in three weeks, I'm gonna call you and I'm gonna see if you're doing all right, because that's how we carry someone.

What I'm saying to you, baptism.

When we do baptism, we say invite the family.

It's not so that we can grow our church, it is because I need somebody in your life to see you go in the water and come out and say, All right, I'm I got you now.

I'm gonna be a part of helping to carry you and keep your spiritual growth going.

So you need someone to carry you.

Here's my second point.

Man, he'll write this down.

Are y'all getting some out of this?

Here's my second point.

Somebody needs you to carry them.

Somebody needs you to carry them.

Don't get it twisted.

You're called to carry somebody.

You're called to carry somebody.

I know this just this is anti-culture today.

I saw a reel on Instagram the other day, and I wanted to comment, but I realized I can't comment on stuff because then it turns into a whole thing, and uh people screenshot it and say, look, this is why, blah, blah, blah.

And so I saw this reel, and in the real, uh, the dude was like, hey, uh, don't let these churches dupe you.

These churches, man, all they want to do is get you to serve and put the put everything on your back.

And so uh what you gotta do is you gotta go in there, get your word, and then go back to your car.

Don't make eye contact with nobody.

You just keep it moving.

All they're gonna try to do is make you serve, and they're gonna try, and so everybody was in the comments, like, yeah, they tried to get me to serve, and and I got around him, and yeah, they tried to do that to me too, and I got around them, and look at, yeah, look at we we we we plagued them because we're and I guess I'm gonna go in there and get my little message and go back to my car, and they gotta figure it out because I ain't about to make no pastor rich, and I ain't about to make no church, blah blah blah blah blah blah.

Shut up, shut up.

And and by the way, it's always funny to me because the person is usually saying this, after they say, Don't let the church dupe you, they try to get you to sign up to their masterclass, e-course, Patreon.

And I'm always like, so it sounds like you want members too.

I don't understand.

So in this generation, is hey, don't what I discovered, Minthil, is that people want the blessing of righteousness, they don't want the responsibility that comes with it.

Just give me the blessing part, but but the cross part, nails part, the crown of thorns part, you know the part where it gets bloody, you know the part where you gotta sacrifice.

Yeah, I don't want that part.

The part I want is the resurrection part, the angel singing part, the crown that's that's made of gold part.

I don't want any of the so that's not real righteousness.

Hear me, union church.

We're not asking you to serve because we're trying to just blow up.

It's biblical for me to listen to this real, it means I gotta ignore the Bible.

Galatians chapter 6, verse 2 and 3 is so clear.

Galatians 6:2

Paul says, bear one another's burdens, not bear one another's blessings, not bear one another's raises and promotions, bear their burdens.

So you fulfill when you do that, you fulfill the law of Christ, not the law of a church.

For if anyone thinks he's something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.

You are supposed to be carrying somebody.

You I'm not asking you to carry the burden of the world, I'm asking you to carry the burden of some people in your world.

There's some people that you've been assigned to that you are supposed to help, help bear them, lift them up.

Let me keep going.

Romans chapter 15, verse 1 says, We who are strong, watch this, you have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves.

Romans 15:1

Let each of us please his neighbor for his good to build him up.

You have an obligation.

If you have a strong marriage, you have an obligation to help some of the weak marriages around you.

If you're good with money, you have an obligation to help some of the struggling people with money around you.

If you if you have a have a great prayer life, it's your obligation not just to be your prayer warrior, but to help raise up other prayer warriors that are around you.

That that's what you do.

It's inconvenient, but do you think them carrying this this man was not convenient?

It's not convenient when the guy is probably heavy, and then I get to the house, it's crowded, and they're like, I didn't carry you this far just to bring you this far.

You get in that house, so they gotta lift them up to the roof, then they gotta tear the roof off, and they gotta lower the dude down.

What's going on with us?

When I was when I was growing up, I'm gonna say when I was growing up all day.

This is just crazy.

When I was growing up, if you had a friend who worked at McDonald's, and you was in line, and you saw your friend behind the counter, you would walk right up to that counter and say, Can I get a bottle of water, please?

And they bring you a bag, you paid 99 cents.

But because your friend was back there, he put a bag, he put water in the bag, but he put 20 piece, a double, double cheaper, quarter pounder with cheese, right?

And you walked out, say thank you for my water, and you walked out like I was raised during the time where if you had a friend that worked at Foot Locker and you went there and your friend was behind the count, you know what to do.

Huh?

Get me, you know what to do.

Go get me one of those things.

Hey, I got you.

The sneaker that don't nobody else got, they know where it's at in the back.

And they they come over, come on over here.

And you get that?

Come on, man.

When I was growing up, if you had a friend that worked at the movie theater, you would say, I'll be there at 12 o'clock.

And they say, All right, come to zone, come to do number three in zone four.

And you sit outside, it'd be 11:58, and you just be sitting outside and just looking suspicious, just and at 12 o'clock, the door would slide open, and you would slide in and go inside and go sit there and watch a movie.

I got a police officer back there.

That was back in the day.

This ain't nothing I do.

This ain't nothing I'm talking about right now, sir.

This was this was back in the day when I was, yeah, yeah, don't you don't need to hear nothing?

This is a long time ago.

I got a real police officer back there.

I was just like, wait a minute, one second.

Can I get in trouble?

More trouble than I've already gotten in.

Even today, as a as a pastor, when I see one of my members behind the counter, I go up there and they say, Peepy, and they say, I'm gonna give you my discount.

And I say, No, no, no, no, don't, no, don't, no, no, PeeBee, you're getting into no, no.

There was one other thing that I saw.

You can just throw it in the no, no, no, if you have a good marriage, hey, throw some wisdom in the bag for me.

If you're good with your health, you good with your hey man, put some, open the door for me.

You are not here just to think about yourself, you're supposed to be here helping to carry the burdens of somebody else.

And here's why this is important.

Here's why this is important because the friends, uh-oh, the friends tear up the roof, let the man down.

Here's what the Bible says Luke chapter 5, verse 20.

Luke 5:20

It says, and when he saw their faith, oh, that's shout worthy right there.

He said, Man, your sins are forgiven you.

Jesus didn't heal the man because of his faith, he healed the man because of the faith of the circle he had around them.

And what if I told you that your faith is the key to opening up a door for somebody else's life?

This is why they call you when the family member gets sick, because ain't nobody in the family got no faith.

But when you walk into the room, Jesus will bring healing in the room because when he saw your faith, he healed your auntie.

When he saw your faith, he healed your cousin.

Do I got anybody in the room that says, call on me, because I got enough faith for my family.

I got enough faith for my city, I got enough faith, and my faith will open up a door for somebody's life.

Here's my last point.

My last point we'll leave on this.

I'm gonna land this plane.

Jesus wants to change what you're carrying.

Jesus wants to change what you're carrying.

Now, watch this.

If you missed everything else, don't miss this.

The scripture is very, very clear.

Very, very clear that they let the man down and Jesus said, Hey, your sins are forgiven.

Uh-oh.

We got a problem.

We got a problem.

We got a problem.

Because I don't see him coming here to get no sins forgiven.

He came here because he's paralyzed.

So why aren't you addressing the fact that I'm paralyzed?

Why are you dealing with my sin?

This don't make no sense because you said my sins are forgiven, but I didn't come here.

I came here for you to help my legs, I came here for you to help me walk, I came here for you to help me.

What are we talking about?

Well, you gotta know a little bit about Jewish culture in order to understand why this is significant.

In Jewish culture, if you were disabled, it was considered maybe somebody in your family sin.

Maybe you sin, and that's the reason why you're in this situation.

So Jesus knows not only does he have paralyzed legs, he got a paralyzed heart.

And Jesus said, Before I deal with the external thing, let me first deal with the internal thing.

Because maybe this man has been walking around saying, God don't love me, God don't care about me.

Maybe the only reason why I'm paralyzed because of something I did years ago.

Maybe it's that mistake that I made is the reason why I'm in this circumstance.

Maybe it's the sin back in the day, is the reason why I'm here.

And Jesus said, Before I heal your legs, let me heal your heart.

He said, Let me tell you right now, your sins are forgiven.

Don't walk out of here with shame, don't walk out of here with condemnation, don't walk out of here another day thinking God don't love you, God don't like you.

No, God came to heal you, God came to deliver you, God came to set you free.

And maybe what everybody else sees is not what's really going on with you.

Maybe Jesus is saying there's something on the inside that I need to heal.

Because everybody else sees you, and you look like you know, they they see you as a paralyzed person, but Jesus sees that in your heart there's something going on that if I don't fix, if I don't heal, if I don't change, it's not gonna be changed, you're not gonna be free, you're not gonna be delivered.

You need some people to carry you to Jesus because that's where the healing is.

James chapter 5, verse 16 says, Therefore, confess your sins one to another and pray for one another that you may be healed, because the prayers of a righteous person have great power as it is working.

James 5:16

Here's the last thing I want to show you, and it's so powerful.

Look at Luke 5, verse 25.

Luke 5:25

It says, The man gets healed, and immediately what he does, he rose up before all of them, picked up what he had been lying on, and went home, glorifying God.

Y'all see that?

Let me tell you how powerful this is.

When I say Jesus wants to change what you're carrying, that bed was carrying him, but after he got healed, he was carrying the bed.

Y'all see that?

He walked in with the bed carrying him, but after he had a touch from Jesus, he was carrying the bed.

I don't know what's been carrying you.

Maybe depression has been carrying you, maybe addiction has been carrying you, maybe shame and guilt has been carrying you, maybe bitterness and loneliness has been carrying you, maybe frustration has been carrying you.

But when Jesus gets a hold of your life, whatever has been carrying you, you're about to get the strength to carry it.

And I declare Mint Heel in every every every room of our church that you are leaving here carrying the very bed that you came lying on.

In the name of Jesus, you are about to carry that addiction, you're about to carry that thing, and as you carry it, now that your legs are working, you can go back and carry somebody else who's lying in the same situation that you were lying in.

That is what we do.

Because we just want to add more to your schedule.

Bring it down just a touch.

I'm not trying to add more to your schedule.

Hear me.

None of us.

None of us.

I I have to lead a group as well.

I lead a group in this church.

I'm trying to manage two campuses.

We got a building project we're working on.

I got a wife, I got two kids, I got my own stuff I want to deal with.

Trying to fit a group in to my schedule is gonna take some work.

So this is not about us adding more to your life.

We're not doing a group because it grows our church.

In fact, I got people who don't even go to our church who are in these groups.

I got a bunch of people who don't go to our church.

I hate to say it.

I got I know some people who don't even like our church, but they be in their line dancing.

So then it ain't to grow to church.

I'm not doing groups because it makes us look good on social media.

The pictures aren't worth all the work that's required to do this.

We do group, don't nobody got the time.

We gotta all get inconvenienced.

We all we gotta all take a Tuesday or Wednesday or Thursday.

We all gotta do it because the Bible says that if you're gonna grow spiritually, you gotta get yourself around some people who can carry you and that you can help carry.

If you don't like my preaching, that's fine.

Whatever preacher you want to choose, get the best of the best preacher.

You, you, you, I like this area, he don't preach that well.

That's fine.

Tell me who you like, they will preach their best sermon.

It will never be enough to keep you growing spiritually.

I don't care.

You want a two-hour service, how long do you want the service to be?

How long do you need the service to be?

Three hours?

What do you need?

Because no matter how long the service is, no matter how much worship you think we're supposed to have, you still need a Tuesday where somebody can look you in your eye, say, You doing all right?

I'm doing all right.

How are you doing?

I'm doing good.

Let's pray real quick.

Father in the name of Jesus, give us strength for the rest of this week.

In Jesus' name, amen.

That's how God set it up, that's how it's supposed to be, and that is how you're gonna win in this walk with God.

Every head bow, every eye closed.

I'm way over time.

Everybody say, Holy Spirit, speak to me.

Your servant is listening.

Who is it in your life that's just saying, in this season of my life, in this last quarter, I may need to spend less time with this person, this group.

Who is the Holy Spirit revealing to me?

Holy Spirit, is there anybody in my life that in this last quarter of this year I have to make some adjustments?

The Holy Spirit is revealing somebody.

Who is he revealing to you?

Maybe the Holy Spirit is speaking to you and he's saying, hey, there are some people I did put in your life.

And I know they're not kin to you, I know they didn't grow up with you, but but that's a person I put to be a mother's voice, to be a father's voice, to be a grandparent's voice, to be a sister's voice, to be a brother's voice, to be a best friend's voice.

I I know you are connected to the people that you grew up with, but maybe the Lord has put some kingdom connections, some divine relationships in your life that God is saying, Hey, that's me.

I put them there.

Who is the Holy Spirit revealing to you?

Who do I need to call more?

Who should I be getting more advice from?

Who should I be including in some of the decisions that I'm making?

What who is that?

And then what has been carrying you that you now need to carry?

What is the bed that you've been lying in that you gotta take up and start walking?

Father, in the name of Jesus, I pray right now for everyone that sounded my voice.

I pray, God, that Lord, you would reveal to us in this season the circle of the group that you have around us.

If you're in this room and you don't know Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, I would love to invite you right now to make a decision to say yes to the Lord.

The Bible says, For God so loved the world.

He didn't hate you, he loved you.

That he gave his one and only begotten Son, that whosoever would believe in him would not perish, but have everlasting life.

God came into the world not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.

And so I'm telling you right now that maybe today is a day where you're saying the thing I've been carrying is shame and a disconnected relationship with God.

If today you want to make a decision to make Jesus Christ the Lord of your life, I'm asking you, Men Hill, to make a little bit of a bold move.

Can you just lift your hands just so that the Lord can acknowledge your hand?

Say, Pastor, you're talking to me.

Say, Pastor, today is my day.

I see that hand, brother.

I see that hand, sister, I see that hand, daughter, I see that hand, son.

The Lord is looking at you.

It ain't got nothing to do with me.

I need you to acknowledge before God, Men Hill, Pastor, I'm here.

God, I am here, and today I want to be saved.

Just lift your hand and say, You're talking to me, Pastor.

I'm gonna lead you in a prayer of salvation right now, and I want us as a community to pray it out loud.

Come on, let's all pray together.

Say, Father, thank you for loving me.

Thank you for sending Jesus to die on a cross for me.

Today, I surrender my life to you.

I turn from the practice of wrongdoing and I surrender my heart to you again.

I believe Jesus lived, Jesus died, Jesus rose again, and Jesus is coming back for me.

Come into my heart.

Save me today.

Today is a fresh start, today is a new beginning in Jesus' name.

Come on, everybody, shout amen.

Come on, men heel, shout amen.