He Makes The Difference

Come on now.

You got to declare it over yourself.

Breaking

in my favor

in my favor

in my favor

there's a shifting

there's a shifting

I like it.

In my

in my

there's a breaking

there's a breaking

there's a breaking

in my

in my favor

in my favor

as I praise

as I praise

hallelujah

hallelujah

the Lord inhabits and dwells within the praises of his people

sometimes we need some directional changes

sometimes we need some shifting

sometimes we need some affirmation

sometimes we need God to come in

into our situation

and make a difference

amen

many of you are sitting in here

with a very heavy heart this morning

but you're forcing your way into praise

you're forcing yourself

to pray, you don't feel like it

your heart isn't really into it

but you know if you can

if you can just muster

the strength, you know that he's

going to show up where you are

and so you know that there's a shifting

there's a breaking, there's favor

coming your way

because you know in whom you believe

and you know that the words of your mouth

are hearing and landing upon the ear

of the one who can change every

dilemma in every situation

and make a difference in it

amen, there's a breaking, there's a shifting

there's favor coming our way

because the Lord is faithful

and the Lord is true

amen, well hallelujah

give him another good praise in his house this morning

hallelujah

the Lord is good

his mercy endures forever

one of my favorite, let the redeemed

of the Lord say so

and that's where a lot of times we just

stop quoting that verse

let the redeemed of the Lord say so

but it goes on, he

that had been delivered out of the hand

of the enemy, amen

that's who is the redeemed, that's who

has a praise in their heart

amen, he never promised it's going to be easy

matter of fact he told us exactly

the opposite, tribulation's coming

your way

but be a good cheer

it's hard to be happy about tribulation isn't it

hard to be happy about hardship

and the only reason

you can get happy about it

is because he's overcoming

amen

and by virtue of his overcoming

he extends that grace to you and I

so that we too may be

overcomers by his grace

because he overcame the world

amen

hallelujah, if you have your Bibles

start turning with me to Mark's

Gospel the second chapter

Mark chapter two, it is good to have

brother Josh and sister Kelby

and their children, their family

with us this morning

I've known

I don't know what I didn't know

Josh before he was a

twinkle in his daddy's eye

may have been, I can't remember

your mom might have been

expecting you when we got there

I don't know, it's been a while back

and then Kelby

as we did ministry around

the Pipeville area

pastor of the New Martin Church of God

our girls grew up, they went to school

with Kelby and I coached the

fast-pitched softball team and Kelby was on

that team and to my

surprise here a few months ago

when I was

down doing the cams on

second and third row there they sat

and I said well isn't God good

amen

you've heard the term country's cornbread

he stands on the front row

crackling

crackling cornbread

that's even countryer than

cornbread, can I get a witness

but I

I'm loving his passion

passionate for the gospel

and what the Lord is calling

them too is not an easy task

but he

he supplies what we need

and I admire

him this morning for what God's calling them to

do and what they're going to step out and do

I told him I couldn't do that

because that's not what God's called me to do

matter of fact the place that he's

going to be stepping in is a place that I'm uncomfortable

at

but as the Lord opens doors

he calls the ones he wills doesn't he

amen

so we're believing God with them

and for them and their family for a

great harvest amen

and retention as he

gets ready to take this exam here

before too long

that's the one I had to take

twice by the way

yeah I wasn't

close enough for him to help me get through

you go down there they say

well we're not here to fail you and then they sent me home

study some

more I said okay

I got it the second

time through

when in doubt go with C

that credential does not have my

grade point average anywhere on it

I passed

amen

I'm right there with you

Mark's Gospel second chapter

beginning at verse one

again a very familiar text

the Lord's been taking us back to some familiar

territory

and again he entered into Capernaum

after some days and it was

noise that he was in the house

and straightway many

were gathered together in so

much that there was no room

to receive them no not

so much as about

the door

and he preached the word unto them

can you guess where we're going

and they came unto him bringing one sick

of the palsy which was born of four

and when they could not

come nigh unto him for the press

they uncovered the roof where he was

and when they had broken it up

they let down the bed wherein

the sick of the palsy lay

and when Jesus saw their

faith he said unto

the sick of the palsy son

thy sins be forgiven thee

but there were certain of the scribes sitting there

and reasoning in their hearts

what doth this man

speak blasphemies

who can forgive sins

but God only

and I like this and immediately

when Jesus perceived in his

spirit that they

so reasoned within themselves he

said unto them

why reason you these things in your heart

whether is it easier

to say the sick of the

the sick of the palsy thy sins be forgiven

thee or to say arise

and take up thy bed and walk

but that you may

know that the son of man hath power

on earth to forgive sins

he saith to the sick

of the palsy I say unto thee arise

take up thy bed

and go thy way

into thine house

and immediately

I like that word

and immediately

he arose took up the bed

and went forth before

them all

I kind of get this impression in my mind

he just grabbed his bed in front of those smart

elix and just sashayed right on out there

you know the attitude I'm talking

about you've seen it

I could just see him looking at him with disdain

as he walks out the door

insomuch that they were all amazed

and glorified God

saying

that we never seen it like this before

right that's the water

parallel paraphrase

I ain't seen nothing like that

I want to preach to you with the help

of the Lord this morning

on a simple thought

he

makes the difference

he being Christ

he makes the difference

father I love you this morning

thank you for your goodness your mercy and your hope

wonderful power

of your presence that is in this room

for Lord I truly

truly discern your presence

now ask Lord you stir the unction

and the anointing that you placed

on my life and in my heart

stir it

I know that what we say today

will be edifying to the body

and glorifying to you

for I know we are here today

many who need you

to make a difference

you be praised forever in Christ's name

the church said

tell you neighbor he really does make a difference

there are times in our lives

when it seems as though

we are just spinning our wheels

going nowhere

and when those

times enter into our lives

we think to ourselves now what am I going to do

what am I supposed to do now

we talked last week

preached a little bit on that thought living in the holding

pattern

so when you are in that

and you are spinning your wheels and you ask

the question what do we do now

as we look at

where we are living in the age and culture

the times in which we live

we live in an age

where we feel we must always be busy

got to be occupied

got to be doing something

some of you couldn't sit down over 10 minutes

if you weren't taking it out for your life

depending on it

you just got to be in motion

got to be moving

be about doing something we are restless

we become easily bored

craving entertainment and action

and we wonder why

we are stressed beyond belief

and so overwhelmed with life

and that

for many they feel there is no relief

inside in this spinning cycle

just continues on and on

in our text today

you will notice that the Lord

is going to side, he is going to take a little time off

when we start to think about life itself

and where we are

and the change that we need

understand something this morning

religion doesn't change your situation

a relationship does

church isn't the cure for your crisis

Christ is

amen

so when we come in a symbol this morning

it's about a relationship that we have

that we are going to have

that we are going to have

that we are going to have

and when we come in a symbol this morning

it's about a relationship that we have with the Christ

and when we come to the church house

I'm sorry

for me it is about you

but it's not all about you

I understand my responsibility

towards you

and what God has placed on my heart

but my number one priority

is that I meet Jesus

my number one goal

for Pastor Cliff before he leaves here

is to know that I have entered into his presence

for me

for myself

because of my relationship

not my religion

for me coming as a part

of the body of Christ

not just to the church

but as being

the church in action

I've come to meet the head of my heart

and the head of my life

and the redeemer of my soul

I've come to be in his presence

first and foremost

and I feel that the spinning cycle

that I feel in my life

can come to a stop as well sometimes

you do know preachers feel like their life

is spinning out of control too

it's just cycles for us as well

so when I begin to realize

that it's not the church

and it's not religion

it brings me into focus that

ultimately it's his presence

that makes a difference in my life

it makes a difference

between death and victory

amen

his presence brings about

the difference for me in victory

and defeat

it brings about for myself being in his presence

the difference between joy and sadness

I understand

that joy is not determined

by circumstances as happiness

is in our life

because you can be unhappy but still

have a cup full of joy

hallelujah

many of you sitting in this room today are going through

circumstances that doesn't

cause happiness to be in your life

but when you look beyond those

circumstances you see in the depths of your heart

that the happiness that you can

redeem on is because of the

joy of the Lord that becomes

your strength and your living source

of everyday life it's the joy

and knowing that God is still on the

throne that his Christ is still

at the right hand and that the spirit

is still moving across the face of a

void deep world that seems to

be in chaos that the Holy Ghost

is still working and still moving

so in spite of my sadness

joy begins to well up within

inside of me because my voice begins

to lift up adoration to the

one who has redeemed me

and then in spite of my circumstances

joy begins to bubble up and

begins to spring forth because

of the crisis in my life I'm

confronted with the joy that causes

me to be the overcomer of every

situation that enters into

my life

it's your joy that you draw

from

we look at our text this morning

as we started here in the second

chapter verse one begins

with and again he enters Capernaum

so that

means he'd already been there

Capernaum becomes

his home base of ministry

after he comes out of the wilderness

Jesus has left Nazareth

and he's moving closer to

where people are and where his ministry

is going to be and he makes his

center around Capernaum and he

begins to do ministry in the circumference

of the cities and towns

that are in the villages that are around

here where he's staying and as

he makes his way there out of

the wilderness he comes to meet John

the baptism takes place

and as he moves into the

wilderness comes out after being tempted these

forty days he goes to the

synagogue and begins to enact his

ministry to those who are there

he goes and he begins to talk

and he begins to teach he begins to

preach and as he's there there's

one has an unclean spirit

in him he cries out he rebukes

takes authority over that unclean

spirit from there after church

he makes his way to Peter's house

and his mother-in-law is there

she's sick with a fever

they come to him and say Lord she's sick

he goes in speaks to her

raises her up she's healed she's

delivered and the scripture says she

begins to serve them and minister to them

and from there there is a

testimony that begins to go out

can I tell you when you go to rebuke

devils and devils speaking out and devils

running out of folk that there is

a testimony that begins

to get spread and

when you see someone sick with a fever

and that fever is rebuked and they're

raised up and they don't even feel

bad and they're doing ministry

word begins to spread

word spread in chapter one so much so

that Jesus they brought

to them to the house there

they brought so many people who were sick

they were afflicted they were

oppressed with devils and he healed

many of them and his testimony

began to spread word began to go

out Jesus is able to

so much so that he looked at his disciples

said hey let's take this to some

other towns I need to go some other

places and preach to some other people

so he takes a short journey he's going

and doing ministry there's a leprous

man comes to him and I love that story

the leprous man comes to him and says

if you will I know you

can make me whole and I love the

words of Jesus he said I will

hallelujah and upon the declaration

of I will the

leprosy falls off

and he says go show yourself and he

gives him some instruction and the instruction

is if it's alright would you

please just keep this to yourself

go follow the law of Moses

go make the proper sacrifices

show yourself to the priest let him

know you're clean but I'm probably

like that oh boy I don't know

that I can keep it too quiet when

he left there my god he had a testimony

I met Jesus of Nazareth

y'all know that I was

a leper look at me now

look at me now he couldn't keep it

quiet and so people just kept

pouring out and then when the ministry

began to explode and begin to go

further he's now having to

go back to town he couldn't even go back to town

without sneaking back in town

because there's so many people waiting

for him to do something for

them my god we're heading

somewhere this morning and so we find

our text and again he comes

in to Capernaum I'm telling

you I think I'm ready for

an again moment at the Hopewell

Church of God I think that we're

ready for an again moment for

the United States of America

I think it's time for revival

I think it's time for Jesus

to show back up again I think

it's time that the church invite

him back into the house again

I think

I think it's time that we begin to move

under the anointing again

I think it's time that a people

I'm talking about a people get

excited about the presence of Jesus

Christ being in their house

and begin to go out and tell it

so much so that we can't keep

it to ourselves you oughta been

there Sunday morning you should

have seen what God did Sunday

morning people's lives were touched

people's lives were changed sinners

were saved converts were made

my lord he truly is

savior he truly is sanctifier

we had people baptized

in the Holy Ghost speaking

in other tongues as the spirit

give the other we had people

healed I just wonder all of

just come to me how many of you have been

touched and healed in body in

the last year or so how many

how many's ever been healed by a touch

would you stand up and give him praise

you know for a fact that you've been healed

amen well let me

just put a little contagion on

you this morning would you get like that

old leper and would you start telling

somebody what Jesus has done for

you don't keep it quiet

don't hold your peace tell somebody

you need to come where I go

the presence of the Lord

Jesus is meeting us

the Holy Ghost is showing up

look around you how many people

are standing testimonies

of the healing power

of Jesus Christ

he heals

again

do it again

Lord

we need him

back in the houses of worship

I remember

I tried to

look for it and I couldn't come up with it

but I found a

quote years ago I'd used

about a

British journalist who come to America

searching out to try

to find the greatness

of America

we're talking the late 1800's

early 1900's

as the revolution

of industrialism is getting started

what's making America

so great

so he comes and he begins to tour

he goes to our great

factories and couldn't find our greatness there

to the harbors and couldn't

find the greatness there to publications

and couldn't find the greatness there

and he said it wasn't

until I went into the churches

and I found those

flaming pulpits of fire

then I discovered

America's true

greatness can I rebuke

a nation real quickly

we have tried to put our greatness

into many other places

we've tried to make it that it's all about

what we are our military

might our military power

our technological advances but we're behind

the eight ball on a lot of things

anymore

America's greatness is not in those things

but the sad thing is

could that same reporter

enter into our churches across

America and still see

the success and the greatness

because of the fire that's burning

God help us

God help us

I think we need Jesus

back in the house again

he's coming back to Capernaum again

he's making his way back

he done great things when he was there before

oh my God

the great awakening the second great awakening

the Azusa street revival

many are claiming that we're about

to enter into a third great awakening

I say even so Lord

come quickly

let an awakening of the consciousness

of the United States of America

and our awareness that we're moving away

from you may it come closer

to realize that we need

the presence of Jesus Christ

back in our houses again

of worship oh my

he'll make his presence known

in our homes when we start making

his presence known in our churches

because what you see is this

we begin to bring him from home

to the house of worship because

we are the church and the

presence of the Lord should be in the

church at all times

in all demographics and every

place you should have the presence

of the Lord with you and when we

come corporately together

there should be a unifying of the presence

of the Lord in our hearts

and in our lives and we begin to echo

the praise of his goodness

he makes all the difference

we need his presence more

than we need social security

and I hope it lasts

I'm going to be needed here for long

I'm coming on to it

so y'all leave me some

hello

I don't want you to have to die to leave it

just leave us some

we need his presence more than we need health insurance

I get so many calls

and so many texts

good hearted people wanting to help me

find an insurance policy

I mean they must really care

they need his presence more than I need a policy

hello

and I think I'm just going to start

witnessing they'll stop calling

they'll put you on a black list

don't call me

don't call me

if you want to do that

put you on a black list

don't call this number

if you want to call this

just start telling them about how good Jesus is

they'll always tell you

if you can understand them

they'll tell you what their name is

so and so

Juan, do you know

Ahmed, do you know

come on

that's who calls me

I don't know who's calling you

witnessed him to Achmed the next time he calls and I'm gonna ask Achmed, hey I've got a good health

insurance policy amen so far I hadn't had to use it because of the presence of the Lord that's in

my life hallelujah do you know Jesus Christ as your Lord and person of the earth sorry sorry we

have to go now sorry sorry no more we hang up now sorry sorry no more no bother you no more

I said we need the presence of Jesus in his house and when we get his presence alive and when you

fail to remember his declaration if I be lifted up if I be lifted up if I be lifted up I'll draw

all men unto me I'm about sick to death with superstar preachers superstar pastors and the

stardom of their ego my God according to John I must decrease that he must increase and weapon

I better slow down I'm gonna get in trouble I don't know if that's preaching or ranting

I just wonder what heaven thinks about it all let me get the next note we'll move on past that

mmm we need his presence more than we need the welfare of this age I just about said something

I would have regretted let me go on oh no it's just babies there don't do it I'm gonna try not to

but it's so funny and it's such a fact it was noise that he was in the house I'm just gonna stick

oh see them rabbit trails to get you in some trouble and I about about hit one we need the

presence of any many of you may have a so-called picture of Jesus in your homes anybody got one

of those anybody got a picture in your house throw that thing out that ain't him get shed of it

that's not him why you're not trust me it ain't him there's too many different pictures they all

can't be him I feel it this morning you won't have to worry about a picture if you've got his

presence you won't have to worry about an image on the wall if you have his presence in your heart

and in the threshold of your home you won't have to worry about hoping that that's him I'm telling

you it's not him and you feel like it'd be sacrilegious to throw it out huh I've been that

way before I thought I can't throw a picture Jesus away and then I realized one day well it's not him

chunk yeah that ain't him let me get to point number two point number one again he entered

after some days secondly and straightway many were gathered together in so much that they

were no room there was no room to receive them not even at the door usually you can get a seat at the

door usually you can stand at the door everybody's in the living room usually you can stand by the

door but not when Jesus is in the house makes me kind of wonder these places that say he's there

they just need a picture because if you got his presence there I'm telling you we're stirring it

up hallelujah why because folks are coming to see folks are coming to see why because it was

noised abroad it was noised abroad what does that mean somebody had been in the house where he was

at and when they left they told somebody else that Jesus was in the house would to God that the

church would get enough of Jesus on them when they came in that when we leave we start noising it

abroad the presence of the Lord is here the presence of the Lord is near do you have a need

when they start pouring their heart out you start telling them hey I know where you can go and be

like the four men come and go with me if you're not able I'll come get you I'll pick you up I'll

do whatever necessary I'll buy you lunch after church but you need in the presence of Jesus

that's what it's all about it's not about hearing a preacher we don't need another preacher we need

his presence it's not about seeing and hearing more beautiful singing it's about we need his

presence amen we don't need good teachers we need his presence because when his presence resulted

then the preaching of the word goes forth because it was noised abroad that he was in the house and

nobody could get in the room and when he did get him in the room he preached them the word hallelujah

I'm telling you the word will make a difference in people's lives I'm not talking about opinion I'm

not talking about popular fad literature I'm talking about let's get to the unadulterated

word of God which declares that he cast out devils that he has power over unclean spirits

that declares that he can cause a leper to become cleansed hallelujah he can cause a feverish woman

to stand up and walk when the house is full of his presence a house will become filled with hungry

people because no this is a reality people are still searching they are still needing and they

are still hungry for the authentic presence of God you know what I'm finding people are getting

tired of the Broadway shows on Sunday morning because Monday when the devil's knocking on their

door and crisis is arising the production isn't enough I said the production isn't enough the

four-step teaching they got on how to be a better you is not enough because the devil is breathing

down their neck that roaring line is going about seeking whom he may devour and he showed up on

their doorstep and four steps to a better you isn't enough when the devil's after you you need

the word of the living God so that you can declare to him it is written hey y'all doing all right people

are still seeking the presence and the power of Christ for their lives they're not seeking after

another form of religion are you hearing me not some other church name to add its nomenclature to

the list they're needing Jesus they just need an encounter with Jesus they really don't care about

the name it's on the sign when they show up they're hurting for the most you realize I forget what the

church is doing it's 80 to 90 some percent it is 80 to 90 some percent of people who had who come

to churches to visit do so because of a personal invitation from someone else not door-to-door

evangelism not mailing it out a card in the mail invitation they come because there's some validity

to the one who has invited them to come and they will come because you ask them to come it may take

you years but if you're consistent with the joy that is in your heart and the words about your

church are positive and not negative because of the presence of Christ then when you invite them

in their hour of need they'll come because they've tried everything else they've been everywhere else

they've heard every other voice but when you continually testify about the presence of Jesus

Christ and what God is doing in the lives of those around you they'll finally come to realization and

knowing that I will not be saved without him hallelujah I can't be delivered without him because

I've tried everything on myself and anyone else that can help me and I can't do it and they couldn't

do it can somebody point me to some relief and you show up and say I'll tell you how you spell

relief it's J-E-S-U-S he's better than a roll aid a lot of people got heartburned from sin well let

me move right on that he preached to them the word I know it sounds old-fashioned hey man I

know it sounds old-fashioned it may look the way I present it sometimes quite ridiculous but I can't

help it it's just the way it rolls off of me sometimes I don't know if I think the show that

have people come to watch what's he gonna do next it's not concerning these things it's not popular

but there's still a need for the gospel there's still a need for the proclamation loudly driven

by the unction of the Holy Ghost because simply put our lives our lives lived by faith faith is

the substance of things hoped for according to Hebrews 11 and 1 and the evidence of things not

seen and without faith it's impossible to please God but if you have faith he is a rewarder of

those who diligently seek after him how do I get more of this faith well you have been given

according to the scripture a measure of faith but that measure can be added to how so Romans 10 17

faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God so you're saying I can cause my faith to

grow yes I am and I've just given you the antidote for its growth amen not to stimulate it so it dies

out but to stimulate it so that it grows a man faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word

of God so the more I read the stronger my faith gets now you're starting to catch a hold because

you take the promises of God that are yay and a man by Christ Jesus and you apply those promises

through the faith that you have and God who has redeemed you let me tell you something if you've

got faith enough for him to save you then you can have faith enough for him to do any and every

other thing in your life because that is the greatest challenge of humanity and that is the

redeeming of our sin it costs the greatest price so if he can save you he can do anything for you

and he is the only one that can save you thirdly they came unto him bringing one seek of the

palsy which was born of four oh boy had four close enough friends or acquaintances who cared

enough about him I don't know if it was their idea the Bible doesn't say I don't know if it

was their idea to bring him or it was his idea to get somebody to take him I don't know but either

way somebody had enough faith if they could just get there a difference would be made somebody had

enough faith to know if they could just get there if he in himself if I can just get there I know

he'll make a difference I don't know why I know other than he may have heard something from one

of those other communities and towns where Jesus had been away ministering for a little

while could be that he might have known the leopard we don't know but what we do know is is some of

those five one of those five at least had enough faith to know that if I can get in the presence

or we can get him in his presence then there is a difference that can be made in his life lo and

behold a difference can be made if you make your way into his presence this man has a condition of

palsy palsy is a paralyzing condition it restricts one is somehow disconnects the strength of muscle

and nerve from the brain the mind still says to move but the body can't respond don't know where

the disconnect happens but it happens sometimes in our life don't we get disconnected don't our

thought process from our action process get disconnected and we need a reconnection sometimes

in our faith do we not get disconnected doesn't the enemy come in like a flood so strongly that

somehow it washes in a seed grain of doubt and we let that seed grain of doubt begin to build like

an oyster on a pearl and doubt gets bigger and bigger and bigger and larger and larger and larger

to the point the devil begins to whisper God doesn't love you oh he doesn't care about you

Jesus who he hadn't visited you he had done anything for you but I'm here to tell us this

morning that he is able to overcome the voices of darkness amen and let his light so shine in the

darkness of the clam of your situation and the palsy and the paralysis of your life and the

paralysis in your situation he is able to speak life and speak a connection back together what

happened to the old boy they got there I got to make a long story way short when they arrive

there's a bigger crowd than they thought you ever showed up at church like that before oh

these more people here today and I thought they're gonna be I bet you somebody got my seat I love it

when somebody gets here and gets your seat and I watch for the cross-eyed look for somebody to

get tore up enough to ask somebody to move I'm looking for that so don't even think about it

hello matter of fact I encouraged a few people I thought be brave enough to sit in your seat just

because now you front row folk are pretty good you don't have to worry about it much and back

row folk ain't coming down I don't know how we get the balcony people down here have no clue so

some of your seats are safe but for others you in the middle you might have to find another one

across the room start sitting in different places get a different perspective hey man make me have

to hunt for you and look for you because I miss you if I can't find you and then when we start

going over the list somebody said yeah I'm actually they was there this over so I didn't

see him over they couldn't get in because of the testimony that had already been given he was in

the house Jesus is back hey running across town Jesus is back he's back over Peter's house he's

over there that's where he done all that other stuff a few weeks ago he's back my god leave out

here saying hey he's back in Hopewell what he used to do years ago he's doing greater that Oh

his presence sometimes like that man with the palsy we become powerless to help ourselves he

couldn't get there reminds me of that man by the pool but there's this pool when the Lord said

will that be made holy said well I would but I just can't get there right this man would have

been there on his own if he could have got there I think once somebody had to have enough faith to

get him there but he was powerless to do it on himself on his own sometimes we become paralyzed

by circumstance and we become unable to do it for ourselves sometimes we get to where we can't even

believe for ourselves it's not that you don't have faith you don't believe it's like that man that

brought his son to the disciples to cast that spirit out of him to heal his son to deliver his

son they couldn't do it but thank the Lord he hung around town till Jesus got back in town there's

something about it when he gets back in town there's something about it when he's in the house he

approaches him Lord I need you to heal my son do you believe well yeah but I need some help with

some unbelief right now isn't that the way we get sometimes with our faith you know I've been there

it's not that I don't believe God I don't trust God I do but sometimes old Pastor Cliff needs a

little help in his faith we need help in our faith we can't do it for ourselves

there's some things that we can do and many things that we cannot do for ourselves that only the power

of God can do for us amen for the one they could not come not for the press

you know there's some things that you're not going to acquire this you will in the fight for

when they couldn't come not because of the press the only other option they had was the roof

now you're laying there with the palsy maybe you know these four guys really good and maybe you

don't and one of them said hey we're gonna take you up on the roof you're afraid of heights already

and you're powerless to catch yourself not sure if they're gonna catch you or catch themselves

and you just gonna hit the ground we're going up we're going where you're taking me where well we

can't get the door and the windows are crowded the only way in is the roof okay let's go there's some

things you're only going to acquire in faith and by faith only if you're willing to fight for them

you got to be willing to put forth some effort to keep it or to claim it there's got to be a

faith it's got to rise up in you and come out of you that'll cause you to go beyond the normal

circumstances to acquire it Matthew 11 and 12 since the days of John the Baptist the kingdom of

heaven severance violence and the violent take it by force second Corinthians 10 I think around verse

3 begins with this we may walk in the flesh but we don't war after the flesh for the weapons of our

warfare are not carnal but they are mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds and casting

down every imagination that decides to exalt itself against the knowledge of God and bringing

into captivity come on somebody bringing into captivity every thought that tries to rise up

against the goodness of God isn't that where we live I'm not this battle that we're in it's not

a fleshly battle sometimes you want to slap the devil out of somebody but you really can't do that

it's a spiritual thing hey man sometimes you have to pray I preach into some people who face a devil

every day I have to go to their job have to go into their homes and the devil walks right in and

acts like you can't do anything about it well I'm here to serve notice on that devil and to

serve notice on you again one more time greater is he that's in you then he that is in this world

and it's time you rise up and to stand in accordance to faith stand having yourself battled

armored and ready get the help and a salvation secured when you haven't done all to stand stand

anyway be willing to go beyond the ordinary to acquire what it is you need sometimes you got to

be willing to get on the roof sometimes you got to be like a Zacchaeus and be willing to go out on

a limb you may have to be like a Peter get out of the security of the boat I'm gonna tell you

something right now at least he had four men and get on the roof with him Zacchaeus had to get out

on limb by his self Peter had at least 11 others watching him go over the rail hello there's always

going to be donkey tenders and boat watchers Abraham made his way to Mariah you remember that

story he's got Isaac his son he makes his way to the foothills of Mariah and he receives his

instruction there's where I want you to go and he has some of the servants with him and he left

them with the donkeys I'm telling you there's some places that you're going to have to go by

yourself there's some places that that only folks can get you so far and there's always

going to be donkey tenders but when God gives you a word don't you stay with the donkey tenders when

you ask him Lord if that be thou that be you bid me to come out and walk on the water to you and

you hear the invitation to come then you better have enough nerd to bell over the side huh amen

because there's going to be 11 looking then hey he wasn't talking to me but if you have faith to

ask him any answers make your way to the mountain where the sacrifice is to be offered Abraham went

with everything but what Isaac thought they needed but Abraham had what he was told to take

I guess it's one way to put it like this everybody don't belong with you where you're going

there's there's some pathways of faith that we have to walk alone Abraham had to live

out his faith and take Isaac to the mountaintop that old hymn says they coming up the rough side

of the mountain I'm climbing up the rough side of the mountain as Abraham but something you've

always you and I know the rest of the story while you're going up the rough side the sacrifice is

coming up the backside provision is making its way up there's a hole about to be made in the roof

they didn't go down with him he was let down by himself my god I don't have time to preach before

you can go up you got to go down oh you can't get up without going down Naaman had to go down to

Jordan and dipped seven times how can he hear me now Elijah had to go to Zarephath Elijah had to

go to the brook called Cherub he had to go down before he ever had to come up and see the fire fall

on top of the mountain you and I have to go down many times before we can come up but what I love

about God I may go down but he don't leave me down there's always an up hallelujah they let the man

down through the roof but he didn't have to go back up through the roof because he made a difference

in his life when he let him down he didn't only heal what was obvious to everybody he took care

of the greatest need of that man's life and it baffled the mind of every Pharisee and religious

spirit setting there son thy sins be forgiven thee I can see them sitting there the older men

Pharisees probably some Sadducees in the room they're just trying to find out what's going on

they went there to meet him there's just there to see what the uproar was about because see they begin

to talk and whisper among themselves and said in their heart well who does he think he is to forgive

sins why he's blasphemous but let me just tell you something you can't get anything by him nothing gets

by him are you hearing me sin don't get by him well look out now you may get by you think you sneaking

it by others but it doesn't get by him I just remember that joke about that guy with that big

dogs and the parrot in his home the burglar breaks in and the parrot begins to say Jesus is watching

you the thief startled just kind of went about his pilfering he hears again Jesus is watching you

he's not worried about no parakeet or Jesus until they happen to be Jesus and it was a

Rottweiler and the bird was just mispronouncing Jesus is watching you and it ain't Jesus Jesus

is watching you you can't get it by him they didn't get it by him he perceived what was going

on in their hearts you don't have to say it we think if we don't say it we good no no he knows

the intents of our hearts I would have put a said it something like yes you boys need to hush over

you don't even know what you're talking about y'all need to shut up but I'm not Jesus he said why

you perceive these things in your heart but I'm gonna prove a point to you which is easier to say

he had him didn't that sins be forgiven thee or to say a rise and walk don't answer that don't

answer that I won't prove a point to you son get up enough said mic drop leave the room if I can do

that in your eyes then the other should not be a problem you can't make him walk I got to y'all

stand women I'll be sure to go to page two you think I'm kidding but I'm not they uncovered the

roof where he was when they let the bed down at principal remember you may have to go down to

get up but you'll get up he's not gonna leave you down

maybe a sinner but when you meet him he'll make a difference in your life and you'll leave

saved from your sin you may be feeling like you have a emotional palsy there's different

types of palsy little survey how many of you have ever felt paralyzed in your mind just paralyzed

not know this nothing's coming you can't decide anything you just he alone is able to heal that

paralysis but I'm so glad that he is able you may have to be down before you get up but Naaman he

went down to Jordan and he dipped seven times he took even but when he obeyed he came up clean

Peter belt out of the boat he jumped down out of the boat yes he did start to sink but never

forget we are not told how far he walked on water before his attention was diverted to the size of

the wave I don't know how far he got knowing Peter he hit the water running before ever looked

because he done so many other things without looking or thinking reminds me an old boy I know

I was saying asking for a friend you know sometimes you have to go down I don't know

how far he went but he had went far enough to know on whom to cry for help sometimes you have

to go again and again second Kings 18 Elijah that we've mentioned is on top of that mountain now

he's entered into a prayer position he's got his face between his knees and he's praying

that's a good selection greater see this in he looks to serve it says go to the edge and look over

and see he runs back says I don't see anything and the scripture says he said go again seven times

there's just something about going again he makes the difference next time the devil tries to get you

to go to church and you're not going to go to church and you're not going to stay at home and not go to

church just go again it could be that day that have that same report when you leave you what I saw

might not have been much to anybody else Elijah way out over there I see a cloud looks about like that

and I love to get off the hill the rains come and the man of God gets up off the ground

he outran he helps chariots that's you right there folks you may have to go again but when you come

up when you get up the race is on how many need him to make a difference you need you need a

difference in your situation your circumstance if that's you make your way to the front come on

I'm gonna pray with you I'm gonna pray for you I'm not gonna carry too long I mean I've done been

at it for nearly an hour so if you ain't got it by now there's no there's no alter manipulation

I could conjure up to get you down here I've never been good at that I either I just you either want

it or you don't with me but I know what I've witnessed this morning as I've been preaching

as the spirit of the reveals some faces to me he's seen his word for you today there's nothing

else gonna make a difference in your crisis in your situation but him his presence is here to make

a difference y'all come on in step a little tighter I'm gonna get some prayer warriors behind

you won't get some folks to pray with us you know who you are folks come on let's build a wall of

faith let's get behind these brothers and sisters they needing something from the Lord today they

need Jesus to make a difference they need him to make a difference this morning amen

he's in the house for you this morning he's here to make a difference in your situation