It's Time To Bury The Dead Bodies | Dr. Jerry Mason

Well, could you lift your hands and just thank the Lord for the

chance to be at his house today? Let's magnify him.

Jesus, we glorify you. Jesus, we thank you.

Hallelujah, we, we love you. Jesus, you are worthy today.

If you would stand with me this morning for the reading of the

word of the Lord, I'd like to turn your attention to the book

of Romans, Chapter 7. What a privilege it is to be in

Romans 7 · chapter mention

God's house today. Amen.

We're so very thankful for that. Thank you Jesus, it's good to

see everyone here this morning. Please do not forget this

evening service at 6:00. Our very own Bishop will be

ministering the word of the Lord to you tonight.

So we are looking forward to that.

Somebody say Amen. Romans Chapter 7 and verse 22.

Romans 7 · chapter mention

For I delight in the law of God after the inward man, but I see

another law in my members warring against the law of my

mind and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin

which is in my members. O wretched man that I am, let me

back up there. I want to read that the way I

hear it in my, my, my, the depths of my soul.

O wretched man that I am. It's almost as if it's a

declaration. Who shall deliver me from the

body of this death for a few moments this morning?

And I might make a whole lot of friends today because I'm not

going to break any time records. But for your few moments this

morning, with God's help, I want to minister to you on this

subject. It's time to bury the dead

bodies. It's time to bury the dead

bodies. Would you put your Bible down,

lift your hands and your voice to the Lord right now and ask

God for his help today. Hallelujah, Jesus, we love you.

Holy Ghost, sweep through this house right now.

Minister today by the empowered and anointed word of Almighty

God. Help me to minister today with

wisdom and clarity in Jesus name.

The Lord bless you, You may be seated this morning.

On November 13th, 1985, the Nevado del Ruiz volcano erupted

in Colombia, South America. It resulted in fast moving mud

slides that buried the town of our Marrow some 30 miles away,

killing an estimated 20 to 25,000 people.

Among the aftermath of this historic volcano eruption was 13

year old Omaira Sanchez, who was buried alive in the resulting

landslide. Omaira became trapped under the

ruins of her home and submerged chest deep in Muddy Waters for

nearly 60 hours. Emergency responders arrived but

lacked critical equipment such as cranes and hydraulic pumps

needed to remove the debris without causing further harm.

Omira was pinned beneath heavy objects, including concrete

slabs and including the body of her aunt who lay beneath her

feet under the Muddy Waters. With her body wrapped around her

legs and feet of Omira, attempts to free her wrists Serious

spinal or limb damage. Doctors judged without proper

surgical facilities, amputation was not feasible and that

allowing her to die peacefully was the most humane option.

Despite agony and exposure, Omira showed remarkable

fortitude. She sang, she accepted soda and

sweets. She carried on conversations.

She even worried about being late for school in a math exam.

As time passed, her condition deteriorated dramatically.

So at approximately 10:05 AM on November 16th, 1985, 13 year old

Omaira Sanchez of Armero, Columbia, South America quietly

passed away. Romans Chapter 7 describes the

Romans 7 · chapter mention

spiritual and psychological battle faced by humanity.

The Apostle Paul. Contrast that the law of God

which is holy and good and just, and there is the flesh which is

weak and prone to sin. The will to do good is present,

but the inability to perform that good consistently due to

sins influence is also present. To further explain this

phenomenon we see in Romans 7 and 21 I find then the apostle

Paul writes a law. A law here is defined as a

binding rule or guiding principle that when I would do

good, evil is present with me. This verse carefully explains to

us the nature of the law of sin. So when Paul says in verse 21,

evil is present with me, he is acknowledging a law or principle

that even when he sincerely wants to do good, there is

another force at work within him that resists the good that

undermines his desire to do good.

In an explanation of the evil referred to in this passage, the

Greek translation refers generally to moral evil,

wickedness, or something harmful or bad.

It's not just referring to acts of sin, but to a corrupting

force or presence that lingers and influences our actions.

This evil, ladies and gentlemen, is internal.

It's not external. It's something that is not

outside tempting Paul, but it's something that is within him.

And of course, when I refer to Paul, I am referring likewise to

us, using him as an example. This evil is persistent.

It is ever present with me, which implies it really doesn't

leave. It coexists with all of my

desires to do good. This evil is contrary to my true

self, as Paul describes in the following verses of this this

this layout of of the law of sin that he is describing.

It's not what he wants, but it's what he does, showing a split

between intention and behavior. I need to tell somebody this

morning that you will not make it successfully in your walk

with God solely on your intentions, because your

adversary, the devil, has an evil that coexist alongside you

every day. When you wake up in the morning,

it's there. When you go to sleep at night,

it's there. And its sole purpose is to

derail you. Its sole purpose is to misguide

you. Its sole purpose is to influence

your intentions so that your intentions never become your

behavior. Have you ever said I didn't mean

to do that? Have you ever said, whoa, I

didn't mean to say that? Or have you ever said, whoa,

where did that come from? If you won't admit to it, that's

fine. I've said all three.

Paul calls this principle a law, not in the sense of divine

command, but a principle of consistent operation, somewhat

similar to gravity. It just exists.

In other words, it's a pattern that he saw in himself that also

applies to us. The moment he tries to do what's

right, this law, this principle, this contrary nation nature

between a saved man and his actual behavior, this evil kicks

in. It's almost as if it senses that

good is about to happen, so it has to kick in and engage to

influence the action to disrupt good intentions and further draw

a person towards sin. The sin nature, also known as

the flesh or the old man of sin, is the part of human nature

corrupted by the fallen Eden. It coexist with a regenerate

mind and what that means is even after conversion, believers

still battle with sin. You're mistaken today if you

think that coming to God is going to solve all of your

problems. I'm sorry to be that honestly

blunt with you this morning and I don't want to derail anyone's

viewpoint of God. Yes, He is omnipotent.

Yes He is great. Yes, He is all knowing and all

powerful and we worship Him and we love Him.

I'm not trying to downplay that or being sensitive to that at

all. But here's one fact that I do

know that I have learned through a life of walking with Him and

that is He leaves up to me what I can do.

So mankind, because we have a responsibility in our

relationship with God. Being saved is not some

miraculous magical act that poof, I'm never going to

struggle with sin again. All that that were the case, all

that that would just be the life of Euphoria, Brother Fred, that

we could attain somehow through the power of the blood.

That once we cross over that line of conversion and

regeneration, that we no longer struggle with those things that

we once struggled with. But it's not as a matter of

fact, the, the, the point of the matter might be today that it

could be. And I don't know if it is

literally or figuratively, if it just it's just in my

imagination. But there are times that I feel

like after walking across the line of conversion and putting a

stake in the ground Bishop that says I'm going to serve God,

There are times in my life that I have felt like the things that

I once battled with, now I battled even more.

So if you are struggling with this or you have witnessed this

or you're facing this, you're who I'm talking to today.

Because I want somebody to understand today that even

though this may be a fact, it may be, as the Apostle Paul

stated, a law, it may be a guiding principle.

It may be that for the rest of my saved life, every day when I

wake up, my intentions to do good are met in parallel with a

coexisting evil nature. That may very well be the fact,

ladies and gentlemen, gentlemen, but I've come to declare hope to

somebody today that for every ounce of evil that coexist

alongside my good, I've got a God that's still ever present.

I've got a God that's just as powerful.

We serve a God today that is ever able to do exceeding and

abundantly above what we can ask or what we can think.

So this evil, this sin, cannot be overcome by human willpower

alone. Because you see, what we're

talking about is not just an occasional bad behavior.

I have a temptation for a bad behavior every day, but it's a

deeply ingrained presence of sin that wars against the believers

desire to obey God. Let me give you an example why.

And if this doesn't apply to you, I implore you today just to

say God bless him because I obviously need it.

But why do you think on many occasions the best sleep you've

had all week is on a Sunday morning?

Oh, thank you, Jesus. Let me just lay here and bask in

the presence of God. Let me hit the snooze button

just three more times and then before you know it, I was facing

forward this morning. I have very little idea when

anybody got here today. We're either late for church or

we don't show for church because we lost to the opposing force.

What was not a sin became sin. So it's a law like force, it's

internal, it's persistent, it doesn't give up, reveals our

need for deliverance. But we must recognize the

spiritual nature of this phenomenon and the spiritual

activity that takes place when these opposing forces face off.

The result when we lose the result is death.

We need only look at James 1:15 to understand this a bit

James 1:15

further. When it says sin when it is

finished, sin when it is finished, it does not matter if

it was the intentional sin, it doesn't matter if it was the

premeditated sin, and it doesn't matter if it was the accidental.

Oops, I didn't mean to say that. Sin, sin when it is finished,

bringeth forth death. Somebody shout that's bad news.

Sin is not a harmless temptation.

Sin is a process with a fatal ending.

And it's not just that sin leads to death.

I want you to hear this this morning.

Sin doesn't just lead to death. Sin produces death.

The apostle Paul carefully explains to us in our Scripture

reading from the book of Romans about the weight of sin, this

weight that is felt like carrying dead bodies.

The inevitable consequence of unrestrained sin is that it is

heavy, it's grotesque, it's clingy, it doesn't want to let

go. You can't shake it by yourself.

So the writer of the book of James shows us how we get the

dead bodies on our back. But thankfully today the writer

of the book of Romans shows us how to get rid of the dead

bodies. Somebody shout.

I have hope. I have hope, so I turn your

attention now to the book of Romans chapter 8 and verse one.

Romans 8 · chapter mention

I'll read several verses here that I believe are very powerful

to help us understand the hope that we have in this particular

situation. The Bible reads.

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are

in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the

Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of

life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and

death. For what the Law could not do,

and that it was weak through the flesh, God sending His own Son

in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in

the flesh, that the righteousness of the Law might

be fulfilled in US who walk not after the flesh, but after the

Spirit. For they that are after the

flesh do mind the things of the flesh, but they that are after

the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.

For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually

minded is life and peace, because the carnal mind is

enmity against God. For it is not subject to the law

of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the

flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but

in the Spirit. If so be that the Spirit of God

dwell in you, that's hope. Now if any man have not the

Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin, but

the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

Watch verse #11 Now. But if the Spirit of him that

raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, that's Holy Ghost

Field believers. He that raised up Christ from

the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that

dwelleth in you. We have hope today.

There may be a law, there may be an opposing force, there may be

an evil that wants to work coexistently with me in my walk

of life and my walk with God. But when I wake up and evil is

there, God is there just as well.

And God is more powerful, God is more gracious, and God is well

able to do what I need him to do today.

We are not destined to live life bound by the law of sin.

The law of the Spirit has made me free.

The law was weak, so Jesus condemned the law of sin.

To be spiritually minded is life and it is peace.

And if Christ being you, the Spirit is life because of

righteousness. So today I declare to you this

morning that it is time to bury the dead bodies.

It's time to be done carrying around the guilt and the shame

and the perpetual consequence of past wrong.

It's time to get the weight and the heaviness off of your back.

If God has forgiven you, let go of the dead bodies you've been

carrying. Let go of the weight.

Let go of the heaviness. Let go of the fear of man's

judgement. Let it go, let it go.

I'm not talking about frozen, but let it go.

Drop those dead bodies and keep on walking.

Walk in the grace, walk in the mercy, Walk in the power of God.

Because it's not God's divine will for you to walk around

heavy. Because when He's forgiven you,

He's liberated you. He's freed you from the guilt.

He's freed you from the weight. He's freed you from the shame.

Your past is redeemed. Don't usurp the authority of God

by keeping the things that He is buried fresh and alive in your

life. If God has said it's gone, let

it be gone, let go of it. Well, I can't.

He says you can because when he has made you free by the his

Spirit, he has unlocked the padlock, the dead arms that have

been around your neck holding and their chains so that they

don't let go. I wanted so bad to find me an

old dead, sloppy mannequin for this this morning, but it didn't

work out. I'll remember you next time,

Brother Brown. But when they're hanging around

your neck and God Forgives you and God frees you, He's unlocked

the chains. And when he unlocks the chains

and those arms fall off, guess what happens?

Dead body not hanging on anymore.

He's letting go. And when he falls, don't be

concerned about him. He's dead.

Don't stop and check on it. He's dead.

Don't stop and work. I hope you're understanding it.

Don't stop and think about he's dead.

It's sin. It's old man.

He needs to stay dead. He needs to stay down.

Let him fall where he falls. It's time somebody shout.

It's time today. It's time bury the dead bodies

because Christ has set you free. He set you free.

The news media, musicians will come.

I know I'm just 23 minutes in, but that's all right.

Get you to lunch early. The news media and journalist in

1985 ensured that there was a global impact from the tragedy

of Omira Sanchez. French photojournalist Frank

Fourier documented it in one of his photos became iconic,

winning the 1986 World Press Photo of the Year Board.

Due to the outrage that was sparked about the negligence of

Colombian government's lack of disaster preparedness, the

country of Colombia established a National Disaster Preparedness

Office to avoid such tragedies in the future.

The town of our Mero Columbia, South America no longer exists.

It's an abandoned memorial site, with exception to the memorials

that have been established there from that volcanic eruption in

the mud slides that followed, that whole town was virtually

wiped off the face of the earth. The facts are nice, the global

impact is nice. There's annual commemorations

and tributes to Omira Sanchez. That's nice.

But we must understand one of the fundamental reasons why this

situation ever occurred was because of a dead body.

The take away for us from Omira Story is not the memorial site,

it's not the annual tributes, it's not the commemorations,

it's not the Colombians government, Colombian

government's establishment of a disaster preparedness office.

All that's good stuff, but that's not our key take away

today. The take away for us today is

that one of the primary reasons Omira could not be rescued was

because her aunt's dead body was wrapped around her legs

underneath the Muddy Waters and she couldn't get freed.

I feel the Holy Ghost in this house.

Could you lift your hands right now and just receive what God is

trying to speak to us right here?

There's a ministering Spirit of God in this house this morning.

God's wanting to touch somebody today, somebody's mind, mental

anguish and anxiety. You need to be set free right

now in the name of Jesus from the worry and the anguish and

the haunting of mistakes that you have made in the name of

Jesus. It was her aunt's dead body.

And I, I, I realized this morning that that sounds morbid.

And I'm not, I'm not trying to be dark, but I'm trying to be

factual. Under the murky waters where

Omira had been chest deep for 60 hours, lay a dead body wrapped

around her legs. Heavy wouldn't let go, lack the

capacity to let go, and she could do nothing to set herself

free. The impact of the weight of the

dead body that clung on to another life resulted in another

death. What I've come to say this

morning is this Dead bodies create more dead bodies.

You will not survive forever with the weight of dead bodies

hanging on you. God is pleading with you to get

the dead bodies off of your life, to allow Him to fully and

completely free you. He's giving each of us an

opportunity today to let go of that letting go as a powerful

act of spiritual release and hope in Jesus.

Letting go today is the spiritual equivalent of burying

those dead bodies and getting them out of our life.

Because here's the fact, ladies and gentlemen, as you stand with

me this morning and we draw to a close, here's the fact.

The point, the point of Romans 7 and Romans 8.

The point is not not making mistakes.

That's not the point, because here's the fact of the matter.

Mistakes are going to happen. Now, I've not come today with a

certification or license to give anybody and grant you the

authority to send and do what you want to.

But in human nature, mistakes are going to happen.

And here's what happens. You are the worst critic and

judge of your own mistake. No one will judge you as harshly

as you do. And in that trick of our

adversary, a tool that he uses is when you are judging

yourself, you automatically believe everybody feels this way

about me. If I feel this way, everybody

else must too. If I if I look at myself this

way, then the world must too. So I just need to blend in and

be quiet and I'll just be a chameleon and I'll coexist along

with everybody. But I don't feel the freedom to

step out. I don't feel the freedom to

worship. I don't feel the freedom to be

me because I've messed up too much.

I've come to tell somebody this morning that that is a lie from

hell. You've not messed up too much.

The only problem that's haunting you right now is the weight of

dead bodies. It's the weight of a past of

mistake. E taka takaoho moho sataya.

Somebody hear me today in the authority of the Spirit of God.

God is lifting the weight today. All you have to do is let go of

it. God wants to free you.

He wants to liberate you. He wants to help you get free.

He wants to help you bury those dead bodies of a haunting of

memories, a haunting of past. You don't understand the weight

of the mistakes I made. I'm telling you today in the

word of God, it does not matter because when he said I'll bury

it in the sea of forgetfulness, I'll put it as far as the east

is from the West. That's the measurement of every

sin. That weight you have, that

heaviness you have. There's a freeing spirit of God

in this house this morning. This altar is open.

Would you come? They're going to sing, we're

going to worship. But I'm asking if you are heavy

today, if you are weighted today.

I know your legs feel heavy and it's like your feet can't move,

they're buried in concrete. But I'm asking you just to take

a chance, take a step or two by faith and allow God to help you

free the weight of the dead bodies that's hanging on to you.

God wants you walking in liberty.

God wants you walking in freedom.

God wants you walking in the power and in the admonition of

His Spirit today, if you'll come.