Wounded Lions Still Roar | Dr. Jerry Mason

He meets us at the point of need.

If you're staying with me tonight for the reading of the

word of the Lord, Oh, I love you, Jesus.

Last last couple of weeks. I would say last couple of weeks

specifically, not not exclusive to the last couple of weeks, but

we've had some really good church.

Church is church is typically a noun.

I think we've made it a verb. And instead of saying let's have

church, I think we could possibly get by with just saying

let's church there. There's action found behind the

word and I, what I, what I, what I feel in my spirit tonight and,

and leading up to this evening is there are there are people

who, who are enjoying that. There are people who are

enjoying it up to the point of full surrender.

And I've come to reach for someone tonight because I

believe whether it happens tonight or tomorrow or a month

from now, I don't know. But I believe there are hearts

here tonight that God wants to heal.

The Book of Psalms, chapter 34 and verse #18 I give honor to

Psalms 34 · chapter mention

our pastor and his wife. They are out of town ministering

tonight. Pray for their safety.

Pray for their anointing. Give honor to Bishop for the

Alex, Sister Grace for the Zach, Sister Malen.

Last, but certainly not the very least in any form but my wife.

Of. Almost almost 31 years.

Love and appreciate her so dearly.

She is the better part of me and those of you that know me know

that already. So let's read Psalms 34 and 18

says the Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart.

I think Pastor read this scripture this morning and this

was already in my plan. So thank God for confirmation

and saveth such as be of many are the afflictions of the

righteous. If anyone ever thought, listen

to me, if you don't hear anything else I've got to say, I

hope you hear this. If you ever thought serving God

was going to make all of your problems disappear because

there's been plenty of people guilty of thinking that we've

had people in this church come to God and were shocked that God

didn't solve all of their problems once they were saved,

this verse should settle that for you.

Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but he doesn't leave

us without hope. But the Lord delivereth them,

Him out of them all. Proverbs 28 and verse #1 reads

The wicked flee when no man pursueth, but the righteous are

bold as a lion for a few moments.

Tonight, with the Lord's help, I want to minister to you on this

subject. Wounded lions still roar.

Wounded lions still roar. Would you put your Bibles down?

Lift your hands and your voice toward heaven with me right now.

Come on, let's pray and ask God to help us.

Jesus, in your mighty name, I need you tonight, God.

I need you, Lord, in this moment, in this hour.

God, you. You had known this was coming

before it was ever scheduled. God you, you knew this the

moment months ago that this this topic was entered into my

notepad. Lord, as you prompted me and for

a day in the future, God, and I pray Lord, that you would reveal

that and reach someone tonight. Help me to minister tonight and

preach with wisdom and with clarity today.

Let your anointing be ever present with us tonight and will

not fail to give you praise and glory and honor in the church

said in Jesus name. Lord bless you.

You may be seated. His name was Ruben.

Ruben was a lion who, according to an article published by the

New York Post written by Jane Hers on September 4, 2023, Ruben

was dubbed as the World. 'S.

Loneliest lion Ruben had been at the zoo in Armenia country,

north of Iran and east of Turkey.

The Armenian zoo had been abandoned and all the animals

located at the zoo had been relocated except Ruben.

When the 15 year old lion was found at this abandoned Armenian

zoo, he was found trapped in a concrete cell where it is said

that he had been there by himself for five years.

During this span of five years and with the loneliness and

isolation in full effect, Ruben lost his roar.

The years of confinement had left him malnourished and left

him with an inability to walk with stability and with

confidence. When he was discovered, several

organizations came together to rescue him and relocate him to

his native land in South Africa. There are a few.

Very important facts about lions that we need to take notice of

early on tonight. So let's look at some biological

specifics about the make up and reasons of a lion's roar.

A lion's roar is a complex vocalization with specific

mechanics. Lions have uniquely developed

vocal cords that allow them for deep resonance sounds.

The shape and length of their larynx contribute to the low

frequency of their roar. When a lion roars, it forcefully

expels air from its lungs through the larynx and the

muscles around the vocal cords contract, creating tension and

allowing for powerful vibrations.

The roar is amplified by the lion's large chest cavity and

throat structure, allowing it to travel.

Watch this now up to five miles. The sound can travel up to five

miles through the desert. The roar is can can be modulated

by their breath control and the length and the intensity of the

roar producing different tones and volumes for various

purposes. The various purposes and reasons

a lion roars 1 is territorial marking.

The roar serves as a warning to other lions that this is my

turf, stay away. It is for communication.

It allows lions to communicate with other Pride members over

long distances, coordinating movement and alerting others to

danger it they they roar for stress relief.

It helps release pent up energy or stress, acting as an

emotional outlet for the animal. They roar to attract a mate.

You're single. I don't know if I recommend

trying that tonight, but it works for the lions.

A powerful roar can signal health and strength, attracting

potential mates during mating season.

Overall, the roar. Of the lion is an essential

aspect of social behavior and. Survival, not roar.

It can face several challenges. It faces territorial

vulnerability for the very reason that they roar to protect

their territory. The inability to roar weakens

its ability to assert that territory, making it susceptible

to rival prides that may encroach upon its area.

A lack of roaring for the lion indicates a loss of social

cohesion. Roaring is vital for

communication for the lions and their families.

Without it, they may struggle to coordinate among other family

members, leading to disorganization during hunts or

their defense. It allows for a biological

increase of stress within their body and within their being

because they no longer have that physical outlet to release that

pent up energy. It decreases their mating

opportunities. A lack of roar for a lion puts

them into a state of isolation. If it cannot communicate

effectively, it may become isolated from its family and

risk loneliness and challenge in its survival.

Overall, the inability of the lion to roar can significantly

impact its social standing, its health, and its survival in the

world as we know it. Roaring is crucial for

communication and territory marking for the lion, so any

injury that affects this ability can have significant

implications for its ability to survive in the wild.

In the book titled. A.

Wounded lion roars again author Monique C Phillips recants her

personal story and witness of atrocities that she experienced

in her life. I want to read a small excerpt

of her book she wrote and I quote who is my.

Father, where is he? Do I have?

Uncles and aunties, my mother evaded all my questions, but I

knew she lived in fear of someone or something.

We moved across Nigeria to escape a threat she refused to

speak about. And when she died?

In mysterious circumstances, I was alone an orphaned at only 12

years old when a smiling lady appeared and claimed she had

been my mother's friend. I was grateful for her offer to

care for me and give. Me a home.

Naive and trusting, I followed her not to the loving home she

promised, but into the dark hell of human trafficking.

For more than a decade, I was a slave, forced to see, experience

and participate in acts of unimaginable, unimaginable

depravity and evil. Death seemed to be the only way

out. But death eluded me.

My escape from that world was nothing less than a miracle, and

it strengthened my faith in a God who never abandoned me even

at the darkest times my late mother used to.

Tell me a. Wounded lion is better than a

dead lion. A wounded lion roars again my

years in sexual slavery. Slavery left me deeply wounded,

but not dead. By the grace of God, I am alive

today. I am a wounded lion.

But this book is my roar of triumph and deliverance.

End Quote. The roar of the.

Lion contains powerful symbolism in our life today.

Such symbolism include strength and authority, courage and

communication. More specifically, this

symbolism, if we will allow it this evening, we'll be a

catalyst in our worship and devotion, in our spiritual walk,

and we'll ultimately enhance our relationship and our worship to

Almighty God. This includes divine authority.

Just as a lion's roar signifies strength and command over its

territory, worship reflects the recognition.

Of God's. Supreme authority and power in

our life the expression and reverence of the.

Roar is a powerful. And all inspiring sound.

And it can. Symbolize the deep reverence

human beings express in our worship, acknowledging something

greater than our selves. Unity.

And community the lion roars to communicate with its pride much.

Like how worship fosters community among.

Believers uniting us in. Shared faith.

And in purpose, let me pause here for just a moment and

declare something tonight, remind some of you, and maybe

perhaps it might be the first time some of you have heard it,

but. When you come to the House of

God, and when you. Worship His name.

Your worship is not simply just a selfish.

Act. Between you and God.

Ladies and. Gentlemen, let me give you a.

Bit of a commercial break here this evening.

When I am going through a valley, when I am going through

circumstances in my life that I just can't seem to conquer, I

need the worship and the community and the unity of the

body of Christ. I may not know I feel the Holy

Ghost right now. I may not be able to.

I worship him right now the way that I want to because of my

valley experience, but I need your worship.

I need your lifting of your hands.

I need your voice. Oh, somebody shout Hallelujah.

You say, well my worship is between.

Me and God, no it's not. How you worship might be between

you and God, but the fact of your worship is a community

event in the family of God. If we experience moments of

disunity, it's because we're not worshiping, because worship will

automatically unify the body. Worship brings unity.

Fearlessness and faith. A lion's roar can embody courage

and confidence, paralleling the strength believers find in their

faith to confront challenges and adversities.

Somebody say Amen. Connection to the divine.

Just as a roar can be seen as a declaration of presence, worship

serves as a way for humanity to connect with and declare

devotion to God. Hear me tonight, hear me well.

If you're asking yourself right now if is this another message

about worship, the short answer is.

Yes, but the long. Answer is this is more than just

about worship. It's.

About our devotion to. God and it's about.

Our love and our devotion to one another.

We cannot. Represent.

Our unity with the fellowship we have before church or the

fellowship we have after church. If we don't worship God in

between the two, our unity is fake, our conversation is in

vain, and it's not giving glory to God.

We need a unity of worship, a unity of heart, a unity of mind,

a unity of soul. Somebody clap your hands.

To the Lord. Over all, both the lions roar.

And human worship represent expressions of power, unity,

reverence, and connection to a greater yet reality.

And that reality is the Lord our God.

Just. As a wounded lion roars to

assert its presence and maintain its place in the pride when we

are facing emotional battles, we too can find strength in our

struggle. I am, I'm, I'm not, I'm not, I'm

not trying to, I'm not trying to be rude tonight by by any means.

I told you I was coming, reaching for someone tonight.

I want you to leave here in courage this evening.

But if your definition of handling your struggle is to

say, well, I don't, I don't feel like it tonight.

I'm going to stay home. This isn't in my notes, but it

is in my spirit. If you.

Think you can handle your emotional struggles, your

physical struggles, your life struggles?

On your own. You miss the entire purpose that

God. Has a collective body to begin

with. We've overlooked the idea and

the fact of Scripture that I need you and you need me.

If every time I go through a valley experience, I'm going to

stay home until I get through it and come back to God.

Whenever I'm on the mount to God, you miss the purpose of

grace. When I'm going through a Valley

experience, right smack dab in the middle of a worship service

is where I need to be. I cannot.

Find strength in my struggle without God.

So I would say to you tonight, if you're struggling today due

to emotional battles, past scars, decisions you've made or

decisions that were made. For you, your roar.

In worship is the fundamental ingredient necessary for your

victory. I've come to tell someone

tonight, don't lose your roar. If you if you don't worship like

you used. To you're at risk of losing your

roar, because here's what I've learned in my life of, of word

of serving God, Bishop. I may not, I may not from decade

to decade. I may not worship God the same

that I did. But I don't worship.

God Any. Less than I did.

And if you find yourself. Looking in the.

Mirror and the person staring back at you.

Worships God less today than the day that you were saved.

You've lost your roar. You've laid down your voice.

You stop communicating and worship the way that you need

to. I've come to try.

To encourage someone tonight. Get your voice back.

God wants to hear your voice. Get your roar back.

The heavens need to hear your worship.

And as much. As the heavens need to hear your

worship. When I'm on the side of the

valley. Experience I too need to hear

your worship because I am encouraged by your voice.

I'm encouraged by the voice of the Saints of God that if I'm

going through Valley Experience and I know that you've been

through Valley Experience, yet you still stand.

Hands lifted, yet you still stand.

Voice lifted, yet you still put your.

Hands together in worship. I, I am lifted up.

I am encouraged by that because I know then if you can make it,

I can make it. And if you can make it, we can

make it together because I'm not alone and you're not alone.

Wounded lions still roar. If the loss of the roar for a.

Lion has such. Severe implications on his

social interaction and ability to survive in the wild.

How much more we as the people of God's High?

Need to. Recognize that you're not.

Alone and your. Worship signals your need to

God. You cannot survive without your

roar. Psalm 34 and 18 reads The Lord,

Lord is nigh. And to them that are of broken

heart, have a broken heart. Are you sad?

Are you lonely even when you're around people?

Are you looking for an escape to get out of the crowd so quickly

so you don't have to endure other people's happiness?

Or are you afraid that someone's going to ask you the very

dreaded question, How you doing? Because you're going to have to

lie one more time, put a smile on your face and say I'm doing

fine when you know down in your heart you're not.

The Lord is nigh. What's nigh is near.

The Lord is near to them that are of broken heart.

He is near to you. He cares for you.

Let me remind you tonight that isolation will lead to forget

you, to forgetting what your roar sounds like.

That's what happened to Reuben. He was outside of his family for

so long, and by himself for so long he forgot how to.

Roar. He forgot what his voice.

Was supposed to sound like isolation will lead you to

believe that the lie. That you don't.

Need anyone else just leave me alone and let me be.

Let me let me pause here and say this because ever anybody that

knows me knows I love personality psychology.

Some people hate it. That's good.

God bless you. But let me tell.

You something worship that God has nothing to do with your

personality. Introverts.

Don't have an excuse. To get before the throne of God

and say. God, I was shy.

Now, I'm not trying to be rude because shyness it doesn't equal

introversion. Anyway, that's a big

misconception. Worship to God is about worth.

Of him. And when you understand the

value of his worth, it doesn't matter what your personal

tendencies are, you're going to let go of some things in order

to let him know how worth. He is to you.

Isolation is the enemy's tool to overtake you.

Ultimately. Isolation.

You can isolate yourself and be with people.

I will. Go a step further.

You can isolate. Yourself in the House of God.

Even if you're. Clapping your hands.

Even if you're lifting your hands just enough to feel like.

No one knows I've covered it pretty good for another Sunday.

No one knows where I'm at. No one knows the corner that I

feel backed into. No one knows how alone I feel.

No one knows how sad I am. No one knows how isolated I am.

Because when those things don't. Contain value for you.

And you're not? Clapping for worship and you're

not lifting your hands for worship and it's just to fit in

culturally, you'll still leave just as lonely as you were when

you got here. Isolation will lead you to

giving up. That's how people backslide.

That's how people come to a church where the Spirit of God

is real and can leave saying I didn't feel anything because

they isolated themselves. I've come to tell somebody

tonight, don't give up. Don't give up.

Don't stop worshipping. Don't stop praising brother.

Mason, We've had some good church lately.

That's right, But I. Open this this evening's message

by saying this some. Of you are enjoying.

That church on the precipice, on the verge.

On the peak of total surrender, because you're not allowing

yourself to move into a spiritual surrender.

It's just to the point of who this feels good.

Oh, that's what they're doing. Oh, that's great.

Let them do that. I'm going to stay.

In my isolated. Corner here.

And I'm going to. Look good and I'm going to put

on a good pretty face and no one's going to know if you want

out of your isolation, if you want out of your.

Loneliness and your sadness. You've got to stop listening to

the lies of the enemy, and you've got to get out of

isolation and lift your voice like a trumpet.

Because wounded lions still roam.

I'm not. Preaching against your

loneliness. I'm not preaching against your

emotional distress. I'm not.

Coming against the circumstances that you're under.

I'm not. Judging you?

None whatsoever. What I am telling you is that

when you are there, don't stop worshiping God.

Because this This is not the last time you'll walk through a

valley. This is not the last time some

family member will make a decision that'll affect.

You. This is not the last time that

you'll be hurt over something somebody did or something

somebody said. It's not the last time that

you'll make a mistake. And try to live with it this.

Is not the last. Time that you'll.

Come to church. And try to bake.

Breakthrough A glass ceiling. That you feel like you just

can't get through because of hurts.

And because of mistakes. It's not the last time.

But I've said it for years, Bishop, there's nothing wrong

with going. Through a valley.

Just don't set up a post office box.

Just don't give the devil your zip code there.

Because when you're in your valley, you are just a stranger

passing through to another mountaintop.

Because God never intended for you to live in your valley.

God never intended for you to lose your voice.

God never intended for you to be in a corner, isolated from

victory. God never intended on that.

What God wants is even when you're limping with your wounds,

even when you're you're, you're emotionally dragging your.

Baggage to church. God just wants your voice.

God wants your worship. And when he sees your worship,

in spite of your wounds, God will lift.

Up a standard against. The enemy, he will stop the

onslaught of hell and he will lift up healing to you and allow

you to have victory a lot sooner.

Than if you stay isolated. Psalm 147 and verse #3 says he

healeth the broken in heart and bindeth up their wounds.

Bindeth comes from a Hebrew word means rap.

Kind of makes sense. Terminology is different, but

the the meaning is the same as today.

You wrap a wound sometimes. Maybe this is just me.

It's not the first time I could ever be called weird, so that's

OK, but there are certain wounds that I've had that whenever

they're wrapped. I like, I don't like it tight.

But I want to know it's wrapped. I don't know.

There's there's some comfort in feeling, feeling that wrap the,

the, the tension, knowing that it's, it's bound it, it, it kind

of eases the pain and it gives me hope that as long as that

wound is wrapped and it's wrapped properly and it's, it's

medicated. Properly it gives me.

Hope that it's going to heal. God heals the broken in heart

and he bindeth up. They're wounds.

Let's go back to Reuben for a moment.

I'm coming to a close soon, if the musicians can come soon.

Soon after Reuben arrived at his new home in South Africa, he

began regaining his confidence to walk.

When he first walked out of the crate off the airplane he's

stumbled, his hind legs were not strong enough to carry his

frame. As he began to hear the voices

of other lions, he began to use his voice again.

Ruben began getting his roar back, and even in his weakened

state, he began to roar, and more so as his confidence and

his health continued to improve, his demeanor transformed.

The the article says his face relaxed.

If a lion's face can be relaxed. These are experts, so I assume

they know what they're talking about.

He went from a look. Of fear.

Now I had to ponder that for a moment and study because it just

sounds so strange to read it, and it sounds even more strange

to say it out loud that a Lion King of the jungle had fear on

his face. That just sounds strange to say,

but that's what isolation can do.

His face relaxed, no longer fearful.

His determination to walk inspired onlookers.

As he continued to stumble, he continued.

Get. Up Every time he fell because

his legs were too weak, he simply got back up and he tried

again. Watch this Ruben improved when

he got with other lions, and Ruben got his voice back when he

socialized with other Lions. And Ruben's walk improved when

he socialized with other lions. You will never find victory or

success in isolation. Being with the family of God

makes me better being with the family.

Of God gives me confidence to use my voice.

Being with the family of God helps me walk on a Monday

morning when I may not feel like I need to walk.

Anymore gives me. Strength.

Knowing you're here gives me strength.

If you're wounded tonight, I've come to encourage you.

You would stand all over this house tonight.

If you're wounded today, don't go off in a corner emotionally

thinking that you're going to heal by yourself.

You don't. You don't need to spill your

guts. I'm, I'm not, I'm not, I'm not

telling you that you have to tell anybody and everybody what

you're going through. Matter of fact, just to be

clear, I'm not telling you you have to tell anybody.

That's a different subject matter.

Although there is health in that.

But that's not what I'm talking about tonight.

But when we emotionally check out in a crowd and in our mind

and in our spirit, we're back in the corner just thinking they'll

just leave me alone. That's a representation of a

wound tonight. That's not normal.

That's not what God wants for you.

Oh, but you don't know what mistake?

I made. That's the beauty of it.

I don't need to know because whatever mistake you made, it

doesn't matter. Brother Mason, you don't know

what so and so did to me. I don't need to know.

What I need to do is remind somebody that in spite of your

mistake, in spite of your history, in spite of your

wounds, all he needs and wants from you is for.

You to continue to lift your voice.

And refuse. Isolation in the Spirit.

All. He wants from you tonight is to.

Not stop worshipping him. Why do we talk about worship so

much? Because it's that important and

we don't have it yet. We may never have it.

We may never. Be in the.

In the spirit as much as. We need to.

Worship is that important from cover to cover in your Bible,

Wounds are healed, enemies were overtaken.

There's a. Story in the Bible.

This is not in my notes, but allow me just to go there

verbally for just a moment. There's a story in the Bible and

right now where it's at escapes me, but the subject matter is

they made, they made noise in the dark.

Enemy was coming and there was just a few of them, and they

made such a loud noise, clanking pans or lanterns or or whatever.

They made such a loud noise that the enemy on the other side of a

dark hill thought it was a great army.

And the Bible tells us that they turned around and ran away.

If those people have been quiet. If those people on the on the

backside of that dark hill had refused to follow their man of

God's warning and refused to make a sound and just said, you

know what, I just don't feel like it tonight.

I'm hurt. If they had been quiet, that

enemy would have come over the hill and would have overtook

them. But because they used their

voice. Challenge you tonight.

If you need emotional healing, you need to get into worship

with other people. There was a moment in the second

church. There's a moment in the second

church Bishop, and I could call him by name right now, but I

won't. But many of you in this house

know him. There's a gentleman in our

church. I was on the platform.

I don't remember if I was preaching or what was going on,

but I wasn't at a musical instrument and I looked up in

just a moment, a secondary moment, and I saw that brother

go like this, so I went. He asked me later how I saw.

It because he did. He thought he got by with it

and. It had to be God.

And I had no. Clue.

What he was going through or what he needed.

But when we went back there, Bishop, I don't remember if you

weren't there or why I had the microphone or what was going on.

But what I do remember is I called for the other brothers of

the. Church to come?

And and get around him, encircle him and get around him, and do

nothing but simply worship with him and a man.

Who came to church? That night not for into God not.

For into the ways. Of the Apostolic Church he came

in isolated. In his spirit he came in

needing. Help and the help he got.

Was from the worship of those around.

It only. Took a few moments of men

standing around him, worshipping with.

Him that he. Broke through to victory.

Why? Because we need each other's

voice, need your voice. So if you need emotional healing

tonight? Whether you've admitted it to

anybody else, maybe you've not even admitted it to yourself

yet, I don't know. But if you need it, you need to

get in worship with other people.

If you need emotional healing tonight, use your voice in

worship with other people. It's time for somebody to find

your voice again. Or maybe some of you need to do

it for the first time. If you've gotten by in your.

Walk with God so far with a whisper.

Now maybe, maybe your next step is just to elevate that whisper

to a common standard voice. I'm not telling you that you

need to yell. I'm not trying to, I'm not

trying to embarrass you. I'm not telling you any.

Of that. What I'm telling you is when you

get in the atmosphere of God, where he is at lifting.

Your voice, you're never going to go wrong.

Because much like the lion's roar, he has.

Several ways that he can change the tonation of his roar to

indicate purpose. Let me tell you.

Something my voice and worship will either indicate to.

You that I've got victory or that I need help?

Hands right now all over this house.

If you don't normally lift your hands, I challenge you tonight.

Lift your hands and just. See what God will.

Do for you this altar is open up.

Find your find what a roar looks like for you it.

May not be my. Volume, but you've got a.

Volume in God's house. That God will be be happy with

find your voice.