Pigs & Dogs part 4

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Amen. Love his word. Amen. We are in a time where the word of God is not taken seriously. A lot of the ones that should be preaching it are not preaching it. Amen. Sometimes the word of God can make you unpopular. Amen. And it's not that we're trying to be popular. We're just saying that anyone that attempts to teach this thing and teach it right, it can make you unpopular. Amen. Because God is not about, amen, pleasing people as much as he is helping. Amen. And so amen. I want to just take the time out a little bit and just close out the class. I just want to read again where we've been for the last three weeks, Matthew, amen, chapter number seven, verse number six. Amen. When he says, give not that which is holy unto the dogs. Neither cast ye your pearls before a swine. Lest they trample them under their feet and turn again and rend you. I'm going to deal with that portion of the scripture later in the class, but I did wanted to go back to dealing with what we discussed last week. Amen. That stubborn spirit. We had quite a few to raise their hand last week, admitting, amen, that they struggle with the stubborn spirit. And stubbornness, amen, is uh one of the characteristics of the swine. And that's why we kind of rested upon that in the class, amen. And we have to emphasize the behavior because when I kind of give you a little brush up of how God looks at it, amen. It will make you not want to go home with it. Amen. You'll want to leave it, amen, at the altar. Amen. Um He feels a very strong way about it. He didn't use the word stubborn in the Old Testament. When you guys do your uh personal studies, amen, you'll see that he relates it to another word that starts with S and that's stiff-necked. Amen. He he he he definitely compared his people, amen, with that stubborn spirit as being a stiff-necked people. They were stiff-necked because they would ignore the urge that God gave them to make corrections. And if you just do the history, if you look at um Moses, who wrote the first five books of the Bible, amen. Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, amen. Numbers and Deuteronomy uh kind of covers, amen, the life, you know, after Egypt, so to speak. Amen. And you would see that there was a there was a very strong issue between God and his people, amen, because they were constantly, amen, ignoring uh the uh instructions given to them by Moses that got themselves in a lot of trouble, amen, with God. And uh so he would definitely uh have times where he wanted to destroy them. Now, you know, that's crazy. Uh to go into Egypt and to pull them out of what they were in bondage, and then to turn around and decide that you're gonna lay them all in a grave, that just goes to show you how serious he is about his instructions. Amen. I mean, he's giving us an idea. And uh, and so stubbornness, you'll learn that it will definitely um kill your progress. Amen. Do you not know that what God did to the stiff neck to the stubborn people in scripture, especially we're dealing with the uh Israelites with God? Uh, do you not know that God, even though he didn't kill them, now you know he could have killed them because in the Old Testament he was swift, he was very swift to deal with um sin. He was very swift to deal, and his judgment um was quick and it was swift because we had not entered amen, the age of grace yet. And so when you look at uh how he dealt with his people, it was to the degree of he really um wanted to kill them. Take them out. But Moses uh as being described in scripture, Moses, the Bible says he was the meekest man in all the earth. What made Moses such a fantastic leader is that he did not come after God's people. As a matter of fact, what made him a fantastic leader is he would sit there and negotiate with God. He was the only one in scripture that God would allow for him to be argumentative. And trust me, Moses wasn't argumentative like some of us is, where it's finger pointing and all that fist. It's not that kind of argumentative. He was a meek man, so he was a very soft way in how he spoke to God. He wasn't stupid, amen, but he knew how, amen, to communicate with God, amen, to the degree of he would stand, amen, in between the judgment, amen, and the people. He would not let a man God, or he did not want God to judge the people. So he would stand there and he would negotiate. Now look at his mind. He knew how to talk to God, he would say things like, Lord, if you really execute judgment and kill them, he says, then the Egyptians will say that you came in, took them out, and then let them die. And that would have been a dean against your reputation. This is how he would deal with God, and God would allow him to negotiate like this. And so, what God did, now here's the thing, he did not stop the consequences of being stubborn, he did stop the judgment of being stubborn, and so what he did was he says, Okay, I tell you what I'm gonna do. He says, for the ones, amen, who came out who were the elders, who were the leaders, these are the ones who supposed to set the example for the younger ones coming up. Amen. These are the ones that's supposed to have faith, these are the ones that's supposed to have praise, these are the ones who supposed to know my name, but they spending more time complaining, amen, about their conditions instead of praising me, amen, for where I brought them from. Amen. They out here walking in shoes I won't let wear out. Can I get a witness in here? When they got hungry, amen, I supplied them with manna. I gave them water to drink. It's nothing I have not done for them, but the elders are letting me down. And so, what I'm gonna do then is I'm not going to smite them, I'm gonna let them, amen, go in a circle until they die off. In other words, I'm gonna let you live, but I'm gonna let you live in a cycle. And this is the consequence of being stubborn, and so it goes to say that stubbornness is so dangerous that it can kill your progress. God will allow you to live in what was and never allow you to get what should be. I didn't get many amens tonight, but at the end of the day, this was the consequence of stubbornness. So we address this characteristic tonight, stating that this is something, amen, that we all have to address. For those, amen, and some amen who raised their hand, amen. Uh know and understand as I'm trying to make it plain tonight that this is something, amen, that we have to deal with, amen, to keep, amen, the anger and the judgment of God off of our life. Can the church say amen? Let me let you uh get an understanding of how uh God looks at stubbornness, amen. Uh, especially towards his guidance. He has an attitude with people who are a part of his his um, I should say, his church or a part of his tribe and won't take his instructions. Listen to this. It says it leads to severe consequences because most of the time it's often tied to pride and spiritual rebellion. So there's three things how God deals with stubbornness. Number one, Proverbs talks about sudden destruction. And that says this is this warns, uh, this warns those that refuse correction, and the Bible says they will eventually be broken and destroyed beyond repair. Now, this is in Proverbs. He says that calamity, amen. He says that forwardness or stubbornness is in their heart. And he says that therefore their calamity shall come upon them quickly. And he says, once it comes upon them quickly, there shall be no remedy. Amen. That's that's that one. Now he says, spiritual hardening. And this this you'll see this a lot of times in church, amen, with people who don't even realize that God has really put them in the stall in the soul status. Look at this spiritual hardening. God may give a stubborn person over to their own sinful desires and let them face the natural harmful results that come from their own choices. Yeah, this is some strong teaching tonight, ain't it? Amen. Anyone else want to say I'm stubborn? Because we can pray God tonight, because this stubbornness is thing. This is this is a serious thing. Amen. And then here's the last one it says divine judgment. And this is what the apostle Paul writes about stubbornness. He says, an unrepented heart, amen. What God does, he stores up his wrath for the day of judgment. And so he'll continue to let a person be stubborn, but he's taking notes. Amen. And so that means that when we stand before amen, the white throne judgment, when we have to give an account for everything, every deed we've done in this body, amen. He'll remind, amen, every individual who was stubborn about every time he tried to urge them to change and they refuse to do it. Y'all not gonna say amen. Can the church say amen tonight? And somebody said, God, help me not to be stubborn. Help my heart, Lord God. Keep me with the heart of flesh. Amen. Because how many know, amen, if you've been walking with God long enough, there are circumstances and situations that can happen in this way of life that can harden your heart. And believe it or not, you can be still in church, you can be still walking with God and still participate, amen, in the worship experience, but have hardened your heart to certain things. Can I get a witness in here? Amen. Let it be a situation where two people can have an argument in church. A person rather would harden their heart and say, I'm never gonna speak to that person again. Rather than doing what the Bible says. Uh-oh. And the Bible says, Amen, that you have to leave your gift at the altar and find a way to work this thing out. Y'all done got quiet. I ain't got too many amen tonight. Amen. And he says that if it can't work it out between the two of you, then you got to go get a magistrate to work this thing out. And what God is saying is, God is saying what's more important to me is the climate of ministry than your personal gripes with each other. Lord have mercy. Can the church say amen? Y'all can be quiet tonight because I'm gonna teach hard anyway. Amen. So look, I want to make this a point tonight. Amen. Another point of interest that I want to bring to your attention as we're coming to the close of this series is amen that God tries to prevent something, and that is allowing the characteristics of the species be the dominant factor. In other words, pigs and dogs are born with traits. So now you probably don't see this, but I'm gonna bring it to your light. Another part of him teaching this is he's leaving room for the reception of the Holy Spirit. Because what he's saying is that pigs and dogs are born with traits that comes with them, and they cannot change them traits on their own. And so he says that my power, amen, which is the Holy Spirit. We talked about it on Sunday, how Jesus made mention of what it will do when he talks about after it comes upon you, amen. It's gonna give you power. He says, This power that I have will interrupt these traits, amen. And it can make a stray dog become a lap dog. Can I get a witness in here? Amen. It says it can take, amen, a stray dog and make it a lap dog, and also make this dog, amen, be to the point where it's not astray, it doesn't run the street, amen. It doesn't stay in a pack, it doesn't be outside, amen, where it can be diseased, amen. But I can turn this dog into the kind of dog that will stick close to its master. Amen. Somebody say amen tonight, amen. And so, and also when you deal with the pig, it says that it can make the pig, amen, so much that when the pig decides to be to die or to be slaughtered, amen. It's more than a pig, it becomes bacon. Y'all done got quiet tonight, amen. It becomes ham. Y'all done got quiet tonight, it becomes chitlins. Some of y'all don't eat chitlins, but some folks do eat chitlins. I used to eat chitlins, amen. But it can become so much more when the spirit of God comes upon it, it has the power to change the speeches. This is why Paul says, Amen, to live is Christ. Amen. And the only way to gain over here on this side is that you got to die. Can the church say, Amen? I'm gonna buckle one real quick. Look at somebody say, You got to die, got to die. That's right. And I want to say this tonight to the stubborn that's watching from home, amen. Is that if you don't change, you will die. All right, amen. I'm gonna keep it going, amen. Keep it going. Somebody said, keep teaching, bishop, amen. And so I want to deal with something very, very unique tonight. Amen. Purpose over the pet. Yeah. Y'all know Jesus was the master teacher, and the master, he was a technician with the word. Very man, very much so a technician. And now he's revealing to us how we can squander divine opportunities if we decide to be a pet. Now you know I'm about to give you an acronym that you want to write down in your notes. Amen. Pet. I ain't talking about amen with what you have at home. We're not speaking of Milo or Mela. Anybody else that got dogs in here, your dog, amen. We're not speaking about your dog pet. I'm gonna tell you what a pet is. A pet is one who excludes themselves from teaching. People who exclude themselves from teaching. That's a pet. Oh man. Or training. Amen. Can I say this tonight? Amen. You don't take it personal. An individual, amen, who decides to be a pet will speed up the dying process. Can I tell you what happens to people, amen, who refuse teaching? Amen. And refuse training. Can I tell you what happens? These individuals will become more religious and less spiritual. When you have teaching, teaching is edification, it's admonishment. And really teaching is significant because what teaching does, it teaches amen and individuals how to look at God, how to walk with God, how to be in relationship with God, how to communicate with God. Sometimes what happens when people miss out on teaching, they have to result in being religious. And this comes about, amen. Teach Damon White. This comes about, amen, through individuals, amen, who have mastered a perfect church schedule. Amen. When you have mastered a perfect church schedule, then what happens is, amen, a person starts to feel like they saved and sanctified by what they do. And saved and sanctified by how they look. Amen. And we can go even deeper, save and sanctified, amen, by even the position they may have taken, amen, for their local assembly. But when we go through a point of losing out on teaching, amen. Then what happens is, amen, a person will become more religious, amen, and less spiritual. And this is what's happening, amen, to the church today. As I break this down to you real quickly, amen. Is that we having a problem because there's no more teachers. As a matter of fact, what we have going on today, amen, is a title hungry, apostle. He said, I gave some apostles, I gave some prophets, I gave some pastors, I gave some teachers, I gave some evangelists. We are in an age now where people are trying their best to prove to people, amen, that they have a special connection with God. Amen. And really what it is, is really manipulation being hidden under a title. And what you have is people are going back, they're reaching back and grabbing offices that have been suspended by God. Because, amen. God used the prophet in the Old Testament. He used the prophet in the Old Testament because of the fact the church, the physical church, had not been set up yet. Because Christ was the church. So God would use the prophet, amen, which the word Nabi in the Hebrew means prophet who has the ability to bring God's people face to face to himself. When you look at the prophet, the office of a prophet in the Old Testament, amen. The prophet was used, amen, to speak to God's people. And they would he would bring God's people face to face to himself. But once, amen, the church was set up, then the office of prophet was suspended by God. Amen. And God moved into a new office called the apostleship. The apostleship was set up because the apostles, not just seeing Jesus face to face, but the apostles' responsibility was, as Christ was the church, he gave the infrastructure. But in Acts, amen, the apostles' job was to put meat on the bones. This is why the apostle Peter says, Amen, we cannot continue to do both. We're going to have to name some deacons in the church who will be or serve as administrators because we have to give ourselves over to the preaching and teaching of the gospel. In other words, I am using the apostleship now to put meat, amen, on the bones that Jesus already set up in the earth. Now we move to the new office because now, as the apostles have moved on, amen. The apostle Paul took it a step further and began to name pastors. That's why you can see Titus, you can see Jude, you can see Amen, Timothy. These were pastors who were put in charge of churches in the New Testament age as Paul was training them. Amen. Because you have to have a man, a pastor who oversees God's church. No matter how many churches there are in America, how many churches there are in the world, God has to have a man, amen, overseeing the body of Jesus Christ. Amen. And now we move into two offices, amen, that have been, amen, vacated. And that is the office, amen, of a teacher and the office of an evangelist. This is where we are today. Amen. He says, I need somebody to oversee the church, but I need teachers inside the building that can teach people how to be the church. And then I need evangelists who will go out, amen, and get people to be the church. Amen, somebody. Amen. And so when you refuse teaching, amen, then what happens is you have a church full of people who are very religious and they are less spiritual. You have to teach people amen. Amen. How to react to the Spirit of God. You have to teach people what the Spirit of God is and how it moves, depending on the dispensation of ministry that you're in. You have to teach people how to give. You have to teach people how to be faithful. This thing got quiet tonight. Amen. If we refuse teaching, then you'll have individuals, amen, who will be more religious than they are spiritual. Can the church say amen? And so a person, amen, who has purpose will never allow, amen, their appetite for God to die. Can I say this tonight? And I say it very strongly. We are in a dangerous time, ladies and gentlemen, because people are losing their appetite for the word of God. They are losing their appetite, amen, for dynamic, amen, and powerful and duty teaching. But a person who really has purpose will never lose their appetite. Come on, somebody, and never let their appetite die for the things of God. I wish I was in a church today that could say amen. We have to make it a point to emphasize that now, amen. That to prevent from becoming a church, amen. We have to move. After receiving the Holy Spirit, here is the issue again, where he moves into this teaching and he is talking about, he's leaving a door open to talk about, amen, the Holy Spirit, amen coming in and dealing with the species. Now, here is the key. The key is after receiving, amen, the Holy Spirit, we have to move to the point, amen, of yielding to the energy that is within us. That's another problem, ain't it? Another issue is, amen, is that people are receiving the spirit, but they are still argumentative with it. Amen. And I don't mean argumentative, amen, with you arguing by voice. We argue by behavior. Because at the end of the day, amen, we refuse to yield to the energy. Amen. The only way the Holy Spirit can conform us and can transform us and make us, amen, a loving person, make us a giving person, make us a faithful person, amen, is that we have to allow the Holy Spirit when it comes within us to do his perfect work.

unknown 24:22

Yes, sir. That's good.

SPEAKER_00 24:24

Amen. If I'm still seeing your personality, then you're not yielding. Oh God, this ain't got quiet up in here. Amen. Yes, indeed, because the thing that the Holy Spirit does is it comes in to us, amen, after it comes upon us. Jesus used upon us, but meaning in us, amen. In us, amen, it comes in to start to work with, amen, the personality. Because what it wants to do is it wants the personality, amen, to yield underneath and submit itself to the spirit that God puts in it. That means that the personality, amen, that may be difficult because you have very difficult people in church. Oh, y'all done got quiet. They done come from difficult backgrounds, they come from difficult places, they come from difficult families, amen. And sometimes things just run genetically in our bloodline, and we can't help it because you say, I don't want to be like my mom, but you end up being like your mother. Y'all done got quiet. Amen. And so the Holy Ghost, when it comes inside of us, amen, it says, I'm gonna come in and do war with your personality. I am gonna come in and show your personality, amen. Who is the dominant factor? Amen. And when you realize who the dominant factor is, it is your responsibility, amen. Watch this, to lay yourself dormant and allow the Holy Spirit to, amen, be able to check the things about ourselves. Amen. Can I get a witness in here? And those that have the Holy Ghost, you can admit, amen, there are times in your walk, there are times, amen, in your walk where you know you was wrong. You thought the wrong thing, you said the wrong thing, y'all done got quiet tonight. Don't drop your head now, amen. Don't drop your head, y'all done got quiet. Amen. You done said the wrong thing, you got off in your worship, amen. And the Holy Spirit checked you. Come on, somebody, and because it checked you, amen. You knew how to repent, but watch this. It's because the teaching. Oh, y'all done got quiet. Now I can understand, Sister Yolanda, when it says, when the spirit of truth comes, amen, it will lead you into all truth. But how do you be led if you're not yielding?

unknown 26:42

Yes, sir.

SPEAKER_00 26:43

Jesus shows us the power of yielding because he was God in the flesh. But the Bible says in Matthew, go back and read it, Bible scholars. The Bible says in Matthew, it says, then was Jesus led of the Spirit, y'all done got quiet, to be tempted of the devil.

unknown 27:02

Yes, sir.

SPEAKER_00 27:03

My God, he was teaching yielding then. Amen. Learning how to yield, amen, to the power that is within us. Can the church say amen? And I want to say this tonight, amen. That when you have checked your personality, yes, indeed, when you have checked your strangeness, checked your oh your come on, somebody, cannot somebody, amen. When you done checked it, come on, then you allow it to lead you. Now, here it is, right here, because you're not ready for this. I love, I love Jack Nicholson when he said this, boy, and a few good men. He says, You can't handle the truth. Y'all remember when he said that he got so riled up, boy, because he was on him in that corner and he got to be fine. You can't handle the truth. I want to say that tonight. You can't handle the truth. Because it says that when the spirit of truth comes, see, God ain't gonna lie to you, it will lead you into all truth. Can I say this tonight? Only people who want truth will allow themselves to yield. You're not gonna yield amen if you don't want truth. Because most of the time it hurts when God is telling you about you and not telling you about somebody you're mad at. Because God is so powerful, He will watch a situation happen in church, and you might be right, but God will come to you and say, How you handle it? He leads you in the untruth, only is gonna lead you, not about somebody else. He's gonna lead you into yourself. Could you handle that more better? Oh, y'all don't get a quiet. Oh, y'all done got a quiet. Can I can I can I go on record and say it is good to be in a church, amen, where we have a God that cares so much about us that He pays attention to even the details of our lives. And even though we may not like to be fixed, y'all don't even get a choir tonight. Amen. We just love the fact that we serve a God that we're still pointing out. Because I come to serve notice tonight. You cannot intimidate God with an attitude, with a facial expression. Y'all done got my quiet. Even amen deciding to miss church for a month. He said, if you make your bed in hell, y'all done got my quiet. I've known God to anoint a sinner. To tell him I'm a saint. Man, you shouldn't be acting like that. Call yourself trying to run from God. You silly. The last one to try to do that got swallowed by a fish. Y'all done got quiet trying to run from God. You can't run from God. So so look, he says that when the spirit of truth comes, it will lead you into all truth. Ain't it? Ain't it wretched to hear the truth about yourself? Oh, y'all done got quiet. We're gonna deal with y'all done got real quiet. You know what I'm gonna start doing, Sean? I'm gonna start collecting cell phones at the door. So folk can't be on cell phones when I'm teaching. You understand? Yeah, they want to try to play me off. Ain't it ain't it ain't it something to hear the truth about yourself? But can I can I say this to you tonight? How is God supposed to use you if He can't correct you? I don't want to be used. Oh God, then you're gonna get yourself in trouble because if God has an assignment on your life, you understand, and you want to forsake the assignment because you don't want to hear truth, there's something sick about that. But if you know that how righteous God is, Lord have mercy. All right. He says that when the spirit of truth comes, amen. He's telling you that this what I'm sending is not gonna lie, it's not gonna make things up, it's not gonna tickle you and and make you feel good. Every now and then, you know, I'm gonna I'm gonna give you a powerful, powerful experience with me that'll make you rejoice. It's gonna make you, amen, dance. It's gonna make you go into your heavenly language, it's gonna make you be happy. Amen. God has touched folk and they done smiled all week. Don't even know why they're smiling. Got stuff going on and still smiling in the midst, amen, of what they're dealing with because the God can touch us like that. You understand what I'm saying. He says, but you know, you have to you have to understand something. Is that this spirit I'm sending is not gonna lie to you. It's not gonna lie to you, amen. It's not gonna, it's not gonna make you feel good, it's not gonna tell you what you want to hear. It's always gonna tell you what you need to hear. Amen. And so, amen. It says that when the spirit of truth comes, amen, it will lead us into all truth. What all truth is it talking about? Well, first of all, it's gonna give you a true revelation of who God really is. Amen. It's also gonna give you revelation on the things of God that's gonna allow you to rightly decipher, amen, the word of truth. Then it's gonna make you understand, it's gonna tell the truth about you. It's gonna definitely climb into your background, it's gonna climb into your past. It's gonna climb into because here's what God is saying. God is saying that I don't like who you're trying to portray. I don't like, amen, who you're trying to be. Amen. You are trying to predicate who you are by the people around you. And I cannot utilize you when you are an imitation or when somebody, amen, has made you something that you're not, and you have accepted the definition. Because to say, God, I don't want you to deal with those areas of my life, you're saying I accept the definition of what those individuals put on me. I'm quite comfortable living my life, amen, in a twisted lie, than to let you, amen, take me and deal with me in such a way where I can get truth behind the matter to understand, amen, that I wasn't at fault. Okay, I'm just gonna stop right there. I'm talking about leading into all truth. You see how quiet it gets? Because sometimes people have a tendency, amen, to come into church and they take out their costume and they put on a costume. Amen. I laugh at people who try to talk spiritual when they don't leave no need for that. You know, when you're trying to ask folks how they're doing and they got to give you praise the Lord. I'm blessed, I'm highly favored, God is on my side. There's something sick about your behavior because really I think that you're trying to convince yourself. You understand? Oh, God. All right. I'm just talking about the spirit of truth. I better close this out tonight. I got about 22 minutes. Amen. Yeah, it's quiet tonight. Some of y'all looking at me like you want to swing on me. Amen. But God bless you tonight. I'm gonna keep teach till you swing. Amen. So the part I wanted to deal with, so I'm so that's what I'm talking about. I'm talking about the purpose over the pet. Amen. And allowing yourself to yield, amen, to the energy that lies within us. It won't lie, ladies and gentlemen. We have to learn how to trust it, don't we? Know how to trust it, learn how to trust it and depend on it. Learn how to lean on it and know and understand it's not gonna lie to you because, amen, the reason why God gave it to us, amen, because he's trying to progress us and prosper us. Well, I think we got to give God a praise just for that. So I got 22 minutes left, 20 21 minutes now left to try to finish up this series tonight. Amen. I want to deal with the trampled pearl. Remember, I told you in that series. I mean, I told you in the beginning, I was dealing with uh verse number six when he says, Lest they trample them under their feet. So the last part of that verse, he was dealing with the pigs. Okay, he says, Neither cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet and turn again and wrench you. So this is another strong teaching that uh Christ is hitting us with tonight. Um, because I wanna I want to flip it now. Okay, and now listen. He is saying there is one thing is noticing the pearl, but the second thing is valuing what you allow to discover. You got it? And so I'm gonna say it again. It's one thing to see the pearl, but it's another thing to value what God allows us to discover. And so you'll find that many are guilty because they never investigate what they have discovered. Amen. Amen. It should bring us a level of concern tonight. Think about it. Look at how big pigs are. Look at how big swine. Swine can get up to be almost 300 something pounds. Amen. Them are some husky, husky, nasty animals. Amen. And so it should bring a level of concern. I'm flipping it now. Well, go with me. It should bring us a level of concern how he says, now you choose to be a pet over 300 and something pounds, but can you imagine being that big and then he brings a pearl for you to discover it? Something that small. Something that small, almost like the kingdom of God. It should bring us a level of concern that he refers to what he gives us being as small as a pearl. And so if you allow me tonight to close out with three things I'll bring to your attention, and then we'll say amen. Take up the offering, and then we'll leave to go home. So, number one, now you remember I talked about the pet, right? That that those who are late coming in, I use the pet theory. And the pet is a person who excludes themselves from teaching. Okay? That's a pet. So now when you become a pet, here's one thing you'll do. A pet will trample when they don't see it. Uh-oh. Y'all done got it quiet. Amen. Many don't see it. I'm speaking of the pearl. Y'all still with me? Okay. Many don't see it because many keep overlooking it. And I'm gonna tell you why the pearl gets overlooked. Because the enemy is the master of making us think that what God gives us is small. Amen. How many times have you talked to people, amen, who have swore up and down that the church is irrevent and that the church is not needed? Oh, y'all done got quiet. How many times have you tried to minister or even witness to somebody, amen, who don't give you a good strong reason of why, amen, church is insufficient? They always tie the church to a person. I'm still trying to figure this out. Amen. How in the world can you tie, amen, the church, amen, to a person? Amen. When a person mess up. Number one, my first question is where are they supposed to go if they mess up? Where are they supposed to go, amen, if they have some struggles, amen, or some can't get rights? Where are they supposed to be? If the church was supposed to be perfect, amen, then it's a problem with that. Oh, y'all done got quiet. Amen. I'm trying to figure out because I'm trying to realize, amen, that a person, a pet will trample, amen, what when they don't see it. And many don't see it because they keep overlooking it, because the enemy tries to make them think, amen, that what God gives is small. My God from heaven. When you look, when you look at just how the world is set up, the world, amen, will blow up nastiness and won't look at what's supposed to be right. Y'all done got quiet. Ain't that what they're doing? They will blow up nastiness, they will have all types of stuff, man, that will hit, they will hit. But if you have a simple message of just trying to do right, amen, that's not big enough. And a lot of times it is judged by the masses. Because if everybody is on it and not a lot of folks doing it, then that must not be popular. So the enemy says, Amen, I'm gonna make this make you think that this over here is small. This is why Jesus writes, amen, in scripture. He says that narrow is the way, and there's only gonna be a few that's gonna find it. You know why? Because it is a pearl. I want you to understand something about a pearl. I'm I'm gonna I'm gonna break that down later. Amen. A true believer who has picked up the pearl, they will know without a shadow of a doubt that ain't nothing small about God. Can I get a witness? Can I borrow one and look at somebody and say, God ain't small? But you are. Watch this, and let us exalt his name together. Can I go on record, Alec, and say this? Because a lot of folk quote that scripture like they know what they're talking about. He says, Oh magnify the Lord with me. Can I ask you a question, Lucretia? My question I want to ask you is, how can you make God big? Um that's not what David is saying. David is challenging the people around him. He's saying, I know what God can do. He came to the field and got me, he put oil on me. Come on, somebody. He made me go from a shepherd boy to a king. I know how big he is. Oh, magnify the Lord with me. Come on, somebody, and let us exalt his name together. In other words, I need everybody that's in my company, amen, to make God big in your own mind. Because the reason why he's not moving in your life, because you're keeping him small like the world. That's right. That's what David was saying. David wasn't saying, you can't make God big. A lot of folk read that scripture. Oh man, the fellow, you can't make God is already big. But he needs, I need for people around me to understand this God that we serve. That there ain't nothing about the God that we serve that is small. The only thing about God that is small, He knows how to work with small numbers and work with small people. But ain't nothing that he about him is small. I wish I had somebody to say amen. Am I gonna church tonight? I think we gotta give God a praise for that. I should have to make you clap your hands. And look at somebody say, My God is big, honey. My God is big, my God is bad. We can't even have church tonight. My God is big, my God is bad. Now tell your circumstance and situation that you keep letting defeat you. My God is big. Yes, indeed. How many glad they picked up the pearl? I'm glad I picked it up. Yes, indeed. I got 12 minutes. A pet will not only they don't see it, they'll trample when they don't see it, but a pet will trample when it doesn't meet their expectations. Yeah, you'll trample something that don't meet your expectations. Ain't it amazing how people come in and put a man a specific expectation on God? They don't walk with God by facts, it's by perception. And so their expectations are built off of perception. And they come up empty every time. And so you'll trample something, amen, when it doesn't meet your expectations because you think, because it's not meeting my expectation, it must not be worth nothing.

unknown 45:36

Wow, come on, Mitchell.

SPEAKER_00 45:39

And God forbid, because churches are full of folks like that. How many folks you know just come out of obligation but don't believe in the God that we serve? Don't believe that he's a big God. Don't believe he's a God that can handle anything. They don't believe he's a God that can do anything but fail. They only come out of obligation because they have that mindset is let me see. And they judge him off of their own crooked expectations.

unknown 46:07

Come on, man.

SPEAKER_00 46:09

Yeah, and they will trample it because it must not be nothing. Honey, you've been, you've been, you've been, you've been saved for 25 years and still can't get nothing right. You understand? Folks will sit out there and watch you like a tooth and nail. Watch every move you make and decide it must not be nothing. You talk about all this God, spend all that time in church, and still you're not getting your prayers answered. But don't know and understand that God is a God of time. You can't judge because I have not lined myself up and put that on God. Because sometimes God says, You're not ready for what I want to give you. Come on, God, quiet. Because you have not lined up your spirit, you have not lined up your attitude. And so you're delaying your own self. But see, because you're being delayed, and somebody who's watching you saying, Yeah, you've been over there 25 years, and still can't get your business off the ground. So it must not be worth it, and they'll trample it. But I want to say something to you tonight, ladies and gentlemen, my brothers and sisters. What many don't realize, there's a difference between diamonds and pearls. See, when you break down diamonds, diamonds is for everyday use. You understand? When you buy your wife a diamond ring, amen, she wears that diamond ring every day. It's an everyday thing. But see, pearls are only worn on special occasions. And so when you start talking about having pearls, amen, you're talking about a God who only wants to deal with us on special occasions. God is not, when you're saying bishop, God is not gonna run to you every time you cry. He's not gonna run to you every time you pray. He is not that kind of God. He is a God that knows how to step in when there's a special occasion. When my heart is overwhelmed, I'm gonna get quiet. Lead me to the rock that is higher than the eye. Amen. He knows how to step in on special occasions. Can I get a witness today?

unknown 48:27

Yes, he does.

SPEAKER_00 48:28

Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. He is not a dominant God on everyday living, but he's locked into our occasions. He knows our occasions, not everyday living. Oh, I don't feel God today. You're not gonna feel him today. Just maybe he's taking a break from your behind. Because God does need breaks from the saints. Y'all done got quiet in here. Y'all done got nobody don't believe that. Amen. He needs a break from saints because the Bible says he's not the author of confusion, and he does not dwell in darkness, and so sometimes when we are in dark places, God is saying, This is a time I'm gonna withdraw and make you walk by faith. Because you complain too much, you got too many mood swings, you don't got quiet. You come in, your energy's up one time, next time it's down, one time you look interested, next time you're disinterested, your praise man only varies every so often. Come on, somebody. When you should praise me, you don't praise me. When you shouldn't be praising me, you understand? And so he says, I'm gonna pull myself from you because there are times when I'm working with you on different levels. That's right, that's right. When your soul needs an anchor, I'm there. Come on, somebody. When it seems like you're about to sink, then I'm there. I'm gonna get quiet tonight. I wish I could preach to a church tonight. Because when your heart gets overwhelmed, I'm the rock that's gonna be there. Amen. I'm gonna be there, amen, when it comes to your occasions, but this everyday stuff that you're doing ain't getting it ain't it ain't working for me. Because at some point in time, honey, you got to walk by faith. You got to know that I'm there when I don't feel like I'm there. You got to know that I can operate when it don't look like I'm gonna operate. Oh, y'all done got quiet tonight. I wish I was preaching to a real church tonight. But you know what? Pets, I understand. Pets, when it does not meet your expectations, you trample. That's what happens a lot of times when people leave the church. Now you have different reasons why folks leave the church. I can just I can write a book about that. What's number one reason why they leave? Change hate. I got hate. That's number one. Number two is they will blame somebody else for their sin and leave. Ain't praying for them a lick. Just put the microscope on them. Just waiting for Todd to mess up one time and I'm out. Like, really? I didn't know Ty had that much control on God. Like God said, Todd, my reputation is on you. My power is riding on you. If you mess up, I'm gonna be messed up. Last time I checked, the Bible says Paul says God is sovereign. Y'all done got quiet. Yeah, he's sovereign. He's a sovereign God. Amen. He works after the counsel of his own will. You understand? C-O-N, C-O-U-N, S-E-L. Counsel of his own will. He don't work after the counsel, C-O-U-N-C-I-L. Where it's a group of folk he meets with and try to get their permission. Should I bless Salome today? He ain't got to meet nobody. He works after the counsel of his own will. Come on, somebody. I wish I could talk to a church today. Yeah. So now you understand. Amen. He's not a God. He is a God, amen, of every day, but he's not going to be in every day of your life. Yes, yes. I'm a witness. Amen. You can be in prayer for a month fasting and carrying on, and God don't speak. You understand? I'm still trying to figure out. Alec, how is he talking so much in this day and time? Everybody's hearing from him. I'm like, he got a big mouth. I mean, how many years was it from the last book of the Old Testament to the new book? Was that 400 years? He was silent, which a lot of folk think in between that time was lost books of the Bible. But I'm still trying to figure out something. Why he's talking so much? God told me to tell you, I got a word for the Lord. There's a word at 235 Ross. Really? God is talking to everybody now. Even the drunk on the street. I took a drunk to work one time, and he man, he was so deep, you would have thought I would have got saved listening to him. He was in the car taking him to work, man. And we having a conversation about God. And he broke out. I'm gonna tell you something, man. Drunks can talk it. He broke out, man, with a word that had me thinking, was I saved? He said, he said, you a preacher. I said, I don't like tell nobody that, but I said, he asked me, yes, sir. Uh oh, so you preach. I said, yes, sir. He said, okay then, but I want you to understand who I am. And I said, okay. I said, break it down to me, bruh. We're going down 75. He said, So you a preacher, but I'm a minister of the word. That was deep. I was in the front seat, like, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. Because that was deep. He took me there, boy. He was like, I'm a minister of the word. And I was like, a minister of the word. I mean, it's the way he sounded. I was like, man, that was deep. Now that was back, amen, in the in the 90s, late 90s. So that was deep back then. It probably sounds stupid now, but it was deep back then. You know, see, it sounded deep back then. I was like, man, minister of the word. He got out the car, he was like, Yeah, he went there with some wild Irish roads. Yes, indeed. But he was a minister of the word. Yeah. All right. A pet will trample when they don't see it. They will trample when it doesn't meet their expectations. And watch this. A pet will trample when they don't know the value. Yeah. That's the third one. When they don't know the value. I'm awfully afraid, ladies and gentlemen, my brothers and sisters, that we are in a time now where people don't know the value of having God. They don't even know how much or how expensive it is to have his presence. You understand? I mean, when I go back and look at Joseph, the Bible says he didn't have a dime to his name. He didn't have a dime to his name. He didn't have any clothes on his back, saving the clothes they sold him in. Y'all hear what I'm saying? Reputation hadn't even got on a high level yet. But the scripture says, man, that God was with Joseph. And he said he made everything that Joseph did. He made it prosper. I'm still trying to figure out how people are trying to work things out on their own. Rather than being in a position where you are ushering his presence. Now, here's the thing: the key is the presence is already within us. But is it a possibility, Pastor Sean, that if we can do more yielding, that he can do more expressing? Is it a possibility that the reason why he's not expressing himself a lot through the people of God? Because we have not moved into yielding. Because when you yield, amen. When you yield, you give something the right away. The Bible says that John the Baptist, Jesus, now we read the whole testament, and I'm looking at some of the greatest prophets to touch this earth. When you speak of Elijah, who outran a chariot on foot, called fire from heaven. Elijah, Elisha, the twin. Amen. The understudy of Elijah killed kids. Oh, y'all done got quiet. Killed kids. Made them she-bears come up and eat them kids alive. Because they said, Go up, thou bald head. See, don't make fun of the man of God. Go up there, thou bald head. And he said, uh-huh, he called them sheep bears, tore them kids up, tore them up. Amen. There was there was Jonah. You understand? There were so many Old Testament prophets. And I'm looking at Jesus like, what in the world? John the Baptist had two chapters. You hear what I'm saying? He didn't have a whole lot of history. Just that he was the forerunner of Christ. He leapt in his mother's womb when he got in the presence of Christ, Mary. He leapt. Amen. There was not much history on John the Baptist. I'm saying, and now you are telling the people who are going to read this later that there was no other great prophet such as John the Baptist who came with a toga, eating locusts and wild honey. Y'all done got quiet. Sitting out in the wilderness, his only message that he print he preached from was, amen, repentance. He didn't preach no prosperity, wealth, and health. He just preached, man, if you don't repent, you're going to hell. That's what he preached. And Jesus said, This was the greatest prophet. He said, there's never been another prophet that touched the earth but him. And I'm asking, why in the world? And the Lord said, because he knew how to yield. He said, there is one that comes whose shoes I am unworthy to latch. In other words, I got no problem yielding a man, myself, to the one that comes. Yes. And so the true believer knows that when you're dealing with the pearl, you're not going to trample it because you know that what God has given you, as small as it may seem, and the scripture says, despise not small beginnings. He says, no matter how small it may seem, it can change the very appearance of your life. You put on some pearls and walk in the room, everybody knows you got some pearls on. Especially if you match them up right with your ensemble. Y'all done got quiet. And that's how the Holy Spirit is, that's how the gospel is. Amen. When we see it as value, it can change the very appearance of our life and make us light a room up that was dark. Amen. Hey, this concludes the message, amen, on this series entitled, Amen, Pigs and Dogs. Amen. I had a classmate that text me about two weeks.