Participants:
Series Code: USP
Program Code: USP210008S
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00:01 Have you ever struggled with knowing your worth?
00:03 Well, stay tuned to learn about the one 00:06 who paid it all to be 00:07 able to spend eternity with you. 00:14 They try to change us from the outside in, 00:17 and that's never going to work. 00:20 Because I know that no matter 00:21 how hard and cold the exterior may seem, 00:25 I know that inside we hurt. 00:28 So we just want to come and share some hope with you 00:31 and let you know that we love you, 00:33 and that Jesus loves you beyond anybody in this world. 00:39 I'm not here today to judge you or condemn you, 00:41 we're today to tell you that 00:42 we love you and we understand the situation 00:45 that you're in. 00:52 Hello, I'm Jason Bradley. 00:53 And I'm so glad that you decided to join us once again. 00:56 Lemuel will be here in just a minute. 00:58 But right now he's busy doing what he does best, 01:01 and that is ministering to those 01:03 that are behind bars. 01:05 He is the founder of Christmas Behind Bars. 01:08 And he goes around to various facilities, 01:11 correctional facilities, 01:12 passing out bags that are full of snacks, 01:15 full of spiritual material, 01:17 and just really providing people with hope. 01:20 And it looks like Lemuel just arrived. 01:22 Why don't you come in and have a seat, Brother? 01:24 Join me in my cell. 01:26 Yes, it's great. Great to have you here. 01:29 I know you were busy ministering, 01:30 and working, and spreading the gospel. 01:33 Jason, you've come with us many miles, 01:35 thousands of miles 01:36 and you've ministered to thousands of people. 01:38 You know, in Alabama, 01:40 I remember they had the program going on in the chapel. 01:42 And we found out that 01:43 there were inmates back in lockup, 01:45 people on death row, 01:46 that wouldn't be able to come out to the program. 01:49 Yeah. We went dorm to dorm to dorm. 01:53 We went to so many different dorms. 01:55 Well, I mean, we were all over that prison. 01:57 And it was, it was exciting to 01:59 spread the gospel in there with you. 02:00 And if you think about it, God has opened a special door. 02:05 He has the doors and the windows of heaven open, 02:08 to allow just simple people like us 02:11 to be able to go back in there and just say, 02:13 "Brother, don't give up. 02:14 Hold on, Jesus is the answer." Yes. 02:16 And so, I just, I'm humbled to be 02:18 a part of Christmas Behind Bars, 02:20 and it's a beautiful opportunity 02:21 to be partnered with 3ABN. 02:23 So thank you, Brother. 02:24 What do we have today? 02:26 Yes, well, you know, 02:27 we're going to be talking about the pearl, 02:30 and pearl of great value. 02:31 And I want to share 02:33 some of these parables with you real quick. 02:35 So this is found in Matthew 13:44, 02:39 and then we'll read verses 45 and 46. 02:43 "Again, the kingdom of heaven 02:45 is like treasure hidden in a field, 02:48 which a man found and hid, 02:51 and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has 02:55 and buys that field." 02:57 And in verse 45, "Again, the kingdom of heaven 03:00 is like a merchant selling beautiful pearls, 03:03 who, when he had found one pearl of great price, 03:07 went and sold all that he had and bought it." 03:10 Wow. 03:12 You know, it says there the kingdom of heaven, 03:15 it says, is likened unto a man, 03:18 when he sold it all, 03:19 for the joy thereof, he sold it all. 03:22 It doesn't say walking with Jesus is 03:24 going to be drudgery and just in misery. 03:27 There's a joy there that when we find that lasting value 03:31 that we're willing to sell all... 03:33 Yeah. And go and buy that. 03:36 And the pearl of great price, 03:37 we're willing to sell off for the kingdom of heaven. 03:40 Amen? Absolutely. Amen. 03:41 Let me ask you a question, Lemuel, because you know, 03:44 we've both been in trouble, we've both you, know, 03:47 I've been to jail, you've been to prison. 03:49 What would you give to have your freedom? 03:55 Well, we say that we would give it all, 03:58 because when we, when we're behind bars, 04:01 that's our focus to be free. 04:04 But we miss the perspective that we can't do it on our own. 04:07 So we just feel when we get out, 04:09 we'll just not drink whiskey, 04:12 we'll just drink beer, we just won't shoot dope, 04:15 we'll just use dope. 04:16 And then so somehow, we think that 04:18 we can rationalize and change 04:20 around the pandemic of sin, and that we'll be able to 04:24 keep our freedom and keep that too. 04:26 Yeah, yeah, behavioral modifications, 04:28 just a shift in the behavior, 04:30 but not having that genuine transformation, 04:32 for sure. 04:33 But, you know, the people in society, 04:35 they've been able to coexist with the same dynamic fancy, 04:40 I mean, you see all these liquor parties 04:42 and all these commercials, 04:43 and it looks like they're all doing just fine. 04:45 But let's go back to the pearl of great price. 04:47 Would you read that again? Absolutely. 04:50 Again, the kingdom of heaven 04:52 is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, 04:55 who when he had found one pearl of great price 04:58 went and sold all that he had and bought it. 05:02 He found the pearl of great price. 05:04 And that's where we all, the human race, 05:07 has that opportunity. 05:09 When we find something that's worth, 05:12 that has stability, has foundation, 05:15 and when we realize that Jesus from the foundation 05:17 of the world, the plan of salvation 05:20 was put into place, 05:21 that we're willing to sell it all. 05:25 We're willing to sell it all whether it's, 05:27 for this person, maybe it's drugs, 05:29 and for this person, maybe it's alcohol, 05:31 and we're willing to sell out to the kingdom of hell. 05:34 We're willing to say, "Lord, 05:36 I want to follow You implicitly." 05:37 Yeah. 05:39 And then Lord, "The car has been 05:40 a real stumbling point in my life, 05:41 and I'm willing to go with the little Volkswagen." 05:44 And, Lord, "I don't want all these other kibbles 05:48 and bits that we're willing to sell out 05:51 and follow Jesus." 05:52 Yes. 05:54 So that's the pearl of great prices, 05:55 is whatever might be holding us in this life, 05:58 that we would let go and in humility follow Christ. 06:01 That's right. 06:02 There's nothing in this 06:04 or on this planet that is worth losing our salvation over. 06:09 You know, humanity was the pearl of great price 06:12 for our Heavenly Father, when we were created 06:14 in the garden in perfection in God's image. 06:18 Sin entered in and we were the pearl of great price, 06:21 and God gave His only begotten Son 06:24 to die upon the cross of Calvary for us. 06:26 Yes. 06:27 Sickened individuals hurting, broken, hopeless. 06:30 And that's what 3ABN has been about, 06:32 many broken people. 06:34 Yes. 06:35 Christmas Behind Bars offering the hope to the prisoners. 06:38 And, Brother, all I can say is, 06:39 I believe that we see the signs of the times 06:41 written in earth's history everywhere. 06:43 The great controversy is being played out, 06:45 and at some point is coming to a close. 06:47 And Jesus said upon the cross of Calvary, 06:49 He said, "Father, it is finished." 06:51 The plan of redemption was signed and sealed 06:52 and put into place with Jesus' shed blood, 06:55 victory was won at the cross of Calvary, 06:58 and now interceding for us in the Most Holy Place. 07:01 Yes, yes. 07:02 It's so beautiful to know that 07:04 we have an advocate, that we have someone 07:07 that's interceding for us. 07:09 That we have someone that cares so much about us 07:12 that He would risk it all, 07:14 spare no expense to come down here 07:16 and die for us. 07:18 Who are we to deserve that? 07:19 You know, Brother, you were telling me, 07:21 we're kicking and coming back from lunch today, 07:23 you were saying how you paid your attorney 07:26 thousands of dollars? 07:27 Five thousand dollars. 07:28 Five thousand dollars. Five thousand dollars. 07:30 It was worth it for my freedom, though. 07:32 Brother, when my attorney told me 07:34 how much money he want, 07:35 I paid him thousands of dollars 07:37 because I wanted that freedom. 07:38 But I got more time in prison than my brother 07:40 got with a public defender, 07:42 Holly blue jeans, long hair, 07:43 and don't give a care attitude to the judge. 07:45 And I got more time. 07:46 So man's help in this life is no help 07:52 when it comes to God. 07:53 You know, the Word of God says that 07:54 we have an advocate with the Father. 07:56 And if any man sin, 07:57 we have an advocate with the Father. 08:00 And that's our friend. 08:01 He's our friend. That's right. 08:03 He's on our side, 08:04 when you go down and sit down in that attorney table, 08:06 He's there for you. 08:07 That's right. 08:08 And when we come to Jesus and ask Him to be our attorney, 08:11 our forever friend, you know what, Brother? 08:13 He's not only our attorney 08:14 in this court case of condemnated sin, 08:17 the death sentence, but He going to flip, 08:20 and He going to be our judge. 08:22 He's our attorney now, 08:23 and He's also going to be our judge. 08:25 I tell you what? I like that trial. 08:27 That's the plan, and that's the plan of salvation 08:29 and a pearl of great price. 08:31 Absolutely. Absolutely. 08:33 What's the story that you can share? 08:36 Maybe somebody that you've come in contact 08:38 with that's been incarcerated that said, 08:40 "Hey, look, I don't want this life anymore. 08:43 I don't want this life of sin. 08:44 I don't want this life of drugs or substance abuse. 08:48 I don't want this life of promiscuity. 08:50 What's a story that you can share? 08:53 There's a friend of mine. 08:55 A friend of mine, his name is George. 08:57 He went to prison at a young age 08:59 and George started shooting dope in prison 09:02 and George got out of prison. 09:04 He was involved in motorcycle gangs. 09:05 And George was going on and just, and George actually 09:08 went out to the church service to mock the Christians. 09:12 So he went out, he's in a prison, 09:14 he goes to the church service, 09:15 sit in the back to mock the Christians. 09:18 And he would get up from the service, 09:19 and there was some lady that stopped him 09:21 and begin to talk to him, 09:23 that ministered come into minister 09:25 and George gave his life to Christ. 09:27 And George now has been going into the hovels of society, 09:31 back into the prisons. 09:32 So he was way, he still rides the Harley, 09:34 he still wears leather clothes and stuff, 09:36 but George is caring about people. 09:39 And Jesus is looking for individuals 09:42 that as they give their life to Him, 09:44 He puts them into active service. 09:46 Yes. 09:47 Individual from the Bible, Jonah. 09:50 Jonah was called 09:51 to go on a missionary trip for Jesus. 09:54 Jonah said, free will, he run the other direction. 09:58 Jonah did two things. 10:00 He told the people on the ship, 10:01 he said, "It is my fault, the storm, the tempest, 10:05 the problems," and Jonah, 10:07 so he confessed and he surrendered. 10:09 And at the moment 10:11 that Jonah surrendered and said, 10:12 "Hey, throw me overboard." 10:14 Christ was there. 10:15 And He preserved Jonah's life, and the word of the Lord 10:18 came into Jonah the second time. 10:20 And Jonah went, and God used Jonah 10:22 for His original purpose. 10:24 And that's the pearl of great price, 10:26 Jesus, our world, redeemed. 10:30 Why do you think that we search for hidden treasures 10:34 everywhere else but the Word of God? 10:37 Why do you think human beings search? 10:39 They search in the bottle, they search in the joint, 10:42 they search in clubs, 10:45 they search everywhere else, but the Word of God? 10:48 Why do you think that is? 10:49 Bro, we were made with a void in our life 10:53 and that void perfectly filled would be Jesus. 10:56 The devil knows that. 10:58 And the devil wants to keep our attention. 11:00 He wants to keep us running 11:01 like rats in a cage to try to feel, 11:03 to try to get, to try to gain, to try, 11:06 and it's never going to feel, it's never going to satisfy. 11:09 But as the devil can keep our attention 11:11 off of the Word of God, 11:13 the time that we spend with him, 11:15 then he's got our attention. 11:17 And he knows if he's got our attention 11:19 that God don't have it, 11:20 and that's what the devil wants. 11:21 He wants humanity's worship. Yes. 11:24 And that was what the fall was in heaven. 11:25 Yes. 11:27 You know, I've heard somebody say that the Bible 11:29 is like basic instructions before leaving earth. 11:31 Amen. 11:33 You know, I know a lot of times as men, 11:35 sometimes we, you know, we take the instruction manual. 11:39 And we're just like, we know what we're doing. 11:41 We try to put it together. Who needs to read that? 11:43 Yeah, we just get started putting stuff together. 11:45 And it doesn't work out sometimes. 11:49 But you know, we just say we did something different. 11:51 But these are instructions that we cannot ignore, 11:55 that we should not ignore. 11:57 These instructions can have eternal consequences. 12:01 It's a roadmap. Absolutely. 12:04 We've been with the Boone County Sheriff's Department, 12:06 I would say probably over 10 years, 12:08 I'm not sure 10-12 that we've been coming here. 12:11 But what would you share with people in the world 12:13 that's maybe never been involved in, 12:15 of investing in somebody's life that seems broken? 12:19 You know, the greatest of needs is wealth, 12:22 and I've heard that you can't pull somebody through 12:26 or push somebody through a situation. 12:28 The only thing that you can do 12:29 is merely come along beside them 12:31 and walk them through it. 12:33 Love them the best that you can, 12:34 sometimes that's tough love, 12:36 sometimes that's speaking honest truth to them, 12:39 but just loving on them. 12:41 And I think that changes a lot. 12:44 Yeah, I just want to say thank you again. 12:46 This has been absolutely incredible. 12:48 And I also want to thank you in advance 12:50 for letting us out today. 12:51 Yeah. 12:53 We will go home, right, we get to go home? 12:56 We do hold the keys. 12:59 Yeah, we'll let you all. Okay. 13:00 But I really appreciate you guys coming in here. 13:03 I was really fired up about you guys coming in here. 13:06 Because I know that this is not anything 13:09 that you or I have done, 13:10 but this has been orchestrated for some time. 13:12 And I know that this is going to pay a lot of dividends. 13:17 There's a lot of seed that spread the day, 13:19 and I know that 13:20 this is going to be a game changer. 13:21 Real quick before we close, 13:23 what advice would you have for that person 13:26 who hasn't picked up this roadmap? 13:30 You and I both know they're tired. 13:33 You and I both know that 13:34 they're not satisfied, they're not fulfilled. 13:36 And so as they're willing to try one more time, 13:40 as they're willing to say, "Lord, if You're really real," 13:42 if they're questioning God today, 13:44 "If You're really real, will You help me?" 13:47 And at that moment, God gets the props. 13:49 Amen. Amen. 13:51 Thank you, Brother Lemuel, 13:52 for all you're doing to minister to those 13:54 that are incarcerated and spread the gospel. 13:58 And if you haven't taken 13:59 the time to pick up this roadmap, 14:01 I encourage you to do so. 14:03 Pick up the Bible, 14:04 there's a lot of hidden treasures in there, 14:06 and you don't want to miss out on eternity. 14:09 Till next time, God bless. |
Revised 2021-11-29