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Series Code: BOL
Program Code: BOL000707S
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00:01 (Breath of Life Theme Music)
00:07 Sermon #B707 - From Slavery To Salvation 00:20 Want to go right to the word. 00:22 I'm going to ask if you would take your Bibles and go with me to the Book of Numbers. 00:26 Book of Numbers, Numbers Chapter 13 is where we are going. Let us go there now Numbers Chapter 13, 00:33 and we are going to verse number 26 Numbers Chapter 13 Verse number 26, 00:38 and we are going to read through verse 33. I am going to read and your hearing. 00:42 I'm reading from the King James Version of the Bible. 00:45 Numbers Chapter 13 verse number 26. And we are ready now to read the word of God, it says, 00:51 "And they went and came to Moses, and to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, 00:56 unto the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh; and brought back word unto them, and unto all the congregation, 01:01 and showed them the fruit of the land." Verse number 27 "And they told him, and said, 01:08 we came unto the land whether thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; 01:14 and this is the fruit of it." Nevertheless, keyword right there verse 28 01:19 "Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, 01:27 and very great: and moreover, because the cities are walled and very great, 01:32 we saw the children of Anak there. The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south: 01:37 and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites, dwell in the mountains: 01:42 and the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan. 01:46 And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, "Let us go up at once, and possess it; 01:53 for we are well able. If you were in church right now, but tell you to shout with me able, 02:00 we are well able to overcome it." But the men that went up with him said, 02:05 We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we. 02:11 And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, 02:17 "The land, though which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; 02:23 and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature." Verse 33, "And there we saw the giants, 02:32 the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, 02:42 and so we were in their sight." 02:47 Today I just want to take a couple of minutes to challenge you on the subject: From Slavery to Salvation. 02:55 From Slavery to Salvation. God right now come in this place. Not just in this place 03:00 but Lord over the airwaves, the internet waves, the television waves. Wherever your people are watching 03:06 and listening to this message ,move even right now. Forgive me my sins O Lord, I'm so unworthy to stand here. 03:13 But I thank you for those twins called grace and mercy that enable me to stand here today. 03:18 I'm grateful to know that Lord when we are unable you are able so speak we pray. 03:23 Forgive me of my sins and of the appeal time Lord move. We pray in Jesus name. Amen, Amen. 03:32 From Slavery to Salvation. Today we continue with the celebration of Black History Month. 03:39 Recognizing today that the entire month of February is devoted to Black History. 03:46 This celebration founded by Carter G. Woodson. Originally began as a negro history week in 1926 03:56 and took place during the second week of February, 03:59 as it co-insided with the birth dates of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. 04:05 1976, the year of the bicentennial for the United States. The president at that time President Gerald Ford, 04:14 expanded the week into a full month. You said that our country needed to seize the opportunity to honor 04:22 the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout history. 04:30 Wow, Black History Month has been criticized by some black people and some people of other races. 04:39 Claiming it is unfair to devote an entire month to a single group of people. 04:44 There are lessons to be learned from remembering Black History, especially as it relates to our faith in God. 04:53 It is during this month that we have the opportunity to reflect on our rich history 04:59 and remember the price that was paid by others for us to have the privileges that we now have. 05:06 Today do not get it twisted just because many of us are enjoying the fruits of those who have gone before us. 05:16 Do not you forget the price that was paid for us. 05:21 You see there are many of us making good money. But yet, we never once picked cotton. 05:29 We live in nice homes, and we now live in mixed subdivisions and developments. 05:35 But there was a time when we were not allowed to live on the other side of the railroad tracks. 05:41 There was a time let alone that we could not own our own homes. 05:46 We can now eat in any restaurant that we choose. 05:50 But there used to be a time when there was a sign in some of these same restaurants that we eat in 05:56 today that told us to go to the back door to be served. 06:01 Go shopping and we try on all types of clothes in Macy's, Belk's, Dillard's. 06:09 There used to be a time when we were not allowed to try on clothes unless we bought them first 06:16 and when we did buy them, we could not return them if they did not fit. 06:21 There are many of us today who never vote because we never had to fight for the right to vote. 06:27 Because it was something already available to us when we reach the appropriate age. 06:31 So its importance has been lost on us. There are many of us who approach learning as if learning is a chore 06:42 because we simply do not remember that there was a time when blacks were not allowed to learn. 06:48 Were not allowed to read, were not allowed to write. 06:53 So what do we have to do? We had to learn in church. You see many slaves heard the salvation stories 07:01 and retribution as they listen to their slave masters read from the Bible. And these stories that they heard, 07:09 they spread if you will, like wildfire. Since the slaves could not read the Bible for themselves. 07:18 They turned these stories into songs and these songs were sang in the field 07:25 and they taught the slaves biblical stories. These songs were known to us as Negro spirituals 07:33 and we sing these songs to the present day. So the stories of the Bible were communicated 07:41 and remembered through music. 07:44 You see, you know, how we say today God is good. 07:49 And then the chorister responded all the time then we say all the time. And then we repeat God is good. 07:56 You know what I'm talking about. God is good, all the time and all the time, God is good. 08:02 We call that in the black church call-and-response. 08:07 This rhetorical pattern comes from our ancestors who were slaves. 08:12 This is how they taught one another the Bible. 08:16 The worship leader would read from the Bible during the service and the congregation would repeat what 08:22 was said. God is good, all the time and all the time, God is good. This is how they learned the word of God. 08:33 This is our history. 08:35 So then today in 2021, when the preacher gets to preaching and the people start talking back to the preacher. 08:43 Do not tell the people to be quiet. Do not tell the people to hush up. Do not tell the people to be silent. 08:49 Let the people say "Amen". Let the people say "Hallelujah". Let the people say "Thank you, Jesus". 08:56 Let them talk back to the preacher. That is who we are. That is what we do in the Black Church. 09:03 It is in our DNA. It is call-and-response. Stop letting people tell you that our black worship is wrong. 09:13 Our black worship is not wrong. Our worship style has its roots in our African ancestry not European ancestry. 09:23 I told you a couple of weeks ago, that we need to get in touch with the African side of our identity. 09:28 We need to remember the great ancient cities that we built. The many contributions that we made to science 09:35 and medicine, literature and the arts, religion and business. 09:39 We need my friends to get in touch with the African side of us. 09:43 To know that we are a great people with a great history. Where men are kings, 09:49 women are queens and children affirm every aspect of their identity. We are a great people, 09:57 with a great history and we must never forget that God has always done great things to Africans. 10:06 You see many of us. We do not understand how real important God was to our ancestors 10:12 but our ancestors they really believed in God. I am talking about they really believed in God. 10:18 When they did not have any money they believed. When they did not have any food they believed. 10:24 When they did not have any respect they believed. 10:28 And they believed that one day there was going to be a better day. That one day Jesus was going to come. 10:34 That is why they were able to sing those spiritual Swing Low Sweet Chariot, Coming For To Carry Me Home. 10:40 That is why they were able to sing Ride the Chariot in the Morning. 10:44 And that' is why they were able to sing I have Got My Ticket and Steal Away to Jesus. 10:49 I am not got long to be here. I know you got a little education now. 10:53 I know you have got a little money now, but do not forget where you have come from. 10:58 But just like the children of Israel had forgotten what God had done for them. 11:02 Too many of us have forgotten what God has done for us. We forgotten that our ancestors, 11:08 the God whom our ancestors serve, they serve with conviction. We believe but not with the same focus. 11:15 We believe but not with the same dedication. We believe but not for the same commitment that our ancestors 11:23 had but let us double back to the children of Israel. Let us remember today. 11:28 God had a plan for Israel, but Israel had amnesia. Israel had forgotten what God had done for them. 11:38 The plan for them was to go from slavery in Egypt to the land of milk and honey in the Promised Land 11:44 but they forgot. They had forgotten how God had released ten plagues to fight Pharaoh. 11:50 They had forgotten how God had given them a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. 11:56 They had forgotten how God had made a Red Sea a dry highway. 12:00 They had forgotten that God had defeated the most powerful army on the face of the globe. 12:06 They had forgotten how God had given them water out of a rock. 12:09 They have forgotten how God had given them Manna to eat so they would not go hungry. 12:14 They were slaves one day, but they were saved the next day. But now they have amnesia. 12:20 Now, they have forgotten that God was leading them to the Promised Land. 12:24 So our text says in Numbers Chapter 13 that when they were at the brink of the Promised Land. 12:30 Right there at Kadesh Bible says is that "they sent out 12 spies to view the land. 12:38 God let them see the Promised Land." But the Bible says two reports came back. 12:48 Two spies have one report and ten spies have another reports. Two spies see one thing and they say yes, 12:59 it is what God said. It was, it is a great land. It is flowing with milk and honey. And look at the fruit, 13:07 there are grapes everywhere. There is so much fruit there. Look at all the fruit we bought brought back. 13:14 But then there is an evil report by the other 10. We can not do it. We can not go in. 13:22 The evil report has a downside. 13:25 There are two basic problems of why we can not go in. 13:29 Number one, there are five different groups of people already living in the land 13:33 and there is no room for us to live among them. 13:37 They say, look the people cover the entire land There are Amalekites in the South. 13:43 There are Hittites, there are Jebusites and Amorites up in the mountains. And then near the Jordan River, 13:49 there are the Canaanites. The whole place is covered. We can not get our two 13:54 and a half million people in that territory. There is no place for us to go and pitch our tents. 14:00 There is too many people. 14:02 Number two problem, we would have to fight all these people in succession to get this land. 14:08 We are doomed. We can't do it 14:12 Twelve spies see the land. One report says "we can", the other report says "we can not." 14:21 One report is positive, the other report is negative. One report says it is what God said it would be 14:29 but the other report is talking about what it can't be. Twelve spies see the land. 14:36 It is one thing to have heard about it, but it is another thing to see it. 14:41 Because of the old expression says, "believe none of what you hear and half of what you see." 14:47 So God, let them see it. God, why did he let him see it? 14:52 God let the spies see the Promised Land so they would know that what he has promised, 14:59 He is able to perform. You did not hear me. Let me say that one more time. 15:03 God let the spies see the Promise Land so they would know that what He has promised, 15:12 He is able to perform. 15:14 God let the children of Israel see it. 15:18 He gave them vision. He gave them hindsight. He gave them insight. He gave them foresight. 15:26 But once you see it, you have got to seize it. 15:29 The Bible says they saw it but what they said force them to missed it. 15:35 But I believe I have got a witness in this place who knows that when God shows you something, 15:41 when God shows you the Promised Land, you have got to be careful what comes out of your mouth. 15:46 Because the power of life and death is in your tongue. Are you hearing what I am saying? 15:51 The children of Israel saw it. They saw the Promised Land but they started speaking foolishness. 16:00 There are too many people. We can not fight all these people. They are giants and we are grasshoppers. 16:08 But notice now the enemy did not call them grasshoppers. They have called themselves grasshoppers. 16:18 I said they have called themselves grasshoppers. We can not do it. We are too small. 16:28 We do not have enough money. Our system will not allow it. We do not have enough resources. 16:37 We are grasshoppers, but the Giants said we know who you are. You are God's chosen. You are God's blessed. 16:46 But because they did not know who they were. You do not hear what I am saying? I am here to tell somebody, 16:51 don not you realize who you are? Do not you realize who is you are? You are a child of the Most High God. 16:58 You are a King's kid. You are God's son. You are God's daughter. You are an heir of salvation. 17:05 Purchase of God, born of God's Spirit. Washed in God's blood. 17:11 Do not you know when you go on your job, your devil knows who you are. The Devil knows who you are. 17:17 Do not you know when you go to the doctor, the Devil knows who you are. When you go to the bank, 17:21 the Devil knows who you are. I dare you to stand there with your head down talking about 17:28 "I do not know what I am going to do. I am afraid to do this. I can not do that". 17:30 The Devil knows who you are, why do not you? You are a child of God. You are sitting on a ton of dynamites. 17:37 You have got Holy Ghost's power. You have got power. 17:41 Paul said it best, "And now unto Him who is able to do exceeding, abundantly 17:48 and above all we could ever ask or think according to the power that worketh in us". 17:52 You have got to speak life over your life. But praise God for Caleb, I said praise God for Caleb, 17:59 the Bible says "Caleb stilled the people". Caleb said "wait a minute do not you know who you are, 18:05 do not you know who we are, do not you know that when we were in Egypt God was with you when you were in 18:11 Egypt God brought you out". There is an anointing on your life God protected you in the wilderness 18:18 God brought my water out of a rock. God gave manna from heaven when you were hungry, 18:23 you never change your clothes. God set up a dry cleaners in the desert 18:26 and you woke up every morning with the same thing on still smelling fresh. 18:31 Snakes bit you, but you did not die because Moses lifted up his rod and you were healed, 18:37 but the problem is you forgotten and now you walk around talking about I do not know what I am going to do. 18:45 I do not know how I am gonna do it. I do not know how I am gonna get well. 18:50 I do not know how I am going to finish school. I do not know. I do not think I would ever have a husband. 18:56 I do not think I may ever have a wife. I do not think I am ever going to find a job. 19:02 But Caleb said ''hush, stop all that negative talk, shut your mouth". Let us go up at once 19:15 and let us possess it because we are well able to overcome it 19:22 and I just came to remind somebody today that you are able I said you are able 19:30 and you want to know why you are able? You are able not because you are able but you are able 19:36 because He is able. He heal the brokenhearted. He set the captive free, He made the lame to walk again 19:46 because the blind to see, He is able he got you out of Egypt. 19:50 He got you out of the Wilderness. 19:53 He got you water out of a rock and I come to tell somebody today that He can get you in your Promised Land. 19:59 He can get you from slavery to Salvation. I have come too far to turn back now. Let me tell you something. 20:06 I have preached too many sermons. I have sung too many songs. I have cried to many tears. 20:13 I have returned too much tithe and offering to miss out on Promised Land. 20:17 I have been through too much to be tiptoeing around the promised land. 20:22 I have been through too many tests too many trials through many tribulations. 20:26 I have had too many people talk about me. I have had too many people to doubt me 20:31 and if I have come this far I made up in my mind that I am not going to sit around 20:37 and wonder whether or not I am going in I am going in the promised land I am going in with authority. 20:42 Devil, you should have killed me when you had the chance devil. 20:46 You should have killed me 22 years ago in that accident when you have the chance 20:50 because I am going in. I am going in the promised land. I am not going to hell for anybody. 20:56 God did not promise me hell, God promised me heaven. God promised me a long white robe. 21:01 God promised me a sea of glass. God promised me Gates of Pearl and streets of gold. 21:06 God called promised me a mansion. God promised me heaven, and I am going in. 21:11 Let me tell you I am trying to help somebody right now. Do not come to church and sing 21:15 and shout but do not go in. 21:18 Do not know all the Commandments but do not go in. Don not know the spirit of Prophecy from cover to cover 21:23 but still do not go in. Do not study your Sabbath school lesson, but do not go in. 21:27 Do not be a church leader, but do not go in. Do not be this moralist on the outside and do not go in. 21:32 Do not go through slavery and it is now time to get your salvation, but you do not go in. 21:38 Do not you let anything or anybody stop you from going in 21:43 So I close with this story. There is a story of a boy who had a father. Who he really did not know. 21:51 He did not know his father as well as he should but this father sent his son on a long trip, 21:58 his father gave him a letter and he said "now son take this letter and I want you to go to this city, 22:08 and we need to get to the city, you'll understand what to do." And so the boy went you understand that 22:18 the boy's father. 22:20 Really did not tell him where to go. He just told him to go that way has God ever done anybody like 22:27 that where God just pointed and said "that way" you said "Lord, 22:32 you did not tell me how long the trip was going to take. 22:34 You did not tell me what street to go on you just told me to go that way." 22:38 I wish I had somebody that knew what I was talking about. And so the boy was on the road 22:43 and it started raining the boys started traveling and walking through all of the elements. 22:49 Snakes were snapping at him. Lions were roaring at him but the boy kept on going the boy kept on his 22:56 journey a year passed and the young boy was child still trying to figure out "what is the purpose in it all? 23:03 I still have not gotten to where my father told me where I was supposed to go." 23:08 Anybody know what I am talking about the years just go on and on in your life 23:12 and you still have not gotten to what the Lord has sent you after two years of traveling the young boy got 23:17 to that city. 23:19 You got there about three o'clock in the morning and there were some guards standing by the gate to the city. 23:25 Guards were holding their posts and that city was on lockdown the boy had been through the storm. 23:33 He had been through the rain. He have had some heartaches. 23:39 He have had some pain the boy was limping the boy could barely stand at the gates, 23:45 but the soldier just stood there at attention. The boy stood and looked at the soldier and he said, 23:52 "Excuse me, Sir. I am supposed to get in this gates." The soldier says, "Son, 23:58 You gonna have to come back Monday. It is Friday now and we are locked down. 24:02 You are going to have to come back on Monday morning." 24:05 But the boy began to think about how far he had come and the boy said "Sir, You do not understand. 24:11 I have been on this road for two years and you mean to tell me that I have got to wait two more days." 24:18 Then all of a sudden the boy then remembered that his father had given him a letter. 24:25 He did not know his father like he should he did not know what the letter says, 24:31 but he took that letter out and he said to that Soldier, "Excuse me, Sir. 24:37 My daddy told me to give you this letter." The soldier opened up the letter 24:46 and he began to read the letter. And unbeknownst to what was in the letter to that boy the soldier 24:57 turned around and he said to his other fellow soldiers "open up the gates the King's son is here." 25:08 And I just stopped by to tell somebody on my way to heaven that I do not care what the devil says. 25:16 All you have got to do is tell the devil. I have got a letter from my daddy, open up the gates. 25:24 I am coming in. I am coming in with authority. I have been through too much. 25:29 I am coming by force no weapon formed against me is going to prosper my God shall supply all of my needs. 25:36 If God before us who can be against us? Today who is going in, who is going in the promised land? 25:44 Better tell somebody, I am Going in 25:49 I am going in some of you need to go to your job on Monday morning and tell your boss. 25:52 "I have got a note from my daddy. I can do all things through Christ, which strengtheneth me." 25:59 Somebody needs to go to the doctor this week and say "Excuse me, Mr. Doctor, 26:04 but have got a note from my daddy by his stripes I am healed." 26:09 Somebody you have been through trial and tribulation, but you need to let somebody know. 26:15 I got a note from my daddy weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning time. 26:22 Somebody is been messing with you. Somebody is been talking about you. Somebody is been lying to you, 26:29 but I have got a note from my daddy, fret not thyself because of evildoers. 26:34 Neither be thou envious of the workers of iniquity. God's gonna cut him down but like the grass. 26:40 Somebody, you are tired of bondage. You are tired of chains. 26:44 You have got a note from your daddy that where the spirit of the Lord is there is liberty. 26:55 Somebody, you are tired of this Earth. 26:57 You are tired of sin. You are tired of the coronavirus. You are tired of racism. 27:09 Read the note from your daddy, let not your heart be troubled. 27:15 You believe in God believe also in Me In My Father's House. 27:21 There are many mansions if it were not so I would have told you I go and prepare a place for you if I go 27:25 and prepare a place for you. I will come again and receive you unto myself. 27:31 that were I am,there He may be also. When the troubles of this world come I dare you to read the 27:45 note from our daddy. So today God is calling you from slavery, to Salvation. Are you tired of sin? 27:59 Thank you very much for tuning in to this week's Breath of Life broadcast. 28:03 We hope and pray that you've been blessed by Dr. Byrd's inspirational message. 28:08 If you would like to hear this sermon in its entirety, 28:10 please feel free to visit us at www.breathoflife.tv. 28:16 Or, call us at (256) 929-6460. 28:22 [END] |
Revised 2021-02-25