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Series Code: BOLS
Program Code: BOLS000043S
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00:06 Sermon #S023 - I'M Out Of Options - Part 2)
00:19 Welcome to the Breath of Life Television Ministries broadcast with Pastor Debleaire Snell! 00:25 In today's episode, Pastor Snell will share Part Two of the dynamic message entitled: “I'm Out of Options.” 00:34 Now, lets go into the Word of God. 00:39 Pastor Snell: And see, I need us to know that what God is saying is, I'm just going to stay in the pantry like oatmeal. 00:45 And I'm just going to keep letting things disappoint you until you turn to the God that can satisfy you. 00:52 See, I need you to understand, friends of mine, that there are certain things that don't satisfy. 00:57 What will happen is everything in life, you build up a tolerance to it. See, it's crazy because I'm upset. 01:05 In our time, we have the church that is kind of allowing ourselves to become a part of the weed and alcohol culture. 01:13 [Congregation: Amen] 01:19 Let me stand in on this for a minute. See, the problem is we got too many Jesus supplements. 01:28 In other words, I want Jesus, and I want Jesus in addition to. 01:32 But how many of us know that Christ is so epic in the life that everything else is a faulty counterfeit for the joy that we 01:42 find in Jesus? Are y'all hearing the word today, friends? See, everything that takes your high, guess what? 01:50 Is going to bring you back down. But you got to let Jesus fill up your life. Because at the end of the day, 01:58 you're going to build up a tolerance to it. 02:01 So you only have to smoke a little weed to feel good, 02:06 but now you got to smoke ten blunts to get the same high that one used to bring. 02:11 There was a time you used to drink just to get a buzz but now you drink just to feel normal. 02:18 In other words, we get to a place where we build up a tolerance to everything in this life 02:22 because none of it is able to provide any lasting satisfaction. It cannot provide any lasting joy and like the woman, 02:30 you're going to try all these different types of drinks and all these different types of men 02:34 and all these different types of apps and all these different types of relationships. 02:37 And what God is saying to somebody is, I don't need any supplements. And as we said two weeks ago, 02:43 your supplements become substitutes and you got to get to a place where you realize, man, that didn't work, 02:49 and this didn't work and that didn't help. It started out good, but emptiness, ultimately emerged, 02:55 and like the woman, you got to realize, man, I'm down to my last dime. I tried everything, I've tried every one, 03:02 and I need you to know, friends of mine, that the day she ran out of options was not her worst day. 03:10 But the day she ran out of options was the best day because it wasn't until she ran out of options that she decided to go 03:22 and see Jesus. 03:25 See, friends of mine, I need you to get, beloved, that she has had this disease for 12 years. Are y'all hearing me, saints? 03:32 And I need you to hear this, friends, because, see, what the Bible does not make clear is that this is a fatal condition 03:38 because remember, she's not just losing blood, it is literally the essence of her life that is flowing out of her. 03:45 The Bible says it best in the Old Testament that the life is in the what? The blood. And so I need you to see this thing, 03:53 man, where after she walks out of the doctor's office for the last time, as she goes and she checks her bank account 04:00 and there ain't no more money to hide it, there ain't no more money to fix it, there ain't no more money to manage it, 04:07 the Bible says that providentially she overheard somebody talking about Jesus 04:14 and it was only in the absence of an Earthly solution that she decided that my last help is God. 04:23 See, friends, I need you to know that sometimes the devil makes a mistake when he rips away all your options. 04:32 It's amazing how in his book Sun Tzu, the author of the book, The Art of War, he says something very strange. 04:41 He says, even when you have an enemy on the run, he says, you need to always leave the enemy an outlet. 04:48 He says, you always want to leave him a way of escape, not because you're going to let him go. 04:54 But when you get an enemy that's down to their last option, he says, they will fight with courage 05:01 and despair when they realize they ain't got no options left. 05:06 And can somebody let the devil know that you made a mistake when you push me into the corner, 05:13 you should have left a way for me to get out because now, I'm not fighting with skills, I'm fighting out of a courage, 05:20 I'm fighting out of a despair. I realized I ain't got nothing else to lose. I ain't got nothing else to go. 05:28 I'm gonna die if I don't fight anyhow. And do I got some folks who are out of options that are saying if I'm going to go, 05:37 I'm going out swinging in Jesus' name? Are y'all hearing the word today? 05:44 [Congregation: Applause] 05:46 So, man, I can see your girl as she ties up her hair in a bun and I can see her putting Vaseline on her face. 05:54 She's taking off those press-on nails and she's tying up that dirty sheet for the last time, and she makes her way into the crowd 06:03 and she makes it up in her mind that if nothing else happened today, I'm going to meet Jesus this afternoon. 06:11 And I love what it says, friends. The Bible says that she makes it up in her mind. 06:20 The word says she says within herself if I can just touch the hem of his garment, I know I can be made whole. 06:34 Somebody missed it. Notice this was not something that somebody said to her, it is something she said to herself. 06:43 Oh, God. See, can I just say to somebody be careful what you tell yourself? See, I didn't believe it when he said it. 06:53 But remember that life and death is in the power of your tongue. 06:57 And see, that's why you got to be careful the messages you give yourself because you're going to be a nurse. 07:04 The Bible says, "By the fruit of your tongue," and see, that's why some of y'all say every year around October I get sick. 07:12 That's why every October you get sick. You say they ain't gonna never change and that's why they ain't never changed. 07:20 You said to yourself, it ain't gonna get better and that's why it's not going to get better. 07:26 And what I'm saying to somebody today is you got to change the dial on your tongue. 07:31 Do I have any blood washed, saints, who are saying I'm going to change the messages I say to myself? 07:41 [Congregation: Amen] 07:43 Pastor Snell: See, I love this woman because before she talks to anybody else she talks to herself. 07:48 Okay, let me say it this way, I need you to know you're not crazy for talking to yourself. You're crazy for talking to them. 07:56 You won't get saved until you start talking to yourself. Are y'all hearing the word today? And, see, friends of mine, I 08:04 need you to know, beloved, that I'm not just talking about, man, humanistic optimism. I'm not talking about this reach up 08:10 and grab it, name it, and claim it. Our fairy tale watered-down faith. 08:14 I'm talking about a people that learned how to speak the promises of God and stand on them like they are concrete. 08:26 Are y'all hearing me today, friends? 08:29 In other words, friends of mine, you got to get to a place where guilt is overwhelming. You got to start talking to yourself. 08:36 Anybody know the promise that says in 1 John 1:9? If I confess my sins, he is faithful and just to forgive me of my sins 08:43 and cleanse me from all unrighteousness. There's somebody that's got some sickness going on in your body, 08:48 and instead of just believing the doctor's report, you ought to declare the word that says, I shall live and not die. 08:55 And that my latter day is greater than the former day. There is somebody that ain't got no money in the bank. 09:02 You ought to quote Psalm 37 which says, "I was young and now I'm old 09:07 and I've never seen the righteous forsaken nor his seed begging after bread." When you ain't got no money in the account, 09:14 remember the promise of Philippians that says, "My God shall supply all your needs according to his riches and glory." 09:23 Instead of waking up with circumstances and saying it's going to be a bad day, won't you wake up and say, 09:30 "This is the day that the Lord has made, I shall rejoice and be glad in it." When all your enemies come at the same time, 09:39 remember that no weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue that rises in judgment, God shall condemn. 09:48 When all your enemies align at the same time, can anybody shout, "The battle is not mine, but it belongs to the Lord?" 09:57 I'm looking for some mature people who ain't always waiting on somebody to come 10:03 and pat them on the back and rub them on the shoulder and say, "Child, it's going to be all right." 10:09 Do I have some saints like David that when there ain't nobody that calls and when nobody stops by and when nobody sends a card, 10:17 I'm going to encourage myself? I'm going to encourage myself in the Lord. 10:30 And it's crazy, friends, I got to see this thing in my mind's eye. 10:33 As she approaches this throng and all these folks are pulling on Jesus, it's crazy because this lady is emaciated, 10:39 her weight is down, her skin is pale, and her bones are feeble 10:44 because of all of the blood that she has lost over such a long period of time, and this is an intimidating moment 10:52 because there's such a large crowd of people who are waiting there in order to see Jesus, and it's crazy 10:58 because she can't get to Jesus. She can't go arm-to-arm with these people. She can't go shoulder-to-shoulder with these people 11:09 and remember where she says, she's not aiming for his head. She ain't trying to get his shoulders. 11:19 She ain't trying to get his waist. She says, if I can just touch the hem of his garment, 11:27 I can know I'll be made whole... watch this. So the lady doesn't charge up into the crowd standing up, 11:34 but the lady gets down on her hands and her knees and she begins to crawl toward Jesus. 11:42 [Congregation: Amen] 11:44 How many of us know that the path to Jesus can only be seen when you get down on your hands and your knees? 11:52 See, y'all still bourgeoisie in here today, y'all worrying about me messing up my suit. 11:57 I'm trying to mess up the devil's kingdom. Are y'all hearing the word today? 12:01 [Congregation: Applause] 12:03 Pastor Snell: And so I need you to know, she gets down on her hands and her knees, and though she stepped on, 12:08 she stays on her knees and though people are trampling her, she stays on her knees. 12:15 And folks are talking about her but she stays on her knees and the reason she gets stepped on, 12:21 the reason she gets trampled is because the devil wants her to get off of her knees. 12:28 But she knows the only way I get to Jesus is if I stay on my hands and knees. Can I just say to the church today? 12:39 No matter what happens tomorrow stay on your knees. It doesn't matter what happens the next day, stay on your knees. 12:47 It doesn't matter who talked about you for always being down there, stay on your knees 12:53 because you can only see Jesus if you stay on your knees, are y'all hearing me today? 12:59 And it's crazy. I can see, man, she's just trying to get to the hem of his garment. And as he moves to the crowd, 13:08 she can see the blue border of the garment waving in the air. And it's crazy because as she gets closer and closer, 13:15 faith begins to swell. Her courage begins to grow, and she reaches out once and misses it. But she stays on her knees. 13:26 See, you may have missed it last time, but stay on your knees, and then, it waves again, she reaches out again, 13:31 but she misses it and somebody steps on her hand but she stays on her knees. 13:36 But eventually, the word says that as she reaches out and she grabs the hem of his garment 13:45 and the Bible doesn't say, later, it doesn't say the next day, it doesn't say in the fullness of time, 13:52 it doesn't say when the doctor got back to her, the Bible says that immediately, the issue of blood was healed. 14:03 Sometimes you'll have to wait, sometimes you'll have to be still but sometimes if you grab it just right, it's going to be healed, 14:14 right then and there. Are y'all hearing the world today, friends? 14:20 And the Bible says she felt within herself that she was healed of the plague. 14:30 So that the measurement for healing didn't start down below her waist, she felt it, oh, she felt it on the inside 14:41 before she saw it on the outside. Oh, God. See the problem is the reason we never get sanctified is 14:48 because we're looking at the outside behavior. But, you know, God starts his work on the inside, 14:55 and when you get born again on the inside, guess what? The outside is going to follow. 15:05 It is crazy because Jesus heals this woman, but I need you to know, there's only one tragedy in the story. 15:13 No, no, actually before I get to that, I love this thing. So, Jesus is walking along minding his own business, 15:20 going to Jairus's house and he says, man, who touched me? No, Jesus is walking. Imagine he's walking 15:29 and he's just like, hmm. He says, "Who touched me?" And so, old loudmouth Peter when ain't nobody else was talking about, 15:48 he's gonna talk up. He goes, "Lord, we are bumping up against you. We're all touching you. How are you gonna say, who touched me?" 15:54 He says this touch was different because when I said, hmm, I felt power come out of me when this touch took place. 16:11 In other words, Jesus didn't look and aim a blessing at the woman, he didn't put his hands on the woman, 16:21 he didn't speak a word to the woman, but because he is divinity wrapped in humanity, 16:29 I need you to know divinity acts involuntarily whenever humanity operates in faith. 16:38 Oh, God, where y'all at to this church? In other words, God said, I didn't even mean the blessing, 16:44 I wasn't even aiming that at you. I was on my way to Jairus's house but because you talked faith, 16:51 because you're acting in faith, because you grabbed me, divinity just aimed itself at you. Are y'all hearing me today, friends? 17:01 [Congregation: Amen] 17:03 Pastor Snell: In other words, you ain't gotta try hard for God to bless you, you just got to believe 17:08 and the power is going to go your way. It is crazy. Do you know what tripped me out about this story? 17:20 This woman has been bleeding for twelve years. She's about to die. She's down to her last dime, 17:33 she feels in herself that she's made whole of the plague but then when Jesus says who touched me? 17:44 In other words, what Jesus is saying is I need a testimony. I need a witness because remember, 17:54 he's going to Jairus's house to heal Jairus's daughter that's about 12 years old. Well, y'all didn't get it. 18:02 So that the same time this woman got sick was the same time that Jairus got his joy 18:10 and so he's been happy as long as she's been sad 18:15 but he needs the woman that's been sick for 12 years to give testimony to what God is able to do, 18:23 but literally, he got to drag her to the front to talk about what he's done for her. 18:30 Do you realize that if you've been that sick for that long 18:35 and you ain't know how you were going to pay your last bill when God comes through for you, 18:40 nobody shouldn't have to tell you to speak a word on behalf of God? When you come into the house, 18:47 nobody should have to beg you to shout. Nobody should have to beg you to praise. 18:51 As a matter of fact, we ought to have to buckle you down in your seat to keep you from giving testimony to the greatness 19:00 and the power of God. See, the problem in the church is we've got too many anonymous miracles, 19:08 miracles that have never been spoken, miracles that have never been witnessed to, 19:15 and testimonies that have been silenced because we are ashamed to speak on behalf of Jesus. 19:21 But do I have any saints like Paul who can say, 19:24 "I'm not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ for it is the power of God until salvation?" 19:33 Look at me crazy if I stand up, if you want to, you don't know where I've been. 19:39 You don't know what I've come out of. You don't know what God has done for me. 19:44 You don't know what God has done. I've been up, I've been down, I've been almost level to the ground, 19:53 but as long as I got King Jesus, I don't need nobody else. Are y'all hearing this? Listen, I want you to see this. 20:06 I'm done. The Desire of Ages, page 344, 347. I want you to see this thing. Man, listen, she literally says, 20:14 the Savior... watch this, church. Could distinguish the touch of faith from the casual contact of the careless throne. 20:31 Yeah, there were other people touching but they were in a casual way. They touched Jesus in a cute way. 20:39 They touched him in a ceremonial way, but this woman is so desperate that she pulled the divinity released from God 20:48 before he even released it. 20:51 Can I say, church? One of the problems is our prayers are too casual, it's too cute, friends. 20:56 Okay, y'all are brand-new today. We're worried about how it sounds, we're worried about what people are going to say, 21:02 we're worried about polysyllabic phrases, we're worried about quoting the King James version 21:07 but how many of us know that when you need something from God, you ain't praying with your head, 21:12 you ain't paying with your education, you're talking about some broken English, 21:16 there's a moan that comes from your soul cause you just need God to do something in your life. 21:22 [Congregation: Amen] 21:23 Are y'all hearing what I'm saying? Listen to this. Look at it. 21:27 She says, many hold faith as in opinion. Oh, God, I'm about to explode. 21:34 See, we hold faith as an opinion, something that can be disputed by somebody that holds up a different opinion. 21:40 Saving faith is a transaction by which those who receive Christ joined themselves in a covenant relationship with God. 21:48 Genuine faith is life. A living faith means an increase of vigor, a confiding trust by which a soul becomes a conquering power. 21:58 Are y'all hearing this thing today, church? 22:00 You got to treat the word of God like a transaction or a covenant that cannot be going back on. 22:08 Are y'all hearing me today? Next page, 347, I want you to see this. After healing the woman, 22:14 Jesus desired her to acknowledge the blessing she had received. 22:20 The gifts which the gospel offers are not to be secured by stealth or enjoyed in secret. 22:29 So that the Lord calls upon us for a confession of his goodness. Ye are witnesses saith the Lord that I am God. 22:38 In other words, friends, what I'm saying is that when God does it, don't sit on it. When God does it, don't hide it. 22:46 I need you to know that whenever God does a miracle, he gives you responsibility. 22:53 Do you realize that the miracle comes with a responsibility to give voice and witness to the great things that God has done? 23:03 So when God pays the bill, don't sit on it, shout about it. When God raises your child home, 23:12 don't just cover it up under the guise of family pride. 23:15 Let somebody whose child is still out here in these streets know what God has done for your child 23:22 and if he's done it for mine, he'll do the same for yours. 23:27 [Congregation: Amen] 23:29 Don't be scared to say, man, I had bad credit but God gave me the house anyway. 23:35 Man, don't get shamed for your credit score, give the glory to the god that overlooked the credit score. 23:46 See, we say God doesn't do miracles. We are just so doggone uppity and self-sufficient that we want folks to think we got it 24:03 and we did it and we pulled ourselves up by our own bootstraps. 24:08 But are there any educated folk in this room that realize the only way you passed the dissertation is because God guided you, 24:16 God provided the money for school? God sent forth to give you laundry detergent when you didn't have money to wash your drawers. 24:24 God sent people to send food. God sent folk the pray on you. Your education ain't about you. Your Ph.D. ain't about you. 24:31 It's about the G-O-D that does all things well. 24:39 Man, don't nobody care about your cum laude, your summa cum laude, take you Lordy up in this thing. 24:46 Are you all hearing what I'm saying today, friends? And I believe we ought to be the praising folk this side of planet Earth. 24:59 Are y'all hearing me today? Simply because we have a knowledge of where God has brought us from. 25:08 Listen, I'm done but I need you to understand something about this lady that we feel like, man, it's bad to be out of options. 25:19 But this lady, salvation did not commence. See what God had to do with it, He had just let all that stuff keep disappointing. 25:27 He had to let all that stuff keep letting her down. And like oatmeal, He just stayed in the back of the pantry, 25:38 and he says, guess what? I don't mind being your last option as long as I become your final option. 25:48 As long as I become your final option. 25:52 And there's somebody today like the book I referenced earlier, God has brought you to the end of yourself. 26:00 He's gotten some of us to a place where we can't contain it anymore. 26:03 He's gotten some of us to a place where just life keeps disappointing 26:06 and disappointing and hurting and hurting and all of that is literally designed to aim you in the direction of the God who saves. 26:13 And so, friends of mine, I want to, in just a moment, I want to present to somebody Jesus Christ, 26:20 the life-giver, the lifesaver, the heart fixing, and so the praise team, 26:25 is going to sing a song and in just a moment I'm going to invite one 26:28 or two last persons to get in a relationship with the Jesus who is real in your soul today. 26:38 Gratitude Project Theme Music) 27:05 And we've traveled from near and far for this single day of family, friends, food and fun. 27:12 It's Thanksgiving, and the year is just about over. So much has happened over the 11 months leading up to this day. 27:20 The good, the bad and the in-between. That's why I am inviting you to be a part of this year's Gratitude Project, 27:28 airing Thanksgiving morning at 10:30 a.m. Central Time on our Breath of Life YouTube page. 27:35 You're going to be blessed with the awesome musical ministry of Jonathan McReynolds, 27:40 Karen Clark Sheard and John Stoddart. I'm going to be giving messages on gratitude 27:46 and will be anchored by testimonies that remind us that we all have a reason to give. 27:52 Thanks. Get ready. Get set. It's time for the Gratitude Project. 28:59 [end] |
Revised 2022-11-17