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Series Code: BOLS
Program Code: BOLS000167S
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00:02 #S088 - “Lift Before You Leap” (Part 2)
00:20 Welcome to The Breath of Life. 00:21 Television Ministries broadcast with Pastor Debleaire Snell. 00:26 today's episode, Pastor Snell will continue with part 00:30 two of the powerful message “Lift 00:34 Before You Leap” Now let's go deeper 00:38 into the Word of God and see friends of mine. 00:41 Let me just say this, 00:42 because when we talk about the salvation of our young people, 00:46 how many of us understand 00:47 that the way you keep young people in church, 00:52 it is not by having elaborate forms of entertainment, 00:57 like the way you keep young people in church. 01:00 It's not just through indoctrination. 01:02 It is not just through entertainment. 01:05 It is teaching them to serve in the House of the Living God. 01:10 And if studies show that those that served as youth 01:15 tend to be anchored as adults because there is something 01:18 about taking ownership when you you're young, 01:22 when service gets in your DNA, 01:24 it helps propel you into your adult life. 01:28 And we need more folks that want ownership of the mission 01:32 and not the position. 01:35 You see, we got a lot of folks that want the position, 01:39 but we're not loyal to the mission. 01:41 But we need a church where everybody goes to work. 01:44 Y'all hear me today, friends? 01:45 And so today, friends. 01:47 The third thing that this story teaches us is that God 01:51 is able to fix the parts that have never worked. 01:56 So God says this thing is getting good to me every. 02:00 Today. Church. 02:01 Listen, I need somebody to know that your God is so great 02:05 that he can fix the parts that have never worked. 02:08 In other words, 02:09 I need somebody to know that your prenatal condition 02:14 doesn't have to be your permanent condition. 02:17 In fact, the scriptures say, friends, that this man 02:20 has been crippled since the time of his mother's womb. 02:26 In other words, there are parts of his muscular 02:31 skeletal system that have never been ambulatory. 02:35 They have never moved. 02:39 It has been impotent from the time he was born. 02:44 Now, friends of mine, I need you to get that. 02:48 This is a different challenge to the faith experience, 02:53 because, see, it's one thing to have something 02:55 that was working and malfunctions, 02:59 because at least you have a point of reference 03:02 to know that if it did once ago, long ago, 03:05 that maybe it will again. 03:07 But it's a whole nother experience 03:10 when you've got parts that have never worked. 03:15 And the reason I want to say this quickly is because there is 03:18 somebody that is wrestling with the idea of a leap year. 03:24 There is somebody that to you it feels like preacher hype 03:28 and church mantra because you're dealing with some situations 03:34 that have never worked. 03:37 In other words, it has been impotent or dead 03:40 from the start and see it would be one thing 03:44 if there were scenarios that started well and went bad, 03:47 so that at least you would have a point 03:49 of reference in your mind. 03:51 But there are some that are on the verge of depression 03:55 because you've got 03:56 some parts of your life that have never worked. 04:01 In other words, there is somebody listening today. 04:04 And for you, marriage did not go off the rails 04:08 at year three, but it was toxic in your courtship 04:13 and it went off the rails the day at the altar 04:17 and for some marriage did stop working. 04:20 For some marriage never worked. 04:23 For some, it's not like the job went bad 04:27 after a year or two, but the rumors and the slanders 04:31 and the persecution started from the day you began 04:34 your employment. 04:35 The situation never worked. 04:38 There is somebody today. 04:40 It's not as if you miscarried and lost the baby. 04:44 The problem with your home is that you can't even get 04:47 pregnant. 04:48 The life on conception process hasn't taken place. 04:52 It's never worked. 04:54 And it's hard for some to admit 04:57 that maybe you've been in the church your whole life 05:00 and you've been around all religious things, 05:03 and it feels like prayer has never worked 05:07 for some church has never worked for some. 05:12 It feels like faith has never worked. 05:15 But I am here to announce today 05:18 that this story was bound to end Scripture, 05:22 to let somebody know that we serve the God 05:28 that is able to fix things, that have always been broken 05:33 and needs somebody to know that even if your marriage 05:37 never works, give it to God and let Him turn it around. 05:41 Maybe prayer feels like it's never worked. 05:44 Give it to God and let him turn it around. 05:47 For some, the job has never worked. 05:51 Go in with a different spirit and let God turn it around. 05:54 Because we serve the God 05:57 that fixes things that have never worked. 06:03 Let me say it this way. 06:03 I remember 06:05 friends of mine when I was pastor, my 06:06 first church in in West Point, Mississippi. 06:09 And I remember at the end of the year, 06:10 our church board did a little, little, little Secret Santa 06:14 kind of gift giveaway kind of thing. 06:16 And I remember I, I got the card. 06:18 One of the, the mothers of the church. 06:21 And as I remember, I went to the Burlington 06:24 Coat Factory in our town. 06:25 We didn't have a whole lot of places to shop. 06:29 And I don't mean to shade any particular store, 06:31 but sometimes places like Burlington and Ross, 06:34 you got to be careful. 06:35 We're getting electronic gadgets, our jewelry, 06:39 because sometimes they have a very short lifespan 06:43 when you buy them from these types of stores. 06:44 And and so I remember I decided I was going to get the sister 06:48 a watch. 06:49 It was a brand name watch. 06:51 And I was excited because it had a good price on it. 06:55 And so I got it about a week before the occasion 06:57 and I wrapped the gift and I gave it to her 07:00 at the board meeting 07:01 and and I remember calling the check on and I said, 07:04 Well, sis, how are you enjoying the watch? 07:06 And her response was kind of tepid and indifferent. 07:09 And I said, Is everything okay? 07:11 And she says, Pastor, I loved the watch. 07:14 But she says, When I spend the watch, 07:17 this brand new watch was not working. 07:22 And so I need you to know that I'm as embarrassed as I can be. 07:26 And so I let her know that I'm going out of town 07:27 for about a week. 07:29 But when I get back, I'm going to have the receipt. 07:32 I'm going to take it back and get you some new shoes. 07:34 Trying to be nice to say pass the. Don't worry about it. 07:37 But I said as soon as I get back to town, 07:40 I'm going to take care of it. 07:41 And true to my word, as soon as I got back to town, 07:45 I called her and said, Do you have the watch? 07:48 I want to take it back to the store. 07:49 She says, Pastor, there is no need to do that. 07:53 The watch is working just fine. 07:55 And so I said, How is it all of a sudden working? 07:59 Did you take it to a watch repair shop? 08:01 She says, No. 08:02 What I did, she said, I called the one 800 number in the box. 08:07 And what she said was, I called the manufacturer 08:11 and told her 08:12 I had a brand new watch, but the watch had never worked. 08:17 And what they mailed me was a letter of petition 08:22 and they said, fill out the petition form 08:26 and send the watch back to the manufacturer. 08:30 But they said, don't send it without the letter of petition. 08:34 And so she sent it 08:35 to the manufacturer with a letter of petition. 08:40 And I don't know if they fixed the old one or 08:42 if they gave her a brand new one, but guess what? 08:45 The watch was fixed when she gave it back 08:48 to the manufacturer with the letter of petition. 08:53 Oh God, I feel my help coming on when you got something 08:57 that never works, I need you to go to the manufacturer 09:03 and go with the petition on your lips 09:06 and go to the manufacturer of the marriage 09:10 and say, God, you gave me the marriage. 09:12 And so I'm here with the petition 09:16 and I need you to fix what never worked. 09:18 Say, God, you gave me the job 09:21 and I'm here with the petition 09:24 and I need you to fix what never works. 09:27 You're saying, God, you gave me the ministry. 09:30 You assigned me to the task. 09:32 So I'm giving it back to you, and I'm making my petition 09:38 because I serve the God that can fix what never works. 09:43 I need somebody to give your church back 09:45 to the manufacturer and make a petition and say, 09:50 God, I need you to revive it. 09:55 Because this church seems like it's not working as it should. 09:59 You are here in the word today, friends. 10:01 So I need you to know we serve the God 10:03 that can fix things that have never, ever worked. 10:06 Saints. 10:07 Then I want to say here real quick, 10:09 and this thing got good to me as I dug into it. 10:14 You see, the next thing this story teaches us is that 10:17 delay 10:19 is not denial. 10:24 I'm praying that somebody gets this tonight. 10:26 Listen, I need somebody to recognize that delay 10:30 is not necessarily denial. 10:33 Now, I didn't really always get this 10:36 until I found out 10:39 how the man wound up 10:42 at the gate of the temple begging for money every day. 10:47 In other words, this was not his life habit. 10:50 This was not his life's goal. 10:54 He is not a beggar by trade, 10:58 but he is there because of disappointment. 11:02 He has failed to recognize that delay doesn't mean denial. 11:07 So look quickly with me, two Acts of the Apostles. 11:10 Page 57. 11:12 Acts of the Apostles. Page 57. 11:15 I want you to see this with me. 11:16 Acts of the Apostles. 11:18 Page number 57. 11:20 Listen to what Elamite says. 11:21 He says This unfortunate man had long desire 11:26 to see Jesus that he might be healed, 11:30 but he was almost helpless and was far removed 11:36 from the scene of the great physicians labor. 11:38 His pleadings at last induce 11:41 some friends to bear him to the gate of the temple. 11:45 But upon arriving there, 11:48 he found that the one upon whom his hopes 11:52 had been cemented had been put to death. 11:56 His disappointment 11:57 excited the sympathy of those who knew for how long. 12:01 He had eagerly hoped to be healed by Jesus. 12:04 And daily they brought him to the temple 12:07 and ordered that the passers by 12:09 might be induced by pity 12:12 to give him a trifle 12:15 to relieve his wants. 12:18 I'm not sure if we caught that today. 12:20 In other words, the reason the man wound up at 12:25 the temple is you realize that Jesus would do 12:29 most of his miracles on the Sabbath day at the temple. 12:36 And so while Jesus was living, he got word that there was 12:41 a man named Jesus that healed blind eyes, 12:46 that gave hearing to deaf ears, that gave lepers 12:50 their life again, that gave the cripple the ability to walk 12:55 and understand. 12:56 The problem is that the brother could never get there 13:00 in person to where Jesus was doing these great works. 13:03 So he finally appealed 13:04 to some of his boys to get him to the temple 13:09 so that he could meet the man Jesus. 13:12 But by the time he got there, 13:15 Jesus was crucified 13:18 and had already been raised and went back to glory 13:22 and understand that the man thought that it was too late. 13:28 The man just be ex because he assumes there ain't no help. 13:34 In other words, he thinks that because his timing was bad 13:39 that the cry of his heart had been denied. 13:44 But guess what? 13:45 Before, even though he couldn't see Jesus, 13:49 Jesus knew His need. 13:52 Jesus knew His heart's desire. 13:56 And even though Jesus went back to glory, 13:59 God sent Peter and John 14:02 to do what Jesus would have done 14:05 if He had still been there on Earth. 14:09 And see friends of mine, I need you to understand 14:12 that the apostles went forth in Jesus name. 14:15 In fact, Jesus told the Apostles great and works. 14:19 Then these shall you do in my name and see. 14:25 This man thought he had been denied 14:30 when the truth is, it had just been delayed. 14:33 And why am I saying this today? 14:35 Because I have somebody today that has been waiting for a year 14:38 for a long time. 14:39 There's somebody that's reached a certain age 14:43 and you feel like it's over and it's too late. 14:46 There is somebody that's been praying about some things 14:48 and it feels like 14:50 it's never going to come to pass and it feels like it's over. 14:55 There are some of us that have suffered certain defeats, 14:58 whether it is spiritually or relationally, 15:00 and for you it just feels like it is over. 15:04 But the healing of this man teaches us something powerful, 15:07 that it's not over 15:11 until God says that it's over. 15:15 You see? You see. 15:16 That's why Jesus, the apostles in his name. 15:22 Because Jesus is teaching us 15:24 the principle of the earthquake. Hmm. 15:28 You see, how many of us know that when there is 15:32 an earthquake, it causes things to shake violently. 15:38 But even after the earthquake finishes, 15:42 you've got to still be careful, because sometime 15:44 after the earthquake, you have what they call aftershocks 15:49 that still shake things into being and see 15:52 somebody misstepped 15:54 because the man thought it was over 15:56 when he heard that Jesus died. 15:59 But Matthew 27, 51, says that when he gave up the ghost 16:04 that the temple veil was torn in half, 16:07 and that the earth began to shake. 16:10 That the day that Jesus died. 16:13 That there was an earthquake when he died 16:16 and there was another earthquake and the resurrection. 16:18 But guess what? 16:19 Even though Jesus died and the Earth shook, that 16:23 didn't mean it was over, because he sent the apostles 16:27 in his name. 16:28 And the apostles will be the aftershocks 16:32 so that even though he didn't get the earthquake, 16:36 he was healed in the aftershock 16:39 when Peter and James walked into the temple that day. 16:44 Oh, you're all here in this thing today. 16:46 Listen, friends of mine listening say this way. 16:48 I remember this week, 16:49 I sadly, there was a terrible earthquake in the area of Tibet, 16:54 a seven point something on the Richter scale, 16:58 and they sold this very interesting video 17:00 of an area where a fruit tree had been taken. 17:04 And because it was shaken, it threw a bunch of fruit down 17:08 to the ground. 17:09 And so once the earthquake was over, a bunch of dogs 17:12 had come to eat the fruit that had fallen to the ground. 17:17 And after a while, a small dog came 17:20 and he wanted to get in on the fun. 17:23 But these dogs who had been there earlier had eaten up 17:26 all the fruit that was there on the ground. 17:30 And after they ate the fruit that was on the ground, 17:33 guess what? All the big dogs went away. 17:35 And guess what? 17:35 That little baby dog 17:37 was just stuck there standing up at the tree. 17:41 In other words, he thought he got there too late. 17:44 He thought there was nothing left over. 17:47 But then a few minutes later, the camera caught 17:51 and aftershock hit the area and the fruit 17:54 that was left on the tree got knocked down to the ground. 17:59 And that dog that thought there was nothing 18:02 had four or five pieces by himself 18:05 because he was fed by the aftershock. 18:08 Let me just say to somebody who feels like 18:11 it's over, he feels like it's all gone. 18:15 Just sit still a little longer. 18:17 Sometimes God has an aftershock 18:21 where he's gonna supply all of your needs. 18:26 And see, I love this story 18:28 because it shows us something powerful. 18:30 You see, I love when it comes up on this joint. 18:33 He sees Peter and John and Peter and John say, Yo, bro, 18:36 look at us. 18:37 And the Bible says he looked at them expecting 18:42 to receive something from them. 18:45 And it's crazy because what this teaches 18:46 us, friends of mine, 18:48 is never get mad when you don't get exactly what you ask for. 18:53 Since he notice 18:54 that that the man all he wants 18:58 is something to help him make it to tomorrow. 19:02 But what God has planned is something that's gone. 19:06 Change his tomorrow. 19:08 All He wants is to be able to get to the next day. 19:13 But God has set it up to change the rest 19:17 of the days of his natural born life. 19:21 And it's crazy because Alan White makes it clear, 19:23 and that's of the apostles 19:24 that he expects to just get some change. 19:28 He's expecting to get a loaf of bread. 19:32 And when Peter and John 19:34 say silver and gold have a nun, 19:40 she says the brother's countenance falls. 19:45 The brother gets an attitude. 19:48 In other words, his spirit is rough. 19:51 He's mad that Peter and John are wasting his time. 19:54 He's like, If you ain't got no silver 19:56 and gold, 19:56 you ought to go 19:57 right on in there to the temple 19:59 if you ain't got nothing to give. 20:01 But I've learned not to get mad when you don't get exactly 20:06 what you asked for. 20:07 For Peter and John sent silver and gold out of hand. 20:12 But what I had 20:15 is greater than what you're asking. 20:18 And in the name of Jesus of Nazareth, I want you to rise. 20:25 Take up your bed and walk. 20:28 And this is one of the 20:29 things I want to pass to somebody today, 20:31 because you haven't gotten or received what you ask for. 20:35 This would have come to believe 20:36 that when you don't get what you ask for 20:39 is usually because what you ask for is below 20:41 what God planned to give you in the first place. 20:44 In other words, all He want is a survival death, 20:47 but God wants to give him an empowering gift. 20:51 All He wants is something to make it till tomorrow. 20:54 But God literally wants to change his tomorrow. 20:58 See the problem with most of us? 20:59 It is not that we ask too often 21:04 for most of us are seeing is that we ask too small. 21:08 How many of us know that? 21:09 One writer I know 21:10 says that we need to learn to make big demands of God. 21:16 In fact, there are times where God is insulted 21:20 by our tiny petitions. 21:23 In other words, church, if I ever had a sit down 21:26 with Bill Gates, ah, the owner of Amazon and 21:31 and he says ask and it shall be give it like 21:34 if I get an appointment with Jeff Bezos, 21:37 I ain't asking him for lunch money. 21:38 I are here with him saying today that because I talk to him, 21:43 I'm gonna make Apple ask for so much 21:46 that he's going to be tempted to run me out of his house. 21:50 And what I'm saying is 21:51 that you've been given an invitation to him 21:54 by the God that owns the cattle upon a thousand heel. 22:01 And the problem is all we're asking for is survival 22:05 principles. 22:06 Lord, let me make it to the day. 22:10 Instead of saying, Lord, help me conquer 22:12 the day, Lord, just pay the bill. 22:16 Instead of saying, Lord, rebuke the Devourer for my sake, 22:20 Lord, just help me bear the pain. 22:23 Instead of praying, Lord, take away the disease. 22:26 Lord, just help us 22:27 have a good day in church where I pray for Pentecost 22:32 every time we gather in his name. 22:35 Because Ephesians 320 says Now one to him 22:40 that is able to do exceedingly and abundantly. 22:45 Above all, you can ask, I think according to the power 22:49 that is at work within him in you as he friends of mine. 22:53 I love what Peter does. 22:57 So the Bible says stay with at church. 23:00 The Bible says that Peter tells the man to rise, 23:04 take up his mat and walk. 23:09 But I need you to notice something that powerful 23:11 that Peter did. 23:12 The Bible says, Chris, that Peter 23:17 grabbed him by the right hand. 23:20 And the Bible says that he lifted him up. 23:25 And the Bible says as he lifted him, then suddenly 23:28 his ankle bones and his legs receive their strength. 23:34 Now, this is the difference between the man 23:36 and accept the three and accept the point. 23:40 Last week we read about a man that 23:42 while the sermon was going on, he had the faith to be healed 23:47 so that once 23:48 the command was given, he didn't need nobody to help him up. 23:53 The Bible says he leaked to his feet, 23:57 but this man didn't have the faith to be healed, 24:01 so he literally needed Peter to grab him by the hand 24:06 and lift him up. 24:09 All right. 24:10 Why is that important? 24:11 Notice that Peter didn't tell the man 24:16 to pull himself up by his own bootstraps. 24:21 Because understand that Christians do not outsource 24:25 the responsibility of supplying 24:28 a need to the one that has the need. 24:33 And this is the principle of somebody today. 24:36 Notice that before the man could leap, 24:38 somebody had to lift him. 24:42 And see, 24:43 I need somebody to know that a leap year is not selfish. 24:46 Even though Peter 24:47 has received his leap 24:49 and he has received the outpouring 24:50 of the Holy Ghost, he doesn't walk in the church 24:53 like, Yo, I got mine. 24:54 You get yours. 24:56 Because his leap year is not just about how far he goes. 25:02 It's about those that he lifts and brings 25:05 with him along the way. 25:09 And this is the principle I want to share real quick. 25:12 How many of us know that Peter lives for me 25:16 and I need somebody to embrace this? 25:19 Because intercession is not just prayer. 25:23 It's involvement. 25:27 I need somebody to hear me on this. 25:28 That intercession is not just how much you pray 25:32 from a distance. 25:34 It's how much you get involved in person and see, there are 25:39 some of us that our intercession is incomplete 25:44 because all we do is pray and say in Jesus name. 25:49 But God did you to do more than just pray and intercede. 25:54 He needs some members of the body that will get involved 25:59 and make a difference in the life of somebody else. 26:02 So that Peter lifts the man 26:05 and Peter graces the man. 26:08 And the Bible says that he holds on to the man 26:11 until they go walking into the temple together 26:16 and the word to somebody today is that God has positioned you 26:19 this year because a leap year is not a selfish year. 26:23 He's called you to get involved. 26:24 Help me, Holy Spirit. 26:25 He has called you to get involved 26:27 in the life of somebody else. 26:29 He he's not called you just to pray from a distance. 26:33 But God has called you to help give somebody a financial lift. 26:38 Some are called to give an emotional lift. 26:42 Some have been called to give a spiritual lift. 26:46 Some, when you involve your time, you will give a lift 26:51 when you give your account so you can give a lift. 26:54 And what I'm saying today is that you can't be a missionary 26:58 from a distance. 27:00 We need some folks that are willing to roll up their sleeves 27:04 and get their hands dirty with circumstance 27:08 and belong with folks that got issues. 27:11 How many of us know that you don't come into the church 27:14 and all your bad habits fall off? 27:17 But you need somebody that's going to lift you and walk 27:20 with you and stabilize you until your muscles 27:25 get strong enough for you to get 27:28 on your own. |
Revised 2025-04-08