Participants: John Lomacang (Host), Pr. Cory Jackson
Series Code: FDOF
Program Code: FDOF000017A
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00:17 Hello, and welcome to the 3ABN Worship Center.
00:20 My name is John Lomacang. 00:21 I'll be your host for these meetings, 00:24 "Foundation of our Faith," 00:26 put on by Dare to Dream Network. 00:29 Welcome. 00:30 We know that the Lord has a message in-store 00:32 for everyone of you joining us whether by satellite, 00:35 by internet, whatever the means. 00:37 We want you to stay tuned 00:38 for the Lord has called to this hour, 00:41 a man of God to impart the word of God. 00:45 Our speaker is gonna be Pastor Cory Jackson. 00:48 He was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, 00:51 and became a Seventh-day Adventist Christian 00:54 at 16 years old. 00:56 Now prior to that, 00:57 Pastor Jackson was a probation officer 01:00 in Grand Rapids, Michigan and he's been pastoring now 01:03 for 14 years. 01:06 He is currently the senior pastor 01:08 for the Burns Seventh-day Adventist Church 01:11 in Detroit, Michigan, 01:12 a city that's on the comeback, 01:15 as well as the Inner City Ministries director 01:18 for the Lake Region Conference. 01:20 Pastor Jackson says he loves street evangelism 01:24 connecting with young people, 01:25 bringing the gospel of the kingdom to their hearts. 01:28 He's also internationally known 01:30 as he's been invited around the world, 01:32 to preach and to baptize many precious souls 01:34 into the kingdom of God. 01:36 He has three lovely children. 01:37 Sierra 25, CJ 21 and Isaiah who is 15 years old. 01:42 Pastor Jackson loves being 01:44 a Seventh-day Adventist Christian. 01:46 Can you say amen to that? 01:48 He loves preaching the message of grace, 01:50 love and the Three Angels' messages 01:52 as well as character building for the kingdom of God. 01:56 There are five things you need to know about this man of God. 02:00 One is, he loves the Lord with all of his heart. 02:03 He loves his children. 02:05 He loves his church. 02:06 He loves being and working in the community. 02:09 And number five, he loves helping others 02:13 by way of personal evangelism. 02:17 Pastor Jackson's personal statement for ministry 02:19 is in John 15:16, which is a wonderful passage. 02:23 "You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, 02:26 and ordained you, 02:28 that you should go and bring forth fruit," 02:30 Now there's something I left 02:31 until the end of his introduction 02:33 because before pastor Jackson became a preacher, 02:36 he was studying to be a black Muslim 02:39 and a black evangelist, black panther, 02:43 but he became a black pastor instead. 02:45 Amen, someone? 02:47 Studying to be a black Muslim, the black panther 02:49 but he became a black pastor instead. 02:51 His message for tonight is entitled "Rags to Riches." 02:55 And we know that the Lord is going to bless. 02:57 But before he comes, 02:59 Louis Cleare who is our musical evangelist, 03:02 a native of the Nassau, Bahamas region. 03:05 He started singing when he was about five years old. 03:08 Joined choirs at 10 and at 15 years old 03:11 began his solo ministry. 03:12 Just 22 years old, we met him when we were in the Bahamas 03:16 and he sang during one of 3ABN's camp meetings there. 03:19 Tonight, he's going to sing the song 03:21 "What a Friend We Have in Jesus." 03:24 And after you hear him, the next voice 03:26 that you will hear is that of Pastor Cory Jackson. 04:08 What a friend.. 04:11 ...we have in Jesus 04:17 All our sins and griefs to bear 04:26 What a privilege to carry 04:36 Everything to God... 04:40 ...in prayer 04:45 Oh, what peace... 04:48 ...we often forfeit 04:54 Oh, what needless pain we bear 05:03 All because we do not carry 05:12 Everything to God in prayer 05:31 Have we trials... 05:35 ...and temptations? 05:40 Is there trouble anywhere? 05:49 We should never be... 05:53 ...discouraged 05:59 Take it to the Lord in prayer 06:08 Can we find a friend so faithful? 06:17 Who will all our sorrows share? 06:26 Jesus knows... 06:30 ...our every weakness 06:35 Take it to the Lord in prayer 06:50 Are we weak and heavy-laden 06:59 Cumbered with a load of care? 07:07 Oh, precious Savior, 07:11 still our refuge 07:17 Take it to the Lord in prayer 07:26 Do your friends despise, forsake you? 07:35 Take it to the Lord in prayer 07:44 Oh, in His arms He'll take 07:49 and shield you 07:58 You will find... 08:03 ...a solace there 08:25 Amen. 08:28 I don't know what to do with that. 08:31 When you listen to him talk, he does not sound how he sings? 08:35 I feel like passing out. 08:37 "What a Friend We Have in Jesus." 08:39 Amen. 08:40 "What a Friend We Have in Jesus." 08:42 Brother Louis, thank you very much for singing. 08:46 Welcome to Foundations of our Faith. 08:49 It's good to see you 08:50 for those who are looking and listening around the world. 08:53 And for those who are here today, 08:54 welcome, welcome, welcome. 08:55 I'm excited to be here, among you today. 08:59 I've come a long way from Detroit, 09:01 it does not look like Detroit, that's okay, 09:03 but I will make it through. 09:04 So I'm hoping 09:05 that you will spend your time with us today. 09:08 And for the remaining couple of days 09:10 as we are here today 09:12 talking about foundations of our faith. 09:15 Why don't you pray with me for a moment? 09:16 Father in heaven, thank you Lord for just another day. 09:21 Thank you for being our friend, a friend that we can depend on. 09:28 Bless us as we go through this time together. 09:31 And Your Holy Spirit bless us abundantly. 09:33 And may You touch the soul of those who are listening. 09:37 And may You bring us into a closer walk 09:40 and understanding with the Holy Spirit. 09:43 Do your appointed work. 09:46 Speak to this preacher and move upon Your people, 09:50 In Jesus' name, amen. 09:53 Everyone has something that they horn in on 09:56 when it comes to teaching. 09:59 One of the things that I tend to horn in on 10:01 that is a personal for me, is that of Christian character. 10:06 Often times we don't, do not talk about character. 10:10 I understand we're in the last days. 10:12 I understand the times that we're living in. 10:15 But I want to tell you that, 10:17 well, we need to make sure that we're focusing on is, 10:19 making sure that our characters reflect Jesus. 10:23 And if it does not reflect Jesus, 10:26 then we have some challenges. 10:28 In Matthew 4, just to give an idea 10:30 of the type of preacher I am. 10:33 Matthew 4:35 and particularly, the Bible says 10:36 that Jesus went into the synagogues, 10:39 into the villages teaching, preaching and healing. 10:44 Three things, teaching, preaching, and healing. 10:47 Those are the three things 10:48 I plan on doing for this series. 10:50 Teaching is simply instructing. 10:52 Preaching is encouraging. 10:55 And healing is making whole, 10:57 because someone today needs to be made whole. 11:01 And so I want to give you some scriptures 11:03 that we're going to spend time with this week. 11:05 The first one is Ezekiel 36:26. 11:08 Ezekiel 36, and if you have your Bibles, 11:12 please follow along. 11:13 Ezekiel is in the Old Testament right after Jeremiah. 11:16 And we are going to spend some time learning. 11:23 In my church in Detroit what I tend to do is, 11:26 teach a little, preach a little then get out. 11:30 So I teach, get encouraged and then I move on, 11:35 then I leave the people alone. 11:37 Ezekiel 36:26. 11:39 The Bible says, "A new heart also will I give you, 11:41 and a new spirit I will put within you: 11:43 and I will take away 11:44 the stony heart out of your flesh, 11:46 and I will give you a heart of flesh." 11:50 The key here is something new. 11:53 God says I'm gonna give you a new heart, new mind, 11:56 new way of thinking, talking about the inner. 11:59 And all of us need to experience that 12:01 because I think sometimes, because we come to church 12:04 people tend to think 12:05 that we are right if we don't drink, 12:07 we don't smoke, we don't party, we don't listen secular music. 12:11 But also God is dealing what's on the inside, 12:15 those who are mean and those who are unforgiving 12:19 and those who tend to gossip and those who tend to divide. 12:23 And those are things we don't tend to talk about 12:27 or even address, but doing this series 12:29 we're gonna talk about the inner things 12:31 that people can't see. 12:33 See, people can see how the outside look good, 12:36 but only inside we have to make sure 12:39 that we are thoroughly complete and have surrendered in Christ. 12:43 And so God promises to give us a new heart. 12:46 He promises to give us of what? 12:47 A new heart and a new spirit. 12:49 Roman Chapter 12. Romans 12. 12:51 Romans 12. Romans Chapter 12. 12:55 Romans Chapter 12, 12:57 I want to just focus in on verse 2 for a moment. 13:00 The Bible says, "And be not conformed to this world: 13:03 but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, 13:08 that you may prove what is that good, 13:11 and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." 13:13 And I just want to deal with the second part I think, 13:16 be transformed. 13:17 The Bible says, by renewing of your mind, 13:20 not confirmed, transformed. 13:23 Confirm simple means that you adapt 13:26 to the world's standards. 13:28 Transform is a complete change. 13:31 And this week during "Foundations of our Faith" 13:34 we want to have a complete change. 13:37 And so the reason why this is important to me... 13:40 And "The Spirit of Prophecy" fifth volume, page 310. 13:45 Lewis says this, "For if the thoughts are wrong, 13:48 the feelings are wrong, thoughts and feelings combined 13:52 make up moral character." 13:54 Let me say that again. 13:56 Volume five, page 310 says, "If the thoughts are wrong, 14:00 the feelings are wrong, 14:02 thoughts and feelings combined make up moral character." 14:05 So let's look at this for a moment. 14:07 Just the teaching part, all this teaching. 14:09 So if my thoughts about someone is messed up, then guess what, 14:13 my feelings about that person is, messed up as well. 14:17 And so it makes sense when folk may not treat you nice 14:20 or treat you as a Christian 14:22 because how they think about you is all messed up. 14:25 And so the Bible says we need to be transformed 14:28 by the renewing of our mind. 14:30 Now, second volume 14:34 of "Mind Character and Personality" 14:37 page 670 says, 14:38 "Transformation begins with our thoughts." 14:41 "Transformation begins with our thoughts." 14:45 And so often we allow our thoughts to just run, 14:49 run wild, run here, it runs there. 14:52 And when you look at the state of our world today, 14:55 cities included, even the suburbs, 14:58 you can see the devastation that's taken place, 15:02 because the minds of individuals are wrong, 15:06 are corrupt. 15:08 So it makes sense. 15:10 Proverbs 23:7 says, "As a man thinketh so is he." 15:14 So in other words we are what we think. 15:18 So if I'm always thinking negative thoughts, 15:21 then I'm gonna have negative behavior. 15:23 If I'm always thinking good things, then it's gonna follow. 15:27 And one of the reasons, this is-- stands out to me 15:32 because I came across the statement 15:34 about five years ago 15:35 that really moved me in a certain way. 15:39 Christ Object Lessons, you probably heard it before. 15:42 Page 69 says, "When the character of Christ 15:46 has been perfectly reproduced in His people, 15:51 then He will come to reclaim them as His own." 15:56 Now I'm happy that we're doing Bible studies around the world. 16:01 I'm happy that the gospel is being spread 16:04 to 200 plus countries around the world. 16:07 But that one thing Christ seemly to me, is waiting on, 16:11 is when His church reflects His character. 16:14 And when the church reflects His character, in totality, 16:19 then she says, that He's coming to get us. 16:22 So that means that even though 16:24 we give a thousand Bible studies 16:26 and even though people come to our church daily, 16:30 if the character has not changed, 16:34 then we're in trouble. 16:36 We're in trouble. 16:37 And so He's waiting for character 16:40 to be manifested back in His church. 16:42 Not character that's inconsistent. 16:45 Not character that is characterized on Sabbath. 16:49 Not character that lasts Friday night to Saturday night 16:53 But character that represents Him seven days a week, 16:58 24 hours a day, 168 hours in the week. 17:02 He's looking for His folk to have His character 17:06 so that when somebody would make you mad you can smile. 17:09 When somebody stepped on your big toe, 17:12 you can just say, you can pray for him. 17:15 So whatever the case may be, 17:17 you will reflect the character of Christ 17:19 to the point that you would 17:21 even start blessing your enemies 17:23 and loving your enemies. 17:26 And many of us, if not most of us are not at that point yet 17:29 and so we struggle, but yet 17:31 and still we spend a lot of time 17:34 making sure that we tell people that world is ending. 17:37 And listen, I'm all for that, trust me. 17:40 I believe in the Three Angles' message whole heartedly, 17:42 but also I've been in this thing since 1997 17:45 and I've seen some things 17:47 that sometimes scare me from the saint. 17:49 I won't even call them saints, 17:51 in Detroit I call them "ain'ts." 17:54 Because a "ain't" is someone 17:55 you don't want to be near or part of. 17:59 The saints are the ones 18:00 who smile at you and teach you- 18:02 but the ain'ts are something else. 18:05 And I do understand because they are wheat 18:07 and tares in the church. 18:09 Amen. 18:11 And so because of that I have taken the liberty to spend time 18:15 talking about character as a preacher, as a father, 18:21 as an individual, as a member of this church. 18:25 And I can't preach about, what I'm not going to live. 18:29 And so there are days when, listen y'all, 18:32 God shows me my character in Detroit. 18:34 Now being here at 3ABN is very nice 18:39 because you don't have all the traffic, 18:42 it's two lane road and everybody like, 18:45 they want to wave at you 18:46 and there's not congesting at all. 18:49 But where I'm from in Detroit, 18:51 oh, my goodness, people cut you off. 18:53 They are driving super fast. 18:54 And, and they are many times I just grab that steering like, 18:57 "Oh, Lord, can I just curse one time? 19:01 Can I just curse one time, Lord?" 19:03 And sometimes I start thinking not to say, 19:06 "get the behind me, Satan. 19:07 In other words we all have a character to work on, 19:12 all it has to be. 19:14 Someone has to find you at your worst day. 19:16 The time that you been up all night. 19:18 And the kids have made you tired, 19:20 your spouse is getting on your nerve 19:22 and the preacher didn't preached too long, 19:24 whatever it may be, everybody has a moment 19:26 where their character gets tested. 19:32 But again, she says when the character of Christ 19:36 has been perfectly reproduced in His people, 19:39 then He will come to reclaim them as His own. 19:44 That's how I want to live. 19:45 I want to be ready for that day. 19:49 So because He's waiting on this transformation, 19:52 let's start from the beginning and go in between. 19:56 And then let's get to our story. 19:58 Genesis 1, in the very beginning. 20:00 Genesis 1. 20:03 Genesis 1:26, the Bible says this way. 20:08 "And God said, 'let us make man in our image, 20:13 after our likeness and let them have dominion 20:15 over the fish of the sea, 20:17 and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, 20:19 and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing 20:23 that creepeth upon the earth.' 20:25 So God created man in his own image, 20:28 in the image of God created He him; 20:30 male and female created He them." 20:33 Now, now. 20:34 This is quite interested, that God that we serve and love... 20:40 The God has said let's make man in our image. 20:47 Not just outter resemblance, but in our character. 20:52 The closest thing I can help you understand 20:54 is when two people really love each other 20:56 and they are married 20:57 and they say let's have a child. 21:01 And hoping that this child would pattern themselves 21:05 after who we are as parents. 21:08 That's the closest I can bring you to understanding 21:11 perhaps what the Godhead were thinking. 21:14 So God created both male and female 21:17 and then just a couple of chapters over, 21:19 didn't last too long. 21:21 Genesis chapter 3 we see the fall at the tree 21:25 and then all stuff breaks lose. 21:29 By the time you get to Isaiah 64, 21:31 look at what God is saying about us. 21:34 Quite sad I must say. 21:36 Isaiah the 64 chapter. 21:38 Isaiah is in the Old Testament considered about many scholars 21:41 as the fifth gospel. 21:43 Isaiah 64:6. 21:47 Isaiah 64:6. 21:50 The Bible says,... 21:51 Now remember we started with God 21:53 so let us make in our own, in our image. 21:55 Not just in our resemblance again, 21:57 but also in our character. 21:59 All right. 22:01 But by the time we hear now the Bible says, 22:03 "But we are all as an unclean thing. 22:07 And all of our righteousness is as a filthy rag." 22:12 Whoa, that's a blower right there. 22:16 In other words the best that I can give God 22:19 is as a filthy rag because of where we are now. 22:24 And the best of what I can give Him is as a filthy rag. 22:30 And in the context of what it means 22:33 is a woman's menstrual rag. 22:37 It's the best. 22:39 Jeremiah 17 still teaching. 22:41 Jeremiah 17. 22:42 You know when the preaching start 22:44 I'll start sweating some more 22:45 and I'll start smiling a lot and going across the stage. 22:51 Jeremiah 17. 22:53 Jeremiah 17:9. 22:58 The Bible says, "The heart is deceitful above all things, 23:05 and desperately wicked: who can know it?" 23:11 So we go from Genesis 1, 23:14 God saying, let us make men in our own image. 23:17 Isaiah 64, we are all as an unclean thing. 23:21 And now in Jeremiah the Bible says 23:24 "That the heart or the mind is deceitful 23:28 above all things and desperately wicked." 23:34 Listen, y'all, we're living in a time 23:36 where I felt that there are certain things 23:39 that shock me about the state of man. 23:43 But we're living in time when things are just happening 23:46 so often, it just... 23:48 This text really comes to light. 23:51 You know I'm living in Detroit and of course, 23:53 everybody read about Detroit and the interesting thing 23:55 is when people see me, first thing they say is. 23:57 Is it true what they say about Detroit and the crime? 24:00 Yes, it's true, but Detroit also has some good parts, 24:05 some good people. 24:07 But a couple of months ago, 24:08 we talked about the mind being wicked. 24:11 This lady who lives about 10 minutes from the church 24:17 where I pastor, she decided to become God 24:23 and take in her own hands to kill her two children. 24:28 She said because the two older ones 24:30 were sexually molesting the younger ones 24:34 and they did not deserve to live. 24:35 Now she didn't say, let's get them help. 24:38 But she said the best thing that can happen to them 24:40 is that I need to take their life. 24:43 She kills them and puts them in the freezer 24:47 in her basement for two years. 24:51 Now where their father's at, that's a whole another bog, 24:53 that's a whole another story. 24:55 She gets into court. Now you think that's bad. 24:58 To me this is the worst part of her thinking. 25:01 She gets into court, pleads guilty, 25:05 and says before the court in her last statement. 25:11 "They deserve to die. 25:14 The son who they were molesting, 25:17 he wanted me to kill them. 25:19 They did not deserve to live. 25:22 And if you think they wanted to live, 25:24 talk to the prosecutor and the judge, 25:26 then you all are crazy." 25:29 Now what mother do you know, well, not only think like that, 25:34 but talk like that? 25:36 We are living in some wicked times. 25:40 When a young man can go into a church, 25:43 stay for the whole service and decide at the very end 25:47 that I'm gonna kill as many people as I can. 25:51 That's a scary feeling, but that's the mind 25:57 that has become desperately wicked. 26:01 That's what we are. 26:03 All the way from Genesis 1, we are now here. 26:08 Revelation 3. 26:10 We've started in the beginning, let's go to the end. 26:12 Revelation 3 still teaching, 26:13 still teaching, preaching coming. 26:16 Still teaching. Revelation 3. 26:20 This last church we often talk about quite a bit, 26:24 the Laodicean Church, 26:27 who's not cold nor hot, but lukewarm. 26:31 In verse 17 Bible says, "Because thou sayest, 26:38 I am rich, and increased with goods, 26:44 and have need of nothing." 26:48 We've gone to the point according to this text 26:52 that because of our materialism 26:55 and because we've been increased with goods 26:58 and because we think we know this, 27:00 that and I thought that, that we are right. 27:04 Because life is not as hard maybe as it used to be 27:07 and because things are a little bit different 27:10 that we feel we don't have a need of nothing. 27:14 We got enough money in the bank, 27:15 we have enough clothes to wear and our cars are running 27:19 and I'm happy coming to church every week 27:22 or reading my Bible and praying. 27:24 And we feel as though there's no other need of nothing. 27:31 And if we stop there we're in trouble. 27:33 But the rest of the verse says, 27:36 "And knowest not that thou art wretched, 27:40 and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked." 27:46 Christ says there's five things that's wrong with you. 27:50 You are wretched, means oppressed with the burden. 27:54 You're miserable, unhappy. 27:56 You're poor, destitute of Christian values. 28:00 You're blind spiritually and most of all 28:04 you're naked stripped of God's glory. 28:08 The messed up thing is 28:10 when you don't know you're messed up. 28:12 That's what is messed up. 28:14 And a lot of us, listen to me closely, 28:18 if we don't believe we're messed up 28:21 because life is good 28:23 and we can pay ourselves to one another. 28:26 And we just don't think the things are as bad 28:30 like everybody else. 28:33 But I'm talking to you tonight, talking to me tonight. 28:36 I grew up in a poor family. 28:38 My mother raised, my brother and I by herself, 28:42 city of Chicago, gangs all around us, 28:45 drug dealers, hustlers, pimps, prostitutes, 28:50 everybody on my block, the parent was single. 28:55 There were no dads on our block. 28:57 The only dads we saw were coming in and leaving out, 28:59 no one staying. 29:01 And so I vow to myself and I said, 29:04 I can not grow up poor. 29:07 I got to do something with my life 29:10 so that I will not continue this cycle. 29:14 I decided to go to college, 29:16 decided to become a professional 29:18 as pastor Lomocang mentioned as probation officer 29:21 to make a nice money and it feels good. 29:25 Not going to the store with food stamps. 29:27 Boy, in today's time the EBT card. 29:30 And I have to tell you I wish I had it now. 29:32 There's no tax on that food. 29:34 As much as my sons eat, I'm looking for EBT card 29:39 because my sons eat me out of house and home. 29:43 So sometimes I still wish I had that EBT card. 29:47 But you get to a point in life where you got in the bank, 29:51 you're traveling on vacations and you in church 29:54 and you're doing the will of God you believe 29:57 and you got a savings account and when the emergency come up, 30:01 hey, you can take care of it 30:02 and you just don't think that you need anything. 30:08 My Brothers and Sisters, I'm here to tell you 30:11 that God will eventually show you what you need, 30:14 and show you exactly what you are. 30:19 And so this series that we're talking about 30:23 is going to do exactly that. 30:24 We're gonna start slow and build. 30:27 We got to stay hard way till the last one is over, 30:32 because we struggle 30:33 and we don't want to admit our challenges. 30:37 So I want to take you somewhere where someone gives us 30:40 a perfect example of the situation. 30:45 Mark chapter 10. Mark chapter 10. 30:48 Mark is one of my favorite gospels. 30:52 Mark the 10th Chapter. 30:57 Mark the 10th Chapter starting with verse 46. 31:00 Remember, Christ says there are five things 31:02 about us in these last days. 31:04 Even though He's talked to the Laodicean Church, 31:06 it's the literal local application for us. 31:11 There are five things that's going on in your life, 31:14 wretchedness, miserableness, poorness, 31:17 blindness and nakedness. 31:19 The problem is we don't want to admit 31:22 that anyone of those five or all the five are us. 31:26 There are thousands upon thousands of people 31:28 come to church every week, 31:31 discouraged, depressed, playing the part. 31:35 And so I researched that says, 50 percent, 31:38 52 percent of congregations suffer with depression 31:42 and discouragement. 31:44 And if we would just admit how discouraging we are 31:47 or how challenged we are, 31:49 the help that we need is right there. 31:51 The young brother just said, 31:52 "What a friend we have in Jesus." 31:57 But in this Laodicean Age, 31:59 we feel we have need of nothing. 32:02 Mark Chapter 10. 32:04 And as I do with my congregation, 32:06 I will do with you. 32:07 Kind of go verse by verse. 32:09 We want the scriptures to speak tonight. 32:11 Verse 46 says, "And they came to Jericho, 32:14 and as He went out of Jericho with His disciples 32:16 and a great number of people, 32:18 blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, 32:20 sat by the highway side begging." 32:24 So we have an encounter, we have a following 32:29 and Jesus always has a following, 32:31 there's always throngs of people following Jesus, 32:34 but the Bibles narrows in on a man named Bartimaeus. 32:40 And his name means son of Timaeus 32:43 or son of the unclean. 32:45 So already he got something bad going for him 32:48 and the Bible says he's blind. 32:50 And we know his economic status because he's begging. 32:54 So there are three things 32:56 that are taking place with this man. 32:57 He's physically blind. 32:59 He's begging, he's poor 33:02 and he's not a part of any church. 33:05 He's not a part of anything, not even Jesus at this point. 33:09 All right. 33:11 Blind, he's poor, 33:14 and he's on the outside, three things. 33:20 Verse 47 says, 33:22 "And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, 33:26 he began to cry out, and say, 33:28 Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy upon me." 33:33 Now Luke 18 gives a better picture that I like. 33:36 And the Bible says, as the crowd throng by 33:40 the blind man say, "Yo, what's going on?" 33:44 And I can imagine the people are saying, 33:46 "Yo, man, that's Jesus." 33:49 And because he can't see, he says, "What? Jesus?" 33:53 So the man realized that this is no ordinary person. 33:57 The man realized is that, this is not just some anybody, 34:01 but he gives Jesus' name. 34:02 "Jesus thou son of David." 34:06 He gave Him the Masonic name. 34:08 He meant, what he meant by this is, 34:10 You are the promise one. "Yo, Jesus." 34:13 He realized his condition and he realized where he was 34:17 and he realized that he's the only one 34:20 at this time that can help him. 34:23 "Jesus thou son of David, have mercy upon me. 34:27 I'm tired of being blind. I'm tired of being poor. 34:31 I'm tired of begging. Lord, I need some help." 34:35 So often we can identify with that. 34:37 Lord, my life is not going right. 34:39 Things always seemed to be going wrong. 34:41 Lord, I just need some help. 34:45 Jesus thou son of David, have mercy upon me. 34:54 Point number one. 34:56 One must understand their condition. 35:01 Point number one, 35:02 listen to me closely for those who are here 35:04 and those who are listening. 35:06 One must understand their condition 35:11 and then be prompt to call on Him for help. 35:15 No one but Jesus can help us. 35:19 The Bible says in Acts there's no other name 35:22 on the heaven whereby men might be saved. 35:24 No one else can do me like Jesus can do me. 35:29 What was key as the Bible says, 35:30 he heard that it was Jesus. 35:34 Now I can't really go somewhere with that 35:37 because sometimes all it takes is you hearing. 35:40 You don't have to hear, 35:42 you don't have to see anything, 35:43 you can just hear that Jesus is near 35:45 and all of a sudden that thing can just change 35:48 the very existence of what you believe. 35:54 Verse 48, Bible says, "And many charged him 35:59 that he should hold his peace" 36:02 Wait a minute. 36:03 Wait a minute. 36:06 Wait a minute. 36:08 "Brother, you're making too much noise. 36:11 You making us look bad, calling upon this Jesus. 36:14 What's wrong with you, man?" 36:17 And it amazes me that in your attempt to change 36:23 or wanted to change, others will try to block you 36:27 from which you're trying to get. 36:28 What? Because misery loves company. 36:32 Hardly, when I was going through my conversion 36:33 listen, I used to party all the time except Tuesday. 36:36 And I don't know why everyday except Tuesday? 36:38 I don't know why. 36:40 Maybe that was the Sabbath for me, but, 36:41 but I used to party everyday except Tuesday. 36:44 And I finally realized it. 36:45 I finally started having bible studies on Tuesday, 36:47 so maybe the Lord was preparing me to rest. 36:51 But I'd party everyday except Tuesday. 36:55 I remembered, you know, 36:57 'cause I love to party back then, 36:59 love to dance back then, 37:02 still trying to think about, still love to dance back then. 37:07 I just love having a good time back then 37:09 and I remember going through my change. 37:13 And as I'm going through my change, 37:15 my homies, which are my close friends, 37:18 they would try to steer me from it. 37:21 My nick name is Kojak, 37:22 that's what people call me Kojak. 37:24 I got the hair and I'm much handsome than Telly Savalas, 37:28 because who loves you, baby? 37:30 Amen. 37:32 And so I remember going through my transition 37:35 and my friends would do everything possible to stop me 37:39 from getting close to Jesus, 37:42 from changing my life to something better. 37:45 The things we were doing, 37:47 many times we should have been in jail, 37:49 but they were trying to stop me from my change. 37:51 And I told to myself, listen, I'm trying to better myself, 37:55 not stay back here. 37:57 And they are like, "Jack, 37:58 man, you need to just keep on hanging with us." 38:02 That thing is not going to last, it's only temporary. 38:07 There will be those, who in your attempt to change, 38:13 will get in your way. 38:15 That's point number two. 38:17 "But he cries, the more, a great deal," you see. 38:20 So you can't allow your haters to get into your way. 38:23 You can't allow those who are miserable to get in your way. 38:26 Point number three is, 38:28 when you really want something you got to go after it. 38:30 You just can't sit still and pretend 38:33 and try to be cool about it. 38:35 But he said, "Lord, Jesus," he got louder and louder. 38:39 "Lord, help me. I need help." 38:43 Lord God Almighty, 38:44 I'm tired of not being able to see. 38:48 Tired of not being able to go to the store 38:51 and be able to buy something without begging first. 38:55 Tired of being on the outside. 38:58 See when you realize the condition you're in, 39:01 listen, no one on God's green earth 39:04 can stop you from crying out. 39:08 You got to cry out loud. 39:11 You can't worry about who's listening. 39:15 The only one that you're concerned 39:16 about listening is Christ Himself. 39:21 The Bible says in verse 49. "And Jesus stood still." 39:26 Now you asked yourself the question. 39:28 Why did it take two for Jesus to stand still? 39:32 Listen, Isaiah 65:24 says, 39:34 "Before our call He would answer." 39:37 And while I'm praying He already got the thing. 39:39 So why would it take two? 39:40 You see, this is just me right now. 39:42 I really believe that it took two because 39:44 Jesus want to see how sincere his brother was. 39:48 He wanted to make sure that his call was sincere 39:50 because sometimes we are forced to change. 39:54 Get locked up in jail, we need Jesus. 39:58 You need your bill to pay, we need Jesus. 40:01 You need something done, I need Jesus. 40:03 So, so Jesus want to make sure 40:05 that this brother's call was sincere. 40:08 And the Bible says that, 40:10 "That He stood still, and commanded him to be called. 40:13 And they call the blind man, saying unto him, 40:17 Be of good courage, rise; he calleth you." 40:20 They are saying, hey, this is not your friend, 40:21 watch out now. 40:23 That's a whole another sermon itself. 40:28 Verse 50 says, "And he, casting away his garment, 40:33 rose, and came to Jesus." 40:37 Point number four, this time our character change. 40:41 Number one, recognizing your condition. 40:44 Two, realizing that they are others 40:47 who will try to stop you. 40:49 Three, understanding how important it is. 40:53 You got to yell that thing even louder. 40:56 Point number four is, 40:58 the three things you have to do. 41:00 The three things you need to do when coming to Jesus. 41:04 Number one, you need to change your garments. 41:08 Now typically in a Bible when we talk about garments, 41:10 we're talking about righteousness. 41:13 So in the context of what we're talking tonight, 41:16 you have to let go your self righteousness. 41:19 If anybody is gonna come all the way to Jesus, 41:22 it starts with letting go our self righteousness. 41:25 Our self righteousness just come out 41:27 when we can easily judge somebody else. 41:29 We can easily say, 41:30 what somebody else should have done 41:31 or we can tell them why they are in the situation, you see. 41:34 When you are self righteous, 41:36 you know, you can simply walk around like, 41:38 I'm-- nothing wrong with me and I'm okay and I'm all right 41:43 and God doesn't need that. 41:46 He don't want you like the Luke 18 guy 41:48 who said, Lord, I tithe twice a week. 41:52 I fast twice a week, excuse me. 41:54 I tithe all I've got. 41:55 You see, I want to be like the brother 41:56 who's barely coming to church, just have mercy on me. 42:00 That's what I want to be like. 42:02 But we have too much self righteousness. 42:05 So in order to come to Jesus, 42:07 you have to take off that robe of righteousness, 42:09 take that thing off. 42:12 The second thing you have to do is you got to get up, 42:14 you got to change your position. 42:16 The Bible says, that He was sitting down, 42:18 but he had to get up. 42:20 You can't stay in the same position 42:22 expecting a different result. 42:24 So now you have to let go off yourself righteousness, 42:27 but you also got to change your position. 42:30 You got to change when you do something. 42:32 You got to change some things. 42:37 You can't except, 42:38 listen, I couldn't expect to get close to Christ 42:41 if I'm always in the club just dancing. 42:44 It just won't happen. 42:46 I can't except to get close to Christ 42:48 if I'm gonna keep on smoking marijuana, 42:50 even though I never did, amen. 42:53 I can't expect to get close to Christ 42:55 when He find myself in the casino every weekend... 42:59 Or drinking. 43:03 You got to make some changes. 43:06 You got to start cleaning yourself up. 43:08 The alcoholic can never become sober 43:10 if he has liquor around him all the time. 43:18 And the third thing you got to do, 43:21 you got to start coming close to the Savior. 43:25 You got to put yourself in a area 43:28 where you can Jesus can get real close to one another. 43:34 These things will not work if all three are not done. 43:40 You can't do one of the three. 43:43 That's only 33 percent. 43:46 You can't do two of the three, that's only 66 percent. 43:49 God expects all three. 43:53 God expects no self righteousness. 43:57 We have to be stripped of who we are. 44:02 I was telling Dr. Louis today... 44:08 God had to strip me of some things to 44:11 help me become a little bit more humble. 44:14 Four years ago I went through a divorce 44:17 that I thought will never happen. 44:20 When I told my wife at the time, 44:23 I said I want to get married once, 44:24 this before I'd came into the church. 44:28 Who would have thought 44:30 18 years later I'll be eating those words. 44:36 Took me through an experience 44:38 and I was a young preacher just going up the ranks. 44:42 You know, I didn't go to any of our schools. 44:44 I went to a small Black hills, 44:46 Mission College for evangelism. 44:48 God called me into this thing from being a probation officer. 44:51 Every church I've been at has grown. 44:52 I've traveled internationally. 44:54 I have done some amazing things 44:57 in my short time of ministry of 14 years, 45:00 that preachers who have been in 20 years, 45:02 25 years have not done. 45:04 I've been in places that I can't even pronounce 45:07 without my- Without a single. 45:12 And I just knew I'm on top of the world. 45:16 And when I went through my divorce, 45:21 I was stripped of everything it felt like. 45:24 Listen to me, I'm getting up close and personal with you. 45:28 See I know how it feels to sit high 45:30 especially coming from a poor background, 45:32 having money in your pocket, 45:34 having two incomes making a nice amount of money. 45:38 Preaching at this place, that place, doing this thing, 45:40 doing that thing, I know what that feels like. 45:45 But I had to deal with my self righteousness 45:48 in all of that. 45:51 And I could no longer sit where I was sitting. 45:54 He says, you need to stand up now 45:56 and you need to come even closer to Me than ever before. 46:02 See if you stay sitting there, 46:04 you're gonna wallow in your misery. 46:06 But He says you got to get up, 46:08 take off self righteousness and stand yourself up. 46:11 But you got to come near to Me 46:12 and the closer I come near to You 46:14 the more stuff just starting to falling off. 46:17 Adventist Home page 49 I believe it is. 46:20 She says, "Talk of Christ." 46:22 And the more we talk of Christ... 46:24 "Whatever is not in harmony with Christ would fallout." 46:26 Because you got to talk of Him, 46:27 you got to get close to Him and I start marching 46:29 and stuff just start to shading off 46:31 as I'm marching towards Him. 46:33 Why? 46:34 Because now He got me in the place that He wants me. 46:40 Humility, but the majority of us at times, 46:46 that's somebody else's problem. 46:49 We can't admit that we are challenged on every side. 46:52 We can't admit that they are problems 46:55 and situations in our lives that we need help. 46:58 The preacher calls for prayer and few people stand up. 47:02 He makes the appeal 47:03 and only a sprinkle come down when, 47:06 perhaps the majority of the congregation 47:08 is struggling in some sway shape or form, 47:11 whether it's with some bad kid 47:13 that, you thought was gonna turn on all right. 47:16 The spouse or work situation, it does not matter, 47:20 everybody has problems. 47:23 Everybody has some circumstance that's taking place. 47:27 And God allow this story of this blind man to happen 47:32 so that everybody else can see what can happen 47:35 when one cries out for one Savior. 47:42 Verse 51 says. 47:45 "And Jesus answered and said unto him, 47:50 "What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? 47:55 The blind man said, Lord, all I want to do is see." 48:00 I'm not concerned about riches. 48:03 I'm not concerned about any... 48:04 I just want to open my eyes and see. 48:11 Verse 52 says... 48:16 "And Jesus said unto him, 48:18 'Go thy faith hath made thee whole.' 48:24 And immediately he received his sight, 48:27 and followed Jesus in the way." 48:32 Point number five. Let me review the four points. 48:34 Number one is this. 48:37 You got to understand your condition. 48:40 And once you understand your condition, 48:41 you have to act on understanding your condition, 48:44 you have to call out. 48:46 See, see as a pastor I deal with so many folks 48:49 that they don't want to admit what their condition is. 48:52 They want me to tell them what their problem is 48:54 and even when you tell them their problem... 48:55 Oh, pastor, that's not me. 48:57 That you must be mixed up with them 48:59 that sit on the left side, I sit on the right side. 49:03 Point number one, you must understand your situation. 49:06 Number two, realize that, 49:08 in you attempt to make a change in character, 49:11 a change in your life, 49:13 a change in the way you think, a change in the way you are, 49:16 that they are gonna be some who try to bring you down. 49:20 Point number three, 49:22 don't let nothing get in your way of becoming whole. 49:26 Don't let nothing stand between you and your Jesus. 49:30 That means you got to cry aloud a little bit more. 49:33 Now it gets uncomfortable, 49:35 it gets very uncomfortable 'cause no one... 49:38 Listen to me now. 49:39 No one likes to be in uncomfortable situations. 49:43 No one likes to be in situations 49:45 where they are totally uncomfortable, 49:46 but when you cry for Jesus it makes you uncomfortable. 49:51 Because now you're admitting that you need help, 49:53 you need Jesus, and you got to cry aloud sometimes. 49:59 Point number four, 50:00 once you have His attention three things you got to do. 50:03 Number one, you got to change. 50:05 Take off that self righteousness. 50:09 Number two, you got to change your position. 50:12 You can't expect a different result 50:15 if life has not begun to change. 50:18 And point number three and four, 50:21 that you got to come towards Christ. 50:22 You can't keep living like the world 50:27 and expect to be close to Jesus. 50:31 It just doesn't happen. Why? 50:33 Because 1 John 2:15 says, 50:34 "Love not the world, nor the things of the world." 50:40 Point number five. Hot diggity dog! 50:44 Jesus gives us more then what we ask for. 50:48 Oh, you got to get excited here. 50:50 All that man asked for was his sight. 50:53 Jesus not only gave him his sight, 50:55 but Jesus also, listen to me now, 50:58 Jesus also gave him spiritual sight. 51:01 Ellen White says, that He opened his eyes 51:03 physically and spiritually. 51:05 This man goes from begging to now, 51:07 look at the verse, verse 52 says. 51:09 "He's now following Jesus in the way." 51:12 He's not on the outside anymore, 51:14 he's on the inside. 51:16 When he was outside begging, he went from rags to riches. 51:19 He went from having nothing 51:21 to having a Savior and having everything. 51:23 He went from rags nothing to riches to Christ 51:27 that we serve. 51:29 He went from being on the outside 51:32 to now being on the inside. 51:35 Now see when you're on the inside, 51:37 you walk different. 51:38 You don't walk aridly, you just walk different. 51:40 There's a different pep in your step. 51:42 You're not walking with your hand up. 51:44 You walk in a... 51:46 Give somebody, what? You gab. 51:48 Remember Peter said, "Silver and gold have I not, 51:51 but that which I do have, I'm gonna give to you." 51:54 So he says what, 51:56 "In the name of Jesus I command at you," what? 51:58 "Rise up" and the Bible says 51:59 "that he stuck his right hand down 52:01 and picked the man up 52:02 and the man just started dancing." 52:05 See now you can give, folk, what you got, 52:08 you see blind Bartimaeus is no longer blind. 52:11 Blind Bartimaeus is no longer the son of the unclean. 52:15 Now he's the son of the righteous one which is Jesus. 52:18 He gave him more than what he asked for. 52:23 He didn't just give him sight to see, 52:25 He gave him not only sight to see, but spiritual sight. 52:28 And theologians believe that Bartimaeus became 52:30 one of Jesus' most prominent disciples. 52:34 So now he's going from rags to riches, 52:40 all because he was willing to call upon the Savior, 52:45 all because he was willing to go outside the comfort zone. 52:49 Now here's your question. 52:51 Out of all these people, 52:53 why is it that only one man decided to call? 52:58 Why is it only one man decided that he had an issue? 53:03 When all of them folk probably had issues too, 53:07 because we tend to follow the crowd, 53:11 instead of following Jesus. 53:14 See, it's one thing to follow Him, 53:16 but it's a whole another thing to call out unto Him. 53:19 See folk will follow all day long 53:21 like we tend to follow people. 53:23 And we follow the prominent preacher speaking over here, 53:25 we'll go and listen to preacher preach 53:27 and when he make the appeal, oh, they ain't talking to me, 53:30 there's talking about them who came to see him, 53:31 even though you're the ones who came to see Him. 53:34 But we tend to follow people and just like Jesus. 53:39 Folk follows Him. 53:41 So how is it that one man out of all these folk, 53:46 was the only one that had a change? 53:51 What that means to me 53:52 that you may be the only one that makes that change. 53:57 But that change cannot happen if you don't call. 54:01 Psalms 145, text reminds me, getting ready to close. 54:05 Here Psalms 145. 54:08 Psalms 145, the Bible says this. 54:11 "The Lord is near unto all them that call upon Him. 54:16 To all that call upon Him in truth." 54:20 The Bible says, God draws near to folk who call upon Him. 54:27 That call upon Him in truth, that's what a sincere heart-- 54:33 The question today is this. Will you call upon Him? 54:37 The question is, "Will you call upon Him 54:40 regardless of anybody else is calling?" 54:42 Will you call upon Him? 54:45 Do you see your need? 54:47 Do you understand your condition? 54:50 Do you realize where you stand or where you sit? 54:54 But will you call upon Him? 54:56 Because you realized you're wretched. 55:00 You realized you're miserable. 55:02 You realized you're blind. 55:04 You realized you're poor. 55:06 You realized you're naked. 55:07 Will you call upon him like blind Bartimaeus? 55:11 How is it that a blind man can call 55:14 and folk who can seek didn't? 55:18 Will you call upon Him today? 55:19 He's waiting for the call. 55:21 What a friend, the young brother sung, 55:23 we having Jesus, He's waiting for the call. 55:28 Character cannot change internally 55:33 unless one realized their condition. 55:38 And our Foundations of our Faith tonight, 55:40 we're building, it starts with a call. 55:43 It starts with a call. 55:46 It's what it starts with, a call. 55:49 The challenge that each one of us face, 55:53 is that we only call when we have to. 55:56 But you need to call right now. 55:57 See, I had to call when my divorce happened. 56:02 I had to call like none other. 56:05 I had to call loud. 56:07 Call with tears. 56:09 Call with everything... 56:11 I remember praying on my couch I would beat the couch 56:14 as though I'm beating God because I was that mad, 56:16 but I'm calling at the same time, 56:18 Lord, help me and Lord, save me. 56:21 And Lord, have mercy on me, 56:22 I can't live as a single man anymore. 56:26 Calling loud! 56:31 Didn't care who heard me 56:34 because I wanted to be made whole. 56:36 I wanted to be free. 56:39 I wanted Jesus in my life, the way that only Jesus can do. 56:44 As we pray, if you have not made that call, 56:50 you need to make it. 56:53 His phone never gets busy and His bills are always paid. 56:58 Father in heaven, thank you so much, 57:02 the word that we have, 57:05 as you can take us from rags to riches. 57:10 Thank you heavenly Father, 57:11 for giving us examples in Your word 57:15 that can give us hope. 57:17 We have a blind man named Bartimaeus 57:19 who was poor and begging 57:21 and we find that he made a difference, 57:26 which is to call. 57:27 Have mercy upon me, Lord. 57:30 Someone need mercy. Someone need mercy. 57:35 Walk in there vicinity 57:37 so they can have mercy right now. 57:40 So as you walk by they can call and you can stand still 57:44 and they can relate to You what they need. 57:48 So bless them, Holy Spirit. 57:49 Set them up, give them the courage right now to do it 57:53 and not to be afraid 57:55 and we ask this in no other name unto heaven 57:57 but Jesus Christ, amen. |
Revised 2015-12-03