Born to be Blessed | Senior Pastor Kenneth Carpenter
by Kenneth Carpenter
First Apostolic Church of Maryville (Maryville, TN)
Kind: sermon
Scripture: John 9:1-5, John 9:38, Psalms 139:13-17, Genesis 25:23, Exodus 4:10, Exodus 4:11, Jeremiah 1:5, Galatians 1:15, John 9:6-7, John 9:8-9, John 9:10-12, John 9:17, John 9:18-22, John 9:30-34, John 9:35-37, John 4:23

Source: https://acts238.life/repository/sermons/kenneth-carpenter--born-to-be-blessed
Published by Acts 2:38 Life from the sermon transcript on that page.
Free to copy and share with attribution.

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If you have your Bibles and would stand with me this morning. God has been dealing with my heart and I'd like to preach a little subject, a little thought. Turn with me to the Gospel of John, chapter number nine and verse number one. John, chapter number nine and verse number one. simply starts out by saying, "And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man or his parents that he was born blind?" Jesus answered, "Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents, but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day, the night cometh, when no man can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. Go all the way down to the end of this story is in verse number 38. It's the end of the story. A conversation that the blind the former blind man said. And he said, Lord, I believe. and he worshiped him. For a few moments today, I want to minister to every soul in this congregation. Born to be blessed. Born to be blessed. Father, I love you. Father, I thank you for the privilege and the opportunity to feed your sheep this morning. Lord, you said in your word that one way the ministry shows that they love you is to feed your sheep. God, help me today to feed every man, every woman, every boy, and every girl that's in this congregation, every person that's watching online today. God, Lord, let me feed them with your word this morning. I'll give you the praise and the honor in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Give him a hand of praise before you're seated. Oh, come on now. That's like the governor got here. I said the king of kings. That That was a hand clap for our governor. Come on. I I'm talking about the king of all kings today. Oh yes, God. our salvation, our savior. Born to be blessed. Born to be blessed. Today I want to lead the church. I think any any pastor, any preacher, any evangelist as he prepares to preach in a congregation, I believe you must ask yourself, what's the one thing that I want to leave them with today? What's the one thing at 2:00 today after after dinner? What's the one thing you're going to be able to recall from this message? And simply a few lines is what I want you to be able to recall. I want you to understand that God has a purpose for your life. All of us. All of us. All of us. All of us. I want hell to know today that I believe there's purpose for all of us here. Nobody is excluded. That's right. All of us here, I've said it multiple times so that you would believe it today that God has a purpose for all of our lives. There's no one here today that's an accident. I want you to understand something with me today. Some people are searching for the meaning of life. I feel like my life has no meaning. In order to understand the meaning of life, it's very simple. You got to go to the giver of life. You'll never understand your meaning in life until you embrace the giver of the your life. When you embrace the giver of your life, the giver of your life will unfold to you the purpose that you and only you can perform. Now imagine that that God has a purpose in your life for your life that only you can perform. Nobody else can do it. And so instead of us living lives of confusion, living lives of frustration, WONDERING WHAT is the meaning of my life, I say today, let us reach out and embrace the giver of our life. And as we embrace the giver of our life, he will unfold to us the purpose. It's an interesting story. I may not get to the other story I want to tell you about. But to me, it's interesting in John nine that Jesus does a miracle for people whose names are not are not even mentioned. We do not know the name of the blind man. We do not know the name of the blind man's mother and father. We don't know the blind man, the name of the blind man's neighbors, but nonetheless, Jesus came by and there was a miracle. Now you turn over, if time would permit, you turn over to the 11th chapter of John and you find where Jesus is going to do a miracle for a man named Lazarus who has two sisters, Mary and Martha. And as you read the 11th chapter, you find that they were close, that Jesus that Jesus knew Mary Martha. We know that Mary anointed him. We know there were times of worship, times of interaction that Jesus was even referred to or Lazarus was even referred to G to Jesus by he whom thou lovest is sick. So now we have in the ninth chapter of John unnamed people and we have in the 11th chapter of John named close associates. And I want you to know something today. that God will do a miracle and God has a reason for your life. Whether your name is known or not, God has purpose for your life. WHETHER YOU'RE SOMEBODY in this room today and we don't need to become so well known that we get numb to what God wants to do for us. God wants to touch our Lazarus today. God wants to touch our Marys and our Marthas today. But neither do I want maybe a first time guest that have found their way here because they're hungry for something more in life than to think that because they don't have a name Lazarus or Martha or Mary that God can't help them. I want you to know that God is able to do a work for the unknown as well as he's able to do a work for the known. IF YOU BELIEVE THAT, WOULD YOU CLAP YOUR HANDS WITH me today? It's interesting as we go back to chapter nine, the Bible said, "And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man." He saw a man which was blind from his birth. He saw the man. Now, I personally believe that it was Jesus that his gaze, that his being fixed upon this blind man caused the disciples to look at the blind man. I believe because Jesus was looking at him that it caused the disciples to look at what Jesus was looking at. But we're going to find that there's a big difference in what Jesus saw and what the disciples saw. Because when they saw the blind man, the only thing they wanted to know was who sinned. That's all they wanted to know. All they wanted TO KNOW WHEN THEY SAW WHAT JESUS SAW WAS, "LORD, WOULD YOU TELL US who it was that sinned?" You see, there's a lot of people today that's like a dog chasing its tail. They never get out of their drama because they're always looking for the cause. You know, there's a difference between drama people and delivered people. Drama people, all they're trying to find place to lay blame. Delivered people, they're f trying to find what could God tell me in this? Drama people, where can we place the blame? Delivered people, they say, "What can God show me? What is God up to?" Lord, can't you see this with me? Now look with me. Jesus is going with his disciples. He turns and looks at the blind man. The disciples look at what Jesus they look at Jesus and they notice Jesus is looking at the blind man and they too look at the blind man. But then they say, "Lord, just tell us who it was that sinned. Was his was his daddy? Was his daddy unfaithful? Was his mother was his mother unfaithful? Or did he sin? Was there something about which that doesn't even make any sense? Because how can he sin when he was born blind? How can blindness be a part of his sin? Of course, a lot of times drama people don't make sense. Ah, God, that's good. All right. Who sin? Can I just add this? I don't know what your blindness is today, but will finding the cause make it better? I'm not looking for a cause this morning. I've come to preach the cure. He said, um, who sin, Lord? We want it. We want the dirt. We want the lowdown. We want the spreadsheet. We want the wrap. We want to we want to I'm trying to use all those hood terms. You know that one song by been delivered by the blood of the lamb and and that song I thought it I thought it said turn it over to turn it over to God and watch God make his move. I always sang that song watch God bust a move you know and for the longest time I thought youth group I thought that's what it meant. And I sing in the car one day and Sister Ericson said, "Dad, that's not what that says. Let God." But I here to tell you, God sure has busted some moves, hasn't he? Watch God bust the move. He said, um, verse three, he said, "Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents, but that the works of God should be made manifest in him." Now he says, "Get your mind off of who sin because I had a purpose for him being born blind. I had a purpose for this." Does our Bible not tell us? Now put your hand there in John 9, but look with me. Psalms 139:13. For thou hast possessed my reigns. Thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. What a God we serve. What a God we serve. Come on. In our mother's womb. I will praise thee. Listen to the psalmist. VERSE NUMBER 14. I WILL PRAISE THEE FOR I am fearfully AND WONDERFULLY MADE. MARVELOUS ARE ALL thy works, and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in the secret, and curiously wrought in the lower parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect, and in thy book all my members were written, which is in continuence were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. How precious also are thy THOUGHTS UNTO ME, OH GOD. HOW GREAT IS THE SUM OF THEM. The psalmist just recorded being in his mother's womb. AND GOD being aware of who he is. GOD BEING AWARE IN HIS MOTHER'S WOMB. WELL, LET'S GO ON. LET'S SEE IF WE CAN FIND MORE SCRIPTURES TO BACK THIS UP. We're going to dedicate a little beautiful little baby girl here in a few moments. And can I tell you something that God has a plan for that little girl. And you young mothers here today, you mothers here today, God has a plan for your children. The Bible says in Genesis 25 verse number 23, when Rebecca was pregnant, and the Lord said unto her, two nations are in thy womb. Two manner of people shall be separated from thy boughs. The one people shall be stronger than the other people, AND THE ELDER SHALL SERVE THE YOUNGER. IN OTHER WORDS, WHILE REBECCA IS PREGNANT WITH ESAU AND JACOB, GOD BEGINS TO TELL REBECCA WHAT KIND OF children they're going to be. What a mighty God. It would be Moses when trying to talk God out of sending him to Egypt. I'm trying to talk you. I'm trying to tell you God every reason why I'm not qualified to go to Egypt. And in Exodus 4 verse number 10, Moses said unto the Lord, "Oh my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither hitherfor, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servants, but I am of a slow speech and a slow tongue." He begins to talk about a speech impediment that he has. He begins to talk about what we refer to as a handicap that he has. God, I'VE GOT AN IMPEDIMENT. GOD, I'VE GOT SOME ISSUES WITH ME PHYSICALLY. PHYSICALLY, I'VE GOT SOME ISSUES. I'M NOT QUALIFIED BECAUSE PHYSICALLY I'VE GOT THESE ISSUES. But listen to what God says in verse number 11. And the Lord said unto him, "Who hath made man's mouth? And who maketh the dumb or deaf or the seeing or the blind? Have not I the Lord? In other words, God says, I have made men to see and I have also made men blind. I have also made men to hear, but I've also made men deaf. And can I tell you, when we get our eyes on whatever it is we think that we're held back in, we need to turn it AROUND AND SAY, "GOD, HOW CAN YOU use this?" Because you have made this. You have allowed this. Listen to me for a moment. ANOTHER DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DRAMA people and delivered people. Another difference between drama and delivered people is this. Is this when drama people face a drama, it becomes all about them. When delivered people face a drama, it becomes about what can God get out of this. Delivered people don't see the end to anything. We have no end. We may have trials and WE MAY HAVE VALLEYS. But can I tell you by faith IN MY GOD, MY GOD HAS ALLOWED IT. And if my God has allowed it, I will be like Job AND SAY, "THE LORD hath given and the Lord hath taken away, but blessed be the name of the Lord." HE SAID, MOSES, YOU JUST GET ON DOWN THERE TO EGYPT BECAUSE I MADE THE BLIND and I made the seeing. Moses, just go on down to Egypt. SEE, GOD'S BIGGER. GOD HAS ALLOWED things in our lives that we're trying to get deliverance from. Why God is trying to get us to see how he can use. It would be the prophet Jeremiah that God wanted early for him to know. So Jeremiah doesn't get four verses in chapter 1 OF VERSE FOUR. JEREMIAH DOESN'T GET FOUR verses into it until it says these words. Then the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Before I formed thee, in the belly, I knew thee. And before thou camest forth out of thy womb, I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. God said, "Let's settle something before we be get very long in your ministry." Let's settle something before we get very long in what I'm going to do for you. You're going to have some hardship. You're going to have some heartache. As a matter of fact, JEREMIAH, YOU'RE GOING TO live in a season of time that everything you see is going to cause you to cry and you will be known as Jeremiah the weeping prophet. NOT ONLY THAT, JEREMIAH, THERE'S GOING TO COME A TIME IN YOUR life that you're going to get so disappointed in what you see that you're going to tell God, "I'm never going to preach again." YOU'RE GOING TO TELL GOD THAT EVER since you opened up your mouth that you have had troubles and you will never preach again only for Jeremiah to say, "When I tried to hold it in, HIS WORD WAS LIKE FIRE SHUT UP IN my bones and I could not HOLD IT." GOD, WHY DON'T YOU WAIT TILL THE LAST CHAPTER of Jeremiah to tell him that before you were in your mother's womb, I knew you and I sanctified you to BE A PRO. WHY DON'T YOU WAIT FOR LATER IN THE DAY TO TELL me that? Because God says, "I want you to know and the beginning of your life, I want you to know that whatever your earliest memories are of being who you are, whatever the foggiest memory you can have of four years old or 5 years old, there's a God that predates that and says, "I knew you when you were in your mother's womb and I CALLED YOU TO DO SOMETHING THAT NOBODY ELSE CAN DO BUT YOU." OH, can you give him praise with me in the house this morning? In case someone says, "That's a bunch of old Old Testament scriptures, brother Carpenter." But we're living in the New Testament now. Okay, I'll give you that. Galatians chapter 1 verse number 15. The great apostle Paul writer of over half of the New Testament says these words. But when it pleased God who separated me from my mother's womb and called me by his grace. Oh friend, it's not just in the Old Testament. It's all through the New Testament. And it's not just in the New Testament ended in Revelation. It's still here at 1331 William Bunt Drive on this Sunday morning. Every last one of us today, God has called us to do a work. He says, now I'm going back to my text. He says, "You all are wondering about who sinned, and I want you to know that we're racing the clock." He says, "I must work." Verse four, "I must work the work of him that sent me while it is day. The night cometh when no man can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." And whatever what what he was saying, he said, "We're running. We're racing the clock. We're racing the clock. Seconds turn into minutes and minutes turn into hours and hours turn into days and days turn into months and months turns into years. And there's one thing I don't want to do. I don't want to waste my life. I don't want to grow old and be baptized with regret. I don't want to I don't want to grow old and sit around and wish and wonder, I wish I had really dedicated. I wish I had really tried. Can I tell you today, whether you're 79 or 19, God still loves you and God still has a plan for you. But I do want you to know, we are racing the clock. At any moment, the trumpet could sound. We don't have the promise of another day. If I could plead with you and say anything today, get serious now. Lay aside things now and understand that you are facing things. We could we could allow the the the the the the situation that we're in right now as a as a as a world. We could allow it to freeze us in our steps. But I say we stand back and we say, God, you if you didn't create this, God, you have allowed this. And God, in you allowing this, I'm not going to try to WASTE MY TIME FIGURING OUT where it came from and who's to blame and all of that hogwash that's going around. I just want to step back and say DURING THIS SEASON, HOW can I shine the brightest that I can for you as never before? How can I do things right now that I've NEVER DONE BEFORE, GOD? HOW CAN I TAKE A STAND RIGHT NOW, GOD, LIKE I'VE NEVER TAKEN A STAND BEFORE? You know, it amazes me. It absolutely amazes me THAT WHEN THINGS BREAK OUT, IT SEEMS LIKE THIS CHURCH GOES INTO A REVIVAL. DO YOU REALIZE THAT THE LAST FEW WEEKS WE HAVE BAPTIZED A NUMBER OF PEOPLE HERE AT THIS CHURCH? Do you realize the last few weeks a NUMBER OF PEOPLE HAVE GOTTEN THE BAPTISM OF THE HOLY GHOST? HAS WE HAVE WE HAD RECORD CROWDS? NO. HAVE we had to SET OUT FOLDING CHAIRS BECAUSE OF THE CROWD? NO. BUT WE'RE NOT AFTER A CROWD. WE'RE AFTER A CROWD. WE'RE NOT AFTER WE'RE NOT AFTER SOME KIND OF IS THE CHURCH. LISTEN, OUR UTOPIA IS NOT IS THE CHURCH FULL, BUT OUR UTOPIA IS DID SOMEBODY GET THE HOLY GHOST TODAY? WAS SOMEBODY BAPTIZED TODAY IN the midst? I wish SOMEBODY HELP ME PREACH THIS MORNING. OH, GOD. STRAIGHTEN OUT OUR VALUE SYSTEM. GOD, OUR VALUE SYSTEM IS NOT WHO'S NOT HERE. OUR VALUE SYSTEM IS WHO IS HERE. OUR VALUE SYSTEM TODAY IS NOT EVER PEWEST FILLED. I I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN. HEY, like that one for transparency. I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S GOING TO HAP I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S EVER GOING TO HAPPEN. BUT I TELL YOU WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN. AS LONG AS WE'VE GOT BREATH IN OUR BODY, WE'RE GOING TO PREACH JESUS CHRIST. As long as we got breath, we're going to pray for an Erica that's hanging between death AND ETERNITY. AND WE'RE GOING TO SEE GOD BRING HER TO CHURCH ON SUNDAY MORNING. AS LONG AS WE GOT BREATH, WE'RE GOING TO BELIEVE GOD FOR MIRACLES, SIGNS, and wonders. WE'RE GOING TO BELIEVE GOD. WE'RE GOING TO BELIEVE GOD THAT LAST SUNDAY A MAN CAN BE ON A VENTILATOR, BUT TODAY HE'S AT HOME AND HE THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BELIEVE GOD FOR. OH, HALLELUJAH. HALLELUJAH. THE DARKER THE NIGHT, THE BRIGHTER THE CHURCH. THE DARKER THE NIGHT, THE BRIGHTER THE CHURCH. THE THE STEEPER THE HILL, THE STRONGER MY MUSCLES. WHEN I GET ON THE OTHER SIDE, But we are working a time frame. We are working a time frame. He said, "I got to work while it's day." Verse number six. And when he had spoken, he spit. He spat on the ground. He spat on the ground. Well, that don't make any sense. Oh, it don't. Do you know that they can take your spittle and know everything about your DNA? They can take your spit and know everything about your DNA. Do you know they can take a hair follicle and know what kind of drug you've been taking? Say, "Yeah, science is really up there." Well, can I tell you Jesus was already there when he says, "I know the hair of your head." And what we look at is gross. Jesus wasn't an ordinary man. He was God and man. I don't believe that's ordinary spit. That spit had the DNA of a Red Sea being split. That spit had the DNA of keeping three man men safe in a fiery furnace. Woo. That spit had the DNA of telling lions to shut your mouth and don't eat THE PROPHET DANIEL. CAN I TELL YOU TODAY, YOU CAN GET INVOLVED IN THE CAUSE OR YOU CAN GET INVOLVED IN THE CURE. AND YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE TO HAVE A NAME. I'LL RAISE LAZARUS. I'M A GOOD LUNCH BUDDY WITH LAZARUS. I'm a good I I'm I'm a good I'm a good ALL OF FOUR OF US GO OUT TO EAT AFTER CHURCH BUDDY WITH MARY, MARTHA, AND LAZARUS. BUT I'M WILLING TO STEP OVER HERE TO A BLIND MAN THAT I KNEW HE WAS BLIND BECAUSE THAT'S THE WAY I FORMED HIM IN THE WOMB. BECAUSE TIME MATTERS NOT TO ME. I SET HIM IN HIS MOTHER'S WOMB. I CAUSED THE BLINDNESS. HE WAS BORN. THERE WAS A SEASON OF DISAPPOINTMENT. THERE WAS A LIFE OF DISAPPOINTMENT. BUT ALL OF A SUDDEN, GOD KNEW THERE WOULD BE A DAY WHEN DISAPPOINTMENT WOULD MEET THE DELIVERER. AND WHEN DISAPPOINTMENT MEETS THE DELIVERER, THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TODAY. THAT'S WHAT WE NEED. I KNOW I'M PREACHING TO SOME DISAPPOINTED PEOPLE. I KNOW THERE'S SOME PEOPLE HERE THAT'S DISAPPOINTED IN LIFE. BUT I'VE COME IN THE MIGHTY NAME OF JESUS TO TELL YOU THAT THE DELIVERER WANTS TO MEET YOUR DISAPPOINTMENT THIS MORNING. And he spit on the ground and reached down and rubbed it through the clay. And then he took and he anointed his eyes. Now many believe that this man was not only born blind, but he was actually born without eyeballs. His eye sockets were empty. And that when Jesus took the clay that he was literally pushing clay, the very substance man was made from. God does a good work with dirt. I'm afraid I'm afraid you might have missed that when I said God does a good work with dirt. Dust. You see, the world may sing the song bump bump bump. another one bites the dust. But when the church talks about the dust, we understand that yeah, we may be we may be diminished down to nothing but dust, but the God that we embraced, the God that we sang ABOUT FOR THE BETTER PART OF 45 minutes this morning, the God that we GIVE PRAISE TO HIS NAME FOR HEALINGS through the house, that God can come down AND TAKE THE DUST OF YOUR LIFE IF YOU'LL LET HIM TAKE YOUR DISAPPOINT. APPOINTMENT. HE CAN TAKE THE DUST OF YOUR LIFE, MINGLE IT WITH that DNA, that divine spittle and then give him a simple command. Go wash in the pool of Saleom. Go wash. Now, you got to understand something. The blind man has lived in a world that all he could do is hear. That's all he can do. He hears a conversation. He hears the Lord say, "No man, his father is mother, nor he has sinned." He hears this conversation and then he hears he hears in the conversation these words. This man is blind that I may show forth the works of God in him. I believe faith can get built today if you understand whatever dilemma you're in right now, God is God wants you to see how can God get glory out of this. How can God get glory out of this? A single mother's here today with her children wishes the husband would have never left. Her life has been turned upside down. She feels like a failure. She wonders at times, "Is my life over? But God is wanting that single mother to hear today and to see what she cannot see. That God is able to take a single mother. He's able to take a single parent and raise up children that'll be mighty warriors for God. God is able. God is able to bring somebody into your life that'll fill the void of your life. But he will never do it if all you can wonder about is the cause. He said, "Go wash in the pool of Saleom." Now, can I inform you, Lord, I'm blind? I'm blind. YOU'RE TELLING ME TO GO somewhere I'm blind. But can I tell you something? Where there is a will, there is a way. Don't just look, WELL, I FEEL LIKE GOD'S ASKING ME TO DO SOMETHING IMPOSSIBLE. HAVE you tried? Have you tried? I don't know about you, but when I pondered about this, I would just think if I wanted to be healed, I'd start turning around speaking INTO THE AIR. HEY, IS THERE ANYBODY HEY, IS THERE ANYBODY THAT COULD HELP ME GET DOWN TO THE POOL OF SALOM? HEY, IS THERE ANYBODY? CAN I TELL YOU LONELINESS IS WHERE THE ENEMY WANTS YOU? A SHUT MOUTH KNOWING WHAT THE CURE COULD BE IS WHERE THE ENEMY WANTS YOU. BUT GOD IS LOOKING FOR SOME PEOPLE TODAY THAT'LL BEGIN TO ASK, "IS THERE ANYBODY THAT CAN HELP ME GET WHERE I NEED TO GO? He told me to go to the pool of salom. SIR, WOULD YOU HELP ME GET DOWN TO THE POOL OF SALONE?" I'M TELLING you in THE NAME OF JESUS TODAY THAT GOD WILL HELP YOU TODAY IF YOU'RE JUST WILLING TO REACH OUT AND TO ASK SOMEBODY, COULD YOU HELP ME TODAY? WOULD YOU HELP ME? WOULD YOU PRAY WITH ME TODAY? WOULD YOU WOULD COULD YOU HELP ME? I PROMISE YOU, YOU ARE WITHIN INCHES OF SOMEBODY THAT WOULD BE MORE THAN GLAD TO PRAY WITH YOU THIS MORNING. YOU'RE WITHIN INCHES. And when he had thus spoken, he sped on the ground and made clay of spittle and anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. And he said unto him, "Go wash in the pool of Saleom, which is by interpretation sent." He went his way, therefore, and washed and came seeing. What a miracle. He went to the pool of Saleom. I'm telling you, it works. He went to the pool of Saleom and he washed in the pool of Saleom. It didn't make any sense to him. But when that old blind man put his face down to the water and took his two hands and pulled two handfuls of water to his eyes and he be to wash away the dirt, all of a sudden for the first time in all of his life, he saw his reflection there. All of a sudden, he saw blue skies and white clouds. All of a sudden, he looked around. He saw green plants. He saw the DIRT ROAD. HE SAW EVERYTHING THAT BEFORE THIS TIME he had only heard of what these colors should mean. He makes his way. Let me stop there for a moment. Let me stop there for a moment. God's word will not fail. You do not believe. I I we prayed this morning in the early morning prayer. We prayed. We want to when we have church here, we want to bind the blinder. We want to bind the one that blinds people's minds to what God wants to do for them. WE WANT TO BIND. THERE'S PEOPLE THERE'S PEOPLE THAT ARE addicted that believe that God could deliver, but they don't believe GOD COULD DELIVER THEM. That's because the blinder HAS GOT THEIR MINDS BLINDED. BUT WE PRAYED EARLY THIS morning in this auditorium that you would have an opportunity to make a wellinformed decision. You would not have to hear the lies of hell tell you, "You'll never be the same. You'll never come out of this. You'll never be worth anything. YOU'VE MIRED YOUR REPUTATION. YOU'VE MESSED UP YOUR CREDIT. YOU'VE MESSED UP YOUR JOB. YOU'VE MESSED UP YOUR FAMILY." THOSE ARE LIES. LIES. All lies. I PRAY TODAY THAT THE GOD OF THIS WORLD WHO IS SATAN WOULD BE BOUND IN THIS HOUSE SO THAT YOU FOR A FEW MOMENTS COULD MAKE A WELL INFORMED DECISION. I AM LOVED BY GOD. I AM SOMEBODY OF IMPORTANCE. I AM REALLY LOVED. I HAVE REALLY GOT SOMETHING GOING FOR ME. AND THAT WELL-INFORMED DECISION COULD LEAD you to God. Oh, he came again seeing verse nine. Some said, "This is he." No, verse eight, I'm sorry. The neighbors therefore, and they which before had seen him, that he was blind, said, "Is not this he that sat and begged?" They saw him. They said, "Hey, is not this the beggar, the blind beggar?" Some said, "This is he." Others said, "He is like him." But he said, "I am he." Now, can I tell you when you get ready to get delivered, the first battle you're going to have is the diversity of the opinions of man. You realize THE FIRST THING, BROTHER MARSHALL, he ran into was diversity of opinions. HE WALKED INTO TOWN AND SOMEBODY SAID, "BROTHER HARRIS," SOMEBODY SAID, "Is that the guy that was blind? Some said, "Uh, no, IT'S SOMEBODY THAT LOOKS LIKE HIM." Get ready. Don't look for man for your pathway. Man's divided. Some said, "Is that him?" SOME SAID HE LOOKS LIKE HIM. You be ready to take on the nature of your deliverer. I said, "You be ready to take on THE NATURE OF YOUR DELIVERER." WHAT IS THE NATURE OF YOUR DELIVERER? MOSES SAID, "GOD, TELL ME YOUR NAME." HE SAID, "I AM that I am." Several times throughout the scripture, JESUS SAID, "I AM BEFORE ABRAHAM WAS I am." Saying the word I am, CONNECTED YOU STRAIGHT TO GOD. AND SO NO WONDER WHEN this man gave the answer to THE DIVERSITIES OF OPINIONS ABOUT HIMSELF, HE CONNECTED HIMSELF WITH THE NATURE OF HIS DELIVERER BECAUSE HE SAID, "I AM HE." NOW, HE WASN'T CLAIMING TO BE GOD. HE WAS JUST CLAIMING TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF THE DNA OF THE I AM THAT I AM. I AM MORE THAN A CONQUEROR THROUGH CHRIST JESUS. I ONCE WAS BOUND, BUT NOW I AM FREE. I ONCE WAS LOST, BUT NOW I am found. I ONCE WAS DEAD, BUT NOW I AM ALIVE. I AM MORE THAN A CONQUEROR. THAT'S NOT SELF-HELP. THAT'S CONNECTING YOURSELF WITH THE ONE THAT SAID, "I'LL NEVER LEAVE YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU. I AM HE. I am he. UH, YOU JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT I'VE BEEN THROUGH, BROTHER CARPENTER. You just don't know what I've been through. Well, I tell you something. I was watching a documentary or maybe it was the news and they were reporting on a tornado coming through and it just blew this farm. Beautiful red farm, beautiful white farmhouse, beautiful split rail fence, cotton and all kinds of all kind place there and a tornado just came through and just just demolished that that that that ranch. And what got my attention was a news reporter was was doing talking about what a beautiful farm this used to be and what a beautiful place this used to be. But this F5 tornado came through and and all this beautiful. And I kept noticing behind her there was a piece of tin moving. There's a piece of tin moving. I I'm odd. You know that BY NOW. BUT I I Is the wind still blowing? That piece of tin's moving. And about that time, AN OLD BANY ROOSTER came out from under that piece of t. He shook himself. THERE WAS FEATHERS ALL OVER. He shook himself a little bit. He had one feather kind of hanging down. He had been through the windstorm. He hobbled around for a minute and all OF A SUDDEN HE HOBBLED AND HE JUMPED UP ON A POST THAT WAS KIND OF LEANING TO THE SIDE. HAIR ALL MESSED UP, FEATHERS MISSING. He said, "And I thought to myself, THAT OLD BY ROOSTER'S BEEN THROUGH A LOT OF NIGHT AND A LOT OF WIND, BUT HE'S STILL GOT HIS CROW IN HIM. OH MY GOD. I'M ABOUT TO RUN AROUND THIS BUILDING. HE MIGHT BE MISSING SOME FEATHERS. THEY MAY BE MISSING THE CHICKEN COOP, BUT HE STILL HAD HIS CROW IN HIM. HEY FRIEND, I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENED TO YOUR LIFE, BUT YOU BETTER HAVE YOU PRAISING YOU. YOU BETTER KEEP COME ON, PRAISE HIM. PRAISE HIM. OH, I WAS MADE FOR VICTORY. I WAS MADE FOR VICTORY. I'M A MOUNTAIN CLIMBER. I'M A GIANT KILLER. I'M PART OF THE RESURRECTION ON THE THIRD DAY. I AM HE. DO YOU STILL GOT YOUR PRAISE IN YOU? DO YOU STILL GOT YOUR PRAISE IN YOU? I HALLELUJAH. COME ON, HELP ME PRAISE HIM FOR A MOMENT. OH, I STILL HAVE MY PRAISE IN ME. I STILL HAVE MY SHOUT IN ME. I STILL HAVE MY GLORY. HALLELUJAH. I STILL HAVE MY TONGUE TALKING. I STILL HAVE MY DANCING IN ME. I MIGHT BE MISSING A FEW THINGS, BUT I STILL GOT MY PRAISE. HEY, I hear somebody's praise. I hear somebody's praise. I think I'm going to WAIT ON SOME MORE PEOPLE TO PRAISE HIM. I KNOW YOU'RE MISSING A FEW FEATHERS. I KNOW THE BARN'S NOT THERE. I KNOW THE LANDSCAPE HAS CHANGED. BUT DO YOU HAVE YOUR PRAISE LEFT IN YOU? I KNOW YOU DON'T MAKE THE MONEY YOU USED TO MAKE. I KNOW THE HOUSE IS EMPTY. I KNOW THE KIDS ARE DIVIDED. I KNOW ALL THOSE THINGS ARE GOING ON. I KNOW YOU GOT PEOPLE ON YOUR OFFICE TELLING YOU YOU'RE CRAZY TO COME TO THIS APOSTOLIC CHURCH. I KNOW YOU GOT FAMILY MEMBERS THAT ARE TELLING YOU THAT IT'S A CULT. BUT I JUST WONDER SOMEHOW SOMEWAY YOU CAN KNOW THAT THIS IS GOD AND YOU CAN GIVE GOD SOME PRAISE. COME ON, IT WORKS. DON'T IT? COME ON. IT WORKS, DON'T IT? Come on. It works, don't it? I SAID IT WORKS, DON'T IT? Come on, IT WORKS, DON'T IT? WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO BE A PART OF SOMETHING THAT DON'T WORK FOR SOMETHING THAT DOES WORK? Let me preach on. Remember that phrase I just made. Why would you want to be a part of something that doesn't work? Why do you want to be a part of something that don't work? Because people have told you what does work is not right. I think the proof's in the pudding. You hear me? I think the pre proof is in the pudding. Watch, watch, watch how this story unfolds. Watch how it unfolds. He said, "I am he." He said, "I am, I am he." Verse nine, "Therefore said they unto him, how were thine eyes opened?" He answered and said, "A man that is called Jesus made clay, anointed my eyes, said unto me, go to the pool of Saleom and wash, and I went and washed, and I received sight." Then said they unto him, "Where is he?" He said, "I know not." They brought him to the Pharisees. This is what don't work. They brought him to the Pharisees, brought him that a four time was blind. It was the Sabbath day when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. Then again the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. He said unto them, he put CLAY UPON MINE EYES AND I WASH and do see. THEREFORE SAID SOME OF THE PHARISEES, this man is not of GOD BECAUSE HE KEEPETH NOT THE SABBATH DAY. Others said, "How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles?" AND THERE WAS A DIVISION among them. What don't work always tries to divert from what does work. And they want to get into little isms and sisms. Well, that church don't believe the trinity. Well, that church don't believe this. Now, there's some things they say we don't believe in is true. There's other things they say we believe that's not true. had a had a man, a utility man out here working and he said, "My pastor told me I wouldn't be allowed to come to this church with his facial hair." I said, "Your pastor is misinformed." He said, "My pastor said, "Y'all don't believe the trinity." I said, "Your pastor's right." It's true. Because religion will always try to divert you away from what's working. See, now the man now the man doesn't even not only has to encounter diversity of opinion. He's got to encounter religion telling him, "You're wrong. You're right." Well, he couldn't have healed your eyes. He's a sinner. Well, what makes him a sinner? He don't keep the Sabbath day. He did this on the Sabbath day. And so, they go in they they they they go into that. They go into that verse number where' I stop verse 17. They say unto the blind man again, what sayest thou of him that he opened thine eyes? He said he is a prophet. But the Jews did not believe concerning him that he had been blind and received his sight until they called the parents of him that had received his sight. AND THEY ASKED HIM, SAYING, "Is this your son?" How they get the parents? The religion gets the parents involved. Don't this sound familiar? Religion gets the Well, they got involved because they got involved because they were part of the Pharisees. So, they just said, "Let's let's call them in. Let's call them. Let's call them in." And they called the parents in. Verse 18. And they asked them, saying, Is this your son, whom you say was born blind? How the then doth HE NOW SEE? HIS parents answered them and said, we know that this is our son. They said, now Pharisee board, we know that this is our son that was born blind. BUT BY WHAT means he now seeth, we know not. Or how or how or who hath opened his eyes? We know not. He is of age. Ask him. He shall SPEAK FOR HIMSELF. NOW, I'M GOING TO TELL YOU WHAT'S WRONG WITH THIS. Is they knew how it happened. They knew how it happened. Verse 22. These words spake his parents because they feared the Jews. FOR THE JEWS HAD AGREED ALREADY THAT if any man did confess THAT HE WAS CHRIST SHOULD BE PUT OUT OF THE SYNAGOGUE, THEREFORE SAID HIS PARENTS, he is of age. ASK HIM. THAT IS OUTRIGHT PITIFUL. Come on, parents. IF IT WEREN'T, YOU OUGHT TO BE SHOUTING FOR JOY. YOU OUGHT TO BE YOU OUGHT TO BE LOOKING AT THEM PHARISEES SAYING, "I'VE BROUGHT HIM TO THIS PHARISEE SUNDAY SCHOOL FOR YEARS AND YOU NEVER MADE HIM ANY BETTER. WE'VE BEEN COMING TO THIS PLACE AND WE'VE NEVER FELT THE JOY." BUT YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE FOR THAT BOY TO WALK IN. SAY, "DAD, THAT'S YOU. MOM, THAT'S YOU." COME ON. DON'T ALLOW RELIGION TO KEEP YOU BACK FROM THE REAL THING THAT GOD'S DOING A REAL WORK. I always want to hurry up and get to the end of this. They cast him out. They cast the young man out cuz the young man, well, here's the conversation. Just go all the way down. Musicians, would you come? Just go all the way down to verse number 30. The former blind man is being interrogated by the Pharisees. In verse 30, the man answered and said unto them, Why herein is a marvelous thing, that you know not from whence he is, and yet he hath opened mine eyes. Now we know, listen to the blind, listen to the former blind man. Now we know that God heareth not sinners, but if any man be a worshshiper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth. Listen to the former blind man now. Since the world began, was it not heard that any man open the eyes of one that was born blind? If this man were not of God, he could do nothing. Listen to the Pharisees. They answered and said unto him, Thou all thou was altogether born in sin, and doth thou teach us? And they cast him out. See there, you're trying to tell us, don't you know how many doctorate degrees, bub, we got behind our names? Don't you know how educated we are? And just because you were born blind and you stand here and you're seeing and this has never been done, you think you got the right to teach us. Yeah. And they cast him out. What that meant was they excommunicated him from the temple. You have no right to the temple. Now, that went further than you really realize. It not only meant that you couldn't come in the temple and worship. It meant that no one else that worshiped could fellowship with you. If you had a business, that meant you were marked. Your business was marked. They don't do business. It meant bankruptcy. It meant loneliness. Oh, that's so terrible. Is it? Is it? Is it really that terrible? Or has the world done something for us that's positioned us in a spirit to have the savior come by? Because he's now a cast away. He's now cast. He's now cast out of the temple. He's now all alone. But the Bible says, the Bible says, would you stand with me for a moment? The Bible says, "And they cast him out." And they cast him out. Jesus heard that they had cast him out. And when he had found him, he said unto him, "Dust thou believe on the Son of God?" Do you believe? Look, KBY, you you don't know the situation I'm in today. I'm cast out. I'm cast away. Yes, you are. But in your loneliness, God is walking to your pew right now. In your loneliness, God is coming to where you're at right now. And he found him. And he says, "Do you believe on the Son of God?" And he answered and said, "Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him?" And Jesus said unto him, "Thou hath both seen him, and it is he that talkth with me." And right here, it's worth it all. It's worth it all. God, if I have been so comfortable in this life that I have not worshiped you the way that you need to be worshiped, take my comfort away, God, for God, this man being born blind and this man being cast out led to the pivotal point in his life. and he said, "Lord, I believe and he worshiped him." That's what he's looking for today. John chapter 4 says, "For the father seeketh such to worship him right there in your pew today." Could we just take a few moments while they lead us in praise and could we just worship our savior? You were born to be blessed. You were born to overcome. You were born to be an overcomer today. You were born You were born to be blessed today. You were born to be an overcomer this morning. Come on, worship right now. Oh, worship right now with me. Th This is the time the Savior's walking by today. This is the time the Savior's walking by today. Oh God, in the name of Jesus Christ this morning. Oh, in the name of Jesus Christ this morning. I worship you, Lord. I worship you, Lord. I worship you, Lord. I worship you, Lord. I worship you, Lord. Oh, if there's anyone who wants to come and pray, join me in this altar this morning. Anyone want to be praying for you tonight? Oh God, I love you this morning. Lord, I praise you this morning. God, mighty God, mighty God. Mighty God, mighty God. God, I love you, Lord. I love you. Do your work, Jesus. Oh, do your work, Jesus. Do your work, Lord. Oh, man. Lady, just let God touch you this morning. Lady, just let God touch you this morning. Lady, just lift up your hands and let God touch you. He wants you to worship him. He's the answer today. He's your direction today. Come on, lady. Just love him right now. Oh God, oh God. God is in the praise. Hallelujah. I found nothing. I once was lost. Wait, I found a home stronger and nothing. I was lost. Now I'm alive in you. Now I'm alive. Right, doctor. That's right, doctor. That's right, doctor. Oh, come on. If it would be appropriate, lay your hand over on somebody. Manto man, woman to woman. Somebody needs a touch from the Savior. Somebody's cast away. Somebody's lonely today. Fighting your pressure. I hope you're stronger and nothing. I once was lost. Now I'm alive. Now I'm alive with you. I found the love. I found my son. I was lost. Oh yes. I found it. Yes, I did. I found I found a home stronger and nothing. I was lost. Now I'm alive in you. I'm outside of you, Lord. Come on. The Lord is moving. He's searching for the outcast this morning. He sees your loneliness. He understands your loneliness today. Let him walk by your pew. Be a worshshiper this morning. Be a worshipper today. Lift your hands and open your mouth and worship the God that created you. Worship the God that redeemed you.