There Is a Way | Senior Pastor Kenneth Carpenter
by Kenneth Carpenter
First Apostolic Church of Maryville (Maryville, TN)
Kind: sermon
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:13, 2 Samuel 22:33, 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, Luke 19:1-10

Source: https://acts238.life/repository/sermons/kenneth-carpenter--there-is-a-way-senior
Published by Acts 2:38 Life from the sermon transcript on that page.
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you'd remain standing with me and turn with me in your Bibles to First Corinthians chapter 10 verse number 13. So refreshing to have midweek service. Amen. So refreshing not only to have midweek service. I I'm thankful that we not only have midweek service, but we have church in midweek service. Amen. We we have church at midweek service. And I know a lot of places that have midweek service, but they don't have church at midweek service. And I I'm glad to come on midweek and and uh be refreshed with the presence of God. Bible said, "Oh, magnify the Lord with me." And I'm glad that a lot of lot of churches you might want to go to, it says, "Oh, come and watch me worship." I I'm glad that just not one's worshiping. Oh, magnify the Lord with me. Let us exalt his name. Isn't it refreshing to come to the house of God on on the midweek service? 1 Corinthians chapter 10 verse 13. Paul says, "There hath no temptation taken you, but such as is common to man, but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that which ye are able, but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that you may be able to bear it. He would make a way of escape. 2 Samuel 22 and verse number 33. 2 Samuel 22 verse 33. God is my strength and power. He maketh my way perfect. Back to the New Testament. We're pingponging this thing tonight. Back to the New Testament now. 2 Corinthians 12:7. Here goes Paul again. Unless I should be exalted above measure through the re through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I've besought the Lord thrice that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, my grace is sufficient for thee. My strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly, therefore, will I rather glory in mine infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore, I take pleasure. Therefore, I take pleasure. Y'all want to hang on this for a moment. Therefore, I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then am I strong. Father, tonight in the name of Jesus, I have no doubt, God, that there are someone is here. And God, I believe it may be the vast majority of this congregation, if not all of this congregation, God, that you're going to speak to tonight. Lord, a word of encouragement, a faithb building message, God, a word from you, Lord, that you have your hand upon their lives and our lives. Lord, for the next few moments, anoint me, but God, not only anoint my heart, but anoint the ears that hear the word tonight. Father, we bind every opposing spirit. We bind any demonic work that would try to hinder your word from going forth tonight. Lord, let freedom reign. Let deliverance come. Let there be a demonstration, God, of your power tonight. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen. And amen. Put your hands together. Give him a hand of praise. Thank God. Before I announce my title, I want you to be seated. But before I announce my title, I'm going to go ahead and tell you as I prepare to feed the church, as I prepare throughout the week, somebody asked me, they said, "Uh, what are your hours of preparation?" I said, "Yeah, what are your hours of preparation?" Well, it's just it's just it's just always you're always putting back and tucking this away and saying, "I'm going to I'm going to preach this." I I want you to know that what I'm about to to minister tonight, um I had every intention of working on it um and preaching it this coming Sunday morning. I had every intention. It was on my mind. I felt like this would be good for Sunday morning. And I was going to go back to teaching tonight when today as I tried to make my way and leave these passages and kind of just uh tuck it away in my Bible and and here let me put it here. I just couldn't get away from it. I just couldn't I couldn't get away from it. And so therefore uh after an hour or so um I cried uncle to God. He had my arm twisted up by my back. I cried out and I said, "All right, Lord. I'm going to I'm going to minister this tonight. I'm going to minister this tonight." And uh here is my title this evening. There is a way. There is a way. I I really uh I I I read where the brain the brain is so wired that it begins to believe what it hears. Okay? that it whatever the brain hears it begins to believe. And so, not only do I want to say the title tonight, there is a way, but I believe it'd be good if you said the title tonight. >> There is a way. >> There is a way. There there is there is a way. There there is a way. I'm going to tell you something. My mind needs to My mind needs to be hearing. There is a way. There there there is there is there is a way. You see, a lot of people want to follow evidence. They if you could give them some kind of evidence that there is a way, they're going to they'll follow it. But that's not how faith works. Believing doesn't follow evidence. Evidence follows believing. >> We believe and the evidence comes. So I want to say it again. There is a way. >> There is a way. I wonder if we could be so bold and brave maybe to turn to somebody beside you tonight and just look at them and say, "Uh, there is there is a way. There there there is a way. There is a way." How how are you sure there is a way? How are you how are you sure that there is a way? I'm going tell you how I'm sure that there's a way. Because I read the scripture tonight that you're not going through something tonight. You are not going through something tonight that somebody else hasn't already went through >> or somebody else may be going through >> or somebody else maybe has went through it and got the victory. And so there is no temptation. There is no testing but such as common demand. In other words, there's nothing you're going through that somebody else hasn't went through. Now I don't know about you, but I find a little comfort in that. As a matter of fact, I not only want to find somebody that's going through what I'm going through, I want to keep on looking until I find somebody that has went through what I'm going through. >> Because I'm going to tell you something, there there there is a way out and there is a way in. >> God gave them a way out of Egypt. Aren't you thankful? God has given us a way out of this world. He has given us a way out of sin and out of bondage. God has given us a way to get out. Aren't you thankful for that? >> For the cross of Jesus Christ. No wonder he said, "I am the way. I am the I am the way." Come on, somebody shout, "There is a way." There is a way. >> There is a way. There's a way out of Egypt. There's not a will. Say, "Brother Carpenter, I've come out of I've come out of the wilderness. I mean, I've come out of the I've come out of Egypt. I' I I've been long out of Egypt, but I I'm in the wilderness." Well, let me change it just for a moment. There is a way out of Egypt and there is a way through the wilderness. >> I'm coming out of Egypt and I'm also going to go through the wilderness >> cuz I'm headed to the promised land. >> There's a way out >> and there's a way through. I don't know what you're going through tonight. I don't know who this is for, but it's got to be for somebody. >> There is a way. >> There is a way. He said, "You, Paul said, you're not going through anything that anyone else has not went through." And God is faithful. God is faithful. >> God is faithful. >> Turn the coin. God is not unfaithful. >> What does that mean? He that keeps you neither slumbers nor sleeps. He's a faithful God. Matter of fact, I got news for you tonight. When you let go of his hand, he didn't let go of your hand. >> When you turn your back on him, he didn't turn his back on you. He is a faithful He is a faithful God. That That's why I'm going to tell you something. You can't get out of his hand easy. I'm not saying you can't get out of his hand. You may get out of his hand, but you'll never get out of his mind. That's why when you go out and try to party hardy and you try to go out and live like a sinner of the uh like the way you lived when God brought you out, that's why you can't be happy like everybody else is because you know there is a way out. You know that there is a way. There is a way through. God is faithful. How many believes God is faithful? >> Would you just wave your hand? Say, "God is faithful." See, the the brain will believe what the ears begin to hear. God is faithful. >> God is faithful. Who will not allow you to be tempted above that which you're able to bear? He will not allow he he he will not allow that to happen. He loves you. He knows your weight load. He knows your stress level. He knows what you have the capacity to hold up under. He knows it. He knows that. He knows how many hair you have on your head. He knows when the sparrow falls from heaven. He He knows everything about you. >> So he knows how much that you can take. >> He will not allow you to be tempted. He will not allow you to be tested above that which you're able to bear. But I love this part. This is where I get my text. But he will also with the temptation make a way. You know, I I submit to you tonight that too many times we stunt our spiritual growth. We're stymied because we seem to focus on the trial and not the trust. >> See, if the Lord I if if if you're in uncharted waters, you got to look for a way out. >> You can talk about you you can talk about how lost you are. You can talk about how dry it is. You can talk about how lonely it is. You can talk about all these things, but God said there's a way. >> If there was not a way, he wouldn't have said it. But he said, "I will." This verse 13 again, but will with the temptation. Look at that. Ver verse 13 again. Look at that. What comes with the testing? Look, we have the testing here, right, brother? We have testing here. All right. It's the enemy's mind for me just to get my mind on what I'm going through. and not what I'm going to see. The trial is to make something out of me. The trial is to leave me better. Job said, "I know when I come forth, I shall be like refined gold." And so he says, "With the temptation," look at that 13 again. Now, with the temptation, also make a way. There is a way to escape that you may be able to bear it. Now, if you're wondering if God can make a way, he wanted to tell you in 2 Samuel 22:33, God is my strength and my power. He maketh my way perfect. God's ways are perfect. You you know God knows what we need and God knows when we need it. Some trials, I'll admit to you, are trial of life. Some trials are just a man that is born of woman is is is is uh full of full of trouble. Uh man's man that is born of a woman is a few days and and full of trouble as sparks fly upward. So he he begins to describe uh the hardness of life, the the the difficulties the difficulties of life. Can I tell you there is not only trials that come to the saint, there's also trials that come to the sinner. They just don't know it. But there's trials that come. And when these trials come, some can be just a part of a part of life. Uh as far as I know, I I I as far as I know, I didn't commit some sin. The reason I'm wearing glasses tonight, it's part of life. As far as I know, I didn't commit some sin. The reason I've got herinades tonight, right? It's just Come on now. It's It's part of life. As far as I know, I I I've not been out on the town tying one on when I get up in the morning and and I I walk across the floor and I sound like milk going over Rice Krispies. It didn't always happen. I uh I left early Monday morning to go to Memphis for uh organizational work and business. And I drove all the way to Memphis and got stuck in traffic. What should have took a few hours, took most of the day. Then I sat in a meeting Monday night. We had meetings there, district meetings, and then we got up um got up Tuesday morning and and uh back to the meetings and the meetings ended around 2:00 and back in the car back into the horrible traffic on the interstate and I pulled in the house last night late and um went inside and and Sister Kman said, "Would you like to go over and see the baby?" and said, "Yeah, let's let's go over." And we walked across the yard and we walked in and we sat down and I just zoned out. I just zoned I could hear him talking to his wife. I was zoning out and I just simply said to them, "I ain't what I used to be. I Well, no wonder, Dad. Are you crazy? You drove all day Monday and you drove today. And uh but there was a day when I had lost with it again. I didn't sin for heaven's sake. I was doing the work of God. So there's just trials that come on that you guys got to realize it's just part of life. >> But then there's trials that come on that that that God allows it to come in your life. Do do you understand what I'm saying tonight? There are trials that God allows to come into your life. Um he he the one the only thing I've ever thank been thankful for a conversation that Satan said the only one of the only things I've ever been thankful for what he said the old boy really revealed his his whole deck of cards when he said to God about Job touch him touch him God you have a hedge around him you you you have a a protection that's I don't know about you but that should make you feel good tonight. >> That number one, you say, "Well, yeah, that's Job." Uhuh. Hold on. Read your Bible. He's no respector of person. If he did it for Job, he's no respector of persons. He'll do it for Judy. If he did it for Job, he'll do it for John. If he did it for Job, he'll do it for Sally. Oh, you ought to you ought to respond more than that. You ought to thank God that you you got a hedge around you. I said, "I I I can't I can't get to him. I I I I just can't get to him. You You You got a hedge." Now, notice notice what Job Notice what Satan didn't say to God. I've never tried to get to him. I've never I've never come to his door. I You know, I I touch Job. I don't know. I've never been by his house. He sure had been by his house. He sure had wanted to touch Job. But when he got to Job's house, he found out there was a spiritual force field. >> Any Star Trek watchers here tonight? >> Come on, James Kirk. Hit the button. Come on, Mr. Spock. Hit the button because the is the the Klingons are coming. And what do they put out? They put out the force field and they was unable to hit the ship. Right? Do you know something? That's a Hollywood movie. But let me tell you reality. God has a spiritual force field around you. And the enemy cannot come in that space unless God says, "Well, you know what? I'll let you come in." But even when God said you can come in, he said, "Let me set limits on it." >> You can touch his flesh, but you can't touch his life. >> You see, see, God's the one that sets the test. God. When God said, "I think you need to go through a test. I want to make something better out of you." You none of us go through tests as punishment. That's correction. That's chastisement. We go through tests because God sees that he wants to make something better out of us. How many want to How many want to be a better person? >> Come on. A be better. I I want to be a better I want to be a better Is this all right tonight? Is better person. So God says, you know, Satan doesn't know this. Satan doesn't know this because Satan doesn't know everything. And Satan is not all wise. Had Satan been all wise, the Bible plainly says he would not have crucified the Lord of glory. Satan thought, "If I could just do away with that little Jesus, if I could just do away with that one little man filled with the fullness of God's spirit, if I could just do away with him, if I could nail him to a cross and put him in a tomb, I do away with one Jesus." You're a fool because you fell into the trap. That one Jesus was crucified. that one man did give his life, but 50 days after the resurrection, Satan's got a migraine cuz now there's 120 little Jesus's filled with the power of God at 9:00 in the morning. At 9:00 in the morning, he said, "What did I do? There's 120 of them walking around." But wait a minute, Satan, you ain't seen nothing yet. By the end of the day, there'll be 3,120 walking around. So, you got to get this off. He is not all wise. >> I wish somebody just throw your head back and praise him right now. >> If you only knew what I was going to be. Come on, that sound like a choir song right now. If you only knew what I was going to be, you wouldn't have bothered me. >> Somebody say, "Hallelujah." >> Hallelujah. >> I set the limits. Job, I know how much you can go through. I know you're able. I know you can stand up. I know you can go through all that, but Job, there'll be a time that testing is over. And when the testing is over, Job, just get ready. Healing is coming. Just get ready. The people that stood around you and said, you know, there's nobody righteous that would suffer that way. Oh, there's got to be something wrong with Job's life. He's got to have some secret sin somewhere. Ain't nobody suffers like that. And it's godly. Some of those same loudmouth people came and I just feel led to give you an offering, Job. I just feel led to give you an offering. I I just feel led to do this until the end of the chapter says that God blessed Job at the end of the trial with twice as much twice as much as he had because there is a way. There is a way. But you got to look for it. You got to be strong minded. If you don't live for God, you got some muscle up here. That's why you got to hear the right stuff. >> You can't hear I can't. You got to hear he can. >> Got to get some muscle right here. Some tenacity right here. Some when the going gets tough, what? Somebody help me. >> Now, some of you said when the going gets tough, we quit. was after all anything for God. I mean, how how could this be the will of God and be so hard? Well, ask Jesus carrying that cross up the hill. >> Was he in the will of God when he carried that cross up the hill? Was he in the will of God? >> Was it hard? >> You better believe it. So, stop convincing yourself that you run into a little obstacle or a little resistance and it must not be the will of God. I'm going to turn around, sit down. you're going to find yourself setting down all the time, >> but you build muscle by pushing against resistance. >> You build muscle by by simply pushing against that. And so there is a way. You can't give up when the obstacle is in front of you. Let me read to you a little story. It's not in the Bible, but it fits my message tonight. There is an old story about a king whose people had grown soft and entitled. Dissatisfied with the state of affairs, he hoped to teach them a lesson. His plan was simple. He would place a large boulder in the middle of the main road, completely blocking the entry into the city. He would then hide nearby and observe the reactions. How would they respond? Would they band together to remove it? Or would they get discouraged, quit, and return home? With growing disappointment, the king watched as subject after subject came to this impediment, and turned away, or at best tried half-heartedly before giving up. Many openly complained as they stood and even cursed the king in the f and the fortune or bemoaned the inconvenience. But none managed to do anything about it. After several days, a lone peasant came along on his way into town. He did not turn away. Instead, he strained and strained, trying to push it out of the way. Then an idea came to him. He scrambled into the nearby woods to find something he could use for leverage. Finally, he returned with a large branch he had crafted into a lever and deployed it to dislodge the massive rock from the road. Beneath the rock was a purse of gold coins and a note from the king which said, "The obstacle in the path becomes the path." >> Never forget within every obstacle is an opportunity to improve our condition. >> You ever thought about that? that you got something in your way that if you can get your mind that you're going to to keep on with tenacity, you're going to find a way because if God said there's a way, there is a way. I don't have to make sense of it. I don't have to get the consensus of humanity. If God says there's a way. And I got news for you. When it comes to God, there may not be a way, but God has a way of making a way where there is no way. Don't believe it? Ask Moses if God can't make a way where there seem to be a way. Come on, child of God tonight. Have faith in your God tonight. There is a way. There's a way. There's a way. All right. Turn with me to Luke chapter 19. We got to get mentally tough. We got to be willing. It's easy to complain. You don't even have to have the prayer room to complain. Complaining just comes natural. Luke chapter 19 verse number one. Somebody say amen. I Somebody say >> amen. >> Luke 19 verse number one. Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. Man, what we get from that? Let's all read that together. There's something deep right here. Jesus, let's read together that Jesus entered. >> What's there? Well, he entered and he passed through Jericho. Now, that's what he did. That that's what he did. Everybody say that's what he did. >> Okay. See, sometimes we cannot get going because we just concentrate on the what and not the why. Verse one is what he did. What did he do? He entered and he passed through Jericho. But it's verse 10. It's verse 10 that will tell us why he did what he did. Does that make sense tonight? We Are we all here? Huh? What'd he do in verse one? What'd he do? >> Yeah, something like that. He entered and he went through Jericho. That's what he did. Now, here's why he did it. Verse 10. For the Son of Man is come. Wait a minute. Come where? I entered and I passed through Jericho. So now in verse 10, we get the why. For the son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. Verse one tells me what he did. Verse 10 tells me why he did it. Verse one says, "I came and went in and out of Jericho because I was seeking someone who is lost." Do you know that God will come close to you to give you an opportunity to ask? Well, you know, I just can't figure out God, if God, if God's in here tonight, why didn't God come through and why didn't God just do XYZ for me? Because he gave you an opportunity. The way walked right by you. like a scripture for that. I give you a scripture for it. They're in they're in a they're in a ship in a storm on the sea. Jesus comes walking. They think they're going to capsize and they think they're going to die. These men in the boat, the disciples in the boat think they're going to die on this this sea. And the Bible said Jesus came walking on the water and would have passed them by. But they cried out and he stopped and he saved them. Can I tell you tonight, this is a service. If you're waiting, this isn't sonic. This isn't sonic. You don't get to sit there and let him God come out on his roller skates and bring you what you want. You have got to look around and say, "Man, this is my opportunity tonight." Oh, th this is this is my opportunity tonight. They're singing about a God that's a chain breaker. They're they're singing about a name that's above every name. They're singing about a cure of all cures. That's your time. Just start say that. That's a way right there. I'm going to tell you, I don't understand praise. I don't understand worship. I don't understand. I can work all day and be so tired, but go to the house of God and begin to sing the songs of Zion. And before long, I feel energized and I just feel like, you know, really, that's why you're all here tonight. You all are a testimony that it pays to come to the house of God. That's right. That's right. You're a testimony. That's why you got here tonight. You know it pays there. Somebody shout, "There is a way." >> I'm coming through. >> I've come to Jericho. I came to seek and save. Let's go to let's go to Luke 19 and verse number two. And behold, there was a man named Zakius, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich. Let's talk about it. His name means pure one. His name means pure or innocent one. Can you imagine when he was born his mom and daddy said, "Let's call him Zakius. Look how innocent he looks. Look how pure he looks." But as Zakius grew up, he took on the trade of a tax collector, which is what they refer to as an employer. employ employee of Rome. All right. Now, Zakius is a Jew, but he becomes hired by the Roman government to collect Jewish taxes. All right. Now, the Jews did not fancy too much to them. Oh, they they they called them publicans, employees of Rome. And not only that, they even called him, now they wouldn't call it to their faces. It was the backroom chatter. Traitor. He's a traitor. His name means Zakius purely. Oh, yeah. Right. He's a traitor. He works for the Roman government. He collects taxes. Now, here's what made it really bad. Is the Roman government said, "You can collect so much, but you can add a fee to it. And guess what the fee was? The fee was really whatever you determined it to be. I'd imagine, wouldn't you? I would imagine being a tax collector in Jesus day that you may need a bodyguard or two. Especially he he's just not an ordinary tax collector. He's just not an ordinary tax collector, right? Are we seeing this in verse two? He's just not an ordinary tax collector, right? What is he? He's a head home show. I mean, he's over the IRS that don't that Yeah. Israel revenue service. I mean, thank you, Lord, for giving me that. I mean, he's a head honcho. He's a He's a chief He's a chief publican. He's rich. Not only that, let's let's get his pedigree down. He's not only He's an artist. Look at verse two with me. He is not only the chief among the publicans. He was what? You want to guess how he got rich? I got this in my notes. I don't know if I'll sleep whether I say it or not. I might not sleep if I say it. I might not sleep if I don't say it. But it does irritate me how poor people get elected to offices in Washington. And a few years later and they post their salaries. All right. I know some of you look sideways. Come talk to me after church. We'll we'll get it on at church. All right. We'll But that bothers me. All right. You know how that you just come to town and you know you had to you had to hitchhike into Washington. You had to ride a greyhound. And you got all kind of great stories that are told at election time and shazam, four years later, you're a multi-millionaire. You know what I'm saying? Not all of them. We got some good ones here in Tennessee. Not all of them. That's right. Go ahead. In case they're watching tonight, go ahead. He was all He was what? He was He was what? >> Rich. You figure out how he got rich. But look at verse number three. And he sought to see Jesus who he was. Can I tell you something? Even wicked people can have a deep-seated desire to have what we have. He was hated. He probably had no Jewish friends unless they were on his payroll. Unless they were snitches for him. And you better go by you you you you you better go by Jose's house. He he he he I didn't say Justin. I'm sorry. Sorry, but do I ain't you you better go you you you you you go by the Fuller's house. think they built something in the backyard. You may want to measure it and see if you can get more taxes out of it. That's about the only way that he had any friends. But even though he was wicked, deep down in his heart, he had heard heard about Jesus. He had heard something about Jesus. Something about He had heard about Jesus. Matter of fact, I wonder if he heard this. I wonder if he overheard somebody say, "Do you know that Jesus fell is a friend of publicans and sinners? Do do you know that he's actually been caught eating in a house where there was a harlot there and there was tax collectors there?" And I wonder when he heard this if this didn't say, "Man, I'd love to go see this Jesus. Uh c can I tell anybody tonight I can't read your heart but you don't have a heart so wicked that God wouldn't sit down beside you. >> As a matter of fact Jesus is the way the cure for a wicked heart. Ask any of us tonight. Jesus is the way for a wicked heart. Ask any of us tonight and we'll tell you since Jesus came into my life. Since Jesus came into my life, he said, "I I I I'd like to see this Jesus. I'd like to see him." Let's read on. Verse three. And he sought to see Jesus who he was. And let's just all read this together. Let's read read this. And Now, that's about see this. What makes me makes me worry about that. That's about a quarter of you. I I I don't know. Come on. Come on. Come on. We're at church. Let's all read it together, right? Because you you need to you need to hear it. You You need to You need to hear it. If not, you're going to live the rest of your life looking at the obstacle and say, "I wish I could." And if you're if you're a dad here and you're weak-minded, you're g you're going to raise weak-minded kids. >> There'll be a whole trail of you before too long. >> So, so he Let's read Let's read verse three again together. And >> there you go. There you go. You know, I wonder how many jokes Zakius had to endure in his lifetime. Evidently, he was he was born short. He was born a little stature. It had to be something. Just wasn't he was a little bit below average. He was a whole lot below average. All right. Just short. Yeah. And he was born He was born that way. He was born that way. He was born. How many jokes he had to hear? How many jokes? And then he becomes a rich tax collector. And how many people hated him and how many people were nice to him? But the people that hated him was because he was a tax collector. And the people was nice to him because they were wanting him to be easy on the taxes. All right? Probably didn't have any friends. He's short short man. And the Bible said he wanted to see Jesus, but there was an obstacle. Where was the obstacle? Where it is with most of us in us. We are the obstacle. If we can get out of the way, God can work. >> I said, if we can get out of the way, if you can get out of the way, God can work in your life. But you got to get you out of the way. >> He said, I'd like to see Jesus. I'd like to see him. Everywhere you go, there's a crowd. Everywhere you go, there's this crowd of people. And I I can't see over them. And ain't nobody going going to let me through the crowd because half all of them hate me because I'm a cheap publican and and and all that. I I couldn't even see him. If I went to if I went to the street where people are four or five deep and he's coming by, I can't even see him because I I I I the obstacles me. But how many knows he didn't stop there? And neither should you. Greater is he that is >> where? >> Within than he that is in the world. >> He didn't stop there. Neither should you. Well, you you just don't know. It's all against me. The cards are stacked against me. Where I work, everybody's getting I never could accept. I never I with you keep saying it and you'll miss every opportunity. >> But look at what he did, Sister Carpenter. Look at what he did. He sought to see Jesus, who he was, and could not for the press because he was little of statue. And he ran before and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was to pass that way. Now, I don't know if it happened like this or not. I don't know if he overheard somebody say, "He's going down to Central Avenue. He's getting left onto Broadway. He's going to go down Broadway." And I don't know, Zach said if he's going to Broadway, there's nobody there right now. And I know there's a sycamore tree. There's a sycamore tree in Broadway. And if I could get to that, see, when you really want to see something bad enough, when you stop looking, the cure wasn't within Zakius. The cure he had to find. Well, you know what? If I could do if I could find me a tree, if I could climb me a tree. Can I tell you there is a tree that is available for you and I to climb that will help us with anything we were born with any deficiency. And that tree is Calvary. And if we can climb that tree, we can begin to see Jesus. But that's not half of it. Oh Lord have mercy. That's not half of it. He said, "If I get down to that sycamore tree and climb that sycamore tree, I climb that sycamore tree." Somebody said, "You're a publican." He said, "I want to see Jesus." He Somebody said, "Publicans, chief publicans, men of your stature don't climb trees." They do when they want to see Jesus. >> He's going to be down at Central Avenue. He's going to turn left on Broadway. There's a sycamore tree down there in the corner. I'm going to climb up in that sycamore tree. Ain't nobody down there right now. And he climbs up in the sycamore tree. Why? I want to see Jesus. But can I tell you this coin has two sides to it. Not only could Zakius see Jesus, but Jesus could see Zakius. I wonder if we could give Jesus something to see tonight. I wonder if the in the midst of our obstacle that you that Jesus couldn't look down and say, "Did you hear how many times he said he loved me?" Did you hear how many time did you see those kids coming up around the yard? No, the kids come around the altar. The adults are coming up around the yard. Did you see how these people worship and begin? I'm going to tell you something. At First Apostolic Church of Maryville, we not only want to see Jesus, but we want Jesus to see us. I want him to see me. He ran before and climbed up in the sycamore tree to see him. For he was to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and saw him and said unto him, "Zakius, how you know my name?" He knows my name. How you know my name? And I don't think that I don't even think that Jesus said his name. I think it had been a long time since Zakius had heard the name Zakius spoken with love. He had heard Zakius. So the catch Zakius he hears him say Zakius Zakius make haste get in a hurry and come down for today I must abide at thy house and he made haste. That means he got in a hurry. You see as soon as you get in a hurry the sooner you're going to get your miracle. You might have heard me say this a few weeks ago, but there's two times to plant a tree. The number one time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. Would you like to know when the second best time to plant a tree is? Today. >> Can I tell you the more you get in a hurry and shake off this weakminded I've heard this before. I've been here before. I'm just here. I'm just in survival mode. Let me tell you something else about survival mode. I heard this in a medical in in a in in a medical feed the other day that one of the reasons older people have wounds, sores that are hard to heal is that their body and their mind is in survival mode. They don't have their mind on healing a wound, a bad sore. They have their mind on the kidneys functioning and the heart functioning. And so it leaves the wound and goes in survival mode. I think there's a lot of people here tonight that you're good, but you're in survival mode. You have got a wound. Something has some obstacle got in your way. Some wound somebody did you wrong. And can I tell you what the cure is for somebody doing you wrong? Forgive them. >> Let them go. Because not releasing them only hurts the container that it's in. Let them go. Well, they've not asked for forgiveness. It don't matter. Let them go. I I don't think they deserve. You deserve the victory. Maybe they don't, but you do. Let some we we we we we we might have young people here that that are that are angry with their parents and they're angry with the divorce and they're angry that that that they don't even know what their dad or mom looks like and they're they're angry that this happened to them. I get it. I understand it. Let it go. Let it go because you have a heavenly father that is far greater, far mightier, far loving, far caring than any human father could ever be. Let him go. Let him go. Let him go. Let it go. That wound's got to heal. You got to get back in. You got to get back. Let it go. Can we just all lift our hands and ask God to help us tonight? Come on, let's lift your hands and ask God to bless. And are you saying it loud enough that your ears can hear it? Oh God, I forgive them. Oh God, I hold it not against them. Oh God, I hold it not against them. God, I release them right now. God, I don't wish ill will on them. God, I don't wish ill will on them at all. God, I release them right now. I forgive them right now by the name of Jesus Christ. Forgive them. Forgive them. >> I forgive you. Zakius, get in a hurry. Get down here. Why? Cuz I'm going to your house today. The Bible said he made haste. Look at verse six. He made haste and came down and received him joyfully. He received him joyfully. I wonder what it looked like. I wonder what it looked like. Jesus like he was taller than Zach is. I wonder what it looked like. You ever seen some kid just get happy about getting something? You ever You ever seen them just get happy about little little kids? Oh, just they just get so happy. I I I I saw a I saw a little clip the other night and and and and please excuse me. It might be a 10-year-old clip. I don't know. But Aaron and Celia uh were surprising their kids with a a puppy. All right. And you ought to see the kids when was that the other night? Was it the other night? Come on. Huh? It was the other night. Thank you. Non-family member told me that. But I love to watch the clip, but watch watch those little kids just get all joyful. Can I tell you he received him joyfully because nobody spoke his name like he spoke nobody ain't nobody asked me I I've not had a Jew ask me to go home with them and you want me to go home and guess what happens here's what happened here's what happened Bible says the Bible says uh and he made hast hasty came down received him joyfully and when they saw it this is Another this is another obstacle. This is the obstacle that finally caught up. See the crowd which was an obstacle. But Zacharia Zacharas Zakius Zakius got the obstacle out of him. But now the obstacle, the other obstacle caught back up. And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying that he was going to be a guest with a man that is a sinner. Zakius stood and said unto the Lord, "Behold, Lord, half of my goods I give to the poor, and if I have taken anything from any man by false accusation, I restore him four times over again." Jesus said unto him, "This day is salvation come to this house, for as much as he also is a son of Abraham, for the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. the obstacle. There is a way and I could spend the next hour I won't but I could spend the next hour weaving a common thread through miracles that before the miracle happened they had to find the way around an obstacle. Before the miracle happened they had to find a way around the obstacle. What is your obstacle? Won't you ask yourself that question tonight? With a few minutes to go before I ask us to pray, why won't you ask yourself right now? What is that obstacle? What is that obstacle? What is keeping me from enjoying the fullness of God's love? What is that thing that's keeping me from living a happy, productive, useful life? What what is what is that obstacle? How would you like to have been the man sick of the policy that couldn't even walk? He hears of a cure. Evidently, he's a good man because he's got four friends. Four friends that's willing to carry the cot. We're going to take you to Jesus. He's going to heal you. He's been He's been healing people that are paralyzed. He's been He's been healing people that are in your shape. We're going to get you to Jesus cuz he's he's right over there at that house. They put him on the cot. They carry him, but they get no further than the front yard. And what do they find? The front yard is full of people. And the front door is full of people. And every available entry into the house has people standing in the window standing in the door standing. And Jesus was in the crowded house. What would you have done? I'll tell you, if you're not looking for the way, you're going to stand there and say, "Hey, John, we going to bring you back at another time. We'll try another way. There's no way. Look at all these people here. Look at the front yard. Every window's got somebody." But aren't you thankful that you're going to run with some people that are not looking for a reason to quit, >> but a reason to get in? >> I don't know who it was. I don't know if it was the man sick or one of his four friends, but one of them said, "There's a ladder." Well, what would we need a ladder for? There ain't nobody on the roof. Why would we want to get up on a roof so we can cut a hole? Well, why would we want to get on the roof and cut a hole so we can get our buddy down through there? I'm going to tell you something. That had to be some strongminded, determined people. >> If you've got a limit, you'll reach that limit. But if you serve the unlimited God, you'll be just I'm just waiting here. And and when I'm saying go get the ladder and and and and they they got the man up on the roof and and and it had to happen like you you can't tear the roof off a place without disturbing people on the inside. I wonder if Jesus is in there teaching, brother Tony, he's in there teaching dust starts falling. They begin to hear pounding on the on what in the world. And Jesus kept on preaching. And all of a sudden, the sunlight beam through cuz a big gaping hole and hears poked in there. That's him. That's him right there. And all of a sudden, it went dark again. Wh what what it went dark? But all of a sudden, they're lowering the man down in the house right in front of Jesus. Now watch this. And it says, "When Jesus saw their faith, He didn't see their intentions. He didn't He didn't see them in the front yard saying, "I just wonder. I hope he'd come out here. Maybe if we pray long enough, he'll come out here." He saw their faith. And when he saw their faith, he lowered it down. And he he he said, "I'm going to tell you what I'm going to do. I'm I'm really going to do some things here." And he looked at him and he said, "Your sins are forgiven." of which the Pharisees needed oxygen because they just about passed out when he said, "Your sins are forgiven." They stroked their long beards. They they started gasping. Who but God can forgive sins? You're catching on, Rabbi. Who but God can forgive sin? But he said, "I did this to let you know that I not only have power to heal, I've got power to forgive sin. take up your bed and walk. He rolled it up, threw it over his shoulder, and walked out the front door. Come on. Come on. Come on. Stir yourself tonight. What is your obstacle? What is your obstacle right now? Come on. Stand with me right now. What is your obstacle? What is your obstacle? I'm going to tell you, God has a way. God has a way. If you'll listen to him, >> man, we raised some money up on the hill. We raised some money to build the to get the shell up for the gym. We raised the money to get brother Perry to get the gym the shell up for the gym. And we was raising the money to finish the floor. Gary Best, the architect here in town. As a matter of fact, that's even a story in itself. You got to look for the way. We got three bid. We got three bids on an architect. One bid was like $33,000 to draw the plans. One bid was like $30,000. Brother William Jeter said, "I've got a friend, Gary Best, as the architect." Said, "Uh, let's go see him." So me and Brother Jeter went to see him. And u he he said, "Well, I'm looking at this right here." He said, "We're we're looking we're looking somewhere in the neighborhood about 30 $35,000 draw these plans." Then he said, he said, "But it, you could give me a $5,000 deposit today." Said, "I do it for 25,000." And I I I'm just tell I'm no spiritual hero. I'm I'm telling you. But have you ever seen one of those uh plays where it's a steel scene where everybody's talking all of a sudden? It happened. Gary's talking. Brother Jesus talking and all of a sudden in my mind and I said, "Sister Gloria," I said, "Well, Mr. Best, what could $10,000 get me today?" He lied for you. He looked at Brother Jeter and he said, "Can he do this?" He said, "Yeah, he could." Yeah. I said, "Mr. Get Best, what would 10,000 get me today?" He said, "I tell you what, if you could write me a $10,000 check today." He said, "I'd do it for $20,000." Once again, I mean, while you're there, just go for broke, man. I said, "Well, Mr. Best, I let me just ask you something." What would $15,000 get me today? He said, "Let me just show you where I'm at, Reverend." He said, "I drew the plans for Nip Nipadenzo." That's how long ago that's been. And he said, "There I have a draw that I can't get right now. There's going to be about a month." And he said, "I'm hurting to pay f pay payroll here." He said, 'If you could give me $15,000. He said, "I would do those plans for $15,000." Got a deal. Hey, it gets even better. It gets even better. I was getting ready to go get sex here and write him a $15,000 check. And he said, "You know what?" He said, "I really don't want it all at once." He said, "Could you write me 7,500?" I said, "I think we could." We're building that gym. I'm just simply telling you if if you'll look if you'll look and believe. Would somebody just say, "It's coming my way." >> Everybody say, "Are you unemployed?" >> Got marital issues, >> got things you just don't Now, now if you know how to cure it, don't don't say it. Cuz miracles don't happen to people that can get themselves. I will raise Lazarus from the dead, but you're going to take the grave clothes off. You put it on him and you're going to take it off. I'm going to raise him from the dead. You put the stone there. You roll it away. You take the clothes off. I wish somebody shout, "It's coming my way." Man, we're just tooling alone. I'm enjoying the blessings of God. We're getting that gym built. got them plans made $15,000. He Gary Best called me. He said, "Hey, we've had a hiccup." I said, "What you talking about?" He said, "You better come down to the office." I went down to the office. He said, "Nashville is going to require a a fire hydide room." I said, "Well, Gary, how how expensive this yellow plug sticking out of the ground." I mean, we cuz he was like the end of the world, you know. I said, "Gary, what are we talking about?" He said, "Well, it's got to have a 6 inch. It's got to have a six six inch water line. There's not a 6-in water line on William Blunt. As a matter of fact, the 6-in water line is on 321 and it's on the other side of 321. So, you got a bore under 321 and you got to come all the way down William Blunt Drive and then you got a bore under William Blood Drive and then you you built this gym in the very back of your your your church property. So, what we looking at, Gary? He said, rough estimate. I he said you're looking at about $100,000. I mean, we already got steel up. It's not like backing out. All right, we already got steal and I was I about to leave the door about to push the door. I just had to accept it. About to push the door. And he said, "You know what, Reverend?" He said, "I did hear one time over in West Tennessee that there was a church in the same predicament that you're in right now and said they got the volunteer fire department to sign off that they could fight a fire without a fire hydrant." and said they signed off and Nashville received it. And then I had another one of those because I remember my wife telling me about a man named Gerald Kirby who just so happened to be the volunteer fire department chief here in town. He owned a carpet store also. I began to hear Sister Kartman would tell me about the Kirby's, Linda Kirby, and Gerald Kirby that would babysit her when she was a little girl. We had met him occasionally at a restaurant and Gerald, he would just smile. He said, "Oh," he'd say, "that little Penny said she she was so cuddly and we we me and Linda waited to get her and and uh so you know where I went to. I drove to the carpet shop and I got out." He said, "How's Penny doing?" I said, "Oh, she's cute as ever, man. She's great." Oh. I had to hear all the stories with little cute Penny. We we we'd go get her. I said, "Ah, she's still cute. She's the cutest butt." Yeah. Yeah. I said, "Mr. Kirby, let me tell you something. And I told him all about it. He said, "You know what?" And I had the piece of paper the fire the the the architect gave me that had to have the signature. He said, "Uh, I said, "Mr. Kirby," I said, "They're going to make me have a fire hydrant." And I said, "That's I got a boar under 321 down." And and if you could fight this fire, he said, "You know what, Reverend? We just bought a brand new tanker." I said, "You did?" "Yeah." He said, "That thing will hold." So we we go to and fill it up. Said, "We we" and said, "Uh, tonight said, "We're having a banquet for all of the other men uh uh the volunteer fire department here in town." And I said, "Could you see if you can get this high?" He said, "Oh, yeah. I see what I do." I'm going to tell you something. Before that carpet store opened the next morning, I was sitting in that parking lot. He was the fir No, he wasn't the first one there. I was the first one there. He got out of his truck and he said he said something about Penny again. And I thought to cut the cheese, man. Cut, cut, cut, cut the cheese, dude. Stop. I mean, ju just stop it right now, man. I said, to have any luck right now, he reached in his pocket. He said, I got all seven signatures right here. Right here it is. Can I tell you, God can make a way? Somebody say, "It's coming my way." I wonder if I have anybody to climb a sycamore tree tonight. What are you talking about? I wonder if I got anybody that would walk out of your pew right now and come to this altar and begin to worship God. It's coming my way. It's coming my way. I'm going to be the recipient of a miracle. I'm going to be the recipient of the hand of God. It's coming my way. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Come on. Come on. Come on. Give him something to look at tonight. Give him some praise. Give him some worship right now. Come on my way. Come on my way. Come on my way. Come on my way. Come on my way. Come on my way. Here I am, Jesus. I'm worshiping you. Glory to God. I'll never give up on you. I'll never turn my back. I'll always believe that you're able to do. I'll always believe it. I'll always praise you. I worshiped you before the storm. I'm going to worship you during the storm and after the storm. Come on, praise him. Yeah. He knows my name. Come on. Will somebody sing that for me tonight? He knows my name. He knows my name. He knows who you are. He knows your name tonight. He knows who you are. He knows the obstacle. He knows. He knows. He knows. Lay your hand over on somebody. God's power wants to pulsate through this building right now. Hey, he knows my name. He knows my name. Oh, he knows my name. Lay your hand over on somebody right now. Oh yes God. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Somebody that can sing that song. Come on. Somebody can sing that song. Get on the platform right now. He knows my name. He knows my name. He knows my name. Lift up your hands. Lift up your voices. The miracle is here. The obstacle is out of the way. There is a way. There is a way. Yes, God. Yes, God. >> He knows my name. >> Come on. He knows my name. >> He knows my name. >> He knows my name. >> >> He knows my name. >> Oh yeah. >> Oh, how he walks with me. >> How you walk with me. >> Oh, how he walks with me. >> He's not going to let you go. He's not going to let you go. >> He's going to interrupt your thoughts in the middle of the day. I am the new. >> He's not going to let you go. >> I don't care what you've done. >> I don't care how bound up you are. >> He knows your name. >> You know my name. >> Oh yes, God. Yes, God. Yes, God. >> You know my name. >> Please just put your hand over on somebody and pray with them right now. You don't please just put your hand over on somebody right now. >> Oh, please power over me. >> There's power. There's power >> and it's simp. >> Oh, he knows your name. >> He knows your name. >> So now I pour out my heart to you. >> I poured out my heart to you. I don't care what it looks like. >> Here is here in your presence. >> Your presence I am with you. >> Oh God. >> Come on, get up. Get up in that sycamore tree. Come on, get up in that sycamore tree. right now. Oh yeah. Your presence I am. You know my name. You know my name. And you know my name. And you know my name. And oh how you walk with me. Oh, how you talk with me and oh how you tell me I am your own. A fire can burn me. No paddle can turn me. No mountain can stop me cuz you hold my hand. Now I'm walking in your victory cuz your power is within me. No triumph can defeat me cuz you hold God. Come on. >> No fire can turn me. >> Can we lift up ours right now? >> can turn me. Can we lift up from the mountains right now? >> Yes, God. Yes, Lord. Lord, your victory. Can we lift up is within me cuz you hold my hand. >> You hold my hand. right now. >> You hold my hand. >> I want you to help me. >> I want you to help me. I want you going to sing just in a second. Just a second. Just going to go ahead and tell you. >> UT hospital, UT hospital has told Rhonda, "You got to have open heart surgery." But they said, "We're not going to do it cuz you probably wouldn't make it through." So, they took her to another hospital. Today, the doctor came in and said, "We're not going to do it either." And there's a third hospital in Nashville. I think they're going to go there. But the doctor said it. We ain't mad at the doctor. We ain't upset. But the doctor said, "If you don't have this done, so I give you six months to live." And I'm going to tell you, we can look at that obstacle if we want to. But we can have some prayer right now for Rhonda because God is still a healer. Healer. Whether he'll heal or not, I don't know. But I don't pray based on he's going to heal. I pray based on he can heal. God. God, if you're willing, God, if it's in your master plan, God, I ask for there to be a healing right now. Lord, we pray for Rhonda Myers right now, Lord. That you would touch Ronda Myers right now, Lord. that you would move up on Rhonda Myers right now. God, move up on Rhonda Myers right now. God, move upon Ronda Myers right now. Lord, in the name of Jesus. In the name of Jesus. In the name of Jesus. In the name of Jesus. In the name of Jesus. Right now, God. Lord, move upon. Move upon my Yes, Lord. Lord, move right now, God. Move right now, Lord. Move right now on sister. Glorious. Lord, in the name of Jesus Christ. Lord, in the name of Jesus Christ. Lord David said, "I was young and now I'm old and I have never seen the righteous forsaken nor see bread." God. Oh God. Come on, help me pray right now. God, whether it's your will, Lord, whether it's your will tonight to restore the health back to Sister Gloria, whether it's your will tonight, God, I know not. But I do know that you said that you would never leave us and you would never forsake us and that you would be with us always. Lord, I pray that the presence of God is so strong right now in their living room. I pray right now that your presence is there. I pray right now, God, that you would move with a refreshing move of your spirit. God, you've never left us. Lord, you know our name. Lord, you know our name. One more time tonight. Just slip your hand over on somebody as they begin to sing that song one more time. He knows my name. >> He knows my name. >> Come on, sing it. She >> Oh yeah. You know my name. >> You know my name. You know my name. You know how you walk with me. Know how you talk with me. >> Oh, how you tell me I am your >> Come on, sing it one more time. You know, >> oh yes, God. Yes, God. Yes, thank God. You know my name. >> You know my name. Just one more time. Say you know my name. Come on one time with every hand lift in the house. Come on. Just love him in this place. Woo. Come on. We have faith in you, oh God. Come on. Tell we have faith in you, oh God. Oh, we have faith, oh God, that you see us, that you know, that you're making a way. Even right now, Lord God, when there doesn't seem to be a way, you're stepping into our situation, our circumstances right now when it doesn't seem to be a way, and you're making a way, God. Oh, thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus. We know you see us, Lord God, where we are. Woo! The Holy Ghost is here ministering right here in such a beautiful way. Come on. The Holy Ghost you in such a beautiful way. He knows your name. He knows your situation. He knows your address. He knows where you live. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus. Come on. I find comfort in it. I find comfort in it. Oh, thank you, Jesus. Come on. That's right. Give him praise. Give him praise if you feel comfort. Come on. You feel the hope. Oh, it's a hope that exceeds fear and understanding. Thank you, Jesus.