The Ghost of Battles Past
by Sam Hodum
March 8, 2026 · Cornerstone Apostolic Church (Chattanooga, TN)
Kind: sermon
Scripture: Acts 12:25, Acts 15:36-39, Colossians 4, Philemon 24, 2 Timothy 4:9-11, 2 Timothy 4:11

Source: https://acts238.life/repository/sermons/sam-hodum--the-ghost-of-battles-past
Published by Acts 2:38 Life from the sermon transcript on that page.
Free to copy and share with attribution.

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Thank you so much for being here today. I don't believe that the Lord is done with us today. I do believe that that I've got a direction for us today that oddly enough I I I don't I don't know how and I don't know how to put it like this. I'm not trying to be uber spiritual with this, but I I God I dreamed this message somehow or another. I don't know if it was because I didn't have time to during the day, but I dreamed most most of this.

Now, I had I still had to had to do studying and all of that, but God God laid upon me this week out of whatever for whatever reason, whatever purpose, uh he he he allowed me to experience something this week that I thought was uh not fun. It was unique for me. And I do want to say thank you for being here. Thank you for being in the house of the Lord. It makes all the difference when we come into the house of the Lord.

I want to say to our online guests, thank you for joining us. Can we give them a hand clap? Can we can we let them know how much we appreciate them? Now, today today is a is a unique day. All right.

30 years ago today, my wife was born. It was a great day. She's not even here to hear me say that. I just wasted that. We'll stop in the middle of the message and we'll come back.

All right. So, she told me today, she said, um, no meetings. So, if you need something after church, if you need some, you know, if we need to meet, if I was like, hey, we need to meet, if I said that, ignore it. like, "No, we're not talking to you." Okay. Uh, she told me that.

So, so please, please, please have mercy on me for my sake. I I do want to mention we are, we are prepping for Easter. Uh, that's a big deal for us. Uh, this year, we we're doing our best to do our best. If you can, we we've got to put our best foot forward.

We I I know pastor mentioned to the men uh about we we are we are in the middle of like six projects and we need to wrap them up before Easter as many of as much as possible. We'll have list and all those things out. I do we do need help because it just takes some time. It's just the reality of it. All right everyone, can we can we give her a hand clap?

Sorry, I got to be the preacher today for that. So when you're the preacher for the day, you can do that for your, you know, your significant other there. So, thank you. Thank you guys. Right in the middle of it.

Why you disturbing everybody, babe? Lord Jesus. I uh this week I I was I was talking this week. I I've been so uh last week. Oh, Lord.

You know, it's just been that week, right? Like Lauren and I like last Sunday, y'all. We left right in the preacher. We got mad at the preacher. We got food poisoning.

We did. We left right in the middle of service. It was uh um it was needed. Y'all did not want us in here. And you know, when you're when you're doing that, then you you're playing catchup.

You know, we're better. We're great. We're all that good stuff. It it it ran its course. And then we're playing catchup through the week.

And I know I've got to preach Sunday. Man, I've got the the the I don't know if you've ever preached, but let me just tell you, all right, there's some pressure that comes along with that. All right. I've seen some of y'all get nervous about teaching a class and I just want to say, >> yeah, what pastor said. So, I'm I'm probably sometime around Wednesday, Thursday night.

I can't remember. I have this dream. And I just want you to know that it was it was I don't know what a lucid dream is, but it was it was pretty close because in the dream, I was watching myself while I was in the dream. And so, it was, you know, it was a whole thing. But I was getting ready to preach.

I grew up in in middle west Tennessee, North Mississippi area, and I was getting ready to preach around that area. Couldn't tell you the church. It was just like you just take an aggregate of all the churches in that general area and it looks just like them. You know, it's just the way it is. And so I'm getting ready to preach and all the elders that I grew up with, they start coming in, shaking my hand.

the elders, the men that that had paved the way for in my life, all the all the they pastors and and and elders and ministers, they start shaking my hand, you know, we're excited to hear you. And then they start talking about, man, we just love to hear your grandpa preach. Well, thanks. He's not preaching, it's me, but whatever. You know, the whole I'm just sitting there and I'm just getting nervous in my dream.

I'm sitting here watching myself as I'm getting just more and more nervous. I mean, intimidation. I mean, like I was like, "What in the world is happening?" So then we're, you know, we're we're sitting there and getting ready to preach and I got a good friend that is he is a fabulous preacher. He gets up and preaches for 40 minutes before I'm supposed to preach. I'm like, "What are you doing, man?

Why are you doing that?" So then I'm just like I'm just a nervous wreck. Just absolutely. I'm like, "Oh no." And then right in the middle it's my turn to go up to preach in this dream. This is a dream. uh my turn to go up and preach.

And God's like, "No, you got to preach something else." And I'm like, "Okay." And and and I have it on my iPad because I preach off an iPad. He's like, "You got to go preach that message." Well, guess what? I'm in middle West Tennessee, North Mississippi area. They ain't no Wi-Fi. Like, there's no service.

There's nothing. My my my iPad's just sitting there just spinning. I'm trying I'm just like I mean, and that's when I woke up. Yeah. I'm telling you, I was like, "Oh my lord, that was terrible." I was like, it was awful.

Like all the cuz you feel all the emotions. It's like it really happened. Your brain's running a simulation. It's like, run a better simulation, guys. Come on.

Like, come on. Can I be preaching general conference, you know, and people getting the Holy Ghost? No. No. I'm there.

I'm just like I'm I'm still nervous just thinking about it, you know? I'm like, "Oh, the intimidation, the comparison, the overthinking, the fear of failure, all those things are just I mean that whole bundle of emotions. I JUST WOKE UP WITH IT." LIKE, WHAT did I do to deserve that? What in the world? I got to thinking about it.

It in the in the Bible, we find a guy by the name of John Mark. Man, surely God gave me a dream for a reason, right? Wasn't it's not spiritual. It was just scaring me to death. I mean, I got the pressure, the anxiety, all the things.

Got to get everything done. And God's like, "Here you go, buddy. All right." So, so in in in the book of Acts, we are introduced to a guy by the name of John Mark. This guy, honestly, he had every reason in the world to be nervous about everything. All right, if we're just being honest, we don't we don't know a lot about him in particular.

But we do know that in Acts 12:25, it says, "And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had completed their service, bringing with them John, whose other name was Mark." So they call him John Mark. John Mark. They brought him with him. I don't know if you've ever hung out with Saul, Paul, but like that guy would be intimidating. He would be wild to be around.

I mean, he's just like over here like somebody's following him around one day and he's like, "Get out of here, Satan." And you're okay. you know, he he he is going he's preaching from prison, converting all the prisoners and and the jailers and everyone and and and you're just around this guy and John Mark's just he's like he happened to be Barnabas's either cousin or nephew. So, he's just getting a tag along because his uncle's out here, you know. Barnabas was a great evangelist himself, the apostle. I mean, he was a great man.

He was a restorer. He was he was a guide. He he actually pulled Paul into the ministry and John Mark's just and a guy named whose other name was Mark. How would you like to be referred by that? And your other name just John Mark.

He such a privilege that John Mark had to be with these two titans of the faith. These two pillars of the faith. These two men that that were on the cutting edge of the cutting edge. They were the they were the point of the spear. And we find that John Mark had the opportunity to go with them wherever they were going.

They took him on their first missionary trip. It was so cool. They're they're going around here, going around here, going around here, and and and we find that that they they they went from different places about with him. His his mother, let's just give let's just give a little more context. His mother was, her name was Mary.

And apparently her house was the house that they had the prayer meeting in that God brought Peter out of prison to. They prayed a man out of prison in his house. John Mark seen it all, y'all. I mean, they open the door, you know, and they're like, "Hey, who is it?" And he's like, Peter's like, "It's me." Like, "No, that's impossible. You can't get out of jail." He's like, "Guys, y'all were praying for me to get out of jail.

I'm out of jail. An angel of the Lord escorted him out of the jail to John Mark's house. John Mark's like, "What?" He hit the jackpot on places and times to live and have absolutely nothing to do with it. He's just there. You ever just been a bystander in life?

You're, man, this is cool. I'm glad I get to He got He hit the jackpot. They so he he just his his uncle just happens to be one of the greatest apostles there. He just happens to be the restorer. I'd name my kid Barnabas honestly if it wouldn't turn into Barney and then we'd have Barney 5.

Just a great man. I just you know like you would you would just see this and and here he is and you find John Mark going he's getting to assist them but then they arrived in Cyprus and apparently Cyprus is where Barnabas was from he's around famili familia he he's he's in a familiar atmosphere and he's starting to feel uh comfortable and then they leave that and they go into Asia Minor. I just started my timer, so y'all are in trouble today. They go into Asian Minor. And then for some reason, as soon as they get over there, John Mark leaves.

He's like, "I'm done. I'm going back home. I'm going home to mama." I mean, dude, your house is pretty rocking. I don't know. Like, you have some killer prayer meetings.

Sure, maybe go back. But no, he left them. And that left a mark on Paul. Paul was like, "Man, he departed us." In fact, we find in Acts chapter 15, and George is going to bring some stuff in here and and and help me set up here real quick because I've got I've got an object lesson with this today. We find in Acts 15:36.

And after some days, Paul said to Barnabas, "Let us return and visit the brothers in every city that we proclaim the word of the Lord and see how they are. Let's return after our mission trip. Let's see what they're up to." Now, Barnabas wanted to take John Mark with him, but Paul thought best not to take not to take the one who had withdrawn from them in Penilia and had not gone with them to the work. And though arose a sharp disagreement, so that they separated from each other. And Barnabas took with him and sailed to Cyp took took Mark with him and sailed to Cyprus.

But Paul chose Silas and to pardon, having been committed by the brothers of the grace. They said this was a sharp disagreement. The the King James puts it in a different type of words, but it's almost like they were almost at blows. They were arguing. These men had been together.

They had worked together. They they they had been on a mission trip together. Not just like your 10-day mission trip. Where's Izzy at? Oh, he's in the box.

I was going to pick at Izzy for a minute. No, just like your 10-day mission trip over here, Izzy. They these guys didn't even have a guide. They just went where the spirit led them. Don't All right, kids.

If you go on a mission trip, don't listen to this part. Okay? Don't go wondering. They will get really mad at you. Please don't do that.

It's not for your best. Okay? These were grown men doing the work of the Lord. All right? These guys were they were they were pioneers cutting a whole new a whole new road.

But what was happening was as John Mark was with them, he was feeling something. He was no more just the observer of the prayer meeting in his home. How many's ever slept on a church pew? Yeah. How many's ever slept under a church pew?

Yeah. There's something to observe. Yeah, but it's a whole lot different when you have to participate. John Mark saw these things. his uncle was was in his corner and he he knew what he had within him and he was trying his best to pull it out, but he he was doing everything he could and he started he got into unfamiliar territory and he said, "All right, that's enough.

I got to go home to mama. I got to stop." Something I've something I've noticed is we didn't have a chef's hat for George. Sorry. I'm not a chemical engineer. So, so please, so give give me a little bit of lateral leeway here with this analogy today.

All right, I'm working on it. Not a chemical engineer, so I'm probably going to get some things a little wrong. But what I've noticed is that our walk with God, it's it's like God, he's he's changing us, right? It's not not I'm not talking about salvation. I'm talking about sanctification or holiness.

It's a progressive walk. In every stage of our life, there's something that God's trying to change within us. He's trying to get us to a point to allow us to grow. And so, we sit here and and and and we'll be involved in something. God will give us an opportunity to do.

He'll give us an opportunity to carry a load, to carry a weight, and we'll we'll be on fire for God. And we'll carry it and it'll be heavy. and we'll say, "All right, that's enough." See, what George is doing is he's going to boil some water. I tested this out. This will work.

He's going to boil some water, but guess what this water has to do? It has to go from from 60° to 212. Okay? To go from 60 to 211 degrees, water boils at 212 degrees. To go from from that state of liquid to change into a gas to where it's boiling, it takes that much energy plus that much energy because it takes it to change the state.

See, what we find is we're trying to boil things. And I'm I'm going to get in his way for just a minute, but he's got to monitor this. Pastor told me not to burn down the church. All right? He said, "No, absolutely not.

What we do is we get in a situation, God is using us. God is putting pressure on us. >> He's heating us up. We're around people that are that are pulling things out of us that that we're progressing. We're growing.

But what do we do? It's too hot. I'm not ready to change that yet. I'm not ready to to lay that down yet. As soon as if anybody's a cowboy, just give me just a minute before you put that back on.

If anybody's a cowboy and anybody ever been bucked off a horse, what do they tell you? Get back on. You know the hardest thing you've ever done in your life is to get back on that old mule. It's the hardest thing you've ever done. But if you do not do it, then you'll never do it.

And you'll be scared of mules the rest of your life or horses or donkeys or sheep. You see, what happens to many of us, I'm afraid, IS THAT WE GOT OFF the burner at some point in time. We said, "God, this too much for me right now. Let me just take a break. Let me just step back here for just a moment." and and I I'll get back on, >> but I I need I'M A LITTLE UNCOMFORTABLE.

Let me go back to where it's comfortable, where it's a little easier for me over here. >> And so I'm going to step I'M JUST GOING TO STEP RIGHT OVER HERE, GOD. And and I I'll cool off, but don't worry. I I'll get back. AND WHAT WE'RE TRYING WHAT HE'S TRYING TO DO, IT'S NOT THE BURN.

HE'S TRYING TO GET US TO CHANGE EVERYTHING INSIDE OF US. HE IS TRYING TO GET US TO GROW FROM WHERE WE ARE TO WHERE HE WOULD HAVE US TO BE, BUT WE STEP OFF THE BURNER. WE STEP OUT OF THE FLOW AND WE SAY, "IT'S ALL RIGHT. GOD'S JUST MOVING. GOD'S still moving.

God's still doing. God's still working." And guess what? He is. And he's passing us right on by. >> And here we are.

Well, yeah, I I would have done that. I I I would I used to would have done that right there, but I can't I I'll get back on that horse. Go ahead. I'll go ahead. I I'll get back on the burner.

I'll allow God to to light a fire in my soul just a little bit until it what? Until it gets a little uncomfortable again until until it's calling something out of me that I'm not ready to give up. >> And then we'll get back off the burner. We'll do that two or three times. We go ahead.

Go ahead. We'll do that. We'll go back on, back off, back on, back off. AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN, >> there becomes a barrier. The barrier is the barrier of our own making.

>> It is the ghost of battles past, >> of battles that we've failed, >> that have beat us down, have knocked us up, and roughed us up. that we CAN'T LOOK OURSELVES SQUARE IN THE FACE BECAUSE OF THE FA FAILURES THAT WE'VE HAD, BECAUSE OF THE MESS UPS WE'VE HAD, AND ALL IT'S DOING IS JUST KEEPING US OFF THE BURNER. >> I'd get back ON THE BURNER, BUT I I MESSED UP HERE, AND I JUST DON'T WANT TO GO THROUGH THAT AGAIN. >> All right. >> I I'd get I'd GET BACK ON THE HORSE, BUT I JUST, YOU KNOW, THAT FALL WAS AWFUL HARD, >> Y'ALL.

Y'all work with Y. That's all right. I'm working with you today. We're going to get there. You see, something that happens to us is that that fear of battles PAST, THE GHOST OF BATTLES PAST, NO ONE ELSE CAN SEE THEM.

>> THEY JUST see the effect. >> IT BECOMES IT EATS US UP. I' I'd get up and teach. I'd commit just a little bit, but but man, you know, every time I do, the devil just throws this IN MY FACE. NO ONE ELSE KNOWS.

IT'S JUST YOU. >> CAN I TELL YOU, IT DOESN'T EVEN HAVE TO BE REAL. IT BECOMES IT BECOMES A PROBLEM OF OUR OWN MAKING. IT BECOMES SOMETHING THAT IT BECOMES OF OF OUR OWN IMAGINATION. IT'S LIKE ME SITTING IN A DREAM WATCHING MYSELF EXPERIENCE ALL OF THOSE EMOTIONS, EXPERIENCE ALL THOSE THINGS.

YOU THINK I DIDN'T DOUBLE CHECK MY IPAD BEFORE I got up here today? >> THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN, BUT IT SEEMED REAL TO ME. >> If I HAD LET THE FEAR OF THAT BATTLE, THE GHOST OF THAT BATTLE TO CONQUER ME, I WOULDN'T BE UP HERE PREACHING TO YOU TODAY. CAN I TELL YOU SOME OF YOU SHOULD BE UP HERE PREACHING TODAY, BUT YOU'VE GOT SOME BAD GHOST OF BATTLES PAST THAT YOU CAN'T SEEM TO GET OUT OF YOUR WAY. GOD'S PUTTING YOU ON A BURNER.

HE'S SAYING, "OH, COME ON. I'VE GOT IT TURNED UP HOT. THE PRESSURE'S ON. IT'S YOUR TIME TO SHINE. IT'S YOUR TIME TO CARRY THE WEIGHT.

IT'S YOUR TIME. COME ON. JUST STICK WITH ME A LITTLE LONGER. IT'S YOUR TIME TO CARRY THE LOAD. IT'S YOUR TIME FOR REVIVAL.

IT'S YOUR TIME. IT'S YOUR TIME FOR A HEALING. IT'S YOUR TIME TO LAY HANDS ON AND SEE THE SICK HEALED. IT'S YOUR TIME TO PICK IT UP. NO, GOD.

It's just you're just asking too much. IT'S JUST UNREASONABLE. AND WE'LL ASK AROUND. WE'LL WE'LL SAY, "OH, ISN'T THAT JUST UNREASONABLE?" LET ME TELL YOU, IT IS BY GOD. BY OUR STANDARDS, GOD IS UNREASONABLE.

BUT LET ME TELL YOU, WE LIVE BY GOD'S STANDARDS. AND HIS STANDARD IS THE ONLY STANDARD. WHAT HE ASK OF ME, I MUST GIVE HIM. HE is my creator. He is MY SAVIOR.

HE IS MY REDEEMER. HE IS MY FRIEND. HE IS MY HEALER. WHAT MORE CAN I GIVE HIM BUT EVERYTHING? John Mark to his face and his embarrassment.

The Apostle Paul said, "I don't want him with me." Come on. Come on. >> Talk about real >> talk about real battles to his face and all those around him. >> John Mark, he can't go with me. He left us high and dry.

Can you imagine the battles in John Mark's mind? Should have made that shadow a lot bigger for John Mark's mind. But let me tell you something. John Mark somewhere along the way, Barnabas pulled him. Just kept pulling him.

Barnabas was Barnabas sacrificed his missionary career because we hear about Paul. We don't hear about Barnabas. >> Let that settle for a minute. >> Barnabas steps off the scene to find a man >> that he sees something in. >> He says, "Come on.

Come on, John. Mark, let's let's go here. I got you, buddy. John Mark, the faithful servant. That's not what Paul said.

John Mark, the faithful friend, the incredible writer. That's not that was what Barnabas saw. You see, John Mark is the same writer of the Gospel of Mark, the recorder of the words of Jesus. We know where Jesus slept on a boat because of what Mark wrote. >> But it it didn't happen because John Mark let the ghost of battles past conquer him.

In fact, we start to see we we we find we find a couple more mentions of him in the Bible. We find Colossians 4. We find Filimon Phil filmon 24. He's there. And then in second Timothy 4.

Do your best to come to me soon. This is Paul writing for Deeus in love with this present world has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Cresins has gone to Galatia. Titus to Dalatia, Luke along with me. Get Mark and bring him with you.

He is very useful to me for the ministry or profitable to me for the ministry. Somewhere along the line in the restoration, John Mark decided that the pain and the burden, the sacrifice, the weight was worth it. Somewhere along the line, John Mark said, "You know what? I failed before, but that's okay. I messed up.

I literally left them high and dry. >> I was withtood to the face almost by Paul nonetheless. Not not quite not quite Thomas over here that just kind of talked maybe a little bit. No, by Paul. Not by loving Matthew.

No, by Paul. >> HE FOUGHT TO NOT have me with him. BUT GUESS WHERE I am right now? He overcame the BA THE GHOST OF BATTLES PAST >> AND GOD USED HIM MORE than >> he could EVEN IMAGINE BECAUSE HE ALLOWED THE writer to be pulled out OF HIM. HE ALLOWED THE RECORDER TO BE PULLED OUT of him.

HE SAID, "OH, OH, I KNOW THOSE NAGGING THOUGHTS WERE RIGHT HERE. I KNOW THEY'RE RIGHT HERE WITH EVERY ONE OF US. I KNOW HE'S HE'S GOT HE'S GOT THE THE THOUGHTS OF, "OH, I'm just CAN'T DO IT. I'M JUST NOT GOOD ENOUGH. I I YOU KNOW, MY GRANDPA WAS BETTER.

HE WAS A GIANT. I MY MY GRANDMOTHER WAS A GIANT OF THE FAITH. THEY WERE BETTER. OH, MY PASTOR, HE done this. Or or there's a missionary did this.

OR MY GREAT-GRANDFATHER DID THIS. I could never get up and do that. I COULD NEVER PRAY FOR SOMEONE AND SEE THEM HEALED. I FAILED. I MESSED UP.

BUT CAN I TELL YOU TODAY, IT'S TIME TO GET PAST ALL THAT. IT'S TIME TO FORGET ABOUT THE GHOST OF BATTLES PAST. IT'S TIME TO JUST SAY, "GOD, LIGHT ME ON FIRE LIKE I'VE NEVER BEEN lit on fire before." >> YOU SEE THIS SMOKE RIGHT HERE? You see this LITTLE BIT OF SMOKE? THAT'S THE STATE OF CHANGE.

>> THAT IS NO LONGER WATER. IT IS NOW STEAM. WHEN GOD GETS A HOLD OF YOU, YOU ARE NO LONGER YOU. >> YOU ARE LIKE HIM. THERE'S A REASON WHY WE'VE GOT TO BE CONSUMED BY THE FIRE OF THE HOLY GHOST.

THERE'S A REASON WHY WE GOT TO ALLOW OUR FLESH TO DIE OUT. There's a REASON THAT WE'VE GOT TO SAY, "GOD, CONSUME ME. GOD, CHANGE ME. GOD, MAKE ME." IT'S TO GET PAST OUR FAILURES, OUR MESS UPS, OUR FAULTS. IT DOESN'T MAKE YOU PERFECT.

>> IT CHANGES who you are. musicians >> very simply today I bring to you John Mark the writer of the gospel of Mark church history says he was the founder of the bishop in al the bishop of Alexandria that was one of the five holy seas that was one of That was the marvel of the old world. That was the center point of Tennessee. That was POA of its day. He founded that.

He allowed himself to get past what he was. What he was what he was, man. I got that, man. That that fear that fear that just grabs a hold of me. I can't do it.

All right. Why don't you find some fire? You just don't understand. I can't carry the weight. You can't.

It will crush you. And it should. You just don't understand. I've been off the I've been out of the saddle too long. Well, it's going to hurt a little worse this time.

You just don't understand. Can I can I tell you? I have watched so many people come to the altar and they'll walk away right before they get the Holy Ghost. Right before they make the decision to be baptized in Jesus name. Right before they say, "God, I'll I whatever it is, I'll pick it up.

Not I'll go to Timbuktu." No, whatever it is, God, I'll pick it up. I've watched so many people do that, but I've also watched so many just say, "God, just consume me. God, let me boil over for you." And sometimes we look at them and they're no longer where they used to be. And you're like, "Why are they no longer where they used to be?" Because God moved them. God shaped them.

God God released them. They allowed themselves to be changed for his name's sake. And so God could use them where his name's sake needed to be shined about. >> Today, if you would stand with me, George is going to guard us from this boiling water. Very simply, the ghost of battles past have The ghosts of battles past have captured more people on a church pew than they ever have in a crack house, than they ever have in a barroom, than they ever have in in a concert, than they ever have in sin.

The ghost of battle's past. take a saint of God and bind them to themselves and every time they reach out to help someone, every time every time they go to make a step forward, there's that voice in the back of their you and I can't see it. We we our others can't see it, but we notice it. Why Why can't they Why can't they? I told you the spirit of healing was in this place today on purpose because it is.

Because I knew where we were going. My friends, celebrate recovery. What a wonderful ministry we we we have here. So honored to have it. We'll tell you part of overcoming is knowing what you're battling.

>> It's not all of it, but it's part of it. You've got to identify it. I ask you today to not just identify it though. God, what's this? I keep hitting this this glass wall.

Not a very good meme or mine over here. Keep hitting this glass wall. God, I can't I can see the other side, but I can't get to the other side. Can I ask you to implore of God today? God, what's what's holding me back?

These altars are open. Get Mark and bring him with you. He is very useful to me for the ministry. Let the words of restoration of Paul be the message to us today. Get Mark and bring him with you.

>> Get Sam and bring him with you. >> Get Seth and bring him with you. >> Get Jess and bring him with you. get get them and bring them with you for they're profitable for the ministry. They've applied themselves to the word OF GOD.

THEY'VE ALLOWED GOD TO CHANGE them inside and out. >> Jesus, >> I wish that every one of us in here could find a place that WE CAN SAY, "GOD, SET ME ON FIRE. GOD, light me on fire like I've never been lit. GOD, CONSUME ME TILL THERE'S NOTHING LEFT OF ME. I KNOW THERE'S the ghost of battles past.

I know they're f they're coming. THEY'RE GOING TO TRY AND DISTRACT YOU, BUT I rebuke them in the name OF JESUS. AND I pray that you would single-mindedly, wholeheartedly follow after the call of God to HEAR THE VOICE OF GOD. SHOULDER THE Lord Jesus. Jesus.

Come on. Don't stop where you're at. >> Don't Don't Don't just settle for halfway. Don't just allow God to just just tickle your ruffle your feathers a little bit. Tickle your fancy just a little bit.

>> Don't just allow for for God. JUST TODAY'S ANOTHER SUNDAY. NO, NO, GOD. I I I I I feel the weight and I'm here to pick it up. I hear I hear your voice.

I know it's going TO COST ME, BUT I DON'T CARE. WHATEVER THE COST, WHATEVER WHATEVER THE COST, IT'S REASONABLE. THE GHOST. OH, THEY'RE WHISPERING TO ME. THEY'RE FIGHTING ME.

I rebuke them in the name of Jesus. God has redeemed you. He has RESTORED YOU. HE IS WAITING ON YOU TO ALLOW HIM TO CHANGE YOU. >> JESUS.

JESUS. >> I've fallen. I've failed. I've messed up. NO ONE WANTS TO HEAR, "WELL, I'VE DISQUALIFIED MYSELF." NO.

NO. ALLOW GOD TO CHANGE YOUR BEING. ALLOW HIM TO change you from who you are to who he sees you to be. >> There's some men in here that that ARE SO SCARED TO STEP FORWARD BECAUSE YOU'RE AFRAID OF WHAT SOMEONE WOULD SAY. Those are JUST GHOSTS.

THEY'RE NOT EVEN REAL. THEY'VE BEEN CONJURED UP AND THE SPIRIT OF FEAR IS taken a hold of you. But I rebuke it in the name of Jesus. >> Not by might, not by power, by your spirit, almighty God. Oh Jesus.

God, I've been my own worst enemy. God, I'VE BEEN MY MADE ALL MY OWN MISTAKES. I CAN'T BLAME ANYONE ELSE. IT'S OKAY. Just repent and say, "God, put me back in the saddle.

God, light a fire and consume me. Empty me of me. Change who I am, God, and make me who you want me to be, God. Oh, oh Lord Jesus, help us God. Oh Lord, consume us, God.

Oh Lord, >> oh Lord, come on. Don't stop where you're at. Don't don't don't allow this to just settle your conscience. But I I I implore of you today that you would find a place with God. That you would find a moment with God.

And you would just say, "God, I know there's some things I'm hanging on to, some things I don't understand, but God, I just I just give them to you. It's as simple as that. I just give them to you, God. I just give you my whole heart, my whole life, my whole mind, my whole body, my whole soul. I just give it to you, God.

I can't I Jesus. Can I Can I interrupt you for one moment? A lot of us will say we like change. I like to be ch I like to change my clothes. I like to do this.

But I'm going to tell you right now, it's that you you like to be in control. You like to control where you're at and what you're doing and you like to control everything about you. Can I just say not to this guy? Damn. Would you say God I release control?

Can Can you right now? God, I release control in the name of Jesus. I release control. Not my will, thy will be done. Not my way, your way, God.

Not my thoughts, but your thoughts. I release control, God. Change me and do with me what you will. I am willing to spend and be spent for the sake of the gospel. I release control, God.

I release control. If you COULD ONLY SEE WHAT GOD SEES in you, YOU WOULD SAY, "GOD, MAKE ME IN THAT." BUT NO, YOU'VE GOT TO TRUST HIM. GOD, I TRUST YOU. I release control. I It doesn't all make sense.

I release control. I give it to you, Lord. Jesus. Jesus all across this house. Would you do this with me?

Would you lift your hands all across the room? Jesus, as a body, we release control. We want we want revival. We want change. We want we want to see this building filled.

We want campuses. We want to see your name be made great. But God, we release control. We give it to you, God, in our lives. We want to grow.

We want to be better. We want to be greater. We want to be mightier. But God, we release control. We are empty vessels for your use, God.

God, every one of us, we surrender our will, our way. God, I pray, Lord, as we surrender, God, you would allow the spirit to move upon us. Allow the Holy Ghost to change us in the name of Jesus. God, allow the Holy Ghost to fall upon us in the name of Jesus. God, allow us, give us the strength to step into what you're have, you're calling us into.

God, give us the give us the willpower, GOD, TO LAY DOWN AT YOUR FEET AND SAY, "Not my will, but thy will be done in the name of Jesus. In the name of Jesus. In the name of Jesus. Jesus, I plead the blood. Jesus.

Come on, man. God hadn't released us yet. Give me go give G give give God just one more minute. Give him just one more second. This isn't my style, but I just don't feel comfortable stepping away yet.

This isn't what I like to do, but I'm just going TO TELL YOU, GOD HAS SOMETHING he wants to do in your life today. HE'S GOT SOMEBODY HE'S NEEDING TO CHANGE. He's got someone that he's needing to surrender to him. >> It may be hot. You may be uncomfortable.

It may be unknown. But God, I surrender to you. I give you my whole life, my whole mind, my whole heart. I surrender control to you, God. It's not me, it's you, Jesus.

I will fall. All things new and I will follow you forward. You make all things new. Yes, you make all things new and I will follow you forward. You make all things new.

Yes, you make all things new. and I will follow you forward. You make all things new. Yes, you make all things new. And I will follow you forever.

You make all things new. Yes, you make all things new. And I will follow you forward. You make all things new. Yes, you make all things new.

And I will follow you from earth. You make all things new. Yes, you make all things new and I will follow you forward. You make all things new. Yes, you make all things new.

and I will follow you forward. You and I will. Can I just say I was studying I was searching through the word I came along I came along second Timothy 4 and 11 said get Mark bring him with you get John Mark and bring him with you I mean I was like that's that's the message. That's the message. God God just let the Holy Ghost to fall right where I was sitting.

It's the message. Cuz here's the thing. Paul had withtood his good friend. He had fought with him openly, adamantly. This is the last book that Paul wrote.

The last verse of that book. He says, "Get John Mark. Bring him with me. With you. Aren't you thankful for what God does with our mess ups and our mistakes, our failures, our ghosts that haunt us, the scars that others can't see, but we feel God says, "Get John Mark.

He's profitable me for the ministry. What an honor. What a honor to be to be called profitable for the ministry. Useful for the sake of the ministry. Would you lift your hands all across the room with me?

Jesus. Jesus. Oh, to be useful for your sake, for the ministry. Oh, to be useful to you for the sake of the ministry, Lord. God, I pray that every one of us in here under the sound of my voice that you would allow us, God, to very very very succinctly, very kindly, very intently God too to fill the pull and the call and the restoration.

God, give us the strength to conquer the to to conquer the the ghost of our past, the ghost of our issues, God. But Lord, let us find that we've we find that strength in you, God. And I pray today for the healing power of the Holy Ghost to settle upon your church, your people. God, we are called to greater. We are called to to more than we are called to greater things than these.

We are called to greater growth today. And God, it starts in us. And God, I pray, Lord, for every man in this church. I pray for every man in this church that's haunted by the mistakes and the failures and the mess ups. God, I pray Lord that you would you would ever so kindly, ever so gently wrap them in your arms today, God.

And you would allow the sweet restoration power of Barnabas, the sweet restoration power of the spirit to settle upon you, God. God, I thank you. God, I praise you. And the church said, "Amen."