Responsible

I want to share this with you for the last couple of weeks and this month as we've been studying just a small clip of what we've been studying in Midweek University. It's right in the path of what God is trying to do here today. We've been studying about about the door that enters into the holy place. In that there is five pillars and we've talked about those pillars. Yeah. But as I just dug and dug and dug and as as you know we can dig ourselves holes sometimes and searching out.

But today this just seemed to come alive those five pillars. There were five hooks that were placed on those pillars and on them hang the veil or the door to the holy place. We talked about this a little bit in our class, but the pillars are symbolic and they represent responsibility. And as the Lord begins to stir in me about responsibility and being responsible, I I begin to back away and just do kind of my normal investigation of what that would look like. Sorry. The definition responsibility.

Many of you could probably give it to me if I was to ask you. having an obligation to do something, having control over the care of someone or part of a job and a role. I I I want to talk to you today about responsible, being responsible. But as I thought of this with these five door or these five pillars and and real quick guys in the media, if you want to flash that up there, I just want to give you just a visual of those five pillars. These five pillars, some of the dimensions of that just kind of give you an idea of what we're looking at. in between those five pillars is about 5 and 1/2t in between there talking about how big this area was the responsibility of the priest that as he walked through those gates and on the top of that if that one pillar you get that one pillar picture up for me guys and I'm laying a foundation here please let me do this at the top there is a ring that goes on top of it.

That cap, there's a golden hook that goes in there. And I want you to notice that it says there is a brass brass insert that the pillar has in it that the hook hangs on. As I'm studying this, and I'm not going to go into detail because I will get bogged down. I started looking at the brass that was inserted into that P pillar. It was to be a reminder that if we fail to do our job, that brass represented that if we fail to do our job that the wrath of God or the judgment of God would be poured out.

And I I'm looking through all of this and I I I'm saying, God, I know you have a word for us today. Scripture tells us that we are responsible for those that are around us. I want to ask you this very simple question today. as the hooks would be on the sides of those pillars, on the back side of those pillars to hang that veil. Using that in an analogy of responsibility, I want to ask you the simple question, who's hanging on you? Okay? Because you see, God has a plan. He has a plan for every one of our lives.

But I want to tell you this today. You didn't get here by yourself. You didn't do all of this by yourself. This didn't happen just because you were the blessed child. This is something that God is doing in each and every one of our lives. For a moment, if you want to be seated, I want to talk to you just for a little while about responsibility. Ecclesiastes the 4th chapter verse 9 says this, "Two are better than one because they have good reward for their task or their or what they're doing, their toiling.

Cuz if there's just one, what happens, folks? They fall. They die. They cannot survive. You need that brother, that sister. You need that individual that is there beside you. That's right. I was I asked this of my grandson just a little bit ago. There is a paper here in front of you and I simply asked him, you probably can't see it. That's okay. There's a little there's a little round face right here with a smiley face on it. It's got two eyes and a nose. And it's got two hands and two legs.

He has he has drawn a picture of his aba. Thank you, Tucker. I I I bring this to you and very simple, very simple, but I bring this to you because this is something that will progress. This is something that somebody had to have taught him what an eyeball look like, how a smile is supposed to be. And that's the way he sees that. I'm standing here in worship while ago. And I look over and little man right here is looking around and he sees his he sees his papa praying right there. And he sees his mama up here.

And I he he looks around and his dad standing over there joking. No. But he's being held by his grandmother. And I I think of all of this and all of this starts starts happening and and I'm thinking to myself, what a responsibility that each and every one of us have. We are responsible for each other. We cannot do this alone, folks. There is nothing that we can do alone in this world. We have to have somebody helping us. We have to have somebody that is willing to stand and help us along the way.

How many you say amen to that? God wants you to be that helper. How many you know there's times sometimes that we just we need the help. I was reading this past week and it was simply I was reading out of uh the motivator's pen is what it was called and in this was talking about how that each and every one of us have a we have a part in everyone's life that we meet. We we have a pen in our hand. Every one of us, if I was to ask you today, and I I was thinking about our notebooks that we write in, if we were to take a a notebook and have that person's name on the front of it, and each one of us, we pass it around and you write something in that notebook to that individual, you are writing part of their story.

You are g you are influencing them. You are talking to them about whether it be in whether it be a spiritual thing or whether it be a physical thing or whether it be something that you are you're helping them get through. You are helping them through a battle or a trial whatever that may look like. But it is our duty. It is our responsibility to look after those around us. Just as those pillars had the the the uh veil hanging on it, it was responsible for holding that veil up. It was a part of its duty.

It was a part of what it was about. And each and every one of us have somebody that is hanging on you. I want you to look at your f the one next to you, somebody sitting next to you and say, "Who are you responsible for today?" You have somebody that you are responsible for. You have somebody that is hanging on you. You have somebody that you have to show them and they have to show you. I I I could not help but just to think about the scripture and I want to use this scripture today.

In Mark the 2 chapter, Jesus has come to Capernaia. And when he gets to Capernia, it was a few days, the scripture says in verse one, there was a few days there that that they were they finally figured out Jesus was in the house. They figured out Jesus is there. And so all of these people come flooding to Jesus. All of these people want to know more about him. and they want there's some that want to be just there to to ridicule and persecute. You got those people in your life. May I say that is there's those that that that will be in your life like that. and and and they come to see Jesus.

And when they got there, they they uh there was a particular man that was born and the scripture says and in the fourth verse there, it says there was a man that that was born and he was born with a pausy. The scripture tells us that there was some men that had brought him to Jesus and they couldn't get in the house. said when they draw nigh to him, the the press was so much that they couldn't get there. The scripture says that these men, they go on top of the roof. Yeah. And these men began to pull the roof apart.

As they begin to tear back the roof, the scripture says this, "And when they had broke it up, they let this man down in his bed. to be healed of Jesus. We know the next scripture talks about that that God honored the faith of those men. He honored the faith of those men. I I I began to just kind of dig on this a little bit. These men are on top of a a roof of this house where Jesus is. And there's people that are crammed in this place, packed in there, and they begin to pull apart the roof.

I I would ask you to visualize with me today. As they're pulling the the roof apart, I'm sure if you know anything about construction, if you start pulling something apart above your head, where's it going? And these guys that are in there, all of this stuff's falling here. Just just imagine. And while they're pulling all of this apart, then the scripture says that when they had broke it up, when they had completely broke it up, that they began to work the work of putting this man through the top, letting him down where Jesus was.

I I I God's going to talk to you in a spiritual way today. I I just feel that if you will allow God to talk to you that way as he begins to these men have broke up some things. These men today were responsible for that man. They are responsible for what's going on right here. And God honored their faith. God honored what they were doing for this man. I I come to preach to you today on this this simple subject. We are responsible. Come on. We are responsible to help those around us, those that are in need.

The scripture talks about that. Those that are hurting, those that need help. We're responsible for them. God has given each and every one of you people in your life. I I ask you again that question. Who's hanging on you? Who is it that is hanging on you? You've got little ones that will draw you pictures. You've got those little ones that will come around and give you something. I want you to know something. It's It means something. It means something. My refrigerator at home. Lord Jesus, we finally have to take them down and just some of them stack them away because you can't get the refrigerator open.

But they mean something. And those little ones as as we write our story, those little ones are helping write that story. As you begin to write things down in your story, you start writing that book. There's that one that's involved. I want you to know something today. Every one of you are a part of my story today. Amen. That one that's sitting beside you is a part of your story today. Whatever that looks like, they're part of your story. And you just may be writing a really good chapter in somebody's life today.

I I I want to I want you to get the feeling that that that should be in this house today is you're responsible for those that are around you. God has placed a responsibility on you, to watch over, to protect, to have those little ones, but not only that, your your your family, your friends, those that are around you. Brother Rob, we're here for each other. We're here for us to look at each other and say, "I see where you are, and I'm praying for you, sir." or I see where you are and what what is it that I can do for you?

You see, God has a plan. As we have shared on a number of occasions throughout this whole series, we've shared about the plan of God. How that God puts things together, how he has orchestrated things and and placed them together because it is his plan. It is a part of his work that you and I are here today. It is part of his every bit of this belongs to him. Every bit of what we're doing belongs to him. It's a part for his kingdom, for his glory. It's for those things that he has he has placed in our life.

Each and every one of these things. I don't believe in accidents. Yeah or mere happens God will lead you. My wife was we were driving yesterday as we were going to a birthday party and uh we're driving down the road and she's telling me about a friend that has cancer had lost her lost her husband and or her son I think it was and many of you some of you may know the story but she lost her son and then now she's been di diagnosed and we're driving down the road and and I I all of a sudden got this feeling that came over me and God brought a scripture to mine and I told her I said I said read that scripture pulls her phone out actually she had already she had memorized it she started and she was like, we're both crying.

She's like, well, who who's that for? I said, send it to her because God knows. Let me tell you something. God's word is alive. His word is alive. And if we can live by his word, the book of Acts tells us that that they continue daily. Acts 2 and42 says they continue studying and and and think thinking about the doctrine of the the apostles in fellowship breaking in bread and praying. This was where this is where the the 3000 were added to the church. You see it it's a part of that unity.

It's a part of us being a part of a body and we're a part of that body of Christ. And we're asking God, God, what do you have for us? I I don't I don't know exactly who was in this place today. The crowds are starting to get bigger and I I'm sorry if I don't remember your name. But I will tell you this that God is in this room. And no matter who you are or what you're going through, we serve the same God today. Amen. As they served in the Old Testament times, that God that was able to show up in a pillar of fire.

That God that would lick up the dust from around an altar. That same God that was able to raise the dead. That same God is in this room today. And no matter where you are, no matter what you're faced with, you've got a group of people here. And I know this that there's a group of people right here that wherever you are, they will come to you and take you to Jesus. These men found this man that was born before, the scripture said, sick of pausy. They took him to Jesus. They brought him to an altar.

Don't think for a minute it's for for embarrassment when somebody comes and grabs your hand and says, "Let's go to the altar." Don't think that for a minute. It's because God has something for us. God has something that he wants to show us. I believe in the supernatural, folks. I believe that you can come to an altar and God shows up and he shows you exactly what you need for the hour. I believe that God is able to to heal the sick, raise the dead. I believe that in our lesson, I don't see her here today.

Where's grandma? She's not here today. But in our lesson Wednesday night, God began to move in that in that class from the very beginning. I I I just you know you when you walk into a room and you feel it and and God began to move. A test or a need was brought forth and and I had felt earlier that day and impressed about about the spirit of fear. pastor. I just just I was impressed. And so we started talking a little bit about that. And then and then it wasn't long until until our precious pre precious sister that was sitting on back row, she lifted her hand and I knew she was wanting to say something.

God began to flow through her. She started talking about how that she had come down sick and she said, "I I I I took my hand and laid it on my chest." And she says, "God, I believe that you're my healer. God, I believe that you're able. You're able to do this. You're able to do this. God, I believe that." And she's patting her chest. And then she said, "I took my other hand and I said, 'But God help this right here." And when she said that, I thought, you know, that's where we get all messed up.

There's many of us today that believes that God can do this. He can change your situation. He can turn lives around. He can turn things things around for you. He can He can heal those those broken hearts and those things that you're going through. Sometimes it takes us saying, "God, help this right here. Help this right here." I've come to share with you today that you are responsible for some things. And even though you may feel it here, come on folks, say, "God, help me. Help me. Help me, God, to move forward.

Help me to move forward in what you have for me to do. Help me to move from outside of that that place of humanity and say, "God, I see that supernatural. I see what you're doing in our groups. I see you what you're doing in our midst, Lord Jesus. I see that." And if we could ever get to that place of saying, "God, I feel that burden. I feel that responsibility. I feel those things that change that change that's coming on. You start feeling that start moving in that mom's dad's today.

Pastor, you said it so well. I thought you was going to preach it there earlier. You were talking about about our children, about that next generation. And and I may it may have been in pre- prayer. I don't remember exactly, but you said it so well. He he he talked about how that there will come a day that you're going to be at the altar. You're going to say, "Well, what happened?" I I come to tell you today that it is right now, right here in this place that you can turn things around.

You can make things right and say, "God, from this day forward, I'm going to make sure that I do my part, that I take on the responsibilities that are given to me, those things that I can move forward with." Amen. Amen. Our court systems are full of people that are not responsible. They're full of people that have laid that responsibility down and now we're having to go to the court systems to get things right. I I I want you to know something today. God has given you the opportunity.

God, I want to make things right. I want to do things the right way. I I want to I want to take on that responsibility that I know that I'm supposed to have. Help me today, God. I've got people depending on me. I've got people that are depending on me to do what I'm supposed to do. You didn't get here by yourself. was thinking, you have to excuse me for reminiscing a little bit, but in 2016, my our first trip to Chattanooga, of course, see Pastor and them had been they'd been plugging at it a long time, but we were still in house church at that time.

Sure. We had an altar area that was plywood and we had carpet a little bit. But I I was thinking about all of the things that God has done, all of the all of the trips that he's taken us on. And I'll just call them trips. But the whole time, God God knew what he was doing. He knew what he was doing. And it was some of those moments that we were slapping our chest saying, "God, I know, but I need you to help me." and all of the things that were placed in our path and and this came and then this came and we moved in our new building and and man, we had it going.

You could take your phone and turn the lights on. As a matter of fact, there was no light switch. God had blessed Then 2020 hit and the Lord taketh away. Blessed be his holy name because he knows what you're capable of handling. He knew that pastor could handle this. He knew that this group of people could handle this. Sister Renee, he knew. He knew what was on the horizon. He knew what he was what he was planning. And the whole time he was thinking, "If my people, which are called by my name, would humble themselves and pray, seek my face."

We live in a world that is full of wickedness, folks. And I don't know that you realize this or not, and there's some of you that probably do realize this, but during that whole crisis, there were people that were hanging on us. We made connections. There was hinges made with people that changed our life. It changed their life. You can still to this day walk on the streets and you can find somebody that say, "Yeah, we used to have church on IU Gap." Oh yeah, that was the one. And you know, I drove by there and was wondering what y'all were doing.

Opportunity. And none of that would have happened if it hadn't been for the crisis. I I I I I I plea with you today, understand the responsibilities that are placed on us because even in our trying times, even in those times that are that we face and we don't know what we're going to do, the whole time, God is saying just hold on. Ju just hold on. And there's times that we feel like we just want to just give it all up, right? I I'm talking real. We We want to give it up. And the whole time God's saying, "No, hold on.

I I I I h I have I have something great for you. I have something that is on the horizon." Sometimes it's like we we've talked this is is Israel's wandering around in the wilderness. Hold on. You got a promised land is coming. You've got a promised land that's coming. May I tell you this? This building is not the stopping point. Thank God for it. I thank God for what he's doing. I thank God for what that we're going to have a home for CAC. But we're passing through here. We are just passing through here.

Why? Because we've got so many responsibilities on us. And I hope that you can get a hold of that today as there's responsibilities that are hanging on you today. Each and every one of us are responsible for something. And and what happens if we're not hanging on to the responsibilities that we've got? A generation can die. Someone can lose it. Somebody falls off. Why? Because there's there's the responsibility was broken. Help us God today. I I I shared this with my wife. We were talking a little bit and I told her, I said, 'You know those five pillars that hung in the tabernacle and we went through all of the everything they were doing with them and and what that represented.

I said I said, you know, all of those things put into place, I I get the feeling, and the scripture doesn't tell us this, but as they are putting this together, Moses is telling them what to do and they're sitting there turning that that bolt or or that that hook and they're applying pressure to it. The whole time they're doing that, I I just got this feeling that there's a scribe that's standing there and he's reading and this is for a sign of And this is for a sign of I I I think because they're there for quite some time wandering around and the entire time they're putting this back together, tearing it down, putting it in its place, putting it back up.

The whole time they're doing this, they're being reminded that this is not it. That's right. And this is for a sign of this. The gold represents this. The purple represents this. The blue represents this. And they're putting all of that together. And I want to believe they understand the responsibility that's on their head. I want to believe that that day when Aaron was standing in front of that tent, I want to believe that as his sons passed by him with that strange fire, he said, "Ho, ho, boys, ho."

Come on, ho. Yeah. I want to believe that that that he's there to to hold things in order. Help them along the way. One of the things that you will you will find in our classes, we've been studying about those pillars and and about how that they represent the certain the certain parts of the ministry. And and while we're talking about that, I'm thinking about the apostles. There's a reason we have apostles in our life. There's a reason we have those apostles. They're there to make sure that those guidelines are followed.

Those guidelines are there. And to say, "Hey, son. Hey, I want to say this today. It's okay to correct me. It's okay." And I want you young people to know it's okay to be corrected. That's right. Amen. It's okay because this is a part of that responsibility that is upon us. It's okay. Why? Because this is how we're going to make heaven. This is how we're going to make that glorious trip one day. And I know there's all of this time that God's given us here on earth. And and if God if God delays his coming, you'll be married and you'll be doing all of those things that married folks do.

This right here, you'll be doing all of that. But the whole time you're adding responsibility, right? God has given people to you and you're they're hinged on you. This one's holding this one. This one's holding this one. And the whole time God has got all of this linked together. What happens if one of them falls? Ecclesiastes says we if we're a part of us, we grab them, pick them back up. But what if they don't want to? God help us. I I I I'm here today to reach for somebody. I I want you to get the responsibility that is upon you right now.

God has placed a great responsibility upon each and every one of you. You say, "Well, my life is just beginning." Yes, little man. He drew me a picture. It's a part of my life now. It's a part of my story. Doesn't matter who you may be. I There was one of them here not long ago that come running in and he had he we were over at the Lee Highway. He went around the church during church. He had drawn pictures on a handful. He's passing them out, folks. But you don't know what that did to me.

And I know that that means nothing to some people. But what that told me is that little guy, I must have been somebody important to him. When you can have one of them run up to you and and put their arms around your legs, want you to pick them up, and you're busy. Can I tell you stop what you're doing? Pat him on the head. And maybe he's talking too loud. Say son, I I got you. I'm talking right now. It's okay to inform them of that. What that does is teaches them because it's your responsibility.

I I I know this sounds teachy right now, but I I just I feel that we need to know this that we are responsible in this place today. There are people that are sitting here that there are so many people that you're hinged to that you could probably you could probably fill this house up. That's true. And I know we can go in a different direction with this bad people. I I I know you can. But we're not going to do that. I I want you to I want you to find whoever you're hinged to. Make sure you're doing your part.

That is your responsibility. It may be that one at work and you're wondering what what do I do with this? If there's nothing but just give them a couple of words, just just an encouragement, whatever that may look like, you you're hens to that individual. There is somebody that is expecting you to step into their life. There's somebody that is expecting you to grab hold of and pull you in. God, help us today. I want you to lift your hands with us right now if you would cross this building.

Lord Jesus, I I know that there are those that I'm hed to right now. I know that there are those that I'm hed to that I am responsible for. God, thank you for reminding us of that today, Lord Jesus. God, I need your help. I need your help in what I'm doing. Maybe there's some moms and dads here today. I want you to stand with us across this building. Maybe there's some moms and dads here today. Maybe aunts, uncles, grandma, grandpas. I I I want you to know something. There is a responsibility that is on you.

Even you young ones, maybe you're here by yourself. I want you to know there is responsibilities upon you. Maybe you're today's just one of those shake me up days and and you're saying, "Hey, God, you you had something here for me today." Maybe you're here today and you're one of those. I I urge you, and this is and I feel this in my spirit. I urge you, you grab the hold hold of the hand of that one that you're you're responsible for. You bring them to this altar. Show them what this carpet's all about, folks.

You show them what this this altar is all about. Thank you, Ethan, today for walking to the front with your little one and worshiping with him. I know you probably could have handed him off and we finally did hand him off. But there's a responsibility that's in you. My little ones need to hear me pray. Yes, sir. They need to hear what I've got to say to the Lord. Again, forgive me for making remarks of my personal, but pastor, I remember this and I'm sure you can too of listening and in the other room, there was a mother that would be praying out loud.

And in the middle of that prayer, my name was called out. Yes, sir. Yes, the truth was she read my mail. I didn't realize she knew that, but she did. She would seek God. Then I remember as a teenager, I'm driving home one night, it's late, front end of my car started shifting back and forth and I pulled off to the side of the road and realized that I had was back when we had hub caps, folks. I had the hub cap or the the nuts, the bolts, the lug nuts was actually inside the hubcap and there was only two of them and they were just about out.

So I get it all put back on and it caused me to be late. Well, guess who met me at the door and my mother says, "What just happened?" I said, "Mom, the wheel almost fell off of my car." And she said, "Was it at so and so time?" I said, "Well, I don't really know." She said, "Because God told me you needed prayer." I tell you something. Thank God for responsibilities. Yes, sir. And and I say that because I want you to understand that if you're praying and you're seeking God and you're doing the things you're supposed to be doing, God's going to be speaking to you just like that.

God will give you those directions. He'll give you those words. He'll even give you words that you can say to someone, one of your children that needs that affirmation. There's a responsibility that is on you today. Can you get that today? Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. The men that went to rip the roof off to let this man down that was sick living in our world today. They didn't have to do all of that, but they felt that responsibility. They literally when they had ripped it all apart, when it was broke up, I'm going to make this a little more spiritual for you.

There are people that are fighting for you in the spirit realm. Yes. Yes, sir. And sometimes it's so hard around you and just so calloused around you when you feel that freedom in the Holy Ghost. May I tell you this? Somebody was praying for you. Yes, sir. Somebody was praying for you. I hope you have a prayer list at home or in your phone or wherever it may be. Thank you, Sister Sloan, for doing that for us. Your name is on her list. When she pulls her phone out, she's praying. She's going down that list.

That prayer may have just saved your life in this place today. Moms, dads, aunts, uncles, whatever you may be, would you grab the hand of somebody that you're hinged to that you are responsible for? Would you bring them to an altar? Would you? Maybe you feel the responsibility of praying for these people in this congregation. Would you come to the front in the name of Jesus? Cross this building right now. God, I feel that. I feel that responsibility. God, help me, God, to do my part. Hallelujah.

Come on, cry out to him right now. Would you pray right now? Show your children how to pray, guys. Moms, dads, show your children how your prayers go up. Friends, pray over your friend today. Oh Jesus, in the name of Jesus, across this room right now, Lord, pray your anointing upon every life, every family, every household. Lord Jesus over every friend that is here today God in this place God we surrender all to you in the name of Jesus in the name of Jesus. Oh hallelujah. Hallelujah.

Let them hear you pray dad. Let them hear you pray. Mom, let your husband hear you pray. Let your wife hear you pray right now. Oh. Oh Jesus. Yes Jesus. Hallelujah. Jesus. Oh, all to you. Yes. Yes. That's it. Come on. Break it up. Let God be God in your life right now. Break up that fow ground in me Lord Jesus. Oh Jesus. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Oh, I surrender all to you. I surrender my soul to you. I surrender over to you. I want to ask you to do something right now. If your child is old enough, you continue to pray for it.

If it's if it's infant, if it's small, but if your child is old enough, I want you to instruct that child right now to lay its hand on you. And I want your children to pray for you. And I want you to tell your child, "Ask God to help mom and dad's or whoever it may be, ask God to help me with my responsibility to you." Come on, somebody get get a hold of your children right now. Ask God to help me with that responsibility I have. Pray right now in the name of Jesus. In the name of Jesus.

God, thank you. Hallelujah. I thank you, Lord, for the responsibilities that you put in my hands. God, help me to do everything I'm supposed to do. Help me, God, that I do it the way that you would have me do it. Help me God that I'm able to carry this this with me at all times understanding that responsibility in the name of Jesus. In the name of Jesus. Oh your name Jesus. In the name of Jesus. Hallelujah. Yes. Hallelujah. Take my mindar. No one journeys alone, folks. No one. You got to have them with you.

They've got to be in your life. You don't do it by yourself. You didn't get here by yourself. And you're not leaving by yourself, folks. Each and every one of us have a responsibility. Oh Jesus. Won't you lift your hands with us right now? Just lift your hands to heaven. Thank you Lord. Thank you Lord Jesus. Thank you for your word. Thank you Lord for how you've applied that to my life. Help us to understand where we are in life and what's going on in our lives. God, help us, Lord Jesus, to do our part for your kingdom.

Help us, God, to take that responsibility and do it well. Lord Jesus, hallelujah. Hallelujah. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus. Hallelujah. Let's pray together. Would you pray with us right now? The Lord bless thee and keep thee. The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee. The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace, and thou shalt. Oh, thank him right now. Would you do that? Thank the Lord. Thank you, Lord Jesus. Thank you, Lord. Hallelujah. Hallelujah.

God bless you today. Make sure and pass somebody today and tell them hold on to your responsibilities. Amen. God bless you.