The Power Of A Cry | Senior Pastor Kenneth Carpenter

You have your Bibles would stand with me. Boy, it feels good to be back here. Judges chapter 6 and verse number one. The word of the Lord is always good to us. Judges chapter 6 and verse number one. And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord. And the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years. And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel. And because the Midianites, the children of Israel, made them d made them the dens which are in the mountains and caves and strongholds. And so it was when Israel had sown that the Midianites came up and the Amalachites and the children of the east even they came up against them. They encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, till thou come unto Gaza, and left no substance for Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass. For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came as grasshoppers for multitude. For both they and their camels were without number, they entered into the land to destroy it. And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites. And the children of Israel cried unto the Lord. And the children of Israel cried unto the Lord. And it came to pass when the children of Israel cried unto the Lord because of the Midianites that the Lord sent a prophet unto Israel. For just a few moments this morning, I have a something on my heart feel like the Lord has given me for this congregation. And I want to preach on today the power of a cry. the power of a cry. Father, I love you this morning. Thank you, Lord, for your wonderful spirit that I feel. Thank you for the cleansing of my heart. Thank you, Lord, for your wonderful presence, God, that has brought us together. Lord, for the next few moments, would you anoint your servant that I may speak the words that would bring edification that would bring comfort, that God would even bring salvation to a lost soul? Lord, if you'll use your servant, I'll be mindful to give you the praise and the honor and the glory. In Jesus' name we all pray. Amen. Would you put your hands together and give him a clap offering before we're seated? Don't just do it out of habit. He really accepts that. He He really He really accepts that form of worship. Wow. Looking around here today, you may be seated looking around here today. We're going to have to get busy and put our riser seating in here. Uh because this place is filling up and and u you know you know any place that people honor God, God said in his word that I'll pour you out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it. And so anywhere God is moving go there there is a space problem. And I'm I'm glad to be a part of the family of God. Aren't you >> so glad to be a part. How many appreciate your church family today? You're glad to be a part of the family. The family the family of God. I read a story or heard a story about a little girl that got interested in her family. And so she went to her mama and she asked her mother. She said, "Mommy, where did we come from? Where did our family come from? where did we come from? And she saw it as a beautiful opportunity to open up the Bible and told her daughter, her little daughter said, "In the beginning, God created the heaven, the earth." And she went through the beautiful story of creation, how God spoke and man was created. And she went through that and she went and asked her daddy, "Daddy, where did the family came from? Come from and and evidently whatever her father said confused her. It confused her." And so she went back to her mommy and she said, "Mommy said, you said that we were created by God." And said, "Daddy said that it was like a a tadpole and then a tadpole became a frog and a frog became a monkey and a monkey became a man." And she said, uh, she said, "That's what daddy said." Said, "Oh." Said, "Well, here's the difference." Said, "When I told you about God, I was talking about my side of the family. Aren't you thankful to be on the right side of the family this morning? I'm glad to be on the right side of the family. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, according to the Guinness Book of World Record, a human voice was heard as far as 10 and a half miles away. A human voice was heard 10 and a half miles away. Of course, Guinness Book records that it had to be the absolute perfect It had to be the absolute perfect condition for the wi for the voice to be heard 10 and a half miles away. It had to be it had to be on a day that the wind was blowing in the direction of the voice and it had to be across a a lake, a lake. It had to it had to have all these things. The wind had to be blowing the lake and it and but but a voice was heard. Think about that. A human voice was heard 10 and a half miles away. 10 and a half miles. That's that's that's that's pretty incredible. But the whole gest of my message today is that there is power in our cry to God. There is power in our cry to God. Um the book of Judges is an interesting book because it is a cycle book. It is a book that just goes through cycle after cycle after cycle. It's believed that it covers a history of 3 to 400 years. And it's a cycle. It's a cycle of the history of the people of God, their unfaithfulness to God, and how their unfaithfulness to God placed them in a continual cycle. Here's what the cycle looked like. Here's what it looked like. Israel would sin by worshiping Baal and the other Canaanite gods. When Israel would sin and worship Baal and the other Canaanite gods, God would allow oppression from the foreign powers as a punishment. In other words, whatever or whoever they were worshiping, God would use them to place the people of God under punishment or oppression. They would get under here's the cycle. They would get under punishment and oppression and then they would cry out to God. God would hear their cry and God would raise up what was called a judge or God would raise up a deliverer. Samson was one of the judges. Opthanel was one of the judges. Um uh um several were some of the judges that would be raised up in the midst of their oppression and God would use that judge to deliver Israel out of their hand. They would go back to worshiping God, but then they would go right back to the cycle of worshiping Baal and the Canaanite God. God would deliver them into their hand. They would cry. Oh, I could go through the book of Judges and you could just highlight several chapters that just had the same phrase. And they cried to the Lord. And they cried. And they cried to the Lord. You see, one thing that we have to be oh so careful about, church, is we are in the world, but we're not of the world. We are in a culture, but we are our culture within the culture. We are we are the church. No wonder the Apostle Peter on the day of Pentecost, this doesn't get preached as much as Acts 238, although I believe it should. Acts 2:40 should be preached because it was there on that day that Peter said these words and with many other words did he testify and exhort saying save yourselves from this unto generation. Please look at the two words testify and exhort. To testify means it's something that you have been through yourself. You have firsthand knowledge of this. And so Peter had firsthand knowledge, did he not? Peter had firsthand knowledge. Peter could testify to the fact that, hey, I warmed myself by the wrong crowd, by the wrong fire. Can I get a witness? >> I warmed myself by the wrong fire. I followed Jesus aar off. I warmed myself by the wrong fire. I got by the wrong people at the wrong fire. And guess what happened? Before you know it, I'm denying that I even know who Jesus Christ is. So Peter could testify. And we don't know that Acts 2:40 that Peter didn't start saying, "Hey, I'm a testimony. I about lost this thing. I got with the wrong crowd around the wrong fire. I got too far away from Jesus. I even denied that I would I even knew Jesus. Not once, not twice, but three times. I even denied it. You see, sin and culture can go hand in hand. We are living in a culture that has put its stamp upon sin. We are living in a godless culture. When Peter said, "Save yourselves from this untored generation," the word untored there means not going in the direction that you're going in. Save yourself from anyone that's going in the opposite direction. Well, what kind of a generation was it? I'll tell you what kind of generation it was. It was a generation that would rather crucify a healer, a way maker, a problem solver, God in human flesh. They would rather crucify him on a hill and let a murderer run rampant in its streets. That's what kind of culture you see. We have to understand. We have to understand something today that you first are tempted to blend into the culture before you are tempted to bow to the culture. People don't go into the culture bowing to it. They just go into the culture blending with it. The culture wants to be able to say whatever it wants to say, but if you're blending into the culture, you're not allowed to say anything that the culture doesn't stand. Haven't we went through the can cancel culture? Don't we see it on the news? Somebody, a movie star, a singer, u someone of wealth, of notoriety will make a certain stand against the culture. And guess what happens? They cancel him out. It's a cancel culture because you're not saying what we want the culture to say. And the church, we have to be on our toes. We don't need to blend into the culture. We need to be in the world. That's where we need to be. That's where we should be. That's where we're the most effective. We're in the world, but we're not of the world. We're like a ship. A ship belongs in the sea. But the sea doesn't belong in the ship. If the sea ever gets in the ship, then the ship is being sunk. I'm glad today to be embracing a family of God today. We understand the culture that we're in, but we're also understanding that we're not going to blend with that culture because you first start to blend. Oh, the culture is smooth. The culture has to have the right ambiencece. It has to have the right background to it. We find the culture in Proverbs chapter 7 and verse number nine. Here's here's a culture. Here's a culture. Proverbs chapter 7 verse number nine. In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night. Here's the culture. The culture can never turn the lights up. All right? The culture has to keep it dim. Why? Why does it have to keep it dim? Because there's things going on in the background that the culture doesn't want you to know. There's stats. There's things going on in the background that the culture is saying, "We we we've got to keep this." You ever went to a a play uh and you'll find that certain scenes on the play, if they're going to change scenes, they have to turn the lights completely out. And while it's completely dark, they're changing things on the scene. So it is. So it is with our culture. So, so it is with our culture. Now, let me just sound an alarm right here. We are in a period right now that it a it appears and I want to I want to use the word appear. It appears that the United States is having a momentary revival, a mo momentary revival of going back to to to morals. That's good. Any direction back to the word of God, I give it praise. But I'm not going to look to the government to be my guide. >> I'm glad if there's anything coming back around to this, I'm glad for. But when they decide in four more years, three years now, if we decide to put somebody else in the White House that goes away from this, can I tell you, First Apostolic Church is still going to be standing on the culture to be effective has to change the twilight in the evening. ing in the black and dark night. And behold, there met him a woman with the attire of a harlot, subtle of heart. The culture has to appease to your flesh. She's loud. She's stubborn. Her feet abide not in her house. Now is she without. Now is she in the streets and lith and weight at every corner. She caught him and kissed him and with an imputed face, that's a strong face, said unto him, I have peace offerings with me this day. I have paid my vows. The culture has to appear to be a little religious. All right? The culture has to get us convinced, hey, you worship your God, I worship my God. We're all going to the same place. Let me tell you what the church sounds and the word of God sounds. The word of God says the only way to heaven is through Jesus Christ. >> There's only one way to heaven. I don't care how good a religion is. I don't care how morally based a religion is. I don't care humanity and and all of that aid and all that's well and good, but all of that will never get you to heaven. >> Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. He is the way, the truth, and the life. And it's shocking today. It's shocking today that a lot of mainstream mainstream denominations today on their conference floors when they are when they're having their business to decide their constitution and what they're going to allow and not allow that there's even talk that there's ways into heaven outside of Jesus Christ. Can I tell you religion the culture has to appear to be religious? She said, "I paid my peace offerings." Verse 15, "Therefore I came forth to meet thee, diligently deceived thy face. I have found thee. I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry and carved words with fine linen of Egypt." It's comfortable where we're at. I've got a comfortable place for you is what she is saying. I have perfumed my bed with myrr and alows and cinnamon. Come and let us take our fill of love until the morning. Let us so lace ourselves here. Here here's this. Let's just let's just that the culture is saying let's just love one another. Let's let's let's just all comfortable if we're all if we're all one. Verse 19, for the goodman is not at home. He has gone on a long journey. In other words, uh this may be wrong, but we're not going to get caught. It may be wrong, but there will be no there'll be no consequences to this. He had taken a bag of money with him, and he will come home at the day appointed. With her much fair speech, she caused him to yield. With the flattering of her lips, she forced him. Here is the danger. Here's the truth. He goeth after her straight way, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks, till a dart strike through his liver, as a bird hasteneth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life. Listen to me. Listen to this next verse. Hearken. That's what the word hearken means. Listen unto me now, therefore, oh ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth. Let not thine heart decline to her ways. Don't blend into her ways. Don't get in Don't don't don't don't don't let your heart decl Don't let thine heart decline to her ways. Go not astray in her path. Don't blend. For she hath cast down many wounded. Yay, many strong men have been slain by her. Her house is the way to hell. going down to the chambers of death. Now, the first problem Israel had was blending in. I don't believe Israel ever I don't believe Israel ever thought about bowing down to Baal. I I don't believe Israel ever thought about taking their firstborn baby and laying it in the arms of the false Canaanite god, Asteroth. This god, Asteroth. This Canaanite false god, Asteroth, was a god that held its arms out like this. And below its arms was a was a furnace that burned. And in order to get the blessings of Asteroth on your family, you were required to bring your firstborn child and offer him up as a sacrifice to Asteroth. I I don't believe when Israel started blending with the can, it it probably went something like this. Oh, they're good people. Oh, they're Oh, they're Oh, they're good people. Oh, I even think we're saying the same thing. I even think I even think we got I even think we're saying Oh, they're good people. They're And maybe even if it's like today, they would probably have picked out the best Canaanite and compared it to the worst Israelite. I don't believe they ever I don't believe in one way. I don't believe for one minute they ever thought I'm going to go over and start serving that God. We'll offer up our first one. No, I'm live. It just it just it just slowly it it just it it just slowly came about until one day they found and the Bible says it earlier in Judges that they allowed their their daughters to marry the Canaanite sons and they allowed their Israelite sons to marry the Canaanite daughters and they begin to get mixed up in this culture and the next thing you know they're fullblooded. They never denied. Let me tell you something. It is not what you say that denies your walk with God. It's what you do. Can I say that again? Oh, you'll never say, "I'm I'm not serving God. I don't believe in God. I don't I don't believe in God." We'll never say that. But do we live like it? >> It's not what you say, it's what you're doing. And so God looked down and saw them serving the Canaanite gods. And so this is what God did. God allowed the Canaanite gods, the Midianites. God allowed them and put, did you notice the the the reading? The hand of the Midianites was against them. The hand of the Midianites was again, in other words, God said, "Oh, you want to serve them? Well, let me put you into their hand. And when they got in the hand, and there's always a price to pay. There's always a price to pay. And when they got in the hands of the Midianites, evidently, they begin to buck a little bit. And when they begin to buck the Midianites a little bit, the Midianites begin to oppress them. Begin to to oppress them. Now, now, let me let me show you something. It was God's doings in the Garden of Eden to place a curse on man. Hardship as a result of sin. Now, it wasn't Satan. I believe if Satan could have had his way that had never mentioned curse, that never mentioned hardship. Because when God said, "All right, you have sinned. Here's the curse. Here's the hardship. Here's the toil. Here's the agony. Here's the oppression. We see it as the curse. But it's really God's mercy. God loves us too much to allow us to go merrily on our way to hell. >> God loved man too much to let him just sin. And God said, "Well, there's no consequences to that. There's no there's no consequences. There's there's no payment to be made." God loves us too much. So God, guess what God did? God allowed the Midianites. God said, "All right, Midianites, they are in your hand." Let me read you a verse of scripture. It's found in Titus chapter 2, verse number 11. How many is glad for the grace of God? >> Means that that means strength, right? How many's glad for the strength of God? >> That the the the sang it just a few moments ago. I made it. I know they're not going to ask me to sing, but I made it. All right. It's talking about going through some things. How many can sing right along with them? >> I made it. >> Well, how did you make it? The grace of God. >> I'm still standing. How you still standing? The strength of God. If you only knew what I've been through, you'd understand that I'm here today and you're here today. How many How many wave your hand today that you you'll testify? I'm here because of the grace of God this morning. I'm I'm here because of the strength of God this morning. The grace of God is his strength. The mercy of God is his compassion toward us. Look at Titus 2:11 with me for a moment. For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men. Teaching us that. Look at those three words. Teaching us that. Why did the grace appear? Teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lust. We should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world. Can I tell you the grace of God teaches us God loves us too much to let us transgress in one hand and have his blessings in the other. He loves us too much to let us transgress his word and the blessings of God is in the other hand. No, it doesn't mean he doesn't love you. It means the very opposite of that. It means that he does love you and he understands that you will never live with him throughout eternity with his blessings in one hand and transgressions in the other. So then God allows adversity, God allows punishment to come to our life. But let me tell you something, God never punishes us to harm us, to hurt us. God always does it to correct us. >> To correct us. teaching us. You see, God said, "All right, you you want to blend and bow to the Medidionites. Is that what you want to do?" Cycle number two. Let's go to the washing machine. Cycle number two. Come on, Midianites. Come on. They're in your hand now. Oh, how cruel the Midianites were. How cruel. How cruel that the Midianites they were. The Bible speaks about the Midianites first prevailed against the Midionites first came against Israel. So it's what it says in Judges 6 1-5. The Midianites came against Israel. But then it makes the statement that Israel prevailed not against the Midianites. Now what that verse means there and Israel prevailed not against the Medidionites. It means that Israel tried to fight against the Midianites. When it says and and and and Israel prevailed not against the Midianites, it means they tried to fight the Midionites. Can I can I tell you? You nor I are any match for this culture. Greater is he that is where point to your chest if you want to. Greater is he that is >> when we say it together. Greater is he that is >> in me >> than he that is in the world. Now let's do a little research on the scripture. Greater is he that is within me. And we know that's the Holy Ghost than he that's in the world. But now let's change the scripture just for a moment. What if he's not in me? I'm not greater than. If he's not in me, I am no match for what's in this culture. Because it is the spirit of God that illuminates my mind to sin. It is the spirit of God that puts all the lights up and turns all the lights up on the culture and says, "Oh, look behind that smile. Oh, look behind that. Look behind that act. Look behind this right. Look behind that transgression." And and the spirit of God lights up the whole thing. But when I don't have the spirit of God in me, everything is dark and I'm gullible to anything that comes around. Can I tell you, Israel tried to fight its way out and Israel could not fight its way out. We are no match. Please don't deceive yourself to think that you can live somewhere in between the culture of the world and the culture of the church. You can't live in between those. You got to choose you this day whom you're going to serve. Now, it's interesting. It's interesting. The text is interesting. The Bible says in Judges chapter 6 and verse number two, "And the hand of Midian prevailed not against Israel and and prevailed against Israel, excuse me. And because of the Midionites, the children of Israel made them dens which are in the mountains and caves and strongholds. Look at the second thing. After you tried to fight your way out, guess where the Midionites came to? Your home. Why do I have to make myself a cave, a hole? Why do I have to find a hole in the ground to hide in? Because the Midianites are after your family. Can I tell you, we are in a culture today that's after our family. Thank God for the word of God. Thank God for husbands and wives. And thank God for holy husbands. That's what marriage retreat is going to be all about. Holy husbands and holy wives are going to raise holy children because the culture that we serve, the culture that we're around is against our family. You ought to thank your God every day that you belong to the kingdom of God. And the kingdom of God preaches strong families, husbands, wives, children, respect, honor. It teaches all of that. Honoring God, honoring mother and father. The Minionites came after the home. Came after the home. And after it came after the home, it came after their increase. doesn't even make any sense when the Midianites and the Amalocites and I wouldn't have been surprised if the termites didn't come when all the itites got together. It doesn't even say, brother Solomon, it doesn't even say and the Amalachites and the Midianites, they came and they took the increase of the land. They took the sheep, the oxen. They took the wheat. They took the increase of the land, the harvest. They took it back to Midian. They took it back to where they lived and they ate off what they stole. It doesn't even say that. You know what it did? They found great joy in just seeing the misery of the Israelites. They didn't eat the food, brother Hammond. They didn't eat the food. They burn it up. It became a national pastime. It became a national holiday. Hey, it's about time for the Israelites to have harvest. Hey, let's gather. And the Bible said there they gathered their camels without number. There it was just a a a big hoopla, a big a big national uh holiday that they would just come into the land of Israel and they would take all their wheat, they take all their increase, and they would destroy it there. They would destroy it right before their eyes. I hear a scripture ringing in my ear right now. John 10:10, "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, to kill, and to destroy. But I have come," Jesus said, "that you might have life, and that you might have it more abundantly." I personally break that scripture down into two things. What does it mean to have life and have it more abundantly? I personally believe that what he's referring to there is why we're here on this earth. There's no life like the life of living for God. >> This is the best life an individual could ever live on this earth is to live it dedicated to Jesus Christ and to dedicated to his word. Can I get a witness? This is the best life that there is to live. Best life. And then I believe what he says might have life and more abundantly. I believe he's talking about that life that we're going to have in glory. I believe he's talking about that life he's going to have when our bodies are changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. There'll be no memorial services at brother Widner's uh burial place. Still, Sister Widner, there'll be no more days that you take your family down and you you celebrate the life of your wonderful your wonderful husband. There'll be no days like that. Oh, no. There'll be no days. Won't we have a time when we get over yonder? >> I said, won't we have a time when we get over yonder? Oh, won't we have a time? You know, Brother Hammond, if you you said it the other day, he has said it to me. He said it about all the preachers, but brother Osburn has a little line, you know, that he suffered a stroke shortly there after being here. And he says in a voice that's trying to articulate his words. He says, "Brother Carpenter," he says, "One minute you're standing at your coffee maker and you're making your morning cup of coffee and three seconds later you're lying on the floor, unable to move, unable to walk, reduced to that of a child." And he says, "At least a child can learn again." But he said, "Here I am without the use of legs and arms and here I am in this." But you know what? That's only part of his story. Because if that can happen in three seconds, look what God can do in a moment and in the twinkling of an eye. And brother Osbbor, your story is going to be like this. One moment I'm laying in a rest home. I can't walk on my own. I can't drink coffee on my own. I can't write on my own anymore. And in a moment and a twinkle of an eye, I'm changed in a moment to be like him. I can walk. I can run. I've got a glorified body. Come on, church. Why wouldn't you want to live for God today? Why wouldn't you want to surrender everything about your life to him? Oh, give him praise right now. If you believe that and know that, would you give him praise right now? Isn't God good? >> Said, "Isn't God good?" >> The enemy comes to steal. What's he come to steal? Your peace of mind. >> He comes to steal your home. He wants you living in dens and holes and he wants you afraid. He wants to steal your peace, your joy. And then after that, he wants to kill. What's he want to kill? He wants to destroy your food, your spiritual food. He wants to destroy all that. And then he wants to destroy. He wants to steal, kill, and destroy. What's he want to destroy? Your promised land. It's exactly right. He's come today to steal your peace of mind. Great peace have they, the Bible says. Great peace have they, the Bible says. Great peace have they, the Bible says, that love thy law, and nothing shall offend them. great peace have they? He wants to kill your Sunday morning spiritual food. He wants to kill your food, your daily Bible reading. He wants to kill your food, your daily scripture reading, your midweek service that you come to. He wants to kill your Sunday night evangelistic sermon that you're going to hear. He's got to kill all that food. Then he's going to destroy your promised land, the land of hope. There they are. How pitiful, oppressive this is. There they are. Have to hide down in a cave. Look out through some thickets. Little boy that helped plow the field. Little boy, the little little girl that helped milk the cow. They have to hide through the thickets and watch the amalikots come and burn up the fields and take the cow away. They have to They have to watch all that. How oppressive that is. But then Israel had one last move just like all of us have one last move. >> Then Israel cried unto the Lord. Can I tell you today the cry isn't about noise. The cry is about desperation. >> But you'll never have desperation without noise. You see today, I'm not I'm not I'm not one of these guys want to hype you up, get you to cry out today because you could yell to the top of your voice, but if there's no desperation in your heart to change, nothing happens in your life. Nothing nothing happens. But if I could just get you to believe today, if you could just get desperate enough not to care what anybody thinks that's around you. If I could get you desperate enough, I I just I I'm I'm just banking on the fact that you're here this morning because you want change in your life. I I'm just believing that the reason you got up and you came to the house of God today is that you've got some trouble in your life that you want God to bring some change in your life. So if you're believing that today, I just believe that our God is just a cry away from being our great helper. Gideon is just a cry away from being our great helper. Samson is just a cry away. Eh, he he just a cry away. Aren't you thankful today that our help cometh from the Lord? And it's only just a cry. So the carpenter David went through a two or three ordeal with Saul. David slept in caves and in dens. David ran for his life because of Saul. Saul was going to kill him. But let's look at something in Psalms chapter 18 and verse number one real quick. Now, if you have your Bible, you'll see there over the heading, this is the psalm or song that David sang in the day that God took care of Saul. It's the song that he sung when God took care of Saul. David said in Psalms 18:1, "I will love thee, oh Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress, my deliverer, my God, my strength, in whom I will trust, my buckler." That's the one that goes before. And the horn of my salvation and my high tower. Look at verse three. I will call upon the Lord who is worthy to be praised. So shall I be saved from mine enemies. The sorrows of death. Now he's going to he's going to review. He's going to show us what he went through. The sorrows of death can pass me. I was surrounded by death. And the floods of ungodly men made me afraid. The sorrows of hell can pass me about. The snares of death prevented me. In my distress, I called unto the Lord and cried unto my God. And he heard my voice out of his temple. And my cry came before him, even into his ears. Can I tell you this morning that God has a way of hearing you and I? A human voice at the best condition can go 10 and a half miles. But a desperate child of the most high God can pray a prayer down here on earth. And that prayer go through the atmosphere and the stratosphere and outer space and can go into the glories of glories. And this morning God says, "I hear my child down there. I hear a cry. I I hear a cry of desperation." And the accuser, the adversary may say to him, "Oh, you know what they've done." And God steps up as an advocate and a lawyer and says, "It doesn't matter what they've done. Look at the cry that they're making to me right now." Power of a cry. The power of a cry. The power of a cry. The power. The power of a cry. Jonas. Jonah. called Paris's boyfriend. I know that y'all punching each other. I know that's where his name's Jonah and we call him Jonas and And Josiah is his name. What is his name after all? Huh? Jonah. Jonas. It is Jonas. Okay. My family's getting out of control, I tell you. I'll tell you how bad it is. I'll tell you how bad it is. Paris was spotted yesterday with Ohio State shirt on. My God. >> I know. I I know. I know. Pray. >> You raised him the right way. I We We raised her better than that. >> Her mother better than that. We raised anyway. God help me get back. Jonah, you backsliding prideful preacher. You racist. That's right. You racist. You backsliding, prideful racist. God told you to go to Nineveh and you were so racist you wouldn't go preach to them. But after all, you want you want to be your own man, Jonah? Yeah, I'll be my own man. Got me a ticket here going down to Tarsus. I'm going to Key West, man. We going to have good time. Okay, you all heard of Yale University. How about Whale University? I said, go on. I I got I got one more. I got one more. Grace is going to teach you one thing. Grace is going to teach you one thing. There's a storm coming. You're in a crowd of people. They're going to throw you overboard. You're going to be swallowed by a whale. you're going to be swallowed by a fish. But look what happens in verse chapter number two of verse one in in the book of Jonah. Look what happens in chapter two. He's in a whale. He's a racist. He's he's prejudic. He's prideful. He's disobedient. He's all those things. But look at verse two, chapter verse one, chapter 2. Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fish's belly and said, "I cried by reason of my affliction." See, some people won't cry because they're not afflicted. >> It's hard to get people to cry to God when they're enjoying the pleasures of sin for a season. But I cried by reason of my affliction unto the Lord and he heard me >> out of the belly of hell. I cried, "Thou heardest my voice." Can I tell you today, you can't be backsliden enough not to get desperate enough to make a cry that God can't hear. You don't know what I've done, Brother Carpenter. I don't need to know what you've done. You don't know what I've said. You don't know what I'm involved in. You don't know the court date. You don't know I'm going to prison. It doesn't matter any of that. If you will cry out to God, there's a God today that will hear. Come on, give him some praise right now. Give him some praise right now. Oh, there's a God right now. I'm preaching to somebody this morning. I'm talking to somebody this morning. You're in the hand of the oppressor. You're in the hand of being oppressed. But God has sent you on this Sunday morning to this church. He >> He's waiting for that cry. And they cried unto the Lord. Let me let me let me let me let me let me finish here. Let me let me finish here. The 15th chapter of of Genesis. Musicians, would you come 15th chapter of Matthew? The 15th chapter of Matthew. Oh, praise be to his name. Oh, I feel the Holy Ghost right now. Oh, thank you, Lord Jesus. Thank you, Lord Jesus. I really do need you, God, in my life, God. I I really do need you, God, in my life. Look at Matthew chapter 15:22. And behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coast and cried unto him. What did she do? >> Saying, "Have mercy on me, oh Lord, thou son of David. My daughter is grieviously vexed with the devil. My daughter is suicidal. My daughter is drug addicted. My drug daughter, she's grievously vexed to the devil." But he answered her not a word. His disciples came and besought him, saying, "Send her away." Could you read the rest of that with me? Send her away for >> She's crying after us. But he answered and said, "I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel." Now, here's what he was trying to say. I'm gonna get to you, Sister Thorp. Jesus trying to say, I'm gonna get to you, but I first came to give the children, the Israelites, the descendants of Abraham. I first came to give them the bread first. Your time's coming. The time of the Gentiles is coming, but it's just not time for you right now. This is not time for you. Verse 25. Then came she and worshiped him, saying, what's the next three words? I don't understand this thing about time. I'm a poor, ignorant Gentile. I didn't get to go to the temple. I get to get to be trained by Levite. I I'm a Sophianician woman. I don't understand all that. But I understand how I feel. And it can be summed up in three words. I said it can be summed up in three words. >> Lord, >> help me. Verse 26. But he answered and said, "It's not right. It's not meat to take the children's bread and cast it to dogs." He just simply said, "It's just not right to get out of order like this. It's just I I I know you got a need and I know you've been crying and I know you've been worshiping, but you don't understand, lady. It's just not right to give the children's bread to dogs." And this blew his mind. She said, "True, Lord, yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their master's table." Anytime you get desperation mingled with worship mingled with humility, anytime you get somebody desperate and they'll begin to worship, can I tell you today that God would love to hear you say, "I love you, God. I need you, Jesus." anytime that we can worship, but the devil plays a trick on your mind. He's beating you up. You're not worthy to worship. You do got to look at what you've been involved in. You're not worthy to call out his name. I come against that this morning in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. I come against it right now in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. None of us will ever be worthy enough. None of us will ever be good enough. None of us will ever have a perfect attendance enough. God said, God said, "You just understand it's not right to give children's bread to dogs." And she said, "You know, you're right. I'm a dog and I'm under your table." And when she said that, then Jesus answered and said unto to her, "Oh woman, great is thy faith. Be it unto thee even as thou wilt." and her daughter was made whole. Would you stand? And her daughter was made whole from that very hour. The best your voice can do at the best of times is 10 and a half miles. But the only thing your voice needs to do this morning is to cry out to a God in desperation. and God will hear your cry today. This poor man cried unto the Lord and the Lord heard him out of his sanctuary. You bow your heads with me right now all over this room. I want you to bow your heads. I want you to close your eyes with me right now. I want every person that knows how to pray an intercessory prayer for those that don't know God, for those that have been prodical on God, for those that need a touch this morning. I want you to begin to pray right now. Oh Jesus. Oh God, come on, cry out today. Right now. The best we can do is 10 and a half miles on a perfect day. But Jesus, I need you right now. Jesus, there's people here today that are in misery. There's people here today that are in oppression. There's people here today that are in addiction. There's people here today that are in chains. and they want to come out. Oh God, begin to deal with them right now. God, begin to touch them right now. Come on, church. Help me pray. Help me pray right now. Help me pray right now. Oh God, in the name of Jesus right now. Oh God, in the name of Jesus right now, heads are bowed and eyes are closed. If you are in oppression this morning, please show a sign of desperation. Show a sign of desperation. Get out of your pew right now. Walk down to the front of this room. Lift both your hands up and begin to cry out to God. No God, I need you. Oh God, I need you. Come on, show a sign of desperation. If you are addicted, if you are in the hand of the oppressor, if you're miserable today, if you want change in your life, come on right now. Come on, right now. Show a sign of your desperation. Show a sign of it right now. Step out of your pew in Jesus' name. Step out of your pew in Jesus name. Walk down to this altar in Jesus name. Oh, here they come. Here they come. Here they come. It's you next. You're next, sir. You're next, ma'am. Come on. Here they come. Here they come. That's a sign of desperation. That's a sign of desperation. The best you can do is 10 and a half miles. But right now, your prayers going to heaven. It's the power of a cry. Come on, church family. You're next. Come on, you're next. Come on, you're next. You don't need to stay another night in oppression. You don't need to stay another night in oppression. Come and make the throne on our face here in this place. Have your way. Moment that we see you. We are changed. And show us your glory. Show us your glory in wonder and surrender we fall down. Show us your glory. Show us your glory. Let every burning heart be Not the power, not the light, but only by the cross. Here we're undone. overcome my heavenly love reveal before our eyes. Show us your glory. Show us your glory. In wonder and surrender we fall down. Show us your glory. Show us your glory. Let every burning heart. Show us. Show us your glory. Show us your glory. We fall down. Show us your glory. Show us every heart. Show us your glory. Show us your glory. Hold it. Everybody here right now. Jesus, you change everything lives here hope. Oh Jesus, you changed everything. Chase all here now here now. Jesus you change everything in the house here now. Jesus you change everything here. Here I am now. Oh Jesus. All lives be healed in this place. Hope is found in this place here, right now. Jesus every Jesus, you take everything. Jesus, you take everything. Jesus, you take everything. Jesus, you take everything. Jesus. Show us your glory. Show us your glor. Show us your glory. Show us your glory. All right now you will be healed all I'm here right now Jesus you take everything right Now your love in your face are here and my hope is I'm here in your presence Lord. I'm here in your Lord. I am Jesus you change everything. Jesus you change everything. Jesus you change everything. Jesus, you take everything. >> >> So show us your glory. Show us your glory. You wonder we fall down. Oh Lord, show us your show your glory. Let everybody be the holy ground. Show us your glory. Show us your glory. You are the surren. Let me tell you what desperation looks like. Let me share with you what desperation looks like for a moment. At least two times in the book of Acts, at least two times in the book of Acts, God delivered an apostle out of prison. At least two times. At least two two times. The first time we know it is Paul and Silas in the prison. God used an earthquake, shook the foundations of the prison. Doors were open. God used an earthquake. Second time that God delivered the Apostle Peter from prison, God sent an angel. So one day in prayer, I was praying and I just asked God, "Why not just use the angel? Why not just use the angel?" And I and I heard this come to me. Study the earthquake. study the cause of an earthquake. And here's a simple definition. When the power under the earth becomes greater than the power surrounding it, you have an earthquake. When there's a shift underground, there's a power underground becomes stronger than what's over it. It becomes an earthquake. And so your deliverance is going to happen when the power to be free is greater than the power to keep you bound. >> When the power on the inside becomes greater than the power on the outside, you can begin to walk in liberty and you can begin to walk in freedom. But I want to give you just one more admonition. You got to cry to the Lord. I said at the beginning, it's not in the cry. A cry minus desperation equals nothing. But desperation coupled with the cry, the desperation is on the inside and the cry comes out through the mouth. So, whatever you're going through right now, we're going to take just a little bit more time and we're going to cry out to God. I'm not talking about the people praying for you. I'm talking about you without reservation, without any of that. Cry, cry, cry, cry, cry. I'm tired. I'm weary. cry. I'm tired of you having my children. I'm tired of you having your way. I'm tired. I'm tired. I'm going to cry. I'm going to cry. I'm going to cry. Cry. I'm tired. Come on. Cry out. I'm tired, devil. I'm sick and tired of you having your way. I'm sick and tired of you running over me. I want freedom. I'm tired. I'm tired. I'm tired.