Transcript of a published conference session by Marcues Baptiste, transcribed from the podcast recording. An attributed primary source — not Acts 2:38 Life doctrine text.
Summary
Summary prepared by Acts 2:38 Life from the transcript below — the preacher’s words follow in full.
Bones out of joint, and not one broken
- He jokes that he is not nervous: with so many speakers there, he is hoping just a little bit of oil rubs off on him — he feels like the sixth man, just happy to have a jersey.
- He reads from Psalms chapter 22, starting with verse 14: poured out like water, all my bones out of joint, heart like wax melted within me, strength dried up, tongue clinging to the jaw, brought to the dust of death, hands and feet pierced, garments divided and lots cast for his clothing.
- He reads one more verse, John chapter 19 verse 36, John speaking about the crucifixion: these things were done that the scripture should be fulfilled — a bone of his shall not be broken. The prophet said it in Psalms chapter 22, and now it stands in fulfillment: not one bone was broken.
- From this he takes his subject: the place where bones meet. He asks them to set their Bibles down, lift both hands, and engage the presence of the Lord once more, praying for liberty for God's power to flow, for the Holy Ghost to fall, to heal, to set free, and to loose every captive — then to shout unto the Lord.
Scriptures: Psalm 22:14-20; John 19:36
The blessing and the frustration of a word
- He says one of the greatest blessings that could ever occur in somebody's life is to hear a word from God: it is a privilege that God would take the time to speak, and an honor to hear something that was found in the spirit, not conjured in the back room of an office or extracted from a library.
- If God can ever speak to you, he can adjust the place you are in — and more than external things, he can adjust internal issues; his power can take the deepest sinner entrenched in wickedness and change not only their action but their nature. The premier focus of every service is the expectation that God would speak something into your situation.
- But the greatest frustration you will ever handle also comes from a word from God. He thinks of Abraham in Genesis chapter 12 verse 1, the son of an idol maker with a lucrative business ahead of him, called to get out of his country, from his kindred and his father's house, to a land God would show him.
- The first thing the word changes is your context: the place where you were comfortable becomes a place of frustration and condemnation, because something in you understands you were called to do more than this — church as normal and casual things no longer satisfy.
- The frustration is familiar: God prophesies deliverance at the altar while you still struggle with the same things; God says backsliders are coming home and six months pass with no word. But that frustration is the motivating factor of any believer: frustrated enough with where you are, you can get up from here and go over there — willing, when frustrated with this, to reach for that.
Scriptures: Genesis 12:1
The Word in flesh: glory, and what hiding limits
- It is this thing called the word. John begins to say: in the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God — and then that the word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father.
- The word, this pure and holy thing that cannot be tainted by man's hands — the promise, logic, and reasoning of God — was not afraid to entangle itself in humanity: so pure that our impurity cannot change it, so righteous that our unrighteousness cannot change it. The process of glory is when the word entangles itself in flesh and stays — it dwelt among us; it did not just come passing and go.
- We often quit on people before we ever see glory because we look at the flesh and bypass the word that is in them; but when you are willing to dwell with someone a little — saying, I see your humanity, but I also see the word that is there — glory begins to emanate from them. Sometimes we are not willing to wait long enough for glory to be revealed through humanity, and we will not be honest about the area where we need help.
- Hosea chapter seven verse one puts it this way, he says: God wanted to heal Israel, but then he remembered the sins of Ephraim; he wanted to expose his power, but he uncovered what they were hiding; he wanted to show his transformation, but they were not being transparent — and exposing what was hidden limited his glory, because a word and flesh can coexist only where there is honesty.
- God wants to anoint us on Sunday but sees what we are hiding on Tuesday: wanting to be used while hiding what is on the phone, wanting to preach while hiding bitterness in the heart, wanting to sing while hiding impure motives. Unless you are willing to be honest about what you are hiding, he cannot give you his power; he exposes glory only to those willing to mix the word with their humanity.
Scriptures: John (book-only, as spoken); Hosea 7:1
What failure teaches
- Sometimes we are afraid of failure — Pentecostals who look good and sound good, but afraid. There are some things failure can teach you that fasting cannot.
- After David sinned, and in Psalms chapter 55 we see the repentance of David, God began to produce something in David: that man is called Solomon, and Solomon would be the one who would build the temple. God used the product of failure, mixed it with grace, and used that to expose his glory.
- When you have failed, you realize it was not you, but Christ which dwells in him — and the prayer becomes: God, mix your word with my humanity.
- There are some things you cannot learn while you are consecrating, but you learn them after falling — not living in sin, but a God who is able to stay with you when you fail: not only at the altar and running the altars, but on Wednesday morning, influenced by people you should not be influenced by, he is still there, until glory begins to emanate.
- God could have used any one of David's kids, but he used Solomon — whose name just means peace, peaceful. After failure, David finds peace: peaceful with the reality that I am flawed, but he is calling me towards perfection. The greatest hindrance we could ever present is a presentation of being flawless, because flawless fruit is not real fruit. God can do more with you when your failure is mixed with his grace than when you hide what you are dealing with.
Scriptures: Psalm 55 (chapter-only, as spoken)
Great, not greater
- This same God, this word made flesh, begins to dwell amongst the people of God, collecting disciples here and there — he finds Peter and calls Peter, finds Andrew and calls Andrew, finds Thomas and calls Thomas, finds Judas and calls Judas — attempting to teach them principles only the word can show them.
- In the discourse in the gospel of Mark they are bickering amongst themselves about who is going to be the greatest, who will sit at the right hand of God, who will have the privilege of riding shotgun with Jesus, who will be highlighted on platform — and Jesus pauses to tell them: if you are going to be great, you need to be a servant.
- There is nothing wrong with pursuing greatness; the issue is attempting to be greater. When I want to be great, I look inwardly; when I want to be greater, I look outwardly — no longer focused on the kingdom, just focused on passing you. Passion focused on being greater — doing more than you, having bigger things and a greater anointing than you — loses focus; we need to come back to pursuing greatness without wanting to be greater.
- God never called us to climb a ladder; he called us to climb on a cross. You can fall off ladders, but you cannot fall off a cross. It is time, especially for young ministers and his own peer group, to stop competing — climbing the next rung of ministry, the next platform, the next conference — and find a place to climb a cross, because there is plenty of room at the cross when we run out of space on the ladder.
- Peter faced the same dilemma: waiting for food on the rooftop, he is shown food that represents what would be his brothers. Before you are willing to accept your brother, God has to affect your appetite; some cannot stand someone else being greater because God has not tapped into their hunger yet — has not starved them to the place where they are no longer concerned whether God uses them to bring it, because they are hungry for something greater than themselves, and can tolerate a brother being blessed beyond them.
- He fears we have made idols out of preachers — deified humanity and humanized deity — until every vision is about what I am preaching and every call is about where I am going, and, just like Joseph, we forget it was about the kingdom and make it about ourselves. It is time to put glory where it belongs: not on my humanity, but back on the one who deserves glory.
Scriptures: Mark (book-only, as spoken)
Give, don't gain: gifts at a brother's feet
- He came into this thing when he was about 15 years old, really hungry, seeking the baptism of the Holy Ghost — reading of people receiving the Holy Ghost and speaking in other tongues, calling pastors and asking if they could help him receive it. But once in, he began seeking after the mantle, after an identity, after reputation — reaching and fighting for something.
- Then he realized: the last thing Jesus gave before he died was his garment — he gives his identity, he gives up the mantle. On one level they are fighting for the mantle; on another level he is sacrificing. Sacrifice is always a level higher than gain: still at feet level when you are trying to gain, but you come up higher when you learn how to sacrifice.
- The only apostle who left this earth with more than what he started with is Judas — the only apostle who left with more material possession than he started off with. We can be so focused on trying to gain — another anointing, another word, another call, another assignment, another degree, reputation, prosperity, success, a name — acting like Judas and forgetting Jesus was about giving, while Jesus stares down from the view of Calvary saying you will never get up here until you finally learn how to give.
- When was the last time you prayed for the person next to you — God, do for them what you would have done for me; give them a greater ministry than you will ever give me? When you finally learn to give, you will find success in him.
- You cannot choose both purpose and identity: you can seek purpose and find identity; you can seek identity and lose purpose. He calls a man up front and turns to Christmas morning: gifts were always there, but to ever pick up a gift you had to be willing to get on feet level — and some bypass gifts at the altar because they are waiting for Pastor Myers to pray for them, waiting for Josh Herring to pray for them, with Bishop Morgan passing around, never willing to get on feet level, bypassing the gift laid at a brother's feet because they think they are too good for it. Before you can ascend, you have to be willing to descend.
- The older you get, the bigger you get, the lower you have to go to find it — at four or five years old the box is right where you are; at 14 you bend a little lower; at 40 a little lower still — and the older you get, the harder it is to bend, because you have grown used to standing at this posture. We stunt our spiritual growth because of pride, and cannot sustain hunger because we are critical about what our brother has.
- Joseph's brothers were willing to talk about their brother, but would not talk to the father — if they had talked to the father, they would have had another opinion of Joseph, and realized their brother was not there to compete with them but to save them. When you are willing to talk about somebody and never pray about them, your motives will never be right; your brother is here to help you, not compete with you.
Scriptures: Acts (book-only, as spoken)
The place where the bones meet
- He comes to a close and returns to the scripture he read at the start: the psalmist is prophesying about Jesus Christ and expressing the agony of the crucifixion to come — and in that pain, the psalmist has to remind Jesus that not one of your bones will be broken.
- Because the place where bones meet is at Golgotha's hill: when bones meet at Golgotha's hill, flesh is torn but the body remains. When your flesh — pride and ego — is willing to break a little for the sake of the unity of the body, that is where the blood is revealed; we sing about the blood and talk about the blood, but the blood only shows up when flesh gets torn.
- These times have proven it: our flesh is being torn — torn in pride being destroyed, agenda being destroyed, wills being destroyed, and what we thought should happen, when it should happen, being torn. But while the flesh is breaking, the body is being sustained, because there is strength in the body that cannot be found in the mere flesh — and when the flesh was being torn and the body sustained, the blood was being revealed.
- He loves the scripture about how precious it is for brethren to dwell together in unity: like the oil that ran down Aaron's head, down his beard, even to the edge of his garment. It is about submission, yes — a downward flow of the anointing through submission — but also about connection: God made you with an intrinsic weakness you cannot satisfy by yourself, and a sister with an intrinsic strength she cannot release by herself; but when the body gets connected, when bones begin to meet and flesh is torn, your strength begins to touch my weakness, your power my frailty, your faith my sickness.
- It was at Calvary that Jesus was stretched to reach someone else. His assignment, he says, is just to establish a spirit of unity: crucify your flesh for a moment and stretch yourself towards someone — extend a hand toward a brother, break the knee of pride, and reach out. Your healing was not at the altar; it was in them. Your word was not at the altar; it was in them. We wait for the pastor or the prophet to give it, but the power is in your brother: healing is in this place because your brother came here, and power because your sister walked in the room.
- After worship, he tells them what the Lord just spoke to him: the thing you have been waiting for to receive in this conference is laying at the feet of your brother; the thing you have been wanting God to do in your family is laying at the feet of your sister. Find a brother or a sister and pray over them — bold enough to pray at their feet, not worshiping them, but giving them what you have, confident that God is about to give you what he has: when you release what you have, God can trust you with what he has. The release is about to enter the building — the miracle, the power, the deliverance you have been waiting on: God says it's here.
Scripture index: Psalm 22:14-20; John 19:36; Genesis 12:1; John (book-only, as spoken); Hosea 7:1; Psalm 55 (chapter-only, as spoken); Mark (book-only, as spoken); Acts (book-only, as spoken).
Amen Psalms chapter 22 Psalms chapter 22 I've been asked are you nervous I said no so many speakers here hoping just a little bit of oil rub off on me feel like I'm the sixth man I'm just happy to have a Jersey Psalms chapter 22 when you're there say amen and Psalms chapter 22 we're gonna start with verse 14 says I import out like water and all my bones everybody say bones so all my bones are out of joint my heart is like wax it's melted within me my strength is dried up like a pot heard my tongue clings to the jaw to my jaw you have brought me to the dust of death for dogs have surrounded me the congregation of the wicked hasn't closed me they pierced my hands and my feet I cannot count all my bones they look at they look and stare at me divide my garment amongst themselves my clothing they cast lots two more verses in this passage but you oh Lord do not be far from me oh my strength hasten to help me deliver me from the sword precious life from the power of the dogs I'm gonna read one more verse John chapter 19 verse 36 John chapter 19 verse 36 John speaking about the crucifixion elaborating on what the prophet was speaking of in Psalms chapter 22 and he says for these things were done that the scripture should be fulfilled a bone of his shall not be broken John says that the prophet said it and now we see it in fulfillment that not one bone was broken I'm gonna talk to you about the place where bones me place where bones meet if he could set your Bibles down I just want you to lift both your hands and we've already done it but just want us just to engage the presence of the Lord one more time could you lift your voice right where you're at and just begin to talk to him just want you to tell God God whatever you want to do in me this week through me this week I give you liberty for your power to flow father right now in the name of Jesus God I thank you I thank you God that you're in the room wherever the spirit of the Lord is there's liberty God I'm thanking you God that there's a pretty in the Holy Ghost this morning I prep father that you would have your way I'm thanking you for miracle signs and wonders to follow I pray God that right now you would lose my tongue as an oracle of your kingdom I pray God that the Holy Ghost would begin to fall and let your power begin to heal begin to set free begin to lose every captive and we thank you for what you're going to do and if you believe it can you lift your voice and shout unto the Lord come on if you're excited for what God's going to do lift your voice and shout unto amen amen the place where bones meet look at two or three people tell them you look better than I do you may be seated in the presence of the Lord
I think one of the greatest blessings that could ever occur in somebody's life is to hear a word from God I think it's a privilege that God would take the time to speak to us it's an honor that we can show up into the house of the Lord hear something from the messenger wasn't conjured in the back room of an office was an extracted from a library or parchment from books that something was found in the spirit where God put something in his bosom that he would release to us greatest opportunity that we have as individuals is to hear a word from God I think the greatest blessing that could ever happen to you is not that God would just bless you financially or that God would add favor to your family neither that God would give you academic status or accolade amongst men but that God would speak to you because if God can ever speak to you he can adjust the place that you're in I would go even further to say that if God ever speaks to you that more than just changing external things that God has the power to adjust internal issues I think the greatest thing about the power of God that he does not regulate his word just on surface level things but God's power is so great that he can take the deepest sinner that has been entrenched in wickedness and not only adjust their action but change their nature are you thankful for a God that still has the ability to speak some things amen I think I think the greatest privilege that we can ever have whenever we step into the building is not just the great music that we hear it's not just to sit in the great auditorium that we have it's not just to fellowship with the body of Christ and those things are precious and we do not take that for granted but I want to remind you that the premier focus of every service is that when you walk into this place there is an expectation from deep down within that God would begin to speak something into your situation that would adjust who you are I am of the persuasion that the people that have gathered here this morning are not people here to be entertained you have not come just to devil dattle in the spirit but you want to weigh out into the waters of the holy ghost and allow God to speak something to you and can I tell you that there is a prophetic in this place for you amen amen amen it is the greatest blessing it is the greatest blessing to hear from God but I would also suggest to you that although hearing from God is the greatest blessing the greatest frustration that you will ever handle in your life will come from a word from God amen amen amen can I tell you it is a paradox that the greatest blessing
can also be the greatest frustration I think of Abraham that when Abraham in Genesis chapter 12 verse 1 Abraham in Genesis chapter 12 verse 1 is being called by God and he is the son of an idol maker he has a lucrative business ahead of him and for some reason God begins to survey the earth and sees that Abraham's children would honor what God would say and the Bible begins to relay the fact that God speaks to Abraham and begins to tell Abraham Abraham I need you to get the out of that country and from that kindred and from the father's house unto a land that I will show you can I tell you that the premier thing that the word will change is your context something happens whenever you get a word from God that it will adjust the atmosphere that you live in can I tell you the frustrating thing about hearing a word from God is the place that you are once now becomes a place of frustration and condemnation because something in you understands that I was called to do more than this something you begins to realize that I was called to do more than this and all of a sudden place where you were comfortable now becomes a place of frustration because although it is the greatest blessing to hear a word from God it is the greatest frustration to hear a word from God because when you leave this altar and hear where he called you to go church as normal just doesn't satisfy casual things don't satisfy the mundane just doesn't satisfy because something has called you from where you are to where he's wanting you to be stay with me just a little bit stay with me just a little bit I want you to realize I want you there are moments there are moments that when we are going through this thing called this Christian journey and we hear a word from God the frustration that begins to ensue because when you're at the altar calling God begins to prophesy over you deliverance but you're still struggling with the same things you battled before you came in you're frustrated when you're at the altar calling God says he wants to send your revival but you haven't taught a bible studying over two years you become frustrated when you're at an altar calling God said God's gonna bring unity back into your family and backsliders are coming home but it's been six months since you received the word and you haven't heard anything yet it's frustrating there is a frustration that ensues when the word of God comes but I would tell you that frustration is the motivating factor of any believer because once you get frustrated enough with where you're at you'll have the ability to get up from here and go over there when you get frustrated with this you'll be willing to reach for that
amen amen amen amen I want you to understand I want you to understand that is this thing called the word everybody shout the word I'm going somewhere it's this thing called the word it's this word that we deal with this word that we handle John was very acclimated with the word and he he begins to say in the beginning was the word it was the word that was in the beginning in the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God but then he begins to say that the word was made flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory the glory as of the only begotten of the father I don't know if it's ever intrigued you but think about what God is saying he's saying this word this pure thing this holy thing this thing that cannot be tainted by man's hands this this thing called the word the promise of God the logic of God the reasoning of God is now found in flesh and dwells among us he says he says the word wasn't afraid to entangle himself in humanity because it realized that that I'm so pure that even your impurity can't change me that I'm so righteous that your unrighteousness can't change me and he said the word was in flesh and I think it's powerful because he said we beheld his glory and can I tell you the process of glory is when the word entangles itself in flesh when the word is willing to entangle itself in flesh and he says it dwelt among us that means it stayed there for a little bit it didn't just come and passing and go I want to help you this morning because there are times where we quit on people before we ever see glory because we're willing to look at the flesh but we bypass the word that's in them but can I tell you when you're willing to dwell with someone a little and saying I see your humanity but I also see the word that's there glory begins to emanate from them I I know you're still struggling but but there's still a word there and when word and flesh mingle and we're willing to dwell with you a little bit amen amen amen amen I want to take the crux of my message and I want to relate to you the reality that sometimes we forget the frailty of being human and and and we we disregard the fact that god works with frail things because the bible begins to say that it was that word that dwelt in flesh and then it says we beheld its glory sometimes we're not willing to wait long enough for glory to be revealed through humanity we're so occupied trying to impress the other person that we won't be honest about the area that we need help in
so god has no place to reveal glory hosea chapter seven verse one put it this way he said I wanted to heal israel but then I remembered the sins of Ephraim he said I wanted to expose my power but then I uncovered what you were hiding I wanted to show you my transformation but I saw you weren't being transparent and when I expose what you were hiding it limited my glory because you won't come to the reality that a word and flesh can coexist to glory is produced amen amen amen amen I want to help you this morning because there are times where we hide we're attempting to hide those things can I tell you that that that there are moments where god wants to anoint us on sunday but he sees what we're hiding on tuesday amen there are times where god wants to do something with us on a Wednesday night services and we ask god to anoint us to sing and just like israel he says I wanted to do something with you I wanted to show you my power but then I saw what you were hiding it's not that I was unaware of it it's just that you wouldn't talk about it I saw the fact that you wanted to be used but I also saw what you were hiding on your phone I saw the fact that you wanted to preach but I saw the bitterness that you were hiding in your heart I saw the fact that you wanted to sing but I saw the fact that you also had impure motives and god says unless you're willing to be honest about what you're hiding I can't give you my power I only expose glory to those that are willing to mix the word with their humanity clap your hands into the lord if you believe
tell you tell you that sometimes we're afraid of failure talking to pentecostals that that look good you sound good but we're afraid of failure can I tell you that there are some things that failure can teach you that fasting cannot help you this morning amen can I tell you that David after David sinned and in Psalms chapter 55 we see the repentance of David the bible says that after God had dealt with David that then God begins to produce something in David that man is called Solomon and Solomon would be the one that would build the temple isn't it shocking that God would use the product of failure mix it with grace and use that to expose his glory can I tell you there are some things that failure will teach you that fasting cannot because when you failed you realize it was not me but it was Christ which dwells in me I wish you would be a little honest this morning and say God mix your word with my humanity maybe seated in the presence of the lord I want to I want to talk to you about I want to talk to you about this thing called the word this thing called humanity because when you begin to realize that there are some things that you cannot learn while you're consecrating but there are some things you learn after falling I'm not talking about living in sin but I'm talking about a god that is able to stay with you when you fail that's what's so powerful about God is not that he stuck around when you were at the altar but that he stuck around when you were failing in your bedroom not that he stuck around when you were running the altars but on Wednesday morning when you're being influenced by people you shouldn't he's still there I'm talking about a god that can stay with you until glory begins to emanate amen amen amen I want you to realize want you to realize that God could use any one of David's kids but God decides to use Solomon funny thing enough is that Solomon's name just means peace means peaceful after failure David finds peace realize I I I couldn't work for this but I just found peace amen because when I realized who he was and who I wasn't I was peaceful with the reality that I'm flawed but that he's calling me towards perfection I think the greatest hindrance that we could ever present to you is a presentation of being flawless because flawless fruit is not a real fruit and I'd rather you have something that's presentable to God than have something that is altered I'd rather you come to the altar and say I'm struggling and find peace because God can do more with you when your failure is wrecked inside with his grace than when you hide what you're dealing with amen amen amen amen amen amen amen amen amen amen
God God God this this same God that wrapped himself wrapped himself in a flesh this word made flesh this word made flesh begins to dwell amongst the people of God he begins to dwell amongst people of God and as he's making his way he's collecting disciples here and there he finds Peter and he calls Peter he finds Andrew and he calls Andrew he finds he finds Thomas and he calls Thomas he finds Judas and he calls Judas and as he's collecting these disciples he's attempting to teach him principles that only the word can show them he's attempting to show them he's attempting to show them his power he's attempting to show them his might and in this process there's a discourse that takes place in the gospel of market and all of a sudden they're bickering amongst themselves they're talking about who who's going to be the greatest amongst us who who's going to sit at the right hand of God who's going to have the privilege of riding shotgun with Jesus who's going to be the one that Jesus calls to be used on platform who's going to be the one that's highlighted and Jesus has to take a time and he pauses and he begins to talk to them he says you have to realize that if you're going to be great you need to be a servant i tell you there's nothing wrong with pursuing greatness the issue is attempting to be greater there's nothing wrong with wanting to be great but god is displeased when we're attempting to be greater because when i want to be great i look inwardly but when i want to be greater i look outwardly all of a sudden i'm no longer focused on the kingdom i'm just focused about passing you now let's go somewhere this morning can i tell you i think passion is great but when it's focused on being greater when i need to be greater than you and do more than you and have bigger things than you and a greater anointing than you then we lose focus can i tell you we need to come back to the place where we're pursuing greatness but not wanting to be greater amen amen amen amen amen amen amen amen amen amen hey man you may be seated i i'm going somewhere i'm going somewhere i want you to realize i want you to realize that there are times where we struggle we struggle with our humanity and we struggle and we wrestle we wrestle with attempting to find our own purpose our own spot and in that wrestling we can begin to climb we can begin to climb we're climbing ministerial range trying to get to the top but can I tell you that God never called us to climb a ladder he called us to climb on a cross I want to help you I want to help you this morning because when you climb ladders in five six seven years you fall to sin there's a reason why but you cannot fall off a cross you can fall off ladders but you can't fall off crosses I think there comes about a time where as young ministers I'm talking to young ministers I'm talking the people in my peer group that we stop competing with each other trying to climb the next rung of ministry trying to see who can climb the next platform who can climb to get the next Micah who can climb to preach at the next conference and find a place to climb across because there's plenty of room at the cross for you and me when we run out of space on the ladder of ministry
I want to help you I'm going I feel the Holy Ghost I'm going somewhere I want to help you this is why some of you are so frustrated this is why some of you are so discouraged because God's trying to tap into your appetite God's trying to tap into the essence of your being he's trying to stir you and the reason is is because Peter had to go through the same dilemma Peter finds himself that he's waiting for some food to cook makes his way to the rooftop and as he's on the rooftop the Bible says that before he eats he begins to have a vision and God begins to present food to him and in this food this food was representation of what would be his brothers so God said before you're willing to accept your brother I have to affect your appetite the reason why some of you can't stand someone else being greater than you because you don't have the right appetite God hasn't tapped into your hunger yet he hasn't starved you to the place where you're no longer concerned if God uses me to do it or if God uses me to sing it or if God uses to preach it but I'm so hungry for a Bible that if God never uses my hands to bring it into it's God has to frustrate you to the place where you can tolerate your brother being blessed beyond you because you're hungry for something greater than yourself. I want to help you want to help you want to help you this morning I want to help you this morning. Can I tell you can I just be honest a little bit can I just be honest out a little bit I fear I fear that we've made idols out of preachers I fear that that that we've made idols after preachers and we deified humanity and humanized deity I want to help you this morning because all of a sudden it's all about what can I do and every vision you get is all about what you're preaching and every call you get is about where you're gonna go and what's gonna happen with you and you don't know the last time you had a dream about somebody else and you're just like Joseph God's having to take you through a process because you're so on what you're gonna do and why not why you're doing it you forgot that it was about the kingdom and made it about you you thought it was about your solo and not the glory fall it you thought it was about what you preach and not so much getting delivered and it's about time we come to the place where we put glory where it belongs because it does not belong on my humanity but it belongs back on the one who deserves glory.
You see maybe I want to help you this morning because because there is a wrestling that always takes place and I understand it you have to realize I came into this thing when I was about 15 years old I was really hungry I was make long story short I was seeking the baptism of the Holy Ghosts I've read in the book of Acts of People see the Holy Ghosts they spoke in other tongues I'm of the persuasion that there's hungry people out there tell you how hungry I was I was calling pastors asking them if they can help me receive the baptism of the Holy Ghosts or what a disperse church is asking them if they can help me receive the baptism of the Holy Ghosts so I'm hungry for this thing and when I got into this I got into this I started started seeking after started seeking after the mantle man started seeking after an identity started seeking after started seeking after reputation I wanted wanted to do something wanted to do something and I kept on reaching and fighting for something kept on reaching and fighting for something kept on reaching and fighting for something until one day I started to realize that the last thing Jesus gave before he died was his garment last thing Jesus gives up before he dies is his garment. He gives his identity. He gives up the mantle. Isn't it so incredible that on one level they're fighting for his garment while on another level he's sacrificing? One level they're fighting for the mantle. On another level he's giving up his life. I would suggest to you that sacrifice is always a level higher than gain. They were trying to gain a mantle while he was giving his life trying to say you're still at feet level when you're trying to gain but if you want to come up here you better learn how to sacrifice it. What to help you this morning? What to help you this morning? Because the reality is the reality is I'm talking to people that I understand. I'm talking to people I get you. I know I'm not preaching hard but but I want you to realize I get you. I understand you. I understand your zeal. I understand your passion but we can be so focused on trying to get something. We can be so focused on trying to get another anointing. Trying to get another word. Trying to get another call. Trying to get another assignment. Trying to get another degree. We're just trying to get something. We're just trying to get something. Can I tell you the only apostle who left this earth with more than what he started with is Judas. Judas is the only apostle who left with more material possession than what he started off with. And we could be so focused on trying to gain acting like Judas forgetting that Jesus was about giving. It could be so focused about what are they going to say about me? How am I going to look? I need to I need to gain reputation I need to gain prosperity. I need to gain success. I need to gain a name. And Jesus is staring down at you from the view of Calvary and saying you'll never get up here until you finally learn how to give. When's the last time you prayed for the person next to you and said God do for them what you would have done for me. Give them a greater ministry than you'll ever give me. Give them a greater ministry than you'll ever put on me because when you finally learn to give you will find success in him. All across the building lift your hands and just worship him for a moment.
Clap your hands up to the Lord. Clap your hands. Maybe seated, maybe seated. I want to tell you, I want to tell you the reality of this is that when we are attempting to find identity we are lifting purpose. Cannot choose both. You can seek purpose and find identity. You can seek identity and lose purpose. Jordan, I want you to come up here. You should realize. You should realize. God is strategic. You guys ever wake up Christmas morning having you guys that had good parents and they got you gifts on Christmas. Some of you guys had those. I mean you guys from the island your parents thought it was a gift that you had a house. I'm going Josh. Hey man. Welcome Christmas morning. All of a sudden there's gifts that are there. Isn't it interesting that gifts were always that for you to ever pick up a gift you had to be willing to get on feet level and there's some of us that bypass gifts at the altar because we're waiting for Pastor Myers to pray for us. We're waiting for Josh Herring to pray for us and Bishop Morgan passed around because we don't ever want to get on feet level and we bypassed the gift that was laid at our brother's feet because we're think we're too good for it and that's why we can't be used because you won't get on feet level. I pray you would get hungry enough to break a neopride and say God if you laid it at my brother or sister's feet I'm willing to get on feet level. Thank you. Thank you. I want to help you. I want to help you. I want to help you. How many altar calls we always talk about the power of God? How many miracles we're waiting for you but they're waiting at your brother's feet? Always trying to be used. Always trying to do something. How many gifts of the spirits we're waiting for you but they're waiting at your brother's feet but you were just too prideful. Don't you know who I am? Yes that's the issue. We know who you are and we don't know enough about him. Don't you know my name? Yes that's the issue but we don't know his name because you're too consumed about yourself because if you would ever realize that I was called to be a servant because if I'm pursuing greatness I have to be willing to get at feet level. Can I tell you why God was willing to descend with gifts? It's because he found gifts when he descended because before you can ascend you have to be willing to descend. Clap your hands into the Lord all across the building. Clap your hands into the Lord if you're willing to go down a little bit to find something. Come on lift your voice if you're telling God I'm willing to get down there to find something. Salam Adolobos.
Sit down, sit down for me. Sit down for me. God love myself. Interestingly enough the older you get, the bigger you get the lower you have to go to find it. See when you were young you didn't have to reach that low. 4 or 5 year old rock up to that box, that box would be right where he was. All of a sudden at 14 you gotta bend down just a little bit lower. Then at 40 you gotta bend down a little lower. And here's what's crazy about it. The older you get, the harder it is to bend down. Because you got so used to standing at this posture that you don't know how to get down there anymore. And we stunt our spiritual growth because of our pride. We can't sustain hunger because we're so critical about what our brother has. And here's the problem with the brothers of Joseph is that they were willing to talk about their brothers what Joseph did. But wouldn't talk to the father because if they talked to the father they would have had another opinion of Joseph. They would have realized that their brother wasn't there to compete with them but their brother was there to save them. And can I tell you we spent so much time talking to our brother about the minister. But we won't turn around and talk to the father when you're willing to talk about somebody and never pray about them. Your motives will never be right. But if you could ever come to the place to realize that you were here to help me not compete with me.
I don't know how long I've been preaching but I'm going to come to a close, I'm going to come to a close. Stay standing with me, stay standing with me. I want you to realize, I want you to realize that the scripture that I read begins to prophesy about Jesus Christ. And he's talking about the crucifixion that would take place. The psalmist is attempting to express the agony that Jesus would go through. He's attempting to relay the pain that Jesus would go through. Now hear me tonight, hear me this morning. That as Jesus is going through this pain, the psalmist has to remind Jesus that not one of your bones will be broken. Because the place where bones meet is at Galgotha's hill. And when bones meet at Galgotha's hill, flesh is torn but the body remains. The place where bones meet is where flesh is torn but the body remains. When your flesh that has pride and ego is willing to break a little bit for the sake of the unity of the body. That's where the blood is revealed. Amen, amen, amen. We sing about the blood, we talk about the blood. But the blood only shows up when flesh gets torn. The blood only shows up when flesh breaks. And God begins to prophesy through the psalmist and begins to say your flesh will be torn. But he says not one of your bones will be broken. Can I tell you what these times have proven? Our flesh is being torn. We're being torn in our pride being destroyed. We're being torn in our agenda being destroyed. We're being torn in our wills being destroyed. We're being torn in what we thought should happen when it should happen being torn. But while the flesh is breaking, the body is being sustained because there is strength in the body that cannot be found just in the mere flesh. And the scripture relates that when the flesh was being torn and the body was being sustained, the blood was being revealed.
We love the scripture. I love it just as much as you. He begins to talk about how precious it is for brethren to dwell together in unity. What does he say? He says, it's like the oil that ran down Aaron's head, came down his beard. He said, even touch the edge of his garment. He used that for submission. I think it's appropriate. I think there is a downward fall of the anointing that happens through submission. But I don't think it's only talking about submission. I think it's also talking about connection. That God made you with an intrinsic weakness that you get satisfied by yourself. But then he also made a sister over here with an intrinsic strength that she can't release by herself. But when the body gets connected, when bones begin to meet and flesh is torn, it is like the oil. And your strength begins to touch my weakness. And your power begins to touch my frailty. And your faith begins to touch my sickness when we begin to connect together. Something begins to happen. All across the building.
I want you to hear me and I'm going to conclude. It was at Calvary that Jesus was stretched to reach someone else. I'll tell you what's going to take place. My assignment is just to establish a spirit of unity. Then there's going to be demonstrations, so I'm going to do that. But can you crucify your flesh just for a moment and could you stretch yourself towards someone? I know a lot of times we lift our hands towards God, but I just want you to extend that hand toward a brother. Because what you don't realize is as you're extending yourself towards them. Your healing wasn't at the altar, it was in them. Your word wasn't at the altar, it was in them. And I just need to know this morning, can you break the knee of pride and reach out and get a hold of a brother this morning? Shalama, nalama. Healing's in this place because your brother came here. Power's in this place because your sister walked in the room. Because when we get connected. Shalama, nalama. That's it all across the building, lift your voice. Shalama, nalama. You're waiting for your pastor to give it to you. You're waiting for the prophet to give it to you. But the power is in your brother. Shalama, nalama. Here I am. Shalama, nalama. Lift your voice all across the building. Lift your voice all across the building. Shalama, nalama. When we get connected. When we get connected. When we get connected. Shalama, nalama. The word you need is coming from your brother. The healing you need is coming from your sister. Gracefully broken. I am your brother. I am your brother. I am your brother. On your throne warms my old brother. Worrying out for me. When we get connected. I am not a white old man I am not a white old man Thanks for the old man I am not a white old man Thanks for the old man I am not a white old man Come on, if you can lift your hands Say all to Jesus All to Jesus now All to Jesus now All to Jesus Holding on me now Holding on me now Girl, I surrender I surrender I surrender I surrender I surrender I surrender I surrender I surrender I surrender I surrender I surrender I surrender
Come on let's lift our hands up to God right now, I surrender to you Jesus, I surrender to you Jesus, hallelujah Lord God, if the angels bow at your throne oh Lord Jesus, what should stop me if angels should lift up and worship you with everything they have then what should stop me? Jesus I surrender unto you I give you everything that I am oh Lord God, hallelujah Jesus, hallelujah Jesus, angels bow before your throne miracles happen in your name what a mighty God you are angels bow before your throne miracles happen in your name what a mighty God you are angels bow before your throne angels bow before your throne miracles happen in your name what a mighty God you are angels bow before your throne miracles happen in your name what a mighty God you are angels bow before your throne angels bow before your throne miracles happen in your name what a mighty God you are angels bow before your throne miracles happen in your name what a what a mighty God you are angels bow before your throne miracles happen in your name what a what a mighty God you are angels bow before your throne angels bow before your throne miracles happen in your name what a mighty God you are angels bow before your throne miracles happen in your name what a mighty God you are angels bow before your throne miracles happen in your name what a what a mighty God you are angels bow before your throne miracles happen in your name what a What a mighty God you are angels bow before your throne miracles happen in your name what a
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. I want to tell you, I want to tell you what the Lord just spoke to me. The thing you've been waiting for to receive in this conference is laying at the feet of your brother. The thing you've been wanting God to do in your family is laying at the feet of your sister. I wonder if you have enough gunshin' in you, if you have enough hunger in you to find a brother or a sister and begin to pray over them, hear me? Because when you release what you have, God can trust you with what he has. I want you to find somebody if they're next to you and you feel comfortable too and you're bold enough to pray at their feet. I know this is a little bit different, but you're bold enough to pray at their feet not because you're worshiping them, but because you're giving them what you have because you have enough confidence. God's about to give you what he has. The release is about to enter the building. The miracle you've been waiting on, the power you've been waiting on, the deliverance you've been waiting on. God says it's here, it's here, it's here, it's here.
Scripture references as spoken: Psalm 22:14-20; John 19:36; Genesis 12:1; John (book-only, as spoken); Hosea 7:1; Psalm 55 (chapter-only, as spoken); Mark (book-only, as spoken); Acts (book-only, as spoken).