Sunday Morning Worship Service | Pastor Whitley

just remain standing and get your Bibles and go with me to Hosea we're gonna go to Hosea chapter 12 just remain standing and get your Bibles I'll be very brief in our introductory remarks or the time we had this past week in our Prayer Revival and a powerful communion service Wednesday night [Music] wasn't it a powerful move of the Holy Ghost we had this Monday Tuesday and Wednesday I'm going to say something to encourage you we had a huge crowd here Wednesday night for communion you need to be here this Wednesday night for Bible study [Music] the most poor clap and I've ever heard in my entire life you should be here for Wednesday night just like you were last Wednesday night be here for the taught word of God for our classes we need to be here because that's where you grow that's where you grow as a Christian be here Wednesday night for our time of Bible study I love the word of God go with me to Hosea chapter number 12. we're going to read two verses and then we're going to go back we're going to read it here at the beginning but we'll read the book of Genesis during our sermon today but Hosea chapter 12 verses 3 and 4. the prophet talks about and speaking of Jacob it says in verse 3 he took his brother by the heel in the womb and by his strength he had power with God yea he had power over the angel and Prevail prevailed he wept and made supplication unto him he found him in Bethel and there he spake with us he took his brother by the heel and by his strength he had power with God I'm going to talk about the life of Jacob this morning my title this this Lord's day is limping with God limping with God have you ever felt like you're just limping your way through have you ever felt like I'm not running I'm not walking I'm just limping I want to encourage you today once you lift up your hands all over the sanctuary and I want you to pray the Lord would speak to your heart today from his word father we thank you for the word of the Lord we thank you for your spirit that's here Lord we thank you for this great time that we've had together in your presence this week but I pray that there will be a spirit of encouragement that would touch somebody in this room maybe they feel they feel less they feel inadequate and insufficient but I pray Lord that we would see ourselves in your word today in Jesus name we pray and everybody said amen won't you clap your hands again unto Jesus today [Music] turn around tell somebody I'm going to help Pastor Nate preach and you can be seated now hold them to it now they're sitting there scrolling through Twitter poke them okay so you said you said limping with God is there a more flawed Old Testament hero than Jacob if you were to read the first few chapters of Jacob's life you wouldn't consider him a hero at all let alone a patriarch of the faith yet his name in life are referred to throughout the entirety of the Bible Abraham was a man of great faith Isaac his son followed in his footsteps and imitated his father's lifestyle Isaac fell in love and married a girl named Rebecca like Sarah she was unable to have children until Isaac prayed that she would have children God heard the prayer of Isaac when he inquired for her and she became pregnant with twin boys Esau and Jacob even in the womb Brothers didn't get along yeah you have a sibling you just don't get along with just a mention of their name you just want to fight nobody know what I'm talking about I've got one of those I love her to death we just fought like cats and dogs when we were kids because I we're probably a whole lot alike more than we would like to admit but Jacob and he saw twin brothers fighting in the womb fighting in the womb so when it came time for the boys to be born the first son came out red and hairy so they named him Esau which meant red Esau would definitely live up to his name because he would become red in the face with anger over his twin brother's choices the second boy was born and was holding on to Esau's heel think about it here comes the first one red and Harry and grabbing onto his heel is his twin brother Jacob that's as if he said not so fast you're not going to be not there's not gonna be 30 seconds between us I'm holding on for dear life you're going to remember me twin brother they named him Jacob which means Trickster or schemer or supplanter and Jacob would live up to his name but yet Jacob is a good example of God's elevating Grace he can take any life whether flawed or flawless and turn them into a prince in the case of Jacob he went from a heel-grabbing Deceiver to a God-fearing patriarch but he limped until the end he limped until then let me tell you just a little bit more about Jacob Jacob Esau fought and they struggled it seemed like their entire life Rebecca wondered why there was struggling in wrestling going on within her she asked the Lord why this was happening inside of her and the Lord spoke and said two nations are in your womb to manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels and on the one people shall be stronger than the other people and the Elder Shall Serve the younger Rebecca must have held on to those words for the rest of her life when Jacob was born second holding on to the heel of Esau she fell in love with him scripture says that Isaac loved Esau but Rebecca love that heel grabbing Jacob Esau was a skilled Hunter a man of the field and Isaac his dad loved to partake of Esau's spoils Jacob on the other hand was a city boy he liked to hang out in the house and cook not hunt to Jacob I say Amen brother I'm not a country boy we were Ashley and I were at a restaurant this weekend and there was country music playing over the speakers which is not my favorite and there was a song singing about being a country boy and I began to hum along with it and she said you can't sing that you're right Thank God I'm a city boy I like to eat the food not hunt the food I'll let somebody else do that let's just eat it and that's Jacob he wasn't a man of the field he wasn't a hunter he was a chef he liked to hang out in the house and while that may not seem super significant to us but the favoritism in Isaac's House made matters worse for this young family Isaac love Esau Rebecca loved Jacob parents playing favorites in the home have a disaster looming in their future when you play favorites in your home you're going to have trouble and that's exactly what happened two sides two boys put at odds with each other what did Jacob do later on his life he loved Joseph more than he loved his other Sons because what you put in front of your children they're going to imitate oh you're not hearing me I'll watch one such disastrous occasion Esau had been out hunting and became very hungry Jacob had been cooking like he had been doing known to do and he had cooked some stew and Esau's grumbling stomach overtook his wise decision-making Jacob told Esau he could have the stew if you'll give me your Birthright first now that might seem insignificant but if whoever owned the family's Birthright would act as the head and the priest of the family and so for Esau the Bible says who despised his Birthright for a bowl of stew is important that he would relinquish this future Authority this future power because he had a little rumbling in his tummy Esau wanted here and now not tomorrow he's not thinking about his present decision and how it would affect his future but doesn't that sound a whole lot like us it sounds like sin it's the rumbling of your flesh Desiring to fulfill some immediate craving and while the satisfaction is only temporary sin comes knocking on your door later like a creditor demanding its payment it would come knocking for Esau and while he gave it up for a bowl of soup it would be his demise later on his future but Jacob was none the better he seized his moment he cheated Esau out of the birthright such trickery wasn't a one-time event in this family remember what you put in front of your children they're going to imitate may I remind you that Isaac lied to abimelech and told King abimelech that Rebecca was his sister and not his wife why to save himself [Music] and where pray tell did Jacob learn how to deceive Isaac in the first place Rebecca how many times had she cooked goat and told him it was venison how many times had she deceived naive Isaac because what you put in front of your children they will imitate I've seen I've seen it I've seen it I've seen it I've seen somebody behave one way and I'm thinking to myself how in the where did they learn this from and then you interact with their parents and you go aha y'all don't know what I'm talking about do you or you're not going to admit to it today but you put in front of your kids they will imitate what example you put in front of your children don't be surprised when they start acting like you act sometimes oh Lord Jesus tell me right now what example are you putting in front of your kids well we'll go to church this Sunday but we won't go next Sunday sit down stop acting crazy right now well we're going to pick and choose what church service we go to because it depends on which preacher's preaching don't be surprised when you example and model unfaithfulness to your children and and the house of God becomes an option to you and then later on when they get older they don't choose God at all oh my God oh my oh my whatever example you live before your children is going to be imitated and you can live a life of faith and morality and still have your kids act like fools you want to know why sin sin is in them Adam and Eve's sin is in each and every human child born right now and sin is the disease coursing through their veins that's why it's important Proverbs 22 and 6 says to train your children in the way that they should go why because they need an example of what faithfulness looks like you have to put the only hope they have before them and the only hope that they have is the Gospel of Jesus Christ someone say Amen so what does Jacob do he becomes what his name is schemer cheater liar He Cheats Esau not out not only out of his Birthright but he deceives Isaac and takes Esau's inheritance his double blessing Esau's future he's going to be set for life and yet Jacob along with his mother Cooks up a deceivious meal and puts goat hair on his arms and his neck and goes in and says I'm Esau takes it from him and what does Esau want to do to his twin brother what they've been doing their entire life fight I'm gonna get him back I'm gonna kill he's what did he say when Esau walked into Isaac after this deception had taken place Esau comes in and says I'm ready now Lord I'm ready father bless me and Isaac trembles and Shakes and says I'm sorry but I've already given the blessing to your brother for he has deceived me and Esau says this isn't he rightly named Jacob he's living up to his name trickster schemer cheater liar that's who he is he's acting it out and he goes I'm going to kill him I'll wait a lifetime to kill him he's like the Mount of of Monte Cristo The Count of Monte Cristo he wants to wait and kill his brother and so Isaac and Rebecca go Hey Jake it might be time for you to go it might be time for you just to go ahead and say bye because somebody's going to kill you if you stay any longer and so Jacob leaves 20 year Exile begins that day 20 years and as he leaves and he's going to his uncle laban's house he goes from lying to laying the Bible says in Genesis 28 verse number 11 and he lighted upon a certain place and tarry there all night because the sun was set and he took of the stones of that place and put them for his pillows and laid down in that place to sleep and he dreamed and behold the latter set up on the earth and the top of it reached to heaven and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it and behold the Lord stood above it and said I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father and the god of Isaac the land whereon thou Elias to thee will I give it into thy seed he goes from lying to laying he lays his head upon a stone pillow and begins to dream a Heavenly dream he sees a ladder set up on earth and the top of it reaches to heaven while several of our English translations of this text say God stood Above This ladder a few Bible translations and even some Bible commentators reveal that the Hebrew text reveals that God did not stand atop of the ladder and said it says that he stood next to Jacob he wasn't standing afar but he's standing next to this cheater liar schemer what do we have a picture of right now I know I'm going slow but just stay with me we have a picture of Grace there are people who think that the Old Testament God is some type of bloodthirsty judgmental ready to kill avenging God that's not what this narrative tells us does it instead we have a gracious God visiting a man who has so flawed and saying I'll be your God I hear what I'm saying right now I'll be you do you deserve it Jacob no do you look like a perfect picture of morality and spirituality no but I'm gonna be your God your God I'm showing you this now because I want you to realize that I'm going to be your God this was the place this was the encounter this was a moment that would change Jacob forever and you know what he's gonna need it he's going to need it for 20 years he is going to let life come his way and what do you need to get through life you need a Divine encounter with God if you're going to get through what life is going to bring you you better be equipped and empowered with an encounter with a holy God who will be not just somebody else's God but your God [Applause] I know I was the god of your grandmother and I was the god of your mother and I know I was the god of your grandfather and I was the god of your father but I want to be your God Jacob can I tell you though you might be flawed though you might be imperfect though you may not have it all together God will visit you with his grace and say I want to be your God you don't need a second-hand experience you need a first-hand experience you don't need Abraham's Faith you don't need Isaac's experience you need your experience Jacob because that will get through that will get you through the next 20 years God draws nigh to those who don't have it all together he draws nigh to those who realize their weakness and their mistakes and their flaws in all of their insufficiency when he comes close to you not to stand a far off but to stand next to you he does so not to condemn nor to condone your behavior but he does so to change you well God will just accept me as I am of course he will but she won't be the same he won't let you be the same Jacob because when you come into contact with a holy God he will not let you stay the same and you can't continue through which you are about to experience the same way you did before are you hear what I'm saying can I tell you this just to be honest with you this morning you're not always going to see angels in the Christian Life there's not always going to be moments of a ladder coming from Heaven down to earth and you seeing angels and God standing next to you going yeah I'll be your God there's going to be some times when you you might go 20 years oh brother Whitley we're Pentecostal we believe in the power and the experience of God I am too I do too believe that but I also believe that you can't live and expect that every day because you have feet of clay that touch a dust-covered world you can't live your brains in the heavens and your feet in the world you're going to have to learn how to live a life of balance I know that's not popular in our Pentecostal Theology and our Pentecostal uh culture but I'm going to tell you something real life comes and when real life comes you better have an experience and you better have an encounter with him that'll get you through the dry seasons and the hard seasons and the tough seasons is anybody know what I'm preaching about today you see I know he can visit me I know he can't touch me I know he can talk to me but if he doesn't I'm gonna show up here at the house of God I'm going to show up here at that fair are you hearing me come on somebody it's not based upon your feelings it's based upon your faith and your faith comes from a knowing that God wants to be your God if you believe that would you clap your hands on the Jesus oh he's gonna need that experience he's going to need that for the next 20 some years he'd fall in love with the girl by the name of Rachel oh Rachel the Bible says that she is beautiful unfortunately she's the daughter of Laban and Jacob has met his match in hucksters and schemers it's his uncle it's his mother's brother and what did he do when Isaac when when he when the word got that Isaac wanted to marry her and there's all kinds of gold on her wrists and rings on her fingers and Laban goes you should definitely go marry that guy why because Laban worries about one person Laban Laban loves labor anybody know anybody like that they're the number one fan of themselves they love Laban and Laban said oh you want to marry Rachel she's oh yeah she's gorgeous uh Jacob you look like a strong guy and I got a lot of flocks around here Seven Years buddy you worked for me for seven years you can marry Rachel and Jacob's is like is that all do 25 years for Rachel so he worked seven years for Rachel and here comes Laban at the marriage altar make sure that the soft-eyed weak-eyed Leah the oldest daughter who nobody took on a date before had a heavy Veil over her face and and all all Jacob is thinking about is Rachel you may kiss your bride he's like this is go I don't even have to look at let's just go and the Bible says in the morning It was Leah and Jacob realizes he's got what he's done to everybody else you know what goes around [Music] how you TR don't be surprised if people treat you bad if you're always in a bad mood and you're always talking down to people and you've got a oh a sour spirit and you always got some kind of negativity to say and you treat people negatively and and you're always gossiping and don't don't be surprised I think Paul said it like this God is Not mocked whatever you reap oh Jesus you're going to sow and Jacob got a little bit of a harvest that he had sown years ago and he goes oh what you know we got a custom here Jacob the the the youngest daughter can't get married before the first daughter you know something about that heel grabbing don't you aren't you the second one yeah we can't yeah we can't do that I need you to work see all these flocks around here seven more years gonna want you to work seven more years Jacob and Jacob goes Rachel whatever give me 25 more years I don't care let me marry her so he worked seven more years 14 years and he marries Rachel and he has Leah and guess what these two sisters do all the time he loves you more than he loves me and so Leah names all of her for her all of her children thinking that maybe now he'll love me maybe now he'll care for me like he cares for Rachel and then Rachel who's Baron says he loves you more than me because you have children it sounds just like Jacob and Esau doesn't it fighting let me tell you if you live by the sword you're going to find the sword in your life and they fight and they fuss they give him handmaidens he has 12 Sons one daughter 20 years of working Laban changes his his paycheck 10 times over then when Jacob wants to leave Laban schemes him again and tricks him again saying you're going to get all the frail little sheep and goats that's what you get to have and and Jacob goes no no no God's with me and all I'm I'm claiming my promises and I'm getting out of here Jack so that's what happens 20 years 20 years of letting life come to him and you know what he needs an encounter one encounter will get you through 20 years but you're going to need another encounter at some other point in your life and so as he leaves Laban he hears Guess who's coming to meet him in the desert Esau oh my revenge is in the air and so what does old Jacob do oh huckster schemer trickster do he lets his children and his wives go before him you meet him and tell him I'm coming what a coward maybe if he sees all of this stuff and I send some gifts his way he'll he'll forget about 20 years of me stealing his Birthright and his Blessing and so he stops let his family go ahead and the Bible says in chapter number 32 I hope I'm not born you today he stops and he's left alone can I just add this as for a moment you need to have an encounter with God alone sometimes you're going to have to get alone with God it might not be with your church family it might not be with your spouse and your kids around it may not be somebody laying their hands on your head but you need to learn to get alone with God so he can touch you and he can speak to you and he can change you I think we're so afraid of being alone we've got young people they just jump from relationship to relationship because they're afraid of being alone we hate to be alone we hate the silence but if you're going to have an encounter with God you're going to have to learn to get alone it says then there Wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day and when he the angel saw that he prevailed not against him he touched the hollow of his thigh and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint as he wrestled him when you really come into contact with God you're going to leave changed that encounter 20 years ago got him through those 20 years serving Laban and building a family but here's a moment where his life is going to change you know you can go to church for 30 years and never have an encounter talking about coming to an altar and talking in tongues I'm not talking about that I I'm talking about having a real a lot I've went through it and I did it I went to church for 25 years without a real changing encounter I could do it and you have to but when he touches you you something happened back there I I don't walk I don't walk like I used to walk and something there's a little there's a little change here I know I've got a family and I I've went through some things but now oh I I don't I don't live the same way I used to live and I don't talk the way I used to talk because I'm no longer just somebody who goes to church I'm somebody who's had an encounter and contact with a holy God come on when he touches you and he really gets a hold of you you're not gonna walk the same you're not gonna live the same come on some some Bible translations and Bible commentators believe that this was God a theophany that was wrestling with Jacob but Jacob got to the point of his life that I'm tired of being a coward I'm tired of being a selfish man I'm tired of being a schemer and a heel Grabber and a cheater and a liar and he says he prevailed oh are you hearing what I'm saying we've got to have a prevailing encounter with God that says I'm not quitting until you touch me this wasn't some scheme this wasn't some setup this was a deep hunger to have his life changed and if you're going to change yourself and if you're going to change the trajectory of your family there's got to be a wrestling match between you and God the word for wrestle here and the Hebrew means a dust up a dust up yeah you're not you're not going to change without a dust up Our Father why don't you start in heaven that's good has it been 30 seconds yet no okay oh Lord you now know it's the needs of mine rest oh God some man be pamby prayer is not going to change your life hmm I'm talking about a prevailing dust up I'm talking about not having some man up here pray with you and I believe that's scripture I'm talking about something deep inside of you that says I'm not leaving until I get what I need I'm not letting you go until you change this old Wicked heart of mine I'm not leaving here until I get deliverance from this addiction I'm not leaving here till you get rid of this anger I'm not leaving here till you get rid of this are you hearing what I'm saying I'm talking about a prevailing wrestling dust up that will change your life come on it changed him but you're not going to change overnight you're not going to become a better husband or father in an instant you're not going to become spiritual in a day you won't become who God is calling you to be without a struggle or a dust up with a divine come on I'm talking about getting a hold of God I'm talking about a struggle that says I'm not leaving here I'm not letting you go until you change me and that being said all right I'll change you put my hip out of joint and you know what Jacob said what's your name who are you I'm not letting you go until I get a change I'm not I'm not I'm not quitting until something happens here and that angel goes who who are you and what did he say liar that's that's who I am cheat it's who I am schemer adulterer drug addict self-righteous lazy I am what I am and the angel look at this look look at this what this says here look at verse number 28. the angel said thy name shall be called no more Jacob look at those three words right there it pops off the page to me no more Jacob no more Jacob what's your name liar schemer supplanter heel grabber no more Jacob somebody today needs to say no more Jacob no more deceiver no more liar no more Trickster are you hearing me I wonder if somebody would get so fired up if somebody would get so inspired and say no more adulterer no more liar no more narcissism no more anger no more greed no more drug addiction no more alcoholic can I tell you you're gonna have to say there's no more Jacob no more Jacob no more help maybe I'll live with him a little longer I don't know somebody gonna have to get so mad when you get sick and tired of being sick and tired when you say I'm gonna arrest her I'm gonna pray I'm gonna fast I'm gonna get my all worship myself silly until I walk out of here and there's no more Jacob no more of course what Paul would say being confident of this very thing that which he has begun in me shall he perform it to the day of Christ can I tell you there's a future ahead of you but you're gonna have to say goodbye no more Jacob no more addiction no more anger no more loss no no more Jacob but Israel because you have prevailed as a prince prevails you know you can go from an addict to a prince in one moment you can leave here and say you may have walked in here today and so I've been struggling with my temper I've been struggling with my lust I've been struggling with self-righteousness I've been struggling I've been struggling and one moment one encounter and God says no more Jacob but a prince a princess a new person I am a new creation whole things are passed away and become all things have become stand with me I'm almost done he blessed him and changed his name he limped Rachel Leah I'm coming to the front you come behind me I'll meet you so he kills me he kills me Something's Happened to Me I'll face my uncertainty because I Know Who Holds my chair limping with God you know Jacob had his name changed from Jacob to Israel two other people had their names changed Abram had his name changed to Abraham Sarah his grandmother had her name changed from Sarai to Sarah and the Bible never calls them by their former name ever again it's always Abraham and Sarah but Jacob breaks the mold because people and even God continues to call him by Jacob actually from what I have found he's referred to as Jacob twice as much as he's referred to as Israel why is that because when I'm limping my way through it's not always a straight path can I tell you this the Christian life is not a perfect life and anybody who tells you oh it's gonna this is gonna be blessed for you they are a liar they're a false prophet Jesus said if you're going to come after me bind you across this ain't gonna be easy many are called but who's going to limp their way to the finish line I'll tell this story true story Ashley and I taught a Bible study a few years ago many years ago to this couple said man you can get new life in Christ I've taught them search for truth or exploring God's word man this brother was living with this lady he got baptized got the Holy Ghost they're going to get married the life's going to get better and then I get a phone call from him several weeks later and he's in a jail cell in another state and he said you told me old things are passed away that I'm forgiven I said yeah Christ forgives you but that judge that offense he's like but you said my debt has been White I said yes it is but the consequence see after you are saved and regenerated a new heart new mind New Life you're still living on this world you don't step from Earth into the Divine that very minute all of a sudden there's angels and harps and David singing the Psalms no you got to go to work tomorrow and deal with that unruly boss are you hearing me I'm almost done I've already got you standing come on out here make them feel this a little bit better all right I'm doing pretty good so he sends his family behind him he gets out and he meets Esau and Esau Embraces him and cries when he sees his brother Jacob and he's like I'm looking it's like I'm looking at the face of God Jacob all these years come with me Jacob you and your family all your kids how many kids do you got Jacob my Lord have they got kids a yeah just bring them on too hey we're gonna need more food over there and see her yeah come on be with us and Jacob's like I will come to see year to be with you Esau go read your Bible and it caught my attention when I read it this week Jacob Jacob says this to Esau he says I'll meet you there you go ahead and go on before I said I'll hang out back here with my flock and my kids are going to little and I I do in Sierra Esau guess what doesn't happen Jacob doesn't go to Sierra when Esau leaves Jacob takes his flocks and goes the opposite way to suck off why there's still just a little bit of that heel grabber left at him there's still just a little bit of that deceiver in him it's not going to happen overnight folks he just had it he wrestled with God and he goes foreign I'll meet you there now he may have some years later we don't have it recorded in the scripture have you ever made a mistake after you got baptized now you're lying now you got to come to this altar sorry there are going to be some people who are going to limp across the Finish Line into heaven they're going to struggle their way to the finish line why don't they just get together brother Nate [Music] because we're left with this frail broken limping body by 7 pm on October 20th 1968 at the Mexico City Olympic Stadium it's beginning to get dark it cooled down as well the last of the Olympic marathon runners were being assisted away to the first aid stations over an hour earlier memo Waldy of Ethiopia had charged across the Finish Line winning the 26 mile 385-yard race looking as strong and as vigorous as when he started as the last few thousand Spectators began preparing to leave they heard police sirens and whistles through the gate entering the stadium their attention turned to the gate and a soul figure wearing the colors of Tanzania came limping and to the stadium his name was John Stephen acquire he was the last man to finish the marathon in 1968. plague was bandaged and bloody he had taken a bad fall early in the race now it was all he could do to limp his way around the track the crowd stood and applauded as he completed that last lap when he finally crossed the Finish Line one man dared asked the question all were wondering you were badly injured why didn't you quit why didn't you give up a quarry with a quiet dignity said my country did not send me five thousand miles to start this race my country sent me 5 000 miles to finish the race [Music] God didn't call you just to start the race of Faith he called you to finish the race and you might crawl you might limp you might be broken you might have met all kinds of mistakes behind you but you're saying hey I'm still here I wonder if somebody would lift up their hands some Jacob some heel grabber some limping disciple who feels inadequate and insufficient when you try to measure yourself up next to the Abrahams and The Isaacs but God says I'll be your God and I'll be your God I'm I'm not afraid to say I'm your God you may be broken you may have made a a Litany of mistakes and you're gonna make some more I'm sure in your future but you just keep going you just keep limping with God I might be last and others may have finished before me but I'm still going I'm still going I'm still going come on the Christian Life it's not an easy life it's not a Sprint it's a marathon and I wonder if somebody will live with God to the Finish come on as you feel these altars I wonder if there's some real disciples in the house I wonder if there's some honest and vulnerable disciples in the house you're saying I relate with Jacob I I feel like that sometimes I feel like a heel Grabber and I know I'm I know I I'm supposed to be a child of God I shouldn't act that way but every once in a while I still act like my whole life but you need to have an encounter and say no more no more Jacob no more supplanter no more heel crabbing come on oh yes come on we're not looking for Perfect People we're looking for a perfect savior who can use broken limping wounded individuals [Music] [Music] yes by the mercy of God [Music] [Applause] [Music] it was meant for me but he took me and he took my death and he came in New Life [Music] oh yeah [Music] I want you to hear me just for one more moment [Music] Jacob was Dead and Gone and a Hebrew family would sit down to eat a meal together [Music] they look at the lamb say hey I like to have that peace there and the thigh right there and a father could look at him and say no we don't eat that we don't eat that portion of the of the spoil well why not can I tell you a story about a limping man who had an encounter with a merciful god your limp is a witness and a story to what God has done in you what you might feel ashamed of what you might feel guilty of somebody could tell a story and say that's how good God is that he could take somebody like Jacob and he can take somebody like Nathan Scott Whitley and can I tell you I was back at home I was back home in Indiana back in September and I've seen some family I've seen some some friends I've known for a long time and they said hey we've seen somebody that you used to go to school with somebody you used to go to church with and they said he's still doing that preaching stuff I never would have dreamed it in a million years you know what they were doing they were saying there goes that limper there goes that deliver I can't believe he's still going I can't believe he's still doing that and somebody can say that about you and say I'm still here I'm still I'm limping but I'm still here one more time lift up your voice lift up your voice oh yes Hallelujah