“Get Right or Get Left” by Joshua Hoover

[Music] good morning church I'm I'm not here to preach this time I'm just I'm going introduce a speak of the next couple minutes to an hour for you Joshua Hoover at the age of 19 epitomizes boundless potential and Resolute determination Helen from the bo City Louisiana his journey is an inspiration defying age barriers with a story of perseverance and faith as a third-year journalism major with a minor in religious studies on the pre-ww track at Hampton University Joshua excels academically while serving as a campus leader his impact extends globally through his social media platforms where he reaches over 600,000 followers with messages of faith and positivity a devoted family man Joshua attri attributes his success to Jesus Christ his diverse talents as an actor model musician public speaker speaker preacher and clean humored comedian converg to illuminate the world a fireball of energy Joshua has hosted events preached at incredible venues including for Bishop TD Jakes and leading a pray at the White House with dreams of global evangelism aspirations of becoming a bishop and a thriving career in entertainment Joshua relentlessly strives to spread love and faith making a profound difference in the lives of many I present to you none other the next speaking voice you will hear will be none other minister Joshua Hoover praise the Lord everybody pise the Lord oh come on you can do better than that stand to your feet praise the Lord everybody you know I find it funny that we'll go to NBA games and NFL games and even give you know all the teams with a 50% chance of Victory all the celebration but we give God 12% in the house of the Lord won't you celebrate God this morning don't let this moment pass you by has he been good did he wake you up this morning last night your bed could have became your cooling board but he decided to wake you up this morning come on you're supposed to be here when the the doctor said no Jesus still said yes with the Enemy went for evil God turned for good see I celebrate cuz I know God is good to me has he been good to you woo Hallelujah bless the Bless The Name of Jesus oh come on don't you start something you can't finish that I know he's all right morning start Baptist Church good morning morning first giving honor to God who is the head of my life and when I praise God I mean Jesus Christ of Nazareth the one who went to Calvary and died for my sins I'm not talking about no lowercase God I mean the god that still is able to do exceedingly and abundantly above all that we can ask good think and secondly I want to thank pastor faen Jackson w't you help me celebrate your [Music] pastor Pastor Jackson hit me up in you may be se you may be seated I'm sorry Pastor Jackson hit me up in Dillers my mom and I was shopping this is where I got this suit from and he said young man I said yes sir he said I want you to come speak at my church I said Morning Star Baptist Church he said yes man I I see something within you and you know it takes somebody else to tell you that they see something in you for you to to do what God has called you to do despite the anxiety despite the fear despite trembling despite worrying you can't outrun your gift it's evident God said let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works which glorifies your father in Heaven I'm thinking I'm shopping but God had an assignment for me and thirdly I want to thank Jeremiah for that profound introduction I mean golly I mean you would have thought I I'm just saying thank you brother I hope heartedly appreciate you um my family is here family if you could just stand family and friends thank you all help me celebrate my family you're looking at people who really poured into me when I needed it the most you know they say it takes a village to raise a young man and this is my Village so I want to thank you all what's up grandmother hey Grand I love you hey family hey Auntie hey what's up mama what's up Auntie yeah ah Miss Sil I see you oh Lord have mercy glory to God I want to thank my friends for being here too my boy Austin I see you man uh and everybody in the assembly everybody listening to the sound of my voice whether it be through radio whether it be through broadcast I want to thank you so much um without further Ado I want to get into my message today every morning I had a routine to catch the bus middle school high school it arrived like clockwork at the same time each and every day 6:35 a.m. one particular morning I decided to sleep just a little a little bit longer just a little bit you know we can we snooze but then we mess around fall into that Rim sleeping then you forget where you at you know this one morning I said you know what I'm going to get this a little bit more sleep thinking I had more time than I did but when I woke up the realization hit me like a ton of bricks I was running late my mama's voice echoed down the hallway Joshua get up you going to miss the bus I ignored her I was still sleeping then I heard her feet coming to the door and I got up like nothing happened she said Joshua if you don't get up right now you're going to miss the bus I leaped out of the bed I threw whatever clothes on I had I threw that vaseline on my face little bit of mouthwash you know I didn't have time to get myself together that night I didn't even throw my doag on I'm just looking like who did it and why anybody ever look like who did it in why oh come on somebody I know I ain't the only one so I thought on the clothes that I could find I bolted out the door and I sprinted towards the bus stop I could see the bus beginning to pull away Panic set in and I ran faster than ever they had before and waving my arms at the bus driver I said stop please I ain't even have my backpack I said please and miraculously the bus driver saw me and he stopped that morning wasn't just about missing the bus it was a wakeup call it taught me a deeper lesson that if you're not ready when the time comes you'll get left behind the bus driver might have stopped for me that day but when Jesus comes back woo there won't be any second chances there won't be any God here I am give me a second chance we won't have the luxury of last minute Sprint to get things right and our spiritual lives family the stakes are even higher we must be prepared and right with God so that we don't miss out on eternal life that only he can offer just like I had to run to catch the bus we must actively pursue our relationship with God ensuring that we are always ready for his return and as we explore the message today I want US Open Up Our Hearts to what God is trying to say let us ensure that we're living in a way that honors him ready for his return now I want to summon your sensors and invite your intellect to our foundational text this morning John 4: 23- 24 can we please stand for the reverence of the reading of God's word John the Gospel of John chapter 4 verse 23 through 24 it should be on the screen momentarily I'll be reading out it the King James version I love KJV KJV one of the only translations that don't take out the word blood on it it isn't just detail it's a Lifeline that blood that saves and redeems that pres oh y'all ain't talking to me that blood that has preserving lifegiving power take tell your neighbor level up your scripture they still in NIV n p i c b NR SV am BC 1 2 3 give me a scripture where it's at John chapter oh Lord have mercy four chapter 4 there it is let us read together but the hour cometh and now is is when the true worshippers shall worship the father in spirit and in truth for the father seeketh such to worship him oh keep going this uh the next there we go God is a spirit and they that worship Him must worship him say it about say in him in spirit and in truth you may be seated let us pray Heavenly Father father we come before you today with grateful Hearts thank you God for this opportunity to gather in your presence to hear from your word father God we invite you into this church we invite your Holy Spirit to move freely Among Us throw your weight around touch every heart and open every mind to receive your truth father God as we dive into your word and what it means to worship you in spirit and in truth we ask for your Divine guidance reveal to us things in our lives that have taken your place the idols that have subtly crept into our hearts father God give us the courage thank you Jesus give us the courage and strength to tear them down so that we may fully surrender to you father God I ask that you would have your way with this service let every word spoken be yours and not mine hide me behind the cross father I pray that you would uh make me a PA system from Heaven God make me invisible Lord so that only you are seen and glorified let your message be clear convicting and transformative may your truth Pierce through any distractions or barriers drawing us closer to you and father God we pray that today's message would not just be heard but taken to heart that it will bear fruit in our lives help us to leave here changed more devoted and more committed to living a life that honors you in every way we thank you Jesus we thank you for what you're about to do in this place we give you all the honor glory and praise in the mighty name of Jesus we do pray amen let me drink this water I don't want to get parched on y'all Jesus tells us in John 4: 24 God is spirit and his worshippers must Worship in the spirit and in truth so what does it mean to worship God in spirit and in truth today it means cutting out the distractions cutting out the Temptations and and the lies that pull us away from God it means totally being brutally honest about what controls Our Lives let's get real for a moment can can I get real Church how often do we reach for our phones before we reach for our Bibles amen lights how many times do we seek validation from social media instead of seeking God's approval or are we as the body of Christ more interested in our favorite TV show than we are our relationship with God Are we more worried over worship Are we more Snapchat over scripture what come on I'm try to tell you today we're going to face these Idols head on I'm not here to sugarcoat nothing I don't want I want I don't want I don't want to avoid the hard questions what is stealing your devotion what is consuming your time and energy that belongs to God what is consuming you what is consuming you it's time for a Ser somebody say it's time for a heart check our worship can't be confined just to a few songs on Sunday worship is a lifestyle a daily intentional surrender to God's spirit and in truth can I can I get a witness Morning Star Baptist Church I want to present to you the theme of my message this morning for all of my note takers get right or get left get right or get left my first point will come from the origin of the serpent and I want to show you how God takes serpent to savior we're going to see how God turns deception into Redemption so allow me to help you with the origin of the serpent where does it first be mentioned in the Bible in the early days of The World God created a beautiful Garden of Eden filled with lust trees vibrant flowers and an abundant fruit Adam and Eve the very first humans live there joyfully with one rule does anybody know that rule you want to phone a friend one rule not to eat from the Tree of knowledge of good and evil one day somebody say one day one day a cunning serpent tempted Eve questioning God's command deceived by its words Eve ate the forbidden fruit and even gave adam some dice it in the quarters if you know what I mean God had discovered their Disobedience and it led to their banishment from Eden and it led to a life of hardship the serpent was cursed to crawl on its belly symbolizing the ongoing struggle between humanity and Temptation this story highlights the importance of obedience and the dangers of Deceit so what is the importance of the serpent in the Bible I'm glad you asked ask if one represents a symbol of Temptation the serpent represents Temptation and deceit leading Adam and Eve to question and disobey God it was also a catalyst for the fall somebody say catalyst for the fall it's trickery directly caused Humanity's fall ultimately bringing sin into the world and the moral lesson of this is is that it teaches the consequences of Disobedience and the risk of giving into temptation our first passage we'll delve into this morning is Exodus 4: 1-4 Exodus chap 4 veres 1-4 and here we'll see the transforming power of Faith through Moses the rod and the serpent I'm going to give you Bible today all Bible let's go verse one and Moses answered and said but behold they ain't going to believe me God they not believe me nor hearken un my voice for they will say the Lord hath not appeared unto thee and the Lord said unto him what is that in thine hand and he said a rod this stick right here that I got from this tree over there by by by by that Garden a rod and he said cast it on the ground and he cast it on the ground and it became a a serpent and Moses fled from before it and the Lord said unto Moses put forth his hand or put forth thine hand and take it by the tail and he put forth his hand and caught it and it became a rod in his hand notice in the scripture God asked him what he had not what he didn't have God asked Moses what he has not what he Lacks God focuses on what we have and he can use it ultimately for his glory but let me tell you the truth of the letter the enemy often highlights our deficiencies but God uses our existing resources to demonstrate his Supernatural power what was once natural that Rod God put his super on his natural God says don't worry about what you don't have he says Let It Go Let It Go God took that not enough and made it more than enough and can I get a witness in here that when you felt inadequate when you felt unable to provider to meet a need God took that not enough and made it more than enough because that same Rod brought the plagues to Egypt that same Rod led the people out of oh my God today that same Rod part of the Red Sea that same Rod produced water from a rock in the wilderness come on somebody what do I mean sometimes in our careers we feel inadequate when struggling with work task or we miss promotions When we struggle financially we feel like we don't have enough money to provide for ourselves and those around us for my college students my high school students those who pursuing a GE degre those who get a Masters or doctorate we feel unworthy when grades are low and academic goals are missed and our relationships sometimes we feel unloved or unappreciated in personal relationships we deal with social comp comparison feeling inadequate when we compare ourselves to somebody we ain't even met come on somebody health problems when you feel less capable due to chronic illness or mental health issues parenting how many parents are in the building raise your hand if you're a parent sometimes you feel like you're not good enough or you're good parent and you're struggling to meet your child's needs we deal with rejection not feeling good enough after being rejected from jobs relationships or social settings and sometimes we even have personal failures where we feel inadequate after falling failing to Achieve Personal goals but Morning Star Baptist Church I stand before you today to declare to you that the devil is a liar the devil is a liar and God is a man that he should not lie I come to prophetically declare amongst this place that you have everything you need in this season you know why because God does not called the equi he equips those that he's called so what this implies Morning Star is that you shouldn't want anything else or settle for anything less for the Bible says in the gospel of Matthew chapter 25:23 his lord said unto him well done good and faithful servant thou Hast been faithful help me preach it over a few things I will make thee a ruler over many things enter thou into the joy of the Lord Brothers and Sisters in Christ we ought to walk with God forence knowing that the Lord will supply all of our needs how do I apply it preacher we need to trust that God is going to help us with what we have my second point is the serpent on the pole in the Book of Numbers chap 21: 8-9 I'm giving you somebody say give me Bible I'm giving you Bible the Israelites were traveling through the desert after being freed from slavery in Egypt despite God's continuous help and miracles they often complained about the struggles how many times does God come through and show up and make a way out of nowhere and we still have an audacity to complain they were hungry God gave them bread they were thirsty God gave them water they said we ain't got enough everybody else got something else I just come on somebody I know I'm the only one that dealt with that in this part of the story they got impatient and they spoke against God and Moses and they complained about the lack of food and water and because of their rebellion and their lack of faith God disciplined his people by sending venomous snakes causing many Israelites to die some of the Israelites recognized that their suffering was a consequence of their sin so what did they do this is what I would do they asked somebody to intercede on our behalf I realized I this is a self-inflicted storm I'm in so could you please pray for me Pastor could you pray for me Bishop could you pray for me Apostle could you pray we no longer have to have atonement for our sins that veil was torn from top to bottom might I revealed from the holiest of holy the inner courts and the outer courts once Jesus died that veil was torn assembling all into one yeah so they asked they said Moses can you intercede uh with God to remove these snakes they hurting me they they bothering me Moses prayed to God and God responded because we serve a God that responds I am I being personal am being present we serve a God that if you seek you will find knock and you will answer ask and you will receive so he asked God and he responded with clear instructions on what to do this is what the Lord said this is Bible numbers 21: 8 it's on on the screen and the Lord said unto Moses make thee a fiery Serpent and set it upon a pole and it shall come to pass that everyone that is bitten when he lookth upon it shall live and Moses made a serpent of brass and put it upon a pole and when it came to pass that if a serpent had bitten any man when he beheld The Serpent of brass he lived God told Moses to make a bronze snake and put it on a pole anyone who was bitten could look at this bronze snake and be healed I'm walking through the scripture the bronze snake was a physical representation of God's power and his Mercy it was also an Act of Faith somebody say Act of Faith Act of Faith the Israelites needed to look to the bronze snake to be healed which required Faith this act showed their repentance and Trust in God's provision for their healing it was also symbolic I'm about to show you a parallel that's going to blow your mind the bronze snake on the pole symbolized both judgment and mercy the venomous snakes were a consequence of their sin but the bronze snake provided a way for their healing we see in the beginning of the scripture serpent was decep but we now seeoo I'm getting happy we now see Redemption from deception to Redemption deception to Redemption despite the Rebellion God provided a way despite the Rebellion God healed and restored them showing grace and mercy and this was foreshadowing salvation look at this cross the bronze snake prefigures Jesus's sacrifice on the cross where those who look to him in faith are saved from sin and spiritual death numbers 21: 8-9 emphasizes judgment repentance faith and divine mercy while also pointing to the ultimate salvation through Jesus Christ the bronze snake symbolizes God provision and healing and forgiveness again the serpent is mentioned this leads me to my third Point Jesus on the cross the Gospel of John 3:14 says it this way and as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness even so must the son of man be lifted up and as Moses lifted up the serpent this a different book of the Bible in the wilderness even so must the son of man be lifted up now this verse I love to give you context on just want to give you scripture without full understanding this verse is a is part of a late night conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus who was a Pharisee and a very influential Jewish leader Nicodemus came to Jesus to better understand more about his teachings and his miracles he had to have a one-on-one with Jesus like hold on wait a minute now I ain't never seen nobody like you where you from you from streetport huh you from coer old Jo Queensboro where he from right he came to Jesus like man what's going who are you and Jesus explained that to experience the kingdom of God one must be born again Nicodemus was confused by this what you mean I got to be born again you mean I got to go back to my mama and I gotta no that's not what he's implying so he was confused so Jesus mentioned a story where Moses lifted up a bronze snake on the pole to save the Israelites from venomous snake bites those who looked upward to the bronze snake would be healed according to numbers 21: 8 and9 and this is a parallel somebody say parallel parallel to Jesus Jesus explained that just as Moses lifted up the bronze serpent to heal the people he the S man must also be lifted up referring to his crucifixion and through him it would bring eternal life to those who believe in and for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever whoever shall believeth in them shall not perish but have everlasting life this foreshadows the cross Jesus was hinting at his upcoming crucifixion where he will be lifted up on the cross the AC of sacrifice will provide away for people to be saved from their sins similar to how the bronze snake provided a way for Israelites to be heal do y'all see the parallel okay y'all seeing it now it shows us faith and salvation the key message to this scripture is that faith in Jesus just like looking at the bronze snake is essential for salvation and eternal life so we see in the Gospel of John 3:14 it draws again a parallel between the Old Testament story of Moses and the bronze snake and Jesus's mission to bring Salvation through his crucifixion emphasizing the necessity of faith for Spiritual healing and eternal life Jesus is comparing himself to the serpent just like Jesus the bronze serpent underwent a process so before I got here to this church I did some research some inclusive research on how Moses went about constructing this bronze serpent on the pole can I tell you what I found Moses tackled the task with precision and focus first he melted the bronze until it was glowing hot yeah then carefully poured in into a detailed mold shaped like a serpent this mold was designed to capture every scale every curve of the snake ensuring that it would look realistic in every form but once the bronze snake cooled and solidified Moses removed the mold revealing the rough Serpent and then he then took his tools and meticulously refined the details chiseling and hammering bringing out the intricate scales of the eyes the fangs and making the serpent appear more lifelike are you following me next he heated the rod to make it more flexible enough to work with so we use tongues that's hot now Moses would like my mama cuz my mama whenever sometimes the food come out the oven she grab it with her bare hands same with my Grandmama you can see she be like don't touch that stove it's hot I'll touch it this hot but that she grab it like it's nothing see Moses understood that he needed tongues to handle the serpent so he positioned it against the heated rod and he began to wrap the bronze around it beating it with mallets to ensure that it fit snug he alternated between heating the bronze and the rod to keep it pliable allowing the serpent to coil tightly without cracking or losing its detail so during the process Moses cooled the I'm giving you instructions Moses cooled the bronze in water at strategic points to harden it and maintain its shape he smooth out any imperfections with files and fine chisels ensuring the Serpent's scales and features were detailed and Polished finally Moses polished the bronze serpent to a high shine I mean wax on wax off enhancing its gleaning Majestic appearance and the serpent now coiled firmly around the rod shown br Brantly symbolizing both God's judgment and his mercy and with the task complete Moses presented the bronze serpent on the rod ready to be a sign of divine intervention and healing for the Israelites now I got to be real can I be real see I'm from a Baptist Church too so I would be there for Easter and my pastor would say oh Friday they hung them high and stress them wi he was pissed in his side he was Nails in his arm oh but Friday night he L his head low and he died all Friday he was in the Tomb all Saturday yes sir but early see I can't run like that ear Sunday morning he got a you know what I mean that's what I'm used to and I'm sure there a lot of us that's or convinced the Gospel of Jesus Christ but can I go in detail can I give you the detailed gruesome version of how God went up to golgatha and faced the pain for us first of all Jesus had an anxiety attack Jesus was an early riser and he had gone without sleep for 36 hours his stress was so intense that he began to sweat blood this rare condition known as hematidrosis occurs when capillary blood vessels feeding the sweat glands ruptured due to extreme physical or emotional stress it's more than just hanging them high and stretching them wide In The Garden of Gethsemane just before his crucifixion Jesus experiences profound distress the Gospel of Luke written by The Physician describes the scene Luke 22:44 and being an anguish he prayed more earnestly and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground this passage reveals the depth of Jesus's Agony and the human fear he he was human while also being God it underscores the severity of his anxiety attack can I can I keep going then they gave mcon of thorns on his head let me give you a Bible John chapter 19:2 the soldiers wo a crown of thorns and put it on his head and they put a purple robe on him the Thorns were about 2 in long and they were about as sharp as ice piics and they were press deeply into a scalp I know I get my hair wash sometimes the Lady Nails be hurting me just by that but could you imagine 2 inch Thorn seeping into the scalp of Jesus I need everybody to do it just right now get your nail come on I I need 100% participation and do this just just press as hard as you can that ain't nothing that ain't nothing Jesus wore the crown of thorns and it caused intense bleeding from his head his hair had began matted with blood and some strands fell out due to the severe trauma the Thorns pierced through his skin reaching down to his skull leaving parts of his scalp exposed his eye was nearly swollen shut can you imagine Will Smith and hitched after that allergic reaction you remember that can you imag his eye was shut his eye was nearly swollen shut and his face was severely beaten covered in dry blood every part of his skin bore the marks of his suffering can I keep going I ain't done with y'all yet you better have time for me today he was a beaten the Bible says in 2 Corinthians 11: 24 five different times the Jewish leaders gave me 30 n lashes 2 Corinthians 11: 24 says for the Jews five times I received 40 Stripes minus one that's 39 one Stay With Me 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 woo Hallelujah 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 woo thank you Jesus 31 32 woo 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 the soldiers Whi Jesus with a cat N Tails a vicious tool of leather straps embedded with sharp objects yeah stripped naked and tied to a post he end door a third I need some water give me one second see I couldn't did what Jesus did boy I'm trying to I got asthma too oh God each strike cut deep it created wounds 2 inches long and 3/4 of an inch deep each last y'all saw me 39 of those I remember I used to just be pay crying when my Daddy hit me one time with the belt that was a belt leather can you imagine the catanine Tails 39 times the wound so severe they required 180 stitches to close the Relentless whipping tore his flesh from his buttocks up to his shoulders exposing muscles even his spine oh y'all didn't know that did you his back was shredded resembling the injuries of a severe burn victim with muscle and bone visible through the gaping wounds and the leather straps didn't just lash his back they wrapped around his body causing deep Cuts around his chest and sides the agony was unimaginable thank you Jesus the agonizing was so unimaginable leaving his bloody body a mangled mess barely recognizable Jesus lost a significant amount of blood though not enough to kill him instantly as the wounds were inflicted rapidly preventing immediate death from blood loss however the lip trauma was devastating as y'all stay with me as he hung on the cross later Birds would Peck at his open wounds I mean raw just open adding to the torment Scholars would suggest that after such beating with the catanine tails you would come out unrecognizable unrecognizable I see what you look like now but you wouldn't look like what you are yeah IM Matel didn't look like what he had went through he had went through so he was unrecognizable Jesus endured this unimaginable suffering and his body a horrific brutal ity inflicted upon him you thought that was bad then they hung him on the cross the nails driven into Jesus's wrist struck the median nerve causing excruciating pain let me take what that feel like it's like hitting a funny bone way worse a billion times worse sending intense agonizing shocks through his arms his feet were nailed between the metatarsal bones hitting the plantar nerves producing similar unbearable pain his feet were also strapped down to prevent any movement So Not only was he wounded but he couldn't move with his arms stretched this that part we arm stretched wide but let me give you detail with his arms stretched six to seven inches beyond the normal length his shoulders dislocated and his bones out of joint Jesus struggled to breathe there was no inhaler he struggled to breathe each breath required him to lift up his body using the little muscle remaining scraping his shredded back against the rough wood of the Cross he weeed he weeed suffocating on his own blood yet he still hung on thank you Jesus he had to push against the nails just to speak causing even more Agony as his nails dug into the wood his words were very few and brief each one causing him unimaginable pain yet he endured it all to communicate his final messages now this torment was relentless with every e every moment intensifying his suffering and despite the unbearable Agony Jesus hung on the cross and he was a testament of his sacrifice and the excruciating pain he bored but that wasn't all then he was dehydrated the Bible says in John 19:28 Jesus knew that his mission was now finished and to fulfill the scripture he said I am thirsty he said I only I just want something to drink can you give me some water something go in that Lake right there but no as Jesus hung on the cross his body was severely hydrated his brain signaled that his desperate need of water and the SE and a sign of extreme dehydration the loss of body water was sufficient without sufficient sodium led to dangerous imbalance water had been lost through his sweat through his breath and the immense physical trauma he endured I got eczema but his skin was parched way worse than mine worse his lips was dry there was no Vaseline agur bir bees whatever you call it the air he ex exhaled was hot and dry indicating how little moisture was left in his body his gastrointestinal tract has long stopped processing anything and his kidneys was struggling to function without the necessary hydration but in his final moments thank you Jesus when Jesus expressed his thirst the soldiers offered him a sponge in sour wine also known as vinegar now I got to take appleid of vinegar in the morning I couldn't imagine that being my last drink before I die I I got to I got to prepare myself one two right but could you imagine all he's asking for is something to drink and he's given vinegar the sour wine didn't quench nothing instead his thirst increased it burned his crackled lips and parched throat offering a spark contrast of the water he desperately needed but as Jesus endured unimaginable pain on the cross from the piercing nails to searing dehydration and every moment was a testament to his sacrifice I got to teach all that his suffering was not just physical but deeply emotional and spiritual despite the agony his mission was clear and his love for Humanity unwavering and this led to him declaring the ultimate purpose of his crucifixion and die if I be lifted up from the earth with draw all men unto me signifying what death he should die let me explain what I mean lift it up when Jesus says that he be lifted up he's talking about his crucifixion back then being lifted up on a cross was a way of executing criminals Jesus was sinless blameless he didn't he wasn't a criminal and he says drawing all people unto me Jesus is saying that through his death on the cross he will attract all people all over to himself his sacrifice would be for everybody in they mom them not just a select group Jesus's sacrifice on the cross was for everyone transcending all human barriers human distinction and division his love and Redemption extend to every person regardless of their actions beliefs backgrounds let me tell you who he died for people you don't like those who irritate us disagree with us live in ways we find objectionable his love covers even those we find the hardest to love people who try to act holy those who may seem self-righteous and hypoc critical whose actions might Mass their true selves Jesus's sacrifice is for them too offering Grace and genuine transformation our enemies those who have hurt us opposed us betrayed us and wish uses harm Jesus taught us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us embodying this command by dying for the Redemption as well our best friends those close to to us who support us who love on us who help us his sacrifice was for them and this is the part that I love he also died for those who were marginalized and forgotten those at Society often Overlook the poor the outcast the ones on the street scratching the neck begging for change he died for the oppressed Jesus's mission was to bring hope and salvation to those in the greatest need and by dying on the cross Jesus demonstrated that his love is unconditional and boundless without parameters encompassing that every human being would be saved his death is meant to bring people together look at us now offering salvation to everyone who believes in Him John chapter 12 highlights that Jesus's death on the cross is a pivotal event and a means to attract to save people from all backgrounds again I say for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever shall believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life it don't matter who you are it don't matter what car you drive it don't matter how big your house is it don't matter how many businesses you own it don't matter how you are what you look like or who you been with or who you dated or who you slept it don't matter your past and your future doesn't beat the present the foot of the cross hear me is on level ground which means that nobody is above or beneath Morning Star Baptist Church we all Sinners needing a savior Jesus endured a temporary wound and in return we receive Eternal benefit come on somebody on that cross he says it is finished the debt is paid the prophecy is complete we can now look back at the cross and be reminded of that Miracle the things we try to run away from and hide from like Moses ran from the serpent when he put it on the ground Jesus took all of that anome including our fear and nailed it to the Cross somebody say Josh give me Bible Colossians chapter 1 verse 14-1 17 Colossians chapter one there we go in whom we have Redemption through his blood even the Forgiveness of sins who is the image of the invisible God the firstborn of every creature for by him were all things created that are in heaven and that are in Earth visible and invisible whether they be Thrones or dominions or principalities or Powers all things were created by Him and for him and he is before all things and by him all things consist through Jesus's sacrifice we are red redeemed we are forgiven Jesus is a visible representation of the invisible God showing us what God is like this signifies Jesus's preeminence and authority over all creation not that he was created but he holds the highest rank I mean five six star general above who you think is in charge he's a creator of all and a sustainer of all what am I saying Jesus's sacrifice is the basis for our forgiveness and Redemption Jesus is above all creation holding the highest rank Jesus is the source and sustainer not just a sustainer but the sustainer of all life and creation so you ought to just take a few moments just to thank God for Jesus oh come on come on we serve a graceful God now I want to show you something that's going going to blow your mind you cannot Escape God and you also cannot escape the cross I want to show you a picture of three different emblems that we see each and every day three different emblems three different emblems it's G to blow your mind come on all these symbols whether it's a dollar sign representing Prosperity or the medical emblem symbolizing good health all of these emblems can trace back their origin back to the serpent on the rod from the Bible I mean think about it as long as we have wealth and health we might feel complete but the Bible says that we gain everything and lose our own soul we're truly lost God has embedded the cross in all these emblems as a reminder of his ultimate healing and salvation many rappers celebrities where these dollar sign chains without understanding its biblical roots from the book of numbers so when I see somebody said man that's a cold chain you got all like you know I said I get to that bag I get to that money man I'm Pockets you know say I said no that ain't what that mean partner some people were healed through that emblem that he instructed Moses to beat the y'all ain't hearing me they wear this where the serpent was lifted up on the pole and brought healing in your notes mentally or physically what good is an emblem if it doesn't have a relationship with the thing it [Applause] represents I'm not I ain't married but you can wear a wedding ring and not be married you can wear a wedding ring and be married and not be happy similarly you can wear a cross chain and not be Christian you can have a tattoo from your shoulder to your wrist for God little the world I could do all things through Christ and not be on fire for the Lord you can have on Facebook and post every day Jesus went to Calvary to save a wret like you and me that's yeah and not be fire baptized it's the relationship that gives meaning to the symbol not the symbol itself allow me to explain somebody say Josh give me Bible okay second Kings chapter 18 verses four 1 through 4 thank you so much for those in the media team we want to give God praise for you now it came to pass and in the third year of HOSA son of Eli king of Israel that Hezekiah the son of ahaz King of Judah began to Reign 20 and5 years old was he when it began to Reign and he reigned 20 and9 years in Jerusalem his mother's name also was Abbi the daughter of Zachariah and he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord according to all that David his father did watch this he removed the high places and break the images and cut down the Groves and break in pieces watch me hear me and break in pieces the brassen serpent that Moses had made for un the days the children of Israel did burn incense to it and it called it nusen why did he break the serpent I thought this is supposed to represent healing and S why he broke the serpent because it was a prop or an image that had been set up it was an idol righteous leadership was displayed through this passage of scripture Hezekiah was determined to do what was right in God's eyes much like King David he sought to bring Judah back to true worship with God in spirit and in truth Hezekiah took bold steps to remove idolatry from Judah he tore down the high places where people worshiped other lowercase Gods smashed The Sacred Stones and cut down the aeroles which were used in Pagan worship the bronze serpent that Moses had made in the wilderness which once served as a symbol of God's healing had became an idol yeah people were burning incense to it treated it as a lowercase God Hezekiah called it nootin meaning a piece of bronze to remind people that it was just a manmade object and not to be worshiped hezekiah's action show us the importance of staying true to one's faith and eliminating practices that lead people away from God Hezekiah wasn't afraid to go against popular belief he wasn't afraid to get canceled he wasn't afraid of being unfollowed he wasn't afraid of hurting anybody feelings he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord now let me ask you a question are you doing what's right in the eyes of the Lord are you peop pleasing or are you God pleasing I need you to ask yourself I need to do this but nobody doing it I want to declare the truth that Jesus is the way the truth and the life but I got too many Muslim friends I don't want to lose followers I don't want to I don't want to be opposed in this cloes are you doing what is right in the eyes of the Lord or are you too busy pleasing people by destroying the bronze serpent Hezekiah redirected people's Focus from idol worship to genuine worship to God in the past people had worshiped objects turning the serpent into the pole their God they focus on this thing rather than building a true relationship with Jesus Christ today the question remains for us church have we allowed objects or symbols to take place of a genuine relationship with Jesus it's not about going home and breaking crosses or throwing away religious items instead ask yourself do you truly have a relationship ship with Jesus you can play softly play softly we all know someone with Incredible faith maybe it's your grandmother right who prayed for you daily or a close friend who stands by you or a spouse whose relationship with Jesus inspires you or even your pastor while their faith can encourage you it won't get you into heaven salvation is a personal Journey that requires your own relationship with Jesus Christ Romans 10 verse chap 10:9 says if you declare with your mouth Jesus is Lord if you declare with your mouth Jesus is Lord not if your grandmother or your grandfather or your father or your mother or your brother or your sister declare if you declare with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved you can't rely on somebody else's Faith to secure your place in heaven just like you can't enter a concert with somebody ticket that ain't yours you need your own personal life with Jesus you need your own personal faith with Jesus you need to have your own prayer life you need to go in your closet and Worship the Lord you need to do it on your own stop relying on people to get you into heaven so reflect on your spiritual journey do I have a personal relationship with Jesus if you're if you're leaning on the faith of others now is the time to change that Jesus a direct intimate relationship with you turn that one day into day one of your personal walk with Christ open your heart to him invite him into your life and start building that relationship today your journey to Heaven starts with your own faith make it personal make it real and make it now now the key is having a relation reltionship with the one these symbols represent it's perfectly fine to have things as long as those things don't have you our challenge is to work towards a deep meaningful relationship with Jesus Christ This Means getting rid of Idols false gods man-made statues the patterns of the world and temporary images that distract us from him remember the story of the Three Hebrew boys who refus to bow down to King Nebuchadnezzar's gold statue and despite the pressure of around them despite the opposition they face despite the heat of adversity they stood on business they stood firm in their faith tell your neighbor stand on business we too face the pressure of the world to worship images Idols conform to different ideologies that go against the will of God but we don't have to give in can I tell you the truth you can call on Buddha for teachings and mindfulness and Enlightenment you can call call on Prophet Muhammad for principles and laws to guide you through life you can call on Allah a words about submission and devotion but none of these can compare to the transformative power the boundless Grace and everlasting love found in Jesus Christ in the Gospel of John 14:6 Jesus himself said I am the way the truth and the life no one comes to the father except through me this isn't just a statement it's the core to our faith Jesus isn't one of many ways he's the only way come on somebody he's the only path to eternal life and the only source of true Redemption Philippians chapter 2 I'm giving y Bible chap chapter 2 verse 9 through 11 therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow [Applause] every tongue must confess in heaven and on Earth under the Earth and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of the God the Father his name is above every name and his power is unmatched for God before me who could be against me Acts 4:12 says salvation is found in no one else hear me salvation is found in no one else nothing else for there is no other name under Heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved Jesus is the way the truth and the light and people when get I mean brothers and sisters Christ I'm talking like I'm talking to my brothers when you're tempted to idolize something other than God let's choose to strengthen our relationship with him instead so I urge you today don't put your faith in philosophies ideologies or figures that cannot save put your trust in Jesus the one true Living [Music] God he's calling you to come to him to experience his love his forgiveness and his transformative power Church Revival is coming the Kingdom of Heaven is near this is a wakeup call for all of us to rise from our spiritual Slumber repent of our sins and strengthen our relationship with Jesus Christ we have grown so comfortable with our sin that is hardly recogniz we don't recognize it anymore we celebrate sin and despise the truth look around us we celebrate sin and despise the truth Society is turning to crystals terot cards zodiac signs and modern day witchcraft for guidance and protection we have neglected the Creator and started worshiping the creation it's time to break free from these chains Jesus began his ministry with a powerful proclamation in the gospel of Matthew 4:1 17 he says repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand this is a call to repentance and it is just as relevant today as it was over 2,000 years ago God is calling us to turn away from our sins and turn toward him with all of our hearts all of our mind all of our body and all of our soul we need to be brutally brutally honest with ourselves how often have we replaced god with Idols ask yourself am I right standing with Jesus when that bus comes and am I going to miss it I I want you to be real I don't care who you came with Mama Girlfriend husband wife brother daughter son this about you am I in right standing with Jesus have I allowed anything to come between me and my savior have I sought the wisdom of the world over the wisdom of God the Bible tells us in 1 John chap 1 verse 9 that we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness this Pro This Promise is for everyone like I said regardless of your age or your background God's love and forgiveness are available to all those who come to him with a repentant heart the Bible declares true repentance comes from Godly sorrow not worldly sorrow a lot of us repent and ask God for forgiveness because we made somebody mad we lost some friends they canceled us on social media ask what you call worldly sorrow but the Bible declares that Godly sorrow leads to True repentance father I have lived a life that's not been pleasing to you father I have allowed this thing to become my God I put my attention in this thing more than I put my attention in the scriptures I prayed to lowercase gods in in in my process more than I prayed to Capital gods in my distress God I'm going through and I need you make it meaningful repent because you making God upset church it's time to turn back to God with everything we got let's stop celebrating sin and start celebrating the truth of God's word the Bible warns us in Romans chapter 1:25 the Bible don't make too many warnings but this is one of them they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator who is forever praised that's Romans 1:25 Revival starts with each and every one of us it's a personal Awakening a fresh start a renewed passion for God it requires honesty and humility sometimes you got to put that pride aside and I'm talking to all my ministers too just because you preach the word of God do you have a relationship with the one that you serve you stand before but do you have a relationship or is it more just for selfless selfish desires being a preacher won't get you into heaven if anything you going to be challenged and judged a lot more a lot more I'm speaking to every evangelist everybody in the fivefold Apostle Bishop Prophet whomever you may cry Lord Lord but ain't going to be good when you stand before the throne and say I ain't know you and the reason he allowed his name to succeed is because in the name of Jesus he will not let it fail so we can use you but don't allow just your pride or your position or the places of the people that you know to keep you out of Heaven your money not going to get you into heaven your connections ain't going to get you into heaven your relationship and your earnesty and your diligently seeking Christ with humility it what's going to get you into heaven it doesn't matter how young or old you are Revival is for everybody so I want to extend an invitation to anyone who has not yet made that decision to follow Jesus maybe you've been feeling a tug at your heart or perhaps you're hearing a message for the very first time if you are ready to make that decision today listen I pray that you have been blessed by this word today that God has blessed you with what you've heard but I pray that you not only react but you be prepared to act even today to say yes to his will yes to his word yes to his way to make a decision for Jesus Christ God loves you has a plan for your life and our plan and our hope and prayer is that his plan for your life is one you'll accept that you simply will confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart God raised him from the dead the Bible says you shall be saved so today we want you to know that salvation is available to you even now and even today you can go on our website and and let us know about your decision you can come and join us in person at 8:00 a.m. or 11:00 a.m. whichever time works for you we're here uh at 5340 Della to meet you so you're welcome to come at any time and listen let me say to those of you who have decided to join us in giving you're not only a person who is consuming the word of God but you're contributing to the work of God and the kingdom building of God we want to say thank you for your generosity for your commitment to tithing for your sharing and your offering thank you so much for the decision you've made to partner with us as a kingdom partnership to advance the agenda of God here on this side and so we just want to say thank you we invite you to continue to watch us here in the same place at the same time next week God bless you we're praying that he will bless and cover your week as you go along your way please remember you're loved and appreciated