Dr. Jamal H. Bryant – THE BLIND LEADING THE BLIND – Sunday 16, April 2023
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00:00 We're grateful for all of you who are joining us online this morning.
00:15 Appreciative for all of you who are here in person.
00:19 Matthew 20 verse 30.
00:25 Matthew chapter 20 verse 30.
00:28 Let's read it together with uplifted voices.
00:31 Two men were sitting by the roadside when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted,
00:37 "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us."
00:41 Let's read it again with a little bit more vim, vigor, and vitality.
00:45 Come on, everybody.
00:46 Two blind men were sitting by the roadside.
00:58 We're going to read it the third time.
01:00 Y'all got to put a little sauce on it, y'all.
01:02 Y'all sound kind of bland this morning.
01:04 Switch from AM to FM.
01:06 Come on, everybody.
01:07 Declare it out loud.
01:09 And behold, two blind men were sitting by the roadside when they heard that Jesus was
01:30 going by.
01:32 They shouted, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us."
01:38 I want to preach for a little while today using as a subject, the blind leading the
01:43 blind.
01:44 The blind leading the blind.
01:50 Look at the person beside you and say to them, "Be careful who you let lead you."
01:53 The blind leading the blind.
02:04 Long before there was Amtrak, there was the Underground Railroad.
02:10 It made 19 trips from the south and offloaded over 300 slaves into the north where they
02:19 would have a greater access to freedom.
02:23 The conductor was a small little woman named Harriet Tubman, born in 1819 in Dorchester
02:32 County, Maryland.
02:35 She was raised in abject poverty and subhuman conditions.
02:42 In pubescence, she suffered a tragic accident that left her with concussions that prompted
02:51 visions, a fracture that manufactured dreams.
02:58 And she acquired an impediment that disrupted sight in her left eye.
03:07 Aside from her stature and her color, the fact that she escorted so many out of oppression
03:16 with only one eye working is nothing short of astounding.
03:23 Helen Keller once said, "The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision."
03:30 Our own Dr. Carrie went viral last week on the Dear Future Wife podcast when she said,
03:40 "A woman can only thrive when a man lends clarity because she has to see where he's
03:48 leading her."
03:49 If a blind woman could emancipate hundreds, it makes you wonder sometimes, "Who was I
04:04 connected to that led me to the dead end I'm in right now?"
04:11 It's as if you are a blind man in a dark alley looking for a black cat.
04:17 Somebody's got to help you get out of it because you feel like in this moment you're in a blind
04:24 spot.
04:27 When Jesus said in Matthew 15 verse number 14, "Let them alone.
04:33 They are blind leaders of the blind and if the blind lead the blind, they both will fall
04:41 in a ditch."
04:44 Notice if you will that he said this five chapters before we get to our text in Matthew
04:52 20 where we find two blind men are sitting by the roadside.
05:00 This is in contrast to what the crowd is doing because the crowd is moving but the blind
05:06 men are sitting still.
05:10 God I admonish you this morning but until you get a vision for the direction of your
05:16 life, have several seats.
05:21 While everybody else is going to the mall, you need to map out the next steps of your
05:27 life.
05:28 When they turning up in the club, sit down and etch a sketch how you going to plan to
05:34 be successful.
05:37 You don't need to take trips if your career is on cruise control.
05:43 Look at the person beside you, tell them just sit down somewhere.
05:47 Sit down somewhere and make a plan on how you going to get out of debt.
05:52 Sit down somewhere and figure out how you going to finally start this business.
05:58 Sit down somewhere and finish writing the book that you know is inside of you.
06:03 Sit down somewhere when all you need is 16 credit hours for you to finally graduate.
06:10 Sit down somewhere.
06:11 You don't need to be under somebody to get over somebody.
06:15 Sit down somewhere.
06:20 There is power in agreement.
06:25 There's power in agreement and between Matthew 15 where Jesus warns about the blind leading
06:31 the blind and Matthew 20 where we find two blind men sitting by the roadside is Matthew
06:39 18 that says when two or three are gathered together in my name, there I shall be also.
06:49 Random factoid that I'm not sure you are apprised of, Steve Wonder met Ray Charles when he was
06:56 11 years old.
06:58 Listened to him on the radio for countless hours and had no idea, Stevie Wonder didn't,
07:04 he had no idea that Ray Charles shared his same circumstance.
07:11 He was so enamored that Stevie Wonder's first album is entitled Dear Uncle Ray, a tribute
07:20 to Ray Charles.
07:22 Stevie was born blind, but Ray Charles became blind and because Stevie Wonder was born blind
07:32 and Ray Charles became blind, they were on two separate paths.
07:39 One wanted to see again and the other wanted to see for the first time.
07:47 I don't know where you got the notion that you can only connect with people who want
07:53 the same thing.
07:56 You don't have to connect with people who want the same thing, you just have to connect
08:01 with people who want it as bad as you.
08:07 And I text in Matthew chapter 20, I'm not sure how these two men escaped from the school
08:15 of the blind, but they were determined that on this day they were going to see something.
08:24 The Venetian cartoon characters that I used to watch on Saturday morning, the Wonder Twins,
08:30 are fraternal.
08:32 They didn't look alike as one was a boy and the other is a girl.
08:38 They would touch hands and say, "Wonder Twins activate."
08:45 Form of, whatever it is that they spoke what they wanted to be.
08:50 Sam, who was the brother, would turn into some form of water and Jaina, his sister,
08:57 would turn into an animal.
09:00 Ladies and gentlemen, they understood the power of agreement even if they were not agreeing
09:06 for the same thing.
09:09 I want you, if you'll indulge me, would you just take the person by the hand who you were
09:13 sitting beside today, would you take them by the hand and those of you who are online,
09:18 I'm coming into agreement with you.
09:20 Shake that hand and say, "I come into agreement for whatever you see yourself accomplishing."
09:29 Come on, shake that hand, tell them, "I come into agreement for whatever it is that you
09:34 have prayed for."
09:37 Come on, say it out loud, "I come into agreement for what you want your life to look like."
09:44 The Bible says if two or three will touch and agree, it is getting ready to take place.
09:52 I need you to exercise a level of selflessness.
09:56 Would you shout for whoever you just came into agreement with?
10:02 They saw themselves dead free.
10:07 They see themselves graduating.
10:10 They see their business coming to them off the ground.
10:15 They see themselves flowing in the gift of the Spirit.
10:19 I don't need you to shout for yourself.
10:22 Shout for who you came into agreement with, that they will see God come into full manifestation.
10:31 The text says, the text says, hear this, that they heard Jesus passing by.
10:43 Research has shown that people who are blind often have a nuanced sense of hearing.
10:52 The University of Washington, after performing massive MRIs, concluded that the auditory
10:59 function is elevated because the visual information is not available.
11:06 My hearing is better when I can't see.
11:11 Sometimes you have to live off of what God told you because you haven't seen anything.
11:20 Mind you, these two blind men who are sitting by the road, they never heard Jesus.
11:27 Never heard his voice, never heard him teach, never heard him preach.
11:30 They just heard about him.
11:34 I shudder to my core on how many people haven't gotten to God because they never heard you
11:43 talk about him.
11:45 80% of the people on your job don't know that you're saved.
11:50 The people who live in your cul-de-sac, in your apartment complex, have no idea you have
11:56 a relationship with God because they never heard you talk about him.
12:01 There is a rumor that is getting ready to spread.
12:06 The rumor that's getting ready to spread is about how great God is.
12:12 I need you to think about everything you discussed this week, everything you talked about this
12:16 week, everything you text this week, and ask yourself what percentage of it was about God.
12:25 Nobody is going to find out about God today just because they heard your conversation.
12:31 The old big mamas used to say, "Have you heard about Jesus?
12:35 Have you tried him for yourself?"
12:38 Would you do me a favor just for those who were in your immediate vicinity, would you
12:42 just start telling people about how good God's been to you?
12:46 Come on, tell them how he's made a way out of no way.
12:49 Tell them how he's been better to you than you've been to yourself.
12:53 Tell them how he was a banker when you were broke, how he was a doctor when you were sick,
12:59 how he was a friend when you didn't have anybody, how he was a wheel in the middle of a wheel,
13:06 how he was bread when you were hungry, how he was a comforter when you were depressed.
13:12 Have you heard about Jesus?
13:15 Look at the person beside you and say, "Don't make me talk about him because when I start
13:21 talking about him, chains start breaking, doors start opening, devils start dying.
13:30 Don't make me start talking about him.
13:32 Bills start getting paid, scholarships start arriving, opportunities start being offered.
13:41 Don't make me start talking about him."
13:44 If you don't know what to say, I dare you to just say his name.
13:49 Come on, somebody say his name.
13:51 Come on, I dare you to say his name.
13:53 Come on, would you just shout his name.
13:56 There is a name that is above every name and at the name of Jesus, every knee must bow,
14:08 every tongue must confess.
14:12 Hallelujah.
14:14 Hallelujah.
14:16 Hallelujah.
14:18 Hallelujah.
14:20 Hallelujah.
14:22 I dare you to just shout his name again.
14:25 Something is getting ready to happen in your household.
14:29 Say his name again.
14:31 Families are about to be healed.
14:34 Say his name again.
14:36 Somebody is coming off of drugs.
14:39 Somebody is going to escape abuse.
14:42 Say his name again.
14:45 And two blind men heard that he was coming.
14:58 They heard he was coming.
14:59 I need you to hear this.
15:00 They did not hear him.
15:04 They just heard he was coming.
15:07 Hallelujah.
15:08 I wonder how you would respond if what you needed was coming.
15:16 Would you whisper or would you holler?
15:21 I need you to look at your neighbor and tell him everything you need for your family is on the way.
15:30 Everything you need to pay your bills is on the way.
15:36 Everything your son and your daughter are in need of is on the way.
15:42 Hallelujah.
15:43 Y'all ain't responding right.
15:45 The two blind men, when they heard that he was coming, they began to scream.
15:52 I want to make an announcement in this room.
15:55 It's coming.
15:56 It's coming.
15:57 It's coming.
15:58 It's coming.
15:59 It's coming.
16:00 It's coming.
16:01 If you don't need nothing, don't say nothing.
16:04 But if you know what I need, it's about to arrive.
16:09 It's coming.
16:10 It's coming.
16:11 It's coming.
16:13 Hallelujah.
16:15 Hallelujah.
16:17 You may be seated.
16:19 Oh my God.
16:21 Hey.
16:22 Hallelujah.
16:24 You may be seated.
16:25 Thank you, holy God.
16:27 I'm trying not to take off running.
16:30 I'm trying not to cry.
16:32 But I dare you to just pull on that neighbor and tell him whatever you've been living without.
16:39 If you scream again, it's coming in 72 hours.
16:44 If you lift up your voice, it's going to arrive on your doorstep in seconds.
16:52 Hallelujah.
16:55 Hallelujah.
16:57 It's coming.
16:59 You may be seated.
17:02 Hallelujah.
17:04 You may be seated.
17:06 Hallelujah.
17:08 It's coming.
17:11 It's coming.
17:14 It's coming.
17:16 Y'all ain't saying nothing to me.
17:18 I said it's coming.
17:20 They that wait upon the Lord.
17:22 It's coming.
17:24 Be not weary in well doing.
17:27 It's coming.
17:29 Hallelujah.
17:31 Hallelujah.
17:33 Hi y'all.
17:35 Hallelujah.
17:37 Somebody just shout out loud, it's coming.
17:43 You may be seated.
17:51 This week.
17:54 Oh my God.
18:02 You better pull them out of that coma.
18:05 I dare you to just pull on that neighbor till they can't sit still.
18:09 And say, did you hear what my pastor just told you?
18:12 It's coming.
18:14 Hallelujah.
18:15 Everything you need.
18:17 Everything your enemies thought you would never have.
18:21 Everything your family underestimated.
18:24 It's coming.
18:31 This week.
18:35 This week in Tennessee.
18:40 Brother Justin Pearson was pulled out of the state house.
18:46 And a few days later he was reinstated.
18:51 When he got reinstated and walked back into the state house in the presence of the people who thought they had the power to take it away from him.
19:02 Children and adults in the gallery started screaming.
19:07 Because they knew they finally had a voice.
19:11 That would speak against gun violence and against the robbery of democracy.
19:16 Now they screamed, watch this, for a state representative.
19:21 But I serve the King of Kings.
19:25 The Lord of Lords.
19:27 He's not a president.
19:28 He ain't a congressman.
19:29 He's not a city council.
19:31 He is the Lord of my life.
19:34 Some of y'all ain't been to church in a while.
19:37 Praise, give and honor to God.
19:39 Who is the head of my life.
19:43 Would you give God glory?
19:45 Just 'cause you know you got a voice that sits on the right hand of the Lord.
19:53 They screamed.
19:55 Hallelujah.
19:56 They screamed because they heard him coming.
20:01 I need you to hear what these two blind men screamed.
20:05 They screamed because they knew their circumstance was about to change.
20:09 That their condition was getting ready to change.
20:13 I want you to lift up both of those hands and just declare aloud, Lord have mercy on me.
20:21 Hallelujah.
20:24 Come on, would you say it again, Lord have mercy on me.
20:30 Come on, I need you to humble yourself.
20:32 Declare it out loud, Lord have mercy on me.
20:37 Pastor, why am I screaming that I'm screaming that?
20:39 Because I know what I'm asking him for I don't deserve.
20:44 I know I messed up.
20:45 I know I've fallen short of his word.
20:48 I know I've done scuffed my own shoes.
20:50 But Lord have mercy on me.
20:54 Some of you can't worship because you think you are entitled.
20:58 I need you to know that white privilege is not always a color.
21:03 There are those of you who think you deserve to be blessed.
21:07 But those of you who know I sin daily, by thought, by word, by deed, that the wages of sin is death.
21:16 But the gift of God is eternal life.
21:19 Would you shout again, Lord have mercy.
21:26 Have mercy on me.
21:29 You may be seated.
21:31 And they begin screaming it repeatedly.
21:35 Have mercy upon us.
21:38 Have mercy upon us.
21:41 Have mercy upon us.
21:44 But I need to see something.
21:46 Have mercy upon us.
21:49 I've been living in the dark too long.
21:52 Have mercy on us.
21:55 Lord I ain't screaming just for me because if it was just me I wouldn't have to scream that loud.
22:00 I'm screaming for who's sitting next to me.
22:03 Because I want them to get blessed just like I'm getting ready to get blessed.
22:08 Have mercy on me.
22:10 If the folk next to you ain't shouting don't sit next to them another Sunday.
22:15 Sit next to somebody that want to see you blessed just like them.
22:20 Sit next to somebody who is not threatened by your level of favor.
22:25 Somebody scream for your role.
22:27 Have mercy on me.
22:33 Have mercy on me.
22:35 And what I need you to know is that when they started screaming have mercy on me, the saints got irritated.
22:44 They got annoyed.
22:46 And they told the two blind men be quiet.
22:50 You don't take all of that.
22:52 You're causing too much commotion, too much palaver, too much calamity.
22:57 I need you to be quiet.
23:00 See what the disciples thought, they thought because they had a condition that they were chumps.
23:08 They thought because they had an issue that they could be intimidated.
23:12 But I need you to recognize the spirit of these two blind men.
23:17 Is that the people who were telling them to shut up were people who already had sight.
23:23 Oh y'all ain't saying nothing.
23:26 So the reason why you don't understand why I scream the way I scream is because you don't need what I need.
23:34 But if you needed what I needed, you would understand why I scream the way I do.
23:42 If you need something from God and you ain't gonna let nobody intimidate you, open up your mouth like Lord if I ever needed you before.
23:59 Jesus is passing by.
24:04 And mind you, because they're blind, they can't see him.
24:09 They just hear that he's coming.
24:12 And because they hear that he's coming, they start screaming, "Son of David, have mercy on us."
24:20 And I want you to pay attention to something that happens in the text that really has helped me hostage for the last couple of days.
24:28 Is that they're screaming, but watch what Matthew chapter 20 says.
24:32 Matthew 20 says, "Is that while they are screaming, Jesus stands still."
24:41 I wonder what kind of praise does it take to make the master stop moving.
24:48 While on others thou art calling.
24:52 Please don't pass me by.
24:55 I know God gotta do some stuff all over the world, but today I need him to come to my house.
25:02 Look at the person beside you and say, "Please excuse me."
25:06 But I'm trying to get God's attention.
25:09 This is my opportunity because I can't go another week feeling like I did last week.
25:18 I need God to do something before Monday gets here.
25:23 Would you put a praise in God's face until he's got to stop moving?
25:35 He's gotta stop moving because that's how much authority is in my worship.
25:43 How much of you to be seated? I gotta show you something that's so pertinent, so important, so valuable.
25:49 Would you be seated if you want?
25:53 If you feel like it, I ask nicely.
26:00 And I need you to hear this, they screamed not for a car.
26:07 They screamed not for a house.
26:10 They screamed not for a job. I need you to hear me and hear me well.
26:13 They screamed because they wanted to see something.
26:19 Oh my God. When I open up my mouth, I am putting a mandate on heaven.
26:26 God, show me something that I have never seen before.
26:31 Show me what your plan is for my life.
26:35 Show me that you're going to do something for me and my child.
26:44 Says I want to see something.
26:49 I'm almost finished, but I need you to take that neighbor by the hand if you're uncomfortable.
26:55 You chose that seat.
26:59 I didn't make you sit next to them.
27:05 I told you before, it bears repeating today.
27:09 Says the person in whom you are connected to does not need to want the same thing.
27:18 They just want it, need to want it as bad as you.
27:23 The Bible says something that I wanted to express to you today. Says watch this, because they both screamed.
27:31 He restored sight to both of them.
27:36 One of them was born blind. The other one became blind.
27:41 But no matter what their situation was, because they shouted together, they got blessed together.
27:48 God, I got the slow class right through here.
27:51 God said, when you open up your mouth this last time, I'm not going to just do it for you.
27:58 I'm going to do it for whoever you're connected to.
28:02 As long as they want it as bad as you do.
28:07 Would you open up your mouth?
28:10 God, show me something.
28:13 Show me your glory.
28:15 Show me your power.
28:18 Show me dominion.
28:20 Show me authority.
28:22 Show me something.
28:34 And for the last time, the last time I have to do my homiletic due diligence.
28:46 Because most times when you've heard this passage preached or taught, that this is the end of the sermon.
28:55 That they both recovered their sight.
29:00 And Lord, this is where people come up in euphoria and jubilation.
29:07 That they recovered their sight.
29:13 And I want to press my claim today that that is not the real essence of the story.
29:21 Because the next verse says something that I wanted you to see.
29:25 Is that once they got their sight, I need you to see what happens.
29:29 Once they received their sight, here it is, they followed Jesus.
29:37 And you've never paid attention to it.
29:45 And I wanted to issue an apology to you that you had absolutely no idea about.
29:52 Is that God restored their sight.
29:56 Watch this.
29:57 And then the two of them followed Jesus.
30:01 They had been born blind, went through issues and vicissitudes of life that made them blind.
30:09 They screamed, they hollered for a miracle and for restoration and God bestowed it upon them.
30:15 Watch this.
30:16 And then they followed him.
30:19 Pastor, I'm lost.
30:22 I got no idea what you're telling me.
30:25 The two blind men or previous blind men followed Jesus.
30:31 Hear this.
30:32 And Jesus never told them where they were going.
30:39 They had to follow God blindly.
30:46 I think I lost you.
30:48 When you trust God and there's a call on your life, you got no idea where he's going to take you.
30:59 But you got to make up in your mind, Lord guide my feet.
31:07 Now, I wish I could be finished right here.
31:12 But I got to tell you what no pastor has ever told you before.
31:16 No preacher has ever proclaimed over you before.
31:20 But to follow God is to be willfully blind.
31:28 I got no idea where I'm going to be in September.
31:34 I done thrown away my five year plan.
31:38 Because God keeps redirecting my steps.
31:43 But I trust him even when I can't see what he's got for my life.
31:50 This is not where you would have chosen to be.
31:56 But you messed around and surrendered your will to his plan.
32:00 Y'all ain't saying nothing.
32:02 And you ought to thank God I've had some bumps in the road.
32:06 But I'm still following him.
32:09 My time is almost over but there are a few of us in this room who are following God and have no idea what the finish line looks like.
32:19 The race isn't given to the swift nor to the strong.
32:25 But to those who endure to the end.
32:28 I'll go with him.
32:32 I'll go with him.
32:34 I'll go with him where he leads me.
32:38 I will follow.
32:41 And I'll go with him.
32:45 I want you to take that neighbor's hand.
32:48 I got to show you something that I am afraid you missed.
32:52 They both followed him and never get their name called.
33:03 They both follow him and never get recognized.
33:09 Let's get ready to be a sound of worship on behalf of the person whose hand you're holding.
33:15 Not for anything material, not for anything tangible.
33:19 But you're getting ready to worship God, watch this, at a decibel that will penetrate the ear of the adversary.
33:28 That God is getting ready to give clear confirmation for the person whose hand you're holding.
33:35 About where they're getting ready to go next in their life.
33:39 That God is getting ready to make it undeniably clear that their next steps have already been ordered.
33:48 I can't hear anybody that they're getting ready to come out of their dark season.
33:53 But they're getting ready to walk into the wondrous light.
33:57 If you don't have somebody who will scream for your direction, drop their hand.
34:03 But I need you to open up your mouth.
34:07 Come on, I can't hear you.
34:09 Open up your mouth.
34:12 Lead me.
34:15 Guide me.
34:18 Along the way.
34:21 Lord, if you lead me.
34:26 Come on, hallelujah.
34:29 Come on, pull on that neighbor's hand.
34:32 God, show me where I'm supposed to go.
34:35 Show me what I'm supposed to be doing.
34:38 Show me what opportunity is best.
34:42 Show me who really is not for me.
34:46 God, I wish I would get off of that brake and press the gas.
34:50 God said, if you give me glory again,
34:53 I'm going to give you a vision for your children.
34:56 I can't hear nobody.
34:58 He said, if you open up your mouth,
35:01 I'm going to give you a vision for your niece and for your nephew.
35:06 If you cry out unto me, I'm going to give you a vision.
35:14 Whoever's hand you're holding, I want you to lift that hand.
35:19 [MUSIC PLAYING]
35:22 I just need 1,500 people to shout out loud, show me something.
35:36 [MUSIC PLAYING]
35:39 [CROWD SHOUTING]
35:42 Speak over every lifted hand that God will make your next steps elucidly clear.
36:01 I pray that God will put somebody in your life who will walk with you when you can't find your way.
36:12 I pray that God will put on your life what you need to walk people out of a dark situation.
36:23 And those of you who know that the storm is passing over, that the morning light is about to appear,
36:32 that weeping may endure for a night, but joy has come this morning.
36:39 Come on, y'all don't know when to shout.
36:42 I want you to praise him for what you are about to see.
36:47 Come on, I can't hear you.
36:49 I said open up your mouth for what you are about.
36:55 Oh, y'all act like you ain't going to see nothing.
36:58 I've never seen the righteous forsaken.
37:02 I've never seen the seed begging for bread for what you are about to see.
37:10 [MUSIC PLAYING]
37:17 I want you to do something for me.
37:19 How many of you operate at such a level of faith that you believe in God is going to give your best friend a vision?
37:30 Come on, I can't hear nobody.
37:33 How many of you, I need you to really go crazy.
37:36 Would you give God glory that the people you care about will finally see themselves better?
37:46 Everybody don't need this screen, but I want you to praise God that you believe your children will see their own potential.
37:55 They'll see their own ability.
37:58 They'll see the gift of God that's in them.
38:02 One last time, I want you to shout like you know the devil sees.
38:08 He better not mess with me.
38:10 That the anointing of God--
38:13 Come on, open up your mouth. The anointing of God.
38:18 [MUSIC PLAYING]
38:21 I pray that God will touch your vision, that he will not do it in isolation, in silo, but that God will do it in group dynamics.
38:34 Here's what I want you to do.
38:35 Every person who's in this room, I'm getting ready to create a traffic jam.
38:39 Every person in this room who's believing by faith, not just that the vision for your life will be clear,
38:47 but the vision for your friend's life will become clear.
38:52 Would you do me a favor, please?
38:54 I want you to interrupt every aisle, every section.
38:57 I want you to embrace two people who you don't know and just speak over their life.
39:01 You are about to see it.
39:03 You are about to see it.
39:05 Come on, embrace them.
39:06 Tell them you're about to see it.
39:09 You are about to see it.
39:15 You are about to see it.
39:21 You are about to see it.
39:34 Come on, wave that hand, everybody.
39:36 You are about to see it.
39:38 You are about to see it.
39:41 Come on, everybody, you are.
39:44 You are about to see it.
39:47 You are about to see it.
39:52 Make it personal.
39:54 I'm about to see it.
39:55 Come on, everybody.
39:56 I'm about to see it.
40:03 I'm about to see it.
40:05 Come on, I need to hear it real big in the house.
40:08 Everybody, I'm about to see it.
40:12 I'm about to see it.
40:17 Come on, point at somebody around you.
40:20 Tell them you're about to.
40:22 You're about to see it.
40:25 You are about to see it.
40:30 Come on, find one last person in another section.
40:33 Tell them you're about to see it.
40:37 You are about to see it.
40:43 One last time, you're about to see it.
40:46 You are about to see it.
40:50 You're about to see it.
40:55 Come on, clap your hands right where you are.
40:58 Clap your hands if you know you're about to see it.
41:02 Do you know how scary it's got to be?
41:12 How scary, how terrifying it has to be
41:15 to be blind in a crowd of 5,000.
41:21 People are moving all around you.
41:23 You're hearing all kinds of different sounds.
41:25 People are bumping into you.
41:27 Never apologizing, never excusing themselves.
41:29 How overwhelming it must be.
41:32 But they found comfort, the blind men did.
41:35 They found comfort in knowing I'm not doing it by myself.
41:39 Somebody else is standing with me.
41:42 There's a crowd of thousands who are in this room.
41:46 But I want you to know, no matter how dark it is,
41:48 no matter how difficult it might be,
41:51 that you're not in it by yourself.
41:54 I'm getting ready to open the doors of church.
41:55 I'm just warning you for what's going to happen.
41:57 I'm going to open the doors of the church.
41:59 Scores are getting ready to get saved.
42:02 Scores are getting ready to join the church.
42:05 People are getting ready to get right with God.
42:09 But I want you to think for one moment
42:11 that in this crowd, you are here by yourself.
42:15 Somebody's going to walk with you.
42:17 Somebody's going to guide you by the hand.
42:20 Just so that you know that you are not a spectacle,
42:23 that you are a testimony.
42:25 Wherever it is that you find yourself in this place,
42:28 He promised never to leave us.
42:32 Never to leave us alone.
42:34 I'm going to be your pastor.
42:35 I've got to tell you that I want to be your pastor.
42:37 I want New Birth to be your church.
42:40 But ultimately, I want heaven to be your home.
42:44 And I want Jesus to be the Lord of your life.
42:48 I don't know where you are.
42:50 I don't care what you've come out of.
42:52 I don't care what you've done.
42:54 I'm telling you, God is not intimidated by your past.
42:58 It doesn't matter what you woke up in this morning.
43:01 His grace is still sufficient.
43:04 Come on. I need you to do me a favor, please.
43:06 Wherever it is that you are, watch this.
43:09 I've got to give you the house rules.
43:11 I've got to give you the house rules because we done already fumbled the ball.
43:14 I've got to give you the house rules.
43:16 If you see somebody walking by themselves,
43:18 I need you to come walk with them
43:20 because they know that they're not in it by themselves.
43:23 Help me, please. Help me, please.
43:25 If you know you need a church like this,
43:27 would you come quickly? Would you come?
43:30 If you need a church home, I need you to come.
43:32 If you need a pastor, I need you to come.
43:35 If you need to give your life over to God, I need you to come.
43:38 Clap your hands as they're coming.
43:40 [applause]
43:43 Come on. I see it.
43:45 [applause]
43:48 Come on. Clap your hands. You're about to see it.
43:51 [applause]
43:55 Oh, my God. You're about to see it.
43:58 [applause]
44:01 I wish y'all would get as excited as I am.
44:03 You're about to see it.
44:05 [applause]
44:12 Come on. Clap your hands. They're still coming.
44:15 [applause]
44:21 Bless his name.
44:23 Come on. Clap your hands. She's not coming by herself.
44:27 Somebody's walking with them.
44:29 Those of you who are online, I'm going to walk you down the cyber aisle
44:34 for you to get saved. All of the prompts for you to do so are on the lower thirds.
44:38 I want you to go to it right now.
44:40 Our prayer counselors are standing by.
44:42 I want you to be a part of this amazing community that God has forged with you in mind.
44:47 Help us. Would you clap your hands if you're excited about what God is doing?
44:51 [applause]
44:55 Would you help me, please? Help me, please?
44:57 Would you do a row check for me?
44:59 Would you ask the people on your row, "Are you saved?"
45:02 Ask them, "Do they have a church home?"
45:04 Ask them, "Have they given their life over to God?"
45:06 Everybody is talking to somebody.
45:09 You done talked to them nine times already.
45:12 You ought to be warmed up.
45:14 You're about to see it.
45:17 Hallelujah. You are about to see it.
45:21 Hallelujah. I said you are about to see it.
45:24 Y'all don't hear me prophesying to you?
45:26 You're about to see it.
45:28 [applause]
45:31 You are about to see it.
45:34 Come on. You are about to see it.
45:36 Are y'all going to shout for this young man coming?
45:39 [applause]
45:43 You are about to see it.
45:47 [applause]
45:49 You are about to see it.
45:51 Clap your hands for this young man coming.
45:54 [applause]
45:55 You are about to see it.
45:59 I'm getting ready to go, but if I can just find three more.
46:03 If three more will come that will help me.
46:06 I'm telling you three more will just settle my spirit.
46:09 And one of them is sitting right near you right now.
46:12 They're trying to play it low.
46:14 They're hoping that we would just finish.
46:16 Here comes one. Give God some praise.
46:18 I'm just waiting on two more to come.
46:20 [applause]
46:23 That's all I'm waiting on is two more to come.
46:26 Wait a minute.
46:28 Y'all got to walk with them now.
46:30 Don't just send them.
46:32 I'm waiting on one more. Come on.
46:34 Would y'all shout for this young man?
46:36 [applause]
46:41 Here comes another one. Come on.
46:43 Give God some praise.
46:45 Here comes a world changer.
46:48 A history maker. Y'all ain't giving God glory.
46:53 Bless the Lord.
46:55 Stretch your right hand to faith.
46:57 Stretch your right hand to faith.
46:59 Those of you who are online, here comes another family.
47:02 [applause]
47:04 Beautiful baby girl. Come on. Come on. Come on.
47:06 [applause]
47:09 Hallelujah.
47:10 Stretch your right hand to faith.
47:12 Now if you're here and you're not saved, would you just come on?
47:15 Before it starts raining. Come on.
47:17 Please. Come on.
47:19 Wherever it is that you are, I need you to come.
47:21 You done proved your point.
47:23 You done proved your point.
47:25 You weren't going to get saved on Easter. I got it.
47:27 You just going to wait a week later.
47:29 I got it. We waited on you.
47:31 If you're in this room, you need to get saved.
47:33 You need to join the church.
47:35 [applause]
47:37 Come on. Clap your hands for these young adults coming.
47:41 [applause]
47:45 Somebody stretch your hand and say, "I see it. I see it."
47:48 [applause]
47:51 Stretch your right hand to faith. Repeat after me.
47:53 You're in the right place.
47:55 Come on. Here comes somebody else.
47:57 [applause]
48:03 Amen.
48:05 Stretch your right hand to faith.
48:07 Are y'all saying, "I'm already doing that."
48:09 Stretch your right hand to faith. Repeat after me.
48:11 You're in the right place.
48:13 At the right time.
48:15 Joining the right church.
48:17 Serving the only God.
48:19 And I know that's right.
48:21 If you know I'm right, would you give God some praise right now?
48:24 [applause]
48:26 Come on. You can do better than that.
48:28 Would you give God some praise right now?
48:30 Both of you who are here, if you'll follow us out this way.
48:34 New Birth, make some noise right now.
48:36 Make some noise.
48:38 [silence]