BISHOP NOEL JONES -- WHAT ARE WE DOING TO EACH OTHER (Part II)
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00:00:00 (upbeat music)
00:00:02 (upbeat music)
00:00:05 (upbeat music)
00:00:33 - You're gonna spend a little time with me
00:00:34 in St. John's Gospel, chapter eight.
00:00:36 When you look at St. John's Gospel,
00:00:40 if you studied carefully,
00:00:43 you will find that each chapter,
00:00:46 the writer John focuses,
00:00:52 he focuses on something very special about Jesus.
00:00:59 So if you take each chapter very carefully,
00:01:03 you will find that there is something specific
00:01:08 about Jesus in each chapter.
00:01:12 At the very close, here's what John says,
00:01:16 "These things are written,
00:01:17 "that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ,
00:01:20 "the Son of the living God,
00:01:22 "and believing you might have life in his name."
00:01:26 He does that actually in chapter 20.
00:01:29 But then he remembers that he is also the restorer
00:01:32 of the penitent.
00:01:35 And so he deals with Peter,
00:01:38 and then finally, towards the very end,
00:01:41 he says, "These things and so many other things are written
00:01:45 "that he supposes the world could not hold the books
00:01:49 "when it comes to dealing with those things
00:01:52 "that he knew about Jesus."
00:01:54 But he says, "These are written.
00:01:56 "I chose specific things
00:02:01 "so that at the very end, you would believe
00:02:04 "that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God,
00:02:07 "and believing you might have life through his name."
00:02:10 So in chapter eight, the main focus is Jesus declaring
00:02:16 he is the light of the world.
00:02:19 But there is an incident that the historian,
00:02:26 Noah John, actually writes about.
00:02:28 And I wanna pick up on that in chapter eight,
00:02:34 and starting at verse one.
00:02:36 And I'll save my hollering until after this month.
00:02:43 (groaning)
00:02:45 But the climate, the climate
00:02:53 that we're dealing with now is a climate
00:02:58 where it seems as if everybody,
00:03:02 or so many people have moved into a destructive mode.
00:03:07 And we moved into this destructive mode,
00:03:14 and we've done it very cleverly
00:03:16 in the name of God and righteousness.
00:03:22 So it is very interesting that the next generation
00:03:26 is having so much trouble with us,
00:03:28 because it seems as if we don't think anybody's holy.
00:03:32 And for those who may have a struggle,
00:03:38 we don't think there's any recovering
00:03:41 for those who have a struggle.
00:03:42 So instead of being a place of edification,
00:03:47 we end up being a place of condemnation.
00:03:51 People aren't building each other today.
00:03:53 It seems, and when I say people,
00:03:56 I'm not talking about everybody.
00:03:58 But the general spirit of the day
00:04:00 is a spirit of disruption, destruction,
00:04:06 degradation, depreciation.
00:04:10 If you have somebody in your space who appreciates you,
00:04:13 you ought to give God thanks.
00:04:14 (audience applauding)
00:04:17 Amen, and I'm giving him thanks because I do.
00:04:21 And the word appreciation, it's an interesting word.
00:04:24 I don't want to get carried away.
00:04:26 I have a proclivity for picking daisies by the roadside.
00:04:31 But appreciation, just look at the word, appreciation.
00:04:36 Appreciation suggests in that admiration of you
00:04:45 that the individual is building you up.
00:04:49 To appreciate gives you more value.
00:04:51 So as valuable as you are when you're appreciated,
00:04:57 I was talking to somebody on the way here
00:05:00 dealing with some property,
00:05:02 and the issue was depreciation and being upside down.
00:05:07 You can get to the point where to put money in it
00:05:11 to restore it is a waste of money
00:05:12 because you're totally upside down and you can't recover.
00:05:17 But I don't want to be around people
00:05:19 who like to push people down instead of build them up
00:05:23 and whisper around behind their backs.
00:05:25 (audience applauding)
00:05:28 And it's interesting that somehow the situation of today,
00:05:33 there has to be a great balance between
00:05:39 ye shall know them by their fruit,
00:05:46 that identifying that evil,
00:05:50 that standing up for and defending holiness.
00:05:57 You have to have a balance because there are many scriptures
00:06:02 that say, that deal with the issue of conviction
00:06:05 and the issue of how wrong you are.
00:06:09 But there are many issues, there are many scriptures
00:06:11 that deal with the issue of restoration
00:06:14 and deals with the issues of forgiveness.
00:06:18 So the question now is, what is the spirit
00:06:22 that can bring all these scriptures together
00:06:25 so that when you walk out of the room,
00:06:28 you don't feel despised and rejected,
00:06:33 but rather you feel as if there's hope for you.
00:06:37 And if there's a cleansing power of the Holy Ghost
00:06:40 and a redemptive power in God,
00:06:44 somehow when you walk out of the room,
00:06:46 you can cut me, I don't mind being cut,
00:06:51 but don't cut me as a mugger, cut me as a surgeon.
00:06:58 I was in the gym some years ago
00:07:05 and the man took his shirt off
00:07:09 and I saw a mark from here all the way to his belly button.
00:07:14 Man, what happened to you?
00:07:17 He said, I had heart surgery.
00:07:20 And the surgeon cut him and busted everything open,
00:07:24 but he cut him to heal him.
00:07:27 And now there's another guy who had just a little pin
00:07:32 in his heart and he was dead
00:07:34 because the mugger hit him with an ice pick to kill him.
00:07:40 See, the problem with the church
00:07:41 is we have too many ice pick muggers
00:07:44 and not enough surgeons.
00:07:46 So I've been dealing with the issue of,
00:07:51 and make sure you all get the subject right,
00:07:55 what are we doing to each other?
00:07:56 In chapter eight, Jesus went onto the Mount of Olives
00:08:05 and early in the morning,
00:08:09 he came again into the temple
00:08:11 and all the people came unto him
00:08:14 and he sat down and taught them.
00:08:17 And the scribes and the Pharisees
00:08:22 brought unto him a woman taken in adultery.
00:08:26 And when they had set her in the midst,
00:08:30 they say unto him, master,
00:08:32 this woman was taken in adultery in the very act.
00:08:37 (audience murmuring)
00:08:40 In the very act.
00:08:42 Now Moses and the law commanded us
00:08:46 that such should be stoned,
00:08:48 but what sayest thou?
00:08:50 This they said, not because they were trying to be holy.
00:08:55 This they said, tempting him,
00:09:00 that they might have to accuse him.
00:09:06 But Jesus stooped down and with his finger
00:09:09 rode on the ground as though he heard them not.
00:09:13 See, sometimes you gotta not pay attention.
00:09:17 You're paying too much attention
00:09:20 to folk who ain't doing nothing.
00:09:22 Trying to destroy you.
00:09:27 So when they continued asking him,
00:09:32 he lifted up himself and said unto them,
00:09:34 he that is without sin among you,
00:09:37 let him cast a stone first,
00:09:41 rather cast a stone at her.
00:09:43 And then he stooped down again and rode on the ground
00:09:46 and they which heard it being convicted,
00:09:49 not by the Holy Ghost,
00:09:53 but by their own conscience.
00:10:00 Lord have mercy.
00:10:02 Went out one by one,
00:10:05 beginning at the oldest.
00:10:09 I guess 'cause he had more.
00:10:10 Even unto the last and Jesus was left alone.
00:10:17 Woman standing in the midst,
00:10:19 when Jesus had lifted up himself,
00:10:21 saw none but the woman.
00:10:23 He said unto her, woman, where are those thine accusers?
00:10:30 Hath no man condemned thee?
00:10:33 She said, no man, Lord.
00:10:36 Jesus said unto her, neither do I condemn thee.
00:10:40 Go and sin no more.
00:10:45 Then of course he went on to teach them.
00:10:49 Now, it's necessary that we set this up.
00:10:54 We've gotta set up the chronology
00:10:57 and the, in order to understand what is actually happening
00:11:02 in a more intense way.
00:11:04 I had a good talk with my prophet,
00:11:08 my prophet, the Bishop Abram Dixon,
00:11:11 as we were musing about the conditions of the day
00:11:16 and it brought us to this particular scripture.
00:11:19 I want you to see that the intent
00:11:27 was evil.
00:11:29 And oftentimes people will take scripture
00:11:35 to try to fortify their position,
00:11:38 but their intent is evil.
00:11:42 Now notice if Jesus is somehow brought out
00:11:47 when preachers are attacking each other,
00:11:49 when people are attacking each other,
00:11:50 when lay people are attacking the pulpit,
00:11:53 when the pulpit is attacking the lay people.
00:11:56 If somehow Jesus gets in the middle of it,
00:11:58 Paul says, it don't matter to me
00:12:01 as long as Jesus is preached.
00:12:03 So he is not really dealing with motive.
00:12:09 Now that's in Philippians,
00:12:10 I think we dealt with that last week.
00:12:13 And some people still didn't get it,
00:12:15 that the man said, I don't care how they preach Jesus,
00:12:19 as long as he is preached,
00:12:20 which means you have now washed your hands
00:12:25 of saying anything negative about anybody,
00:12:27 you let God handle that.
00:12:29 But let us see the conspiracy
00:12:34 and the chicanery in how they're seeking to get Jesus.
00:12:39 And in order to do that, we have to go into chapter seven.
00:12:46 And if I don't finish today,
00:12:49 well, you know, I'll come back by the grace of God.
00:12:54 Now, it is interesting when you look at seven,
00:12:59 that in verse 45,
00:13:02 they had sent the officers to go get Jesus,
00:13:07 because they wanted to bring him under judgment.
00:13:10 So you have the chief priests,
00:13:14 and you have the scribes,
00:13:16 and you have the Pharisees
00:13:17 who make up the Sanhedrin Council,
00:13:20 but they have a group of people around them
00:13:23 that are officers of the temple.
00:13:26 They have their security.
00:13:28 They have their, not military,
00:13:32 but they have their policing group.
00:13:34 So they send their policing group to get Jesus,
00:13:38 and they come back without him.
00:13:41 This is verse 45, chapter seven.
00:13:44 And they come back without him.
00:13:46 So now they're saying,
00:13:48 why haven't you brought him?
00:13:53 And the officers said,
00:13:57 we were mesmerized by the grand eloquence
00:14:00 of his presentation and the spirit of his speech.
00:14:04 Said never a man spake like this man.
00:14:08 It is interesting that the quality of his message
00:14:15 can bless those who have the right heart.
00:14:21 (audience laughing)
00:14:23 But that same quality of message
00:14:26 can become a stirring of hate
00:14:32 for those who are evil in their spirit.
00:14:37 In other words, I'm saying that you oftentimes
00:14:43 end up dealing with some people
00:14:45 who no matter how much good you do,
00:14:50 they can't find any praise.
00:14:54 No matter how much good you do,
00:14:59 it doesn't affect them
00:15:01 because they don't want to see goodness out of you.
00:15:05 Because they don't get their fuel
00:15:12 on your goodness.
00:15:18 Because they are searching very diligently
00:15:21 to find something wrong with you.
00:15:25 Let me digress a little bit here and run back to Daniel.
00:15:29 And when Daniel was being accused
00:15:34 or when the Chaldeans decided
00:15:36 they want to rid themselves of Daniel,
00:15:39 they said, as they searched him out on a day to day basis,
00:15:44 they said, we cannot find anything wrong with him
00:15:49 except that he is going to look to the east
00:15:55 and he's going to pray.
00:15:57 So if we're going to find something wrong with him,
00:16:02 we have to find something wrong with him
00:16:04 in relationship to his God.
00:16:07 Now, you ought to give somebody a high five and say,
00:16:13 that's the best way to live.
00:16:16 The best way to live.
00:16:18 If we're going to find him guilty of something,
00:16:23 we're going to find him guilty of being holy.
00:16:26 That's a wonderful way to live.
00:16:33 If you're going to find me guilty of something,
00:16:37 you're going to find me guilty of taking care of my children.
00:16:42 Guilty of being a good husband to my wife.
00:16:45 Guilty of being a good wife to my husband.
00:16:47 Guilty.
00:16:48 You're going to call me a flunky
00:16:50 because I do the right thing for my family
00:16:53 and I do the right thing for the people around me.
00:16:56 But it doesn't help you because you want to destroy.
00:17:02 And it's interesting that when you start trying to destroy
00:17:10 in a church environment,
00:17:12 you end up with a lot of collateral damage.
00:17:15 Nobody attacking anybody in any significant position
00:17:22 is not going to feel some fallout.
00:17:27 Because if one of my choir members is wrong,
00:17:32 then everybody's going to feel the pain.
00:17:37 If the preacher 2,500 miles from here is wrong,
00:17:42 then all of us going to feel the pain.
00:17:44 Because what somebody is going to say
00:17:46 is all of them are the same.
00:17:48 So there's always collateral damage
00:17:54 when there's division in the house.
00:17:56 Because the millennials and the Gen Z's
00:18:02 are looking at how the baby boomers treated each other.
00:18:07 And they decided if that's what church is,
00:18:11 I don't want anything to do with it.
00:18:16 See, there was nothing they could do.
00:18:18 Here's a group of folk that can't even touch him.
00:18:22 Because when he speaks, the spirit of God operates.
00:18:27 I look at people saying today, can a woman preach?
00:18:31 And should a woman preach?
00:18:35 And I say, stop that, just sit back.
00:18:40 And see how God is moving when she speaks.
00:18:46 See how God is blessing people and delivering people
00:18:50 when she opens her mouth.
00:18:52 And you look at all that God is doing through her
00:18:56 and you still have a problem.
00:18:58 The problem is not her, the problem is you.
00:19:02 Because you have already set in your heart
00:19:05 that negative evil spirit that said God uses who he chooses.
00:19:10 If a donkey can talk to a prophet.
00:19:14 Did I say jackass?
00:19:19 Oh, I didn't, I didn't.
00:19:21 Got to watch my mouth.
00:19:22 Then of course, we're setting it up now.
00:19:32 Then answered them the Pharisees, are ye also deceived?
00:19:37 Because of the grand eloquence of his voice,
00:19:41 the spirit of God.
00:19:42 I can't imagine sitting down listening to Jesus.
00:19:45 Oh, preach Lord.
00:19:49 And yet still there were those who were in the assembly
00:19:55 who like Judas have come just simply to destroy.
00:20:02 I mean, Judas is still in the group,
00:20:04 he hasn't left the group.
00:20:06 But he has turned.
00:20:09 Remember he said he sold him out and then he kept coming
00:20:15 but now he's looking for a reason to betray him.
00:20:20 So now the question is,
00:20:23 for those who are still in your company,
00:20:26 you need to ask when did you switch?
00:20:29 (congregation cheering)
00:20:33 I would know you switched if I don't see you no more.
00:20:36 But you're still in my company, still shaking my hand,
00:20:42 still saying praise the Lord.
00:20:44 But you're not here now for the progress,
00:20:49 you're here for regress.
00:20:51 Judas right there with the rest of them.
00:20:53 But he had switched.
00:20:58 The Pharisees, they haven't switched
00:21:00 'cause they wanna kill him anyway.
00:21:02 So they say, are you deceived?
00:21:05 And then here they come now and they bring up their level.
00:21:10 Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him?
00:21:15 But this people who know if not the law are cursed,
00:21:19 but there's somebody in your midst.
00:21:24 There's somebody among you that wanna be destructive
00:21:29 that does not have destruction on their mind.
00:21:33 So there was one fellow who was in the midst
00:21:37 named Nicodemus who had visited Jesus by night.
00:21:42 You see, you can get caught up in a group of people
00:21:47 who are so hateful and you don't have the hate they have,
00:21:52 but they got you so timid
00:21:54 until you gotta go see Jesus by night.
00:21:58 Somebody said he went by night
00:22:01 because he couldn't wait till the morning,
00:22:03 that's not true.
00:22:04 He went by night because he was afraid
00:22:10 to deal with those who had enmity.
00:22:14 And sometimes, and I've discovered this,
00:22:20 that your enemies are more vociferous than your friends.
00:22:25 You can have 20 friends and two enemies,
00:22:33 and the two enemies talk louder and are more vicious
00:22:37 than the 20 friends can comfort you.
00:22:40 Because sometimes your friends sit back to check
00:22:42 to see what's gonna happen
00:22:44 when your enemies are trying to make it happen.
00:22:47 You need some friends who have the unmitigated gall
00:22:50 and audacity to stand up for you no matter what.
00:22:54 Because you don't know her like I know her,
00:22:59 you don't know him like I know him,
00:23:01 and I'm willing to stand here and guarantee with my life.
00:23:05 Amen.
00:23:10 The bishop told me some years ago,
00:23:15 he said, "If you're wrong, I'm with you.
00:23:18 "If you're right, I'm with you.
00:23:19 "But if you're wrong, I want you to repent.
00:23:22 "But I'm not gonna leave you because you're wrong."
00:23:25 Amen.
00:23:28 And it's good to be able to tell your friends
00:23:30 when they're wrong.
00:23:31 Oh, this is so exciting, see?
00:23:39 Now, and you know, the problem is that
00:23:43 nobody can argue when I'm preaching Bible.
00:23:47 You know, when I'm talking crazy,
00:23:49 and I'll tell you when I'm not in the Bible,
00:23:52 I'll tell you.
00:23:53 I said, "No, I don't go into meddling."
00:23:56 Now, Nicodemus quietly, and John makes careful,
00:24:01 he that came to Jesus by night being one of them.
00:24:08 So oftentimes in the most evil conspiracies,
00:24:16 among the conspirators, there is someone with a conscience.
00:24:21 Everybody's not against you.
00:24:27 Even the group that's against you
00:24:30 and the group that's against you,
00:24:31 everybody in the group is not against you.
00:24:35 What is the problem?
00:24:38 They just don't wanna speak up.
00:24:42 Because when they speak up, this is what happens.
00:24:45 He said very carefully,
00:24:48 "Since you all talking about the law,
00:24:51 and do we hear that these people who don't know the law
00:24:56 are cursed."
00:24:57 But Nicodemus says, "Does our law judge any man
00:25:02 before it hear him and know what he doeth?"
00:25:11 All of the speculation and all of the accusation
00:25:14 without proof defies the very constitution that we have
00:25:19 because in America, it's supposed to be except you're black.
00:25:24 You're innocent until proven guilty.
00:25:28 That's constitutional.
00:25:31 And everybody has a right to be able to talk
00:25:35 in front of their accusers.
00:25:37 That's the law.
00:25:39 So Nicodemus is quoting the law.
00:25:42 And of course, he's rolling back into Leviticus
00:25:46 and he's going back into Numbers where he is saying,
00:25:49 "Our law does not judge a man before they hear him.
00:25:53 So now, here are the enemies.
00:25:55 Art thou also of Galilee?"
00:25:57 No, don't go there.
00:25:58 Don't ask me where I'm from.
00:26:03 Deal with what I raise.
00:26:05 I raise the question of the law.
00:26:07 Since all of you are so holy,
00:26:09 since you want to go to the law, let's go to the law.
00:26:14 The question is, can you stand it when we go to the law?
00:26:19 You can apply it, but can you receive it?
00:26:25 I don't call on God to come in my house
00:26:32 to take care of anybody in my house.
00:26:36 The Lord, I'm calling on the Lord to get you.
00:26:40 Because if he come in the house, he might get me.
00:26:46 You see, the problem here is I'm not praying for judgment.
00:26:52 When I see people in trouble,
00:26:54 I look around to see how they're going to be delivered.
00:26:58 And I pray God to bring deliverance,
00:27:00 bring them out with a mighty hand,
00:27:02 show them the way, recover my brother,
00:27:05 make my sister's path straight.
00:27:07 And the reason I'm praying so hard for them
00:27:10 is because it could be me.
00:27:12 I wish somebody'd give God a praise real quick
00:27:18 and tell the Lord, Lord, I thank you.
00:27:20 I want you to bring my brother out.
00:27:25 I want you to bring my sister out.
00:27:28 Raise them up, take them out of the ashes.
00:27:31 (congregation cheering)
00:27:35 See your brother overtaken in the fall.
00:27:41 He says something about restoring meekness.
00:27:45 Doing what?
00:27:47 Considering thyself.
00:27:52 Notice now I'm setting it up.
00:27:57 I have enough time.
00:27:58 Setting it up now.
00:27:59 So now they're all over Nicodemus.
00:28:03 And they're running from dealing with the issue of the law.
00:28:10 Are you from Galilee?
00:28:12 What, you have some sort of physical affinity?
00:28:16 You have some relationship that we don't know about?
00:28:19 He says, search and look,
00:28:21 for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet.
00:28:28 Now look at verse 53.
00:28:30 And every man went unto his own house.
00:28:35 Now this means they had the meeting the night before.
00:28:41 So they gathered the night before
00:28:46 and they're working on getting something on Jesus.
00:28:52 So now they have left all of their duties.
00:28:58 They ain't praying for nobody.
00:28:59 They ain't doing their biblical studies.
00:29:04 They have simply just gathered to see,
00:29:06 can they get Jesus?
00:29:09 Now every man went to his own house in 53 of seven,
00:29:14 but eight opens and early in the morning.
00:29:21 So now we have all gone to bed
00:29:26 after having our conspiratory meeting.
00:29:29 And early in the morning,
00:29:33 while Jesus is teaching,
00:29:37 here they bring a woman caught in adultery,
00:29:43 the very act itself.
00:29:44 Now the question is for you private eyes.
00:29:54 If they left in the middle of the night,
00:29:58 how were they able to get into somebody's bedroom
00:30:05 before morning or early in the morning
00:30:16 to find somebody caught in adultery?
00:30:24 Caught in adultery.
00:30:28 Now just come on now,
00:30:30 we 21st century are paid in place people.
00:30:33 We watch all kinds of series.
00:30:36 Now we go to bed at 10
00:30:42 and at six o'clock we know somebody
00:30:51 who is smooched up in the bed with somebody
00:30:54 that we can snatch to take in front of Jesus.
00:31:00 How could you get that information that quick?
00:31:06 How would you know who was with who
00:31:14 to go to somebody's house?
00:31:18 Because in those days with the threat of what would happen,
00:31:23 there would be some serious secrecy.
00:31:27 Ain't nobody doing it openly like we do today.
00:31:32 Folk would do it today and FaceTime.
00:31:36 Wasn't nobody trying to get caught.
00:31:47 Amen.
00:31:48 Folk do it today and put it on social media bragging.
00:31:54 But what nobody trying to get caught,
00:31:59 my question is, and every man went into his own house
00:32:04 but early in the morning.
00:32:08 They walk in with a woman caught in the very act.
00:32:16 Now, you know, they aim for righteousness
00:32:19 because if they were for holiness,
00:32:23 they'd have brought the man.
00:32:25 Where is the man?
00:32:41 (audience applauding)
00:32:44 See, we live in a society that only makes women guilty.
00:32:50 I wish somebody would understand me.
00:32:54 We live in a society, you check it from every level
00:32:58 of politics, all the level that we live on here
00:33:01 and that's why we gotta protect women.
00:33:03 Y'all quiet.
00:33:06 I'm not saying women can't be devious.
00:33:10 (audience laughing)
00:33:13 But if it's justice you're dealing with
00:33:17 and if it's holiness you're dealing with,
00:33:22 then you should have brought the man along with the woman.
00:33:26 But I got something new for you.
00:33:37 The deductive reasoning says,
00:33:39 if we left in the night
00:33:44 and we can bring a woman in the morning,
00:33:49 then somebody had to know somebody in that room.
00:33:54 I'm gonna tell you right now, don't be nobody's side chick
00:34:07 'cause they'll give you up.
00:34:08 I wish you'd understand me.
00:34:11 Somebody in that room gave that woman up.
00:34:15 'Cause they brought the woman
00:34:22 but they didn't bring him now, did they?
00:34:24 Say, hey bro, we gonna try to catch Jesus tomorrow.
00:34:30 We know you got a little piece on the side now,
00:34:33 so tomorrow, since she ain't your wife,
00:34:37 we gonna use her to get to Jesus.
00:34:40 I can see now the intensity of the question.
00:34:47 He that is without sin cast the first stone
00:34:53 because somehow the sinner who was sinning with her
00:34:58 would have to throw a rock at her.
00:35:03 (congregation laughing)
00:35:07 I can see her looking at him as he get ready to throw it.
00:35:17 What you gonna do?
00:35:23 It's an interesting dynamic
00:35:28 because they were not serious about righteousness
00:35:33 and they didn't care who they destroy
00:35:41 in order to destroy Jesus.
00:35:45 And I'm sitting around here wondering about
00:35:49 all of these people who are declaring how holy they are,
00:35:52 but don't they have an idea the damage they're doing
00:35:57 to the church?
00:35:59 Jesus said upon this rock, I'll build my church
00:36:03 and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
00:36:07 That means the demons and the sorcerers and the witches
00:36:11 and all the people who are outside of the church
00:36:16 cannot do anything to the church
00:36:18 because the blood of Jesus keeps them out of the church.
00:36:21 But that same Jesus said,
00:36:23 a house that's divided against itself cannot stand.
00:36:28 The problem to bring down the church
00:36:30 is not outside the church,
00:36:32 but what'll bring down the church is inside
00:36:36 the house of God.
00:36:38 You can't tear this thing down from the outside,
00:36:43 but you can sure shred it from the inside.
00:36:46 Woo, I feel like shouting in here.
00:36:50 (congregation cheering)
00:36:54 Don't you know what you're doing?
00:36:55 You're gonna take this woman
00:36:58 and not use her guilt to get her straight,
00:37:04 but you wanna use and deify her guilt
00:37:09 because you don't love her.
00:37:12 Because if you love her,
00:37:15 you would have covered her like you covered the man.
00:37:18 (congregation cheering)
00:37:20 Because love covers a multitude of fault.
00:37:23 You ain't trying to expose somebody you love.
00:37:27 The police come to the door.
00:37:30 Go hide, Junior.
00:37:31 Go hide.
00:37:33 Oh, he ain't here.
00:37:34 I don't know when last I saw him.
00:37:38 But let it be that husband you're doing to deal with.
00:37:46 Oh, he right in the back.
00:37:49 Go on, I'll hand cuff him for you.
00:37:51 What are we doing to each other?
00:38:00 I want you to notice now
00:38:06 something that is extraordinary here,
00:38:09 and that is that while you were pointing out
00:38:14 the molt in somebody else's eye,
00:38:18 Jesus is dealing with the bean that's in yours.
00:38:22 So he starts riding on the ground,
00:38:30 and I don't think it's improper
00:38:32 or accommodating the text to think
00:38:34 that he was dealing with a series of people's sins.
00:38:38 He's riding on the ground,
00:38:41 and whatever he's riding on the ground
00:38:44 is exposing the exposers,
00:38:49 accusing the accusers.
00:38:58 I heard a quote once, and I think it's apropos,
00:39:02 and that it's at the end of every road, there is a mirror.
00:39:07 Each one of us ultimately will have to face that mirror.
00:39:13 - Yeah.
00:39:14 - After we get through riding over everybody
00:39:18 and driving through everybody,
00:39:20 when we get to the end, we gotta look at ourselves.
00:39:25 I look at one of my brothers and the doctrine he had.
00:39:32 Didn't nobody believe it?
00:39:34 And we gonna write dissertations
00:39:38 on something nobody believed.
00:39:39 Why?
00:39:40 Because we wanna be seen.
00:39:42 You couldn't convince him he's dead.
00:39:46 You're on him, and he's dead.
00:39:48 So what are you trying to do?
00:39:50 Ain't trying to save him, he's dead.
00:39:52 And 99% of the folk didn't believe it anyway.
00:39:57 So what do you end up with?
00:40:01 You end up with how you treated him.
00:40:04 See, that's what we fail to understand,
00:40:07 that people who have fallen or people who are in sin,
00:40:12 when it comes to our knowledge,
00:40:18 Jesus said, "If you see your brother in sin,
00:40:24 "says pray that God might give you life for them."
00:40:30 Do you see what I'm saying?
00:40:36 You pray and ask God, and God gives you life for them.
00:40:41 Because if I reveal to you a problem
00:40:48 with my brother or my sister,
00:40:50 I didn't reveal it to you for you to kill them.
00:40:53 I revealed it for you for whatever I have given you
00:41:00 to edify them and to bring them up out of where they are.
00:41:04 I didn't send you to push them down in it,
00:41:07 I sent you to bring them up out of it.
00:41:09 And if I send you to bring them up out of it,
00:41:12 it's because I have moved in the Holy Ghost to convict them.
00:41:16 Your mouth cannot convict somebody
00:41:19 as powerfully as the Holy Ghost can.
00:41:22 Because when the Holy Ghost convicts,
00:41:24 it's with you day and night.
00:41:27 You cannot quiet the sound of the Holy Spirit.
00:41:31 I don't know if anybody here has been convicted
00:41:33 by the Holy Spirit, I have.
00:41:35 And when the Holy Spirit convicts you,
00:41:37 it leads you to your knees.
00:41:39 It needs you to open your mouth and say,
00:41:41 Lord, I have sinned.
00:41:43 Lord, I need your strength.
00:41:45 Lord, I need you to bring me out.
00:41:48 And when you're going through that,
00:41:50 you ain't got time to look at anybody else
00:41:52 because you're only looking at yourself.
00:42:03 Give me a few more minutes here.
00:42:04 He rode on the ground.
00:42:10 And while he's riding, they're still talking.
00:42:18 But he's not listening.
00:42:19 He's acting as if he doesn't hear.
00:42:25 The devil has no response to no response.
00:42:31 You can't be misquoted when you didn't say anything.
00:42:38 Amen.
00:42:46 I'm going to be real practical about it.
00:42:52 People talk about you, and they talk about me.
00:42:57 Everybody talks about somebody.
00:43:01 When I first became pastor, I said to the deacons,
00:43:04 I said, now, we're going to have some private meetings.
00:43:07 I said, now, I can't tell you not to talk to your wife.
00:43:12 I can't tell you not to talk to whoever's around you.
00:43:16 How can I tell you not to talk to your wife?
00:43:18 I said, but whoever you talk to,
00:43:20 I just don't want to hear it again.
00:43:22 Are you following me?
00:43:28 Amen.
00:43:29 Whoever you talk-- everybody talks to somebody.
00:43:32 Don't fool yourself.
00:43:35 And whoever you sin with will sin against you.
00:43:41 And I'm not saying that you can't sin against somebody.
00:43:45 We'll sin against you.
00:43:49 Should I say that again?
00:43:52 I'm driving the car, and you ran in and robbed the store.
00:43:58 But when we both got caught, and the DA told me 15 years,
00:44:04 I become state's witness of it.
00:44:13 Now, we done robbed the store together,
00:44:16 but we ain't going to prison together,
00:44:18 because you can talk about snitching all you want to.
00:44:24 Sin with you will sin against you.
00:44:27 So be careful who you think you got a secret with.
00:44:40 People talk about people and talk against people.
00:44:45 And you would lose your mind if you
00:44:47 responded to every negative thing somebody said.
00:44:51 And then a bunch of people talking that don't have no facts.
00:44:57 Let them talk.
00:45:02 The only time you got a problem, if somebody
00:45:04 said, he doing it with me.
00:45:07 Now, you either meet them at the court
00:45:09 or meet them at the bank or meet them
00:45:11 at the bank and the court.
00:45:12 Want to show you something here.
00:45:22 He is now dealing with a group of folk
00:45:25 with rocks, which means everybody would like
00:45:30 to release one of those rocks.
00:45:33 But how is it that they are tempting him?
00:45:38 Because they have put him in a situation
00:45:40 that whatever he says, he's got a problem.
00:45:44 This is why he's not saying anything.
00:45:48 If he defends it, he's got a problem.
00:45:50 Now, here is it.
00:45:54 If he says, the law says stone her, so stone her.
00:46:04 Now, he's got a problem because nobody in Israel
00:46:09 could take anybody's life without the permission
00:46:14 of the Roman government.
00:46:16 When Jesus was being tried, they had
00:46:20 to take him to the procurator of the house of Judea,
00:46:27 the governmental seat of the house of Judea,
00:46:30 and that is Pontius Pilate.
00:46:32 If Pontius Pilate didn't give the OK,
00:46:36 they couldn't have stoned him.
00:46:38 So what they would have done is say, he has said stone her,
00:46:42 so they would go to the Roman government, as they did before,
00:46:46 and say he's an insurrectionist.
00:46:49 If he says, don't stone her, they
00:46:52 would say, he does not follow the law.
00:46:57 So because of his eternal wisdom and because the Bible
00:47:01 says another place, he knew men.
00:47:04 So you got to know who you're dealing with.
00:47:07 You got to know, and every now and then, God reveals the snakes
00:47:10 to you, and God shows you who are
00:47:12 the people who you need to be.
00:47:14 Folk don't have an LED on their foreheads.
00:47:24 Should have an LED running all the time.
00:47:28 Because everything they think is right here.
00:47:31 It's enough space.
00:47:32 We got enough forehead for it.
00:47:35 Shaking your hand, praise the Lord.
00:47:37 Can't stand them running right across.
00:47:39 Amen.
00:47:44 Anniversary time.
00:47:45 Oh, he's the best pastor.
00:47:47 He ain't no good.
00:47:49 Running right across here.
00:47:51 Oh, some of us would say, now, what
00:47:55 do you see coming across here?
00:47:58 That's how I-- so he's in the middle of a group of folk.
00:48:04 And now they begin to leave.
00:48:11 Because somebody is now convicted
00:48:14 by their own conscience.
00:48:17 This isn't the most beautiful part of this text.
00:48:22 They're leaving one by one because
00:48:26 of the conviction of their own conscience.
00:48:31 Because none of them of their own conscience--
00:48:38 see, touch somebody and say, I hope you have a conscience.
00:48:41 Because even without the Holy Spirit,
00:48:50 some things ought to bother you.
00:48:56 Especially when you're looking at something you can't deny.
00:48:59 I'm looking at you, and you're blessed.
00:49:07 And no matter how I look, and how I search, and how I dig,
00:49:12 I can only come to the conclusion that you're blessed.
00:49:17 And somewhere along the line, I need to open my mouth
00:49:21 and say, no matter how I would like to see you disappear,
00:49:25 I have to come to the conclusion,
00:49:28 based on how much favor you got with God, that you're blessed.
00:49:34 I don't like it.
00:49:35 I can't stand it.
00:49:37 But I can't deny it.
00:49:39 God has his hand on you.
00:49:42 I don't want to see it.
00:49:50 I don't want to admit it.
00:49:52 But every time I turn around, I see something wonderful coming
00:49:57 out of what you're doing.
00:49:58 And even though I can't stand it,
00:50:00 every time Jesus opened his mouth, his enemies were sick.
00:50:04 When they came back, and they couldn't touch him,
00:50:12 and they wanted to get him, and the guy said,
00:50:14 but never a man speak like this man.
00:50:19 When they wanted to get him and destroy him,
00:50:21 he walks up to Lazarus's tomb and said, Lazarus comes.
00:50:25 Give somebody a high five.
00:50:31 Say, neighbor, what you going to do with him?
00:50:34 You might as well serve him.
00:50:36 You might as well praise him.
00:50:39 You might as well lift him up.
00:50:41 You might as well get with him, because you sure can't destroy.
00:50:45 [MUSIC PLAYING]
00:50:49 I'm getting ready to close.
00:51:11 They all left convicted by their own conscience.
00:51:18 But here is the beautiful part.
00:51:23 Thank you, Bishop Abraham Dixon.
00:51:27 All of them left convicted without being ministered to.
00:51:36 [CROWD CHEERING]
00:51:40 Don't leave the house convicted without being ministered to.
00:51:54 Don't let your hatred stop you from being ministered to.
00:52:02 Jesus knew she was guilty.
00:52:06 I want to talk to somebody in here.
00:52:10 Knew she was wrong, but ministry does not
00:52:15 happen in a group of people who got stones in their hand.
00:52:21 Let's get rid of the folk with the stones
00:52:24 so we can minister to the woman who's got a genuine heart.
00:52:27 [CROWD CHEERING]
00:52:31 Oh, yeah.
00:52:32 Oh, God have mercy on all of us.
00:52:38 God's going to move all of your accusers
00:52:41 out so he can minister to you to bring you out.
00:52:45 And here is a great part of it.
00:52:47 He ain't concerned about your past.
00:52:50 He said to the woman, go thy way and sin no more.
00:52:54 I'm getting rid of your past so you can have a great future.
00:53:00 Your enemies are concerned about your past,
00:53:04 but I'm concerned about your future.
00:53:07 [CROWD CHEERING]
00:53:10 Give somebody a high five.
00:53:20 Say, neighbor, in spite of where I've been,
00:53:23 in spite of what I've done, in spite of what
00:53:26 they're accusing me of, I still have a future because there's
00:53:32 power in the blood of Jesus.
00:53:36 There's power, so much power.
00:53:40 Power to pour.
00:53:45 Power to heal.
00:53:47 Power to lift me up.
00:53:49 Power to turn me around.
00:53:51 Power to shut the mouth of my enemies.
00:53:55 Power, so much power.
00:54:00 I've got a future, and my future is bright.
00:54:06 I've got a future with Jesus all night.
00:54:12 I've got a future.
00:54:13 [MUSIC PLAYING]
00:54:17 [CROWD CHEERING]
00:54:24 Oh, yeah.
00:54:26 Oh, yeah.
00:54:28 Give somebody a high five.
00:54:30 Tell them He erased my past.
00:54:33 He wiped out my sin.
00:54:36 He cleansed me when nobody else was cleansed.
00:54:40 He ministered to me, told me He didn't condemn me,
00:54:45 told me He don't want to kill me.
00:54:47 But I came that they might have life and hope.
00:54:54 [MUSIC PLAYING]
00:55:16 Hallelujah.
00:55:19 Hallelujah.
00:55:21 Hallelujah.
00:55:25 Hallelujah.
00:55:28 Hallelujah.
00:55:31 Hallelujah.
00:55:32 Thank you, Lord.
00:55:35 Thank you.
00:55:37 Thank you, Lord.
00:55:38 [MUSIC PLAYING]
00:55:43 [CROWD CHEERING]
00:55:47 Hallelujah.
00:55:50 Since I laid my burdens down.
00:56:00 Glory to God.
00:56:02 Hallelujah.
00:56:04 Since I laid my burdens down.
00:56:09 Burdens down, Lord.
00:56:11 Burdens down, Lord.
00:56:14 Since I laid my burdens down.
00:56:18 Burdens down, Lord.
00:56:21 Burdens down, Lord.
00:56:23 Since I laid my burdens down.
00:56:28 Jesus, we praise you.
00:56:30 Hallelujah.
00:56:32 Since I laid my burdens down.
00:56:37 Glory, glory.
00:56:39 Hallelujah.
00:56:41 Since I laid my burdens down.
00:56:46 Burdens down, Lord.
00:56:48 Burdens down.
00:56:50 Since I laid my burdens down.
00:56:55 Burdens down, Lord.
00:56:57 Burdens down, Lord.
00:57:00 Since I laid my burdens down.
00:57:04 Things gonna happen like they used to.
00:57:09 Since I laid my burdens down.
00:57:13 Things gonna happen like they used to.
00:57:18 Since I laid my burdens down.
00:57:23 Burdens down, Lord.
00:57:25 Burdens down, Lord.
00:57:27 Since I laid my burdens down.
00:57:31 Where are you?
00:57:32 Burdens down, Lord.
00:57:34 Burdens down.
00:57:36 Since I laid my burdens down.
00:57:42 God's reaching for somebody.
00:57:45 Online.
00:57:52 Call that number online.
00:57:53 I feel the Holy Spirit.
00:57:55 And if you're in this house, I don't care what condition you're in.
00:58:01 The power of the blood of Jesus is available to you right now. Come on. Come on. Lay those burdens
00:58:09 down at the altar. Lay them down. Come on, come on, come on. I don't care who has been bringing up your
00:58:18 past trying to destroy you. Come to Jesus, come to Jesus, come to Jesus. Come on, come on, come on.
00:58:29 Come on. Father, we thank you. We thank you this hour for your word. We thank you for the souls
00:58:37 online that are reaching for 844-267-7729. We thank you for those who have received your word
00:58:46 in the ascent and we pray that when we walk out of this place we will not walk out with anything
00:58:52 negative but we will walk out with something positive. Lift up your name and give you the glory
00:58:58 and thank you that you minister to us. When everybody wanted to rock us into death,
00:59:06 you waited until they were gone and then you ministered to our spirits so that our future
00:59:13 is bright. She ain't going back to that man that turned her in. She ain't going back to that life.
00:59:21 She's going on to a life that says sin no more. Oh yes, sin no more. So go with us as we go.
00:59:30 Bring us back at the appointed time. Somebody say in Jesus' name.
00:59:34 Burdened to die.
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