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Chosen City Church Sermons
It Comes From The Overflow | Psalm 23 | Pastor Walter Bowers Jr.
God takes us to a place of overflow where we can hear Him speak clearly about our purpose and promise beyond our struggles and daily needs.
• The Lord is our shepherd who guides us to a place of not wanting or lacking anything essential
• Sometimes God forces us to lie down and rest before we can properly receive from Him
• Abraham heard about his greater purpose from a place of abundance, not deficit
• The valley of the shadow of death is just that - a shadow we pass through, not death itself
• God uses His rod to protect us from attacks and His staff to rescue us when we're stuck
• Many can't experience overflow because their spiritual cups have holes from past hurts
• The table God prepares for us after our trials is where He anoints and fills us to overflowing
• Breaking barriers requires operating from overflow, not constantly from a place of lack
• God often speaks about our purpose only after we've moved beyond survival-mode prayers
• Rest is essential for spiritual nourishment - you can't eat when you're filled with anxiety
If you've been struggling to break through barriers in your life, ask God to fix the holes in your cup so you can retain what He's pouring into you. Your breakthrough comes from the overflow.
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Intro and outro created by Joe Anderson Jr. of Truflava Productions
Hallelujah.
Speaker 2:Hallelujah.
Speaker 3:He's lifting us. He's lifting us.
Speaker 2:I told you last week there's been a shift in the atmosphere. Somebody said there's been a shift in the atmosphere. There's been a shift in the atmosphere. I was standing there worshiping and the Lord told me to do something. That may be simple, but sometimes it's in our obedience to the simple things that we experience in the move of God. The Lord just told me just walk around the sanctuary and just pray blessings on your people. And as I was doing it, he gave me a vision of the priest in the Old. In the old testament, the priest used to walk around and they just bring it in the glory of the lord with the smoke and that's, that's what they would do.
Speaker 2:They walk around with the smoke. That's all. That's all I was doing, just saying, lord, we, we need your glory in the room. I can't do it, I don't have the power, unless you give it to me. But here comes the glory, here comes the glory. We're about to go higher in Jesus' name. I'm coming down this aisle because I didn't make this aisle, but just here comes the glory. Y'all pray that Y'all say that, say here comes the glory, here comes the glory. Here. That y'all say that, say here comes the glory, here comes the glory, here comes the glory, here comes the glory.
Speaker 2:And even if you don't fully understand what that means in your spirit, your spirit feels something like something's about to happen in here. Something is about to happen in here. You should feel that in the spirit, even if you've never been to church before. You feel it. I know you feel it, uh, because god it loves you and he brought you here and I just know he's going to give you some information that's going to help this revelation to become more real. Family, I'm ready to work. This atmosphere has been set.
Speaker 2:I'm excited about what God has been saying all day. What God is saying in this moment there's a word from the lord. As I said earlier, we have been in this series all year, 12 weeks on breaking barriers, breaking barriers, and we thank the woman of god for her powerful testimony. So god is already working. There's a word from the lord today that is found in p 23. Psalm 23.
Speaker 2:We're going to read the six verses of this psalm from the King James Version. Again, we welcome any visitors. We're going to ask somebody from our facilities team if we could turn that good air on. Amen, amen, why y'all be sitting up in here hot and don't say nothing. Oh, we could be holy, but we ain't got to be hot. So, uh, let's, let's get that going. Um, there's a word from the. There's a word from the lord. Psalm 23, king james version. And I and I, and when, when Deacon Jones come back, having to check the one on the stage too, because I think we can oh, can you check that one? Make sure it's good. Thank you, sir. The word of the Lord. Um reads as uh follows ready set.
Speaker 2:Read the Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want he maketh me to lie down in green pastures. He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul. He leadeth me in the path of righteousness. For his name's sake, yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff. They comfort me. Thou prepares the table before me in the presence of mine, enemies. Thou anointed my head with oil. My cup runneth over. I want to read verse five again. Matter of fact, we're going to read it two more times. Y'all read it slow. Thou prepare a table before me in the presence of mine, enemies. Thou anointest my head with oil. My cup runneth over. Let's read it one more time for emphasis. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine, enemies. Thou anointest my head with oil. My cup runneth over. Verse 6 surely, goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever and family.
Speaker 2:On this last Sunday of this breaking barriers series, where I believe that God is about to break more and more barriers on today, this is the word that the Lord has given me. The word is that it comes from the overflow. It comes from the overflow. Can you turn to somebody before you take your seat and tell them it comes from the overflow. It comes from the overflow. It comes from the overflow. You may be seated in the presence of our Lord, men and women of God, the Lord told me that there is not a barrier that any of you all are dealing with, that can't be broken. But the only way that you're going to break it is that you have to make it to this place called overflow. Overflow is a place in god where the impossible becomes possible. Overflow is a place where God begins to speak to you personally about the plans and the promise that he has for your life.
Speaker 2:In Genesis, the 12th chapter, we see an individual by the name of Abram who was operating in overflow when God called him to greater. When God called him to greater In Genesis, the 12th chapter. I know that he was operating in overflow because in the text it tells us that Abraham had everything that he needed in the natural. Abraham, at his name, was at the time, was already wealthy. Abram had a successful marriage. Abram had children. Abram had everything that he needed in the natural. Abram had children. Abram had everything that he needed in the natural and so, from his place of overflow, it was where God started to speak to him about, not about material things, but about the real calling that's on his life.
Speaker 2:God says to Abraham in Genesis, the 12th chapter go from your country, your people and your father's household to the land. I will show you, I will make you into a great nation, I will bless you, I will make your name great and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and whoever curses you our curse and all the people on Earth will be blessed through you, and all the people on earth will be blessed through you. It's important to know that God, that Abram had this encounter with God not from a place of deficit, but from the place of oversold. Did you hear what I just said? He had the bag already. Did you hear what I said? He already had a good relationship.
Speaker 2:What am I trying to say? There are too many people that you come into God's presence, just as you are, as you should. But God is saying for the thing that he really wants to talk to you about, or the thing that he really wants to do in your life, you're not going to hear it from a place of deficit, you got to hear it from the place of overflow. Let me see if I can say it like this flow. Let me see if I can say it like this If every week I come to church, I'm struggling with my money, I'm struggling with my mental health, I'm struggling with my family, I'm struggling with my job, every time I come to the altar the only thing I'm going to pray about is my money, my mental health, my family and my job.
Speaker 2:Is anything wrong with praying about those things? Absolutely not. But you know that's a trick of the enemy, right? See? The enemy says if I can keep you praying from your struggle place, you'll never start talking to God about your place of promise. If every time you come into his presence is because you need a healing, the enemy wants to keep you there because he doesn't want you to get to where Abram got to. Well, god can talk to you about the weight of your affairs. Well, god could talk to you about I'm about to make your name great. Well, god could talk to you about the lineage that is about to come through you. Well, god can talk to you about how he's about to use you in a supernatural way.
Speaker 2:Somebody say it comes from the overflow. It comes from the overflow and the thing about it is is that there's even an example from the apostle Paul. The apostle Paul was one that started out his religiosity by being a persecutor of the people of God. He thought that everybody that followed Jesus was strong and wrong, and he elected to be a bounty hunter, chasing after the people of God. But it was on Damascus road that he had his own encounter with God. And when he had his encounter with God, he goes into this posture of trying to understand what it all meant. That's what some of you are. You you've had an encounter with God in the last 12 weeks and now you're trying to understand where it all meant. I've seen people lay at this altar in the last 12 weeks. I ain't never seen lay at the altar before. I want you to know that the reason God brought you to the altar is because you are on your way to a place called overflow. You see Paul, when God was speaking to him when he first turned his life around, it was different from the conversation he had with God after he matured in his faith.
Speaker 2:Second Corinthians, the 12th chapter, gives us an overflow experience with God. Paul says it like this he says I was caught up to the third heaven 14 years ago. He says whether I was in my body or out of my body, I don't know. Only God knows, yes, only God knows, whether I was in my body or outside my body, but I do know. Somebody said I do know. I do know that I was caught up to paradise and heard things so astounding that they cannot be expressed in words, things no human is allowed to tell. What are you trying to say, pastor Walt?
Speaker 2:Paul had gotten to the place where his prayers to God weren't about struggle. He had gotten to the place where his prayers to God weren't about stuff. He had gotten to the place where his prayers to God weren't about the mundane things that we pray about. I'm not saying that these things are not important. They're important. But I'm telling you that there is this place called overflow.
Speaker 2:Paul referred to it as a third heaven. We can't articulate it, we can't exegete it. We can't exegete it, but it's given to us as a testimony of what it looks like when you get so connected to God that he start to speak to your ear gates about things that he's not speaking to other people about. And that's what I'm trying to tell you, for what you're dealing with and what you're trying to break and what you're trying to change. You got to get to the place of overflow where you're not praying about the struggle, you're saying. I'm trying to pray about the promise. I'm trying to hear from God in a way that other folk ain't hearing from God. I'm trying to have my own third heaven experiences. Is there anybody else in the room that you want to have an experience with God that you can't even articulate? All I can tell you is that you had to be there. All I can tell you is that I can't put into words what the Lord showed me. I can't put into words what I heard from God, but I know it was real and I know it changed the trajectory of my life. That's why I preach overflow, not for materials, but so that you can hear from God in a way that you've never heard from the Lord before.
Speaker 2:So how do we get to this place called overflow? Well, we got to realize that overflow is a destination. Y'all pray right there. I think we got something going on in the media team, so we ain't we gonna win today. We're going to get that, get that little buzz out right there. Sound like a chirping sound. But here, here it is. Let's not get distracted.
Speaker 2:Psalm 66, verse 10 through 12, helps us to understand that overflow is a destination. Look at Psalm 66, verse 10 through 12. You've tested us. Oh, oh god. You have purified us like silver. You captured us in your net and laid the burden of slavery on our backs. Then you put a leader over us. We went through fire and flood. But somebody say but, but you brought us to a place of great abundance. I'm going to read it again. He said I'm trying to help you to understand that overflow is a is a destination. These individuals were being tested by God. That's what they say in verse 10. They were bound by their adversary. They they had a leader at sixteen, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue that didn't care about their current condition. And they went through the fire and they went through the flood.
Speaker 2:Somebody say but God brought them to a place of great abundance, a place also known as overflow. As a matter of fact, if anybody asks you for your address this week, tell them you live at overflow lane and overflow boulevard. Tell them that there has been a shift in your life and God has brought you to a place of abundance. And when they ask you how to get there. Tell them that you have to go through the fire and you have to go through the flood. You got it, you got to. You can't, you can't buy this uh address you, you. You can't swap this address. You gotta put your boots on the ground, don't lie, and get to the place where God has called you to be. And so God presents to us a witness today through the testimony of an individual by the name of David. David is sent to us today to help us to understand that God is taking us to a place called overflow. David is one that was anointed as a child to ultimately become the king of all Israel. David is one that made bad choices sometimes. David is one that made bad decisions sometimes, but his bad choices and bad decisions did not cancel the fact that he was still anointed.
Speaker 2:I want to talk to some people in the room that are visiting for the first time. Perhaps you came to church today because there is something that you are regretting and and something that you are dealing with, but the Lord just told me to tell you that your anointing and the assignment has not been canceled, regardless of the fact that you made a bad choice. He says that I still have a greater work for you, that it is soon to come to pass. You just got to run on and see what the end is going to be. As a matter of fact, if that's your testimony, can you help those visitors in the room? They scared right now because they say how did he know? God just told me. Tell them. Tell them, that's your story. Tell them. Tell them to run on and see what the end going to be. Did you hear the testimony of the woman of God? She said 20 years and then God broke it. Did you hear her testimony? I'm trying to help somebody. Tell that visitor you better run on and see what the end is going to be.
Speaker 2:David is believed to be older when he writes this psalm. A psalm is a song S-A-L-M is a song S-O-N-G or a poem used to express the posture of your heart at a particular moment. Some psalms are psalms of joy and some are psalms of pain. Some are psalms of sorrow. Psalms are psalms of expression, but either way, they help us to understand, under the power of the Holy Ghost, that God is up to something in our lives and God has not forgotten about us, and all we got to do is hold to his unchanging hand.
Speaker 2:Psalm 23 is perhaps the most famous of the Psalms. Many people know it, but today God has said I need you to look at this particular Psalm Because on this last sermon of this breaking barriers series, I've given chosen city Psalm 23 as a guarantee breakout plan. He said I've given you Psalm 23 as a guarantee that you're going to get to this place called overflow. Psalm 23 is are your GPS coordinates to make sure that you get everything that the Lord has for you. On. Today, david, being poetic, he starts to do like any good preacher would do we speak from our experiences. We speak from the careers that we've had. We speak from the careers that we've had. We speak from the things that God allowed us to go through, and David was one that his original occupation, that he was a shepherd, and so he now he's going to paint a picture for us to help us to know that, that we are on our way to this place called overflow.
Speaker 2:But he needs you to understand a few things about shepherding. The bible says this makes sense because in the bible the people of god are referred to as what is sheep, and it's interesting being the sheep because, being real, if you know anything about sheep they often get lost. If you know anything about sheep, they got a lot of predators. If you know anything about sheep, there's a whole lot that would love to devour them. And David's first job was to be a shepherd and his job was to protect the sheep. And we know David was good at his job because when he was found working in the field he gave a testimony that one time a lion came up against a sheep. He gave a testimony that one time a bear came up against a sheep and his testimony was that he was 2-0 against the animals of the wilderness because he was able to bust that lion and bear's head to the white meat, because that's how a good shepherd rolls. And so he brings us to psalm 23 to say if you think that I was a good shepherd, you ain't seen shepherding yet.
Speaker 2:Um, he gives us six scriptures. Everybody say six. He gives us six scriptures. That at the eight o'clock service, tiffany, the Holy Spirit gave this to me. We used to do memory verses with our boys. We got to get back to it. But the Lord said make sure your boys know Psalm 23 before the year is out, and that's my mandate to me. Whatever you do with your children is up to you, but I know God told me to do that to mine, because there is a lot of power here that will get my boys to the place of overflow, and I need every parent in the room that wants their child to get to the place of overflow to holler at your boy. I want every person that won't overflow for themselves to holler at your boy. And so he says this I'm going to help you to understand the shepherd-sheep relationship like never before. I saw in the text that because it's poetic.
Speaker 2:There are two parts to the six scriptures. There is the, what we refer to this morning as the jab. Y'all got any boxers in the room Any boxers in the room Because I mixed my pun. Now, revshake, why you put your hand up? You're the boxer who you box. Reb Shake, you knocking folk out. That's why Reb Shake be up here quiet. I get it, I understand, okay, reb Shake is one of the boxers in the room.
Speaker 2:I box too. I was 0-1 and I retired. A boy called me. I said this is not what the Lord hath for me, uh, but I learned. I learned four punches. I learned four punches when I was boxing. I, I, I learned the jab. Any boxers in the room, I, I learned the jab. I, I learned that. I learned the cross, right I learned, I learned the hook and I learned the uppercut. That was the four that they, they taught me.
Speaker 2:And and and the day in this text I see two punches. I see, see the jab, because the jab my coach told me was to keep the enemy off. For you, keep them back right, but when you want to finish your opponent off, that's when you got to come with either a cross or something like that. Am I right? All the boxers in the room? Okay? Well, when you look at the Psalms, you see these six verses, but they're the first part. The A clause, as we would call it, is a jab, but then the B clause is the cross or the hook. So when we look at this, this combination here is about to get us to the place of overflow, and the first thing we see is verse one which reads that the Lord is my shepherd. Somebody said that's the jab, the Lord. When you look at the Lord in the original language is where we get the phrase Yahweh.
Speaker 2:How many of us have heard God referred to as Yahweh. That was from when God, when Moses, had an encounter with God. From his place of overflow, he goes into the mountain and God had set a bush on fire. And as Moses is investigating and the voice starts speaking to Moses about his plans for Moses, he tells Moses I need you to go deliver my people. And Moses said my name has no authority, my name has no power. Who should I say sent me? He said tell them I am that I am sent you, which is transferred Yahweh.
Speaker 2:You also may hear people refer to God as Jehovah, because there became a time on the journey where they was looking at the holiness of God and they said they weren't worthy to call him by his full name. Now you may not understand that in a spiritual sense, but if your culture, like my culture, when was the last time that you go walk in and call your mama or your daddy by the first name? Maybe y'all were different. It would have been a bad day for me. I had walked up to my grandma talking about Roxy Come here, roxy. It would have been a bad day for me. It would have been a bad day for me. It would have been a bad day. And so the people of God say, no, we're not worthy to call him Yahweh. We will take, we'll silence some of the syllables, and, and that's where we get Jehovah.
Speaker 2:But the meaning of Yahweh, the meaning of Jehovah is when God told Moses tell him, yahweh sent you. I am, that I am. What God was saying is that I will be whatever I need to be to rescue my people from whatever they are going through. Can I help you to understand that he's still Yahweh, that he's still Jehovah. Like for some of you, you may need him to be a counselor because you're not having as much success with the counseling treatment. Uh, you may need him to be a doctor because the doctor can't figure out what's exactly wrong with you. You may need him to be able to foretell and to speak to you about what's coming, because you can't discern which way is up.
Speaker 2:Yahweh says I am what I am and I will be whatever I need to be to get you to your resting place. That ought to be some good news for somebody. That the Lord is your shepherd. That's what the Lord means. But there's another part is my shepherd? When I say the Lord is my shepherd, that means I allow and I submit myself to the guidance of the Lord and there are some of us in the room. We will partially submit ourselves, which I would submit to you is no submission at all. We will partially submit ourselves and do part of what God has called us to do, but we won't fully submit. When we say he is Lord, we're saying that you have authority over my life, that you know what's best for my life, that I'm going to trust you when I can't trace you, I'm going to follow you when I feel funny, I'm going to submit. When it feels strange, I'm going to go if I have to go all by myself, because you are lord.
Speaker 2:They used to sing a song in church he is lord, he is lord, he has risen from the grave and he is lord. And then it says what every knee shall bow, every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Can I ask you an honest question is God really Lord over your life? Is he really Lord over your life? Because there is something that I see in the, in the beep clause of the text, the cross as we're referring to, using the boxing analogy. Look at the text again the Lord is my shepherd.
Speaker 2:What's the second part say we got a problem because the Bible says that if he is Lord over your life, you shouldn't be wanting for anything. Tiffany, we got a problem because how many of us in this room came into the house of God today feeling empty or wanting something Might as well? Be honest about it. I do, I do, I do, yeah. But then the Holy Spirit oh, y'all thought only y'all get convicted. Y'all thought I didn't get convicted because I come in often, weekly, saying Lord, we want to possess this land. Lord, I want to be able to do a better job of taking care of my family. Lord, I want to do this, I want to do that. But the scripture says if the Lord is my, put it back up there for him. We're going to be in this bible. You ain't got to rush it down. Look, put it, put it, watch this. The scripture said. Y'all reading it right, if the Lord is my shepherd, I shall. I'm sorry Some of y'all forgot my trade.
Speaker 2:I'm an attorney by trade, except there are no more clients in Jesus' name. We transitioned it from that. But hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah. But in my training, when I draft contracts especially if I'm drafting one for my clients favorable to them. I said what you ain't going to do in the contract is put that word shell, because if you put shell, that means you don't have any other options. I shall deliver the pecans and the watermelons by 3 o'clock pm. No, no, no, no. Put shell, let's put I will possibly maybe, therefore subject to weather conditions get it there in the ninth hour or so, but I will possibly, may be therefore subject to weather conditions Get it there in the in the ninth hour or so, because shell is absolute. Somebody say shell is absolute and the United States Constitution, if you see, shell is absolute. You don't have an option. And so what God is saying right here, look at the absolute language of this text.
Speaker 2:David is trying to say since the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want no options. Then if I'm wanting, I gotta ask the question, dr Colleen, is the Lord really my shepherd? You think, because you've been in church all your life, that you do, that he is truly Lord? Do you think just because you got a title or a collar or something that you, that he's truly Lord? You think, just because I'm pastor and I preach, that he's always been Lord? That was time last week, so I made some decisions and that wasn't Lord-guided decisions, because if he's my shepherd, he's going to guide my every footstep and as he guides my every footstep, he is about to take us to a place that we're wanting for nothing.
Speaker 2:Somebody said it comes from the overflow. Your shepherd is trying to take you to the place in your own life where you're lacking and wanting for nothing. I wish I had 10 people in the room that could receive that by faith that God is taking me to a place in my life where I'm wanting for nothing. Y'all. That's a real place that you get to a place where you're wanting for nothing. But we have been wanting stuff for so long and we've been in survival mode so long. We think it's normal for the child of God to come in here Sunday after Sunday wanting stuff Every now and then. We ought to allow God to take us to that place. Well, god, I'm just here to say thank you.
Speaker 3:And what's next. Thank you, I'm ready.
Speaker 2:Thank you because now I'm the lender and not the borrower. Thank you because I'm the head and not the tail. Thank you because now I'm above and not beneath. You know why? Because the Lord is my shepherd. The Lord is my shepherd. Because the Lord is my shepherd. The second verse says that this that he maketh me to lie down in green pastures, he leadeth me beside the still waters, he maketh me that's. That's the jab, meaning that the Hebrew word Minuka talks about. This text means that God will force us by any means necessary to a state of rest and tranquility. He will do whatever he has to do to take us to a posture of physical rest. I'm gonna call some names today because I love them and they are leaders in the church that I see. Deacon Vaughn, here today. Deacon Vaughn, wave your hand there. She is Deacon Vaughn.
Speaker 2:She's an amazing woman of God serving her family faithfully. But she just had a surgery um on her on her hip and while it was frustrating for her to be still in that moment, I saw what God was doing from the, as they say, where I'm from, from the get-go. He made her lie down because she's a caregiver for her great father. He made her lie down because she's taking caregiver for her great father. He made her lie down because she's taking care of everything and everybody else. So he made her lie down because she wasn't going to lie down by herself.
Speaker 2:That's about 75 of y'all in this room. You trying to figure out why you lost that spot. You trying to figure out why it happened that way because God said I'm going to make you lay down before you stroke out. You trying to figure out why you lost that spot. You trying to figure out why it happened that way Because God said I need to make you lay down before you stroke out. I need to make you be still before it's too late. I'm calling names. That's if I have a son in the ministry.
Speaker 2:I got several now, but if I got a son in the ministry, the first one I should say is that young man right there, elder J. We've been together since he was a. How you was unc you. You was a. You're a little peon at unc charlotte running around many years ago. But just the other day, out of nowhere, his back went out on him.
Speaker 2:Young man with a strong back. He from the country. He got a strong back. But I saw what the lord was doing, and the lord said you're doing too much. Man of God, you're over here, you're over there, you preach here, you preach there. You're your counsel here, your counsel there. I'm gonna make you lie down because I love you enough to make you be still, and I want to talk to somebody right now to let you know that God is not punishing you, but he has made you lie down. And do you know why God has to make us lie down? Because sheep deal with a illness called listeriosis.
Speaker 2:Somebody say listeriosis. Listeriosis is an interesting disease that sheep deal with often, where, when the illness comes upon them, it causes depression, it causes anxiety, it causes confusion, and the sheep will run around either on the field or in the pen because they don't know where to go, and so the only way that they are going to survive is if they get nutrients in their body. Anybody ever got sick before? And your kinfolk, somebody that love you, said come here, baby, you're gonna eat a little something. I'm not sure that if the people at Campbell, uh, had like, like prophets, come in and pray over that chicken noodle soup, but it's something in that can of chicken noodle soup, a little saltine crackers if you get sick enough, it's miracle signs and wonders. Amen, somebody. And if y'all was raised, like I was raised when I was sick and didn't feel like eating, they said baby, even I was sick not long ago. A couple weeks back, my wife said you got to just take a little bit of something. Gave me that and some synchromes. Ginger ale, not gin, ginger ale a. She gave me a little bit of that because you understand the concept. Watch this if my sickness has got me to the posture where I can't eat, if I never eat, my sickness will be unto death.
Speaker 2:I want to talk to the sick in the sick, the sheep in the room. I see spiritual cases of this same disease listeriosis. What you're going through has you so depressed and filled with anxiety. You don't know which way to go and now you're not eating. It's why, when you come to church, you can leave out the same way that you came in. It's why you can come to bible study and everybody else get blessed and you miss yours. It's why you thought the issue was hopping from one church to another church. But the real issue is not the church, not the pastor, not the preacher, not the teacher, not the denomination, not the reformation. The real issue is is that you are sick because of an attack of the enemy and it has impacted your ability to eat. And I just want to talk to some people in the room and say the lord is saying that I'm gonna make you lie down today. I'm gonna make you lie down today. I'm to make you lie down on the day. I'm going to make you lie down on the day.
Speaker 2:Did I see Deacon Rainey in the house? Did somebody see Deacon Rainey in the house? I thought I saw him. I'm going to call him. I'm going to call him Deacon Rainey. Tell him to come here. Where are you? Come here, deacon Rainey. Come here right here. Hurry up, come here. Come here quick.
Speaker 2:Deacon Coleman what, deacon Coleman at? Deacon Coleman, come here both for you, awesome man of God. Let me tell you something these are two men of God, but I hear the Lord saying this to both of y'all as much work as y'all do, he will make you rest so you can eat. You can't go around fixing everything wrong with the church and never be still enough to hear what God has to say to you. And God got greater for you, man of God. God got greater for you, man of God, and I want to. I want to touch and agree early in the sermon and say, as these men of God, just get to the point. See, y'all don't know.
Speaker 2:Deacon Coleman testimony. Deacon Coleman is a special forces veteran that still has shrapnel in his body. The Lord kept him, but sometimes it's hard for him to rest in the newness of what God is doing in his life, and if he never rests, a sheep can't eat when it's full of anxiety and pressure. And so I want to take that off of you so you can rest. Are y'all praying with me? I thought y'all said this was barrier breaking Sunday. I see it coming off of Deacon Coleman today All the stuff from combat, all the stuff from yesterday, all the stuff from growing up in Atlanta back in the day. I hear the Lord saying I'm taking it off of you now so you can rest and so you can eat like you've never eaten before.
Speaker 2:Deacon Coleman I mean Deacon Rainey come in here, share this testimony. He's been through a lot in life. He's been through some things that he shared that God has brought him out of in his personal life, and sometimes he even struggles with coming and resting. But the Lord just told me to just tell you to rest today, man of God, that he said I'm going to rest you today. He said I'm going to force you down to a green pasture. As a matter of fact, I want both of y'all to finish the sermon over there. As a symbol that God loves you enough, he's going to bring you to a green pasture and sit you beside the still water, because the still water represents peace.
Speaker 2:I speak peace in your life right now, in Jesus' name. As a matter of fact, there's a woman of God I'm speaking over them. There may be two women of God right now that say I want to speak peace because you can't catch anything that's coming forth, because you've got to have peace, because you can't eat when you're stressed. You can't eat when you feel like somebody watching you. You can't eat when you feel like somebody plotting against you. And all I'm trying to do is provide rest in Jesus' name, in Jesus' name, in Jesus' name, in Jesus' name, I need two people. There's two people, I feel in my spirit. Come, get this rest. Talking about two people, don't be afraid. Come on, get this rest, and then spooky happening. Here we going with God.
Speaker 2:I'm trying to make sure that people hear from God. They can't get a sermon because they can't rest in their spirit. They hear from God. They can't get a sermon because they can't rest in his spirit. They can't get worship because they can't rest in his spirit. So I'm coming saying there is rest for the weary. I'm saying that there is rest beyond the river.
Speaker 2:I'm saying that there is rest in the house today. There is rest y'all. If we don't rest, we can't hear from the master. If we can't rest, we can't get what he got for us. I speak rest to you right now in Jesus' name. I speak rest to you right now in Jesus' name. God, rest her, take it off of her right now, god, we declare under the power of the Holy Ghost, it's coming up, it's coming out in Jesus' name. She will hear from you like never before.
Speaker 2:We declare rest in this house in the mighty name of Jesus. Rest. Somebody say rest, rest, rest. Y'all ought to be praying for rest for these people. That's bold enough to come get it. Some of y'all need it, but you won't come and get it.
Speaker 2:I declare rest in this house in Jesus name, in Jesus name, in Jesus name. In Jesus name. Rest in this house, rest in this house, rest in this house. In Jesus name, rest, rest, rest, cuz about on rest. If I don't rest, I can't eat fam. It's not that hard. It's the reason you can't hear God's voice. It's the reason that the enemy want to keep you frustrated. We declare rest in the name of Jesus. Take it off of her right now. In Jesus' name, in Jesus' name, in Jesus' name, in Jesus' name, in Jesus' name, in Jesus' name, I want y'all to help me out right now.
Speaker 2:In Jesus' name, in Jesus' name, in Jesus' name, in Jesus' name, in Jesus' name, rest, rest, rest, rest, rest, rest, rest, rest, rest, rest, rest, heal, rest, rest, rest, rest, rest, rest, rest, rest, go, rest right there, sis, rest, rest right there, sis, rest, rest right there, rest, rest, rest, rest, rest, rest, rest from raising your daughter, rest from everything that you've dealt with, rest from the relationships, Rest. Woman of God, rest, rest, rest, woman of God, woman of God, thank you for this amazing woman of God. She's come by faith up here, lord, and I just speak. Rest into her life in Jesus' name, in Jesus' name, y'all don't stop praying. It's y'all prayers that's bringing the people. Rest, rest, rest, rest. That's okay, it's rest, rest in Jesus' name. Thank you for this elder. Give her rest, give her rest, give Thank you for this elder. Give a rest, give a rest, give a rest from the transition. Give a rest, god, so that you trust as you rest, rest, rest, rest, rest.
Speaker 2:Are y'all still praying church? Are y'all still praying church? We're not putting on a show. These people need rest. They need rest, they need rest.
Speaker 2:Sometimes we need another touch. Do you know in the Bible that Jesus touched a man once, but he needed another touch? And I come right now with another touch and I just want you to rest. Throw your hands up as a posture of rest, let it go. I saw you yesterday.
Speaker 2:Come on, just rest, just rest, just rest, just talk to God right now. Tell God how tired you are, tell God you're just tired of being strong. Just tell God. I just want to rest in you. I don't want to carry it right now. I don't want to be the strong friend, I just want to rest in you. There's rest. There's rest in the house. In Jesus' name. In Jesus' name. In Jesus' name, thank you, fearless leader, for everything that you do and for the community, and for your sisters and for everybody. But, woman of God, you need to rest. You need to rest because when you rest, you're going to hear from God like you've never heard from before.
Speaker 2:God, I declare rest in the sister, zenobia's life right now and I remove, father God, in the name of Jesus, the guilty feeling that she feels every time she tries to rest, and that's about a hundred people in the room. They feel guilty every time they take a day off. They feel guilty every time she tries to rest, and that's about 100 people in the room. They feel guilty every time they take a day off. They feel guilty every time they don't prepare a meal for a child. They feel guilty every time they don't show up. Tell them, god, that they can rest sometimes. Give them freedom and liberty to rest. God, they need to rest. There's rest in the house.
Speaker 2:Now, zenobia, just worship God like you've never worshipped him before and I promise you it started last week with your amazing baby girl. She showed us all how to rest in the spirit and, just like your beautiful baby girl, just loosen up in worship and set an atmosphere in youth church. Now we need mama to do the same thing now, because if you get free, the entire women's ministry going to get free. If you get free, the mother's tea won't be the same. If you get free, the touch that you have with your sorrow is going to get different. If you get free, the people that you supervise they'll never see you in the same light.
Speaker 2:I know you've been carrying a lot the burden and pains of losses, but the Lord said rest. He said rest. Come unto me, all you that are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. I speak rest in this house. Thank you, woman of God, for the strength that you have for the Merkison family, but you don't have to be strong today. Today is you're going to find your strength by resting in Jesus. Somebody say rest in Jesus. Rest in Jesus on the day.
Speaker 2:Woman of God, god started something in your family last week and it's going to end with you. When you let go and when you release, your daughters are going to shift, your grandsons and granddaughters will shift. Everything is going to shift. Woman of God, all of the women that carry your DNA are going to shift, because they're going to see a shift in you. Rest in him right now. Let it go.
Speaker 2:Woman of God, I need to hear it vocally from you. God gave you a voice. He gave you the gift of song, so he wants you to come out. Use the gift that he gave you to find rest, rest, rest. We speak, rest in this house. Thank you, elder, for your work and your ministry. I pray for a fresh feeling for you. I saw how tired you were yesterday, once again, even helping my family.
Speaker 2:But the Lord is saying there's a rest that you need, and when you rest, you will hear. Did you hear what I said? When you rest, you will hear. When you rest, you will hear. Did you hear what I said? When you rest, you will hear. When you rest, you will eat. When you rest, you will eat. Now you got to sit in that, woman of God, unashamedly. Sit in it, woman of God, sit in that rest. It's okay to say no, it's okay to say not today. Sit in that rest, woman of God. Put it in the Lord's hand. There is rest. Y'all minister to the woman of God. Y'all minister to the woman of God.
Speaker 2:I feel the Holy Ghost in here. I feel the Lord in here. I feel the Lord in here. I feel the Lord in this house. I speak of rest, even if I didn't get a chance to get to you If I didn't get a chance to get to you. I didn't get a chance to get to you. I didn't get a chance to get to you. I pray for you right now in Jesus' name. Thank you for saying.
Speaker 2:I know you were probably nervous about coming down, but I want you to understand something that God is real. This is not a show. I come against anybody or anything that thinks this is a play thing. This ain't a show. Life's on the line. They don't even realize your life was on the line. That's why you came down. You weren't gonna come, but you said I'm gonna try and see what happened because my life is on the line. I feel it in the spirit. Your happiness is on the line, everything is on the line.
Speaker 2:You may probably be one of the most misunderstood women in this room. I feel that in the spirit I wouldn't lie to you, but god loved you enough to give you enough holy ghost, just to get here, and I thank god for giving you just enough to get here. Now that you've gotten to this place, he said rest, cry out to him and let him go, cry out to him and let it go. I need one of the women of God to just gently touch her on her stomach. I need one of the women of God to come touch her on her stomach and pray with her, intercede in prayer because she needs rest. God, we come against anything that she was thinking that is not like you, god. We come against anything that she was thinking that was causing her to be depressed, or even thinking about anything, god, that was dangerous to her well-being and her future. We come against it right now, in the mighty name of Jesus, god. She was bold enough to come down. She didn't want to, but, god, thank you for making her to lie down in a green pasture, because now that she's lied down, god, she can eat, and I pray that you feel her, god, right now, in Jesus' name.
Speaker 2:In Jesus' name, y'all pray for this woman of God. Pray like this is your sister, pray like it's your wife, pray like it's your daughter, and then come in and see if God is real. If it was your child, if it was your sister, if it was your daughter, you'd be like God, help them, pass them, not right now. Y'all call out to God for the people of God. Watch the atmosphere shift. I need to hear every voice in here. If you have the Holy Spirit in you, I need you to call out to God right now, for everybody in this room, in Jesus' name. God is about to do it. He's about to do it.
Speaker 2:Woman of God, let go. Let go. Woman of God. God said told me to wrestle with you a little bit longer. I'm going to wrestle with you until you get your breakthrough. I'm going to wrestle with you until, whatever it is, you're delivered from it. I'm going to wrestle with you until your self-esteem is fully restored. I'm going to wrestle with you until God gives you a fresh vision for the thing that you're trying to birth into the earth. The Lord is going to give you everything you need and it shall come to pass. Don't worry about people, don't worry about opinions. They don't know you, they can't see you. You are God's child. You are his elect. You are fearfully and wonderfully made and we are honored to be in your presence because the Holy Ghost resides in you. Now, give God a yes today and be obedient to what he told you to do the last time somebody laid a hands on you. Be obedient to it and give him a yes on today. He maketh me. Thank you, woman of God. Thank you for your faithfulness. Thank you for coming up and bringing your family with you. Just relax. I feel the Holy Ghost all over you. Just let it go. Just break. It's okay, you're in a safe space. Somebody here realize you're in a safe space. That was the weakest safe space. Y'all need to make this woman of God and understand she's in a safe space. Try it again. Say you're in a safe space, you're in a safe space. Breathe, woman of God. Breathe new life. Breathe, woman of God. He'll take the pain away. He'll take the pain away. He'll take the pain away. He'll take the pain away. No more weeping and nighting. He'll take the pain away. He's taking it away right now.
Speaker 2:In the name of Jesus, in the name of Jesus, in the name of Jesus, in the name of Jesus, in the name of Jesus, in the name of Jesus, come on, come on, come on. In the name of Jesus, in the name of Jesus, in the name of Jesus, come on, come on, come on. In the name of Jesus, in the name of Jesus, in the name of Jesus, father God, in the name of Jesus, we thank you for this intercessor who said that her manager's cancer came back, but she was bold enough to come and intercede. So we intercede not only for him, but anybody else in the room that may be dealing with this. We know that you're a healer. We saw what you've done in some of the leaders, uh, families in this house. So right now, I pray that you touch his body, wherever he is, in the mighty name of jesus, because he, you, are the great healer.
Speaker 2:Thank you for this woman of God intercession. I pray that you gift her and equip her to do more evangelism. Fill her up right now, in the mighty name of Jesus. We pray. It is so. Hallelujah.
Speaker 2:Woman of God, thank you for your faithfulness. Thank you for coming down. We want to touch and agree for whatever you're standing in need of. You just came because you said I just need a touch from the Lord. I didn't come from an ordinary church. I need a touch. God. Grant her prayer request. She just needs a touch from you. She shouldn't feel my touch, lord, she should feel your touch. Feel her right now, in the name of Jesus. Elder Mason, touch her right there, on her belly, right now, until she feels more power, until she feels more strength. It is in Jesus' name. Hallelujah, we declare victory in your life. Thank you, woman of God.
Speaker 2:We thank you for allowing this woman of God's testimony to come forth and we pray, god, that you will give her rest, because even though she has come out of it, she hadn't rested from it, god. So I pray that you allow her to rest and let her know that the past is just a testimony, but it has no condition as it relates to what you got for her in the future. Eyes haven't seen, ears haven't heard what you have in store for this great woman of God. For every mountain you brought her over, for every trial you've seen her through, for every blessing, god, we say hallelujah For this. God, we give you praise, praise. We give your name. The glory, the honor and the praise is in the matchless name of jesus. We pray that the people of god say amen, amen, amen, hallelujah. Y'all, let's celebrate god right there where we are. Let's celebrate god right there where we are. Let's celebrate god right there we are. Hear this, hear this. On this, this is the lord's doing.
Speaker 2:It is not the traditional sermon in that context, because I go with god and a god saying that if they don't rest, they're not gonna hear anything else you got to say anyway. And the lord is saying y'all still gonna get out of here in great time, don't worry about it, don't worry about it, don't worry about it. But I pray that everybody's rested. I pray that everybody's rested. I pray that everybody's rested. I pray that everybody's rested. I charge Pastor Chris and Elder Jamal and Elder Mason and Elder K that if somebody needs to come up to this altar, I'm not going to stop unless the holy spirit tells me to. But if they come, I want y'all to start interceding with them because if y'all not resting, you can't eat. And god said I need you to eat this one today. Somebody on social media, in a minute, our digital campus pastor is going to intercede there because you need this rest so you can eat. Today.
Speaker 2:He restores my soul. That's what just happened. Verse 3 said he restores our souls. I speak restoration. I speak restoration because that's what the good shepherd does. He led us here beside the still water because the still water represents peace.
Speaker 2:Now y'all look around the room. Do you know how peaceful they felt in this place right now? Do y'all feel the peace of God? He said I'm releasing of peace. He said I'm releasing peace in this house this morning so that I can restore some souls, because if I restore their souls then they can break out and break through anything he's saying. He's renewing your strength. He's guiding you along the path so that what you're about to do next will bring honor to his name.
Speaker 2:Listen to it. He leads me in the path of righteousness. For his name's sake, listen to this family. That means that the vision that God gave you, bernard, is about to come to pass, not for your sake, but to bring glory to his name. That means that the thing, the job that some of you are applying for, you're going to get the job in Jesus' name, not because of you or because of your resume, but to bring glory to his name For the authors in the room. The book will be successful in due season, not because of your penmanship, but to bring glory to his name, and that should encourage several of you in a room that is going to work out for you in spite of you, not because of you, but to bring glory to his name. Let me see, if I can say it like this I have an absolute certainty that Chosen City Church is going to be successful, as God defines success, not because of me, as a matter of fact, in spite of me, but we're building this city in his name and I want to talk to somebody right now and say, if you build it in his name, it shall come to pass.
Speaker 2:At the opening ceremony and the opening celebration, give God all of the glory and make sure that when people come visit you, when they come into your office, when they come into your space of business, when they come into your salon, when they come into your barbershop, when they come into your gym, when they come into your hotel, when they come into your school, you're about to start. When they come into the hospital, you're going to help open. When they come into your school, you're about to start. When they come into the hospital, you're going to help open.
Speaker 2:When they come into the bank that you run, you don't treat them like the world treats them. You treat them like you have been saved, set free and delivered. You treat them like you know what it means to have and need another chance. You treat them like you are a recipient of God's grace. That's why he's restored your soul, so that your wind will bring glory to his name. The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. He leads me, he makes me to lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside the still water, me to lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside the still water. He restores my soul. He leads me in the path of righteousness for his name's sake, and this is the beauty of being guided by the good shepherd.
Speaker 2:But I want to talk to people in the room. The woman of God said it earlier. She said pastor. She said when I was in the room, the woman of God said it earlier. She said pastor I. She said when I was in the streets they gave it to me raw, and y'all know one of my favorite expressions is raw and real, straight, no chasing. Here it is. You are on your way to this destination called overflow. Somebody say we almost there. You are closer than you think to the place that you've been praying to get to.
Speaker 2:But check out the reality of verse four. You got to go through verse four. I want to talk to somebody and say you on that plate on their way to overflow, but you got to go through verse four. One more time Say you on your way, but you got to go through Y'all. Look at verse four. Yea, though, I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff. They comfort me. The valley of the shadow of death it represents the darkest times of our life.
Speaker 2:There are several of you all in the room that I don't even have to be prophetic to know. We've talked about it that you're dealing with the issue of divorce, and that's a really dark time. There are some of you who have adult children that have wandered away from the faith and you are concerned about their future and you're concerned about some of the people that they have connected with, and that's a dark time because you raised that child. I don't care how old that child is, that's still your baby and it's a dark time to have a young adult in your life and they doing what they want to do, and you know what the end could be if God doesn't intercede. That's a dark time. There's some of you all that are dealing with the darkness of loneliness. There's nothing darker than feeling like you're all by yourself. But I want to tell you something.
Speaker 2:When I was younger, tiffany Bowers, when they taught me this message, I used to paraphrase and say yay, though I walked through the valley of death, but I had to realize that sometimes it's important to slow down and read what the word of God is actually saying, and some of you have been misreading your situation because you have been paraphrasing what God is really trying to say. The eviction is not your death. The challenge is not your death. As a matter of fact, the text tells you in actuality, it's just a shadow. Somebody say it's just a shadow, show it to a media team. It says, yay, though I walk through the valley of the what Shadow of death, I need to free a media team. It says, yay, though I walk through the valley of the what Shadow of death, I need to free somebody right now, somebody that ain't need to get happy and say it's just a shadow. I know you're worried about what Monday is going to look like, and you got to talk, to respond to this email, and you got to do this and you got to do that. But the Lord just told me to free you and tell you it's just a shadow, and the me to free you and tell you it's just a shadow and the reality of it is. I wish I could tell you that it was just a shadow and put the microphone down and that'd be the end. But we, a real church, and even though it's a shadow and I could tell you not to be afraid of it and pat myself on the back and say I did my good preaching today, the reality of it is is that you still most of us, are going to be afraid of the shadow. If it just took one service, we wouldn't be here.
Speaker 2:And I'm going to tell you I learned something from my middle son, jacob, about shadows. Jacob, just like with his brothers, they just turned nine years old last month and, jacob, he'll sleep about two or three hours, about two and a half, on the dot. We put him in the bed at 10, he in our bed at 1230. We put him in the bed at 12, he in our bed at 230. It's amazing Just like a clock I could cook a dish off the fact that, on time and on target, that boy going to wake up and come get in our bed. And we've been working with him on that and I've talked to him about it.
Speaker 2:I prayed with him about it and I said, buddy, what is it that bothers you when you wake up at night? He said, daddy, I see shadows in the room and I used to say, boy, it's just a shadow. I would turn the light on, said, see, ain't nothing there. One time Tiffany don't know this, these are my confessions, y'all my back started hurting. He kept getting in my bed so my back started hurting. I said I got to take this to an extreme measure. Mama won't like this. She might put me out the house. But I said I'm going to show you something that I never showed you, brothers, before. I went and got my heaviest field artillery and I brought it to them. It was empty, y'all it was empty. And I said was empty. And I said if anything come out of the shadows, I promise your daddy got you back. I showed it to him, I put it back in his hiding place and I said that's surely gonna make the boy sleep good tonight. 39 seconds later he come crawling in my room.
Speaker 2:But I realized something from Jacob. I realized the reality of it is is the truth of the matter. All of us got some shadows that scare everything out of us. And Jacob told me something one time. He said I feel better when I'm afraid of the shadow if I can get close to my daddy. My wife know I ain't lying. We even took him to the sleep study one time and they were showing even on his scans his heart rate and his pressure when he was in his own bed. But they said the moment that he came and got and laid his head on his daddy, everything calmed down.
Speaker 2:I'm trying to talk to the Jacobs in the room. I know you're afraid of the shadow and I pray in Jesus' name you stop being afraid of the shadow. But if, by chance, the shadow won't go away and if by chance the shadow keeps you up at night, may I suggest to you that you learn to lay your head on your daddy's pillow. May I suggest to you that you learn to get all up in the bosom of his arms, because he's a good shepherd and he'll let you crawl up in his arms any time that you need to. And the problem is some of y'all think y'all too grown up in the spirit to crawl up in your daddy's arms. I know talking to a grown man about crawling up into somebody's arms don't make sense. Well, man of God, that's why you're broken. That's why you're hurt. Truth of the matter is some of us got daddy issues and we didn't learn how to crawl up in daddy's arm. So I need to help somebody. I apologize in Jesus' name. I don't take it lightly that maybe your natural father didn't do it the right way, but God is saying to my arm stand wide open. He said I'm going to give you a hug that you never got before. My arm is standing wide open and there is rest when we have fear of the shadows.
Speaker 2:The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want he maketh me to lie down in green pastures. He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul. He leadeth me in the path of righteousness. He restores my soul. He lead me in the path of righteousness. For his name's sake, yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. Why, for thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff. They comfort me.
Speaker 2:Men and women of God, I want to talk to you about what God does in the darkest times of your life, what God does in the wilderness of your life. You need to understand that God is walking with you, even though you just had a loved one to die. You need to understand that God is walking with you even though somebody just walked out of your life. You need to understand that God is with you, even though you have suffered loss after loss after loss after loss. You need to understand that God is with you, even though the account appears to be going down and down and down, that God hears your prayer and he's up to something. David says.
Speaker 2:This is how the good shepherd operates with the sheep. He operates with a rod and a staff. We have a picture of a rod and a staff. A rod is a weapon, because that is necessary for the shepherd to have, because the sheep have so many enemies. Rod looks like a small club. So what would happen if the wolf got hungry and came after the sheep? The good shepherd would use the rod to bite, to knock back all of the wolves that are trying to devour you.
Speaker 2:It makes sense, because Jesus once said that our adversary walks around like a roaring lion seeking who he can devour. Don't you know? That's why you've been through so much hell this year. It's because you are a lamb of the most high lamb and you are one of his good sheep. But but that? But the enemy has been trying to devour you and don't you realize? The reason that you are still here is because your, the lord, your shepherd, has been blocking what's been trying to take you out all year long.
Speaker 2:I need some people who know that, in the spirit to help the other people who thought they got here by themselves. Can y'all testify to them real quick that you know that there were people that were scandalizing your name. You know that there were plots against you. You know that the enemy was using some loved ones. He was using coworkers. He was doing everything that he could to compromise you or to get you to compromise, and every time another attack came, here came the good shepherd with a rod and he blocked it and wouldn't let you fall.
Speaker 2:I need some people that got a testimony. Now you may be in the middle of it and you thought you just your luck kept you, you thought it was just by chance. No, it was the rod of God. I need 17 praisers that could praise God for a rod that will protect me from what's been trying to take my family out. Kevin, don't you understand that the enemy's been trying to take your family out? Don't you understand he's been trying to attack you ever since you gave God a yes, you told God you was going to serve and you don't think that was going to come with an attack, and the only reason you're still here is because God's rod has been blocking you.
Speaker 2:I thank God for the rod and I thank him for the staff.
Speaker 2:I was nosy. I had to get a deeper understanding of the staff. The rod made sense, but the staff didn't make that much sense because when I first looked at the staff, all I could think about y'all. I'm a visual learner and every vision ain't from God. The first vision I had of the staff, I said this one don't make sense to me, I'm about that rod life, but the staff don't make sense to me. The only vision I had of the staff, I said this one don't make sense to me, I'm about that rod life, but the staff don't make sense to me. The only vision I had was I'll just be honest, it was like little bold people has lost their sheep. You know what I'm talking about. I'm like give me the rod, you can lead a staff at home.
Speaker 2:But then I read what the text says and then I went to YouTube to look at shepherds with a staff. The staff is an amazing tool for the shepherd because the good shepherd used the staff to hook the sheep. I watched two forms of hooking going on on YouTube. The shepherd was trying to lead the sheep over here and most of the sheep was like, but there was another one in the crowd Look like you, look just like you. Look just like you. While God was trying to lead all the little lambs and little sheep over here, it was one that was trying to go this way. It looked just like you. I ain't saying it was you, but it looked like you. Looked like me too. I'm just saying, I'm just on YouTube, you can look it up yourself.
Speaker 2:The shepherd took that rod I mean that staff with that hook on it and he grabbed that little sheep that was going the wrong way and brought him right back into the fold and I said oh, I see it now. That time I was trying to lean to my own understanding. You hooked me, god, and you brought me right back into the fold. That time I was trying to pastor and do it my way. You hooked me, god, and brought me right back into the fold. That time I was trying to be a husband and I didn't want to do what I was supposed to do. I thank you, god, for the hook that caught me and brought me back into the fold, and I want to talk to some people in the room and say you ought to praise God for the staff, because the reason that you are still here, still amongst the fold, is that he hooked you by your leg and brought you back into the fold. But then I saw that there was a second hooking. That really blessed me real good.
Speaker 2:I saw that as sheep even as they are going the right way, pastor Chris, even when they are doing the right thing, pastor Chris, even when they're doing the right thing, reverend Shane, I saw something interesting, because that's some of y'all in this room too. You said, pastor, I ain't about that life, no more, and it still ain't working out for me. All I do is try to love God and treat people right, and I still find myself in a struggle. What do you do when you're doing the right thing and you end the fold and you find yourself in the valley? What do you do when you're doing the right thing and you end the fold and you find yourself in the valley? What do you do when you're trying to love God and love his people and serve, and you still don't have enough ends to make it work out? What do you do when you find yourself stuck between where you have been and where you're trying to go? And you've just been simply trying to be obedient to God and now you find yourself in the middle of something that you can't get out of. Can I just talk about 15 seconds to the people in the room? I get it? Ain't everybody, but there are at least 15 of y'all in the room Right now.
Speaker 2:The Spirit said you're in something that you can't get out of. I want to talk to you because this is your word. Don't miss it because you're ashamed. If it's you, you better put your hand up, because there's a word for you. If it's, you, put your hand up. If you're in something, I ain't even ask you what it is, because you know what it is. If you're in something, you say man, I just can't. I'm trying everything, I know how.
Speaker 2:This is what the Lord says. He says I'm about to unleash my staff, not because you were going in the wrong direction. You were going in the wrong direction because when you was going in the wrong direction, he I saw him grab that sheep's leg to keep that sheep from traveling in the wrong direction. But when you get stuck, I saw on YouTube that same shepherd take that hook and this time catch that sheep by his whole body and pull the sheep out of what they were stuck in. And I want to talk to you in the room right now, who is honest enough.
Speaker 2:The Lord said with his staff I am about to pull you out of whatever it is you've been stuck in. Give them some glory. If you can receive that, if you've got to receive it for yourself. Your neighbor may not be able to receive it, but they ain't help you get out no way. So what, you worry about them for you got to receive this word for yourself that God is about to use the staff to pull you out of whatever it is you've been stuck in. And the Lord is saying I'm going to pull some of you out of it today.
Speaker 2:The Lord is my shepherd. I'm going to pull some of you out of it today. The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want he maketh me to lie down in green pastures. He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul. He leads me in the path of righteousness. For his name's sake, yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will feel no evil, for thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff. They comfort me. Men and women of God, we've reached the landing spot. We safely arrived to the destination.
Speaker 2:I've been trying to get to all morning, because the Lord has said that after the valley of the shadow of death, he's about to bring you to the table. Did you hear what I said? After the valley of the shadow of death, you safely arrived at the table. I want to say it one more time so you can catch it like I'm throwing it. After all of the hell that you have experienced, lord, have mercy. After all of the stuff that you've been through, I'm a holy man and I'm a holy man of God. But I almost said another word that start with an S? Cause I'm trying to be real right around here, but I won't desecrate the deaths. But after all that you've been through, I want to let you know that God said true. You finally made it to the table.
Speaker 2:And at the table, look at what he says Thou prepares a table before me in the presence of my enemies. Thou prepareth, elder Lou I hear you a table before me in the presence of the people that don't like me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of the people that walked away from me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of the people that won't return my phone call. Thou preparest a table before me in front of the people that said I wasn't qualified for the job. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of the people that want to see me fail.
Speaker 2:Men and women of God, can I help you to understand the table that the text is talking about? You see, the whole time David has been giving us this analogy of the shepherd and the sheep relationship relationship, and there are some commentators who would suggest that now that he's talking about a table and eating, that he's no longer talking about sheep. They would suggest that perhaps he's talking about his position when he became the king of Israel, because when he became the king of Israel he always had enemies around him, but yet and still, god prepared a table. But I went a little bit deeper, y'all, and I discovered a word called mesas. Our mesas is where we get the term tabletop from, which suggests that he was still using the analogy of the shepherd and the sheep. You see, the good shepherd would take the sheep through the valley of the shadow of death and after all of the stuff that you went through in the valley of the shadow of death. You got empty and you got depleted and he would have to find a tabletop.
Speaker 2:Now, a tabletop in the word of God looks like what's on your screen. You come out of the valley of shadow of death and suddenly somebody say suddenly, suddenly, there's enough nutrients for Lottie, dottie and everybody. Somebody say suddenly, suddenly, I went from starvation to a Thanksgiving meal. Somebody say, suddenly I hear the Lord say I've prepared a table before you in the presence of your enemies, and everybody and everything around you is about to eat. Good, well, how do I eat? In order for me to eat, I have to get cleansed up, I have to get saturated and I have to get covered. Now, you can't come to your grandma's table if you ain't washed your nasty hands. You can't come to your grandma's table if you ain't washed your face off. After a while you've been all in the wilderness now. So before you eat, there has to be an anointing.
Speaker 2:I'm trying to help somebody in here, because I ain't talking about grass, no more. I ain't talking about strawberries, no more. I'm talking about how God is about to fill you. But in order to fill you, there has to be a washing, there has to be a purification, so you can come to the table and get what God has prepared for you. Can I make it make sense to you? The text said thou anointest my head with oil. In agriculture, oil was put on a sheep to clean the sheep. Oil was put on a sheep to protect the sheep. Oil was put on a sheep to cover the sheep. I hope y'all get what I'm throwing, because in the Bible God uses oil in a similar fashion. But the oil of the Bible is the oil of the Holy Ghost and I'm trying to help somebody what God is saying.
Speaker 2:I brought you to this table so that I can fill you up. You've been operating at a deficit too long, but I brought you to the table so there could be an overflow. I brought you to the table so you'll have more than enough. I brought you to the table so you can be what I've called you to be. I brought you to the table because your struggle is now over.
Speaker 2:I brought you to the table Because there's more that I require of thee. I brought you to the table Because there will be more. I brought you to the table Because greater is coming. I brought you to the table To see miracle signs and wonders. I brought you to the table Because there's a task ahead of you. Somebody ought to thank God for the table. And when he brings you to the table, because there's a task ahead of you, somebody ought to thank God for the table. And when he brings you to the table, he has to anoint your head with oil. And all in the Bible represents the presence, represents the promise and represents the power of the Holy Ghost. Did y'all catch what I said? The oil in the Bible represents the presence, represents the promise and represents the power of the Holy Ghost. Don't y'all remember when David got assigned by God to be king? He has Samuel to fill up his flask and take the flask and pour the oil all over David's head To let David know you may be in a field today, but tomorrow is coming and you'll be the king of all Israel.
Speaker 2:I want to talk to somebody that's in a field today and let you know that you've safely arrived at a place called overflow and God is pouring out his spirit on your flesh. Did you hear what I said? I believe that God is pouring out his spirit on your flesh. Let me try it one more time, because you thought I was talking to somebody else. God is pouring out his spirit on your flesh, god. Pour on them right now. Pour on them right now until they feel you, god, like they've never felt you before. Pour out your spirit, god, right now, until there's a shift in their countenance. Pour out your spirit, god, right now, until they know that you are real. There are some unchurched people in your house today. They came here for whatever reason, but I just heard you say, lord, that they won't leave like they came, if the saints pray right.
Speaker 3:They won't leave like they came. If the saints worship right.
Speaker 2:They won't leave like they came If the saints believe right. I need some believers in the room to start praying with your pastor that God will pour out his spirit on all flesh that are assembled in this room. Are y'all praying with me Because somebody's life is on the line, are you? Praying with me.
Speaker 2:Because, he wants to save somebody's soul. Are you praying with me? He wants to pull somebody out of the streets. Are you praying with me? He want to take cocaine out they veins. Are you praying with me? He want to take weed out they lungs. Are you?
Speaker 3:praying with me. He want to take the top shelf out. They liver. Are you praying with me? I just feel the Holy Ghost showering down in this place because we reach reached that place of overflow and when I reach overflow, there is more than enough.
Speaker 3:I wish I had some people that don't mind praising God until you reach the place of overflow. You're not looking for stuff in the natural, you're not looking for the bag. You want some more of God. You're not looking for material stuff, you just want God. What about people in the room? I just want God. I just want God. I just want God. I just want God. I just want God.
Speaker 3:Keep your stuff. Give me God. Keep the stuff I want God. Keep your stuff. Give me God. Keep the stuff. I want God Because of my seat keepers, the kingdom of God and his righteousness, all these things shall be added unto me. I wish I had some prayers in here. We've reached a place of overflow and God said there's more than enough here for everybody in the room. We've reached a place of overflow. What God is about to fill us up? I just heard the Lord say I'm trying to fill some folks but they having a problem getting filled because there's still holes in the cup I'm trying to fill some folks but they're having a problem getting healed because their heart is still broken.
Speaker 3:I'm trying to fill some folks, but they're having a problem getting filled because there's a hole in the cup. They're still mad about what happened at the last church. They're still mad about what happened at the last position. They're still mad that I didn't answer when they called me the last time. But God is saying how much longer are you going to stay in a broken condition? How much longer are you going to walk around with a hole in your cup? How much longer, instead of overflowing, instead of being an overflow, you running out? Some of y'all are running out Because there's a hole in your cup. Did you hear what I said? You're running out Because there's a hole in your cup. You're running out Because there's a hole in your cup. Every time he tries to fill you, it goes straight out of the hole. Every time he tries to feel you, it goes straight out of the hole. Every time he tries to do a new thing, it goes straight out of the hole. Every time he try to speak to you, it goes straight out of the hole. But I just heard the lord say I'm about to feel some people because I gotta fix the hole. Will y'all pray with me? There's some in this room. There's a young man in this room. There's a hole in his cup. Will y'all pray with me? Say God fix the hole, god fix the hole. God fix the hole, because, god, if you fix the hole you'll get filled today. But if the hole don't get fixed, instead of overflow it'll always run out. But the Lord, when y'all preach with me, say the Lord is about to fix your cup. So the Lord is about to fix my cup. The Lord is about to fix my cup. The Lord is about to fix my cup. The Lord is about to fix my cup. The Lord is about to fix my cup. I'm no longer gonna have anger issues. The Lord is about to fix my cup. I'm no longer gonna have anger issues. The Lord is about to fix my cup. I'm no longer gonna be depressed. The Lord is about to fix my cup. I'm no longer gonna be broken hearted. The Lord is about to fix my cup. I'm no longer gonna be angry. The Lord is about to fix my cup. Thank you, god for fixing my cup. Thank you, god for the transformation.
Speaker 3:Somebody say God, my cup just got fixed. I need some worshipers in the room that can stand on faith and say God, my cup just got fixed. God, my cup just got fixed and certain, my cup fixed. Fill me up, lord, till I overflow. Fill me up, lord. I'm ready for the blessing. Fill me up, lord. I'm ready for the miracle. Fill me up, lord. I'm ready for my next. I'm no longer broken. It shifted for me. I'm no longer where I was. It shifted for me. Fill me up, god. I wish I had some people that don't mind praying Until God fills you up. It's your turn now. You better take the roof off of this place. It's your turn now. You better tear this carpet up. Fill us up, god now. The cup just got fixed. We ready for it now, on this barrier, break the sir. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3:I feel a feeling in this house. I feel a feeling in his heart. I feel a feeling in his heart. I feel a feeling in his heart. Ride with me, christian. I feel a feeling in his heart. He ain't done yet. I feel a feeling in his heart. He ain't done yet. I feel a feeling in his heart. He ain't done yet. I feel a feeling in his heart. He ain't done yet. I feel a feeling in his heart. He ain't done yet. I feel a feeling in his heart. All your heart got to do. Give him a yes.
Speaker 2:Fill me up, god, because it's from the place of overflow, that you will utter things in my ear that I've never been spoken before. It is from the place of overflow that I hear from you, god. You'll speak to my heart and you'll give me your word. I will hear from you and I'll know what to do. I won't go alone. I'll never be on my own. I'll let your spirit, god, and I'll let your word of God speak to my heart.
Speaker 2:Lord got to fix every cup that's in here. Every last one of us got cracks in our cup. But, god, I'm not declare fixing in this place today. No more looking at what somebody else doing. I look at what I'm doing. I look at what I can do better. Then you'll fix the cup and you'll feel God like you never feel before. Hallelujah, it comes from the overflow. Listen to this family we're doing. The only way that some barriers are going to be broken is if you learn to operate from a place of overflow. So that means I got to let the good shepherd guide me to the table. I got to allow myself to be cleansed and saturated with the power of the Holy Ghost. I got to ask God to fix the cup and then I got to let him fill me.
Speaker 2:There should not be a soul in this room that doesn't leave without God giving you a fresh deposit. That's my prayer today that God you give a fresh deposit. Y'all praying there with me. A fresh deposit, a fresh deposit just hit this house. Y'all fresh deposit. A fresh deposit just hit this house. Y'all believe that. A fresh deposit just hit this house. A fresh deposit just hit this house. Yeah, yeah, a fresh deposit just hit this house. We can pick it up right there. A fresh deposit just hit this house. A fresh deposit just hit this house, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:Now, what do we do? When God moves like he's moving, like today, there's a mandate on all of us to give God a yes, and that yes is going to look different for everybody in the room, some of you. It's beyond partnership. It's about you doing the work that he's called you to do. That's why he gave you the fresh deposit. He's about to give you another chance and another start and a fresh wind just when you thought it was over, just when you thought people forgot about you, just when you thought your ministry had come to an end. I see a fresh wind for some of you all because, as the atmosphere has shifted, he's sending more gifts and more people that's ready to run for the kingdom. For some of you in the room and I want the elders, I want you all to walk, but I want you to do it different today. I just want you to really hear from God and allow the Holy Spirit to show you individuals in the congregation who maybe want to give God a yes today, but it's been real hard for them. You know how the good shepherd said he'll make you lie down.
Speaker 2:There's no pressure in this house, but sometimes you've been leaning to your own understanding and in your own understanding, you've concluded that you don't need a church covering and that you don't need a church home. That's not the Bible. I need you and you need me. We need each other. You can't do this thing called life by yourself much longer. You're going to die if you keep trying to do it by yourself. I hear the Lord moving already. I hear the lord moving already. You can't do this by yourself. You've been fighting way too long. When you're just gonna go and give god a yes, try jesus. An imperfect church, but the bible says we are many members of one body. That means that something in you and something in me, when it comes together, we both get what we need.
Speaker 2:So I want to talk to some people in the room today and say I challenge you to give God a yes today. I challenge you. I know you didn't even come for this. You may just say I'm just coming to visit today. I ain't came for all that. Well, god came for you. I know you didn't even come for this. You may just say I'm just coming to visit today. I ain't came for all that. Well, god came for you. He said I love you so much. This ain't happenstance, this ain't by luck. I came for you. He came for some of you. Today he's coming for you. He's looking for a yes. He's looking for a yes. He's looking for a less. He's looking for less. He's looking for yes. Let's celebrate God. Let's celebrate God.
Speaker 1:Let's celebrate God Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah.
Speaker 2:He's coming for you. X, come walk with me, come here. X, come walk with me for a minute. He's coming for you. He's coming for you. Women of God, men of God, he's coming for you. Just walk with me. Man of God. Men of God, he's coming for you. Just walk with me. Man of God.
Speaker 2:X represent an amazing man of God that one day gave God a yes. He's been here every, ever, ever since. Some of you amazing men in here, y'all look just like X, strong, but you'll be stronger with God. So God is saying me and X, we coming to get you, big dog, we coming to get you. We coming to get you because god, if you could rest, you would have did it by now. So sometime we got to come get folk, sometime we got to come stand by people and say god, I love you enough that we gonna get in your business, because we don't want you to be lost, we don't want you to be left out. God loves you and had a plan for your life. So I'm talking to some other people in the room that want to give god a yes. I'm coming for you today because he's going to bring you to a green passion so you can restore your soul, that somebody.
Speaker 2:Now, this is what I need you to do, family. I need to check on the person that's sitting next to you and say are you good, can I walk with you to get you what you need? For some say ask them, are they saved? Ask them are they saved, are you sure that you're saved? And if they're not sure, so let me walk with you. Let me walk with you, let me walk with you. So this is a safe space. God is here. So let me walk with you. Let me walk with you because God brought you here for a reason. Tomorrow is not promised man of God. Tomorrow is not promised woman of God. Ask her if they have a church home. Say, come unto me. Say, come unto me All ye that are heavy laden.
Speaker 3:And I will give you rest. Come unto me.
Speaker 2:All ye are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Come unto me All ye, heavy laden, and I will give you rest, Hallelujah man.
Speaker 3:Welcome to the family, all right, hallelujah.
Speaker 2:Come on, come on, there are some others. He's moving. Look at God, look at God. Come here, kid. Welcome to the fam. I need some women. God bless you, man. Look at God. There's a God bless you, man. God, look at God. There's a shift in the atmosphere. Look at God, there's a shift in the atmosphere. Come unto me all this is Jesus talking. All that are heavy laden and I will give you fresh, true cabin. Y'all come work the altar for me.
Speaker 3:Come unto me all ye, that are heavy laden and I will give you rest y'all turn around right here, come on to me, jesus says.
Speaker 2:I stand at the door and knock come on to me.
Speaker 3:All that are tired, all that want new strength All that want.
Speaker 2:New strength, all that want.
Speaker 3:God for real, all that want to grow in the spirit.
Speaker 2:All that want to be used by the Lord.
Speaker 3:All ye that are heavy laden, let your shepherd guide you.
Speaker 2:Don't let feelings guide you. Let your shepherd guide you.
Speaker 3:Don't let feelings guide you. Let your shepherd guide you. Don't be distracted. Be guided in this moment, thank you.
Speaker 2:This last moment is still for yet another family. I believe God, for this is your moment. There's no pressure, it's just we want you to get what God got for you. That's it. There's no pressure. We just want you to get what God got for you. That's it. We love you, man.
Speaker 1:We really do, we really, man, we really do, we really do, we really do. Try Jesus today. Try Jesus today, yeah, yeah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah.
Speaker 2:There's another family that wants to try Jesus today.
Speaker 1:There's another family that wants to try Jesus today. There's another family that wants to try Jesus today. There's another family that wants to try Jesus today. Try Jesus, try Jesus, try Jesus, try Jesus, try Jesus, try Jesus, try Jesus, try Jesus. The invitation is to stand with Jesus. The invitation is to come back to Jesus. Try Jesus, try Jesus, try Jesus. I feel that there's one more family in here. I feel that in my spirit Try Jesus, try Jesus, try Jesus, try Jesus, try Jesus, try Jesus, try Jesus, try Jesus, try Jesus, try Jesus, try Jesus. Your life is blind. The enemy desires to take you out.
Speaker 2:That's why the attack has been so heavy on you.
Speaker 1:Because you're so full of purpose. Try Jesus, try Jesus.
Speaker 2:Try Jesus, try Jesus. I'm trying to go on y'all. Y'all give me about 60 seconds. It's 1226. Y'all pray real hard for the next 60 seconds y'all it.
Speaker 1:It's 12, 26, 12, 27,. I'm done and I'm just going to call on the name of Jesus for this family.
Speaker 2:It's 12, 26, and 14 seconds by that clock. Jesus, jesus, jesus Jesus.
Speaker 1:Jesus no-transcript.
Speaker 3:Jesus Jesus.
Speaker 2:Let's give God glory that he deserves for what he did in his house on today. Let's give God glory for what he deserves, for what he did in his house on today.
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