Courage | Matthew 21:1-11 | Pastor Walter Bowers Jr. | 2025 Palm Sunday

Resurrection season calls us to consider the profound meaning of Jesus' sacrifice - He paid for sins He didn't commit, making salvation personal rather than abstract. We don't go to hell because of sin but because we reject the One who thought we were worth saving and paid the price for our sins.

• Courage is operating boldly, confidently, and fearlessly in the face of challenges
• Six types of courage every believer needs: physical, moral, emotional, social, intellectual, and spiritual
• Knowing your identity in Christ is fundamental to operating with courage
• Understanding God's timing helps us know when to act and when to wait
• Jesus demonstrated courage in returning to Jerusalem despite knowing death awaited
• Lazarus' resurrection teaches us about God's power over dead situations in our lives
• Unusual, authentic worship positions us for breakthroughs and miracles
• God wants to shift things quickly for those willing to be courageous
• Sometimes we need just one "Thomas" - someone willing to stand with us through challenges

If you're seeking a breakthrough, don't wait! Be bold like Jesus, make courageous decisions, give God unusual worship, and pray with persistence. Your faith can make you whole.

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Intro and outro created by Joe Anderson Jr. of Truflava Productions

Chapters

• 0:34 Understanding Resurrection Season
• 5:34 Courage: Bold Faith in Action
• 10:46 Six Types of Courage for Life
• 19:57 Jesus Returning to Jerusalem
• 35:48 Lazarus: Power Over Dead Situations
• 59:26 Unusual Worship and Praise
• 1:07:28 Bartimaeus: Prayer That Stops Jesus
• 1:24:48 Things Are About to Shift Quickly

Transcript

Speaker 2: 0:19

Do we ever really think about what resurrection season really means? I want us to think about what resurrection season really means. I want you to think about the fact that God sent Jesus for things that for sins, I should say that he didn't commit himself. Now, that's a general statement, so you got to make it personal. Do you remember when you did what you did and who you did it with? That you kind of really don't like talking about that much. You remember what you put in your body, whether by mouth or by vein or by nostril? Oh, come on, let's be real. You remember where you laid in a place that you probably shouldn't have laid in. Come on, let's just be real. You remember when you said something that you should not have said? Let's just be real. You remember that God told you to do something and you hadn't done it yet. You remember that, biblically speaking, because God is separate from sin, the penalty for sin is death, not because God hates you because of your sin, but because God is holy and he is separated from sin. It's like we say about oil and water can't mix. The moment we become tainted, we can no longer be in the presence of a holy God, and so that's why the penalty for sin is death, because there is nowhere else for you to go, because you can no longer be in his presence. Somebody say until Until in the book of Genesis, when God launched his plan for salvation for the world. But he said I'm going to send my son, spirit of my spirit, into the crusted earth and he is going to pay for the sins those things I just listed. Jesus paid for it and I need y'all to catch this this resurrection season.

Speaker 2: 2:58

That was something that a preacher said that was controversial. Until you listen carefully, he said this I want you to catch this carefully and then I'm gonna let q sing one more time. Then we're going straight to the word. He said people don't go to hell because of sin. Now have you been in the church long as I have? You said hold on you out of order what you talk about. But they didn't listen to the rest of what he said and I agree with his statement wholeheartedly.

Speaker 2: 3:30

Watch this. Don't run out the door. Say, oh, they don't watch this. You cannot go to hell for sin, because Jesus has already paid the price for sin. Listen carefully, let me finish the statement. So people go to hell not because you messed up. You go to hell because you reject the one that paid the price for your sins. Calvary paid for it. You covered in the blood. What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood. So if I go to hell, it's not going to be because I had a bad last night. It's not going to be because I slipped up. It's because I rejected the one that thought I was worth saving. And I don't know about you. I'm done rejecting the only one that has never turned his back on me. I'm done rejecting the only one that thought something about me when nobody else did. I'm done. Somebody said I'm done rejecting you. God, come on, q, give us that one more time, come. He's the only one that thought we were worth saving.

Speaker 1: 4:42

Come on. You thought I was too down for. You thought you thought I was too down for you thought I. You thought I, you thought I was too was to die for. You thought I. You thought I, you thought I was to die for. You thought I. You thought I, you thought I was to die for. So you sacrificed your life so I can be free.

Speaker 2: 5:24

Hallelujah, hallelujah. Let's give God some glory in this place. Let's give God some glory in this place. Lord, I'm not gonna reject you anymore by being disobedient to your word. I'm not gonna reject you anymore by just doing it my way. I'm fully surrendered to you, family. There's a word from the Lord. This morning we'll be reading from John, the 12th chapter, verse 12 through 19. King James version, john 12, verse 12 through 19. Again, we welcome you in with Jesus joy. We're glad that the Lord has sent you this way. There's a word from the, from the Lord, on today. I'm so excited about what God is going to to say y'all ready to read, ready set, read.

Speaker 2: 6:16

On the next day, much people that were come to the feast when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees and went forth to meet him and cried Hosanna, blessed is the king of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord and Jesus. When he had found a young ass set there on, as it is written fear not, daughter of Zion, behold thy king cometh sitting on an ass's coat. Then these things understood, not his disciples at the first, but when Jesus was glorified. Then remember they that these things were written of him and they, they had done these things unto him. The people, therefore, that was with him when he called Lazarus out of his grave and raised him from the dead bear record For this cause. The people also met him for that. They had heard that he had done this miracle, had heard that he had done this miracle. The pharisees therefore said among themselves perceive ye how ye prevail nothing. Behold, the world is gone after him, and I would just like to use as a sermon emphasis today, as the holy ghost would allow, one word courage. Everybody. Say courage, courage, come on, say courage, courage, you may be seated in the presence of our Lord.

Speaker 2: 7:49

Men and women of God, I want to tell you that for what God is doing in your life, what God is doing in this season of your journey and I pray that you can hear this and receive it it's going to require you to have some courage. Courage is operating boldly, confidently and fearlessly. If you're going to do what God has called you to do in this season of your life, you're going to have to have some courage like never before. I'm going to say it one more time If God has called you and if you have been praying for God to help you to do whatever it is that you need to do, you're going to have to make some courageous decisions in this season. Courageous decisions are those decisions that change everything. Courageous decisions are those decisions that change everything. Courageous decisions are those decisions that leave you ostracized, joe. Courageous decisions are those decisions that are misunderstood by people that are the closest to you. But the Lord is saying that on this Palm Sunday, if you're going to be what I've called you to be, if you're going to do what I've called you to do, you're going to have to be courageous.

Speaker 2: 9:01

When we look at what happened on Palm Sunday, as we'll go through that journey here in a moment, you'll see an act of courageousness like we have yet to see in human history. It took a whole lot for Jesus to go back to a place that he knew wanted to take his life. But before we jump into that, I want to help you to understand a few things, if you just allow me to teach for a moment, because there's some things that you got to understand, and I want to encourage you even to to to write these down because, um, I didn't make up these, uh elements that I'm going to share with you. Um, I just added a little bit of a Holy ghost to it, if you will. Um, there are, there are, there are, there are. There are six types of courage, according to many scholars and psychologists, uh, that every human has to have in order to do what you have been called to do. Now, the psychologists and the doctors, and, and those types, they don't, uh, use it from a biblical, but I see God in so many different things and I see God in these six types of courages. I want to give them to you real quick, because the truth of the matter is, on Palm Sunday, you see these six types of courages in full, full manifestation. Matter of fact, if I give you six to you, right, you can about write your own sermon about Palm Sunday, if you know the story, because you're going to see all these courages on full display. Sermon about Palm Sunday, if you know the story, because you're going to see all these courages on full display.

Speaker 2: 10:22

The first type of courage that y'all got to have is physical courage. Everybody say physical courage. Yeah, yeah, you got to have some physical courage. It's that ability to face physical pain, hardship and even the threat of death. When Jesus elected to go back to Jerusalem, it required him to have some physical courage. You don't want to know why he had to have physical courage, because he understood the assignment, he understood what was facing him and knowing that death was imminent. You see, jesus had started to do ministry outside of Jerusalem because everybody in Jerusalem wanted to kill him. So to do what he had been called to do, which would be, ultimately, to be hung on a cross with nails placed in his hands and it's better to say that they were actually placed in his wrist, because if they had to put it in his hand, the weight would have just kind of split his hand open. It's kind of graphic in it. So they had to put a in his hand. The weight would have just kind of split his hand open. It's kind of graphic in it. So they had to put a spike about the size of this microphone through his this wrist bone right here, right here, and to put it right there to hold him up on a on a on a cross. That took some physical courage. Uh, they pierced him in his side. Oh, and, by the way, they they took bone shards and scrap metal to make a whip and to strike, to whip the, to take the skin off of his back. Yeah, yeah, it took some physical courage to do, um, what, what he had to do.

Speaker 2: 11:45

Can I encourage some of you all that, for what god is calling you to do, it's going to take some physical courage, meaning that you got to have some physical strength. We're in a season right now, you know I make jokes a lot and I do, and I thank god for my, my father. But even as I'm trying to get a few pounds down, our physical health is no laughing matter. There are some of y'all in here, my daddy here, so y'all got it. Y'all got to pray with me whenever my daddy come in town, because then you know, I get a little bit more straight, like like him and talk. So I talk it straight to my wife say, who do you think you're talking to? I said, my bad, my daddy was just in town, can't, can't help, so I get it from him. But but I'm just going to tell y'all, like you know, what my daddy said. He, he, he gave me some credit this time.

Speaker 2: 12:27

Can I say it like I love y'all? Can I say it like I love you, some of y'all too, big Dang. You ain't never heard your pastor say that Some of y'all too big, I'm too big. Can I be real? Are we just going to talk about the Bible and everybody die, die, diabetes, phase two, stage two, some of us? We got to lose some weight. I got to lose this right here. Right, it's too much. You know what I'm saying, because God, what good are we so heavenly, but we know earthly good. Do you have the physical courage to change your diet? Do you have the physical courage to do what God has called you to do? Your children are dependent on you to stop making excuses and, as my mom used to say, get off your derriere and do something. We got to have a physical courage. I'm trying to help somebody. I'm tired of seeing my people struggle. Family, y'all going to. Let me help y'all. We got to have physical courage. Then we got to have moral courage. What is moral courage? Standing up for what is right, even when it's unpopular.

Speaker 2: 13:25

One of the things about Jesus's ministry is it's interesting when people say crazy stuff, like the church ought to stay out of politics, where Jesus's first message was to the politicians, the very first one, pharisees and the Sadducees and the religious rulers of the day. Every conversation he he had he was talking to cricket politicians and I'm trying to remind you that we can't be a body of believers that say nothing as our world gets turned upside down. You got to have the moral courage to stand for what's right. You got to stand for what's popular, not just what's good for you, that's good for somebody that don't look like you. We got to stand for people that don't believe what we believe. We got to stand for people that don't believe what we believe. We got to stand for people that don't think how we think. Right, we got to have the moral courage.

Speaker 2: 14:04

Somebody say moral courage and the Lord is saying I'm looking for some people that I can trust to do what's morally right, right, I'm tired of moral failures, ethical issues in the church. He's talking to pastors and leaders saying I got too many that have who can't, who can't, who can't control their hormones, and then they have more. Your moral failures, amen. Somebody. The Lord is saying we got to have more. We got to have some moral fortitude. Right, all holy, but can't control yourself. Mine is telling you no, but your body? Your body is telling you yes.

Speaker 2: 14:35

God has said we got to have some moral courage to do us right. I'm just trying to help somebody. I'm just trying to help you today. Don't get mad. Pastor Walt said he came to help. Today we got to have some moral courage. Here it is. We got to have some emotional courage. We got to be courageous enough to deal with our emotions. Some of us need the cross and the couch. Amen, somebody. Yeah, some of us need the cross and the couch. You've yet to deal with them issues from your yesterday. And because you've not dealt with your emotions, it's impacting everything God wants to do in your today. You got to be realized to say you know what? I got wounded. I got wounded as a child and I never dealt with what wounded me. And now it's impacting everything that I want to do today. And the Lord is if you have the emotional courage to get the help that you need, he will meet you right where you are. I'm going to say it again If you have the emotional courage to get the help that you need, the Lord will meet you right where you are.

Speaker 2: 15:32

Number four we got to have social courage. Somebody say social courage. Social courage is taking risk in social situations, standing for what some may refer as social justice issues. Look at Jesus' first message to the religious people and to the politicians as he dealt with social issues, him quoting from Isaiah. He says this the spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has appointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has proclaimed me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free and that the time of the Lord's favor has come. You see the power of the Lord's social movement. Because he was concerned about the poor, he literally said that he was anointed to take care of people. Who was the lost, the least and the left out? He was anointed to take care of the marginalized. And what the Lord is saying. We got to be stopped being so self-centered that we forget about the people around us who are struggling. He said I was anointed to help those that are dealing with oppression. Now some of you know what oppression feels like, and the reason the Lord brought you out of oppression is so that you can be the voice in the wilderness helping other people deal with what has been oppressing them. There are too many times we are silent as it relates to oppression, but the Lord is telling us that now is the time.

Speaker 2: 16:59

There's an amazing quote from a German individual by the name of Martin Niemöller. Some of you have heard it. It pops up on sometimes. Listen to this quote about moral courage. It says this first they came for the socialists and I did not speak out because I was not a socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me.

Speaker 2: 17:34

I want to tell somebody in this season of this life that God is telling you that you got to have moral courage to stand up for people who need somebody to stand up for themselves. There are a lot of things going on in our government right now and a lot of people being attacked and God is saying how much longer would you just talk and post about it before you stand up and be about it? That's why he's about to give some of y'all a platform. I see elevation coming to so many of you all because he says when I elevate you, I need you to stand up when I promote you to manager. You know what they did to you. Don't you ever do that to somebody else. You know what they went through. Don't you ever allow nobody else to have to go through what you went through. Treat everybody else how you want to be treated. That's why I need you to have some courage, but not only that. We have to have intellectual courage.

Speaker 2: 18:20

Somebody say intellectual courage, intellectual courage is the, is the willingness and the I'm going to say how I feel it the ability to unlearn some stuff. Intellectual courage is the ability to say I'm my mind is open to be taught some new things. My, my mind is open to say I was wrong about some stuff. Right, my mind is open to say God wants to do something different in my life. Jesus was an intellectual and he defended the faith through the sacred text because he was able to go deep, because he had a deep understanding of the things of the Lord. That's why I announced that our last Bible study, that we're about to go on a 30-week journey. Y'all say, ooh, 30 weeks, lord Jesus, right, but we're about to go on a 30-week journey on something that some of us covered in seminary called systematic theology, because I need you to have intellectual courage In systematic theology.

Speaker 2: 19:18

We'll deal with theology proper. We'll deal with bibliography, which is the doctrine of the Bible. We'll deal with theology proper. We'll deal with bibliography, bibliology, which is the doctrine of the bible. We'll deal with angelology, the doctrine of angels. How many of you know, uh, that the old song writer had it right all night and all day, the angels keep watch over me. We'll deal with anthropology, the study of human origin and things of that nature. We'll deal with hermetology, the doctrine of sin, the nature of original origin and things of that nature. We'll deal with hermetology, the doctrine of sin, the nature of original sin. Was Adam really the reason that sin entered the earth? We'll deal with Christology. We'll understand more about Jesus. We'll deal with soteriology, the doctrine of salvation. We'll deal with pneumatology, the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. Y'all keep talking about the Holy Ghost, but help me to understand in a plain language. What does he really mean? What does he really do? We'll deal with ecclesiology, the doctrine of the church. Some people don't even know how the Bible came together. Some people don't know the purpose and mission of the church, because we have to know these things. We'll deal with eschatology, the end times, the end times, the doctrine of future events and the doctrine of the second coming of Christ.

Speaker 2: 20:20

As the old folks used to say, it's getting late in the evening and the sun is going down. Men and women of God, we have to have intellectual courage to go deeper. And I'm just trying to find out how many of y'all have the intellectual courage to commit yourselves to going deeper. Because if you draw near to God, god he'll draw near to you. And the Lord is saying that one of the ways that we draw near to God is going deeper in our understanding of who he is. And I promise you that God is going to speak to you in supernatural ways if you commit yourself to this Bible study that we're going to start following Holy Week. And the last courage that you got to have is spiritual courage.

Speaker 2: 21:02

Somebody say spiritual courage. Spiritual courage is the ability to do what God has called you to do and stay true to what you believe. In the midst of opposition, in the midst of suffering, in the midst of doubt, in the midst of pain, in the midst of persecution, you got the spiritual courage to hold on to his unchanging hand. Men and women of God, those six courages are what we need to work on and develop in the spiritual realm. And I'm telling you, I see all of those six in our Lord and Savior, jesus Christ. On this beautiful Palm Sunday, jesus had reached a point that he helps us to understand how he got to a place where he was able to operate with such courage. Well, let me tell you our family, the one, the only way that you can operate in courage is that you really have to know, without any doubt, who you are. Your self-identity game has to be like no other. If you're going to operate in courage, you got to know who you are.

Speaker 2: 22:11

The Bible says that through John's account, there was a reason that Jesus was there to operate in courage. Because the Bible says this in the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him and without him was not not anything made. That was made in him was life, and the life was the light of men, and the light shineth in darkness and the darkness comprehended it not. Look at verse 14. And the word was made flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory and the glory as of the only begotten, of the father, full of grace and truth. Jesus knew who he was.

Speaker 2: 22:55

Can I ask you a question right now? Do you know who you really are? And the reason that some of you all have yet to be courageous? If courageous is because you don't even know who you are. You don't know where you're supposed to be working. You don't know who you're supposed to be dating. You're trying to figure out if you're even at the right church. You don't know. You like that Richard Pryor movie. Which Way Is Up? Anybody remember that movie? Don't watch it on Sunday. It got bad language. But seriously, if you're going to be courageous, you got to know who you are. And one of the things that we see about Jesus out of the gate he says I know who I am. And I want to encourage some people right now that if you're going to be courageous, you got to know who you are. And that's why the enemy wants to keep some of y'all confused, because if you don't know who you are, you'll never do what you've been called to do. Y'all, you'll never do what you've been called to do.

Speaker 2: 23:40

The analogy that came to my mind is a story. I like watching those nature shows right, and in this one nature show it was about birds and some of y'all know a little bit about nature and birds. In a nest you'll have mama bird and you'll have baby birds At some point on the journey. There are some of the birds that are in the nest that will look up one day and discover they got bony arms with feathers on it. They'll look up one day and they'll discover that, that they made a little bit different and when they move they feel a little air and they start to realize who they are. And those baby birds are the ones that you'll see. Sometimes you'll see them on the ground, because the first jump don't always go too good. But those are the baby birds that know who they are, they know that they're baby birds and they know they was built to fly. And them, the baby birds that'll jump out the nest quick. They hit the ground sometime but they get up and they keep on ticking.

Speaker 2: 24:36

I want to talk to the birds in the room and say I'm so proud of you for jumping out the nest. I'm proud of you, sir, I really am. I'm proud of you for jumping out the nest and trying entrepreneurship. I'm proud of you for jumping out the nest and being who God has called you to be, even though there were some times where you hit the ground Don't got any birds like that. You know who you are in Christ Jesus, but the first time you jumped out there, you hit out there, you hit the ground. The Lord has called me and I jumped. Oh, catch me, jesus. Boom. But I'm still here, hallelujah, I'm still here. I'm still here, but there's another bird in the nest. I really want to talk to this bird. These are birds in the nest.

Speaker 2: 25:12

Y'all got the nerve to look over the nest and see the birds that hit the ground and you say I don't think that's what I'm called to be. Maybe I'm called to be a squirrel or something, even though you got feathers, even though you got wings, because it looks scary, you let you. You've yet to jump out of the nest and so you know what mama bird does to those baby birds that are birds, but they, they got an identity crisis. You know what mommy does to the bird they got an identity crisis. What you know what mommy does to the bird that got an identity crisis. What does mommy do? Mommy get up behind that bird and say now, baby, you've been with y'all long enough. And, mommy, give that bird a little push. And that bird got one or two choices. At that point he better get the flap or it's going to be a rough landing.

Speaker 2: 25:53

I want to talk to some of y'all in the room and say the Holy Spirit is like that bird for some, that mama bird for some of y'all. Y'all should be expecting a push. That's about to come. Now I'm serious, not for you to hit the ground, but the Lord is saying that you've been where you are long enough and it's time for you to be courageous. But you have not been courageous because you have not accepted who you are in Christ Jesus. You got to accept who you are in Christ Jesus and watch how God will move in your life. Jesus knew exactly who he was. He didn't struggle with his identity. And then, when you know who you are, then the next thing it's all about timing. Somebody say it's all about timing. When I know who I am now, I discover that it's all about timing.

Speaker 2: 26:35

Jesus' ministry was focused on what we call the kairos. The kairos meaning not the chronos as we would look at a watch or a position of the sun in the atmosphere, but kairos. Kairos is God's time, it's God's season. Jesus's ministry was progressive and it evolved until they reached a kairos moment. I want to tell somebody there's a kairos opportunity that is coming towards you and it's going to come in God's time. It's a certain time, it's a fixed time, it's a appointed time, it's a sure time that God's immutable will will come to pass in your life. Somebody ought to thank God for the fact that there is a Kairos moment with your name on it, where everything is going to come together. Everything is going to come, make sense and it shall come to pass. But check this out If I'm going to be courageous, if I'm going to know who I am, if I'm going to operate in God's timing, I also got to be wise enough to know that there are some times where I have to be patient and wait on God.

Speaker 2: 27:42

Listen to Jesus when Jesus' ministry came. There's a saying that he says over and over again. He keeps saying that my time has not yet come. Watch this. There's a saying he keeps saying my time has not yet come, meaning I know who I am, I know what I'm supposed to do, but my time has not yet come, meaning I know who I am, I know what I'm supposed to do, but my time has not yet come. Can I talk to somebody in the room? You know who you are, you know what you're supposed to do, but your time has not yet come. That take wisdom, because we want to get it done and we want to get it done now. But sometimes you got to operate under the with discernment to know is this the moment you're supposed to do with something? So watch Jesus.

Speaker 2: 28:23

Jesus in John, the second chapter, uh, at one of the more famous miracles of all time. We live in what they call a biblically illiterate time now. But I'll tell you I can find some people on the street that know this miracle. This is the miracle where Jesus turned water into wine. Yeah, y'all know this miracle. We know this miracle. Amen, somebody.

Speaker 2: 28:48

This miracle is interesting because contextually it's hard for us to understand what was the big deal about a wedding running out of wine. But in that culture that has been a great embarrassment. In that culture that would have been a major problem for the host of a wedding to not to be able to have enough wine. And when the host runs out and Jesus's earthly mother Mary hears about it. She goes to Jesus and she said baby, they done ran out of wine. And Jesus looked at his mama and said mama, what they got to do with me? My time has not yet come, mary being the ethnic mama that she is. She looked at this, at the servants and said I don't know what my boy talk about, but go get them jars because he about to. I don't know what. I don't know what it got into him today, but y'all know, mothers, if you know, you know you. She didn't even have to address Jesus. She literally just turned and said y'all know, mothers, if you know, you, know you. She didn't even have to address Jesus. She literally just turned and said y'all go get them jars because y'all don't worry about what my boy. Get them jars. They brought the jars, but watch what Jesus does. He's obedient to his mother. He turns the water into wine.

Speaker 2: 29:54

The party is able to continue, but because it was not his time, the Bible says nobody even knew that it was Jesus that performed the miracle. The application there is so powerful. You got to know when it's your time to shine and you got to know when it's your time to fade back, and there are too many of you that are trying to shine in a season where it's time to fade back. There are too many people that want to be on the platform where sometimes it's time for you to be down at the altar. There are too many people that want to be exposed on social media and have a lot of followers where, in reality, you shouldn't be saying nothing on social media because it's not your time. Your time is coming, but there's a season where God is not elevating you, not because he doesn't want to, but because he's preparing you and he's equipping you and he's forming you and he's shaping you to do something that nobody else can do. So you got to know when it's not your time.

Speaker 2: 30:48

He sticks to this even further when, a little bit later, after he's done some miracles, some people are believing, some are not. His disciples say Jesus, there's this festival coming up and the Bible says at this point, jesus' own brothers did not even believe in him. Can I talk to somebody in the room? How do you feel when your own family don't believe in you? How do you feel when your own family won't even support your business? How do you feel when your own family won't show up for what it is that you're trying to do in earth.

Speaker 2: 31:15

Jesus' own brothers didn't believe him, and so the disciples said look, why don't you come and show them what you can do? Jesus? We got some tilapia in the back. Show what you can do, jesus. Flip this tilapia like you did the last time, jesus, we got some mud. We can open all the blind eyes, jesus. What you doing, jesus, stop playing with them.

Speaker 2: 31:36

But I'm so glad that he didn't fall to that temptation. You know what he said. I'm not going because now is not the time, and I want to talk to somebody and say the danger that keep happening in your life is you keep falling into temptation to go too soon. You keep falling into temptation to do it the way that other people will do it. But I want to tell you, if you wait on God and you stay humble enough at the right time somebody said the right time at the right time then the Lord shall take you up later.

Speaker 2: 32:06

He does sneak into the temple and he began to teach, and because it was not the right time, not only did they not receive him, they also attempted to arrest him, and we saw this pattern over and over again toward the end of his ministry, that not only were they frustrated with Jesus, they plotted to kill Jesus. But I want to tell somebody the power of being courageous. When you are courageous and even when it's not your time, the hand of God is on your life and he will protect you from the hands of the enemy. The Bible says that because it was not Jesus's appointed time to die, no matter how much they plotted to stone him, they couldn't touch him. No matter how much they plotted to arrest him, they couldn't find him.

Speaker 2: 32:49

And I want to talk to some of y'all in the room and encourage you and let you know that's the answer to the question why you are still here, why it didn't kill you, because God said it's not your time to die. God said this is your time to live and because it's your time to live, live boldly, live courageously, do it, and do it anyway, because my hand is on your life. I need some witnesses in the room that could testify early in this sermon that God's hand was on my life when I did something that looked crazy to somebody else. When I did something I didn't have somebody else. When I did something that didn't have any support. When I did something that didn't make sense to the crowd. I did it and I survived it because the hand of God was on my life, and I want to encourage some people today to be courageous, because the Lord is saying my hand is on your life, and when you operate like that, though, that will become a time.

Speaker 2: 33:44

Somebody said that comes a time. Though somebody say it comes a time. It comes a time where there is a shift. You watch Jesus spend those first several chapters talking about it wasn't his time, but in in John, the 10th chapter, we see a shift. The people come up to Jesus and say Jesus, we're tired of the parables, we're tired of all of this religious talk. Tell us real, plainly is you, is or is you ain't the son of God? John 10, it's in there. Go, look. They say are you God's son or not?

Speaker 2: 34:19

And he responded this way for the first time. He said it like this I already told you, and you didn't believe me. How did he tell him before? He said if you believe me based on anything else, believe, believe me based on my work sake. He said I told you who I was based on what you saw me do. Y? Y'all can relate to that you ever had somebody say that they love you, but the actions don't show that they love you. You ever had somebody say they got your back, but when you looked around they really weren't anywhere to be found. Y'all, I always enjoy when I have an opportunity to go to the book of Biggie or Park. Here I am in the book of Biggie. You used to be the one that I trusted. Who would ever think that you spread like mustard?

Speaker 2: 35:07

I'm trying to help somebody understand that he's saying that if you don't believe me for anything else, look at what I've done for you. I was there for you. I've been there for your children. I was there for you. I've done all of these things.

Speaker 2: 35:26

But he said you don't believe me because you're not my sheep. He said my sheep listen to my voice. My sheep know me. And he said, because of those that are my sheep, chosen city. He said there's a gift for you. He said I give my sheep. I give them eternal life and they will never perish. I got some good news family God said, through Jesus, that you have eternal life and you will not perish, and that ought to give you a level of courageousness that you've never had before.

Speaker 2: 35:47

Look at the rest of the verse. It says no one can snatch them away from me, for my Father has given them to me and he is more powerful than anyone else. Watch this real carefully. Do you not realize that you are a gift to Jesus from the father? Let me read it again no one can snatch them away from me, for my father has done what has given them to me and he is more powerful than anyone else. Let me tell you who you are with your bad self. You are a gift from the Father to the hand of Jesus, and that ought to give you some boldness like you've never had boldness before. And the good news is Jesus said that no one can snatch you from his hand. The cancer diagnosis cannot snatch you from his hand. The divorce cannot snatch you from his hand. The fact that you are in pre-foreclosure it won't snatch you from his hand. The word of God declares that there is not a force in heaven or hell that can snatch you from the palm of his hand. And if that don't make you bold, I don't know what will make you bold.

Speaker 2: 37:04

Matter of fact, all week long, all Holy Week, when y'all ask me how I'm doing, all Holy Week I got a new answer. Y'all ought to join in with me. You ask me how I'm doing. Come here Ask me how I'm doing. I'm doing good, I'm in good hands. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, all week long. And if I catch one, if I see one of y'all at Target I saw somebody at the football game, flag football game If I see one of y'all at the football game or at Target and you were chosen city and we ask one another how we doing, we're going to say we're in good hands and we're going to give them a little bit right there. We're going to give them a little bit right there. They're going to understand what we're dancing about, but y'all know we're in good hands. I want to tell somebody if you believe that you are in good hands, you understand that you don't have a thing to worry about. Jesus goes a little bit further now because he realizes he teaches this way and because we're in good hands. No weapon formed against us shall prosper, but he teaches us family.

Speaker 2: 38:08

Part of being courageous is there's a day that's coming on the journey where it's time to go back and face your destiny. There's a day that's coming on the journey where you got to face the one thing that you don't want to face. There's a lot of stuff that we are willing to face but, to be honest with you, there's always something that is the most difficult thing for us to face. The Lord is saying that you're going to do it courageously this week. I speak courage into your life right now, in Jesus name. I speak wisdom in your life right now, in Jesus name, because there's no sense in being a courageous fool. I want you to be a wise, courageous woman and man of God. Don't want to be out here being strong and wrong. So we got to pray for courage. We got to pray for courage and wisdom, amen. And so he says now I see where I am and it's time for me to go back and face my destiny. And he says it like this the hour has come for the son of man to be glorified. And this marks the point where he acknowledges for the first time out loud it was time for him to suffer and die for the sins of the world.

Speaker 2: 39:10

But let me tell you all something that's real family when you get to that point where you know you've got to face something and that's some of y'all in this room that there's something you've got to face in the family. There's something you you got to face in the family. There's something you got to face in your career. There's something you got to face within you. Man, it's crazy. When you got to face you, anybody know what I'm talking about. Shoot, I can, I can, I can, might maybe I can win on the job, maybe I can figure this family thing out. But when I got to fight that dude in the mirror, that's a ugly fight. He know all my moves, he know my tactics, he know my stiff jab. He know what I'm throwing. He throwing I'm talking to somebody. Yeah, that's the hardest fight. They know everything about you, everything you thinking ain't thought of, and you find yourself fighting yourself in the mirror.

Speaker 2: 39:52

But the Lord is saying for some of us it's time to have that fight. When we fight with our own demons, it's time to have that fight. But God hadn't given us a spirit of fear. He says this here's the reality when you got to fight a fight that you've never fought before, the reality is, when it comes time to fight somebody, let's fight that type of fight. You need at least one person in your life that's willing to fight with you. You need one person in your life that's really I'm talking about, that's really ready to fight with you.

Speaker 2: 40:22

Y'all I don't know some of y'all most saved. You know what I'm saying. I'm real saved now, but I'm talking about back in the day, so y'all won't know nothing about this. But for those that you know, I was always saying I'm not going to pretend like I wasn't a preacher kid, but when I went with my parents, sometimes I found myself in a crowd that I wasn't supposed to be in and I remember one time walking and getting into it with these dudes you know this dumb stuff and it's time to fight. And the dude up front talking the most and I'm like man, I don't want to fight, but they're what we got to do, man, they're what we got to do Because you're from where I'm from. If you don't fight against them, then guess what they're going to do. They're going to fight against you. So I was like, well, let's get ready to go. And just at the moment when it's time to fight, look up them dudes had magically disappeared. It's amazing, when it's time to fight for real, how people magically disappear. It was all about it until it was time to swing the disciples. In this moment.

Speaker 2: 41:19

Jesus said my hour has come, it's time for me to go back to Jerusalem, it's time for me to go back to the place where, where we're in, and the disciples say hold on, jesus, you, if you go back to Jerusalem, they're gonna kill you. They said um, jesus, can we talk a little bit more, have a little bit more lesson about, uh, the Holy Spirit? Can we? Can you do another more? Have a little bit more lesson about the Holy Spirit? Can you do another lesson about baptism? Maybe an eight-week sermon on the Sermon on the Mount again? Do some of that, jesus.

Speaker 2: 41:47

And what I've discovered sometimes, when God has called you to do something, people will raise questions, not because they have legitimate questions. They'll raise questions because they're scared to move. Yeah, they'll raise questions because they're scared to move. Yeah, they'll raise questions because it's a fear tactic. I'm just trying to get some understanding about where it is. We go in, jesus. And as they were raising these questions because they was afraid, because they knew what was next, I thank God Jesus had one. His name is Thomas. The problem is some of y'all know Thomas, but you know him in the wrong way. The inscription in the New Testament gives Thomas a bad rap because after Jesus defeated the grave, thomas was not there when Jesus made his first appearance. So the disciples say to Thomas Jesus came back, thomas said I ain't buying what you're selling until I see the nails in his hand, until I see the piercing in his side, until I see the piercing in his side, until I see the crown of thorns. And so the inscription calls him Doubting Thomas, you got to be careful how people want to label you for just one moment in your life.

Speaker 2: 42:49

I don't let people label me just based off one moment in my life. Just because you see me drunk one time, don't mean I'm drunk, that go Drunkie Walter. No, just you know what I'm saying. Just because you see me smoke one time, that go blaze them up. You see me one time like this in my life?

Speaker 1: 43:07

Now you want to label me for the rest of my life.

Speaker 2: 43:09

You got to be careful that people want to label you because they see you one time in a bad condition. But the real Thomas is found right here. Yeah, yeah, why they mad at Thomas for asking questions? Everybody need a Thomas in their life. When the disciples were like hold up, jesus. If we go back, they're gonna kill you and they're gonna kill us. Let's have some more conversation about this thing. Thomas said it like this pack up your bags, y'all get up and let's go die with him. Y'all get up and let's go die with him. It's crazy that he put on the die with him part because he had his realization that what we are about to do is not going to be pretty. What we're about to do, our Lord and Savior is going to die. But you know what? It don't make sense. But I'm with you. Let's pack up our stuff, let's start mocking, and if we're going to, die're gonna die together. And I need to ask y'all in the room do y'all have one Thomas in your life? You got one Thomas in your life. If you got at least one Thomas in your life, you ought to give him. You ought to put your hand around it. If they hear, you ought to put your arm around them and say I thank you for being my Thomas. And if you don't have a Thomas in your life, I I want to declare, by faith in Jesus' name, that the Lord is about to send one person in your life that don't really care, but they're going to ride with you one way or another. They're going to be with you. When it's up they're going to be with you. When it's down, they're going to be with you. You need that one Thomas in your life. They say it's whatever. Somebody say it's whatever. Can I tell you a real, real, real real. It takes some courageousness, let me. Let me. Let me say this real quick, and I'm going to slide on One of the ways that I knew that Tiffany Holloway Bowers was the one for me was I always knew who I was.

Speaker 2: 44:54

I was always confident. But just like everybody else, you go through a down season. It's easy to catch something when you're all the way up, but when you're all the way down it's different. I had been out of military for a year. I'm trying to find my career. First job I took, it really wasn't for me and then I just left the job and said I'm going to figure it out. I ain't have no kids, I ain't have no nanny. I could oodle and noodle it for a minute. I'm good, I'm going to make it. But that was down. And then, what's crazy, I had this expedition and the doggone if you remember them old school expeditions, them big bodies the doggone transmission went out. Man, I ain't had no money to get my doggone transmission fixed. I'm just being real. My daddy was helping me with my little mortgage payment Boy I'm with.

Speaker 2: 45:35

Y'all in the 90s would have referred to as a scrub. Right, I mean, I'm down right now. In the eyes of the world I'm down, but in my mind I'm good because I'm from the gutter. So I already knew that this was just a passing point. Right, I knew I wasn't going to stay here. My self-esteem was fine. But people on the outside looking at me said, oh man, he should have never left the military because in the eyes of the world I'm down. Yeah, on the down I'm a scrub. I can't go out here and spit hot fire and pull nothing because I, my I can't even take you on no date, but, but, but, but, but, but, but.

Speaker 2: 46:09

My wife saw something in me. Not only she see something in me, she, she helped me at that time. I never forget it. We went down there to the little transmission place on South Boulevard and and she paid to get the transmission fixed. And I said, hold up now we ain't married yet. And she done paid to get the little transmission fixed. She don't know the superstar that I'm going to be one day. She don't know it. So since she, thomas, and she ride for me when I get it, she got it where you want to live, what house you want, what trip you want to go on. Because when I was down she saw something in me and I need some folk that got at least one Thomas in your life. That way they can see something in you when you're down and when you get up you're going to bless them real good. I thank God for every Thomas that he sins in two hour life.

Speaker 2: 47:12

So, thomas, he says it's time to go back and on the way back, family, I need you to see what Jesus does, because we want you to see these things that Jesus does and we'll be out of your way on the way. Somebody say he's on the way. Somebody say he's on the way. He says I'm going back and I'm gonna be courageous, but when you're being courageous, it requires you to handle some business On the way to your destiny. When you're being courageous, it is going to require you to handle some business. Let me say it again On your way back to your destination, to your destiny, you've got to handle some business, and Jesus handles business. He does three things that I pray that will bless us and we'll be out of here.

Speaker 2: 47:54

On his way back to Jerusalem, where the people are plotting to take his life and his disciples life, he makes a stop. He makes a stop in the town of Bethany because he had received word days before four days before to be exact that Lazarus had been sick and then Lazarus had died. It's interesting because this was not the first time that Jesus had dealt with death. He had dealt with death when the daughter of Jairus had died, but her death was recent. She had like literally just died and Jesus spoke healing into her life. He had dealt with death when the widow of Nain's son had died and even though that was a little bit longer, he intervened early on in the process. As a matter of fact, this is that time where they were on their way to the graveside funeral, they had the repats with the chicken and the greens already ready to go, and Jesus stopped the whole funeral and brought the man back to death.

Speaker 2: 49:03

But Lazarus' death was different and it was different on purpose. You see, lazarus had been dead for four days. If there are any medical folk in the room and any morticians in the room, they'll tell you that after four days, rigor mortis has set, in that after four days you no longer smell like cool water cologne. After, after four, after four days, it's a. It's a lot different that that debt you dead, dead after four days. And and Jesus waited on purpose because he said I got some unfinished business. And he said I need the people that chosen city church to know that on my way back to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, there was something that I wanted to leave them with I had some unfinished business. I had to teach them about my power over dead stuff.

Speaker 2: 49:51

And when he approaches the city, the women run up to Jesus and say Jesus, you got here too late. If you hadn't got here sooner, and say Jesus, you got here too late, if you hadn't got here sooner, my brother would not have died. That's how some of us feel. Lord, I love you and I trust you, but it's too late. If you had have gotten here before they took my car, if you had have gotten here before I was rejected, if you had have got here before, the vote didn't go my way. If you had only showed up sooner, lord, can anybody relate to that when you said, god, I love you, but had you only shown up sooner? And I want to tell you prophetically that sometimes God does not show up sooner on purpose.

Speaker 2: 50:30

Yeah, so sometimes God is up to something. Yeah, on the way back to Jerusalem, he's trying to show us that he's up to something. He goes and he says show me where they laid him. He says show me where the dead stuff is Y'all gonna help me to preach in here today? Jesus is talking to you now. He says show me where you have laid the dead dream. He says show me where you have laid the dead vision. He says show me where you have laid your dead future. Show me where you laid him.

Speaker 2: 50:59

And as they show him where they were laid, the crowd started to jeer because they said Look at Jesus. He did it before, but this problem is too hard. Look at Jesus. He's about to be embarrassed because he can't fix this one, but I'm so glad that God is up to something and every now and then, when God want to show out, he will do it in front of a crowd. Yeah, sometimes you may have had public embarrassment and sometimes you've had public shame, but I just felt the Holy Ghost say that when I restore you, I'm going to do it in front of a crowd. Yeah, you better get ready now, because I sense your restoration is on the way.

Speaker 2: 51:44

They embarrass you publicly. You about to come back publicly. You got fired publicly. You about to come back publicly. The divorce proceedings are public, but your next wedding is going to be as public.

Speaker 2: 51:58

I feel the Holy Ghost in here. Well, he sees something. He sees the crowd jeering, but he has to get away from the crowd and he only calls a select few. He asked for the prayer warriors to get a little bit closer. Yeah, I see what Jesus is trying to teach us about being courageous. I see what Jesus is trying to teach us about being courageous. I see what Jesus is trying to teach us about having the right crowd.

Speaker 2: 52:24

You see, there are times where I'm preaching Pastor Young, and I say I need all the prayer warriors to pray, because I feel something in the spirit and I need people that believe like I believe to start interceding in prayer. As a matter of fact, I need the prayer warriors in the room right now to start interceding in prayer. As a matter of fact, I need the prayer warriors in the room right now to start interceding in prayer. You see, I don't ask everybody to pray because some people don't have faith enough to bring some dead stuff back to life. Can I talk to the room? I love all of y'all, but every one of y'all can't pray for me because you don't have faith enough to believe that God is going to move the mountain. You don't have faith enough to believe in the possibility of a comeback. You don't have faith enough to believe that this dead thing can live once again. But if you have faith enough, I'm talking to you right now. But if you have faith enough, I'm talking to you right now. I need you to pray with me.

Speaker 2: 53:21

As Jesus gets with the prayer warriors and they start to pray, in my Holy Ghost imagination I imagine him saying it's me, it's me, oh Lord. I see the people around who don't believe, but I'm praying out loud so they shall soon believe that you are the God of all life and you are the God of all death. So, lord in your power, lord in your sovereignty, lord in your spirit, would you please, you please, sir, give me the authority to speak to this dad situation and let this child live again. Help me, holy Ghost. And then there comes a moment where Jesus talks to the crowd and he tells them to roll the stone away. I need some stone rollers around me.

Speaker 2: 54:20

God is about to do something in Chosen City and some of y'all have been sent here to help roll the stone away. You can stand in the crowd and look if you want to, but God is about to do something and we just got to roll the stone away. I wish y'all might have could catch that in the spirit, because if we roll the stone away, we got to roll the stone of tradition away. I wish y'all might have could catch that in the spirit, because if we roll the stone away, we got to roll the stone of tradition away. We got to roll the stone of personal preference away. We got to roll the stone of offense away. We got to roll the stone of disunity away, because God is about to do something. We got to roll the stone of unforgiveness away Because God is about to do something. We got to roll the stone of unforgiveness away Because God is about to do something. We got to roll the stone of a pity party away Because God is about to do something. I wish I had some people that believe that God is about to do something. And we ain't got time to play. We got to roll the stones away.

Speaker 2: 55:15

And when he rolled the stone away, he started to speak to what was dead. He simply declared with a loud voice and I need all of y'all to help me with your best Jesus voice. I need all of y'all to help me with all the Holy Ghost. You got to talk to Lazarus. You got to say Lazarus, come forth. Oh, you missed it. You see, lazarus is already out the grave. Lazarus is already good. So we're not talking to Lazarus, we're talking to what's dead in your life. But whatever dead in your life, it goes by the name of Lazarus.

Speaker 2: 55:51

Now I want you to get right. You're talking to what's dead in your life and we're going to call what's dead in your life. We're going to call it Lazarus. Are y your life and we're gonna call what's dead in your life. We're gonna call it lazarus. Are y'all ready to talk to lazarus? Are you ready to talk to your pain? Are you ready to talk to what's dead? Are you trying to resuscitate a dream? Are you trying to get some power back? I need y'all to talk to lazarus now.

Speaker 2: 56:13

When you talk to lazarus, it can't be a cute talk, because your dream is in a stronghold, your dream is wrapped in burial cloth. So you got to talk to Lazarus like you in spiritual warfare. You got to talk to Lazarus like you mean what you say and you say what you mean. I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired. I've been in the storm for too long. I've been waiting on this for too long. I'm going to talk to Lazarus Like this means war. Do I have any people that's ready to talk to Lazarus? Do you have on your mind the one thing they need the Lord to do? Do you have on your mind the one miracle you need the Lord to perform? Do you have on your mind the one move that you need God to make? If you got it on your mind, I want you to think about it now. I want you to point to it now. Your neighbor ain't got to know what it is. It's between you, god, and your Lazarus. Now you're going to get like Jesus. You're going to get like Jesus.

Speaker 2: 57:18

When Jesus spoke to Lazarusus, he did it with a loud voice. He said Lazarus, y'all try chosen city. Say Lazarus, say it like you mean it. Say Lazarus, say it until the tomb rocks say Lazarus. You gotta say come forth. Oh, say come forth, come forth now. Say come forth, come forth. Now Lazarus ain't moving off that weak cry.

Speaker 2: 57:44

Lazarus, wrapped up in here I thought you were tired of being sick and tired. You trying to call some stuff forth. You trying to call your bridging back. You trying to call your family back. We're going to try this thing. Y'all got Lazarus up, but you didn't get Lazarus out. You got him up but you didn't get him out. You got to call this thing forth From your belly. You got to call this thing forth Like your children on the line.

Speaker 2: 58:13

Everybody say come forth, come forth, come forth, come forth. I see something happening for you. I see something happening for you. I see something happening for your family. It's because of your faith, it's because of your cry that God is about to shift himself. Talk to Lazarus, come forth, be what God has called you to be, come forth, come forth. When he called him forth, be what God has called you to be Come forth, come forth. And when he called him forth, he told him unmoved Remove the burial rapids, remove the dead stuff, because if I'm going to go in this new, next I got to take the stuff from last season off. Take the dead stuff off, as the Lord has shown you this week, or showing you this week, what's about to come forth. Make sure you remove the burial wrappings, remove the stuff from the last season. And he teaches us that on his way back, he has the power over dead stuff and dead situations. And he teaches us about worship. He moves from this moment with Lazarus to a dinner with Mary, martha and Lazarus. I imagine Lazarus was pretty hungry. He hadn't eaten in four days. The folks big mad.

Speaker 2: 59:39

The Bible said when the word got out that Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead, he said we got to kill him. And we got to kill him now, don't you know? That's why sometimes you're going to face the hell that you face. Word got out about you, that's all. Word got out about your destiny. Word got out about your potential. Word got out about your destiny. Word got out about your potential, word got out about what you capable of, but no weapon for him. You all right. And then, at this moment, at the table, and something ordinary, unusual happened, because he said I needed y'all to know on my way back to Jerusalem, I got power over dead stuff, but he said I need to show y'all what real worship looks like. He said because real worship is going to keep you in the midst of uncertainty with your government, uncertainty in this world, everything that's going on.

Speaker 2: 1:00:31

The woman of God she married. She takes what the King James Version refers to as a alabaster box. It's a box that carried expensive perfume. She takes the box and she breaks it open and inside the box it has this fragrance called spikenard. Spikenard was very expensive at the time and it could be worn by somebody who had a lot of money, or it could be used to mask the stench of death to prepare somebody for a burial.

Speaker 2: 1:01:07

Many people believe that Mary had been given a supernatural insight that Jesus' time had come and she wanted to be a part of the move of God. And she wanted to be a part of the move of God. And she was a part of the move of God by taking the spikenard and placing it on his feet. Then she took her hair. Somebody said this is some unusual worship, unusual. She took her hair and she took her hair and she started to wipe his feet with her hair. It was unusual worship, because unusual worship will make other people who not in worship uncomfortable. It was unusual.

Speaker 2: 1:01:47

Judas the betrayer spoke up and said I don't know why you wasted the spikenard on Jesus, because we could have sold that and used the money for the poor. The bible said he had no heart for the poor. He was just going to use the money and steal it like he had been doing the whole time. Anyway. It's in the Bible, which is why you got to be very careful about people who got questions about your worship. You got to be very careful. I have I'm very careful about people that got questions about how I worship. I am I, because you don't one of the songs that I enjoy about the woman with the alabaster box. It was a song that came out that said what that you don't know the cost of the oil in my alabaster box. What does that mean? While Judas is looking at Mary thinking that she's wasting her time, judas don't know what this woman had gone through.

Speaker 2: 1:02:47

And now, many times when y'all come into worship, people have no idea what it took for you just to get here. You just don't know, they don't know, they think they know, they have no idea. You just don't know, they don't know, they think they know, they have no idea. And sometimes, to have an encounter with the Lord, it requires an unusual worship. It will require times, like we had a few weeks ago, where we had all the men to come to the altar. It will require times where we have all the women to come to the altar. It will require times where we lay prostrate in his presence. It will require times where we're not even in church at all.

Speaker 2: 1:03:23

We may be anywhere, but it's authentic and it's unusual because God is saying what is going to keep you in the midst of everything that's going on right now in the world is your worship. And the enemy is trying to steal your worship. And I'm trying to help somebody to be free today and say you got to steal your worship. And I'm trying to help somebody to be free today and say you got to get your worship back. You got to have an unusual worship that won't make sense to somebody else. You may have an unusual worship where you cry, where you weep, where you moan, but it's authentic. You may have an unusual worship where you can't say a word, but you'll just wave your hand. Do I have any unusual worshipers in here? The Lord is saying that if you worship me in an unusual way, I'm going to give you an unusual vision. I'm going to give you an unusual confirmation to the question that's going to come in your worship.

Speaker 2: 1:04:20

Now let me see if y'all caught this. I need everybody in the room right where you are, whether the musicians help or not. I need everybody in the room right where you are to give God an unusual worship. Now, check this out Now. If it's unusual, it might not look like what your neighbor's worship looks like, tina. It may look different.

Speaker 2: 1:04:40

If it's unusual, it may seem strange to somebody else, but I'm trying to challenge somebody that's courageous enough to give God an unusual worship on a Palm Sunday. If Mary could take her hair and rub it on Jesus' feet. All he's saying is I just want something unusual from your heart. I want something unusual from your lips. It may not look like Pastor Walt's worship, but it's going to be authentic. I need about 30 seconds right there for all the worshipers in the room. Just worship God in an unusual way. You're one that don't normally stand, you're one that don't normally run, you're one that don't normally cry, but God is saying I'm looking for unusual worship. If you want me to do an unusual thing, I thought you wanted an unusual blessing.

Speaker 2: 1:05:26

I thought you wanted an unusual miracle. God is saying men of God, women of God, give me a worship in this place that is different than you've ever given me before. And sometimes an unusual worship requires me to confess my sins and simply say God, I'm sorry, help me to turn away from it. Sometimes an unusual worship requires me to forgive somebody that hurt me. Sometimes an unusual worship will make me realize that I'm the problem. Sometimes an unusual worship will make me stop focusing on what everybody else said and get in God's presence. I'm looking for an unusual worship in this house. Y'all ain't there yet. I'm looking for an unusual worship Because an unusual worship is going to produce an unusual result on a Palm Sunday. I didn't come from the ordinary. Right now, y'all lift up a sound right there. Let's give God an unusual worship Right there. Let's give God an unusual worship right there. Just give him an unusual worship right there. An unusual worship, yeah, from your heart, from your heart, from your heart. Be Mary. Mary knew that he was about to die for her, so she wanted to give an unusual worship. Can you give God an unusual worship on a Palm Sunday? Can you give him just the best worship you got on a Palm Sunday. He deals with death. He deals with worship yeah, worship unusually, yeah. And then he deals with prayer. He deals with worship. He deals with death. He deals with worship and he deals with prayer.

Speaker 2: 1:07:09

There was a man named Bartimaeus. He said I got to show you all these three things and you're out of here. On my way back to Jerusalem, I got power over dead stuff. I want to show you the importance of an unusual worship. And then he said I want to show you how to pray. On his way back, one of the last miracles before he would go into the city, there was an individual on the side of the road by the name of Bartimaeus. Bartimaeus obviously couldn't see, but he heard that Jesus was passing by. That's why we're encouraging so many of you all to tell the story about Jesus when we have all of these visitors on the yard next week. They just need to hear about your encounter with the Lord in this place. He heard the Lord was passing by and he showed us the power of a prayer wrapped in praise. He hears him passing by and he says Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me. It's a prayer, because he acknowledges who Jesus is, he acknowledges his divinic authority and then he petitions God for what he needs. Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me. The Bible says that when he prayed like that, the crowd started telling him you're making too much noise now. And there are some people in the room just a few minutes ago they thought that we were making too much noise now. But once again, if I need my breakthrough and if I need my miracle, I'm not really worried about the posture of your concerns. I'm not worried about your opinion on the matter.

Speaker 2: 1:08:58

Bartimaeus, he yelled louder. The Bible says this in the Bible. He yelled even louder. Somebody say he yelled louder. The Bible says this in the Bible. He yelled even louder. Somebody say he yelled louder Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me While the crowd was trying to silence him.

Speaker 2: 1:09:14

Bartimaeus teaches us something. Bartimaeus knew something. Bartimaeus said in the morning when you go back to your job and you go back to your family, I'm going to be on the side of this road with no family, with nobody to feed me, with nobody to help me, and you really got the nerve to tell me to be quiet in the presence of the Lord. Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me. Mercy on me.

Speaker 2: 1:09:45

The Bible says that he cried so loud that Jesus stopped in his tracks, and that's the type of worship that we have here at Chosen City Church. That's the type of worship that we really need right here right now. We ought to cry and pray out to God so much that we thank him for stopping by Judah Church and we thank him for stopping by by Judah Church and we're thinking for stopping by Transformation Church and we're thinking for stopping by St Paul and we're thinking for stopping by Ebenezer and we're thinking for stopping by Elevation. But we ought to lift up a sound, so much so that Jesus stops in his tracks and he says something going on down there, at 13, 925 Irwin Road, I had a schedule but I got to stop Because somebody at that 10 o'clock service need a breakthrough. And it's evident in your worship, it's evident in your praise, it's evident in your shout, it's evident in your dance, it's evident in your shout, it's evident in your dance.

Speaker 2: 1:10:46

Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me. Mercy is a cry that I don't deserve your blessing. Mercy is a cry that I did mess up. Mercy is a cry that I made a bad decision. But, son of David, have mercy on me. Y'all ought to pray with me. Say son of David, have mercy on me.

Speaker 2: 1:11:13

The Bible says Jesus stopped and said bring him to me. And when he gets in the presence of the Lord on his way, the people tell him something. In the presence of the Lord, on his way, the people tell him something. They say cheer up, because the Lord has heard your cry. Can I tell about 75 of y'all in the room that came in with a posture of worry, you came in with a posture of defeat, you came in with a posture of anxiety. But I just heard your friends say cheer up, the Lord has heard your cry. You ought to turn to about five neighbors right there and tell them with your best Holy Ghost voice cheer up, the Lord has heard your cry. Good God, almighty, I've discovered something. Y'all.

Speaker 2: 1:12:06

The enemy don't want you to cheer up. I've discovered something. Y'all, I feel the Holy Ghost, I feel the cheer, I feel the shift, mark the clock. I just felt the shift. That's what I was waiting for. I just felt the shift.

Speaker 2: 1:12:23

The enemy don't want us to cheer up because it's from that posture of cheer that God will do a miracle. Did you hear what I said? When I come in and I cheer up before God opens my blinded eyes. When I come in and I cheer up before God finishes the problem up, before God finishes the problem, it shows God that I have an expectation, that what I'm praying for that is already done. That's why the enemy don't want you to cheer up. That's why he wants you to come to church sad. He want to keep you busted and disgusted. He want to keep you depressed. Because if you ever cheer up you in a posture for a miracle, if you ever cheer up you in a posture for a breakthrough, the Bible says when this countenance shifted, I declare a new countenance in your life. I declare a new countenance in your life. Shift the countenance right now, god. Shift the countenance right now, god. Shift the countenance right now, god. Shift the countenance right now, god. Shift the countenance right now, god. Why don't y'all help me? Don't touch them.

Speaker 2: 1:13:30

Just point to your neighbor, say your counting is just shifted, so your counting is just shifted. Just point to him your counting is just shifted. Your counting is just shifted. Your counting is just shifted. Oh my god, your counting is just shifting. Oh my god, your counting is just shifting. Your counting is just shifting. Oh my God, your counting is just shifting. Oh my God, your counting is just shifting. Oh, your counting is just shifting. Your counting is just shifting. Your counting is just shifting. Your counting is just shifting. Oh my God, your counting is shifting. Now watch this when Bartimaeus counting is shifting. Now watch this when Bartimaeus' counting is shifted. Because the counting is shifted.

Speaker 2: 1:14:10

Jesus was in a position where he could move in his life, the text says. He then says what is it that you desire from me? Your whole counting has shifted. You believe me. Now, because you believe me, you can ask anything. Good, god, almighty, because you believe me, you can ask anything. Because you believe me, you can ask anything. And the Lord said yes, yes, lord, I got one desire, and my desire is I just want to see again. I want to see.

Speaker 2: 1:14:54

And the Lord said your faith.

Speaker 2: 1:14:58

Y'all hear what I said, because it's counting and shifting. The Lord said what do you want from me? I hear the Holy Spirit asking some of you that right now, since your counting is shifting, what do you want from the Lord? I bet you won't cry out what you want from him? That one thing, what's that one thing? You need God to do. God, if you're going to do this one thing, do this one thing today. If you're going to do it, do it today. And he told the man of God, bought a mask, go forth, because your faith has made you whole. And the Bible said suddenly, instantly good God, almighty. I don't ever want to lead the people of God astray and make you believe that everything is sudden and instantaneous, because some stuff is a process. But I feel the Holy Ghost in here today. I feel the Holy Ghost in a revival across the lands and I believe if somebody got faithful enough, it's going to be instant for somebody in this room. Did y'all hear what I said? Somebody that got enough faith. It's going to be a process for somebody else, but it's going to be instant for you. Y'all hear what I said Because you've been in the process long enough. It's not that you skipped process, but you've been in it long enough. See that man was in a process a whole long time, but you've been in it long enough. See that man was in the process a whole long time. He had been there begging for a whole long time, but instantly the Lord showed up and it was made whole.

Speaker 2: 1:16:31

And I just need a few people that believe God for an instant breakthrough right now. Just a few people. Just a few people that believe God for an instant breakthrough right now. I just need a few people. We about to go home. Hey, I see another runner. Hey, I see another runner. Hey, I believe some people that need God for an instant breakthrough right now.

Speaker 2: 1:16:54

Y'all these last few seconds is for the people that believe in God for an instant breakthrough. I'm not saying that everything is instant, but I'm believing that every now and then, every now and then, somebody say every now and then, every now and then, when our prayers are for real, when our worship is for real, when our cries are for real, he'll show up suddenly and he'll show out suddenly y'all believe in God with me? Every now and then he'll show out suddenly Are y'all believing God with me? Every now and then he'll show up suddenly and he'll do what no other power can do. But it's in your worship and I need about 30 of y'all right here now that came for us instantly.

Speaker 2: 1:17:38

This is your moment. About 30 of y'all that came for us instantly on a Palm Sunday, but the Lord is showing you because you was courageous and you're willing to face the crowd like he was willing to face the crowd, you then willing to ride on, like he was willing to ride on. I'm here to declare by faith, as a man of God things are about to shift and they're about to shift quickly. Oh, I thought y'all would believe me on that. I know I know Some people didn't believe that Lazarus would believe me on that, I know I know some people didn't believe that Lazarus would get out of the grave.

Speaker 2: 1:18:27

I know I know some people didn't believe that the man of God would see again. Some people didn't believe that you would make it this far, but I'm here to tell you by faith that things are about to shift and they're about to shift quickly. I wanna talk to all of my young adults in the room. The Lord is saying don't wait until you are older to tap in to the assignment that's on your life. God is saying do it now, in your 20s. Do it now. There's a call on your life right now and when you give them a yes, it's about to shift quickly. There are some seniors in this room. If you're courageous enough to believe that God ain't done with you yet, that you have a ministry in you that's going to be a blessing to the generations behind you.

Speaker 2: 1:19:35

The Lord is declaring that things are about to shift quickly. Now, in a moment, I'm going to allow Brandy to go with God on this. But for it to shift quickly, your worship got to shift quickly. You got to praise God like he's not talking to your neighbor, but you got to praise God like he's talking to you on this Palm Sunday. Praise him like you're Mary. Praise him like you're blind but a mess. Praise him like you're Lazarus. Praise him. If you need it to shift quickly, come on, brandy. Let's help the people of God right here, right where we are, things are about to shift quickly, quickly.

Speaker 3: 1:20:27

Things are about to shift quickly, quickly. Things are about to shift quickly, quickly. Things are about to shift quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly. Things are about to shift quickly, quickly, things Quickly say quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly, yes, lord, say yes, lord, say quickly, say quickly, things are about to shift. Say quickly, y'all, sing it with us. Say quickly, say quickly, things are about to shift quickly.

Speaker 3: 1:21:37

Clap your hands and stomp your feet, clap your hands and stomp your feet. Hold me in my desire, lord, hands and stomp your feet, open your mouth and shout yes, lord, yes, lord. Open your mouth and shout yes, lord, yes, lord, and clap your hands, stomp your feet, act like you have a victory. Say yes, lord yes, lord, say yes, lord yes, lord, say yes, lord yes, lord, say yes, lord yes, lord, yes, lord, yes, lord, yes, lord. The victory, the victory, the victory, the victory, the victory. Yes, lord, yes, lord, yes, lord, to your will, to your will, be glad, yes, lord, yes, lord, yes, lord, yes, lord, say over your mouth and shout yes, lord, yes, lord, over your mouth and shout, yes, lord, yes, lord. Say over your mouth and shout, yes, lord, yes, lord, over your mouth and shout, yes, yes, lord, say yes, lord. Yes, lord say yes, lord, yes, lord say yes.

Speaker 3: 1:22:30

Lord yes.

Speaker 3: 1:22:31

Lord say yes, lord, yes, lord. Say yes, lord, yes, lord. Say yes, lord, yes, lord. Things are about to shift quickly, quickly. Hallelujah, come on. If you believe the things are about to ship, I need you to open your mouth, like you already got it. Hallelujah, come on, all in your soul, I need everything. Come on, say yes, lord, say yes, lord. Say yes, lord, yes, I got it, yes, I got it. Victory. Say yes, lord. Say yes, lord, to your will, to your way. Say yes, lord, every day. Say yes, lord, yes, lord, yes, lord.

Speaker 2: 1:23:26

Put your hands together Somebody today for it to happen quickly, move quickly. Things are about to shift quickly, but move quickly. The Holy Spirit has been talking to you about a church home. The door to the house of God stands open. That's our way of just letting everybody know to get ready for you. That's our way of telling everybody get ready, we wait, welcoming you home. We welcoming you home. If you've been looking for a church home and the Holy Spirit has been speaking to you, be courageous enough. Hallelujah, hallelujah. That's how you welcome somebody to the family. There's someone else today. Yeah, that's how you keep that same spiritual energy right where we are. Somebody else needs to move quickly. Somebody else needs to move quickly. Hallelujah needs to move quickly. Hallelujah. I see a woman of God. Come on. I see the man of God. I see the man of God. Yeah, I see the family. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. God bless you, my brother. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you, sir.

Speaker 3: 1:24:37

God bless you. God bless you, hallelujah, giving you my yes Lord.

Speaker 2: 1:24:41

Hallelujah, giving you my yes, lord. I love you, brother, I love you yes.

Speaker 3: 1:24:45

Lord yes, Lord yes, Lord yes, Lord yes, Lord, Come on, don't stop yes.

Speaker 2: 1:24:54

Lord, let's not get fainted and worried in what we're doing.

Speaker 3: 1:24:57

Yes, Lord Come on, yes, lord Come on, yes, lord Come on. Yes, lord, it's about to shift quickly. Will there be another one to say yes, yes, lord yes, lord yes, lord yes, lord Chosen City, y'all know what we got to do.

Speaker 2: 1:25:15

Check on the person sitting next to you. Ask them if they're saved, Ask them if they have a church home. If they're not sure, say can I walk with you? We just want things to change for you. We want you to be bold for Jesus today. Hallelujah. Check on your people. Check on your people.

Speaker 3: 1:25:33

Come on, god is going to do it. Yes, lord yes, lord yes, lord yes, I'm going all the way, whatever you say, whatever you tell me. Yes, lord yes, lord yes, lord yes, lord yes, Lord yes, lord yes, lord yes, lord yes, lord yes, lord yes, lord yes, lord, now y'all hold up right there.

Speaker 2: 1:26:01

Keep the beat. I gotta do this. Keep the beat, bring it down a little bit. I gotta do this. I gotta come over here. Y'all keep the beat there. Keep your beat. I got to do this. Keep your beat, bring it down a little bit. I got to do this. I got to come over here. Y'all, keep your beat. And I'm going to let her loose again. Y'all didn't know, elder Pastor Rosa was in an accident that was bad enough that it should have taken her life. If you see the pictures, it was bad enough that she shouldn't be here. Got hit head-on y'all understand what I'm saying head-on. But by the grace of God, she's still here. That's why she ain't running. But she don't. She don't look like what she went through. And I need some praises. I need through and I need some praisers. I need some worshipers. I need some folk that don't mind coming dancing right here, right by me. Come dance with me. Hey, hey, hey.

Speaker 3: 1:26:54

Hey, hey, hey, hey, whoo Woo. Until you bend.

Speaker 2: 1:27:25

Until you been in a spot where you almost lost your life, you'll never understand her praise. Until you been in a spot where you almost died, you might not ever understand my praise.

Speaker 3: 1:27:38

Yes, lord yes, lord yes, lord yes, lord yes, lord yes, lord yes, lord yes, lord yes, lord yes, lord yes, lord yes, Lord yes, lord yes, lord yes, lord yes, lord yes, lord yes, lord yes, lord yes, lord yes, lord yes. Whatever you say, whatever you say, I will do it. Whatever you say, I will do it. Yes, lord yes, lord yes, lord yes, Lord. Victory, victory, it is mine, it is yours, it is yours. You just came here. You just came here, came for your children, came for your home, came for your husband, came on your daughter. I got the victory. I got the victory. All in the church, all in my home, I got the victory. I got the victory. Yes, lord yes, lord, I will go. I will go all the way, whatever you say, whatever you say yes.

Speaker 2: 1:29:29

Lord, yes, lord, yes, lord, yes, lord, yes, lord. I sense a second wave. There's somebody else that wants to be courageous today. There's somebody else that wants to be courageous today. Be bold like Jesus. Make a bold move today and give him a yes. Make a bold move today and give him a yes. Be bold like Jesus. Somebody else today wants to give him a yes. Be bold like Jesus. Be bold like Jesus. Be bold like Jesus. You stand for him, he'll stand for you. We need the gift that God has deposited within you and we want to stir up that gift so you can be who God has called you to be and do what God has called you to do. Somebody else today want to say yes. Somebody else today want to say yes. Somebody else today want to say yes. Somebody else today want to say yes. Somebody else today want to say yes, hallelujah, hallelujah, yes, lord, yes, lord. That's it right there. That's it right there.

Speaker 3: 1:30:40

You did more than I ever expected. Yeah, yeah, yeah, god, you did more than we ever expected.

Speaker 3: 1:30:47

Yeah, yeah, god, you keep doing more than we ever expected. We give you glory, we give you praise. We worship your name. We give you the praise. We worship your name. We give you the praise. Said. I've been through too much not to worship the Father. We've gone through too much not to give him praise. Oh say hallelujah, hallelujah, say hallelujah, hallelujah, say hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah hall. Give you the praise. Hallelujah. You keep doing more than we ever expected. You keep doing more than we ever expected. You keep doing more than we ever expected. You keep doing more than we ever expected. You keep doing more Than we ever expected. Oh yeah.

Speaker 2: 1:32:13

It's your turn now. We're about to transition. We're going to leave on a praise, but we slowed it down just for you, because it's your turn now, just to make sure that there's not someone else today that need to be bold. Just be bold. I promise you you won't have to walk by yourself. Be bold. All the clergy that's in the room we about to go home on this Y'all get real close so they ain't got to walk far by themselves. Y'all get real close. We're going to help them to be bold.

Speaker 2: 1:32:53

Sometimes you need somebody to be bold with you, that's all. So we want to meet you. We want to grab you by the hand and the shoulder. This is your turn now. You grab you by the hand and the shoulder. This is your turn now. You want to. You need to Stop talking yourself out of the move of God and just surrender and say yes. Stop talking yourself out of the move of God and just surrender and say yes, yes, we want to walk with you. All you have to do is make that first step. We're going to walk with you to let you know that you'll never walk alone again. In Jesus' name, you won't walk alone. Yeah, hallelujah, glory to God. Thank you, jesus. This moment is just for you. Glory to God. I see the Holy Ghost. Come on, come on right here. Don't let her walk by herself. April, walk with her. Don't let her walk by herself. Don't let her walk by herself. Come on y'all. Heaven is rejoicing, heaven is rejoicing, heaven is rejoicing. Heaven is rejoicing. Thank you Jesus, thank you Jesus, thank you Jesus, you Jesus, thank you Jesus. Uh, oh, chris, you caught it. Listen, family, we going out of here on a praise break, celebrating the courageousness of our God, celebrating the new found courage that's in you. I'm going to pray a prayer of courage into your life, and then we going to dance our way out the door. And y'all remember when y'all see each other this week prayer of courage into your life. And then we gonna dance our way out the door. And y'all remember when y'all see each other this week at the game, at the mall, at the bank, and they say how you doing? What's our answer? Oh, I'm in good hands. And then you gotta give them a little bit, just give them a little bit. You ain't gotta give them too much, just give them a little bit. Just give them a little bit, just give them a little bit. You ain't got to give them too much. Just give them a little bit. Just give them a little bit. Just give them a little bit. Father, in the name of Jesus, we thank you for the spirit of courage that you have given us in this house today. I speak boldness and wisdom into all of your sons and daughters as we prepare to leave this place. God, we'll make bold decisions this week. We won't delay it, we won't run from it. We'll make bold decisions and trust you with the outcome. I pray over every decision maker in the room right now, in Jesus' name. I pray over every family leader in the room right now, in Jesus' name. I pray over every home. In Jesus' name, I pray over how we manage our fiscal affairs. In Jesus name, breathe on us right now, god. Until we are more courageous, until we're bold, god and Lord, we'll be careful to give you a name all of the glory, all of the honor and all of the praise for us. In the powerful name of Jesus, we pray. Let the people of God say amen, amen, amen, y'all let's. In the powerful name of Jesus, we pray. Let the people of God say amen, amen, amen, y'all. Let's dance our way out of here.

Speaker 1: 1:35:49

I bet you won't ask somebody how they doing on the way out I bet you won't ask them how they doing.

Speaker 3: 1:35:53

All in his hands. I put it all in his hands, All in his hands. I put it all in his hands. All in his hands. I put it all in his hands, All in his hands. I put it all in his hands.