"THREE INESCAPABLE QUESTIONS OF LIFE" - 5/09/2020

[Music] you [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] flowers dancing spring in the icy wind they fade away yes morning brings the dawn soon the night will come and shave a new day but I dreamed things eternal I keep this hole burning in my soul that's somewhere the night decided somewhere a world out there is waiting for me and I believe we get there someday and love will light the way and lead us all [Music] so teach the children well tell them God Aska a home in the sky help them find their way to that place with dreams never die seeing this darkness will be over ina will see a bright and there [Music] means somewhere a world of death is waiting for me someday and love will light the way happy somewhere there is waving for me [Music] someday and love will light the way and lead us all the way [Music] I [Music] I'm happy to be here today I am happy to be a pastor in the best conference in the United States of America the Southeastern Conference the Lord delivered me when he brought me to Florida hallelujah Jesus amen I want to thank God for the leadership Ella Robinson he has done an amazing job with you give him a big hand and a big a man I want to thank God for the leadership of this conference elder Morel who is doing an outstanding work for the glory of God he and his wife are beautiful Christians who love the Lord and it's wonderful to be led by people who love the Lord I want to say a special shout-out to my church the Palm Bay church amen that's where I speak and preach and sing almost every Sabbath down in Palm Bay Florida and this conference to me is is the best conference for a lot of reasons but probably the most important one is that I found my wife in this conference oh yes I did I drove from Montreal Canada non-stop to Fort Pierce Florida and my wife of this year 36 years is here Linda where yes um Linda somewhere out there Amen I chased until she caught me Amen I told her not long ago if she ever leaves me I'm going with her I'm hooked amen and praise the Lord thank you so much God is awesome isn't he awesome I said isn't he awesome you ought to praise him anyway amen because he is an awesome God I trust him how about you God told me not long ago actually I've been serving the Lord since I was 16 years old and I wouldn't have it any other way amen I want you to bow your heads with me as we open the Word of God Father in heaven I know you're already here and so I ask that you would cleanse me of all unrighteousness that you will fill my life with your Holy Spirit's presence and power that you will speak to me through me and for me and I promise you God I'll always give you the honor the glory and the praise in Jesus name I pray amen and amen if you have your Bibles with you go with me to the book of Acts chapter 19 the book of Acts chapter 19 I want to begin reading with verse 13 acts 19 verse 13 the Bible says then certain of the Vagabond Jews Exorcist took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus saying we adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches and there were seven sons of one siva a jew and chief of the priests which did so and the evil spirit answered and said jesus I know and Paul I know but who are you and the man in whom the evil spirit was leapt on them and overcame them and prevailed against them so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded may God add a blessing to the reading of his word the Bible tells us that there was a certain priest in Israel by the name of Siva because of his standing and stature he was known as a man of great influence and great Authority this man had seven sons seven Church kids you hear what I say seven preachers kids they started what became a very successful and lucrative business sadly it was the kind of business that was diametrically opposed to the ministry and calling of their father you see while their father was trying to preach the truth these boys have become rich selling books about how to practice sorcery witchcraft and magic those boys were selling books that laid out in detail how you went about communicating with demons and evil spirits those books were handbooks on how to worship Satan and how to call on Satan for help when you were in trouble they were doing so well financially that the Bible says in acts 19 19 that when the people finally burned those books at a public bonfire that they total up the price of the books they had burned and found it to be fifty thousand pieces of silver in today's money that's several million dollars those boys were some bad cul Porter's that's all I know making a whole lot of money selling books on voodoo witchcraft no BIA did you know that even in the 21st century in our time the occult and spiritualism is still a big moneymaker have you noticed that there's been a rise in Hollywood about movies on vampires and are you with me today horror movies and spiritualism spiritualism is very much alive in our world and making big bucks at the box office and don't you be mistaken don't you be mistaken what they're making movies about is not fantasy it's about reality demons are real evil spirits are real and when you play with them you're on dangerous ground those seven sons Church kids making money that is until evangelist Paul came to town when Paul showed up it messed up their game you with me today it threw a monkey wrench into their enterprise you know because of Paul's preaching the profits from their book started drying up because Paul preached with pure acts 19 look at acts 19 verse 11 it says I'm God rock special miracles by the hands of Paul not just any miracle my god but special miracles so that from his body were brought on to the sick people handkerchiefs or aprons when the disease's depart from them and the evil spirits went out of them Church handkerchiefs or aprons that touched Paul skin when they were placed on other sick people the people were miraculously healed by prayer cloths from televangelists because they're not Paul they don't have his power those boys saw the miracles that were happening for Paul and they wrongly concluded that these miracles were happening only because Paul was calling on the name of Jesus before he did anything and saw those enterprising Church kids hallelujah decided to build back their sagging colporteur business that they would expand their services and stop making money now just from not just selling books but from casting out demons using the name of Jesus now you know those boys were all about the money because one minute they're selling books about how to get in touch with demons the next minute they're trying to build a business on casting out demons and so one day they found this demon-possessed man and they started their chanting and their incantations they started shouting at the demon I command you in the name of Jesus whom Paul preached it come out those boys thought that if they use the name of Jesus they would have the same power that Jesus and Paul had but they were mistaken I said they were mistaken you see sometimes when people see miraculous things they conclude there must be a simple physical explanation for the miracle and we do that some people watch Usain Bolt one and they conclude it must be the shoes Michael Jordan has made so much money out of kids dreaming and they just put on a pair of Jordans they'll be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound but just because you put on a pair Jordan to mean you will dunk like Michael Jordan when I was young before I knew Jesus I used to hang around a dance show and one day Little Richard showed up and when I met famous people I was 15 years old when I met famous people I'd put my voice down about two or three notches he had on his long white sequins sparkling robe and I I walked up to my said oh my lord who is that Jesus and he said where'd you get that boss so what you doing later I said I'm not he said come over to my concert and I want to hurt a little Richard do this concert that people went crazy and I said it's got to be the songs so in my high school my next talent show I started singing good golly Miss Molly Lucille when I was through my voice was gone I prayed Lord give me back my voice I'll never sing Little Richard songs again I remember seeing Arthur Ashe playing tennis we were all so amazed that this black man the only black man to win the singles title at Wimbledon I said to myself how can a black man play tennis like that it's got to be the racket so when I went out and I bought myself a fancy Arthur Ashe racquet bar on flex and I try to play like Arthur Ashe I couldn't play like Arthur Ashe even with the fancy racket those seven sons of Sivir they saw the miracles they say it's got to be the name and so they approach that demon-possessed man with poise and confidence and they said to the demon-possessed man we command you in the name of Jesus come out at first nothing happened but suddenly the demon that was inside the man spoke ax and said young man you must not know who I you can fool others but you can't fool me I've been in this spiritual warfare for over 4000 years I have millenniums of experience I'm not intimidated by your weak feeble games I know the difference between spiritual authority and spiritual counterfeit I know the difference between a sham and the real thing I know what it's like to come up against people who know how to pray I know what it's like to try and penetrate a life that is surrounded by the power and presence of God I know what it's like to try to bring down a soul who is being shielded and protected by the light and glory of God you can fool other people but you can't fool me I know the kind of power that comes to people who fast and pray I know what it's like to see 2 or 3 people call on the name of the Lord and then see the power of the Holy Ghost rush into the room that's usually when I have to take my hurried exit the Bible says the name of the Lord is a strong tower I also know the people who are just using his name one preacher called it identity theft you know you got a hold of the name his address his date of birth mm-hmm his father's name is mother's name in other words you know the hymns you know the doctrines you can quote scripture but you're just running up Jesus credit card you don't really know it [Applause] young man said the Beeman you come on my territory to challenge my pal Jesus I know Paul I know but I know everybody who's faking it I know every oscar-worthy Christian I know the young people who come to church bored out of their minds I know those who church but they're not really interested I even know I even know the young people who are on Lucifer special hitless did you know listen to me that every pastor's kid is on the gavels hitless [Applause] you're not listen to me the devil's got a special hit list and if you trying to be a church-going Christian your name is on it you see you see what we fail to remember is that every demon in Hell knows Jesus well are you with me every demon in Hell before coming to earth live with Jesus for millenniums in heaven every demon in hell before coming there live to carry out the commands of Jesus some of the demons in the earth today probably made of the chariot that took Jesus to other worlds every demon in the earth knows Jesus well they used to cast their crowns at his feet they know the voice of the Divine Commander every demon in Hell knows the glory of his face and manufacture Ellen White says that every angel was created to be a minister of Java they are Jehovah's ministers every demon in Hell was once a minister in the court of heaven that's why their rebellion is inexcusable every demon knows his voice his love his compassion so that demon said Jesus I don't know here Paul I know but who are you now you have to understand when the demon said who are you the demon wasn't asking for their given names he already knew their names he knew they were church kids he knew they were sons of Seaver he knew they used voodoo and witchcraft to confuse people so his question was more challenged who are you that demon was saying in the spirit world we know who is for Christ and who is against Christ we also knows we also know those who say they're for Christ and those who are not in other words that demon was saying how dare you come to do battle with me in the name of Jesus and you don't even know him how dare you come to do battle with me spiritually unprepared Jesus I know Paul I know who are you you say one thing and live another you sing one thing and live another you preach one thing and live another you pray one thing and do another how dare you come against me fronting and pretending and acting and faking how dare you confront me with not a request but a command and then the Bible says in acts 19 16 that the man in whom the evil spirit was late my God you never had a demon leap on you leap on them and overcame them and prevailed against them so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded now do you know what it's like do you know what it's like to be beaten so bad that you run out into the streets and you don't care that you're naked somebody say I do I do see some of us are from the Caribbean [Applause] but back in the islands when corporal punishment ruled the day one of the techniques that harsh parents used came straight from this text [Music] [Applause] before you got whoop then make you strip completely not naked but naked that way they knew you didn't have solder on oh but once in a while you'd hear whooping and crying going on in a house and then all of a sudden you'd see the front door busts open in it and a naked young man will be streaking the Bible says that demon said Jesus I know Paul I know but who are you and then proceeded to give those boys a good old-fashioned West Indian whooping now the difference was it was not just one boy being beaten at a time the batter by God the Bible says that all seven of them we're getting whooped at the same can you get this in your mind this supernatural woman being whooped with super speed when one get hit over there five more milliseconds later getting whipped over there someone said that's how my momma used to be there I'm not gonna say anything about your mama but the Bible says it was a demon [Applause] [Music] it was a demon whooping up in there Bible said they all ran out of that house what come on now this is scripture now naked no naked and wounded I forgot to give you the title of my message [Applause] three inescapable questions of life the flesh who you I thought if I asked you that today some of you would tell me your name and for some of us it's a funny name some of us don't know what our parents were thinking when they named us wintley where did my mother get that name from my middle name is Augustus she was thinking Rome and Caesar or something you know we we folks down now that's like drinking coconut water and singing I'm dreaming of a white Christmas you know it's just some things just don't go together in 1955 I was born my mother must have known about the internet coming cuz she gave me a google friendly name when you google my name you don't have to put my whole name in in the whole universe of names you just put W int L and you get me somebody pushed you someone asked you who are you you say well um I was born in you know my name is Winston Theophilus from Mandeville you know you know that kind of stuff when you get stopped by the police the first thing they want is your license they want to know who you when a demon approaches you the first thing the demon wants to know is who is he dealing with is he dealing with you or is he dealing with Jesus most truth of us most of us think we are who we've been told we are God and His Word says I know who you are can a woman forget her suck Lynch I know who you are I've been craving you upon the palms of my hands I know you the very hairs of your head a number I know you before I formed you in my god before I phoned you getting the belly I knew you God says before you knew yourself I gave you your identity one of the worst things you can do in life is to try to merge your identity into the identity of somebody else that's why tell me Jesus that's why when you don't know who you are you're always trying to where the latest and the greatest come on stay with me now when you don't know who you are you're always trying to fit in and where what's hot your whole life revolves around the next trend what's in this year becomes the badge of your identity you know you know the little Wayne look is in so or is it out I didn't get the memo some people don't know how to live in their own skin in their own identity they're always trying to find themselves and their happiness and other people that's what's called peer pressure when you don't know who you are you're always looking for somebody else to validate you when you don't know who you are you're always waiting to see what others will say about you when you don't know who you are you're always chasing some new trend some new craze oh but when you belong to Jesus being popular with other people is inconsequential when you belong to Jesus you learn you don't have to compromise to be recognized when you belong to Jesus it doesn't matter what other people think about you too often in trying to please others we act differently than the way God wants us to and when we do that we lose our identity now I'm gonna get real here for a minute I'm gonna talk to my young ladies today you'd you don't need to lose your virginity to find your identity did you hear what I just said to you you don't need to lose your virginity to find your identity what sense does that make to let somebody go exploring your body parts so you can find yourself are you listening to me something's wrong with that picture you don't have to give it up to live it up come on are you listening to me today you can say that one with me put that in your texts that to somebody right now you don't have to give it up to live it up you don't have to get drunk to find out who you are people act the way they act because of who they think they are I think I'm a player so I'm gonna walk like a player and look like a player but the damn in the same Jesus I know Paul I know oh you don't give your identity up Jason don't let your company define your identity don't let your friends define who you are be yourself be consistent if you're a flip-flop hip-hop Christian that means you don't know who you are in other words if you are one person on sabbath morning and a different person saturday night if you sing in the playa and then throw down when the Sun Goes Down you confuse demons are saying Jesus I know Paul I know you I can tell you you don't have to find your identity in promiscuity you won't find your identity in Ciroc vodka I don't care what PDD says you're not gonna find your identity in a bottle you're not gonna find your identity in Seagram's and Bud Light you won't find your identity in drugs and lunch you won't find your identity in your little two-bit hustle you're only going to find your identity when you give yourself completely to Jesus when you lose yourself in Jesus you'll find who you are one day one day in Denver Colorado a full flight full of people was canceled and they had one ticket agent trying to rebook the whole plane of people one man pushed ahead of all the other people and said slammed this ticket down and said listen here I have to be on the next flight and it better be first-class the agent said I'm sorry sir I'll be happy to help you but I have to take care of these folks on the line first the passenger shouted back Do You Know Who I am that agent smiled picked up their public address system and said throughout the whole terminal may I have your attention please we have a passenger here at gate 51 who does not know who he [Applause] can somebody come to the gate and help him find himself [Applause] the question that that demon was really asking is who are you really 16 years old I was confused didn't know who I was born in Trinidad raised in Canada I'm a US citizen I guess that makes me a trend can American or some I was confused I want it to be another Sly Stone that's how confused I was I know y'all don't know who that is I just saw him on TV the other day 70 years old just got out of rehab I knew that's not who I was sure I went to church but I didn't know who I was Church has its place but you won't find your identity in church you'll only find your identity in Jesus so that's the first inescapable question of life I've got a harina who are you the second question is do you know Jesus just going to church alone you don't know Jesus just reading the Bible reading the Bible is to help you to get to know Jesus because you see when you get to heaven the angels not gonna stop you and say wait wait what does second Peter 3 5 say minds me of a story a little boy used to go home with his friend to school on their way to school they'd stop by the Grandmama's house and grandmum I was always reading the Bible reading the Bible reading the Bible on the way back from school they stopped by the grandma massage she'd still be there reading the Bible reading the Bible so one day he said to his friend why does your grandmama read the Bible so much and his friend didn't know what to say he said I think it's because she's cramming for her finals some of us have approached the Bible like that I gotta remember everything listen let me let me take some demons normal scripture then you will ever know so it's not about how much you can remember getting in the heavens not a Bible Bowl when you read the Bible so that you can get to know the author when you know Jesus you'll know who you are when the trumpet of God sounds the angels will not be asking you for your ministerial credentials they're not gonna be asking for proof of church membership they're not gonna be asking for your dossier of spiritual accomplishments they want to ask you to see your missionary scars they won't have time for you to tell about all the old people in church who didn't treat you right [Applause] they got no time for that all they're gonna want to know is do you know him do you know him and then they'll want to know does he know you you see a whole lot of people claim they know people who don't know them 1990 I'm singing in Birmingham Alabama got ready to go to the platform to the dais the security people started running back and forth they said the governor's coming to governor's covers I straightened up my tie brushed down my suit and they brought in Bill Clinton I didn't know who he was so since I was in Birmingham and they said the governor's coming I assumed he was the Governor of Alabama so when they put him beside me I went into this long story with him of how much I love Alabama what a great state Alabama is and I went to school in Huntsville and I noticed he was puzzled why am i extolling the virtues of Alabama and when they made the introductions that's when it dawned on me oh no does the governor of Arkansas not Alabama I saying he spoke I didn't see him again until about four months before the election in 1992 I was singing somewhere he walked into the room campaigning I thought that was my chance to fix it and let him know I love Arkansas too so I I said governor you probably don't know me or remember me he said I remember you you sang for me a year ago in Birmingham Alabama so how could you remember that he's how could I forget [Applause] when he became president I sang for his first prep breakfast and he sent me a picture of us greeting each other and he signed it how much he was blessed by the music and he signed it with thanks Bill Clinton governor of Alabama [Applause] but guess what he knows me [Applause] whole lot of people say I'm not gonna print he don't know you I know Jesus but does he know you I sang in the choir but does he know you I'm in the Pathfinders but does he know you I'm gonna give you a text before I close look at your Bible Matthew 7 verse 21 97 21 not everyone that saith unto me shall enter into the kingdom of heaven but he that doeth the will of my father which is in heaven look at verse 22 many will say to me in that day Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thy name and in thy name have cast out devils and in thy name done many wonderful works and then will I profess unto them I never knew you depart from me but I was a member and good and regular standing I never knew you you claim to know me you even told others we were close I don't know you brothers and sisters young people the three inescapable questions of life who are you do you know Jesus and most importantly does he know you God says brave you bow your heads with me Jesus Paul I know who are you who are you who is defining your identity who you you want to find yourself give yourself away to Jesus do you know him and does he really know you it's about an eyes are closed three inescapable questions of life somebody here today said pastor Alan struggle I've been trying to find myself but I've been drowning I've been chasing this thrill and Matt thrill but I've been drowning and I do they today wanna give myself to Jesus I want to find myself in Jesus I want to find myself in Jesus and I want to give myself away if today you know this sermon was about you and for you you've been trying to find yourself nothing has worked but you want to try Jesus today and find your identity in him that's what you want today I invite you where you are seated to raise your hand to heaven and say I want to give my life to Jesus today I've been drowning raise your hand high don't be ashamed raise it up to heaven raise it up to heaven even if you're in the balcony and if you seated your just raise your hem high to heaven and say I've been searching I've been searching I've been struggling I've been drowning but I'm gonna try Christ and we'll give it all to Jesus today hold your hand up hold it up high now there's somebody sitting here I'm a member but I don't know him like I should and I'm not even sure he really knows me the way I've been living I want to give my life to Jesus raise your hand raise your hand raise it high he knows he in the balcony raise it high to my left to my right raise it high now the Lord is going to ask you to do something and you got to be courageous those of you who have your hands up in the air want you to stand on your feet right now those of you have your hands in the air stand on your feet right now presence of God is in this place [Music] every one of you standing at this altar there's a crown waiting for you in heaven every single one of you every single one of you standing here today Jesus has died for you there's nothing you have ever done wrong but the grace of God can't forgive and forget there's nothing you've ever done wrong but the grace of God can't cover hallelujah the only sin listen to me that God will not forgive the only sin God will not forgive is when you reject opportunities to know him better that's the unpardonable sin that's called grieving the Holy Spirit Jesus is trying to get close to you but you in your Facebook and not seeking his face you didn't hear what I just said he's trying to get close to you but you in facebook and not seeking his face God said to tell you I know we're in a facebook generation but you know what the law says and Matthew even if you're doing good stuff don't even let your right hand know what your left hands doing don't put your life on blast Jesus said don't even Jesus said I'm gonna tell you what I said I'm telling what Jesus said don't even let your left hand know what your right hands doing you've come here today but this is no ordinary day let me tell you what's happening to you you are about to pick up at this alter your identity when you get out of this auditorium you're going to feel like a new person no longer will you be chasing nonsense to find who you are no longer will you need any boy to validate who you are no longer will you need to chase some vulnerable young lady so you can establish your identity because you will have found your identity in Christ now let me tell you what's gonna happen I read one day of a young man who was terribly disfigured had a very awful grotesque looking face he decided to leave he grew up so he could start a new life and on his way it's the story goes he found a mask and he thought that would hide everything so he put on this mask and every day he wore the mask and the new town accepted him but one day a wicked lady from the old town King Division this young man had done so well he had even found a fiancee he was about to be married and this wicked lady decided that she would expose him and so in front of all his new friends and family she demanded did he take off the mask when he took off the mask strange thing was seen his old face had conformed to the beauty of the mass and he was now young gorgeous looking man that's what's gonna happen to you today you have made a decision to put on Jesus for a while it's gonna be uncomfortable for a while you know you're not gonna be able to do what you used to do you're not gonna be able to go where you're used to go the things that you found funny my god you don't find funny anymore you're gonna be different but let me tell you what's going to happen after a while when you get to glory you go more you're gonna look more like Jesus then you look like yourself you [Music] will resemble Jesus with each passing day more and more somebody came forward today knowing that they want to become a new creation a new creature you need to be baptized you heard you know it raise your hand so I am one of those I need to be baptized today I want to go down into the watery grave I want to become a new creature a new creature I want to be baptized today I want to put listen carefully now I want to put my past life behind me for good and I'm not afraid to get wet I'm not afraid we've got everything here that you need the pastor's are here everything is available for you to make that decision I want to be baptized today somebody saying raise your hand right now I'm gonna be baptized there's a young man here is there anybody else here today des says I'm not worried about what other people think amen I'm not worried the only thing I want to do is put on Jesus and I'm gonna go down into the watery grave I'm gonna come up a new creature will you make that decision today say I want to be baptized raise your hand right now raise your hand right now behind me god bless you god bless you young lady god bless you god bless is anybody else here today it's the spirits speaking to you God says I am speaking to you I don't know who you are I'm gonna be baptized this afternoon I'm gonna be baptized one more will you raise your hand is that a young man is there a young lady god bless use their hand back there is a young lady way back there god bless you I want to be baptized today all right let's pray together everybody who's come forward bow your head close your eyes let's pray together did Jesus we're gonna walk out of this church new people we know who we are in Christ and we believe not only do we know Jesus but Jesus knows us we thank you there God we thank you that we can find ourselves in you in Jesus name Amen [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] sovereign see [Music] slang after this holy ah Jesus Lee God his children songs [Music] [Music] pass him plans him Jesus omelette serving for our sins he suffered Oh [Music] 20 Silver's just a far sighs miss Frances she's assumed our song wonderful deep install [Music] please the celebrity name no sweat [Music] forever affarin Kristen tea [Applause] below [Music] enjoy [Applause] [Applause]

Channel: Palm Bay Seventh-Day Adventist Church

Views: 7,815

Rating: 4.8947368 out of 5

Keywords:

Id: iUm4yhbfOv4

Length: 66min 52sec (4012 seconds)

Published: Sat May 09 2020