2819 Church - WISDOM AND WONDER | Moved By Compassion | Matthew 14:13-21 | Philip Anthony Mitchell

Episode Date: January 4, 2025

In Season 3, Episode 2 of “WISDOM & WONDER,” Pastor Philip Anthony Mitchell expounds upon one of Jesus’ most epic miracles, found in Matthew 14:13-21, and the meaning behind it. Welcome to the official Youtube channel for 2819 Church. This channel features powerful and life-impacting messages from Philip Anthony Mitchell and guest communicators. As you listen to these sound biblical messages you can expect to be challenged, stirred, matured and inspired in your faith and walk with God. For more information about us visit 2819Church.org.

If you are a guest, we want to welcome you to 2819 Church. We're so glad that you're here. To all of our digital disciples who are watching live right now across the country and around the world, we welcome you to 2819 Church. Wherever you're watching, we're so glad that you're here. And to those of you who are amongst us right now, and maybe you're watching live, maybe somebody has you sitting on the couch right now, and you're not a follower of Jesus. You're not a believer yet. We know that you're in the room. We know that you're here, and we're thankful that you're here. At least in our gathering, you could belong before you believe. You could keep coming and exploring the claims of Christ. And I'll pray, I'll pray one day, by the supernatural power of God, you would be brought into the family of God.

We pray that you would be the recipient of the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit and that you would understand who we're singing about and why we're singing about him and about the God that we proclaim. If you are a guest, we are in a series called Wisdom and Wonder where we are walking through the book of Matthew together. I don't want to presume that you know who Matthew is. Matthew was a Jew, an outcast man who lived in the first century AD. He worked for the Roman government. He was converted to

Christianity by the Lord Jesus Christ himself. He became an apostle, a follower of Jesus, an eyewitness of his ministry. He also became a martyr. He died for the faith that we believe in. He wrote this gospel book that bears his name, and as a church, we are walking through this book together, and it'll take us some two and a half years to finish this book, and we're not in any rush to do that. For those of you who are in our gathering or watching who are note-takers, I know there are a lot of you. I always appreciate that. Today, we will unpack together Matthew chapter 14, verses 13 through 21. I'm a little under the weather, so my voice get raspy.

I ask that you would forgive me. My wife told me I need to conserve my energy and to be calm today. I'm going to try to honor her. I don't know how well I will do. So if I cough a little, I just want you to forgive me for that. I know it sounds annoying when somebody coughs over a microphone or clears their throat. I just need a little bit of grace until I get well. Matthew 14, 13 through 21.

I want to appropriately title this message straight from the text, Moved by Compassion. Moved by Compassion. This message, straight from the text, moved by compassion. Moved by compassion. Would you pray for me as I pray for you? Eternal God and ever wise Father, Lord, we thank you for at some point in time in all of our lives, those who are of the family of faith. You snatched us from the kingdom of darkness and brought us into the marvelous life. We thank you that you have called us sons and daughters. You've given us the privilege of adoption.

We thank you, Lord, for the opportunity you give us to gather without persecution, if just for a short time. I pray, Father, we would never take for granted this opportunity we have to sit amongst brothers and sisters to hear the word proclaimed. I pray, Spirit of the living God, that you would move up and down each row. You would move in these aisles. You would move in the overflow.

You would move across that camera. You would minister to the hearts of the brothers and sisters who are watching, the brothers and sisters who are watching, the brothers and sisters who are listening, the brothers and sisters who are in this room right now. Father, I pray in my weakness you would strengthen me. I'm just an earthen vessel. I'm no one. I'm not that important.

And I pray, Jesus, we would preach together, you in me and I in you, these powerful principles that are found in your word. I pray. What do I want to ask for? I pray, God, in conjunction to this message, you would topple in our hearts apathy. You would topple in our hearts indifference. You would topple in our hearts lethargy.

I pray you would topple in our hearts lethargy. I pray you would topple in our hearts lukewarmness. You would pour out a spirit upon us to be moved with an affection of care. I ask, Father, right now, you would do that for us in the mighty. Look up that word. And in the majestic, look up that word. And in the matchless name, look up that word. They all belong to Christ. In the matchless name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen and amen and amen. And amen.

Moved by compassion. Family, as I was sitting with this particular text this week, I was reminded by the end of the week of something, three things that I saw with my own eyes this week, that when I saw them, they really broke my heart very deeply. And I was troubled when I saw these three things. And these three things I saw have nuances and implications for this particular text. This week on Friday, I was sitting on my back deck with my wife, Lena and I, and I saw a YouTube video of a well-known preacher. If I

called his name, you would know his name. I'm not even sure I could call him a pastor. I think we give that name to people who God did not put in that office. And I saw this well-known preacher on Easter Sunday was saying he said to his church that he was preaching that Easter Sunday resurrection Sunday the death burial and resurrection that they preach about was all about the persecution of a black man and that how Jesus was a black man and that his evidence that Jesus was a black man was because he didn't get a fair trial by the Roman government and that he used that begin to manipulate the black men in the room and start declaring no weapon formed against the black men will prosper and no legal weapon will formed against the black men will prosper and all of this Marxist, fascist nonsense that he was spewing from the pulpit. And I was watching

as men stood up in the room and they're shedding tears over this nonsense. And my heart is broken because I'm thinking, man, what you're hearing right now in this moment is not even consistent with the word of God. That we know according to history and we know according to history, and we know according to these scriptures, that Jesus was not a black man. I know some of you got him hanging on your wall, a black man with locks, but Jesus was not a black man. We know from history, I feel the spirit of God, and we know from the word of God, that Jesus was an ethnic Jew, and he was born into a family of ethnic Jews, and he was raised around the Torah. And he learned the things of Jewish family. And he went into the synagogue as was his custom.

And he fulfilled the law because he came to do that. And he came to his own first. The people of Israel. The Jewish race. So we know that Jesus was not a black man. I don't care what false doctrine. I don't care about no Hebrew Israelite. We know that Jesus was not a black man. I don't care what false doctrine. I don't care about no Hebrew Israelite. We know that Jesus was not a black man.

For some of us use our race as idolatry. I don't care. Black people do that. White people do that. We exalt our race as a form of idolatry. That Jesus was not a black man. He was an ethnic Jew and had skin like brass and hair like wool. And as I watched the people in that room, some maybe thousands of them,

run on with that garbage that was coming across the pulpit. Listen to me. My heart was broken as I thought to myself, look at all of these unsuspecting sheep that don't read the scriptures for themselves and they have no idea what they're listening to right now is heresy and the doctrines of devils from a false prophet. And every time somebody talk like that, you try, you cry, oh, we're being judgmental and critical

when the scripture says false prophets have come from among us and have gone out of us, but they was not with us. That there are false prophets in this country. And if we put all the preachers in an arena, we would know that some of them came from God and some of them were planted by the devil.

I know I got to move on, but this is why I don't be impressed by platforms. And I'm not impressed by oratory. That's why you need to look at trees just a little bit closer. We need to be impressed by character. We need to be impressed by fruit. We need to be impressed by integrity and not by impressed by just numbers and platform and fame. I got a fig tree in my yard. I got a fig tree in my front yard. There is a fig tree. And if you rolled up on my front yard right

now, you will see the leaves are green and you would think it is fruitful. But if you got up close on that fig tree right now in my yard, you will see there's no fruit on that tree. It has not blossomed yet. And that's what we'd be doing, man. We'd be seeing all of these leaves from voices and platforms and Instagram followings and fame and fortune. And we look at all these leaves from a distance and we think, surely that's a man of God. Surely that's a woman of God. But you don't get close enough to see there's no fruit on that tree. And as I listened to that garbage being preached from the pulpit, my heart was broken. A second thing I saw this week that broke my heart. It was on Monday.

I was in the gym. And I was standing by the window where I like to stand and pray. And whenever I'm in a gym, man, I do my sets. And then I walk to the window and pray. And then I come back and I do my set. I walk to the window and pray. So even while I'm in the gym, I'm having this ongoing conversation with the Lord. I'm worshiping and praying as I'm in the gym, I'm having this ongoing conversation with the Lord. I'm

worshiping and praying as I'm in my gym and I'm doing my sets. On Monday, I was standing by the window and I seen a young lady with raggedy clothes hop out of her old beat-up van that's always parked in the back of the gym. I seen her walk by the window and come into the gym. She went into the girl's locker room and she was there for 10 minutes. I seen her come out the locker room. I know she didn't go to any weights. She walked out the gym and went straight back to that old van. Five minutes later, I see a dude hop out the van. He walked past the window, and I'm standing there watching this because my heart now was stirred, and the dude comes in the gym. He goes into the dude's locker room. He stays in there for 10 minutes. He walks out the gym. He touches no the dude's locker room. He stays in there for 10

minutes. He walks out the gym. He touches no weights. He walks out. He walks back to that old raggedy van. And as I'm standing there watching, I realize in a moment, oh snap, this couple is homeless. They're living in their van. They're using the bathroom in the gym to wash up and brush their teeth and get themselves together in the morning. And as I'm staring out the window and I'm seeing them in that van, man, my heart is broken for them in that moment. A third thing I saw this week, all of this is going to connect with the text that broke my heart. My wife and I had a meeting in Miami on Tuesday. So we flew to Miami for the meeting, came back to Atlanta, and as we're walking out the concourse, I saw a dude who I love. That was just like not coincidence. And I glance over to

my right, and in the corner, I see two Islamic women bow down on their face, praying to a false deity that cannot hear them because he does not exist. And I'm looking at them bowing down, bowing down, praying. I remember when I was in Islam and how five times a day I would be bowing down and praying to a God that never heard me. This exercise in futility, how I was doing that and empty trying to figure out when would I have done enough to please Allah, who was a false god amongst other deities. And immediately when I saw those women bowing down in that exercise of futility, listen to me, man. My heart was broken, and immediately I began to pray for them. Oh God, I pray salvation would come to these women. I pray salvation would come to their women. I pray salvation would come to their family.

I pray you would deliver them from their false belief and bring them into the kingdom of light. Oh God, I pray that they would come to know Yahweh, the God of the scriptures, the one who created them and loved them, the one who's calling them, the one who's given dreams to people in the east who are bound by the stronghold of dark, demonic demonic Islamic organizations.

And I'm crying out for them. And all the while as I'm thinking about the people who sat under that false teaching. As I was thinking about the couple who was homeless in that van. As I'm thinking about those women who I saw in the airport. Listen to me what I felt this week when I thought by Saturday morning. You know what I felt? I felt a righteous sadness in my heart. I felt a holy brokenness in my heart. And it was that holy brokenness, man, that was causing, watch this word, compassion to well up in my heart, which if connected or was warranted for actions, man,

my heart was moved to want to do something for them. Man, what could I have done for that couple in the van? Could I have put them in a hotel? Could I have fed them some food? What could I have done for those women in the airport, man? What could I have done for all those brothers and sisters who was listening to that garbage? And I pray for all of those Christians.

God, I pray for all of them listening to that false teaching. Oh Lord, that you would open their eyes, that you would give them a desire to read the scriptures for themselves, that you would deliver them from the tyranny of false doctrines. And I cried out in prayer because in the moment, that was the only thing I knew I could do. Now family, I want to ask you a series of questions. Hear me, man. Should the people of God not feel compassion for brothers and sisters who are sitting under false teaching? I mean, should the people of God

not feel compassion for those who are homeless, hungry, and in physical need? Should the people of God not feel compassion for men and women who are gripped by depravity with no hope except for the regeneration of the Holy Spirit and salvation in Christ? Should I not feel compassion for people on the other side of the world who have never heard the gospel, who may die in their sin, should we not feel compassion for them?

Is this not the compassion we see in the heart of Jesus in this text that we're about to walk through together? Family, what we are about to read together is about a powerful, epic miracle that happened in the life of Jesus. The miracle is so powerful. The message behind the miracle is so powerful that it shows up in all four gospel accounts. Listen to me. This is the only miracle of Christ that is recorded in all four gospels. There is no other miracle of Christ that is recorded in all four gospels. So this is an important miracle, not only for what happened on that day, but for the message behind the

miracle. That all four writers of the gospel thought it was important to put it in their book. Matthew and John, who were eyewitnesses of the ministry of Christ, they put this miracle in their writings. Mark, who was a companion of Peter, who heard secondhand stories about Christ from Peter, when he sits down to write his gospel in AD 60s, he thought it was important to put this miracle in his gospel. Luke, the only non-Jewish writer of the 40 writers of the New Testament, the Gentile doctor and historian,

he gathers, as he's hearing stories about Christ circulating in the first century AD. He gathers all those stories and compiles his gospel and thought it was important to put this one miracle in this gospel. So Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, two eyewitnesses, one friend, and a historian all thought it was important to include this one miracle in their writings. It is extremely important for what happened and is important for the message behind the miracle. And so family, listen to me carefully. As we get ready to walk through this text together, I want to implore you with my whole heart to please lean in with

your mind and lean in with your heart. Don't be unintelligent sheep, which almost sounds like an oxymoron because sheep are some of the most dumbest animals on the planet. You laugh, but this is a true story. Side note, side note. Sheep are some of the most unintelligent animals in the world. Sheep. They have no natural defense mechanism. They are completely dependent upon shepherds. When they're in tight quarters, they like to fight with one another. And if one sheep goes astray from the pack, it is nine times out of ten they will be ravished by wolves.

That's what Jesus called sheep. Who need a shepherd. who you like to fight every time you get around other sheep when you get separated from a pack you get ravished by wolves and because we're not that intelligent as a race because we're floored by sin, we need a leader and a savior.

Sheep. So as we go through this text together, I implore you, I beg you, lean in with your mind. Lean in with your heart. And I want you to see the power and the wonder of Jesus in this miracle. Matthew chapter 14, verse 13. Matthew writes, now, when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there. He hopped in a boat and he began to sail to a desolate place by himself. Stop. A couple of things I want to unpack from this first verse. First it says, when Jesus heard this, heard what? This line right here in verse 13 points us back to verse number two.

What happened in verse two? Jesus heard that Herod was feeling some type of anxiety about the influence and the growth of his ministry. Now right here, there is a fork in the road in the text. Scholars argue, did Jesus withdraw because of Herod's anxiety? Or did Jesus withdraw because he was reminded about the murder of his cousin? And since I don't know which one is true, I want to work both roads. So first, if Jesus pulled away to be alone because he heard about Herod, and he heard about Herod's anxiety about the influence of his ministry. Then this shows the wisdom of Jesus understanding purpose and time.

That Jesus knew he came to die, but he knew the time had not come for him to die. So it was no need for him to engage with an executioner before his time. So what do we see in Jesus? We see his wisdom to pull away from unnecessary drama because the time had not come for him to stand before an executioner. This is a powerful lesson for you and I. It teaches us that not every battle

is yours to engage in. And not every enemy deserves a response from you that we have to have the wisdom to know what battle is for us to fight and what battle is not for us to fight and we have to know man when the season is to get involved in a scuffle

and when to not get involved in a scuffle we gotta have the wisdom to know that everybody, watch this, is not worthy of a response. Everybody is not worthy of my time. Everybody is not worthy of an argument.

We got to know that some battles is for the Lord. Let me get away from them let me get away from him let me get away from her does that make sense to you but what if it's the other thing what if jesus got away because he heard about the death of his cousin and he's reminded now about the murder of John. If Jesus now is reminded about the murder of John,

now we see the humanity of Christ. That in the humanity of Christ, he's probably dealing with feelings over the fact that his cousin was murdered. And if he's wrestling with the feelings that his cousin was murdered, he withdraws to go spend some time by himself. Now everybody pay attention.

We know from other places in the New Testament that Jesus would slip away often to go be alone with the Father. And so if he's wrestling with pain from the death of his cousin, and he slips away to be by himself, I could probably safely presume upon the text that he's probably getting away to be with his father. So what do we see now in Jesus? We see the wisdom of the Lord, watch,

leaning into a healthy coping mechanism for his suffering. That when you and I are dealing with pain, when you and I are dealing with sorrow, when you and I are dealing with issues when you and I are dealing with issues we have to have healthy coping mechanisms for those issues running to drugs is not a healthy coping mechanism running to people who like drama

is not a healthy coping mechanism but we do see man a healthy coping mechanism right here in the text that if the Lord is running to be alone with the Father, we see that when our hearts are sorrowful, and when our hearts are heavy, and when we're dealing with pain, and when we're dealing with drama, man, we can carry our hearts into the presence of the Lord, into the presence of the Father. Watch, that prayer is a healthy coping mechanism. The scriptures is a healthy coping mechanism.

Wise counsel is a healthy coping mechanism. The presence of godly people is a healthy coping mechanism. And so we see the wisdom of god the wisdom of our lord if he's dealing with a heavy heart we see him going to put his heart in the presence of his father verse 13 part b but when the crowds heard it they followed him on foot from the towns.

Stop. I want to draw your attention to a couple things right here in the back half of this text. It says when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from towns. The first thing I want to draw your attention to is the word towns. The word towns is plural, which suggests that the people who are following God is a very great company you're talking about thousands of people who are following him I want you to also notice it says that man the crowds they heard of this well what did they hear they heard that Jesus was performing miracles they heard the teachings of Christ and so some of them

now what they heard was hope they hear a man preaching about the kingdom they heard the teachings of Christ and so some of them now what they heard was hope they hear a man preaching about the kingdom they heard about a man doing miracles and the scripture says they followed him on foot now this is very powerful me that Matthew will put this detail in the text it says that they followed Christ on foot I love that word followed him on foot the fact that Matthew will put that in the text, it gives us some metrics about the crowd, some insight into the kind of people that are in the crowd. If they're on foot, that means they're walking.

There's no horses. There's no carriages. There's probably no wealthy people in that crowd. Probably middle-class people, probably poor people, probably people who are searching for God. And I want you to notice that where Jesus is going, he's sailing according to history to Bethsaida, which is in the north section of the Sea of Galilee. These people are following Christ on foot. That is, they are walking all the way to another city to see the Lord Jesus Christ. Something in them is desiring to get close to him.

Family, this is like if I told you I was about to walk from here to Orlando. Like if there was something in Orlando for us to get there. Like we got a partner church in Orlando, New Creation Fellowship. Matter of fact, if you watch this from Orlando, stop watching this across the camera. Why don't you shut off this stream

and make your way down to New Creation Fellowship so you could be in that local body by my friend Recap Gray. So imagine right now if I said, man, I gotta get to Orlando. I can't afford a bus ticket. I can't afford Lyft. I can't afford to hop on a plane

and I start walking from here to Orlando. You would think that I was crazy to make that journey. But man, there must be something in Orlando. Compelling me to walk all the way there. And these people. Watch. Are walking from where they are in Galilee. Walking to another city.

Just to feed. Just to follow. Just to get near the Lord Jesus Christ. What we see in them is what more of us need for the Lord. We see a type of hunger in them. We see a hunger in them is what more of us need for the lord we see a type of hunger in them we see a hunger in them in which they are desiring the lord jesus christ family this is what we need we need a hunger for christ because the opposite is what i see in the american church a type of self-sufficiency yeah in which we think we don't need God and we

don't need the Lord and we don't need the word and we don't need his presence some of us are so full of other things we don't have hunger for the Lord Jesus but man there's something when you says no matter what I gotta get to the Lord I gotta get to that gathering if I gotta drive an hour to get to 2019 whatever I gotta do to get in the room, I don't care if it's hot. I don't care if they're trying to fix the AC. I don't care if I'm sweating or I got to fan myself, man. I got to get into that room. I got to get into that presence. I got to get into that worship. I need to hear the word of God. Do I need to say this? Why do I keep having to do this? People online.

And people in the lobby. I'm doing this for people in the lobby and people online. Y'all got to fix this next week. I can't flow with this. Lord, I'm thankful for the people in the lobby. And I'm thankful for the people in the lobby and I'm thankful for the people online. Support the spread of the gospel that we could get better equipment.

And we're doing our best with what we got. So what we see in this text is a people who have a hunger. They are watched. They are desperate. They are longing, and they thought whatever it is Christ has to offer, we need to get to him to get that. And I want you to know man if they're

following christ and what have they heard coming out of his mouth repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand they've been hearing him preach sound doctrine they've been seeing him do miracles so they're not running after him for cotton candy ministry no family they're running after god because they feel truth in his mouth they know that he has a message that is life transforming and they're doing whatever they got to do to get close to the Messiah verse 14 when he who was Jesus went on shore he saw a great crowd and he had compassion on them and he healed their sick. Stop. So I want to put you in the text.

Jesus left an area because he's trying to spend some time alone. Pay attention. He is rowing across the Sea of Galilee towards Bethsaida. I've been on the Sea of Galilee. You can see the rim of the Sea of Galilee towards beth sada i've been on the sea of galilee you can see the rim of the sea of galilee from anywhere on that body of water the people see him sailing across the sea of galilee and as they're watching his direction they're walking on foot around the sea of galilee towards the north part to get to beth sada as jesus rolls up to shore remember he's going to spend time by himself.

He pulls onto shore and he sees a great crowd of thousands of people. He hops out of the boat and immediately the first thing that he feels is compassion for the people that he saw. Now this word compassion in the Greek and in the original language, it has a connotation of being gripped in the heart. Of being ripped in the soul, of feeling a deepation of being gripped in the heart of being ripped in the soul of feeling a deep sense of sympathy for the people and i thought it was so powerful that when jesus sees the people on the shore he's going to spend time for his own need and immediately he pivots to focus on the needs of somebody else man this is like those times man when you're hurting yourself and you're going through yourself

and you get that phone call or that text from a brother and sister who's hurting and you're talking to them as you're wiping tears out of your own eyes you're listening to them on the phone and as you're hurting yourself you're praying god give me the strength and the wisdom to minister to my brother and sister although i'm going through my own pain. How many times have you and I have been dealing with something in our own lives, and we hear the cry of somebody we love, and we pivot to pour into somebody we love? We're pouring while we're hurting. We're preaching while we're hurting. We're singing while we're hurting.

We're texting while we're hurting. We're listening while we're hurting. We're counseling while we're hurting. It's those times when we have to pivot to pour into somebody else, even in the middle of our own pain. And I know what it feels like to be in the middle of pain, dealing with depression, sorrow, or sickness. And in that moment, somebody's need is much greater than mine. And I turn from what I'm dealing with and I focus on what somebody else is dealing with and I have found sometimes the best way to get over what

you're dealing with is to focus on somebody else's issue that's much worse than yours yes I'm hurting right now but this brother is going through something far worse yes I'm hurting right now, but this brother is going through something far worse. Yes, I'm hurting right now, but this sister is going through something far worse. And sometimes it's in our step into ministry in pain. Ministry while I'm suffering. Ministry while I'm hurting. Ministry while I'm going through. I'm battling something in my heart, but I'm still posting truth. I'm battling something in my heart, but I'm still posting truth. I'm battling something in my heart, but I still show up to sing. I'm battling something in my

heart and I still show up to serve. Man, I had a hella week and I still show up to preach. And we see this beautiful thing in the character of the Lord. Watch to know how to properly pivot, even when we're going through our own thing. To focus on the needs of people that are greater. Why does the Lord have compassion on them? Listen. He looks out at that massive audience. And what does he see out there just a

sea of faces no you know what he sees he sees people who need salvation he sees bodies that are sick and need healing he see people watch who have been ravished by the false teaching of the pharisees and the sadducees who have strapped upon them heavy man-made burdens that did not come from the word of God. He sees the people who are tired. He sees the people who are weary. He sees the people in need and his heart is moved with compassion. I just like to keep encouraging people. The Lord sees everything that's happening in this room, everything happening in the lobby, everybody in the overflow. Hear these three words. The the Lord knows the Lord cares I need to say

that to somebody who thinks you're not on his radar the Lord sees the Lord knows and the Lord cares and when he saw the hurting people on the seashore his heart is moved towards them with compassion watch he is broken for them. What does he see? He sees in that crowd the same three things I saw this week. Peep how it connects to the text. He sees people underneath false teaching. He sees people who have physical needs.

This make sense now? He sees people in depravity who need salvation. Watch. And in response to those hammering false teaching, it should make sense to you now. In response to those who have physical needs, in response to those who are gripped in depravity and need a salvation,

his response to them is compassion. I feel sorry for people who sit under bad doctrine. I feel sorry for people who need home, clothing, food, and shelter. I feel sorry for people who are far away from God. I don't ignore them. My heart is moved with compassion towards them. Verse 15. Now when it was evening,

the disciples came to him and said, everybody watch, Lord, this is a desolate place and the day is now over. Send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves but Jesus said to them they need not go away you give them something to eat now pay attention to the text I want to first draw your attention to the fact that matthew says when it was evening now matthew leaves out some details that mark includes in his gospel in mark chapter

six i got time for that in mark chapter six verse 34 mark writing about the same miracle says in verse 34, when he went ashore, he saw a great crowd and he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without shepherds. We've seen Jesus say this or we've seen Matthew write this before. Earlier in his gospel when Jesus saw people that was abused by false teaching. And he began to teach to them many things did you see that so according to Mark when Jesus came ashore the first thing he did was teach the people he was not first moved by their hunger come on this is gonna help somebody he was not first moved by their physical needs when the Lord saw a people who was in need, the first thing he responded to them was teaching. What did he elevate above a dollar? What did he elevate above outreach?

What did he elevate above all these things? The thing he elevated was the proclamation of the word of God. That what does it profit us to put clothes on the back of a homeless person who's still going to hell and never heard the gospel? What does it profit us to do outreach and we don't spread the gospel? Though we cannot bring people into the kingdom in our own strength, we are responsible for being spreaders of truth. And the Lord saw teaching as a form of compassion. Watch. The Lord saw teaching truth as a form of compassion. That man, I feel so sorry for these people.

I'm going to post truth on my social media. I'm going to make stories about truth. I'm going to make stories about truth. Listen, he saw truth as a form of compassion. And it said, he preached, he preached until evening. Man, I love this. So it's like, watch, Lord, you've been preaching to these people all day. You've been preaching to these people for hours. Man, this is what I'm fighting for in America. Man, I know every time I talk like this, people send me a hate speech, a hate mail.

Man, I get sick and tired of the fact that everything in America is like this. When it comes to the proclamation of God's word, we want 60 minutes in and out. You want your little sprinkle of Jesus in and out. You spend six days in the world. We don't have the stamina for teaching. So all across America, man, this bothers me that we're so handcuffed to clocks and handcuffed to watches.

Man, give me all of God in 20 minutes. Man, we want God to move in 20 minutes. That's why we don't see no revivals in this nation. Because we're trying to box God into our time instead of giving him the time necessary for him to move in our lives. Man, God forbid I preach beyond 25 minutes. Man, people are antsy and you got to get to the restaurant and you got to get to your car and all this other stuff. You want to just squeeze God into your little 60 minute box. And then you wonder why your mind and your heart is still a wreck. You wonder why your Christianity is still a wreck you wonder why your

christianity is still a wreck we don't know how to sit in his presence for prayer or sit in his word for a period of time or sit in a room and hear proclamation this country america's we don't have stamina for spirituality you're're going to do your little five-minute devotion and think that's going to transform your life. You're going to give God five minutes a day and think that's going to transform your life. I know, I know. Man, I know places, man, the whole thing 35 minutes in and out get them out quick

get them out don't keep them too long they might not want to come back next week alright man we've been doing that for how many decades and I know people don't like when I talk like this

I'm telling you I pray for a day come when America deal with so much persecution that you're going to love being in rooms when you're around brothers and sisters. Y'all think I'm playing.

I'm dead serious. I pray a day come for America when God shake the foundation of this nation, delivers us from all of our apathy and our lethargy, where we are running to be in gatherings, running to be in his presence, where the place I want to be more than any place else is in his presence. And I'm not saying every Sunday we got to be in here for eight hours, but what I am saying, man, we just got to increase our stamina for teaching. Man, the Lord taught them from the time he arrived until the evening now I want to draw your attention to something else in the text I want you to notice that when the disciples thought he had spent too much time they came to him said Lord send the people away watch to go buy food now everybody pay attention on the surface that seems like they're being thoughtful Lord these people are hungry it's late the evening. Send them into their towns to go buy food.

Now, this is crazy of me because watch the disciples make a unilateral decision without consulting the Lord. They see a problem. Watch this because you do the same thing. They see a problem that is massive that they can't solve and they make a unilateral decision that the answer to the problem is to send the people away that is the Lord you have done enough for these people there is nothing else you can do for them send them away and you and I do the same thing all the time a problem emerges in your life and you do not consult the Lord about what you should do about that problem instead you make unilateral decisions on what you think you should do in the problem.

But you never go to God in prayer and ask him for wisdom on what you can do in that problem. And the reason we do that is for the same reason Eve bit of that tree. We want to make gods out of our own selves. So you are the God of your own life. So every time a problem emerges in your life, your first response is not, let me seek the Lord for guidance. Your first response is,

let me make a unilateral decision about what I think is best. This is a massive complex problem this is like my marriage is about to come to an end i'm about to lose my house i'm about to lose my job somebody i love is sick this is a massive complicated problem and notice in the text they never ask the lord what should we do about the fact that people have a need we see no question of the Lord from the disciples instead they make their own decision that the answer to the people's hunger is send them away and before we judge them I want to encourage you not to keep behaving like that,

that when problems emerge, seek the one who is the author and the finisher of your faith. Seek the one who is all wise and all knowing. Seek the one who has already prepared paths for you according to Ephesians 2.10. Seek the Lord of God for answers. And I want you to notice this other thing in the text jesus said to them the people don't need to go away you give them something to eat you know what he said to them you solve this problem since you didn't come talk to me about it you fix it now watch in john's gospel john wrote that at this moment jesus looked at his disciples and said where are we going to get enough food to feed all his people and he did that to test them for he knew what he was going to do already so watch the lord test his followers to see how are you going to respond in this difficulty because he knew what he was going to do already watch he already had in his heart how he was

going to respond I just want to see how you're going to respond in this moment man this is powerful to me because it suggests that the Lord does test you and I from time to time I wonder how many times a problem emerged and the Lord is trying to test us to see how you respond to this problem. I'm gonna allow this to happen. I'm gonna see, are they gonna seek me for answers? Are they gonna open the scriptures? Are they gonna get alone in the word? Or are they gonna run to figure this out on their own? The Lord tested his followers to see what they would do he himself knew what he was going to do how many times have problems emerged the Lord already has an answer but we don't have

the humility to go seek him for that answer verse 17 they said to him, we have only five loaves and two fish. If you read this, you know where it's going. But before you get there, because I know where you're trying to get to, you just like the word multiplication. You're so full of your flesh.

I'm coming back to that word in a couple minutes watch this john tells us they find a boy who has a bag lunch a lunchable they find a little boy with a lunchable and in his bag lunch he has five loaves of bread and two fish that's what john tells us about this miracle now Now watch. The disciples see, I'm almost done, a massive problem and the response to the problem is to bring Jesus a bag lunch. Now I know you like this part because you want me to get to the part where it says if anything in God's hands it becomes more when it gets in his hands and I know you like that but I want to work the back side of this text I want you to pay attention to the word only watch watch only in the middle of this circumstance while they're facing

a massive problem they focus on the limitation of what they have instead of who they have. This is crazy to me. They got thousands of people who are hungry and they only focus on the limitation of a boy's lunch. You focus on the lunch, but you're not focused on the person you've been with all this time. Instead of focusing

on what you have, why not focus on who you have did they not see him perform miracles did he not raise gyrus's daughter from the dead did they not know he was god in the flesh so why is it now that you have thousands of people who are hungry your first response is to bring them a lunchable and not come to them and say lord well you have the power to feed all these people what do you want to do about this and before you judge them you do the same thing and so do i how many times has a need come up in your life and you only focus on your limitations in that moment i've been guilty of this a need comes up and i only focus on my limitations i only focus on what i have in my hand and i don't focus on a person who is not limited

can i be transparent man we were pursuing a building it cost seven million dollars and i know we don't have the cash to buy that building and immediately i started thinking like man how are we going to do this we maybe we need to go to the bank and all the while I'm talking to myself about the limitations of 2819. I'm not focused on the person who created 2819. The person who's growing 2819. The person who dwells amongst 2819. The person who's not limited to help 2819. I have to change my prayer.

Lord, what is seven million dollars to you Lord what is seven million dollars to you seven million dollars that's nothing for you you can move on the heart of one person to write one check and pay off the whole thing that's nothing for you. Somebody could be watching. Get saved. Write a check for 7 million dollars. What's 7 million dollars for the Lord?

The one who owns a cattle on a thousand hills? The one who said the earth is the Lord and the fullness thereof? Can I be more transparent? I told my wife, Lena, I said, you know what? Whatever building we get, I don't want no bank to be involved. True story. I said, I don't care if we got to grind it out in this building and raise all of the money ourselves. I said, whenever don't care if we got to grind it out in this building and raise all of the money ourselves. I said, whenever we walk into our first facility, I don't want no bank to be involved. Why? Because I stopped focusing, stop focusing on my limitations. And I started focusing on the one who was limitless.

I want to help somebody's faith. I was with one of my mentors this week. He's a bishop here in Atlanta. And I was doing a round table for him. We were speaking to pastors from all around the nation. And he was telling a story to everybody in the room. This blew my mind. He said he was overseas and his heart was broken for the people that were gripped in depravity in these Islamic nations. And there's a pastor who was from Egypt who had a project.

He wanted to launch a satellite into orbit so that they could beam down the gospel in this one Islamic nation. The satellite cost $20 million and they didn't have the money immediately my mentor said let's believe god for the money for the satellite and him and this other man of god came and they joined hands and they believed god for 20 million dollars for the satellite he said in a matter of, a wealthy businessman was watching the program. A wealthy businessman was watching the program. He was moved in his heart by the preaching of the gospel. He sold off some assets and sent the ministry a check

for $20 million. You patty-caking, but what if that was your miracle that God was working on? Man, when I heard that, I wept. Watch, I did not cry because I first thought about my need. I cried because I thought about now that that satellite is in space. These people have an opportunity. These people in the Islamic nation, they have an opportunity to hear the gospel piped into their airwaves. They have an opportunity now to hear the gospel piped into their airwaves because two men believed God for $ million dollars how many times we have a need it is more than

what's in our hand and we only focus on what's in our hand and we don't focus on the God who is not limited by what's in our hand. That now I can throw that friendly platitude out there that little becomes much in the hands of the Savior. Father, I pray right now over every person under my voice who has a need a vehicle a home they're trying to get into school a business a book they're trying to write something that you have called for them something that's inside the context of your will. And they don't have enough in their hand. I pray faith, God, explodes in this place in the name of Jesus. And that our focus would be on you who are not limited.

And not on the limitations of what we see in our hand. Let faith arise in this room. And across that camera. I pray for a baptism of faith in the mighty name of Yahweh. Verse 18. verse 18 I'm closing and he said to them bring them here to me that's the boys lunch the loaves and the fish

now everybody pay attention bring them here to me pay attention then he ordered the to me. Pay attention. Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass and taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and he said a blessing. Then he broke it, the loaves, and he gave it almost like communion. He took the bread. He blessed the bread. He broke it. He gave it.

That's the same thing he does to you. He takes you. He blesses you with his name and his spirit. He breaks you, which is the process of sanctification. Then he gives you to be a servant to the world. Maybe you're in the breaking process and you just need to hold on. Sometimes breaking comes before distribution.

I don't even know what the hell that's for. Maybe the Lord is breaking you so he can give you. Some of you, man, you get saved and you just want to be given. No, you need to be broken before you have want to be given no you need to be broken before you have been given you need your will to be broken before you have been given you need your idolatry to be broken before you are given you need your perversion to be broken before you are given you need your self-reliance to be broken before you are given you need your pride to be broken before you are given. You need your pride to be broken over and over and

over as you are being given. Some of us be crying that God is breaking you. Maybe he's breaking you so he can give you. So he lifts up the loaves and the fish. blesses it he breaks it watch this he gives it to the disciples and the disciples gave them to the crowds now this is so powerful to me pay attention family multiplies food. This is a staggering, epic, proportion, miracle. That they have baskets. And every time they give out all the food, the baskets fill back up. And the disciples give out the food and the baskets fill back up. And they give out all the food and the baskets. This is insane to me that this is happening.

This is an epic miracle. Now pay attention. If the Lord wanted to, he could have spoke and bread could have appeared in front of everybody on the floor. God. But he did not do that. He got the disciples involved in the miracle.

So the Lord was feeding the people food while he was feeding faith to his followers. God. Every time they saw that basket filled, you know what was growing in them can you imagine every you came to god with a lunch and every time your basket went dry and it filled back up again you're watching this happen over and over and over and over and you know every time that basket empties you know what's growing in them faith and confidence in God they missed this Frank that's why sometimes you pray and the Lord just don't automatically move in such a way that you don't, you're not involved. Lord, I'm believing

for the house. You told me you would put me in one, but I don't have the income for it. Go fill out the application anyway. Lord, I'm believing for this job. I don't have the degree for it. Go fill out the application anyway. Lord, I'm believing to write this book, but I don't know how to do this. Pull out your computer and start writing anyway. That sometimes the Lord in his kindness would get you involved in your own miracle. So that while the Lord is working on your behalf on the outside, he's also working on your behalf on the inside. That he's building your faith as he's walking you through this miracle somebody give God praise right now that he builds your faith I remember when the Lord told my wife and I to move through the city. We was living in Columbus, Ohio.

And we had no job and no money. We was on food stamps and WIC. My kids had holes in their shoes. And I remember I was fasting and praying for a month. God, where are we going next? The Lord told me to go to Atlanta. But Lord, we know nobody there. We have no friends, no family.

I got $2,500 in my account. Man, I fly to Atlanta. I meet a white dude who had a house. I walk into the house. He says, young man, why are you here? I said, I've been up and down the city. I need a place for my family to live. I believe God has sent me here to start a church. He said, can you give me $700 for the first month rent? I said, yes. Do I got to fill out an application? No. Just give me the money. No credit check, no application. He takes the $700. I fly back to Columbus. I pack up my family on a rider truck. I empty our bank account. I pull up to that house in Atlanta with my wife, three children, and a baby in her belly. We have no money in our personal account. I have no friends.

I have no family. I pulled up in front of that house with nothing but the clothes on my back by faith. Why? The Lord had me involved in my own miracle. And then as soon as I get there, the Lord tells me, start searching. Within one week, I find a job at a Christian school teaching Christian kids. And a couple weeks later, I find another job at FedEx. And six months later, I find a job as a youth pastor. Stand up, Jade. Everybody, this is Jade. I didn't say sit down. I met Jade when I was a youth pastor.

She was in my youth ministry. She was a confused teenager in a single parent home. And I adopted her as a spiritual daughter. Been pouring into her all these years. I've watched her grow into a mighty woman of God. A mighty prayer warrior. I've watched her become a wife. I've watched her become a student of the word. This week we watched her become a PhD. And before June, we will watch her become a missionary.

She will leave with her husband to follow after the plan of God for her life to say I'm proud of you is an understatement in words Jade is part of the fruit of my obedience. Now, I want you to pay attention to the text before I read these last two verses. Everybody watch. Everybody watch.

I want you to notice when the Lord blessed the food. Pay attention. The scripture says, What did he make them do? He made them sit down before he fed them. Why is that detail important? It shows that the Lord took control over the circumstance. It reminds me that in every circumstance, my God is in in he's in control

there is nothing too great i will ever face or you will ever face as i'm walking out his will that he does not have what control Control. It wasn't hectic and crazy. He took control over the atmosphere. Okay. These last two verses, pay attention. Verse 20 and 21. And they all, how many? How many?

How many? And they all ate. God. And they were what? What's the word? What's the word? I'm coming back to that in a second. And they all ate and were satisfied. I love the

scriptures. And they took up 12 baskets full. What number? How many? How many? 12 baskets full. Pay attention. Of broken pieces left over. And those who ate were about 5,000 men. Pay attention. Besides women and children. frank everybody watch pay attention pay attention every detail is there for a reason it says that they all ate pay attention and watch this word. They were satisfied. They all ate and they were satisfied. And they took up 12, not 13, not 11, 12 baskets full. And it says there was 5,000 men. That's why I don't like the title here in the text.

Not including women and children. Scholars believe that if you include the women and children, it would have been about 15,000 to 20,000 people that Jesus fed. We see the power of multiplication. But who was writing the text? Matthew. Who was he writing to? A Jewish audience. So they would have seen that they took up 12 baskets full. They would have been picking up on some clues. This man named Jesus fed us with bread and 12 baskets was taken up. Man, I'm peeping some similarities between Jesus and Moses. For I remember our ancestors, oh my God, when they came out of, when they came out of Egypt and they were in the wilderness,

that Yahweh fed them from heaven with manna bread that fell down from heaven. And now here, this man who claimed to be the son of God feeds all of us. In the crowd with bread, in that crowd are people who are Jews and who believe in Christ and people who did not believe but they took up 12 baskets full, the Lord showing his deity in the middle of the miracle. But family, listen to me carefully. Now everybody pay attention. I know every time you hear this message preached, all we want you to do is focus on the food and the multiplication. Because all we want you to think about is this self-help gospel that I'm going to say to you now. Anything you give Jesus, he's going to multiply and he's going to make you wealthy and you're not going to have any problems. That's humanistic.

Family. The powerful thing about this miracle is not only that God multiplied food. The powerful thing about this miracle is the message behind the miracle. That we got to lean into the Christology of the text and not into the prosperity we're trying to force into the text. Man, this is happening in a society where the people lived on bread. Keep the Christology. Everybody in that society depended on bread. Peep the Christology. Everybody in that society depended on bread. It was inconceivable in that day for anybody to live and not eat bread. Everybody ate bread.

Meat was a delicacy. So you're talking about a society where on everybody's table, every single day, they're eating bread they're depending on bread there's no grocery stores they ate bread every single day so when the people at that day heard bread they heard survival they heard sustenance they heard everything i need for life what is the message behind the miracle john 6 shortly after this miracle Jesus was teaching the same people that he is the bread of life peep the Christology of the text that he is the bread of life so he's talking to a people to say, you came to me because I filled you with the loaves. But you cannot see that I am everything that you need.

That I, the Lord Jesus Christ, am everything that you need. You need me more than you need clothes, more than you need houses and cars. I am the bread of life come down from heaven. And the message behind the miracle

is that we need Jesus desperately and it's in our self-sufficiency look at me man it's in your self-sufficiency you keep running after all this other stale bread your cupboard right now and I ain't talking about the one in your house I'm talking about the cupboard of your heart. And all across this room, I know your cupboard right now was filled with all of this stale bread and all of this fake bread, all of this stuff. You keep thinking if you get, your heart is going to be full of joy and your heart is going to feel assurance. You think if you get to a certain dollar amount, your heart is going to feel joy. You think if you get the house that

you want, your heart is going to be full with joy. You think if you get to a certain dollar amount your heart is gonna feel joy you think if you get the house that you want your heart is gonna be full with joy you think if you get the husband you want or a wife you want you think you're gonna feel you think your heart is gonna be feeling that do you know God has put eternity is what Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes in the hearts of every single person and there was something in your heart that cannot be satisfied by any other thing or any other person except the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God come down from glory. Man, it's like, I told Anonica, it's like 2,000 people that this church has grown to in the last couple months. Man, tens of thousands of people watch a cross online. Y'all really think

that because I'm up here, this satisfied my heart? You think because I'm preaching of thousands of people watch across online. Y'all really think that because I'm up here, this satisfied my heart? You think because I'm preaching to thousands of people, you think my heart is fully satisfied in this? No, family. Y'all don't know me. Let me tell you what's going to satisfy my heart. About two hours from now when I get to my crib, I'm going to go into my prayer room and I'm going to kneel down and I'm going to spend time with the Lord. I'm going to wring out my heart from whatever mistakes I made today on the platform. And it's in that secret place. It's in that secret place in the presence of my Savior is when my heart is going to feel most satisfied than anything I'm doing right now. You think I need a platform to feel fully

satisfied? You think I need lights and a microphone to feel fully satisfied you think I need lights and a microphone to feel fully satisfied you don't know me it's when I'm in the presence of God man I'm so serious it's when I'm alone with the father man it's when I get alone with Jesus this afternoon it's the prayer walk I'm already gonna take today when I get alone with Jesus this afternoon. It's the prayer walk I'm already going to take today when I get home in a park. And when I get alone with the Lord and I look up into the clouds and I'm just with him,

is when my heart is going to feel most satisfied. Man, I'm 20 years in and I'm telling you, you can have platforms and houses and cars and fame and all this stuff and your heart is going to keep itching it's going to keep itching because eternity can't be scratched by a house it can't be scratched by instagram following i don't care it can't be scratched by cars and likes and accolades that thing that's scratching in your heart that that burning in your heart it can only be satisfied with Christ and I'm telling you right now all across this room everybody watching me people in the lobby and the overflow you watch me anywhere you know what your cupboard is full of

stale bread and fake bread man hear the cry of the prophet Isaiah. Isaiah chapter 55, verses 1. He says, come, come, come. God says, come. Come to me. Come in my presence. Run to me. How many? Everyone who watch, who thirsts, come to the waters and he who has no money you can't afford salvation

you can't afford righteousness you can't afford this just come buy eat come buy wine buy milk without money without price this is an invitation from God run to me I will satisfy you give me all of you I will satisfy you why do you spend all of your money for that which is not bread and all of your labor for that which does not satisfy listen diligently to me eat what is good and delight yourself with rich food and climb your air and come to me here that your soul may live look at the cry of God the Lord is saying to you man all this stuff you keep running after man all these things you keep clamoring for you think when I get it fill in the blank finally my heart is going to be satisfied no the Lord says all these things man are fake bread

so I'm not going to stop telling you I don't care if I got to say this every week. The only thing that's going to satisfy the deepest longings of your soul is a deep, intimate, real, personal relationship with the Lord Jesus, where it's you and him, you and your prayer time, you and your word, you ringing out your sin in his presence. You laying in his presence. You listening to worship. You shedding tears. You reading the scriptures.

It's this thing you got to have going on with Jesus. In which you love him above all things. You exalt him above all things. You want him above all things. You see him above all things. He is above all and he is in all. And he is the deepest desire of is in all and he is the deepest desire of your heart he is yeah

he is your daily bread that's the Christology in the text it's not about multiplying what you want for your flesh the message of the miracle is that Jesus is the bread of life see all you want is to hear about stuff no you need to hear you need Christ and not just I'm saved I mean a burning relationship with him and And family, I close by saying this to you. I don't care, Frank. You think the Lord stopped talking like this because he's in heaven?

No, he's still screaming from heaven. You give them something to eat. He's still calling his church, his body, his bride to be compassionate. Man, everywhere we see people separated from God, everywhere we see people homeless and in need, everywhere we see people under the tyranny who are gripped in depravity, homeless, false religion, whatever, man, we should be moved with compassion. Hear the Lord still saying from heaven, you give them something to eat. You, my bride. You, my children. You who I've saved. You give them something to eat. You be the spreaders of truth. You be the heralds of truth. You feed. You clothe. You help. You do outreach. You be my hands and feet. You be my mouthpiece.

Why are we looking at the problems in the world and pointing towards politicians? You think Trump is going to fix this? You think Biden is going to fix this? No, the answer for the world is the gospel. It is Christ. It is the people of God and the prayers of the saints. The answer to the world's biggest problems is the person of Christ, the word of Christ, the church of Christ, the prayers of the saints of Christ. You give the people something to eat. You feed, you clothe, you pray, you spread truth, you deliver the gospel, you stand ten toes down, you don't have compromise, you be a bold witness for me, you my body. You my disciples. You give them something to eat.

May we see Christ as our daily bread and may we be moved with a type of compassion for this dark world that we see ourselves as the agents of christ in this dark world as the lights in this dark world you give them something to eat. You be moved with compassion. Let's pray. Don't move. Don't dishonor this moment.

Gosh, man. gosh man father i have done what you sent me to do god and god i pray now for the thousands of people under the sound of my voice. God, I pray that there would be an awakening right now in this moment. I pray, God, you would rob us of apathy. Rob us of indifference. And I pray you would baptize us with a holy compassion. Baptize us with a holy compassion. Baptize us with a holy fire. Open our blinded eyes to see the brokenness of humanity all around us. Let us care deeply about those gripped in depravity. Let us care

deeply about those who have real physical needs. Let us care deeply about those who are under the tyranny of false teaching and father god i pray you would baptize us with a desire a holy love like john wrote in first john 3 16 that we would not see people in need and turn a deaf ear but god i pray for this church i pray for the body i pray there would be an awakening in the body. I pray you would cause us to love what you love. I pray you would cause us to hate what you hate. And I pray, God, you would make us your eyes, your mouthpiece, your hands, and your feet. Help us to see all around us the brokenness of society, the plight of humanity. And I'm praying, God, Lord, that the love that you have, the grief that you feel,

the burden that you feel from heaven for humanity, you would pour out that burden in our hearts until it is overflowing, until the church explodes with compassion. And in that compassion, we will become proclaimers of truth. We will become your hands. We will become your feet. God, awaken us right now in this moment. I pray that over the brothers and sisters in the mighty name of Jesus. And now where every head is bowed, God, I also want to pray for everyone under the sound of my every head is bowed, God, I also want to pray for everyone under the sound of my voice who is far away from you. Those gripped by the spirit of depravity. Those who have been born in sin and have not been born again. I pray right now in their seat. You already know who

belongs to you. I pray you're saving and winning people as they're sitting in your chair, as they're sitting in the lobby, as they're sitting in overflow, as they're watching across the camera. God, I pray you snatch people from the fires of hell. I pray, God, you would seal their name with the Holy Spirit and in the Lamb's book of life. I pray, God, you would grow this church with born-again believers, men and women who have been baptized in fire and baptize in the spirit I pray God you would save those who belong to you now snatch the sinner from darkness let them turn and put their faith in you now and I thank you by faith that the kingdom has grown today in the hearts of men we believe it and we receive it in the mighty and the majestic and the matchless name of our lord and savior in jesus name i pray if you agree with what

you have heard today would you clap your hands and give god praise