Don't Push Me; I'm Close To The Edge

Come on, give God praise, somebody. That was cute if I said clap for me, but if you know he woke you up this morning, if he put breath in your body, I'm going to give you about 30 seconds to give God the best praise you can right there. Oh no, I know you're not going to sit on my Jesus like that. Look at your neighbor and say neighbor. That was just my practice praise. I'm about to show you what a true miracle looks like. I dare you to praise God like he is the king of kings, the Lord of lords. Who's excited to be in the house of God today? Well listen, my name is Darius McClure, so honored to serve on today. I would be remiss if I go any further without celebrating the greatest leaders on this side of heaven. Can we go crazy for Pastor Darius Daniels, Pastor Shamika Daniels? Come on. And I have a little Easter speech, y'all pray for me. Because PD been preaching real different in 2026. And so I have a little Easter speech that I want to come from Luke chapter 19. So if your Bibles work, go with me to Luke chapter 19 verse 36. If you have an iPhone, iPad, and you're using the Bible app, I see the Androids, we're going to wait on you for a minute. No shade, no shade, no shade. Luke chapter 19 verse 36. I really want to say how much I appreciate and admire the poor from both Pastor Darius and Pastor Shamika Daniels, that I wouldn't be the man, the father, the husband, the leader I am today if it were not for them. And not just their gift, but also their character and their life. And so I just want to say thank you for the investment you've made into my life and my soul. One more time, can we celebrate them right there, somebody?

Luke chapter 19, I hear at Chains Church, the last service of the weekend is the best service of the weekend. Is that the truth? I'm just a little boy from Birmingham. My grandmother used to say every round goes higher and higher. Are y'all ready? All right, here it is. When he went along, people spread their cloaks on the ground, on the road. Verse 37. When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices. All right. To praise God. Somebody got it. With loud voices for all the miracles they had seen. If you've never seen a miracle, be quiet. And if your neighbor didn't shout and tell them if you had never seen a miracle, you're looking at one right now. Here it is. Verse 38. Here's what they're shouting. Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven and glory in the highest. This is the Palm Sunday narrative, so they're shouting Hosanna at the beginning of the week, but crucify him by the end of the week. Here's my message I want to preach for the next 30 minutes. Here it is. Don't push me. I'm close to the edge. I'm trying not to lose my head.

It's like a jungle sometimes. Y'all pray for me. I told the last, I'm a recovering crash out. Here it is. Here it is. Thank you so much, team. This Palm Sunday passage is more than a story, but it's a school. It is a school in the sense that it provides information that can give us education, here it is everybody, on how not to blow up when people switch up. And I wonder, do I have anybody at this last service already who knows what it's like to give your all to certain people? only for them to leave you hanging when you needed them the most. All right, I'm already in my message. You don't have to wait to give me the amens at the end of the message, but do I have anybody in here today that God, if you don't do anything else in 2026, send me a me. I like the middle right here, they acting bougie. I'm declaring that in this season, God is getting ready to send you a you. See, your neighbor would be shouting because they don't even realize what you get when you get me. You get an intercessor, an entrepreneur, a therapist, an advisor. God, if you don't do nothing else, send people who can be to me what I've been to other. But in case you don't,

help me to not blow up when people switch up. Don't push me cause I'm close to. Don't sing the song, you sing. This, watch this, these are the same people that cried Hosanna on Sunday, but then shouted crucify them, crucify him on Friday. Therefore, this text is not just his story, it's also our story. Because if you live long enough, life will reveal that the people who you thought would ride or die, y'all can act bougie and cute. The people who you thought were day ones will switch up one day. That was a bar. Do I need to say that again for the people in the back? Life will show you that the people who you thought were day ones will switch up on you one day. And it is a prophetic picture of what we all experience, but very few of us are biblically equipped to handle. We've been taught how to handle, watch this, blessings. We've been taught how to handle serving. We've been taught how to handle love. But when was the last time we were taught how to handle betrayal?

Because there is some pain that you don't see coming. And the course and quality of your life will often reflect, watch this, how you handle what you did not see coming. Amen. The same people that make you laugh can become the same people that make you cry. The same person who you said I do to with jagged edge singing while you walking down that aisle, meet me at the altar in your white dress. It's the same people you'll find yourself saying I don't to. Uh-oh, can I say it like I feel it? Because for some of us, we think saying I do will undo what's wrong with you. Do I need to say that again? Be careful when you think I do will undo what's wrong with them, because whether you know it or not, whether how bad or dysfunctional they are when you're dating will multiply times 10 once you get married. So many of us need to repent because we've been taking on the anointing of being a builder bear. We've been trying to build up people that we shouldn't be building with. But God, if you don't do nothing else in this season, free me from the mindset of always having to save other people who don't want to be. You know what's so special today?

When people ask you who preached today, you can say Pasidarius preached, and they don't even know it was another Pasidarius. So if I say something good, you can still scream, preach, PD! Like, same thing. But here it is. Are y'all ready for this? There are three ways you can handle switch-ups. Oh, y'all thought y'all wasn't about to get this started? There are three ways you can handle switch-ups. Culture's way, church's way, y'all quiet in here, or the King's way. Culture's way, here it is, culture's way is to retaliate or retreat. Retaliate or retreat and be careful when you paralyze by payback. See, culture's way is when you become addicted to getting your lick back, but be careful when you always have to get your lick back because getting your lick back is when, watch this everybody, are y'all ready for this? Are you sure you ready for this? Getting your lick back is when you allow the person that broke your heart to also break your character, and I don't know about you, my character and my calling is too valuable to keep shrinking down to the level who have no character. We praise God for promotion, cars, and clothes. I'm gonna give you 30 seconds that he's getting ready to also change your response. That I will no longer have to clap back because I will be still and allow the Lord, I dare you to praise him like he's fighting on your behalf. You don't have to deal with it, God is dealing with it already. You don't have to prove your integrity, God is covering you already. It's culture's way, culture's way, retaliation is to act out, lash out, or crash out, but retreat is to back up, bottle up, or give up. Neither is right. They both feel like solutions, but they are both setbacks. Are y'all hearing this? Because they both center the wrong person. See, when I retaliate, I'm keeping my eyes on my enemy, but when I retreat, I'm keeping my eyes on my problem, and when I'm in the midst of betrayal, it is

a priority that I keep my eyes on God because no matter how big my problem is, God is... But maybe it's church's way, maybe you don't struggle with culture's way. What do you do when you struggle with church's way? What is church's way? Church's way manages switch-ups, watch this, by spiritualizing or suppressing. So you just went through the most devastating heartbreak of your life, and people ask you, how you doing? You respond, bless the holy favor. You saved Kentucky Fried and Steel Line. He says, watch this, everybody, here it is, spiritualize or suppress. Spiritualization takes real pain and covers it with religious language before it's honestly processed. Now watch this, suppression feels like pain but attempts to numb it by ignoring it. See, some of us have confused having a healed heart with a hard heart. So you're calling yourself the strong friend when what if you're not the strong friend, you're the numb friend? Are y'all hearing this? And so here it is, everybody. We cannot spiritualize or suppress it. We cannot retaliate or retreat. There's a third way, which is the King's way. Which way is that? Here it is, to accept and elevate. All right. Y'all missed y'all breakthrough because everybody in here at some point has either been betrayed, going through being betrayed, or you will be betrayed. And Jesus is giving us a path on how to manage being betrayed. He says, you can accept and elevate. Y'all better come get me off this stage because Jesus is showing us when they leave you, you don't go down. Sometimes betrayal is a kingdom key to your elevation. Sometimes God has said, I can't take you up until you let go of old baggage. And for some people, you've been holding on to people who are no good for you. When God has said, if you let them go, I got things for your life that eyes have not seen, ears have not heard. Do I have anybody in the... room today that can just shout as loud as you can let it go you ain't say it like you somebody shout let it go I know you love them but let them go I know you why is this important because what do you do when God puts you in the season where he's calling you to win without the people that you wanted to win with because this is what the text is showing us the text is showing us that sometimes

if you're not careful you don't discern the difference between people loving you versus people needing you some people don't love you they need you do I have any singles in the room why y'all quiet can y'all lean forward a little bit right here because everybody not looking for love some people looking for help that's not love that's leverage and Jesus watch this it's showing us an example of an individual who handled switch-ups the Kings way not now watch this because the scene of this Palm Sunday narrative is right in the middle of a religious festival called Passover see I grew up in Birmingham Alabama Southern Baptist it's certain words you can't say without having a Baptist fit Passover is one of them oh I get it you don't understand see it's showing us that Passover it's not just a meal it's also a memory so throughout time every year Jerusalem with swell with Jews traveling into the city to remember what God did because throughout Exodus 1 throughout Exodus 1 in chapter 12 you see them an Egyptian oppression they have been in bondage for over 400 years then God raises up a leader named Moses and he tells Moses I'm gonna give you an audacious message to go tell Pharaoh you know it if you grew up in Sunday school 101 go tell Pharaoh I like this church y'all talk back to the preacher here let the act is the diddy over here I'm gonna stay over here and keep preaching to y'all he said let you did not say it with the attitude let you would be shouting and running around this church if you knew what you just did you didn't just recite an instruction that God gave to Moses you just also release a prophetic declaration in your life so when you said let my people go you're saying let my child go let my family go let my peace go let my future go let my mind go somebody shout let my people yo-yo-yo neighbor would be shouting if they knew you are also shouting for God to let them go to this next praise isn't just for me it's for everybody on my row that we all coming out this year somebody shall let my people you've been quiet enough you've been silent enough but this is the time for you to release your authority and the atmosphere you've been bound long enough somebody shall let my

somebody had to say it he shouts let my people go and isn't it just like God to use a scary moment as a test for your faith because just because he instructed you to do it doesn't mean that Pharaoh was going to release it see big faith is not just tied to your ability to handle a yes Sometimes you don't know how strong your faith is until you've been told, no. Pharaoh tells Moses, no, I'm not going to let your people go. And God responds with a clap back. Ten plagues that begin to dismantle Egypt's economy, environment, and their sense of security. Watch this everybody. And the final plague crushes Pharaoh so much that he finally lets him go. What's the final plague? He sends an angel of death. Somebody know where I'm going. Throughout the land. And in one night, all of Egypt's firstborn sons died. But God gave a specific instruction to the children of Israel. He said, now the angel of death is coming, but I need you to do this. I need you to take the blood of a lamb and put it on the doorposts. And even though the death angel is going free throughout the land, when it gets to your house, it's going to have to pass over you. Because it's not just going to see you, it's going to see my blood. Now I wonder, do I have anybody seven days from Easter Sunday that can praise God that they were covered by a lamb, but you're covered by... Your neighbor don't know what you're doing. Look at your neighbor and say, neighbor, I'm just praising him because it passed over me. It's some stuff that should have took me out, but God blocked it. I should be dead by now, but it passed over me. I should be in jail by now, but it passed over me. I don't know who I have in the room, but if you're thankful for the...

I got an announcement. The blood still works. I'm going to say that again. The blood still works. What can wash away my sins? Nothing but the blood. What can make me hold again? I dare somebody to get an old school spirit and start walking and say, I plead the blood of Jesus over my life, the blood of Jesus over my children, from the crown of my head to the soles of my feet. Because the blood doesn't just cover you, the blood also keeps you. This is what we call a miracle of exception. Y'all don't know when to have church. It's what we call a miracle of exception. This is when everyone around you is subject to the same conditions, but God exempts you from the same outcomes. So we're going through the same thing, but we don't come out the same way. So you can throw me at the fire, but I'll come out not even smelling like smoke. I wonder, do I have anybody in the room today that's saying I don't even look like? I'm an exception. I'm built different. I've been bought with a price. And if you know like I know, you will be praising God with me too, because the same blood that covered me. And so Jesus comes in on a hallelujah. Y'all missed that. They are celebrating Passover over a lamb that they don't even know that covered their ancestors and not realizing that the lamb of life comes riding in on a donkey. And they're shouting, Hosanna, Hosanna. Y'all missed, y'all shout, because today is Palm Sunday.

And I wonder, do I have some people that just don't want to learn about it, but you want to live it? Because Palm Sunday should expose the level of your praise. When they see him. coming into the city, their response is praise. Hosanna! Save us now! Hosanna! But what do you do when you're praising with the wrong motives? Because even though he comes riding on the donkey, they were expecting him to ride in on the horse. They were expecting him, watch this, to liberate them from Rome, not liberate them in life. So their vision and expectation of Jesus was too small for his assignment. So their praise and their excitement shifted into entitlement once they realized he was not willing to forfeit his assignment for their alignment. See, some people switch up on you not because of who you are as a person, but because they no longer fit your purpose. Are y'all hearing this today? Because the question becomes, how could people switch up so fast? Give me some — I'm closing. Tario, I'm done. My God. Are y'all ready for this? What if the issue is they didn't really trust Jesus? They had a trauma bond. They didn't have a trauma bond with Jesus. They didn't have a trauma bond with each other. They had a trauma bond with their perspective. See, you don't just have trauma bonds with people, sometimes you can have a trauma bond with perspective. What do you do when people are so committed to seeing you roam, no matter how much right you do? They'll never be able to see it. They were bonded to Jesus not for who he was, but for who they needed him to be. See, a trauma bond isn't just when you go through a lot of stuff together. Psychologists say that according to them, here it is, a trauma bond is a bond. Unhealthy emotional attachment formed through cycles of need, pain, inconsistency, and dependency. So they were not devoted to Jesus, they were just depending on him. And be careful when you're depending without being devoted, because you're only committed when he gives you what you want. And here it is everybody, wherever there is a trauma bond, betrayal is not a possibility. Betrayal is a pattern. Because betrayal does not expose, watch

this, how strong a bond is. It reveals how unhealthy or weak it already was. They had an emotional attachment to outcome, not faith in Jesus. And I don't know about you, even though they were shouting Hosanna from the wrong place, I'm so glad that Jesus still gave them what they needed, even though he didn't give them what they wanted. And do I have anybody in the room today that can celebrate the fact that even when I don't get what I want, when I want it, he always supplies every one of my needs. Jesus gives us three practices on how to manage switch-ups. Throughout this narrative, I'm out of time, but I'm gonna give them to you quick. Number one, he predetermined his path. He predetermined his path. Throw the text up there. The text literally says, watch this, everybody. After Jesus has said this, he went on ahead going up to Jerusalem. So in other words, he looks and he knows what's about to happen. But he says, I'm making a decision on who I am before they flip on me. Because if you don't predetermine who you are and what you call to, betrayal will always become your GPS. So whenever people switch up on you, you change directions. But I wonder, do I have anybody in the room that mind is made up if I have to go by myself? I'm not changing directions. I'm going after all that God has for me. Do I have any hungry, determined, focused people in the room that say, I'm working on something.

I'm going somewhere. So if you coming with me, let's ride. If you getting off the train, I'm not stopping you, brother. He predetermined his path. Because if you don't predetermine your path, you will fold under pressure. Number two, he processed his pain. The text literally says, when he saw the city, he wept over it. He wept over a people that he loved, but he knew they wouldn't love him back. He wept over a people that he was called to, but they were committed to misunderstanding him. And I wonder, do I have anybody in the room and I wonder, do I have anybody in the room who knows what it's like to be called, chosen, and misunderstood at the same time? He wept over the city. He's saying, I'm God enough to heal it, but I'm also man enough to feel it. I'm only doing this for y'all. Y'all switching up on me based off of bad and wrong expectations. And I'm staying loyal to you. And I know the truth. And they're shouting Hosanna, and he's looking at the city and he's weeping. Here it is, because they loud, but not loyal. Just because they're the loudest, doesn't mean that they're the most loyal.

And number three, here it is, everybody. He protected his purpose. He protected his purpose. They were expecting him to come and overthrow Roman government. He comes, look at the text and watch this, everybody. He goes to the temple. And when he entered the temple, he began to drive out those who were selling. And the text says, it is written, he said, my house will be a house of prayer, but you made it a den of thieves. Now hear me, God is not against profit, but he is anti-exploitation. And he comes into his house and he sees religious leaders and tax collectors exploiting his people. And he begins to flip over tables. And they were expecting him to go to war against Caesar. He protected his purpose, because he said, if I do what you want me to do, I'll free Israel. But if I do what the father sent me to do, I'll free the world. And I don't know about you, do I have anybody in the room today that can give God praise, that he did not shrink his purpose down to the size of their preference? Come on, stand to your feet, I'm closing right here.

They shout, Hosanna, Hosanna, that means save us now. Save us now. We're tired of being oppressed. Save us now. See, do I have any hungry people in the room? This is the power of Palm Sunday. Here it is. Their worship shifted to a war cry. They said, save us now. We need you now. And here it is, everybody. Even though they're saying the same thing, he realized they were saying it from the wrong place. Now hear me right here and I'm closing. Jesus refused to redirect his anointing toward their agenda. And you must refuse to redirect your anointing to other people's agenda. So father, right now, I pray there's some people in this room, they may have been carrying the pain of betrayal, people switching up on them, places switching up on them that they did not expect. And they may have tried to be strong for so long that they're now numb. Holy Spirit, I say thank you that you're breaking that heart of stone. The same way Jesus wept over a city, give us compassion for our assignment. Help us to be more committed to your plans than we are to our preference.

I thank you that we will not leave out the same way we came in. God, I say thank you. That may have hurt us, but it also helped us. It opened our eyes to see how you see. Now God, we give you all the glory. We give you all the honor. We give you all the praise that we will follow your example as you did on Palm Sunday. And we will not be lost by the switch up of other people, but we'll stay faithful to the assignment that you've given us. In Jesus name I pray, amen. Come on, give Jesus praise right there, somebody. Come on, change. Can you do me a favor? Can we thank the King of Kings for the gift of Darius McClure? Y'all playing with me. Can we thank the King of Kings for the gift of Darius McClure?