Humiliation | Part 4

Listen, the rain falls on the just and the unjust. Just because things got hard, didn't mean it wasn't God. We don't hear what I'm saying, do you? We're a society that avoids anything that's not comfortable, and I'm concerned that modern Christianity has told us that if it makes you uncomfortable, it's not God. Oh, I gotta hang out here just for a minute. If living for Jesus did not cause me to become uncomfortable, then why did he call the Holy Spirit the Comforter? Y'all ain't doing me right. Why would he be called the Comforter if I wasn't gonna walk through some seasons that were not comfortable, that I wasn't gonna walk through some seasons that were not hard? Listen, the rain falls on the just and the unjust. Just because things got hard, didn't mean it wasn't God. All right. 15 amens out of 1,500, let's get back to this. Jeremiah chapter 20, if you're there, say amen. Watch what Jeremiah said, latter part of verse seven. I am in derision daily. Everyone mocketh me. People are making a fool of me, mocking you for your faith, mocking you for your belief. Verse eight, for since I spake ... Church, this is gonna be so good. Just watch this. This is good. He said, for since I spake, I cried out. I cried violence and spoil, because the word of the Lord was made a reproach unto me, and a derision daily. It was hard for him to preach what the Lord was telling him. The context of Jeremiah's preaching is he's young. Israel was in Babylonian captivity. Israel wanted out of that captivity, but they were in that captivity because of their own

sin that all they needed to do was repent of, and God would deliver them. That's a tough word for a young prophet to deal with a stubborn nation that just needed to repent. Hey. That's the context. Here he is preaching, but yet he's being mocked, and I relate to verse nine, and somebody here I'm talking to is gonna relate. He said, I ain't ready yet, but amen. Let's see. Let me hear amen after I read it now. Watch this. Let's see. I'm ready. I'm ready. I'm ready. I'm ready. I'm ready. He said, I will not make mention of him. Yes, you're reading it right. He went through so much humiliation and was being mocked for his preaching, that Jeremiah said, watch it, I will not make mention of him. Jeremiah said, I'm tired of being mocked. I'm preaching and telling people the truth and all they want to do is humiliate me and speak in my face and spit in my face and try to defame me. We're about to read that. They wanted to defame him. That wouldn't fit in today's society and they didn't even have Facebook. He said, I will not make mention of him. See how quiet you are? That's a heavy word.

We don't expect that from the prophet Jeremiah. What would you think if I got up here one day and said, that's it y'all, I love you and I've been a good 31 years, but I'm not, I'm not mentioning him anymore. And I walked off this platform. You'd be like, well, I mean, Oh, y'all say what in the world happened to pastor James? Some of y'all said, I knew he wasn't real because I could say something. This is the way the world is. I could say something that would take 31 seconds to say, and it would, it would evaporate 31 years of doing what God, that's just the way we are. We're just, we're waiting on that. Wow. Gotcha. And you're going to see it right here. Watch verse nine. He said, then I said, I will not make mention of him. See that's heavy isn't it? Nor watch this, nor speak any more in his name. Now you had a low point when you said, that's it. I'm not mentioning him anymore. Not even his name. See how quiet we are, cause that's like, that's heavy ain't it Brother Lynn, that's heavy like you would not be known anymore for speaking his name. I like how quiet you are, cause I was kind of stunned, I'm not mentioning him anymore, I'm not even going to speak his name. Like somebody broke your heart in high school or something. Jeremiah said, I'm done, they done humiliated me, spat in my face, sought to defame me. See look in verse 10, for I heard the defaming of many, huh, go on down to verse 10, I'm going to get back to verse 9, verse 10, for I heard the defaming of many, see that's counter cultural, we want to be famous, we want to be the next thing trending, we want more followers, he said I was being defamed, but we ought to get to a place where you don't mind being

defamed. I was thinking about this some time ago, I know it was years ago, but I think about it often after that, when it first hit me, that if, would you tell an apple tree that's got apples all over it, it's not an apple tree? Is the apple tree going to cry loaded with apples when someone says that's not an apple tree? No, the fruit speaks of what it is. You got to get to a point in your life where you let your fruit speak for you. You let your fruit speak for you, that look at my life, look at my family, look at my children, look at what fruit has come out of my life, do you think that fruit would be there if it was just me? No, I let my fruit speak for me, I'm not worried about being defamed, for I heard the defaming of many, fear on every side. Let's say then, and we will report it, all my familiars, oh watch this church, all my familiars watch me, or watch for my halting, read that out loud, all my familiars watch for my halting, the familiar meaning, these are people in your circle, these are people in your community, these are people in your life, these are your neighbors, these are people in your family, not familiars, people that, oh I know him, that dishonor you because they know you, that have allowed their proximity to fill their heart with pride and to pick you apart. That's what happened to Lucifer when he was so close to the throne of God, Isaiah chapter 5 tells us that his proximity to the throne caused his heart to swell with pride, sometimes the people that are closest to you see you the least, because they get close to you and they see, they see Ryan what you're anointed to do, come on man, they see what you're anointed to do, they see what you're anointed to do and they don't realize you're operating under an anointing to be the mother, the wife, the husband, the father, the minister, the co-worker, whatever you do, there's an anointing on you that's enabling you to do that, but they don't, they forget that the Holy Spirit has given you this power and they just see you doing it with ease and then they say, oh I can do that. Only people close to you Ryan do that, oh I can do that, he missed that key, I don't

even know what a key is, but I'm using that because that's y'all's language. And then what do y'all always say, key, it's a key or something, note, yeah he missed that note because people get close to you like, oh he missed that note, he missed that key, but when people close to you see what you do and they're so familiar that they start picking you to pieces, oh you hear what I'm saying to you, he said it was the people that I was familiar with, it was those that I was familiar with that watched for my halting. People nearby want you to quit. They were saying this in verse 10, peradventure he will be enticed, what? With friends like this who needs enemies, peradventure he will be enticed and we shall prevail against him and we shall take our revenge on him. Familiar people wanting you to fall for their game. So Jeremiah was dealing with all that. So let's go back to verse 9, then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name, Jeremiah said I'm tired of these folk, they've done me wrong, they've talked about me, they want me to fall, they're waiting on a report to spread on me. Cause didn't nobody call you when you got that job. 13 called you. They called, not even text. Heard you lost the job. Oh. Oh. You didn't call me when I got the job to congratulate me. You didn't come to my wedding and you text me over a separation you heard about? Were you at my wedding? Did you get the invitation? Yeah, you got the invitation, but you haven't celebrated anything good in my life. You just want to show up to glow when shame hits my life. Are y'all hearing what I'm saying to you?

I'm trying to minister to somebody today that may feel a little humiliation. They was, I mean, I don't want to keep calling Jeremiah David but Jeremiah said, I will not make mention of him nor speak anymore in his name. But one of the biggest words in the vocabulary is but. But, but, see but eradicates whatever comes in front of it. What's going to eat some grilled chicken, but. Now I've just taken grilled chicken and thrown it out. Cause when you said, but after grilled chicken I know it's not going to be grilled chicken. I showed him love Susie, but. We done forgot Susie. But removes what's in front of it. I wasn't going to mention him anymore. I was no longer preaching his name. You got to do better than that. I was not going to mention him anymore. No more preaching in his name. But see, but, but, but, but, but. How many have ever been so discouraged? You said I'm done. I'm not reading my Bible anymore. I'm not going to listen to worship music anymore. I'm not going to church anymore. But, but all of a sudden, no, no, no, I can't. I can't. He done brought me too far. I know how real he is. I know he's the giver of all that is good and perfect.

My life may be met with humiliation, but he's still the God of exaltation and worthy of my adoration. Oh, this is going to get good. Watch this. He said, but. His word. I'm in the middle of verse nine of Jeremiah 20. But his word was in my heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones. And I was weary with forbearance. And I could not stay when I said I wasn't going to talk about him no more. When I said I wasn't going to preach in his name no more. His word was burning in me. If I didn't let him out, there was going to be an explosion. I had to tell. I couldn't help it. I have known people backslidden after they done turned away from the word, prayer and church, preaching to people. Setting up in a place you didn't belong. Oh, I'm talking to somebody. You was setting up in a place you didn't even belong because you done left the walk of the Lord and you were outside of the church and out of the word and out of praise. Setting up on some stool somewhere you didn't belong and somebody defamed your Lord. And you said, wait a minute.

Let me tell you about him. He say, I know I don't look like it right now, but you better know he is who he is. I know my life might not be telling his story, but he still gets the glory out of my mess because I know I might've left him, but he ain't never left me. He's worthy of my prayer. And folks look and say, I ain't believe it. I ain't believe it. You preaching from that stool. I'm preaching from that stool because there's something on the inside of me. That's the wheel inside the wheel. And no matter what wheel you see on the outside, I know there's a wheel on the inside that makes what you see on the outside happen. That's what Ezekiel was saying. I can't tell you how many times I was going to quit. I've been going to quit the ministry. I don't know how many times I was going to quit word of God, I don't know how many times I thought I needed to quit life, quit family, quit. I can't tell you how many times I thought I was ready to quit because I was humiliated and I was weak. But there was something on the inside of me that said there's something on the other side of quit. I'm glad Jeremiah put that in his Word. And I know it was the Holy Spirit, because we don't want to write about this. Do you

think the prophet Jeremiah really wanted to write about how he had made it up in his mind? I'm done preaching. I'm done talking about him. He wouldn't want to put that in his prophecy. But he does, because God is a relatable God. And he wants you to know that even Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane bowed down three times and said, Lord, if it be possible, let there be another way. He chose the way God had for him, but he was related to the weakness of the moment. I got to catch my breath, because we ain't got to the good spot yet. This thing's loaded. It's like we just went in the kitchen and we smelled the Crock-Pot, but we ain't lifted the lid yet. He said, I was done. I wasn't going to mention him anymore. I wasn't going to preach on his name anymore. But his Word, verse 9, was in my heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones. I was weary with forbearing and I could not stay. Read that last part out loud. And I could not stay. No, you got to read the pause. Read it like a preacher, ready? And I could not stay. Boy, y'all did that good. Could not stay where, Jeremiah? I couldn't stay home. I couldn't stay out of worship. I couldn't stay out of his Word. I couldn't stay out of prayer. I couldn't stay out of praise. You might have missed me for a week or two. You might have missed me for a month, but I couldn't stay where I was. I had to come back. Oh, y'all ain't hear what I'm saying? If you ever felt like you left, but you couldn't stay where you were, relate to the Word of God. Jeremiah said I was the same way. There is something about not being able to stay away from Jesus. Wednesday night in our series, the 70, we just started this campaign again. It's been seven years. And we talked about being called, equipped, and sent, but I felt like the Holy Spirit gave me a fourth word to called, equipped,

and sent. You know, we got those words plastered above the exit here in the main exit at Word of God Shreveport. Called, equipped, sent. The Holy Spirit gave me a fourth word, return. In Luke 9, Jesus called, equipped, and sent the disciples. When they returned, he gave them rest. In Luke 10, he called, equipped, and sent the 70. And when they returned, they gave him praise. I feel like the reason we don't stay in our call, and the reason we get out of being equipped, and the reason we forget that we've been sent, is we fail to return. Jesus healed 10 lepers, only one returned. There's something about the return. I'm speaking to somebody right now. You've been away too long. It's time to return. I know you got weary. I know life was hard. I know you might have even questioned your faith, but you know something in the inside of you is burning. That inside voice is speaking. Don't ignore his voice. Be like Jeremiah said, I can't stay at home anymore. I can't stay out of his Word anymore. I can't stay out of worship anymore. There's something about seeing what God has done in your life, and knowing he's the source of it. Even when you were upset, offended, or mad, you couldn't deny he saved you. You couldn't deny what he did in your past. You couldn't deny the bed you're sleeping on, upset, you wouldn't have had were it not for him. You just can't deny it. You're like, you know what? I can't stay here anymore. I got to go back and give honor to the one that blessed me. When I read that, I thought about Abraham. This return. When we gather together whenever we gather together and in between in your own life Make it a habit to not stay in what God gave you and not stay even in your humiliation But to return and say no, I'm not gonna stay I got to go back to the one that blessed me I got to go back to the one that saved me. I wouldn't have had this job were not for him

I'm gonna return some of what he gave me back. I'm returning. I can't stay when I know Who he is So God came to Abraham Genesis 12 And he says hey here I am This is who I am. That's what I'm gonna do And Abraham like what kind of God is this? By chapter 15 God would come again and by chapter 17 a covenant would be made that would solidify everything God was telling him One conversation with God Genesis 12 where God says I'm gonna bless you I'm going to bless you And your blessing you this blessing I'm gonna put on you is gonna be so strong that if anybody blesses you that means they got with my program. I'm gonna bless them If anybody curses you they went against my program. I'm gonna curse them That's a mighty blessing when God says my blessing on you is so strong that when somebody blesses you they get blessed See, we got to recognize That God calls us to give down but so up Which means there are people in my life to this day that I saw Finances into because they have blessed me, but they are more prosperous than me They have more than me, but I'm so enough you have blessed me. I'm blessing you. I cannot stay So Abraham said I'm gonna bless you and anybody that blesses blesses you is in on my program I'm gonna bless them if anyone curses you they're against my program. I'm gonna curse them stay with me church This is so good by the fourth by the 14th chapter Before chapter 15 before the covenant is made in chapter 17 The 14th chapter Abraham goes out to a battle against all these kings and nations And wins He went out against being outnumbered out resourced and outsized and one and The words are echoing I'm gonna bless you and bless them

That bless you If anyone curses you I'll curse them It's like a rhythm in his soul He steps out in that battle and should have lost but wins I'll bless them that bless you and curse them that curse you Abraham knows immediately This was the Lord that gave him the victory in that battle. So he meets God's priests Melchizedek in in Genesis 14 who Hebrews 6 and 7 tells us that was actually Jesus in the Old Testament Showing up in the form of Melchizedek. And what does Abraham do he goes to Melchizedek? He says hey, I just won this great battle and I got all this spoil here. I'm gonna give you 10% of it 430 some years before there was a law here. He is giving this this time over to Melchizedek and Melchizedek looked at Abram when he come walking up. This is what Melchizedek saw. This is so good Lord, give me the breath to do this thing, right? I got three minutes Melchizedek a type of Jesus in the Old Testament looked at Abraham. This is what he said Blessed be Abram of the Most High God Abram had just come out of y'all hear what I'm saying Abram had just come out of a battle. He should have never won Has anybody here come through something? You shouldn't have come out. Are you here what I'm saying? Do you hear what I'm saying to you? I Just came through something I should have never come through I just walked out of some I should they said I'd never get out They'd say oh They said I'd never stop they said I'd never get out they said I'd never be Abraham comes walking up after one conversation with God Well, God said I'm gonna bless you and so strong. It's somebody bless y'all bless them. If somebody curse y'all curse them Abraham come out of that battle with all the, he didn't just win the war, he brought home the goods. And he sees the type of Jesus in the Old Testament, you read all this in Jesus 14. He's walking in the spoil. He's got the victor's crown. He's walking in it. And Jesus in the Old Testament, Melchizedek looks at him and Melchizedek says these

words, blessed be Abram of the most high God. The priest said it. Jesus in the Old Testament, blessed be Abram of the most high God. Obviously, I wouldn't have this spoil. Obviously, I wouldn't be in that house. Obviously, I wouldn't have this job. Are you seeing where I'm going with this? Obviously, my marriage wouldn't have made it through that. Obviously, all my kids wouldn't be there. I'm trying to get somebody to connect with what I'm saying. He looked at Abram and said, blessed be Abram of the most high God. Now, was Abraham just going to receive that verbal blessing, receive that word, receive these tangibles, and then go home and sit on a new sofa? Or go to bed in a sleep number? Never know, the only sleep I might have seen there. Uh-uh. Melchizedek, a type of Jesus, no sooner said, blessed be Abram of the most high God that Abraham immediately turned back and said, blessed be the most high God. Uh-uh. We're going to get this. We get this, we'll go. Melchizedek looked at Abram and said, blessed be Abram of the most high God. He just came to a battle. He's gotten a spoil. Abraham immediately looked back at Melchizedek and said, blessed be the most high God. In other words, I'm not going to just sit in this. I'm not just going to rest in this. I'm not going to let you bless me. I'm not going to let you bless me and not bless you. I'm not going to let you reward me. And I'm not honoring you. Well, I want to bless you. Thank you for allowing me into your viewing area today. And I hope that you were blessed by the ministry of God's word. Our broadcast is made possible through the faithful financial support of our members and partners here in this viewing area. And I want to encourage you to prayerfully consider supporting the work of this ministry so that we can

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