The Dangerous Way Of Cain – Genesis 4

March 13, 2024

Series: Faith

Topic: Faith

Scripture: Genesis 4

It was last Thursday when Pastor Terry called and was just we were talking for about 45 minutes and before that Faith and I, I believe it was maybe a Monday of last week or so we had, I would say, a deep conversation, just spiritual things.

And I’m just going to share from my heart. I’d love to share from my heart.

And we’re talking about certain things that we go through in life.

And at the end of the conversation at Faith and I had she said something and it just stuck and it applied to our conversation. And she says the way of Cain.

And I was like, wow.

And then last Thursday, we shared with Pastor Terry.

I’d back up maybe a day or two. I was saying, Lord, if you would have me to share that on the web.

 

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Tonight, place it upon Pastor Terry’s heart to ask me to share. And when I was speaking with him, he says, would you like to share again next Wednesday? And I says, sure, I’ll be on it too. So this evening, I’d like to share about the way of Cain. If you have your Bibles, would you turn with me, please? To Genesis?

Chapter 4.

The Dangerous Way Of Cain

Genesis chapter 4.

And what I want to share tonight is God’s word. It’s not psychology.

We know that years have gone through certain churches and denominations of psychology.

When you go through things.

You go to church, they want you to go to and this isn’t psychology or you’re going to a psychologist. This is in churches. They want you to go back to your childhood and relive the things that you went through in your childhood to to bring healing.

That’s not scripture.

Scripture says we go to the cross, we go to what Jesus Christ did on the cross because it’s he’s the one that brings healing spirits of mind and body and he will bring healing from the things that have happened in the past. But we don’t have to go back there.

Because all the bad things that we’ve gone through went through is under the blood.

It’s under the blood and we don’t have to go back there. It’s only the enemy that wants us to go back and relive things that would tear us down and bring defeat.

Come on.

And I just wanna stop by just sharing with just something briefly in my life or just the conversation faith that I had and briefly with Pastor Terry.

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I was thinking about and I think I’ve mentioned it’s just a few times when I’ve shared.

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When we become Christians, there are times we view God as we do our earthly father.

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And we know Scripture teaches us that our Heavenly Father is perfect.

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He is not our earthly father, even though scripture does say that you that are here on the earth know how to give good gifts to your children. How much more your Heavenly Father would give you good gifts, but yet also the Holy Spirit.

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And I was thinking, and I former pastor, this is going back maybe 10 years ago. The church we attended, he prayed. He prayed for me. He was prayed over me. And he mentioned something. He goes.

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Brother Jeff, I just believed that God was just wants to do something because something traumatic happened in your life.

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When you when you were young and I I just sat there and I was trying to figure out what took place and just to give you a quick background.

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I wasn’t abused. I didn’t go through all of that stuff. I wasn’t on drugs and alcohol. I got saved at the age of 14.

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I was brought up Catholic. I wasn’t a devout Catholic.

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But what stuck out to me, and I believe God.

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Started dealing with me.

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And asking God to really heal my heart.

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The past few weeks since we’ve been here and I believe this is the place where God will really pass the the Eric sent it to me about a year and a half ago when I spoke.

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To him on.

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The phone at this place will build upon the foundations of my life.

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When I was five years old, my dad took sick. He had lung cancer.

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My dad and my mom got married later in life. My mom was 27, my dad was.

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35.

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They had my brother and then my sister.

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And.

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Seven years after my sister, they had me. So at five years old, my dad passed away of lung cancer. I’m sorry. Took sick at when I was five. He was sick for two years.

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When I was seven, they opened them up. They had lung surgery at that time, and now we’re going back 48 years ago, I guess.

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And they closed them back up.

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And he passed away. And my last memory of my dad was when he had a seizure in the bed in the bedroom and they took him out in the ambulance.

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And then my last really vision or sight of my dad was he was laying in the coffin and I was sitting on my mom’s lap and just seeing my dad laying there.

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And not blaming myself because some people say, well, why did that happen and blaming me, it’s it wasn’t my fault that my dad took sick and died of lung cancer. They’re just not going there when I’m playing a a blame game.

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But I just want to share just from my heart and it was a conversation that faith and I had, and it really struck.

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Since then?

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When I became a Christian at the age of 14.

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There was that longing in my heart.

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For a dad figure, a father figure.

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And viewing God and seeing God. It was those feelings where I’m like God, I know your word says that you’ll never leave me, nor for shake me. That you’re there no matter what I go through, that you have every present help in the time of trouble.

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Yeah.

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But I was still dealing and still.

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Dealing with the fact of Lord, if I mess up, are you gonna leave?

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And it stems from.

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Losing my dad when I was seven years old. It’s just how I view God because it was that fragile and not really basing my Christian walk on scripture in this aspect or even in this part because I was like God.

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There are things in my life too that I do to get your acceptance. There are things that I do to get your approval. There are things that I do in my Christian walk even now to get your love.

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And we know that God says that he loves us unconditionally.

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With an everlasting love.

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And I would share with Pastor Terry.

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Jesus or I, I would say God the father, through Jesus Christ initiated the relationship with mankind before the creation of the world, when he sent Jesus Christ to die. And we know in Romans 5 verse eight it says while we were yet sinners.

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Christ died for us.

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So that means I don’t have to do anything to earn God’s love. He initiated that relationship. He demonstrated his love towards me, towards you, towards the world when we were dead in our sins, we were enemies of God. We didn’t want anything to do with God.

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And yet God still demonstrated his love towards us. So we know John 360. It says for God so loved the world that he gave.

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What did he give?

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His only begotten son, the perfect gift.

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From God the father that he gave his only begotten son his only son, that whosoever.

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Not some people.

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Not certain races.

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Not certain genders, but it says whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life.

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And I was thinking and sharing with faith and even with Pastor terraces in my life, there are things that I do.

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Religiously, if you follow me, I’m a Christian. I’m serving God, but there are things that we tend to do sometimes out of works.

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And I know in Catholicism it’s work based.

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That you have to do certain things and you’ve got to do penance and you have to go to a priest and you have to go to a confession. Tell him your sins, which Jesus Sinner, he needs to confess his sins to Jesus Christ. He can’t forgive me in my sins, but he tells me to go and do maybe 10 Hail Marys and 20 our fathers.

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And I have to do good.

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And a past a friend of ours said this a long time ago.

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Satan.

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Will counterfeit.

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The blood of Jesus Christ that he shed on the cross with works.

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Let me say that one more time. Satan will counterfeit the blood of Jesus Christ that he shed on the cross which brings salvation and forgiveness of sins with works. Because if we think of it, what does religion do?

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It puts the responsibility on us to be right with God that I have to do this to earn God’s approval.

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Evil.

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Are you folks following me as I want to make this easy.

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And it puts the responsibility on us. So we think of the Tower of Babel in the Old Testament. They built the Tower of Babel. Why? Because they were thinking that if we do this, we can get to heaven. Isn’t that religion?

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Religions of the world are doing their works.

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To get to heaven.

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But the Bible says that Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the life that no man can come to the father, but through Jesus Christ.

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And if you get anything this evening, from what I share.

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It’s all the cross and what Jesus Christ did on the cross because of what he did on the cross. We could sit here this evening, praise and worship him, experience his presence being filled with the Holy Ghost and experiencing healing because of what he did on the cross. Because if it’s stuff that I did or stuff that you did.

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What he did on the cross is in vain.

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What he did is in vain. So in my Christian walk, and I think.

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And I’m like, Lord, there’s times when I might be hurting and going through something and I feel like I’ve failed.

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And you’re mad at me.

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So it’s a misconception of God and the perfect love of God that he’s a perfect father, that he’s not a God that’s up in heaven, going to beat us over the head with a baseball bat.

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Then he’s going to kick us to the curb. If we mess up if.

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We do something wrong.

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The Bible says if we fall, he’s there to pick us up. If we fall 70 * 7, he’ll pick us up and the Bible says if we confess our sins first. John 19. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. It sometimes in our life too.

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I was thinking in discipleship class and we’re going over what Christ did.

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And we know that.

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As far as the east is from the West, so far has he removed our transgressions and we were discussing that. How far is East and West? Why did the Scripture not saying North and South?

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But why did it say East and West? If you look at it, if you go South on the globe, if you go South?

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And you keep going South, you’re gonna start going back up north and you’ll hit the North Pole.

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If you go from the North Pole and you go South, you’re going to hit the South Pole. But if you go E, you keep going east. You’re not going to touch West.

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If you go West, keep going West.

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You’re not gonna touch East.

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Yeah.

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So far, has he removed our transgressions from us?

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And I and I was thinking of this and I heard this illustration that when we fail and we sin and we mess up and ask God to forgive us, he throws it in his sea of forgetfulness.

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And he takes our sins and he puts it behind him.

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And then I’m thinking, OK, Lord, I’ve seen I’ve messed up.

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I’ve done this and Lord forgive me, but it says everywhere he turns. Where’s my sins?

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In his back, he doesn’t see him.

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Again, so my Christian walk, I’m like God, I strive and I want to get your acceptance. I want to get your approval and I want to do this and I want to do that.

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Turn with me, please. To Genesis chapter 4. If you’re there. The way of Cain.

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The way of Cain, I’m just going to read the 1st 16 verses. I won’t read the whole chapter.

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And Adam and and Adam knew Eve, his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain and said I have gotten a man from the Lord.

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And she again bore his brother Abel.

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And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller.

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But Kane was a tiller of the ground, and I’ll just stop there. Look at the difference.

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Of the two men.

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Able was a tender.

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Of the sheep or a keeper of the sheep, he was a shepherd.

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Kane.

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Was a farmer.

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He dealt with the lands and the work of his hands.

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But able.

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Was.

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A shepherd and dealt with.

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Sheep. Now let’s go on.

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In verse three, it says in in process of time it came to pass that came brought of the fruit of the ground and offering unto the Lord.

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And it says possibly that Cain and Abel were instructed on how to worship the Lord and how to bring sacrifices. We don’t see it here, but it’s possibly they were instructed.

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How to bring an offering to the Lord. The verse four enable. He also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering, verse 5 but unto Cain, and to his offering.

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He had not respect and Cain was very angry and his countenance fell. And that’s where it all started.

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Verse 6 and the Lord said unto Cain, why are you angry? And why is your countenance falling?

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If you do well, notice it says. If you do well.

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God gives us a choice.

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A free will. He doesn’t go against our will. Thank God. By his spirit. He’ll work on us. So we can say, and not I will. But your will be done. Verse 7. If you do well, shall you not be accepted? And if you do not? Well, sin lies at the door.

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And unto you shall be his desire, and you shall rule over him.

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Disobedience to God leads to consequences of our sin because of our disobedience. Obedience will bring life and abundance and blessing you be there from Genesis to revelation. What happened with Saul and and Samuel.

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Samuel went off. It says don’t do this.

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Wait till I get back.

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Check.

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But Saul took things into his own hands, and he was disobedient.

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And they wanted to sacrifice, take the role of Samuel. And it says that he sacrificed and he was disobedient to what Saul told him to do.

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He failed to follow instructions and when saw when Samuel came and saw Saul, what happened? Samuel told Saul. God demands or requires.

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Obedience.

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And not sacrifice.

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And Jesus teaches us in the New Testament.

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If you love me.

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Obey my commandments. Obey my word.

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And it comes down to a relationship. God is not a hard taskmaster. It’s a love relationship. And he says, obeying me, just like children, if you obey your parents.

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They know what’s best for.

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The children.

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In obey is better than sacrifice. Let’s look at verse eight. It just had to interject that he can’t talked with Abel his brother, and it came to pass when they were in the field that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and killed them.

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Murder murder was in his heart, anger. Jesus says that in the New Testament, in the Beatitudes, or in the gospels, it says if you hate your brother in your heart, you basically you’ve committed murder.

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And verse nine and the Lord said that to Cain, where is your? Where is Abel, your brother?

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And Cain says to God. And he says, I know not. Am I, my brothers keeper.

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Having an attitude really towards God because of his sin, verse 10 and he.

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E.

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Meaning, God said, what have you done? The voice of your brothers blood cries unto me from the ground, and now are you cursed from the earth which has opened her mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hands? When you till the ground, it shall not henceforth yield.

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To you, her strength.

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A fugitive and a Vagabond. Shall you be in the Earth, verse 13. And Cain said unto the Lord, my punishment is greater than I can bear. Consequences of sin.

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Behold, you have driven me out this day from the face of the earth and from your face. Shall I be his?

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Good.

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And I shall be a fugitive and a Vagabond in the earth, and it shall come to pass that everyone who finds me shall kill me. Verse 15 and the Lord said that to him, therefore whosoever kills King, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the Lord said Amock upon Cain lest.

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Any finding him should kill him in verse 16 and Cain went out from the presence of the Lord and dwelt in the land of Nod on the East of Eden.

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The way of Cain.

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And I was thinking.

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Scripturally, when it came to the promise coming through Isaac.

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We have the promise of God through.

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Isaac, am I correct? He is the promised one.

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It’s just fun. I just sometimes I get confused. I’m like, OK, it’s Abraham. Sometimes I call Moses, Abraham, Abraham, Moses. I just get confused.

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Not all the time.

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But then we know Ishmael.

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In Scripture, I believe I think it’s in Hebrews. Correct me if I’m wrong. He teaches that Ishmael was the way of the flesh.

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And then the promised one was the child of the promise. The promise of God. And then we read also in Romans, Paul says. This is that war within me.

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There’s the things that I want to do. I don’t do the things that I want to do. I don’t do, and it’s that constant struggle. It’s that sin nature that the old man, that as we’ve been learning in discipleship that we need to die to self. Daily, as Paul says, I die daily, that it’s no longer I.

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That live, but Christ that lives in me.

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So we see in Scripture that there are two things that go on. It’s the way of God and also in Romans it talks about if we’re kindly minded.

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Where enmity to God, but to be spiritually minded.

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Is to have life.

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And you say, well, Jeff, what does this have to do with the way of Cain? Well, it’s whenever it was written, it says that the way of Cain really was the way of the flesh or even the way of the world.

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And then, well, Jeff, how can you relate it to what you shared earlier about what you went through?

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You see, when Cain sacrificed his vegetation to God, it wasn’t acceptable to God.

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When Abel brought his sacrifice.

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A calf.

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And offered it to God. It was a blood sacrifice. Caines wasn’t a blood sacrifice.

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And if we look at what is God pleased with the blood sacrifice, what was Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world? He became the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Why he was sacrificed. He gave his life.

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The blood sacrifice and it was the sacrifice of what Jesus Christ did on the cross that appeased God’s wrath towards mankind.

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And see Abel was doing things in his own will, his own power, the work of his hands.

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Now let me relate it to.

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Let me relate it to I’m sorry.

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Oh, sorry.

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Thank you.

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Kane and Evil I mixed them up. I apologize.

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Kane was a farmer and he offered up his first fruits and God wasn’t pleased with it.

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Because that would not please God.

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Able offered up a sacrifice, a blood sacrifice to God which pleased him. Then I’m thinking about what? About the things that I do in my life.

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And my sacrifices. Am I doing the way of Cain when I sacrifice something, thinking that I’m going to get God’s acceptance, God’s approval, God’s love?

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And I tend to work in my own strength, in my own willpower. You see, in ourselves, in our, in our own strength, we don’t have power to overcome sin.

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We could deny ourselves, we could say, you know, I don’t want that hot fudge Sunday. I’m not going to do it. I don’t want it. It’s tempting. I don’t want it. And in our own strength.

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But the only thing that will give us.

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Victory over that sin in our life is what Christ did on the cross.

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In that blood sacrifice you see, in order to please God, I could say God I I fast. I pray I come to church. I’m under the worship team. I I teach children’s church. I come to Kingdom builders. I do all this God. And you’re going to love me. But you know what happens when we do that.

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Our expectation of our spiritual life is up here.

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But that’s not where God wants us. Why? Because our expectations are our own doing. And those feelings of failing. God, it’s because we’re not meeting our own expectations spiritually, because we’re trying to do it in our own self, in our own strength, in our own power.

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So there’s times we go in circles saying, God, I failed again. I messed up. I’m supposed to walk this walk and I messed up. God, I failed. And I’ll be honest with you. The past month I’ve been saying God.

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I just messed up and I’ve disqualified myself for what you want to do. Maybe because of unbelief and just doubt and fear.

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And Lord, I’m sorry. I need your love and we try to work to get God’s love.

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And you know what that does?

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That puts pressure on us, just like if we were in a religious world. Maybe being a Catholic.

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It puts works on us and the responsibility on us rather than looking to the cross and say Jesus, you paid it all. What does the Bible say about our righteousness? Our righteousness is as.

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Filthy rags. So no matter how good I try to be.

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It doesn’t suffice. God’s love and acceptance and approval, and I’m not nullifying our love for God, the Bible says to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.

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But I’m talking about the way of Cain, where we try to work things out, and we try to get God’s acceptance. We try to get God’s approval, and that puts pressure on us and we feel like we failed God, we messed up and God’s love for me has changed.

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And it feels like because I lost my dad when I was 7.

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That if I if I mess up God’s just going to leave me and he’s he’s just going to leave me there and when I go through hurts I don’t have a dad to talk to.

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But we have a perfect father. Who’s there all the time. That he’s just as close as the mention of his name.

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That God doesn’t see us.

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In our sinful state, our fallen stay when we become Christians, he sees us through the blood of Jesus Christ, because it’s his righteousness.

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Upon us, it says put on the robe of righteousness.

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Clothe yourself in Christ in the way of Cain, he thought he was doing now, and I’m just gonna go here. We have some time, Kane.

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Thought he was doing a noble thing.

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He thought he was pleasing God and doing a noble thing.

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And I think of Paul when he was Saul in the book of Acts.

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Remember Saul he was.

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The religious of all religions, he was top of his class and it says that he was murdering people and persecuting the church. Why? Because his because of his zeal for God.

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He thought he was doing right in God’s eyes to eliminate.

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The way the church.

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Or they then it was the way, or the Christians thought he was doing right in God’s say until on the Damascus Rd. when he had the encounter with Jesus Christ and his life was changed, he was converted and his name was changed from Saul to Paul. You see his zeal.

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His religious tendencies thought he was doing right before God.

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But actually he wasn’t. He was walking the way of Cain thought he was doing something noble.

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And really, when the Lord spoke to Paul Saul at the time.

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Saul, Saul.

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Why persecute, lest thou me?

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Why are you fighting against me?

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And sometimes I have to look at my own life, that when I’m walking this Christian life and I’m doing things that I think are noble to God. Maybe at times I might be fighting God.

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Because I’m not submitting to him, I’m not submitting to the Holy Spirit. See Kane. Thought he was doing right. He’s like God. Here it is. Here’s the first fruits. Which that’s true. The first fruits.

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But it was the work of his hands. Abel says. Lord, His in offering. It was the blood sacrifice which the Lord was pleased at. So sometimes in our Christian walk.

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It seems, and this isn’t a message or sharing of condemnation, I pray that it’s a part where we look to the cross and God will bring liberty to our soul.

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Because when we go the way of Cain, our sacrifice is we think we’re doing noble things to God.

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And God saying I don’t want you to go that route. I don’t want you to go the way of Cain.

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I want you to go the way of Abel and sacrifice. What is.

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Romans 12/1 and two say.

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Doesn’t I believe that’s where it says.

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Offer.

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Your bodies as a living sacrifice.

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What’s it say after that holy and acceptable unto God?

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Which is.

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Your reasonable service. Thank you, Pastor Lane.

00:31:07

You see.

00:31:09

We strive in these times of my Christian walk, I strive to get God’s love. I strive to get God’s acceptance. I strive to get God’s approval and it sometimes it stems from the loss of my dad not having that affirmation.

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Son, you did a good job.

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Someone to go to to get guidance and and.

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Wisdom from.

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But God says son, just come to me.

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Acknowledge me. Listen to what Science 3418 says the Lord is near to those who have a broken heart and save, such as have a contrite spirit.

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And there’s times in my life I I look for significance. There’s a search for significance.

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Just and it’s not here I am. It’s just the meeting. What is the meaning of my life?

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And many times we can say what is the purpose of my life?

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But you know what? If I just look to the cross and what Jesus Christ did on the cross?

00:32:20

He did it all. There’s this song, I believe, Brooklyn tab sayings. He did it all for me.

00:32:28

On Calvary, it was his blood.

00:32:33

That was shed for me.

00:32:35

That I’m righteous. I don’t have to strive with God if I’m striving, I’m fighting with God. God’s wanting me to go this way, but I’m going this way cause I want to do it in my own strength. I want to go in the way of Cain.

00:32:50

In the work of the flesh.

00:32:52

But if I obey and listen to God and say God, I want to be obedient to you, yield to you.

00:33:00

Yeah.

00:33:02

Then God will work that out.

00:33:05

You see, Pastor Terry, was it? I’m sorry. It was. I get him confused. The discipleship class liking the builders because we’re on the. We used the same room.

00:33:17

But it was sanctification.

00:33:19

And it seems like it’s a a big word. Like how sanctification, what is sanctification?

00:33:25

Sanctification basically means called out and set apart.

00:33:31

When we become born again, Christians.

00:33:35

Have Christ come into our heart and life. We are set apart. The Bible says we’ve been called out of darkness into his marvelous light, that we may show forth the praises of him.

00:33:49

And praise God so that is sanctified. We’ve been called out from the world to be in Christ to identify with Christ, but then also some denominations believe that when you’re sanctified, you’re sanctified right at salvation.

00:34:06

Option.

00:34:08

I believe sanctification is we’re called out from the world, set apart to have a relationship with Christ, but there’s a progressive sanctification. There’s a continued work of the Holy Spirit in me. I’m not perfect.

00:34:22

Christ is still dealing with me.

00:34:25

And the first that God gave me when I was in college and I left because of finances. And I’m like, Lord, I thought you.

00:34:32

Called.

00:34:32

Me here and I woke up. It was Philippians 1/6 and it’s my favorite. Shouldn’t say it’s my favorite verse, it’s just one that’s dear to my heart.

00:34:41

Being confident of this very thing that he who hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. What does that tell me?

00:34:55

And God’s not done with me. And you know what? God’s not done with you, and you might feel like you’re in that same boat as Cain in this aspect. Not that there’s murder in your heart. I’m not saying that. Not that you. You’re angry with God. I’m not saying that.

00:35:12

But are we striving to get God’s approval? Are we striving to get God’s acceptance? Are we striving to get God’s love? If we would just rest and realize Jesus Christ did it all on the cross when he said it is finished?

00:35:28

It was complete.

00:35:30

You see, when we use the verse 2, when we pray for people by your stripes, we are healed. You know what Peter says?

00:35:39

By your stripes, we were healed.

00:35:43

What does that mean? He was looking back at what Jesus Christ did on the cross. So in our lives we don’t have to strive by the way of Cain because you know what? That just produces frustration.

00:35:57

It produces an attitude that I’ve failed God again. What’s the purpose?

00:36:01

And when we’re in that state, the enemy will come along and say, won’t you just give up? You have a failure, you have no purpose.

00:36:08

And that’s what the enemy would do. Just sit in your sit on your shoulder and just say just give up. You failed. God, look, you messed up again.

00:36:17

But see what did Satan do in the temptation if you are?

00:36:23

The son of God.

00:36:25

If you are the son of God.

00:36:29

You see many Christians.

00:36:33

Myself included at times where I don’t know who I am in Christ. I’ll just be honest. There’s times when you go through something and say who am I? Where am I?

00:36:43

I never feel like I’m am I even saved I, you know, I just. I just don’t feel spiritual.

00:36:52

But see, it’s not the US.

00:36:56

This and says the Bible says we’ve been seated with Christ in heavenly places. Our position is in heaven because of what Christ did.

00:37:07

Nothing that we have done when he says that he’s engraved us on the palm of his hands.

00:37:14

It’s nothing we could do that put us there. It’s what Christ did on the cross. So if you’re going through that struggle of striving and you just feel so much pressure, realize that there’s hope. And what is that hope? Just focusing on what Jesus Christ did on the cross.

00:37:34

Said Lord, you did it all for me.

00:37:36

I stand here cleaned. I stand here. Forgiven. I stand here and I believe Sister Vicki said it. I don’t know if it was last week or it was when Sister Prussia shared.

00:37:48

When you said to her you’re justified, just as if you’ve never sinned. So we’ve been justified. We’ve been sanctified. We’ve been bought with the price. The Bible says we are not our own. We are seated with God in heavenly places with Christ Jesus.

00:38:08

The devil has no more hold on us. We don’t have to strive in our own self.

00:38:14

But just rely on Jesus Christ.

00:38:17

And what encouraged me, and I know God spoke to my heart, and I’m going to close with this. It was the word that Pastor Tommy gave Sunday night in church.

00:38:27

I went online and I recorded it. Honey, can you hand me my my phone please?

00:38:33

It’s under my hat.

00:38:37

Not that anyone’s going to steal my phone.

00:38:47

But if this is you and this this word just confirmed what I shared with faith and what I shared with.

00:38:54

Passed this evening. What I’m sharing with you this evening and I just it’s.

00:38:58

Maybe 3 minutes long.

00:39:02

I want you hear what God is saying to his church.

00:39:06

And to us, because you know what? Sometimes we have a heart that needs to be healed.

00:39:12

Not that we have to go backwards not saying that, but we just have to come to the foot of the cross, say Jesus, heal me.

00:39:19

And Sunday night, I’ll just be honest, I was. I was up at the front and I thank God for Brother Gobel and brother Jeff and brother Dennis praying for me. I was broken and I thank God I sent it to faith. I thank God that passed it. Tommy was sensitive Sunday night and he sang that song.

00:39:37

If you folks, the worship team, if you know that song in the presence of Jehovah.

00:39:43

He sang it’s Sunday night.

00:39:45

I just broke because it says in the presence of Jehovah Hearts amended.

00:39:51

And sometimes we strive and we try to get God’s approval. Why? Because we’re just hurting.

00:39:58

Is it OK to say God I’m hurting? Of course it is. He’s a healer.

00:40:03

He’s our father.

00:40:06

If you’re broken, he wants to put you back together.

00:40:10

Let me play this.

00:40:12

This word from Pastor Tommy on Sunday night.

00:40:16

Vice.

00:40:18

You all hear this.

00:40:22

How long will you wrestle within yourself?

00:40:25

How long will you weary yourself?

00:40:28

How long will you strive within yourself?

00:40:32

And say I can do this, I can handle this.

00:40:37

You talk to me, but you talk to 1.

00:40:42

As someone to console in.

00:40:44

Not someone to solve.

00:40:47

Not someone to resolve.

00:40:50

You say help me Lord.

00:40:52

But you say help me to continue my wrestling.

00:40:56

Help me to continue my striving, help me to continue, help me to continue for myself to workout this situation.

00:41:08

But I call unto you even now.

00:41:12

To totally lay this burden off your shoulder.

00:41:17

Lay it off your shoulder.

00:41:19

The weight is too heavy for you.

00:41:22

You stood in your self-sufficiency.

00:41:26

And said I can carry it.

00:41:29

I can handle it.

00:41:31

But if you don’t take this burden off your shoulder.

00:41:34

Even now.

00:41:36

While the praise goes forward.

00:41:39

Speaking to your faith that I am able.

00:41:45

I am able.

00:41:47

This weight will cause you to waver.

00:41:51

It will cause you to waver in such a way.

00:41:55

That your joy will come, even to a point, that there will be no joy existing in your soul.

00:42:05

And the joy of the Lord is your strength.

00:42:08

And without my joy operating in you, you will surely.

00:42:14

Not be able to walk the walk that I have committed unto you.

00:42:20

So even now in this moment.

00:42:24

Quit, stop, refuse to carry this load in a longer.

00:42:32

Lift this load off of your shoulders.

00:42:36

And say as of this moment, to my glory as of this moment to my provision.

00:42:45

As of this moment to what I have for you, lift it off your shoulders, for I can carry it. I carry it across. I can carry your problem.

00:43:00

Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Let’s all stand this evening. Hallelujah. You see, it’s not our sufficiency. It’s the sufficiency of Jesus Christ and what he did on the cross. He gives us the power to live this life through the power of the Holy Spirit. Not that we can do it in our own strength.

00:43:20

But through the power of the Holy Ghost.

00:43:23

And because what he did on the cross, if the worship team could, if do you folks know that song in the presence of?

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