Sermon
Stuck In the Mud!
Brian Mann
Jesus, Jesus , Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, If I were to stand here for the next 45 minutes and said nothing else except the name of Jesus you would have just heard the greatest message ever preached in a pulpit. It’s all about Jesus, every fiber of my being. Some people say you’re a bit crazy Brian all you do is talk about Jesus. Yeah and if you were a former drug addict and homeless living on the streets and Jesus set you free and delivered from sin all you would do is talk about Jesus too. I have come across some people who don’t think a former drug addict should ever preach the Gospel and especially on a Sunday morning. So I have come up with a little spiritual exam to see where you are when it comes to your walk with God. Let’s take a quick look at the Ten Commandments. Surely a good Christian should be able to follow the Ten Commandments right? Also remember that the Bible says that if you are found guilty of breaking one of the laws of God you are guilty of breaking the entire law.1st commandment thou shalt not steal. Have you ever stolen a paper clip, a French fry, or a parking spot at the mall? Ouch didn’t make it past the 1st one.2nd commandment thou shalt not lie. If anyone says that they have never lied you just broke the second commandment because you are lying. Lets see O for two.3rd commandment thou shal not commit adultery. Remember Jesus said if you look at anyone with lust in your eye you have committed adultery in your heart. 4th commandment Thou shalt not kill. Surely we don’t have any murders in the building. Jesus said if you have anger in your heart towards another it is as if you have committed murder. So let’s see I guess we are a bunch of thieving, lying, alduteres, murders aren’t we. Had it not been for the shed blood of a loving savior who hung on a cross for us we would all be found guilty, but praise God when God sees us he sees his Son. We are declared not guilty through faith in Jesus Christ. Oohh some body is going to be set free in here today. The Lord spoke this message to me and he wants to teach you a life changing principle today. We have come to the point in our lives that nothing else matters except Jesus. Not what sister Suzy or Brother Bobby are saying about you, not what they are saying about you at work, not what the world is trying to tell you to believe, not what some politician is trying to convince you to believe all that matters is the death burial and resurrection of Christ.
This Bible is printed in Black and white all over the world. But I am here to tell you this morning church that the original manuscript was penned in Red. My version says on the front cover that the words of Christ are in Red Letters. Well I am telling you that the whole book is in Red letters brother. It’s covered in Christ’s blood from Genesis to Revelation. You don’t need a PHD in theology to figure this book out. You don’t have to know how to expound on the newounces of doctrine. You don’t have to own 42 versions of the Bible. It’s all about Jesus. It’s all about the Blood of Christ shed for the forgiveness of sins. Brother Isaiah said it this way that He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering, like one from whom men hide their faces, he was despised, and we esteemed him not, surley he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by god, smitten by him, and afflicted., but he was pierced for our transgression and he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and by his stripes we are healed. By His stripes you are healed. By His stripes you are healed. It doesn’t say you were healed it doesn’t say you might be healed. It says you are healed. You’re healed by the blood of the Lamb. That cancer in your life; its healed; those financial problems you’re going through; its healed, that promotion you have been waiting for; its healed, that loved one you want to see come to Christ; its healed; that ministry you have been waiting for its healed, that person you cant forgive; its healed, that anger problem you have its healed, that addiction you have been carrying around for 20 years its healed. It’s all under the Blood. There’s power, power, wonder working power in the blood of the lamb. I am talking to somebody in here this morning. Some people don’t want to hear about the blood anymore they think it’s too risky for church, but I got to preach it this morning, I got to preach Jesus Christ Crucified, dead and buried and risen on the third day ascended to right hand of the father having sent the Holy Ghost and fire to whosoever will believe. Were not the church of the frozen chosen we believe in the gifts and the manifestations of the Holy Ghost, we believe in the baptism of the Holy Ghost with initial evidence of speaking in tongues we believe in the book the whole book and nothing but the book so help me God. Ole brother Bobby or Sister Suzy may not want to hear this message today, the blood is just to controversial for some Christians but the Lord has anointed me to deliver it so I love you and Ill pray for you Brother Bobby I’ll lift you up sister Suzy but your going to have step aside for a minute while God delivers some people up in this Church today. He’s come to set the captive free today, its your day, its your day for a miracle, you might have come today looking for something different, and your going to get it, you might have come to hear the preacher this morning but your instead you’re getting a holy ghost filled former drug addict that’s on fire for God or might have come today looking for a sign from God that he still loves you, well guess what friend he’s been here since the Son rose this morning waiting to give it to you. And that’s the Son not the Sun; come on somebody…God loves you so much that he sent his own son to die for you. For God so loved you that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life. Do you mind if I preach this thing this morning. Hallelujah, Hallelujah.
Lets everyone just lift our hands to the Lord right now and begin to praise Him for his Blood that covers our sins.
So that leads us to the question of the day. In spite of all that.
Why is it that we get stuck in the mud some times when it comes to our spiritual walk with the Lord?
Why do we get stuck in the mud?
More importantly how do we get unstuck?
Praise God today is a day of fresh starts. 2Cor:5:17 is my life verse. If any man be in Christ Jesus they are a new creation the old has gone and behold all things become new.
Have you ever needed a fresh start in you spiritual life? How many people have ever needed a do over or a start again? Well if you have been a Christian for more than 2 seconds we have all needed a fresh start. A tug to get us unstuck from the mud.
Well I have three keys from scripture that will help assist you in repositioning your walk with the Lord when you find yourself “Stuck in the Mud”
#1 Invest with God
Jeremiah 32
In Jeremiah chapter 32 we come to a remarkable story in the scriptures. You see the story tells us that at this point Jerusalem had been under attack from the army of the Babylonians for 2 years and was about to fall, in fact all that was left was the inner court of the Guard. In which Jeremiah was a prisoner. You see he was placed there by Zedikiah the King of Judah a fellow countrymen, for prophesying. He was basically in Jail for preaching. But it was what he was preaching that landed him in the brink. He was preaching that God was going to remove Zedikiah from Judah, the country was going to fall to Nebuchadnezzar’s army, and Zedekiah was going to be imprisoned and sent to Babylon to face King Nebuchadnezzar. Any attempts by him to change that outcome would be futile, you will loose the battle there is no hope for you, and the gig is up. So you can see how this must have enraged the King of Judah so he had Jeremiah put in prison. The scripture says they shut him up. How many people know you can’t shut up God? You cant handcuff him you cant put shackles on him you cant put a bridle in his mouth no prison bars can hold him and no man can Lord over him. He’s totally omnipotent, he’s everywhere all the time, he knows it all before it ever happens. Many have tried to shut him up but all have failed, because our God is the king of kings and the lord of lords. But the Prophet Jeremiah was in a pickle wasn’t he? But its what he does next that repositions his condition. Jeremiah in the eyes of the world makes an utterly foolish investment, but one that was based on absolute certainty in the future. This text should encourage us to evaluate our Christian Walk. Will we risk it all on God, or will we hold back and play it safe? God is saying that he wants you to invest with Him this morning. If you need to reposition your condition this morning then invest with God. If you need a fresh start today then invest with God, if you need to get out of the spiritual muck and mire then invest with God. The story goes on to tell us that while in Jail God speaks to Jeremiah and says to him that he must buy a field in the Town of Annoth. Which is his hometown located only a few miles from Judah but which is unfortunately currently occupied by the Babylonian army. I want you to remember the name of the town Annoth because it will come into play later in this message. I know what you are thinking why in the world would God ever have you buy a piece of land that was occupied by the enemy while you are sitting in a jail cell. But the prophet does what God tells him to do and purchases the field in Annoth while he is imprisoned in the court of the guard. Can you hear the conversation between Jerimiah and the guards, Hey guards can you go and get the King I would like a piece of property in the land of Annoth. Annoth Annoth you silly fool that town is occupied by the Babylonian army and incase you havent forgotten you are in prision you silly preacher, but none the less Jerimiah insists and the King takes His money and sells him a field in Annoth. You see Jeremiah believed in the principle of long term investing with God. He understood that what my condition is today will not be what my condition will be in the future. God is our hope and that one day that field though it may be currently occupied by the enemy, and even though I am currently living in this prison cell, oh I can feel this thing about to break up in here, though it may be currently occupied by the enemy, it will one day belong again to our God and vineyards will be planted there and life after the Babylonians was surely going to exist. And worship of Jehovah God would take place once again in Annoth. Let me see if I can break it down for you this morning: even though you may be stuck in the mud this morning spiritually this morning God is saying there is hope for you today my friend, he is saying that spiritual mud bog you are living in will turn into beautiful pasture land if you will just have faith and invest long term with God. It may not happen over night but you just hang on brother hang on sister and have faith that God is and that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him. You may be in prison now but God wants to move you from the prison to the Palace if you will just have enough faith to speak to things that are not as thought they are. Deepen you faith, increase you Investment with God. Jeremiah understood that even though he was currently in prison there would come a day that God would usher in complete freedom in his life a time of Joy an overwhelming season of Glory. God wants to tell you this morning people of Sundial Assembly of God that you are about to move into a time of Joy an overwhelming season of Glory. Praise God I am reminded of our brothers Paul and Silas. Sitting in a Roman Prison. After having been beaten bloody with rods and sticks to the point that their backs were filed open like a piece of meat. Hallelujah they understood this principle of repositioning you condition to the max, but remember most of the principles in the Old Testament are physical principles and most of the principles in the New Testament are spiritual principles. So here we see the connection between the two. It says that about the midnight hour, oh praise God, we all need to have that midnight hour experience with God, when everything seems hopeless when the world has you down, when the prison bars are shut in your face we all need to have that midnight hour experience. We need to make the choice to invest with God. Paul and Silas couldn’t buy a field but they offered up a sacrifice of praise They put forth an investment of Praise. The Bible says that at about the midnight hour Paul and Silas began to pray and sing Hymns and spiritual songs, and the ground began to quake and the glory of the Lord filled that prison and the Prison doors flew open. There was a repositioning taking place because of their investment in God. The investment of Praise will always move the heart of God into action. The jailer came running in and to his amazement saw that Paul and Silas had not escaped but were still in the Jail and then being overwhelmed with the Glory of God the jailer fell to his knees and said what must I do to be saved. Hallelujah. Invest with God my friends. Invest when things seem to be at their worst. Because when you invest when things are at their worst God turns the worst into the best. The Bible says that when I am week He is strong. Remember I mention the named of the City Annoth and it would come into player later in this sermon, well the question is this.What are the Annoths in you life? We all have them. Areas of occupation by the enemy in our Christian walk. Listen closely now brother and sisters I am here to tell you this morning even though you may be in prison and there seems like there’s no hope for you I am here to tell you that what ever that Annoth is in you life right now. That area of your life that is currently occupied by the enemy it will surely once again belong to our God. Vineyards will be planted again one day and Praise to Jehovah will once again rule your heart. All you have to do is step out on faith and buy back Annoth from the enemy. We are going to the enemy’s camp and take back what the enemy has stolen from us and we are going to return to the Lord. For today is the day of fresh starts. Today is the day of do overs.Today we put our stake in the ground were going to mark our field with banner of the Lord and we say no more Living in Babylon for me baby I am going up to live in the land of promise. Satan you have held possession of the annoth's in my life for far too long and today we say no more I am buying back the fields of God in my life. I have a hope and my hope has a name this morning and his name is Jesus Christ. Give god praise in the House.
Point #1 Invest With God
Point #2 Give it all you got.
Mark 12:41
41And He sat down opposite the treasury, and began observing how the people were putting money into the treasury; and many rich people were putting in large sums.
42A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amount to a cent.
43Calling His disciples to Him, He said to them, "Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury;
44for they all put in out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, all she had to live on."
Praise God. Most of us have heard this scripture many times before. And you probably heard it preached in regard to stewardship or tithing, but I think the Lord wants us to hear it in a very different context today. First isn’t it interesting that Jesus was sitting down inside the temple as he often did right next to where the offering was placed. In fact he was watching what the people were putting in the offering bag. Having Jesus right next to the offering bag. That would make you pay you tithes for sure. Right? And many rich people came in and put large amounts into the offering. And then a widow came in gave two small cooper coins worth less that a cent. I want you to see several things here; first was the fact that Jesus called the disciples over to him and pointed out the fact that she had given all she had. Everything she owned. We can only believe that the Disciples were watching what was going into the offering bag as well. And when the poor widow only put in two small cooper coins they most likely looked at each other and may have turned up their noses a bit. Two small cooper coins. Is that all she could do? Can’t you hear them now? But then a loving savior calls them over to set them straight. She gave all she had brothers she gave out of her poverty. And that brings us to the main point of this scripture passage. She gave out of her poverty the scriptures say. Now don’t forget the scripture makes clear reference to the fact that she was a widow. Why? Because she must have been married at one point in her life. Hold on I am going some where with this. She had to have been married at one point correct? And to whom? Commentaries tell us that the rich people came in first and gave out of their wealth. Why is that in the scripture? Ill tell you why? I believe that this woman very well may have been married to one of those rich persons. She was one of the well to do. One of the upper crust of Jerusalem. One of the rich people who used to come in first. And most likely she had given out of her wealth many times in her life. But when she lost her husband she ran into hard times and the money she that she may have had a one time was all dried up and now she was living in a state of poverty. She went from pent house to the poor house. But Praise God she finally got it she exercised the principle of repositioning you condition with God. Touch your neighbor and say” Gods going to turn it around.” Can’t we assume for a second that she may have given out of her wealth her entire life up to that point? A skim off the top mentality. A small token for God’ but that’s It.” even though that token may have been a large amount of money”. You see it’s a lot easier to give when you have millions, when you want for nothing. But praise God this poor widow finally got it. She had been giving God her seconds, her leftovers but she was tired of living in poverty so she decided to exercise the “Give it all approach to God.” She sacrificed all she had, everything she had to live on went into the offering basket that day. Why? Because she knew that though she was living in poverty now but she wouldn’t there be for long. .Oh come on some body. Is anybody tracking with me this morning? You see as soon as she dropped her offering in the bag the miracle took place. Jesus supernaturally moved her from the poorhouse back the penthouse in a split second. Jesus calls over his disciples and explained to them what had just taken place. This woman who Jesus had most likely seen many times before had now become broken before the Lord. and she understood the principle of Give it all you have, I may be poor now but I am going to give it all I have, I may not have any money for food but I am going to give it all I have, I may not have a job right now but I am going to give it all I have, I may not have my health right now but I am going to give it all I have , I may be living in sin right now but I am going to give it all I have, My marriage may not be good right now but I am going to give it all I have, watch what God does in your life. If you are living in the land of spiritual poverty right now hang on brother hold on sister I have good news for you today it’s a day of fresh starts it’s a day of do overs it’s a new day. He will turn your situation around. He will move you from the poor house to the penthouse supernaturally and there will be no question as to who did it in your life. From Hardships to Kingship, from Lowly to Lofty, from the tail to the head, all he requires is all you have. If you looking for a radical change in your life you will do anything. Test the lord in this matter and see if he won’t open up the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing you can’t even handle. God owns the cattle on a thousand hills, he has the wealth of the wicked stored up for the righteousness, Give him all you got this morning. Move from poverty into the blessings of the Lord. Give it all you got. Move into a covenant relationship with the Lord and watch him shower you with the supernatural. Experience his law of heavenly multiplication. You may put in two small cooper coins but you will reap a spiritual harvest big enough to fill up a million offering bags. If you take one step God will take two. He’s just waiting for you to make the first move.
Principle #1 Invest with God
Principle #2 Give it all you got.
Principle #3 The more you are spilled the more you are filled
#3 The more you are spilled the more you are filled
Mark 14 1-9
1Now the Passover and Unleavened Bread were two days away; and the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to seize Him by stealth and kill Him;
2for they were saying, "Not during the festival, otherwise there might be a riot of the people."
3While He was in Bethany at the home of Simon the leper, and reclining at the table, there came a woman with an alabaster vial of very costly perfume of pure nard; and she broke the vial and poured it over His head.
4But some were indignantly remarking to one another, "Why has this perfume been wasted?
5"For this perfume might have been sold for over three hundred denarii’s, and the money given to the poor." And they were scolding her.
6But Jesus said, "Let her alone; why do you bother her? She has done a good deed to me.
7"For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you wish you can do good to them; but you do not always have Me.
8"She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for the burial.
9"Truly I say to you, wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her."
Here we come to the last point of the morning. And one of the most beautiful passages of scripture in the Bible. The woman with the alabaster jar of oil. There are so many topics to expound from this passage but we are going to focus on just one this morning. The Bible lets us know from the other Gospels that this woman had been following Jesus in his ministry. She had been witnessing the miracles and hearing His teachings. And we come to her life changing moment in Mark Chapter 14 1-9. At the house of Simon the Leper. Oh don’t you just love the fact that Jesus is at the house of a leper. He’s not at the Governors mansion, or flying around on Air Force one, or staying in the Trump towers, he is reclining at the table of an infectious leper. The bible says that he has come to heal the sick to set free the broken hearted to set at liberty the captive. He associates with the lost he restores sight to the blind. And without a shadow of doubt he had started to pull on the heartstrings of this sweet woman. There’s not a lot known about this woman other than the fact that we know she had one prized possession in her life. An alabaster jar of oil, full of a prized perfume made from pure skipkenard from the hills of India. This woman was no different than you and me. We all carry around the issues of life. Sometimes they seem like they are overwhelming and there is no way for us to come up for air. That is until we decide to spill out our lives to a loving savior. This woman had possibly been given this alabaster jar of oil as a gift, maybe as an inheritance because of its great worth. It was something that would have taken a lifetime to obtain. So to think of it as an inheritance or passed down to her through her family was very likely. Whatever the case she had come to the time of decision in her life and she was ready to pour out all she had upon Jesus the lover of her soul. Why? because she had seen the water turned into wine, she had seen the dead come back to life, she had seen the lame walk, she had seen the blind see, she had seen the sinner forgiven, she had seen the woman at the well, she had seen Jesus, she had seen Jesus she had seen the Christ. And Jesus had seen her and begun to changer her life.And the most worthy possession in her life this prized alabaster jar of oil had now become worthless in comparison to her relationship with Jesus the Lover of her soul. So she had to offer to Christ the one that had saved her soul. The breaking of that alabaster jar of oil also represents a image of her changed life the breaking of the jar of oil the most prized possession she had really symbolized a breaking any ties to her old life. Her previous inheritance to the world was gone and behold a new life in Jesus was about to start. But not until the jar was to be broken. She knew that the only way to get the oil from the jar was to break it. The only way for the Holy Spirit to be unleashed in your life is if you are willing to become broken. You see my friend this woman had become broken, and she was ready to be poured out upon a loving God. She knew that God deserved her best she also understood that by this wonderful act of love God would know how serious she was about Him. How serious are you about God this morning are you willing to be broken for Him. She understood point #3 that the more you are spilled the more you are filled. I will close with this. Paul put it this way. I have poured out my life like a drink offering. I have spilled my entire life for God and my work is done and now its time for me to go to be with Jesus because my cup is empty but my soul is overflowing. When you begin to pour out your life for God he replenishes you faster than you could ever pour. That alabaster Jar of oil turned into an ocean of oil in that woman’s life. That’s what he is saying to us this morning. He is calling us out into the deep waters this morning, beyond our ankles, beyond our knees, beyond our waists, beyond of shoulders, yes over our heads. Come and swim in the Ocean of God. Point # 3 the more you are spilled the more you are filled.
If you would all bow your heads and close your eyes. Are you stuck in the mud this morning? Is your walk with God not where it should be? It’s ok I have good news for you today. Today you can get a fresh start with God. How many people by raising your hands would say I need a fresh start with God today? How many people by raising their hands would say I need a do over with the Lord?
