The DEATH of DEATH | Dr. Michael L. Woods, Sr. | Good Friday | 3 APR 26 | RADAH CHURCH

We will not leave the same. Thank you for the light, the illumination, and the intelligence of the Holy Ghost. We receive the word that heals and delivers and transforms. Thank you that we will see with our own eyes. We'll be a witness to what you can do. In the mighty name of Jesus, and we bless you for it. Amen and amen. Clap your hands again and bless him. We're going to try this again. Do a little TUI. I'm teaching under the influence. Glory to God. Mario, go back to the slide. Before that, I just want to introduce the topic tonight really quick so they can see it. Tonight we're going to talk about the death of death, and I want us to understand that this is just not another time of year where we hide eggs and give out baskets and the little girls put on pretty dresses and This season signifies the defeat of death, period. Say that with me. Say, death must die so dominion can rise. Yeah, we've been talking about the mystery of dominion, so really this is part 24 of the mystery of dominion. And, um, you cannot ever take dominion without understanding the power of the cross, and we're going to talk about that a little bit tonight. Romans 8, let's start right there, verse number 2. The Bible says, for the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free. Say, I'm free from the law of sin and death. Put a thumbnail in there, I'm gonna come back. Hebrews 2 and verse 14, it says, inasmuch then as children have partaken of flesh and blood, he himself likewise shared in the same, that through death— somebody say death— he might destroy him who had the power of death, that is the devil, and released those who through fear of— say release— who through fear of death were all their life subject to bondage. I'm gonna come back to these, put a thumbtack in it. Go to next one, Mario, go to it. John 19:30. Well, no, we don't want that one yet. I don't want that one yet. Well, yeah, I'll read this one now. It says, so when Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, it is finished. And bowing his head, he gave up the spirit. So again, tonight I want to talk about the death of death. Glory. So Jesus I want you to understand this. He didn't just die, but his death was the execution of a divine plan, of a legal strategy that was designed to destroy death's authority. Oh, this is so good already. He was satisfying a prophetic mandate that was spoken way before he became God in flesh. It was a strategy to buy us back through his blood, and he accomplished it. Meaning that being restored— hear this— through the blood of Jesus, we no longer have to fear death. You know, a lot of times people say everybody's gonna die, everybody's got an appointment with death. But I believe quite the contrary. Y'all can say I'm crazy, but I believe it.

If you live in God, you never die.

Are y'all hearing this? Death in the terms that we know it basically has 3 dimensions. Like most things in this life have 3 dimensions. They are trichotomy, they're tripartite in nature. We're tripartite beings. We're body, we're soul, we're spirit. Father, Son, Holy Ghost— 3 dimensions. Faith, hope, love. Love is the greatest of those 3, 3 dimensions. Outer court, inner court, Holy of Holies— 3 dimensions. Death has three dimensions. The first dimension is what we know most about, and is what we think of when we hear death, is the separation of the body from this life. So if you go to a funeral, most people are emotional because they think about the body not being here in this life any longer.

And most people, no matter how that person died, would prefer to bring that person back.

Are y'all hearing this?

Rather than just let them be dead, because they want them in their presence.

They don't want the separation. And many times it's painful because we love people that leave us. But if we will adjust our mentality— first of all, when you love people on earth, you should make it your duty to talk to them about Jesus.

Okay, so, so then you won't be so emotional during the funeral. Because if you talk to them about Jesus, and if they knew Jesus, they really did not die. Because my Bible tells me the wages of sin is death. So if you live in sin, you shall surely die. But the gift of God is eternal life, mama.

And when we understand that, we don't mourn when someone dies, we rejoice. Glory to God.

Matter of fact, the Bible says we should mourn when they're born and rejoice when they die.

Ain't got time, but that's the first dimension. We don't want people to go, but God says, I came to give you life and that more abundantly. So we should have victory over death. Second dimension, here we go, is the separation of soul from God. Oh God, that doesn't happen when you die.

There are a lot of dead folk that's walking around right now, and because they don't know God and their soul is not in him They are dead men and women walking.

Let me paint a word picture for you. Uh, in Genesis, Adam and Eve had a command.

He told Adam, don't eat of this tree, and if you do, you will surely die.

That tells me a couple of things. One, that death was present, cuz God used the word die.

Death is here. But on the flip side, it tells me death has no power unless you give it to him. So the only way Adam and Eve died and we came cursed through sin is that they disobeyed the instruction of what God told them not to touch.

They ate of the tree and they died. So death has no power if you don't give it to it. So what I got to do— that, that the continuity of that instruction. I told you God is a king, and anytime a king speaks, that's law.

So when God says something, there's continuity.

It never changes. So here's the reality. If God told Adam and Eve an instruction they were to obey, that means every instruction God has given us, we ought to do what he tells us, or we will surely die. It separates the soul— your mind, your will, your emotions, your ability to perceive, your ability to touch, your ability to hear, your ability to speak. All of those 5 senses are in your soul. If you're detached from God in that regard. Life is hard because the Bible says the way of a transgressor— here we go—

is hard. So there's hard spaces in your life, you need to check where transgression may be. Stuff is hard because you're out of line with him. Every time I've gone through hardness in my life, I can trace it to transgression.

Because can I let you in on a secret? God's 100% invested in you winning.

And you having a good life.

But when you unplug and start moving in rebellion to his instructions, things get hard. I don't have time to stay here. Third piece of death is eternal separation from God. That's where your spirit is eternally separated from the Father. Are y'all hearing this? I don't care how many heretics— Don Paul, Carlton Pearson, Larry Reed, all these crazy folk that said there is no hell. Are y'all hearing this? If you don't live saved, if you don't receive Jesus, I'm here tonight to tell you you're going to hell. Y'all don't like that kind of talking. I know this modern church don't like that.

The reality is the Bible says holiness without no man can see God. If you're living an unholy life, not only will your spirit be detached from God eternally, but you won't have eternal value of heaven on earth because God is holy.

Somebody say, now you messing with us. But I just got to tell you the truth. Most preachers today don't want to tell you the truth. But I'm going to tell you, we got to live for him so we can get the benefits of his holiness. Stop playing the grace card every time you fall on your face and then you get up and stuff it to your heart, because the Bible said because of your sin you're separated from God.

But say this with me, say, I don't desire death.

In any regard. So Jesus dies then so that you and I— hear me— can have life, and that more abundantly. So we can have Zoe life, the God kind of life, epiroenus in Greek, which is heaven on earth. See, we're living with this escapism mentality, trying to get to heaven, but God want to bring heaven to you now. The church has been living trying to get to heaven, but if we live right, we can bring heaven to us now. Let me move. Okay, go to Luke 23:34. Let this first point— I'm going to try to weave a tapestry. Keep going, Mario. Go put the scripture up there. Weave a tapestry tonight of this cross and how it kills death. Jesus's death destroys death. Are y'all getting it? So here we go. The Bible says this. He said, then Jesus said, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. And they begin to cast lots. They were gambling with his garments. Jesus, in the midst of being persecuted said, says, forgive them, they don't even know who I am. They don't even know what they're doing to me. If we are to be like Jesus and defeat death, we must learn to forgive like him.

I know we want to jump, shout, speak in tongues, spit, blow bubbles, roll on the floor, and do all the churchy stuff, but the reality is, if you're walking around with bitterness in your heart and you're holding a grudge against someone for something they've done to you, you gotta let that go. Because to truly— watch this—

avoid death while you still alive, you can't carry dead stuff, because death and life are inept to each other.

The reality is you can't be dead and alive at the same time. So you got to choose whether you're going to live or you're going to die. If you're carrying dead stuff, dead relationships, dead people, hurt from the past— you know, I don't, I don't get it with church folk. Me and my wife talk about this all the time.

Church folks, I ain't going to church because I got church hurt and they hurt me at the church.

Well, you got— you went to the club, they hurt you at the club too.

Are y'all hearing this?

You don't hear folks talking about club hurt, school hurt.

You still going to school.

It's only church folks that ain't going to church, and you blaming God for what some ignorant person at the church did to you. You gotta let that go. I don't know who I'm talking to tonight, but them people in this room You got stuff you've been carrying and God said you gotta forgive.

Forgiveness is a free gift.

You don't charge for it. It doesn't many times benefit you. You give it away to the other person and say, I'm out, deuces, I'm gonna let this go.

Now watch this.

When you really forgive, forgiveness doesn't have a penalty.

Some people say, I forgive him, but I ain't gonna never talk to him no more. But forgiveness don't carry a penalty. Oh yeah, I, I was, I was counseling a couple one time about 20 years ago, and, and the wife said, I really want my husband back, and I really want us to be together, but he cheated on me and I can't forgive that.

And I just looked at her flat-footed.

I said, well, you don't want your husband back because you can't forgive him bring him back home— not forgive him, bring him back home and penalize him because he cheated. Are y'all hearing this? She said, well, yeah, I need him in my life. He's a good provider.

He's just a whore monger.

I said, well, he needs to be delivered. He needs to be saved.

I said, but if you gonna forgive him, you gotta let that go.

You can't withhold yourself Are y'all hearing this?

You need to exercise your godly right and divorce.

Are y'all hearing this? If you can't forgive, okay, forgiveness is a gift to the other person that says, I know what you did to me. Look at Jesus, he's on a cross. It says, forgive them. They don't know what they doing. Just check your heart for a moment, because inside of forgiveness is number one, pardon. Say pardon. A pardon means I excuse you from the offense. I live in your presence as if you never did it. Now we say we're saved, right? But you got to be willing to let that go. My wife shared some things with me that happened to her because we were talking about stuff that happened to us in our past and stuff people have done. And I said, you know, that's a tough one right there. And when she told me, I started thinking about the person some kind of way. I said, okay God, you got to help me because I wasn't even back there then when it happened to her. But I'm like, I wanted to say something. I tell you, I need to say something to them. But the Lord said, no, you don't. She has released it. You gotta release it. Because I love her, I wanted to get in their faces and say, what's going on with you? Are y'all hearing this? Well, God said, no, you can't do that.

You gotta release them and you gotta love them.

There are people in my life that did some heinous stuff to me growing up.

I still love them today like Jesus loves me. The Bible says, watch this, if you want to be forgiven of your sin, when you stand praying, forgive others.

Okay, that's tough, man. There's a man of God that I love so dearly. I'm always— and, and a lot of us that were under him, that submitted to him— I'm always constantly forgiving this dude. And I keep doing it, keep doing it, no matter what he say, no matter what he do, because I'm a champion for reconciliation. And I refuse to penalize somebody even if they keep cutting up.

I ain't gonna be found wanting.

Are y'all hearing this? Because we gotta pardon. Say pardon. I gotta roll through this, I gotta roll through, through this word. Jesus is also saying I release the penalty. Also, I shift your position in my life. So when I forgive you, your position is no longer one that offended me. When you forgive somebody, you become a comrade with them again. You know why this had to happen? Because sin creates a legal separation from between you and God. Oh God. But Jesus on the cross here, he's the propitiation of that sin according to Romans 3:25, and he gives us justice. Somebody say justice. So Jesus died for you, gave you justice knowing everything you would do. You hadn't even did it yet. I want you to think about that when you don't want to forgive somebody. Forgiveness is not God ignoring sin, it's him legally addressing sin by paying the price for it. Are y'all here? So watch this. God says, I need this to happen because you can't walk in dominion while you're still thinking guilty. He says, I'm gonna exonerate you of sin. See, he wants us to rule for real. But if you don't think you're worthy, if you don't think you have what it takes to be in charge, in your fear of influence, if you think your past will disqualify you for the promise of God, he says, I need you to understand I have forgiven you. Can I submit to you one thing? I want to give you a very mature thing to walk out. If you fall short, the moment you repent, God forgives you. It's us that roll around in guilt and beat ourselves up, and God be like, I done moved on. Are y'all hearing this? You still be on several times, but you're not worthy.

The devil is a lie. God says, I'm through with that.

But now let me tell you what true repentance is. True repentance is metanoia in Greek, and true repentance is a change of behavior, a change of thought, and a change of action. So you really ain't repenting because you said I'm sorry and then you went and got in the same bed right after. Okay, yeah, it's working. Okay, no, no, you, you have to change.

True repentance says, God, I'm done with it.

Repent, to return to the pit.

Pen is the foundational words, like pit house. So you return to the top. Never to go back to the bottom.

Okay, I, you know, my daddy taught me when I got in the fight to throw the hardest punch first, so that's why this is the first point. Okay, you, you have to truly exonerate yourself and clear your record by choosing to obey God. Point number 2, go to Luke 23:43. So the first point was the pardon that cancels the penalty. Say that with me. Say, the pardon that cancels the penalty. Number 2, the promise that conquers perishing. So you don't have to perish. Watch this. 23:34, he said, then Jesus said, Father, forgive— go, come on, let's go to the 23:43. It's, it's switched. Maybe it ain't on there. Okay, don't worry about it. Let me read it right here. I just want to read the C clause.

He says, today—

this is a promise— you will be with me in paradise. Say paradise. Let me talk about that a moment. So Eden in the Hebrew, in the Old Testament, means paradise. God's goal is to get us back to Eden where we have uninterrupted fellowship, where we have uninterrupted time with him. The second Adam, Jesus, came and restored the opportunity for us to get back to paradise.

Jesus speaks these words to a thief that's on the side of him.

Now, first of all, you got one person judging him. This is interesting. You got three people on the cross being tried. One is innocent of the charge, one is guilty, and the other one wants forgiveness for is failure. The one that's guilty is arrogant, judging Jesus. But this thief says, listen, there's something about you— I'm paraphrasing—

and whatever is happening to you, I want to be a part of it. Jesus tells him, this day you're going to be with me in paradise. Going back to repentance, repentance opens up the opportunity for paradise.

True repentance, humble repentance, repentance that has a heart to go after God constantly and consistently. But here's what I want you to see. I just, I just really talked about this point. When you repent, you get immediate forgiveness. Jesus forgave him instantly. He didn't have to go down in Jesus' name. Are y'all hearing this? He'd have to— he'd have to do none of that. Because some people say if you don't go down in Jesus' name, you ain't saved. Now, for the record, if I baptize you, I'm gonna baptize you in Jesus' name, because that's how apostles baptize. The Bible said whatever you do in word or deed, do it in the name of Jesus. I'm gonna baptize you in Jesus' name. However, if you've been down in Father, Son, Holy Ghost, I ain't gonna tell you you ain't saved.

Because this man hadn't been to a church.

He didn't shake the bishop's hand. He didn't get the right hand of fellowship.

He didn't sit in the little chair they put out there.

Jesus said, because of your humility and the humbleness of your heart, this day you come into paradise.

Can I tell you something? Salvation is not hard. Church folk and religion make it hard.

The cross was about opening up opportunity and rending the veil where anybody can come to Jesus.

Listen, I'm—

I can't wait. I'm telling God to show me some stuff that's going to happen through this church when we get to 3060 Boulder Crest Road in our new building and sanctuary.

I'm telling—

I cannot wait for every prostitute that he'll save.

Y'all not talking to me here. I can't wait for drug addicts and drug dealers. I can't wait for entrepreneurs and politicians and athletes and movie stars that need Jesus to come to the door and get delivered and watch lives be changed immediately. The church is for people that don't know God. We so busy trying to build kingdoms to ourself. And this thing was never about one man. The church has become so iconolistic, and we, we go because of the preacher, because he's got likes and clicks. The devil is a liar. We should show up at church because we're looking for Jesus. And I believe if the church makes up their mind, it's Jesus in the morning, it's Jesus in the noonday, Jesus when the sun go down. We don't come for a show. We don't— guess what? I told you, when the woman of God got through, that wasn't entertainment. She was taking us into glory. She was taking us to the King. That's what we're here for.

So we can hear him say, this day you'll be with me in paradise. Somebody say paradise.

Paradise.

I want to dwell there in permanence. Watch this. This text says death is not a destination, but death literally becomes a doorway to eternal things. So that's why a lot of people don't tap into eternity, because how they think it should be has not died. God's not limited to how you think stuff ought to be done. There's some folk that if the church ain't quiet and if we ain't doing that, then we ain't tapping into God. Are y'all hearing this? God's not limited to our program. And y'all know I'm not a hateful person, but I'm— I am full of joy. And when the spirit of praise come, we should praise. I mean, even if you ain't got no rhythm and can't dance, just jump and do this or something, because praise is comely for the upright.

And I know, I know, I'm a worshiper to the heart.

That's who I am. But I— my roots are rooted in Pentecostalism.

Them.

My roots are rooted in biblical rejoicing. Some folk get lost. You ought to rejoice.

Okay, what's going on now? But, but the reality is, my Lord, God's not limited to what we think ought to be happening.

Amen. If, if the Spirit is moving and somebody raise a hymn and it's anointed We ought to get in with it. Okay. Yeah, cuz he not limited to what you think he ought to be doing. That's right. So that's got to die. You got to come in free, open to whatever God want to do. Are y'all hearing this?

Kill that stuff, leave it at the door.

Say, God, whatever you want to do. And even as you show up in the world every day That's why the Bible said mortify the members of your flesh daily.

Because death is not a destination, it's a doorway.

So when you wake up every morning, kill your flesh.

Put those things that you desire to death and say, God, whatever you want to do through me today, you can do it. You got to be that sold out.

Who you want me to talk to? Who you want me to witness to?

Where should I show up so people can see you in my death? You done gave up all that stuff.

What you give it up for if you ain't gonna let it be a doorway to God? Are y'all hearing this? Most people stop doing stuff because the preacher said don't do this, don't do that, don't take a bath, don't wear pants, don't wear makeup, don't put a perm in your hair. And God knows some women need a perm, they need a little Mac. Y'all ain't talking to me here. Some people say they need a help.

I'm all for self-help. If you got to help yourself, help yourself. Are y'all hearing this?

I mean, but preachers didn't have nothing else to preach about, so I told people to just take off everything. And wonder why them sisters stay single so long. They needed some Mac. Oh Lord, we don't talk to them. Jesus, they need a little help. I'm just saying, we have to not be bound by rules and regulations.

It's called legalism.

Holiness is in your heart and is displayed in your behavior. You know, I grew up in the church. The first church I went— the first house I went to leaving Grady Hospital downtown was a church house. These folk didn't even take me home, they took me to church. So I know I was destined to be in church all my life.

They took me— y'all wonder why I like church so much? Because that's where I was the first day I got on earth.

I'm talking about got in the car seat, we didn't ride to the house, we rode to the church. Are y'all hearing this? So I know church, right? The reality is church can be dangerous in this, that legalism and rules never empower you toward God. I found out growing up in the church, it was just as much hell, Tonya Kirby, under a long dress as it was a short dress. Some of y'all will catch that on 20. Yeah, just as much hell in the long one as it is a short one.

Matter of fact, I discovered there's more hell under the long one. Just took her a little longer to bend down and pull hers up. But if you ain't changed in the heart, it don't matter what you got on.

Okay, I'm supposed to be— let me move, let me move. So the promise conquers perishing, not me abiding to religious legalism, but the cross keeps me from perishing. Relationship keeps me from perishing. It positions me in Christ. Number 3, go to John 19. Let's go. He says, when Jesus therefore saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing by He said to his mother, woman, behold your son. Then he said to the disciple, behold your mama.

And from that hour, that disciple took her into his house.

I love this. Jesus dies, and now he says family is important, community is important. Unity is important. He makes it known that, listen, I'm going, but she was my mama. She your mama too. Are y'all hearing this? He's saying that when we come into the kingdom, we're a part of his family.

We're not just members of a church.

The whole kingdom is family, so we shouldn't be divided. Paul said to the Corinthians, he said, I hear that there are schisms and isms among you.

There is an ism—

ignorance that separates members. We're fighting over stuff that doesn't matter.

We're worried about stuff that doesn't matter.

Who's got a big church? Who's got a little church? And it don't matter.

What matters to me—

I don't care how big the church is— is Jesus there? Are y'all hearing this?

Because I done been in some big churches and Jesus was nowhere to be found. They had the lights, they had the cameras, they had the action, they had the smoke. Everything was perfect, but no Jesus. Listen, if I ever— I give y'all permission—

get to a point where I exempt Jesus from this gathering, from this assembly, no matter when we go to 3640 Boulder Crest and when we leave there and go to our 33 acres and we build around our city, if I ever exempt Jesus I give you permission to not vote me out, but physically, bodily carry me out as a negro. Don't ever come back in here again, because this ain't about Michael Woods.

It's not about no other preacher or leader. Jesus has to be—

we saw the video in the beginning—

the center of everything.

You know, at the moment you start worshiping man or woman, God will show you they're not God. Because the Bible said, thou shalt not have no other gods before me. So when you start lifting that man or that woman up as God, he said, okay, let me show you they're human. That's why you, you shouldn't be surprised when your favorite preacher that you've been worshiping online get exposed.

It's because you've been worshiping him and God needs to show you he ain't God.

Okay, I gotta move. So this provision creates a family. Say, we family. Listen, the kingdom has to operate in unison. Two are better than one. Let me keep moving. Number 4, Matthew 27:46. I'm almost done. He says, in about the 9th hour, Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani, that is, my God, my God, why have thou forsaken me? So this is the height of Jesus dying. He's in pain. There's a partition between him and God. Why is there pain? Why is there partition? Because he is making a payment for sin at this moment where he says, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani. He's taking on the sins of the whole world. If you study this theologically, you'll discover most of the scholars— and I share their opinion— that when Jesus was at this point, the Father had literally turned his back to him.

And ignoring him because the Father is so holy he cannot look at sin. If he would have looked at the sin, he would have had to kill him, and he would have never got up. So the Father says, you're here on assignment to make a payment for the sins of the world, so I can't come and get you.

Are y'all hearing this?

Jesus took this on for you and me so we will never be forsaken.

Okay, y'all hear that?

He took on the sin so you would never be in a position that the Father turns his back on you. Can I sell you something tonight? You got access to the Father. Because Jesus already took the burden of your sin. Now what you cannot do is keep picking that burden back up after he's taken it away, because you're crucifying him afresh.

Y'all read that, right?

So choose based on what he's done. There's a partition between him and God. He can't reach his daddy, the one that has all the power.

He did that for us. Turn his back, let him suffer. So when you go through seasons where you can't feel God, can't see God, That's illegal because that's not the design. Jesus already took that. He already made the payment. This, this is what is called the vicarious work of Christ. He in nature decided to say, I'm going to give myself up so that these people can live.

While you are yet a sinner, Christ died for you.

Can I preach about Jesus?

See, so many times at church we preach about everything else but him.

But there is no church without this vicarious work.

This work that was intentional in payment for sin. If nothing else makes you want to live for him, this ought to. When the last time somebody died for you for real? Or is it, do you know somebody that would die for you?

Are y'all hearing this? But he did it just for you, just for me, so we don't have to carry the burden of sin. So I choose to live for him. I choose to serve him. I'm almost done. Glory to God. Listen, the reality here is this pain always should point us back to separation that Jesus had The reality is they make us remember we should never be separated because of sin, because he was separated so you don't have to be. Oh God, this— it was a spiritual disconnect. Watch this. The greatest suffering of the cross— y'all might differ with me— it wasn't his physical pain. Ah, and it was a lot of pain. We talk about that. He, he had stakes in his hands, stakes in his feet, pierced in the side. He had been whipped on his back with many stripes, had carried this cross to the hill.

But that wasn't the greatest pain. The greatest pain, Roz, was a spiritual disconnect that he had with his Father.

And listen, if you ever tasted God for real, to taste him and not be able to feel him, to hear him and not be able to hear him—

I'm telling you, I don't know about you, I've been there. And that's the worst feeling on earth, that you've heard God before, you've been in his presence, you know what he could do, and here you are calling him and he turns a deaf Fear.

Oh, y'all ain't got to say nothing to me here.

That's worse than the pain you're going through.

But Jesus said you don't have to deal with that if you accept the vicarious work that I've already done. I got to get out of here. Glory to God. Go, go to John 19:28. I, I don't even have time to deal with this, but you see the progression. These are— a lot of people did— were doing this today. They were preaching They had 9 preachers, 7 preachers at church preaching 7 last sayings. But this is what this is. There's a progression on the cross, not just for us to get a good holler and dance, but for us to understand that death is dead and that you don't have to die physically. Your finances don't have to be dead. Your marriage don't have to be dead. Your purpose don't have to be dead, 'cause he already defeated death.

Yes.

John 19:28, he said, about the ninth hour, Jesus cried out loud voice saying— okay, did we just read that? Okay, go to the next one, Mario. All right, there we go. Well, we're, we're reading like that. They also gave me gall for my food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar and drink. The Bible says in 19:28 that my God, my God was Matthew 27:46. 19:28 says, I thirst. He said, 'I'm hungry.' They gave him the sour, they gave him the vinegar when he said it, but that's not what he was thirsty for. He was thirsting for people to step forth. That was a prophetic cry. His throat was dry because he needed people now to make what he was doing make sense. It makes no sense for Jesus to die. If we don't take our place and live out the dominion mandate and walk in the authority that he gave us—

I'm telling you right now, he died for us to rule this world. He's thirsting for people who won't live thirsty. He thirsty so you don't have to.

Are y'all hearing this?

He thirsted where you could be blessed going in and blessed coming out. He thirsted so you could be the head and not the tail. Are y'all with me? He, he thirsted so you could be above and not beneath. He thirsted so you could be a lender and not a borrower. Ain't nothing about your life supposed to be dry.

God have mercy.

We got too many saints with holy hands and empty pockets. Too many saints that can holler and scream that's broken than Joe's turkey. But the devil is a liar. God says, I want to fill you up in every area of your life.

He's thirsty for people that have stepped forward. And take their place. This is a prophetic cry that went through the generations. Here's the thing, when I was reading this today, the Lord said, son, he said, the tragic thing is I still thirst. I said, oh Oh my God, with all the church we have, with all the preachers on earth, all the conferences, all the conventions, all the prayer, all of the—

oh my God—

things that we got going on in his name, he said, I still thirst. Because the church ain't the head. They say, but they're not displaying headship. He said, I still thirst because the number of people in poverty are higher among those that call my name than any demographic on earth. The number of those who are sick are higher than any demographic on earth, or those in the church. And I gave them power over sickness. He said, I'm thirsty, because 3% of the world's wealth is ran—

it runs the other 97%.

And of those 3%, about 0.63% are saved. We don't own nothing, we don't dominate nothing. We are consumers and not producers. He says, I'm thirsty. Y'all hear what we do about it? To quench his thirst. Just think about in the natural, when you really get thirsty, what do you do? You find something to quench it. God said to me today, son, I still thirst with all the praise breaks, all of the deep and wonderful teaching. Folk get all this stuff and still don't change. He said, I'm thirsty for people that'll show up in the world, and when the world looks at you, they see me, they see my glory, they see my authority. He said, I'm thirsty for educators who will build their own schools. In my name, and that we don't have to worry about whether we can put prayer or scripture in the curriculum because my people would have built the school. I'm thirsting for CEOs in the Fortune 100 who call on my name. He said, I'm thirsty. Just like they gave him the wrong thing to drink, the church thinks What we're doing is what he wants, but it's not. He said, I want more of you. You have closed yourself into four walls and you're not showing up on your jobs. Half of the people that go to church, most of the people that work with them don't even know they're saved at work. That's a problem. He said, I thirst for a voice that will cry loud and spare not, a voice that won't compromise. I thirst for people that will say, for God I live and for God I die. When I grew up, I used to hear the mother say that all the time, for God I live. You don't hear that no more because people really don't have that conviction.

They're really not that sold out. The depth of our relationship is Sunday and at most a midweek service. And if you give folk more than 75 minutes on Sunday, they think you've robbed them of something.

The reality is he's looking for people that won't be satisfied until his thirst is quenched. You know what we've been on our knees doing? Saying, God, quench my thirst. We've been telling him to give us stuff. He's saying, what you gonna give me? I'm almost done. Shaka tabasiya. I knew when God gave me this, it wouldn't be— I'm almost done. John 19:30. Okay, I don't know why. Okay, John, this— the devil is a liar. Let me, let me just do this. John 19:30, simply, there's 3 words I want to pull out of there: it is finished. You can play softly, man of God. Thank you. I'm almost done. Say it is finished. See, if we're gonna kill death We gotta realize it's over. It's said and done. Notice what it said: it is finished. This is the efficacious work of the cross, which means it's complete, it's effective, it needs no help. Are y'all hearing this?

It's already completed. Everything you need in heaven and earth was through this act of the cross. Jesus proved that we don't die by accident. He didn't die by accident. He died for an assignment. Now this is what that says.

Good God.

He says it's finished.

And this is what he told me to tell you: it is finished. But he said to tell you he's not finished. It's finished, but he ain't finished. It's finished, but he's not finished using you.

He's not finished getting the glory out of your life. He's not finished changing you, transforming transforming you, taking you higher, doing a new thing in your life. It's finished, but God said, "I ain't finished." Lord, I wish somebody catch that. Somebody that's settled in where you were, you've settled for mediocrity, you've settled for the place you've been in, but God said to tell you, "I'm not finished with you until my glory can be seen. I'm not finished with you until my glory can be seen." power flows out of your life. I'm not finished with you until new doors open. It ain't over yet. I'm about to do what you thought could never be done. I'm— I hear it again—

I'm bringing you into possibilities that you never know that you never seen.

Esha tatabaye ke latambande to bosia. Luke 23:46, you ain't got to go there, read it later. He says, into your hands I commit my spirit. Death was a choice. Jesus chose to die. You must choose to die to yourself, to your agenda, to your flesh. This scripture proves to us that, oh my God, when you give yourself up, it destroys death.

For death didn't take him, he released himself.

I wonder, can I preach to somebody tonight to release yourself? I know you think you need that thing that's holding you back from that next level, from that next dimension, from that higher height. God said release That's it. God said let it go. There is more. I want you to soar in places you haven't soared in before.

Death is not the master. It's your servant. It's your springboard. Into life. I need you to understand— and I'm done— God is going to prove himself. He just needs some people to take up their cross and follow him. At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light, and the burdens of my heart rolled away.

It was there. By faith I received my sight, and now I'm happy all the day. Do I have anybody in this room that's made up your mind? You gonna leave the burden at the cross. You gonna leave sickness at the cross. You gonna leave slothfulness at the cross. You gonna leave disobedience at the cross. You gonna leave that sinful behavior, doubt and fear at the cross. Open your mouth and give him praise. Praise and glory!

Come on, I dare you, get on your feet.

Come on, at the cross, at the cross, at the cross. There's room at the cross. Many have come, there's still room for one. Open your mouth!

Do me a favor tonight, get one person by both hands, please.