Rico Sharp Live Stream

Saint John, chapter 11. And I'm going to begin reading at verse 11. I'm going to read down to verse 26. These things said he, referring to Jesus. And after that he said unto them, our friend Lazarus Sleeps, but I go that I may awake him out of sleep. Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleeps, he shall do well. Howbeit Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that he spoke of Lazarus taking his rest in sleep. Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead. And I am glad for your sake that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe. Nevertheless, let us go unto him. Then said Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his fellow disciples, let us also go, that we may die with him. When Jesus came, he found that he had lain in the grave 4 days already. Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about 15 furlongs off. And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary to comfort them concerning their brother. Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went out and met him, but Mary sat still in the house. Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou had been here, My brother had not died. But I know that even now whatsoever thou wouldst ask of God, God will give it thee. Jesus said unto her, thy brother shall rise again. Thy brother shall rise again. Thy brother shall rise again. And Martha said unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. Jesus replied and said unto her, I am the resurrection and the life. He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believe thou this. Believe thou this. I want to talk to you for about 20 minutes from the subject Live Again. If you don't mind, look at your neighbor and say to your neighbor, live again.

Live again.

Live again. Live again. Live again. Live again. Now, obviously, this is a literal text about a rapture or a resurrection taking place in a man's life by the name of Lazarus. This is a physical transformation whereby a man's death process was reversed and Jesus gave him another chance at life physically. He brought him from the grave.

Amen.

He brought him. He recovered him. He resuscitated him. He restored him. He brought him back from the grave. Lazarus had been dead for 4 days. The process of decomposition had already begun. To take its course. Rigor mortis began to set in. His flesh had began to be deteriorated and eaten by bacterial insects. He was lifeless. His body was cold. His flesh began to deteriorate. And yet There was an odor, a stench of death in the air. He was laid in a cave, which were a modern-day grave. There his body began to vanish away. And when Jesus shows up, it is 4 days after. 4 days after. He has been dead, deceased, and demised. And yet when he walks into town, when he comes into Bethany, he recognizes immediately that there is a spirit of grieving, that the people are mourning. Mary, Martha, the sisters of this dearly beloved man Lazarus, Are going through their hour of bereavement because they have lost one that was dear to them, and in their mind there is no recovery beyond the grave. They knew Jesus to be a healer, which is why they expressed the urgent message that Jesus would come while he was still sick and not yet dead. Jesus, who is an ever-revealing Jesus, wants to reveal to them that he can do all things, not just some things.

Right.

They knew that by his stripes They were healed. But what they didn't know is that the God that heals is the God that raises, is the God that saves, is the God that restores, is the God that opened doors, is the God that can do all things but fail. They are in a place now where When they see him, instead of worshiping and celebrating him as times before, out of their frustration, their pain, and their agony, the sister here, Martha, lashes out. Mary lashes out. And she said to Jesus, Martha, if thou would have been here when we sent for you, If you would have showed up when we asked you to come, then my brother would not have died. Jesus replies back to her these profound words, which is taken in many cases literally and figuratively or symbolically. He says, thy brother shall rise again. They're taken literally because Jesus is getting ready to literally bring Lazarus back from the dead, but they're taken figuratively or symbolically because it also represents that anything in our life that have died, even life itself, vitality itself, God is saying, I'm able to resurrect it. Amen. Thy brother shall rise again. Thy business shall rise again. Thy dream shall rise again.

Praise your name.

Thy vision shall rise again. Thy gift shall rise again. That which has been lying dormant, that which has no function in this time, that which hasn't been stirred up in a long time, that's on the inside, shall rise again.

Hallelujah.

Verse 25, which is where I want to be. Jesus said unto her, after she replied, I know he's going to rise again on the last day when everybody gets up out of the grave. Jesus said, I am the life, I am the resurrection, which means the power to raise him up at the last day. is standing before you this day, and whatever I'm able to do then, I'm also able to do now. The question is, do you believe?

I believe.

Which means if you're going to have a transition from any dead place in your life, then you got to have enough faith to believe that it is possible for you.

Amen.

I am the resurrection and the life. He that believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. Which tells me a couple of things. Number one, faith can recover you From the dead. Number 2, faith can put life back together again. Though he were dead, yet shall he live. It's hard for some people to believe that when something has died that it can be resuscitated. Jesus doesn't stop there, but he goes on in verse 26 to say, and whosoever liveth and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this? Now obviously he's not referring to physical death or natural death because we understand that there would be a such thing of physical death. That is a reality for all other human beings on this planet. But even after that, there is a trumpet sounding, declares 1 Thessalonians 4, and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then those who are alive and remain shall be caught up in the air to meet the Lord. And 1 Corinthians 15 says it will happen in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, and we shall be changed, the Bible says. And that the mortal should put on immortality, and the corruptible should put on incorruption, which is a glorified body that could never taste of death, disease, weakness, or tiredness. ever again. And then the Bible goes on to say, O death, where is thy victory? Or sting. And O grave, where is thy victory? And what that means is that Jesus is declaring that I have given victory over death and victory over the grave.

Amen.

And he's clearly Painting the picture that you can live again. Doesn't matter what you've gone through. Doesn't matter what life has been like. You can live again. I want to give you a couple of points for the next 15 minutes, and I ask that you write them down. Life is what you make it. Number one, life is what you make it. Whatever level of influence you receive into your life, that is going to become the compilement of the choices that you make. In other words, when you begin to receive counsel and advice and information from certain places and certain sources, That helps to become the intellectual index that you would make choices and decisions off of in life. Another word for that is influence. And whatever level of influence you receive, then that is going to ultimately become the decision-making you're governed by. That's why you have to make sure that you specifically elect your people, places, and perspectives. Because the people who pours into your life, the places that you invest your time, and the perspectives that you choose in life is going to determine what your life is going to be like. Life is what you make it. It's not what the government makes it. It's not what society makes it. It's not what corporate America makes it. Life is not what your family members make it. Life is not what your haters make it. Life is not what your enemies make it. Life is not what they make it. Life is not what he makes it for you. Life is not what she makes it for you. Life isn't even what God makes it for you, and life surely isn't what the devil makes it for you. Life is what you make it. Life is what you make it. Say this with me: life is what I make it. Life is what you make it. You make your life by your choices. You make your life by your decision. My mother used to say when I was a little boy, she said, you make your bed and then you lie in it. Meaning that whatever life you make for yourself, that's the life you're going to have to live. And in this particular situation here in the Bible, there is this man Lazarus whose life has been made. And yet Jesus comes because he wants to show him that even though you, you've made decisions in life that have led to your death, I can make you live again.

Amen.

I like this because this is encouraging, because sometimes we don't always make the right choices in life. Sometimes we don't always make the right decisions in life. Sometimes we don't always have the proper influences in our life. Sometimes we listen to the wrong voices. Sometimes we're governed by the wrong principles. Sometimes we hang around the wrong people. Sometimes we invite the wrong information. Sometimes we're open to the wrong counsel. Sometimes we're open to the wrong counselors. God is, is, is simply painting the picture that life has a restart button. Life is what you make it. Life is what you make it. Never blame anyone for where you are in life.

Amen.

Life is what you make it. Point number 2, life can be either a curse or a blessing. Deuteronomy 30:19, God talks about it. He says, behold, I have set before you life and death, a blessing and a curse. Therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may prosper. Life can be a curse Life can be a blessing. You can make it good or you can make it bad. You can make it rewarding or you can live with regrets.

That's right.

Life is not going to be dictated about how somebody else feel that you should live your life. It is going to be dictated by how you feel you should live your life. Your life. Life can be a curse, or life can be a blessing. People who have committed suicide, many of them had mental diseases. Many of them had psychological warfare. Many of them came to a place of hopelessness and helplessness and felt as if that they would rather die than to live Because in their mind, life was a curse. God doesn't want that to become the end of your story. He wants you to live and to live abundantly. Jesus said in John 10:10 that I've come that you might have life and that you may have it more abundantly, which means he wants you to enjoy life. He wants you to have a healthy life. He wants you to have a Spirit-filled life. He wants you to have a life of happiness, a life of laughter, a life of recreation, a life of joy, a life of peace. He wants you to have a life where you can prosper, a life where you can have success. He wants you to have a life where you can enjoy living. He wants you to wake up in the morning with a song in your heart and lie down at night with worship on your mind. He wants you to have a life where you're not battling with stress and sickness and disease and anxiety and being overwhelmed and constantly frustrated and confused and upset and angry and mad. He wants you to have a life where you can rise up and say, this is the day that the Lord has made, I shall rejoice and be glad in it. Life can be a blessing if you choose for it to be a blessing. I believe that you're supposed to have the kind of life where you are glad about being in, in this world, where you're happy About being in this world. You're supposed to have the kind of life where you are happy about the life that God has given you, because the truth of the matter is that after a while it's going to be over. After a while, we're going to close our eyes. After a while, we're going to leave this world. After a while, we depart. And once we depart, there's no return. There's no coming back physically.

Amen. That's right.

But there is a way to bounce back symbolically. Point number 3, life can be full of fear or life can be full of faith, which means what you believe is what you receive. What you believe determines what you receive. Both fear and faith has an aspect or an element of conviction, which means that if I believe something, then what I believe becomes my reality.

That's right.

It means I am convinced, but if I believe something that is dreadful, then that becomes my fear, and that fear becomes my reality. But if I believe something that is promising and rewarding, that is my conviction, that becomes my faith, And then that becomes my reality. Life is full of opportunities to live in fear. You always have a fear presented before you of something happening that you don't desire to happen. And you have to make an intelligent decision not to give in to fear, because when you give in to fear, you empower your fears to become your reality. Amen. But when you give in to faith and you start believing that the things that God said you can have, you can have, and you start believing in yourself and start believing that your dreams can manifest, then you empower your dreams to become your reality. You empower success as a reality in your life. When you begin to believe that you can do all things, then you take the limitations off of your life and you open up the expectations for your life and you end up with a celebration in your life because you receive the manifest. manifestations in your life. Are you hearing me?

Yes.

Life can be full of fear. Life can be full of faith. And I've discovered, and this is true, that everyone has something in their life that they fear happening. You don't, you don't have to live by the spirit of fear or be governed by it and controlled by the spirit of fear, as it talks about in 2 Timothy 1:7. But we have fears that are not healthy, something that we dread ever taking place in our life. And one of the things that I thought about is that Job said that the thing that I have feared has come upon me, which means the thing that I feared, I empowered.

That's right.

And if I fear it, then that means I expect it to happen. And it means I'm acting as if it is going to happen. And it means I'm acting as if it has already happened. Because to fear something means that I've already developed a reality for it in my mind. To fear something means I see it happening in my mind. To fear something means I can almost live in the horror of that reality. People who fear, they, they don't realize, but their fear becomes their prison.

Right.

Their fear stifles them, it limits them, prohibits them from being able to explore all that life has to offer. When you fear something, you're saying, I believe that it's going to happen one day. When you fear something, you're saying, I think that it may happen in this manner in my life. What God wants you to do is to get over your fears and turn your fears into your faith. Reverse the situation and recognize that just like something bad can happen, Something good can take its place.

Something good can take its place.

I don't have to live life backed up in a corner, living off of what would happen, what might happen, what may happen. What if this happened? What if that happened?

What if this was true? What if that came to pass? I can rise up and recognize that I got too much living to do to be paralyzed by fear and allow for fear to hold me down and to sentence me to an internal prison and have me at a place where I can't laugh, I can't travel, I can't enjoy myself. I can't hardly eat. I can't keep food down. I'm losing weight uncontrollably. I'm having storms in my mind. I refuse to let fear have domination over my life. The fear of what people would say, the fear of what people think, the fear of what others would do, the fear of how somebody's going to look at you, the fear of losing your job, the fear of getting the negative report from the doctor, the fear of a plane falling out the sky, the fear of a car accident, the fear of someone burglarizing your house, the fear of losing your job, the fear of not being able to pay your bills, the fear of other people's opinion, the fear that you may not succeed, the fear that you can't be successful, the fear that you can't hold down a job, the fear that you can't rise again. Look at your neighbor and say, fear not.

Fear not.

Fear not.

Fear not.

And though certain things may happen, though certain things may come to pass, Though certain things may transpire that are not healthy, that are not pleasant, and that are not good, it— that does not matter. That because that's not going to be the end of how that thing closes.

God knows how to turn all situations around so that all things can still work together for your good, though the enemy meant it for evil. God knows how to make it work together for your good.

I'd rather have faith that it's going to be good. I'd rather have faith that I'm going to prosper. I'd rather have faith that I'm going to be healed. I'd rather have faith that I'm going to live to see 100. I'd rather have faith that the plane is going to make it. I'd rather have faith that I'm not going to be in a car accident. I'd rather have faith that I'm not going to be sick. I'd rather have faith that I'm not going to be, be destroyed by the enemy than to use my fear to empower the enemy to bring to pass his will for my life.

Fear, faith, both means to believe in what has not yet happened. Both of them requires Energy and conviction from the believer. These 2 sisters, Mary and Martha, their fear was that Jesus would not show up before Lazarus died. And Jesus, knowing where they were in their minds, decided to not show up until after Lazarus died. Because one of the things that God wants to do is to teach you how not to let your fears control you. Because your fears does not intimidate, manipulate, or dictate the moving of God's timing. Oh, that was something right there. You might want to write that down. Your fears does not intimidate, manipulate, or dictate the moving of God's timing.

Jesus stayed away specifically until after he was dead for 4 days.

That's why he said himself that I am glad for your sakes that I was not here. And verse number 15, to the intent ye may believe.

In other words, he's saying, I want to teach you how to use your faith and allow for your faith to recover your loved one from the dead. I want to teach you how to use your faith and let your faith revive the situation at hand. They use their fears and their fears put him in the grave. He said, but I want to teach you how to use your faith so that you can open up the tomb and bring him out of the grave.

Whatever fears you have that have caused you to be paralyzed, if you reverse that situation by releasing your faith, you can have a celebration instead of bereavement.

That's right.

Point number 4, life can kill you or life can help you live. Let me break that down. Life can give you a victim mentality and leave you with a victim syndrome, all depressed and upset, feeling sorry for yourself from day to day.

Just because you've suffered something in life that you didn't plan on suffering.

Or life can teach you that what happened to you didn't happen to you but happened for you, and therefore you are not a victim, you are a victor, because anything that happened for you is something that you can use as a tool to help you to overcome the situations in your life.

Don't have a victim mentality.

Don't allow for the woe is me to become the persona that you portray when you enter into the presence of other people.

Right.

Don't walk around sad and, and upset and, and depressed and stressed.

Allow for yourself to recognize that the things that I complain about Could be much worse than what they are. I'm going to look at it another way and thank God that it is not worse than what it is, and that I still have breath in my body, and I still have a mind that works, and I still have a window of opportunity, which means I can turn it around, I can reverse it, and I can flip it anytime I get ready.

Look at your neighbor and tell her, don't be a victim.

Be a victor.

Be a victor. That means decide today that you're going to live in spite of what you've been through.

That means decide today that you're an overcomer in spite of how many times you've been living under the bridge, under the table, under circumstances, under pressure. Decide today that my life is still worth living. Decide today that there is still some things that I can do before time is over. Decide today that there is still time on the clock of my life, and before I lay down and die, I want to rise up and live. Decide today that it doesn't matter what I've been through in my life, I'm going to use it as a stepping stone and not a stumbling block. Decide today that nobody's going to have so much power over my life that I can't live unless they say I can live, or I can't I can't laugh unless they say I can laugh, or I can't be enjoying my life unless they say I can enjoy my life. Look at your neighbor and tell them, you better live, you better live. You better live your life, because while you're waiting on someone else to be the validation of your life, birthdays are passing by, holidays are passing by, special moments are passing by, and you're sitting on the sideline waiting to be discovered by someone when you better recognize that there is an interpersonal discovery that needs to take place on the inside, and that is you looking on the inside and recognizing that greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world. That means to recognize that you have skills and gifts and talents and abilities that God has given you that can change your world and rewrite the script of your life anytime you begin to tap into it. You can't sit back and wait for somebody to come and feel sorry for you and come down on your level, but you got to do like the blind man did and rise up and cast off your garment and recognize that this is my moment to receive the manifestation of my vision. Say yes!

Yes!

I feel like preaching now. I want to tell somebody before I get ready to close that you got to make this decision that life goes on no matter what happens. Life goes on. Look at your neighbor and tell them, keep on living. You gotta be like the Energizer Bunny that decides that you're gonna keep on living, that it doesn't matter if I'm sick, it doesn't matter if I have arthritis, it doesn't matter if you have glaucoma, it doesn't matter if you have kidney disease, it doesn't matter if you have high blood pressure, low blood pressure, and no blood pressure at all. It doesn't matter if you have to take pills to wake up, pills to eat, pills to lose weight, pills to gain weight, pills to go to sleep, pills to like yourself. It doesn't matter what you're having to do and It doesn't matter what you got to deal with, with medication, still determine, I'm going to live my life. It doesn't matter if you don't have a car and you have to ride the city bus, determine, I'm going to live my life. It doesn't matter if people look at you and cross their eyes and roll their eye and suck their teeth and pat others on the, on the knee as they look at you with a funny look. Tell your neighbor, I'm still going to live. I'm still going to live. I can't get no help in here. I'm still going to live. And that's what God wanted for Lazarus to do. He wanted Lazarus to know that you're not so far down that I can't reach down and pull you up and bring you out and put you back on your feet. He wanted Lazarus to know that no matter what situation you found yourself in, I am the resurrection and I am the life, and I'm able to reach down and pull your life back together. Humpty Dumpty fell off the wall. Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. All the Horses and all the king's men couldn't put Haman back together again. But here comes Jesus after everybody else tried. Here comes the Waymaker. Here comes the Restorer. Here comes the Repairer of the Breach. Here comes the Life Giver. Here comes Mr. Resurrection. Here comes Mr. Rapture walking into the cave and saying, where have you laid him? That means that I got the power to reverse this situation. I got the power I got the power to turn that thing around. I got the power to pick up the pieces again. I got the power to restore you back to whole. I got the power to make the devil drop his weapons and flee. I got the power to rebuke death off your life. Will you high-five your neighbor and say, neighbor, I'm getting ready to live again. I'm getting ready to live again. That means I'm getting ready to live. That means I'm getting ready to be happy. That means I'm getting I'm ready to have peace. That means I'm taking my life back. That means I'm gonna be all that I can be. That means I'm gonna do all that I can do. That means I'm gonna see God's word come to pass. That means I'm gonna live out my potential. That means I'm gonna take my money back, take my mind back, take my gifts back, take my spirit back, take my faith back, take my hope back, take my gifts, my talents, my anointings. Say, give it back! Give me everything I lost. Give me everything I forfeited. Give me everything that got away. I hear the Lord saying that I restore unto you the years that the cankerworm, the palmerworm, and the locusts have eaten. Say yes! As I get ready to close, I don't know who I came to preach to, but as you expect for me to do, let me give it to you. Look at your neighbor and say, oh neighbor, you ain't said right. Look back at him one more time and say, oh neighbor, won't he do it? Won't he do it? Won't he do it? Won't he do it? Won't he, won't he, won't he do it? Won't he turn it around for you? Won't he break Won't he bring you back from the grave? Won't he regulate your mind? Won't he heal your body? Won't he put food on the table? Won't he put clothes on your back? Won't he put shoes on your feet? Won't he make your enemies your footstool? Won't he open a window? Won't he open a door? Won't he open heaven and pour you out a blessing that you don't have room to receive? Give the Lord praise in this house! He will do it! Because he's Alpha and Omega. He's the first and the last. He's the beginning and the end. He is Jehovah Jireh. He is Jehovah Nissi. He is Jehovah Rapha. He is Jehovah Elohim. He's the bread of life, the word of life, the water of life, the river of life, the tree of life. He is everything you need him to be. He's a lawyer in a courtroom. He's a doctor in the hospital. He's a friend in the time of need. He's a bridge over troubled water. He's the Rose of Sharon. He's the Lily of the Valley. He's the root out of a dry ground. He's Mary's baby, the carpenter's son, the I Am That I Am. Do you need him in your life? Do you want him in your life? Do you have him in your life? Say yes! Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life," which means no matter what situation you're in, and no matter how much you've been deprived, you can live again. This kind of faith.

Doesn't just go to the hospital to work a healing. This kind of faith goes to the grave and work a miracle. This kind of faith doesn't just go to prison and to jail and bring someone out. This kind of faith This kind of faith goes to the cemetery and brings someone out. This kind of faith gives CPR to what is dead so that they can live again. My question to you is, do you have it? Do you believe that Jesus can do it? You've had time in your life to validate your fears. Now it's time to validate your faith. Everybody stand, if you will.