Triumph in Christ | Javon Ruff

Good to see all of you this morning and welcome to church and um always um just amazing time to be here and um it's awesome. If you're wondering who's the guest speaker today, I'm not a guest speaker today. Um family um Pastor Javon have the privilege, my wife and I, Shannon, to serve our Sparkberg campus there in South Carolina who's watching this morning.

And we're so delighted to do that. But um this son uh today our pastor is out at our Orange County campus. Him and the family him. So let's give it up for them as they're out there preaching. Place is going to be jam-packed for both services out there and God's doing great things and um keep them in prayer.

But as you notice in just a few moments, I want you to open your Bibles up to the book of John. But before you do it, as you can see, things have be transform and change in this auditorium. And as we're gearing up for this weekend, our as we go into passion week, this is considered passion week.

And as we gear up for this weekend services, we're excited about the opportunities that we are have been given to make an impact for the kingdom of God. Amen. It's not just the production, but we see this as an opportunity to make a kingdom impact. You know, the B Paul said it this way.

He said, "There has opened up to me a wide open door for effective ministry." And that's what we believe this is, that God's given us a wide open door into the community, into the city through this production for effective ministry as we proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ.

And this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, they have the production times. It's going to be amazing. You know, two on Friday, three on Saturday, and three again on Sunday. It's going to be powerful. brand new additions to this production, scenes that we've never seen before, things that have been changed, songs.

It's going to be so, so powerful. A lot of hard work has gone into this. And why do we do this? We do it because we believe in souls being saved and lives being changed. It is our heart to inspire people to live for Jesus. And last year, over 28,000 people came through, come on. this place to those productions.

And we're believing that this year we're going to see 30 plus thousand come through this weekend and more than just attendance, those who are going to come into the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. We're going to see hundreds. We're going to see thousands come to faith this weekend.

And I want to encourage you to to to help out with that, to pray. Pray, but also be a bringer. Invite someone. Did you know that it is still with all the amazing marketing tools that we have today, a personal invitation still reigns number one when it comes to bringing or inviting people to church.

And so I want to encourage you, use your influence this week. Maybe someone on your job is waiting on an invitation or or somewhere at your school if you're a student, but or at the grocery store, wherever you might be. Let's be a bringer. Let's invite people and let's believe God to do great things.

Amen. I'm telling you, it's going to be awesome. If you have your Bibles, open up with me to John chapter 12. I'm going to go to John chapter 12 and then I'm going to jump over to 2 Corinthians chapter 2. John chapter 12. It says this. It says, "The next day when the Lord when the large crowd that had come to the festival heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, they took palm branches and went out to meet him.

They kept shouting, "Hosana! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, the King of Israel. Jesus found a donkey, a young Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it just as it is written, "Do not be afraid, daughter of Zion. Look, your king is coming sitting on a donkey's colt."

Now, let's jump over to 2 Corinthians chapter 2, verse 14. It says, "But thanks be unto God who always leads us in Christ's triumphal procession and through us spreads the aroma of the knowledge of him in every place. Thanks be unto God who always leads us in Christ's triumphal procession and through us spread the aroma of of the knowledge of him in every place.

And I'll stop right there. I want to talk to you from these two texts this morning. And if you're taking notes and if you want to give it a title, it's not a real fancy title. It's simple. I want to call it triumph in Christ. Triumphant in Christ.

Triumphant in Christ. And I want to kind of give you a subheading about points of Palm Sunday that reminds us that we are triumphant in Christ Jesus. In John chapter 12, we read where it is called the triumphal entry. We read that story. Each gospel has its own recording of this particular event that uh that this week it would be this week is passion week as Jesus would enter into Jerusalem as he's headed to the cross to pay the price for the sins of all humanity.

But what I want you to understand that in that first there had to be a triumphal entry in order for there to be a triumphal pro procession. It was only when Jesus entered in as the triumphant king of kings that there would in return be a triumphal procession.

Notice the triumphal entry was about Jesus Christ coming in. But Paul tells us the pri the the triumphal procession was about us that we get to partake in. In other words, it's because of Jesus and the triumph victorious life that he lived and that when he conquered on the cross, it is because of that triumphal entry that you and I can walk in the processional and walk in the blessings of triumph and victory because of the price that he paid.

Understand this that as believers, hear me when I say this, we are triumph is our identity. Too many believers believe too many believers act like victims more than they do victors. I'm not saying that life doesn't happen. I'm not saying that we don't go through things and situations and circumstances don't have don't happen.

But what I am saying to you that we as followers of Christ, those who have put their faith in him, we are not people that are victims. The Bible is very clear. We are people that are victors. Understand this. The Bible says that if any man be in Christ, listen to me, he's a new creation.

Old things have passed away and all things have become new. In other words, there may be some maybe the odds were stacked against me outside of Christ. And maybe there were some things that weren't working on according to my favor outside of Christ. But the Bible is very clear, especially in Ephesians chapter 2, the Bible said that once we came in relationship with God, our position spiritually changed and our position as far as covenant change.

We are not a defeated people. We are not people that use Christianity just as a crutch just to get by in life. I want to boldly declare this morning that the Bible said this that we live in victory because of what Jesus Christ has done through his death and resurrection.

We overcome sin, fear, trials, and the enemy because we rely on the power of Jesus Christ. We walk confidently, joyfully because we know that Christ has already won the battle. Can I just preach this morning? We are not defeated sinners trying to survive. We are redeemed saints empowered to overcome.

And that's not a statement of conceit. That's a statement of being confident of who we are in Christ Jesus. The Bible said in Romans chapter 8:37, "We are more than conquerors through him that loved us." He loves us. Therefore, we are more than conquerors. Let me tell you what that means.

That word more than conqueror means overwhelming victory, super victorious, winning more than the ordinary victory, overpowering and achieving abundant victory. In other words, as bloodbought bornagain believers, we don't just endure. We win with purpose and peace. You've been purchased with the blood. You've been empowered by the Holy Ghost.

The words of God in your mouth can demolish strongholds. The name of Jesus on your lips can unlock every prison that he's tried to secure in your life. And let me tell you, 2,000 years ago when Jesus Christ hung on the cross, it is still relevant today in this culture, in this time, in this society.

He is still king of kings and lord of lord. And through him, you and I are triumphant. If you believe that, give him a shout of praise this morning. Understand the points of Palm Sunday that I want you to see. Number one, it's the point of prophecy. Understand that that that the triumphal entry was a fulfillment of a prophecy by the prophet Zachchariah.

In Zechariah 9 and9 it says the shout and triumph daughter of Jerusalem look your king is coming to you. He is righteous and victorious. He is humble and riding on a donkey on a colt and the fo of a donkey. In other words, this was a prophecy. When we read in the gospels, it was the prophecy fulfilled that had been prophesied in the Old Testament by Zachchariah.

And what I'm trying to get you to see is this. We are triumphant because our faith is in the one who fulfills every promise of God. Our victory this morning is rooted in God's unchanging word. The word of God is unchanging. The word of God is unfailing. The word of God is reliable.

The word of God is eternal. The Bible said that his word is forever settled in heaven. And nobody or nothing in earth can change what God has already settled in heaven. Is anybody hear me this morning? God's word is true. Understand? He said, "If I ever gave you a word, if I ever declared a promise over your life, Jeremiah said he looks over his word to perform it."

Isaiah said that not one word that goes out of his mouth shall not return unto him void, but it shall accomplish that in which he pleased and prosper where he sent it to. All I'm trying to get you to see this morning that one of the points of old Palm Sunday tells us when it comes to prophecy that if God gave you a word, that word is sure to come to pass.

And it's very important. It's very important because when life hands you a battle, you got to remember what God said. I love what Timothy told told um uh Paul told Timothy in 1 Timothy 1:8. He said, "Timothy, my son, I am giving you this command in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by recalling them, you might fight the battle."

Well, did you hear what he said? He said, "Timothy, life is going to hand you some battles. You're going to go through some hardships and struggles. Uh, and it's often times that when we're in the middle of difficulty, we have a tendency to forget what God said when things are good."

He said, "But the thing that's going to keep you in the battle, the thing that's not going to allow you to acquies and back up, you got to start recalling what God prophesied over that situation and circumstance." I want to tell somebody that may be in a battle right now.

You may be in a situation right now. You may be in Gwynette or Brazleton and going through things that don't look like nothing that God told you. But I'm here to declare this morning that what God said. You got to learn to battle with what he said. I don't care what I see.

What did he say about my daughter? What did he say about my son? What did he say about the business when he told you to start it? It may be going through a rough time. It may have a little trembling and shaking. But didn't God tell you to start it?

And you started out obedience? And if he told you to do it, he knew that he was going to bless it. What did God tell you about your marriage? What did God tell you about your future? What did God tell you about your career and your calling? I need to tell somebody this morning listening to me, don't you succumb to the devil lies.

Don't you give in to difficult times. You stand firmfooted on God's word and declare, "Let God be true and every man a liar." He's not a man that he should lie, nor the son of man that he should repent. I got a word from God and I'm standing on it.

Hosea said that's why the issue with my people sometime he said my people perish for the lack of knowledge. My people are perishing in places of their life that I never designed for them to do because they lack knowledge. understand that we have too many biblically illiterate believers because we do not pick up the Bible and read it.

This book is full of authority and promises and declarations for you and your family and your children's children, but you can't enforce what you don't know. Isn't it amazing that when Jesus stood toe-to-toe with the devil and when he was being tempted, he didn't say, "Give me my sword."

He didn't say, "Give me my shield." He didn't say, "Give me my AR, my tank, or my bombs." Uh, he looked the devil in the face and he said, "It is written." Uh, it is written. Uh, you can't say what's written if you don't know what's written. Uh, that's how you fight the devil.

You remind him what God said. And especially about him, you are a defeated foe with hell as your destination. There was prophecy and then there is also the paradox. What do you mean? Palms were laid before him and represented a journey of victory. Although it would be seen as a tragedy.

The people came down the streets in parades shouting hosana. Hosana. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosana means save now. saved. Now they proclaimed as they held him as their Messiah. But listen to me that that palm celebration that I got a little palm branch.

That palm celebration that they were having where they began to wave these palm branches. Listen to this. In Leviticus chapter 23, it's actually rooted in the celebration of the feast of tabernacles. It says, "You shall take on the first day of the bows of godly trees." Listen. Branches of palm trees and the bows of thick trees and the willows of the brook.

And you shall rejoice before the Lord your God. The feast of tabernacles. It was celebrating, watch this, Israel's freedom from Egypt and the harvest of the promised land. In other words, it was a time that they were celebrating victory coming out of Egypt and the blessings that they were about to walk in.

But follow me for a moment. Understand when I say paradox the triumphal entry. On one hand it was a time of praise and anticipation. But on the other hand it was a time of disappointment. Watch this. When Jesus failed to be the Messiah they wanted one who would take on the Roman government.

You see Jesus came on Palm Sunday not as they expected. They expected him to be like a natural king. They expected him to come on come in riding on this glorious chariot and this great stallion. But instead, the Bible said he came on a donkey. He came lowly and and humble.

And what gets me is this. Isn't it amazing that these same people once they discovered that he wasn't going to do what they thought he should do and how he should do it and when he should do it. Isn't it funny that in the same week the same people that were waving palms hail and Jesus as Messiah the scripture said became the same people that start saying crucify him give him a crown.

One minute palms of praise, one minute thorns and crucifixion. As long as Jesus was as they thought was doing what they wanted him to do and how they wanted him to do it, they gave him pawns. But the moment things didn't turn out the way they thought it should turn out, the prayer didn't come the way you thought it should.

The breakthrough didn't come when you thought it should. The Bible said they put down the palms and they start giving the thorns. And my question to you this morning, see, a real sign of biblical maturity is that when life hands you thorns and crucifixions, uh, can you still give God palms and praise?

Uh, it's easy to praise him when things are going good. It's easy to praise him when there's money in the bank. It's easy to praise him when everything is going in your way. But what happens when life throws you a curveball? What happens when the thorns of an accident, the thorns of a diagnosis, the thorns of an addiction hit home?

In those moments and times, uh my question to you is, can you still give him palms when life hands you thorns? You see, I I I it's been a few months ago. We had a family in our church there in Spartanberg. Precious little couple who serve faithfully in Kidpack just commit their their lives to it.

I I they really do. From Discovery and also Kidpack, they serve part of skits and summer extreme. And he sings on the praise team. And I'll never forget getting a phone call asking us to come to the hospital. Zach and Desiree were expecting twins only to get close and closer that they would lose those precious babies.

And they called me, Shannon and I went to the hospital and they said, "Will you come down and be with us?" Absolutely. Absolutely. We'll be there. We're on the way. And I you just I'm just being honest. When you walk into situations, you're just like, "God, help me."

You know, I don't have the I don't you don't you don't try to figure out what to say. You just you just be there. But I'll never forget walking in that room and embracing that precious couple as they wept and they cried. But then out of nowhere, Zach, he looked at me.

He said, "Pastor Javon," he said, "Can we worship?" He said, "Can we praise?" And I said, "We can do whatever you want to do." And he pulled out his little laptop and somehow he put it up on that little screen in the in the bedroom in the TV and he hit play and he cranked the volume.

And when I tell you what felt like just a cave of just doom and hurt and pain, it was so real. But when the four of us begin to lift our hands and begin to worship God and begin to glorify God, what felt like a cave in one moment began to feel like a cathedral that the presence of God would enter.

And he said, "Pastor Javon, there was a day and time in my life where when things happened, all I do was run. I would run from my family. I would run from my children. I would run from my wife." He said, "But I know God has been doing something in me because now instead of running, uh, I learned to lift my hands and praise.

Uh, I don't understand all this and this doesn't make sense to me, but God is still good. Uh, and even though life has handed me Desiree some thorns and crown and and and crucifying Moa, we're going to give God praise and glory. It's then that you offer up a sacrifice of praise.

That's the kind of praise and worship that confuses the enemy. That's the type of praise and worship because praise is not just about always singing songs. Uh it's a declaration of commitment. It's saying that I have an unres unreserved commitment to you, God. Like Job, uh the Lord gives, the Lord takes away.

Blessed be the lame of the Lord. I'm not going to be one that only praises when things are good, but I'm going to lift my hands up at all times and declare, "The Lord is good and his mercy endureth forever." I don't know who I'm preaching to this morning.

Some me body may be going through a tough season, but I dare you. Don't give him, come on, don't give him the sour silence. Uh, but give him praise this morning for the Lord is good. Psalms 47 that says, "Shout unto God with a voice of triumph." Shout unto God, not a voice of pity, not a voice of defeat, not a voice of being just down and out, but shout unto God with a voice of triumph.

Understand? There is the paradox. But then there is the parallels. The parallels. The triumphal entry. The scripture said that they laid those palm branches down from palm trees. Understand that that the psalmist referred to these palms as the date palm which was common in Palestine during those days.

Historically, the palm tree had been called the representative of that land. It was a symbol of victory, often associated with great victory in biblical times. Even the apostle John in Revelation 7:9 said this. He said, "In this, after this, I looked and there was a vast multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language which no one could number standing before the throne and before the Lamb.

They were clothed in white robes with palm branches in their hand. These were those who were triumphant in the book of Revelation. Clothed with white robes with palm branches in their hand. Psalms 92 he said this. The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree. Why am I telling you that?

Because the parallels is that like the the Bible likens the believers in Christ to palm trees. He said the righteous shall flourish like a palm tree. What's interesting is the root system of a palm tree is known to be one of its greatest strength. They go they go down below deep into the soil where they find moisture be way beyond the surface to continue to nourish and feed that palm tree so that it continues to produce fruit.

Well, Colossians 2 tells us this. It says that you have received Christ Jesus. Watch this. Continue. I love this. To walk in him being rooted, there it is. Being rooted. The scripture said, "And being rooted and built up in him and established in faith." Did you notice that before you get built up, you have to be rooted down?

Rooted in a relationship with him. That's what it means that my through intentional relationship intent. You'll never get rooted unless you get in the word of God. You'll never get rooted unless you have a prayer life. You'll never get rooted unless you have your own worship life. Being rooted is essential to the believer.

And it says our relationship with Jesus Christ is what enables us to go deeper and deeper and bear roots downward like Isaiah said, so that we can begin to be built upward. Follow me. down. The second thing is you got to realize about these palm trees, the parallels.

Listen, they not only survive, but they flourish in desert climates. Palm trees bear fruit even in the harshest environments at harshest environments and some of the most difficult circumstances. What does that mean? Can I just declare that it means this? that the believer's ability to produce fruit even when circumstances around you are not conducive.

Can I preach to somebody this morning and those that are watching that circumstances don't always have to be conducive for God to bless and prosper you. Those palm trees would begin to bear fruit. Come on. I don't care. Come on, somebody. He knows how to keep you fruitful in a shaky economy.

He knows how to keep you fruitful when things are all crazy. Come on, remember that God is your source. God is your provider. And you can still be fruitful even in the middle of a famine. Whoop my God. The Bible said Isaac sowed, come on, in a famine.

And in the same year, he reaped a hundfold. That's the God you serve. That he says, "I'll make you fruitful even in a famine. I'll bless you when things don't look like you can be blessed. Uh I will do exceedingly and abundantly above all that you could ever ask or think.

I need 10 people to know that God is a God that desires to bless and prosper his people. Thank you, Jesus. I love this. I want to tell you this that palm trees are known for bending and not breaking. Palm trees are known, watch this, I love this, for coming together and providing an oasis.

When they come together, they provide shade and covering. It speaks of our ability to come together in unity as a church and a people. One thing that the enemy loves is to divide us and separate us. Can I preach this morning? I want to challenge all of us at all of our campuses and those that are listening.

The Apostle Paul said we must strive for the spirit of unity. Jesus said that a house divided against itself shall not stand. And the devil know the one way he can weaken the church is get us arguing and bickering and complaining toward one another. I've made up my mind.

I'm never going to agree with everybody. and you're not either. But what I have agreed on, I refuse to let strife and division and disunityity cause me to get bitter. Come on, somebody. And discombobulated toward my brothers and sisters in Christ. God said, "When I find unity, there I will command the blessing and there the anointing flow."

That's what hell is afraid of. a united church uh that will stand unified on what the word of God says. Can I preach a few more 
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 minutes? There was something that's interesting and I'm going to go on about this palm tree. It was specifically the the the uh the date palm.

It said that every part of it was useful. The leaves were used to cover homes and material for fences. They were also useful for making baskets and other items. Even the seeds when ground produce food for camels. In other words, not one aspect or part of that tree was ever wasted.

Can I tell you that the Bible says in Romans 8:28 that God causes all things to work together for the good of them who love the Lord and who are the called according to his purpose. In other words, nothing is wasted that you go through. Nothing is wasted that you have to endure and have to walk in God.

Can I just preach this? See, see, see see when God says, "I'll bring it all together that nothing is wast Your pains are not wasted. Your hardships are not wasted. Your tears are not wasted. Your setbacks are not wasted. All those things uh that put a bitter taste in your mouth, God said it's not wasted."

See, anytime you cook something, especially like a cake or or pastries, the individual ingredients are often bitter in and of themselves. Nobody's just eating butter. Nobody's just eating flour. Nobody's just turning up salt. But isn't it something that when you take those individual ingredients that are bitter and start working them in together, something sweet comes out of it.

And I want to tell somebody, as long as you focus on the isolated incidents of life that didn't go right, you will become bitter. But the moment you got to notice what that scripture it says. And we know somebody shout and we know. You got to know something.

And we know that all things work together. Somehow someway I know this this is going to turn around. Somehow someway I know that things are going to change. Uh somehow someway my children are going to be saved uh in the house of God, serving him and living him.

Somehow you have to know that for the believer all things will work for your good. That's the parallel. But can I jump to the person? Notice the scripture says, "Thanks be unto you, God, who gives us the victory in Christ Jesus." He causes us to triumph in Christ.

Notice that triumph is in Christ, not outside of Christ. So if you're not in him, you can't expect to have what he gives. And understand that it in Christ it represents the person because victory is not just a position but victory is a person and his name is Jesus.

Can I show you? See when you get born again when you get saved when Jesus Christ comes in you victory comes in you. Triumph comes in you. Overcoming comes in you. Do you know what's in you? Do you realize that you're carrying precious cargo? That's why the scripture said, "Greater is he that is in me than he that is in the world."

In him, the Bible said we are seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. He is the head. We are the body. And the Bible said all things have been placed under his feet. Well, if he's the head and we're the body, if it's under his feet, where is it in your life?

It's under your feet. Oh, I'm just teaching a little disciplehip because that's what you need to understand. I'm already victorious. I'm already in the winning circle. I'm already the head and not the tail and above only and not beneath. But it was the person. Here it is. Here it 
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 is.

It was Jesus. The person that conquered death, that conquered our debts, and he conquered the devil. What do you mean death? First, spiritual death. The Bible said we were dead in trespasses and sin. But we have been made alive through his forgiveness. When you're separated from God, you are see see you're alive physically, but you're dead spiritually.

But then the Bible said this that not only did he conquer our spiritual death, he conquered our physical death. That's where we just sang. Oh death, where is your sting? Oh grave, where is your victory? He took the sting out of death and the victory out of the grave.

And when he rose up on the third day with all power in his hand. Let me just say this. See, there's spiritual death, there's physical death, and then there's eternal death, which is eternal separation from God. But if you get spiritual life, come on. And you die of physical death, you have eternal life in Jesus Christ.

Let me just say this. And that's why as the body of Christ, the Bible said the last enemy that people were worried about was death. The last enemy. But can I say this? And I don't by any means I don't mean this insensitive, but as the church, we have to have a healthy theology of death because of Jesus.

Death is not the worst thing that can happen to a believer. Oh, you I said death is not I'm not giving you permission premature, but death is not the worst thing that can happen to a believer. Death for the believer is not the end. It's just the beginning.

Uh it's not a period. It's just a come. The Bible said that those that die in Christ, they're just sleeping for a while. Come on, somebody. Come on. When you tell a believer they're going to die, all you're telling them is threatening them with heaven. Come on, somebody.

Oh. Oh. Oh. Can I preach this morning? Because the Bible said there's coming a day that the eastern sky is going to split and there's going to be a trumpet. There's going to be a sound. They're going to hear it in Midtown. They're going to hear it in Gwynette.

They're going to hear it in Spartanberg. They're going to hear it in Alpharetta. They're going to hear it in Orange County. And the dead in Christ shall rise first. And all who are alive shall be caught up and meet with him in the air. Oh, cuz Jesus conquered our death, our debts, and the devil.

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 He said in Revelation, "I am he, oh God, that was dead, but I am alive again, and I hold the keys." 
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 Oh, I hold the keys. I hold the keys. Oh, there was a time that the devil could look at you and says that you're locked up forever.

You're locked up in alcohol. You're locked up in drugs. You're locked up in depression. You're locked up in fear. You're locked up in rebellion. You're locked up in fornication. You're locked up in witchcraft. But when Jesus got up, he said, "Now give me the keys. I've got the keys uh to unlock any prison that hell would try to put you in.

I got the keys to depression. I got the keys to fear. I got the keys to anxiety. I got the keys to worry. I got the keys to heartbreak. I got the keys. Uh I got the keys. Uh I got the keys. Uh this morning you can be free, you can be loose, uh you can have life and life more abundantly.

Oh, somebody give him a shout of praise. His name. His name. 
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 Throw your hands up. I call you Jesus. Call him Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Yes, Lord. Yes. Every time I call you, call on him this morning. If you need healing, call on him. If you need deliverance, call on him.

If you need a breakthrough, call on him. Yes. Jesus. Jesus. Every time. Change. Yes. Come on. Every time. Every time. Chains are going to break. Prison doors are going to open. Jokes are going to be destroyed every time. Every time. It's the name. It shuts the gates of hell.

It opens heaven doors. That name. That name. Yes, Lord. Come on. Things come alive. Dead things come alive. Dead things come alive. Dead things. their dreams, their visions, their hope and come alive. It can come alive. Yes. Come alive. Come alive. Come alive. Come alive. Somebody's watching online.

It's time for you to come alive. You've been dead in that situation too long. Today is your resurrection day. Today is your day to get up, to come out and come through. He's got the keys for that situation. Whom the son of man sets free is free indeed.

I declare freedom. I declare liberty right there where you're watching. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Oh God. 
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 Come on, Jesus. One more time. I call you Jesus. Jesus, I call you. I call you Jesus. He's healer. Something comes 
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 out. Every head bow, every eye closed. Please. No one leaving, no one moving.

Please don't go for the doors. It's the most important part of this service. At every campus right now, the pastors are coming right there in that room, right there in that auditorium. They're coming because God is about to move right 
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 there. If you're in this room this morning, every head bowed and every eye closed and you would say, "Javon, I don't have that victory.

I don't have that peace. I don't have that joy. I've tried to free myself. I've tried to unlock myself. I've tried to fix myself. And the more I try, the worse it gets. I've tried everything else. And I'm still hurting. I'm still broken. But I want that triumph.

I want that victory. I'm ready for Jesus to take those keys and unlock me from this prison of sin, addiction, this prison of rebellion and hopelessness. This prison of confusion, feeling worthless and purposeless in life. I'm ready for a triumphant entry into my life so that I can have a triumphal procession.

I'm ready to surrender. Today is the day in every one of our campuses right here in this room. If you would say, Javon, you're talking to me. I'm going to count to three. And when I get to three, I want you to quickly shoot your hand up as quickly as possible.

One, if you know this is the moment, this is the time for some of you, it started in worship. The Holy Spirit begin to move on your heart. There was somebody that when you lifted your hands, tears begin to stream down your face. And what you felt was his love.

What you felt was his conviction. And what you feel in this moment right now is a drawing. It's saying, "Come home. Let me come in. Let me bring you victory. Let me bring you life and life more abundantly." Two, if you know the Holy Spirit is drawing you, you're not responding to a preacher.

You're responding to Jesus. Three. Lift that hand up as high as you can. Hands up. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Keep them up. Hands all over this building. Keep them up. Raise those hands at every campus right now. If you're at one of our campuses, you raise your hands there.

And now I'm going to count to three. Whether you're in this room at one of our campuses, when I get to three and you're serious about this and you're ready to make a change, you're ready for a triumphal entry. When I get to three in this room, in every campus, get out of your seat and begin walking to the front.

One, two, and three. Come on. Come on. At every campus, get out of your seat and come. That's it. Come on. Begin to clap. Come on. Let's give some palms as they're walking. Come on. They're coming. Come on. That's it. Come on. In the balcony, we'll wait on you.

Come on down. Come on down. This is your moment. This is your time. This is your season. This is your opportunity. That's it. Come on. We'll wait on you. That's it. This is your day of transformation. This is your hosana moment. Which means save now. Rescue now. That's it.

Come on. Come on. Unashamedly. Unashamedly. Yes. Yes. Yes. That's it. Come on. As they're walking, keep clapping as they're walking. Come on. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. God bless you. Who else needs to come? Who else needs to come? They're still coming. If you're coming from the balcony, we'll wait on you.

We've got time. That's it. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Don't let the enemy talk you out of this moment. Some of you are saying, "Next time. Next time. Next time." You're not promised the next time. You're not promised tomorrow. You're not promised this evening. Now is the time.

Today is the day for salvation. That's it. Come on. Come on. Come on. Come on. Something. There's some people that are sitting there contemplating. Don't contemplate. Respond. It's him. He's drawing you. He's coming after you. Yes. Yes. Yes. Jesus. Yes. Yes. Yes, Lord. Yes, Lord. Somebody is going to get This is your unlocking moment.

This is your unlocking moment. The prison doors that have kept you bound or flinging wide open. Yes, Lord. Yes, Lord. You can be free from drug addiction. You can be free from alcohol. You can be free from sexual sins that have been binding you. But it comes. Give him a triumphal entry and watch him break the chains.

Watch him destroy the yolk. 
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 Jesus. There is beautiful. Beautiful. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus. Every one of you down in this altar. Beautiful. God bless you. Come on. We still have people walking. I don't want to rush too quick. Thank you, Jesus. I never want to 
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 rush.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Anybody else need to come? I'll wait on you if you need to. Come on. Don't talk yourself. I'll wait on you. Come on. If you need to, come on. You don't have to sit back. There's no shame. There's no guilt. Thank you, Jesus.

Every one of you in this altar, those people around you are a prayer team. And I'm going to lead you in a prayer that's going to change your life. As you invite him to come in, you're inviting forgiveness. You're inviting victory. You're inviting grace into your life. You're not saved by works.

It's not what you do. You can't you can't get saved by works. You can't be good enough. It's a free gift. He did the work on the cross. We just get to receive it. It's a gift. It's a gift. And you receive it by faith. Every one of you pray this prayer.

Say, "Jesus, I surrender my life. Forgive me of my sins. Forgive me of my s. Wash me in your blood. Wash me in your blood. Jesus. Jesus be Lord of my life. be Lord of my life. Help me help me to now walk to now walk in the victory in the victory that I have in you. that I have in you.

I thank you. I thank you that I'm a new creation. Old things have passed away. Things have passed away. And all things have become new. All things. I am not a victim. I'm not a victim. But I am a victor. I am a victor. Through you who love me in Jesus name. in Jesus name.

Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Now, now real quick, real quickly, listen to me. Listen to me. When that that scripture that says once you have been converted and put your faith, it says continue so you can be rooted. What that means is relationship. Our team is going to tell you how to get connected.

They're going to tell you about next steps. Listen, you need community. We have school of disciplehip. We have small groups to get in. We have counseling groups, restoration groups, and that that's what they're there for, to help you to get rooted now that you've made this decision. We can't do this by ourselves.

We can't do this alone. We need one another. And so, the team will tell you. And guess what? You can also sign up for water baptism. And right here, we have one of the p most powerful services right here on the stage that Pastor Franklin baptized, which is our baptism service.

So, make sure you talk to them and we're going to be praying for you. And guess what? If you don't have a church home, welcome home. Our house is your house. Amen. Amen. Praise God. How many you going to be praying for them? Amen. Now, watch this. Give me 30 more seconds.

Here we go. As I said earlier, we can have some great rewards in heaven. You know how? By being soul winners this weekend. bring in people, invite people to come out. And I want to say this, thank you for your generosity, Free Chapel. Thank you for your giving.

So glad to be a part of a church that when God gives this house a vision to reach people, the people just surround that vision and run with it and sew and give into it. And it's because of amazing people like you. And at all of our campuses, we're able to watch this create these opportunities this weekend to see 30,000 plus people come through these doors and hear the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

And guess what? When you give and when you sow, the Bible says, watch this, every soul is a credit to your account. You may not preach a sermon. You may not be in a skit. You may, but because you said, "I'm I'm part of that vision, I'll sew and give to it."

God says, "I'm going to credit that to your account in heaven." And so, thank you. Thank you. Thank you for your generosity. You can give online or out at our giving stations, but we are so thankful. And I want to thank you on the behalf of pastor and this entire team.

We love you. Amen. Now, may the Lord bless you and keep you. Now, may the Lord make his face shine upon you. May the Lord be gracious unto you, lift his countenance upon you, and give you peace. God bless you. God bless you. We'll see you this weekend.

Next Sunday, pastor will be with us. It's going to be 
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 amazing. What an amazing message. What an amazing time of worship and to see the the responses in the altar. Yes, man. So powerful, so full of joy, so triumphant. And uh hey, I want to just say if you're one of those, Pastor Javon addressed in one of the earlier points saying that, you know, sometimes we feel like in life all we're handed is those thorns, right?

When all we really want to do is wave the palms in celebration. We want to encourage you that we can be in your corner to uplift you, to pray for you. That if life is handing you thorns right now, we want to be in your corner. So Christie will tell you some of the ways that to let us know that you responded today.

That's right. One of those ways is uh by you texting the word prayer to the number 510510. If you need prayer today, uh just like we have an altar team in person that's standing at the altar with people praying, we have an online altar team that's standing waiting for your prayer request to come through.

So go ahead and text the word prayer to the number 510510. And also if you said yes to Jesus, as Pastor Javon was just leading people to Christ this morning, congratulations. I feel like this Easter season will be more meaningful to you now that you said yes to Jesus.

So go ahead and text the word yes to that number 510. 510. Absolutely. I have my Easter invite here. We want to encourage you again to be a part. There are eight shows beginning this Friday at 12. All the times are there on the screen in front of you.

We want to encourage you to invite someone. I want you to pray for this uh whole production this week. And we want to encourage you. I maybe some of you will even take a meal and set aside some time to pray and fast this week because we believe it's going to be truly powerful.

We believe that God is going to save some souls this week. So, we love you. Thanks so much for being a part today. Follow us on social media during the week. Follow free chapel. Subscribe to all the things. Yes. God bless you. We'll see you next Sunday. Next Sunday.

God bless you. 
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